The Devil of Zero
Disclaimer: Neither The Familiar of Zero nor Devil May Cry belong to me.
The Blade
– The Zero –
"Make your move, make your stand,"
Louise shuddered as she was cast back into the dream, back into that body with the silver gauntlets and the strange, curved sword. This time she was in a large circular room, the center of it dominated by an enormous hourglass, painted walls whirling in the background. More of the blood creatures from the first dream inhabited this place, joined by tormented beings carrying some enormous, cratered orb upon their backs.
Louise felt her hand go to the hilt of that strange sword, drawing and sheathing it dozens of times in an instant as spheres of wrongness erupted in the ranks of the creatures, their forms rupturing. Several of the orbs burst, exploding in displays that matched that of her failed spells, splattering the blood that made up the scythe-wielders forms all over the stone floor.
"Make the win, ha, like you can,"
Suddenly, Louise found herself in mid-air, above the carnage the explosions left. In the corner of her eye, she could see bizarre stony figures, with one eye and six arms, each wielding three bows with three glowing blue arrows set. Her hand waved dismissively, and as she turned to fall upon the bloody survivors, she could see bright light blue forms congealing in the air and launching at the six-armed archers.
"See the war, see me rule,"
The curved blade was out before she landed, slicing into one staggering blood-being, before slicing up to send another, now armless, into the air. Another shift and she was with it, the sword cutting deep into its flesh as they landed. Suddenly, an ethereal white form rose out from the floor, unsullied by the blood and viscera that carpeted the ground. It had one arm to the side, wielding a lance of light, and was wrapped in the purest white feathers. Surely, she thought, this is an Angel.
"See the mirror; you'll see a fool,"
Louise wanted to stop as her arm drew the blade from its sheath, her feet propelling her in a insanely fast dash with the sword slicing all around her, through blood-creatures rising new from the floor, and shattering the Angel's sheltering wing….revealing a horrendous face that was its torso. The shock and horror she felt continued, even after its shrieks died with the slash of a blade, cutting the face apart along the jaw.
Louise's Room, Student Dormitory
Night
Panting, sweaty, Louise awoke in her room, the moons' light shining through her window. She wildly cast about, searching for Vergil.
He wasn't there.
Shivering, she drew her knees to her chest and sat, arms wrapped around her legs, trying to forget the images of her nightmare.
– The Devil –
Academy Halls
As he had done the night of his summoning, Vergil strode the halls. Now ranging outside of the tower where Louise slept, memorizing the layout. He had not slept at all the last night, and did nothing of the sort now, not in a place that he was not yet familiar with. Dante may spend half his time sleeping, but Vergil would not rest until he was secure in his knowledge of his surroundings. And besides, as a half-devil, Vergil didn't need quite as much sleep as ordinary humans. Or as much food for that matter, Dante pretty much indulged in pizza just for the taste, although why was beyond Vergil since the food didn't taste all too great to him.
Strawberry Sundaes on the other hand…
"Ah, Mister Vergil?" Vergil had already been aware of the approaching woman, long before she spoke, and was already facing here. If she found this unusual, she didn't show it.
"Yes, Miss?"
"Longueville. The headmaster would be pleased if he could meet with you, as soon as possible."
Hmmm…
"Would right now be a good time?" Vergil asked.
"It would."
"Very well. Lead on."
Headmaster Osmond's office, Central Tower
The Headmaster's office was in the shape of a pentagram, with a window at each corner, and bookshelves next to the windows that pointed to the other four towers of the academy. Various statuettes and knick-knacks decorated the place, from the desk, to the shelves and the tables scattered throughout the rest of the room. Before the fifth window was the Headmaster's desk, and the Headmaster himself. Who was asleep.
Under different circumstances, Vergil would be…annoyed, to put it lightly, but at the moment he was just in awe at how much this Osmondd conformed to the age-old 'old-wise-man, long-white-beard' image.
Miss Longueville, seemed just as annoyed as Vergil would be, walked up to his side and whacked him in the head.
"Hm! Hah! What!"
"Osmond, Mister Vergil is here to meet you."
"Vergil? Who? Oh! That boy who dueled the Gramont lad!"
Vergil was irritated at being called boy, but let it slide. Osmond was apparently quite ancient, after all, and for whatever reason Vergil hadn't aged physically since Mundus caught and corrupted him.
"Yes."
"Good, good….Is Professor Colbert here?"
"Not yet. He's probably asleep at the moment-" Like every other normal person at this hour, Vergil caught her tone. "-So it might be a while before-" Vergil turned towards the door seconds before the bald teacher that had overseen the ritual that summoned him burst into the room, panting.
"Ah! The Gandalfr!" Colbert gasped upon seeing Vergil. That elicited an arched brow from the half-devil. He honestly hoped Colbert was not calling him Gandalf.
"Jean, come in….oh, you already are. Well then, let's start this meeting." Osmond said. "First, introductions. I am Osmond, Headmaster of this academy. This is my secretary, Miss Longueville, and this is Professor Jean Colbert, teacher at this academy." Vergil nodded to each as they were named. "Now, I asked you and Jean here to answer some questions about some…peculiarities, involving you. Jean?"
"Ah, yes, yes." Colbert fumbled within his robes before pulling out a thick tome, something Vergil associated with sorcerous grimoires and demonology texts. Colbert opened the book and flipped rapidly through its pages, stopping on a certain page and dropping it with a very audible thud onto Osmond's desk. "Your runes, Vergil, they're the runes of the Legendary Familiar, Gandalfr!"
Oh by Lucifer's rotting corpse. "Gandalfr?" Vergil asked. "What does that mean?"
"The Gandalfr was the familiar of the Founder Brimir, and protected him while he cast his spells!"
Hmm…
"It was supposed to be able to use any and every weapon ever made, with complete mastery of any technique or power they used!"
"You see why this concerns us, Vergil." Osmond said.
"Yes…I do." Vergil said. "If I am this….this…Gandalfr that would make Louise a mage of the Void, yes?"
"By all logic, yes." From what Vergil understood, this would be to this culture what the Second Coming of Christ would be for Christianity.
"Can you imagine? The return of The Void, with the Left Hand of God as proof!" Colbert babbled excitedly.
"Excuse me? The Left Hand of God?" Vergil asked.
"Ah, yes, one of the other names for the Gandalfr."
"…" Dante would absolutely love this. Why isn't he here?
"We ask that you not inform anyone about this however." Osmond said, leaning forward over his desk to peer at Vergil. "Not even Miss Vallière. I hope you understand this."
"I do." And Vergil did. If anyone in the government learned that Louise was a Void Mage, got the slightest hint as to the possibility, the politicians would be all over her like Lust Hells on a strip bar. And if politics were anything like those of the medieval times on Earth, she wouldn't be guaranteed to survive.
"With that understood, I hope you'll indulge us in answering a few questions…"
"Yes! What were those blades? The students tell us you used no incantation or foci to summon them!"
"I believe you are referring to my Summoned Swords." Vergil said, extending his hand forth and calling upon his Infernal Energy. It flowed out of him, congealing into a Summoned Sword. For an instant, Vergil felt a pang of emotion at the sight of even a shadow of his father's blade. The ethereal weapon drifted above his palm, point down, for the mages to see.
"Amazing!" Colbert gasped. "How did you do that?"
"The technique is simple." Vergil said in lieu of an explanation. "But I'm afraid no one here can learn it."
"And why is that?" Longueville asked, leaning forward to inspect the Sword.
"Because it is not magic, not as you know it. Even where I come from, only a miniscule amount of people are capable of using Sorcery." Two the last time I counted. "Most are quite simply not capable of using it."
"I see. And just where are you from, Vergil." Osmond asked, a note of seriousness coming into his voice. Vergil strode to the door, opening it and leaving with only one sentence.
"For a first hint, there's only one moon."
– The Staff –
The office was silent after Vergil left. Each of the three occupants contemplated on Vergil's parting words before Colbert spoke up.
"Only one moon...do you think he means that he's…?"
"I don't know Jean." Osmond replied. "But something tells me that Vergil may be linked to the Spear of Destruction…and the being that wielded it…"
– The Zero –
Louise's Room, Student Apartments
Morning
Louise started when the door opened, Vergil striding in. He looked her over, before nodding and retreating back into the hall.
Wonderful. And thus begins the day pandering to my familiar's wishes. She was however slightly mollified by the fact that he was apparently a competent familiar.
And more magical than she was.
It was with a heavy heart that Louise exited her room, plodding down the hall towards the dining hall.
– The Ardent –
Alviss Dining Hall
Kirche paid special attention to the duo of Louise and Vergil during breakfast today, raptly watching every movement of the blue-coated warrior. His performance in the duel…so confident, so nonchalant, utterly unconcerned by the Valkyrie's rushing spears….She was in love.
She'd sent Flame to bring Vergil to her room, but her familiar had been unable to sniff out wherever the swordsman was hiding. So, Kirche would have to take a different tack in her seduction…
Went the pair rose from their places and exited the hall, Kirche waited a few minutes, and then slipped out to follow them.
Only to look as they rode out, Vergil holding the reins of a horse as Louise held on tightly behind.
"Oh-ho, so they're going out today…Well, a coincidental meeting outside will do."
Tabitha's Room, Student Dormitory
Kirche knocked on the door several times before she burst into the room, shouting. It took a few moments, but the blue-haired girl on the bed finally noticed her, looking up from a heavy book she was reading, to wave her staff and remove the silencing spell she'd cast.
"Tabitha! We're leaving, get ready!"
"Day of Void." The quiet girl replied, adjusting her glasses and tilting her head back down to read.
"I know how important the Day of the Void is to you, but you see, I fell in love!" Kirche proclaimed with one hand over her heart. "With that white-haired warrior, Vergil, from the duel yesterday, you remember?" She didn't even wait for Tabitha to reply before continuing. "But he and Louise went out today, so I need your help to track them and find out where they're going! You understand?"
Tabitha shook her head.
"Oh, that's right, you need an explanation…I need to chase after those two, but I can't keep up with them without your familiar! PLEASE HELP ME!" Kirche went to her knees by the bed, arms upraised before her friend. Tabitha closed the book, setting it down before nodding. Climbing off the bed, pulling on shoes, cloak, and picking up her staff, she opened the window and whistled. For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then Kirche saw a speck in the sky, quickly growing and resolving into Tabitha's dragon familiar, Sylphid. The dragon slowed as she reached the tower, smoothly gliding into place next to the window, where Kirche and Tabitha mounted her.
"Your Sylphid is magnificent, no matter how many times I see her." Kirche complimented the pair as she settled into place. The dragon flapped, rising into the air before setting off for the country outside the academy.
"Direction"?
"Eh….I was in a hurry, so I didn't quite catch where they were going…." Tabitha sidled up to Sylphid's long neck, leaning as close as she could to the dragon's ears.
"Horse. Two riders, pink-hair and blue-coat. No eating."
– The Devil –
The town was the most rustic place Vergil had visited in all his life. The buildings were surprisingly modern-looking, with brick-and-mortar construction. The street they were now on, one of the premier shopping centers according to Louise, had stalls that took up more room on what Vergil felt was an already small street.
Louise led him to a specific store, one with a wooden sign in the shape of a sword hanging over its door. Entering found them in a small, somewhat dank shop with weapons of all kinds of spears, halberds, swords and whatnot hanging on the walls and even in barrels by the door. As he entered, Vergil felt…something….both familiar and strange…
"Ah hello customers! Oh, and nobles! Many greetings to you, fine lady and sir!" The proprieter, a small man with a large nose and needle-like moustaches that stuck out from his face like the whiskers of a rat, bowed deeply. He wore glasses, and what looked like some kind of cheap leather cap.
Once, long before Temen-ni-Gru, Vergil had dealt with a Greater Demon by the name of Vulgrim, a tusked, skeletal demon that served as a go-between and dealer for many of the factions of hell. This man felt even sleazier than him to Vergil's senses, and Vulgrim had haggled in human souls!
"We need a sword." Louise began, before looking at Vergil. Temporarily ignoring the strange feeling, the half-devil stepped forward.
"I require a blade, preferably an uchigatana, and little more than two shaku in length, with a modest curve." Vergil demanded simply. From the expressions of both the shop-keeper and Louise, he guessed Colbert's spell didn't quite cover Japanese. "Never mind." This country seemed to be this world's analogue of Medieval Europe, so he wasn't too surprised that its shop didn't have any daito. Vergil instead turned his attention back to his senses. He felt a presence….much like a Devil…but somehow not…Following it, he strode towards the barrel next to the door, it holding several ill-kept blades and polearms of various types. Vergil reached in, brushing aside several of the rusting weapons before his hand grasped a hilt. Drawing the blade up, Vergil found himself holding what appeared to be a falchion, about as long as Yamato had been, with a black back and a thin edge, with a crossbar that extend to about a fourth of the blade's length. The guard was modest, not like the ones of either Rebellion or Force Edge, only a little larger than Vergil's cherished blade. The grip was covered in a rough white cloth, providing a decent hold. All over the guard, blade and elsewhere was a layer of rust.
And as he held it, Vergil felt a twinge in his being.
"We'll take this." He proclaimed, to the askance view of both the shop's owner and Louise.
– The Zero –
"Why in the world would you want such an old and weak-looking sword?" Louise asked as they exited the store. "Actually, come to think of it, why do you need a sword at all when you can make those blades?"
"I normally used the Summoned Swords as throwaway ranged weapons." Vergil replied. "Keeping one to use as a personal blade taxes me."
"At least it was cheap." Louise grumbled.
"Which only shows that the fool did not know what he had in his keeping." Was the swordsman's comment. Louise simply huffed, and they continued towards the outskirts of town in silence. They had just reached the stables when suddenly, everything when black, the back of Vergil being the last sight Louise saw.
Later
It was the first time she'd gotten any sleep without some strange or disturbing nightmare, with a demonic taunting voice. And, also the first time she'd actually felt truly rested when woken. Yawning, Louise stretched – Or, tried to at any rate. Her arms were tied down by something, around a large and round object.
Louise's eyes snapped open, seeing a dusk-lit sky and the forest around the town. She was in a clearing, surrounded by dirty, rag-dressed men. And before her was a duo of plain-faced men, both with ragged and torn noble cloaks, their once-fine clothes dirty with dust and smudged with mud.
"Oh, doesn't she just sound the cutest?" One of the men, a red-head with a broken nose, said in a mocking tone.
"Hey! What is this! Release me this instant!" Louise ordered, a furious blush burning on her cheeks.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Replied the other, a dirty-blonde. "Just as soon as we get word to your parents and they pay up, Vallière."
"My parents won't stand for this!"
"I suppose they won't, but if they don't pay, then we'll just leave you here for the orcs." The red-head smirked, and chuckled. Louise yanked her arms, trying to free them. "Oh, that won't work. You see, Al here is quite good at bindings."
"You two! You're disowned, aren't you? Nobles that went and did something so foolish or shameful that your families didn't want to deal with you!"
"You bitch!" The red-haired on growled.
"Hold on Bran, she's just talking. And if we return her too roughed up, the Baron might not be so willing to pay."
"Hey Bosses! There's a dragon!" One of the men, probably some thieving commoner, ran up to them.
"Where?"
"Up there!" The man pointed towards the sky, an Louise could see the blue dragon that Tabitha had summoned. And then the commoner was pinned to the ground like a butterfly, by almost a dozen spectral blades.
"Vergil!" The blue-coated man fell from the sky, drawing his blade and swinging it straight down to slice another bandit in half. The rest were stunned for a moment, before they rushed him, clubs, daggers, knives, chains all coming out. Vergil didn't flinch as the first of the mob reached him, swinging an axe. Two slices shattered the axe and then beheaded the man, before he strode forward to meet the rest, the rusty blade swinging out again and again until it was drenched in the red sheen of blood.
"Damn you!" Bran cried, drawing his wand and incanting a spell and flourishing his wand at Vergil. A bolt of flame leaped forth, seeking to hungrily consume the swordsman. Louise watched helplessly as the flame drew close…only for Vergil to swing his new sword, batting the magic aside like it was another strike aimed at him. "What the-"
Al acted then, slashing his wand and incanting, sending a breeze of razor-sharp wind slicing at Vergil. As with Bran's spell, this was deflected, the wind breaking into a slight breeze. Now Vergil gestured, summoning the spiraling swords that he'd used in the duel with Guiche before pointing at Al. The ethereal weapons disappeared and reappeared behind Vergil, arrayed with their points aimed directly at the mage before firing faster than crossbow bolts. Only to shatter against a shielding gust Al summoned, the blades breaking into small pieces before dissolving.
And then Louise blinked – and Vergil was behind Al, stabbing him in the back until his sword was stuck halfway through the disowned noble's chest, his blood mingling with that of his men. Vergil wrenched the blade about and drew it back, letting Al's body fall to the ground.
"N-n-n-n-n-n-no please!" Bran cried, falling and crawling back as Vergil calmly advanced. "D-d-d-don't kill me! I'll do anything! Please!" He didn't get anything else out, as Vergil summoned a single sword that skewered his head to the earth. All was still, Vergil standing over the remains of his kills as Louise stared.
"Alright! Now that was a wake-up call!" The shrill, aged voice startled Louise, who glanced about until she noticed Vergil holding the sword up before him, a part of the hilt clacking up and down like a mouth. "You're good! Hey, my name's Derflinger!"
"Vergil."
"Vergil eh? Well, Vergil, you're my partner eh? I can tell, we're gonna have some fun times together!"
– The Author –
And now Derflinger joins the group. And is also the Stylish Rank Announcer. With a personality like Dante's. Vergil's gonna love him….
I was playing through DMC3 again; trying to get the hang of Vergil's fighting style, when I realized that it wasn't going to work. Derf's scabbard is too big to hold onto like Yamato's sheath, and I don't claim to be an expert, but I don't think Vergil could use his Iaido style with a backsword/falchion/whatever Derf is. So, I'll probably be taking more of his moves from the Force Edge/Rebellion movesets.
Ah well.
Review Replies:
pyromania101: I don't know about romance, neither of the Sparda twins seem really concerned with that…Sure, Dante has Lady and Trish hanging around, but Trish looks like his mother and it doesn't seem like he's scored with Lady. Vergil's been too concerned with power, and I don't think he's too concerned about it here. Eh, it didn't seem like Vergil would attack a guy when he's surrendered a duel…honor and bushido you know. I honestly hope this fic is the one that finally nets me a TV Tropes page, but time will tell…
Nivek Beldo: Thanks.
True….
Takeshi Yamato: That he did.
I'm glad.
I actually have a Gundam UC/Wing fic planned out, but since I am a little bogged down, I don't think it'll come out any time soon.
EVA-saiyajin: Hmm…true, true…
He was showing off to make a point. You see, I figure Vergil spent a lot of his time with demons and such, and most fiction seems to agree that demons and such respect strength, which Vergil would use to ensure they stay in line by slaughtering a few of them in the most gruesome and bloody way possible. He's applying that here to the golems, since he's trying on Dante's philosophy a bit, to ensure that the other student's don't get mess with him, or by extension, Louise.
Orchamus: Thanks for the help.
Infinite Freedom: Thanks.
Kojiro Kun: Vergil's thoughts: He's like Dante…but I'm hitting people with him….(Imagines using Dante to hit people)
Castelvania Writer: Thank you.
And as a parting gift, an alternative conclusion to the duel:
Guiche was still in shock over the casual destruction of his Valkyries when Vergil's free hand darted out and grabbed him by the collar, hoisting the fop high into the air, his feet dangling a good six inches from the ground.
"W-w-wait! I give up! Please don't kill me!" The blonde cried, dropping his rose-wand and gripping Vergil's arm in desperation. The Earth mage-student went on like that for a few seconds before Vergil sighed and lowered him until he was eye-to-eye.
"There are several reasons I'm not going to kill you." He told Guiche. "The least of them is your begging for your life, which will quickly become an enticement to remove your head unless you still that tongue of yours." Guiche shut up. "The main reason is that it would be a very tiresome chore to clean your blood off of this coat, and I prefer not to waste time attending to such matters." Vergil dropped Guiche, turning and striding away. The boy sat there for a moment before Vergil's sword shot past his head, embedding itself in the grass. "A final warning Guiche: Do not cross me." Vergil snapped his fingers, the blades all around exploding and scattering bits and pieces of the Bronze Valkyries all over. "That goes for all of you."
Knightmare Gundam of Ni