Author's note: Sorry for the previous upload of this. You all know what I'm talking about. I have a lot of stored docs on this site, and mistakes happen. Well, dropped combos aside, let's do it right this time. Author's note: I said I'd do this. So here it is. You all wanted the Dark Slayer. You've got him. THIS. IS. POWER.
Prologue Part I- The Branching Path
The Underworld is a curious place. Over the millennia, it has been called many different names by humankind. Hell, Makai, Naraka, Inferno; countless such names exist. But in truth, each of these only describes a single or at most a few aspects of that realm. Being, after all, things that humanity decided to call that world, they are limited by human perception. In truth, the Underworld is more than one realm. It is several different universes, each with their own time and space, interwoven, connected. Several different planes of existence, if you will, woven together as though branches of the same tree. One could study the subtleties and specifics of this strange place for centuries, and yet be as confused as when one started. Fortunately, that is not the purpose we are here for. No, our attention is focused to a specific part of the Underworld. Here, a gigantic tree could be seen growing, from thousands of miles away. Its massive trunk spanned an area within which an entire city could fit, and ascended all the way to the sky, which seemed to have a hole torn in it. This was a dimensional rift, a tear in the fabric of space-time, which could be used as a portal to other worlds. And so it was that the Qliphoth stretched from the Underworld all the way to the Earth, which was in a different dimension entirely.
Towards this behemoth of a tree, two figures could be seen walking. The pair seemed perfectly calm, not worried in the least about the monstrous organism in front of them. Of the two, one was clad in a red jacket made of leather, and dark trousers. As he walked, hefted on one shoulder was a massive broadsword, far too large and heavy to be wielded by any human. Yet, this man carried it without any difficulty. There was a slight spring in his step, and a cool smile on his face. This was a man who could walk through hell unscathed, making quips all the way.
The Legendary Devil Hunter, Dante.
While the exploits of the Man in Red have been documented in detail elsewhere, we are here for the other man.
This figure wore a black long coat with dragon patterns adorning it. The tails of the coat were torn, but this did little to make it any less regal. Underneath it, he was clad in a pair of leather trousers and a button-up vest made of the same material. In one hand, he carried a sheathed katana, about a third of a length longer than a standard Japanese sword made for fighting on foot. This blade he held and carried with such ease and grace, it was impossible to imagine him without it. Even walking calmly, with it sheathed, the sword seemed a part of his very body and soul. His silver hair was slicked back, rising in fine spikes. Every step he took, his posture, his breathing; they were all perfectly natural, yet disciplined and controlled.
The Alpha and the Omega, Vergil.
Of the two brothers, he is the one this tale will follow.
Of course, as he approached the Qliphoth, the miraculous tree that bloomed once a few thousand years, he had no idea that he was on the brink of his next big adventure. No, as far as Vergil was concerned, he had just emerged from the latest in a long line of hellish experiences. It had taken a lot of effort, and he had suffered. But he had finally returned to being himself. He had finally restored his body, mind and soul to full health. And not only that, he had gained power. It wasn't often that the Dark Slayer was satisfied. He could count the number of times he had felt that feeling in his life on one hand. Yet, he was, at the moment, satisfied. All that remained was to cut down that tree.
"You know, I'm more than capable of doing this on my own", he said aloud.
"Yeah. But you don't have to," replied Dante.
Vergil would never allow himself to show any kind of agreement with his twin brother, but he allowed himself a small nod. Though he wouldn't admit it, it felt good to be able to be around Dante without the two of them trying to kill each other. Those days were over.
But that didn't mean the two weren't going to compete.
"Have it your way," said Vergil. Without wasting a moment, he transformed, an explosion of cerulean light bursting forth from his body as he shifted into his true demonic form.
Next to him, a similar blast of red light was released, as Dante did the same.
Side by side, the two Sons of Sparda stood, both of them possessing might that surpassed gods. The two had taken different paths to their power. Dante had obtained a Sin Devil Trigger by absorbing the Rebellion and Sparda swords into himself. Vergil, on the other hand, had consumed the Fruit of the Qliphoth.
Even the forms of the two Sin Devils differed. Of the twins, Dante was noticeably larger, his thighs, shoulders and arms bulging with muscles denser than any human or demon, holding untold strength. Bonelike spikes grew on his frame in various places, and his upper torso had rocklike ridges that followed the form of the rib cage. In the centre of his chest, these ridges ended, leaving an opening that glowed and burned orange with demonic power. This same glow was visible from under his scales, as though he had sheer hellfire running through his veins. A proud pair of horns rose upwards, ending in sharp tips. Four wings extended from his back, currently folded. Despite this, Dante's feet did not touch the ground. The sheer amount of demonic power he was exuding caused him to levitate a few inches in the air.
In contrast, Vergil's Sin Devil form was more slender. Despite possessing a powerful musculature larger than humanly possible, his frame was sleek, graceful, belying the terrifying strength it possessed, which was perfectly under his control. If Dante was the embodiment of overwhelming power unleashed, then Vergil was the manifestation of focused might, condensed and purposeful. Tough scales that appeared metallic grew on his shoulders, torso and legs. Interestingly, they greatly resembled the legendary Samurai of old. Perhaps this was a result of Vergil's subconscious mind shaping the form his demonic power took. After all, he had adopted their ways of honour and the blade. Noticeably, his forearm were massive, and from a ridge along where the ulna bone was located, jets of blue flame emanated from his elbows. This was the true form of the Yamato: one with Vergil, part of him. Similar blue flames burned from the two horns that crowned his head. From his back, a long, sinewy tail extended, ending in a spiked tip. Like Dante, he had four wings, which, while folded, trailed close to his hips.
In perfect sync, the two attacked. As had been seen before, despite very rarely having fought side by side, the twins could work together like no other.
Vergil went first. Transforming Yamato to its metallic form, he slashed it outwards in an unsheathing strike. A fine blue line went across the entire width of the Qliphoth's trunk. At first, that was all that was seen. Then, the portion above the line began to slide off. Vergil had sliced the demonic tree in half.
In a desperate attempt to preserve itself, the Qliphoth's tentacles burst forth, piercing into the halves to try to hold them together.
It was in vain.
Dante summoned forth the Devil Sword that bore his name. It appeared, wreathed in crimson flames. As he swung it, countless spectral swords made of his energy poured forth, covering every inch of both halves of the Qliphoth. Then, they detonated, completely obliterating the demonic tree on the molecular level, leaving no trace of the threat it once was.
Vergil's mouth curved in a slight smile, an expression both unusual and menacing in his demon form. As he morphed back to his human state, he made sure to return his face to his usual neutral look. If his brother had spotted the little display of emotion, it was hard to tell, because he didn't comment on it.
"I'd say we're still even," Dante said.
The elder brother looked for a way to argue otherwise. Not finding one, he decided not to grace the statement with an acknowledgement. He'd have to find a way to get the lead later on.
Before either of the twins could say anything more, however, the world around them shattered. Like pieces of glass, the sky, ground, and everything else began to fall apart.
"The hell's going on?" growled Dante.
"That tree! The last of its power has been released, and it's tearing apart the space-time continuum."
Dante swore.
"Can you use the Yamato to get us out of here?"
Vergil shook his head.
"This world is already unstable. Trying to create another portal right now may cause it to collapse entirely. If that happens, we will be trapped in Purgatory forever."
"Damn it!"
"Do not worry. This is merely the death throes of the Qliphoth. It will end soon enough. If we leave it as it is, it will subside without causing any further problems."
Dante breathed a sigh of relief, before his eyes sharpened again. He pointed upwards, where the portal to the human world was still visible.
"That thing's going to close in seconds. We need to move. Hey, you're not planning on staying behind again, are you?"
Vergil gave his brother a look of dry sarcasm.
"I've had enough of the scenery here."
With a nod to each other, both of them moved.
It would be a while before they could use their Sin Devil Trigger forms again, but that wasn't the only way to move faster.
Dante leapt high into the air, summoning a Trickster circle under his feet so he could jump upwards off it. He repeated this, ascending to the heavens with each leap.
Vergil conjured up a series of Mirage Blades, setting them up as a staircase of sorts, leaping from one to the next and gaining altitude.
It was narrow, but both brothers made it in time.
Fate, however, had plans for them.
Well, to be more specific, an extremely powerful ancestor had plans for them.
While Dante emerged from the portal to find himself on the familiar, ruined streets of Redgrave City, Vergil looked around, at a place he had never seen before.
The limbo space between worlds is common.
Through it, it is possible to visit many different universes.
And humanity existed in more than one of them.
So it was that at the last moment, the portal split into two, one leading to Earth, and the other, leading to an entirely different realm.
Prologue Part II- Remnant:
Vergil took a moment to survey the view. It wasn't a familiar one, that was for sure. To start with, he wasn't aware of any forest with trees that had tall, proud structures like these, but also red leaves instead of green. It was entirely possible that there was a landscape like this somewhere in the Underworld, but he knew he wasn't in the Underworld right now. If he were, he would have felt the potent demonic energy in the very air he was breathing. Which he didn't. At the same time, he knew this could not be limbo, which had no structure whatsoever, being simply a void. It took him only a moment to come to a conclusion. In his study of ways to open gates to the Demon World, and in his use of the Yamato, he had realized something. There were other dimensions out there. Other universes. Some were heavily documented.
The Demon World or the Underworld, of course.
Paradiso, or the Angel Realm, which was written of by the Lumen Sages.
But also rumours and theories of other mortal realms, other worlds where humans lived.
It definitely seemed possible, though Vergil had never been interested in such places.
But now, he realized that he must be in another world. Not the Underworld or Paradiso, nor Earth. But another.
"How annoying."
This was quite a bother. He could, of course, cut open a portal back to Earth. Time-space was stable here. The Qliphoth's power must have collapsed entirely.
He brought a thumb to Yamato's hilt guard, about to flick it up, but paused.
On a whim, he decided not to.
"Hmm… why not. A man must travel, or he grows stagnant and invites decay."
He walked forward, taking in the view of the strange crimson forest.
He was reminded somewhat pleasantly of the sight of Sakura blossoms that he had seen during his visit to Japan back in his own world. If one must learn Kenjutsu, one should do it from the masters, and so, he had sought them out, to learn the art of the sword, an art he would practice at the level only one blessed with demonic blood could. The memory of those times was surprisingly a good one. Rarely had he had the luxury to look back on his own life in peace. Even as V, much of his thoughts had been haunted by the nightmares of his time as Nelo Angelo. Here in this forest, in the silence and the cool air… Vergil felt peace.
There was no annoying brother with his love for uncivilized, loud guns.
No son who had been spoiled by association with afore-mentioned brother.
He nodded, a slight smile gracing his face.
Reaching into his vault of memories, he found the appropriate piece for the emotion he was feeling.
Vergil's Mental Soundtrack:
Spring- Antonio Vivaldi
As the soothing, melodic sounds of the violin filled his soul, he walked forward. He proceeded to explore the forest for the next few hours, noting with curiosity that the few animals that were here were extremely cautious, not even watching him from their hiding places. That was strange: aside from him, he could not smell any large organisms that might prey on small animals.
A little later, the answer was revealed.
He heard it around a mile away. Whatever it was, it had no scent. But it was definitely moving. And the sound of those movements, even from one mile away, was all it took for Vergil to pinpoint its location exactly. Whatever it was, its movements were following his own, gradually getting closer. It was tracking him.
Vergil paused. A moment later, he heard other presences, also around a mile away. They had formed a ring around him.
Surround a lone quarry. Good strategy.
With a thought, he summoned Mirage Blades, each one of them pointed in the direction of one of the creatures.
Exceptionally poor choice of whom to use it on.
The blades shot forward, almost silent as they sped through the air as fast as any bullets, taking perfect paths and hitting not even a single leaf on their way to impaling their targets.
He deliberately let a few of them live, wanting to test their reaction, and see if any of them would reveal themselves and attack him.
They did.
Those that had been spared charged through the trees and into the clearing, and so Vergil got a good look at them.
As they lunged at him, they appeared to be moving in slow motion, as though suspended in molasses. They resembled wolves, but were larger, with anatomy designed for bipedal movement. Their claws and fangs left no doubt as to their mode of sustenance. Curiously, however, their heads were covered in what looked like masks made of bone, with red markings on them.
Vergil could hear their heartbeat, and their breathing.
But he couldn't feel any life from them.
His eyes narrowed in distaste.
"Foul unlife. Begone."
Yamato was unsheathed, swung in a circular path all around him, and sheathed, all in one smooth movement, completed in less than the time it took to blink.
The creatures didn't even realize what had happened, until their bisected halves fell to the ground. The remains crumbled, dissipating into fine ash that faded away into nothing.
Vergil raised an eyebrow.
"Dust in the wind. Is that all?"
The Dark Slayer simply moved on, the beautiful music of the Italian composer still playing in his head.
A few days later:
One of the many benefits of having limitless stamina and endurance is being able to cover whatever distance you want on foot. It's fantastic, because you can, for example, explore a forest, then walk a few hundred miles to the nearest town. Add in fantastic hunting skills and a body capable of digesting almost anything, and you're not even hungry or thirsty when you're done with your pleasant outdoor excursion.
Thus, Vergil arrived at civilization feeling quite refreshed. Being able to travel without a care in the world had done wonders for his peace of mind. He was the most in tune he had ever been with nature and himself. He felt powerful and motivated. Enough that he actually saw humans and didn't even feel the mild distaste that always accompanied the sight of them.
Hmm. I've spent this much time here. Perhaps spending a little bit longer to learn about the people here might prove to be interesting as well.
And so it was that he walked down the streets, silently impressed at how similar yet different this city was to those in his own world. And as he passed by, more than a few people turned and stared. It wasn't every day that a man standing over six feet tall, with wide shoulders and silver hair passed by. Even rarer that this man happened to have the bearing and good looks of a prince, and carried an elegant sword so naturally, it seemed to be part of him.
Of course, the Son of Sparda ignored these looks. He was fairly used to them from a young age. He and Dante had both gotten plenty of them, and over time, developed their own ways of dealing with it. Dante basked in the attention, rising to the occasion like a movie star at the premiere of his blockbuster, while Vergil simply paid it no mind, like a classical musician during a recital, focused only on his instrument.
Looking around, he saw a store that had books inside, visible through its glass front. Immediately, his interest was awakened. Vergil was an avid reader. Science, the occult, histories, philosophy, art, fiction, poetry; he loved it all. Though he would never admit it (and perhaps hadn't even realized it), this was him connecting to humanity through the best parts of it.
Walking towards the store, Vergil pushed open the door and entered. It appeared that this was a small departmental store of sorts. It had several food and household items he recognized, quite a few he did not, magazines, and what he had come for: books.
He made his way over to the bookshelves, which were right next to the magazine stands. A young girl who looked to be in her teens was standing near the stand, reading what looked, from the cover, to be a gun mag, something Dante might want to read. She was clothed in a black and red dress complete with a hood, and had earphones on.
Little Red Riding Hood? A classic story with many interpretations.
However, she was none of his concern. Vergil reached out and took a book from the shelf. The script was unknown to him, but a long time ago, he had defeated a demon and absorbed a power from him. It had no direct application in most combat situations, but it was extremely useful: the ability to decipher any written or spoken language, and then write or speak in proficiently oneself.
Reaching into himself, he now found that ability, and activated it. The sensation of it filled his mind. It felt like a translator. A moment later, even that feeling was gone, and he was reading the script as though he had known the language for years.
The Tale of the Four Maidens. This world is quite fond of its fairy tales, I see.
Well, he didn't mind.
Stories of that kind were usually much darker in origin than their content suggested, most often because the versions in print were heavily altered. The original tales, either uncovered through finding an unmodified version or interpreting the meaning of the altered ones, often revealed much about the world they were set in.
Vergil began to read the book. Several pages in, he was getting quite invested in the story, when he heard rapid footsteps approaching the front door of the store. And he also smelled the telltale hormonal signs of aggressive intent.
What a bother.
Ignoring it, he continued to read.
A moment later, the door was thrown open with a crash. The clicking of guns being cocked followed, and a voice spoke.
"All right. You know the drill, old man. Give us the Dust."
He certainly isn't talking about dirt.
Vergil continued to read, but the constant shuffling around, heavy footsteps, and the sounds of containers being hastily put down annoyed him. The last straw was when someone in heavy boots walked in his direction.
He looked up from his book.
"Seize your ruckus, and leave at once," he said. "I will not repeat myself."
It did not escape Vergil that the man in front of him was wearing a mask that looked modelled after the bone masks of the creatures that had attacked him a few days ago.
The man scoffed.
"Got a bit of an attitude, huh?" he said. "We'll fix that soon enough."
He made to reach out and grab Vergil's coat.
The silver-haired man stretched out a hand, and flicked his finger at the masked would-be assailant's head.
He immediately went flying backwards through the air as though shot out of a cannon. Already knocked out from the flick, his unconscious body smashed into the wooden section of the wall next to the store's glass front.
Vergil would never destroy a store that sold books.
That would be barbaric.
By extension, he supposed that meant he couldn't let these people rob the store and put it out of business either.
Sighing, he proceeded to perform pest control, not noticing the look of awed admiration he was getting from the girl in the black and red dress, who had taken off her earphones.
"What the f-"
Another of the masked criminals, on the verge of growling out profanity, had the air knocked out of him by a precisely placed blow to the solar plexus from Yamato's sheath. Vergil saw two of them raising their guns to aim at him. Before they could do so, he struck one of them in the face with the sheath, shattering his mask and knocking him. He then smoothly kicked the leg of the other out from under him, sending him tumbling to the floor. He also heard the rushing footsteps behind him.
"Behind you!" shouted out a feminine voice, telling him what he already knew.
Casually taking a step to the side, he avoided the punch aimed at the back of his head. He also grabbed the extended arm and bent at the hips, tossing the attacker over his shoulder and down on the floor in a well-executed Judo throw.
He didn't release his grip on the arm either.
From all around, more attackers were closing in, several of them almost having their guns aimed at him.
Vergil spun around, whirling the man he was holding with one hand, like a living weapon, smashing the crowd around him. One rotation later, he switched to a two handed grip, properly wielding the hapless attacker like a staff. Vertical blows, horizontal swipes; he slammed the man around, beating his companions with his now unconscious body.
In a final display of stunning speed, skill and power, he twirled the would-be attacker around as though spinning a staff, mopping the floor with him and anyone else in the wrong place at the wrong time.
When he was done, there wasn't a single masked figure still conscious anywhere in sight.
"Tch… what the hell are you?!" shouted the one who appeared to be the leader of the criminals.
Dressed in a white suit and with a bowler hat on his head, he held in his hand a cane, which Vergil could tell was a weapon.
The thief looked at his unconscious companions, then the loot they had dropped, and then at Vergil, and decided self-preservation was worth more than this heist.
He was about to start running.
This was absolutely the right choice.
Let me explain to the reader what they already know.
1)There are two Sons of Sparda.
2)The younger, Dante, has a lot of patience with people, and is easygoing in general.
3)The elder, Vergil, has almost no patience with people.
4)It is extremely unwise to anger either of the two Sons of Sparda.
And so, in running and not annoying Vergil any further, the thief would have made a fantastically good decision.
However, that was not to be.
The girl in the black and red hood, unlike Vergil, did not plan on letting him escape.
And so, she rushed forward.
As she did so, she drew from her belt a weapon that unfolded, shifting into a mechanical scythe.
The criminal saw her coming, and reacted on instinct.
He fired his cane, which released an explosive round from its tip.
The girl in black and red dodged it.
Which meant, it landed in the store.
Right next to the bookshelf.
Vergil watched all those wonderful books going up in flames.
The hat-wearing thief looked at Vergil.
He looked at the books, which were quickly becoming ash.
He then looked at Vergil again.
He ran.
The girl in black and red chased after him.
With the two gone, Vergil went over and looked at burning shelves. With a quick slash of Yamato, he extinguished the flame.
Turning to the store owner, he nodded his head slightly.
No matter the circumstances, Vergil was a man of honour.
"Apologies. It appears I was unable to save your books."
The old man shook his head.
"No, don't worry about it. I should be thanking you. You saved the store, and my life."
"Those books… can you get more copies of them?"
"Of course. It might take a while, though."
Vergil closed his eyes, slightly relieved.
"I see. That is good. I may return to buy them in future."
"I would be honoured. But… what do you intend to do now?"
The look on Vergil's face when he answered made the man rethink every life decision he had made, and feel very thankful that he had not crossed the man.
"Pest control."
Prologue, Part III: Samurai Devil in the Night
The girl named Ruby Rose chased after the criminal. Despite being much faster than him thanks to her Semblance, he had managed to stay ahead of her by slowing her down with shots from that cane of his. The thief was surprisingly competent, and the chase had slowly ascended, the two of them now going from rooftop to rooftop.
Up in the distance, Ruby could see a Bullhead hovering.
That must be his getaway ride.
Too bad, I'm not letting him get on!
As the criminal was about to leap for the open hatch of the aircraft, Ruby aimed Crescent Rose at him. Going by the level of physical performance he had shown, the guy had an Aura. One shot wasn't going to be enough to do any serious damage to him. But it would stop him from moving around for a while.
Before she could fire, however, she saw a ball of fire heading her way, and used her Semblance to sidestep it.
Standing at the Bullhead's hatch was a woman in a maroon dress. Dark hair covered one of her eyes, revealing one amber eye visible. Fire glowed in both her open hands.
The opening she had made gave the thief the time to make his jump, and land on the aircraft.
Ruby was about to see if she could take them out with precise shots, when a blue blur sped past her, so fast, she almost missed it.
Her eyes widened.
Vergil's Mental Soundtrack:
Thunderstruck
Original Composition- AC/DC
Performed by- 2CELLOS
A figure had appeared from nowhere.
Standing tall in the moonlight was the man in the long coat. His silver hair gleamed.
Vergil raised the hand holding Yamato, pointing it at the Bullhead.
"Woah," breathed Ruby.
"Have you decided which one of you will die first?"
The woman smirked. She had no idea who this warrior was, but he was about to end up in flames.
Vergil saw the minute twitch in her shoulder that told him she was about to raise her arm and launch her fire at him.
He decided to let loose the attack he had already prepared.
A single shimmering blade descended from above, puncturing through the Bullhead's hull as though it were made of paper.
The impact jarred the aircraft slightly, distracting the woman, who never threw the fireball she had been forming.
Then another blade fell. And then another. And then another.
A heavy rain of swords was falling.
To battle the Dark Slayer is to battle a legion of blades, and die impaled.
Engine, propellers, hull; the Bullhead was being ripped apart by the deadly rain.
"We're going down!" shouted the pilot.
Both the cane wielding thief and the fiery woman swore.
"Emergency landing!" shouted the woman.
"Impossible," the pilot shouted back. "Everything's fried. It's too-"
Anything else he would have said was lost was a spectral blade pierced through him.
Cinder swore.
Turning around, she glared at the silver-haired man.
He was going to be a persistent annoyance, it seemed.
Well, she would take care of him now then.
Leaving Roman to fend for himself, she launched herself off the doomed Bullhead. Using the powers of the Fall Maiden, she created a stream of fire from her palms that propelled her forward, right at the mysterious warrior.
Vergil saw her approaching.
Unfortunately for Cinder, his patience was already exhausted.
Leaping forward, he met her mid-air.
Spinning, he lashed out with a heel kick to her body, flowing with the momentum into a roundhouse with the other leg, which in turn transitioned into a high axe kick that clipped her head. The combo ended with a devastating straight kick to the chin.
Aura almost completely shattered, Cinder was seeing double.
That last kick had rattled her brain.
Somehow staying conscious, she directed her flames in front of her to fly backwards and gain distance from him.
He was ferociously strong. Deathstalkers and Goliaths couldn't dream of hitting that hard.
Her Aura, enhanced by half the power of a Maiden, had been almost wiped out by a few kicks from him.
Backing away, she launched flames at him.
"Weak."
Vergil drew Yamato with whiplash speed, cutting through the blasts effortlessly.
Cinder stared, not wanting to believe what she was seeing.
She redirected herself, setting course for the ground.
Beating him with brute force was impossible. She would need to be smart about this.
Seeing her change directions, Vergil Tricked Down, teleporting to the ground before she could reach it.
Cinder's heart nearly stopped from shock.
Adapting, she drew her twin blades, combining them to form a bow. Drawing back the string, she shot three arrows at once, aiming to force Vergil to dodge by moving backwards. When he did that, she would release the flames she had conjured under the ground in advance, catching him by surprise from below.
Unfortunately for her, Vergil had no plans of dodging.
Yamato was drawn once more, and space-time was slashed.
The Judgment Cut tore open a small dimensional rift, swallowing up Cinder's projectiles without a trace.
There was no more time to stop her momentum.
Gritting her teeth, she separated her bow into twin-blade form, wreathing them in flames. If she had no choice, she would have to meet him in hand-to-hand combat, and find a way to beat him with skill.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Vergil rushed forward, drawing Yamato in earnest.
Single blade against two, a symphony of clashes rang out in the night, blue light and orange flames flashing.
Cinder attacked relentlessly, fury and drive for survival empowering her. Overhead, from the sides, from the front, from below; there was no path her blades didn't take, even as she dashed around, looking to work angles and blindside the katana wielder.
Vergil maintained his posture, using footwork and positioning to make sure Cinder was always in front of him, unable to successfully gain an angle on him. All the while, he flawlessly parried her blows.
The false Maiden, pleased at gaining ground, raised the intensity in her attacks. Just a little more, and she would be able to land a blow.
And then, all of a sudden, Vergil had decided he had seen enough of her blade work.
He parried one of her swings a little harder, knocking her arms back, pushing her off balance.
And just like that, in a single moment, he turned the tide, and went on the offensive.
Now it was Cinder struggling to block, struggling to step back and keep distance and posture as Vergil rained down blow after blow.
All the fury was gone.
Even the thought she was about to win was gone.
From all angles, taking all paths, Yamato smashed her defences.
She couldn't believe it was a katana. It felt like she was blocking strikes from a greathammer or an Atlas mech.
I can't win here.
She realized it too late, but she realized it well.
The opponent in front of her was too good.
There was not a single area where she could beat him.
He was stronger, faster, more skilled, smarter.
She couldn't believe she hadn't seen it right away.
Looking at him now, the silver haired man seemed gigantic.
This was no ordinary warrior.
Just who did I think I was fighting?
Before she could even begin to try to escape, Vergil spoke.
"Hold still."
A single time did Yamato flash.
A single, precise draw-strike.
Cinder's twin blades fell to the ground, cut in half.
She backed away, almost paralyzed.
He…. he cut through the blades reinforced with Fall Maiden's power?
For the first time since the encounter had begun, Cinder had clarity.
It had never been a fight to begin with.
She had merely been various degrees away from death.
Near-death clarity has been known to give people the ability to see what they normally don't.
And so, in the moonlight, for a single instance, Cinder glimpsed who she had truly been fighting.
The one standing before her was no human.
His form was greater than man.
Some kind of god.
No, something darker.
Blue eyes, burning with limitless power, that made the Maidens seem like frail children in comparison.
Indeed, even her loyalty to Salem wasn't enough to make her go against him.
"I- I concede," she said. "You've won."
It was unspeakably shameful to think of.
For a hardened assassin, who had robbed so many of their lives, to beg for her own.
But she didn't want to die, and this was all she could think of, the only way to possibly keep her life.
By sheer luck, she turned out to have made the right choice.
Vergil's honour would not allow him to cut down an opponent who had surrendered.
He sheathed the Yamato.
"Begone from my sight," he said. "If you cross me again, you will die."
"Wait," said Cinder. She bowed her head.
Vergil raised an eyebrow.
What now?
"Please… show me the way. The way of power."