My Blood Legacy: Reincarnated as a Vampire

"Give me your sword. I need it," Dante demanded, his voice firm as he stood before the vampire, who didn't seem convinced at all. In fact, Ranni looked positively livid.

"No," she replied flatly.

Dante tried again, this time with a sharper edge to his tone. "Are you trying to destroy our world? Just hand over the damn sword already. I need to talk to Talassa."

Ranni raised an eyebrow at him, her irritation palpable. "If she wanted to talk to you, she would have shown up by now. She doesn't want to speak with you."

That was the last straw. After an hour of fruitless arguing, Dante finally snapped.

"Fine, screw this," he growled.

A dark mist rose around him, swirling like a living thing as it wrapped around Ranni, holding her firmly in place.

"You all think I'm joking, don't you? The world is falling apart, and you're playing coy. I should just take my wives and leave this sector to burn while the rest of you idiots perish," he snarled, his patience completely gone.

"Kyaa! Let me go! Let me go!" Ranni shrieked, kicking and flailing in the air as the miasma held her tightly.

Dante's frustration had reached a boiling point. He'd been trying to save a world that didn't seem to care about being saved, and his nerves were shot.

"Just give me the damn sword already," he growled.

Ranni continued to struggle in the air, her expression shifting between indignation and genuine fear. The miasma coiled tighter, not enough to injure her but sufficient to immobilize her completely. It was a display of overwhelming power, one that even a vampire as strong as Ranni couldn't ignore.

"You're hurting me, you bastard!" she shouted, her voice betraying the growing panic inside her.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Dante's voice was low and cold, his fury seeping into every word. "The world is collapsing around us, and you're clinging to petty pride and pointless arguments. I don't have time for this. Give. Me. The. Sword."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Ranni's eyes widened, and while she kept resisting out of sheer stubbornness, something about Dante's intensity began to crack her resolve. She knew he was right. She knew the situation was dire. But admitting that meant admitting she'd been wrong—a blow her pride wasn't ready to take.

"I... I can't just give you the sword!" she finally yelled. "It's an ancient artifact, bound to me! You don't understand what you're asking for!"

Dante scoffed, his patience beyond worn. "You think I don't know that? Do you think I'm standing here begging for fun? If I could fix this without you, I would've done it already."

The miasma tightened slightly, and Ranni let out a strangled gasp. "You talk like you're the only one that matters! Like the rest of us are just pawns in your grand plan!"

"Pawns? Of course you are!" Dante snapped, his voice rising for the first time. "But I'm trying to save this damn mess! Do you think I'm doing this for myself? I could just grab my wives, leave this place, and let you all rot in the hellhole you created. But no! I'm here, fighting for people who don't even care about their own survival!"

Ranni fell silent, stunned by the sheer force of Dante's words. She knew he was right. She'd known it all along. But the weight of the sword and her own pride held her back.

"If you want the sword so badly," she challenged, her voice trembling, "then take it from me."

Dante smiled, but there was no humor in it—just weariness and frustration. "I've considered it, Ranni. But unlike you, I still try words before resorting to force."

He released the miasma, letting her fall to the ground with a dull thud. She coughed and gasped for air, glaring up at him with a mix of fury and unease. Before she could fully recover, Dante stepped closer, leaning down so his eyes met hers.

"This sword isn't just yours, Ranni. It's a legacy, a tool, something that can save millions of lives. If you refuse to understand that, then I will take its power from you by force. Believe me, I don't want to do that."

Ranni hesitated, her defiance wavering as she saw the raw determination in Dante's eyes. She realized he wasn't bluffing. He truly was carrying an impossible burden. And maybe, just maybe, she was being irrational.

"You should have just called me." A sudden feminine voice echoed, accompanied by the appearance of a floating sword.

"I told her to call you, but apparently, your wielder is a moron who can't grasp a simple phrase like 'The world is ending,'" Dante snapped, his frustration evident. The sword seemed to glance at Ranni for a moment, radiating disappointment.

"Ranni," said Talassa, her tone soft but sharper than any blade. "I'm certain I told you that if he ever needed me, all you had to do was let me know."

"I…" Ranni started, but her voice faltered. She had no good excuse and she knew it.

"Perhaps it's time to reconsider your role as my wielder," Talassa continued, now floating directly in front of Dante. "You should already know, Ranni, that pride is a luxury we cannot afford in times like these."

Dante scoffed, his irritation still palpable, though Talassa's arrival seemed to ease some of his tension. "Finally, someone with sense." Crossing his arms, he regarded Talassa with a silent reverence. "I didn't want all this drama, but honestly, I'm sick of dealing with egos while the world is falling apart."

Talassa floated closer to him, her blade glowing even brighter. "You're right to be impatient, Dante. The threat we face allows no hesitation. Tell me, what's the plan?"

"Make a contract with me. I need spiritual energy," Dante said bluntly, his gaze locked on the dragon-shaped sword.

"You're seriously following through with that plan to become a dragon?" Talassa asked, her tone inquisitive. Dante met her eyes and held her gaze for several seconds.

"Do I have another choice?" he said finally.

"I'm doing everything I can to maintain my human form, but given what's coming… the only thing I lack now is spiritual energy. I've already gathered enough mana," he explained.

To ascend to dragonhood, Dante had crafted a meticulous plan. First, he had Alice teach him how to absorb nearly limitless mana. Then, he gathered miasma and demonic energy in equal measures. Finally, he amassed an extraordinary amount of diacronic essence from Voralith. Now, he was only one step away from a catastrophic ascension. But that wasn't what Dante wanted.

Dante didn't just want to save or destroy the world—he wanted to annihilate the balance and stability that bound it.

"Do you want to save the world or destroy it? This goes beyond anything I imagined," Talassa said cautiously.

"I've already secured Neutral, Positive, and Negative Energies," Dante replied. "Now, I just need Spiritual and Divine Energy. I'm doing this to shatter this world's chains within Hell itself and stop the catastrophe that's coming."

Talassa floated in silence for a moment, her blade pulsing faintly as if mimicking a deep breath. She seemed to be processing the magnitude of Dante's words. For his part, Dante remained motionless, the intensity in his eyes a clear declaration that he wouldn't back down.

"You're setting yourself on a path of no return," Talassa finally said, her voice heavy with genuine concern. "If you gather all these energies and truly ascend as a dragon, you won't be human anymore. Not even a god. You'll become… something beyond. Something this world may not survive."

Dante exhaled sharply, folding his arms. "You think I don't know that? Every step I take pulls me further from who I used to be. But if that's what it takes to stop Mary Rose and Astaroth, then it's a price I'm willing to pay."

"Do you not see the risk?" Talassa asked, her tone urgent. "This transformation could destroy not only you but everyone around you. Such an unstable force could rip apart the very fabric of this world."

"I see the risk," he replied, his voice firm. "But I also see the risk of doing nothing. Mary Rose is nearly finished with her plan, and when that happens, there won't be a world left to protect. So tell me, Talassa, are you going to help me or not?"

The silence that followed was almost tangible. Talassa floated back slightly, as if reevaluating Dante—not just as a warrior or strategist, but as someone willing to sacrifice everything.

"You're insane for coming this far," she said at last. "But perhaps that's exactly what the world needs right now." Her light flared, filling the chamber. "I will accept the contract."

Dante's eyes shone with determination as he extended his hand. "Then let's begin."

Talassa's light intensified, enveloping Dante as ancient runes began to form in the air around him. The words of the contract weren't spoken in any common language but in a primordial tongue that resonated directly with the soul. Each syllable carried the weight of bygone eras, and Dante could feel Talassa's power pouring into him like an unstoppable current.

"Do you understand what you're asking, Dante?" Talassa's voice echoed in his mind. "By accepting this contract, you won't merely use my spiritual energy—you will bind yourself to me in a way that cannot be undone. My essence will become part of you, and you will become part of me."

"I understand," he replied without hesitation. "And I accept the consequences."

The sword's glow grew even brighter, and Dante felt a sharp pain sear through his being. It wasn't a physical pain but something deeper, as if Talassa were tearing a piece of his soul away to replace it with her own essence. He clenched his teeth but stood firm, knowing this was necessary.

When the light finally began to fade, Dante dropped to his knees, gasping for air, a new energy burning within him. He could feel Talassa's spiritual essence coursing through him, blending seamlessly with the other energies he had already amassed. It was as though a new door had been unlocked, and he instinctively knew how to wield this newfound power.

"You now have what you asked for," Talassa said, her form floating back into the air, her glow dimmer than before. "But remember, Dante: every step you take toward this power takes you further from who you once were. Make sure it's worth it."

He rose slowly, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Now, all that's left is Divine Energy... Looks like I'll need to pay a visit to this world's Goddess."

And with that, Dante vanished without a trace, leaving the sword and the vampire behind.