Dante returned to driving. It was still a long drive in the dark. Last thing he wanted was to be pulled over. They were still making great time but due to the change in atmosphere, the area appeared to be dark. The time read four P.M. and Dante shook his head. The demonic aura was massively oppressive. Even Vergil was feeling it with how stiff he sat. Dante shook his head to clear it of his doubts. There were the two of them, the two witches and the three demon hunters on their way to this place. How could they lose with odds like that. Still something felt different. Maybe it was the fallen angels. He didn't know. Whatever he had released should have stayed in that mirror. There was still a problem with that idea. The damn thing was made of glass. It would have broken later. It was better with him there to clean up the mess. He would hate to see all of humanity doomed for something he could have prevented. He took a swig of his soda. He would have preferred beer but Vergil had a stick up his ass about breaking laws. Dante's thoughts were interrupted by the sight of the huge mansion breaking out of the trees.
"There it is," Dante knocked into Vergil's shoulder to get his attention. "That's our stop. Looks pretty bad doesn't it?"
"Dante. That is an abandoned Victorian. A lot of people would kill for a house like this."
"It looks like an abandoned house to me," he shrugged and pulled up to the rusting iron gate.
"You never were one for art," Vergil shook his head.
"Nope. Things tend to get destroyed when I'm on the job."
"Of course," he slipped the book into his pocket.
"Why are you reading that anyway?"
"This whole thing started as a curse and this is the closest I can get to figuring out the situation," he cleaned the crumbs off himself.
"Hey whatever gets this job done the fastest," he drove the car closer to the mansion. In front of the rotting house stood a decayed fountain covered in moss and stagnant water lay in its basin. Two angels appeared to be where the water once flowed from. The house had two wings extending from the main entrance. A coach house sat on the left wing had a collapsed roof. It was likely that building led to the kitchen and servant's chambers. A few of the windows were cracked and others completely gone. The few remaining windows had enough dust to create the illusion of utter despair. There had to been about three floors, an attic, and a tower. The paint was peeling fiercely. The sat single tower was on the opposite wing of the coach house. The trees surrounding the house were long dead.
"What is this," Vergil asked. "A cheesy horror flick."
"Good one." Dante drove the car towards the fountain that sat in the driveway. He took another scan of the yard. "I didn't see the back yet."
"Who wants to," Vergil waited till Dante stopped the car before opening the door. "I'm surprised this place isn't covered in graffiti."
"You make it sound as if you would want to live here," Dante shut the door behind him. He pulled Rebellion onto his back.
"Ridiculous."
"Is it now?"
"Ruins are more your taste," Vergil began leading the way to the door.
"I can agree that I prefer the tastes of the old but this is a bit too old for me."
"Then we are in agreement."
"Indeed," Dante stopped next to Vergil.
"Mahogany."
"It appears to be old chap."
"Such a shame," Vergil lifted his leg and quickly kicked the doors off their hinges.
"Hey," Dante mock glared. "I wanted to do that."
"Don't wait then."
"Good point," he strolled into the building. He whistled. "You can really tell a guy by the stuff he has in his house, Vergil," he looked behind him. Vergil gave him a look that said to quite his blabbering. "Not going to happen, V."
"Dante be alert. You're the only one with gear," he reminded. Dante looked around. The main entrance hall opened up to another room. The walls were dark and the only light came from the windows. A few angel sculptures hung on the walls that were illuminated by the little light. It gave the room a unearthly feel. He lead the way through the arch and into the grand staircase room.
"What a place. Demons sure know how to have a dramatic show," Dante began to clap. "Really dramatic. Really."
"Don't be so overconfident," Vergil reminded. "You have to back me up a lot."
"Yeah I get it. Don't let the princess take a hit."
"... Just don't expect a kiss," Dante snorted.
"You're one bitchy princess."
"And you are one grungy prince," he scoffed as he walked towards the stairs. There was a statue between the stairs. "It's one of those deity statues."
"Great," he walked over to it. "Is that what this crazy family was worshipping. Damn they have bad taste in art."
"Not everyone is a fan of neon Dante," Vergil looked over the statue carefully.
"Still. Not everyone likes the head of a beautiful lady on the body of a snake."
"That's agreeable."
"Wow. It's like the planets are in line or something. We are agreeing a lot to night."
"Shut-up."
"There we go," he smirked gleefully. "Hey what are you doing to that thing."
"Looking for a hidden switch."
"Why would that be here."
"Doesn't it seem odd that a mansion abandoned from the Victorian age would display something that isn't Christian," he asked.
"Well you know how the rich were. They got bored and wanted to play."
"There were still social rules. This breaks it heavily."
"Still. I doubt there is a switch," he watched Vergil. Vergil pushed the statue off its pedestal. A large crash echoed through the halls. "Wow who would have thought. I was right."
"Yes, you were but," Vergil reached down and pulled a scrap of paper from shattered ceramic pieces. "As you would say. Jackpot?"
"Ha, ha, ha," Dante mocked. "What does the damn thing say anything."
"It says shut up Dante," he said in a serious tone.
"No way! Let me see," Dante snatched the paper and tore it slightly. "You lied," he accused. "It says 'When the clock strikes thirteen, only then the doors will open'," Dante read aloud.
" I assume it's the door to the heart of this problem."
"When would a clock read thirteen."
"Not any I know of. Perhaps we aren't looking for a sound but a location."
"I'm sure we'll find out eventually as we tear this place apart." Dante looked down at his hand and flinched. The paper had lit itself on fire. "What the hell," he dropped it and watched as the paper turned to ash.
"I hope this isn't a running trend," Vergil smothered out the fire.
"You should have let it burn."
"It wouldn't catch. Use your nose Dante. This place isn't just musty, it's mold ridden. A perfect place for an Undine."
"Undine?"
"Read books Dante."
"Just inform me already."
"Okay it is the spirit behind you that is going to stab you," Vergil casually backed away into a wall. Dante whirled around and matched what appeared to be a water spirit's blade. The spirit took the form of a woman. Waves of water pooled down her body. She had on a suit of watery armor and her face was shielded by a helmet. She was dripping water all around her. Her source of water seemed infinite. Her sword stance was fluid as she held her foil.
"Is that all you got," he smirked. His face fell when the water blade went around Rebellion. He rolled away to avoid the hit. "What the hell," he demanded. Virgil sighed and leaned against the wall. "Hey stop being lazy and help me!"
"You don't need help," he watched as a second spirit come from behind Dante. Dante narrowly avoided another hit. "Besides. I am unarmed."
"Damn," he back flipped as a third spirit rose from below his feet. He cursed himself for not bringing Alister.
"I would be careful. More may come from the woodwork."
"You don't have to remind me," Dante was running from most of the attacks. It was only during one of the sword clashes had he noticed something. He had just blocked an attack with Rebellion. The undine was extremely close. He didn't notice it right away but when he threw the elemental he had locked blades with, it was giving off a heartbeat underneath the sound of rushing water. Thinking quickly Dante dived after the one he threw and thrust his blade into its back. The elemental wreathed around before sliding off his blade. "Guess you're not so fluid after all. His eyes caught the shape of the second and third one rushing in pincer formation. He jumped up and slammed his blade into them as they reached the spot he was at. "Come on ladies. You can do better than that," he mocked. The spirits squirmed away in what would appear to be pain. It was hard to tell with water. The first spirit rushed behind Dante. Dante was flung to the ground. He groaned and quickly righted himself. The three were rushing him at once. There was a flash of light and he covered his eyes. Remembering the situation he rolled to the side. Looking around he noticed that the demons were gone. "Well, look who decided to join in," he laughed.
"You were taking too long," Vergil had tossed a holy water into the fight.
"No fair. I just found their weakness too," Dante returned Rebellion to his back.
"If you wanted to know that you should have asked," he wandered towards the left of the room.
"Where is the fun in that," he followed after. "How many of those do you have left?"
"Just three. I won't waste another on you. Don't worry," he entered the hallway to the left wing's bottom floor.
"Harsh," Dante looked around. "Wait."
"I've noticed. It appears it knows we are here."
"That wasn't a nice welcome," Dante shook his fist. "This room appears brand new. When we were outside of it, it looked old and decayed. Now it looks like we stepped back in time."
"Perhaps. I wouldn't take anything you see here lightly. There is a lot you don't know about the mansion. From here on in it looks like we will be going through these illusions," Vergil walked over to a table against a wall and began opening drawers.
"V. We aren't here to play detective."
"Really. I thought your agency was a detective agency as well."
"Only when people hire us and if I actually take the case."
"We don't know what has happened. We need to take this step by step," Dante groaned. "Prove that your brain is as strong as the rest of your muscles will you," he pulled out some papers and started sifting through them. Dante watched as he placed them back in.
"Anything," he asked. He was hoping for something juicy. Nothing like a affair in a romantic letter to turn a drama intense.
"Just friend letters," he closed the drawers and headed to a door. "Start checking these doors out," he ordered. Dante watch Vergil open a door to reveal a closet.
"I just think splitting up is bad," he walked over to the next door. Vergil followed him and stood behind him.
"Fine," Dante reached for the door.
"Let's see what is behind door number two," he thrust the door open to reveal a sitting room. They walked inside. "Nothing here," he groaned.
"Wait," Vergil walked around the room in a slow circle. Dante shook his head and sat on the couch.
"Why is it that every room looks brand new?"
