Just then as if on queue Nero entered the room with confidence because he knew Vero had nowhere else to go now.
"Well, you've got nowhere to flee to, Vero Cavallone…" he said condescendingly while taking a few steps closer. "So, what will you do now? Do you have any other tricks to help you escape in that brain of yours?"
"No, I'll be fighting this time." The young Cavallone boss replied with determination as he shifted into a battle stance with tonfa in hand. "I'll defeat you and finally get the truth everyone's been so desperately trying to get from you once and for all."
Nero suddenly let out a hearty laugh in response to this and once he finished he said, "You know, your mother - if I'm correct in thinking so - thought she would be able to get the truth out of me too, and where does she happen to be now?"
He paused, expecting an answer but Vero only stood silently, narrowing his eyes at him.
"She's gone!…And you'll be joining her very soon."
Once he was done speaking he swung his blade with a flourish, then pointed it at the blonde threateningly.
"Not if I have any say in this." Vero replied somewhat confidently. "I've been preparing for your arrival, so bring it!"
Nero took him up on that invitation, quickly darting towards the young boss who tried to grab the blade with his cable to take it away. The raven haired male however dodged every attempt effortlessly as if to tire the blonde out and close the space between them.
Vero jumped back when Nero reached him and realizing that his opponent was tiring him out decided to kick it up a notch and engulf his tonfa with orange flames by using his ring as an igniter. He then swung one of his tonfa at the man who expressed mild surprise at the action but was still able to dodge the attack effectively.
"I must admit that trick of yours was certainly unexpected and pretty impressive," Nero complimented calmly before smirking confidently. "But I can do the same."
He then held out his sword and as he ran his hand along the blade inky black colored flames appeared.
'I've…never seen or heard of flames of that color…' Vero thought with deep concern.
The raven haired male could tell he was staring at the flames with such intensity as he said, "You like these flames? They are my close kept secret. Anyone who's seen them hasn't ever lived to tell the tale…"
The young Cavallone boss picked up on that threat immediately and before his opponent could make a move he tried to snap his cable at him to delay a possible attack. Nero didn't even bat an eye in response as he simply swung his sword, cutting the cable cleanly in two.
"I hope you're at least a little more competent than what you've showcased so far," he stated with intense irritation. "Because this is just disappointing."
He then became more serious as he shot forward to finally attack. Vero gulped nervously in response and move in barely enough time to block. He thought the dark flames would then cut through his tonfa but because his sky flames were dense enough the weapons remained whole.
"Apparently you just might be…" the raven haired male remarked as the two of them struggled against each other. "But no matter what tricks you might pull from here on, you'll still be joining the others in the afterlife…"
Vero was then pushed away and as he stumbled back he figured now was a good time to inquire about his family since they had been brought up.
"Is that really what happened to them though? I'm not fully affiliated with the Mezzanotte so I had to do some digging of my own, but what I found out doesn't add up with what you're saying right now," he steadily spoke. "So what is the absolute truth?"
"Your 'mother' has been asking me that very same question for years and to that I say…'I refuse to break'." Nero replied quite willingly, then paused and adopted a sly playful smile. "But I am a generous man. Let's see if you're smart enough to figure it all out from this simple little hint…"
He paused again only to smile wider when his opponent glared at him suspiciously.
"I was the only one who walked away alive from both incidents…"
"I already know that so your hint means nothing to me!" The young Cavallone boss rebutted quickly. "You're giving me contradicting facts again!"
"If you can't figure it out," Nero shrugged with utter disappointment. "Then you really do deserve to die!"
With that, he dashed forward and madly slashed at Vero, who managed to block every attack despite being thrown off at first. He was able to block most of them at least, but the raven haired male unfortunately knocked his tonfa out of his grip.
The blonde almost panicked but kept a cool head as he ran to catch at least one of them and rushed his opponent. Nero for once was caught by surprise and as a result was actually hit. He fell back onto the ground and the impact shocked him so much so that he could only stare up at his opponent speechlessly.
Vero could've taken him out once and for all, but he started to prepare to restrain him instead.
"Why aren't you finishing me off?" Nero asked incredulously with shock and irritation.
"My parents didn't raise me that way, so I'll be taking you to the Mezzanotte instead." The young boss replied with a passive aggressive tone. "I'm sure they'll be happy to have you back."
He then made an attempt to begin binding the man with the cable that had been cut earlier but Nero refused to be tied up, waiting until Vero was close enough to turn the tables.
As soon as the blonde was standing over him once more, he quickly swung his leg at his knees to knock him down. Vero hit the ground with a pained grunt, then looked up in time to see the raven haired male about to swing his blade down on him.
He had to act fast, but he only had one shot.
He wasn't sure if it would work, but he took the risk and opened his box animal to launch Ciro at him. The phoenix seemed to know just what to do as he flew right for Nero. The man was taken by surprise, swinging his sword prematurely to keep the bird at bay but missed. While dodging the man's attacks the phoenix circled around him, curiously setting him alight with sun flames instead of sky flames.
"Argh! What has this stupid bird done to me?!" Nero suddenly exclaimed in response, trying to put out the flames to no avail. He quickly lost consciousness due to panic and overexertion.
In the confusion Ciro grabbed Nero's sword and flew away with it, landing a few feet away from both males before bursting into sun flames which then consumed the blade. Vero looked to each of them with worry but ultimately chose to run to his box animal - or what was left of him.
"Ciro!" He called as he approached, hoping to find his companion there but all that was there was a still flaming sword and a pile of ash.
He stared at the ash for a while with concern until a little chick popped its head out of it and chirped at him. He let out a sigh of relief at the sight of his partner still alive.
"I forget you're a phoenix so I find myself getting worried when I shouldn't. I'm sorry that you had to overexert yourself again like this." The young Cavallone boss concluded before turning to the sword beside him which was still on fire unlike the others. "What is going on with this sword though…?"
He slowly started to reach for it but the phoenix chick quickly dashed over and pecked his hand to prevent him from touching it. Vero instantly recoiled, wincing from the pain while the chick squawked at him with an urgent and nagging tone.
"Okay, okay. I get that you don't want me touching the sword, but you didn't have to bite me!" The blonde stated, then paused. "So, I'm not allowed to touch this, but is it safe enough for me to go check on Nero?"
Cero did nothing, which the blonde interpreted that it was okay to do so. He picked the chick up and perched it on his shoulder, then cautiously approached Nero. He then kneeled down next to the unconscious man and just as he reached out to touch him his eyes suddenly shot open.