Anyway, please keep reading, I am very happy with all the support you guys have been giving me.
That having been said, here's the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!
Chapter 20
Dante stared at Virgil, as though barely able to comprehend what he had just said. Virgil smiled.
'It would be unfair to you if you did not know what to expect. After all, as you once said, I am "A man who fights with honour".' Another smirk. Dante said nothing but he narrowed his eyes. 'You told me you liked a man who can fight with honour. Surely you'll rise to my challenge.' Dante turned but then blinked seeing Remy for the first time.
'Is he okay?' Remy shook his head, half blinded by tears.
'Something's wrong with him!' Dante blinked and knelt down beside the fallen vampire. Sure enough, Reiko's face was paler than before and his skin looked waxy and ashen. His breath was coming in harsh, short panting gasps. His eyes fluttered open, but they were dimmed. He swallowed hard and he looked towards Dante silently, weakly. Dante growled and stood up, enraged though he knew not why. He turned to Virgil, his growl growing louder.
'What did you do to him?' Virgil smirked, looking amused.
'You have changed, haven't you? Made a friend, did you?' Virgil cocked his head to one side and stared into Dante's eyes quizzically. Dante had kept up a low steady growl but slowly a realization dawned within him. It was true. Reiko was no longer just another client. He had indeed become a friend.
'What did you do to him.' It was no more a question, but it had turned into a demand, his voice a low growl. The two had crouched into fighting stances without even realizing it.
'The same thing I did to Mostro.'
'And that was…?'
'I used the crystal to drain him of his power. Did you really think it was your own doing that killed him? I weakened him and the vampire happened to run him through immediately afterwards.' Dante whirled around to look at Reiko. The vampire's eyes had closed again.
'Your friend won't die. He's already dead after all, isn't he? He'll just heal and regain his own energy. But now I have the power of a vampire, the spells of a magician, and my own strength. You are no match for me, Dante.' He paused. 'You can have three people fight against me. I have the power of three, so you shall have a team of three. Let's make this a little fairer on you…otherwise, I could just kill you as easily as I could kill a mosquito.'
'You would have made a saviour, Virgil.'
'But I'm not am I. No point in crying over spilt milk, brother.' Reiko opened his eyes and slowly got to his feet, stumbling slightly. He straightened up quickly afterwards as his strength returned to him. He stood by Dante's side, his hazel eyes flat, resigned. Dante blinked and wondered whether Trish would have enough strength to fight. No. Her wounds had been too severe. He would have to count on the two vampires that stood on either side of him, slightly behind him, making it only too apparent that Dante was their leader. There was no doubt that he could count on Reiko; he needed his added strength and speed. However, he wasn't entirely sure about Remy. What could he do? He seemed so weak, as though he had never seen a fight before. Virgil smiled and then drew out his sword.
'You won last time, brother. Perhaps you will again. Yet somehow, I believe the odds are stacked against you.' Dante looked into those eyes and felt himself shuddering. There was only one thing that he did not doubt. They were in deep shit.
Dante cast short sideways glances at the two vampires. Reiko still looked drained but even as he watched, something seemed to lighten up his features as more and more of his energy returned to him. Soon, instead of looking weary, he looked grim faced about the whole matter. Not much of an improvement but one nonetheless. Remy remained calm and composed, his face carefully arranged so then he seemed impassive.
Virgil stood before them.
'I hope you know exactly what you're getting into, brother.' A blue aura surrounded his body, lifting his hair away from his face. Reiko's eyes suddenly widened and he silently, without warning pushed Dante out of the way. A huge stalactite suddenly appeared where he had been standing a second earlier. Reiko had saved his life yet again. Figures…Remy dodged backwards as the sky seemed to rain down stone spears, driving them ever away from their foe. Virgil seemed to float in mid-air. No, scratch that. He was. He hadn't even morphed into his demon form.
Dante back-flipped as another stalactite buried itself into the ground in front of him. Acting on an impulse, he jumped onto the smooth platform at the top of it and jumped off, leaping high into the air, heading straight for Nelo Angelo.
The two fell to the ground together, Virgil in pain, blood streaming out of a wound in his arm. Reiko dodged from side to side, with the speed legendary of vampires, his movements fluid and sinuous, like a snake's. His eyes burnt into those of Virgil's before he finally lunged forward and joined the fight. Virgil raised his sword while on his knees and swung it wildly at the vampire. Reiko cart-wheeled to one side before bounding forwards, tackling him. Both rolled over on the ground and then righted themselves automatically ready to launch at each other's throats again.
Virgil suddenly started laughing, a crazed maniacal sound. Reiko blinked, feeling his skin crawling. His mind felt as though it was being torn apart. He began screaming out words, words he couldn't understand. Dante and Remy were both frozen by bewilderment as a blue aura surrounded the vampire. Virgil and Reiko both chanted words from the ancient tongue of demons. Reiko's voice slowly faded out, his eyes wide and staring, his face blank. Nelo kept up the chant.
Reiko's eyes stared about wildly. He was back in the car. Beside him, a small boy with jet black hair and hazel eyes stared absentmindedly out of the window. He reached out to tap the boy on the shoulder, to ask him to ask to go to the toilet or something, anything to stop the car from turning the corner. He should have known. He should have predicted it. It was obvious his hand was going to go through the boy's shoulder, wasn't it? After all, that was always the way that it happened.
His heart and mind instantly filled with terror.
'Get out of my head!' he screamed, shaking his head wildly, trying to remove the spirit within. He was afraid of seeing this nightmare again. He had seen it enough in his dreams, he didn't need to see it while he was awake. It was already burnt into his soul, into his memory. He stared about desperately. He needed to escape. The car turned the corner and he gasped as he heard that old familiar sound. The scream of his mother. Reiko screamed himself and screwed his eyes shut. Then all was silent and rain began to pour down against his body.
He opened his eyes to find himself standing alone in the middle of a deserted playground. The rain was drenching everything, causing flowers to wilt under the weight of the water. He blinked and looked around but then saw the small boy standing alone at the fence that stood around the perimeter of the play area. He felt a lump come to his throat. He remembered this day only too well. The child looked lost and confused, his eyes terrified. Reiko felt tears, bloody tears trickling down his face.
'Please…please stop this!' he cried out. He was quickly silenced as he heard his childhood self beginning to sob. He watched in helpless silence as the boy sank down to the wet concrete ground, sobbing into his knees. He wished he could do something, say anything to help. He watched silently as an adult walked towards him, her name too distant for him to remember it now. In the back of his mind, he knew she could not hear him; would not hear him but even so, he couldn't stop himself from crying out.
'Don't tell him now! Wait! Don't lie to him! Just tell him the truth!' The woman scooped up the boy in a hug and whispered soothing words into his ear, forcing the boy into calming down. His eyes brightened up happily as he looked up into her face.
'Really? I'll really see them again one day? I'm going to wait here until they come back for me!' He turned towards the fence, peering out into the rain.
'Reiko…'
'They'll come driving up in their big black car and then they'll take me back home. When I see them, I'm going to tell my Mommy I love her, and I'm going to tell Daddy too!' Reiko looked towards the woman and saw something he hadn't seen as a child. Sorrow and regret.
The same boy lay in bed, tossing and turning as he lay in a deep sleep. The doctor bent over him, listening to his heart beat using a stethoscope.
'He's got Pneumonia…'
'Oh no…'
'It's not in the later stages. It should be easily cured.' The doctor handed the woman a prescription. 'Make sure he takes these antibiotics. Give him roughly about three to four weeks or so of rest and he'd be completely better.' The woman thanked him and he left. Reiko watched himself as he woke up from a disturbed sleep. The boy coughed weakly and looked up at his guardian wearily.
'You're not going anywhere for the next four weeks, young man. Not until you get better.' He said nothing but then looked panicked.
'Not even outside?' She shook her head, a sad smile on her face.
'Not even outside.'
'But…I have to stay out there in case Mom comes to pick me up from this place.'
'That's what got you ill in the first place, honey…' She suddenly frowned. 'Who told you that they'd come back?'
'The lady who brought me here. She said that one day me and my parents would meet again.' She looked sad for him, pitying even. The boy kept watching her, unease beginning to set in.
'They…they are coming back…aren't they?' The truth spilt from her lips. Reiko lowered his eyes as he heard himself yelling with rage, with shock before he was silenced by a coughing fit. Afterwards, the boy collapsed, exhausted from the coughing, his breath wheezing painfully in and out of his throat.
'Reiko! Wake up! Wake up, Reiko!' He opened his eyes to find himself lying on the ground. Remy was bending down over him, his eyes alight with concern. He heard the clashing of steel against steel as Dante continued on the battle. His eyes flamed red with anger as he remembered what Virgil had put him through. Dante hollered into the night sky, a creature turned mad with rage and charged at Virgil, sending him flying.
Dante and Virgil flew at one another, swords clashing against each other. The two swayed in mid-air, trying to push each other back. Virgil smiled suddenly and flew back. Carried on by his own weight, Dante felt his balance slip, his wings beating unsteadily to try and keep himself afloat.
Virgil flew higher, still in his first form. He laughed as blows rained down upon Dante's head, neck and back before finishing him off with a blow to the face, the force of it sending Dante flying backwards and then into the ground, a crumpled heap. He no longer had the energy to keep his demon form. His blue eyes slowly opened to see a pair of black boots walking past him in slow measured paces.
'You must think you're very clever,' the vampire sighed, his voice flat, as though he were in a trance. 'Sadly you are very much mistaken. Those memories did nothing but strengthen my resolve to rid the world of your evil.' His voice was calm, controlled, unafraid. Dante tried to get up but his body ached in sharp protest. He collapsed back, waiting for his body's healing mechanism to kick in. Strange, it felt as though his vision was blacking out. This couldn't be. Hw couldn't be so weak. He wasn't…knocked out was he? His vision swam and settled on Remy, who was bending down over him, murmuring some words in a language he did not understand nor recognise.
Reiko's eyes continued to burn red, his hair falling into them, his mouth set into a calm expression. Red locked on red, and Reiko knew suddenly that he had him. He smirked and held a hand out towards him. Virgil's sword clattered to the ground and he cradled his head in pain. Reiko continued to stand as he was, one hand stretched outwards.
'I am in your mind, Virgil. You are strong, but you are powerless against the mind games a vampire of my calibre can play. Resist, and the pain shall worsen. You're dealing with one from the highest class of vampire. Our strengths are great and are many. Despair.' The demon snarled and suddenly launched himself at him. The vampire calmly took a step back, the movement too quick for the eye to follow. Reiko frowned and tried to exert more pressure. It was difficult; some force in Virgil's mind had appeared to deflect his mental attack. Virgil sprang forward again, knocking Reiko backwards. Remy jumped back, away from Dante as he finished healing him. Dante rushed back into the attack. Steel sang against steel, blood was spilt upon blood; the dance had begun.
Virgil's blow was parried. Dante whirled around, spinning, his sword raised in the air, ready to come crashing down. To Remy's eyes, it was like some sort of twisted ballet. Neither succeeded in hitting each other yet each move was performed with the fluid grace of a dancer, as though the entire battle had been choreographed before.
Reiko joined the fray, determined to destroy, attacking Virgil from behind, using his bare hands to hold the Dark Knight in a strangle hold. Dante aimed and raised his sword. Reiko jerked Virgil's head back violently.
'Kill him!' Dante continued to aim so then he'd hit his chest. He moved a few centimetres to the left, so it was poised over his heart. 'Why do hesitate? Kill him!' Dante lowered his sword and shook his head.
'I…I can't…' Reiko stared at him incredulously but said nothing, silently understanding. Virgil was his brother. Before, he hadn't known but now he did. It made the task all the more difficult after knowing the truth about your enemy.
'You're a fool to stop, Dante,' Virgil whispered. 'You're not going to change my mind into joining your side. Not now, and not ever. My master ordered me to kill you. I wouldn't have dreamt of it ordinarily but she made me an offer I couldn't refuse.' He lunged forwards, dragging Reiko with him. Reiko cried out in pain as Virgil shook him off and then stabbed him in the chest with a silver dagger. Reiko fell to his knees, thick blood oozing out of his mouth before he fell forward, face down into the ground.
Dante fought and battled, all compassion completely erased. He growled to himself; he had been careless. Well, he wouldn't make the same mistake again. Virgil parried each of his blows but then forced his sword deep into Dante's chest. All time seemed to slow down. Remy stopped trying to heal Reiko only to stare as Dante's life slowly, painfully ebbed away. Dante's eyes glazed over, and a thin trickle of blood escaped from his lips. His breath turned ragged and he closed his eyes tight. Virgil laughed and watched, almost as though in fascination as Dante's blood dripped onto the ground, forming a pool. Dante slowly raised his head, his eyes opening again.
'I'll…kill you…and this master of yours!' Virgil laughed.
'There is still a chance that you might win…but you would have barely won against me if you do. The demon army that's being gathered will surely end your life. Face it, brother. You'll die, whatever happens.'
'Demon army…'
'You don't have to worry about it.' He wrenched the sword suddenly and thrust it deeper. Dante gasped and vomited up blood before turning completely limp. Virgil smiled thinly and his eyes settled on Remy. The last one standing took a step back, his eyes wide with fear. Sure he knew magic but most of his spells caused illusions and were healing spells. Most of them…
Remy rubbed the palms of his hands together. The ground underneath Virgil shook. The Dark Knight glared but then his eyes widened as three zombies suddenly grabbed his ankles and started trying to pull him down. Virgil snarled and thrashed wildly, turning his hands into demon claws as he slashed them into pieces. He charged straight for Remy who started calling upon the dead to aid him. Virgil scattered them like bowling pins and launched himself straight at the inexperienced vampire.
Remy hardly had time to dodge, as Virgil turned into his demon form. His powers suddenly ran out just before he hit him. Virgil suddenly froze and turned around. Dante was standing up, his eyes blood red. He wrenched the sword out of his chest. One minute, he stood as a man, the next he was hulking demon. Burnt wings spread from either side of his body. Virgil's eyes widened.
'So the legend is true? You really do have two demonic forms?' His eyes narrowed slightly. Dante's mind called out in the demon's mind somewhere, but it was blocked out by the sudden rush of blood in his vision. The demon charged, wings unfurling, moving in a red and black blur. Virgil cried out hoarsely in pain as razor sharp claws burrowed themselves into his skin. A guttural satanic laugh rent the air as Dante ripped at him in a mad blood frenzy. Virgil was crouched down on the ground, shivering as blood leaked out of his wounds. His eyes widened in fear as he saw the look in Dante's eyes. He wasn't his brother anymore. He was a monster, thirsting over the kill as the scent of blood excited him.
Virgil tried to back away but he was too slow as Dante grabbed him and took off into the air, twisting Virgil's neck at an impossible angle. Virgil struggled wildly, trying to get loose. His struggling suddenly stopped as Dante snapped his neck as though it was nothing more than a twig. He landed softly on the ground and roared but shuddered as the power suddenly left him. He staggered backwards and fell with a thump, watching in shock at the blood on the ground. Dante felt a sudden pang of fear. Did he really do all this? He stared at his brother's mangled body, frozen by shock, only moving when he heard Remy whimpering from somewhere behind him.
Reiko lay on the ground, shuddering, his eyes wide. He looked slowly at Dante and gave vent to a soft, feeble moan before his eyes fluttered closed. He blinked and felt his coat pocket for the brown pouch he had earlier taken from Devil May Cry. He carefully pulled out the dagger from Reiko's body and then placed a gem on his body. A white aura surrounded the vampire and the wound was healed. Reiko himself seemed no better. Remy looked like a kicked puppy.
'He's…lost too much blood.' He shook his head. 'He's gonna…die.' Dante scowled, fighting against the urge to get up and walk away. He sighed and looked down at Reiko. He had opened his eyes, the colour deep, like a man who was drowning. His face looked incredibly young at that point, his eyes seemed too big for his face, like a child who watched his parents walk out of the room before all the monsters were gone.
'What happens…if a vampire feeds from another vampire?' Remy shook his head.
'Two things. He might become a schizo…he might gain some traits of my personality, if not all of it. He'd be fighting to either be himself or be me. Also, he could very well die as well. Drinking from another vampire is taboo. It's cursed. If Reiko did drink from me, he would never be accepted. The other vampires would wish to kill him. It makes no sense, really, but this thing happens.'
Dante bit his lip before he carefully slit his wrist and held it to Reiko's lips, somewhat amazed that he was actually allowing himself to be fed from. Guess there was a first time for everything, add feeding a vampire to the list. A strange mewling sound escaped Reiko's lips. He stayed awake long enough to heal Dante's wrist before he fell into an exhausted sleep. Dante didn't much care; he felt pretty much the same way-like he was going to collapse. He picked up Reiko over one shoulder, righted his motorcycle, gave a single nod towards Remy's direction in silent acknowledgement before starting back for home.