03/2020: Hey, if you're starting at this chapter, we have a personal message for our readers posted at the Prologue. If you want to go ahead, you can, however.
Greg: It's come to my attention that, for whatever reason, this fanfic is not tagged as 'Reboot', when it should be. I don't know what the deal is in , but here I am, one of the authors, telling readers this is a 'Fanfiction Sequel to the Reboot/DmC' for clarification.
2nd author: Please before reading this chapter, go back to the previous one because we added a few more paragraphs at the end. Apologies for this trouble. Also, this chapter is longer, with a reference to one of our favorite writers, Neil Gaiman, for his weird, wonderful fantasy fiction. I'm sorry this took a long while, so please enjoy and just forget this divide between two franchises. Also, Chapter 3 and 4 will be up soon, since this was originally a part of a very long chapter two. +D+
Chapter Two: The Wolfhaven Case
A lone hunter is making her way through the woods to get to Edenville.
Dante and Kat are briefed about the Wolfhaven incident when a new creature appears.
Outskirts of Edenville, Wolfhaven
Four days earlier, same time
Through her binoculars, she locates the infested town of Edenville. From the directions and pictures 'provided' by her dear old dad, she surmised their hiding in that old manor, further northwest.
"They can't do this!" Pleaded the old man, a townsfolk. Senile he may be, yet what they had done to him was unforgivable. And what's more, the old man knows they're up to something worse than the shitstorm they're already doing. "They have to be stopped! He is misguided! How can he think this way!?"
"My father's insane!" Her words seethed with fury. "And I'm the one stopping him!"
The old man, bespectacled and sun-spotted, shook his grayish-white haired head. "NO! You don't understand! I'm not referring..!"
A soft sound from outside the poor old man's house has her cocking her M1911A1. Whirling to her right, she aims her gun at a gaping, jagged-tooth maw of a demon!
The old man screams and scrambles as she shoots and rolls out of the way! A few more sound off at the roof of the house and she smirks! "Game time!" Pulling out another pistol, she points both at opposite directions, at parallel windows, and open fires!
The old man is safe, as safe as the rest who had found refuge at the last non-infested town of Angelavale. His house was like the rest of the town of Rochenmore, also infested and devoid of human life...well, devoid of living humans. She had managed to clear a path for herself when she took the old man with her on the motorcycle and, as soon as the next human saw them, the old man had been taken in.
She puts the binoculars away and gets in position on her motorcycle, revving the engine as the soft sounds surround her; all around her, the woods seem to glare at her as the roar of the engine slices through the forest's quietude!
"Found you."
As demons surround her, the motorcycle speeds onward, leaving behind a blazing contrail to burn two demons behind her! Their wretched screams echo behind her as she goes for the main road towards Edenville.
Same time
Unfolding a tourist map, Dante expands the visual image of the entirety of Wolfhaven to gauge where they are. Since Limbo City is just south of where they are and Kat had taken the only main freeway going to Wolfhaven, he surmised their destination is close. His eyes trace the long line of the winding path that leads to Wolfhaven's entry icon.
"We just passed that entrance sign…" Dante says as he studies the map, tracing his finger to find any service stations ahead. Going further north, his finger lands on a service station icon, next to another icon stating it to be the first town. "Angelavale's the first town up ahead. There's a service station just a few kilometers from where we are."
With her knuckles turning white gripping the steering wheel, Kat's eyes focused at the foggy road laid before them. "Good. We can buy stuff and ask locals. And finally get down to business. Hopefully the motel isn't full of nosy people." She tilts the wheel accordingly as she follows the road, with Dante instructing her how far they are into the county of Wolfhaven.
They had been huffing pale breaths ever since the air conditioning unit fizzled out along with the dashboard's radio and GPS, bringing the temperature down to levels of winter. Although it's known how chilly Wolfhaven is despite the summer season, the Limbo Collapse has likely elevated the mysterious supernatural nature of the area. And with wanted men on their hit list, they can only imagine how long will they all fare under these unnatural and dreary conditions.
Besides the map, Dante had pulled out from the bags behind the front seats some of Kat's thicker clothes and a large blanket for her to bundle inside before she faints from the cold. If she can only trust him to drive, he would've driven them to the destination. But Kat has a license and isn't easily convinced of his driving skills. So despite her still healing left arm and the skin-deep cold, she is determined to get this car to the first part of this long journey without any surprises.
"What other stuff are we gonna buy? Besides pizzas…" Dante's question is purposely trivial and a different topic, a distraction from the piercing cold or perhaps from his own thoughts and unshakable feeling of eyes following them. His gaze switches looking at the foggily pale-grey area outside and his vividly-colored map. "We should save the money… Knowing the economy before 'Kyle Rider' died, I'd like to be sure I'm not pawning the Rebellion."
"We're just buying the most basic stuff," she assures with a lopsided grin. From these past few days of being with him, Kat had found his two contradictory beliefs regarding money to be amusing and a headache. On the one hand, Dante would flippantly celebrate that they should blow off their cash on booze, pizza and arcade games! But as the jokes died down, Dante's frugality would get on her nerves and he would even insist on pilfering. She supposes his past has a lot to do with that, but sometimes it's just unbelievably funny and a lot of energy to explain to him that they have enough to not resort to something dire. "I need empty vials, jars, batteries, candles, fresh ingredients, some matches and lighters. We'd probably need our own 3-gallon water supply in case the sink water isn't drinkable, so…"
She looks over to Dante and sees him poring over the map, his eyes glazed with an intensity she had seen him do. When after a long day or night of 'demon-hunting', as they call it, in his lonesomeness or out of boredom, he would take books and the laptop—research files and actual journals preserved containing demonology, history and personal accounts of his family's allies—his eyes would rake the words from these books and from the screen, his whole figure hunched or draped across the hackneyed couch of the worn-out apartment, never mind comfort or rest. He pored over these books and data as if the scholars were going to adopt him. But never once did Dante ever speak about what he felt after he had read them.
There were a few things Kat still hasn't known about Vergil, about their family, but now that Dante is in the equation, she knew it was right to be respectful and he has to open up about it in his own time.
It's hard to forget the look in his face when he read Vergil's journals, along with data regarding their family's history, who their parents are, their allies—or the only proof left behind by their supposed allies, now an empty reminder of an allegiance he's uncertain of—and who they could be, where they could be; anything that was about who he was supposed to be, and why he and his twin are here. Even with Commissioner Morrison, who's more connected to Dante's parents' allies, left nothing to ascertain who and what he is, except that this case is crucial and the consequences dire if they don't succeed.
She gives him a look of concern and sympathy, but of course, he doesn't know or is trying to ignore it. All I can think is how I am glad I managed to get all the data out of the HQ. Getting abducted, risking our lives…it was worth it all.
"Does that sound good?" She asks him, whose eyes are still on the map. He groans an approving sound without looking up and takes this as a cue to remain quiet and focused…
"You trust Morrison?"
Caught surprised that he doesn't want quietude, Kat regards the question heavily. "Well…Phineas trusts him."
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. "I'm asking you. Yeah, Phineas may be some smartass demon who can 'see' anything, but still…the police had been under Mundus' influence for years. How is he different?"
She licks her lips uncomfortably. Kat is aware of where he is coming from and she has firsthand accounts of how influential the police are when it came to doing their master's bidding. But these are strange times and Kat couldn't shake the feeling that they had never been alone in this endeavor, especially now after Mundus' dominion has been dismantled. "So you don't?"
An annoyed huff comes out of him. "Nope."
She chuckles before she continues, "But those books you've been reading. They check out with what Commissioner Morrison was talking about. And you do realize that just a few hours ago…we encountered something else, right? More powerful than the police?"
His annoyance is replaced with a morbid quirk of a smile, his legs stretching. He looks itchy for a fight. "At least she was honest. I'll take a girl that brutal than an old man with secrets."
She heaves a heavy sigh and shakes her head. "Well, now that old man you're referring to just pointed us to a case that he knows would benefit us. Benefit you…"
Still not looking at Kat, Dante glares at the grey fog outside the car window. She continues, "And from the data you've been reading…Vergil was planning to kill Morrison all along. He wanted no one knowledgeable to resist him, if he had succeeded. Morrison is equally important, he's well-connected and that's good reason why he had been in hiding."
He was still quiet, listening but likely deep in his own morose thoughts. Kat understood he has trust issues, but just like how they first met, it won't be misplaced. Morrison is different.
"So yeah. Look, I'm not saying that we lower our guard, but from so far, Commissioner Morrison could be the ally we need. Phineas confirms who he is and I know a thing or two about who he is, and who he's connected with. And, hello? That thing that just popped in to try to kill us? What's their deal now that they're suddenly here?"
He takes in a deep breath and sinks on his car seat, his back now placed on the lower part of the chair, while his legs are smooshed at the end-corner of the passenger's side. "I'm just sick and tired of secrets…" Dante complains. "I'm gonna sleep until September ends…"
The chuckle from Kat was a relief, fleeting it may be. The fog remains thick…
Ten hours ago
Poorest district in Limbo City
It's been a strange, violent and hectic four days. Right after Vergil disappeared, swarms of Mundus' demonic army had come hunting them down. The Threshold that separated them from human perception still lingered and had been a hellish time to drive the supernatural force away, just for their sake of peace. The humans fared a little better, no longer tethered to the drinkable lies and visual manipulations, as many have created legions of Demonhunts to thwart any creature they deemed demonic. Of course, lynching their fellow was just as common, proving somewhat the very reason of Vergil's 'holier-than-thou' proclamation of becoming a self-imposed ruler upon the mass of fragile and weak-minded humans.
Those four days have left them questioning themselves, but there was no backing out of it. If they were going to set things right, then it was important they start from zero than having done nothing at all. Even though that zero was, at first, questionable as well, especially when it came to trust.
The wise demon and former prophet for Mundus, Phineas, had been the only one powerful enough to dispel the remnants of Limbo's Threshold. He is also standing in as their mentor, teaching Kat more ways of magic, as well as showing Dante information of the long arduous history of this world…this Realm, as he keeps describing it. And so, they looked up to him as their only trustworthy ally…until he brought Commissioner Morrison.
They have been in hiding in the same dilapidated apartment ever since the fall of the Order's HQ. This has been their 'home', no matter how cramped and outdated the facilities were, it has what remains of their belongings and their cause. At least it was quiet and, so far, had the least amount of Limbo's presence. Perhaps being located at the poorest district had something to do with that, but at least the number of angry demons and lynching humans are small. Although it did make Dante restless, Kat and Phineas assuaged his fears and eagerness to jump into action, such as small deeds like helping displaced people into hiding in the same poor district and even helping one demon becoming a Harpy-shooter, who now shoots down Harpies for a living.
Dante had once competed against him to win a few Proud Souls—highly-prized fragments of what may have been once a living being, now turned into energized currency—in Limbo's Harbor and won only one, because, for some reason, Dante was being generous to the Harpy-shooter. Kat could see that he wanted the little demon to win, perhaps get a taste of joy that had been robbed from the creature for so long. They had pizza after, just yesterday, and to Kat, she wished that their whole lives would be just like this…
…just easygoing, casual days, and competing out of sportsmanship, making friends out of strangers…
But the one event ten hours ago changed everything, the one that led them to this very car ride to Wolfhaven.
Kat is always in this habit of practicing her psychic powers. Before the dawn breaks, Kat would light her candles and read her books to practice safe Astral Projection, witchcrafting and preparing ingredients, while Dante snored away in his side of the cramped apartment. As she meditated, Phineas had contacted her.
"Young witch!"
"Phineas, hey!"
"How is your arm?"
"A lot better, thanks to you." Even with her eyes closed and concentrating, she lifts her right hand to caress the magical splint clamped on her left shoulder, elbow and wrist, enabling her to perform menial tasks even though her bones are still healing. "But I have a feeling you contacted me because it's not my arm."
The old wizened demon smiles. "Don't take offence, but know that I am still concerned. I have not tinkered with machinery for a…long time…except for my own eye. Anyway! To business."
Her Astral Projections are usually just outside their apartment building, thirty meters or so. She had strayed far before, but back then she knew little of magic. Her Projections are usually a result of her trying to escape her 'nightmares'—the assaults and abuse, the neglect and near-death experiences. Her most harrowing journey was when she was taken hostage inside the biggest building in Limbo—Silver Sacks Tower—and had stretched her limit, but she had to, so she can scale its interior weakness and relay this information, for the sake of their freedom.
That felt long ago, but her broken arm proves it otherwise. But soon, she'll heal and she'll improve. Her broken arm would be a thing of the past. She'll have become better and she has to. Her and Dante's journey has just begun.
With a snap of Phineas' finger, a portal emerges out of nothing. He lets her inside his 'domain', a Soulscape.
It is not unlike the twisted, hellish domain Limbo's Sentience can do, such as entering its Threshold and becoming victim to its demonic-infested world! It is also not unlike Dante's, broken memories given a 'world' of their own for him to venture, though since he isn't trained—nor have they explored it yet—he cannot conjure his own Soulscape at will. Kat has her own Soulscape, but she's still practicing it, 'furnishing' it according to what pleases her. Soon, she will conjure it and, perhaps, use it to defend oneself, who knows…
"Come. I must ensure our conversation doesn't fall on prying Souls…"
"I've been awake since 3 a.m. I haven't felt any malignant presence…"
"That, you may think so, but craftiness is an opponent's best weapon."
And just like that, Kat and Phineas enter his Soulscape: a wonderfully warm, lush but small, private room! The walls are painted a rich dark emerald, covered wall to wall with shelves filled with books. Two windows face parallel one another, showing an eternally-bright morning spring, illuminating the room and the round dining table presented for them. The aroma of the Soulscape is filled with exotic perfumes, but also of strongly cocoa- and vanilla-based desserts, next to the subtle simmer of tea. At the far-right nook of this room stood a woman with a lion headset, carrying a giant hourglass with flowing, bright green liquid, that flows continuously down to its bowl-shaped base and 'absorbed' throughout her creviced body, sustaining her, and then flowing back to the hourglass through her fingers. It was a statue, dressed in the darkest mossy green tunic wrapped around her dark metallic body.
She looks closer to her facial features, wanting to drink in such beautiful details…
…but a pupil shifts to stare at Kat and she blinks!
But nothing seems to have moved at all, not one centimeter. It was just her imagination…
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Phineas says regarding the statue and she nods in agreement.
But Kat is more than impressed about the whole room! To think a former convict could still have a powerful Soulscape, she can just imagine what she can do with her own!
"Not as beautiful as the whole room!"
He chuckles at her compliment and shows her to the table. "The new recipes I've learned I managed to Incorporate here in my hidden getaway. Come, take some." He invites her as he reaches out to take two biscuits and popped it inside his mouth. She does the same, taking one, and chewed. It tastes as glorious as how it smells!
"I wonder if I'll Incorporate pizza in my Soulscape?"
Phineas laughs as he pulls a chair for him to sit down. "Dante should Incorporate that to his, not yours! That boy is so eager to get things done, he should learn the arts of magic!"
"Can he, though? I mean, Vergil used to…" Kat caught herself as she recalled her time with Vergil. Although he was no magician, he certainly had levels of understanding magic, such as his own Soulscape and activating it when he came back to their family home, Paradise, and the fact that he found her through his own experimentation with magic. His blade, Yamato, had recently been imbued with a hex to break down portals, or make one. He had taught her how, showed her the many ways her gifts are 'useful' and how she should be proud of it. She had idolized him, and had once been smitten…
She had been stupid.
In the cramped room, with her eyes closed, Kat's fists tightened. Wherever he is, she was sure, purely sure now, that she will stop him, with or without Dante.
"Kat." Whether or not he was aware, Phineas' gentle voice brings her back to the lush armchair still waiting for her to sit upon.
"Sorry. What I wanted to ask is, can Dante practice magic? He's…well, still discovering who he is." She asks, sitting down on the velvety texture of the armchair.
Getting back in topic, Phineas pours her tea. "Nephilim are actually a very diverse race. They aren't just the 'third race', although we use that for general terms and conversation. And if the things Eva's children are capable of are only the tip of a sword, then training them to understand magic would be the sword's sheen itself!"
His words bring a smile to Kat's face as she sips the tea. Despite being a Soulscape, Kat's lips felt the hot liquid on her lips and nourishing her through. She won't need breakfast after all. Well, maybe until Dante wakes up.
"Now, I needed to talk to you and Dante, but since you are already here, your presence will suffice." He tells her after setting down his teacup. "Please don't be alarmed when he comes. He is one of the allies I've lost contact with ever since Mundus stormed the Paradise Manor—"
Quickly settling the teacup down, Kat gestures for him to stop. "Wait, wait, wait! Who's coming?"
"Do not be alarmed." Phineas reiterates, too soothingly for Kat's comfort. "As I've said, they are allies. He will come to knock at your door and give you proof of his allegiance to you. His name is Commissioner Gaiman Morrison, he is the newly-instated commissioner of Limbo Metropolis' Police, after the corrupted ones who work under Mundus have been fired and are under prosecution. I know of what happened to you and how that helped in taking down Mundus' empire."
She suddenly felt this stinging pain on her left shoulder, as if she had been shot by that cold bullet, before being knocked at the back of her head to black out. She should not be entertaining flashbacks of what happened to her, so she tries hard to focus on her tea, which she picks up again. Looking up at the wizened demon, Phineas' face is contorted with concern. "I hope I am not…making you fearful. You and Dante can rest easy with this individual."
"I actually know who you're talking about," Kat replies as she carefully swishes her teacup before sipping and continues after. "Mr. Morrison was once one of the targets Vergil intended to get rid of, but he focused on getting Dante first. He wasn't commissioner then, so that sort of raised an alarm as to why he'd want to target an ordinary policeman."
Phineas hums, a curl tipping on his thin lips. "...Not surprising at all. With the information you have from the Order, as the main holder, Vergil has been very investigative throughout his years. Moving on, Gaiman Morrison has been a great ally, not only to Dante's departed family…"
With those words, he bows his head in reverence and then continues. "…But to the very people who have been against any rising threat that would come upon this Realm. These people are the ones who successfully took Vergil under their care and out of Mundus' eyes, or even from other, equally powerful beings, who would exploit the opportunity if they had taken either of the twins."
She draws in a sharp breath. "Vergil once told me the people who used to care for him, but he didn't elaborate...so his adoptive family…it's—!"
"The Vie De Marli! Correct!" The wide, gleeful smile across Phineas' face reflects the thudding, excited heart inside Kat's chest.
But she also feels something shaking her! Her Astral projection is fading, pulling her back to the apartment. "Phineas! I think—!"
The teacup she was holding falls from her hands—then reappears, empty this time, back on its position on the table! Her figure seems to vibrate, becoming non-physical!
Kat felt the warm breath on her face and an urgent voice whispering, "Kat, you better get back here! The police are coming! And I think they brought something else with them!"
"It's Dante! I think your commissioner friend is too early!"
Realizing he has mere seconds, Phineas elaborates himself as quick as he can! "I apologize, Kat! I cannot be with you personally as I am indeed busy! Please let Dante know it is for the future! For the Coming World! Oh dear, why did I—just, Kat, remember the Blue Rose! And the Wolfhaven incident! He will also gift to you—!"
The door of Phineas' Soulscape was flung open and immediately, she was greeted with the smog and the twilight of the day as she went back to the cramped, outdated apartment room and into that space filled with candles and magical books.
Her eyes open and quickly stand up to grasp Dante herself, who had been trying to wake her from her Astral Projection—!
But he is nowhere at all!
"Dante!" She searches around the small apartment room—the living/magical area, the dining and kitchenette, the only bathroom—nobody! The whole place is empty save for her! She realizes the bathroom's window is open! It's never been that wide open—!
Did he just go through that small window? Has he decided to take them on—? No! Dante, you idiot!
"YOooOOOooooOOOOoo…YO WASSUP! WASSUP-WASSUP-WASSUP-WASSUP-WAAASSSUUUPP?! BITCONNECT! MIC TEST, MIC TEST! KAT, KAT, KAT! MIND READ ME KAT! MIND READ ME KAT! S.O.S.! S.O.S.! S.O.S.! S.O.S.! MIND READ ME KAT! MIND READ ME KAT! MIND READ ME KAT! I BOUGHT ANAL PLUGS FOR MY BIRTHDAY! KAAAaaaaaAAAaaaaaTT!"
I am going to murder that idiotic asshole—!
"HEY, THAT'S NOT NICE!"
Laughing in spite of the turn of events, Kat calms down and rubs her forehead, smiling. "Dante, how'd you know how to telepath? And where are you? I just talked to Phineas—long story short, DO NOT ENGAGE!"
Inside her mind, she can hear him smirk. "Okay, first of all, they're police, why the hell am I not engaging? Second, I do have a brain that can read Basics of Mental Magic, so that should answer your first question. Lastly, I'm at the sixth floor, on Mr. Gorgon's recently evicted apartment."
She frowns in disgust. "Why are you there? You do know that guy got evicted because of his…hobbies with a meat grinder. You could just look below since every floor has an outside space."
The sly chuckle that he telepaths made her roll her eyes at him. "Oh, you know, I'm up to no good!"
"Dante, don't! Phineas has an ally from among them—!"
"Hmm." Dante muses but because of their mental link, she gradually 'sees' what he roughly wants to do with them. Something about stringing them up and putting them through a mock execution with the meat grinder…
"Dante, don't!"
"Way ahead of you!"
"No! Dante!"
She was too late! There was a scream from somewhere, followed by orders from a commanding voice and hurried footsteps, which abruptly end mid-step! There were more footsteps, but one by one, each pair of running footsteps halt and screams of one another's name are called out, until that, too, became a gurgling mess of desperation and…
…it's suddenly too quiet. Not even a gunshot, which is disturbing to think.
Kat has half her mind set in Astral Projecting herself or mentally calling out for Dante. But she goes for her fanny pack, belt of spray cans and stencil, then rushes back to the living area, where she was Astral Projecting, to procure her new magical weapons: Summoning Cards. Each card depicts a character or motif, representing the power it will utilize when summoned. Once used, it will gradually lose its effects in a few minutes. Crafting another one would replace the same card, though that takes time. She didn't know why, but as a hunch, she has to take it to defend herself and Dante…
"Hey…" Dante mentally greets her, sounding sheepish.
The air she huffs is of pure frustration. "Well, did you have fun? Did you find out if they were hunting us? Or was I right?"
The awkward, verbal pause he was making was enough evidence of his jumping to conclusions too quickly. "Yeah, you see, I have a grand distrust of cops, so you and Phineas being right about these people are still up for debate. I am, however, still going to let Commish Morrison inside our apartment so he'll explain himself."
"Wait, the others! What did you do to them?"
"Used their yellow tape to string them up. They're fine!"
She groans as she informs Dante to go through the front door and to let Commissioner Morrison answer the Charmed question. Their front door has a magical security, wherein the one being asked the Charmed question must answer it as honestly as they can; otherwise it will create a Body Rope Curse, making the victim bound on the spot until Dante takes them out as an unwanted visitor.
Knock, knock… "Yo, Kat! Special delivery over here!" Dante hollers.
"I just want to talk…but your friend…he, uh…he wouldn't listen. So I hope you would see reason." It sounded like an older man. His voice is a bit gruff, pure in this urban accent and very tired, burdened with grim and harrowing responsibilities. Kat sympathizes.
"Who sent you here?" Kat asks the Charmed question, hoping she sounds very much in charge.
"I was brought here by Phineas. Well, actually, I sought him out. I need help. Phineas has told me that you will get something out of this as well, especially to Dante. But if you know Phineas, he has a habit of being ambiguous. Please..."
The Body Rope Curse didn't activate. He is telling the truth. But she has more up her sleeve, more ways to know if he's wrapped in strings from a demon Marionettist. But still, perhaps in both naivety and hopefulness, Kat believes he's harmless.
She unlocks the door and opens it, pulling it wide enough for her to peer at the two men's faces outside.
Commissioner Gaiman Morrison smiles at her. "Hello, miss." He was a tall individual, with broad shoulders and hazel eyes, brunet and facial hair flecked with gray. He wore a beige blazer underneath a white crisp polo shirt, which is slightly drenched with sweat. Slung around him was a crossbody bag, right next to his holstered pistol. His gruff voice is full of kindness, a type that talked to little children about how bad things happen sometimes and that the worse would pass. "You must be Kat."
She nods and gradually opens the door wide for them to enter. She gasps when she realizes Dante truly did use yellow tape, this time to bind the commissioner's ankles, long enough for his feet to walk but not run!
She glares at him, who was behind Morrison and Dante merely shrugs his shoulders, and then fixes the right side shoulder of his coat; a behavioral tic, meaning he was a bit proud of what he did.
"Please, sit there." Kat points to the worn-out armchair then disappears to the living area. Coming back, she had procured a knitted, old quilt and placed it on its headrest. Its design is curious: knitted on it are glyphs and runes adorned at the edges surrounding a much larger symbol. "And make sure you lay your head on this quilt."
The police follows suit, his gaze going to the worn-out armchair and sheepishly sitting on it, laying his head to rest on it. Unbeknownst to the commissioner (or perhaps he has an idea), he had just activated a magical object. Now their questions will reveal lies or a demon curse from his answers.
As he sits down, a glint comes from his ring finger: a ring with a sapphire-blue jewel. "Okay." He says calmly, his arms idle on the sides of the armchair. "So should I start explaining myself?"
Dante crosses his arms as Kat closes the front door. "You can start explaining where's this other individual you brought in?"
The policeman's face contorts in confusion. Nothing happens even after he answers. "What? There's just five of us! And you scaring my rookie to death when you told her about that tenant's meat grinder! You didn't have to do that! I mean, grinding demons to mincemeat? Mr. Gorgon's a…disturbed individual, but none of those meats we've confiscated are even non-human. Though, of course, the human victims aren't any better…"
The sly grin across Dante is more than mischievous. "Yeah, well, I hate to tell ya, but he fed those demon remains to his favorite street animals. Those human remains? Word is, those people once bullied and harassed him. I can guess-timate those remains totaled to…eleven people, when you 'reconnect' those remains? Must've been a long week for the forensics. How is he in the psych center, by the way? I bet he's doing fine."
The wide eyes on the poor old man cued Kat to intervene. "I think you should start with why you would want help from...us." She says in a comforting tone, elbowing Dante in his stomach. "I mean, as you can definitely see...me and Dante aren't still exactly reputable to the public and as far as those we know, only you two know exactly who we are and what we've done."
Settling down from the meat-grinder tidbit, Morrison takes a deep breath and straightens his back, as if he was about to explain this summer's humidity. "Yes, well good news. You and Dante are absolved of any of the crimes accused, alleged or not, during Mundus' era. Now I know that's still not much, but I can guarantee you, no one in the police department is going to hunt you nor even maltreat you. If anyone does, I will personally see to them how wrong they are. You have my word."
Dante scoffs at his words and turns to his partner. "Kat, your trap isn't working." His voice is apathetic, but she can see he's fuming, in denial. She understands just how convenient this all is suddenly, but still can't they take this opportunity?
She glowers at him. "Well it's because he's telling the truth!"
"He may not be a demon, but I don't trust him!" He proclaims with fervor. "And I swear, something is still out there when the police came here—!"
"Nothing's out there! Dante, you're paranoid and I understand that, but…"
"Kat, you need to trust me! Something is not right—!"
Morrison stands up with his hands open-palmed, gesturing them to cool down. Kat outstretches her hands to both men, realizing Dante has stepped forward the old man, his expression foul! "Sit down!"
But Morrison ignores him and continues his sympathy. "I'm sorry for your loss, son."
"What?!"
"Dante, listen to him!"
"I'm sorry we've been in hiding...I'm sorry you had been abandoned. We...we never wanted this."
"I don't need sympathy!" Dante's nostrils flare and waves his hand nonchalantly, though the tension coiled within him concerns Kat. She stands in front of him to stop whatever he would do to the old man as his temper flares. "My past...is a great part of how I'm still here…I'm fighting not because I'm against the things you people are fighting. I fought for myself, for my survival and now I'm fighting because there are people who had been born and made abandoned! And I don't care what they are! I'm with them!"
Morrison nods solemnly and she can see how his smile is that of a proud man. "Exactly."
Fiercely, Dante's index finger points at the old man, his voice a sinister, lower register. "You have your word, right? You better keep it! Coz I can show you how I keep mine."
"With my life." The somber tone on the old man has Kat gazing at the hazel eyes of the commissioner, which stare back at the icy blue ones that was angry, suspicious and, deep down, scared.
Miraculously, the tension on his body dissipates, his accusatory hand snapping back at his side and she gradually steps back. Looking at him, he meets her gaze; he looks drained from venting his anger. But they can't rest and let the awkward silence stretch.
She clears her throat to make it her turn to speak. "I was told that you have a 'gift' to us?"
Morrison nods but Dante clears his throat at him and points at the old armchair, reminding the old man. Morrison gestures his hands up and sits back down, his head resting on the quilt, still unable to lift Dante's suspicion.
Fishing around inside his bag, the old man pulls out an embroidered pouch. It was a beautiful little pouch and it clinked prettily with what the two of them can tell is full of money. Dante, however, is gazing at the pouch's design: embroidered on it were stems of thorny blue roses.
"Phineas told me that you'd need some extra cash and I volunteered to give it to you personally. Though I think you'd be really making this useful." He says sheepishly.
The two remain quiet while Kat takes the pouch from his hand and recognizes the Blue Rose from what Phineas had told her; so Commissioner Morrison takes the silence as his chance before Dante declines. "Okay then. As I've said, I need your help. I think you've seen news of a massacre on the town of Edenville, in the county of Wolfhaven. A lot of news media have been cordoned off after some of the Wolfhaven inhabitants have been evacuated, though most townsfolk just moved to another area in the county and didn't really leave, which is another problem but that's mine to deal with."
The two share a disturbed look. Of course, they've seen it, but not of actual dead bodies, however. There was nothing about the actual carnage, only of panicked citizens and police force going to the area as well as glimpses of demons zipping in, or rising from the depths as the earth gave way. The live coverage of it, as well as viral video accounts, added nothing visually concrete of any body counts, except for the sudden heavy fog and drop in temperatures. There had been many video and photo accounts that got uploaded and shared throughout, but those have gone quiet after the main incident, no one wanting to fall victim to the ones who tried, and disappeared into the fog. And victims, these panicked inhabitants have said, count to more than a thousand.
No one could console these panic-stricken and rightfully fearful townsfolk, for when they managed to get to the shelters in Angelavale—another town in Wolfhaven—the overall populace of 224,922 citizens have dwindled to 220,478. Where the remaining people are—children, men, women, elderly—they are still in the heavily-foggy, highly-infested area in the west of Wolfhaven, waiting to be found.
"The massacre happened four days ago, after Mundus' defeat, about a few hours past eight in the evening, and there haven't been any new attacks since. If there are, all activity that's been reported so far are from Edenville and the westernmost area of the county. For the next twelve hours or so, my men and women have done nothing but to gather evidence and hunt down anyone or…anything responsible for this. On public media, no one has any idea of how many are dead, not even the townsfolk…and I have to say, we wouldn't have any visual idea, either, if it weren't for one sole survivor from the group I've dispatched there."
He fishes inside his bag to procure his phone and thumbs in on the screen the file he wants to show. He pulls it up for them to see and their eyes widen, with Kat gasping. Horrific images of bodies strewn all across the tangled, grassy woods filled them with icy dread. Another batch of images show of shadowy figures, humanoid in their details while some in huge proportions Dante is familiar with…
"A Hunter…" He whispers, his brows furrowed in fury.
Morrison pulls back the phone, his face more somber. "The only surviving officer took these photos. He was spared so he can relay the message from the one responsible…that's right."
Kat's head is shaking, her eyes wide in terror. Morrison's brows furrow, his tone bleak.
"My officer…he said he met the man who was leading a horde of demons. And he said he looked just liked that Wanted Man, Dante, but he knew he was different. He had white hair and the most twisted look in his face—"
"No..." The tone of Dante's voice is blunt, colorless and devoid. But looking at his eyes, Kat can see his anguish and so does Morrison. "I get it…I drove him away. Now he's taking it out on a bunch of innocent people…"
As a gesture to assuage him, Kat reaches out her right hand to his shoulder. Morrison speaks, his tone gentle, "No one is blaming you. This is clearly a very sensitive affair and I have no say in that. However, if he truly wants to commit a massive killing, he should be rampaging all over the county by now. But he's not and I have a theory on that. I will say this, though. I think it's time humanity has to face this darkness they've been unaware of for a long time. No matter how horrible, it's in our hands now."
From his words, the anguish on Dante's face became sad but otherwise calm. Morrison continues.
"With this little evidence and no manpower on the site, I am still hopeful. Despite the setback, I have a theory as to who else is responsible and it's likely he's paired up with your brother to do this mayhem."
He uses his phone again and pulls up an image of a middle-aged man with the most striking face and features.
Kat's eyes widens again. "Oh, God."
"You know this man?" Dante asks.
The man on the photo is a very regal-looking, pale, middle-aged man, with raven and facial hair slightly peppered with gray strands. His face is long with a striking nose and a scar on his left side, adding mystery to his stern face. His most distinctive features have to be his eyes: on the right one a blue-green, the other a…light brown, almost red iris. He wore what could be compared to office clothes with a coat, all in black save for his crisp gray button-up shirt, from what they can surmise as the photo ends just below the first two buttons of it.
"I guess you haven't gotten to that journal yet." Kat explains. "Vergil met him before, but he didn't entertain this guy for too long. His name is Jonathan Arkham, a scholar and quite a recluse. I guess you can guess what he's been up to…"
"I can guess Vergil changed his mind now." Dante muses as he stares at the man's curious pair of eyes.
"Dr. Arkham is quite a theologian and folklorist, teaching at Fortuna City. He's divorced and has not visited his family as often as he used to. Still, colleagues check out that he's a man of routine and they make it clear that Dr. Arkham would've been sighted leaving their premises. It became suspicious when he has not been seen or have clocked in his office, as usual. So he was reported a Missing Person after two days of him gone. He's been missing for more than two weeks now and I'd say, he's had ample time to do whatever he needed to do…
"There's been a string of murders in Fortuna and Wolfhaven before he went missing, but the frequency of victims had a spike after. A few of my people are suspecting him as a culprit, after we've gathered evidence from him when he was still a Missing Person. And boy, what a mountain of evidence: files and research notes about ancient rituals, symbolic anthropology, folk tales of The Nameless One and hypotheses on Nephilims..."
A morbid chuckle comes out of Morrison before he continues. "I'd say, we have a feeling he wants being chased. This is especially with his latest victim."
"I guess that's why Vergil didn't take a liking to him initially," Dante notes, a corner of his mouth curled to show he's upset. "And I'm not surprised there's not a lot of news coverage about a serial killer, given Barbas probably just turned a blind eye."
"Yep. But unlike Barbas, he hasn't stopped," Morrison confirms with his lips as tight as a line, while he pops up the files and images of the case file regarding Dr. Arkham on his phone. "His recent victim is his ex-wife."
The two of them take in the information and the visceral images of his victims. Kat had decided to look away most of the time, but Dante was drawn to the brutality as his blood ran cold. His pity for the victims were not only turning into anger, but his rage is seething as the symbols that this serial killer is using is his family's insignia! Each photo showed was the undeniable logo of the one he has on his upper back, now desecrated and framed with melted wax candles, dried blood, as a symbol of torment and bloodshed!
"Around the same time you were taking down Mundus' cohorts, his former spouse, Ms. Kalina Ann Battaglia had gone missing, although no one reported her missing for three days. When we got the warrant to search her place...well, I'm sure you can figure out what we saw. She was found on her manor's library. All victims have gone through...similar torture methods, with the symbols drawn on the floor. Whatever he's done, it's in tandem with Mundus' downfall and what's happening in Edenville."
"It also says here they have a daughter." Kat points out and shows the image of a young woman who's roughly the same age as Dante's. And as expected, despite the already morbid tension of the whole case, Dante wolf-whistles at the photo. Kat rolls her eyes as Morrison shakes his head. She reads further that she's also a Missing Person.
Morrison explains, "Missing, too and reported by her worried peers in Limbo Metropolitan University. She was expected to return after one whole day to visit her mother, and this was also the same time her mother had recently been reported as missing, so you can imagine just what the hell she must've seen or known about her mother's demise."
Gripping Morrison's phone, he lifts his eyes to gaze at the old man. "We'll go!" Dante's conviction pleasantly surprises both Morrison and Kat. "We've been briefed enough. Anymore information needed you can just give us through a hard drive."
Nodding, he gestures for Morrison to stand up, giving the phone back. Without a cue, however, a bright flash of light comes from Dante's hand, a long shape forms and it materializes as a sword―Rebellion!
SWISH! The yellow tape binding Morrison snaps in half as the point of his sword lands between the commissioner's feet!
With their eyes wide, Morrison and Kat glare at Dante, who wills his Rebellion to dissipate and shrugs his shoulders. "...you're free. Though I have to say, I still think you owe me a lot of explanation regarding my family...so, consider us taking the case as a Two-Way Disclosure Agreement."
A chuckle comes out of Morrison as Kat smacks his right arm, prompting him to rub it and giving her a silly grin. "Oh, of course! You two are my responsibility in a way, besides the destitute state of our city, and by extension our Realm."
A bewildered look crosses Kat's face. "Why do people keep saying that, 'realm'?"
"All in due time, Kat," Morrison reassures. "All in due time."
As the old man stretches his legs while Kat has decided to prepare breakfast in the kitchenette, Dante sets him aside. Bewildered, he lets Dante talk, whose eyes are squinting with suspicion.
"Morrison, you said you're keeping your word regarding us having immunity," he murmurs, "but how are you gonna do that? Who else is with you, was with you in this...whole thing, while you worked within Mundus' system? I mean, you can't be alone in this right now."
The thin lips on the old man widens into a warm smile. "We have ways to hide. Mundus and his court are only as powerful as we let them know, but of course, we number in a few. If we did something as unthinkable as what you, Kat and Vergil have done...well…" He trails off and stares at the floor. And gazing at the old man, Dante realizes the burden and responsibility Morrison must be carrying, still carrying to this day, to this new era. "Let's just say...it's not just the demons we'd be looking out for...trust me, Dante, in all due time, and through this case...there will be truths that will be revealed―"
"Okay, I get that, but seriously," Dante claps his hand on his shoulder, chuckling. "Like I'm asking if you're literally alone in this...secret. I mean, yeah, you have Phineas...but, you're not accompanied at all? Like, those cops in Mr. Gorgon's apartment are all human. So, is there no one with you who's, I dunno, like me? Right now? Coz my own brand of senses is telling me you aren't really alone…"
It was Morrison's turn to squint his eyes, suspicious and, as Dante notes from his bobbing adam's apple, nervous. "You're asking...if I'm accompanied by someone like you, today?"
The dread in their eyes creeps in. "Yeah."
"Can you feel this company right now?" Morrison asks as he places his fingers on his pistol.
With eyes round with fear, Dante calls out for Kat to protect Morrison!
"I told you!" He exclaims as Kat abruptly drops everything and had gone to Morrison's side, her spray can in hand. "Someone else is here!"
He wrenches the door open from the bathroom and, once again, exits through the small window! Chasing after him, Kat is unable to witness how exactly he could squeeze through the window without breaking anything and decides to follow him through a mental link. "Mr. Morrison!"
"No worries!" He assures her, pulling out his pistol. "I'll be fine. We do need to stick together!"
She nods and, following Dante's mental trail, she zeroes on his location, but finds out that Mr. Gorgon's apartment is empty! Wait! Where are the cops he tied up―!
Around the building, a Presence she has never encountered is flying by, like a hawk gauging prey! Goosebumps form as she observes the creature through her Astral Projection.
So that's why I couldn't sense anything or anyone! It's not a demon!
Pumped with adrenaline and dread, Dante scales the facade of the building with Ophion, its silvery body and sharp maw latches on to the eighth floor enclosure to launch him upwards, towards the roof―
The cold tingling that has been sweeping across his skin became irritating as the presence of this creature finally reveals itself! Oh my god…
Propelling himself upwards to the roof, the silhouette of the creature soars above the building, banking in and out in graceful arcs. He can hear other noises on the roof as his feet bounds against the wall and thrusts him to the last platform!
The sight before him should've given him an idea of what his opponent is planning: besides the four cops that came with Morrison―unconscious, yet free from the yellow tape and not sporting any major injuries―a litter of kittens and puppies are yapping helplessly and confused, scattered all over the place!
And landing at the middle of it all, is a creature that dared show its face, after all these years.
Dante clears his throat as he is beholden before him something they have never encountered before. "Miss, I think this place is off limits."
Still with her back turned, Dante is witness to how an angel's wings retracts into her exposed back, the only swath of skin showcased by the armor she wears from head to toe. And what an armor!
He shields his eyes as the glimmer and sheen of the armor burns his sockets with every minute movement she makes. Slowly but with such calculated poise, the angel turns to gaze at him. Her elaborately-detailed helmet allows her and Dante a peak, restrictive in its design and overtly protective, yet he can see that the angel―like his mother―is unapologetically beautiful.
And when she speaks, a lilting babydoll-like voice talks back at him. "Off limits?"
"Yes, afraid so." He says politely. "If you'd let me escort you through this building, I can show you the exit."
Through the slit openings of her helmet, he can see her grinning softly at him. "How kind of you. Is this your way of offering surrender?" And just like that, a long shape appears from her left hand, materializing from a bright fiery light! And from it, an equally-elaborate and glimmering polearm is summoned!
From even a few feet Dante can feel the heat from her form, like a bonfire in winter. He puts his tongue against his cheek. "Actually," he says with a sly grin. "I just don't wanna wake up the neighbors."
Her soft grin is still intact, her gaze unblinking. He waits for her move. He knows she's underestimating him.
"Such innocent creatures." She says instead as a puppy walks around her left foot, sniffing the floor. "But they cannot live. Their mothers and fathers have been tainted with demon blood when they were fed such remains. I've rounded them up here so I can kill all these tainted things in one building, to finish the...cleansing."
Dante hums, tilting his head. "Hm, and you've been one busy bird, huh. I wouldn't wanna be in your way."
"No, Child of Eva," she gestures her right hand to him, as if welcoming him. "You are exactly where I need you to be."
Faster than a blink, the point of her polearm swings directly for his head! With quick footwork, she lashes out her attacks as her polearm twirls and pierces through the air, and finally crumbling the concrete with the glaive of her polearm―
"Nice moves!" He airily tells her as he slides out of her way, his coattails swishing behind him. "Though I think you need to aim―"
Furious, the angel shrieks. "DIE!"
Now, in a fight, Dante would've pulled out the stops to take her out. However, this was no fight; with the baby animals strewn around, scared and very confused, and the unconscious cops lying on the floor, it's clear she intended to have him disadvantaged with innocents in the battleground.
As her polearm plunges through the distance between them, Dante evades and deflects each attack with his arms while minding his feet! Unabashedly, she doesn't care for the small creatures, stepping forward, left, right, center whenever she needed to get an opportunity to strike and pierce her weapon across his body!
Luckily, most of the animals are running away from them, cowering for cover and trampling among each other in the process! However, with her polearm's powerful inertia, their feet aren't the only factors that'll get these creatures killed!
"Shoo!" As gently and quickly as he can, he pushes an excited kitten away with his booted foot from coming in between them, as the sharp end of the polearm rises above him, the angel hopping up to gain momentum when she brings it down! Readying his hands, he goes for the pole while he quickly kneels to avoid the glaive of the polearm coming down to his head! He grips it and goes for a roll across the floor, bringing her to the ground with him!
The scream that tore from her mouth was more than satisfactory! Losing balance, but not her vice-like grip on her weapon, she rolls away to keep her distance! But on the floor, Dante swerves his body to push away the creatures and keep his momentum going to chase after the angel! Like some crazy bipedal snake, he coils his body across the floor, while the furious strikes that should've plunged itself on his head or other body parts are parried and deflected, not only by his arms, but his flexible legs, coiling themselves on the pole before being kicked away, to the frustration of the angel!
She arcs, pierces and swipes her polearm at him with increasing speed, the wind from each momentous attack blowing back a breeze, yet nothing lands at Dante at all! Not even when she goes on to stomp or kick at him to impede his movements! With him closing in, the angel realizes the gap between them is decreasing, and no sooner than she did, his dirty boot lands squarely at her helmeted head, inducing her jaw to lock upwards as she dizzily tries to remain upright!
Done with his breakdancing, bright lights emanate from both his hands, summoning his twin pistols and he shoots at her torso twice! It barely penetrated through her armor, but that wasn't the point of shooting at her!
A painful cry tore from her mouth as she lost balance and her back smacks the ground, her polearm clattering alongside her! Despite this, she summons back her polearm to her hand to resume battle―
A scorching and heavy object lands on top of her! Trapping her entire body underneath this object, the angel squirms and screams in rage!
"You will not succeed!" her raging cries morphs her face in a bright, fiery blaze, her mouth agape as a long high-pitched shriek frees from her struggling figure! "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGHGHG!"
It was a good idea to summon Eryx, a giant pair of demonic gauntlets worn from the forearms to his fists, to pin her down for a moment and just talk. Before finishing her off, of course.
"You feel better now?" He asks sarcastically, earning him another sinister look from the angel.
"Aaagh! The downfall of the self-proclaimed demon-king Mundus was the key! You, you! You have made this possible―"
He nods coolly. "You're welcome..."
"―for the collapse of his empire and his squabbling Court is grounds for Our Judgment! And you and your twin are ripe for a long-due execution!"
"Listen, miss," Dante remains unflapped. "I think we did you a favor. You were supposed to, like, kill Mundus or something, I dunno what you angels do, but you should be thanking us, me, for exposing these demons and eliminating their top dog. I did your job."
A laugh escapes from her lips and that didn't settle right with him. "FOOL! FOOL! You believe yourself absolved of your mother's sin to beget you? To conspire with a plague of sinners they manage to call themselves creatures of this wretched Realm? To dare conceive the Coming World with that abomination that is your father? For simply ridding of the wretch, Mundus? You are inconceivably more foolish than your ancient brethren! And they've sacrificed their lives for naught after all!"
He dare not show it, this confusion and dread...and familiarity. Coming World…
"Big talk for someone who's underneath this thing." He gestures on his gigantic gauntlet trapping her to the floor. She howls in anger and writhes to get free, her skin remaining fiery bright. He guesses she didn't like belittling her talking. "And question: why now? You didn't want my brother and I, you didn't want Mundus' 'court' or anything, why are you only acting now?"
Dante wasn't really hoping for her to answer. But surprisingly, while she struggled, she does. And if he was being honest, him knowing why they're here now is unnerving. "Our duties, my duty, is to ensure an everlasting victory! With Mundus' power and Hell Gate closed, Our Sphere is now free to Purge this Realm and finish this war! Long has humanity been enslaved, trapped and, Heaven Forbid, so willing to throw themselves to the demons that have ensnared them for their feeding and propagation, their greed, their wars, their deviance and their sins!"
As she spouts scornful statements, the door to the roof opens and in comes Kat and Morrison, in awe of the small animals running around them, the unconscious cops and the furious angel trapped inside the giant, hellish fist!
"Oh fuck…" Morrison whispers as he glares at the angel.
The angel continues her tirade. "But most sinful of all, was your disobedience! How dare the Transient Ones created a Realm without the Angel's guidance? Created a Realm and fornicated with demons and called their descendants to inherit their 'Paradise'? Till now they are paying the price for their sins!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!" He roars at her and points Ebony at her head. "I swear, if you don't start making sense, I will blow you back to your Kingdom Come in pieces!"
"The fall of Mundus' Empire on the Human Realm," Morrison answers, his tone morose. The angel's eyes fix upon him and then at his sapphire-blue ring. "Breaks the nine-millenium treaty…"
"What treaty?" Dante interrogates. "Is your claim about 'all in due time' happening now? You better make sense!"
He ignores him as Morrison continues. "More than nine thousand years ago, a treaty was made to cease the battle, in favor of an agreement that all parties will mutually find 'amiable'. Long story short, they agreed for Mundus' Empire to come to fruition. But it didn't mean that the angels wanted that. They kept their end by ensuring only Mundus' Court are allowed in this Realm―"
"Wait a sec!" Kat cuts, her eyes wide. "You mean to say, people agreed to have Mundus as King?"
"To prevent Armageddon." Morrison finishes. "If that battle continued...well, there won't be anyone left behind besides those two warring factions."
The angel howled in laughter. "So this human is knowledgeable! As expected, from someone who's from the Fallen!" She haughtily says. "And like your ilk who disobeyed the Sphere, you will fall before me―…"
Sensing a heat rising underneath her soul, Kat realizes that the angel had projected her power in a different and very dangerous way! "Dante, Morrison, the building―!"
"I feel it, too!" Dante exclaims and he tightens his grip on the angel, who cries in pain, then chuckles. "What the hell did you do?"
But he can feel it! He can feel burning Hell suffusing deep within him and outside him! Sweat breaks free from his temples as a mental vision of the whole building coming down in a blaze of fire makes his blood run cold!
The angel simply relaxes in her state of entrapment, while Dante's Eryx vibrates, as if something is going to break free!
"Feel the wrath…" The angel murmurs as Dante can feel her wings reappearing, cauterizing Eryx's palm! The heat from her body is rising in exponential rates that Dante knew he's lucky that Eryx is absorbing the scorching fire this angel is made up of!
"GET BACK!" Dante warns them both, who went down on their knees to collect the small animals and one unconscious cop too close to Eryx, then bounded to the corner end of the rooftop!
Dante isn't sure how big this explosion is going to be and how long Eryx would be able to grip her down―
CRACK! The fist-shaped gauntlet shows its first crack! And from the look of things, as long as her body heat rises, then Eryx's melting point has already been met, as it's already losing shape! And worse, that scorching heat is less tolerable now than before his Devil Arm cracked!
Looking back to where his allies are, he can see Kat is set to work! She had laden down her stencils and is spraying on them as he's losing grip! Morrison is trying to rouse one of his cops, while he held a puppy in one arm.
"Kat! AAAaarrgghgh! I hope you have something on you...I don't think...I can hold her down...for long!"
Gazing at him, Kat pulls something from inside her fanny pack and they float right in front of her: her Summoning cards! With her mehndi-tattooed open palms ready, the cards burst into a white glow and from that, bright forms of shapes materialize forth, forming larger and larger―!
"...OF A SERAPH!"
The fist-gauntlet bursts into shattered pieces before it could melt apart! And from that, the freed angel soars above them, burning bright like a blinding spotlight, blazing hotter than this summer's humidity! Her wings spread behind her with tongues of fire licking the air, threatening it to become unbreathable!
He let the impact of the explosion bring him along for the ride! His whole body hurtles in the air and stings from the aftermath of a freed fiery angel, with Eryx's form shattering into a million pieces! He can feel his arm immediately healing from the blistering explosion, though the blazing heat still clings to his skin! He expects either falling down from the rooftop or colliding to the floor of the rooftop, whichever would crack his bones first, he'll get up anyway―
"Dante!" Kat's voice makes him open his eyes, which he realizes he had closed the second Eryx was about to burst.
He also realizes he was saved from crashing unto the pavement, rooftop or below! Looking around him, he finds his body is cradled by a giant creature and looks up―!
"Oh God!" His eyes must be tricking him, because what he's looking at right now looks like a giant, dark brown crab-like creature! Its giant pincers support his body like a human would carry another bridal-style, its beady eyes (Dante is unsure if they are eyes) snapping at every direction! "Kat, why am I being babied by a giant crustacean?"
Morrison's yelling voice answers him from behind. "You're not the only one this wonderfully surprised!"
Agreeing to this new mood, Dante clambers over the giant crab and onto its shell, prompting Kat to tell him this creature took all the puppies and kittens inside its shell! "Cancer is getting off the building after the fight! But it will stay out of the way!"
"Well, that's good to hear!" Dante exclaims with excitement. "What else does this do?"
"Well, Cancer is a water creature, so it's carrying a limited amount of water. I summoned other creatures to prevent the fire!"
And that is true! Surrounding them was a giant, bearded man with a large jar, another giant of a woman, draped heavily in a blinding white dress and headgear, and a pair of floating, glimmering fishes, swimming in mid-air!
"MISERY!" The fiery angel roared in disgust, her polearm―now blazing with fire―pointing at Kat. "I see now that this Realm has surviving Magicians! Mundus' downfall was assured! But not to my Sphere!"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Dante hollers with a roguish grin. "Did you forget?!" And with those words and his left hand outstretched, a bright light appears that materializes a longsword―Rebellion! With quick swipes and arcs, he boasts Rebellion's form and elegant simplicity, the sound of its blade slicing the air audibly!
Even in mid-air and flying nonchalantly above them to show her supposed superiority, the angel looks displeased at the sight of these cretins who dare feel so brazen enough to stand against her! And Dante couldn't help but widen his smile at her, irritating her further.
Flexing Rebellion to rest on his left shoulder, he smirks at his opponent. "You're fighting me, the one begotten by my mother's sins! Since you're so sure about your abilities, let's see how an angel's supposed to deal with those below their shitty God Complex, besides making little fireworks for demons to laugh at!"
"Hmph! You dare…" And just like that, her fiery, yellow-orange wings turns a shade of white, blindingly hotter than before, in turn illuminating against her already glimmering armor, making her appear more audaciously radiant than how she had appeared! "...you mock me, Beatrice the Seraph! I will end you, here and now! And present your ashes to my highest Seraph!"
Dante chuckles, swiping Rebellion off his shoulder and taking a stance. "You can try! You self-righteous bitch!"