[WARNING SPOILER CANTO 7 BELLOW]
In a fantastical realm known as La Manchaland, Dante, a once-mighty blood fiend, finds himself in a state of confusion and loss. After a rebellion from his children leads to his near demise, a mysterious figure inter...
In the heart of the city of the damned, two bloodfiends stand amidst the fiercest battle of their lives. Betrayed by their once-loyal family kindred, they face the brutal onslaught alone. With a swift command, the father bloodfiend summons an enchanted shoe for his most loyal second kindred, desperate to ensure her safety.
???: Ah, Sancho... Do you understand? You must continue the adventure in my stead.
Sancho: N-no... let me fight with you! I'll stand by your side, even if—
???: Follow Bari. She will lead you to safety.
At his word, the enchanted shoe begins its work, forcing the young lady to step back, her movements leading her unwillingly toward the portal opened by Bari. Sancho struggles, her heart breaking as she's pulled away from her beloved "father."
She channels all her strength against the shoe's spell, but it's futile—her steps only move her backward, tears streaming down her face as she's drawn away.
Sancho: I don't want to leave, I don't! Why do you refuse to obey me...
As the portal looms closer, her desperation grows, each step against her will a painful blow.
Sancho: Please, please! I don't want adventure! Stop, please!
With one final, heart-wrenching step, she reaches the portal's edge, still pleading with all she has.
Sancho: Please, Rocinante... don't take me away from here...
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The portal closes in an instant, leaving the bloodfiend alone, facing the hollow-eyed stares of his rebelling children, each one yearning for the forbidden taste of human blood. He tightens his grip on the blood lance, a weapon Sancho had forged for him, and prepares to stand his ground in a battle he knows he cannot win.
???: Ah... I suppose this is where I atone for my sins.
The bloodfiend seals his land, trapping his children within so none may escape. For weeks, he fights endlessly, until his strength is drained, and at last, he falls to his own kindred. They crucify him to a wall, driving a stake through his heart over and over, the torment never ceasing. He endures, holding onto his dream of peace, even as his children condemn him to endless suffering. Decades pass, his spirit dwindling as he hovers on the brink of surrender. Then, in the darkness, a faint blue light appears.
???: What... what is this warm light?
Through the dim glow stands a figure cloaked in darkness, their eyes an eerie blue with three raven talons encircling each pupil. With a silent command, they raise a glowing blue blade, and a single swing unleashes a shockwave, scattering the frenzied bloodfiends. The figure approaches the crucified bloodfiend, his voice laced with faint pity.
???: Oh, Don Quixote... how far you've fallen from your once-glorious days.
The other bloodfiends recoil, but then, catching the scent, their expressions shift from fear to frenzy.
