Chapter 2: Birth of a Hero

Lucia, Dante's partner from his last journey, walked up a mountain path to train at it's peak hen she saw the light. She drew her swords and ran towards the top, but she stopped at the sound of crying. She found, where he had manifested, a young baby. "Awww, how did you get here?" Her eyes were companionate, but went stern. She saw something in his eyes. "Sparda?" She fell back when she remembered something Dante' told her, 'If I die, my soul will be reborn in another demon-human hybrid, your job is to teach him, and train him.' She thought for a second, it looked defenseless. She decided to take him to her grandmother, Matier, and read his identity and fate.

After a short mental examination, Matier new of his origins, and why he was here. "Dante' is dead, my child." Lucia was in shock, "But, but, how, who did it?" Lucia looked at her grandmother, but Matier turned away.

"I'm not sure, but he's dead, and we found the manifestation of his demon energy, his 'son' if you may call it something", said Matier. Lucia looked out the window, then turned back to her Matier, her eyes stern.

"Then I guess I'll have to do what he said." Lucia took the baby and walked outside. She look down on the small child, "How are you, an innocent child, going to destroy an evil which destroyed your father. He was great warrior, yet was also very proud, and arrogant at times. I guess whatever destroyed him took advantage of that weakness. I will fulfill my promise, I will raise you, and you will become a warrior like your father. I see power in your eyes, you will save the world, like your father before you." She smiled, "Leon." Time passed, and Leon grew up into a strong, fit young boy.

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The alarm rang, and Leon, now 14, woke. "Another day, another chance to do good in school." He thought about his comment, then broke out laughing, "Yeah, like that's gonna happen." He got dressed, and went into the bathroom. He look in the mirror. He had the same white hair as Dante', but wore it differently. Dante' wore it slicked back, he spiked it up. He walked down the stair, Lucia and Matier were still asleep. He walked to the window and was stunned into paralysis. The sky was blue, and the sun was blocked out by a large black cloud, but it wasn't a regular cloud, it was thick and looked solid. He came to and ran upstairs, "MOM! GRADMA! GET UP!" "What Leon, shouldn't you be in bed?" Lucia sat up in bed. Leon looked scared, "What's wrong?" Leon went to the window and pulled back the shade, Lucia jumped out of bed. "Oh my God!" She ran to Matier's room, but she was already awake, waiting for them.

"The darkness is beginning, we must prepare" Lucia understood, she knew this day would come, but Leon was scared and confused. Lucia looked at him.

"I don't have time to explain Leon, but you have to put these on, I had them made for this day." She threw him a bag, and he walked into his room.

"What is going on", he said to himself. He walked back out, wearing an exact replica of Date's trademark clothes (black armor, black paints, and a read leather jacket) He looked at Lucia, who was wearing her white poncho and leather paints, and was holding her two curved swords. "Mom, what's going on, why am I dressed in this, and why do you have those swords." Lucia bit her bottom lip.
"Listen, Leon, I don't have time to explain, just follow me and don't get killed." Lucia turned and looked in the closet, and came out with the legendary Alastor. "Use this, it will help"

"Mom, what's going on, tell me!" Leon, put the sword in the strap on his jacket, "Why are you giving me this, what do you want me to do?" Lucia opened the door, just follow me, and follow your instincts, you have to have inherited some of his ability"

"Whose abilities", asked Leon, but Lucia was already out the door, and he followed. He was ten feet from the house when him and Lucia were surrounded by Blood Goats and Abyss Goats Leon panicked, then, without thinking, put his sword behind him and blocked a powerful blow by a Blood Goat. He was then barraged by attacks from all of them. Leon wasn't thinking, he was dodging and blocking on instinct, like Lucia told him to do. He lunged forward and slashed, taking one out. Leon's eyes glowed, like Date's, and he lost himself. He slashed and dodged in one fluent motion, not thinking or caring, but feeling, his sword, and his opponents in front of him.
"Leon, you ok" said Lucia, when they were all defeated.

"Yeah, I'm fine, what next, this is fun." Lucia smiled, he was a younger Dante', no question.

"We have to get to the cemetery, that's where the energy is coming from." Lucia turned and ran, and Leon followed. The reached the cemetery, and there in the middle, stood a dark figure. Leon's heart sank, he had seen this figure in his nightmares, and he knew who it was. "Vilarious?" Lucia turned to him, you know him?" Vilarious stood, motionless smiling.

"Yes, I saw him in my dream, he killed a man named Dante' I think, it's a dream I have a lot." Lucia turned.

"Why didn't you tell me"

"You'd think I was crazy, wouldn't you?" Leon looked scared, for Vilarious had haunted his dreams every night.

"Too late now, we'll have to destroy him to stop this." She ran at him, not knowing what he was capable of. He flicked his wrist, sending a black wave of power at her, knocking her to the side. He looked at Leon, smiling still.

"I've waited for you, son of Dante', now you will die, like your father before you." Vilarious charged, but Leon, lunged to the side, and connected with a slash to Vilarious' shoulder. Vilarious bled, but his smile was gone. "so, you want to play, fine, I would have killed you quick, but now, you will suffer." Vilarious drew a large sword and began overwhelming Leon with a barrage of slashes. Leon, block them all, but just barely, and he had been cut by his own sword when he trip over a branch. "I don't know what you are, but you will die!" Leon's eyes flared, and the blue crystal on his sword glowed. He pressed it in and felt a surge through his body. He looked at his hands, but he wasn't himself, he had transformed into the thunder demon, Alastor. He put up his hand to block a lunge by Vilarious, but shot a thunderbolt that knocked him back into a tombstone. "HELL YEAH!" Leon smiled, and unloaded all he had at Vilarious, until he transformed back, tired and powerless. Vilarious was on the ground, unable to stand.

"You, it can't be you cannot beat me." Vilarious coughed up a mouthful of blood, and closed his eyes. "this isn't over, Leon, you will be destroyed, and the world shall be mine." Vilarious vanished and Leon ran to Lucia.

"Mom, are you ok." Lucia slowly opened up her eyes.

"Yes, but I can't move, I don't know what happened." Leon picked her up and walked her back to the house. Matier examined her, and said her back was broken. She would walk again, but never fight, and won't be able to stand for a few months. She asked for Leon, and he came. "there are a few things you need to know, but I am not the one to tell you." She handed him a map with directions to a shrine in the mountains where he was found. "Go there and you will find your origin, and your destiny." She attempted to say more, but her strength left her and she fainted.

"I will go, if it will explain all this crazy crap." He walked to the door and turned, "Take care of her grandma, I'll be back in a few days"
He walked out the door, leaving Matier there. She turned and said to herself "A new evil has risen, and it must be stopped. A new hero has been born, out of the ashes of a fallen warrior he rose, and out of anger he fights. He must learn his power and use it with wisdom. The cards are set for the new war of demons, the setting is earth, and the warriors are ready…."