Chapter 11: The Devil and the Snake

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Konoha Forest – Midnight

The dense canopy above swayed as a cold wind whistled through the trees. The moonlight barely pierced the thick foliage, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor. A lone figure stood in the clearing, Vergil Sparda.

His long blue coat swayed slightly as he exhaled, his fingers lightly tapping against Yamato's hilt. He had been indulging in some late-night training when something unusual caught his attention.

His watchers signatures disappeared(dead).

Vergil smirked. "Weaklings"

But then, a wave of killing intent.

It slithered toward him, wrapping around his senses like a suffocating mist. To any normal shinobi, it might have been paralyzing. But to Vergil?

He merely chuckled.

"That weak-ass killing intent… You might as well be a toddler trying to scare me with a bedtime story."

A sinister chuckle answered him as a pale figure emerged from the darkness.

Slick black hair, golden slit eyes, a serpent-like smile, Orochimaru.

Vergil's smirk widened. "Ah… if it isn't P. Diddy's long-lost cousin."

Orochimaru paused mid-step. "P…Diddy?"

Vergil sighed dramatically. "Oh, don't tell me you don't know. You two have so much in common, ugly coats, shady business, and an interest in young boys."

Orochimaru's eye twitched. "I do not touch children."

Vergil raised a brow. "Oh, really? So all those kidnapped kids were just… for science?"

Orochimaru scoffed. "I merely use them for my experiments. Their potential is wasted in this world."

Vergil placed a hand over his chest in mock relief. "Oh, thank god. I was really worried you were about to try something with me. I don't do dinner dates with creepy old men, you see."

For the first time in years, Orochimaru felt pure irritation.

His golden eyes sharpened, his grin twitching as he barely restrained himself from lunging at the silver-haired boy. "You certainly enjoy running your mouth, don't you?"

Vergil chuckled. "Only when it's fun. And right now, I'm having a blast."

Orochimaru took a slow, measured step forward. "I've been watching you, Vergil Sparda. You intrigue me. Your strength… You're unlike any shinobi I've encountered."

Vergil rolled his neck. "I'll take that as a compliment."

Orochimaru continued, his voice dripping with temptation. "Join me, Vergil. The Leaf will only hold you back. But with me… you could achieve true power."

Vergil actually paused for a second before shaking his head. "You see, Orochimaru, I do respect one thing about you."

Orochimaru tilted his head. "Oh?"

Vergil's eyes glowed slightly in the moonlight. "That power is everything."

A slow grin spread across the Sannin's lips. "Then we understand each other."

Vergil nodded. "Yes. Which is why, out of that respect… I'll let you live."

Orochimaru's grin froze.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. The wind stopped, the leaves held their breath, and Orochimaru's mind took a full three seconds to register what he had just heard.

"…Excuse me?"

Vergil turned his back on him, sighing. "I mean, don't take it the wrong way. You're strong, sure. But you're… slimy. And frankly, not worth the effort tonight."

Orochimaru clenched his fists. Who the hell did this brat think he was?!

"Do you truly believe you're superior to me, boy?" he hissed, his tongue flicking out like an angered viper.

Vergil glanced over his shoulder, smirking. "Orochimaru, if you're looking for a confidence boost, I suggest you go stare at yourself in a mirror. I'm sure you'll be your biggest fan."

Orochimaru's eye twitched again.

Vergil continued, his voice filled with amusement. "Besides, isn't this your thing? Recruiting teenage boys? You've got a whole collection at this point."

The Sannin took a deep breath, deciding he had humored this boy long enough. "I see. If words fail to make you understand… perhaps I shall educate you another way."

Orochimaru's killing intent exploded again, but this time, it wasn't just a threat,he moved.

His speed was impressive. In an instant, he blurred forward, fangs bared, ready to sink his teeth into the insolent brat

SHING!

A flash of blue light.

Orochimaru froze mid-air. His slit eyes widened as he felt the sharp edge of Yamato's blade resting millimeters from his throat.

Vergil's smirk vanished. His expression turned blank, cold, merciless.

"You will soon know this devil's power…" His voice was as sharp as the blade in his hand.

"The power… of a son of Sparda."

Chapter 12: The Devil and the Serpent

Konoha Forest, Midnight

The forest trembled under a cold wind, moonlight fracturing through the dense canopy to bathe the clearing in silver shards. Vergil Sparda stood poised, Yamato's edge grazing Orochimaru's pale throat, a hair's breadth from ending the Sannin. Blood dripped from a slain ANBU nearby, the silence thick with death's echo.

"You will soon know this devil's power…" Vergil's voice cut the night, sharp and merciless. "The power of a son of Sparda."

Orochimaru's golden slit eyes gleamed, his serpentine grin unfaltering. "A devil, you say?" His tone dripped with intrigue, not fear. "Then I'm honored to witness it."

Before Vergil could press the blade, Orochimaru's neck split, flesh stretching grotesquely as he contorted free. The severed stump erupted into a writhing mass of small white snakes, slithering back to reform his body meters away. His coat billowed, intact, as he licked his lips.

Vergil flicked the blood off Yamato, smirking faintly. "Disgusting."

Orochimaru chuckled, low and sinister. "You'll find my resilience… intriguing, boy." His hands flashed through seals, Fūinjutsu: Serpent's Veil. The air shimmered, a translucent barrier rippling up around the clearing, sealing them in. "No interruptions. Just you and me."

Vergil sheathed Yamato with a deliberate click, resting it against a tree. "Good. I'd hate for your screams to draw a crowd." He cracked his knuckles, silver gauntlets and greaves gleaming, Beowulf, his fists humming with demonic energy.

Orochimaru tilted his head, amused. "No sword? Bold."

"I don't need it for a snake," Vergil said, his smirk turning cold. "Let's dance."

--

Orochimaru's killing intent surged, the air thickening, trees groaning as leaves fell like ash. He blurred forward, blazing speed, a viper's lunge, fangs bared to sink into Vergil's shoulder. His tongue flicked, venom glistening.

Vergil vanished in a blue blur, Trick Dodge, reappearing to Orochimaru's left. "Too slow." He snapped into Beowulf Combo A: a flurry of punches, left jab, right hook, a spinning backfist, each strike cracking the air with white-hot light. The final hit slammed Orochimaru's chest, sending him skidding back, dirt gouging beneath his feet.

The Sannin coughed, grinning. "Not bad." His arm stretched unnaturally, Soft Physique Modification, whipping toward Vergil like a lash. Snakes erupted from his sleeve, Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, blades sprouting from their mouths, slashing in a deadly arc.

Vergil leapt skyward, Trick Up, and countered with Summoned Swords: Blistering Blades. Spectral blue blades materialized, streaking down to meet the snakes. Sparks flew as metal clashed, the reptiles impaled and pinned to the ground, writhing.

Orochimaru's grin widened. "Clever." He sank into the earth, Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole, and erupted behind Vergil, Sword of Kusanagi drawn, slashing for his spine.

Vergil spun, and caught the blade between Beowulf's gauntlets, the clash ringing like a bell. He twisted, wrenching Kusanagi free, then unleashed Hammer,a double-fisted slam that cratered the ground where Orochimaru stood. The Sannin dodged with a serpentine twist, but the shockwave rattled his bones.

"Pathetic," Vergil taunted, dusting his hands.

Orochimaru's eye twitched. "Let's escalate this, shall we?"

--

Orochimaru's hands blurred through seals, Summoning Technique. The ground shuddered as Manda erupted, a colossal purple serpent, its scales glinting, fangs dripping venom. "Crush him," Orochimaru hissed.

Manda lunged, jaws wide enough to swallow Vergil whole. He smirked, teleporting mid-air, Air Trick, landing on Manda's head. Beowulf Combo C: Lunar Phase followed, a spinning kick chain, each strike a flash of light. The final blow, Starfall, slammed Manda's skull into the dirt, cracking the earth. The snake roared, dazed but alive.

Orochimaru's grin faltered. He extended his arm, Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, a swarm of blade-wielding snakes surging forth. Simultaneously, he spat a Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, a gale amplifying the serpents' speed.

Vergil's eyes narrowed. Doppelganger shimmered into existence beside him, a spectral twin mirroring his stance. The real Vergil met the snakes with Summoned Swords: Storm Blades, a spinning ring of blades shredding the swarm. The Doppelganger dashed through the wind, Trick Dash, and delivered Rising Dragon: an uppercut kick that launched Orochimaru skyward, blue fire trailing the blow.

The Sannin twisted mid-air, landing on Manda's back. "Persistent," he muttered, forming seals, Fire Release: Inferno Stream. A torrent of flames roared down, scorching the clearing.

Vergil and his Doppelganger split, Trick Left/Right, flanking the blaze. He leapt, Beowulf's Volcano charging: a ground-shaking stomp that erupted a pillar of light, dispersing the fire. The Doppelganger followed with Kick 13, a rapid barrage of kicks that drove Orochimaru off Manda, his coat singed.

"You're starting to bore me," Vergil said, landing gracefully.

--

Orochimaru's grin returned, darker now. "Then let's end the warm-up." His body convulsed, Eight Branches Technique. Flesh peeled away, revealing a monstrous eight-headed, eight-tailed white serpent, towering over the trees. Each head hissed, venom dripping, its size dwarfing Manda, who vanished in a poof of smoke.

Vergil cracked his neck. "Finally, something worth hitting."

The heads struck, four spitting Fire Release streams, two lunging with fangs, two weaving Wind Release gusts to trap him. Vergil teleported, Trick Up, above the inferno, then unleashed Summoned Swords: Heavy Rain Blades. Dozens of spectral blades rained down, piercing scales and forcing heads back with explosive force.

One head snapped forward, Kusanagi emerging from its maw. Vergil parried with Beowulf's Beast Uppercut, knocking the blade aside, then followed with Tornado: a spinning kick barrage that shredded the head's flesh, blood evaporating into toxic mist.

The mist spread, Orochimaru's poison. Vergil smirked, unphased, his demonic blood laughed at toxins. He dashed through with pure speed, and delivered Hammer to another head, caving its skull. A third head lunged; he countered with Lunar Phase, spinning kicks snapping its neck.

Orochimaru emerged from a fourth head recalling Kusanagi and slashed. Vergil caught it mid-strike, Beowulf's grip, and twisted, hurling Orochimaru into a fifth head. "Scum," he intoned, teleporting atop the beast, Air Trick, and slamming Volcano down. The impact cratered the serpent's back, three heads collapsing.

--

Orochimaru staggered from the wreckage, regenerating, flesh stitching as he spat a new body. "You're… remarkable," he rasped, golden eyes blazing. He lunged, Twin Snakes Mutual Death Technique, a sacrificial grab to bind Vergil in a mutual kill.

Vergil's smirk vanished. "Enough." His aura flared, blue fire igniting around him. Beowulf Devil Trigger erupted. His Clawed gauntlets and greaves pulsed with power, the air warping from his demonic might.

Orochimaru froze mid-lunge, eyes widening. "What… are you?"

"I told you what you would know this devil's power," Vergil growled, voice echoing with a devil's depth, "The power of a son of Sparda."

He teleported, Trick Dash, and unleashed Rising Dragon DT: a spiraling uppercut that launched Orochimaru skyward, holy light searing his flesh. The Doppelganger mirrored, Kick 13 DT, a relentless storm of kicks, each blow a sonic boom. Vergil finished with Volcano DT: a meteoric stomp that slammed Orochimaru into the ground, shattering the barrier and flattening the clearing in a blinding explosion of light.

--

Dust settled, the forest a ruin, trees toppled, earth scarred. Orochimaru lay in a crater, charred and broken, his regeneration sluggish. He coughed, grinning through bloodied lips. "Magnificent…"

Vergil stood over him, Devil Trigger fading. He flexed Beowulf, unscathed. "Stay down, snake. Next time, I won't hold back."

Orochimaru chuckled weakly. "Next time… I'll be ready."

Vergil turned, grabbing Yamato. "Doubtful." With a blue blur, he vanished, leaving the Sannin battered but alive.