Chapter 2

"Are you really planning to eat all of this?" Erin asked as she looked surprised at all the food before her. She was sitting across Dante on the other side of the table. In front of Dante and her were lying two plates with huge pizzas, several strawberry sundaes and two big cokes.

"It's not as much as I usually eat when I'm hungry. Besides, I haven't ate all day." He replied and grinned as he immediately grabbed a piece of the pizza, almost devouring it like a hungry wolf but he could still feel Erin staring dumbfounded at him.

Dante had absolutely no idea where to bring her and so decided to go to his favorite restaurant even though it mostly only serves fast-food. Erin doesn't seemed to mind it being only this kind of food but seemed to be more shocked by the amount Dante has ordered.

"You're not hungry?" He wondered but Erin shook her head as she also took a slice of the pizza and bit into it, looking content.

"I haven't had pizza in a while, this one is quite good." She said and smiled but left the pizza rim on the table, telling him that she never really liked the pizza rim anyway.

"So, what have you been doing until now?"

"Well, apart of working as a devil hunter I was traveling around the world. Before I returned here I have been in Japan. The monsters there are much more difficult and got sometimes on my nerves." She replied, sighing. "And you? What had happened after the demons attacked you three?"

"I was taken in by an orphanage and became a demon hunter as soon as I was an adult, nothing great." Dante replied and noticed the owner of the restaurant coming over to him. He had once helped him to deal with demons so the devil hunter only needs to pay half the price.

"Hello, Mr. Redgrave." He said and smiled at him but Dante doesn't really talked with him as he actually wanted to be alone with Erin but when the owner turned to Erin and started to talk with her, complimenting her which made Dante furrow his eyebrows and he was glad when the owner finally disappeared.

"It seems like you have helped out some people." Erin chuckled as she left him the rest of the pizza she had started to eat and instead turned her attention to the strawberry sundae.

"That's my job and I earn money through this." Dante said and leaned back, sipping on his own coke as he watched her eat the dessert. "By the way, how long do you plan to stay here this time?"

"I don't really know, but I guess this time it's going to be for a longer time." She replied and pushed the empty glass aside where the strawberry sundae was inside to the side. "Bah, it's too much for me now. You can eat the rest."

"Are you living all alone?"

"Yeah. My place is actually not that far away from yours." She smiled and looked like she wanted to say something but bit on her lower lip as she leaned back, folding her arms. "By the way... did you noticed all those unique demons roaming around lately?"

"Like the banshees, gorgons, chimeras and so forth? Yeah, I noticed that already. After all those were Mundus' pets." He said between bites of pizza.

"The thing is that a portal has opened to the underworld and... it seems like something has opened it. I was told that you have been there recently so I searched for you." She smiled at him and Dante furrowed his brows.

"So you doesn't only came to see me?"

"That, too." She smiled wider. "But I want a bit of help in this and when I heard you have been the one who defeated Mundus I thought I'll ask you."

"I could never ignore a beautiful lady's plea." He placed his elbow on the table and leaned his head against his hand as he looked at Erin who blushed but then snorted.

"Who would have thought that you can be such a gentleman."

Dante put on an offended grimace though he doesn't meant it like that. Instead he put the money on the table and stood up.

"I'm always a gentleman. Now let's go and show me where that Hell Gate is."

"Sure." She said and also stood up, leaving. Weirdly enough Dante felt like he had spent more time with her than just a few hours.

"How is the Demon World by the way? You're the first devil hunter I've heard of who went there."

"It's not that interesting. A few demons, a few floors with blood. More action if you go down further." He shrugged only and flashed Erin a grin. "Though it's nothing I couldn't have handled."

Erin only rolled her eyes.

"Full of yourself as always. Now move." She said and stepped behind him, pushing him forwards so that he walks.

Dante should have expected where the portal was but he would have never expected to step on Mallet Island again.

"Has been a long time." He said to himself and looked around. Everything looked the same just like the last time he had stepped on the island. There was still that old abandoned castle created for Mundus.

"I was told that the Hell Gate is forming on the Mallet Island but no one said where exactly." Erin told him and walked towards the castle, Dante followed her, he had a hunch where that the Hell Gate is.

"I think I know where it is." He said and went ahead, grinning. Finally he could do something exciting instead of boring work. Erin let him walk past her and followed him into the abandoned, falling apart castle.

"Here." He brought her to the Broken Bridge which once was a way to go to the Mirror World. The Hell Gate seemed to be not fully formed as it rather looked like an amoeba made out of darkness floating in the air.

"It's unstable." Erin noticed. "And not fully formed."

She reached out, about to touch the portal, when Dante felt a hostile presence behind them. He grabbed Erin, pulling her with him to the side as a slash flew above them, destroying the pillars of the cathedral behind them and a part of the bridge which came crashing down.

"W-what was that?" Erin gasped in surprise and looked up to Dante who had protected her from the falling debris by hovering over her and tried not to make a painful expression as the wound on his back healed right away. Climb out of the rubble Dante extended his arm to her to help her climbing out.

"I know this person." Dante muttered and looked up to the spot where they were standing a moment ago, still holding Erin's hand. There he was standing - Nelo Angelo.

Vergil.

He was wearing that heavy armor pulsing in blue, the humanoid helmet with horns protruding from the forehead and the cape. He also had his part of the Perfect Amulet around his neck which Dante had obtained after defeating him last time. He couldn't find it and thought that he might have lost it but it seems like Vergil took it back.

"Is this a demon?"

"Not really." Dante said, letting go of her hand and put his hand on Rebellion's hilt. "His name is Nelo Angelo now but it's Vergil."

Erin breathed in sharply in shock and looked up to Dante's estranged brother. He could see in her eyes that she tried to understand but he couldn't understand it himself, he had killed Vergil the last time the brothers had crossed paths.

"Watch out!" Erin's voice pulled Dante back into reality and she kicked him to the side just at the moment Nelo Angelo landed there where Dante was standing. Dante made a backflip and landed back on his feet, drawing Rebellion to stop Nelo Angelo's own sword.

Nelo Angelo put more force in his blows so that he almost forced Dante into kneeling but he quickly grabbed Ebony and shot at him so that his possessed brother stumbled back. From the corners of his eyes he saw Erin who was about to grab her nameless blade but Nelo Angelo manage it to cut Dante as he wasn't watching out and Erin stepped between them, holding her blade.

"Vergil, stop!"

Nelo Angelo stopped his blade right before her face, his body tense and his arms shaking. Dante used this chance and tried to slice through Nelo Angelo's armor but the armor seemed to be better than his old one as he couldn't cut through the metal. Nelo Angelo however seemed to be unable to counterattack as he seemed to be distraced by the fact that Erin was here. Hissing he stumbled backwards and disappeared into nothingness.

Standing there in silence Dante felt Erin put her hand on his upper arm.

"You all right? You were hurt." Though he couldn't see her face, Dante knew she was concerned and nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about me, my wounds heal quickly." He tousled her hair and this time she doesn't complained. Leaving Erin standing on the spot he climbed back up to the bridge and turned around to help Erin but she jumped up, grabbing the edge of the bridge and swung around to land on her feet.

"W-well... Now what with that Hell Gate?"

"I can't think of anything to do against it right now. Maybe if it would be more stable." Dante rubbed his chin. "But if we have bad luck we won't find the island again."

He was in a sour mood after crossing paths with his estranged brother and so doesn't wanted to talk like he usually does.

"Then we'll need to search for it." Erin shot him a smile and Dante grinned back, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"Optimism is a good thing, lady. Now let's go."

He pulled her with him, feeling comfortable to have her in his arms but had to let her go to fight off some demons which came through the unstable Hell Gate and returned to their city.

"Where are you living?" He asked when they stood in front of Devil May Cry. She pointed with her thumb over her shoulder, to the building across the street.

"Seems like we're neighbors now. Laters." She waved with a kind smile and left.

Searching for his brother Dante headed into the garden behind the mansion, sitting underneath the biggest tree and playing with something.

"What is this?" Dante leaned over Vergil who winced and clasped the object between his palms, blushing.

"N-Nothing."

"Did mom gave you something?"

"Not mom..." Vergil looked away awkwardly and put it into his trouser's pocket so that Dante couldn't see it.

"Erin?"

Vergil went silent and Dante pursed his lips. He doesn't liked it when Erin gave Vergil something but not him. Trying to ignore the envious feeling in his chest he stared at his older twin brother.

"Show me!" He demanded but Vergil shook his head.

"No! You will only try to take it away from me like last time!" He gripped his pants pockets as if trying to keep Dante from reaching it.

"You got something from my girl so it's obvious I want to see it." He said and the usual shy Vergil glared at him. "She's not your girl." Vergil stood up and glared at Dante, his eyes glinting, as if he would challenge his younger twin brother.

"She's my girl because I love her." Dante argued.

"I love her, too." Vergil countered and although both of them were young they did knew what these words meant and glared at each other until Erin's voice reached them, calling their name, so both boys went off running towards her.

Staring at the ceiling of Devil May Cry Dante had to grin when he remembered how he had always argued with Vergil for Erin's attention and affection. Though as for today he had no idea if he was still feeling the same for like he did when he was a child.

He sat up and reached for his coat, putting his arms through the sleeves when the entrance door opened and Erin peered inside.

"Oh, you're awake." She smiled at him and the evening sun illuminated her from behind. "You're living pretty recklessly, not locking the door. I came around morning and noon but you were sleeping."

"I forgot." Dante replied as he put Ebony and Ivory into the gun holsters on his back. He was wondering how she could be so awake after only four hours of sleep if she really woke up in the morning.

"Well, I only came around to say hi before I head to a job."

"What kind of job?"

"Demons possessing some guys in downtown. That's a pretty simple thing but the reward is high so I'm gonna do it." She scratched her neck, folding her arms before her chest. "Why do you ask? Interested?"

"Maybe. How much is the reward? I've got debts so I need some." Though he wasn't sure if he really would repay the money to Trish and Lady.

"Two hundred thousand Dollars. We can do fifty-fifty." She answered and it almost sounded like she wanted him to come along.

"Well, we are partners and it sounds good. Why not?" He asked and fixed Rebellion around his back.

"Let's go then, partner." She chuckled as they left and under her complains Dante locked his office before they walked through the Residential Area towards Downtown.

"How much money do you owe?"

"Several hundred thousand dollars."

"What the hell are you doing with all this money?"

"I loaned from Lady and Trish and gambled it away while I was drunk." He could see Erin raising one eyebrow in astonishment and he went on. "I'm not good with booze. Once - when I was drunk - I proposed to a mop."

He wanted to say that he had thought first that it was Erin who was sitting there in front of him and at the moment he was overwhelmed by it that he ended up proposing to the mop.

Erin tried her hardest to not to laugh but lost the fight, hearing her laughing enlightened his mood and he grinned with her.

"You seem to be in a better mood today."

"That because today I could sleep longer."

Erin smiled mischievously at him as they stepped into Downtown, leading him into an alley.

"Then I'm gonna wake you up next time. I was pretty bored waiting until sleeping beauty wakes up."

"You could have tried to kiss me awake." He leaned in, acting that he would kiss her but Erin only giggled, blushing and pushed his face to the side.

"You wish!"

They continued to playfully bicker until they reached the house where the possessed humans are hiding. It looked like it was abandoned recently.

"I've called the client and told him that we are working together so he'll transfer your split of the money to your account." Erin told him as she grabbed her white gun - Valkyria. "Now let's go inside."

They roamed through the house and although they split up to search for the demons Dante found himself following Erin sometimes and she sternly told him to go an other way.

In the dining room there were two men sitting by the table, eating on another human with black, dusty aura streaming from their bodies, their eyes glinting red.

"Am I late for the party?" Dante asked with a grin and grabbed Ebony and Ivory, shooting at them but the demons disappeared into black dust and Dante changed from Ebony to Rebellion and was to cut through the demon appearing behind him but it had no physical body as it was a creature made out of black dust and gripped Rebellion's blade. He felt something piercing his shoulder from behind and looked around. He was surrounded by them and the fact that he couldn't harm them wasn't making the situation better so he had only one idea how to defeat them: Devil Trigger.

Although he was against using his demonic powers he enveloped them and turned into his Rebellion Devil Trigger. The demons seemed to be shocked to see it and with a few movements Dante defeated them and killed the demons exiting their hosts, wondering if Erin had similar problems when he felt someone behind him and turned around, it was Erin who stood there with a bit tattered clothes and looked at him with big eyes.

"Looks horrible, doesn't it?" He asked as he changed back into a human and faced her but she only smiled kindly.

"I don't think so. You're charming."

Though he was used to women tell him he's handsome he felt his ears grow hot and looked away, feeling too awkward to look into her serene eyes.

At least she was neither scared of him nor found it horrible. This lifted his heart and he felt relieved.

After they left the house Erin called their client to tell him that they finished and returned to Devil May Cry.

Outside of his office Dante noticed Trish standing there and walked towards them. Her face lit up when she saw Erin.

"Oh, you meant that Trish." Erin muttered as Trish stopped right before them, putting her fists against her hips.

"I was waiting for a long time." She said coldly but Dante knew she was acting offended and shrugged.

"I had a job."

The two women started to eye each other before chatting and from what Dante understood they met during one of their jobs but he still felt left out.

"Hey, I feel a little bit alone here, ladies." He said, raising his hands. "What do you want, Trish."

"My money."

"Well, you two seem to need do something. I have to check on something so laters." Erin turned around and waved before walking away.

"She's different." Trish said as Dante stared after Erin who turned around a corner.

"In which way?"

"You haven't noticed? I have noticed it when I met her first but I couldn't put a finger on it." Trish tilted her head. "Her aura is not that of a human or demon - it's more like the one of an angel."