Chapter 1 : Gentle blast.
A strange scent was floating in the air that night. The iron smell so familiar to him, strong, disturbing... So overwhelming that he found himself unable to rest peacefully. It wouldn't bother him usually, but tonight the scent was abnormally present. Just as if a dead body was actually in bed with him -which he knew there wasn't.
'So much for tryin' to sleep early.'
It was the middle of the night, three in the morning to be precise. Two icy blue eyes shot open in annoyance, his thin lips letting out a low groan. The clock on his bedside table was clearly mocking him, telling him the night was going to be long.
He rolled over, now fully facing the ceiling. His well-build arms found their way behind his head, the back of it resting on them instead of the pillow.
What now?
He raised a silver brow, thinking deeply. Just like every other nights, the moon was high in the dark sky, the damn clock was the only thing disturbing the silence of the bedroom.
A few minutes passed before he finally decided to get up, grabbing the abandonned shirt resting on a chair, not far from the large bed. The man put it on and ran lazy fingers through his white locks in a failed attempt in fixing them. The wooded floor creaked under his bare feet when he came down the stairs. He didn't even bother to turn the lights on, he knew his shop like the back of his hand by now. He spotted the unfinished bottle of beer on his desk, an amused look on his face. He had started drinking in the evening and, to be honest with himself, finishing it sounded like a good idea to relax and try to ignore the bloody scent.
Not only once did he wonder where it could come from now that he thought about it. It wouldn't be the first time this was happening. A dead puppy? An injured guy in a dark alley maybe? His demonic senses usually warn him if anything out of the ordinary happens. The night was as calm as ever. No devils whatsoever. The annoying smell will just disappear as it came, like the last hundred times.
Dante took the bottle and drank the entire remaining content in one gulp, at last. With a sigh, he threw himself on his beloved leather chair, resting his crossed legs on the desk.
He was pinching the bridge of his nose... When he heard it. A faint gasp then murmurs. He could tell it wasn't really far from his front door, maybe even just behind it. A mere human wouldn't be able to capture such low whispers but his demonic ears could hear pretty much anything five miles around.
'Weird.'
The half-breed was certain. No devils around. Even so...
His eyes rolled toward his powerful favourite weapon, Rebellion, a sly smirk crossing his features. The thought that maybe -maybe- there was a late party waiting for him outside filled his being with excitement. Clapping his hands contently, he went back to his room, quickly changing into his trademark red coat.
He stopped abruptly, frowning.
Okay. Maybe he was a little too enthousiast about kicking demon's butt into the next week, but business was running low lately. No prophecies about a near apocalypse, nor some dickhead trying to destroy the human world and rule it. Not even a freaking Scythe.
In other words, he was bored.
Dante happily went down the stairs, taking Rebellion and fixing it on his back. A scream suddenly disturbed the silence, a womanly scream and... a faint demonic scent. Something had just appeared.
He didn't have to think twice and kicked open his front door. He clearly wasn't expecting to find the said damsell in distress just a few steps away from his shop. The only thing Dante could distinguish at first were her long platinium blond hair, almost reaching the middle of her back and wet from the weak rain. She seemed to be a beautiful little thing from where he was standing. But her appeal wasn't the issue here. He fixed his gaze on the creature in front of her instead. How ironic.
A Scythe. Wait a minute. That creature screamed, not the girl. That aweful, cruel laugh making your ears literally cry out in pain. The poor chick was on the ground, trying to escape death by crawling away from the devil, probably too shocked to scream for help.
Things escalated quickly afterward. Its deadly weapon almost reached the woman... If only Dante weren't there to prevent it, quickly pulling his blade out to block the attack, earning a gasp of fear from the girl behind him.
"About damn time one of your kind showed up. Where the hell are you guys lately?"
The bitch laughed again, retreating from the demon hunter, narguing him by floating in the air above him.
"C'mon. Come down from there." He added with a grin. "Do I have to come and get ya?"
Another dark laugh. That'll do it as an answer. Dante jumped high toward the beast, sword in hand.
The only thing the girl below them could do was watch the two battle fiercely, her lips slightly parted in a subtle miggle of shock and admiration. The blond haired girl watched as the man dodged the scythe again, again and again, almost in a playful manner. The guy was clearly enjoying the fight, she was sure of it. Slowly recovering from her emotions, she succeded in standing up on her two feets, more or less stable on them. She pressed herself against the nearest wall, keeping a sharp eye on the battle.
Dante, while fighting, spotted the girl from the corner of his eyes making her way toward the end of the alley, back still pressed firmly against the building. She wasn't going to leave this soon was she? Who could blame her? Escape seemed to be the best way to stay alive at this point.
But, as surprising as it was, she wasn't leaving. The blond girl kneeled down and took what seem to be an inanimated corpse in her arms, shaking it softly.
Blue eyes widened at the sight. The familiar smell of blood was back, even stronger. Whoever it was, he or she was injured pretty badly.
'Alright. Playtime's over.'
With a quick, gracious swing of his blade, Dante stabbed the Scythe right in its chest, gaining a satisfying growl of pain. It dropped its weapon and let out a final, loud cry of suffering before vanishing in thousands of tiny glass pieces.
Dante finally on the ground again, made his way to the now safe girl. Once he stood just behind her, he crossed his arms over his chest and with a grin started to speak.
"No need to thank me sweets. Was an honor to-"
"You gotta help her. Please." The red devil was cut out by her two deep forest green orbs pleading him. Her eyes were filled with obvious concern and worry, switching between him and the unconscious body safetly wrap up in her thin arms.
The said body was one of another woman. Dante was right from the very beginning. Looks like that Scythe caused some damages after all. A large wound was present on her side. Poor thing looked like shit, way too pale to stay confident on her well-being. She was bleeding heavily, her brows and lips pressed together in pain. She wasn't inconscious, but barely aware of her surroundings. Dante felt his stomach twist. She certainly was a beautiful babe, her midd-long blood-like red hair adding to her natural charm. All ruined because of one of those bastards.
"Gimme." He simply said, gently taking the girl in his arms. "You got a name?"
"Kara." She responded quietly, not leaving the lifeless form of her friend from her eyes.
"Well then. Kara. This way." Dante turned on his heels and went back to Devil May Cry, the girl closely following him. He noted she was still observing around her suspiciously. "No worries. Bitch was alone surprisingly enough."
Kara nodded absently. Of course, she had questions. Any human on earth would want to know what the heck that creature was. But she would save them until later for the safety of her friend came first. Speaking of her, Dante hurried when she violently coughed blood, her voice clearly hoarse. He placed her on the couch, internally feeling sorry for his precious leather.
"Hey, you'll find towels in the back. Try to prevent her from bleeding to much, I gotta call someone." Dante grabbed the phone and dialed an unknown number.
The woman was about to protest but thought again. She had the feeling that it would be useless, the mysterious man wouldn't even react to what she had to say. A slight head sign from him toward the back of the shop comforted Kara in her idea. Without further words, the girl made a run for the towels. He sure knew what he was doing... right?
Meanwhile, The red devil was tapping two fingers on the surface of the wooded desk impatiently. The ring kept on going on, going on... Until someone finally decided to pick up. Dante was the first one to talk.
"Err... Before you say anything, it's an emergency. A real one this time I swear." He held up his free hand as a gesture of innocence.
"Can you tell me the exact hour it is Dante?" The voice at the end of the line asked, showing a certain annoyance by groaning. Considering it was almost four in the morning now, it would be wise to think that the said person was sleeping not too long ago.
Kara came back, rushing in the room and quickly pressed a towel directly on the wide wound spreading on the barely alive woman's side. Dante decided to just go for it.
"Yeah, yeah, almost four. But seriously-"
"You know what serious means? You are growing up." The voice interrupted him with a hint of sarcasm.
"Seriously Verge. A deadly injured chick is laying on my leather couch- and you know how much I care about that shit. Now please -please- bring your smart brain here. I'm no doc, but I'm sure my oh-so-clever bro can do something 'bout it." All he heard was silence at the end of the line. Then a sigh.
"No." Was the answer.
"No." Dante repeated, unsure if he heard right.
"You heard right brother." Seriousness was evident in his voice. Dante frowned. Really? He wanted to play right now?
"'Kay so... What do I do? You can at least tell me that. She's bleeding way too much Verge." Dante insisted a little more. He's always winning the game, why not this time?
"Apply something to prevent blood loss." 'Verge' responded nonchalantly after groaning for no apparent reason.
"Sure. And after that, I stitch the wound?" Dante quickly hushed Kara, noticing she was about to say something. Probably that she already did the necessary to prevent blood loss.
A mocking laugh could be heard over the phone. "You? You will stitch that human's wound?"
"No choice. It'll be ugly but you gotta do what you gotta do right?" He shrugged, an evil smirk gracing his lips.
A few seconds passed where neither of them spoke.
"You will own me one Dante." The man hang up.
"Game over bro." Dante laughed, clapping his hands a few times. He stood up and ruffled Kara's golden locks. "Don't worry sweets. My brother'll fix her up in no time."
Kara nodded for the second time that night.
"You asked for my name but... I didn't get yours." She looked up with watery eyes, fixing Dante directly in the eyes.
"Name's Dante."