Chapter Text
A portal ripped open, lightning crackling forth as space bent around the tear in space. The glow was mirrored in polished white stone underneath, a long bridge of ivory.
Old Fortuna Castle had been the headquarters for centuries of war, but had recently been replaced. The new colorless wonder reflected the straight lines, geometric shapes, and gold ascents that decorated all the newer style buildings of the Order. It was a white fortress, built over the ocean and dominating the landscape around it. To even enter, one had to travel along the giant bridge featuring steps, pillars, archways, and ornate engravings.
The surface of the bridge cracked just faintly as Vergil walked out of the portal, followed by Trish. Behind them it closed, a few snowflakes slipping through. Looking over his shoulder inland, Vergil saw there was a massive tropical jungle overtaking ancient stone ruins.
“They spare no expense,” Trish said looking down off the bridge and at the structure coming out of the water. The bottom of the fortress seemed to be built on some ancient trees. “Qliphoth roots?”
“No… but descendants of it. Unlike the demon tree, they are mostly harmless. The people of Fortuna worshiped them years ago.” Vergil looked at the sun starting to set in the distance. “They called them Sefirot. As they grow, they try to ascend towards heaven and take the wishes of those who pray with them. They were all over Fortuna last I was here,” Vergil explained.
“Your lady friend tell you that?” Trish poked.
“Indeed,” Vergil replied but made it sound like a curse. He began walking up the stairs, the bridge climbing upward.
“And what kind of woman could warm that cold heart of yours?”
“Someone who wanted to save me.”
“So, it wasn’t just a drunken mistake,” Trish said a little timidly and watching him. “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”
“Tell you what? That for a time I considered a normal life? That my drive for power couldn’t allow me to hold onto anyone?” Vergil was shouting now. “And now I am to claim this ch… young man as my kin? He’s has been corrupted by these hypocrites!”
“There it is,” Trish said softly. “You always hold everything in.”
“What can I offer him? What can I say?” Vergil demanded. “He’s better off without me.”
Going silent, Vergil looked ahead. A stiff figure was coming down the stairs and Vergil was more than happy to direct his mind elsewhere. Credo stepped down the last step and onto the bridge. The two were glaring at each other with an aura of violence that choked the air.”
“There is the thief,” Vergil said with a wicked smile. “Have you no honor?”
“Honor is all I have,” Credo said frowning his overly hard face. “I uphold the honor of my family, the Order, the Savior.”
“Yet…” Vergil added vanishing from beside Trish and appearing closer to Credo, still walking normally. “You use my father’s name, steal his namesake, unleash demons upon man and corrupt my blood!”
The Yamato was drawn, the act un-seeable by the human eye. Yet despite this elevated speed, it crashed into a wing like shield. Trish whistled and sat down with her legs hanging off the bridge, no sign of intervening.
Credo became bathed in light and enveloped in power. His entire body was covered in ivory feathers, a golden halo formed behind his dark face trimmed in the same metal. He bore only one wing that unwrapped from his arm, as he glided into the air. White and gold feathers were caught in the arch each movement.
“Behold the power of an ANGEL!” Credo cried bringing down a giant gold feathered blade.
Vergil's shook from the force, trading six blows in an instant. It was amusing to see that Sparda’s swordsmanship had passed down into this mockery, but it was a well-trained mockery.
“Is that all?” Vergil asked, transforming, and summoning the crystalized Devil-Sword of his name.
Credo raised his weapon, Vergil doing the same. They clashed and the air parted, three attacks colliding so fast they were only heard as they parted. They continued like this, backing off, rushing, and delivering blinding fast attacks before putting distance between each other again.
“I commend you, but this will never be enough…” Vergil began before, but a golden blade shot through his ribcage. Floating all around him and shimmering, countless gold lances pierced Vergil and sent him to the ground.
“Don’t disrespect me. I know that isn’t enough to stop you.” Credo flung his arm out, wing spreading and sending feathers falling as a long spear formed in his hand.
“I didn’t want to ruin the fun yet,” Vergil said blood ceasing to run from his body. “I thought I might take out some of my issues on you.
Around the son of Sparda everything glowed white. The ivory building, the sun glinting off the ocean and Credo’s angelic feathers. The devil shape of Vergil seemed a dark stain upon the purity here.
“I am the shield that defends man,” Credo stated firmly. “We are the protector of innocents.”
“You, the Guardians of Marli and every self-righteous demon involved human…” Vergil said standing up. The golden blades shattered; jets of blue fire shot from the wounds as they sealed. “But how many innocents benefited from those Hell-Gates? How many demons did you fail to wrangle and set upon your people?”
“Casualties to a greater cause!” Credo yelled with a burning rage. It was not hard to tell Vergil had hit a nerve. “The family I lost, the men I lost! I give everything for MANKIND!”
Credo moved like a flash of light. Crashing down, again and again. Vergil backed up, defending a few strikes as he stepped up the stairs and slid onto a circular platform.
“I shall not falter!” Credo warned coming up after him, blackened bird like feet gripping stone. The white demon kicked off and the clouds parted in his ascension. Against the fiery sky, Credo gripped the spear with both hands and began to fall.
“So be it,” Vergil muttered and turned the crystalized blade to face the ground. It seemed to glow as his demonic form began to shoot energy from different openings in his scales and horns. “Prepare to die… angel…”
Nero was on an adrenaline high, tearing through vines, roots and demon. The voice of the sword beat in his ear, “another down”, “filthy demon kind: as it grabbed a scarecrow and pulled it in two.
The jungle was completely alien to Fortuna, tropical and overgrown. The scarecrows had been infested with strange flowers that whipped their roots with razor sharp blades. Not willing to get near them, Nero kept his distance, the spectral Rebellion shredding demon and foliage like a buzzsaw.
When their path was blocked by large vines, the Rebellion demon lashed out, sending scarecrows flying and slicing several large trees in half. Had its aura been a natural fire, the forest would be aflame.
“I’m on fire,” Nero laughed and leapt up a tree. In the distance he could see the white of headquarters, glowing in the sunlight.
Sensing there were no more nearby demons, the specter vanished, Nero realizing how fast his heart was beating. The sword had been absorbed into his arm, but he could still feel its power flowing through him.
Sliding down, Nero moved a little sluggishly. He came to a clearing, a broken Hell-Gate covered in thin swords. It almost looked like small explosives had chipped most of the slab away. Among the pieces of the gate and more swords, a single red rose sat almost glowing.
While that might have been a sign Vergil was going this way, Nero had given up the chase. Now he just wanted answers from Credo himself.
He wanted to know why the Order was allowing these experiments and how long had his holiness had all these bat-shit plans. After he punched out whoever was in charge Nero was going to talk to Kyrie and get her out of her. They’d leave, find a quiet place to settle down. He didn’t know how she’d react to what had become of his arm or what the Order had done, but Nero wanted nothing to do with the crazy cult anymore.
Reaching the white steps Nero took them two at a time. There was pressure, something eerie as he stepped onto the bridge. Whatever it was, it made Nero feel small. Barely noticing Trish, who was leaning on an arch, Nero’s attention snapped to the demons far above the upcoming platform. One white and gold falling like a meteor, the other a blue and black winged monster rising to meet it.
“I think you should go play somewhere else Jr,” Trish warned.
Clicking his tongue, Nero drew his gun. His demonic arm cracked with a red glow, energy pulsing as it fired a bolt of energy that traveled through his arm, and out the barrel. Trish with a simple flick redirected the bolt with a glowing rose mid-air, the bolt crashing into the water under them.
Above them, the white and black shapes met violently. There was an explosion, the sky distorting for just a moment as clouds wrapped around them like a storm. Then a crack rang out so loud it left Nero’s ears ringing.
The sky had gone dark, then light as the clouds now parted. The figures fell from the sky, at first impossible to tell who came out on top, until the dark demon grabbed the other by the leg. Slowly they descended, the black wings outstretched around them. It held the fallen angel as if carrying a trash bag.
That’s when Nero saw it. The white feathers flashed out of existence and in its place was Credo, held by one of his boots. The horned devil dropped Credo onto the stone callously. The wings closed around itself and warped back into human shape of Vergil.
Nero let out a cry, echoed by a roaring Rebellion. The violent aura, and intent to kill made it hard to breathe. Trish’s eyes widened as she was shoved back off the bridge, Nero running for Vergil who went pale.
Enemy seemingly frozen, Nero took the advantage. He swung the Red-Queen for Vergil’s head with all his strength. Vergil’s own phantom stopped the sword with one hand and the Rebellion came crashing down on the equally phantom Yamato. The human half of Vergil was still unmoving and mouth slightly a gape.
“DANTE!!!” Vergil’s demon cried out. The human half still, pale and gritting his teeth. It’s eyes looked at Vergil himself even as it held Nero off. “I can taste your fear… you are still no better than that weak child crying for your mother.”
“SHUT UP!”
“FUCK YOU!”
Vergil and Nero’s voice echoed out as the two parted. Vergil had drawn the Yamato, his phantom split in two, but its laughter remained. Nero clawed his hand, the red creature behind him still screaming in rage. It raked its hands across its chest and gnashed its teeth, clearly unstable and out of control.
Shaking off his shock, Vergil held his hand out to Nero. “That’s too big a toy for you, give me the Rebellion.”
“You will have to pry it from my cold dead hand!”
“Nero…” Credo muttered forcing himself up. “Nero get out of here; this guy is too dangerous.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
Credo reached Nero’s side and his eyes dropped to the glowing hand. “Your arm… we need to get you help.”
“I don’t need help,” Nero yelled turning to get in Credo’s face. “AND I’m not letting that scientist anywhere near me.”
“That’s an order soldier!” Credo command.
“And what about you? Don’t think I didn’t see that Credo! What did they do to you!?”
“I can’t answer that.”
“Enough,” Vergil called clicking his sword in its sheath. “I don’t intend on standing here while you both bicker!”
Even as the last words left Vergil’s mouth Nero moved. He slid low, on one side the physical sword arching left, while from the right came a glowing Rebellion. Vergil caught both on the blade Yamato, sliding back as Credo came down with a shimmering sword.
This should have been no trouble for him, but as Vergil moved to defend himself a spectral arm held the Yamato’s blade. The Son of Sparda looked up, unable to summon his own specter and bracing himself when everything went white.
Before Credo’s blade could meet its mark, a bolt of lightning struck the ground. Credo twisted mid-air and fell to the ground gasping, his middle spraying blood everywhere as his injury reopened from impact.
Nero called out to his brother, Trish and Vergil now between them. Trish herself looked wet and more than a little annoyed. Beside her Vergil dark and statue like.
“She-devil,” the Rebellion called between its teeth.
“Maybe we can talk this out,” Trish said looking from Vergil to Nero. “I'm sure you have a lot in common.”
“I somewhat doubt it,” Vergil added not looking at her.
“Credo!” cried out Kyrie’s voice. Nero’s eyes widened as she ran forward and held her arms out, shielding the semi-conscious Credo from Vergil with her body. “Leave him alone!”
“Kyrie?” Nero mouthed losing the phantom in a puff of red flames.
Vergil locked eyes with her, no emotion on his face till he saw a much taller figure slink behind her.
“Such family drama,” Agnus said with a twisted smile.
Around them landed countless metal winged knights. An army of Bianco Angelo clattered into rows of lances held firm. They stood standing eerily still in a circle around them, not even seeming to breathe.
“Two sets of brothers reunited,” Agnus mused barely touching Kyrie’s shoulders. “Dante and Vergil, Credo and Nero. But we can’t forget the innocent sister… or should I say love?” His voice went low on the last word and sneered at Nero.
Nero began to walk past Vergil, his clawed hand balling into a fist. The mechanical knights kept their places, except for those near Angus who lifted Credo off the ground and dragged him back.
Kyrie looked uncomfortable with Agnus holding onto her. She watched Credo being taken away, then looked to Nero as he came closer.
“Nero you…” she was staring at the glowing arm in plain sight to all. “What is that?”
“Kyrie its ok, I’m ok,” Nero told her, but Agnus began whispering in her ear.
“He's using the powers of a devil. Nero did it to protect you, put his very soul on the line. And now he’s losing control of himself.”
“Leave her ALONE!” Nero yelled, freezing as Agnus wrapped his arm around Kyrie’s neck and drew out a dark spike It glowed faintly, as the skin of her neck beginning to burn.
“CAREFUL,” Agnus warned. “Or we’ll see how pure she remains when I mix a devil’s essence.”
“N… let go!” Kyrie struggled. Agnus, however, only tightened his grip.
“Bastard…” Nero growled.
“Now Nero do as you are told and kill Vergil. You must sacrifice the only true blooded family you have left for the girl you love.”
Nero turned to Vergil, who avoided his gaze. Agnus squeezed harder, Kyrie letting out a faint yelp as the knights took a few steps forward. Trish sighed and stepped between the white-haired men.
“You really going to play ball with him?” she asked Nero. “Vergil isn’t your enemy, he is.”
“Enemy or not… does it really matter?” Nero asked back turned to Kyrie and Agnus. “I have to do everything in my power to protect her.”
Nero raised his sword and brought it down at Trish. In a flash of red, Dante’s shadow lunged behind Nero and shot the long sword into the eye socket of Angus like a stinger. Trish hadn’t moved as the sword stopped inches above her shoulder and smiling faintly.
Agnus cried out; grip loosened a moment. A blue flash took off most of his fingers on his right hand; a spectral sword slamming into the wall behind him. Blood sprayed on Kyrie as Agnus skin became keratin and insect wings spread from him. She gasped as one black hairy hand grabbed Kyrie by the hair, but Nero was on him.
Phantom arm slamming the bug into the wall, Nero grabbed up Kyrie and carried her bridal style. He kicked off one of the Angelo’s and back into the air, leaving Trish and Vergil alone inside the circle of enemies.
“Damn you!!!” Agnus yelled blood pouring everywhere as his flesh mended. He began to retreat, the knights formed a barrier to protect him.
“It’s alright now,” Nero said holding Kyrie. “I was so scared… if he ever…”
Kyrie looked shocked, her eyes going to the glowing arm that held her shoulder. She looked pale but raised a hand to touch Nero’s tear-stained face.
“Nero… I don’t know what’s going on but… it’s ok.”
“We'll explain everything and leave here as a family,” Nero said glancing over his shoulder at Vergil coldly. “I just have to find Credo first.”
Vergil himself looked at the boy, a strange mixture of feelings only faintly visible. He turned back to Trish, telling himself to let Nero go, that he had a mission to finish.
From the entrance only more Angelo knights marched forward. One of these at the front had a badge on its breastplate and light pouring from within the helm. It was clearly one of the commanders that Nero had encountered earlier.
“The time of judgment is upon us,” Sanctus’ voice echoed from within headquarters and the knight commander’s helm. “As once a demon rose to an angel, we to ascend.”
“You will only find death here Sanctus.” Vergil’s mouth was tight, brow lowered. “You can’t hide from my wrath.”
“Wrath is a sin Vergil,” Sanctus warned. “Come I shall purify you of these sins promptly.”
Vergil was a blur, enemies bisected and trisected. He would stop, sheath and wait just a moment before the Angelos swung at him, then reappear as limbs were severed. Trish didn’t hold back, a storm of lightning cracking around her. Electrical charges followed her, thriving on the metal armor as she sent bolts from her hands. The knights stabbed and thrust, Vergil dodging with ease and Trish floating weightlessly above them. Some came into the air, using metal wings and jets to come after her, but were struck by lightning that sent them crashing back down. Throwing the Yamato, the blade spun around Vergil as phantom swords appeared in his hands. Sparks flew off the transparent blades as they dug into armor and easily pierced through plate-mail. Releasing these, Vergil caught the katana with his sheath.
Besides the blue of the spectral blades, red stake like swords were flying from Trish. On her back the Devil-Arm Lucifer was open and moving mechanically. Two claw-like quivers seemed to have an endless supply of blades that she could draw from. Almost dancing in the air, she stuck pin after pin in the enemy, never staying in one place. Soon most of the army engaged on the platform had at least one glowing sword of red or blue stuck in them.
The Commander revved his sword, within the voice of Sanctus calling “We are the divine servants of God. You wish to know of the divine plan? I shall show you.”
Vergil stopped, phantom swords spiraling around him and keeping the army of Angelo’s at bay. “I have something to show you too Sanctus.” From nothing, a large glowing suitcase appeared in his hand and Vergil slammed it into the ground. Pandora clicked open and a roar of light emitted out of it, the sounds of thousands of cries, laughter, talking, and moaning coming from within.
The Commander froze, light bathing him. The armor blackened and slowly began to break away into ash. From within an unknown person who had been twisted by the Order’s experiments began to liquify, Sanctus himself nowhere to be seen.
“We are more than one individual Vergil; we are the will of GOD!” came the elderly Vicar’s voice from yet another Angelo whose helm began to glow the same as the previous “I shan’t die till his will is acted upon this earth.”
“How many times do I have to kill you?”
Vergil began to be wrapped in darkness, energy crackling from his body. A visible aura wrapped the area, and Trish twisted further into the air. For a moment it looked like Vergil had drawn the Yamato and gone in multiple directions. The air was filled with blue streaks that crossed repeatedly; each mirror image of Vergil drawing multiple slashes across their enemies and danced back to the same pose. Each went to their knee, slowly sheathed the Yamato as they became one again.
Trish looked down upon the carnage. For a moment everything was still, till the katana clicked in place. The army upon the platform fell, armor splitting into pieces as the ivory marble turned red.
“Why would Sanctus do that?” Kyrie asked as Nero ran with her. “What about Credo? He had to of known something?”
“Kyrie, I don’t know, we just need to get you to safely,” Nero told and held her tighter. “I… I know I’ve never said this, but you saved me. I was just a punk kid on the street who hated the world, but it was you who helped me feel real again, feel loved.”
Kyrie seemed shocked by this confession, leaning into Nero’s chest. “Nero I’ll go anywhere with you.”
“I’ll save Credo, we’ll will get out of this hellhole…” Nero paused as he saw another squad of knights at the base of the stairs. Past them, the wild jungle stood vast and free.
“Be careful,” Kyrie told him.
“When have I…” Nero laughed by was cut off. He turned, feeling a haunting presence behind him.
There stood Sanctus, but he had changed since Nero had seen him. His eyes were red sunken, gaunt with reddening skin and horns growing from his head. He had his own glowing halo behind him and trails of glowing light that swayed in the wind in his hand was what could only be described as a hunk of meat and bone, but along its edge was a silver blade.
Nero twisted, taking the cut along his back to protect Kyrie. The weapon seemed to have a presence, an overwhelming power that brought Nero to the ground. As it slammed down into him, he heard Kyrie calling to him, then he was plunged into darkness. Nero could only feel that sword; so all consuming and powerful, yet somehow familiar.