Chapter 18: Dance of Darkness
The temple echoed with Zephyr's dark energy. The floor cracked with every step, the walls trembling eerily. Dante and his team could feel the weight of Zephyr's dark magic. Zephyr lifted the sphere into the air, and in an instant, the entire temple was covered in a dark mist.
"Dante! Today will not only be your end, but the end of your entire team!" Zephyr shouted.
Dante took a step forward, his silver-plated pistols clutched tightly. "Stop hiding behind the shadows. Come on, show me what you've got."
---
The Battle Begins: Zephyr's Power
Zephyr magically sent a wave of energy that cracked the temple floor. Ryker dodged at the last moment. "This man is no joke! We've never seen this power before!"
Kaelene charged at Zephyr with her magic sword. However, Zephyr created a barrier of shadows and deflected the attack. He then threw a spear of shadows towards Kaelene. Kaelene blocked the spear with her shield, but was thrown back by the force of the blow.
Lucian tried to get close to Zephyr by moving through the shadows. However, Zephyr sensed Lucian's location and struck him down with a blast of energy. "Not one of you can stand against me!"
---
Dante's Strategy
Dante fired his pistols to distract Zephyr. However, Zephyr absorbed the bullets with the shadows and sneered. "Your weapons cannot harm me, Dante. You have no power to fight the darkness!"
Dante smiled calmly. "Yes, but you have a weakness. And I will find it."
Ryker began setting up his devices to analyze the magical energy Zephyr was using. "Dante, there is a focal point that allows him to control that sphere. If we can disable it, we can reduce its power!"
Kaelene shouted at Dante. "Keep him busy, we'll target the sphere!"
---
A Fierce Battle
Dante quickly approached Zephyr and dodged the spears of shadows. In the melee, he counterattacked Zephyr's armor created with his magic power. However, Zephyr was getting stronger with each blow.
Zephyr summoned a sword with magic in an instant and attacked Dante. "You cannot defeat me! Darkness always prevails over light!"
Dante nimbly evaded Zephyr's attacks and countered with his pistols. "Stop talking so much and fight!"
Kaelene and Lucian launched magical attacks from behind Zephyr, targeting the sphere. The sphere began to crack with the blows. However, Zephyr noticed this and knocked everyone down with a wave of energy.
---
Dante's Final Move
Dante stood up with the last of his strength and advanced towards Zephyr. His eyes were bright with determination. "You can't stop me. And I'm going to end this now."
Zephyr used the power of the sphere to create a massive energy wave and launch it at Dante. However, Dante dodged the wave and landed right in front of Zephyr.
"This is the end of you, Zephyr."
Dante pointed his silver-plated pistols directly at Zephyr's chest and fired two shots. "Jackpot."
Zephyr collapsed to the ground, screaming. The sphere shattered after Zephyr's death, and the entire temple began to shake.
---
Temple Escape
Ryker shouted, drawing everyone's attention. "This place is collapsing! We need to get out quick!"
The team ran out of the temple, seeing the temple completely destroyed behind them. Dante, still holding his pistols, stared at the ruins for a moment.
Kaelene came to Dante's side and asked. "Is it over?"
Dante replied, putting his pistols back in place. "The Zephyr is finished. But the Dark Lord is still out there. This is not over yet."
---
New Threat: The Dark Lord
After the destruction of the Zephyr, the truths the team learned pointed to a new war. The Dark Lord had a plan that could completely control Oblivion's energy. And this plan could plunge the world into irreversible darkness.