Betrayal by Blood

Dante watched in silent horror as Vergil became something else. His skin darkened to deep gray, and his eyes glowed red. The black ooze that infected his body dripped from his nostrils and the side of his mouth. He thoughtlessly wiped the side of his mouth. The ooze grabbed a hold of the Force Edge and spread across it from Vergil's hand to the tip of the blade. The sword was transformed into something completely different. The blade became dark and twisted like its wielder and glowed an eerie cerulean. Vergil took on the appearance of his devil trigger.

"Don't you dare raise that sword against me," Dante threatened.

Vergil raised his head as if to speak, but his voice failed him. He did the very thing he was ordered not to. Dante raised Merciless in response.

(X)

Lilith leapt from the highest point of the castle. She landed on a lower part of the castle with a glass roof. She looked down and saw the warrior and horse statue in the main hall. She looked up when she heard someone whistle. She stood and was greeted by Trish. "Get out of my way," Lilith threatened.

Trish shook her head. "I can't do that. I can't let you get to Dante."

"Why not?"

"Because he and Vergil are having a brother to brother talk."

"What did you do to Vergil?"

"What difference does it make? I was just following orders. Besides, they never trusted me anyway. They took precautions and still lost."

"And you will pay for it."

"I'm sorry that Phantom could not take care of you. It looks like I'll have to do his job for him."

"Just step aside."

"Oh," Trish said. "I thought you were going to kill me."

Lilith and Trish stared each other down for several moments. Trish finally took one step to the side. Lilith sprung into action. Trish stepped farther aside just as Lilith's fist slammed into where Trish had been standing. Trish jumped as the glass shattered under her feet. Lilith chased after her. She was completely intent on going through with her threat.

Trish led Lilith over and through the castle into parts that Lilith was unfamiliar with. Eventually, Trish led her to a dark bedroom. Trish continued through the room and out over the balcony. Lilith stopped and slipped to the floor.

"Who do you have waiting out there for me this time?" Lilith took the time to look into a large mirror on her right. She was almost surprised. "So, here is your goddess and future empress. What happened to make me like this?" She lowered closer to the floor until her long platinum white hair brushed the floor. "Here we go." She looked straight ahead and lifted herself as if to start a race. She took a deep breath and launched herself up and over the balcony. She landed neatly on her feet and stood. Trish had disappeared again, but Lilith wasn't surprised.

"Who are you? Whom has she thrown at me this time?" The man before her bowed. Lilith's eyes widened with recognition. "You're Mundus's son Koromos."

"Yep." Lilith forced herself to remain still as he approached her. He walked a circle around her and looked her over. "It's been a while. I missed you."

"You've been trying to kill me since I was a baby, and you have the nerve to say you miss me? Does your father know about this?"

"Yes." Koromos stopped in front of her. "Don't blame me for the assassination attempts. It was my father's idea. I swear."

"Don't give me that excuse."

"All right. But I swear, I had no idea you'd be so beautiful. You are naturally divine, just as the First Goddess should be."

Koromos reached up to touch her face. Lilith smacked it aside. He seized her overcoat and pulled her in for a kiss. She let him get away with it for three seconds before she kicked him in the groin. When he doubled over, she delivered an uppercut to his jaw. He staggered backwards but didn't fall. He looked at her without one tinge of surprise as he cracked his jaw.

"You haven't changed a bit. I like that in a woman."

"There's plenty more where that came from. All you have to do is ask." Lilith motioned for him to approach her, and he happily obeyed.

(X)

Vergil dodged Dante's thrust and swung for his head. Dante ducked and countered with a blow to Vergil's chest with the sword hilt. Vergil faltered for a second. It was a second too many. Dante plunged Merciless into Vergil's abdomen. Dante showed no surprise when Vergil stepped back and pulled himself off the blade.

Vergil breathed deeply for several breaths, as if to contemplate something. Dante could not bring himself to attack when Vergil wasn't ready. Vergil suddenly swung the sword again. Dante parried and swung back. Vergil stepped back and kicked Dante flat in the chest. Dante staggered a few steps. Vergil raised his sword, but he hesitated.

"Don't do that," Dante said. "If you're going to fight, then do it like a man." Dante began breathing heavily. Something warm ran from his right eye.

(X)

Lilith blocked the kick to her side. She aimed at Koromos's face with her palm. He seized her wrist and twisted it behind her back. She stomped his toe, spun, and pushed him back with a kick. Koromos reached for a sword hanging from his hip. Lilith reached for Rebellion and held it over her head. Tiny bolts of lightning ran across the blade.

"Are you going to shoot me with those?" Korormos asked.

Lilith's only response was to swing her sword. Lightning flashed with each successful hit. Koromos blocked every hit, but she would not let him attack back. Koromos altered his strategy to push her against a wall, but she wouldn't let him do that either. With one thrust of his sword, she jumped over it and flipped over his head. Lilith plunged Rebellion through his back. She lifted Koromos a few inches off the ground. He slid a little ways down the blade.

"You know," he said over his shoulder, "this is a lot more fun than I thought."

"What do you want?" Lilith asked. "I've never heard of someone hitting on a woman trying to kill him."

"You don't know me that well, then." Koromos pulled himself from the sword. He lost his balance and fell to the ground. Lilith raised Rebellion to plunge it down the length of his spine. She hesitated for one second; she couldn't attack him from behind while he was on the ground. That second was all the time he needed. He gripped his sword tighter and swung around for her feet. Lilith flipped over the sword and spun to the ground. She swung out for the closest thing Rebellion could reach. The sword went halfway through Koromos's neck. He fell onto his back with the blade still embedded in his neck.

Lilith did not released the sword. She could see Koromos still breathing. She sat astride his chest and placed her other hand against the tip of the blade. She was startled when Koromos spoke.

"May I make one last request?"

Lilith pressed a little harder against the sword. "It depends. Not all dying men deserve a last request."

"What makes you think I'm going to die?" Lilith had no time to react. Koromos clutched her shoulders and pulled her down. She held her breath as he planted another kiss against her lips. She didn't know why she didn't fight back. She pressed down against the sword. She tasted blood that welled into his mouth. When he finally let her go, she sat up and spat the blood to the side. "That's all I ever wanted," was the last thing she heard Koromos say before his body went limp.

"I'm sorry Mundus had to be your father." She applied more force against the blade until it completely severed Koromos's head. "You could have gotten more if he weren't."

Lilith stood and wiped the blade against Koromos's clothes. She tilted her head back. She could faintly hear the sounds of another battle in the distance. Lilith jumped up to the balcony and pulled herself over. She walked through the bedroom and inside to the staircase. She was overcome with the sound of buzzing. She threw herself off the staircase and landed on the distant floor below. She whipped out her guns, dropped flat to her back, and began shooting at giant insects.

(X)

Trish stood on the edge of the building. She silently watched the battle between brothers below. She watched in terror as Dante transformed. What she saw was completely different from what she expected. He had become something different from what she'd been told. His wings were lines with metallic razors. Bone shards burst through his skin at the elbows and knees. His hair had grown to his knees and was moving around as if it had its own life.

"That is not good." Trish watched as the twins commenced with a new battle. She was so surprised that she didn't notice she had a visitor until she felt cold steel against her throat.

"I'll get you this time," Lilith said as she pressed the knife into Trish's flesh.

"Third time's the charm. I'm surprised that Koromos, of all people, couldn't finish the job. I knew he was too soft for you. Is he dead?"

"You'd better believe it."

"Given the circumstances, Mundus wouldn't want it any other way."

"He shall say the same for you." Lilith plunged the blade into Trish's neck. Trish threw herself out of Lilith's reach and pulled the knife free. Lilith made no move to reduce the space between them. "Now you must pay in blood."

"Consider this a down payment." Trish threw the knife back at her. Before Lilith could catch it, Trish charged at her. Trish snatched the knife in the middle of its flight and tackled Lilith. Trish landed astride Lilith's chest. Trish held the knife towards Lilith's throat. Lilith had a grip on Trish's wrists to push them away, but Trish was a lot stronger than she appeared to be.

"It appears," Trish said, "that you're the one who'll be paying in blood. What will the people say when they discover that their First Goddess is a mere mortal?"

"You have to kill me first. It will take more than a knife in the neck to do that."

"Perhaps." Trish pushed down harder. "I am a demon also. You cannot overcome me. Ever." The tip of the blade pressed against Lilith's skin. She was almost distracted by the sloppy sound of metal piercing flesh below. "Do you wish to know which one is near his end?" Trish teased. "It is hard to tell without looking. They are twins, after all."

Lilith inhaled deeply as she struggled against Trish. "My father will not allow you to get away."

"What will it matter? How do you even know he's okay?"

Lilith felt the blade break the skin. Trish gave it one more push before faltering. It wasn't enough for Lilith to take advantage of, but it was enough to reveal something was wrong. It was a while before Lilith realized what happened. Her eyes had filled with blood.

"It won't matter if you transform," Trish finally said. "Your fate is sealed."

"Indeed, it is," a third voice said. For a split second, Trish knew it wasn't Dante or Vergil's voice. A katana style blade burst from Trish's neck. Lilith cringed as blood gushed onto her face. A shadow blocked the sky above Trish. The knife fell to the side as Trish's hand became limp. The dark figure pulled the sword free. It grabbed Trish by her throat and tossed her aside. Lilith could here Trish's raspy breath in her ear.

Lilith tried to speak, but her voice was defiant. She could clearly see the person above her. At first, it appeared to be a demon. He raised the sword and plunged it next to Lilith's head. It missed her by less than a centimeter. The figure suddenly became human before her. Her mouth fell open as she recognized his significance. He looked remarkably like her father and uncle, and she knew that was no coincidence. He reached down to wipe the blood from her face.

"This is my gift to you," the man said. "It is only half. To get the other, remember to look to my sons."

"What?"

The figure brushed over her, and he disappeared with a breeze. As he passed over her, she felt Rebellion slide from under her. He had taken the sword. She knew that if she looked up, he'd be gone. She looked at the new sword next to her head.

"I suppose this is mine now." She turned her head to get a look at what was happening below. She was horrified at what she saw.

(X)

Vergil knocked Merciless from Dante's hand. Dante didn't miss it. Vergil swung for another attack. Dante's hair snapped around Vergil's wrists. It pulled and tossed him around until Vergil dropped his sword.

Vergil pulled on the hair to draw Dante towards him. Vergil circled him to wrap the hair around Dante's neck. Dante instantly released him. Vergil smashed his fist into Dante's chest. At the same time, Dante's wing swung across Vergil's arm. The razor edges cleaved through Vergil's flesh. Vergil did not realize what happened until he tried to strike Dante again. His arm ripped halfway off his body.

Vergil clutched the wound and backed away. Dante remained prepared to defend himself, but he had a feeling it was no longer necessary. Vergil fell to his knees and bowed his head. For the first time since the fight began, Vergil spoke.

"You have to finish this." His hand began to slip as blood flowed over it. He knew this wound would not heal. When Dante made no move, Vergil looked up at him. "What are you doing? Do you think you're doing me a favor?"

Dante simply shook his head. "Then do something," Vergil said. "You can't save me. Not the way you want to. It's eating me alive from the inside. Soon I really will be dead. The least you could do is let me die the easy way." Dante shook his head again.

"What do you expect to do?" Vergil asked. Black ooze leaked from his nose and eyes. Vergil leaned forward. He fought back the urge to scream. Dante continued to hesitate. Vergil raised his head. More black ooze flowed heavily from his mouth. "Please," he said. "I'm begging you."
Dante still refused. Vergil turned to look at Lilith. She stood there on the ground with a sword in hand. "If you won't do it, then maybe she will." Vergil stood and stumbled towards Lilith. She remained perfectly still as he placed a hand over her face. "Do you believe that I will hurt you?"

"No," she said. "I don't."

Vergil dropped his hand. "Then you will die for that." The black ooze in his mouth shot out and forced its way into Lilith's mouth. Before it had a chance to ram its way down her throat, it suddenly grew cold and withdrew. There was a quick metallic whistle and breeze. Blood splashed across her face. Vergil smiled. "Don't worry. I forgive you." Before her eyes, Vergil's head fell free from his neck and rolled a little ways. His body fell forward. She shrieked and jumped back.

Lilith's breath was quick and shallow. Her brain refused to compute what just happened. Dante returned to human form and faced her. She was becoming light-headed, but she couldn't regain control of her breath.

"Let's go," Dante ordered. He forced his voice to remain steady, but he felt it almost crack at the end.

"What?" Lilith managed to whisper between gasps.

Dante heard her anyway. "Let's go. We're done here. There's more work to do elsewhere." He leaned forward and pried the Force Edge from Vergil's hand. It reverted to its original form.

"How could you?" Lilith regained some control of her breath. "You just killed your brother. How could you just go on like that?"

"Don't cry." Dante's voice was tinged with a threat. "I mean it. Don't you dare shed one tear."
Lilith felt her despair compounded with anger. "Why not?"

"Devils don't cry."

Before he could turn away, Lilith exploded with uncontrolled rage. "How dare you! Is this how you reacted to my mother's death, too!"

Dante glared at her. "Now is not the time."

"If not now, when? How can you live like this?"

"Like what!" Dante approached her until he was nearly on top of her. "I just killed my own brother. Do you think I enjoyed it?"

"I don't think it bothered you. What else can I think? How can I believe anything matters to you anymore? You don't even act as if death means anything to you. Not even the death of those you love."

"Don't you dare make such an assumption about me. We're in a war. There is no room for sympathy on the battlefield."

In wanton defiance, Lilith cried. Dante reached out to her, but she smacked his hand away. "We have other things to do," she said sarcastically. She walked away from him. It was then Dante noticed the sword she carried.

"What is that?"

Lilith raised her head. "What?"

"That sword. Where did you get it?"

Lilith looked down at the sword in her hand. "I don't know. Someone left it to me. He said it was his gift to me. I don't know whom it was."

Dante tilted his head in deep thought. "I do, but it's impossible."

"What do you mean?"

"That sword is Yamato. It's one of the two swords my father carried."

"What?" Lilith felt herself go limp. "Are you suggesting I was visited by a ghost?"

"No, but I do know what that sword is, regardless of where it came from." He knelt beside Vergil's body. "We'll worry about all of this when we have time. I understand what you're thinking, but it really has to wait. We'll mourn later. I promise." Dante pulled Vergil's coat open. A red medallion fell from what used to be Vergil's neck.

Lilith looked away in disgust. "What is that?"

Dante stood and held it up. "It was something our mother gave us long ago." He removed an identical item from around his own neck. "They were two halves of one thing. We swore as children that when one of us died, the other would rejoin the pieces." He pressed the two together until they snapped.

"Dad," Lilith said suddenly, "There's something strange going on with the Force Edge."

Dante put the pendant around his neck. "What do you mean?"

"Look and see for yourself."