"Dante."

"Hmm?"

"Did you buy pizzas for your breakfast?" Nero asked while holding one of the pizza boxes. Dante was watching a good action series and he didn't bother turning around to the asking teen.

"Yeah, I just did. How did you know?" He asked back. Nero's eyes rolled back to the kitchen, where there are piles of pizza boxes lying on the ground.

"They are messing on the kitchen's floor. Couldn't you just cook your meal?" He answered. He was getting irritated by the growing pizza mess in the house they're just borrowing for a while.

"I'm too lazy to do that." The elder hunter answered. Nero's irritation grew more.

"You can call Anima to cook." Nero replied. Just in time that Anima went downstairs holding a football with a big smile plastered in her face. She ran towards Dante and hugged him from behind.

"Uncle Dante." Her pitch is high, indicating that she's happy and someone had promised her something. Obviously, it was Dante. "You said we're going to play foot ball today."

"Nah, I didn't told you anything." Dante lied. He was fully aware that he did said that. Anima, knowing that he just doesn't want to play, she frowned.

"You're unfair!" Anima slapped Dante's shoulder hardly that made the other one yelped in pain. Dante rubbed the slapped part and eyed the frowning teen. Nero, feeling that he should do something, he called Anima. The rainbow-haired soul walked towards her with a sad face.

"Hey, you've got to put up a smile, you know." Nero comforted, gently smiling at Anima and pet her head. Anima slowly cracked up a smile that made Nero felt accomplished.

"Help me in meal and I'll play with you after we have eaten, deal?" Nero assured. Anima nodded happily and followed the white-haired hunter to the kitchen.

OoOoOoOoO

Anima was watching the young hunter slice the leeks while waiting for the water to boil. She began to wonder how Nero comes to live with the terms of cooking with the Devil Bringer of his. Knowing that she's not going to get any answers from questioning herself, she picked up her courage to ask Nero about that.

"Big brother Nero." She called his attention. She could probably just call Nero his first name but, oh well.

The hunter stopped chopping for a while and look at Anima's direction with enthusiasm in his eyes. He was getting used with the constant asking of the ghost to him and to be honest, he would mostly find it weird, but amazing at the same time for the reason that the girl is actually thinking "outside of the box".

"Yes, little sister Anima?" He mimicked Anima's tone when she's calling him that made the girl giggled softly, she was finding Nero's mimicking at her really stupid. She's well aware that the hunter was exaggerating in a joking way. (I remember that time where Nero is mocking Agnus and it was really insulting, considering I thought Agnus is the psychotic side of me. Hahahaha)

"I was wondering how did you learned to cook with that..." She had forgotten that it was called "Devil Bringer" out of overthinking her question is stupid. Nero looked down and eyed the Devil Bringer of his.

"I-I mean, is it hard to cook with that? Or is it bugging you?" Anima asked curiously. Nero laughed quietly; it was going to be the best question he had ever received when it comes to his Devil Bringer. He closed and opened the fist of his Devil Bringer before he's going to start explaining.

"You see, it's actually pretty helpful." He answered. Anima's curiosity rose up. She sat straight up and listened eagerly to the hunter.

"How, Nero? Please, tell me! Tell me!" Anima replied excitedly. Nero opened his mouth and was about to say something when a voice trailed coming from the doorway of the kitchen. Lucy was wearing guy's clothes that made Anima's jaw dropped and Nero's eyes locked at his clothing. Lucy felt uncomfortable.

"What?" He asked them. Their senses got back when they heard the water boiled. Anima cussed quietly and rushed towards the water to lower the fire down. Lucy walked towards them and held a kitchen knife.

"You're not sick, aren't you?" Nero asked with a slight hint of teasing. Lucy was wearing a black and brown patterned hoodie cloak and black pants with a white, gothic polo inside. He was barefooted. Lucy shrugged as an answer to Nero's question.

"I suddenly missed the hell world." He replied and folded the sleeve and buttoned it. "It's my princey uniform and I seldom wear this piece."

"Except for the parties in hell, right?" Anima butt in, putting the pork in the boiling water. Lucy turned to her direction and shot a sarcastic smile at the girl. It was making him regret that he had told Anima about those times he has to wear it.

"You've got to be careful in putting that." Nero said. Lucy softly cleared his throat.

"Well, since you guys sound happy," He smiled at Nero. "Can I join?"

Nero smiled and shook his head. "Join the party, Prince Lucy."

With that, Lucy walked towards Anima and helped the girl. They kept on cooking the food until they have prepared the whole table to eat. While cooking, Anima was amazed at how helpful the Devil Bringer is. Lucy was not taking the food preparation seriously and he accidentally cut his fingers while peeling the potato skin off to which Anima immediately tendered the wounds.

"Cooking requires full attention and heart, Lucy!" Anima started lecturing the prince. Lucy grinned and shook his head. "If you want it to be tasty and delicious, you have to put all of your love to your cooking! It should not be brash or anything. It should not be taken lightly for it is a hard job!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Lucy unenthusiastically answered.

"Hey, Lucy. Could you wash the dishes later?" Nero asked, holding two more plates to place down on the table.

"Don't blame me if I break the plates down." Lucy replied, waving his hand on his face.

OoOoOoOoO

Nero and Anima played soccer at the green backyard at the house that they're staying. The place is specifically designed for outdoor games and the bushes seem to act like a border between the backyard and the forest. It's pretty okay since the place can't be seen from behind of the house and the place is wide enough to play with. They were both chasing for the ball and the score is 3-1, leading Nero. He had told himself he should not let Anima win or surely, the older bastard will tease him about it.

Nero accidentally kicked the ball with too much power, making it fly to some unknown place behind the trees.

"I'll take it!" Anima volunteered and ran to the forest to get the ball. Nero followed her with his eyes. When Anima was out of his sight, few seconds later, his Devil bringer began to glow faintly. His eyes widened, his heart start to pump faster because of worry.

"Shit..." he mumbled to himself as he dashed hurryingly to chase Anima.

OoOoOoOoO

Anima looked around the place, looking for the ball. As soon as she found it, she ran towards it and picked it up.

"Gotcha!" She mumbled. Suddenly, Anima heard a growl. Her spine is tingling from fear and her body hair started to rise. Her heart stopped, seeing a hungry pack of demons in front of her.

There was no time to think, she screamed at the top of her lungs and ran away back to the house. She was being chased down by the demons.

Her scream was heard by Nero. Nero looked around, finding Anima. His devil bringer is glowing brightly than the first one, knowing the demons are near, he didn't waste any time and let his devil bringer guide him.

Anima kept on running, desperately hoping that the demons will leave her. Not knowing her way, she accidentally tripped over a boulder, causing her to fall and let go of the soccer ball. Anima hurriedly stood up and picked up the soccer ball, but it was too late to run, a demon jumped over her and just in time Nero saw her.

"Anima!" Nero used his devil bringer to throw the demon that was about to eat the soul. He ran towards the soul and stand behind of her. His eyes were burning with anger to the demons.

"You bastards..." His devil bringer started grabbing the demons and throwing them off to the air. The job could be done pretty quickly if he had only brought his beloved Red Queen with him. Blue Rose and Devil Bringer is a good combination anyway. It shouldn't matter for now, he have to kill the demons in front of him, pouring out all the anger he has to the demons for hunting the soul. After he killed a number, he pulled Anima and ran back to the backyard where he killed the remaining demons. After that, Nero turned around and kneeled to check on Anima. His eyes were full of worry as he's caressing the soul's face. Anima is shaking badly and sobbing because of fear.

"Anima..." Nero comforted the young soul. "Everything's fine now. They're not going to hunt you anymore..."

Anima responded with a tight hug, still crying, but she had calmed down a little. Nero hugged Anima back, soothing the fear that Anima felt. His Devil Bringer is still glowing faintly; he looked around, knowing that he had killed all the demons that followed them. In an instant, the thought hit him.

"The city..." He muttered, he pulled Anima and went back to the house.

OoOoOoOoO

Nero and Anima rushed back to the house, finding Dante taking his Ebony and Ivory to their holster and bringing Rebellion with him.

"Kid, the whole place is swarming with demons." Dante informed, not even looking at them.

"I know." Nero replied. "But, please, Anima's scared right now and I don't know how to stop it."

Dante paused, and turned around to them. He stared at Nero's eyes.

"Why? What happened?" He asked. He ran towards the soul and carried it.

"We've been chased down by the demons while we're playing." Nero answered, seeing how worried Dante is to the soul.

"Oh God..." Dante muttered. Anima is like his little sister that he never had, and he was very fond of her.

"You're safe now, Anima..." Dante comforted. Anima became a little calm and her sobs turned into soft cries. "It's okay, we'll take care of everything. We're not going to let demons get you, okay?"

"What's going on here?" Lucy asked. He's holding his Silver Slayers and cautiously walked towards the scene. "What happened to Anima?"

"It's okay now, Lucy. You don't have to worry." Dante answered and placed down the soul to the couch.

"Come on, the demons are swarming outside. We've got to hurry." Nero said as he ran out.

OoOoOoOoO

They could see people running for their lives as the whole place was being attacked by the demons. The children are crying as their parents are trying to coo them. If they don't work right now, the whole place will be a wreck.

"Nero, you'll be at the shopping street and help the people evacuate. Dante, you'll protect the residential area and tell the people to stay inside. I'll be on the town square and destroy the center of this." Lucy ordered. They immediately proceed in doing their tasks. Nero didn't have that hard time evacuating the people but, keeping the demons at bay is what he found troublesome.

"Damn you, you bastards!" He yelled. He then, pour out all the remaining anger he has towards the demon for the soul, not letting any single one live in his sight. It's as if his revenge for the demons messing up their little sports.

Dante doesn't have any problem with keeping demons at bay. However, it's as if his anger was stirred when looking at them as he remembers the crying face of the soul.

"You're going to get the best damn nightmare from me." Dante told them coldly. He leaped high and proceeded in torturing the demons, wounding them badly and not killing them immediately, and as if he's having fun playing with their lives. He wants to laugh sadistically as he hears those making pained moans and seeing them wanting to die instead of living with such pain.

"May you all live peacefully back in hell." He whispered to himself before he shoots them using his guns.

Lucy managed to make his way through the hordes of demons stopping him from his goal. As soon as he reached the heart, he jumped and prepared to bury his sword on the beating giant egg-shaped organism. As soon as he did it, he felt suddenly constricted, he can't breathe. His vision blurred and he was gasping for air. There was a person who walked towards Lucy. His senses were starting to numb because of the asphyxiation at some sort, but he can smell the scent faintly and he never falters to know who it is.

"S-Sama-" He was completely cut off by the need of air and he heard the man chuckled.

"Oh, my dear. Having trouble breathing?" He asked, a kind of sadism that Lucius hates. Lucy's eyes were starting to close. Samael kneeled down and chuckled at the poor boy's situation.

"I would want to abduct you by myself, dear. But..." Samael whispered at him. "I would like someone to do it for me."

Lucy couldn't hear the words he mouthed. His consciousness is growing numb. He tried to reach his hands to hold on Samael to ask more questions about what he is talking about with his shaky hands, but he lost his consciousness.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

"Hey, Lucius."

Lucy slowly opened his eyes, hearing the elder's voice calling out for him. Dante and Nero were watching him as Anima got out of the kitchen holding a small basin with a towel dipped in it. He slowly sat down, groaning at the headache.

"You okay?" Nero asked. Anima handed the prince a wet towel to put it on his forehead.

"It's Samael." He answered. His blood boiled as soon as he mentioned his name. Nero and Dante were confused, but Anima's eyes widened.

"Lu-Lucy... You mean—"

"Yes, Anima, he's back." He cut off. "And I'm afraid of the idea he's working with Argosax."

"Who's... Samael?" Nero asked, unsure if he had pronounced the name correctly.

"He saved my life before... unfortunately..." Lucy's teeth gritted as he remembered the moment. Anima decided it would be the best option for now if she tells the whole story to the two white-haired hunters.

"You see, Samael is... Mundus' right hand at some sort." Anima said, trying to find the right words to say. "Lucy told me that the man has been a follower of Argosax before Mundus became the king of hell. I don't really get it why would he work with Mundus if he's a follower of the past lord of hell."

"He's spying." Lucy accused. "I knew it. He's not someone I shouldn't have trusted. Fucking damn it."

"Hey, hey, Lucy." Dante cooled off Lucy's head by putting the wet towel on the teen's forehead. "Calm down, we'll continue the storytelling after you've cooled your head."

"Whatever, I'm going to Leon's room." The boy stood up and did what he just said. Nero sat down on the couch and told Anima to stay in the attic for a while. He exhaustedly sighed.

"Tired of this, kid?" Dante snickered. Nero rolled his eyes.

"God, shut up." Nero snapped. "I hope someone would sew your mouth just like those marionette dolls."

"That's quite mean." Dante sat beside him. "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"I feel sorry for you."

Nero turned to him, surprised on what he just said.

"What?"

"You're pulled in this mess, Nero." Dante answered, his tone seems to be sad. "You're not supposed to be here. You have no connection with Mundus or anything. I have a business with him, and you know that. Lucy's life is tied up with this. Why would you still stay? You could... Ugh..."

Nero's forehead crinkle as his eyes eyed the hunter with amusement and questioning. He had no idea why Dante would ask shit like that.

"I just want to be here." Nero replied. "I would rather stay in this shit you guys are tied up than staying my ass in Fortuna."

"Nero-"

"Dante, why are you asking things like this?" Nero continued. "This is unlike you."

"Do you mean I don't have the right to do so?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying. It's just that..." Nero let out a sigh. "You guys are like my family now, okay? We're all in this shitty business."

"I was just worr—ugh..." Dante stood up, not finishing his statement to go upstairs. Nero was intrigued by his actions and wonders what the last statement Dante wants to say.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Author's note: I'm dead *shot*. I feel like everybody's so OOC... Gawrsh, I'm awful...

I am so sorry guys for not updating for so long! I was tied up with school works (There's too many projects, grr!)

I hope you enjoy this update, everybody! ^_^