Devil in Blue

Chapter Three: Angels and Demons.

Within the obsidian hall, several miles underground, deep in the heart of the Temen-ni-gru, Arkham stood before a great set of doors. Intricately carved from the same obsidian lining the walls and floors, the magnificent set of doors were sealed thoroughly by several interior bars for the physical realm, while a powerful barrier of magic prevented anyone from interfering without the proper key. Unless of course, one happened to know a means around this…

Arkham stepped towards the doors, speaking to Vergil as he did.

"Soon, we will reach the Lair of Judgment. Temen-ni-gru will finally regain its full function and lead us into the Demon World."

Standing in front of the sealed doors, Arkham opened the tome he always carried, flipping through several pages until he found the appropriate passages and extended his hand towards barred pathway. As his outstretched hand began to gesticulate before the door, the scholar of the dark arts murmured to himself in barely hinted excitement, "The world where Sparda's power has been sealed."

Chuckling softly in the back of his throat, Arkham spoke again, this time just loud enough for his words to be heard clearly to their intended recipient.

"And the one who lift the incantation is you, his own son." Arkham raised his mismatched gaze away from the passages he had been studying, turning his view over his shoulder, smirking as he expected yet another silent glare from the half-demon in blue he so enjoyed antagonizing.

To the scarred scholar's surprise, Vergil's ice blue eyes were not narrowed in quiet restrain as they usually were whenever he deigned to acknowledge Arkham. Instead, the dark slayer was studying the unconscious blue haired woman currently held in his arms, the hilt of his heirloom Yamato visible just under his coat, the normally hard and focused features, dare Arkham say…soft.

When Vergil felt his partner's gaze on him, his eyes rose away from the woman to meet Arkham's blue and red eyes. Arkham had to resist widening his smirk when Vergil once again glared at him, not from his words though.

Like father, like son… Arkham mused internally to himself, resisting the urge to laugh again.

The sealed doors before them began to shake visibly, the soft, heavy sounds of sliding stone resounded as the many bars and locks on the doors began to come undone, one by one. Turning away from Vergil, Arkham watched the final seal between them and the path to the Demon World come undone, his musing words barely heard over the turning locks.

"It must be fate."

The dark scholar stepped back several paces as the heavy doors swung open slowly, on their own accord, allowing Vergil to step forth with the curious woman in his arms. Vergil observed the pathway with a sidelong glance, and Arkham simply bowed to the son of Sparda, extending his arm out in invitation. After a moment, Vergil began to walk forward, towards the darkness of the chamber ahead…

…while behind him, Arkham looked back towards the obsidian path, seeming to gaze at a section of collapsed rubble…but in truth, he was extending his senses beyond the visible path, searching for something else…

Or rather someone else.

Vergil calmly walked ahead, but came to a sudden stop. Very gently, he placed the unconscious woman down on the ground, supporting her against the open doors. As he rose back up, his words were cold and questioning.

"Does that woman really bother you?"

Arkham flinched, unable to hide the surprise on his scarred face as he turned to look back at Vergil, barely noticing that he was no longer holding the blue haired intruder any longer.

"What are you talking about?" The dark scholar demanded.

"Why didn't you kill her?" Vergil asked, and as Arkham froze momentarily, the next words to come out of the dark slayer's mouth left him unable to even think of a reply.

"Perhaps because she's your daughter? Did some pesky fatherly love get in your way?" Vergil questioned, and Arkham could only wonder how this boy had stumbled upon the truth.

Eyes narrowing in his own glare, Arkham started stalking towards Vergil while speaking. "That's none of your-"

The sound of metal scraping was so brief it was almost inaudible.

The red tome Arkham had carried since arriving in the Temen-ni-gru fell to the floor with nary a clatter.

As Arkham began to gasp for breath, small drops of dark red dotted the faded leather cover of the book.

Vergil's footsteps clattered softly as he completely turned to face Arkham, who could only writhe in pain, unable to breathe while Vergil calmly spoke on.

"To further your study of the black arts, you sacrificed your loving wife. To become a devil as well."

Arkham couldn't respond, head tipping back in an open mouthed gasp of agony, his right hand weakly gripping the length of the blade Yamato currently not impaled through his stomach, the silver metal running red with his blood, the single edged tip jutting out through his back.

"Knowing this I thought you would be more useful to me," Vergil admitted as he watched Arkham writhe on his sword. Then he tightened his grip on the hilt.

"But I was wrong."

With that, he twisted the blade once and thrust the rest of the blade through, causing Arkham to gasp wetly, blood spraying from his mouth and wound.

Glaring contemptuously down on the dying man who so lusted for the might of the demons, Vergil sneered, "No wonder your attainment of power is incomplete."

But the dark slayer was not prepared for Arkham's final words.

Raising his head with the last of his strength, Arkham glared defiantly back at his traitorous cohort while choking through his own blood in defiance.

"What about you? You're an incomplete being as well."

Vergil's brow furrowed in rage, while more of Arkham's blood fell in great rivets, staining his dropped book further.

Meeting Vergil's glare with one of his own while blood stained his lower jaw, Arkham spat at the half-demon, "Both human and demon blood mingle in your veins."

Sneering in the face of the dark slayer's bubbling fury, Arkham glanced past him to look at the blue haired woman before whispering, "And this sudden interest in that woman…Maybe you're more like your father than you think…"

Eyes widening in fury, Vergil snarled, "Shut up." Before ripping Yamato free from the dying man's gut. Moving faster than the eye could follow, Vergil swiftly spun his sword while turning his back to Arkham, and with one last flicker of the blade to free it of the man's blood from staining it, he deftly slid the katana back into its sheathe.

When the hilt connected with the tang in a soft click, Arkham's wound burst in a shower of gore. The scholar of the black arts collapsed in a heap in a growing pool of his own blood. Without looking back, Vergil told the dead man, "Now that the final door is open, I have no use for you."

With that, he walked forward, only stopping to collect the still unconscious woman, who had not stirred once during the final exchange between the two half-demons, before walking confidently into the darkness.

Behind him, Arkham's body lay next to his blood stained tome, and was still.

Engulfing blackness gave way to fuzzy gray blurs. A dull throb resounded through the back of her head, her temples pounding painfully. Hand shaking, Aqua rubbed her eyes, blinking slowly, trying to clear the haze from them.

The water maiden raised her head, moving carefully, wincing as every little motion exacerbated her aching head. She found herself laying outstretched, down on a strange, stone surface. Glancing down, she saw the stone was engraved with intricate carvings of a line like pattern, faint light glowing softly from within them.

When she saw the light ripple slightly, Aqua reached down with a single finger, running the tip through the line. Cool wetness lingered, and she realized the lines within the stone were filled with water. Before she could give this anymore thought, a cool familiar voice froze her stiff.

"You've awoken at last."

Aqua's gaze snapped forward, her eyes widening then narrowing in anger when saw the all too familiar blue coat and head of spiked silver locks, the blue coat wearing swordsman standing directly across from where she lay, with his back facing her. The water maiden scrambled to her feet, a wave of vertigo washing over her from the sudden movement, the pounding in her head worsening with every second. Stumbling, Aqua almost collapsed again, head slumping, though she caught herself, palm resting against her forehead.

With a little effort, she called her magic up, a wave of healing green washing over her. Almost instantaneously, the dull painful throbbing of her temples and the painful ache on the back of her neck vanished, leaving her feeling better and more focused. Blinking away the last of the dull throbbing, Aqua turned her sapphire eyes back up-

-And finally took in with shock the new area she found herself in.

In was a large enclosed circular chamber, carved from the same stone she lay on, the walls decorated with strange murals while hideous demonic faces looked down on the occupants of the chamber from where their heads emerged from the walls, each face twisted in a cruel, grinning snarl, every deep set pair of eyes glaring down in mockery. Curiously, she spotted a large bell held by chains across from the silver haired swordsman, the bell reminding her of the ones that hung from church chapels.

Only no church would ever ring a bell embraced by skeletal angels.

Looking away from the bell, Aqua faced the back of the man in the blue coat, who stood directly in the center of the chamber. When Aqua saw the floor dip towards the edges beyond him, she realized they were both on a kind of raised altar, a large circular dais within the chamber atop of a series of plinths like stairs. The light emitting from the carved lines on the floor could be traced back to the dais center, where the faint light was glowing brightest.

For several moments the silver haired swordsman kept his back to Aqua, who remained silent, ready and waiting for him to make the first move.

Finally, he turned to face her, the sheathe of his weapon still held in his left hand, his right clenched at his side. His icy gaze met Aqua's cerulean orbs and held them, unwavering. She met his intense eyes without fear, refusing to be intimidated.

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, Aqua decided to be the first to break it.

"Where am I?"

At that, the blue coated man cocked his head, brow raised in curiosity. Then his lips curled into a smirk, cruel and bemused.

"How interesting. You have yet to answer any of my questions, and yet now you expect me to answer one of yours?"

Aqua didn't respond, only continued glaring at her silver haired foe.

The swordsman in the blue coat continued to hold her gaze, his smirk never fading. Finally, he moved slightly, his ice cold eyes moving to look down as his body stepped back. Aqua found herself following his movements, but when she saw the source of the light brighten ever so slightly, she couldn't help glancing down to better see what was in the center of the chamber.

Aqua saw the center of the dais held a glowing circle of light where an orifice of water rested, the small pool no doubt the source of the water lining the carved lines along the altar. The man in blue moved around the pool slowly, his eyes staying on it for a moment before looking back to Aqua when he finally spoke again.

"This chamber is the basement of the tower we stood atop earlier. The control room, so to speak…the final seal between this world…and the other."

Aqua furrowed her brow, confused by his words. The man looked back down on the glowing pool of water, extending his free hand towards it. Without looking back at the blue haired woman, he asked, "Do you feel it?"

Aqua blinked, looking in confusion from the man in blue to the glowing pool of water he was indicating. She could still feel the overwhelming darkness of this place, but now…there was…

There was something under it.

Cautiously, Aqua extended her own hand towards the pool, whispering to herself, "I can…"

Her eyes widened.

There, under the darkness…

A tremendous force, sheer raw power, vast and waiting. Between it she could feel something holding it back, almost like a barrier. But it was like a small dam trying to hold back an entire ocean of water. The water was still…for now.

But it was waiting.

Waiting to be unleashed. Then it would become a raging storm, and nothing would be able to hold it back anymore.

Staggering back, awed, Aqua gaped at the glowing pool of water with wide, shocked eyes. "What…what is that?" She whispered, aghast.

The man in blue looked away from the pool and back towards Aqua.

"You are not from this world. This is easy enough to see."

He looked back at the pool, going quiet for a moment.

Then, he resumed speaking.

"Two millennia ago, there was a war between this world…and the other. The underworld."

Aqua blinked, surprised. A war between worlds? She thought to herself.

The silver haired man went on.

"But someone from the Underworld took pity on the pathetic, weak humans who occupy this world. So he took up his sword for their sake, and betrayed his demonic brethren. When he forced them to retreat into the Underworld, he sealed the door between the worlds to prevent them from ever invading this realm again. To do this, he sacrificed his vast power for the spell."

The blue coated man raised his right fist, clenching the open fingers into a tight fist.

"Power that made him like a god."

Aqua understood.

"You want that power, don't you?" She asked, rhetorically.

The silver haired man looked back at her, giving her a scowl of disdain.

"It's my birthright."

Aqua blinked. "What? What do you mean?"

The man moved forward a few steps, blocking her view of the orifice of glowing water, before speaking again.

"I have already answered your question. Now, you will answer mine."

Studying her with his cold eyes, the man in the blue coat's question caught her off guard.

"That weapon you wield… is more than what it appears. It is a key, isn't it?"

Swallowing softly, Aqua tried to remain aloof in her response. "Of course it is. What gave it away, its shape?"

The silver haired swordsman once again caught her gaze, holding it easily. What he said next shocked the water maiden to her core.

"Keys are meant to lock…and unlock, are they not? Is that your weapon's true purpose? Beyond bequeathing you power, was it your key that guided you to this world…and can it open the path to another?"

Aqua couldn't breathe. This man had stumbled onto the Keyblade's true purpose just by looking at it…

And she understood what he desired unlocked.

Watching her, the man grinned again, sneering cruelly and triumphantly.

"Your silence speaks volumes."

Flicking his wrist, he moved his hand towards the pool of glowing water, pointing towards it.

"Show me."

Aqua blinked.

"W-what?"

The man turned his gaze to the orifice, nodding his head towards it.

"Show me how your key works. Show me its true power. Unlock the seal that closes this world from the other."

At that, Aqua vehemently shook her head in denial.

"No. I won't do it."

The man glared at her, brow furrowing in annoyance.

"You speak as if you're in a position to deny me. I have already proven I can subdue you with little effort, do not force my hand again."

Aqua gave him her own sneer in response.

"Go ahead. Cut me with your sword again, you know I can heal myself. And if you think just summoning the Keyblade will undo the seal, you're wrong. I have to be the one to unlock it. And I'll never do that, not for someone like you."

At the mention of her weapon's name, the silver haired man gave her a curious expression before glowering in fury at her defiance. Aqua was waiting for him to suggest just taking it from her, like every fool who ever wanted the Keyblade for themselves always suggested, but when he remained silent, her smile returned.

"And you already know you can't just take it from, don't you? You already tried, and it rejected you, didn't it?"

She saw him bristle ever so slightly in fury, and Aqua felt the urge to laugh.

"Some plan," she mocked. "You brought me down here thinking I would undo the spell, but now you see that'll never happen. You will never claim that sealed power."

She was prepared to laugh the moment she saw him break his calm façade of aloofness…

But she wasn't prepared when he simply resumed smirking, and carefully bent over to place his sword on the alter floor.

"Wrong." Was his reply, his hands reaching inside his coat, and emerging with two sparkling objects. Aqua saw they were pieces of jewelry, amulets. One was a shining silver, the other a deep gold, both with large red gems set in them, broken chains hanging limply off the sides of the man's palms where the gems lay.

As soon as the soft light from the orifice touched the gems, they began to glow. The amulets began to hum and crackle with energy, the red gems glowing with bright ruby light. Under their own power, Aqua watched the two amulets rise from the silver haired man's gloved hands, spinning before his face before slamming together, merging seamlessly. Still glowing vermillion, the combined amulet plunged down, sinking into the pool and vanishing from sight.

Aqua blinked, her heart racing, skipping a beat when she sensed the tremendous power from before suddenly rustle and stir, like waves beginning to churn.

The soft sound of sliding metal woke her from her reverie, and the water maiden's heart started pounding faster when she the man had picked up his sword while she was distracted and drawn the blade out, the long flawless metal shining against the light of the pool. Holding his sword in his right hand, the man spoke again.

"Every lock has a key, and every spell has a way to be broken. What you saw was the key that once opened the door between this Human World and the Underworld. The legendary dark knight, Sparda, sealed the door with that amulet, and offered his own devil's blood as the sacrifice to lock it for eternity."

Turning his eyes away from Aqua, the man looked down on his sword, slowly raising it up, while moving his left hand towards the blade. Aqua's eyes widened. "Wait, what are you-"

"To break the spell," the man interrupted, gripping his sword tightly, fingers wrapping around the blade as he went on.

"His blood must be offered again."

That struck Aqua like a punch to the stomach, reeling her.

"His…blood?" she realized, eyes widening.

"You're his son." The water maiden gasped.

The sound of metal sliding issued again, accompanied by the slick echo of flesh splitting. Aqua's hands flew over her mouth in horror as she watched the man, the son of the legendary dark knight, merely grimace as he dragged the sharp edge of his sword down the hand gripping it, long lines of red blood dribbling down the stainless surface. With a sharp pull, Aqua screeched as she saw blood fly in a long line against the stone altar's floor, while more droplets fell like rain from the deep gash left on his left hand's palm. The silver haired man held his bleeding hand over the glowing pool, his blood staining the water until it turned red completely.

The man clenched his hand into a tight fist, urging more of his blood to flow down. When he was satisfied to see the orifice had turned entirely red, the faint glow of light fading away, he calmly and deftly spun his sword, flinging more drops of his own blood off before sheathing back in its scabbard. Smirk returning, the man began to speak again.

"Now, any moment, the spell will be broken-"

He stopped suddenly, blinking in surprise when he saw the blue haired woman was suddenly by him, having cleared the distance between them in moments. When she reached for his bloody hand, he was so shocked he didn't even resist as she began to pull his glove off.

"Let me see the wound."

The blue coated swordsman silently watched Aqua tug his glove off, turning his palm over while speaking in genuine concern. "If you cut yourself deep enough you may bleed out, I can heal you, I just-"

Her words cut off just as quickly as they came when her soft fingers carefully brushed his calloused palm, but found no torn flesh, only the blood of the wound remained. Aqua blinked in shock. "But…but you…I saw you-"

"One of the many benefits of devil's blood coursing through human veins," He interrupted her, gently pulling his palm from her grasp, slipping his sword onto his belt to free his other hand to take back his glove and reapply it over his bare fingers.

"My wounds can heal on their own, without need of magics like yours. Your concern is…" He paused, seeming to mull over the right word, before finally saying softly, "Touching."

Then his right hand snatched her by the neck once again, making Aqua gasp in shock, frantically scrambling her own hands at his strong grip uselessly.

"But foolish." He chided coldly before easily tossing her across the length of the altar. The Keyblade mistress struck the hard floor and slid several feet, before coming to a stop just at the edge of the altar's plinth, fierce gasps and coughs wracking her.

The silver haired man glared contemptuously at the blue haired woman, angered by her continued defiance…and admittedly confused, as well annoyed, by her sudden concerns after offering his blood to the altar. He could still feel the soft caress of her fingers against his skin…

He brushed these strange thoughts off.

He had no use for her any longer. For defying him, she would-

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important, Vergil."

Icy eyes widened at the sound of the familiar, cocky voice, his blood beginning to burn with fury. Grip tightening on his sword's sheathe, Vergil snarled, whirling around, his anger intensifying when his fury was met by a cocky grin worn on his own face.

"Dante," he hissed, hand snatching at Yamato's sheathe in anticipation.

Aqua was still coughing, blinking back tears of pain when she heard the newcomers voice, and absently noted that he had spoken her blue coated foe's name, finally revealing it to her.

"Vergil…" she whispered, before looking up, sapphire eyes searching for Vergil and the newcomer. When she saw the interloper, she nearly did a double take. The events of this day on this world only kept getting stranger.

The man was dressed simply compared to herself and Vergil, wearing only a pair of ripped tan colored pants, muddy unlaced boots, black fingerless gloves like hers and Vergil's, and most striking of all, a badly torn red leather coat that was missing the right sleeve, with nothing underneath, baring the pale flesh of his lithe yet muscular torso, a curious strap of brown leather running across his pectorals. But what made Aqua look upon the newcomer in such shock was the fact that the man looked exactly like Vergil, right down to the silver hair, though his hung shaggily down unlike the blue coated swordsman's spiked locks.

The smug grin the red coated man-Dante, she recalled hearing Vergil practically spit the name out like a curse-was also a harsh contrast to the other man's cold glares and cruel sneers. When Dante spotted Aqua looking at him from behind Vergil, he whistled loudly, making her blink and flinch at the sudden sound.

"Damn, bro, you were holding out on me! Hiding a babe like her, nice!"

The water maiden felt the fires of indignation rising up at being called 'babe', but they died down when her mind processed what Dante said before that.

"Bro…brother?" She whispered to herself, stumbling back onto her feet, metal soles of her armored shoes scraping the stone floor, fingers gently running over her throat to soothe the pain of her most recent throttling. She glowered, cheeks flushing a little when she caught Dante giving her a little too appreciative look over, which earned a loud growl from Vergil, who moved back into his brother's line of vision. At that Dante chuckled dryly, saying, "No need to get in a bad mood…"

That made it much easier for Aqua to see that the two were virtually identical, save for their hair and apparel, and she whispered to herself, "Twins…"

Dante glanced around the chamber in mock interest before speaking.

"So, my mother's amulet is the key that unlocks the door to the demon world?" Pacing a little ways from Vergil, who followed the red coated twin's every step like a snarling beast ready to pounce, Dante looked towards the chamber's ceiling and derisively scoffed, "Good plan, pop."

Aqua's eyes narrowed, trying to take in every exchange between the two. But she didn't need to be told of the obvious contempt and anger between the two brothers, these sons of Sparda. The tension was so thick she didn't think a knife could cut it.

"Just the opposite, actually," Vergil growled, hand never leaving his sword's hilt, icy eyes following Dante's every move while he went on. "Originally it was the key to the demon world but was given to the humans as a gift."

Shaking his head in disinterest, Dante turned his back to Vergil while saying, "Doesn't matter to me one way or the other." As he turned, Aqua's eyes widened when she saw the massive greatsword strapped to his back, easily as long as Dante was tall, the double-edged tip barbed and dangerous looking, while the hilt and guard seemed to be forged from a human ribcage, the face of a screaming demonic skull engraved just above the barbed hilt. Under the sword, she spotted the sleek handles of two weapons she couldn't identify, but realized they were holstered on the strap around Dante's chest.

Turning back to face Vergil with a heavy glare, Dante spoke on. "More importantly, I've come all this way." Reaching over his shoulder, Dante drew his massive sword in a single hand, the sound of metal drawing reverberating loudly through the chamber, leveling the blade out so the tip was aimed for Vergil's neck, Dante's grin fading into a harsh glower.

"I'm sure you have time for one more game…right?" He challenged darkly.

Game?! Aqua thought in horror. He treated threatening his own brother like a game? What was wrong with-

Aqua's eyes widened in horror when she saw Vergil swiftly begin to unsheathe his own sword, the blade shining dangerously…when he stopped, the weapon barely half drawn, and seemed to mull over Dante's words for a moment. Aqua hoped Vergil would refuse, the rational thing to do, and she even let herself believe that was what he was actually going to do when he let his sword slip back into its scabbard with a soft 'click' of the hilt meeting the tang.

But what he said next filled her with dread, her heart beginning to pound with anxiety.

"Why not?" He agreed, slipping his sword onto his belt, a sneer forming on his lips.

"After all, we share the same blood…" He mused, and that filled Aqua with a new terror. If their father's blood really was the key to breaking the spell, anymore they spilled in their coming fight would weaken it further.

Vergil slowly raised his arms before himself, and Aqua felt something she wasn't expecting, least of all from him.

Light.

Indeed, sparkles of white followed Vergil's moving arms as he extended them in a fighter's stance, and then his forearms and legs began to glow brightly, the pure white light solidifying into a set of black steel gauntlet and greaves in the shape of beastial fangs and talons, the metal engraved with glowing lines of light that pulsed rhythmically.

"I'll just use more of yours to undo daddy's little spell…" Vergil promised with a smirk.

He can wield light as a weapon? How? Aqua asked herself internally, too stunned to vocalize her surprise.

Dante pulled his greatsword back, appearing to give the blade a look over while replying nonchalantly to Vergil's threat, "So you want a piece of me literally? Ok bro…Come and get it…" The red coated twin twirled his sword once before aiming it back at his blue coated brother.

"If you can!"

Aqua couldn't believe what was happening, horrified and unable to look away from the impending duel between brothers.

They're family…why would they do this?

Sudden movement, and a familiar humming sound broke her reverie, and she saw Vergil had vanished from where he was standing, only to reappear in the air several feet back, leg stretched out as he shot down, his greave trailing light like a star falling from the night sky. Dante dodged the descending kick in a flourish of his red coat, his hands snatching the two holstered pistols, one a shining silver, the other a deep obsidian, before thrusting them both out, his arms crossed as he opened fire, a series of thundering booms echoing through the chamber, the long barrels flashing in time with each rapid shot as Dante's fingers squeezed rapidly.

Vergil had already landed, his kick having left a large crack on the alter under him, but as soon as Dante had drawn his guns, his own sword was out and swinging in front of himself in a circular motion, and to Aqua's disbelief, the long blade deflected each shot, with none of Dante's bullets ever touching the blue coated swordsman. Unfortunately for the water maiden, Dante's shots were now ricocheting everywhere else, and when she heard a rush of burning air whip past her face, she knew it was time to stop staring in stupor.

Aqua twisted her body, kicking off the floor and cartwheeling away from where she had been standing to dodge Dante's deflected bullets, though neither brother paid any heed to her retreating movements. Dante holstered his guns and rapidly unslung his greatsword, thrusting the blade out in a sudden sliding stab, letting the sword propel him forward into his brother's spinning blade. Vergil sheathed his thinner blade before sweeping the scabbard out to deflect Dante's strike, a thunderous crash of clashing metals resounding, a bright flash erupting from where the two swords met so bright Aqua had to shield her eyes with her arm.

Dante reeled back, staggered, but Vergil was unaffected, lowering his scabbard and striking out with his gauntlet covered fist, landing a solid punch to his twin's solar plexus with enough force there was a sickening sounds of an audible crunch of breaking bone mixed with a disturbing wet sound of splitting flesh. Dante's mouth flew open in a wide "O" of pain, and Vergil followed up with a second punch that forced Dante back, before suddenly twisting his greave covered leg in a spinning kick, light trailing the strike and punctuated by Vergil's fierce growl and Dante's grunt of pain.

As Dante was knocked flat on his back, Vergil crouched and vanished back in a hum of energy, while further away from the alter, a horrified Aqua had watched the exchange of blows in wide eyed growing terror. He's really trying to kill him, his own brother…she thought, her mind racing on what she should do, or even could do at all. Dante meanwhile, kicked up his legs, spinning them out before jumping back onto his feet, his grin bloody as he wiped his jaw, spitting blood onto the altar. Vergil glowered at his brother vanishing in another hum, reappearing in front of Dante and striking out with glowing fists and feet. Dante weaved through each blow, before suddenly swinging his sword out just as Vergil struck out with another punch, the clashing weapons issuing another blinding flash and resounding clang.

Aqua forced herself to look past the flash of light, and saw it was Vergil who staggered this time, allowing Dante to follow up with more slashes, his greatsword cutting deep into his brother's chest and arms, blood spilling in great splashes. Cerulean eyes widened, and Aqua screamed, "NO!" before thrusting her right hand out, conjuring her Keyblade in a flash of light and flurry of ethereal petals, the tip glowing a soft blue and white as a series of blue bursts of magic fired from the tip.

The bursts struck Dante's sword and arm, the effect almost instantaneous as a layer of frost and ice froze over his weapon and hand. The red coated swordsman blinked, shouting indignantly, "Hey what the hell?!"

His brother's sudden distraction allowed Vergil to crouch and vanish, reappearing further away from his brother, across the altar. Dante hardly noticed, whipping his head to glare at Aqua. "What gives babe?! Are you on his side or something?!" The red coated hunter demanded, shaking his arm fiercely, shattering the ice around it easily.

Aqua met his glare without fear, her own gaze just as intense and angry as she snapped back, "I won't allow any more bloodshed! You two are brothers, what's wrong with you?! Why would you try to kill each other!"

Dante rolled his eyes, balancing his blade along his shoulder as he snapped, "This is between family, so buzz off before you get hurt!"

As his brother and the curious woman shouted at each other, Vergil touched one of his gauntlet covered hands to a deep gash on his chest from Dante's sword. At the sight of his own blood, the silver haired fighter grinned fiercely.

"This may be fun," he mused.

Vergil vanished, reappearing behind a distracted Dante, his legs striking out a sudden upwards kick, followed by a second, the trailing light resembling a pair of rising suns as Vergil launched Dante into the air, before lunging back down in another descending kick that sent Dante crashing back down, sliding across the altar with a grunt of pain. Aqua gasped, but quickly set her sights on Vergil as he landed back down. His icy gaze met her watery orbs and he vanished once again.

Aqua reacted on instinct, thrusting her Keyblade and empty hand out in front of herself. Her spherical barrier appeared around her in a flash of magical light, just as Vergil reappeared, his spinning kick striking the barrier hard enough to shatter part of it into shards of vanishing sparks. Aqua thrust her Keyblade up again, striking the top of her barrier and shattering it into damaging bursts of magical energy. The magic struck Vergil, causing him to grunt and flinch back.

This left him open for Dante to suddenly charge over, his sword thrust out to impale his brother through the side, pushing Vergil back. Dante suddenly began repeatedly jabbing his sword out in a flurry of a million stabs in a single instant, each blow punctuated with a harsh grunt from the red coated warrior. Dante grinned savagely as he thrust his sword a final time, the last stab sending Vergil stumbling back in a spray of blood.

"Breakdown!" Dante shouted, hopping back and whipping out his pistols. He opened fire on his blue coated twin, but Vergil did not draw his blade and deflect the bullets, instead opting to teleport back into the air and came crashing down in another light streaking kick, striking Dante square on his back with a sickening crunch, sending the gunman sprawling across the altar. Vergil stalked after Dante, drawing his armored fist back to smash his brother's head in.

Aqua swung her Keyblade out just as Vergil was on top of Dante, calling out, "Wind!" A swirling funnel of green gales whipped up around her weapon before spinning out, washing over Vergil and pushing him back, away from Dante. Vergil shielded his face with his right arm, the fierce winds of Aqua's spell cutting into his coat and causing the tail ends of his coat to whip about wildly.

The greaves on his feet left deep grooves in the altar before he finally forced himself to stop, sweeping his glowing arm out to dispel Aqua's conjured winds easily, his icy eyes glaring into her deeper pools. The water maiden met Vergil's glare without fear, her grip tightening on the hilt of her Keyblade. Vergil stared at her, eyes narrow and intense, before finally speaking.

"You would challenge me, still? Even knowing I could end you at my leisure?"

Aqua narrowed her own gaze, nodding firmly.

"I won't let this continue." She declared.

Vergil simply sneered.

"No doubt then…you can sense it."

Her silence affirmed his words.

Indeed, she could feel it. With every drop of blood spilled between the two sons of Sparda, their father's blood weakened the spell binding back the tide of power held in place. She could feel the power beginning to stir, like restless ocean waves beginning to churn and froth.

Aqua flexed her fingers over her Keyblade's hilt, her knuckles white. She had to stop them, somehow, or this world would be in great peril if that power was unsealed.

Behind Vergil, a red figure dashed, a long blade slashing out, but the blue coated warrior reacted just as fast, whirling around and bringing his gauntlet coated arm up to deflect the strike. A thunderous crash of metal and flashing light issued from where the two brothers weapons clashed, only this time both were staggered, reeling back with their eyes scrunched closed. Aqua saw this as her chance and took it.

Thrusting her Keyblade out, the tip glowing blue as icy white streams of magic misted out, Aqua called, "Freeze!" The magic gathered between Dante and Vergil, the twins eyes snapping open and both hopping back just in time as a glacier twice their size erupted between them, the ice rising up before shattering into dozens of jagged shards. Dante's sword swept out, deflecting and breaking any chunk of ice that got near him, while Vergil's fists and feet punched and kicked out to destroy any piece before they even touched him. Dante was slower than his brother, and a hunk of ice slammed into his shoulder, causing him to stumble back.

Grunting and wincing, he rolled his injured shoulder and arm, giving Vergil a wry grin.

"I can see why you like that babe, Vergil. She's as good as cold shoulders as you are."

That got equally cold glares from both Aqua and Vergil directed at Dante. The red coated swordsman just looked at them both, asking, "What?"

Vergil vanished in a rush, not teleporting, simply clearing the distance between himself and Dante the old fashioned way to try and slam a punch into his brother's gut a second time, but Dante hopped back, ducking and weaving through Vergil's follow up punch and spinning kick. Vergil rose back into the air with another series of rising kicks, but Dante dodged those as well. Vergil shot back down in a descending kick, but this time, Dante didn't try to dodge the kick, and swung his sword up in a rising strike.

A thunderous crash of metal issued, blinding Aqua, who frantically wiped at her watering eyes, while Vergil was forced to backflip away into the air, only Dante wasn't stunned from the clash this time. Dane followed after his brother, leaping high into the air and bringing his blade down on Vergil in a descending slash. A geyser of blood erupted in Vergil's wake, and the blue coated twin's grunt of pain was loud and harsh, slamming back down on the center of the altar, stumbling.

Dante landed across from Vergil, and instead of following up with his sword further, Dante whipped out his handguns and opened fire, the bullets pushing Vergil back and succeeding in making him cry out in actual pain, blood splattering the altar in great gouts. Dante grinned cockily in triumph as he lowered his smoking guns, while Vergil staggered, blood running down his chest from the various bullet holes and slashes, his jaw grinding hard, a thin line of blood spilling down his jaw.

The silver haired warrior was furious to have so many wounds inflicted on him. The woman's interference had allowed Dante to gain the upper hand, but now it was time to end this. He had indulged with his brother long enough in these childish games.

Around Vergil's body, a swirling sphere of darkness began to form, an intense aura of power that actually pushed Dante back several feet.

Aqua's eyes snapped open when she felt a great shadow fill the chamber, the darkness overwhelming and consuming. The Keyblade mistress had never felt darkness as deep and foul as this before, like a bitter black wave of utter hate and rage. Her eyes fell on Vergil, and they widened when she saw he was engulfed in total darkness. But she could see his eyes…

They burned a bright red, glowing through the shadows as his body began to warp and contort.

"You will not prevent this devil's power…" He snarled.

The darkness fell away, and Aqua saw what the warrior had become.

Blue scales covered his body, the gauntlets and greaves he had summoned seemed to have fused to his limbs, streams of light feeding into his new bulging muscles, while great wings jutted from his back, blunt horns emerging from the sides of a wide head, the red eyes having turned a wintery green, his mouth open in a permanent snarl of fangs.

Aqua remembered the harlequin's words.

"A monster…" She whispered.

He wasn't a man.

He was a monster.

No.

A devil.

"You are not worthy as my opponent!" Vergil's warped voice roared.

In response to his brother's transformation, Dante simply kept grinning, wagging his hands out in challenge.

"Come and get me!" He called.

The blue devil vanished in a blur and hum of energy, reappearing in front of his still very human twin, his body twisting back and forward, the greaves fused to his legs glowing with intense light that waned and waxed like the lunar phases as Vergil unleashed a spinning flip kick, moving almost too fast for Aqua's eyes to keep up, but Dante dashed back just in time to dodge his brother's attack. Vergil's spinning kick left a deep gouge in the altar plinth where Dante had been standing, the transformed devil landing back on his clawed feet, body crackling with blue and white sparks of demonic power.

Vergil turned as Dante charged for him, sword thrust out. Vergil's green eyes narrowed in amusement, not even bothering to try and defend himself. The warrior knew his brother's human strength wouldn't be near enough to hurt him in his transformed state. When Dante saw Vergil wasn't bothering with a defensive stance, the red coated swordsman grinned, his eyes flashing red.

Vergil's wintery orbs widened when he saw this, and in a flash of red demonic power, Dante transformed as well.

Before both Vergil's and Aqua's eyes, Dante became a devil as well, his transformed state visually similar to Vergil's own, save for his body's scales being a deep shade of crimson, and the flaps of his coat transforming into a set of folded wings, his warped head possessing a set of blunted horns at a lower angle, his deep set eyes burning gold while his fangs grinned perpetually.

Too late to react, Vergil could only stagger as Dante unleashed a blinding series of sword strikes, tearing into Vergil like a macabre dance, before pulling his sword back to wind up like a pitcher at base, slashing his brother across the chest in a deep gash, blood spraying across the altar. Vergil was pushed back a step, his green eyes flaring as a warped roar issued from deep within his throat as he charged at Dante, glowing fist drawn back. The twin demons tore into each other in a series of sword slashes and flying fists and feet, Dante tearing into his brother with his greatsword while Vergil was content to pummel his transformed brother to a meaty pulp.

When Vergil's gauntlet collided with Dante's sword, a tempest of clashing demonic power exploded between the weapons in a bright flash of red and white, pushing the brothers back. The feedback of the dueling powers washed over their transformed bodies, and in a flush of blue and red, they changed back to their human forms. Both Vergil and Dante were covered in blood and sweat, with Vergil huffing softly while Dante panted in exhaustion, using his sword to keep himself propped up.

Vergil clenched his fist inside his gauntlet, taking a single step towards Dante-

-Before whirling around, arm raised to parry the coming strike from Aqua's Keyblade, though the warrior winced as several strikes of light followed after her swing, sparks issuing from his gauntlet. Vergil met Aqua's glare, surprised by the sudden intensity in her watery eyes as she struggled in vain to overcome his greater strength.

The water maiden hissed at the dark warrior, "Monster!"

Vergil glared back at her rage with cold indifference.

"I never claimed to be a man to begin with, my dear." He responded, before thrusting his arm out, easily pushing Aqua back, though she quickly caught her footing and balanced her weapon at her side. Still glaring into Vergil's icy eyes, Aqua boldly declared, "It is my sworn duty to put an end to creatures of the dark like you! I will not let you spread any more darkness across this world!"

Vergil simply sneered in the face of her words, before suddenly whirling around, blocking Dante's descending slash with his gauntlet before kicking his brother way. In the same moment, the dark warrior turned, sweeping his arm out to block Aqua's sudden charging slash, sending her back. Both Dante and Aqua hopped back, landing away from Vergil and standing close.

Sparing the oddly colored haired girl a look from the corner of his eye, Dante asked, "So, I guess you're on my side now?"

Aqua raised her Keyblade, not even looking at Dante as she snapped, "As long you keep looking human."

Chuckling, Dante briefly twirled his sword to admire his reflection in the blade. "Heh, I don't blame ya, babe. I like this face more too."

Aqua rolled her eyes, resisting a groan, when Vergil vanished, reappearing in the center of the altar. His left hand snatched the scabbard of his Yamato sheathed on his belt, the dark warrior's voice calling out, "Rest in peace…"

Vergil slammed his clenched fist down on the altar's center, a blinding flash of light emitting from his fist. The flash almost blinded Aqua, who was seeing spots already as it was, but she heard an all too familiar scrape of metal.

"Scum!" Vergil roared, charging out while simultaneously unsheathing his blade, leaving a rapid trail of slashes in his wake as he dashed between Dante and Aqua. The water maiden cartwheeled away, dodging the shining sparks of Vergil's strikes, while Dante dashed opposite of her before charging at his brother with his sword thrust out for another stinger. Vergil swept Yamato out, the katana's scabbard deflecting Dante's strike in a blinding crash, and Vergil recovered first once again, sweeping his sword out in a sudden upper slash before bringing the blade back down with a harsh roar.

Blood sprayed from Dante's cut chest, the red clad twin knocked back with a pained cry. Vergil swept his sword out, flinging his twin's blood off his pristine blade, and deftly sheathed it once again before quickly turning to block Aqua's sudden lunging strike of her own, the scabbard of Yamato locked with the teeth of her Keyblade. The water maiden glared at the blue clad warrior with fierce, burning hatred and disgust, while the silver haired half-demon simply glared back with cold eyes.

Vergil's hand reached toward Yamato's hilt, and Aqua's eyes widened when she realized she had inadvertently left herself open for a potentially lethal strike across her neck-

-But Vergil rapidly drew his sword out in the same moment he released his sword's sheathe, shoving Aqua away as Dante suddenly leapt at him, his own greatsword descending down in a harsh slash, Vergil's strike catching his twin's blade. The two pushed away from the reeling Aqua, their blades striking harshly in a series of sparks and clangs, punctuated by their grunts mixed with clashing metals. Aqua stumbled back, trying to correct her footing-

-Only to find herself nearly slipping on something wet under the soles of her metal shoes, and at first she believed she had stepped into a deeper trench of water on the altar's plinth-

But when she looked down to confirm her thoughts, her sapphire eyes widened in a combination of dawning horror and disgust.

Staining the altar under them in greater amounts than any two human bodies should be able to spill, was blood. So much blood it was leaking over the altar's rising steps in little falls, filling each gouge embedded in the stone. Aqua stepped back, hand rising to cover her mouth as she felt her gorge rise to her throat.

She cast a glance back the dueling brothers, and saw they had locked blades, sparks trailing as the katana and greatsword were pushed against each other, the twins faces identical as they ground their jaws down harshly, icy eyes glaring back with utter loathing and contempt.

Aqua wondered what she should do, feeling the great ocean of power under the waning spell still rolling and crashing in impatience…

Then her eyes widened as she realized the spell had still not broken.

But why? She asked herself. Vergil had said the amulets and Sparda's blood were needed for it to break, but still, despite weakening, the ancient magic was holding fast. Was something missing?

So caught up in her thoughts, Aqua didn't even hear the rapid steps approaching from behind her until a voice angrily ordered her, "Move!"

The water maiden blinked, whirling her gaze, eyes widening when she saw a massive launcher suddenly thrust up, the wide barrel flashing brightly. A projectile shot towards the dueling brothers, a glowing missile headed right for them. Vergil saw the approaching projectile and swept his blade up, breaking his lock with Dante.

The red twin swung his sword horizontally while Vergil slashed his blade down vertically. Both their strokes struck the missile, and the diced projectile landed on the altar in four neat little pieces. The twin brothers paused in their duel to look at the newcomer, following Aqua's gaze.

To Aqua's surprise, it was a woman, rather a young girl, dressed in a white blouse with her midriff partially exposed, dozens of packs covering her skirt along with several more guns, a holster for another gun strapped to her left leg, and ankle high brown riding boots. The young girl had long dark hair, a necklace with a red gem wrapped around her neck. The launcher she held was easily as long as the girl was tall, a jagged, gleaming bayonet jutting under the smoking barrel.

Aqua blinked, very confused by this sudden turn, but it was Dante who spoke first.

Turning back to his brother and levelling his sword with both hands, he panted softly while huffing, "Sorry, this is no place for a little girl. So beat it." He snapped at her, voice no longer playful but tense and angry as he glowered at his silent brother.

The young girl snapped back, "Shut up!" and fired another missile from her massive launcher. Dante dashed back, dodging the lethal explosive, and Vergil followed after him, their swords swinging as they resumed their battle.

The young girl started to follow after them, but Aqua grabbed her shoulder, calling, "Wait! Stop!"

The younger woman rounded on Aqua, shooting her a glare that stopped the older woman cold. The girl shouted, "Don't interfere!" And raced after the brothers.

Aqua could only watch her go, unable to reconcile her shock. It had not been the intensity of the seething hated in the young girl's eyes that stunned her so…

But the fact that the girl's eyes had been mismatched, her right a bright blue-green…

The left a deep brown, almost red.

The maiden's memories stirred.

"Where have I seen those eyes before?" Aqua asked herself in a whisper.

A sudden flurry of motion, accompanied by a flash of sparks and clang of clashing metals caught Aqua's attention, and her gaze snapped back up.

Vergil and Dante's duel raged on, the brothers weaving under their dancing blades while the girl charged for them. Vergil locked Yamato with Dante's greatsword just as the interloping female reached them, swinging her cannon up at the twined swords. Vergil swung Yamato up, deflecting the girl's strike while pushing Dante's larger sword away from himself.

Giving the young girl an annoyed scowl, Vergil swept Yamato out in a second strike aimed right for her midsection, and the girl reacted fast enough to get her cannon up to deflect the blow, but the raw strength behind the swipe sent her flying and flat on her back. As the girl struggled to collect herself, Vergil leapt over Dante, Yamato slashing out to intercept his brother's blade, before descending down on the helpless girl, sword drawn back-

-Only to be parried by the long gray shaft of Aqua's Keyblade, the blue haired woman appearing between Vergil and the girl in an instant, both hands holding her Keyblade, one on the hilt, the other supporting the main blade as she struggled to match Vergil's greater strength. Vergil glared down on Aqua dispassionately, while the Keyblae mistress managed to ground out through a tightly clenched jaw, "I won't let this continue. I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

Vergil's lips curled into a mocking sneer, and he pushed Yamato down harder against Aqua's Keyblade, all the while taunting, "So you say, but you've done nothing to even slow me down."

A soft metallic click issued by Aqua's ear.

"Try this!" The girl shouted, having drawn one of her pistols and aimed it directly at Vergil's face.

The blue coated swordsman was hardly impressed, sweeping Yamato out to free the katana from Aqua's Keyblade, knocking her aside while simultaneously shoving the girl's firearm up and away, the resounding shot going wild. Vergil spun away from the two women, and the younger girl rose up, holstering her pistol to draw her launcher up. Her young face was twisted with rage and pain, her eyes watery as she screamed, "You forced him into this!"

Aqua blinked, not understanding. But Vergil's widening smirk told her he understood completely. Tilting his head curiously, he asked, "Is that what you think? Foolish girl."

His cold words made the younger girl blink, and Vergil whirled around to deflect Dante's coming slash, their swords once more flashing as they collided again and again. The girl stood her ground, looking torn as she watched the brothers duel viciously. Aqua rose up next to her, also unable to look away, while her thoughts raced desperately.

Every drop of blood that the twin sons of Sparda spilled made the dark ocean of power churn and crash more and more violently, but Aqua still didn't understand why the spell simply hadn't broken yet.

Something's missing, some other element is still holding the spell in place, she realized just as Dante managed to weave his sword through Vergil's strike, landing a long slash across the blue coated swordsman's chest. But as Vergil reeled back in pain, he struck out, slashing a deep cut across Dante's stomach. Blood splashed on the altar, and both brother's collapsed, Vergil falling to his knees, using Yamato to support himself, while Dante fell on all fours, his grip on his own blade never faltering.

The chamber grew quiet, the only sound was the twins harsh pants for breath, with both Aqua and the girl watching them, unsure of what to do.

Then…

Clapping, slow and deliberate, broke the brief calm.

"Bravo. Bravo!" A high, nasally voice called out. Aqua and the girl flinched, their eyes widening in shock as a figure strolled onto the altar, walking right between the two women.

Aqua recognized the figure instantly as the harlequin who had greeted her when she first arrived on this tower.

Still clapping, the clown drolled on. "Bravo! I never dreamed that things would go so smoothly!"

Punctuating his next words with a few final claps, the harlequin cheered, "Well done, everyone! Well done!"

Aqua wasn't the only who recognized him, and while Vergil and the girl looked equally confused, Dante forced himself up, using his sword as a crutch to growl out, "You!"

The girl started to turn towards the clown, gasping and flinching back in disgust as the clown suddenly dashed over, tongue flicking out while his long clawed fingers snatched the barrel of her launcher, keeping the weapon aimed down as the harlequin hissed, "Don't be a bad girl, Mary!"

Then with hardly a grunt of effort, he flung the girl across the altar with her own weapon. As Mary slid across the plinth, Aqua snapped into action. Letting out a fierce cry, she charged at the harlequin, understanding he was an enemy to all of them. Her Keyblade came down, but the clown was faster, whirling around to block her strike with the girl's launcher.

Aqua struggled against the clown's strength, but her eyes widened when the harlequin sneered down on her with his ruby and azure eyes. The same eyes as-

"My, my! The beak on this blue bird isn't so sharp after all!" The clown smirked with dirty yellow teeth.

"Let's see you fly, pretty little angel."

With a harsh grunt, the harlequin thrust the launcher up with a single hand, forcing Aqua's Keyblade up with it, his free hand striking her in the stomach with an open palm that sent Aqua sliding back, the maiden collapsing in a heap, harsh coughs for breath escaping her, blood spilling from her lips.

At the sight of Aqua retching blood, Vergil's eyes narrowed, enraged.

The harlequin balanced the launcher over his shoulders, cackling.

"Now, you ladies need to behave, or you can expect a spanking from daddy later!" Gyrating his hips the clown began to sing merrily, "Jester's gonna spank you on the butt, spank you on the-"

Vergil's fury peaked, his strength returning as he roared, "INSANE BUFFOON!"

"-buuuuuuttt?" Jester drawled as he calmly turned his uneven gaze on the silver haired swordsman, grinning when he saw Vergil back on his feet, Yamato leveled out before him.

"I don't know where you came from, but you don't belong here." Vergil snarled before swinging Yamato out, dragging the blade behind himself as he charged the Jester with an enraged cry.

"NOW LEAVE!"

Jester let the launcher he was shouldering fall away without a care, his perpetual grin remaining as he watched Vergil race towards him.

The blue coated swordsman brought Yamato up, grasping the hilt with both hands as he swung the katana down with all his might-

-And Jester easily caught the sword between his green skinned hands. Vergil could only gasp in a combination of shock and confusion while the clown cackled again.

"Zowie, that was close! But you've taken quite a trouncing today, haven't you, Vergil?" Jester asked mockingly, all the while moving his right hand up, pinching Yamato's blade between his index and middle fingers and easily shoving it down while Vergil struggled to maintain his hold on his own weapon.

Sneering down on the half-demon, mismatched eyes gleaming, the Jester jeered, "You could've chopped me into confetti by now if you were in tip-top condition."

Vergil glared back into the harlequin's hideous face, hissing breathlessly, "Damn you!"

"You have lost…" The clown hissed back in a much deeper voice. Vergil's eyes widened, the confused shock in his icy orbs giving way to recognition.

Jester slammed his elbow into Vergil's face, sending the swordsman sprawling on his back and sliding across the altar in a kick up of blood and dust. Vergil came to a harsh stop, gasping out in pain-

-Then he shook his head, eyes widening when he saw a familiar figure standing where the Jester had stood previously only moments ago. Aqua forced her own gaze back up, her sapphire eyes wide when she saw a man in dark clothing standing in the Jester's place, his face hideously scarred.

"…because you underestimated humans." Arkham chided coldly. Behind him, Mary was orienting herself as best as she could, her mismatched eyes wide when she saw Arkham standing before her.

That's not possible, she thought in shock. She had seen him die, heard his last words…

"What's going on?" She gasped.

Turning his attention on the young lady, Arkham cooed coldly, "Good girl, pure and innocent. Just like your mother." His words were far from endearing, only cold and flat, uncaring and mocking.

Mary's eyes widened in rage and understanding, her right hand drawing one of her pistols as she screamed, "You bastard!"

Aqua didn't even see Arkham move. One second he was standing in front of Mary glaring down on her without pity, the next, the Jester was behind the girl, gripping her head with one twisted clawed hand, yanking the poor girl's head back by her hair painfully.

"It's time for your spanking, my dear!" The Jester growled, then with ease, reared Mary back and slammed her head into the altar floor. The poor girl could only groan in fresh agony.

Letting the girl go, who could only gasp in pain, Jester turned his attention back to Vergil, the silver haired man struggling to force himself back up.

"You want to know why the spell didn't break, hmm, Vergil?"

Rising back up, the Jester gesticulated wildly, punctuating his words as he spoke on.

"You have two amulets and Sparda's blood. You had everything you needed to unleash the evil!" The Jester raved, sweeping his grasping fingers out as he moved closer to the reeling blue coated swordsman.

"I told you before…" A cocky voice called out to the clown. Aqua blinked, shocked to see Dante had staggered back up, his pistols drawn and aiming for the harlequin.

"I don't like anybody who has a bigger mouth than mine!" Dante proclaimed, leveling both pistols at the Jester, who covered his hands over his hideously wide mouth, eyes bulging out in false terror.

Dante opened fire, but the bullets came out at a slower rate. Vanishing across the altar and up onto the chamber walls, the Jester drawled in boredom, "You are wounded and weak." Dante's bullets trailed after the harlequin, but the clown was always a step ahead, arriving atop the chamber ceiling in seconds.

"Even I can do…"

Laughing, the clown dropped, slamming his feet down atop Dante's face, flooring the red coated twin while Jester laughed in triumph, hands spread in victory.

"This to you!" Jester tossed his head back and laughed, while Dante collapsed again, groaning weakly. Aqua could only watch in growing terror.

Stepping off Dante's face, the Jester vanished, Arkham walking in his place, his flat voice speaking again.

"Two amulets… a set of Sparda's blood."

Approaching Mary's discarded launcher, Arkham bent over to pick the weapon up with both hands.

"Now, I need one more key."

The dark scholar's stride resumed towards the vulnerable Mary, his gait deliberately slow.

"He sacrificed two things to suppress the tremendous force of this tower." Arkham explained, and Aqua understood "He" was Vergil and Dante's father, Sparda.

Arkham stopped over Mary, raising the launcher over the girl, the bayonet aimed for her thigh.

"His own Devil's blood…and a mortal priestess."

Realization struck Aqua in an instant-

-The same instant Arkham plunged the launcher's bayonet deep into Mary's thigh. The girl's eyes widened, a sharp gasp of pain slipping out her open mouth as blood sprayed from her punctured leg.

"I needed you, in whose body flows the same blood as the sacrificed woman." Arkham rasped in a low whisper. Mary could only gasp and writhe in pain, more blood pooling under her leg by the second.

"His spell cannot be undone without your blood!" Arkham proclaimed.

Aqua felt a moment of utter panic, turning her pained senses towards the tremendous dark power…

To her surprise, the ocean of darkness had gone still.

This did nothing to alleviate her growing terror.

"It was quite a ride you know!" The Jester raved in Arkham's place, yanking the bayonet of the launcher free from Mary's thigh, the girl crying out, her scream undertone with the horrible sound of rending flesh. The harlequin began to do a little jaunt as he ranted on.

"If any of you had died before getting here, our little plan would have gone to waste!"

Jester concluded his dance, planting the barrel of the launcher by Mary's boot with a "Ha!"

Waving his free hand out, the Jester spoke on. "Therefore, my job was to make you battle each other in order to weaken you. But at the same time, I had to guide you here and make sure that you were kept alive."

Both Mary and Dante angrily clenched their fists as they glared at the raving clown, but Aqua knew neither of them were in any condition to try and attack this madman again. "I even went so far as dressing like a complete idiot!" The Jester screeched, indicating his ridiculous appearance, eyes narrowing in self-contempt.

The clown turned his ruby and azure eyes on the water maiden, gaze narrowing, perpetual smile vanishing for a moment.

"I admit, I didn't plan on an angel to crash tonight's little party…" Jester looked towards Vergil, wide grin returning as he drawled, "But she did manage to keep your attention now, didn't she, Vergil?"

The silver haired swordsman's grip on Yamato tightened in barely repressed rage as the harlequin laughed again.

Jester rounded on Mary, sneering cruelly as he whispered, "It's time for bed, Mary. You can visit your dear mother." The harlequin tossed his head back, breaking out into a fit of high maniacal laughter.

For Aqua, this was the moment she needed.

Now! Her mind screamed.

The water maiden shot up, Keyblade thrust high into the air, a cry of "Heal!" escaping her. The Keyblade flashed, the tip emitting a green wave. Emerald and yellow light washed over Vergil, Dante and Lady, their wounds vanishing in an instant.

Before Jester could react, Lady swept her boot out, kicking the barrel of her launcher up and catching it as she shot up, leveling the weapon at the clown's chest. The harlequin's eyes widened, uttering a shocked, "Whoa!"

"Try me." Growled the young Lady.

In an instant, Aqua's Keyblade was jammed against the clown's long nose, while behind the Jester, Vergil's Yamato balanced across his left shoulder, followed by Dante's greatsword.

Aqua glared up at the Jester, hissing, "How about we blunt your beak?"

"It's time for the clown to bow out, Arkham." Vergil snarled to his former partner.

"Dude, the show's over!" Dante punctuated.

In an instant, the Jester was gone, and Arkham stood in his place, his scarred face stoic in the presence of all the weapons aimed for him.

"Impressive." The dark scholar admitted.

"I expected nothing less from the Devil's descendants." His blue eye narrowed on Aqua.

"Even the angel has proven her worth. But aren't you forgetting something, Vergil?"

Both Aqua and Vergil blinked, realization dawning on them before Arkham even said it.

"The spell is broken."

Behind the sons of Sparda, the altar of blood filled water slowly rose up into a pedestal.

"What do you think will happen next?"

Aqua's eyes widened as she sensed the dark ocean of power rise and crash down on the barrier holding back, utterly crushing through it at long last.

Arkham's lips curled into a mad grin.

"Let's welcome chaos!" He hissed with barely contained anticipation.

Above them, the grinning demonic faces pulled back, the ceiling opening above them with a great series of cracks. Every line carved into the altar plinth began to glow a bright crimson red, and the altar itself began to shake, the plinth beginning to rise up. As stones began to rain down from the opening chamber roof, Aqua, Vergil, Dante, and Lady stumbled to keep their footing as the altar began to rise, while Arkham easily stood in place, his grin never wavering.

All four lunged out with their respective weapons aimed for his neck-

-But the dark scholar ducked under the blades, sweeping his leg out in a spinning motion, knocking both men and women off their unsteady feet, leaving them hanging in the air. Twisting himself further, Arkham kicked out, striking Vergil in the chest and dragging the blue coated warrior into Aqua, then Dante, and finally Lady. With one final push, Arkham knocked all four away, sending them flying over the altar's rising side.

Aqua fell through the rising air, her eyes filled with horror as she watched the altar continue to rise in a great spiral into the open ceiling. The water maiden's sapphire orbs widened further when she saw a large piece of rubble from the ceiling collapsing directly atop her-

-When a blue blur slammed into her, strong arms wrapping around her neck, forcing her to roll her body over. Aqua heard the crack of heavy rock against flesh, followed by a pained grunt and a hiss of hot breath on the back of her neck-

-And then she plunged into a dark crevasse that opened under her, the darkness consuming her, while above, Arkham's triumphant laughter rose above the crashing stones.

Fools that will laugh on Earth, most weep in Hell.