As she came across the stone, spiral stairs, she knew she was just where she needed to be, according to Dante. They were wide, giving plenty of breathing room to walk, even with arms wide open. Big windows lined the exterior wall, once again providing a rather breathtaking view of the castle grounds. She could see vast stretches of the structure of the castle from here, and even some of the lower towers as she ascended higher.

Round and round she went, but something felt off. Was she being followed?

As she neared the top of the stairs, she swung suddenly, both sickles swinging diagonally from the top and down, only to collide once again with a familiar sword. Upon impact, she felt a tingling pain in her arm where the fresh, unattended wound still bled.

"This again?" Lyssa murmured partially with amusement as she looked past the intersected blades at Dante. "Are you stalking me now?"

"Figured you might need a hand. Besides, I never did get your name, and I was nice enough to give you mine. Kind of impolite, wouldn't you say?"

Though his words might have suggested otherwise, he really didn't seem angry. In fact, his voice still held that same playfulness from before. Was he flirting with her? It was hard to tell.

"Sorry. I guess you just threw me off guard back there." She lowered her weapons, and so did he. "I'm Lyssa."

They proceeded, and after a few steps, she concluded he must have been serious about helping her. "You don't have to help, you know. I'm a big girl." She had dealt with demons before, but Dante seemed to think she was biting off more than she could chew.

"This monster you're looking for isn't just some lesser demon. It's a big deal." He insisted, coming up beside her to walk with her rather than training behind. "Trust me, you're going to need my help."

While she couldn't deny that fighting a big bad next to the charming and notorious Son of Sparda was rather tempting, it didn't exactly help her ego any, but she wouldn't argue with him. She already knew he could take her down in an instant.

And in a different sense, she almost wished he would.

Aw, Lyssa. Get your shit together. That's the demon in you talking.

She dampened her perverted thoughts. Speaking of which, she recalled his first words during their earlier encounter.

"You said I seemed human enough," she said. "What did you mean by that?"

"I thought you were a demon. I can always sense them, but when I saw you, it threw me off. You must be a hybrid."

"I...suppose so."

Not that she liked to talk about her curse, but thankfully, the conversation was cut short by the sound of a muffled snarl, one much louder and belonging to something much bigger than what she had encountered so far here. They stopped at a set of closed doors. Staring at the ornate wood, she pondered for a moment. She didn't know quite what this beast was going to look at it. In the book she read, it was described as a red demon with curved horns, but this thing sounded massive. Perhaps she was counting her blessings, now that Dante had offered his assistance.

"Ladies first."

He sneakily opened the right door for her, holding a finger to his lips. They were both welcomed by the stench of decaying flesh once the air from inside could escape. Almost reluctantly, Lyssa crept past him, and her heart started to slam against her sternum as she saw what she had been hunting. The creature was nothing like what the book had suggested. In fact, it was most definitely a woman, except twice the size of Lyssa. It was devouring one of its own, its mouth a giant, disgusting gap with sharp teeth lined throughout. Its cheeks spread outward, and its chin dropped abnormally low to show the extent of its teeth, and great, big, yellow eyes darted towards the pair as they stepped into the once-lavish ballroom that it had made its lair.

And, as luck would have it, two, perfect horns stood on the top of its head, protruding from a messy nest of autumn-colored hair.

Lyssa realized it, then, who it was.

"The woman from the portrait...?"

"Yeah, funny story. We'll indulge in that later, okay?"

The lichera snarled again, but this time, it sounded furious, and it was most definitely directed towards them for interrupting its feeding time. The multiple flaps that made the hungry mouth of the demon flew open as it did, and soon, it charged at them in a frenzy.

Dante, who had put his sword away, struck first with a pair of pistols that she didn't even know he had. Neither of the eight bullets he fired appeared to phase the beast, and so, Lyssa took a turn at its face with her sickle, sending it flying through the air of the vast room. The curved blade sliced a fresh fracture into its neck, tearing deeply into the flesh. It screeched in response, and the cry was a high-pitched, dreadful one that seemed to split the closest of four colemns to it. Thankfully, the structures seemed to be more decorative than they were supportive. As the rubble crashed to the floor, the pair of devil hunters had the dodge clear from it.

It was no easy battle. The woman turned-beast had claws for hands that could easily tear even a bear to shreds. Lyssa was glad she hadn't taken this task alone now.

A horrendous, ear-piercing shriek would send the lesser demons in to aid their mistress. It was something to ponder, how the same demons that served it could just as easily become its dinner.

Trying to fight off the easy ones was one thing, but dodging the angry mother's sharp and swiping fingers at the same time was another feat entirely. Bloodied saliva poured from its mouth and pooled on the floor with every war cry, making it more of a hindrance to watch her step, lest she slip on the slick ground.

Her sickles on chains spun about her like a whirlwind, lashing at the demons that would come at her. Dante had his hands full as well, alternating between his guns and his sword, depending on the distance of his enemies.

While the monstrosity had its back turned to her, she sent both of her sickles into its shoulder blades, and there they clung like grappling hooks. Knowing Lyssa had it pinned, Dante leapt into the air, driving his great sword into its skull. A dying scream filled the room, sending the remaining lessers fleeing for their accursed lives. With a loud crash, the lichera collapsed to the floor, releasing one, last exhale in a silent cry, the multiple drapes of its mouth hanging open.

Lyssa huffed, brushing her hair from her face. Meanwhile, it took all she had to not let the pain show on her face. That cut on her arm had gotten significantly worse during the fight, as she had not yet bandaged it up.

"Well, you got your slay," Dante said triumphantly. "What now?"

Lyssa approached the head of the lichera, which was now limp. Its yellow eyes were darkened now, almost completely lifeless. Grabbing one of its horns, she dragged the serrated edge of her blade across it, as close to the skull as she could manage without scalping it. Dante didn't ask questions, but he obliged to help by holding the head in place for her.

Finally, after about two minutes of strenuous sawing, the horn finally came off. Curving and pointing outward, it a little bigger than a club, and definitely fatter. It would be more than enough for what she needed. She just needed to take it back to the mage to make her potion.