Author's Note: Hey guys, thanks again for so many reviews! I hope all of you are not gonna get bored with the story because more surprises are on the way. Already the pieces are in place for new tensions to form and for familiar battles to be fought, with some new ones sprinkled in. Here we go folks, chapter 7!

Chapter 7

The beast had struck with its mighty jaws first. Searing droplets of blood dusted the earth causing steam to wisp up around the blue clad warrior, who had the Yamato pried between the fangs. The scowl on the Darkslayer's face turned to a surge of strength as he pushed the monster back with superhuman effort., his blue eyes widening as he did so with a grunt. The devil was down on all fours, its booming voice filling the empty grove," Impressive strength for a human. If I were to claim this world you would make a fine pet."

Vergil's eyes narrowed," Rest assured I will never serve a master ever again."

Vergil had his blade sheathed and tied to his waist as he struck with an uppercut under the jaw with Beowulf. The demon known as Chimera howled but Vergil wasn't done quite yet. The sword at his waist sang through the air slicing cleanly the creature's eyes, which stained the flaming mane with boiling blood. Vergil spun out, landing gracefully on the ground and sheathing the momento of his father back into its resting place.

Chimera laughed and struck using the snake tail as a means of seeing. In a flash of steel the head lay quivering at Vergil's feet. "Fool! I can lay waste to entire lands,"The bellowing behemoth rambled, hellfire building within its infernal maw.

Vergil braced himself, he knew he had no choice but to let the boiling of his demonic blood consume his body in a surge of power. In the back of his mind he feared that lingering effects of his old servitude would cloud his Devil Trigger but he let go in brilliant burst of blue energy anyway.

"You are not worthy as my opponent,"Hissed the demonic voice of Vergil. The flames had been pushed back by the explosion of demonic energy. Vergil knew he must look different. A more mature Devil Trigger met his gaze as he unsheathed the Yamato from the sheath that was part of his left arm. His right resembled the arm of the boy, Nero, though more blue in color. Horns that were sleek crowned his head and two spikes protruded from his chin. He looked no more as hideous as Nelo Angelo had been but more of a fusion of that form with his old Devil Trigger from years past. Only one move would finish this wretch, and that would be his patented Judgement Cut. Vergil channeled his demonic power into his left arm where he again sheathed his sword and crouched back in a low stance.

The attack was exceedingly effective and surprised even Vergil's wildest expectations as he moved with blinding speed that created not a sphere of slashes but rather a series of slashes that devastated everything in front of him, including his opponent who exploded into chunks after Vergil clicked the hilt into place. He watched, his Devil Triggered state disappating in a blue flash that went within his body, as the light left the fire demon's hateful gaze. His outstretched gloved hand caught the orange flaming orb that went up from the melting chunks of the devil's body. With the soul of the creature in hand, it took the shape of a chain and scythe. The chain coming out of a lion with an open mouth on the ornate hilt. The ball at the end was spiked and the scythe itself seemed to have flames etched on the blade.

Vergil whirled the weapon around spinning the chain first like a whip and expertly allowing it to wrap around his body. He then whirled the chain allowing for the scythe to sing through the air before catching it. He smirked, having attained newfound power.

"Are you done showing off yet?"

Vergil stared over at the woman he knew to be Arkham's daughter. He silently began to walk past her. Her arms were crossed and her hips leaning to one side. He supposed any man would kill to share her company, but he had never really been able to fully experience the warmth of a woman's touch. Vergil was never cavalier with women unlike his brother. He hated human weakness and loved demonic strength, yet it was demons who had slain his mother. He was caught in between always.

"So that's it, huh? You're just going to walk off?"

"My business here is done. There is nothing more I have to say to you."

"You know, you were right about my father," he heard her say from behind him. He turned seeing that she was looking at the ground and then up at him,"It seems so long ago I was just a girl when I killed him. He told me that you were the one who had "seduced him to evil". I was so young I guess I didn't understand until he got what he wanted."

"Your father was a fool,"Vergil said plainly,"He denied his pesky love for you in order to try and become a devil. To be tricked by a devil such as the one I just killed further proves my point. You are a foolish woman."

"I do have a name you know," she said pushing the glasses up the bridge of her nose slightly,"And its Lady."

Vergil mused at how uncreative her self-proclaimed title was. He had remembered from his stay at Arkham's mansion, her name to be Mary.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that you were right about my father. You had nothing to do with him being obsessed. But you certainly didn't help."

"A disgusting human who deserved his fate, nothing more,"Vergil replied coldly not wishing to reminisce on how all three had been tricked, and how he now was still where he had been all those years before, an "incomplete being" as Arkham had said.

He was tired of idle talk so he prepared to head down the abandoned path, the people having retreated due to the battle.

"Wait-"

Vergil turned his head slightly issuing no response.

"After Dante came back all those years ago, from the tower…he…he shed a tear for you," she said almost smilingly as she said it, as though it had been a defining moment," He told me it was just the rain but I knew better. He really cares about you Vergil. You're the only family he's got left."

Vergil stiffened. Emotionless save for the feeling that he had not expected this from a woman who barely knew him. It had been almost two decades since they had last met and she had the gall to talk of family. Dante was more of a nuisance than a brother but part of what she had said…

"I told him that even a devil may cry when he loses a loved one,"she continued softly shuffling slightly,"I just thought you should know. He told me to be on the lookout for you."

He could hear her move as Vergil made a chuckle, a sound he rarely if ever made anymore," Devil may cry. The name of his shop. You and he must be close."

Lady laughed a little after he had said this,"I don't know about close, but I'm the closest thing to a friend he has."

"Friend", an odd word for Vergil's ears to process. He never had had the luxury of friends. Anyone he had allied himself with had always been ultimately for his gain, his personal pursuit of power. Useful for a time, and always expendable.

He walked away not stopping," I have no friends,"he said, more aloud to himself than to the woman he left standing in his wake.

Damn it. Nero held his right arm and dropped his sword to the ground as he sat panting on the steps to the church of Fortuna. He had been practicing with the Red Queen again. Still, things had greatly changed since his arms mysterious disappearance. He flexed his normal right hand with a resolute look on his face. He would not rest until Vergil had been wiped off the face of the earth. The voice had left him, and the shortage of devils in Fortuna lately was more due to luck than to any doing by his own hand. Yet without the Devil Bringer he felt vulnerable and naked without the power and the freedom it provided. He wanted to protect the ones he loved.

"Nero?"

He turned to see Kyrie in the pal moonlight draw close to his side and sit next to him.

"You're pushing yourself too hard against those monsters again,"She pointed out resting her hand on his and looking into his youthful face.

He could not say she was lying. Everytime a new horde of devils arrived Nero had thrown himself at them full force in order to get stronger. Now, getting even was all that mattered.

They sat in silence with Nero's breath back to normal as Kyrie again spoke, changing the subject,"My the stars look beautiful tonight. Don't you think so?"

"Kyrie, I have to go back."

"Nero why?! That man is gone and things are back to normal."

"He gave me a scar and tried to kill you! Isn't that reason enough to want him brought down?"

"Nero, what about us? I still remember that day, when you told me you were afraid of becoming a demon if we could be together."

Nero remembered after it had all been over when they had almost kissed and Dante had left. Dante. He had betrayed him for not wanting to go after his brother regardless of whether he was happy that he was back from the grave. "You don't understand,"he said getting up to walk away.

"Nero,"she got up and took his hand,"Don't forget who you are."

"I won't,"He said taking her face in both of his human hands and kissing her in the moonlight.

Vergil was staring at the floor of his apartment absently while the fan whirled overhead about to fall from the ceiling as the air conditioning also rattled, with a wheeze, to life. He had an appointment that he had set up with a realtor who would let him check out an unusual property the next day. He was not particularly excited by the prospect of shaking hands with a peon, but if it got him out of this hovel he supposed he would even brave Hell again. Had he made a joke just then?

Lady's words still made him wonder about Dante's shop. It was just as much named what it was in memory of him as it was of what she had said that fateful night. He had never even bothered during his stay there to ponder the deeper meaning other than the stupidity of it. Devils never cry.

A dark miasma emanated from the floor in front of him as Austin emerged bowing low. His red eyes looking up from under the hood with almost malevolent glee.

"I believe I have found you an interesting venture."

Vergil was bored so he remained silent hoping the demon would continue which he did," Your client regrets that he is unable to attend to speak with you face to face. But he promises to pay handsomely upon completion of a certain little chore he has in store for you."

"Such as?"

Vergil raised an eyebrow inquisitively as he rose to grab his coat.

"The retrieval of a human soul,"The demon's lips curled from under the hood.

Vergil was silent for a while before saying nonchalantly,"Alright."

Austin preceded to take an empty blue vial from his hoodie pocket and placed it in Vergil's palm saying, "He expects the package to be delivered tomorrow at midnight at the docks on pier 8 so he can assume human form."

The job now made sense. A lesser devil who was too weak to achieve a human disguise required a human soul to do so. He supposed that he had best get to working on that soul while he was taking his usual walk in the night air. He felt no moral qualms about finding a suitable human for this business so long as it gave a devil a chance at a new start. After all Vergil disliked humans, still part of him wondered just what his father would think of him going out and killing one human so that a demon would live in the human world. Perhaps this would require more analysis and thought before he could act on it.

"That is all Austin?" Vergil asked before exiting the door.

"That is all,"the demon said a smile stretching from the disguised demon's lips as he exited the room.

Note: The devil trigger of Vergil looks like the blue spectre behind Nero when he Devil Triggers in DMC 4 ecpet of course he is real instead of a ghost thingie.