Finding a pack of demons took far less time than Vergil was comfortable with. A cluster of stygians and a death knight were coming down the street towards them. They really were cropping up everywhere with worrying frequency, now. Dante drew his guns and came to stand beside his brother. "So what's the plan?" Dante asked nonchalantly, only the barest hint of tension creeping into his voice. Vergil drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"We have to show them we mean business," he said simply. "Or, I suppose, that I mean business. I just want you here to back me up in case things get nasty." Dante chuckled darkly.

"Things got nasty a long time ago, man. Do what you have to." Vergil nodded curtly. His hand resting lazily on Yamato's hilt, Vergil stepped forward towards the demons, which halted their shambling gait and watched him.

"Listen, you scum," Vergil shouted at them. "Your reign of terror over this realm is over. Your master is dead, and I'm here to inform you that you have a new master now." He unsheathed Yamato just a little. "You're looking at him. Bow before me and quake." The demons, apparently unimpressed, spread out and began adopting threatening postures, hissing angrily at him. They stood in a grim faceoff for several tense seconds. Finally, one stygian lunged forward towards his throat. Before it could reach him, Vergil had whipped Yamato out and cleaved the demon neatly in half. He felt a surge of power spike through him, in a way it never had before. For a split second, everything became blindingly clear. His family, his friends, what he was, what he was capable of, what he needed to do—the whole world seemed sharper, better defined. He heard his brother whoop behind him.

"Nice devil trigger, bro! You look awesome!" Vergil glanced down at his hands, bright and crackling with energy. He felt amazing. He felt complete, and he felt completely powerful. So this was devil triggering. So this was power. He reveled in it for a moment. He was unstoppable now. He could do anything. Everything in his way would fall. Humanity would—but no. He felt his heart beat inside him, strong and rhythmic. He was his own being now, free from his maddening obsession with power. He had his family again. He would protect them. He could protect them. Another stygian started forward, and instead of swinging at it Vergil pinned it beneath a withering glare. It froze in place.

"Enough," Vergil said sternly, surprised at how his own voice resonated in his ears. "No more fighting. I am your master now. And I say enough." There was another tense stretch where nothing moved. Kat almost wanted to cover her eyes. Dante kept his guns aimed dead at the stygians, certain everything was going to hell very shortly. Vergil didn't look away, didn't move, hardly breathed. Then—the demon moved forward, slowly, before dropping into what could only be a bow. The other demons behind it followed suit. A hush seemed to fall on the world.

"I can't believe it," Kat said breathlessly. "It worked. They've accepted him." Vergil straightened his posture and almost nonchalantly sheathed Yamato again. Raw energy still crackled around him like a halo.

"Go back to Limbo where you belong," he ordered. "Let the rest of your kind know that the rule of Vergil, Son of Sparda, has begun. You will leave the mortal realm, all of you, and you will stay gone." With a dip of the head, the demons vanished. Vergil released the energy rushing through him, his skin and hair returning to normal. The sudden void left him feeling weak, and his knees sagged under him, no longer able to support his weight. Dante was at his side in an instant, catching him before he fully collapsed and supporting him to keep him standing.

"You did it," Dante said, his voice thick with pride. "You're the new Demon King, Vergil. Congrats." Vergil shook his head.

"Time will tell, brother. We'll see."

Time did indeed tell. The twins and Kat dragged themselves back to the hideout to collapse again and wait for status updates from the rest of the Order. The news was almost instant in coming. Reports began to pour in of demons and terrors vanishing, retreating back into the realm from which they had come. People were beginning to come out of hiding. Things were looking up for the first time in a long time.

Over the next couple of days, Dante, Vergil and Kat went out into the city several times to clear out any remaining demon stragglers. Any they found immediately bowed to Vergil's authority and retreated without putting up any fight. It was encouraging, to say the least. For Vergil's part, he finally felt like he had found his purpose. He felt like he was exactly where he needed to be. It was incredible. At the end of just such one foray, the three demon hunters found themselves standing on the top of a building gazing out at the setting sun, oddly reminiscent of the night Vergil had tried to turn on humanity. A lot had changed since then.

"So what now?" Dante asked, flicking a bit of trash over the edge and watching it spiral down. "How does it feel being top dog at last, in a constructive way no less?" Vergil laughed.

"I'm not going to lie, it feels pretty amazing. How's it feel being second in command to the Demon King?" Dante made a face at him. Vergil folded his arms.

"You know, brother, now that I'm Demon King I'm probably going to have to spend quite a bit of time in Limbo. Keep my new subjects content, make sure things are running smoothly. That sort of thing." Dante's face fell.

"I guess you're right. I didn't think of that." Vergil shook his head, chuckling.

"I suspected as much. But look, I was thinking. I'll need some kind of permanent gateway to easily shift back and forth between the two realms."

"Okay, and?"

"And…suppose that gateway could be set up somewhere a little outside town, a little more private, somewhere we could fortify." Dante narrowed his eyes.

"You've got somewhere in mind, don't you." Vergil grinned and nodded.

"Kind of. How about our childhood home? Let's restore it and set up base there." Dante's eyes widened.

"Are you serious? Go home? Without mom or dad there? You don't think it'd be…too hard? All the memories still there?" Vergil shook his head.

"Of course it's going to be hard. Nothing with us is ever easy. But…that place is home. It's where we made some of our best memories, and I say we should start making new ones there. Better ones. Rebuild everything. Rebuild our lives. Together." Dante gazed off towards the horizon for a moment before looking back at his brother, his face splitting into a dazzling smile.

"All right. Sure, why not? Let's do it." Kat came up behind them and linked her arms around their waists.

"Only if I can get my own room," she said cheekily. Vergil smiled back at her as Dante laughed.

"Deal, you little minx," Vergil quipped. He glanced back towards the horizon, where the setting sun was painting the sky with slashes of red and orange. The future looked brighter than it ever had. With his family beside him, he couldn't wait to face whatever tomorrow brought him, and the day after that, and all the other days beyond that, forever.

Fin