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Devils + Vampire (Post-DMC 5 X Rosario + Vampire Fanfic)

"Alright. Make sure to keep an eye on her, okay? And let the old man know that his newest Teacher's Assistant was responsible for bringing this delinquent in to face justice," Dante said as he walked backwards out of the Nurse's Office. He pointed two finger guns at her before turning and walking down the hallway. He kept up his smile until he was far enough away from the office. Then he let it drop and put his arms behind his head. After knocking Spider Girl unconscious, he carried her back to the school. Thankfully, most of the students were either in class or where out for the day, so no one really got in his way. He made his way to the Nurse's Office and explained what had happened to her. Particularly making sure to let her know that Mikogami should know about what happened. While this Committee wasn't exactly the Anti-Thesis guys he was after, he doubted someone who wanted humans and monster to get along would want them around.

And he figured it was his duty to let him know. Nothing to do with trying to get his suspension ended early. Not at all.

He stretched and yawned while he walked, mind wandering to what he was going to do now. This was a good distraction but he was still suspended. Still couldn't really hang around the school for a while. Hmm, perhaps it was about time to head out and see what this human world was like? It was better than just standing around in that forest doing nothing. However, just as he was starting to think of a way to Smokey to let him leave and come back, he heard familiar voice call his name. He stopped just in front of the entrance to the Academy and turned around, smiling as he saw two familiar faces, "Verg! Lover Boy! How's it hanging?"

"Brother," Vergil stated, stopping an arms length away from Dante. Tsukune stood to his right, his head bowed and looking nervous. Granted, the boy almost always looked nervous, so it wasn't much of a change. Vergil spoke up, "We require your assistance."

Dante raised an eyebrow, "What's this now? My oh so powerful and intelligent brother asking for my help? It must really be my birthday."

"Please refrain from your inane jokes. We require your serious effort," Vergil rolled his eyes but kept his voice as neutral as possible.

Dante stopped, looked between Vergil and Tsukune, then let his arms drop with a shrug, "Ah, I see. So, ya decided to go ask Vergil for help then?"

Tsukune flinched but nodded, "Y-Yes. I-I'm sorry, Dante. It's just-"

Dante held up a hand and shook his head, "No, no, no. No apologizing. I get it. My methods would've taken ya too long, and the situation's starting to get complicated. So, might need to take the path that will expedite things."

"Then that flair of power was you?" Vergil says, Tsukune looking between the two in confusion.

Dante nodded, "Yep. Let's just say there's more going on that the old man told us and leave it at that. Don't worry too much about it, Lover Boy. It only tangentially concerns you."
"Um, alright?" Tsukune didn't sound confident but something told him that neither Dante nor Vergil were going to tell him what they were talking about. He instead asked, "S-So, what are we going to-"

"Hold up, one last thing," Dante's expression turned serious as he walked in front of Tsukune. He made sure to hold the young man's gaze as he continued, "Before you go through with this, you should know this: I didn't just offer to teach you the normal way because I happen to like it. That's certainly part of it. But there's another."

"Once you do this, there is no going back," Vergil continues, his words making Tsukune step back, "You will still be human, if that is what concerns you. But something else will fundamentally change about you."

"Wh-What?! Wh-What are you going to do?!" Tsukune asked, now much more concerned than before.

Dante and Vergil shared a look. After a having a silent conversation, Dante spilled the beans, "You're gonna be contracting with a Devil."



School had finally let out for the day. Both the staff and the students had either gone home or went to their dorms to rest. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, leaving the school shrouded in darkness. Which made it the perfect for the purposes of Dante, Verigl, and Tsukune. Though mostly the Sons of Sparda. The three were in the large gymnasium, the lights in the room off and leaving it in darkness. That is until Vergil lit a match and began lighting a circle of candles on the floor. The wax of the candles slowly began to melt as the orange flames lit up the center of the room.

"A-A-Are we really gonna...do this?" Tsukune audibly swallowed, beginning to have second thoughts about this, "W-W-We're really gonna summon a D-D-Demon?!"

Dante held up a finger from his position next to the young human, "Not a Demon, a Devil. Where we're from, those two are completely different things. The first aren't that smart, and tend to follow the second type around like lost puppies. The second are smart, strong, and tend to be the big dogs in charge. We're gonna try to summon the second kind."

"B-B-But why?!"

"Because, boy," Vergil began, snuffing out the match after lighting the last candle. The eight candles formed a circle in the center, their flames casting an ominous light across the room. Vergil continued, "it is the only possible path for you to learn the mystic arts. In this world, humans cannot use magic or supernatural abilities, as such powers are all locked behind Yokai Power. An energy source exclusively usable by Yokai due to their nature. If you were to gain this power, you would have to stop being human."

Tsukune felt a shiver go up his spine at the thought. He tried to hide it, but Vergil and Dante saw through his attempt at a facade. Dante patted his shoulder to try to comfort him while Vergil continued his instructions, "Even learning how to summon other creatures to do your bidding requires Yokai Power. Not to mention it is widely inferior considering even summoning the weakest of monsters harms the user. Completely foolish if you were to ask me."

"Yeah, yeah, Vergil. We get it, you don't like the way things are done here," Dante rolls his eyes, jerking his thumb at his brother while smirking at Tsukune. Tsukune didn't get any calmer so Dante chose to drop the smirk. He instead continued where his brother left off, "So, if we want to keep you human while giving you a fighting chance, we need to find someway to get you magic without the Yokai stuff. Which leads us to fall back on our methods."

"By contracting with a Devil, you will gain immense magical power while still retaining your humanity. The Devil will act as an intermediary, letting you draw upon its power and while also protecting your body, mind, and spirit from being burned out by the amount of power," Vergil said as he sat down in front of the candles. He placed the Yamato on his lap and a piece of paper on the floor in front of him.

"B-B-But isn't that bad?! Won't the...thing possess me?! Or ask for something unreasonable?! Or try to trick me into giving it my soul?!" sweat was pouring down Tsukune's face at this point. His legs were shaking as his eyes darted from the candles to Vergil and back again.

"To answer your questions in order," Dante held up his hand and began counting off on his fingers, "Only bad if you did it by yourself, and the rest are why we're here. Well, me specifically."

"If you remember, I stated we needed Dante for protection. This is what I meant," Vergil waved his hand at the circle of candles, "I will be focusing on summoning the Devils from the Underworld. They will appear within this protective circle. Once they do, we will see if they are a Demon or a Devil, and if they match our specific criteria. If they are a Demon, they will attempt to break the circle and Dante will kill them. If they are a Devil, Dante will check their criteria and see if they would make for good contracting potential. If they do not, he will kill them and we will try again."

Tsukune shut down for a few seconds. His pupils dilated while his heart seemed to stop for a moment. A nervous laugh forced its way out of his throat as his sweating intensified. He pointed shaky finger at Dante and said, "V-V-V-Vergil-sensei. Um, it-it-it sounded like you just said that...y-y-you'll summon a D-D-D-Devil...and then D-D-D-Dante would...kill it."

"That's exactly what he said, Lover Boy," Dante confirmed with a smile.

Tsukune blinked multiple times, "Y-You're serious?"

"Yep."

"...You...You can kill Devils?"

"Yep."

"And Demons?"

"It's my job."

"...Your job...was to kill...Devils and Demons."

"That it was. Now, I'm a Teacher's Assistant. Weird how things turn out isn't it?" Dante's smile never waned as he continued to answer Tsukune.

Tsukune could only stare at Dante as his mind tried to catch up with what he just heard. Then the strength left his legs and he nearly fell over. The only reason he didn't hit the floor is because Dante was close enough to hold him up. Tsukune's body shook as he looked at Dante with newfound fear, "I-I-Is that what you were talking about before?!? When you mentioned killing monsters and stuff?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

Dante shrugged, "Didn't think it would matter, Lover Boy. You were all fire and brimstone about how killing was wrong, and I didn't want to get in your way. Besides, I never said anything you said was wrong."

"But you were talking about DEMONS and DEVILS," Tsukune emphasizes those points, "Vampires and stuff are one thing, but aren't those like...evil incarnate?!? Why would I have a problem with you killing them?!?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly that we were talking about. We were talking about me killing the Art Teacher."

"Something that I do not disagree with, but do believe was a mistake," Vergil admitted, opening one eye to glare at the two of them, "Not killing her, but doing it too soon and with too many eyes upon you. It would've been better to knock her out, drag her to Mikogami, info him of what was happening, then end her life. If you had done that, your suspension could've been avoided. Now, both of you be quiet. It's time we began."

Dante waved dismissively at his brother, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Last chance to back out, Lover Boy. You sure you want to do this?"

Tsukune very nearly said no. If it were any other circumstance, he would've ran away from these two crazy men as soon as he was given the option. He would've ran out the door, headed to this dorm, put his head into his bed pillow, then wait for the nightmare he was in to end. He would wake up and never interact with Dante and Vergil ever again.

But then he remembered what had happened over the past few days already. How Saizo threatened him, and nearly took Moka away. How Dante and Vergil fought off Moka with him just sitting there dumbstruck. How Gin-senpai tried to pin the blame on him and it took Vergil to bail him out. The only time he had actually done something of worth to protect himself or his friends was when he protected Kurumu from Vergil. And, if what Dante and Vergil were saying earlier was true, things were only going to get worse. He knew any normal training wouldn't be enough. He wouldn't results in time and he doubted he could match the strength of a Vampire. Or worse.

He had to do this.

Both to protect himself...and to protect his friends. Especially Moka.

He closed his eyes, put a fist against his chest, then swallowed whatever fear remained. When he next opened his eyes, all that was left was determination. He nodded at Dante without saying another word. Dante gave him a somber smile and one last pat on the shoulder. Then he turned to Vergil and put his usual jovial smile back on, "We're all good over, Verg! So, what? You gonna summon them in this circle and I'll cut them down if they ain't any good?"

"That is what I said, yes."

Dante started doing some stretches, "Awesome. You gotta a way to close the opening once we're done, right?"

"I will use the Yamato to sever any connection between this world and the Underworld once the Ritual is complete. I have prepared for every scenario, Dante. You need only focus on performing your role in this. Now, silence," Vergil said, his tone brokering no argument.

Dante rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. Tsukune did the same, standing a few feet away so not to get in the way. Once things had been silent for a few seconds, Vergil put both of his hands on the Yamato. His sword glowed a dull blue as multiple ethereal blades began to form around him. They flew forward until they appeared above the candles, one for each. Once they were all in place, they began to spin in a counter clockwise circle. Their movement increased with each passing second, until they turned into a blur of blue light. The flames of the candles beneath them suddenly shot into the air and wrapped themselves around the swords. Within moments the floor beneath the eight swords turned into a bright blue circle, that expanded until it touched the edges of the candles. Within the circle was a dark expanse that no light seemed to get through. Wind blew in from somewhere despite all the windows and doors being locked. Tsukune felt a chill run down his spine and took a few more steps away from the ritual.

For the longest time, nothing seemed to happen. The only light in the room was the summoning circle. Vergil remained silent with his eyes closed and Dante stood by completely nonchalant, putting a hand to his mouth and yawning. For a moment, Tsukune thought that maybe something had gone wrong.

Then a black, chitinous, monster jumped from the depths of the circle. It was a man sized insect-like creature with two scything claws for arms. Its back legs were needle-like, its wings were blue and sickly, and there were strange barbs on its head. Two sharp mandibles formed its mouth and its eyes were red-beady looking dots. Tsukune nearly screamed as it appeared in the middle of the circle of blades and-

BANG

The explosion of a gunshot cut off the creature and Tsukune's screams. Blood burst from the center of its head as its body instantly went limp. In seconds its body turned to dust and fell back into the circle. Standing nearby, Dante had one Ebony out with its barrel smoking. He relaxed his stance and said, "That's one. Better sit tight, Lover Boy. This might take a bit."

Hey there, guys. Sorry it's been...a long, long time.

Being honest? I just kind of lost my want to write this fic. I don't really have any other way to explain it. I just...stopped wanting to write it. Only recently got that spark back.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this and are looking forward to seeing where I take this fic.
 
Man, is this a sight for sore eyes!

That, and hot damn has the action brainrot basically turned me off completely towards passive, naive characters like Tsukune who practically piss themselves at the slightest bit of trouble.

Shit, if he's that scared of what's functionally a Goomba, then he's really got a hell of a workout ahead of him!
 
Ah, always wonderful to see this return.

It'll be interesting to see Tsukune eventually start to realize what Dante and Vergil truly are. Not just humans wielding contracted Devils, nor are they simply Devils themselves. They are the sons of what was once believed to be the strongest Devil, and may be able to claim that title themselves.

While it probably won't be immediate, I could see an aware-enough contracted Devil trying to tell him these things to aid in some form of manipulation.

Also I'm curious to see what Tsukune will think of Dante and Vergil's different weapons if/when he learns that several of them are Devils.

Would there be, as a gag, some form of comparison to romantic relationships?

Vergil's got, like, one Devil-turned weapon that he uses with some consistency (Beowulf), otherwise preferring his own powers and the Yamato

Dante's got a bunch of 'em and is still collecting more.

The joke writes itself, and I think it's been written/said many times before. Also I think there was a Soul Eater crossover that played into it.

Curious what form of Devil and weapon he'll end up with. Will Dante be able to tell what kind of weapon the Devil will become, and pick based off what weapon would best fit Tsukune at present, or is he sorting by other factors, with plans to just make Tsukune learn whatever weapon the best-fit Devil becomes?
 
Hey there, guys. Sorry it's been...a long, long time.

Being honest? I just kind of lost my want to write this fic. I don't really have any other way to explain it. I just...stopped wanting to write it. Only recently got that spark back.

Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this and are looking forward to seeing where I take this fic.
I'm really looking forward to a new chapter of this story and the madness the twins are going to bring!

I also think this would've also been great as a Blue Exorcist crossover. Would love to see t+Dante and Vergil interact with Rin and Yukio.
 
Chapter 17: Contract Sealed New
"Alright. Make sure to keep an eye on her, okay? And let the old man know that his newest Teacher's Assistant was responsible for bringing this delinquent in to face justice," Dante said as he walked backwards out of the Nurse's Office. He pointed two finger guns at her before turning and walking down the hallway. He kept up his smile until he was far enough away from the office. Then he let it drop and put his arms behind his head. After knocking Spider Girl unconscious he carried her back to the school. Thankfully, most of the students were either in class or out for the day, so no one really got in his way. He made his way to the Nurse's Office and explained what had happened to Spider Girl. Particularly making sure to let her know that Mikogami should know about what happened. While this Committee wasn't exactly the Anti-Thesis guys he was after, he doubted someone who wanted humans and monster to get along would want them around.

And he figured it was his duty to let him know. Nothing to do with trying to get his suspension ended early. Nothing at all.

He stretched and yawned while he walked, mind wandering to what he was going to do now. This was a good distraction but he was still suspended. Still couldn't really hang around the school for a while. Hmm, perhaps it was about time to head out and see what this human world was like? It was better than just standing around in that forest doing nothing. However, just as he was starting to think of a way to get Smokey to let him leave and come back, he heard a familiar voice call his name. He stopped just in front of the entrance to the Academy and turned around, smiling as he saw two familiar faces, "Verg! Lover Boy! How's it hanging?"

"Brother," Vergil stated, stopping an arms length away from Dante. Tsukune stood to his right, his head bowed and looking nervous. Granted, the boy almost always looked nervous, so it wasn't much of a change. Vergil spoke up, "We require your assistance."

Dante raised an eyebrow, "What's this now? My oh so powerful and intelligent brother asking for my help? It must really be my birthday."

"Please refrain from your inane jokes. We require your serious effort," Vergil rolled his eyes but kept his voice as neutral as possible.

Dante stopped, looked between Vergil and Tsukune, then let his arms drop, "Ah, I see. So, ya decided to go ask Vergil for help then?"

Tsukune flinched but nodded, "Y-Yes. I-I'm sorry, Dante. It's just-"

Dante held up a hand and shook his head, "No, no, no. No apologizing. I get it. My methods would've taken ya too long, and the situation's starting to get complicated. So, might need to take the path that will expedite things."

"Then that flair of power was you?" Vergil said, Tsukune looking between the two in confusion.

Dante nodded, "Yep. Let's just say there's more going on the old man told us and leave it at that. Don't worry too much about it, Lover Boy. It only tangentially concerns you."

"Um, alright?" Tsukune didn't sound confident but something told him that neither Dante nor Vergil were going to tell him what they were talking about. He instead asked, "S-So, what are we going to-"

"Hold up, one last thing," Dante's expression turned serious as he walked in front of Tsukune. He made sure to hold the young man's gaze as he continued, "Before you go through with this, you should know: I didn't just offer to teach you the normal way because I happen to like it. That's certainly part of it. But there's another."

"Once you do this, there is no going back," Vergil continues, his words making Tsukune step back, "You will still be human, if that is what concerns you. But something else will fundamentally change about you."

"Wh-What?! Wh-What are you going to do?!" Tsukune asked, now much more concerned than before.

Dante and Vergil shared a look. After a having a silent conversation, Dante spilled the beans, "You're gonna be contracting with a Devil."



School had finally let out for the day. Both the staff and the students had either gone home or went to their dorms to rest. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, leaving the school shrouded in darkness. Which made it perfect for the purposes of Dante, Verigl, and Tsukune. Though mostly the Sons of Sparda. The three were in the large gymnasium, having turned the lights in the room off to leave the room in complete darkness. That is until Vergil lit a match and began lighting a circle of candles on the floor. The wax of the candles slowly began to melt as the orange flames lit up the center of the room.

"A-A-Are we really gonna...do this?" Tsukune audibly swallowed, beginning to have second thoughts about this, "W-W-We're really gonna summon a D-D-Demon?!"

Dante held up a finger from his position next to the young human, "Not a Demon, a Devil. Where we're from, those two are completely different things. The first aren't that smart, and tend to follow the second type around like lost puppies. The second are smart, strong, and tend to be the big dogs in charge. We're gonna try to summon the second kind."

"B-B-But why?!"

"Because, boy," Vergil began, snuffing out the match after lighting the last candle. The eight candles formed a circle in the center, their flames casting an ominous light across the room. Vergil continued, "it is the only possible path for you to learn the mystic arts. In this world, humans cannot use magic or supernatural abilities, as such powers are all locked behind Yokai Power. An energy source exclusively usable by Yokai due to their nature. If you were to gain this power, you would have to stop being human."

Tsukune felt a shiver go up his spine at the thought. He tried to hide it, but Vergil and Dante saw through his attempt at a facade. Dante patted his shoulder to try to comfort him while Vergil continued his instructions, "Even learning how to summon other creatures to do your bidding requires Yokai Power. Not to mention it is widely inferior, as even summoning the weakest of monsters harms the user. Completely foolish if you were to ask me."

"Yeah, yeah, Vergil. We get it, you don't like the way things are done here," Dante rolls his eyes, jerking his thumb at his brother while smirking at Tsukune. Tsukune didn't get any calmer so Dante chose to drop the smirk. He instead continued where his brother left off, "So, if we want to keep you human while giving you a fighting chance, we need to find someway to get you magic without the Yokai stuff. Which leads us to fall back on our other methods."

"By contracting with a Devil, you will gain immense magical power while still retaining your humanity. The Devil will act as an intermediary, letting you draw upon its power and also protecting your body, mind, and spirit from being burned out by the amount of power," Vergil said as he sat down in front of the candles. He placed the Yamato on his lap and a piece of paper on the floor in front of him.

"B-B-But isn't that bad?! Won't the...thing possess me?! Or ask for something unreasonable?! Or try to trick me into giving it my soul?!" sweat was pouring down Tsukune's face at this point. His legs were shaking as his eyes darted from the candles to Vergil and back again.

"To answer your questions in order," Dante held up his hand and began counting off on his fingers, "Only bad if you did it by yourself, and the rest are why we're here. Well, me specifically."

"If you remember, I stated we needed Dante for protection. This is what I meant," Vergil waved his hand at the circle of candles, "I will be focusing on summoning the Devils from the Underworld. They will appear within this protective circle. Once they do, we will see if they are a Demon or a Devil, and if they match our specific criteria. If they are a Demon, they will attempt to break the circle and Dante will kill them. If they are a Devil, Dante will check their criteria and see if they would make for good contracting potential. If they do not, he will kill them and we will try again."

Tsukune shut down for a few seconds. His pupils dilated while his heart seemed to stop for a moment. A nervous laugh forced its way out of his throat as his sweating intensified. He pointed shaky finger at Dante and said, "V-V-V-Vergil-sensei. Um, it-it-it sounded like you just said that...y-y-you'll summon a D-D-D-Devil...and then D-D-D-Dante would...kill it."

"That's exactly what he said, Lover Boy," Dante confirmed with a smile.

Tsukune blinked multiple times, "Y-You're serious?"

"Yep."

"...You...You can kill Devils?"

"Yep."

"And Demons?"

"It's my job. Well, was my job. Kinda still is."

"...Your job...was to kill...Devils and Demons."

"That it was. Now, I'm a Teacher's Assistant. Weird how things turn out isn't it?" Dante's smile never waned as he continued to answer Tsukune.

Tsukune could only stare at Dante as his mind tried to catch up with what he just heard. Then the strength left his legs and he nearly fell over. The only reason he didn't hit the floor was because Dante was close enough to hold him up. Tsukune's body shook as he looked at Dante with newfound fear, "I-I-Is that what you were talking about before?!? When you mentioned killing monsters and stuff?! Why didn't you say anything?!"

Dante shrugged, "Didn't think it would matter, Lover Boy. You were all fire and brimstone about how killing was wrong, and I didn't want to get in your way. Besides, I never said anything you said was wrong."

"But you were talking about DEMONS and DEVILS," Tsukune emphasizes those points, "Vampires and stuff are one thing, but aren't those like...evil incarnate?!? Why would I have a problem with you killing them?!?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly that we were talking about. We were talking about me killing the Art Teacher."

"Something that I do not disagree with, but do believe was a mistake," Vergil admitted, opening one eye to glare at the two of them, "Not killing her, but doing it too soon and with too many eyes upon you. It would've been better to knock her out, drag her to Mikogami, inform him of what was happening, then end her life. If you had done that, your suspension could've been avoided. Now, both of you be quiet. It's time we began."

Dante waved dismissively at his brother, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. Last chance to back out, Lover Boy. You sure you want to do this?"

Tsukune very nearly said no. If it were any other circumstance, he would've ran away from these two crazy men as soon as he was given the option. He would've ran out the door, headed to this dorm, put his head into his pillow, then wait for the nightmare he was in to end. He would wake up and never interact with Dante and Vergil ever again.

But then he remembered what had happened over the past few days already. How Saizo threatened him, and nearly took Moka away. How Dante and Vergil fought off Moka with him just sitting there dumbstruck. How Gin-senpai tried to pin the blame on him and it took Vergil to bail him out. The only time he had actually done something of worth to protect himself or his friends was when he protected Kurumu from Vergil. And, if what Dante and Vergil were saying earlier was true, things were only going to get worse. He knew any normal training wouldn't be enough. He wouldn't see any results in time and he doubted he could match the strength of a Vampire. Or worse.

He had to do this.

Both to protect himself...and to protect his friends. Especially Moka.

He closed his eyes, put a fist against his chest, then swallowed whatever fear remained. When he next opened his eyes, all that was left was determination. He nodded at Dante without saying another word. Dante gave him a somber smile and one last pat on the shoulder. Then he turned to Vergil and put his usual jovial smile back on, "We're all good over here, Verg! So, what? You gonna summon them in this circle and I'll cut them down if they ain't any good?"

"That is what I said, yes."

Dante started doing some stretches, "Awesome. You got a way to close the opening once we're done, right?"

"I will use the Yamato to sever any connection between this world and the Underworld once the Ritual is complete. I have prepared for every scenario, Dante. You need only focus on performing your role in this. Now, silence," Vergil said, his tone brokering no argument.

Dante rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. Tsukune did the same, standing a few feet away so not to get in the way. Once things had been silent for a few seconds, Vergil put both of his hands on the Yamato. His sword glowed a dull blue as multiple ethereal blades began to form around him. They flew forward until they appeared above the candles, one for each. Once they were all in place, they began to spin in a counter clockwise circle. Their movement increased with each passing second, until they turned into a blur of blue light. The flames of the candles beneath them suddenly shot into the air and wrapped themselves around the swords. Within moments the floor beneath the eight swords turned into a bright blue circle, that expanded until it touched the edges of the candles. Within the circle was a dark expanse that no light seemed to get through. Wind blew in from somewhere despite all the windows and doors being locked. Tsukune felt a chill run down his spine and took a few more steps away from the ritual.

For the longest time, nothing seemed to happen. The only light in the room was the summoning circle. Vergil remained silent with his eyes closed and Dante stood by completely nonchalant, putting a hand to his mouth and yawning. For a moment, Tsukune thought that maybe something had gone wrong.

Then a black, chitinous, monster jumped from the depths of the circle. It was a man sized insect-like creature with two scything claws for arms. Its back legs were needle-like, its wings were blue and sickly, and there were strange barbs on its head. Two sharp mandibles formed its mouth and its eyes were red-beady looking dots. Tsukune nearly screamed as it appeared in the middle of the circle of blades and-

BANG

The explosion of a gunshot cut off the creature and Tsukune's screams. Blood burst from the center of its head as its body instantly went limp. In seconds its body turned to dust and fell back into the circle. Standing nearby, Dante had Ebony out with its barrel smoking. He relaxed his stance and said, "That's one. Better sit tight, Lover Boy. This might take a bit."

Tsukune had fallen back onto his ass after hearing the gunshot. He had a hand over his heart while his eyes stared at the ritual happening before him. That...That Demon was one of the most horrible things he had ever seen...and Dante he...he just...he killed it without breaking a sweat! And it didn't end there. As time passed more Demons would appear from the circle. More of those insect monsters, a few scythe wielding Demons that looked like Grim Reapers, strange lizard like Demons covered in icy armor, and even a Demon that came out of a hat. By and large, Tsukune counted at least thirty Demons having come through that portal.

And not a single one survived for more than a few seconds.

No matter their number, no matter how fast they were, no matter the size, they ALL died to one or two shots from Dante's guns. The man had preternatural accuracy. Every shot was a head shot. Every pull of the trigger met its mark. He hardly had to adjust his aim. He just pointed his gun up and fired. The worse the Demons did was make him have to pull out his second gun. Then they just died faster. It got to the point that Dante started to make different poses as he fired. Holding his guns sideways, doing a backflip and shooting, spinning in mid-air while firing a volley. It seemed like he was trying to make it...fun?! And Vergil didn't look bothered at all. His eyes remained closed the entire time. And, strangely, not a single bullet got near him.

Tsukune forced himself to his feet while Dante landed after his latest attack. He let out sigh and held his guns up, "Ooooh, man. Not exactly pulling out the big fishes are we? How much longer 'til we find something worthwhile, Vergil?"

"That depends on what identifies the portal first. Lesser Demons are more numerous than Devils. Thus it makes sense that they would appear more often. Though eventually their superiors should...Dante, sword, now."

Before Vergil had even spoken, Dante had put up his guns and pulled out a the Devil Sword Dante. The blade glowed a dark red before he slashed it towards the portal. A massive plant-like tendril shot through the portal, before being cleanly sliced in two by Dante's attack. A deep, rumbling squeal echoed through the portal as both halves fell back inside. Tsukune took a trembling step towards them as he asked, "Wh-Wh-What was that?"

Dante smirked, "What we were waiting for. Keep me posted, Vergil. I'll take 'em out fast if they show any ugly mugs."

Vergil only grunted in response. The Devils were different than the Demons. Most of them didn't fully come through the portal. They, instead, would put an appendage or eyeball through it to examine what was beyond it. Whenever they did, Dante would either shoot them if they were small enough, or use his sword to slice them if they were bigger. Tsukune could hardly even describe these things. Some had weird, pulsating tendrils that were covered in eyeballs. Some had massive, animal-like claws that were bigger than Tsukune's torso. Some actually bothered to pull half their bodies through, only to reveal what looked like blank canvases made of shadows or worse. Each one was forced to retreat by Dante's attack. Some tried to come through multiple times...they soon regretted that decision.

Tsukune only counted about ten or so Devils in comparison to the Demons. But these Devils were, somehow, worse. Each one made Tsukune feel this sense of dread whenever they appeared. Even just seeing one part of them made him want to curl up into a ball and hide. But, even in the face of such terror, neither Dante nor Vergil ever showed a single sign of being scared. They kept up their vigil without a single complaint. If anything, Dante looked...happy.

Eventually, things quieted down. It had been a few minutes since the last Devil had tried to come through the portal. Dante was using his sword as a cane to lean on, and Vergil was as still as a stone. For a moment, Tsukune thought that things had calmed down. That, perhaps, the monsters had been frightened by the brothers' repeated repelling. That, maybe, they could forget this and go home.

Then a hand exited the portal. Tsukune felt his blood run cold for a moment and he waited for Dante to attack like before. However, Dante...didn't. He had his sword at the ready but he didn't attack the appendage. Confused, Tsukune looked back at the hand that had come through the portal. As he did, his confusion only grew in intensity. The hand...looked human.

Well, human wasn't the right word. It had dark gray skin with what looked like crag-lines chiseled into it. Claws were on the edge of its fingers instead of normal nails. And there was a silver blade as long as the arm coming out from the elbow. But outside of that...it looked human. It had four fingers and a thumb, a palm with what looked like soft gray-ish skin, an elbow connecting the forearm to the rest of it, and it even had knuckles. The hand slapped down onto the top of the portal, the black surface turning solid as its owner pulled itself out. An identical arm came out and did the same...as did about four more. Anxiety filled Tsukune's heart as the Devil slowly pulled itself out of the portal and into the open.

The rest of its body was as humanoid as its arms were. Though it had a total of six arms all running down its torso. Its legs were thick and bent at the knees like a lizard's. A thick tail slapped onto the ground behind it with large scales climbing up the center towards the Devil's back. Large black horns grew out of its head and curled backwards above its head. Yet, its face was distinctly human. Masculine with a strong jaw-line, a sharp nose, a fang sticking out from its upper lip, and two bright green eyes that stared out at the world. As it fully emerged from the portal it immediately looked around at its environment...and then its eyes locked onto Dante.

Then it did the one thing that Tsukune wasn't expecting; It spoke.

"The Sons of Sparda?!" it...well, he, said doing something that none of the Demons before him had done; back up in fear.

"That's us alright. How ya doing there buddy?" Dante said, adjusting his stance so he was standing casually.

"So, this is what happened to the two of you. I had heard you had left the human world, but no more than that. The only thing anyone knew was that his spawn was now defending that plane," the Devil pointed one of his claws at Vergil. Vergil didn't react to the accusation.

Dante shrugged, "Took a bit of a detour and ended up somewhere else. But that's besides the point. First, who do we have the pleasure of speaking to right now? And, real name, please. We'll be needing it for later."

The Devil crossed all six of its arms and let out a sigh, "Hiding my True Name from the two of you would just cause unnecessary issues. It is Malvazos...though to be honest, I'm not very proud of it. I've heard of humans shortening their names to make them sound better and easier to say. So, I am rather fond of calling myself 'Mal' instead."

Tsukune was completely astonished by the sudden shift in atmosphere. Just a moment ago, Dante was killing anything that came through that portal. Now, he was having a conversation with a Devil that wanted a nickname. "Mal" looked around at the circle, his eyes focusing on the paper in front of Vergil. A rumbling sound came from his mouth as he turned to Dante, "I see. You wish to strike a contract with me? Strange, I would think that the Sons of Sparda wouldn't need the strength of a Devil. You have a tendency to make our strength your own without such methods."

"I'll explain that in a bit," Dante said, taking a step towards the circle, "But first, I've got a question for you buddy: What do you think of humans?"

Mal stared at Dante for a few moments. Then he looked away, lowering his head and letting the silence build up between them. He expression turned contemplative while his tail began to thumb against the ground. Tsukune had been taking more and more steps forward, until he stood next to Dante watching the Devil through the portal. He didn't know why, but something about this Devil didn't feel like the others. He didn't feel the same sense of dread. That was still there but it was...muted.

Finally, Mal turned back to Dante, not noticing Tsukune, and spoke, "In so many ways, they are the betters of we Demons and Devils."

"That so?" Dante's smile grew wider, "How do you mean?"

"They are capable of the same horrible acts as us...yet at the same time, they can be and do more. A Devil will never care for one of its own spawn. They will simply see it as competition. A Devil will kill their own kind if they thought doing so would improve their station. Or, sometimes, just because they can. A Devil will lord their superiority over others as a right of birth, and make sure none will ever exist that can take it away from them. But, unlike humans, they will never choose to be different. A Devil will never believe that what they are doing is wrong. A Devil will never be convinced that caring for one another could give one strength. A Devil will always be just that: A Devil. No more, no less."

"But humans...they can be Devils...but they can also be better. At least, I believe so. I have not truly seen the human world outside of bare glimpses and stories from others. But what I hear...intrigues me. And whenever I think of them, I think of the story of Sparda. I think that, perhaps, he was not wrong when he betrayed us. That, perhaps, he discovered a power far beyond that of even Mundus."

Tsukune was speechless. He had already seen so many incredible and terrible things today...but this blew them all out of the water. He never thought the day would come, where he would hear a Devil from the Underworld say that humans were better than his own people.

Mal uncrossed his arms and chuckled, "However, those are but fantasies. I doubt I will ever truly be able to understand humans or my own kind. Let us forget them. You said you would explain about your contract with me?"

Dante stepped back with a nod, "That I did. First, though, I wanted to test ya a little bit. And congrats! You passed with flying colors Mal! Now, let me show you who you'll be making a contract with. Lover Boy, get over here!"

"Wait wha-" but before he could protest, Tsukune was yanked in front of Dante and pushed towards the ritual circle. He stumbled and landed on his knees before the circle. Getting to his feet, he came face to face with Malvazos. The Devil was a full head taller than him and was staring into his eyes so hard that Tsukune couldn't help but feel nervous. He put on his best smile and bowed to the Devil, "H-H-Hello, Malvazos-sama! Ah, I-I-I mean, Mal. I-I-I mean, um, what would you like me to call you?"

Mal blinked at Tsukune a few times but then he answered, "Mal is fine. You are...?"

"Um, Tsukune. Tsukune Aono. I-I-I'm a high school student at Yokai Academy."

"Yokai Academy? I am unfamiliar with that place. What is that?"

"A-A-A school for monsters in Japan."

Mal frowned, "Is that so? But you smell human."

"Th-That's cause, I am. Human, that is."

"What is a human doing in a school for monsters?"

"I-I don't know. I just kind of...got here because of my parents getting an invitation letter. Bu-But it's really dangerous and I-"

"Need my strength to survive," Mal let out a sigh, "I see. That is understandable. Humans' survival instincts are very strong."

"N-No. That's not why. Or at least it's not the whole reason," Tsukune said, gathering what courage he could to speak again, "I-I have friends here. Two girls, named Moka and Kurumu. They...They both like me. And I like them. Bu-But as long as I'm here...I'll cause them trouble. Monsters will want to attack me and try to e-e-eat me. But, more than that, they'll try to hurt Moka and Kurmu. And I-I can't let that happen. But I'm not strong enough to protect them on my own. S-So...please...Mal-sama...please lend me your power!"

Tsukune bowed deeply to the Devil, who's eyes had gone wide at Tsukune's plea. Stunned, he did nothing save stare at the boy for the longest time. For a while, Tsukune thought that the Devil would deny him. It wouldn't surprise him. He didn't know how Devils thought, but most seemed rather...aggressive. But still...he wanted to hope.

Then he felt something wet fall onto his neck.

Startled he looked up to see Mal rubbing at one of his eyes with a hand. Before he could question it, Mal removed his hand and crossed his arms, "Very well. Aono Tsukune, I will lend you my strength. However, I have requests of my own. A contract cannot be a one way street, after all."

"Y-Yes, of course!" Tsukune stood up straight and kept his eyes on Mal.

"On my end of the contract," as Mal spoke, the paper in front of Vergil began to fill itself out. Demonic writing appeared on it in red lettering while Mal continued, "I swear that I will bring no harm to you, your friends, your loved ones, or anyone else that you consider worth protecting. I will give you my power, but not so much that your body, mind, or soul will be burnt away. I will protect you and all those you hold dear, should the situation call for it. And I shall not call upon any of my kin to come this land while I am with you."

Tsukune nodded at each suggestion before replying, "Okay. That sounds alright. It sounds alright, right? Dante?"

"Seems good so far. What say you, Vergil?"

"The terms are generous. But please do not interrupt him. We should hear the Devil's conditions first," Vergil said without opening his eyes.

Dante and Tsukune turned back to Mal. The Devil nodded then continued, "In exchange for my assistance, my requests are as such. You must allow me to accompany you wherever you go. While you are allowed to dismiss me if you need privacy, I wish to be with you for the majority of our time together. For I...wish to experience the life of a human with you. I...want to know what it's like to...feel emotions. Understand how they give you humans such strength."

Tsukune took a moment to think then nodded, "I-I think I can do that. Um, as long as I can keep my privacy. You won't follow me into the bathroom, right?"

"Of course not. Next, our power must be shared and equal. If you grow in strength, I shall grow in strength and vice versa. This way, neither of us will have obvious strength over the other, and we may fight more efficiently. And it will help me analyze exactly how strong we have become."

"L-Like a video game?" Tsukune looked around, trying to see if anyone would back him up. When no one did, he lowered his head and just said, "N-Nevermind. I accept that."

"Finally," Mal's tone gained a hint of uncertainty as he spoke, "I ask that I be allowed at least one full day a month to act independently of you. That I may explore this world at my own pace, without your direct involvement. That I may learn of the world through my own eyes. Will you honor these requests?"

Tsukune felt the need to look at Dante and Vergil, but he fought it down. He couldn't rely on them all the time for things like this. He had to make his own decisions sometimes. So, with one last deep breath, he looked up at Mal and nodded, "Yes. Yes, I will."

The paper in front of Vergil began to glow as a bell chime echoed through the gym. Vergil finally opened his eyes and looked at Tsukune, "The contract is ready, Tsukune. Now, come. Sign your name in blood that it may be rectified."

"B-Blood?!" Tsukune said, though he still walked over to where Vergil was sitting. He got down on his knees and turned to look at Vergil. Vergil reached out his hand and summoned a new ethereal blade. It was smaller than the others, only the size of Vergil's pinky. He handed it, handle first, to Tsukune. Hands shaking, Tsukune took the weapon in his hand and held it over his index finger. His body began to shake as the thought of harming himself made his skin crawl. For a moment, he felt like shaking his head and calling the whole thing off.

"Tsukune Aono."

Mal's voice made Tsukune look up from the blade in his hand. He met Mal's eyes...and saw the Devil looking at him with worry.

"If you are unwilling to do this, then you don't have to. I would rather that, then you be unwilling when you do this."

Tsukune blinked.

Then he smiled as all doubts fled his mind. He looked back down at his hand and poked his index finger with the blade. He flinched as blood fell from his finger onto the bottom of the contract. The second it touched the page a bright light flooded the room. Tsukune found his vision going white and his body becoming very heavy. He tried to stay awake, but something was sapping his strength away. His eyes felt heavy as did his arms and legs. Once all his strength was gone he felt his body hit the floor. Then he felt nothing.



"Hmm, that went better than I expected," Dante said as he picked up the unconscious human. He tossed Tsukune over his shoulders before turning to his brother, "I'm gonna take Lover Boy here back to his dorm. You mind taking care of the clean up, brother of mine?"

"I am the only one who can," Vergil rolled his eyes as he stood up with the Yamato in his hands, "This portal can only be closed with the Yamato. And we do not wish to bring more Demons from the Underworld here."

"Correct you are. Though, I have to ask, why don't we just make a portal like you did and head back home?"

"Because, the Underworld is vast. Almost infinite even. If we tried to return home through that method, we would be lost for who knows how many years," Vergil said as he readied himself, "Now, be off. I must concentrate."

"Right, right. See ya brother," Dante turned around and waved back at Vergil. As he went, he looked over at the unconscious Tsukune on his shoulder with a smile, "Nice job, kid. Ya managed to find one of the good ones. I think you'll be just fine. Isn't that right, Mal?"

Dante said as he looked behind Tsukune...and saw Mal's ghostly figure hover just behind the boy.



Managed to get it done sooner than expected! Though, I will admit, I'm need some time to fully flesh out how I want Tsukune's powers to work.
And for those of you wondering why Mal exists at all? There was a Devil/Demon from the original DMC Anime (not the Netflix one) that took a human form, fell in love with a human woman, and was basically a good guy throughout the whole episode. So, it's possible.
Anyway, hope you all enjoyed. It's good to be back.
 
And for those of you wondering why Mal exists at all? There was a Devil/Demon from the original DMC Anime (not the Netflix one) that took a human form, fell in love with a human woman, and was basically a good guy throughout the whole episode. So, it's possible.
Great chapter, glad to have this story back.

Mal seems to be a chill dude as far as Devils go, though I wonder what would've happened if Tsukune contracted with a female demon like Nevean? The romcom shenanigans would just triplicate one Moja and Kurumu interacted with her!
 
Great chapter, glad to have this story back.

Mal seems to be a chill dude as far as Devils go, though I wonder what would've happened if Tsukune contracted with a female demon like Nevean? The romcom shenanigans would just triplicate one Moja and Kurumu interacted with her!

I had the thought but figured Tsukune could use more male friends in his life.
 

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