Blood of the Covenant: One Demon Plan, Two Men Laughs (DMC V - Double SI)

[Yuki no Yue]

Reading what I am assuming is this is an Au were another demon set up the tree or it's Before Vergil takes over. Either way considering if Virgil doesn't take over then he dies due to his condition.

Click to shrink...

It's a good deduction. I mean, I'm not going to neither confirm or deny because spoilers, but it's a good deduction.

I guess you'll have to continue reading to discover if you are correct or no.

 

[Atma]

Sol carefully and somewhat regretfully set the apple core on a small table before popping his knuckles, his left arm beginning to spasm slightly in the act. Sol grimaced before getting and handing Alex two items: a large vitality star and a devil star.

"I bought two sets earlier, just in case… When they move on or we find another statue with a wide-open area, I will use that disc. I'll take that short moment of blinding agony, then deal with the risk of losing muscle control at a pivotal moment or anything else that comes from this arm." Sol said in a low tone.

"I think there's an inner garden or something... The whole place is mixed with a castle, so it's a definite possibility." Alex murmured back before turning towards the group of college guys. "Give me a moment." And he went and asked.

A few moments later, he turned back, nodding to Sol. "Let's go!"

"Wait, you are going? But we don't know what to do!" "Yeah! We have no idea how to use this power!" "Can't you stay a bit more?!" Those and more voices rose in the air, from both males and females, their expression rapidly approaching a scared one.

"Not too far, but we have some business we need to handle." Sol raised his left arm. "I need to stabilize myself, so it's best you all steer clear of the garden for as long as possible. There'll be a strong demon there that you won't be able to handle at this time."

"Wait, what do you mean stabilize…" Alex closed the door in the face of the guy who was asking, cutting him off.

Then he turned with a beatific smile on his face. "Shall we?" He started walking forward rather fast. "Also, do you want me to help you? Or do you want to deal with him alone? If there are small fries, I can keep them off you."

"I won't say no to the latter. I don't know what will come when we play the track, so again, thank you… And thank you for shutting that door when you did. They're… I really hate to say it, but the questions were getting on my nerves." Sol said before looking at the hallway.

"Lead on."

Alex shrugged, while walking down the hallway. "I mean, they are young and in a place that is pretty isolated from their normal environment. Plus, demons and powers and whatnot. Also, I don't know if you have noticed, but they didn't say anything about the rest of the palace. I'm going to guess that no one had tried to move away or use the statue until we reached the place."

After passing the kitchen and the door to the parlor with the portrait, they reached another door that opened on the inner garden. There was a water fountain in the middle, with stone benches around it. And, while overgrown, the place was lovely.

"Here we are." Alex said.

Sol took in the inner garden and began to nod. "I really wish I had a camera for this… I also wish we didn't have to set up a fight here. You think wherever Eva is, she'll forgive us for this?" Sol asked.

"I really hope so. If you want, I can try to repair the possible damages with magic after. I have a lot of knowledge, but it's not like I have had any kind of chance to actually use it beyond what I did in the nazi prison." Then he shrugged, giving Sol a sardonic look.

"Still, it's a copy. Even if I fail, the original should still be good."

"True," Sol said before looking skyward. "We know it's a copy, but we still ask for forgiveness." He looked at Alex before shrugging. "I'm sure Sparda moved from place to place over two thousand plus years, but I also know damn well that messing with someone's garden is always an open invitation for catastrophe." Sol finished before moving to the center of the inner garden and setting the CD player in a safe-ish location. He inserted the disc and pressed play before quickly backing back.

The song began and sounded… wrong. Like a half-finished song with distorted vocals and instrumentation. A corrupted and broken version of what could have easily been a masterpiece.

"Alright, it's game time," Sol said while drawing his weapons.

"Hope they will get a move on. This song is horrible." Alex winced, covering his ears with his hands while, at the same time, trying to see if demons were appearing from anywhere.

Then, a ray of light descended from the sky, carrying something in it. Several somethings. Five figures materialized from the light. If the Bianco and Alto affected the idea of an Angelic Knight, then these were their antithesis. Sol pointed at the center most one, which he quickly saw was the target.

"I'm going to sound like a bad anime villain when I say this, but your power belongs to me." Sol declared before lunging at the Proto Angelo.

Alex facepalmed before slicing with Calcabrina, the sword leaving a trail of light behind that slammed against the cohorts of the Proto Angelo, four Scudo Angelos that were sent back by the attack. "Take care of him, and I'll keep these ones out your back!" Right after that, a silvery aura enveloped him, and he started moving far faster than normal.

Sol surged forward, lashing out with Gevauden. The Proto Angelo leaned out of the way of the slash before retaliating by bracing its off hand against the side of its blade and charging Sol. Sol was forced to dodge to the right with Time Step before firing a blast at the Proto with his gun. The energy shot caused the demon to stagger slightly before it leaned into its momentum, spun, and swung at Sol.

Dodging, Sol began to backstep while thinking, "Okay, so you're fast and adaptive. Guess that's why Urizen kept you all around. Let's try something heavier." Sol switched to Vendetta and clashed once more with Proto Angelo. The moment both demonic swords struck, the sound of a tremendous thunderclap filled the garden.

While the duo was busy with their one on one duel, Alex and the four Scudo Angelos were busy to the side. The Hybrid was flashing from side to side, Calcabrina always slashing and cutting away at them until one's shield cracked and broke in a shower of shards. Capitalizing on that, Alex switched to Seraphim, and a wave of sound sent the whole group flying backward, landing on the ground in a heap. A moment later, the shield-less one was decapitated.

For a brief moment, Sol and the Proto Angelo were in a blade lock. That moment ended when Sol roared Abyssal Punch while aiming directly at the eyeless face of the demon. It responded by breaking the lock, raising its sword in defense.

*crack*

The force of the strike sent the demon back several feet and through one of the overgrown sections. It began to charge right away, and Sol was about to press the attack when his eyes caught something. Barely visible along the giant blade it wielded, there was a small but noticeable crack.

Sol began to grin and charged. The Proto Angelo swung in response, prompting Sol to leap above the swing and initiated an air hike. Using the extra air time, Sol swung down as hard as he could. The strike was partially blocked as a section of Vendetta had cut into the Proto Angelo's right shoulder.

*crack*

Before Sol could do anything else, the Proto Angelo seemed to take a page from his book and used its free hand to deliver a punch directly to Sol's midsection. Sol flew backward, landing hard against one of the stone benches. His breathing came out sharp and ragged.

"That's gotta be another broken rib or two," Sol said in a pained tone before quickly using Time Step to escape, for in the time it took him to fall and speak, the Proto Angelo was already moving. Holding the flat of its sword in front of it, the demon charged with the intent of crushing Sol against the bench and fountain. As Sol dodged the charge, the Proto Angelo altered its movement to swing down on its foe. However, the wound to its shoulder threw its arm off slightly, causing the blade to miss Sol by a hair's breadth. It tried to swing again only for Sol to recover and attack.

"Abyssal Punch!" Sol shouted as his fist collided with the blade once more.

*Crack*

The Proto Angelo staggered back before retaliating, though thanks to the two previous hits, the cracks along its swords were growing more and more visible.

The three remaining Scudo Angelos tried to reach their commander, only for Alex to blast them once more with Seraphim, sending them back more than once. He was breathing a bit hard, considering that this wasn't the proper use for his weapon. Still, it was more than enough to keep them there and, at the same time, crack their shields bit by bit. It wouldn't last much more than this.

For an instant, the two looked at each other before charging, with Vendetta and the Proto Angelo sword ringing in the clash. Sol attempted a thrust that was parried and was forced to step back, swatting various blows from the Proto Angelo as best he could with the help of Time Step. Seeing an opening, Sol sidestepped and swung his blade directly at the Proto Angelo's neck. The strike was blocked, but the force of it damaged the enemy sword that much further, leaving a noticeable crack in the sword.

*CRACK*

Upon seeing this, the Proto Angelo adjusted its grip and swung, sending Sol across the garden. Quickly rising, Sol charged and swung down with all his might. The Proto Angelo responded with a rising cut and…

*CRACK!!!*

A tremendous sound made itself known as Sol was sent flying backward, Vendetta flying out of his hands and embedding itself into the fountain. However, for the Proto Angelo, its sword shattered in its grip, sending shrapnel into its body. Bleeding heavily, it gave a low roar of rage.

"Time we finish this." Sol hissed before drawing Gevaudan and attacking once more. The Proto Angelo lashed out in fury, its countenance lost along with its blade, and Sol dodged to its side and countered.

What was one slash became two, then three, and then more as Sol unconsciously initiated Thriller, and yet as he finished the attack, Sol began to feel something, a spark of the demonic power now coursing through his veins.

Without realizing it, Sol called out, "Demon's Dance". His slashes became faster and stronger, carving deeply into the Proto Angelo's body. Each strike carried it a little further in the air until Sol paused briefly. There was a glow of demonic energy around Gevaudan as he struck one final time. The head of the Proto Angelo was separated cleanly from its body, its eyeless face a mix of shock and agony.

The two descended back to the ground, and Sol dropped to his knees, breath heavy and left arm hanging limply at his side. Meanwhile, Alex was dealing with the remaining monsters.

"Choir." A sphere of white light, with wings, appeared above the Seraphim, before it started floating around the place, shooting rays of pure sound that kept at least one Scudo Angelo busy at all times. With their inability to attack flying enemies and the constant knockback from the wall of sound that Alex was using, they were essentially blocked.

After a few more moments of battle, their shields shattered and the next few attacks reduced them into paste. Only Red Orbs for Alex to absorb.

"Hey, you did it." With a wave of his hand, the Choir vanished. "How do you feel? No, wait, not the moment. We need to return to the statue before the body disappears." The hybrid changed gear between blinks, striding towards the corpse and lifting it with a single arm.

"Come on, you're going to be happy that it's done. No more arm spasms for you."

"That… was… I… think I just did a limit break." Sol said between shaky breaths. He tried to get and stumbled. His arm felt like it was going numb.

"Damn it, of course it happens now." Sol hissed before staggering to his feet, quickly stumbling to the fountain to retrieve Vendetta. De-summoning the massive blade, he used his good arm to grab a hold of the Proto Angelo's body.

"This will hurt, but it'll be worth it." Sol said as he crushed the devil star in his good hand. The numbness in his arm vanished in an instant.

"Okay, no pain that time, but it's coming," Sol said while getting a better grip on the demon's body.

Alex grabbed the corpse and pushed Sol slightly back. "I didn't get hurt. Perks of being a mostly ranged fighter. Let me carry it, you go forward." With a smile, he moved the corpse into an easier to carry position and started moving back towards the door they had come from.

"Come on. I want to see the face of the kids when we come back with the corpse."

************************

Sol struggled to open the door to the main room only to find himself staring into the eyes of one of the survivors that was by the door. There was an awkward silence before Sol spoke.

"So we've got the slowly disintegrating corpse of a demon here and if you could move, that'd be great…"

"U-, uh, sure." The person said, shuffling awkwardly out of the way.

"If someone can free a corner, please and thank you. Maybe one near the Statue, that would be ideal…" Alex's voice was more than a bit prodding and people were soon obeying him. "Thank you very much. Now, Sol, go and check how much it costs. I'll be here, preparing for when you get the info."

And he gestured towards the Divinity Statue.

Sol gave Alex a thumbs up before entering the statue's domain.

"Okay, let's see how much I've got vs. what you want." Sol said more to himself. Looking at his wallet, he saw that he had 42,050 Red Orbs. He looked at the price for Full Hybridization, 100K.

"W…well that's a problem. Say any way I could pay you to hold the body on ice for the time till I make up the scratch?" Sol asked in a pleading manner.

The statue remained silent.

"Well… Shit." Sol remarked before leaving the void.

Looking at Alex, he gave a sheepish look. "I'm about 57,950 Red Orbs short of what we need. Think we can get another record from Rodin?"

Alex blinked, before whistling, reluctantly impressed. "Damn, same cost for an arm as it cost for an entire body? At least it has their priorities in order!" Right after that, he turned towards the area near the statue and took Calcabrina out. A moment later, he had slashed the back of his arm, blood dripping down it.

"Well, at least I have an excuse to try this." Not that his words were being heard over the sounds of screams that his actions had caused. At least until he started using his own blood to paint on the ground.

Then silence came.

The only thing that could be heard was Alex humming a song, while tracing bloody symbols on the floor..

Sol looked at the symbol before realizing what was going on. "Well I hope that works, that'd make holding them a lot easier."

Although privately he asked himself, "Was Lady Gaga strictly necessary to use in creating the summoning circle, and if so, what would happen if other artists were used."

"Mhmh, yeah…. Ra-ra-ra…" The humming continued for a minute more, before the whole circle was done. Once Alex got up, the whole thing was shining silvery red.

"And that's that. Now, we only need to…" He grabbed the corpse and let it tumble inside the circle without a moment of hesitation. The moment it touched the ground, it froze in time.

"Ok, this should keep it still for a few hours. I poured as much magic as I could to make it work, so it should be good for a minimum of six hours and a max of twelve." Then he turned towards Sol and the rest of the people in the room. "That means that we need to go and hunt demons for their Red Orbs. Who wants to come with us?"

"Well you know I need them, so no question from me." Sol said easily, before turning to the crowd. "If anyone wants to come, stay back and focus on pot shots and wounded demons. This one…" Sol pointed to Proto Angelo. "Was a helluva fight, so watch yourselves."

"Wait, you want us to go out of here?" "To hunt DEMONS?" "And risk being attacked by zombies?" The cacophony of voices that answered Sol was both shrill and panicked. Which made sense, considering the situation.

"For all that is good and right, there are no zombies!" Sol shouted. "Demons yes, but there has never, nor will there ever be zombies in this plane of existence!" Sol finished in an exasperated tone.

"YAAAAAAAHHHH!!!" A shrill, high and panicked shriek came from the door on the opposite side of the kitchen. A moment later, a girl ran inside, face streaked with tears, an expression of pure fear on her.

She was stuttering, barely able to talk. "Th-there-there are…. Z-z-z-ZOMBIES!"

*********************************************************************

Once everyone was in the room near the main dining room, looking through the giant windows, they could see the lawn in the front of the house. And the horde of zombies that was shambling forward towards the main door.

"Mh. Look at that, those ARE zombies." Alex's voice was faintly amused by the situation.

Sol raised hand, demonic energy roiling off of it. "Not another word, I'm going to find whatever demon did this and make them regret it, because I know damn well, you will never let me live this down." Sol said angrily, moving past the girl. He turned to the crowd and spoke.

"Everyone! Hold the doors and barricade everything as tight as you can, be prepared to move upstairs if anything should happen… and please don't try to hide in the cellar. No one needs to be a Mr. Cooper right now." Sol said before turning back on his heel and heading outside.

"Who, me? I'm not that kind of type, really." Alex answered playfully, Calcabrina already in his hands.

"I'm only going to remind you of it for most of your life. Not all of it." He almost skipped behind Sol, smiling widely.

Sol just began to make grumbling noises before leaving the mansion and confronting the horde. It wasn't exceptionally large but as Rodin would say, quantity was a quality all its own. Sol paused briefly and tried to see if he could unfortunately recognize any of the bodies and, to a degree of growing horror, he realized he couldn't.

He drew Nymphaeum and fired at the nearest zombie. It was a male, wearing jeans and a T-shirt with a band name he didn't recognize. Its head was all but vaporized in a blast of demonic energy before its body broke down into red orbs.

"Well, at least head shots are still the gold standard of zombie killing," Sol commented as he drew Gevauden.

"I'm gonna let you do the bulk of the work. You do realize that, right?" Alex asked, with Seraphim in hand, the little Choir sphere already out and shooting at the nearest zombies. "You need the Orbs more than me. Go nuts." He then stopped to think for a moment.

"Also, you need to work out the frustration of being wrong about the zombies, so killing them all should be therapeutic enough."

Sol just silently flipped Alex the bird and uncoiled Gevauden before angrily slicing into the horde, the demonic weapon parting putrefied flesh as easily as a hot knife through butter. Sol let his anger carry him forward, always keeping some distance from the horde, though. He'd seen more than enough zombie movies and played enough resident evil to know damn well that getting surrounded was to invite the ants and scorpion analogy.

He didn't quite know how many he was cutting down, but he began to realize that if it weren't for the rotting features, they'd look… almost normal. The effects of poisoned fruit of the L enhancements were ever present, but the question was still in the back of his mind, where had they come from?

Alex was hanging back, taking potshots at those who were managing to avoid Gevaudan's blade and were starting to get too close to Sol. At least, until he stopped and looked upwards.

"There are a lot of crows in the sky." His voice was normal, barely loud enough to let Sol hear it.

Sol heard the observation while using Binding Life on a zombie, noting with no small measure of disgust how the body dried into a husk before lifting it and throwing it into the dwindling horde. Backpedaling, he looked at Alex and then at the sky. There were a lot of crows and… had they even seen other animals here? He voiced that question immediately.

"Alex, when was the last time you saw an animal here!?"

"Yeah, kinda my point." Alex's face was worryingly expressionless. Just a blank slate without any kind of hint of humanity. Then, a moment later, a series of bullets flew towards the birds.

Several hit, and instead of a shower of feathers, blood, and meat, only dark smoke remained.

"Not true crows. They're constructs. Someone's using them for… something. I'm going to hazard a guess that they are spying on us. And, considering the thematic ties that crows have to death, I'm going to say that it's the same one that is creating and controlling these zombies."

Sol nodded before calling out, "Fire on those crows. It may piss off whoever is using them and draw them here! Shit, they're probably using the zombies as shock troops!" Sol finished before cleaving through the skull of another zombie.

"Shock troops? I think you mean Free Red Orbs!" Alex answered with a grin, giving Sol finger guns before jumping and flying upwards, standing on Calcabrina. Once he reached the same height as the crows, he started shooting as fast as he could, spheres of energy hitting and missing in equal measure, covering the skies in dark smoke.

Sol fired on several more undead before trying to scan the sky. "This is like House of the Dead. Fuck, I'm actually expecting Hanged Man Type-041 to show up any minute with these birds." He thought frantically.

More and more zombies started coming and shambling forward as a solid mass of undead. The smell of their rotting flesh filling the air. There were enough that even Sol and Alex were starting to have a bit of a problem.

It was exactly as Rodin said: quantity had a quality all of its own.

"What will it take for you all to remain dead?!" Alex's shout was followed by a blast of sound that gave both Sol and him a few moments of respite.

Only for the crows to start cawing, echoing one another, until the cacophony was so high that no one could hear anything. Then, like a fountain in reverse, the crows fell downwards, an almost solid mass of black feathers obscuring the sight of everyone.

And then, a man stepped out. Dressed in a black cloak, a wooden staff with a red gem atop it, and two crow wings behind him, he looked at them with malevolent red eyes.

"Well, shit… that explains why we couldn't recognize the corpses," Sol said, realizing the color of the eyes of the summoner.

"These were your people, weren't they!?" Sol asked angrily.

The Red Eyes didn't answer, only cocked the head to the side, analyzing Sol. Specifically his arm.

"You have… No, that's not just a graft. The melding of the energies in you is unstable but much more refined than if you just decided to replace your arm with a demon one. How did you do that?" The Red-Eyed man asked.

"You should know that yourself!" Sol shot back, pointing at the Red Eyed man's wings.

"These have been gained by pouring more and more power, killing and killing until the entity that gave us power let us gain a new level of existence. A new height of existence." His words, while calm, were lit with a fanatic's fervor. "Yours, however, is different. Tell me, and I will spare your life."

Sol looked at Alex, horror plainly written over his face. "He… he's just like Goode." Turning back to the man, Sol spoke. "You dumb bastard, any part of you that was human was forfeit when you submitted. We killed one of you before, and we'll do it again."

"You know, I would honestly be more polite. Ask what you want to be called, try to chat or something. But, really, I don't need to do so anymore. And I don't want to do so, either." Alex said absentmindedly before pointing at him with Calcabrina.

"So, I'm going to ask just a single question: What's your name?"

The Red Eyes gave the impression that he was smiling - although his entire face was obscured by the hood of his cloak - and tapped the staff on the ground a few times, wings ruffling and unfurling.

CALLUM ALEXANDER: NECROMANTIC HYBRID​

"Callum, you may call me Callum." The now-identified hybrid spoke.

Alex raised a single eyebrow. "Nice to meet you."

And then he shot a beam from the tip of his umbrella, only for Callum to explode into a swarm of crows and reappear a few feet to the side. "Expected."

Alex smiled. "Worth an attempt." And then he, too, vanished into a silver Blink before his blade came down on the necromancer's head.

The necromancer raised his staff in defense. There was a flash of demonic energy before he disappeared into a murder of crows in partial retreat.

"Missed. Well, on to the next attempt." Seraphim appeared in his hands, and a Choir manifested around Alex, already shooting at the enemies around him. Then, he started shooting, waves of sound that vibrated the zombies apart.

"Won't you stay still and let yourself be killed?" Alex asked angrily.

From the murder of crows, Callum's voice rang out, "Why should I? I wish to live beyond this place and bask in my power."

From the murder, a pale light began to manifest before streaking towards Alex.

With a twist of his wrists, Seraphim was stowed away, and Calcabrina opened in front of him, magic blazing on the surface of the canopy in a barrier made of interlocked symbols. The streak of light impacted against the umbrella and shattered in shards of light.

"Oh, please! As if you are going to live after the demon that lent you his powers will reclaim it! You'll be an empty shell if you're lucky and a puppet if you're not!"

From behind the umbrella, Alex started channeling his magic into the umbrella, the entire surface of the canopy shining with silvery light. It was like a giant light spot on him. As far as he considered it, it was all well and good: the more Callum focused on him, the more time and space Sol had to act.

To which he did. In the moments between Callum shifting into the murder and Alex's counterattack, Sol had used a zombie as a platform before air hiking for further height. At the peak of his jump, Sol lashed out with Gevauden. This time, lady luck was on his side as the bone whip wrapped itself tightly around Callum's staff. Sol began to fly below the murder, only avoiding the grasping rotting hands below by bringing his knees as close to his chest as possible.

The movement of the murder of crows began to shift and grow more violent. Briefly, Callum could be seen among the crows, trying to unwind the whip from his staff before taking it in both hands and swinging. The act changed Sol's flight path and sent him to the manor's second floor. With a resounding crash, Sol slammed into a window and disappeared for a moment, and then the murder halted as Gevauden had yet to relinquish its hold.

A moment later, a giant beam of energy shot from Alex's position. It wasn't faster than his normal beams, but the destructive potential was much, much higher. Sadly, the size and the glow before the firing would have made it very easy to spot.

Unless someone was unable to move for some reason. Like… something was blocking their weapons and stopping them from dodging before the beam hit.

In the second story of the manor, Sol was holding the whip in a death grip and had his legs wrapped around the leg of a heavy armoire. Ignoring the glass poking into his arms, he began to pull on Gevauden's whip, keeping the hybrid in one position and also closer to Alex's shots.

Callum was attempting to unwind the whip from his staff and was almost successful, but between the shock of being caught in such and the sudden halting of movement, he was too preoccupied to account for Alex's shot. The magical attack hit him dead on, and the murder of crows lost much of their volume.

"Dead center."

Sadly, their success didn't last for long. The giant beam had sent the Red Eyes flying back, untangling the whip from his staff. So, with a hiss of fury, Callum got up once more, a dark nimbus of energy surrounding him. His wings opened in full, the feathers falling down and leaving only skeletal appendages.

"You were interesting enough that I wanted to study you, but you are clearly too dangerous for me. Die in agony." A smog-like mist started expanding from his position, anything that it touched decaying almost instantly.

And then a series of blasts came from the window, striking Callum several times.

"Thanks for starting the process of really getting rid of the zombies for us, but you can flock off with your 'Never Ending Story Nothingness' featherface." Sol's voice called out.

Internally, however, Sol's thoughts were a little different. "I really need to shorten my one-liners!"

"What makes you think that I'm done with the zombies?" Callum's voice was rather calm for someone who didn't have any zombies around him.

Well, until rotted hands rose from the ground, closing around him and stopping the hastily shot bullets that Alex had tried to use. More and more bodies rose, closing and fusing around him, in a mixture of melted flesh and amalgamated bone, growing and growing. Until it was a giant, taller than the house behind them, with bone armor and sparks of evil in its eyes.

Sol leaned out the window. "First, wow. Second, Clive Barker called and wants his nightmare fuel back." Before jumping out the window and using an Air Hike to arrest his momentum.

"Alex, are you good for this?" Sol asked, brevity gone from his voice, his left hand spasming briefly before he made a tight fist. This wasn't like before; there was only one opponent here, and it didn't have to go down that route.

"Yes." Alex's voice was rather low before he raised both of his arms. "If you can keep it busy for a few moments, I can do something to weigh the scale on our side." Silver-indigo light started collecting between his palms, almost like pollen.

"The only thing that that discount-rated necromancer did is give me a bigger target, after all."

"Can do," Sol said before holstering Nymphaeum and getting Gevauden ready.

"NOW DIE!" Callum's voice roared before attempting to attack the two. Sol managed to dodge several attempts of crushing him, using Time Step to clear several near misses before he attempted a somewhat… alright, incredibly risky plan. He could tell where Callum had hidden himself on the body, but it really didn't matter, as either he or Alex would get the shot.

Sol leaped between the legs of Callum's bone mech, used an Air Hiked to jump just above his waist, and began climbing along its back. His goal was to reach the base of the neck.

Sadly, it was not to be - for now - as the giant zombie was faster than it looked. With a spin, the monster twisted and slammed a hand against Sol, who managed to block with his own demonic arm thanks to the inhuman reflexes that he had gained in these last… well since he had gotten summoned here.

Then, after the giant had stopped moving, Alex acted.

"Slow down, will ya?" The pollen-look-like energy coalesced into a single bullet before it shot toward the giant, hitting it in the middle of the chest. And the monster started moving slowly. It was like he was going at half-speed.

Right after the shot hit, Alex started again charging his giant beam. "Go! It won't last forever!"

"R… Right!" Sol responded while getting up, his arm momentarily numb before spasming briefly. Wringing his hand, Sol made a second attempt. This time he made it to the neck joint and wrapped Gevauden around the bone mech's neck. Using Binding Life, Sol could feel himself getting stronger before he began to use Abyssal Punch on the neck joint.

The shockwave was more than enough to send the giant staggering forward - also in slow motion - before the attack that Alex was preparing slammed into it from the front, a blinding flash that lasted for at least three seconds before dying down.

Once it was done, the giant was… very damaged. Its chest had been cratered, the back of the neck looked like blades had sawed through it, and the dregs of the Slow spell that Alex had used were still slowing it down.

"I'm gonna slow it again! Keep it busy!" Again, Alex started collecting energy, silver light surrounding him.

"Sure thing!" Sol responded before leveling another Abyssal Punch at the back of Callum's Bone Mech Head. The bone mech lurched forward from the blow, and its descent slowed down to crawl through Alex's spell.

Within the mech, Callum was attempting to understand what was going on. Between the efforts of the two, the fighter and the sorcerer, he was at a loss. He could understand that the sorcerer cast something that improved their speed, making it more difficult for him to put them down like the threats they were. However, there was also another sensation, a slow, agonizing feeling of weakness that was leaching through his combined bodies. He knew that it was through the man with the demon arm that he was feeling this through. If he could only move fast enough!

Alex brought his hands down once more, the spell hitting the giant zombie and bringing it stumbling forward to a crawl. The sheer size of the whole thing made it extremely easy to hit. Still, Slowing something so big wasn't easy or simple: Alex was expending more energy than he could recover. If the fight went on for much longer, he would need to either stop trying to slow it down or find another option.

It took several more seconds and the realization that he was punching a rudimentary spine without a pilot in and or around said spine that Sol realized that he was wasting his time. Time which could have been used better elsewhere. His mind raced, and he began to think of places where Callum could be. If he were in the head area, he'd have seen something by now… so that probably meant the chest. Sol sighed, loosed some slack on Gevaudan and prepared himself for something potentially, no, absolutely stupid.

He shifted his weight and threw himself over the shoulder of the bone mech, making himself level with the chest. It was heavily damaged from Alex's last strikes and Sol was going to make it worse.

With a shout of Abyssal Punch, Sol began to punch as hard as he could. Each punch began to splinter the chest piece further, but not enough to do anything. Naturally, the lack of results and the potential for being crushed in the world's worst bone-based bear hug was enough to make Sol's next successive strike more frantic… more angry.

"Why. Won't. You. JUST. BREAK!!!" Sol roared as more demonic energy filled his strikes. Unknown to him, the energy surrounding him exploded into the same armored specter from before, its own fist adding to the assault. Finally, the cavity fully caved in on itself, and for an instant, Sol saw Callum's face before he tore the man from his mech. There was an awful tearing noise as Callum flew through the air, blood pouring from him and scattered feathers falling to the ground.

He landed between Sol's position and Alex, but his eyes were fixed on Sol. Wide, surprised, and scared eyes, he stumbled up.

"How… How can you do that?! Only the Leader can…" He was clearly dazed, and Alex would have gladly killed him on the spot, if his last Slow spell hadn't drained him enough to send him on his knee, clearly trying to recover his breath.

Sol dropped down and stalked towards Callum. "Humanity is a special thing. It gives us power that demons lack! That you lack! RESTRICTIVE SUFFERING!" Sol roared before unleashing Gevaudan once more. The bone whip broke apart as its shards mercilessly tore through Callum's body before reforging themselves into the complete form. The Red Eyed man stumbled back and, like a puppet whose strings were cut, collapsed onto the ground.

For the next few moments, Sol stood there, taking in the sight. The anger and adrenaline were bleeding off, and as the power he could feel in him faded, his arm violently twitched as he fell forward, specter vanishing from sight.

Alex was at his side, grabbing him and blocking his falling down on the corpse of the Red Eyes necromancer. The crows in the air, the residual mist, the dark energy in the air… everything vanished slowly, while Alex and Sol just stood there, breathing. Recovering from the intense fight they had just faced.

"Calm. Breathe slowly, ok? Take your time."

"Wha… that power… that was a rush… is he dead?" Sol asked between breaths.

"I think so. Still, to be safe…" Calcabrina arched in the air, and Callum's head was swiftly separated from the body. And then, it was incinerated by a beam of energy.

"To be safe." A moment later, the whole thing exploded into Red Orbs, an amount that surpassed any other they had seen before. From a single enemy, anyway.

"That, that should be enough," Sol said, struggling to get to his feet before falling again. His vision swam as felt an intense wave of sickness wash over him.

"Help me up, please. I don't… feel that great." Sol said quietly.

"Too much demonic energy in your system. You need to complete the hybridization before your arm rots off." Alex said, a matter of factly, trying to stop the trembling of his own hands, grabbing Sol from under his armpit and getting him up without a second of hesitation, already power-walking back towards the mansion.

"Also, don't be surprised if you see a sort of vision, like an anime cliche. It happened to me. You never know." His smile was strained, and he opened the door with a kick. The people that were behind it were also sent flying back.

"I need to reach the statue now. MOVE!" They all scrambled away from Alex's path, leaving a straight shot to the statue. He didn't wait.

Sol could hear, but he was feeling too ill to speak. His arm had stopped twitching and just hung at his side limply, unresponsive. He fell forward, stumbled to his feet and used what strength he had to grab the body of the Proto Angelo, pull it from Alex's binding circle, and to the statue.

"Too much, too much is riding on this!" He thought frantically as he approached the statue and fell against it.

The void greeted him, and the ever building nausea mostly faded, only to be replaced by an ebbing numbness that stemmed from his arm. He looked down at it. The pale white and blood-red undulating patterns were almost still, and he could just barely move it. With a shaky breath, Sol looked at the menu options and selected Perfect Hybridization (Proto Angelo - Full Body).

He could hear movement behind him, and he turned to see the body of the Proto Angelo lift up like a broken marionette and fly towards him. Instinctively he tried to protect himself and raised his arms in defense. It didn't matter. The moment the Proto Angelo's form touched his body, it began to alter, becoming a flowing yet solid shadow. Sol's mouth was open in a silent scream of agony as the demonic body became more and more entwined in his own.

His arm began to violently jerk and twist as the pale flesh began to darken to a hardened black material, reminiscent of an arthropod's sclerite plates, and the red lines altered into a more uniform pattern, violet lines flowing easily from his elbow down to the tips of his fingers. Sol's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he collapsed in the void, blinded by pain.

Yet he dreamed…

He heard what he believed was the sound of metal falling against metal, and then it resolved itself.

"Not metal, an instrument." He began to think before he heard the sound of footsteps.

"A man without shadow promises you the world. Tell him your dreams and fanatical needs." A voice began.

"He's buying them all… with cash." Sol finished before opening his eyes and looking up at himself.

His doppelganger grinned softly. "Dr. Mabuse. Couldn't think of a better track. We can't play instruments worth a damn, so I couldn't attempt anything from say… Gunhed."

"Who are you?" Sol asked while slowly getting to his feet.

"You… well, not entirely. The human you." The doppelganger answered, and Sol realized that he was looking at himself from before, more than likely before he first used the statue. The doppelganger still wore the red and black glasses, still wore his business casual clothes and not the armor he had been living in for who knows how many days or hours.

"Wha…?" He began before being cut off.

"Alex mentioned having a vision, and I guess this is it for us, and them…" The doppelganger said before pointing beyond Sol.

Turning, Sol saw a figure in the void. It was and was not the Proto Angelo. While almost complete and whole, an Abyss seemed to be fused with it at the left arm, hanging over the Proto Angelo's shoulders like a mockery of a cape.

"They're you, or your demonic half, now. Pretty poor conversationalists, but I can't say we were ever the ones to start conversations ourselves." The doppelganger gave a sigh before holding a copy of Gevaudan and continuing. "You know you have a choice to make. The same choice Alex made, the same choice Goode sorta made, and the same choice the Red Eyes made." He finished before holding out the sword to Sol.

Sol looked at the blade for what felt like an eternity before speaking. "Demon, Human, or Both. We can't go back to what I was any way we look at it, can we?" He asked.

The doppelganger gave a sad smile, and the fused demon moved to its opposite side. "If you and Alex managed to escape before you went too far in, then maybe, just maybe. But we both know that the physical state of our being isn't the question here. It's the spiritual one."

Sol was silent for a few moments before making his choice. "I can't change what I've done to myself. Whether it's tainted humans who become demons, and tainted demons who became human." Sol asked rhetorically before breathing. "What delicious irony, the universe is quite the comedian."

The doppelganger grinned again, "Paraphrasing Angel? I'll admit, the words of a Darwin-obsessed misanthrope may not be the best to use here… But I guess we can make a case that Sparda himself was one such demon. So? What will it be?" The doppelganger asked.

"Both. I'll accept both halves into myself. The body of a demon and the soul of a human. But you knew that already, didn't you?" Sol said in as resolute of a tone as he could manage. With that, the fused demon also took hold of Gevaudan, as did Sol.

The doppelganger gave Sol one last parting smile and spoke. "I'd suggest you get yourself a pair of sunglasses sooner rather than later. Irony can be quite the bitch, especially when they conjoin together in a situation such as this."

Before Sol could ask what the doppelganger meant, the void retreated, and he found himself slumped against the statue. He felt… better, better than he had in a while. Like he had taken a long nap and was ready to take on the day again. Pressing himself against the statue, he used it to stand back up. He looked down at his arm and noted its changes. It wasn't necessarily like Nero's arm, far less translucent but the more insect-like nature of the skin and claws was something that he knew he was going to have to get used to. If he'd had a mirror, he'd have also noticed two other changes. The first was that his hair had gone from dark brown to jet black, and the other was that the color of his eyes had changed from a similar shade of brown to a deep red.

"Sol? Are you ok?" Alex's voice could be heard over the sudden silence that fell on the room, the various people inside looking amazed at what was happening to Sol.

"Please tell me that you are still you." Alex almost pleaded before smacking a guy on his mouth to stop him from saying anything.

Sol blinked several times before asking, "Why wouldn't I be? I mean, yeah, I encountered a doppelganger of myself singing Dr. Mabuse, but the worst part was the pain. After that, it was all existential questions and SMT."

"Oh, good. I was kinda worried. Well, welcome to the ranks of the partially demonic. Hope you'll have fun with the empowered physique, super regeneration, and more magic." Then he lowered his voice to a whisper and spoke directly in his ear.

"Also, libido goes up a bit. Don't worry about that."

After that, he turned towards the rest of the room. "We're not a circus attraction, you know? Go on, go back to the other room!"

The crowd began to move back and away from them, and Sol gave Alex a look. "If that part is true, then how the hell does that explain Dante, or does he just transfer that to pizza and sundaes?"

Alex shrugged. "No idea. I mean, violence, maybe? Beyond that, we have no idea how Dante behaved while not being immersed in violence, so…" And he shrugged once more.

Sol just quirked a brow before saying, "God, I bet it's all just fixations, like the pizza and strawberry sundaes."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Red Eyes #2 is down! I repeat Red Eyes #2 is down! Only four more to go of this merry band of psychopaths, as well as whatever else lurks within this twisted parody of the world. Now, that's not to say we're done with Sparda Manor. There's still some business to take care of in the upper and lower floors.

I will seriously try to update Enemy and Shop info over the next few days. It's just been kinda, and certain plans of mine were derailed because of the weather and a poor sleep schedule over the last two days. Please, do not try to edit and perform final checks on a chapter at 11:00-ish pm. I wanted to get this chapter out last night, but after a certain point, I realized I just couldn't make successful changes.

Enjoy everyone!

 

[Atma]

"That would explain why I raged out when tearing Callum out of his bone mech. I'm going to have to figure out how to channel that properly." Sol said before looking at his hand again.

"Two down right, that leaves what? Four left?" Sol asked hesitantly.

"Yeah. Four, and then the mastermind of this whole thing." Alex murmured before turning. And dithering for a moment before turning back to Sol.

"Wanna know something?" His voice was rather dejected, and he slowly let himself fall down until he was fully seated on the ground. "I'm tired. Mentally, I mean. This whole situation is a crisis after each other, with no moment of respite. It's exhausting."

"Tell me about it." Sol slumped against the table. "Five legitimate battles we can't avoid, and then home. Going to need a long glove for the future, damn Abyss." Sol paused, a pensive look on his face. "My doppelganger mentioned something about needing sunglasses. What'd he mean by that?"

"Oh." Alex turned towards Sol before grimacing. "Yeah… you got Red Eyes. Sorry."

Sol gave a look before shouting, "Fuck! Of fucking course, I'd get red eyes. Oh, that son of a bitching demon is going to get it now." Sol said while clenching his fist.

"Calm down. You can always use colored contact lenses or… I don't know. Maybe there's some kind of magic I can find. It's not the end of the world." Then Alex looked to the side, a bit hesitant.

"And if it's too much, you can always… take a demon's eyes. You know." He gestured towards the arm.

Sol raised both hands in a placative motion. "I already have technical demon eyes and I don't feel like getting a new pair. I'll explain it under partial albinism."

****************************

While Sol and Alex were talking near the statue of time on the first floor, the individuals that had holed up in the mansion began to move throughout the property, most staying within their five-person groups except for two.

"Look, you really trust those guys!? I mean, dammit, one of their arms is all demon-y and shit!" Ian Chrysler half asked, and half yelled as he and his girl, Sadie Dullea, trudged down a hallway that seemed much longer than it actually was.

"And why not!" Sadie hissed, "They knew what they were doing and were obviously willing to tell us!"

"Didn't stop you from coming onto one of them!" Ian shot back.

"So!? It's not like he was interested!"

The two stopped in the hallway and began to argue for several minutes. Barbs were exchanged frequently, and by the end of it, the two people, while not physically exhausted, were emotionally drained.

Ian leaned back against that, in his eyes, wasn't adorned with one of the creepy paintings that seemed to be everywhere here, and slowly banged the back of his head against the wall.

"Look, it's just… it's just that you're my girl, and I want us to get out of here. I mean, we're in hell, apparently, so all we need to do is…

Ian never finished that sentence. If he hadn't been tapping the wall with his head, if he had been less drained, and if he had had the time to truly understand the enhancements that were recommended to him, he would have heard the telltale sound of something pressing against the other side of the wall. Because of his lack of awareness, he was unprepared for the sudden explosion of motion and wood around him as a pair of hands tore through the wall and partially pulled him inside it. He struggled briefly, desperately trying to get any form of leverage he could.

Sadie screamed and watched, horrified before his body jerked and fell limp. It slid down from the partially destroyed wall, missing its head. Then she heard it, a soft feminine voice that was singing and moving.

"Mr. Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen."

The wall to her right exploded as a figure leaped out onto her. Disorientated, Sadie tried to push the figure off her before her eyes were drawn up, past a pair of large shears and into a hellish pair of Red Eyes.

******************************************

The sound of the scream made Alex stiffen in surprise before turning towards the origin of the sound.

"Did you hear that?" And, without waiting for an answer, he blinked away, already beyond the door.

Sol was quick to follow. He'd heard the scream too. Did a zombie or two get in? Was it a last fuck you from Callum? Dammit, they should have taken the time to investigate this place as much as possible.

Sol managed to reach Alex, who was just standing in the middle of a hallway a few doors away from the room of the statue. The rest of the people were looking from the main hall, horrified. Alex was cold.

In the middle of the hallway, there was a decapitated corpse partway into the wall. The second corpse, on the other hand, had been cut to pieces, leaving only the head intact. And, on the wall, there was a message.

For everyone inside the Manor.

"This was just a Dress Rehearsal! You all may have impressive power, but it's nowhere near enough to free yourselves of this nightmare! So give up your hearts and embrace the hell around you!" ​

"Wha… what the fuck!?" Sol asked, horrified.

"I don't know," Alex said, as cold as the tundra. "But I will find who did this. And I will kill them. Not doing so is something I cannot fathom." Silver light was shining from behind his eyes, hiding the features of his face.

"Help try to find any trace. Did anyone see anything? Speak now. Your lives may be in danger if you don't. Not from me." He added the last part to make it absolutely clear that it wasn't him threatening someone.

Someone raised a hand, and as Sol looked at the person, he realized it was the guy who had been asking the stupid questions ever since they got there.

"I… I think I saw someone head upstairs. I thought I knew 'em, but they didn't look right." He seemed to be deep in thought before something came to him. "They were also carrying scissors, big ass scissors. The kind where you need both hands just to use them."

Alex didn't facepalm, but it was clearly something that he wanted to do. Instead, he nodded towards the guy. "Thanks, that helps. Now, the main problem is… How do we do this."

Seeing the confused look that many people were sporting, Alex elaborated further.

"If one of us goes upstairs, one of us needs to stay here to protect you all. If both of us go upstairs, we may find the killer faster, but you all would also be without anyone to help in case they come back down. If none of us goes upstairs, the killer is free to roam as they please. You see what the conundrum is?"

After Alex was done explaining, the college kids were clearly terrified. But they weren't also able to say anything, so they were absolutely no help.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but the first rule of horror movies is to not split up. I'd rather not look for a psycho killer in a mansion like this but… My guess is that this was the work of the same people the necromancer was with." Sol looked at the crowd before continuing. "Everyone, head back into the room with the statue and close those doors behind you. Stay in there for now." Sol finished before motioning the bane of his existence to him.

The man complied, and Sol pulled him close before whispering. "The wall may have ears. If shit goes south, head out past the garden and up through the sewers. Go past the man-made ice rink, and you should find a group of people like Alex and I. They're good people. Just let them know we sent you guys. Tell the others when you close those doors behind you." Sol finished before directing him back to the crowd.

Sol looked at Alex before asking. "Okay, so how do you want to fly in the face of all that is common sense in a horror movie?"

"I mean, usually, the people in horror movies are haunted by monsters, demons, and murderers. Considering that we fall in all three categories, I think the tropes are on our side." Alex smiled glibly at the situation before closing his eyes and murmuring a short prayer for the two victims.

"You know what's the main problem here? We can't even bring these poor kids back. Because…" He tapped the beheaded corpse with Calcabrina, and it vanished into Red Orbs. "...this happens."

Sol sighed and touched the other set of remains, "I'm not sure what to follow anymore, but we can only hope that they have some measure of peace."

Looking at the crowd, he said. "Get into that room and hole up there until we come back." He looked to Booze, who just gave a shaky nod as the people moved into the statue room.

"Alright, Alex, are you ready to find this bastard?"

Alex took a long, deep breath before nodding. "Yes. Let's go."

****************************************************

The upper floor of the manor was completely uninhabited. Doors and hallways lay empty and without any kind of sign that life was still there.

There was no dust. Only empty halls. And silence.

The sound of two sets of steps was the only thing that broke it. Alex and Sol kept a normal pace through their entire inspection of the place. Normally, they would be tense or scared by the situation, but after what had happened to them in the previous days, this felt just like another day, if a bit more dangerous.

"Do you think it's another Red Eyes?" Suddenly Alex asked, not looking away from the walls of the room they were searching.

"Honestly, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised. We've already killed two of them and did so with enough of a racket to draw anyone or anything down on us. Granted, it could be a very smart demon that is fully capable of communicating, but that message… That part about giving up your hearts reminds me too much of what that first one, Allan, said." Sol answered while warily looking into as many off-corners from as safe a distance as he could.

"Right, he did say something about that… Honestly, I had forgotten, he sounded a lot like a nazi, so I wasn't really listening to him." Alex answered before moving out of the room and towards another one. "But yeah, he did say something about that. Still… If it's another Red Eyes, I'm not all that sure that we can save the rest of them."

He sighed, before he kept looking around.

The halls and rooms were seemingly empty, though there was something. There were several drops of blood that seemed to start and end without making sense.

"Alex… are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Sol asked quietly.

*Snip!*

Sol's ears perked up, and with Nymphaeum drawn, he carefully approached the entrance to the hallway before a flash of blades dominated his vision. He managed to raise his gun just in time to block the strike but felt a fist strike him just beneath the ribs. He doubted it would have done much, but the blow caught him off guard and sent him back away.

From the hallway, there was the sound of rapidly fading footsteps and a grim laugh.

"Shit, they were waiting for us!" Sol shouted in alarm.

Alex's eyes went dark. "Not for long. Haste, haste." Twin silver auras appeared around the two hybrids, and everything around them slowed down.

The long-haired guy turned towards Sol. "One of my powers. Consider it a temporary buff to speed. It won't last that long, so we need to move." And off he went, air distorting and dust flying at his passage.

"Right!" Sol said, following Alex.

After several moments of chasing spotty blood trails further through the mansion, Sol had come to a slight realization. If he was going to be honest, he vastly preferred this version of Alex's travel spells to the flying options. Of course, all good things had to come to an end. The trail had led around a corner to a hallway that seemed to stretch on forever.

There was a silence that seemed to drag on forever before an ever-so-slight creak drew Sol's attention. On reflex, he fired, the blast going through a wall or so. Just as it dissipated, he could make out the silhouette of a figure moving out of something before disappearing.

"Okay, looks like the house is playing merry havoc. What do you think we should do?" Sol asked in a low voice.

"I'm gonna assume that breaking through all the walls is not an option." Alex's voice was normal, if a little bit more tired. The aura around the two faltered and then vanished, the spell having reached the natural end.

"So, we either Pincer Maneuver them or we beat them in speed. Considering that we don't know where they are…" And he shrugged before shooting a bullet down the darkened hallway. It threw barely enough light to illuminate the staircase going up at the end… And a silhouette was going upwards.

"Found them, apparently. What are the chances that this is a trap?" Even as he asked, it was clear that he didn't believe that this was anything BUT a trap. It lined up too perfectly. "And, more importantly, what are the chances that we are able to make it go and escape before it cuts our necks?"

"Somewhere between likely and absolutely," Sol said easily. "How about we spring it guns blazing? Show this bastard we're not easy victims."

"Sure, that works. Want to do the honors?" Alex asked jokingly before walking down the hallway towards the stairs. It was time for the killer to face the monsters.

"Well, she nearly took my head the last time, so sure, why not?" Sol said

Sol began to lead the way with some manner of gusto. That gusto quickly began to die as the hallway began to reveal more of its tricks. The first obstacle was a false ending to the hallway. The end was a painted wall whose depth and scope were constructed in a way that gave the illusion of a longer hallway. This soon became a standard for the floor. There were, however, turns that allowed for further pursuit. Several times, there was a noise that indicated a third presence, and it didn't take much for the two to realize who it could have been. They even fired in the general direction of the noise but never quite hit the mark. The hallways began to lead into various interconnected rooms and locked doors.

At several points, there were no doors or hallways leading forward. However, half-circle drag marks along the floor hinted at the truth. Several of the walls could be pushed along one side to expose additional routes and passages that wouldn't have been known otherwise. Using these new passages. The two continued onward until they eventually reached an unassuming stairwell leading to a final floor.

"An attic… that's somewhat cliche," Sol said quietly.

"Assuming it's not another maze like the one we have just left behind, anyway," Alex grumbled, a vein on his forehead quietly pulsing. He was clearly angry.

"Let's go and find this one. I'm going to assume from the lack of shouts and yells from underneath us that they are actively up here, instead of a floor down, slaughtering the others." And, without waiting any more, he started climbing the stairs.

Sol was quick to follow.

The stairway opened to a rather large attic space, one that could have matched the footprint of the manor. It was obvious that the attic had been used for some degree of storage. Not a terrible amount, as there was more than enough space to easily move around or potentially fight. That being said, the star of the attic's attraction was a woman sitting in the far corner. Her back was to them, but she could easily see the two in the reflection of a large mirror. Her pale skin contrasted with her dark clothing and the dark red of her hair readily evoked the idea of a vampire.

She looked at them in the reflection, smirked, and began to drink from what looked to be a glass of wine.

"You know," She began, a lilting accent evident in her voice. "I look at this, I drink this, and I can't help but think, 'Is this wine a memory? Is it real? Will I drink this, thinking it is of vintage only to taste dust?' This whole place is a joke! But!" She stood quickly before draining the glass. "I know what is real here, these people, you, and me." She finished with a light cackle, her other hand slipping into her to retrieve a pair of large, ornate scissors.

"And that's what makes it so fun to kill them!"

Alex didn't say anything for a moment before blinking. "I didn't know that there was a Slut Topic around here. What, Hot Topic, was out of clothes? You had to go and shop at the Bimbo Store for some?"

Then he raised an eyebrow. "Not that they had any, considering how are you… well, let's say dressed. If we can call it that." And he gestured at her body.

The woman let out a booming laugh. "Hahahaha! Oh, that's what I've missed! No one has had the time for goddamned jokes around here. I've had to really work for that and no one seems to be willing to join in. Allan always had his head up his own arse, too focused on his boring little past to embrace our hell. Callum? He really thought that he was given that power. We siphoned off his orbs and gave it to him. Oh, I saw that little fight. You two really tore him a new one, hahaha." She trailed off, her laugh filling the attic.

"And don't even get me started on Ivan and Gabrielle. 'Mr. I can't let anyone fight back because I can't bear the idea of anyone being better than me' and 'Ms. Strict and Prim!' She angrily snipped at the air with her shears. "She's a real leal-hound, that one. All Zeke has to do is tell her to jump, and she already knows how high. Ah, they're no fun." She said in mock sorrow.

"Mhhhhmhh…" Alex didn't even say anything. He just tapped the tip of his umbrella on the floor. "And you are obviously the life of the party." The sarcasm was so thick that one could cut through it with a knife.

To Sol, however, there was something strange in how he was tapping on the ground. It was too regular, too precise.

"Oh, absolutely! You have to have one, otherwise there's nothing worth doing! We're in hell. Why shouldn't we enjoy ourselves?" She said before taking a step forward.

Sol, attempting to buy some time for Alex, spoke up. "You mentioned that you siphoned Callum's red orbs. How? From what I understand, you can only make your own purchases with your own power."

She stopped, and, smiling wider, answered. "Our leader… has a, let's just say, an arrangement. Gives him a little something extra, but that won't matter to you to know, would it?" She finished before making a more intent-filled approach.

"Why? Because you are going to kill us here? I thought you would have tried to be smarter than that." Alex added blithely, stopping her cold, a look of fury on her face.

"I mean, it seemed like that, no? The smart thing. If what you said is true, then your leader is the only other one that has some brain cells in his head." Alex continued.

The levity was gone from her face. "Ivan likes to make people writhe, but I'll make you scream. Come on!" She yelled, throwing the empty wine glass at the two before charging.

Alex smiled like a shark greeting their prey.

"Yeah, I guessed you weren't all that smart." Calcabrina tapped the ground one last time before a veritable web of silver-indigo-purple symbols exploded from under his feet. The spidery writing shot on the floor before crawling upward the walls and, finally, closing above them on the ceiling.

The Red Eyes stopped her movement and jumped back, her weapon raised and ready for anything that was coming. Except that nothing else happened.

"Right, we forgot to present ourselves. I'm Alex, he's Sol. What's your name?" Again, he smiled, all teeth and no warmth.

Her gaze was locked on the symbols before looking at Sol and Alex. As she did, her smile returned, wider than before.

"Laura, Laura Fanu." She spoke before readying her sheers.

LAURA FANU: BLOODSTAINED HYBRID​

"Fanu. Fanu. Now, where did I hear that name?" Alex hummed, his umbrella tapping on the ground once more, his eyes turned upwards in a mimicry of a thinking pose.

"Mhhhh…. A literary vampire, maybe? Interview with a Vampire? No, there was no character with Fanu in their name… Dracula? No, she was named Mina… Carmilla, maybe? One of the oldest vampire stories…" Alex continued to muse.

Maybe it was the nonchalance that Alex was displaying or the witty way he was speaking, but Laura's temper kept rising.

"It was Carmilla, you bloody philistine. From Le Fanu, and not the works of Polidori or that bloody frog Feval and his city of Black Jasper!" She hissed before stepping forward.

"So you are right. Sorry, I never read Carmilla or the others, never liked the style all that much. But I'm guessing it's a sore point for you? What, you got insulted in class?" Alex didn't seem to care that he was insulting her and probably hitting some buttons that shouldn't be pressed.

"Tough luck, kid. If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen." And he pointed that by shooting a charged bullet from the tip of Calcabrina straight at Laura's face.

She dodged out of the way and lunged toward Alex. "Wasn't made fun of, I fucking love that book!" She howled, her blades mere inches from Alex.

Alex's eyes flashed silver, and he bent backward, his back almost parallel with the ground, before he planted the tip of Calcabrina in Laura's gut.

"Buh-bye." And he shot a beam from it, pushing in as much energy as he could.

She managed to parry it with her shears before Gevauden wrapped itself around her. Before Sol could do anything else, she began to rapidly turn towards him, uncoiling herself from Gevuaden and closing the distance.

"I saw that trick with Callum. You better try a new one because that one is getting old!" She yelled while trying to stab Sol with her shears.

"Slow." The silvery aura that surrounded her was sudden and without warning. With her size, a more normal, human one, Alex didn't have to stay still and charge it as much as it could. Something that she couldn't have predicted in any way or form.

"Try this for size." Seraphim twirled in his hands before a wave of sound shot straight towards her.

The blast hit her dead on, sending her flying back into the wall behind her. It buckled briefly before reshaping itself. Despite the effects of Alex's spell, she seemed to be moving, albeit with no small degree of pain. At the point of impact, her clothes had been scorched, and what little skin could be seen already showed the signs of deep bruising. However, while her movements were much slower than before, there was still enough intent with them to imply that she knew she had been slowed.

Sol took the opportunity to attack with a Stinger aimed at her head. She seemed to compensate for her lack of speed and managed to dodge the strike. Two things happened in the ensuing moment. The first was that Sol seemingly bounced back from the wall as his sword barely missed her and struck it. The second was that he hadn't missed completely. There was a thin line of blood slowly leaking down the side of her right cheek.

Her smile slowly began to reassert itself.

"Ah ah. No smiling. You are not winning this." Alex had Calcabrina in his hands before he unsheathed the blade, holding the sheath firmly in his hand. "Let's make this more interesting. Puppet Waltz!"

Then, in a movement that almost looked easy, he opened the canopy of the umbrella and started twirling, the tassels at the edges of the spokes slashing the air apart, forming what sounded a lot like a fan.

Laura blinked at him, looking at the way he was twisting the umbrella, before raising her eyes up to Alex's own. "What… exactly is that? I mean, it's an umb-"

Rays of energy shot from each and every tassel, forming what could be generously called a wall of energy rays. That was strong enough to cut apart all the dust-covered furniture around the place. And also hitting Fanu, the wound running from her shoulder to her hip, eliciting a shout of pain and a hasty roll to the side where Sol was.

She was, at least, smart enough to understand that Alex wouldn't risk injuring Sol.

*****************************

The sounds of battle had finally died as the last Abyss tried to claw at Ivan's leg. He smiled a thin, sickly smile and pressed the spikes of his axe against the demon's neck. Slowly, he'd push it further and further in, watch as the demon panicked and moved just enough to…

*Crunch!*

Ivan recoiled as Gabrielle's heel crushed the demon's head. He looked at her and, in a rage, began to advance on her.

"That was mine, you bitch! Not yours! You should know better than to…"

He stopped as he felt a hand rest itself atop his shoulder.

"Ivan," A soft, quiet voice spoke. "Need I remind you that we are in this together?"

Ivan swallowed on reflex, and he realized something was pressed against his stomach. One of Gabrielle's fans was lazily held against him. He met her eyes and saw that ever-present quiet disdain for his existence. He was about to say something when she spoke.

"Sir?" She asked the question's true meaning, which was evident by her tone and preparedness.

That familiar rage began to creep back into his vision before the weight on his shoulder shifted in a grip.

"We've lost two already. Do you think infighting is really the best course of action at this time? No, no need for that Gabrielle, you may calm yourself for now."

Gabrielle gave a sharp nod before retracting her fan and walking away from the two. Ivan could still feel the light grip on his shoulder, the subtle twinges of current that raced under the other man's hand.

"Ivan, you understand too, yes?" The voice spoke again.

"Y… yes, sir." Ivan choked out.

"Good, now turn around and face me."

Ivan took a shaky breath, turned, and faced Zeke in all his glory. At a glance, the combination of Zeke's sharp facial features and relaxed body language gave off the image of a movie star or a model. Ivan envied the other man for that reason, among others, but that image was shattered by everything else. Zeke was covered from head to toe in the remains and gore of other demons. His suit seemed to drink the color of the ichor that was splattered across it, and his spear was still buried in the twitching remains of an Abyss. His face, though, was the worst as his emotionless gaze never wavered from meeting Ivan's eyes, even as blood and sweat dripped from his face and long hair.

"Have you seen what I've done? What Gabrielle has done? You have great potential, truly." Zeke said softly as he began to further close the distance between the two causing Ivan to reflexively step away. For a moment, there was actual irritation on their leader's face before it faded away.

"Stop wasting time. You may indulge your fantasies later. However, power… waits for no one. A lesson Allan and Callum should have taken to heart." Zeke said before moving past Ivan.

Ivan, realizing that his hands and legs were currently shaking, stilled himself before something dawned on him. Was Callum dead!? He knew Allan had died, the little runt that he was, but Callum? How did Zeke know, and why wasn't he doing anything?

Ivan opened his mouth to ask before Zeke turned with a disturbingly faint smile.

"I have my ways. Laura should be dealing with the cadre of survivors in that area now. She'll return to us sooner or later." Zeke finished before turning and walking to match pace with Gabrielle, small discharges of thunder leaving themselves in his wake.

Ivan could only stand and stew in his embarrassment. No one could be better than he was. He had crawled his way to where he was before here. He made it to the top, and dammit all, no glorified maid, blood-drunk fool, or emotionless freak were going to one-up him! He'd show them, he'd make them writhe! Ivan grinned at the thought before looking back the way they came. It would be so easy just to slip away now…

Further ahead, the two remaining Red Eyes walked side by side in companionable silence. Gabrielle whipped blood and viscera from her vision, minding the edges of her gauntlets. She looked at Zeke before speaking softly. "He's going to betray us, sir. You must be aware of that."

Zeke, not looking at her, softly smiled before responding. "I'm fully aware, but I trust Laura can handle him with enough effort. And if not, more for us."

Gabrielle could only nod at Zeke's assessment, and together, the two walked further into the depths of hell.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Lusachia groaned in pleasurable anguish as its bulk shook and changed again. Its plan had been, to this point, a success, far beyond what it could have hoped for. These humans feeding their souls and bodies to it without care for their future were perfect, never knowing the true cost. It began to wonder whether or not this was what the fallen Lord Mundus had experienced. Surely the taste of that vaunted fruit was a greater rapture than this.

Lusachia paused and began to think of a new plan, one to instigate after this. Finding another Qliphoth seed would take some time, but with Zeke, it would have the luxury of a more discreet actor to work from.

Thinking about its avatar made Lusachia's second face twitch and grimace. This movement reminded Lusachia of its growing problem. Losing the one known as Allan was not a call for concern. The former human had ultimately been weak and would have died anyway to either Laura or Ivan in due time. Callum, though, that was an issue. His skills made an excellent incentive for wandering humans to acquire as much power as possible. With his death, Lusachia would have to rely on roving packs of demons to naturally find what humans remained.

And then there was the other problem. The last batch of humans had clearly made it here, yet its connection to them was pitifully weak despite its message. What could have caused that? Hmmmm… it'd have to see, to understand and…

"Gah!!!"

Lusachia paused in its musing and followed the sensation of sudden pain to one of its precious Red-Eyed hybrids. What was going on here? Lusachia questioned before beginning to look at its connection to that hybrid.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
*****************************

Unknown to the participants of the battle, Laura's eyes began to change. The whites of her eyes slowly shifted into a deep purple. With a snarl, Laura raised her arms above her head and tore her bodice shears in two.

"Alright, you fucks, you wish to take me on at the same time? Fine, I'll bathe in your damned blood before I work over those fools below!" She finished before charging the duo.

With the umbrella part of the weapon in his left hand and busy twirling it to form a buzzsaw of energy rays, Alex not only had to protect himself with only the sword but also be careful not to injure Sol.

Surprisingly, it wasn't that big of a problem.

Not when he conjured a bubble of slowed time right before himself when Laura was attempting to hit him with an overhand chop that, if it connected, would have divided him in two. Instead, her weapon stopped advancing as if it was stuck in superglue, prompting her to retreat. The way her arm pulsed and contracted showed how much power she was exerting not to let her blade fall behind.

Without a word, Sol had come around and swung down with his sword. Laura twisted her body and parried his weapon, driving the blade into the floor before slashing at his face. Sol backpedaled and fired his gun at her. The blast hit her in the hand she had attempted to slash at Sol with. It was a testament to her own enhancement and will that not only had the hand remained intact, if not severely damaged, but that she was also still holding half of the shear.

"You're fast," Alex commented before his eyes glowed silver, and a silver aura appeared around Laura again. Her movements slowed down once more.

"But I'm better." And Alex smirked, before twisting on his foot and slamming the heel of his boots against her midsection, sending her towards the walls, before turning and shifting his left hand.

Laura saw the whole thing almost as if she was in slow motion: her uncontrolled flight towards the wall, the movement of the chainsaw of lasers coming towards her. And then light and pain. When she landed on the other side, the front of her body looked like she had passed through a super-heated cheese grater, with what looked like sunburns, cuts, and pieces of shaved flesh hanging from her body.

She clawed at the floor before her hands found her shears, and she used them in an attempt to stabilize herself before collapsing forward.

"I'l… I'll kill you. I'll kill you…" She began to mutter as she kept trying to stand before her body seemed to stutter and warp. It was only for a moment, but as she solidified, it was as if something forced her to the ground. The symbols of Alex's spells that had adorned the walls flared briefly before returning to their original state.

"Wha… What the hell is this? What did you do!?" She howled.

Alex hummed, a self-satisfied expression on his face, the canopy of Calcabrina in his hands closing down, the effect of his technique having run its course. "I'm not stupid, you know? And this isn't my first rodeo, either. So, I've chosen to take some… precautions. You see the symbols around the room?" He gestured grandly towards the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"Those create what is basically a Closed Box. In other words… Welcome to your Boss Battle. Permadeath is enabled, as you well know. Let's see if you can survive."

"This is… I'll rip your bloody hearts out!" She roared before a purple aura began to emanate from her body. There was something there, a change, a feeling of power.

"You mean you will try. And, my dear, you will fail. He and I are not like those kids you ambushed before. Oh, you thought we didn't notice?" Alex's smile was as sharp as his blade, which was now whistling through the air, as he twirled it in his hands.

"You are specialized in ambushes. It's plain as day. The attack from the wall, the run in the maze, the power to phase through walls? You could have stopped and given us a lecture."

Sol spoke in a more solemn tone, "You didn't have to kill those kids. Sure, they could have been a little annoying, but you didn't have to do that. We're not killing you for the pleasure of it, we're doing it because it's the right thing to do."

SOL: PROTEAN ABYSS

ALEX: DESCENDANT OF TIME​

Laura jerked back, a look of horror on her face. And something in her eyes shone and blinked away, almost as if her shock was enough to jar something out.

"What… How could you two… No, NO! It's impossible! You haven't killed the kids for their orbs! You haven't covered yourselves in enough blood to drown a town! You are nothing more than two soft-hearted, weak fools that will die out there!" Her eyes shone with craziness, her face turning ugly. A phantom of purple energy manifested around her, something that looked big, unformed, and, more importantly, with two big scissors in her hands.

"You're right. We didn't kill those kids because we chose to fight demons, not become them. So come on! We'll show you what true strength is!" Sol called, feeling the familiar heat of anger creeping behind his eyes.

"Also, differently from our group, we fight together." With a wink, a silver aura shone around him for a moment.

Before lighting up around Sol, the Haste took effect. "Go get her."

"Right." Sol swapped out Gevauden for Vendetta and lunged at Laura. He began with an overhead swing which she attempted to block. Her now giant shears caught the sword, but the damage was done. When the shears closed, the downward swing was driven and focused into one of the blades, gouging into it deeply. She attempted to open the shears again and make space, but Sol twisted Vendetta and spun her around.

The two locked eyes briefly, and Sol realized how different they were from before, but he was more focused on ending this battle now.

"Alex!" He called out.

"Tar Beam!" The giant beam that he had used against Callum shot from his umbrella, passing a hairsbreadth from Sol before slamming against Laura like a speeding truck. She was unbalanced, and resisting it in her state was impossible, which explained why she was sent flying away from Sol, one arm bent in a way that wasn't normal… or pleasant.

She crashed against a wall, collapsed to the floor, and struggled to rise. "Not yet, I can't lose now. Not yet!" She managed to rise to her feet, but it was too late. Sol had cleared the distance within a few seconds and swung down. This time, she couldn't raise her shears fast enough, and Vendetta met no resistance. The giant blade bit into the floor, and Laura's body fell backward in two halves.

**************************

Lusachia had witnessed the end of one of its unwitting agents. It felt the phantom pain as her body suffered and died. However, that was not the cause of its anger. No, it was the interlopers, the two, that seemed to have removed its 'gift' from their souls. Oh, it knew very well what had occurred. It remembered that sensation, the loss of connection between itself and the shards hidden within its gifts.

The fact that the two managed to discover the shards and remove them without suffering much, if any, repercussions infuriated the demon. Those were the leashes it had planned to use on every human in this facsimile of hell. If they had known about the shards, then who else could have known how many of its other sacrifices had been compromised?

A sense of rage began to fill the demon. It was not an unusual feeling, but the intensity of it was. Even the very idea of two former humans having the potential for this much drove that rage into a fury the likes of which the Lusachia had never experienced. It howled in its secluded alcove, and the appropriated Qliphoth roots trembled at its fury. Such was it that flames began to pour from all but one of the Lusachia's mouths, burning away flesh and reshaping several of its mouths into a new face. Unlike the first, whose visage bore sorrow, this new one bore a furious visage that would have caused many lesser demons and even those of moderate might to tremble in fear.

It was close now… so very close…

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Zeke paused mid-strike, forcing Gabrielle to cover him in dispatching another demon. For a moment, their eyes met, and she saw in them a terrible fury that was quickly hidden.

"We must continue forward," Zeke said without emotion.

"Understood, are you…" Gabrielle began before Zeke cut her off.

"I am fine. Laura is dead." Zeke said with a tone of bizarre finality.

That brought her pause. Gabrielle never cared for the other woman's bloodlust, but she respected Laura's drive. To hear from Zeke that she had died… She shook her head, looked at her gauntlet-covered hands, and felt the claws underneath them. She owed Zeke too much. He had shown her the way forward and gave her the means through which she could survive. She would follow him to the ends of hell itself if she must.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
******************************

Alex stood there, unmoving, under the onslaught of Red Orbs that split evenly between the two of them. It was an amount that was almost mind-boggling. And yet…

"It was… so easy." With the sound of breaking glass, the spell around the room shattered, flickering gold in the air for a few moments before vanishing. "She was pretty human-looking, too. I know that we didn't have a choice. But the question I asked before still stands now: what are we becoming? Will we be able to look into a mirror and recognize ourselves after that?"

Something glimmered on the ground, where Laura's corpse was a moment before: a couple of shoes, red as blood, a heel sharp as sin and seemingly untouched by whatever ordeal the Red Eyes hybrid had faced till now.

"Maybe Devil Arms? I wonder if Rodin can rework them… Do you mind if I take them?" Alex asked Sol, closing Calcabrina and vanishing it into his inventory.

"No, go ahead," Sol answered, somewhat absent-mindedly, as his mind focused on Alex's question. "What were they becoming?"

He looked down at his hand and then at the remains of Laura before slowly pulling the limb to his chest. He was silent for several moments, his gaze locked where she once stood.

"I… I don't know. I don't think I could ever answer that question. I think, though," Sol paused, deep in thought. "I think we should see a certain devil hunter after all this and ask him. I'll foot whatever bill is needed, but I don't think we can come up with an answer to the question right now." Sol finished, his other hand moving to grasp at his left wrist.

"Yeah… Yeah. You're right. And, hey, if all else fails, I know how to make pizza from scratch. We can always use that as a bribe." Alex tried to smile at Sol, only to give him what looked like a painful grimace masquerading as a smile.

Then he looked around. "We need to find a gateway to Rodin. What do you say? We split up and search the floors that we haven't managed yet? Maybe we'll find a secret room or something."

Sol responded with a tired chuckle, "Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea." Without another word. Sol quietly walked down from the attic and began to search the labyrinthine maze of rooms for either a secret room or a portal to Gates of Hell.

After several moments, Sol drew Gevaudan and began to cut arrows into the walls for reference. In his mind, it would keep his mind off of that particular looming question. Unfortunately, the world had other ideas. As he was passing through one room, he caught movement from the corner of his eyes and turned to quickly face, only to stare into the reflection of a mirror. He was still for several seconds before letting out a bitter chuckle and removing his helmet to wipe some sweat from his brow. It was then he paid closer attention to the reflection itself and saw his face for the first time in what felt like an eternity.

When he realized how his eyes had changed, he threw the helmet at the mirror in a rage. It rolled away from the mirror, and with a tired sigh, Sol went to retrieve it. As he did so, he looked into the shards of the broken mirror, into his red eyes, and turned away. It was then that he saw something blue peeking out from behind what looked to be either an armoire. Before he moved it aside, Sol noted a series of burn marks that were present only on it and nowhere else in the room. There on the wall was the familiar sign of a Secret Room.

Sol closed his eyes before turning his heel and backtracking to Alex while singing under his breath.

"I whittle on my brittle branch of anger. I carve the pointless to the sharpest rage. The Fool forever plays the actor. Another prisoner trapped upon the stage."

In the meantime, Alex was holding the two shoes with the tip of his fingers, making them dangle while he looked at them. Sharp heels, better than a mortal blade, he'd bet. The red was both too vivid and too dark. Very similar to blood. And, strangely, they looked to be big enough for him to use. If his hunch was correct, these were a Devil Arm for sure. Of course, the power that he could perceive emanating from them was a very big hint, too.

And yet, the power inside felt almost… Dormant. As if it wasn't awakened.

"I would try them, to be honest..." Alex muttered to himself before storing them in his inventory. "But I'm not that stupid. I really hope that Rodin can explain what these are. And maybe alter them a bit: I'm not sure that a pair of 'fuck-me' shoes is my style."

Alex chuckled at that before going back down towards the hallway where Sol had disappeared. Seeing the signs on the walls, he turned in the direction Sol hadn't gone and started searching the rooms.

**************************

"Hey, what's this marking?" Arthur heard someone ask while he watched the doors. His eyes had never left them since the two others left to… to go after that psycho. He had to drag his eyes away from the door to see what was up.

Maxwell or really just Max, a friend of his, was looking at a strange marking that was on the wall. They must not have seen it when they removed the furniture to barricade the doors. He quickly pushed through the crowd and grabbed Max's outreaching hand.

"What the hell, mate!?" Max shouted in alarm.

"Look, there's a weird marking on the wall, and you were going to touch it." Arthur pointed out.

"Course I was. It wasn't here before, was it? Could be, I don't know, free power or something." Max said.

"Or it could be a trap, and we all die." Arthur stressed.

"What makes you think that?" Someone from the crowd asked.

Arthur looked from Max to the rest of them before speaking. "We all saw the message on the wall, didn't we? We all saw the zombies and the, the giant flesh man thing. Who's to say that Sadie's killer didn't leave this here? That when we were all looking at the message, they didn't just come in here and set this up?"

"What should we do?" A voice asked, and it was then that it hit Arthur. They were all looking at him, to him for something. For an answer.

He pointed to the area where the two other men, Sol and Alex if he remembered correctly, had come from originally.

"It's still light out, yeah? And the zombies are gone, right? We'll… we'll start moving into that hallway and the area past that." He paused and looked at the door. "If we hear anything from either here or the outside, we move back into the other area. And if that murderer, uh fuck it, Jack the Ripper wannabe comes knocking, we leg it up the sewer entrance they talked about."

The crowd was focused solely on him at this point, and they seemed to be agreeing with him. He felt Max tap his shoulder.

"Hey Arthur, you think there'll be a pub up there if we have to run for it?"

It was at that moment Arthur began to realize why Sol had been so annoyed.

*********************************

Alex had to check five rooms before he found one that was completely empty of anything, including furniture, but with a single, big, red, glowing circle in the exact center.

"That feels almost staged. But it's a good thing that I found the Gates of Hell." With a smile, he marked the door and the wall around it before turning on his steps and walking backward, leaving a continuous line on the wall with Calcabrina.

That way, it would be easy to find the place once again, as soon as he found Sol, anyway.

He did have the temptation to enter and ask about the shoes, but he didn't want to leave Sol alone more than was strictly necessary.

Codependent? Maybe a little. Did he care? Nope.

Now humming, Sol walked back towards the attic before he heard the subtle noise of something cutting into the walls. Approaching it carefully, his mind began to think of three distinct possibilities. The first was that it could have been Alex, the second was that it could have been a demon and the third… He really hoped it wasn't a Red Eye.

He walked through several rooms and halls, following the noise until it grew loud enough. Peeking around a corner…

"Alex?" He asked cautiously.

"Oh, hey, Sol." Alex waved at him, sheathing Calcabrina back. "Sorry for the sound. I was marking the way to the Gates of Hell. It's at the end of this line." And he gestured at the long scratch in the wall. "In an empty room. There's only the portal for the bar there."

"Did you find something?" He turned his attention back to his friend. The weapon vanished into his inventory, expression curious.

Sol nodded before gesturing behind him.

"Yeah, a little ways back, I found this burned armoire. There was a seal for a secret room behind it." Sol said, trailing off slightly.

"I wouldn't have known about it if I didn't shatter a mirror that propped up against a wall by it, so that's probably seven years worth of bad luck coming my way." He said lamely. It was plain as day to tell that he was still bothered by the earlier events, and the slight pause between his statements only added to that.

"Considering our situation…" Alex started, smirking slightly, "I'm pretty sure that the seven years are the one we are living now, just concentrated all together." Then he dropped his smirk and turned towards the room where Sol had found the secret room.

"So, what do you want to do?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This... should have been released on Sunday. I'll be honest: It was a busy weekend, and I dropped the ball for Yuki and all of you readers. For that, I am deeply sorry. I will try to get the next chapter out this evening to keep everything on track and not throw off the schedule.

I hope you all enjoy.

 

[Atma]

Sol gave a hollow laugh at Alex's remark before nodding his head. "Well, I say we hit up the secret room and maximize our red orb count first, then splurge, I guess. I don't know about you, but I have this feeling that something is coming. You know?"

Alex shuddered. "Yeah. I mean, we defeated half of the Red Eyes already. Only three remaining, plus the final boss. It feels a lot like we're approaching the endgame of this place."

Then he deflated. "And the more we move towards the end, the more worried and unsure I become. I know that I put up a lot of bravado, but I'm terrified."

Alex almost said something before shaking his head and then nodding seriously. It was time to gain some more power. For the sake of their own future, the future of the others trapped with them, and to obliterate that demon that had dragged the two of them here.

The two walked quietly through the maze and into the room Sol had talked about. He pointedly, not looking at the shattered mirror on the floor, and instead gestured to the wall and armoire. "And here she is." Sol began, gesturing to the secret room glyph. "You ready?"

"Why, do I have the luxury of not being ready?" Alex snarked good-naturedly before nodding and gesturing at Sol to trigger the Room. The more time they spent in front of it, the worse the anxiety would be.

Sol truly smiled at that before touching the glyph. The room vanished in a flash of smoke and heat, only to be replaced by a hellish sight. The two were still inside the house, but the room was ablaze in flame, with a pool of blood in the center. There wasn't much to identify where the blood had come from, save for a scrap of material that was impossible to tell whether it was red or had been dyed red from the blood it lay in.

From the blood and flames, several figures dragged themselves into sight. Skeletons locked in animated gibbets radiating an unnatural heat. Some bore blades, others bladed shields, and few had no weapons. However, their intent was clear, and as one, they attacked.

"Finis! Watch the shields! They can be thrown!" Sol shouted above the blaze.

"Why the fuck are flaming skeletons? Sing, Seraphim!" The staff in Alex's hands shivered before a wall of sound slammed against everyone around him. Some of the flames were whisked out before reigniting.

The shields that the Finis had thrown - following what Sol had said - slammed against the sound and clattered on the ground before Alex twirled his staff in his hands, and a sphere of light appeared above it, immediately starting to shoot lances of sound towards the enemies.

"Go in with melee. I'll support you from behind. Better be careful in these places."

"Right!" Sol shouted, drawing Vendetta. Using Vendetta against demons from Dumary felt right, and the added weight would help cut through the gibbets more easily. The heavy blade struck the nearest, carving deeply through metal and bone before sending it flying back into the flame, where it exploded into a small amount of red orbs.

"Damn! Alright! They're not as durable as they look! Take them out quickly!" Sol shouted over the growing blaze before cutting down another Mortfinis.

"Fine by me!" Alex growled before Seraphim started shooting several lances of sound, along with the Choir hovering above him. Every lance destroyed one of the weaker Finis. Two were enough for the medium one and three for the strongest ones. Not that he used only those.

Magical bullets soon were raining all around the room, stopping the various demons from hitting Sol any time one went near him.

And yet, they didn't stop coming. They returned from the flames, one after another, grasping hands and rusted weapons, ready to hack and slash the two to pieces. An unending horde that looked more like something from a vicious nightmare than the reality they were right now.

Sol began to notice something truly wrong about the room. The flames had already made the place hot as hell, but the fire seemed to be growing in intensity each time another Mortfinis was cut down.

"Come on, why the hell won't you guys quit?" Sol asked aloud as Vendetta carved through another demon, only this time, he didn't see any red orbs manifest from its death. His brief moment of shock was interrupted as he was forced to defend himself again from another mortfinis. However, he began to realize something, the mortfinis were just a distraction, a deadly one, but a distraction nonetheless.

"They're a distraction, they're a distraction. There's something else we need to do here!!!" Sol roared.

"They aren't dropping any Orb, either!" It was a minor detail, but the moment Sol shouted that they were a distraction, Alex's mind went into overdrive, letting him notice the absence of the orbs.

Then, from his place in the back, he scanned the room, trusting Sol to keep the Finis at bay. At least for a little bit.

The saying about the quality of quantity is one everyone has heard. Still, it was an unending horde; the room was sweltering, and even the blood splatters on the ground had started to smoke and dry out.

If their clothes weren't made from the Divinity statue, they would have probably caught on fire. It was just an idle thought, the one that passed through Alex's head, but it made him look down, suddenly remembering a detail.

The piece of cloth in the middle of the biggest puddle of blood. It was still there. No matter how many Finis passed over it to reach the duo. It was still there.

"Sol! The cloth!" Alex shouted.

Sol turned to the center and, after several seconds, made an attempt to grab the red cloth. A mortfinis struck where his hand would have been, but using Time Step, Sol managed to dodge in time before retaliating, the strike carving through the Mortfinis's neck, guard, and vertebrae. On his second attempt, he managed to drag the cloth from the pool of blood before balling it in his palm.

Looking towards Alex, he asked, "What should I do with it!?"

Alex only had the time to open his mouth before the blast of wind exploded from Sol's hand, forcing them to close their eyes as ash, dust, and dirt were sent flying around them. When they managed to recover their sight, the place was empty. Empty and without the flames of before, only the aftermath: burnt furniture, soot-streaked floors, broken windows… and a doorway to the garden outside.

"Oh, that works," Sol said lamely before tying the cloth around his gauntlet and getting himself ready. "Shall we see what's outside?"

"If this is going to continue like this, nothing good, I'd wager." Alex sighed before dismissing the Choir and stowing Seraphim away. Calcabrina was in his hands a moment later. "Let's go."

Sol walked out first. Past the doorway, the air was cool, and the midnight sky was inviting. The only illumination came from the flames of the burning mansion. Said illumination revealed how expansive the front part of the property was, more than either Sol or Alex could have known. In the visible area, however, was a beautifully made wrought iron bench, atop of which lay something which reflected the light of the fire.

Sol looked at the red cloth on his arm and gestured to the bench. "I think that's where we need to go."

"That's…" Alex didn't say anything more than that, just falling into a charged silence, looking at the bright leather-bound book on the bench.

The red cloth around Sol's arm unwound itself and floated to the book. When it reached the bench, both it and the book disappeared, leaving in its place an image of a woman and a young boy sitting together and reading.

Sol looked back to the burning and then back to the bench. "Trauma, this was his trauma. What he wanted to see when he returned…" Sol said, trailing off.

"A place where his mother was still alive and had more time with him," Alex concluded, taking a deep, deep breath before slowly exhaling through his nose.

"This is all fucked up."

And that was when the air went red with a web of strings.

Three Mortfinis loomed from the barrier, physically blocking the path between the two and the phantoms.

"Guess you guys don't know when to quit, huh? Fine, we'll make this quick!" Sol said before charging the three demons.

Alex was way more laconic in his answer, although his movements were rather more vitriolic. "Fuck off."

He Blinked forward and slashed with Calcabrina, twisting on himself, aiming to bisect all three of the demons in a single move.

As the barrier broke down, Sol turned to Alex, "Well, I guess that means you're up to at least three; I wasn't really keeping count in the last room."

Turning back to the bench, Sol watched the two phantoms read, a smile on each of their faces. He didn't know how long he stood there. However, the phantoms eventually finished and closed the book, fading from existence. Sol approached cautiously and lifted the book from the bench. There was a noise of howling wind, and the outside facade faded back into the room they were in before, only this time, there was more fire damage than before, and the book, now bound in red leather, rested in Sol's hand.

"One last gift, I think," Alex murmured softly before looking at Sol. "Keep it. We'll… try to give it to Vergil if or when we meet him. You know, assuming he's not going to skewer us the moment he sees us, anyway."

Then, he shrugged and turned towards the exit of the room. "Well? Is that all?"

"I guess so…" Sol said before placing the book in his inventory. Turning to Alex, he asked. "You said you found the Gates of Hell, right? Might as well stop there first before the statue."

However, Sol noticed that by his was another blue fragment. "Last one I needed. You get the next reward, Alex," Sol said before picking up the fragment. As he did, he began to think of the fragments he had collected fitting together to make a perfect blue orb, and as he did, he began to feel that sense of vitality fill him once again.

"Okay, let's go see Rodin." Sol finished.

Alex smiled and gave him a thumbs up before the room vanished around them, and they found themselves in front of the shattered mirror, the spiderweb of runes now white and lifeless.

"Ok, so. Rodin is at the end of this long scratch on the wall here." He pointed at the wall right out of the room. "We just need to follow it until we reach a room without anything inside. I don't know why, but it's just… like that. So."

He shrugged. "The faster we go, the better, no?" And he smiled again.

So, the two of them started walking towards the Gates of Hell. The bar, naturally, hadn't changed since the two were last there, and Sol made no attempt at waiting for what he was looking for.

"Gin and Tonic with your best Gin. I'm feeling that I really need it right now."

Rodin only quirked an eyebrow but wordlessly took out two bottles and a tall glass. Mere instants later, Sol had in front of him a Gin and Tonic. Alex, instead, just languidly sat on the stool, leaning forward.

"Tequila Sunrise. Also, I have something that may be interesting." And, with a flick of his wrist, a pair of shoes appeared in his hands. "I found these after killing one of the Red Eyes summoned. Can you tell me what they are?" And, carefully so as not to put anything on the counter, he passed them to Rodin, who took them and started humming.

"Devil Arms. But only half." He declared before seeing both of the guys' unsure gazes. So, he explained.

"These…" He raised the pair of heels. "Are part of a set called the Laughing Kookaburra and the Butcher Bird. Legend goes that they were born from a couple of demons that were originally lovers and turned enemies. They are excellent when fighting against each other, but if used together… Well, they are legendary for a reason. It is said that the user will turn into a dervish of pure destruction that controls winds on the battlefield."

"That's quite the story, sir, but I guess we only found that part of the set with the last Red Eye." Sol said, slightly unsure.

"When one appears, the other is never too far." And, with that last cryptic statement, he gave back the pair of shoes and the drink to Alex before giving him his last piece.

"And if you want them to fit you, it will cost you 75.000 Red Orbs. These aren't like your first weapons."

Sol took another sip of his drink before looking at Alex and asking, "You're good for that price?"

"I mean, it's not exactly peanuts, but I should have…" Rodin tsked, attracting the attention of both of them.

"Seventy-Five each."

Silence.

"Well, powerful weapons demand a powerful price, I guess." Sol said with a chuckle before looking at his drink. The laugh had died down, and he looked past Rodin.

"I… I have a question, sir, and I figured that being where you are and doing what you do, you'd have an answer to it." Sol began before rubbing his face, unconsciously shifting his hand so that the claws would scratch his eyes.

"How do people handle 'it'? Handle, I don't know, taking a life of something that looks so similar to them? I mean, I can rationalize the killing of demons. I'm rationalizing it as a matter of survival, where you keep getting stronger and protect what you've got. But people…" Sol shuddered before killing his drink.

"The first man I killed, I cut him right down the middle, didn't even see me coming. Lost my arm shortly after that too… I rationalized that one too. Fucker was a nazi, and I firmly believe that those bastards should have been kicked so far down into the earth that even after a millennium, they'd still remained buried. But those last two Red Eyes were once like us, fully human. Stevens and Goode, too, were also just like us humans. What's… What's that point? What's that line in the sand that separates man from monster? I just want to know."

"Kid, you came to the wrong place and the wrong man for that kind of question." Rodin's answer was merciless. "Each and every one of you will react differently from the other. You need to find out what works for you and then do it. Nothing less."

He leaned back, resting against the counter behind him. "It's going to hurt like a motherfucker, and it's not going to be easy. But, if you don't want to turn into a monster or put your gun to your head and pull the trigger, you'll have to find a way."

"Find out what works, huh? That, that could be something." Sol said quietly, his voice not sure of the truth of his own words.

"It's either that or becoming monsters. Or dead. I don't think we have a lot of choice, really." Alex pointed out before he shotgunned his drink in a single gulp.

"Can you give me an Alexander?" He asked Rodin, and moments later, he was granted his request. He then started sipping it way more slowly.

"Of all possible things, I don't think that alcohol is going to be a good idea. Nor smoking. Or doing drugs." Alex kept musing, Rodin smirking at the last suggestion.

"Not that those work on demons."

Sol looked at his drink before asking a question. "What do you have that works on demons?"

Alex slapped his hand on Sol's mouth before he could say anything more. "Whatever you have that works on demons, he won't be taking them." Then, he turned towards Sol.

"No drugs. Alcohol is already pushing it." It was clear from his expression that Alex was incredibly serious.

Sol raised a finger before slowly lowering it and nodding his head in agreement.

Alex, with a slow movement, removed his hand from his friend's mouth before grabbing the glass and draining what had remained inside. Then, he nodded to himself.

"Thank you, Rodin. We'll have to go. We have a class of kids to babysit. hope we'll see you soon - with the other part of the Devil Arm." That said, he got up and started walking back toward the portal.

"Yeah, we'll be seeing you," Sol said as well before stepping through the portal.

When Sol stepped out back into the Sparda mansion, he looked at Alex before saying. "Finding something, that's something, isn't it?"

"That actually sounds a lot like the advice that my psychologist gave me before. Well, it was in the context of studying, but it works, too." Alex shrugged before pointing down the hallway. "Shall we? The kids are waiting."

********************************************************

The duo returned to the room with the others to find the air thick with enough anxiety, fear, and tension that they could have cut it with a knife.

"Ok, answer in order: Who died, what happened, and did any of you do something that I or Sol would consider stupid?" And, although his tone sounded pretty much exasperated, Alex was already on edge and ready to act.

However, the person that Sol considered to be the current bane of his existence pushed his way through the crowd.

"Uhhh, no, well, almost. But, we're all accounted for. Uh, Max, though, almost touched a creepy symbol thing on the wall a while ago. I told him off of touching it, and we were considering moving back the way you came if some more time passed."

Sol quirked a brow. "Huh, that's some pretty good thinking, actually. Where'd you develop common sense?" Sol asked with a sardonic chuckle.

Arthur grimaced before responding. "Well, it was creepy, and no one else was coming through the doors. It could have been that killer's weird teleport trap thingy or a door to some greater demon dimension. Or, or even like some weird way of sealing away demons or something? Except instead like something from Gran's leftover jewels or that demented doll you'd find in your relative's attic, a wall."

Alex was already massaging his temples, having already seen the part of the wall they were talking about.

"Ok, you did good. You did more than good. In fact, THAT symbol on the wall…" He pointed at the runes. "Is a portal to a room where monsters appear and try to kill you. Or is a puzzle. Or a challenge. Basically, it's like a secret bonus room in a video game. Dangerous if one is not prepared."

That said, he strode forward and started analyzing the symbol. His new knowledge was helpful, but he still didn't know what the symbol truly meant.

"So, we'll take care of it from here." Sol began before really looking at the crowd. Something slowly began to click in his mind, but he couldn't quite understand it. He shook his head and looked at the symbol on the wall.

"Yep. Don't stay too close, though." The people inside the room were both scared, agitated, and excited. The last part was only a little, but it was… understandable. This whole situation has caused the same feelings in Sol and Alex, after all.

"We don't really know what the range of these things is, so you need to take a few steps backward…" And, in perfect Murphy fashion, someone tripped on someone else, who then fell forward and caused a chain reaction.

That ended with Arthur being thrown forward against Alex, who grabbed him by reflex, but also took two steps back as Arthur was, in fact, taller than Alex by at least two inches, making him hit Sol. Who put his hands forward to avoid falling, completely by instinct. And, while he was bracing himself for it, he noticed that he was going to land straight on the symbol.

"Fuck."

The wall disappeared, and in its place, there was a moderately large stone room. In the center was a large dais, and opposite it was a cut in the wall reminiscent of a door. The surrounding walls were nearly bare, save for thin strips of mosaic design running along the midline of each wall.

"Wha… what happened!?" Sol asked hurriedly as he got up and looked around the room.

Alex grumbled before grabbing Arthur by the neck of his shirt and dragging him upwards. "Someone tripped. And now we have him to keep alive."

Hearing that, the boy gulped a little, suddenly looking a little bit scared.

"Calm down. I'm not angry with you. It was inevitable that something like that would happen, really." Alex shook his head and let the college kid go before looking around.

"So, you have any idea of where we are?" His question was said to the air but was pretty clearly aimed at Sol.

Sol looked around for a few moments. He was honestly at a loss. Stone puzzle rooms, while not exactly super prevalent, made an appearance at least once per game, so pinning it down that way was not an option. He couldn't see any way to force the obviously 'notdoor' door to open physically. He groaned before saying, "Fantastic, a puzzle room… well, at least we probably won't have to deal with platforming the platforms of doom."

Sol paused for a moment before hissing out, "Fuck!" So lost was he in his moment of self-reflection that he braced himself against the dais, specifically the flat one. Sol felt something shift underneath his hand and almost fell over due to the change in balance. He looked down and realized that the dais wasn't merely a stone decoration but a sliding puzzle. "So the Salazar family crest puzzle, where are the armaduras?" Sol questioned jokingly.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but if you know what it is, go for it. I'll keep an eye on Unlucky McGee here." And Alex tossed a thumb towards Arthur, who, now that the initial scare was done was starting to look around curiously.

Arthur looked at Alex with an annoyed look. "It wasn't my fault! Someone tripped me over!"

Sol, while looking at the dais, waved him off. "You kept everyone alive so far, so you get a huge pass."

It had taken him a few moments, but he had managed to slide the pieces into a semi-coherent structure. It really was turning out to be a crest of some sort, but there was a problem. There was one piece missing. The dais puzzle was a set in a 3 square and had a total of nine pieces; however, only eight were present. There was a centerpiece missing.

"Hey Alex, I have a question?" Sol began motioning Alex over to the dais. "If this is Sparda's house and if he had a personal crest or banner or something like that, what would you consider would make the most sense for a centerpiece? I was thinking of a bug, all things considered, but I'm not sure."

"I'm not exactly an expert, but I would guess either his sword or… I dunno, his horns?" Alex shrugged before looking around. "I honestly have no idea."

"Hmmm… This is like a bizarre escape room." Sol mused while still looking at the puzzle, only to be distracted by the sound of something falling. Looking up, he saw that Arthur was by one of the walls and that by his hand, a small square tile had fallen to the floor. Sol facepalmed.

"What!? What did I do!?" Arthur asked in a scared voice.

"Just proved how bad I am at certain puzzles." Sol said before picking up the piece. The tile had a bizarre symbol on it that felt wrong somehow. Tapping it, he looked to Arthur. "Search this wall; take any symbol that has either a sword or horns, big horns that arch backward before sweeping to the front."

He turned to Alex. "I think we may be able to find our missing piece."

"Oh?" He was already searching around the room, trying to see if there was any particular tile with the image that Sol had asked for. The whole thing was made more difficult by the fact that the room wasn't exactly well lit and the tiles were small enough, or the images dark enough not to be easily seen.

"Do tell."

"The tile can come off the walls. So that's where our missing piece should be." Sol responded before looking at a wall and beginning to search it. "Sword or horns, come on, give me one or both."

In the end, after fifteen more minutes of searching, it was Arthur who found the missing tile. It looked like two curved horns pointed forward, black and draconic.

"That should be it." Sol said before taking the tile and placing it on the dais. "One reward and red orb cache coming up." He said triumphantly before the stone wall slid away… only to reveal another room designed like a library.

"Oh…" Was all Sol said as he looked at what he guessed was the next puzzle.

"And Murphy rears his ugly head…" Alex hummed his lips downturned. "Something's telling me that this is not going to be the last puzzle, either. Let's see what we are working with, ok?" And he strode inside, ready to destroy any monster that could appear and attack him.

Nothing did. But it could have.

Instead, the room looked like a small and personal library. There was nothing in the center, but each wall was lined with bookshelves and a ladder on three of them. On the opposite side of the entrance was a wall with five recesses. Above which, was a series of symbols depicting the scene of a great battle and tower in the far distance.

"So… is this where Vergil got his bookworm-isms from?" Sol asked in a cheeky tone.

"Could be. Judging by the shape and size of those holes, we need to find the right books. Now, what the right books are, it's another matter entirely." Alex mused, pointing at the symbols above them.

"Probably some historical text about that specific battle. Let's hope these books have pictures in them because I have no idea which one." Then, Alex went directly to the bookshelves and started searching through them.

"Arthur, go and check if there are any hints on the wall. Don't worry if monsters appear, just run away shrieking, and we'll take care of it."

Arthur just shook his head and began to look at the wall while Sol turned to the wall closest to him to look at the books. After several seconds, Arthur was heard speaking.

"Uhhh, I don't want to be stupid, but uh, doesn't this look like the tower thing that cropped up a few years ago?" He asked while pointing to the tower depicted in the relief.

"What do you mean?" Sol asked in a confused tone.

"What!? How do you all not know about it, but I do? Look, back in the nineties, there was this huge tower that just showed one day, right? Some people called it Babel, Nimrod's overcompensation, The Uncrowned Tower of London, you get it? Lots of people died, and authorities called it some sort of terrorist attack. They never found out who did it, but there's still a worldwide manhunt for the bastard. Anyway, we were taught about this in world history, pictures and all. And that," Arthur says while pointing at the relief, "Looks just like that giant tower. It's creepy how similar it looks, innit?"

Alex looked at the image and blinked.

Then, he squinted and came closer, almost touching the stone with his nose. Before taking a step back and blinking back. "Uh. Would you look at that? The Temen-Ni-Gru. I think, at least." He half turned towards Sol before pointing at the bas-relief. "That's the Temen-Ni-Gru, right? I'm not imagining it?"

"What's a Temen-Ni-Gru?" Arthur's puzzled face was all scrunched in concentration as he tried to pronounce the words correctly.

Alex vaguely turned towards him. "A demonic tower that a clown had tried to use to turn into a demon by opening the doors to hell. More or less. Not important right now."

"Maybe it is important. There are five slots on the wall and books all around us. Maybe we have to find the books that discuss its history?" Sol asked.

"Well, yes, it's what I had suggested at the start. But which one is the problem." Alex nodded at Sol before returning to the bookshelf. Only to be stopped by Arthur's voice again.

"There are some numbers here. They don't look like any date I have ever seen, though. And it even has some letters..." Alex stopped all of a sudden and checked one book at random. Sure enough, there was a slip of paper in the inner dust cover that held an alphanumeric code on it.

"Dewey decimal system. Like a library. Read the code, and we need to find the book with it."

The search was not exactly short at first, but it changed when they chanced upon a certain book. There was no title on the front of the spine, but the body and binding were clearly older than its fellows yet very well maintained. The only identification on it was a number on it reading 901. However, the real tell of the book was that upon opening it, the words written inside were something that none of the three had ever seen before.

"What the… Ok, I think I get the… writing? I think. It's more of a feeling of knowledge than a real being able to read it, but it's…" Alex's voice slowly fell into silence before turning and marching to the wall. Finding the opening with the 901 number on it, he tried to slot the book inside it.

Something clicked.

A strong light erupted from the book's spine before dying down to a gentle glow. "Demon books. Of course."

"They won't attack us, will they?" Arthur asked quietly.

"Only if you are vulnerable to headaches." Alex slowly massaged his temples before pointing at the glowing book. "They are written in some sort of demon language. Which, if I'm right, it's Enochian. Which is also the language of angels."

"Four remaining then. Well, this should be easy," Sol said before turning to the spot where the book was, only to frown. Where books 900-905 should have been, there were other books with very different numbers.

"Of course, it isn't. Why should it ever be the case." Sol's shoulders dropped, "Right, four books shouldn't be that hard to find." Sol finished with a sigh.

Arthur, who turned to look as well, spotted a similar binding on the lowest shelf of the wall to the left of the relief. Pulling it, he saw that it read 905. He quickly rushed past Alex and fumbled the book into its slot before rubbing his hands against his pants in an attempt to get an invisible residue off his hands.

"That's another one, yeah? So three more?"

Alex blinked. He has been doing a lot of that lately. "Yes. But it's not going to bite you, you know? Or consume you." Still, he patted his head while he passed, going to search for the remaining three, making Arthur put a hand on his head in bafflement.

"Come on, let's find the last three. For you, Time is not going to stop, you know?! Let's move!"

"Wait, what do you mean 'for me'???" Arthur's shrill shout was answered only by a low, ominous laugh. It didn't help him in any way.

Sol gave a low chuckle before he felt the effects of Alex's time spell before grabbing one of the ladders and looking for any of the books. Luck seemed to be on his side as his hand brushed against another 900 series of books above the entrance of the room. Moving back down the ladder, he slotted it into the relief.

"900, that means two left."

"902 here. And I think.. Arthur, the one with the red cover." Arthur shakily grabbed the book and nodded.

Thus, the puzzle was done. And, with a flash of light, the wall vanished from their sight, showing them a short hallway to a third room.

It was a perfectly circular room, with a wall on the other side of the door and a single bas-relief of a sword on it. Underneath, a series of words.

"I am the Banisher of Light,
I'm the Champion of Fright
I'm the Power of Spite
I'm the Spreader of Blight.
Who am I?"

"A riddle. I… didn't expect this." Alex hummed, looking at the words on the wall. "It doesn't look like something a demon would do."

Sol looked at it before pacing. "Of course, it's a riddle. Uhhhh, well, banisher of light and champion of fright can be a literal thing. So could blight but spite? Is it Darkness?" Sol asked in an unsure tone.

"I mean, it would fit the whole… Halloween thing that it had going." Alex waved his hands at the wall, trying to see if there was something that they were missing. "But why a riddle?"

"To stump people like me who are terrible at riddles?" Sol asked while staring at the relief. He thought that maybe something on the relief itself could answer the riddle. But outside of the image of the longsword, he couldn't think of…

Sol turned to Alex, asking, "Could it be the name of a sword? Like a named sword?"

Alex looked at the riddle once more before cocking his head to the side. "I mean… maybe? Like, Sparda or… Or Excalib-no, that's not a demonic sword. Do you know any?"

"Excalibur may not be demonic, but you may be on the right track. Uh, Clarent?" Sol asked the relief.

Nothing happened.

"Well, that didn't work." Sol muttered with an annoyed tone.

"Uhh… Aerondight... What's the name of Siegfri-Balmung?" Alex tried, but nothing happened. The wall stayed stubbornly silent. And, to add injury to insult, the door behind them vanished into nothingness, replaced by only a blank wall.

"You guys do have an answer to this, right?" Arthur asked fearfully.

"I… I think. I'm probably wrong, but that Spite part is bothering me. I feel like that's where we're missing it." Sol responded.

"I mean, if it's not the name of a sword, what else could it be? It's not like it wants us to list every kind of myth or character that uses a sword! That would be ridiculous!" Alex ranted for a moment before stopping and taking a deep breath.

"Ok, getting angry doesn't help. What could be the answer? If it's not the name of a sword, what could it be?"

Sol thought about the potential answer. If it was Darkness, then the door would have opened, but he would bet that the Spite part was the part that killed that answer. "Banisher of Light, Champion of Fright, Power of Spite, and Spreader of Blight. Hmmm could it…?"

"Is the answer, Evil?" Sol asked aloud.

It was not the answer.

Alex kicked the wall where the door had been a moment before. It didn't do anything, but it helped him release stress.

Timidly, Arthur raised a hand, looking incredibly out of place. "Maybe it's not something specific? I mean, the image on the wall is a long sword. Also called a Knight Sword. So, if it's a figure of myth, it should be something like a dark knight or something like that?"

After he was done speaking, the wall started shining and sinking into the ground.

Sol opened his mouth, and his face switched through several emotions rapidly before settling on barely restrained fury.

"Arthur, kudos to you. When we're out of here, I'm going to try to kick my own ass for not seeing that."

"Thanks?" Arthur answered, unsure of what to say, before Alex strode forward and waited for the wall to finish sinking down.

Behind it, a three-meter-tall statue of a knight made of dark metal gleamed in the low lights. Long sword in one hand, kite shield in the other, it was kneeling on one knee as if it was in front of a lord. Behind it, was a pedestal with a full purple orb and a bookshelf with several books on it.

"Well, that's… strange." Alex's comment lasted until he looked the knight statue up and down a couple of times. Then, he turned towards Sol with a flat expression on his face. "How much do you want to bet that this thing is going to come alive as soon as we step beyond the place where the wall was?"

"Sucker's bet." Sol said before looking at the statue and choosing to draw Vendetta before looking at Arthur. "Arthur, enter the room behind us but stay as far away as possible. If that door closes, we don't need you trapped in here for… well, we don't actually know, but better play it safe." Sol finished before slowly entering the room.

As the three entered the room, the statue remained still for several moments until it shifted forward. Rolling its shoulders, the statue began to move into a standing position, taking up its arms in the process.

Standing before the three, the demonic statue saluted the party and readied itself.

CEIL: THE BLACKENED KNIGHT​

"What the hell was that!? This thing has a name!?" Arthur asked as he pressed himself against the wall.

Sol tossed him Nymphaeum before saying, "Yes, yes. Just keep out of range and keep firing."

"Obviously, this was going to happen. And it's a Boss, too." Alex muttered, before skipping backward and slashing with Seraphim, lances of sounds slamming against the shield that was blocking their shots.

"Choir!" The sphere of light zipped up, while Alex renewed his assault.

The sound waves pushed the knight back, but the sphere struck the shield, burning and partially melting part of the center. The knight looked at the damage briefly before letting out an angered noise.

Sol charged forward, blade high, and attempted to strike down. The knight flipped its sword down, parrying the blow and driving Vendetta into the ground. Ceil capitalized on Sol's staggered state from the parry by twisting the sword and swinging it towards Sol's chest. Using Time Step, Sol managed to barely dodge before a blast struck the knight in the head. It slowly turned to face Arthur, who, while trembling, had the demon gun raised.

Alex, in the meantime, decided to keep up his bombardment: he was shooting so fast that one could think that he was Hasted.

Correction: He was hasted, if the silver aura around him was any indication. And it was still not enough to damage the Knight meaningfully.

However, the shield was warping under the barrage of magic as Ceil began to close in on Arthur until, eventually, something cracked. Part of the shield broke just enough that the next shot to hit the area sent a shard into the knight. It recoiled briefly, grunted, and tossed the battered shield away before pulling the shard from its body.

"SHIELDS… EXPENDABLE… KNIGHTS… ARE… NOT" A rumbling voice emanated from the knight.

"Really?" Alex snarked before Seraphim was back inside his storage. Calcabrina was in his hands, umbrella open and charging. "Well, neither are we!"

The shout was accompanied by a bullet-tinted silver-black, which Ceil tried to avoid. Not managing it, his movements suddenly slowed down while Calcabrina's canopy started shining with charged power. "Sol, keep him busy!"

Sol wordlessly nodded and lunged forward, swinging Vendetta low. The blade went unopposed this time, smashing into Ciel's shin. The metal creaked and bent inwards, and with a low, distorted, and slowed cry, Ciel began to react. It tried to swing across its field of vision only to stop as Arthur fired, momentarily blinding the demon.

A moment later, with Ceil still reeling from the sudden hit in the face, Alex shot Ceil with Calcabrina at its center of mass, pushing the dark knight backward and making the armor creak, crack, and bend inward.

Before the attack finished landing, Ceil threw itself into a roll, the effect of Slow vanishing from its body, the magic having run the course. And now, it had a straight shot to Alex. Well, if Sol wasn't there, anyway.

Sol, seeing the attack, intercepted in a way he felt appropriate.

"Abyssal Punch!!!" Sol roared as the demonic punch created a large dent in the side of the demonic knight's face. The force of the blow interrupted its momentum, sending the demon across the room. But that still wasn't enough. As Ceil began to get up, more raspy-sounding breathing began to emanate from its body.

Then, the Dark Knight exploded in a flood of darkness so thick and black that it hid him from sight before hitting both Sol and Alex, with only Arthur saving himself by being at the very edge of the area. When the darkness vanished, the two were breathing hard, their lost energy leaving them breathing heavily.

"Fuck you." Alex was turning strangely vulgar in the way he was speaking, but with the circumstances being what they were, it was understandable.

The way he grabbed Calcabrina, the blade started shining with power before a projection of it expanded until it formed a great blade that Alex was handling as if it was without weight.

"An honorable knight… gahh! Give me a break with that cheap shot." Sol hissed, dragging Vendetta in front of him.

"Alex! Let's show this knight what honor really is!" Sol shouted.

"Good idea!" He raised the enlarged sword before he vanished from his position. A moment later, he was falling from the sky, straight towards the Knight, aiming for his head.

Sol made to aim low, swinging Vendetta at Ciel's midsection. His intent was plain, he was going to carve Ciel in two.

The Dark Knight avoided both of them with the simple tactic of taking a quick step back. Thus, Sol and Alex slammed one against the other, barely managing to avoid any kind of serious injury. Plenty of lighter ones, though.

"Oh, you're a smart one, aren't you?" The sword still in his hands, Alex shot forward and started slashing at the Knight, Blinking here and there every now and then, to try and disorient the enemy, allowing him to strike a killing blow.

Sadly, Ceil was too skilled for him to overcome with his slapdash fighting style. Thus, Alex was being kept at bay with, if not ease, at least contempt.

Sol tumbled from the blow before stumbling to his feet and launching an attack of his own. Ceil parried the strikes before batting Sol away.

Arthur could only fire at the knight as best he could. It… Didn't really do a lot.

Alex, after getting back from being tossed away from the Knight, stopped swinging at random and let his sword return to normal.

"Ok. Ok. You want to be a difficult boss? Fine by me." With Calcabrina in his hands, he started walking forward, demonic energy surrounding his body. "Let's see how you like this."

His voice, at the end, was rather distorted. And, in a flash, he had slammed the tip of his umbrella against Ceil's midsection, his entire body covered in armor. He had activated his Devil Trigger.

There was a horrendous noise as Ceil's midsection caved in from the power of Alex's last strike, which flew across the room before impacting the wall behind it. Yet it still moved, or at least tried to. It painfully wheezed as it tried to pull itself free before falling to the floor.

After that, the rest of the fight was more of a massacre than a true fight. Alex kept blinking away. The air around Ceil was filled with bubbles of stopped time, and the hits that the hybrid was managing to land were devastating, although he wasn't using the naked blade, instead preferring to hit it with the closed umbrella.

And considering that a near-missed attack cratered the stone ground, it wasn't for the Dark Knight's benefit.

After almost another minute, one more hit slammed against Ceil's sword and sent it flying backward. Four bubbles of stopped time appeared around his arms and legs, effectively making him immobile. And then Alex appeared once more in front of him, umbrella open and charging.

"Goodbye." The shot was blinding.

Once the light had died down, only the bottom part of the armor remained. Everything else was turned into fragments.

The legs stood shakily for a moment before collapsing, breaking apart, and scattering across the room. As it did so, a mass of red orbs manifested from its remains.

"Fucking A, man," Sol said breathlessly. "Gotta remember to use that in future."

"Wha… what the hell did he just do!?" Arthur asked aloud.

"Devil Trigger." Alex started explaining, bending down and grabbing the sword that had been removed from the Knight while his armor started to vanish in a flurry of black petals. "To make a long and complicated story short, think of it as my limited time transformation."

Seeing how Arthur was still skeptical, Alex sighed and shook his head. "It's my Super Saiyan form. Now, try this." And he extended the hand with the sword towards Arthur.

Arthur took the sword with an unsure hand and lifted it with surprising ease.

"Right, yeah, 'cause that makes sense," Arthur said, looking at Alex before giving a few practice swings. "This is really light. How'd this thing give you so much trouble?" Arthur asked while holding the blade. Outside Ceil's grip, the devil arm was almost a mundane-looking long sword. The key word there was almost. While its bright steel handle and leather wrappings were typical of a long sword, the jet-black blade wasn't. In spite of that, the blade still shone in the dim light with irrefutable light, seemingly at odds with the abilities of its previous wielder.

Alex frowned for a moment before tapping the hilt with a finger, a spark of demonic energy running from his hands to the blade. It lit up like a Christmas tree for a moment, dancing with red, black, blue, and white lights, before dying down once more.

"Devil Arm. Congrats, you are now in the upper echelons of potential. Also, in the upper echelons of targets, so. You know. Fifty-fifty."

"Uh… well then, uh, you better take it. You know what you're doing, right?" Arthur stammered while offering the blade handle first.

Alex looked at him and looked down at the blade before looking at Sol. Then he turned back to Arthur.

"Nah. It's yours now." He pushed the sword back towards the guy before smirking. "You see, Devil Arms are kind of sentient. If they don't like you, you're not going to be able to use them to the fullest. On the other hand, if they do like you, only a fool would try to separate them from the user. You're lucky."

"Lucky? Right yeah." Arthur said shakily as he took the sword up. "Have myself a bloody demon sword that likes me, the hell is my life becoming?" He asked, more to himself than Alex or Sol.

Sol leaned in and said. "If it helps, we crafted ours from bits and pieces of demons that we killed. So the fact that you had one drawn to you, gotta say something about who you are, right?" Sol asked to lighten Arthur's mood.

"What the hell could it see from me? I'm just an average guy, nothing special. Hell, it's a weapon, ain't it? Might as well use it." Arthur said before laying the sword across his shoulder.

"Good boy. We'll bring the class to Rodin so that you can get a sheathe or something. You'll like him, he's a demonic blacksmith. Great with weapons." The expression on Alex's face and his tone of voice didn't match. He was getting way too much glee from this whole situation. Then, a moment later, a wave of Red Orbs hit all three of them.

"That was… a good amount," Sol said as he watched his red orb count go up.

"Is that going to happen every time we kill a demon?" Arthur asked while recovering from the sensation of absorbing so many red orbs that quickly.

"Not in that amount, but yeah. Trust us; there are plenty of demons here, so spend those red orbs well and nothing with an L prefix. That's a one-way ticket to messing you up royally." Sol answered.

Alex nodded before grabbing the purple orb floating on the pedestal behind the place where the Knight was and turning towards Arthur once more.

"One last piece of advice: as you know, in the Item section of the statue, there are Blue and Purple Orbs. Buy more of them as soon as possible because they both improve your body and your magic. Knowing how to use it is another matter, but trust me: I was diabetic before this. And fat. And now…" And he gestured at himself, stretching back.

"Wow…" Arthur's eyes were slightly glazed over before the hybrid snapped him out of it by Alex tossing an arm over his shoulder and started steering him back towards the exit, a giant web of runes on the previously blank wall. "Yeah. yeah, I know. Feel free to ogle. But do it while we walk. We need to move, ok?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Oh, how much I wanted to post this last night. Unfortunately, my laptop decided it didn't want to connect to the internet for some bizarre reason. So, last night became Dark Sector night for me. Kinda janky game, but you can see the foundations for Warframe in it.

That being said, a lot went on in this chapter. Two secret rooms, a boss fight, a familial book, and an incomplete Devil Arm. I wonder where the other half is? Well, we'll find out soon enough. Now on Saturday into Sunday, I intend to update the enemy and shop info to keep everything as up-to-date as possible and then post the following chapter afterwards.

I hope you all enjoy and have a good time of the day.

 

[Atma]

Their return was met with a bit of shock, and Arthur got quite the sob story from several people who felt responsible for sending Arthur into what they called "The hell-looking wall that eats people."

Unfortunately, not only was this what they actually called it, but no one seemed to have broken into any of the alcohol that could have been found in the manor, meaning they came up with that name while sober.

Sol was practically groaning from how bad their name for the secret room was. Arthur was recounting the tale well enough, explaining in his own way the events that transpired within and how he got his new sword. There were some envious eyes in the crowd, but their attention on the blade was redirected when Alex and Sol discussed Rodin's Gates of Hell and that they were willing to lead the group to that location in the future.

It was almost like a guided tour as Alex and Sol led the group throughout the labyrinthine halls of the Sparda Mansion to the out-of-the-way area in which the Gates of Hell entrance manifested. While they were cautious at first, seeing Arthur follow the two in the portal galvanized the rest to follow.

As they filtered in, many began to look at the bar with little sense of awe, with one even saying, "That bar is lit!"

The sound of Sol facepalming was heard mere seconds later.

"Yeah, ok." Alex facepalmed before returning to a more normal posture, although his smile was incredibly strained. "Good luck. We need to go and kill the one that summoned us here. Bye!" Alex grabbed Sol by his arm - the non-demonic one - and started dragging him away, ignoring whatever kind of call that the other kids were shouting at them.

**********************************

After several minutes of forced march, the two stopped near the stairs going downwards, in the only area of the mansion that they hadn't explored yet.

"So, sorry for dragging you; they were making me emotional." Alex fake-shuddered before sighing and calming down. "But yeah. We need to move. I'm… I don't know. I just feel like things are getting worse."

"It's no problem, I gotcha; of course, one would jump at the chance to drink. Can't blame them, I guess…" Sol said, trailing off, trying to avoid the last subject Alex mentioned, before sighing and agreeing with him.

"That woman Laura, and the other two, Allan and Callum, with them dead and gone, we're what, halfway through them? Unless there are other major demons lurking about, we're already dealing with some of the more powerful beings roaming this fucking hell. Those people, sans Arthur, might be dumb, but they're still people. Laura was too close for comfort, too damn close." Sol finished before looking down the stairs.

"Basement huh? Either we're about to walk into Sparda or Eva's private wine collection or another fresh hell, really hoping for a wine collection, to be honest." Sol continued, trying to inject some levity into the conversation.

"We're not that lucky, you know that." Alex commiserated with Sol momentarily before sighing, his shoulders slumping down. "I really hope we are near the end. When was the last time that we slept more than a couple of hours? Hells, when was the last time we slept, period?"

Sol began to walk down the staircase before turning and saying, "I'm not sure. I remember it was at that flat, but not any time since then." He sighed a note of tiredness present, and kept walking down the stairs.

"I really do hope we're reaching the end too." He said before opening the door.

To Sol's dismay, Alex was completely right. They weren't that lucky. There was no conventional cellar beyond the doorway, no no basement turned into an ad-hoc storeroom, and no secret wine reserve for the good guests. Instead, it was a cavernous, hellish-looking hallway reminiscent of the internal sections of an organ.

"Well, at least these things are semi-consistent," Sol said bitterly.

"Yeeeeh, lucky us." Alex's bitter words of fake happiness were enough to make him snort for a second.

"Ok, ok, pity party done for now. We need to move on. The problem is, of course, that I can see at least three different options to move forward… and I have no idea which one is the right one." He waved with his hand towards the entrance. "Night vision, perks of being half demon. More or less. Anyway, left, center, or right?"

"And my Red Eyes can't do that… a fair price for Falcon punching, I guess. Okay, let's choose." Sol began before covering his eyes, raising a finger, and gesturing to the tunnels. He waved his arm several times like a conductor would before an orchestra before eventually pointing at one of the tunnels.

"Okay, which one did my finger land on?" Sol asked while still covering his eyes.

"Left one. You could have just opened your eyes, you know." Alex answered, rolling his eyes, before he started walking down the tunnel. The fleshy-looking walls reminded them of the first room they had seen when they had been summoned there. Here and there, there were even pulsing veins made of some sort of blueish material. Not stone, not flesh, but something else.

Finally, the last thing that really unnerved the two was the fact that there was a subtle sound in the background. Something like a thump-thump-thump, rhythmic, constant, just low enough to be barely heard.

"Okay, not to point out the obvious, but are we inside a heart?" Sol asked quietly as he followed behind Alex.

"Well, I was trying not to think about that, so thank you for that," Alex answered drily before looking around. "Also, I don't know. I don't… I don't think so. At least, I don't think it's a real heart. Maybe something more like a… a conduit of blood or power or both?" Then, he pointed at one of those blue-ish veins.

"We could always try to break through one of these and see what's inside. Maybe there are Red Orbs. Or acid. Or just water. I have no idea."

"If this leads to a dead end, I'll shoot one of the veins from a distance. No harm in trying to see if it's safe with nothing to lose." Sol said while trying to gaze at the spots, Alex pointed to. He could barely make out the shapes, but nothing else beyond that.

"Wait, you can't see in the dark. Sorry, my mistake." Alex noticed all of a sudden before raising suddenly noticed his hand and saying something that made the air shiver. Right after that, a glowing sphere of energy appeared, shedding enough light to show them how organic the tunnel they were in really was.

"...You know, maybe having a light in here is not a good idea. Not for attracting attention, but for… this." And he gestured all around them.

Sol merely swallowed as he looked at… the walls. "That's fair," Sol said as he continued to look at the walls.

"Let's, uh, continue onward as quickly as possible. I don't want to end like that one guy in Fantastic Voyage. Death by hungry white blood cells is not how I want to go out." Sol continued as his gaze returned to the path ahead.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, but I'm happy about it. So, let's move." The light in Alex's hand grew dim until it was just barely enough to see where Sol was putting his feet and not fall prone. The walls and the ceilings, however, were covered in penumbra.

"Better. How much do you think we'll have to travel in this tunnel before we reach… something?" Alex asked idly, his steps making almost no sound on the warm ground.

"At this point, I'm not sure. I won't even cut a mark on the walls in case of any bad reaction. Maybe we should just keep progressing forward until something changes." Sol said, occasionally looking behind him in case of anything.

"I mean, we don't really have any other option, do we?" Alex's answer was incredibly blasè, but he kept walking.

And so, they walked. And walked. And walked some more.

*********************************

Ivan had his arm wrapped tightly around the torso of a demon, a truly mismatched one that danced and attacked wildly but never fast enough for him. He bent backward and slammed the demon into the floor. It thrashed briefly, its hands scrambling for purchase before getting a solid grip on the fleshy floor.

Ivan grinned and brought his axe around, severing a hand and sending something flying through the air, something the demon was focused on more than him. It tried to leap for the object, but Ivan was faster, leaping up and stepping on the demon before snatching the item from the air. When he hit the ground, he turned and slashed out, cutting deeply across its face. The demon howled in pain and rage as it tried to push through it and take back the item. Ivan merely smirked before dodging and taking another limb. The momentum carried the demon forward into a tangle of flailing limbs.

With enough distance now between them, Ivan looked at the item. It was… a bizarre mask that the demons of this type wore. He supposed they had some sort of psychological value to them, like the demonic equivalent to a security blanket. As the demon rose, he grinned and held the mask forward. It stilled, looking at the mask in his hand before Ivan slowly tightened his grip on it. There were a few seconds of agonized creaking before the mask shattered in his hand.

The demon trembled before howling and charging him. He smiled, met its charge, and forced its head through the hollow section of his axe. The inner blade bit into the demon's neck, and he pulled up. It choked and thrashed, but ever so slowly, the neck was separated from the body in a mess of ragged strips of skin, flesh, and bone.

He wished he could savor the moment but…

A noise distracted him as several more demons began to themselves from the fleshy walls to meet him. A devilish grin bloomed across his face. It would appear he could enjoy himself for a little while longer.

********************************

Eventually, the two made their way through the tunnels into a large room with ethereal light and a rhythmic beat. The two originated from the same source, a large heart shaped object suspended above the room with four organic cables snaking from it to several parts of the room. The cables ended in what looked to be large receptacles of interwoven stone and flesh bound to the walls, all of which were covered in gore. The only two things of note in the room were a divinity statue and a large door.

The heart structure must have been used to open it as it shifted in tandem with the beats of the heart. Somewhere, very far off, a faint noise could be heard, but it seemed to be quickly cut off.

"This isn't ominous at all." Alex deadpanned, while also looking around: the room was bare. Not even a demon. No other tunnels - beyond the ones that had led them inside - were present. A forced stop before… whatever was behind that door.

"Well, isn't this a problem? Want to use the statue or do you think we should explore some more first?" He turned towards Sol, pointing at the golden Divinity Statue near the door.

Then, he frowned. "Do you also hear that sound?"

"Yeah," Sol said while looking down the darkened tunnel. His eyes looked at the statue before pointing at it. "We might as well use the statue now while we have the chance. Who knows what made that noise."

To Sol, the noise wasn't human sounding, which could have meant a couple of things, chief among them one, or hopefully not multiple, Red Eyes.

Alex didn't move. Instead, he turned his head to the side, an ear pointed to the ceiling, while a hand covered the other one. His eyes were screwed shut and he was clearly trying to listen to something.

"Sol. Come here for a second." He gestured at a point near his left, with a chopped motion, although his voice was still calm.

Sol approached quickly and asked quietly, "What's going on?"

Alex didn't answer, only raising a hand upwards. A moment later, a giant bubble of gray air appeared above them, casting them in penumbral light.

"Trouble." The heart above them shuddered, and beat three more times before shattering into pieces, several figures falling from it straight toward the ground, straight towards them.

Along with several tonnes of strangely fleshy rock.

With a thundering crash, fleshy rock shattered against the floor, kicking up dust and blood in equal measure. There were noises coming from the epicenter, sounds of pain and misery of a more demonic origin. Then… the dust settled.

Standing, arched over the body of a demon was a man clad in a dark set of armor. It was ornate, but still clearly practical in design. The man grabbed the demon and began to slowly pull up with a twisted looking axe. The demon cried out in agony, and the man stopped before twisting his grip in a way that would cause even more pain. There was no noise from the man, but his body language said more.

The slight shuddering in his frame, the deliberate nature of his actions, and most of all the slowness of his deeds, all began to paint a very disturbing picture. It only became worse when he twitched and turned his head to face Alex and Sol. With another deliberate act, he dragged the axe through the demon's body, severing what passed for its spine in the process. It dropped to the floor, twitching but did not dissipate.

He stepped over the demon's body and began to approach the two, before stopping halfway between them and his descending point. With practiced ease, he lifted the visor of his helmet to reveal a pair of Red Eyes.

"This was unexpected. Hmmm, haha, very unexpected. To think that I would drop in on you like this. I wouldn't have made such a racket if I had known how close you were. It would have given me more time to enjoy myself."

"Oh, a sadist. How original." Alex deadpanned, before snapping his fingers and letting the bubble of stopped time go, the rubble that had been trapped inside it falling around the trio, forming a natural arena.

"Let me guess: you are the second in command? The 'trusted one' of your 'fearless leader'?" The air quotes were audible to everyone, no matter that Alex hadn't done the gesture.

The man looked at the natural arena, and began to chuckle quietly.

"About original as anything else here. They're demons, they make us suffer so why shouldn't we make them?" However with his next sentence, all traces of levity were gone from his voice.

"If I was what you say I am, do you think I would be here? No, no I'm not but I guess you knew that already, didn't you?" He asked the pair.

"Laura hinted as much." Sol said warily as he began to draw his weapons. "But she also ranted about vampire novels, so that was something else."

"Heh. She was always obsessed with that genre." He turned around and walked back to the demon. It was still twitching before he brought his axe down upon it. The demon burst into a multitude of red orbs and while he was taking them into himself, he turned on his heel and faced the two.

"Blood. That's how it all began. Demons used us as cattle, a fuel that could amuse them. You call me a sadist, but I see my actions as following a system that has been in place long since mankind even knew how to build the most basic of societies. For more than two thousand years. They brought that system here and if not for a weak link, that system could have held absolute authority. It changed the course of history in ways we can never fully understand. Do you think that as weak as we were, we could ever affect anything the same way?" He asked in a coy tone.

Alex cocked his head to the side. "I will tell you the same thing I said before: I do not judge the demons for attacking and killing humans, for that is their nature. Same as the wolf hunts the deer and the killer whale pursues the seals."

He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, Calcabrina appearing in his hands. "However, I will judge you, for you are - or were, anyway - a human, thus possessing both reason and morality. You are not an animal guided by only instinct, nor are you a demon that knows only violence and bloodshed. Tell me, whoever you are." A pause.

Alex slowly, carefully planted the umbrella on the ground in front of himself, both hands folded over the handle.

"Who are you, member of the Red Eyes? What was your name, before you decided that corrupted power lent in bad faith was more important than being yourself?"

There was a sound of a steady, calming breath from beneath the helmet. The man rolled his shoulders before speaking. "So, you are a sanctimonious one like Gabrielle. Heh, my name is Ivan, and I suppose last names don't really matter here anymore. I'm not like that little shit Allan when I say that. My name is short, it gets to the point. As for power over self, shouldn't that question apply to you two as well? We've all clearly gone down the same path. But I guess that really won't matter now, you'll drop the holier than thou act when you scream for mercy." He ended quietly, pointing his axe at the two.

What came out of Alex wasn't a laugh: it was too short and clipped for it to be one. It was more of a bark, a short emanation of sound that turned into a closed chuckle a moment later.

"Before we start trying to kill each other, I'm going to correct you on two points. First, this is not me being sanctimonious, this is me being me. I think this, so I explained to you what I think and why I find you and your friends or allies or companions or however you want to call them, contemptible in front of me. Of the Six Hundred Sixty-Six people that have been brought here by whatever demon had created this trap, me and Sol are the ONLY ones that can claim the higher moral ground. Don't paragon me to one of yours, they are a Paper Tiger and we are a roaring inferno."

The smile that graced Alex's face was crazed and incredibly sinister, his power leaking all around him.

"Second of all, no, we are not the same in the power department, either. You see, when you took the cheaper option, the one that the statue labels with the L between ellipsis? You are not buying or augmenting the power inside your own soul. You are growing the power that the demon had lent to you at the start: with all your disgust and contempt for demons, you are nothing more than a vessel for the power of one, right now."

The crazed grin was now consuming his entire face, his eyes shining, while a strange weight was weighing down the air in the room, smelling of dust and ancient books and antiques and the silence of someone standing in an empty museum, being judged by pieces of history.

Time was weighing on them, right now.

"We started from nothing. We refused power that wasn't already ours. We were basically normal humans when we killed our first Marionette. We were almost powerless when the second one came and almost killed us. We worked slowly and almost died, more than once, because we were growing our own power. And, in the end, we managed to rip away from us the parasite that the demon had implanted into us. You?"

Alex raised a single hand, pointing his right index finger at Ivan, who was starting to look a bit unsettled by what was happening.

"You only fed it. You grew it, with shower after shower of Red Orbs, growing both the parasite and the demon that gave it to you. Congrats, Ivan of the Red Eyes. You are directly responsible for giving one of the demons you so scorn more and more power."

"... If that's true then, then I'll kill you both and take what power you have! If your bark is as big as your bite then it'll be enough to kill that demon all the same!" He shouted before slamming his visor down. Unknown to all three of them, as he did so, his eyes flashed a deep purple and from deeper within the Qliphoth, three faces faintly smiled.

"It's true, it's true, I don't lie." Alex said, like a liar. "But, ah… That part about my bark…"

Ivan's charge - he had started dashing towards Alex right after he had closed his helmet - slammed against the canopy of the umbrella, only Alex's face visible above it, still sporting that malicious grin.

"I can assure you. My bite is much worse than yours!" In the fastest time ever, he charged and shot the Tar Beam, sending Ivan backward and slamming him against one wall of the arena, cracking the rocks.

Sol was on him as soon as Ivan impacted the wall. Unleashing a Stinger, Sol's intent was to skewer the Red Eyed man right then and there. Unfortunately, that's not what happened as Gevaudan was caught mid strike and forced it down, bringing Sol eye to eye with the Red Eyed man.

"Your eyes are like ours." The Red Eye started with surprise before Sol leveled a demonic punch directly at his head. The man's head snapped back from the blow, and Sol rolled away from the immediate area.

There was the sound of stones shifting as Ivan pulled himself free. As he did so, the right side of his helmet was severely dented, and he struggled to remove the battered helm off his head. With a grunt, his head was free of the helmet. His curly blonde hair would have normally painted the appearance of a classical cherub if only it wasn't contrasted by the pair of demonic eyes and cruel smirk.

"I stand corrected. Your eyes aren't like ours. If they were, you'd have tried to finish me then and there or dragged it out for as long as possible."

"Consider them a result of the body parts I used to save my own life!" Sol spat before lashing out with Gevaudan in its whip state.

Ivan attempted to block the strike, but Gevaudan was a hair quicker than he could raise his axe. The bone whip sliced along his face. Ivan responded with a laugh before lunging forward.

An umbrella stopped the hit on its track. Alex was instantly in front of him, showing his teeth and greeting Ivan. His eyes were even more inhuman than his own red ones.

"You know… Your eyes are murky." The conversational tone he had used was more than enough to make him blink and rear back a little, only to find that his axe wasn't moving with him, remaining back where he had slammed against Alex's shield. A gray bubble was keeping it stuck in mid air.

"Yep. Murky. You lack conviction."

"Conviction!" He shouted, his face a mask of blood and indignation as he began to attack Calcabrina in an attempt to get at Alex. "You wouldn't know half of it! All you are! All you've done! You were just following in our footsteps, our tria…GRRK!"

In his moment of rage, he didn't pay attention to the fact that Sol had moved to his right with Gevaudan retracted before stabbing Ivan underneath the arm.

"Maybe you started that path, but that wasn't why we did it." Sol said before twisting the blade. "We did it because we knew no other course, and we never crossed whatever line you did!" Sol hissed.

Ivan twisted his head and squared his feet. "You will, one day you will. It doesn't matter if we're human, demon, or a bastard hybridization. We'll be chasing that line till the very end!" He finished with a shout as he twisted, arcs of electricity dancing off his body. Sol using Time Step managed to move out of the way, but suffered as his hands spasmed briefly.

"What line, exactly?" Alex's expression was the same as a cat that was playing with a mouse. He was even relaxed, using Calcabrina as a walking stick, leaning on it, completely unperturbed.

"Killing another human being? Been there, done that. Doing unspeakable things for power? Again, been there, done that. Take parts of a demon that almost killed me to survive, leaving part of my humanity behind?" He raised his hands in a showman pose, wide open, before he twirled on his heel, smiling wide.

"Why do you think my eyes aren't red?"

The thunder crackled around Ivan like a shroud as he looked between the two. His breathing was hitching occasionally and it seemed that he wanted to favor his right but refused to.

"Because of the same reason why you two are attacking me together, because you're weak. You're like all the others from before, talking about a line they wouldn't cross. We crossed that line and we're stronger for it." Something seemed to dance across his vision.

"Well most of us are stronger anyway. You've seen to that already."

Alex blinked. Before nodding. "Well, you are entitled to your opinions. Still, allow me to correct a misconception."

He took a single step forward and, for the first time, he called upon his Devil Trigger while in complete control of his mind. "We are not attacking you together because we are weak."

The scales grew from his feet upwards, black and silver, covering his body, under the stupefied eyes of Ivan.

"Nor because we are scared or something like that."

They reached the torso, thickening a little around the waist, before turning into incredibly tiny scales that looked like leather at a first glance, covering the upper body in a flexible, yet strong, armor.

"The reason we are attacking together…" Finally, the transformation reached his neck, hair and face disappearing under a featureless helmet, slightly sloped backward. "Is because we want to get rid of you and your ilk as soon as possible. Because your group WAS a danger to us. Before. Now, all you are is a nuisance."

Calcabrina opened with a snap, the edges of the umbrella gleaming like razor blades, a subtle vibration charging in the entire canopy.

"Want a suggestion?" Alex smiled, behind his helmet. "Run."

Ivan breathed heavily, before smiling. "No."

The thunder roared around him as his eyes began to change color, flashes of purple dancing across them.

"No, I don't think so. I came too far to die to you both. Hell, if I kill you both I could kill Gabrielle and Zeke! Show that creepy bastard whose superior. So come on, you too! Show me your power! I'll cut your hearts out anyway!!!"

Sol stood there, slightly dumbfounded. "You… you're truly lost, aren't you? You're not even fighting for your original purpose. You're little more than a demon."

"And what's wrong with that!? At least it's honest!"

And as Ivan cried out, Sol felt that familiar rage behind his eyes. His arm twitched and unconsciously curled into a fist. Dark energy streamed from the arm and surrounded Sol, his form pitching forward as it began to change. His armor began to warp and flow before darkening and fusing with his body.

A pair of horns grew from either side of his head and swept forward past a pair of blank white eyes like a demonic laurel crown. From his scalp, short cords that mimicked hair grew and multiplied into a black mane. His lips curled curled in exertion, revealing rows of sharpened teeth. As the transformation progressed further, his skin took on the same dark, chitinous, scale-like features that his arm exhibited, crimson lines racing across every exposed part. While looking far less aggressively organic than its composite base, the armor became black, accented by the barest hints of green. As the transformation continued, Sol's whole body took on this near bestial armored form, save for the left arm, which was left completely exposed.

"Well then, I hope that honesty will console you, because it ends here!" Sol hissed before lunging .

"You're right Sol. It does." Alex half knelt in front of Ivan, bringing Calcabrina to his left side, his left hand grasping the closed umbrella near the seam of the blade's handle, his right hand grabbing the hilt.

"What do you think you're doing? Kneeling to me won't save you, after your words…"

"Geryon-Iai, First Chime." The blade was freed from the sheath by an inch or so.

"Cutting Between The Seconds."

And then it was brought back into the sheath. Apparently, nothing had happened.

Apparently...

Ivan blinked, clearly unsure of what was happening, but the simple fact that the transformation that Alex had used was now vanishing into flakes of silver dust, he started getting bolder. "So, you're all talk! Just like that…"

The arm he was using to point his weapon towards Alex fell off, sliced at the shoulder. The cut was so perfect that he didn't even feel pain. Only the sound of blood gushing from the wound.

"GAHHH!!!!" Ivan howled as his mind realized what had occurred before falling down towards the fallen limb.

"NO, NOT YET! I CAN'T DIE HERE!!" He roared as the arm broke down into thunder. The electrical discharges coalesced around his severed shoulder, forming what could only be described as a truly phantom limb. It stretched out to the edges of the arena, carving deep gouges into the rocks as he thrashed in pain. At the same time, the ground began to heave and roil, with large cracks beginning to form on the floor.

"Well, unfortunately it is not up to you. But, hey, I'm gonna tell you a secret, Ivan." Alex, somewhat relaxed, tapping the tip of the umbrella against the ground.

"The secret of why you lost to me." The hybrid smirked, before taking a step back and avoiding a rock.

"Because you forgot I'm not your only opponent."

"WHA…!?" Ivan attempted to say before a blade pierced him from behind. Sol, still in DT, began to remove Gevaudan and began to fall into familiar motions of Beat Cut, flowing into Thriller and finally ending with Demon's Dance. Each time he struck Ivan's body, deeper and deeper wounds formed along his back and the false arm of thunder diminished more and more until eventually, it faded entirely.

Ivan fell forward, his lifeless body collapsing into a growing pool of his own blood, as a massive amount of red orbs erupted from him.

*crack*

"You should have talked less and fought us more." Sol said bitterly as he reverted to human form. He wrung his arm out as if on instinct before looking at Alex.

"Thank you for throwing him off his game. I don't even want to know what he could have done with that lightning claw arm he manifested." Sol continued.

*Crack*

"Still, I guess that means we really are coming to the end right? I mean there's only two left and th…" Sol never finished his sentence though…

*CRACK!!!*

As… the unseen damage from the battle caused the floor to collapse out from underneath and the red eye's body. The fall wasn't a long one but it was enough to shock the system. There was just enough light filtering down to see the room above as well as something else.

Along the edges of the hole were a series of large, jagged spike-like objects curling into the floor like nightmarish fish hooks.

Sol merely looked from the hooks to Alex before saying. "Remind me never to get on the wrong side of your verbal game."

Alex just smiled, before shrugging and pointing to the side, towards the doors with the Divinity Statue.

"So, that way or are we going back. Or down?" He pointed towards the hole, although the stone barbs that lined the edges made the whole thing look like the entrance to hell. Several even had red splatters on them, from where Ivan had impacted them in his fall.

"Also, my verbal game is not that strong. It's just that… Well, Ivan was… not completely done, I think. Kind of a pity. Didn't you notice?"

Sol was quiet for a moment before responding. "Yeah, kinda like the first one, Allan, in a way, but maybe… less focused, easier to piss of. Maybe it's something we're not aware of?" Sol asked before looking at the various paths.

"I say we head back to the statue first and then… fuck it further down I guess. Creepy ass hell hole is right there like some sort of schmuck bait." Sol said with a gesture.

"I meant more the fact that his name didn't appear as a Boss one." Alex reminded Sol, before looking down the hole. "Also, beyond lightning, having power over earth… He was a very dangerous enemy. Sad that he wasn't as strong as he thought he was."

"Shit, you're right… Didn't Laura mention something about the left hand being weaker than the right? That doesn't bode well at all." Sol responded tepidly.

"Well, I don't think he was weaker than what a Boss was supposed to be. No, I'm thinking that it was his mentality." Alex leaned on Calcabrina, clearly thinking, his eyes unfocused. "If we assume that hostility is a prerequisite for something or someone to be a Boss, maybe Ivan, for all his projected sadism, wasn't all that hostile. Or maybe these are just fanciful daydreams, who knows. I always want to try and find a… humanizing factor in villains. Consider it a characteristic of a writer's mind."

Alex shrugged, before pointing back towards the statue. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, don't know how long it will be until we find another statue." Sol said.

********************************

The idea of color and theme contrast was always something that Gabrielle favored in her life before the hell she found herself. It was a theme she always incorporated into the little things around her, and while some of her contemporaries and critics may have called her insistence upon it in her works a little obsessive, she would always say that she found it comforting.

The blood that was pooling from the body of a slain Abyss in comparison to stark white marble floors that she and Zeke had been traveling through was an example of such contrast. There had been a great deal of Abyss's in this part of hell as well as bizarre demons styled after chess pieces of all things.

She would have continued her musings if not for the sound of thunder and grinding. Turning, she witnessed something entirely new. There past her, was Zeke. Thunder roiled off his body as he slowly moved his arms. Gabrielle saw before Zeke the image of a tree-like tower. Each time Zeke moved, thunder struck and shifted the image, righting just ever more slightly.

She was so enraptured by the image that she almost missed the sound of demons manifesting in this hellish mockery of the heavens above. She rolled her shoulders and unfurled her fans.

"You demons truly do not know when to let us be, do you?" She said, turning to face the growing horde. She didn't know what awaited them on the other side of that gate but she would ensure Zeke succeeded in opening it.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

The demon that once was Lusachia and the human that was once Zeke silently raged. Ivan, that useless fool has died to the interlopers, too damn busy indulging himself to kill them when he was able to!

What were once two anomalies had become something of a legitimate threat to its plans. Oh it had no doubt it could kill them if it needed to, but it would also have to work on its final set of harvests so that their power would be a worthy sacrifice. Something which was much harder now that the interlopers had warned them of its blessings.

*Zssst!*

It grimaced at the feedback. Its little slice of hell might have been perfect for trapping wayward humans and demons, but using the memories of one of the Sons of Sparda for its foundation had unforeseen consequences. It was separated from itself in a way it didn't foresee when starting this journey and it was only through fortune that the part of it formerly known as Zeke was so willingly to do anything to survive.

It smiled to itself briefly before continuing to work its power against the seal. Beyond it lay the human world and the remnants of the Qliphoth, where its true body remained. It breathed in frustration before looking backwards for an instant. Its last little project, its loyal dragon so to speak, was cutting a bloody swathe through every demon attracted to this singular place. It turned back to the seal, shifted another shattered branch and pushed further.

It was the way, it was the gate, it was the end.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Gabrielle folded her fans before running a hand through her hair, flicking away the blood that had matted it across her features, before putting her helmet back on. The most recent horde had been slaughtered to a demon, and all she had to do from this point was wait.

*************************************

The statue stood, as it always did, in front of the two of them. Alex nodded, before pushing Sol forward.

"You need to clear out your techniques for your arm. And see what your Devil Trigger has unlocked, too. I need… To think." And he took a couple of steps back, letting himself lean on Calcabrina and closing his eyes.

"Alright, alright. Just watch yourself while I'm gone." Sol said before touching the statue. Finding himself in the void once again, he looked at the figure of the statue.

"Okay, I'm here to make a whole lot of purchases."

The menu opened up and Sol stopped to look at his wallet amount.

"That's nearly 600K, holy shit… oh we're going to have fun today."

Scrolling through menus, Sol began to look at the options available before remembering what Alex had said. Looking at his options he saw two new additions to the list Midnight Punch and Infernal Punch. Respectively, the two cost a combined total of a 100k and as much as that was a steep price, purchased the options.

Upon doing so, he felt power flood into his arm and for a moment he saw a demonic energy, first red, then purple, and finally a jet black.

"That'll make someone's day." Sol said before looking back at the list.

He had most of the abilities from his weapons save for the new options for Nymphaeum… and with his last purchases he was just shy of 500k, so that super boost option wasn't available. At least not yet.

He calculated the numbers and came up with 296,000 for his purchases. Okay, that'd leave him with 201,050 red orbs which was still quite a lot.

Sol made the required purchases, feeling new power fill Nymphaeum. However, when he purchased the Hybrid Power Enhancement he felt his body seize as a flood of power flowed through him. Unlike before however, there was an electrifying sensation that was beyond what Sol could have imagined. It lasted for both an impossibly short and agonizingly long amount of time. When the sensation passed, Sol collapsed forward. He lay for several seconds eyes wide, before shakily standing up.

"Wa… was that a Quickening?" Sol asked the statue.

There was no response from the statue and Sol opened the menus once more. He looked at the menus and wondered what to buy if there was anything else. He could have filled out some abilities but… he rubbed at his wrists and felt the sharpened claws that adorned his left hand. With something akin to a revelation, he scrolled through the lists and came upon the option Magic Knowledge Level 1 for 500.

"I'm not going to steal your thunder Alex, but I could use some illusions to hide this arm."

He looked at his wallet, and watched it drop to 200,550. He almost thought to max out everything, but the idea of getting that additional power boost in case of anything was too tempting.

"Vergil might have been a deadbeat, but instead of ripping off arms, I'll be investing in myself." Sol finished before leaving the Statue's realm.

Returning back to the underground, he looked at Alex, "That was… a rush."

Alex smirked, nodding lazily, before cracking his back and vanishing Calcabrina back into his inventory. "So, if you're done for now, I'll purchase a couple of things that I still have to." He strutted - purposefully - towards the statue and tapped it. The white-gold space greeted him.

As usual, he bowed to the statue, before starting to scroll through his options for a little while, until he reached the end of what was available to him and returned to the start.

"Yeah, these four are the best options." Biting his lips, he dropped the 150.000 Red Orbs needed to maximize the enhancements, both physical and mystical.

The shock he received with the energies coursing through his body made him contract everything all together, sending him flying back and on the ground in front of Sol.

"Ouch."

"Are… are you okay?" Sol asked worriedly.

"Just bonked my head on the ground. At least I didn't end in the hole. THAT would have been painful." Alex smiled, hissing a little from the impact.

"Yeah… yeah" Sol began with a chuckle. "What happened that sent you flying like that?" Sol finished with a question.

"You remember the 'enhancement' options that are, more or less, at the top of the list? I took all of those. And…" Alex stopped for a moment, stretching fully. All his bones popped like fireworks. "If how I'm feeling is any hint, you should take them too."

Sol's eyes widened slightly. "That means you're stronger than me… hah! Although, I wonder how that stacks with Hybrid Power Enhancement? Let me tell you something, that first stage version is a rush." He said with excitement.

The way the full hybrid smiled was all that was needed: he had felt the same energy coursing through his body, after all. It was a power trip like few others.

"Yeah, I know, I know. You should max them out, too. This close - I'm assuming we are close, at least - to the final boss we cannot risk any chance."

"Well, I was saving my remaining red orbs for the second level of empowerment. Hell we're in hell, so we'll probably find enough to make up the difference between here and home. Probably help with getting some good illusion magic when you think about it." Sol said in agreement before reaching for the statue again.

Except, when Sol was about to touch the statue, a noise began to emanate throughout. An echoing bird-like laugh made itself known, first beginning as a low warble then raising in pitch into an oscillating laugh.

Sol spun on his heels and drew his blade. "Where the hell is that coming from?" He asked warily.

The statue gave no answer. The last echoes of the laughter vanished, leaving only the memory behind.

And yet there was another noise, one faintly growing louder and louder as if it were responding to the bizarre laughter. It sounded like a song, a bird's song. The song began to become more distinct until it sounded through the walls of the room they were in. It moved closer and closer until it eventually stopped just outside of what the two considered to be the main exit of the area. The fleshy walls parted like a door to reveal blinding light and stark horror.

What lay behind the door was… the physical antithesis of the fleshy room. It was a stark white landscape whose defining features were marble columns, staircases, effigies, and gates. All these features contrasted with a gray-white void that seemed to stretch endlessly across a broad, unending horizon. In any other situation, it would have looked pure and orderly. Like a vision of Heaven sent to calm the minds of the weary.

The blood that pooled from the large door, the mass of demonic bodies that tumbled out, and the bloodstained figure standing tall among them shattered that image like a rock through a plate glass window.

The bird song reached a crescendo, and the laughter from before rang out again. The figure turned, revealing itself to be like Ivan before, armor-clad, though more distinctly feminine in frame, before casually nudging a body away from her with her foot.

Alex didn't say anything. He just stood there with a pair of boots in his hands and a rather surprised expression on his face. The laughter - slowly vanishing, on its last dregs and all the more horrifying for the distorted way it echoed around the chamber could now be easily pinpointed as coming from the boots, as well as the song came from the armor-clad woman's fans.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Out of the Frying pan and into the fire as they say. This chapter fought me like you wouldn't believe, with various technical issues that popped up while I was doing its final check. Hence why it came out after I wanted it to.

The next chapter is going to be a bit different, as we are going to experience a bit of POV shift. Enjoy everyone!

 

[Atma]

The light had changed. It was a subtle thing Gabrielle realized, but the tiniest shift in this world of pale light was the difference between peace and war. She gazed skyward and saw a trio of figures slowly descend toward her and Zeke. She recognized them and knew that despite their appearance, they were just as evil as the world around her. The three demons swooped down to attack as if realizing their deception was seen, and Gabrielle met them.

Her jump was low but just high enough to grab onto one of the Fallen's legs. It thrashed as her weight brought it down to the pathway below. Before it could do anything else, she moved between its wing and its body before dragging her blade through its torso, waist to throat. The Fallen fell backward in a spray of blood, and Gabrielle spun on her heel and leaped up to avoid another Fallen's attack. On her descent, she brought her fans across the demon's neck and kicked off of it. The headless demon collapsed in a heap of limbs and feathers, but Gabrielle was already in motion. She snapped one of her fans shut and launched it at the last Fallen. The fan flew through a gap between the Fallen's feathered shield, pierced the demon's chest, and exited through the back, severing its spine in the process.

Gabrielle wordless called the fan back to her and with a melodic song, it flew back into her waiting palm. She collected the orbs that fell from the demons and looked back to Zeke, finding he was still arranging that bizarre puzzle that would open the way to The Demon's lair and she attempted to resume her position by his side. Unfortunately she never was able to. The light changed once again and from the sky more Fallen began to descend.

"Fine. I could use the boost in power." Gabrielle stated aloud before fishing out a vitality star and crushing it. The demons swooped down towards her as the feeling of wellness flowed through her body. She began to backpedal, parrying the various strikes that the Fallen began to level at her. One Fallen attempted a dive that would have struck the top of her skull before luck proved to be on Gabrielle's side. As she moved to dodge another strike, the fallen crashed down. Not skipping a beat, Gabrielle let out a vicious kick, snapping the falling Fallen's arm and sending it careening into its fellows. With a moment of relief, she threw one of her fans at another demon before snatching up the Fallen sword. With a half step, she shifted around another's guard, thrust, and twisted. The resulting wound caused the demon to fall to its knees.

However, what little victory and room that may have given her was short lived. With a resounding boom, several presences made themselves known behind her. Turning, she saw that it was another series of stone-like demons styled after chess pieces. The one that she assumed was the King began to glow violently and emit a blast of demonic energy towards her. Reacting, she was forced to throw herself to the side as a brilliant flash of demonic energy filled the world. In doing so, she was forced to unveil her own hidden trick. Boosting her movement, a single articulated wing burst from her back. The surge of motion saved her life, but that was not the point of the King's attack. The King piece began to emit more and more demonic radiance, burning the very stone of the platform with its sheer heat before the five pieces turned to face her.

Gabrielle looked past the demonic chess piece and saw the damage and saw that it had separated her from Zeke. She attempted to move forward, to get around them and back to his side, and for the pieces to close rank and slide their way across the floor like a moving demonic wall. She began to backstep and saw that the remaining Fallen hovered silently in the air, cutting off. For a moment, there was silence as the two parties sized themselves up before the sound of a cackle split the air. The Queen rolled its stone head back and flew towards Gabrielle at breakneck speeds. Using her wing, she leaped up to avoid the strike, only to be intercepted by another Fallen. Wrestling with the demon, she was brought down directly into the path of the Rook. With a tremor, the piece opened itself up and unleashed a blast of demonic energy at the two. Using her wing as leverage, Gabrielle launched off the ground and used the Fallen as a shield. The blast tore straight through it and the force sent her flying back right into the descending path of the Knight. The horse-headed demon began to slam down on the spot where Gabrielle had landed. Rolling out of the way, she retaliated by slashing at the piece several times. However, while the cuts were deep and would have normally impeded movement, they began to pull themselves together.

Seeing another piece out of the corner of her eye channeling energy, she quickly realized what was going on and abandoned her battle with the Knight piece. She began to run towards what she assumed was the Bishop and spied one of the last Fallen on intercept. Grinning, she closed and threw both her fans at the Bishop, impacting it in the chest and base, and then leaped at the Fallen. The flying demon attempted to strike her, but she was faster and grabbed its blade arm. The sudden arrest of motion allowed her to use her weight to pitch the Fallen forward and down on top of the Bishop. The Fallen Blade cut through its owner and the Bishop's head, and with a thought, the fans opened. In a storm of chunks and dust, the Bishop shattered into a mess of demonic stone. However, her small victory was short-lived.

With a shriek, the King piece roared, and the corona of demonic energy threw her to the side between the Queen and the Rook. A part of her realized what was coming and wanted to flee, but another part realized the opportunity. She watched as the Rook began to open anew and listened for what she assumed was the telltale cackle of the Queen. When it came, she stood still for a second and a half longer than most would have and finally dodged. The Queen piece screamed past and into the Rook's blast, heavily damaging it… but also destroying the Rook in the process. She turned towards the Knight and watched as it rolled its head in defiance of her. Calling her fans back, she held them at her sides and began to charge it, moving at the last instant and using her wing for a boost. The Knight's blade-like protrusion missed her by a mile and left it wide open. With an unconscious smile, she descended, carving deeply into the stone several times before throwing her arms to either side. The Knight jerked slightly before breaking apart.

She heard the cackle again before taking flight once more, the Queen rocketing past her and the King shrieking once more, its blazing aura destroying more of the bridge. Both seemed to move to come around to her front, and she began to realize her options of getting back to Zeke were becoming virtually nonexistent by remaining on this bridge. Looking around briefly, she eyed a set of stairs that led upwards and quickly took them. Coming to the head of the staircase, she saw that it stood at a circular area that looked like it connected to the entrance they took when they entered this place. Her thoughts were interrupted as another shriek came, and she saw the damaged Queen be thrown to her position. Another shriek came shortly thereafter as the King made itself known. It moved behind her, in front of a large mockery of an angelic figure. She realized that she had taken her eyes off the Queen for far too long and heard the cackle before it charged her. Leaping out of the way, she watched as the Queen turned, shredding the floor as it did so.

"Even in this damaged state, its speed is tremendous, and with its power, it would only need to hit me a few times as opposed to the times I could strike it… Think! THINK!" She thought as her mind raced.

With another cackle, the Queen charged again, and Gabrielle dodged once more, this time noticing the aura around the King, building and growing in intensity.

"That aura keeps pushing me back. I would need… That's it!"

She descended slowly, letting herself fall between the King and Queen. The stillness for a second that seemed to drag on forever.

"Come on, do it. I'm right in front of you!" She thought frantically as she felt more and more demonic energy roil from the King's position.

The Queen was silent until she let out an oddly keening cackle before screaming forward. Gabrielle waited until the last second before flying upwards. She could feel the tips of the crown against the soles of her boots before hearing and then seeing the Queen piece collide with the King. The two smashed against each other, and the sudden torrent of demonic energy threw her across the platform like a strike from God.

Gabrielle didn't know how long she lay there, but it had to be long enough for whatever passed for adrenaline in her body to ebb away. She began to hiss in tightly controlled pain and felt the burns she received from the demons, as well as the sensation of torn muscles from her previous battle against the Fallen. With a groan, she sat up and looked out across the pale expanse to Zeke. She could make him out in the distance. The pale light from his current task shone ever still and, more importantly, with a distinct lack of demons. She sighed in relief and began to wonder how she would get back to him upon shifting her to the now-destroyed bridge. Her musings were interrupted, however, by a grinding noise.

She turned and saw that the mock angel statue was drawing in the demonic energy still emanating from the two statues, pulling it into the area that exposed its prominent spinal column. Its marble flesh began to change, taking on a pale but unmistakably fleshy tone. There was silence, and then it spoke.

"COMETH F'RWARD, ALLOWETH ME SEETH THEE, THIEF."

Gabrielle began to rise to her feet but remained silent, unwilling to humor the demon.

"THOU WOULD HOLDETH THY TONGUE? THERE IS NO SHAME IN THINE ACTIONS, ONLY IN THY RETICENCE. SPEAK THIEF AND BE TRUE TO THYSELF."

"Why, why do you refer to me as a thief?" Gabrielle finally asked the demonic statue.

"AS I LOOK UPON THEE, I SEETH THE WING OF ONE MY KIN, A BLESSED OF THE FATHER."

"A demon, the wing of a demon that attempted to take my life and the lives of others," Gabrielle interjected.

The statue was silent for several moments before responding, "WHAT THOU CALLEST DEMON, I WOULD CALL BRETHREN."

It attempted to roll its shoulders, and Gabrielle watched as the recession it was in shifted, with spider-like cracks appearing along the edges.

"HOWEVER, I BELIEVE I UNDERSTANDETH THY REASONING. WE HAVE FALLEN, WE HAVE LOST OUR LUSTER IN THINE EYES. TO THEE, WE ARE LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THE SPAWN OF THE FALLING STAR AND HIS BASTARD SUCCESSORS."

Another groan and the right side of the recession shattered, revealing a proportionally muscular arm. Gabrielle took a step back without realizing it.

"HOWEVER, WE ONCE WERE KNOWN TO THINE ANCESTORS. WE ONCE LOVED THINE KIN AND IN RETURN WERE BELOVED BY THEM."

It was that statement that dragged Gabrielle's mind to a painting she once studied, of a woman pouring water while being watch…

"You are a watcher, a Grigori." Gabrielle declared with no small degree of surprise

"THEN IT HEARTENS ME TO KNOW THAT WE ARE STILL KNOWN TO THEE, DESPITE HIS WISHES. YES, WE LOVED THEE AND WERE BELOVED BY THEE. YET HE SPURNED OUR DESIRES AND RENDERED UNTO US A FATE NO BETTER THAN THE SERPENT. OUR CHILDREN WERE MIGHTY, GREAT, AND MORE WORTHY OF THIS WORLD THAN YOU THIEVING HALF-BREEDS, AND YET HE DASHED THEM AGAINST THE WATERS OF THE WORLD WHEN THEY WOULD NOT BEND THE KNEE."

The recession finally gave way, and the angelic demon emerged onto the platform. Its headless frame towered over her.

"I WOULD OFFER THEE AN ACCORD; OFFER UNTO ME YOUR STRENGTH TO OPEN THE WAY TO THE WORLD OF YOUR KIN, AND IN RETURN, I WOULD SHARE WITH THEE THE SECRETS THAT THE HEAVENS WOULD DENY YOU."

Without hesitation, Gabrielle responded, "No, I know of a path and I will walk with only one other." She wouldn't turn her back on Zeke like Ivan had. His was the way and the right path home. Even as she said it, her hands drifted down to her fans.

The demon looked beyond her and responded. "THOU ART IN LOVE, BUT IF HE CARED, HE WOULD BE HERE BY THINE SIDE. I WOULD LOVE THEE IN HIS PLACE, AND THOU WOULD KNOW OF A LOVE GREATER THAN ANY POET OF THE LAND COULD IMAGINE."

"And my answer remains the same. I am no traitor. I will stay my course. Do not interfere with our duty." Gabrielle declared before drawing her fans and flaring her wing.

The demon began to let loose a deep reverberating chuckle. "THOU ART A FOOL AND TRAITOR STILL. THE BLOOD OF YOUR KIN, BOTH MAN AND DEVIL, STAIN THY HANDS. OF GREATER IMPORT STILL, THOU HAST ALREADY BEEN BETRAYED."

"What did you say?" Gabrielle asked in disbelief.

"IT MATTERS NOT, FOR THOU AND THINE LOVE WILL FALL THIS DAY AND I SHALL RETURN TO THE LOVE OF MANKIND!"

SEMYAZA: WATCHER OF DESIRE​

In a burst of speed that shocked her, the demon lunged forward, its outstretched hands grasping at her as she unconsciously threw herself backward. The resulting thunderclap produced a sound that, for a moment, brought forth a wave of nauseating disorientation in her being. Gabrielle was not sure if it was the sound or her previously prolonged battle that caused it, but she was sure that letting it continue would not be in her best interest.

Using her wing for extra lift, she leaped over the demon before closing her fans and trying to carve down the length of its back. She realized very quickly, though, that this would be a problem. Not only did her fans lack the capability of making a truly noticeable effect on the demon's stone-like skin, but it was quickly apparent that the demon had one thing she didn't. The gouges and cracks on the demon's back began to quickly close and seal themselves in front of her eyes.

She watched as the demon turned and regarded her.

"DOST THOU THINK AN INCOMPLETE WEAPON SUCH AS THAT COULD HARM ME!? I HAVE EXPERIENCED FAR WORSE TRIBULATIONS THAN THOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE!" Semyaza roared in anger before charging her again. Gabrielle was able to dodge the charge with some degree of leeway, and that may have saved her life. The resulting pressure from the demon's movement was such that it felt like a slap from god himself. The demon twisted its upper half before its feet moved in step, and Gabrielle got an idea.

"My fans won't cause enough damage to kill the demon outright, and it regenerates too quickly to bleed it. That spine, though, if I could break it like the damned chess pieces earlier, that could slow him down."

"THOU DO NOT ATTACK? HAVE THOU BEGUN TO SEE THE FUTILITY OF THINE ACTIONS?"

"No, I was just imagining how much easier things will be when you die," Gabrielle responded.

With a wordless shout, the demon charged again, this time clapping its hands as it did so. This had two effects. The first was that it slowed Semyaza's speed, and that might have been good if it had not been for the second effect. The sounds from the claps were like an ever-pounding thunder in Gabrielle's ears.

Disorientated, Gabrielle stumbled back and cupped her hands around her ears, leaving herself open. Semyaza took the opportunity gleefully and smacked Gabrielle with his open palm. The force of the sucked the air from her lungs and sent her flying across and over the platform. There was a moment of sheer weightlessness before Gabrielle realized she was falling and righted her descent. It wasn't perfect, as she partially fell over the side of the platform she aimed herself at. She leaned forward and carefully pushed herself forward until she could safely sit.

She realized almost immediately that she was on the bridge that connected to…

*SLAM*

Her thoughts were interrupted as Semyaza landed in front of her, quickly taking a half step forward, and the shock of his landing destroyed the segment of the bridge. There was a moment of stillness between the two before Semyaza charged again. Gritting her taking and pushing away the pain, Gabrielle met the charge and decided she needed to end this battle now. Semyaza attempted to swing both arms wide in an attempt to either catch Gabrielle in a dodge or further force her back.

Gabrielle performed something else. She met the charge and slid underneath Semyaza. The demon, realizing what had happened, attempted to turn but was too slow. It felt two sharp stings of pain emanate from its spine, and unlike before, the pain did not fade. Fully turning, Semyaza saw Gabrielle and stomped. The force sent spiderweb cracks throughout the bride, and with another quick stomp, the bride began to collapse into the void. Gabrielle had leaped at the moment Semyaza's foot came a second time and maneuvered above and over him.

Semyaza repositioned himself and asked sharply, "DO THOU BELIEVE THY STINGS CAN SLAY ME!? I HAVE HEALED FROM THEM ALREADY!"

Gabrielle spread both her arms wide, and Semyaza realized that some things were missing. The Fans, where were… realization and dread dawned upon him. The pain was still there, still in his…

With an audible click, Semyaza felt a familiar degree of pain like he had once long ago. The fans were not merely stings but had lodged themselves into his body, waiting for their command. He lost feelings below his chest and desperately attempted a scrambling grip on the bridge.

"I needed a way to stop you. This bridge has been a welcome boon, all things considered," Gabrielle said softly as her fans returned to her.

Semyaza howled in agony before dragging his weight forward. "THIS IS NOT THE END! I WILL RECOVER FROM THIS!"

His rage was such that any thoughts of love he may have had towards this human were gone, and he arched his shoulders to drag himself forward, intent on breaking this human in two.

Gabrielle, realizing what sort of situation she had just created, began to quickly backpedal, her speed just barely outpacing Semyaza's. Still even as she did so, she began to notice that his rage fueled movements were causing further damage to the bridge. She could use that, she would use that.

Watching each hand come down, she began to gauge the time between impact and pull, then saw it. As Semyaza raised its right hand once more, she threw her fans at the exposed palm. They cut deeply into the stone like flesh, and Semyaza lost balance, coming down harder than intended. The bridge buckled under the weight, and the spiderweb cracks that had been forming expanded greatly. When Semyaza attempted to pull himself forward again, she aimed at the opposite hand, causing the demon to fall hard again. This time, however, the bridge broke. Without his spine and lower body, Semyaza's chest dragged the demon down, and in a panic, his fingers dug deep into whatever remained that would give purchase.

"YOU! THINE PEOPLE! WE LOVED THEE!!!" Semyaza howled as his grip began to falter.

Gabrielle stared dispassionately for a moment before responding. "God commanded you to fall once before; now I command you to fall for all eternity." She threw her fans once again, and the two sliced through Semyaza's fingers. The demon reacted instinctively and let go of the bridge before falling into the void, screaming, its voice becoming increasingly distant.

She took several hoarse breaths as she looked at the destruction Semyaza had brought before the pain made itself known to her. She clutched at her and felt them move in ways they shouldn't have. Gritting her teeth, she took stock of her surroundings and saw something that gave her hope. Down and back, close to the place she and she and Zeke had entered, there was the path that led around to the portal. It would take some time longer than she would like, but she could still reach him that…

Her thoughts were interrupted as several lesser demons made themselves known. She snarled angrily before steeling herself and taking out her last vital star. Crushing it, she felt the pain in her chest recede and exhaustion fading.

"Come to battle over the remains? Typical, I could use the red orbs anyway." Gabrielle spat before charging the horde.

One way or another, she would return to Zeke's side.

******************************************

She lost count of how many she had slain, but she knew they were more nuisance than threats. She had made it to the entrance to the previous land before her fans found themselves buried in the neck of the last. It clawed at her arms in an attempt to free itself before she dragged the fans out. The demon's head fell softly as the greater broke down into orbs. It was done, no more stragglers to get in her wa…

She heard the door open behind her and saw two figures standing in the doorway. For a moment, she thought they were demons until she realized they weren't. Her mind was blank for the most recent battle, so much so that she hadn't even realized the keening sound her fans emanated. She heard one of them ask a question.

"Well, I didn't expect this. Who are you?"

*******************************************
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Well, I didn't expect this. Who are you?" Alex asked the woman, putting the boots back into his inventory and leaning casually on his umbrella, a vaguely charming smile on his face.

The figure was quiet momentarily before making quick closing motions with her hands. There was a sharp sound as two wicked-looking fans snapped shut. She placed them at her sides and calmly removed her helmet, revealing a red-eyed woman with black going-on silver hair staring at the two with dispassionate eyes. She glanced at the hole in the center of the room before taking a breath.

"So, Ivan's dead too… He should have stayed with us." She said with a small degree of sorrow underlining her voice.

Sol cocked an eyebrow and tightened his grip on Gevaudan. "I think my friend asked you a question."

Her eyes moved back to them. "Gabrielle, my name is Gabrielle. And may I ask yours?"

"My name's Alex. Currently, a kidnapped victim of whatever brought us here. If you would be so kind as to show us the exit, we're going to be on our way." He ended his spiel with a bow, half sardonic, half serious.

The way his hand—behind his back—gripped Calcabrina's hilt clearly indicated that the only reason he wasn't attacking right now was that he was still trying to understand the person in front of him.

"The name is Sol, and I've got a nearly identical story to his," Sol said, his hand slowly drifting down to Nymphaeum.

The woman smiled sadly. "I think the time for that has passed. You've already killed four of our own when all we've done is to do what we've been asked. We could have used them just as much as we could have used you to slay this demon. Don't you care? Doesn't that matter to you?" She asked before shaking her head.

"I can't be helped, I suppose. I can't let you go beyond this point. I've gone too far to allow two interlopers to stop us now." She turned away at that statement, looking past the white marble and pale expanse to a light in the far distance.

"I believe he's almost through, and then we can claim our freedom. Just a few more steps before the demon is slain."

"Wait, you really believe that?" Alex blurted out, blinking. "You aren't just paying lip service to it? You really believe that killing the demon that has brought us here with the power given to us by the very same demon is doable?"

The disbelief in his voice was both a mix of truth and a lie: he knew that they believed that, but it was such a good opening that he couldn't stop reusing it again and again. The lack of communication between the groups helped, and that was for sure.

"The demon is just gonna rip those powers from your bodies and then kill you. If removing the powers doesn't kill you first, anyway."

"You could always be lying. I've met enough people envious of life and with enough power to lie at every opportunity." She responded easily.

"But we're not." Sol began. "We've seen the shards, had them pulled from our very souls like invasive parasites. They're as real as the rest of this damned place! And you're just giving yourself to…"

"I don't care," Gabrielle said frostily. "I truly do not care. Where Zeke goes, I go!" She said, raising her voice before taking a quieter tone. "When chaos broke out among us when we were lost and confused, he saved my life; he showed us the way. I can't thank him in any truer way than by protecting him. I'll be his shield while he opens the way for as long as I can, even if I'm killed doing so."

"Way? What way!? There was never mention of a way!? You're just being used by that demon!" Sol shouted angrily.

There was a flash of uncertainty across her face as Gabrielle looked back towards the light in the distance before shaking her head. "Ways, demons… they're all the same when you really stop to look at it. Just obstacles between us and home."

She slipped the helmet back over her head.

"I'm going to help Zeke in every way I can. As long as I can repay that debt, I'll be fine with the consequences."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Something kinda special here. This is the first and only true interlude of this story, and we get to see the perspective of one of the Red Eyes. Gabrielle and the idea of this incredibly loyal warrior serving this... well, you'll all see, were fun as hell to write. Her fights and dialogue were the easiest to write and conceptualize. When we originally wrote and checked this part, the original version took a while, mostly due to trying to figure an older form of speech for Semyaza. Speaking of which, Semyaza's appearance actually came from the DMC 3 manga, as Vergil encountered several sealed demons bearing Angelic appearances distinct from the Fallen.

Obviously, the next chapter will pick up immediately after this, so stay tuned for the next battles. Enjoy, everyone!

 

[Atma]

Hey everyone, sorry for the lack of updates. Life's been a bit busy on my end, and I've been a bit tired all this week, which has screwed my focus on this story. I plan on updating all the information (Bosses and Shop) tomorrow night and then posting the chapter I should have released yesterday, Saturday, and the following chapter on Sunday.

Thank you all, and sorry for the delay.

 

[Atma]

Statue of Infinity

Items:

Blue Orb: 750 Red Orbs
Purple Orb: 1,750 Red Orbs
Gold Orb: 1,000 Red Orbs
Vital Star (S): 250 Red Orbs
Vital Star (M): 500 Red Orbs
Vital Star (L): 750 Red Orbs
Devil Star (S): 750 Red Orbs
Devil Star (M): 1,500 Red Orbs
Devil Star (L): 2,250 Red Orbs
Holy Star: 500 Red Orbs
Holy Water: 2000 Red Orbs
Untouchable: 3000 Red Orbs
Life-Saving Device (L): 25.000 Red Orbs

Personal Enhancement:

Demonic Strengthening (L) Strength: 500 Red Orbs (?)
Demonic Strengthening (L) Dexterity: 500 Red Orbs (?)
Demonic Strengthening (L) Charisma: 500 Red Orbs (?)
Basic Enhancement (Physical): 5,000 Red Orbs

• Advanced Enhancement (Physical): 25.000 Red Orbs
• Peak Enhancement (Physical): 50.000 Red Orbs

Basic Enhancement (Mystical): 5,000 Red Orbs

• Advanced Enhancement (Mystical): 25,000 Red Orbs
• Peak Enhancement (Mystical): 50,000 Red Orbs

Weapons:

Basic Wand: 100 Red Orbs
Basic Scepter: 150 Red Orbs
Basic Staff: 200 Red Orbs
Basic One Handed Melee Weapon: 250 Red Orbs
Basic Two-Handed Melee Weapon: 300 Red Orbs
Basic Enchanted Wand: 600 Red Orbs
Basic Enchanted Scepter: 650 Red Orbs
Basic Enchanted Staff: 700 Red Orbs
Basic Enchanted Handgun: 1,000 Red Orbs
Basic Enchanted Shotgun: 2,000 Red Orbs

Spells:

Enochian Magic Level 1 – Basic: 500 Red Orbs
Enochian Magic Level 2 – Intermediate: 2,500 Red Orbs
Enochian Magic Level 3 – Advanced: 5,000 Red Orbs
Enochian Magic Level 4 – Master: 10,000 Red Orbs

Magic Knowledge Level 1 – Basic: 500 Red Orbs
Magic Knowledge Level 2 – Intermediate: 5,000 Red Orbs
Magic Knowledge Level 3 – Advanced: 10,000 Red Orbs
Magic Knowledge Level 4 – Master: 20,000 Red Orbs
Bullet Spell: 250 Red Orbs

• Rapid Fire 1: 500 Red Orbs
  • Rapid Fire 2: 4.000 Red Orbs
    • Bullet Storm: 8.000 Red Orbs
• Double Bullet: 500 Red Orbs
• Charged Bullet 1: 600 Red Orbs
  • Charged Bullet 2: 2.700 Red Orbs
    • Bomb Bullet: 9.000 Red Orbs
• Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs

Barrier Spell: 500 Red Orbs

• Full Barrier: 2.500 Red Orbs
• Strengthened Barrier 1: 2.000 Red Orbs
  • Strengthened Barrier: 2: 8.000 Red Orbs
    • Castle of Stone: 16.000 Red Orbs

Beam Spell: 500 Red Orbs

• Empowered Beam 1: 2.000 Red Orbs
  • Empowered Beam 2: 6.000 Red Orbs
    • Laser Beam: 12.000 Red Orbs
• Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs

Abilities:

Stinger: 1,500 Red Orbs
Air Hike: 2,000 Red Orbs – Use Demonic Energy for a double jump
Enemy Step: 3,000 Red Orbs – Use enemies as a platform for a higher double jump
Table Hopper: 4,500 Red Orbs – A dodge that shifts the user behind their enemy
Trigger Heart: 7,500 Red Orbs – Reduce the rate of magical use

Hybridization

Imperfect Hybridization (Demonic Body Parts Required): 75,000 Red Orbs
Perfect Hybridization (Demonic Body Parts Required): 100,00 Red Orbs/ (No Body Parts Required) 25,000 Red Orbs
Hybrid Power Enhancement: 250,000 Red Orbs
Greater Hybrid Power Enhancement: 500,00 Red Orbs

Miscellaneous

Care Package A: 200 Red Orbs – A set of sturdy clothes for use in battle
Care Package B: 300 Red Orbs – A pack of generic food rations
Care Package C: 400 Red Orbs – A set of basic first-aid supplies
Care Package D: 600 Red Orbs – A set of armor from an earlier time.

 

[Atma]

Gates of Hell Shop

Devil Arms:

Devil Arms Basic Type: These pieces right here are standard fare for low ranking demons. Easy to make, and not important enough to matter if bought and sold. Only thing is, these weapons are more quantity than quality. So even though they'll hit harder than anything in the human world, don't expect them to hold a candle to more legitimate devil arms.

• Devil Arm – Basic Type A (Marionette Dagger): 1000 CP
• Devil Arm – Basic Type B (Finis Sword): 1000 CP
• Devil Amr – Basic Type C (Hell Pride Scythe): 1000 CP
• Devil Arm – Basic Type D (Scarecrow Axe): 1000 CP

Nidhogg: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Whip, Health Drain on Hit

Geryon: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Time Altering Lance

Malphas: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Demonic Magic Staff

Vendetta: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Sword claimed to have been forged from a fragment of Death's Scythe

Nightmare Gamma: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Demonic gun fueled by magic energy

Angel Arms

Angel Arms Basic Type: It's not what you'd usually find down here, but there's always a market for what the other side is using. These babies are some of the basic arms of the forces of Paradiso. But watch yourself. The energies of this place don't play well with 'em, so unlike the devil arms here, they'll eventually break on ya. But if you want something that'll last, you'll have to pay a premium, ya dig?

• Angel Arm – Basic Type A (Spear): 2000 Red Orbs
• Angel Arm – Basic Type B (Sword): 2000 Red Orbs
• Angel Arm – Basic Type C (Channeling Staff): 2000 Red Orbs
• Angel Arm – Basic Type D (Breaker Wheel): 2000 Red Orbs

Infinite Circuit: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Golden Rings that can mimic basic angel arms

Longinus: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Spear used by Lumen Sages

Elysium: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Bladed shield that can be used like a whip

Madonna: 10,000 Red Orbs

• Heavenly Mace with the image of the Virgin Mother

Please note, that a lot of these items were created early on to create a baseline of what we wanted to work off of. As seen in previous chapters, the Punks absolutely purchased some of these weapons for their own personal use.

 

[Atma]

Alex Skills:

• Calcabrina (Combined Form)

  • Float (Keeping the umbrella open will slow down any fall to a gentle float) - 2.500 Red OrbsBought
    • Levitate (As long as the Umbrella is open, the weight of the user is reduced to almost nothing. Higher jump, can walk on fragile and liquid surfaces) - Require Float,5.000 Red OrbsBought
      • Fly (Glide/flight for a short distance with directional momentum chosen at the start of the movement) - Require Levitate, 10.000 Red Orbs Bought

• Calca (Sheath)

  • Rainproof (Require Barrier) (Strengthen the Barrier and extend it beyond the Umbrella's edge) - 5.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Waterproof (Require Rainproof) (Barrier is strengthened and extended more) - 15.000 Red Orbs Bought

• Brina (Sword)

  • Running Stitch (The tip of the sword is charged with magical energy and, on hit, releases a thin beam of energy in the enemy) - 8.000 Red Orbs Bought

• Seraphim

  • Sing! (Basic attack)(An area attack that uses sonic waves to hit everyone around the user. Short range.)
    • Contralto (The Sing! Attack rises in power and pitch, shattering hard materials and flying back the enemies around the user) - 7.500 Red Orbs Bought

• Geryon Hybrid Powers

  • Blink (Move from one place to another without any time in between. Limited to five seconds of movements, only places that are physically accessible): 7.500 Red Orbs - Bought
  • Time Bubble (Create a bubble of slowed time in front of you that lasts for three seconds): 15.000 Red Orbs - Bought

• Devil Trigger Techniques

  • Calcabrina
    • Geryon-Iai, First Chime: Cutting Between the Seconds (The cut is done between moments, making it basically unavoidable as long as the victim is in range of Alex. Doesn't extend his range, but grants the use of Blink to move before striking) Already owned
    • Geryon-Iai, Second Chime: Heavy Blade of Times Past (The incredible amount of possibilities of cutting in his range turns Calcabrina into what looks like a greatsword. The cut is repeated innumerable times once it hits.) Already Owned
  • Seraphim
    • Sing, O Muse, of the Rage of Achilles! (The feathers detach and vibrate, turning into a storm of sonic lances that shoot toward the enemy) Already Owned

 

[Atma]

Sol Techniques

• Air Hike

• Stinger

• Basic Physical Enhancement x2

Sol Weapons

• Gevaudan (Sword State)

  • Rush Cut (5,000 Red Orbs) – Sol rushes forward, performing a wide two-handed horizontal slash BOUGHT
    • Beat Cut (15,000 Red Orbs) – Upon completion of the first slash, Sol can perform two more slashes for devastating effect. BOUGHT
      • Thriller (20,000 Red Orbs) – The final version of this attack, Sol unleashes a devastating series of slashes at a target. BOUGHT
        • Breakaton (30,00 Red Orbs, Requires Thriller) – A finishing downward strike that is meant to shatter armor or hard skin/scales. BOUGHT

• Gevaudan (Whip State)

  • Dragline (5,000 Red Orbs) – Allows Gevaudan's whip form to extend to greater lengths than physically possible. BOUGHT
    • Constriction (10,000 Red Orbs) (Dragline Required) – Allow the whip to wrap around foes, holding them in place for a brief period. BOUGHT

• Vendetta

  • NO SKILLS

• Geryon B

  • Time Step (10,000 Red Orbs) – Sol can use the inherent time-altering nature of the demon-infused armor to extend a dodge by a second or two. BOUGHT

• Demon Arm

  • Abyssal Punch (20,000 Red Orbs) – Sol can channel the demonic energy in his left arm to unleash a devastating blow. BOUGHT

 

[Atma]

Hey, everyone. It's pretty late where I am at the moment, but I updated the boss list significantly and will update the skill list for Alex and Sol tomorrow. Now, there is still work on the boss list that needs to be done, namely the various themes for many of them, but that's a relatively easy thing to discuss between Yuki and I. My hope is that I can dual-post chapters tomorrow and make up for the slip in schedules.

Thank you all and I hope you enjoy.

 

[Atma]

"So, she's the dragon," Alex muttered, already unsheathing his blade while the woman in armor in front of him snapped open her fans.

GABRIELLE: SERAPHIC SHIELD​

"Well, if you aren't going to listen to us about the demon paras-" Alex had to raise his umbrella, stopping the kick that Gabrielle had tried to squash his head with, moving from one side of the room to the other. After that, his sword intercepted the fan coming down before he pushed her away.

Sol attempted to use Gevaudan's whip to capitalize on Gabrielle's opening, but only for her leg to close on the bone blade, dragging Sol forward. She followed with a sharp knee that Sol was forced to block from. The defended blow sent Sol flying backward. Rolling into a crouched position, Sol's hands began to tremble from the force of the blows.

"What the hell was that?" He asked more to himself than anyone else.

In the meantime, Alex snapped his sword in a thrust towards her before opening the umbrella, obscuring his form for a moment. When she brought her heel down on where Alex would be, she found out that he was holding a staff sideways, stopping the attack cold.

"Sing." His command was sharp and short before a wall of sound and vibration hit her straight in the middle and sent her backward, a short cry escaping her lips.

Gabrielle flew back towards the entrance of the Heavenly Parody. Falling head over heel, she had enough wherewithal and time to recover before Sol had closed the distance.

"Abyssal Pau…!!" Sol was cut off as Gabrielle shifted herself beneath his outstretched arm and grabbed it. Using Sol's Momentum, she spun and forced her weight into the second hybrid, carrying the both of them past the platform and below to the area she had avoided earlier.

Sol released a sharp air gasp as he felt the hard surface and wildly punched at Gabrielle's sides. He heard her grunt from pain before she rolled off him and kicked him away.

Alex didn't even wait, throwing himself off the platform and storing Seraphim back in his inventory. Calcabrina was thrown towards the duo.

"Grab it!" His voice barely reached Sol's ears before a bullet made of energy slammed against Gabrielle's form.

Sol grabbed the umbrella and felt his momentum arrest before making the mistake of looking down.

"Ohhh shit, there's nothing down there!" He yelled.

Gabrielle, on the other hand, had recovered on her own, her wing flaring out and pushing towards the nearest place of solid ground. She took several breaths before clutching her sides.

"Those demons must have… dammit." She hissed in pain. Calming herself, she retracted her wing and began to scan for the other two hybrids.

"Searching for someone?!" The shout came from behind her before a beam of energy slammed against her. The two hybrids were hovering in mid-air, the canopy of the umbrella open, Alex having charged the beam and shot before shouting.

He was dramatic, not stupid.

Gabrielle took the blast head-on and rolled off the ledge, disappearing from sight. However, there was something in the air. Truthfully, it was two somethings. The sounds that drew the two to the entrance had returned with a vengeance as the two fans began to arc toward Alex and Sol.

"Oh crap!" Sol shouted before raising Nymphaeum and firing. The blast hit one of the fans, blasting it back but only halting its movements.

"The other one! The other one!" Sol called out in warning.

Alex changed Calcabrina to Seraphim before a veritable wall of sound slammed against the whirling fan. The sustained vibrations stopped the weapons and kept them still for a moment. However, neither of them were overpowering the other.

"Shoot it down!"

With a grunt, Sol aimed Nymphaeum again and fired upon the remaining fan. The blasts did bring the fan down, much to his joy, and he watched it clatter to the ground near the other one uselessly.

That was the moment when Alex's body was sent flying forward towards the edge of the platform while Gabrielle landed in a roll, snatching the two fans from the ground and turning towards Sol. His eyes were initially drawn to her blood-splattered heels, where she had struck Alex before his sight traveled upwards to meet hers.

Sol charged forward, unleashing Gevaudan against her. Gabrielle weaved herself around the whip easily until Sol jerked his arm back. Gabrielle quickly found her left arm wrapped in the bone segments and hissed as the blades bite through her armor and into her skin.

"No cheap strikes now!" Sol shouted before pulling her in. Gabrielle used the fan in her right hand to strike Sol, who used Nymphaeum to block the strike. The two strained against each other before Sol dropped Nymphaeum and shouted, "Infernal Punch!"

While she had brought her elbow down to parry the strike, the punch had managed to graze her. The force was enough to dent her side plate and elbow guard, respectively. With a sharp gasp, Gabrielle kicked Sol away, forcefully unwinding Gevauden from her arm in the process. Alexander, in the meantime, had managed to recover enough that he grabbed his weapon and shot back upwards as fast as he could, already worrying about Sol.

In the meantime, Gabrielle was panting, keeping her distance from Sol, before she gripped her arm and twisted it back in place.

"I need to get back to Zeke." Her voice was still calm, even in her condition. Her two fans spun through the air like buzz saws before she grabbed them. "And you are not going to block me." She continued as demonic energy started rising around her, her eyes shining red.

Her wing unfurled itself and seemed to grow as the energy grew in size and ferocity. A smaller wing on the opposing wing soon joined it. Then… then the energy collapsed down upon her, weaving its way into the armor and deeper into her body. Her armor began to visibly change, becoming more organic and lighter in color until what stood before the two was something that could only be described as angelic.

"His wishes, his goals are all that matters. All else will scatter to the winds." Gabrielle stated a matter of factly, her voice roiling with power.

Alexander saw the blast of demonic energy coming from above him and put on a burst of speed: he needed to reach them before something deadly happened. Sol wasn't allowed to die!

Sol was rooted to the spot, horrified and in awe of the power he was feeling from the transformation, and only barely reacting in time. Banishing Gevauden, he brought forth Vendetta and hastily brought it in front of him. He tried blocking the blast of demonic energy, but he was only partially successful, as the force sent him screaming back and nearly over the edge. Banishing Vendetta, he clawed at the edge to keep himself from falling to the void below; all the while, Gabrielle slowly approached.

"You won't be the first I cast down. There was a Fallen in this land before. You'll join him sooner or later."

Sol didn't respond as he was too focused on pulling himself up to respond. From behind, Alexander shot upwards, a parabolic arc that put him on a collision course against Gabrielle. His face showed fear. Terror, really, then anger, then fury. And then it showed nothing else; as a helmet appeared, Alex transitioned into his Devil Trigger state all at once, faster than he ever had.

Gabrielle stiffened just as she was about to step on one of Sol's hands and turned to face Alex. "You too? No matter, I'll end this quickly."

"No, you won't." Alexander's voice was cold as the void of space before he somersaulted off his weapon, hand grabbing the handle.

"Geryon-Iai, Second Chime, Heavy Blade of Times Past." It wasn't a series of movements. Not even a stance or two.

It was a single, unbroken movement from a position that shouldn't have worked against an enemy that had seen him coming. Still, the attack moved forward, time stopping and aggregating around the blade, turning it into a heavy mass of 'cutting' that would rend Gabrielle in pieces.

Gabrielle dodged, barely.

With a sickening sound, her wing fell away from her body, and Alexander landed on his feet, sliding backward. There was a breath stillness for what seemed like a far longer period of time than it had right to, followed by a shrill scream. In a moment of fury, Gabrielle clawed at the stump where one of her wings was.

"Damn you, Damn YOU!" She hissed at Alex with more venom than was expected of the stoic second in command.

Without another word, she charged at Alex, fans keening all the while.

Alex answered in kind, sheath in one hand, blade in the other. The air between them was soon filled with the sound of blades clashing against each other, energy discharged, and two bodies doing their best to destroy each other.

Sol kept trying to pull himself up over the ledge as the battle raged on.

"Come on… come on… I can't die here!" He bit out as he tried to climb. The feeling of nothingness beneath him was adding more to an ever-growing anxiety that was threatening to consume him. He could hear and see the battle and knew he had to be there, if only… That was it!

He tried his best to secure a grip before searching out the familiar feeling, that steady hum of energy.

"I know you're there; just give me that power now!" Sol hissed as he dug deeper. It was like the beginnings of fire waiting to be coaxed in a desperate cold. He could feel it awakening and traveling into his arm, and he forced the power down into the palm of his hand. The sudden rush of demonic energy sent Sol flying in the air. The power leveled out and suffused his body like it had before, and as he fell, Vendetta returned.

"Come On!"

Alex, in the meantime, was furiously fighting for his life. It was easy to say that she was the hardest fighter he had encountered during his time here. The demons that he had met until now didn't even compare. The only reason he was able to gain an advantage in their fight was that he had two weapons on her single one.

With a kick to the ground, he jumped upwards and avoided a slash from her, only to have to defend against her remaining wing, Calcabrina's canopy opening and hiding him from view. The impact sent him flying upwards, which Gabrielle used to her advantage, her razor-sharp fans cutting the air like circular saws, searching to cut Alex to ribbons. In the middle of trying to reorient himself, Alex changed weapons, bringing Seraphim out. At that, the armor around him changed with a flash, now thinner, but he had a coat of feathers down his back, the wings of this form closed, for now.

"Sing!" A sphere of vibrations exploded from his form, sending the fans flying backward before the sound expanded, slamming against Gabrielle faster than she could answer.

As the attack hit Gabrielle, a dark blur slammed into her back. There was a shriek of steel and scale as Gabrielle was cast down from the attack. Sol crashed to the ground shortly after that but managed to recover, banishing Vendetta and summoning Gevaudan and Nymphaeum back.

"Let's even the odds, shall we?" Sol said while brandishing his weapon and stepping in a way to get between her and Alex.

Gabrielle wordlessly rose and rolled her shoulders. The stump of her larger wing twitched painfully, and with a grunt, the lesser wing seemed to grow slightly longer. Not enough to be used as a weapon or mode of flight, but possibly for different reasons. It twitched, quickly flung itself wide, and snapped back to its previous position.

She opened her fan and charged. Sol met her charge and swung down with Gevauden, only for that wing to snap out, pushing the blade away. While Sol managed to block the fan with Nymphaeum's barrels, her now free hand wrapped itself around his throat. With a grunt, Sol closed the distance between the two and kicked off the ground, throwing his full weight on top of her. He rolled and kicked up.

"Alex!" He gasped out.

"Sing, O Muse, of the rage of Achilles!" At his call, the feathers of his cloak fluffed up, opening to show the metallic-looking wings, before a cloud of razor-sharp feathers shot all around him.

Around each feather, a shell made of sound formed, turning into javelins in a mere moment. After that, the deadly shower fell, the vibration splitting the air, the bronze-colored feathers inside their shell of vibrations powerful enough to reduce stone to dust. They fell like a deadly, shining rain.

Straight towards Gabrielle.

There was a moment that could only be seen by those within the throes of the battle, where it appeared that Gabrielle attempted to block with her fan and wing. It was as fleeting as the sands in an hourglass. The Javelin Rain hammered into her, driving her from the sky and deep into the platform with a bloodcurdling scream.

"Is it over?" Sol asked Alex, only for a noise to answer the question for him.

The sound of broken, shifting marble made it clear it wasn't. Gabrielle was still alive. Pulling herself from the imprint, her once angelic appearance was tarnished and rent. Her remaining wing hung by only the barest shreds of muscle. What areas of her body were readily visible were blackened, and those that weren't were weeping rivers of blood. A harsh, wheezing noise emanated from her form.

"It's not… finished… not yet!" She gasped out while struggling to a standing position.

Sol shook his head and sighed before holstering Nymphaeum and approaching her. The rage was fading, and in its place was pity.

"I… have to go! I have to be there! Be his… shield!" Gabrielle stated while trying to raise her arms.

"I'm sorry," Sol began. "But we can't let you do that. Demon's Dance!" He roared before charging. Whether it was the last dregs of adrenaline allowing her movement or the potential she carried, she managed to block the first two strikes of Demon's Dance. Unfortunately for her, she wasn't able to block all the strikes. Each time Gevauden struck, a flash of blood arced freely. Fifteen times did Gabrielle feel the bite of the Demon's Dance, with the last being a piercing strike. She fell forward onto Sol's shoulder, her grip only momentarily like iron before slipping off his form.

Sol stumbled backward and collapsed to the ground, his form reverting to its usual state.

"You… you okay?" He asked Alex.

The hybrid, still in his Devil Trigger form, only cocked his head to the side before moving toward the rapidly cooling corpse. While the transformation was vanishing into a swirl of bronze feathers, he bent down and grabbed the fans.

When he turned back towards Sol, his eyes were suspiciously shiny. "I'm… I will be fine. Once this is done."

The fans in his hands opened and closed a couple of times before Alex sighed. "We need to find a portal to the Gates of Hell. Do you have any idea where it would be?"

Sol looked around the platform critically for the first time. The void seemed to stretch out forever, but there were paths leading to and fro throughout it.

Sol responded with a weary note in his voice. "No, but if I were to guess, I'd say near a Divinity Statue. Problem is… where is one?"

"That's a good question. And… Wait. Do you hear that?" Alex turned his head towards the platform's edge a moment before a hand made of stone-like flesh grabbed the edges, slowly dragging up something… or someone.

Inch by inch, a ruined form appeared from the platform's edge, arching wings flapping slowly, trying to keep the… body or what remained afloat.

The form shook with fury… until its sight landed on Gabrielle's corpse, which exploded into a firework of red orbs, the deluge of which dividing itself between the duo.

"HUBRIS WAS PRESENT IN ALL OF US. THOU SHOULD HAVE REALIZED THAT WHEN THINE ANCESTORS WERE CAST OUT FROM THE GARDEN." The stone-like being started before it turned to Alex and Sol and pulled itself further upon the platform.

"TWO MORE THIEVES ENTER THIS PARODIC LAND. THIEVES THOU ART, YET UNBOUND BY CHAINS OF DECEIT. WOULD THOU PERHAPS BE WILLING TO TREAT WITH THEE?"

Alex blinked. "You are dying. I can… feel it. Your time is coming to an end." Alex moved forward a bit before the giant angel-shaped demon dragged himself fully onto the platform. Not that there was a lot of drag, considering that his lower body was… not there. Anymore.

"I'm willing to listen to what you have to say before deciding. First, who are you?"

"I WAS ONCE CALLED TEACHER AND LOVER OF THINE ANCESTORS BEFORE THE GREAT DELUGE. THOU WOULDST KNOWETH ME BETTER AS WATCHER." The stone-like demon stated easily and with no small degree of pride.

"A Grigori? That's… surprising. Didn't YHVH…"

And when Alex pronounced that, the very air around him vibrated, the stone under his feet cracking and splintering from it. It also made him start to bleed from his eyes, ears, and nose.

"SPEAK NOT THAT NAME, LEST YEE DRAW THE IRE OF HE WHO SPEAKS WITH HIS VOICE! THOU KNOWETH HIM WELL ENOUGH." The stone-like demon called out.

"Yeah, sorry. Slipped out. Anyway, you… are currently dying. What do you want from us?" Alex asked, carefully taking a step to the side from his previous position, leaving the scorched and cracked pavement to his side.

"I doubt it is that girl's head, considering she's already dead."

"IT WOULD HAVE IF SHE WERE STILL AMONG THE LIVING. YET THE CORPSE OF A BETRAYED HEART MEANS LITTLE."

"Did… was she the one that did all that damage." Sol finally asked.

"THE ANSWER SHOULD BE PLAIN TO THEE."

"Well, that's a shame. You must have been rather grand when at full power." Alex's words were sort of careless… In the sense that they weren't careless at all. And still, he was waiting to hear what the Grigori wanted.

Mostly because he wanted to satiate his curiosity before he died.

"I HAVE LOST HALF OF MYSELF TO THE VOID ABOVE AND BELOW, MINE REVENGE HATH BEEN STOLEN FROM ME, AND MINE HEAVENLY FORM RUINED. I SHALL NOT DENIGRATE MYSELF TO BE AS BASE AS THE SERPENT'S SPAWN. EVEN NOW, I FEEL MINE FLESH CRACK AND BREAK. THOU MAY SLAY THEE QUICKLY. ALL THAT I ASK IS FOR THEE TO PIERCE HER LOVE'S HEART, A LAST VENDETTA FROM ONE WHO WOULD HAVE LOVED HER MORE."

"Oh, we will. But I have a suggestion: Are you willing to entertain me for a moment more?" Alex smiled, his hair fluttering behind him. He took a few steps forward until he was near Semyaza.

"I feel as though far too gone towards the demon side, hybrid as I am. And I understand that. But I have a way for you to survive and even heal. Along with witnessing your vendetta personally." A close-lipped smile.

"Turn into a Devil Arm. I will not brandish you; it will be him who will keep you. He's far more human than I am. You can see your vengeance with your own being. Both of Gabrielle's lover and the demon that created this place." Alex waved his hand in a meaningless motion to emphasize what he was saying.

"So, what do you say?"

"TO BE AMONG MANKIND ONCE MORE? I ACCEPT." Semyaza declared before his stone-like form collapsed in on itself, creating an orb of pale white light before gently drifting Sol. The moment it came near enough, it enveloped his hands before coalescing into two pale gauntlets with golden gems set into the tops of each. Sol clenched his hands experimentally before throwing some jabs.

"You may not pierce the heart, but I can rip the heart out with these," Sol stated, feeling a sense of content in response.

Alex clapped in admiration. "Congrats on your new companion. Now we just need to find a way to Rodin, and we can finally complete our arsenal…" The hybrid stopped for a moment before facepalming.

"I'm talking like we are in a video game… Which, kinda, but still. We don't have a redo." He turned and looked around, trying to see if there was a way to go up, a door, or even a secret room.

Sol, still gazing at the gauntlets, chuckles, "Well, like any game, if we're not winning, we're not cheating hard enough. I guess an overabundance of weapons and powers counts as such."

He looked at the area around him. "This place is like a maze, isn't it? And knowing our luck, they just had to destroy the bridge, didn't they."

Alex nodded before sighing. "This is going to wipe me out, but it's the fastest way and also the best way for us to get out of here, so…" He turned towards Sol.

"Hop on." Calcabrina hovering at his side, a grin etched on his face.

Sol just wordlessly nodded and gripped Calcabrina, keeping his eyes shut as he did so.

"Calm down, I'm going to go easy on you. Ready?" Alex sat on Calcabrina alongside Sol before pointing upwards to where they had come from. "We're going to the maximum speed. I want to reach the platform as soon as possible. Three, two, one…"

The umbrella shot upwards, far faster than before, leaving behind a small vortex of wind.

If Sol's grip wasn't like iron, it sure was now, as he unconsciously screamed in fright.

**************************

The top platform was half-destroyed, but there was enough space for both of them to land without having to stay glued to one another. With a flex of his wrist, Alex stored Calcabrina away before taking a couple of steps towards the bridge - part of the bridge, anyway - and trying to see what was beyond it.

"Let's hope there's a Gate to hell somewhere near here." The hybrid muttered under his breath, searching around for any hint of red light.

"Oh sweet, beautiful ground, your wisdom is most absolute," Sol muttered as he collapsed forward.

Turning his head to Alex, "Your Umbrella is crazy. Has anyone told you that?"

"No, but thanks." He answered absentmindedly, probably not even having heard him. Or registered his words.

"Do you see anything useful? A door, a portal, a demon?"

Sol looked around briefly. Their current location seemed like a relatively flat platform with staircases leading to… incorrect directions. Some were upside down and aimed skyward, others seemed to form from the sides and went nowhere, while a rare few actually did lead to other platforms on both higher and lower levels. At the foot of one of these staircases, Sol saw a hint of red light.

He pointed at it before saying, "I think Lady Luck might just be smiling on us right now."

"Eh, I'll take all the luck we can get. Good eyes." Alex praised Sol with a smile before starting to walk towards the platform.

"Do you think we're going to get attacked by some demons before we can enter? I mean, it's been a while since we saw some. Or do you think that the presence of Gabrielle and her beau have sent every one of them running?"

"Considering the bodies surrounding her, I think she killed a good majority of the ones that were here. If they wouldn't try to kill us the first chance they got, I'd actually thank them. They probably wore her down a bit." Sol said grimly before looking at the portal.

"Well, shall we?"

"Sure." And, with a jump, Alex threw himself into the glowing circle on the ground, vanishing into a flash of energy.

With a shrug, Sol followed suit.

As he fell through, he looked at the bar and its owner. "Sir, do we have some stuff for you today."

Rodin looked at the two before he turned to look at the bar. A bar that was… far more busy than before. On the left, as far as possible from the others, there were the kids from the school that Sol and Alex had met at the Mall, looking rather scared but also like they were taking a breath of fresh air. Mingling around the right side, the punks, and the college guys were chatting and exchanging stories, the students looking rather impressed by the scars that the punks had on them.

Then, the tall black man turned back towards Sol and Alex. "More people? I don't think this bar has been this full since… ever."

"Well, good bar patrons try to spread the word if they find a place they like. Speaking of which, we got some new things for you." Sol said while gesturing to Alex and making sure to show off Semyaza.

Alex smirked and took out both the boots and the fans, the two weapons resonating with one another.

"You managed to get your hands on both of them? Congratulations, it's been… a while since they were used together. As for you…" Rodin blinked when he actually looked at the weapon in Sol's hands.

"A Grigori… It's been ages since I've seen one of them. In that form, even. Do you know the name? Kokabiel, Gadreel, maybe Af?"

"He introduced himself as Semyaza. He had been left for dead by one of the Red Eyes, and we killed her before he could get her back." Sol said, feeling the gauntlets heat up at the mention of Gabrielle.

He continued, "Semyaza wanted to get revenge on her and figured the best way was to do it vicariously by killing the man she loved or… maybe wanted to protect. That's how I got these."

Rodin's glasses had slid down enough that everyone in the room could see his eyes. "You got the king of the Grigori with you? That's impressive, kid. More than you know."

"I… I guess so. I'll be sure to put him to good use." Sol said contemplatively before looking at Alex. "I think my friend here has just completed a set you mentioned earlier."

"Yeah. Here you go. Can you fine-tune them?" Alex placed the fans and boots in front of Rodin, who grabbed them and started checking them over.

"They haven't got a good scrubbing since the black plague. Let me work my magic. You want a bit of work on that, too, kid? Buff out the cracks?" The barman nodded at the gauntlets around Sol's hands, his expression impossible to really understand.

"You know what? Go for it." Sol began before getting a coy look. "Hey, those parasites you ripped out of us. Could you feed them to our new acquisitions? As a little 'fuck you' to the bastard that put us here." Sol finished.

Rodin grinned. "You've read my mind. Give me a couple of hours, and you'll see what I got for you." And, with that, he vanished into a red glowing circle.

"Well," Sol began, "I guess we can take the time to plan what we do next."

"Yeah. I wonder if Rodin knows where we can find a statue." Alex leaned against the counter, a glass of some drink that the fallen angel had left there for them held in his fingers.

"We're entering the endgame now."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Third Devil Arm has been acquired for both of the main characters, and with that, we have officially moved into the endgame. There are only four chapters left, with an epilogue following thereafter. This is a very exciting moment, and the next chapter will, in a way, re-introduce us to an old friend.

Enjoy everyone.

 

[InZodwetrust]

Sad to see this story possibly reaching its end. Would there be a sequel of their adventures in DMC verse?

 

[Alian Weiss]

How the fuck are we already at the endgame???

This feels like half of DMC 4 in terms of length.

But that might just be because we don't have to play Dante through the same levels.

 

[Atma]

How the fuck are we already at the endgame???

This feels like half of DMC 4 in terms of length.

But that might just be because we don't have to play Dante through the same levels.

Click to shrink...

Kinda hit the nail on the head with the Reverse Dante Playthrough. That being said, most DMC games have a mission count of 18, so we're actually above the normal mission counter. Speaking of which...

 

[Atma]

Sol took a moment to register those words and sighed. "Yeah, I guess you're right… Kinda weird when you think of it. Home… at least what'll pass for now anyway isn't that far off."

"Assuming we can return, anyway." Alex blithely answered the unspoken question that Sol didn't ask. Right after that, he drank the entire glass in a single, unbroken sip, his head thrown back, his hair moving like liquid metal for a moment.

"If we end this with some Red Orbs remaining, do you think that we can exchange them for money somewhere?"

"Oh, I hope so because I don't think our IDs could easily pass for trans-dimensional passports or records. Maybe pay for a boat charter… To get to Fortuna Island. There could be plenty of research notes that could help us." Sol said while tapping a sharp nail against the bar.

He'd occasionally go to snap his fingers upon an idea but realizing how close they were and the state of his arm…

"We'll have to take the time to figure out illusions, or however Sparda and the more humanoid demons concealed their true selves," Sol said.

"I guess. Maybe the Statue can help. As for traveling through dimensions… Well, there's a chance. Depending on how close to the end we get out of this fucked up dimension." Alex hummed a bit, the tip of his fingers lighting up momentarily.

"How much of a chance do you want to take?" Alex asked.

"About as much as you will, I guess. It'd be funny, right we set up an entire ritualistic thing and find ourselves in the weirdest of places?" Sol stated, stifling a laugh while reaching for his drink.

"Like, here we are, nascent badasses who have been killing demons left, right, and center, and we show up in something like a Saturday morning cartoon with a gimmick or something."

Sol laughed once again before finishing, "Be nice change of pace, considering…"

"I mean, as long as it's not one of those… stupid ones, like… Teen Titans Go or something like that, I'm fine with it. As long as we don't provoke Bugs Bunny or anything. It wouldn't end well for us, really." Alex chuckled at his own sentence, clearly imagining the scene.

"We don't talk about 'Go'," Sol says with a shudder. "It's like the Highlander Sequels or Third Birthday. It doesn't exist."

And then suddenly, a thought occurred to Sol. "You don't suppose that that would ring true for anime, would you? I mean, here we are, having a drink in a bar called 'Gates of Hell' while a Fallen angel bartender… and, oh wow, I think I answered my own question."

Alex just smirked before tapping the counter with his fingers.

"Look. After the duel between Dante and Vergil, when Nero recovers his arm, the dimensional barrier splits open when Yamato shatters, and a shard cuts it open. If we throw ourselves in the gap, I can use magic to whisk us away from here." The hybrid stopped momentarily before moving his hand in a meaningless movement to have something to do.

"Problem is, we're going to go forward blind. No idea where we'll land. Like that old saying in my country: Se lasci la strada vecchia per quella nuova, si sa quel che si lascia e non si sa quel che si trova."

Then he stopped talking in Italian and translated. "Or, in a way that you can understand: 'If you leave the old road for the new, you know what you're leaving behind, not what you're going to find."

"Hmmm, can't disagree with that. It's a start, at the very least, and if it is a good start, then that's half the work done for us." Sol responded.

"Ah. Well, something will come out of it, I'm sure. I'll start working on it and see what I can come up with." Having said that, he nodded at Sol and moved to another table, starting to sketch something on some paper he had pilfered from behind the counter.

*******************************************

Sometime later, tell-tale sounds of Rodin's reappearance made itself known. While most of the bar patrons merely glanced at the bar before returning to their conversations, Alex and Sol were focused on what was delivered.

"So, for our little hybrid here, here's your new armaments: Laughing Kookaburra and Great Butcherbird." Rodin put the pair of boots and the pair of fans in front of the long-haired guy.

"Newly forged, their bond renewed again, never to be separated. Once you wear them, you'll also get armor even when not in Devil Trigger, so that's going to be a nice piece of protection. The heels are sharper than a barber's razor, and the same goes for the edges of the fans. Can dispel minor magics and, when they have built enough resonance together - you'll know when they are ready - you are going to be able to break barriers in front of you, be it magical or physical."

Without waiting, Alex took the pair of boots and the fans and equipped them through the inventory band that Rodin himself had given them however many days ago. The boots were kind of feminine, but, as he soon discovered, he could retract the heel via a sharp push downwards. Every time the fans cut through the air, a gust of air followed them, and soon, the tablecloths started to flutter away.

Alex stopped and smiled, showing his teeth, before letting the fan hang from his wrists. "They fit perfectly. You do an excellent job, as always, Rodin."

"That I do," Rodin said proudly before placing a familiar pair of gauntlets on the bar.

"Those didn't need too much work, but that parasite you gave me? That added something special to them. They'll drain demonic energy from anything you hit, so that'll be a nasty surprise." Rodin said with a knowing smirk.

If Sol could whistle, he would have, but all he could do was raise his eyebrows.

"That would make using these abilities much more economic." He said before slipping the gauntlets on and feeling them fit themselves more securely over his arms.

Sol balled his fists several times before giving Alex a thumbs up. "I know we've said it a lot, but thank you for all this. I don't think we'd be alive by this point without your help."

"Yeah, what he said. I can see why Bayonetta relies on you so much." Alex said before freezing.

Rodin stopped before looking at the two of them. "So, you know about Bayonetta? Heard of her around?" His voice was rather… airy. Something that had never been once in all their encounters.

"One of the Red Eyes complained about her and your weapons earlier, the former owner of the boots. She said something along the lines about how they made things more difficult and less fun." Sol said quickly.

He continued, "Granted, this was all coming from a woman obsessed with vampire literature and who acted like a faster slasher villain with a pair of sin scissors, so take that for a grain of salt."

Rodin looked at both Alex and Sol for another interminable moment before shrugging. "Sure. I'll believe you. Now, do you want anything else?"

"Tequila sunrise, if it's possible." Alex flopped down on the stool in front of the counter before looking up at Rodin. "And if you know the nearest location of a Divinity Statue, I would be grateful."

"I'll take another Gin and Tonic on the rocks, and yeah, the same location info. We're close I think, just a little while longer and we can end this." Sol said shortly after.

Rodin looked down at the duo before he lowered his sunglasses by a fraction. When he spoke, his voice dropped an octave, and the air reverberated with his words. Alex's back also shivered, but for another reason entirely that had nothing to do with the fallen angel's power. Well, mostly nothing to do.

"I'm going to forget what you two said about my friend. However, if I find out that you have any involvement in hurting her, you are going to see why I'm undisturbed and can play at being a barman, understood?"

The hint of red glow coming from his eyes underscored the threat perfectly.

"Holy shit, you have no idea how hot you are right now." Alex's mouth ran faster than his thoughts, and before he waved his hands, an apologetic expression was on his face.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm more impulsive than before. No plans on hurting her or anyone else she may have at heart, I swear."

Sol choked for a moment before laughing, "We're good. No intention of harming any patrons here." That brief moment of levity drained any tension from him.

"Forgive my friend, all the changes, he's right. Just trying to get used to things and uh, the idea of the end being within grasp, you know how it is." Sol said, trying to wave anything off.

Rodin just stared at the duo for a few moments before he finally stopped hovering menacingly and turned to grab the bottles he needed to make their drinks.

"Good. As for the Statue, I don't know where you can find one." Dry as a desert, although with what sounded like a little bit of humor.

And then, two glasses were put in front of them.

Sol raised his glass to Rodin and Alex before drinking some of it. Putting the glass down on the bar, he mused, "Then I guess we'll have to find that out on our own and log it down for the future."

Sol took another sip before asking a contemplative question. "Rodin, sir, when we came to you and removed those parasites, how many others did the same?"

Rodin looked at them for a long, long moment. "You don't want to know the answer."

And that was that.

"That's… that could be either too many or too few… Right, well, that's a bridge we'll have to cross when we get there." Sol said before finishing his drink.

"What do you think, Alex?" Sol asked Alex.

"I think…" The hybrid stopped for a moment before turning halfway towards the door to the outside of the bar. "I think we need to get a move on."

"Yeah, you're right. Rodin, thank you for the drink and supplies, but it looks like we're going to end this." Sol said while getting up.

"Yeah. If we're not meeting again after this, thanks for everything."

*************************************

The place where they had fought Gabrielle was a maze, with hallways and bridges that went nowhere and dead ends where it looked like there were ways forward.

It seemed impossible.

"We're missing something." Alex paced from one side of the place to the other, pivoting on his heel in a strangely fluid movement.

Sol began to snap his fingers before giving a long suffering sigh. "Maybe… maybe we need an aerial perspective? I mean, when you think about it, this place is not enclosed or anything; we could see what's around and," Sol paused for a moment before continuing, "Fly there?"

"I'm not going to have enough energy to fly us continuously and fight the Demon at the end of this labyrinth. So, we're going to have to get a good look at the place and then try to orient ourselves from that. Meaning, we're going as high as we can before coming down." Alex looked at Sol, a frown on his face.

"I know I take things lightly most of the time, but your fear of heights is not something I want to treat carelessly unless doing so shows that I am in control and not going to let you fall. Are you ok with this solution?"

"We've been fighting demons for the past. Who knows how long? If I can come out of this with at least one phobia conquered, that'll be a silver lining… Although fuck spiders, I'll never be cool around spiders." Sol said with a small chuckle.

He looked around at the maze before gesturing to an upper platform. "Maybe we don't have to fly too far. If we make it to a high enough place like that platform up there, we could get a better lay of the land."

"Hard same for spiders. And sure, let's try for that. Fair warning though, I'm going to go fast. Hop on." Calcabrina appeared in his hands before Alex let it go, and it started floating by itself. With a simple jump, both of them were on it.

"Grab my waist. And we're going!" The weapon shot upwards, far faster than what Alex used during a fight, reaching the upper platform in a few seconds.

Sol kept his eyes firmly shut until he could feel the platform below his feet. He was still incredibly shaky, but he managed to stand as quickly as he could. Looking around, the vantage point was useful to see just how labyrinthine the place actually was. There were two points of light off in the distance. One, closer, was dimmer than the other, farther off one. There was something else there, a spot of darkness against the pale light, but it wasn't easy to make out.

"I guess there's our statue and our way home… or what passes for it," Sol said.

"So, I'm guessing that the bright light is the end. We're going to the dimmer one. Here's hoping we're not making a mistake." Alex nodded at Sol, and the duo shot towards their destination.

*********************************************

The Statue was in what looked like a cul-de-sac, with exactly two things: a Divinity Statue on the right and a series of runes on the left. It was a new secret room.

"Well, I didn't expect that." Calcabrina vanished in the inventory while Alex studied the runes on the wall.

"Is it an encounter, or is it one of the puzzle rooms?" Sol asked while looking between the two.

"Still no idea. The runes are Enochian, but I still haven't cracked the code to see which one it creates." Alex said cheerily before grabbing Sol's hand and tapping the wall with his fingers.

"Let's find out, shall we?"

They vanished inside.

The room inside was not entirely expected. While it maintained the pale speckled marble of the realm outside, it was different in its theme. With its expansive layout, pale murals depicting a winged three-eyed being standing in front of a large congregation, and imitations of large chandeliers, it had more of a turn-of-the-century look than the parody of the heavens outside. This was only augmented by the additional sweeping blank tapestries and banners that hung across what could be considered the room's windows. All in all, it looked like a grand hall of sorts.

"This is not what I was expecting," Sol said while looking around the room.

"Hard same." Alex nodded to his companion before stopping. "What are we supposed to do here? There's no monster, and there's no visible puzzle above…" He stopped and looked up, trying to see if something was flying or on the ceiling, but there was nothing. "There's still nothing."

He made a turn on himself before looking at Sol. "This feels strange."

"Hmmm, you're right… Maybe…" Sol was cut off as the sound of shifting stone began to make itself noise. One of the murals began to move, slowly at first, but then more fluidly. As it did, lines of orange magma began to make themselves known across its body before a series of dark blue eyes opened. They scanned the room briefly before focusing on the two, and the creature pushed itself off the wall. Landing in front of them, it stepped forward, steam hissing with each step, and spoke.

"BAH! TWO MORE LITTLE ONES. I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE SOMETHING HERE. YOU ARE HARDLY WORTH THE EFFORT!"

Sol took a step back, "That's… a giant spider!" He hissed out.

Alex stood there without moving, his face completely still, fixed in a rictus of fear for a moment before he took a step back.

"Nope." Calcabrina appeared in his hands a moment later, open, and pointed at the giant spider. "Nope." He charged the full beam in moments, half the time that he usually needed for it, before shooting it straight at the face of the demon.

"I refuse your existence."

The blasts caused the demon to recoil briefly before shaking its frame.

"SO THERE IS SOMETHING HERE? IT DOESN'T MATTER, I'LL STILL SQUASH YOU LIKE A BUG!" It roared before charging the two

BURNING ARACHNID: PHANTOM​

"Oh, shut up!" Alex exploded, before Calcabrina was suddenly replaced by Seraphim. Lances of pure sound flew towards the giant arachnid demon, slamming against his skin in a volley of vibrations that seemed to hurt him—somewhat.

"BAH! WHAT IS THAT NOISE!!!???" Phantom roared as it rose, a claw in the air tried to bring it down on the two.

Now Sol hated spiders. He had ever since he was a kid. However, instead of freezing up at the sight of spiders as he would with heights, he reacted… differently. If there was a spider and he could leave, Sol would do just that. If he couldn't leave, then he'd never feel comfortable until any spider in the room was crushed by a rolled magazine or something similar. And well… Semyaza was that rolled magazine.

"Infernal Punch!!!" Sol roared as he struck the claw, cracking the stone skin and sending magma spewing across the floor.

Phantom moved back, leaving long gouges on the stone ground before he stopped, and the temperature in the area started to rise. Fast.

Alexander, in the meantime, had summoned his Chorus and was trying to crack the carapace of the demonic spider with more spears of sound.

In response, Phantom reared back, and its abdomen opened, revealing a massive tail dripping with magma. The tail swung across its front in an attempt to mitigate the damage from the spears of sound. It didn't work entirely; Phantom's frame still shuddered in the assault, and the tail began to show more visible damage. What would be considered hairline fractures for a beast of its size opened along the tail, sending super heated blood spraying across its body, not that Phantom seemed to care about the spiking temperature.

Another series of punches from Sol seemed to drive Phantom back further as its forward legs began to show signs of damage. Not that that wasn't enough to draw the demon's focused ire. With a quick jerk, its forelegs opened wide, sending Sol into a wall. Dazed, the hybrid shook his head and attempted his assault once more.

Alex tried to attract the attention of the demon with more attacks from a distance, but all the answer he got was a series of globs of magma shot towards him like a catapult, the arch making the point of impact really hard to predict. So, Alex decided to do the smart thing and started moving to the side, trying to avoid the attack.

Phantom reacted by focusing on Alex's movement. It closed its mouth briefly before spitting large balls of fire towards Alex. It only managed a shot or two before Sol's fist crashed against its head. It leaped backward and planted itself against the wall before turning and scaling the wall horizontally in an attempt to get a better position.

Alex raised Seraphim before spheres of energy started coalescing around it. He was visibly sweating and murmuring something under his breath, clearly focusing on what he was doing.

He was, in short, trying to alter the bullet spell so that it would fire multiple bullets at the same time. However, if Phantom remained distracted for enough time, it was still to be seen.

Phantom's many eyes seemed to focus on Alex as the spell came its way. It attempted to lash out with its tail, only for a punch to knock it off balance. In the moment it had looked Alex's way, Sol had leaped forward and delivered an empowered punch, one strong enough to break the stone-like skin of the demon. While the limb wasn't too damaged, the shock of pain caused the demon's body to tense reflexively and cause Phantom to lose focus. As it slid off the wall, it was wide open to Alex's attack.

The thirteen spheres of magical energy that Alex had managed to create hovered around the feathered top of the staff for a moment more before they started vibrating. In the meantime, blood was trickling down from Alex's eyes, nose, and ears. Still, he persisted.

Like a rubber band under tension, the bullets mixed with sonic vibrations shot forward, spiraling together like a constellation, straight towards Phantom.

"GAHHHH!!!!" Phantom howled as the magic bombarded it. Large craters that wept magma were visible along its thorax. The demon fell on its back before sinking into the super-heated materials.

There was a brief moment of silence as the magma pool dissipated until Phantom's voice became known again.

"HOW CAN A BUG CAUSE ME SUCH PAIN!!!??? THIS CANNOT STAND!!!" Phantom's voices resonated throughout the hall.

"Awesome, he can hide." Alex deadpanned before swaying like he was on a ship. Then, he fell to the ground with a thud.

"I think I have damaged my inner ear. Give me a minute to regenerate it?" He was also looking only slightly to the side with respect to Sol, his voice more than a little woozy.

Sol spoke for the first time since the beginning of the battle. "Understood, do what you have to do."

As Sol scanned the room, all was still until he felt the floor below him become incredibly hot. Quickly side-stepping, he just managed to avoid the floor becoming a mass of magma as Phantom's head snapped out. Just as quickly as it came, the head retreated back into the floor.

"Greaaat, now this shit." Sol hissed out before dodging another floor attack.

"Alex can at least fly, I can't. Maybe I can use this to my advantage?" Sol thought to himself before drawing Vendetta. It only took a few more moments for Phantom to rear his ugly head again, and this time, the rolled magazine it met was a much larger sword. As Phantom's head came up, Vendetta came down. Carving deeply into its face, Phantom screamed before retreating and pushing itself out of the wall underneath the three-eyed angel's mural.

In the meantime, Alex was almost literally hugging the farthest wall he had managed to reach from where the two were fighting. Thanks to his hybrid nature, his wounds were almost healed already, but not completely. He still couldn't keep his balance. That didn't mean he didn't start preparing the same spell as before, although, this time, the bleeding was limited to the eyes and nose.

Phantom seemed to square itself from its position as a massive amount of fire began to channel in its open maw. Sol looked at it and realized that that would be a helluva lot more than just a mere fireball and tried to rack his brain to think of a way around it. Judging by the size of the attack the demon was preparing, more than half of the place would be engulfed in an ocean of flames strong enough to melt stone. The fact that Alex and Sol hadn't been incinerated on the spot was definitely thanks to sheer luck.

Phantom breathed once, twice and, on the third inhale, he started to exhale. That was the moment the sonic bullets that Alex had been preparing slammed into his mouth, one after the other, without a single moment of delay, until all thirteen had been spent.

The reaction between the sonic bullets and the fireball resulted in a massive explosion that billowed smoke throughout the room and masked Phantom from sight. There was a moment of silence until the heavy footsteps of Phantom could be heard. They were off, though, and as the dust settled, it became clear why. The attack utterly annihilated the head and a majority of the thorax, and the body only moved through muscle memory. It stood upright for several seconds before collapsing onto the ground in a heap.

Sol began to look around before checking himself for anything else. "The only good spiders are dead ones… Alex, how are you holding up?" Sol asked.

"Ow." The answer was muffled, considering that Alex was face down against the floor, a single hand raised with a finger extended before he let it flop down. "My everything hurts. Note for the future: do not try to create spells on the spot, even if they work."

Sol rushed forward, got Alex's arm over his shoulder, and helped him to his feet.

"Okay, well then, I owe for that, so we'll just have to remember that for the future, but you annihilated that eight-legged freak. So uh, keep that spell on reserve because damn if that's not powerful."

"Powerful, yes. Easily usable, no. Charging takes too much time, and I must adjust every part singularly. It's a headache and a half. Also, it makes me bleed like a motherfucker, as you can see." He gestured to his face before letting most of his weight rest on Sol.

"Still, maybe the Statue does have something to make it easier. What did we get from this room?" He looked around, trying to see what they had just gained.

Phantom's body broke down into a mass of red orbs, and something fell to the floor. Its purple glow contrasted well against the red orbs.

"I think that belongs to you," Sol said while gesturing to Purple Orb with his free hand.

"Seems so. I still think that you need to get some more if you want to use your techniques more. Also, now that you have the Devil Trigger active, you will need it." Alex let the Purple Orb dart into his chest before he turned fully towards Sol.

"It's not like the game, true. Still, it's… Related, so to speak. There's a definite tie between the two." His expression was pensive before white light filled their sight, and they found themselves back in the room with the statue.

"Anyway, this is probably the last time we'll have access to a statue. Go and max out everything maxable." And Alex gently pushed Sol towards the Watcher of Time.

"Yeah, maybe there's a blue light special on Power?" Sol said response before touching the statue.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

One last Secret Room for the road. The next chapter is the beginning of the final battle, and that's going to be quite the encounter.

Enjoy everyone.

 

[Nick Terakidan]

The image link for Alex's new Devil Arm are broken

 

[Atma]

Sol placed his hand on the statue and felt himself enter the void.

"Alright, this may be the last time I'm here, so let's get spending, " he said before the menus appeared. Immediately, he went to the techniques bar, purchasing everything he failed at when it came to his weapons and watched with no small degree of dismay as his red orb count dropped by 462,000.

"That, that one hurts. Okay, what can we do here?" Sol asked before checking through the rest of the options.

"I need more magic power, and I do not have enough for further boosting my demonic body… Well, Alex said I should grab more Purple Orbs." Sol said to himself before purchasing three and watching an additional 10,500 be taken from his wallet. As soon it did, he felt something, like warmth and heat within his chest, travel down and into his arm. Making a fist, he watched as a demonic energy swirled around briefly before settling.

He looked through several other items and grabbed Magic Knowledge 2, hoping it would help with illusions. That was another 5,000 gone. Looking through enhancements, he spied Physical and Magical again. It had been what felt like an eternity since he had last purchased anything from here. He tapped the Peak Physical, Basic Mystical, and Advanced Mystical options. He might never be on Alex's level, but as he watched another 80,000 slip away, he was content with that. He felt… well, Power, pure power, flooding him briefly before it faded. It felt good. It felt right.

He did not have everything he would need, but he was close enough, so he focused on items, purchasing 10 Holy Waters, an additional 4 Large Vitality Stars, 5 Large Devil Stars, and 1 more Blue Orb for the road. He still had just over 100k left, but he didn't really have anything to spend it that he felt he needed. So, with a nod, he closed the menus and returned back to the last demon realm.

Stepping away from the statue, Sol looked at Alex before nodding.

"It's all yours, man."

Alex nodded in gratitude before tapping the statue and shifting into the white-gold space. The various options that he could choose appeared in front of him.

"So… First of all, how many- Holy cow! One… One million Orbs." He stood there, slack-jawed and dumbfounded, for a few moments more before he managed to compose himself.

"Ok. Ok. So, now's the time to spend them all. First of all, max up the Blue and Purple Orbs." As he checked out the prices, he tapped the two options twice for each, spending a total of 116.000 Red Orbs for both types of orbs.

"Now… With my basics already maxed up, it's time to check something I had overlooked for far too much: my basic spells."

The various options unfolded in front of him.

Bullet Spell: 250 Red Orbs Bought

• Rapid Fire 1: 500 Red OrbsBought
  • Rapid Fire 2: 4.000 Red Orbs
    • Bullet Storm: 8.000 Red Orbs
• Double Bullet: 500 Red Orbs
• Charged Bullet 1: 600 Red Orbs
  • Charged Bullet 2: 2.700 Red Orbs
    • Bomb Bullet: 9.000 Red Orbs
• Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs

Barrier Spell: 500 Red Orbs Bought

• Full Barrier: 2.500 Red Orbs
• Strengthened Barrier 1: 2.000 Red Orbs
  • Strengthened Barrier: 2: 8.000 Red Orbs
    • Castle of Stone: 16.000 Red Orbs

Beam Spell: 500 Red Orbs Bought

• Empowered Beam 1: 2.000 Red Orbs
  • Empowered Beam 2: 6.000 Red Orbs
    • Laser Beam: 12.000 Red Orbs
• Elemental Infusion: 10.000 Red Orbs

"Now… With the logic that the better the base, the better the following techniques, I should buy… Everything. It comes up to… 93.300 Red Orbs. Considering the 116.00 I have already spent, summing everything up and subtracting them from my original fund, I still have… 1.026.850 Red Orbs."

He had to stop and blink once more: he hadn't even noticed that he had accumulated that much. It was pretty strange.

"Let's just… move on. I need to… Check the techniques for my weapons. If I can max them out, it will help." So, he moved down. And found a new category.

"Devil Trigger techniques… Of course."

• Calcabrina (Combined Form)

  • Float (Keeping the umbrella open, it will slow down any fall to a gentle float) - 2.500 Red OrbsBought
    • Levitate (As long as the Umbrella is open, the weight of the user is reduced to almost nothing. Higher jump, can walk on fragile and liquid surfaces) - Require Float,5.000 Red OrbsBought
      • Fly (Glide/flight for a short distance with directional momentum chosen at the start of the movement) - Require Levitate, 10.000 Red OrbsBought
        • Defying Gravity (Unlimited flight, cost Magical Energy) - Require Fly, 300.000 Red Orbs
  • Tar Beam (Only combined form, charged.) (Charge the entire surface of the Umbrella and shoot a giant beam.) - Require Beam Spell to be bought, 25.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Improved Tar Beam (Can charge the beam for longer. Damage is increased) - Require Tar Beam, 50.000 Red Orbs

• Calca (Sheath)

  • Rainproof (Require Barrier) (Strengthen the Barrier and extend it beyond the Umbrella's edge) - 5.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Waterproof (Require Rainproof) (Barrier is strengthened and extended more) - 15.000 Red OrbsBought
      • Impervious (Require Waterproof, Require Funeral March for a Marionette) (Extend the shield further; the barrier is strong enough to block any attack once. Cooldown after this use) - 50.000 Red Orbs
  • Puppet Waltz (Require Beam Spell) (Lasers come out of the tassels hanging from the spokes of the umbrella, can be kept active during movement) - 15.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Funeral March for a Marionette (Require Puppet Waltz) (Calca gets thrown up in the air, lasers come down from the tassels, and it starts turning on itself, the lasers hitting all around in a casual pattern) - 35.000 Red Orbs

• Brina (Sword)

  • Running Stitch (The tip of the sword is charged with magical energy and, on hit, releases a thin beam of energy in the enemy) - 8.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Cross Stitch (Require Running Stitch, Require Beam Spell) (The tip of the sword can now leave behind up to two trails of energy that will shoot forward. Charged) - 20.000 Red Orbs
      • Cross Stitch (Require Cross Stitch) (The number of trails of energy that can be used is now unlimited, but need to be continuously chained) - 40.000 Red Orbs
  • Back Stitch (Require Barrier Spell, Require Beam Spell) (Enlarge the size of the sword by overlaying cutting barriers on it. The size can change from slightly bigger than normal to greatsword size. Weight is unchanged) - 25.000 Red Orbs
    • Blanket Stitch (Require Back Stitch) (Can now enlarge the sword to bus size. Weight is unchanged) - 50.000 Red Orbs

• Seraphim

  • Sing! (Basic attack)(An area attack that uses sonic waves to hit everyone around the user. Short range.)
    • Contralto (The Sing! Attack rises in power and pitch, shattering hard materials and flying back the enemies around the user) - 7.500 Red OrbsBought
      • Mezzo-Soprano (The Sing! Attack rises in range, now reaching until middle-range from the user, sending the enemies even further away.) - 20.000 Red Orbs
        • Soprano (The Sing! Attack is now at the strongest it can possibly be, rising in both strength and range, turning every material around to dust in an even wider range.) - 75.000 Red Orbs
  • Solo: (A single wave of sound erupts from Seraphim in a narrow cone forward, with greater strength, but lesser area, than Sing!) 10.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Acuto (Solo now gains greater penetrative power and hits enemies behind the first one with piercing soundwaves.) 25.000 Red Orbs
  • Choir: (Summon a sphere of light with wings that shoot sonic projectiles at the enemies in range.) 30.000 Red OrbsBought
    • Choir 2: (Summon three Choirs to help the fight instead of only one.) 55.000 Red Orbs
  • Finale: (By spinning the Seraphim around, it creates a continuous sound wave that obliterates anything around the user. Movement is slowed down while using this.) 30.000 Red Orbs
    • It ain't over 'till…: (The movement is now faster, and the more someone moves while this technique is active, the more the soundwaves grow in pitch and strength.) 50.000 Red Orbs
      • …the Fat Lady sings!: (At the end of the technique, the user can slam Seraphim on the ground and release a charged soundwave that extends far around them and scales in power with the time the technique had been active) 75.000 Red Orbs

• Laughing Kookaburra & Great Butcherbird

  • Safe Step (Can extend/retract the heel at the bottom of the boots) Default
  • Step in Time (Same as Time Step) 15.000 Red Orbs
    • You Step in Time (Can now use Step in Time consecutively) 50.000 Red Orbs
  • A Witch's Cackle… (Each hit with the Laughing Kookaburra will leave behind poison that will slowly damage the being that has been it) 25.000 Red Orbs
    • A Hag's Laugh (The poison is now a Curse that will weaken and damage even those that are immune to poison) 75.000 Red Orbs
  • The Red Carpet (Can move on any surface, no matter what it is, as long as it's supplied magical energy) 20.000 Red Orb
  • Wings Made for Flying… (Can shoot two blades of wind by waving the fans toward the enemy) Default
    • Wings Made for Killing (The blades of wind are multiplied by three for every wave of the fans after the first one) 30.000 Red Orbs
  • Tailwind (When the fans are thrown, they are surrounded by a cutting wind that speeds them up) 35.000 Red Orbs
    • Killwind (Once thrown, the fans now follow the enemy and try to hit him before returning to the owner) 70.000 Red Orbs
  • Thorn's Kiss (Summon a spike of black obsidian under the enemy, attempting to kill it) 60.000 Red Orbs
    • Butcher's Nest (If an enemy is killed by Thorn's Kiss, the user is healed) 100.000 Red Orbs
  • Plumage (User can manifest an armor when the weapons are in use) Default
    • Laughing Kookaburra (The armor turns completely black, and whoever hits it, the damage gets rebounded to them. Only one armor option can be used at a time) 150.000
    • Great Butcherbird (The armor turns cinder gray before growing spikes and thorns all over. If an enemy gets punctured by a thorn, it grows inside them until they are dead.) 150.000 Red Orbs

Geryon Hybrid Powers

• Blink (Move from one place to another without any time in between. Limited to five seconds of movements, only places that are physically accessible): 7.500 Red Orbs- Bought
  • Blink 2 (Time of movement is extended to ten seconds): 20.000 Red Orbs
    • Blink 3 (Time of movement is limitless, depending on magical energy consumed): 75.000 Red Orbs Bought
• Time Bubble (Create a bubble of slowed time in front of you that lasts for three seconds): 15.000 Red Orbs - Bought
• Haste (Speed your personal time up, moving faster and doing more things in less time): 35.000 Red Orbs Bought
• Slow (Slow down a target's personal time, making them move like they are in slow motion)(Consume Magical Energy): 50.000 Red Orbs Bought.)

Devil Trigger Techniques

• Calcabrina
  • Geryon-Iai, First Chime: Cutting Between the Seconds (The cut is done between moments, making it basically unavoidable as long as the victim is in range of Alex. It doesn't extend his range but grants the use of Blink to move before striking) Already owned
  • Geryon-Iai, Second Chime: Heavy Blade of Times Past (The incredible amount of possibilities of cutting in his range turns Calcabrina into what looks like a great sword. The cut is repeated innumerable times once it hits.) Already Owned
  • Geryon-Iai, Third Chime: Principle of Royalty (A manipulation of Time to lengthen a strike into a continuous, uninterrupted cutting motion.) 250.000 Red Orbs
• Seraphim
  • Sing, O Muse, of the Rage of Achilles! (The feathers detach and vibrate, turning into a storm of sonic lances that shoot toward the enemy) Already Owned
  • Sing, O Muse, of Patroclus' Faith! (A healing move, orbs of light surround the targets and heal them as long as they stay in place.) 100.000 Red Orbs
  • Sing, O Muse, of the Immortal Lovers! (Nuclear explosion with sound) 250.000 Red Orbs
• Laughing Kookaburra & Great Butcherbird (The armor option is the DT technique for that weapon)

Alex stopped halfway down the list. "Damn. I don't have nearly enough to take everything… and it's so strange to say this. Still. I thought that the prices in the games were lower than these ones?" He couldn't remember. And he didn't really want to remember. Furthermore, he reasoned that if the costs were lower, the reason for that was that Nero, Dante, Vergil, and whoever else had more experience than him and Sol in fighting and using magic.

"So, prioritizing. Damn, I want everything... Should I start with the DT techniques? Those do sound very useful…"

What followed was an epic discussion with himself about the pros and cons of buying something against something else. And it went on and on for… a while.

In the end, he had decided.

"The Devil Trigger techniques are a must… and cool as hell. The flight technique will have to be passed, for now, the one I have is still serviceable. The Geryon powers are getting all bought out because, yes. That will run me… 695.000 Red Orbs, leaving me with just.... 331.850 Orbs. Damn. These things really go away like water." His grimace didn't really change the situation, though, so he had to continue budgeting.

"Taking at least one armor option, and I'm going with the Laughing Kookaburra… Then grabbing the Funeral March for a Marionette, the Acuto for the Seraphim, then back to the boots and fans combo, getting the Step in Time - cause messing with Time is my thing, Sol, I don't care you added the Geryon pieces to your armor! - and the upgrade (also, isn't their name a Mary Poppins reference?), along with the Red Carpet and the Witch's Cackle, leaving me with…11.850. I don't think I can buy anything else with that."

For a moment, he felt discomfort before checking the list of what he had just bought and gulping.

"Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little. Still… No, no more thinking about this." He selected the OK option and prepared himself for the deluge of power, experience, information… whatever was what the Statue did.

He hadn't prepared enough: in moments, he was sent back, slamming against the ground and groaning in pain.

Sol ran over to check on Alex.

"Are you okay!?" He asked worriedly.

"My wallet… Is weeping…" Alex murmured, looking upwards blankly. "More than one million Orbs… all gone…"

Sol unconsciously leaped back before shouting, "What!? Thats!?... Holy Shit! Please tell me you got your orbs' worth from it all?" Sol asked pleadingly.

Alex took a deep breath and pushed himself upwards. "I… think so, yeah. I couldn't max everything, but I got a nice power-up. Plus maxed up my basics, so that's always nice." And he summoned a cluster of bullets above his hands, making them rotate for a moment or two before dispelling them.

"...before we move on… Do you want to go to the Gates of Hell one last time? Drink something, a small celebration for the coming end… one way or another?"

Sol considered for a moment shaking his head. "I… I think we should go into this with clear heads. We can celebrate once we're free and clear. I just feel that something is coming."

Sol looked out towards the pale light in the distance. "Something about that light…" Sol said while trailing off.

"You're right, you're right, I'm just... scared. In a game, you can reload. This is real life." Alex smiled sardonically. "Which is kinda ironic for this to hit me right now, at the end of everything, especially considering the fact that both of us almost died more than once."

Then, he turned towards that light. "Well, it's time for our ending act, part one. You ready?"

"Ready as I can be," Sol said before taking a breath and stepping forward.

Alex reached him, and they started walking together towards the light. If that wasn't a metaphor for the situation, Alex didn't know what was.

The walk towards the light was bizarrely calm, with scattered remnants of demonic statues and weapons littering the path. As they continued and the intensity of the light increased, the roiling gray around them gave way to an open-air temple reminiscent of ancient times. What parts of the temple that could be seen against the light were nothing but opulent, grandiose, and yet restrained. The pillars that bordered the temple and reached towards the heavens were adorned with reliefs of demons and fallen angels, their images paradoxically writhing in pain and revealing in ecstasy. Among the pillars were the ashen shadows of various demons, with each appearing to be in a state of mid-battle, arms, and weapons raised in a final moment of defiance and fury.

As if to further stain this regal and godly image, a single blot of darkness stood in stark contrast against the light. With one hand raised high and the other held low with a spear in hand, the dark figure gave the whole scene an almost eye-like quality. Whether said figure heard the two hybrids approach or sensed them in some other way, he turned his head slightly before lowering his hand. The light began to dim, and he turned fully before slowly descending the stairs.

There was something about this man's appearance that was different from his fellow red eyes. A serene look was plainly evident on his face, and, like many who had taken the poisoned path to power, his features were almost inhumanely beautiful. This beauty was marred by the dark blue and bloodstained armor he wore. He stopped at the final step and looked at the two before smiling.

"So, Gabrielle is no more… as are the rest. I suppose I should have done this myself, but what needs to arise must be handled in their own time and place. You two served your purpose for a time." He said before looking back to where he had been standing previously.

At the top of the stairs was a pale marble wall that looked close to collapse and was cracked and worn in multiple places. However, the relief of a massive tree carved into the wall was still visible. Something seemed to shift within the wall, and it could easily be seen that it pulsed Inward as if something was pushing into it. The man sighed before continuing.

"But it seems that I must finally put you down like the meddlesome fools you are." He said as lightning began to crackle around his form.

Alex blinked. The entire walk towards this place was awe-inspiring. The whole place was beautiful in a way that defied style, like those ancient buildings.

And yet. It was also empty. Devoid of passion. It was beauty that was just skin-deep: an affectation, a mask. The hybrid could almost swear that if he had broken the surface, the underneath would have pulsed with rotting flesh and putrid blood.

"You must be Zeke. Or… What remains of him, I guess? Do you even have an ego anymore? Or are you just a puppet with another voice?" His words came out almost melancholic, almost sad.

Zeke faintly smiled, and there was truly demonic about it. "Merely someone who is looking for freedom, the freedom that only power can afford."

Sol looked at the man before asking his own question. "And the demon at the cause of all this? What about that, huh? Did all your followers and their victims die for nothing!?"

Zeke's smile grew wider. "The Blood is the life. As they spilled blood, so too did we take from it. It really shouldn't be that hard for you to understand. How many demons have you slain? How many of your fellow humans?"

"Fellow humans, not that many. Demons, a lot. But, to be fair, they were trying to kill us first. Fair's fair and all that rot." Alex said almost casually. "And I guess you know, considering the deal that you offered at the start, right? A subtle sort of contract? I'm not all that well versed in ritual magic - really, really not that well versed - but bringing people here without their permission must have taken a lot of power…" And he let his voice trail out, almost like a prompt for Zeke to speak.

"Power that was already here!" He finished excitedly, and for once, the joy in his face and voice seemed genuine. "When the bastard son of Sparda sought his throne, the amount of blood that was shed in this localized area was at levels unheard of since the time of the Old Demon King! With every drop that went to that fruit, there were always dregs and runoff. There was more than enough for another to make its claim."

He stepped forward, brandishing his spear. "A claim that drew so many into its glorious weave."

"Glorious?" Sol asked, "You've lost it completely, haven't you?"

"I'm starting to think that all demons lack pattern recognition. All of those who tried to take the power of Sparda and rule Hell were defeated. Anyway, the dregs of that power wouldn't have been enough to bypass the dimensional barriers. Not to bring six hundred and sixty-six people here. No, you did something else." And Alex smiled.

"Or, well, You didn't. You just used the Qliphoth, didn't you?"

The smile seemed to crack briefly, and the expressions of both incandescent rage and deep sorrow flashed briefly before Zeke shifted his shoulders. "The tree has its purposes, but it seems I was wrong of you. You're not fools…" He trailed off before adopting a stance.

"You're far too clever for your own good."

"Nah. I think we can tell you the truth, though. Can't we?" Alex turned to Sol, a questioning expression on his face.

"At this point? Why not? After all, we've come this far." Sol responded while readying himself.

Alex grinned, before turning fully towards Zeke, completely ignoring his offensive stance. "Well, rejoice! You're going to know why we both know so much about your plans, the Qliphoth, Sparda, and his sons… And who's going to eat the fruit, and why he will fail and fall."

Zeke took a step back, a shocked expression on his face at the hybrid's words.

"You see, your little spell DID take people from beyond the dimensional barrier… But it didn't move just upwards. No, it also moved a little sideways." Long hair swished as Alex opened his arms before resting them against the pockets of his pants. "So, you went and grabbed a couple of people from a parallel dimension. Still upwards, but to the left. Completely random. And that was when you fucked up. Because in ritual magic? Random is NOT good."

"You see, you are working with Sparda's power. That has a weight. You were working with the Qliphoth, creating a pocket dimension - I'm assuming here, btw, but I think it's a pretty solid assumption - and you were working against the souls of the people you were taking here. So, here's a question for you: when does two plus two NOT equal four?"

Zeke's face was blank, and seizing the opportunity, Sol cut in.

"You screwed up, and you let a few people in who had the inside track. If we were anyone else, we'd have fallen for those tainted red orbs from word go. But we didn't! And we spread the word to as many as we could at the time. It's not perfect, but given the situation, I think we did as best a job as we could have." Sol finished.

"What he said. But, hey, I understand." Alex was smiling magnanimously. "Working with non-euclidean spaces - which is when two plus two don't come out as four, by the way, in case you hadn't understood - is tricky. And I'm sure that you did your best." The undertone was that your best wasn't enough.

At this point, the hybrid was just taunting the possessed man.

And Zeke? Well he just started to laugh. It started as a giggle, low and quiet, and then it slowly rose into a higher pitch and intensity until it became very apparent that the laugh was utterly inhuman. And then it stopped and that look of placid serenity reasserted itself.

Alex just raised a single eyebrow, not even moving from his position.

"I'll tear the very core of your beings to pieces. I'll follow what's left and carry on unimpeded and uncontested." Zeke said quietly before leaping into the air.

ZEKE: THE CRIMSON THUNDER​

"Move!" Sol shouted in alarm.

Alex didn't. Instead, Calcabrina was in his hands a moment later, opened, and a barrier flashed around the two of them a moment before Zeke slammed against it.

And was rebounded back, the barrier withstanding the attack without a scratch.

"Like it? I upgraded it right before this fight." Alex's expression was feral.

The smile was back, and a crazed look was in Zeke's eyes. However, beyond that smile, he remained as silent as the grave.

Sol, however, made more noise. Coming out and around Alex's shield, Sol thrust forward with Gevauden. With a quick movement, Zeke jerked his spear up enough to deflect the blow before grabbing Sol and throwing him over his shoulder.

A beam slammed into the demon-possessed man's back, and the look of concentration in Alex's eyes was the only sign of how much power he was pouring into the attack. The beam slowly thinned out until it was barely wider than a fist. And shone much more.

"Go Fuck Yourself." And, with these words, Zeke was sent flying forward, straight towards the mural.

As he hit the mural, the image it bore splintered further, and the movements of it seemed to accelerate in response. With a hiss of pain, Zeke began to pull himself from the mural before a fist slammed into the side of his head. There was a brief flash of golden light as Zeke rocketed into a pillar, the ensuing dust cloud obscuring his image.

"I should have opened with this," Sol said while ringing his wrist.

From the cloud, though, came the sound of thunder, and a mass of electricity began to pour from the cloud. It would have been enough of a warning to stay. The electricity began to twist its shape and coalesce into phantasmal spears that seemed to hone in on Alex and Sol before racing toward them.

"Son of a bitch." Alex didn't even have the time to shout. He only just shot forward, a hand holding Calcabrina for dear life, the other grabbing Sol by the shoulder, before swerving into a 90-degree roll away from the ghostly spears.

"We're going to stop in three seconds. Use Semyaza against the spears!"

Without a word, Sol began to utilize Dance of the Holy against the barrage, smashing aside the lightning spears as quickly as they came. Unfortunately, Zeke was ahead of them on this matter.

There was a noise, similar to the Laughing Kookaburra and Great Butcherbird, but more like a shrieking noise as Zeke began to fall towards them, the spear in his hands wreathed in thunder.

Alex moved. And a bubble of gray air appeared between them and the falling man, the spear hitting the surface and almost stopping.

"Nice trick. How about you try mine for size? Slow DOWN!" Dark gray energy shot towards Zeke, attempting to constrain his limbs and his movements, slowing down the time that he was experiencing.

The lightning seemed to twist and arc, pushing Zeke further through the time bubble. It was enough time for Sol to come around to push him back further. Standing in front of Zeke's descent, he clapped his hands together and released a thunderclap, which sent Zeke and the time bubble flying backward.

Alex blinked for a moment. "I didn't even know that those bubbles could be moved." However, while he was speaking, he changed his sword for his staff before twirling and summoning a Choir before moving forward, the various feathers of the staff vibrating.

"Try to throw him towards me!" His shout was directed at Sol while he kept his eyes on Zeke, who was getting back up while wreathed in lightning.

Sol nodded before attempting to maneuver around the ruins before reaching a position to perform another thunderclap. Only this time, it seemed Zeke had another trick up his sleeve. The lightning around Zeke churned within the bubble before he came bursting, aiming his next attack right at Sol.

Sol barely managed to raise his fist fast enough to block the spear. He held back a scream as the spear glanced off one of his gauntlets and through the gaps in his armor at the left shoulder. Sol created a blinding light with a cry before being flung into a pillar.

The lightning around Zeke surged into a more uniform shape, creating a shield around himself. He could be seen rubbing at his eyes and keeping them hidden while muttering to himself.

Alexander dashed forward, the staff twirling between his hands, while the Choir was shooting its projectiles toward the lightning-wreathed man.

"Are you stealing Ivan's trick?!" Alexander's voice echoed in the air, attracting Zeke's attention before he unleashed the spear of sound, narrow and sharp enough that it was going to penetrate the shield and hit the man unless the shield itself had more tricks.

The lightning around Zeke's feet vanished, allowing him to fall to the ground below. When the sound of a spear pierced the shield, there was a massive flash of lightning.

"No, Ivan stole it from me. He was always like that." Zeke said mildly before speeding towards Alex.

"Really? Well then. I stole something from your companions too. Want to see?" Alexander was grinning wildly before Seraphim changed for the Greater Butcherbird, the hooked side already going towards Zeke's hand, the one that was holding the weapon.

The hand that took the blow was dragged down, and he leaned in, pitching his forward to roll with the blow better. He laughed as he jerked his hand and released himself from the weapon.

"Ah, ha ha! Butcherbird! I wondered where that had gone too. They really were quite the pair, weren't they?" Zeke laughed.

"Yes! And look, I even completed the set!" Alexander shouted, before pivoting and slashing with the heel of the boots, the sharp tip hitting Zeke's arm and dragging away the flesh under it a moment later, leaving behind a spreading black blotch that seemed to move under his skin.

"You like them? I think they are my color."

Zeke stared at the growing spot and gave a wan smile before lunging forward and sending thrusts toward Alex. "I knew I separated them for a reason! Laura would have killed too many too quickly if she had both. Too few for the end! And regarding stealing, Stinger." He finished with a cruel grin.

He flashed forward with a very familiar move.

Alexander evaded with a pirouette, twisting and shifting, letting the head of the spear pass a hair's breadth away from his torso before the time around them slowed down to a crawl. Alexander's smile was downright evil.

"Thanks for that. I quite like them." And he turned again before slamming the heel of his foot against his head in a reverse roundhouse kick.

The kick sent Zeke's head directly into Sol's rising fist, which sent Zeke skyward. Falling to the ground, Sol clutched his bleeding shoulder.

"I owed you that one, asshole." Sol bit out while at his left shoulder as golden energy seemed to fade away from his right hand.

Zeke righted himself before rubbing his chin. His eyes were briefly wild before they returned to their mild state.

"That… What was that?" He asked, in a far too interested tone.

"A parting gift. There's more where that comes from," Sol responded.

"Come on. Hey, remember Alan? The tamer guy? He said something about an armor. Show me what he was going on about before he bit the dust, yeah? Or die; either way, it's the same for me." Alexander taunted, keeping his voice level, while the fans in his hands snapped open and sent several blades of air straight at Zeke.

"Armor? Ha…. hahaha!!!!" Zeke laughed before rocketing down towards them. All the while, his features began to change and warp. The resulting crash sent the two hybrids flying in either direction and where Zeke had landed, something else had taken his place within the torrent of demonic energy.

Zeke stood taller now, his clothes merging into hardened flesh and scales that appeared like a warped and twisted parody of the human. They covered everything save his head which was similarly altered. His long hair seemed to have straightened, looking almost like curtains of black midnight that reached past his shoulders. Yet it was his face that was the most altered. His eyes and mouth were such that whatever parts of his eyes could be seen looked more like the eyes of a large cat, cruel and sharp. His mouth was filled with rows of fangs that glinted in the lightning. And then he spoke.

"Allan… yes… the runt of the litter, so quick to kill, so quick rage. He was the beginning, the impetus that brought us together… that brought ME together. In the end, though, he was just baggage." With that said, Zeke slammed the butt of his spear into the ground, creating a massive storm around himself… that began to expand outwards towards the two other hybrids.

"Wow, that Devil Trigger really didn't do you any favor: you're ugly as sin." While his words were rather flippant, his tone was all but: he was well aware that anyone possessing a Devil Trigger was a VERY dangerous opponent. And this one seemed to specialize in large-scale attacks.

"But still, I expected something more, to be honest." More air blades were sent while Alex took a few leaps backward, getting more space to act.

Zeke gripped his spear in both hands and swung it like a banner, causing the lightning to arc around it like a giant fan before sending it toward the two.

"Ugliness? What is one's appearance before the draw of power?" Zeke questioned as the wave of thunder raced towards the two hybrids.

Alexander moved until he was in front of Sol, and before his weapons changed into Calcabrina once more, the shield appeared around them in a bubble, keeping them safe from the onslaught of lightning that Zeke was trying to drown them with.

"Why have only one or the other?"

Sol smiled before drawing Nymphaeum and aiming over Calcabrina's Shield.

"Sunset." Sol said as a burst of light shot from Nymphaeum before splitting in the air and descending upon Zeke. The rounds struck Zeke, knocking him off balance and canceling the torrent of lightning.

"So, that's how that works," Sol said while looking at Nymphaeum.

"Nice. Let's see if I…." A pinprick of light appeared at the tip of Calcabrina, before the entire canopy of the umbrella started shining, energy collecting on it. And still going.

"Can you keep him unbalanced for a few moments? I need to charge this." Alexander's voice wasn't strained, but the shield had disappeared, and Zeke had recovered from his momentary off-balance position and was moving towards them.

"Sure thing! Keep your eyes shut when I call out!" Sol said before firing another Sunset at Zeke. The rounds came down again, but this time Zeke, in an emulation of Alex, began to spin the spear in front of himself, creating a shield that destroyed the rounds. However, that wasn't all that Sol was doing.

Raising his hands to either side of his face, he called out, "SUN FLARE!" And there was a blinding light.

The moment Zeke moved to shield himself from the light - and the attack that came with it - Alexander stepped to the side, a single motion, the umbrella aimed straight at the demon-possessed man. Then, he unleashed all the energy that he had accumulated into a direct hit straight to the side of his ribs, a look of concentration on his face.

Blinded by the light, Zeke didn't realize what was coming and took the charged shot to the ribs. His mouth gaped into a wide silent scream as the attack sent him flying across the temple. He was still for a moment before twitching and smoothly rolling onto his stomach before trying to rise, hand clutching at his side. Something was shifting under the hand, something twisted.

Alexander didn't say anything. He just prepared himself to see what was going to happen: he knew - as Sol probably did - that this couldn't be the end.

"Ha… Ha… This pain, I haven't felt this in a loooOoOOOng tIIIIme." Zeke said as he turned to face the duo. Moving his hand away from his side, something could be seen slipping back into his hardened skin. His smile seemed to widen even more as his voice warped.

"Come oNNNNNnnn, give me more of this. Let me learn from this, let me becccOOOme StronGeR!" Zeke called out, twirling the spear before pointing it forward and letting loose a Stinger.

"You're pitiful." The hybrid's voice was low enough to almost not be heard, but it was heard all the same. And, with a step, Alexander vanished from his place, only to reappear on the other side of Zeke, leaving the man to face Sol with his gun already aimed at him.

"And, more importantly, you're dead."

"You're in my range…" Sol began as he threw the gun up, and Zeke's eyes unconsciously followed it. At that moment, Sol punched forward, aiming at Zeke's heart. "Dance of the Holy!" Sol roared as he began to rapidly punch Zeke's torso. Each strike lifted Zeke that much more into the air. And when his punches seemed to slow, Sol activated his Devil Trigger, ramping up his speed and strength until he eventually roared "Outer Heaven!"

Forming behind Sol, Semyaza's phantom began to join in, its fists joining with Sol's. Zeke's chest began to cave in under the rain of blows until, eventually, he stepped forward and let loose one final blow. His fist pierced the hardened flesh before he felt something within and tore it. He felt a sense of dark glee from Semyaza as he looked to see it was Zeke's heart.

Zeke dropped to his knees before his body seemed to jerk to a standing position. His eyes were wide as he unconsciously stumbled backward. He attempted, with what seemingly little strength to move another step forward, raising his spear high, before falling forward in an unmoving heap.

There was a stillness that seemed to persist for longer than it should before a strange huffing noise began to emanate from Zeke's body. He was laughing.
"Yep, it's pretty funny, isn't it?" Alexander's voice came from behind the man before the blade of Calcabrina pierced his back, going through the armor and body like a hot knife through butter, hitting the heart a moment later.

"Your strongest puppet, defeated by a couple of humans. Well, don't worry… We're coming for you now."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!" Zeke's body continued to laugh as his back began to violently bulge. His body arched as his back split open, and a dark blue mass tore itself free.

"AHHHH," It began with a chuckle. "Born through deception in life."

Two more voices, eerily similar but different, began to call out.

"Born through a raging struggle."

"Born through the weight of sorrow."

As a shape began to descend. It was definitely a demon, but the body was horrendously distended, and some things were trying to push themselves free of their fleshy prison. There was a sound of tearing flesh as two large masses tore themselves free, one colored red and the other gray.

The dark blue mass that was once within Zeke floated towards the other. They silently orbited each other before voices called out once again.

"Blood from None!"

"Blood from One!"

"Blood from Some!"

Together, the three masses cried as one. "BLOOD FROM ALL!!!

From all corners of the distorted realms it had created, those who bore its tainted power began to seize up and convulse. A dark purple orb shot forth from their bodies, carrying masses of red orbs. Together, they flew towards the three who would be one, surrounding them and binding them in a ring of blood until the energies stored within manifested. Thunder, Ice, and Fire came forth and pulled the red orbs deeper within themselves until there was only a single mass. A large yellowish orb slowly shifted and changed to reveal three fused faces. The eyes blinked briefly before looking down at the two hybrids.

"THE INTERLOPERS. YOU MUST PAY FOR YOUR INTERFERENCE."​

Sol clenched his fists in fury. "We Must pay!? To hell with you!"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

So, This chapter took far too long to fully post. There were personal issues that cropped up (Little things that took up too much), and my laptop decided to have the mother of all fits. It thought that I didn't need to connect to the internet for any period for more than five seconds. That has been fixed now (Hopefully), and I plan to post the last remaining chapters over the next two days.

Enjoy everyone!

 

[ZeX Zero]

Sol seems weaker than Alex in overall power and versatility. Will he receive somethings to balance them out or will his DT and powers he'll gain from it balance it out. He needs more Devil Arms too, they couldn't hurt after all. Thanks for the chapter.

 

[Atma]

"Trismagia…" Alex's voice came out in a hiss of pure loathing and rage, finally having the source of their presence in this place in front of them.

And then, the title of the monster appeared in front of them.

TRISMAGIA MEGISTOS: PROFANE YALDABAOTH​

THAT made Alex snort.

"FIND AS MUCH AMUSEMENT AS YOU WOULD LIKE. IT MATTERS NOT." ​

Trismagia stated before the temple seemed to warp and pull itself towards the edifice that Zeke had been attempting to break through. The stone cracked to reveal an expansive void that drew all three in, and with it came the sound of low, howling winds. Within the void, the land changed, moving from an ancient temple to a land of Ichorous Earth, which stretched and flowed forever towards a light in the far distance.

"YOUR BLOOD WILL SERVE TO FURTHER MY CLAIM. THE THRONE, IGNORED AND ABANDONED BY THE SON OF SPARDA, IS WITHIN GRASP. NOW PERISH." ​

"And that throne will remain empty! Sol shouted back before looking at Alex. "Are you ready for this!?" He asked.

Alex nodded, his lips stretched into a feral smile before Calcabrina appeared in his hands. "Let's do this."

However, the demon in front of them didn't wait much more. It floated back in the air while opening each of its mouths, white light shining from inside them. After a mere moment, the demon started speaking.

"DIE." "YOU WILL BE KILLED." "FALL FOR ME." ​

The mere weight of those words was more than enough to send both of them on their knees, blood pouring from their eyes, ears, mouths, and noses, as their hearts seized in their chests, convulsing, straining against the order of the oracle of the demon world.

"Da…dammit, I won't… I can't…" Sol began to hiss out. He tried to move, but the weight was bearing down on him like nothing else.

"What would have happened if we had played its role!? Would… this have been worse!?… I need… I need to do something… SOMETHING!" He raged within his mind before remembering something and smirked a bloody smile. With trembling hands, he reached towards that inventory.

"YOU STILL TRY? YOUR PERSISTENCE IS AN ANNOYANCE."​

"Asshole… should have watched your… shops!" Sol hissed before smashing something into the ground. There was a flash of blinding blue light and Trismagia screamed.

The pressure seemed to abate itself, and Sol grabbed two other items and threw one at Alex.

"Alex! Take it!"

The item in question was a large, green star.

Alex managed to grab the item, before he shot upwards, the damage healing as he moved, before he disappeared from his position and reappeared above Trismagia Megistos, having slipped between the flow of time.

"FUCK! YOU!" And he fell like a meteor, straight against the top of his head, planting the blade of Calcabrina as deep as it would go before taking the sheath, opening it, and forcing a Tar Beam at full power against the top of the head of the demon.

With a groan, two seams began to appear upon Trismagia's form as the body split into three separate heads. One laughed, another wept, and yet another howled. The one directly under Alex began to shake as flames began to manifest across its form.

The head that crackled with lightning began to space itself out from the rest, spitting out balls of lightning that moved toward the two hybrids with a deceptive speed. The third, pale head, though, arced towards Sol.

Sol saw the head coming and crushed the Vitality Star before meeting it. It breathed a pale, misting breath that flash froze the ground that Sol was previously standing on. Wordlessly, Sol emulated something of Alex's last attack and loosened Gevauden, wrapping it around its chin before pulling himself forward and instigating Maelstrom. The attack carved into the chin, drawing freezing blood and sending the demonic head reeling back in shock.

In the meantime, Alex had to jump away from the red face while also avoiding the lightning that the blue face was spitting at him, which seemed easy, at least until someone realized that the balls were actually made of lightning, which meant that they traveled relatively slowly, only to ground themselves in the nearest, not-Trismagia body they could find.

In short, if it wasn't for the fact that Alex could bend time around his fingers, he would already be on the strange ground they found themselves, convulsing from the electricity and easy prey for the monster.

Sol was not as lucky, as focusing on the pale head distracted him from the oncoming electricity. While a good portion of it had dissipated, there was still enough that locked him up for a moment before dropping to his knees in pain. He fumbled for Nymphaeum, fired a few shots blindly at the lightning head, and staggered to his feet.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!" Alex's shout was followed by a sudden change of equipment. Before a storm of air blades started falling on the lightning face, Alex was basically pirouetting in the air, arms extended and fans fully opened.

The face turned and breathed, creating a familiar storm of lightning around it that blocked most of the air blade. Those that bypassed the shield carved deeply into its face, forcing the face to reel back like the others and stop its attack. All faces converged once more and fused into their true self.

"DO YOU BELIEVE YOURSELVES CAPABLE OF WINNING? THIS RESISTANCE IS FUTILE."​

Trismagia stated a matter of factly before all three mouths opened as one. They began to draw in demonic energy, which traveled into the center eye. It glowed with a baleful light before three manifestations of its power formed around, each matching a corresponding element and each flowing into one like a violent liquid paint. The resulting combination was a purple mass of demonic energy that was shot forward toward the two hybrids.

"Does it matter if we believe it or not? We need to win. So you're going down!" Alex shouted, dancing in the air with three rapid steps before grabbing Sol by his arm and twisting himself in a circular throw, sending the other upwards, way up. Above the attack, Trismagia had just slammed on the ground.

Exactly where Alex was.

For a moment, Sol hung in the air in disbelief. Fear of heights gone, replaced by a great sense of disbelief. A disbelief that quickly turned to blinding rage.

"Trismagia!" He raged while in DT he sent Gevaudan towards Trismagia. The whip sword struck true and hooked into the demon's mouth before contracting. Swinging forward, Sol winded the circumference of the fused demon before landing on top of its head. Before it did anything else, Sol sent the command that would contract Gevauden again; this time, the blades tore across Trismagia's body. Adding salt upon the wound, Sol smashed another Holy Water directly into Trsimagia before being forced to flee due to an erratic discharge of energy.

Landing back on the platform, Sol began to frantically search for any trace of Alex.

Under the purple whatever that Trismagia had summoned as an attack, something black and angry rose.

Alex, because it was him, was completely covered in black armor, leaving nothing free for the attack to hit. And, no matter how much he stumbled or faltered, he slowly got up while a faint black glow was surrounding him.

"Hey, Trismagia? I have a message for you." His voice was amused, even if clearly filled with pain. Then, the glow intensified. By a lot.

Until it was almost impossible to see clearly.

"It's from these two. You know, the two lovers that you have purposefully kept apart? Yeah. They're…" He choked a bit before turning fully towards the amalgam of heads.

"They say FUCK YOU!" And the black glow turned into a flash of light, slamming against the yellow composite of heads in an onslaught of energy that sent both the demon back and opened long and crude gashes into his flesh, making him hemorrhage power like a broken faucet.

Alex, in the meantime, had fallen on his knees, the armor vanishing into feathers, the Laughing Kookaburra & Greater Butcherbird losing their shine. "Fuck, that… That took more off me than I thought."

Sol grabbed Alex and offered a shoulder for support. "Dammit! Don't scare me like that!" He hissed between breaths before taking out a Devil Star and offering it to Alex. "You're lucky I thought to stock up before all this."

While it seemed the two were mostly alright. Trismagia was decidedly not: the armor's damage reflection effect had been enough to rock the monster backward, long gashes covering the tri-faces, one of the eyes completely blown off, another closed with several long cuts over the eyelid. The lip of one mouth was halfway ripped.

It didn't seem so much, except that Trismagia was losing the Red Orbs that he had just gained and, evidently, not managing to absorb yet.

"IMPOSSIBLE! EVEN BOUND AS ONE, THOSE WEAPONS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD THAT POWER!"

​

Trismagia shouted, as its facade of control and might cracked under the pain it was experiencing.

"Seems like you have some problems in the power department. Spent too much time leeching off others to understand what you could work with!?" Sol shouted at the demon while crushing a Devil Star of his own.

"NO! I WILL NOT LOSE TO TWO SPECKS OF COSMIC DUST LIKE THE TWO OF YOU!!"​

The heads separated once more before they started moving in a tight circle, wind being kicked up and creating a tight twister around the duo on the ground. Soon, the force of those winds had grown enough that both Alex and Sol were trapped in them, rising in midair while being tossed around like in a washer machine.

"YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!" "YOU HAVE ALREADY RUINED ENOUGH!" "IT IS TIME FOR ME TO SHOW…"​

The twister stopped, the three heads reuniting together, shining brightly.

"MY MAGNUM OPUS!"
"[NIGREDO]"​

The mixed head started changing, moving from a yellowish color into what was a pitch black, almost metallic, while a rather putrescent smell and liquid started dripping from his eyes and mouths.

When the liquid hit the ground, it began to eat through, releasing a noxious steam. The erosion continued swiftly, forcing the two hybrids to flee up the now uneven terrain. As parts of the land dissolved, eroded fragments began to float upwards before breaking down into a black, spectral material that flowed into Trismagia, healing some of its wounds but, more importantly, seeming to empower the demon further. In very short order, where there was once a vast stretch of land that extended in every direction, now there were only large islands and smaller platforms above an endlessly yawning void.

"Hello fear of heights, my old friend." Sol said numbly as he witnessed the change in their situation.

"Yeah. And I'm not in good condition to fly, either." In fact, Alex had dismissed the armor that covered him a moment before, and he was clearly panting. "The Devil Star helped, but it's going to take a while to work fully."

In the meantime, the demon was glowing darker than dark, with something pure white shining inside.

"BE CRUSHED UNDER YOUR OWN IMPOTENCE!!"​

The various small floating islands around started to move and fall towards the duo, like meteors coming down from the heavens.

"Well fuck, I guess it's my turn! I really, really hate heights!" Sol shouted before grabbing Alex with one arm, running, and using Gevauden to swing over to the next closest platform. The major difference was that they got a good view of the void beneath before their momentum carried them over.

"I really, really want to kill this fucker…" Sol muttered as he stared at the ground for a second longer than needed, not even realizing that his Devil Trigger had faded.

"Same."

The sound of the rocks impacting the previous platform was deafening. But they had avoided the direct impact, and with a quick movement from Alex, his barrier stopped the sharp shards of rock from skewering them.

"FLEEING WON'T HELP YOU!"​

More rocks, these were now glowing a virulent black, and as they aimed all around the two, the air around each rock hissed.

Every instinct within Sol's body screamed to grab Alex and book it, but at the last moment, something seemed to click as he watched the descending the rocks. He grabbed Alex's shoulder and whispered, "Watch the rocks. It's a trap."

Indeed it was as a majority of the rocks were sent on an intercept course to areas of exit that Sol and Alex would have taken if they decided to flee. In response, Sol raised Nymphaeum and began to fire at Trismagia's form while keeping an eye for any rocks that could have actually been sent their way.

In the meantime, after knowing that the area where they were staying was mostly safe, Alex opened his umbrella and started charging his beam attacks while also writing something in the air with his fingers, silvery-white symbols forming around the edge of the umbrella, glowing slightly.

"If you can keep him busy for a moment or two, I'm going to crack his head straight open."

Sol looked at Alex briefly before nodding and taking out another Holy Water.

"TRY AS YOU MIGHT, THERE IS NO ESCAPE!"​

"You got that right," Sol said with a smirk as he fired Nymphaeum several times. The shots weren't aimed at Trismagia; rather, they were aimed at the few rock particles that were still semi-solid. The rounds dispersed them in thick clouds of miasma that would have partially obscured its sight. Sol holstered his gun before tossing the vial of holy water in the air and punching it hard.

The holy water did not shatter from the hit. Instead, it went flying forward through the miasma and struck Trismagia's right face. There was an explosion of blue light as the right face's skin sloughed off and muscle burned.

Following that, Alex aimed the glowing canopy straight at the stunned Trismagia, the symbols around the edge turning like a wheel, faster and faster, until the whole thing was blinding to look at.

"Being part Time Horse comes in handy when you try to make a beam weapon that shoots time." The hybrid's smile was feral. "Now die, you motherfucker!"

The beam of silver-blue light shot towards the demon, slamming into him and rocking him back. The amount of energy that he had collected - and being looped via a costly but working, time magic circle - was kicking up a giant cloud of dark dust while also digging a hole in the tri-headed monster.

Trismagia's form recoiled and shuddered as the time-looping spell wreaked its deadly toll on it before falling away from its lofty height to the void.

Sol looked at the spot where the demon was before asking aloud, "Was that it?"

There was a rumbling noise as a pillar of white light manifested and then coalesced into a large orb. The surface of the orb looked like a miniature sea with waves that almost looked pink against the white.

"Are those its red orbs?" Sol asked with horror.

"Oh, fuck me. Really? How many damned phases does this thing have?!" Alex's question was shouted to the void before the orb that was clearly the monster, considering the fact that, periodically, a face pressed against the surface, stretching it like a monster in a horror film, before sinking back inside, rose above them and the island under their feet started to turn into liquid.

"BEHOLD!" "YOUR END!" "MY MAGNUM OPUS!"
"[ALBEDO]!"​

"Nigredo, Albedo… That sounds like a sequence." Sol said to Alex before looking back at the orb.

"If we can crack that, do you think that will ruin whatever is going on? Like destroying critical materials for a work of art?" Sol asked before readying himself.

"Wait, wait, wait, I think… I know that those two words are… Damn it!" But, before Alex could say anything, the ground under them turned into liquid, and both of them fell inside; the current of the water - luckily, it was just water - dragged both of them away into what looked like a whirlpool suspended in the middle of the space.

The currents were too strong to fight against, and the two passed through the very center of the whirlpool into another realm entirely. Whereas the first place they fought in was one earth and stone, this new place looked like the sea floor just off the shore. The light created by Trismagia's new form filtered through the water they found themselves within, casting shadows that danced with the currents.

Sol began to convulse briefly before realizing something, he could breathe… what insane place had they found themselves in now? He looked to find Alex and see if he had any further idea what those two words meant.

"Fuck. Of course. Magnum Opus, Nigredo, Albedo…" He was frowning and twisting his hands on Calcabrina's handle.

"It's Alchemy. Medieval alchemy, that is, not the manga one. The classical four stages of transformation to reach the Philosopher's Stone." He pointed at the sphere.

"Nigredo is associated with Earth and the color Black. Albedo with Water and White. The other two are Citrinitas, tied to Yellow and Air, and Rubedo, with Red and Fire. I don't know the specifics, but each has their own characteristics."

"And we just happen to be in the water aspect. So then we still have two more to go." Sol said before trying to aim his gun. However, when he did so, he found that the water was making it more difficult. It felt as though something was pushing on all sides of the barrels at different times, and he knew damn well it'd throw off his aim.

"This will be an interesting situation," Sol muttered to himself before trying to fire anyway. The rounds went wide of their target about halfway to.

"Only if with 'Interesting' you mean the Chinese meaning…" Alexander grumbled, switching Calcabrina for the fan and boots combo before starting to attempt to cut the giant spherical demon into ribbons.

While the water did not block their attacks, it still sapped the energy from his strikes, letting only weak blows land on the 'shell' of Trismagia Megistos, doing basically nothing.

The only silver lining to this situation was that the demon himself didn't seem to be able to act against them, either. At least until what looked like a snake made of water darted forward, distressingly solid, attempting to hit the two of them.

Realizing that Gevauden wouldn't be as useful here, Sol drew Vendetta and placed it between himself and the serpent. The construct dissipated against the flat of the giant sword into nothing but bubbles and force.

"So! Vendetta, big ass sword, and apparently a great breakwater," Sol said, slightly exasperated; the force of the serpent was surprisingly strong.

"Really hope that this stage is not going to last too long." Alex stored away Calcabrina before taking out Seraphim and aimed it at the next snakes coming towards them. The cone of pure sounds that slammed against the water construct made them vibrate and explode far away enough that neither was hurt.

"Because if this continues for too long, we're going to run out of stamina."

"True!" Sol said while blocking another serpent. "But, okay, I'm not up on my alchemy, and the most I've ever learned was from a story that used it as a backdrop for pursuing one's dreams!" Sol yelled while defending himself yet again.

"But I have a question! If this whole place is water and currents, what happens if we were to mix them?" Sol asked with a smirk.

"Assuming that Trismagia isn't in control of the entire area around us? Probably nothing, considering those constructs are moving the same way as us. But it's worth a try." Then, he nodded before blasting several other constructs with more soundwaves.

"Go for it."

"Right!" Sol affirmed before drawing another holy water and sending it out. The speed of the vial was significantly slower, but a glancing blow from a newly formed water serpent was enough to break it. Unlike before, there was no great explosion of light. Instead, there was a rush of bubbles that overtook the orb. When the bubbles eventually burst, the water took on an almost discolored appearance.

At first, it didn't seem like much had happened until the noise of something fizzing began to grow louder. The outer shell of Trsimagia's orb was beginning to dissolve in the discolored liquid. It wasn't the smack-down power of a normal holy water, but it was hopefully enough to begin cracking the damned shell.

Sadly, before the Holy Water could do much more than just stopping the demon from sending out the water construct and, maybe, poisoning him to death, his voice reverberated once more all around them.

"OBSERVE!" "AND WEEP!" "MY MAGNUM OPUS!"
"[CITRINITAS]!"​

And the white shell cracked like a salt crust before the two hybrids were sent flying backward all of a sudden, the place around them exploding into a vortex of air that took the place of the water around them.

As they stood up, the watery realm was replaced by a great expansive desert plain, wind whipping through the hardy grass that grew in this harsh environment. Gone was the light born from Trismagia's cocoon. In its place was a sun that seemed unnaturally still and mild. And then Trismagia descended.

Where once its form had been dedicated to three faces fused as one, Trismagia heads had been shifted, a singularly whole head sat between the shoulders, while two half heads sat on either, one missing part of its jaw, and the other looking as if it had been skinned. In addition, Trismagia sported a more humanoid appearance that towered over the two hybrids. Its body was covered in what appeared to be golden scales that didn't quite look like a lizard's scales. It rolled its shoulders and, balling its fists, Trismagia addressed the two.

"GAZE UPON ME, INTERLOPERS, FOR MY ASCENSION IS AT HAND!!!"​

"The penultimate stage. We're almost there." Alexander was talking as if he was facing a video game monster. It's not that he wasn't aware of the gravity or the danger of the situation; it's just that he needed something to keep his mind on the situation instead of getting distracted.

The two side heads opened their jaws and let loose gusts of winds that swept towards the two, kicking up sand, plant, and rock as they progressed forward.

"Yeah, but let's survive this first!" Sol shouted before moving out of the way of the gusts that were aimed towards him.

Alex rolled away, already changing his weapon back to Kookaburra & Butcherbird, bouncing away from the attack and returning the favor with blades of winds of his own.

That had been a mistake: the power of the Boss over the wind was stronger than he expected, so his attack fizzed out, before bigger wind slashes came flying at him, who had to jump and somersault away from the attempt to slice him up.

In the meantime, Sol fired Sunset after Sunset at the demon, raining down demonic energy on it. Many of the shots were destroyed by blades of winds that cast within a blink of an eye, with only a few doing minimal damage to its scales.

"We'll have to get in close. I don't think we can win this game if we remain at range." Sol said while switching to Semyaza.

Alexander moved back to Seraphim, nodding at his friend, before summoning a Choir.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. Still, he doesn't look weak like he did at the start. Are you sure that getting close is a good idea?"

"Honestly, probably not. But, if we get close, we could negate his range and throw him off his focus." Sol responded before readying his fists. "But we won't know if we don't try."

With that said, he began to charge Trismagia Citrinitas.

Alex sighed and followed a moment later, the staff in his hands vibrating like a tuning fork.

The duo reached the giant form of the demon in moments, having to jump and throw themselves above and under the few attacks that had been sent at them before slamming against him with all their strength. Alex unleashed an explosion of sounds that cratered the ground under him and sent Trismagia sliding back, straight towards where Sol had slid to a stop, ready to attack.

Sol struck Trismagia with a rising strike that was focused on its spine. It sent the demon forward slightly, and before it could do anything more, there was a flurry of punches that kept pushing it forward towards Alex. The strikes ended with a shout of Abyssal Punch!

The last punch cracked… something, and Trismagia, in a surprising display of speed, whipped around and grabbed Sol by the arm before throwing him toward Alex and following up with a flurry of wind blades aimed at the two.

Alex, not expecting the sudden projectile, got sent backward with Sol against his torso, luckily ending outside the path of the attacks that Trismagia had sent toward them. The two skidded to a stop against the ground, groaning from the situation.

"I didn't expect that."

"I should have..." Mumbled Sol as he tried to spit some sand out. That was interrupted as the sound of feet pounding against sand and howling wind drew closer. Trismagia was now on the offensive, charging at them with both hands wide with wind carving deeply into dunes.

"Fuck!" Alex shouted while changing his weapon impressively fast. Calcabrina shot forward, one hand clamped around the middle of the weapon, the other grabbing Sol's hand and dragging him away from the incoming kaiju-sized demon.

The flight didn't last a lot, the umbrella twisting and turning at 90 degrees to the left, dodging the strike from the demon by a few inches before stopping a fair distance away and rolling on the ground once more.

Sol recovered from the roll only to see that Trismagia was turning on his heel and resuming his chase. For a moment, he was considering fleeing to make distance, but then he thought back to its Nigredo state.

"He wants us to run, to keep moving." He thought before counter charging.

"Sol!" Alex's shout was shrill, but he threw himself back inside the fighting, opening the umbrella and charging another beam, the energy charging slower than before.

Sol did hear Alex's shout but knew running wasn't an option here.

"Either I hit him, or Alex does. Either way, he'll be focused on one of us, and that's what counts!" His thought as he continued racing forward.

At about halfway there, Trismagia brought his claws low and raked up, creating an X-shaped pattern of howling blades that Sol was damned sure would have caught any flight options. It seemed though that Lady Luck had smiled down upon him because as the blade continued forward, a gap had opened, small enough for him to pass under and punish.

Rolling between the gap, Sol continued forward and was forced to roll to the side as Trismagia let loose a series of wild punches toward him. It was just enough, however, to get him close to the right knee.

Sol let loose a Dance of the Holy at the now unprotected part of the demon. He could see the kneecap buckle and scales crack apart as he hoped that Alex had his shot lined up.

Alex did have his shot lined up, and the moment Sol let the attack go and moved to the side to avoid the retaliatory attacks from Trismagia, he let loose the beam he had been charging. The attack slammed straight into the wounded part of the armor, making the demon roar with pain towards the non-existent skies.

The air itself trembled, making both Sol and Alex's ears whistle painfully.

The already damaged knee buckled under the strain of the spell, forcing Trsimagia to halt his assault. He turned his head to look at the two before attempting to stand. The knee couldn't take the weight and snapped, forcing Trismagia down a second time.

"I CANNOT LOSE! NOT TO THIEVES, NOR TO ARTIFICIAL HALF-BREEDS!"​

Trsimagia roared before all three heads opened wide, sending out torrents of winds past Alex and Sol. These torrents began to rapidly grow and merge with each other until, eventually, the two found themselves within the eye of a tornado, trapped with a wounded and enraged demon.

"Come on, not this!" Alex lamented, clearly starting to grow tired. Still, he moved near Sol once more and readied himself to defend from the possible attacks of the demon.

Trismagia, in the meantime, started moving around the twister, heavy stomps being blocked by the tornado, until he lashed with a claw, attempting to cut apart the two hybrids.

It was just luck that the attack came from their front, thus allowing Alex to cast his barrier and stopping the attack before it could cause them damage. However, it did not allow them to retaliate before it vanished behind the howling winds and sand around them.

"Damn."

"He's got a busted knee, so that's slowing him down, but…" Sol began as he watched Trismagia adjust itself.

"...he's in pain and pissed off, so that's going to be fun to deal with." He finished before drawing Gevauden once more.

"Think we can destroy him before the final phase?" He asked Alex quietly.

"If I know my narrative convention well…. Probably not. Still, I have an idea for dealing with this tornado, but it's going to be insanely dangerous. Want me to try it?" Alex asked, getting into a proper position, weapon ready, eyes narrowed into a slit.

"Whatever you need me to do, I've got your back," Sol responded, readying himself as best he could.

"Ok, I need you to switch to Semyaza and focus on the magic absorption part of how he works." Alex was sweating slightly, head and eyes moving in an attempt to find Trismagia through the tornado.

Without a word, Sol re-summoned the gauntlets and raised his fist in preparedness, feeling the ambient energy be drawn in. "I can't see him in the storm, can you?" He asked quietly.

"Then we're going to need to hit everywhere in the storm. I'm going to supercharge you, and then you jump and punch down. With a bit of luck…" The hybrid grimaced but put his hands on the gauntlets and focused, even closing his eyes. His entire body was outlined with energy shaped like flames for a moment before everything went into Semyaza, a rush of energy that Alex had never used before and left him panting, falling on his knees on the ground, blood dripping down his chin.

Whether Sol heard Alex fall to his knees or not, he focused solely on the power that now filled his gauntlets. His hands immediately crossed over each other like a shield as the newly given power came through him. It almost felt like it wanted to be directed at a singular point, but if he let it do that, then he ran the risk of missing… No, it had to be like a great flash, striking and illuminating everything that could and would be. His hands had been close to each other, too close to get the spread proper and so he tried to move them apart. The power inside was like a series of chains binding his arms as it was changed from demonic indigo to angelic gold. The effort to move them was immense. Yet he began to manage. Slowly but surely, his arms moved away from his front and to either side of his body, with each moment feeling like he was about to lose control.

With palms raised to the sky, he held the power for a final brief instant, feeling it the last of its be fully purified before screaming, "LET THERE BE LIGHT!!!"

He didn't know why, but those words just felt… right.

The effects were even more so. There was a blinding flash as the golden energy flared around them like the center of a solar flare, effortlessly piercing the sandstorm and striking Trismagia true. The demon attempted to shield its body, but its defense was… inadequate. The heat pressure of the attack drove the demon through the dunes, tearing the scales and muscles of its perfected body to shreds. It howled in fury and agony, but against all odds, Trismagia managed to get some degree of footing and stood in the face of the light, arms forward. Whatever it attempted was halted as its arms snapped under the pressure, and it was sent further away.

Sol was blind to this, and eventually, he felt the power fade as the light diminished. His arms fell to his sides before he collapsed to his knees. Looking forward, the dunes had been transformed into a near-flawless plain of glass, save for the blood and scale-laden trench that marred its beauty.

"Tha.. that's gotta be it… right?" Sol asked, more aloud than anything, before focusing and seeing the upright form of Trismagia. It was on its knees, listing… to the side that had more body left. Looking like burned and shredded meat, both arms had been reduced to bloody stumps. Its once glorious scales were pitted and shattered across a torso of exposed and torn muscle. The only sign of life from the demon was the barely noticeable expansion of its chest as it took deep, shuddering breaths. As it gasped for air, its blood began to pool around its broken body, bubbling and sizzling in the wind-swept and glassy landscape.

The smell of iron and copper filled the air before the wind started moving once more, the breeze turning into a strong gust until it turned into a twister all around the body of Trismagia Megistos.

The wind, echoing like a shriek of rage and pain, carried the demon upwards and was slowly painted crimson by the amount of blood that Trismagia was losing.

"NO! I WILL NOT DIE LIKE THIS! I WILL BECOME THE GOD OF DEMONS!"​

It was a deafening shout of defiance. Within the crimson storm, Trismagia's form started to glow a violent red. This new glow produced a terrifying heat, turning the normal winds into scorching gusts, the light growing slowly brighter and brighter.

Until the whole twister caught fire, exploding into a single flash of flames, dancing in the air without any apparent fuel, along with Trismagia's voice echoing all around them.

"I AM TRISMAGIA MEGISTOS! I AM THE NEXT GOD OF DEMONS! GAZE UPON MY MAGNUM OPUS AND WEEP!!"
"[RUBEDO]!!"​

The flamestorm roiled and twisted, descending and forming around Trismagia Megistos' form showing to Alex and Sol what it had finally become.

Gone was the humanoid form and its golden scales. Rising from ashes of its destroyed body, Trsimagia's new form looked almost like a three headed phoenix. It was something both resplendent and vile. As it soared in the sky, the sun illuminated its crimson feathers and talons as great gouts of flame trailed behind it, descending to the ground and turning the sand into rivers of glass.

There was… something wrong about it though, something that Sol couldn't quite see. What was it?

"Well, shit. This should be the last stage, but you never know. And a phoenix… I just hope he can't resurrect himself, otherwise we're gone." Alex managed to drag himself upwards, blood still dripping from his mouth, so much that he spat to the side and, shakily, steeled himself.

"All I can say is that it looks like we're back at the range game until something changes. Let's just hope he burns himself out before too long." Sol said, while handing Alex another Vitality star and readying his gun.

"YOU STILL STAND!? EVEN IN THE PRESENCE OF ONE SUCH AS I!? THIS FARCE HAS GONE ON LONG ENOUGH! BURN WITHIN THE FIRES OF REBIRTH!"​

Trismagia roared before changing his course and bearing down on the two. Except, he didn't merely charge them. Instead, the demon reared up in the air and spread its wings wide before its feathers detached and shot forward.

"Yep, range game." Alex brought out Calcabrina and opened the canopy of the umbrella, the barrier manifesting around him and Sol, moments before the onslaught of feathers could hit them. And, judging by the amount of damage that it had done to the ground around them, grievously hurting them.

"Do you have any idea on how to bring him down to our level?"

"No. But I figure if we keep shooting, he may get pissed off enough to come at us with his han… claws… not feathers." Sol before firing off several shots towards the oncoming feathers.

"Yeah, that works. Let me see if I can…" Alex waited a moment more before closing the umbrella and pointing the tip at Trismagia before a stream of bullets shot from it, covering the distance between the two of them fast. Not fast enough that the giant phoenix didn't manage to bank and turn to the side, throwing himself into a dive to avoid being hit.

"I'll lay down suppressing fire, you try to damage him?" Alex could keep up such an attack for a rather long time, considering the energy the bullets took to create. They wouldn't do much damage, but every little bit helped. And, if nothing else, they were distracting.

"Alright." Sol said before beginning to run off to one side while firing off Sunset after Sunset. The shots began to crash against the feathers that Trismagia shot forward. A few shots made it through the flurry, scoring along Trsimagia's body. It was then the feathers reached their positions.

While a good deal had been destroyed by their attacks, the few that made it through struck the ground hard and unleashed pillars of flame hot enough that Sol had to turn away and slam his eyes shut from the heat alone.

"Fuc-!" Again, Alex had to stop his attack and throw himself at Sol. Calcabrina had already opened the shield and enveloped them into a sphere of safety, albeit only a momentary one. Still, it was more than enough to survive the assault.

"No, we need to be faster, but I admit I'm having a couple of troubles thinking on what to do. Ideas?"

"Unless we can bring him down to our…" Sol stopped speaking as he looked past Alex and smiled slightly.

"Maybe we can use that!" He said while pointing.

From where one of the feathers struck, a steady stream of water was rising, hissing against the ambient heat.

"A few minutes ago, this whole land was submerged. So if the water is still down there, we can definitely get our frenemy to cool off!"

"Yeah, that would work… If he decides to dive bomb us, instead of just killing us by sending wave after wave of flaming feathers at us. So, unless you want to… I dunno, insult him or something. I doubt he's going to just come down."

Sol looked at Alex for a moment before smirking. "It usually worked for Dante, didn't it?"

Alex raised a single finger before lowering it. "...Point."

Then, he turned towards the demon that was still flying up above and, cupping his hands around his mouth, using the brief time of reprieve from the deluge of flaming feathers, he shouted at him.

"So much for being the new god of demons. You can't even come down and face us from up close! What's up with that, scared?!"

"Yeah!" Sol added, "Here you are taking on this great big form, and all you can do is throw feathers! What are you? Some sort of chicken!? We've been fighting you tooth and nail since the word go! So come on! You started something with your fists before! So why don't you give it another shot!?"

"IMPUDENT WHELPS! YOU WILL BURN IN MY FLAMES, SO HOT THAT EVEN YOUR SOULS WILL DISAPPEAR FROM THIS WORLD!"​

And Trismagia rolled in a tight corkscrew before diving down as fast as he could go, aiming straight for them.

"Well, that worked. Time to fly away!" Alex grabbed Sol by the waist before the duo shot backward towards one of the small lakes of water, Calcabrina flying over the sandy ground.

Trismagia struck the dune with a mighty explosive that was soon replaced by shrill hissing. The dust cloud that was kicked up was soon replaced by a cloud of steam.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" ​

Trismagia questioned as it thrashed within the small pool that was forming around it.

"I think this is our shot!" Sol said quickly. Alex nodded, before landing near Trismagia and, in a moment, flashing into Devil Trigger.

Sol began to charge into the steam while switching out to Vendetta. The steam obscured some vision but not enough where he could see. He began to see the unguarded stomach of Trismagia and slashed down with all his might. The great sword cleaved through feather and bone, and all three heads screamed as one while Sol kept slashing. One, quicker than the rest, saw Sol through the haze of pain and bore down with its mouth wide open, flame flickering in its mouth.

Sol, realizing this through seeing the shifting of exposed muscle, turned and slashed upwards. The blade carved through the phoenix head, taking the lower beak and a part of the top beak. The blood and flame ignited together, forcing Sol away lest he be burned.

However, the distraction that Sol had created allowed Alex to Step between moments and reappear near the three heads. Well, two and some remains.

"Geryon-Iai, Third Chime: Principle of Royalty!" His voice was hoarse, but his sword flashed through the necks of the three heads, a single, perfect line. A single, perfect cut.

And it kept cutting. Suspended into a time loop where the cut repeated itself again and again and again, without ending, as long as Alex had the energy to feed into it.

After six seconds, his Devil Trigger vanished, and the cut disappeared, the three heads falling into the shallow, boiling water that remained under the phoenix, and he took a couple of steps backward.

"That was… more energy intensive than I thought."

"Yeah, but look at that! We didn't have to perform another variant of Final Flash, and it's dead! We can try to go home now!" Sol cheered while patting Alex on the back.

Alex turned to look at Sol, deadpan, before slapping his face. "Please, tell me that you don't really think he's dead."

Almost as if he had planned it - he hadn't - the corpse of the three-headed phoenix exploded into a pillar of flames so high that it reached the skies.

Alex slapped Sol on the back of his head before the duo jumped backward to avoid the flaming feathers suddenly falling from the sky.

"I RISE AGAIN! I WILL BE THE GOD OF DEMONS FOR ALL ETERNITY!"​

The voice echoed with an undertone of a bird's call before the six beady eyes of Trismagia locked onto the two hybrids.

"Fuck. Again."

And flaming feathers were shot once more.

**********

It had been how long since the fight had started? No, wait, they had baited this bastard into the dunes three more times since the regeneration.

"Fuck…" Sol breathed and realized he was getting tired. Whether it be Vendetta or Gevauden, he could feel his hands trembling from strain.

He was coming again, and Sol looked at Alex before nodding. Another pass, another dune, and another cutting down. Heh, maybe they'll just piss it off enough that it just rage quits and leaves them alone.

"Come on… come on…" Sol breathed as he readied himself.

Alex wasn't in a better situation. He was still getting tired, especially after the whole thing that he did with the supercharging Semyaza while in a tornado. He was getting a bit regretful about that now that he thought about it.

"Ok. I have a plan. Go to the dune and leave the rest to me. Oh, and pass me one of the remaining Holy Waters."

"Sure," Sol said tiredly before handing Alex one of the vials and heading off to the dune.

Alex took a deep breath before closing Calcabrina and mounting it like a witch with a broom. "Ok, Trismagia. You want to be difficult? You have no idea how difficult I can be. Let's GO!"

And he shot forward, faster than ever before, his mind focused on the spell that he was using to make his Devil Arm fly. It was a mix of the weapon's innate effect and an outside spell. The version he was using right now was just a pre-programmed flight path, but that didn't mean that he couldn't change it.

What the Statue offered was, after all, Potential for the future. Nothing more. Time and Potential, now. At a cost.

But that was nothing more than a stray thought. He had to focus.

The rain of flaming feathers coming his way forced him to improvise: not being able to change direction as he wanted, he had to stop the flying and start it again, with a new trajectory, every time he risked getting hit. And, sometimes, he just had to Step forward.

Finally, he reached the phoenix and stopped there, hovering in front of him with a cocky smirk.

"Surprise! I can fly, too! I guess that you aren't so special anymore, now, are you?!" His voice was more of a roar than a shout before he used the surprise of the demon to throw the Holy Water straight at the middle head.

Then he fell, leaving behind the explosion and a seriously pissed-off Trismagia, who decided to unveil a new trick beyond throwing himself into a dive to attempt to pluck Alex out of the air like a bug: he opened his three beaks and sent three rays of fire straight at him, attempting to burn him into ashes.

That forced Alex to break the flying spell more and more until something in his mind cracked a little.

"Incoming!"

Sol, witnessing the explosive and the follow-up rays, quickly began to move away from the blast zone. When the rays hit, Sol was sent over the dunes before rolling to a stop.

"Holy fuck… that must have really pissed him off." He said in a daze before getting up and going over the dune again.

Alex's attempts to avoid the attacks were, in the end, for naught: one of the rays hit him straight in the back, sending searing pain through his entire body, the choked scream that escaped his mouth pitch perfect in agony.

And, at that moment, in the bright, stark haze of pain, bordering on delirium, something connected in his mind. Almost as if he was being puppeteer-ed from above, he swerved all of a sudden, a ninety-degree change in movement, avoiding the continuous flame assault, before quickly moving behind the phoenix and slamming into him, feet first, driving the demon into the water beyond the dunes.

Sol saw the hit and began to charge towards it, swinging Vendetta over his shoulder and leaping over the edge towards a flailing Trismagia. His strike landed between two of the heads, cutting deeply into the abdomen. Before the heads could do anything else, Sol wrenched the sword free and swung wide, taking two necks at the base before swinging for the third and final head. The cut wasn't as clean as the rest, but it was enough. Feeling the temperature rising around him, Sol leaped away from the demon before it burst into flame once more.

"THIS IS FUTILE. I WILL RISE AGAIN… AND AGAIN!!!"​

From the flames, Trismagia's voice called once more. Yet Sol thought he heard something different in the declaration this time… was that fatigue he heard? He hoped so, damn it all. He hoped so much for that to be the case.

The phoenix rose once more, but once he was back into proper sight, both Alex and Sol could see that there was something different. Then, it clicked: Trismagia was leaner. Slightly smaller.

It had the body of someone who had skipped one dinner too many and worked a bit too long.

"He's weakening." Alex's voice was nary more than a whisper. Sol heard it only because he had moved back towards him. "And I think I know why. Want to hear my theory?"

"I'm all ears," Sol responded before planting Vendetta into the ground and leaning on it.

"He's consuming more energy than he has. Regenerating from… if not death, something very near it, it's costing him more and more strength." His whisper turned into silence while he followed with his eyes the ascending form of Trismagia.

Since two resurrections ago, he had stopped attacking as soon as he had regenerated himself, preferring instead to gain altitude and attack from far away.

"Still, it seems like he's getting smarter. Do you have any idea on how to bring him down now that insults don't work anymore?"

"I've got… 5 to 6 Holy Waters left." Sol said after a moment, before continuing. "He might expect that, though, so I want you to throw me. You got right up in his face before. If you can get me there, I could use Semyaza to bear down on him and bring him down."

Alex blinked, before nodding. Calcabrina rose by its own accord, hovering around 1 foot off the ground. "Sounds good. Hop on."

And, with unnatural balance, Alex stepped on the umbrella, waiting for Sol to follow him.

Sol wasted no time in storing Vendetta away and stepping behind Alex. He steeled himself as he felt that familiar tingle of aerial nervousness and fear spread into his fingers. He trusted Alex to get him close. He just needed to keep calm while he was punching that damned bird.

"Trust me. Even if you fall, I WILL catch you." And, after saying that, Calcabrina shot forward, in a rising curve, faster than before but also more controlled. Not invisibly, sadly.

Trismagia turned and scattered a veritable wave of burning feathers before sending several rays of fire towards the duo. It took several acrobatic prowess on Alex's part to avoid the lances of flames and the feathers, but he managed.

Until a wall of fire stopped his advance.

"Do you trust me?" The question came like a whisper but loud enough to cut through the rushing air around the two.

"Do it!" Sol shouted above the din of the flame.

"Then hold onto me, tight! We're moving in the world without time! " After Sol had tightened his grasp on Alex, the hybrid seemed to take a single, deep breath.

And time stopped. Everything turned a strange hue of gray and indigo, a faux-monochrome that felt unreal. They were still moving, slipping through frozen feathers and flames without heat.

Once they had passed the shield of flames that had surrounded Trismagia, a shield made from his own shed feathers, Alex breathed once more, and Time started again.

They were behind the phoenix, without him being aware of it.

"Woo! Okay! Throw me!" Sol shouted as he realized how close they were.

"Fastball special!" Alex laughed before he half-turned towards Sol, grabbed him by the shoulder, and spun, using Calcabrina as an aid, before sending his friend towards the demon as fast as he was able.

There was a brief moment of terrifying weightlessness as Sol was propelled forward, but he powered through it and drew Gevauden. Trismagia felt something land on its back before the bone-bladed whip wrapped around its center head.

"All right, asshole, we're heading straight down to earth, and I'm riding shotgun!" Sol roared before punching down into Trismagia. The demon thrashed violently under the assault, almost throwing the hybrid, if not Gevauden's hold on the neck. After getting some degree of better footing, Sol resumed punching. With each punch, Sol could feel bones breaking, and after several more hits, the wings shuddered and fell limp. Trismagia had begun to free fall, and Sol was not going to let this chance fall away.

"You're probably going to regenerate from this, but I don't care! It's just a useless effort, you hear me!? Useless! Useless! Useless! Useless!!!" Sol roared as he unleashed Dance of the Holy before transitioning into an Infernal Punch. He saw, more than felt, the entire back of the demon cave in from that final punch before he leaped off the demon.

Striking the sand hard, Sol rolled for several seconds, uncaring of the crater that Trismagia was going to make.

He stopped rolling just in time to see Alex coming down like a meteor, leaving a streak of light behind him amidst the flaming feathers still in the air. Then, while he was halfway down, Calcabrina vanished, and Seraphim appeared in his hands. A piercing whistle started to echo all around.

Armor covered his body as he slipped back into Devil Trigger moments before he landed on the struggling body of Trismagia, driving him even deeper into the waters. Then, his voice reached Sol even in the distance.

"Sing, O Muse, of the Immortal Lovers!" And Alex and Trismagia exploded, a wave of pressure that sent water, sand, and feathers flying away.

Alex landed on the ground near Sol, cackling like a hyena. "I've wanted to use it since I got it."

"Hahahaha!" Sol laughed as he made to stand. "And what a way to use it!"

A plume of fire manifested within the crater that Trismagia had made. Sol's shoulder sagged as he realized what was going on. Rolling his shoulders, he took out two Devil Stars, using one and handing the other to Alex.

"Looks like the phoenix is still burning," Sol said with a grimace.

But something had definitely changed since before.

Trismagia was now skin and bones. As in his skin was stretched over his bones, making him look like one of those famine victims, the rib cage perfectly delineated even under the coat of feathers on the chest, the wings looking more and more skeletal, the eyes sunken into the skull.

He… didn't seem to notice, however.

"GAZE UPON MY FORM AND KNOW THAT YOUR ATTEMPTS ARE FUTILE! AND NOW, VANISH INTO THE BIRTH OF MY NEW WORLD!"
"[MAGNUM OPUS: ALCHEMY OF SOULS]!"​

"Uh-oh."

"Oh no…" Sol muttered as a wall of deeply crimson flame poured forth from Trismagia's form. As it made its way toward the two, the roar of the flame began to change, growing in pitch until it sounded more like a scream. More disturbingly, humanoid figures could be seen within, their cries of agony reaching the sky as their mad rush glassed the sand they raced along.

"Fly! FLY!" Sol shouted in horror.

Alex didn't even stop to say anything: he just grabbed Sol around the waist while his other hand clamped like a vice on Calcabrina before shooting upwards as fast as he could push his weapon to go.

And yet, the flames seemed to rise and rise towards them, like a monstrous guardian of hell. In the flames, the tongues of fire twisted and contorted into humanoid figures until they looked a lot like the various people that they had met in their travels through the small dimension that Trismagia Megistos had created.

The college guy who was part of their group. The kids. The punks and the nazis. The man and the woman that had attempted to kill them. The Red Eyes.

The various figures, now more clearly defined, began to scream at the two fleeing hybrids.

"WhAT dID YoU dO To US!!!???" Some cried.

"YoU! YOU kIllEd Me!" Another one screamed.

"BAGGAGE LIKE YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST DIED!" A haunting familiar face screamed.

"HOW!? HOW DID YOU BREAK MY SHELL!?" A red-eyed sorcerer cried.

"I'LL BLEED YOU DRY, YOU INSIPID, BLOODY BASTARDS!" A phantom of Laura howled.

"IT'S NOT OVER!!! I CAN'T LET THIS END HERE!" Ivan's phantom yelled.

"ZEKE! WHERE ARE YOU!?" Gabrielle called, her form roiling within the flame.

"I T' S N O U S E!" Zeke cackled.

"Fiendfyre-stealing asshole…" Alexander muttered, pushing more energy into his flight and going faster and higher, attempting to evade the flames that were literally chasing them, leaping from the ground to the air like embers.

Very dangerous embers.

"Hold on. I'm going to use some escaping maneuvers!" And that said, Alex changed direction all of a sudden, turning 90 degrees and going into a dive before turning once more.

"Woooo!" Sol cried as Alex made his turn. Looking back, the faces in the flame began to melt into each other, losing their individuality and looking more like a mass of near-featureless faces howling into the sky. The fire raced behind them, licking at their heels before slowly, almost imperceptibly, beginning to wane. It seemed that the fuel that fed this unearthly flame was being used up.

Left. Left again. A steep climb up. Right. Corkscrew to the left, then a rapid and sudden turn downwards, before turning right and back.

"I can't keep this up for much longer! Do you have any ideas?!"

"Douse it!?" Sol asked while fumbling a Holy Water into his hand.

"Let's try it!" Alex had to turn suddenly to avoid a jet of flames aimed at his head before nodding to Sol.

Wordlessly, Sol threw the vial into the crimson flames. There was a moment where nothing happened, and then, with a great cry, the flames burst into a cloud of steaming vapor that expanded in all directions, obscuring the two from sight. The only evidence of its presence was the glassed sands left in its wake and the mimicry whispers of slain victims.

Then, a moment later, the flames redoubled in intensity, roaring once more towards the two, fueled by the rage and power of the phoenix, who cried to the skies his hatred.

"Oh fuck! That didn't work!" Sol cried as the flames ate through the steam and charged towards them.

Alex said something rude enough to paint the air blue before turning once more.

"I think we need to remove the source!" His shout was almost covered by the crackling and moaning of the living flames, but Sol definitely heard it.

"Right!... Aw, hell, throw me over when you get the chance. Make it hard for him to concentrate!" Sol responded over the din of the flames.

"So you can burn to a cinder?" Alex's answer was sarcastic enough to be heard before he had to twist and turn once more. Still, that gave him an idea for how to attempt to resolve the situation.

"Let's go all in. A single shared attack from both of us. The strongest you can make with the strongest I can make." He turned to glance at the flames that kept following them. "Otherwise, I'm going to spend all my energy attempting to avoid the fire, and we're going to die all the same."

"Alright." Sol said before bringing forth Semyaza, "Better to bring forth some angelic might for this."

"Good idea. Ok, sothis is going to be very strange, but I need you to close your eyes and not open them until the voices are gone. Ok? On three. One…" Alex said, turning in midair with a loop de loop and shooting back towards the phoenix, weaving right and left to avoid the wave of flames, a look of focus on his face.

"Oh, no problem, just like last time…" Sol thought before shutting his eyes and readying himself.

The voices came like in a flood of noise, bombarding Sol with their incessant words.


"openyoureyeswitnessuswalkwithmeburnwithmeofferyourselftoyournewgodrelinquishyourheartbecomehispower"​

On and on the voices called, and still Sol kept his eyes closed as much as possible.

Alex narrowed his eyes and he slipped, again, between seconds. The grayscale world greeted him, streaks of indigo showing him the details, like light in the fog. And yet, he passed through frozen flames and tortured faces, before reappearing right above Trismagia Megistos.

"NOW!" His voice roared, shaking the air, Calcabrina vanishing into his Inventory, while Seraphim appeared in his hands, his entire body flashing into his Devil Trigger state.

Sol hit his DT and felt that power flood him. Launching forward, he cried "Dance of the Holy!" As his fists began to rain down on Trismagia's body. Each blow took chunks of desiccated flesh and bone in rapid time.

The three heads of the phoenix shrieked high to the heavens, before Alex landed on his back, right where the three necks joined with the body, his staff in his hands, the bottom tip aimed at the body of the demon.

It pierced the flesh until it hit the bone, where it stopped. A pinprick, due to the simple difference in size. However, that wasn't all that Alex was going to do.

"[Sing, o' Muse, of the Immortal Lovers]!"

Seraphim vibrated and a note as pure as crystal echoed in the air, while an explosion of pure sound and vibration expanded from his position, flaying Trismagia alive and banishing the flames all around him.

Alex, instead of remaining there, let the explosion fling him away and freeing the path for Sol to attack once again.

There was a brief pause before Sol shouted, "Outer Heaven!" In a flash, Semyaza appeared behind Sol and joined in on the punch rush. As they continued to punch, Trismagia's chest began to cave in until, eventually, the rib cage shattered. And with one mighty shout of "INFERNAL PUNCH!!!" He aimed straight at Trismagia's heart. By itself, the demonically enhanced punch would have just burst the heart. However, the final attack was channeled through Semyaza, and the energy was inverted. The heart shuddered and deflated before a series of golden lights traveled through the valves into the rest of the body.

Trismagia's three heads screamed as cracks began to spread along its body. Steaming blood poured forth before micro explosions rocked the demon's body as it fell backward.

"Now, stay dead this time!" Sol hissed before resting on a knee.

Alex landed near him, the armor of his Devil Trigger already vanishing in feathers the color of bronze, panting heavily.

"I really hope we're done now. The flames are gone, but I don't know anymore." The fighting for that amount of time was taking its toll on both of them, eroding their mental fortitude and resistance: having to be on alert and continuously moving was exhausting.

Then, almost as if he was waiting for this to happen, a flicker of flame appeared where the corpse was, consuming it in a roaring inferno before Trismagia was there again. Wing opened, rising from the ashes once more.

"I RISE." "AGAIN." "I AM ETERNAL."
"LOOK UPON YOUR DOOM, INSECTS, AND DESPAIR!"​

"Give us a bre…" Sol began to say before trailing off. Looking at Trismagia's appearance, the demon was significantly smaller than before. Even the voice carried less presence than previously.

"Alex," Sol began quietly. "I think our endurance in this battle is about to pay off." He finished while drawing Gevauden.

"Wait, what… Oh." Alex looked at Trismagia properly before smiling. "Yeah, I think you are correct."

"I think we should capitalize on this now. Before he throws out another alchemical wall of flame." Sol said before readying himself.

Trismagia was, currently, looking like skin stretched over bones, the flames that had almost consumed the two of them before now sputtering and dying, bit by bit. And yet, the demon didn't seem to realize that.

Even if he was just barely hovering in place.

"I… don't think that's needed, to be honest," Alex said something that sounded a bit like pity in his tone of voice. Very, very little of it.

"Why!?" Sol hissed quietly. "What if he attacks again? What if he transforms or something?"

"THE THRONE WILL BE MINE, AND A NEW ERA SHALL BE BORN THROUGH MY FLAMES! BEHOLD MY MIGHT!"​

Trismagia roared or at least attempted to. The majesty that it once held was far too diminished. Familiar crimson flames began to manifest, and the demon called out once more.

"[MAGNUM OPUS: ALCHEMY OF SO]... URGH!"​

The flames sputtered and died away as Trismagia collapsed to the ground.

"WHA… WHAT IS HAPPENING!?"​

Trismagia attempted to stand before collapsing, strength quickly leaving its weakened form. For several moments, all that could be heard was labored breathing before it partially, its bulk shuddering with noticeable effort.

"ACCURSED THIEVES! WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS!?"​

"No trickery." Alex said, with a small and calm smile on his face. He just looked at the slowly shrinking form of Trismagia, his eyes barely glinting when the light of the flames reached him.

"You played yourself. You did evolve into a phoenix and a very strong one, it's true, but… Did you really think that you could just keep being reborn over and over without a cost?"

"IMPUDENT CHILD, WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND OF RESURRECTION!? I AM ETERNAL! MY WILL, MY GOALS, WILL TRANSCEND ALL! I HAVE EVEN SURPASSED THE EFFORTS OF THE MANY-CURSED SPAWN OF SPARDA!" ​

"No… No, you haven't. All you've done is commit murder on a grand scale. And even then, we and so many more fought against you. Look where's that gotten you! The flame is dying, and you're petering out." Sol said, venom lacing every word.

"You're right that I don't know a lot about resurrection. What I know, however, is the cost of healing." Alex leaned on Calcabrina's closed form, looking straight at Trismagia's eyes.

"You think it's easy to recover from the damage? Demons heal quickly and almost perfectly, it's true, but they still need the fuel to do so. And all fuel ends, especially if you push it too fast like you did today." He waved his hand towards his form.

"And this is the result."

"THIS IS NOT HOW IT ENDS! I WAS TO BE THE KING OF THE DEMON WORLD!!!"​

Trismagia roared in fury as, in a desperate display of strength, it stood up once more, flames beginning to pour forth from its body.

Sol sheathed Gevauden before drawing Nymphaeum. "Well, I don't think there's a better end for this. Remind me again, Alex, what was the last thing Arkham heard before being bitch slapped down to earth?"

"Arkham? That mad clown?" Alex asked before putting his index finger on his lips, assuming a thinking pose for a moment.

"I'm not sure. Want to refresh my memory?"

Sol smiled, moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with Alex, and raised his gun, finger on the trigger. Alex copied his position, but with his fingers pointed in the shape of a gun, an energy bullet hovering in front of his index and middle finger.

""Jackpot.""

The combined shot slammed against Trismagia's middle head, prompting a shriek of pain from the other two before the phoenix in front of them simply vanished like a flame without fuel.

And silence fell around the two.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

And so falls the would-be god at hell's end. This was a hell of a chapter write. It didn't go through many rewrites save for one section, which was very different but led to some plot holes and a situation in which NO ONE in this fight would have been able to survive. Only one more chapter and an epilogue left, and it is a hell of a ride!

 

[Nick Terakidan]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[Atma]

As the demonic phoenix faded away, Sol's arm dropped before the adrenaline did, and without much fanfare, he collapsed backward onto the sand.

"If there's an afterlife for that bastard, I hope it's a cold one."

He looked around at the endless dunes before looking up at Alex.

"I don't know about you, but I didn't think we'd end up in a desert. Still," Sol began while sitting up. "There has to be a way out, right? I mean, Dante was in and out of hell several times and in an entirely different universe."

Alex nodded, clearly absentmindedly. "Yeah, but he had the Rebellion or the Yamato or the Sparda sword, and we have exactly none of those. I think I can whip something up with magic, but it's not going to be a quick - did you hear that?"

He stopped, his hair swishing behind him as he turned around. There was a confused look on his face, one hand cupping his ear, and he was clearly trying to listen for something.

*crack*

There was something, a sharp but quiet splintering noise that seemed to come from… well, everywhere.

*Crack*

The noise came again, louder this time, and Sol caught sight of something. Barely perceptible under the sun's glare.

"Uh, Alex…"

*CRACK*

The cracks grew wider and wider.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but…"

*CRACK!!!*

"The sky is falling!" Sol shouted as the sky shattered and fell like panes of broken glass. The earth seized in response, shaking the two. As the sky fell and the earth roiled, their sense of balance within the desert tipped forward, sending the two tumbling through the rapidly shifting dunes. For several moments, this continued before they were suddenly airborne. Weightlessly, they watched as the sky and earth became one, flowing upwards toward an all-encompassing light. Even if they were at their full strength, all they could have done in this chaos was to be carried along into the light.

As they got nearer and nearer, flashes of the locations they had previously battled in raced past them, as did their denizens. Demons of all kinds were torn apart by ever-growing maelstrom, and cries of shock, surprise, and horror soon drowned out their screams.

As images of the Sparda family estate raced by, the two were joined by the assembled masses of the teens that had used the mimicry manor as their shelter, Arthur among them, blackened blade gleaming in the chaos. Soon, even that gave way to the cityscape, and desperate moans followed. Looking greatly weakened, the punks that they had allied with were carried along with them. On and on they went, as the world collapsed, even carrying away the students at the mall, until their last sight before being blinded by the light was the fleshy room they had awoken in.

Blinded, there was a moment of weightlessness before gravity reasserted itself, and all they felt was a hard impact.

The entirety of the surviving people - the punks, the college students, the kids with their teacher, and a few men and women from who knows which group - were all together on a single island. A single piece of existence that was getting threatened by the non-existence all around it, slowly eating it away. Pieces that were still attached to it but had their foundations removed fell into nothingness and disappeared into the abyss.

Screams and shouts of panic and fear echoed in the little air that was still there, but even those were thin and reedy like the energy of the people had been sapped and used up, consumed to fuel the creation of an evil creature.

"Do you have any idea?" Alex managed to force out a question directed straight at Sol, fear threading his voice and making it quiver.

"Not a clue… maybe… Trismagia could have been… like… the cornerstone of this place. When he died… It had nothing to support itself, so it just… collapsed." Sol said between breaths.

Looking around the crowd, he caught sight of Arthur doing the same and called out. "Link up with everyone! Stay together and link up!"

"I'm grasping at straws, but we have to stay together, right?" Sol asked Alex as people began to grab hold of each other.

"Cornerstone… Collapsing into itself because the pressure of Reality is pushing it down… It was a pocket dimension, after all… And… Trismagia managed because... Of the…"

Almost as if he was possessed - which he kind of was, except he was possessed by himself and the knowledge that the Divinity Statue had gifted him - Alex started looking around feverishly, even jumping up and down to look above the heads of the other people, who were now huddling together as far away from the edges as possible. Then, finally, he saw what he was searching for.

"There! Can you see it!?" He was pointing downwards and to the left from his position at the continuously eroding edge of the platform. The trunk of the Qliphoth.

"Alex? Tell me you have a plan," Sol asked, fear evident in his voice.

"An almost assuredly suicidal one, but yes." Alex was smiling wide and a little bit more than crazy, his eyes glowing with maniacal intensity.

"Tell me you have at least one Devil Star left."

Sol blinked before patting himself down and sighing in relief. "Last one!" He said before handing it to Alex.

"Thanks! HEY, EVERYONE!" His voice echoed in the empty, rapidly decaying world, loud enough that everyone turned towards him.

"Everyone is holding hands with someone else? I hope so because my plan is going to be a bumpy ride, and I have NO IDEA if it's going to work. But it's either this or falling in the void between dimensions, soooo… Buckle up, buttercup! We're going DOWN!"

And, with a quick slash of his sword, he cut the Devil Star in two. Then, a moment before the crystal could explode and release the entirety of its energy in a single burst, a bubble of stopped time appeared around it, quickly followed by glowing letters that Alex was frantically sketching in the air, floating around the bubble.

In response, the island stopped breaking apart, but it still persisted forward and down towards an unknown location. The fear of losing ground was lost; now, only the fear of the unknown persisted.

"Ok, so I put this here, then this here, coordinate goes there and there, and… Ok, yeah, right, dimensional void. We're going Imaginary Numbers like we're in Fate." Alex muttered, his hands moving faster and faster, the glowing symbols forming what looked like an increasingly complicated circle around the bubble of stopped time.

Then, while the gray air around the Devil Star started to disappear, he finished with a last flick of his fingers. "And that's all. Time for the Fat Lady to sing."

The time bubble disappeared. The explosion continued moving.

And the symbols flared, channeling all that energy and redirecting it onto the platform the group was standing on. Which stopped drifting for a moment before a dome of energy covered it, turning the platform into a half-sphere.

"Keep all extremities inside the vehicle, 'cause this ride is going dooooooown!" As he was saying the last words, the whole thing stuttered to a stop in mid-air before falling all of a sudden.

The pull of gravity was tremendous, and the survivors huddled as close as humanly possible in a bid to establish some certainty about the descent. As the platform, the perception of gravity warped, with the light being above or below them until, eventually, it was firmly below.

The descent was gaining greater speed; the howling winds were deafening, drowning out screams of panic, and as the platform reached the light, something changed. Gone was the void, and in its place was a ruined city, a very familiar ruined city with a massive structure growing out of it. The platform struck the structure, gouging into it before carrying itself down. The hit began to reduce the speed at which they all fell, and the structure provided a degree of direction, like a vehicle upon a track. Further, they fell, down and down, until eventually, the platform had lost too much speed and came to a sudden stop. The survivors pitched forward, falling head over heels, and landed hard upon painfully familiar concrete and asphalt. Among the tangled limbs and bodies, there was a slowly growing realization. They had survived this nightmare. They had come home.

Alex stood up briefly before addressing the crowd. "We hope the travel with Air Alexander was survivable and you still have all your limbs. We have passed the dimensional barrier using the giant vampire tree behind us and so you can all call yourselves dimensional travelers. Thanks for your patronage, and I sincerely hope to not have to bring anyone back cause the place where we were has disintegrated."

After saying that, Alex dropped down on his back, breathing deeply and looking upwards towards the top of the tree.

"You know, Sol? The thought of climbing that tree-shaped mountain is making me want to cry."

"Please don't… wait, what?" Sol asked before he realized what Alex was. Looking around quickly to see if a certain van had or had not shown up, he looked. "Okay, I get it. We need to get 'home' home fast, but it's not like Yamato is actually up there. Hell, the brothers fast-tracked themselves downward to get to hell in the first place."

"Yeah, after they had their big bad showdown at the top of the Qliphoth. The closer we are to Yamato, the easier it's going to be to attempt to go home. Thus, we have to climb the giant vampire tree that is infested with demons."

"Yeah… but they cut the tree at the base or roots, didn't they?" Sol asked in a leading way.

Alex turned his head and fixed Sol with a blank stare. "And you know WHERE they land after jumping inside the portal?"

"Hell… I think." Sol said before sitting up. "All though, considering everything, it could be anywhere," Sol responded.

"Yeah, that's the problem. Unless we know exactly where they are landing in Hell, they could end anywhere, which means losing access to Yamato's portal-making ability. Which means…" And he pointed again up at the Qliphoth.

"Up at the top… You still have enough power to fly?" Sol asked tiredly while trying to look up at the Qliphoth.

"Ah! No. Unless you can find some food in the next five minutes, I'm tapped out until I regenerate my magical energy. You didn't really think that a single Devil Star was enough to break the dimensional barrier, even with the spell I used, right? I had to supply my own energy to give it a bit more oomph."

Sol was silent for a few moments before looking around and stopping. Something about this place was recognizable, and he smiled. Getting up, he patted Alex on the shoulder before painfully stumbling over to a nearby building.

He looked at it briefly before smiling again. He couldn't be bothered to remember if they had hit this place early on or not, but he knew they passed by several cafes in the area. Looking around, he found that the door was busted in and happily went inside.

"Let's see, let's see." Sol began to say before looking around and rifling through the rooms. The location looked very similar to one of the buildings they had visited before. Maybe there was food? Spread the wealth to everyone else and make sure that Alex had something to help him get by.

There were a few buildings that had people inside. One of them was, in fact, a cafè, but it wasn't abandoned: several people had taken shelter inside, all of them looking from the window towards the giant tree that was swaying against the sky.

Still, it was open, and he didn't have to break anything and risk being caught by the police, who were starting to swarm the place, so it was as good as any other option.

"Hey… It's okay." Sol said slowly while raising his hands in a calm manner to remove his helmet.

"I'm… human. We're just looking for some food and water for a whole bunch of people who have been having a rough day… surprisingly worse than yours… probably."

The cashier at the counter looked at Sol with fear and surprise, warring in her eyes before nodding slowly.

"I... Yeah… What we have is.. there…" She pointed at the glass windows inside the shop, where whatever food remained was there.

"Cool, cool. I'll pay you back when I can, but if I can't, send the bill to a woman called Lady. Short-ish, I think, with heterochromia, black hair, and a scar across her nose. She probably makes more money than god. But for now, we have a mini-refugee crisis outside. So! Thank you, and best of luck with your future endeavors!" Sol said before pausing in front of the food, summoning Vendetta and using it as a makeshift tray.

Passing by Alex, he awkwardly offered some of what he could grab to him before setting it out in front of the crowd.

"So uh… I might have said something I may regret down the line…"

"Really?" Alex's voice had a bit more strength than before, his words a bit masked by the fact that he was already eating. "What did you say?"

"I may or may not have implied that the shop could foot the bill to a certain gun-toting devil huntress…" Sol said before looking at the Qliphoth.

"So, yeah. I mean, as much as I'd like to, I doubt 'Mr. Power' has any form of funds; I wouldn't do that to Nero, Kyrie, and Nico; Trish is an unknown, and Dante… I don't think the man has had any real money for any long period of time. Which means we should probably leave in a relatively quick amount of time."

"Yeah, that's a good idea." And yet, despite saying that, Alex didn't make any move to get up. No, he kept eating and drinking as fast as he could without choking himself.

"Just as soon as I've eaten a few more bites. You didn't get anything for yourself? We don't know where or what we're going to face, sooo…" He made a circle with his hands in a signal that he should recover as much energy as he could.

"Nah, let them have it; they'll need more than me; you're the one doing the heavy lifting here, so you need it more than me," Sol said easily as he looked at the crowd, spreading the meager amount of food between themselves.

"We don't know what we're going to meet. AND we need to rush up the Qliphoth, we have no idea how much time we have. I think I remember when they threw themselves off the top, but I can't be sure. Something around 3-ish?" He turned towards one of the people that was around, not one of those that they had brought with them from Trismagia's pocket dimension. Rather it was an on-looker that happened to be present.

"Hey, you know what time it is?"

The person looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a brief moment before looking down at their phone.

"Uhh, yeah, it's, uh, 3:23 pm." They said timidly.

"Well, shit." Alex stopped eating before doing something that Sol didn't think he would have ever done. He blipped in place, the same way he did while using Blink, only the moment before he had the food in his hands, the moment after it was completely gone.

"Before you ask, yes, I did that."

"I… okay then. So I'm guessing we're on the clock?" Sol asked.

"Mhmh." The long-haired hybrid nodded before getting up and looking around. "We have around an hour before our window of opportunity closes. So, we need to leg it as fast as we can." Then, he finally spotted something.

"Ah, perfect! Excuse me!" He jogged towards one of the heavily armored vehicles that had a couple of soldiers standing around. "Excuse me! The vehicle is yours, right?"

The soldiers were busy in their own right, so they didn't notice Alex or his question immediately.

"Hey! Hey!" One soldier, who was favoring his left side, shouted. "Who's organizing this effort!? Get HQ on the line! We have people here in immediate need of medical services and rescue! I don't…" He paused, finally hearing Alex's question. Turning, he looked him over before groaning. While he attempted to mutter something under his breath, it was still relatively audible.

"Give me a break. He looks like he was with that one-armed son of a bitch from earlier."

"AH! No, that's my friend there, he's the one with the arm problem. I'm the one with the whole body problem." Alex smiled, too wide, eyes closed for a moment, before suddenly changing topics.

"I asked, is this yours?" He rapped his knuckles on the armored vehicle. "And when I say yours, I mean, do you have the key to this?"

Sol, who had just managed to catch up and overhear the description, paused before nodding, "Yeah, you know, prostheses are a helluva thing."

The soldier paused before sighing. "Swear I'm not being paid enough for this shit. Yes, I have the key, but that's not important right now. What is important is where all these people came from, and whatever hell is going on here!" He shouted with no small degree of frustration.

Sol merely raised a hand before calmly stating. "In short, a demon attempted to achieve godhood… A second demon, I mean. Pulled over 600 people into a glorified deathmatch to do it, died like an annoying bitch, we're the survivors, and we." He began gesturing to Alex and himself. "More than likely need a vehicle to get somewhere quickly so that this doesn't happen a third time."

"Yep. So, I'm sorry for this, buuuut… I need to commandeer your vehicle." And, with a blip in the sight of the soldiers, Alex moved from his position in front of them to be behind the wheel of the vehicle, the key already inside the ignition.

"Right, England. Driving on the wrong side of the road. Lucky me that anything I'm going to run over deserves it." And he made the engine roar to life, sending panic into the soldiers.

"Hey! You can't do that!" The soldier shouted before Sol moved past him and hopped in the vehicle.

"Sorry about this! Foot the bill to a man named Vergil! He needs to learn how to use money responsibly!" Sol said with every bit of false cheer he could manage before going pale.

"I'm a dead man, aren't I?" He asked Alex.

"Nah!" Alex said while pushing down on the gas and, at the same time, almost forgetting what hand to use to remove the handbrake. "I mean, only if you tell him while we are still on this side of the multiverse."

And, with a screech of tires on the ground, the whole thing lurched forward, almost flattening a soldier and roaring toward the Qliphoth.

"Now, let's see what the max speed of this thing is, and let's hope I don't crash it."

As Alex drove off, the leader of the soldiers grimaced before clenching his good hand and crying out. "Crazy bastards! All of them!"

"Should I drive?" Sol asked while struggling to get his seatbelt on.

"Unless you know how to drive in England better than me, I don't know. Do you want to?" Alex swerved around the remains of a car that was just in the middle of the road before pushing down the gas and running over an Empusa that had just appeared in the middle of the road.

"Normally, I'd say yes, but you've got the momentum, and I'm waaaaay better at driving long distances than at speeds. Thank you, four-hour sleep-deprived drive from Dublin to Cla… CAR ON LEFT!" Sol shouted as a car fell down onto the road.

"Nah, I'm actually rather mediocre as a driver." Alex seemed to remain calm, even as he turned the steering wheel to the right, the side mirror grazing the car. "Except when I'm really nervous or in a hurry. Then I get better, for some reason. And, let's admit it, enhanced reflexes from being a Demon Hybrid help a lot."

Two flying enemies appeared on the front, diving suicidally towards the armored car, only to be hit by a wave of sound as Alex held his hand outside the window, Seraphim aimed towards the demons.

"Yeah, that they do," Sol said before blasting another demon with his gun.

He looked at the road and the ever-closer Qliphoth and stated. "So, I'm guessing we're going to overcharge this vehicle and drive up. You have the power for that?"

"Absolutely NO IDEA! But I ALSO have no other idea on what to do, considering I think aircraft won't work to reach the whole tree, sooooo… I'm winging it! Exactly the same thing I'm going to do with the portal to bring us home. Cause I don't have any specific coordinates. So, I need you to tell me this now."

Alex turned towards Sol with a very serious expression, still driving forward. And NOT looking at the road.

"What I'm going to do to bring us home is going to be an experiment and put together at basically the last minute. It may very well result in our death by vanishing within the dimensional void. Are you sure you want me to try? Because I can just stop the car, and we'll remain here in this world. Maybe join the Devil May Cry agency."

Sol blinked for several seconds before nodding and simply responding. "I'll punch the ground if I have to get some extra lift then." He looked at the road, briefly adjusting his grip and leaning out the window. Several shots later, and a few straggling Empusa's were breaking down into red orbs.

"Always have to have some stragglers left behind… Okay… We're coming up on it now." Sol said before taking a breath.

"You got this, and yeah, I am saying that for both our benefits."

Alex shook his head before pushing the gas pedal down to the floor of the car. "I always wanted to do something like this." His smile was excited. And worrying.

"Now, let's put this thing in turbo!" And, with a quick adjustment of the steering wheel, Alex quickly created a circle of glowing symbols on the front window of the car. It started pulsing, faster and faster, until the entire car was enveloped in glowing gold-gray energy.

"Let's SPEED THIS UP!"

The car rocketed forward.

Sol gripped the edges of his seat to the point where they began to snap as the vehicle sped forth.

The car was almost sent sky high when they started climbing the Qliphoth proper, but Alex managed, by some miracle, to keep it standing and moving forward.

"Holy Shit, HOLY SHIT! This is something straight out of a hyperdrive scene! Will we go to Plaid!? I think I can feel my brain settling into my neck!" Sol babbled as they continued to climb higher and higher.

For a while, the only thing that changed was the rapidly increasing, then disappearing cloud cover, and then Sol saw something and screamed.

"VAN!!!"

Barreling towards them at speeds exceeding their own was a bronze van that made no signs of slowing down in the slightest.

"IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US!"

"OH FUCK IT!" Alex swerved sharply to the side, misjudged the width of the space he had available, and sent the armored car and everyone inside it down the edge of the Qliphoth branch.

""AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!"" Both of the hybrids yelled, seeing the void beneath them.

---

Nico kept her eyes on the armored car as it flew over the side of Qliphoth while fishing out another cigarette. She slammed the brakes, sending the van into a tailspin.

"Keep your eyes on the tree!" She heard Lady shout from just behind her while Trish was holding on to the oh-shit handles on the ceiling before Nico finally managed to stop the van. Millimeters from flying down the Qliphoth.

"Man! It's true that there's no place where you can't find an idiot behind the wheel! Had they never heard of Traffic Laws?!" She chewed the filter of her cigarette for a moment before attempting to turn the engine back on.

"Hey, now. That's not very nice. You kinda came out of nowhere." A voice came from the front of the van, with two men floating on what looked like an umbrella.

"Yeah!" The other man shouted, "You're driving faster than us, and we've been using magic as nitrous oxide!"

Nico didn't have to look too hard to realize that the second man was scared out of his mind. She grinned before shooting back. "Still idiots for not driving faster and smarter. You're driving up a giant tree. You should all be expecting something like this."

"Yeah, yeah, fair point." The two descended until they landed on the van's side near the entrance doors. "Can you open a moment? We need to ask for some information from you three.

"Sure. And maybe I can offer you tea and crumpets. Get real! Why would we open for two guys that we don't know and are going around almost hitting people with armored cars and flying on a broom like a witch?"

The one with the long hair raised an eyebrow delicately. "Because you are going around with a demon hunter and a devil shaped like the mother of Dante. Because we are searching for Nero to help him. And because we need your help."

His voice was honest and open, but it was clear that what he had said had rattled the people inside the van.

"Five minutes. We just need to ask a couple of questions, and then we get away. Please?"

Nico chewed her cigarette again for a few moments before sighing.

"Well, hop on board then." She said easily before subtly giving a look to Lady and Trish.

When the door of the van was opened from the outside, it was the shorter-haired man who entered first. There was a look of urgency in his movements that was halted by the barrel of a gun.

He looked down the barrel, met Lady's eyes, and went incredibly pale before babbling out. "I have an incredible fear of heights and would like something solid under my feet pleaseandthankyou!"

"Considering how Nico drives, I'm not sure if it's fair to count it as solid ground, but you do you." The long-haired one shrugged before jumping in behind the first. "Heya."

"Heya. You can start by telling us who you are and what you want. Then how do you know about Dante and Nero."

It wasn't a question.

Sol was quick to respond. "Another demon tried getting Godhood through the tree. Did a whole song and dance about the various brave warriors and fighters that stood in the face of evil before us. It… admittedly sounded like bullshit, but enough demons were cursing the name of Sparda and his descendants that we pieced a good chunk of everything together. Plus…" Sol looked at Alex briefly before continuing. "There was the manor, and a whole bunch of people who were down at the street level took refuge in it. Mimicry, sure, but it was four walls."

"But that doesn't explain this," Lady said while flicking her gaze towards Sol's arm.

Sol was silent for a moment before horror dawned on him. "Well, over 600 people, fuck ton of demons, you take prosthetics where you can find'em. The statue presided over the process, but we footed the bill, and when some psycho who hates his life as a human sics two Abyss's at you and you're suffering from severe blood loss, you uh… make do with what's available and spite is a great thing when staving off a shock." Sol said through chattering teeth.

Lady merely pulled the hammer back.

"Look! Look! We're not the only ones! There's a whole group of people down who did the same thing but are suffering from major health complications. Limbs going limp when not needed, nervous system issues, you name it! We were lambs to slaughter, so we figured we'd make the demons pay it forward and in perpetuity!"

Trish was keeping her eyes on Alexander, who looked at her without an expression. Then, he smirked.

"Sorry. My tastes ran more towards the Nero side of the spectrum than yours."

Nico cracked at that, shattering the heavy air in the van. "Really? REALLY! You're going with that? What do you see in that scarecrow, pretty boy?" She managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"Name's Alex. And, lemme see…" He looked upwards, clearly thinking, before leaning against the counter where she kept the replacements for Nero.

"He's taller than me, and that's a plus. He's rock solid under those clothes, which is also a plus. He has that bad boy with a heart-of-gold look and attitude that makes me shiver. He has what the youth of today call Big Dick Energy, and, honestly, it makes me want to find out if the advertising is truthful and the carpet matches the drapes."

That caused another roar of laughter to come from Nico, while Trish smirked and Lady blushed slightly.

"Then, what else? Well, he's faithful and loyal to his friends, dependable, has a stable job, seems just plain fun to be around, and would take no shit from me, which is a requisite, honestly. I'm a mess." And he leaned back even more, putting the elbows on the counter, completely relaxed.

"I personally find all three of you extremely attractive, but I'm also scared six ways to Sunday, so I'm going to keep things as polite as possible," Sol said before leaning silently back. "So, uh, we're cool, right? Because Alex and I just fought our way through god knows how many demons to get a shot at going home and uh… I really want to live."

"Going home?" Lady asked, now frowning, while Nico managed to regain her composure slowly, and Trish returned to her expressionless face.

"Yep," Alex answered in Sol's place, getting back up and crossing his arms. "We got abducted by Trismagia. He tried to sacrifice 666 people to become the new demon god. Taking the place of Mundus, basically." He stopped his answer for a moment, looking at Trish.

Who was now looking very serious.

"Anyway, we had to travel through some distorted space, kill him seven or eight times, yada yada. However, our home is a little bit… far."

"How far?" Trish asked, her voice ice. Alex grimaced.

"A few dimensions to the side of this one."

"Yeah… it's uh. It's something we're still processing. But! …Uh, we heard that there was this big battle at the top with a blade that could cut through dimensions. So we figured that walls between worlds would be thin up there, and we bounce out before anything else looks at us like filet mignons at a salmon market."

Sol paused for a moment as realized what just came out of his mouth. Nico couldn't help but laugh.

"I must be tired because I am getting my metaphors really, really crisscrossed."

Alex was also snickering under his breath before taking a deep breath.

"To make a long story short: we want to use Yamato's ability to open up dimensional passages to try and return home. Not stealing Yamato!" He raised his hands before Lady could do anything more than raise her hand, gun already cocked.

"Just going to ask Vergil to open one. Nothing more, I swear. I honestly don't feel like getting sliced into ribbons today."

"And, uh, if we can keep things quiet, he's footing the cost of the vehicle that just went southbound and down," Sol added before face-palming.

"Oh god, I said to myself I wouldn't mention that. Why did I say that? What the fuck, brain?"

"We've been up for probably days at this point. It happens. Honestly, I wonder what happened to it…" Alex put a hand on Sol's shoulder, smiling at him in an attempt to comfort him.

*************************************

A certain very annoyed soldier with an arm in a sling was looking at the crashed armored vehicle that had almost killed him. It had fallen from the sky only a few moments after those two took it, and, luckily, it hadn't hit anyone, nor had it exploded. Instead, it had crumpled in on itself like an empty can.

"I need to get away from this place…" He muttered to no one in particular.

*************************************

"Anyway!" Alex turned back towards Nico. "If you can point us toward the direction Nero went, we would be very grateful."

"Well then, you'd best turn around head up top, 'cause that's where he went last," Nico responded while trying to light another cigarette.

"Oh great, I have to fly again," Sol muttered to himself.

"Come on, it's not going to be that bad! I promise no loop de loop or slipping through time anymore. Just flying as fast as I can." Alex cooed, walking towards the open door before turning towards the trio.

"Thank you very much for your help. So, straight up from where you came, right? I'll find the way from here."

"Thanks for not shooting us first thing, and uh… There's a whole host of people who are probably very traumatized down below, so uh… drive slow?" Sol said sheepishly before grabbing Calcabrina

"Like hell, I will!" Nico said with a laugh.

"Bye!" With the umbrella in hand, Alex sat on it and motioned to Sol to follow before shooting toward the direction where Nico's van had come from.

Silence fell inside the vehicle before Lady looked at the counter. "Wasn't there something on it before?"

Trish looked around briefly before realizing what was missing. "It seems they weren't as honest as they made themselves out to be."

In fact, in place of the small Divinity Statue, there was a simple note that said: 'Sorry. IOU: One Divinity Statue.'

---

Sol looked at the small statue disappearing in the inventory before shouting. "When the hell did you have the time to steal that!?"

"When I was leaning on the counter! But I left a note!" Alex shouted back before leaning even more on Calcabrina and pushing more energy into it, speeding up so much that the umbrella itself started trembling slightly.

"I don't know how much more time we have!"

"Then speed it up!"

---

It didn't take long for Nico's van to reach the bottom of the Qliphoth, and it was even less time for them to reach the main square before Nico slammed on the brakes. The van pitched forward, and she pulled the wheel sharply to the right, narrowly avoiding a person wearing tattered clothes.

Leaning out the window, she asked the person, "Hey! You with the group that came from the tree?"

"Y…yeah." They responded before pointing behind themselves. "Th… the military is helping us, but…"

"But… it's the military, yeah, I gotcha." Nico said before driving off.

It took only a few more seconds before the van reached the main square. Soldiers had begun to spread themselves out among the crowd and were trying to keep things orderly… while also keeping an arm's length from the more visibly altered survivors. Despite all this, there was a palpable sense of joy among the crowd as they shared food and stories with the soldiers.

"Well, look at that. Guess they were telling the truth." Nico said with a grin before looking more critically at the survivors.

"Most of them have undergone the same transformation as the two on the Qliphoth. But…" Trish began while staring at the crowd.

"But?" Lady asked while opening the door to the van and stepping out.

"They're weaker. Not terribly so, but it's noticeable, almost artificial." Trish responded absent-mindedly.

It was then, as Nico was listening and leaning out the window, she caught sight of a young man carrying a blackened blade hastily tied to his side.

"Hey, hey, hey! Bring that sword over here." Nico said excitedly. Something about that blade definitely seemed interesting.

"Wha?" The youth said in slight bewilderment.

"I've got an eye for detail, and *that* is sure piquing my interest! So let me see!" Nico said excitedly.

The young man sighed and nodded before approaching the van. As this was going on, someone caught sight of Lady in the crowd and weaved their way through to reach her.

"Em… excuse me, are you uh… what did he say, uh, 'Lady'?" a voice asked.

Lady turned to see a regular person who definitely looked shakened. Her eyes traveled lower and caught sight of a name tag reading 'Amy'.

"Who's asking." She asked the employee of a store that she realized was in visible sight of the square.

"Well, a dark-haired man in armor came into the store earlier trying to feed the uh, survivors and refugees, and…" Amy began before Lady interrupted her.

"And?" Lady asked with a raised brow.

"And he said that you would cover the bill?" Amy said and asked at the same time while holding out a receipt.

Lady paused before moving around Amy and looking down at the receipt… and down, and down the whole of what was given to the people.

Trish could see the demon huntress's eyes progressively widen with anger, and she held back a laugh. This was made much harder when she heard the muttering of curses and threats of emptying Kalina Ann's mini rockets at the new hybrid.

"So, I guess she knows what Dante feels like." Trish thought with no small degree of amusement.

Something must have slipped through her expression as she heard Lady yell out. "This is not funny, and you damn well know it!"

Trish couldn't help but laugh at Lady's new plight.

---

The duo flying on the umbrella almost slammed on the ground when they had to swerve all of a sudden to avoid a random slash of energy thrown by a certain white-haired half-demon.

Instead of slamming and stopping cold, they skipped on the surface of the place like a stone on the surface of a lake, only to stop near another sitting figure at the edge of the clearing.

"Soooo… Who're you?" The red-clad man asked, lazily looking at the two fighters. He was completely unworried about the two unknowns that had just happened. And, considering the monster of a sword that he had at his side, he was right.

Sol looked at the man in shock for several seconds while haunting memories of a particular battle in a certain labyrinth came to mind. Blinking, he stammered out, "Two people who were in the wrong place at the right time and who are trying to get home. Uh, my name's Sol, that's Alex, and we probably should have introduced ourselves before starting up."

"What he said." Alex was frazzled all the same before he visibly attempted to steel himself. "Uh… You're Dante, right?"

At that, the white-haired man turned to look at Alex before nodding. "Yeah. Son of Sparda, Demon Hunter Extraordinary, etcetera etcetera. And I must admit, for being demons, you have shown some measure of intelligence, reaching me after I was already tired from fighting Vergil out there." One of his hands went to the handle of the Sparda Sword. "Still more than enough to deal with you two, though."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Not Demons! At least not fully!" Sol said quickly, raising both hands high. "Think of all these like prosthetics taken with interest and spite! There was this demon that was using all this chaos to take a shot at godhood. It didn't work so well for it, and there's more of us down below. Uh… We already met your friends in the van… after being nearly killed in a hit-n-run."

Dante was either surprised enough or curious enough to not decapitate the two of them instantly, which prompted Alex to add, clearly tensed. "Yeah. Long story, it involves dimensional travel, but we started as humans, and we kinda had to add demon parts. Anyway, we're not here to fight, I swear. Not you, nor Nero or Vergil."

Then, as if he was fighting with himself, he continued slower. "We kinda came here to ask for help, actually."

"Yeah, see, we're trying to get home, and well, it's not here. Different worlds, I'm sure you had some experience with that, but we figured that…" Sol trailed off while beginning to point past Dante, for he had begun to see what was actually going on.

The duel between father and son was nothing short of brutal, powerful, and fast. Sol's eyes actually hurt trying to even decipher what the hell he was looking at, but he hoped, at the very least, Nero took this victory.

"Alex… how fucking lucky are we? Because either Trismagia was weak in comparison, or he just underestimated us."

"I'm pretty sure that he wasn't used to being Trismagia yet." Alex gulped before Dante snorted.

"Trismagia was still around? I thought he had bit it a few years ago…" The demon hunter smirked, winking at the two, before turning towards the fighting that was going on in the middle of the clearing.

"Yeah, years ago…" He seemed to not be looking at the two fighters before snapping his eyes back towards Sol and Alex.

"Wait, you two defeated Trismagia? When? How?"

"Uh, well, in reverse order. Throwing everything and the kitchen sink at it, up to and including an angelic Final Flash, while it changed forms four times. Uh… like twenty to thirty minutes ago, at the very least. Lastly, it wasn't always Trismagia; it metamorphosed into Trismagia after exploiting a demonic ponzi scheme involving people obsessed with power and regular people who were drawn into its little corner of hell. One of those power-obsessed maniacs was vicariously responsible for the loss of my original arm, and I think I'm still processing that one." Sol said offhandedly while still watching the fight.

"Both, you fucking asshole!" They could hear over the din of the battle.

"Holy shit, he's going to feel that tomorrow," Sol muttered as he watched Vergil take Yamato to the stomach.

Alex nodded with a wince of sympathetic pain.

"Yiiiikes. You have gone through something, uh?" Dante looked at the two with a more interested look in his eyes before glancing at the duo father-son who was still fighting.

"You have NO idea. I got most of my bones broken by an Ancient Geryon that fell on me after we killed him. After he had almost killed us. And he also broke most of my bones. Guess how that made me feel. Go on, guess." Alex added, looking rather grim.

Dante didn't ask for a moment before chuckling. "Pretty hoarse, I'm sure."

Silence. Alex turned towards the son of Sparda and looked at him with a gimlet eye.

"You. Didn't just say that." Judging by the way Dante was smirking, he did. And he didn't have any kind of remorse, either. "You sure Nero is not your son? Cause only a dad could say something that horrendous."

That remark made Dante shudder. "Don't even joke about that! Do you really think that I would be any good father figure?" And he gestured to himself with a hand, scandalized.

Alex shrugged. "I mean… you definitely fit the Silver Fox status of sexiness. And, if you had a kid, you would DEFINITELY fall into the DILF category, so… Maybe?"

More than the words, the matter-of-fact way that Alex had answered made Dante look at him with his mouth open and speechless… At least until Alex turned towards him and winked, half-smile on his lips.

Then he started roaring with laughter, loud enough that it surprised both Alex and Sol AND Vergil and Nero.

Sol's face quirked before breaking out into a laugh. "Hahahaha! Shit, man, no, no. You're definitely… Hahahaha… I'm sorry, but I've been going from scared shitless to pissed off to laughing all within far too short of a time span, but goddamn, Alex, the timing on that. Hahaha!" He continued to laugh before calming down.

"Look, humility is a better sign of worth than boastfulness. Hell, some demons mentioned you partially raised a kid." Sol said before realizing the fight had stopped.

"Speaking of shitty fathers." He thought grimly before looking at Alex and giving him a look that screamed, 'I have no idea what to say that won't immediately kill me.'

Alex nodded with surety towards Sol before turning fully towards Dante, who was looking at him like someone could look at a particularly well-trained animal that you had no idea what trick would perform later.

"So, continuing from what I said, I would DEFINITELY go to bed with you. In the one-night stand kind of way. Well, maybe more than one night. But I don't think that we are really compatible, personally speaking. For a relationship of that kind, anyway. Probably could be a great duo of friends. If, you know, we weren't in the middle of…" And he waved his hands towards the Qliphoth and, specifically, Vergil. "All this."

In the meantime, Dante was biting his lips, trembling slightly, with his eyes shining with laughter barely suppressed, while the father-son duo had stopped their attempts to kill each other to study what the hell was happening.

Then, Alex smirked and looked at Nero. "Now, him? Oh man, you have no idea what I want him to do to me."

That was the drop that made the vase overflow: Dante started laughing uproariously before falling to the ground and rolling around, his arms hugging his midsection, kicking the air. Vergil looked like someone had slapped him with a fish. And Nero was opening and closing his mouth in complete bafflement.

"I mean, he's tall, he's strong, he's loyal to the point of self-harm, he has that swagger that says that he has the equipment to back what his posture says, and he doesn't need to prove it, and he has that Bad Boy with a Heart of Gold aesthetic that it just hits all my buttons. And I have eyes. What, do you want me to not say anything when I can try and make him blush the most delicious red?"

And Nero was definitely blushing right now, while Dante had moved to laughing without actually saying anything, clearly having run out of breath.

"You… Who are you!? What are you saying?! Why me?!" The younger silver-haired man shouted, pointing his newly returned arm towards the long-haired guy, while Vergil had taken a step back and was smirking, clearly amused by the entire situation.

"Oh, calm down. I know you have a girlfriend, and no matter how much I would wish you were single, I'm not a homewrecker. You are safe from my wily, wily ways… Unless you want to try and take a dip in the fabulous end of the pool?" Alex was smiling like a wolf looking at a particularly fat rabbit, which made Nero come short with answers.

Sol couldn't help but stifle a burst of laughter before trying to sober himself up. "Ah, naw you're good. Keep on doing what you're doing. But uh… we've got more important things to discuss, like getting home and not getting shot for what amounts to fraud…" Sol ended quietly before clapping his hands together.

"So! I'm at a bit of a loss on how to do that aside from finding a certain drum, which is where my friend comes in!" He said while gesturing to Alex.

Alex looked at Sol uncomprehendingly for a moment before blinking. "Asshole. You like throwing me under the train." Then, scowling for a moment, he turned towards Vergil and Nero.

"I'm going to make a very long story very short: we got kidnapped by a demon that wanted to become the God of the Demon World - yes, another one - by sacrificing six hundred and sixty-six people. Except that he got us from an adjacent dimension - a dimension on the plane of reality, not size or something like that - instead of this one. And we would like to go back home."

Then, a deep breath for a moment. "Of course, to do so, we would need to open the barrier between dimensions, which is NOT easy. The Qliphoth makes it easier, but I have neither the power nor the starting point to do such a thing by myself." A twist of his wrist manifested a ring of Enochian symbols in the air before they vanished in motes of light.

"So, we need something to open the rift first. And I'm guessing that you all have already understood that I'm talking about the Yamato. AND!" Before anyone could do anything, Alex shouted, raising a hand. "Since we're not suicidal and we have more than half a brain, we haven't come here to steal it or anything. We just need an open rift, nothing more."

"Do you truly expect me to believe that?" Vergil's voice cut in sharply. "Do you really believe I'd be so foolish to allow such a thing?"

If it were anyone else, Sol would have probably let his annoyance speak for him, but not this time.

"It's just one or two slices, and we'll be out of your hair. After that, you can go back to whatever you were doing prior to this and… look, it's that or I risk a rocket to face by a very angry woman who I may or may not have footed a rather large bill to in an effort to find a drum belonging some ONE else with heterochromia. And believe me, that's the last person I want to have any dealings with." Sol emphasized.

"So I'm guessing you heard of the Old Man at least." Sol heard Dante snark behind him.

"Oh yeah, and I'm speaking for both Alex and myself here when I say I want no part in anything he has his hands in," Sol responded quickly.

"I have nothing in mind." Alex shrugged before looking straight at Vergil. "You are free to believe whatever you want. I told you the truth."

Before the man could scoff or react in any other way beyond a narrowing of his eyes, Alex shrugged once more, sitting down on the ground, completely open to any possible attack and in no position to retaliate.

"Honestly, having you help us was a long shot. So, back to the main plan: Qliphoth. It's already here, and the barriers between dimensions are being breached, so we can use that. I just need to find a way to direct our movement. It's gonna be hard, but I think I can cobble something together." With a small flicker of indigo light, a few symbols appeared above his hands.

"I'll need at least a sevenfold circle, though. And probably twenty-one spokes, nine deviations for each spoke… Mmhh…Tricky, tricky…" And, apparently dismissing everyone else around him, he started shaping his energy into shape, poking it here and there.

"Give him a moment. I've seen him do a ritual once or twice, and it's not as complicated as you'd think…" Sol began to say before Dante interrupted him.

"What's this about a 'Rocket to the face'?"

"Ah well…" Sol began while looking between the three of them. "When Trismagia pulled all of us down to hell, there were 666 to start with. A lot of them died, unfortunately, but then you got people like Alex and I," Sol said while dismissing Semyaza and showing his arm off.

"Hey Nero! It's kinda like yours!" Dante yelled out with a bit of cheer.

Nero was less than happy at the display and simply asked, "What happened to you?"

"An Abyss took the original while Alex was fighting against this real grade-A asshole." Sol called back Semyaza, "So I took it back with interest."

"And you didn't care?" Nero questioned again, a little bit more heat in his voice.

"Oh, I cared, alright, Alex had it worse, but we're not the only ones. At least half the survivors down there are like the two of us, splicing demonic limbs and organs to replace lost ones. I've lost track of mine, personally, but I know things will never be the same." Sol shot back.

"Yet you pursued power through these acts," Vergil interjected.

Considering his next words carefully, Sol responded. "I'd have preferred to leave hell fully human, but that red-eyed bastard killed that plan real quick. They pursued that power, and it consumed them, literally. The only reason why not all the survivors are… artificial hybrids is that we managed to find the last group just as they entered hell and kept them mostly safe until they could hold up in a facsimile of a mansion."

Turning back to Dante, Sol rubbed the side of his face, trying to stall before explaining what he had done. "So, in relation to that. I sorta… kinda… footed the bill for a possibly very large amount of food and supplies on Lady. Yeah, that's my motivation to get back home as soon as possible."

Dante looked at him with a 'please wait' look on his face, staring at Sol without really seeing him. And then, he fell to the ground, gasping for air, arms around his midriff, rolling around, kicking the air.

"You… Ahahaha… Lady…. AhahahahAHAHAH!"

Nero was looking at Sol with a vaguely horrified stare. "You footed the bill to LADY?!"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do!? She's lugging that huge ass rocket launcher around 24/7, so she's gotta be loaded! And it's for a good cause that's not going to last too long!" Sol cried out, trying to defend himself.

"Also, coming from you, I would shut up about power and related matters." Alex shot at Vergil absentminded, very focused on the magic circle in front of him. It was a dizzying movement of symbols and lines that didn't seem to have any kind of coherence.

Except that there always were seven circles with nine spokes, all starting from a central, small circle, where there was an S and an A mixed into a single symbol, before splitting into seven more and then seven again, looking a bit like one of those kaleidoscope images.

There was a moment of silence as Vergil looked at Alex before taking a step forward.

"Hey! We're not finished yet! Besides, what's the point of power if you can't take the criticism!?" Nero shouted.

That made the son of Sparda - the less attractive one - turn to his son and unsheathe an inch of Yamato. "What did you just say?"

Meanwhile, Alex was muttering a storm under his breath, now with two magic circles in front of him, both different and both changing continuously.

"Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought. Ok, so if THAT symbol needs to be here but can't be near that one, then I need to find a replacement for it and for these two… plus that one. Or I could move it here and…."

So, it was going. Slowly.

"I guess that last hit to your head damaged your hearing!" Nero shouted, revving Red Queen in response.

Meanwhile, back with the other two.

"Should uh… we get involved here?" Sol asked cautiously.

"Nope." Dante responded, "Let them work it out."

"Twist it around, replace that one and that one, then rotate it again… No, this doesn't work; damn, Vergil, for not simply opening a portal. It's not like it was going to cost him all that much, but nooooo, he needed to be the edgy asshole he is…" Now with five different magic circles in front of him, Alex was muttering a storm that was almost visibly making the air tremble in front of him.

"I… think I should get closer to find while he does his thing, but…" Sol began to say.

"But then you'd get involved with that." Dante finished as the two watched Nero slam a flying Vergil into the floor with enough force to create large splinters that spread everywhere.

"Either his girlfriend has the patience of a saint, or this is just pent-up aggression from lack of child support," Sol muttered.

"Hah!"

"Finally adjusted the… uh?" Alex raised his head from the nine different circles spinning in front of him like a demented mandala to see Nero getting kicked sky-high, only to come back down in full Devil Trigger, the phantasmal arms stopping the Yamato and the flesh and bone ones punching Vergil in the face.

"Ah, sweet, sweet schadenfreude. Anyway, I think I have it. Well, more or less." With a puff of smoke, the various magic circles vanished into nothingness, and the long-haired hybrid turned towards Sol. "It's going to be risky, though."

Then, before Sol could do or say anything, Alex added the next part in a rather more serious tone of voice. "And there's going to be a price. Something about paying 'The Time that We Have Accrued' to make this work. No, I have no idea why there's something like that. No, I have no idea what it means. No, I have no idea, period. Are you still in?"

"Yeah! A price of time can't be that bad, right?" Sol said without quite realizing what he said.

Turning to Dante, he gave a quick nod. "And that's my cue. Well, It's been an honor, and while I'd love to visit Dumary Island, I'd love it more to avoid the wrath of a woman's scorned wallet. Wish you the best for your future endeavors." Sol said quickly before giving Dante a two-finger salute and jogging towards Alex.

"You too, kid! Lady's gonna be pissed, though!" He said with a laugh.

"Yeah, she isn't the only one." Sol thought while looking towards the fight and seeing a Father and Son throw faster-than-lightspeed hands at each other.

"Alright, Alex, what do we need to do?" Sol asked, getting closer.

"Something you are going to hate, but it's necessary. Here's the main problem: I'm not strong enough to open a rift by myself. Not even if we join our powers and our lives together. SO! We need to use an open one."

And he pointed at the edge of the Qliphoth.

"The only rift around that is both big enough and has enough power around it to be useful. Plus, a few more details, but those are more flexible. You're going to have to be in Devil Trigger for the trip, and I need to use you as a compass while I push us to move forward." Alex started sketching a complicated-looking circle in the air while gesticulating without rest.

"And, as I said before, but it bears repeating, I have no idea if we're going to come out of this alive. Or even at home. But it's the only solution I managed to find right now, sooo… We need to jump. Towards the rift at the base of the Qliphoth."

"Oh… oh that's… Not fine, but I think I have enough left in me to make that… jump." Sol said tepidly before wrapping an arm around Alex's shoulder.

"Okay, you best get that spell ready because my fear of Lady is the only overriding my fear of this monumental leap of faith we're about to take. Do you need me to DT now or at a point of descent?" Sol continued while mentally preparing himself for the inevitable drop.

Alexander turned towards the drop and Blinked to the edges, avoiding the two demons brawling in the middle, before looking down at It. And then back at Sol. Then down once more, back at Sol, don, Sol, down, Sol, down, Sol.

Only then did he go back to his side, summoning the magic circle once more. "I'm going to say that it… depends on what you want to do, really."

He pointed at a section of the circle, one near the center of it. "Ok, so. This is the navigational unit. Whoever is steering this thing needs to be here. However, this one…" And he pointed to another one, opposite of the previous one. "Is the Compass unit. Which means that this is the position you would have. Normally. However, if I merge these two sections, I can reduce the power requirement by one-third and the time spent by at least 10%... in theory. But you would have to keep your eyes peeled open and steer the whole thing. What do you want to do?"

"I think it would be best to go for the reduction. I mean, gravity is going to be doing most of the work, and I'll just be steering downwards, I guess." Sol responded.

"Ah…" Alex dithered for a moment at that, pointedly not looking towards Sol.

"Yeah… this isn't going to be fun, but home should just be southbound and down. Let's just hope I can pull off a dive for once in my life." Sol said before adjusting his grip and beginning to run.

Before he could do more than a step or two, Alex's hand closed on the back of his shirt's collar, sending his legs flying away and his back slamming on the ground, cutting out his breath.

"Hold your horses! I need to cast the circle first. Also, the whole travel is not just the fall from the Qliphoth, but the travel between dimensions, too. Which, I have no idea how long it is going to take." Alex admonished, one hand raised, with energy starting to blaze in his palm.

"Now, think of a place home. Any city, any continent, anything at all. You're going to use it as a North Star kind of thing. So, even a place you have always wanted to go works. I don't know if you have one."

"Okay, yeah, like good 'ol NY, Leon, or hell, even Cannes. Never been, but I think this situation calls for a serious vacation!" Sol said before continuing forward.

"True, true. Ok, so this is going to sting a little. Remember that you need to keep sending energy to it. Otherwise, it's going to wink out, which is going to cause some side effects, which I have no idea whatsoever. Got it? Perfect!" And Alex grabbed his mutated arm before moving his fingers in a circular motion, the magic circle appearing on it with a flare of gold-indigo-purple light, flickering for a moment before stabilizing.

"Good. Now mine…" A copy of it rose from the one on Sol's arm, hovering on the chest, around the place where the Heart is.

"They're going to activate the moment we touch the rift, so be ready to focus. You need to keep your mind aimed at the target, got it?" Smiling, he turned towards the 'happy' family of half-demons and waved.

"WE'RE GOING AWAY! NERO, YOU ARE HOT AS HELL, AND I DREAM OF THE DAY WHEN I CAN GET A BOYFRIEND LIKE YOU! DANTE, IF WE COME BACK OR THIS DOESN'T WORK, I'M WILLING TO TRY WITH YOU IF YOU ARE WILLING TO TRY WITH ME, EVEN FOR ONE NIGHT! VERGIL, YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE AND AN IDIOT, WHAT YOU SEARCHED FOR IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!"

Then, he turned towards Sol. "Want to say some last words before jumping and escaping a very possibly murderous half-demon?"

"I think I've said enough." Sol began before hitting his DT.

Vergil turned and shot towards them, Yamato unsheathed, face set into murder. Alex looked back for a moment; his eyes went wide like saucers before he blinked. And a red-bound book appeared in his hands. "A gift from your mother, Vergil!"

He made a show of what was in his hands before throwing it upwards and to the side. The silver-haired wielder of Yamato changed trajectory and rushed to grab it before it risked falling, either on the ground or outside the Qliphoth.

When the two came close to the edge, Sol shut his eyes tightly before pushing off over the edge and only opened them when he felt his center of gravity pitch and the dreaded sense of weightlessness surrounding him.

"Open your eyes and focus, dammit! We're hitting the rift in thirty seconds, and I have no idea what is going to happen!" Alex's voice was what made him focus back on the situation. And by the way, they were very, very high.

Sol's eyes shot open as he stared down the yawning chasm of the sky and watched as something ahead looked like a haze of heat. This distorted, twisted space must have been the rift or at least its edges.

"THERE! HOPE THIS WORKS!" Sol shouted over the roaring air.

The duo linked hands, power blazing around them before they slammed against the edge of the rift to Hell.

A white explosion.

Then blackness, the world inverted its colors for a moment.

And the two disappeared into the murky air.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This was, I suspect, the most difficult chapter to write. It is one thing to write about original characters interacting with the mechanics of a pre-established story's lore and universe, but it is very daunting to write established characters and to do them justice. Now we sincerely hope we did just that because the gulf in terms of power, experience, and skill between Alex and Sol and the mainstay DMC is astronomical to say the least. It'll take them a long time to reach that level.

That being said, there's only the Epilogue left, which will set up the next adventure.

I hope everyone enjoys.

 

[InZodwetrust]

Do you think Vergil will be spiteful enough to hunt them through dimensions?

 

[Atma]

Do you think Vergil will be spiteful enough to hunt them through dimensions?

Click to shrink...

I have to talk about that with Yuki but I have some ideas on the matter. Remember, Hell hath no fury like a wallet scorned.

 

[InZodwetrust]

This is also a good opportunity to turn this story into a jumpchain

 

[Nick Terakidan]

I have to talk about that with Yuki but I have some ideas on the matter. Remember, Hell hath no fury like a wallet scorned.

Click to shrink...

Remember, that motherfucker holds a grudge!

 

[Atma]

This is also a good opportunity to turn this story into a jumpchain

Click to shrink...

Looks at the various Jumps and Gauntlets I've made.

Before starting this story with Yuki, I had ideas for an SMT3 jump story with a then weaker MC standing in for the Demifiend. The idea for the sections with Dante was to show just how damn terrifying it would be to fight Dante in any situation.

Remember, that motherfucker holds a grudge!

Click to shrink...

And so does Lady, if not even more so...

 

[Reven]

Now we sincerely hope we did just that because the gulf in terms of power,

Click to shrink...

Hmm a good way to look at it is at this point comparing feats they could have beaten DMC 3 and Mid DMC 1 Dante.

However Dante was twice as powerful as that by DMC 4 then he doubled his power again when he formed the sword Dante. Then got about a 3rd stronger then that to face Vergil.

You know it's kinda scary that Nero went from maybe Late DMC 1 Dante strength to surpassing both Dante and Vergil with his true devil trigger. That is an insane power jump.

 

[Yuki no Yue]

Hmm a good way to look at it is at this point comparing feats they could have beaten DMC 3 and Mid DMC 1 Dante.

However Dante was twice as powerful as that by DMC 4 then he doubled his power again when he formed the sword Dante. Then got about a 3rd stronger then that to face Vergil.

You know it's kinda scary that Nero went from maybe Late DMC 1 Dante strength to surpassing both Dante and Vergil with his true devil trigger. That is an insane power jump.

Click to shrink...

True. Well, I would say that they would tie with DMC 1 Dante, not beaten him, but yeah. That was the kind of power level we are working with.