Author : Ninufa
Disclaimer : Devil May Cry © CAPCOM
- / -
A glimmer of dread passed through her sharp senses. It was pulsating, barely lasted longer than a minute, but the power it held was quite challenging. Too real, almost like...
A demon presence.
Before she could react any further, small fingers suddenly grabbed her dress. She turned her gaze to face two pair of eyes—those of twin brothers'—laid before her.
She smiled at them.
"...What is it?" She asked softly to the small boy who still had her dress in her grasp. Did they feel it, too?
He furrowed his brows. "Don't go. I won't let you."
She stared at him for a moment. He knew, she thought. Of course he knew, it takes one to know one. And if that's true, so did his brother.
There's nothing she could hide from them both.
"You know I can't just ignore that, right?" She told him, her hand moved to pat his head. "My job is to keep you two safe."
The boy pouted at that. "But I don't wanna just waiting here! I can fight, too. Let me go with you, yeah?"
She let out a sigh. Must this happen every time she needed to go?
"No. Stay here."
"Whaat?" He whined. "Why not?"
"Stop it, brother." His twin brother finally spoke out. Same tone, same voice, yet different feel. "You'd only get in Mother's way."
"Hah? I don't wanna hear it from you!"
"It's true, your skill sucks. I won't lie." His brother said, expression blank. Their mother hold back a laugh at his honesty. No sugar coated.
However, his brother didn't take it too well.
"You wanna pick a fight?!" He challenged his twin, who gave him an annoyed look in return.
Strong hands quickly clamped shut each sibling's mouth, stopping their bicker.
"Stop. You two stay here." Their mother said, exasperated. "And that's final." She added after glaring them hard, leaving no chance to talk back.
After a moment, the brothers finally nodded. Unwillingly.
"Good. Watch the house until I come."
- / -
Meanwhile, in Fortuna…
Morning came excessively fast.
Now that The Order is gone, Nero could finally gain some freedom. He had nothing to do with them anymore, with Credo have gone and Kyrie was better left as well considering what they had done to her. With his resignation from The Order, came yet other stuff to think about.
Where can he find new job?
Of course, it was easier said than done. A big part of Fortuna had Nero listed in their blacklist, be it due to fear of his current condition, his sharp tongue, or merely just because of nasty rumors.
Following the event with The Savior, all citizens of Fortuna slowly pulled themselves to recover their destroyed city. Even with Sanctus and The Order gone, Nero still found a few locals who kept their belief in Sparda.
It was laughable. Really.
While checking out if there were demons lurking around, Nero caught sight of a girl with brown hair. It was Kyrie. He watched as the girl occupied herself tending to some children's injuries.
One of the kids started crying when she saw Nero approached them. Nero immediately stopped midway. Talk about bad timing, he thought.
"It's okay, he won't hurt you," Kyrie tried to calm her down. She knew well how majority of Fortuna residents resented her childhood friend merely due to his arm. She quickly thought something to distract the kid. "How is your wound? Is it still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt that much," she sniffled. Both her legs wrapped tightly in white bandages. As Nero slowly walked closer toward the children, he noticed how each one of them had their limbs wrapped in bandages.
He shouldn't give a care… right?
After Kyrie was done with her work, the children began to run away from her. Obviously afraid of Nero, who stood still behind the brunette.
"Those brats, where did you find them?" Nero decided to ask.
Kyrie bit back a sigh. "They were hiding in the sewer tunnels. I found them there this morning, bleeding and terribly scared."
"…I see," Nero muttered lowly. "Then, what about their parents?"
"I do not know. Although… from how those kids acted, I'm sure they have lost them at that time as well."
Memories of the past washed into Nero's mind.
He didn't know of his parents at all.
Would it be nice if he did?
- / -
Precisely no one in Fortuna would nice enough to give him a second thought for kindness, with nasty rumors of him spreading around. Perhaps he should try looking for job in another town, as Fortuna citizens only could fuel his anger like crazy.
Nero was so intent in gazing down the concrete ground until something red caught in the corner of his sight. He rolled his eyes, not having a slightest mood to simply turn his head.
"Hey, kid!" A man whose age was far above himself, with his trademark red jacket and plain annoying smile, waving his hand to Nero in his most laid-back tone ever.
Oh, that old man.
Nero huffed, grumbled, before finally raised his head up and threw Dante his most irritated look he could manage.
Dante threw him a scornful smile in return. "Oh, your way of greeting is getting different varieties by the day! Good job, they keep me away from your boring ones."
The younger of the two was going to give him a clean retort when another person showed up.
"Don't mind that old junk. He's not worth it." A woman clad in skin-tight clothing walked out from nearby alleyway. Nero could've sworn he had heard that tone before. "Hello, there. We meet again."
Okay, he definitely had heard it before. "…Gloria?"
Her smile changed to a playful smirk. "Too bad for you, it is a name I no longer use anymore." She told him. "Call me Trish."
"Alright," Gloria wasn't truly The Order higher-ups in the first place. "What business you have here?"
"Obviously for doing our job. We are devil hunters, you see; even though thus far still encounter none to kill."
"Been going all quiet ever since that last incident." Nero told her.
"You think so, kid? Feels like this situation is awful for my shop… and also, my business." Dante shouted out from where he was standing with crossed arms. "Unlike you, kid, I'm busy looking for valuable fortune source instead of strolling around aimlessly."
"Well, unlike you, I was busy looking for something far more valuable instead of doing nothing but mocking available passerby."
Trish snorted. Dante snickered.
"Far more valuable, huh?"
He was taunting him, and Nero almost fell for it.
"Time's up, Dante." Trish cut him off. "We have our own business to attend. Let's go."
Dante hummed as he made his way after her. "Oh, well. So long, kid."
Nero didn't reply. He wandered his gaze to both hunters as they left. He knew Dante wasn't fully human, but what about his partner? Was she also demon as well?
"…Like I'm one to talk." He let out a chortled sound. His arm was proof enough that he wasn't human. No matter how long time had passed, that fact still bother his mind.
I, too, am a demon.
- / -
In spite of the fact that Nero took part in defending the city, unsurprisingly enough, majority of Fortuna residents did not approve of him as their savior. It wasn't as if the young man wanted anyone to praise him, anyway. He had grown with people constantly hating him.
People gave him a stink eye whenever he walked closer.
And today, Nero obtained yet another epithet.
"Don't come near me, you demon!" A woman dressed in a green gown spat to Nero, grasping her son's hand tightly. Her expression gave away of nothing but disgust and fear.
What had he done? Helping a kid as he fell from a sewer, that's it. The kid injured his leg, and considering how dirty a sewer was, it'd very well be infected.
Nero raised his hand in surrender, hiding his arm behind his back. "Look, Miss, I don't know what your problem is, but your kid needs medical attention." He motioned to a deep gash in the boy's leg. "So just let me handle it for a moment, before he bleeds himself to death."
"No!"The woman screamed, and Nero was actually surprised by her sudden outburst. "Who knows what would a spawn of devil intended to do to my son?"
"What the heck did you call me?"
"Shut up! Go away, for I do not want your consideration about my son!" she cried out, desperation rang clear within her words.
Nero inwardly cursing her. So much for being thoughtful. "Do you even know what befell him?"
"I'll cure him myself, so leave us alone."
The young man was about to scream out in annoyance, but decided against it. The last thing he needed was getting accused like a dirty criminal.
Against his better judgment, Nero backed off. "Fine! Do as you please."
See if I care.
- / -
Walking away from the woman's residence, Nero found himself wandering around in an empty street. Ruined buildings and smashed ground proved that he had reached the outskirt area.
A fat man wobbled his way inside one of the building. He was so overweighed that Nero thought any door wouldn't fit him. Barrels of wine and beer stacked neatly just beside it. Nero glanced to a broken signboard still hanging atop the door.
Vie de Marli.
"Vie de Marli?" What is this? Another kind of prophecy?
With curiosity clinging firmly in his mind, Nero finally decided to pay the place a visit. He made sure his right arm—the Devil Bringer—had wrapped in bandage beforehand.
Upon his first step inside, reek of alcoholic beverages assaulted his nose. Nero may expect the strong odor and brace for it, but not with the woozy sensation tingling inside his head.
To his surprise, the place was barren, save for earlier fat man who was now sitting in a table reserved solely for himself. His hand was holding a big glass of beer.
"Hello there, young man."
Nero spun his gaze to face the man who stood right behind the counter. So he's the owner, he mused inwardly. Gingerly, Nero made his way to sit on a chair available there.
"What happened to your right arm?" the bartender asked whilst cleaning an empty mug. Nero—who quickly feeling conscious—pulled it further inside his jacket.
"It's nothing."
"Was it because of the assault?" the bartender asked again. "You know, the attack from boogey-something-flying that other day? I barely caught a glimpse of it before a blonde beauty ushered me away."
"What else did you remember that day?"
"I was hoping the Legendary Dark Knight would show himself and save us all."
Nero couldn't help but rolled his eyes. "Tch. Did he really?" he scoffed in a mocking tone. Even though it was not entirely wrong, because that old man—his son and successor—did come and take part in saving the city.
Albeit in his own way.
The bartender chuckled. "It seems I have misjudged you. For someone with a heavy scent of the holy cathedral, you lack belief in The Legendary Knight far worse than I thought."
"Yeah. Thanks for the compliment."
"I must admit, it is quite a surprise to find a youngster here. Aren't you like, underage or something, kid?"
"Who gives a crap about that? And don't call me 'kid'." Nero snarled irritably. He had enough with one man calling him that. "Give me something to drink."
"What? Uh, sorry, but this tavern only sells—"
A hard glare from Nero forced the bartender to shut up and go for his ordered drink. A moment later, a glass filled with clear water found its way to Nero's hand. He raised a brow.
"…Is this the best you can give?"
"A beer, then?"
Dismissing it without a second thought, Nero took a sip from his glass in silence. He once wondered about how a beer taste. It was merely a dream, for Credo definitely wouldn't allow him to go near this kind of place. The knight forbids anyone he deemed unworthy to be near his sister.
Not that he was excluded in that list.
Now that Credo had died, he did not contemplate about the issue any longer.
The bartender apparently sensed Nero's distress. "A penny for your thought, lad?"
"No." Nero responded half-heartedly from his glass. "Don't you think worrying about your shop is more important?"
"I am well aware of the situation and condition of my shop environment."
"Really? A normal person wouldn't just stick around in busted part of a town."
The bartender laughed. "My family has occupied this place for generations. I couldn't possibly discard such a prized heirloom easily, could I?"
Nero almost laughed. Talk about an old fart who just handed over his supposed precious heirloom to him.
"And naming it in ancient language would prove to attract more customers?"
"It was not I who named it, mind you. My wife's grandfather did, and he was quite attached to the Legendary Knight," the bartender replied. "Vie de Marli. I heard it was where The Dark Knight Sparda once reigns… or something. I don't even know if the rumor proves true. Might be a treasure, hahaha! All I know is that name does imply something with the Knight, which is precisely why he took that name."
As the bartender rambled on about legends and stories of Sparda, Nero kept his silence.
Just how much places Sparda had came across in his life?
"Never heard of it." Nero blatantly said before gulping down all his drink.
- / -
Nero continued his mission later on. At least he had regained some energy after dealing with today craps. Afternoon sun slowly approached time to set. Should he go back bare-handed?
Just after that thought came across his mind, something big crashing to rubbles beside the tavern. Nero frowned. He regretted not bringing along his sword, but for now his trusted revolver would do well should anything nasty come up.
A cry echoed. That something Nero saw turned out to be a demon. Instinctively he reached for his weapon.
However the demon didn't even have a chance to stand before getting barraged with bullets. It turned into dust as it died. Nero raised an eyebrow. A second later, he heard footsteps—most likely the culprit who caused it—calmly approaching.
Sniveling steps, and red jacket. There's no mistake.
"Ah, fancy meeting you again, kid." Dante said in a sing-song voice, playing with something in his hand. Trish stood not too far away from him, polishing her guns.
Nero kept silent as he watched Dante made his way to him.
Dante grinned at him. "Still sassy as always, eh? Did that scare you?" he motioned to where the demon was dead.
"I'd like to wipe that smile off your face for a change."
He then glanced back and forth from the rubbles where earlier demon fell and Dante. "Job?"
"What can I do? Bugger decided to snatch my things. You know how demons' territorial ego goes." The elder half-demon held up a silver pocketwatch in his hand to him. Nero frowned.
"I ain't gonna ask."
"What do you think that tick him off? The diamond gems? The silver steel? Or the watch itself?"
The younger male rolled his eyes. "I have no time for this."
"What? But we just met. Coulda go for a few drinks or two." He pointed his thumb toward a tavern Nero just visited.
"Maybe next time." Nero finally decided to go home for now.
Dante inspected the pocketwatch again. Between diamonds that graced it, there's some sort of shape engraved on it. Absentmindedly, he plucked out one of the gems, triggering something.
- / -
"Whoa!" Dante shouted as blue lines suddenly appeared from under his boots, moving in abstract trace and quickly grew into branches.
Nero stopped in his track as countless lines of blue suddenly reached his foot. They slithered like snake, sprouted out from the ground and slowly reaching his legs. He snapped his head back to Dante. "What the hell did you do this time?!"
Before Dante could answer, someone else screamed out.
"Dante—!"
It was Trish, who called out when silver chains suddenly appeared from underneath her heels. Dante swore and ran to her, pulling out his sword to cut the chains. It worked, but the chains kept appearing from the ground, and now trapping both hunters.
"Hey, kid, a little help here?" Dante called out. Both his arms and legs were tightly circled in chain, rendering him stupefied in spot. Trish didn't look any better. The chains apparently trying to pull her down to the earth, where the blue lines created a circular shape beneath her feet.
"Don't bet on it! I was busy myself." Nero shouted back as he tried to get rid of chains that slowly enclosing his legs, and watched as these chains originated from the blue lines. "Damn it, Dante! I was so going to kill you after this!"
Dante snickered despite his condition. "Put it in the 'duh' file and send it to me later. I'll try to think of some reward."
Nero managed to pull himself free after shooting the chains off. He dashed his way toward Trish, ignoring Dante since the woman already had herself drowned half the way to the ground.
"Nero—the pocketwatch!" Trish abruptly stated as Nero came to pull her up.
"What?"
"The watch! Do something, it might break this spell."
Nero constantly turned to Dante, who glanced down to his foot where a silver pocketwatch laid. Nero had to fire with difficulty, since a few chains began to cling themselves to his arms as hindrance. He cursed when he failed with the first shot. Fortunately, the second one did the trick.
The pocketwatch broke as a bullet smashed through it, cracking it to pieces. The growing blue lines stopped, as did the chains. Slowly, they retracted back to earth. Dante freed himself with ease, and Nero successfully pulled Trish out.
"…Thank you." The woman said with a smile. Nero only nodded in return.
"That was quite a spectacular trap. Didn't know a spell can be placed into something like this." Dante mumbled out aloud as he took the broken watch.
"What the hell is that thing, anyway?" Nero grumbled to him. "Glad to know it's not just me who hates your guts."
Trish took the pieces from Dante's hand, inspecting it. "This is an item related to our client. You can say part of our job was to retrieve it."
Silence.
"…Now what?"
An earthquake answered Nero. The trio instantly went into alert stance. A roar came, followed by another blue circle which formed on the ground. It swirled strongly, like a tornado, growing wide and large every minutes.
"Aren't they possessive?" Dante snickered. "Too bad I'm not in the mood for some chain bondage right now."
Something formed from inside the black vortex.
"Screw you, old fart." Nero whispered out.
"Love you too, kiddo."
"Save the flirting for later, boys." Trish said when she sensed something, then pointed her guns toward the swirling vortex. "Here they come."
Instead of a horde of demons, a huge arm shot out. Dante and Nero could feel some kind of déjà vu, as it appeared as huge as the Savior's hand last time they saw it.
Trish quickly shot out at it, followed by Nero, all the while trying to evade incoming attacks from the arm. Dante slashed it, to no avail, as his sword merely passed through it like water.
"And it was only the left arm!" He cried out in frustration. Dante watched as Trish and Nero's bullets did nothing to damage it.
The arm suddenly moved more aggressive, and Dante barely managed to avoid it in time. It then began to attack Trish and Nero as well.
"How do we kill this thing?"
"Tell me something I don't know."
Lines of light appeared back from the same vortex, much to the trio's chagrin. Chains shot out from it, successfully grabbed Trish in both arms.
The demon arm came to her, wide open, and Trish was unable to retreat. Dante made his way to break the chains, but he was a tad bit too late to grab her away.
Suddenly Trish was pushed harshly to him just as the demon arm closed in.
"What the—…"
"It's Nero!"
The demon arm did grab something.
Dante cursed out aloud as he slashed the arm again, Trish followed behind him. Their attacks didn't do any damage whatsoever.
Nero only managed to free his head and hand from the grab as the demon's grasp pulled him down. He saw Dante and Trish trying to free themselves from the binding chains.
Dante finally broke all the chains that bound him. He didn't waste time and ran to the slowly closing portal. "Hey, kid—!"
"You—" He croaked out to Dante. "You'd better damn well pay me for this…"
The elder hunter jumped to grab Nero's hand, just when the arm that grabbed Nero began to retreat back into the vortex.
All he could reach was nothing but fisted dust.
He was too late.
- / -
Many things presented themselves inside Nero's mind.
Memories of past events kept appearing and disappearing like a flash, and it drove him crazy. He couldn't see anything else. And the sensation of being pulled down in a not so gentle speed made him want to puke.
Bright light assaulted his eyes, and he felt himself getting thrown harshly onto a solid ground below.
"Blergh. Way to go into hell." Nero spat irritably. His eyes were hurting, making it difficult just to open them.
Loud cry took his attention at once, and he slowly craned his head to face the source.
"Seriously, I hate my life." Nero thought and forced his eyes to open at once.
Not a good move. Headache barraged his head at once, making him groan in pain. "Darn it…"
Another cry was heard, and this time Nero was able to see clearly. The first thing he noticed was lines of blue light, which originated from a demon before him.
A big, huge-ass demon.
He snatched for his revolver, which fortunately fell not too far away. Aiming it at the blue demon, he saw it paid attention to something else. Or someone, really.
A woman.
It's Gloria! Or perhaps Trish... but something was different. Her clothes, maybe?
"Trish?" Nero almost shouted. If she was here, then Nero knew he didn't die just yet. Dante must be somewhere close by.
Trish was still attacking the demon with her guns. The demon didn't even flinch.
A moment of hesitation fell upon Nero, but he quickly dismissed it as he jump to use his devil arm, and punched the demon as hard as he could.
It shrieked loudly. Blue lines beneath it moved to form a circle on the ground. Chains appeared from it and attacked both Nero and Trish.
He gunned them away, waiting for the dust to settle only to find the demon disappeared.
No...
It escaped.
- / -
Despite the demon has disappeared, she could feel traces of demonic presence lingering still in the air.
"Trish, you okay?"
She glanced to find a young man not too far away. He was looking at her as she stared back.
That hair color, the way he's holding his revolver, and his aura... why was this man reminded her of him?
"Trish!" He called out again. She could make a sense of relief etched in his face. "Where's Dante?"
Dante.
"Stop right there!" The woman said when the man began to move closer. Her tone rigid. "Who are you?"
Nero stopped in his track.
What?
"The hell are you doing?" He snapped when Trish suddenly pointed her guns at him.
Really, what shit did Dante had done with the watch? Did it affect people around him, too?
"I asked you, boy." Trish asked again.
Nero felt his eye twitch.
"Look, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I suggest you do something about that watch, ok? I'm outta here."
With that, Nero turned on his heels and walked away.
- / -
Watch?
She didn't drop her guns even after the boy shoved his back and walked away.
Although she didn't know of the name Trish, but the other name he declared caught her off guard.
Where did that man learn of the name Dante?
- / -
"...Things always gotta be complicated."
Dante sighed for the fifth time. He was planning for an off day after this job. Why do business never goes smooth as he wanted it to be?
"Wonder where he went off to." Trish said, ignoring her partner grunts. "Think he could hang on by himself?"
"Never knew you cared a lot." Dante smirked. "Kid's been through shit than this; he'll live."
"I care for him as you do."
"…Don't put words in my mouth, sugar."
Trish shrugged, giving Dante her most notorious stare.
Silence.
Dante puffed out a laugh. "If that thing dragged the kid to hell for real, we only need to drag his ass back here. Besides…" Trish's lips tugged upward as Dante threw her a smirk. "…I haven't paid him just yet."
His partner then held up the broken pocketwatch at him.
"We'd need a key for that."
- / -
For once, Nero wasn't sure which way he should go.
He was in the middle of a barren forest, filled with dead trees and dried ground. No living creatures had he encountered so far.
If this place wasn't part of Fortuna, where the hell was he?
Hollowed cry took Nero's attention, followed by gurgling sound of a... slithering metal snake that came out from nowhere.
He grabbed his revolver and proceeded to attack the damn thing. It didn't take more than a few moments for Nero to run out of bullets.
The snake demon gave out a blathered sound as it died. Nero couldn't bask in triumph yet when a horde of demons appeared from the ground.
He sighed.
- / -
Her gaze locked onto the young man as he fend off the demons by himself. He moved so efficiently and fast between dodging and attacking.
Then something caught her eye.
That man used his... arm? Devil arm?
Indeed, the devil arm did quite a number on those demons. But the man was quickly starting to get exhausted.
She furrowed her brows. Traces of demon presence she had detected earlier, probably came from him as well.
Yet that young man was still very much human.
Hoping to not regret her decision, she dashed her way to him.
- / -
A demon beside him suddenly blasted off to dust.
Nero raised a brow. Okay, now he's confused.
Trish was helping him? After threatening him? After he saved her butt by taking her place and the big demon grab him instead?
Something is very, very wrong here. Seriously.
Fortunately, the demons didn't seem all that much to dissipate completely.
"Are you okay?" She asked Nero after taking care of the last demon. Nero blinked at her, still a bit wary.
After a moment of hesitation, he took her stretched out hand, hiding his devil arm away from sight. "...Thanks."
Trish smiled, much to Nero's confusion. He did saw her smile, even as Gloria. But they were nothing more than a facade. This time, it's different.
Was she always been this kind?
"..boy.."
"Huh?" He snapped his attention back to reality. "Sorry, didn't quite catch that."
"I said, where are you heading to?" She repeated. "You didn't strike me to be the type to purposely wander in this kind of place."
Nero frowned. "Going home, obviously. Though I cannot seem to remember which way to Fortuna from here."
"Fortuna?"
"Yeah, that city—..." Nero stopped himself after realizing something. "I mean, nearby city around here. You know of it?"
The woman chuckled. "I do know of a town. But first, allow me to guide you outside this forest."
"Sounds good. Lead the way."
- / -
Along their way, Nero figured out that his situation wasn't as easy as he had hoped.
"Say, boy, who is this Trish?" Trish-look-alike asked after a moment of heavy silence. "You might mistake me for your friend. My name is Eva."
Perhaps he did mistake her for that old man's sidekick. "…Nero."
"Well, Nero, sad to say I didn't see any other human earlier aside from you."
"That so?" Nero felt a pang of dismay inside his head. "She'd probably left with that old man."
"That old man is another friend of yours?"
Most unlikely. "Not really. An acquaintance, at best." Nero replied with a shrug. He studied Eva's face, and compared her with Trish. But no matter how he looked at, they're freaking the same! Even their voices.
Almost like…
...a replica.
"You think so?" Eva threw him a glance with smile. "I'd like to accompany you straight to the city, but do you mind if we go to my house? I need to check on something."
He nodded. "Go on."
- / -
There was a house quite a distance away from the dead forest, where Eva led Nero there. Neither too big nor too small for a private residence.
Eva opened the door. "I'm home."
Silence.
She frowned upon receiving no greeting. "…Boys?"
A loud thud, then a crash echoed from inside. Nero had to raise a brow at that. Footsteps can be heard, signaling someone was coming. He kept himself still to see whom Eva had called.
"Mom! You've come!"
Well, wasn't this unexpected.
A small boy, looking no older than ten came out. He had silver hair, and a cheeky grin which reminded Nero of a certain someone.
"Welcome back, Mother." A low voice came. Nero then saw another boy came out, and was a bit surprised to find him had the same face as the other boy, down to the color of his hair and height. His gaze wandered to Nero, where he inspected him carefully in silence.
It wasn't everyday that Nero could see a twin sons. An exact copy, at that. He felt a bit… astounded.
"Whoa, who's that uncle?" The first boy blatantly asked upon noticing her Mom's guest.
Nero had to stop his urge to smack the brat.
"Oh, be polite, dear." Eva sighed. "Anyway, I just come to take something." She said and strolled herself inside, looking for something she forgot to bring.
Meanwhile, Nero couldn't help but glare at two kids who stared him back.
"Your name's Nero, huh? Cool." The first brat said in amazement. "Are you really... human? Dunno how to say this, but, uh… I thought Mom brought back a devil or something."
"He's a human, brother." The quiet brat rolled his eyes. "...and part demon."
That last statement caught Nero off guard. "And what would you know?"
The boy blinked at that, whilst his twin laughed.
"Isn't that great, brother? He's half demon, like us." Nero heard the other brat said in a happy manner instead of usual disgust he would receive, and his brother actually nodded in agreement.
"So it would seem."
They didn't seem afraid. Or rather, they didn't seem lying. Half demon? Somehow Nero found this kind of story is familiar.
"Anyway," Nero cleared his throat, taking both brothers' attention. "You know it's rude that you know my name, but not otherwise."
The first brat blinked before letting out a cheeky grin. "Oh, right. Haven't told ya our names. This here is my bro, Vergil." He pointed his thumb to his quiet brother.
"...And my name's Dante." He said proudly upon introducing himself.
Nero almost choked.
…Dante?
- / -
(Might be continue…)