"Jaune!"
"Kid! Where are you!?"
The Devil May Cry crew, accompanied by an extremely worried Jeanne, searched around the forest, looking for Jaune, who had been gone for two days. Normally, they wouldn't be so alarmed or worried, since they were all confident in his abilities. But, Rebellion had received a distress signal from his sister, leading them to said forest.
"Are you sure this is the place, Rebellion?" Dante asked.
The demonic sword glowed, and hummed in confirmation. "Yes, this is where I felt her signal. But, she's not actively broadcasting her presence. Meaning that there may be something that would put Jaune in danger if she revealed themselves. Stay cautious."
Nodding, the Son of Sparda and his compatriots roamed around further, splitting up. Dante walked up to his sister-in-law and clasped her shoulder in comfort, knowing that she didn't want to bear the thought of losing another of her children. Trish frowned, a bit uncomfortable of the presence that surrounded the woods. Lady trailed close by, keeping an eye from behind.
Nora and Luna went up the trees, hoping to get a better vantage point. But from what they're seeing, things didn't look too good. They saw a few of the trees were broken down. Some had fell, others had a large gap within them or were burnt by something.
Ren saw something out of the corner his sight and jogged up to it. His eyes widened, getting a good look. Red Queen was pinned to a tree while a motorcycle lay underneath it, cleaved in half, surrounded by some ancient scrolls. He pulled out the large blade and called out to the others to show them what he found.
"There's no doubting it… Jaune's nearby. After Fenris died, he pretty much kept Red Queen on him at all times. He may be close." surmised the now white-haired male. After the transfusion, Ren made a full recovery, but there were some changes. One such thing was his hair changing from black to white, although the pink streak still remained.
Jeanne craned her head and saw something blue moving around. Turning to face it, her eyes shot open at the sight of a translucent version of her missing husband. Before she could speak, it spun around and started walking away. Wordlessly, she followed after it where it led her to Jaune's prone form, slumped under the tree as Yamato gave him her energy.
"Jaune!" she cried out.
Jeanne quickly knelt down by her son, checking on his condition. Numerous wounds were scattered across his body, but none too severe, most of them in the slow process of being closed up. She felt around for a pulse, and was very relieved when she felt one.
The others soon came after and were just as relieved to see Jaune alright for the most part. Ren rushed up to her aunt and helped her carry his unconscious cousin, moving to place him inside of her car.
Jaune's eyes flickered open, groaning as he felt his body ache all over. Looking up, he was extremely grateful to see the ceiling back at his room, and not some random, white ceiling at a hospital. He slowly moved to sit up, but felt something leaning against his stomach. Glancing down, he saw a familiar mop of red hair resting her head on his lap, peacefully sleeping.
Jaune softly smiled as he reached out to caress Pyrrha's hair, being careful not to wake her up. His eyes wandered to the window and saw it was now night, the sun having just set. The blond hummed, noticing that his girl was stirring. Pyrrha got up and softly gasped when she noticed he was awake. She practically tackled him and mashed her lips against his, tears trickling down her cheeks. Jaune didn't mind the kiss and was quick to reciprocate, wiping away her tears.
Pulling back, they touched foreheads as Jaune comforted her, assuring his best friend/girlfriend that he was alright, and wasn't leaving any time soon. Pyrrha got off of him and sat back down on her chair, content to just hold his hand.
"How long was I out?"
The redhead looked hesitant to say, but said it, nonetheless. "Two weeks."
Jaune looked absolutely floored. He had been knocked out for two weeks… Two freaking weeks! Did he miss anything important while he was out, was the question that was currently running through his mind right now. Before he could ask, however, Pyrrha spoke up first.
"Jaune… You know how I wanted to talk to you about Kyrie?"
He hummed in thought, nodding as he remembered it. "Yeah. Why? Is she having some problems?"
Pyrrha shook her head. "No… It's not that." She averted her eyes, refusing to look at her boyfriend in the eye. "Well, the thing is, Kyrie… She loves you."
The Son of Vergil did a double take, looking at her in shock. "She…loves me? Like, like how you love me?"
Receiving a nod, Jaune laid back down, needing to process that fact. Pyrrha held his hand, squeezing it comfortably. "I know it may come off as a shock to you, but it's the truth. She loves you romantically."
"...and you're not mad at her for feeling that way? You don't hate her or anything"
"Why would I? It's not her fault that that's what her heart wants. Besides, I could never hate her, she's my sister…and, well, I actually wouldn't mind sharing you with her."
Jaune's eyes widened, looking at Pyrrha incredulously, who had turned away once again, blushing heavily as she twiddled her finger together. Dating not only Pyrrha, but Kyrie as well? As he thought about it, the idea actually seemed appealing. He couldn't lie to himself, but there were times he actually entertained the thought of dating Kyrie when he had posed as Nero back in Fortuna, before he realized his feelings for Pyrrha.
"What's her take in all of this?" he asked.
"Kyrie's fully on-board, if you do accept. But, if you don't, she understands and will set aside her feelings for the benefit of our happiness. The decision is all on you."
A part of him was pretty content with just having Pyrrha… But the thought of making me Kyrie hurt and heartbroken just made him feel so…sad. He closed his eyes, considering the options and weighed them out. Finally, he spoke.
"I… I don't know yet. I need some time to think this all out. I just woke up, after all. That, and I need to speak with Kyrie myself."
Pyrrha nodded in understanding, saying that she'll relay the message to her sister. She then brought him up to speed of what happened while he was still unconscious. Her sponsor, Rugal, was planning on throwing some sort of scavenger hunt/fighting event. Invite-only, which he had received one, with the winning prize of a hundred million Lien.
Jaune's eyes shot open at the amount. A hundred million Lien? The things he could buy with that kind of money. He could treat his family, his friends, and most importantly, Pyrrha. Then, he remembered, the scrolls that he had gotten from Eve, plus his weapons and his motorcycle. Before he could ask, the door opened, and out came his mother, Dante and Trish came in.
Pyrrha stepped aside and walked out, deciding to give the family some room. Jeanne wrapped her son in a tight hug, letting out a few tears of joy. Trish smiled, settling for a hand wave, while Dante crossed his arms, looking a bit serious
"What happened, kid? You looked pretty banged up when we found you."
"Got my ass handed to me. That's what happened." he bitterly responded. "Just took a quick break after I did the job Morrison laid out for me. Then, out of nowhere, this guy called Akuma shows up and beats the hell out of me."
Trish stepped forward, looking very surprised. "You're certain that's what he called himself?"
The Arc Devil nodded. "Yeah. Why?"
The femme fatale frowned, leaning against the wall as a troubled look crossed her face. "Akuma is a well-known demon within Mundus's ranks. Originally, he was just a normal human, until he discovered an ancient power that allowed him to shed himself of his humanity and became a powerful demon - The Evil Intent. He frequently challenged anything he came across, killing them after he was done. Mundus grew afraid of him, and sent out Sparda to deal with him, when he hadn't betrayed his kind yet. Sparda had soundly beaten Akuma, but not without sustaining great injuries himself. While he was weakened, Mundus cast him out to another dimension, trapping him there."
"And if he was indeed the one that Jaune fought, that would mean he's escaped." finished Jeanne.
The she-devil nodded. "But, evil he may be, he actually has a code of honor from what I've heard - he will not fight the weak, the ill, the young, or the old. He'll only fight and kill you when you're at your absolute best."
Jaune plopped back, a deep frown on his lips. "That's not comforting at all. So what, he was just toying with me?"
"Not necessarily. Maybe, he just wanted to gauge you strength then left you to get stronger." suggested Dante..
Jeanne materialized a Vital Star into her hand and gave it to Jaune, fully healing his wounds. The blond looked over to his mother, both grateful and confused. She merely parted her bangs and looked away with a frown. "I know you well enough that you're going to join the event tomorrow." she explained. "Might as well have you in top shape."
"...Thanks, mom. Just because of that, I'll win the whole thing for you."
Dante stifled down a chuckle, and just smirked.
Jaune silently walked up to the stadium where the event would take place. With the lost of his coat, he had to look for an alternative. As luck would have it, Jeanne had kept some of Vergil's coats in pristine condition. So now, he was wearing his father's coat. It felt…weird, yet absolutely right.
Being stopped by the guards, he showed them his invitation and was allowed entry. The Son of Vergil was amazed at the amount of people that showed up. He scanned around, seeing a lot of variety. There were some Faunus, people who looked like students, models, men who seem pass their prime yet exuded a large amount of fighting experience, girls in all sorts of styles of clothing and-wait. Was that Ren? Seeing his cousin, he jogged up to greet him.
"Ren? What are you doing here?"
The Son of Dante clasped the blond's hand, giving it a firm shake. "Dad was invited too, but he declined and let me take his place. I'm mostly here for the scavenger part. I promised Nora I'd buy her all the pancakes she wants when I win."
A smirk crossed his lips as he pulled away his arms. "Heh. You're gonna have to get through me first. I aim to dominate this whole event."
Ren smirked back and two bumped fists. Unbeknownst to the two of them, a man in a white jacket was staring heatedly right at Jaune, an excited smirk on his face. Everyone ceased all conversation when Rugal's image appeared on the screen.
"Greetings, and welcome to the first ever, Treasure Battle. Now, I know some of you already know what's inside your envelopes. Open it, and inside you'll find your list of items. Your objective, of course, is to complete your respective lists and bring them to the designated spot. However, there's are some twists - each spot is designated with a guardian. You need to beat them before you can grab your item. And for the second one, some of you share the last two items on your list, but there's only three of each one. If your item has been claimed, you may take it from the other contestant by rite of combat. Beat them, you get what you want. Lose, however, you also lose the items you've collected and they'll be scattered in different places. All of you, do the best that you can…and have fun."
The hologram fizzled out and every competitor were led to different starting points by the organizers. Ren looked at his list and memorized each item he needed.
"A stone mask. A ruby. A pocket watch. A golden arrow, and…a sandwich?" Blinking, he reread his list again and found nothing wrong. "Why do I feel like these are all references to something?"
With Jaune, he could only raise an eyebrow, as everything he needed to find was something precious. "A ruby. An emerald. A sapphire. A pearl. And a diamond… Huh."
Everyone readied themselves as they all waited for the event to begin. A buzzer rang off, signaling the start. All of the competitors rushed out of their spots and headed into the large, open area. Around the stadium, numerous screens flashed to life, showing each competitor. Jeanne, along with her daughters, Pyrrha, Kyrie and the Devil may Cry crew sat on the stands, watching intently at the screens that had Jaune and Ren.
Ren didn't slow down as he scanned around the area. His map had directed them to this coordinates. To his luck, there embedded on the top of a boulder was the sandwich. However, much to his confusion, there wasn't anyone present. Smirking, he ran fast faster and launched himself into the sky, snatching it out of the stone and went to move ahead.
Out of nowhere, a burst of lightning sparked out and struck down a couple of trees. Luckily, Ren managed to slide under it and got away without so much of a scratch, barring the path behind him. He grunted and placed away the sandwich in his hammerspace. Out of nowhere, a group of androids materialized, completely surrounding him.
"Should've known." he muttered to himself. Ren looked at the robots, raising his hands in faux surrender. "So, any of you willing to sit this one out and have a chat?" They all responded by arming themselves, their hands being replaced with blades or a turret gun. "Guess not."
Those with the guns opened fire. Ren grunted and danced around the bullets, easily weaving through them, some of it ricocheting towards their fellow robots. Skidding to a stop, Ren clenched his hands and Gilgamesh appeared on his person, having been to give him by his father after the incident with Vice.
Cocking back his arm, he engaged the thrusters in the gauntlets and struck two of them before they could hit him with their blades. He flipped back, dodging more gunfire. Charging up the thrusters in his greaves, the saws beginning to spin as Ren dove down with a heel kick, slicing in half a poor robot and bifurcating the arms of three others. One of them dashed forward and tried to strike. Ren quickly stepped back before leaping forward with a counter-attack, punching through its chest.
He pulled back and ducked under an overhead, sweeping it off its feet and tore off its head with a heavyweight uppercut. Sliding back, he gathered aura into the palm of both of his hands and released it on the ground.
"Double Reppuken!"
The two waves of wind struck the remaining robots, slicing off their legs, rendering them immobile. With the opposition dealt with, Ren took another look at his map to check where he was headed next.
Jaune grunted, plucking the emerald out of the wall, the android guardian sparking with it head cleaved off. He had already obtained the diamond and pearl quite easily, so meaning, he was gonna be fighting someone for both the ruby and the sapphire. Sensing an attack, he rolled out of the way, a wave of fire narrowly missing him. The blond looked up, noticing the brunette that had been eyeing from the start leaned against the tree, a cocky smirk on his face.
Jaune's eyes widened, recognizing who he was from Iori's memories - Kyo Kusanagi, heir to one of the three clans that help beat Orochi, and his rival. But as soon as they met eyes, it was wiped away, replaced with a serious gaze. He held out his hand, and a burst of orange fire burst to life in his palm. "These flames…they call out to you, for some reason."
A throbbing pain erupted within Jaune's mind, but he shook it off, ignoring the instinctive hatred he felt for the man. But nonetheless, decided to fight with the former Yamagi Heir's techniques. He grunted, summoning out his own flame, his voice fused with that of Iori. "Then burn them out, purely!"
The two clenched their fist, extinguishing their flames and got into their respective fighting stances. They flicked their hands and sent out a wave of fire at each other, the projectiles canceling each other when they struck. Jaune charged forward and leaped at his opponent, slashing at him with ethereal claws. Kyo raised his guard up, blocking the attack, and quickly went for a counter-strike, setting his fists ablaze and throwing out a chain of swift punches.
Leaning back, the redhead dodge and grabbed Kyo by the wrist, throwing him to the side. He moved in and sent out three uppercuts at him, the last one sending the Kusanagi heir into the air. Gathering his fist into his hand, Jaune performed a rising uppercut, juggling his rival and sent him right into a tree.
Kyo flipped himself up to his feet, wiping away some blood. With a grin, he ran at the blond and their fists met in a clash, coated in their respective flames. The two of them exchanged blows, letting loose some sparks that surrounded them. Taking his opponent by surprise, the Kusanagi heir grinned and jabbed him in the stomach, quickly gripping his face and pulling him up the ground.
"Burn!"
At his declaration, he blew the blonde off with his flames, catapulting him back. Jaune composed himself mid-air, landing on all fours. He grunted and they came to blows once again. The Son of Vergil brandished his claws and slashed at the brunette, who dodged at the very last moments. However, Kyo didn't anticipate for him to grab his face as well and return the favor.
From the very comforts of his office, Rugal watched the on-going fights with a pleased smirk. Everything was proceeding as planned. Normally, something like this would've concerned him in terms of expenses, but the end result as was all that mattered.
Receiving a call from his subordinate, he merely tapped on his desk, accepting it. "Speak."
"Sir, we have sights on Akuma. He's appeared just where Mr. Benimaru started."
His smirk turned into a grin, trying to stifle his laughter. "Good."
Leaning into his chair, he let out a triumphant laugh as the pieces to his puzzle began to fall into place. Soon enough, his problems would all disappear!
Back with Ren, he was fending off numerous competitors, all trying to steal the arrow he had obtained. A burst of lightning went off, narrowly missing him as it struck down numerous trees. The Son of Dante summoned a gust of wind, letting him jump high and over the fallen trees that now barred the path.
"Sapphire Burst!"
However, out of nowhere, a burst of sapphires materialized, striking him down. Ren grunted as he did his best to deflect the barrage of gemstones. Gathering wind into his palms, he performed a Raging Storm around him to act like a makeshift shield. It worked, the sapphires being torn down to nothing.
"Impressive. Looks like you've improved from your last fight with Vice."
Ren narrowed his eyes, immediately on the offensive. From the fountain, the water rose up and shaped into Noriaki. The man took off his shades and bowed.
"Greetings, Ren Redgrave. I'm Noriaki, the Raging Waves of the Hakkeshu. And I've come to deliver a message!"
The white-haired teen clenched his fists tightly before loosening up, smirking the brunette. "You got a lot of guts to face me in the middle of a public broadcast. That's a bit admirable." he admitted.
Noriaki smiled, putting back on his shades. "That would be the case, but this area is completely private. There are no cameras here, and no one will cross this place. So, it's just you and me."
With a snap of his fingers, he changed his appearance. Just like with Vice, his entire skin turned pitch black, his hair and clothing glowing a vibrant color with his eyes becoming a dark shade of blue. Noriaki grinned, crossing his arms.
Play - Virtuous Pope
"Show me what you're capable of!"
Ren silently activated Gilgamesh once again and slipped into his battle stance. Noriaki made a hand motion and tendrils of liquid sprung forward, whipping towards Ren. He batted them all aside, doing his father proud as he did them in a showy manner. The Raging Waves grunted and called upon the moisture in the air, forming them into bullets.
Gathering wind into his palm, Ren punched it out in gusts, deflecting the projectiles that the Hakkeshu member sent. In a bid to surprise, Ren released a Reppuken with his feet. It did indeed. Noriaki grunted as the sharp blade of the wind struck him, drawing out blood. He scoffed and instead pressed on to attack, using the red liquid for his next move.
"Blood Wave!"
Gathering some of his blood, and the water from the fountain behind him, Noriaki sent in a typical wave fashion to wash over Ren. He merely cocked a smirk, and uttered one word.
"Trickster!"
Ren disappeared in a blink, reappearing right above the wave. With the height he was it, it allowed him to perform a brutal dive kick. He homed in on Noriaki and hit him straight in the throat, making him stumble back and clutch it in pain. The Son of Dante dashed forward and punched the servant twice while he was distracted, before switching to lightning fast kicks that shattered his ribs. Ren spun around, sending out last two kicks that launched him into the fountain.
However, that would prove to be a mistake. The waters surged, being sucked in to Noriaki's body, closing up his wounds. The Raging Waves rose up, grinning at the half-devil. Lifting up his hands, it transformed into large and deadly claws, but this didn't intimidate Ren.
"Not scared, eh? That's fine. It would've been boring if you were!"
Rugal swished around his wine glass, watching the on-going fights with an amused smile from the very comfort of his office. He raised his glass and took a swift sip. Lowering it down, he grinned, sensing the presence that has appeared behind him.
"I was wondering when you would show up."
Swiveling his chair around, Rugal faced Akuma, who looked at him with interest.
"So, it seems you've grown far stronger than we had first battled. You were but a young cub, who had yet to sharpen his claws all this years ago. Maybe now, you might prove to be worth my time. How has your eye been?"
The blond man parted away his right bang, revealing nothing but an empty socket with a single red pinprick in it. A deep frown crossed his lips, as it turned to match his left eye, still feeling the amount of pain he suffered when he lost it.
"It cost me quite a lot to have this sort of cybernetics be developed. Nonetheless, I should thank you. Because of that humiliating defeat, I learned what I needed to stand on the very top." Finishing his glass of wine, he tossed it aside and stood up, curling around his fingers. "That includes your powers, Akuma."
"You may try, but I assure you, it will only end in failure."
Flaring his powers, he grunted, readying himself for a fight. Rugal tore off his coat and powered up, his skin growing darker and his hair turning a platinum shade. The two juggernauts stood at the ready, preparing for what might just be the greatest fight in their entire lifetime. They broke off into a run, meeting each other at the center. The two stopped at the last second and their fist met in a clash.
The force behind both attacks resulted in a powerful shockwave that rippled across the room, tearing it apart. Pulling back their arms, Rugal and Akuma began trading blows, canceling out each other's moves.
All of a sudden, Akuma blurred back, teleporting away from Rugal. He grunted and shot out multiple fireballs at the servant of Orochi. The power-hungry man merely smirked, and gathered energy in the palm his hands, copying Ren's move.
"Double Reppuken!"
Rugal sent two waves of wind along the ground, crashing into the fireballs Akuma sent out and they canceled out. Smirking smugly, Rugal dashed forward and vanished in a blink, right before reappearing behind Akuma. One of the strongest demons cried out as multiple lacerations appeared on his body.
"Genocide Cutter!"
Rugal twisted his body and started rapidly striking Akuma, his legs creating slicing sounds as he sent him into the air with three rising arc kicks. Blood spurted out from Akuma's mouth, but he didn't let this deter him. Instead, he used it to his advantage. Flipping himself, she surged energy into his hands once again and fired off two fireballs that slammed Rugal onto the ground.
Landing down, he ran forward before jumping up, performing a spinning whirlwind kick, striking the megalomaniac numerous times. Quickly, he ended this with a rising uppercut, sending Rugal flying into his broken desk.
Jaune grunted, parrying Kyo's barrage of fast-paced strikes. Seeing an opening, he quickly dealt out his claw attacks, scratching the up the heir before he smacked him straight in the jaw then sent a kick straight on the chest.
"I don't have any quarrel with you, Kusanagi. Walk away."
The brunette wiped the blood off his face, looking at the blond with a smirk. "What do you think I am - a coward? Like hell I'm giving up."
He growled and started charging up his flames into the palm of his hands. Jaune narrowed his eyes, recognizing it as one of Kyo's signature moves. Wanting to end things now, he surprised the Kusanagi Heir. From behind him, Nero, his doppelganger, had materialized and trapped him in a hold.
"What the-?!" cried out Kyo, his move being interrupted.
With a clear shot, the Son of Vergil shifted into a stance, readying to perform one of the sacred techniques of the Yagami clan. "Enough playing!"
Dashing forward, he grabbed Kyo and started to strike at multiple pressure points in his body. "Scream. Cry!" With eight hits, he made him flinch, allowing the blond to stab him with his claws, lift him up into the air and slashed him down. "Die!"
Kyo cried out in pain, taking a big hit. He tried to push himself up, only to be kicked back down by Nero, who then vanished back into Jaune. The blond dusted himself off and turned to leave, but not before leaving some parting words.
"By the way, I'm not Iori Yagami, I'm Jaune Arc. Iori died weeks ago. I have his powers and memories, but I'm not him… Just thought you should know.'
Having said his piece, he left the brunette to writhe in pain.
Ren weaved around Noriaki's claws, doing his absolute best to not get hit by them. He blocked the next attack with Gilgamesh, then used the opportunity to clock the Hakkesshu member straight on the jugular. Before he could recover, Ren dashed forward and knocked the wind out of him with a blow to the chest, quickly following it up into a rising uppercut.
Charging up the thrusters in the gauntlets, Ren roared and slammed his fist into Noriaki's chest, punching through it. The Son of Dante blinked, noticing that he had grabbed on to something. Pulling back, his eyes widened as he stared at the ruby.
He looked down on Noriaki, who was now on the verge of death. The water from the fountain had been dried up, leaving him with no liquid to use for recovery. The servant of Orochi pushed himself, but could only manage to make himself knee.
"Beware… the power… of the end… for only a paradox…can beat him."
"What? What are you trying to say?"
"Our leader…can be beaten…but the paradox…has the highest…chance of killing him."
Ren grabbed onto Noriaki, looking confused. "What do you mean?!"
"Pass…this message and…the two of you…will figure it out…"
Tilting his head, Noriaki drew his last breath as his body returned to normal. Ren released his grip on the man, looking confused. He stood up and wiped the blood off the ruby, his mind trying to decipher what the Raging Waves meant.
Once more, Akuma charged his power into his palms and fired off another fireball. But this time, it was literally a ball of fire. Rugal flipped himself up and laughed as thrust his arm forward, a green barrier materializing in front of him. The fiery projectile bounced back, bigger and more faster.
Luckily, Akuma was able to react in time and phased through it. However, the servant of Orochi anticipated this. He lunged forward and grabbed him by the throat. Rugal lifted him up and strangled the demon, pulsing in a blue-colored energy into him. Once done, Rugal tossed him into the wall, lightning coursing through his body.
Before Akuma could recover, Rugal dashed forward and grabbed him by the head. He slammed the former human in the wall, a small explosion erupting from the impact. Akuma grunted and forced back the lowly servant, spamming out multiple fireballs to stave off Rugal.
"Kaiser Wave!"
The megalomaniac reared back and sent out a large wave of Aura, canceling out all of the fireballs, heading straight for is target. Akuma looked at the large projectile and merely punched it back, surprising Rugal. Thinking quickly, he gathered energy into his hands once more, and sent it as a fairly large, pink ball.
"Psycho Ball!"
The two projectiles crashed and canceled each other, kicking up some smoke. Akuma capitalized upon this and teleported in front of Rugal.
"Messatsu!"
He sent out three rapid and consecutive Shoryukens, the last one igniting Rugal in purple flames, and sending him crashing right into one of his statues, crushing it. The former Combat Philanthropist pushed himself up and spat out a glob of blood, grinning madly.
"This is starting to get fun!"
"Agreed!" Akuma flared more of his power, thickly coating him in a deadly shroud as his eyes burned with it. "Show me more of what you are capable of!"
"Gladly!" Rugal obliged and surprised his opponent with a sudden boost of speed and grabbed Akuma once again, slamming him into the wall once more, but this time, an explosion of Orochi energy accompanied it, damaging the fighting demon more.
Surprisingly, the walls still haven't crumbled down. Unsurprisingly, Akuma was still standing, albeit a bit injured. Nonetheless, he was undeterred as he tore off his gi and roared in excitement, charging off to attack Rugal once more.
"Give me that ruby."
"If you want, then you'll have to take it… But you already knew that."
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
Jaune and Ren had come across each other while they headed off to the designation spot, the latter already done with his list, while the former still needed the ruby. Figuring that his cousin would have the other ruby, he decided to ambush then fight him for it. The two Grandsons of Sparda smirked at each other as the gauntelts of their respective fathers materialized onto them. They slipped into a battle stance and readied for battle.
The Devil May Cry waited in excitement as the cousins dared the other to make a move. The both of them grunted, sending out their own respective projectiles along the ground.
"Reppuken!"
"Yami Barai!"
The waves of wind and flames crashed against each other, and canceled out, prompting them to release another one. And again, it neutralized each other. The cousins zoomed forward and met in a clash resulting in a small shock wave that cracked the ground.
"This is gonna be good." remarked Ren.
"Loser treats the victor?" asked Jaune.
Grinning at each other, they pulled back and began trading blows. The Son of Dante caught his cousin's fist and twisted his arm, pulling him for an over the shoulder throw. Ren gathered compressed air into the palm of his hand and shot straight at Jaune's stomach, knocking the wind out of him and sending him into a tree.
While the blond recovered, Ren dashed forward and elbowed him straight in the gut, quickly following it up with a palm thrust to the chest, exuding out some wind to increase the damage. This led to Jaune crashing through a row of trees, causing him to tumble down. Rather than continue to fight, Ren opted to hurry towards the designated spot. But-
"You think I'm just gonna let you get away, 'cuz?"
A phantom arm pulled him right into Jaune, straight into a powerful uppercut that flipped over the pseudo-devil. Jumping back, Jaune launched another Yami Barai at Ren while he was down. However, he boosted himself up with a small twister, also dispersing the wave of blaze. With him in the air, Ren took the opportunity to blast Jaune with multiple Shippukens.
Accessing Dark Slayer, the Son of Vergil blinked around the projectiles that were sent his way with ease. Getting an idea, he did a back flip, kicking one of the Shippukens back at Ren. Not at all expecting that, he was knocked out of the air and crashed back onto the ground. As he tumbled down, he rolled right back up, allowing himself to quickly recover.
Jaune clenched his demonic arm, changing it to its icy form. "Ice Breaker!"
Letting out a shout, he shot out a beam of ice at Ren. He was unable to react with its speed and was frozen in place. Jaune slid over to his cousin and knocked him up in the air, also freeing him from his cold prison. Changing his arm back to Devil Bringer, he grabbed him with a Buster, harshly dragging him down, also making him bounce. Jaune jumped up and slammed down his spectral fist onto Ren, creating numerous spider-web cracks on the ground.
Dropping down, he panted a bit. While his fights with the guardians of his items didn't take all that much effort, his fight with Kyo, however, did tire him a bit. He had expended energy to honor a guy he never met by using his techniques against his rival. This was an opportunity Ren didn't throw away.
Spinning himself up, he crushed about two Wind Dusts, giving him a power boost. Gathering energy into his hands and charging up the thruster in his gauntlets and greaves, Ren charged forward and struck Jaune straight in the chest, swiftly executing an upwards corkscrew kick that sent the both of them rising into the sky. Flipping himself, the Son of Dante stomped Jaune back down. He dove down, and slammed his fist onto his cousin's body, releasing the charged up energy.
"Raging Storm!"
From the ground, a geyser of energy burst out and enshrouded the two of them, repeatedly striking Jaune. A few seconds later, and Ren ceased his attack, panting quite heavily as he had spent quite a bit of power. Wiping away the sweat, he turned to head towards the last spot, before sighing in slight frustration.
Turning around, Jaune pushed himself up, looking no worse for wear. He wiped away some of the blood on his lips, his wounds closing up as he smirked at his cousin. "Didn't think you'd have to in you. But I'm not done just yet. I can still fight."
Roaring, he partly released some of his devil powers, strengthening himself. Jaune clenched his fists and slipped into another battle ready stance. Ren ran a hand through his hair and looked at his cousin with a grin. The both of them charged up to their gauntlets and ran at each other for one last clash. It was unfortunate for Ren that his previous attack had left him exhausted and weakened, allowing to Jaune to overtake him easily.
The Son of Dante groaned, lightly wincing as his Aura shimmered, before shattering. Jaune walked passed him and crouched down to retrieve the ruby, which had fallen out from Ren's grasp. As he was about to apologize to him, a drone had flown in with an announcement.
"WINNER - ATHENA ASAMIYA!"
At this, the two sighed in complete disappointment, with Jaune tossing away the ruby to help Ren stand up.
"Well, that's unfortunate."
"Messatsu!" he cried out once more.
Akuma unleashed a large wave of purple energy, sending it at Rugal. The head of the Hakkeshu grunted and was forced to take the full brunt of the attack, almost pushing him back. Once it had finished, however, Akuma went on the offensive. Again, he had sent out spinning whirlwind kicks, forcing the megalomaniac's back against the wall. Akuma ceased, only to kick himself off and into the air, sending out a dive kick that stunned Rugal. Grunting, Akuma grabbed him by the neck and delivered a savage neck chop, smacking him onto the floor.
The former human flipped back, avoiding the net of electricity that Rugal had manifested in an attempt to get his guard down. The redheaded megalomaniac growled and surged electricity to the palm of his hand.
"Raikouken!"
He thrust his arm forward and sent out a large ball of lightning, which managed to hit Akuma, electrocuting him. Charging forward, Rugal coated his arm in a sharp energy, and sent out a rising slash.
"Psycho Sword!"
Akuma grunted as a large gash appeared on his torso, blood spurting out, but nothing too deep. He grasped his wound and couldn't help but grin, even though blood was spilling down.
"Incredible. This is truly one of the greatest fights I've ever had. In spite of your methods, I will remember your name, Rugal."
"Ho? And why is that? You think that you will kill me right here? I don't think so. That power of yours is too awesome for you to possess."
Charging, Rugal roared and coated himself in a web of lightning, preventing Akuma from physically attacking him. However, this didn't deter the Master of Fists. The red-haired fighter roared and fired off multiple fire balls, all starting to whittle down the makeshift barrier.
However, he wasn't fast enough, as Rugal had shoulder bashed him into the wall, both slamming and shocking him. But, he had walked in on Akuma's trap. The former human grabbed Rugal by the throat and sent out a pulse of energy, that rocketed him back, right into the suit of armor that in his office, which also had a sword, conveniently piercing him.
Akuma fell to his knees, panting, his one weakness starting to creep up to him. He had immense power and strength, that much is true. But there was one thing he lacked - stamina. He can dish out pain, but he couldn't take it.
That's why it was crucial for him to always have absolute control over the battle. But now, he and Rugal seemed to be pretty matched. Nonetheless, Akuma could only smirk and punch the floor as a glint of excitement appeared in his eyes. The final clash was inevitable. He stood up and prepared to use his most devastating attack.
"Prepare yourself!" he declared.
Rugal grinned, charging up for his attack as well. The two powerful entities clashed, causing a ripple of energy to rip through the entire room, and would've seeped out into the outside, were it for not the building's entire purpose is to redirect power into the seal of Orochi to further weaken it.
A large smoke filled the room, with as a large fire engulfed it as well. If a normal person walked in, they wouldn't have been able to see through it. Until finally, the smoke started to clear, with the flames parting to show who had been the ultimate victor.
"HE HE HE HE HE HE HEH. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
It was Rugal. The Mad Genocider held up Akuma's limp corpse, draining every ounce of the former human's power and assimilating it into himself. A large grin crossed his lips, his prosthetic eye glowing a dark red before being replaced, his eye regenerating as he laughed.
"I told you, didn't I? You don't deserve this awesome power, but now it's in its rightful place - with me!"
Orochi Energy, mixed with Evil Intent? There was no doubting it, Rugal had gained tremendous power… He has basically become a demi-God!
Looking up at Akuma's empty husk, Rugal's grin become twisted as he blew it up, turning the dead body into nothing but dust. Clutching his head, the megalomaniac began laughing triumphantly. Now, no one can stop him! He was practically unbeatable!
Glancing at his monitor, he was a bit disappointed that Jaune did not win, but it didn't really matter. He got what he wanted. Controlling his new powers, he willed them away and returned to his normal looking. Putting back on his coat, he strode out of the room and went to meet up with the winner.
After that, he'll tie up the loose ends.
Jaune leaned on the pillar, his arms crossed and his eyes closed. The awarding ceremony was happening in the background, with Rugal handing over the large check to the purple-haired idol. The blond sighed, feeling disappointed and shame that he didn't win.
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he opened his eyes to see Pyrrha staring at him with a comforting smile, his family right behind her. "Come on, Jaune. Stop moping around. It doesn't matter if you didn't win. You tried your best, that's all that matters."
"It's not that, Pyr. I wanted to win, so I could take you all out for a treat, just a way to show my appreciation and gratitude to you all."
Dante grabbed his nephew in a head lock, giving him an affectionate noogie. "Well aren't you just being affectionate."
Everyone laughed at Jaune struggling to get out of the hold. However, things had to be cut short as an android approached the group to direct them to the after-match banquet. Ren stayed behind, trailing after his cousin.
"Hey, Jaune. There's something I need to tell you." Seeing he's got his attention, he continued. "During the event, one of the Hakkesshu ambushed me. Don't worry, I dealt with him. It's just that, his last words confused me. Something about the end being their leader, and that the paradox has the highest chance of killing him."
"Leader? Was he talking about Orochi, or the head of their little group?"
"I don't know." he admitted. "How many more of the Hakkesshu do we have to deal with? There was Spettro, Glassare, Vice, and Noriaki. There are still four others that are unaccounted."
The Arc Devil shook his head. "No. There's only two. The fire one, I found her dead two weeks ago. And the embodiment of earth has gone off the grid, apparently. So that only leaves two more that we don't know of."
"I see… We can think about it more tomorrow. And I don't know about you, but I'm famished."
Cut to the banquet, all of the contestants, along with their companions dined on the delicious food that Rugal's servants served. Ren had to restrain Nora when she learned that there's a whole platter dedicated to pancakes. At the corner of hall, Jaune ate his food, joined by both Pyrrha and Kyrie.
Looking up from his plate, he felt his lips tug at the corner, seeing a droplet of sauce trailing down Kyrie's mouth. Grabbing a napkin, he moved to wipe it off before it could stain her dress. She mumbled a thank you, and continued on eating. Sighing, he dropped his utensils and looked at his friend. Time to clear the air.
"I think it's about time we talked."
Pyrrha sent her boyfriend an admonishing look. "Really, Jaune? Here?"
Glancing around the tables, everyone seemed very absorbed with eating and chatting with each other, the sheer volume of their voices would drown out their own words.
"Yeah, I think this is a good place. Everyone's pretty busy, no one's gonna bother listening in on us." Taking a deep breath, Jaune looked at Kyrie right in the eye with a gentle expression. "Pyrrha already told me, but, I want to hear it from you, Kyrie. Do you... really love me?"
Averting her gaze, a healthy amount of red dusted the younger redhead's cheeks. She shyly twiddled her hair as she answered him. "I do. I have for quite a while. Back in Fortuna, it was just a little crush. Infatuation, even. It grew when you saved me. Somewhere down the line, I realized that I had feelings for you... The day you and Pyrrha announced that you were dating."
The two flinched involuntarily. Kyrie then continued.
"I admit, it really hurt when I heard that. For a time, I thought that it was unfair, but who was I to say that? You two have known each other far longer, and it's obvious that you really cared for one another. In the end, I decided to set aside my own feelings and happiness for you two and just silently watch in the background."
Jaune mulled over his thoughts. Kyrie really did love him, but can he really do it? Date two ladies at, the same time, who are also sisters. Admittedly, just the thought of it, he really liked the idea. He really cared for the two of them. They were kind, caring, and very beautiful. A few more minutes of thinking and Jaune was ready to answer.
"I-"
"Pardon my intrusion."
The three looked to the right and saw Mature approach their table. Obviously, Pyrrha recognized her sponsor's secretary and greeted her. "Ms. Mature, is something the matter?"
The blonde gave the redhead an assuring smile, before glancing at Jaune. "I just need to talk with Mr. Arc here for a brief moment. There's something important I need to tell him. And it's crucial that the two of us go somewhere more private."
Sensing no malicious intent from the woman, the blond stood up. "Sure, as long as it's quick. Sorry, Kyrie. Guess that answers gonna have to wait."
"It's fine... I've waited for a few years. Another day won't hurt."
The blond felt a pang of guilt, but quickly pushed it down as he went up to follow the secretary. Patty noticed her brother walking away with a woman, and couldn't help but have her eyes wide in disbelief. There was no mistaking it. It was her!
Glancing around her table, making sure that her mother and sisters were preoccupied while she slunk away and followed after the two.
"So, what exactly did you want to talk about, Ms. Mature?"
Jaune leaned against the wall as Rugal's secretary closed the door. She had led him to an empty storage room far away from the on-going festivities. Perfect for some privacy. The blonde parted her bang and sighed as Orochi energy exuded off her body. In an instant, Jaune was on-guard, summoning Yamato to him.
"So, you're one of the last members of the Hakkeshu?"
"That, I am." she admitted. She ceased her energy and sat down. "But I'm not here to fight. I'm here to divulge information...against the final member of the Hakkeshu."
The Son of Vergil looked at her incredulously, not changing his stance kept up his guard. "Why the hell should I believe you? You don't get anything for betraying your comrade. For all I know, you're trying to lure me in a trap."
"But I do... You see, Mature isn't really my real name." the blonde revealed. "It's just the guise I took under when I serve Orochi. My true name...is Nina Lowell."
"Lowell?" parroted Jaune. He felt as if he heard the name somewhere else. He searched through his mind, trying to pinpoint where it was. His eyes widened in realization as he finally made the connection. . "Y-You're Patty's birth mother!"
Mature nodded in confirmation. She took out her locket and flipped it open, showing a picture of her holding Patty as an infant. "I had to leave her behind because I didn't want her wrapped up in this Orochi business. I'm thankful to your family for taking care of her, but I really want to be with my daughter again. But I can't do that with the threat of him still looming around."
Jaune considered what to do. This woman had possibly killed numerous people in the name of her deity, but like earlier, he couldn't sense any lies or malicious intentions. Just the want to be reunited with the one she gave birth to. Sighing, the Devil Arc clicked Yamato back into her scabbard.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
"First tell me, did Noriaki tell you anything?"
"If by Noriaki, you mean the guy that Ren beat? Yeah. He did. Pretty cryptic. Something about a paradox defeating the end, or something. The hell does all of that mean?"
Nina smiled, fiddling with her locket. "It's easy, really. When Noriaki mentioned a paradox, he meant you - the son of a cambion, and a nephilim. A union that should not be. Two opposites, joined in peaceful matrimony instead of being locked in a hateful situation. You and your sisters are quite special. You most of all, also having the power one of the Sacred Treasures."
"I see… But I still can't exactly fully trust you. If you just wanted to live a peaceful life with Patty, then why rejoin the Hakkesshu?"
Sighing, she played with her, a look of sorrow on her face. "Really, I never had the intention of serving Lord Orochi. Perhaps back then, I would have loyally served him, but the day that I gave birth to Patty, things changed. I went off the grid and decided to live in isolation with just the two of us, but we were discovered by Glassare and the last head. They demanded that I come back with them to fulfill my duties, but I refused and ran away. Naturally, they didn't take kindly to it and hunted us down. Somewhere down the line, I realized I couldn't keep on running, Sooner or later, they would find us and kill me, possibly taking my daughter to bend to their will. So, I had to give her away and go with them to spare her the life of being under Lord Orochi. Please, kill the last of the Hakkeshu! I beg of you, or else, he'll kill not only you, but-"
Nina couldn't finish her sentence as an arm protruded through her stomach, coating in blood and guts. Behind her was Rugal. He looked at her with disappointment.
"A shame that you weren't fully loyal to the cause. But you've only yourself to blame for this. No one betrays Lord Orochi and gets away with it!" he declared.
Rugal grabbed her by the head and absorbed her powers, adding it into his own. Jaune stood by, unable to react at all at the revelation of the final head's identity, and the sheer shock of the sudden events. Once she had been fully drained, Rugal tossed her aside. Her eyes were completely dull, no life in it whatsoever, staring right at her broken locket, before dispersing into nothing but dust.
Patty couldn't see much from the keyhole, only that her brother was facing off against Rugal, for some reason.
Jaune composed himself before roaring in anger, his pseudo-Trigger springing to life. Grabbing Red Queen, he charged at the blond with hatred burning in his eyes. Rugal, however, was more focused on flicking the blood off his suit. He effortlessly dodged all of Jaune's attacks. With his new powers, it was all but a cinch for two fingers, he caught Red Queen's blade, stopping in its track, surprising Jaune.
"Is that it?" yawned out Rugal. "Very disappointing. I was expecting far more from you, Jaune Arc."
He pulled the sword out of Jaune's hands and tossed it aside. Before he could react, the last Hakkesshu gripped him around the neck and tightly squeezed it. The Omega smirked and pulsed electricity into his hand, electrocuting Jaune.
Luckily, he managed to break free and kicked back the man in red. Growling, he called out Yamato and prepared to attack, only to be dragged by Rugal and slammed him on it, causing a great explosion of Orochi energy that severely weakened him.
Coupled with his earlier fights, and now being struck with a powerful surprise attack, it was no wonder that Jaune was already at his last wind. The Leader of the Hakkeshu grabbed him the hair and slammed him further into the wall. Materializing some sort of energy, he stuck them to Jaune's wrist and legs, effectively gluing them to the wall.
The Son of Vergil struggled against his restraints, but whatever they were, they were hard to break. He tried to pound it with his free hand, but it didn't even budged. Rugal walked up to the fallen katana, inspecting it with near reverence.
"The Yamato - one of the Dark Knight's legendary sword. A sword so powerful, it was used to separate this world from the demons. Legends say that it can through almost anything."
A cruel smirk plastered on his face. Rugal dashed forward, the sword in hand. Jaune's eyes widened and tried to block the katana, only for it to pierce through and stab him in the heart. The blond gaped in astonishment, as the sword of his father poked his heart. Rugal pulled back and finally restrained his Devil Bringer, staring at the weakened boy with a look of contempt.
"Like I said, it's such a disappointment that you fell so easily, but alas, all the better to realize our goals. Farewell, Grandson of Sparda!"
With no interruptions, he completely drove the katana into Jaune and pierced his heart. Naturally, the blond writhed and screamed in pain, but could do nothing due to his restraints. Rugal grinned and jammed it in even further until he stopped resisting and slumped forward, his body going limp as it ceased of any movement.
Jaune Arc…was dead.
Releasing his grip on the blade, Rugal laugh triumphantly as he teleported out of the room, not even taking notice of Patty's terrified and retreating presence.
Here it is. First part of the finale. And to be honest, I'm a bit excited in writing this. Sorry for the short absence, I was writing out some chapters for the Chronicles, if you guys didn't know it existed.
While I'm excited at writing this, I'm not happy with Noriaki's death. I honestly planned out something different, but I made due with the chapters left for this Arc.
Remember, if any of you have questions or anything at all to ask, leave it in the reviews down below. As always, keep safe everyone and have a good day.