Disclaimer: Capcom owns Devil May Cry, not I.

I've decided to end the Angel Saga with this, the last chapter of Angel Halo. Why?

I started out writing this because I had a plotbunny and people said they would like to see a fic to that bunny. Now, however, I've lost the urge to write this and it's become more of a chore than fun. I've kept writing it because people indicated they wanted to read more and I like to make people happy.

Now, however, it seems my lack of enthusiasm is negatively influencing the writing and people are not liking the fic as much anymore due to this. How do I know? The only way a writer knows what her readers want is that review box.

So, if I'm not having fun writing it and you're not having fun reading it, there's no point in doing the last two story arcs. I might eventually write them anyway, when I'm feeling better, as I want to do an 'everyone against Mundus' plot and an 'Eva is revived' plot, but not for the foreseeable future, sorry everyone who was looking forward to them. Hopefully better quality would make up for the delay.

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Themis

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Everyone was here.

The large courtroom was packed: so much for secret proceedings. Even Matier had somehow found out about this, and was sitting in a front row seat flanked by serious redheads. She maintained her usual equanimity, her experience rendering her undisturbed by even a bomb going off above her head, but Lucia's expression indicated that Vie du Marli would take action if anything happened to her friend.

Dante remembered the belief in a lot of cultures that red hair indicated demonic ancestry or nature, and wondered if it was true, because what were the odds? Wasn't it a recessive gene, from what he remembered of what Eva had taught them about genetics, or something, in normal humans?

Unless Matier had chosen a red-haired escort to make it clear they were all Guardian Clan members and all capable of kicking ass and taking names, if the victim in question had a name at all.

…Which was completely irrelevant to the matter at hand, but Dante hated waiting, even though he'd had to do it for years before Trish had walked into his office.

"Trish, stop biting your nails."

Trish noticed and stopped. She'd just had the urge to bite something, and the people organizing this trial were off-limits. She'd given her testimony too, about how Vergil had been treated and how he had definitely been no ally of Mundus, not willing anyway, and what bad shape he had been in when Dante had rescued… both of them.

She had almost wound up crying again, and a lot of the people in the courtroom had.

Still, not really understanding that humans had pity, she worried that she hadn't made herself clear enough, managed to fully get across that Vergil was (mostly) innocent.

So was Dante, even though he was better informed about human nature.

Dante was also worried about the mechanics of the execution, if it happened. Like, if they only destroyed his body, who got custody of the devil arm? If the UN tried to guard it, ten to one Mundus' forces would manage to steal it. If not, and they destroyed the devil arm as well, Vergil's soul would go to the Underworld and if Mundus managed to find it before the whole reincarnation thing happened (and a soul so powerful and so laden with suffering would shine like a beacon), Dante would also have to go rescue Vergil. Again.

He'd made the argument that an execution would be depriving humanity of a defender and possibly giving Mundus a free warrior (and victim). He just wasn't counting on these people to see sense.

Vergil was just standing there, in that proud way that made you not notice the heavily-enspelled chains, utterly neutral and composed. Waiting, like they all were.

Dante wished weapons not giving testimony were allowed in the courtroom. He could seriously use Nevan's whispered comments right about now.

"All rise."

Finally!

There was a small speech about how this was totally unprecedented, yadda yadda yadda, that Dante actually listened to, hoping to hear clues as to the verdict. Damn judge keeping them in suspense.

Okay, here we go.

"The defendant, Vergil von Schwärzung, is found guilty of all particulars but innocent of high treason against humanity."

In other words, yeah, he'd done the property damage and seal breaking, but he hadn't done so to get humanity conquered.

Which meant he was innocent of the big one, and wasn't going to get executed.

"The sentence is commuted to a fine, which has already been covered by his brother, and the twenty-year-jail term will be changed to supervision by his family and community service, the amount to be worked out by the US government."

In other words, Vergil would be working off his lesser crimes by killing demons. Which wasn't entirely a bad thing, not like any of them really needed the money.

The jail term, which he'd actually forgotten about, had been assessed for the mundane damaged in the same spirit to which people were sentenced to two life sentences, one of which they couldn't serve. Vergil could still have been made to go to jail for that time. He tried to imagine Vergil in prison clothes. Weren't they orange nowadays? The mind boggled.

The image wasn't necessary to make him smile, anyway. Relief did the trick. The judge had to pause as a cheer went up. Lucia was particularily enthusiastic, Dante noted, and wondered what had gone on while Vergil was there. Had to get the details out of him later. Vergil could use a girlfriend.

He'd always needed to get laid… not important right now.

The chains were being taken off his brother, finally, and Vergil was finally, finally free, a free man both among demons and humans.

Would Vergil finally believe, now that humanity had confirmed it, that he was a good guy?

Vergil turned to look at him (Dante had glanced at him occasionally while the judge was talking, and Vergil must have felt his gaze but hadn't turned to meet it) finally, and Dante grinned.

Vergil looked years older and more composed already, his outer appearance a reflection of his inner state and confidence, or so Sparda had explained.

Dante had looked older than he really was when he was fourteen, so had Vergil. Recently, Vergil had gone back to the way he looked then, it had been weird and Dante had wondered what the hell was up with that until Dad told him.

He looked, now, like he had when both of them had braved the tower and the hell it led to.

He looked ready to take on an entire world, just like he had then. Ready to face down anything and anyone.

Oooh, Lucia and Trish were hugging each other. Just because they were like little sisters to him didn't mean they weren't hot chicks. He could do without the crying though.

"Come on, let's celebrate! Back to my place, I've got drinks!" he called out.