Hi everyone! Welcome back to Fairy May Cry! First off, thank you so much for your patience. I really appreciate your understanding in me taking a bit of a break after the monster of the Grand Magic Games arc, which I am personally proud of for how it turned out. But now I'm back with more than a few surprises for you.
One quick announcement though, my whole series has now officially turned ten years old starting last week, which is a big deal for me. Never did I imagine my story would end up this long, or as popular. I am truly humbled and grateful for all the support you've given me this past decade. Thank you all so much. :)
Second of all… Yes, I am very much excited for the upcoming Devil May Cry show on Netflix, which appears to be an AU that's going in a different direction from the games. As for whether or not any of the events or characters in that show is going to impact my story, we'll just have to see how it goes before we do anything.
Now then, I've got a very special surprise for you all as we start of a story arc that I've been wanting to write for some time now and I'm very excited for you all to see what I got. So, without further ado, let's rock!
Still Waters
"Vergil is working with Zeref?!" Lucy exclaimed as she and Dante both sat in the latter's apartment, being visited by the spirits of Mavis and Sparda, the two having told the pair of cousins about the exchange they had recently with the Black Wizard and Devil Prince.
"Ever since Tenrou Island, it seems." Sparda confirmed. "They joined together with the shared goal of killing Mundus and Acnologia."
"Zeref, however, sensed the power of the Eclipse Gate when the Fiore Royal Family started the Grand Magic Games, using the magic power from the competitors to fuel it." Mavis added. "Vergil joined Sabertooth for all the reasons he said before, but also because it allowed him to get into Fiore, close enough that he could find the Eclipse Gate. Initially, his and Zeref's plan were to discreetly sabotage the Eclipse Gate without drawing suspicion."
"But then Legion showed up." Dante realized.
"Yes, that was something that neither of them expected." Sparda said. "But they were able to find a way to turn it to their advantage."
"By starting a freaking invasion of dragons?!" Dante questioned in anger. As if he didn't have enough reason to be angry with his brother.
"Believe or not, the dragon attack wasn't their intent." Mavis revealed, much to Dante and Lucy's confusion. "They don't intend to just kill Mundus and Acnologia, but to bring order to Earthland, whom they feel is descending into chaos from those in power, such as the current Magic Council."
"They used Legion's plan for the dragons to set up a disaster that would force the Magic Council to reveal it's inner corruption." Sparda added. "One of their agents, your enemy Sid, monitored the Council's decision to fire an Etherion and destroy Crocus, killing the royal family in the process, and later seize control of Fiore's government. Fortunately, it didn't come to that. Zeref would have stepped in himself to kill Legion if their orchestrated disaster went outside of their control and even destroy the Eclipse Gate to send all the dragons back. But it's already done now. The Council's plan is now being spread to the surrounding nations under the Council's jurisdiction, which will lead to inevitable conflict and rebellion…."
"And that in turn would draw out several of their primary targets, such as the Demon Kings Argosax and Abigail." Mavis put in, causing Dante and Lucy to look to each other as they remembered Future Legion's warning of the potential rise of those two Demon Kings.
That's when it set in for the two of them. All the pain and destruction that their friends and allies went through after the Grand Magic Games when the dragons emerged from the Eclipse Gate… all the potential lives that could have been lost… all of it was just part of a much larger scheme. And in the end, they were just pawns in all of it.
Dante's fists clenched with anger as he looked down. "Damn it, Vergil."
"W-why… why didn't he just tell us…?" Lucy muttered before looking at Sparda and Mavis. "You guys told us about what happened to Zeref! If both of them came to Fairy Tail… we could have helped them! Find a way to stop all the bad guys without resorting to… something so insane…!"
"We asked them that ourselves." Mavis looked away with frustration. "I can only assume that they didn't want to tip off Legion of their own plan. That entity had proved to be incredibly dangerous by itself and they didn't want to risk a wild card."
"My guess? If you had taken Vergil's offer to join him, he likely would have introduced you to Zeref and told you of their plan." Sparda said as well.
"Old man, be honest with me… If we did join them… as in, all of Fairy Tail worked with Vergil and Zeref, could we do it?" Dante asked seriously. "Could we kill Acnologia, Mundus, and all the other big bads?"
Sparda didn't quite answer right away before he sighed and gave his response. "It… it would not be an easy battle. But between all your combined wits and strength, perhaps you could have found a way." He noticed a look of regret in his son's eye. "But even if you had accepted his offer, would you go along with it? Vergil taking Mundus' throne, or Zeref becoming the ruler of all of Earthland? Or would you probably find a way for Vergil to step away from all of that?"
Now it was Dante's turn to hesitate, but he didn't have to voice his response. One look in Dante's eyes was all it took for Sparda to get his answer. He would do everything he can to stop his brother from doing that, to have him back in his life. And when he glanced at Lucy, Sparda could tell from the look on her face that she felt the same way. Maybe they could have found a way to help Zeref with his curse as well.
"I've spent four hundred years looking for a way to break the curse that Mundus put on Zeref." Sparda said. "But nothing I found ever yielded the results that we wanted. If you were able to find a way to cure his curse, then I'd be more than happy. But… when you live as long as he has… longer than any human should live… you begin to change. Even if Zeref was freed, he can't go back to the way that he was."
"Does that apply to Vergil too?" Dante asked.
Sparda looked away again. "I'm sorry Dante… I never wanted any of this for you, for either of you. All I've ever wanted for our family… was to live a peaceful life. But I'm not so sure that's what Vergil wants anymore."
"H-how…?" Lucy sat down with shaky eyes. "How did it all come to this…?"
"You really want to know?" Sparda asked, causing Lucy and Dante to look up to him, with even Mavis paying attention. "I said before on Tenrou Island how I've seen how you've grown your whole life, as well as how Fairy Tail grew… but that also applies to your brother, Dante. You already know Zeref's story, so it's only fair you know Vergil's. And in all honesty, I should have told you sooner. Though I was hoping he'd tell the story himself… but Dante, Lucy… it's time for you two to know what had happened to him, after your mother died… and the reason behind Vergil's obsession with strength and power."
Vergil, currently sixteen years old, sat meditatively alone in a courtyard of a monastery that had an Eastern Asian design to it. The monastery resided rather up high, on the side of a large mountain that had a faint veil of fog and mist just below it. Vergil's current attire consisted of a blue sleeveless gi with a white belt, black sandals, and white socks. He also had his half of the Perfect Amulet worn around his neck. His eyes were closed as he kept the sheathed Yamato on his lap. The young half-demon appeared to be in a peaceful meditative state.
However, this moment was quickly interrupted a large fireball that came at his right. Acting quickly, Vergil grabbed the handle of the Yamato as his eyes shot open. He stood up in the blink of an eye and drew the katana, slicing upward to slice the fireball in half as both halves veered past him. Knowing he wasn't done yet, Vergil had also brought the sheath of his katana forward to block the staff lunge of the one who had attacked him.
The person in front of him was a young man who appeared the same age as him, if only a year older, had fair skin, green eyes, and black spikey hair. He wore a sleeveless orange martial arts gi similar to Vergil's with a black belt. He also wore black armbands on his wrists, black cloth wrapped around his ankles and sandals with no socks. And his weapon appeared to be a simple staff.
"Oh, you're quick Vergil." The man in orange said with a wide smile before spinning his staff rapidly like a helicopter blade, hoping to press the advantage. "But not quick enough!" He kept up his smile, only for Vergil to cross the Yamato and its sheath like an x with the enemy's staff caught in the middle.
"Son Goku… if you're going to try and catch me off guard… try to at least take it seriously." Vergil said before he sliced the Yamato forward to push the young man, apparently named Son, back before Vergil pressed his own advantage. He sliced his sword against his opponent's staff, who backflipped to avoid another slice and stick his staff into the ground, pointing it straight up, before leaping to the top and taking a monkey-like crouching position from the top.
"Hey, I am taking this seriously. But I'm also having fun to." Son said with a smile, much to Vergil's annoyance. "Geeze, you need to lighten up. Get excited, why don't ya?" Son Goku's whole staff lit on fire as Son kicked it to spin it and send a fireball Vergil's direction, which he sliced to intercept. "I know something that'll get your blood pumping! Blaze Spiral!" He spun his flaming staff around to send a multitude of fireballs Vergil's direction, to which he used the blade of the Yamato, as well as his sword's sheath, to block and slice each of the fire balls as he could. Son then lifted his spinning flaming staff well above his head to generate a giant wheel of fire. "How about this, then? Scorching Sun!" He threw the wheel of fire at Vergil, who was prepared to meet it head on…
Only for a stream of cherry blossom flowers to strike the fire wheel and push it high into the air, where it exploded. The two looked to see who it was responsible for that.
It was a teenage girl, the same age as them, with long brown hair, brown eyes, dressed in a white and red robe fit for a Miko with white socks and brown sandals. She also wielded a pair of war fans that had residual cherry blossom petals falling from them.
"I can't believe you boys are having a sparring session…" The girl said in a scolding like manner, before a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "…Without me!"
"Kikya! Alright, now it's a party!" Son cheered.
"If you wish, then join us, by all means." Vergil allowed.
"Your funeral." The girl named Kikya replied as she held her war fans out in front of her, all of which were coated with her cherry blossoms as they began to glow a faint pink. "Sakura Blade!" She rushed the pair, appearing in the middle as she swung her fans outward to the both of them, who used their katana and staff respectively to block the fans, which now carried the sharpness and strength of steel blades. "White Shadow Plum!" She gave several rotating slashes, focusing on Vergil as he held his katana upside down to block and try to catch the dual blades to halt her attack, only for the girl to vanish in a cluster of cherry blossom petals and appear behind Son, ready to attack.
"Nice try." The man smirked as he lunged his staff forward. "Blaze Thrust!" He lunged his flaming staff forward, which Sakura blocked by crossing her war-fans together, though her smile did fade as she was caught briefly caught off guard and was forced back, though she stayed on her feet. "Your illusions are good, but we've seen them before. At least try to be original."
"Well, I thank you for your constructive criticism, Son. But I've got a few new techniques that I've been dying to try out." Kikya smiled. "Figure you two could make some decent practice dummies."
"Ouch. Your words cut deeper than your own flowers do." Son said with a half-smirk.
"Test your techniques at your own peril." Vergil advised as he pulled his katana back and took a lunging stance, only to notice a flash of lightning out of the corner of his eye and quickly brought the Yamato out to block the strike of another katana, one coated in lightning as a new challenger appeared in the courtyard in a flash of dark blue lightning.
It was a young man, appearing a couple years older than Vergil, with pale white skin, dark blue eyes, and navy blue hair. He wore a long black robe with a hood on the back with a blue sash tied across his waist and black boots.
"Brutis." Vergil narrowed his eyes somewhat at the man in front of him.
"If you're done playing, then perhaps you'd like some actual training, boy?" The young man named Brutis challenged as his katana was coated in lightning once more before it spread around his whole body. "Thunder Hunt!" Moving at twice the speed as before, he slashed downward, which Vergil barely avoided as he jumped backwards. "Running away won't make you stronger!" He took a stance where his arm was held back and his katana was pointed forward, almost like a spear. "Thunder Reign!" He thrusted his sword forward, sending a streak of dark blue lightning at Vergil's direction, which the young half-demon countered by lunging his sheath to intercept it. Though the sheath was blasted out of his hands, it allowed Vergil to grasp the Yamato with both hands as he brought it down to catch Brutis as he appeared in a flash of lightning again and was forced to block the attack with his own katana, the force of the impact caused the ground underneath him to cave in slightly.
"It did give me the best position to counter, though." Vergil commented with a slight glare, which only caused Brutis to glare harder before forcing his sword up to push Vergil back before they clashed katanas again.
"Hey, come on, don't leave us out of it!" Son was ready to join in on the fun, only for Kikya to quickly pull him back and avoid a series of rapid slashes that tore up the ground in front of them.
The one who now appeared in front of them was a young woman with long pink hair tied in two large buns at the top of her head with peach skin, green eyes, and a beauty mark underneath her left eye with red lipstick. Her attire was a loose white kimono with a black and red sash tied around her waist along with red sandals that had extremely high platform soles. She also carried a rather fancy and dangerous looking katana in her hands.
"Life is a flower, fated to scatter in the winds." The pink-haired woman said almost poetically. "You should take what amounts of your fleeting lives to get stronger, for it is the only way to survive in this cruel world."
"Ikaruga…" Kikya said somewhat uneasily.
"Was that one of your fancy haiku poems? I could never tell." Son scratched his head in confusion. "But if you wanna join in the fun, then I'd be happy to help!" He stood up on his staff as it stuck on the ground again, before leaping up higher, bringing his staff up with him as it set on fire once more. "Blazing Dusk!" He brought his fire-staff down on towards Ikaruga.
"Oh boy, if you play with fire… you're going to get burned." She took a stance and pulled her own katana back. "Sujin Wave!" Water generated around her own katana as she sliced forward to send a wave of water to catch Son's attack, clenching the fire as the sword and katana clashed. "Have a taste of your own medicine. Garuda Flame!" Her katana lit aflame as she sliced and pushed Son back. But before she could press forward, a stream of cherry blossom petals appeared before her.
"Whirling Sakura!" Spinning her body around within the cherry blossoms, Kikya shot herself towards Ikaruga, who tried to slice her katana at her. But she caught it in her war fans and quickly spun her body to deliver a kick to her neck area to knock her to the ground before Kikya flipped up to land on her own feet.
"Oh, the little girl wants to play too, hmm?" Ikaruga got up with an amused smile, readying her katana again while Kikya readied her war fans once more. At the same time, Vergil and Brutis stood a small distance from each other, and both were prepared to lash out at one another once more, until…
"Enough!"
All fighting came to an end as someone entered the scene, descending down a flight of stone steps and into the courtyard. The man in question appeared to be in his seventies and had fair skin and long white hair attached to a beard with white eyes. He wore a long white robe with white sandals and a white sash tied around his waist. Despite his age, he appeared to have a rather large build underneath his robe.
"Master." Vergil, Brutis, Kikya, and even Ikaruga were the first to stand up straight and bowed their heads, followed by Son.
"Hey, Master Wu! You wanna join in on the fun?" Son asked in a friendly manner, only to get elbowed in the side by Kikya.
The man named Wu gave a simple laugh. "As fun as it would be to wipe the floor with all of you, I believe this spar has reached its end." He walked past the group of five before stopping briefly and turned around to them. "Walk with me, all of you, please."
With that, the old master led all five of his students away from the courtyard and into the outside landscape of the monastery. During their walk, they spotted a number of monks minding their own business with either meditating, sparing with martial arts, or maintain the structures. As they passed by Son and Kikya both waved to the monks, with even Vergil giving nods, to which the other monks smiled and nodded back. Brutis and Ikaruga made no such gestures, however.
"All of your fighting techniques have vastly improved, and many at such young ages too." Wu began.
"Thanks, Master Wu. Yeah, we are pretty awesome." Son said casually as he put his hands behind his head in a relaxing manner.
"I suspect there is room for improvement, however?" Vergil asked.
"There's always room for improvement, no matter how strong you get. Remember the first lesson of training one's self…" Wu continued.
"Nobody ever stops learning. Always keep an open mind." Kikya recalled.
"Correct, Kikya." Wu responded as they continued to walk. "But this applies to more than just physical strength, but mental as well. You must learn to open your minds, this is especially true for you, Brutis and Vergil."
"But shouldn't we perfect our techniques if we wish to gain strength?" Brutis questioned while Vergil silently listened.
"It is wise to master your techniques." Wu granted. "However, no matter how much you perfect it, if you focus on only one technique, or a specific set of techniques, you can be caught off guard when facing a foe that exhibits an unfamiliar method of fighting. Take for instance, wizards of the western continent of Ishgar here, and sages from the east, such as my homeland in the Kingdom of the Sun, as many of you are. Our techniques are referred to as Jutsu, powered by Maho, while they refer to their techniques and power as spells and magic respectively."
"But isn't it basically the same thing?" Son asked.
"Fundamentally speaking… but it also depends on how one uses their techniques." Wu explained. "For instance Son, you use fire Jutsu techniques, would you say that every fire wizard in Ishgar uses their magic the same way?"
"Oh… I see what you mean." Son seemed to understand. "Yeah, I've seen a lot of fire-users here in the west that have some pretty strange, but pretty cool techniques. I've even taken a few hints from them."
"Very good." Wu nodded with approval. "Vergil, Brutis, listen closely you two." The group briefly stopped as they came along a pathway. "How you chose to master and harness your techniques is up to you. There is no right or wrong way to learn, but keep an open mind and you might learn something that not even I am aware. Don't limit yourselves."
"Understood, Master." Vergil nodded in understanding.
"Nobody likes a teacher's pet, though." Brutis growled slightly, looking away with a scowl, to which Son laughed, though Wu and even Kikya noticed the look in Brutis' eyes and appeared rather concerned.
"Now, I believe that is quite enough training for today." Wu said to all of his students. "You are all free to relax if you wish."
"Oh man, I'm starving." Son said as he held his stomach. "Gonna grab me some grub. You coming, Vergil?"
"It's my turn to maintain the rock garden for today." Vergil dismissed. "I should get that done first."
"Alright, suit yourself buddy," Son waved off while Vergil walked away and everyone else left the scene, except for Kikya and Wu, the former looking to her master with concern, to which he had an understanding expression on his face.
Vergil stood on a solid rock in the middle of a dry garden, holding a rake which he used to smooth out the sand. He'd been doing this for a long while since he'd first arrived at the monastery, and he'd say he's gotten really good at it, something the other monks who lived there with him credited him for. It was always something that he could use to focus, to calm his nerves whenever things got too exciting for him, other than sparring and training.
Since he first got here… He vividly recalled his arrival at the monastery. After escaping his burning house, the Yamato in his hand, and half of his mother's amulet around his neck, he wondered with no direction and nowhere to go. He made sure to avoid any cities or towns, thinking it would be the perfect place for someone bad to try and kill him. And as he got older, he realized that was probably a wise decision. Quite a lot of bad people out there who would take advantage of a lost and orphaned child. But he couldn't survive by living nomadically in the woods. Fortunately, after a week of wandering, he happened to cross some train tracks and was able to hitch a ride on a train that carried quite a bit of food in its cargo. That train provided him a good place to rest as it was constantly on the move, as well as a surplus of food to settle his aching stomach. But his respite only lasted three days before he was found and literally thrown out of the train, accused of being a thief, which wasn't entirely wrong. But, when a train worker tried to take the Yamato away, he fought back and accidentally cut the man's arm off. That's when the other workers began to beat him…
Though it wasn't exactly the same… being overwhelmed by many angry individuals… it reminded him too much of what had happened at his home… on the night of his birthday… when those demons came and ran him through with their swords…
It was enough to trigger some kind of instinct that pulled out the Yamato to cut all of the workers down. Killing them all.
Panic took hold as the boy would soon run, making his way towards a nearby mountain range that the train had stopped by at. He ran for at least two days before stumbling down a cliff and landing in the middle of a river, falling unconscious as his head hit a rock.
And the next thing he knew... He woke up in this monastery. The monks who lived here attended to his wounds. He would soon come to meet the head of the monastery, Wu, a Sage and warrior from the Kingdom of the Sun and, to his surprise, an aquaintance of his late father. Wu would be the one to take him in, promising Vergil food and refuge. And he had been here ever since.
"I think it looks pretty good."
Being broken out of his train of thought, Vergil glanced behind to see Kikya standing at the edge of the garden.
"In fact, it looks like you've done it twice over. You really only needed it do it one time." She told him. "Unless you're one of those compulsive perfectionists, which wouldn't surprise me if you were."
"Is there something you want, Kikya?" Vergil asked.
"Master Wu said we could relax the rest of the day. That includes you to." Kikya told him.
"This is how I relax." He told her as he turned around to resume his raking.
"Clearly we have very different perspectives on what it means to relax." Kikya commented, but sighed when she saw he didn't appear to stop. "Well, at least take five minutes to get a drink of water." She offered, holding a water satchel in her hand.
Vergil stopped and looked towards the satchel. After a few seconds of contemplating, Vergil jumped from eh rock he was on and landed on the edge of the garden, making sure not to touch the sand. He took the satchel and drank from it. Honestly, the cool water felt very refreshing.
"Thank you."
Kikya smiled as she gestured to a stone bench to join her, to which he complied as he sat next to her and continued to drink and clench his thirst. She eyed the gold and red amulet that he continued to wear around his neck.
"Is there ever a time where you don't take it off?" Kikya asked.
"Only when I sleep or bathe." Vergil answered.
"But… aren't you worried about it getting damaged in a fight?" Kikya wondered.
"From what Master has said, it's over two thousand years old. I doubt a simple spar could so much as scratch it." Vergil replied.
"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Kikya nodded.
"Is there something you want from me?" Vergil asked, getting a feeling that she was trying to angle him towards something.
"You mean other than for you to unwind a little?" She questioned, sounding a bit annoyed by his tone. "Seriously, Vergil. I get you're not the most sociable and I'm not trying to force you out of your shell or whatever. I just don't want you running yourself ragged. You might be half-demon, but you're not immortal."
"I take the appropriate amount of rest when needed." Vergil replied.
"You rest your body, sure. But what about your mind, like Master Wu said?" Kikya wondered. "Look, I'm not trying to learn any deep secret or get you to reveal any kind of buried trauma…"
"It sounds like you are." Vergil groaned, getting more than a little upset.
"You've been having nightmares again." Kikya said, which caused his body to stiffen. "Don't deny it, we all sleep in the same building. You have these kinds of nightmares almost annually. I just… don't like seeing my friend in pain, that's all."
Vergil had no reply to give. He simply looked down at his hands as the mention of those nightmares caused his hands to shake slightly. But that shaking stopped when Kikya reached out to gently hold his right hand.
"You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to. But maybe opening up a little bit… might help you feel better." Kikya offered. "It wouldn't hurt to unload a little bit."
"I…" Vergil sighed. "I… appreciate that, Kikya. Truly. But… no offense, I'm not sure you'd understand. You, me, Son, we may be orphans… but you never knew your family." He stood up from his spot. "You can't exactly miss someone you don't know, can you?"
With that, the Son of Sparda left the area, leaving the girl alone as she sat continued sitting on the stone bench, contemplating what Vergil told her. Though she was relieved to know that he appreciated her reaching out and offering a shoulder to lean on, it was still upsetting to see him continue to close himself off like this.
Later that night
Wu meditated in his personal chambers within the monastery. It was a relatively simple quarters with only a bed and a wardrobe on the right side, though there was a rather large stone on the left side, one that had several cuts, bashes, cracks, and chips on it, indicating that it had received a great deal of damage.
A knock on the entrance had brought Wu out from his meditation. "Enter."
The slide door opened, revealing the outside night sky, the bright stars, all eclipsed by Brutis as he entered the room.
"Uncle, may we speak?"
Wu turned around, still sitting down, motioning for his nephew to sit down in front of him with a smile, to which Brutis did.
"What troubles you, Brutis?"
"I have been thinking a great deal of what you had said before, as well as your teaching style." Brutis began. "You introduce new techniques for us to learn, teach us the fundamentals and basics, and allow us to master them at our own style. A rather open method of teaching."
"As I said, there is no right or wrong way of learning." Wu explained. "But a teacher shouldn't have to do all the work or give all the answers. If the student is allowed to find some answers on their own, find a method that best suits them, it may even have the teacher learn something new. It goes both ways that way."
"And I'm thankful for providing us the freedom to do so." Brutis said. "But, I know there is more than you can give, Uncle. You've been teaching the others more than you've taught me, even Ikaruga and she is the most arrogant of all."
"Am I… sensing a bit of jealousy in your voice, nephew?" Wu asked playfully with a slight chuckle. A glare from Brutis caused his laughter to die down. "But yes, I have been giving them some extra aid, but for good reason. You've been training since you could crawl. I found each of those children when they were older, when they didn't know as much as you did at the time. Even if I do allow my students to learn on their own, they need some help in order to keep pace with you."
"Keep pace? Son Goku is a clown who can't take anything seriously." Brutis stated. "Kikya is far too gentle to be a warrior. Ikaruga has the means of a warrior, but her arrogance is going to get her killed one day. The only one who seems to have a genuine wish to get stronger is Vergil, but he's the son of the legendary Dark Knight, he is already physically gifted than most of us! Not to mention how younger they are! They are children!"
"I… do not understand what you are saying. Just get to the point, Brutis." Wu said with both concern and seriousness, not liking the way his nephew was talking about his fellow students.
"I want you to teach me more advanced techniques!" Brutis stated, leaning forward. "Show me the means to become the strongest warrior! You were among the strongest in Kingdom of the Sun! Revered by even the Red Emperor's family line! I am all that's left of our bloodline, your only kin! I should follow in your footsteps!"
Wu said nothing at first but had a very serious look on his face. "Why?"
"Excuse me?" Brutis questioned.
"Why do you want to follow in my footsteps? To become a great warrior? What is it you seek from that?" Wu questioned.
"What else…?" Brutis looked in confusion. "What else is there to gain other than becoming the strongest!"
"And what would you do with that strength?" Wu questioned further.
"Slay all my enemies. What else do you do with strength?" Brutis said as if it were obvious.
"I see." Wu stood up from his spot, prompting Brutis to do the same. "It seems your confused, nephew."
"What?" Brutis questioned once more.
"What you seek is power, not strength." Wu told him.
"Is there a difference?" Brutis wondered.
"Of course there is!" Wu stated firmly, causing his nephew to back away slightly. The old warrior sighed before turning around, facing the large boulder on the other side of his room. He took a stance with his feet spread apart, pulling both his hands back and cupping them together, the fingers pointing outward as his hands together looked like an open fanged jaw. With a yell, he lunged his hands forward, sending a yellow energy projection taking the spectral form of a dragon, which roared, as it struck the boulder and cleaved it clean in half.
"If I wanted to, I could have shattered the very mountaintop from right here, destroyed this very monastery." Wu said, turning around to look directly at his nephew. "But I only destroyed that rock, a tiny pebble in comparison. You think strength is about being at the top, having unlimited and unrivaled power, but that is not true strength. Strength comes from the choices you make, how you chose to wield the power. And you already have a great deal of power at your fingertips. You could slay many people with what you wield. But it takes no strength to destroy those weaker than you."
"But what about those who are stronger?" Brutis argued. "You will not live forever, Uncle! Who will become your successor if you do not teach me, your kin…"
"Being my blood does not guarantee you to be my successor!" Wu exclaimed, silencing him. "And that thought process only proves why you are not ready to learn more advanced techniques. And until you realize what it is you lack, in here…" he pointed his finger to Brutis' heart. "You will never be ready. Call your fellow students clowns, or children, or too gentle if you wish, but as young as they are, they are clearly more ready than you are."
With that, Brutis looked away in frustration and hanging his head down.
"Go get some sleep. Rest your body and your mind." Wu instructed.
"Yes, Uncle." With that, Brutis turned around to leave. But as he opened the slide door, he was surprised to see Vergil standing there, who seemed just as surprised to see him as well. A glare formed on Brutis' face as he walked past Vergil, bumping his shoulder into him as he descended down the steps.
"How much of that did you hear?" Wu asked the young half-demon.
"Enough." Vergil said, turning around and was surprised to see a smile form on Wu's face. As if all the sternness he was previously showing to his nephew was never there in the first place. "I could... come back."
"No, please, sit." Wu allowed, sitting back down on the ground, crossed legged. "Something is clearly troubling you and I wish to help."
Relaxing somewhat, Vergil entered the room, closing the slide door behind him and sat across from his master. "I… I just couldn't sleep."
"The nightmares again?" Wu assumed, to which Vergil gave a single nod, his head hanging down as his hair covered his eyes. "It always happens this time of year, with your birthday being only seven days away. You sure you don't want me telling the other students this? A party could be very relaxing."
"Please, don't. I'd rather not." Vergil requested.
"Very well." Wu allowed.
"Nine years…" Vergil began. "Almost nine years from now… since I lost it all…. I no longer think of it as my birthday… But rather… the anniversary… of when she died… when… they came…" His hands shook as he clenched his half of the Perfect Amulet. The present that his mother gave him, looking identical to the one his brother had. He vividly remembered the skeleton-like demons that came to his home. The demons that ran their swords through him while he was outside… while his house burnt… When he cried for his mother to come and help him… but no one came. The only thing that came to him that night was the Yamato. His father's sword. And it was with that sword… that he saved himself.
"That night was not your fault, Vergil." Wu told him. "Nor was what happened to your brother and mother."
"…Why didn't she come…?" He muttered.
"I'm certain she would have." Wu tried to assure him. "But it was too late."
"Not for my brother…" Vergil muttered again, a hint of resentment in his voice.
"That could have simply been a matter of time and place." Wu said. "Dante was probably the closest to her so she could get to him first. I'm sure if you were there, she would have come to you as well."
"You don't know that…" Vergil's body shook. "You weren't there." The shaking stopped when Wu placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You're right. I wasn't. And a day doesn't go by where I don't regret it." The old warrior said. "I did not know your mother, but if I was there, I wouldn't have hesitated to intervene. To save her and her sons. But you still made it out of there. And you are here now, alive." Vergil only looked down more at that. "As is your brother."
That cause Vergil to look up in genuine shock. "Dante…?"
"A contact of mine outside the monastery was able to find him." Wu said with a smile. "A gunsmith named Nell Goldstein is looking out for him right now. Your brother is alive, Vergil. He survived."
All this time… Vergil never knew of his twin's fate. A part of him had hoped he survived… as their mother was the one to save him first. But he also feared Dante's death. He never really made the effort to find out, but what could he do? He was just a scared and frightened boy back then. He couldn't go to the Heartfilia mansion, to where his cousin Lucy lived. If he had, the demons would have followed him and slaughtered everyone there just as they tried his own home. But to know for sure that his brother was alive… it felt as if a great lump of lead in his heart had suddenly vanished.
Seeing the relief in his student, Wu only smiled. "If you wish, we could arrange a meeting. We could all go there…"
"No…" Vergil muttered, his body shaking again. "No, I… I'm not ready… I… Not now…" His hands shook once more, to which Wu looked to him with understanding.
"Okay." He nodded.
"And… don't tell the others." Vergil requested.
"I won't, but you should." Wu said. "At your own time, of course. I won't force the issue, but I hope you do take some solace to know that your brother is alive and well."
"Thank you… Master." Vergil said, his head still hanging down as a small smile formed on his face.
"Go get some rest, my boy." Wu patted his shoulder. With that, Vergil stood back up and bowed to his teacher again and prepared to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot."
Wu stood up and went to his wardrobe, much to Vergil's confusion and reached to grab something wrapped in cloth. "After we found you, I went to visit your old home. To see if there was anything I could salvage that would be worth value to you. I did find something though, not exactly a powerful demonic relic or weapon, but I imagine that it is of some importance." He approached Vergil and handed it to him. "I didn't want to give it to you until I felt you were ready, else I'd fear I'd add more to your trauma. But, perhaps after receiving some hope after so long… now might be a good time."
Vergil raised a curious eyebrow and took the object. Underneath the cloth, it felt like a book. Unwrapping it, the Son of Sparda gave a small gasp as he saw what it was…
It was a book of poems, with the author's name William Blake written on the cover. This was the same book his Aunt Layla and Uncle Jude let him keep from when he visited their mansion as a child. And miraculously, it didn't appear all that damaged. He even opened up the book to skim through the pages to see that despite a few small tears and burns on the edges of the pages, everything seemed intact.
"Consider it, an early birthday present." Wu smiled.
Vergil looked up to him with shaky and emotional eyes. He bowed once more, showing a gesture of humility and gratitude. "Thank you, Master. Thank you."
Wu only smiled, and that smile grew even more as he saw some tears fall to the floor in front of him. He knew right away that these were tears of joy and relief. This was a good first step. A first step on the road of healing.
Two Days Later
Brutis walked down the steps that led away from the monastery and towards the mountain, the young man carrying a bag over his shoulder that undoubtedly had his supplies.
"Hey, Brutis!" Stopping to turn around, Brutis looked up towards the entrance of the monastery to see Son waving towards him with Kikya and Vergil both present as well. "Where you going?! Master Wu's calling for all of us!"
"I'm going on a training retreat!" Brutis called back. "I spoke about it with my uncle and he allowed it!"
"A training retreat?" Kikya looked concerned, sharing a glance with Vergil.
"I feel I'll make better progress if I'm not constantly distracted by clowns and children!" Brutis called out to them and turned around to leave. "Do what you will!"
"Okay, see ya later!" Son waved with a smile.
"Yeesh, what's up with him?" Kikya commented.
"He and the master got into a disagreement last night." Vergil revealed. "I don't know the details, however."
"Well, if the guy wants to do some solo training, then let him." Son said as the trio turned around and made their way back to the monastery, heading closer to Master Wu's quarters, passing by the other monks as well.
"Why do you insist on being so friendly with him, Son?" Vergil questioned to his fellow student. "He's made it very clear that he does not like you. Or the rest of us."
"Sure, that's fine." Son waved off. "But I'm not the type to hold a grudge or anything. Unless they're really bad. But hey, the guy wants the same thing as us, and that's to get stronger, so I'd say that at least gives us some common ground, right?"
Kikya looked to him with an amused half-smile. "You are just constantly radiating brightness, aren't you?"
"I got no reason not to." Son shrugged, Though, he did hear Vergil give something of a small scoff. "Wait… did you just laugh?"
"No." Vergil replied.
"Nah, I heard you laugh." Son leaned in close with a knowing grin. He even pressed his own face against Vergil's. "You got a sense of humor underneath there, I know it. "
"You're imagining things." Vergil said as he tried to push Son away.
"Well mark my words, Vergil. One of these days, I will see you laugh! Even if it's the last thing I do!" Son vowed challengingly. Only for Kikya to pull him back by his ear. "Ow! Ow! Not the ear! Not the ear!"
"Reign it in, Son. Remember our talk about boundaries?" She reminded as she continued to walk, still pulling in Son by his ear.
"Ow! Yeah, I heard you! Please stop pulling my ear! Ow!" Son comically whined, all while Vergil stopped a brief moment to watch the two continue to bicker. As they did, he couldn't help but flashback somewhat to when he and his brother were younger, and how'd they'd bicker the same way… only to get reprimanded by their mother. Such a thought caused a ghost of a smile to appear on his face before catching up.
The trio then kneeled on the ground in Wu's personal chamber as he stood in front of them. "Just the three of you, then? Very well." Wu nodded.
"Brutis said you allowed him to go on a training retreat, though." Kikya recalled.
"I did, but I didn't think he'd leave so quickly. I was hoping all of you would undertake this task." Wu said.
"What about Ikaruga?" Son answered. "Where is she?"
"She left earlier, said she wanted to test her skills on a job that could earn her some money." Wu answered before giving a small sigh. "But I suppose the three of you will have to do for this mission."
"What mission?" Vergil asked. "We're not a guild. We don't take jobs for money."
"Perhaps not, but an innocent life is at stake, and many lives could follow as well." Wu said, which got all their attention. The old master reached into his robe to pull out a photograph, one that showed the image of a young girl with long sandy blonde hair that had a white ribbon tied onto it and bright blue eyes. He handed it to Vergil first, who handed it to Kikya and then to Son Goku for them to take a look. "This girl's name is Nayla, and she currently resides in the small village of Kale about a hundred miles from here. And it seems she's been targeted by a clan of demons."
"Demons?" Vergil looked very serious at that.
"Yes, specifically the Ghelgath Clan." Wu confirmed.
"The who clan?" Son asked in confusion, a question mark appearing above his head.
"I'm afraid I've never heard of them either." Kikya said.
"They're a rather powerful group of demons, with their leader being a lord in the Underworld." Wu explained. "For those of you who don't know, Mundus is the absolute ruler of the Underworld, the Demon Emperor. Underneath him are the Three Demon Kings: Abigail, Argosax, and Urizen. And underneath them are hundreds of other demons of varying powers known as Demon Lords. There are a few notable standouts such as Lilith, Berial, Belphegor… but because there are so many, they constantly fight among each other, trying to gain more power and rise higher in the Underworld's hierarchy."
"And the Ghelgath Clan are among these demons." Vergil followed along.
"Yes." Wu confirmed.
"So why do they want this girl?" Son asked. "She got some kind of special magic power that can help them? Is she strong?"
"She's a child, Son." Kikya told him. "I doubt that…"
"Actually, he's not wrong." Wu interrupted, much to Vergil and Kikya's surprise. "Nayla is not a fighter or anything, but she does possess a strange power that has an… unusual effect on demons."
"Unusual, how?" Vergil questioned.
"She can increase their power, make them stronger." Wu revealed, which really caught his students' attention.
"How stronger, exactly?" Kikya asked seriously.
"I don't know a specific number… but the Ghelgath Clan believes that they can increase their own power to a point where they can challenge one of the Demon Kings." Wu revealed. "Which is why I want you three to go to Kale, find Nayla, and bring her here to the monastery where she will be safe."
"Hey Master, I've got an idea." Son raised his hand.
"Yes, Son?" Wu allowed.
"How about instead of bringing the girl here, we go look for these demons and fight them ourselves?" Son offered. "We're all pretty strong, and it seems like a simpler idea, right?"
"For once, I have to agree with Son." Vergil said. "We can hunt the Ghelgath Clan and eliminate them so that they are no longer a threat."
"Oh hey, Vergil actually agreed with me!" Son smiled. "Crazy, huh?"
"Yeah… you two rarely agree on anything." Kikya commented in surprise.
"A good idea, Son." Wu acknowledged. "Ordinarily, that would be the route I'd take. But given this girl's power, what is to stop other dangerous demons from trying to hunt her down too? And it may not just be demons. Depending on what Nayla can do exactly, dangerous people could target her as well."
"So, we bring her to the monastery…" Kikya seemed to understand. "Here we can not only protect her but better understand her power and train her to defend herself in the future."
"That is exactly right, Kikya." Wu confirmed as he pulled out a map and showed it to the trio with two locations marked on it: one being the monastery itself, and the other being the village of Kale. "Her home is over a hundred miles from here, a two-day trip on foot. Fortunately, with the nearby train, you can be there in an hour or two at the latest. Should be simple but take heed. The Ghelgath Clan is dangerous, so do not take this mission lightly. A child's life is on the line here."
"You can count on us, Master Wu." Son stood up first with everyone else as they bowed.
"Yes, leave it to us." Vergil said before they turned around to leave.
The trio was currently riding a passenger train to their destination, Son and Kikya sat in the same seat across from Vergil as he was reading the book of poems that his master had given him before. Though while they rode the train, Son had trouble keeping still. He constantly shifted and changed positions, but his foot would tap every five seconds before switching, which was starting to get annoying.
"Son, can't you sit still for five minutes?" Kikya questioned.
"Sorry, I'm just excited! I've never fought demons before! This should be fun!" Son beamed.
"Demons are no laughing matter. I should know." Vergil said, not taking his eyes off the book.
"Yeah I guess you would be the expert on that." Son granted but found himself looking at Vergil's book. "What are you reading there?" He tried to reach for it, only for Vergil grab him by the wrist with his free hand, despite not taking his eyes off the book.
"It's not your concern." Vergil said in a warning tone.
"Oooh, got a little dangerous there." Son eyed him challengingly. "Up for a spar? Like on top of the train? The idea of a fight on a moving vehicle sounds pretty fun."
"How about you don't do that?" Kikya stated as she used one of her war fans to separate the pair. "But, I've never seen you with that book before either, Vergil." She said to him.
"It's personal. I'd rather not talk about it." Vergil answered with finality.
"Okay, suit yourself." Kikya held her hands up and leaned back to look out the window. "Should be at the village soon, so let's get ready."
"I'm always ready for a fight." Son said with confidence, and despite not taking his eyes off the book either, Vergil felt the same way as a serious look formed in his eyes.
The Village of Kale seemed simple enough. It had only about a couple dozen or so buildings, big enough to be a home for a little more than a hundred people or so. And it resided in between a series of hills with a few surrounding forests.
"So, we've never really looked for anyone before. How does this work?" Son asked.
"Let's just, ask around. It's not that big of a village, pretty sure we'll find her quickly." Kikya said.
"We should also wary of any demons." Vergil advised. "Should an attack break out, a village like this might not survive. That being said, perhaps you two should find whoever runs this village and see what you can do for preparing a possible evacuation so that the people can escape. Maybe find out where this Nayla-girl lives too. I'll look around myself and see what I can find."
"Huh, look at you being all thorough and prepared." Son looked impressed. "But it's you, so…"
"Are you sure you're going to be okay by yourself, Vergil?" Kikya asked.
"I'll be fine. Let's make this quick." Vergil said as he already went into the village, leaving the two alone for a bit.
"Vergil's always been a pretty serious guy… but he seems even more so now than before." Son commented.
"Lives are at stake, with demons being involved. So, yes. I imagine he's taking this very seriously." Kikya said. "Anyway, we should find the village leader. Let's go."
"Lead the way." Son allowed as they went for the largest building in the area.
Vergil had approached a couple and showed them a picture of the girl that he was searching for, and they happened to point towards a spot where the girl would frequent: a garden of flowers in the middle of the village. Vergil had arrived at said garden and found a variety of different flowers, all various colors. And yet, he had seen no signs of this Nayla girl. Well, if this is the spot where she apparently frequents, then the simpler solution would be to wait for her.
Then again, demons could arrive at any moment and made off with this girl before he could even find her. Though he doubted they'd just grab her and leave without any kind of collateral damage. Wherever demons went, death and destruction followed. He knew that firsthand. Once again, his thoughts went back to that night… the night of his birthday…
When those demons that resembled skeletons came to his home and ran him through with their blades. Where he could only watch as his home burnt to the ground, and nobody could help him. Only the Yamato came to him, and he cut the demons down himself. But while he could survive such an attack, he knew this girl could not. As far as he could tell, she was human. And humans… aside from those who can fight and use magic power… were weak and easily slaughtered. Though this girl had magic power, Master Wu confirmed that she was not a fighter. So she would undoubtedly be unable to defend herself, it's the very reason he and the others were sent here. But… the more he thought about his own burning house… he saw all these homes catching just as much fire back then.
He blinked and all he could see now were all these homes and buildings around him burning and crumbling, being consumed by the blaze. He also saw the same kind of skeleton-like demons that attacked him coming here, and butchering the panicking civilians in the ensuing fire. Any that escaped the blaze were quickly cut down. Their legs chopped off and now vulnerable to being stabbed and skewered multiple times over. Their blood soaking the ground and leaving this village a ruined wake.
"Excuse me…?"
Being drawn out of his vision, Vergil looked down in surprise to see a bouquet of flowers being handed to him. And the one that was giving him the flowers, was the very girl that he had been searching for.
Nayla.
Just like the photo had shown him; she was a young adolescent girl with fair skin, long sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, with a white bow tied in her hair. She wore a pure white dress with white sandals on her feet.
"You look troubled." She said to him. "Here, some flowers might help."
Wordlessly, Vergil took the flowers into his hands. And as he did, he looked into the face of the young girl in front of him. For some reason, when he looked at her, he thought he saw the young face of his toddler cousin, Lucy. Despite their appearances being different, something about this girl's innocence reminded him of her.
"Thank you…" Vergil shook his head and focused on the moment he was now in. "Are you Nayla?"
"That's me. And you are?" She asked with a smile.
"Vergil. I am from the mountain monastery, and I am here to protect you." Vergil got to the point.
"Oh, that's right, yes." Nayla clapped her hands together. "The village elder told me that someone from the mountains would come by and take me."
"So, you're aware of the situation?" Vergil asked.
"Yep. Don't worry, I'm already packed and ready to leave. We just gotta stop by my house and get my things, it shouldn't be long." Nayla grabbed his hand. "Come on, I'll show you the way." She led him away from the garden and into another direction that led further away from the village.
However, unbeknownst to them, a hooded figure was perched on a nearby rooftop, observing the pair as they made their way to their destination.
Nayla had led Vergil to her home. It seemed the mix of a small hut and a house, fit for one person. So much so that as they stepped inside, Vergil only saw one overall room in the house, one that had a stove on one side and a bed on the other with a dresser, and a suitcase that had been pre-packed. But one thing that also drew his attention were the various colored flowers that decorated nearly every inch of the house.
"Welcome to my home." Nayla said as she gathered her things. "I know it's not much, but I'm the only one who lives here and I've never been one to really collect stuff."
"Aside from flowers." Vergil commented, looking to a white flower that hung from the wall.
"What can I say? They're very pretty." Nayla said as she got her suitcase. "Alright, I'm ready."
"So quickly? What of your family?" Vergil asked.
"I don't have one." Nayla answered to Vergil's own surprise. "Apparently my parents were merchants who lived by trade, but after I was born they were caught in a storm and didn't make it. The village found me and took me in."
"I… I'm sorry." Vergil said sincerely, understanding what it was like to lose one's family.
"Thank you, but it's alright, I'm not too sad about it." Nayla said. "I mean, don't get me wrong… I'm sad that they died. But… it's hard to miss someone that you don't even know…" She looked away, her smile fading slightly. "And sometimes I wonder… would I be even more sad if I had known them? Was it good that I lost them before I knew them? Or is it sadder that I don't know them…?" Vergil's expression softened at that, but Nayla quickly shook her head. "Never mind, just rambling. Anyway, we'd better get going."
"Don't you have anyone you wish to say goodbye to?" Vergil wondered. "Any friends?" Though he also took notice of a drop in temperature in the area, so much so that the surrounding flowers were beginning to wither.
"Everyone in the village already knows, and I say my goodbyes already. So, I'd say I'm…" However, Nayla stopped and looked in confusion as she saw her own breath. "What…?" She then felt a chill in the air as she held her arms. "Why is it so cold now?"
Vergil's eyes narrowed, suspecting a possible attack. And his instincts proved to be spot on as he saw a glimmer of light coming from the nearby window. Acting quickly, Vergil grabbed Nayla by her arm and pulled her behind him while quickly drawing the Yamato to slice a projectile that shot from the window, the projectile being an arrow made of ice, something he took notice of.
'Ice…?'
"What was that?!" Nayla exclaimed in shock. But gasped as Vergil pulled her in close to avoid a series of ice spears and swords that pierced through the wall behind her. He picked her up and leapt out through the front door, landing on the ground some distance away at the house, seeing the ones responsible for attacking them.
They were clearly not human, evident by the fact they were covered head-to-toe in ice, save for humanoid bones that were partially visible under the ice; though some of these creatures had their bones clearly visible from broken holes in the ice and appeared partially frozen. They each wore old armor akin to knights and even had similar weapons such as swords, spears, axes and even a few had a bow and arrow set. There appeared to be at least twelve of them with many of them on the roof of the building while the rest appeared on the sides. Their eyes all glowed red as they eyed Vergil and the girl under her care.
"Stay behind me." Vergil ordered Nayla has he had the Yamato drawn. Three of these frozen skeletal-like creatures leapt from the roof towards the pair, pulling their weapons back, but Vergil blocked their weapon strikes with the Yamato's sheath and used his actual blade to slice their heads off, killing them instantly as he saw the red lights in their eyes die down.
The sound of whooshing came from his side, and he swung the Yamato again to block and slice apart the arrows that three frozen skeletal archers. Knowing he can't leave Nayla's side, he decided to improvise as he looked to the downed weapons of the skeletons he just defeated. He swiped his leg to kick up the weapons before swinging the Yamato, striking the back of his katana to the weapons to send them flying and striking each of the skeletons in their heads, shattering the skulls and killing them.
"We're surrounded!" Nayla warned as the remaining six ice skeletons appeared at all sides. Vergil held the Yamato in one hand and the sheath in the other. The girl clung to his side, looking up to him with shaky and frightened eyes. The second Vergil saw those eyes… he saw a reflection of himself. Of how he was younger, helpless, with nobody able to protect him when he needed it the most.
But this was different. This girl had him now. And he was stronger than he was back then. It was time to show the fruits of his training as he vowed right here and now to not let this girl go through what he did. She would live through this.
Vergil then waved his finger, telling the skeletons to come to him. They all gave deathly moans as they charged him with their weapons. Making sure that Nayla was as close as possible, Vergil used his sheath to block a sword before decapitating one skeleton and lunged the sheath backwards into the jaw of a second just as he lunged the Yamato forward to pierce the skull of a third and swung around in a perfect circle to decapitate the second as well as do the same for a fourth. The last two had leapt above him, one wielding a large battle axe and the other a mace. But Vergil quickly grabbed Nayla and rolled out of the way to avoid the impact of the two enemies before getting back up to slice at their necks and cut their heads off as well, ending them.
"What are these things?" Nayal asked, sensing the fight was over. "Demons?"
"No, their skeletons are that of humans." Vergil replied. "I can only assume this is part of a demon's spell to control corpses."
"But why is it so cold now?" Nayla held herself, the drop in temperature only continuing as her breath was visible. Even looking up, Nayla saw the sky was still clear as day and the sun was shining, but it still felt like winter had suddenly set in. "The sun's out… and there's now snow…!"
"Because this isn't a natural cold front." Vergil looked to his own hand and felt the feeling in the air. "More accurately, the heat in the area is suddenly vanishing. A demon's spell, and likely the same one who sent those corpses to attack us."
"Well, aren't you a clever one?"
Looking to the nearby woods, the pair saw something emerging from the trees. A rather large figure was making its way closer. As it did, Vergil noticed the surrounding trees and grass dying out, as if all the heat was suddenly being sucked out of it, evident by the frost that had formed from any dew on the grass, which shattered with a mighty stomp.
The figure made itself known to the pair, standing almost eleven feet tall, and it had the appearance of a humanoid iguana. Its skin was dark purple, and it stood up on its hind legs with a large upper build. Its claws were long and sharp, along with a long purple tail that had white spines emerging from the back of the tail all the way to the creature's own back. It was adorned in white armor befitting that of the dark ages, and had a white armored face made from bone like a dinosaur's skull with three horns at the top. It also had a pair of red reptilian eyes as it gazed down at the pair.
"You are the child we seek. The one whose power will increase our own." The iguana-like demon said to the girl, who shook under his bloody gaze… only for Vergil to step in front of her.
"I assume you are of the Ghelgath Clan?"
"Indeed. I am Coola, eldest son and first heir as head of our family. I have been tasked with retrieving the human girl. Hand her over and I will spare you."
"I decline." Vergil said immediately.
Coola narrowed his eyes somewhat. "Ordinarily, I'd slay any human who would dare defy me. Yet… you are not human, are you?" Coola stuck out his tongue to catch Vergil's whiff in the air and placed them over the roof of his mouth. "No… you are half human, half demon. And yet… the demonic scent is familiar…" That's when he noticed the katana that Vergil held and recognized it instantly. "The Yamato…! I see… you are kin of Sparda!"
Nayla gasped as she gazed up at Vergil, the young half-demon narrowing his eyes and making no effort to deny it.
"I had heard how the traitor bedded with a human and bore a family! And how said family was slain after his own passing! Yet it seemed, one of you survived." A wide grin stretched across Coola's face, revealing his fanged teeth. "Excellent. So not only do I find the girl who can guarantee my family's ascension… but I now have the honor of ending Sparda's bloodline! Oh, I will most certainly be the new head of the family for this, once I bring yours to Father."
"No, you will not. Because you are going to die here." Vergil warned as he flashed the Yamato in front of him.
"We will see about that, little one." Coola said before rushing them with an open mouth.
Done.
I know, this chapter seems much shorter compared to the others, but I feel this chapter did as it was intended to, and that was establish the lore behind Vergil's past. We never see what happens to Vergil after his home is attacked, and how he gained the skills needed to learn and master the Yamato in canon, so I decided to make my own original mini arc that deals with Vergil's past and how he ended up the way he did. We even see Ikaruga from the Tower of Heaven arc here.
Don't worry, this arc isn't that long. It only has a few more chapters left in it, but it is very important to the story.
We got to not only see Vergil's past, but we even explore more of the outside world of Earthland, such as how magic power is handled in the east. In the east, wizards are called sages, magic spells and techniques are referred to as jutsu, and magic itself is called maho. It works very similar to magic but also goes in a different direction. Credit to altajir95 for helping me out with this, as well as HolyKnightX for coming up with some of the techniques for Vergil's companions, my own original characters in this arc.
And yes, Son Goku is directly inspired by the main character from the Dragon Ball franchise, though he also has some elements from the Son Goku character of myth (also known as Sun Wukong). The whole reason I came up with that idea was to pay homage to the passing of Akira Toriyama, may he rest in peace. You'll get to learn more of his character in this mini-arc to, as well as some of the other original characters I made up.
Also, you can look on my profile on DeviantArt for some images of what these characters look like.
Anyway, I'm very excited for you all to read what I have planned here as the action really starts to kick up in the next chapter as Vergil and his companions work to protect this girl from a clan of dangerous demons and we see just what exactly led to Vergil going down the road he is currently on.
Until then, stay safe and stay healthy out there.