Chapter 7: Impact.
The high-pitched ringing was all too familiar. When his eyes fluttered open, Dante was met with the blurry sight of a burning street, the same street from that day. Fragments of glass and metal littered the old asphalt road. Bright orange flames spread out, eating at everything capable of burning, be it bio-fuel or human blood.
At the center of it all, an imposing figure stood motionlessly, back straight and head raised, uncaring about the destruction surrounding him.
When he laid eyes on him, Dante was convinced he was back in that dream, once again forced to relive those grueling moments. But that wasn't right. He was wide awake, even if a little shaken. This was reality he was facing.
"...id...he-... ki... DANTE!!!"
A firm hand shook him out of his stupor. He looked beside him and saw Mattia, his bloodied face twisted into a grimace. Gaspard's truck was a few meters away, or so it appeared at first. Only half of it was there. The other half was nowhere to be seen.
"Wha...what ha-"
His voice was drowned by the roaring of gunfire. Dante instinctively turned toward the source and saw Gaspard shooting his rifle without pause. Ricardo was near as well, aiming a handgun in the same direction and firing consecutive shots.
Their target was within sight. He stood there, in the center of the flames, unbothered by the rain of lead hitting his body. Sparks scattered upon impact, creating a scene of thousands of hammers striking red-hot metal.
The man was dressed in a tight spandex suit, every sculpted muscle of his body accentuated by it. Its yellow color was made brighter by the dancing tongues of flame, and the blood-red cape hanging from his shoulders fluttered despite the lack of wind.
Dante recognized him at first sight. Anyone would've done so, for he was Aegis, leader of Flame Guard and one of the most powerful heroes in the entire world. A product of Eidolon.
"Kid! Get your act together!"