Demon la Killer
Chapter one: The Cost of Freedom.
Cover Image: Dante and Vergil crossing swords in front Honnouji Academy with Ryuko Matio and Satsuki Kiryuin behind them.
Mankind was freed from the control of the Demon King Mundus by the two Nephilim, the twin sons of Sparda, Dante and Vergil.
Vergil led an order to rebel against Mundus and he and his human companion Kat guided Dante to the Demon King, the twins fought side by side and they trusted each other completely.
After Mundus was defeated, Vergil expressed his desire to rule over mankind in Mundus' place, to bring them to a new age of order and to protect them, but Dante valued freedom above all else, viewed his brother's ideal as a repeat of the Demon King's tyranny and to that end, he fought and defeated Vergil, to preserve the freedom they both fought for.
Near death, Vergil swore vengeance upon Dante for his betrayal and blood would fight against blood for the fate of mankind.
Now six months have passed and during Satsuki Kiryuin's Tri-City Schools Raid Trip, Dante, a young man with messy white hair and blue eyes dressed in a black and red coat over a white shirt and jeans and a red amulet, wielding his Rebellion, a silver claymore with an ornate design was facing Vergil, a young man the same age with similar features save for his combed hair, wearing a long black and blue coat with a high collar, blue pants and an azure amulet, wielding his Yamato, a black and silver katana. The twins fought on the fiery wasteland that was once the Osaka region of Japan.
"Is this what you wanted, brother?!" Vergil crossed swords with Dante, sparks flew from the intensity of their heated duel. "Is this chaos worth the freedom you betrayed me for?!"
"Is what you wanted any better!?" Dante pushed back Vergil's attack with a powerful strike, determined to stop his twin. "Demon King?!"
Vergil summoned his Sword Illusions and fired three spectral swords at Dante.
Dante shattered transformed Rebellion into the Angel Scythe Osiris, a light blue scythe that glowed with angelic energy, with a quick swing, he shattered the spectral swords.
Taking advantage of the chaotic moment, Vergil vanished into black smoke and appeared behind Dante, stabbing his stomach with Yamato.
Dante let out a pained scream as the blade entered his body, though not fatal, the wound bled out, covering the ground in front of him with blood.
"Look at the freedom you fought for." Vergil spoke hatefully as he made Dante face the flaming battlefield and the intense fighting that accompanied it. "Look at what those foolish humans are doing with it!" The new Demon King kicked his twin to the ground. "You did all of this, by standing in my way, you allowed humans to oppress each other, to fight each other and to ultimately destroy each other. Mundus was right about every single damned human!" The elder Son of Sparda remembered the words of the former Demon King.
"Not all humans are like this…" Dante struggled to get back on his feet, thoughts of Kat, Mako and Ryuko urging him towards fighting against Vergil's twisted beliefs. "That's why I'll protect them!" The Demon Killer pointed Rebellion at his twin.
"You've always been blinded by your emotions." Vergil sheathed Yamato and entered a combat stance, having grown tired of Dante's sentimental and simplistic views. "You're a failure, as a saviour and a Son of Sparda!"
Swords in hand, Dante and let out a battle cry as they charged at each other, determined to prove their beliefs.
Dante's reunion with Vergil and the events that led up to their fierce battle all started two months ago, when the new Demon King invited his younger twin to Honnouji Academy. Thinking that he could salvage what was left of his family, the Demon Killer accepted the invitation.
Dante was walking around the streets of the Honnouji Academy's No Star district, though a residential area, the safest places looked just like the slums of Limbo City.
"Vergil invites me to this fucking dump?" Dante let out a hollow chuckle, surprised that his estranged twin would even contact him after the events at Limbo City.
As Dante ventured deeper into the slums, he saw a very strange sight, a group of children led by a young boy with brown hair, torn jeans and blue shades surrounding a teenaged girl with black hair that had a single red streak and blue eyes, dressed in a school uniform and a guitar case on her back.
"You've insulted the great Lightning Speed Mataro." The young gang leader spoke in a combative and arrogant tone, feeling that he was unstoppable because of the presence of his gang. "This neighbourhood is my turf! Honnou Town Blind Alley. It's a dead end for lives and a feared hangout for drifters. If you want to get home in one piece. Leave your wallet and go."
"Come on, what's with the anachronistic street punk routine?" The red-streaked girl spoke similarly to Dante's sarcastic and flippant manner as she faced of the gang of kids. "I thought this town was strange. But it seems the people who love here are nuts, too. All right then. It's my policy to see it through when someone picks a fight. Come at me." The teenager smirked mockingly at her attackers.
"So, women and children need to be protected from each other?" Dante called out to the red-streaked girl and the child gang, wearing an amused smirk on his face. "Man, this shithole is looking more like a damned playground now."
"What the hell did you just say?!" The red-streaked girl was angered by Dante's condescending attitude. "I'm more than just a girl, you know!"
"Relax, can't you take a joke?" Dante laughed, finding the red-streaked girl's reaction to his comment amusing. "Cool your jets, babe."
"The name's Ryuko, Ryuko Matoi, not "babe"!" The red-streaked girl was angered further by Dante's obnoxious comments and his flippant attitude.
"Is she ignoring me?" Mataro noticed that all the attention was now focused on Dante rather than his own fight with Ryuko.
Before Dante and Ryuko could continue their antagonistic conversation, five pools of a black ink-like substance gathered on the ground and from the sickly fluid, emerged five Stygians, demonic foot soldiers that resembles twisted mannequins with blades in place of their arms.
"Sorry babe, but the flirting can wait." Dante joked as he turned his attention to the Stygians, itching for a fight, the Demon Killer materialized Rebellion on his back and pulled the sword out.
"Try to keep up." Ryuko ran past Dante and towards the Stygians, opening her guitar case and pulling out a sword that looked like a red half scissors.
The gang had run away after seeing the Stygians, leaving the frightened Mataro to hide somewhere.
The Stygians charged and attacked Dante and Ryuko, each of them moving like a savage beast, swinging their blades madly.
Dante cut down one of the Stygians easily and with three strikes, he dispatched the second one, leaving a broken corpse in a pool of black blood.
Ryuko sent the third Stygian flying with a powerful punch and before the demon landed, she sliced it in half, as the fourth demon attacked; she stabbed it right in the middle of the face, staining herself in its blood.
Ryuko was sure that she had defeated all the Stygians on her end, so she didn't notice the fifth demon try to sneak up behind her.
Noticing the fifth Stygian, Dante pulled out Ebony, an ornate black handgun and he shot the demon that was behind Ryuko, grazing her hair in the process.
"Oh, my name, by the way, is Dante." The younger Son of Sparda smirked at the red-streaked girl, as if her were bragging about his profession. "But you can call me Dante the Demon Killer."
Ryuko was speechless, she had heard rumours of the infamous "Demon Killer" who was slandered by the news and recently brought to light the existence of the demonic control.
At the top floor of the Honnouji Academy School Building, Vergil met with a stern faced teenaged girl with long black hair and blue eyes, dressed in an elegant white school uniform holding her Bakuzan, a sheathed white katana with a black blade.
"It's been a while, Satsuki." Vergil smiled at the Kiryuin Family Heiress, speaking in a familiar tone.
"You have some nerve showing your face to me again, Vergil." Satsuki answered the new Demon King coldly, as if he had done something to her in the past. "You think you can get away with dissolving our engagement?"
"You have to understand that there were more pressing matters at hand." Vergil justified his actions to Satsuki, feeling that dissolving their engagement was necessary for his plan. "I had to take down Mundus."
"I respect your resolve, however…" Satsuki unsheathed her Bakuzan, and pointed the blade at Vergil's neck. "You took my feelings for you lightly."
"Just like when we were kids." Vergil unsheathed Yamato and crossed blades with Satsuki's Bakuzan, now wearing a serious expression on his face. "You know more than anyone that I can never submit to Ragyo's will."
"So that's what I was to you? An obligation to my mother?" Satsuki's stern expression hardened as she applied force to her sword to push Vergil back. "I, Satsuki Kiryuin am much more than that."
"Then let's make a deal." Vergil sheathed Yamato and stared Satsuki straight in the eye, showing his sincere determination. "Let's work together to stop Ragyo."
"Interesting." Satsuki smirked at Vergil, she knew how powerful he was and his power seems to have grown exponentially since they last met. "I accept, but I have one condition."
"What is it?" Vergil was now suspicious, he knew Satsuki very well, and so seeing her agree so quickly to an alliance was confusing for the new Demon King.
"I'll tell you on a very special day." Satsuki spoke ominously about her future plans for Vergil, hiding her condition for an as of yet unknown reason.
Author's note: The DmC version of Devil May Kill is up. This story is told in a different style than Devil May Kill and is a little more serious. Where Devil May Kill relies heavily on an emotional connection and overcoming sadness, Demon la Killer relies on forced alliances and resentment. Dante meets up with Ryuko and they have a rocky start and Vergil strikes a deal with his ex-fiancé Satsuki. The prologue part of the story plays out like the intro of DMC3 and it shows the readers the consequences of Dante's actions. Where Devil May Kill will have hot blooded action and heart-warming moments, Demon la Killer will have emerging romance and focus on human flaws. None is better than the other, just two different styles. Kat will appear later into the story and Mako will become one of Dante's best friends. Both Devil May Kill and Demon la Killer will give Vergil an incredibly dark past with Ragyo and a reason to bear a grudge. This story is set after the events of DmC: Devil May Cry and more demons will appear as the story progresses. As it stands, Devil May Kill looks simple in comparison, but that will change with its next update.