The Reaper

Part Five

The Blade was flung into the air. Dante followed, and swung Rebellion, sword swipes criss-crossing through it. As Dante landed, the remains of the creature disappeared into mist. Vergil dashed passed four Blades in a row, his Yamato slicing through them in one smooth motion.

"Who'd have thought he'd have given us a welcome party?" Dante laughed. "We could do with some music though." Vergil remained silent, focused on taking every creature out. It didnt take long.

Their way forward completely clear, the pair continued onward.

The stage was set. Dante and Vergil stood facing their opponent across the flat mountaintop.

"Remember," Vergil whispered, "Keep changing your techniques. The plan is to keep him constantly on his toes. Hopefully he will panic and let slip a weakness, anything."

"Right." Dante grinned. "This guy won't know what hit him." Across the field, the Reaper held out his hand and beckoned them, his body language saying 'bring it'.

Dante and Vergil ran at once, their blades trailing behind them. The Reaper glided towards them in his ghostly manner. They met with an almighty clash, both the young men's swords had struck the long scythe. Dante and Vergil then launched a flurry of sword attacks on either side; the spectre fended off both assaults by swirling his scythe around him, keeping their offensive away. Tactics changed; Vergil kept the spectre busy, while Dante held back and fired Ebony and Ivory. The bullets still seemed to have little effect. The Reaper threw his scythe and simultaneously launched a fireball in Vergil's chest. The scythe spun in circles and reached Dante so fast there was nothing he could do to avoid it.

Vergil tried to get up, flinching against the burning pain in his chest. He looked across at Dante, and to his horror his brother was lying on the floor, the hook of the scythe deeply imbedded into his chest. He wasn't moving.

"You, you killed him," Vergil said in shock. His voice took on a deathly tone.

"You willpay for that." The Reaper held out his hand, the scythe tore out of Dante's body and flew back to him.

"You're not going to last much longer." The Reaper started to rotate on the spot, holding his scythe at mid-length. He spun faster and faster, until soon he was a blur, a deadly whirlwind.

The deadly force shot past Vergil, who felt the full force of the spinning scythe. He bent forward and gasped, he was left with a large gash across his side. The whirlwind came back, slashing him cruelly again. It went back and forth, moving at great speed and leaving Vergil in too much shock and pain to react. Soon Vergil fell to his knees, then fell flat on the ground, his body covered in wounds and slashes.The hand that gripped his sword went limp. The Reaper admired his handiwork, then turned on his fallen adversaries.

Dante lay in a pool of blood, his eyes had rolled to the back of his head. The amulet he wore around his neck,a memento ofhis father,took on a deathly glow. Vergil's body was face down on the ground, not moving. Underneath him, his amulet did the same thing.

Aragim sighed. Perhaps he had disposed of those two too quickly. He could have made it last, it would be a long time before challengers that good arrived again. As he walked, an unnerving feeling grew within him. It was the sinking sensation he had felt when he knew something was going wrong with the portal all those years ago. Aragim stood frozen,then slowly turned.

What he saw before him made his purple eyes grow wide in disbelief.