Chapter Seventy-Seven: Inevitability

Note: This chapter really got me. I don't know why but it really got me in the feels. I hope you like it! And I hope you are all having a wonderful week!

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A sort of quiet almost comforting stillness hung in the air between them, each member of their family considering the actions that had led them to this moment and that would spur them forward, down into the deepest depths of Hell.

Damnation. It was the only thing that came from the path that they sought to follow. For how could one hope with even the slightest glimmer of realism to defeat something so primordial; so evil and deadly? They knew it had to be possible, at least in a theoretical sense. Anything that breathed could cease to do so; anything with life could lose it. But the process of actually removing it was a different story, and although they were all confident in their abilities to do battle or against the average foe, just the knowledge that Vergil had faltered in previous attempts in the past was enough to unnerve them all in some small measure.

It was strangely humbling to have to acknowledge the fact that even the Darkslayer himself was not invincible. They knew this of course, but to actually have to admit to themselves was another thing entirely. They felt invincible much of the time, but reality was often disappointing and they knew the only thing down the path that they currently traveled was sorrow and destruction, a real chance that they would not return with every step they took and only growing in its certainty as they proceeded. They had known that when they came down here, but now that they had had time to think on it, the reality of just how dangerous what they were doing was could not be ignored. Before they left here they would do what had been asked of them by their father's sisters. Perhaps she would have insight?

But the more they lingered on it…

No. That was the enemy. Doubt. They did not have the leeway needed to be able to doubt themselves. They would simply accomplish this task as they had accomplished so many before this one. This was not the first time that they had fought a powerful demon, and would not be the last time. No, it was not his power that unsettled them. It was his ability to get into their minds and to make them confront the things they did not wish to remember, witness, or admit to themselves. How were you supposed to be able to fight something that you could not touch in a physical sense? From what they understood their opponent was somewhat difficult to actually physically harm.

Harsh language wasn't going to cut it. If that was all it took they would have just sent Nero alone and called it a day. No, this required something more. And while they were sure that the boon that had been gifted to them by Madama Butterfly would come in handy for the task at hand, they weren't actually sure that their blades would be adequate. It seems that it was time to see if Yamato really truly could cut through anything. They would just have to see.

Unable to take the piercing silence in the large open room any longer, Nero stood up and made the executive decision to go and speak with Madama Khepri. He had made a full recovery sometime ago, and V was not far behind him. His shoulder was the only holdout, but he got the impression that even that would not take much longer. Within the next short while, he would be fully recovered and ready to take on their opponent. Once that time came, they would leave here. And hopefully, return victorious. Of course, there was always the possibility that they might not return at all, but he didn't like to think about that. He couldn't think about that. As soon as he allowed those sorts of thoughts to linger in his mind, then his enemy had already won.

Madama Khepri was sitting a short way away from the rest of the group, out of eavesdropping range but still able to see them easily enough. She was browsing through some sort of large book despite the fact that she was not using her hands to do so. The book just sort of levitated in the air, the pages turning on their own as she looked away from it from time to time to take a break from reading it or something else that he wasn't sure of. Her momentary pauses made it hard to tell what she was doing to be completely honest, but he didn't really need to know that. He was interested enough in just the fact that she was reading a floating book. And she seemed content to do so, having been quiet for the last hour or so. Or at least what he thought was an hour or so. His watch didn't even work down here. It was strange, it had worked before they had reached the house, even if it has been sporadic. Was this her time dilation effect?

Truthfully, the youngest member of the family wasn't entirely sure what to say to a being who was this ancient and this wise. He did not need to ask if she was intelligent. It was a parent and everything that she did. She carried herself with grace and grandeur, commanding of a respect that nothing he had ever previously met did. In all honesty, anything that he felt that he should ask felt like a massive waste of her time from his perspective. After all, why spend her valuable and mortality entertaining the machinations of such a narrow-minded mortal? But then again, perhaps that wasn't how she was? Perhaps she was looking forward to the possibility of speaking with him. There was only one way to find out.

"So your sisters said that you could control time, right? That's pretty cool. So does that mean that you can, you know…"

A look of amusement passed across her face as she regarded him silently, turning her attention back to the book that she was reading. She knew where he was going with this. She'd live long enough to be asked that herself on many occasions by all sorts of people. It was no longer a surprise when this particular line of questioning was brought to bear. "If you're going to ask me if I can tell you the future or not, I will have to disappoint you, little one."

Nero made a face like he had just lost a bet with himself, a look of knowing disappointment on his face making itself apparent. Somehow he had expected that sort of answer. It seemed that things were never quite that simple, especially when it came to power of this nature and magnitude. "So you don't know how to do it, or you just can't tell me?"

Another slight smirk, this time more amused than the last. This one had spunk, didn't he? Yes, he fit in quite well with the rest of his kind. She should introduce him to some of the rest of their people. The girls would probably adore him. Though to be fair this was the kind of thing she expected from her sisters, not this young child. Most of the male members of their kind were far more indirect and tended to be more careful out of an inborn respect for their powerful kindred. Most of their kind were female, after all. By a significant margin. Sparda had been a rare exception. A truly special one. "Are you familiar with the concept of a self-fulfilling prophecy, child?"

His brow froze slightly, his eyebrows nearly touching as he considered her statement. He was going to take that as a confirmation of the second option, considering the fact that she hadn't said that she couldn't. But to be entirely honest, he'd only vaguely heard of the term. He didn't really know too much about what she was trying to infer. "I think I've heard of the term, but I don't really know what it means. Something about being your own worst enemy or something?"

Nodding, Madama Khepri closed her book and set it to the side, her eyes now fully focused on Nero. Despite his lack of knowledge on the subject, he seemed to be capable of inferring what was going on and, as a result, able to catch on to it rather quickly. He was at least making an attempt to understand what was happening and what she was trying to tell him, an admirable trait all things considered. She didn't meet a lot of people down here who were capable of critical thinking. Both were content just going about their day and plotting their schemes, no amount of deep thought or widespread consideration to be found. The underworld sorely needed more people like him. More critical thought would do them all well.

"You're not entirely incorrect. Essentially the concept works as such: by trying to prevent the very thing that you are trying to avoid, you make the fate come to pass that you fear most. In trying to change the future, you bring about the very doom that you sought to mitigate, sometimes in a worse way than it would have been otherwise." She adjusted the position she was sitting in on her lounge chair, her eyes drifting over to V and Vergil as she seemed to consider her next words carefully. She actually did have some foresight as to what would happen, and it troubled her, but the actual outcome was foggy, even to her. She was not all-knowing, but she could see some things. He was correct in that matter. But nothing good had ever come from telling someone what was to come. People and demons shared one thing in common: an inability to accept the fate that they had been given. And most times that was a good thing. But sometimes... Well, it could be the very worst thing they could do. Plotting against themselves by plotting against the fate that they sought to avoid. She did not think that he was like that, but she wanted to make sure that he did not fall prey to his own concerns. He obviously had his reservations, and that was understandable given the circumstance, but the last thing she would attempt to do was to go in trying to change something that might not need to be changed. But telling him that, well... It could only do damage. Too much information and you would become too sure of yourself. Too little and you would doubt. Perhaps the best thing she could do was simply give him some friendly advice. "The threads of fate don't quite work in the way that most assume, and as such, everything is flexible times and subject to the will and actions of those with enough foresight and carefulness to be able to take their affairs into their own hands. But as a result of this, ambition runs its course here, and ego and hubris generally lead to the downfall of everyone involved. Avarice is perhaps the worst quality anyone can have here, for it leads to foolishness, greed, and petty downfalls."

"Why are you telling me this?" Nero asked as politely as he could, attempting not to sound as perplexed by that advice as he actually was. He comprehended what she was saying, but he wasn't sure if that meant that they were supposed to be doomed or that their victory was assured. Perhaps it meant that they were actually somewhere in the middle? That their fate had not been decided on this matter yet? Was fate even something that he needed to worry about? He didn't believe in it He'd never liked the idea of things being predestined, the whims and follies of his life written out before he even had a chance to do them. That he was following a script for a role that he had not asked to play in the first place. No, his life had to be his own. He craved agency. Perhaps asking a demon who could see the future about the realities of the universe was unwise? It was like staring into a bottomless abyss and expecting to see where it ended.

"Because child, you do not seem to fall prey to these inhibitions. Anyone is capable of great evil and great good, but you seem truly wished only the best, and I can only assume that your reasons for being here are mostly selfless. As such, you stand the best chance of succeeding in your endeavor if you know nothing of the obstacles ahead of you or how they may affect you. Simply stay your course, and what must be done will be done. I cannot sway your future in any way that is good, and knowledge will only cause you undue stress and intensify the burden you already carry. That you all carry. The only advice I can give you is to keep your head on your shoulders, keep calm, and do what you think is right. My counsel would be of very little use to you outside of the advice I've just given. Forgive me."

"So what you're saying is… just be myself? Am I getting that right? Just believe what I'm doing is the best that I can do and do it?" The youngest descendant of the Dark Knight Sparda was admittedly unsure as to whether or not he was correct, and he felt as though most of what he said was probably very asinine to a being this ancient, much like speaking to a toddler with too many questions, but he was still going to try. He wouldn't get anywhere by just assuming that he wasn't good enough.

For a moment, something akin to a smile crossed her face as she nodded in agreement. Yes, he was indeed a clever one. It seemed that her younger brother's bloodline had flourished in his absence. Perhaps his decision to leave here had been for the best after all. She had never expected to meet any extended family, much she expected he had not intended for them to ever meet his children, let alone his children's children. But even still she was glad for it. And a part of her genuinely hoped this would not be the last time she would see the young devil hunter. He was a curious thing, and if he was even slightly as intelligent as he seemed to her, then perhaps the rest of his family had some merit by proxy. She would very much like to speak with the other little one, the one who had to be his brother. There was something so enticing about him on an intellectual level. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself? She could not be sure without meeting him.

"You are absolutely correct, little one. That is the advice I wish to impart upon you. Do not allow the hands of fate or the ravages of self-doubt to deter you or to hamper your progress. You've come far despite the limitations of what many would assume to be possible, and here you stand in defiance of everything down here. Every being in this place that knows you're here is willing your death, craving your blood and the end of your life with every atom of their being. And yet… you still stand here, living and breathing. Carry that with you as you go. There is no advice that I can give that is greater than the accomplishments you have already completed. Be the master of your own fate, and take the matters that you can into your own hands. There are universal constants and truths, but the existence of any creature down here for the most part is not one of them. With perseverance and skill, I believe you can overcome anything that you need to. You simply have to believe that you can."

A strange sort of clarity washed over him and she considered the reality of that statement. She was not incorrect, he was sure that everything down here did want him dead. And yet here he stood, through a combination of his own wit and through the help of those around him. If they rallied together I kept their heads where they needed to be, then they did have some level of hope that they could overcome this challenge. Perhaps his father's fatal flaw in his previous attempts to take out Belial simply stemmed from the fact that he was alone before and had no one to fight the darkness with him? He was no longer alone, and he would do everything that he could to keep each of them safe just as he knew they would for him. Her words were wise even if they were not the wise words he was hoping they would be.

"… Thank you. That was… I think you put my mind at ease. At least a little bit. There's a lot going on and I just needed somebody smarter than me to tell me I was doing it right. I guess. I don't know. Sometimes I really don't know what I'm looking for until I find it." He looked back over his shoulder to the spot where his brother and father were, noting that the oldest of the two twins had made his way over to V. The young summoner had migrated back outside towards a balcony of sorts. It was probably best that he rejoined them. He was willing to bet that it was probably time to leave, or very nearly so. "I'm going to go check on them. Thanks for letting me waste your time for a few minutes. It was good talking to you."

Madama Khepri nodded, her book floating back up to her face and she seemed to return to her previous task. "Likewise. Think nothing of it. I have nothing but time… and a conversation with someone of some merit is always a good use of my time. Be safe little one. I expect to see you back here soon, or you're going to find yourself in deep trouble. A decent conversation partner is hard to come by down here, and my sisters certainly don't qualify."

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Standing out on what seemed to be a sort of balcony, the young summoner took in his surroundings. The silver Lake that flowed below them into a sort of cascading set of waterfalls before traveling away into a river. The braided vines at the edges of the warped forest that shrouded everything around them. The remnants of what seemed to be some sort of structure far from where they stood. In a strange sort of haunting way, this was a beautiful place. V felt at ease there contrary to all common sense or explainability. There was just something here that was peaceful and content to remain as it was, unchanging in the face of so much destruction and reformation. He had to admit that the proposition to return here was not one that he would turn down. He would not desire to stay, but maybe a visit every now and then was in the cards after all. If nothing else he wanted to check out the library that they seem to have here and speak to his extended family. Although he was sure most of the books would probably kill him or put a deadly curse on him the second he even so much as touched them, he still wanted to at least look at them. Just knowing if he could read them alone was a source of fascination in of itself. Sometimes knowledge for the sake of knowledge was the greatest reward one could hope to receive.

The sound of light footsteps behind him alerted him to the presence of his father, the silent approach being a dead giveaway. Dante always said something when he approached as though he were trying to break the ice. Knowing the demon hunter he probably was trying to break the ice. He couldn't imagine that this entire situation had gone over smoothly for him, either. This was a lot to take in for all of them in many facets, and he imagined that this year had been quite taxing on Dante in particular. The very notion that his brother had returned from undeniable oblivion and that he had another nephew on top of it? It was so much to unpack there, and he was doing an admirable job of either hiding it or processing it. So much so that he couldn't really tell which one he was actually doing most of the time. There was a sort of deep underlying sadness and grief to Dante but he found far too relatable but didn't fully grasp the concept of why. Perhaps one day he would be able to talk to him about it, but he has been enough time in his life feigning happiness or humor in the face of adversity and great internal turmoil to know that his uncle was doing much the same and had been for quite some time. He was well versed in it by now.

"... I believe that my shoulder has healed," V said simply, aware that the speaking of those words doomed him to the fate he had already come down here to accept. He had to do battle against his foe, something that he was not looking forward to despite his desire to make them pay for everything they had done and to stop them from doing anything else. But there was a real sense of walking to your death that he could not shake, and even with his family at his side, he did not relish the idea of the battle to come, mostly for their sake. There was just something so… crushing about the task that needed to be carried out. He felt so small in comparison to the might of his enemy, physically and mentally, something that he was sure was the intention of the devil Prince. He had faced him down before, barely escaping with his life and with Sirrus mortally injured. They were three for three on losses or at least retreats. Would bringing Nero and Dante really even the odds and their favor… or was he just bringing them to their willing death? He hoped that if the latter were true that he would not live long enough for the reality of his own folly to settle into his soul.

Above all else he just wanted them to be safe. He couldn't live with the idea of taking them down with him. It would be him and no one else. And he genuinely hoped from the bottom of his heart that Sirrus had not perished as a result of standing up to their enemy alone. He knew he was strong, but there was just a part of him that couldn't fathom the idea of returning to find him gone. He wasn't sure that he could live with that. No, he was sure he couldn't live with that. He knew that Sirrus felt differently and that he saw it as no task or burden, but he had never been one to relish or even accept the idea of another person giving up something for his sake. But it was not just for his sake, was it? It was for the entire world's sake. Belial had tied his fate to the very fate of the world. He was so small in comparison to the number of lives that could be lost, and that way heavily on him even though he knew that it didn't need to. He had not asked to be in this situation, and yet he was. It was a reality that he had to accept, but that he knew he couldn't live with. This had to go well. It was the only thing they could do. And he would do everything that he could if only to be able to say that he had tried even if that would be cold comfort in comparison to the wrath of hell itself.

"Yes, I had inferred that from the fact that you were not clutching your arm any longer." There was a sort of gentle concern to Vergil's tone of voice that V quietly registered and acknowledged. It seemed that he had made his father worry. He can only imagine what was going through his head right now, the idea of facing an enemy who had nearly killed him in the past. To be bringing both of his sons to this place. And he was doing it for his sake. He wondered if his father truly acknowledged the amount of self-sacrifice he was indulging in for his son's sake.

"I... I'm sorry. If it was up to me I would not have you fight him again. I know that is your own choice to make, but it is not a choice that I would have ever wanted for you." V said softly, his eyes distant as he considered that this was the last place they would visit before the fight. They really did have to go, didn't they? He could feel Vergil's eyes on him, But he did not waver. There was no malice or anger there. No, there was something else entirely. And he saw firsthand exactly what that something else was mere moments later when his father walked up behind him and did something that he did not expect.

He put his hand on his shoulder.

Sighing softly, Vergil looked off into the distance and then slowly over to his son, a sort of calm gentleness to him that he wasn't entirely sure he'd seen before. He seemed to be considering something, but in a calm and collected way that he was not accustomed to. He seemed to almost be at peace with something, and that was something that he was definitely not used to. Had his apology meant that much to him? He had the feeling that that wasn't what this was about.

"And this is not the fate that I had imagined for you upon being informed of your existence by your mother. It is most certainly not the one she would have planned. I'm sure she would have curated more calm activities, things with far less potential for bodily harm. Gentler pursuits like going for walks in the botanical gardens near her apartment or indulging in her favorite hobbies with her. She adored baking and painting. I imagine those were things she would have been excited to share with you." He gave him a sincere look, a glimmer of something long sensed passed in his eyes. He seemed to genuinely mean what he was saying, and there was a real sort of pain in his voice as he spoke those words. It was slight but unmissable. For the first time since they had first discussed his mother, V wondered what she had been like. And he wondered if Vergil missed her as much as he seemed to. He got the impression that he didn't just date anyone. "And it shall not be your fate. I refuse to allow it to be. This is but simply a roadblock and one that will be circumvented with ruthless efficiency. And then from there, we shall see where we are actually meant to go. But this will not be the end."

V took a moment to genuinely consider his father's words, lingering on the fact that they were actually making physical contact. He couldn't quite remember the last time that Vergil had touched him outside of a combat or post-combat situation. This was… he could see himself getting used to this. Dare he say it, he was actually genuinely enjoying himself for the first time around him. Whatever this side of his father this was, he wanted to see more of it when they left here. Knowing that he cared was one thing, but to actually see it… it meant the world to him. "Then let's see this task through. To the end. And let's be done with it. I'm ready."

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I can't remember the last time I got both chapters done before Thursday! It feels good! See you all next week! By then I will have figured out my holiday schedule! I'll keep you updated! Thanks for the wonderful comments you left me during the one-week holiday break! I loved reading them. Sorry for the late replies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Stay safe out there, and I'll see you in the comment section! Bye-Bye!

PS: I have a surprise for you soon. Call it an early holiday gift lol! Stay tuned!