Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit, fan-based story. Devil May Cry is owned by Capcom, Hideki Kamiya, Hideaki Itsuno, and Studio Madhouse while being licensed by Madman Entertainment and Funimation. Familiar of Zero is owned by Noboru Yamaguchi, J.C. Staff, and CTC. Please support the official releases and have a great day/night :)
[A/N: This story takes place sometime after the events of Devil May Cry 4 but before the events of Devil May Cry 5]
[Act One, Chapter Three: Shopping Day]
"You're a WHAT?!"
"Keep your voice down or you'll disturb your neighbors."
Jessie heaved an internal sigh and massaged her temples. Truthfully, the Devil Hunter couldn't be angry or even remotely annoyed because she knew, deep down, that the truth would be revealed one way or another and questions would definitely be asked. Jessie was secretly hoping that her confidential occupation wouldn't stir up anything consequential and create unwanted attention; it would be much, much better if Louise and ONLY Louise kept the information to herself and refrained from telling a single soul, no matter how tempting it was to do so.
Louise's room was as quiet as a mouse; the cool and refreshing breeze from outside was sweeping through her open windows, and several crickets were making their characteristic chirping, uncaring of who was listening. Letting a few seconds pass, Jessie finally decided to speak up. It would be difficult to convey to Louise the exact nature of her profession and what it entailed while concurrently explaining who she was as a person.
"Like I've said before." Jessie pressed her back against the wall. "I'm a Devil Hunter." Louise was about to open her mouth and respond, but Jessie beat her to the punch before she could even utter a single word. "I know exactly what you're going to say, and I'm going to stop you right there." Jessie predicted Louise would ask her that question, so in order to avoid being swamped with a million queries, she answered. "A Devil Hunter is a person tasked with hunting down demons, entities that plague humanity and mercilessly prey upon the innocent like wild animals." Louise frowned. Monsters terrorizing people? How despicable. "Every once in a while, the demons have legitimate reasons for doing what they do, but ultimately, it boils down to either eliminating humanity because they're weak or destroying them to make way for demon civilization and establish a new world."
"I see..." Louise's voice was soft, her pink eyes glistening with childlike wonder. "Is that why you became a Devil Hunter?"
"Yes..." Jessie nodded her head. "I chose my profession because I want to bring an end to mindless bloodshed and sadistic slaughter. I don't want anyone, be it man, woman, or child, to wake up in a world engulfed in nothing but flames and chaos, a world with no future, but only a past and a sense of what could have been. I will see it to the end that no more innocent people die in order to slake a demon's shameless bloodlust."
"But I'm..." The young Valliere girl paused for a second, then continued. "...but I'm told that those beasts are incredibly powerful, best known and feared for their immense strength as well as their sheer tenacity. How are you able to take them on?" Louise's voice was markedly low; she was doing everything she could to keep her emotions in check and prevent them from exploding.
"You see..." Jessie began. "You might believe that I'm an above-average human, but I'm not...okay, let me restate that; see, I am, indeed, a human, but the thing about me is that I'm not a full-blooded one." Going by the puzzled expression on Louise's face, the short noblewoman was confused, and Jessie honestly couldn't blame her, especially with the half-hearted explanation she gave out. "So much for being professional..." Jessie mentally groaned. "Louise, I am a Nephilim, albeit only a half Nephilim."
"What is a-"
"A Nephilim?" Jessie answered Louise's query for her. "A Nephilim is a being with angel blood and demon blood flowing through their veins." Hearing such a thing existed, Louse was astounded. An angel and a demon uniting and conceiving an offspring? How could that be possible? They were mortal foes, were they not? "As I've said before, I'm a Nephilim hybrid. My mother was a Nephilim, and my father was a human; the two found love in one another, sharing a night of passion, and here I am." Jessie chuckled a little at that last part. "Nephilims are an endangered species, thus I am one of the very few people with Nephilim blood. In terror and envy of their vast power, demons of all kinds and occasionally corrupt angels with hearts darker than the blackest void have slaughtered the bulk of Nephilims."
Louise didn't say anything; by the look on her face, she was engrossed with the knowledge she was receiving.
Jessie folded her arms. "The only Nephilims remaining are me, obviously, my younger sisters, my nephew, and a few others, although I don't know who they are, and I don't think I ever will, but I digress." Jessie redirected her attention to Louise's window, glancing up at the stars beyond her. "Many demons and fallen angels have played the role of a sickening killer and have tried to murder my family, as well as myself, of course, but none of them, not one, have ever lived to tell the tale, and I intend to keep it that way."
Nothing but silence filled the room once more. Louise, the last daughter of the illustrious Valliere family, didn't know what to say; she wasn't even sure she could say anything. Everything made sense; her familiar's superhuman strength, remarkable speed, and exceptional combat abilities. A Nephilim hybrid was what her familiar was, an individual with incredible power at their disposal, and inside of using it for their own gain, they used it for good. Could someone spell jackpot? Because Louise sure as hell could and then some. Finally! For the first time in her life, she accomplished something good; most importantly, she finally one-upped Kirche.
Jessie quietly observed Louise as the girl with strawberry-pink hair inwardly rejoiced. Seeing as the dark-skinned woman's secrets had been spilled like beans, it was important that they remained a secret. She would very much prefer it if everyone in Tristain Academy was kept in the dark about what she told Louise and believed she was human like they were, which was odd considering she was a human, though not a full-fledged one.
"Listen, I know you're happy and everything, but I would prefer to keep this discussion between us private," Jessie said.
Louise's joyful smile morphed into an admittedly adorable frown of confusion and a dash of sadness. "Why would you-"
"If my occupation as a Devil Hunter reaches the ears of the public, I will never hear the end of it," answered Jessie, completing Louise's sentence before she could finish. "People are going to ask questions, questions that I might not have the answer to, and I don't want to go through that." Hearing Jessie's explanation, Louise found herself agreeing with the former, understanding where she were coming from. "Second, and most importantly, I'm still new to this world; whether it's teeming with life apart from humanity or not is beyond me. For all I know, there could be demons and fallen angels that detest Nephilim as much as those in my world. I can't risk the danger of telling everyone sensitive information about myself. You get where I'm coming from, don't you?"
Louise nodded. "Yeah...at least I believe I do."
Louise wasn't entirely on board with Jessie, but the woman's reasoning was sound, so she had to comply. The pink-haired mage was an understandable person, most of the time, so she would see to it that she respected her dark-skinned comrade's wishes, even if she wanted to tell everybody and their mother, including her own. Moreover, she found the brunette to be a terrifying woman when irritated and an unequivocal nightmare when angered; after witnessing firsthand what she did to Guiche, she knew quite well she didn't want to be on her bad side.
Speaking of Jessie, the demon-hunting woman provided Louise with a gentle rub on the head, which the pinkette found odd but chose not to comment on. In fact, it almost seemed as though she enjoyed it, but it was difficult to tell; she was never one to let her sensitive side get the better of her; it must've been her Mother's blood combined with her teachings and unflappable attitude.
Jessie smiled warmly. "Thank you; I appreciate you understanding me," she said. "I think it's time for us to call it a night."
Louise agreed with Jessie, but even then, there was one particular question that lingered in her mind, and she needed an answer to it or it would never leave her. "Jessabella?" Louise was twiddling her fingers as she mustered the courage to say what she wanted to say. "I know we're done with questions for time being, but there's still one more I have to ask."
"What is it?" Jessie asked with curiosity
"When you were talking about your parents, I noticed you used the word 'was' rather than the word 'is'." Jessie's smile turned into a sad frown. "I'm not a grammar fanatic like some people, but shouldn't you use 'is' when discussing your parents provided they aren't...you know?"
"My..." Jessie sighed, stopping for a moment before continuing where she left off. "My parents are a sensitive topic, and I don't feel like having a conversation about them at this time." Jessie turned around, her back facing Louise. "Let's just say that they aren't around, and call it a night, okay?"
As much as she disliked it, Louise gave Jessie a small nod. The Valliere girl had plenty of questions for Jessie to answer, but if the latter refused to go any farther, she had to accept it for what it was; plus, she wasn't in the mood to play twenty-one questions or anything of the sort all night. The pink-haired mage was exhausted and obviously needed a full eight hours of sleep; she could have her burning questions answered at another time. Not only that, but it was a school night, and she couldn't afford to fail because she was too drained to work.
With no arguments, Louise called it a night and began to groom herself for bed; she would have good dreams tonight.
Time had passed, three days, to be precise, since Jessie's battle, if one could even deem it as such, with Guiche de Gramont. Word around the grapevine was that the blonde-haired noble had been apologizing to every poor girl he ever cheated on and had been genuinely atoning for his misdeeds, though some weren't as willing to forgive him as others, but they would acknowledge that he was trying, so they weren't overly harsh on him.
After that day, a lot of things changed for the better around the academy; students stopped making Louise for being inept at the art of magic, nor did they ridicule the young noble behind her back when she wasn't looking; funnily enough, every time she came across their path, they would immediately apologize on the spot, asking for forgiveness. The most likely explanation was that they were afraid of Jessie and worried that Louise would have Jessie attack them and put the fear of god in them. While Louise was pleased to be treated normally once again, she later admitted that she wished her classmates would stop being terrified of her; for Brimir's sake, she wasn't going to sic Jessie on them like a rabid dog.
Speaking of Jessie, the brunette was currently lounging outside the academy, watching all of the familiars engage with one another.
"It must be nice having a pet by your side," Jessie mused. "If you look past the unusual characteristics like wings or extra eyes, they're rather cute...some of them, at least." Truth be told, Jessie always wanted a pet ever since she was a little girl, but could never acquire one. Considering that she was an adult woman who was old enough to live on her own, operate of vehicle, pay bills, and do other adult things, one would assume that she would have no trouble adopting and nurturing a pet, right? Right, but also wrong. See, Jessie lived in an apartment, and her landlord did not permit animals for unspecified reasons, and Jessie had no choice but to abide by it provided that she wanted to keep her apartment.
Unbeknownst to Jessie, she had attracted the interest of a unique familiar, a rhyme dragon dubbed Sylphid, who was Tabitha's familiar. The blue dragon descended from the sky and dropped down in front of Jessie before getting in her face, invading her personal space. Any normal person would be annoyed or frightened by a large dragon in their face and breathing all over them, but Jessie wasn't a normal person and was rather indifferent to it, though she did concede that it would be preferable if she wasn't being breathed on; the dragon's breath didn't stink, but it was weird.
"Hello there, friend," Jessie greeted kindly. "Is your day going well?"
Sylphid, who couldn't communicate the way humans could, responded with a small yet charming nod before directing their attention to a wooden bowl filled with nothing but delectable red, green, and yellow apples for them to snack on if Jessie was willing to feed them. Sylphid reached towards the apple-filled bowl and grabbed it with their teeth before sliding it closer to Jessie.
Jessie giggled to herself, amused by the spectacle in front of her. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and say you want these, correct?" Jessie already knew the answer to her own question, but why not have some fun? She could use some after the last few days. Sylphid nodded their head as if the answer was apparent, and made a sound to make it a point that they were famished. "If that's what you want; after all, who am I to deprive someone of their food?" Jessie grabbed a random apple and served it to Sylphid, who devoured it with little to no effort.
Sylphid squealed in happiness and licked Jessie's cheeks as a dog would to its owner.
"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship," Jessie joked, sweetly caressing Slyphid's head. Jessie had always been fascinated by dragons, whether in fiction or in reality; occasionally, the brunette would encounter one or two dragons on her escapades, and they were either good or evil, but more often than not, they were good, thus she found herself befriending them.
As Jessie was having fun with Tabitha's rhyme dragon, an unexpected explosion arose, drawing both the former and the latter's attention.
Concerned, Jessie immediately rose from her seat and turned to face the source of the explosion; there was a broken window hanging by the hinge with smoke billowing through it, and the faint sound of children groaning in pain could be heard. Jessie fled in a hurry, leaving a very perplexed Sylphid behind, and jumped through the aforementioned window, entering a spacious but destroyed classroom and being greeted by the sight of several students and one instructor sprawled out like drunkards at a frat party, as well as Louise standing in the center of the classroom, looking as though she had been thrown down a grungy chimney. From the look of it, the cesspool of a classroom seemed to be the consequence of Louise trying her hand at magic, with the preceding explosion being the end result.
"Whatever spell Louise tried to cast did a number on this place," Jessie said inwardly before speaking aloud. "Is everyone alright?"
"Y-Yeah..."
"I think I'll be fine."
"This isn't our first time."
"What about you, Louise? Are you okay?" Jessie turned to face Louise, who was less than thrilled. "Do you need me to-"
"I'll be okay." A small sigh escaped Louise's mouth as she walked to the door of her classroom. "This is just an average day for me..."
Exchanging no more words, Louise exited the classroom, dejected that she botched another spell; Jessie would soon join her, but not before making sure that nobody was injured and getting them back on their feet, especially the teacher, who somehow ended up unconscious.
Following the incident in Louise's class, Jessie and Louise were strolling along a stone hallway connected from one building to another. Jessie was reading a book that she had brought from the library, whilst Louise strolled with her arms folded, her latest failure still fresh in her mind and still vexed about it. Jessie could sense the subdued anger emanating from Louise and genuinely felt sorry for the adolescent sorceress; she was young and had much promise, but her disability, if it could be called that, prevented her from achieving greater heights.
"Louise." Jessie ceased her movement, placing her book in one of her pants pockets.
A serious conversation needed to be had.
Louise stopped and turned to face Jessie; she was secretly not in the mood for a chat. "What's the matter?"
"Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but I want you to know that it's okay, and-"
"IT'S NOT OKAY!" Louise snapped, finally releasing her pent-up anger. "EVERY TIME! EVERY TIME I PERFORM A SPELL, IT ENDS UP..." There was a sudden pause. Louise instinctively refrained from venturing into a lengthy tirade, her expression switching from anger to sadness...then to indifference. Louise leaned against a stone pillar and sank slowly to the cold ground, heaving a long sigh. "I just want to be good at something, anything..." Louise's words brought pain to Jessie's heart, the swordswoman wishing she could help in any way. "I want to wield magic like everyone else, I want to be special...but how can I be special if I can't achieve anything?"
Without so much as a peep, Jessie grabbed ahold of Louise's waist and effortlessly hoisted the pinkette off the ground before setting them on their two feet, but they didn't seem to care.
Jessie draped an arm around Louise and pulled her close, doing her best to soothe her. "Louise, among the many lessons I picked up as a little girl and still use as an adult is this: nobody is perfect at anything from the start, and if they are, they better keep it that way or the fall will hurt." That was true. "You think I've always been adept at fighting demons and monsters? Of course not. I was taught at a young age, and like everyone else, I practiced and polished my skill as best as I could, and no amount of Nephilim or even human power provided me even a smidgeon of an advantage."
"It must have been rough for you," Louise said softly.
Jessie chuckled lightly. "Like you would not believe; rough is an understatement, my friend," she mused, recalling the days of her training. "My teacher was a tough woman with a low tolerance for nonsense, but as strict as she was, she cared deeply and did not want me to fail, and let me tell you this now: failure is NOT an option, especially in a cutthroat field like demon slaying, where one error could lead to the deaths of many, including your loved ones and yourself."
Louise mentally shuddered at the prospect of losing her family as well as her life. "Haunting..."
"The point I'm trying to make, Louise, is that practice makes perfect, everybody knows that." Jessie placed a hand on Louise's shoulder. "All of the other children can use fire, water, earth, and so on, but you can use explosions, which is far better in my opinion. You must make good use of the cards life has handed you. I've been told that by my teacher, and now I'm telling you that as your friend. You're not a failure, not to me, you have so much potential, and I know you'll be an excellent mage in the future if you put in the work."
Louise was fighting back tears, repressing the urge to cry, and ultimately succeeded. "Thank you, Jessabella..." she smiled warmly.
"Anytime; I do what I can to help." Jessie tenderly ruffled Louise's hair. "Unhappy children isn't something I enjoy seeing."
Time passed, and the day carried on as normal until nightfall arose, when the students, Louise included, packed it in and hauled themselves to bed, delving into the realm of (hopefully) sweet dreams. Jessie was in the library, something she had grown accustomed to, still trying to figure out the best way to return to her own world while learning new things about the one she was currently residing in.
"So they have gods as well, huh? Can't say I'm too shocked," Jessie whispered, turning the page of the book she was reading.
Jessie was reading an old book centered around religion and godhood. There were a variety of deities, some well-known and others less so, and it was admittedly rather impressive. Giving it some thought, Jessie noticed that whenever someone, say, Louise or Siesta, was surprised or annoyed, they would utter the name Brimir; was that a person, a divine entity like the other gods, or was it simply a place of importance? Jessie had no clue and would have to add it to her long list of questions.
"Nonbelievers? Punishment? Lynching?" Jessie shook her head. "Even in another world, folks take religion to an absurd degree."
According to what Jessie has read, gods were venerated by aristocrats and commoners throughout the world, but there were a handful of individuals who did not believe in them and outright rejected their existence. If Jessie said she was surprised, then she would be a bloody liar as her world had that thing, too, and it was a touchy subject in the case of religious people. Truth be told, Jessie herself wasn't a religious person and had little to no interest in it (which was ironic given that she had demon and angel blood within her), though she wasn't one to dismiss and belittle people who were; The only reason she wore her crucifix pendant, other than the fact that it looked lovely around her neck, was because a pious friend had given it to her as a present, and she didn't want to hurt their feelings.
"Ms. Jessabella."
Jessie looked up from her book and saw Siesta walking toward her, wearing normal clothing instead of maid clothes.
"Greetings, Ms. Jessabella." Siesta bowed with respect, garnering a small smile from Jessie. "I assume your night is good well?" Jessie nodded and gave Siesta the thumbs-up. "That's good to hear." There was a brief moment of awkward silence until Siesta (thankfully) broke it. "Ms. Jessabella, I never got the chance to properly express my gratitude for protecting me against Guiche; you helped me when no one else would."
"It was nothing," said Jessie, waving off her actions.
"Maybe to you, but for me, it meant a lot," Siesta countered, raising her voice a little, but not by a lot. "You know, it doesn't happen often that a commoner—if I can even deem you one at this point—takes a stance and looks out for a fellow commoner in their desperate time of need." Siesta sighed, pulling out a chair across from Jessie and taking a seat. "To be honest with you, I wish I had the courage to stand up for myself while I was being scolded; everyone is always stepping over me like a doormat, but I don't have it in me to fight back."
Jessie folded her arms and crossed her legs. "Have you tried to?" she inquired, transitioning from bookworm to faux therapist.
"I have," Siesta answered, looking down at her hands. "But I'm not a fighter, I abhor violence."
"Siesta, sweetheart..." Jessie gently grasped one of Siesta's hands, putting the off-duty maid at ease. "Not every situation requires the use of violence. It is possible to resolve conflict without using brute force, but you need to have the drive, the power to take a stand and fight for the peaceful outcome that you desire. You understand what I'm saying?"
Siesta nodded. "Indeed," she responded. "I need to be more assertive and show the world I'm not a pushover."
"That's my girl." Jessie clapped her hands together, a big smile resting on her face. "Now you're getting it."
"I'm appreciative of your wise words, Ms. Jessabella," thanked Siesta. "You truly are deserving of the title 'Valiant Knight'."
Valiant Knight?
Jessie furrowed an eyebrow in bewilderment, unsure of what to make of the title or what it had ever signified. "Come again?"
"The servants have been talking about you nonstop ever since the day you fought and defeated Guiche," Siesta explained. "They even went as far as to call you their Valiant Knight." Jessie beamed in delight but was secretly frowning on the inside. Don't get her wrong, she genuinely appreciated the attention she was receiving and was glad she was able to do good for the people, but she would prefer it if people didn't treat her as if she were some kind of celebrity; she has seen what celebrities go through, and it wasn't a pleasant sight to behold.
"Well, I think it's nice," Jessie lied...mostly. "But enough about me, what about you?"
"Me?" Siesta was a little surprised. "What about me?"
Jessie crossed her arms and tucked them beneath her bust. "How are things going for you? Every conversation we have can't be about me."
"Nothing breathtaking, sadly," Siesta said. "I have been stuck in a rut of doing the same thing day in and day out: cooking, cleaning, and serving."
"Sounds to me like you need a break or, better yet, a nice, long vacation," Jessie said. "Even the most dutiful of people need to rest."
"The headmaster of Tristain rewards our efforts with days off, but-"
"They're not enough?" Jessie asked, completing Siesta's sentence and receiving a nod from the girl. "Figured as much..."
"Don't get me wrong, Ms. Jesabella; I really enjoy working here, but there are moments when it's too much for me," Siesta said.
Jessie knew a thing or two about a stressful job. "I know exactly how you feel," she said internally, agreeing with Siesta. "One of the perks of being my own boss is that I get to pick and choose my vacation days, but even then, I still work myself to the bone; Dani and Izzy are always telling me to take a vacation and go somewhere nice."
"Aside from work, everything is relatively okay," Siesta said.
"What matters is that you're doing good." Jessie smiled. "You can always tell me if something's bothering you."
"I'll keep that in mind, thank you," Siesta said.
Over the following hour, Jessie and Siesta would simply converse as friends and get to know each other better, although Jessie omitted vital information such as her work as a Devil Hunter and her status as a Nephilim hybrid. Other than that, everything was great, and Jessie appreciated the reassuring aura Siesta brought wherever she went. All in all, it was a pleasant experience for Jessie and she would certainly do it again.
The next day rolled around. It was nine o'clock in the morning, and Louise was blissfully brushing her long hair at her dressing table, whereas Jessie was in the bathroom, drying her hair after taking (and thoroughly enjoying) a pleasant bath. The dark-skinned woman emerged from the bathroom wearing only a Nike sports bra and comfy pajama shorts.
"So..." Jessie began, throwing her towel in a nearby hamper. "Any plans for today? It is Saturday, after all."
Louise stopped brushing her hair and turned to Jessie. "To be honest, I'm not sure," she answered. "Truthfully, I was thinking about heading to town and doing some light shopping for some clothes and other materials." Louise placed a finger on her chin. "Now that I think about it, it's been a while since I last been to the store, or any store, for that matter. Today seems like a good day to visit the town, and it helps that my older sister, Cattleya, sent me money."
Jessie chuckled inwardly as she shook her head. "The life of the wealthy," she thought.
"If you want to go out, that's fine by me." Louise turned away from Jessie and continued to brush her hair.
"Then it's been decided, we're hitting the town today," Jessie said, doing some stretching. Jessie was in the mood for some tourism; she was interested in doing some shopping and purchasing the things she needed, such as books among other things. Furthermore, it would also be a nice opportunity for her to broaden her horizon and see a lot more of the world, so it was a win-win scenario in her book. "By the way, can you do me a small favor and hand me my scrunchies?"
"The ones with the bunnies on them?" Louise asked.
Jessie nodded. "The very same," she answered. "Have to keep my hair up somehow; plus, they were a gift."
"Here." Louise grabbed two hair scrunchies with fuzzy white rabbits on them and tossed them at Jessie. "You know, I'm honestly amazed someone like yourself even wears them, especially with your profession and all.
Jessie shrugged her shoulders. "Eh..." she said with apathy, pulling her hair into her trademark unkempt buns. "Jessabella Symphony Winters likes what she likes." Jessie grabbed her clothes and put them on, excluding her leather coat and scarf as she didn't believe she would need them; besides, the weather was notably warm, and sweating like a pig wasn't in her nature. "A few demons I've encountered in the past thought it would be entertaining to insult me for my clothing, specifically my hair accessories...needless to say, they weren't laughing when I had a few things to say on the matter." Jessie let out a creepy chuckle, but Louise disregarded it, primarily because she didn't want to walk down that rabbit hole so early in the morning.
As Louise was grooming herself, a startling realization hit her like a metal chair to the face. "Damn, I forgot about that." she facepalmed.
"Forgot about what?" Jessie asked, zipping up her sleeveless hoodie.
"We have to pay for the horses, and the trip takes an hour," Louise replied. "I have no issue doing the former as it's cheap and affordable, but it's the latter that bothers me, even more so if the horses aren't fed or trained properly. We'll just have to power through it, and whatever happens, happens."
Jessie was silent for a small period until a splendid little idea entered her mind and she snapped her fingers. "Forget horseback riding, I have something much better." Louise was confused by Jessie's words. "It comes with no price and it will get us to where we need to go in no time flat. Bottom line, if we do things my way, you'll see some interesting results." Louise was even more confused, displaying a baffled expression to Jessie. "I'll be outside; come out when you're finished." Louise couldn't get a word in as Jessie left the room, leaving the mage alone; the girl could only roll her eyes as she went back to grooming herself.
"That woman..."
Later that day, Jessie and Louise were outside, standing near the horse stables; Jessie was wearing a smile on her face, while Louise had the frown she was well-known for having, clearly not excited as Jessie was.
Jessie was the first to speak. "You're going to love this, trust me," she said.
"I'm sure I will..." Louise deadpanned. "Just as long as it doesn't kill me..."
"Stand back, you don't want to get too close to the action," Jessie instructed with her hand out, white and gold aura dancing around it. "I'm going to be using the power from my angelic side. It shouldn't be too problematic; all I need is concentration."
Wordlessly, Louise took a few steps back, interested to see what Jessie would perform with her heavenly abilities and what they were capable of. Taking a deep breath, Jessie stepped forward and began muttering inaudible words. A wooden door with a frame composed of solid light slowly materialized out of thin air, stupefying Louise tremendously, and Jessie sauntered through it as though it was nothing spectacular. The power of a divine angel (or, in Jessie's case, half of one) was quite remarkable, wasn't it?
Within the door was a pocket dimension resembling a large garage or storage room. There were discarded household goods, outdated clothing, and damaged or worn-out weapons scattered everywhere, but Jessie paid no attention to them; she was there for her prized mode of transport, her motorcycle, which was a modified 2005 Bourget Python 330, replete with a cobalt-blue paint job and white flames as a decal. Interestingly, two more vehicles, a car, and another motorcycle were concealed by a blanket; however, one was out of fuel and the other was dysfunctional, rendering them inoperable.
"And there she is," Jessie smirked, her hands on her hips. "Beautiful as the day I met her."
There were a few things in front of Jessie's motorcycle, but the former casually swept them to the side, one of which was a mannequin dressed in a snazzy red and black clothing; it was the suit Dante wore during his stint at now-destroyed Mallet Island, fighting against the king of the Demon World, Mundus, though it wasn't the real deal and was simply a spare. Jessie liked the way it looked, and Dante happened to have an extra, so he gave it to her...unfortunately, it wasn't tailored to her size, but she kept it regardless because why not? If you have something good, don't throw it away.
Setting that aside, Jessie rolled her motorcycle out the door and onto the fresh grass of Tristain Academy, the dazzling sun shining down on its glossy blue body. Instead of moving, Louise stood in place, still in shock and awe, from the door Jessie summoned out of thin air to the bizarre contraption that stood beside Jessie.
"Louise, what you're seeing is a vehicle, but I, and many other people, call it a motorcycle; it's a mechanism from my world that transports people from one place to another," Jessie explained with her arms folded. "Ironically, we actually do have carriages, but we primarily use these or other vehicles like cars and trucks, but that's a story for a different occasion." Jessie rubbed her motorcycle. "I call her Speed Demon, she was given to me by my younger sister for my birthday. When it comes to getting me to my destination on time, Speed Demon is the best around, and its speed definitely supports that claim."
Louise walked up to Speed Demon. "I don't even know what to do." Louise poked the fuel tank a couple of times.
Jessie was not the least bit shocked; based on Louise's complete bafflement, technology had not yet been developed, therefore the latter had no earthly clue what to do. "Don't worry, I got you." Jessie grabbed Louise by the waist and plopped her on the passenger seat before reaching into her pocket and withdrawing a set of keys.
"So what now?" Louise asked.
"This." Jessie slipped a key into the Speed Demon's ignition and ignited the vehicle; the thunderous sound it generated terrified Louise half to death and frightened away any unfortunate familiar that happened to be nearby. "Excellent, I got it up and running." Jessie caressed Speed Demon as if it were a child before turning to face Louise. "Before we leave, I want you to know that we'll be moving at a high speed, so it's very important that you hold on to my waist as firmly as possible and don't let go until we reach our destination." Jessie straightened her gloves and positioned her goggles over her eyes while maintaining a smirk. "Remember what I told you, okay?"
Louise nodded. "Okay," she replied. "Brimir, give me strength..."
Jessie revved Speed Demon's engine and took off at a phenomenal speed, though she didn't go crazy as it was Louise's first time; speaking of Louise, the pinkette was screaming for dear life, clinging onto Jessie tightly.
After fifty (possibly less) minutes, Jessie and Louise arrived at their destination of interest. Jessie was satisfied with the outcome of her motorcycle journey, whereas Louise...was, to put it mildly, a disorganized mess; her hair was disheveled, completely different from how it had been previously, and she looked like she had encountered a ghost, and that was also Jessie's fault. Speed Demon's speed was rather overwhelming for the young mage, and it wasn't like other motorcycles; it was significantly faster and took some getting used to. Jessie had never been in Louise's shoes, but she would admit that the wind could be bothersome at times, especially if she wasn't wearing eye protection.
"And here we are." Jessie smiled, setting her goggles back on top of her head. "Told you it was effective, Louise."
"I HATED that..." Louise was seething with quiet anger, earning a small chuckle from Jessie. "Next time, we're using horses..."
Jessie couldn't help but chuckle a second time. If there was one thing Jessie found interesting about Louise was how quick she was to anger, how emotional she could be at times. In some ways, the child sorceress-in-training reminded her of Nero; the young demon hybrid's heart was in the right place and he tried to do right by the people of Fortuna, especially the orphanages he took care of and his sweetheart, Kyrie, but he could be hot-blooded, and, like Louise, was quick to anger, though he was learning to control his temper and not let it get the better of him.
Louise fixed her hair. "Let's go, the town gets crowded at a certain hour," she said, retrieving a coin purse from within her travel bag.
Jessie and Louise began their journey and after some time, they eventually found themselves in a humble and vibrant town called Sunfall, standing in the heart of it. There were commoners everywhere, either conversing with one another, buying goods, or selling goods. All in all, the place was peaceful and there was a calm atmosphere that put its citizens at ease, Jessie and Louise included.
Jessie admired what Sunfall had to offer. "Today's quite lively, isn't it?" That was an understatement of the year, possibly the century. Everyone was enjoying themselves, savoring and appreciating everything that life had to offer them. Jessie secretly envied the carefree villagers for what they had; blissfully unaware of the horror that lay beyond their world. Perhaps they were aware of the monsters that plagued humanity, or perhaps they weren't; either way, they saw no reason to be concerned.
"Be on high alert," Louise advised. "I've been told this place can be devious at times." Jessie raised an eyebrow in confusion. "If you're not careful, all of your possessions could end up being stolen from you by mangy, no-good thieves." Jessie was surprised to hear that Sunfall had bandits, but she reasoned that even the happiest of towns had a few rotten apples stirring up a ruckus. "For some odd reason, thieves and criminals have been coming out of the woodwork lately, and nobody knows why. Regardless, I want you to keep a close eye on the civilians and make sure they don't steal anything from us, is that understood?"
"Understood," replied Jessie. Defending their money and keeping it safe from stealers should be a simple and easy task to accomplish.
Jessie, separated from Louise, was wandering through the narrow streets of Sunfall, perusing the various commodities she encountered with said commodities being artifacts, clothing, and all sorts of assorted items. The half-breed Nephilim was carrying two new books she purchased with the cash Louise gratuitously provided her; she would have bought more goods, such as clothing, but the garbs in certain shops didn't appeal to her...either that or they were expensive, like, REALLY expensive; seriously, the prices were utterly insane, and the people who bought them had to have been wealthy fashionistas.
As Jessie continued on with her shopping, someone accidentally bumped into her from behind. "What in the..."
Jessie shifted her body around to find a bespectacled young girl between the ages of thirteen and fourteen caressing her head while unwillingly sitting on the cold pavement beneath her rear. The youth was around Louise's height, if not slightly taller, with auburn hair fashioned in a long ponytail, a beige skin complexion, and lovely hazel eyes. Last but not least, there was her apparel; for context, she was dressed in a white, short-sleeved blouse with a black and red corset wrapped around her waist and a long red cloak draped around her neck with the hood down. Finally, she was wearing a black skirt with rose-printed pantyhose underneath, alongside black, calf-high wedge boots.
"Are you alright?" Jessie stuck her hand out, offering her assistance. "You're not hurt, are you?"
The hooded girl took Jessie's hand and hauled herself to her feet. "Your concern for my health is greatly appreciated; however, to answer your question, I'm fine," Jessie was pleased to hear that; it often slipped her mind that she was a tall woman, especially when compared to small children. "I apologize for bumping into you, ma'am. I was thinking about something until I got distracted, do forgive me."
"It's alright." Jessie forgave the hooded girl, seeing no reason to shed tears over spilled milk. "Next time, try to pay a little more attention." The hooded girl gave Jessie a small nod, earning a pat on the head from the woman. Jessie waved farewell to the hooded girl, and as she was about to continue with her day, she noticed a piece of paper, in fact, multiple pieces of paper, on the ground. Normally, she would have ignored it and deemed it as garbage, possibly picking it up and tossing it in the trash as she was not a fan of littering, but seeing the unidentified girl and another person on it prevented her from doing so.
"Where did they go? Where did they go?" The hooded girl was frantically searching for something but couldn't seem to find it, no matter how hard she was looking and it was starting to stress her out. "Say it isn't so. They couldn't have been swept away by the wind, right? That would be impossible. I hope that isn't the case; if it is, that would definitely lead to trouble. Ms. Sylv entrusted me with the responsibility of distributing flyers to potential customers. Flyers are a very crucial part of business; no flyers equals no customers, no customers equals no business, and no business equals...an angry Ms. Sylv." The hooded girl lowered her head in fear and shame. "I'm done for..."
"Are these what you're looking for, Ms. Walky?" The hooded girl, now identified as Walky, slowly lifted her head and saw Jessie holding several papers in her hand. Walky demeanor shifted from ashamed to joyful, and she took the papers in Jessie's hands without hesitation, whatever stress and anxiety she had exiting her body. "They had your face on it, so I assumed they belonged."
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Walky was frenetically shaking Jessie's hand, shaking the brunette. "I thought it was over for me." Walky handed Jessie one of the papers, which was an advertisement for a shop she worked at. "Sylvanus' Magic Store; the name isn't remarkable or anything like that, but it gets us by and you know what you're getting into when you enter." Jessie was intrigued. A magic store? She wasn't finished shopping and still had more than enough money to buy a few more things. If she's lucky, she could find an item or two to bring back with her. "My name is Argent Vivianne Walkyrie; I have the honor of working alongside Sylvanus, the store owner."
"Jessabella Symphony Winters, but everyone calls me Jessie." Jessie introduced herself. "Your boss's shop sounds intriguing; I would like to visit it."
Walky smiled brightly. "Why, of course!" she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "Follow me, Ms. Jessabella; our trip won't take long."
Filled to the brim with energy and excitement, Walky happily sauntered in the direction of her boss's magic store with Jessie trailing behind her, inwardly admiring the young woman's high-spirited nature as it reminded her a lot of her younger sister, Daniella.
"And here we are," smiled Walky, introducing Jessie to the shop.
The shop Walky worked at was...interesting...ly strange to the point of incredulity, and that was putting it mildly as possible. There was a mysterious and uncomfortable atmosphere that gave Jessie funny feelings in her stomach, a sensation she certainly didn't enjoy, like a spider, or any multi-legged insect, slowly traveling from her neck to her back and tickling her with its legs.
"Well? What do you think?" Walky asked with her arms folded. "Isn't this fine establishment wonderful?"
Jessie didn't know the proper way to reply without insulting Walky or the owner. "It's certainly something..." she said with an awkward smile.
The fine (in Walky's own words) establishment was poorly illuminated, with black draperies obscuring the sunlight from the outside and black-colored candles lit by a toxic green flame as the only source of light, and even so, it barely got the job done and had the same scent as someone who used too much perfume/cologne. Overall, it looked suspicious and dishonest, but looks could be deceiving...very deceiving, and Jessie knew a thing or two about that...however, she was a firm believer in the adage 'don't judge a book by its cover', and she didn't automatically assume that the place and its occupants were evil, so until she saw proof, she held her tongue.
"Meow..."
A random black cat approached Walky and nuzzled its head against her leg, prompting the bespectacled girl to smile. "Neige." Walky picked the black cat, Neige, off the floor and cradled them like a parent would their infant. "Have you been a good girl?" Neige responded with a small meow, as expected of a feline. "I will take that as a yes." Walky turned to face Jessie. "Ms. Jessabella, this is our pet and store mascot, Neige." Neige purred once more, taking comfort in Walky's embrace. "One day, she showed up at the store as if she owned it and refused to leave; seeing as we couldn't do anything, we shrugged our shoulders and took her in; now she's a proud member of the family."
Jessie giggled to herself. "The love people have for their pets never ceases to amaze me," she said internally. "Must be a nice feeling."
"Walky? Is that you?" A woman's voice called from behind a door at the back of the store, likely the owner. "Did you post the flyers as instructed?"
Walky put Neige in her cot and turned to face the voice asking for her. "Some of them, but not all of them, Ms. Sylv," she answered with honesty, feeling a little ashamed she wasn't able to complete her task. "If it makes you feel any better, I was able to bring a customer to our store, and we both know how long it's been since we got one of those."
The female voice, identified as Sylv or, according to Walky, Ms. Sylv, sighed. "Not what I desired, but I will accept what I am offered."
The back door opened and out stepped Sylv, a middle-aged, but attractive woman wearing a witch hat and holding a magic staff. Sylv was of average height, with glistening, platinum-blonde hair that reached down to her upper back, a smooth and healthy limestone skin complexion, vibrant blue eyes, and a shapely physique. Like Walky, Sylv was wearing a white blouse, but her version was long-sleeved and she lacked a corset; finally, she wore a long black skirt and white slip-on shoes.
Sylv walked up to Jessie and smiled warmly. "Greetings," she bowed politely. "I go by the name Viridis Sylvanus, but you may shorten it to Sylv if that suits you better." Jessie kept that in mind; Sylv, a short and simple name. Sylvanus gestured to her store. "I am the proud proprietor of this business and everything you see before you. From magical items to combat-ready magic weapons, I have it all and am willing to sell it to you for a price. How much? It all depends on what it is and your willingness to spend." Sylvanus scrutinized Jessie from head to toe, evaluating the woman's appearance from the clothes on their body to the body itself; they did not appear to be a mage, but neither did they appear to be a commoner. "I can only presume, based on your robust physique, that you are a woman of strength and combat, an individual who does the heavy lifting when others cannot, correct?"
Jessie nodded in silence, quite impressed by Sylvanus's accurate speculation. "She's good..." Fighting played a crucial role in Jessie's life, and friends, clients, and slain monsters could write a long paragraph on how true that was. If a person required someone that specialized in dealing with wicked creatures causing mischief, she was the one to call.
"Ms. Jessabella is quite muscular, Ms. Sylv." Walky was poking Jessie's exposed arm. "I bet she could lift a piano with ease."
Jessie playfully scoffed. A piano? Please. She could lift a lot more than that. Hell, if she was so inclined, she could benchpress, if not demolish, an entire skyscraper and a lot more without breaking a sweat or running out of breath.
"Take a look at this." Sylvanus took a little vial of red liquid and presented it to Jessie. "An effective elixir that amplifies your strength tenfold."
"Sounds interesting." Jessie rubbed her chin. "Do you have anything else to offer, or is the strength potion all you have?"
"What a silly question, Ms. Jessabella." Walky took Jessie's hand and led her to a wall lined with concoctions of various shapes and sizes. "We have a wide assortment of elixirs on hand for you to purchase and use. Ms. Jessabella." There was an abundance of brews from which to choose; it must have taken a great deal of effort to create them. "Per week, we restock, but these are the ones we have this week. The blue potions have the ability to boost your speed and make you faster, the green potions have the ability to mend whatever wounds you may have, the clear potions have the ability to turn you invisible for a short amount of time, and the black potions have the ability to improve your durability and allow you to take a lot more damage than usual."
"What about the pink one?" Jessie pointed to a vial with pink liquid inside. "What does that one do?"
Walky blushed profusely, twiddling her fingers. "That? T-That is...it's uhh...howdoiputthis? UNIQUE! Yeah...it's a unique kind of potion..." Jessie was wholeheartedly confused. Special how? And why was Walky acting so nervous? "Yeah...unique..." Walky was obviously going through something, but Jessie had no idea why that was so.
Jessie faced Sylvanus. "How is the pink one unique?" she asked. "I don't speak..." Jessie pointed to Walky, who was muttering mess. "That..."
Sylvanus sighed. "The pink elixir is rarely, if ever, used in combat," she explained. "In actuality, it is designed for couples who desire to get...well, up close and personal with one another, if you understand where I'm coming from." At first, Jessie didn't understand what Sylvanus was talking about...but then she did, and a small blush appeared on her cheeks. "This elixir aids those who aren't doing so well during those nights of passion, providing them a push in the right direction and improving what needs to be fixed."
"Yeah...improvement..." Walky chimed.
"I deeply apologize for my assistant and her unusual behavior." Sylvanus was rubbing her temples. "She is still young, so mature subjects make her...fidgety and uncomfortable." Sylvanus planted a hand on Walky's shoulder. "Walky, my sweet, would you be so kind as to grab the rest of the elixirs in the back? I recall putting them in the brown box, so you should have no difficulty retrieving them all at once."
"Yes, ma'am!" Without warning, Walky took off.
Sylvanus shook her head."Walky..." she muttered. "She can be problematic at times, but I would be dishonest if I said I did not adore her eccentricity."
"It's always the wackiest ones that make you smile when you least expect it," Jessie added.
"On that, I can agree. In all honesty, it is a significant improvement compared to how she was long ago." Sylvanus kneeled down and picked Neige up before rubbing the latter's head, receiving a soft purr. "In the past, she was more somber, someone who rarely expressed themselves and preferred to be left alone, but it was understandable at the time."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened exactly?" Jessie wasn't one to probe into others' affairs, but her curiosity was getting the best of her.
"Kurroknelle..." Jessie opened her mouth and was about to make a comment when Sylvanus continued before she could say anything. "Kurroknelle was a cold, unfeeling Lamia woman who murdered Walky's parents in cold blood several years ago when she was very young." Jessie was appalled to hear such a thing and felt a great deal of sympathy for Walky. "
"Why would she do such a thing, and to a child, no less?" inquired Jessie.
"Not even I know the answer, my friend; some individuals carry out heinous acts for motivations only they know." That was true, and Jessie was well aware of it. "From what Walky told me during the first few days after I took her in as my own, it was a tempestuous day when Kurroknelle unexpectedly showed up at her family's home. The Walkyrie family presumed that Kurroknelle was in need of shelter and accepted her without question...biggest mistake they could ever make, and the results speak for themselves. The Walkyrie family treated Kurroknelle with nothing but kindness and generosity; they made every effort to make her stay as pleasant as possible, but their efforts were ultimately futile. Kurroknelle moved like a snake in the grass and attacked, thus concluding the tale of the Walkyrie family."
There was silence in the air until Jessie spoke up. "What about Walky?" she asked. "How come Kurroknelle didn't kill her, too?"
"In her own words, Kurroknelle stated that Walky would make a 'useful little servant girl'." Sylvanus shuddered as did Jessie. "She took Walky and coerced the poor thing into a life of servitude, forced to carry out her slaver's orders against her will."
"Enslaving a child through force? The very notion of that makes my stomach churn and my blood boil." Sylvanus couldn't agree more.
"I express gratitude to the heavens every day that I was able to free Walky from her life as Kurroknelle's suffering servant and set her on a new path, one in which she is free to make her own decisions and be who she wishes to be." Sylvanus sighed softly, rubbing Neige's ear. "That girl is very important to me; she wants me to be happy, and I want her to be happy as well; that is what makes our relationship strong and keeps our business thriving."
"Hold onto your bond as long as you can," Jessie advised. "If you let it slip through your fingers, you'll regret it for as long as you live."
Sylvanus smiled. "I will your words in mind, thank you."
"Offering guidance is one of my areas of expertise." Jessie smiled back. "By the way, I don't think you mentioned how you saved Walky."
"I had to engage in battle against Kurroknelle, though it was easier said than done, and I had to make extensive preparations beforehand." Sylvanus couldn't help but chuckle, especially regarding that last part. "Kurroknelle concealed herself from the public by adopting a human disguise, taking the name Nelle, and operating a small antique shop, which, interestingly enough, was not well-designed and did not have that many goods, but I am getting ahead of myself."
"Wait a second, why was she running an antique shop?" Jessie had an eyebrow raised in confusion. "I mean, what purpose does it serve?"
"My best hypothesis is that she used it to beguile and murder unfortunate victims." Sylvanus shrugged her shoulders. "Kurroknelle was a bizarre woman when I encountered her; she was always quick to anger, used inappropriate language, and attacked with little planning, which was how I was able to get the better of her. There was a massive power difference between us, so I had to use my intelligence, skill, and various elixirs to succeed. It was a struggle, and I even received a few injuries, but I ultimately prevailed."
"Quite the feat, I must say," Jessie said. "You must feel proud."
"If you liberated a child from a life of abuse and slavery, would you not feel proud as well?" Sylvanus inquired. "I know I would."
"I suppose you make a good point," Jessie admitted. "When did you find Walky anyway?"
"She was employed at Kurroknelle's antique shop, and it was no surprise that she detested every second of it," Sylvanus answered. "I knew something was amiss between her and Kurroknelle because of the manner in which Kurroknelle treated her and the manner in which Walky responded; I could see fear in her eyes, and I did not like it. To dig deeper, I had to get closer to them and assume the role of the ignorant fool. From there, I gathered everything I needed to know and realized I had to act; fortunately, Walky refrained from keeping me in the dark; heck, I believe she WANTED me to help her, and it was understandable as to why."
"And from there, you fought Kurroknelle and saved her?" Jessie asked
"Correct." Sylvanus nodded, comical sparkles circling her cranium but only visible to her.
"You're a good person, Sylv," complimented Jessie. "Not many people would leap through hurdles to save someone they don't know."
"Your praises are well appreciated." Sylvanus smiled.
Walky returned with a big box containing an assortment of potions and placed it on the checkout counter. "Here you go, Ms. Sylv," she said.
"Thank you, Walky." Sylvanus rubbed Walky's head, earning a smile from the bespectacled woman.
"You're welcome, ma'am." Walky bowed respectfully. "Is there anything else you need me to do?"
"No, not at the moment, but thank you for asking," Sylvanus replied before turning to Jessie. "Feel free to peruse the shop and pick something that captures your attention, ma'am." Sylvanus gestured the entirety of her store, which housed potions, weaponry, and even spell books. "We recently restocked and acquired brand new merchandise, so consider yourself a lucky woman. The early bird gets the worm as they often say."
Jessie wasn't sure how to feel; there was such a vast selection of products for her to choose from that it threw her mind into a frenzy, and she secretly hoped that she would have enough money to purchase whatever she desired in the future. Jessie spotted a wall of swords out of the corner of her eye and moved towards it like a moth to a flame. Jessie, as would one expect, saw nothing but swords, such as longswords, broadswords, greatswords, claymores, rapiers, zweihandlers, and many, many more; there was a whole damn assortment of blades.
"Outstanding..." Jessie had a look of amazement etched across her face. "Sylvanus has it all. I mean, where did she even get these from?"
"A fan of swords, I take it?" Sylvanus asked from across the store.
"I'm a lady who admires and appreciates fine weaponry when she sees them," Jessie replied, her eyes still glued to the wall of weapons. Truthfully, the Devil Hunter didn't even need a blade, but it was always a good idea to have replacements on standby in case something happened to the original and her firearms were inaccessible. Jessie turned to Sylvanus, who was wiping down the checkout counter. "Not to come off as rude, but is this all you have, or do you have anything else?"
"We have additional weaponry, but they won't arrive until next week at the earliest," Walky answered. "The only thing we have is a sword, but..."
"But...?" Jessie raised an eyebrow.
"It's...it's not like the others..." Walky replied nervously, rubbing her arm.
"With the implication being what exactly?" Jessie asked. "You're acting strange again, Walky. You obviously know something that I don't."
"I don't know the best way to phrase it without sounding insane." Walky was fiddling with her fingers before turning to her boss. "Should I?"
Sylvanus shrugged her shoulders. "If you so desire, then have at it," she answered. "I see no reason to conceal it from the general public."
"Okay, I'll go get it then..." Walky said. "Please don't get mad at me when you see it."
Before Jessie could respond, Walky scurried to another door and opened it, revealing a staircase leading to the basement. Walky entered the basement and, after a few seconds of searching and rummaging, came right back upstairs with a corroded sword inside a scabbard.
Jessie picked up the sword and stared at it. The air was filled with silence as she continued to analyze it before voicing her opinions. "This? This is the sword you were so worried about?" Jessie had seen some fairly terrible weapons in the past, but the one she was currently holding took the cake and ate the damn thing for dessert. The only thing the sword was useful for is infecting people with bacteria, but since magic existed, the infection wouldn't last long.
"This was the only other thing we had." Walky was blushing with embarrassment.
"Where did you guys even find this thing?" Jessie held the rusted sword up. "Better question, why haven't you guys de-rusted the thing, yet? If you want my honest opinion, the design is good and all, but it needs a makeover and a good one; lack of maintenance will cause it to break in half, and I've had experience with that type of thing."
"Excuse me! I don't appreciate being badmouthed, you know!"
"And here we go..." Sylvanus groaned, her hand held over her face.
Jessie's eyes slowly traveled down to the source of the furious voice...and it belonged to the rusty sword that was in her hand. Jessie was momentarily surprised and mildly amused by the talking sword, whereas Sylvanus and Walky were noticeably indifferent to it, having seen it speak before. "My name is Derflinger! Sasha forged me into existence, and with her skills, I became the Legendary Sword!" If the sword had a face, he would undoubtedly be beaming with great pride. "I won't tolerate being disrespected!"
A sword capable of human speech? Fascinating. Jessie couldn't lie and claim she had never seen one of those before, but she could claim they were rare to come across. Agni and Rudra were the only weapons she had ever witnessed speaking; the red and blue blades were as kind as could be, but they were quite talkative to the point where it could get irritating, so it was understandable why Dante always wanted them to be silent any time he took them out on a job.
Back to the sword named Derflinger, Jessie studied it again before placing it on the counter. "Let's assume I do decide to take you up, my oxidized friend; what do I gain from using you besides victory?" Jessie had to ensure that the sword would be beneficial. Ineffective weaponry wouldn't be of much assistance in combat, and grade-A weapons were well-needed if she wanted to get the job done and with no issue; call her finicky if you want, but being a Devil Hunter and slaying demons was not something that anyone could do effortlessly, despite the fact that people like Dante and Nero made it appear easier than it actually was.
Derflinger laughed heartily. "There are many things that I can do! The question you should be asking is what can't I do?" boasted the sword. "I can assimilate all forms of magic and use it to enhance my wielder's strength, employ teleportation to get you out of a bind, provide insight on certain subjects, and tell witty jokes."
Right then and there, several voices in Jessie's head urged her to purchase Derflinger, and she decided to act upon that. "Okay, Derflinger, you've persuaded me. Congratulations; as of today, you are my sword, or at least my second one." Derflinger rejoiced, and although he heavily disliked playing second fiddle to another sword, which he regarded as inferior, he was at least pleased to be picked up and used in battle. Jessie turned to Sylvanus and withdrew from her hoodie a red pouch filled to the brim with coins and gold. "How much do I owe you, Sylv? Hopefully, I have enough."
"Derflinger will cost you one hundred gold," Sylvanus replied, raising a finger. Derflinger scoffed, figuring he would be worth a lot more.
Jessie wordlessly reached into her pouch, retrieving a handful of gold, and dropped them on the checkout counter. "I believe that should do it." Jessie grabbed Deflinger and slung him over her shoulders. The talking sword required major restoration, but that would have to wait for another day. "Say, if you don't mind me asking, Sylv, why was Derflinger in the basement instead of upstairs with all of the other swords, especially when considering the fact that he is unquestionably more powerful than they are?"
"No person desires a corroded sword, and if Derflinger lacked human discourse or powers, I can guarantee that you would not have purchased him when you did." Jessie couldn't argue with that, even if she wanted to. "Furthermore, he is terribly talkative, sometimes scaring our consumers away; he rambled without pausing for even a moment. I was unable to handle him, so he was sent to the basement."
"Thank you for that by the way..." Derflinger chimed bitterly. "Next time, I'll think twice before trying to liven up the place."
"I actually enjoyed our conversations," Wallky admitted. "Between myself and Ms. Sylv, I'm going to miss you the most, Derflinger."
"You're too kind, my dear," said Derflinger. "I can safely say that I, too, will miss you; Sylv? Not so much." Slyvanus glared at Derflinger. "I kid...mostly."
Sylvanus heaved a long sigh. "And this is a perfect example as to why I refrain from making bets with friends..." she said to herself before continuing, speaking aloud. "Ma'am, do you need anything else from this store, or do you have everything you require?" You still have enough time on your hands."
Jessie shook her head. "No, I think..."Jessie stopped mid-sentence as she spotted a receptacle containing nothing but magical staff. "On second thought, let me backtrack." Jessie reached for the container holding the staff and retrieved a mahogany-made, long staff that had a clawed hand at the end, which was holding a ruby-colored crystal ball. "Hmmm...yeah, I think Louise would like this a lot. After all, if the girl with blue hair and glasses can have a nice wand, there should be no reason as to why Louise can't have one either."
"I assume you wish to buy that, correct?" Jessie nodded. "Go ahead and take it. Since I am in an upbeat mood, I will give it to you without charge."
Jessie beamed in delight. "Without charge? You're the best, Sylv; thank you for your kindness," she bowed.
"There is nothing wrong with being a good samaritan," Sylvanus said with her arms folded.
"Agreed. You guys take care." Jessie saluted Sylvanus and Walky and was about to depart when Walky stopped her. "What is it, Walky?"
"I can't say the same for Ms. Sylv, but I genuinely enjoyed your company," said Walky. "You will come back, right? I mean, you don't necessarily have to, but it would be nice to have you around."
"You're company would be very much appreciated," Sylvanus added.
Walky smiled and patted Walky's head. "If I have the time, I'll gladly stop by," she said. "Until then, keep your chin up and keep doing what you're doing."
"You got it, ma'am!" Walky said happily.
"Until we meet again." Jessie turned around and left the shop, feeling good about herself.
"So..." Derflinger began. "What do we do now, partner? Partake in battles? Please say yes."
"Another time." Derflinger groaned. "There's someone we need to find."
"There you are."
Jessie turned her body around and saw Louise with a number of shopping bags in her hands; most of the bags contained clothes, while the rest had produce and school supplies. "I've been searching for you everywhere, you know," the latter complained. "Seriously, for a second, I thought you left me behind on that noise maker of yours and went back to the academy." Jessie apologized, but Louise simply waved it aside, feeling no need to make it a big deal. "It doesn't matter; I'm just glad I found you because I'm ready to head back to the academy."
"Good, because I am, too." Jessie pointed to her purchased items. "I have everything I need, so I'm ready to go."
Louise noticed Derflinger. "You purchased another sword, and a rusty one, no less?" Louise was honestly confused. "What happened to the previous one you had, Sotiras or whatever you called it? Don't tell me it's broken."
"No, not at all; I tend to Sotiras every chance I get," Jessie said. "The reason I bought Derflinger is because..."
"He's a magical sword!" Derflinger puffed with pride, completing Jessie's sentence for her. "I'm Derflinger, the Legendary Sword!"
"Holy Brimir, that thing can talk! It can flipping talk!" Louise exclaimed in complete and utter shock, taking a few steps back. "Where did you...where did you even get that? Weapons aren't supposed to talk, they aren't even supposed to be sentient for Brimir's sake. What kind of store did you visit where they have LIVING SWORDS?"
Jessie pointed to Sylvanus' store next to her. "There," she said casually. "The merchandise is plentiful and the people are friendly."
Louise had no idea how to respond. "I...you...the sword..." Unable to formulate words, Louise heaved a deep sigh and gave up as she attempted to make sense of things that didn't make any sense; the only thing it was doing was hurting her head. "Let's just go home; I've had enough of Sunfall today."
Jessie shrugged her shoulders in response. "I feel the same way," she agreed. "By the way, I got this for you."
Jessie presented Louise with her new staff, which she took from the former's hands before examining it. "You...you bought this for me?"
"Of course." Jessie smiled. "I figured you would like it; having a nice magic wand, or staff in your case, is the first step to becoming a great sorcerer."
Louise was silent before turning to Jessie with a warm expression on her face. "I love it," she said. "Thank you for this, Jessabelle."
"Anytime." Jessie smiled back. "Let's head back; we shouldn't be too far away from the exit."
It was nine o'clock at night and Jessie was in Vestri Court by herself. The Devil Hunter stood before multiple golems summoned by Guiche, whom the former had requested to make them while wielding Derflinger in their hands, the talking sword eager to see some action after being quiescent for roughly one hundred years.
"Are you ready for this, partner?" asked Derflinger.
"You have to ask?" Jessie tightened her grip on Derflinger.
Derflinger chuckled. "Show me what you got..." he said.
A fiery green aura danced around Jessie's body, enveloping her strong frame from head to toe, and a greenish-yellow glow formed around the outlines of her pupils and irises. Jessie scowled at Guiche's golem, one of which even shattered without being touched, and rushed forward with incredible speed, leaving behind unearthly green afterimages of herself that gradually faded away into nothingness. Guiche's bronze golems could barely react as Jessie started dismembering them into pieces with relative ease, sending parts flying everywhere.
Needlessly to say, Derflinger was impressed. "Not bad, not bad at all, partner," he complimented. "You seem to know a thing or two about combat."
"I've been doing this since I was young; this is nothing new to me." Jessie casually sliced two golems in two. "See?"
There weren't as many bronze golems as there were when Jessie first faced them, but there were enough for her to not run out immediately. Jessie was hacking and slashing the golems, with none of them able to land one hit due to their inability to compete with the demon slayer's speed. Jessie clutched Derflinger and cleaved the air several times, unleashing sharp gusts of wind that sliced through the golems like a heated knife through butter.
"Keep it going, partner!" Derflinger laughed, his excitement getting the better of him. "We got one last batch, make it count!"
Jessie leaped several feet back, distancing herself from Guiche's bronze golems. With closed eyes, the woman with black hair enveloped themselves in her aura, and upon opening her eyes, she proceeded to advance with increased speed, moving much faster compared to how she was before. Multiple afterimages of Jessie were dispersed all throughout the compact battle, resulting in confusion among the golems in distinguishing the woman's true self, but it didn't matter in the end, as they were cut down one by one before they could even realize what was happening.
All of Guiche's golems were laid to rest...again, and Jessie was the reigning champion.
"Now that's how you get it done," said Derflinger.
[END]
Good morning/evening/afternoon/etc, dear readers. TheUnholyGem3034 reporting and here to thank you all for reading the chapter of this story, and notice how it came out sooner than usual; see, I'm learning, but that's beside the point. In all honesty, I'd say this isn't one of my best chapters, and I felt I could have done more with the dialogue, particularly in the later half; perhaps I'll go back and rewrite it, but for now, it's whatever. I don't have much more to say besides the fact that you should read my Dragon Ball Z story, Dragon Ball: Chikyujin, so I'll just end it here. With that being said, I would like to thank you all again for reading the new chapter and I do hope you all enjoy the next one when it arrives. Do make sure to review and share with friends and family. No flames, please, let us keep things clean and civilized. With that have a great day/night and please be safe out there -TheUnholyGem3034
[Extras, because why not?]
(1). If you're wondering what Jessie might sound like if she were to ever be dubbed, she sounds like Android 18 from Dragon Ball Z, but the ocean dubbed version, voiced by Enuka Okuma. For the other characters, barring the ones that already have voices, Sylvanus would be voiced by Grey DeLisle, and Walky would be voiced by Hylden Walch.
(2). In the initial draft for this chapter, Jessie was supposed to be the one to fight Kurroknelle and save Walky, but I decided against it and delegated that to Sylvanus, who was going to play a smaller role, because I didn't like how I wrote the fight scene and was suffering from writer's block, so I removed it and replaced it with something more relaxed and less battle-oriented.
(3). On the subject of Walky, she is actually Vivianne from the original chapter of this remake, but I changed her character so that her origin story is different, she's much older, and with a maternal figure such as Sylvanus, she is a much happier and more positive person than her original self.
(4). Walkyrie, Walky's full name, is French for Valkyrie.
(5) The name Viridis Sylvanus derives from Viridis, which means green in Latin, and Sylvanus, which derives from Silvanus, the Roman deity of forests, fields, and so on.
(6). Kurroknelle is a pun on the French word Coronelle Lisse, which means 'smooth snake'.
(7) Random fact #1-5: Jessie killed a genie at some point in her life, but it was evil, so she gets a pass.
- Jessie is a fan of movies, especially films involving action and romance.
- Before her Dodge, Jessie had another car, which was accidentally wrecked by Dante (don't ask how).
- Jessie has a Corduroy bear plush someplace in her apartment.
- Jessie's birthday is on June 30th.