Disclaimer: I Do Not Anything, Capcom and Ninja Theory Does

Chapter 4: Chasing Ghosts

Against her better judgment Kat had decided to trust Martin, out of desperation or because she had faith in him she honestly didn't know. It honestly didn't matter since given the current situation she'd probably be dead in the next few hours anyway.

The military, the police, pissed off citizens that managed to avoid getting slaughtered, anyone willing to fight were now engaging the demons in what was once Limbo City. The streets which had been wrecked before were now covered in blood, burning wreckage, and brutalized corpses of humans and demons. Constant gunfire and explosions shook her ears sending waves of panic up and down her spine. Every now and then she'd hear someone's dying scream or an anger filled battle cry moments before she psychically felt a soul leave the world of the living behind. It didn't matter if it was some blood-crazed demon or desperate human fighting for their life, it was still terrifying all the same.

"I can tell you they're still alive," Martin said pulling Kat out of her thoughts while they hid behind an overturned eighteen-wheeler for cover. His eyes had been glowing that seem unnatural golden color that unnerved Kat to no end while peering downward at the ground.

'He can see into other worlds,' Kat first thought after watching him the first time. Vergil had told her of demons, angels, beings like herself with the ability to peer into other worlds, she just never expected to meet someone like that at practically the end of life as humanity had previously known it. "What are you seeing?"

Martin shook his head peering harder into the ground then faced her again with a somewhat pained expression. "Dante and Vergil are alright but something is following them, something dark and extremely evil in nature, they're staying one step ahead of it but I don't know for how long."

BOOM!

Kat was pretty sure that was another air-strike on some stadium-sized demon that hit, she could feel the impact even though she couldn't see the explosion. Peering through a hole in the truck she saw a squadron of soldiers firing round after round at an oncoming wave of demons, some of them fell to the ground dead while others pressed forward swinging their blades and sending more humans to an early grave.

Beside her Martin gazed at the gray-colored sky currently filled with scenes of combat between man and demon. "Ya' think we should get inside a building or stay out in the open? I'd prefer a building but it seems like everything won't stop collapsing, you?" His voice wasn't trembling, no fear, just simple and straight forward.

In the half-hour they'd gotten to know each other Kat had come to appreciate her new "friend's" nearly inhuman resistance against the sounds of death, combat, and all the other pretty little sounds that came with mass chaos. When a Stygian was blown apart splattering blood all over him, all the German-American did was wipe the blood out of his eyes and continue leading Kat.

"Well?" He asked clearly wanting an answer to his question. It always seemed strange how whenever he looked at Kat either with his human eyes or demon eyes Kat always felt a little bit safer, safer that there was someone with her throughout all the maddens unfolding around her.

CRASH! BOOM!

"We should get under cover," She finally answered hearing a man scream as he was probably ripped to pieces by a Ravager's chainsaw. "At least then we might be safe from all the demons not occupied with killing everyone."

He nodded then turned his head back to the ground looking into whatever dimension the twin Nephilim were in. Wherever they were it was dark, dark, hot, and practically crawling with demons and…something; something cold and hollow.

'I don't like this, whatever those things are, they're not giving up.' In his mind he could see Dante and Vergil running and two white/black blimps following them. Every time he tried to focus on those blimps he got a massive headache that nearly sent him to the ground in pain. He couldn't do that, not with Kat right next to him and looking at him for some shared strength. 'I gotta find some way to contact them but how?'

Moving under the collapsed remains of an office building gave Martin an idea though not one he was willing to try, especially with countless demons currently roaming between worlds.

"Um Martin what are you doing?" Kat asked watching him draw glowing shapes into a stone column that was still standing.

"Creating a telephone," He plainly replied baffling Kat even more.

'He's either holding it together real well or I just agreed to follow a lunatic.' Martin continued drawing symbols seemingly oblivious to the outside world, even the constant tremors weren't enough to stop him. Kat chose to creep up to a window to watch the carnage unfold on the streets. It was more of the same; war and bloodshed.

Neither side looked to be winning, humans were on the run but most had decided to take up a weapon and fight back rather than get slaughtered like pigs while demons simply came in mass with no formation or plan visible. In the skies demons were clearly gaining control as evident by the constant raining of jet planes and bodies. Weighing all the strengths and weaknesses of demons Kat had to wonder just how long it would be before the city fell completely into ruin. City? What about the country? The world?

CRASH! BOOM!

The next tremor was enough to shake the whole area sending Kat and Martin to the floor along with dozens of office equipment. Outside the tremor was still shaking things up, even destroying more buildings and even causing fissures to open up in the ground.

"I don't think that's a bomb going off or some demon setting off an earthquake!" Martin shouted crawling under a table for cover. These was now fear in his golden eyes, a fear he'd been fighting so hard to suppress but now it was all rushing out as evident by his trembling fingers.

"If it's not demon or human then what else could there be!?" Deep down Kat had a thought on what the answer was but she really didn't want to think about it. Through the broken glass Kat was able to catch a glimpse of light shot through the clouds followed by more.

An almost divine wave of shock and awe ran through Kat as she stared at the lights which grew brighter and brighter until it looked like the whole sky was burning. Clouds parted, fierce winds blew over the city kicking dust, cars, and demons into the ever widening sky. All the fighting on the ground had stopped though the fighting in the air continued but now all the demons were visible shaken just as Martin was. From the somewhere higher than the clouds a power trumpet blared shattering whatever glass was still intact everywhere for probably hundreds of miles. Kat ducked just in time to avoid multiple shards from impaling her but that didn't stop her ears from hurting someone do to the loud blare.

Almost as if she were in a trace she stood up to stare at the hole that had now opened up in the sky. It was blinding yet Kat was able to see perfectly what was happening. Vergil had told her they existed but their appearances on Earth had become so scarce since Mundus subjugated humanity.

"No way," Kat meekly said watching them pour out in mass. Everywhere demons turned their attention to them completely forgetting the humans who simply stared in awe at the sight. "There's no fucking way…"

The nearest Dante and Vergil could tell about their resting stop was that it must have been a pharmacy due to the faded health signs and rows of useless medical pills or health boosters. They weren't really looking for any place in particular, just a place where they could sit and just recover from their unwanted discovery. Dante hadn't said a word when they walked in and just leaned on a rack a good few feet from his twin who had leaned against the counter.

Vergil still felt the pain in his chest but it had dulled especially after seeing all the horrors Dante had been put through when he wasn't even ten years old. Every time he looked over at him he still saw those horrid images flash through his head and Dante's tortured screaming fill his ears.

'It's no wonder he never wants to talk to anyone about his past and that was just one of the many he was sent to as a child.' As much as Vergil hated doing it his advanced mind was already able to put the pieces together; if nearly every child care physicality he was sent to was like St. Lamia's then Vergil gave a silent thank you that his brother hadn't gone completely insane from all the torture. Still it raised the question of just had did he do it all?

Watching him Vergil realized he wasn't going to get an answer unless he asked the question no matter how painful it was. Groaning he asked in a low voice he knew Dante could hear. "Dante…"

"Don't alright!" The older boy snapped without facing Vergil. His outburst was filled with anger but he could sense he was trying to keep a handle on how much anger he released. "I don't need the 'I never knew' or 'I'm sorry' bullshit because I've gotten real sick of hearing it so don't even go there!"

After a moment of silence Vergil made sure to ask his next question carefully for fear of igniting his brother's already boiling temper. "Just…how? How did you make it through it all?" The honesty in his voice was enough to make Dante face him from across the store.

Dante's eyes had hardened in accordance with his fists clenching and unclenching themselves. The pain of those memories was still these as was the anger. When their eyes met both emotions seemed to vanish but it was only for a second.

"I just don't think about it okay?" He sat back against the counter staring at a hole in the roof revealing the flame-colored sky above. The pain and anger etched in his voice were fully present along with a hint of sadness Vergil knew he'd never shown in public. "Almost every night…they tortured me, beat me, raped me but nobody saw it or heard it. When I told other kids they just wrote me off as wanting more attention than I was already getting. As for any human adult I tried to tell," He cracked a sad smile this one. "They just said I had an 'overactive imagination'."

"No one heard you." Vergil stated sitting down next to him.

Growling Dante slammed his hand into the floor creating a series of cracks. "I kicked and screamed but no one heard me so after a while I started to think they were right; maybe I was crazy. It stopped whenever some demon prick would beat the living shit out of me for fun that reminded me if it all was just a dream or delusion then I would have been ripping him apart and every last one of those fuckers apart." A sadistic grin spread over his face at the thought of murdering all of his tormentors only to be replaced but a bemused expression. "I wasn't able to do jack-shit against them, not a damn thing. When I got out of that place I just buried it all deep down because I knew if I ever did think about it I'd end-up losing my sanity. After everything the demons had put me through I wasn't going to give them that win."

"Do you still think about it though?"

After a prolonged silence Dante gave his reply in a cold voice that didn't match someone of his easy-going party nature. "Every fucking time I see a demon's ugly-ass face."

Vergil would have liked to press further for more information but he could see this wasn't the time or place to press the issue and besides; he owed Dante that much for never being there. "I won't tell Kat until you tell her yourself, I promise." He spoke in a solemn tone.

"…Thanks." He got up from his position to walk toward the broken window.

"Things like that are among the many places we'll have to take care of once we back to Earth." The white-haired twin said standing up himself.

Wincing Dante turned to face his twin with an expression that was a cross between disbelief and annoyance. "I'm just going to act like you didn't imply what I think you just did." Narrowing his eyes Dante could see a familiar glim return to Vergil's eyes. "If you did then your brain's still fucked-up."

"Dante, do we really have to argue about this again?" Vergil snapped suddenly growing angry with his older brother.

Cut him down now while you have the chance! Hollow Vergil's voice roared in the back of Vergil's head only to be silenced with a swift mental block.

Seeing the steely resolve in Vergil's eyes Dante knew he would have to try a different approach when it came to addressing his 'plans'. "Say we try it your way, what'll happen when we go too far? What happens when a new Order shows up and tries to kill us?"

Vergil's answer was simple and obvious, "We destroy them." The look in his eyes was terrifying; near emotionless and completely devoid of regret, his tone was as simple as he if he was stating the weather.

"Destroy them? Like Mundus did to dad when he and mom got together? Yeah Vergil, ruling over humanity, great way to-"

Vergil cut him off by grabbing Dante by his shirt and lifting him slightly off the ground. "Do you really think I'd follow Mundus's path?" He growled visibly offended. "Dante I'd rather burn in hell than become like him!"

"Oh really? From where I'm standing you look like you'll have become worse than he was by day four!"

Dante had taken many painful punches over the years but he had to admit his younger brother's seriously hurt it was enough to send him slamming into the back wall of the store knocking over everything in his way. Grunting he spit some blood out already feeling the pain dull, his superhuman fists he could take, his brother becoming a power-hungry tyrant, that not so much.

"I will NEVER become Mundus." His voice carried multiple tones of carefully controlled anger and a growing echo as he advanced toward Dante.

Not one to back down Dante fired back with his own words, "You said we were fighting Mundus to free humanity! Was it all just bullshit you feed us?"

"Humanity needed to be freed of demon control but they can't be allowed to roam wild like animals." Vergil's eyes glowed a faint red color when he stopped before Dante. "We both know what humanity is capable of and that's why they must be controlled. We need power to control them or else all we'll get is pure chaos."

The next words that Dante said completely caught Vergil off-guard, "Ya know a funny thing about power Vergil, it corrupts way to damn easily. 'Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive' and that's exactly where you're heading."

For a total of three minutes Vergil looked at him with a mix of shocked-awe and a tingle of respect in his eyes. "C.S. Lewis…"

"Come-on," He chuckled throwing his hands out. "Give your big brother some credit, I may have been a street rat but that doesn't mean I didn't read or research a little every now and then."

BOOM!

The front of the store shattered into pieces as a Tyrant literally bursts through the door and continued its path toward the two startled sons of Sparda. Both teleported out of the way just in time to avoid the collapsing of the building and the spears of more harpies flying overhead. Quickly more demons poured in sandwiching them between the horde and a drop off into the flaming abyss below.

"Mind if we put our chit-chat on hold?" Dante asked wiping out Ebony and Ivory and going to work on the demons.

Vergil glanced between the demons and the ledge searching for a way out that didn't involve expending more energy. In the distance he eyed a blue glow on a floating platform that housed another market street portion of Limbo city. Without warning he grabbed Dante and teleported directly to the show of light then again until they reached solid ground above a rooftop.

"Warn me next time you're going to do that!" Dante shouted still a little offset by the rapid-fire teleportation. His outburst seemed to have amused Vergil as evident by his slight smirk.

WHOOSH! CLING!

The spear bounced off Yamato, returning directly to the Harpy that had thrown it through the stomach. More Harpies fired spears and swords but in one quick flash of silver they were returned directly to their masters.

Dante didn't wait for any more attacks choosing to pull himself toward the flying demons with the Ophion Whip. What followed was an aerial massacre via Osiris and the Aquila, either wings being clipped or demonic flesh being torn apart by angelic blades. A series of roars turned their attention to the Dreamrunners and Stygian that ad assembled on the streets. Switching to the Eryx Dante smashed into the street scattering them before going to work bashing skulls one after another.

Above Vergil flung Aerial Raves watching his brother smash through the demons like a bulldozer. 'He always was one to rage against the tide, always the one to charge in on his gut more than anything.' Vergil wouldn't say it but of that he was envious of Dante, he followed his guts whereas Vergil thought then acted, it was a stark contrast. Jumping down he joined Dante moving in and out of the demons' grasps with Yamato. A simple stroke, another demon hit the ground dead.

When the Dreamrunners came at him instead of Dante he had to admit his brother was right when he said they were tough. They either deflected all of his attacks or just jumped through a portal to dodge them. Repeatedly they hammered their blades against Yamato but never tasted its supernatural steel. Vergil spun 360 degrees attempting to intercept one of them but the Dreamrunners were smart, with a swift show of speed one slammed its fist directly into Vergil's chest; where his heart used to be.

The pain brought Vergil to the ground gasping for air, his fingers dung into the ground, his entire being cried in pain at the cheap shot.

"Bastards…" He grumbled catching the blade of one Dreamrunner. He whacked it with Yamato (still in its sheath) hard enough to break the arm off, sprung forward with a knee kick to the one that immobilized him, froze it solid, and lastly Rapid Slashed his way straight through the crowd. They came at him again in wave-formation causing Vergil to prepare a Judgment Cut. At the last second they each vanished into a portal just as Vergil began drawing his sword. "Idiots," He smirked. "You jumped the gun too early!" Instead of a Judgment Cut what came out was a Slash Dimension that literally blasted the masked demons out of into the open in multiple pieces.

CRASH!

Looking over the street Vergil could see Dante lifting a Tyrant off its feet with an uppercut then bringing it down with an axe drop from the Arbiter. Running the blade along the ground he cleaved through three demons in a row followed by another four with a Trinity Smash but neglected the 5 Pathos hovering above him. Dante was much too engulfed in his fighting to notice them so Vergil shot them out of the air with his Summoned Swords.

"Didn't need the help!" Dante shouted bringing Arbiter down again on a demon's head.

"Could have fooled me!" Vergil slashed four apart four Stygians in rapid order. He was having fun, fighting alongside his brother in the heat of battle for their lives, it made him forget that only a little while ago they were trying to kill each other.

That feeling vanished once he heard Kat screaming and the familiar roar of the Imprisoner. Breaking off from the fight he ran down the street toward her voice, desperate to save her though he didn't exactly know why. In the distance he could hear Dante calling for him to stop but deep down Vergil knew he couldn't stop, something was compelling him forward.

Still fighting Dante ran after him, fending off sword blows and fire bombs from both sides until he felt something powerful slam into him. All he was able to see was a black and mostly white blur before his entire left side shuddered in pain as he was knocked through maybe three or two buildings at once.

Picking himself up from the dust Dante cursed at the figure walking toward him. "Pal you're seriously asking for one hell of an…an…" The words died in his mouth at the sight of his attacker. "W-What the hell?"

He was about the same age Dante was with a sizable overcoat, undershirt, stark-white hair, and black, eyes that sipped with hatred for the oldest born Nephilim. "We've been waiting for you Dante, you're finally where you belong; down here in hell with the rest of us!" He aimed a Python 357 Magnum directly at Dante's head, it too was a chalk-white color with black and white smoke seemingly coming off it.

"G-Grue?" Dante managed to choke out too shocked to say anything else. Memories from years ago rain through his mind in rapid succession; the meeting at the orphanage, Grue's unnatural ability to sense the supernatural, their friendship, and lastly the night he died. "You're dead." He deadpanned glaring at the chalk-colored phantom.

"If I'm dead then how come I'm able to kick your sorry ass so easily wise-guy?" Hollow Grue smirked pulling out a combat knife and swinging it with lightning speed at Dante's neck.

Acting on combat instinct he rolled out of the way before pouncing back at him with the Aquila spinning in each hand. He brought them up in an X-shape slash that cut deeply into the Hollow's chest but otherwise gave no lasting damage. Hollow Grue unloaded six shots from his magnum creating six huge holes in the ground where Dante used to be. Above he saw him coming down with the Arbiter gleaming in the light, Hollow Grue stand-stepped just enough to avoid the axe's blade and impact but stayed close enough to drive his knife directly into Dante's shoulder. Blood dripped from the wound on his shoulder forcing Dante to switch back to Rebellion so he could use both hands. Grabbing Hollow Grue's arm with one hand he roared and brought Rebellion down onto his ribs cleaving a good chunk of pure-white flesh off the phantom that proceed to flee with a barrage of bullets covering him. They continued this dance of blades and bullets all the way down the ruined street, into a collapsing bell tower and back out into a courtyard overlooking a church.

"It's all your fault ya' know!" Hollow Grue wailed swinging his knife wildly. "If it weren't for you I'd still be alive, I'd be living like I always wanted to!" He rammed the knife into Dante's arm and aimed his Python Magnum at Dante's head. "But of course you had to ruin all of that, just like how you ruin everything you touch.

Ignoring the pain in his arm Dante kicked the phantom six feet way and fired three darts from the Kablooey into his shoulder. The combined explosion blew the Hollow back to a wall stunned and dazed. Coating demonic energy around Rebellion Dante dashed at him with the tip aimed directly at Hollow Grue's center chest.

CLING!

Red metal clashed against whitish-blue metal as Rebellion met not the white flesh of the Hollow but the phantasmal Yamato of Hollow Vergil. At first Dante was surprised at the sight but to his seasoned eyes he could see all the evil and malice lurking behind those black eyes. Now Dante found himself facing both Hollow Vergil and Hollow Grue in the courtyard.

"So boys, who's up first?" He taunted swinging Rebellion onto his shoulder.

Clashing swords with both Dante dual wielded Rebellion in one hand and Ivory in the other. On his left Hollow Grue pressed his knife against Ivory's shiny silver metal but as testament to the gun's supernatural origins it didn't break or even scratch. To his right Hollow Vergil repeatedly struck against Rebellion but Dante masterfully flicked the blade up and down blocking each slash until he swung Ivory away and released a load of bullets into Hollow Vergil's chest.

Roaring in anger he fired a Judgment Cut that Dante nearly avoided only to find the barrel of Hollow Grue's magnum staring him down. There was no time to swing Rebellion or fire Ivory so Dante took a shot and in his mind pushed. Immediately Hollow Grue flew back directly into the wall with even more force than before. Turning to Hollow Vergil he shot another blast but the phantom deflected it forcing Dante to bring up Rebellion and Ivory to block.

"How could you betray me after everything I did for you? You ungrateful bastard!" The phantom shouted in a voice that sounded way too much like the real Vergil for Dante's liking. He'd been fooled into thinking it really was his brother if Dante didn't see the near aura of absolute darkness surrounding the phantom, honestly to his seasoned eyes it was just about as bright as day.

"Will you please shut the fuck up!" He switched to the Osiris, twirling it around, slashing both Hollow Vergil and Hollow Grue as they drew close. "I don't know what the hell you assholes are both here's a news flash for ya': leave my brother the fuck alone!" Osiris enlarged to the point its blade was nearly five feet in length, catching both Hollows in its curve. Lifting them into the air sent trails of blackish-colored blood streaming from both their bodies followed by a full-out downpour when they were hit with the multiple blades of the Aquila.

Hollow Vergil disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke leaving Hollow Grue to face the black-haired youth alone in the courtyard. Staring him down the magnum in his right hand morphed encompassing his whole arm until there was a somewhat high-tech yet demonic looking cannon taking up his arm all the way to the elbow. In his left hand the combat knife grew into a five-foot curved blade with a feint aura of white energy around it. With a snarl he charge forward again blasting red-colored energy balls from his cannon arm and swinging his blade like a mad man.

Dante easily deflected the shots with his scythe but when the sword came down he felt the rage behind the blade, more so he could see it in Hollow Grue's ink-black eyes. The Osiris did little good with him so close so Dante switched the Eryx and continued his attack.

"I don't even know why you're trying so hard!" He shouted running his blade along Dante's demonic gauntlets. He fired a scatter shot forced Dante to go on the defensive while he closed in for more attacks with his sword. "We both know what happens to people that hang around you; they end up dead just like me!" White wisps of energy wrapped around the cannon's barrel before a powerful blast exited it blasting Dante across the courtyard. "Just give-up already, you can't save or protect anything!"

Using the Eryx as make-shift shields Dante focused on the phantom, imagining him being pulled closer so he could plant his fist in its mouth. At first it seemed the Hollow tried to resist the pull but soon enough he was standing before Dante completely open for attack.

"Ya' know I don't remember you bitching this much!" Unleashing a supercharged uppercut sent Hollow Grue into the air until Dante used the Hunter Claw to drag him back down and stomp on his head a few times before the Hollow rolled out the way.

The cannon glowed an eerie red and white color accompanied by wisps of smoke and dust wrapping around it like a viper. "You can't fight destiny idiot! All those things they told you in the orphanages, they were right; you have no future." As for your fuckwit of a brother," He paused to chuckle. "Don't worry about him, he's already dead." The blast was four times bigger than any he'd shot before, completely tearing through the pavement and destroying everything in its path.

Crossing both his arms in front of his chest Dante stood defiantly even with the blast mere inches from smashing him. Just before it made contact he mouthed the words, "I always thought that too, and then I learned I could protect someone, something important."

BOOM!

The blast tore through every building beyond the courtyard leaving nothing but smoke and crumbling stone in its wake. Watching the smoke fade Hollow Grue chuckled lightly remembering how idiotic the words coming out of the Nephilim's mouth were. 'Protect something? Please, what could a loser like you ever hope to protect you even tried to murder your own brother?'

WHOOSH!

"You dumbasses don't know me very well do you? If you did then you'd know I never give up, especially when you manage to piss me off!"

From the ashes and dust Grue saw Dante's form emerge from the smoke but what was eye-catching was the aura of pure radiance surrounding him. At first it appeared like blue wisps of energy but suddenly it began to change into a more solid form then back into energy, each time never taking a true form but still radiating simply divine light. All around Dante the air seemed to fizzle and the ground seemed to change from worn and cracked to shining and new. Amidst the light snow-white angelic wing sprouted form Dante's left side back in all its glory.

"N-NO!" Hollow Grue bellowed stumbling backward in fear at the sight. Fear filled its black eyes with every step Dante took towards it. "Y-Y-You can't have that kind of power, not this soon!" All the shots Hollow Grue fired bounced off the aura like basketballs on a court or flat-out dissolved on impact. Smoke began to leave the charred portions of the Hollow's body hit by the radiant light.

Dante's eyes glowed with the same luminous light that surrounded him, when he spoke his voice carried a haunting echo that stroke fear into the heart of the phantom. "Where is my brother?"

Still holding onto whatever pride it had left Hollow Grue screamed as loud as he could, "FUCK YOU!"

WHOOSH!

Like a knife through butter Rebellion cut through the phantom in such blinding speed all that could be seen was the trail of blue energy left in the blade's wake. The empowered slash continued cutting through the courtyard, the walls, the town, and even a platform in the distance, all of it was completely obliterated. The blue aura died down by never fully left Dante who turned to look at the twin halves of the Hollow as it literally disintegrated into nothing but dust then into nothing.

"I may not be able to say I've been good brother but I'll damn well make sure I don't lose the only one I got." Dante whispered with the blue aura fading slowly just as all became quiet again.

He didn't get more than five steps before he heard what sounded like a lion's roar crossed with a demon's war cry.

'This clearly wasn't the smartest move to make,' Vergil mentally deadpanned slashing his way through another squad of demons that blocked his way into the cathedral where Kat had been chased into.

He'd cut through hundreds of demons to get to this point yet something in his gut kept telling him to stop but still he continued onward. He had a thought what that feeling was, it was the feeling he always told himself was unnecessary because he was doing the right thing.

Guilt.

'I did what I had to do.' That's what he always told himself whenever he had to do something amoral (unknown to Dante or even Kat this happened quite a lot) and when he went to sleep he found he had no nightmares, most of the time. 'Why am I only starting to think about this now!?' He growled channeling his anger into each strike. He wanted to blame Dante for all of this, really this was all his fault wasn't it? 'Or is it?'

The roar of a Ravager's chainsaw tore Vergil's attention to his left just in time to dodge the downward blow that would have split him down the middle. A quick Cross Cut ended the demon's life but it did nothing to relieve Vergil of the turmoil within him.

"AH!"

Kat's scream coursed through Vergil's mind like wildfire making him fight even harder. 'I have to get in there now!' He didn't want to think about what that demon could have been doing to her while he was stuck outside needlessly killing demons. Calming his breathe Vergil slammed Yamato deeply into the ground sending a blue-colored shockwave throughout the whole area. All the demons were shot at least ten feet into the air where they made easy prey for Vergil to take down all at once. Angelic energy extended from Yamato turning it into a pseudo-nodachi just long enough for Vergil to kill all of them in a single swipe.

Once through the door Vergil saw the Imprisoner holding a limp Kat in one of its palms before a glass mosaic. Upon seeing Vergil the Imprisoner disappeared into a portal that's somehow opened.

"Kat!" Vergil screamed running toward her praying she was still alright. "Kat, are you alright?"

Like some kind of puppet Kat rose from the ground with a feint aura of shadows surrounding her. "I'm fine but you're dead." Her voice carried the same double echo as his phantom look alike and Hollow Dante's. "It's funny you had to die to understand humanity."

"I rescued you from the demons, remember?" He could still recall that day they'd met, how scared she was and how he'd guided her into the new and dangerous world that lay just beneath the human realm. "I gave you a home…a reason to live." 'And in return you gave me someone I could talk to heart to heart.'

"No, you used me and you betrayed me." She shot back in a matter-of-fact tone that seemed so much unlike her.

"You've got every right to hate me, but it had to be done." He fired back starting to lose a little faith in his argument.

"Really" Kat replied in a mocking tone this time. "You deceived us Vergil. Me, your brother, and all of us that chose to believe in your cause. Dante…now that's a real man." A hint of lust present in her voice. "You're weak, almost pitiful. You'll never be half the man he is."

In that instance Kat grew claws the size of knives and fangs as sharp as razor blades with which she lunged at Vergil.

BOOM!

An aura of shining blue energy flared up around Vergil repealing the claw swipe the transformed Kat had made at his cheek. The aura floated through Vergil along with a feeling he couldn't quite put his finger on, on one hand it felt like drinking a cool glass of water after being thirsty while on the other it felt like having a taking a medical shot on the arm. Regardless Vergil let the feeling wash over him in that one instant. Renewed power rushed through his body erasing any pain or negative thoughts from his being.

"I may not be able to say I've been good brother but I'll damn well make sure I don't lose the only one I got."

'Dante…' Like a refreshing bath Vergil felt his sense open exposing him to the world around him. Instead of his long-time friend Vergil saw what he'd really been following; a black and white demonic being that held nothing but contempt and emptiness that looked like Kat. All the words she'd said earlier which had been getting to Vergil suddenly lost their weight, all anger inside began to die.

"S-Stop doing that! You can't be that powerful, not yet!" Hollow Kat screamed stumbling away from the blue aura.

Raising his hand Vergil glared at the phantom before commanding in a booming voice, "BEGONE!"

In one sweep of his hand the Hollow faded away into nothingness leaving Vergil only in the cathedral standing before the mosaic. Taking a deep breathe Vergil stared at the beautiful designs in the glass finally giving into the guilt.

'I did use her…him…every one last of them.' He thought taking a seat on one of the dusty aisles with Yamato within arm's reach. 'She believed in me and here I was stringing her along the whole time.' Laying his head back Vergil thought back to all the times she'd taken care of him when he was too focused to consider his own well-being.

Even a Nephilim needs to sleep every now and then.

I can get in, plant the virus and get out to no problem.

I knew you were too busy so I decide to go out and buy you something to eat so you'll have some energy.

You need to stop pushing yourself so hard, even you still have your limits.

I was kind of hoping after we've killed Mundus we all could, I don't know, go out for pizza?

"V-V-Vergil! C-C-Ca-Can you hear-hear us!?"

Bolting upward the white-haired twin saw a circular disk appear out of thin air right in front of his eyes along with Kat's voice. An image began to take shape but it was fuzzy so Vergil was only vaguely able to make out Kat's outline.

"Kat!? I'm right here! What's happening?" He asked.

"V-Vergil? O-Oh *static* thank God alright.*static* L-L-Listen, i-is D-Dante *static, static* with y-y-you? *static* can't be-believe anything-anything y-you see!"

While Vergil could barely make out what she was saying he heard gunshots, screaming, and battle cries in the background. "Kat, what the hell's going on up?" For his reply all he got was more static until Kat's voice came back with the same level of urgency she used whenever things were going from bad to worse.

"The d-d-demons-demons *static* attacking *static* humanity! *static, static* hunters, devil hunters *static* Vergil the an-angels ha-have *static*" A loud explosion cut off whatever else Kat was about to say yet causing the portal to go black.

"Kat? Kat!?" Vergil shouted panic beginning to rise inside his pained chest.

"S-She's fine! *static*" A new male, German-accented voice answered Vergil along with a new outline in the portal. "I-I'm *static* Martin *static* after her! *static, static* Find rift *static* pull y-you guys out! Beware *static, static*Hollows!" With that the portal cracked like glass then shattered leaving Vergil alone once more, more confused than before.

"Beware…the Hollows?" He theorized analyzing what he'd just heard.

BOOM!

Rushing outside the cathedral to see what all the noise was Vergil found Dante fighting against the same demonic beast that had impaled him; the manticore. Not wasting a moment Vergil flung a Summoned Sword into each of the beast's eyes just as it raised both its arms for a ground pound. The blades buried themselves deep into the beasts' eyes causing it to rear back in pain but giving Dante the chance ram Rebellion directly into its stomach. In silence Vergil dashed toward it performing a Solar Flare the moment he was within striking distance.

"You really need to stop running off by yourself ya know that!" Dante growled taking out the Revenant and shooting the beast in its wounded stomach. "I'm supposed to be the hot-headed one."

"Well maybe I enjoy being hot-headed too sometimes." Vergil calmly replied launching a series of sword slashes at the beast.

Having enough the manticore roared loudly, engulfed both its fist in clouds of black light and came down with a ground pound that knocked both boys off their feet. More black light shined from its raised jaws sending destructive shock-waves that began to break up the entire platform and everything on it. With a another animalistic bellow it fire a beam of dark light directly at Dante who rose to block it but Vergil got to it first.

Yamato absorbed all the demonic light like a sponge and with one swipe Vergil sent it all back at the manticore in even more power. The manticore blocked the attack with its wings he could see visible damage had been done to wings preventing it from taking to the skies again.

"I owe ya one," Dante meekly said lifting the Arbiter then bringing it down sending a demonic shock wave at his attacker while Vergil flung another Judgment Cut that left multiple wounds on the manticore's forearms and legs.

Roaring in rage it unleashed another light beam that both brothers dodged with relative ease. Dante charged in whilst Vergil hung back waiting for opening to slay the demon once and for all. Instead of attacking either boy the manticore released another shock wave breaking apartment even more of the platform causing to break apart. Taking flight the beast didn't bother to watch them fall helplessly into the abyss.

"We gotta get out of here now!" Dante screamed watching the ground give way into nothing. "Do you see someplace safe we can teleport to or jump?"

"I got something better, follow me!" On top of the cathedral Vergil had sensed a portal, where did it go he didn't know but he knew they had to get off the platform before it completely broke apart.

During the climb up Vergil noticed another difference between he and his brother; he used superhuman jumps whereas Dante climbed up the building in a mixed yet noticeable form of Parkour to get from one ledge to the next. Both arrived at the top and saw the portal flickering, without a word they dashed for it, unaware that the manticore had appeared behind them again preparing to blast a fireball at them from behind.

"Just focus on the portal, forget that bastard!" Vergil yelled to his older twin who looked like he still wanted to rip the demon part but listened to his advice. He could feel the heat of the fireball but he chose to focus on the portal, they were almost there. 'Five meters, three, and ONE!'

They didn't feel the heat but both sons of Sparda felt the impact of the attack as they crashed through the portal and into another warped portion of hell, unsure of what would be waiting for them this time.

Author's Note: This chapter introduced my (completely made up version) of DmC Grue who is based on Dante's partner from the Devil May Cry manga and like his counterpart he's got a past friendship with Dante that ended in tragedy.