"Let's cook this kid and get this over with!" Henry yelled as his fireball shot directly at Dante. Rita's face scorned as she tried to move, but the wound caused her to grimace in pain before yelling his name once more. 

"Dante!" She yelled as suddenly a blast connected with the fireball, creating a smokey mist in the area. A burgundy cape appeared alongside him, followed by a silver wand with a blue gem on its hilt. A smile grew on his face as he looked to see who had stopped the blast. Their piercing blue eyes glowed in the mist, and brown hair flowed as they stood back to back-with Dante. 

"Terra!" he yelled in excitement as she smiled. Rita watched in astonishment as someone reacted fast enough to stop the blast from hitting him, but as she turned, she realized that some of the villagers had been freed from their cages. A boy with longer black hair and a more petite build used his wand to break the spell, bonding them in the cage. 

"Go hide somewhere safe now…before they notice!" he said, turning slightly to ensure the coast was evident through the mist. The villagers nodded as they began to flee the area to safety, guided by the other two children who hid alongside him, surprising Rita in the process. Who were the two kids helping them in the situation, and how did they get here? Questions resounded in her head before she remembered the words of the leader, Gordon.

"These two must be who they were looking for…did they find Dante somehow!?"

She questioned as a pair of hands touched her and pulled her up slowly. She looked to her side and saw a battered Bernard helping her. He pulled her closer to the Tavern before setting her down and spouting some words. Suddenly, the green mist began to form as he began to heal her wound with his magic.

"Bernard, you've gotta let me-"

"Quiet Rita. Just sit there and let me work."

"B-but Dante and-"

"I don't think you see it yet…but…"

Her eyes slowly began to turn back to the field where he stood. The mist slowly began to clear, and flames began to burn the vines that had previously held him down. He looked at the men standing in shock and spoke loudly. 

"You come to my village and try to hurt those who have done you no wrong. You're nothing but bullies, and here…bullies get put in their place!"

Once more, a spark was felt from his back pocket, and Rita quickly noticed it. A weird feeling sparked in her body before she felt the urge to scream out to him. She now knew the reason why the question she had dreaded for so long had come up at that moment. Her eyes widened before she yelled out to him once more.

"The wand! Hold it with both of your hands and focus, Dante!"

He heard Rita's voice at that moment and felt the heat once more from the wand. He nodded, grabbing ahold of it again, firmly grasping it with both hands. A surge of heat coursed through his body as he did what was commanded. A warmth was felt as the wand shifted, slowly transforming into a golden sword shape. Its glow shone as smoke formed on the blade, most likely from the heat. He realized that the wand was not only a sword but seemed to be sapping his magic and using it as fuel. His eyes brightened as he looked at the shape and make-up of the sword before spouting something for all to hear.

"IT'S AN ACTUAL SWORD! THE REAL DEAL!"

His voice screeched in excitement, shocking everyone around. Terra inspected the sword quickly, noticing that she hadn't seen anything of the sort in her time in the kingdom and was curious about where something of the sort would come from. But quickly after, another shot came from a different direction, distracting her for a moment before a shadow stood in front of her. A flash sparked, and suddenly, a split spiral lay on the ground beside her.