Hideki drove me to the penthouse and left me there. He supposedly had business to attend to, but it seemed to me that it was something else. Perhaps he was still affected by what had occurred today.

The trip to the monastery took most of the day, including driving time. The sun was hanging low, and was slowly disappearing behind the buildings and mountains to the west. As night settled in, I made myself comfortable on the couch. I removed my coat and clicked on the nearby lamp. I reached over to the simple, leather-bound journal that lay on the table before me.

I held it carefully in my hands, looking over the cover again and again. The brown leather was worn around the edges, as if it had been handled quite often. There was no name, label, nor any type of insignia imprinted upon the cover. So I opened the journal, revealing the first page, and the oldest entry in this journal.

The flowing script was truly beautiful. Sparda's writing was nothing short of art, as would be expected from a man…or demon…that had been writing for centuries, if not millennia. The first entry was dated at just over 30 years ago, May 27th. Unfortunately, it was nothing more than a chronicle of his day-to-day affairs.

He spoke of traveling, and meeting new people. Apparently he had gone into business years prior, and decided to sell it so he could travel more. His business: buying, repairing, and selling classic muscle cars. I smiled, he and Hideki would have gotten along just fine.

I thumbed through the following pages, scanning every word, every letter. I spent hours reading through years of my father's life. Even in his daily pursuits, he was an honorable figure. He would mention his good deeds only briefly, and write them down as if they were nothing. When it came to the helpfulness and decency of others, that was when he gave great detail, and praised the one responsible. A woman who fed a homeless man, one young boy protecting another from bullies…It seemed that Sparda saw goodness everywhere, as if perhaps he took joy in all that he had protected. Sparda was their savior, and though he would never admit it, they would all be dead if it were not for him.

Pity…There was so much evil in the world, too. So much that wasn't even worth saving.

I shook away the thought. I had to focus. Sparda was up to something when he was at the Monastery, and I had to find out what it was. But there was such a wealth of insight into my father's personality. So much that I never had the chance to learn about him. It was difficult to stay focused on my objective.

It became even more difficult once I got to a particular entry dated at 24 years ago, 6 years since Sparda had started this particular journal. The entry was as follows:

"I caught a glimpse of the sunrise today, and began marveling at its unusual beauty. It took me but a moment to realize that I wasn't looking at the sun coming up over the distant hills. Instead I was gazing upon a golden-haired woman, with beauty so radiant that I could not but mistake her for our fair, golden sun. For when she smiled, she lit up the countryside. Hers was the first human gaze that I felt unworthy of returning."

Could it be?...

The entry continued.

"Yet…As quickly as she appeared, she left, casting my world in an empty twilight. No words were exchanged, no pleasantries, not even a single touch of the hand. Nothing met but our eyes. I saw something in her icy-blue eyes…I saw a companion. I saw someone who I could understand and relate to.

In her eyes…I saw her soul. Her fiery spirit. Two millennia have passed…countless humans have withered and died around me. Not one of them possessed that same gaze that I saw today.

Not a single one."

The last stroke of the pen was dark, as if the pen had been pressed down hard on the paper. The ink smeared slightly in a few areas…as if the paper was made moist and then dried. Was Sparda crying? Did he really know that he'd be with my mother just from a single gaze? Was Sparda's power so great that he even knew destiny when he saw it?

So many questions…They made me want to ignore my previous mission and read on just to find out.

No.

I calmly set the book aside. I had to remain focused. I shook my head and cursed out loud. The problem was that I had to read it. There might have been some key piece of information within those pages.

"Dammit" I cursed again and sighed. I picked up the journal and read further. The next few weeks were rather routine, and dull. Sparda's words were bland, and getting more and more vague. It was like he was detached from what was actually happening.

I couldn't help but smile slightly.

He was so focused on her, that his entries turned into a depressed chronicle of day-to-day events. Instead of a spiritual or emotional release, his writing turned into a chore. Curious, since he had been writing for centuries, if not millennia. That much time would surely have tested his devotion to the practice. But it wasn't until now that his writing style changed.

I flipped the page, expecting to see the next day's events. But the next entry had skipped forward an entire week! Not only that, but its tone changed dramatically from the previous entries.

It read:

"I cannot take it any more. Ever since I saw her, I have been unable to sleep, unable to eat, and unable to think. I know I won't be able to rest until I find her. I will do everything I can to find her."

There the entry ended. I closed the journal and set it aside yet again. But this time, I was confused about how I felt. I pondered it for a moment…then realized what I was feeling.

I was…amused.

The Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, the most powerful demon that this world has ever known… was love-sick.

I laughed. A joy-filled laugh that had not a touch of darkness to it. Suddenly, I felt the urge to turn and show this to my brother, as if he were right next to me as he had always been when we were children. Of course he wasn't there, but that didn't ruin the moment for me. That entry had immediately put me into a good mood for some reason. I almost forgot about all the hardship I had endured before.

I was about to pick up the book again when I heard the elevator ding. I got up off the couch and grabbed Yamato. The precaution was for naught, as I saw Hideki stumble into the room. I was going to ask him the reason for his visit, but I stopped myself.

His face was covered in blood.

He looked at me, his eyes glazed over. He was a mess. His hair was matted with blood, and his clothing was tattered and torn. Oddly enough, it wasn't his normal attire, but instead something more resembling tactical police, or military gear. Regardless of the black color of his clothing, I could see the sheen of blood that had soaked through. His appearance reminded me of the humans that had been possessed by my shadowy minions in Newport. In other words, Hideki looked practically dead.

"Gil-….Verg-…" He quietly muttered before collapsing on the floor. I tricked over to him, and turned him over onto his back.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of energy pass through me. As if something was emanating from Hideki's inert body. I felt dizzy, and my vision blurred.

What is going on?

I shook my head and my vision cleared. The dizziness was gone and I no longer felt that strange energy. I couldn't spare any time to think about what had happened. Hideki was breathing, but I did not know how long he would last. I picked him up and looked toward the elevator.

Too slow…I thought to myself. How did he even get through the lobby without being spotted by someone else who would help him?

I shook my head and cursed out loud. Without a moment's hesitation, I leaped towards the window.

The glass shattered into thousands of tiny pieces, tearing at my coat. Shards of glass floated in the air as I fell. The sound of the air rushing past me filled my ears.

Luckily, I was falling toward another building. I blindly jumped through the window, so I was lucky that I hadn't fallen to the streets below. I landed heavily on the roof of the lower building, and almost stumbled. I was unused to carrying someone while moving this fast.

I stepped up onto the raised lip of the building's edge and propelled myself off with all my strength. Hideki was still useful to me, and I was no doctor. I had to get to a hospital fast.

As I soared through the air, Hideki stirred, opening his eyes slightly. He gave a weak start, when he saw the ground below us. He weakly muttered, however, and raised his arm to point. Confused, I looked at where he was pointing. It was just a normal looking building on an empty street. Perhaps it was a place he recognized?

Either way, it was all I had to go on. I tricked myself toward the building, covering the distance with two of the teleporting moves. I landed right in front of the building, creating a gust of wind that blew aside the discarded newspapers that were scattered about the sidewalk.

The street was abandoned…odd for this city. I rushed up to the door and pounded on it, hoping that the building itself wouldn't be as desolate as the streets around it.

A moment passed…I waited, and heard nothing. Impatient, I slammed my heel into the door. I might have been a little too impatient, as the door was sent flying, and exploded into splinters as it collided with a nearby wall.

I quickly entered, and scanned the room inside for any clues as to why Hideki pointed to this building. It seemed normal. There was nothing out of the ordinary. As far as I could tell, it was simply a temporarily empty office building.

And yet…

Something tickled the back of my mind. I reacted before I even realized what I had sensed. I quickly stepped to the side, and saw a metallic object fly by, right where my head had been. I threw Hideki over my left shoulder and tricked myself to where I had thought the glinting metal-object had come from. Without even thinking, I reached out into the shadows with my right hand and grasped something. I heard the sputtering choke of a human.

Of course…

Annoyed, I gripped the man's throat tighter and tossed him into the light. He tumbled to the floor, rolled, and pushed off the ground. He landed on his feet, ready to fight.

However, I lost interest in fighting as soon as I noticed the man's clothing. He was wearing the same tactical gear that Hideki was wearing, except with the addition of a black mask. The man reached over his shoulder and pulled out a sword. His blade was similar to mine, but was straighter and shorter as well. A Ninjato, if I recall its name correctly. He darted towards me, striking out with his weapon.

I grabbed the blade with my bare hand. I looked into the man's exposed eyes as I snapped his blade in half with a mere twist of my wrist. His eyes widened in complete shock. I did not want to waste any more time, however.

"Enough!" I yelled. I set Hideki onto the floor. "You know this man. Now bring me someone to treat his wounds!"

My assailant was yet again shocked. He said something in Japanese, clearly surprised. He turned quickly and darted out of the room, all the while calling loudly in his native tongue.

I knelt down and examined Hideki. He was in bad shape. His face was pale, and his clothes were now drenched with blood. He didn't have much time left. I immediately picked him up and took the same path the man had taken only seconds before. He was already on his way back, and motioned for me to follow him. He led me through a long, empty hallway. This area looked different than where we had been before. The lighting was cold, and the floors were concrete. It wasn't long before the man turned into a doorway, and disappeared from view. I followed and was greeted with several men of the same attire, and one other older man wearing surgical gloves and scrubs. The room appeared to be entirely medical in purpose. I set Hideki down on the operating table nearby. The men appraised my appearance, and cautiously watched my every move.

Meanwhile, the older man, who I assumed was a doctor, began removing Hideki's clothing. Blood dripped onto the table, and the doctor began to give instructions to the others with an urgent tone. Men scrambled about, bringing bandages, medical instruments, needles, and other equipment. One opened a small refrigerator and took out three bags of what appeared to be blood.

The doctor finished removing Hideki's clothing, and I blinked when I saw the extent of his injuries. Gashes covered his body, ranging from superficial scratches to deep wounds. The slash-marks criss-crossed at many different angles…but some were parallel, like claw-marks.

A demon did this, I thought to myself.

One other thing caught my attention. Between the wounds, and beneath the blood, Hideki's skin had ornate tattoos in some places; at the shoulders, the lower back and on his chest. They appeared to be designs…or demonic seals on his skin.

The doctor began to bandage, and close up Hideki's wounds. Hideki fluttered in an out of consciousness. However, when the doctor began working on a deeper wound, Hideki woke up, and started to scream with pain. He tried to sit up, but the doctor pushed him down. The older man looked around for help and saw me. He spoke to me in Japanese, but I looked at him with confusion.

"Hold him down." He said to me in perfect English. I walked over to him and held Hideki down as he writhed in pain. "There is no time for anesthesia. He has lost too much blood."

"Will he live?" I asked, holding Hideki down at the shoulders. "I need him for something."

"He'll live." The doctor sighed. Luckily, his wounds were mostly superficial. No organs or arteries were damaged."

That was good news to me. But I sensed that the doctor had more to say.

"But?" I asked. The doctor continued to stitch up the wounds as he spoke.

"Well…" he started. "The wounds are too far away from being mortal."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I think that whoever did this had intentionally avoided wounding him mortally."

I paused for a moment and thought that over. That didn't sound like a demon at all. Demons loved killing, and they were hardly ever perfect in their attacks. If there was perfection, it was in their ability to kill…not to avoid killing.

"As you can see," The doctor continued. "It was a demon who attacked Hideki. However, Hideki's policy has always been one of caution."

I wasn't quite understanding, but I kept listening. The doctor finished closing a wound, and began on another.

"Do you see these tattoos?" He pointed to the ones I had noticed earlier. "They are special seals that repel demons. The seals themselves have no power, but once they are imbued with a special…"he paused and searched for the word. "Magic? Enchantment? Is that the right word?" He looked to me and I nodded.

"I don't know much about it, but I know that it would take a powerful demon to withstand the spell."

He was silent after that, concentrating solely on healing Hideki's wounds. After each one was closed up, he sedated Hideki, set up and IV drip and checked on the blood transfusion. Satisfied that everything was in order, he removed his gloves and left the room.

I waited there. I didn't know for how long, but I waited. The doctor came back now and then to check on him, but no one said a word to me. I didn't care, all I wanted was to find out what Hideki had gotten himself into. I needed his help as a guide, and his extensive resources were still useful to me. This interruption was an annoyance, and I needed to get him back on track.

It must have been a few hours later when Hideki finally woke up. He groaned slightly, and turned to face me. The color in his skin had returned, and his eyes were more focused than before.

"Vergil?" He said weakly, "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" I asked. He shook his head. I briefly explained what had happened, and how I found this place. He listened in silence. A few minutes after I had finished, he spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For involving you in this."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. He sighed and shook his head.

"For a few months now…there has been more demonic activity in this region." He explained. "Usually, all that my job ever consists of is buying and selling…Drugs, cars, weapons, and the like.

"But lately I couldn't just stand by as those things swept through the city like a plague. I guess I lived in the monastery for too long to be able to just let it go. So I started commissioning my men to do some devil hunting. Of course, it was voluntary. But you know their type….crazy. Like me." He paused a moment and looked at his bandages.

"Their leader assumed that his minions' deaths were the work of the only well-known demon hunters in the area. Hiroyuki and his men."

I cocked my head to the side. I didn't know they were devil hunters. Or at least…it hadn't registered in my mind.

"So he sent warnings to the Monastery, threatening to destroy them if they continued. Hiroyuki was never one to tell a demon the truth. So he took full responsibility for the attacks. Of course, when he found out it was my doing, he was furious at me for putting his people in danger. I tried to convince him that I was doing the right thing. I tried to convince him that we needed to work together to defeat the demons and their master."

Hideki turned and stared off into space, deep in thought.

"He wouldn't listen. So I kept up the raids." He shook his head again. "But this time, it was different. They were ready for us. Or rather…He was ready for us."

"Who?" I asked, curiously. Hideki looked at me.

"I don't know his name." Hideki said, "But when we got there…he looked just like a man. Until…"

Hideki was clearly traumatized by what had happened. Perhaps his injuries were more serious than I had thought.

"Until he changed. Like you did at the Monastery yesterday." He explained. "But he was…far more terrifying…He tore my men apart like they were nothing…He caught me as I tried to escape and said he'd leave me alive as long as I gave a message to Hiroyuki, and the rest of my men."

"Was it him?" I asked, "The demon who is behind all the activity here?"

Hideki nodded and continued.

"He said that he'll leave and never return… If we give him 'The Key'."

Key? I blinked, Does he mean…?

"Key to what?" I asked, impatiently. Hideki frowned, as if trying to remember.

"He said…" He paused briefly, "'The Key to the Master's cage.'"