#achievement unlocked: found something that dante and navarro could bond with

[vischys]

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞'𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 by his usual charming grin as the trio regrouped and remarked upon their combat performance. “Takes one to know one.” His brother made a theatrical flourish toward their youthful companions. “Could tell that you kiddos are not actually kiddos when it counts.” Then Dante tilted his stubbled chin toward Rust in particular. “Pretty badass, what you did with your arm just now, even Iron Man couldn't pull that off.” Despite his genuine compliment, the shadow of a winch seemingly lingered upon the Legendary Hunter's aged face. Yep, definitely not wanting to get to the blonde's shit list...

Then Dante turned to Ink. “Pretty flashy sword you got there. Could tell that it's quite a tricky one to wield, but you do so skillfully anyway.” He could tell that the hooded girl's greatsword is sentient, as in inhabited by a demonic soul or a manifestation from one, in a manner similar to his and Vergil's. And if a lifetime of wielding Devil Arms taught him anything, it was that each chose their own wielder and would be rendered inanimate otherwise. Consent was a primary contribution in wielding a Devil Arm and even thus, not all arms would readily synchronize with just any wielder. Take Yamato for instance, she might have extended her allegiance and subsequently consented for Dante and Nero to wield her during their hours of need for a certain period, both being directly related to Vergil as his twin brother and son respectively, but her essence has never sung to theirs the way she did when held in Vergil's hands. Consequently, neither of them could fully access her abilities like her chosen master did.

“And you, uhh...” Dante deliberately made a show of hesitating on the. best way to address Navarro without provoking his temper. “–atomic kiddo, normally I would say that kids shouldn't play with fire let alone explosives, but you look like you know exactly what you did there. Got any more types of bombs in your pocket? Like those goo and stink bombs?” Evidently Dante, unlike Vergil, had watched his own share of modern entertainment media to make the reference. “Got yourself a legit grenade launcher too, though I prefer the rocket one myself,” the hunter finished almost wistfully, not caring that Vergil shot him a look of candid disgust. He was reminded of a certain illustrious rocket launcher owned by one his colleagues and intermittent partner, Lady. Boy, he wouldn't pass up another chance to borrow her Kalina Ann, if only she would stop adding it to his debt count.

The older twin, in contrast to his babbling brother, especially said brother's disgraceful attachment with firearms, simply acknowledged the youths' compliment with an elegant tilt of chin, though his gaze soon fixed upon their Vanguard leader.

"Wow! That was awesome, Vergil!"

Pride swelled in his chest from his demoiselle's plain yet sincere praise, prompting him to lift up his chin in a silent yet telltale expression of amour propre. To Dante, the gesture was equivalent to that of a strutting peacock, to which he didn't waste the opportunity to tease his overly grim older brother about.

“'Twas beholden to the window provided by you and-”

“Awwww, wittle Vergie is all puffed up from the fair little lady's praise~” Dante cheekily cut him off, suddenly pressed against his side with his arm looped around his shoulder once again. But this time, the suicidal buffoon actually had the temerity to try pinching his cheek.

Try is the keyword, for as soon as the tip of his finger was about to graze Vergil's cheek, another mirage blade was embedded upon his flesh.

“Not even the cold and mighty Vergie is immune to a lady's plight, eh? Don't be shy, your secret is safe with your little br- OUCH!”

Dante withdrew and stumbled back, clutching his stabbed wrist. “Jeez, not even the most prim and pompous of women are as prickly sensitive as you- WOA!” It was only Dante's legendary reflexes that allowed him to narrowly dodge a mirage blade zooming past his ear.

“ -your capable comrades,” Vergil finished coolly with nary a hint of heeding his younger brother's one-man foolery.

"Uh...guys."

The sound of bone-cracking and muscles shifting prompted the cambion twins to abandon their relaxed stance and pivoted upon heels in unison to behold the source. Vergil's eyes widened as yet something else burst forth from within the wretched man-creature's flesh, followed by another, and another, until what testified of the liaison's former humanity was only a face grafted upon a head crowned by leonine mane made of black quills that extended to its neck. His body elongated as his nails grew into razor claws until he was forced to stand all-fours with a scorpion tail swishing violently from his hindside.

“Gotta say, he looks much better before,” Dante remarked with faux insouciance as he trained his guns at the leonine monstrosity, eyes narrowed and corners of his mouth were pulled in a grim taut. “Is that a spinoff of this HYDE-serum-whatever too?” He wondered aloud, head canted marginally toward the Youths.

As though responding to his mocking inquiry, Ramon, or what used to be Ramon, spread its limbs and lowered its body, sting of a tail fully erect, preparing to pounce.

In contrast to his twin, the Darkslayer chose to appraise this new level of grotesque sequelae of the modified HYDE formula in apprehensive silence. For if the previous level of mutation had granted accelerated healing and stamina that allowed the liaison scum to hold his ground against both of them, Devil May Cry and Demon Blood Youths combined for a duration, then the logical conclusion would be to anticipate more forms of augmentation beyond its physical appearance of a manticore.

More optic-esque organs have burgeoned in this form, the cambion noted silently at the regenerated eye and the newly appeared one upon each of its shoulders. If they remain a vulnerable part, then its transformation serves to its disadvantage. For now there were not one but two parts that they could aim for.

"GRAAAH!"

As though reading Vergil's inner deliberation, Dante promptly fired at both eyes at the same moment Ink raised her sword. Though just as the leonine aberration nimbly avoided Navarro's explosive, so it did Devil Hunter's shots. The mis-amalgamation of a mutation proceeded to requite the secondborn's assault in kind, using the black needles covering its head and neck in lieu of bullets.

"Everyone dodge!"

Vergil tricked fluidly whilst Dante rolled to their respective sides, the latter swiftly went upon one knee.

“And that, kiddos, is why you shouldn't do drugs!”

The seasoned Devil Hunter resumed another hail of bullets. Instead of dodging however, this time the manticore jumped and galloped over the trajectory of the bullet to close in.

Reconsider, aberrant apery of a lyon!

Vergil executed a Rapid Slash, closing the distance in a fraction of second that the manticore, even with its enhanced swiftness, could not fully dodge. Yamato grazed its side, the tip of her merciless steel nearly sliced the creature's shoulder and eye. The beast abandoned its advance to Dante in favor of narrowly dodging Vergil's attack by jumping again into the air. Having aided his brother just as Dante did for him earlier with Ramon's former form, Vergil followed the beast and rose into air, somersaulting with the grace of a gymnast and slashing the creature's muzzle, effectively knocking it down to the ground.

“Stylish save, bro!” Dante saluted and grinned at his older brother who acknowledged him with a fleeting stern look. “Hmph, upon your feet.”

This time his little brother complied. Without further ado, the secondborn pocketed his gun, rose to his full height and summoned his Devil Sword once more, launching himself toward the manticore who had just landed. Yet the creature's combined acceleration in both stamina and speed allowed it to recover swiftly and dodged Dante's Stinger on time, dashing to the side and this time went for the Youths.

“He's one swift son of a gun, we need to slow it down!” Dante exclaimed in vexation as he pursued the sprinting amalgamation.

“ Bring him to bay! ”  Vergil exhorted both his brother and Ink's party as he dashed after his brother. If they managed to hem in the creature and subsequently limit its movement, its speed would be rendered nugatory.

A sudden and acute prickling upon the back of his neck froze the half-devil mid-dash, his whole form tensed as he detected the familiar sensation of being observed once more. His head flicked to the general direction to his east whence the sensation manifested. Thrice now his demonic senses had registered the aforementioned, first was when he had just arrived in the city, second was underground before the reptile scullion ambushed him and the bombing youth, and now...

Another mis-invention of the Horrors? Grey eyes narrowed as they scanned the outlook yonder, attempting to espy any inapposite form or the barest of movement that would disclose his secreted observer, yet not even his keen sight could pinpoint anything apart from skyscrapers and building complexes alike. Yet, the feeling persisted. It was as though whatever presence was watching him would have found amusement in his awareness in lieu of being threatened by it. Surely if it's any of those witless scullions, they would have already attempted to waylay us like the recreant they are? It cannot be him either, otherwise Ink and her colleagues would have been aware given their mortal history.

Can it not?

The roar of the leonine miscreation compelled him back to the scene of battle in front of him and put aside his misgiving for the time being. Settle the matter upon hand first.

𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐚'𝐬 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 in defense as a sudden, powerful gust of wind collided with them, causing their jacket and hair to oscillate briskly but not enough to take them off their feet. As the current of air abated, Vergil lowered his arm and beheld the scene of battle that had been revealed in its wake. Fleshy stakes littered the ground whereupon the @demon-blood-youths stood against the grotesque mass of mutation still calling himself Ramon, but otherwise both Ink and her blonde knight seemed unharmed, the first much to Vergil’s internal relief.

Keep reading