Worms May Cry
Chapter 1.2: Arrival – Endless Rivalry
[Vergil]
Vergil's azure demonic form flew through the tunnel as his eyes were barraged by an assault of images from many different places and times. Yet, he continued to maintain his focus on the issue at hand. Namely, that both he and Dante had been unable to fully sever the Qliphoth and that they had both been dragged into whatever attack that demonic filth had enacted, seemingly separating the twins as Vergil was unable to spot Dante in this continual chaos.
"Dante!" Vergil called out, his voice echoing the raw power of his unleashed demonic form. And yet, he received no reply, upsetting the normally stoic twin, even if his demonic form didn't seem to show it due to its naturally snarling and fanged appearance.
Yet, Vergil saw that his body was being pulled towards a specific portal that led out to what appeared to be an empty ocean. While it seemed normal, even if lacking of people, the Dark Slayer didn't trust it.
Just because it appeared safe, that didn't mean this portal might lead to the human world. For all he knew, it might take him to another section of the Underworld. Before he could give it further thought, the pull that had been dragging him through this chaotic mess of splintered realities fully pulled him towards the portal.
Vergil tried fighting against the pull, too proud to accept being moved against his will by anyone or anything. Never again would he allow something to dictate his what he did! Instead of the empty ocean, Vergil spotted what appeared to be a deserted region with a few hills dotting the landscape. Additionally, there seemed to not be any sign of people, at least from the angle of the portal that Vergil could see.
"I choose where I go. No one else!" Vergil declared before slamming himself through the shard of reality and bursting out on the other side into the extreme heat of the desert. With a roar, Vergil dispersed his katana, Yamato, and covered his hands and feet in the gray metallic gauntlet and greaves of Beowulf that took on forms reminiscent of clawed feet and fists.
Putting his power into his right leg which caused tongues of azure energy to coil around his foot, Vergil kicked down towards the ground like a meteor, creating a great explosion of azure energy mixed with flame.
The attack caused the desert sand that hadn't been glassed to scatter into the air in a cloud. At the same time, Vergil dispersed his demonic Sin Devil Trigger and returned to the dark-clad human form of his.
Beowulf disappeared and Yamato's sheathed form returned back to his left hand as Vergil adjusted the collar of his vest with his right hand. Finally, he slicked his white hair back before leaping out of the large crater that had been left in his wake with a single bound.
It was after he had done this that Vergil realized he was not alone as what seemed to be an entire army of humans was looking at him with a range of shock, fear, aggression, and more. All of them were heavily armed with a vast variety of guns, yet Vergil felt completely unbothered.
Even if he wasn't thrilled about it, he needed to know where in the human world he was. The army before him might be able to assist in this. As he was about to walk towards the group, one of them shouted something to the Dark Slayer in a language that he couldn't understand the words to, but he could understand the intent.
'Drop your sword and surrender.'
Vergil's grip tightened on the sheath as he glared at the man that would dare command him to cast Yamato away! Never again would the sword be separated from him. Over that man's dead body.
"No."
As soon as he said this, something was called out by the same man, one that Vergil pointed out had multiple jagged scars going across the dark skin of his face. His braided dark hair was tied back into a ponytail while expensive tactical gear covered his body in comparison to his compatriots.
Likely a leader.
Moments later, the small army began shooting at Vergil, earning a glare from the hybrid as he flicked Yamato's blade up from its sheath with his thumb before pressing his thumb down on the back of the blade, keeping the partially unsheathed blade in place. Then, with barely any effort, he weaved the blade about his body, deflecting bullets into a random direction away from himself or back upon those that were shooting at him.
While his temperament towards humanity may have changed after everything he'd gone through, he had no patience for those who attempted to kill him, pathetic as this current attempt was.
Growing bored of what he barely considered to be a warmup, Vergil blinked out of existence and appeared five feet to the left of where he'd once been. Then, with inhuman speed, Vergil entered a stance to draw his weapon before pulling his sword out and sheathing it three times in the span of a second.
Upon doing so, spheres of what seemed to be cut sections of reality made up of blade strikes of black, white, and blue appeared at different areas of the army, acting like human-sized blenders that chopped to pieces any unfortunate soul caught inside. A Judgment Cut that deemed any caught within its grasp to disappear from the world of the living.
As this happened, phantasmal blades of blue energy appeared around the Dark Slayer's body before firing out into more of the crowd like homing missiles. While known as mirage blades, they were exceedingly real as they stabbed into any that they were aiming at with deathly precision, killing all those hit.
More shots were fired in Vergil's direction and he continued dodging, throwing a few more Judgment Cuts into the crowd while more mirage blades followed after. All the while, Vergil's eyes were focused on the man who ordered the attack.
No strikes or ricochets had hit the man, as was Vergil's wish. No, he planned to talk with the one who decided to annoy him while getting a few answers if he could. But before that would happen, he'd continue toying with these idiotic soldiers who were barely worth applying any real effort to defeat. All this served to do was prolong his boredom.
It didn't take much longer before the remaining army, smart enough to understand how hopelessly outclassed they were, began to retreat. All except the commander who, just as he was about to turn tail and run, found a mirage blade pinning his foot to the ground.
The commander screamed, and Vergil blinked into existence before him.
"Your little stunt, while woefully disappointing, is beginning to vex me. Can you understand what I'm saying?" Vergil asked as the man looked at him with shock before slowly nodding.
"Ibilisi wa Bluu, I understand what you say. American, yes?" The commander replied quickly. Frankly, Vergil didn't care what nationality the commander thought he was, as long as it got him answers faster, then would agree.
"Yes. Now tell me, where are we?" Vergil demanded. The commander seemed hesitant for a moment before answering.
"Namibia. Territory of Moord Nag." The commander said quickly. Africa. Multiple continents away from Redgrave City. What an annoying inconvenience.
"Who is Moord Nag?" While Vergil had no real interest in staying, he had a faint hope that Dante could possibly be nearby. If this were the case, then finding someone in charge that could point him in the direction of his 'loud and obnoxious' twin brother was helpful. If not, then he would open up a path to Redgrave City and figure out his plan from there.
"Warlord that rules this territory. She's powerful cape." The commander answered, causing Vergil to become slightly confused. What did a piece of clothing have to do with a person? Was it a label of some sort that he just didn't understand? Possibly.
"And what, pray tell, is a cape?" Vergil questioned quickly.
"B-But you are cape. You have power." The commander stammered, making the Dark Slayer contemplate the answer. Like himself? Did the man mean to say that this woman was also capable of demonic feats or magic?
Too many questions, and the only answers were currently coming from a man that seemed barely capable of stammering out a single word to the Dark Slayer due to sheer fear. That, or the secondary issue of him communicating in his second language made such delicate talks all the more difficult.
In Vergil's opinion, he needed a better translator.
"Enough quivering!" Vergil demanded, making the man stand stock still in fear that the Dark Slayer would do something worse than pin his foot to the ground with another one of his azure blades. "Now, I shall make this simple to you; you will lead me to this Moord Nag so that I can receive answers. Does she understand English?"
The commander shook his head in response, "Moord Nag thinks the language beneath her. She does not speak it nor will she learn." Vergil had to control his urge to sigh at the man. Great, the man will have to speak for him unless another translator could be found.
"It appears that I will have further use for you, aside from escorting me to your leader. You will act as my translator until I decide otherwise. Or I'll just be finished with you. Make your choice, human."
The commander nodded, "O-Of course, Ibilisi wa Bluu." With cooperation guaranteed, Vergil let the mirage blade disperse, freeing the man's foot from where it was pinned, but also causing it to bleed out now that the stab wound was no longer being pressured by the conjured blade. He quickly dropped to his knee and tried to stem the bleeding.
Vergil allowed this as he was well aware of the fragility of humans. Wouldn't do to have his guide die of blood loss before he could finish his job. Yet, there was the matter of his patience, especially against one who pitifully attempted to kill him…
"You have three minutes to treat yourself before I force you to start walking." The Dark Slayer warned. Upon hearing this, the commander immediately sped up treating his foot by pulling a green bag out of one of the numerous pouches on his body armor. Ripping it open, he let a green goo ooze from the bag and onto his foot.
With interest, Vergil watched this occurrence as the green goo seemed to glow before merging into the wound on the commander's foot. In mere moments, the injury finished healing, with fresh skin appearing in the man's ruined boot where there had once been a bleeding hole.
"What was that?" Vergil asked.
"Medicine from witch doctor in camp. One of many capes Moord Nag commands." The commander replied, earning a scoff from Vergil. In his personal opinion, most magic came from the power of demons. Likely, this woman had struck some form of bargain with a demon in exchange for healing abilities, but Vergil would find out the truth once he arrived to this camp.
"It's been three minutes. Get moving." Vergil stated while lightly swatting the commander on the rear with the bottom of Yamato's scabbard. This got the desired result as the man quickly stood up and began walking. All the while, praying in some unknown language, those Vergil did pick up the words 'Ibilisi wa Bluu' that he repeated.
What does it matter? The man could pray to whatever gods it was that he wished to. All that the Dark Slayer cared about was that the man would take him to where he wanted to go and translate.
With a little time, Vergil found himself being brought closer to an encampment of tents, vehicles, and activity. Looking to his 'guide', the Dark Slayer asked, "For a warlord, I'm curious to know if Moord Nag is traveling to a battle instead of residing within the confines of some fortress?"
"Yes. We were moving to take a territory in the Congo. From there, Moord Nag will use as staging ground to expand. She has no specific area where she resides. All her territory is her home." The commander answered. Up ahead, Vergil's eyes picked out heavy movement from the encampment as soldiers started taking positions while training their firearms upon both him and the commander. Vergil's 'willing guide' quickly raised his hands in surrender while the Dark Slayer watched with disinterest.
Yet, up ahead, a dark-skinned woman emerged from the crowd with her dark hair held back in braids. Unlike the soldiers, her clothing seemed out of place for combat as it consisted of a dark shirt with the sleeves torn off and a frayed brown skirt. Yet, even if she seemed normal, Vergil could feel otherwise.
There was something close to demonic presence coming from her, and that made Vergil narrow his eyes as he grew some interest in this seemingly 'simple' human. As she walked a short bit closer, she called out in a foreign tongue which the Dark Slayer couldn't understand. Looking to his translator, the Dark Slayer quickly ordered, "What is she saying?"
"Ibilisi wa Bluu, she is Moord Nag. She asks why you have come to this place to die?" The commander replied. Vergil found himself scoffing in amusement at this human's audacity.
"Translator; tell her that I am here for information. She will give it to me." Vergil commanded as his eyes continued to remain trained on the woman until he noticed shadows lengthening on the ground around the woman while a crocodilian skull seemed to swim in the sands towards her. He could feel the demonic presence rolling off of those shadows.
The commander gulped, then he shouted out to the woman the Dark Slayer's answer. Interestingly, he noticed that the language that the commander used sounded different, yet it still kept the repeated trio of words 'Ibilisi wa Bluu' in it. Yet, he only received a single word answer in response from the warlord after she gave him a mocking laugh.
"Sterf!" Moord Nag said while pointing to both Vergil and the commander. Vergil understood that intention. 'Die'.
The commander was about to turn and run away when the Dark Slayer held Yamato's sheathed form in his path. At the same time, his eyes looked at the dark shadows gathered around the woman until the ground was pitch-black. Then, the coalesced darkness rose up from the ground with the crocodilian skull swimming up the dark mass until it taken its place at the head of this shadowy serpentine creature.
Vergil looked to the frightened commander and ordered, "You will not move from this spot. I shall return shortly." To add to his intimidating warning, he pushed a small burst of demonic power to his eyes, causing them to flicker red for a moment before returning to their icy blue. The commander's dark skin paled, then he nodded.
That taken care of, the Dark Slayer lowered Yamato from the commander's path and then casually strolled towards the shadowy beast with a hint of a smirk on his face. He could spare a few moments of his time to play with this demonic shadow.
"Lo' a shadow of horror is risen. In Eternity! Unknown, unprolific! Self-closd, all-repelling: what Demon hath form'd this abominable void?" Vergil quoted from one of William Blake's poems; one that he was innately familiar with.
As he did so, the shadowy creature seemed to almost swim on both ground and air, the tethers of gravity and physical acting as nothing more than an afterthought. Yet, before the creature could jump upon him, the Dark Slayer swiftly swung his blade out and spun. As Yamato cut through the air, it also seemed to cut through reality itself as a blue crescent-shaped tear opened up, sucking in anything nearby to fill this empty void.
Both sand and the shadows making up the creature began to get pulled in as the arc continued to travel for a few moments more. By the time the arc had faded, as if the greedy void had finally had its fill, the shadowy creature had been split in two, with half of its mass now missing. As this happened, Vergil sheathed his blade with a taunting slowness as he looked over his shoulder at the creature.
He smirked as the shadow soon regained its lost mass and tried to smash down upon his position. The Dark Slayer simply blinked out of the path of the attack, the only sign he moved being his three coattails fluttering before coming to rest five yards away to the left.
"Try to keep up." Vergil mocked as the shadow's skull turned to him. As this occurred, the Dark Slayer slowly began to notice a connection as his eyes flitted between both the shadow and the woman. Yes, he understood now, making the man smile. But rather than just end the fight quickly, he wanted to see just how durable this creature truly was.
As the shadow was once more going to try and subsume him with its presence, yet Vergil dropped into a draw stance. Then, moving faster than the human eye could track, he repeatedly drew his sword, slashed, sheathed it, then repeated. Vergil's arm and sword were a blue blur as the Dark Slayer's body was protected by a shield of slashes.
The shadow was, impossibly, being cut to pieces as it tried to break through the shield until Vergil made one final great slash, emitting a short wave of power that blasted the shadow away from him and caused it to pause as it began reforming itself. "Interesting, but pointless. This game is over." Vergil announced and disappeared in a blink before appearing in front of Moord Nag with Yamato poised at her throat, the animated shadow now rushing back to its mistress until Vergil wagged his finger at her.
His entire demeanor showed little concern at the threat this woman could pose. She understood it immediately, and the shadow stopped its rush just a few feet from behind Vergil. She was at an impasse. Neither she, nor her shadow, could react before this man would strike her down. From how fast he moved, allowing him to actually cut her shadow beast and prevent it from going through his attack, she would be dead before the she or her shadow could move a millimeter.
"Translator! Come!" Vergil ordered which caused the translator, once a commander, to rush over to Vergil with a huff. When he had finally arrived, the Dark Slayer ordered, "Tell the woman again that she will answer my questions. Or I will end her."
He waited as the translator relayed his demand. Then, he finally received a nod from the woman. Good.
"Ask her if she has seen a man in red or a crimson demon appear in the area." Vergil spoke and waited for the translator and Moord Nag to talk. Once completed, the translator finally spoke back to him.
"Moord Nag has not seen either a man in red or a crimson demon. But her people speak of large devil ants and evil plants that they live by." At hearing the translator's response, Vergil's eyes lowered as he considered exactly what that could possibly mean. He and Dante had been unable to fully sever the Qliphoth before being pulled into it. That could mean it was still rooting.
"Translator; are those roots tipped in spikes and filled with blood? Do these ants have tiny wings on their backs?" Vergil questioned.
He waited and the translator answered, "Yes, Ibilisi wa Bluu. Moord Nag has kept her people from the area as the devils kill any who come near. Moord Nag planned to go there after her next battle to destroy them."
With annoyance on his features, Vergil sheathed Yamato and spoke, "Tell the woman that she needn't bother. I shall deal with it. Where are these demons located?" Another few moments of waiting for the relay and Vergil received his answer, while the translator seemed to hastily speak to Moord Nag, almost pleading.
She gave the translator a glare before saying something and pointing from him to Vergil. With a sigh, the translator looked to Vergil, "Moord Nag says the place is a few miles north. She also says…that I'm taking you there." Vergil glared at the woman and then looked to the translator.
"Why?"
"Moord Nag is upset I brought you here. Says that it's my fault. I lead you to the devils and help you fight them. If I die, I die. If I live, I leave Moord's territory." The translator replied.
Vergil scoffed at the offer to help, "You, help me? I see that the woman wants you to die." The Dark Slayer commented.
"Yes." The translator answer as Moord Nag turned back to the encampment and called out a few orders. A short amount of time later, and man ran up to the group with a tiny bag and a rusted AK-47. He then handed both items to the warlord who gave the man a nod as he ran off back to the encampment.
Following this, Moord Nag threw the bag and rifle to the translator's feet. Then, her dark eyes met Vergil's icy blue with a strong intensity. Following this, she spoke a few words to Vergil before finishing with 'Ibilisi wa Bluu'. Once said, she stopped speaking and remained silent.
"Moord Nag says that she freely allows you to leave her territory. She says that she will remember you, Ibilisi wa Bluu." The translator answered and picked up the pack and rifle which he slung over his shoulders. Vergil eyed the gun with distaste of the inelegant weapon. It also didn't help that they were weapons which his rash brother adored. But he kept his opinion to himself.
"As if I needed permission." The Dark Slayer remarked as he looked down upon the woman. He could slightly respect that she continued to try and retain her pride against a man who could kill her in an instant. With that said, Vergil turned away from the warlord and walked away from her, with the translator quickly following after.
While Vergil could easily just leave the man behind, he decided against it in case he required the continued services of his translator. Once he no longer had any need, the Dark Slayer would leave the man.
As they walked, the monstrous shadow moved aside from the duo before swimming back over to Moord Nag and surrounding her. At the same time, the warlord took notice of the lengthening shadows behind the two men. The translator's was that of a normal human.
But in comparison to the man next to him? The shape of Vergil's shadow quickly shifted to something demonic with horns, multiple wings, and a tail. Then it changed back to human. The warlord gave one final glare to the man before walking back to her camp.
Yet, as Vergil and the translator walked in the direction of these demons, the Dark Slayer decided to ask, "Translator; you and the woman kept referring to me as Ibilisi wa Bluu. What does it mean?"
"Blue Devil."
A ghost of a smile graced Vergil's face in amusement. It was certainly fitting.