01-08-2016, 11:15 PM
"Damn."
That word was Dante's only real reaction to having been separated from the Exorcists in the chaos that stemmed from their retreat. The other two had disappeared somewhere in the maze of trees, with the only solace being that they were all probably far enough from the horde of Akuma to not be immediately jumped. Zoro, having shrugged free from the devil hunter's grip less than a minute prior, swiped his gaze about in alert. "What's the big deal?" The pirate hunter half-asked and half-demanded to Dante, not relenting his vigil to even look at him.
The truth was, the encounter was too dangerous for some reason. The Son of Sparda was not particularly sure why, being unfamiliar with the nature of these kinds of demons. However, having looked in Klaud's eyes for that one instant, he could tell that the battle might've gone poorly for the hunters if they had lingered there. That, much he understood, and was willing to reciprocate. Which, then, left one question:
What was strong enough to make that hardly, powerful woman turn tail and flee? Could it have something to do with that strange man fronting the charge, bleeding that aura of darkness? That was probably it.
"It was a trap," Dante replied simply, after a brief moment of silence.
The green-haired man spat out a glob of phlegm that has amassed in his otherwise burning throat. "I got that much. Something about demons," Zoro retorted, regaining some of his cool, "I don't see how we couldn't have taken 'em all."
"Neither do I, honestly," came Dante's rebuttal, "But they did, somehow. Whatever it was, we couldn't have lived through that if we stuck around."
Another moment of silence followed, longer than the last. Zoro sheathed his katana, but his hands did not leave their handles. "Alright, I'll buy that. At least we lost them."
The half-blood took a step forward, then another, trying to gain a sense of direction. "We lost the other two, also. Let's catch up with them- clearly, they know more about this than we do," Dante not so much insisted as he suggested, giving a sort of shrug that implied half-assing. Rather than reply, this time, Zoro simply moved to follow the mop-headed man, lifting one of his hands from his weapons. He was a strange character, without a doubt, but when it came down to the nitty-gritty, it seemed like the red-coat was capable of doing what was right.
---
The twosome moved at a faster-than-walking pace, careful in their treading but hasty enough not be caught. Pushing aside decaying foliage and weaving around deathly trees, both hunters went on for a couple of minutes until they emerged from the forest's border into a new scene. A runway of moderately clear ground separated the towering trees of the dark forest behind them, and a large field of dreary tall plant-life, dotted with trees that wore drapes of sinister green.
"Oh, yeah, that looks welcoming," the Son of Sparda again broke the tension with a sarcastic jab at the scenario ahead. Looking both ways down the expanse of ground that marked the transition of environments, he continued, "So, what do you think? Left, or right?"
Oh, great, we have to make a choice, Zoro thought with some annoyance, countering the devil hunter's expression of disinterest with genuine disdain. He took a glance in both directions, not immediately seeing any discernible difference. The obvious route would be in the direction that the other two had vaguely gone in, but the swordsman had gotten too turned around to recall which way that would be.
Maybe he was still just a little bit too drunk for this. Or hell, not drunk enough. On a whim, Zoro solidified the grip of his right hand and turned that direction. "I say this way."
"Well, when you put it like that, then my gut says the other way," Dante smartly responded, curtly turning opposite to the macabre samurai and starting to walk to their left. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder after a moment, to be greeted by Zoro's single narrowed eye looking back in disapproval. "Alright, fine, we'll try your direction. Smartass."
"Look who's talking," the pirate hunter retorted, turning around to resume his walk forward. With a brazen sigh, Dante started to step after him, skipping a few steps to catch up.
Found you.
The Son of Sparda screeched to dead halt, as if he had suddenly been turned to stone. A couple of seconds passed, and Zoro took note of no sound following him, sparing another glance at the red-coat. "What?"
"I... don't suppose you heard something just now?" Dante struggled to say in his usual, blown-off voice. Zoro couldn't give a positive response, but like the devil hunter had noticed Klaud's panic, the pirate hunter sensed his companion's apparent disturbance. He quickly turned back, scanning the immediate horizon for-
What is that?!
From where Zoro had been heading moments before, a figure now approached. The only aspect of the man that was not wreathed in darkness was his head- a wave of swept-back pearl hair atop a twisted pace face that looked like it had just recently risen from the dead. The glowing red specks that were the figure's eyes confirmed that it was not human, and the katana sheathed in his left hand confirmed that he was a swordsman.
Immediately, fueled by instinct from the Akuma encounter prior, the pirate hunter's hands went to his own swords, but managed to resist drawing them just yet. The last time he had preemptively attacked a new opponent, he had nearly been overwhelmed with raw speed and skill. Who was to say that this new demonic figure was no different, and perhaps far stronger?
"Who-?!"
"Out of my way, weakling," the black-clad warrior commanded, stealing the breath from Zoro's lips. That aura of shadow even permeated how he spoke, a sinister reverb echoing in the swordsman's ears. For just a bare moment, the grass-haired man shot a glance back to Dante- the hunter was already steeling for a fight, it seemed, determination alighting in his face. That was all the cue he needed, as Zoro turned back-
"Wha-?!"
The demonic figure hadn't been that close moments before. In the next instant, a horizontal hand chop into the samurai's temple sent him reeling aside and tumbling to the chilled earth. Strong, very strong, Zoro lamented as he clutched the side of his throbbing head, and cursed himself for falling to the same trick Kanda had.
"Is something the matter?" The dark-shrouded man spoke to a twitching and teeth-gritting Dante, his demonic reverb betraying his sarcasm and revealing spite. In a split-second, the Son of Sparda drew his twin handguns and hammered down on the triggers with previously unseen ferocity, unleashing a storm of bullets. Yet, in the next split second, they were all deflected by a spinning rotor in front of Vergil- when it slowed back down, it was revealed to be none other than his personal Devil Arm, Yamato.
In the last dredges of the move's momentum, Vergil's body shifted, and he swung the blade at Dante with inhuman speed; only a wicked backflip from Dante was able to narrowly avoid the threat of Yamato's edge. The red-coat landed, and the dark-coat swiftly re-sheathed his blade- and, suddenly, a line of the taller grass towards the swamp was suddenly trimmed to half their size. Zoro, for his part, was understandably frightened by even this demonstration of swordplay, even if his face didn't show it. That sword had moved blindingly fast, so quick he hadn't even seen it drawn.
Again, the shadowy devil spoke, with that same wicked tone, "Are you not happy to see your brother?"
Dante was certain that he could've ground his teeth into in a fine power if he grimaced any harder. "My brother died a long time ago," Dante returned fire with barely-restrained fury in his throat. His eyes staring daggers into what was once possibly Vergil, "And from the looks of it, so did you! Go back to hell where you belong!"
Who the hell was this guy, Zoro questioned, and just how did he and Dante know each other? God forbid, were they actually brothers? He tried to stand up, hoped to interfere, but he could not - every instinct, every nerve in his body screamed at him to stay out of this. The pirate hunter seemed to have little choice but to respect that; for as much as he wanted to confront this monster, this conflict appeared to be for them alone.
"I made my name in hell just so I could return here," the corrupted half-blood declared, his voice dark and business-like once more as if it had always been. "I've no time for your games. You'll give me your pendant," Vergil demanded, his right hand crushing the air like the fist of a dictator.
"Over my dead body," the true Son of Sparda spat back, returning his guns to his side. His knees bent, and a flash of metal revealed Dante having drawn the skull-faced broadsword Rebellion, to be poised at the ready.
Unfettered, the dark slayer loosed his right fist and returned it to Yamato's hilt. "I would have it no other way," he spoke maliciously, the dark echoes of his tone intensifying with his flaring aura. The Sons of Sparda stood off for mere moments, before Dante took initiative and burst forward, looking to plant Rebellion right into his dear brother's chest.
"Look out!" It was all the samurai could do to just attempt to warn his mop-haired accomplice.
The next moment was an indiscernible whirlwind of slashes that seemed to shake the very world with their intensity. Following that, the twin sons stood opposite each other, facing away, their swords frozen in the follow-up of their attacks. Vergil moved first, deftly twirling Yamato back to slowly return it to it's scabbard, like a true samurai. Dante was next, weakly turning his heard upon his stunned body, and choking out to Zoro, "He got me, didn't he-?"
The tachi clicked into the sheath, and the Son of Sparda turned into a fountain of blood as the numerous cuts on his form opened up. Overcome with agony, Dante collapsed in a defeated groan, his wounds leaking trails of harsh red. Straightening himself from his ready stance, the demonic figure observed his new prize swiped during the split-second encounter: a bronze-colored pendant inset with a large red jewel, dangling from a snapped chain necklace.
Stereotypical as it seemed, it was also far too real, and Zoro found himself doubting his eyes. The pirate hunter could no longer deny his fear- this was more than just some common demon, like the Akuma before. This being, he was a dangerous opponent, a threat to everyone in his path. Inhuman speed, unreal power, and incredible skill...
But Zoro himself was no samurai if he remained a coward, if he did not stand up for what was right. Fighting back logic, Roronoa Zoro wrenched himself back to his feet and tore his two Meito blades from their sheathes. "Hey, punk!" he yelled to Vergil, eliciting no initial response from the demonic man. Leveling the swords with the horizon, he continued, "I dunno who you think you are or just what you're doing, but hell if I'm gonna let you get away with this! Tatsu Maki-!"
Zoro heaved with all his might, spinning about to throw a massive wind slash with his two swords. The small tornado of sharp air twisted, coiled, and then sprung forth like a vicious dragon to swallow the devil-man before it. Not even sparing a glance, Vergil swung the amulet into his hand and then leaped into the air, impossibly higher than any human could.
"Eh-?!" Zoro looked up, following the demon's flight path with a mix of frustration and wonder. In the last moments, he remembered to prepare a follow-up attack, and quickly shoved the hilt of one sword between his teeth to draw his third sword. As the dark-coat landed past Dante, his back faced to his victim, the pirate hunter cried out, "Face me, demon! Oni-!"
A second passed, then another, and yet another. Vergil finally turned to look aside at his challenger, his shining ruby eyes nearly making Zoro falter. "-Giri!" he finished, rushing forward to assault his previous assailant.
Two diagonal slashes and a horizontal cut were thrown, and not a single one of them connected. All three swords found themselves snagged on the dark-infused tachi, Vergil holding fast against the onslaught- just barely so, to Zoro's credit. The swordsman's eyes widened again, staring at the demonic pupils up close. "Calling out your attacks?" the corrupt Son of Sparda scoffed, "Amateur."
The Devil Arm pushed back, and continued into a full vertical swipe that sent the macabre samurai doubling back next to Dante's fallen body. Maintaining eye contact, as if looking upon a disobedient student, Vergil announced, "Consider yourself fortunate- I already have what I came for. Next time you challenge me-" the demon turned away with a dismissive flick of his longcoat, "-offer a real challenge." With that, the shadow-shrouded man paced away into the darkness beyond.
"Dammit," Zoro cursed again, sword still in his teeth. This enemy really was powerful, and even if he could muster the will to continue in such grave odds, his honor forbade him from striking a opponent with his back turned. Tenacious as he was, Zoro realistically stood little chance against this menace. Then, it meant he could only train, in honor of his fallen comrade- only a brief ally, but slain nonetheless...
A groan sounded from below, muffed by the dirt floor. The pirate hunter looked down, sufficiently surprised to hear any other voice still. "Huh- you're alive?" Zoro questioned the bloodied, non-moving body.
Another groan, this time more strained. "Sorta. It's awfully tough - ow - to kill me," Dante coughed up, lifting his head and attempting to push himself up with his arms. "...stings like hell, though." The shredded hunter managed to get a bit of relief when Zoro returned his swords and helped pull him up. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," the swordsman brushed off, holding onto his bloodied ally to ensure he was standing stable. "You're sure you're alright?"
"No." An awkward moment fluttered by, Dante still bleeding.
"But I'm not dead yet, so..." The devil hunter bent over and retrieved Rebellion from where it had been dropped earlier, heaving the thing onto his back. "Let's go, I guess."
"About that," Zoro interjected, a tiny hint of admittance in his tone, "You were right after all. Let's go the other way."
And so they did. With a billowing pillar of smoke off in the distance, a harshly-wounded Dante and yet-determined Zoro pushed onward into the Moors, desperate to keep their headway on the Akuma and reunite with the Exorcists.
That word was Dante's only real reaction to having been separated from the Exorcists in the chaos that stemmed from their retreat. The other two had disappeared somewhere in the maze of trees, with the only solace being that they were all probably far enough from the horde of Akuma to not be immediately jumped. Zoro, having shrugged free from the devil hunter's grip less than a minute prior, swiped his gaze about in alert. "What's the big deal?" The pirate hunter half-asked and half-demanded to Dante, not relenting his vigil to even look at him.
The truth was, the encounter was too dangerous for some reason. The Son of Sparda was not particularly sure why, being unfamiliar with the nature of these kinds of demons. However, having looked in Klaud's eyes for that one instant, he could tell that the battle might've gone poorly for the hunters if they had lingered there. That, much he understood, and was willing to reciprocate. Which, then, left one question:
What was strong enough to make that hardly, powerful woman turn tail and flee? Could it have something to do with that strange man fronting the charge, bleeding that aura of darkness? That was probably it.
"It was a trap," Dante replied simply, after a brief moment of silence.
The green-haired man spat out a glob of phlegm that has amassed in his otherwise burning throat. "I got that much. Something about demons," Zoro retorted, regaining some of his cool, "I don't see how we couldn't have taken 'em all."
"Neither do I, honestly," came Dante's rebuttal, "But they did, somehow. Whatever it was, we couldn't have lived through that if we stuck around."
Another moment of silence followed, longer than the last. Zoro sheathed his katana, but his hands did not leave their handles. "Alright, I'll buy that. At least we lost them."
The half-blood took a step forward, then another, trying to gain a sense of direction. "We lost the other two, also. Let's catch up with them- clearly, they know more about this than we do," Dante not so much insisted as he suggested, giving a sort of shrug that implied half-assing. Rather than reply, this time, Zoro simply moved to follow the mop-headed man, lifting one of his hands from his weapons. He was a strange character, without a doubt, but when it came down to the nitty-gritty, it seemed like the red-coat was capable of doing what was right.
---
The twosome moved at a faster-than-walking pace, careful in their treading but hasty enough not be caught. Pushing aside decaying foliage and weaving around deathly trees, both hunters went on for a couple of minutes until they emerged from the forest's border into a new scene. A runway of moderately clear ground separated the towering trees of the dark forest behind them, and a large field of dreary tall plant-life, dotted with trees that wore drapes of sinister green.
"Oh, yeah, that looks welcoming," the Son of Sparda again broke the tension with a sarcastic jab at the scenario ahead. Looking both ways down the expanse of ground that marked the transition of environments, he continued, "So, what do you think? Left, or right?"
Oh, great, we have to make a choice, Zoro thought with some annoyance, countering the devil hunter's expression of disinterest with genuine disdain. He took a glance in both directions, not immediately seeing any discernible difference. The obvious route would be in the direction that the other two had vaguely gone in, but the swordsman had gotten too turned around to recall which way that would be.
Maybe he was still just a little bit too drunk for this. Or hell, not drunk enough. On a whim, Zoro solidified the grip of his right hand and turned that direction. "I say this way."
"Well, when you put it like that, then my gut says the other way," Dante smartly responded, curtly turning opposite to the macabre samurai and starting to walk to their left. He stopped and looked back over his shoulder after a moment, to be greeted by Zoro's single narrowed eye looking back in disapproval. "Alright, fine, we'll try your direction. Smartass."
"Look who's talking," the pirate hunter retorted, turning around to resume his walk forward. With a brazen sigh, Dante started to step after him, skipping a few steps to catch up.
Found you.
The Son of Sparda screeched to dead halt, as if he had suddenly been turned to stone. A couple of seconds passed, and Zoro took note of no sound following him, sparing another glance at the red-coat. "What?"
"I... don't suppose you heard something just now?" Dante struggled to say in his usual, blown-off voice. Zoro couldn't give a positive response, but like the devil hunter had noticed Klaud's panic, the pirate hunter sensed his companion's apparent disturbance. He quickly turned back, scanning the immediate horizon for-
What is that?!
From where Zoro had been heading moments before, a figure now approached. The only aspect of the man that was not wreathed in darkness was his head- a wave of swept-back pearl hair atop a twisted pace face that looked like it had just recently risen from the dead. The glowing red specks that were the figure's eyes confirmed that it was not human, and the katana sheathed in his left hand confirmed that he was a swordsman.
Immediately, fueled by instinct from the Akuma encounter prior, the pirate hunter's hands went to his own swords, but managed to resist drawing them just yet. The last time he had preemptively attacked a new opponent, he had nearly been overwhelmed with raw speed and skill. Who was to say that this new demonic figure was no different, and perhaps far stronger?
"Who-?!"
"Out of my way, weakling," the black-clad warrior commanded, stealing the breath from Zoro's lips. That aura of shadow even permeated how he spoke, a sinister reverb echoing in the swordsman's ears. For just a bare moment, the grass-haired man shot a glance back to Dante- the hunter was already steeling for a fight, it seemed, determination alighting in his face. That was all the cue he needed, as Zoro turned back-
"Wha-?!"
The demonic figure hadn't been that close moments before. In the next instant, a horizontal hand chop into the samurai's temple sent him reeling aside and tumbling to the chilled earth. Strong, very strong, Zoro lamented as he clutched the side of his throbbing head, and cursed himself for falling to the same trick Kanda had.
"Is something the matter?" The dark-shrouded man spoke to a twitching and teeth-gritting Dante, his demonic reverb betraying his sarcasm and revealing spite. In a split-second, the Son of Sparda drew his twin handguns and hammered down on the triggers with previously unseen ferocity, unleashing a storm of bullets. Yet, in the next split second, they were all deflected by a spinning rotor in front of Vergil- when it slowed back down, it was revealed to be none other than his personal Devil Arm, Yamato.
In the last dredges of the move's momentum, Vergil's body shifted, and he swung the blade at Dante with inhuman speed; only a wicked backflip from Dante was able to narrowly avoid the threat of Yamato's edge. The red-coat landed, and the dark-coat swiftly re-sheathed his blade- and, suddenly, a line of the taller grass towards the swamp was suddenly trimmed to half their size. Zoro, for his part, was understandably frightened by even this demonstration of swordplay, even if his face didn't show it. That sword had moved blindingly fast, so quick he hadn't even seen it drawn.
Again, the shadowy devil spoke, with that same wicked tone, "Are you not happy to see your brother?"
Dante was certain that he could've ground his teeth into in a fine power if he grimaced any harder. "My brother died a long time ago," Dante returned fire with barely-restrained fury in his throat. His eyes staring daggers into what was once possibly Vergil, "And from the looks of it, so did you! Go back to hell where you belong!"
Who the hell was this guy, Zoro questioned, and just how did he and Dante know each other? God forbid, were they actually brothers? He tried to stand up, hoped to interfere, but he could not - every instinct, every nerve in his body screamed at him to stay out of this. The pirate hunter seemed to have little choice but to respect that; for as much as he wanted to confront this monster, this conflict appeared to be for them alone.
"I made my name in hell just so I could return here," the corrupted half-blood declared, his voice dark and business-like once more as if it had always been. "I've no time for your games. You'll give me your pendant," Vergil demanded, his right hand crushing the air like the fist of a dictator.
"Over my dead body," the true Son of Sparda spat back, returning his guns to his side. His knees bent, and a flash of metal revealed Dante having drawn the skull-faced broadsword Rebellion, to be poised at the ready.
Unfettered, the dark slayer loosed his right fist and returned it to Yamato's hilt. "I would have it no other way," he spoke maliciously, the dark echoes of his tone intensifying with his flaring aura. The Sons of Sparda stood off for mere moments, before Dante took initiative and burst forward, looking to plant Rebellion right into his dear brother's chest.
"Look out!" It was all the samurai could do to just attempt to warn his mop-haired accomplice.
The next moment was an indiscernible whirlwind of slashes that seemed to shake the very world with their intensity. Following that, the twin sons stood opposite each other, facing away, their swords frozen in the follow-up of their attacks. Vergil moved first, deftly twirling Yamato back to slowly return it to it's scabbard, like a true samurai. Dante was next, weakly turning his heard upon his stunned body, and choking out to Zoro, "He got me, didn't he-?"
The tachi clicked into the sheath, and the Son of Sparda turned into a fountain of blood as the numerous cuts on his form opened up. Overcome with agony, Dante collapsed in a defeated groan, his wounds leaking trails of harsh red. Straightening himself from his ready stance, the demonic figure observed his new prize swiped during the split-second encounter: a bronze-colored pendant inset with a large red jewel, dangling from a snapped chain necklace.
Stereotypical as it seemed, it was also far too real, and Zoro found himself doubting his eyes. The pirate hunter could no longer deny his fear- this was more than just some common demon, like the Akuma before. This being, he was a dangerous opponent, a threat to everyone in his path. Inhuman speed, unreal power, and incredible skill...
But Zoro himself was no samurai if he remained a coward, if he did not stand up for what was right. Fighting back logic, Roronoa Zoro wrenched himself back to his feet and tore his two Meito blades from their sheathes. "Hey, punk!" he yelled to Vergil, eliciting no initial response from the demonic man. Leveling the swords with the horizon, he continued, "I dunno who you think you are or just what you're doing, but hell if I'm gonna let you get away with this! Tatsu Maki-!"
Zoro heaved with all his might, spinning about to throw a massive wind slash with his two swords. The small tornado of sharp air twisted, coiled, and then sprung forth like a vicious dragon to swallow the devil-man before it. Not even sparing a glance, Vergil swung the amulet into his hand and then leaped into the air, impossibly higher than any human could.
"Eh-?!" Zoro looked up, following the demon's flight path with a mix of frustration and wonder. In the last moments, he remembered to prepare a follow-up attack, and quickly shoved the hilt of one sword between his teeth to draw his third sword. As the dark-coat landed past Dante, his back faced to his victim, the pirate hunter cried out, "Face me, demon! Oni-!"
A second passed, then another, and yet another. Vergil finally turned to look aside at his challenger, his shining ruby eyes nearly making Zoro falter. "-Giri!" he finished, rushing forward to assault his previous assailant.
Two diagonal slashes and a horizontal cut were thrown, and not a single one of them connected. All three swords found themselves snagged on the dark-infused tachi, Vergil holding fast against the onslaught- just barely so, to Zoro's credit. The swordsman's eyes widened again, staring at the demonic pupils up close. "Calling out your attacks?" the corrupt Son of Sparda scoffed, "Amateur."
The Devil Arm pushed back, and continued into a full vertical swipe that sent the macabre samurai doubling back next to Dante's fallen body. Maintaining eye contact, as if looking upon a disobedient student, Vergil announced, "Consider yourself fortunate- I already have what I came for. Next time you challenge me-" the demon turned away with a dismissive flick of his longcoat, "-offer a real challenge." With that, the shadow-shrouded man paced away into the darkness beyond.
"Dammit," Zoro cursed again, sword still in his teeth. This enemy really was powerful, and even if he could muster the will to continue in such grave odds, his honor forbade him from striking a opponent with his back turned. Tenacious as he was, Zoro realistically stood little chance against this menace. Then, it meant he could only train, in honor of his fallen comrade- only a brief ally, but slain nonetheless...
A groan sounded from below, muffed by the dirt floor. The pirate hunter looked down, sufficiently surprised to hear any other voice still. "Huh- you're alive?" Zoro questioned the bloodied, non-moving body.
Another groan, this time more strained. "Sorta. It's awfully tough - ow - to kill me," Dante coughed up, lifting his head and attempting to push himself up with his arms. "...stings like hell, though." The shredded hunter managed to get a bit of relief when Zoro returned his swords and helped pull him up. "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," the swordsman brushed off, holding onto his bloodied ally to ensure he was standing stable. "You're sure you're alright?"
"No." An awkward moment fluttered by, Dante still bleeding.
"But I'm not dead yet, so..." The devil hunter bent over and retrieved Rebellion from where it had been dropped earlier, heaving the thing onto his back. "Let's go, I guess."
"About that," Zoro interjected, a tiny hint of admittance in his tone, "You were right after all. Let's go the other way."
And so they did. With a billowing pillar of smoke off in the distance, a harshly-wounded Dante and yet-determined Zoro pushed onward into the Moors, desperate to keep their headway on the Akuma and reunite with the Exorcists.