"Please…no…more…Father!" Gavin's cry of desperation echoed forlornly in the small room, his scarred and blackened face already healing.
Lucifer laughed, the gaunt, evil sound echoing around the room like a hellish symphony of demonic howls. "Then bring to me what I most desire, the Force Edge!" Lucifer spun to face the mirror, held out a finger, and a fiery portal opened up. As he stepped through and closed it, a skinny limb thrust out toward Gavin, and he recoiled. As the portal snapped shut, the arm was severd, and it fell to the floor, writhing about. Wood blistered and burned to a crisp as the arm thrashed, spraying heated magma everywhere. Eventually it settled with one last thump, falling still. Gavin shuddered, jumping through the hole from which he came. Shaking the dust off of himself, he spotted the hole where Dante burst through, then grinned, his eyes glinting dangerously. With a small leap, he cleared the hole and sprinted toward the spike of demonic energy he felt in the air. Gavin vowed to himself at that moment that he would make Dante pay with every fiber of his being once he secured the Force Edge.
Dante and Nelo stood in the courtyard, eyeing each other. Dante stood with one foot slightly behind the other, his knees bent in a Defensive Stance. Nelo was just the opposite, standing with his feet spread apart, but still with one foot slightly behind the other, ready to leap at a moments notice.
"Why, brother?!" Dante called out over the ferocious howling of the wind as the courtyard was decimated, piece by piece. "Why do you have to be such a pain in my ass every time you go on one of your crackbrained world-power schemes?"
Nelo stood silent for a moment, pondering. Then a huge grin lit up his face, and his red eyes pulsed. "You think that I wanted you to get involved? You wouldn't be able to understand my reasons. So either fight me, or get out of my way!" With that, Nelo charged Dante, bringing his sword forward to stab into his chest. Dante countered with his armored fist, sparks flying as the blade flew away from him. Dante leapt back, landing on a tree, then jumping into the air as Nelo catapulted at the tree. Nelo's blade was an electric flash as the tree disintegrated into a thousand pieces from his sword strike. Nelo backflipped, his boot catching Dante in the chest. Dante grunted, and slashed downward with his sword. Nelo cried out as the blade bit deep into his side, and he hit the ground hard. His breath was knocked out of his chest with a whoosh, and Dante landed deftly on his back, flipping into the air again.
Nelo struggled to his feet, looking up in time to fall victim to Dante's dropping heel kick. Dante's armored boot slammed into Nelo's face, knocking him back. Just as he flew out of sight over the courtyard edge, Mary landed next to Dante, staring up at his tall figure.
"Mary!" Dante transformed back into his normal state, stabbing Sparda into the ground. As he embraced Mary gently, he spun her around, and she giggled, her face turning crimson. She pressed her lips against his, locking them into a firm kiss, and stayed in his arms for a while. As she broke contact, Dante wrapped his arms against her once more, brushing away her hair with his fingers.
"You shouldn't have come here, Mary," he said, his eyes full of compassion. "Vergil's on the rampage, and I don't want you to get hurt."
Mary looked at Dante indignantly, and snorted. "You think he can harm me? I can defend myself, you know." She turned away from Dante, sighing.
Dante looked at her, and slid his hand into hers, turning her around. "I know for a fact that you can defend yourself," he said. "I don't doubt that, I just can't risk anything happening to you." He absently looked at Sparda, and watched the sword lose its demonic red hue, transforming into the plain Force Edge. The sword glinted in the evening sunset, and Mary gasped.
"Oh, Dante!" she said, standing next to him and wrapping her arms around him. "Isn't it beautiful?"
Dante stared at the sky, smiling. "You know what Mary? I think the only thing more beautiful than this is yourself." He locked his lips against hers again, and they shared another long embrace. Dante was about to speak again when the ground underneath him rumbled. He grabbed Mary, leaping out of the way as Gavin burst through from underneath, reaching for Force Edge. He wrapped his fingers around the hilt, laughing maniacally as he spun the sword over his head.
"It's finally mine!" he said, cackling. "Prepare to witness ultimate power, Dante!" He began to glow with a golden hue, then a huge blue light illuminated his back. He turned to stare at it, then grunted in pain as an electric blue explosion hit his chest, sending him skyrocketing back into a wall. As he slammed into it, the entire roof began to buckle, and flashes of gold lightning shot from the hole where he disappeared.
Nelo stood where Gavin was, shaking his head. "Damn," he said, looking at Dante. "He really doesn't quit, does he?"
Dante stood, moving in front of Mary, and flared into his Legendary Armor. He laughed, staring at Vergil. "Nope," he said. "Let's show this bastard who's boss!"
Nelo nodded, and braced himself. The hole grew larger, and then a golden blur shot from it, fast as light. The blur slammed into Nelo's stomach, sending him flying across the roof. He hit the middle of the courtyard, and lay still, his head lolling to one side. Dante charged at Gavin, but he grabbed his fist with two fingers, and pulled Dante to face him.
Dante stared at Gavin's face, aghast. He looked nothing similar to what he used to. His body
shimmered in dark armor, glinting with golden lightning playing across it occasionally. Gavin's face was encased in a mask of it, but from his eyes down to his chin his normal features remained. He laughed, throwing Dante forward. Dante slammed into a tree, and fell to his knees, coughing. Gavin rushed up to him, grabbed him by his hair, and slammed his knee into his face. Dante flew into the air, blood flying from his nostrils. His eyes closed in pain, and he grunted, trying to right himself. He caught view of a golden blur, and spun, falling to the ground. He slammed into it, and grunted as the air was blown from his stomach.
His chest ached, and his nose dripped blood onto the ground. Dante flipped upward, and Gavin appeared in front of him, his arm flying forward to wrap itself around Dante's throat, pinning him to the same tree he slammed into earlier. He gasped, out of breath, and started slipping in and out of consciousness.
Gavin looked at Dante, and laughed. "Pitious mortal," he said, smashing his fist into Dante's face. He repeated the blow a few times, then let up. Dante's face was bruised and smashed, and both of his eyes were blackened. Gavin leaned closer, his pointed canines glinting in the fading light. "Would you like to see ultimate power, Dante?"
Dante spat into Gavin's face, and winced as he was rewarded with a fist smashed into his stomach. He heard a few ribs crack, and cried out in pain.
Gavin wiped the bloody saliva off of his face, flinging it to the ground. He threw Dante into the middle of the courtyard, and Dante grunted, hitting the ground. He struggled up, staring at Mary. She cried out in horror, and began to run towards him. "Get out of here!" he screamed, mustering the last of his strength. "Run! He's going to kill you!" He fell back, screaming and trying to breathe. His chest burned, and the corners of his vision grew dark. As he slipped out of consciousness, he made out Gavin's face grinning at him, and he stuck his middle finger up, a smile crossing his face, then all became dark.
Vergil awoke, sitting up. All around him, chaos reigned. The flare of power that shot him out of his unconsciousness from Gavin earlier was now stronger that ever. Vergil noticed that he was no longer Nelo Angelo, but his regular old self. He struggled to his feet, then noticed the roof beginning to fall apart. Chunks of it were hurtled into space, and in the middle of the chaos, amidst all the destruction, Gavin stood alone, holding the Force Edge to the sky. As he yelled out in some unknown demon tonuge, a massive beam of golden light shot from the tip of the sword, and it transformed before Vergil's very eyes. The hilt changed to a blackish color, forming into a skull with ridges down the side. The eyes of the skull glowed blood-red crimson, and the blade gleamed bright silver. Vergil followed the beam of light to the sky, where dark clouds gathered around its formation. The sky grew dark except for the beam, and thunder and lightning cracked and flashed on the horizon. A mighty gust of wind bellowed from the portal, sending trees and buildings flying. A rumble sounded in the distance, and Vergil gasped, looking over the edge of the building. Entire houses fell into a spreading chasm, started from a single crack in the ground. Whole city blocks were leveled in seconds, then swallowed into the massive gaping mouth that was the spreading fault line. The crack was headed straight for the rooftop of the Temen-Ni-Gru, and Vergil called out to Gavin, facing him.
"Stop it, Gavin!" he cried, walking towards him. "This is foolishness! You'll destroy everything!" Vergil flared into Nelo as he spoke, charging Gavin. As he cut down with his sword, he was blasted back by a wave of power, and rolled several times on his back. He stood up, brushing himself off, and stumbled as the roof buckled, and a giant split appeared, separating into thousands of miniature cracks. He rushed over to Dante, and stared at his face. Bruised and shattered, Dante lay in an awkward position, his middle finger forced upward, and a small smile across his face. Nelo held a hand to Dante's face, and blue lightning sparked out, healing the cuts and bruises on him. Dante's eyes flickered, and he woke up, staring at Nelo's face.
"Nelo...?" he said absent-mindedly.
"Yes, brother," said Nelo, grabbing his hand and helping him to his feet. "We have to stop Gavin before it's too late!"
Dante nodded, transforming into his Devil Armor as he spoke. Red lightning crackled around his body as he held his hand out in the air. A red light appeared above it, spreading and crackling with energy, swelling bigger and forming the shape of something. Dante grinned as Rebellion fell through the energy portal, landing into his hand. He tightened his grip, spinning the sword so it caught the light from Gavin's energy flux. The eyes of the sword glew red, and the handle snapped outward, crackling with red energy.
"Let's do this, bro!" Dante's voice whipped in the wind, but Vergil got his message. He nodded, charging Gavin, but stopped short, holding out a hand. Dante skidded to a halt next to him, and tapped his arm to let him know he was there. Vergil shook his head, and Dante heard a rustling, then a scream. He turned, seeing Arkham grab Mary, and spun around, racing towards the sound.
"Dante!" Vergil called out, but his cry was lost on deaf ears. Dante charged forward, putting every ounce of his energy into speed. He slid around a corner, coming to a screeching halt as he vaulted over the castle wall. As he flipped over another ledge, he saw Arkham with his hands wrapped around Mary's waist, trying to hoist her away. He had a hand around her mouth, and her face was red from shouting. She licked his hand, and as he recoiled, she bit down hard. Arkham yelped, pulling his bleeding hand back, and Mary ducked out of his grip, turning to spit the chunk of flesh from his hand out of her mouth. The pulpy flesh hit Arkham in the side of the head, and he cried out in pain, falling to his knees. Dante ran forward, connecting the tip of his boot to the front of Arkham's nose. Bone shattered and blood flew from all directions as Arkham was catapulted through the air, flying for several feet before skidding, rather painfully, to a stop.
"Keep your damn hands off of her, you filthy pig!" Dante's eyes burned and he spread his feet, getting into a ready stance. Arkham laughed from where he lay, getting up on one elbow.
"You insolent fool!" he spat, leaping to his feet. His body began to glow with an eerie purplish light, and he grinned, then began to cackle, his shoulders shaking as his peals of laughter echoed malevolently around the courtyard. He spread his arms to the heavens, making exulting motions with his hands.
"Do you see this? This is all my doing! This has been my plan from the beginning! All of the pieces of the puzzle have fit together perfectly, and now, it is time for me to take back what is mine! Finally, after years of research and development, I am finally able to take control of both the human and Demon worlds!" Arkham charged Dante, knocking him from his feet. Dante parried with an uppercut, but Arkham knocked his fist away, slamming forward with his palm. Dante grunted, grabbing his arm, but as Arkham applied pressure and several of Dante's ribs cracked, his grip gave way. Arkham tightened his grip on Dante's chest, and he cried out in pain as bone punched through his skin from the spot he was gripped. Arkham spun several times, flinging Dante towards the spot where Vergil and Gavin were. Mary took several steps back, hiding in the shadows. Arkham looked around, apparently satisfied, then leapt at least thirty feet into the air, boosting towards where Vergil and Gavin were battling.
As he flew through the air, Dante tried to regain his footing before he hit the ground. As he made contact, he rolled several times, feeling his vertebrae crack and groan under the pressure. His face was scraped and dragged throughout the stone, and a long, ragged trail of flesh and blood marked where he stopped.
"Damnit, that hurt!" Struggling to his feet, Dante realized he was right next to where he dropped Rebellion. Picking up the weapon, he studied his face, barely recognizing himself. White stubble and patches of beard poked through his face, and his eyes were red-rimmed and dark. His face was a mess of cuts, bruises, and abrasions, and the entire left side was torn open, blood gushing freely. The blood ran in rivulets off of his jacket, soaking his pants and spattering onto his boots.
"God, I look like shit!" He laughed in spite of all the pain he was in, and slung the sword onto his back. Turning towards Gavin, he crept around the side of the courtyard, making sure Gavin's back was to him at all times, and settled down to regain his energy while waiting for his turn to fight.
Vergil noticed Dante enter the courtyard and sit, Gavin's back to him. I need to keep Gavin turned towards me...he thought, gritting his teeth. If he sees Dante, then it's all over...Vergil leapt forward, throwing a fist at the field surrounding Gavin. It met, and Vergil cried out as a sickening crack split the air. Bone fragments turned to powder with the force of his punch, and his knucklebones jutted out through the front of his hand. Crunching the fragments together, Vergil summoned his Devil Energy, feeling his hand start to heal.
"Is that the best you've got, Vergil?!" Gavin's insidious voice echoed in his golden vortex of light. The clouds were still darkening, and a massive portal began to open into the heavens. Blood-Goyles emerged, howling and screaming as their red tails spread streams across the sky, arcing like a smear of treacle tart. Vergil gasped, following the beam to the top, where white platforms and pillars were shining. Gavin laughed, his voice turning dark and sinister, and the golden light intensified tenfold. Vergil watched in anticipation as Gavin's body was borne aloft, rising up through the golden light. As he was about ten feet in the air, however, Vergil's eyes widened in shock as the blade of Sparda peirced his body. Apparently, Gavin was also in shock, as his eyes widened, and he slumped forward, his body still.
Blood dripped from Sparda's hilt as Dante, now fully transformed into his Legendary Devil Armor, flung Gavin's limp and lifeless body to the ground. As it struck, a plume of dust shot into the air, and Dante drifted to the ground, his boots clinking as he walked toward Vergil. Slinging Sparda across his back, he offered a hand to Vergil, who gratefully accepted it. As Dante pulled Vergil to his feet, he looked to the heavens in dismay. Already the portal was closing, and as he focused on the top, he groaned. Arkham was waving to him, his eyes narrow slits, as he laughed from the lip of the portal.
"What the...?" Vergil began.
"Little bastard must've snuck up there when we were fighting Gavin," said Dante, turning to see Mary run from the opposite corridor, skidding to a halt when she saw her father at the top.
"How in Hell's name did he get up there?" Mary asked, her teeth gritted.
"I don't know, but Mary..." said Dante, but Mary cut him off.
"No," she said, turning to face him.
"No what?" he said, staring her down.
"You're not going to leave me here like some...some...puppet!" Her legs were spread in a defensive stance, her hands slightly raised as if she were about to fight. Dante shot forward, quick as a bullet, grabbing her around the waist from behind and wrapping up her arms with his.
"Let me go, you asshole!" she shouted into the night, and Dante clamped a hand over her mouth so she could listen.
"Stop it, Mary!" he said harshly, and the tone of his voice let her know he meant business. She stopped yelling abruptly, slumping in his arms.
"Now, listen to me! I'm not going to let you get hurt. As soon as we defeat Arkham, we are going to come right back down here. No one that's here can hurt you, so just look out for yourself, you hear?" Dante flared back to normal power, spinning her around to look her in the eyes. As Mary opened her mouth to protest, he placed his index finger on her lips, silencing her. Brushing her cheek with a bruised and broken finger, he drew her face closer to his. Her eyes closed, and her grip around his waist tightened as he pressed his lips against hers. Her face turned slightly red, and she pulled away, awkwardly, after a moment.
Vergil stood in silence, then grunted, setting his eyes on the beam of light leading into the sky. "If you two lovebirds wouldn't mind," he said, walking towards the portal, "Then I'd like to take back what is rightfully mine...ours, Dante." Dante turned, nodding to Vergil, and looked at Mary one last time.
"Be careful," he mouthed, kissing her one last time and hugging her.
"I will see you again, right?" she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
"If not when we get down from here, then in Hell!" His eyes shone fiercely, and he grinned, making her laugh aloud. Dante turned without warning, running to the edge of the portal. Standing in the light, he looked up, his garish expression a mix of anger and anticipation. Spreading his arms, he felt his body go weightless, and he began to rise up towards the lip of the portal, fastly closing. Vergil was right behind him, but as Dante reached the apex and climbed into the lip of the portal, it began to disappear. Vergil sped up, shooting up the sky, but to no avail. The portal closed, and the beam began to fade. Vergil's descent into the air slowed, and he began to travel in the opposite direction. Still disoriented, he vomited, spraying purge into the cold, black night. As the ground rushed up to meet him, he closed his eyes and spread eagled to lessen his damage on impact. As he hit the ground, he heard a woman scream, and grunted to get up, but the pain was too great. After about ten seconds, the adrenaline wore off, and the pain tore at his body. It rippled through his legs and up into his chest, around his ribs and inside of his head. He howled in pain, then his vision grew dark. Laying his face on the cool, hard pavement, he welcomed the blackness, slipping into a fitful slumber...