ATTENTION: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING OF DEMON SLAYER: KIMETSU NO YAIBA OR DEVIL MAY CRY. ALL CREDIT BELONGS TO THE AUTHORS, CREATORS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING PARTNERS!
A Demon's Cry
[(5)]
"Arms Hashira!"
"Arms Hashira!"
"Arms Hashira!"
Dante snapped back to reality once a member of the Kakushi grabbed his shoulder, instinctually grabbing their wrist and lifting them into the air. What was wrong with him?! They were on the same side! The Kakushi flailed around shouting with pure terror!
"I'm here to help! Please, senpai!" They squealed like a rat in a trap.
"Kyojuro… he…" Instantly, the half-blood released his fellow corpsman and watched them join a group to recover Rengoku.
It was nearly insane how fast they began to work, applying pressure below the wound, stuffing the bullet hole with gauze, and checking the Flame Hashira's vitals. From the calming expression and constant murmuring between the medical Kakushi, this wasn't a lost cause.
"He will be fine! We need to get him back to the Butterfly Mansion immediately!" One Kakushi called out. They flagged down a team with a small cloth hammock to place under Rengoku.
"Kyojuro…" Why did Dante feel like this? Was he responsible? Of course, he was! When was he ever not responsible for things suddenly getting out of hand! All he had to do was stay back and take on that Widower merc himself. If the enemy starts bloating their victory… they have already lost. But, despite him not considering himself friends with the Flame Hashira, why did he feel such a rage?
A call of the innocent? The scream of a pure soul? Or is it because he could still hear Rengoku saying:
"Run, Dante."
The Widower.
Inhaling through his nose, Dante towered over everyone like a totem pole. Rengoku wouldn't have wanted him to be stuck feeling this guilt. He established what went wrong. Now he needed to try again and retrieve his amulet. "So this is how it's going to be, huh? I see. Alright then! You!" Dante pointed at the same Kakushi girl he grabbed earlier. "I want you to make sure Rengoku still has a pep in his step once he wakes up! As for the one who did it, oh do I have a bone to pick with them!"
Rebellion departed from its sheath, open and bare for the world to see. The blade gritted its teeth, ready to give a taste of its bite to those Dante dared to sick it on. Unknown to him, a butterfly took off in the sky, following close behind. And then another. Then? Another. A swarm of beautiful purple butterflies took to the moonlit sky. All of them began to follow close behind Dante.
Laying still in the cold darkness, a sheathed blade radiated excellence and essence from its existence. A glint from the moonlight revealed the pale hand closing in around its sheath and lifting the Yamato up into view. Vergil departed the blade from its scabbard, revealing its illuminating craftsmanship. Shortly after, he granted the blade a warm cover, removing it from the room. It was time. All this waiting around for Muzan and his scholar was going to accomplish nothing. There was plenty of time for setup.
Now is the time for action.
A fully grown and mature Alice patiently waited at the end of the hall next to a taller masked stranger. As Vergil approached, his eyes scanned their hands; more importantly, the amulet in its grasp. Wearing all black with military-style equipment, the aesthetic wasn't brash enough to hide the small trembles in their body language.
'Vergil…' Widower internally shuttered. Each step he took towards her became louder and louder. An echo that chilled her core.
"That's what you wanted?" Vergil asked, staring at the amulet in Widower's hand, soon transferred into the grasp of Alice. He was slightly disgusted, watching Alice put it on.
"Muzan's scholar praised me for it! Arkham- praised us for it." She quickly corrected herself.
Vergil's crystal pupils sliced across their gaze.
"I- I hate when you look at me like that!" Alice spat.
Ignoring her, Vergil leaped off the side of the manor's railing and down a few stories.
"Tell Muzan and Arkham I'm going ahead," Vergil ordered.
"Only Muzan knows of that place!" She warned.
That was far from any problem. Refusing to break his glance from the path ahead, Vergil continued to descend further down the abyssal darkness. "As do I."
Sometimes the Widower couldn't put her finger on it. What was Vergil's problem? Always so intense and unapologetically HIM. It would be plain criminal to not be able to notice the similarities between Vergil and the man known as Arkham. Alice's whines were equally hard to ignore. "Don't take it personally, Alice."
"What do you mean?" The mature blonde asked. "You think I don't know that?"
"No! Not at all, I believed that you were under the impression Vergil just doesn't like you. He treats everyone like that." Widower sighed, rubbing her temples. "I need another freaking drink. I'm in deep shit."
"Huh?" Alice became curious. Deep shit? But she returned the amulet to them! "What do you mean?"
"I-" Boom. In her mind, she could hear the gun going off again. That look of helplessness on the man who risked his life to save her. A look of shock. Not one of betrayal and anger, but sadness and pleading. Why? Why did she do it? The question was almost audible just from an expression on the Flame Hashira's face! "I did something I wasn't too proud of, Alice. I didn't mean to hurt someone."
"Was it a human?" Alice asked curiously. "Like you?"
Widower nodded, "I know what comes with the work I do, but this bullet didn't have his name on it. That's all."
Unable to comprehend sympathy for a human being tortured, Alice stroked her chin, "Then what are you so worried about?"
"His friend who's coming after us. Their friends. The Slayer Corps."
Tailing the butterflies from the abandoned town back towards Tokyo, Dante found himself descending deeper and deeper into the alleyways of the slums. Listening for even the slightest of footsteps of the Widower, any noise was a prime suspect. 'Come on! Where the hell is she?! Where! Wait, the butterflies are scattering.' "Oh, so you're just going to leave me like this? Lead me out here and scatter? I thought you trained these things to carry out a task, start to finish!" Rather than his playful tone, Dante half-spat venom with each word.
"They completed their task." A soft female voice came from the ledge above him.
"Shinobu." Dante greeted,
"You look tense, Dante. Perhaps you need a moment to yourself?" The Insect Hashira extended her hand for a butterfly to land on it.
Snarking towards her, he placed his sword over his shoulder, "I'm in hot pursuit of a mercenary who shot Kyojuro. Any small talk you want to make is wasting my time!"
Frowning, Shinobu lowered her head. "So, Rengoku has been injured. That's not good at all."
"No shit, now what do you have something important for me or-?" Dante was cut off by Shinobu's eerie silence. While caught up in his own hot-headed moment of trying to hunt down the widower, he began to suspect his projecting was a bit much for the insect hashira.
"I figured you may want this." The butterflies delivered a map to Dante.
On the piece of paper, it was concrete directions to an abandoned temple just outside the city. In bold letters, Dante read:
WHERE THE DATE AWAITS
"Easier to understand than Enzo's maps. Straight ahead." The demon hunter mumbled.
"Correct," Shinobu confirmed.
Spinning his blade around his hand, Rebellion's winds scattered the butterflies near him, visibly entertaining Shinobu Kocho at the same time. Catching the handle and continuing to twirl it, Dante's gaze met Shinobu's desolate violet eyes. "Nice of you to hand this off to me. Did the bad guys give it to you for free?"
"Of course not. I tried to befriend the demon girl who was on her way to deliver it to you. She seemed very interesting." Shinobu koo'd.
Dante recoiled. "Alice?!"
"So that was her name." A giggle ensued.
"Was?"
"Indeed. She didn't seem very interested in being friends with me. At first I was very sad. I still can't figure out why these demons don't wish to make nice with us humans." The Insect Hashira's sinister tone grew more audible.
Dante even felt a chill waddle down his spine. "Did she have an amulet on her? A bright red one?"
"Hmm? Oh, no she didn't. She was just carrying the map and headed in this direction. I stopped her and asked her how many people she had killed. Then awarded her the proper penalty so she can be reborn and then become friends." She lifted her hand to make the point. "She didn't die quietly. Her screams were a bit annoying."
"Ya know I really worry about you sometimes, Shinobu." Dante sighed. 'She said that whole thing with a smile.'
"And I worry about you too, Dante. Your head has gotten a couple sizes bigger. I don't think it's a good idea to keep your ego in there." She grinned with a chuckle, visibly seeing Dante's hair flare up, she covered her mouth. "Oh, please forgive me, Dante. That was uncalled for."
The son of Sparda knew a half-assed apology when he heard one. "Alright alright! I get it! So are you coming or what?"
"Of course, Dante. I wouldn't want either of us to miss out on this opportunity."
Arriving shortly at the abandoned temple site, Dante kicked down the doors into the main building.
"I knew you were a delinquent, Dante, but not a vandal. No wonder people seem to keep their distance from you." Shinobu commented. "Including keeping your top uniform button undone."
"Okay! Fine!" Dante faced her and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for giving you shit before, alright? Can you save the insults for Sir Frownsalot Tomioka?"
"You are forgiven." She nodded, stepping through the doorway into the massive structure. Taking note of her surroundings, Shinobu scanned the empty rooms and halls. She wasn't entirely a fan of confined spaces, but with the Arms Hashira by her side, there was that feeling of safety. And if Dante fell short, she'd be more than happy to introduce those demons to her poisons. Just like she did to Alice.
"Empty? I don't recall making a reservation." He mumbled.
"It's because it's reserved for you, DANTE!"
Ebony and Ivory had never met Dante's hands more quickly than that draw. Both barrels faced down the hall in the direction of the Mad Hatter. In the blink of an eye, he vanished, in a room adjacent to them, barely visible through the broken sliding doors.
"Sheesh! Too violent a greeting for a temple! Consider your surroundings! But it seems you didn't consider that there were no plus ones allowed." The Mad Hatter was irked.
"Is this your idea of a date?" Shinobu asked. "To sit around and pray? I think I've done enough of that to last a lifetime! But, thank you for the kind offer."
"She's a VIP," Dante added.
Bewildered by another Hashira making their presence known, the Hatter stroked his chin, "I suppose that's fine. Like the spirits do not refuse any of their youths, I won't refuse this 'VIP'."
"Well damn, you didn't think of a good setting for our date. Can't do anything without the spirits watching." Dante smirked, despite Shinobu visibly resisting the urge to backhand him.
"Dante, is your strong personality the result of your mixed demon blood?"
Shockwaves were sent through both Hashira as they stared down the now visible Hatter just 50 feet away from them. Did Shinobu know? She knew Giyu so obviously she had to know, right? Or did Giyu actually keep his secret and this is new information. Keeping Ebony and Ivory trained on the hatter, Dante briefly glanced towards Shinobu. 'Her aura hasn't changed. She probably thinks it's a load of crap.'
"Your Widower friend has something that belongs to me." Dante scowled, sure that Shinobu was remaining on his side.
"Lost something? A disappearing radish act the other actors wouldn't recommend you do. Heheh. But, the audience is enjoying it. Have you not wondered why I appeared here?" Hatter asked Dante.
"Guess not. I make it a point to refuse guys who can't keep up an interesting conversation before things get serious." Dante approached the hatter all the way until Ivory's barrel was in his face.
The Mad Hatter pressed his finger in the hole of the barrel, attempting to lower the firearm. "You can collect it. But, before that, I have a request. I called you here, after all."
"A request?" He raised a brow.
"I want to request a job that only you can do. Something perfectly suited for your specialty." Hatter answered.
"Hunting demons?! That seems like fun! Let's start now!"
BLAAAAAM!
As soon as the gunfire rang out, the floor under Dante and Shinobu crumbled. A pit opened up, the size of a swimming pool, drowning both Hashira down into its depths.
"Shinobu!" He yelled.
Quickly, Dante drew Rebellion, stabbing it into the walls to attempt to stop his fall. To his misfortune, the sword slipped and let him plummet all the way down into the deep, dark abyss. Trusting his senses in minimal light, he let the rushing of air tell when he was about to hit the ground. Bracing his legs, he bent them and eased the impact. 'I didn't hear Shinobu land! Shit, did she hit the ground and die?!' "Hey! Shinobu!"
"Yes, Dante?" She tapped his shoulder.
"Man! Don't scare me like that! Tch. Damn Hatter." He looked up at the floating Mad Hatter about 20 stories up at the hole's entrance. "Now you're really pissing me off! You didn't even explain the job! You know what, guess I'll wing it then! But I'll be collecting my pay after this job so you wait right there!"
"Dante," Kocho called.
"Yes, Shinobu?"
"I don't think this is a job he will be paying for."
"Well, that makes two of us agree on something for once."
"One of your smartest decisions." She announced. "It also smells down here. Smells like the dead."
"Only you would know that, Shinobu."
Walking around, Dante felt his foot hit a solid round object. Then another. 'It's pitch black down here. Huh? A skull? Another one? Why are there so many? Is this a skull graveyard below this temple? Seems Crazy Kocho was right.'
"I can barely see anything," Shinobu added. She stepped over the skulls carefully so, as not to soak her feet in the lake of blood that submerged the skulls halfway. "It looks like it's a bad attempt at a burial site."
He couldn't disagree with her. "You're telling me." Dipping his sword in the blood pool, Dante advanced forward once determining the puddle was getting more shallow with each step. 'Finally, land.' "Hey, Shinobu, I think I found some solid gr- OUUUNNND!"
The floor below Dante rapidly descended like a falling meteor. The platform's immense speed refused to stop as the half-blood could feel like an immense weight on his body. What was this? Why was he sweating? Why was he shaking? Why was his stomach churning into a knot?
SPARDA!
…
Sparda… We've AWAITED this DAY!
'It's so hot. I- I can't control it. My senses are fading. My blood- it's overflowing…' Dante shook, nearly going numb. The numbness spread all through his body, blood leaking from his eyes and fingernails. This was a familiar scent now was it? Blood. A locked-away craving. Being surrounded by a blood cyclone, it began to fill his body and mix with his own blood. Dante, absorbing astronomical amounts of blood, began to calm the cyclone and reveal the monstrous statue lurking over him; probably as large as a 15-story building. On its hands and knees, it resembled a person, only missing its head and a right arm. Though, behind Dante, the head of said statue revealed itself half submerged in blood.
"For eons we have stood as a seal, O' humiliating ages, our days spent in remorse. Betrayed by you, we have been shamed, to flow from these tears of blood. We continued to wait for your return until our tears became a sea."
2000 YEARS!
More blood rained down on Dante like a hailstorm, pinning him to the platform and seeping into his skin.
The statue continued with its booming voice throughout the underground estate. "How may we convey our suffering? Sparda, I have recognized your scent even though I cannot see you." Feeling the surrounding blood mix with its prey, the statue cackled in euphoria. "Oh, Sparda… how nostalgic your blood is! Even after two millennia… this taste… it's still as I remember it!"
This was truly a winning moment for this statue. Its blood was seeping in with Dante's. It could taste Sparda's blood! Smiling in the face of victory, the head of the statue suddenly unsubmerged. Has it risen? Was it flying? No, the lake of blood suddenly parted like the Red Sea. "Sparda…?" Staring at the demonic creature in front of it, the stature focused on those large bloody, demonic wings spreading from Dante's back.
He raised the Rebellion sword, empowered by the mixture, slashing a gash across the statue's face.
KRAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGH!
Stabilizing his flight, Dante spat towards the screeching statue, "I shower every day and you're telling me I STILL smell? I'm hurt. But hey, I didn't have enough calcium in my youth either. So lemme give you one piece of advice. You're looking at the world from the wrong angle. Look a little more straightforward. I know you'll pick up on some good things."
Spires fired out of the wall, one right into Dante's chest.
Though, to the statue's horror, Dante had slipped under it with a reaction time faster than any demon he had ever seen. Slipping over the spires, Dante kicked off the ground, propelling himself deeper into the underground courtyard. Every projectile sent his way, he avoided it like a child throwing a rock. Dante's feet turned to light, only a streak of it being seen as he bounced between points.
'So fast! It's all too easy! I can feel the power flowing through my arms and legs!' Returning to the statue, he slashed across its torso, ducking under the imminent spires. "I'm really flying! Hey! BREAKDOWN! BREAKDOWN!" Driving Rebellion into the statue's body, Dante began to slice up a rock filet!
"Sparda… our names." It croaked while its body became more defiled. "Sparda… give us our names.
Leaping over the demonic spires pursuing him, Dante cackled at the failed attempts to kill him. "Phew, that was close! Since you're blind, listen up! You got the wrong guy!" Twirling Rebellion, Dante curled his body, striking the statue over and over again. Perhaps hundreds of slashes in under a second! Parting like Pangea, the cracks stretched all across the statue before it crumbled at Dante's feet. His eyes were black and bloodshot, and the power pumping through Dante had him giggling like a schoolgirl. A giggle turned into a howling laughter while the statue crumbled.
"Oh I'm crazy about it~" Dante sang. "Hm! That reminds me, I need to see if the ole pretty poison princess preoccupied herself poking some poor pompous prick's demon body. Heh. Yes, I did that on purpose."
"Sparda…" The crumbling statue head hissed. "Sparda… our names."
"What's with you?" Dante scowled, "You got dumped by my pops or something? Wait- Huh?" The veins in his hand popped, visible to the surface and rich with black blood. More captivating was the claws at the end of his hand, rather than normal fingers. "The hell? I'm changing?"
"SPARD!" The statue refused to give up! There had to be a hope that Dante would fall for it! "Names! Give us our names! The ones you stripped from us two thousand years ago!"
RETURN THEM! OUR NAMES!
It was comedic to the demon hunter, "Man, you only got a mouth left and you're still yelling at me. Some people think that's a bit much. Now, you wouldn't be able to tell me where I can find a certain Widower mercenary? Slim body, black mask, and all tactical gear. Oh, and of course the pretty bug lady. She is important after all."
Feeling like he was hit by a train, Dante suddenly flung himself into the side of the estate courtyard. Emerging from the pile of skulls and concrete, the demon hunter's eyes glanced across at the snickering expression of the Mad Hatter. "Eh? I was making short work of it before you stepped in! You gotta let a man do his job! Tch. That's it. From now on I'm on overtime!"
"This is the job." Hatter croaked. "I just want you to name them. When I say name them, I mean it will be enough when you do."
"Name them?" Now this was just confusing! 'What kind of job is this? Child's play?' Retrieving Rebellion from the pile, he shook off the skull pieces from his jacket.
"T-Two thousand years ago, your father stripped them of their names. They've continued to be bound for two thousand years without them. T-To them, their names are their pride, even though they mean everything. There is no way such prideful creatures would ask such a thing from you. Their jealousy and their anger are tremendous. It is no wonder they spouted it at you."
"That's some splash. Guess it's tough when your parents are famous." Dante shrugged. "What a cute request, but naming babies ain't my style."
Hatter pleaded, "Even lesser demons could not have acquired a name in two thousand years. B-Because you're Sparda's son! Release them… two thousand years is too painful!"
"Alright, I got it. There's just one thing." Dante smiled ear to ear. "What happens after I name them?" Judging by the Mad Hatter's silence, he got him right where he wanted. "I don't overlook details, but it looks like you forgot to explain again. Are you always like that? Or is it on purpose…? Second of all," Ebony raised itself in the direction of the smaller adversary. "You keep dodging the question about my amulet and my friend. Third? Oh boy, you'll love this one, Remember my job? I'm a demon hunter."
Splash!
Ebony fell out of Dante's demonic hand, submerging itself in the blood pool. "Ah?" His skin boiled and his muscles stretched, becoming more and more demonic. He was losing the appearance of a human and more of a monster. He has sharp claws, darker eyes, and fangs in his teeth. The Hatter smiled, seeing the power consume him.
"Too bad that was something you borrowed. But if you realize the power within you was enough, didn't the devil's power feel magnificent?"
"I-In a flying contest, it'd be first class. It's… nothin' special!" He hunched over feeling like he was about to spill his guts out.
Seeing Dante lose more and more of his humanity, the Mad Hatter devilishly howled, "Truly a response that suits you! The simplified foolishness of an arrogant human! But, in truth, that's what you want it to be, isn't it? I know your reason for that as well; why you hide amongst the Hashira. The reason you do it all! You intend to have your revenge, demon slayer.
Cackling through his rows of abominable teeth, the once-known Dante seemed to lose himself a bit. "Revenge? What for? This is how I make a living!"
Hatter saw right through him. "I don't blame you for bluffing. On THAT day you must have thought 'I want to kill demons'. The demons who killed your mother and mercilessly slaughtered your brother. The need to take revenge on all demons has driven you here. Devil hunting to hunt demons is your deepest desire. That's how you appear, isn't it?" Dante's pained growls only drove him on. "But that isn't so, is it? You are only part human. I can even imagine the tragedies that have happened to you. Simple! Pure despair is the pain that causes your anger. If you're human, all of these emotions are normal. But, Dante, you must understand the meaning of what I say. Didn't you enjoy it? Any demon would kneel before Sparda's power. With just one act; the act of naming these demons will change the world. Is it unbelievable? No, it's simple. To change the value of everything would be all TOO EASY!"
Bravo… Dante!
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
Caving in from above, the underground estate started to collapse. Rumbling like an earthquake, the floor split down the middle. Columns crumbled, arches tumbled and the rocks and blood showered the area like a summer storm. The entire area imploded on itself, dropping into another cavern below everyone's location. Roaring with rage, Dante's vision narrows in on the light shining down into the cavern. A light filled with butterflies filled the space.
'Shinobu. And she's going to see me like this? Man, I really cooked myself this time.' He hissed. However, the identity of the one wearing the oddly patterned cape begged to differ. They descended faster and faster into the abyss thrusting a syringe into Dante. "AAAAOooooowch!" Dante shrieked, slowly calming down and reverting back to his human form. "Shinobu?"
"Do you really wish it was?" Giyu's annoyed tone woke Dante up like a defibrillator. "Seeing you like that, she'd have enough gossip for the rest of your lifetime."
Staring in a fuzzy daze, the white-haired demon hunter could barely stand straight up, using Rebellion to support his own weight. "Giyu? You bastard, what did you do to me?"
"I hit you with an experimental concoction of poison, wisteria, and tomato sauce." The Water Hashira answers. "I had to avoid a lot of questions to get Shinobu to make this. Y'know, in case you ever betrayed the Slayer Corps."
"Well." Dante stretched and slowly regained his balance. His eyes returned to a normal color and fingers were more able to pass as human ones. Feeling his normal power return, he just chuckled at Giyu. "If you were trying to kill me, it wouldn't work. But if you were trying to bail me out, then you got it just right."
"It was to merely stun you while you were in a berserk state. My contingency plan was to behead you. Besides they were insistent I stun you, rather than kill you."
"They?" Dante recoiled.
Tired of the banter, Giyu glanced at the third person to make themselves known. Shinohu's butterflies were flying in a rotational pattern, orbiting the individual who was just 50 feet in front of them. White hair, like Dante's slicked back over a long blue jacket.
Holding a long tachi sword and its cover in its hands, the new arrival sheathed the blade with a single-
Click!
"In Sparda's stead… I hereby grant you a name." Refusing to face the stunned Hashira behind him, the swordsman glanced at the shattered head of the statue. "Choose."
"Very well!" The demon rejoiced. "My name is Sloth! Our paths shall cross again!" Remains rising into the air, the deadly sin of Sloth faded into dust, along with the other parts of the crumbled statue.
Remaining frozen in disbelief, the shock of this man bound Dante to the ground. Giyu, merely a spectator, felt a chill run down his spine upon inspecting Dante's blank stare.
"Why is the third seal open?" The swordsman asked with a booming voice.
The Mad Hatter began to float down behind the swordsman. "I-I left the second seal to you. There's no problem who opened it here, now is there?" Avoiding a quick slash from the sword, Hatter cackled at his partner before fading out of sight.
"Dante is that-?" Before Giyu could finish his sentence, Dante approached the man, dragging the Rebellion sword along the ground.
"It's never a dull moment these days. Skeletons throwin' a picnic…" Locking eyes with the unmistakably recognized swordsman, Dante hissed. "Long lost brothers dropping in from nowhere, back from the grave."
Turning around to face his brother, Vergil presented an unamused expression towards both Hashira. "Quite the contrary. I don't remember ever being dead."
"Is that so?" Dante sarcastically snarked, "I'm sorry, must've been me not getting the memo." Using Rebellion to retrieve Ebony, he flicked the hand cannon in the air, watching it twirl and land right into its holster. "It's been forever! I don't even know my own brother anymore. So this is what you've been doing with yourself, eh? First a demon, now a corpse. Sorry, but dating demons and corpses is too much, even for me."
Vergil smirked, he couldn't help but let the amusement flow through him. Perhaps an award for advancing his plan once more. "We haven't seen each other in so long, my apologies. We wouldn't have exactly seen eye to eye back then… so it can't be helped."
Giyu remained silent. This was an issue more or less left to Dante to sort out, but it did not stop him from inspecting Vergil.
Chuckling and twirling Rebellion, he continued this sudden conversation with his brother, Vergil. "You think so? Well, that was good for both of us. You just dropped in recently, right? My bad- I didn't notice. I've been swamped with work these days."
"Don't worry, I've been quite busy with work as well." Vergil forgave Dante.
"Nah, let me show you around." Scooping a skull with the tip of Rebellion, Dante thrust it in Vergil's direction. "Demon extermination is my specialty. Even made it to the top of the ranks."
Glancing at his brother in comparison to the Hashira next to him. He couldn't help but chuckle. "A Hashira? You? I was thinking you pawned that uniform."
"Now you want to act like a slayer?" Giyu murmured.
"Shush," Dante smirked at Vergil. "Something wrong? I'm also dealing in the private sector. It's been making me a shitload of cash, too. A lot of demons have been showing up recently. If I keep at it, I'll be filthy rich."
"Well, your job will be over soon." Vergil quipped.
"Over." Dante stopped playing with the skull, locking in on those words.
"This world shall be consumed by the demonic realm."
Dante and Giyu's silence deafened Vergil; both their jaws hanging from the noose of surprise.
"I will raise a tower." Vergil clarified his claim. "The tower of fear, sealed in ancient times. The link Sparda sealed lies there. With my hands, I shall open the link to the demon world."
…
…
"Have you lost it?" Both Hashira gasped.
"Lost it?" Vergil questioned their exasperated expressions.
"Reopening the passage Sparda sealed?" Giyu sputtered.
Vergil ignored Dante's visible shaking. "It is the only way."
"THE ONLY WAY TO WHAT?" Dante refused to believe what he had just heard. Those words couldn't have possibly come out of VERGIL's mouth! "A tour? A safari? A haunted house?! I ain't laughin'!" Throwing the skull off the Rebellion, Dante's hair covered his eyes. "Vergil, Mother was killed by demons…"
…
"I know."
…
Faster than any duel known to man, both Sons of Sparda drew their respective weapons on each other in the blink of an eye. Vergil internally scoffed seeing Giyu ready with his blade. Would he need to cut down this Hashira to advance? Time will tell.
Studying his brother's weapons, Vergil could only resonate with how typical it was for his brother to be so cowardly. "Guns and Rebellion. How like you, Dante."
"Vergil." Dante hissed, resonating with how typical it was for his brother to be so flashy. "Yamato? It suits you."
"I am going to the demon world. I will kill all who stand in my way." Vergil announced.
"And what if the Slayer Corps stops you?" Giyu asked.
"I have to write each Hashira's name on their tomb." Vergil sneered.
"Ignore him, Giyu, he's already sad enough. Reduced to a demon's pawn? Now everyone who searches 'fall from grace' in the dictionary is just gonna see you." Amongst their banter, a small object glistened into the sky. With the butterflies ascending through the hole in the ceiling, two of them seemed to be descending with something in their grasp.
"My amulet!" Dante exclaimed. "Shinobu, I owe you one!"
SLASH!
Before Dante could reach the amulet, Vergil sliced open his hand with the Yamato; even killing both butterflies who were merely messengers. Watching his brother catch the amulet, Dante launched himself back; Giyu followed suit. Was he letting Dante take point? No, he was avoiding the man's inevitable hailstorm of bullets.
"Arms Breathing Fourth Form: Rapid Fire!" With his left hand cut open, his right hand was only able to keep Ivory trained on Vergil. Deep breath in, let it spread, contract muscles, and follow through.
BOBOOBOBOOBOBOOOBOBOBOBOBOBOOBOBOOOBOBOBOOOBOBOBOOM!
Vergil's eyes honed in on the muzzle direction of Ivory. As soon as his brother chanted that phrase, he internally scoffed. 'A breathing technique? I suppose he really did ascend the ranks of a Slayer. No matter, the weapons are merely conventional.' Vergil began slicing the bullets like child's play.
But, then, he heard footsteps beside him. Turning his blade to block Giyu's slashes, Vergil still needed to tend to the hailstorm of bullets headed his way. But even the Water Hashira wasn't enough to overpower him. Vergil took pride in deflecting the surprise attack and even striking his blade with enough momentum to send him right toward his comrade. The expression of horror on Dante's face merely motivated him to maintain his precision all the way down to the last attack. Once Ivory finished roaring, Vergil stood fast towards Dante and Giyu.
"DIE!"
Barely able to see it, the air warped around Dante, cutting across his body like a filet fish. Though, the other Son of Sparda was still familiar with this technique, able to avoid its full wrath. Despite his efforts, Dante stumbled back, bleeding from the cuts and slashes across his body. Stopping his fall with Rebellion, Dante stared daggers towards Vergil.
Giyu held his ground, feeling a gash run down his side. Thankfully it wasn't deep, though it still stung.
"Give it back, Vergil!" Dante demanded. "Or else I'll give you another neck piercing."
The chain around Vergil's own amulet cracked, revealing a single bullet hole in Vergil's collar. Catching the falling amulet in his hands, now revealing two, Vergil also inspected the hole made in his ascot. Dante did shoot him well. Giyu's distraction paid off.
"DON'T RETURN IT!"
The Mad Hatter squealed, "We need it for Temen Ni-Gru! T-They won't help us!
"VERGIL!" Dante exploded, nearly missing the amulet once Vergil suddenly threw it towards him. Using the Rebellion to catch it, he tossed it back into his hand.
"Don't interfere," Vergil warned them.
Perplexed at the decision, the mad hatter muttered, "Why?"
"We can retrieve it anytime." Seeing a doorway within the underground estate, Vergil slid it open, descending into the megacomplex he knew as the Infinity Castle.
…
"Dante," Giyu called. "Dante, are you hurt?"
Staring down at the amulet in his hand, he made not a peep towards Giyu. Instead, he turned his back on him, walking towards a skull and kicking it into the pool of bloody skeletons.
The Water Hashira followed him towards a stairway before appearing in front of him. "Dante. Don't act like this. I won't tolerate it, even for a moment." Once his comrade stopped and looked up at him, Giyu apologized. "Dante, I'm sorry. I know you're hurting right now-"
"No shit, jackass." He hissed.
"Dante." Giyu leveled himself. "We need to go back and report this to the master! He needs to know about your brother's involvement with that Hatter demon. This is the work of Kibutsuji, Muzan."
After a long sigh, Dante clutched his Hashira top and began to pull on it.
"Dante, what are you-" The sudden ripping noise silenced his question any further.
Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiip!
Throwing his ripped top at Giyu's feet, the white-haired teen snorted:
"I Quit."
…
"This is my toilet to flush. Now get out of the way."
Refusing to believe his comrades' rash actions, Giyu remained still. Even Dante's attempt to move him was a failure. "That's not how this works, Dante! I refuse to let you walk off like that."
"Oh really? You refuse?" He chuckled sarcastically.
"Yes."
"Then come finish what you started when we first met." Shoving Giyu down a few steps, he sighed; Giyu's katana pressing against the back of his neck was a nearly comedic feeling. Slowly turning around, he glanced at the smaller man. "Tell the others I 'found greater pastures' or somethin'. Get creative. I know you don't have the gahones."
"Is this how it ends?" Giyu cringed.
"I have the high ground." Dante half-smirked from the higher steps.
"Even when you're in distress you can't help but joke." The Water Hashira didn't falter.
Dante pressed his ex-comrade. "Do it, Giyu. Finish me. Oh, that's right. Your master doesn't know you've been harboring a half-demon among your ranks for the last few years."
"Don't make me do this," Giyu warned.
"Heh. I'm not worried. As I said, you don't have the gahones." Dante's taunting smirk soon fell once Giyu asked.
"What about Shinobu?"
"What about her?"
"She looks up to you, you know." Giyu tried to strike below the emotional belt. "What do I tell her?"
Dante shrugged and turned around, ascending up the stairs. "I dunno. But, my mission changed. This shit isn't for me anymore. Tell your master I said thanks for everything, but this is where we part ways."
"And everyone else?" Tomioka narrowed his eyes, watching Dante fade into darkness.
"It's been a pleasure. Don't come after me or else I'll get really mad, ya hear?!" The Ex-Hashira yelled.
"Right."
~Sigh
Sitting down on the step, Giyu glanced ahead at the crumbling megastructure, sheathing his sword. Temen Ni-Gru. Amulets. Dante. Vergil. Demons. 'Just what kind of tale did I twirl myself into? After all, I've done, this is what's awarded to me. As a strong believer in karma, I think I'm reaping what I sowed.' He let himself lay back on the bloody stairs, not giving a damn whether or not he'd be dirty. Giyu drifted a stare up to the small hole in the ground, all the way up to the surface. Even through the temple above, he made out the rays of the moon.
"AND TELL SANEMI I SAID: UP YOURS!
...
END OF PROLOGUE
To
Be
Continued...
SNEAK PEAK AFTER AUTHOR'S NOTE!
Well, I never thought I would see the light of day here. I can go on and on about life and struggles but I won't! I am back here and my writing muse has returned! I have of course overwhelmed myself with the stories I am writing but I learned to pace myself and go after my ambitions one at a time. This is a hobby and I dearly love doing this. Believe me. And with Demon Slayer advancing even further in the popularity base and the new season to come, I know I have a lot of catching up to do. The chapters will come out faster now that the Prologue is over and we can now advance into the main arcs with out lovely cast and crew. This Chapter is short but I'll make up for it with a sneak peak into the main timeline.
This will be two years later! And granted fully now in the setting of Demon Slayer. Don't worry, every character is accounted for and I know where I want to take this. I'm blessed for the popularity and support this story has gotten from KNY fans and DMC fans. I hope to do our charcters even more justice in the future as we dive into the established connections and relations. Dante and Vergil are currently 16 years old right now along with Shinobu Kocho. Giyu is 19. The time skip will be two years, bringing them all to their proper ages.
With all my yapping, I hope you guys enjoy the end of the prologue and a look at this next piece of A Demon's Cry.
THUD!
Tanjiro's body it the ground right at the same time as Rui's head. The flames around Nezuko's body ceased, releasing her from the bounded web.
"Nezuko!" Tanjiro strugged so speak, witnessing his sister's body plummet into the dirt. His attempts to crawl towards her? Futile. It was almost as if his muscles forged a mutiny against his body. "N-Nezuko! I- I won..." Reflecting on an old technique taught by his father, Tanjiro vividly embraced the Kagura that has shifter through his family for generations. Even he was unsure how he pulled off the finishing move. Regardless, it saved him. Groaning while rising to his knees, Tanjiro failed to ignore the excruciating pain, actively whincing at the slightest movement.
Distant sounds of thunder further disoriented him, adding onto his already failing vision.
'Huh? I- I can't see Nezuko. Is it because I took too many breaths?' Tanjiro weakly pondered.
Boooooooooommmmmmommmomoooom! BoooBooBoomooomooooom!
'Ack! T-Thunder! M-My ears! The ringing in my ears is brutal! My whole body is throbbing with pain!' Putting one arm out in attempt to crawl, Tanjiro shutterd across the dirt; not even making it an inch. 'I gotta heal up fast! I'm still not done fighting! I need to save Inosuke! Right away!' Freezing in place, Tanjiro shuttered with the intense smell of mixed blood. Sweating, he felt pinned down by fear. 'The scent of blood just got much stronger! Come to think of it, I didn't smell ash along with it. Don't tell me-'
Step. Step. Step. Step.
"Even though I chopped off his head?!" Tanjiro cried.
Rui reached out, pulling the webbing connected to his finger tips. He revealed his severed head connected to the strings, slowly lowering from a tree branch. "You thought you'd defeat me? Poor kid. Did you pathetic delusion bring you joy? I cut off my own head with my threads before you could chop it off." Watching Tanjiro struggle to crawl away merely boiled his blood. "Enough, I'll kill you and your sister. I haven't been this enraged in a long time."
'Get up! Get up!' Tanjiro mentally screamed. 'Control your breathing! Get up! Hurry! Right now!'
"I don't know why you aren't burning up right now. It was only me and my threads that caught fire, right?" Rui maliciously approached Tanjiro.
'W-What's this?!' Tanjiro sniffed the air again. 'That scent! It's not blood. It's a strong burning metalic sensation, mixed with a lack of a smell.'
Step. Step. Step. Step.
"Ya know, I have no idea why you would just hang your head over a branch like that a NOT expect me to want to hit it like a pinata." A snarky voice called out.
Both Rui and Tanjiro tensed up, facing the direction of the voice. A long silver sword came down and lightly tapped Rui's hanging head.
"Boop! Man now I really wanna hit it harder and see if candy will come out!" Laughing confidently in the face of Rui's overflowing anger, the demon hunter couldn't help but smile at Tanjiro and the extremity-challenged demon. "Long time no see, kiddo."
"I-It's you!" Tanjiro recoiled in disbelief. Noticing his past hero was... less clothed than before... Tanjiro regained his focus on his savior getting in a strange stance with their sword.
"Yep, it's me. Now, forgive me, I may be a bit rusty; I saw this Babe Ruth guy do this across the water. All I ask you to do is rate this homerun!" Rebellion swung towards Rui's dangling, awestruck head.