The Devil of Zero
Disclaimer: Neither The Familiar of Zero nor Devil May Cry belong to me.
The Skirmish
– The Zero –
Newcastle, Albion
Night
Louise couldn't help but gaze out the window of her room at the Albion Royalist's base, Newcastle. Outside, beyond the walls, she could barely make out the lights of the rebel army, made of torches, lanterns and Flame Light spells, just about evenly distributed around Newcastle, unlike when they had first arrived and the lights had been dancing around like maddened fireflies in the evening, around a foreboding area of pitch-black through which Louise and the others had entered Newcastle. Louise remembered what had been done to create that zone of darkness, as well as what happened previously.
Frost Demon Hunting Grounds
That Afternoon
The group moved quickly, surrounded on all sides while Vergil strode ahead with Gelus at his side. The Half-Devil and the Frost seemed to hit it off, what with how both were conversing quietly as they walked side-by-side. It had taken only a second for Vergil to accept Gelus' offer of allegiance, as well as the rest of the Frosts and Frost Wyverns, as they called themselves. Gelus had waved his clawed hand over his shield, and the emblem changed, the ice crackling like glass crushed underfoot, from the five-headed dragon that apparently symbolized Zima into a stylized V and S, with blades crossing over each to make an X-shape, the curved blade that Louise recognized as Vergil's blade starting from the V, and the claymore that was his father's from the S. Vergil nodded with approval when Gelus glanced to check before ordering him to gather all of the demons and get ready to march for Newcastle.
"These are all of the demons here." Gelus replied. The circle around the mages was comprised of about forty of Gelus' shorter, cruder descendants and maybe twelve of the Frost Wyverns.
"Very well." Vergil said. "Get them moving." Gelus nodded and then turned to start hissing at the Frosts and Wyverns. They still seemed reluctant to obey, although their gazes were notably switching between Vergil and the shattered remains of their four brethren who had tried to kill him. This lasted until Gelus flourished his claws, the five curving blades lengthening slightly and then returning to normal length, making an audible keening noise as they did so. That got them moving, satisfactorily so judging by Vergil's approving look. And just like that, they set off, the Frosts moving with a loping, lupine gait while the Wyverns' lithe movements were more like the dragons they were shaped like, feline in their stride. Sylphid and Wardes' griffin were made to walk as well, with Verdandi tunneling under and keeping up despite Louise's doubts when they started their mission.
It was about an hour into the journey before they were given an explanation why they weren't flying to Newcastle, and it was so obvious that Louise felt embarrassed she hadn't figured it out.
"We can't let the sentries of the army surrounding Newcastle to see us too soon." Vergil said, with Wales nodding despite himself. "We would lose the element of surprise, and they would be prepared to maul us the moment we came within range."
"Before we continue further," Wardes butted in rudely, grabbing Vergil by the shoulder. A smooth turn of the half-devil's head and a glare efficiently removed Wardes' hand, but failed to drive the Viscount off. "I have to ask, was that the Spear of Destruction you used against Zima?" Vergil glared hard at him before assuming a resigned look, his right hand stretching out and blood-red flames coming out of nowhere to coalesce into the fabled weapon. Louise noted the Frosts halt and take several steps away from Vergil suddenly, even Gelus slinking a short distance away.
"Hey! You said it was destroyed when you used it against Fouquet!" Louise exclaimed.
"Obviously, I lied." Vergil said with quite the caustic tone.
"B-but why!"
"First, because I doubt anyone who handled Abaddon would survive the experience for long," Vergil began, shaking the spear as he said that strange word, "And second, because I felt that it would be prudent to keep some secrets to myself, justifiably as it turns out." He ended with a pointed glare at Louise.
"I-if this is about me telling them-"
"You are only the second person in my entire life that I have informed as to my nature and history of my own volition Louise." Vergil interrupted, "Considering my unique ancestry, I thought that you would have the discretion to refrain from sharing it so freely without my express consent." Louise bowed her head at this quiet, but passionate tirade. "I. Trusted. You." Louise looked up in surprise and dread, before she gulped audibly at Vergil's stony expression. "I shall not make this mistake in the near future." He finished, before turning on his heel and moving forward again. "Move out. I want to get to Newcastle by dusk." The Spear dissolved into falling sparks and cinders as Vergil strode forth, the Frosts and Wyverns relaxing and moving with him.
Louise and the other Halkeginians stood, shocked still by the coldness in Vergil's voice as the rear elements of the Frosts moved around them, following their new Lord.
– The Devil –
"You may have laid it on a little too thick Partner." Derflinger commented quietly, sticking his hilt out from the sheath.
"Bah. The little mortal needs to learn her place." Zima rebutted, despite her only having had an hour to learn about Vergil's experiences and actions in Halkeginia from both Abaddon and Deflinger. "Spilling his secrets like that!"
"It is true that the girl shouldn't have just blurted out something as important as Sparda's nature like that." Abaddon allowed. "The blame, however, also lays with Young Sparda for telling her in the first place, dream-visions or no."
"Enough." Vergil muttered, too low for Gelus to hear. "The past is done. What we need to focus on now is penetrating the siege and entering Newcastle. Gelus." Vergil waved the Original Frost closer, barely noting as the mages started following him again. "Send the stealthiest of the Frosts ahead to scout. No killing."
"Aye my Lord." Gelus replied, before falling back and going around ordering the Frosts. Six of the reptilian demons moved quicker before evaporating and teleporting away.
It was a few more hours, the sun well on its way towards its western rest before the scouts reported back, a good thing as far as Vergil was concerned, because Guiche had started whining about half-an-hour ago, and the half-devil was starting to seriously consider finishing what he'd started in the duel.
The returned Frosts reported to Gelus instead of directly speaking to Vergil, something he didn't mind at all. It would be easier for him to delegate to Gelus, allowing him to focus on the big picture while Gelus issued the direct orders. Also, he wouldn't have to beat down every Frost he spoke to whenever he wanted something.
"My lord, the scouts report the castle ahead besieged. An army, several dozen ranks deep, surrounds it, with small lookout posts further out. Each lookout has a small group of soldiers, led by one of these 'mages'." As Gelus spoke, Vergil slowed his pace, letting the Halkeginians catch up.
:"Your input Wales?" Vergil asked the prince. The Crown Prince of Albion hesitated before throwing in his two cents.
"If they're following Albion military doctrine, then the lookouts are groups of common footsoldiers, mainly archers and the like, with a mage supporting. Usually, the preference is for wind mages that know farsight and distance speaking spells so they can keep an eye out and report back to their commander swiftly."
"I see. And if we eliminate the mages?"
"They'll use a runner."
"Too easy. Gelus."
"My Lord?"
"Send the scouts back out. This time, have them kill the look-outs. And tell the rest to get ready for combat."
"With pleasure."
– The Zero –
Dusk
In the hour that took them to the very edge of the besieging army, Louise had seen a change in the demons. The Frosts crouched lower in their stances, gaits growing longer and taking them farther away from the rest as the Wyverns took to the air. The reason for this was apparent.
They were going into battle.
"Is he insane!" Wardes demanded. "There's over ten thousand men here! He can't possibly expect to defeat them all!"
"Not all." Gelus hissed, unexpectedly appearing behind them and making pretty much all of them jump in surprise. "Merely enough to secure passage to the castle. With the element of surprise, it should prove little trouble to carve through the siege."
"Oh really?" Wardes had a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "And how does your master expect to get us into the castle?"
"That is for him to know, and you to find out." Gelus replied a bit smugly. "Wales will be necessary though. Now, best prepare your combat magics. The fight begins…now." Almost as if Gelus summoned them, screams of pain, terror and shock erupted from the small army ahead of them. Looking, Louise could see the pale figures of Frosts tearing through the rank-and-file soldiers, even as Wyverns skimmed through them, picking off whatever mages they found. The death they wrought was truly astonishing, as a single swipe of one Frost's claws could maim as many as four soldiers at once, and some of them preferred to hang back and fired barrages of razor-sharp icicles into the massed commoners. As she watched, one Frost leaped high into the air before crashing down and sending shards of ice shooting out to impale and freeze an entire squad of spearmen. Occasionally a Wyvern exhaled clouds of frost, turning swathes of the soldiers into little more than ice sculptures.
And yet, the devastation paled compared to the death Vergil sowed in his wake. Derflinger was out of his sheath, and Summoned Swords spiraled about the Son of Sparda's figure. Overkill was achieved with the gauntlets and boots that were made from the Devil Zima – something Louise was still coming to terms with – and every slash, punch or kicked from Vergil practically pulverized a soldier, either slicing them in two or crushing their armor into their chest cavity. The Halkeginians could only stand and gaze at the scene in mixed horror and astonishment. Blood was starting to pool, leaking freely from torn corpses and cooling around the feet of frozen men.
"Move." Gelus ordered, shoving Louise and Wales forward. A soldier ran away from the battle, wide-eyed and screaming. A flick of Gelus' talons eviscerated him, slashing the man from groin to sternum and spilling guts onto the ground. Louise actually retched a little, but thankfully didn't throw up as Gelus ushered his charges through the opening gap. Suddenly, Louise and the others were surrounded by the carnage, something created by a single man – no, a single Devil and a handful of Demons. Even as they moved forward, two Wyverns strafed the soldiers to either side of the group, creating a sort of corridor for them, preventing other soldiers from coming across their path even as a few Frosts slaughtered the last men in their path. Vergil awaited them, flicking Derflinger out and splattering the ground with the blood on the blade before sheathing it. As they reached him, he turned, smashing a fist into the castle wall. Ice traveled up the bricks, small handles forming in it as it went all the way to the top of the wall.
"You first Wales." Vergil ordered. The Prince didn't waste breath on complaints, grabbing onto the cold handholds and ascending as quickly as he could. Next in line, Wardes, scoffed and merely mounted his griffin. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Vergil warned.
"And why not?"
"Because a white griffin in a night sky is a pretty nice target for one of the jittery Royalist archers, now isn't it?" At that logic, Wardes grumbled and slid back off of his familiar before climbing.
"Ah, how are our familiars getting in?" Guiche asked.
"Verdandi can tunnel, can't she?" Vergil said. "Sylphid can fly, she doesn't stick out as much as Wardes' griffin, which can come up after Wales convinces the Royalists that he is himself. Now get up there." Trembling slightly at Vergil's tone, Guiche started climbing as well, rather clumsily though. However, when it came time for the girls to start climbing, they were surprised when Gelus scooped them all up, setting Louise and Tabitha on his large shoulders and Kirche around his neck before scrambling up the wall like a gecko. Looking back, Louise saw Vergil climbing so fast it seemed like he was running on all fours, the ice melting quickly behind him.
Reaching the wall ramparts, Louise saw Wales, Wardes and Guiche surrounded by soldiers bearing the regalia of the Albion Royalty. Wales was talking fast, which seemed to be all that was keeping them from impaling him and the others on spears. Somehow, Gelus deposited the girls without being noticed, even a Vergil vaulted over the wall's edge and landed right behind the soldiers. This, quite naturally, startled the soldiers, with the closest one stabbing at Vergil with his spear. Vergil quite simply redirected it with his hand so that instead of goring him in the stomach, it shot over his shoulder.
"I would like it if I could deliver your Crown Prince before you try and kill me."
Present
There had been…tension, to say the least, on the ramparts, at least until the seneschal was located and brought to truly recognize Wales and allow the soldiers to relax. Then it had been quite a bit of back-and-forth as they descended to be set upon by half the military leaders and tacticians in Newcastle, all wondering just how the hell they had managed to slaughter a good six hundred enemy soldiers and open a path to the castle. Vergil, fortunately, had an answer prepared in Tabitha, rather than revealing his secrets.
The most shocking event of the evening for Louise, however, had been when Wardes asked Wales to marry him and Louise in the castle chapel the next day.
– The Author –
It's short, and a bit of a cliff-hanger, but it's been awhile since I updated, and I've apparently started digging my grave deeper with yet another story.
Gods, I'm an idiot. At least I'm finally progressing with The Demon and The Dragon.
Review Replies:
VulpineSnow: I figured it was due time. We've had Fire with Ifrit (DMC1), Light with Beowulf (DMC3) and…weirdo, energy-flesh thing with Gilgamesh (DMC4) Why not ice?
I know, right?
pyromania101: There is a reason he can't, and that will become clear in future chapters…
By now, they're wishing they wore brown pants. Or brought a spare diaper for Guiche.
Takeshi Yamato: Oh yes, I'll be introducing a new segment later.
Orchamus: Kirche is a bit…lustful.
Heh, it's only going to get even more crowded.
Kojiro Kun: Thank you.
Really? I thought it was rather brief and undescriptive…
Not really, just Devils and Demons.
drake202: Thank you.
All will be revealed in time…or you could go bug Velshard.
code R.R.: That's a good point.
RoyalTwinFangs: Thank you, and sure.
LegendaryGamer: Thank you.
Mmmm…not quite.
Lunatic Pandora1: …the who-what-now?
With great scorn.
Imperial Warlord: Thank you.
bakapervert: You're welcome.
Havenoname: Thanks.
…there is a pattern, isn't there?
Alternate Rouge: Thanks.
Sorry, but if I make them too long, I lose attention…and this way I update a little faster.
Knightmare Gundam of Ni