Devil May Cry 5: Bloodlines

BY: TCOOKIES777

Chapter 7: Ghosts


The years of working as a devil hunter had been unkind to the son of Sparda, to say the least. Of course, his unnaturally good looks were a saving grace from the amount of work and exertion he'd put in, sending countless demons back into the pits of hell. Even as he grew older, Dante only grew stronger, faster, and far more powerful thanks to his demon genes. The curse of old age could never hamper his supernatural abilities.

And Dante knew he was getting old. Not because he was starting to grow out an unkempt beard, or his shaggy hair, or even because of the deep set of wrinkles lining the corners of his eyes and mouth (Lady and Trish hadn't been afraid to point those out).

The one telltale sign of his old age expressed itself as a vexatious ache radiating across the center of his lower back—as it had been during his entire journey down the tree with Lady slung over his right shoulder.

She'd gone toe-to-toe with Urizen alongside Dante and Trish. As much as she was perfectly capable of hunting devils, Lady was still only human and had been the first to knock out after exhausting much of Kalina Ann's ammunition and other resources she kept in the utility belt hooked onto the black leather of her chaps and shorts.

His companion was still unconscious, which had made the journey twice cumbersome when he had to fend off demons who sought to take the vulnerable human off Dante's hands. He would rather not see his long-time friend get shish-kebabbed and have her blood harvested. Not when he was indebted to her again after borrowing some money to put his shop back in order—for now, at least. And he had a feeling that his debt would only accrue the longer this job went on.

The afternoon sun cast a long shadow behind Dante's back, covering the fresh trail of bodies in his wake while the hunter slung Coyote-A back into its holster. The days seemed to be growing shorter with the nights lasting longer, although Dante had only arrived at Red Grave City barely three days ago.

"About three months ago, a tree sprouted in the center of Red Grave City." Lady explained, leaning over Dante's desk.

"Sound like it's a sign that Mother Nature isn't appreciating the city life and pollution." Dante shrugged, fingering the thick layer of dust that coated his mahogany desk. "Maybe the people there should consider going green."

A single lamp in the corner dimly lit up the shop, flickering every once in a while. Piles of magazines lay scattered across the floor, right where Dante had left them long ago. Nothing seemed to have been touched in a long time, aging with dust and a musty smell that had forced Dante to leave the door open, the hinges creaking painfully loud.

"Sure, if Mother Nature wants to eradicate humanity by unleashing demons from hell."

"Demons from hell, huh? And just when I thought I was the only one who got a VIP pass out...:"

"Dante, the tree has been growing." Lady explained to the hunter, sitting on the edge of his desk. "The first incident was reported last month. Nobody noticed that a Charles Watson had disappeared one night. Then, a bunch of kids decided it'd be cool to take a selfie, climbing the tree to brag to their friends. They went missing too. This month, the tree's roots spread several miles out. Suddenly, you have dozens of people rambling about seeing demons prowling the streets, sucking people dry of their blood and leaving them like ash statues."

"Look, I just got home and have been getting nothing but phone calls all day, requests in every part of the world." He gestured to the telephone beside him, its line disconnected on purpose to avoid the loud 'brrriinggg's every minute. "What makes this job a higher priority than the rest?"

Lady tipped a brow at the disgruntled hunter. "Where do you think Trish has gone off to?"

"Said she's gonna fetch some pizza." Dante replied, leaning back with his hands crossed behind his head.

"Funny." Lady nodded to a spot behind him. "Didn't know she needed to bring Sparda for that."

"Wh" Almost falling over in the process, Dante sharply looked over his shoulder to find that the legendary sword was indeed absent from its position on the wall. In its place, a receipt was tacked to the board with an address circled in red lipstick. He sighed.

Every time...

"She's gone ahead to meet Morrison who is also meeting with our mysterious client."

"Let me guess. The Mayor?" Dante squinted at the human hunter. "No, nogovernor? I gotta owe it to the kid; it seems my business has become popular over the years."

" His name is V."

"V… What, for Vendetta?" He gave her a wry look.

"V, as in," Lady smiled, "that's all you're gonna get."

"School must have been a fun time for him." He muttered contemplatively. "V, huh.. What kind of a name is that?"

Lady gave him a pointed look in return. "All you need to know is that the pay is more than enough to get your shop back in business."

"Even after you take a cut of my cut?" He didn't even want to think about all the debts he had yet to pay off. Not that it was something new since he always seemed to be in debt no matter what.

"We'll see about that."

"Well, as you can see, I am back in business." With a satisfied smile, Dante spread out his arms in gesture. As if on cue, the single source of light winked out, leaving the two in dust and darkness. His arms dropped to his side in defeat. "What else is in it for me?"

The human hunter paused thoughtfully before leaning in very close to him. The red and blue of her eyes were vibrant despite the dark room.

"In Red Grave City, there's a popular joint famous for its food. Beloved by master chefs all over the world." Lady's voice was hushed and serious in contrast to the smirk on her face. "It's called.. 'Dante's Pizzeria'."

Done. Dante would have sold his soul to the devil in an instant for a slice of pure awesomeness.

Ohhh, yeah, baby!

His throat shifted. "Fine. I'll do this city extermination job."

Red and blue eyes lit up to match the grin on Lady's face. She hopped off the desk and started for the exit, calling over her shoulder, "Well, then get off your lazy ass and hurry up!"

The hunter groaned in response to his friend's enthusiasm but followed after her, swiping Ebony & Ivory off the wall and hoisting Rebellion onto his back. He paused, flicking his gaze to the framed photo sitting on his desk. A thick layer of dust hid the beautiful figure smiling calmly at him and Dante took a moment to wipe his thumb through the ashy particles so that the woman was no longer covered in dust.

The shop was in dire need of a cleaninghe didn't deny thatbut it would have to wait a bit longer. He just hoped that Trish had indeed ordered pizza as she had planned to. He was even desperate enough to take it with olives if needed.

Shutting the wooden paneled door behind himself, Dante took two steps forward before a loud crash had him glancing over his shoulder.

The door had fallen off its hinges, welcoming a fresh breeze to rustle through the open shop.

He sighed. "Of course…"

Most of Red Grave's buildings were abandoned with people fleeing to the borders to escape the center of the demon invasion. Large roots draped the buildings and blocked roads here and there. There was a nearby safe zone still secured for evacuation and that was where Dante was headed to meet Morrison and V to discuss a new arrangement of plans.

At the thought of his new client, Dante remembered seeing Nero at the throne room. He should have expected the younger hunter would appear as well, although the sight of him was still surprising… and almost jarring. The boy had clearly inherited the aristocratic features of Sparda, thanks to his father. It was almost like looking at a younger version of himself—or rather, a younger version of Vergil. Such an image was rather amusing, considering Nero had indeed been a bit power-hungry when Dante first met him, but for reasons opposite of his own father. Hence why Dante had entrusted Yamato to the young man.

If only….

BANG!

Coyote-A was still smoking when Dante aimed it at the second Hell Caina who received the double-barrel shotgun's next hit.

"Hey!" Dante raised the gun aside, gesturing as if he was offended by such behavior from the grim reapers, "Can't you see this lady's trying to get her beauty sleep?"

The humanoid demons snarled as several more pools of darkness released a fresh wave of Hell Cainas. Three surged forward right after Dante set Lady against the door of an abandoned Volkswagen. The air hummed as several scythes sliced through only for the hunter to dance away on nimble feet, leading the group elsewhere.

Setting his feet firmly apart, he crouched into a stance as Balrog enveloped his limbs in an armor of fire. The metal scales of the gauntlets and boots were ablaze. He could feel the Devil Arm brimming with the sealed power of the King of the Fire Hell and he unleashed that power with a dozen quick jabs at one Hell Caina in the span of a single second. The ivory bones of its skull cracked and exploded just as Dante ducked beneath the swoop of a second scythe. Pivoting on a single foot, he swung his leg across and struck the next demon across the hinge of its jaw so that its entire skull popped off and smashed onto the cement, a spark of embers raining down on it. Their dark robes collapsed onto the piles of bones, gradually dissipating back into the realm of Hell.

"I saved the last dance just for you." Dante said to the remaining Hell Caina, grinning as he weaved through the lethal swings of its blade. The demon hissed in frustration at the nimble movements of its prey. Dante chuckled as it lurched side to side in an attempt to cut down the hunter who simply ducked and sidestepped every strike.

Getting bored now, he jumped high, preparing to pulverize the demon into roadkill with Balrog simmering hot around his right fist. He jumped again in midair, flying higher after summoning a magic platform. As if thinking otherwise, the Hell Caina stumbled away, dragging its scythe behind while it careened after the woman slumped against the car across the street.

The tip of the scythe glinted under the light of the sun as the Hell Caina snarled, swinging its weapon to chop the woman's head off. The blade dug into the sunshine yellow metal of the car door, landing just an inch away from the woman's ebony hair,

"Now, that's not nice," Dante clicked his tongue beside the pair, trapping the scythe into the car door with his foot, "attacking a lady in her sleep."

The demon's jaws clicked open to release a roar. The stench of death on its breath was potent but not unfamiliar.

"Oof! All right then, pucker up!" Dante said in warning right before smashing a solid uppercut to shut the demon up. Balrog's flames exploded upon contact and the Hell Caina had already fallen apart by the time Dante landed on his feet.

"Ah.. hope that's the last of 'em.. Heh, if only." The devil hunter stretched out the kinks in his back before scooping his fellow hunter into his arms again.

.

.

.

"How is she?" Morrison said as soon as Dante joined him in the shelter's waiting room. Kalina Ann sat on the chair beside the elderly man.

"She'll be fine." Dante said, plopping down onto a plastic chair with a quiet groan. He briefly surveyed the scene before him; survivors and victims bowing their heads and muttering prayers, weeping, or both. It reminded him of Fortuna City. "V isn't here?"

The question was rhetorical; Dante knew the instant he carried Lady through the chapel doors that his client was nowhere near their designated meeting place. To be honest, he wasn't very surprised either. There was something about that young man… Something that threw Dante off, but he couldn't put a finger on it.

"Guess he got caught up in something." The investigator sighed, aware that his client had his own personal matters to deal with but he didn't know what those matters were. "I could ask him for a raise in the deal? Now that Lady's out…"

"No." The shake of Dante's head was firm. Blue eyes were steady and brimming with more determination than the hunter had ever seen. He braced his knees and then quickly stood up, already crossing the chapel's broken floorboards towards the exit. "I've gotta go."

"If Lady wakes up to find you gone without her…" Morrison started, implying the other sort of hell that Dante would go through.

"He has Trish." Dante simply said, not slowing down for the older man trailing hurriedly behind him. "He didn't take her to harvest her blood."

He doubted artificial demon blood would serve Qliphoth as well as pure demon or human blood would, but that didn't mean Urizen couldn't use Trish at all for his own gains.

Even without Lady, the weight at Dante's back somehow felt heavy. Reaching behind, he grasped the hilt of Sparda, sensing the demonic power within the large blade pulse like an echo.

The escape from Urizen had been narrow and not without loss and defeat, especially in the following moments after Rebellion had shattered.

A crackle of yellow electricity zapped through the air for a split second, followed by several lightning bolts frying the large tree roots that had been speeding towards the vulnerable hunter.

"Dante!" A voice woke him from the haze of shock.

He turned to Trish who was crouched beside an unconscious Lady.

Blue eyes flickered between him and Urizen even as the shards of Rebellion rained down all over his prone form like little bits of falling stars.

"Dante, we have to go!" His long-time partner hefted Sparda off her shoulders and braced to toss it to him until a root wrapped around her belly.

Her mouth was shaped into an 'o' and she let out a small gasp right before the root tugged her body away, blonde hair trailing like a ribbon of gold.

"Trish!" Dante stumbled after her, finding the strength in his legs. It had felt like an out-body-experience to be forcefully thrown out of his demon form and back into his human form.

He whipped out Ebony & Ivory, quickly unloading on the roots that ensnared his partner. They quickly released her and he leaped forward to catch the blonde woman only to be slapped away like a ragdoll by an intercepting root. He rolled across the floor upon impact, hearing his partner call out his name once more, her voice sounding far off now.

Rolling into a crouch, Dante looked up just in time to see several more roots slithering towards Lady, sharp at the ends this time. He knew what those roots were for. Without hesitation, he dashed forward and reached his human companion only to be thrown back again by a pulse of energy. Lady's body rolled across as well.

"Easy on the goods…" Dante muttered under his breath, glaring at the knight still sitting leisurely on the twisted throne.

The single blue, slitted eye stared back at him.

A silent second passed and then Dante was racing towards Lady again. Just as he expected, the roots wove through the air, heading straight for the both of them. At the last second, he dropped to his knees and slid beneath the roots, nabbing Sparda off the ground where Trish had dropped it. The large blade swooshed around, slicing the roots into pieces and leaving a spray of blood raining down on the elderly hunter who quickly scooped up his human companion.

By the time Urizen had drawn the broken roots back, the son of Sparda and the human hunter had already disappeared in the blink of an eye.

"This isn't just about Trish." Morrison followed him outside the chapel doors, ignoring the soldiers standing guard. "Something happened… Something to do with Urizen."

The hunter stopped in the middle of the road and stood so still that he could've been a statue. A quiet moment passed and then Dante turned his head towards the sun hanging low in the sky, almost touching the city's skyline.

"I saw him." Dante spoke softly, voice heavy with exhaustion and.. Sorrow.

Morrison frowned, concerned over his old friend's change in manner. "Saw who, Dante?"

Another muted second, and then the hunter threw an unreadable look over his shoulder. "Just a ghost…."

Morrison watched him closely, trying to figure out what the hunter was thinking.

"Well, I gotta go. Can't keep a lady waiting…" Dante smirked. "Speaking of, look after Lady for me, will ya?"

"You know she'll follow after you."

"So long as she doesn't start climbing that tree." He muttered, although he was honestly a bit amused over such concern.

"Dante, let me call Nero." Morrison sounded like he was imploring him; a first for the elderly business partner. "I don't know much about part-demons, but if he has even a drop of Sparda's blood in him, that boy can help you—with or without your permission."

"All the more reason I better hurry." The hunter chuckled knowingly. "Before Nero bags my catch. I got a lotta bills waiting for me back at the shop. Can't risk losing this job to some kid trying to show me up."

"And.. if you see this 'ghost' again?" Morrison's voice was laced with caution.

"... Ghosts don't exist." Dante quietly responded back. And then he was walking away, the wicked blade at his black glinting red and green with every step.

Ghosts couldn't possibly exist.

Not for Dante.

Because if they did, then he would have been able to see her again.

Ask her why did she have to die and leave them alone. Let her know how much he misses her. Apologize for not being strong enough back then and...

Tell her that he loved her, and still does.

"Ghosts don't exist." Dante reminded himself, letting his voice echo down the empty street.

Indeed. There was no such thing as ghosts…

So then why did the hunter feel so haunted?


"What do you call this thing again?" Nero asked for the third time, inspecting the new gadget attached to the stump of his arm. "A Devil Bringer?"

"Devil Breaker." The self-proclaimed artisan-of-arms answered once more, never taking her eyes off the road they were speeding down. "That one's 'Overture' and—don't use it in here, idiot—ya wanna kill me too?!"

Nero instantly lowered his arm as soon as the first crackles of electricity started running across the gold, mechanical digits. "You got more of these?"

"Overture is the first one I built," Nico explained, glancing at her partner to make sure he wasn't fooling around with his new toy. "I'm still workin' on the rest, but that should pack more than enough punch. Better than no hand at all."

That much was true and Dante's last words echoed in Nero's mind again as a reminder.

You're just dead weight.

Damn it, he hoped to see that old man again. If only to prove him wrong and show that he was no longer that hot-headed 'kid' from years ago. At the same time, shame twisted in Nero's gut as he remembered that the last time he'd seen Dante, the veteran hunter had entrusted his family heirloom to him… It wasn't just his arm that had been stolen, but also Yamato. The katana that had allowed Nero to awaken his Devil Trigger and amp up his power so that he could save Kyrie and defeat Sanctus with a flick of his wrist. Now that power was gone, thanks to that jackass.

At the same time, Nero wondered why it had taken a while for his Devil Bringer to warn him of the demon. Years ago, it had flashed in response to Dante's demonic power, moments before the older hunter had appeared. The demon Nero had encountered at the house was undoubtedly strong. So then why the delayed response on his Devil Bringer? That was a question he hoped would be answered the next time he'd see that son of a bitch.

However, despite missing the raw power of his Devil Bringer, the young demon hunter was quite intrigued by this specialized artificial appendage. It connected to an arm cap sealed at the base of his arm where he could easily twist and pop off the prosthetic in a second if needed. The materials used were definitely of high quality, as expected of the genius inventor he had for a partner. The material wasn't so lightweight that it threw him off balance or felt out of place, but it still threw him off to look down and see metal instead of scales.

"That man who took my arm…" Nero started, staring out the window to study the buildings zooming by. "He said that power belongs to him…"

"What, did ya steal his arm or somethin' and he decided to steal it back? Y'know, they say it ain't stealin' if you stole it from a thief." Nico snorted, pushing the ruby frames of her glasses higher up the narrow bridge of her nose.

"I didn't steal it. I was born with it." Nero said. A faint memory from years earlier echoed in the recesses of his mind.

'Can you hear it? The cry of a soul? …. What is yours saying?'

'What's yours saying?' He had asked the mysterious voice that had haunted his dreams all those years ago.

'Power….' The voice spoke firmly. 'I want more power.'

'I'll take that too then.'

"Now, don't worry, I got a Buster Arm prototype in the making for ya." Nico glanced at him, eyes alight with excitement. "It'll work just as good as your Devil Bringer… And, I have plans for a special Devil Breaker for you and Kyrie, modified just for your guys' needs…"

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Nero narrowed his eyes at his business partner. He had no idea what the craftswoman had in store for him, but Nero was suspicious of that last comment about a special Devil Breaker.

"Oh, trust me, you're gonna love this one." There was a mischievous glint in Nico's eyes. "Especially Kyrie."

Before he could question her, the sound of gunfire and screaming interrupted their conversation and he peered ahead at the large fire blazing further down the road. A large, red double-decker bus blocked their path and Nico was forced to come to a screeching halt. Civilians poured through the narrow space between the bus and the buildings, faces streaked with sweat, tears, and blood.

Bursts of automatic rifles lit up the dark street in bright flashes. One soldier emerged from the flames and smoke on the other side of the bus, only for a clawed appendage to pierce his torso from behind. Blood bloomed on the man's padded front and his face was already set for a scream of anguish right before he fell flat on his face to be dragged back into the fray, leaving a red trail behind.

"Time to get some practice in." Nero said, hopping out of the van and strapping Red Queen onto his back. The turbo-charged demon cleaver was already purring eagerly for some long-awaited action, ready to do what it was built for.

"Hey," Nico climbed out of the driver's seat and walked up to Nero to tap his new prosthetic, "The Devil Breakers were made to replace your missing limb and are weaponized for battle, but high output performance makes them break easily. I've built a supply of 'em but just don't go too crazy."

"Relax, you know I take good care of my toys." Nero chuckled lightly before sprinting right into the fray.

The insectoid demons were too busy preying on their human targets that they didn't see the newcomer clad in blue heading straight for them. One finally turned around, mindless white eyes meeting Nero's. Pincers, where a mouth was supposed to be, were drenched dark red, matching the hooked arms where its fingers were extended like claws.

"HEY, ASSHOLE!" Nero greeted his first opponent.

He jumped up just a few feet away, twisting his body in midair just so. The soles of his boots collided heavily with the thin torso, forcing the demon to double over from the force of the dropkick before flying back several yards.

"Y-You're not reinforcements.." The remaining human soldier said from his slumped position against a minivan.

"Nico," The hunter called for his partner, pulling the survivor up by his tactical vest, "take care of him."

"I'm a craftswoman, not a babysitter." Nico stated, though there was hardly any complaint in her voice as she guided the soldier aside.

"Y-Y-You can't… they're too p-powerful.." The soldier gasped, gripping his front despite the blood splashed all over his face and helmet. He shook his head frantically, watching the young man casually walk towards the crowd of demons crawling over the cars. "Gotta.. Gotta run! It's hopeless!"

"Cheer up, crew cut!" Nero glanced over his shoulder to nod at the panicked soldier. He punched downwards with his right arm, activating the power of his new prosthetic. Parts of the mechanical arm flared out to release a charge of electricity that lit up the Devil Breaker. "Take some notes."

He pivoted around in a split second, grabbing the demon creeping up on him by its leg. Sprinting forward, Nero smashed its body down and jumped atop of it, letting the demon's face scrape along the road like a surfboard. After a couple of yards, he leaped off his ride and finished the demon with a powerful kick to the gut that threw it back into the crowd of demons on the other side, scattering them like bowling pins.

Shrieking, they flapped their puny black wings to catch themselves in midair, creating a horrid sound like large insects buzzing around. They started to dive towards the demon hunter in an angry swarm.

"Let's see what this baby can do." Nero smirked and then jumped towards the group, throwing his new hand out at them. The human half of his arm tickled from the amount of energy piling into the mechanical limb and, suddenly, an explosive charge of electricity extended out from Nero's palm, vaguely taking the shape of a hand that enveloped the group of demons in a million volts of electricity and light.

They squealed like gutted pigs, bodies frying from the artificial power, black wings stretched out and quivering.

Huh, Nico was right; this does pack a punch.

"Come on, baby!" Nero growled, slamming his hand out against a stray demon. Another explosion of electricity burst out from the prosthetic, blowing back the enemy so that it hit the double-decker bus, leaving a dent on the red metal.

He raised his arm up, flexing the digits and studying it with appreciation.

Oh, yeah. He liked this.

"H-How..?" The soldier mumbled. The dark goggles covering most of his face reflected the devil hunter whom he watched in amazement. White light flashed across as the injured soldier studied how the hunter was practically dancing with the demons, performing feats that no ordinary human should've been able to do.

"Yeah, he's a real pro at smacking demons around." Nico crouched beside the man to explain, pointing out the prosthetic her partner wore, "That's why I built him that well-functionin' arm.. Heh, to kick demon-ass!"

She grinned at the soldier who barely glanced her way, too amazed by the way this young man was simply tossing the demons around with his bare hands, leaping through the air and slamming a fist down, hard enough to leave cracks on the road.

"Wh-What is he?" The soldier managed to say, voice trembling with both wonder and fear. "Who are you people?!"

Nico reached for the back of her shorts, procuring a white card with cerulean lettering. She considered it for a moment before simply slipping the business card into one of the straps of his vest, carefully minding the bloodstains. "Devil May Cry, at your service!"

The soldier only gaped at her in confusion while Nero's battle cries echoed in the background. The air popped and cracked with energized matter, accompanying the sounds of monsters screeching into the night. Meanwhile, the cars around them continued to spout tongues of flames, licking the warm air.

"And class," Nero grunted, ripping through the last demon's torso with the prosthetic, "is dismissed!"

Black blood dripped down the blue and silver metal of the Overture and Nero shook it out, not wanting to get the nasty bits stuck in the nooks and crannies of his new arm. As if there was a coat of sealant protecting the surface, the black liquid easily slid off the arm like oil versus water.

Hm, impressive.

"I'll admit, you've really outdone yourself, Nico." He complimented the artisan with a grin of approval. "This baby sure packs a punch."

Overture was no Devil Bringer, but Nero could get used to its flashy style. He began to wonder what else the craftswoman had in store for him.

"Take crew cut to a safe zone." Nero instructed his partner, following her back to the van with the soldier in tow. Once the soldier was aboard, resting at the little couch built in at the back of the trailer home, Nero turned to face the bridge before them. "I'm gonna go on ahead. There's too much wreckage to bring the car anyway. If I need you, I'll give a call."

"Hey, tough guy," Nico called to the hunter from her position by the driver's wheel. She braced an arm against the window frame, leaning out as Nero glanced back at her. "That'll keep 'em, but not for long. Soldier boy said city's goin' to Hell and back, taken over by the Underworld.."

There was a split second pause and Nero noticed the concern and distress in Nico's dark eyes.

"Not just here.." She explained, voice laced with caution, "but everywhere."

Ice blue eyes widened instantly at what that meant and Nero flicked his gaze towards the city's border where the sun had disappeared. Slowly, he turned around to peer at the tree looming over the rest of the buildings far off in the distance. The red center of the demon tree pulsed like a jewel in the night.

"I gotta hurry.." Nero mumbled, inwardly groaning at the fact that this was going to be another long night.

This wasn't just about his arm anymore.

If he didn't hurry and take down this demon tree, then its roots would spread and bring pull the rest of the world into a living hell. Even if he somehow got his arm back from that son of a bitch, it wouldn't matter if he couldn't protect the one thing he cherished in this world. And if this tree was going to plunge everyone into Hell, then Nero had another issue to deal with.

What was the point in having ultimate power at your fingertips if you aren't able to protect your loved ones?

Kyrie….

"Hope you got an arm for weed whacking, Nico." The young demon hunter suggested. "Cause I'm gonna knock that asshole right off his throne."


The sharp throb in her belly caused Kyrie to drop the stack of envelopes she had just retrieved.

She braced her hand against the mailbox's decorative brown-shillings that made up its roof. Nero had designed and handcrafted the mailbox for their anniversary, building it so that it resembled a little house with its own emerald door to flap open and close. The single window in the corner allowed her to peek in to check for mail, forgoing the typical red signal flag that marked other average mailboxes. A cute white box had been installed at the base to fit some flowers—peonies for now. The sweet nectar of those fresh, colorful flowers filled Kyrie's nose as she breathed through the throbbing sensation.

Glancing down at the fallen papers, she considered how to bend down and retrieve them without her belly getting in the way.

"Allow me." A jovial voice interrupted her brainstorming and pale hands grabbed the papers off the sidewalk. The hands offered the envelopes to her. "Here you are."

"Oh, thank you, Elijah." Kyrie smiled appreciatively at her next-door neighbor, meeting his stormy grey eyes crinkling at the corners.

The young man had moved in next door only last year, barely over three months ago, and Kyrie had welcomed him over for dinner so that she and Nero could get acquainted with their new neighbor. She still couldn't understand why Nero disliked the man's friendliness. If anything, she appreciated how Elijah constantly offered his help on anything for her whenever Nero was away on business. It reminded her of the sort of good will that Credo used to encourage among the community in Fortuna.

Do not ask if the person needs help, but offer to help them; those with too much pride fear of admitting their vulnerability and need.

"Of course." Elijah smiled at her, running a hand through thick, wavy blonde hair. His eyes fell down to the prominent swell of her belly and the smile disappeared. "You know, Nero really shouldn't leave you alone when you're so… pregnant. It's dangerous."

"I'm safe because Nero is out there fighting to keep me safe." Kyrie explained, caressing her baby bump with the thought of her lover in mind. "To keep us safe."

"You never know where a monster may be lurking." Elijah looked at her thoughtfully. "Perhaps I should stay the night with you? Until Nero returns. I can sleep on the couch."

"I'll be fine, Elijah." Kyrie insisted with a smile. Indeed, the nights had been lonely without the security of Nero's arms around her in bed. And the house had been empty of Nico's banter with her husband and she missed chatting with the witty craftswoman. But it wasn't anything that Kyrie couldn't handle.

"I hope so." He smiled back and then his gaze returned to her belly. "You're children are going to grow very strong.. Just like their father."

"They are." Kyrie hummed in agreement. Strong indeed, and just as good as well.

"May I?" He held out a hand, peering up at her for permission.

Kyrie hesitated. She felt very vulnerable, pregnant like this with Nero not at her side. And it would be the first time someone else touched her baby bump. The act of it was quite intimate, considering it was all about trust and security and the thought of another man touching her there… Then again, wouldn't it be rude since he had so kindly asked?

Biting her lip, she slowly nodded.

The hand neared her belly until another sharp throb had Kyrie sucking a breath and stepping away to cup the baby bump.

The throb subsided.

"Sorry... the babies aren't in the mood, I suppose." She managed to breathe out.

"Not a problem!" Elijah immediately backed off, chuckling amicably. "Another time then. I'll even take you out for some strawberry sundae. My treat."

Mmn, strawberry sundae...

Yes, perhaps another time, and hopefully Nero would already be back so that he could be the first to touch her belly. Kyrie bid her neighbor a goodnight, shuffling back into the house, one hand holding the bulge of her bump and the other hand grasping the mail of previous clients thanking the hunter for his efforts.

Upon reaching the doorstep, Kyrie paused and glanced at Elijah's house on the right, separated by the white picket fence Nero had repainted for her recently. Her neighbor's windows remained dark and she wondered if he was already preparing for bed since it was already midnight.

"How did he know Nero was away?" She voiced her thoughts aloud.

Hm, perhaps since Elijah knew that Nero was into the demon slaying business, he assumed her husband had departed in response to the rise of demon attacks at the city's heart.

But then.. How did Elijah know she and Nero were expecting twins?

A loud flap of wings cut through Kyrie's thoughts and she jumped at the sudden sound, turning around to catch some sort of animal—a bird?—flying off into the night. It was perhaps the largest bird Kyrie had ever seen and its sapphire blue feathers glinted like a jewel against the streetlights.

The beautiful shade only reminded her of the snow-white haired demon hunter prowling the city miles away and she clutched the necklace resting on her chest.

Nero.


The black scabbard of Yamato dragged slowly on the ground as the hooded figure shuffled tirelessly, following the pulsing roots of Qliphoth that covered the floor of the abandoned building he took shelter in.

Every step the figure took was heavy, weighted with pain and exertion. Hands gripped the ancient katana firmly, however—almost desperately.

The bright light of the full moon cast a dark shadow under the tattered hood drawn over a pale face disfigured with peeling skin and colored veins. Like a marble statue that had shattered, only to be carelessly glued back together.

"You shouldn't be here."

The figure paused.

A chill wind blew through the crumbling building, lifting up the ripped ends of the cloak to reveal tall, brown boots with golden buckles strapping around the top. Three blue coattails peeked out at the back.

"Your body is still extremely fragile—it isn't meant to withstand battle. Even with Yamato, you cannot hope to stand against Urizen alone. Not when your soul flickers like a flame, fragile and choking." The other person paused in thought. "Tell me… what do you desire most?"

Scabbard scraping across the floor with a low kkkrrrr, the hooded figure slowly turned around to face the tattooed man leaning on a cane.

A raspy, broken voice slithered out from the darkness beneath the figure's hood. "More.. power…"

The last word echoed with a certain intensity reminiscent of who the man once was.

"Indeed.. Without strength, you cannot protect anything, let alone yourself." Ink black tattoos shifted slightly and V smiled. "Then.. you would sooner murder an infant in its cradle than nurse unacted desires?"


HERE IS THE REST OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH JOJO WIFI:

So I went to JoJo Wifi's "about" page on his YT channel to e-mail him regarding the comment I posted on his theory video expressing my concerns about plagiarism and I listed the coincidences I found between our videos. About 19 hours later, he emailed me back only after he finished commenting on a comment/chain posted by someone who had watched my video first and then his and noticed the similarities. In his email, he accused me of directing those people after him to slander his name. I will admit, I showed the videos to my brother so he could give his input and so I could check that I wasn't imagining how similar the videos were. What my brother did afterwards is completely of his own agency.

JoJo Wifi then threatened to block me and the others who dared to accuse him of the plagiarism (which I honestly don't care). I looked through the comment thread and saw how rude he was being. I saw him saying that I should have contacted him or comment to reach out to him first but that I did not do so. I DID reach out to him (15 minutes after he published the video) but he HID my comment. He can unhide my comment for his own convenience so that it looks like I was lying. Especially since other commentors said they don't believe JoJo Wifi hid my comment because of course those people would know that a hidden comment isn't being hidden when they can't fucking see it in the first place! JoJo Wifi never corrected them and admit that he did hide my comment.

Someone said that JoJo Wifi's video had better audio quality anyway (like that excuses plagiarism?). A small-time YT creator like me does not have the privilege to afford the quiet time nor the proper equipment to record good quality audio. JoJo Wifi responded by saying that I have no excuse because he simply waits until his house is quiet and he presses his headphones close to himself to record. Well, good for him, but again I don't have any of those privileges let alone a good pair of headphones that I can afford.

I emailed JoJo Wifi back and said that he is free to block me and anyone else he wants, but that it STILL does not explain why he hid my comment (when I first reached out to him) and why he still never bothered to respond to my comment throughout this whole situation. I have repeatedly brought up the fact that I commented on his video almost immediately after he published the video and he never addressed to me why he hid my comment and/or did not respond to my comment.

As a creator, it is his responsibility to properly and thoroughly check what he is regulating (as in, actually read the whole comment first before deciding to hide it). I did not just post a link and that's it. I addressed him and the issue first and then provided the link. There is no excuse for him to just hide a comment without bothering to glance at what else the person said. It is not so difficult to see the words typed right beside the link since we have a thing called peripheral vision. For example, if you focus on the word "peripheral" you can still see the other words around it.

What JoJo Wifi did is very shady and I have personally encountered other "creators" who have stolen from others and those plagiarizers would do the same thing JoJo Wifi did: hide/delete comments expressing concerns about plagiarism.

In the end, I simply had no other choice but to block him as he has surely blocked me as well. That said, blocking a user on YT only prevents them from commenting on your videos and nothing else. It is not like blocking on Tumblr or Twitter. Someone said that his channel is full fo clickbait videos. I haven't seen enough videos to know if that is true but I do know that this guy is a huge disappointment, especially since I was starting to like his content. Of course, as consumers, you yourselves are free to think whatever you want. If you are a content creator yourself, however, you should know how plagiarism is a huge, prevalent issue among the content creator community and why I am sensitive to this kind of thing. So feel free to have your own opinion on this issue or just ignore it altogether since it does not affect you like it does me.

Just beware this guy.

And if you EVER see plagiarised work ANYWHERE, I implore you to NOT be a bystander. Make your voice known, contact both parties if possible. Do whatever you can to make sure the stolen work is removed and/or that the person received the creator's permission to post it or use their stuff.

DO NOT BE A BYSTANDER.