Smiling at Death

It was already a few hours before dawn. Dante stood in the middle of the street. He closed his eyes and inhaled the winter air. He tightly gripped the Yamato in anticipation. He inhaled through clenched teeth when the earth moved. In confusion, Dante opened his eyes and glanced around. The quake ended as soon as he did so. A minute wave of warm air brushed past him. In a few seconds, he noticed the air growing warmer. The snow began to melt. As soon as Dante began to move forward, the street was one large puddle.

Another breeze hit him. This time it was searing hot. He saw a growing false dawn straight ahead. He was oblivious to the distant screams as a wall of flame came his way.

(X)

Lilith awoke suddenly as if from a dream. Sparda had disappeared. She heard a faint scraping in her room. She pushed herself out of the bathtub and shuffled into her bedroom. She saw a shadow on the floor blocking the moonlight. She stepped further into the room to get a look at the window. She inhaled sharply when she saw what was sitting outside on the window sill.
It was about the size of an average human. Its appeared leathery, but when it touched the window, it left a slimy handprint. A pair of wings unfolded from its shoulders. It pressed its face against the window. It had no eyes. Its mouth looked like it was stolen from a lamprey.

The creature pushed itself against the window. Lilith wasted no time. Ignoring the pain and fatigue, she turned to run. She heard the glass shatter as she headed down the stairs. She jumped over the banister right before the creature lunged after her. Lilith dashed to the living area where one of the swords was on display. She heard a flutter of wings as she ran towards the wall. She launched herself up the side of the wall. As she passed the sword, she kicked out at the sword hilt. She caught the sword in mid-flight, twisted, and swung. Rebellion sliced straight through the creature's head. Lilith felt a stitch pop as she landed. She stopped momentarily to catch her breath.

When she tried to stand, a hand clasped Rebellion while another gently pushed her back to the floor. She saw Sparda walk past her with the sword in hand. She stretched out on the floor and closed her eyes to the sound of the slaughter outside.

(X)

Dante closed his eyes against the flames. He felt them flow over and through him. He heard every building and plant burst into flames around him. He stepped forward through the blaze and opened his eyes. The false dawn had turned the sky a flaming crimson. Dante knew that what he wanted was in the center of that false dawn.

He ran the Yamato's blade between his thumb and index finger from hilt to tip. In a single mighty leap, he transformed and flew over the burning city. In the center of the false dawn, he saw a large familiar figure. With new determination, he soared towards it as quickly as his wings would allow. He was lifted by drafts from the flames below. He continued on until he found the edge of the false dawn. The brightness was too powerful. He reverted to human form and dropped to the street below.

He covered his face as another hot wind nearly knocked him off the ground. He heard several buildings crumble around him. The brightness faded along with the wind, but the heat remained. Dante dropped his hand just enough to glance up. A large black wolf stood before him. It was big enough to swallow him whole. He looked at the wolf; the wolf looked at him. He jokingly thought he saw a tumbleweed roll in the distance.

The wolf lowered its head to get a better look at him. It pressed its nose against his face. He was nearly knocked over by its breath as it snorted. Dante dropped his hand to his side. The wolf took one step back as if in recognition.

Dante sneered back at the wolf. He felt something warm flow from his eyes. "Don't bother. I'll go through you."

(X)

Vergil stared at the black wolf on the edge of the light boundary. He could not see what interested it so much. Its tail swung from side to side. "What is he doing?"

"He's doing his job," Mundus said behind him. "He won't last long."

"My father or the wolf?"

"Does it matter?"

Vergil continued staring at the wolf ahead. He watched the wolf move its head to the side. He gasped when he saw the wolf engulfed in a red light that ripped it to shreds. The red light advanced on him. At the lead was what appeared to be a large dragon head. The dragon opened its mouth as it flowed through his body. Severe pain threw him to the ground. The light boundary that produced the false dawn faded away. The wolf's severed head landed beside him with a sickening liquid thud. Its skin and muscle had been partially melted into a gelatinous goo.
Vergil pushed it aside with the tip of Sparda. He turned on his heel as he stood. Mundus was down on one knee behind him kneeling in a pool of what seemed to be blood. When Mundus stood, more blood spurted from a wound in his side.

"Is this how you looked?" someone asked. Mundus turned to look at Dante. Dante stood with the Yamato in hand. Blood flowed from his eyes. "Is this how you looked when you corrupted my son?"

Vergil twitched when he heard Dante acknowledge him. Mundus pressed his knuckles together. He was dressed all in black. His skin betrayed a faint red tint, as if he were recovering from a minor burn. Long black hair flowed in heat generated wind. "So you finally admit he's yours?"

"What difference does it make? There is someone else I'm more worried about."

"Oh, yes, the girl. What about her?"

"If she dies, I'm sending you after her."

"If she lives?"

"Then I'll kill you anyway."

More blood poured from Dante's eyes. Mundus reached up unconsciously to poke at the blood. Dante brought the Yamato up to rest against Mundus's shoulder. A bolt shot from the sword to Mundus. The demon jumped back as the energy flowed through his body and into the ground. He grabbed his shoulder. "You bastard."

Dante kept the sword pointed at him. "Don't touch me again."

"Brave words, boy."

"You have no idea." Dante and Mundus stared silently at each other. They both heard Vergil suck in air. Mundus dared to turn slightly to the side. Dante took one step back and swung the Yamato towards Mundus's neck. At the same time, Vergil darted forward. The Yamato's swing was instantly blocked by Sparda. Dante deliberately scowled at him. "Get out of the way."

"I can't." Vergil positioned himself between Dante and Mundus as the latter backed away.
Dante placed the tip of the Yamato against Vergil's neck. He pressed into the flesh until blood began to flow. "Get out of the way, or I will decapitate you."

"Why? To save that whore you call a daughter?"

Dante carved a piece of flesh from Vergil's neck in one quick slice. "Are we taking this personally? You don't honestly expect me to let her die?"

"Why not? A second ago you were ready to kill me yourself." He placed a finger against his wound as if to emphasize the point.

"I can't help you. You were lost the moment you left your mother's womb." Dante pointed his head towards Mundus. "He saw to that."

"And you would leave it at that?"

"So you want to be saved?"

Vergil stopped before he could get the first word out. Mundus took one step forward. Dante was already on the move. Mundus sideswiped Vergil and snatched Sparda. Sparda and Yamato clashed in midair. A bolt of lightning struck the pavement. The lightning shot in every direction through the ankle deep water. The force of the jolt pushed them several yards apart.
Dante didn't wait for a provocation. He was up and running before Mundus could get his bearings. Mundus twisted at the waist to strike. Dante leaped over him. Yamato swung downward. A lock of black hair flew from Mundus's head. Dante landed on the other side and swung to face him.

Mundus reached for his missing lock of hair. "That was cheap."

"It wasn't intended to be anything else."

The two circled as if they were each hesitant to make the next move. Dante saw, in his peripheral vision, Vergil reach for something shiny. Knowing intuitively that it was something sharp, he pulled a dagger from behind his back with his free hand and launched it. It pierced Vergil's hand. The poisoned knife he held flew free and landed in the water. Simultaneously, Mundus attempted to slash through Dante's torso. Dante took a short jump back just far enough to step out of range. Mundus tried the same move for Dante's face. Dante ducked and sidestepped. Seeing a short lived opportunity, he plunged Yamato between two of Mundus's ribs. Mundus allowed himself a short grunt before pulling himself off the blade.

"Curse this form," he muttered. He quickly considered swinging Sparda again, but Dante was well beyond its reach. He threw the sword instead. Dante easily knocked it from the air. Mundus grimaced. "I don't need it anyway."

Dante tossed Yamato in the opposite direction. It landed with its blade stuck in the asphalt. Dante let Mundus move a split second before he did. They both vaulted into the air. Mundus morphed into a demonic form. His foot connected with Dante's chest. Dante's lungs collapsed as he flew backwards. He landed in half a foot of water several feet away. He lifted his head just enough to break the surface of the water. He spat up blood, then painstakingly drew in a fresh breath before falling back into the water.

Mundus hovered above. He allowed himself to chuckle as Dante lay prone in the flooded street. He wasn't foolish enough to think Dante wouldn't get back up. He lowered slowly to the ground and waited.

Dante forced his lungs to expand and strengthen. When he was sure, he slowly sat up. He glanced up at Mundus and spat out a stream of water. Mundus let half of his mouth twist upwards in a grin. Dante rolled to his knees to stand.

"You know," Mundus said in a deepened voice, "I remember your last little foray against me. I promised you that I would return, and your advice was to give my regards to your son. And I did."

"Fuck you," Dante muttered.

"No," Mundus responded while glowering at Vergil, "but I like the woman you did." He ignored Dante's sneer. "She was quite desperate when I found her. Her water had broken moments before, and she had no one to help her. She delivered right there in the snow. Where were you when I held your newborn son in my arms?"

"I never knew." Dante shook his head.

"Of course not. I remember the day I held my own son. Your father was still one of my gophers then. I held Koromos, now Jeremy, up for all the world to see. Then I killed his mother and fed him her flesh. What did you do when your daughter was born?"

"I didn't feed her her mother's flesh."

"Of course not," Mundus repeated. "That would have made her too much like me."

"What's your point?"

Mundus chuckled again. "I set Jeremy onto the Earth the same day your daughter was born. His job was to corrupt her for my purposes. Unfortunately, I had to erase his memory, and your father kept getting in the way, one way or another. In the end, she just had to die."

"Not if I have anything to do with it."

"Forever the devoted father. Well, so am I."

Dante was prepared for the next lunge. He spun and sidestepped as Mundus flew past him. He hit his devil trigger and wrapped an arm around Mundus's neck before Mundus could get too far away. He felt the vertebrae snap several times before Mundus forced him away. Mundus stopped and cracked his neck. Before he could turn around, Dante's foot slammed into his lower back. Mundus stopped himself from falling to his knees. Instead, he regained his balance and turned to face Dante.

"Now, it's personal."

(X)

Vergil held his hand up to stare at the blade sticking from the back of his hand. It didn't hurt as much as he thought it would. He completely ignored Mundus and Dante fighting above his head. He placed the knife handle between his teeth and slowly pulled it free. He tossed it into the water and retrieved the poisoned dagger. He glimpsed up to see two winged demons fighting amid streams of flame. He quickly scanned the water until he saw Sparda in the water. It's bright flaming red color had become a cold purple, almost blue. He picked it up and ran farther into the city as if to escape the fight above.

(X)

Sparda fell to his knees as a spasm racked his chest. The final demon fell to the ground seconds later without its head. Sparda knew what was causing the pain. "The sword. It's dying." He forced himself to stand and turned back to the house. Rebellion left a trail in the dirt as he dragged it. When he entered the house, he saw Lilith still on the floor. She was sitting up so Guess could lay his head in her lap. The dog was sound asleep.

"I see you're still alive," he said as he placed Rebellion back onto the wall.

"For now. I feel like I'm being eaten alive."

"You should be back in the tub."

"Why? It will do me no good. It merely delays the inevitable."

"That remains to be seen." Before he had the opportunity to sit and relax, there was a knock at the door. Lilith didn't bother to move. Sparda took it upon himself to answer it. He showed no surprise when he saw Jeremy on the other side.

Jeremy revealed instant recognition. "You're still among us, in one way or another."

"Koromos." Jeremy attempted to walk past him, but Sparda slapped his palm into Jeremy's chest. "There is no way I'll let you get to her."

"Move aside old man." Jeremy slipped past him and was instantly standing before Lilith. "Long time, no see. My offer still stands, if you want it."

"Why?" Lilith panted. She signaled to Sparda to remain where he was.

"If you say yes, then maybe I can convince my father to save you."

"What about my father? I refuse to adulterate my gene pool with yours."

"Ouch." He reached down to grab her throat. Guess awoke and, on instinct alone, clamped his teeth around Jeremy's wrist. Lilith mustered enough strength to hit her devil trigger and seized Jeremy by his hair. An arm spike punctured his neck. He pushed the dog away and tried to stand. Lilith pulled the spike free and plunged it repeatedly into Jeremy's neck. When she began to weaken, Sparda grabbed Jeremy and forced him against the floor. Then Sparda let Lilith hack away to her heart's content. When she was finally overcome by fatigue, she reverted to human form and fell over. She was shining with sweat.

Sparda quickly pulled Jeremy up. Before Jeremy could begin healing, Sparda dragged him along the floor. Sparda realized Jeremy had contracted the poison through Lilith's spike. "You reap what you sow," he commented to Jeremy as he pulled him into the back yard. "My work is never done."

"Grandpa!" Lilith called.

(X)

An explosion of light and heat knocked Dante from the air. He righted himself in time to land on his feet. Before he could think, he leapt back. Mundus plunged to the ground like a torpedo. His fists landed where Dante had stood moments before. Asphalt and water flew in all directions. Dante landed next to the Yamato. He pulled it free. Mundus straightened and searched for Sparda where it had fallen. He was vexed to see it was missing. "Damn that boy!"

Mundus turned to catch Dante in mid punch. He blocked it successfully, so Dante resorted to kicking him in the belly. Mundus doubled over only a few inches. Dante kicked out to trip Mundus. As Mundus fell, he brought the Yamato around to plunge it into Mundus's chest. Mundus rolled to safety and splashed a handful of water towards his adversary. Mundus threw several punches and kicks in succession. Each one was blocked by the Yamato. One final kick knocked the Yamato free. Mundus gripped Dante's neck and lifted him from the ground.

"This is the final act boy!" Mundus screamed. "One way or another, I will finish you off."

"Not today you won't."

Mundus laughed. "If you do not die by my hand, you will still die."

Dante expelled some air. "Not today," he repeated. He smashed his palm into Mundus's nose, then kicked Mundus in the belly again. Mundus dropped him but would not give him space. He punched Dante in the chest, and Dante responded with his own punch. In a flash of black light, Dante disappeared before Mundus's eyes. Seconds later, he felt something punch his back. He turned in every direction, but could not see what was attacking him. There were splashes of water everywhere, but he could not tell what was causing them.

Then he felt something slice through his left shoulder. He grabbed his left arm, then felt it slide through his hand. He gawked at his arm as it fell to the ground. A large splash of water erupted several feet away. Dante materialized in the middle of the eruption with the Yamato in hand.

"Well, I can play dirty, too." Mundus held his head back and screamed. His face split in half. The split stretched all the way down. Two separate halves fell to the ground. Three familiar red spheres flew into the air. Above, they merged into one large sphere and plummeted to the ground. Where it fell, a large four legged creature emerged. It had a spiked tail that smashed what remained of the buildings around it. Its head appeared too large for its body. An elongated mouth lowered to the ground.

"Okay," Dante commented. "This is a fresh change of pace." He tapped the Yamato against his foot as he contemplated his first move.

Mundus widened his eyes in awe as he watched something red flow from Dante's eyes. "What the hell is that?"

Dante took a step back as if in preparation for something. "Ask my father."

The reference enraged Mundus. "I am not amused." He raised his head and stomped both front feet. The ground heaved under their feet. The water drained through large fissures as the asphalt broke loose. A second stomp sent chunks of ground into the air. Dante maintained his footing as his own little chunk of ground was thrown upwards. In a final surge of power he had only witnessed in his daughter until that moment, he hit his devil trigger with the power of Sparda's Sorrow.