A/N: WHEW! Its been a really long time since I updated this story. Ever since I played DMC 5 last year and watch Dante in his new smokin sexy style with all new weapons and powers, I decided to include the DMC 5 Dante here, he will become like that after spending a couple more years in Aen Seidhe. There will be DMC5 story elements here. Also, he will get access to Balrog as a replacement to Gilgamesh and access to Sin devil trigger, though the way he gets it won't be like in the DMC game, So I will get creative here. Also Vergil will join the witcher universe and Ciri is for one hell of a treat for her eyes. The last thing is romance, especially after seeing Dante in DMC 5 as quite an old man, I don't think romance would work for him. Fortunately I haven't teased it inside the story. So I may choose to keep it as it is.

Chapter 13:

...

(..."So, what's the plan? We have evacuated Undvik just like you asked" said Geralt as he was looking at the man in red coat will all the seriousness in his eyes. There were others like Ciri, Yen, Ida, Avallac'h, Regis, Triss, Agni and Rudra in their physical form.

"Very few of us for this battle. Not sure how can we even think of getting through this, Dante!" Ciri said with worry to which Dante smirked to her surprise.

"Couldn't agree more. This is a losing fight and we are not fighting the wild hunt which is a cake walk compared to this" Yen said. Dante finally decided to break his silence.

"I know guys, this is going to be a toughest fight of our lives. But we have no choice, Samael will be here along with his demon army one way or the other. My brother still needs rest after all that torture he's been through and we don't have the Yamato with us. So, Samael needs Ciri's power to open the hell gates. We may be pretty low in numbers, but we are strong and unique and not some knuckle scrapping farts. We will get through this somehow" Dante said with confidence to boost the morale.

"I agree with him. These demons may be strong but we have the right magic and strength to make an offensive stand" Regis said supporting him.

"I sure hope that your oldman in that cave will keep his word on helping us" Dante said to which he nodded.

"*SIGH* First the hunt, now the underworld! But I don't plan on hiding from these arseholes! Ciri said with anger.

"You sure don't. You will fight and we all are here to watch your back!" Avallac'h said which quite surprised Ciri as this had not been the case 28 years ago during the fight with the hunt.

"One last question...Who will face Samael?" Triss asked to which Dante turned to face everyone who were expecting an answer. After pondering for a few seconds, he replied.

"That Royal Son of a b**ch is mine!" Dante answered...)

...

At midnight
Somewhere near the Oxenfurt city wall...

Dante emerged out of the portal and let a smile after taking a good look around him. There was a big moon in the sky and stars like a thousand fireflies in the sky. The moon light illuminating the far away forest, roadways, some houses and a big lake and water stream.

"Damn! I wish I visited this place under different circumstances. *SIGH*...Now where the hell is this library!?"

he muttered as turned to see a huge city wall with guards in the rooftop.

"There it is" he said as he jogged towards the walls.

**MULTIPLE ROARS**

"RRRRAAAAHHH-..." Dante all of a sudden heard shrieking roars, he irately turned to his right to see 3 drowners who spotted him.

"Damn drowners!" he muttered under his breath.

Then the three blue beasts charged towards him. One swung both its arms left and right which he dodged and soon the other two leapt towards him and tried to slash him. Dante calmly moved his body evading their attacks and air dodged behind them and gave a powerful spin kick to a nearby drowner. It flew, spitting blood and dashed against the other two in greater force. The drowners suffered a blunt force trauma that crippled all the three as they lay down.

"Huh, now that its dealt with, time for distraction" he said as he picked up a stone and threw it on the roof top. The stone's noise drew the other guards towards the source of sound.

"That's my cue" he thought as he leapt above the roof with tip toe landing to avoid sound.

He could see the guards were busy looking nearby the place where he threw the stone. He then moved faster than a wind as no one could notice his passing. He reached the other side as he saw a window kept open. He then ran towards and grabbed a horizontal pole before it. Then he did a 360 swing and dashed into the room through the window just as a guard from above turned to look there only to find a mild dust in the air and nothing. He didn't pay much attention.

Dante was finally inside the library building as he got up slowly and took a look at the hall. There were book racks just like modern day library. But also some medieval era cabinet, tables and chairs with books, papers, cabinets with paupers, faucets, glasses. The walls also had portrait or Heirarch Hammelfart and some other notable figures.

"*WHISTLES*...A pretty nice place" he said. He then walked towards a huge table that had some yellow papers along witha huge sheet what he deducted a building's map.

Dante didn't have to worry about being caught here. Ever since the massacre, the library was closed shut and no ones in.

Dante turned the map as he traced the pathways with his index finger and found the place marked as 'Forbidden section'

"Gotcha!" he said with a smirk as he quickly walked to the other end of the hall to find a stairs which he took to the next upper level.

Once there, he was greeted by a sight that was totally opposite of the beautiful hall he was moments ago. This hall was filled with black soot and ash. The whole section was burned to dust as nothing is left there. He carefully strolled across the room.

"What the hell happened here?" he thought going through many possibilities.

"Uh-oh!...Looks like I aint gonna find anything in this place" he said as he walked the room to look for any signs or clues. But there were nothing.

"What a waste!...Unless-.." he said as an idea sparked all of a sudden. Back at the Oroboros City, When he fought a powerful demon, he obtained an demonic artifact called the 'Chrono-Heart'. An ability to see the echoes of the past. Dante realized he can use the chrono-heart to see what happened here.

"Time for 'Blast from the past'" he said as he channeled his demonic energy as he glowed red. He then whispered something in an ancient tongue that bounced all around the hall, even vibrated enough for the dust to drop from ceiling. Then he raised his right arm in front and then swept to his left in the air that changed the reality around him but with narrowed sight as if peeking through a small hole to see the whole world. The entire hall appeared different, before the arson. He is seeing the past of everything that conspired here.

"*BAM*...MOVE!...FIND THE TOME!"

Dante watched as 5 (3 men and 2 women) in a strange dress that befits a silent assassin. The dress had that narrow slim size and lightness that helps the wearer to easily blend and maneuver effortlessly. They were hooded and wore a mask that covered everything below their eyes.

The 5 assassins were searching the racks restlessly for a tome they were looking for.

"HALT! SURRENDER OR FACE CONSEQUENCES!" suddenly 5 guards in heavy armor came in carrying huge swords and axe.

"We shall see" one of the assassins said as he suddenly threw a harpoon like weapon from his left arm as if it came from his wrist. The harpoon hit the gaurd's head, pierced it as the blade protruded out from his rear head, blood splattered.

"ATTACK!" the other guard yelled in fear and anger as a mini fight broke out.

One guard tried to swing his sword left, right and a downward slash. A female assassin managed to dodge it and did a back flip and kicked his chin. The guard lost his balance as the force was so great that it staggered him. She then drew a double sided sword and spun it fast in her hands.

"AHHH-..." the guard saw that charged at her blindly. She took a step front with grace turned the other way and sicced the blade to his belly and pierced the spine. The guard's lifeless shell fell down.

There were three guards left. The other three assassins had scimitars. They finished the guards in an instant with their speed and strength. These mysterious people moved like wind. One guard had his head cut off, one was completely cleaved in half and the last one was simply pierced in abdomen.

As the guards died, they continued their search through the racks. Then one of them finally found what they were seeking.

"Master! We have found it!" one of the female said. The assassin who had the harpoon weapon was their leader. He walked slowly towards them and saw the tome with his eyes.

"Finally! Kaedwen is about to become unstoppable! And we will have our revenge" he said as he took the tome in his hands.

"Vilgefortz will be proud" another assassin said to which he looked at him and gave a gentle nod.

"Yes, this is for Vilgefortz! The one who understood that power is everything and without that we are useless as arm less knights in battle! Once we are seated in power, not even that Witcher, the White Wolf can stop us. He will pay for killing Vilgefortz!"

"Now where to now that we have accomplished what we wanted from this wretched place?" another assassin asked.

"We will go to Nilfgaard for one final task. Let us move " the leader said as he summoned a fire ball in his palm and threw it in the hall. The entire room caught fire. Then they exited the hall through the door.

The vision ended there and the reality changed back to where Dante was.

"Ughh-..." Dante suddenly felt weakened and dropped on one knee letting huge breathe.

"Hmm, looks like I can't use this again. It draining me a lot!" Dante muttered as he slowly felt his energy and powers replenishing to full He then got back up reflecting on what he saw.

"So the kingdom of Kaedwen is behind this. They want to use demonic power to conquer the lands?...So stupid of them. This whole theatrics are gonna go bite their ass before they realize they screwed up" He said and then thinking of the other information he got.

"So, these assassins must be the one behind the murders of Ciri's father. Now with Nilfgaard without ruler, and Kaedwen's secret plot of hunting down mages to weaken the kingdom, This will be one hell of a surprise attack on their enemies...If they chose to invade. My question is how long they have been plotting this? Sure as hell hope its not a coincidence that I am here!" he said with an evasive smile.

"But something doesn't add up. Ciri being a daughter of the most powerful emperor, knew very much about the kingdoms. She firmly said in the past, that Kaedwen no longer plays underhand or dirty politics. All their traitors have been executed. I wish to take her word for that. That will in turn make Kaedwen a victim of distraction, a possibility. The real enemy could be in the shadows, somehow connected to this-...Vilgefortz"

"If what Avallach said is true about the demonic activity for 100 years and many seeking the knowledge of the infernal magic, then this must be well planned and just in the nick of my arrival"

"Ooorrrr-...This has something to do with the underworld itself. Either way, looks like I need to act fast. These assassins are dangerous, only they can give the answers I seek. Also they mentioned the witcher, white wolf? Ciri told her adopted father carries that moniker, Geralt. Maybe I can ask him about this Vilgefortz character when we meet"

Dante finished gathering his thoughts. He then suddenly felt like he missed a clue which he recalled immediately. During the fight between Assassin's and the guards, Dante observed a locket fall down and fly to the corner. He recalled where it landed in the hall and went to same place around the corner.

To his surprise, it was still there unscathed. He took it by his hands and looked at it carefully.

"This belongs to one of them. Nice craftsmanship by the way, so sophisticated!" he said with a smirk.

"If I remember this correctly, these baubles are famous in Novigrad. Time I was on my way. Need to catch these bastards soon" Dante said as he prepared to leave the Oxenfurt.

In few minutes, he reached the city outskirts back to the road. He then summoned Geryon with a whistle as it popped out of the ground like a wraith and appeared before him. Dante climbed to its back and willed to change its hide to mask its true form. Geryon obeying its master changed its appearance to that of a black horse with normal looking saddle and blinders.

He then took off for the Novigrad to find someone who can tell much about the locket.

In Ellander...

Geralt and Yennefer finally made it to Ellander after traveling a long way from Velen, going through a bout that could have costed their lives. Geralt's even more worst nightmare was that he met someone he never wished to see, Gaunter O'Dimm. Strangely he appeared and helped them which worries him even more. He's not sure what he will ask of him for his aid.

"Good Goddesses! Can't believe this happened!" Nenneke said as she prepared the potion from extract of Jade petals as suggested by Geralt. Yen was lying in unconscious state as she was lied down on a bed.

"I must admit, we were lucky to be alive after that encounter in velen" Geralt replied in monotone.

"Yen took a scratch that should have killed her. But fortunately, she only lost her magic, nothing else" He said scarred by the fierce encounter with the black demonic entity. That being was so fast that would make Regis and Detlaff envious.

"Jade petals are so rare and hard to get our hands on. Who suggested this to you? Not even the finest herbalists knew much about this, though this has immense magical properties" Nenneke said wondering who gave them this knowledge. Geralt was hesitant to say his name so he decided to go with a lie.

"We were helped by a pellar who I befriended back when I helped a Baron in Velen. He is pretty good in his profession" Geralt said. But in truth, the Pellar is no longer alive as he already died of old age 10 years ago. Nenneke raised her eyebrows in mild surprise. She gave credit to this pellar who had knowledge of this.

"Huh, I believe one day I will have the honor of meeting this pellar!" Nenneke said with a smile.

"So? Will Yen be alright?" Geralt asked the obvious.

"Yes, in a day, she will be brand new as daylight. Her magic will be restored. I tested her blood sample. I observed a toxin that I have never recognized before in my career. A little research should help uncover its secrets" She replied.

"Thanks so much, Mother Nenneke! We are in your debt!" He said gratefully.

"Debt!? C'mon Geralt! Its not the first time I am helping you. By the way, its sad you missed to see your ward. You both were a little late" Nenneke said which stunned him. He instantly knew who she was talking about.

"Ciri? She was here?" he asked wide eyed regretting the chance he missed to see her. Honestly, its been 5 years since he last saw her.

"Yes, she and her strange white haired companion" Geralt again knew to whom she was referring as such.

"By any chance, is the strange white haired man's name Dante?" Geralt asked which made Nenneke shrink her eyebrows in surprise.

"You know him?" she asked.

"No, but Yen has met him along with Ciri before this venture. She told me much about him" Geralt said this though not revealing the part that he is from a different world.

"Oh yes, Ciri mentioned that part. Even an attack at her home town, Vengerberg. Dante and Ciri helped her fend off the attack" she replied which made Geralt nod as he was already aware of that.

"What was Ciri and Dante doing here?" Geralt asked.

"Nothing important. But Dante helped a family that I failed to do so for more than a year. Finally, We even had an answer for their case. Dante identified that a powerful demonic entity was latched to Boris's family. He drew the demon out and by the holy Melitelle! He fought that entity like he was a monster himself!" Nenneke said as she recalled everythng she witnessed that day. Geralt eagerness to meet Dante grew by the minute.

"So I've heard. What kind of person is he? I mean professionally" Geralt asked.

"He said he is a paranormal investigator and uhh-...odd name for a job but he said something like-...Devil Hunter" she replied. Geralt was surprised a lot which was clearly visible in his face. At times he wanted to meet someone in that kind of line to seek their help but never had a chance. Geralt and some witchers like him are a man of many many talents. But few are those who are worthy of calling themselves an expert in occult and paranormal.

"A truly fascinating turn of events. Hope you won't mind us staying here for few days before we leave" Geralt asked.

"Huh, you and Yennefer are friends of mine. You are always welcome here!" she replied with a bliss in her tone to which he gratefully nodded. He wished he would meet Ciri and this 'Dante' sooner. But who knows, fate works in mysterious ways.

On the way to Novigrad...

Dante finally reached Novigrad the next morning from Oxenfurt. He was on the path that leads to the city gates. There were more number of people walking and traveling in horse carriages. The place was so lively that it reminded him of his home town, the Redgrave city. He proceeded to move in past the gate and that's when the guards stopped him.

"HALT FOREIGNER!" a guard yelled at him. They were wearing black armors with a sun emblem in the breast plate.

"Ah crap!" he thought though he expected that since he was like an odd one out. Ciri has already gave him enough information about Novigrad and her associates who reside there and what to expect. She even gave him a pass should he ever needed.

Since the end of third war, Nilfgaard won and took over the city. But

"What now?" he asked.

"You are not from around here, are you?" one guard asked.

"Yes, I am from another continent beyond the seas" he replied.

"What about that big blade you carry on your back?" another one asked.

"I am a monster hunter" Dante replied with a smirk.

"A freak then, a witcher?" the guard asked.

"Are you blind? He ain't got cat eyes!" the other one castigated to which Dante chuckled.

"Awfully perceptive of you!" Dante gave a smug response.

"Enough bout that! State your business here! And you can't go in without a pass. Some blasphemers murdered our dear king and none shall enter without raising suspicion" the guard spoke. Dante realized that the news of death of their king has reached. He came up with an answer he himself found amusing.

"I have a pass" Dante said as he

"I am here to visit a cabaret, run by a mutual acquaintance of mine. He goes by the name Dandelion!" Dante said thought it would sell.

"The Bard!? Oh, artists seek him out most of the time. But you? You got a beef with him?"

"No, wanted to talk to him about-...uhh-...a show to put on stage if he agreed to the terms" Dante said hoping not to screw up or this will be pain in the ass. If it wee a demon, he would shoot and talk later, but he can't hurt a human.

"Hmm...that will do. You may pass through Dho'ine, but we got our eyes on you! One wrong move and you are done" the guard warned to which he amusingly nodded.

As he walked through, he saw the busy streets, markets and stores. Also the guard patrols. He turned left from the entrance and walked straight. Then he turned right to see a big junction and a nice building to the right corner.

To his left was a notice board with 6 papers pinned. Out of curiosity, he peeked into that and read the notice one by one.

"Don't trust the bartender in kingfisher's inn. He cheats in gwent-..."

"A nice baby cradle out for sale. Anyone need it, come look for me at the temple square"

"Fresh dumplings in sale! Don't miss the early bird offer!" Dante laughed at that as he finally saw a big notice.

"Her Illustrous grace, the Duchy of Toussaint there by requests for anyone with abilities to deal with rare paranormal and evil circumstances. Witchers, mages or anyone who can help the Duquesa of Toussaint with the grave peril as early as possible will be generously rewarded in tandem with her kindness. Such is the ultimatum!"

This truly piqued Dante's interest.

"Hmm, Sounds like a job for me! Toussaint eh? Ciri told me that its a place like fairy tales. I will tend to this later, see what's the fuss is about!" Dante said as he took the notice, folded it and put it in his coat's inner pocket.

Then, he watched as there were 3 men standing and arguing with another person, looking quite old but a dress that fits a courtier. The other three also looked like rich men. But from the looks of it, it wasn't going quite well.

"You f**king bard! How about we rip your arse for the molesty!" one of the three men yelled at him.

"Gentlemen, I believe we have swirled ourselves in a pool of mis-understanding. No reason to believe that we have to resort to violence!"

"You dare write a shite about our ladies breasts and private parts. Now you want us to CALM DOWN!" another man yelled at him.

"We came for your help in assisting with impressing our ladies with ballad and you spit on our faces!" another man yelled.

"Its clear you didn't understand the poetry I guess. It was supposed to be a envisioning of women under a solitary moonlight nearby a water stream. It takes time to truly understand the meaning of that. Perhaps, you ask the scholars of Oxenfurt for assistance" Dandelion tried his best to defuse the situation.

"That's it! You're as good as dead!"

The three men drew their blades as they were ready to cut him down. Dandelion's face turned pale in fear as they slowly walked to him.

"WHOA! Easy there fellas! You're gonna shish-kebab a man in broad daylight. Bad Idea!" Dante finally decided to interfere.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Get away from here before we ride the blade up your arse!"

Dandelion was looking at the red dressed, white haired man with a mix of fear and confusion. And a little sigh of relief.

"Well, imagine how it would be if I ride-..THIS up your's" Dante said as he drew the Rebellion and placed it on the ground. The blade was menacing and appeared almost as tall as them. The three men were quite fazed by the blade's appeal believing the wielder is no slouch either.

"Fine, let us move. We can always settle this later"

"And you white haired freak! You are in my shit list" one of them gritted his teeth to which he simply smirked. The three then left the place.

"HOOH...*HEAVY BREATH*...Damn, I would have died if not for you Mister-...?" Dandelion said thanking the good Samaritan who saved his neck.

"You can call me Dante!" he replied.

"And I am the great Bard in the continent, Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount-..."

"Dandelion?" Dante asked interrupting his brag halfway. The Julian Alfred part was enough for him to realize he is that 'Dandelion'. Ciri had of course mentioned his real name. Besides he never expected see him on the first day of arrival, nevertheless saving him from a trouble.

"Hah! See? everyone knows who I am" Dandelion beat his chest with pride. But one thing for sure he found, Ciri was right about his bragging nature.

"Actually, a mutual friend of ours told me a lot about you. Ciri" Dante said which entirely changed his facial expression from that pride to somber.

"Ciri?-...Damn! How rude of me to not inviting you in. Come in" he said as he went inside. Dante didn't see any harm in that after all, a man of his reputation can make his job easy.

"Alright. I never say no to a drink" he replied as he proceeded inside.

"Welcome to my humble establishment, The Chameleon!" Dandelion welcomed him. Dante very much liked the place. It was so lively. Then all of a sudden they both heard a female voice.

"Guess, you won the battle of wits for the day and extended your life!" a woman in a colorful attire and jewels walked towards them. She was in her early 40s, yet beautiful. She also carried that appeal of a singer.

"Ahem...not in front of the guest, Dear Callonetta" Dandelion cut her off from the disgrace to her amusement.

"Greetings traveler, I am Priscilla, also known as Callonetta, wife of Dandelion" She replied with a bowing gesture.

"Nice to meet you too. You can call me Dante. I am from a far of land across the seas" he replied with a smile.

"Guess what!? He is a friend to Ciri" Dandelion replied cheerfully.

"That's great! Let me fetch you a drink" Priscilla said as she went to the wine room to get a drink for him. Dante and Dandelion took a seat as they both started to talk.

an hour after...

"Wow! Yours is an adventure worthy of ballads! One that people will sing for ages. A monster hunter, seeker of paranormal and an investigator...my my, I am already itching to grab a quill" Dandelion said as Dante discussed about his origins though not telling him that he is from another world.

"You hunt monsters like my friend Geralt. He is a legend in his profession and known well in the continent" He said sucking the last drop of wine from the mug.

"*SIGH*...well I am happy to have met you guys"

"By the way How is Ciri doing? We all know what she lost. After all, this is where the news came first. But a month ago, I overheard two guards talking about this here, that still some of the kingdoms are not aware of emperor's death"

"She is-...managing. But a tough loss for sure. Though I am surprised that the death of a king of the most powerful nation is still a secret" Dante wondered as it was one piece of puzzle he never understood.

"That's because Nilfgaard is aware of Ciri, the last heir to the throne is still out there. As long as she is alive, Nilfgaard is not without a ruler. She will inherit her birth right and become the empress. The nation will be strong once again" Dandelion explained.

"What about Kaedwen? Heard they were plotting against Nilfgaard" Dante said trying to fish out some answers.

"I don't believe that! Kaedwen sure hates the black ones. But they are no fools to mess with them and if they did, the kingdom would have been wiped off map a long time ago. Even now the Nilfgaardian military is loyal to the nation and they will rip the enemies apart if they feel threatened by anyone. But the soldiers and some people believe that Kaedwen is the culprit and already the talk of war is going on. But thank the gods they can't do it without Ciri's word"

"Hmm...so there is a possibility that Kaedwen is not behind this. Someone is cleverly twisting this misunderstanding to seed the chaos so that they can hide his or her intentions. I need to stop them before they go to a war that could be prevented"

"I hope you are right. But since you have been here so long, I guess you are good with what's what in this place" Dante asked getting to the point.

"Of course my friend. You wish to know the city's finest Barber shop, Tailor, Inn, brothel, food market...or armorer or smithy-..? I am the one!" he said with a smile.

"Then will you be able to tell where can I learn more about this-.." Dante asked as he pulled the locket that had the rare emerald gem. Dandelion's face turned stoic, mesmerized in fact at the beautiful craftsmanship.

"By the gods! Never seen such a beautiful locket in my life" Dandelion said as he took the locket in his hands to observe.

"Ciri said that all sophisticated ornaments and jewellery came from this city. Hope you can help" he said.

"I sure can. Even pinpoint the exact person in the city who can assist you with this" Dandelion replied.

"Great! So who?"

"In Gildorf, there is a merchant who sells artifacts like this and is an expert when it comes to information about ancient artifacts. Seek him out, he can help you...at least try" he said.

"Sure will do. Thanks a lot for your help man" Dante said gratefully.

"Huh, its nothing. But if you don't mind, may I know what's this about?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Sorry pal, but Ciri and I are working on a case, secretly. So my lips are tight on this one" he replied nodding his head.

"In that case, I won't pry. Once out reach the market square, you can find a street on the left that will lead to the temple stairs. Atop the tower is the Gildorf square. You can ask there" He said.

"Sure thing. By the way, thanks for the hospitality. Time I was on my way" He said as he got up and proceeded to walk out.

"Next time when you meet Ciri, do please tell here that I asked her and don't forget to visit the Chameleon again" he replied with a hand wave. Dante nodded with a nod of smile as he walked out.

"Hmm, he's awfully nice!" he thought as he proceeded towards the direction that Dandelion pointed him to. Luckily, the city having been acquainted with Witchers was not wary of him. That's good in his case, don't have to deal with annoyances.

...

At Nilfgaard...

Ciri was in the palace her father once sat with pride and glory. Now with nothing, It was void. She never wanted the life of being an empress, but she never hated her father for anything. She was even content that her father despite being a rough and tough person, still wanted the best for his daughter. So he never sent men to apprehend her.

Ciri didn't want to meet her father in this state. She was not even told of his death for 2 months. But looks like there was still a proper funeral held with some of the kings from allied kingdoms paying their respects back then. All she was looking at was a huge portrait of her father and nothing else. She had one thought in her mind at this stage, regret.

Nilfgaard is now without a ruler and already there are rumors that this assassination could be a plot by Kaedwen to overthrow Emyhr and take its place. Since Kaedwen was always at odds with the Nilfgaardians. But fortunately the kingdom still has heir, Cirilla. She can become the empress.

"Your father had one regret, princess Cirilla" a voice came from her behind as she was reflecting on her pasts with heavy heart. The voice belonged to an old and feeble chamberlain in a wheel chair.

"Mererith? Its good to see you" Ciri smiled at him which he returned.

"Its that he was going to die without seeing you one last time" he said despondently. Ciri felt the words from him and meant much to her.

"Me too. Thought things would go smooth for us in the future. Never imagined it like this" she said with sadness.

"He knew you were alive, but still decided against sending soldiers after you. He always wanted you to live your life as you wished" He said as Ciri stood silently.

"Now you are the last of his heir to take the throne. If you don't, then all of Nilfgaard will be burned to ashes by its enemies" he said in all seriousness.

"Thanks for the counsel, I will consider your advice. Will see you later" she said with a bow.

"May the gods above watch over you" he blessed as Ciri left the court. She was in the palace gardens looking around her where she could see lanterns burning bright and some noble men and women talking to each other. As she was grieving she still felt happy because she still have a wonderful family Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Lambert, Eskel, Dandelion, Zoltan, Dudu and others.

"There is a simple saying, 'Never let your past define your future'. That holds true for you too" a soothing voice came from her side, a voice she would recognize anywhere. She smiled in joy as she replied.

"I always shaped my destiny and you know that" she said looking at a man, looking quite old, hair slicked back. He was wearing a dress typical of medieval healers and surgeon and a body pouch hung from his shoulder.

"Indeed you do" the man replied as Ciri rushed to hug him.

"Its good to see you again Regis" she said holding his hands.

"So do I, girl. I am sorry for what happened here, I couldn't do anything about this. I know it must be a hard time for you to process all this" he said comforting her. Regis had always been a second father figure to Ciri after Geralt. After all, he traveled with Geralt and his hansa in the early days to save Ciri from Vilgefortz.

"I have to admit, your chamberlain was kind enough to let me stay here until I met you, though I preferred a different state of affairs" Regis said in melancholy.

"*SIGH* Its fine Regis, somethings can't be stopped from happening. But lets change the subject. How do you like it here in Nilfgaard"

"Its glorious! Modern society, None believe in vampires here which makes my existence easy here. My business is booming and my sojourn is now forever" he replied with a smile. Of course Ciri learned from Geralt that Regis is one most powerful higher vampire while he told Ciri of his adventures in Toussaint 25 years ago. Ciri found him fascinating. Ofcourse she herself have fought vampires like bruxae, fleders, garkains etc..but Regis was entirely different from them.

"Glad to hear it" Ciri replied.

"What about you? What you've been up to all these years?" he asked to catch up with the lost times.

"Well, nothing big. Its one contract after another. But recently it had been quite interesting!" she said as she remembered the recent ventures with a certain white haired devil hunter.

"Really? how so?" he asked wide eyed.

"I met a mystery man in white hair, like Geralt. He has this huge sword on his back claims he fights demons and anything paranormal and supernatural. Also he is from another world, not here. We spent travelling the continent for weeks to find a way to his world. And a little fight here and there, meeting some old acquaintances. Now we are investigating some set of unfortunate events including my father murders" she finished which even stunned a normally stoic Regis.

"Another world? Sword on back you say, but what being is he exactly?" Regis asked shrinking eyebrows, something had truly piqued his interest.

"Human of course" Ciri asked seeing his facial expression change after hearing the answer. Regis starting to get a clear picture as memories of the distant past flooded his mind. Because he remember there is only one other world he saw the humans.

"It can't be!" he said to which Ciri was confused.

"Why do you say that?" she asked.

"A hunch you can call it, May I know this human's name?" Regis asked with evergrowing anxiety.

"Its Dante" she said not knowing the real reason for Regis's surprise. The name hit him like a huge log of wood on his head. There was a moment of silence as he was stupefied.

"Unbelivable! Fate indeed works in fascinating ways!" Regis replied.

"What happened? You already know him?" she asked confused by his surprise

"Yes, but I met him when I was only a young and naive child. I was acquainted with him in the distant past...centuries ago" he said in a grave tone and also a mix sorrow.

"WHAT?...What does that mean?" Ciri was shocked to hear that. She deduced that Regis meant he knew Dante for a long time and she can't even begin to comprehend such a possibility. Regis took a breath and decided to go with the story of what happend in his childhood.

"After the conjunction brought our species here, there were still gateways left opened in this world that is being guarded by what we called the Elders. But these gateways are not entirely intact as they were once. I spent my entire childhood, decades looking for them, desparately"

"Because you wanted to go home?" she asked feeling his words and the sadness in it. He was like anyone else, he was homesick separated from his place.

"Yes, Home is where our heart was. The beasts that followed here in those times may have adapted to his world. But for us, its an eternal punishment" Regis said.

"I understand, not many wanted this. Even with my elder blood, I couldn't do much than stopping the white frost" Ciri said. The conjunction is a cosmic phenomenon that not even the elder blood can stop.

"Do not worry my dear. You've done much for everyone, be proud of that. After all the turmoil for a century, I managed to find one and dared to enter it" he said preparing for the worst part yet to come.

"Did you succeed?" she asked curiously.

"In a way, but not entirely. The gateway didn't lead me to my home, but a world totally unfamiliar yet carried that traditional visage" he explained. Ciri now understood where is getting to. It was Dante's world he ended up accidentally.

"Dante's world, isn't it? But its still a stretch" she said as she find ithard to believe.

"Not at all. But what happened next was nothing like I imagined"

Flashback...
One fine day...on Earth

"Daddy! When will you give me that sword? Can't wait to slash and dash my enemies like you once did!"

"Patience foolish brother! Father already said he will give it us when we are ready!"

"You are spoiler of fun, Vergil! You suck!"

"Really? How many time have you lost race with me. You can't even beat me in a wrestling, Pathetic failure of a brat!"

"YOU!...I'LL-..."

"Alright that's ENOUGH! Time out to you both!"

Dante, Vergil and their father Sparda were on a leisure stroll across a mountain passage. The kids were 7 years old. One year before Sparda disappeared and died eventually and the kids lives changed and shaped what they were in future.

Before the unfortunate events, the Sparda family were aristocrats. Living a rich life of wealth and wisdom. Eva was an elemental human mage who had control over lightning which is a partial reason why Dante was able to control Alastor in future, but also due to the Sparda's blood coursing through his veins. One way or the other, no matter how the brothers lives ended up being, none can deny they were royalty.

"But dad!? He was the one who mocked me!" Dante complained.

"You both are brothers by blood. You need to act like one. Your mother has spoiled you both with too much freedom...*SIGH*...but I don't blame her. That's very typical of her" Sparda said with a jest. Sparda and Eva had to deal with their sibiling rivalry everyday and it always exhausting. But they both enjoyed that.

"If you don't keep quiet, you won't get presents from me for your eighth birthday!" Sparda fondly castigated them.

"Pffth...Fine, sorry" Dante said

"Me too!" Vergil apologized.

"Good, now in a few more moments, we will reach the water fall and we will have a nice bath and reach home fast before your mother gets mad" Sparda said chuckling at the thought of that.

Somewhere in the forest...

**BOOM** a portal opened and threw a kid out of it. The child had sharp and long ears and blackened eyes and fangs for teeth and bare torso.

**HEAVY PANTING**

"I am home! Yay!" the kid screams in joy and he started to run forward blindly.

But all of a sudden the place grew darker and grim whispers began to overwhelm the place. The kid's heartbeat began to pickup the pace and fear gripped him.

"No NO!...What is happening?" he yelled. Suddenly he started seeing reptile like bi-pedal beings with black and blood red hide glowing and with a face that gives nothing but nightmares. These beings moved like wind, as they rounded him up.

"NO-...NOOOO-...!"

Dante, Vergil and Sparda had a nice bath in the waterfall and had great fun.

"We should do this again. It was cool!" Dante said.

"For once, I agree with you Dante" Vergil agreed with him.

"Sure, but now its time-..."

**DISTANT SCREAM**

All of the sudden the three heard scream of fear and agony echoing the hills.

"What was that?" Dante asked with a sullen face.

"Boys? You stay here. Don't move. Someone is in trouble. I'll see to it" Sparda said as he ran at dashing speed towards the source of the sound.

Sparda moved at a speed jumping and evading the tree branches and finally reached the spot where it was unusually dark. He then observed demonic entities circling a boy who was clearly scared to death and lunge at him.

Sparda summoned the yamato in his hands as the force edge is not with him, since he used it to seal the underworld.

Then he suddenly jumped and slashed a demon in half in split second. It fell down in two pieces and he immediately did a spin kick to another demon that flew and dashed at the others.

The boy who was pale in fear, turned to look up to his savior wielding a sword in his hands.

The other demons charged at him at his blind spot. But Sparda spun the yamato backwards and pierced and pierced its abdomen and hten threw it upwards followed by a round house kick to the face. The other demon when jumped from behind he teleported to its back and bisected it in half.

"THATS ENOUGH! I COMMAND YOU-...TO LEAVE-... NOW!" Sparda sheathed his blade and growled loudly in demonic voice where his eyes glowed in blood red and a mild aura of his true demon form appeared. Though his full powers are with force edge thats residing in the underworld, He still has enough to command and kill the lesser demons that cross the plane.

The demons afraid of Sparda immediately retreated and vanished as the blackness disappeared.

"DAD!" Dante yelled at his father as the sons rushed to him to see if he was alright and they both looked the strange boy who didn't wear anything to cover his torso.

"Boys, I told you to stay there, didn't I?" Sparda castigated them both

"Father, Its Dante's fault. I told him not to disobey your words, but he didn't listen" Vergil complained as he watched Dante sticking his tongue out to mock him. Sparda knew that Dante was rebellious but he was not surprised, he takes it from his father.

While Vergil was wary of the strange boy, Dante was not afraid as he smiled and knelt down.

"Whew! Hello! My name is Dante!" he said as he gave his hand for a shake.

"Dante! Don't be stupid! Stay away from him!" Vergil said as he didn't feel good about that. Dante ignored that quip as he spoke to the boy.

"Ahh...Never mind that trash. That's my brother Vergil" He said as he gently held his and helped him stand up. Vergil nodded disappointingly.

"Numele meu este, Regis(My name is Regis)" he said to which Dante blinked. Vergil also didn't understand.

"What was that?" Dante asked. Sparda was mildly surprised by what he said because he knew that language.

"Thats the language of the Vampires. He said his name is 'Regis'-...How did a vampire get to Earth? Last time I saw them on a different world" Sparda thought to himself. Ofcourse he was one who repelled the demon army to save all the species during the first conjunction of spheres. But he chose not to do anything about the species that got misplaced from their homes.

"Vampires? I thought they were just myths" Vergil said.

"Vampire? That's cool! Do you drink blood? Will you die under sunlight? Can you-.." Dante was enthused by the revelation as he rained down the questions which Sparda abruptly stopped by placing a hand on his shoulder. He then knelt down and looked at the boy with a smile which slowly made him comfortable. He returned the smile.

"Ce faci aici?(What are you doing here?)" Sparda asked him and his grin grew as he finally met someone who can speak his tongue.

"Vreau sa merg acasa acum!(I want to go home now)" the boy said sadly. Sparda understood he wound up here accidentally. If he had full powers he would have been able to sense the portal that could have brought him there.

"si asa va fi(and so shall it be)-...da promite ca nu vei mai rataci asa vreodata(and promise you won't wander like this ever again)" Sparda said to which the little boy nodded.

"iti promit(I promise)" the boy sweared. Then Sparda stood up unsheathed the yamato and slashed the air like '+' shape which created a knife edge sized blue energy glow and then expanded all of a sudden to reveal a portal.

"Dad wait!...I wanted to say good bye and wish to meet him again in his language!" Dante said to his father to which he phrased him. He nodded and turned to Regis and smiled. Though he quite struggled to say it.

"Nu-..Nume-le meu este...Dante(My-..My name is...Dante)...La revedere!(Goodbye!)...si-..si sper-...sa ne intalnim-...din nou(and-..and-..hope we-...meet again). Dante finally finished saying. Sparda smiled at him to trying his best. Vergil though was entirely bored of these theatrics.

"ramas bun!" Regis said as he entered the portal slowly and just before that, he turned his head towards the three, smiled and nodded. Sparda nodded at him returning the gesture. Then the boy entered the portal as he disappeared and the portal closed.

"Wow! That was some nice turn of events! Will we see him again dad?" Dante asked abliss. Sparda paused for a moment to reflect on what happened and smiled at him.

"Who knows? Maybe one day you both will" he answered.

"Pffth!...C'mon, let's move before mother gets mad at us for being late. And also lets forget everything that happened here" Vegil scoffed.

"Well, your brother is right about one thing. We don't want to suffer your mother's wrath" he said with a jest as the three proceeded to trace their path home. Sparda for a moment turned to look back and smirked as he shook his head and walked away.

end of flashback...

Finally Regis finished telling the tale that entirely changed Ciri's facial expression. On one end, she felt pity for Regis who almost got himself killed while searching for a way back home, weak as a child. On the other end, Regis has met Dante's father and brother. All these times they travelled together, Dante never spoke much about his family. This is the first time she even hears about his father and brother. But there is also some unsettling things in this tale.

"So Dante's father saved you from those demons?" Ciri asked further.

"Yes and if not for him...I wouldn't be here to tell you tale. Besides, this is the first time I am even sharing this tale" Regis said as he reflected on what Dante said back then about them meeting again sometime in future. Looks like destiny has conspired for such a thing to happen.

"You said he commanded the demons to leave you and they obeyed in fear" Ciri said picking out the intersting part of this story.

"Yes, its rather-...convoluted. In that moment of my own frailty, I saw a red aura of a monstrous being around him as his eyes glowed like blood on fire-...when he commanded them" Regis replied as that image still stuck in his head.

"Then he must be a really powerful human mage" Ciri said though Regis said something contradictory.

"I don't think he's human. As young as I was at that time, but we vampires can smell anything supernatural miles away. With that in mind, I am telling you, I was quite overwhelmed with his presence. He is definitely not human" Regis said confidently which drew a huge amount of scepticism to Ciri.

"Not human!? Then what he is? What does that make Dante, that man's son?" she asked quite frustrated at the fact that there is another unknown secret about Dante.

"Not sure dear. Though we can clarify this when we meet him" Regis finished.

"I will hold on to that. Besides many of the mages who knew him in this meantime were wary of his abilities. He said magic was in his world too, but we all know he is hiding something from us" Ciri said now firm in her resolve to get answers from him. Besides, Regis too has a little excitement to meet Dante after all those years. He wondered how he would look like now.

"Now lets talk about what will happen to you next" Regis said which confused her.

"What does that mean?"

"Ciri, now that your father is dead, it is time you took the throne of Nilfgaard and become the empress" Regis said to which Ciri was left speechless.

"I don't know Regis. I never walked that path for 28 years. Been on the path for too long. I don't think I can do that" Ciri said feeling conflicted.

"I know your are in a dilemma, but this is no time for self-doubts. For the sake of the people, you need to do this. Or there could be bloodshed" Regis said which didn't sit well with her.

"Bloodshed?" she asked wide-eyed. Regis sighed as she went on to explain.

"Ever since your father was murdered, there is a talk among the common folk that it could be a shady plot by Kaedwen. That they worked to overthrow Nilfgaard" he said.

"I heard of that conspiracy too which is what Dante is investigating" Ciri said.

"But if you don't take the throne,the elder council will take the decision to go to war with Kaedwen whom many among us believe are not the culprits" Regis revealed a devastating truth.

"WAR? NO! That can't happen!" She said loud in anger. She can't expect something like that to happen without any proof.

"Which is why you need to speak with them. Become the empress and no decision shall pass wothout your say so" he finished saying. Ciri now understood the severity of the situation and whether she like it or not, she had to step in.

"You are right Regis. This madness has to stop! I will do what it takes to do that. Before that, I will need a new weapon" she said with resolve to which he proudly smiled. Ciri then paced towards the palace to speak with the elder council.

Meanwhile in Novigrad...

Dante reached the Gildorf square and finally reached the shop that Dandelion mentioned as he was staring at the door. He then walked in as he opned door and a bell rang which is meant to be a signal for the shopowner that someone had stepped in.

Finally the merchant revealed himself from under the table, a man in wealthy robe looking at his 50s.

"Ah! A customer. Welcome to my store! I am Balthazar. How may I help you?" He greeted the man though he gave a wary look at him especially a huge sword onhis back.

"Uhh-..Are you a witcher?" he asked trembling.

"No, I am from a far off land beyond the seas. My name is Dante, I am a paranormal investigator, Demonologist and a Devil hunter" He said.

"Demonologist? My my...very few of your expertise walk this continent. Few I know of in Ofier. What would bring such a man to my humble store?" the shopkeeper asked.

"I was told you are merchant that deals with ancient artifacts and knowledge on object related to occult" Dante said.

"Indeed I am. Though I don't beat my chest around and brag, I do know my idols" he said with a smile.

"Then do you recognize this? I don't know but I was told Novigrad is the place for best craftsmanship in the continent" he said as he pulled the locket and placed it in the desk for him to see. The merchant's eyes were wide eyed in horror as he reluctantly took astep back. Dante noticed discomfort.

"Whe-...Where did you get this?" the shopkeeper asked horrified at the sight.

"At the oxenfurt academy while investigating an arson" Dante said and he already knew he was getting on his nerves.

"No! It can't be!...*SIGH*...Please follow me upstairs" the merchant said to which Dante nodded. Once here Dante whilstled at the sight of the mercant's collections. Grimoire, pendants, chalices, swords, armors, and some objects used in witchcraft, wizardry and even pagan sorcery.

"Damn! You got some serious collections over here" Dante said.

"I don't usually show this to many. Sometime, some pellers, mages require certain things to help with their line of work. I can easily get my hands on" he replied.

"Okay Balthazar, so what is it you wanna show me?" Dante asked getting to the point. The merchant took a seat and waved him to sit as well. Dante took the rebellion and placed in the corner as he sat opposite to him.

"This locket was personally hand crafted by my grandfather. The emerald gem you see here is actually a rare one" he said.

"Who did your grandpa made it for?" Dante asked as this started to become interesting.

"Many years ago, there was once a powerful sorceror in the continent, Vilgefortz. He was trained by druids and mages of that time in the arts of magic and elementals. He was exceptional. But lately, grandfather told me that Vilgefortz had a vision of his death he saw on some magic fountain, like hydromancy at Aretuza"

"Lemme guess. He did something to change his fate?" Dante asked.

"That would be an understatement. He began to dwell in dark arts, necromancy, even goetia"

"Goetia? You mean to say he made pact with devils?" Dante asked stunned by the information.

"He was in to that for sure, but I don't know if he made pacts with them. My knowledge in this field is limited, but Professor Shakeslock from Oxenfurt is an expert in this. But sadly he died decades ago"

"What heppened next?"

"There was a rumor that he formed a cult with a band of highly trained assassins who would execute his wish, which in fact is nothing but series of murders. Vilgefortz visited my grandfather and asked him to make a locket with the rare emerald gem he gave. But he never disclosed it purpose until-..." the merchant voice trembled.

"Until?"

"Until he tested it on my grandfather. He killed him and captured his soul into the gem. That's when the truth came out, the locket was used to trap souls" he finished. Dante was quite stunned at the revelation. He realized this was the purpose all along. Now all he need to know is what was Vilgefortz endgame before his death.

"After that, we never saw that blasted c**t. He continued using his cult and assassins to hunt down the people he seek and trapped their souls here. Many years later, a news reached out that he died at the stygga castle. A fitting end to someone of his notoriety. The assassins were disbanded after his death. But seeing this locket with you, this raised many questions" the merchant finished now his turn to get some answers on that.

"Thing is oxenfurt got attacked by these assassins months ago and stole a powerful tome that contains infernal magic"

"I have heard about that. But Infernal!? By the gods! What would they even want with that? the merchant was shocked at the news.

"If the tales are true, those magics never ended up being good"

"That's true. Also we believe the same assassin's could be behind the murder of Emperor Emhyr" Dante said.

"What? But I keep hearing that Kaedwen was behind this due to the strong hate you know" Balthazar said.

"No, it looks like this whole thing went sideways and is becoming more shady that I thought. Besides, the assassis's should have been searching for this a long time. But surprisingly, 2 months and it was still in the crime scene" Dante said believing if the assassin's are still using this locket to capture the souls, then they would never let this slide. Wondering what could be preventing them from getting this.

"Ever since the arson, I learned that the academy and library are well protected by both tons of guards and some magic at keys points. That could be preventing those assassins from entering the structure to retrieve this"

"Hmm, looks like it. So time I was on my way. I have to meet someone. Thanks for your help" Dante said as he stood up.

"Uhh...one small request. Please never tell anyone of this conversation we had now. If the owners found out, they would kill me and my family" the merchant said.

"Sure. Stay safe!" Dante said waving his hands at him as he left the shop fetching his sword back.

Outside, he saw the people still in the square in every market. Dante was reflectng on the things he learned so far.

"So Kaedwen's hatred is being misused by these assassins. If I am right, they would still believe the locket is still there. Also the two Kaedwen guards me and Ciri met on the way to Novigrad helping out that sorceress, they are not actual Kaedwen, but decoys! Shit!" Dante thought as he still have only a half filled cup. He still don't know how to find them.

"Need to check with Ciri on this. That means going to Nilfgaard. *SIGH*...If I had yamato, I could easily avoid the travel. Vergil's lucky" Dante thought in amusement as made his way down to the city. He found that he no longer has any purpose staying here, so he decided to leave the city.

At Ellander
After 8 hours...

Yennefer slowly opened her eyes from the slumber and woke up. She sat on the bed looking at her arms in surprise. She also felt rejuvenated with magical energy flowing through her.

"Whoa! You woke up sooner that expected" Geralt's voice came just in timeas he was standing at the entrace to the room.

"Geralt!" she called out as she tried to stand up. Geralt placed his hand over her shoulder and prevented it. He then sat besides her.

"How are you feeling now? Nenneke said it would 24 hours for you to recover completely" Geralt surprised at the miraculous speed at which she healed.

"I am persistent for sure. I can feel the magic again" she said as she summoned electric bolts in her palms and put it out.

"Now what do we do?" Geralt asked the next obvious question. Yennefer decided to explain everything.

"First thing you should know, Emperor Emyhr and his successor were murdered by some mysterious people" she said which stunned Geralt.

"What? How?-..When did this happen?" he asked shockingly. He was never in good terms with Ciri's biological father and never liked his schemes. But even then, this was troubling for him. His worries were more on how Ciri would handle this.

"It happened couple months ago"

"2 months? Then how am I not aware of this? The death of emperor of his reutation-..."

"Geralt, there is much more going on than you know. Allow me to explain it" she said.

Then Yennefer told him everything that he was working with Avallach in identifying the some magic disturbances detected across the world and the crossing of mysterious evil beings in to their plane of existence. She also explained the many mages, druids and other witchers have faced unknown demonic entities in the past century that have strange connection to this. She believes that the murderers have stolen something far more deadly from Oxenfurt for sinister purposes. Also that the disturbances she recognized were the same as she recently did with Velen. Everything Geralt heard from Yen was like him being rammed by a giant. Each and every information she gave him were too much o process. He realized it was one of those times where the worlds were threatened by White frost and the Wild Hunt but only 100 times worse.

"Damn!...This-...all this-...*SIGH* So many happened in so little time and I was ignorant for the entire part" Geralt said as he still processed what she said.

"Geralt, I know its too much to take, but this is what is been happening. The sooner we tend to this, the better. Else we will be left facing something worse than white frost" Yen warned him.

"So what do we do now? This whole thing sounds like a work for mages, not Witchers" Geralt said as he is no sorceror.

"We need all the help we can get. First off, we need to go and find meet Ciri. If I am right, she must be fully aware of her father's death and she will be in the Nilfgaardian palace as of now"

"Yeah, she must be having a tough time to coming to grips of it. Atleast we can console her" Geralt said sadly as he felt bad for the unfortunate circumstances that surrounded his adopted daughter.

"Fine lets go then. Been a long time since I last saw her. Have a lot to catch up" he said with a smile. Yen smiled as they both left the room to inform Nenneke of leaving to Nilfgaard.

Mean while...

Somewhere from the deepest dark depths of the forest, a black creature of evil, sins and death, Blackheart was running the lands of Velen as it caught the scent of the hated enemy. The creature after miles of running finally came to a halt as it stood straight glaring at a city in great distance from it.

"RRRAAAAAHHHHHH" blackheart gave a loud growl as it realized the enemy is closing in. The roar echoed around the grassy field into the forest and te rocky mountains as the birds and animals chirped and cried in fear.

To be continued...

At last, 13th chpter is out,. Will be posting chapters in short time rather than taking long time. Besides, things are about to get interesting.