Devil May Cry Netherworld Chronicle: Nero Arc
Extra chapter: From that day forth.
Cover image: Young Nero and Rozalin smiling at each other and holding hands in front of the Hell Gate.
Several years before Dante's attack on the Order of the Sword's headquarters, a young Nero was training under his adoptive older brother Credo to be a Holy Knight of the order, having promised Sapphire Rhodonite, the princess and his close childhood friend that he would be strong enough to be her knight one day.
Though while he trained alone in Mitis Forest, he stumbled upon one of the Order of the Sword's secret Hell Gates and upon touching it out of a sense of curiosity, he found himself transported to an unfamiliar garden and there, the demon princess and daughter of Overlord Zenon, Rozalin noticed him passed out on the ground.
In the garden of one of Overlord Zenon's mansions, Nero, a young boy with white hair and blue eyes dressed in a blue coat over a red shirt and blue trousers, woke up from a daze and there, he saw Rozalin, a young girl with blond hair, red eyes and a pair of black wings, dressed in a puffy pink dress. The Demon Princess was unsure of what to do, this was the first time she met someone that wasn't one of her servants.
"Hey…" Rozalin knelt beside Nero, poking his cheek to see if he was real or not. "Who are you?"
"Huh…?" Nero sat up and rubbed his eyes and when his sight was clear, he noticed Rozalin staring at him.
"I said, who are you?" Rozalin narrowed her eyes, now annoyed that she had to ask the mysterious boy twice.
"Nero…" The boy answered Rozalin's question as he got up, still dazed and confused. "And you are…?"
"I am Rozalin, the only daughter of Overlord Zenon!" The Demon Princess proudly introduced herself to the Young Knight. "Be honoured, Nero."
"You're… a demon." Nero noticed Rozalin's wings right away and he stepped back, he was still training and not ready for his first fight with a demon.
"That's right!" Rozalin crossed her arms and smiled as she noticed some of the fear in Nero's eyes. "I've never met a human before."
"And you're pretty… for a demon." Nero blurted out the first thing that came to mind before he covered his mouth, embarrassed by what he had just said.
"Wh-What are you saying!?" Rozalin blushed madly as she covered her cheeks, this was the very first time a boy had ever complimented her because Nero was the first boy her age that she has ever met.
"Just… forget it okay?" Nero looked away as he tried to hide his own blush, this was probably the most embarrassed he had ever felt, though he knew he should have been afraid because he was face to face with a real demon. "Listen, I have to get out of here."
"I can't let you do that." Rozalin pouted and shook her head; it was lonely for her living with just her servants and she wanted someone to talk to. "You're not leaving until I say so!"
Nero let his guard down, he knew Rozalin was a demon, but somehow, he also knew she wouldn't be too dangerous to deal with and she reminded him of Sapphire, so he felt at ease, nodding in agreement to her demands.
"Good." Rozalin smiled and took Nero's hand, leading her to her room. "We'll play until I'm satisfied."
"Got it…" Nero couldn't help but smile as well, though Rozalin was a demon, there was an innocence to her that he found charming.
Over the next few hours, Nero and Rozalin spent time getting to know each other and despite being a human and a demon, they got along well and found things in common. This was the Demon Princess' first meaningful friendship and it made her happy.
"Nero…?" Rozalin asked the young knight, now slightly nervous and anxious.
"What's up?" Nero answered Rozalin's question with his own, noting how nervous she was.
"Do you… want to be friends?" Rozalin asked, now blushing from embarrassment, but she knew she had to try since she had no true friends.
"Sure, why not?" Nero smiled at Rozalin as he took her hand in his own, he found her nervousness adorable and despite everything he was taught about demons, she was different.
"O-Of course you would!" Rozalin looked away as she tried to sound proud and commanding, befitting her nobility. "You are friends with the only daughter of Overlord Zenon, be grateful!"
Nero couldn't help but laugh, no matter how proud and noble Rozalin tried to seem, he could easily see the cracks in her personality that revealed the sheltered but sweet girl she really was.
"D-Don't laugh!" Rozalin was now flustered, thinking that despite her efforts, Nero didn't take her seriously.
"Sorry, you're just too cute." Nero stopped laughing before smiling at Rozalin, there was no we he wouldn't find her endearing now.
Rozalin pouted and replied by punching Nero playfully on the arm, her cheeks still red.
Over the next few months, Nero would sneak out to the Mitis Forest Hell Gate to visit Rozalin, finding out that through the gate, he can come and go as he pleased and now, he always looked forward to seeing her.
Rozalin waited eagerly in the garden where she and Nero first met and sure enough, a rift opened up and Nero stepped out of it, smiling at her and holding a book for them to read together.
"Hey." Nero smiled at Rozalin as he waved at her, glad to see her again after days apart.
"Took you long enough." Rozalin pouted; she hated it when Nero was late because she would count the hours until they met again.
"C'mon, it's only been three days…" Nero smiled at Rozalin, finding her impatience to be cute. "Besides, Sapphire wonders where I go all this time."
"Who's Sapphire?" Rozalin asked, now frowning because the name Nero had just said sounded feminine and she didn't like that.
"Oh, she's the princess, I promised to be her knight when we got older-" Nero answered Rozalin, blissfully unaware of how angry she was getting.
"I'm your only princess!" Rozalin yelled out; her face now flushed from anger as she hugged Nero's arm. "So, tell this "Sapphire" girl to back off!"
"I-I brought you something." Nero tried to change the subject, thinking that a gift would cheer Rozalin up.
"Huh, what is it…?" Rozalin let go of Nero's arm and just as he had hoped, the idea of a gift calmed her down.
"It's a fairy tale book about the Dark Knight Sparda." Nero handed Rozalin the book as he smiled in relief. "Never could take those legends too literally…"
"Father sent me books about him before… they said he was a traitor." Rozalin held the book as she wondered how different Sparda's reputation was to humans.
"Well, where I come from, they call him "The Saviour"." Nero wondered what a demon would think of Sparda, given how he betrayed Mundus to side with humanity.
"That's absurd!" Rozalin crossed her arms and looked away, not sure if she could see a traitor as a saviour.
"Tell me about it…" To Rozalin's surprise, Nero agreed, though he served the Order of the Sword's wishes, his faith was weak.
"Will you read it to me?" Rozalin handed the book back to Nero, now wearing a curious expression.
Nero nodded and sat down against a tree and Rozalin sat beside him, he read to her the story of the Legendary Dark Knight Sparda, about how he rebelled against the Devil Emperor Mundus and entrusted his closest allies to rebuild the Netherworld in his absence.
"So… Sparda became powerful because he found love in his heart?" Rozalin was amazed by the story, because as a demon, she only ever read stories about hatred and betrayal and the story of a demon fighting selflessly was new to her, especially since she was reading with someone she actually cared for.
"That's how the story goes." Nero nodded as he closed the book, not noticing the dreamy look in Rozalin's eyes.
"If that's true, why did he leave Seraphina?" Rozalin pointed out the part near the end of the story where Sparda abandoned the Gorgeous Overord Seraphina, a woman who loved him since they were children. "If love was what gave him that much power…"
"Guess it was his love for humanity…" Nero answered Rozalin's question about the book. "People say he even fell in love with a human thousands of years after."
"Do you think demons and humans could fall in love?" Rozalin asked Nero, dropping her haughty façade as she blushed, holding his hand.
"Maybe…" Nero held Rozalin's hand instinctively, not noticing that she was blushing.
"Can you make a promise to me?" Rozalin blushed more, tightening her hold on Nero's hand. "When we're older… promise to marry me."
"Huh…?" Nero was surprised, though they had gotten close, he didn't think for a moment that Rozalin was in love with him." Where's this coming from all of a sudden?"
"Sparda left Seraphina even though she loved him so much…" Rozalin's eyes watered as she and Nero held hands, afraid they would part ways as well. "And I love you… so promise to stay with me forever."
"Fine…" Nero smiled at Rozalin as they entwined fingers, he felt the same way, even if he wasn't ready to admit it to himself. "When I become a knight who's strong enough to protect you."
Rozalin gave Nero her most beautiful and sincere smile through teary eyes before hugging him tightly and he responded by holding her close. At that moment, nothing else mattered to them but each other.
A few months passed and Nero would continue to see Rozalin in secret almost every day, telling her stories of the Human World and bringing her gifts whenever he could and each time, they would get even closer. One day, Nero was ready to tell Rozalin that he passed his trials and had become a full-fledged knight at a very young age.
"Come look at this." Nero smiled and showed Rozalin his Caliburn, a slim curved sword with a revving engine built into it. "I'm an official knight now."
"Now you can protect me." Rozalin smiled and held her hand out, expecting Nero to kiss it just like in the fairy tales he brought to her.
Missing the point entirely, Nero smiled and shook Rozalin's hand, earning an annoyed pout from her.
As Rozalin and Nero moved closer to each other, they heard demonic laughter from around them and suddenly, the garden was filled with black-armoured Demon Knights, each wielding assorted weaponry from swords, axes to spears.
"Rozalin, get behind me!" Nero revved his Caliburn's blade as he stood on front of Rozalin. He was afraid, he had never faced demons stronger than the common Scarecrows or Assaults, but he had to protect the Demon Princess.
"Nero!" Rozalin closed her eyes, she was afraid, in all her life, she has never once been in danger, so she didn't know what to do.
The knights struck in unison and it took Nero all his power to block their attacks while shielding Rozalin. He dug deep into reserves of strength he didn't know he had, but before he could continue fighting, he found himself stabbed in the chest by one of the knight's swords.
Nero's consciousness was fading and all he could hear were Rozalin's screams, then suddenly, a voice echoed in his head. "Power… give me more, power" and he opened his eyes, his arm now changed into his Devil Bringer and he used that newfound strength to push back the knight that stabbed him and cut him in half with his Caliburn.
Nero kicked the knight's corpse before using his new Devil Bringer to summon a spectral extension of his arm to grab another knight and crush it with overwhelming force, his eyes glowing red as he fought.
Unknown to Nero, a seal taking the appearance of a four-leaf clover appeared before Rozalin and it resonated with the demonic power of Nero's Devil Bringer and as the two powerful forces combined, the seal broke and Rozalin took on a new appearance, her hair whitened, her skin darkened and her eyes glowed a malefic red.
"Sparda…" Rozalin, whose voice now sounding far more menacing, noticed the deeply familiar aura coming from Nero's Devil Bringer. "You abandoned me!" The being that possessed the Demon Princess didn't see the Young Knight, only the man who he resembled in her eyes.
"R-Rozalin?" Nero stepped back as his Devil Bringer glowed violently, almost as if to warn him of imminent danger.
The knights prepared to attack again, only to be immediately incinerated by the possessed Rozalin's dark flames.
"Sparda…!" The possessed Rozalin reached out to Nero, evil intent in her eyes, not knowing at all that she was talking to the wrong person. "You made me a being of solitude…"
Nero stepped back, never in his life had he felt such strong demonic power, his Devil Bringer continued to glow, resonating with that power and just then the rift from the Mitis Forest Hell Gate opened up and transported Nero out of the Netherworld.
A few days had passed and Rozalin's father, Overlord Zenon, moved her to another mansion after the attempt on her life and Nero was found unconscious in front of the Hell Gate, with his right arm changed into the Devil Bringer.
Nero woke up in the infirmary and beside him was Sapphire, who was hadn't left him since he was admitted.
"I'm… alive." Nero lifted his Devil Bringer and it was proof that he had survived the ordeal, except now, he couldn't remember anything about the Netherworld, all he could remember was the voice that echoed in his head as his arm changed.
"Nero!" Sapphire hugged the Young Knight, she was afraid that he'd never wake up, she would have cried, but she lost the ability to do so long ago.
"What happened…?" Nero hugged Sapphire back, his memories now all over the place and his mind in a daze.
"We found you unconscious before the Mitis Hell Gate." Credo walked into the room before answering Nero's question and despite his cold demeanour, he was relieved as well. "Your injuries were severe, but we found you just in time… but your arm…"
"I know…" Nero looked at his right arm, the Devil Bringer and he remembered the voice that echoed, as if his soul answered it by changing his arm.
"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Sapphire punched Nero's arm hard enough to bruise it, but she seemed more relieved than angry.
"I promised, didn't I?" Nero smiled reassuringly at Sapphire as he rubbed his bruised arm. "I'll never die on you…"
"That entity I faced... the one that awakened this arm…" Nero thought to himself as he hugged the Princess. "It was powerful enough to overwhelm even Sapphire, Fortuna's strongest warrior." He tried his hardest to remember, but everything from within the Netherworld was just an empty fog in his mind. "Why can't I remember?"
A force powerful enough to dwarf even Sapphire's own strength and a demonic awakening within Nero, both of which he failed to remember but what he could recall was the way the entity said the name "Sparda" and it seemed both sorrowful and hateful.
After Rozalin was moved to her new mansion, she dismissed her servants and retreated to her room and in her arms, was an unopened box that Nero had given her during his last visit.
"Nero..." Rozalin had thought of the Young Knight and the battle that separated them, she was now far away from the Mitis Forest Hell Gate and there was no way for her to reach him, her eyes watered with tears, fearing that she'll never see him again, it was then that she opened the box and what she saw was the Noble Rose, a pistol he had made for her himself. "I'll find you again... I promise." The Demon Princess smiled as she held her new firearm and gift from the boy she loved.
Nero and Rozalin were separated and the Young Knight's memories of her were locked away, but the Demon Princess swore to find him again one day and for a girl who has been sheltered and protected her whole life, this reason to live was new and precious to her.
Author's note: So, my flashback chapter of the Nero Arc is complete and I hope it answers some questions people had about the prologue. Nero's memories of Rozalin and the Netherworld were removed on purpose and who did it and why will be revealed in the story eventually.
I gave another hint of the story of the upcoming Sparda Arc and his relationship with Seraphina, he had a similar one with True Zenon and she's bitter and scorned about it, as evidenced by her becoming a being of solitude and angrily confusing Nero for Sparda.
Nero will eventually get his memories back and when he does, he and Rozalin grow very close, much to Sapphire's chagrin. When Etna joins the party, she loves teasing Nero and Rozalin and she adores Nero, because he's her son with Vergil and because of that, she gets comically doting and overprotective.
I might do the new Vergil Arc soon, depending on which fandom I'm focused on over the coming months, but I have enough material to write two chapters art least.
For now, the Dante Arc will adapt and expand upon the first Devil May Cry and Disgaea games and Dante will team up with Laharl, Etna and Flonne to fight Mundus and Nelo Angelo. Nelo Angelo's nature as a corrupted Vergil deeply hurts Etna.
While I'm not ready to write a full story for the Blood of Sparda Arc since I haven't played Disgaea 6 yet, I have ideas based on Devil May Cry 5's plot and what I read of Disgaea 6's plot.
The Qliphoth will be a tree that grows its roots throughout all the different parallel worlds, giving whoever eats the fruit the power of a god and since Urizen is fed by all that blood and demonic power, he is now the strongest being in the universe.
Because the series deals with multiple/parallel worlds, the characters from DmC: Devil May Cry will be important to the story when they join the party and we'll see reboot Dante have a rematch with his Vergil, who became the new Demon King of his world and also plans to consume the fruit of the Qliphoth. There will be some fun banter between Nero and reboot Dante and they become good friends and business partners for a multiversal branch of Devil May Cry. Depending on how long it takes to write this story, Netflix Dante and Vergil might also appear. The DmC universe will get a prequel spinoff that crosses over with Hazbin Hotel and adapts the events of DmC: Devil May Cry.
Vergil will have a romantic history with Melodia and as V, he tries to avoid her whenever possible and Dante keeps Etna in the dark about Vergil's return and V also keeps the same secret from her and she's not happy about it. Etna will be in for a shock when Vergil returns and she really wants him back. I also plan on Vergil having met Zed and Bieko immediately after the night Mundus sent his demons to kill Eva. I'm still working on it and things might evolve the more I play Disgaea 6.
Since the future of the main Devil May Cry universe is uncertain, I really don't know what I'll do with Disgaea 7, but hopefully by then, we get a new game, though I personally think the story concluded perfectly, but I would love more entries. I personally think we might get a remake, prequel, spinoff or in-house reboot. I hope you enjoyed this extra chapter. Until next time.
Now to answer my reviewer.
Naitomea-Zero.
Thanks, I'm glad you like it.
Yeah, Disgaea 5 did wonders for the lore to be honest, expect more in the Sparda Arc.
Nero has Vergil's looks by her sass; she'll recognise her son immediately.
Yes, we will, they'll have their own buster animation.
Thanks.
See you, too and take care.
