As Maxim obtained his new game and character from the system, a pair of dual pistols appeared in front of him.
One of them was a matte black semi-automatic with a slightly elongated barrel, with the word Ebony engraved in white on the side of the barrel.
The other was a polished, silver-white pistol with a similar design to the previous one but with a slightly shorter barrel, with the word Ivory engraved on the side in black.
That's right, the game Maxim obtained was Devil May Cry, and the character template was Dante Sparda.
Maxim could already feel his powers going stronger. His physical body grew stronger and stronger as a flush of energy swarmed him. His muscles grew firmer, stronger and his explosiveness grew as well.
Maxim could also feel the Demonic Energy washing over him, improving his resistances to Magic based attacks, and also allowing him to potentially dabble in Magic himself in the future.
Maxim was very excited, as from his knowledge, if he got 100% assimilation with the Dante Template, he'd truly reach a God like status, especially if he obtained the 'Sin Devil Trigger' which represents the pinnacle of Dante's power.
Now, with the immense physical strength he'd obtain from Dante and his own incredible combat knowledge, Maxim would be virtually unstoppable in close combat, to the point he could overpower almost anyone in sheer physical prowess.
However, the biggest buff to Maxim was definitely the Demonic Energy. With this, he could finally gain a true resistance to Magic, and he'd also be able to use Magic to his own advantage in the future without any potential of being corrupted.
Finally, there was Ebony and Ivory, two of his favorite fictional weapons from his past life as Alex.
"A.N.G.E.L, contact Wanda and Pietro, its time for a training session." Maxim said, getting up and moving to the training room.
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The dimly lit training room was filled with tension as Maxim stood in the center, his body coiled with anticipation as his eyes narrowed, his gaze locked on the two people in front of him.
Across from him, Wanda floated above the ground, her fingers crackling with Chaos Magic as Pietro stood at her side, ready to strike at enemy moment.
Maxim simply stood across from them, waiting for the battle to begin, his gaze locked with the twins as time ticked by, second after second passed without anyone making the first move, the tension continuing to rise.
And then, in a flash, Maxim's hands shot down to his pistols. The silence shattered as he squeezed the triggers.
~BANG~BANG~BANG!
Three shots rang out, faster than a human could blink. Ebony and Ivory barked with thunderous force as Maxim unleashed a volley straight at Pietro.
The bullets cut through the air venomously, each one aimed precisely at the speedster's path, predicting where he'd be instead of where he stood.
Pietro's eyes widened, and in an instant, he became a blur of motion, dashing to the side just as the bullets sliced through the space where he had been standing a fraction of a second earlier, but Maxim's enhanced senses could follow his every move.
Another shot. Pietro veered left, narrowly avoiding the bullet. But Maxim anticipated it, his next shot from Ivory curved, catching Pietro off guard as it grazed his shoulder.
"Gotcha," Maxim muttered under his breath, a smirk forming on his lips.
During all of this, Wanda finally began her attacks, unleashing a torrent of hex bolts, the Chaos energy swirling towards Maxim with deadly precision.
To anyone else, the attacks would have been impossible to dodge. But Maxim wasn't just anyone. He leapt into the air and did a flip, dodging the Hex Bolts and shooting off 3 more shots towards Pietro, another one of them grazing his shoulder.
Then, Maxim twisted his body mid air, locking his gaze onto Wanda and shooting another 3 bullets towards her, directly to her chest.
Wanda's eyes widened, but she was quick, using her Chaos Magic to create a barrier that barely blocked the bullets, just in time for Maxim to land back onto the floor and skid to a stop, his boots screeching against the floor.
He smiled, feeling the demonic energy pulsing through his veins. "Nice trick," he murmured, and in a flash, he summoned his sword, Rebellion. The massive blade materialized in his hand, crackling with demonic energy.
With a single swing, he shattered Wanda's barrier.
Wanda staggered back, startled, but quickly regained her composure, hurling more bolts at him. Maxim deflected them with the flat of his blade, moving closer with each strike.
Wanda's frustration grew as she tried to keep him at bay, but no matter how many attacks she launched, Maxim was always a step ahead. He danced around her, fading in and out of view.
"Stop moving!" Wanda hissed, her voice laced with desperation.
Maxim only chuckled. "But that would be boring." He twisted his wrist, sending Rebellion spinning through the air like a boomerang. The sword sliced through Wanda's magic, severing her control for a moment.
That was all he needed. In a flash, Maxim was behind her, his arms wrapping around her in a tight grip. His hand glowed with astral energy as he whispered into her ear.
"Sleep."
Wanda's eyes fluttered, and the magic around her dissipated. She slumped forward, unconscious but unharmed. Maxim gently lowered her to the ground, his expression softening for a moment. She had fought well, but the outcome had been inevitable.
He turned around just in time to see a blur of silver charging toward him. Pietro, his face twisted in anger, was moving faster than the human eye could follow. But Maxim could see Pietro's every move, the ripples in the air as he accelerated, the twitch of his muscles before each strike.
Maxim calmly waited as Pietro closed the gap, and just as the speedster was about the land a blow, Maxim leaped into the air, flipping over Pietro with graceful ease. In mid-air, he pulled out Ivory, the demonically enhanced pistol gleaming in the low light.
Time seemed to slow.
Maxim fired once. The bullet cut through the air like a whisper, piercing Pietro's foot with precision. The speedster let out a cry of pain as his momentum carried him forward, crashing into the wall with a loud thud.
Dust and debris scattered as he slumped to the ground, clutching his bleeding foot.
Maxim landed softly, holstering Ivory with a flourish. He walked toward Pietro, who was groaning in pain but otherwise still conscious. The speedster looked up at him, a mix of frustration and disbelief in his eyes.
"How...?" Pietro muttered through gritted teeth, trying to stand but faltering.
Maxim knelt down in front of him, his face calm, though a small smile played at the corner of his lips. "You're fast, Pietro, but speed means nothing if you can't think ahead."
Pietro winced, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes. He nodded weakly, letting himself fall back against the wall.
"Get some rest," Maxim said quietly, his voice softer now. "We'll try again tomorrow."
As he turned to leave the training room, Maxim grinned, both Ebony and Ivory, alongside Rebellion had worked perfectly well, and he could still feel himself getting stronger.
His Demonic Energy was constantly growing, his physical strength continuously improving, his power was improving holistically at an extreme rate.
For Dante, the best way to assimilate his template was combat. The more fights the better, the more wins the better, as long as Maxim kept fighting, he'd keep growing stronger, more experienced with his power.
For now, though, he had a duty to prepare these two for the war that was coming. A war where their powers—and his—would be the key to everything.
The shadows swirled around him as he disappeared from the room, leaving Wanda and Pietro to their thoughts and their pain.
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For anyone who loves DMC, be sure to give me some ideas on how to most effectively use Dante's powers for the story.
Always interested in suggestions, as long as they're not overly mean!