#i went there looking to see if anyone had mentioned specific places that fortuna had been inspired by because that would make my job a lot

[poptartmochi]

encountered a reddit post that talks about how lady is the main character of the story for 3... i'm rotating in my fucking MIND rn..

[skvaderarts]

Chapter Sixteen: Epiphany

You can check out the Masterlist Here for more links to places to read!

Chapter Sixteen: Epiphany

Note: Thanks for the comments as always! As mentioned, this chapter is a little shorter than normal, but the next few will more than make up for it. I just didn’t want to drag this sequence out so that we could get to the exciting part sooner. You don’t want to make things too bogged down. Enjoy and get hyped for the next chapter… It’s been a nightmare to write lol! Sorry for any mistakes. It was a long night.

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Things had been relatively quiet for the last little while, Agnus’s alchemical monstrosities content with roaming the entryway aimlessly in almost total silence for the time being. While the magical seal on the door to the library and the three separate sets of retractable bars that shielded the doorway from further attacks were more than likely enough to keep the artificial demons at bay, there was still a certain amount of apprehension as to their current level of security. Considering the fact that the Cutlass and Gladius, much like the seal itself (presumably), were products of the Order and their unscrupulous experiments, their ability to gain entry into the room was questionable at the best. And a product of that uncertainty was a permeating sense of urgency in regardless to finding a relatively safe way out of Fortuna Castle before things escalated to a level that they couldn’t control.

As the silence in the air brewed tension between them, V glanced over his shoulder from the second story balcony. After Nero had helped him reach the upper section of the library, the younger devil hunter had retired to the far corner of the room, his attention fixed upon some sort of mechanical contraption. It was a welcome change, at least for the time being. While  V was indeed flattered that Nero had been so worried about the laceration that he had received during their mad dash to reach the library, he wasn’t accustomed to having someone worry over him. It was touching; even somewhat flattering… but not something he was entirely comfortable with. V’s rational mind told him that this was normal, and he acknowledged it readily, more than able to comprehend the concept of platonic familial concern. But, despite the fact that he knew there was nothing abnormal about having Nero worry over him (especially when he had good reason too) he still couldn’t stand it.

The young summoner took a moment to mentally chastise himself for his illogical thought process. Of course he didn’t like it. He wasn’t supposed to. Having other people be concerned about him wasn’t meant to be an enjoyable process. He doubted that Nero enjoyed worrying about him either. Nothing about the situation that the pair of brothers currently found themselves in was comfortable or reassuring. In fact, from what the longer white-haired man could tell, they currently had no way of leaving the room that they were trapped in. It was a double-edged sword in that regard. Nothing in, nothing out; the only threat being the very thing that kept other threats at bay. It was quite ironic in an almost poetic sort of way. V couldn’t help but find humor in their possible damnation. While the bleeding from his injury had indeed slowed and was more than likely trivial in the eyes of proper medical care, they needed to actually leave the castle for first aid to take place. But in the meantime, he could simply count himself lucky. The demon that had dealt this wound was composed almost entirely of sharp edges. It was a miracle that he stood here now, reading these books in search of the answers he had inadvertently risked both of their lives for.

As V combed through the pages of the worn-out old book he held in his hand, his attention was drawn back to Nero. The younger of the two had just cursed quite loudly, clearly fed up with the piece of almost steampunk like piece of machinery he had been tinkering with for nearly an hour. V considered inquiring as to the nature of the problem, but relented, acutely aware that he more than likely had nothing insightful to add to the dilemma. It was odd for him to be so far out of the loop, but to say that he thought he knew everything would be a bald-faced lie. No one knew absolutely everything that there was to know. This just happened to be one of the rare instances where he had no idea what was going on. He redirected his attention back to the book, closing it and placing it back in its proper place on the bookshelf. While V was aware of the fact that there was no one else around to see him misplace it and that they were under more than a small amount of time pressure, he simply didn’t feel right just laying the book down somewhere. It wasn’t’ the right thing to do and that wasn’t who he was. He would find the time necessary to make sure that he left this place in at least the same condition that he had found it.

V walked down the row of bookcases in front of him, dragging his finger idly down the spines of the books as he went. At least half of the works contained in this room were not written in English, and many of the ones that were had been transcribed in very old classical English or by hand, making them a trial by fire to read. Much of it was in either Latin or Adamic; the former he had some basic comprehension of, the latter less so. Although his love of literature had lent him an excellent grasp of written languages, this was testing his skills somewhat more than he would like. As he glanced over the books in his search for one that he might be able to actually decipher, his finger brushed over the cover of a sizable tome. The words on the cover caught his eye, but the spine was somewhat faded. He would need to remove this one from the shelf and take a better look at it. 

Upon removing the tome from the self, he took notice of several qualities it possessed. The book was weighty and delicate, clearly one of the oldest texts in this library. The leather binding had held true for who knew how long, the paper quite aged and much more coarse than what he was accustomed to. Surprisingly elegant handwriting lined each page of the book, several detailed illustrations accompanied by even more meandering descriptions and instructions practically overflowed from each page. It was all quite fascinating to look at if he was being honest. Could he keep this book? Would anyone notice or even care if he took it home with him to give a more thorough examination? He flipped the pages carefully until he reached the cover. When he had first opened it, it had automatically gone to the middle of the book. This was presumably due to the way it had been bound, but that wasn’t entirely important at the moment.

“Dux Connexionem Referat Inferis” The title of the text flowed effortlessly from his mouth as he traced the words with his finger, taking a moment to try and remember what all the words meant,” Yes… this may prove useful after all.”

Nero glanced up from his position on the floor below, his focus still clearly on the Gyro Blade he was currently knelt down in front of. “You know what that says, V?”

V shrugged slightly as he flipped through what seemed to be an overview of sorts, introducing it’s audience to the different topics contained within its pages. The headings were all written with different mediums, signifying that they had been added gradually over the course of the writer’s lifetime. Oddly enough, the first few dozen pages did not contain the elegant script that he had seen in the middle of the book. Was this the work of multiple authors? After a moment he nodded to himself. Much to his enjoyment, this book contained information on the nature of familiar contracts and something else that seemed to pertain to artificial demons.

“I believe this may be some sort of encyclopedia or index. It makes mention of a Hellgate on an island that periodically changes location and a demon emperor,” He said as he turned the pages, his eyes fixed upon the writing they contained,” While I don’t think I have time to decipher this entire book just yet, it may have the answers I was looking for. There is some mention of Nightmare’s conception.”

Nero gestured to the empty room, laughing to himself slightly. Nightmare was one of his summons, right? How powerful did it need to be to get mentioned in a book that old? “Right now we have nothing but time. Unless I can get this stupid thing working,” Nero said as he gesured irritatedly towards the Gyro Blade,” We aren’t going anywhere. Does that book say anything about this thing?”

V used his finger to bookmark the page before turning back to the table of contents, taking a moment to look it over. After a moment, he shook his head. 

“It mentions something about an alchemical substance called Anima Mercury in this article about Quicksilver, but I can’t quite make out anything specific aside from the fact that they share similar properties,” He looked up for a moment, an incredulous look plastered across his face,” I don’t have any answers for you, unfortunately. Have you tried kicking it?”

The youngest descendant of Sparda stared at his older brother blankly for a moment, his neck craning sideways. Had V just told a joke at a time like this? No, surely he had just heard him wrong. He had to be mistaken. The eldest of the two seemed to key into his younger counterpart’s train of thought, gesturing with his outstretched hand towards the contraption in question. “I’m quite serious. Apparently this device is powered by kinetic energy. That is a stipulation of the Animal Mercury. It grants sentience, but not locomotion. If you have previously moved the device, then I can only assume that-”

Before V could finish his explanation, Nero drew Req Queen and slammed it downward towards the mechanical spinning top esque device before him, kicking it as he did so for good measure. The spinning blades within folded outward at the top and the machine lifted up off of the ground, hovering in place as if waiting for further simulation. Nero stared at it blankly as V looked down at him, clearly fascinated by now functional Gyro Blade. He could tell by the look on Nero’s face that he hadn’t expected the device to actually move.

Upon realizing that the device actually functioned, Nero took a few steps back and charged forward, launching himself feet first into the device. It rocked forward, crashing into the door of the library with a loud bang. The seal guarding the door shattered and the bars opened automatically, allowing them to finally exit the building. V slipped down from the upper level and landed on one of the floor dividers, gaining him a raised eyebrow from Nero and a thoroughly displeased side as his wound pulled slightly and he began to bleed a bit more. It was nothing catastrophic, but it was uncomfortable, to say the least. Nero offered him a hand and, after taking a moment to consider his alternative options, V decided to take him up on the offer, at least for the time being. In this particular instance, he was once again reminded of how much he missed his cane. It would be particularly useful at the moment. With that, the two of them exited the library, V taking a moment to tuck the book into one of the coat’s interior pockets. He would take the time to look it over more thoroughly once they were safely within the walls of Nero’s charming little home again.

They made their way down the balcony and back into the art gallery, noting the distinct lack of Cutlass and Gladius as they went. It was enough to raise an uncomfortable feeling within V, piquing his interest. While he could easily imagine that they had retreated, it was still very strange to see barely any traces of them. Their previous assault had been a sheer act of chaotic willpower, one that they had very narrowly overcome. It was imperative that they figure out where they had gone and either slip past them or use their combined problem solving skills to get the drop on them.

So basically they were going with plan A.

From the moment they stepped foot into the lobby, they were struck by the overwhelming silence that permeated the room. There were no demons in here like there had been a short while ago. Well, at least none that were alive. A pile of dead remnants was stacked in the middle of the first floor, a few stray demons scattered about. It seemed that they had been attacked all at once while a few outliers had actually noticed the threat and had tried to protect their collective to no avail. The Cutlass had been eradicated with ruthless efficiency, and the Gladius seemed to have tried to flee back into the labs before the attack had ended them once and for all. This was evident by the sheer number of them that laid dead on the stairs that led up to the opening to the lab behind the painting.

Something wasn’t right here…

As they reached the bottom of the steps and took a step towards the front entrance, V stopped a moment. He couldn’t tell if it was his general condition or his injuries, but he felt substantially weaker all of a sudden. It was as if all the energy had been sucked from his body in that very instant. Nero grappled the sudden shift in their collective center of balance, wrapping his right arm around V to try and help him steady himself. He clearly didn’t look well. A sudden noise from in front of them drew his attention, and what he saw took him off guard. About a dozen individuals in black coats had made themselves visible to them, presumably the people responsible for the dead demons that littered the room. One of them stepped forward, gesturing towards them.

“We’ve been looking for you.” The hooded man said as he lowered his hood to allow his hair to be freed and his face to become visible. “You’re quite hard to track down. It took us several days. Some sort of ward, I presume?”

Nero shot them a defensive look, glancing cautiously at V who seemed to be trying to shake off the sudden dizziness that plagued him. “Were not in a talking mood right now, so you’re going to have to forgive us but we’re not sticking around.”

The hooded individuals seemed incensed by the comment, taking defensive stances as though they were preparing to attack. The leader, the tall man from before, placed his hands in his pockets and stretched, seemingly unafraid. “Terribly sorry, I must not have been clear. Our master requires an audience with him.”

He gestured towards V, nodding. The taller of the two was starting to come out of his dizzy spell, so he looked up from the floor and shook his head in denial. There was absolutely no way either of them was going with these mystery men in black coats. They sounded just like the cult V had overheard Nero reassuring Kyrie about earlier that day.

Before either party could speak further, the front gate to the castle creaked open, and a familiar woman stepped inside. Before anyone could speak, she took a defensive stance, readying herself. The cultists turned their attention to her and several of them immediately began to call forth their summons. It seemed that this group was comprised of a much higher number of summoners than the one she had taken on at the pier. The three of them could only hope they were equally as competent.

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These last few chapters are going to be FUN! I’m working on them as you are reading this, so feel free to tune in on Wednesday, June 24th as we reach the climax of book one! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter despite the fact that it’s slightly shorter than normal (about 500 words) and I look forward to seeing you all next week! Stay safe out there!

[icequeenoriginal]

Choices (Devil May Cry fanfiction)

The newborn’s cry broke the silence of the apartment in Fortuna. A very exhausted woman forces herself out of the bed, only to be stopped by an arm, reaching out for her. “Rest. I got him.” The woman didn’t have the strength to object. She smiled fondly at him and laid back onto the bed. The man quickly got out of the bed, wondering how someone so small could shriek so loudly. He entered the nursery, swiftly avoiding the toys scattered on the floor. He made his way over to the crib and couldn’t stop himself from staring. He had a son, the elder son of Sparda has a child. “Why are you crying, Nero?” Vergil gently picked up Nero. Nero wiggled as he cried, only calming down a bit when Vergil held him close. “Was it a nightmare or--” Vergil was being cut off by an unpleasant smell. He placed Nero on the changing table and removed his onesie. Nero giggled as Vergil cleaned it up, happy he could be with his father. Vergil walked around the room rocking Nero, trying to get the babe to go back to sleep. It wasn’t that he need sleep, he found it unnecessary, but Nero needed it. If he was ever going to train the boy to use his full power, he needed to work with his human side. Nero wouldn’t allow sleep to take him again, he wanted to spend time with his father. Vergil walked over to the small Sparda shrine in the room. Nero cooed at the picture of his grandfather when Vergil brought it close to him. “That’s your grandfather Nero, the fiercest warrior in all the world, both demon and human.” Nero babbled as if he was replying to his father. It made Vergil proud, knowing that this would only lead to a path of intelligence and honor. Eventually, Nero closed his eyes and drifted off to bed. Vergil placed Nero in the crib and attempted to walk back to his bedroom. Nero, losing his father’s warmth, snapped open his eyes and began to gurgle. Vergil sighed and sat into the chair next to Nero’s crib, allowing Nero to hold onto his finger with his tiny right hand. It always marveled Vergil at how small Nero actually was. He was weak and vulnerable. Nero needed Vergil to protect him. Eventually, both father and son fell asleep, holding onto each other. ——————————————————————————————————————————------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vergil watched his son drink from his mother’s breast as he ate breakfast. He felt sorrow that his son would have to grow up in such a small apartment. He was able to get a job at Fortuna’s library, where he was able to study everything the Order knew about his father. Soon, he would get a meeting with the heads of the Order and tell them he was the elder son of Sparda. Then they would worship him. Nero would never know what it is like to suffer. His thoughts were interrupted by Nero cooing for him. He lifted up his son and placed him on his chest. His father’s chest was always Nero’s favorite spot to lay on. He loved the noise Vergil’s chest plate made when he tapped it. Vergil placed the child over his shoulder and gently patted his back. Nero giggled after he burp, he found the noise amusing. Nero’s mother smiled at the connection the two had. She knew Vergil was going to be a good father. “Vergil?” “Yes, dear?” “Could you bring Nero to work with you today? I have my first shift with the dinner today.” This would be the first time she would work since having the baby. Vergil hated that she had to work instead of focusing on the baby. Nero had only been alive a week, he needed constant care. “Of course.” This made Nero squeal happily. He cuddled into Vergil’s chest as if he was gluing himself to his father. He didn’t want to be forgotten. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Nero listened to Vergil’s heartbeat as they walked, smiling. He had never been outside of the apartment before. He smiled, his first smile, unseen by his father. He was hoping they would do it every day. As they were walking, Vergil recounted how he ended up with the child. Vergil entered Fortuna with one goal in mind: Power. This city praised his father as a god, there had to be something of his father this city was hiding. His amulet shined when he made his way through the city, he was close to something. Entering the library, he knew this would be a good first stop. They had a sign pointing the section specifically filled with books about Sparda. He picked up the first few books on the shelf. He was walking towards a table when a young woman ran into him. He was unfazed but the woman fell to the ground. The books she had been holding feel around her. Vergil had never been one to buy into the whole “falling in love”. His mother would tell him and his brother how she and their father fell in love. It always bored him but he wouldn’t lie that he found the woman attractive. But that didn’t matter, she was in the way of his research. “I am so sorry sir!” The woman quickly pulled her hood over her face before collecting the fallen books. Vergil figured it must be a custom here. He hadn’t taken his hoodie off simply because he didn’t feel like it. Smart decision. The woman stared at him. She had never seen anyone like him. He was so mysterious and dark, yet he was so beautiful. He had hair like Sparda and eyes so elegantly blue. Like winter. She wanted to hold him, she wanted to be his wife, she wanted to bear his children. “What’s your name?” “Why do you want to know?” “I…” “You’re wasting my time” He made his way past her, only to be stopped by her grabbing his cloak. “Unhand me, woman!” People around then shushed him, not caring about anything else. “Wait! Let me join you!” “And why would I let you join me?” “You’re trying to learn more about Sparda right? I-I’ll tell you everything I know!” Vergil watched her curiously. He had seemed to have utter control of this woman. She was attracted to him, much like this city was to his father. “Alright” She sat with him. She went on for hours about everything she had on Sparda. Vergil did find it interesting, his father was not the same man he remembered from his childhood. This version was much better. She asked him if he had a place to stay, he said he hadn’t really thought of that. She quickly offered up her place. He said why not. Her place was small, but it would work for a night or two. He told her as much. She didn’t want him to go. She told him as much. He asked how she would make him say. She offered him the only thing she had left, her body. He accepted. It worked out well for him. Every day, she would come back to the apartment with any and all new information Sparda. He enjoyed been waited on, to have someone be so willing to serve him. He wasn’t ready for the change. One day she came home with no books, only a small box. “What’s in the box?” Maybe it was a gift from the Order, begging to take him as their new leader. “It’s…” He quickly grew annoyed, “It’s what? Out with it woman!” “It’s a pregnancy test…” “It’s a what?” “It’s a device that tells me I’m bearing your child.” Vergil froze at those words. He created a child. He, not his twin, made a child at a young age. “P-Please…stay with me…raise the child…the Order…the Order forbids pregnancy outside of marriage…they get rid of the woman and the child…please…” This was the first time Vergil had been asked to do something for someone else. He didn’t have to say yes, he could leave Fortuna and forget about her. As those thoughts entered his mind, he heard his mother’s voice. He looked up to see the ghost of his mother staring back at him. She begged him to raise the child. Like how she and his father raised him and Dante. His father. He could raise the child to be powerful. The child could fight by his side. Who knows what kind of power this child would possess? “I will.” And he did. He got the job at the library, he revealed himself to the landowner, threatened him if he ever told anyone. He took her to the head priest so that they would be married. He did it all. For them. He didn’t know when he stopped caring about the child’s power or his own. He wasn’t sure when he truly fell in love with both of them. Maybe when he first sensed Nero’s soul, heard his heartbeat or felt him kick in her womb. He even remembered shedding a tear when he first held Nero. Nero. That was the name he chose. It means wise, imaginative, philosophical. It was perfect.           Once they arrived, Vergil asked a woman already working there if she had anything he could place Nero. The woman brought him to the back room where she had a baby chair, still in the box. “The others and I bought this for you when you mentioned you had a newborn son.” Vergil noticed the room was filled with other baby items. He wonders if it was because of praise or baby fever. Lifting up the box, Vergil nodded at her. “Thank you.” He walked over to the receptionist’s desk, quickly set up the chair and placed Nero in it. Nero wiggled at the sudden movement, babbling that he wanted to stay in Vergil’s arms. As soon as he felt the chair, he decided it was soft enough and smiled at Vergil. Vergil smiled back and rocked the chair with his foot as he read. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Only two hours passed when that man walked in. Vergil sensed something demonic radiating off of him, but he knew the man was human. He looked down at Nero, who was fast asleep. Quietly, he gets up from his chair and walks over to the woman putting books away. “Do you mind if we switch? I want to stretch my legs.” “Of course, but what about--” “He’s fast asleep, he won’t stir. If he does, I’ll hear him.” Having no time to wait for an answer, Vergil took the cart and looked around for the man. Finding that it was slowing him down, he pushed it to the side. He found him in the archives, reading a book about none other than Sparda. “Hello, Vergil.” “How do you know my name?” “Why, you’re the son of Sparda of course.” “What do you want?” “To give you an offer of a lifetime. Fortuna knows nothing about your father’s power. I, however, know how to unlock it.” Vergil closed his eyes, he sensed that Nero was still fast asleep. “...Tell me more.” Vergil spent the next hour learning everything the man knew. He learned his name was Arkham, he learned the story of Arkham’s wife and daughter, and he learned every single detail about the portal between the demon and human world. He closed his eyes. With that power, he would never be weak again. He would have people praising him without any need for the Order… He could protect Nero without any issue. “I think--” Nero’s cries interrupted him. Nero had awoken and saw that Vergil was no longer above him. He did not approve. Vergil began to walk away. Arkham smirked: “I’ll be here tomorrow for your answer.” Virgil said nothing, he just kept walking. “What are you willing to sacrifice for power, Vergil?” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vergil gently scooped up Nero, instantly calming the child down. Nero cuddled into his father, babbling incoherently about what Vergil assumed were based in fear. He didn’t blame him, he knew what it was like to be left alone. As he rocked Nero, he thought about his life if he didn’t take Arkham’s deal. He would have to work nonstop in this godforsaken city, live in a tiny apartment for who knows how long, and listen to the boy cry. He quickly ran out of the library as fast as he could without harming Nero. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He ate in silence that night, contemplating what his next move would be. He looked up at his wife breastfeeding Nero. There was no way he could bring them along. They would slow him down. He could always come back for them. He shouldn’t be gone for long. “How was work today?” Vergil didn’t seem to hear her, Nero decided to reply. She smiled at her baby babble and smile, he always had the biggest smile on his face. Vergil left the table soon after, he needed his rest. Nero made noises to protest, he wanted to be held by his father. He settled for his mother warmth for now. His father would just have to hold him the next time he opens his eyes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Vergil sensed Arkham outside of the apartment at around 3 o'clock in the morning. He didn’t care, he already made up his mind. Placing a note that simply read “I need to leave and do something. You’ll understand soon enough, he left without a word. He paused to kiss Nero’s cheek one last time, “I will return son” Nero woke up moments later, he reached for his father who was walking away from him, babbling to be picked up. Vergil ignored him, he left with Arkham. Nero began to cry which in turn, woke his mother. SHe read the note. Nero kept on crying. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- She couldn’t take it, Nero wouldn’t stop crying. He just kept crying. With Vergil gone, she would have to pay to live in the apartment again. She didn’t make enough to feed two mouths. Nero would only grow and grow. She couldn’t raise him. The thunder was deafening as she ran through the streets. Yet it still could not drown out Nero’s cries. Nero didn’t like the cold, he didn’t like her running. He wanted to be held by Vergil. When Nero was placed down in front of the orphanage, she smiled. She was free. She ran away. Nero didn’t like that. He wanted her back, he was cold and sad. He cried louder. His cries were again unanswered.