Hey there, everyone. Back already with the next chapter! The results of a strong muse, I suppose.

With that being said… next thing I'm working on for sure is the next chapter to my other ongoing fic Defining Purpose, a RWBY fic. From here on out, I will be intending to alternate one chapter per fic, though the strength of my muse for each fic may impact this. Can't say for sure just yet.

Also want to point out that due to RL stuff like work and online schooling, updates might possibly be a bit more spaced out. However, I also want to make it clear that I have EVERY intention of finishing what I start. So, barring some radical circumstances, I will be finishing this fic one way or another. Just can't guarantee it'll be quick though lol.

And thank you dear Red Dusk 369 for the review. And so soon after posting too! I'm greatly pleased to see that the DMC/Haunting Ground section still gets some attention. Hopefully, my fic will serve as a catalyst for other writers to contribute to the section and spread the love because Haunting Ground appears rather underrepresented, not just with DMC crossovers but with other crossovers in general, given just how scarce they are. To say nothing of so many being unfinished despite their potential.

Speaking of which… this fic. Will say this right now that due to the very presence of Dante, the plot of Haunting Ground will derail quite a bit, since this is Dante we're talking about here. The setting of Haunting Ground simply isn't built to handle DMC characters, let alone him. That said, the horrors that made the game such a gem will still be in the plot, just shown differently since Dante's abilities naturally mean a lot of the obstacles that Fiona had to deal with just don't apply.

Now that's enough rambling. Let's rock!

P.S. Expect things to move pretty quickly since there's only so much exploration I can write for either protagonist before they finally meet and whatnot.

Small edit (4/10/25): noticed a few spelling and grammar errors after the fact, fixed them so my writing is just a bit more readable.

Chapter 2 – Encounter

Dante brushed aside yet another branch that threatened to smack him in his face as he trekked onwards. This forest, aptly named Chaos Forest by the locals long ago, was certainly proving to be an obstacle in and of itself. True to its name, it didn't exactly have much in the ways of human friendly paths to take, thick trees and shrubbery making navigating difficult. The tree lines obscuring much of the skyline didn't help either. As such, it wouldn't surprise Dante much if people not from around here had gotten lost and sadly died if they'd tried to traverse this area.

But obviously, he wasn't like other people.

He was a devil hunter and the Son of Sparda at that too. As such, navigating this forest, while a bit of a pain, was ultimately little more than a speedbump even when accounting for night having fallen soon after his journey off the beaten path.

"Finally!" he declared with a smirk after getting free of the forest.

And in doing so, now looked directly upon Belli Castle. He actually let out a low whistle; the place did look rather impressive now that he was so close to it. It's definitely been around since the Middle Ages, he was willing to bet.

Alas, he admired the architecture for only a few seconds before moving on. His travels through the forest had taken him somewhere towards the western side of the castle. From this angle, atop a small hill, he could spot not just the castle itself but what also appeared to be a mansion-like structure as well, further in.

Probably where the former rulers of this castle likely lived… and perhaps the current occupants as well.

Speaking of which, the devil hunter was now convinced there really was some merit to those rumors; even from this distance and through the thick stained glass, he could make out lighting in the hallways. Likely from candles or lamps, he reasoned.

"Well, well, I guess it's time I go and knock," he commented as he made his way over to the main gate, which thankfully wasn't too far away.

The gate was naturally closed as he neared it, but he just huffed in amusement before girding himself and hopped right over the large gate in one smooth motion.

Landing now in what looked like a huge yard, his eyes immediately narrowed.

Dante had felt something just marginally off as he'd initially approached the gate but had written it off. Now that he was actually within the castle's grounds, however, the feeling was more noticeable. Far from enough to spook him, but definitely enough to confirm that this would be worth his time, after all.

Adjusting his signature red coat, he strolled towards the nearest set of stairs he could see. Looks like it led up to an open door.

Following the path, Dante then quirked an eyebrow as he entered the through the first door he saw – and into quite the snazzy room, he had to admit.

To his immediate right was some kind of old school console, upon which lied a small TV and a single potted plant. To his front and left were two chairs, a small table and then a sofa. A little further into the room, it curved directly to the right and up a pointlessly small flight of stairs that could be crossed in just one stride, which led to a lit fireplace that was to the left of a closed door and then a bed to the right of said door.

And of course…

"Wouldn't be a creepy castle without one or two." He damn near snickered at the portrait hanging from the left of the room, right next to a grandfather clock. The person depicted in said portrait, that of a stern-faced man, seemed to glare out at the rest of the room. He'd bet that trying to sleep in a room with that face glaring right at them would creep most out.

His good humor faded not long afterwards though when he neared the portrait and took a really good look.

…He could spot two holes there, one in each eye.

Looks like whoever designed this place was something of a voyeur. How… typical, he guessed.

Thankfully, no one was peeping right now it seemed. With that particular thought, he turned away and towards the bed, where another portrait hung close by. Thankfully, it was a damn sight better than the one he just looked at.

But more importantly, the bed itself… while it hadn't looked like anyone had slept here in a while, it did look recently made. Further confirmation that at least someone resided here.

Interesting. Almost makes him curious who could be trying to stay so nice and cozy in a place like this.

Only one way to find out.

Without another word spoken, Dante headed right for the door that was near the bed.

It was time to see with his own eyes what made this castle so special.

Aureolus Lorenzo Belli, while far from his prime, was nonetheless a man prone to caution. It was this trait, alongside his unwavering resolve in living forever to uncover the Great Truth, that had allowed him to flourish in his studies throughout his long life. It was also a trait that had proven most essential after that damned Ugo had defied him by going out into the world… and all because of that insufferable wench Ayla.

Thankfully, because of his great caution, he'd been able to leverage what few connections he'd still had available to him to monitor Ugo and his wife whenever possible. It was through this venture that he'd become aware of Fiona in the first place.

Ah, dear and sweet Fiona… through her, he shall be able to live forever. The Great Truth will be uncovered. He merely needed time. And that time shall be available to him once Fiona's Azoth becomes his.

Alas, goading Ugo and Ayla into coming to the castle had been a challenging one – his clone had been all too wary once he'd been able to get in touch with the damned runaway. However, a simple and persistent lie of wanting to be more open about alchemy for the benefits of the world… and a vague offering of sharing immortality between Ugo, Ayla and their daughter… had been all it took to get the couple to drive close by the castle. From there, it had been up to Riccardo to ensure Fiona made it to the castle. Whatever becomes of Ugo and his wench in this plan would no longer matter by then.

That said, while Fiona had been safely brought back to the castle, there now was the risk of Riccardo trying to usurp him by taking the Azoth for himself.

Lorenzo could only shake his head. That damn failure… and in more ways than one. Although he was no longer in a state to tend to the castle himself, it had become painfully clear in recent years that making Riccardo the steward of Belli Castle was a mistake he could have done without. It would have been so simple for Riccardo to just bring Fiona to him so that he could take her Azoth, but instead the failure was content to let the girl flounder her way through the castle for his own amusement.

And now she was being assailed by that pathetic creation of Riccardo's – Debilitas, its name was.

Just recently, a moment or so ago actually, he'd called the phone in the room Fiona had been passing through to warn her of Riccardo, but that was about the best he could do for the time being.

…Damn this frail body of his. Even when considering his age, he was much too weak.

Still, he could only continue to make up for his physical weakness through what cunning he possessed.

But Riccardo's antics were only the least of his worries now.

Though far from the grand feats he could accomplish in the past, he was still a master alchemist, capable of putting up wards and the like all throughout the castle. It was how he was able to monitor the going-ons of this castle in addition to a few modern security cameras to supplement his monitoring.

And it was through this he was able to become almost immediately aware of the newest arrival.

"The Son of Sparda…!" Lorenzo wheezed out, a mixture of disbelief and anger filling him.

He knew all too well the legend of the Dark Knight Sparda. Every alchemist did, from the noble Bellis to even those fools the Lowells, who'd forsaken the mission of uncovering the Great Truth in favor of 'merely' making use of demons to do their bidding for a time.

…Though he will grudgingly admit that Alan had certainly been the greatest of the Lowells in this regard; sealing away the likes of Abigail was by no means a feat just anyone could achieve.

In any case, he never would have expected Sparda's son to come here of all places. And of all times as well!

He bore the half-breed no ill will, none at all. As one intending to transcend life and death in his pursuit of the Great Truth, Lorenzo knew that to do so would also require transcending humanity as well. Thus, he could almost consider the well-known devil hunter to be something of a… of a peer in this regard, one whose very being exceeded humanity's potential.

But he still couldn't let the man interfere.

Having retreated to the Belli Mansion for the time being, he rang for Daniella. The woman, while useless for continuing the Belli lineage, was an excellent enough maid. As such, she was all too quick to cease her cleaning duties and come to him.

"Yes, my master?" she asked in that dull tone of hers.

Lorenzo glowered as he glanced upon the maid. The right side of her cheek was sporting a noticeable bruise. Blood had also been drawn from her lips and trickled slowly down the side of her mouth. It appears Riccardo had once again been venting his frustrations out on the woman, in addition to undoubtedly trying to make Daniella tell Riccardo where his location was. After all, in Riccardo's eyes now, he was a threat to his own machinations for Fiona.

"We've a new guest," he slowly rasped out. "Clean yourself up first, then go to him and do whatever you must to keep him at bay. He cannot interfere with any of this."

Daniella was a mere woman, nothing more. She had not a drop of combat potential beyond that of a normal person, meaning she was entirely useless in directly stopping the devil hunter. But despite her meager combat ability, she was still a beautiful enough woman… though nothing compared to his lovely Fiona. Perhaps whatever charm she possessed would be enough to distract the man, even if only for a little while.

Worse comes to worst, however… he supposed he could make use of the homunculi still in containment. The golems too, though their sluggish movement speed wouldn't mean much unless the Son of Sparda was somehow boxed in first.

Before the maid could reply in the affirmative, however, one of his wards was triggered.

Lorenzo scowled fiercely as he was immediately alerted to what had happened, even if only in part.

Damn it all…! That pathetic oaf was at it again!

Fiona let out a groan, clutching at her right leg. She'd taken quite the fall just now, after all, and had nearly landed on said limb first.

Having continued to explore within the castle's outermost layer, if it could be called that, she'd gone through several disturbing rooms, one almost consisting of a doll-like room and another that had clearly been boobytrapped – had she not had the foresight to look around further and pull a lever, then who knows what would've become of her had she chosen to brave that room with the eyes in the wall.

Then, following a strange chamber that she had to insert orbs into and tinker with, she'd been able to make her way up to the top part of the outer layer to finally lower the drawbridge. But that had been when that giant of a man had once again found her. In her haste to escape, she'd slipped off the first ladder down, resulting in her current situation.

Despite the pain, she could only persevere. Thankfully, it didn't feel as though she'd fractured anything, though the sprain she'll undoubtedly feel later would surely be unbearable.

Making her way back to ground level, she could now hear the giant cry out.

"Dolly! Dolly come here!" the man cried out in that almost shrill voice of his. He sounded a lot closer than expected. Close enough to make her heart pound wildly like in the previous times he'd located her.

She had to hurry.

"Hewie!" She called out to her canine companion, who'd waited patiently for her this whole time.

Hewie barked, overjoyed to see her alive and well, and then immediately followed after her when she rushed around the nearest corner.

This castle was a maze, so many rooms either locked or dead ends that it felt like she could get lost in here forever. Thankfully, her memory was exceptional and the map she'd found earlier certainly helped figure out what rooms might be worth avoiding to save time.

She grimaced as she now sprinted, the pain in her leg very much there and making the muscles throb fiercely. Not even a few seconds later, she was already panting wildly though she still pressed on.

It was times like this that made her regret her lack of interest – and talent – in more physical endeavors. If she lived through this, she vowed to take up some cardio.

She renewed this vow just as soon as she'd even made it, for the giant man took that moment to appear. He must have pulled himself over the wall, it was the only way he could have reached here so soon.

"Dolly!" he cried out as he pawed at her with a massive hand, nearly grabbing her by her ponytail.

She shrieked as she pulled herself forward, just barely avoiding the grab. It helped that Hewie immediately swerved to throw himself at the giant, teeth bared.

The giant howled in pain as Hewie evidently bit into him, but Fiona didn't even get a chance to glance over her shoulder before Hewie cried out. The man must have just shaken him off.

"Hewie?!" At great risk to herself, Fiona awkwardly turned around in mid-run just in time to see Hewie whimper as he picked himself off the ground. As for the giant, he nursed his injured right hand with an almost pouty expression, blood having been drawn from the bite.

His focus on his new wound gave Fiona enough time to go to Hewie and help the dog up. Upon doing so, the two of them renewed their sprint and turned the new corner, just past the collapsed section of the castle wall.

That was when the giant cried out, now focused on her again. His lumbering footsteps practically made the ground shake, partly because of his weight and primarily due to how much strength he possessed.

Chest feeling like it was on fire, the teen pushed on, heading back the only way out of here, towards the small closed gate. She was tempted to run further back, probably towards that creepy shrine off to the corner… but perhaps against her better judgement, she decided not to.

She just wanted out of here as soon as possible.

Heading straight for the lever, she seized it with both hands and pushed it as hard as she could. Even then there was quite a bit of strain. She really will need to consider hitting the gym after all this.

The giant lumbered into view just as soon as she finished pushing the lever, a smile upon his face as he saw her.

"N-No…!" Fiona cried out, just barely even letting go of the lever by the time the man closed in. She didn't even get enough time to start dodging before he was upon her.

With his uninjured hand, he reached for her successfully, lifting her up by her waist. The sheer strength he possessed and the speed with which he hoisted her up took all the air out of her and she instinctively thrashed about. To absolutely no effect.

"Dolly playtime!" The giant was outright cheering as he now began to clamp his other hand onto her.

He was now pulling her in for a hug. Fiona's eyes went wide with horror – whether by intent or not, he was going to crush her to death.

She beat at his arms as best as she could, but she might as well be a toddler trying to bash an adult; the difference in size and strength was just that wide.

But once more…

"Gah! Doggie bad! Bad!"

…Her new friend came to her rescue.

Hewie bit into the very back of the giant man's left knee. This caused him to fall onto said knee with quite the impact. One hand fell off of Fiona and placed itself upon the ground… but the other hand still held onto her stubbornly.

Hewie let go of the man's knee and then leapt onto his back. With a vicious bark, the dog then latched onto his right shoulder while simultaneously beating at the giant's back with his paws.

Combined with a flailing kick from Fiona, this was enough to do the trick and cause her to escape his clutches for good. However, his grip proved strong enough to tear off just a small portion of her blouse, around the left side of her stomach.

Landing unceremoniously on her butt, she scooted away as fast as she could… and finally noticed that the small gate had fully risen.

She scrambled to her feet. "Hewie, come on!" she pleaded as she ran through the new opening-.

-Only to then turn back around just as the giant man forced himself up and all but threw his considerable mass at her.

By just the narrowest of margins she was able to avoid being crushed under his weight and she ran back the way she just came, Hewie hot on her heels.

As soon as she made it through, she reached for the lever again and pushed it back into its original position. It was her hope that she could seal off the way here before the giant could get back up.

Unfortunately, and to her perpetual horror, the man had quickly recovered from his impromptu lunge and he managed to place his hands on the gate just before it could fully close. Then with a guttural roar, he actually began to force the gate back up.

Fiona could only gasp at the absurd display and chose to beat a very hasty retreat.

"My darling! Come here!" The giant's tenacity never seemed to end.

Her mind was practically fracturing now. It felt like no matter where she went or how much she did, she would always have to run from him at every turn. Hyperventilation felt but a moment away as she began to despair over ever being free of this behemoth of a man.

The gate suddenly slammed down from what she could hear of it – and sadly, judging by the stomping behind her, it seemed that her pursuer hadn't been trapped on the other side as she'd desperately hoped.

At the very thought of the man once again gaining on her occurred, however-.

Gunfire erupted suddenly.

-Another impossibility had occurred.

The giant let out a wild screech as bullets suddenly rained down from above. His screech was not one of pain, but one of pure shock and terror; the bullets hadn't been to injure, much less kill.

Nonetheless, just as much as it had frightened the man, it had also scared Fiona just as bad. It was to the point where she stopped running and fell to the ground, hands atop her head for what little protection that would offer her. Hewie whimpered in fright and quickly circled around her, making himself one final layer of protection.

But as quickly as the gunfire had erupted, it ended.

Something – someone – fell from somewhere above, landing in between her and the giant with a deceptively light step.

"Ease off there, big guy," spoke the voice, radiating confidence, complete fearlessness even. "You should know better than to just harass a lady like that – it's not a popular look."

Both Fiona and the pursuer now looked up from the ground at the new arrival.

Despite the circumstances, the young woman couldn't help but gasp.

There stood the new man, decked out almost entirely in red it would seem, with an especially eye-catching red coat. Though not to the extent of the giant man, he was still clearly tall, easily more than six feet. But even with the dim lighting the area provided, what stood out the most to Fiona from this back view of hers was the man's hair, long and stylishly messy… and a shocking white in color.

And that was to say nothing of the sword she had a clear view of. It was some kind of… she knew little about weapons, but it clearly had to be a broadsword of some kind, but it was a design unlike anything she's seen before, the hilt in the shape of an open-mouthed skull, ominous red eyes glaring out at nothing in particular.

The giant stared at the man, confusion and fear in his eyes… yet he didn't seem intent on relenting just yet.

"You really want to try your luck that badly? Alright then, guess now's as good a time as any for me to play the role of the white knight," spoke the man.

Something about the way the man said that – or perhaps the way he cocked the two handguns he wielded – apparently got her pursuer to reconsider, for the man mumbled incoherently before hastily turning around and scampering off like a scolded child.

Fiona watched with bated breath as her pursuer eventually left her sight.

But she didn't let her guard down yet; Hewie was making a sound halfway between a whimper and a growl at the man before them now and that was enough to make her stay relatively alert.

Speaking of said man, he holstered his guns as he finally turned around, an action that now exposed him fully to her.

…He was quite the handsome man, Fiona couldn't help but think, with sharp facial features that made him look to be in his mid to late twenties. His bangs were somewhat parted, allowing her to see his piercing blue eyes and confident smirk.

Moreover… he really did like the color red, it would seem. Red pants that had two black belts wrapped around a thigh, in addition to a leather belt, gloves and boots that were also black. His coat, complete with an upturned collar of all things, had hidden from view until now a red vest over a black long sleeve shirt, just snug enough to hint at his lean and muscular physique.

Fiona's eyes, however, couldn't help but be drawn to what he wore around his neck – an amulet, a beautiful red in color on a silver chain.

"I know the ladies love their jewelry," he suddenly began. "But this isn't up for sale, I'm afraid to say."

Her gaze must have really lingered on the amulet for him to comment like that. It was enough to make her look away, somewhat embarrassed.

Yet she still remained on edge – Hewie was certainly on his heels around this man, still growling and whimpering away.

And if Hewie was reacting this way… oh dear, was this man truly here to help her? Or was he an even worser threat than the giant?

Even from as far into the castle as he'd gotten – which is to say, not particularly far – he'd still been able to hear a drawbridge being activated off in the distance. And seeing as he'd done nothing to cause that to happen, it had stood to reason someone else had been responsible for it instead. With that in mind, he'd quickly switched directions and headed for the place.

Turned out to be a good thing he did so, for as soon as he'd started to dash and hop over the place, he'd landed atop an upper level of the outer castle ground just in time to see a real big fellow hunt down a lady and her loyal pup.

Naturally, he'd intervened.

Now with the big man scared off, it was time to have a nice little chat.

"Quite the night for a stroll," he began. "Not to mention the location."

Oh, his quip aside, he knew right away that the woman – no, more like a girl, really, couldn't possibly be older than twenty at the most – sure hadn't been here willingly. He could tell just by the look in her pale blue eyes.

And speaking of features.

Dante had to suppress the urge to let out a low whistle. He wasn't into potential jailbait, but the girl was one hell of a looker. Pale blonde hair tied into a short ponytail, complimenting her eyes. Skin just as pale, almost like porcelain. Soft facial features that gave her quite the demure appearance…

…And contrasted with one hell of a bombshell body, with curves most other girls her age could only dream of having. Helped that her outfit, oddly consisting of a long sleeve shirt with quite the complex design upon it, hugging her bust tightly. Puffy sleeves were somehow a part of it as well, and a brooch that drew one's eyes to it and her chest almost. The sheer whiteness of said shirt contrasted heavily with the dark purple knee-length skirt and brown boots she wore, which itself was complimented by black stockings of similar length.

…

…Yeah, Dante had nothing to really say anymore on this front. Except maybe that the outfit felt oddly… well, oddly fetishistic despite the girl's otherwise innocent look.

"Who…" the girl began, rousing the devil hunter from his thoughts. "Who are you?"

"Name's Dante," he introduced simply. "Think I can get to know your name now, my lovely little lady?" He punctuated his question with a suave smile.

Only for the girl to practically recoil upon hearing his words. Said action caused the dog by her side to snarl even louder, more fiercely.

This was enough to make him lose the smile immediately. And started to make him really contemplate what he was picking up on here.

Realizing belatedly that he'd sort of been leaning forward – into her personal space a little – he straightened his posture and made a bit of a show in now taking a few steps back. He then chose to play this off as calmly as possible. "Well, whatever your name is, kid," he made sure to emphasize that word, hoping it would somehow put the girl at ease, "This really isn't the sort of place to be hanging around in, don't ya think? Just what would your parents think of their special little girl?"

Once again, his words provoked a reaction from the girl, making her freeze now. Her eyes had looked wary, scared even, when he'd asked her name in the way he had just now, but some of that wariness bled away in favor of concern – but not for herself.

"…I'm Fiona," she said after a long minute. She then crouched down and began to gently stroke the dog's back. This got the dog to slowly calm down and just enjoy her affections. "And this is Hewie. The two of us… we're trying to find out what really happened to my parents. And then get out of here as soon as possible."

Dante was silent for a few seconds, processing all that he's learned so far. "By chance… were you in a car accident?"

The girl – Fiona – shot up in surprise. "I… y-yes. My parents and I were on a trip when we suddenly struck a tree! After that… afterwards…" Fiona trailed off, lost in memory lane. She brought up a hand to her well-endowed chest and it curled into a tight fist. Looks like said memories were decidedly unpleasant. To be expected.

Scratching the back of his head, he considered what to do. By all rights, he should just take this girl out of here and continue to sweep the castle and mansion that he spotted. But now that he knew others were here, he didn't want to risk them trying to run off or something while he did that.

"Alright, listen here, Fiona," he started. "I'm actually on a job of sorts here. This place? I'm here to pretty much look into it. Now that I know some punks are running around like they own it, it's pretty much up to me to make sure they don't do anything too crazy." Damn, what a vague way to cover up what he was really here for. Not like the girl would believe him if he told her about his devil hunting, though. "So, how about I take you and the little pupper out of here so I can continue on in peace?"

Not the kindest way he could have framed it, but he was on a bit of clock here. Sooner he looked into this castle, the better.

At his words, Fiona stared. She wore her emotions on her sleeve, hell, both sleeves pretty much. She wanted to desperately leave and go far, far away. He could recognize that look of terror anywhere…

…And yet.

Yet something was holding her back from immediately agreeing with his 'suggestion.' Her tightened fist remained as is… but something had shifted in her just now as emotions warred within her.

"I… I would very much appreciate that," she slowly replied. "But I can't. Not yet." Her fist slowly opened as she made up her mind. "My parents… first, I must know what happened to them. That man, Riccardo… he said they were dead… and that now I'm the heir to this castle. He muttered so many odd things… I must know what's happened here."

She paused and looked up at him, a solid eight or nine inches in their height difference, and bit her lip in brief hesitation. But then she spoke again. "I'm sorry for how I reacted to your words a moment ago. It's been… my time here has been nothing but nightmarish. And if I may implore you… would you please allow me to accompany you here?"

…

…Well, how about that? Not every day the average person says something like that to him. Then again, if this Riccardo guy she just mentioned really wasn't bullshitting her…

He smiled as lightly as he could. "Well then, after you, my fair lady," he said, taking the risk of calling her that. "Show me what you've stumbled through so far."

The smile that appeared on her face was small and fleetingly brief, but damn if it didn't make Dante feel a bit better about himself.

And there we go.

Sorry that this chapter is mostly dialogue and exposition and whatnot. The one problem with Haunting Ground – if I can call it that – is that in terms of threats, it really just boils down to the stalker enemies (Debilitas, Daniella, Riccardo, and Lorzeno) with other threats being very brief in comparison. Thus, what really pads the game's runtime is having to do puzzles and progress through the map while being stalked by said stalkers. Makes it hard to kind of write action-packed chapters when the content provided is so lacking compared to the encounters in DMC as a whole.

That said, as always, I do have a plan for that… and it actually ties into the other references I've in store for this fic. It will take a bit of time to build to, but when I get there, I believe you all will find the action rewarding.

Speaking of said references, I do believe I made one painfully obvious in this chapter, lol. Expect more like that soon enough to really expand the lore I've planned for this story.

As for the meeting between Dante and Fiona, do forgive me if it seems like the romance has already begun… because it hasn't. Both have acknowledged the other's looks at the very least, but the actual spark of attraction has yet to occur, so I do hope you guys don't think I'm immediately making them fall for each other.

And as for Dante's personality, given how Kamiya characterized him in DMC1 as a cocky but well-spoken man compared to the outwardly wacky/inwardly sad and ultimately far more casual persona he shows under Itsuno's considerations, I've tried to go for a mix between the two as my way of honoring both sides of his creators' collective legacy. Let me know as the fic progress if I do a good job. I want to show a natural progression between his casual dialogue in DMC3 to his more semiformal dialogue in DMC1.

Anyways, that's about it for now. Until next time, everyone. Take care!