"Your target also has a fondness of not only strawberry sundaes but tomato juice as well!"
Bayonetta licks the red, cherry flavored lollipop slowly while listening to the young girl's words. Though the girl, who has introduced herself as 'Miromi' dresses more conservatively than Bayonetta, her perfect figure is hard to miss. Cereza was never the type to be jealous of another woman's assets, but this girl really has it going on. She also smells funny.
"But is there really a need to discuss these things?" Cereza says, crossing her legs. "I'm not really obliged to do anything for you demons. The contract only states that when I die, I'll end up getting dragged straight down to hell, where I'm supposed to wander around scared shitless for the rest of eternity. There's nothing in there about actual favors."
Miromi pouts and crosses her arms. The witch has a good point. She looks behind her and checks on the traumatized Enzo. The little fat man is completely still, sitting on his chair. With his jacket open, his shades off, and his hat tilted to the side, Enzo is but a shadow of his former, gangster-like self.
"What did you do to him, anyway?"
"Oh, I gave him the power to see angels, temporarily." Miromi muses. "Then I ate an Affi in front of him to prove that I was a demon. He just wouldn't believe me. Speaking of which, do you have any idea how hard it is to find you?"
The witch grins. "How flattering."
"Yeah, seriously. But to get to the point, you really need to do this. A lot is at stake here, you know~"
"Like what? I read from a nonexistent newspaper that some 'witch' killed God herself by punching her into the sun. Paradiso is in ruins, I throw you demons a bone every a couple of days, Jeanne's motorcycle just got totaled a few days ago… from those standards, the world is just fine and dandy!" Bayonetta flicks her hair back and stands up. Without as much as a pat to the shoulder, she walks off.
Miromi just watches. Innocent blue eyes stare at the witch's seductive back. She sighs as she pulls out something from within her pocket.
"This bracelet is pretty~ where'd you get it? Bayonetta-san?"
Cereza turns around curiously. Her eyes open wide as she sees the silver bracelet in the girl's hand. "How did you get that?"
Miromi ignores her and grins, revealing rows of perfectly sharp white teeth. "The Bracelet of Time. Eva, a truly extraordinary witch, entered into contract with a Legendary Dark Knight and then faced the amassed armies of Inferno. This bracelet was made by her hand, and those who wear it become true masters of witchcraft, able to control witch time at their very will."
"No, seriously, how did you get that? I had it strapped to my arm, for goodness sake." within the blink of an eye, Bayonetta pulls out a pistol and aims it directly at the demon's head. "Who are you?"
Miromi frowns. "I'm a demon, didn't I tell you that? Geez, anyhoo. Did you ever wonder who this 'Eva' character is?"
"No. And frankly, I don't care. Now give it back before I blow your brains out."
"Ooh, feisty." the girl tauntingly spins the bracelet around her finger. "You've been wearing this thing for so long, and yet you never really cared about its history? Humans have this odd belief that everything has a story. By looking into the history of an artifact, one can find clues on the future."
Bayonetta takes some time to let the words sink in.
"Where are you getting at?"
"The Legendary Dark Knight was a demon, much like me. He belonged to Hell, another Inferno. But he was a demon, nonetheless. The ruler of that Hell was named Mundus, and he came to be defeated by that Dark Knight. The Knight's name was Sparda."
"I bet he dined in hell often." Cereza grins.
"Sparda rebelled against his brothers, and prevented the inevitable defeat of the human world at the hands of the demons. His wife is the woman who made this bracelet, Eva. After the war they lived a happy life together, and she bore him twin sons." Miromi grips the bracelet tightly. "Millions of demons fell at the hand of Sparda. We in Inferno want our brethren avenged. Though Sparda is believed to dead, one of his sons still lives. Find him and kill him."
A cold wind blows and the two women stand silent.
"Or what?" Bayonetta asks simply.
"Or we drag you straight to hell, Cereza." Miromi throws the bracelet at Bayonetta, which is then caught by the barrel of her gun. "You may be able to kill angels, or even God. But your body belongs to us. Every inch, every crevice, is within our grasp. You may be able to slay dragons, but a parasite within your heart will devour you from the inside."
Bayonetta watches as the girl slowly walks around her, "It shouldn't be too hard for you, anyway. You're only going against a guy who's killed every single demon who tried to get out of hell." Suddenly a vortex of black lightning envelops the girl as she disappears completely.
Bayonetta examines the bracelet before putting it back on. Time has been moving rather slowly for her lately. A few remaining angels show up every now and then to challenge her, but they all end up falling without much of a fight. This… order just might be something interesting.
"She was an odd little girl, wasn't she? I mean, threaten me? How pompous. Still, her offer sounds like something I just can't run away from." Cereza thinks to herself as she stares at the unmoving central piece of the bracelet. Her dark eyes focus on the mysterious artifact. She never really thought that it would be something so… significant. "Well, it sounds like I have no choice then."
She turns around and looks at the traumatized Enzo, who's still as unmoving as a rock. Bayonetta walks toward him and fishes out a lipstick from her rather noticeable cleavage. Enzo needs to be woken up, but before that she should draw on his face. It's a tradition she's started, actually.
"All better now." she claps her hands in satisfaction before kicking Enzo in the face. "Enzo! I need your help with a little something."
Enzo falls off his chair screaming. His head pops up, neko ears and whiskers are drawn on his gruff face. "Is that bitch still here! I don't want to die yet! Seriously! Fuck! I'll take care of my wife and kids better, alright! You here? Just stay the hell away from me- Huh?" he looks around, dazed and confused. "Oh. It's only you."
Then he realizes it.
"FUCK. IT'S YOU." Enzo then breaks into a sprint, running at a speed that even impresses Bayonetta. That fat man can run, she says to herself.
Bayonetta May Cry
- Chapter 2 : The City Closest to Hell
This guy you're looking for, Dante is pretty popular in the US of A. He works as a mercenary who kills demons for a living. I guess you can say the bastard seed doesn't fall too far from the tree. I have no fucking clue where he is though. He owns a shop somewhere in that country but I called a friend and he said that he wasn't there right now. He's probably doing something to pay off his debts. Heh. You're going to have to look for him yourself if you want to get anything done.
There's a city in that country called Fortuna. It's kinda like Vigrid but instead of being dangerously close to Paradiso, they're literally a few steps away from Hell. Most of the people there are nut jobs, I'll tell you that! They worship some scary-ass demon named Sparda. I don't know what the fuck they're up to there, but a few months ago, a shitload of rogue demons began popping up in that city. Hell! Even a giant fucking statue of that Sparda guy came to life and nearly destroyed everything! Anyway, that's all history now. But some people believe that Dante was there, saying that he was responsible for ending that clusterfuck.
I'll give you a clue. Look for a kid named Nero. He looks like a brattier version of Dante, and he sounds like he's buddy-buddy with the guy.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Bayonetta strolls through the streets of Fortuna, not having any particular idea where to go. All around her the people are dressed in hooded white clothes. The place feels a lot like Vigrid, though the smell of angels is pretty much nonexistent. Which is a good thing, Bayonetta considers. Her rather seductive stride catches the attention of those around her. They apparently don't like the way she dresses and moves. It's understandable though since this place might as well be the Vatican. Overly conservative citizens are to be expected.
The city is somewhat in ruins, however. It looks like not long ago, a terrifying war was waged in this peaceful city. This is evident by the destroyed houses, damaged roads, ruined archways, and collapsed rock statues. Eerily enough, every few blocks, Bayonetta spots massive limbs made of rock, that towers even buildings. They are found on random locations, seemingly dropped from high places as the roads beneath them are cracked. She can feel traces of magic in the fallen limbs, maybe they were part of a massive automaton.
She stops briefly, feeling the wind blow. An eerie sensation made her stop. Suddenly she feels the familiar feeling of the conjuration of a demon.
Burlap black bags slowly rise from the earth, as they are slowly filled with a strange air. Curved blades are formed from the bags as the bags themselves slowly develop into shades of green and red. Bayonetta can feel their nature as demons, though of the lesser category.
Demons
SCARECROW
Lesser Demon
The crowd of religious citizens scatters at the sight. Fearful for their lives they stumble and flee over one another. They have long since been traumatized of demons since this city was overrun just a few months ago. Bayonetta, for a moment, is confused. Should she help these innocent people? She certainly can't just let these people die. But then again, she holds a contract with demon kind…
"Demons! Arm yourselves men!"
More men dressed in white run past her. But these people are different as they are armed with swords. The demons seem to be of the stupider bunch since they spend most of their time staring blankly at the swordsmen before them. Bayonetta watches as the men charge screaming at the unmoving, boring demons. She also notices a unique feature on the men's swords. The handles have gear shifts. She watches as the men, a small group of four, slash madly at the scarecrows. As the blades imbed themselves into the puffy demons, the men rev the swords as if they were motorcycles.
"These people are probably from The Order of the Sword… whatever in hell's name that is."
Fire emerges from the blades as the swords' swings become stronger. Cereza finds an empty bench and sits down. For now she's content just sitting around watching this. It's always nice to see amateurs in action.
So for now, she distracts her tongue with a lollipop.
"This fight is so one sided. Those things are acting more like punching bags than actual demons."
Eventually, the last sword strikes the ground and the hooded men stand triumphant.
"By Sparda's name…" a hooded man says as he looks in Bayonetta's direction.
My, my, were they expecting her? She stands up, dusting her sides. Well, if they want entertainment then she can certainly provide-
-something else is coming. Impulsively, Cereza takes a step back and watches as the creature is made manifest.
A reptilian beast rises from the stone-covered steps before her. The demon possesses a lean, green body covered in hard scales. A circular shield covers the creature's right arm as its long claws dig into the stone. The demon, a terrifying engine of destruction, lowers its body as it lets out a lowly growl.
Demons
ASSAULT
Elite Demon
The demon kicks the ground so hard that shards of rock are thrown into the air. The Assault propels itself at one of the hooded men. The knight never stood a chance. Even though the man tried to strike the demon with his blade, the demon's strength and weight far surpasses his own. The man is thrown a few yards, completely helpless, like a matador faced by a charging bull.
The remaining three knights attempt to strike the Assault, but the demon screams against the skies. Razor-sharp wind explodes outward, cutting apart the men. It is a complete loss on the side of The Order. The victorious Assault once again roars as it steps on the head of one of its victims. It lowers its head, saliva slipping from its gaping mouth. Before it mercilessly prepares to feast, for it is hungry,
One of the knights is barely conscious, but he feels himself shivering in fear. His terrified gaze meets with Bayonetta's own, and for a moment, Bayonetta feels sympathy. Even as a witch bounded by demons, she simply can't let this man die.
"Fuck off!"
Two burning red bullets break the air. The Assault hears this and it raises its shield. But as the bullets crash into the shield, the shield shatters in an instant. A man leaps over a crowd of onlookers, a massive sword hanging on his back. Through the few months that have passed, Nero no longer wears his blue hoodie, having turned it in for a whiter version, a version designed for those who serve The Order.
Nero lands behind the Assault and grabs its tail with his right arm, a twisted, demonic arm. He effortlessly pulls the demon off the unconscious men and throws it in the air. He then jumps after it, pulling out the sword on his back in the process. Bayonetta, still watching from the side, notices the more intricate design of the man's weapon.
Nero slashes diagonally at the demon as they are both suspended in the air. He then slashes in the opposite direction, before coming into a helicopter spin that propels him, and the demon higher into the air. The demon is now stunned as it falls to the earth. But before it falls, Nero catches it by the tail one last time-
"SIT! DOWN!"
-and throws it hard against the surface of the earth, just in time as it explodes from the bullets before. Nero lands on the ground smoothly with a satisfied look written on his face.
The downed knight can only say in awe, "Supreme… Commander… Nero…"
And his words are enough to trigger Bayonetta's interest.
"Got you."
She leaps from the bench and transforms immediately into a lean panther. She gracefully jumps over the fallen knights and heads straight for Nero. He sees her coming, and by reflex, swings his sword. But it hits nothing, because as she leaps into his arms, Bayonetta returns to her human form. Long legs immediately wrap around Nero's face as his back hits the ground hard.
With her kitten mere inches away from Nero's face, the young half-demon can do nothing but be paralyzed.
"So you're Nero." Cereza says, singing slightly. "You're a little scrawnier than I expected."
"GET- OFF-"
"Now, now. You need to calm your head and learn to be more… intimate…" Cereza says teasingly as she pulls out two of her pistols, and aims them directly over Nero's head. "I need you to tell me where a man by the name of Dan-"
Nero isn't listening. This is because of the embarrassing position he's in, a position he can only dream of sharing with Kyrie. His words are muffled and his breathing is ragged. This woman is strong, ridiculously so. Lifting her off of him would require him to push at her buttocks. Which Nero is well aware that he is incapable of doing. What's she talking about, anyway? He has no idea whatsoever.
"I can't breathe!"
"Well that's too bad now, isn't it? Tell me where Dante is and I'll gladly-"
"DAMN IT!"
Nero's eyes turn a sudden blue as his demonic wrath becomes released. Bayonetta senses the sudden growth of power and jumps off, moments before the ethereal sword cuts the space where she once stood. She graciously lands on all fours as Nero slowly sets himself up. A blue ghost made of blue flame burns alit behind him. It possesses a pair of long horns a massive sheathe is attached to one of its arms. Nero now holds the Yamato, a blue Okatana with his right hand, much to Bayonetta's surprise.
"Damn. I can't believe I had to go demon on your ass." Nero complains as the flames behind him die down.
Cereza can only smile while adjusting her glasses. "That's a nifty little hand you have there. Do you mind if I touch it?"
Nero grinds his teeth. Is she purposely trying to tick him off? Because she sure as hell is doing a great job at it. Oh, and who the hell is her in the first place? "How about you go fuck yourself?"
That's a pretty good taunt, right? Nero wonders.
"Only if you watch me, kiddo."
"Okay that's it." he is done testing the waters. "I'm not going to hold back anymore. It's time for me to kick some demonness ass."
Ten minutes later Nero flies across Fortuna, through glass and concrete, wondering who he is and where he's from. He is eventually stopped by one of the Savior's severed arms. As shards of glass fall around him, he looks at his distant opponent. He is dazed, and a little scared. Fear was never in his dictionary, but right now, a different kind of fear is making him doubt himself. Ever since Credo died, Nero promised Kyrie that he would take over her brother's duties in The Order. He planned, though inexperienced, he planned for The Order's renewal. They would no longer be a band of false knights whose true motive was the destruction of the world. He and Kyrie would make a new Order, an Order for the people.
He pulls himself up slowly, blood dripping through clenched teeth. This demon is strong. Though she might not look like one, she feels like one. He's part demon himself, so the feeling is in his blood. The world is hazy and Bayonetta appears to him only as a black silhouette. But even as she walks ominously toward him, even if the situation feels hopeless, he simply cannot give up.
"Are you ready to talk now? Little puppy?"
Puppy? The nerve of her. He never liked being insulted, being humiliated. This is just like that time when Dante made a complete fool out of him. The situation is very much the same as before. He has no idea why someone is attacking him, but he knows that he has to fight. Fighting is the only thing he can do right now. With this thought now fueling him, his demonic arm starts to glow. After a flash of blue light, the Yamato becomes manifested in Nero's hand.
"I'm not. The real question is…" he grips the katana with his right as he takes the Red Queen with his left. "…are you?"
Nero dashes forward, the spectral image of a massive demon hovering behind him.
"So you're finally using that sword of yours? I guess this means I should reply in earnest." a red portal appears behind the witch as she pulls out a katana of her own- the Shuraba.
Cereza fires the Rosemary with her left while gripping the Shuraba with her other hand. The bullets travel in twos but are nonetheless cut by the charging Nero. The determined devil throws the Red Queen high into the air as he grips the Yamato with both hands. He swings in a wide arc. Bayonetta spins her own katana clockwise and blocks his blade, even as she wields it with one hand.
Nero pulls back and grabs the Red Queen as it falls. He strikes downward, destroying the ground. He does not let up, and follows up with a flurry of attacks with both swords. Blades clash as sparks fly, the wind echoing loudly from the demonic blades. The blades move at a speed no normal human can wish to perceive. But in the eyes of Nero, it is clear that he is losing. Could she be a demon in the same level as Dante?
His question is answered the moment Bayonetta kicks him in the gut, sending him thrown hard against a wall. But Nero recovers quickly and immediately turns away from his opponent. He sets the Yamato's tip against the ground as he prepares the coming attack.
The Yamato glows blue as its power becomes focused. Blue flames wrap the blade as Nero focuses his remaining power in this final, desperate attack. Bayonetta is humored, and giggles as she assumes a similar pose. The Shuraba charges with violent red flames as Bayonetta focuses her own energy into the sword.
The wind stills before they release their attacks. Nero fires two massive beams of blue light, travelling with so much power that the air itself becomes lit aflame. Bayonetta spins and destroys the air with a beam of red. The two attacks collide in the center of the street, blowing apart leaves, parked cars, and concrete alike. Dust engulfs the wholeness of the battlefield as Nero barely stands, panting heavily.
"Hmph!" Bayonetta on the other hand, is unharmed as she merely combs back a lose hair. "Are you ready to talk now?"
Nero collapses on one knee, as he uses the Yamato for support. Bayonetta, satisfied of this minor victory, starts toward him.
"Now, now, there's no one to blame but yourself. And clearly I'm out of your league. Though I must say, you're skill with the sword is quite impressive, for your age. I'll let you go, maybe even give you something in return for this fight, after you tell me where a specific person is. Okay?" she says as she threatens Nero with a face full of lead.
Nero glares at the double barrels of one of the four Scarborough Fair, feeling completely hopeless.
"There's a demon I want to meet. His name is Dante."
"Dante?" Nero tries to stand but fails. "What do you want with him? He owe you money, lady?"
Bayonetta tilts her head. "What do you mean by that?"
"That guy owes everyone money. I figured… that you're one of those people who needs him to pay up." Nero struggles with another grunt.
"Hm. Well, you could put it that way. But my interest in him lies on a different manner-"
The stillness and the calm is broken sa the sky is split apart by a golden light. The clouds dissipate and the blueness disappears as everything is bathed by a divine glow.
"Oh great. Did they follow me here as well?" Bayonetta looks up, humored.
Nero watches as a light as bright as the sun shines down on all of Fortuna. Eventually the light becomes so bright that he is forced to look away. This isn't normal, he knows it isn't. It feels like something of a greater power is about to descend on him to deliver righteous judgment. But soon both he and Bayonetta are surprised by the sight they see.
"Feathers?" he asks weakly.
Bloodied feathers descend like snow all around them. The wailing cries of dying Affinities fills the air as the city of Fortuna becomes riddled with the corpses of a hundred angels. Then a massive blob, a horrendous severed Auditio descends with an anguished scream. Its limbs are severed and all that is left of the Fortitudo is its ugly, bleeding face. The Fortitudo falls toward the earth at such a speed that it catches fire. Like a comet it heads for Bayonetta and Nero, but neither of them move a single step. The injured Fortitudo crashes helplessly into Fortuna's buildings like a meteor. The earth is cast ablaze as it crashes, lifting up dirt and rock.
It stops, mere feet from where Bayonetta is standing.
"I thought you were dead. What the hell are you doing back up?" Bayonetta muses as she pokes the Fortitudo with her gun.
The massive angel replies with a weak groan, it lacks even the strength to speak.
"WHOOOO!" shouts the man dressed in red as he stands like a triumphant champion atop the angels head. "This party is over. But it was CRAZY!"
Dante donned in his signature red longcoat kicks himself off the Angel. He lands near Bayonetta and his presence catches her attention. Immediately, Cereza begins to analyze the person before her. He seems to possess the strength to defeat Fortitudo, and he isn't all that bad looking either. He sounds a little loud, though.
"Hah! I thought I was gonna lose you back there, buddy! Too bad I'm too fast for ya!" as an insult to injury, the man kicks the injured Angel's exposed eye, eliciting an anguished scream.
Cereza continues her observation. A big, long sword hangs on his back, and she even notices the presence of twin guns holstered underneath his coat. Could this be her target? He certainly fits the description she has of him in her head.
As she stares wondering if this is the person she's looking for, Dante on the other hand is-
"Hey! Kid! What're you doing down there? What happened to ya? Anyway, I need to borrow my brother's sword. Lend it to me, I'll have it back by Tuesday."
-completely ignoring her.
Bayonetta May Cry
- Chapter 2 : The City Closest to Hell
I'm currently playing over DMC3: SE. Jesus Christ, who the hell thought of this game? It's so much more fun than DMC4, but it's hard as hell. Also I just made the honest mistake of starting a Yellow game, so it's a lot harder than usual. D:
A few of you may be wondering where the side characters have gone. Jeanne, Rodin, Luca, Trish, and Lady. They'll be discussed in the later chapter.