Author's Note: This chapter is going to entirely cover what would be Mission 04: Heartless.
I do not own anything, Ninja Theory and Capcom does.
Chapter 8: On the Wings of an Angel
Two sets of gray-blue eyes opened to see near darkness surrounding them. Looking around they found they were inside a church; aged, dust covering Everything including a wooden cross standing proudly before them, and light shining through the glass mosaic. Rain fell lightly against the outside walls while thunder boomed through the massive room.
"Back at church, of all places why does it have to always be a church?" Dante growled.
"What would you prefer? A strip club?" Vergil countered cracking his knuckles. He wasn't sure how they'd been saved but he wasn't complaining.
"We owe Assiel one, well I owe her two now." Dante said surprising Vergil. "When I went after Barbas I met this demon, Phineas, after he helped me he told me about what happened to the Nephilim. He told me how their spirits can endure after death. Assiel…I don't know how but she somehow guided me to unlocking my Devil Trigger."
"Heh, Even in hell we've got someone looking out for us partly." The white haired twin mused watching the rain drops collide against the glass. "Not afraid of getting wet are you?"
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"
For all the things they'd seen, done, and did nothing made the blood of the twin Nephilim run colder than that scream. The entire world around them faded into nothing with that one sound occupying every inch of their minds.
"MOM!" They shouted at once bolting for the exit of the church, never stopping, never slowing down until they got outside to see the next league of their journey.
The word stairway might have done what they were looking at justice. That is if stairway meant a near surreal series of floating platforms reaching up through a series of storm clouds that crackled with lightning, poured rain, covered with feint layers of vegetation, held post-apocalyptic buildings that looked to have once been a park or church, and lastly all ending with a massive cathedral hanging ominously before a churning vortex of dark blue storm clouds.
"Fucking shit…" Dante muttered realizing they were in for the worst climb of their lives.
A dry laugh left Vergil's limps as he drew Yamato. "Don't tell after all this you're getting tired."
Another tortured scream hit the twins' ears just as new demons spawned from the earth.
Drawing Rebellion Dante summoned a demonic aura around him that seemed to make the entire platform shake slightly. "…Hell no." He slammed Rebellion deeply into the ground sending a series of rock spikes erupting from the ground, impaling all ground demons.
Harpies flapping their wings prepared to return the favor but the rain water they felt harmlessly falling on their skin soon changed into freezing ice. Frozen corpses shattered once they hit the ground, all under Vergil's cold gaze. Greater Stygians emerged to take the place of their fallen comrades, they fared no better against the rage filled blades of the twins.
CLING! CLING!
Rebellion and Yamato countered the black metal of the Hertz's blades, causing ripples to appear in every puddle and cracks to form in every pillar. Dante the first Hertz but the arm, shoving Rebellion into its stomach, morphed it into the Arbiter, and lastly swung it a wide arc severing four Hertz in one blow. Vergil launched four Summoned Swords directly into the gut of two of them, cut the legs off the remaining two before decapitating them.
SCREECH! SCREECH! SCREECH!
Just like before Vergil caught the sonic attacks in his hand only this time rather than electricity he turned the sound into hellish flames that he hurled back at the demons. Black armor melted from the intense heat and those that avoided the counter-attack fell prey to the dual shurikens of the Aquila.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Braking away from the main battle Dante ran through the broken gates leading up further with Vergil following close behind him. Anger and desperation danced in the older twin's eyes hearing the tortured scream of his mother. Rebellion hummed with its wielder's rage as it cleaved through demonic flesh. Dante paid no mind to whatever demon blood end up splattered on his already torn clothing; all he cared about was getting to his mother. Similar thought ran through Vergil as he graceful swung Yamato, killing whatever managed to dodge his brother's angry strokes.
Time seemed to fly by as the twins cut their way further and further up yet it still seemed like they were no closer to the top of the structure than they were at the beginning. More demons continued blocking their way, some tried to actually stop them while others looked more like they were simply there to stall for time. This didn't go over well for Dante.
It was the Tyrant that got a rise out of him, it punched him so hard Dante flew through three stone statues before stopping. When he got up anger danced in his eyes, Rebellion changed into the Eryx and in one swift motion the hulking demon was broken apart with two quick punches.
"We don't have time for this bullshit!" He roared curb stopping a Stygian's head splattering blood all over his combat boot and pant leg. "There's got to be a faster way up there, something, anything!"
While Vergil agreed with his brother he was far less willing to show it given his nature as the 'smart twin'. Since neither were strong enough (or even know how to) manifest wings on their own he looked around for something they could use.
'Come-on Vergil think, damn it! You've hacked government networks, taken down dictators from behind the shadows, and faced down the demon king himself!" Quite anger bubbled up inside of him with each cry he heard come from above along with the constant rain that seemed to mock him. 'Wait a minute…rain?' Looking around Vergil saw the countless floating boulders of various sizes within reach by Dante's telekinesis. 'It's been what eight years since I made my last rocket?' He laughed mentally recalling another fond memory. "Dante can you use your telekinesis to drag one of those boulders over here?"
He nodded then turned to face on of the many pieces of stone and pictured one of them coming toward him in his mind. Right on time one large enough for both to ride on floated toward them, completely submissive to Dante's telekinesis.
"Good now hold it a little off the ground right here." Vergil kneeled to one knee bending the water around him into a small puddle then into a miniature just beneath the boulder.
Slowly a wide grin split Dante's face. "Steam powered rocket uh? Pretty cool idea."
"Not very subtle but we're a little hard pressed for time aren't we?"
Placing his head on the wet surface of the boulder Dante sent a focused wave of heat around it causing steam to well up from where it touched the whirlpool. Soon both had control and were creating a pseudo steam powered rocket.
"Ready?" Vergil asked using his supernatural strength to dig his fingers into the hard stone.
Gripping the boulder tightly Dante flashed him a shit-eating grin while increasing the heat output to the point it practically looked like a rocket really was about to take off. "BLAST OFF BABY!"
BOOM!
The sheer force of the launch sent Dante and Vergil's stomachs up their throats then slamming back down twice in less than ten seconds. Scenery seemed to fly by too fast for either to notice or care but the boom of thunder and screaming never left them only growing louder the closer they got to the top.
"Better than street racing!" Dante shouted over the whistling of air and booming thunder, enjoying the thrill of rain and wind bouncing off his skin. "Having any fun yet Vergil?"
When his brother didn't answer Dante turned his attention to what he was currently glaring at. Through the clouds he could see a series of bleeps moving through the air scattering clouds, rain, and anything else that stood in their way.
"Hertz." Dante growled aiming Ivory at the bleeps.
Evan with his superhuman eyes Dante could barely keep track of the approaching demons that seemed to be kicking off the wind like spring boards. One bleep caught their eyes as being extremely fast and oddly shaped like a spiral, no, a drill.
"Prepare to jump off now!" Vergil called realizing their 'boulder rocket' was about to get shot down.
CRACK!
Neither could see clearly but both Nephilim felt the blowback caused the attack that shattered the boulder they were riding on. Besides a few cuts and bruises that healed both were unharmed and landed crouched in a familiar park they knew since childhood. The swings and slides were intact save for a few spots of rust and dents. The unique graffiti had changed from a series of stories telling the tale of the sons of Sparda to a new one; the fall of an angel.
To the left a collection of walls and slabs depicted a red haired woman falling into the depths of hell with a hole in her heart. Below her countless demons raised their hands up in mad cheers waiting for the angel to fall into their grasps. Dante walked over the depictions with both his shoulders slumped in defeat, falling to one knee he timidly touched the wet stone.
"Do you…do you think this is where mom went when she…" He let the thought hang in the air recalling the last memories of his mother. The normally strong voice of the oldest twin was gone replaced by a sorrowful tone.
Taking his time Vergil stood over him with a similar expression. "I…honestly don't know. When angels die their souls are supposed to go back to Heaven." An uncomfortable pause turned Dante's attention to his twin. There was pain and even a little bit of anger in his eyes. "Our mother was…Dante she was…"
"Let me guess, 'tainted' is that what they used?" Dante sneered coming to a conclusion he didn't like. "Our mom's soul was denied the big shiny gates because she fell for a demon? Is that what those winged bastards said?"
Sighing Vergil kneeled next to him to run his dirt covered gloves over the picture of their mother. "Pretty much, ever since I showed you this park what have you been able to remember?"
"…Way more than I ever thought. Some nights I remember things, all the good times before Mundus came." A spark of joy flashed in Dante's eyes along with a ghost of a smile. "I remember on our fifth birthday she let us eat ice-cream, all the ice-cream we could handle." A light hearted laugh left both their lips recalling the memory. "Another one of my favorites was when we were here, we were playing on the swing when you fell and cut your knee on the sidewalk."
"Come again?" Vergil asked suddenly stone faced.
Laughing lightly Dante continued. "You cried for almost ten minutes but mom was there. She…she held you and wrapped your cut up with a few band aids then kissed it. Do you remember it?"
Looking at the around the park Vergil did begin to remember the incident like it was yesterday. He and Dante were having so much fun swinging believing they could possibly touch the skies that he didn't notice when he went flying out and scrapped his arm on the sidewalk. Closing his eyes he recalled his mother's gentle arms wrapping him in a hug then her hands neatly cleaning the wound and putting a band aid on it and lastly kissing it in a motherly manner. More memories came to Vergil as he looked around the park taking in the hideous depictions of torture painted on the broken walls and earth.
"Yes, I do." Vergil said with a small smile. "You promised to beat the swing up for throwing me off." The white haired twin smirked causing the dark haired twin to go wide eyed.
SCREECH!
Ducking aside Dante and Vergil drew their swords ready for the new threat that had just found them. Emerging from the ashes was a Hertz demon but different from the rest; instead of blades or chains demonic drills made of three smaller drills replaced its arms, more armored, a more skull like helmet with only two visible eye holes that glowed red, and trails of blood dripping from both of its drill arms. The demon fixed the youths with a cold glare holding up one drill in their respective direction.
"It's here to stop us." Vergil said understand the look in the demon's eye holes.
"That means it's here to die." Dante barked unleashing a series of shots from Ebony and Ivory.
The Hertz brought its drill arm up just as it started spinning releasing a high pitch that nearly tore the twins' ear drums to pieces. The sound waves deflected the bullets in various directions including right back at Dante. Moving with the speed of a jungle the Hertz surged forward bringing its one of its drills directly up to Dante's chest. He angel dodged out of the way and watched as the drill literally tore into the earth sending rock fragments and shockwaves bouncing off. Appearing behind the Hertz-V Vergil swung Yamato at the creature's neck but it raised its arm to block the attack. Backlash vibrations traveled up the katana and into Vergil's arms paralyzing him on the spot.
Rising its arm he forced his body to move, nearly dodging a jab that would have separated is left leg from his body. On the other side Dante rose for another attack with Osiris prompting Vergil to prepare a Judgment Cut. Looking from side to side the Hertz-V roared then slammed both of its rotating arms together.
BOOM!
Dante and Vergil were thrown backward by the sonic blast along with everything else that wasn't bolted down. Glaring through the dust Vergil could see a sonic attack heading his way and dashed away.
SCREECH! SCREECH! SCREECH!
More Hertz rained from the sky surrounding the destroyed playground like ants mounting over a piece of food. One look from the drill leader and the rest converged around Dante while it stalked toward Vergil bashing both of its drill arms together in a taunting manner.
CLING! CLING! CLING!
To Vergil's discomfort the Hertz-V was bigger and stronger than he first thought, Every time he deflected an attack he felt a numbing vibration run up his arms nearly making his arms go limp. Like a pro-wrestling the Hertz-V brought its arm around for a lariat that he blocked but couldn't stop from growling in slightly pain. Taking the chance it jabbed its other arm forward while delivering a bone crushing kick to Vergil's stomach area. Yamato flew from the youth's hand leaving him in an exposed kneeling position the Hertz-V gleefully exploited.
In that split second only two things existed in Vergil's world; the drill heading for him and the distant echo of his mother screaming. 'You can't change the past…but I've got a second here!' Unexpectedly he threw up his left hand and caught the drill barehanded. Behind its helmet the demon went wide eyed at this reckless mover from the normally rational son of Sparda. "Wasn't expecting this were you?" He sneered ignoring the pain of the drill tearing the leather and flesh off his hand.
Thrusting forward Vergil began crushing the demonic iron in his hand and twisted around the Hertz-V like a master martial artist. With demonic strength he brought his foot stomping down on its knee, crushing it like a grapefruit while ripping the arm clean from its socket.
CHUNK!
An unholy shriek left the demon's covered mouth as its arm fell lifelessly to the ground courtesy of the determined Nephilim. Falling to one knee the demon swung its right arm, Vergil caught the arm and out his foot right on top of its back.
SNAP!
While the demon wailed in pain at its broken arm Vergil recalled Yamato to his hand and drove it deeply into the Hertz-V's neck. Performing a Solar Flare on the corpse Vergil spun while flinging Aerial Raves at the demons surrounding Dante. With their leader dead the Hertz fell into a disorganized miss, easy pickings for the fast as wind moving blades of the Aquila.
Nested in the center of the top platform was the tombstone and photo Vergil had seen when he collapsed. Besides the drops of rain the entire tomb was completely clean unlike Evarything else that seemed either a damaged or destroyed state.
Almost hastily Dante and Vergil walked toward the tomb despite the ominous feeling they felt leaking out of the seemingly harmless slab of stone. Dante's hands twitched back and forth gazing at the tomb, memories of his mother's corpse doing marathons in his mind. Vergil looked at the tomb with a mix of sadness and shame as seeing it reminded him of how much pain and suffering their family had gone through.
BOOM!
Five pillars of fire erupted and from them five flaming demonic beings emerged, eyes as black as coal, reptilian-like skin, and jaws like razor blades. Behind them countless other demons sprang up including more Hertz that seemed to be glaring at the twins through their eye holes.
Wasting no time the duo charged in wielding their blades as all the demons surged forward at once. Dante chose Osiris for its reach, severing demons in top half and body half. Vergil sped from one end of the battle to another cutting through anything in his way. The fire demons assembled in a circle around them while they fought off the various demons coming after them. Hellfire burned in their jaws moments before each breathed a monster sized stream at them in perfect union.
"Dante, at my back, now!" Vergil ordered cutting a Greater Stygian apart.
With no argument Dante rolled beside his brother raising his arms in preparation for the coming inferno. Just like before Vergil willed all the water around him, every drop of liquid from the rain clouds to the spilled demon blood, all of it rose and wrapped around the twins forming a massive water wall. Steam exploded from where the hellfire meant the water almost extinguishing it but backed by Vergil's will the elemental wall held. In the shadow of his brother the older youth summoned the Aquila and threw them in the same manner he did when performing a Buy In move. The angelic shurikens impaled themselves in the fire demons ceasing their combined attack and roar in extreme pain. When they returned they brought the demons with them, right into the reach of an angelic scythe and a katana coated in angelic energy.
From the haze of water and steam Dante fired a full-charged Ricoshot that bounced off nearly every demon in the crowd before exploding in the face of a Hertz-V, sending it screaming over the edge into the abyss. Six darts nailed two Tyrants each, moments before the Hunter Claw bursts forward and launched onto one, bashing it the other with both detonating simultaneously.
BOOM! SWOOSH!
Six different demons wailed in pain as they felt a bare skinned fist crush their skulls. A Wisp lunged forward racking both its claws downward at Vergil's shoulders. Rather than fully dodge out of the way he leaned back then surged forward cutting both arms off at the elbow and silence the demon with a bone crushing chin kick that lifted him into the air.
CRUNCH!
The ground cracked under the dark haired twin's boots as he struggled to hold off the berserk Tyrant bearing down on him with the Eryx. The muscles in his arms began screaming in pain with every step forward it took but it was nothing compared to the torment Dante felt when he heard his mother's screams coming from the tomb.
CLINK! CLUNK! CLINK!
Like metal grinding against metal or steel being bent the usual closed fists Eryx opened into metallic hands, ablaze with raging fire and began crushing the supernatural metal that made up the Tyrant's fists.
CLINK!
Dante tore away the left arm first then the right leaving the brunt demon armless. Closing his fists Dante let loose with a powerful fist that was occupied by a spectral copy ending the Tyrant and several other background demons' lives. Flexing his hands open again he them flat on the ground summoning various columns of fire to engulf the leftover demons.
Unearthly wails left the Witches as their shields shattered into pieces and their lives ended at the hand of the younger Nephilim. Their barriers shattered against the demonic strength coursing through Yamato. Their magically crafted blades were shot back at them or turned on fellow demons. A Tyrant and a Witch attacked in union; the witch projecting a reinforced barrier around the Tyrant while it charged at Vergil arms spread wide. Dark red coils of energy wrapped around the katana moments before it skunk deeply into the armored fist of the demon, breaking through the barrier like paper. The female demon threw sword after sword at Vergil but he deflected them then ran Yamato deeply into its breasts. The Tyrant spun around, Vergil threw the dead corpse off the sword knocking it right in the Tyrant's face. A red flash shot from the sword like a beam cutting through the Tyrant and Everything else Vergil aimed it at until he stabbed the ground sending an explosive wave of flames in all directions.
The last Stygian squirmed helpless towards the angel statue in an ironic attempt to escape only to feel two supernatural swords run through its spine. The tomb cracked open like an egg revealing a stairway leading downward into dimly lit darkness. Inside the stairway the painted walls were faded with cracks spreading through like spider-webs, the torches burned with sapphire-colored flames lit the hallway though neither Dante nor Vergil needed the light. The distant roars and screaming and their supernatural eyes could nearly see clearly in the dark. After passing through a series 'gates' they arrived at a huge dome with a pentagram design inside a star design that took up the whole floor, in the center the Imprisoner advanced menacingly. Moments later it grabbed her and began shaking her like an angry child throwing a taproom making the brothers' rage soar to new heights.
"Hey shit-face! Back-off!" The oldest son yelled catching its attention.
Dante activated his Devil Trigger causing his hair to change from its normal black color to chalk white and red crank-like veins to run up his body, next to him Vergil activated his Spiral Swords summoning a ring of spectral blades around himself. The Imprisoner tossed the battered angel aside like a rag doll to face the twins. Its mask-like face opened up to reveal its hideous roars of teeth in its quad-lipped mouth. At its call more Hertz emerged from the shadows of the walls dragging their weapons along the stone.
Lashing out wildly Dante ran at the Imprisoner shrugging off the sonic attacks that the Hertz hurled at him. The youngest moved in and out of the crowd letting his spinning blades rip through them as he swung Yamato in wide arcs cutting down at least three or four demons at once. Rebellion buried itself deep the Imprisoner's arm but that only seemed to make it angrier. Digging its other arm into the floor it tore a chunk of stone out and bashed Dante over the head, temporarily knocking him off balance. The Imprisoner hurled more chunks at him Evan unleashing shock-waves with its ground pound but Dante kept his distance while firing Ebony and Ivory at the demon's thick forearms. Vergil broke away from his multiple assaults to drag his katana along the injured arms of the Imprisoner making a fountain of blood begin to pour from each upper arm. The Hertz moved to cover the injured demon by throwing out their chains around Dante and Vergil's feet but the sizzling aura of power around them broke the metal bonds baffling the sound demons.
The angel wing portion of Rebellion began glowing bright blue in accordance with the glowing of Dante's eyes. He moved like a viper, bringing Rebellion in upward and down arcs that split the Hertz clean in half. Sensing another incoming threat he concentrated angelic power through his legs turning them into miniature springs. Hertz-V began breaking through the roof and descending down towards the floor just as Dante predicted. Springing upward the he soared into the air like a rocket, Rebellion morphing to Osiris in his hands. Sky-blue lightning crackled around Osiris until it fully covered the blade creating a sound similar to birds chirping and the low whistle the scythe makes when twirled.
SWOOSH! SWOAH!
When the Imprisoner slammed its arms into the ground root-like spikes of darken earth jetted from the floor nearly impaling Vergil. Jumping over them he slashed downward, the Imprisoner raised its lower set of arms to block the blade, in return he swung his sheath and the Imprisoner caught it using its lower right arm. With its last free arm it gave Vergil one of the hardest right hooks he'd ever experienced. It came at him again like a gorilla bringing both its arms down causing another series of spikes to erupt forming a 'garden' around it. Pouring more power into his Spiral Swords Vergil charged at the demon again cutting through all in his way until they shattered against the tough skin of the four armed demon just as it brought all four of its arms up. Taking his chance he stabbed it in its left side rib cage, sliding to the side as he did so.
Burying its fist in the earth again the Imprisoner threw another, bigger chunk of stone at Vergil who knocked it aside with his bare fist. Vergil side stepped, launching impaling the demons with several Summoned Swords yet it still kept coming. This time instead of dodging Vergil stood his ground and waited for the Imprisoner to come within a three foot distance. Once it did he summoned an aura of divine energy, wrapped it around Yamato and rammed it as deeply as he could into its shoulder while jumping on top of it. Vergil wasn't one for recklessness but out of the corner of his eye he could see his mother's unmoving body. They had to finish this quickly.
DONG!
In the air Dante was engaged in a midair dual with a Hertz-V, his scythe clashed against its drills sending mixed shock waves of lightning and sound off the walls. A blue aura wrapped around the glowing Nephilim, the Osiris changed into the Ophion complete with its snapping fangs. His whip hit home on the demon's stomach allowing Dante to bring it in for a close upper-cut followed by a painful demon-enhanced fist to the stomach. Launching off the stunned Hertz-V he dropped straight down towards the Imprisoner being ridden by his brother with the Eryx leaving trails of flames in their wake.
Red flames rose from the Imprisoner's body just as Vergil felt a sharp spike in its demonic energy forcing him to jump off. Arching upward it roared releasing a series of dark earth spikes from the ground and an impressive demonic aura around its body. He spikes didn't hit any major part of Dante's body but the sharp pain caused by those that did pierce his skin was enough for him to lose his focus and for his Devil Trigger to deactivate. If not for his angel dodge he would have been completely impaled like the Hertz-V that came down after him. Shaking the corpse off the Imprisoner stomped towards the brothers glaring specifically at Vergil.
"You want me? I'm right here." He snarled crouching low to the ground. The Imprisoner came at him bucking and roaring like the savage animal it was. Literal walls of darken earth jetted toward Vergil like missiles. "You think you're the only one who knows that trick?" The demonic blood in Vergil's veins flared up at his call granted him control of the demonic rock currently heading toward him. Spikes stopped at his call, now surging backwards at the Imprisoner, knocking it off its feet.
Taking the chance the white haired twin swooped in bringing Yamato down on its neck. It roared and howled but a quick knee to the throat silenced whatever roar left the Imprisoner's jaws. Using his right hand to hit the demon's right shoulder with two precise jabs that he knew severed the muscle tendons to both its right arms. Even with the Imprisoner failing underneath him and his brother fighting off the Hertz to his back Vergil was able to ease his mind and call upon his angelic nature. At first he felt divine energy course through his sword but soon it was overtaken by something more, something more powerful, more mystical in nature. The Imprisoner stopped struggling when it felt the blue cosmic like energy flow from the katana into its body, attacking its unholy soul. With one last attack Vergil dragged Yamato downward towards the Imprisoner's chest, from there a burst of wondrous blue light filled the chamber. When the light faded the chamber was quiet expect for the crackling of the torches and the labored breathing of the battered angel lying in the corner.
Immediately the twins ran over to their mother, dropping down they cradled her in their arms praying she was alright. She had on the same snow-white dress she did the day she died, tears, holes, and dirt stains were all over the white fabric that covered her bruised body. Her skin was cold and pale against their fingers yet when Eva opened her eyes Dante and Vergil could still see all the life and love they remembered from their childhood.
"Dante…Vergil…you're both…here." Her faint voice sounded seeing the worried expressions of her twin boys. Sure they were covered in dirt and blood but Eva could see; they were alive, they were together. Gathering what little strength she had she caressed both their cheeks lovingly.
"M-Mom…" Dante stuttered shaking under his mother's soft hands, despite her condition her hands still held the same warmth he knew from his dreams. "You're…you're really I…" Acting on impulse he hugged her tightly secretly praying this wasn't a dream or some illusion. Eva returned the hug in earnest crying softly at her son's embrace.
Seeing the tearful display Vergil felt a small ping of jealously rise in his chest. 'He…always was her favorite.' Turning away bitterly he didn't expect what happened next.
Eva turned immediately from Dante and wrapped both her arms around Vergil, hugging him with the same vigor she hugged Dante. Whatever pain, jealously, or sorrow Vergil had at that moment vanished completely. Pulling Dante into the embrace mother and sons stayed right there, the sons of Sparda hoping this moment never ends.
"Dante…Vergil…I'm so sorry for all this." Eva tearfully started trembling. "I'm sorry for dragging both of you into this mess. I'm sorry for all the suffering we both put you two through."
"What do you mean?" Dante asked confused.
"Sparda and I…we…should have done better." She looked at Dante with tears streaming from her beautiful emerald eyes. "Dante I should have known Medea ran that orphanage. If I had would have told Sparda to send you somewhere else, somewhere safer. A place you wouldn't be…" She broken down again burying herself their shoulders as the memories of hearing her son cry out as he was raped fill her head. " Vergil…I saw the nightmares." Vergil's eyes widen in realization at this. "The Night-Stalkers…the Sandmen…it's all my fault. My praying led them right to you."
A dam of emotions had burst through Vergil, none of them negative. Looking at his mother and his bewildered brother Vergil realized this is what he really wanted; his family back. There was only one person missing, their father. Staring into his mother's green eyes his shoulders went slack as he absorbed all the pain in them.
"It's…it's alright." He managed to say raising his arm around her. "Every night I…we…" He trailed off overcome by the wealth of joy and sadness.
"We never gave either of you the chance to walk your own paths, live your own lives. We…failed as parents." Eva choked.
"No you didn't!" Dante spoke up feeling tears rush to his cheeks but not letting them show. "It was hell but look at where we are. Mom…we're both right here." Looking her in the eyes Dante glanced at his twin brother. "We survived and…we have you to thank for that, you and dad."
"We don't hate you." Vergil stated just as light began to shine from a hole in the ceiling. "We never had, we never well."
Relief flooded Eva's heart at seeing the forgiveness shine through in her sons' eyes. 'Sparda, I hope one day you'll be able to see them. We raised two brave children.' Luminous light began radiating from Eva's body as she felt the chains imposed on her soul begin to fall harmlessly away. The light began engulfing Eva, rising up slightly from her sons'. Two strong white wings unfolded from her back covering both of them just like they did when they were born. "Listen to me, Dante, Vergil, I want you both to know something very important."
"M-Mom?" Vergil questioned feeling her light bath his soul.
Reaching out she gentle hugged her boys one last time and kissed their cheeks. "No matter what happens, no matter how much times passes I will always love both of you. Wherever you are…I'll be watching over you both, as both your guardian angel…and your mother."
Like a star she faded way leaving a bright aura of light covering the Nephilim. Tears of joy and sadness raced down both their cheeks long after the light faded leaving them alone in the chamber.
Find the light.
Vergil thought hard on those words feeling the tears race down his cheeks. Throughout this whole journey he'd wondered what the light was but after going through each level, facing every demon with his brother at his side he realized just what the light was.
Even Nephilim need their sleep.
I'll do what I have to do but I won't fork over my humanity on the job.
No matter what happens I will always love you.
Taking Yamato in hand he walked toward the center of the chamber after wiping away his tears. Soft humming noises resonated off katana creating melody that drew Dante's attention to his brother.
"Vergil what are you doing?"
Raising Yamato up Vergil answered back without looking at him. "Something extremely stupid."
Yamato sliced through the air creating a swirling portal similar to the ones Vergil created for quick travel across large distances. When the brothers locked eyes Dante could see something had changed in his younger brother's eyes; there was now determination, life, and now gone from it was the darkness there was when they clashed swords. He didn't say a word at this but deep down he felt his heart do a back flip. They stepped into the portal leaving the twisted world behind them, leaving to a confrontation Vergil knew was long overdue.
Shuffling nervously the demon kneeled before his master whose form was obscured by the churning cloud of demonic energy he gave off. Right next to him a Hertz demon kneeled in a similar position, fear evident in its posture.
"Silvanus…please explain to me why aren't the Nephilim at my side? What's taking so long and why do you look like you're five minutes from pissing yourself." The figure boomed causing both demons to jump.
The armored demon, Silvanus shuffled his feet before responding in a voice that did nothing to hide the fear he had for his master. "S-Sir you see…the Nephilim are turning out to be…stronger than we thought." He looked at the Hertz demon but it remained silent. "T-They've fought off all our attempts to capture them and-"
"Then why is that?" The figure turned to the kneeling Hertz with a distasteful expression on its masked face. "You promised me you could bring me the sons of Sparda before they escaped. So why is it all of your warriors are dropping like flies on a wind shield?"
"M-My lord it is merely a matter of time until we have them in chains and presenting them before you." The Hertz said trying to keep its voice calm. "Our newest warriors, the V-series are fully capable of-"
"Failure." Holding out its hand the figure presented the sound demon with the souls of its slain comrades shocking him into silence. "You've begged me to give your pitiful clan a chance and here they are; they've failed. What do you intend to do about that?"
Nothing could be said to in the face of the accusation.
"My lord we have news; the boys have freed their mother's soul." Silvanus spoke up hoping to salvage the situation.
"Explain to me what's happening? Why hasn't either of them fallen into darkness yet? The youngest; Vergil, he has the most darkness in his heart yet he continues even with a literal gaping hole in his chest. His hollow? What of it?"
"That's the thing sir, the older brother, Dante, we didn't expect him to follow Vergil." The Hertz spoke up. "Somehow he's keeping his brother's from throwing away his humanity, in fact he's making him hold onto it tighter than before. As for the hollows my lord…" It trailed off not wanting to infuriate its master even more.
Dark bolts of energy cackled around the figure like clouds gathering for a tornado. It fixed its glowing red eyes on the two demons. "The three holes in his heart, he's not severing them?"
"No sir," Silvanus said daring to look up. "More like…he's repairing them."
'So what, his little journey through the mind is becoming therapy?"
"I'm going personally to capture them. I promise you I will bring them back for you if-" The Hertz's words were cut off by a swift hand grabbing him and lifting him off the ground. A sharp nail began piercing through its chest plat cutting deeper into its skin with each passing second. "P-Please lord Bune stop! I-I-I promise I w-won't fail you again! I swear it!"
"Oh no don't you worry your pretty little head about that Hertz. You won't fail me again…you won't serve me or anyone else ever again really." Red eyes glowed ominously as the clawed figure pieced the Hertz's body completely erupting a loud cry of pain from the demon. It kicked and screamed but nothing could escape the specter's grip.
Silvanus kept his head bowed low to look away from the slow death of his companion. This was the price one paid for severing the demon lord Bune, slow and painful death for failures, critical failures. Red bathed the sides of Silvanus's bark-colored face, the dying screams of the Hertz filled his ears until they were silenced with a loud poop followed by a large spray of blood hitting his entire left side.
'I knew I should have picked a different boss.' Silvanus thought not turning to face the remains of the Hertz chieftain. Instead he focused on using the information he knew held the possible key to his survival. "Lord Bune the youngest has gone off to face his hollow."
"And you believe he has a chance of defeating it?" The demon lord boomed looming over Silvanus. "If he's anything like his father then all that phantom is in for is one painful ass-kicking."
"Well sir it's not really that but something else." He knew the next words out of his lips were probably going to get him a fist through the gut but better to come clean now than suffer for hiding it. "Lord Bune…the twin Nephilim…they…they're learning how to summon Aether and Nether."
…
For a moment Silvanus thought his master's brain had simply shut itself down. A second later he was sorely mistaken.
"THEY'RE WHAT!? THAT'S IM-FUCKING-POSSIBLE! THOSE LITTLE SHITS ARE BARELY TWENTY YEARS OLD!" His energy form began to crack and break like a mask being broken. Through the facade the forest demon could see his master's three snarling faces; dragon heads snorting flames, a rapid dog snarling, a griffin opening its beak in protest, and an inhumanly angry face sending tendrils of fear down Silvanus's spine.
"L-Lord Bune what would you have me do?"
"Where's Hyperion?" As unlikely as it was there was a noticeable underlying of fear in the demon lord's tone.
"He's fighting Amon in what the humans call Moscow." Silvanus answered.
"Tell him Amon is no longer on our list of priorities. I want him to find those brats and bring them to me. I don't care if he has to chop off both their arms and legs or even rip their little tongues out but just get them to me intact. If not both then either one is fine." He ordering slowly fading away.
"I understand my lord." Silvanus stood up to leave when his master called to him one last time.
"Silvanus, I'd say goodbye to this city since you seem to love it so much. In a few seconds it's going to be nothing but a memory." An evil laugh left the figure's lips before fading away completely.
With the demon lord gone the darkness surrounding the room began to fall back revealing the skyscraper view of the destroyed city of Paris. Silvanus did love the city, he couldn't quite place the reason but coming to the city was always a favorite pass time, the sites, the people, and Eiffel Tower. Now the city looked barely recognizable due to the supernatural war being waged in its streets. The once ionic Eiffel Tower was now burning and on the verge of collapse. In the distant sky Silvanus could see the object that would deliver the coup de grace to the dying city.
"Farewell my beloved Paris." Silvanus started letting a rose he'd summoned ride along the wind. "Know that you will live on forever in the memory of Silvanus, Master of the Black Forest." A portal of thorns and petals opened behind him and he stepped through, ignoring the waves of atomic fire that engulfed the city like a tsunami.
A/N:
Silvanus: A Roman forest deity.
Bune: A demonology, that's all I can say.
Next chapter will be completely devoted to the showdown between Vergil and his Hollow, I'm gonna try and get it out by Thursday.