FRACTURED LIMITS.

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Chapter 25: Fractured Limits

The air crackled with tension. The Revenant Commander stood amidst the wreckage, his black eyes gleaming with something disturbingly close to amusement. Shadows coiled around his fingers like living creatures, pulsing in time with his breath.

Dante could still feel the lingering burn of his last attack. His golden veins pulsed, his body thrumming with raw energy. But it wasn't enough.

Not against this.

Cain groaned from where he had landed, cradling his twisted arm. "So, uh… I don't suppose we can just run, huh?"

Dante didn't answer.

Because the Revenant was already moving.

Faster than before.

The shadows exploded outward as he closed the distance, black tendrils whipping through the air. Dante barely dodged, twisting to avoid the razor-sharp tendrils that sliced through the ground where he'd stood.

Not just speed.

Not just strength.

He was adapting.

Dante ducked another strike, rolling to the side just as the Commander's fist shattered the pavement where his head had been. His golden eyes darted to Lyra—she was already raising her gun, but Dante knew it wouldn't be enough.

They had to end this. Now.

Think.

Dante gritted his teeth. He could feel the power burning beneath his skin, restless, eager. But if he tapped into it fully, if he let it take over—

Would he still be himself?

No time to hesitate.

The Revenant's next attack came fast—too fast. Dante couldn't dodge this one.

So he didn't.

He met it head-on.

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Breaking Chains

Dante's body reacted before his mind could catch up. He raised his arms, golden energy flaring, and caught the Revenant's fist.

For a split second, the world stood still.

Then—

BOOM.

A shockwave erupted from the impact, tearing through the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked, metal debris sent flying in all directions.

The Revenant Commander's eyes widened slightly.

Dante exhaled. His body felt weightless—unstoppable. The energy wasn't just burning beneath his skin anymore. It was him.

He grinned. "Guess I'm learning."

The Revenant's smirk returned. "Then let's see how far you've come."

Dante barely saw the next strike. It was a blur—a black flash of movement. But this time, he was ready.

He countered.

Their blows collided in a blur of light and shadow, gold against black, raw power clashing in a deadly storm. The battlefield trembled beneath them.

Cain, still half-sprawled on the ground, watched with wide eyes. "Holy shit."

Lyra reloaded her gun, muttering under her breath. "That's… not normal."

Dante wasn't listening.

Right now, there was only the fight.

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End of Chapter 25.