ONE SHOT: BLOODY PALACE

Belt secured.

Weapons in place.

Hair in place over one eye.

She looked in the mirror to see if anything was out of the ordinary.

Leaning over to see if her eye was seized with a dark circle she was besieged with the feminine urge to cover it up. In the end, warrior or not, she applied a concealer to make sure it didn't show, the young woman was satisfied.

The jar of glittering yellow orbs beckoned her. She hesitated and for good measure, took one. She checked her boots to see if there were enough knives hidden inside.

If there was one thing she knew, it was the fact that she was independent and liked to work by herself. Her skills measured beyond the quickness of bullets and the sureness of her throw would make any monster quell crossing her path.

They were dumber than amoebas so they thankfully often crossed her.

She picked up the coin that belonged to another. She never did give it back to him but kept it not for nostalgia, but for gratitude. He saved her ass and her people and knew that although he did it out of his own big fat ego sake, it brought her a rare smile. This was a good thing in her eyes.

Her short throwing knives were gleaming beside her hips and when she took the first jump over the rooftops of the city, she scanned quickly the fast departing horizon, bloody red. Just great. The monsters will be out tonight.

Anticipation made her forehead sweat and her lip trembled with eagerness.

Puia (flying harpies) appeared from a distance, hovering above the great wide doors to her battleground and she made a run for it. Quick on her booted heel, she avoided cracks of the degenerating rooftops and side stepped various machineries that barred her path. She had no time for these hell hounds. It was time to make it with the maker.

Beyond that door, it awaited her.

The flying harpies were annoying. But preparing for the songs they sang, she came up close and personal with a Cutlaseer, her default weapons—these blades have a short reach but they can destroy with one or two strokes.

She grabbed for the orb at the top of the double doors and did a double back flip when they opened, making her entrance spectacular, landing on her two feet. Her sharp weapons readied below her waist.

Looking around with one eye, her sharp eagle eye scanned around and saw her opponent.

Dante.

He had finished off his enemies and his red suit was torn up and bloodied, exhaustion written all over his face. The silver blue eyes widened to indicate his surprise.

"Lucia." He breathed out, tiredness echoed in his voice. "What?"

"Why do you always come before I can get to it?" she stood with one hip out, her one hand relaxed and held.

Dante chuckled at her thick French accent and said, "You've come to rescue me then? This is the 1000th level, did you know?"

"Maybe because I fight with you, Demon hunter."

"Is that a challenge?"

Lucia stared at him for a long moment then rushed at him, she didn't take any time in producing her Klyamores- These blades have a longer reach than her default weapons. They also seem to be a little more powerful. Dante side stepped her quickly and with a grimace, "Damn you, Lucia. What's gotten into you?"

"Demon hunter, you talk too much!" she uttered with a long swipe, taking out part of his shirt arm, ripping it away to reveal blood and flesh.

"Is that so?" he grated out, "Might I remind you that I've been told I talk less in this version."

Then with easy grace that he possessed from his father, he flew out of arms reach from her deadly throws, and deciding that swordplay with the French assassin bitch would better serve him up close than the hidden firearms.

Their parry and thrusts were near equaled but Dante, even in his tired state after 1000 levels of hard work, had the upper hand. Lucia was unrelenting and her thoughts reminded her that he was no famous demon hunter for no reason. But this is exactly where she got him. Where she wanted him cornered. Tired and near dead, his dark wings had come out a long time ago during their battle. When this happened, it was in the last resort for him. He was using all his strength to fight off her attacks.

He cursed when she pinned him against the floor again, and this time he made no move to devil trigger and move her away. Their heavy breathing could be heard in the great big room, echoing against the vastness of empty spaces.

"Give up?" she taunted. Her red hair swung over the side of his cheek. He looked up at her and as much as it pained him to assent to failure, he nodded.

"No."

"Funny, Demon hunter. You say no but your head nodded."

"Yeah I'm funny like that." he was breathing too quickly.

Then with the agile quickness she was known for, got up and threw him his coin.

"Your coin."

He caught it before it landed, his hand movement moved snakelike and sure, and Lucia noted this with thought: the man could still fight if he wanted but he allowed her to win.

Getting up with his one knee up, he placed his arm over the knee while his free hand threw the coin up in the air and caught it.

"I was wondering when you'll be giving it back."

They looked at eachother in silent acknowledgement. Man and woman, the demon slayer and the warrioress, both changed over the short period of time. They didn't even notice that the bloody clans of the palace came in formation behind them.

They both looked to the noise before they came upon them.

"Looks like I'm not going to get any rescuing until we fight these piece of shits." Dante grunted while using his Ebony and Ivory.

She threw him a red orb. "Don't say I don't give you anything, demon hunter."

Dante couldn't reply because they were suddenly besieged with higher level monsters.

And the doors of the bloody palaced closed behind them.

END of ONE SHOT