The next couple of rooms possessed the same atmosphere of deterioration to a once-extravagant home. The demoness imagined this used to be a grand, gothic dwelling belonging to a powerful family that may have hosted formal balls and dinners. It was a shame to see it diminish to an abandoned palace, though the stony structure itself was still in good condition, despite the blankets of dust and cobwebs coating the walls and furniture.

What happened? she wondered. Where did the red-haired woman go? Did she die? Did she have a husband? Did they have children? Were they even human?

As she returned to the main foyer and passed under the stairs to explore the other two rooms, one of those questions, at least, were answered. Another portrait hung lopsided on a wall, its frame mote ornate than the one from the study. It was of a man with a pale complexion and long, black hair. Though he appeared young, he had an ancient, aristocratic look about him. There were a couple of tears in the painting, and they almost looked deliberate, as if it was attacked by a giant claw. Just then, Lyssa heard the shuffling sound once again. It was louder this time - much louder... like it was right behind her.

Her grip tightened on her pair of sickles, and she slowly turned around. It was a monster - definitely not the demon she was looking for, as it didn't have horns, but it was horrifying, to say the least. Its jaw seemed completely unhinged, dangling a good four or five inches from the bottom of its face and exposing jagged, sharp teeth. Lyssa hadn't seen anything quite like this, but she had fought many, different beasts up to this point. She had dabbled as a bounty hunter, after all, and had her share of killing soulless creatures that terrorized people and their lives, but this particular task was for her own means.

Black eyes narrowed at her before the appalling creature snarled at her. It sounded almost more like a banshee scream combined with the roar of a lion, multiple sounds seeming to come from one, horrendous mouth, yet distorted somehow.

"Well, aren't you pretty," Lyssa muttered sarcastically, spinning her blades in her hands. On the bottom of the handle of her right sickle, she flipped a tiny switch, one that was well tucked in the leather wrapping. Then, she gave her right arm a firm jerk towards the demon, sending the serrated edge flying out to ember itself into its fleshy, rotting cheek. Crimson gore splattered across the scythe, then, as she yanked on the rope that attached the blade to the hilt, it retracted out of the lesser demon's face, sending blood in all directions before the weapon became whole again in her grasp.

Around the corner, another of its kind came running, as if answering its dying, demonic cry. The way it moved, it was hard to imagine it ever being human. It was like a bloodied velociraptor, except the two legs that it clumsily sprinted on almost appeared broken at the joint, pointing out to the sides instead of forward or backward. It was as though its legs were completely broken at the knees.

Lyssa was nonetheless taken aback by its speed as it came at her, and quickly leapt into the air with a backward twist. If she hadn't known any better, she would have thought it was angry with her for killing the first abomination. She landed on the ground behind the demon as it skidded to a halt, given just enough time to throw her weapon at it, this time, with the hilt still intact.

The blade plunged into the monster's skull, killing it instantly and sending it to the floor. Lyssa huffed, her boots beating against the hardwood floor as she walked over to recollect her sickle.

"Sorry. You asked for it."

She continued her exploration, finding nothing more of interest in the rooms of the lower floor. As she made her way up the carpeted stairs, her footsteps muffled, she pondered if the pair of demons had a nest here, and if they were the last she'd see of them or not.

The stairs took a bend down a vast hallway, but as she neared the first room, she heard another sound. Not like before, this was more of a metal noise. Another demon. They must have knocked into something around the corner. She pressed her back to the wall, stepping quickly, but stealthily past the rooms until she neared the t-intersection of the corridor. Armored knights lined the hallway on both sides, and no doubt, had been a cause of the disturbance she heard and was now tracking. She inhaled, hoping to sneak up on the now silent beast, which no doubt realized it had been caught and was merely waiting just around the corner.

To her surprise, as she threw her sickle up and rounded the bend, her blade was stopped in mid-swing, caught by a long sword that most certainly was not wielded by what she was fighting downstairs. Holding the sword was a man in a red trenchcoat, the front of it slightly draped open to expose a rather toned torso. His skin was a soft white, and his hair, which hung just passed his ears and over the top half of his attractive face, was even whiter.

He didn't seem quite a surprise to see her as she did him, but the both of them remained in the same position, as if ready to spar, even when he spoke.

"You look human enough," he said almost in a thoughtful tone, but he didn't seem as though he was about to drop his guard. Nor was she, for that matter, despite her brief pondering to what his initial words meant.

She thrust down her arms, but his strength was far better than hers, and he hardly budged until he decided to strike back. Lyssa jumped back, and before the tip of his blade could cut her, she leaned backwards, her body nearly a perfect, right angle before she would come back up once the sword had cleared. She struck again, aiming low, but to her surprise, her opponent, who also looked human enough, jumped into the air and somersaulted over her head. For a good, couple of minutes, this duel continued, until finally, the first blow struck, and the sword sliced open the succubus's arm.

She reared back, hissing in pain, but she wasn't that easy to stop. Once again, one of her sickles were released to fly at him. The first one missed, and in mid-flight, she sent the second, and that one was bound to land.

Except, he caught it by the chain, letting it fall limp before it could strike him. A grin shaped his lips at her look of surprise, and it was then that she realized he couldn't possibly be human.

A lump formed in her throat, and she yanked it towards her, except, he wasn't loosening his grip. She pulled again, now irritated as she came to the revelation that this stranger was toying with her now.

"Let go," she growled in frustration.

"But you didn't say please." His smug response shouldn't have surprised her, but perhaps it was because she was beginning to think maybe he wasn't actually a threat - at least, not to her. It was her turn to smirk now, and she flipped the switch again on her handle, causing the chain to abruptly reel back, the abruptness and speed giving him no choice but to do as Lyssa insisted.

He seemed only slightly impressed.

"Neat trick."

Lyssa straightened, the gash on her arm reminding her of its existence with a sting that caused her to wince. Damn, that stung! That couldn't be any ordinary blade that he had. It was designed to work against demons.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "Why are you here?"

"Free world."

It definitely was a stubborn response, and her annoyed look finally seemed to sway him.

"Dante," he finally said. "Why I'm here, I don't think I'm ready to share, because I'd hate to fight you for it."

Dante. She repeated the name in her head, and after a moment longer of observing him, taking in his rather stylish attire of crimson, she realized who she was in the presence of. He was the son of the Legendary Dark Knight, Sparda, a demon swordsman that was known to all demons, including Lyssa.

Does this mean I'm in the presence of royalty? Should I bow? Should I just...act normal?

"I somehow doubt our aims align," she finally said. Perhaps he could shine light on where she could find her demon, and save her some time. "I'm looking for the lichera that resides here, so I can kill it."

He smiled slightly, as if he already knew why she revealed her goal to him. "You're right. The lichera is no interest to me. I think I heard it feeding in the ballroom up there a couple of hours ago. Keep following the corridor, take a right. You'll see a big, spiral staircase and take that up."

She nodded curtly, but appreciatively. "It's been...interesting meeting you, Dante. Thanks."

Stepping over the corpse of a couple of demons that Dante left in his wake, she followed the directions, not chancing a look behind her at him. He was leaving, and she knew because she heard his footsteps becoming quieter as he walked in the opposite direction, until she could hear him no longer. Finally, the long and massive hallway turned into another intersection, and she recalled his instructions, taking a right.

He was cute, she thought to herself. Who would have thought that the Son of Sparda would be such a looker?