"We got held up," the leader said, their voice casual despite the apocalyptic scene unfolding around them. "But looks like you boys could use a hand."

Arthur, still clutching his side, managed a weak smile. "Took you long enough."

Without another word, the newcomers charged into battle, weapons blazing with energy and light. One of them—a woman wielding twin blades—leapt through the air, her swords flashing as she carved through the Calamity's thick, pulsating hide. Another, a heavily armored man with a massive shield, slammed into the creature's leg, sending a shockwave through the ground.

Dante joined the fray, his sword glowing brighter with each swing as he and the others coordinated their attacks. Every strike was aimed with purpose—eyes, tendons, weak points. The Calamity lashed out, thrashing wildly as it tried to swat away its attackers, but they were relentless.

At one point, the leader with the hammer planted their feet, swinging their weapon with a roar. The hammer collided with the Calamity's arm, the impact sending shockwaves through the air as the creature's limb shattered, flesh and bone breaking apart in a spray of black blood. The Calamity howled in pain, staggering as its massive body began to falter.

But it wasn't done yet.

With a guttural roar, the creature reared back, its remaining arms twisting and contorting. The eyes on its body began to glow with an eerie, blood-red light, and the air around it seemed to darken even further.

Dante's eyes narrowed. "It's charging something!"

The ground beneath their feet began to tremble once more, and the sky above them twisted and churned, as if reality itself was warping around the Calamity. Lightning crackled in the air, and the creature let out another deafening roar, its body surging with unnatural energy

"We need to finish this—now!" Dante yelled.

The leader of the newcomers nodded, gripping their hammer tightly. "Alright, everyone—hit it with everything you've got!"

The group sprang into action, unleashing a barrage of attacks from all sides. Energy blasts, sword strikes, and arrows rained down on the Calamity, each hit pushing it closer to its limit. Arthur, now back on his feet, focused every ounce of his strength into one final strike. With a shout, he hurled his spear, the glowing weapon spinning through the air like a bolt of lightning. It struck the creature's chest, embedding itself deep into its flesh.

The Calamity let out a final, agonized scream as its body began to convulse. The red light in its eyes flickered, then dimmed, and the massive form started to collapse. With one last shudder, the creature fell to the ground, the earth shaking beneath its weight.

Silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the distant crackle of lightning in the sky. The Calamity was dead.

Breathing heavily, Dante lowered his sword, his eyes still fixed on the fallen creature. "Is it over?"

The Calamity, despite its apparent defeat, began to tremble violently. As Dante, Arthur, and their newfound allies caught their breath, a chilling realization washed over them: the creature wasn't finished yet.

With a guttural growl, the monster's massive body swelled, and the eyes that dotted its flesh flared with a sinister light. The air around them crackled with dark energy as the Calamity summoned its hidden power.

"Get back!" Dante shouted, just as the creature unleashed a torrent of black energy that erupted from its mouth, spiraling toward the group.

A sorceress among the newcomers stepped forward, her hands weaving intricate symbols in the air. "Aegis of Light!" she cried, raising her palms as a shimmering barrier formed around them. The dark energy collided with the shield, causing a blinding flash that illuminated the area, but the barrier held firm.

"Now! Strike while it's vulnerable!" the sorceress urged, her voice cutting through the chaos.

Arthur and the others took advantage of the opening. The armored man charged forward, swinging his massive shield with a roar. "Shield Bash!" He slammed into the Calamity, staggering it momentarily.

But the creature wasn't done yet. In a twisted display of agony and rage, it unleashed another devastating attack. Limbs writhed and contorted, snapping like the branches of an ancient tree. One of the newcomer fighters—a skilled archer—suddenly found herself ensnared as a tendril shot out, wrapping tightly around her waist.

"No!" Dante shouted, sprinting forward. He lunged, slashing at the tendril with his sword, but it was too late. The Calamity jerked violently, and with a brutal tug, the archer was ripped from their midst, her screams echoing into the night as she vanished into the darkness.

"Focus!" Arthur yelled, trying to keep their spirits up. "We can't let it take anyone else!"

The sorceress's eyes burned with determination. She began chanting, her voice resonating with an ancient power. "Conflagration of the Lost!" Flames ignited at her fingertips, swirling into a tempest of fire before she hurled it at the creature. The fire enveloped the Calamity, and for a moment, it seemed to recoil in pain, its screams echoing as it writhed under the onslaught.

But then the creature retaliated with a piercing screech, its many eyes flashing angrily. With a surge of energy, it released a pulse that knocked the sorceress off her feet, her spell extinguished in an instant.

The ground began to tremble again, a ripple of energy flowing from the Calamity as it called upon the very essence of the monstrosities it had spawned over the years. From the shadows and ruins, figures began to emerge—mutants, twisted versions of humanity that had been lurking, waiting for their master's command.

"What's happening!?" Arthur shouted, panic rising in his voice as he surveyed the growing horde. Mutants poured into the open space, their grotesque forms moving in sync, surrounding the group.

Dante clenched his jaw, gripping his sword tightly. "We need to hold our ground! We can't let them overwhelm us!"

The mutants charged, a wave of chaos crashing against the heroes. Dante swung his sword with precision, taking down one after another, but more took their place, their relentless onslaught threatening to engulf them.

"Frost Guard!" The sorceress shouted, summoning a blast of icy winds that erupted around them, slowing the advance of the mutants. But it was only a temporary reprieve.

"We need to regroup!" the leader shouted, rallying the remaining fighters. "If we can break through the horde, we can take down the Calamity!"

As the darkness enveloped them, the Calamity reveled in its dominion, its numerous eyes glinting with a perverse hunger. The group struggled against the suffocating shadows, their hearts pounding with fear as they realized the fate that awaited them.

With a swift motion, the creature lunged toward the nearest fighter—a young man with determination etched on his face. The Calamity's enormous maw opened wide, rows of jagged teeth glimmering ominously. It snapped down with a sickening crunch, devouring him whole. The echoes of his screams reverberated through the air as the creature's throat pulsed, swallowing him alive.

The Calamity turned its attention to the armored man who had shielded his comrades earlier. With a swift strike of its massive claws, it shattered his shield, sending shards flying. The man stumbled backward, terror in his eyes, only to be met by the creature's gaping maw. It lunged, tearing into his torso and ripping him apart with a sickening squelch. Blood sprayed across the ground, the gruesome remains scattered like confetti as the creature feasted on his still-twitching limbs.

"No! Not like this!" cried the sorceress, her voice shaking as she prepared to cast another spell. But before she could complete her incantation, a tendril shot from the Calamity, wrapping around her throat. With a brutal yank, the creature pulled her closer, its many eyes locked onto her with malicious glee.

The sorceress gasped, struggling to breathe as the tendril constricted. In a final, desperate attempt, she summoned a flicker of magic. "Frost Guard!" she screamed, but it was too late. The Calamity's maw opened wide, and with a swift motion, it devoured her head, leaving her body to convulse for a moment before falling limp.

Dante's stomach churned as he watched, the reality of their situation hitting him hard. They were being picked off, one by one, in the most horrific ways imaginable.

Panic swept through the remaining fighters, but there was nowhere to hide. The Calamity turned its attention to the last few, eyes glimmering with sadistic anticipation. It lunged at a warrior with a battle-axe, its claws slashing through the air. The warrior swung his axe, but the Calamity dodged, moving with terrifying speed.

With a sickening crack, it severed his arm, sending the axe clattering to the ground. The warrior howled in agony, clutching the bloody stump. The creature responded with a twisted grin, then lunged forward again, sinking its teeth into his shoulder and tearing him apart. Blood sprayed everywhere, soaking the ground as the Calamity feasted on his remains, the crunching of bones echoing like a macabre symphony.

Dante and Arthur, the last two standing, exchanged a horrified glance. They could see the terror in each other's eyes, a silent understanding passing between them. They had to fight back, had to find a way to defeat this monstrosity before it claimed them too.

But before they could formulate a plan, the Calamity turned toward them, its many eyes locking onto their forms with an insatiable hunger. With a twisted growl, it unleashed a shockwave of dark energy, sending them tumbling backward.

Dante felt the darkness closing in as he struggled to rise, the last remnants of his comrades' screams ringing in his ears. The monster began to draw closer, preparing to finish what it had started, hungry for the last tastes of human despair. The battlefield, once filled with hope and courage, was now a feast of nightmares, the shadows swelling with the weight of death.

Dante's heart raced as he watched Arthur struggle against the Calamity. The creature loomed over him, its many eyes glinting with malice as it approached. Arthur, once a fierce warrior and a loyal friend, now stood at the precipice of despair.

With a swift motion, the monstrous creature unleashed a tendril that snaked toward Arthur, wrapping around his throat with crushing force. The warrior gasped, his eyes widening in terror as he felt the life being squeezed out of him. Dante's blood ran cold as he saw the panic etched across Arthur's face.

"Dante…" Arthur choked out, struggling against the creature's grip. "I—"

"Don't give in! Fight it!" Dante yelled, his fists clenching in frustration, but it was futile. The tendril tightened, cutting off Arthur's breath.

As the life slowly faded from his friend's eyes, Arthur managed to spit out one final sentence, a harsh whisper that echoed through Dante's mind. "You're too weak... run..."

The words hit Dante like a physical blow, igniting a wildfire of rage within him. He felt the fury boiling over as he watched the Calamity drag Arthur closer to its maw. With a final, sickening crunch, the monster devoured him, leaving behind nothing but a pool of crimson as it relished the taste of another soul.

Dante's grief transformed into pure, unrelenting anger. "You monster!" he roared, his voice a raw growl as he charged at the Calamity, sword raised high, determined to avenge his friend. But in its twisted amusement, the creature anticipated the attack.

Before Dante could reach it, a massive claw lashed out, catching him off guard. Pain erupted in his right shoulder as the claw ripped through flesh and bone, severing his arm cleanly. He screamed, the sound echoing through the desolate landscape as he fell to his knees, shock flooding his senses. Blood gushed from the wound, soaking the ground beneath him.

Dante's vision blurred as he stared at the severed limb lying in the dirt, his heart pounding in despair. The rage that had propelled him forward was replaced by a suffocating sense of helplessness. Tears streamed down his face, mixing with the blood on his hands as he clutched his stump.

"No!" he shouted, collapsing to his knees, despair wrapping around him like a suffocating shroud. The battlefield was spinning, the horrific reality of his situation crashing down upon him. Arthur was gone, devoured in an instant, and now he was helpless.

The Calamity loomed over him, its eyes glimmering with sadistic glee. With a malicious growl, it prepared to strike again. Dante barely had time to register what was happening before the creature lunged forward, its massive jaws snapping around him.

A piercing pain erupted in his abdomen as the Calamity's teeth sank deep into his flesh, tearing through muscle and organs. Dante gasped, choking on his own blood as he felt the life ebbing away. The world blurred around him, darkness creeping in at the edges of his vision.

Despair flooded his heart, the realization hitting him like a tidal wave: he was alone, and he was going to die here, just like Arthur. As he fell to the ground, crumpling in agony, the last remnants of his strength slipped away. The taste of blood filled his mouth, a bitter reminder of the horrors he had witnessed.

"Arthur…" he whispered, tears streaming down his face as the shadows closed in. The last thing he saw was the monstrous form of the Calamity, looming above him, ready to claim him as its next victim. The world faded to black, and with it, the final flicker of hope for humanity extinguished in the darkness

--

As Dante lay enveloped in darkness, his body trembling with pain, a flickering light materialized before him. From it emerged a figure cloaked in shadow—the unmistakable presence of the Observer, his familiar smirk fixed upon his face. The sight ignited a wave of intense rage within Dante.

"Ah, Dante," the Observer said casually, his tone almost playful. "Did you really think it would end any other way? All of this, just to lead you here? Quite the tragic comedy, wouldn't you say?"

"Shut up!" Dante spat, his voice strained but filled with venom. "You think this is funny? Look at what your games have cost me!"

The Observer shrugged, a lazy grin spreading across his face. "Pathetic, really. You've fought so hard, and yet here you are, reduced to nothing. A broken hero with no more fight left in him."

"I know," Dante admitted bitterly, a dark realization washing over him. "I'm weak. I've lost everything. There's nothing left for me."

"But that's where you're wrong," the Observer replied, a glimmer of something serious flashing in his eyes. "I want to help you, Dante. I can give you a second chance. You can fix all of this—every mistake, every loss. But it comes at a cost."

Dante looked up, his heart pounding.

"What do you mean? What do you want from me?"