Dante smirked at the man's apparent haste. He saw no need to move so quickly just because devils might find him. A good fight sounded fun, especially since the man had killed his assailant moments before and ruined a good warm up. "Valen it is, then. And I may just have to have a word with this Prince, should I make a trip to the Devil Kingdom. As to the whole radar thing, you may be a blip, my friend, but I'm a flashing red beacon. Come along if you want. Who knows? I may get some use out of you."
Several dark patches appeared in the air in front of the two, releasing eight devils onto the street, blocking Dante's path. Seven Hells stood in a line in front, while a Hell Vanguard looked on from the back. He smirked. "Well, well, well... The Seven Hells. Lemme see if I can get this right." He began with the one on the left end of the line, a devil in a tattered black cloak with a rusty scythe in its gnarled hands. Its face was sunken in and gaunt, red lights where eyes should have been. The skin was pallid and gray and it walked in an almost zombie-like fashion. Dante pointed to it and spoke one word. "Pride."
He looked to the devil next to it down the line, a demon with the same pallid skin and gaunt features. It also carried a scythe, but was wrapped in red cloth with feathers forming a makeshift collar around its wrinkled neck. Its eyes were glowing white instead of the usual red and hunger was written all over its gaunt face. Dante smirked and pointed to it now and again spoke only one word. "Lust."
He continued on down the line until all Seven Hells had been named. Soft moans issued from the mouths of the devils, waiting on the Reaper-like devil behind them to give them an order. Dante repeated the list one more time. "So we have Pride, Lust, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Gluttony, Greed and a Hell Vanguard. Alright... I like a challenge. Just too bad you guys won't be able to give me one." He shrugged the guitar case off of his back, pulling Rebellion from it and pointing it at the Hell Vanguard, a larger devil wrapped in a flowing black cloak. Its skin was the same pallid gray as the others, but its eyes glowed a fluorescent blue, as did the blade of the scythe it carried, the souls of the slain moving around on its surface, forever trapped in the blade that had killed them. "Your move, Grim," Dante said, beckoning the devil forward.
Valen smirked as the demons appeared. "So, which one do you want? I personally like the big guy with the blue eyes. The big guys fall harder." He grabbed the shotgun off his back and turned to face them. He smiled and turned to Dante one more time. "Told you we needed to move," he stated matter-of-factly.
Dante smirked as he launched forward with Rebellion in his hands. He spun between two of the Hells, slashing them to ribbons and showering the air with blood. He laughed as he went through them and sent the other five scattering. He drove Rebellion into the ground and found the three of them in a triangle around him. He got a running start and grabbed Rebellion's hilt, keeping it in the ground and spinning around it through the air in a circle. He grabbed Ebony from inside his coat, shooting each devil in the eye as he went around before flying off of the sword, doing a back flip, pulling Ivory out and using both guns to take out the remaining Hells. He landed easily, holstering Ebony and Ivory and pulling Rebellion from the earth, his smirk widening. "Too easy," he stated with a grin.
He turned to the Hell Vanguard. "You're up," he said slyly. He ran forward and blocked the thing's scythe as it swung down, ducking under it and slashing its legs, making spurts of black blood appear on the ground. The Hell Vanguard yelled in pain and Dante laughed as it landed grotesquely on its knees. "What's the matter? Weak knees?" He pulled Ebony and Ivory out again, pointing the barrels of both guns on both of the glowing blue eyes. He smirked. "See ya." He fired, sending a shower of black blood out of the back of the thing's head, annihilating it. He holstered Ebony and Ivory and put Rebellion back in its case, shrugging the guitar case onto his back. He turned to Valen. "Well then, let's go." He set off walking toward the bar where he was sure he could find his informant.
He continued on to the bar, assuming that Valen was following him. He didn't look back to see if he actually was, but was sure that the man was tailing him like a dog tailing his master. He reached a bar in a shady part of town, a bell ringing as he opened the door. He stepped inside and walked to a table near the back, away from prying ears. A man sat at the table, a tan cap casting a shadow over his pudgy face. He looked up as Dante sat down, his face showing a dim-witted expression.
Dante smirked, resting his arm on the table in front of him. "What do you have for me, Enzo? Any jobs or information that might prove profitable or useful?" he asked sarcastically. Most of the jobs had been for small pay and no glory. He looked at the pudgy man, Enzo Ferino with his light blue eyes, trying to see into the man's soul. Enzo was a short, stocky man with beady black eyes and a nasty drinking habit. He was, however, Dante's only informant and an old friend.
Enzo sighed, finishing the mug of beer that was in front of him. He slammed it down on the table, giving a belch before speaking, slurring his words a slight bit from the alcohol. "Dante, that tiger devil you were supposed to take down is still alive. Care to explain? Unless you can come up with a good excuse, my ass is dead meat. What happened? You're not usually this sloppy on the job."
Dante looked at the man a bit more intently. "Enzo, something happened along the way. In fact, a few somethings happened along the way. I fought a Demon Marionette, who gave me some bad info as to the devil's whereabouts. I found and killed the wrong devil. Then there was a little girl... it was her brother. She tagged along for a bit, then went home with a woman who calls herself Nightrose."
Enzo's expression became slightly more interested at the name. "Did you say 'Nightrose', Dante?" Dante nodded, still smirking. During his entire explanation, he hadn't shown a bit of remorse for what had happened. Enzo began again. "Be careful around that woman, Dante. Make one false move, and it could be your last. You understand me? As to your mark, I heard that he was coming this way. Be ready for anything, Dante."
Dante nodded, leaning back a bit. "One last thing before I go, Enzo. What can you tell me about a Phantom that calls himself Salem? Where can I find him? Tell me anything you know about him."
Enzo thought a moment, scratching his stubble-covered chin. "Well, I did hear that a giant spider has been seen around the red-light district. Last seen around some abandoned warehouses. Be careful on this one, too. Phantoms are high-ranking Demon Generals in the Dark Army. They all have a beef with your old man, so expect some nastiness. Cripple it from afar with your guns, then go in for the kill with your sword. Unless you want to kill it in a more stylish manner, as is your custom."
Dante nodded, smirking even more. "Thanks, Enzo. I expect to be paid a substantial amount of cash for each job. Got it?" Enzo nodded, and Dante got up, heading for the door of the bar. He made sure Valen was behind him before opening the door and heading back out into the light of day. Next stop: The Bull's Eye Bar.
Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims
