Chapter 405: I'm going to Hell
The grand dining hall was filled with a unique atmosphere, charged with an indescribable energy that seemed to emanate from the very walls. The long table, covered with a luxurious scarlet cloth, was laden with ornate dishes, while the soft clink of cutlery filled the air, creating an unsettling harmony between the hushed conversations and the penetrating silences.
Valentina sat to Dante's right, quietly enjoying the meal before her, her posture impeccable in a way that was rarely seen. After recovering the memories of Amaterasu, much had changed in her. Although she was still Valentina, not Amaterasu herself, she now understood herself much better. Not only herself but also her relationship with Dante and her bond with Morgana, which wasn't exactly a friendship, but more of a sisterhood she hadn't expected. Things between them were... strange.
In front of her, a golden wine goblet reflected the soft lights floating around the room. A mischievous, almost imperceptible smile played on her lips as she stirred the drink with her fingers, her eyes fixed on a distant point. She seemed distant, as always, yet still present, feeling the energy of the other women around her.
Morgana seemed the opposite. She sat on the other side, to Dante's left, her slender, elegant figure radiating the serenity of a lady, but with a dark aura that made her impossible to ignore. She lightly touched her wine goblet, but did not drink. Her hands, pale as the moon, rested on the table, her long fingers playing with the ring she wore, the Ring of the Lunar Twilight... which marked the day she married Dante, as if she had no hurry to indulge in the pleasure of the meal. Her eyes, as blue as a calm ocean, were fixed on Dante, as though his mere presence was enough to ignite something inside her.
Nagasawa, seated a little farther away, seemed unconcerned with the formalities. Her posture, always relaxed and natural, contrasted with the rigidity of some of the others. She fiddled with the food in front of her without hurry, savoring it with an unsettling calm, but her eyes watched Dante's every move with silent attention. She knew something was about to happen. The air was heavy, like a storm on the verge of breaking.
Aaralyn, cloaked in her black dress that seemed to absorb the light, wore an expression of apparent indifference. Yet her eyes, shining with the intensity of lost stars, moved from one face to another, reading each person present. She knew it wasn't just the food that was being digested there—it was everyone's thoughts and feelings.
'How strange...' she thought.
Velryna had been silent for quite some time. In fact, she felt a bit off with what was happening... she seemed distant, almost faded.
Sara, with her sweet and subtle smile, seemed unaware of the growing tension in the room. She delicately touched her goblet, her deep blue eyes fixed on the food before her, but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Her serene, gentle beauty was a facade for the immense strength she hid within. She wasn't just absorbing the meal; she was absorbing the atmosphere, every unspoken word, every exchanged glance.
Vex, always playful, sat in a corner, away from direct light, almost as though she preferred to be an observer. She wasn't eating, but studying, watching every gesture, every movement of her companions, and, most importantly, Dante. She was obsessed with him. Her expression was mischievous, and her eyes had a peculiar glint, a touch of playfulness that matched that of the woman beside her... Cherry, who had recently transformed into a demon.
Eldrax, his sexy form in a kimono, appeared at peace, but there was something in his posture that betrayed his constant vigilance. His gaze was firm and focused despite seeming innocent, always alert to the slightest movements, like a predator watching its prey without ever losing control.
Suddenly, he spoke, interrupting the silence...
"I have a plan," he said, his voice low but filled with authority. The mere tone of his words made the atmosphere feel heavier, as if the air was condensing around them. "I intend to descend into Hell."
All the women: Valentina, Morgana, Nagasawa, Aaralyn, Velryna, Sara, Vex, Eldrax, Lilith, Aldria, Lyrianna, and Fey...
Immediately turned to him, their eyes glowing with pure hostility and concern. In that single moment, time seemed to stop completely.
The impact of his words was instantaneous. Each of the women in the room felt the weight of the revelation, but each reacted differently. Morgana, her eyes as blue as frozen oceans, did not look away from Dante, but something inside her stirred.
Valentina, on the other hand, seemed more curious than surprised, while Nagasawa paused before settling further into her seat, her eyes glimmering with the audacity of the plan.
"Are you serious?" Velryna asked, her voice sounding more concerned than genuinely interested in hearing about his plan, or whatever it was he intended. She didn't want her husband in any kind of danger.
"Yes," Dante replied, looking at her with a confident smile. "It's the only way to achieve what I desire. And I need all of you for this."
He didn't need to say more. Dante's wives, each powerful in her own way, understood what that meant. Hell wasn't a place for just anyone, and descending there was not something that any mortal or immortal could do without paying a price.
"But why, Dante?" Lyrianna asked, her voice soft, but the gravity of her question apparent.
"It seems the End of the World is approaching." Dante's voice was calm, but there was a conviction in the way he spoke that caused the temperature in the room to drop a few degrees. He wasn't joking. This wasn't a metaphor or exaggeration. He was talking about the actual end of everything they knew.
The sound of cutlery ceased immediately. Every one of the wives, without exception, fixed their gaze on him with silent attention, trying to process what had just been said. Valentina, usually so impassive, now seemed intrigued. Morgana slightly furrowed her brow, the blue of her eyes seeming to pierce Dante's soul, searching for the truth behind his words. Velryna, who rarely lingered on anything that wasn't of immediate interest to her, was now fully focused.
Dante settled back into his chair, his hands clasped together, and sighed deeply, as though the weight of the revelations he was about to share had been pressing on him for a long time. He then gazed out over the horizon of the room, as if observing something distant and intangible.
"The story of the world... is not what it seems," he began, his voice firm, but laden with a tension that was impossible to ignore. "Everything that has happened, everything we've lived through so far... it's a 'Test Universe.'"
The silence was absolute. The word "simulation" spread through the room like a seismic wave, causing all the women around the table to exchange confused but also suspicious glances.
"Mary Rose and Astaroth... they began a plan a long time ago. A plan to absorb the Negative World Tree, and in doing so, become the very embodiment of Negativity."
"Absorb the Tree?" Vex murmured, her voice heavy with dark curiosity. "But that... would violate all laws of balance. What happens when the Tree is consumed?"
"Everything dies," Fey responded, her tone as grave as a death sentence. "The Negative World Tree is the root of the very existence of our plane. It maintains balance. Without it, the Negativity that surrounds and challenges us can no longer be controlled. And Negativity, when unbalanced, consumes everything. The world, the cosmos, everything... would disappear." Fey finished, her knowledge stemming from her own nature as the Positive World Tree.
Aaralyn, with a keen look, crossed her arms, observing Dante with a rare intensity. "But you said this is only part of the plan. The Tree wouldn't just be destroyed by being absorbed, right? There's something else, something bigger at play?"
Dante nodded, his eyes darkening as he continued. "Yes. Because we're not just dealing with the destruction of the Tree. We're dealing with an attempt at something... greater. Something that challenges the very fabric of reality."
The room grew tense as the wives began to grasp the weight of what Dante was saying. He paused before revealing what came next.
"What Mary Rose and Astaroth don't know... is that this world is not the only one. It's a test. An experiment by the Administrators."
"Administrators?" Lyrianna asked, leaning in even further, her eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "Are they the true creators of this world?"
"No, they manage the balance. It's just a hypothesis, of course, but we have plenty of things that support what I'm thinking, especially the power imbalance among us," Dante replied, his voice heavy with a quiet sadness. "And this world... this entire universe... it's just a Test. A replica to test a theory."
"A theory?" Vex asked, her eyes narrowing, alert, as if trying to decipher an invisible equation. "About what?"
"About what would happen if a world existed without the Incarnation of Negativity. They're testing the balance... trying to see if, even without an Incarnation of Negativity, it's possible to create a universe... However... it seems the answer is already clear, isn't it?"
"If it doesn't exist, the universe itself will conspire with fate and create it..." Sara murmured, her gaze fixed on the wine in front of her.
"A fate unavoidable... a complete end. That's why I'm going to Hell to regain control, to become a Dragon again and..."