Author's note: So we've gone quite a few chapters without Dante now. I know everybody's chomping at the bit to see him back (kinda like we all were when we were playing those first 10 missions of DMC4, don't deny it). So just be patient a little longer. This is the last chapter without Dante. The next one will finally feature the long awaited meeting between him and Salem.

As for this chapter, there's the matter of an absconding Violent Queen to take care of. And no, I haven't forgotten that Penny has her own reasons to find the Five now. Hmm… it's almost as if she'll go looking for them. Now who could possibly tag along with her on a journey like that? If only there was a team of intrepid young girls with a thirst for adventure…

Also, some of you had some kind words for me last time. Thank you, as always. Your support makes me want to write this fic.

With that said, let's get this show on the road.

Chapter 26: Humanity

Valkyrie landed roughly, stumbling forward a few steps before she caught her balance. She clenched her teeth. Everything was wrong. Her mind and feelings were a mess. She didn't know what to believe anymore. Walking over to the edge of the mountain, she looked down. If she were to walk off the cliff, and allow gravity to do its job, she wouldn't die. A fall from this height wouldn't so much as bruise her. Short of demonic power that surpassed her, there was nothing that could end her life. For all intents and purposes, she was immortal.

I've lived ten thousand years. And in all likelihood, I will live ten thousand more.

When was the last time I felt the changes of time?

Like the rest of her tribe, she had reached maturity quickly, in less than two decades. Long-lived as they all were, however, they were not immune to the ravages of time. As the centuries passed by, slowly, ever so slowly, they aged. The strength that had once been in their arms waned, the fire in their flesh weakened. All of them, except her. She all escaped the inevitable decay of age. With each year that passed, her power grew, while her body remained youthful and strong. A warrior in her prime, so she was, and so she always would be.

She closed her eyes, and she could remember her battle-sisters, her tribemates, those she had been born and grew up with. In her tribe, strength decided one's place. And so, before long, the others had given their loyalty to her.

That's right… I was the one who wanted to go to war, wasn't I?

With her at its head, the tribe had left behind the mountains it called home, setting out on their path of conquest.

With each battle, each passing year, she watched her sisters fall. Some to the claws and blades of their opponents, some to age.

At the time, they did not object to the path I led them on. And so, I never mourned them.

Pain and death are the price to be paid for a good fight.

I would pay that price gladly, a hundred times over.

And so, I had no regrets.

Her sisters had never complained. In her tribe, it was considered the highest honour to die in battle. Under her, they passed through hellfire, and were forged anew by it. And before long, their vanquished foes too began to join their ranks. What had once been a tribe became legion. As their numbers grew, they travelled further and further, seeking out powerful demon lords. With each king and queen she defeated, her power grew.

Yet, I could not find any peace.

Something within me could not rest.

And so, I continued forward.

Word began to spread of the Violent Queen, and somehow, what she believed in began to be associated with her, until they could no longer be thought of separately. Rumours in the Underworld spoke of a female warrior who fought with honour, and did not desire control or domination. It was absurd and unheard: as a race of pleasure-seekers, it was impossible for most demons to even comprehend that there could be those who would go to war without having any interest in the spoils, in slaves, servants and flesh to feast on. Instead, the tales said that the Violent Queen offered something else: something so far beyond demon reach, that none even dreamt of it.

Salvation through the purity of combat.

Was such a thing even possible?

Could there be a fight so great, that the act of taking part in it could cleanse someone?

Power to fulfil one's lust could not lead to purity.

Nor could the urge to satisfy one's desires.

But what if there was salvation in the battle itself?

It was an absurd idea.

But somehow, more and more demons found themselves believing in it.

I did not offer them salvation. But they believed that if they died for me, they might obtain it.

I did not lie to them.

But I did not stop them either. If they wished to fight for me, who was I to refuse?

And so, the ranks of her legion grew.

Demon lord after demon lord she defeated, venturing deeper and deeper into hell.

Yet, none of her followers complained. None asked for rest, for an end to their battles.

In time, demons who managed to slip through the gates carried those tales to the human world.

Humans, who were weak and short-lived.

Humans, who were brilliantly naive.

Humans, who could dream.

They were weak. Yet, they had battles to fight.

So, I offered them my strength, in exchange for their belief.

The extraordinary power of hopes and dreams, crystallised and concentrated into one singular idea: Valkyrie herself. The psychic power of such a thing was enormous, to the point where it became True Magic itself. Bolstered by it, Valkyrie grew stronger still, to the point where she could take on even more powerful demon lords.

To desire strength for the sake of battle. It is the most natural thing in the world.

And so, I believed that was all the humans wanted.

Yet, that was not where the Berserkers' faith ended.

The goal was not power for the sake of the fight. It was to fight, and die, and enter the Hall of the Dead.

And all the while, her own path continued.

That's right. We walked through all 9 Circles.

Her host had remained strong throughout the arduous journey.

At the 9th Circle, Cocytus, the Frozen Lake, one by one, they all perished.

The 9th Circle, home to traitors, those who had betrayed the trust put in them, was where their bodies perished.

But it was not where they stopped following her.

Their souls continued to march behind her, and reached the lands beyond the place where trust and loyalty died.

They followed me to their deaths. But even so, even after that… they remained true to me.

By then, Valkyrie had been fighting for over five thousand years.

Her battle-lust had long since died. But the emptiness within remained, an unexplainable yearning for something she knew not. Weary yet unable to die, all that kept her going was the desire to find the purpose she had been searching for all this time, the meaning of her life. It was at that time that she encountered Odin.

And for the first time in her life, she knew defeat.

Faced with Gungnir, she learned what it was to be completely outmatched. The old god's power was far too much. She estimated it must be on par with the legendary Mundus, the newly-crowned Prince of Darkness who had consumed the Fruit of the Qliphoth. As she had laid before him on the edge of death, defeated, but her pride unbroken, Odin had done the unthinkable: he had spared her.

"The circle of killing and death will not end for you… not until you've found your purpose…"

And so, the meeting between the demoness and the chief of the Norse pantheon had ended.

And so too had Valkyrie's long path of conquest.

She had known defeat at last, and knew that the answer to her question could not be found through battle alone, no matter how many opponents she fought.

At the time, I wondered if everything I had been through had been meaningless.

Demons and humans alike had given her their loyalty.

They had fought for her, and in the end, they had died for her.

Malevar's words echoed in her head.

I never asked them to follow me. I never needed to. All I had to do was swing my sword, and they followed me of their own free will. Between the ones I killed myself, and the ones who died for me… how many souls have I sent to the afterlife?

That had never troubled her before.

Death was inevitable. It was the necessary other side to life. All that lived must die.

[OST: Mili- Past the Stargazing Season]

So why does it bother me now?

Why does it hurt so much to think of their faces?

If she closed her eyes, she could see each and every one of her followers.

She could remember every wound on their bodies, every line on their faces from the passage of time. She could see every one of the frozen forms that had joined the countless others in Cocytus.

They all died for me, for someone who didn't even know what she was fighting for.

If they knew, would they be ashamed?

How could I face them, knowing I had squandered their lives away?

Why… why was she thinking of all this now?

I never asked them… if they wanted to fight.

If they wanted to go on.

I'm sure they would never give up.

So long as there was breath in their bodies, they would continue.

Yet, if I had asked them to stop…

For a brief moment, she had a vision of herself back in the Underworld, surrounded by her followers. Yet, none of them were armed. They were not marching to some unknown land for war and conquest. But they had smiles on their faces. Because they had found a home. A place where they belonged.

Ah, I see now. I could have given them that.

In all this time…

… I never even bothered to ask…

… If any of them were happy.

The vision in her head changed, into one of the people of Hoperow.

The ordinary people that she had looked down on, going about their daily lives as best as they could. They were not outstanding warriors, yet they lived, smiled, and did their best. It wasn't as if their world was free of conflict. The unliving creatures called the Grimm preyed on them. Yet, they did not go out of their way to search for battle. And that, in turn, allowed them to enjoy brief periods of peace.

Moments when they could allow themselves to simply live.

And in that time, they went through the countless mundane joys and despairs of everyday life. There was nothing grand about any of it.

But it was not meaningless.

She had been watching, all this time.

And at the centre of it all, was the one she had been watching the most.

The boy who had lied to her, Oscar.

Malevar's words once more played in her head.

"The others all died for honour, and he alone will have died for love."

No!

No matter what, she could not allow that to happen!

Why?

Why does the thought of his death bother me so much?

It was not an answer she could arrive at through logic. No amount of reasoning would allow her to solve it.

But her feelings knew the truth.

It's because his life has meaning.

And…

It's because I care about him.

The answer was so blindingly obvious, so simple, she couldn't believe it had taken her this long to reach it.

And the moment she reached that answer, all the other things that had seemed to be insurmountable obstacles, simply fell into place.

He lied to me, because it was the only way to be close to me.

He chose to be close, despite the danger.

Valkyrie had never lied in her life, only speaking the truth.

Yet, she had caused more harm than Oscar ever would.

It wasn't simply speaking lies or the truth that mattered. It was what one chose to do, how one chose to live.

Valkyrie had been truthful, but she had turned a blind eye to the suffering of those who had followed her. Oscar may have lied to her, but he was infinitely more aware of the troubles of those around him. Weak and naive though he may be, he was not disloyal. He chose to live true to his feelings, bravely reaching out to someone even if he thought she was out of his reach. And he had done it not out of a desire for her strength, or a desire to emulate her. In all of these thousands of years, he was the first who chose to follow her simply for her.

There was more to the value of one's life than how good one was at wielding a sword.

He had been able to see that in her.

And because of that, he'd taught her to see it in others.

She clenched her fists, all four of them.

I've failed those who believed in me before. I won't do it again.

With no more hesitation, she took flight once more, heading back towards the town as fast as her wings could carry her. Far below, the ground shattered from the speed and force as she shot past.

A lot of other things were falling into place too, now that her heart wasn't clouded anymore.

Malevar… he would not take any interest in my actions. Not unless they somehow concerned him. And he had never done so until we settled with the humans. He singled out the boy as well… that was his goal from the beginning. To separate us.

Her eyes flashed, but not with anger.

Hold on a little longer. I will not fail you.

Within moments, she found herself above Hoperow. She entered a steep dive towards the ground, slowing down at the very last moment to land flawlessly on her feet. It was late at night, and most of the townsfolk were asleep. She could hear each individual heartbeat. Closing her eyes, she focused, finding the one she was looking for.

Good. The snake hasn't gotten to him yet. Speaking of which…

She honed in on one of the demonic energy signatures in the vicinity, and headed in its direction. As she walked, she held one hand out to the side, and in it, her golden sword materialised. One of the town guardsmen, who was still awake and doing his duty, saw her approach, armed with the massive blade, and his face paled. He almost scrambled backwards. The demoness glanced briefly at him, and his fear doubled, only to be replaced by absolute shock as she nodded slightly.

"You do your duty well, human", was all she said as she walked past.

The guard watched her go, jaw hanging open.

"Was that… a compliment?"

This was it. His life had peaked. It wasn't going to get any better than this. He decided he would drink in the morning to celebrate. Although…

"Boy, I pity whoever she's looking for."

Valkyrie continued to make her way with long strides until she reached a small house. Here, she stopped.

"You could come out, or I could bury you while you're still inside. Your choice."

The door opened, and Malevar the Serpent slithered out. To his credit, he was able to hide the look of surprise on his face almost immediately.

"Ah, the Violent Queen returns. I trust your flight went well-"

He stopped talking when a golden blade stopped less than an inch from his throat.

This time, he wasn't able to hide his surprise.

Knowing that he might be in danger, he had preemptively cast his strongest Barrier around himself before even coming out of the house. Said Barrier had in the past reflected Berial's flames and even the ice of the Cerberus clan.

Valkyrie's blade had passed through it as though it didn't even exist.

I-Impossible! This power… how can she possess it?!

He wasn't able to sense her energy at all.

The only other time that had ever happened was when he had met the Legendary Dark Knight himself.

Absurd! It's impossible. There's no conceivable way for her to have gained the power of Sparda, or even anything close to it! Then how… how is it that I could not stop her blade?!

"I will say this only once," said Valkyrie. "Stay away from the boy, and cease your experiments on the people of this settlement."

Malevar's eyes widened.

"Why… why do you even care?" he said. "None of them are warriors like those in your Hall!"

"It is true that they are not valkyries, nor berserkers, nor the matchless warriors of the demon horde."

All four of her eyes flashed red.

"You were right about one thing. I have taken life, one way or another. More than any of us, I have caused death. And I can never change that. No matter what I do, I cannot alter the past. But I can choose what to do here and now.

For every soul in the Hall of the Dead, I must carry on. I must carry their wills, their legacies. That is my duty.

This town… it's people. They're under my protection. Remember that."

If the reader were to be present at the scene as this conversation took place, they would have been greeted with the incredible sight of a Serpent with its mouth hanging open in sheer astonishment.

Without bothering to wait for a reply, Valkyrie turned and walked away.

It did not take her long to find the place she was looking for.

She was about to push the door open and walk in, when she stopped herself. Instead, hesitantly, she reached out and knocked, almost gently.

And by almost, we mean hard enough that the house shook.

She did try.

A few moments later, the upstairs window opened, revealing a nervous and scared looking Oscar, whose expression changed to surprise when he saw Valkyrie.

"Can I come in?"

That simple question caused Oscar to do a double take. He realised there was no way he would be able to finish processing it any time soon, so he simply decided to answer.

"Y-yes, of course! Just give me a moment."

THe sound of quick footsteps descending a staircase followed, and another second later, the door was opened wide. Valkyrie ducked while entering: she was tall enough that the doorframe couldn't accommodate her otherwise. It was much the same with the furniture inside: none of it had been built with someone of her size in mind, and she knew just from looking that she would best avoid sitting on any of it.

Instead, she focused her attention at last on the boy.

"I-is.. everything okay?" he asked.

"You seem surprised to see me."

"A little. You've never visited me at home before."

"True. I never even bothered to find out what your home was like."

So unexpected was this, that Oscar briefly froze, unable to reply at all.

"It's all right. You can't bother yourself over a squire's house, after all-"

"No."

She shook her head.

"You are no squire, nor a warrior of any kind."

Oscar felt his heart drop.

Was this it? Had he somehow disappointed her?

"Nevertheless, I… I wish that we continue to spend time together. Is that acceptable to you?"

Numbly, the boy found himself nodding.