The therapist is the one on the cover photo


Dr. Linda Gray adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat as she glanced at the two men sitting before her. "Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Linda Gray, and I specialize in family therapy. My goal today is to help you both understand each other better and, hopefully, build a healthier relationship."

The modest therapy office had seen better days. Framed certificates lined the walls, the scent of lavender filled the air, and a cozy armchair sat across from a couch, where two polar-opposite brothers sat. One, Dante, lounged lazily, feet propped up on the coffee table, a smirk plastered on his face. The other, Vergil, sat with perfect posture, arms crossed, eyes sharp with impatience. Between them sat Dr. Linda Gray, clipboard in hand, radiating professional patience—though, by the end of this session, she'd probably be questioning her career choices.

"It's wonderful to see siblings taking the time to work on their relationship," she said warmly. "Family can be complicated, but it's never too late to rebuild bridges."

Dante's smirk widened. "Well, doc, it's not so much a bridge—more like a burning, collapsing suspension bridge with demons flying out of it."

Vergil exhaled sharply. "Or a bridge one must sever to seek true power."

Dr. Gray chuckled, though something about the way Vergil said that made her uneasy. "Sibling rivalry, I see." She tapped her pen against her clipboard. "Let's start with something simple. Dante, tell me one thing you admire about Vergil."

Dante leaned back, rubbing his chin in mock contemplation. "Hmmm… well, he's got great hair. Like, seriously. No matter how much we fight, it never gets messed up. What's your secret, man? Demon conditioner?"

Vergil's glare could have cut through steel. "Discipline."

Dr. Gray noted that down with a forced smile. "Interesting. And Vergil, what's something you admire about Dante?"

Vergil's pause was long, his expression unreadable. Finally, he said, "He is… persistent."

Dante barked a laugh. "That's code for 'I keep kicking his ass.'"

Vergil's voice remained monotone. "And yet, here we are, still in need of therapy."

Dr. Gray sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. She then puts on and optimistic face. "I see there's some tension. Let's try an exercise. I want you two to engage in active listening. Dante, tell Vergil how you feel about your relationship, and Vergil, you repeat what you hear."

Dante clears his throat then speaks. "Alright. I feel like you're always trying to kill me, and it's super inconvenient. Like, I'll be enjoying a pizza, and boom—Yamato through my ribs. Kinda puts a damper on my day, y'know?" He casually explained.

Vergil, visibly irritated, nods and translates. "You feel that my dedication to strength interrupts your …eating habits."

"See, he gets it!"

"Vergil, your turn." Says Dr. Gray as she rubs her temples.

The older twin speaks. "I feel that Dante refuses to take anything seriously. He wastes his potential and revels in frivolity instead of striving for greatness."

"I revel in frivolity. That's a fancy way of saying 'has more fun than me.'" Dante replies in a mocking tone.

Seeing how the "progress" is going, Dr. Gray continues on with a forced smile. "Good, good. Now let's try a bonding exercise. I want you two to do a trust fall."

Dante laughs as Vergil scoffs at the idea.

"Oh, this is gonna go great."

"This is absurd."

"Trust is important in any relationship. Vergil, why don't you let Dante catch you?" The therapist insisted.

Vergil then narrows his eyes at her. "I refuse to put my fate in his hands."

"Oh, come on, I'd totally catch you!…Probably….Maybe." The younger twin responded. Dr. Gray side-eyes him a bit before looking at Vergil.

"Vergil, therapy is about stepping outside your comfort zone." She calmly tells him.

"Very well." He begrudgingly agrees.

Vergil stiffly turns, arms crossed, and leans back. At the last second, Dante steps aside. Vergil vanishes into a portal mid-fall and reappears behind Dante, sword drawn.

A few laughs escape Dante. "Oh man, you were actually gonna do it?!"

Vergil gives him a hard glare as he coldly responded. "I was going to kill you before I hit the ground."

Dr. Gray, now visibly exhausted, defuses the situation. "Alright, alright… let's try another bonding exercise. Something simple. How about… a compliment battle? You two will take turns saying nice things about each other."

A mischievous smirk appears on Dante's face. "Oh, I like this. Vergil, you have a very… uh…fancy vocabulary. Must be all that time in hell. Real sophisticated."

Unimpressed, Vergil flatly replies "You have an impressive ability to waste time."

The woman facepalms at their backhanded compliments. "Okay, maybe something more…physical. Arm wrestling! That's a fun, non-violent way to settle disputes."

Dante cracks his knuckles. "Now we're talkin'!" He exclaims excitedly.

Their arm-wrestling match begins as they grip hands. And within seconds, the table shatters beneath their strength, reducing the poor woman's coffee table to splinters. She stares in shock (and a bit of sadness since she loved that table) while both men immediately summon their swords.

"NO! NO SWORDS! NO SWORDS IN THERAPY! PLEASE DON'T BREAK ANYTHING ELSE!" She begged them. There's a tense silence as Dante and Vergil slowly lower their weapons, but their eyes remain locked.

The therapist was very close to blowing a fuse, but immediately calm herself down. 'Okay, Linda, stay professional. Just… one last attempt.' After a deep breath, she turns back to the twins with a forced cheerful face. "Maybe a teamwork exercise. Something that requires working together. Like… a puzzle! Yes, let's solve a puzzle together!"

Dante shrugs. "Alright, let's do it. How hard could it be?"

Vergil, skeptical but resigned "Fine".

Dr. Gray hands them a simple jigsaw puzzle. Within seconds, Dante throws a piece at Vergil's face. Vergil retaliates by slicing a puzzle piece in half. The entire puzzle bursts into flames—somehow.

In horror, Dr. Gray yelled "HOW?! HOW DID IT EVEN CATCH FIRE?!"

Dante ignores her question and grins. "Well, I'd say we made some progress today, doc."

"Yes. I now know for certain that Dante remains insufferable." Vergil replies as he adjusts his gloves.

At this point, Dr. Gray finally snaps at them. "ENOUGH! You're brothers, twins! You two should be talking about girls, or sports, or anything that makes the both of you happy to spend time together! Instead you two kept being passive aggressive, tried to stab each other, and then you destroyed my coffee table! Don't you two want a normal, healthy brotherly relationship?!"

Dante and Vergil stare at her dumbfounded and exchange looks. Then they both burst into laughter.

The former turns back to her. "Lady, we're half-demon sons of Sparda. 'Normal' flew out the window when we were born."

"Our first real bonding moment involved attempting to kill each other in a ruined tower." Vergil added

"And the second was fighting side by side in literal hell."

"This is simply how we communicate."

Dr. Gray had never been so exhausted. Before anyone can react further, the windows suddenly shatter as a gang of demons bursts into the office, claws tearing into the furniture, teeth gnashing as they surrounded their prey. Dr. Gray screams.

Dante grins at his brother. "Well, would you look at that? Free stress relief."

Vergil sighs while unsheathing Yamato. "Let's make this quick."

One particularly large demon, its skin a sickly shade of green, growled, "Demon hunters! At last, we have found y—"

It never finished. Vergil's blade flashed, and its head hit the floor before its body caught up.

Another demon, slightly less eager, snarled, "We are the great—urk!" Dante's bullet tore through its skull before it could elaborate.

"Man, they never let you finish a sentence, huh?" Dante quipped, kicking another beast through the remains of the shattered window.

For all their bickering, the brothers moved in sync, perfectly attuned to each other's attacks. A demon lunged at Dr. Gray, only for Vergil to cut it down without a second glance. Dante spun Rebellion effortlessly, slicing through another before holstering Ebony and Ivory with a flourish. Within moments, Dante and Vergil tear through the demons effortlessly, dodging, slicing, and shooting with flawless coordination. They instinctively protect Dr. Gray, keeping her out of harm's way. Afterwards, the room is covered in demonic remains, and the threat is gone. The office was eerily silent, nothing but shredded remains of demons scattered around them. Dr. Gray, wide-eyed, shaking, clutched her clipboard like a lifeline.

Dante flicked demon blood from Rebellion with a lazy smirk. "So, uh, doc—bet you don't see that every day in therapy, huh?"

Dr. Gray barely managed a weak, "No. No, I do not."

Vergil, already sheathing his sword, gave her a curt nod. "Regardless, you attempted to help. Thank you for your efforts."

Dante clapped her on the shoulder, causing her to flinch. "Yeah, doc. You did your best. We're still the same pain-in-the-ass brothers, but hey—maybe with a little more mutual respect."

Without another word, they strode out, leaving her sitting in the ruins of what was once her peaceful office. For a long moment, she just stared at the carnage, her mind struggling to process what had just happened.

Then, with a shaking hand, she reached for her phone.

"I need a vacation…" she muttered to herself, already searching to book the next flights out of the country.