Chapter 8: Call me beast
Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry.
Vergil didn't know if any of what the strange figure had said was true, but he knew that there was something strange about the castle that was somewhere off in the direction specified. Most of the people in the Order of the Sword were walking around looking at different maps of the castle and it seemed as if they were planning on storming it to meet with their belief system. The head of the person who was barking out orders was marching down each corner of the main hall to rouse his men to move faster, much to the annoyance of Vergil who didn't wish to have them act like they were going to assist him. No sooner had Vergil decided that he would tell the commander of the Order to shut the hell up did he see that a small helicopter was being called in for the members of the Order and he watched as the men ran to it with the one named Nero telling them to hustle up. There was a bitter taste in Vergil's mouth with the fact that he was going to be helped by them, but he decided since it was benefitting him he might as well use it for it would be a sin to his own methods and manner to let it all go to waste. He had not even set his second foot on the helicopter before they start lifting it off the air, but luckily Vergil was very quick on his feet and was able to keep his balance as he got into the helicopter.
"Sorry about that, we're just really eager to get headed towards the castle," said Nero apologetically before Vergil just stood there and looked out the window with an uninterested look on his face as his hand stroked the handle of Yamato.
"It does not matter the time, Mundus couldn't beat Dante that easily, we still have three days before he needs my help," replied Vergil before he returned to his usual silent self.
Dante didn't seem to mind that there were a bunch of demonic knights in the next room, shiny armor and all the head pieces were in the shape of a devil's head. They all had long swords and lances for cutting and stabbing, but the ones with lances didn't seem to move as fast as they did when they lunged at their enemy. The ones with the swords were faster on movement, attacking Dante relentlessly, but their accuracy left a lot to be desired as they hacked Dante with their swords and half the time hit each other. Dante jumped around to line three of them up and waited for a lance knight to lunge at him before side stepping and pushing the knight forward while he cut the knights in half as the lance impaled the other two. Spinning around quickly, he decapitated the knight behind him and then unleashed a barrage of bullets on the knights behind him, all while shooting the other two knights down. He then jumped back and kicked down one knight while before starting to repeatedly attacking another with his stinger and finished off the rest with a blast of his guns in devil trigger mode.
"Well I guess they just don't make them like they used to," said Dante as he sat down on top of the pile of armor and then pulled his gun out to point at the first person who walked into the room. "Well Nicholas, where have you been and where is your brother, Knives?"
"He went off exploring the castle with Lady and is probably trying to put the moves on her right now," replied Nicholas in his "it's not important enough to care about" tone that he usually used with things. "I've just been cleaning up parts of the castle I haven't seen him since, but if you need some help with finding them I could help since I don't have anything else to do."
"Okay then, but stick close to me so I don't have to go off looking for you," said Dante as he strode up to the door that led to a spiral stair case that went downward. "I guess this would be the best place to start sense we're right over where Lady went if she was with your brother when you last saw them."
"Yes that would be best," said Nicholas in the same monotone voice.
Dante did a slight turn and found that an arm immediately shot out from the door and cut his ear a bit on one of its sharp talons that protruded from its slick, monstrous fingers. The other hand followed, forcing Dante to jump over it while shooting his arm up, not stopping to check his fire as the machine gun like fire tore through the skin on the arms. The creature was a very curious looking creature with only a single leg that seemed to sprout out to many feet to support and hour glass figure with multiple arms for its structure. The gun blew out one of the feet in the front and seemed to put the creature off balance before he started to bring out his shotgun, but the creature already whipped out one of its multiple arms that Dante couldn't help but notice, was laced with a thread.
Dante jumped up to the other side of the demon with his sword out as he started cutting the different threads that hung around him only to find that they all had a went to the same end, just like a puppet. In the end the answer wasn't hard to grasp, it was just a bit of an annoyance since now Lady was going to hold this over his head for a long time. Then again, he could give Nicholas the benefit of the doubt, but decided not to when he saw the puppeteer stepping out of the shadows with an emotionless look on his face. The cold metal of the gun gleamed in the little firelight that the hallway still had with all the wind blowing from the knives and blades.
"So then, does your brother know about this or have you cut your ties with him," asked Dante as he pointed his own gun at the small demon-child.
"He knows not that I am doing this, but he does know that he has been captured," replied Nicholas as he started walking in a semi-circle from Dante, who returned the movement with one of his own in the other direction. "I was offered to get him back alive only if you were killed by my hand and so that is what I am doing. Ensuring that my brother is returned safe and sound, but also none the wiser to what has happened to you or Lady."
"What did you do with Lady," asked Dante, his voice suddenly becoming a bit angered and concerned while trying to play it off as if didn't care.
"She has been captured and because she is still a virgin, despite the way she dresses, will be sacrificed alongside the sister. You can stop that and save my brother, while I can only hope to kill you and watch the women die. I think now you see that are options have become kill or be killed, with one person deserving life and the other needing to be sacrificed, that being said, don't hold back when we fight."
"I'm sorry things have to go this way, but I was hoping we could skip the killing part. My blade wouldn't be too pleased with your blood on it, it more of prefers wicked evil demons, nothing like you kid and it wants you to grow old instead of dying young."
"That, Dante, is a perfect world that only an idealist can make," was all Nicholas replied before he called upon his other puppet to charge at Dante while he lined up his gun sightings for Dante. He couldn't just let himself be killed.
Dante brought his own guns up to fire at the puppet, putting bullet after bullet into it before he used his foot to kick the puppet coming in from the sides into the wall. With great speed, he started to run right for Nicholas who was already aiming his gun at Dante. Before Nicholas could take the shot, Dante jumped up onto one of the ceiling lamps and swung right past Nicholas with gun out to shoot at the two puppets that were coming for him. The puppet dressed up as a knight was destroyed as the armor fell apart revealing a dark mass that dissipated after being grazed by a bullet while the Minotaur like puppet had its legs severely damaged. Before Nicholas knew it he was being pushed forward with his gun arm twisted until the gun was taken out of his hand. When he was pushed forward into a wall he found himself staring at the barrel of Ivory.
"Well Dante, can you do everything that is necessary," said Nicholas as he closed his eyes and waited for the death that was sure to come from the end of the gun, but all he felt was the pain of the slap to the face that he got from Dante.
"Don't be stupid kid, you don't need to die a stupid death because you're practically brain dead," said Dante as he started to walk on and motioned for Nicholas to follow. He'd follow and hopefully he would come with a greater sense of self worth.