All Nightmare Long - Academy of Hart/Devil May Cry | Collaboration pt. 2/?
Title: All Nightmare Long ~The Scion's Resolve~
Fandom: Technically it's Academy of Hart canon, since DMC is one of the worlds within the RP, however. This is 1.) AU and 2.) AoH isn't finished yet, so. Yeah.
Characters: Emily “Lii” Madsen, Nithal, Kyrie, Vergil/Nero
Summary: What was originally a claim to victory is only the beginning of a new struggle.
Rating: PG-13/light R for FAITO and Lii's mouth. 8Db
Notes: A collaboration series with kyahryorin [Part 1 being here], this series takes place after the end of AoH canon, meaning that Lii has full control over her abilities as Scion, Kresoveer's dead, and Jake sacrificed himself in order to allow his sister and Takeshi the means to defeat Kresoveer. All Lii has to say about this whole business is - “Where the fuck is Dante.”
Only characters I own here are Lii and Nithal - Nero, Verge, and Kyrie are CAPCOM's property, and any AoH characters that might be mentioned are property of their original creators.
ETA: SIX AND A QUARTER PAGES. WTF IS THIS SHIT, MAN.
It was over.
It had been a long and bloody struggle, and one that had taken almost four years in the making if the Masquerade attacks could be counted, but it was finally finished. They had lost a lot, all of them - hell, it was even debatable about who lost the most, but that was petty, not even worth any of their times.
Especially if their leaders had anything to say about it. The thought of Lii and Takeshi teaming up against the complainers quelled their rebellious tongues, thankfully. Both of them were forces to be reckoned with when they were fighting individually, but together, their fury was increased by a thousandfold. Especially considering that Takeshi had admitted that his former student had now surpassed him in the usage of fire, even before she had taken the contract with the phoenix Nithal.
But the fact still remained - there were still things to be done after all this. It surprised everyone when Lii herself said that she was heading back to one of the worlds that they had visited and might possibly stay there. Her words especially was what sealed the deal on her decision:
“If I come home, I don't think I could live with myself. My brother sacrificed himself because of me, and I don't think I could just go back to the way things were. Besides, the guys were curious about our situation, I told them I'd get a hold of them afterward to let them know how things went.”
Takeshi had taken her aside shortly after she made this statement, and anyone smart enough to know when those two left the group stayed behind, because not shortly after they had left, there were the sounds of explosions, clashing weapons, and muffled yellings in Japanese. It wasn't until the pair had returned, with Lii smirking, that everyone knew the outcome of that little skirmish. They were constant sparring partners, but this was more of a contest of wills than anything else. Though a lot of them didn't honestly think that Takeshi was that against her leaving, it was more of a front to try and keep some semblance of leadership within the group.
As ineffective as it really was at this point, anyway. Most of them were thinking about going their separate ways once they returned in the first place, Lii was just jumping the gun in this case. Although it was strange that she wasn't going back to her family, they couldn't blame her, honestly.
The portal to Fortuna was set up shortly afterward, and she had spoken with everyone else, giving her own student a letter that was to be delivered to her parents once the others had returned. It was high time that she took responsibility for her actions during these fights, and telling the truth of what happened to her during the Masquerade attacks and the fights following that was a good start.
There was a flare of heat before Nithal made his presence known, a small burst of flame preceding his arrival. The phoenix landed next to his companion, preening for a moment before speaking. “If you think this is a good idea, Aibou, I'm not going to stop you. However, don't think this is an excuse to stop your training.”
Lii simply raised an eyebrow at him, her expression deadpan. “You know me better than that. If anything, seeing Nero and Dante's going to give me an excuse to work on some control exercises. Besides, they haven't had a chance to meet up with you yet, might as well show them how much stronger I've gotten since we were there last time.”
“I'm only looking out for your safety, besides, I thought you were so intent on having a 'vacation'.”
She glowered at him, then looking to the others, some of whom were snickering at the exchange. “S'called a 'working vacation',” she muttered, letting out a sigh before she crossed her arms.
“Don't do anything too stupid.”
“Tell Nero and Kyrie we said hi!”
“I'll hold down the fort for ya, boss!”
They all let out a laugh at Dante's statement there, but she was confident that Takeshi could keep a well enough eye on the others, even with her student's help. “Don't have too much fun without me. Takeshi! Portal should drop me near the Opera House, right?”
He simply gave her a look that said “Of course, do you honestly think I wouldn't make sure this would work out?”
She smiled, nodding once. “Sou ka. Alright, gang, I'm outta here - Don't forget to call! Ja ne!” She quickly slipped the black longcoat on, grateful that she hadn't gotten rid of it anytime soon. This was an invaluable tool to the Soldiers throughout their fights, allowing them to pass through the portals of darkness without having to worry about their own souls being corrupted. With a grin and wave, she suddenly disappeared, employing flash-steps to allow her to move through the corridor faster.
--------
Everything was burning. What used to be a veritable paradise... was now razed to the ground.
Lii's dark eyes widened in shock - what had happened while she was gone? Was there an attack after she and the others had helped Nero and Dante defeat the remnants of the Order? No, the traces of energy was all from one source, but that couldn't be right. She only knew of one person who had that kind of power, and they all would've known if something had happened to the Devil Hunter that they originally thought was an enemy, but had turned out to be their greatest ally.
No.
It wasn't Dante. But the energy she did feel caused her to momentarily freeze up, breath hitching in her throat. Only one word came out from her mouth, rushed and wavering:
“Nero.”
But that couldn't be right - Nero would never do something like this, especially after all that he and the others had done to try and save Fortuna from both Kresoveer and the Order. Besides, this energy was darker, more sinister, and overlapping with something that just made her want to throw up from the feeling she was getting. A flickering of energy, movement out of the corner of her eye, and she immediately moved, jaw clenched and Phoenix Fire in hand.
But she never expected to see what she did. Kyrie was laying on the ground, prone, and with blood pooling around her and staining her dress. And standing next to her, holding Yamato, a raging aura around his body - was Nero.
“NO!” She screamed, her body refusing to move, for whatever reason. Whatever was happening here, she had to stop it before Nero did something else that he would regret. Fire exploded around her, eyes beginning to glow golden as a result of her anger resonating within her alone. Heat bloomed from within her chest, the Phoenix resounding in respond to her resolve and feelings. She was grateful for that - always had been, really. The firebird had done so much to help her.
“Don't let your guard down. This isn't like fighting with Kresoveer - you are alone.”
“Maybe not completely alone, but I get it.” Her eyes flickered as they went into sync momentarily, awareness stretching to see if they could find any other sources of energy - at least, outside of the torrent of corrupted energy that was originally her friend. But everything else was... gone. Utterly destroyed.
“So this is where it begins...I look forward to it.” He didn't say anything to acknowledge her presence, only turning his head to see whoever it was that was causing so much noise. Vergil could've sworn that he had killed every last civilian in this area - but oh ho, she was no mere civilian. The fire around her was proof enough of that. And despite the fact that the boy had stopped thrashing around (all the better, really), he felt Nero stirring from within his mental prison momentarily.
Lii... no, you idiot! Get the hell out of here, now!
“Seems I've missed someone.” He slowly turned, and Lii bristled, her grip tightening on her sword, gritting her teeth. The same pattern that was on the Devil Bringer - it had somehow expanded, moving to his torso and even his face. And his eyes, they were burning red - like hellfire. But this wasn't Nero in Devil Trigger, if that were the case, then none of this would've occurred.
She knew that much.
“More like I arrived fashionably late,” she growled; despite the lighthearted intent of the comment, there was no humor in her tone whatsoever. Lii employed flash-steps, disappearing from sight, only to reappear right in front of him, Phoenix Fire coming down in a hard vertical strike.
Sparks ignited when Red Queen collided with the longsword's blade, Yamato coming in faster than the eye could see to rend her stomach and insides into pieces-
But she didn't give him the opportunity, twisting her body around and allowing flames to engulf her blade. “Now, I've got a question for you, jackass.” she paused, parrying and swinging with a fire-encased fist to deliver a hard uppercut that somehow connected with his jaw, “Who the fuck do you think you are, taking my friend's body, killing not only the entire population of the city, but also the one person that he had done so much to protect, huh? Because as much as I love a good fight, this isn't exactly what I wanted to come back to.”
“And what makes you think that you're deserving of that information, wench?” He asked, and upon closer inspection, Lii could've sworn that the voice that overlapped Nero's sounded somewhat familiar. But now wasn't the time to be worrying about that, things like surviving this fight - were a hell of a lot more important by this point.
“Aibou-” Nithal was about to try and convince his partner that it would probably be best for them to try and synch together again, but the fact of seeing this was probably something that wouldn't help his cause in trying to get a coherent decision out of her. And unfortunately, she hadn't activated the invocation so he could help out - her rage had turned her off to rationality for the time being.
“Deserving?! I fought through fucking legions of goddamn Heartless, demons, and fuck-if-I-know-what to get stronger. Who the hell do you think you are to be asking me that kind of question -” She was cut off as a swipe grazed her ribs, grimacing as she moved back, farther, farther, ignoring the red that bloomed and blended in with the black material of the traveling coat that she was still wearing.
Having the coat on was a stupid idea now that she was in actual combat, especially if her previous experiences fighting Dante were any indication. She flung it off, ignoring the fact that her right thigh had the mark of the summoning seal, which in and of itself wasn't strange, she had the seal for a while now. But what was strange was the fact that it was glowing through her pants. “Nithal, what the flying fuck are you doing?!”
“I'm trying to get your attention. You can't defeat him like this - we have to synch if you want to save your friend. Please, Aibou.”
She let out a grunt, quickly dodging from what could be seen as an invisible wave of energy and wind from a slice that was aimed at her. She landed on top of some rubble, gritting her teeth. “Come down to that already? Fuck, I hate revealing trump cards right off the bat.” Lii snorted, spinning her body around to gain momentum before slamming her blade into the ground, using it as a pole-vault to launch herself at her opponent.
“Reckless.” He disappeared before she could slam into him, reappearing behind her to reach with the Devil Bringer, grabbing the back of her neck.
She grinned despite the increasing pressure on her neck, holding out a hand. “Dumbass. Fushichō, ikuze!”
A torrent of heat and flame exploded from the woman's body, hotter than the flames of Hell. Vergil bit back a yelp, growling as he was forced to drop her, the heat that had suddenly erupted from the woman's body was too much even for the demonic limb that he had utilized in capturing her to contain.
When the waves of white-gold flames had faded slightly, Lii could be seen standing in the middle of the conflagration, the glow gone from her thigh, but a more powerful aura settling around her body. The flames began to subside, until what looked to be a pair of wings made from fire were coming from her back. They didn't seem to burn her, and was was especially unnerving to those that hadn't seen it before was the fact that when she opened her eyes and gave a small smirk, her irises had gone completely golden, no visible pupil in sight. Her outstretched hand was still held out, her sword disappearing from the place in the rubble that it was stuck in and reappearing in her hand in a flash of flames. “Bit better, anyway. Alright, jackass. Let's go.”
Once again, this turn of events had gotten Nero's attention from inside his mental prison, especially the wave of power that had come from the brunette. He never remembered Lii being this strong, even during the time when she, Dante, and several other people had volunteered to take the Savior down from the outside while he worked on it from the inside. What the... how did she get that strong so quickly? She's nowhere near Dante's level, easily, but …
Vergil didn't say anything, a small growl forming at the back of his throat from the eruption of power that had come from the woman. Though, he had to admit, it would make the fight that much more interesting. But he had hoped that this would get over with quickly so that he could finish what he had started and get what he needed - this place wasn't necessary outside of that. And this woman was just wasting his time, despite the fact that she somehow had enough ability to not only summon flames, but to also enter a contract like this without getting consumed by this new power.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins before she shifted, getting into her stance. “Any ideas, Nithal? Or are we running blind on this one?”
“ …nothing about him seems familiar in my references, Aibou, but you forget that you're the one with the experience in this realm, not me. Though … something about him seems extremely similar to another in your memory. The 'jackass in red', as you've called-”
“Dante? Well, yeah, Nero could be his little brother for all we know, as improbable as it sounds, considering -”
“That's not who I'm talking about. The one possessing Nero. You remember Dante mentioning having a brother, correct?”
“Yeah, but that - that can't be right. He's been dead for ages, according to Dante.” While this mental conversation was going on, the two were in another bladelock, only to break apart as Vergil nearly cut Lii's right hand off, causing her to back off again and place a hand to the wound to compress and sear it shut at the same time, using flash-steps to stay out of Yamato and Red Queen's range while she tried to heal as fast as possible.
“You've wielded the katana he's currently holding, correct?”
“Yamato? Yeah, was playing keep-away with it for a while before... when we were still fighting the Order. Why?”
“The energy overlaps, Aibou. That weapon was practically made for the one possessing Nero.” This particular revelation from Nithal caused her to pause; a nearly fatal flaw, now that she looked back on it.
“For someone who wants their supposed 'friend' back, you are certainly looking for a death wish, wench.” The overlapping voice cut through her thoughts like the blades he was wielding, and she was sent flying, screaming as energy blades cut into her. The metallic taste of blood was about ready to flood her senses, but not before she got back on her feet as quickly as possible, only to parry another attack that would've probably cut her in two if she hadn't reacted like she had.
She was thankful for Nithal's assistance with this, as well as her own body for being so quick to recognize when it was in danger. Her instincts had saved her before, and she was able to at least get a few more hits in, eyes blazing righteous fury before she was tripped, stumbling to the ground and rolling out of the way of Red Queen getting slammed into the pavement where she was previously laying. However, she didn't expect the katana to be impaled into her shoulder. She screamed, her voice dwindling down to a whimper as she tried to pull the blade out, bending both legs to try and kick her attacker away, or at the very least, trip him up.
“Foolish. Perhaps you could've been useful, at one point. Although the presence around you - a phoenix, if I remember correctly? Is intriguing; however, I can't allow for either of you to interrupt my plans. Not when I have so much that needs to be done yet.” The smile that was plastered on his face disgusted both Lii and Nithal to no end, and it especially enraged Lii, because that fucker was using Nero's body like a fucking puppet, and if there was something that really pissed her off, it was people being used like this.
She spat at him, defiance burning in her eyes. “Fuck you.” She bit back a scream as he twisted Yamato, digging further into her shoulder. “If you think I'm just gonna lie down and die like some stupid bitch, then you've got another thing coming!” Her breathing was ragged, and even with Nithal's help in the regeneration department, she still was having a hard time healing up with the energy interference - the constant festering of her shoulder wound didn't help, either. “I've fought too long to just stop now... NERO! YOU WANT EVERYTHING YOU'VE FOUGHT FOR TO DIE NOW, YOU FUCKING MORON?! STAND UP, SCREAM YOUR LUNGS OUT, FIGHT HIM WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! THAT'S WHAT SHE WOULD'VE WANTED!”
Vergil's expression twisted into one of fury; how dare she try and get the whelp to fight back? The power that was coming from her and the phoenix was intriguing, to be sure, but if she was starting to get on his nerves. In reality, she reminded him of Dante, in their younger days. The same obliviousness, even the same habit of running headlong into situations that they never understood.
But what happened next was something that he didn't expect to happen. As if resonating with her screaming, Nero had renewed his attack on his mental prison, beating on it with a renewed fury. The sudden increase in resistance caught him off-guard, something that he never expected to come from either of them. Dammit, she's right. Kyrie wouldn't have wanted me to just sit here like this. I'M FINISHED JUST SITTING HERE WHILE PEOPLE GET HURT, GODDAMMIT!
Nero's body twitched, and before Vergil could get a hold of it again, Yamato was extracted from Lii's shoulder. His face was contorted in pain, and he was trying his damnedest to hold Vergil back, if only for a few moments. “...run Lii... get Kyrie outta here - Find Dante!” He screamed again, but Lii had already gone on the move, Nithal channeling his energy into regenerating the wounds that she had accumulated so far. Thankfully Lii had high pain tolerance due to her fights, the two major scars on her body being indication of that fact.
“I fucking hate running away like this, but a promise is a promise,” she said, allowing for Phoenix Fire to disappear momentarily while she picked up Kyrie's body with her good arm. Kicking off the ground, she allowed for a wave of flame to travel from where her feet had touched the ground, homing in on Vergil, who was now trying to make chase.
“Too close. Nithal, we gotta separate. I'll be okay, really. But you gotta make sure he doesn't follow me. Nero knows this island better than me, but we can buy him some time so I can recover... and give Kyrie a proper burial.”
The phoenix didn't say anything at first, however, the load increased, and pain flooded Lii's system as he separated from her, wings spread wide as he reached the peak of his flight, letting out a mournful wail. “You got it, Aibou. I'll buy you as much time as I'm allowed to.”
Lii looked back one last time, her expression a combination between worry, anger, and sadness. Even after all the fighting that she had been through, she didn't want to have to bury someone else like this.
“We'll get you back, Nero. Promise.”
Fandom: Technically it's Academy of Hart canon, since DMC is one of the worlds within the RP, however. This is 1.) AU and 2.) AoH isn't finished yet, so. Yeah.
Characters: Emily “Lii” Madsen, Nithal, Kyrie, Vergil/Nero
Summary: What was originally a claim to victory is only the beginning of a new struggle.
Rating: PG-13/light R for FAITO and Lii's mouth. 8Db
Notes: A collaboration series with kyahryorin [Part 1 being here], this series takes place after the end of AoH canon, meaning that Lii has full control over her abilities as Scion, Kresoveer's dead, and Jake sacrificed himself in order to allow his sister and Takeshi the means to defeat Kresoveer. All Lii has to say about this whole business is - “Where the fuck is Dante.”
Only characters I own here are Lii and Nithal - Nero, Verge, and Kyrie are CAPCOM's property, and any AoH characters that might be mentioned are property of their original creators.
ETA: SIX AND A QUARTER PAGES. WTF IS THIS SHIT, MAN.
It was over.
It had been a long and bloody struggle, and one that had taken almost four years in the making if the Masquerade attacks could be counted, but it was finally finished. They had lost a lot, all of them - hell, it was even debatable about who lost the most, but that was petty, not even worth any of their times.
Especially if their leaders had anything to say about it. The thought of Lii and Takeshi teaming up against the complainers quelled their rebellious tongues, thankfully. Both of them were forces to be reckoned with when they were fighting individually, but together, their fury was increased by a thousandfold. Especially considering that Takeshi had admitted that his former student had now surpassed him in the usage of fire, even before she had taken the contract with the phoenix Nithal.
But the fact still remained - there were still things to be done after all this. It surprised everyone when Lii herself said that she was heading back to one of the worlds that they had visited and might possibly stay there. Her words especially was what sealed the deal on her decision:
“If I come home, I don't think I could live with myself. My brother sacrificed himself because of me, and I don't think I could just go back to the way things were. Besides, the guys were curious about our situation, I told them I'd get a hold of them afterward to let them know how things went.”
Takeshi had taken her aside shortly after she made this statement, and anyone smart enough to know when those two left the group stayed behind, because not shortly after they had left, there were the sounds of explosions, clashing weapons, and muffled yellings in Japanese. It wasn't until the pair had returned, with Lii smirking, that everyone knew the outcome of that little skirmish. They were constant sparring partners, but this was more of a contest of wills than anything else. Though a lot of them didn't honestly think that Takeshi was that against her leaving, it was more of a front to try and keep some semblance of leadership within the group.
As ineffective as it really was at this point, anyway. Most of them were thinking about going their separate ways once they returned in the first place, Lii was just jumping the gun in this case. Although it was strange that she wasn't going back to her family, they couldn't blame her, honestly.
The portal to Fortuna was set up shortly afterward, and she had spoken with everyone else, giving her own student a letter that was to be delivered to her parents once the others had returned. It was high time that she took responsibility for her actions during these fights, and telling the truth of what happened to her during the Masquerade attacks and the fights following that was a good start.
There was a flare of heat before Nithal made his presence known, a small burst of flame preceding his arrival. The phoenix landed next to his companion, preening for a moment before speaking. “If you think this is a good idea, Aibou, I'm not going to stop you. However, don't think this is an excuse to stop your training.”
Lii simply raised an eyebrow at him, her expression deadpan. “You know me better than that. If anything, seeing Nero and Dante's going to give me an excuse to work on some control exercises. Besides, they haven't had a chance to meet up with you yet, might as well show them how much stronger I've gotten since we were there last time.”
“I'm only looking out for your safety, besides, I thought you were so intent on having a 'vacation'.”
She glowered at him, then looking to the others, some of whom were snickering at the exchange. “S'called a 'working vacation',” she muttered, letting out a sigh before she crossed her arms.
“Don't do anything too stupid.”
“Tell Nero and Kyrie we said hi!”
“I'll hold down the fort for ya, boss!”
They all let out a laugh at Dante's statement there, but she was confident that Takeshi could keep a well enough eye on the others, even with her student's help. “Don't have too much fun without me. Takeshi! Portal should drop me near the Opera House, right?”
He simply gave her a look that said “Of course, do you honestly think I wouldn't make sure this would work out?”
She smiled, nodding once. “Sou ka. Alright, gang, I'm outta here - Don't forget to call! Ja ne!” She quickly slipped the black longcoat on, grateful that she hadn't gotten rid of it anytime soon. This was an invaluable tool to the Soldiers throughout their fights, allowing them to pass through the portals of darkness without having to worry about their own souls being corrupted. With a grin and wave, she suddenly disappeared, employing flash-steps to allow her to move through the corridor faster.
--------
Everything was burning. What used to be a veritable paradise... was now razed to the ground.
Lii's dark eyes widened in shock - what had happened while she was gone? Was there an attack after she and the others had helped Nero and Dante defeat the remnants of the Order? No, the traces of energy was all from one source, but that couldn't be right. She only knew of one person who had that kind of power, and they all would've known if something had happened to the Devil Hunter that they originally thought was an enemy, but had turned out to be their greatest ally.
No.
It wasn't Dante. But the energy she did feel caused her to momentarily freeze up, breath hitching in her throat. Only one word came out from her mouth, rushed and wavering:
“Nero.”
But that couldn't be right - Nero would never do something like this, especially after all that he and the others had done to try and save Fortuna from both Kresoveer and the Order. Besides, this energy was darker, more sinister, and overlapping with something that just made her want to throw up from the feeling she was getting. A flickering of energy, movement out of the corner of her eye, and she immediately moved, jaw clenched and Phoenix Fire in hand.
But she never expected to see what she did. Kyrie was laying on the ground, prone, and with blood pooling around her and staining her dress. And standing next to her, holding Yamato, a raging aura around his body - was Nero.
“NO!” She screamed, her body refusing to move, for whatever reason. Whatever was happening here, she had to stop it before Nero did something else that he would regret. Fire exploded around her, eyes beginning to glow golden as a result of her anger resonating within her alone. Heat bloomed from within her chest, the Phoenix resounding in respond to her resolve and feelings. She was grateful for that - always had been, really. The firebird had done so much to help her.
“Don't let your guard down. This isn't like fighting with Kresoveer - you are alone.”
“Maybe not completely alone, but I get it.” Her eyes flickered as they went into sync momentarily, awareness stretching to see if they could find any other sources of energy - at least, outside of the torrent of corrupted energy that was originally her friend. But everything else was... gone. Utterly destroyed.
“So this is where it begins...I look forward to it.” He didn't say anything to acknowledge her presence, only turning his head to see whoever it was that was causing so much noise. Vergil could've sworn that he had killed every last civilian in this area - but oh ho, she was no mere civilian. The fire around her was proof enough of that. And despite the fact that the boy had stopped thrashing around (all the better, really), he felt Nero stirring from within his mental prison momentarily.
Lii... no, you idiot! Get the hell out of here, now!
“Seems I've missed someone.” He slowly turned, and Lii bristled, her grip tightening on her sword, gritting her teeth. The same pattern that was on the Devil Bringer - it had somehow expanded, moving to his torso and even his face. And his eyes, they were burning red - like hellfire. But this wasn't Nero in Devil Trigger, if that were the case, then none of this would've occurred.
She knew that much.
“More like I arrived fashionably late,” she growled; despite the lighthearted intent of the comment, there was no humor in her tone whatsoever. Lii employed flash-steps, disappearing from sight, only to reappear right in front of him, Phoenix Fire coming down in a hard vertical strike.
Sparks ignited when Red Queen collided with the longsword's blade, Yamato coming in faster than the eye could see to rend her stomach and insides into pieces-
But she didn't give him the opportunity, twisting her body around and allowing flames to engulf her blade. “Now, I've got a question for you, jackass.” she paused, parrying and swinging with a fire-encased fist to deliver a hard uppercut that somehow connected with his jaw, “Who the fuck do you think you are, taking my friend's body, killing not only the entire population of the city, but also the one person that he had done so much to protect, huh? Because as much as I love a good fight, this isn't exactly what I wanted to come back to.”
“And what makes you think that you're deserving of that information, wench?” He asked, and upon closer inspection, Lii could've sworn that the voice that overlapped Nero's sounded somewhat familiar. But now wasn't the time to be worrying about that, things like surviving this fight - were a hell of a lot more important by this point.
“Aibou-” Nithal was about to try and convince his partner that it would probably be best for them to try and synch together again, but the fact of seeing this was probably something that wouldn't help his cause in trying to get a coherent decision out of her. And unfortunately, she hadn't activated the invocation so he could help out - her rage had turned her off to rationality for the time being.
“Deserving?! I fought through fucking legions of goddamn Heartless, demons, and fuck-if-I-know-what to get stronger. Who the hell do you think you are to be asking me that kind of question -” She was cut off as a swipe grazed her ribs, grimacing as she moved back, farther, farther, ignoring the red that bloomed and blended in with the black material of the traveling coat that she was still wearing.
Having the coat on was a stupid idea now that she was in actual combat, especially if her previous experiences fighting Dante were any indication. She flung it off, ignoring the fact that her right thigh had the mark of the summoning seal, which in and of itself wasn't strange, she had the seal for a while now. But what was strange was the fact that it was glowing through her pants. “Nithal, what the flying fuck are you doing?!”
“I'm trying to get your attention. You can't defeat him like this - we have to synch if you want to save your friend. Please, Aibou.”
She let out a grunt, quickly dodging from what could be seen as an invisible wave of energy and wind from a slice that was aimed at her. She landed on top of some rubble, gritting her teeth. “Come down to that already? Fuck, I hate revealing trump cards right off the bat.” Lii snorted, spinning her body around to gain momentum before slamming her blade into the ground, using it as a pole-vault to launch herself at her opponent.
“Reckless.” He disappeared before she could slam into him, reappearing behind her to reach with the Devil Bringer, grabbing the back of her neck.
She grinned despite the increasing pressure on her neck, holding out a hand. “Dumbass. Fushichō, ikuze!”
A torrent of heat and flame exploded from the woman's body, hotter than the flames of Hell. Vergil bit back a yelp, growling as he was forced to drop her, the heat that had suddenly erupted from the woman's body was too much even for the demonic limb that he had utilized in capturing her to contain.
When the waves of white-gold flames had faded slightly, Lii could be seen standing in the middle of the conflagration, the glow gone from her thigh, but a more powerful aura settling around her body. The flames began to subside, until what looked to be a pair of wings made from fire were coming from her back. They didn't seem to burn her, and was was especially unnerving to those that hadn't seen it before was the fact that when she opened her eyes and gave a small smirk, her irises had gone completely golden, no visible pupil in sight. Her outstretched hand was still held out, her sword disappearing from the place in the rubble that it was stuck in and reappearing in her hand in a flash of flames. “Bit better, anyway. Alright, jackass. Let's go.”
Once again, this turn of events had gotten Nero's attention from inside his mental prison, especially the wave of power that had come from the brunette. He never remembered Lii being this strong, even during the time when she, Dante, and several other people had volunteered to take the Savior down from the outside while he worked on it from the inside. What the... how did she get that strong so quickly? She's nowhere near Dante's level, easily, but …
Vergil didn't say anything, a small growl forming at the back of his throat from the eruption of power that had come from the woman. Though, he had to admit, it would make the fight that much more interesting. But he had hoped that this would get over with quickly so that he could finish what he had started and get what he needed - this place wasn't necessary outside of that. And this woman was just wasting his time, despite the fact that she somehow had enough ability to not only summon flames, but to also enter a contract like this without getting consumed by this new power.
Adrenaline coursed through her veins before she shifted, getting into her stance. “Any ideas, Nithal? Or are we running blind on this one?”
“ …nothing about him seems familiar in my references, Aibou, but you forget that you're the one with the experience in this realm, not me. Though … something about him seems extremely similar to another in your memory. The 'jackass in red', as you've called-”
“Dante? Well, yeah, Nero could be his little brother for all we know, as improbable as it sounds, considering -”
“That's not who I'm talking about. The one possessing Nero. You remember Dante mentioning having a brother, correct?”
“Yeah, but that - that can't be right. He's been dead for ages, according to Dante.” While this mental conversation was going on, the two were in another bladelock, only to break apart as Vergil nearly cut Lii's right hand off, causing her to back off again and place a hand to the wound to compress and sear it shut at the same time, using flash-steps to stay out of Yamato and Red Queen's range while she tried to heal as fast as possible.
“You've wielded the katana he's currently holding, correct?”
“Yamato? Yeah, was playing keep-away with it for a while before... when we were still fighting the Order. Why?”
“The energy overlaps, Aibou. That weapon was practically made for the one possessing Nero.” This particular revelation from Nithal caused her to pause; a nearly fatal flaw, now that she looked back on it.
“For someone who wants their supposed 'friend' back, you are certainly looking for a death wish, wench.” The overlapping voice cut through her thoughts like the blades he was wielding, and she was sent flying, screaming as energy blades cut into her. The metallic taste of blood was about ready to flood her senses, but not before she got back on her feet as quickly as possible, only to parry another attack that would've probably cut her in two if she hadn't reacted like she had.
She was thankful for Nithal's assistance with this, as well as her own body for being so quick to recognize when it was in danger. Her instincts had saved her before, and she was able to at least get a few more hits in, eyes blazing righteous fury before she was tripped, stumbling to the ground and rolling out of the way of Red Queen getting slammed into the pavement where she was previously laying. However, she didn't expect the katana to be impaled into her shoulder. She screamed, her voice dwindling down to a whimper as she tried to pull the blade out, bending both legs to try and kick her attacker away, or at the very least, trip him up.
“Foolish. Perhaps you could've been useful, at one point. Although the presence around you - a phoenix, if I remember correctly? Is intriguing; however, I can't allow for either of you to interrupt my plans. Not when I have so much that needs to be done yet.” The smile that was plastered on his face disgusted both Lii and Nithal to no end, and it especially enraged Lii, because that fucker was using Nero's body like a fucking puppet, and if there was something that really pissed her off, it was people being used like this.
She spat at him, defiance burning in her eyes. “Fuck you.” She bit back a scream as he twisted Yamato, digging further into her shoulder. “If you think I'm just gonna lie down and die like some stupid bitch, then you've got another thing coming!” Her breathing was ragged, and even with Nithal's help in the regeneration department, she still was having a hard time healing up with the energy interference - the constant festering of her shoulder wound didn't help, either. “I've fought too long to just stop now... NERO! YOU WANT EVERYTHING YOU'VE FOUGHT FOR TO DIE NOW, YOU FUCKING MORON?! STAND UP, SCREAM YOUR LUNGS OUT, FIGHT HIM WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! THAT'S WHAT SHE WOULD'VE WANTED!”
Vergil's expression twisted into one of fury; how dare she try and get the whelp to fight back? The power that was coming from her and the phoenix was intriguing, to be sure, but if she was starting to get on his nerves. In reality, she reminded him of Dante, in their younger days. The same obliviousness, even the same habit of running headlong into situations that they never understood.
But what happened next was something that he didn't expect to happen. As if resonating with her screaming, Nero had renewed his attack on his mental prison, beating on it with a renewed fury. The sudden increase in resistance caught him off-guard, something that he never expected to come from either of them. Dammit, she's right. Kyrie wouldn't have wanted me to just sit here like this. I'M FINISHED JUST SITTING HERE WHILE PEOPLE GET HURT, GODDAMMIT!
Nero's body twitched, and before Vergil could get a hold of it again, Yamato was extracted from Lii's shoulder. His face was contorted in pain, and he was trying his damnedest to hold Vergil back, if only for a few moments. “...run Lii... get Kyrie outta here - Find Dante!” He screamed again, but Lii had already gone on the move, Nithal channeling his energy into regenerating the wounds that she had accumulated so far. Thankfully Lii had high pain tolerance due to her fights, the two major scars on her body being indication of that fact.
“I fucking hate running away like this, but a promise is a promise,” she said, allowing for Phoenix Fire to disappear momentarily while she picked up Kyrie's body with her good arm. Kicking off the ground, she allowed for a wave of flame to travel from where her feet had touched the ground, homing in on Vergil, who was now trying to make chase.
“Too close. Nithal, we gotta separate. I'll be okay, really. But you gotta make sure he doesn't follow me. Nero knows this island better than me, but we can buy him some time so I can recover... and give Kyrie a proper burial.”
The phoenix didn't say anything at first, however, the load increased, and pain flooded Lii's system as he separated from her, wings spread wide as he reached the peak of his flight, letting out a mournful wail. “You got it, Aibou. I'll buy you as much time as I'm allowed to.”
Lii looked back one last time, her expression a combination between worry, anger, and sadness. Even after all the fighting that she had been through, she didn't want to have to bury someone else like this.
“We'll get you back, Nero. Promise.”