I wanted a dumb chapter before I actually get to the finale of all this nonsense, so here's me hitting the mood whiplash button.

Neither Vergil or Nero had any gaping wounds, and Vergil didn't even have his sword drawn. Overall, I could say the first part of the mission had been a rousing success. The two of them sitting beside each other with scowls written across their faces was the best outcome I could have hoped for. If Dante's group arrived at all, it would have to come from some divine act. God didn't usually do me any favors, so I didn't expect to see them anytime soon. Perhaps later. In the dungeons.

"You two look like you're having fun," I said to the boys as Kyrie and I neared them. Nero gave a huff, Vergil a disapproving frown.

"How did you fare getting through the gate, Father?" Though the question seemed polite, his tone dripped with irritation. I had a feeling the anger didn't stem from my involvement for once. The boys had upset each other in my absence, yet I would face the brunt of it. Replace Nero with Dante, and it could have been a standard day back home.

"We had no issues," I said.

"Yeah, the guards seemed kind of scared of Mr. Sparda," Kyrie added. "It was strange."

"Father, behave," Vergil drawled.

I answered him with a smile. A little demonic pressure never hurt anyone. The whole process had been so slow, and we had somewhere to be. Besides, I didn't want the guards getting nosy about the two large swords we had hidden under swaths of cloth.

Uninterested in the staring match between me and my son, Kyrie pushed up to her toes and scanned the market square. "Is there some sort of festival going on? The mask salesmen are out, and there are so many people."

Ducking his head, Nero murmured, "They're celebrating my return."

"After they tried to kill you?" Kyrie trailed to a sigh, her brows knitted. "Then they must have been planning to announce your death during the festival.

"That's quite cruel," I said.

She shrugged as though it were a banal fact of life. "They did the same when the former king and queen were killed. Put on a festival for the people to cheer them up only to devastate them in the middle."

"How else to summon such powerful righteous anger?" I said. "And how convenient for the people of Dumary Island to become the scapegoats, considering the mining resources there. I hear Fortuna's wealthy have gotten quite comfortable there."

Hand slapped across his face, Nero hissed a breath. "I hadn't thought about that. Damn, we've had that island taken over for so long that giving it autonomy again would start a riot, but I really ought to give those people their land back."

"Just ensure that a stable system is in place first," Vergil said. "Leaving a power vacuum would be far more dangerous to the people of that island."

"And I'm sure the people of Fortuna would understand as long as the order comes from their divine prince," I added, hoping to ease his stress, but he winced as though I'd struck him. No more mentioning divinity, I decided.

Kyrie must have noticed his discomfort as well because she was quick to change the subject. "I hope the others make it through the gate alright. Maybe we should have taken their weapons too."

Nero sighed, bent down and scooped up a snoozing dog - Rudra, I believed. "They may need those in case things go south," he said. "Credo's got his work cut out for him."

"I'm certain they'll be fine." Truthfully, it would have been easier for Dante's group to be captured. The fewer people we needed to sneak into the castle, the better, and breaking them from the dungeons wouldn't have been an issue.

But I would have preferred Dante kill the guards before he let them capture him. From everything Credo had said, Fortuna's version of a dungeon was a sadistic hellscape. I didn't want either of my children near it. At least, not any longer than they needed to be.

As I reached out to ruffle a hand between Rudra's ears, the dog blinked away sleep. They were supposed to be guarding, not napping. If I couldn't trust them to stay awake in the middle of the day, the night would be an issue.

"I just wish they'd hurry up and get here," Nero grumbled, making Rudra's ears perk up toward him. "I'm hungry."

"And you need a bath," Kyrie said, her nose wrinkled.

Nero tried to defend himself, but that led to Vergil and me being dragged in as well. "You all need baths," she said. "And clean clothes. You've been sleeping outside for days. It shows."

"We don't have anything to change into," Nero said.

"No excuses!"

Though not in time to save all of us from giving in and promising Kyrie that we would bathe, the last of our group did arrive in one piece. God was feeling humorous today.

Lady was as tense as her crossbow when loaded, and Credo curled his hands into and out of fists in time with his slow, harsh breaths. Dante wore his usual smile. "Sorry for the wait," he said.

Perhaps I should have let it slide because Vergil was looking away from the new arrivals with a forced lack of interest, and Nero had a sudden fascination with the dog in his arms. "Did something happen?" I asked anyway.

The murderous intent in Lady's eyes narrowed in on me. "Let's not talk about it so I don't kill your son. Now, where are we putting the horses?"

"This way." Credo trudged off, the rest of us falling in line behind him. Vergil called that he'd already taken care of our accommodations, while Nero quietly asked Dante what he did.

Dante's response was equally hushed. "You think I did something? Well, yeah, I might have messed up the whole 'low profile' thing. Took a lot of smoothing over. I'm lucky Lady didn't tear out anything vital… or non-vital."

"You would have deserved it, dumbass."

"Hey, you're supposed to be the one who's nice to me."

"Since when!?"

I had to bite my lip to hold back a laugh as their whispers grew to breathed yells. Yes, keeping a low profile was not a skill for either of them. At least they were getting along well enough.

The inn was so nice that the beds weren't made of straw, and ornate oil lamps dotted the tables. So nice that the owners insisted my dogs stay outside, much to Agni and Rudra's dismay. The two plopped down like puddles of fur on either side of the door, sulking.

On Kyrie's request, the owners drew baths for just about all of us. Once again, Nero pointed out that we would have nothing to wear until our clothes were finished drying. "Give me ten minutes," she said. "I'll take care of it."

In less than ten minutes, she dipped out and reappeared with an armful of modest white dresses. "They're what we wear at the church," she said. "I swiped a few of the extras. They won't miss them for a few hours."

I'd never seen Lady's eyes shine with glee before. "You're a blessing," she told Kyrie. "I never knew I needed this until now."

"Hey, I'm sure I'll look great in that," Dante said. "Not sure I'll fit, but I'll look great."

Despite looking like he wanted to toss the garment in a fire, Vergil muttered his thanks and folded it over his arm. While I knew there to be nonsense societal rules for clothing, I never much understood the difference between a dress and a robe, so I had no issues taking it from her. Whether uncaring or unknowing, Nero had no response to being handed a dress either.

The rooms that held the tubs were split between men and women and not beyond that. Though I didn't see the issue, Nero gave a short yell at the sight of the wooden tubs lined up, a couple paces between each.

"What's the matter, kid?" Dante asked, already tossing his clothes to the floor.

Though Nero didn't answer, the blush burning up to his ears said enough. His feet shuffled back toward the door while he kept his face down.

"You needn't be so modest," I said. "Communal bathing is healthy and normal. Great for bonding."

"You're not helping, Father."

"I'll bathe after you," Nero mumbled, squeezing through the door.

"But the water will be cold."

Whether he didn't hear me or didn't care, Nero wrenched the door shut as Dante barked a laugh. "Bet that kid's never seen anyone naked in his life."

I couldn't imagine that being true, so I asked Credo after we'd handed the baths off to Nero. Credo's eyes grew dim at the question. "Why are you asking me that?"

"Well, has he?" Dante pressed.

Credo's sigh was confirmation enough. When Dante burst into laughter, Credo was quick to bite out a proper answer. "I hadn't really thought about it, but of course he hasn't. He was raised in isolation, after all. Not that it should matter. Please do not harass him about it. You're all standing around in dresses, so you hardly have room to make fun of him."

"Hey, I think I pull this off pretty well," Dante said. I suppose we looked as fine as anyone could in the plain dresses, though the seams were being pushed to their limits, clearly built for slender young women and not broad-shouldered men. Vergil must have paid the innkeepers well because they said nothing of our attire despite concerned stares. After serving us the meal we requested, they ducked away in silence.

As Dante kicked his feet up into a chair and started shoveling food in his mouth with none of the manners I tried to teach him, Nero appeared with a tear up the hem of his dress from ankle to knee. He'd replaced the sling around his demonic arm on his own, and though it marred the image somewhat, he fit the form of his dress better than we ever could. Dante gave a wolf whistle, which Lady cut off with a rap of her knuckles against the top of his head.

"Nero, how did you tear it already?" Kyrie demanded.

"It's hard to walk in otherwise."

"You did it on purpose!?"

If Nero felt any remorse, he didn't show it. The only thing that saved him from Kyrie's wrath was Dante's garbled shout of, "Wha's this? Fuckin' good," as he spoke around his fork.

Peering past Kyrie, Nero's eyes lit up at the sight of the bowl in Dante's hands. "Pasta?"

"You requested," Credo said with a flicker of a smile.

Between the bread and the pasta, it seemed Nero subsisted entirely on grains. Dante was enraptured with the meal as well, asking after every ingredient and demanding to know why we didn't serve it back home.

"Vegetables and herbs grow well in Fortuna's southern climates," I said. "Perhaps if we can become allies, we can make some proper trade deals for tomatoes and the like."

With his fork still held between his teeth, Dante took Nero's human hand in both of his own. Dante's eyes held firm desperation as Nero tried to tug his hand free so he could go back to eating.

"Kid, you have to make sure the first thing you do as king is open Fortuna to trade with Capulet."

"I'm not prioritizing your eating habits." Nero struggled to free himself from Dante's grip. His heels dug into the floor as he tugged his arm back.

"It's important. You have to."

"Go die!"

"Dante," Vergil cut in, "don't go flaring the boy's temper. You of all people should know better."

When Dante's hands shot up in surrender, Nero was not prepared for the sudden freedom. All the force the little prince had put into pulling away sent him crashing into Credo, who sat at his other side.

Though Credo's chair wobbled onto two legs for a moment, he was able to push Nero back into his own chair. "What's this about his temper?" he asked while glaring daggers at Dante. "Nero, did you get into a fight?"

"Shit, we didn't tell him," Dante muttered. Nero spat an impressive number of curses for someone who was too shy to see a man naked.

If they kept acting like his temperament was a major issue - and to be honest, it was - I feared Nero might start seeing the poison as a viable option again. The way he'd told me about it made me suspect he already did. Rather than angry that he'd been harmed for so long, he'd been resigned, accepting. I could not allow that, not only because the poison would no longer have an effect but because I would not let Nero harm himself further.

"He has some trouble controlling his demonic power right now," I said in hopes of easing Credo and Nero's anxieties. "It can overwhelm him when his emotions are heightened. That is normal for his age, and we can assist in teaching him to master his abilities."

Dante and Vergil looked at me as though I'd made a foolishly apparent bluff in a card game. They were all too aware of my half-truths. Though Nero did breathe a sigh of relief, Credo's worry did not ease. "Then you're saying he's lost control of it before? That was… a concern, that it might overwhelm him entirely."

Someone must have told him that, that alchemist who made the poison perhaps. If I were honest, Credo's worries were not unfounded. I didn't know enough about Nero's origins to say for certain that his demon side wouldn't overtake his human side. Something about his makeup was decidedly… off. For having so little demonic blood that I could sense, he had such raw, untapped power, not to mention that arm. That wasn't going to stop me from saying that things would work out, though. I would not give up on the little prince so easily.

"Do not fret. My sons have much more demonic blood than Nero, and they turned out fine."

"Debatable," Lady said.

Credo's brow remained pinched, but before he could voice his concerns again, Nero rushed into the conversation so quickly that his words seemed to stumble. "Weren't you going to tell me about this plan now? I'm sitting here in one of Kyrie's dresses, and you're talking about me like I'm not here. Throw me a bone."

Dante took the opportunity to stretch his arm out and drape it across the back of Nero's chair. "Aw, kid, how could we ignore you when you're looking damn fine in that outfit?"

Brushing Dante's arm away, Credo grumbled, "Stop."

That did remind me…

"I don't understand why I'm not allowed to talk about sex or masturbation if you can flirt with people in front of me," I said.

"Wow, not the same thing, Dad."

"Father, you're breaking the rule."

The bowls and forks rattled as Nero's fist came down on the table in time with a swell of demonic power. "Don't change the subject! Tell me the damn plan."

We'd put it off as long as possible, hoping we could distract him until nightfall. That ploy had shattered, but Credo picked up the pieces with a practiced ease. "Apologies. I wanted to wait and see the state of the capital, particularly the guards, before I made any solid decisions. As things stand, I believe our best choice will be to use one of the old escape tunnels below the castle to sneak inside approximately three hours before sunrise. The guards are stretched thin at that time and are usually drowsy anyway. That should give us enough time to find your rings and convince Sanctus to hand over the kingdom, preferably without a fight."

I understood then why Nero had trusted Credo's lies for so long. The man was damn good at faking, not a twitch in his expression or a waver in his voice.

"There are escape tunnels?" Nero asked. His tone brightened with surprise rather than disbelief.

"They were originally installed for the royal family in case of attack, but there's been no upkeep on them. I've been told they're quite dangerous now, so we'll need to tread carefully. It's likely some demons have taken up residence down there."

"Shouldn't be a problem," Nero said with the cocksure smirk I often saw Dante wear.

Even in his act, Credo couldn't hide his stern disapproval. "If you're going to go-"

"I am," Nero cut in.

He wasn't.

"-promise me that you won't rush ahead and barrel your way into trouble. And you must get some proper sleep beforehand. You look like a corpse."

Kyrie giggled. "You're sounding like his mom again."

It was cruel of us to play on Nero's trust, but even while his calm smile sent a punch of guilt to my gut, I did not change my mind. We needed to leave Nero behind for now. He was too untrained and unstable to be anything but a liability.

In the meantime, at least he could enjoy his festival. By the time our clothes were on the wearable side of damp, the thrums of a small band began to play along the inn walls. "They must be practicing for the dancing," Kyrie said, seeming to glow with her eager smile.

At the mention, Dante perked up as well. "Dancing? Then it's a good thing I'm back in clothes I can actually move in."

"You may not have much luck, son. I believe all the dances in Fortuna are quite strict and choreographed." Impressive to watch, but difficult to join. I'd learned a few of them ages ago and scanned my memories for the steps.

"I bet I could figure it out. Besides, they're just practicing right now, aren't they? Can't hurt to join in."

"Dante, if you go there just to try to pick someone up," Vergil said, leaving his threat unfinished.

"Please don't," Credo added. "You'll make a fool of yourself and draw more unwanted attention."

Hopping to her feet, Kyrie beamed so brightly that it was a wonder I didn't go blind. "We could teach them!"

"We?" Credo echoed.

"Well, not you, but Nero knows the steps, right?" She turned to the little prince, who shrank back under her chipper attitude.

"Nero's never danced before," Credo said.

A snort cut him off. "Yeah, but I know all the steps. I've seen all the dances a million times, just sitting there watching the festivals."

Perhaps too thrilled with whatever she was thinking, Kyrie bounced on her toes. "See? He's got this. Nero, you can teach Dante, and I'll teach Lady."

"Why am I teaching Dante!?"

"Because he's a man, and he has to learn the men's part for this song." She pointed toward the wall where the echoes of music gathered and pulsed like a swarm of insects. The tune thrummed with a light, energetic feel.

"Fine…" With the way he drew out the word with a hiss, Nero did not seem fine with it. Despite his misgivings, though, he stood and started barking orders at Dante.

I'd never realized someone could hold a blush for as long as Nero managed it, but his constant frustrations with Dante's two left feet may have contributed to the reddening of his cheeks. When the song came to an end, Dante had gotten all of three steps down, one of which was a clap.

"This one's a little easier," Kyrie said as the next swell of strings began. "You just have to make sure to properly greet your partner at the beginning of each song. The men bow. The women curtsey."

Dante had no troubles with this step, and for some reason, Lady bowed as well. Kyrie may have been teaching her the men's steps anyway. When Nero remained upright, Kyrie scolded him. "Nero, make sure you curtsey for your partner."

"I'm not a woman."

"But you're his partner, and you're teaching him, so play your part."

I had to place my hand across my mouth to keep from laughing at just how much sarcasm Nero managed to put into a bend of his knees and a flick of his wrists. The sheer loathing must have taken some skill to accomplish. Even Vergil cracked a smile at the sight.

"Would you like to dance with me?" I asked Vergil. "I'll even let you be the man."

His smile vanished. "I'd rather die."

"Ah, hurtful and melodramatic, son."

Fortunan dances were chaste at best, with almost no direct contact, yet Dante and Nero stepped on each other more often than not. In all fairness, Nero wasn't the best teacher. He struggled to put directions into words, grumbling how Dante needed to "move there. No, there! Stop that!"

Not that Dante was helping by grinning at Nero's frustrations. As I was beginning to worry Nero would try to kill my son again, the song came to an end. "You're a dreadful dancer," Credo drawled as he tried to glare a hole through Dante.

Dante placed his hand on his chest in mock empathy. "How cruel of me to not realize your jealousy sooner. You poor soul. Here, I will hand the kid off to you under the pretense of you 'showing me how it's done' so that you may dance with him." With another bow, he stepped away.

One of my son's favorite games was seeing just how much he could rile up others, and he'd found an ideal target in Credo. The man's response was hissed as he hid his face behind his hand. "I didn't say that!"

With a smirk that rivaled Dante's, Kyrie strode over to haul her brother to his feet. "Go ahead, Credo. Show him."

A blush burned in Credo's ears as he stood opposite his charge. Nero, meanwhile, was focused on the start of the new song. His face pinched in disdain at the sound of sweeping chords. "Do I have to be the girl again?"

The ceiling had all of Credo's attention. "I would… switch, but this song is difficult when the women's part is the taller party, and well-" Credo's hand found his face again. "-you're shorter."

"Fine, whatever."

"But you don't have to do a curtsey, really."

Despite looking like he'd rather be doing anything else, Nero accepted Credo's bow with his own. I wasn't certain if the boy knew that he was allowed to ignore Kyrie's demands, or if he was actually enjoying himself and refused to show it. When the dance began, I realized it must have been the former because Credo was a nervous wreck, and the two couldn't look each other in the eye. Unlike the vibrant songs, this one was slow, sappy - clearly for couples. It included several twirls, and each spin had Nero more and more red.

Dante was grinning so wide that it must have hurt.

Always a half-step behind, Lady watched Credo and Nero out of the corner of her eye and copied their movements for Kyrie. The girls, at least, seemed to be enjoying themselves. Seeing Lady smile was so rare that I wondered if I should count it as a bad omen, but it was hard not to smile at Kyrie's bubbling giggles.

When the music swelled, Nero froze in place. He slammed his feet to the floor as though that would plant them. "If you pick me up, I will kill you," he said more to the ground than his partner.

"I… wasn't going to."

"Good. Great. We're done here."

Dante and I clapped for them after Lady attempted the final twirl under Kyrie's instructions, and Credo and Nero stood apart in silence. Stress radiated off of them.

"It's a shame we can't go to the festival," I said. "I imagine it's quite fun."

"Why can't we go?" Kyrie asked. "We have time." Her doe-eyed pout was a clear ploy, if an impressive one. It was no wonder she always got her way.

"None of us have masks," I said, "and it is a masquerade. If I'm not mistaken, the masks are a requirement." I knew what would come next, of course. I only brought up the idea to plant it in their heads. We needed to go get masks, needed to go to the festival. A crowd of faceless people would make slipping away from Nero much easier. Cruel but simple.

Credo understood, catching my eye and giving the slightest nod despite his perpetual frown. "There are several stalls that sell masks if you all wish to go," he said. "The market lights a number of lanterns so that night does not impede on things. Still, it will be quite dark, so as long as none of you draw too much attention to yourselves, we shouldn't attract many eyes."

Dante was quick to grab the opportunity. "Speak for yourself. I don't need to do anything special for attention."

"Yes, you're a walking disaster," Credo muttered. "How could people not stare?"

Likely on purpose, Nero spoke to cut through the swell of tension. "I have a mask. Same one as always. It's in Blue's saddle." He pawed at his nose in that odd habit. "I've never actually gotten to go to a festival, so I guess that could be neat."

A smile broke out across my face. If he wanted to attend, all the better. He could enjoy his distraction, have fun, and be none the wiser. "You should go get it," I said. "I'd like to see this mask you've always worn. And while you're outside, could you send my dogs in? I need to make sure they're behaving."

Nero blinked. "Oh, sure. Aren't they not allowed inside though?"

"They will make due."

As Nero slipped out the door, Lady turned on us with crossed arms and a glare. "He's oblivious, but I'm not. What's going on? What's the real plan?"

We had every intention of telling the girls, so I offered a summation. Though she nodded along, Kyrie's hands clasped beneath her chin. Lady's scowl deepened to a cavernous snarl. She only agreed to play along under orders from myself and a bribe from Dante. At this rate, she would inherit his whole fortune and some of Vergil's as well.

When the dogs popped in, no longer dogs, I could only hope they'd found somewhere private to transform instead of the middle of the markets. "What do you need, Your Majesty?" Rudra asked, hopping up to the side of my chair.

Agni followed suit on the other side. "We're here to help."

"I just need you two to look after Nero, as before," I said. "He will be unarmed tonight. In the instance of trouble-"

"Yes! We will help!"

"We will be a great help!"

Tossing his hands up, Dante huffed. "Why did you and I have to fight them to get them to behave, but they take one look at the kid, and they'll do anything for him."

"He is nice," Agni said, toeing at the ground as though embarrassed. "And the Bringer. The Bringer is nice."

Each of us shifted at that, heads tilting or turning at attention. "Bringer?" I asked.

The blue of Rudra's eyes flashed brighter at the word. "His arm. Isn't that what it's called? I feel like that is the right name. That is what it called itself when it touched us before." His gaze fell to his hands clenching them open and shut. "Bringer," he purred. "It feels like power, so much power. Like… like a fountain."

"It's cozy too," Agni added, always less articulate than his brother. "Makes us tired."

Curiosity ate at me as Nero returned, forcing us to cut the conversation short. Agni and Rudra greeted him like they were still dogs. They rushed up to him and both nagged him for attention. I hadn't thought much about why they liked Nero. Agni and Rudra rarely existed on any logical plane, so they would like and dislike anyone for baffling reasons. For it to have something to do with that arm was mystifying to me. The "Bringer" may have been an entity all its own, a parasite latched onto the little prince. Or it could have been a concentration of everything that happened to him, of the stories I wished to unlearn. Above all else, the arm was a weapon, and a dangerous one. Even with Lady and Kyrie to watch him, we were taking a gamble by leaving Nero among a crowd.

His mask must have looked better on him when his hair was white, but it fit him regardless. Simple, sharp, and blacker than the night sky. It covered everything around his eyes and dipped down over his cheekbones.

"While I don't approve of you having to wear it so often, it does look nice on you," I said.

His hand on his chin, Dante stepped up and leaned over Nero. "It looks like you're wearing a bat," he decided. "Do they all look like that?"

They did not. In fact, the varieties were so great that Dante took to dragging his brother around to every stall just so he could see how each mask would look on Vergil, and by extension, himself.

"I'm surprised Vergil hasn't killed him yet," Nero said as they drifted further from us. Kyrie had gone off with Lady as well, saying something about a hat. Credo got himself one of the cheaper checkered masks before excusing himself to check the guard positions. I doubted we would see him again for the night.

Well, Nero would not.

Not wanting to clash, I held each mask down to test its color next to my coat. Just as I found one to my liking, Nero said, "Nah, that won't fit. Here," and handed me one painted with false gold and brocade.

"It's quite flashy."

"And your outfit isn't?"

Fair point. After paying, I followed Nero's gaze to where Dante and Vergil stood. Vergil seemed to have picked out a plain gray mask opposite Dante's shimmering red one. The red was several shades off from his coat, and the two looked dreadful together. The settling night would help to obscure that, not that Dante was likely to care.

"I've been to several of these events before," I admitted as we watched my sons in one of their usual arguments. It could have been about anything or nothing, always with Dante smug and Vergil haughty.

"In Fortuna?" Nero asked.

"Some here, yes, but masquerades are such an old tradition in so many places. When I was much younger, humans and demons would mingle at them. The masks kept us from telling which was which. It was an odd game we'd play on the darkest nights of the year. Quite fun, actually. Originally, humans would wear masks to trick us, but then we just joined in." I couldn't help but smile, even as Nero's expression puzzled.

"How old are you?"

"Ah, that is a good question." And not one I had an answer for. Nero must have realized this because his shoulders sank with a huff of breath.

"You're just as annoying as they are. I want you to know."

"Oh, I'm quite aware."

Every second, it seemed another person appeared in the square. Mask after mask until hundreds of different faces swarmed the place. I spotted Lady only from the scar on her nose. Both she and Kyrie had been afforded a change of clothes that we had not. Kyrie sported a flowing dress, and with her hat and vest, Lady looked… rather masculine.

Nero jolted when I snapped my fingers. "I figured it out."

"Figured what out?"

"Nothing important."

Once again, I earned that puzzled stare until he gave up with a growl. "Hey, do you think they're going to announce my death? Even though I didn't really die?"

"It seems likely. As far as they're aware, you've run away and hid. Even if you tried to intercede now, if you don't have any form of proof, they can tell the people you're a fake."

His anger wasn't enough to hide the weariness sinking into his eyes as he scanned the crowd. "I'm just not looking forward to seeing the fallout."

"Perhaps we can get you to bed before that."

"I'm not a little kid."

"Of course, of course." He was practically an infant to me, but I wasn't going to incur his wrath around so many people. Though he didn't seem to enjoy my presence, I found myself unable to shake him. He stuck as close as possible, squeezing his way through the crowd to keep at my heels, just as the dogs tried to stay at his.

"Where are you going?" he demanded.

"I wanted to see the dancing." Truthfully, I was wandering to see how determined he was to stay with me. He'd never shown any interest in me before, and I thought he'd been excited about the masquerade. The food at the stands smelled nice enough that I considered trying to pay him to leave, but I still had time.

"I don't see anyone else. Where did they go?"

"Kyrie and Lady are there," I said, nodding to the circle of spinning couples, the area less dense than the walkways.

"Yeah, but they're... I'm not going to bother them."

As I wondered how he'd noticed before me, realization slapped me across the face. "Do you not wish to be alone, Nero?"

Despite his earlier claims, he leaned between his feet like an antsy child, tapping his toes against the ground. "I've never really… been in a crowd, but I'm fine! I can handle myself. It's fine."

Not only was he terrible at lying, he was unaware of how good he was at guilting me. Like when Eva said her pregnancy wasn't bothering her, or when Vergil and Dante kept saying they were alright after the attack on the castle. But I couldn't stay, trying and failing to make things better. My time was limited.

"You still have your dogs," I reminded him.

"Yeah, they're dogs right now, and we didn't buy them masks."

"I was worried they would misbehave if I let them be in human form."

Angered barks that sounded suspiciously like young men saying "bark" followed. Seemed they hadn't gotten the vocal cords down.

"Don't lie to me, you two," I said. "I know you."

After all that, I finally, finally got a laugh out of Nero, caught somewhere between a giggle and a snicker that made his shoulders bounce. He'd be furious with all of us soon enough, so that was bound to be the only time I would hear him laugh. Well, it was of no great importance. I needed to focus on leaving.

"Would you like to dance with me, Nero?" I asked.

"Are you insane? To this?" His hand flitted toward the air like a bird. Another one of the sappy slow songs played alongside the swell of chatter from the people. Ah, right, he didn't like to be twirled.

"This song is about over, so the next one?" I offered a hand that he looked at as though it held a dagger.

"The next song could be the same, and I'm not dancing with a man in front of all these people. You don't even know the steps."

"Like I said, I've been to a number of these. I believe I know the dances well enough. You can trust me, Nero."

He made a noise from the back of his throat like he'd been choked. "You threw me into a wall."

"You put your arm through my son."

I could see him chewing on the tip of his tongue as he searched for a response. "Yeah," he said at length. "Fair."

"Well, it's no matter. I hold no grudges, and I wouldn't wish to make you uncomfortable if you don't wish to dance."

He snorted. "You? Make me uncomfortable? Perish the thought."

As the next song began, he watched the flowing dresses and tapped his foot in time with the dance. "I'm certain we can find you a proper partner if you wish to join," I said just to ensure his eyes would remain forward.

They did. He was quite entranced. "I'd… rather not. It's not like I want to dance anyway."

"Then my apologies, little prince."

"Hey, cut that out. You can't-"

By that point, I could only hear him, a distant voice melting among the crowd. He must have noticed I'd slipped away because he called for me in confusion. I felt a dreadful clawing in my gut for it, especially when a man in uniform called for everyone's attention, allowing me to dart into the shadows of an alley without notice, retrieving the weapon I'd hid. I felt even worse when the crowd erupted in wails over the death of the boy I'd left alone among them.

Alone to face their agony, their wrath.

If there's one thing Sparda's good at, it's abandoning kids, am I right?

Listen, I'm hilarious, and you can all fight me.