[004]
Title: Quelling an Internal Tempest (Prologue) + The Fallen's Massacre
Type: Fic, orz (6 PAGES EVEN, GODDAMN)
Fandom: Devil May Cry
Subject: Nero, mostly. Mentions of Vergil, Kyrie, and the residents of Fortuna are present as well.
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Continuing series between myself and derptacular
---------------------Begin---Prologue---
He knew, from the start, that something was off.
The fact that he couldn't feel his right arm, let alone when he actually whacked it against something, gave him an uneasy feeling. Nero was never one to believe in superstitions, and like hell he was going to change now. But still, he was a firm believer in his gut, and that was what was telling him something wasn't right. Maybe he had just slept on it wrong or something, who knew? It'd felt fine the day before, and he could still use it properly, so it wasn't much of a problem, for now.
Despite all this, there was some voice telling him he had to go. That he had to be away from the city for a while. Normally he'd go whenever he pleased, disappear when he felt like it, but this time was different. It was a voice saying he had to go somewhere. Needless to say, it wasn't something he was fond of. Being the reckless kid he was, he also had a knack for not listening to authorities, and since he clarified this as one, it went unnoticed. So, after donning his usual attire and grabbing both the Red Queen and the Blue Rose, he left his room and headed outside.
Today was one of the many days past the rebuilding of Fortuna. At times he wasn't even sure the town would make it- but surprisingly enough, it had done well after they had finished. Now all that was left was to wait for the harmony to be restored that once was there. Somehow, due to the older members being still a bunch of tight-asses and loyal to Sparda, there were some setbacks in the new generation compared to the older.
Making his way past the halls of HQ, the devil hunter kept moving, mind trying to occupy itself with the routine for the day. Report in to let them know I'm there, if they have a job- great. If not, oh well. I'll find something. See Kyrie. Go check on the local old man, see if he's got any other crazy claims for today, like any demons in his basement. Clean out some of the forest if some of the demons are getting too close. Go back home after all the crap is done for the day.
It wasn't until he turned a corner that he had his thoughts interrupted. A certain long-haired brunette was smiling in his direction, despite her being caught up with talking to one of the politicians at the moment. Nero waited until she was finished before approaching her, and then made his way towards the small girl. Her smile was still there, and it only made him give back a cocky grin in response, those blue eyes of his lighting with a spark. Somehow Kyrie always managed to find him, even if he seemed to have disappeared for a while.
"Hey." His voice was welcoming, friendly, as he was always happy to see her around. Moving in close, he rested his forehead against hers, lips coming in for a quick kiss, before the officials would scold them for doing such a heinous act in such a place. She hastily responded to him, kissing back, before pulling away with a blush and a smile.
"Hello Nero. I came to see if everything was all right." He chuckled at her attempt to tell him she knew he left the house early. Closing his eyes, he sighed, trying to find the right words to say. She always worried about him, it was her nature.
"I'm okay. Just thinking. You know, the usual stuff." She nodded, but stayed silent. He could tell by the look in her eyes, she was concerned, but didn't want him to think about things for himself too much. "I'll be fine, don't worry. See you tonight." Another kiss to the forehead, and he moved past her, going forward towards the outside, focused on finding out whatever job he had to take next.
It wasn't long before one was given to him- he was wanted for clean up duty at the end of Mitis Forest. Ironically enough, that was the same place this supposed nagging voice wanted him to go. Just my luck, huh. A brief info session, and he was off, both weapons by his side, and headed towards the location.
--------------------------
Nero arrived on the spot without much difficulty, the minor demons giving him mainly only a warm up for whatever this supposed threat was. A part of him hoped it was decent- he hadn't had a good fight in what seemed like ages.
In between him thinking about the next battle and his wanderings into the forest, he hadn't noticed he'd gone into the thicker end of the area, things beginning to look a bit more familiar. Fighting Echidna wasn't amazingly long ago, and he still remembered that crazy demon as if it were yesterday. Shame she was dead now, and the portal there destroyed. Dante had a habit of breaking everything he ran across, and then leaving someone else with the bill. Jackass.
The place was relatively quiet, unlike everywhere else. The plant life around him began to dwindle, most likely due to the demonic aura of the place. But no sooner had Nero come across a small clearing, when his arm began spazzing, sending small shots of pain into his body and making him clutch it in confusion. What the hell-
It wasn't until he looked up again that he noticed the figure standing in front of him, back turned. Gritting his teeth, he regained his composure and ignored the pain creeping into every bone in his body. Stepping forward, his voice was one of caution and warning, much like the first time he met Agnus.
"Who the hell are you?" There was no response at first, Nero's question the only sound breaking the silence. The area was barren- no plants where they stood, just the open sky and the ground below their feet. But it felt like it was cold, dead. No life was here, nothing breathed except the two of them, there, in that moment. Just what was with everything around this place? It all felt so odd, so out of place, so horribly wrong.
It was then that the figure turned, if only slightly, to acknowledge his arrival. White hair. Blue ankle-long jacket. Eyes as cold as Hell itself. Upon meeting them, blue fire raged into the devil-hunter's senses and overwhelmed him almost immediately. For a second, he was blind, mute, and deaf- his sense of touch being the only thing left within him to actually tell him he was alive. The pain that accompanied it spasm-ed through his body like a ricocheted bullet, rendering his brain immobile and incapable of anything except screaming.
And then, it was over, like a faded memory gone on the wind, disappearing in an afterthought. Pushing the thoughts of confusion and total uncertainty out of his mind, his hand immediately reached for the Blue Rose, cocking the gauge and growling. "Who the fuck are you? Answer me, jackass!" Enough was enough- he was about to blow a hole in this guy's head if he didn't answer some goddamn questions, and answer them right now. Never mind the fact that the asshole looked somewhat similar to Dante, in a way. That didn't matter, why the hell was someone like him even here, what the hell did he just go through, and wait a second- why the fuck did he look like Dante?
Unsurprisingly, the man did little for an introduction. His eyes never left Nero, however, coldness even emitting from his voice. "You have it. Return what is rightfully mine to me. Now." Though he didn't look it physically, the force behind him was growing, and his presence overall was a demanding one.
It didn't take a genius for Nero to realize what the man wanted. He was after Yamato, apparently. Typical. If it wasn't one reason, it was another. "Tch. Like hell I will, I need it to protect people and my home." To this, only a chuckle came from the mysterious man. Closing his eyes and smirking lightly to himself, he let out what seemed like an arrogant sigh, almost as if he were humoring the boy at his choice.
"Expected. I have no choice, then. I suppose by force is the only way." There was no second wasted afterwards, Blue Rose's trigger was pulled and two bullets whizzed by the newcomer's ear as a warning. Scowling, the devil hunter cocked the gauge again, ready to fire within a second's notice, his voice well within the range of threatening now.
"You know, I always hated jackasses like you. Think they can waltz right in and take whatever the hell they want, and expect to get away with it." Another silent period followed this response, his other hand itching for the Red Queen. "Now either tell me what the hell is going on, or get the hell out of my sight."
A stern look and a raising of the man's arm, and suddenly Nero felt an overwhelming force latch onto his demonic arm like a parasite. Next thing he knew, that gun in his hand was no longer pointed towards the stranger, but towards the ground, and he was struggling to keep it in place. It was as if someone had dropped a weight on his arms and now working its way up his shoulders.
"Perhaps you should focus on remaining in control, rather than chastising me. Just like my idiot brother. It's ironic how you two are so alike." Only a growl and a glare were shot back, as the devil hunter struggled to keep his arm from doing whatever the hell this man was doing to it. It was useless, however, as resisting brought both pain and made his demonic energy swirl in fury. Oh, was he pissed.
"Fine, you want it? I'll give to you when I kick your sorry ass!" The blue aura that had built within the kid released, demonic apparition appearing behind him, his eyes going red, mouth opening in a sneer. No longer restrained, Yamato formed in his hand, and he charged, hellbent on destroying this stranger. The force that traveled behind him was a raging swarm of fury, tearing at the ground, threatening to swallow everything in his path.
He was met halfway through his charge, however- the blue-jacketed man suddenly appearing before him, out of nowhere, palm intercepting Nero's forehead before he could react, and slamming him back into the earth. For a dazed second, the boy couldn't understand what happened, only that he was somehow now on the ground. And now the man was reaching towards his arm, placing his hand by the blue glow-
The devil hunter flung his arm towards the other, only to see him disappear once his fist connected. A few seconds passed, him breathing hard, but nothing happening beyond the breeze blowing. Taking no chances, he hoisted himself up, coming out of Devil Trigger, cautious and keeping himself alert for any sign of the creep. But there was nothing now. No sound of him, no hint to show he was there anymore, no sign of anyone leaving the area, even.
"The hell was that about?" Despite him being gone, Nero couldn't help but feel uneasy. The man was gone just as quick as he had come, and now Nero's arm was killing him. It was throbbing, and if he didn't know any better, it was getting worse the more he paid attention to it. Seeping from his lower half, then into his upper arm, then beginning to stretch its way into his shoulder and into his upper torso. "Shit-!" He grabbed onto his arm, trying to think of some way to keep it from doing anything. But nothing worked, and the pain that was in his arm at first had left it numb, and was now spreading to other parts of his body. A part of him was panicking- what the fuck was this, and why the hell couldn't he do shit to stop it?
I said I would take it by force, didn't I, A voice in his own head echoed. The devil hunter whirled, eyes searching for the culprit, but not finding him anywhere. Another laugh, another twist, and then he fell, the pain shooting through one of his legs, causing him to collapse suddenly.
Fucking hell- what is this?! Who are you? What the hell's going on?! The pain was seeping all over, parts of his body were numb, and by now, he was beginning to lose control of even moving his own mouth in a panic.
It was there, as darkness began to take him, that he heard the last words spoken to him before he was locked away. A cold voice, the same as the man's before, replied.
It is the end of your reign, and the beginning of mine.
Gunshots and the sound of a revving Red Queen were all that were heard for a few minutes after this, a flock of birds rising into the air from their resting place. Then, the birds settled, allowing the silence to take over once more, the entire forest falling still. An eerie aura began to creep in, and with that came the curious demons that still lurked the dark depths of the area.
Only cries of anguish and destruction resounded as time passed. To the guards on duty on the outer sections of town, it sounded as normal as it usually had. No reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary. Why would they- any threat had been destroyed, and the city was safe now. Why should they worry?
It was a shame they didn't realize that the greatest threat of all was now alive, breathing, and coming back with a vengeance from Hell.
--------------End-----Prologue----
--------------Begin----Ficlet-----
It had been months since Fortuna was once led by the Order of the Sword. Months since they had chosen to follow it, trust in it, and nearly been crushed by the same force. The city had been almost decimated after the release of the Savior, and now it was making its comeback after a hard hit to the morale and economy. People were beginning to be happy again, businesses were flourishing, and things were going back to normal.
On the sunrise of this morning, however- the city was quiet. No sounds of life moving about the streets, no birds singing about having light again. As the rays of the sun fell upon the city, they gleamed across the buildings, some returning their usual shine. The others, however- upon being brought out, showed the damage of fire and steel against their sides, ashes and burn marks spread viciously from place to place.
Across town, tufts of smoke could be seen lazily drifting upwards, and crows were circling in packs around certain areas. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the rays lit the streets, finding them littered with bodies and ridden in blood. There was nothing but looks of fear, shock, surprise, and terror on the victim's faces, each one decorated in red and left for the crows to digest.
A massacre had happened overnight, and the spoils were leftover for whoever desired them.
----------------------------
He had returned just before dawn, hood over his head, the upper part of his face hidden from view. The guards were startled by his approach at first, but then relaxed when they knew who it was. Stepping aside, they let him in through the gate, curious as to why he hadn't said anything as of yet.
The devil hunter walked through the gate, and into the opening of the city, right next to the barracks. There, he halted, and with his right claw outstretched, he summoned the blade Yamato into existence. A pause rippled through the people coming through the area, all eyes settling on him. To bring out a weapon in a peaceful city, let alone a devil arm-
It wasn't long before the guards on duty approached, hands on hilts and cautiously warning. "Sir, return your weapon to its sheathe at once. You know the the laws here."
There was only a smirk and a slight chuckle as a response, the boy acting completely unlike himself. "My apologies. It's a shame you won't remember them, however- for this is where you're all going to die."
An outcry from the guards was almost immediately silenced as six turquoise ethereal swords appeared out of nowhere, hanging behind the masked boy and then impaling the first victims they could find. Everything dissolved into chaos afterwards. People dropped their things and began to run, guards came pouring out of the barracks, and above all this, the sound of dual-toned laughter rang out into the city.
From there, it was easy. They fell like flies, unable to keep up with him, falling to his blade and sheathe. Each and every one, falling, dying, screaming in agony as they went. It tingled his senses, their blood covering his coat, his vest, his hood, his hair, his own face. It made him feel alive, made him feel real again- whole. Even if he was using this boy's body as a vessel, it was still fun to feel again.
Vergil, the Darkslayer, had made his comeback, and there was no stopping him now. The whole city would burn.
-----------------------
Now finally in the sky, the sun came to view the total damage across the small town of Fortuna. Bodies were everywhere, blood spattered wherever it was imaginable, the fountain and other monuments now reduced to smoking heaps.
Among the ruins, something stirred. It wasn't noticeable at first, but after a few seconds, it became more apparent. Crawling on her stomach, Kyrie waded her way through the masses of carcasses and red puddles, her legs crushed and unable to allow for her to run anywhere. How did it come to this? He'd never- She cried out in pain as she scraped over something sharp, but kept going.
Struggling to find a place of solitude, it wasn't long before her hands ran across the boot of someone. Face finally looking upwards, her eyes widened in both shock and horror. "N-Nero... why...?"
Her captor could only look back down on her with contempt, a sadistic smile spreading across his face. Caked with blood, a patch of demonic patterning ran across his right eye, trailing down his neck, and creeped underneath his outfit, like a snake. Both eyes themselves were red as hellfire- at which he closed them to mock both the girl and his captive inside, who had been fighting him tooth and nail since his possession had begun. The inner boy was screaming and fighting with all his might to reach out to her, take care of her, save her. DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER, YOU PIECE OF SHIT-
Is this the one you care for? Pitiful. The words came back to him in both amusement and disgust. With one swift movement, he whirled Yamato once, plunging it straight into her back and through her heart, without even flinching. She died there, impaled, exhaling her last breath upon the stones of the street.
"Sweet dreams, Kyrie. Pity you had to die, like all the rest." Vergil couldn't help but say it with a smirk, enjoying every minute of the carnage.
Seeing her death sent Nero into a ballistic rage. He launched himself at the barriers of his cage, attacking at anything and everything like a feral animal. Screaming, crying, snarling, biting, kicking, punching, anything and everything- he could feel the mental edges of his sanity begin to wear thin. He'd been through so much, had seen what so many shouldn't have seen, had faced what most would never face- but she was always there at the end, waiting for him. Always. Now she was dead, and so was his reason to keep fighting.
After several minutes of fighting with his restraint, he fell to his knees, lost and confused. It was there he stayed, frustration and anger pent up in him, at his failures, at the death of Kyrie, at Vergil. They all swarmed his head, filled it with emotions, made things harder to focus on. He could only see red, and from there, it was limited. Sinking even further in his cage, he let his mind wander, body weak and tired from fighting so hard, eyes that were once lit with a fiery resolve now fading to a dull blue.
On the outside world, Vergil gleefully looked over the situation. Ignoring the fact that he was caked in blood all over, from head to toe- he was sure that he had killed everyone he'd run across.
Still, something nagged at him. The boy knew there were more people, but he hadn't seen any more since a while ago. Were they not here? Intriguing, but not necessary to find. Should they run across him later, he would just kill them, like he had done with all the others. That was all there was to it.
Striding forward, grin plastered on his sadistic face, he headed towards the HQ. If the boy's memory served correctly, and he could still sense demonic powers- there might still be something pertaining to Hell and its power. And he, of course, would be the first to find it.
"This is where it all begins, then. I look forward to it."
Type: Fic, orz (6 PAGES EVEN, GODDAMN)
Fandom: Devil May Cry
Subject: Nero, mostly. Mentions of Vergil, Kyrie, and the residents of Fortuna are present as well.
Rating: PG-13
Notes: Continuing series between myself and derptacular
---------------------Begin---Prologue---
He knew, from the start, that something was off.
The fact that he couldn't feel his right arm, let alone when he actually whacked it against something, gave him an uneasy feeling. Nero was never one to believe in superstitions, and like hell he was going to change now. But still, he was a firm believer in his gut, and that was what was telling him something wasn't right. Maybe he had just slept on it wrong or something, who knew? It'd felt fine the day before, and he could still use it properly, so it wasn't much of a problem, for now.
Despite all this, there was some voice telling him he had to go. That he had to be away from the city for a while. Normally he'd go whenever he pleased, disappear when he felt like it, but this time was different. It was a voice saying he had to go somewhere. Needless to say, it wasn't something he was fond of. Being the reckless kid he was, he also had a knack for not listening to authorities, and since he clarified this as one, it went unnoticed. So, after donning his usual attire and grabbing both the Red Queen and the Blue Rose, he left his room and headed outside.
Today was one of the many days past the rebuilding of Fortuna. At times he wasn't even sure the town would make it- but surprisingly enough, it had done well after they had finished. Now all that was left was to wait for the harmony to be restored that once was there. Somehow, due to the older members being still a bunch of tight-asses and loyal to Sparda, there were some setbacks in the new generation compared to the older.
Making his way past the halls of HQ, the devil hunter kept moving, mind trying to occupy itself with the routine for the day. Report in to let them know I'm there, if they have a job- great. If not, oh well. I'll find something. See Kyrie. Go check on the local old man, see if he's got any other crazy claims for today, like any demons in his basement. Clean out some of the forest if some of the demons are getting too close. Go back home after all the crap is done for the day.
It wasn't until he turned a corner that he had his thoughts interrupted. A certain long-haired brunette was smiling in his direction, despite her being caught up with talking to one of the politicians at the moment. Nero waited until she was finished before approaching her, and then made his way towards the small girl. Her smile was still there, and it only made him give back a cocky grin in response, those blue eyes of his lighting with a spark. Somehow Kyrie always managed to find him, even if he seemed to have disappeared for a while.
"Hey." His voice was welcoming, friendly, as he was always happy to see her around. Moving in close, he rested his forehead against hers, lips coming in for a quick kiss, before the officials would scold them for doing such a heinous act in such a place. She hastily responded to him, kissing back, before pulling away with a blush and a smile.
"Hello Nero. I came to see if everything was all right." He chuckled at her attempt to tell him she knew he left the house early. Closing his eyes, he sighed, trying to find the right words to say. She always worried about him, it was her nature.
"I'm okay. Just thinking. You know, the usual stuff." She nodded, but stayed silent. He could tell by the look in her eyes, she was concerned, but didn't want him to think about things for himself too much. "I'll be fine, don't worry. See you tonight." Another kiss to the forehead, and he moved past her, going forward towards the outside, focused on finding out whatever job he had to take next.
It wasn't long before one was given to him- he was wanted for clean up duty at the end of Mitis Forest. Ironically enough, that was the same place this supposed nagging voice wanted him to go. Just my luck, huh. A brief info session, and he was off, both weapons by his side, and headed towards the location.
--------------------------
Nero arrived on the spot without much difficulty, the minor demons giving him mainly only a warm up for whatever this supposed threat was. A part of him hoped it was decent- he hadn't had a good fight in what seemed like ages.
In between him thinking about the next battle and his wanderings into the forest, he hadn't noticed he'd gone into the thicker end of the area, things beginning to look a bit more familiar. Fighting Echidna wasn't amazingly long ago, and he still remembered that crazy demon as if it were yesterday. Shame she was dead now, and the portal there destroyed. Dante had a habit of breaking everything he ran across, and then leaving someone else with the bill. Jackass.
The place was relatively quiet, unlike everywhere else. The plant life around him began to dwindle, most likely due to the demonic aura of the place. But no sooner had Nero come across a small clearing, when his arm began spazzing, sending small shots of pain into his body and making him clutch it in confusion. What the hell-
It wasn't until he looked up again that he noticed the figure standing in front of him, back turned. Gritting his teeth, he regained his composure and ignored the pain creeping into every bone in his body. Stepping forward, his voice was one of caution and warning, much like the first time he met Agnus.
"Who the hell are you?" There was no response at first, Nero's question the only sound breaking the silence. The area was barren- no plants where they stood, just the open sky and the ground below their feet. But it felt like it was cold, dead. No life was here, nothing breathed except the two of them, there, in that moment. Just what was with everything around this place? It all felt so odd, so out of place, so horribly wrong.
It was then that the figure turned, if only slightly, to acknowledge his arrival. White hair. Blue ankle-long jacket. Eyes as cold as Hell itself. Upon meeting them, blue fire raged into the devil-hunter's senses and overwhelmed him almost immediately. For a second, he was blind, mute, and deaf- his sense of touch being the only thing left within him to actually tell him he was alive. The pain that accompanied it spasm-ed through his body like a ricocheted bullet, rendering his brain immobile and incapable of anything except screaming.
And then, it was over, like a faded memory gone on the wind, disappearing in an afterthought. Pushing the thoughts of confusion and total uncertainty out of his mind, his hand immediately reached for the Blue Rose, cocking the gauge and growling. "Who the fuck are you? Answer me, jackass!" Enough was enough- he was about to blow a hole in this guy's head if he didn't answer some goddamn questions, and answer them right now. Never mind the fact that the asshole looked somewhat similar to Dante, in a way. That didn't matter, why the hell was someone like him even here, what the hell did he just go through, and wait a second- why the fuck did he look like Dante?
Unsurprisingly, the man did little for an introduction. His eyes never left Nero, however, coldness even emitting from his voice. "You have it. Return what is rightfully mine to me. Now." Though he didn't look it physically, the force behind him was growing, and his presence overall was a demanding one.
It didn't take a genius for Nero to realize what the man wanted. He was after Yamato, apparently. Typical. If it wasn't one reason, it was another. "Tch. Like hell I will, I need it to protect people and my home." To this, only a chuckle came from the mysterious man. Closing his eyes and smirking lightly to himself, he let out what seemed like an arrogant sigh, almost as if he were humoring the boy at his choice.
"Expected. I have no choice, then. I suppose by force is the only way." There was no second wasted afterwards, Blue Rose's trigger was pulled and two bullets whizzed by the newcomer's ear as a warning. Scowling, the devil hunter cocked the gauge again, ready to fire within a second's notice, his voice well within the range of threatening now.
"You know, I always hated jackasses like you. Think they can waltz right in and take whatever the hell they want, and expect to get away with it." Another silent period followed this response, his other hand itching for the Red Queen. "Now either tell me what the hell is going on, or get the hell out of my sight."
A stern look and a raising of the man's arm, and suddenly Nero felt an overwhelming force latch onto his demonic arm like a parasite. Next thing he knew, that gun in his hand was no longer pointed towards the stranger, but towards the ground, and he was struggling to keep it in place. It was as if someone had dropped a weight on his arms and now working its way up his shoulders.
"Perhaps you should focus on remaining in control, rather than chastising me. Just like my idiot brother. It's ironic how you two are so alike." Only a growl and a glare were shot back, as the devil hunter struggled to keep his arm from doing whatever the hell this man was doing to it. It was useless, however, as resisting brought both pain and made his demonic energy swirl in fury. Oh, was he pissed.
"Fine, you want it? I'll give to you when I kick your sorry ass!" The blue aura that had built within the kid released, demonic apparition appearing behind him, his eyes going red, mouth opening in a sneer. No longer restrained, Yamato formed in his hand, and he charged, hellbent on destroying this stranger. The force that traveled behind him was a raging swarm of fury, tearing at the ground, threatening to swallow everything in his path.
He was met halfway through his charge, however- the blue-jacketed man suddenly appearing before him, out of nowhere, palm intercepting Nero's forehead before he could react, and slamming him back into the earth. For a dazed second, the boy couldn't understand what happened, only that he was somehow now on the ground. And now the man was reaching towards his arm, placing his hand by the blue glow-
The devil hunter flung his arm towards the other, only to see him disappear once his fist connected. A few seconds passed, him breathing hard, but nothing happening beyond the breeze blowing. Taking no chances, he hoisted himself up, coming out of Devil Trigger, cautious and keeping himself alert for any sign of the creep. But there was nothing now. No sound of him, no hint to show he was there anymore, no sign of anyone leaving the area, even.
"The hell was that about?" Despite him being gone, Nero couldn't help but feel uneasy. The man was gone just as quick as he had come, and now Nero's arm was killing him. It was throbbing, and if he didn't know any better, it was getting worse the more he paid attention to it. Seeping from his lower half, then into his upper arm, then beginning to stretch its way into his shoulder and into his upper torso. "Shit-!" He grabbed onto his arm, trying to think of some way to keep it from doing anything. But nothing worked, and the pain that was in his arm at first had left it numb, and was now spreading to other parts of his body. A part of him was panicking- what the fuck was this, and why the hell couldn't he do shit to stop it?
I said I would take it by force, didn't I, A voice in his own head echoed. The devil hunter whirled, eyes searching for the culprit, but not finding him anywhere. Another laugh, another twist, and then he fell, the pain shooting through one of his legs, causing him to collapse suddenly.
Fucking hell- what is this?! Who are you? What the hell's going on?! The pain was seeping all over, parts of his body were numb, and by now, he was beginning to lose control of even moving his own mouth in a panic.
It was there, as darkness began to take him, that he heard the last words spoken to him before he was locked away. A cold voice, the same as the man's before, replied.
It is the end of your reign, and the beginning of mine.
Gunshots and the sound of a revving Red Queen were all that were heard for a few minutes after this, a flock of birds rising into the air from their resting place. Then, the birds settled, allowing the silence to take over once more, the entire forest falling still. An eerie aura began to creep in, and with that came the curious demons that still lurked the dark depths of the area.
Only cries of anguish and destruction resounded as time passed. To the guards on duty on the outer sections of town, it sounded as normal as it usually had. No reason to suspect anything out of the ordinary. Why would they- any threat had been destroyed, and the city was safe now. Why should they worry?
It was a shame they didn't realize that the greatest threat of all was now alive, breathing, and coming back with a vengeance from Hell.
--------------End-----Prologue----
--------------Begin----Ficlet-----
It had been months since Fortuna was once led by the Order of the Sword. Months since they had chosen to follow it, trust in it, and nearly been crushed by the same force. The city had been almost decimated after the release of the Savior, and now it was making its comeback after a hard hit to the morale and economy. People were beginning to be happy again, businesses were flourishing, and things were going back to normal.
On the sunrise of this morning, however- the city was quiet. No sounds of life moving about the streets, no birds singing about having light again. As the rays of the sun fell upon the city, they gleamed across the buildings, some returning their usual shine. The others, however- upon being brought out, showed the damage of fire and steel against their sides, ashes and burn marks spread viciously from place to place.
Across town, tufts of smoke could be seen lazily drifting upwards, and crows were circling in packs around certain areas. As the sun rose higher in the sky, the rays lit the streets, finding them littered with bodies and ridden in blood. There was nothing but looks of fear, shock, surprise, and terror on the victim's faces, each one decorated in red and left for the crows to digest.
A massacre had happened overnight, and the spoils were leftover for whoever desired them.
----------------------------
He had returned just before dawn, hood over his head, the upper part of his face hidden from view. The guards were startled by his approach at first, but then relaxed when they knew who it was. Stepping aside, they let him in through the gate, curious as to why he hadn't said anything as of yet.
The devil hunter walked through the gate, and into the opening of the city, right next to the barracks. There, he halted, and with his right claw outstretched, he summoned the blade Yamato into existence. A pause rippled through the people coming through the area, all eyes settling on him. To bring out a weapon in a peaceful city, let alone a devil arm-
It wasn't long before the guards on duty approached, hands on hilts and cautiously warning. "Sir, return your weapon to its sheathe at once. You know the the laws here."
There was only a smirk and a slight chuckle as a response, the boy acting completely unlike himself. "My apologies. It's a shame you won't remember them, however- for this is where you're all going to die."
An outcry from the guards was almost immediately silenced as six turquoise ethereal swords appeared out of nowhere, hanging behind the masked boy and then impaling the first victims they could find. Everything dissolved into chaos afterwards. People dropped their things and began to run, guards came pouring out of the barracks, and above all this, the sound of dual-toned laughter rang out into the city.
From there, it was easy. They fell like flies, unable to keep up with him, falling to his blade and sheathe. Each and every one, falling, dying, screaming in agony as they went. It tingled his senses, their blood covering his coat, his vest, his hood, his hair, his own face. It made him feel alive, made him feel real again- whole. Even if he was using this boy's body as a vessel, it was still fun to feel again.
Vergil, the Darkslayer, had made his comeback, and there was no stopping him now. The whole city would burn.
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Now finally in the sky, the sun came to view the total damage across the small town of Fortuna. Bodies were everywhere, blood spattered wherever it was imaginable, the fountain and other monuments now reduced to smoking heaps.
Among the ruins, something stirred. It wasn't noticeable at first, but after a few seconds, it became more apparent. Crawling on her stomach, Kyrie waded her way through the masses of carcasses and red puddles, her legs crushed and unable to allow for her to run anywhere. How did it come to this? He'd never- She cried out in pain as she scraped over something sharp, but kept going.
Struggling to find a place of solitude, it wasn't long before her hands ran across the boot of someone. Face finally looking upwards, her eyes widened in both shock and horror. "N-Nero... why...?"
Her captor could only look back down on her with contempt, a sadistic smile spreading across his face. Caked with blood, a patch of demonic patterning ran across his right eye, trailing down his neck, and creeped underneath his outfit, like a snake. Both eyes themselves were red as hellfire- at which he closed them to mock both the girl and his captive inside, who had been fighting him tooth and nail since his possession had begun. The inner boy was screaming and fighting with all his might to reach out to her, take care of her, save her. DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER, YOU PIECE OF SHIT-
Is this the one you care for? Pitiful. The words came back to him in both amusement and disgust. With one swift movement, he whirled Yamato once, plunging it straight into her back and through her heart, without even flinching. She died there, impaled, exhaling her last breath upon the stones of the street.
"Sweet dreams, Kyrie. Pity you had to die, like all the rest." Vergil couldn't help but say it with a smirk, enjoying every minute of the carnage.
Seeing her death sent Nero into a ballistic rage. He launched himself at the barriers of his cage, attacking at anything and everything like a feral animal. Screaming, crying, snarling, biting, kicking, punching, anything and everything- he could feel the mental edges of his sanity begin to wear thin. He'd been through so much, had seen what so many shouldn't have seen, had faced what most would never face- but she was always there at the end, waiting for him. Always. Now she was dead, and so was his reason to keep fighting.
After several minutes of fighting with his restraint, he fell to his knees, lost and confused. It was there he stayed, frustration and anger pent up in him, at his failures, at the death of Kyrie, at Vergil. They all swarmed his head, filled it with emotions, made things harder to focus on. He could only see red, and from there, it was limited. Sinking even further in his cage, he let his mind wander, body weak and tired from fighting so hard, eyes that were once lit with a fiery resolve now fading to a dull blue.
On the outside world, Vergil gleefully looked over the situation. Ignoring the fact that he was caked in blood all over, from head to toe- he was sure that he had killed everyone he'd run across.
Still, something nagged at him. The boy knew there were more people, but he hadn't seen any more since a while ago. Were they not here? Intriguing, but not necessary to find. Should they run across him later, he would just kill them, like he had done with all the others. That was all there was to it.
Striding forward, grin plastered on his sadistic face, he headed towards the HQ. If the boy's memory served correctly, and he could still sense demonic powers- there might still be something pertaining to Hell and its power. And he, of course, would be the first to find it.
"This is where it all begins, then. I look forward to it."