Unknown Truths

“Morning fellas,” Astro said even though it was almost 4 o’clock at this point. “Ready to go? I’ve been waiting for ya.” Dante was the only one who replied before Astro continued. “Okay. Just a few miles down the road is the exit and then Carmen's Dungeon is right through the teleporter outside the exit.”

The female waiter yelled out as they walked away, “Hey! You forgot to pay again Astro!”

“Put it on my tab. I’ll be back,” Astro said as he smiled…

“We won’t get attacked in the daylight?” Dante asked to confirm what Magin had said. He didn’t know if any of that was real. “Nope. We’re practically open targets, but don’t worry, nobody will do anything. That’s how this city works. You can only enter at Midnight and then 5 minutes pass. I tried to get us in earlier to avoid fighting and hide, but it didn’t really work, did it?”

Approaching the exit at the north end of the wall, a little girl lay on the ground covered in scars and blood lying next to a dog that looked dead. “What’s going on?” Dante asked. “What is this?”

Astro: “Hold it boys. Don’t get worked up. It’s a trap.”

“Help me,” the girl cried out. Dante remained calm, but his sword started to light up blue and shook uncontrollably. “Astro, my sword… it won’t stop shaking. It’s pulling me to the girl. I can’t stop it!”

Dante slowly began to inch towards the girl and dog laying on the floor. “No! They’ll kill you from above! Pour mana into your sword and control it like you did in the tavern!”

Dante took his sword and began to pour all the mana he could into it as he lit up with dark blue mana lines. Visions began flooding into Dante’s mind. He screamed out looking into the sky, except it was not his voice. Blue mana expanded a mile across the city, alerting hundreds of assassins of an intense power.

“Tch!” Astro didn’t know what to do. ‘If I get close to him, his sword might swing at me from instinct.’

Dante’s body bolted at the little girl and dog with sword in hand. 20 people jumped down from the top of the buildings aiming at Dante. The little girl smirked as she and the dog stood up and ran away.

“Dante!” Astro screamed. He grabbed his scythe as fast he could. “Apollos Plagued Arrows!” 7 arrows shot towards the men, shifting from black to red to yellow to green and then back to black covered in a black fiery haze. They pierced 7 men that lit up in flames instantly. Lucky, now quivering, was looking at death just by staring Dante in the eyes. He was unable to move. ‘This feeling! I hate it! I’ve already experienced this powerlessness 3 times in such a short time. H-How do I fix this?’

Astro screamed out, “Dante! Get out of there!”

In less than a second, Dante’s sword became a massive dark blue and black light. The men were pierced all over with blades of water dying instantly. Dante panted heavily as he came back to his senses, but the sword wouldn’t stop. It shifted quickly to target the young girl with the dog. She screamed out loud as water encompassed her body and lifted her in the air. Nobody said a word as the water turned into a swift blade and stabbed her heart. The girl’s body dropped to the ground and Dante’s sword returned to normal.

“W-What are you? Wh-What did you just do? That girl…did nothing wrong.” Dante looked at his sword. He had seen more than whatever Lucky had seen in the sewers. He didn’t need an explanation anymore. A full life story flashed into his mind within 5 seconds. Dante wavered for a moment. “I’ve been an assassin for a long time. I’ve seen more death and despair than any man alive, but this…this is too much. You're beyond help. Your soul is broken. You’re worse than me. How am I supposed to control your strength when you shut yourself off? You’re like me when I was lost.”

Astro sighed with relief. He ran over to Dante. “Dante, you alright?”

“Yeah…”

“That power you used. Don’t underestimate that. You’re on par with some of the strongest. I don’t know if I can teach you to control that, Dante. You need to have a strong bond with your sword. Whatever sword that is, where it came from…It’s your choice to stay with it or abandon it. I’ll teach you mana though. Stay close to me boys. Right out that back door until we leave this hellhole.”

Dante looked at Lucky and spoke. “I’m sorry, Lucky.”

“For what?” as Lucky looked down at the ground, still unable to act like his normal self. “I’m just…sorry…for how you feel right now.”

Neither boy spoke another word, unable to convey their emotions properly. Astro looked concerned, but they continued to the exit. That’s all Dante could say knowing that Lucky was struggling. He figured that he wouldn’t say another word the rest of the way.

A man standing outside the exit looked identical to the man at the front. His hair slicked back with a suit on as well. “I hope you enjoyed your visit, gentlemen. Please come back as you please. And please abide from using mana in the teleporter. It may shift your destination.”

Astro: “Shut up. This city is always hellish when I come here. Let’s head out Dante, Lucky. To the dungeons we go.”