The Devil of Zero
Disclaimer: Neither The Familiar of Zero nor Devil May Cry belong to me.
The Wedding
– The Zero –
"Vergil, Dante, run!"
Louise was catapulted into the nightmare without warning. Unlike previous times, Vergil's emotions were not so controlled as to be nigh-unnoticeable, no, now she felt his sheer unadulterated terror coursing through his body, as sure as the fear she had felt at Zima's appearance or the skirmish before Newcastle.
Vergil was in a hall of some sort, the walls decorated with meaningless paintings. The perspective seemed different to Louise, before she noticed a white-haired boy standing next to Vergil, a dead-ringer for a younger Dante or Vergil, and realized that she was now viewing a part of his childhood for some reason. Down the hall, leaning against a wooden door was a woman with long blond hair and soft, beautiful features – that were twisted by a look of fear. Apparently, she was the one who had shouted at the start of this dream, and Vergil was obeying her, grabbing Dante by the elbow and dragging his twin back.
And then an enormous claw burst through the door, scraping by the woman's shoulder, tearing the garment she was wearing and slicing large cuts in her skin.
"Go!" She shouted, drawing a white gun much like what Louise had seen Dante wielding in earlier dreams and pressing the barrel against the limb that was now scrabbling at the door frame before firing. The gunshots made the boys flinch even as Vergil continued to tug his twin along. The woman was backing away from the door now as whatever creature behind it screamed, drawing a black gun and firing it now as she dropped the white pistol. The door splintered and revealed a reptilian creature that Louise thought looked like a green Frost minus all the ice they were encrusted with.
Vergil shoved Dante into a space adjoining the hall and spared him the memories of what happened next. Louise knew that what the younger Vergil saw this day, her familiar still remembered.
Founder knew, she wouldn't forget the horrible images for a long time, if ever.
As the scene played out, she heard the soft voice from previous dreams say:
"Power! Give me more power! Anything to protect her!"
– The Devil –
Newcastle
Dawn
"The mortals outside the walls are fearful and apprehensive." Gelus reported to Vergil, the two tucked away in a room inside the castle. "Some of them have begun to desert…or rather, they attempted to do so."
"I assume the Wyverns caught and killed them as soon as they were out of sight?" Vergil queried.
"Yes."
"Good. We can't have word of you and the other Demons getting out at this point, especially with some of my secrets already in the open."
"And what of the other mortals? Shall I send for the assassins?"
"No need. The students will keep quiet. Guiche is too afraid of me to let something slip even casually, and Kirche is too enamored to risk recklessly endangering me." Vergil explained. "The girl Tabitha seems to have the appropriate discretion to handle my secrets, although I'll want to keep an eye on her myself."
"And the men?"
"They could prove to be problems. Wales may keep quiet to try and keep on my good side for now, but he's a politician. His connection with Henrietta and by proxy, Louise may or may not keep him silent, but his concern for his subjects may make him see me as a risk to his nation, and try to deal with me accordingly. Wardes, on the other hand, might talk, especially about Abaddon. Keep a close eye on him." Vergil ordered.
"As you command, My Lord." Gelus bowed before leaping out of the open window and dissolving into a cloud of snow.
"Gelus always was such a good subordinate." Zima noted with a hint of fondness. "He was a good catch I managed to summon those two decades ago."
"He's competent; I'll give the Frosty bastard that." Abaddon grumbled. "On to more pressing matters, what are you going to do about Louise?" Vergil dropped his voice to a low mutter to answer.
"While I'm still her 'familiar', she'll continue to have dreams about my past every night. Thus far I've escaped her discovering anything potentially damaging to my reputation in her eyes, but I have to stay around her in order to control what she lets slip."
"Why don't you simply kill her then?" Zima asked. "If handling her is going to be this much trouble, it would be much easier to eliminate her and the rest."
"I'm not going to kill her." Vergil rebutted. "I have no idea what may happen to me if she dies, and I'm sure you're aware of the measures usually taken when summoning and contracting with a Demon or Devil to ensure their cooperation." There was a noticeable psychic pulse from Zima, something like the mental equivalent of a wince. "So I must continue with my present course of action, and in order to do such, I cannot antagonize the mortal authorities or allow them to learn too much about me."
"This is a risky course of action to take, Young Sparda." Abaddon noted.
"He's right Partner." The unusually quiet Derflinger said. "This could backfire spectacularly. Why not just tell the truth? It couldn't be that bad, could it?" Vergil couldn't help but chuckle.
"The truth is far worse than you would think Derflinger." Vergil said. And then, there was a banging on the door, a soldier of the Albion Royalists barging in. He barely managed to keep from skewering himself on Derflinger's blade when Vergil drew the sentient sword. The soldier didn't have time for a gulp before Vergil withdrew and sheathed the weapon.
"Yes?" The soldier stood stock-still for a moment before recollecting and assuming the rigid posture that all respectable militaries in any universe seemed to use.
"Sir Vergil, the Crown Prince requests your presence at a meeting of the military leaders."
"Oh, moving up in the world so quickly…" Zima's sly psychic voice whispered.
"Does he now?" Vergil said. "I might as well humor him. Lead me." The soldier nodded and about-faced, marching out of the room and through the halls of the castle with Vergil following just behind him. To Vergil, the last bastion of the Albion Royalists wasn't any different from any of the numerous similar fortresses he'd visited during his time on Earth, save cleaner and less bloodstained.
Something the rebels would be eager to rectify.
"What is it with humans that make them so stubborn?" Zima wondered. "Obviously, these 'rebels' are the stronger, so why not submit now and save themselves?"
"Zima, Zima, Zima," Abaddon rumbled in an amused tone. "You obviously don't understand how they think. The 'Royalty' and 'Nobility' of this world have convinced the 'Commoners' that their rule is 'sanctioned by God,' His mental voice was positively dripped with acidic sarcasm, "And they back it up with their magical powers. And with the common peons conned into believing this, the ruling family has secured their position through a 'Mandate by God', which means so long as there is a living heir, they rule. So, in order for the rebels to succeed, they have to kill everyone in the family.
"…Humans are so unnecessarily complicated."
"Indeed they are." Vergil had nothing to say on the subject. He pretty much agreed with the two Devils. The soldier stopped before a door, knocking on it and announcing Vergil to the occupants before stepping aside. Behind the door was a room occupied by a table cluttered with maps surrounded by some of the officers that had questioned Vergil and the others upon their arrival at Newcastle. At the head of the table was Prince Wales, conferring quietly with the rest, until he looked up and saw Vergil.
"Sir Vergil, so good of you to join us!" He greeted, and unlike many of the Demon's who'd uttered nearly that same sentence in his past, Vergil thought the Prince sounded sincere. "We have an issue I hoped you'd be able to help us to resolve."
"Really? And this issue is?"
"Well, Newcastle has many innocent people in its walls, ones who can't fight and will suffer greatly when the rebels break through." Vergil noted that the officers around had resigned looks on their faces, acceptance of the given certainty that the rebels would succeed in their endeavor. "The original plan," Wales continued, "was to use the Eagle to transport the non-combatants out of Newcastle through the secret dock…"
"But with the Eagle destroyed, you have no way to get them out now." Vergil said.
"Yes. We have no way to evacuate them safely without a ship." Wales admitted. "But there is another option."
"And it's absolutely foolish!" One of the commanders snapped.
"We're planning to stage a breakout." Wales explained. "Open the main doors and engage the rebels in combat and opening a way through their encirclement so the civilians can get out safely. The problem with this plan is that the moment we open the doors, their mages are going to start blasting away with the strongest spells they have while their commoner soldiers fend off whatever number of our troops manage to get through."
"I see." Vergil looked at the maps, mostly those of Newcastle and the surrounding countryside. "You want me to take out their mages, and their commanders."
"The two are practically the same in the chain of command." Wales explained. "You proved admirably proficient in killing them during our…entrance."
"By which he means the Frosts and Wyverns can easily slaughter them." Zima dryly commented.
"It seems workable." Vergil allowed. "When shall we start?"
"The breakout attack will be launched as the sun sets." Wales said. "But before that, I have a wedding to preside over…speaking of which, will you be attending?"
"I'm not one for parties." Vergil rebuffed coldly, still studying the marked maps.
"I see…are you jealous?" Wales asked slyly. The commanders took this as the cue to leave, now that their Prince was discussing different matters.
"Of who? Wardes? Why would you think that?"
"Well, you and Louise-"
"Do not misunderstand our situation Wales. I owe Louise a debt of honor. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Methinks the Lord protest too much."
"You obviously don't know Young Sparda that well."
– The Zero –
Newcastle Chapel
Noon
Crown Prince Wales was waiting for the bridegroom and the bride to appear. There were only a few other people attending, as everybody was busy preparing for the upcoming battle. Wales also had planned, once the ceremony was over, to prepare for the battle as well. He was dressed in the Crown Prince's formal uniform, wearing a bright purple mantle and a hat with seven colored wings, the symbols of Albion's royal family.
The doors opened, Louise and Wardes entering. Louise stood with a dazzled expression on her face so Wales had to urge her to come and stand in front of him.
Louise was puzzled. Everything happened so suddenly. Wardes had barged into her room and brought her here, without even waking her up properly. She was puzzled, because desperate feelings were swelling in her mind. She came here without thinking, still half-asleep. Because of the latest of the horrid nightmares and Vergil's attitude yesterday, she was very depressed. Wardes, after telling Louise that it was 'Time to do the wedding now,' put on a bridal veil borrowed from Albion's royal family on Louise's head. The veil was nicely made, and the flowers were eternally fresh due to magical enchantments, making it look indescribably beautiful. Then, Wardes removed Louise's black mantle and replaced it with a white one that was also borrowed from Albion's royal family. Only brides were allowed to wear it, as it was a mantle of a virgin.
However, even while being dressed up by Wardes' hands, Louise was still unresponsive. But Wardes understood Louise's mood as a sign of her affirmative will. Wardes and Louise stood up in front of Wales, who was standing below the image of the Founder Brimir, wearing his official uniform. Wardes, who himself was wearing his usual clothes and a magical mantle, bowed his head.
"Well then, let's start the ceremony." The Prince's voice reached Louise's ears. However, it sounded like a weak sound of a distant bell. Louise's mind was still lost in the fog of her own thoughts.
"Bridegroom, Viscount Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes. Do you take this girl as your wife, and swear to respect and love her in the name of the Founder Brimir?" Wardes nodded solemnly and grasped the cane with his left hand, holding it out in front of his chest.
"I swear." Wales looked at Louise and smiled encouragingly.
"Bride, the third daughter of the Duke de La Vallière, Louise Françoise le Blanc de La Vallière…" Wales read the oath in a clear voice. Just then, Louise noticed that she was in the middle of a wedding ceremony. Her partner was the ever-reliable Wardes, for whom she once yearned. A marriage arranged by their fathers. Only now was her childish, absent-minded, distant future starting to turn into reality. And yet…something felt wrong. Something…'tickled', for lack of a better word, in the back of her mind.
"Foolishness. Complete foolishness. Might controls everything. If you want them to stop making fun of you, grow stronger! Gain power through whatever means you can."
Louise had originally been betrothed because of her lack of magic…but by summoning Vergil, she proved that she had magic. And she wanted…no, needed to get more…to become more powerful…stronger…and how would she ever accomplish that if she was tied down by Wardes? If she was to be kept at his estate as his wife, bearing and raising his children and managing his accounts?
"Louise?" Wales' voice brought her out of her internal musings. Everyone was looking at her. "Are you alright? If you're nervous, that's fine, it's normal to be nervous at such an important juncture in your life." Wales smiled supportively at her. "Oh dear, we still have to hold the etiquette. This marriage would have meaning only if we are to follow etiquette. Then, let me repeat. Do you take this man as your husband, and swear to respect and love him in the name of the Founder Brimir?"
Louise realized. She shouldn't hesitate with the answer, waiting for someone to tell her what to do.
She had to make decisions for herself.
Determined, Louise took a deep, deep breath…and shook her head.
"Louise!" The two men chorused, Wales and Wardes. She looked at Wardes with a sad expression on her face and once again shook her head.
"By all means, Louise. Are you feeling bad?"
"No, that's not it. I am sorry…"
"If today is bad, then another time…"
"That's not it, that's not it. I'm sorry Wardes, I cannot marry you." Wales looked doubtful at the sudden change of events.
"Louise, this is not the marriage you want?"
"Yes, that's how it is. I want to apologize to both of you for my rudeness. It's a painful decision to make, but I do not want to marry." An angry red flush quickly spread on Wardes face. Wales turned to him
"Viscount, I am terribly sorry, but the bride doesn't want for this ceremony to continue." He said in a regretful voice. However, Wardes didn't pay any attention to Wales, and took Louise's hand.
"You are just nervous. Dear Louise. You cannot be seriously refusing my offer."
"I'm sorry, Wardes. I yearned for you. Maybe… maybe even loved you once. However, it is different now."
Then, Wardes gripped Louise's shoulder. The expression in his eyes changed. Gone was the usual kindness from his face, replaced with a cold, chilly and somehow reptilian expression, like a fraction of one of Vergil's Frosts had been imbued into Wardes' face.
"The world, Louise! I will rule the world! You are necessary for that!" Wardes shouted in a feverish tone. Frightened by the sudden change in Wardes, Louise kept on shaking her head.
"…I, I am not needed for that."
Wardes extended both his hands, drawing Louise closer.
"You are necessary for me! Your ability! Your power!" This Wardes was frightening Louise more and more. Not even in her wildest dreams did she imagine the gentle Wardes frowning or shouting like this. Louise tried to turn away. "Louise, have you forgotten what I once told you! You are not inferior to even the Founder Brimir, you will grow up as an excellent mage some day! You just do not know about it yet! That talent!"
"Wardes, you…"
Louise's voice was trembling with fear. It was not the Wardes that Louise knew. What had changed him into such a person? Could this really be just from her refusal to marry? And this power that Wardes talked about…what did he mean? Vergil had spoken of gaining power…but Wardes spoke as if she already had power…which just couldn't be…
Wales, who couldn't stand Wardes' threatening attitude towards Louise any longer, stepped in.
"Viscount…, that's enough. Behave like a gentlem-"
However, Wardes struck away Wales' extended hand.
"Shut up!"
Wales stood still, surprised by Wardes' words. Wardes clasped Louise's hand with his and she felt as if it was a cold, steel manacle clamping down on her.
"Louise! You are necessary for me!"
"I don't have any talent as a mage." Not yet…
"I told you many times already! You are just not aware of your power, Louise!" Louise tried to shake off Wardes' hand, but the incredible strength with which he held on prevented it. Grimacing in pain, Louise shouted.
"I would rather die than marry you. I understand now, you never loved me!" Louise raged. Wales put a hand on Wardes' shoulder, trying to pull him away, but Wardes pushed Wales instead, who fell to the ground. Wales' face turned red, and righted himself, standing up and drawing his cane on the Viscount.
"Such rudeness! It's an insult! Viscount, move your hands away from la Vallière right now! Or else my magical blade will tear you apart!" Only then did Wardes' hand finally let Louise go. A smile spread across his face. However, it was a mockery, a falsehood of any real heartfelt smile, twisted into something cruel and evil.
"Even if I ask you this way you won't do it? My Louise?"
"No, there is no doubt left that you are not the one whom I would ever marry." Louise spoke, while trembling from anger. Wardes looked up at the ceiling.
"And I made such great efforts, to capture your feelings during this journey…" Wardes spread his hands widely, throwing his head backwards. "Well, it can't be helped. I guess I will have to give up on this objective."
"Objective?" Louise looked doubtful. What was he thinking about? The corners of Wardes' lips went up, forming an ill looking smile.
"That's right. There were three objectives for me to achieve during this travel. Sadly, I achieved only two of them."
"Achieve? Two? What are you talking about?" Louise asked, feeling uneasy shivers travel down her spine. Her mind was working at full power, trying to figure out what was happening.
"First one was you, Louise. I had to get you. However, it seems that I won't be able to accomplish that." Wardes extended one finger.
"Obviously not!"
Wardes smiled, putting up another finger.
"The second goal, Louise, is in your pocket - Henrietta's letter."
Louise was startled.
"Wardes, you…"
"And, the third…" The people around all drew weapons, one person coming up behind Wales with a wand extended. "Is Crown Prince Wales' life!"
But then a crackling sound interrupted the proceedings, drawing everyone's gaze to the doors. Ice was sprouting from the wooden doors, cracking apart the formidable structures…and then a burst of crimson preceded the complete shattering and annihilation of their center, as a familiar black spear spewing scarlet flames flew down the aisle, between Wardes and Louise and over Wales' shoulder before striking the wand-wielding assailant, driving him back until he was pinned to the wall underneath the portrait of Brimir. As the man was stuck there, howling in agony, the spear reverberated.
"Finally, a chance to feast!" A voice crowed, and the bloody flames sprang to life around the pinned victim, and his screams ascended to a new level of agony. The cries continued for six long seconds, until finally the man was consumed completely, ashes falling from around the Spear of Destruction. Those present could only stare in horror as the spear dissolved into flames and raced back towards the door, before reforming in the hand of a particular familiar.
– The Devil –
Vergil stood in the frozen wreckage of the chapel's doors for a moment, clutching Abaddon in his left hand while the right, encased in one of the Zima Gauntlets, clenched into a fist around Derflinger's grip.
"How despicable…" Vergil veritably growled, striding forward down the aisle. "To deceive Louise like that and take advantage of her…" The crowd of traitors woke up from their terror-induced stupor, shouting and charging…until Frosts appeared before them, led by Gelus and tearing into the infiltrator's ranks. Vergil proceeded untouched by the carnage, walking steadily towards Wardes. "I am bound by oath to defend Louise…but I shall take great pleasure in destroying such scum like you Wardes."
"You think you can take me!" Wardes sneered. "I have your measure, Familiar of Zero!" The Viscount spoke the title with venom, apparently well aware of what Zero meant to Louise. "Now die!" A sweep of his spell-blade sent a crescent of wind, one far faster than any Vergil had yet witnessed, at the half-devil…who simple blocked it with Abaddon, a surge of bloody Hellfire engulfing the sharp gust.
"I am not playing with you here, as I was in that duel Wardes." Vergil said coldly. "Know that the moment I stepped into this chapel -" He disappeared – And reappeared behind Wardes, sheathing Derflinger.
"- You were already dead."
Wardes turned with a shocked expression beginning to form on his face…before his head quite simply fell off, rolling down the aisle among the carnage that the demons left of his allies as his corpse toppled onto the steps that led to the dais, blood trickling from the stump of his neck.
– The Author –
Well, you guys asked and I delivered. Wardes is dead. Now, I'm sure you had hoped his end would be brutal, bloody and long…but I find that I like killing him this way. It says quite simply, that Wardes was beneath Vergil's notice, not worth his time, and didn't even bother the Son of Sparda. It says that he wasn't as important as he thought he was, something he's sure to carry with him in whatever afterlife he goes to, considering his ambitions. And I think it was memorable. I mean, he didn't explode into blood and gore, but…
Review Replies:
EVA-Saiyajin: Oh yes he most certainly can.
Will do.
bakapervert: You're welcome.
Takeshi Yamato: Pretty much.
That's nice to know, although I can't wait until I can write a longer and much more satisfying combat scene.
pyromania101: Here you go!
Orchamus: Maybe. I get the feeling that any interaction between them would be more like a simple companionable silence. Outwardly they're rather similar.
asredwer: Thank you.
No, it's not the runes. I'll give a hint: what part of himself is Vergil missing? Something he's had with him for a long time?
VulpineSnow: Hmmm….
Heh.
drake202: Thank you.
She might…
scott pike: Stuff.
Kojiro Kun: Thank you.
panda-kun77: Welcome on board, watch out for icebergs.
Thank you, I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far and hope you'll like the rest of the story as well.
code R.R: The second theory is a little closer than the other one…
Imperial Warlord: Thank you.
Lunatic Pandora1: We'll see.
…what
Jin Dante Kazama: Thank you.
Knightmare Gundam of Ni