Dante's Inferno™ Part 17

Beginning his traversal to Hell, Dante blesses a holy cross that Beatrice gave him when making their vows to be true to each other, while traversing the Nine Circles in pursuit of Beatrice, whom is corrupted and then turned into a succubus by Lucifer due to Dante's infidelities after Beatrice waged her soul with Lucifer concerning Dante's faithfulness in exchange for his safety overseas. As the pursuit goes on further and further into Hell, memories of Dante's past life and sins are revealed and confronted by him. It is revealed Dante passed by an abusive childhood under Alighiero which ended up prompting Bella to commit suicide by hanging and thus grew up to become an impatient, violent man, whom joined the Third Crusade after being promised by a bishop (later revealed to be a 'salesman of salvation') that his sins would be absolved. In Acre, when ordered by King Richard I to keep guard over 3.000 prisoners as ransom for the True Cross taken by King Saladin (among them a captive woman whom offered to sleep with Dante in exchange for the life of her 'brother', revealed to be the assassin which was actually her husband), Dante gives in to his violent instincts and gets into a rampage, slaughtering most of the prisoners. When confronted by Richard himself, Francesco takes the fall for Dante's deeds and is thus hanged. Upon realizing the extent of his sins, especially not confessing to the prisoners' massacre and allowing Francesco to be executed, Dante resigns his pursuit and admits he belongs in Hell, asking forgiveness to Beatrice while giving her the holy cross back, which redeems her soul for Gabriel to take away to Heaven. Gabriel assures Dante his redemption is at hand and he will see Beatrice again, but must confront Lucifer himself at the final Circle, Treachery. Fighting Lucifer at Lake Cocytus, it is revealed Lucifer took Beatrice to lure Dante into Hell, aware his pursuit would prompt him to sever the Chains of Judecca that kept Lucifer imprisoned. It is also revealed Dante was actually killed by the Saracen Assassin back in Acre and thus cannot leave Hell. While Lucifer gloats that he will now rise to Heaven and lead a second Rebellion to overthrow God, Dante uses the souls he absolved on his journey across Hell to absolve himself and re-imprison Lucifer. Being shifted away to Mount Purgatory by Beatrice, Dante removes his original skin-stitched cross tapestry now turned black as he starts his pilgrimage to the mountain top, stating he "did not die, and yet did not live". The black tapestry itself transforms into a snake as Lucifer's laugh echoes, implying Dante's confrontation with him is still not finished.