Outlaws With Limits

As the sky lit up with explosions, Dante slowly picked up his rifle from the ground and set it aside. He was going to take a different path now. The rage and gloom inside him had made him say goodbye to his old weapon. It was then that he realised he needed a different weapon to fight with.

Dante pulled the double silver-plated pistik from his belt. He felt the cold steel in his palms. Each shot symbolised his determination to break the chains of the past. Once, the rifle had been his identity. But now she would fight with her hands, her feelings, and her determination as much as the weapons.

Kaelene saw Dante's pistols for the first time. "What about the rifle?" she asked, still puzzled. "Why switch to a pistol when you have the power of a rifle?"

Dante replied, running his fingers delicately over the triggers of his pistols. "Sometimes a rifle is too far. But at close range... At short range, one has to face oneself."

Kaelene looked at Dante for a moment and nodded as if she understood. "Understood."

He led the group, thinking about the next move. Already, the Brotherhood of Shadows' headquarters was being destroyed, but one thing was missing: The final blow. Dante's eyes caught sight of a figure in the ruins. The figure was rising gently from the flames.

A voice echoed in the cold night. "Outlaws... This is the end of you."

Dante stepped forward slowly, gripping his pistols. "We're here to stop you. Whatever you do, we will end this night."The shadow figure became clearer. Armoured, with a hanging chain around his neck, the figure stepped towards Dante. In the background, through the ruins of the headquarters, a loud laugh could be heard.

"My name is Aeron, the last remaining leader of the Brotherhood of Shadows," he said in a heavy voice. "And no matter how brave you are, you are not strong enough to end this night."

Dante's hands, polishing his silver-plated pistols, moved without regard for Aeron's words. "I need to give you some close combat lessons."

Aeron raised his armoured arms and lunged towards Dante. But Dante quickly drew his pistols and fired two consecutive shots. The first bullet grazed Aeron's arm, but the second was right on target. The silver bullet lodged in the weak spot exposed by the armour. Aeron fell back with a jerk.

"Still not enough," he said through gritted teeth. "You can't beat me."

Dante spoke coolly as he carefully cleaned the barrels of his pistols. "Everything is a choice. And you're on the wrong side."

The tension on Aeron's face increased. Removing his armour, he decided to fight with his bare hands. He moved quickly towards Dante, but Dante gripped his pistols with both hands and fired one last shot in Aeron's direction. The bullet struck Aeron right in the heart.

Aeron still had a dark smile in his eyes before he collapsed. "It was only the end of a war. The Brotherhood of Shadows will become stronger... darker..."

Dante nodded to his team as he slid his pistols back into his waistband. "Come on. This is just the beginning."