The quartet of devil hunters went their separate ways, each descending into the chambers of the Qliphoth tree. Their paths diverged as they leaped down to lower levels, Izuku riding on Fenrir's back.
Izuku's journey led him to a lower floor that was heavily guarded by numerous demons. He and Fenrir skillfully dispatched these foes, their combined efforts a choreography of elemental attacks and blazing flames reducing demons to nothing.
With each step deeper into the tree, the demons grew in both power and number. The challenge escalated as Urizen's forces seemed intent on thwarting their progress.
"Urizen's clearly doing his best to block our path," Izuku mused aloud, his thoughts shared with Fenrir.
"That seems likely. The others must be dealing with similar challenges," Fenrir responded, the dire nature of their situation weighing on his voice.
In another part of the Qliphoth, Nero was a whirlwind of action, his slashes cutting through demons with the finesse of a practiced warrior. He goaded the demons to attack, his red-hot defiance drawing them closer. Nero seamlessly switched his devil breaker to Ragtime, freezing time itself before launching into an explosive onslaught with Gerba. The demons, caught in his calculated tempo, were sent reeling by the impact.
Meanwhile, V maneuvered through the chaos with his familiars at his side. Griffon's electric fury shocked demons into submission, Shadow's metamorphosis into deadly spikes skewered his adversaries, and Knightmare's fiery laser engulfed them in searing agony.
Dante, true to his exuberant nature, engaged in a spectacular display of combat. His new Devil arm, Dr. Faust, unleashed torrents of red orbs, and his agile movements transformed into a mesmerizing breakdance. With an audacious flourish, he hurled his hat at a group of lizard-like demons, affixing a similar hat to one of them, weakening its resistance. Swiftly, Dante transitioned to Cavalier, utilizing its chainsaw mode to tear through demons with a gruesome finality.
Smokin, Sexy Style!
They converged in a lower chamber, each arriving through separate entrances hidden beneath the blood-filled sacs that sustained the tree. A collective glance and shared nods communicated their unity, all eyes focused on the path ahead.
"We've got a long way to go." Dante observed, his words drawing nods of agreement from the others.
Advancing onward, their progress was abruptly halted by violent tremors that shook the Qliphoth tree. As the ground quaked, ominous fissures materialized beneath them. The floor splintered and gave way, plunging them into a chaotic descent into the depths below.
V POV-
Thankfully, V found refuge in Griffon's wings as the familiar bird seized him, its talons clutching him tightly. Despite Griffon's struggle to maintain his flight, V's energy was dwindling fast.
"I can't keep this up much longer! Gotta... put you down! I gotta..." Griffon's desperate voice cracked, and he reluctantly released his grip on V, sending both of them plummeting towards the ground below.
"Damn it, just a little more... Come on..." V grunted, trying to rise as Griffon reconnected with his ethereal form.
But V's body was disintegrating rapidly, making each step agonizing. His movements were slow, almost futile.
"V, it's getting really tough," Griffon's worried voice echoed.
Undeterred, V pushed forward, finally reaching a space enclosed by large stones, each etched with a mysterious spiral pattern. As he entered, the stones emitted an eerie purple glow. Gritting his teeth, he persisted, only to be halted by an excruciating surge of pain coursing through his body.
The agony was unbearable, and V's screams filled the air as his three familiars were forcibly wrenched from him, casting him to the ground. As his hair reverted to its natural white color, he saw Malphas, the three-headed witch demon, cackling triumphantly, a mocking sight that was the last thing he perceived before darkness overcame him.
Later-
V's eyes fluttered open, and he found himself in a boundless expanse, darkness stretching as far as his sight could reach. Four imposing gates loomed before him, three adorned with the emblems of past adversaries he had faced, while the fourth displayed four enigmatic figures. He was baffled, unsure of how he had arrived in this surreal place.
Noticing his own body, he realized his familiar tattoos were conspicuously absent. With caution, he approached the first gate, which bore the emblem of the voltaic black knight, the demon he had recently encountered.
"Curious... It's as if this place is restoring my strength," V murmured as he pushed open the massive door and ventured into the mysterious domain beyond.
Inside, he encountered a chamber dominated by a statue of the black knight. Three orbs of shadowy energy encircled him, each bearing the insignia of one of his lost familiars. Extending his hand, he touched the orb signifying Griffon, and in an instant, he was transported to an ethereal realm, blanketed in white emptiness. Before him stood a distorted, but unmistakable, incarnation of the Voltaic black knight.
"V! Knew you'd pick me first! I'm your favorite, aren't I?" Griffon's jubilant voice echoed, his form now restored to its previous glory as he soared through the luminous void.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," V retorted, his cane pointed at the transformed black knight.
"Right, this guy," Griffon acknowledged, his attention shifting to the looming adversary.
The confrontation commenced, a showdown between the voltaic black knight and V, aided only by his single familiar, Griffon. Both sides clashed amidst the ethereal expanse, their powers intertwining in an enigmatic dance of light and shadow.
In the blinding expanse of the white void, V and Griffon faced off against the transformed Voltaic black knight. The air crackled with electricity as the black knight's powerful aura clashed with V's determination.
Griffon, his wings aglow with electrified energy, swooped down with lightning speed, attempting to catch their adversary off guard. Bolts of electricity shot from his wings, aiming to strike the black knight's form. But the black knight was no novice; he summoned a barrier of crackling energy that absorbed Griffon's assault. With a calculated sweep of his sword, the black knight unleashed a surge of electricity toward V and Griffon.
V, his cane raised, concentrated his energy into a protective barrier, deflecting the oncoming electrical barrage. He was unfazed, his resolve unwavering as he observed the black knight's movements. Griffon circled above, planning his next attack.
Seeing an opportunity, Griffon dove once more, but this time he unleashed a torrent of lightning bolts from his wings, surrounding the black knight. The dazzling display of electricity obscured the enemy's sight, and V seized this moment. Channelling his arcane abilities, he summoned dark tendrils from the ground, which snaked their way toward the black knight.
Caught off guard by the sudden assault, the black knight struggled against the dark tendrils that ensnared his legs. With his mobility hampered, he was vulnerable to Griffon's next move. Griffon descended, his electrified beak aiming directly at the black knight's chest. A surge of lightning erupted on impact, forcing the black knight to roar in agony.
V, his eyes ablaze with intensity, took the chance to amplify his power. Focusing his energy into his cane, he aimed it at the immobilized black knight. He stabbed it through the knights chest directly killing the demon in one blow. The black knight convulsed, overwhelmed by the combined assault of V's dark magic and Griffon's electrifying abilities.
"Wither to dust and never return, for I have grown past you my for." V said as the knight disappeared into nothing.
In a sequence of determined battles, V freed his other familiars, Shadow and Knightmare, from their respective doors. Each fight was a test of V's skills and the combined power of his familiars, orchestrated by the unique abilities of each demon.
With Shadow at his side, V faced off against Artemis, the airborne demon. Griffon's lightning and Shadow's darkness intertwined in a mesmerizing dance of destruction, overwhelming Artemis with relentless attacks. The airborne demon, unable to escape the coordinated assault, was brought down from the skies by a powerful blast of lightning and shadow energy, ending its threat.
Next, V and his newly-liberated Knightmare squared off against the colossal Behemoth. The demon proved to be a formidable opponent, but V's mastery over his demonic powers allowed Knightmare to grow in size, matching Behemoth's bulk. The two giants clashed, their colossal blows shaking the void. With a combination of Knightmare's brute strength, Griffon's lightning, and Shadow's cunning, Behemoth was gradually worn down. Seizing the perfect moment, V directed Knightmare to strike a devastating blow to Behemoth's head, finishing the fight just as he had before.
After the string of battles, the massive gateway that should have led back to the real world remained stubbornly closed. In contrast, the untouched fourth door beckoned mysteriously, its enigmatic figures almost inviting a challenge.
Griffon, perched thoughtfully on a rock, pondered aloud, "So, we've tackled the feline and the hulk. What's left, huh?"
V, still carrying his cane, gestured towards the unopened door, his curiosity piqued. "And what about that door? What could be awaiting us there?"
Considering the possibility, Griffon mused, "Maybe cracking that one is the key to exiting this place."
With a sigh that carried a sense of urgency, V acknowledged the situation, "If that's the case, then we don't have much choice. Time is pressing."
Resolutely, he made his way towards the unexplored entrance, the final door adorned with its cryptic depictions of four entities. The unknown awaited them, and V was determined to uncover its secrets.
Entering through the fourth and final door, V found himself abruptly transported to a vibrant playground. The scorching summer sun kissed his skin as he gazed at the expanse of blue sky above. In this idyllic scene, a scrawny black-haired boy caught his attention, enduring the torment inflicted by four other kids.
A girl with verdant hair, resembling the black-haired boy, along with two children with blonde locks and another pair with red and white hair, all wore twisted grins. With sinister intent, they wielded their Quirks relentlessly against the defenseless boy, evoking even V's sympathy.
Perplexed, V inquired, "What is this?"
The scene then shifted to when the boy was a bit older, standing before a bird-headed boy, who urged him to flee. The same quintet of tormentors confronted the now-black-and-white-haired youth.
"Run!" the boy shouted, while the avian-headed kid escaped.
"Nii-chan, you shouldn't have done that!" the green-haired girl admonished, propelling a trashcan towards the boy with formidable force, sending him crashing against a wall.
"Cease your futile heroism!" another child proclaimed, conjuring an explosion that engulfed the boy's face.
"Stop," V murmured, transfixed by the unfolding scene, as the battered youth struggled to escape.
The scene transitioned to the boy in his older years, his hair fully turned white. Emerging from his school building, an ice spike abruptly pierced his hand.
"Where are you off to, Yagi?" a red-and-white-haired boy taunted, causing the white-haired youth to writhe in pain, collapsing and clutching his injured hand.
"When will you learn, nii-chan? You're nothing," the green-haired girl sneered.
"Enough," V's face darkened as he observed the cruelty, veins of anger pulsating on his forehead.
"Weak," the blond boy added, launching an explosive attack at the older boy's back.
"Stop it."
"Useless," the blond girl's voice dripped with malice.
"Powerless!" The girl with red and white hair jeered.
"Stop it!" V's pent-up fury exploded, his tolerance for the torment reaching its limit.
"STOP IT!!!" he bellowed, his anger transmuting into a powerful punch that sent the mocking girl sprawling, causing all of them to fade into oblivion.
Witnessing the boy crawling into an imagined grave struck a familiar chord within V.
The sight mirrored his own distant memory, where he had reached out for aid from his mother as the boy asked the indifferent bystanders and unresponsive heroes.
"Why seek help?" V puzzled, baffled by the boy's plea, before realizing the bitter truth.
"No one helps unless you fight and seize power. Stop seeking assistance," V declared, addressing the boy's plea for aid.
The boy's response hung in the air, "And why not? What's wrong with asking for help?"
V felt a certain recognition in the boy's voice as the scene transitioned once more, this time to a different white-haired boy, besieged by bullies he had eventually defeated with the help of another boy.
"I remember this place," V remarked.
"Come, you don't need to endure this any longer," the older boy with long brown hair encouraged, extending a hand to the white-haired youth.
Confronted by the two white-haired boys again, they gazed at him with empathetic eyes and posed the same question, "What's wrong with asking for help?"
In a moment of realization, V understood and felt a connection. They held out their hands, inviting him to join them.
"How could I forget? I too am in need of help." V admitted with a wry smile, taking their hands, and everything was consumed by white light. He had a flashback to being tortured in the underworld.
"The two of you managed to preserve my sanity in hell, and you continue to do so on this earthly plane. Observing your growth into the person you've become is a privilege that swells me with pride. All I ever sought was protection and affection. But even if she were there, what would have unfolded afterward?" V mused with a chuckle.
"Does it truly matter? I stand here now, don't I?" he affirmed, reentering the tangible world, armed with newfound resolve.
"I will express my gratitude, even if it demands my life," V proclaimed, rising to his feet and pressing forward.
By 5 days I mean the Urizen fight. Bye.