Disclaimer:  I don't own Dante and Co.

Author's note:  Thank you, (Now where'd those @$#% cookies I just made go? *catches the dog eating them*  "You're dead, Houndiwoof!") Kikoken, Lunatic Pandora1, and Cherchante for reviewing.  Reviews are going to be important later on.  As for those A's with the accent marks, they look like runic writing on Word.  

Chapter One- Battle on the Seraph

The crew of "fishermen" Daina-sama bribed into getting me to Mallet Island is radically different than the locals I met on the airport and tourist strips.    For one thing, the boat, the Seraph has a few larger weapons on it.  For another, these boys are bristling with weapons.  This is in comparison to me, who is wearing Chimaburesakura (my sentient angelic sword and lifelong friend) and Suiken (the legendary blade from the Elemental Order of Water- which I am an ordained priestess of. It's a long story and if I get downtime – which isn't likely- I'll explain.) strapped to my hips through Mai's scarf, a Berretta 9mm strapped to each thigh, and a dagger strapped to my ankle.  Even the ship's "priest" (I've never seen a Catholic priest in a bandolier and combat boots) is packing an arsenal!

These boys, while they are probably good men at heart, certainly don't look like a Boy Scout troop.  Every last one doesn't look he's seen the proper end of a razor (on his face, anyway- as I notice a few bandages) for at least three days.  As for their smell, it's unwashed male overlaid with heavy cologne.  

To me, this is beyond disgusting.  As for the "boys", if one of them even considers touching me, expect a Japanese death glare and a backhand that wins tennis games. 

As I stand at the railing, my fingers reach up to the silver cross and Saint Christopher's medallion that a local boy gave me when he heard I was going.  As countless people (Kaun, Highwayman, my father, and my brother Sasame included) have said, I'm a rotten liar when I'm nervous about an upcoming fight.  I don't think I'll forget the look on his face after I opened my mouth anytime soon.

Á       À      Ã      À       Á

The boy was about my age and cute, not that it really matters.  I don't have the roughness necessary to drag a normal into my shadowy world.

"That island is the Devil's castle!"  He gasped, turning pale beneath his hearty tan and frantically crossing himself.  "It would take a hundred priests to purify it!"

I felt a bit of fear then, but I'm stuck in this until its ends.  "I don't have a choice.  "My friend's in there alone."

He was touched by my devotion.  "Wear this then, lady demonslayer."  He said, taking off the silver cross and Saint Christopher's medallion to put it around my neck.  "And may God walk with you."

Á       À       à     À       Á

I know it's just a superstition, (Crosses and saints' medallions don't' work on Japanese demons) but I do feel better about this. At least now I don't feel so much like a fragile girl with a set of fancy swords and supernatural powers.  If nothing else, it's the feeling that someone in a land so far from my home cares enough to include me in his prayers.  But how did he know what I am?  Maybe, just maybe, he isn't just a cute Catholic boy with a big heart.

Chi (the diminutive of her long, formal name of Chimaburesakura- the name my father bestowed when he finished restoring her to fighting condition the day I was born) spoke up.  "Do not be afraid, Sake-chan."  She uses my diminutive as she tries to comfort me.  "You have an angel at your side."

Thanks, Chi. It feels good to have someone's prayers with you, but it's a lot better to have a lifelong friend at your side until the end

Suiken stays quiet. Even after a year of dealing with me, she has no idea how to compete.  Hopefully, she'll get more vocal inside the castle.

After a long thinking spell, Suiken finally comes up with something to say.  "Where's the captain?  We should've met him by now.

I'll bet the boys carved him into bite-sized pieces and threw him to the sharks. I reply sarcastically.  I've already got the feeling that this is a ship of demon hunters that barely got into port before shipping out again.

Wait a minute  . . . Something decent this way comes . . . I can sense his aura- he's obviously the boss and a bit of a dandy.  I'm getting the picture of a Miami Mafioso- white jacket, Hawaiian shirt halfway buttoned, bad 80's hair, and worse cologne.  At least it's not as strong as what the rest of the crew wears.  Not quite . . .

The image is refining into something (a lot) more like the guy from Shaman King with the way over-the-top hair (That pompadour-gone-horribly-wrong lookin' thing!)  What's that guy's name?  It's hard to pay attention to their name when someone looks that damned ridiculous!

"Bokuto no Ryo." Suiken laughingly corrects.  I wasn't the only one laughing her butt off at the character- especially not after Utamaru started commenting.

"I'll bet he's got a Spanish accent or something 'sophisticated' and 'sexy'." Chi's enjoying this a little too much.  "And after this is over, he'll try to take you back to his place."

Taking me back to his place is Dante's job! I reply.

Inside her little dwelling place, the water sprite called Suiken is grinning and giggling. Chi's smile- behind her feathered wings and innocent exterior- is knowing and naughty.

With my weapons distracted by their own randy thoughts (I know a dozen women that are going to be pissed at me when I get back to Kounoshima- especially if I get my hands on a certain half-devil!), I could greet the captain without much trouble- or commentary- from them.  One may be an angel and the other is a water sprite - but they're still female.

"My name is Fernando Aguilar and I am captain of this ship of demonslayers.  We had just gotten into port when you employer hired us."  He introduces himself, extending a hand.  Stupid accent, suave manners, and all!  Despite my amusement, I nod to confirm it as if I'm wearing an absolutely straight face.  

"Would you like to come up to my place and have me-" Chi starts, mimicking his tone and accent perfectly as Suiken goes into a guffaw fit.

Chimaburesakura! Of all the things, I've dealt with, a randy sword trying to be a comedienne is one of the worst.  It's just best to stop her before she can start.

Apparently, he's heard my badly behaved weapons talking, but can't quite understand them.  "What do they think is so amusing?" 

"They're not being very ladylike."  I'm not going into any more detail about that particular subject. He nods, having the sneaking suspicion what "not being ladylike" means. 

"You may want to go below decks."  Fernando continues, sounding wearied and a bit disgusted.  "Your friend – the other demonslayer- has been convincing the demons that the island is not a good place to stay."  I pick up his desire to just be able to go home for a few days and that he's getting tired of being the captain of this patrol, but there's not much he can do about it.  "I would sincerely hate to see a lady of your caliber sustain an injury on my ship."

It might have been effective on a year ago, but all I do is flash the Shainto crest that marks me as a first-class demonslayer.  "I can handle these boys."  Even the Catholic Church respects the little piece of embroidered silk and all that it means.

I sense the demons a quarter mile away- fifty yards before the men do.  They start the scramble of preparing and checking their weapons.  All right, girls, you ready to kick some demonic ass?

Two hundred yards and closing.  The men have their guns blazing – not that they're hitting much. I wonder how often Fernando has to find replacements.

One hundred yards.  The priest has noticed me at the railing, unmoving and saying something in Japanese. "Are you out of your mind, girl!"  He screams at me, thinking I'm frozen in fear and praying. 

"Get her below decks!"  The second in command orders. 

Fifty yards.  A demon bursts into eerie blue flame as it drops into the ocean, which I've been using my elemental powers to bless. I keep up the chant and cast a glance at the looks on the faces of the men as they realize what I've been doing. Better yet, the demons are starting to freak out.

Twenty-five.  I take ten paces back form the railing and smile a bit.  Out of my mind? Maybe.  Priestess of the Elemental Order of Water?  Definitely.  Confident I can hold my own against a bunch of demonic losers?  Oh, hell yeah!

Ten.  I drop into stance, the wild song of battle ringing in my ears

Five.  You sorry excuses for trouble want some?  Bring it! 

Zero.  Heh heh heh . . . Come on . . . I promise it'll be quick and painless. 

Woo-hoo! Chi and Suiken are having a party as we slash, rip, and dice our way through a substantial crowd of winged demons and their passengers that want some of this.  (Did I ever mention how much I like to fight?)  I can only imagine how I look to a ship of amateurs- a strange, blue-haired girl tearing through this bunch like some kind of samurai goddess with her back to her foes until the fatal strike and not a hair out of place.  (No, I don't use hair gel or hair spray!)  They don't even have time to bleed – that waits until they're turning to dust.

The remaining demons decide that it's better to face Dante on Mallet than deal with a ship carrying a high-level demonslayer.  It's damned shame, too.  Not one of these stupid bastards qualified as a challenge.  Maybe their boss would have shown up. 

The adrenaline rush sours as the world come back into focus.    As with any battle, there is always a mess to clean up- whether it's corpses of the enemy, your own dead, or the wounded and dying men lying in their own blood.

"They were headed for the mainland."  Fernando's voice is barely audible.  I don't even want to think about what even those demons would have done to the carefree, completely oblivious islanders and tourists.  Those innocent people, all thousand or so of them, wouldn't have stood a chance . . .

Six men are wounded and standing, three are down, and I'm praying the fourth isn't seriously considering taking his last breath as he lies on the deck.  The priest certainly thinks so and is already administering the last rites.  Three years ago, when I was only an acolyte of the Order, I would have too.

One of the demons has ripped the poor man's belly open and more than a few internal organs are visible and mingling with all that blood.  It's a mortal wound to the average human hours and miles away form the nearest hospital.  Even worse, he's wearing a wedding ring and the priest has taken out his wallet – which proudly displays the photos of six children ranging from a boy in his early teens to a toddler. 

"Father," I begin humbly.  I respect priests of any faith, even when they look like a street thug.

"Yes, child?"  He looks at me as if he's not sure if even I- the girl who can kill thirty demons with a single strike- can take care of this wound.

"I can save him."  My tone is cool and confident.  "Elemental spirits of healing water, I call on you . . ."

Á  À       à     À  Á

"You can call on us any time you want, Lady Sakura."  Fernando says softly just before I step off the Seraph and onto Mallet Island.  "You have more than earned it."

This is the first real time I feel like I'm worthy of that title.