This is the final chapter of the Halloween-themed matchups. And finishing it off is Nero vs Hellboy. Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry or Hellboy. Devil May Cry is owned by Hideki Kamiya and Capcom. Hellboy is owned by Mike Mignola and Dark Horse Comics.
Azure: Two half-human and half-demon devil hunters who wield powerful revolvers, swords, and a prosthetic right hand due to their fathers removing their natural arm.
-Line Break-
Bryant: Demons. They're the scourge of humanity, the beings of chaos, the spawn of hell. However, some demons can actually end up being protectors of the innocent with a touch of humanity.
Thea: Especially if their dads decide to rip off their arms! Like seriously, did they think that their kids would love them for that?
Bryant: Nero, the Heir to Power.
Thea: And Hellboy, the Heir to Hell!
Bryant: I'm Bryant Reese.
Thea: And I'm Thea Price.
Bryant: And we're here to analyze these two fighters and find out who would win, a WI Battle!
-Line Break-
Bryant: Years ago, the Demon World was ruled by the Prince of Darkness Mundus. Challenged by few, he served as one of history's most dangerous demonic beings.
Thea: But his right-hand demon at the time decided that enough was enough when Mundus tried to take over the Human World too.
Bryant: Sparda, known as the Legendary Dark Knight.
Thea: Eat your heart out Batman.
Bryant: Sparda separated the Demon World from the Human World, and sealed both it and his own demonic power away. But not before having a wife and two children.
Thea: Vergil and Dante, a pair of biggest badasses you've ever seen. These two were the Yin and Yang, and were opposites in a lot of ways. Vergil eventually decided that he wanted to be Evil Badass Tetsuo and started wearing his hair slicked back. Oh, and he tried to obtain the most power in the world. But then Dante came along and managed to stop him in one of the most badass games of all time!
Bryant: Vergil was defeated, and trapped within the Demon World before being turned into the pawn of Mundus, forcing Dante to permanently kill his twin brother.
Thea: Sure he did.
Bryant: Dante was understandably upset, and became a mere shadow of his former self.
Thea: Just look at Devil May Cry 2.
Bryant: But light would soon return to his life, when he realized that he wasn't as alone as he thought, as his brother had unknowingly left behind his legacy. The third heir to Sparda, Nero.
Nero:
-Age: Mid-20s
-Height: 6'2
-Species: Part-Demon
-Occupation: Demon Hunter
-Has a foul mouth
-Son of Vergil
-Left-handed
Thea: Big sword, big gun, white hair, badass looks. This guy's got Anime Protagonist written all over him.
Bryant: Nero was left in an Orphanage in the City of Fortuna and was raised by a small family there. He grew up alongside his friends, Credo and Kyrie. But he was often bullied and mocked for his status as an orphan.
Thea: Considering that everyone seemed to think that his mom was a prostitute, it's no surprise that Nero's got a temper and a dirty mouth.
Bryant: Alongside Credo, Nero joined the Order of the Sword, a religious group which celebrated Sparda. He eventually became a Holy Knight, though he didn't quite believe the same thing they did and was often a lone wolf. But despite his lonesome nature, Nero was rather close to Kyrie.
Thea: One day, he went to Kyrie's singing recital. It promised to be a very, very boring sermon. But then Dante came in, killed a hoe, killed some more hoes, looked at Kyrie, got drop-kicked by Nero for looking at his girl, and fought Nero.
Bryant: After this humiliation, Nero was sent by the Order to hunt down Dante. Along the way, he was met with a variety of different demons, all of whom he had to take on.
Thea: Not a problem for Nero, since he's got quite an arsenal.
Abilities/Arsenal:
-Superhuman abilities
-Healing factor
-Red Queen
-Blue Rose
-Devil Breaker
=Wire Snatch
=Break Away
=Break Age
=Variations:
==Overture
==Gerbera
==Punch Line
==Buster Arm
==Ragtime
==Tomboy
==Helter Skelter
==Rawhide
Bryant: Nero is equipped with his favorite pistol, Blue Rose.
Thea: This beautiful piece of art is a modified Smith & Wesson Model 500. It's got unlimited ammo and a double barrel. It fires one bullet to break armor and a second bullet for what's under that. It can also be charged up with demonic power for some extra strong shots. And if he charges up long enough, the damage you get from it becomes a time bomb which blows up!
Bryant: For melee combat, Nero wields the Red Queen. The Red Queen is based off of the German blade known as the Great Knife.
Thea: Knife? That's mad disrespect to the Red Queen. This is a badass sword with a freakin' motorcycle engine in it. If he revs it up, it gets covered in flames!
Bryant: That is Red Queen's Exceed functions, which drastically increases Nero's strikes. And there have been times when the sword has actually been able to propel Nero across the ground or through the air.
Thea: Nero's fighting style is made flashy and aggressive, using Blue Rose to leave his enemies open for attacks from Red Queen.
Bryant: Both weapons proved to be useful in his battle against demons and Dante, though he quickly learned that the Order of Sword was actually responsible for all the demons, and were trying to use the power of Sparda to rule the world and become God.
Thea: Typical DMC villain stuff. Except for Vergil. He just wants power cause he thinks he deserves it due to who daddy is. Anyway, Nero decided that his job as a Holy Knight is to protect the people, even if he had to go against the people he once called family. Even when it meant going up against a giant statue! Which he killed with his Devil Bringer!
Bryant: A demonic right-arm, which can send opponents flying, act as a grappling hook, or slamming demons down with an ethereal hand. A symbol of his demonic heritage.
Thea: Who doesn't love it when a son gets something from their dad? Apparently Vergil! Cause he just ripped that thing off! And then he stabbed himself and became two people.
Bryant: Understandably upset, Nero joined Dante's hunt against Vergil's demonic half, Urizen.
Thea: But the only thing he managed to do was get called a deadweight. Oof. That's not something you want to hear.
Bryant: Fortunately, Nero had met someone named Nico, the daughter of a brilliant scientist. Insane and a disgrace of one, but brilliant.
Thea: She gave him a metal arm called the Devil Breaker, which has a bunch of different forms and abilities.
Bryant: All Devil Breakers can be either blown up as an evasion as Break Away or overcharged to unleash the full potential of their abilities as Break Age, though the latter sacrifices it completely, resulting in Nero having to replace it.
Thea: Wait, so he blows it up, but it just helps him evade, but him overcharging it means he has to throw it away? That's kinda backwards.
Bryant: Nero's original Devil Breaker is the Overture. This weapon allows him to attack with electric attacks from his palm, and should he use Break Age with it, he can turn it into a bomb which attaches to his opponent.
Thea: My favorite Devil Breaker is Punch Line! He can fire it like a missile or ride it like a hoverboard. And its Break Age sends its opponent flying into the sky with the arm.
Bryant: Gerbera is a useful arm due to its ability to generate shockwaves that can launch Nero. Its Break Age allows it to fire a large laser, which can destroy most demons.
Thea: He's got a couple more, but they all have the same common abilities, like grappling hooks that can yank him or smaller enemies around.
Bryant: But Nero's most useful Breaker is arguably Ragtime. This arm can create a bubble in which time is slowed down to a crawl. And should he use Break Age, he can stop time all around him.
Thea: Za, Warudo!
Bryant: These are all incredible weapons. It has inspired me to try to make my own version of the Devil Breakers. Hey Thea, hold out your hand.
Thea: You're not cutting off my hand Bryant.
Bryant: Darn.
Thea: Nero also carries multiple Busters at a time, and can use each one multiple times as long as he doesn't use Break Age. So basically, he's never out of weapons.
Bryant: But Nero is more than just weapons. As the son of Vergil, Nero possesses superhuman strength, speed, and durability.
Thea: And he uses these abilities for wrestling moves! My man.
Bryant: Wrestling's fake.
Thea: Oh you son of a-
Bryant: Nero's fighting-style for hand-to-hand combat-
Thea: *cuts in* actually uses elements of wrestling, dirty boxing, and Muay Thai, allowing Nero to fight as aggressively as he wants. He slams his foes down, dropkicks them in the face, and even puts giant demons in armbars before killin' them.
Bryant: And should he take damage, he can heal with a healing factor which rivals his dad and uncle.
Thea: That means he can tank a giant sword being stabbed through him and just get back up! Cause that's what happened to him. Or get cut in half and heal before he can fall apart. Cause that happened to his dad.
Bryant: It's worth noting that it appears that his healing factor is purely repairing damage, not regenerating, as he did not regrow his arm when it was torn off.
Thea: Well, not in the normal way.
Devil Trigger:
-Nero takes on a more demonic form
-Enhances Base Abilities
-Regains Devil Bringer abilities
-Grants two arm-like wings
=Can use these wings even in human form
-Grants a spectral Yamato
Bryant: Nero never knew who his father was, and learning the truth tore his world apart. But after discovering his true heritage, and feeling determined to prevent the death of his family, Nero was able to access his true potential, regrow his severed arm, and unlock his true Devil Trigger.
Thea: I mean, he had one before, but then Vergil ripped his arm off, causing him to lose most of his cooler demon powers, including the Devil Trigger he had before, which created a specter that fought with him. But this one is a lot cooler than a bootleg JoJo reference.
Bryant: Dante and Vergil both obtained their own Sin Devil Triggers, which were much more powerful than they were normally. And yet, Nero's True Devil Trigger proved to be powerful enough to match either one in single combat. Not only does it allow him to use a spectral version of his father's sword, Yamato, but it also grants him two spectral arms that double as wings, which grants him the power of flight. These arms can add to his normal sword swings, and can be used even in his human form.
Thea: So his dad tore off his kid's arm, only to get his ass beat by four arms? Talk about full circle. Speaking of which, Nero was able to create a human-looking arm that can be used like his original Devil Bringer, or turn into energy to be replaced with a Devil Breaker, letting him swap between either whenever he wants.
Bryant: It's quite thematic that his more demonic kin is contrasted by a nearly angelic Nero. Nero has a bigger connection to his human side than his family, and he had had enough of their conflict.
Thea: And when Nero tells you to do something, you better listen to him.
Achievements:
-Dodge point-blank bullets
-Defeated demons with one arm
-Put out a burning town with a swing of his sword
-Crushed the Savior's face hard enough to create a massive shockwave
-Defeated Sanctus, Credo, the Savior, etc
-Matched Dante and Vergil in battle
Thea: He's defeated Sanctus, Credo, Berial, Echidna, and Bael, which are all real big threats in their own rights. Hell, Sanctus was being powered by a giant demon statue and the sword of Sparda, and still lost.
Bryant: The sword of Sparda actually hosts the power of Sparda, who we talked about before.
Thea: He's also able to keep up with his dad and uncle in a one-on-one fight. And those guys are crazy in their own rights.
Bryant: Both Nero and Dante were fast enough to keep up with a demon known as a Blitz. This demon was stated to be the embodiment of lightning, meaning that Dante and Nero are capable of reaching speeds around Mach 286. Dante was also fast enough to react to Nefasturris' laser attacks, which were specifically stated to be lasers. Given that Nero was able to keep pace with Dante, this means he should also have a similar level of speed.
Thea: More than fast enough to do those flashy DMC moves and combos. But we're not done talking about Dante just yet. In DMC 2, Argosax was able to move the moon to make a solar eclipse. And Dante made him look like a chump!
Bryant: Dante was able to do this, even without his Devil Trigger. This is important, as Dante later fought Urizen, who completely outclassed Dante's Devil Trigger, but Nero was later able to hurt Urizen, which Dante couldn't even come close to doing.
Thea: And later, Dante got the way stronger Sin Devil Trigger, and he was on par with Urizen after he ate a special fruit that made him even stronger! And Urizen later became Vergil again, who was on the same level as Dante. And Nero in his Devil Trigger was able to beat Vergil's shiny new Sin Devil Trigger.
Bryant: TL;DR? Nero's full potential is leagues above Argosax.
Thea: Nero's one freakin' badass. And there are some people who say that Nero is on a universal level of power!
Bryant: There have been relatively solid arguments of such a level of power, but it's one that is still debatable through the fanbase. One argument against this is that in Devil May Cry 5, Vergil stated that to sever the bond between the Human World and the Demon World, they needed to use the Yamato. The same katana that was used to accomplish this feat over forty years prior.
Thea: Vergil's words specifically called out the Yamato to be what was needed to seal the worlds. If these two really were on a universal level, then they wouldn't have needed the Yamato specifically. And the Yamato has been classified to be capable of these feats, and has even been used as a sort of key between the Human and Demon worlds.
Bryant: While this may not be the biggest debunker of universal arguments, it's the reason why we're going with the lower level of power that we currently are.
Thea: Nero's still badass, even if we don't go for the universal levels. But he's not a perfect warrior.
Weaknesses:
-Bad temper
-Cocky attitude
-Since weapons aren't Devil Arms, they're not as powerful as Dante's
-His attacks can be interrupted
-Healing factor has a limit
Thea: Like all the hybrid demons, he's got a cocky attitude. Nero rarely takes things seriously, and sees demons as a hobby more than a job. This leads to him being in some serious sh*t more often than not. And his ass needed to be saved multiple times.
Bryant: If his cocky attitude didn't lead him to such situations, it's his bad temper. Being raised by an orphanage would lead to such a temper.
Thea: Nero is the youngest and easiest to piss off out of the three hybrid demon hunters. This led to him being in trouble multiple times, so he's easy to manipulate. Which is a bad thing since his healing factor isn't perfect. He once almost died when his healing factor burned out after a fight with Agnus.
Bryant: On top of that, his weapons were all made by regular people, using limited knowledge on demons. As a result, his weapons are weaker than the weapons that Dante possesses, as those were made by actual demons.
Thea: But if we're talking weapon weakness, if he gets interrupted while using a Devil Breaker's Ability, it breaks. Yeah, despite being pretty badass, they're pretty fragile. Guess that's why they're called Devil Breakers.
Bryant: However, this hasn't stopped Nero even once. Even in the most impossible of situations, he's never stopped moving forwards. And even against the most titanic of beings, Nero has never once stopped fighting. He may not seem like such at first, but he is the heir to ultimate power. The Human World can rest easy knowing that Nero is on job.
(Nero) You got a messed up notion of fair play pal. And it's beginning to piss me off.
-Line Break-
Bryant: Azzael. A powerful demon, worshiped as a god by witches in the towns Lancashire, Abbotsbury, East Bromwich, and Faversham. One of the Dukes of Hell in the House of the Fly.
Thea: Okay, that was sounding badass until you said that he was a Duke in the House of Flies.
Bryant: Azzael was a powerful warrior, one who governed the witches of Lancashire and Abbotsbury. In the year 1574, he broke the demonic law and laid in bed with Sarah Hughes, an English Witch.
Thea: And, he, doesn't mean regular laying in bed.
Bryant: In the year 1617, Sarah attempted to break Azzael's claim by laying in a coffin, chained and watched over by her human children. If they could keep her for three nights, the demon's claim to her existence would be broken, and she would die free of the demon's influence.
Thea: And then Azzael broke in, and just killed them. Great job there kids. Ten out of ten job, totally would hire them for security. And then he hung Sarah on a hook and rode off into Hell, cut off the arm of his kid when he was born after his wife died, before sending the baby away and being frozen in ice. Gotta say, this guy's kinda hardcore.
Bryant: The baby wouldn't be discovered until the night of December 23, 1944, when the evil mystic Grigori Rasputin summoned Hellboy to Earth with the help of the Third Reich.
Thea: But someone must've screwed up, cause the baby appeared in a churchyard in England where he was found by American Soldiers. Wait, how did that even happen?
Bryant: This baby was Anung Un Rama. But as he grew up, he was more often recognized by his other name. Hellboy.
Hellboy:
-Age: 441
-Height: 6'11
-Species: Part-Demon
-Occupation: B.P.R.D field agent
-Better at throwing his guns
-Son of Azzael
-Ambidextrous
Bryant: Hellboy was taken to an air force base in New Mexico, where he grew up under the eye of Trevor Bruttenholm.
Thea: He was a pretty normal kid. Playing with dogs, and saying that he doesn't like a certain kind of food just because he didn't have it before. Reminds me of when I had my first hot dog. I still don't like them though.
Bryant: You just need Italian sausage instead of dog meat.
Thea: Dog meat?!
Bryant: Hellboy's body aged faster than his mind though, and at the age of eight, he joined the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense as a full time paranormal investigator. In the years following World War II, he traveled the world, defeating supernatural beings and taking on the remaining Nazis still researching the paranormal. For most of his life, this was the normal for him.
Thea: He did missions ranging from fighting cosmic monsters, mutant apes, and, frogs?
Bryant: But Hellboy was anything but normal. Rasputin may have summoned Hellboy working with the Third Reich, but he knew that Germany wouldn't win the war. He instead hoped to use Hellboy to jump-start the apocalypse in hopes of bringing about a new Eden, a garden of paradise found in the Bible.
Thea: Why do a lot of evil demonic sorcerors also happen to go to Bible Study? Not giving us a good name.
Bryant: Well, the Bible does describe a bunch of demons and sorcerers inside. And where's the light, there's often to be shadows.
Thea: Wait, since we believe in the Bible, that means we also believe in magic and sorcerers! There were a bunch of those in the Bible!
Bryant: Leave it for Sunday School Thea. Rasputin planned to use Hellboy to free his demonic followers and set them free on the Earth.
Thea: But Hellboy was raised to be a good boy, so he was like, "Screw that." He helped kill Rasputin, and his weird demon that is just fetish fodder for Rule 34, I regret everything for saying that, and delayed the apocalypse. And he just kept fighting the good fight.
Bryant: And he could do just that with his notable arsenal.
Abilities/Arsenal:
-Superhuman abilities
-Accelerated healing
-Big Baby
=Massive six round gun
=Fires small rockets
-The Good Samaritan
=Massive four round revolver
=Whoppers
=Tracker Rounds
==Marks targets with phosphorescence green liquid
-Excalibur
=Yes, that Excalibur
-Right Hand of Doom
=Made of a powerful red stone
=Completely indestructible
=Unable to feel pain
Thea: If you pissed him off, you woke up the baby! And it's got a pair of lungs. And some spitters.
Bryant: … The Big Baby is a massive six round gun which can be considered to be the combination of a revolver and a rocket launcher. It can fire six small rockets before running out, making it a rather dangerous and powerful weapon. Its rounds can also be considered to be shotgun rounds, and it was powerful enough to defeat the Forest God.
Thea: He's also got the Good Samaritan. A four round hand-cannon with weapons specifically designed to kill the supernatural. But with silver, holy water, magic white oak, and garlic in his bullets, we all know that these were made with vampires in mind.
Bryant: It also has tracker rounds, which marks its targets with glowing green liquid, allowing for simple tracking.
Thea: On top of that, he's got Excalibur. Like, the actual Excalibur from the stone. From Arthur. King Arthur.
Bryant: Actually the sword in the stone and Excalibur are two different swords. The sword that was Excalibur was forged in a separate realm of existence, and was given to Arthur later, by-
Thea: Shut up nerd, it's cooler like this.
Bryant: Debatable.
Thea: Excalibur is a sword that actually looks similar to a Roman Gladius based on the lack of a crossguard despite being a two-sided sword. Hellboy only used this for a small period of time, but the fact that he was able to pull it out proves that he's worthy of using it.
Bryant: But Hellboy's signature weapon is his own arm. Aka, the Right Hand of Doom.
Thea: The name is lame.
Bryant: The Hand is crafted from a special red stone, forged by his father and attached to his arm. It's completely indestructible, meaning that it makes for an excellent means of defense and offense. And due to being a prosthetic made of stone, it lacks nerves. Which means that Hellboy can't feel any pain in his hand.
Thea: Not bad. The Right Hand of Doom is basically a sledgehammer in the shape of a hand, 'specially since it's pretty big. He's got some wicked right hooks for the paranormal scum of the world. Explains why he prefers to fight hand-to-hand despite having a badass sword and two guns.
Bryant: I wonder what material the stone is. I actually came up with an experimental version of the Right Hand of Doom, and just need to test it out. Thea, hold out your other hand.
Thea: Again, you're not replacing my arm Bryant.
Bryant: Come on, please?
Thea: No! I don't think I can use that anyways. It looks too big, and being made of some kind of super stone probably means it's really heavy. I don't know how Hellboy can use that properly.
Bryant: Well, Hellboy does possess a demonic biology. This grants him incredible physical strength, speed, durability, and endurance, as well as an excellent healing factor. His healing factor can also make him quite resistant, borderline immune to fire. In fact, his healing factor has not only helped him survive being impaled, but also allowed him to run through the blade that impaled him.
Thea: Thanks to his superhuman abilities, Hellboy can literally walk through gunfire, catch demons as flies, and dodge attacks from an entire army of zombies.
Bryant: He can catch missiles and even move faster than the eye can see. What's more, thanks to his demonic heritage and healing factor, he doesn't even age. Hellboy was even described to be someone who will only die when he chooses to.
Thea: Imagine being so badass, you choose when you die! But when things get really, really serious, Hellboy busts out his Demon Forms.
Demon Forms:
-Grows horns and wings
-Boosts all abilities
-Can increase size to be a Kaiju
-Grants hellfire
-Can call lightning from the sky
Bryant: When Hellboy draws upon his demonic heritage, fully accepting his family line and said heritage, he gains the ability to call upon his full demonic potential.
Thea: He can get full horns instead of just stumps, and even wings! He can fly, use hellfire, call lightning from the sky, get a boost in all abilities, and can even change shape to become a freakin' Kaiju! And his Kaiju form is big enough to affect an entire mountain range by himself. That can be around 3,000 miles long! Imagine seeing that fight Godzilla!
Bryant: Hellboy is incredibly powerful, one of the most in his world.
Achievements:
-Fought and killed 6 giants at once
-Dodged lightning and lasers
-Survived a blast that wiped out the surface of the planet
-Prevented the apocalypse multiple times
-Defeated Bog Roosh, Koschei the Deathless, Thunder and Lightning, Nimue, Satan, Rasputin, and The Ogdru Jahad
-Can scale to Elizabeth Sherman
Thea: Hellboy's big, and bulky, and he prefers fighting like a slugger with big swings and heavy attacks. But he's still fast enough to dodge lightning and even lasers. That means he's gotta be moving around Mach 300 while being able to react to light!
Bryant: Hellboy is powerful enough to create an explosion that was bigger than a mountain, which would need around 197.5 kilotons of TNT. Even more impressive is that he defeated Thunder and Lightning, who were powerful enough to create storms around the world. Feats which need over 570 gigatons of TNT.
Thea: Which means they're over 114 thousand times stronger than the 50 megaton Tsar Bomba!
Bryant: But even that pales in comparison to the power of Elizabeth Sherman. Her fire powers were powerful enough to destroy Agartha, a feat which was considered to be over 17 teratons of TNT.
Thea: 340 thousand times stronger than the Tsar Bomba!
Bryant: But even that pales in comparison to when Elizabeth created a blast which wiped out the surface of a planet.
Thea: It's no wonder that he can prevent the apocalypse over and over again! As if wiping out the surface of a planet isn't already an apocalypse, but whatever. He beat a bunch of big names, like Rasputin, Bog Roosh, Nimue, Satan, and The Ogdru Jahad. He's even badass enough to survive for two years at the bottom of the ocean and even hell itself!
Bryant: Hellboy is certainly an incredibly powerful being. But he's not a perfect being.
Weaknesses:
-Bad Temper
-Is weak to holy attacks and weapons
-Regeneration has a limit
-Weapons have a habit of malfunctioning
Bryant: Hellboy has shown to be a rather laidback man overall, but his temper isn't fully controlled. He has a bad temper, meaning that he can be manipulated by a smart enough opponent.
Thea: And since he's a demon, he's weak to holy attacks and weapons. So if someone fights him with the power of Christ, he's kinda f*cked.
Bryant: And his healing factor, while tough, isn't limitless. It has a limit to how much damage it can heal.
Thea: So, bad temper. Holy weapons. And limited healing factor. Combine all that with the fact that his weapons have a habit of not working properly, and you have a pretty easy way to get an edge over him.
Bryant: Still, Hellboy is still one dangerous and powerful hybrid. He may be known as the harbinger of Armageddon, but he's still Earth's mightiest defender from all that is paranormal. He is the heir to Hell, but even the devil's blood won't determine his own fate.
(Hellboy) Your ass is mine!
-Line Break-
Bryant: Alright, the stage is set, time to start this dance.
Thea: Battle ready, set, GO!
-Line Break-
Snarling, growling demons crawled around, biting down on a human corpse and ripping apart. They fought over the bloody chunks, trying to take the larger morsels for themselves. Suddenly, double shots rang out, killing the demons. Nero walked out with a scoff, his Overture fitted on as he walked through the abandoned desert town.
"Bunch of tiny little shits. Leaving a big mess," the Devil Hunter said as he kicked one of the disappearing corpses. Another demon lunged at him, only to get backhanded into the air and into a wall, collapsing it on top of them.
"Punk," Nero grunted as he continued walking off.
"Not bad." Nero paused and turned around to see Hellboy examining one of the demon corpses. He gave a whistle.
"Man, someone spent one too many hours in the sun," the Devil Hunter smirked.
"Funny," Hellboy grunted as he stood up and brushed off his coat.
"So, kind of demon are you? Haven't seen you before," Nero said.
"A Hellboy. You're a demon too, aren't you?" Hellboy said. "Not many humans can do what you do."
"Yep. I'm a Nero. You have a sharp eye," Nero said. The two eyed each other, circling each other.
"So, Hellboy. What hole did you crawl from?" The Devil Hunter said as he casually spun Blue Rose.
"A hole where there were reports of a certain demon. White hair, a sword, pretty strong."
"... You're talking about me, huh?" Nero groaned. The two instantly took aim, Nero with Blue Rose and Hellboy with the Good Samaritan.
Dance with the Devils!
Fight!
The two opened fire, their revolvers flashing as bullets flew and knocked each other out of the air. Nero grunted and jumped up into the air and onto a nearby building as Blue Rose began to glow. Hellboy grunted and continued firing before quickly reloading. Nero dodged the fire bullets before firing back a charge shot. Surprised, Hellboy held up the Right Hand of Doom to block the charge shot, letting it explode harmlessly against the stone. Nero ran to the side, continuing to fire down at Hellboy, who fired back as he ran as well. The pavement and roofs they traveled on shattered and broke as they continued to run and shoot before Nero charged up another shot, this time letting the aura glow red.
"Block this!" Nero yelled. Hellboy did, but the Right Hand of Doom glowed red before an explosion knocked Hellboy off his feet. Nero jumped off the building and near Hellboy. The demon swung his fist upwards at Nero, who ducked under the uppercut and came behind him. The Devil Hunter lunged and seized Hellboy around the waist, making him grunt in surprise before Nero suplexed him, creating a large crack in the ground. Nero rolled away as Hellboy groaned on the ground.
"Damn…"
"What's the matter? Already done?" Nero joked as he spun Blue Rose and pocketed it. Hellboy got up slowly, shaking his head before facing Nero with a serious stare. The Devil Hunter stares back before shaking his head and sighing.
"Alright then." Nero suddenly unsheathed Red Queen and stabbed it into the ground, letting sparks fly. He revved up the handle, causing more sparks to fly off the engine at the base of the blade.
"Let's take this up a notch!" he challenged. Hellboy looked at him before taking out Excalibur. He looked over his sword before placing the tip on the ground and twisting the handle mockingly.
"Hruah!" Nero yanked Red Queen out and swung it aggressively. Hellboy blocked the swing with his right hand before swinging back, causing Nero to dodge. Nero grunted as he ran forwards, and the two clashed blades. The two pushed against each other before shoving the other away. Nero revved up Red Queen again, letting the blade catch on fire before gliding across the ground towards Hellboy. The Heir to Hell yelled as he threw a punch with the Right Hand of Doom, and Red Queen bounced off the fist. Nero grunted as he flipped backwards and landed on the ground before revving up Red Queen again.
"Come on!" he taunted. Hellboy ran forwards with Excalibur, and the two clashed blades again. Nero shoved Hellboy back and swung his sword upwards. Hellboy blocked with Excalibur but was knocked into the air with a grunt. Nero jumped up after Hellboy and swung Red Queen, but Hellboy blocked the swings before punching Nero in the cheek and sending him through the wall of another building. The demon landed on the ground only to hold up Excalibur as Nero burst out and slammed Red Queen against it with a yell.
"Hiyah!" Nero yelled as he knocked Hellboy backwards and swung Red Queen downwards. Hellboy blocked with Excalibur, but grunted as Red Queen slammed against it again, forcing him to bend his knees. Nero yelled as he continued to hammer Red Queen down before Hellboy knocked the swing to the side and punched Nero away again. Nero flew backwards before rolling across the ground and coming to a stop. He got up again, brushing himself off with a grunt. The two eyed each other.
"Not bad! But I'm still gonna kick your ass!" Nero said as he pulled out Blue Rose and fired multiple rapid-shots. Hellboy blocked the shots with the Right Hand of Doom, only for Nero to knock it upwards with the force of a Stinger thrust. Nero swung Red Queen, but Hellboy slammed his head against his face, causing him to stumble backwards. The two recovered and swung their swords, causing sparks to fly as they clashed. The two had a barrage of sword swings clashing against each other until Nero, with a yell and a flick of the wrist, caused Red Queen to swing with explosive force, knocking Excalibur out of Hellboy's hands and knocking him back.
"Got you!" Nero yelled as he charged. Hellboy yanked out the Big Baby and shot Nero point-blank, sending him flying back with an explosive shot. Hellboy put the Big Baby away and caught Excalibur before taking a stance. Nero grunted as he bounced off the ground and onto his feet before charging again. Hellboy charged as well.
"Grah!" the two yelled as they thrust their swords forwards. The two blades slid across each other before shooting forwards and impaling their opponent. Nero and Hellboy both groaned before punching each other away, forcing them off each other's swords with a spray of blood. Nero grunted as the two got to their feet, their stomachs already healing.
"Is that it?" Hellboy growled. Nero grunted before slamming Red Queen into the ground and swinging upwards towards Hellboy, sending dust and rubble towards him. Hellboy blocked some of the dust with his hand and swiped it away.
"Aha!" Nero's red charge shot split the dust cloud and slammed into Excalibur. Hellboy looked at it in annoyance as it glowed before hurling it into the air. The blade exploded and rocketed towards Nero, who knocked it away with a swing of Red Queen as he charged. Hellboy blocked the next swing with the Red Hand of Doom, letting sparks fly.
"Dammit, impress me!" he grunted as he pushed back against the sword. Nero grunted as he slammed it down.
"I'm just getting started!" he growled. Hellboy pulled out the Big Baby and fired it point-blank into Nero's stomach, sending him flying again. Nero grunted as he slammed into a building wall, and suddenly got rammed by Hellboy. The two slammed through the building and multiple others before Hellboy grabbed Nero and threw him away. Nero slammed into the leg of a water tower and looked up before grinning. The Devil Hunter spun and sliced the leg up, letting the large basin fall towards Hellboy. The tower exploded, letting out a flood that washed over Hellboy, who grunted in annoyance as he staggered back.
"Fuck off!" Nero's sword swung upwards and slashed Hellboy into the air as he yelled from the sudden pain.
"Got you!" Nero yelled as he fired a wire from Overture that hooked onto Hellboy's foot. The demon grunted as he was yanked down but flipped to pull back his stone fist. Nero pulled back his own fist and the two slammed their right hands together. Suddenly, with a metallic crunch, Nero's arm crumpled under the Right Hand of Doom. Nero only had time to widen his eyes in surprise before Hellboy's punch slammed him into the ground, shaking the town. Hellboy yelled as he repeatedly punched Nero, driving him further into the ground before grabbing him by the face and holding him up. Nero groaned before another Overture snapped into place with a flash of pink light. Hellboy grunted in surprise before the hand grabbed his face and unleashed an electric surge. Hellboy grunted under it before grabbing and crushing it with his other hand.
"Hey! Watch the merch!" Nero complained as he kicked Hellboy repeatedly, but was unable to get free. Hellboy squeezed down, trying to crush Nero's head. The Devil Hunter groaned in pain before swapping Overture for a Punch Line and firing it at Hellboy's face. The literal rocket punch knocked Hellboy off his feet and forced him to let go of Nero, who quickly kicked off the demon and onto the arm as it returned. Nero whooped as he rode the arm back towards the stunned Hellboy, even as it began to glow a bright orange. Hellboy recovered and looked up only to see Nero jump off the glowing arm and let it explode point blank in his face. Hellboy grunted as he staggered back but caught his balance. Nero grinned to himself as another Punch Line snapped into place.
"Had enough?" Nero said. Hellboy glared back at him and wiped his chin before grabbing his trenchcoat and ripping it off, revealing his full, red body.
"Not even close." Hellboy roared as a red, flaming aura surrounded him. Nero's grin vanished and he quickly took his stance. Hellboy's stumps grew out, becoming two devilish horns.
"Get ready," Hellboy growled. He charged, surprising Nero with his sudden speed, and slammed the Right Hand of Doom into Nero's stomach. The Devil Hunter coughed before the butt of the Big Baby slammed into his head and slammed him down. Hellboy grabbed Nero and threw him up before spiking him away. Nero grunted as he was sent flying through the town, throwing up buildings and smashing through empty houses. He rolled to a stop and gasped for air, only for Hellboy to slam down on his back, causing him to yell in pain. Hellboy lifted Nero up and fired another point-blank shot from his gun, only for Nero to manage to knock the gun away and punch Hellboy in the face. But the force was too much, and the arm shattered against the demon's cheek. Nero stared at him in surprise before Hellboy threw him up.
"Woah!" Nero grunted as he spun through the air before being slammed into by Hellboy. The demon wrapped his arms around Nero before falling backwards until their heads were pointed downwards in an aerial suplex.
"Oh, hell no!" Nero grunted.
"You want to see it?" Hellboy growled.
"What?!" The two slammed right through the ground, falling deeper and deeper before bursting out into red light. Nero's eyes widened as he took in the sights of Hell. He roared and broke free by blowing up his new Punch Line with Break Away, but Hellboy grabbed him again and punched him over and over as they fell past a pillar of black granite. The demon noticed the pillar and spun them around to slam Nero's head against the pillar. Nero's face was grinded down to bone as he screamed before Hellboy punched him straight through the pillar and into a pool of lava before landing as the pillar crumbled around him. The demon looked at the pool of lava before taking out a cigar and lighting the end of it with hellfire from his finger.
"Punk." The demon turned and began to walk away.
"Hey!" Hellboy's eyes widened in shock as the lava suddenly exploded into the air. He spun around only for Nero to spear into him with two glowing wings sprouting from his back. Nero slammed him into a pillar and dragged him upwards before throwing him up and spiking him back down through the pillar, shattering it.
"Urgh… Damn," Hellboy grunted as he got up, shaking his head. Nero landed nearby and grinned at the demon.
"Bet you didn't see that coming, Hell-chump!" he taunted.
"Real creative kid," Hellboy scoffed. From his back emerged a pair of red and orange wings that spread out and flapped heavily, lifting him up slightly. Nero cocked an eyebrow as the hands on his wings gripped each other and cracked their knuckles.
"Oh, we got competition!" The two dashed into the air and clashed, creating shockwaves that shattered pillars and split lava. Nero grunted as Hellboy punched him with the Right Hand of Doom again and crushed him against a massive column of granite. Hellboy slammed his fist against Nero's chest repeatedly, forcing him deeper and deeper into the column before backing up and ramming into him again, sending him out the other end. Nero broke off his Power Line and pulled out the Gerbera arm as Hellboy approached.
"Let's try this again!" Nero yelled as he flew forwards while Hellboy pulled back his fist. The two threw their right punches, but Nero's arm suddenly opened and blasted Hellboy with a shockwave. Nero flew past the spinning Hellboy and blasted him with another shockwave. The two flew around, Nero repeatedly blasting Hellboy with shockwaves before Hellboy managed to reorientate himself.
"You're really annoying, brat," Hellboy scowled. Nero chuckled.
"Aw… is the little boy feeling-"
"Shut it!" Hellboy growled as he rushed Nero and slammed him down into the ground with a powerful hammer-swing, causing the ground to split and one part to fall down. Nero grunted as he looked at this before digging his hands and wings into the large slab and hurled it towards Hellboy. The Heir to Hell roared as the Right Hand of Doom gathered a condense ball of hellfire and fired it towards the giant slab, destroying it. A sudden beam of energy blasted him as Nero used Gerbera's Break Age, sending Hellboy into another pillar and causing it to crumble. Nero caught up to him as he fell and yelled as he grabbed him and piledrived him into the ground, sending rubble upwards before jumping back as it fell back down. He sighed as he landed.
"Heh. I bet he's still up. Who is this guy? Seriously?" The rubble shook as they rose. Nero took his stance. Then dropped it. Then looked up. Then looked up higher. Hellboy loomed over him, the Right Hand of Doom the size of an entire mountain. The cavern of Hell looked almost small with him suddenly in it. Nero gaped at him before shrugging.
"Let's see Dante call me deadweight when I tell him about this," he muttered to himself before calling up to Hellboy.
"Well! The Hellboy became a big boy! Daddy's proud!" he mocked. The Right Hand of Doom rose up, high into the air. "I regret nothing!"
The stone fist crashed into the ledge where Nero stood just a second before. The Devil Hunter flew away as Hellboy's massive hand chased him, rumbling as air was shoved away from it. Nero looked behind him before pulling out a final Devil Breaker.
"Better make this one count!" he grunted. The Devil Hunter flew away and managed to escape from Hellboy's massive hand while firing back several powerful charge shots from Blue Rose. Hellboy blocked the shots with the Right Hand of Doom and ignored the small explosions popping against it.
"I'm ending this!" he growled as he clenched his fist and threw it towards Nero. Nero briefly glowed a bright blue before the fist collided with his body. But to Hellboy's surprise the fist stopped in place!
"Is that the best you can do?" Nero growled as his eyes opened, revealing themselves to be yellow. With a roar, Devil Trigger Nero flung the Right Hand of Doom away from him. Hellboy roared back and vomited a stream of hellfire towards Nero.
"Ragtime!" Nero said as his Devil Breaker exploded, creating a surge of energy that made everything stop in place. Nero rocketed over the frozen flames and behind Hellboy and punched the demon's skull from behind. Time resumed, and Hellboy found himself launched forwards. He spun as he fell and knocked Nero away, sending him flying. The Devil Hunter grunted as he was knocked through several massive columns while the Heir to Hell grunted as he landed on the ground, creating a shockwave that shook all of Hell. The two quickly got up, and Hellboy roared as he spat more flames towards Nero.
"Buster!" Nero yelled as his hand became covered with spectral energy and enlarged to form a massive hand construct that blocked the flames with the palm. Hellboy and Nero reared back, and their two massive fists collided with a force that caused everything around them to crumble. Nero roared as his hand gripped the Right Hand of Doom.
"Time to end this!" he said as he pulled with all his might. Hellboy made a sound of surprise as he was suddenly yanked off his feet and swung around. Nero's roar filled the air as the Devil Hunter spun around and hurled the mountain-sized Kaiju upwards. Hellboy grunted as he collided with the ceiling, and grunted again as Nero slammed into his stomach and rocketed upwards. On the surface, the desert town rumbled before suddenly turning to dust as the massive back of Hellboy burst out of the ground, obliterating the town. Nero screamed as he continued to lift Hellboy into the air before rearing back his right hand.
"GAAAAAHH!" Blood spurted out of Hellboy's mouth as the giant fist manifested again and slammed into his stomach. The demon was sent flying through the air, the massive demon shrinking down to human size once again as Nero chased him.
"Ending this! NOOOOWWW!" Nero yelled as he created a katana made of demon energy and swung it downwards. Hellboy only had enough time to block with the Right Hand of Doom before he was sent rocketing through the air towards a nearby mountain. With a massive boom, Hellboy exploded through the top of the mountain, shattering it and leaving the top flat. The demon soared through the air before crashing and sending up dust as he skidded across the ground, eventually coming to a stop.
"...Ow," he muttered, face-down in the dirt. Nero landed behind him with a thud, and scowled at Hellboy.
"Seriously, what the hell?" he grumbled as he stalked forwards.
"Hold it kid!"
"Wha-?" Nero turned and scowled.
"Oh come on, why the glare?" Dante laughed as he jogged up to Nero, Vergil following him with a bored look.
"What the hell are you doing here, Dante?"
"Alright, I fought him. Your turn to hold up your bargain," Hellboy grumbled as he got up and pulled out a piece of paper. Dante laughed as he took it, signed and passed it to Vergil, who signed as well with an annoyed grunt.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Nero demanded.
"Well, the US Army approached us and wanted us to work with them. I told them that we would if this Hellboy guy fought yah. Didn't expect him to become even bigger than the Savior, but hey! You fought him and won! Great job kid, Uncle Dante is-!" Dante found himself face-planted into a tree as Nero yelled at him. Vergil sighed as he took out a hidden camera and turned it off.
"You seriously gonna sell that fight?" Hellboy asked as he rubbed his face and stomach.
"Dante insisted. I believe he intends to use the video to pay off his debt. Yet another way he exploits my son."
"You strawberry and pizza munching bastard!"
"Ow!"
KO!
Thea: Well that sure was a fight!
Bryant: Both Nero and Hellboy proved themselves to be powerful demons, and even greater demon hunters. But Nero simply had the abilities and arsenal he needed to net the win.
Thea: Hellboy had the age in terms of skill and experience. Being hundreds of years old, he's been fighting demons for longer than Nero was even alive. And since both can move as fast as lightning and even dodge lasers, the two were pretty even in terms of speed. Some might say that they were completely even! But Nero had all the other things that mattered.
Bryant: First, comparing their right hands, Hellboy's Right Hand of Doom did have an edge in that it was unbreakable, meaning Hellboy technically had a better option for defense, and contrasted Nero's fragile Devil Breakers. However, Nero had many at hand, and could repeatedly swap through them, essentially making that advantage moot. Not to mention that his variety of Devil Breaker abilities helped him keep ahead of Hellboy thanks to their versatility. Ragtime in particular was especially useful, as its temporal abilities made it easy for Nero to keep ahead by either trapping Hellboy in bubbles of time or stopping time everywhere, letting him get around the unbreakable Right Hand of Doom.
Thea: But what really counted was the difference in power.
Bryant: Hellboy could compare to Elizabeth Sherman, who created a storm of fire that could wipe out the surface of the Earth.
Thea: That would need an energy yield of anywhere between 1.6 to around 13 exatons of TNT! That's 260 billion times stronger than history's strongest nuke! Hellboy is literally strong enough to destroy continents!
Bryant: However, keep in mind that Argosax could move the moon in order to create a solar eclipse. Considering the distance and speed of the moon being moved, this feat has been calculated to be 65.01 zettatons of TNT. Over five thousand times stronger than Hellboy, and powerful enough to destroy a planet.
Thea: And remember, Dante beat Argosax without even using his Devil Trigger, which couldn't even hurt Urizen, who Nero was able to in his base form! In true Devil Trigger, he was on par with Dante and Vergil's Sin Devil Triggers, which are way more powerful than Urizen was at his full potential, and leagues above Argosax!
Bryant: Hellboy is easily one of comic books' best devil hunters, if not the absolute best. But Nero's greater versatility and immense power allowed the Heir to Power take the win.
Thea: Hellboy just couldn't handle Nero. Which means the winner of this WI Battle is Nero!
I said this was gonna come out sooner. I actually wrote the analysis portions and the outline for the fight while I was writing Yandere-chan vs the Neighbor. Because I wanted to write about a matchup that I actually wanted to write. And I had more fun writing this fight. Helps that I actually like these two and what they had available in the fight. Anyways, the next chapter is the usual Pokemon Battle Royale. As per the usual, leave a review! Azure out!
SERPERIOR!
VS
EMBOAR!
VS
SAMUROTT!