Chapter Forty: Judgment

Notes: See the end for the closing notes! Thank you so much to everyone who did the poll! It's still open until Sunday in case you still wanted to do it but didn't have time! More on that later!

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Sunday, August 25th, 5:30

None of them could recall the last time they had participated in such a woefully silent ride in the van. Despite the obvious time pressure and severity of the majority of the missions that they underwent, there was normally an air of excitement or humor on board the van, even on the occasions that the passengers present were missing a sense of humor altogether. Tension wasn't an emotion that most of the Devil May Cry crew associated with their commutes, but on this specific occasion, that was the perfect adjective to use to describe how they felt about the situation that they currently found themselves in.

The strangest thing about the situation was that their new guest didn't seem the slightest bit fazed about the situation. He sat atop one of the two stools that accompanied the bar-style table that was bolted down behind the drives seat, more or less silently content with flipping through a magazine that one of them had left onboard sometime ago. Some sort of mind-numbing fashion periodical that none of them really cared to flip through aside from Nero who claimed to have taken a nap under it at one point or another during a mission. All in all, it wasn't the sort of thing that any of them really cared to read, but the unfamiliar redhead in question seemed to be captivated to some considerable degree with every single page of the thin paper booklet, nodding to himself quietly as he read each page, genuinely intrigued.

In an effort to ease the admittedly agonizing silence between them, Nero sighed and came to the conclusion that maybe trying to talk to this new guy might make things less uncomfortable. V was sitting shotgun to him, quietly contemplating something that Nero couldn't fathom. He'd been around V long enough at this point to tell when he was thinking deeply about something, and he was willing to bet that in this particular situation, it was the mysterious redhead they were currently traveling with. There was no way that his older brother was going to initiate a conversation with him, so it was probably best that he do so himself.

"So, um… Sirrus right? What's so interesting about that magazine? You've been reading it since we left." Nero said with a passive glance towards the back of the van. He's become accustomed to driving with Nico around, but that didn't mean that he'd forgotten the basics of road safety. For a moment he caught himself wondering if V could drive. He'd seen him sit in the driver's seat before, but the white-haired summoner had never so much as reached for the steering wheel. He'd have to ask him about that another time when he wasn't so… preoccupied.

A surprisingly pleasant smile spread across the newcomer's face, his grey eyes leaving the magazine for a moment to acknowledge Nero's question. He seemed pleasantly surprised that the devil hunter with the short hair was actually speaking to him. It was a nice change of pace from the last half hour or so of awkward but admittedly welcome silence.

"Oh, and here I thought you were giving me the silent treatment. Understandable, of course. I don't tend to mix well with strangers, either. But regardless, I'm glad you asked." He glanced between V and Nero for a moment before nodding towards the magazine in question. The older of the two white-haired demon hunters seemed to catch his gaze for a moment, still in the process of combing over his mental quandaries." I love to see how the clothing and the people that wear it change over time. It's kind of a timepiece in of its self in that regard. I find it truly fascinating. Living history has always captivated me in a way that times long since passed could not, though in that sense, all moments are instantaneously relegated to the annals of history the moment they pass, so history will always be both living and dead. Strange how that works."

Nero stared at him blankly for a moment, simultaneously confused and yet somehow fully understanding what Sirrus meant by that all at once. At least from what he could tell. He hadn't expected that response in the slightest, and his lack of a sufficient response pointed to that factor. But then who would expect such a philosophical answer to such a benign question? No one in their right mind expected to receive a thesis paper as a response to a simple inquiry, after all.

Without warning, V stood up and made his way over to the couch that sat across from their new companion, seeming finished with whatever had kept him so preoccupied the majority of the car ride. There was a certain level of obvious curiosity that was evident in the other man's gaze as V sat down, giving him an intense but otherwise harmless look that was difficult to decipher. From what Nero could tell at a casual glance, it seemed almost as if V were attempting to study the man in the hopes of understanding something. Maybe there was more to him that he has initially suspected, and V knew something that he did not? That wasn't impossible. Neither of them had moved past the point of suspicion when it came to this new person who they had only met a short while ago. Much like when Nero had first met V, he had far more questions than answers, and what questions he did have were profound and needed to be addressed as soon as possible. Hopefully they would have them in a few minutes when they affixed at Magnolia's house.

"I'm curious. What do you mean by living and dead history? Is that to say that history that has yet to be created is living, but that which has already been created and resigned to paper should be considered dead as, by its very nature, it is in the past?" V reclined slightly, attempting to make himself somewhat more comfortable than he previously was. This conversation had suddenly piqued his interest, and he wasn't going to miss an opportunity to gain a better understanding of who they were working with." Can actions that have yet to be carried out be history, or are they simply predestined, if you believe in that sort of thing?"

Sirrus raised an eyebrow, nodding to himself slowly as he took in V's response, taking a moment to linger on the questions that he'd been asked. He chuckled slightly, closing as he nodded in agreement, this time much more noticeably than he had before; more sure of himself and of how he felt about the inquiry." I think I like you. I hope I don't come off as the smug, pretentious lout that you probably think I am by now. In actuality, I'm quite approachable. I just lack people skills."

Nero scoffed slightly at the statement." Well, if that's the case, at least your self aware."

A thoroughly exhausted expression crossed the young summoner's face, signaling that he suddenly felt more exhausted than he had a moment ago. It was as if the possible repercussions of such a bold statement had physically aged him several years. While there was a part of V that genuinely loved Nero's no-nonsense attitude, neither of them was sure what this stranger was capable of just yet, and he was willing to bet that possibly the worst place to receive that education would be in the back of a moving vehicle. While he was sure that they could both handle themselves, he wasn't eager to limp the rest of the way to Magnolia's home after pulling himself out of a car accident, especially if they then had to explain what had happened after arriving.

Much to his surprise, Sirrus burst into hysterical laughter. Nero glanced back at him for a moment as the red-haired man whipped a few stray beads of moisture from his eyes, noting the curious look that V was giving him. He seemed almost confused, unsure as to how to interpret that kind of reaction. Was he angry, or did he actually find that entertaining? In truth, it was all a bit much from him this early in the morning. The summoner was far from the sort of person who enjoyed being up this early, and critical thinking? Well, that didn't occur until at least nine am at the earliest.

"To be honest, I think your probably right. I am a stuck up git, aren't I?" Sirrus said as he took a few deep breaths to settle himself." The environment I come from demands composure and a keel intellect above everything else. Having an actual personality is secondary. It's nice to do fieldwork for a change. Thank you for entertaining my insanity."

Before either of them could ask him to elaborate, they turned onto the street that Magnolia lived on and Nero pulled the van to a stop. The porch light was on, and the front door opened as soon as the key was removed from the ignition, signaling to both of them at they had, in fact, been expecting them. Sirrus nodded and then opened the side door to the van, gesturing for V to go ahead of him. After a moment, he obliged, noting that the man in the black coat patiently waited for him to exit before hopping down and closing the door. Nero exited through the front door to the van, joining V as their companion forged ahead, waiving at Magnolia. She stood in the doorway shaking her head as they approached, seemingly saying something under her breath.

V glanced over at Nero as he joined him, the two of them heading up the stairs just behind the intrepid man in the foreign getup. He seemed slightly perplexed, earning him a curious look from the younger of the two as they approached the door." What is it?"

The young summoner shrugged slightly, a gesture that Nero was not at all accustomed to seeing. From what he could tell, V was more than ready to see what was going on so that they could enact whatever plan they had probably been summoned here to discuss. He needed to put his mind at ease, not that he was exactly worked up to start with. He just needed a more concrete idea of who and what they were working with.

"It's nothing. I simply find it amusing that you could drive as well as you do this entire time, and yet you insist upon allowing Nico to nearly kill us every time we travel." V chuckled slightly under his breath, smirking as they entered the building." If others had not been foolish, we should be so."

Nero followed behind him, shaking his head as they entered the room to find two familiar faces sitting across from them. Both Dante and Vergil seemed to be just a few moments shy of a disagreement, and he got the feeling that their arrival might have been the only thing that had stopped that from occurring. Between that and the quote that V had just thrown his way, Nero was about as done with the situation as his older sibling was, and they'd only just arrived. How was it only six in the morning and things had gone this poorly already?

"Okay, now that everyone is here, I think I have some explaining to do," Magnolia said, a slightly somber look on her face. She took a deep breath and exhaled, clearly displeased by some turn of events that the majority of the group had missed." Well, everyone except Nico. But I suspect that she will be along in a moment-"

As if summoned by the words that Magnolia had spoken, the mechanic came from the kitchen, clearly caught red-handed in the act of eating something. Magnolia gave her a humorous look as the young gunsmith shrugged, clearly embarrassed by the number of eyes that she found on herself. It seemed that she's been found out long before now, and the kindly botanist had simply been biding her time waiting for an opportunity to publicly shame her for her gluttony.

"Hehe… My bad. I was hungry, and there were dinner rolls, and one thing lead to another and…" Nico rapidly realized that there were more pressing things at hand, her gaze turning to Sirrus as she finished chewing whatever was left of what she'd been eating, still holding a spare in her off-hand as she raised her free hand to gesture towards the newcomer." Should I even ask who this is, or should I just go back to eating?"

Dante laughed to himself slightly, gesturing in a manner somewhere between a shrug and a disingenuous "whatever" motion." If you're going for the second option, then so am I. I still have no idea what's going on here, and I'm actually pretty hungry."

Vergil shot Dante a look of flabbergasted disbelief before turning his attention back to Magnolia and Sirrus. Just as she'd said, they were due some answers, and he intended to receive them sooner rather than later." … What is this about, then? Time is of the essence."

The plucky botanist nodded before reaching into her apron pocket and producing a familiar black book. Confused looks were exchanged across the room before she contented, gesturing towards Sirrus as she did so." When V brought this book back, I enlisted the help of a longtime associate of mine to help deal with it. As I might have mentioned before, it's heavily cursed and, as such, needs someone experienced to decipher it. That is where he comes in."

Everyone glanced in the red head's direction as she handed him to book. He opened the cover, flipping through the pages with a look so casual that it actually unnerved Magnolia slightly. He then closed the book and scoffed, groaning as he returned it to her.

"Honestly, Magnolia. Associates? Were far more than that. I can't be that embarrassing to know." he turned back towards the room, facing the rest of them in an attempt to settle the discourse he felt brewing in the small space." Yes, that book is very cursed, and for good reason. I think I'd be more concerned if it wouldn't try to kill me for reading it. It's an Apocrypha, a book of forbidden knowledge. I wouldn't be surprised if the influence of that book alone was enough to drive those cultists I've heard about insane."

Vergil looked visibly uncomfortable with that revelation." … I have a feeling that I may know where they got it from. Have you heard a devil prince named Belial?"

A somewhat startled look crossed Sirrus's face as he nodded, immediately understanding the implications of what the eldest Son of Sparda was implying." Ah. Truly wonderful. And just when I thought this part of the country couldn't have more problems. Now I understand why I'm here." He took a moment to remove his coat and hang it on the coat rack nearest to the door, clearing his throat before proceeding." I am an adjudicator on behalf of… well, that's not important. What is is that I've been assigned to find out what the hell is going on in this region. But with a Prince of Darkness involved as well as an Apocrypha, I can't say that it's much of a mystery anymore. Cult or no cult, this honestly can't get much worse."

Dante raised his hand, interjecting. While the gesture was entirely unnecessary and he knew it, it garnered the correct response. In the end, he'd done so more to bring humor to a bleak conversation than to actually ask for permission to speak. He'd never asked for that a day in his entire life, and there was no point in starting now.

"Would an Arcana make it worse? Because the cult had one of those, too. And a Conduit. Well, they did before their master killed them all. But that's what I'd call a "technicality." Dante gestured towards V and Nero, the two having gradually made their way over to the couch during the discussion. They couldn't have been more lost as to what was going on if they tried." You two got any ideas?"

Nero shook his head, more interested in finding out more about what was going on than anything else. It was problematic, to say the least." Honestly, I just wanna know how you two even know each other." He said, pointing between Magnolia and Sirrus." I mean, are you two related or something? I don't know anyone that can read a cursed book or whatever, and I live in Fortuna. What a lucky break."

Much to their collective surprise, Sirrus nodded. "Yes, that does make it worse. Considerably worse, actually. I work in antiquities, so to speak. And ironically, yes, we are related. Though distantly. Probably a few times removed. There are a few divorces in there somewhere." He shook his head, clearly recalling some until and more than likely complicated series of events that they were not privy to." It's quite a long and complicated story, so you'll forgive me for not retelling it now. There will be time enough for that later. Regardless, I'm happy to help in any way that I can. This is a case of both business and pleasure, and the two rarely mix. When Magnolia askes, I deliver. It's that simple."

His eyes traveled to the far end of the room, landing on Nico as she gave him a perplexed look that he couldn't quite quantify. The rest of the room followed his gaze, sharing his puzzled sentiments. None of them were sure what was going on with her, but they also knew that if it was Nico, then she probably had a decent reason to look so confused. As a whole, she tended to keep her composure in most situations. Something was clearly bothering her.

"Have I done something wrong, Luv? You seem disconnected from the situation." The redhead looked genuinely confused as to why she looked so lost." I there something I can do to put your mind at ease?"

The normally silly, funloving mechanism gave him a sideways look, nodding to herself as though she had just confirmed something for herself." I knew it! We have met before. You been in town recently?"

An amused smile spread across Sirrus's face as he chucked under his breath slightly, nodding in agreement." Guilty as charged. I was wondering if you'd recognized me." He looked genuinely pleased with himself as he continued to laugh to himself, clearly reveling in the irony of their encounter." So, how was the blueberry pomegranate danish, then? Did you end up getting it?"

Nico shook her head and flopped down in one of the nearby seats." Yea, I got it. What the hell? Small world, hu?"

He nodded." Yes. Yes, it is." he turned his attention to the rest of the room, a more serious look on his face." I do hope there is some sort of plan?"

Vergil gave him an ambiguous look, not entirely sure that they should even call it that." We have to return the artifact to the guardians that watch over it. After that, no. Not at all. I don't make plans that far ahead."

Dante repressed the urge to laugh. They were thoroughly fucked, weren't they?" Well, at least you can admit it. But yea, getting that knife as far from this demon as we can is all we've got at the moment. Unless we decide to go down to the underworld and pick a fight with him, that's all we really can do until we know more about what he's planning."

Sirrus nodded, the severity of the situation weighing on him." Well, then I won't keep any of you any longer. I have my own investigations to undergo, and it looks like you have a trip to prepare for. Good luck to you. I'll be back with you shortly."

With that, he grabbed his coat off of the coat hanger and slipped out of the front door, leaving them to sit and consider their next move carefully. There were still far more questions that there were answers, but that was normally the case, wasn't it? For now, all they could do was deal with the task at hand. There was one eventually that they could prepare for, and so long as that was the case, that would be their main goal. Taking things one at a time could be their best shot at figuring out how best to combat what they were up against.

Dante glanced out across the room. No one needed to say anything. They knew what they needed to do next. "Ok then that settles is. I'll call the girls. It's time to visit Lucia."

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I want to take a moment to thank everyone who took the time to read this fic! I never would have thought that such an awesome community of people would spring up around this AU, and I can't thank you enough for everything! This isn't the end, don't worry! Were just going into book three soon.

Book Three is called Hiraeth!

On Friday, December 18th, 2020, book three starts! I just need a few weeks to get the new pages together! Don't be surprised if you see me throw a few chapters of a new fic up. I'm thinking of doing something fun just for the hell of it during that period, so look out for a new fic called "Saudade". It's just a collection of side fics to fill in parts of the story that didn't need a whole chapter in the main series. Might even throw some stuff in there from Dante and Nero's childhoods. I'll toss it into the Seriese section for this fic, so keep an eye on that sometime next week if your interested!

My poll from last week is still open as well! Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill it out! And thank you for everything! See you in two weeks!