Over the following years, Aeon remains on the world below. He keeps a vigilant eye out for any signs of Everia. Dante keeps in touch with Aeon, using him for many different purposes. Aeon often relays messages between Dante and his friends below, and as compensation, Aeon spars with Dante regularly to maintain his combat skills for the fateful day he fights Everia. Although Dante had gained an immense amount of power from Everia and her children, Dante never manages to even scratch Aeon.
Aeon also aids Dante with all hunter related matters, including trade discussions, peace talks, and the likely future plans for the opening of the barrier for other beings. Although Dante wants the world to remain peaceful, he does not fully object to allowing other beings to visit the world.
After the war, a new religion becomes predominant. The true religion of the maker. Through some twisted narratives, Ayvex somehow becomes a main villain in the religious texts. It depicts her as an evil being who tricked and sealed the maker to make the world a worse place for everyone. Although this could not be further from the truth, her and Nevereth don't mind. They stay out of human affairs for the most part, staying to themselves on a large farm they created together.
Several pieces of information surface within the time following Dante's ascension. One of the most troubling pieces of news, is the history surrounding the dungeons. Aeon comes to learn how they came to be, and swiftly reports it to Dante. The dungeons are pocket dimensions used to house the souls of all of Everia's kills in her many wars. It could only be imagined that her murderous journey through hundreds of realities resulted in an untold amount of death, and each soul is trapped eternally in those pockets, to be used at her leisure. With Aeon's help, Dante manages to locate and block most dungeons, allowing the restless souls to finally have peace.
Another confusing piece of information Aeon finds, it that Everia had already attempted to create a successor. But it failed. The successor in question still lives, but as a mindless beast living at the bottom of the ocean. The oceans of the world are deeper than any Aeon has ever seen, so it doesn't surprise him that such a beast lurks under the water. After talking with Dante and discussing its size, he deduces it must be at least twice the size of Grim. As a cautionary measure, Aeon kills the massive beast, leaving its corpse as a food supply for all manner of animal that can make it that deep.
Dante has many requests from Aeon, his most prominent being to find a way to rebuild the system. Aeon researches the system's creation at the Nexxus, figuring out that it wasn't magic at all. It was an ability Nevereth had, to share his power with all he thought worthy. With this knowledge, Aeon aided Dante in creating another system. The new system was notably weaker, from Dante maintaining the barrier, but still allowed humans to exist with easier, and longer lives. Everyone was granted a share of power, and Dante even allowed some of his friends and allies to regain most of their full power back.
Each of Dante's friends went on to lead their own lives, forge their own path and destiny. Blankk, although mentally scarred from his time with Xa'gorthep, went back and rejoined what was left of the military, which had now been reformed as the Holy Knights. In a noticeably short time, he rose to the top of the ranks, assuming the rank of Divine-Commander. Although he has many more responsibilities, Blankk manages to maintain his laid-back attitude. But until his natural life ends, he becomes one of the most feared military leaders in the world's history.
Azeroth maintains the blessing of Zero, hidden from Dante. He remains Zero's champion. Although Dante had an idea of it, he never realized Zero's true ability. Perception Manipulation. Only Aeon knows what truly happened, Zero faking his death, making himself appear dead to all those who saw it as it happened, and afterwards. In a brief encounter, Aeon meets Zero. After a brief discussion, Zero vanishes, slipping through the weakened. All Aeon utterly understood from the strange encounter was Zero's final words.
"I'm not some pawn, so easily used and discarded. I am my own being."
Soon after this encounter, Aeon somehow forgets everything. Who did he speak with? Why did they elude him so easily? He eventually gives up his thinking and returns to his hunt for Everia.
As for Azeroth, he tries to keep himself out of trouble. He uses his masterful sleight of hand abilities to start a traveling magic show. Most rich people seem to enjoy it highly, tipping large sums of money to his craft and skill. Those that heckle or give him a tough time seem to tip even larger amounts, although they are unaware of the money mysteriously vanishing from their pockets. Azeroth may try to stay out of trouble, but he could try harder.
Kain starts a traveling pub, loading up his finest supplied on a large, horse-drawn carriage. He goes from town to town, mastering his craft while also picking up all info he can. His reputation as an info broker persists, but his reputation as an expert bartender quickly overshadows it. He often runs into Aeon, being one of the few mortals to converse with Aeon. Rarer yet, Kain is one of the lucky few to be able to receive and give info to Dante through Aeon. His ability to gather knowledge is second to only Aeon.
Warren and Carrina are both buried at the last battle site. A large tree marks their death, and the rest of the army's sacrifice. The tree is massive and stays green all year round. memorial made by Aeon. Dante orders Aeon to track down Mia and find a loving home for her. But after an extensive search, Aeon relays the message that he cannot find such a person. Upon asking Dante's friends if they know of her whereabouts, they all have the exact same answer.
"Who? I never met her on our journey."
Although Dante remains confused, believing that maybe it was an illusion from Nevereth affecting his sense of reality. Aeon has a guess as to the truth. He doesn't relay what he finds to Dante, but Aeon finds traces of a god-like energy where Mia was supposed to be. His only guess is that she was a god of sorts, or a higher being who was living here. Whether Everia was unaware of her existence stayed a mystery until the fateful day when Aeon finally found her. Through a brief conversation, Everia admits she was unaware of other powerful individuals being within the barrier. The ultimate battle with Everia goes very smoothly, Aeon managing to corner her while Dante uses a tag to summon the other hunters.
With her only exit sealed, her only possibility was to fight. Although she fought hard, and had vastly more combat experience than the hunters, she was overwhelmed by their teamwork and absurd abilities. The fight was in part thanks to a group of mortals who aided Aeon in luring Everia out. The heroes who would become blessed by Dante are known as:
Mystake, a descendant of the Pendragon bloodline. Although Arthur was never legally married, it was discovered he had several illegitimate children that continued the family tree.
Liliana, the direct child of Elith. Although notably weaker, her aptitude for magic still served to be particularly useful in the last battle.
Mavri, the descendant from Alesti's bloody family tree. Although Alesti and several of his family were killed during Dante's uncontrollable crusade of death, his lesser skilled brother survived.
Grog, descendant of the last of the powerful barbarians from Mathric. Most of their race was wiped out, but a handful survived and have begun fitting into society peacefully with the other races.
After Everia's defeat, Dante managed to absorb her essence and grow even stronger. With his new strength, Dante manages to fully maintain the barrier, and go to the world below. This confirms his theory that Everia wasn't trapped, she could've gone down to the world below whenever she wanted. With this newfound power, Dante manages to keep peace on the world and form a utopia while living amongst those below. With Aeon no longer needed, he returns to the company of the hunters.
Although at this point, Aeon has been on this world for hundreds of years, only a few years has passed outside the pocket dimension. The flow of time varies from reality-to-reality, and that one moves much faster. So, to Aeon, he was gone for a long time, but to the other hunters, it was a very brief amount of time. As Dante finally finds peace and happiness with himself and those around him, the journey can finally end. Finally, the world perfect. Free of war. Free of famine. Free of pain. A fitting end to Dante's story. It's-
"Disgusting."
The man recapping the events of Everia's world stops, his heart sinking.
"She failed, just as I imagined. And as I hoped, I learned even more about the flaws in her plans to create life."
The man speaks slowly and deliberately, from his blackened throne. His form, draped in shadow. His words shake the other man to his core. The scared man speaks up.
"Uuh, master? A-are you not happy with the result? You wanted this, yet you seem displeased."
"I did ask for a report on the world, not some convoluted story with flawed ideals. All of those mortals made such insolent and ignorant decisions. Such flawed creatures do not deserve to exist. But what displeased me the most was the ending."
The man reciting the events of Everia's world holds the book of records to his face, cowering behind it.
"W-well you can't change the ending. I-I-I just told you what happened as I saw it had unfolded, my lord. And as for why they were that way, Everia made them like that, s-sir. Proving you even more right about Everia's ineptitude, master."
The master opens his eyes slightly, a deep red piercing the darkness and glaring at the man. He extends his hand, black armor clad.
"Rewrite the ending, for the events I will force to transpire. The world Everia created, the testing zone for her failed creations, was destroyed after Everia was killed."
"A-and what of the inhabitants? My lord?"
He pulls his hand back into the darkness and closes his eyes.
"Bring Dante to me, I wish to see how his soul could absorb so many beings. It may do good for the future of my plan. I could make use of a power such as that."
The man bows and closes his eyes.
"As you command it, master."
"Oh, and feel free to take your time with the world. From what you reported, it is a lesser civilization full of utterly weak creatures with no place in my universe."
The servant nods and vanishes, teleporting away. The master sits in silence, the stone room around him feeling desolate and lonely.
"I sympathize with you, oh abandoned creation. I too know your pain. You remind me of a younger version of myself. But, as for that other point you mentioned."
He tilts his head to the side, glaring to the wall beside himself.
"Did you say that? 'I'm not some pawn, so easily used and discarded. I am my own being'? What nonsense. You were never even on the playing field. You were beneath a pawn, Zero."
His eyes stare at Zero's corpse, pinned to the wall by a massive spear. Dry blood stains his lips with sunken in eyes from the last moments of his life being filled with intense despair.
"Perception Manipulation is quite the ability, very strong indeed. But a strong ability on an ant doesn't change the fact that it's still just an ant."
The man takes a deep breath and turns his gaze back towards the front of the throne room.
"But, for now, I shall wait for the report of the next part of my plan."
The master settles into his throne, patiently waiting in the dark room.
--As One Story Closes, Another May Begin--