Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

August, 1204 Septian calendar 

Crossbell city, SSS building

Evening

KeA wasn't paying that much attention to the chaos outside the building as she sat on the sofa in the lobby.

The smell of smoke didn't bother her, the shouting of rescue crews attempting to save those who were caught in the blast, or survivors trying to gather and share information on what occurred at Crossbell’s trade conference. 

What had her attention was the burnt jacket of one Lloyd Bannings, the now former leader of the Special Support Section.

Unfortunately the other members' remains were either burned or buried under rubble due to the railway guns from Garrelia Fortress successfully destroying the tower and killing everyone on impact.

To add further to her despair, by some twisted set of circumstances, his jacket had somehow ended up in the possession of Mariebelle Crois, the daughter of one Dieter Crois, the now deceased head of the IBC bank. KeA remembered the words she said vividly as she received the jacket, 

“I trust that you won't let them stay dead now, would you?” A sadistic smirk crossed the woman's face before she left. 

This cruel act was done as a reminder of KeA’s failure to change things again. A cruel and horrible fate. 

Fate, the concept of such a thing that most people were unaware of, was intimately known to KeA and her powers. Specifically the manipulation of causality, allowing her to see and change the past, present and future to a limited degree. 

“Lloyd, Elie, Tio, Randy Noel, Wazy….”

She repeated the names like a mantra to herself as the tears she had been holding back finally fell from face. She had to go back, she couldn't let her family die, nor those who could help in that cause, but there was one problem. 

In order to manipulate an event, she has to let said event play out first hand but she couldn't bear the thought of another failure. Mariebelle was up to something and it was clear that she didn't mind letting the SSS die over and over again. So she realized that there was only one feasible option, albeit one with a greater risk.

Seeking aid from a world beyond this one. 

When KeA uses her powers, it not only allows her to witness causality but it also allows her access to a “gap” in this world's boundaries, making it possible to visit other worlds. The only reason she abstained from attempting this before is that she would suffer memory loss and would be sent back to the moment before the SSS found her.

Added with the fact that there was not an option to actively choose which world she would seek help from, fate would truly be out of her hands this time. 

She breathed in just one more time, steeling herself for what had to be done. At best there was only one round trip for this, “an all for nothing gamble” as Randy would say. She closed her eyes and activated her power, focusing all of it to detect a gap and open up a path to her destination. Her only solace is that with her abilities she could gather information about the world once she landed in it.

After a few seconds, she found it, it felt different as expected but also it felt….foreboding.

The path leading to this new world was chaotic, overflowing with malice and made Gehenna look small in comparison. But with the love that she held for her family, she began to make her move.

The world outside ceased as the fabric of reality warped in on itself. Her surroundings began to take the shape of a tunnel made up from a collage of ruinous landscapes, she flew down the path, making her way towards the light.

Feeling the pressure of malevolent beings gazing upon and making their way towards her, she moved faster. The entities of this place did not relent in their pursuit, warping the fabric of this dimension as they increased their speed to catch this little wanderer. 

She made it to the light at last, the gap closing from behind and cutting her pursuers off. She prayed that wherever she had landed, she would find the help her family would need. 

June 15th, 2021

Fairbrooks, Arizona

Devil may cry shop

Noon

“Devil may cry………..sorry were closed.” 

The phone was slammed back into its holster as a man with white hair and a red coat placed a magazine over his face and sat back in his chair. Putting his feet up, he was about to fall back asleep when his brother decided to speak his mind.

“Dante, what's good about a password system if you can't bring in a steady flow of jobs?” Another man said, sitting on Dante's leather sofa and reading a book. “It's just how these things work, Vergil” Dante responded begrudgingly. 

“Tell that to the landlord, I'm sure if you put the password on an extension form, she won't turn off the lights this month,” he countered. 

Dante wanted to argue but he had a point. It's been only a year but a lot has changed since he and his brother came back from hell after severing the roots of the Qliphoth, resulting in the number of demons entering the human world dropping dramatically. The good news was that less incidents meant less humans being killed by demons. 

The bad news was that business has tanked. Dante could count on one hand for the amount of jobs he and vergil have completed in just this year, which honestly either of them could have been done by themselves. Dante and Vergil tore the underworld a new one while they were down there and the few demons that decided to make a trip to the human world to wreak havoc, were slaughtered by Nero, Vergil's son and Dante's nephew. 

Things were looking grim, and Vergil had been attempting to find alternative forms of income. While Nero's girlfriend, Kyrie wouldn't have minded the two sons of sparda staying at her place, it was by their own insistence that they take responsibility for their own room and board. 

That and the fact that Nero and Vergil weren't super comfortable around each other. It wasn't terrible but the awkwardness of everything made it hard for either of them to communicate. 

Nero and Kyrie, along with his mechanic friend Nico, stayed over for the night and during dinner, neither made an attempt at talking to each other and a little while after. Nero excused himself to the spare bedroom upstairs with his lover falling in behind him. Nico decided to sleep in her truck. It wasn't a surprise to either of them that they still haven't come down yet.

The phone rang again, interrupting Dante's reminiscing of last night's events and he answered it. “Devil may cry…………..we ain't open” he hung up.

The doors to the shop abruptly opened and a familiar dark skinned man in a suit walked up and placed a suitcase on the desk and took his hat and fanned it in an attempt to fumigate the smell. 

“Morrison, if you knocked, I could have cleaned up the office a little” Dante said. Morrison snorted, “You cleaning this place means hell finally froze over” Morrison put his hat on and walked towards Vergil. “Not like there's been any foot traffic from down below.”

Vergil sighed. “Unfortunately business has been slow,” he said, closing his book. “I take it you're here speed things along?” He smiled “As a matter of fact I did, I got a gig, cash upfront.” Dante sat up in his chair.“I'm getting a real bad case of Deja vu” he stated.

Morrison smirked. “Well you'd be right, but not for what you're thinking, open up that case.” Dante went ahead and opened the suitcase and saw an astronomical amount of money, way more than his most recent job. His surprise then turned into suspicion, he's known Morrison for years and for him to have this much in advance means something big was going down. 

“Who's the client?” Dante asked. Morrison went to the door and opened it. “Come in little lady, i'm sorry about the smell but the big man wants to talk to you” 

The said girl in question walked into the store and immediately got Dante and Vergils attention. She had long green hair that went to her waist and was wearing a white hoodie with blue shirt and an orange skirt paired with brown shoes. 

What stuck out the most were two things. First, she was caked in demonic energy and seemly some other kind of supernatural essence that as far as the twins knew, wasn't native to the human world or demon world. Secondly, the tattered jacket she held to her chest and the pained look in her eyes. It was an expression the twins knew well, the same they had when they were attacked by demons and were powerless to prevent the death of their mother. 

“Found the little lady by an alley, poor thing was looking fo-” Dante put his hand up and walked over to Morrison and pinched him. “What hell was that for?!” Morrison exclaimed. 

Dante pulled Morrison away from the girl's side. “Well considering that the kids got you in dreamland, I had to use the oldest trick in the book.” Dante answered, keeping his eye on the girl.

“In dreamland, the hell you mean?....” Morrison asked, still irritated. 

“He means that this child is clearly not human,” Vergil said as he stood up. “But strangely enough, this hypnotic effect that she is emanating does not appear to be demonic in origin” he then disappeared in an instant. 

The girl went wide eyed and stepped a few feet back before hearing the door shut behind her. She turned around and saw Vergil blocking the entrance. 

“Morrison, think about it, why would a kid have that much money?” Dante asked him. As if a light bulb went off in his head, the spell faltered. “God dammit, can't believe I let myself get played for a fool!” Morrison cursed, stepping out of the devil hunter's way. 

Now all eyes were on the girl, who just started shaking with tears welling up in her eyes. Noticing that they haven't detected an ounce of hostility, Vergil got down on one knee to meet the girl at eye level.

“As for you, young lady, me and my brother have some questions we would like to ask. Morrison only brings people in person who know what we do so how did you find out about us?”

The girl whimpered. “Vergil cut that out! the brats shaking like a leaf.” Dante walked over to the girl. “Look kid, just take a seat over there, I'll get some water.” He turned over to Morrison. “You mind dragging Nero from his bed? I get the feeling we're gonna need all hands on deck.”

“Alrighty then” Morrison made his way towards the upstairs room while Dante went to get the girl something to drink. 

The girl hesitantly made her way towards the couch and sat down. Vergil followed and sat on the other side. A beat of silence passed before it was broken by footsteps and voices coming down the stairs. 

“Look it'll be explained, weird job we got up here” Morrison said. 

“Better be worth waking up kyrie, it's not eve-” a familiar voice stopped talking as he saw his father and the girl, immediately sensing her otherworldly presence.

Dante came back at the same time with the water and sat the cup down on the table. “Rise and shine Nero!” He said with a grin. “Dante what the hell is this?! Nero half yelled, still waking up. Morrison chuckled. “Well you see…”

Dante, Vergil, Morrison, Nero and Nico, who had walked in a little bit after to make herself coffee, were all sitting in the lounge, getting caught speeding to the chain of events. When Morrison got done explaining, Nico chimed in. “So this little adorable munchkin ain't a demon, but what is she?” 

“Well we're about to find out,” Dante said. 

The girl sat in the middle with Vergil on her left and Nero to her right. It was decided that Dante would be the one to do the impromptu interrogation. “So little lady, you got a name?” The girl shifted awkwardly before answering. 

“KeA” she muttered. 

Dante smirked. “Not the weirdest name I've heard, question number two, where are you from?.” KeA hesitated. The trip to get here already affected some of her memories, so she couldn't give a concise answer. “Far away."

He snorted, “I can tell that much but we're gonna need a home address.”

“I…can't remember” she said meekly

Vergil piped in. “Did you perhaps come from another world?” The others turned to Vergil, surprised by this claim. “Okay bro you've lost me. Is that even possible?” Dante asked. 

Vergil cleared his throat. “To further elaborate, I will need to explain why this may be the case. Firstly, KeA's abilities aren't demonic in origin but she's been coated in demonic energy, as if she's been to the underworld. But why would a child of all things be there in the first place, with abilities not of this world?” 

“Hm I think i get it, mind explaining to the class part two of your little science presentation?” Nico said. Nero crossed his arms while Dante nodded. Vergil began once again. 

“As the wielder of the Yamato, my ability to sense dimensional fluxations is more potent compared to Dante's, which is why I have noticed that a rather large hole, comprised of the same energy KeA is currently giving off, leads through the underworld to….somewhere” he then looked to KeA who hesitantly nodded. 

“Yes…I remember that much” she confirmed. 

“So hell isn't the only exotic destination? small world.” Nero quipped. Morrison shook his head in disbelief. “You came here into that alley didn't you little lady?”

“I did….it was hard”

Dante eyed the girl. She didn't look like she was lying.

“Third question, how'd you even get this money in the first place?” 

“I…made it happen.” She said, KeA started glowing, making everyone tense up. At the same time, a butterfly coated in the same light came in through an open window, making its way to the table and landed on it before disappearing. 

“So you can just make things appear out of thin air?” 

“Kind of, I…..have to live through the moment before I can change anything.” She said, rubbing the tattered jacket. 

Nico inhaled a bit of smoke before an idea crossed her mind. “Its causality isn't little munchkin?!” She yelled, making the girl jump. “Caus-what.?” Nero asked.

“I've read about it in the Orders notes. Some demons can control cause and effect, doing all kinds of crazy shit, made them a bitch to kill from what i've heard.” 

KeA nodded again, confirming her theory. 

“Well, that leaves us with two more questions,” Vergil said as he turned to her.

“What are you exactly?” he asked. 

“I don't know, I can't remember,” she said. Dante sighed while Vergil pondered his next question and finally came up with one. 

“Why seek us out if you already have the power to change the outcome?” 

KeA grimaced, the memory of the tower exploding and the SSS dying was one of the few things she unfortunately remembered. Before she mustered a response, Dante decided to ask another question. 

“Does that jacket belong to someone you knew?” he asked, getting a good look at the burns on it. 

KeA eyes shot up. “Yes, my….dad…he and my family are dead and I couldn't do anything to stop it!” She sobbed clutching the jacket, Mariebelles cruel words ringing fresh in her ears. Nico went and brought the girl tissues. She calmed down after a bit, her eyes still puffy and looking at her would be saviors.

“Puppy dog eyes, now you've done it” Dante thought. He put his arms on his legs and clasped his hands together. “Let's say we take this job, can your power give us a way to look like we fit in?”

Vergil turned to his brother. “Dante?”

The younger brother grinned. “I mean we already have an upfront payment that will cover us for a few months, plus I think a working vacation sounds just what we need right now.”

Vergil's brows furrowed. “You said we?”

“Duh, you, me, Nico and Nero, what could possibly go wrong?”

Nero cut in. “Dante, look I wanna help her but I can't leave Kyrie for that long, she'll be worried!”

“Fret not Nero, if this girl was able to get here through the underworld I should have no problem performing the same feat” Vergil said looking at Nero. A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke. 

“Uh thanks” Nero said awkwardly. Nico snorted. “Awww look a wittle Nero getting embarrassed!” 

“Just shut up Nico!” 

As Nico and Nero began their usual round of bickering, Dante noticed the flicker of light in KeA's eyes, the faint glimmer of hope shining through them. “Will you help me?” She asked sniffling.

“I think it's already decided, sure kid” He said as he got up. “You can add me to the guest list” a voice called from the door. 

In walked a blonde woman with leather pants and a black top. “Trish? I thought you were with Lady?” Dante spoke, surprised at her appearance. 

“Job she had wasn't actually that difficult so I let her snag it on her own. Besides this seems more fun, are we going now or what?

The group, consisting of Dante, Vergil, Nero, Trish and Nico made their way towards the alley where KeA was found. It was decided that they entered the tunnel to their destination first before bringing anything along. What information that managed to gain from KeA gave them the idea that this world did have some level of modern technology but they needed to know for sure before bringing anything over.

She also gave them the general descriptions of the SSS members and that when she uses her powers to bring them to her world, her memories of being here would be erased for good and be replaced with the ones she had when she was found, which is to say, none. 

Unfortunately she didn't remember where she was found so trying to snag her early wasn't a feasible option but Dante shrugged it off. The chase is what made jobs interesting in his opinion.

“Alright so to recap, you open the portal to wonderland, you make some stuff up so we don't look like fish out of water and you'll place us where we can help your dad and his friends?” 

KeA nodded. “Yes….but it won't be perfect”

“Eh so we improvise, nothing that we can't handle right?” He asked the group. Vergil pinched his brow. 

“Being a spy in the order gave me a lot of experience so it'll be fine.” Trish said casually. 

“As long as your antics don't expose us, Dante. That includes you too Goldstein” Vergil stated. 

Nico looked exasperated. “What the hell do you mean by antics? I'll let you know I'm an upstanding citizen!”

“Those light poles you smashed with the van say otherwise” Nero rebuked. They were about to get into a shouting match before Dante clapped his hands. “Alright alright settle down folks” he then turned to KeA. “So ready to get this show on the road?”

KeA nodded her head again. “I won't be able to remember any of this, so please be caref-” Dante rubbed the girl's head. 

“Relax kiddo, we're professionals.” The head pat reminded her of Lloyd's, filled with warmth and trust. She made a small, but hope filled smile, the first she's made since arriving. 

She then closed her eyes and began glowing, the same light being enveloped around the others. A white light clouded their vision as they felt themselves being pulled through the tunnel through hell. Then a voice spoke into their heads.

Thank you, all of you. Please, save my family, and Please…….

Find me.

The sounds of a train running along the tracks was heard as Dante and company woke up from apparently being asleep.  Dante and Trish yawned while the others stretched out some kinks in their muscles.  The two noticed that they seemed to be a private train booth.

“Looks like we arrived in wonderland, and in first class.” Dante said, looking out the window. The scenery before him passed by showing large grasslands with trees dotting the countryside. Coming into view was also a large city with several large buildings towering over smaller high rises. It looked bigger than Redgrave by his estimation. 

A tap on his shoulder interrupted his gazing, the culprit being Trish. “Hey Dante, we uh have a situation” she pointed to Nero. He and everyone else gave very confused looks while Nico had to stifle a laugh. “Uh, is something on your face?” Nero asked. “Nero, you might need to take a look in the mirror, just don't freakout.”

A little nervous but taking Dante's advise he looked at his reflection and he saw that his face looked exactly like it was when he was a teenager. A few seconds passed before the realization hit. “What the hell?!”

Nico busted out laughing. “Holy shit, I've seen the photos but damn your baby face is something!” Dante couldn't help but chime in. “Man that face takes me back”

Nero was about to let off a few more swears when a knock on the booth door got their attention. Vergil went and opened it and a train attendant greeted them. 

“Excuse me, is everything okay?” she asked. Nero, still flustered, awkwardly got back into his seat while Vergil answered her question. “Apologies ma'am, he was experiencing a nightmare.”

“More like any adult's dream come true” Nico whispered. Trish snickered at that.  “Shut the hell up Nico” Nero growled. 

Dante followed up, “Sorry for the noise.” The attendant smiled. “It's alright, some passengers were concerned about the commotion but glad things are all okay.” As she was about to leave, Vergil asked her a question. 

“Excuse me ma'am, where are we going on this line?” 

The woman looked at Vergil like he had grown two heads before Dante covered for him. “He likes to give pop quizzes to people, a weird habit I know.” the attendant smiled and waved it off. 

“Ah I see, well as an attendant it's my responsibility to know these things, a little refresher wouldn't be that much trouble. We are currently heading to Crossbell city.” Taking the opportunity to gather some more info Vergil began another line of questioning

“What is Crossbell most known for?”

The attendant gave an informative answer. 

“Crossbell State is most well known for being the home to Arc en Ciel, a famous theater troupe known all across Zemuria for its acrobatic performances and stage settings accompanying its original stage plays."

She took in a breath before finishing her explanation. "Crossbell is also known for being one of the continent's major centers of commerce and in addition being a key location of the transcontinental rairailroad."

“And what line do we happen to be on right now?” Vergil followed up.

“We are on the Calvard-Crossbell line.” She paused. “You wouldn't happen to be tourists?”

Trish decided to take the reins this time. “Yeah, we just got done from a vacation trip in Calvard, we had a fun time!” The others nodded, trying to sell the lie.

The attendant bought it. “That's wonderful, your clothes didn't seem Calvardian but thank you for explaining” She finished just as an intercom echoed throughout the train. 

Attention passengers. We will be arriving in Crossbell city shortly. Passengers bound for Liberl or Remiferia via airship: Please disembark here to transfer. Additionally, as per Zemurian Railroad Corporation bylaws, this train will remain at Crossbell station for thirty minutes upon arrival. 

“Well it seems we will be arriving soon, apologies but I must begin preparations for disembarking. Thank you again for choosing to ride with us.” The attendant bowed and closed the door.

“Guess none of those places are near Kansas,” Trish said, playing with her hair. 

“Hey uh did the little tike give us passports?” Nico asked everyone. No one answered. “Ah shit, how the hell we gonn-”

“Hold up, I think we might have something after all” Trish said as she felt something in her pocket. Pulling it out, it was surprisingly a passport with an ID. The others rummaged their pockets and also found similar forms of identification. Reading through it, they now knew the current aliases that they would be using while here in this world.

Dante Redgrave. Vergil Redgrave. Nero Redgrave. Trish Eva. Nicoletta Goldstein. 

They also found a paper and keys for an address to a place called Villa-raisins apartments with directions leading to it. “Nifty little trick kid” Dante thought to himself. 

“Oddly convenient, Dante is it oka-” Trish said but Dante beat her to the punch. “Its cool. Make things easier for us” he said.

Vergil appeared to be cool with it, although the idea that KeA had used their past as a blueprint came as a surprise.

“Redgrave was where you guys grew up, right?” Nico asked the twins. “That is correct,” Vergil answered. 

Nero, who had been thinking of his last name up until now, noticed luggage on a cubby right above their heads.

Reaching to grab a case with his name on it, he opened it and found several papers. Before he could try and read them the train began slowing down, pulling into the station ahead. 

“Well looks like it's our last stop, c'mon guys let's bounce.” Dante opened the door and was the first out with Trish, Vergil and Nico grabbing their supposed belongings following out behind him.

Nero stayed behind a bit, taking a longer look at his passport. “Red grave huh?” 

“NERO!” Nico yelled, getting the hunters attention. He got up and left the train and entered the station, making his way to the group standing by some benches. The crowd coming in and out of the station was a little tough to navigate but they eventually made their way to the entrance. 

They walked out onto the street, the sunset casting shadows against the archways. “So where are we headed to now?” Nico asked.

“To our luxurious new home office of course” Trish said, ushering the others to follow. 

The crew made their way towards their destination, trying to familiarize themselves with the city as much as possible.

They got to the apartment complex, a three story building that looked well kept and with a maid staff to boot, they found their room on the second floor, conveniently sized for five people and was already pre-furnished. 

Deciding to waste no time, they unpacked some of their luggage, Nero and Nico however, chose to hold off on that for a bit. 

The Sons of Sparda and the bewitching devil opened up their luggage and outside of a few change of clothes that they probably wouldn't need, they discovered they had a very large amount of paper cash that did not look like any form of currency they had seen before, along with that they found their own sets of documentation in which the information contained surprised the three of them.

Officer Dante Redgrave,

You are assigned to the Crossbell Police Department's Special Support Section. Please report in for duty on the designated date.

-CPD HR Department

A shit eating grin slowly plastered itself on his face while Vergil, who had received a similar letter, sighed, not pleased about this current state of affairs. Trish giggled at the prospect of being a cop. 

“Bad boys bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when come for you?” he sang in the song's familiar tune. “Dante, you'd better not make a fool of us,” Vergil said, pinching his brow.  

“It'll be fine, Vergil, might as well make the most of this vacation while we can.”

Dante began singing again, much to the annoyance of his brother and Nero while the girls enjoyed the comedic scene. Little did they know that this “working vacation” would be far more complicated than they would ever imagine. 

And that the entire world unknowingly rested on the devil hunters shoulders. 

Chapter Text

1204 February 8th

Septian calendar

SSS Building

8:30 am 

“We're receiving three new members?” A brown haired young man asked a gruff older man who was sitting across his desk with a newspaper in hand. “Seems like it, looks like the downtown case gave you kids some shine after all” the gruff man said, smoking his cigar. 

“I'm surprised that we are receiving support, I was under the impression that Headquarters did not have a high opinion of the SSS” a blue haired girl no older than fourteen commented. “Same here Tio Tot” said a well built red headed man. “Man, I hope one of them is a real cutie.”

A woman with pearl white hair sighed at her fellow officers' attitude. “Randy, you are just an animal sometimes. Aren't you already in trouble with enough women as is?” 

Randy, the red head flinched at that and rubbed the back of his head. He also became aware of Tio's icy glare piercing his soul. “Hey Lloyd, back me up will ya?”

“Grave digging wasn't a part of training at the academy so I can't help” Lloyd said, crossing his arms. Chief Sergei Lou would've chuckled at the situation if not for him trying to wrap his head around the circumstances of these new “officers.”

Late last night, he received a phone call from the Vice commissioner that he would be receiving new recruits. Apparently a while back these individuals saved the commissioner's wife from a pack of monsters and she raised hell at him to pay back their kindness ten fold. 

Supposedly this little group had been wandering all of Zemuria, not really staying in one place for too long. It was by his insistence and fear of potentially losing his wife that they'd be hired on to the CPD as civilian contractors, similar to one Tio Plato. 

Early this morning, Sergei managed to get at least some information on the three via their files. Whether it was legitimate or forged was unfortunately not up for him to question, Crossbell PD was corrupt to hell and back after all and thus he had little to no say in denying their involvement. 

He was partially worried, the initial members of the SSS were selected to gain the citizens trust back in the government so a last minute shake up was not something Sergei needed. Irregardless he had no choice but to roll with the punches.

Taking another drag from his cigar, he blew the smoke out and spoke up. “Our new recruits will be at HQ so for today we'll just try to break them in, let's go.”

With that he relayed what little info he had about these three and Sergei and the SSS headed over to Headquarters in order to meet their new comrades. 

They arrived at CPD headquarters and to the surprise of no one, it was busy as usual. Fran seeker, the CPDs Receptionist was swamped with paperwork, managing to give the SSS a passing smile as they went towards the conference room. Finally arriving and entering the room, they were greeted by three individuals, two men and one woman, sitting at the table near the conference room's white board. 

The men in question had an opposite color scheme, red and blue respectively and looked to be in their late thirties or early forties, while the woman who seemed to be in her twenties had a brown waist length leather jacket paired with her black top, black leather pants and boots. 

The one in blue stood up in his chair adjusting his collar “Good morning sir.” The other two followed after. “Hey boss man” the red coated man waved his hand.“Hey there” the woman greeted. 

Before Randy could make a fool of himself, Sergei cleared his throat. “Good you're all here.” he then gestured to the four SSS members to introduce themselves. 

“My name is Lloyd bannings, I'm a detective that was born in Crossbell and the appointed leader for the Special Support Section.”

Dante and the others gave a quick look at one another. They knew from the general description that KeA gave them that Lloyd was baby faced but it didn't occur to them on how true that actually was until meeting him in person. From Lloyd's perspective it felt like they were a bit apprehensive. Ellie cleared her throat to draw some of the attention away. 

“My name is Ellie Macdowell. Like Lloyd, I was also born in crossbell but until recently, I was abroad studying in school.” 

“That seems interesting, love the hair by the way," Trish said smiling. “Thank you, your hair looks lovely as well” Ellie responded with a little bit of bashfulness. Tio didn't waste a beat in her introduction.

“Tio Plato, Leman state, it's a pleasure” she said with a bow. The Hunters noticed how borderline robotic that greeting was. 

“Hey there, Randy Orlando at your service, my hobbies are gambling, the occasional drink…and flirting with lovely ladies such as yourself.” he said to the blonde woman. 

Trish stood up putting her hand on her hips. “Trish Eva, it's a pleasure to meet a bold man like yourself” she finished with a wink. 

Surprised by the forward reaction instead of the usual chastising he received from women, Randy blushed a little bit while Lloyd, Tio and Ellie were taken aback. 

“Randy has met his match it seems” Tio said Flately. 

“Lloyd was it? Names Dante Redgrave” Lloyd's attention was brought back to the red coated man. “Nice to meet you, and this-”

“I can introduce myself just fine” Vergil cut his brother off. “My name is Vergil Redgrave, I hope we can work well together.”

“Wait, You guys are brothers?” Randy asked him. “Yes, twins to be more exact.

“I don't think I've met twins before, ” Ellie said. “Well today's your lucky day, I'm bad cop and he's good cop.” 

“Bad cop? But you haven't even been sworn in yet” Lloyd said, confused by that statement. “Please do not mind my brother, he's a poor comedian with an even poorer ability to read the room” Vergil glared a bit at his brother. Dante shrugged. “Eh tough crowd.”

“If it helps, I'm mostly normal, so feel free to chat with me anytime,” Trish said. “Anyway, what's next?”

Sergei pinched his brow and said a prayer to Adios under his breath before answering. “For clarification, you all know why you're here right?”

“More or less, the Vice man said you needed some extra muscle so here we are” Dante said, reminiscing the information from the documents he skimmed through the night before. Bless that kid and her party trick. “Gotta say, did not expect a bunch of kids, especially the tator tot” the comment earned Dante a glare. 

“Right” Sergei sighed. “Anyway follow me, we'll show you one of the duties that you may be assigned to deal with” Sergei left the room while the SSS gave each other knowing glances on what they may have to do.

“Getting right to it, love it” Dante said, heading towards the door while humming that familiar tune from yesterday that the others didn't recognize but Trish and Vergil unfortunately did. 

The SSS and the initiates didn't make much small talk as Sergei led the way to a stowed little hideaway off of station street. 

The trio noticed the place was smack dab next to a train tunnel with trash cans lined up alongside the guard rail. Sergei, who had been quiet until now, walked over to a metal door with the words CONSTRUCTION WORK written out. He then addressed the team. 

“Alright so right behind me is the entrance to the Geofront, a network of tunnels that span the entirety of Crossbell city, you three will be making your way through a small portion of it.”

“And the reason we fine upstanding clean cut officers of the law are trudging our way through the sewer is because?” Dante jokely asked. Lloyd and the others didn't appear to know that so it came off as annoyance. 

“Well for starters, this will act as a combat test for you three as well as your general aptitude for teamwork” Sergei said. “This will also serve as your initiation ceremony.  

“Hazing on the first day huh?” Trish joked. 

“I understand, we will get this done promptly,” Vergil nodded. Sergei went and pulled out some objects from his pockets and gave them to the trio. 

It was a flip phone shaped object with a chain and a label on its front that said ‘Crossbell State Police Department’ and under the title it said ‘Enigma’. The three opened it up and saw that instead of a dial pad like with usual flip phones, the inside had a circle with six rectangles dotting the outside and one rectangle in the middle.

“This is….curious” Vergil said as he fiddled with the device. “It's a little bland for my taste, whatever this thing is,” Trish said, tossing the device between her hands. 

“Pretty sleek isn't it?” Randy said, walking up to Trish. “Its cal-.”

“The Enigma, a fifth generation battle orbment, stop it Randy” Tio explained, cutting off Randy's attempt to flirt with the blonde. He pouted dramatically. “Oh Tio Tot, you wound me!”

“I would do worse if you don't cease this right now” she said, annoyed by his antics. 

“Dante, what's wrong?” Lloyd asked. That got the others' attention as they noticed the confused look on his face. 

“So what does a battle orbment do?” He asked. 

“It allows you to use Arts” Tio said. Slightly annoyed having to explain the obvious.

“Like painting?”

Sergei nearly dropped his cigarette from his mouth as the others shared similar looks of surprise. “Haha, that's really funny Dante.” Randy's laugh died down when he saw Vergil have a look of contemplation on his face. Tio, in disbelief, asked an insane question that she would have only assumed would have been reserved for Sunday schoolers. 

“You do not know what Arts are?” 

“We weren't formally educated when growing up so I'm afraid not,” Vergil said, managing to paint a clever lie. Ellie had no words to say and Tio just looked dumbfounded. “How the hell did you guys survive in the wilderness for that long?” Randy exclaimed. 

“Eh, we're tougher than we look, where's the on switch for this thing?” Dante said, poking at the rectangle squares with his fingers. Tio was about ready to chastise him before Lloyd intervened. 

“That's perfectly fine, it's not that hard to use them. Chief Sergei, we can handle things from here.” Sergei took one last smoke before tossing the bud into a trash can. “Alright i'll leave it to you to keep their heads on straight, meet me back at HQ when you're done” He gave Lloyd some quartz and went up the stairs, leaving the SSS and devil hunters to their own devices. 

“Nice save Lloyd, Tio tot looked like she was about to explode.” Randy whispered to him. Ellie had put a hand on the young girl's shoulder. “It's alright, we can work this out.” Tio, who had been tense for a bit, relaxed her shoulders. 

“All right, but before we get into explaining how your Orbments work, what kind of weapons do you use?” She asked. 

“I thought the Orbments were our weapons,” Trish responded. “Yes they technically are weapons but what are your general combative arms?” Tio asked again, her patience running ragged.

A beat of silence asked before Lloyd asked a question he didn't even want to ask.

“You all have weapons with you right?” Lloyd asked. 

A few more seconds of silence passed before the SSS realized that the three did not have weapons with them. 

“I cannot believe anyone can be this incompetent. Are we seriously working with these people?” Tio borderline hissed at her colleagues. “Tio please calm down” Ellie said with a worried look, trying to deescalate a potential fight. But to her surprise, the three didn't even look fazed at her outburst. 

“That would be a matter of perspective, young lady,” Vergil said as he opened his coat, revealing his weapon that had managed to discreetly summon without the others noticing. 

It was a curved blade sheathed in its scabbard with a octagon shaped hand guard and the grip was covered in a white binding with diamond shaped pattern running down the grip. The yellow cord tied the scabbard flowed in the wind elegantly. 

“That's a beautiful sword, I don't think I've seen anything like it.” Ellie said, admiring the blade. 

“Looks like an eastern style saber, the metal is layered differently compared to other blades, it apparently makes it sharper than your average sword” Randy said as he analyzed the sheathed sword as much as he could. “Lloyd looks like you have a rival now” he joked, now easing the tension. Vergil raised his brow at this. “You wield a blade as well?”

Lloyd shook his head. “No, I'm not skilled in swordsmanship but I use these,” Lloyd said, pulling out a pair of baton-like weapons. “They're called tonfas, they're also an eastern weapon but it's used for self defense, but you probably knew that already.”

“It's fine, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do Mr Bannings” Vergil said, putting his sword away. “Likewise Vergil, what school do you follow?” Lloyd asked.

“I am mostly self taught so i'm afraid I do not have a clear answer for that” Vergil answered. While Dante could not perform the same feat as his brother could, he thankfully had an alternative. 

“As for me,” Dante said, cutting in. “I forgot my sword at home but before you get mad little lady-” 

“Worse than Chief Roberts I swear” Tio thought.

“-take a look at my beautiful partners in crime” Dante finished as he pulled out two pistols. The guns were black and white, seemingly built for each hand respectively with absurdly long barrels. 

Randy, the one having the most experience with firearms, felt a little uneasy looking at the guns. “Oh.....you use those?” He spoke rather hesitantly.

“Yeah, No better friends to have in a fight” he said. He then noticed the rather squeamish look that was on Randy's face. “Is that gonna be a problem?”

“No no it's fine, I just thought you would have had orbal guns, those look pretty old.” Randy said, rubbing his neck. Dante raised his eyebrow at this. “What's an orbal gun?” Dante asked. 

Sensing another rant from Tio, Ellie swooped in, pulling her gun out. “My gun is an orbal gun, instead of using gunpowder, it uses orbal energy to fire bullets,” she said, brandishing a pink target pistol. “That looks cute,” Trish said, walking over to Ellie to admire the weapon. “Doesn't look like it can pack a punch though."

“Correct but it makes up for it in its accuracy and its lightweight design, I felt comfortable using it for self defense” Ellie said, holstering the weapon. 

“While we're on the topic of weapons, what do you use Mr. Orlando?” Vergil asked the red head. Randy pulled out a halberd shaped pole arm. “This baby here is a stun halberd, I used while I was in the guardian force, it's pretty handy in a fight. Trish cracked her knuckles. “I have my own set of guns but I'm more of a hands on fighter.” 

Tio, deciding to pull out her weapon before anyone asked, whipped out a mechanical staff adorned with various circuits and what seemed to be a small generator at the top. “It's called an Orbal staff, it allows me to cast an Arts based wave of energy that has no cast time. Do each of you understand?” Saying the last part with a bit of condensation. 

“I understand completely, it pretty obvious” Dante said, tapping his head with his finger. 

“Oh really? It took me a bit to understand how it works” Lloyd said sheepishly. 

“Yeah, basically It's a magic wand.”

The glare that Tio sent Dante's way could freeze Gehenna in an instant.

 Lloyd mentally sighed. This was going to be a long day. 

After explaining how battle Orbments work, the group made their way down to the Geofront. Tio, while aggravated beyond belief, explained that this place was built in collaboration with the Epstein foundation for the orbal net project, this world's version of early internet and that monsters have occasionally been roaming the tunnels and attacking maintenance staff while working. 

The place looked like if the sewers were built with sci-fi tech, although Dante kept that observation to himself. They even found a little pillar shaped device called an Orbal charging station that restores the energy to their Enigma units. A few hours later the three found their first set of monsters in a tunnel not far from the entrance. Apparently the SSS did a bang up job last time, causing monster infestations to go down significantly. 

They looked like rats with two spiked plates of fleshy armor. huddled with them were several jelly like blobs with an “eye” in the center of their mass.

“Guess those are our squatters?” Dante asked Lloyd. He smiled a bit at that. “You could say that. You can fight them as you see fit but please be careful.” Dante nodded as he and the others walked towards the group of sewer rats. 

“Hands where I can see em!” Dante yelled, pulling his guns out. The monsters turned and let out a mixture of various sounds and made their way towards them. Vergil sighed, “Please take this seriously” he said turning towards his brother as the monster's closed the distance. 

“Eh, it was worth a shot, think you can do better?”

“Several times better,” Vergil said. They began bickering as the monsters were almost on them and the SSS were about to yell at them to get ready. However their worries were short lived. 

It all happened in an instant. 

The rat monsters lunged at Dante but a cascade of bullets stopped the charge, some of the SSS flinching at how loud the shots were. Some bullets tagged a slime creature, making it rupture and explode.

 A single rat banked left only to be met by a sword slash from Vergil, slicing it in two with him re-sheathing the blade before the body hit the ground. 

Another slime creature tried to blow a cold gale of air at Trish but it was futile as she had already jumped right behind it to give it a downward hand chop.

“Weak, really weak” Dante thought to himself as he put his guns away. He turned to find Lloyd and Randy having a mixture of shock and an apprehensive look on their faces. Tio and Ellie on the other had looked..dumbfounded. 

While the monsters in the Geofront were weak, they made up for that in numbers. But the sheer manner in which they were slaughtered seemed unreal to the four. What's more is that slime based creatures are typically resistant to physical based attacks so Dante's pistols should have not been that effective against them. 

“I'm not gonna use these against people if that's what you're worried about.” he said. The two male members snapped out of their stupor. “Haha, was it really that obvious of what we were thinking?” Lloyd said. 

Randy, who had been unknowingly holding his breath, let out a small sigh then grinned. “Wow, you're really good at reading people, Dante. But hot damn Vergil that slash was clean, you might give Arios a run for his mira!”

“Arios?” Vergil asked the red head. “Arios MacLaine, an A rank bracer that uses an eastern sword like yourself, folks in the city call him the guardian of Crossbell” Randy answered. Dante kept his mouth shut, not wanting to deal with another lecture.

Trish rolled her eyes. “Randy just wait until you see Dante gamble, I've seen fish with better people skills than he does.”

Lloyd Ellie and Randy laughed at Dante's expense as he groaned in annoyance. Tio sighed. “Lloyd, they have not used their Enigmas yet, please have them do that.”

After walking for a few more minutes traversing the tunnels, they came across a group of large bug-like monsters and as instructed, the hunters all pulled out their Enigma's. From what they've been told is that Arts are basically magic that manifests itself primarily through four known Elements, Earth, fire, water and wind respectively, the main power source being orbal energy which presented a problem for the hunters. 

While internal Orbments do have their own energy source, it requires a bit of external energy in order to start up the process, in which as far as the devil's knew, they didn't even have a drop of orbal energy in their bodies.

“Alright just tap this dial and let it charge up?” Dante asked the others. They gave their affirmations and in a risky maneuver, Dante went first, using a bit of demonic energy to power the device. Trish and Vergil picked up on this and followed suit. The good news is that it worked. 

The bad news however, is that it worked way too well. 

Dante quartz, which was supposed to cast a FireBolt spell, instantaneously produced a huge ball of flame that flew headfirst into the group of insects. At the same time, Trish's Sparkle spell turned into several large arcs of lightning and Vergil's Icicle Edge became a hailstorm of ice that eviscerated the bugs, leading to an explosion that produced a cloud of smoke from the spot.

The SSS were briefly blown back by the force of it, knocking them down. “Ah shit,” Dante cursed, he and the others running to check on the police officers. Lloyd apparently shielded Ellie while Tio and Randy were sent a bit further away. Trish went up to redhead to see if he was unconscious and checked his pulse

“Ah an angel from Adios, is this heaven?” He asked Trish.

“I'm the furthest thing from it” Trish half jokingly said as she left the clearly alright man to his own devices and broken fantasy. 

“Are you unharmed?” Vergil asked Tio. Tio wordlessly got up and looked at him with genuine shock. 

“Give me your Enigma, now!” she said, not angry but somewhat concerned. 

Tio went to check the device while Dante had Lloyd and Ellie a once over and they seemed to be fine, although the way they appeared flustered meant that they got a little too close with each other. 

“So uh did we pass?” Dante asked Lloyd. He took a moment to recompose himself. 

“I'd say so all things considered, excluding the bomb that just went off.” Ellie nodded in agreement. “But what was that? I've never seen an Orbment produce that much power with so little quartz available” she said. 

“I will need to report this to the Epstein Foundation. My best guess is that it may be some type of malfunction with the device” Tio said, putting Vergil Enigma in her pocket. “Lloyd, I suggest we leave for now and report this is HQ.”

“Sorry about that guys, didn't think that would happen” Dante said, rubbing his head. “It is fine Dante,” Tio said. “I will need your Enigma please.”

Kinda surprised at her change in attitude compared to earlier, Dante and Trish gave the girl their Enigma's, wondering how the hell they were gonna try and explain the property damage to the chief. 

The next few hours were quite notable. After leaving the Geofront and noticing that it was a little after noon, they first made their way to the SSS building and reported the results of their little exercise, including the part when a portion of the tunnel had been damaged. 

Promising to at least try and make sure the Vice commissioner did not take it out of their paycheck, Chief Sergei gave Dante and company the rest of the day off along with tomorrow, Tio noting their Enigmas should be done with being checked by then. 

Before they left the building, the SSS invited them to dinner later that night to celebrate their first day, albeit a disastrous one. Giving them directions to a certain restaurant on east street, they arrived, along with Nero and Nico.

“Thanks for the food, Shanshan,” Ellie said to the server. “Your welcome” Shanshan replied as she went to help another customer. 

“So you're the other two arrivals to Crossbell, Names Randy Orlando, nice to meet ya.”

“Nero,” he said, going back to pick at his food. 

“Nicoletta Goldstein at your service, anything you need fixing, i'm your girl” she said boasting. “Oh, you're a mechanic?” Lloyd asked her. 

“Yeah, self employed actually, would've liked to take a look at those Enigma's, could've found out what made em tick.”

“That technology is relatively new, I don't think it would be possible for you to help with that,” Tio said flatley. “Ah hush hun, sometimes you just gotta feel what's wrong! The soul of a machine is as important as its function.” 

“That's not even possib-” Tio was cut off by Nero, hoping to save everyone the headache. “Just ignore her, being cooped up in a shop makes anyone go crazy.” Nico huffed in annoyance. 

“Oh you own an orbal store? What's it called?” Ellie asked the weapon smith. 

“I haven't given it a name yet, or a location, but it's coming soon I promise!” Nico lied while Dante chuckled a bit. “Be that as it may, she's a genius. Her grandma made my guns so it runs in the family.”

“Speaking of family, are you and Nero related?” Lloyd asked him. “Yeah I'm his uncle and Vergil here is his dear old dad.”

“More or less” Nero muttered but it was enough for everyone to hear, sensing the very awkward tension between the two. 

“From what Chief Sergei told us, you all had been roaming the continent before deciding to settle here. Do you plan to have Nero enroll in school? I can help with that if you need any assistance.” Ellie asked, hoping to change the conversation to a different direction. Nico seized this opportunity to present some very interesting information to the SSS. 

“As a matter of fact, he will be attending school next month!” She said with a grin. “C'mon show em! Don't be shy now!” Nero had to bite back a curse as he begrudgingly pulled out a pamphlet with a lion's crest adorned. He then read it to everyone at the table.

Dear Nero Redgrave.

Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that I can inform you that you have been accepted into Thors Military Academy!

Enclosed below are your school uniform, battle Orbment and directions to the campus. Upon arrival, please give your weapon to our staff at the front gate. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. 

We look forward to having you for this upcoming academic year.

Sincerely,

Principal Vandyck

Dante clapped his hands in applause, getting the attention of the surrounding customers. “Hell yeah. I knew you had it in ya!” 

“Congratulations Nero! Thinking about joining the military?” Lloyd asked him. 

“Nah, honestly, i'm not sure what I want to do” he lied. He assumed that this was his role for protecting KeA's found family but wasn't too hot on attending school for who knows how long. 

“That's alright, just try to have fun while you're there, pick up a girl or two” Randy said smirking. “Randy, stop corrupting him.” Tio reprimanded him. 

As the evening went on, the devil hunters and the SSS slowly warmed up to one another, maybe things wouldn't be bad after all. 

Alas the denizens of hell always make things worse.

Chapter Text

1204, Septian Calendar

February 20th. 

SSS Building

Morning

“The chief sure is late” Lloyd sighed as he slumped into his chair. “I'd like to start the morning meeting if we can.”

“Then start, I'm sure he wouldn't mind, with you being a certified detective and all” Dante said. 

“Be that as it may, I really don't think we can begin without him, especially with you laying on the couch!” Ellie exclaimed. 

“Heh can't really blame him, I woulda slept in too if I knew we'd be just waiting around” Randy groaned, laying in head on the table. He then began daydreaming. “Waking up at noon, hitting up the casino, lettin the good time roll till the wee hours, that's life eh Dante?” 

“Agreed my man.” Dante answered, putting a book over his face in an attempt to catch some sleep. 

“You two are hopeless reprobates,” Tio said concisely. “Agreed Miss plato, how these two somehow hold jobs is beyond even me” Vergil scoffed. 

“Ellie the thing is that isn't even the worst place i've seen him sleep” Trish said to her. Ellie rubbed her temples out of frustration. 

“Sorry im la-” Sergei stopped to see Dante resting on the couch. “Good morning bossman!” The devil hunter said as he swept his feet up and went over to the table. Sergei sighed but surprisingly had an imperceptible smirk. 

For the past nearly week and a half, it was revealed that the new SSS members were surprisingly diligent when it came to their work. They managed to get accustomed to the support requests and were actually on board with the overall goal of the SSS, to bring about actual change to Crossbell city. This was in no small part to the various library trips that the new arrivals had made, which showed that in a nutshell, Crossbell was wrapped in a political shitshow. 

Corrupt politicians and cops taking bribes from the local mafia, the diet being influenced by the Erebonian Empire and Calvard Republic respectively and the Bracer guild having little to no jurisdiction in dealing with these matters, the wall that led to actual change seemed insurmountable, but never zero, as Lloyd put it. 

Nico and Nero on the other hand had to start a self help cram school to one, get basic knowledge on this world so that another Geofront fiasco didn't occur and two, familiarize themselves with this world's technology, specifically weaponry so that Nero can potentially fight with his full kit because it turns out, she had been hired to work at Thors as an assistant engineer. 

Nico seemed to pick up on the latter a lot faster, managing to make an orbal engine for her truck. She made some deals with a certain downtown black market dealer using the ridiculous funds aka mira as it was known here, to make illicit purchases and it also decided that until Nico could find a solution, they had to limit the use of Arts as much as possible, which considering their overwhelming fighting abilities, seemed pretty manageable to pull off. 

“Chief Sergei, Good morning sir” Lloyd said to the man as he stood at the head of the table. 

“Good morning, shall we start the meeting now?” Ellie followed up. “No need, just got a call from HQ. You guys have been assigned a special mission today. Congrats.” He said in the most dejected tone that they'd ever heard. 

“That's what's on the agenda huh?” Trish commented on the news. “A special mission?....” Lloyd questioned. “Eh..I'm getting some bad vibes already” Randy gave a faux shiver. “Is it similar to the previous one?” Tio asked him. 

The Chief shrugged. “Don't look at me, they didn't give me any details, you'll have to go to the CPD building and find out for yourself, your client will be waiting for you there.” After that, he went to his office, presumably to smoke all day. 

“Chief Sergei is quite the character,” Vergil said. “I've read a little on the case with the delinquents, it was an excellent job, let's hope we can contribute if this case is similar.” 

“Agreed Vergil, let's give it our all!” Lloyd said as he and everyone else left the building to head to HQ. 

The elevator ride was uneventful as the SSS exited and found themselves on the third floor. Randy however did not seem pleased to be here. “Well, here we are again with another visit with Vice Commissioner jackass. I can only imagine what he wants to bitch at us about this time.” 

“Is this a common thing for him to do?” Vergil asked the group. The initial members explained how he had reprimanded them on their first day, giving the hunters a heads up on who they were dealing with. 

“What can i say, married man with a dead end job, who can blame a guy?” Dante jabbed at the man, causing Randy to laugh. “Remember that we were told this was about a client waiting for us. I think it's safe to say that he didn't call us here to complain” Lloyd said.

Tio closed her eyes. “I have a sinking feeling that he will find a reason to scold us regardless, especially with the reprobates here.” Trish burst out laughing. “Don't worry, I'll try to keep him in line for you.” Tio gave a slight nod, while Dante took it in stride. 

“Be that as it may, we can't let it get to us” Ellie said. Not wasting any more time they made their way to the Vice Commissioners office. Lloyd announced that the team was there and the vice commissioner rudely told them to come in. 

The office, as expected, was neat and tidy. Weapons were displayed on the right wall along with a picture frame and what appeared to be certificates. 

What got their attention the most was the two women standing near the desk, clad in military uniform with one having cobalt blue hair and glasses while the other had reddish orange hair that the devil hunters recognized from KeA's description. 

“That's the Crossbell Guardian Force uniform,” Vergil said to his brother. “Yeah yeah, I know,” Dante replied. 

“AW, HELL!” Randy shouted, backing away from the rest of the group. The cobalt haired woman took notice like a snake to a mouse. 

“My my, is that how you greet a former superior officer, Randy Orlando?” Her voice radiated with professionalism. 

“Care to elaborate on any hidden meanings behind that outburst of yours?”

Randy squirmed under the woman's gaze. “O-Oh, no, I was uh, just surprised to see you here. That's all! Haha….” the group turned to the man. “Do you two know each other?” Lloyd asked him. “Your reaction is that of a man with a guilty conscience” Tio accused. 

“She's a scorned former lover isn't she? Didn't peg you to be that crazy” Trish said rather casually. 

Lloyd, Ellie, Randy and the commissioner's jaws dropped as the room went dead silent at that with the second woman becoming flustered at the thought while the cobalt woman gave a soft but eerie smile. 

“Fortunately that is not the case, but I can only surmise that he is still up to his old habits?” Trish smiled back, “More or less but it's all good fun.” 

Randy actually looked like he was about to faint before the Vice commissioner brought everyone back to reality. “You all, show some respect! This is Lieutenant Colonel Sonya Baelz, deputy commander of the CGF!” He barked at the SSS. They gave the woman their undue attention, hoping to brush the very scandalous statement Trish had said under the rug. 

“At ease, detectives. So you're the Special Support Section that I've heard so much about, although I was led to believe that there were only four of you” she said looking at the three demons in the room.

“Names Dante Redgrave, if we're ever at war, you know who to call” he said, saluting. “Vergil Redgrave, his brother and you have my deepest apologies for his and her behavior” he said gesturing to Trish. 

“Trish Eva, I make sure to keep these idiots in line, most of the time anyway.”

“Mr Dante Redgrave, pardon my manners but why do you have a guitar case strapped to your back?” the military woman said, somewhat curious. 

“Oh this thing? well I can shred in more ways the one, with this being my stage partner” he said, unzipping the bag and revealing the weapon inside. 

The sword was certainly…unique in its design, the edge of the blade was smooth compared to its center portion which looked like it was made from molten rock. The hand guard was shaped like talons from a falcon and a red jewel adorned the pommel, giving the blade an outstanding appearance. 

“Family heirloom, it's old but it gets the job done. Any crooks seeing this will be begging for the cuffs before trying to pick a fight, and if they do, we'll I'm sure they'll think twice after ending up in the hospital.” he said, putting the sword away. The others groaned at that last sentence. 

Sonya, despite her professional demeanor, snickered at the introductions. “Quite the cast of characters we have here, but back on topic, I can only assume that you know why we're here?” Lloyd, a bit nervous by her presence, answered her query. 

“Y-yes ma'am. We were told that you were looking to submit a support request with us. Is that right?” Lloyd asked. The Vice commissioner decided to cut in for no reason then to puff his chest. 

“Hmph, you should feel honored, rookies. It's unheard of that useless greenhorns like yourselves to be call-”

“Hey Vice Pierre’ Dante's tone cut off the man's rant. “Didn't get a chance to say thanks for the job, how's the wife holding up by the way?” Pierre raised an eyebrow. “Why do you want to know?” 

“I was hoping to pass a message along about how grateful we are and we wanted to tell her how…well you have been treating me and our colleagues, she's been asking for us right?”

 As much as Pierre wanted to lie, he sensed the barely veiled threat in the way that the man spoke. “Ah um yes, I would be more than happy to pass along that message when the time comes!” He said, shifting in his seat. 

“Vice Commissioner, thank you for your time, allow me to handle things from here” Sonya said. Seeing no point in arguing, the shrewd man left his office, barely holding back his sulking before exiting. 

Lloyd and the others were taken aback by Dante essentially blackmailing the guy but that was swept away for the more pressing matter at hand. Introducing herself as the second in command of the CGF, she got down to brass tacks. 

For the past month, the CGF had been investigating a series of strange monster attacks outside of Crossbell city. Despite their best efforts, the CGF haven't found a single lead in the investigation so as a last ditch effort, Sonya reached out to the SSS for a joint investigation, citing that a detective's perspective may help find new clues then a guardsmen would otherwise miss. 

With that, she handed the SSS a file of documents on what the CGF had managed to discover at three distinct locations and wished them the best of luck and to contact her with any new information. 

Returning to the SSS annex, the group got around to looking through the documents and what they found was indeed interesting. 

The first incident took place at Amorica Village with the damaged property being livestock and crops with unfortunately no eyewitnesses but paw prints were found at the scene. 

The second incident was more interesting however. It took place at St. Ursula medical college, a hospital south of the city and “black wolf like monsters” had attacked one of the staff on the premises. Thankfully there was an eyewitness, the victim themselves but strangely enough, no prints were found here. 

The final incident took place in Mainz, a mining village west of Crossbell city and it took place in front of the local inn. Like with the last location, there was an eyewitness account and for some very strange reason, the mining equipment had been damaged with paw prints around the area as well. 

Noticing how seemingly irrational the behavior of the wolf-like monsters were,it was decided that instead of treating each incident individually, they would investigate these incidents as if they were all connected in some way in order to find out the truth of what was going on and that Amorica village would be the first place they would investigate. 

“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna when they come for you?” Dante whistled, bobbing his head as he and others walked along the highway to the village. Lloyd and Randy were in the lead with Dante and Vergil just behind them, while Trish chose to slow her pace to keep an eye on the girl's, who had underestimated just how rough the terrain was.  

“Looks like we've hit a fork in the road. I'm pretty sure we have to go north to reach Amorica village” Lloyd said, taking a look at a map. “Yep. The road on the left will take us there” Randy affirmed. Ellie and Tio's body language suggested that they were not enjoying this little hiking trip. 

“This..is a lot tougher..than I'd thought it'd be” she said panting. “Agreed..I did not anticipate how strenuous this would be’ Tio said catching her breath. “Trish…how can you..do all that in heels?” Ellie asked the demon. “Traveling around with these guys has given me lots and lots of practice,” she replied. “I should have brought flats” Ellie sighed at her misfortune. 

“The monsters roaming aren't helping either. You two look like you're about to pass out.” Lloyd said with a worried look on his face. “Sounds like it's about time we took a breath. What do you say, ladies?” Randy asked the girls. 

Ellie shook off her fatigue as much as she could. “No, I think I'll be okay. What about you Tio?”

“As much as I would like to admit defeat right about now, I was the one who suggested we walk so I must persevere.” Tio said, stretching her legs out. 

“That's the spirit, besides you kids are too young to be tired!” Dante said. Randy then suggested that if she was too tired, she could hop on his shoulders, much to the girls' chagrin, stating that a lady of her stature wouldn't be an ideal riding partner. Randy quickly shot down the idea, saying that he was trying to be kind. 

“So you won't mind if I carry dear old Ellie?” Trish said to Randy. 

“Um Trish i don't think that necc-Ahh!” Ellie yelped as she was thrown over Trish's shoulder like a rag doll and proceeded to walk along the north path, much to the surprise of Lloyd, Tio and Randy, marveling at the woman's strength. 

After walking quite the distance and several monster fights, in which the devil's noticed that the humans of this world are a lot stronger than the ones back home, they found a rest area off of the main road. Deciding to take a short break, the SSS sat at the table with a very flustered Ellie thankfully not having to he carried like a child anymore. 

“I finally feel like i've caught my breath, although that was uncalled for Trish!” Ellie said without a hint of anger in her voice. “At least you got some early rest, I still had to walk” Tio sulked. 

“You looked like you were about to croak, but you're welcome by the way” Trish teased. 

Sighing but then giggling a bit, she let it go and drank the soft drink the group had procured from the vending machine, in which they had discovered that Lloyd, Ellie and Randy had never seen one before. 

“This is a really great view of the countryside isn't it? It almost as if it was taken out from a fairytale” Lloyd said, taking in the view. “For real, all the old ruins around really add to the vibe. I bet history buffs would have a field day here.” Randy pointed at the ancient and crumbling ruins. 

“Well you're in luck because dear old bro here has had his nose in some many books, he's a self made archeologist.” He said, shaking his brother's shoulder. Vergil shoved him off while Ellie looked at him surprised. “You're a fan of history Vergil?”

He cleared his throat. “I am an avid reader of many things with history being one of my favorite subjects. If I recall, most of these ruins were built around the middle ages with most of them still untouched by modern hands.” Ellie smiled at that statement. 

“You're right. In fact this place is right near the Ancient battlefield” her mood then simmered down a bit. “The site of one of the many battles between Erebonia and Calvard respectively.” 

“Sounds like a cool spot, what's to say we hit it up?” Dante suggested. The others shot that idea down much to Dante and Randy's dismay, saying that they were already behind schedule. Finishing up their drinks, they got on the road again and made the final trek to Amorica village, with Trish carrying Tio this time. 

The site of the village was one to behold, its scenery reminiscent of classic farmland with a few cars out by the village's entrance, reminding Dante and the others of the similar sites back home. The smell of honey permeated the air, almost masking the stench of the crime committed here three weeks ago. “Smells like paradise” Dante said as breathed in the natural air of the place. 

“According to the Database” Tio began. “The honey from Amorica is one of the area's specialties. Due to its quality, the demand of Amorican honey is quite high, so it is exported all across Zemuria”

Lloyd pondered and smelled the information. “Yeah, I believe it. I'd always see it being sold in grocery stores and markets. This is where it comes from?”

“Yeah the bees work overtime to satisfy your needs Lloyd” Dante teased the detective. Lloyd rubbed his head in embarrassment. 

“That's right.” Ellie said with a look of contemplation on her face. “It's quite a different feeling, experiencing something first hand, rather than simply reading about it in books…” she started to have some very spiraling thoughts before something pulled her from the well of her own conflicted feelings. 

“Head in the clouds?” Trish said, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. “Oh Trish don't mind me” that warranted a bit tighter grip on her shoulder and a grin, not harmful but to get her attention and slowly moved her away from the group. 

“Ellie, I've been around a lot of places and I know a liar when I see one. If you need to speak to us about anything, we're here for you” Trish said out of ear shot from the three human members of the SSS. 

“I….” Ellie began but she stopped, being taken aback at how Trish was able to see right through her. She sighed, giving up the facade. “It's complicated, but we have this case to deal with first. But thank you and I'm sorry for worrying you” she said, trying to shake off her negative feelings. 

“Don't mention it, the first step to fixing something wrong is admitting there is a problem in the first place” she said. “Now let's get back with the others.” Dante and Vergil who had picked up on the conversation acted naturally as they came back.  

“This place seems so tranquil” Ellie said to the others, turning to face her. “It's almost surprising that this place was the site of a monster attack.”  

“I know what you mean, lookin around, all I can see is a carefree, happy village” Randy relayed to her. 

“If I recall, the CGF spoke to the village chief so I suggest we start there,” Vergil said. “Where would we even look? I'd imagine we would need to ask around” Ellie said to the others. 

“It's in the far end of the village, that big stack of wood right there” Dante said, pointing to a large building near the fields with flowers and bushels adorning the exterior. “How did you know that Dante?” Tio asked him somewhat curiously. 

“Just had a bunch, now let's get going!” He went ahead of the others, Lloyd following after him to try and not barge in on the wrong house. 

With the luck of Adios on their side,the group actually entered the correct house only to be greeted by the sight of an old man with a beard and a well dressed man with purple hair, who seemed to be at the tail end of an important discussion. 

The well dressed man took his leave, apologizing to the SSS and proceeded to exit the building. 

“And who might you all be?” The old man called out to the group. Apologizing for the intrusion the SSS introduced themselves to Chief Tolta, the head of Amorica village and told him that they were here to investigate the monster attack. Guiding them to a table in the living room, they got comfy and heard the man out.

“If you don't mind, could we have you give us any details?” Lloyd asked politely. 

“Of course, let me think,” Chief Tolta responded as he pulled the information from his memory. “It happened three weeks ago, on the night of a full moon. A pack of monsters snuck into the village, laying waste to any crops they could find.” He said, recounting the memory. “Fruit wheat, even our livestock was hit. Every household in the village was affected by it, to some degree.”

“And there were no eyewitnesses, correct?” Lloyd followed up with another query. 

The man hummed. “Yes. Unlike the rowdy folk in the city, people here tend to go to sleep earlier. After all, we need to be up with the roosters for our farm work so by that time of night, most of us were already fast asleep.”

“What about the people that are typically not fast asleep at that time?” Vergil questioned. Chief Tolta shook his head. “Unfortunately even our friends at the inn don't stay up past midnight so I'm afraid they didn't see anything.”

“Or hear anything?” Trish asked. “Pardon ma'am?” Chief Tolta looked at her with an attentive focus. “It's strange that even though animals were killed, no one heard a single cry for help. I mean the farms look quite a distance away but with how wide this area is, some echoes should have been heard.” 

Chief Tolta gave a bit of a smile, impressed by her deduction. “I would agree, but it does get windy here sometimes at night. By the time we woke up the next morning, we found the paw prints and damage the monster had left in their wake.”

“I see,” Lloyd said to himself. “Is that how you were able to identify them as wolf-like monsters?” Tio asked, adding to the ever expanding list of questions. The man nodded. “That's right, the paw prints they left were unmistakable. Fortunately the CGF happened to be patrolling by the village later that day. We informed them of what happened and they conducted a patrol of the perimeter just to be safe.”

“Yet they didn't find any trace of the monsters, just as written in the CGF's report” Ellie added. “This definitely is a real scratcher,” Dante said, rubbing his chin. 

“Indeed so young man,” Tolta said, nodding. “It's been three weeks since then, and we haven't had another attack since. To be honest I believed this to be a one time issue but it's unfortunate that other places were attacked by these monsters.”

Dante had been thinking for a while before speaking out. “Well one thing's for certain, these mutts ain't thinking straight.” 

Everyone turned to face him. “What makes you say that?” Lloyd asked him. “I'm just spitballing but I think we've been giving these dogs too much credit for being smarter than the average pup. It's possible they might have an owner.” That surprised everyone. “You believe they could be under the control of someone?” Ellie questioned.

Dante shrugged, “Kinda, we have to look at the other places but as Trish brought up, it's weird that no one heard anything, especially since everyone's livestock got munched on” Dante answered. “If under the control of someone, this single incident makes a lot more sense.”

“Now that you mention it, the losses we took weren't heavy at all, the damage totaled to being near one hundred thousand mira. If these were just wild animals, the losses should have been more severe” Tolta noted. 

“That's a good point, in fact this place seems really peaceful despite being attacked recently,” Randy added. 

“Still, a loss is a loss. It was a stressful time for the village. But thankfully we were able to strike a business deal that'll help us recover.” Tolta smiled. “Im happy to say that we've finally been able to break even from our losses now.”

“Was it with the guy that was chatting you up earlier?” Trish asked Tolta. 

“That's right, he's a trader from the city. Over the past few years, we've maintained a healthy business relationship. After hearing about the damages, he increased his offers by a wide margin, bless his soul. You don't see that kind of generosity in people these days.”  

He then crossed his arms. “Considering the shape that Crossbell is in, these damages are the least of our worries..” he trailed off. 

Garnering confused looks, Ellie was the first to ask him to elaborate. “Sorry, could you explain?” Chief Tolta was brought back from his thoughts to address what he had meant by that vague statement. 

“Have you heard of the ‘divine wolves?”He asked the group. “Divine wolves? Lloyd asked, confused by the term. “As in wolves with divine power?” Ellie said next, hoping for clarification. 

“So you're saying some pups reading scripture are running around?” Dante said with a straight face. Chief tolta laughed. “No no, but it's just as I thought.”

“And that would be?” Trish asked him. “That the legend must be long lost in the city. A shame really” he said with a solemn look on his face. “Sorry but what exactly is a divine wolf? I've never heard the term before.” Lloyd said. 

Chief Tolta then began to recount the legend to the group about the divine wolves, an ancient species of beasts that supposedly resided in Crossbell. They were known for the snow white fur and that allegedly they were Holy Beasts sent by Adios, the central figure of worship of the Septian Church, it being the primary religion of the continent. Long ago, when the land was rife in conflict, the wolves would come to the aid of the weak or injured. 

“I can't believe I'd never heard this before” Ellie said, fascinated by the tale. Lloyd hummed, remembering something. “Something about this seems familiar.” Lloyd perked up, the gears in his head clicking. “Yeah, I remember reading a fairy tale about a white wolf as a kid. If I remember right, they had a book like that in the library.” 

“So I'm assuming you brought this up because you think these beasts are the reason behind these incidents?” Vergil looked to the chief. “It's hard to know for sure of their intentions. This is an old man's rambling at the end of the day.” 

He then postured up. “But as you all know, Crossbell has undergone drastic changes in the past few decades. Once it became the center of trade in Zemuria, being influenced by the Empire and Republic, Crossbell began to forget its own past.” He said with a hint of remorse. “With that, the divine wolves slowly vanished.”

Tolta clasped his hands together. “If they have returned after all this time…I can only imagine it would be a warning for things to come.” Dante sat up at that. “That's cryptic, this isn't the part where you transform into a wolf to bring justice to us lowly heathens?” 

“Dante must you make a fool of yourself everywhere yo-” Vergil's lecture was cut off by Chief Tolta bursting out into laughter, much to the group's dismay. After getting it all out, he then recomposed himself. “Quite the jokester young man! I like that in people.” 

“Sorry about him, he's a good person but doesn't know when to act his age” Ellie said with distaste at the hunters joke. 

“It's all fine, miss. But to elaborate on that ‘cryptic message’ and this may be out of my place to say but in my opinion, Crossbell city has been growing too rapidly and too aggressively. Last time I took a bus down there, all the changes left my jaw on the floor.” Chief Tolta sighed and rubbed his head. 

“It's as if people are so caught up living in the moment, they no longer have time to remember the past. That's how I see it anyway.”

The others had nothing to add to that last statement with the Chief telling them not to worry about his old stories. Afterwards, Lloyd asked for the Chiefs permission to interview the villagers about the incident with the SSS keeping the legend of the divine wolves as a potential point of reference.

Walking around the village, they asked the farm owners and every story was some variation of “i was asleep when it happened” and so on and so forth. Deciding to hit up the local inn, they asked the owner but the result was unfortunately the same. However they were treated to the inn's special omelet rice. 

“Compliments to the chef” Dante said to the barhand, acknowledging the compliment with a smile. 

“Agreed, the rice has healed my stomach” Tio said as she wolfed down her food. She almost choked, resulting in her back getting patted by Randy when a chuckle from a nearby table got their attention. “Agreed young lady, the food is simply amazing” the voice coming from the same purple haired man from Toltas house. 

“Hey aren't you the business guy from the city?” Dante asked him. The man let out a small laugh. “That's right. I suppose Chief Tolta must have told you?” He then got up from his seat and introduced himself. “It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'm Harold Hayworth. I happen to run a small trade company in Crossbell.”, he then looked at the group with interest. “Did you all happen to come here as buyers, too?”

The SSS quickly shot down that idea and explained that they were there to investigate the monster attacks as members of the CPD. Impressed by the efforts of the founding members, offered some words of encouragement to the group and also brought up that he did business with St Ursula medical college as a regular provider of medical supplies. 

Taking their leave, the SSS having collected as much information as they could, went to the bus stop not wanting to take a trek back. However the next bus would arrive…..in thirty minutes. 

“What a pain in the ass, not enough time to do anything but too long to just wait around” Randy begrudgingly said. “Was hoping to get a drink at the inn but that's not enough time to really savor it.”

“You shouldn't be drinking on the job in the first place Randy” Ellie said, annoyed at her colleague's irresponsible behavior. 

Just then Tio and the hunters heard something in the distance. 

“Tio, you alright?” Dante said. The others turned to face the girl. 

“Yes, I just thought I heard something in the distance.” She then pulled out her staff. “I will try maximizing the sensitivity of my sensor. Please be quiet for a moment.”

Raising her staff in the air, Tio's headband began to glow, scanning the area to detect the noise that she'd just heard. After several seconds she stopped to face the others. “I am sorry everyone. It must have been my imagination.”

“Nah don't sell yourself short, we heard it too.” Dante gestured to Trish and Vergil. . “Sounded like howling right?”

Tio's eyes went wide. “How did you know?” Vergil stepped forward. “We heard as well, far off in the distance” Trish nodded confirming her claim to hearing the howling as well. 

“Damn you guys got good ears!” Randy said surprised. “Lloyd, do you think it's the monsters we're after?” Ellie asked him. 

“Please do not get your hopes up. I likely misheard it” Tio said flatley. “It could have also been a sensor malfunction”

“Then I guess the three of us need fixing up because I know we heard howling just as you did” Trish stated. “What should we do, search the surrounding area for signs of wolves?” Ellie said to the group. 

“Probably not, that howl was a ways away so I don't think the culprits would be there when we show up with the cuffs” Dante said jokingly, but his point got across to everyone there. Lloyd hummed. “Tio what's the range for your sensors?”

“When operating normally” she began somewhat hesitantly. “it should be able to be 50 selge, but under certain atmospheric conditions, the range of sound should be able to extend twice as far.”

Lloyd let out a light sigh.”looks like Dante's assessment was right, but that's alright, we just have to keep our ears open.”

“Um..” Tio began, feeling an ugly and apprehensive feeling in the pit of her stomach. “All of you..believe I heard something?” 

The group besides the devil's were a bit surprised by that statement. “Miss Plato, I believe we also stated repeatedly that we heard the howl, everyone here believes you.” Vergil said calmly. 

“What?”

Tio was genuinely taken aback. All her life, she had been treated differently due to her ability to hear and sense things the average person could not. 

A part of her honesty thought that Dante, Vergil and Trish were just playing along, treating her like a child. But then she saw the look in their eyes, while their faces gave of a very casual vibe, their eyes had a glint of earnestness in them. 

“I….apologies everyone, that question was silly for me to ask. Please forget about it if possible” Tio said to the others. 

“Too late, I'm gonna write this in my journal” Dante brought his hands up, performing the motion of writing. “ Dear diary, the icy kid finally melted a bit,” Dante said. 

“Dante, I hate you.”

The utter lack of actual anger Tio put into her voice a laugh from everyone, Vergil even allowing a small imperceptible grin. 

The tender moment was interrupted by Mr. Hayworth, who offered the SSS a ride back to the city. During the ride, general small talk was made but Tio didn't pay much attention to it. The small, warm feeling in her chest was a fine distraction for the ride. 

Something she thought that a broken girl like her would never feel again. 

“Looks like she needs a massage, I'm gonna go see if I can fix her up.” Nico said to Nero as she exited the bus. “Just don't be you know…you” He said following after her. 

Nico and Nero had been quite frankly, going stir crazy. The self help cram school had been absolute hell and both decided to take a little breather. Said breather being a “field trip” to the hospital. Unfortunately on the way there, the bus broke down. 

Exiting the bus, the two stepped onto a well worn path near a forest and went up to the front where the bus driver was trying to fix the broken down vehicle. 

“Hey, gonna need you to scoot on by” Nico said to the driver. The man, covered in a bit of sweat and grime, looked at her confused. “Excuse me miss?” The driver said. Without even missing a beat, Nico plopped right next to him to take a look at the engine. “Hmm look like this piece got dislodged, got just the thing for it.” 

“Hey ma'am I can't have you touching th-” he was cut off by the sound of motor parts being reactivated. “Eh?”

Nero put a hand on the driver's shoulder. “Sorry about her, she just likes to fidget with things” Nico stuck her tongue out at him then went right back to work. “Who is she?” The man asked. “Nicoletta Goldstein, self made engineer.” She responded. “Now just gotta lift thi-”  

A roar in the distance got their attention as two gargantuan monsters bounded out of the forest. Two giant gorilla-like creatures with horns made their way towards them, agitated by something. 

“Where the hell did those come from?!” The bus driver yelled, backing away and running towards the bus's entrance. “Hey what the hell are you doing?! Get over here!”

Nico just waved him off. “Nero mind keeping those things company?” she said nonchalantly. 

“Sure, been looking for a decent workout anyway” he said as he walked over to the middle of the road, picked up a rock and threw it at one of the monkeys. He put a little too much strength in the throw, causing the rock to embed itself into its arm, riling it up and its partner even further. 

Roaring, they stomped over to Nero with the intention of ripping him to pieces. “HEY KID, GET AWAY NOW!” the bus driver yelled again. Nero, ignoring the man, pulled out his gun, the Blue Rose. He looked them up and down. 

“You freaks out on a date?” He asked the apes. 

The first appearance raised its arm to smack Nero down but an uppercut launched its head up, staggering the beast. Its buddy lunged at Nero but he managed to jump over it and stomped its head, causing it to slide across the ground and eat dirt. The first managed to get over its stupor and began its attack, charging full speed at him. 

Nero fired his gun at the ape, the shot blowing chunks off its face. The ape roared in agony clutching its mangled jaw, but it was put out of its misery by a follow up shot, leaving a borderline crater where its mouth was. 

The second ape had faced Nero at this point and saw its partner's corpse and Nero smirked at it. “Don't be sad, there's bigger fish out there.” 

The remaining ape howled and on cue, several smaller monkey like monsters ran out into the road and huddled around the larger ape. 

“Alright, I guess I can babysit ” He said as the apes ran to assault Nero and he met their charge in due kind. 

“I'm so tired of having to walk,” Ellie said. “Need me to carry you again?” Ellis shook her head at Trish's suggestion, still embarrassed at the earlier incident. 

The SSS had been waiting at Ursula Road's bus stop when a member of the Crossbell City Transport division informed them that the bus had run into some trouble and was currently stuck on its route. Volunteering to help with this instead of the Bracer Guild, the SSS made their way along the highway. 

As they made their way along the road, they heard roaring mixed with what sounded like cannon fire that some of the members recognized. “Everyone, do you hear that?” Randy said, cupping his ears. 

“Yeah, gunfire and I know who it belongs to,” Dante said. “What kind of gun sounds like that?” Tio asked in disbelief. “You'll see, c'mon guys.” 

The others rushed towards the sound, it getting louder and louder then abruptly stopping. What they found shocked the four human members of the team. 

Nero was sitting on the bus's entry door near the site of a massacre. The corpses of several ape-like monsters were strewn across the road, some with absurdly large holes in their bodies and a few mangled beyond recognition and the stench of blood filled the air. Nero took note of the group, removing his gun from his shoulder. 

“What the hell happened here?!” Randy exclaimed. The bus driver from before, came up right next to Nero and made his way towards the ground. “It was him, he did this!” he said in a very accusatory manner. 

“Whoa calm your tits buster!” a familiar voice shouted out from behind the front of the bus. “You were damn near monkey food before he saved your ass!”

“Hey Nico, are you fixing this thing?” Dante shouted back. “Yeah, it's shot to hell and back, tell him that he's lucky he ain't driving a school bus because if my kid was stuck on this thing i'd be pissed!”

“Excuse me?!” He said, marching toward the bus, but Lloyd's hand stopped him from going further. “Sir please calm down, just tell us what happened.” He said firmly. Taking in a few breaths, he then pointed to Nero. 

“I was just driving back to the hospital with just these two passengers but as you can see, the bus broke down. I went to go fix it, then that woman just started tinkering with the engine like I wasn't even there and soon after those monsters came out of the forest!” 

The man took in another deep breath before continuing. 

“Then that boy ignored my warning to get back on the bus and killed all those monsters like it was nothing! He cracked jokes while he was slaughtering them!” The man finished his rant with the group getting a closer look at the corpses.

Tio felt her stomach drop when she saw the bodies. Ellie and Lloyd nearly gagged at the site while Nero shrugged his shoulders. “It was self defense.”

Before the man could go on another rant, Randy stepped in to mediate. “Hey listen man I get it, there was a lotta blood, and it was scary. But he did save your life” he said, putting a soft but firm hand on his shoulder. “Look, let's all head back and report this to HQ, I'm sure they'll be willing to help.” 

Nero, as somewhat annoyed by the driver's ridiculous logic, decided to bury the hatchet. “Look pal, I'm sorry for having you see me make roadkill.” 

The joke, while in poor taste, had a hint of earnestness in it that managed to ease the tension in the area. The bus driver sighed, clearly stressed from all that had happened. “Alright, I'll need to report this to the trans-”

“Hey you guys with the Crossbe-” A cheery voice belonging to a girl came out but quickly dissipated as its owner saw the scene of the fight. “What happened here?” 

“Who killed those monsters?” a male voice came in next. The group turned to where it came from and saw two individuals, a boy and girl respectively. The girl had pigtails, was dressed mostly in orange and had a staff strapped to her back while the boy with black hair was wearing mostly black and Grey clothing with two dagger-like blades strapped to his waist. 

“Yeah, this is gonna take a bit,” Nero said. 

After explaining the situation and telling them why they were out here in the first place, the two individuals then introduced themselves.  

“Hi! I'm Estelle Bright! the girl greeted with an impossibly warm smile. 

“And I'm Joshua. We recently transferred over to the Bracer Guilds Crossbell branch” the second boy greeted a bit more passively but not lacking the same warmth that the girl had. 

“Oh really? Now that you mention it, you guys definitely look the part” Dante said. Lloyd stepped forward to introduce the team. “Nice to meet you two, we're members of the CPD's Special Support Section. I'm Lloyd bannings.”

“My name's Ellie Macdowell. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

“Sup! names Randy Orlando.”

“Tio Plato, a pleasure.”

“Dante Redgrave, undercover cop.”

“Vergil Redgrave, don't listen to him.”

“Trish Eva, nice blades you got.” 

“Thank you Miss Eva, they've helped me more times than I can count.” Joshua said.

“Nero, the culprit in this case” he said casually. 

“Nicoletta Goldstein!” She yelled from the bus. She finished working on the engine and now is actually trying to improve it. 

“Hey so how about we help each other out? Since you guys are busy, we can stay here and escort them back to the city.” Estelle said. “We can also help clean up all….this.” 

“Is…..that okay with you Nero?” Vergil said somewhat awkwardly. Nero shrugged. “I don't really care,” he said.

The others departed and continued down the road with an awkward silence accompanying the group. Randy decided to ask Dante a burning question. “Forgot to ask Nero this but does his gun also use gunpowder ammunition?”

Dante nodded. “Yeah, is that illegal or something?” Randy shook his head. “It's legal, just surprised that he also uses a freaking handcannon. Two barrels on a revolver?” I'm surprised his wrist hasn't blown off yet.”

“He's had lots of practice, hell we all have” Dante then paused. “Are you allergic to it? 

Randy chuckled a bit “Nah man, i've just seen the stuff before and it…..wasn't used with the best of intentions.”

“Ellie you okay? You look pale” Lloyd said to her. Ellies gait faltered a bit. “I'm fine Lloyd, but thank you for asking.

“We're not gonna be upset if you found what you saw disgusting.” Dante said, making the whole group come to a stop. 

“Dante,” Ellie began. “I…I'm sorry, I'm just used to seeing anything like that…”

“And?” he asked her to elaborate. Ellie squirmed nervously before taking in a deep breath. “It..felt very excessive and unnecessary to hurt those monsters that badly.” She turned to Vergil but Trish stopped her from speaking. “Ellie, it's fine, we or Nero aren't upset by how you guys feel.” 

“Agreed. We are a team now so we need to be honest with one another when it comes to things like this.” Vergil affirmed. 

“We've just been doing this for so long that having other people see our handiwork isn't something we usually care for. But now, we'll do our best to tone things down.” Dante said, pinching his fingers. “Just a teensy little bit.”

The oddly comforting speech seemed to ease the worries of the human SSS members. 

“Check it out Lloyd, looks like you got a partner for cheesy speeches to practice with.” 

“Randy, you're not seeing the nurse” Lloyd said flatley with a hint of a threat. Randy fell to his knees in despair while Ellie giggled and Tio let out a breath she had been holding in. Lloyd then faced the three devils. 

“Thank you for saying that, I'm sorry if we were judging you unfairly. As police officers, we shouldn't be doing that.” Lloyd said to the three. They shrugged it off and continued on their merry way, putting that little incident behind them. 

From a distance, St Ursula was definitely an impressive place but up close it was stunning. The rocky marble flooring contrasted well with the various trees lined up in the courtyard. Along with the nearby river, the water crystal clear and full of life, it felt pure, as if the very air itself made it known that this was a place of healing.

Tio, being the resident encyclopedia, began to tell the group about the place. 

St Ursula was Zemurias most well known general hospital. It was originally founded with help from the Principality of Remiferia, a country well known for highly advanced medical technology. As such, it frequently accepts patients both foreign and domestic. 

Randy seemed only interested in the nurses, while Tio after her explanation, seemed very uncomfortable being here. 

“Don't worry, you're not getting shots today” Dante told her. “I am perfectly fine, stop doting over me” she responded. 

“Alright alright, just don't push yourself.”

“Seriously, there's no need to worry about me,” she said flatley. “More importantly, we should go and see Lloyd's friend while we're here.

Remembering that prior to the bus stop fiasco, Lloyd mentioned his sister worked at the hospital and had been hoping to meet her again after quite some time. As Randy's unusual behest, they went to go find her. 

Entering the main lobby, the SSS went and introduced themselves to a receptionist named Sara, and stated that they were here to investigate the monster attack. 

“I see, well the hospital director isn't here right now, so shall I call the head nurse for you instead?” 

“Er, well Actually” Lloyd began nervously. “There's someone I know that works here and, uh…if she isn't busy at the moment, I was wondering if she could show us around.”

“Hey Lloyd, you're sweating bullets, relax” Dante told him. “Of course he's sweating man! We're about to call a gorgeous nurse here to give us a personal tour of the place!” Randy exclaimed in a hushed tone. 

“I think that only applies to you Randy”Ellie proclaimed. 

“Lloyd?” A woman's voice came in from the stairs well. 

The group looked over and down came a beautiful woman with golden brown hair with a braid draped over her right shoulder and had a nurses uniform on. 

The group minus the devil's were instantly enamored by her beauty and were even more surprised when she ran up to Lloyd to embrace him and cried into his shoulder, much to the detective's embarrassment. 

The tender moment being put aside for now, the group headed over to the hospitals overnight inn. The nurse introduced herself as Cecil Nues, and after a very brief period of her trying to guess which co-worker Lloyd was dating, much to his chagrin, she began to explain what had happened one week ago.

One of the residents, a man named Lytton, was attacked at night. But what was strange is that he told the CGF that he was attacked on the roof, piquing the group's interest. It was decided that the team would interview the victim first before investigating the crime scene. 

Cecil guided the group to the third floor to meet with the victim. “This should be the room everyone. There are other patients here so try to keep your voices down, okay?” She said sweetly. “Sure thing, we just need to listen to his account after all. 

They entered the room and the devil's eyes narrowed at a doctor with a white coat, light blue hair and glasses checking in or in some ways, harassing his patient. 

While Cecile voiced her disappointment in the good doctor, Dante Vergil and Trish have a quick knowing look at each other.

It was faint, very faint, but it did in fact exist. 

That the doctor going by Joachim Guenter was emitting faint pulses of demonic energy. 

Chapter Text

1204, Septian Calendar 

February 20th,

St Ursula Medical College 

Mid afternoon 

“So what's the call?” Trish asked the Sons of Sparda. Both were deep in thought trying to make head or tails of the situation.

Having heard Lyttons testimony, the SSS decided to do a sweep of the rooftop to find the potential point of entry that the monsters used to get up there, with the humans taking the east side of the roof and the devil's taking the west side of the roof respectively. 

The three already managed to figure out where the wolves got in, giving them plenty of time to discuss what to do with Doctor Joachim. 

“I mean is it just me or did that energy feel…off?” Dante asked his brother. He pondered then nodded in affirmation. “It did, it is demonic but it feels foreign. Normally demonic wavelengths feel like an electric burn but this feels more like a chemical burn.”

“That's a weird comparison but I think I get what you're saying, it doesn't feel like normal underworld sulfur. Isn't Gehenna this world's version of the underworld?” Dante asked. 

“Yep. Can't say I'm not surprised that this world has demons in it. Maybe we have cousins down there” Trish wondered. “I hope not, if they know what's good for them” Dante breathed out. “Maybe Adios wants us to do the dirty work instead,” Trish chimed in. 

Dante nodded with a smirk. In this line of work, legends of supernatural beings ended up being true to at least some extent so he was honestly surprised that so far, not a single higher power had tried to smite them for stepping into their territory. 

“To get back to the matter at hand, Joachim seemed to be putting up an appearance but maybe it's because of his work. Being an associate doctor isn't exactly an easy job.” Vergil thought out loud. 

“The good doctor is probably not a demon either, didn't feel like it was naturally a part of him.” Trish said. “Might be connected to the monsters.”

“Assuming if the demons of this world operate like the ones back home, he most likely doesn't have any unique abilities. His strength was very weak. Even lesser demons that are from where we are have more power than him” Vergil stated. 

“This could be connected to what the kid wanted us to do but at this point it's all conjecture.” Dante clapped his hands together. “Let's table this for now, we got some dogs that need to go to the pound after all.”

The other two nodded and went to reconvene with the other members of the SSS to report their findings. After one more round of running through the hospital with Randy's flirting once again getting himself in hot water with his insistent flirting and an unexpected visit one Shizuku Maclaine, a blind girl that happened to be the Divine blade of winds daughter, happened to have a piece of intel that the SSS found useful. 

Wrapping that portion of the investigation, they decided to head back home and write up today's report.

Unbeknownst to the group, a white wolf had been tailing them all day. In particular, taking note of the three passengers that felt “wrong” in a way that the holy beast was concerned about. 

With today's reports finished, Trish was about to head off to bed before a knock on her door decided that her night was not over. 

“Excuse me Trish, it's Ellie. Would you like to come to my room for some tea?”

“Uh, what's the occasion? Trish asked. “It's a surprise,” Ellie replied. Getting up from her bed she opened the door to find Ellie waiting for her. “Sorry if this feels sudden.”

“It's fine, I can stay up a bit longer,” Trish said. They both walked to her room and when they entered, Trish saw that Tio was also there, sitting at a table with a tea kettle, what looked to be various types of glaze and some scones coated in sugar, set on three porcelain plates. 

“Fancy set up. Tio you in on this?”

“No Trish, Ellie called me over as well.”

“Please sit. I got these from the bakery on west street.” Ellie said, gesturing to an open chair. She walked over and sat down with Tio on her left and Ellie to the right. Ellie then proceeded to pour the girls some tea into their cups. “It's a blend from Erebonia, I'm quite fond of it.” 

Nodding, Tio was the first, stirring the tea with her spoon then sipping it. Ellie was next, splitting her scones first, layering both of them with a lemon based glaze before stirring her cup, the lastly Trish who straight up drank about half a cup of tea. 

“How is it?” Ellies asked the girls. “It's pleasant,” Tio answered. 

“It's definitely….something.” Trish replied.

“You don't like it?” Ellie asked her.

“No it's fine…it's just…not my usual cup of tea.”

A few seconds passed before Ellie let out a small giggle which turned into a full blown laugh. Trish smirked and took a bite out of the scones while Tio rolled her eyes. 

“I can say that these are good, and Tio I wasn't doing that on purpose.”

“The company you keep says otherwise.”

“Fair enough.”

Ellie settled down, wiping her eyes. “Sorry about that. I guess all that traveling doesn't give you time to enjoy stuff like this.”

“Pretty much” she said, wiping her mouth with a napkin. “So I ask my dear madam, what's this all for?” 

Ellie sipped her tea before speaking. “It's to say thank you for today.”

Trish raised an eyebrow, “For what?”

Ellie smiled at her. “For cheering me up.” Trish waved her off. “It's whatever, I've had my own moments of self doubt when traveling so those two gave me some advice when I was down in the dumps.”

“I've been meaning to ask Trish, where were you all born?” Tio asked her, placing her cup down. Trish crossed her arms, reciting their cover story.

“Ravennue village in Liberl, cool place but we left pretty early on. March 17th, 1192. Hell, we just went north and have been wandering ever since.”

“That's surprising, considering your skill in martial arts, I thought you were from Calvard” Tio said, lathering a scone with pink glaze. “You broke that buffalo monster's neck with just a kick.”

Trish cracked her knuckles. “Yeah I can see why you'd think that. I'm self taught, Dante, Vergil and Nero are also mostly self taught.”

Ellie, taking another bite of a scone, asked another question. “Nero doesn't use just a gun?”

Trish nodded. “Yep. Swordsman like his dear dad. He has his own style along with a different blade. It's definitely..unique.”

“Can I assume his mom is also a self taught fighter?” Ellie asked teasingly. 

Trish however had to inform her of some unfortunate news. “Wouldn't know, she's not here with us anymore.” 

“Oh..that's terrible. I'm so sorry.” Ellie apologized. “You're fine, our whole situation is complicated anyway.” 

“Is that why you left Ravennue if you don't mind me asking ?” Tio chimed in. 

Trish shook her head. “Nah, Nero was born way after we left. Long story short, the place didn't feel like home, if that makes any sense. We just didn't feel like we belonged, not that the other villagers didn't like us. More like…..we felt different from other people.”

“Is it because of your strength?” Ellie asked. Trish let out a small laugh, “Bzzzt wrong answer but good try.” She then had a slightly somber look on her face. 

“Then I will make sure Crossbell can be your home.” Ellie said, placing a hand on the devil's forearm. 

Trish was a little surprised by the gesture. 

“I mean it's already home. But I like the passion Ellie, ever think about being a politician? You'd probably be better than those assholes running the show.”

Ellies face fell just a bit. “Ellie?” Tio spoke up, noticing the mood shift. 

“Touchy subject Ellie?” 

“No it's not touchy Trish, in fact this is the reason why I'm here.” Ellie said. Both girls looked at her quizzically before she cleared her throat. “I should probably explain that last part.” She breathed in a bit before recomposing herself. 

“You see I probably should have mentioned this before, but Henry Macdowell, the mayor of Crossbell is actually my grandfather.”

Trish raised her brow and Tio went wide eyed and nearly dropped her scone. “Really now? What made you decide to pick up a badge instead of a pen?”

Ellie shifted a bit. “You see, I actually studied abroad to become a politician, like my father and grandfather. But long story short, I felt that if I wanted to bring change to Crossbell, I needed to see what lies underneath the bright lights…..but I didn't know how dark it actually was.” her face fell a bit again. 

“Ellie…” Tio trailed off, not knowing what to say. Trish had a general understanding of Crossbells politics so now knowing her friend was closely affiliated with it was somewhat surprising. 

Fortunately Trish had something she needed to hear.

“You feel frustrated that change won't happen. but all I see is a heart that's woken up to justice, and won't rest until it happens.”

Ellie looked up. “Trish?”

Trish placed her hand on the girl's other hand. “Let me tell you an…old fairy tale that I heard growing up. The guys love this one and I think you'll love it too. Tio, might wanna get that finished before I start.”

Tio, finishing the last of her scones, gave Trish her full attention. Trish began to recount the tale, mixing truth and lies. 

“A long time ago, there was a war between a human kingdom and another kingdom…..the underworld, a place filled with vicious and terrible monsters. 

This was an age filled with darkness, for the hordes far outnumbered the humans and their strength was overwhelming. Despite their best efforts, the human kingdom was overrun and taken over, with the humans being powerless under the monster's rule, with their leader, the monster king, being the most fearsome and cruel of their kind. Those who resisted were crushed while the rest simply resigned to their fate. 

However in a surprising turn of events, a monster, one more infamous then any other, betrayed his kind to fight for the humans. 

His reasoning? He saw something in humans, a strength that while it could not physically overpower a monster's, had something special that the most monster's lacked. Something that refused to be extinguished even in the blackest pits of despair. 

He himself awoke to this strength and with a sword that bore his own name, he drove back the hordes and sealed them away from the human kingdom and ruled over and protected the humans until his death.”

Trish looked at the girls, clearly mesmerized by the tale. “Nice little bedtime story huh?”

“That was….wow. That felt very inspirational.” Ellie said beaming. 

“I agree, even though it was vague at certain points, it felt very rousing.” Tio commented. 

“Rousing enough for you to walk to Amorica again?” Trish asked. 

“Let's not be too hasty.”

Trish and Ellie laughed at that. Trish then looked at Ellie again. 

“The point of that little tale is that we all have our inner demons. Me, you, this city, probably this whole continent. But it doesn't decide who we are. We can change in spite of that and I bet we can change this city, and you have my vote whenever you decide to run for office.”

“Trish…..” Ellie suddenly felt a tear falling down her face. She wiped it away, sniffling and smiling. “Thank you, I can't thank you enough. I'm never gonna be out of your debt will I?

“Eh friends don't keep score. Us girls gotta stick together anyway.”

With that, the ladies of the SSS chatted about other subjects late into the night, all the while, Ellie felt as if a huge burden was lifted off her shoulders. 

That maybe, her father's sense of justice was never in vain. 

Getting up bright and early, the SSS were called down to the Chief's office and to their surprise, Sonya and her subordinate were there. However she brought some unfortunate news. The CGF had been ordered to withdraw from Mainz, the reason being that it was a “waste of resources” even though the monster attack happened three days ago. 

“He thinks protecting innocent civilians is a waste of resources?” Ellie said, upset at the commander's logic. “Never liked that kiss ass,” Randy growled. 

“Removing the CGF right now is a fool's errand. We may have to pick up the slack” Vergil said.  

The others agreed in that assessment that they needed to solve this case as soon as possible. With that out of the way, Sonya properly introduced her subordinate, Noel Seeker, a skilled driver and combatant respectively. Interestingly enough, the devil's then became aware of an incident that occurred last year. 

“The Liberl incident?” Dante asked. “Dante, do you live under a rock?” Tio asked him back. “We all did more or less” Vergil said and Trish affirmed with a nod. 

The girl let out an annoyed sigh. “The Liberl incident, to put it in layman's terms, was when orbal power shut down throughout the country. The Bracer guild played a part in solving the matter.” 

“Damn, Bracers are really super cops.” Dante quipped. “Bracers do not have any jurisdiction in political mat-”

“Lighten up kid, anyway Lloyd we're burning daylight. Sooner we cuff these canines, the sooner I can sleep” Dante said. 

“You are a reprobate,” Lloyd said, letting out a sigh. “But you're right, let's go everyone!”

With that, they set off to the mountain village. Making their way through the residential district to the Mainz mountain path, as soon as they stepped through the archway, the group heard another howl like the one from yesterday, Tio nothing in particular that this howl came across as a message of some kind, “filled with purpose” whatever the hell that meant. 

Realizing that it came from the middle of the path, taking the bus was a no go. But surprisingly Ellie and Tio were willing to walk the rugged path. Trudging along, they were greeted to a breathtaking view of the countryside, noticing how it contrasted to the hustle and hustle of the city. 

Another howl got their attention, as if wanting to pick up the pace. They went north arriving at a fork in the road but decided to take a detour, taking the right path instead of the left. They ended up finding what looked to be a large mansion out in the middle of nowhere. 

“What is this place?” Lloyd wondered out loud. 

“You'll find your answer on the right.” Dante said. Lloyd and the others then looked over and saw a sign that said “Rosenberg Studio” with another sign that said “keep out.”

“Rosenberg…” Ellie said with recognition in her voice. “You know what this place is?” Trish asked her. 

“Yes, it's a very famous doll studio known for making many valuable antiques. I've been told it's owned by a very talented doll maker.”

“if I recall, many of his works sell at a high price at auctions,” Tio commented. Dante gave the place a look. “Think he's home? He might have heard that howl.”

“If you're looking for Grandpa Jeorg, he's not here.” A high pitched voice cut in. 

The group turned around and saw a little girl with purple hair and a frilly white dress. 

“Teehee. Good day everyone” she said politely. Who might you all be? Do you have some business here?”

“We're just cops on the hunt for a big bad group of wolves.” Dante replied. Lloyd groaned. “To be more specific, we are with the Crossbell Police Department. There's no need to be suspicious of us.”

“Oh you're with the police? That's funny, I've never seen the police wander outside the city before. Are you patrolling this area now?” she asked the group.  

“Actually no, this wasn't part of our patrol” Lloyd responded. “We're actually in the middle of an investigation and were hoping to ask someone about monsters in the area.”

“Monsters? What kind of monsters did you want to ask-” the girl sensed something diving at her and was about to jump out of the way but Dante had already pulled out Ivory and pulled the trigger, killing the eagle-like monster in one shot, the echo rumbled through the area.  

“Not the one that wanted you for lunch, sorry about that kid” Dante said, holstering his gun. Ellie went up to the girl. “Are you alright? That was very sudden so I'm sorry if that noise scared you.”

The girl, strangely enough, just smiled. 

“Gunpowder? Haven't smelled that in a while” She said. 

Dante and the others found this statement odd and kinda amusing. “Good nose, guess we gotta make sure the big bad wolves don't snatch it,” he said. 

“A little girl knowing what gunpowder smells like is definitely something” Trish piped in.

The girl giggled. “I'd like to think I know a lot of things, but thank you for saving me.” She said performing a curtsy. She then looked at the falcon monster and hummed. “They usually don't flock here.”

“Pardon?” Vergil asked. The girl looked his way. “These eagles don't typically stray far from rocky areas. The terrain here isn't an ideal hunting spot.”

“She might be a better open book than you are.” Randy said to Tio. “You should take notes then, she actually knows how to be proper,” Tio bit back.

“Guys please don't bicker in front of a child” Ellie said, sighing. The girl laughed. “Wow you all are really funny. But to answer your earlier question, I didn't see any wolf-like monsters but I did hear howling in the distance.”

Vergil nodded. “Thank you young lady, I'm impressed that you inferred what the subject of our investigation was based on my brother's joke.

The girl closed her eyes and nodded. “Like I said mister, I know a lot of things. Maybe going with you all will be fun!” 

“Gonna have to decline that offer, we're already babysitting enough kids as is” Dante said earning him several glares from the younger SSS members. 

The girl sulked. “Grandpa should be back by this evening but he wouldn't mind me going out. I really want to play tag with those wolves, or hide and seek. Either way, it seems fun!”

Trish walked over and got down on one knee. “As much as I'd think it would be cool to do that, we can't, little lady.”

The girl huffed. “How boring, if only he was repaired, then I wouldn't be so bored. Oh well, maybe I'll go mess with freckles instead or play in the glass castle, or….”

The girl's childish yet cryptic ramblings went over the group's head. Realizing that she had been rude, she formally introduced herself. 

“Please, call me Renne. There's someone else I would like to introduce to you, but unfortunately his right leg was broken recently and Grandpa Jeorg is patching him up.”

Lloyd nodded. I'm sorry to hear that(is she talking about one of her dolls or something?)

(Just smile and nod, don't be an ass) Dante whispered. (Oh really Dante?) Lloyd almost growled. 

Renne giggled. “These wolves you're after seem to be quite the smarty pants. I wanted to play with them for a bit, but I suppose I am a grown up now, so I should act like one. Good luck with your investigation….Special Support Section.”

With that, she bowed and walked right through the front gates. 

“Hey Renne! How do you know about us?” Dante yelled out.

The girl stopped a half step at the front door, grinning and impressed by how perceptive these people were. She turned around. “The Crossbell times talked about you” she said, closing the door. 

Walking through the maze-like corridors, she decided that instead of checking up on her “friend” she decided to investigate the habitat where that falcon monster came from. It was on a whim but it did make her curious, especially since its species were considered top predators in the region. 

“Time to take my partner out for a stroll, she said, pulling a large gold and black scythe out, giggling in a manner that would scare most people. 

Little did she know that she would be the one to be put through her paces. 

The SSS continued their journey to Mainz, entering a tunnel when they heard another howl. Tio managed to pinpoint its location to the exit of the tunnel so they sprinted to hopefully find elusive wolves they'd been looking for. 

Exiting the tunnel, they saw what seemed to be several metal structures lined up alongside the cliffside walls and well worn tire tracks across the road. 

“Ya know it's rude to stalk people fido!” Dante called out, the humans looked confused until they saw where he was looking. Up on a cliff there was a white furred wolf leering down at them. It jumped down in front of the path.

Lloyd and Randy stepped forward and pulled their weapons out. 

“Heh, finally decided to come out and play eh?” Randy said. “No way you're getting away now! C'mon! Let's hurry and take him dow-”

“Wait a moment,” Tio said. “I do not sense any hostility.” The group turned to her. “Huh?” Randy said with a questioning look. 

“I will handle this,” Tio said as she walked up to the wolf. Lloyd and Randy told her to get back but the three devils reassured them that she'll be fine. 

The wolf's growling however wasn't helping the situation. “We finally meet. I feel as though you have been seeking us. Is there perhaps a message you wished to relay” Tio asked the wolf. 

The wolf growled again, its octaves going up and down. 

“It is just a thought.” Tio said. “You speak fido Tio?” Dante asked. That earned a more aggressive growl from the wolf making the three humans tense up a bit before Tio raised her hand. 

“Not exactly, but I can basically infer its intentions,” she responded. “What is your message?”

The wolf barked and growled to answer Tio's question. He then looked at the group and barked then jumped up the cliff and out of set. 

“What did he say Tio?” Lloyd asked her. “It definitely seemed like he was trying to tell us something.”

Tio turned to the group. “Umm…I am not certain, but the nuance is something along the lines of..’the final fragment lies ahead, the rest is in your hands’. That's all I could gather.”

“A very cryptic message, but thank you Miss Plato.” Vergil said. “I think it's safe to say that he's not our culprit.” 

Randy and Ellie turned to him. “I don't know about that man, if he's smart enough to communicate with us, he's smart enough to lie.” 

“No, I agree with Vergil's assessment.” Lloyd said to the others. “Remember the testimonies we gathered at the Amorica and St Ursula? No one heard howling and the victim said he was attacked on the roof by monsters with black fur.”

“That makes sense, but we can't brush him off our suspect list, he could be leading the pack and having black wolves do the dirty work” Trish said. 

Tio nodded. “Packs tend to have an Alpha so you may be right.” 

“Still, if he isn't responsible for the attacks, we may have to rethink things” Ellie stated. There may be two different kinds of wolves, each acting on its own.” 

“It's a safe bet. He might be the divine wolf from the legend. But first we need to find those black wolves before we reach any conclusions” Trish shared with the group.

“There's also something else….” Tio said a bit worried. 

“What is it?” Lloyd asked. Tio gathered her thoughts before speaking. 

“He also said something like ‘I will be watching the three of you closely, If you try to bring harm to this land, I will show no mercy.’

A few seconds passed before Dante and Trish started laughing. Vergil was also amused but at the same time deep in thought, pondering the fact that their true identities may have been sussed out. 

“Well then, let's show this beast that we mean well.” Vergil said. With that, they made the final trek to the mining village. 

Mainz looked like the ideal mining town. Various machines and metal scaffolding littered the place, if a well oiled machine was a place, Mainz would be the top contender. But under all the grease and sweat, a sleek and stylish black truck was parked just outside the village, Tio noting that it was a Reinford model orbal vehicle. Unfortunately they met the owners, a familiar group the SSS had a run in before the devil's joined the team. 

Coming out of the Mayor's house were two members of Revache, the top mafia family in Crossbell city. Seeing how it was definitely not good that members of a known criminal organization were speaking to the head of the village, they entered the home to have a conversation with the mayor. 

Getting right to business, the group were told of what had transpired. Two days ago, a miner was attacked at night, suffering only minor injuries. When the CGF arrived, no monsters were sighted but then were abruptly pulled out, much to the dismay of the village. Then out of the blue, Revache reached out and wanted to offer bodyguard services, for a price. Not of mira but for exclusive trading rights for the town's rich abundance of septium. 

The mayor had reached out to the Brace guild but unfortunately, the local branch was swapped with something and was unable to assist, creating a somewhat literal “rock and a hard place” situation.

But to the surprise of everyone. Lloyd and Dante promised the mayor that would be able to take care of the monsters and solve the case by tomorrow. To better explain how they would do this, Lloyd decided to hold an impromptu meeting in the towns inn. 

Booking a room and gathering at the table, Lloyd began to start the conversation. 

“Okay, let's start by going over our current situation. Many strings were foggy in the CGF's report. We knew about the string of monster attacks, but not much more. Fortunately, our investigation shed light on many of those points. But there's something that we don't know that by all rights, should have become clear by now.”

“The motive, why these attacks happened in the first place” Vergil said. Lloyd nodded agreement “Correct, we still haven't discovered one of the key things that detectives should look for in an investigation.”

“Yeah that's a good point” Randy chimed in. “Considering what happened at St Ursula, it doesn't seem that they're doing this out of hunger.”

“And according to Amorica village's chief, there's a possibility that all of these attacks are a warning from the divine wolves. but it's more likely that the black wolves are the culprits” Ellie noted. 

“That's actually not the case.” Vergil piped in. “As discussed earlier, a motive would have been found already, but why hasn't one appeared yet? The answer is that some of us had been operating under the assumption that the wolves were the culprit, but in actuality, they are the means in which the crimes were committed.”

“I remember Dante proposing the idea back at Amorica village,” Lloyd told the group. “It adds up when looking at the wolves' behavior. At the hospital the wolves had to take an extremely complex route to get to the rooftop. Furthermore, it was weird that the victim was lightly wounded.”

Remembering the Amorica interview, a thought passed by Ellie's head. “Dante, you said that the wolves were being controlled, but how would that even work?”

“i'll give you a little hint” Dante replied. “What did Shizuku hear the night of the attack at the hospital?”

Ellie thought back on what the girl said. “She heard a thumping sound, heavy breathing and a whistlin-.” Her brain lit up like a lightbulb. “Thats it! A whistle was used!”

Tio nodded in agreement. “Wolves are quite similar to dogs. Their ears can pick up frequencies that the average human ears cannot. Special whistles have been used to exploit that for quite a while now.”

“There are some people that use dog whistles to control military war hounds.” Randy said. “Armies don't usually bother with em. Mainly just jaegers.”

“And since I'd imagine the dogs would need get around quickly, what would be the best method of travel?” Dante asked the group. 

Lloyd, Vergil and Trish already put it together while the others finally realized the truth of the situation. 

“The van from earlier!” Ellie nearly shouted. “Yep, similar to the one we saw at the hospital.” Dante said, affirming her answer. 

“Looks like the pieces are adding up guys.” Trish spoke. “For Mainz specifically, Revache is using their war hounds to try and goad the good mayor into setting up a exclusive monopoly of a towns septium.”

“But what about the other places? If it was just that, Revache doesn't appear to be interested in the farming industry and St Ursula has too many good people for it to try and pressure them into a payment scheme” Tio wondered. 

“It probably has to do with Heiyue. Revache is going all in to shore up their power and resources into crushing their rival group and are probably training these wolves as one of their weapons in that fight” Lloyd proposed. 

“The CGF pulling out early makes sense, the commander's has ties to the diet and therefore, ties to the mafia.” Trish commented. 

“Ain't Heiyue coming to Crossbell was why Revache did that whole thing in the downtown district last month?” Dante asked him. Lloyd and the others humans nodded. 

“And the townsfolk are caught up in this gang war shit, not good at all.” He then slapped his hands on the table. “We gotta lock these wise guys up ASAP.” 

“Agreed Dante, this also explains why the attacks happened all over the state. Lloyd, I assume you have a plan for dealing with them?” Vergil asked the detective. Lloyd smiled at him. 

Figuring out that Revache probably has another attack planned, the group began to create a counteroffensive to arrest the members of the mafia. Requesting help from the CGF was a no go since their commander has deep ties to the diet, so if they did that, Revaches goons would get off scot free.

After nailing out the final details, the group waited until midnight to hopefully put an end to this case once and for all. 

1204, Septian calendar

February 20th

Mainz mining village

Midnight

“Randy, see two tangos dead ahead over” Dante whispered. 

“Dante i'm right here man.”

“Repeat your last, comms are breaking up.”

Randy sighed. “I see the drunks…over”

“Requesting permission to engage,over.”

“Sure and blow our cover, no you idiot”

“Repeat your last, over.”

“Dante for the love of Adios, can yo-

A howl echoed through the night, Followed by the scared shouts of the two drunk, managed to cut off the banter between the two. It was game time. 

Randy pulled out a cylinder shaped device and shouted a warning to the two drunken men. 

“Hey you two! might want to cover your eyes.” Pulling the pin off the cylinder, Randy threw the device near where the men stood. A split second later, a harsh illuminating light blanketed the surrounding area, successfully stunning the dogs that were about to munch on the poor saps.

Dante and Randy lept from their hiding place from the inn stairway while Lloyd, Ellie and Tio left from their hiding spots to surround the dogs. 

“Stun grenades, pretty handy against mutts like these” Randy said grinning.

“Alright you two, bounce, we got this!” Dante yelled at the men. The two ran back to the inn while the dogs seemingly recovered from being stunned and were very angry at the five officers. 

Dante pulled his sword out. “C'mon puppies, let's go!” 

The war hound lunged at him and to its credit, it was a hell of a lot faster than Dante thought a dog could do. It still missed however, being rewarded with Randy's halberd smacking it in the face, sending it flying into the dirt. Shaking off the blow it got up and growled at the pair. 

Its buddies were having a bit more success. One hound had managed to just barely gnaw into Lloyd's face, the detective using his tonfa to push its snapping bite away. 

Thinking quickly, he used his free tonfa and jabbed it into the dog's stomach, keeling it over and followed up with an axle spin, a signature technique he picked up at the police academy. This knocked the dog back along with the air in its lungs. The dog staggered to its feet and charged again, jumping high in the air. 

“An aerial attack!?” Lloyd's mind raced as he dashed out of the way as the dog pounced on its position. He rushed back to take advantage of its blind spot, lowering his center of gravity and sliding below to hit the dog in the legs, knocking it down. 

The dog tried in vain to stand up with its damaged legs but was met with a sharp crack of a tonfa, drumming its head off the ground and now leaving it down for the count. Gunfire was heard in the distance, making Lloyd's stomach drop. 

Ellie and Tio were playing cat and mouse with their dog, it being agile and actually managing to dodge some of Ellies gunfire. 

“Tio, keep me covered! I'll begin casting!” 

Tio nodded, using her orbal staff to launch a wave of energy at the dog who jumped back. 

Sensing something dangerous from Ellie, the dog banked left to flank the girl but in a surprise move, Tio used her body and rammed into the dog. However this left her exposed to its fangs as it bit down on her chest plate, thankfully taking the brunt of the assault. It quickly went for her face, Tio just barely using her staff as a makeshift doggy stick. 

A red blur collided with the dog, Dante slashing at it, launching the mutt from the girl. it got up off the ground, pissed off and ready to munch down on its assailant. Dante dragged Tio to her feet and looked at the dog with a sly grin and it charged, jumping to try and bite his head off. 

A sparkle spell prevented its attack from reaching him, making it lose trajectory and crash into the ground. 

“Dante, why do you always show off?” Tio asked, dusting herself off. 

“it's my calling,” he said without missing a beat. “Your kinda bold, icy kid.”

“If you guys can stop flirting with each other, can we get back to finding Trish and Vergil?” Randy said, hog tying the dog. He then threw Lloyd and Ellie some rope. 

“Tio are you alright?” Ellie said. “I am fine,” she answered. “We must go on ahead.”

“We need to hurry!” Lloyd yelled, a bit concerned. Dante placed a hand on his shoulder. “I'm confident they didn't get shot.”

“Let's hope your brother was right and hope that Revaches aim isn't worth shit!” Randy said. They made their way out of town to find and see if Trish and Vergil had finished up their portion of the job. 

A little earlier

“This shit really is annoying but we gotta squeeze the mayor somehow.” A mafioso said. 

“Yeah don't let Garcia hear you whining, otherwise you'll end up in Ursula” his friend said. 

“Might not be so bad, have you seen them bitches? They are filled up in all the right places” the mafioso said, licking his lips.

“Can't argue with you there” the other mafioso pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it up. “Tried to take one of those sluts out for a night on the town but that hag of a head nurse kicked me out.”

Ha, bet she's just mad that she can't flaunt her stuff like the younger whores.”

“Speaking of that, there's this one girl who did something similar a while back. One of our guys tried to get with her and she slapped him. Apparently her dead boyfriend was a police officer. Bitch looked real good too, had a nice ra-”

“Nice conversation we're having, fellas,” Trish said, stepping into view. They pulled their weapons out, a gun for one and a blade for another. Trish almost stifled a laugh. “Hey Vergil, mind if I take these two?”

“Sure, just don't kill them.” He said. The men looked around and then saw a man in blue propped up against the side of the truck with his arms crossed. He then walked off to meet up with the others. 

Trish stepped forward, putting a hand on her hip. “Gonna make this quick, I'm with the Special Support Section. You two are under arrest for property damage and assault. Your little pups are getting neutered as we speak, so come quietly.”

“The Special Support Section eh? You're with the ones that took down Fabio and his men aren't you?” he questioned menacingly. 

“This police skank is with them?” his friend nodded. Both men grinned. “Well not like it matters, gonna wish your buddy was here, maybe you'd stand a chance against us and our hounds.” He went for the door and opened it, letting out several more war hounds that surrounded Trish. 

Trish however, looked unimpressed. “You know, looking at the two of you, I can't tell which mutt from which.”

“Sic that bitch!” The order was given and the dogs advanced. The dogs that encircled pounced at nearly the same time, but for Trish, they moved so slowly that it was honestly pathetic. 

Throwing her body backwards, she kicked a dog and rolled, launching the dog into another set of two. Using the momentum to roll over her shoulder, she landed in a karate stance, curling her right fist, firing off a straight punch, launching another pup into the cliff wall. Tilting her neck to right slightly she dodged the fangs of a dog and threw an up kick to its stomach. A right hook landed on another dog's face and as the previous dog was about to land, she grabbed its leg from midair and used it like a makeshift ball and chain and proceeded to thrash the remaining dogs, occasionally using it to block several bullets that came flying here way. 

“I'll gut you”! A man to her right screamed as he charged her. She wasn't looking in his direction, a blade to the spine would teach her a lesson. 

Trish had other plans, spinning her body, making the knife shoot right past, she delivered an elbow to the back of the head, a knee to meet his falling face to launch him upward and finished with a low sweep. The man crashed to the dirt with a broken nose and luckily a bruised but still intact neck, the she-devil had to be merciful after all. 

Weaving her head out of the way of a bullet, she threw the rag dolled dog at the wannabe gunslinger, sending him into the truck. He staggered up, pointing his gun shakily at Trish.

“You ain't getting away with this, you back alley whore!”

Trish ran a hand through her hair and with the same hand, pulled out Luce faster than the man could pull the trigger, two rounds to the chest and one to his gun hand was enough to subdue him. He fell gasping and clutching his chest. Holstering the pistol, she walked over to examine her handiwork and smiled at the sight of no blood being drawn. 

“Looks like Nico's theory was right.” She thought. 

A few days ago, Nico had proposed an idea about using Demonic energy to mimic the same effects of Orbal energy that orbal guns used to soften the blows of bullets since she unfortunately couldn't modify her’s or Dante's guns without potentially breaking them. 

“It'll still hurt like a bitch” she said in her own words. 

Y-you'll pay…” a voice called out. Behind Trish, the knife wielding wise guy staggered to his feet in one last vain attempt to salvage this whole situation. He pulled a medical balm and tossed it into the air, giving the wolves a second wind as they got up, raring for another round. 

“Huh, these guys are gritty, but this won't do…..i guess some taser work would be okay.”  

Trish condensed a bit of demonic energy into her index fingers and charged a small amount of electricity. “You really wanna do this?”

“Rip her throat out!” Trish smirked at the idiot's order and as the dogs closed in, she began the light show. 

“Bang.”

Several small bolts of lightning fired from her fingers as they struck each and everyone of them in a matter of seconds, the shock pulsing and knocking them unconscious. Putting her fingers towards her mouth, she blew the smoke off of them like a cowboy. 

“That's that.” Dusting her hands off, she walked back over to the gunman. 

“Trish! Are you ok-” Ellie called out but paused as she saw the demon's handiwork. 

The others were not far behind her and saw the scene. “Damn Trish you work fast, Vergil told us you'd wanted to take this on your own but whoa.” Randy said. 

“His hunch was right, the car was out here and you guys managed to pin them down.” Lloyd commented. 

“Still very unprofessional, I expected you to be better, leaving Trish alone” Tio said to Vergil. “Have faith in us Miss Plato, a shoe shiner isn't much of a threat” he responded dryly. 

“Let's get the dogs tied up. Anyone still conscious?” Lloyd asked her. “This guy but he might fall asleep soon.”

Dante, for some reason, pulled his guns out and walked in the center of the road, with Vergil not far behind him “That's blue power right there baby! Crossbell PD!” he said, spinning around and making a show of aiming at the downed dogs. 

“Dante what are you do-” Ellie spoke up. But was cut off……..

by Dante singing.

“Bad boys bad boys! Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Hey Vergil, sing the lyrics!” he waved his guns around in tune with the song. 

“I will not be an incessant buffoon.” Vergil groaned in frustration. 

“Shut the hell up!” The mafioso against the truck yelled out. Dante stopped his gait then made his way towards the man. 

“You think you punks can get away with this!?” We got the diet on our payroll! We make our own rights!”

Dante smirked, “How about you exercise your right to shut the fu-”

A chorus of howls stopped Dante from finishing that sentence. Up above, they saw several wolves along with the white wolf, witnessing the scene before them. 

“The divine wolf!” Eliie yelled out. “Looks like he brought his friends with him,”Randy called out.”

“W-what is this?!” The mafioso grumbled out. 

“Real wolves pal, better than those pups you've been using” Trish answered. 

Another howl echoed and Tio closed her eyes and managed to translate the message. 

“You have our thanks. Deliver swift retribution to these scum.” 

Lloyd smiled at that. “Will do.” He walked over to the mafioso. 

“You're both under arrest for property damage, assault and resisting arrest. The CGF will be here tomorrow to pick you up” he said with no small amount of satisfaction. 

After giving the mafia members some first aid, they were tied up alongside the dogs and put into the back of the van. They drove it back to town and decided to give the CGF a phone call first thing in the morning.

The next day. 

The hours went by, morning finally came with CGF arriving and picking up the criminals. Sonya and Noel gave their praise for solving the case, however Sonya reprimanded them a bit for starting a fight in front of town. 

Nevertheless she understood their reasoning and unfortunately had to let them know that even with the extent of the damages, it was most likely that they would be let go, citing that the higher ups would be pressured to do so, much to the disappointment of the younger SSS members. Trish gave a very eerie smile and threatened to personally handle the matter, saying something along the lines of “I'll shove my heel so far up their ass” before Noel had to stop her from going into graphic detail. 

Sonya decided to take a different approach, saying that there were those among the CGF, police and everyday citizens in the state that would not bow down to corruption and they all fight for justice as hard as they possibly can, each and every day. 

People exactly like the SSS. 

With their spirits lifted, Sonya offered the group a ride back to the city and when the got back to the SSS building, Sergei informed them of a surprise guest. 

Laying on the entry steps of the lobby was the same white wolf they saw last night, lazing on the group. Sergei had told them that he just walked right in and made himself at home.

The wolf growled and barked, Tio taking the time to interpret and translate what he had just said 

“He said, ‘I am known as Zeit. You have my thanks for dispelling the accusations against me and my brethren’ or something along those lines,” Tio translated. 

“So his name is Zeit…” Lloyd hummed. “So he came by to thank us?" Ellie said. Randy chuckled. “Maybe so, but this guy sounds like a pompous ass.”

The wolf now known as Zeit barked and snapped suddenly, making the group jump a bit. Tio pondered his message and was actually a little mad by what he said.“What did he say now, Miss Plato?” Vergil asked her. 

“How do I put this…” she began. ‘Make no mistake that you four are still unreliable. I shall lend you my assistance every now and then, out of pure necessity.’ 

“Scratch that, pompous ass doesn't even cover it” Randy grumbled. Ellie asked Tio a question. “What did he mean by ‘you four’?”

“Me Lloyd, you and Randy” Tio answered. She then turned to the remaining three. 

“He also said, 'My warning from earlier still stands, threaten this land in any way and I will make sure you suffer the consequences.’ she felt a little upset at her…coworkers being treated suspiciously. 

“Why them?” Ellie asked. The others gave each other confused looks, while the three devils secretly knew that the wolf knew that they were far more than what they had let on.

In turn, the devil's knew that Zeit was something similar to KeA.

“Haha sure sure, we'll play nice” Dante said, winking at Zeit. The divine wolf huffed then went to sleep. Sergei found the situation funny and decided to add to it by telling the group that he'll make some phone calls to HQ to register Zeit as a police dog. 

“But listen up, he's your responsibility, not mine” he said to the dumbfounded human members of the team. 

W-wait chief, you can't just-” Lloyd began.

“And with that, I'm going to sleep,” Sergei said, walking back to his room without a care in the world. 

“He can't be too bad, I think a dog we'll make us more popular,” Trish said. “Agreed, besides he is quite fluffy and his white fur is very charming.” Tio said, letting a bit of her inner child out. 

“Icy kids in love, just give up Lloyd.” Dante said, patting him on the shoulder. Ellie chimed in “I suppose Tio is right, I can't deny it myself.”

Lloyd threw his hand up in the air before anyone else could hammer the point home. “Alright I get it, let's head off to bed, we should get some rest.”

He and the others walked up the stairs but Lloyd stopped at the bottom of the stairs and faced the group. 

“Great job everyone, I don't we would've solved this case without everyone helping.  We all deserve some sleep after that.”

“What are we eating for dinner tonight?” Dante asked. Vergil hummed, “I believe I will be on cooking duty tonight and…Miss Plato will be my assistant.” The girl nodded. “We can think it over once we've rested.” 

“Vergil, make sure she doesn't freeze the food” Dante quipped. “I'll do more than freeze you” she sassed. 

“I'd like to see you try that, glacier girl”

Ellie and Randy had to work together to prevent Tio from using her Ether buster function on the demon right then and there. Lloyd sighed but chuckled a bit at the situation. They were really an odd bunch.

And he wouldn't have it any other way. 

The night before

“Heehee that was fun to watch, don't you agree mister Divine blade of wind?” Renne asked the man standing next her on a cliff near mainz. Arios Maclaine hummed before speaking. “More or less, their new members definitely can pull their weight. I can only hope that the others don't rely on them too much.”

Renne smirked, “What was your favorite part? Mine was the lightshow!”

“If you're calling it that, I guess that means you're not as intelligent as I've been led to believe, Angel of slaughter,” Arios said. 

Renne giggled at the false insult. “That's not a way to question a lady. But I'll have you know that I have no idea how she did that.”

“If you say so” Arios put a hand to his chin. “I take it the weapon she used is not a product from your….former playmates? Gunpowder weapons, at least back then when manufactured, were lethal.”

Renne tilted her head with a smile. “I wouldn't know. It is interesting that she didn't kill him, then again the SSS are goody two shoes at the end of the day, even if one of them is a monster.” Renne then put a hand to her mouth and let out a small giggle. 

"At least I managed to get here on time. Those three are really interesting, the red guy especially. Hopefully they can provide me with some more fun.”

Arios crossed his arms. “I am impressed that you got here quickly, considering how ragged you are at the moment.”

“I was doing some exercises near the Moon temple. An angel can't afford to be rusty after all.” 

“If your ‘exercises’ left you with injuries like that, I wouldn't want Joshua and Estelle to find out that you had been hurt.”

Her demeanor shifted slightly but it was enough for Arios to press the advantage. 

“Anything around the area that the guild should be worried about?”

She sighed and put on a smile. “Since you've been so kind as to not tell those two where I have been, I guess I could share a little secret. Not the whole thing of course. Surprises are what makes things fun for me.” 

Arios sighed but nodded, considering that this was probably the most that he would get from a former Enforcer. 

Besides, it must be something serious, considering that his keen senses noticed that she was…afraid.

“If you send any bracers to the rocky road near the moon temple that aren't at A-rank, they might not make it out alive” she said in her usually cheery voice. 

Arios hummed, it was serious, she said that last part a little shakily. Deciding not to push the issue, he decided to wrap up for today and make sure to vet any requests that end up near the Moon temple. 

“Understood. Have a good night Renne” He said with a nod. 

Renne gave the man a small curtsy and walked off into the night. Only when she was out of sight did her face turn somewhat serious, something that she rarely let anyone see. 

Clutching her stomach where her bandages just now started to have blood flowing through them, feeling a similar sting with similar wounds on her arms and back, her mind began to race. 

A lot of strange things happened today. The blonde woman shooting the man with a gun with that much firepower should have put a hole in his chest. Running the image through her head, she felt that she saw…something coating the bullet. It wasn't orbal energy that's for sure. But maybe it was related to what the woman did next. 

The magic show she performed was truly a sight. Well, Renne could only assume it was magic. Looking back, she now wished that she talked with the second Anguis a bit more, her clan's area of expertise was this ancient form of power after all. 

But what was currently on her mind the most were…..the strange monsters that nearly killed her today. 

She shuddered, looking back at the memory. Deciding to investigate the falcon monster's natural habitat, she saw various monster corpses all across the rocky path, butchered in a manner that would give Joshua and Leonhardt a run for their mira.

When a lone monster she sensed tried to get the jump on her, she prepared to swat it like a fly. 

That funnily enough was her saving grace, when the air “shattered” nearby to reveal the true threat. If that monster hadn't unintentionally made itself a sacrifice, that scythe would have taken her head clean off. To add further, the terrain was her saving grace, managing to knock it into the canyon below. 

Not that it was any easier just barely reacting to the several others that “phased” into existence. 

And the way that their black hoods and red eyes, pale skin and “human” faces, coupled with the sheer bloodlust and hatred they emitted, made her blood run cold. 

The way that when she cut them, they bled sand, not blood and managed to heal their wounds in spite of that, only really being put down by her more lethal attacks. 

Arts? Not even enough time to cast, they moved like the wind, as if the laws of the world didn't even exist. 

Renne was a smart girl, a very smart girl. But even an idiot knew that whatever those things were, they radiated pure evil.

They were abominations and that was putting it lightly. She…prayed that those were the only time that she or anyone else would have to see and face those things. 

Unfortunately for Renne, this would not be the last time that she would cross paths with hell.

Crossbell has yet to witness true horror after all. 

Chapter Text

1204, Septian Calendar

March 12th,

Revache & Co headquarters.

Evening

Garcia Rossi is a hard ass. Even sitting in his office he had to stay being a hardass.

He has been by nature, with his time as a commander of a now disbanded Jaeger corps and now as the underboss of the Revache crime family. He is and will always be, a hard ass.

It was a necessary part of the job, it helped get the point across to his underlings when he chewed them out for screwing up. It didn't matter if they had a ten year long success streak, any employee that messes up a job on his watch gets their ass chewed out like they just got here on the first day.

However, this recent bout of HR revealed an interesting piece of information. The SSS, a new division that the family had butt heads with twice now, apparently had three new members. He heard it from one of his guys at St Ursula, how a blonde lady kicked the absolute shit out of him.

He obviously told him that he should get his balls checked, no man with a decent pair would ever let themselves be beaten by a woman, especially someone on Revache's payroll. Beneath the surface however, he was a little curious about her little “lighting guns” that she used.

Even while thinking, he had to be a hard ass. But first comes first, making sure that the auction next month runs smoothly and dealing with Heiyue and their little hit man was something he wanted to enjoy.

“The SSS brats don't have shit to their name at the moment.” He thought to himself as he poured a drink.

Garcia unfortunately, would have preferred a hangover compared to headaches that the SSS were about to cause him.

March 13th

Old Amorica Road

Late morning

“How bothersome” Vergil muttered as he cut down the last of his group of skunk monsters. His friend, who just had stubs instead of hands, made one last vain attempt to spray him, be it out of spite or pure instinct, I didn't matter. Vergil neatly pushed his blade between its skull as an act of mercy.

“This should be the end of them Mr Bannings.” He said to the detective. Lloyd wiped some dirt from his jacket. “I agree, let's get back to the others.”

They gathered near the entrance of the private property gate with the rest of the group, the latter finishing up their extermination of their monsters.

“Illegal parking, traffic duty and now skunk hunting, talk about being up in the weeds” Dante said, faking his weariness. “Damn right” Randy said. “They were much of a pain in the ass I'd thought they'd be.”

“Randy, you've taken poison damage.” Tio said, covering her nose.

“Hold on, I got something for that,” Trish said, bringing out a bottle of perfume. She sprayed it on Randy and surprisingly the smell disappeared entirely, replaced by an earthy peppermint aroma. “Thanks Trish, always looking out for a guy.”

“No flirtatious attitude?” Nothing?” Trish asked him. He sighed and shook his head, “I know when to give up the chase. That's life for ya”

“Like when you chased those women during your time in the CGF?” Tio asked him. Randy let his arms fall dramatically “You guys really aren't gonna let that go?”

“You dug your hole man” Dante said. Ellie cleared her throat. “ As lively as this conversation is, we should probably return to Chief Tolta and report this in.”

“You're right, let's head out everyone” Lloyd said to the group.

They went back to the village and reported that the property was now cleared of monsters and rode the bus back to the city.

It had been busy for the SSS, the grand announcement of Arc en Ciel's new show, ‘Golden sun, Silver Moon’, and with the anniversary festival next month, they've been swamped with work, dealing with the jobs that HQ was not interested in dealing with.

Which currently made the process of investigating doctor Joachim that much harder. Being in the police required them to be ready to respond to anything at all times, even during off hours, which was unfortunately in the evening, with most of St Ursula staff being gone at night.

That and another problem presented itself.

Trish's shapeshifting ability was supreme in every regard, allowing her to perfectly mimic the appearance of any human she so chose. But that was that, just appearances. Not mannerisms, knowledge, anything that would make a person a person.

When she infiltrated the Order years ago, the form she took was just random, she didn't mean to replace anyone and it also helped that she used the Sparda as a bargaining chip to ease her way into the organization. But that wasn't gonna work here.

Vergil with the Yamato could just open a portal to the hospital but it would be way harder to maneuver around and him using even a fraction of his full speed would damage the infrastructure of the building, not to mention the hundred of places he would have to look in order to get clues.

Kidnapping someone and replacing him or her with Trish was off the table, since they obviously weren't going to kill the victim and that left a nasty loose end that simply wasn't gonna be swept under the rug very easily and simply. Mimicking another person took time, not to mention that they had their own lives and juggling that around and being a cop was next to impossible, and as for the doctor himself….

They decided to keep tabs whenever any police work ended up near the hospital. Until they knew for sure that he was knowingly and actively dabbling into demonic power and using it for malicious intent, killing him was a no go.

Trish made the call, citing her experience as a demon. The others understood and decided to keep him in the back of their heads for now. Maybe the guy was cursed, it's happened before so if anything he might be an innocent victim.

But as for everything else, police work was their main concern for now. They entered Crossbell from the highway and Lloyd got a phone call from Fran, saying that there was a client who wanted to request help from the SSS specifically and explained that it didn't go through the terminal due to its serious nature.

Heading down to the SSS building, they walked in and saw a young girl with indigo hair, an orange cropped hoodie and green shorts standing near the entrance. Hearing the sounds of a few people broke her trance and she turned to them.

“I-im so sorry!” she said in a flustered manner. “The front door was unlocked so I let myself in. I hope that was okay.”

“Breaking and entering is okay with you? Bold today aren't we?” Dante asked with a serious look on his face.

The girl's face went a little pale. “W-wait I was tol-”

“Nah, I'm just messing with you,” he said with a grin.

“Dante, that wasn't funny! Sorry about him, he doesn't act his age” Ellie said. “Hahaha, it's okay,” she said a little nervously.

Lloyd stepped forward. “Welcome to the Special Support Section. You're the client we were told about right?”

“Uh yes I am.” She stepped forward a bit to introduce herself. “Uh, my name is Rixia Mao. Thank you for taking the time to meet me.”

Lloyd, Tio and Randy were instantly taken in by her beauty while Ellie was annoyed at her coworkers' inappropriate behavior.

“Nice to meet you Ms. Mao, what brings you to seek us out?” Vergil asked, hoping to at least salvage some amount of professionalism from the situation.

“It's well….a long story….”

They all made their way to the lounge area to get comfortable and Rixia began to explain why she was there. Needless to say it was very concerning.

“A threat letter?!” Lloyd said, giving Rixia his utmost attention. She nodded sadly. “Yes, it arrived exactly one week ago. A letter came in for Ilya with no return address…”

She then paused. “Oh, sorry, Ilya Platieri is..”

“Arc en Ciel's star dancer..the Fervent dancer. She's the continent renowned performer who's taken the dance world by storm.” Randy finished for her.

“Your a superfan Randy?” Trish asked him. “Of course I am and you should be too! Who would've thought we would get a request from IIya freaking Platieri!?” He said beaming.

“I know you're excited Randy, but please try to control yourself.” Tio berated. “I mean I know who she is, given that she's a celebrity and all but why would someone send her a threat letter?” Lloyd asked openly.

“A prank maybe? This thing does happen from what I've heard.” Dante followed up.

Rixia shook her head. “She said the exact same thing but I'm not so sure. Something about it seems strange to me. I asked the troupe leader about it, and he advised me to contact the police.”

“Who's in possession of the letter now?” Ellie asked with a serious expression. “Well….Ilya still has it actually. She was about to throw it away but I convinced her not to.”

“That is….certainly a decision to make.” Vergil said. “By the way Ms. Mao, are you affiliated with the troupe by any chance?”

“Ah yes, I'm one of the other performers. I'm just a beginner though, nothing compared to IIya herself” Rixia answered, rubbing her cheek.

Suddenly Randy shot up from his seat. “Wait a damn minute! Your face, I saw it on the front-page feature about Arc en Ciel's new show!”

“Uh, is she a famous rookie or something?” Dante asked. Randy looked at him in disbelief. “She's the one playing the Moon princess! The co-star to Ilya's Sun princess!”

Randy's “passionate” speech continued. “The highly-anticipated up-and-comer personally recruited by Ilya herself! Rixia Mao!”

Randy was almost out of breath and fell back down in his seat while the others were…surprised by his passion for the performing arts.

“No-no I wouldn't say all that” Rixia said doubting herself. “All I do is stumble around, and get in the other's way….truth be told, I'm still not sure if I'm ready for my debut.”

Ellie gave the girl a reassuring smile. “No need to be modest, Ms. Mao. Being recruited by Arc en Ciel is an incredible accomplishment. You should be proud.”

“Oh um, thank you,” Rixia said modestly.

Dante rubbed his head. “So she's gonna be the new main event to the circus act? Maybe it's time I get back into showbiz.”

 Rixia was surprised. “Y-you were involved in the theater industry?”

“Yeah, it was a long time ago, but man did I own the stage. I could give you some pointers on hyping the crowd.”

“Don't listen to him, Rixia,” Trish said. Though he wasn't exactly lying.

Lloyd cleared his throat. “Getting back to the matter at hand, it seems that IIya herself isn't especially keen on getting our help, right?”

The Moon Princess turned to him, “Right. She said that she'd rather focus on perfecting the show, so she doesn't want any outsiders coming in. Specifically, she told me that getting the police involved was ‘out of the question’.

“Heh, she's certainly committed. I'll give her that” Dante said, sitting back on the couch. “But I'd imagine you came here because the regulars at HQ aren't gonna cut it?”

“W-well Um..yes. I read in a magazine that you all help citizens so I figured this would be the perfect place to request assistance. If it was all of you, the Ilya would be more receptive to receiving assistance.” Rixia answered thoughtfully.

“I wouldn't normally recommend this, have you tried asking the Bracer guild for help?” Ellie said.

Rixia shook her head solemnly. “That's actually another problem, the Bracer guild is popular in Crossbell. It would be far too conspicuous if the public saw bracers coming in and out of the theater. So with that in mind, I'd thought that people wouldn't really notice if it were you guys.”

She rubbed her right arm and realized the error she made in her statement, based on the reactions of the humans. “O-oh I'm so sorry! That sounded much ruder than I'd thought it would!” she said embarrassed

“Is she that concerned over the show that she would be willing to risk her life?” Vergil asked. Rixia flinched slightly. “My apologies Ms. Mao, I didn't mean to come off as rude”

She relaxed a bit and gave him a small smile. “N-no it's fine, I'm just glad that you are just as concerned as I am.”

“Well what do you say Lloyd? The city needs its favorite bargain bin bracers to solve the case.” Dante asked, putting his hands together.

Lloyd stifled a laugh then turned to Rixia. “I think me and the others are in agreement. The Special Support Section would be happy to look into this threat letter for you.”

Rixia looked at the others, giving her various reassuring looks that meant that they were in agreement, feeling the huge weight on her shoulders dissipate in an instant. “T-thank you so much! I'll head back over to the theater to tell the troupe leader and IIya the good news. Please stop by as soon as you are able.”

With that, Rixia got up and exited the building, a little happier now when she first entered. The SSS left a little afterwards to hopefully take care of this threat letter situation.

Arriving at the Entertainment district, the SSS marveled at the Arc en Ciel theater and its architecture. According to Ellie, this place was built twenty years ago, making it younger compared to the older buildings in the city.

When they entered through the lobby, the interior was no less stunning, with its pristine carpets, golden chandeliers and….music that was coming from the auditorium.

The lobby manager, going by the name of Balsamo, went to go speak to the SSS and invited them in to speak to the star of the show. Marching their way up the stairs and entering the auditorium, the group saw the Fervant Dancer herself in the middle of a routine, with Rixia watching her intently.

She jumped, twirled, flipped and performed several other acrobatic feats on beat with the music in the background before landing in the middle of the stage with her hands up in the air.

“That was better, but it needs mo-” a small applause broke her inner analysis as she saw several people walking towards the stage along with Balsamo.

“Nice moves,”Trish said to IIya.

“Oh, there you guys are.” Rixia said smiling.

Lloyd and the other humans bashfully apologized then gave praise to the performer for her moves. Ilya took it in stride.

“You guys flatter me.” She said, jumping off the stage to get a closer look at the group. “Still, it's nowhere near finished."

“Seriously?!” Lloyd said, exasperated by the news. “I-It can be even better?” Tio said in a similar state of shock.

Ilya gave a look of confidence. “Why of course. That particular routine was from one of the Sun Princess’ first scenes. It'll be even better once we add the Moon Princess to the mix.”

“As for the climax…” IIya said, running a hand through her hair. “We'll, let's just say that this was NOTHING compared to what that'll be like.” Dante whistled.

“Sounds like a one hell of a show.” IIya looked at him.

“Look forward to it”, finishing with a wink. She then faced her fellow co-star. “So, Rixia. Are these the people you were telling me about?”

“Yes, that's right.” Rixia affirmed. “This is the Special Support Section.” Ilya eyed the group curiously. “Really, you don't give off any ‘cop vibes, though. Especially your musician friend, Mr?…”

“Dante Redgrave, and yeah this is my co-star” he said, unzipping the case and pulling out his sword. “Oh my, that's an interesting looking weapon.” Ilya said, admiring the blade. “Maybe we should put something similar in our shows. Rixia dear, what do you think?,”

Rixia awkwardly smiled. "O-oh I don't know….” she trailed off.

“Good for slashing and hacking away any would be assassins, you get me?” Dante said to IIya, putting the sword away.

“You all really want to investigate this letter business? I don't want you all to waste your time on a dumb prank like this” she said, sighing.

Avan, the troupe leader, had another thing to say. “Come now, Ilya. Everyone is just worried about you. Why don't you just indulge a bit?” he said somewhat begging.

“Well, I dunno about that…” IIya stubbornly pondered. “It's not really my style to let anything put a damper on the hype right before a show.”

“Prank or no, Ms. Mao sought us out because she cares for you. It would help everyone here if you acknowledged her feelings on the matter.” Vergil said, hoping to make her see the reality of the situation.

IIya was knocked off base by Vergil's firm statement. “My my, pushy aren't we? But I'm afraid this isn't a choice to be made lightly.”

“And your life isn't to be taken lightly either. I understand that you put in long hours for this, but if you died, it wouldn't amount to nothing” he responded back.

Vergil's words shocked the humans in the room. But what came next would easily top it.

“Hehehe…” IIya began. The others looked at her oddly.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA!” The Sun Princess’ laugh echoed throughout the auditorium. “That's rich! It's been a while since someone talked back to me like that. You must be a real knight in shining armor? Driven by duty to protect a fair maiden such as myself.”

“No ma'am, just presenting the situation at hand,” he answered.

IIya threw her hands up in defeat, but felt satisfied regardless. “Alright you win Rixia, I surrender. But I should properly introduce myself. My name is IIya Platierie, the star of Arc en Ciel, so to speak. A pleasure to meet you!”

With that, the dancer and the SSS made their way to the changing area of the theater to take a look at the letter.

The backstage was no less impressive, but the group had another thing on their minds, the letter and the fact that Ilya was friends with Lloyd's sister, finding that little tid bit out when the woman smothered him, much to the detective's embarrassment.

Ilya then gave Lloyd the letter, which read:

CANCEL ALL PERFORMANCES OF YOUR UPCOMING SHOW, OR THE BELOVED FERVANT DANCER WILL HAVE A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. -Yin

Trish put a hand to her chin. “I was expecting a little more…..pizzazz.”

“That's what you worried about?” Randy said.

“I know right?” Ilya said to the devil. “That's why I wasn't making such a big fuss over it. Besides, we actually get quite a few letters like this.”

The troupe leader spoke next. “It's true, an unfortunate part of the industry is sometimes those who are jealous, or someone trying to pull a prank, do this often. But something about this letter was different from the other's.”

“It's the signature isn't it?” Randy said.

“Precisely” the troupe leader answered. “Essentially all of the letters we've received until now have been anonymous.”

“There's something suspicious about the name Yin,” Rixia chimed in. “I just can't shake the feeling that this isn't a simple prank.”

“Why do you feel suspicious about the name? Is it infamous or something?” Trish asked her.

“...I'm not sure, I just had this really awful feeling when I read that name.” The dancer responded. Trish noticed how she hesitated a bit when she answered.

IIya sighed. “And I just keep telling you there's nothing to worry about.”

Lloyd decided to ask the Sun Princess a direct question. “Do you have any idea who this ‘Yin’ person is?”

She shook her head. “Not in the slightest. Like, is that even a person's name?”

“It almost sounds like a codename…” Rixia trailed off. “Well I suppose it could be related to our new show's title…’Yin’ does mean silver, after all” the troupe leader said next.

“An interesting coincidence indeed” Ellie commented.

"Rixia, are you familiar with this person?” Trish asked her directly. “Because I get the feeling that you do.” Rixia's heart dropped. “N-no of course not! Why are you asking me that?!”

“Im not suggesting anything completely,” Trish answered, putting a finger up. “But you've been acting really…shifty since we took a look at that letter. Suggesting that this is a codename is definitely a leap in logic. Are you absolutely sure you do not know this person?”

“I-I don't Trish. I swear to Adios!” Rixia denied, stepping back a bit and pulling her hands close to her chest.

The SSS and company were on edge at Trish's strange accusation.

The demon looked at her for a few seconds before speaking again with a smile. “My bad, didn't mean to put you in the spotlight like that.”

The other humans let out a breath of relief.

Dante laughed. “Trish you had her on the ropes! You gotta push more when they're like that.”

Trish, you shouldn't accuse people like that.” Ellie said to her. “And Dante, that wasn't nice! She is our client."

Trish just shrugged. “I had a hunch about something and it told me to go ask.”

“Our apologies, Trish is usually good at reading people.” Tio said bowing.

Ilya found the situation amusing. “I think she needs more time in the sun anyway. Trish was it? How would you like to join Arc en Ciel? Your acting was spot on! The way you captured our emotions was simply phenomenal."

“Wasn't really acting, but sure, whatever floats your boat superstar” Trish thought to herself.

“Someone of your potential would really allow us to truly shine, you have the body of a dancer and from a glance i can tell that you can move around well. So…Trish, please…” IIya stepped towards the devil, leaning in real close to her face.

“Will you…give yourself to me?” she whispered in a sultry tone, batting her eyelashes to sell the point.

Trish put a hand on her hip and gave her a blank stare. “No thanks, I kinda like my current job.”

IIya let out a fake cry of despair, falling to the floor like she had been wounded. “Oh my heart! It's broken! The shards are piercing every part of my body….I….I can't go on without her….”

“IIya stop it!” Rixia yelled at her friend, embarrassed at her display.

“Talk about being committed to the act.” Dante said. “But I think we should get back to playing twenty questions.”

Huffing, IIya stood up, still faking her pouting. Lloyd decided to steer things back to the main point of conversation. “Is there anything else you can think of that might be relevant?” He questioned. “For example, have you done anything that someone might hold a grudge over?”

Rixia shifted nervously. “A-about that..”

“Wait, you don't mean..?” the troupe leader said, putting the puzzle pieces together in his head.

“I take it that she may have offended someone powerful?” Vergil asked the two of them.

“Yes, unfortunately” Rixia answered. “What are you talking about?” IIya turned to her protégé. “Remember with the president of that company?”

IIya's face morphed into disgust. “Oh, that old baldy?” To be honest, the whole thing was so trivial, I'd completely forgotten about it.”

“This old baldy got a name?” Dante piped up.

Ilya scoffed. “Just some greasy old loser named Marconi. Apparently he's the big boss of that business, Revache & Co.” Several looks of concern were sent her way. “What?” She asked the group.

Vergil sighed and pinched his brow. “And just what happened between you and the boss of the Revache crime family?”

“I'll give you all the sweet details, my knight in shining armor.” IIya said playfully. “Basically, he likes to bring his business associates to Arc en Ciel for entertainment.”

She huffed again at the memory “He'll plant his ass on our exclusive seats so everyone knows he's a big shot. The thing is, he doesn't care about the actual show at all. Like he doesn't even appreciate my dancing. All he does is ogle me with those beady little eyes of his.”

“Heh real upstanding citizen this guy.” Dante said sarcastically. “Guess that creepy glare must've been easy to spot.”

Ilya grinned. “This theater is my domain, and I know everything that happens here.” She then took a breath. “So anyway, that old coot had the gall to approach and patronize me. He kept babbling on and on on how he would support my career, and have me debut at the Heimdallr Opera House.”

“That place a big venue?” Dante asked. “Dante, you need to get out more,” Randy chimed in . “It doesn't get more fancy than that.”

“Indeed.” Avan nodded. “We actually receive requests to perform in both the Empire and Republic.”

“Interesting, so why would Marconi be interested in supporting a dancer?” Vergil asked.

“He supposedly has powerful connections within Erebonia. But judging by the rumors, they aren't the type of people that we would want to associate with” Avan answered with a grimaced look.

“From what we've heard, Revache has deep ties to the Empire and of course, its criminal underworld as well” Ellie said.

“I had no idea.” Rixia said, surprised by the news.

“How were you able to resolve the situation with Marconi?” Tio asked IIya.

“I politely refused, of course.” She said a little too happily. “And for good measure, I slapped him across that giant face of his and told him to never speak to me again.”

it took the SSS a few seconds to process what she just said casually.

Avan cleared his throat. “It goes without saying that he also touched her inappropriately, so I can at least understand why she reacted that way. Although, it still gave me a heart attack when it happened."

“So..” Dante began. “Mr. Mac and cheese decides to flaunt his cash at you, get himself a handful while he's at it, and you slap him?”

“Of course! that disgusting pig thought he could have his way with me!” she exclaimed.

Dante stared at IIya before smiling. “You got guts lady, couldn't have done it better myself.”

“Dante, she slapped a mafioso in the face! I don't think someone would take that lightly.” Ellie said, concerned.

“Oh I know, which is why we aren't letting anything happen to her,” Dante replied.

Ilya blushed a little. “My my, such a charmer like your brother.” She then looked over to the detective. “I take it that you have everything you need Lloyd?”

“I agree, it appears we have at least a general idea of what's going on,” Trish said.

“Yeah I'm with Trish” Randy chimed in agreement. “Looks like we're dealing with a bruised ego, something you'd expect from a mafioso."

“It does seem like a plausible motive to send a letter,” Tio added to the list.

Lloyd throughout this had been thinking before he finally spoke up. “Definitely, Ilya, we'll go and uncover any new leads with the clues we have now. You wouldn't mind if we hold on to the letter right? It could help us in our investigation.”

“Be my guest” she said to the detective.”I see that familiar look in your eyes now, Lloyd.”

“Come again?” He asked her

She giggled. “It's just like how I feel when I step onto the stage. Anyway, I'm sure you all will do a spectacular job. Especially my knights….and Trish.” She finished with a wink.

Trish held back the urge to roll her eyes and with that the SSS left the building to hunt down for more clues, with Rixia seeing them off.

When they exited the theater, the group had a light discussion on what to do next.

Lloyd however, had an idea so insane that Dante wished he had suggested it first.

What better place to ask for mafia related activities than the mafia themselves?

Which is why the SSS currently found themselves in the back alleys of the Entertainment district, surrounded by seedy bars just starting to open up and day drinkers beginning to pour in.

Their destination? Revaches headquarters, nestled in the darkest corners of the place.

Walking up to the charcoal grey building, they were spotted by two henchmen who were understandably….cross with the younger members of the SSS and were a bit surprised by the three new members.

But even with that, they weren't keen on budging on letting them in. But just as the SSS decided to leave and come back another time, a hulking voice told the henchmen to let them through.

The double doors opened and out came a mountain of a man, wearing a tan suit and white shoes. With his greasy slicked back brown hair with blonde highlights, he looked exactly like what an ideal mafioso should aspire to be.

Keeping things brief Lloyd introduced himself and the man in turn introduced himself as Garcia Rossi, the general manager of sales of Revache & Co. He briefly eyed the three older members before inviting them in to hear them out.

Being led to a large conference room with three black coaches with a table in the middle. Garcia sat his large frame at the head of the table while Lloyd Dante and Ellie were on Garcia's left, while Randy, Trish and Tio were on the right.

Explaining why they were there, Garcia began to speak.

“You think the don sent IIya a threat letter?” He asked the group. “Ridiculous, you kids have some overactive imaginations.”

“We aren't claiming it as the truth of course.” Lloyd said back to him. “However, we heard of a recent incident between your boss and IIya and given that we were out of leads, we thought we should at least ask about it.”

“Haha, you talking about the don getting smacked? That's nothing, just a random little event in his busy life. He'd had a bit too much to drink and he barely remembers it anyway” Garcia responded. “I doubt he's holding any kind of grudge.”

Dante crossed his legs, figure four style. “Yeah I'd like to believe you big guy, but it's his word that matters, not yours”

“Hmph” Garcia breathed. “You think I'd have a reason to lie to you?”

“As a matter of fact we do believe you would.” Vergil said matter of factly. “Mob types like Marconi like to throw money around to fix their problems. Let's say for example, having his underboss meet us instead of speaking to us in person.”

Garcia scoffed a bit. “Believe what you want smartass, he's not interested in her anymore.”

“Speaking of that,” Ellie cut in. “There is another rumor we heard. What about the proposal to have IIya perform at the Heimdallr Opera house?”

“Yeah, that was brought up,” Garcia said. “Revaches got friends in high places, so it was actually them who brought the idea to us. But apparently the main reason was the don wanted to bring her in as special guest for….” he trailed off.

“For what?” Lloyd asked. “A special guest?” Tio followed behind him.

“Nevermind. Nothin you need to know about.”

“Aw what? You can't keep us hanging like that. You were getting to the best part!” Dante chimed in.

Garcia just smirked. “I don't really care. Anyway, that letter wasn't from us. Do you understand now kids?”

“Afraid not big man.” Dante said. Lloyd took his chance. “Even so, do you mind looking at the letter? Just in case.” Lloyd handed Garcia the letter and he looked over the contents.

Skimming it a bit, he then saw a name for the sender, making his face recoil somewhat. A detail that all the other members noticed. Garcia tossed the letter back at Lloyd.

“Hmph, this is a damn waste of my time.” He then looked at each of them. “Threat letter? This crap looks like nothin more than an overblown prank to me?”

“Your face freezing says otherwise, Garcia.” Trish pointed out.

“Dunno what you're talking about. Nothing in that letter looked the least bit familiar to me. All I can tell you is that the don didn't write it” he said in a dismissive manner.

“For someone of your stature I'm surprised that you're cowering behind such a pathetic lie” Vergil said to him.

Garcia's relaxed posture vanished as he sat up, his presence filling the room with even more tension than there already was.

“Listen here smartass, I'm a lot of things, but a coward? Far from it” he said in a menacing voice. “I've heard about you three.”

“Then why the reaction? I didn't specify what you were lying about.” Vergil said. Garcia decided not to bite while Dante chose to come in.

“So we're famous? Are you looking for an autograph? I think I got a pen somewhere.” Dante said, searching through his bag.

“You're a real clown, you know that?” Garcia said. “Well I got a joke for all of you as well. “You guys are on a fool's errand, you know that?”

“It's clear that there's something this guy's not telling us.” Randy muttered to Tio.

“Whatever it is, It seems that he's unlikely to reveal any further information.” Tio said to him.

Lloyd, however, decided to push the issue one more time. “I suppose that covers things then. Is there any way we could hear the story directly from the don?”

Garcia looked at Lloyd like he had grown two heads. “See the don?”

“Yeah, like Dante and Vergil said, hearing straight from the source would be best, y'know?” Randy said in agreement. “Or is he not in right now?

“Heh heh heh” Garcia laugh started slow then built up into a howl. “HAHAHAHA!”

He then stomped the table with the vibration shaking the room. The humans were surprised by this show of strength while the devils didn't even feel it.

But before Garcia could sink the intimidation in, Dante in a surprise move, put his feet up on the table and looked at Garcia with a relaxed expression. “Didn't quite catch that, can you repeat what you said? I'm not fluent in temper tantrums.”

A visible vein was then seen on Garcia's forehead.

Trish then tapped the table with her foot. “You think Garcia's compensating for something? I could probably do what he did with way less effort.”

The underboss grinded his teeth.

Vergil decided to add to the disrespect and put his feet up on the table. “Mr. Rossi, since your organization is involved in sales, you wouldn't happen to know any channels in which I could legally purchase this table?”

He then switched his feet, intentionally dropping the heel of his foot on the table to exaggerate the noise and making the same exact rumble Garcia did with his foot just moments before.

“I am a particular fan of….cheap furniture. I assume that the don has similar tastes to my own? Quite a fascinating piece of junk we have here.”

Lloyd, Ellie, Tio and Randy's eyes went wide. They thought they knew the group's antics well by this point, but this was a whole new level of insanity for them.

Meanwhile Garcia, for the first time since this meeting started, was genuinely getting pissed off. He stood up slowly and began to speak directly to the group.

“You shits listen very carefully. You three are in the exact same bed as these snot nosed rookies.” He said, pointing to the humans.

“You're just a group of naive helpless pups that the don can crush with one hand.” He said, making a gesture to exaggerate to point. “Normally I wouldn't have given you the time of day. But since I'm a nice guy, I figured I'd give you all one piece of advice.” He then sat down smiling.

“You can't change Crossbell's true nature. Revache’s iron grip is here to stay.” he finished, letting the point stab itself into the human officers' hearts.

“Not likely Mr Rossi, Revache is just as weak as we thought it would be” Vergil said nonchalantly.

“Excuse me?!” Garcia said, feeling his blood boil at the statement.

“For a guy built like a bear, you're actually wet behind the ears, teddy man.” Dante said, shrugging his shoulders. “Mr Mac and cheese and your whole ‘crew’ are just a bunch of big fish in a small pond.”

Garcia stood up and squeezed his fists, the crack making itself known. The humans tensed up, Randy keeping a hand on his halberd.

“You must think yourselves to be really funny if you think that of us” he growled at the group. “I don't have time to play with you little shits, but if you defy us again. There will be no mercy. I will destroy you” he cracked his knuckles to exasperate the point.

The silence at that statement was tense before Dante looked at Vergil with a straight face before the red demon busted out laughing while the blue devil chuckled under his breath.

The human SSS members who were initially swamped with negative emotions were now somewhat feeling better, if not outright creeped out, by the usually stoic Vergil having a sense of humor.

Garcia's face went red. “What's so funny, lapdogs?”

“Thanks for the advice man, but honestly, we'd like to see you try that.” Dante said, waving him off and coming down from his laugh a little after Vergil's.

Lloyd decided to cut the conversation now before things escalated. “Thank you for your time. Lets go everyone, I think we've gotten all we can from here” He said before he and the others excused themselves before departing from the room.

Garcia was still fuming, but still somehow cognizant enough to take a look at Randy's hair and had a passing thought go through his head. “Wait. you there. Redhead” Garcia called out to him.

Randy turned around, with Trish hanging by the door. “Huh? You talking to me?”

“That shade of red, I've seen it before,” Garcia muttered to himself. “No, you couldn't be…” Trish raised an eyebrow while Randy sassed the man.

“Whoa whoa, hold on there gramps. I love gettin attention from smokin’ hot ladies, but old men? Not really my thing y,know?”

Garcia thought to himself before letting the issue drop. “Hmph it doesn't matter. Hurry up and get out of my sight already.”

Randy scoffed. “You're the one who stopped me. Make up your damn mind already. Trish, let's go.” Randy left the room while Trish followed but Garcia called out to her next.

“Hey woman? I'd tell your shit brain buddies to watch themselves. They need to learn the rules around here.”

He also analyzed her frame, definitely confused as to how such a dainty build could beat the shit out of one of his boys, not to mention the war hounds.

Trish just turned her head. “Afraid not Garcia. We enjoy breaking the rules. Just as we'll enjoy breaking the fingers around Crossbell's neck. Just try to make it interesting, okay mountain man?”

She walked out of the room. Garcia huffed. “The nerve of that woman. Those kids have no idea who they're dealing with.”

Stepping out into the brighter portion of the alleyway, the group gathered to discuss what had transpired. “That went well..” Lloyd sighed. “He was treating us like children,” Tio agreed, somewhat shaken up.

“I mean..” Dante began, scratching his head. “You are fourteen so..” Tio elbowed him in the gut and he fell to the floor, the devil faking his pain. “For the love of!…Ellie, you gotta teach her manners!”

Ellie, who had been feeling a bit defeated at Garcia's words, perked up a bit. “Tio you shouldn't hit people…most of the time anyway.”

“If he stopped acting like a child, then I would stay my hand” Tio said flatly. Dante grimaced, trying to suck in some air. “Says the power puncher. I think Garcia wouldn't even survive that elbow.”

“Hehe..” Ellie giggled, a little refreshed. “You're trying to cheer us up again aren't you?”

Dante staggered to his feet. “I don't know what you're talking about Ellie” he grabbed his stomach. “Mountain man might be right, you guys do have overactive imaginations.”

“I can't stand that bastard,” Randy said. “But I can tell you guys got under his skin too, so thanks for that.” The demons waved off the show of thanks.

“By the way Randy, Trish” Lloyd began. “Why did he stop you two as we were leaving?”

“Beats me,” Randy shrugged. Trish spoke up next. “He just told me that we need to learn the rules and I told him to get bent.”

“On that, we agree Trish.” Vergil said. Randy however, looked perplexed. “I actually don't see that happening.”

“How so?” Dante asked him. “Look I've seen you kick ass, but with the way we are now, I doubt we'd so much as put a scratch on him” Randy answered.

“I sensed that he considered us far beneath his notice. As if no matter what we did, it would barely register as a thorn in his side” Tio said.

“A single thorn, yes, but we're the whole rose bush.” Dante said. The others gave him blank stares. “Look, someone has to boost team spirit around here, you guys look like you're about to go down for the count.”

“Dante…” Lloyd said. The detective then smiled. “Haha I guess we really looked defeated didn't we? But you're right, we still haven't figured things out yet. For example, I think it's safe to say that the odds of Revache being connected to this incident are low.” The others turned to the detective.

“You noticed it as well?” Vergil said. Lloyd nodded. “Without a doubt. Garcia definitely saw something.”

Lloyd pulled out the threat letter. “Garcia most likely reacted to the sender's name.”

“That Yin guy?” Randy said.

“You think there's a chance that Yin is involved with Revache?” Ellie asked.

“If Yin was on his payroll, he wouldn't have reacted the way he did.” Trish answered. “He didn't look too pleased when he saw it.”

Tio closed her eyes to think. “We can deduce that while Yin has no ties to Revache, it is still a name that they are familiar with. Is that an appropriate hypothesis?”

Lloyd nodded. “Yeah, I think that's safe to say.”

“If thats the case..” Ellie began, “we should consult with someone who is more familiar with Revache. Mr. Grimwood comes to mind.”

“Yeah, that's a great idea,” Lloyd said. “If we're as close to the truth, then it might be a good idea to discuss Grace too, although…”

“Hey Lloyd, who are these friends of yours?” Trish asked the detective. Lloyd and the others realized that the new members hadn't properly met the two.

Lloyd explained that Ian Grimwood was a well known lawyer in the city that had helped the SSS in the past and Grace was a reporter for the Crossbell times and tries to “motivate” the SSS through her articles on them.

Now knowing this, the group decided to ask around to hopefully find other clues and to eventually visit the law office.

“So, how are we storming the dragon's den?” Dante asked Lloyd. The detective looked at him with a humorous but somewhat serious expression. “By knocking politely Dante.” He looked over to his brother. “Vergil, are you sure you want to do the talking?”

The demon nodded. “Shrewd types are my specialty, you have my thanks for placing your trust in me. Let's just hope that Mr. Grimwood's information will be helpful.”

“I know you can do it,” Lloyd affirmed.

The trip to the law office was very insightful for the SSS. The demons exchanged greetings with Mr. Grimwood and the lawyer shared some interesting information with the group.

On a business trip in Calvard, Grimwood had heard the name Yin from an acquaintance of his. Supposedly, Yin was the name belonging to an infamous assassin who never lets his prey escape, a “phantom” as best described by the lawyer due to his black clothing and the fact that he appeared to be a mixture of myth and legend.

Considering the eastern connection and the fact that Heiyuu was from Calvard, Ellie had put two and two together and proposed the potential idea that Yin might be working with Heiyue. Lloyd chimed in after her, agreeing with her assessment and once again, suggested an insane idea.

They were going to visit the crime syndicates office to try and pull as much info from its branch manager. Grimwood had warned the group that the manager had a silver tongue and was a lot more intimidating than his exterior suggested.

With that in mind, Vergil volunteered to help with the questioning because he felt that he was best suited for the task and to prevent another fiasco like with the one that happened at Revache, noting the irony that he played a part in that.

Lloyd knocked on the door and was greeted by an “employee” of Heiyue and after explaining why they were with the police, the doorman went to speak with his manager and after a bit, he returned and invited them in.

Walking up the stairwell, the eastern styled interior paved comparison to the managers office, it being adorned with foreign carpeting, pots of various shapes and sizes aligned against the far walls of the room, a lantern near the back windows which shined a light on the “dragon” in the room.

He appeared to be a young man in his mid twenties, wearing what seemed to be a fusion of a ming jacket and a sports jacket colored in a shade of blue and also sported a black undershirt and glasses, finally being paired with brown eastern loafers.

Eyeing the SSS with a subtle but falsely warm smile, he greeted the group. “Oh how nice it is for you to finally visit” he said as he walked over to stand in front of the officers.

“It's nice to meet you” Lloyd greeted. “My name is Lloyd Bannings, of the CPD's Special Support Section.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” the man said. “I am Cao Lee, manager of Heiyuu trading's Crossbell branch.”

He then began his little game. “So you must be Lloyd and those among you must be…Ellie, Tio, Randy, Dante, Vergil and Trish, correct?”

“Yes Mr. Lee,” Vergil said. “It appears our reputation precedes us.” Cao noted the shocked looks on the humans faces but continued to press on.

“Indeed Vergil, I'm an avid reader of the Crossbell Times. I was mesmerized by your exploits.” He then fixed his glasses. “Though boorish of me I decided to investigate your backgrounds through various intermediaries, however I was a bit surprised when I learned that you three are essentially nomadic?”

Vergil gave him a passive look. “More or less, some may say we didn't even exist before arriving at Crossbell.”

“Interesting. Navigating Calvard is no small feat, especially in the wilderness. How did you all manage it?” The manager asked.

“Winged it.” Dante chimed in. The human officers had to keep the shock from their faces from being seen.

“Is that so? But I must say it is an honor to meet with such an intriguing group of figures as yourselves.” he responded. “So what brings you to our office today? Was there a problem of some sort with our business operations?”

“No actually, we happen to be in the middle of an investigation involving Arc en Ciel.” Vergil answered politely. “We were hoping to discuss a certain rumor we heard, eastern in origin."

Cao placed a hand to his chin. “I see. Quite an interesting little mystery we have here. Well, let's discuss this somewhere more comfortable.” He moved to the coach on the left side of the room and sat down while the SSS followed suit, with them sitting on the opposite side.

Explaining everything that they knew so far. Cao pondered over what had just been said before giving an answer. “Hmm…Yin you say?” Cao breathed out, crossing his arms in the process.

“We're aware that Heiyue's main office is located in the Republic's Eastern Quarter,” Lloyd commented. “We were thinking that due to that, you might be familiar with Yin."

Cao mask changed to a more serious persona, deciding to play another piece of his little game. “Interesting. Am I to assume that you're implying that I have connections to the criminal named Yin?”

“Here we go,” Trish thought to herself.

Lloyd responded automatically. “No, of course not. To be honest, we simply don't have a lot of info, so we're following up on any leads that we have.”

Cao then adopted a smirk as he closed his eyes. “Ah, is that so? Well alright then. This may be rather basic information, but I can tell you some of the legends regarding Yin in more detail.”

“We're listening,” Lloyd said intently.

Cao began to recite the legend in detail. Yin was a very well known and influential name in Calvards Eastern Quarter. Recounting Grimwood's statement on Yin being a phantom, Cao added that the legendary xiongshou may possibly be immortal.

The human members of the SSS initially were in disbelief but Cao added that there had been documents on Yin's activities for at least one hundred years and that his infamy grew during Calvard's democratization, namely through the assassination of various political figures.

Lloyd wasn't buying the story at all. “This is getting more outlandish. “This story is getting more outlandish by the second."

Randy wasn't on board either. “It's gotta be some scary fable to keep the kiddos in line. No way he's real.”

“No Mr. Orlando” Cao said abruptly, giving off a gentle but eerie smirk. “Yin is very much real.”

That statement put the humans on edge while the devils poker faces weren't rattled in the slightest. Cao decided it was time to up the ante, adopting a full knowing grin similar to a snake that was about to strike its prey.

“Yin far surpasses a mere tale in the underworld of the Eastern Quarter” he began, adjusting his glasses and staring his mice down. Though his identity is unknown, Zemuri's greatest assassin can be employed…for the right price.”

Crossing his legs, he allowed his fangs to glint in the light and continued. “A master of all assassination techniques, a martial artist with incredible dexterity with agility who lurks in the shadows. He is recognized as such, and his deadly work speaks to his existence.”

He noticed that the humans were already having his well-planned pieces of the puzzles work themselves into their heads, however the other three still seemed unfazed, as if listening to casual gossip. “No matter, this will seal the deal.” Cao thought as he began to lay the final trap.

“A certain organization highly values Yin and entrusts many jobs to him…or so the rumor goes.”

“The organization you're referring to….” Tio began but Cao shifted the flow of the conversation.

“Speaking of Yin, I have heard claims that he has vanished entirely from the Eastern Quarter. It has come to my attention that he has taken a job from the aforementioned organization. It apparently involves a certain autonomous state that we're all familiar with” Cao said quite happily.

But in an unexpected move, Vergil had sat up and politely bowed for some unknown reason. “Thank you for the tale Mr. Lee. We now know that we are dealing with a hypothetical imposter, not the actual Yin.”

“Hm is that so?” Cao asked him, his gaze meeting the demons. The human SSS members were surprised by his leap in logic. “Vergil?” Lloyd looked at him expecting an explanation.

Vergil cleared his throat. “Granted that this is all hypothetical but allow me to humor you for a moment. A certain organization decides to expand its operations throughout a certain autonomous state. Realizing that it needs to eventually deal with a certain rival of theirs, it must rely on the services of a hypothetical assassin.”

He then sat down. “But this eastern organization, and if its leadership was intelligent enough as we have been led to believe, would logically utilize this assassin in ways that would undercut its grip, therefore it would look for areas in which its rival would suffer financial losses.”

Cao hummed. “An apt analysis, hypothetically anyway. But I am failing to see-”

Vergil cut Cao off and adjusted his shirt collar. “If the police in this certain autonomous state were to, hypothetically, make financial inquiries to this certain organization, they wouldn't happen to find anything related to a certain theater troupe would they?”

“….so that's your angle?” Cao thought, realizing that he was posed with a rather tricky question.

It was true that they had no interest in Arc en Ciel and Yin had already been tasked with dealing with Revaches other business investments. But the SSS didn't need to know that, it was fun keeping them in the dark.

Cao came up with an answer. “I would imagine that this certain organization would be fine with such inquiries being made, albeit it would not explain how our hypothetical assassin would be a mere imposter.”

The manager decided to move a piece on the board of this game. “Yin is known to take multiple jobs with separate clients.” 

"And to clarify, Yin doesn't hold a particular bias towards his clientele?” Vergil asked the snake. 

Cao nodded. “From what the stories say, that I am most certain of. I imagine that the victim in the scenario would still be the target of Yin and his blade.”

Vergil countered the play. “That is true, although I'd imagine it would ultimately be fruitless.”

“Oh?” Cao raised an eyebrow. Vergil pressed on. “Hypothetically, the police would keep an eye on the would-be victim, making Yin's ability to complete his job next to impossible.”

Cao laughed at the demon's ignorance. “You must be confident in their ability to face a one hundred year old assassin. Many similar figures boasted sentiments before meeting a swift end by Yin's hand.”

“To be more specific, I was referring to myself, hypothetically of course. But there is a way we could potentially catch the culprit before things potentially take a turn for the worse.”

“And that would be?” Cao asked expecting Vergil to accuse Heiyue of being behind it all along However Vergil had a surprise hand to play.

“Yins' client in this hypothetical scenario, would be rather egotistical so all we would need to do is go ask them in person.” Cao's eyes raised rather quizzically at that.

“After all, they are one of the two most prominent underworld figures in Crossbell city, the assassin, much as the clientele he interacts with, are cut from the same filthy cloth.”

The others were confused by Vergil's assessment of the situation, Lloyd specifically was running the scenario through his head but it didn't make sense whatsoever. They had already cleared Revache of being the one that hired Yin. Cao meanwhile, waved off the insult.

“Please Vergil, don't put us in the same league as them. It's absolutely ludicrous that Yin would take a job from them” Cao lee made a fatal error in that statement.

Vergil breathed before speaking to end the game for good. “Mr. Lee, I recall, you said that Yin does not hold a preference to who his employer might be, so why would he care about who is footing the bill, unless you happen to be more familiar with his operational procedure.”

For a brief second, Cao's cleverly crafted mask slipped as he realized his slip of the tongue. It was one second two late however as the members of the SSS realized what had been going on. “So he does know Yin?” Ellie asked, looking at Vergil. The demon raised his hand as if telling Cao to elaborate on the matter.

Cao in turn, raised his hands in surrender. “You got me, fair and square.”

“Hey man, don't sling if you can't take it.” Dante said lazily looking around the room.

Cao fixed his glasses and decided to give the cops a little morsel. “We do in fact have Yin on our payroll and we have no interest in Arc En Ciel…at this time. Does that satisfy your investigation?”

“It does, thank you Mr Lee for your time. I have the feeling we'll be crossing paths again soon” Lloyd said to him.

Cao smiled, “We shall see, considering that our imposter is on the loose, im curious to see how you will solve this one. As a fan, I shall expect no less.”

With no other reason to linger the SSS left the awfully cramped building and breathed in the fresh harbor air outside.

“Thank you for contacting us. The branch manager says you may contact us again, should the need arise.” With a polite bow the employee entered the building, leaving the SSS to their own devices.

Randy stretched his arms. "Hot damn that was a little tense, I wanna say that they seemed a bit friendlier. Honestly if Vergil wasn't there, they might have tried to screw with us.”

Tio rubbed her eyes at the light. “That is not outside the realm of possibility.”

“It's nothing praiseworthy Mr. Orlando.” Vergil pulled down on his gloves. “At least we managed to pull some very useful information out.”

“Ellie you hanging in there?” Dante asked the girl who was deep in thought. Her concentration broke as she turned and faced him. “Oh it's nothing. More importantly, we found out that the legendary assassin, Yin, has managed to infiltrate Crossbell state” she said with a worried look.

Lloyd fixed his jacket and messed with his hair. “Yeah, it didn't seem like he was lying. Looking back on it now, it really seemed like he was trying to taunt us more with the implication that he sent Yin after IIya than any kind legitimate ill will towards Arc en Ciel.”

“I was thinking the same thing.” Randy added. “if that were the case, no way he'd hint at his connection to Yin.”

“Freaky sense of humor if you ask me” Trish said, dusting some lint off her jacket.

Tio rubbed the ground with her foot. “And according to Cao Lee, Yin was not responsible for the threat letter, further proving that a copy cat may very well be the culprit.”

Randy let out a sigh, “That's all well and good, but we still have a problem. We have no idea where this copy cat might be.”

Dante yawned. “Thats true but we still managed to gather a decent amount of information. Thanks to Mr. Bookworm over here” He said, attempting to smack his brother in the back only for the blue devil to sidestep out of the way.

“If this copycat is truly after Ilya's life…..then this case may be beyond our capabilities.” The others perked up at Ellie's confession. “There's no way that we would be capable of catching someone if we don't know what they're capable of, they may be a professional in a similar regard to Yin.”

“Where's this coming from?” Dante asked her. Ellie got straight to the point. “Wouldn't it be better if we just left this up to headquarters?”

Tio chimed in. “Would they not simply look the other way like they did with the incident downtown?” Ellie shook her head at the suggestion, ignoring an ugly feeling that swirled in her heart. “I doubt it. Arc en Ciel, and by extension, IIya, are incredibly important to the people of Crossbell. Headquarters would definitely take if her life was in danger. They'd stake their pride on it.”

“Thats correct.” A voice came over from down the road. Turning towards it, they saw a well dressed man with a strong jaw and green hair walking right towards them.

“Y-You're!” Lloyd said, stunned by the arrival of the man that he recognized

“You know this guy?” Trish questioned as she eyed the man warmly, who in turn looked at the devils with a disapproving glare.

“Somewhat, he's with the first division” Ellie said to her.

“That I am. I am Alex Dudley. Come with me” he said in a stern tone.

“Why? This spot looks alright to me” Dante asked Dudley.

“Only a fool would discuss information here of all places. We don't have time to waste. Follow me.” He turned briskly, leaving no further room for argument.

Randy in particular voiced his concern but was promptly ignored. Following the detective down the street to where a car was parked, the SSS found out the reason why he had called them down there in the first place.

To give them a much needed scolding.

“What's the matter with all of you?” Dudley growled. “I don't know what you were thinking, waltzing in there like that. Furthermore, who decided to discuss your investigation within earshot of their building!”

“Sorry sir” Lloyd said apologetically.

Ellie had a similar sentiment to share. “You're right, we weren't being careful enough” feeling downtrodden at their mistake.

Dudley let out a sigh. “Well, what's done is done. Well?” He gave the others an expecting look that confused the members of the SSS.

“Uh care to elaborate?” Trish said, not really liking his attitude.

“You're going to explain what you were babbling on about with Arc en Ciel and how it relates to your little visit with Heiyuu” he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You'd better tell me everything you know.”

“Detective hardass has made his debut.” Dante thought, ignoring the tone that the man was speaking to them too.

Trish nearly rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “Can we at least get a please?”

Dudley scoffed. “No. Can I get you to do your job correctly?”

“Excuse me?!” Lloyd said exasperated.

“What the hell is this coming from?!” Randy shared a similar feeling of irritation.

Tio also shared that feeling, a rarity that didn't happen too often as she gave Dudley her trademark icy glare. “It is brazen for you to demand that after showing up so suddenly.”

Dudley smirked at the audacity. “I wonder which one of us is truly brazen. The First Division has been keeping tabs on Heiyue for a month already. You're the ones who barged into our investigation without any notice.”

Vergil raised an eyebrow. “And you elected not to notify the entirety of the CPD of your investigation because?...” he said, not liking the implications.

“Because it's up to professionals like us, not rookies like you that are out of their element” Dudley answered rather rudely.

The others did not like that comment and like Vergil predicted, this guy was a hardass straight shooter. “I take it you know about Yin if I am to believe the first division is competent enough as they claim themselves to be?” the demon asked him.

Dudley huffed. “So you know about Yin, hm? Well no matter, start talking and don't leave anything out. If you don't comply, I won't hesitate to file a complaint to Sergei of this obstruction into our investigation” he ordered, or rather threatened the SSS with that.

Lloyd grimaced. “Damn it…all right, fine. However our investigation is a formal request submitted to the SSS. So we need it to stay confidential.”

“I'll be the one to decide that,” Dudley said, brushing off Lloyd's concern. “Out with the details already, that's an order.”

Lloyd then took the lead and explained everything they had learned about up to that point, leaving nothing out as Dudley had wanted.

Thinking it over, Dudley finalized his thoughts on the matter. “Hmm..I understand the situation. I didn't think there was anything concrete, but it seems they've finally tipped their hand.”

“Are you referring to Yin?” Ellie asked. Dudley nodded. “Yes I am. Heiyue employed a legendary assassin as a trump card in order to threaten Revache's influence. The First Division received an anonymous tip with information regarding Heiyue. We've been surveilling them since.”

He then gave some half hearted praise to the SSS. “But who would've thought that a group of amateurs would stumble on to the scene and give just the lead we needed.”

“Wow, that almost sounded like a compliment.” Randy said casually"

Tio however, was not pleased with the situation. “I would like to inquire why you only had Heiyue under your surveillance. I am under the impression that your team is leaving Revache unchecked.”

Dudley smiled smugly. “What are you implying? The First Division already understands Revache’s operating procedure. We're also aware of the downtown incident and how they've used war hounds. Don't think for a second that we haven't kept tabs on the cases you've been getting involved in.”

“Real hands off show you guys got going on” Dante said. “Gotta say, didn't expect ‘professionals’ to drag their feet.”

Dudley waved that comment away. “If we got involved in every little thing they did, there would be no end to it. None of these incidents you took on were anything serious as murder. They were simply petty crimes-”

Dante muttered under his breath. “So that's how you guys operate.”

“-Do you honestly think that we'd put of more important cases to divert our limited personnel to such minor issues?” letting the point simmer to the SSS. Dudley began his little impromptu speech once again.

“Those of us in the First Division are leagues apart from know-nothings like yourselves. We're charged with maintaining a certain degree of order in a city where justice is a constant uphill battle.” Dudley then gazed at the harbor, Dante internally scoffed at the drama of it all.

“We're expected to suppress major crimes and protect the public from criminal organizations and foreign intelligence agencies. Can you possibly fathom the work that goes into that?” Dudley said as he turned back to the group.

Lloyd and Ellie were stunned by the revelation. “I knew it. I always had a feeling.” Ellie's dejected tone revealed her inner anguish at the truth that she had long known. “Crossbell's peace and prosperity is hanging by a thread.”

Dudley hummed in agreement. “Yes, and most of the citizens fail to realize it. Sure it might be popular to read stories on Revanche's ties to the Imperial faction diet members. Meanwhile, Heiyue is in the process of deepening their relationship with the Republicans faction. If we allow it to progress any further, they'll be untouchable.”

“With the way you're talking, no wonder Revache got away with all it did.” Dante suddenly. Dudley broke from his cadence and looked at him. “Huh?” Dante paced towards a fence nearby and leaned into it.

“You know, I've been patiently listening to this holier than thou speech of yours. Let me ask you this, saying you manage to kick Heiyue out, you just gonna go back to doing half assed police work and call it a day?”

“Dante, what ar-” Randy said but Dante still went on.

“We've been here for about two months I think, and we've seen first hand how much these ‘minor issues’ have affected the population. Detective Gumshoe, this city has one foot in its grave because the ‘professional’ First Division has its head so far up its ass, it's forgotten what it's been fighting for.”

Lloyd chimed in. “Dante you ca-” Dudley's marching stopped any further attempt at communication as he got up in Dante's face. “Listen close, I've been at this far longer than any of you. I'm aware of your little relationship with the vice commissioner, but don't let that let you even think that we're in the same league” He said with a stern tone.

Dante didn't even give him the time of day as he lazily walked back over to the car. “You're right, it's clear that our sense of justice is leagues better than yours is Gumshoe. By that I mean us three.” He said pointing to Vergil and Trish. “And them.” gesturing to the human SSS members.

The group in question was taken aback. Vergil decided to give his thoughts on the matter. “Lloyd, Ellie, Tio and Randy have been working to the bone to clean up after the First Division's negligence. It's a shame that someone with so much experience failed to realize such an obvious problem.” Dudley turned to the elder Son of Sparda with his face getting redder and redder.

Vergil continued on regardless. “If this is the legacy you intend to leave behind, then I pity the fool who is your eventual successor, assuming that they have not already quit due to such half-hearted resolve.”

Trish went up next. “I get that the local government isn't happy go-lucky, but simply doing what we can isn't gonna cut it. That's not how we do things. We cut it out by the root ‘detective' Dudley" finishing with a bit of disdain in her voice.

Dudley's face suddenly drained of color as let out a breath, adopting a strangled stoic face.

His closed fists however, gave away his frustration. “Thank you for the valuable information. The First Division will handle it from here, you may return to your usual duties.”

“WHAT?!” Lloyd shouted. “The hell is this crap?” Randy exclaimed.

Dudley simply closed his eyes. “After carefully assessing the situation, I've ascertained that Yin is merely a legend. We'll be observing Heiyue's movements while protecting IIya from this supposed copy cat assassin.”

Adopting a smug grin, he eyed the group. “Tell me, would you be able to handle all that?”

Dante chuckled. “In my sleep Gumshoe. We all could.”

Dudley's mask faltered a bit. “You talk a big game, without the resources at your disposal how would you even accomplish this?”

“Making do with what we got.” Dante smirked back. “Unlike you, we don't sit on our ass when duty calls.”

Dudley pinched his brow, letting out a very frustrated sigh. “This is what's going to happen.” He began in a rather angry tone. “I'll leave contact Arc en Ciel about this case being transferred to the First Div-”

“No.”

Dudley, whose patience had been getting thinner and thinner, was about to reach his breaking point. “Care to repeat that, Regrave? Depending on your answer, you might just end up not doing police work ever again.”

Dante crossed his arms. “I said no, me Vergil and Trish are gonna solve this case, so if you wanna write us up, mention us specifically. Leave the kids out of it. Here I'll even write it down so you won't put someone else's name in there by mistake.”

He whipped out a pen and a piece of paper, writing their names out and held it out to Dudley. Dudley, silently furious at the audacity, calmly took the note and went over to his car and drove off. Dante swore he could have seen him mouth the word “punk” but he waved it off either way.

“Well, looks like we got ourselves a rival to beat, am I right guys?” Dante said to the humans but they all seemed very conflicted about what just occurred.

Randy was the first to speak up. “What the hell? He just shows up, gives us shit, takes our case and drives off?” Tio chimed in next. “To add insult to injury, he drove off in his own personal vehicle.”

Trish picked her nails absentmindedly."I couldn't even write a script that good”

Randy couldn't help but grin. “Amen to that, at least you gave it back to him.”

She just shrugged. “What can I say, contrary to popular belief, this isn't our first rodeo.” Lloyd was the next to be shaken from his stupor, hearing what Trish said and spoke up. “What do you mean?”

Dante came in next, “On the road, we've handled..odd jobs so to speak, kinda like Bracer work with a mixture of police work without all the paperwork.”

Randy looked a bit jealous. “You guys got to pick and choose your jobs and no paperwork was needed? Man you've had it easy.”

Tio huffed. “You are honestly the epitome of laziness. I remember when you nearly lost your Enigma.” Dante came over and rubbed the girl's head. “And I forgot to say, thanks for finding it.”

She pulled away from him. “And you keep doting me even though I told you not to.”

“I know you like it, icy kid.”

“I don't,” Tio lied. Fixing her breastplate she then turned to Lloyd. “Can you write him up when we get back?”

Lloyd was stunned then he chuckled a bit. “I'll uh see if we can do that. Dante, please don't harass her” he said warmly, feeling a little bit better.

“Yes Dante, please leave Miss Plato be.” Vergil asserted. “Vergil. Please just call me Tio” the girl said to him.

Ellie walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, despair having taken root in her body. “Everyone..” Ellie suddenly said, getting their attention as she looked tired. “What are we going to do now?

The lightened mood went back to being serious as Lloyd put a hand to his chin. “Good point Ellie, as frustrated as I am, I understood where he was coming from.”

“So what now? You're gonna throw in the towel after that speech I gave? Lloyd, I'm wounded” Dante said dramatically clutching his heart.

“Well to be honest I was considering it, but your words made me change my mind.” The detective responded back.

He then leaned against the same fence that Dante was leaning against. “We of the SSS still have a role to play, even if we don't have all the pieces to the puzzle.” Lloyd said. “As much as the scope of this case is well beyond our experience level, I'm not exactly comfortable with telling IIya and Rixia that we were unable to fulfill her request. They put their trust in us because of who we are.”

He then met Ellie's gaze. “I know you said that we should leave this up to headquarters, but honestly, I think we should trust Sergei to cover for us, at least this time. Alright?”

“....How can you be so optimistic?” Ellie said somewhat shakily. “Lloyd, we…have to follow protocol. Look I'm frustrated but what can we do? Dante and the others might lose their jobs if we don't hand the case over!"

It didn't occur to her, but she had started tearing up. “How can we do this if the odds are stacked against us? We ca-”

“We can and will get over the barrier Ellie.” Lloyd said, cutting her off. “Sure, we haven't managed to get by it today, but we can always try tomorrow. As one of the people who has ‘woken up to justice’ it's our duty to see this through.”

Ellie's head moved backwards, clearly surprised at that particular quote. “W-where did you?..."

Lloyd smiled at her. “Trish told me the story a few days ago when we were cooking dinner together. She also told me that you wanted to be a politician who wanted to change things in this city. Hearing that you took this path is something that I really admire.”

He then held out his hand. “But we can't do it without you Ellie, we need you…I need you.”

A few seconds of silence passed before all hell broke loose.

Dante had to walk away, the cheesy scenario was gonna make him double over. Randy wasn't able to hold in his laugh and Tio smacked her head cringing. Trish sat down next to Ellie while Vergil apologized to some passerby who saw the whole scene, and Ellie, who had a few tears leaking down her face, had quite possibly the biggest blush she had ever had in her whole life.

She then wiped her eyes and sniffed. “Ive been such a burden, haven't I?” she said with a sad smile. “Here I am, doing this so I could be a better politician yet I'm dragging you all down.”

Trish put a hand on her shoulder. “You've never been a burden to us. You've always helped us in ways that we couldn't. Helping Dante and me with paperwork is one quality that we definitely appreciate.”

Ellie giggled and sniffed. “I-I guess so. His handwriting is so atrocious, I almost wanted to teach him proper penmanship.” Wiping away her tears, she then took on a more serious but determined face and clasped her hands together. “So what will we do about Arc en Ciel? We still haven't found any leads and the copy cat is still on the loose” she sniffed again.

“I actually have a suggestion I would like to make about that,” Vergil said, getting the group's attention. “For now, we should split our forces. I believe that I should offer myself to be her bodyguard.”

“Where's this coming from? Let me guess, she stole your heart didn't she?” Randy teased.

Vergil shook his head at the suggestion. “Not in this lifetime.”

“Ouch, so much for the strong silent type being a lady killer” the red head followed up.

Ignoring him, Vergil pressed on. “Ilya has expressed that she was not interested in having the police or bracers be involved with this case due to rumors being spread around. A lone bodyguard however, should not pose a problem.”

“That…makes sense.” Lloyd said. “But what about Dudley wanting us to tell them that the case was taken over by them?”

Dante raised a hand. “We'll just tell them that while the First Division did take over the case, we'll be doing our own separate investigation. That should keep Gumshoe from becoming a tattle tale.”

Lloyd ran the idea through his head. “Vergil, are you sure you're up for this? Copycat or not, we have to assume that whoever is after IIya must be very dangerous.”

Vergil turned to the detective and pulled his unsheathed blade out. “If our copycat turns out to actually be Yin himself, the legendary assassin's career will come to an end in the moment he decides to cross blades with me.”

Lloyd smiled at Vergil's confident statement while Randy groaned. “Really? Gotta sell the dramatics with that huh?”

Tio voiced her opinion on what to do next. “We should head over to Arc en Ciel and inform them of the current situation.

“I agree with Tio, we should give it a shot.” Ellie said a little more confidently as she sat back up, her eyes somewhat damp. “Everyone…thank you so much.”

“Lets save the thanks for later, we gotta case to solve” Dante said.

With that tender moment now dealt with they traveled to Arc en Ciel to update the troupe on the progress of their current investigation.

“Im so sorry everyone, I've caused you nothing but trouble.” Rixia said apologetically.

“Don't worry about it, Rixia. I'm pretty sure Vergil doesn't mind” Lloyd reassured her.

“And what about Trish?” Rixia asked her. “She didn't seem so….on board with the plan.”

“Haha she'll be alright. She even gave her word.” Lloyd laughed awkwardly at the insanity of the situation.

The SSS arrived at the theater and explained to the troupe that even though the First Division would be officially taking over the case, the SSS would still conduct their own separate investigation to catch the copycat.

In the meantime, Vergil offered to be her bodyguard. The Fervant Dancer was actually on board with the whole thing, on one condition however.

Trish needed to be her bodyguard as well, much to the devil's irritation.

She managed to hide it and agreed to stay over at the woman's house, ignoring any and all attempts of IIya trying to steal her away from the SSS.

On the polar opposite end of the spectrum, Vergil would station himself at the theater during all hours of operation and would give the team daily updates.

With that being the game plan, the team headed back to the SSS building, coming across Macdowell's attendant who they had met earlier. His suit stood out well against the sunset rays coating the home of the police officers as he turned to face them.

“Oh thank goodness! I was just starting to wonder if I came to the wrong place” the man said, relieved.

“Ernest?” Ellie said in surprise. “Did you come to see me?”

“Yes, I did. I had some business to attend to at the office, so I decided to stop by.” He then noticed something that Ellie hadn't realized. “Ellie? What's wrong? You don't look so great.”

“Well that's because…” Ellie began. “If I remember correctly, you guys were visiting Arc en Ciel correct?” Did you run into some sort of problem with your police work?” Ernest said. 

Ellie breathed in and out. “Yes…..I did. Today was a very…..frustrating experience. I saw first hand what I was warned about when I entered the force. The darkness that hides away from the lights of Crossbell.”

Closing her eyes, she thought about the things she saw, the things that made her upset, the things that crushed her father's spirits and caused her family to drift apart.

But she also saw her colleagu- no, her friends that were there for her when she wanted to quit. She saw how they kept looking for something to do, despite everything that had happened.

“But Ernest, I also saw those who were willing to fight back against the darkness. People that put their trust in me despite my own inexperience. People that I can honestly say that I am proud to get to work with each and every day.”

“Ellie..” Lloyd said, warmed up by the praise.

“Couldn't agree more mademois-ellie” Randy gave her a bow.

“I will try to keep up the good work.” Tio affirmed with a nod.

Dante gave a thumbs up. “With speeches like that no one is gonna beat you when you run for office.”

Ernest, while maintaining a straight face, gave Ellie a slightly disapproving look. “Ellie, allow me to be honest with you. I want you to quit the force and return to us.”

“Quit the force?” She was surprised at the suggestion. “Why?”

The others were confused as well, but Ernest began to elaborate his thoughts on the matter. “I know it was your idea to join the CPD, Ellie. But you still look down, so lost even. Are you sure this is the right path for you?”

Ellie's resolve at that moment shook a bit. W-what are you saying Ernest? I want to sta-

“Listen to me,” Ernest said gently as he cut her off. “I know you understand the current political climate, and the despair that comes with it, better than anyone. And that's likely where your initial urge to join the police force came from.”

His gaze took a more serious turn. “But just try and think about the torment and pain that the mayor is going through-how he feels in the current situation.”

Ellie had to swallow the same nasty feeling that sprouted earlier in the day. Ernest kept going, the third person today with another long speech. Dante placed a hand on her shoulder, keeping her grounded while Ernest kept yapping.

“With the Anniversary festival coming up next month. Mayor Macdowell is up to his neck in work, and after that, it's right back to arguing with the Imperial faction and Republican faction over budget. Six months from now, he'll be up for re-election” Ernest said.

“I-know that Ernest, but-” The secretary ignored Ellie as he kept going. The others noticed how this little speech definitely wasn't coming from a place of love. “As I'm sure you know, Mayor Macdowell has planned to retire, but without someone to carry on his policies, he feels that-”

“This might be the worst sales pitch I've heard in a while.” Dante aired out his annoyance. “How she's gonna help out dear old gramps down the line if she can't face the problem right in front of her?”

He removed his hand from Ellie. “Besides, aren't you his right hand? Can't be telling the kid to call it quits when you can do something to help him out.”

“Sir?” Ernest asked. “Im afraid that you don't fully understand the situation tha-”

“He understands just fine Ernest” Ellie came in, appreciating the demon's words. She inhaled some much needed air. “He's right. I need to walk this path until I am satisfied with what I've done here as a police officer. I'm worried about grandfather as well but he supported my decision..and I hope that you'll support it as well.”

Ernest, clearly not expecting this from the girl, gave her soft smile. “Ah, it appears I may have overstepped. I just wanted to tell you that he would feel more confident in his work with you by his side.”

He went and fixed his tie. “But I see that you will not budge on this. However, as someone who respects Mayor Macdowell and has been with your family for years, I simply couldn't stay idle any longer. Please think long and hard about if this is the path that you truly want.”

“Does everyone in this city talk more than I do?” Dante shook his head. Ellie gave Ernest a smile in return.

“I'll keep that in mind, Ernest, thank you for thinking of me.”

Ernest cleared his throat as he turned to the others. “My apologies for showing up out of the blue like this.”

Lloyd wasn't fazed. “It's fine, it seems like a complicated family matter.”

Randy gave a rough looking smile.”Just try not to bother mademois-ellie for a while, you got it?”

“Seconded” Tio agreed. “Personally it feels like you are attempting to take Ellie away from us.”

“Thirded, if that's the word. Us guys and gales in blue have to stick together.” Dante chimed in.

Ernest gave a small laugh. “Ah I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention. But you are aware that she originally wanted to become a politician before joining the police force right?”

“Yes, we know,” the four said in unison, hoping that the tone they gave off would let Ernest know that they were not really interested in another long speech. Dante had half the mind to kick him over the railing.

“Ahaha…sorry Ernest, we um, had a little moment earlier today” Ellie said.

A bell ringing in the distance was his saving grace. “Goodness it's already so late. My apologies for taking up so much of your time, but please look after Ellie, officers.”

Ernest bowed then walked right past the SSS and went towards the stairs leading to Central Square. “Geez, talk about laying it on thick,” Dante muttered.

“Hehe..sorry about that, he means well. He's known my grandfather for as long as I can remember” Ellie stated. “But thank you all again. First Trish and now Dante and Lloyd, honestly I need to pick up the slack.”

“No need for thanks Ellie, we're a team. We'll always have your back.” Lloyd said.

“So with that outta the way, who's making dinner tonight?” Dante asked, changing the mood.

Ellie sighed. “Honestly, this is a team building moment and all you can think about is food.”

Randy shrugged, “Can't blame him, after running into one jackass after another all day has me hungry.”

“I..agree with Randy's crass assessment. I must refuel” Tio hummed.

Dante snapped his fingers. “We're getting pizza tonight, I think we've earned it.”

“Thats what I'm saying!” Randy said, putting an arm on the demon's shoulder. “Lloyd, we should get some from the cafe. I heard they do deliveries around here.”

Lloyd turned to the girls. “You all want pizza?” Ellie nodded. “Its not a usual part of my diet but I guess I could squeeze some in. Tio, what about you?”

“I usually don't eat it but I would like to have pizza….on one condition.”

“Condition?” Lloyd asked.

She gave him a no nonsense glare. “It has to have olives.”

“Ah okay, that's reason-”

“I object to that bit of heresy.” Dante came in.

Tio faced him with an ice cold fury. “Heresy? Would you tell such lies in front of me?

The demon got down on a knee, “Icy kid, even Adios would tremble at the sight.”

Tio closed her eyes and began to glow. “Olives are the greatest topping that's ever existed. I will not tolerate such slander.”

Dante grinned “Well maybe you'll change your tune after I put in the order.” He got up and jogged into the building with the other realizing that he was going to put his favorites without their input.

“Dante, wait!” Lloyd said, chasing after him.

“We haven't even discussed what toppings I want!” Ellie followed after him.

“My staff will smite you if you even think of not including olives! Tio sprinted into the building.

“What the hell man?! At least put some extra sauce on it!” Randy bounded in last.

It was a fun sight for Sergei as he watched the others fight over the phone, as long as they didn't break it. Zeit barked over them, adding to the chaos. It reminded Sergei of the good old days when Guy was around.

He was damn sure that he was gonna get some anchovies on his slices though.

Crossbell City

Eastern District 

Evening 

Rixia walked with a brisk pace as she made her way back to her apartment on east street.

IIya had insisted that she stay over at her house, citing that it was really late at night and the crowds around that area did not have the…best of intentions when it came to girls like herself, recounting incidents of women being assaulted in the area.

Trish and Vergil offered to at least walk with her but she managed to wave them off, telling them that they were already so busy with watching IIya that she wasn't really worth fussing over. Besides, she had to get home and deal with her….other line of work.

Turning a corner she was about half way home when she heard the group of men who had been following her for some time call out to her.

“Hey good looking, nice night we got here.”

Ignoring them, she picked up the pace. She had no idea why Revache's goons were in Heiyue territory. A surprise attack maybe? It didn't matter to her, she needed to-

A whistle broke her train of thought.

“You hear me? Wanna hang with us? It's a scary place around here!” the call echoed.

She walked faster, cutting down an alley, hearing the click of leather dress shoes increase in rhythm. She walked out on the other side into the light.

Only to be greeted by three other Revache members.

“Hey eastern chick. We were trying to talk to you. Why give us the cold shoulder?” He asked. The others from before came up behind her, making an impromptu circle around her.

“I-I wasn't trying to” she said. “I'm sorry but I really need to get home” Rixia tried to walk past the man but he blocked her path. “Now now, I ain't the one you gotta say sorry to. You made my buddy a little upset.” He said pointing behind her.

Every carefully honed instinct that was drilled into Rixia screamed at her that something very bad was going to happen to her if she turned around.

She gave the man a pointed stare. “Im sorry that I offended your friend but I have to go.” She dipped past the man but a hand grabbed her wrist.

“Whats your damn problem?! We ain't good enough for some respect?!”

“Let go of me!” She yelled, trying to pull her arm away. The goons laughed. “Nah, I think me and the boys here need to teach you a lesson. You eastern girls really need to know who is in charge around here."

“Let. Go. Of. Me.” Rixia worded it with a venom that initially had the gangsters spooked.

She could slit their throats and they wouldn't even realize it. The leader of the gang pulled her closer, “Or what bitch?” He said with a sickening grin.

Faced with no other options, it looked as if Rixia had no other choice but to at least incapacitate the man who grabbed her and make a run for it.

“Hey asshole!” A yell came from out of nowhere. The mafioso turned to its direction, only to be greeted by the sight of black boots stamping into his face.

The individual in question sent him flying with a dropkick into a pile of garbage, the force of the impact loosening the grip on Rixia's wrist as she fell to the ground.

“The Hell!?" One of the other members shouted as the stranger landed on his feet. Rixia saw him, he had the same shade of white hair as Dante and Vergil had and was wearing a black hoodie with blue jeans.

The stranger turned around and Rixia saw him, he was angry but at the same time, seemed very lax about it. “Trish was right, you guys are weak” he muttered.

The knocked down mafioso held his nose, trying to stop the blood flow. “Y-you brat!” He garbled in pain.

His friends weren't gonna take this lying down. A mafia member marched forward, “You got some balls if you think we won't hurt a little runt like you. Do you know who we are?”

“A bunch of clowns in cheap suits?” he asked sarcastically.

“Oh really? Well you're gonna find out after we beat the piss outta you!” He and his friends pulled out knives. “We're gonna carve Revache right into your skin, kid!”

Rixia's eyes widened in horror. “P-please just run!” She screamed. "You can't fight them!”

Nero had other plans however. “So, you guys looking for a good time?” He looked at a mangled pipe that was hanging off the wall of a building and ripped it out of its socket. “Alright, I'll show you bastards some moves then.”

Rixia yelled again as the Revache members ran at Nero. “Get away from here! No-”

She quickly realized that her worries were for nothing.

Nero ran towards the first goon, the unlucky gangster being hit with a jumping side kick that sent him crashing into most of his buddies. Using the momentum, Nero had kicked off from that same goon and back flipped, twisted his body to re-orient himself for a downward strike, cracking one of the gang members on the head that managed to avoid being a bowling pin, flipping him over.

As for the rest, Nero proceeded to clean house while Rixia watched. One man tried to stab Nero, being punished with a broken hand and a jaw from two back to back pipe strikes. Using the back of the pipe, he drilled its end into another goon's face, weaving outta the way of a stab attempt and punished the assailant with a strike to his back.

The remaining ones froze for a second before the ring leader yelled out. “He's just one kid! Beat his ass!”

That managed to inspire them initially…

But Nero drawing his gun swallowed any hope of victory for Revaches' men.

“Listen up, you better walk your asses out of this neighborhood.” He aimed the gun at the men as he pulled the lever back with a resounding click. “Because trust me, she likes to bite.”

The rest of Revaches members took that threat to heart, cursing as they grabbed the man with a broken nose and scurried off.

“And none to spare” he quipped. Nero put his gun away and put the pipe over his shoulder and walked over to the stunned girl.

He stuck his hand out and Rixia took it as he gently pulled her to her feet. “I'll admit that wasn't my best performance.” He said dryly. “You okay?”

She let out a breath she had been holding in for some time. “I-I am. Th-thank you for saving me” she said with a mixture of nervousness and warmth. The locals started to come out of their homes, witnessing the end of a completely one sided brawl.

Nero passed by Rixia and looked at one of the unconscious mafia members. An idea popped in his head, with the first step of his plan was grabbing him and throwing him over his shoulder.

He went down the alley that Rixia traveled through but the girl called out to him. “Wait! Where are you going?”

Nero pace didn't even falter. “Heading to the local landfill. Nothing you need to worry about.”

Rixia put two and two together and ran after him. “Look lady, I'll be fi-” Rixia grabbed his wrist with a bit more force than he was honestly expecting. “Stop! You don't know what these people will do! I can't let you get hurt! She pleaded.

Nero turned around and sighed, Trish was right, this girl was a bleeding heart. “Your Rixia right? I'm Nero.” Rixia's eyes widened in surprise. “H-how do you know my name?”

Nero rubbed his neck. “Trish told me about you, wanted me to make sure you made it home safe.”

“I see…I-I really am making trouble for everyone.” Rixia rubbed her arm. Nero snorted. “Cheer up, besides I've been meaning to get a workout anyway.”

Noticing that she still was very keen on not letting him go, he tried something different. “Look, I'll just leave a message, promise.”

“…Just a message?” Rixia asked nervously.

Nero nodded. Seeing that he was not going to budge on this, Rixia reluctantly followed Nero to the den of lions that was Revache's headquarters, hoping that he would not go back on his word.

Garcia was giving orders to his men for tonight's latest shipment of illegal goods when he heard a commotion in the lobby. Hauling ass to the entrance of Revache & Co, he saw a few of his men, beaten and bloodied.

“What the hell happened?!” He roared. His first thought went to Yin but the assassin seldom left victims. The man with a broken nose was reluctant to explain what happened. “I'm talking to you! Who hit us?!”

Another commotion from out front got their attention as one the guards got sent flying through the double door, crashing into the lobby's front desk. The assailant walked in, a white haired teenager with a pipe.

The young man smirked as his handiwork. “Its not nice to litter dude, next time, pick up the trash off the street.”

The broken nosed man pointed at him. “I-it was his boss! He did this!” Garcia brow raised. “Lets get him! were gonn-”

Garcia's hand held his lackey in place. "Kid, what happened?”

Nero was a little surprised by the sudden hospitality. “Well ask him, he and his friends tried to attack a girl back on East street. She can tell you herself.”

At that, Rixia meekly walked in, holding her hands to her chest. Garcia eyed her for a bit before asking her for confirmation. “This true?”

Rixia nodded. “Y-yes, I was walking home and these men surrounded me. I-I tried to get away but one of them grabbed my wrist. Then he stepped in and…”

Garcia held a hand up. He patted his lackey on the back.

And gave him the most vicious gut punch that surely broke at least three ribs. The lackey doubled over, coughing and vomiting.

“The hell did I tell you about hanging around their territory?! GET UP!” Garcia shouted. 

The man slowly staggered up, clutching his stomach. Garcia's gaze landed on the two teens. “Our apologies, we'll make sure they get the message."

Nero smirked. “Just don't give them concrete shoes and we're all good. Lets bounce Rixia.”

Rixia bowed “Sorry for bothering you” she went and followed Nero out, entering a very weird looking orbal…van that didn't look like it was any particular make and model. Greeted by the smoke from its driver, the three took off, tires screening as it burned the back alley asphalt.

“Hmph kids these days, white hair like….those two.” Garcies thoughts worked in the background as he began to punish his underlings for insubordination.

Normally, Garcia would have allowed his men to kick the kids ass. He was a hardass like that. Hell, he wouldn't have minded given the kid some boxing lessons himself.

But the look in his eyes told him that the kid was just as much of a hardass as he was, probably had a good reason to kick in the door like that. Adios knows he would've done the same. His former crew would vouch for that.

Garcia Rossi, no matter what life he chose, would always be a hardass.

Chapter Text

1204 Septian calendar

March 14th

SSS building

Morning

“So, anchovies being the chief's favorite was not on my bingo card,” Dante said as he lazily slumped into his chair. “But damn that café knows how to make a pie.”

Lloyd nodded in agreement, shuffling some papers at the table. “I agree, I wish Vergil had some. The crust was amazing.”

“It was….adequate.” Tio begrudgingly muttered. “Why the long face? You got olives, as disgusting as that was.” Dante said to her. 

“Light olives, not enough to satisfy me”  Tio hissed at him. “You picked them off yours anyway, so I don't get why you complained in the first place."

“Messes with the texture, you'll understand when you're older” he replied grinning. Tio rolled her eyes.

“Honestly you two” Ellie rubbed her eyes. “At least you got what you wanted. The sauce was a little too much for my tastes.”

“What was wrong with it?” Randy asked. Ellie placed her hands on the table. “It was too thick specifically. It's not healthy at all”

“Ellie relax, you're too young to be worrying about weight. Nothing wrong gaining a few extra pou-” Dante stopped as he felt the room drop several degrees, the source not being from Tio but he sensed Ellie's gaze.

She had her eyes closed and adopted an uncanny grin that froze the humans in place. “A few extra what Dante?” Ellie said in an eerie pitched tone, tilting her head in a manner that would make demons tremble in fear. 

A few seconds that seemed like an eternity passed before Dante sat up to face her. “Alright so it looks like I stepped on a landmine, and I would like to offer my most humble apologies.”

“Oh so now he became aware!” Randy exasperated, the temperature returning to normal. Ellie eased a bit as she dropped her demonic persona. “Dante you're gonna get us killed one day man” Randy said. 

“At least we'll die laughing” the demon said back.

“With that being said, Ellie I'm glad you are still staying with us.” Tio spoke up as she adjusted her headset. 

Ellie's demonic aura completely disappeared at that. “Yes, right. I'm sorry for worrying everyone yesterday. I don't know where the future will take me. But right now, this is where I belong. So everyone, I'm happy that I get to keep working with you.

“Ellie…” Lloyd spoke as heart warmed up. “Couldn't agree more with the future miss mayor” Dante said next. 

“Dante rudeness aside, I am glad that you are staying as well” Tio voiced her agreement. “Haha damn straight. ‘Sides, I doubt we'd get much done without you keeping us in line” Randy happily agreed. 

“I wouldn't have to be so stern all the time if you didn't try to wander off to the casino every other day, Randy” Ellie pointed out. “Well that's enough of that. What should we do with the investigation from here on out?”

“Good question,” Lloyd said. “Copy cat or no, we still haven't found the identity of the sender of that letter.”

“Hmm” Dante mussed. He got up from his seat and headed to the terminal. “Dante?” Lloyd asked, wondering what he was doing. 

“Gonna try to skim the database. Might be so info that old Gumshoe might have about lying around” he answered tapping away at the keyboard.

“That's not a bad idea.” Randy said. “Have  Vergil and Trish seen anything on their end?”

Dante shook his head. “Nah, Yin's still a pha-” an orbmail notification pinged as it popped up on the terminals screen, making the demon raise an eyebrow. 

Dashing his fingers across the keyboard,  he opened it, finding an interesting surprise within its contents. “Well, ask and ye shall receive. Check this out guys.”

The humans made their way towards the computer and saw the orbmail in question. 

I, Yin, hereby submit my support request. Overcome this trial and face me. Only then will I grant you your mission. 

“It's him!” Lloyd said. Randy shook his head in disbelief. “Is this some kinda joke?”

“Tio, where was the mail sent from?” Ellie asked the team's technical genius. Dante got out of her way as Tio went to work. 

“Definitely not from the police department," she said with a clear-minded focus as her fingers danced across the keyboard.

“Got it. It was sent from the International Bank of Crossbell” she moved her hands away from the terminal. “Otherwise known as the IBC.”

“What does this mean?” Lloyd questioned  the strange timing of all this. 

Randy took a closer look at the mail. “The IBCs the bank that takes in mira from all over Zemuria, right? Why the hell would that kinda place be sending us prank mail.”

“Probably because it might not be prank mail,” Dante answered. “Tio, anywhere it came from specifically?”

Tio turned her head. “It definitely came from an IBC terminal, though I have no way of knowing who sent it.”

“Dante, it might be possible that the actual Yin may have infiltrated the IBC. This seems too much for an amateur to pull off” Lloyd said to him.

"That's not out of the question," Ellie spoke up. “The IBC building is home to quite a few external companies and organizations. Correct me I'm wrong but I think there's an Epstein foundation office, too.”

Tio pulled away from the computer and faced Ellie. “That is correct. An acquaintance of mine works there.” 

She then adopted a more serious look. “However, I should have been more clear. The orbmail was sent directly from the IBC's main terminal.”

“Let me guess, it's somewhere not easily accessed right?” Dante asked Tio, who gave a firm nod. “Well Lloyd, what's the move? 

Lloyd put a hand to his chin. “Well we won't know for sure until we ask them. I was hoping to keep our investigation under the radar from the First Division but we really don't have any choice.”

“Yeaaah”, Randy drawled out. “Goin’ under cover this time might be a lil’ tricky.”

“Actually..” Ellie began. “We may be able to perform our investigation in secret after all.”

“Oh really?” Dante asked interested. “Care to explain it to the class?”

“My best friend's father works at the IBC,” she answered. “If we explain the situation to him, he might give us a hand.” 

“Talk about having friends in high places.” Dante said with enthusiasm. 

“I have a decent amount,” Ellie said, twirling her hair. “Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing whether or not he's even in Crossbell city. Given how hectic his work schedule is.”

“What kind of position does he hold?” Tio chimed in. Ellie proceeded to give out a very shocking answer to the humans in the room. “You may have heard of him actually. His name is Dieter Crois.”

“Who?” Dante and Randy said at the same time while Lloyd and Tio were flabbergasted. Lloyd was the first to get over his shock. “Honestly, in a way, you could say that he is just as well known as IIya.”

Now it was Tio's turn to educate the two. “Deiter Crois…He is one of the continent's most wealthy and influential individuals and a leading figure in the Zemurian economy….

“Okay….go on…” Dante gestured with his hand.

“As well as the current CEO of the International Bank of Crossbell” she finished. 

“He's the top freakin dog of the whole bank?!” Randy yelled, stunned by the news. 

Ellie softly smiled at that. “He was originally an old friend of my father's. But, he's also kept a healthy relationship with my grandfather. Because of that, I've known him a good portion of my life, and his daughter is one of my closest childhood friends.”

“Decent connections she says” Dante laughed. “Modern day princess we got here.” 

Ellie giggled a bit. “Maybe I am,” she said with some cheek. 

“As much as finding out Madamos-Ellie is secretly royalty, standing around isn't gonna solve this challenge Yin gave us, what's the game plan Lloyd?” Randy asked him. 

The detective gave a definitive answer. 

“We'll head there now. Even if he isn't there, hopefully Ellie's friend will be willing to help us out.”

Ellie smiled. “I know she will. Shall we head to the IBC then?”

“I'll update Trish and Vergil about this.” Dante said, reaching for his Enigma. 

Their plans now set, the SSS headed over to the bank to hopefully find more clues on the sender of the orbmail. 

Arriving at the IBC and running into Ernest who still tried to convince Ellie to reconsider her position(much to the demon's annoyance) however the secretary relented way sooner than before,  acknowledging Ellie's resolve to realize her full potential by sticking with the SSS. 

Unfortunately, the Son of Sparda had to finally meet the Special Support Sections “arch enemy”. The infamous reporter, Grace Lynn walked out the IBC shortly after. 

"Well well well, what do we have here?~” She said in a cheery voice as she closed the distance.

Grace locked eyes with Dante and she pounced. “You! I've heard about you from last month's monster case! One of the Special Support Sections new recruits! Gotta say, you look old to be doing this, not theirs anything wrong with that. What's the deal between you and the vice commissioner? Under the table work or something more? Where's Vergil and Trish? Are they doing something important? Why do you have a guitar case? Is it true that yo-”

Dante put his hands on her shoulders to stop her from vibrating like a bee. “Whoa, slow down lady. Gonna make a hole in the floor with all that shaking.”

“Grace, can you please not jump on people? We're humans, not dogs ya know?” Randy gave the reporter an annoyed stare. 

“Agreed, even though he might deserve it,” Tio said. “Holding a grudge will stunt your growth Icy kid” the demon spoke back.

Before Tio could retort, Lloyd cleared his throat. “Grace, as much as we would like to chat” he lied. “We are actually here for some business.” 

Lloyd's choice of words here were poor indeed as a familiar glint entered the ace reporter's eyes. “Oh business is it? Do I detect hints of another sensational investigation blossoming?” she said with glee as she stepped back from Dante.

“N-no not at all. It's just your imagination.” Lloyd sheepishly lied, hoping that it would work. 

"We're just here to look into a few things, that's all” Ellie chimed in to back him up. 

“Well, if you say so,” Grace said, seemingly buying the lie. “im actually pretty busy myself, so I'll leave you guys alone…for now. Catch ya later, besties!”

As she walked past the group, she gave the devil hunter one final message. “I'll find the time to set up a special exclusive interview for you three. I cannot wait to pick your brains!”

Dante just nodded slowly. ‘I'll uh give the others a heads up.” Grace jumped for joy and fast walked towards her next destination. “She's passionate, I'll give her that.”

“Passionate my ass, she loves to kick us down when she puts us in the papers” Randy scoffed.

“It didn't seem too bad when I read our case from last month's investigation in the Times.” Ellie voiced her sentiments.

“It might be why she did not hound us as much as she usually does,” Tio observed the reporter's less than weird behavior. 

“I really hope we can avoid having another article written about us.” Lloyd voiced his concerns. “Hey, any publicity is good publicity in my book.” Dante said proudly. 

“You and publicity are a match made in hell man” Randy sighed, wiping his brows. “Tio's right though, she did seem a little less..motivated when it came to us.”

“Well she does have a lot of ground to cover with the Anniversary Festival happening next month.” Ellie pointed out. “Speaking of that, Nero starts school on the 31st right Dante?”

“Yep. He'll be missing out but I don't think he'll mind” Dante replied. “But I think we've done enough chatting around here.”

Lloyd nodded in agreement. “Right, we still need to see if we can get an appointment with the CEO.”

Taking heed of the demon's words the group finally entered the bank. 

The interior of the bank was absolutely stellar, if a place smelled like mira, the IBC would be the top contender. The SSS with Ellie serving as a tour guide, went to the front desk to retrieve a keycard for the main elevator. With the key item in mind the group entered the elevator and headed to the 16th floor.

When they left the elevator, to their right, the group saw a large atrium with a “million mira view” as Randy put it.

Dante couldn't help but agree, this place was definitely going all in, now very interesting in meeting the man who wrote the checks for this whole place. 

Heading down the hallway adorned with a red rug and plants that screamed corporate lifestyle, Ellie arrived at a set of double doors and knocked twice. 

“Uncle Dieter? Its Ellie” she announced. Not a second later, a man's boisterous voice answered the door. “Oh! Come in come in!"

“Thank you sir” Ellie replied politely. Opening the doors the group walked in and once again the scent of mira littered the room. 

The office held nothing back, black leather couches sat at the rightmost corner of the room, behind them, a luxurious bookcase containing various reads that Vergil would probably like to take a nose dive into, contrasted nicely with the pottery adorned on the opposite wall. 

But the star of the show was the ornate brown desk with golden patterns, a globe and a feathered pen gave the man sitting at the desk the vibe of being that said “I poured a pretty penny into making this space feel like mine.”

The man in question, who was wearing an expensive suit and tie, greeted Ellie with a smile as he put some papers to the side of the desk. “Ellie! It's been too long! Close to half a year, if i remember correctly”  He said, happy to see her. 

Ellie gave the man a sunny smile as bright as the rays of sunlight that poured into the room. “That sounds about right. But more importantly I'm glad you see you're doing well, Uncle Dieter. My apologies for not scheduling a proper appointment with you” she greeted as she stepped front and center. 

“Uncle? Yeah Ellies not missing out on Christmas gifts with the way he's loaded.” Dante thought as the man continued to speak with his supposed niece. 

“Come now! Don't talk as though we're strangers!” he said jovially. “You're my little girl's best friend, and the daughter of my own good friend as well, after all.  You're nothing short of family at this point.”

“Thank you, uncle's” Ellie spoke to him with pride. 

The CEO waved the thanks off. “Think nothing of it. Now, I've heard from my dear, beloved daughter that you've joined the CPD. Would these be your fellow officers then?”

“They are,” Ellie answered. “We're all part of the Special Support Section.”

Stepping to the side, her fellow officers gave their introduction.

“Nice to meet you, sir. My name is Lloyd Bannings.”

“And I'm Randy Orlando.”

“I am Tio Plato. How do you do?”

“Dante Redgrave, cozy spot you got here.”

The CEO looked pleased. “It's nice to finally meet the four of you. I've read about you in the Crossbell times. Although…if I recall, there were two other members of this division, correct?”

“Yes sir” Lloyd responded promptly. “Vergil Redgrave and Trish Eva are currently on duty elsewhere, you have my apologies for them not being in attendance.”

The man laughed. “Think nothing of it, young man. Perhaps we'll meet again at some point. Pardon my delay but allow me to introduce myself.”

The man stood up, his posture showcasing the confidence that one would need in his position. “I am Dieter Crois, CEO of the International Bank of Crossbell. Lloyd, Randy, Tio and Dante, you said? We're all friends, so don't feel like you need to call Mr. Crois or anything like that. Just Dieter is fine.”

He flashed the four with a literal shining smile, that one would think was being reflected from the sunlight pouring. 

“O-okay?” Lloyd said awkwardly, not expecting the big shot CEO to be this friendly. “Were his teeth just gleaming now?” Tio muttered, wondering if it was a trick of the mind. 

“There so shiny I can smell the mint all the way over there” Randy whispered. “Yeah I saw it too, Crois must have a hell of a morning routine” Dante whispered back. 

Somehow, Dieter heard none of that. “Anyway, shall we get down to business? I believe you're here to ask me a few questions. Might I ask what they entail?"

Ellie began to explain the current situation to Dieter, whose face morphed into a somewhat serious state of contemplation. 

When the group got to the part about how Yin had possibly used the IBC'S main terminal to send a message, Dieter proposed a different scenario altogether.

“I see, I see,” Dieter hummed. “To be perfectly honest, I have the utmost confidence in our building's security. Even more so when it comes to the floor the main terminal is on. Only a few authorized individuals can access it as is. Furthermore you would have to have proper identification in order to operate the terminal.”

Lloyd's detective alarm told him to ask a pressing question. “I know this may be rude of me to ask, but have any employees with the proper clearance been acting suspiciously recently? Perhaps a recent hire, or someone that has been acting suspiciously?”

“I don't think that's the case Lloyd” Dante chimed in. “If that was the case, the guy or girl would have left a trail. Dieter, this place keeps records of employees going in and out of the basement, right?”

The CEO nodded. “Yes and I agree with your assessment. If an employee of mine did use the main terminal, they would have implicated themselves.”

“Ah I see” Lloyd said. “That's a very good poin-

“But that brings me to another thought everyone” Dieter spoke up suddenly. “Have you explored any other possibilities? For example…what if was pretending to be this Yin character, and I sent you the message?”

“WHAT?!” Lloyd shouted. “Your joking right!?” Randy sported a similar feeling of surprise. 

“So…you're the copycat we've been looking for? Alright then.” Dante unzipped his bag and drew his sword. “We're taking you in!”

“DANTE WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Ellie screamed. “Stay back Ellie, we gotta have a seasoned killer on our hands!” He answered, getting into his stance. 

“That I am my dear Ellie!” Dieter responded with an unnatural authority in his voice.

“U-uncle?!” Ellie exclaimed. She and the other humans started to back away from the desk as the CEO gave off an aura of certainty at his word. “However, since I have been discovered, I cannot let any of you live!” 

Dieter grabbed the feather pen at his desk, flipping it into a reverse grip as he jumped on the desk.

“A hidden demon at the top of a bank? Couldn't have asked for something better.” Dante said. He and Dieter's presences filled the room as the human SSS members were still in shock.

“Uncle Dieter! W-what are you doi-” Ellie shouted but her uncle flashed her an evil grin. 

“DOING WHAT IS NECESSARY! NOW DRAW YOUR WEAPON, OR YOUR LIFE IS FORFEIT!” Dieter roared at his niece.

Dieter's proclamation scared her. It cut her deep, this man, who was one of her closest family members, was supposedly an assassin. Lloyd shook her out of her stupor, his senses screaming that the man was not joking. 

“Ellie! we need to get ready! I'm confused too but we can worry about that later!” Lloyd said, drawing his tonfas. Tio and Randy armed themselves as well. 

“We'll kick his ass then solve this mystery.” Randy yelled. “Ellie! Just get behind me if you can't fight!” Tio said, stepping in front of her. 

The tension in the room reached a fever pitch, threatening to swallow anything in its path. However, the incoming maelstrom never came.

“Heheh…” Dieter suddenly began chuckling, much to the confusion of the SSS members. 

“Hahah…” Dante's laugh caught them off guard as well. “D-dante?” Lloyd questioned. 

“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The air in the room simmered as the hunter and CEO howled in unison.

The humans were dumbfounded as Dieter hopped back into his chair, wiping his eyes. “Good show Mr. Redgrave! I was hoping to scare them a bit, but you went above and beyond my good man!"

Dante's laugh came down as well as he rezipped his sword. “Heh what can I say?  It's not often I run into a good jokester.”

“It….was a joke?” Lloyd asked bewildered, putting his weapons away. “I…cannot believe I fell for it.” Tio spat, not happy with the implication. “They are quite the practical jokers.”

“Holy shit Dante, you might be worse than Grace.” Randy said exasperated. “I meant what I said ear-”

A familiar creeping aura entered the room, silencing all conversation.  “A prank? I see, you must be really funny Dante, Uncle Dieter ” the demonic face appeared on Ellie's face once more, the sunlight giving it a more horrifying appearance. 

“M-my dear Ellie” Dieter said, a little afraid of his supposed niece. “I-it was done in all good fun I assure you. Could you imagine the headlines if I had revealed that I was the legendary assassin, Yin?”

“Scathing, it would have broken my heart” Ellie said, tilting her head. “Uncle, I would appreciate it if you didn't scare us like that, even hypothetically.”

Dieter gave a nod while laughing. “Of course my dear. I apologize for the scare.”

“And Dante?” Ellie turned to the hunter, directing her fury at the devil. “We're going to have a VERY long discussion on conduct.”

“Looking forward to it. It was worth it in the long run.” Dante brushed off the chill in the room. Randy shivered. “I swear death doesn't even scare you.”

“Getting back to the matter at hand…” Lloyd came in, hoping to calm things down “Tio, the transmission between the IBC and SSS terminal..is it possible for the location to be masked in any way?”

“An interesting question. It is possible that the IBC's main terminal was hacked from an external source.” Tio answered, managing to shake off the previous chill in the room. “Hacked?” Lloyd asked. 

“Its basically when someone gains unauthorized access to a system, network, devices or date” Dante answered Lloyd's question and also received bewildered stares in return. 

“How do you even know that?” Ellie inquired, the room finally returning to its previous state. “I read, is it that shocking?” Dante replied casually. 

“Yes, it very much is.” Tio begrudgingly said. 

“Well to further add to your amazement Icy kid, if it was hacked, then that would mean wherever it came from had to be on a terminal that's connected to the network” Dante affirmed, tapping his head with his finger. 

For the second time today, Tio rolled her eyes, annoyed by the lazy buffoons technical knowledge. 

Dante placed his hands on the desk, “So Dieter, I hate to be so bold but could we have access to the terminal? I bet Tio could probably find out where the mail came from.”

Dieter smiled. “I was just thinking that it would be best if you all investigated the terminal for yourselves. I'll have the staff down there assist you, in case you have any questions” 

“That would be incredibly helpful sir,” Lloyd said, grateful that they had a potential lead. “Thank you, Uncle. We really appreciate it” Ellie echoed a similar sentiment of gratitude. 

“My pleasure. Besides as CEO, this is an issue I can't afford to overlook.” Dieter said, pushing himself from his chair. “Haha and I must say Ellie..I get the impression your days have been fulfilling as of late.”

“Pardon?” Ellie asked, not really understanding what her uncle meant by that. 

“I had my reservations when I first heard that you decided to join the CPD” he began. “But it does seem like a job that will net you some very valuable real-world experience.”

Dante snapped his fingers, “Ain't that the truth, kids got to get her hands dirty to help dear old gramps and I say she's well on her way to making that happen.”

Ellie smiled at the praise and swelled with pride. “Its reassuring to hear you both say that.”

Dieter nodded agreement. “Speaking with you all face to face has made me realize that I see even more potential in you than I did reading the articles about you.”

“Potential?” Dante questioned.

Dieter got up from his chair and walked to the window. “Im sure you have have realized this already, but Crossbell is plagued with a rather…unique set of problems, and I'm sure Ellie is aware of this as well.”

“Great, another speech, Vergil and Trish got it good ” Dante thought idly as Dieter continued on. 

“I believe that the most significant problem we face as a society is that justice has lost all substance. It has become a shadow of its former self.”

“What do you mean sir?” Lloyd quizzed him on the statement. 

“The idea, the very concept of justice, has become nothing more than an empty vessel. Lip service if you will. Everyone has their own perspective, of course. Some may even scoff at the mere mention of it, claiming there is no such thing as justice. 

Dieter paused as continued to find words to reinforce his beliefs on the matter. “Whatever their opinions are, however, one truth remains. Humankind are creatures that will, to our dying breath, chase after the ideal of justice.”

“Right, right” Dante muttered as he began to tune out Dieter's speech. 

It wasn't a bad speech at all, hell even agreed with his sentiment while the police had their hands tied with dealing with corruption and the Bracer guild, humans would always seek justice.

One thing he did disagree with was his belief that justice was the foundation of society. 

Sure, justice played a heavy role in its function , but it's too black and white and like he said, definitions did vary, meaning that one person's justice could be someone else's evil. There was however, one important component that justice needs in order to benefit society as a whole.

Love. The fundamental thing that humans had. The force that allowed his father  to realize the worth humans had. The sole reason why he took up arms to save mankind by sealing the human world and the demon world away from one another. 

It was the reason why KeA reached out to them, complete strangers to save her future family and Dante was damn sure he and the others were going to make that happen.

Only if these speeches didn't fry his brain first. 

“Dante?” The demon hunter felt Tio poke him in the side. “We're you even listening?”

“Yes Icy kid, truth justice and all that jazz will win at the end!” He said, pumping his fist. The others weren't buying it. 

Thankfully Dieter decided to bail him out. “Well SSS, shall I have one of my employees escort you?”

“That won't be necessary.” A woman's voice came from behind the SSS. Turning around, a woman wearing a similarly colored suit jacket and white skirt with absurdly long ring shaped pig tails strutted her way into the room. 

Ellie's face brighted up as she seemingly recognized the girl. “Bell?” She was surprised at her arrival. 

“Ah so you've returned.” Dieter greeted me with a smile. “Is this your daughter?” Dante asked, wanting to get some clarification. 

Dieter affirmed with a nod. 

“Yes, Father. I just arrived moments ago.” She greeted, not skipping a beat. Her gaze landed on Ellie and Dante could just feel the…..boundless love this woman had for the girl. 

“It's been too long Ellie!” she said with a giggle as she walked up and pulled the girl into a tight embrace, much to Ellie's embarrassment. “C-cut it out bell!” She protested, but the words fell on deaf ears. 

“Hmm…how long HAS it been? Two months? Three?” She gleefully questioned the flustered girl who tried to break away from her. “Have you gotten thinner, Ellie? Have you been eating right? We can always fix that, no problem. I've also seen that your arms and legs have shaped up nicely too. Very impressive!”

Yeah, this girl was head over heels for Ellie. 

Speaking of Ellie, despite her discomfort, she felt a little proud of her best friend noticing the changes she's undergone. “It's only natural that I'd build muscle, given our daily routines. Because of that, I may have gained a few pounds believe it or not. Although…”

The slightest pitch of tone did not escape the blonde woman's ears. “Ellie? What's wrong? 

Ellie shifted a bit. “Recently I've eaten some rather…unhealthy food that I was recommended to try.”

“Someone fed you poison?!” The blonde girl's voice rose several octaves. “Who did it?! Who would've attempted to violate you in such a manner?!” 

Unprompted, the woman's eyes met the four SSS members, giving Tio a warm look while the other three received death glares at best.

“I really do have rotten luck with women,” Dante thought as the girl began her interrogation, absent mindedly dodging a few attempted purse swipes. 

This was going to be a really long day

Arc en Ciel theater

Noon

Vergil and Trish were not lucky, not lucky at all.

“Yes! Like that Trish, keep up the pace! IIya cheered as she watched the demon complete a third backflip in a row. Landing on her feet, a swing from a katana barely missed her neck as she performed a split and twisted her body to perform a head spin. Vergil in response hiked a leg up and blocked a kick with his scabbard, but the blow knocked him back a few feet. 

Trish was back in a low stance with one hand on the ground propping her up like a cat, the two demons stared each other down before an applause from their audience broke the stalemate.

“That was wonderful, you two!” Avan cheered as brought the two some water to drink. They didn't need it but they had to appear tired. “Ms. Platierie, was that run through to your liking?” Vergil asked her, taking a sip from his cup.

Ilya hummed before shaking her head. “It's getting there but not quite up to speed” she said to the demon known for his inhuman agility. “You should swing a bit faster, it'll keep the audience engaged, making them think that you actually tried to cut her head off.”

“Any faster and he might actually do that” Trish cursed in her thoughts. “Trish my darling, your doing great, just making that spin more…..dynamic”

The she-devil rolled her eyes at the suggestion, regretting everything being hired as a security guard with Vergil expressing a similar disapproval at this situation through his facial features. 

By some insane will of fate, IIya had roped the two demons into doing an Impromptu audition of sorts in an attempt to see if the demons had what it took to really make it on stage. 

Unfortunately due to their genetics, they greatly pleased Ilya's assessment of their innate talent and physical abilities, and at her whims, made them perform a fight scene that she and the other cast members had thought about performing in the past, and to their dismay, they were the perfect test subjects to study from. 

“IIya I appreciate the thought but im not really interested in being a guinea pig, much less a dancer” Trish said, tossing her cup in a nearby trash can. “Isn't your little up and comer better for this?”

The Fervant Dancer gave Trish a whimsical look. “Oh I for sure have faith in her talent. But she isn't here right now so I have you all to myself.”

“For a woman under the threat of an assassin, you are awfully calm” Vergil gave his sword once over. 

IIya smiled at him, “Why should I be worried? My dashing knight is by my side! Not to mention my other knight is valiantly searching for my potential assailant.”

Her eyes perked up. “Avan! We should make a show of this. The public would eat it up.”

Avan nervously shook his head. “I, uhh, think we should discuss that further.”

“Speaking of that” Avan went up on stage to speak with the demons. “How is the investigation going?”

Vergil cleared his throat and rubbed some dust off of his jacket as he went over to the man. “It is proceededly smoothly, I was told that we have found a lead. Rest assured our colleagues will find out the truth soon.”

“Another thing Vergil” IIya chimed in as she started to apply some makeup. “Your too stiff.”

“I am? Vergil questioned as he walked across the stage towards IIya. 

“Yes Vergil, it's clear as day.” The demon approached her, the dancer sitting in a chair, knowing that he was eyeing her but gave it no mind as she applied some eye shadow. 

Vergil stood silently when IIya sighed. “This is what I mean, you should speak your mind instead of being a statue. We have enough of those in storage as is” she spoke with a calm leveled voice, finishing a part of her routine.

“I suppose…what makes me stiff in your eyes. I would like to believe that I can flow very well” Vergil pointed out. 

“In combat, yes, but dancing is different” she replied, applying some mascara. Vergil raised an eyebrow. “Fighting and dancing carry over a lot of similarities, I'm failing to understand what I am missing. 

“The one thing that you lack my dear knight….is vulnerability.” Ilya moved to her second eye. “We dancers have to give ourselves to the crowd. You martial artists  focus so much on yourselves that you fail to expose yourself to other people, ideas, beliefs.”

Vergil, noting the irony in her words, noticed the surprised philosophical point it brought up. “That's an interesting view point. How would I go about being…vulnerable?”

“Tell me about yourself. Spill everything, I'm all ears” the dancer said happily. Vergil let out an annoyed sigh “Was this your plot all along?”

“Hehehe maybe, you'll just have to keep digging” she teased. “So, tell me about yourself, why did my knights arrive in this glorious city of sin?”

“We were offered jobs,” he answered. 

IIya gave him a flat look. “And?”

“We were traveling for nearly two decades before deciding that we needed a place to settle down.” He said flatly. 

“Oh? Why did you travel for that long?”

Vergil pulled up a chair and sat down. “We left our humble village behind because it never felt like home in the first place”

IIya stopped the last drop of mascara from being put on her face. “You've never felt you belonged anywhere?”

“More or less” Vergil started again. “Given all the time you've spent with Trish, surprised you haven't asked her about our past yet.”

“Well…” she placed a hand on her cheek. “I did want to….but asking you seemed more interesting. And it looks like I was right.”

“How interesting?” 

“Interesting enough to know that you are,  in fact, struggling with something” she said, noticing the slightly surprised look on Vergil's face. “I won't pry for more but I'd like to hear you acknowledge it.” He didn't say anything else but IIya was right on the money. 

It was odd. He didn't really chat with people outside of his immediate family. Well his brother specifically. With Trish, Nico and Nero it felt as if there was a gap between them. Nero especially, given their history. 

He hadn't really connected with people given his upbringing and while Dante initially struggled with that, the whole Temen Ni Gru incident gave his brother some much needed awareness about who he was as a person. Vergil….hadn't quite made it that far yet. 

A tap on his shoulder broke him from his stupor as Ilya gave him a soft smile. “Oh my knight, please whisper your woes to me.”

When did I get so sentimental?

Outskirts of Crossbell city 

Stargazer tower, entrance

Early afternoon 

Today, had been a really long day. 

Getting screened by Mariebelle Crois, Ellie's best friend, had been exhausting. 

Seeing Tio's Aeon system in action was cool if you were into computers and tech. 

Trudging through the sewers and fighting great value R2D2 rejects to track down the hacker was annoying, much less entertaining, and after meeting Jona Sacred himself, Dante almost understood when people told him that he was a slob when he saw the brat cooped up in his little hole in the Geofront.

At least they got something useful out of it. The so called informant was apparently contacted by Yin himself and instructed Jona to give them a fancy silver card which held the following message:

The door has opened. I summon you to challenge me at the tower of the stars and hear my wish.

Noticing how the writing style was completely different from the original threat letter and the various obvious location that the message was referring to, the SSS beelined it towards Stargazer tower, an old structure looming of the nearby forest next to Ursula road. 

Parked outside of the tower was a CGF vehicle and right near the front door, was a familiar looking guardsmen, inspecting a broken gate near the entrance. 

The SSS made their way towards her with Lloyd's calling out to her. “Heeey!” He drawled out as they closed in on their approach.

Noel Seeker turned around and saw the SSS members approaching her. “Oh!.... it's you guys.”

Lloyd greeted with a smile “I thought it was you.” Randy caught her attention with a faux salute. “Ha! Fancy meeting you here.”

“Lloyd, Randy and Dante?” She began, slowly adopting a smile. “Ellie and Tio, too?”

“Long time no see. Sergeant major Seeker” Ellie replied warmly. “We appreciate all the help you gave us in Mainz.” Tio stated. 

“Sup seeker” Dante waved. “Getting some sight seeing done?”

“Haha no unfortunately.” She replied sheepishly. “So what brings the SSS to stargazer tower?” This isn't exactly a common place for people to visit."

“Well we got a rat infestation on our hands, a big nasty one too.” Dante answered. 

“A rat?” Noel asked. “Is it a large rat monster? The CGF hasn't heard anything abo-” 

Lloyd put a hand up. “ Sorry, It's just him joking…partially. We're actually here as part of another investigation.” Lloyd told her with a serious expression. “But uh, what happened with the barricade here?”

Noel let out a muddled sigh. “I can't imagine why, but someone decided to destroy it. We put it up in the first place to stop people from wandering into the tower. Given its age and the monster in there, it's a pretty dangerous place,” she said, gesturing to the wrecked piece of the barricade. 

Noel put a hand on her hip. “I was on my regular patrol when I found it like this.”

“Well well. Convenient timing for it to be destroyed today of all day” Randy said with knowing confidence. “Pretty sure I can take a guess who the culprit was.”

“You and me both.” Dante stated. 

“Huh?” Noel expressed, not really understanding the situation. Lloyd gave her a brief run down of the situation and needless to say, it put the woman on high alert. 

“An assassin from the Eastern Quarter?!” She shouted, with  her voice echoing through the foliage. “That's right,” Ellie answered. “We received a message from him saying he'd be waiting for us in this tower.” 

“Lloyd thought that it could have been a ruse but that barricade being smashed says otherwise.” Dante commented as Lloyd nodded in agreement. 

“So, what do you five plan to do?” Noel asked earnestly. “We're gonna have a heart to heart with the guy,” Dante answered. 

Noel did not like that response at all. “You're not actually not going to just walk in there? At least not without back up.”

“It's probably better this way,” Dante spoke up. “A small group like ours is probably for the best.”

Randy rubbed his chin. “Yeah I agree with Dante, this guy is a pro. We roll in with an army he'll just scamper off into the shadows.”

“Don't worry about Seeker, some trespasser won't be enough to take us out” Dante said confidently. As much as Noel understood the group's logic, as a member of the CGF, she couldn't stand idly by. 

Giving it some thought, she made a suggestion. “In that case, I won't stop you. However, I ask that you allow me to go with you and assist” she declared with fire in her voice. 

The others were taken aback by this bold move. “Sergeant major, are you allowed to do that?” Ellie asked the soldier. 

Noel nodded promptly. “This tower is under the Guardian Forces jurisdiction. I would be neglecting my duty if I allowed you to wander into danger alone. Besides, it's the least I could do since you're always looking after Fran.”

She then saluted. “Sergeant Major Noel Seeker is locked, loaded and ready to go!”

Dante saluted back, not really minding the suggestion. “ I like the enthusiasm, Seeker, we move out at 0700 hours.”

Tio pinched her brow. “We're not soldiers, Dante.  Lloyd, let us go before he takes this too far….again.”

Wanting to avoid another Dieter Crois incident, the SSS added Noel to their roster and opened the doors to the tower.

They first walked through an entrance hall with the sunlight from outside basking the interior stone structure with a golden light. But the main star of the show was Stargazers tower's first floor. 

Now throughout Dante's many adventures, he's never really had time to really admire the architecture of the places he went to on job's, but this little working vacation allowed him to see some truly impressive sights, and this place was definitely on the top of the list.

The room was massive with several stone pathways, leading to various other portions of the tower,  lined with fencing to cut off the seemingly bottomless chasm that filled the room. 

At the center of these individual pathways, various light fixtures, garnished with the dance of many fire flies, gave the area an ethereal glow, adorning it with a sense of natural beauty and its untold history. It was almost spiritual in nature. 

Scratch that, it was spiritual in nature as Dante analyzed the interior, taking in the smell and vibrations of the space. Strangely enough, he has felt this spiritual force before. 

Back inside the Geofront when they first arrived. 

Granted that it was very faint but his demonic senses told him that these two places had a similar vibe going. Deciding to file this in for later so his fellow hunters could probably check the place out on their own time, the demon was brought out of his brain storm by Noel herself. 

“Dante, are you okay?” She was a little concerned for him. “Eh im fine, just taking in the natural beauty. Whoever built this has a sense of style I'll give em that.”

“I agree with Dante,” Ellie said. “If I recall correctly, this tower was built around the middle ages” she walked around to take in the interior's fascinating architecture and a few fire flies that caught her eye. 

Noel breathed out a somewhat sad sigh. “Its a shame that it's been nearly ten years since this tower was cordoned off. Truth be told, I always thought I'd be smart to conduct a proper investigation of this place.”

“Doubt that would go over well with your chicken shit commander" Randy scoffed, rubbing his hand over a mossy rock. “I can imagine him saying ‘Sergeant Major Seeker, that would be a waste of our precious budget’ and all that bullshit” he said in a mocking tone. 

Noel voiced her agreement with some bitterness. “Impeccable impression. He was superior when you were in the CGF, right Randy? I am so lucky to work under Deputy Commander Baelz. If I had to work under him instead, I'd probably quit the force.”

Randy faced her, looking as if he'd taken a bad trip down memory lane, but laughed none the same “Haha, that's actually what sort of happened to me” he said with his laid back smile. 

As the others asked about Randy's past with the CGF, Dante noticed Tio's “analysis glare” as he called it, in which her face scrunched up a bit slightly. When this happened, it meant that Tio had discovered something rather interesting. 

So in the spirit of things, he stepped a bit closer to her to pick her brain. “Icy kid, smell something funny?”

Tio eased up a bit and looked annoyed. “I am not a dog, but to answer your question, this tower is different compared to the other places we have investigated so far.”

That statement got the rest of the group's attention. “Tio, what do you mean by that?” Lloyd asked her.

The technician began to explain what she had discovered. “Earth, water, fire, wind. Along with those for basic elements, I am detecting the presence of the higher elements here, as well.”

“The what elements?” Dante said out loud. 

“In other words Dante,” Ellie said. “The four basic elements of orbal arts are present here alongside the higher elements.”

“Those being?”

“Time, space and mirage respectively,” Tio answered. “As most of you should know, monsters are typically vulnerable against the four elements, but while time, space and mirage are immensely powerful, monsters normally aren't weak to them at all. However, this place seems to follow a different set of rules.”

“Hmm..,I think I got it, thanks Icy kid.” he replied. Tio was having a hard time believing that. 

Lloyd came to a conclusion based on Tio's explanation. “So essentially, arts aren't going to act as they usually do, right?

Before Tio could answer, the ground shook in a rhythm. “Wait, does anyone hear that?” Lloyd asked the group. 

“Yeah and I see 'em too.” Dante pointed towards a pathway. Marching down it towards the group were what looked to be two giant suits of armor, taller than any normal human could have worn. The demon sensed that these were being controlled by some sort of spiritual energy that came from the tower. 

The others pulled their weapons out, but it wasn't necessary as Dante was already on the move, dashing forward with a downward slashed and following up with three slashed to the armours midsection, the force of the strikes knocked it and its partner over the railing, send them both tumbling into the abyss. The others were shocked by the show of strength.

“You just love stealing our thunder, don't you?” Randy questioned as he and the others put their weapons away. “What can I say? I aim to please” Dante replied.

“With that being said, just what the hell were those things?” Lloyd asked as he looked over the edge. “They definitely weren't your run of the mill monster, that's for sure. I don't think they were people either. I doubt it would be possible for a person to move around in such bulky armor, ” Noel responded. 

Ellie shakily holstered her pistol. “W-w-were they g-g-ghosts?” 

“Yes…and no Ellie” Dante said, walking over to her. “Looks like someone bound some leftover life force to that armor and set them up as guards for trespassers. When the vessels are destroyed, the spiritual energy bound to the armor dissipates,  so there's no worry for any spirits following us home.”

Ellie slightly calmed down but wasn't really happy with the implications. “I-i see,”

“Dante, I've never heard of something like that,” Lloyd said to him. “is that even possible?”

“Me and the others have seen some weird shit through the years. Helps that Vergil likes to read and share that info with us” the demon felt the air shimmer. “And it looks like they weren't the only things protecting the place.”

“I had assumed that the alchemists of the middle ages had created those golems,” Tio added. “But the mechanism by how they function is currently lost to time.”

“Wow man, I figured Vergil was a quick study but you're a whole bookworm yourself!” Randy complimented Dante, who in turn nodded with a grin. 

“Binding spirits to armor still seems a bit far-fetched to me” Noel said as stepped towards a somewhat frightened Ellie. “I'd say only the goddess would have such power to do that.”

“There are many things in this world that we do not understand. The great collapse for example.” Tio spoke up.

Dante briefly read a bit about it, as much as he'd rather not admit it, being a history buff came with the territory when hunting demons. 

The great collapse occurred roughly twelve hundred years ago and caused the ancient Zemurian civilization to be wiped out, leaving behind artifacts, orbal relics that were highly technologically advanced and were the reference point for modern day orbal tech, which pales in comparison to the ancient technology the civilization used. 

They were theories about what caused it. The church believed that the collapse was a test from the goddess. Others believed that it was a natural disaster that brought humanity to its heel. 

The topic did interest him a bit and he honestly wouldn't be surprised if the church knew some top secret info about the period of time, given their jurisdiction over artifacts and how they keep them away from the public eye. 

“Regardless, we should press on and see what Yin has in store for us. Let's go.” Lloyd said, interrupting the demon's thoughts. With that the group moved their way through the tower. 

Dante had to hand it to the builders of this place, they definitely knew how to keep things somewhat interesting. He and the others battled various kinds of leftover alchemical constructs, ranging from floating axes to flying shields and weirdly enough, a chariot with skull shaped cannon and some miniature spinning tops that looked like wizards.

It did little to stop the group's progress and as they traversed several spiral staircases and taking a brief detour on an outside cat walk, they finally made it to the tower's 6th floor.

The SSS walked up a ramp way which led to a large open chamber that was mixed between a garden and a library with two glowing spheres, glowing orange and blue respectively, placed at the far northmost end of the room. In the center of them there was another rampway, leading to what was probably the top of the tower. 

“Ive never seen bookshelves this big” Ellie said in amazement. “Are those some kind of astrolabs?”

“Well we can ask the person who's been watching us.” Dante said as he looked towards the top of the bookshelf.

Suddenly a voice greeted the group, beginning with an echoing laugh as he began to speak “It's said that this tower was constructed by the ancient alchemists of the middle ages, if that answers your query.” 

The Humans looked towards the bookshelf and saw a figure dressed black and wore a silver mask that honestly looked like some kind of owl, as Dante best guessed. 

“I have been waiting for you, SSS” the man said hauntingly. “But I see you brought along an unexpected guest.” if there was any disappointment that could be sensed, it ultimately didn't matter to what came next. 

“I'm just here as back up. Don't mind me” Noel said firmly as she trained her eyes on the man.

“Heh, very well” he said as he jumped from his perch and landed in front of the SSS. “So we finally meet face to face. I am known as Yin.”

“So, the phantom of the opera finally takes the stage eh?” Dante said. 

“Your reputation of you and your friends proceeds you, your nephew especially” Yin said, alarming the other humans. “He has my thanks for protecting Rixia Mao.”

“Whoa what?!” Randy exclaimed. “What about Rixia?!”

“Are you implying that Rixia was in danger?” Tio questioned the eastern demon. 

“Huh?!” Ellie said, taken aback by the news. “You don't mean Nero, do you?!”

“What is he talking about Dante?” Lloyd asked in dismay. “Long story, I'll explain later,” Dante replied, feeling another trademark glare from Tio. 

“I must also thank all of you for accepting my request. I imagine getting here was no small feat” Yin said, shifting the topic.

Giving Dante a look that meant they were going to discuss what Yin said earlier, Lloyd shifted his focus to the assassin. “It sure wasn't. You had us running in circles for a while now. Those monsters didn't make it easy, either. Do we have you to thank for them?”

Yin's chuckle was brief but insightful. “I assure you, those strange beings were wandering the halls long before I arrived. I happened upon this place while searching for a way to keep my skills sharp, and found this tower's the perfect prey. In fact, the whole structure has proven to be more interesting than I had expected.”

“You can say that again. I doubt it was you that set those things on patrol in the first place” Dante stated with certainty. 

“I think it would be difficult for someone to fill the entire tower with those monsters. Even if that person was Yin” Tio said, agreeing with the demon's assessment. 

“Now, I know you must have a multitude of questions for me” Yin began before pulling out a large heavy looking sword with a hook at its end. “But allow me to administer the final test.” The other humans tensed while Dante lazily reached for his sword.

“You sure? It's six on one pal" he asked casually. 

“A test?!” Lloyd said, feeling the adrenaline start to spike. “What are you planning?!” Ellie yelled out, reaching for her gun. 

An ominous aura emitted from the assassin. “Weakness does not interest me. Do you possess the strength to fulfill my request? Come at me with all your strength” he presented his challenge to the group. 

Lloyd scoffed under his breath as he whipped his tonfas out, ready to lead the charge.

“He does not appear to be bluffing” Tio said as she brandished her staff. 

Randy's dry laugh echoed his agreement. “I'd like to say our numbers give us an edge here, but this guy's the real deal! Stay on your toes everyone!” He gripped the halberd as he prepared for battle. 

“There's no need to hold back!” Noel shouted as she trained her sub machine guns on Yin. “Right! Lets give this everything we got!” Ellie followed her fellow gunman's example. 

“The troupe couldn't write lines that bad, but let's see if you can fight better then you can talk” Dante swung his sword across his body and assumed his stance, placing his sword behind with one hand and holding his left hand low to his waist.

“Heh, that's what I like to hear. Now, prepare yourselves!” Yin said he ran towards his targets, his perception of time slowing to a crawl as he ran through the best course of action.

The SSS had three front line fighters and three ranged fighters respectively, all gathered in a loose octagon-like formation with plenty of holes to exploit. 

“I will start…with you!” Yin raced towards Dante and danced past Lloyd.

Yin analyzed Dante's stance and it was mediocre at best. While taking out Lloyd, the leader out would be the quickest way to make the group fall apart, Yin decided to play with his prey, it was a test after all. 

So, the assassin dashed in, hoping to trick Dante with a feint, then angle out to strike him from the side. The demon did in fact, fall for the manuver, by slashing downwards towards Yin. 

“So slo-fast! Too fast!

Yin barely had time to block it but still felt the force through his bones.

Twisting his blade, trying to use Dante's momentum to make him fall forward and expose his right side, Yin pivoted his body around for a midsection cut, but Dante was one step ahead and stopped his forward drive and spun his sword behind him to intercept the cut without even facing Yin. 

A back kick came next, blocked by Yin's blade, but the blow sent him kidding across the floor, Dante took the initiative this time, locking blades with the assassin. “That all ya got? I guess the rumors were just that. Rumors”

Yin smirked at the taunt, doing his best to push back against the demon's sword. “I'm afraid not. When were you under the assumption that I was ever outnumbered?"

Dante raised an eyebrow as Yin chanted and used a special technique. “Demon Shadow technique: Body split!”

Dante saw as Yin's shadow began to split apart and five replicas of Yin rose from the darkness and began to intercept the remaining SSS members. “Neat little party trick!” The demon quipped as he and Yin began their clash once more. 

While Dante was playing with his opponent, the other SSS members plus Noel were going through it. The Yin clones made it their priority to split the party up and eliminate any tactical movements. Two Yin clones rushed towards Lloyd and Randy while the other three pressured the girls, separating them. 

Noel and Ellie opened fire, but the clones weaved and banked, avoiding the bullets. The clones pulled out swords of their own and right as they were a few feet away, Tio swiped a wave of energy from her staff, keeping their assailants at bay. 

“He can make copies of himself?!” Noel yelled. “It appears so! Tio exclaimed as she began to cast an art. “Keep firing Ellie!”

Ellie kept squeezing the trigger as she shot at the clones again, but Yin had another plan in mind. It began when Noel's guns clicked, signaling that she was out of ammo.

“Reloading! Cover me!” She went to feed her guns a fresh set of magazines but a kunai thrown her way interrupted the process, piercing the gun and for a brief second, she saw a talisman with strange lettering attached to the kunai. 

“Why is there paper here?! 

“Noel! Toss that!” Dante yelled as he continued to duel his opponent. The Yin here grimaced, feeling as if the hunter wasn't even trying to put his all into the fight.

The talisman glowed with a bright light and Dante mid combo uses his free hand to shoot the gun out of Noel's grip, launching it into the air and watching as the gun exploded. Noel was knocked to her feet but her training kicked in as she loaded her remaining gun and went to assist Ellie.

During all this, Tio managed to produce a large sphere of water that unfortunately did not land on the Yin clones but brought Ellie enough time to reload and begin shooting again. “This isn't working out at all! They're too fast!” Ellie's mind raced, trying to keep a bead on the clones erratic movements. 

“Ellie!” Tio shouted, “I have a plan! I need you and Noel to keep them busy for one minute!” The girl raised her staff and began charging what looked to be an art of some kind. 

The Yin clones laughed in unison. “One minute? I will end your lives before that happens!”

“I won't let that happen!” Noel roared as she pulled out a launcher of some kind and shot out an electrical net. A Yin clone slashed it apart but that proved to be a mistake as Noel's art finished charging. An earth spike shot up from the ground and grazed the clone, causing it to wince a little. 

“Hes not unbeatable! We can do this!” Noel began firing at the other two while Ellie, bolstered by her comrades' confidence, shot at the other clone, her accuracy starting to at least graze him and making him more cautious of her.

Lloyd and Randy got sent flying into a bookshelf, causing the ancient tomes to fall out and pile on top of them.

Randy's body cushioned the blow but the damage was still felt by both him and the detective.

“Real deal was an understatement!” Randy choked as he shot to his feet and dragged Lloyd with him. “You good?”

“Bruised, but I can keep going!” Lloyd said as he and Randy saw the two Yin clones stalk towards them. Lloyd noticed the girls were not having an easy time either, they needed to at least regroup, especially since Tio needed time to make her plan work.

“Randy! We need to break through!” Lloyd amped his energy for a powerful strike.

“Right back at ya man!” Randy responded, he jumped and launched himself forward, “Power smash!” He threw his entire weight towards the Yin clones, who in turn simply jumped back. 

But that single moment was all Lloyd needed, as the first landed on its feet, he surged forward and sent a rapid flurry of strikes at the clone, each strike, while powerful, was blocked with ease.

“Not enough boy!” Yin chastised as he slashed Lloyd, but the detective wasn't done yet , leaping back, he then enveloped his body in a tiger-like aura and flew straight down the middle. 

“Tiger charge!” He yelled as Yin tried to intercept the blow, but surprisingly, it actually managed to briefly knock him off balance and Lloyd made it past him. Randy wasn't far behind, throwing a flash grenade to keep the clone busy. 

One clone threw a kunai and destroyed the device while the other went to stop Randy from advancing. 

Out of nowhere, Zeit ran into the room and pounced on the clone, biting into its forearm. “Good shit Tio tot!” Randy advanced past the clone who thrashed about, trying to launch the dog off of him. 

“Thanks Zeit!” Lloyd yelled out as he finally reached the girls. He was really glad Tio managed to tame him enough to where he could assist them in battles, ignoring the fact that it was weird how quickly he showed up at times. 

Targeting a Yin clone that Ellie was keeping busy, he struck its back, but the clone retaliated with a spinning slash that the detective blocked by a hairs breath, but that left it open for Ellie to take pot shots at the assassin, landing a few good hits and staggering it. “Great shooting Ellie!” He complimented. Him and Randy maneuvered their way towards the girls, creating a shield wall. 

“Sorry for the wait! Let's ace this test!” Randy yelled out. “Right!” Everyone shouted together, getting ready for round two. 

The clones gathered in an irregular formation but the police officers knew that Yin was no joke when it came to unconventional tactics. “Impressive, I may have to put in some effort after all” they all said. 

In the meantime, the actual Yin was having a hard time.

He and Dante danced across the top of the bookshelves, slashing and cutting at any opening they could see. Yin slashed horizontally but Dante used his foot to step down on the blade with such force that Yin lost his balance, Dante leaned forward as the assassin looked up. 

“Looking for some pocket change? Here, I think I have some” the demon rummaged in his coat pocket as he felt Yin pull on his sword but to no avail. “Here ya go, get you something nice” he flicked the coin as he removed his foot. 

Yin hadn't realized how hard he was pulling until he fell backwards and rolled over his shoulder to land on a knee, the coin landing right where he could see it. 

Yin was quiet but the grin from the devil hunter told him all that he needed to know. Dante was strong, a lot stronger than he let on. The perfect prey for Yin to take out. 

“Thank you but you can have this back.” Yin said as he tossed the coin back. Dante reached out and caught it. 

Only to be engulfed in an explosion that rocked the room. The other humans, who had been preoccupied with fighting the clones looked up in horror. 

“Dante!” Lloyd yelled as a Yin clone took advantage of an opening and slashed as his side then landed a palm strike to the chin that shook his brain. The detective stumbled backwards as he fell to the floor 

“Lloyd, no!” Ellie cried out as a clone performed a leg sweep and launched her into Tio and Randy with a kick.

Noel's attention was drawn to the two but she also met a similar fate with a clone landing a gut punch and roundhouse respectively and crashed into the pile. 

Zeit tried to attack, but Yin unleashed a new weapon, a chain with a claw shaped end latched on to the dogs legs, dragging the canine towards him and slamming his sword into Zeit's side, firing him into the humans. Yin noticed that before the sword met its mark, Zeit had twisted his body to ward off some of the damage. But it mattered little, the end was near.

The now confident group had their backs against the wall as the clones encircled the SSS. “How disappointing, it seem I overestimated your abilitie-”

A coin fired with the force of a bullet cracked Yin in the back of the head. 

“What?!” He turned to the source and saw Dante sitting on the edge of a bookshelf with his legs crossed, reading one of the tomes. “Hope that covers the interest of that loan.” He closed the book and stood up. “So, anything else ya got?”

“........Quite the jokester, are you?” Yin said with a dash of menace in his voice. 

“It runs in the family. You should try it sometime, cause your bite ain't really worth much” Dante taunted the assassin. 

“You're such an idiot!” Tio yelled but sounded a bit relieved at her comrade being alive. “That's Dante for ya, always one for the theatrics!” Randy commented, getting back up on his feet. 

“Let's get back to it!” Lloyd stood up and yelled a battle cry that roused his comrades. 

The battle began anew, this time Lloyd and Noel took on two other clones while Ellie, Tio, and Randy began their offensive anew, the second wind starting to shift the battle in their favor along with Zeit providing support to cover any gaps in their defense. 

Dante jumped off the bookshelf and stood across the main Yin, the assassin adopting a deadly aura. 

“You truly are worthy after all. Very well then, I shall end this now!” Yin yelled out. Dante saw as he jumped back on the book shelf, wondering what he was doing then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yin's plan unfold. 

A familiar weapon entered the fray, Yin launched himself in the air and almost floated to the center of the room and unleashed his dragon claw, several of them as the other clones launched a single pair of chains, cutting the group off from one another. 

“Guys, something's coming!” Lloyd yelled out, making the other humans tense up. Yin began his assault, he and the other clones stepped on and dashed across the chains with blinding speed, in an attempt to take them all out in one fell swoop. 

The main Yin rushed towards Dante, attempting to sever his arm. As Yin was only a few inches away from him, the demon disappeared like a phantom. 

“I'm wrapping this up Yin! It was fun while it lasted!” Yin looked up and saw that Dante had used the chains as a platform to stand right above the center of the room and held out his Enigma.

“Sparkle,” he said calmly. 

A torrent of lightning aimed for the chains. 

Yin was confused at first until he realized what the devil's actual intent was.

A high-voltage electrical current shot through the chains, frying the clones and Yin himself, the assassin flying from his perch and crashing into a bookshelf with black smoke emitting from his body. 

Dante looked at the damage. He tried putting in a little less demonic energy then last time, but the result was still the same unfortunately. 

The chains couldn't take the pressure anymore and shattered as Dante landed on his feet and the others caught their breaths, tired from the ensuing battle as their adrenaline died down. 

“Im…exhausted” Tio said between breaths. “That was…….definitely the toughest fight…..we've had so far.” Lloyd breathed heavily. 

Noel was the first to realize that Yin may be…..she tried to run towards him but Dante stopped her. “Dante! What are you doi-”

“That's a clone Seeker. It's been one since the start.”

She and the others looked confused before Randy spoke up, dusting off his jacket. “He's right. He ain't done yet."

A familiar chuckle echoed throughout the room. “Your friends have quite the keen senses.”

The Yin before them shimmered out of existence, leaving a red piece of paper behind. Dante walked over and picked it up. “Yin used this to make a double that could act on its own. Probably some eastern magic trick.”

“Is that even possible?” Lloyd asked him. Dante shrugged, “I'd ask him yourself.”

The real Yin at long last stepped out of the shadows and pulled out his sword. 

“Wh-when did he even?” Ellie said as she got ready for a potential round three. “He was over there the whole time?!” Noel sputtered as she checked her ammo. She had about a magazine and a half left, cursing to herself that she should have brought spares from the truck. 

“Lettin a double take care of things while you kick back and observe the fight eh?” Randy scoffed, rubbing his neck and taking a tear balm to heal his wounds. “Might be a handy power, but damn if it ain't rude to your guests.”

“Heh, did I offend you?” Yin asked in a mocking tone. “You have my sincerest apologies. However,  I'm impressed that you were able to keep up with my movements during the battle. Your eyes are sharp, I'll give you that.”

Randy cocked his head. “ Well, let's just say I've gotten a lot of practice over the years.” He then readied his halberd. “You up for another round?”

“Heh, I respectfully decline.” Yin said as he resheathed his weapon.

Lloyd let out a sigh as he and the others followed suit. “I can't deny it. Your strength is first class, at our level we can't hold a candle to you.”

“Dont beat yourself up Lloyd” Dante said. “You guys came through near the end so you've gotten stronger.”

“Says the guy who dodged an explosion!” Randy said exasperated. 

Yin, however, was….shocked, something he hadn't felt in a long time. 

Yin saw him grab the talisman coated coin in his hand. It should not have been possible for someone to get out of the way that quickly. He was surprised the others didn't notice…well the redhead may have.

“So, what does someone like you want with us?” Lloyd questioned the assassin. 

“He wants to see if we can find the actual person behind the threat letter.” Dante said, gesturing to the assassin if his hunch was correct. 

Yin nodded to confirm the devil's theory. “Correct, Mr Redgrave, I see you are as much of a detective as Lloyd Bannings is.”

“Im not in the same league, the kids a natural born genius when it comes that stuff.” Dante replied. 

“Vergil brought it up first, about how the sender was an imposter.” Lloyd began, swallowing the praise. “The legendary assassin. Yin….a demon hailing from the Eastern Quarter. The more we progressed with our investigation, the more we learned about who you are and how you operate.”

Lloyd started resolutely at Yin. “And with each new feat of yours we learned about, the threat letter began to look more and more amateurish in comparison. Even Ilya brushed it aside, thinking that it was a prank.”

“That's right.” Yin said to the detective. “IIya Platieri's senses are keener than she knows. She most likely realized that she wasn't the threat letter's true aim. But if that's true, why was such a thing sent to Arc en Ciel in the first place?”

“To try and take out the actual target.” Dante said. “Whoever did this probably wanted the police to focus on IIya while the culprit does his dirty work.”

“I-i know this might be going over my head, but are you sure it's not simply a prank? Noel asked. “Maybe it's from someone who doesn't like the troupe.”

“No.” Lloyd said firmly. “We can limit the suspects to people who knew Yin had come to Crossbell. “Heiyue, Revache, the First Division and any of their associates.”

Noel thought it over and hummed in agreement. “When you put it like that, the odds of this being a prank do seem incredibly low.”

“Correct, Bannings and Redgrave. Still, Arc en Ciel's new show would never be canceled by a lone threat letter.”

It clicked for the demon right then and there. “Well I'll be damned, our guys are planning to act when the show starts. They mentioned IIya to keep Gumshoe and his crew busy while he sneaks in the shadows.”

“An astute observation.” Yin was almost convinced the man had clairvoyant abilities. Almost. 

“As thanks for your nephew, allow me to give you a lead that may aid you in uncovering the person who soiled my name.” Yin began to say. “If the culprit's plan truly does involve Arc en Ciel…they must be planning to act on either the opening day of their performance or the day of the preview performance.”

“I see….that makes sense” Lloyd said. 

“If they really want to cause a big scene, the opening day'd be the best bet.” Randy followed up. 

“I think we should keep an eye on both days, I'm pretty sure some VIPs would attend the sneak peak” Dante spoke up rubbing his hands together. “The performance would be filled with many influential figures. Depending on their goals, that may be better.” Ellie said in agreement. 

“Precisely” Yin said to her. “I ask that you stay vigilant on both of those days. You will have to outwit the First Division in order to be able to patrol the theater during the two performances. Once you accomplish that, then you can respond accordingly to whatever may transpire."

“Easier said than done” Lloyd agreed, annoyed at the legwork needed to be done. “But still, you have a point.”

“I'll let Vergil and Trish know about this and get them up to speed. In the meantime….” Dante walked forward a bit. “What will we do about you? Can't exactly let a killer run free, it's bad for the community.”

Yin chuckled. “Unfortunately I have business to attend to, someone of your skill should be able to deal with this I presume?”

Yin pulled out a multitude of kunais and threw them at the SSS. Dante drew his guns and fired at each of them, causing a cascading chain of explosions that nearly hit the team. 

When the smoke cleared, Yin was gone. 

“What just happened!” Lloyd yelled. Where could he have gone?! Ellie exclaimed. 

Noel's face went a little pale, “D-did he die in the explosion?!” Her fears were quelled  by a familiar dog's barking. 

Zeit rushed towards the stairs. “He's picked up the scent, follow him! Randy yelled as he and the others chased after Yin. 

Dante was right behind them, he sensed that Yin had already left the building, probably jumping off the tower but that wasn't the reason why he lagged behind from the rest of the team. 

Normally, the demon would have caught the assassin without much effort but something had been bothering him. Something he sensed ever since he entered the room. Something that by all accounts, should not have been in there at all. 

Because in this room, he could sense demonic energy, the kind native to his world. 

1204 Septian Calendar

March 15th

Arc en Ciel theater 

Evening

“Ellie, you like him don't you?” Trish said to her as they finished washing up. Ellie blushed profusely, “U-uh what are y-you talking about?”

Trish gave her a knowing look. “You felt a little annoyed when he said that she'll be, and I quote ‘You'll shine brightly one day and it'll be by your own merit’, am I wrong?”

“Yes! You're wrong! You're reading too much into this!” Ellie said a little too fast.

“I'm just saying, the kid may be dense but if you're not honest and upfront, you can't exactly get mad at him for being confused. He's honest with people” Trish said as she dried her hands. 

Ellie looked in the mirror, “Oh adios, grant me strength” she mumbled. She felt Trish hand on her shoulder. “Let's head out and continue patrolling.”

Ellie finished up as she and Trish went out into the lobby and met up with Lloyd to continue their rounds. 

After returning from Stargazers tower, the SSS hatched a plan to keep watch during Arc en Ciel's preview show for the weekend. 

It was decided that Dante, Randy and Tio would watch the entrance while Lloyd Ellie and Trish would patrol the interior, avoiding the First Division as much as possible. 

Vergil however, drew a very unlucky stick, as IIya had given him a ticket to the show personally. “If at least one knight is watching my dancing, I know I'll be able to give it my all!” she said way too happily and to Vergil's irritation, he figured it was a good tactical move. Hiding in plane sight as they say. 

As he sat comfortably in his seat, the fully stacked theater quieted down as the announcer began to start the show. 

We apologize for the delay. The curtain will now rise for Arc en Ciel's breathtaking new production….’Golden sun, Silver moon. Please enjoy the show.

The theater's lights went out, coating the auditorium in darkness as a male narrator began to set the scene.

The land of Ra: an ancient kingdom that prospered under the blessing and love of the Goddess. 

Ever since the birth of Ra, the decision of who was to rule the country was held in the hands of soaring dancers known as Princesses.

These Princesses, entrusted with the will of the Goddess, brought light to the true, righteous ruler of Ra by competing at the Star Sanctuary.

However, ulterior motives lie in wait, leading influential figures to support different Princesses, treating the holy ceremony as a trivial game. 

At the time, the Sun Princess, renowned as the greatest dancer of their era, arrived at the Star Sanctuary.

Music began to play at a low hum, rising in volume as IIya jumped center stage with the overhead light illuminating her figure, vanishing quickly as it appeared. 

It happened again as Vergil saw her jump and twirled her body this time. 

Lastly, the stage was set alight once more as Ilya spun around in a circle, edging closer and closer to the middle of the stage, with the music following in pitch. 

Keeping her eyes closed and posing, she drew in a breath as the real show began. The stage beamed with light as the music turned up to a fever pitch, mixed with the audience's applause. The stage effects made it look as if the floor she danced under vibrated with each jump. 

Vergil had to admit, Arc en Ciel definitely lived up to their reputation if this was supposed to be the opening act. All the more reason to make sure nothing bad happened during the show. 

Meanwhile, near the lobby, Lloyd and the others heard the applause. “It must have already started,” he said as he looked towards the auditorium's entrance. “The crowd is already going wild.”

Ellie smiled in agreement. “All that practice must have paid off. I wish I could have been able to watch it, too. I'm jealous of the First Division and Vergil.”

“Well, I can't imagine it's easy for them to focus on security while such an amazing play is being performed.” Lloyd replied, facing her. “I know I'd have trouble tearing my eyes away from the stage.”

“Vergil should be fine, all things considered.” Trish said casually. “He's got eyes on the back of his head.”

“You may be right, Trish,” Ellie said to her. “Shall we start patrolling the theater, then?” 

“Mhm. We'll just need to take a peek every now and then.” Trish replied. 

“Good call” Lloyd agreed with the devils idea. Lloyd then made a quick call to the crew outside. “It's Lloyd. Can you guys hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” Randy said over the Enigma. “Has it commenced, then?” Tio asked next. 

“Yeah. We're about to start patrolling the inside of the theater. You three keep a close watch on the perimeter.”

“Roger” Tio said. “Zeit has graciously offered his assistance, so we'll be fine. Dante is behaving himself….somehow.”

“I can be an adult, Icy kid. I just live a little from time to time.”

“You live like a slob. You're worse than Jona, you despicable reprobate.”

Lloyd awkwardly responded to their bickering. “How generous of him. Tio don't worry, Dante's reliable even if he's….not responsible.” 

Lloyd could swear he could feel Tio's stare right through the Enigma when he said that. 

“Ill give you a call if we spot anyone fishy.” Randy came in next. “Don't let the play distract you. Wouldn't want you guys to get caught by the First Division, y'know?”

“You don't have to worry about that,” Lloyd said, cutting the call. “Let's get started guys. First, let's check in with the staff and see if they noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

“Alright then, lead the way detective,” Trish said.

The trio made their rounds, checking the upper seating areas and lower seating areas respectively. Meanwhile Vergil was intently watching the show, keeping an eye out for anything, or anyone suspicious. 

A while after, the first act came to a close and the theaters darkened once again as the narrator began to set the next scene.

Thus, the Sun Princess, supported by the mighty Tribe of Light, found herself opposed by another competitor.

A new Princess answered the call and entered the celestial ceremony.

She was known as the Moon Princess. Backed by the Tribe of Night, her appearance heralded a split in the forces of Ra.

Moonlight gleamed over the stage as Rixia descended from above, twirling and almost gliding downwards to the water covered stage that now represented a moon lit shrine. 

When she landed, the water rippled out in a percent circle as she began her routine, a stark contrast to the Sun Princesses introduction. Ilya's dance was bombastic and full of energy while Rixia's performance was calm and somber as the water that lay before her feet.

Spinning towards the center stage, Rixia began to pick things up as the four corner most pillars began to spout water, one after another as Rixia jumped and flipped across the stage.

Rixia was calm, calmer than she had ever been before in her life. Performing a more advanced maneuver as the music picked up, it was her turn now to get the auditorium entranced in her own unique way.

As she spun towards the front of the stage, her time finally came, opening her eyes and seeing the audience before her, she let out a breath and felt the air of uncertainty around her before she dispelled it with her next move. 

The stage grew brighter as she flipped jumped and danced more energetically, moving back and forth between each side of the stage, closing the gap little by little, before heading back to the front stage once more. 

Turning her back to the audience and dashing towards the center shrine  she jumped and landed on its roof and faced the audience once more before jumping and gliding in a circle,leaving a trail of light as she landed on a flower podium, earning a small but well fitting applause from the audience. 

The way she moved was ethereal, capturing the crowd's attention with her skills as she gave it her all. Rixia's debut was an overwhelming success. 

Lloyd seemed to have a similar opinion. Ellie and Trish as well. Managing to remove their eyes from the performance, the group began their rounds once again.

It ended the same as usual, nothing weird except an officer in the upper seating got hooked on the show, but Trish couldn't blame him. Rixia was just that good. 

The second act came to a close as the third act's narrator began to lay the setting out for the audience. 

Was it simply a whim of the Goddess? Or perhaps a bit of mischief?

To her surprise, the Sun Princess learned that the Moon Princess was not a stranger, but her younger sister, separated from her at a tender age. 

Unaware of this revelation, the Moon Princess faced her sister with a cold, hostile spirit. 

The distraught Sun Princess, concealing her true identity with a gown and mask of white, beckoned the Moon Princess to the forest ruins…..

The very same ruins the two sisters once frolicked through in their youth. A secret place known only to the two, where they could dance and play under the thick forest canopy.

“Interesting development” Vergil mused as the scene began to play out before him. 

The whimsical score began as Rixia walked through the forest, looking around for the person that beckoned her to the place. 

A dash of leaves flew in the air as a spotlight shined on the masked figure, who simply stood still. 

Rixia hesitantly looked her over, with the figure following her every move. No words we exchanged. None we needed as the masked figure spoke with her dance, dusting up leaves with each movement. 

Rixia watched in amazement at the figures abilities and understanding what was going on, she performed a dance of her own with her new found friend syncing up with her as if they had been doing it for years. 

The score picked up as the two began to play in the ruins, the stage lights showcasing the uptick in emotion as the two siblings frolicked to their hearts content.

Vergil was impressed, the way they played around was breathtaking, so much so that a memory flashed through his head. 

“I'm up one Vergil!”

“No Dante, we're even! Mommy was keeping count!

“Nuh uh! She said….um mommy? Are you watching?”

“As always my sweet little boys.”

“Mommy, who's winning?”

“Hmmmm…..both of you are!”

“Aw what? That not fair, im better then Dante”

“That's not true!”

“It is!”

“Alright alright that's enough. Come here, both of you.”

“Sorry mom”

“It's okay, you're both strong in your own way, you remind me of your father in so many ways…..”

“Where is father?”

“He's out there, protecting us, just as I hope you can protect others too”

“We'll keep you safe mommy!”

“Oh I know you will. Now lets wash up, dinner will be ready soon”

“Do we get cake?”

“I want strawberry Vergil!”

No, I want chocolate!”

It was a pleasant memory. 

One of the few that they had before everything changed and she was taken from them. Vergil gripped his chair but held himself back from fracturing the armrest.

“Mother, I'm sorry”

“The third act is when things usually turn around for the protagonists, right?” Lloyd asked the two girls as they stepped back from checking the auditorium. “The audience seems to be eating it up.”

“Pretty much, Arc en Ciel knows how to run a show” Trish said. “I know I am” Ellie confessed to her amazement. “Its rare to see a play this marvelous. I can't imagine it getting any better. Now, if only it could end without incident.” She said somewhat solemnly. 

“Yeah, I sure hope so, too,” Lloyd said in agreement. “Even if it means that we don't catch the culprit, it would be for the best.”

“I agree, better to have a silver lining then none at all” Trish spoke, running a hand through her hair. 

Unfortunately for everyone involved, it would not end without incident. In fact, shit was about to hit the fan in a way that no one had expected. 

The final act began, the narrator setting the scene for what was to come pass under her watch.

The Princesses learned of the dreadful conspiracy that drove them apart in their youth.

Despite discovering the sad truth, they could not turn away from their inevitable clash. 

Because, after all, they were Princesses.  

Only one of them could become the Shrine Princess, carrying the will of the Goddess on her shoulders. 

As though this wasn't enough, they even fell in love with the same man. Their strong affection for one another was constantly torn apart by the cruel whims of the world. 

Their complex feelings ignited into a burning rivalry, fueled by their compassion and understanding of each other. 

With these emotions swirling wildly in their hearts, they traveled to the Star Sanctuary, ready for the fated ceremony…

“Or in this case, the lack of understanding we had for each other” Vergil couldn't help but think back to the various life and death battles he had with his brother as the scene played out before him. 

The stage now took the form of the aforementioned Star Sanctuary with several columns of fire basking under the moonlight sky. A crowd of attendees bore witness to the arrival of the Sun and Moon Princesses, respectively. 

The music was well fitting for a final battle as the Sun Princess and Moon Princess faced off in a duel of destiny. The way they formally bowed failed to hide the turmoil they had in their hearts, but nonetheless the battle to become the Shrine Princess began.

The sisters clashed in the center stage, circling on another before taking the battle upstage, using the platforms to spring and bound on the opposite sides of stage before clashing in the middle. 

The crowd, as usual, went absolutely nuts over the spectacles. Lloyd and the others could almost feel it from the lobbies entrance. 

“Phew, thank Adios. It looks like the play is going to wrap up, incident free”  Lloyd said, letting out a sigh of relief. “And we didn't see anything suspicious during our patrol either.”

“Lloyd you just jinxed us” Trish said pointing to Balsamo as he rushed down the lobby stairs.

“Is something wrong?” Lloyd asked the concerned man. 

“Well, you see, one of the attendees has been behaving unusually for a while now and we just now realized that she's not on the guest list,” Balsamo explained 

“Where is she?” Trish said. 

“Up the stairs on the right. In the back. It seems she has been peeking at the S section seats.”

Trish was already on the move with Lloyd's and Ellie close behind her. Sprinting toward the right stairwell, they found the suspicious person in question. 

It unfortunately being Grace Lynn.

“Oh darn it. Why'd Dudley have to pick this spot to patrol?” the reporter grumbled. “This was the perfect place to wait for my big scoop and he…is….ruining it!”

She began to pout now. “Soon as I start going to town with my camera, he'll catch me for sure.”

“Hey, Grace!” Lloyd's shout was muffled by the music but the message met the reporter's ears as he and the others raced up the stairs. 

“Whoa?! Lloyd?!” She said surprised. And Ellie and……TRISH?! The other new recruit?! Oh why did you have to be here?! I was hoping to get an interview with you and the other two! Oh wait, I can squeeze in some ti-”

“Grace” Trish cut her off. “What are you doing here? Your not on the guest list”

“Uh..haha. Nope! But I have my reasons” Grace said as she fidgeted under the demon's glare. “I….may have snuck in here with a little trick of mine.”

“Which was what exactly?” Ellie asked her.

“Keep this a secret will you?” she said promptly. “Long story short, I'll slipped in with the cleaning crew, and viola! Exclusive access.”

“Are you kidding me?! Lloyd said shocked by the brazen behavior of the journalist.

“Why did you have to go that far?” Ellie's suspicions were starting to rise.

“Well, there's a simple explanation for that. You see, all the friggin’ press tickets got snatched up by the other CNS journalist!” Grace complained. 

“I just had to take a peek at the preview show, but I was following another story at the time. What was I supposed to do, not watch it?!” The reporter said with such seriousness that the officers were baffled by her confidence. 

“That still doesn't make it right. Or legal” Lloyd said flatley. 

“You're a real troublemaker, you know that?” Ellie said as Trish took a step forward “We can arrest you for trespassing, you know that right?” Trish brought out a pair of handcuffs. 

“C-C’mon, guys! We're all friends here! How about we go watch the rest of the play? It's finally reached the long awaited climax, after all! If we don't see it, we may regret it for the rest of our lives!” Grace half asked and half begged as Trish inched closer to the reporter. 

“Don't worry, we'll tell you all about it while you're in lockup.” Trish said as she twirled the cuffs on her finger. “Besides, that can't be the only reason you snuck in.”

“What do you mean 'only reason'? The reporter asked her as her back was against the wall. 

“You're not the one who sent the threat letter, are you?” Lloyd said as he also moved closer to Grace. 

“Th-threat letter?! What the heck are you going on about?!” Grace sputtered out. “N-now that you mention it, I thought it was kinda strange to see Dudley and his pals patrolling the theater.”

“Ooh, ooh!” Grace shouted as her brain went to work. “It has to do with this letter you mentioned, right?!” 

“I don't think shes our culprit, Trish” Ellie said to the demon as she backed away from a cornered Grace, letting out an annoyed sigh. “Well, shit. Dante told me she was a psycho so I figured the M.O matched up with her, she's more scatterbrained then Nico.”

“I doubt even Grace would take things that far,” Lloyd said, a little confused by Trish's logic. 

“Even me?” She spat, offended by the statement. “How rude. Is that really what you think of me?” Grace moved herself from the wall and pointed at Trish. “For your information, I am not scatterbrained! My mind is focused on twenty four seven!”

“Focused on buzzing around like a wasp” Trish said back to her. “Anyway, what story were you following again?”

The mention of that seemed to calm down the reporter somewhat. Grace flashed a coy smile. “Nuh-uh-uh. My lips are sealed.”

“You'll be sealed in a cell if you don't start talking~” Trish playfully said with a threatening undertone. 

“W-w-wait I'll talk. I was following a lead on the First Division keeping tabs on him!” Grace chipped out, not wanting to be cornered again. 

“Him?” Lloyd shared a look with Ellie. “Are you referring to Yin?” Ellie asked her. 

“Huh? The heck's a Yin? Does that have to do something with the threat letter you're freaking out about?” The reporter asked back. 

“N-no. Forget about it.” Ellie sputtered in an attempt to cover their tracks. 

“Grace, tell us everything you know, now” Trish said, closing the distance once more. 

“Okay! Okay! I get the message, freaky lady!” Grace cleared her throat after she yelled that out. “I'll spill the beans, but are you sure you want Ellie to hear this?”

“What does that have to do with me?” Ellie asked, a little concerned. 

“Grace” Trish said in a no nonsense manner. 

“Alright I hear you! Just know that you're not getting an interview, you witch!” Grace insulted her.

“Thank God for that” Trish thanked the heavens in her head. 

“But don't say I didn't warn you” Grace said as she got the group's attention. “The scoop I've been chasing involves a dark rumor about the mayor's secretary."

“What?” Ellie said, surprised by Grace's words. 

“I think his name is…Ernest. Either way, he's extremely dangerous, with a capital D.”  Grace said in a cheeky manner. 

She began once again. “He's supposedly been secretly embezzling funds from the mayor's office……and here's the kicker. He's been covertly scheming with the Imperial Faction diet members.”

“Oh really?” Trish said as she crossed her arms. “Seems a bit far-fetched to me.”

“We'll speak of a far-fetched rumor that he's trying to off the mayor,” Grace replied. “But I think that's a little silly.”

Ellie's ears rang as they drowned out the music from the performance as her mind put the piece of the puzzle together, and presented an absolutely horrifying scenario. 

Her heart dropped to her stomach as she shakily spoke to the two officers. “Hey….Lloyd…Trish…if Grandfather were to be killed under these circumstances…..”

Ellie never got the chance to finish that statement as Trish had already bolted across the central seating area, bypassing Dudley who barely managed to see her, along with Lloyd and Ellie who followed her swiftly. 

Making it two the opposite stairswell of the theater, Trish arrived at the entrance to the S seating area and saw the police officer bleeding out, Lloyd and Ellie finally caught up to her. 

“Guys, patch him up!” Trish said as she bolted through the door. “What the hell are you doing here?” Dudley shouted as made it to the scene. 

Trish entered the area and zeroed her focus on Ernest Ries, ready to plunge a nasty looking dagger into Mayor Macdowell's throat. He paused to see who had smashed the door open. 

Only to be met with a blitzing straight punch from Trish as she knocked him into a wall, not giving him a second to recover as she pinned him there. 

“Grandfather!” Ellie yelled as she entered the room. 

“You can check him Ellie! Ernest isn't going anywhere.” Trish said as she continued to apply pressure to the secretary.

“I wouldn't think so,” Ernest scoffed. Trish then felt the barrel of a gun to her chin.

The weapon cycling a bullet was not lost on the officers ears as they realized the situation Trish was now in. 

In all honesty, Trish wasn't phased, but dodging a bullet from point blank range would draw too much attention to her, not to mention scaring the crowd and causing them to panic. 

“Trish No!” Ellie shouted as she looked on in horror. 

“Damn it, he has a gun! Trish just stay calm!” Lloyd yelled as he brandished his tonfas. 

Ernest made the slow methodical motion of turning Trish around while keeping the gun in direct contact with her skin. When she faced them, Trish just shrugged. “My bad guys, he's kinda good for a secretary.”

“You keep your mouth shut!” Ernest hissed as Dudley arrived at the scene. Wh-what the hell is this?” The First Division detective exclaimed. 

“A hostage situation, they don't teach that at the academy Dudley?” Trish joked. 

“I said shut up!” Ernest snarled as he jammed the pistol into the side of her head, making the human's hearts skip a few beats.

He then adopted a menacing smile. “Heh. Who would've thought that you'd end up in a place like this?” Ernest said to Ellie. “Another cruel twist of fate courtesy of the Goddess.”

“Let Trish go!” Ellie shouted as she started to tear up, sad, scared and angry that someone so close to her would resort to something so awful. “Why do all of this? You were always there to support Grandfather…so why?!”

“You should know the answer already,” Ernest laughed as he began to explain. “We're cut from the same cloth. I'm just as fed up with Crossbell's sick situation as you are. But in the end, the only path we have towards change involves constantly bending to the whims of those more powerful than us. That's why I had to act!”

Trish couldn't help but laugh. “Lame excuse to line your own pockets.” 

Ernest cocked the gun, making Ellie gasp as her eyes widened. “Ernest, stop it! Please don't hurt her!”

“I'll stay my hand if she doesn't keep on running her mouth” Ernest growled. 

Trish just smirked as she mouthed “okay okay” as the officers looked on. 

“So that's the reason why you impersonated Yin and sent the threat letter to IIya.” Lloyd said, hoping to shift the attention of Ernest away from Trish. 

“You made us believe that Yin was behind everything, all the while plotting the mayor's assassination from the shadows!”

“Damn it! So that's what was really going on” Dudley cursed, realizing the scope of the situation. “Have you enjoyed playing this game of yours?!”

“Haha” Ernest laughed. “You may be with the First Division, but in the end, you're just a two-bit detective. Be it Revache, Heiyue, or even the real Yin, if he really existed. They're nothing more than puppets dancing in the palm!”

Dudley drew his gun. “Drop the gun slowly. You can get off with attempted murder and threatening an officer. Don't take it any further.”

“Dont take it any further?” he asked mockingly. “Isn't that my line? The life of this young, worthless woman who has no place to call home. I could end it with one swift pull of this trigger.”

“She's not worthless!” Ellie yelled at Ernest. “She's anything but that!” Please, stop this!”

“Oh wow Ellie, didn't think you'd have a high opinion of me.” Trish continued to joke. 

“You're really pushing your luck, woman!” Ernest said, drilling the barrel of the gun into her head. 

“Trish, you're not helping!” Dudley shouted to her. She just shrugged. Ernest however sensed something from the woman.

Something that Joachim Guenter would be interested in, he felt its presence, similar to those things the doctor had seen at the Moon Temple. 

“As a matter of fact, since she's been so talkative, I'll be borrowing her for a bit,” Ernest said. 

Trish raised an eyebrow in confusion while the humans went on high alert.

“So, how about righteous fools line up on the wall there and clear a path for me?” Ernest gestured to the furthermost wall. 

“I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you will not be taking Trish away from us!” Lloyd barked. 

“SHUT IT! JUST DO AS I SAY!” Ernest screamed, as he used the gun to push into Trish's head, unintentionally slipping the gun down from her head for a second. 

That gave Trish the opportunity she needed as she disarmed Ernest swiftly and elbowed him in the stomach, making him keel over. 

“Damn it!” He spat as he held his stomach. 

Ellie rushed over to Trish while Lloyd and Dudley restrained him.”Ernest Ries, you are under arrest for attempted murder, assault and battery, embezzlement and disturbing the peace of Arc en Ciel!” Dudley said as he put the cuffs on. 

“Trish! Are you okay?!” Ellie said as she checked over her friend. “I'm fine, you should probably check your granddad.”

“R-right!” She and Trish went to see if Ellie's grandfather was alright while Lloyd made a call to the other members of the SSS. 

“Guys, we got the culprit! It was Mayor Macdowell's secretary!”

“Uhh r-right!” Randy said, shocked at the news. “We're coming in now!”

At the same time Ellie and Trish checked over Mr. Macdowell, who seemed to have just a bruise and a minor sprain. “He'll be alright Ellie.”

Ellie said nothing. “Hey Ellie, you alr-”

Trish was enveloped by a tight hug from the girl, who had started to sniffle. “Please don't do anything reckless like that again!”

“You mean the jokes?” 

“Yes! Those!” She yelled. “You were in serious danger! You could've died and i-” Ellie choked up. Trish pulled away from her a bit and was about to retort before she saw how tear streaked she was. 

Trish felt a brief pang of guilt. It was weird, being fretted over by a human. She'd forgotten that to them, they were just as human to the rest of them. 

Trish then awkwardly pulled her back in for a hug.  “My fault, Ellie. I'll..try to tone it down. No promises though.”

Ellie sniffed into her shoulders. I-I'll accept that for now, Trish.” The feeling was mutual, tender even. 

Until Trish felt the foreign demonic energy from Ernest sprouting from his body. Trish was on the move but was a little too late on the draw as Ernest broke through his binds, grabbed his gun and leapt to somewhere that no one had been expecting.

The stage, where IIya was dancing. 

His intentions were clear as he raced towards the stage. “The Fervant Dancer will serve as a better hostage anyway. So what if there's a crowd? I'll pay anything to hell and back to become the next mayor!”

As Ilya was in the middle of a routine, she felt an arm reach over her shoulder and pull her close to the body of someone and felt what seemed to be a gun on the side of her head. 

The crowd froze immediately and the music and actors ceased to move. 

But before Ernest could take action, his gun was slashed out of his hand by a katana and a scabbard smashed into his head, knocking him to the opposite side of the stage, rolling and landing low to the ground. 

Managing to regrab the gun while he was in midair, he then saw his attacker. 

Vergil Redgrave, sword resheathed and a single arm keeping IIya away from her assailant, the demon tilted his head. “I must say I'm surprised it was you that sent that letter” he said with a chill tone.

Having sensed the demonic energy coming from him, he knew he had to try and end this quickly. 

Ernest grimaced as he got up “You and those dogs will not get in my way!” The secretary pulled out a rapier. 

Something was weird though. Vergil expected the crowd to scream and freak out about now, but as he looked over and saw the audience, a horrifying thought crossed through his mind. 

The audience still believed this was a part of the show, and to make matters worse, IIya took advantage of that as she grabbed Vergil arm and snuggled up to him.

“Oh thank you Father! You've arrived to save me!”

What. 

Vergil heard the audience gasp and heard  a few murmurs. “Is this part of the show?” and “wow, I did not see this coming!” could be heard. 

“What are you doing?!” Vergil whispered to her. 

Ilya playfully batted her eyelashes. “Like I said to my knight. This theater is my domain, I know everything that goes on in here, including what just happened to the mayor. With that being said, I will not allow our show to be sullied any further, just follow my lead.”

She then called out to Ernest. “Alas, while your heart longs for me, I cannot reciprocate your love!” My heart belongs to my true love and the Goddess above.”

Vergil stared at Ernest, mentally begging for the guy to just run at him. 

But Ernest had other planes as he pointed his rapier at Vergil. “It matters little, I shall cut down anyone who stands in my way!” He said as he began to plot his next move.

“She's an idiot! I just need to kill him and get her before the police arrive! Then I'll need to tell Joachim about that woman!” Ernest finished the thought as he beckoned Vergil to come forward and fight him. 

To make matters even more worse, the announcer got in on it too, and Vergil, to his absolute shock, heard Dante's voice over the loud speaker. 

“The heartless warrior challenges the prodigal father for his dear child. Wielding the divine flintlock, the hapless fool resolves to continue his folly!

As a noble and pure hearted man, thine father must stand in the opposition of his quest, for his blade drives him to fight for justice!

But fret not! For Vergil has been blessed by the Goddess, and by the powers bestowed within her, my brother shall have the greatest fortune, of facing a being, of grand delusion, such as Ernest himself!

As the crowd began to clap and cheer, Vergil could see several officers hesitating to come up on stage and saw Dante in the announcer's booth, mouthing “Good luck, have fun” to him with his irritating grin. It took every amount of will power not to send a mirage blade to his head.

Music began to play in the background and rose to a crescendo as the actors exited the stage. Rixia, who had been away from Ilya's position, decided that she had no choice but to leave things in the demon's hands and she muttered a prayer and exited stage left. 

“Is this your idea of wanting me to cut loose?” Vergil asked her, tilting his head back. She giggled. “That's all up to you.”

Vergil thought it over, at this point, everything had gone to hell and he might as well make the most of a situation that was most likely going to get them fired. 

Maybe it was time to loosen up for once. 

“IIya, step back” he ordered. “If it's a dance you want, then it's a dance you'll get” he said, giving her a confident nod.

Ilya smiled as she left making sure to run her fingers along his arm as she left. “Then good luck Vergil, end this night with a bang for me, okay?”

Vergil stepped forward, “You seek my daughter's hand in marriage?” He bellowed as the audience was drawn in the declaration. 

“If you have the resolve to see this through…” he drew his sword out, whirling it around as he made his declaration. “Then show me your motivation!”

“That I shall!” Ernest roared as he opened fire. 

The bullets were cut and deflected as Vergil closed the distance, Ernest gave up shooting as he pulled out his rapier and the two jumped and clashed blades over the course of several times as they used the platforms to try and get the advantage over the other. 

The crowd went absolutely crazy, the spectacle nothing like they had ever seen before. Behind the scenes however, the police had begun to gather backstage to make sure the staff were safe and to cut off any points of escape. 

As the fight reached to the top platform they clashed again, only for Vergil to finally put his foot down, literally on Ernest's head as he sent him plummeting to the ground below. 

As he landed, the water splashed upwards but to everyone's surprise except the demons, he shook off the pain and saw that Vergil had landed on the shrine's rooftop adjusting his collar. 

“How disappointing” he sighed, pissing off Ernest as he began to run and gun towards the shrine. Vergil jumped and deflected each bullet with a spin making sure that rounds never went near the audience. 

Landing on the front most portion of the stage. Vergil without looking back sidestepped a stab as he drove the back of his scabbard into Ernest and without drawing his sword, he swatted away every single strike from Ernest as he slowly began to take away his space, little by little. 

“What the hell is going on?!” Ernest mentally cursed as another swipe was deflected with ease. “Joachim, you said these drugs would make me stronger, better than any human! This should not be possible!”

His thoughts ended as he finally reached the shrine wall, his eyes went wide as he saw Vergil place his scabbard under his chin.

“It seems your time on stage has come to an end. Have a good night in your cell, Ernest."

“YOU THINK YOU'VE WON?!” Ernest roared out “ILL STAND OVER YO-”

An upward slash to the jaw shut him up as he was flipped over Vergil landing right behind him as the music cut out completely as Ernest's demonic power ceased to be as he lay unconscious. 

Turning on his heel and walking towards the front of the stage, he held his sword with both hands and held it like a cane as he clicked the stage with the water rippling across. 

“And then, there was silence.”

It was dead quiet until a single clap began.

Then a few more.

Then a roar of cheers and shouts as flowers were thrown to the stage, the police made their move and dragged Ernest off stage. Grace had managed to sift through the chaos and snapped photos of the demon in center age. 

Vergil looked over to the right of the stage and saw the SSS minus Ellie and Trish with a mix of reactions, Dante was beside himself with laughter, Zeit barking in approval and a very pissed off Dudley.

It would take a miracle for them to get out of this one.

1204, Septian Calendar

March 20th

Crossbell city

SSS building 

Morning. 

“So Nero was just walking down East street, beat up a few members of Revache, and kicked down the doors of their headquarters?” Lloyd asked the two demons. 

“Ain't surprised by it. They should've kept their hands to themselves” Dante said. Vergil silently nodded. 

Lloyd sighed. “Still, he could've been in grave danger if Revache decided to retaliate.”

“I'm afraid not Mr. Bannings” Vergil said, fixing his collar. “Nero would have been fine if things got out of hand.”

“Speaking of things that got outta hand” Randy said as he put the newspaper down, detailing the recent incident at the theater. “Im guessin most of the public's in an uproar by now.”

“Considering that the mayor was almost assassinated as the debut of Arc en Ciels new show, yes, I would imagine so. It is the ultimate scadal” Tio said then glared at the twin sons of sparda. “Not to mention you two idiots running amok.”

“I had nothing to do with that,” Vergil said, denying his role in the incident. 

“Not true bro, you loved all that attention didn't you?” Dante said to him. “And then there was silence…you were feeling yourself up there.”

“We can at least take comfort in the fact that Mayor Macdowell is getting a lot of support from the citizenry,” Lloyd said, hoping to quell another argument between the two. “But I'm still disappointed that the Imperial Faction diet member Ernest had ties to was never named in any of the papers.”

“Yeah, that was probably the first thing they censored,” Randy said, also disappointed in the news. “Besides, I don't get the feeling the Imperial Faction was involved at all. Seems like it was just a crazy secretary guy going rogue.”

“Yeah, maybe so.” Lloyd breathed out. “There really wouldn't be any benefit to assassinating the mayor, as far as the Imperial Factions concerned.”

“Thankfully we stopped it, otherwise they could've pinned it on Heiyue and the Republican faction.” Vergil said with Lloyd nodding in agreement. 

“Yeah Vergil, you might be on to something” Randy said to the demon. 

“Thinking back” Tio spoke up. “Did Ernest seem to be acting strange to any of you? It was as if he lost his sanity…or perhaps lost control would be more appropriate.”

“Nah, dude just seemed like a regular white collar worker through and through.” Dante said but he and the other demons had an idea of what the truth was. 

Ernest was using demonic power, the kind native to this world. As to how he acquired it was unknown and Ernest was added to the list alongside Joachim. 

“Speaking of that, have they tried to interview him yet?” Dante asked as he sat up. 

“Well to answer your question, he's in a state of total shock. Can't even speak properly.” Sergei said as he walked out of his office towards the group. 

“Thats so?” Dante said, not really surprised that the demonic power he used messed with his head. But it was damn annoying when it happened when they needed information. 

“You saying they can't even interrogate him?” Randy said to the chief as he finally arrived at the table. 

“Yep” the chief answered. “Since they weren't making any progress with him, they decided to go ahead and chuck him in the clink for now. Last I heard, they thought of calling in a church counselor or asking someone from St. Ursula would check him out.”

“The lock him up and throw away the key method? I don't envy the guy” Dante said casually. 

Sergei chuckled a bit. “Speaking of envy, you all have become quite the celebrities, haven't you? While I was at the department today, the fox was showering me with praises for the SSS. Boy you should have seen him.”

“I find that hard to picture, ” Tio said flatly.

“So we're in Vice Commissioner Jackass’ good books now? Whoop dee-doo” Randy said, faking his joy at the news. 

“He saw the picture Vergil was in, right? Here I think you need to see it” Dante handed Sergei the paper as Vergil grimaced in his seat. 

“Oh and Vergil? I got this in the mail today.” Sergei said as he handed him a piece of paper. Unfolding it, he saw a message that made him freeze in place. 

Thanks for the show Vergil, if you want to try your hand at the stage again, hit my line, I'll be glad to give you more pointers.

-Ilya Platieri 

The bottom left corner had her contact information and a kiss mark placed over the top. He then felt everyone looking over his shoulder. 

“Vergil, you better take responsibility for this.  You're worse than Lloyd” Tio said with venom. 

“What did I even do?!” Lloyd asked exasperated. 

“You blue coated bastard! Just taking all the ladies from us huh!?” Randy yelled.

Zeit just barked but Vergil could tell it wasn't something good. 

“I know a few good places for a first date, come ask me if you need any help” Sergei said as he went back to his office.

“Dante” Vergil said as he put a hand on his sword. “Do..not say…a single word.”

The younger twin put his hands up in surrender…before he spoke up. 

“Ilya and Vergil…”

“Sitting in a tree…” Randy began. 

“....You will all pay” he said as he sat back in his chair. He decided to tune out the noise and focus on something else. 

Trish was staying with Ellie to watch over her grandfather, probably trying to convince her to not quit the CPD. 

His mind then went to a more serious matter, something that Dante had brought up a few days ago. The demonic source at Stargazers tower. 

He went to investigate the library at top of the tower, using his ability to cut open portals to teleport with ease. 

He found the source, a book that was hidden behind a row of tomes, coated in demonic energy. 

Opening the book, he saw demonic scripture appear, something that only demons of his world are capable of creating and reading, but as he read the contents of a single page, the knowledge within changed everything they knew about this working vacation.

And Zemuria's history as a whole.

To whomever may read this, there is a truth that you must know. 

A truth long hidden from the land of Zemuria

A truth that the Witches and Gnomes of the west have never been privy too.

A truth that the Holy Beasts have had the privilege of never even knowing.

A truth that the Black Records have never written down, nor have predicted. 

A truth that not even the Grandmaster knows of. 

This truth being that long, long ago, this world was attacked by beings, not from the beyond, but from somewhere worse, somewhere cruel and dark and full of hate. 

Abominations that invaded the land and challenged the goddess and her children.

These beings, referring to themselves as demons, laid waste to the world and wielded terrible powers that threatened all creation. 

Despite her best efforts, Adios and her kind were nearly driven to extinction as the demons were poised to take the world from her and humanity would have been enslaved by these vile creatures.

But help came to her, in the most unlikely form.

A hero clad in black came to the goddess' aid and with his help, they drove back the demons and saved the remnants of mankind and sealed the demon's world off from this one. 

Using the last of her powers along with her new found ally, the goddess and the demon used their combined might to create the Sept Terrions to help mankind rebuilt itself.

Yes. Mankind was saved with the help of a demon.

A demon, known as the Dark Knight Sparda

Chapter Text

1204, Septian Calendar 

March 31st

Erebonian Empire

Transcontinental Rail road en route to Trista

Early morning. 

Nero was resting across the booth with his feet up, garnering disapproving glances from the other passengers, not that he really cared anyway. 

His mind was elsewhere, thinking about how his next two years would be spent at this fancy military school. 

And how Sparda, the legendary demon that saved mankind, also saved this world from the demons. 

When Nero and Nico heard the news from the other's, it flipped this entire “working vacation” on its head. Not to mention the shitload of questions that now they had to try and find answers.

How did that book end up in the tower and who wrote it? 

What is a “Sept Terrion?"

Are the Witches of this world the same as the ones from back home? 

Are the Gnomes like…..bite sized people with top hats or something else entirely?

Where and what exactly are the Holy Beasts that were mentioned and what are the “Black Records?”

What exactly was the “beyond?”

And who the hell was the “Grandmaster?”

With little to go on and the SSS being busy to hell and back, it was up to Nico and Nero to be the team's detectives while the demons in Crossbell would try to gather info with what little time they had on their hands. 

It would be rather easy to pass information along at least, because Nico managed to get everyone's smart phones to work in this world, but they had to be careful, because something like broadband internet and touchscreens were not a thing in Zemuria yet. 

Not to mention Nero's orbment, which didn't look like an Enigma at all but still had the same flip phone design. 

Pulling it out of his pocket, he looked at the cover once again that said it was an “ARCUS” unit, made by the Reinford company, some big tech conglomerate in Erebonia. 

He asked Nico about it and she said that she did some digging and apparently it's in its experimental phase, making him even more curious as to why students had something like this in the first place. 

The Ministry of Railways wishes to thank all passengers for their patronage. This train is bound for Heimdallr via Crossbell State. The next stop is Trista. Trista.

We will be stopped at Trista for one minute. When disembarking, please ensure no belongings are left behind.

“Well, time get my ass in gear and make sure my pencils are sharpened” Nero quipped as he lazily got up as he felt the train start to slow down.

Reaching under the seat, he grabbed his carrying case for his sword and swung it over his shoulder. Making his way down the aisle, once again feeling the stares of people probably wondering what was in the case, he hopped the train and got a look at Trista station. 

The place was big but old fashioned, at least by his world's standards and looked around for the exit. Noticing a crowd of students making their way there, he strolled on over and made his way outside of the station.

Nero unfortunately did not have time to take in the view. 

Because as soon as he entered the light and went down some steps, a blonde girl with flower ornaments and wearing a red Thor's uniform with a green skirt and brown boots was about to fall down but the demon placed his hand on her back and caught her. 

“Oh, I'm so sorry about that!” she said apologetically to Nero as she fell into him by accident. 

“Actually, I should be apologizing for standing around like that, she probably wouldn't have fallen into you if I had been paying attention” a boy's voice said to Nero. 

The demon looked ahead and saw a boy with a red uniform, spikey black hair and a purple carrying case, rubbing his neck sheepishly. 

“It's whatever” Nero said as he gently pushed her to feet. “Happens to the best of us.”

“Even still, I probably shouldn't have been gawking at the flowers,” the girl insisted as she dusted herself off. “It's really a pretty town though isn't it? Just like a post card.”

“Yeah, I guess that's the magic of springtime for you” the boy affirmed, taking in the scenery once again. “I hope everything in your case is okay.”

“Oh don't worry about that, it'll be fine” she said to him calmly. “How's everything in….your case?” the blonde girl drawled out as she saw the large black case Nero was carrying, looking like it weighed a ton. 

“Oh this?” He said knocking it. “She's taken way bigger beating than that.”

“That's a relief!” The girl said happily “Wait….she?”

“Eh, long story,” Nero said to the girl. He then noticed a common trend between the three of them. “Does anyone know why we're wearing red?”

“Oh your right!” The girl said as she noticed, “You guys got the red uniform too, huh?”

“Yeah, but now that you mention it..” the boy spoke up as he looked at the other students passing through the train station entrance. “Almost everyone on the train had a green jacket. You two are one of the few I've seen in red. I didn't really think about it until now. I just put on the uniform they sent me.”

“I hadn't given it much thought since I got here either” the girl said in agreement. “Although, your uniform is different then ours, design wise.”

“Its not so bad,” Nero said as he checked his outfit. “I kinda like it.”

The demon noticed that while the two humans buttoned up jackets stopped at their waist, his unbuttoned jacket ran down to his knees. 

Nero was also wearing a black vest underneath with a grey zip up hoodie under the vest, coupled with dark blue pants similar to the boys but a little loose and had brown buckled boots like a pair he used to own, along with a leather wrist band on his left hand, paired with two rings on his index finger and ring finger respectively, making his rolled up sleeves stick out a bit more. 

“It does look pretty stylish, but yeah there have been a few others sporting similar jackets so I doubt it's a mistake.” the blonde girl said to the two boys. 

She then smiled. “Maybe it means we'll end up being classmates.”

“Hmm” the black haired boy hummed while the girl giggled at the thought. “Heehee. Anyway, I should get going. I've got a feeling we'll see each other again at the entrance ceremony though.”

The girl walked off, leaving the boys on their own. “She's kinda cheery, ain't she?” Nero said to the boy. 

“I agree.” The boy said as he realized something. “I totally forgot to ask her name. Oh well, I'm sure we'll run into her later.”

“Seems that way” Nero said casually. 

“She's right though, it is weird that there's so few of us in red. Is that really enough to make a class?” The boy spoke as he pulled out a device from his pocket. “That orbment they sent with the uniform is pretty strange too. It sure looks a lot fancier than your standard issue orbment, that's for sure.”

Only really knowing about the Enigma, Nero couldn't really draw a comparison as he pulled his out. “It's called an ARCUS, you can see the logo on the front of it"

The boy peered closer and took a look. “Well I'll be, guess I probably should've checked myself.”

“Either way, someone will probably tell us what it's for besides its usual function” Nero said as he peered around. “Wherever we have to go.”

“You mean Thors Military Academy? It's on the north side of town” the black haired boy said to Nero, getting his attention. “Oh I forgot to ask, what's your name?”

“Nero, what about you?”

The boy looked at Nero with a well practiced gaze. “I'm Rean Schwarzer, it's nice to meet you Nero.”

“You too Rean” Nero said as he stuck his hand out for a handshake and Rean took him up on it. 

“Want to walk to the Academy together? I think it would be awkward if we were both late on the first day of school.” Rean asked him. 

Nero shrugged. “Sure.”

The two walked with Rean and Nero making bits of small talk as they walked up the road, passing by some shops and a church. 

Coming to a fork in the road they saw another student with a red uniform, a girl with long blue hair, and had knee high boots that looked similar to converse shoes, was currently speaking with a butler.

“I shall take my leave here, my lady,” the butler said as he handed the girl a blue carrying case. “I pray you find victory here in both your studies and your training.”

The girl gave the butler a well meaning smile. “Thank you Klaus. I'm leaving everything in your hands while father is away” she said in a very formal tone. 

“Understood, my lady,” the butler named Klaus said to his charge. Before she was about to head up the road, she felt the presence of the two boys looking at her. 

Turning around she saw that they had red uniforms on like she did. “Is something the matter?” she asked. 

Rean shook his head. “No, not at all. I'm sorry for staring. I just noticed that you also have a red uniform on.”

“So that makes four of us a part of the cool kids club?” Nero said. “Wonder what that's all about.”

The girl pondered over what the demon said. “That's curious, I was told that Thors had clubs but I was not aware that we would be enrolled in one before the semester began. Is that the purpose of these uniforms?”

“It uh, was a joke,” Nero said, taken aback by her genuine curiosity. “We're just in the dark about this as you are.”

“Oh, I see, my apologies for the misunderstanding, but thank you for clarifying that up for me.” The girl said with a nod. “If you'll excuse me,” the girl then turned around and walked up the road. 

The butler Klaus excused himself from the scene as well. “Well then, talk about a first impression” Nero said as he rubbed his neck. “Im surprised that old guy didn't give me a stern talking too.”

“I think you didn't offend her," Rean stated. “The person must have been a butler so I guess she is a noble.”

“Do all nobles lack a sense of humor?” Nero said lax with his tone but it seemed to strike a cord with Rean. “I…..couldn't honestly know anything about that.”

“Hm?” Nero hummed but Rean didn't seem to hear it. “Anyway, we should probably head up the road.”

With that, the two continued their journey and after a bit of walking, they finally arrived at the entrance gate to Thors Military Academy.

A flower like archway greeted the two as it showed them the main campus building, a two story school house with a large tower jutting out from the middle of it, adorned with a bell at the top. 

“So this is it…” Rean said out loud as he took in the scenery. “Thors Military Academy. Founded the legendary Emperor Driechels himself.”

“It looks alright,” Nero remarked, not really impressed with the architecture. 

Suddenly, a car horn got Rean out of his day dream as he and Nero got out of the way of a limousine that slowed down and stopped in the middle of the road. 

A butler walked out of the driver's side door and opened the rear door. “Thank you for your patience sir. We've arrived at the academy.” 

“Much obliged” a boy's voice said promptly as he got off of the limo. 

The person in question surprisingly had a red jacket like him and Nero, wearing his jacket unbuttoned with a vest, shirt and tie combo underneath. Finishing the look with green pants and a brown carrying case, the outfit screamed aristocrat. 

The boy looked on at the flowers blowing in the wind as his butler attempted to assist his lord. “Please, if you'll allow me to take your luggage.”

“That won't be necessary. I'd prefer to avoid standing out too much” the blonde boy said curtly. 

“B-but sir…"

“This isn't open for debate,” the boy said a little more sternly. “Take whatever rest you need, then return to Bareahard.”

The butler bowed at his lord's command. “As you wish, I shall be departing then, sir. May the time spent in these hallowed halls be all you've hoped for. Please take care of yourself.”

The boy gave his butler a nod as we walked through, not so much as even the two a glance as he passed by. 

“And then we have number five,” Nero said as the boy stopped abruptly. “I beg your pardon?” He asked, confused by that statement.

Nero patted his sleeve jacket. “We got the same colors, I’m starting to think we might have some team spirit going on here.”

“Haha, maybe you're right Nero” Rean said, rubbing his head awkwardly. “That car you came out of was really fancy too. One of Reinford's fancier models right?” 

“Think nothing of it” the boy said promptly as we walked off. 

Nero wiped his nose with his hand “Cold shoulder huh?”

Rean let out a sigh. “School hasn't even started yet and I'm already making a bad impression of myself.”

“Relax, its the first day” Nero said to Rean, who perked up a bit. “You're probably right. Hopefully we can see him again.”

They headed through the gate and saw two large buildings adjacent to the main building, but not even a second later, someone called out to them. 

“Welcome to Thors Military Academy!” A girl's voice carried itself across the gentle breeze as it made its way to the boy's ears. 

Turning to its direction, they saw a short girl with long brown hair tied up in a ponytail and a chubby boy with a yellow mechanics suit.

The short girl pulled out a piece of paper.

“You're.. let's see…yes, you're the last of them!” That'd make you Rean Schwarzer and Nero Redgrave, right?”

“Uh yes, that would be us. It's a pleasure to meet you” Rean said, a little surprised. “But how did you know our names?”

“Heehee, it's a long story” the girl giggled with a smile. “Don't sweat the details right now.”

“Are those your weapons you've got wrapped up? I'll need to hold on to them for the time being” the chubby said politely. 

“Right, they said that in the letter” Nero affirmed. 

Rean gave the boy the letter while the girl held out both of her hands, expecting Nero to give it to her. “Listen, I get you're probably a Sunday schooler trying to make a good impression but this is a bit above your paygrade, shortstuff.”

“S-Sunday schooler?!” The girl sputtered then pouted. “Aw darn it! Not again!”

“Hahaha” the chubby boy laughed. “Looks like Angelica and Crow won the bet after all.

“Not you too, George!” The girl continued to pout. 

“A bet?” Rean asked the two. “Oh it's nothing you need to worry about,” the chubby boy named George answered. 

“If those are your friends, you might want to call me over, cause you'll probably need some extra hands for her.” Nero said as he gestured to his case. He looked back over to the girl still holding out her hands. 

“You really want to handle this?” Nero asked the girl. “I'll be careful, I promise!” she insisted, not really knowing what she was getting into. 

Deciding to humor her, he twisted his arm around and placed the case in front of him with a resounding thud, causing some dust to fly upwards. 

“Uh….w-what exactly is in that?” the girl asked nervously. 

“My partner in crime” Nero said as he leaned the case towards the girl, still keeping a handle on it just in case. 

As expected, the girl felt a fraction of its weight and nearly crumpled under it before giving up. “This is not how this was supposed to go,” she said, defeated. 

“You gave it your all, I think we can all agree to that” Rean said to her with George nodding in agreement. 

“I'll call Angie and Crow over, Nero, could you prop that up against that wall?” George said, pointing to the entryway. “We'll make sure to have it returned to you before long.”

“Got it,” Nero said as went ahead to do that. 

“That must be some weapon” Rean thought to himself as Nero walked on. 

“Now that I think about it…” Rean and the others looked at the spot where the case was and noticed a small dent on the stone pathway. 

“I uh think we're gonna need all hands on deck with this” George nervously laughed as he rubbed his neck. “Even you Towa.”

“Oh man, this is really not my day!” the girl named Towa began to pout again. 

“Think of it as exercise, it'll help in the long run.” Nero said as he came back. “So, where to next?”

Towa perked up at that. “The entrance ceremony will be held in the auditorium in the back,” she said, pointing to the left most building. “You can't miss it.”

She then gave both boys a smile. “Anyway, I hope you both enjoy your first day at Thors!”

“We're glad to have you. I hope these next two years will be a fruitful time for the both of you” George said to the both of them. 

“Well Thanks” Nero said as the two went to the auditorium. “Hey Nero, you think those two are second years?”

“Probably, why do you ask?” Nero asked Rean. 

“That girl definitely looked younger than us though, and what was that about us being the last?” Rean inquired. “We can't be the very last students to check in, aren't we?”

A bell echoed throughout the school grounds. “We will be if we don't make it to the ceremony, let's move” Nero said. 

With that the two boys entered the auditorium and found some empty seats, just as the ceremony was about to begin. 

..Now if I may, I'd like to say a few words in closing about this academy's illustrious history.

Thors Military Academy was founded almost two hundred and twenty years ago.

Its founder, as I'm sure you know, was none other than the great Emperor Driechels.

The very same Emperor who ended the War of the Lions and brought prosperity to the Erebonian Empire.

Thirty Years after becoming emperor, in the later years of his life, he opened the doors to this institution.

It was a place where young people like yourselves, could learn the art of war. 

But with the mechanization of the military, many of our graduates now pursue careers outside the army. 

Our mission, however, remains the same, to prepare our students to fulfill Emperor Dreichel's famous mandate. 

‘Arise o youth, and become the foundation of t-

“Few words my ass” Nero mentally grumbled as Principle Vandyck, a burly old man with a strong build, droned on and on with his speech. 

Nero kept shifting in his seat, crossing his legs left to right to left respectively, wanting to get this shit over with.

An action not unnoticed by Rean and a few other students near him, not to mention some of the teaching staff, one of them being a blonde man with a purple military outfit and cape who was definitely not happy with the demon's attitude. 

It also didn't help that Nico was among the staff as well, wearing a blue mechanics jumpsuit with a bandolier belt with her sleeved rolled up and sporting cowboy boots, was making an ass of herself by smiling and waving like a school kid. 

Nero mouthed several curses telling her to behave before someone spoke up to him. 

“Is she a friend of yours?”

“Huh?” Nero turned to his left and saw an orange haired with a boy with green eyes who saw Nero's annoyed face and flinched a bit. 

“O-oh I'm sorry, i didn't mean to offend you” the boy sputtered out. 

“It's fine,” Nero said to him. “She's always been like that.”

The orange haired kid let out a sigh. “That's a relief. But that speech set some pretty high standards” the boy said, wanting to change the subject. “No pressure right?”

“Not the worst sermon I've heard, so I guess it gets a passing grade,” Nero said back to him. 

The boy didn't know what to say before Rean chimed in. “You were right about it having high standards. I mean this is Driechels the Lionheart we're talking about. He didn't earn that nickname by taking the easy road.”

Rean then had a thoughtful expression on his face. “Guess that means we have more to worry about then just passing exams huh?”

“Ahaha…I guess we do,” the boy replied and then introduced himself. 

“I'm Elliot Craig, nice to meet’cha” he said with a soft smile.

“Rean Schwarzer.”

“Nero.” The demon noticed his outfit. “Looks like we've met lucky number six.”

“Number what?” Elliot said, not really understanding what he meant by that. 

“We've noticed that you're also sporting the same school fashion.” Rean clarified for him.

Elliot realized it too. “Yeah. No idea what the red uniform is supposed to mean though. Most of the other students are wearing green. Well, except for the ones in the white uniforms” Elliot looked over to the front row of students. 

Nero let out a low whistle. “Snazzy, any idea what their deal is?”

“I'm not sure,” Rean said. “Although…”

“Hmm? Something wrong?” Elliot asked curiously. 

“Nah. Just thinking to myself.”

Nero was a little curious about that unfinished thought before a sneering voice announced itself over the intercom. 

“And that brings us to the close for Thors two-hundredth and fifteenth entrance ceremony. Next, please proceed to the class designated in your guidebook. There you will go over the school rules as well as your classes curriculum. That is all. Dismissed!” a man with a nasty looking mustache said as he finished the announcement.

The auditorium slowly began to empty out as with only some of the white clad students and the handful of red clad students left in the nearly empty hall. Nico gave Nero a final wave before leaving the building. 

“Okay, something's up.” Nero said to the two. 

“The class designated in our guidebook? I don't remember seeing something like that” Elliot stated. 

Rean nodded in agreement. “There wasn't any information in that about mine either. I just assumed they'd tell us where to go after the ceremony.”

“I didn't even get a guidebook,” Nero chimed in. But before he could say anything else, a woman's voice called out to the remaining students. 

“All Riiiiight, students in red uniforms, could I have your attention please?” They students looked over nearby and saw a woman with fuschia colored hair, a yellow cocktail dress and thigh high boots with a dark blue overcoat, looking very out of place at a military school. 

“By now, you're probably all confused. ‘Where's my MY class assignment?’ you're probably thinking” she began in a very casual manner. “That's perfectly understandable. your situation is just a liiiiitle more complicated than the other students. But before I explain, I would like you to join me for a little orienteering exercise.”

Nero heard a scoff from a green haired kid with glasses while the blonde girl from before spoke up. “Did you mean an orientation exercise?”

“Worry not. Everything will be made clear soon enough! Now, right this way, if you would.” she said dodging the question as she walked to a door on the auditorium's left side.

Nero went after her. “Hold on!” A voice called out to Nero. He turned and saw the green haired kid looking towards him and the door. “You're just going to follow her?”

Nero shrugged. “Might as well, we're burning daylight as is” he said as he continued toward the door. 

The others followed suit and followed the woman through the campus grounds, wondering just where the hell she was taking them. 

One thing Nero did notice about her for sure, is that she was a skilled combatant, the way she walked with perfect balance told him that she was ready to fight at a moment's notice and she kept her head on a swivel while appearing relaxed. 

They entered the back area of the school down an old dirt path and trekking along it, the group arrived at a large open clearing with an old, run down greystone structure with a bell situation at the top of it. 

The others got closer to the building while Nero hung back as Rean and Elliot caught up to him. 

“W-what is this place?” Elliot asked. 

“Why is there a building this dilapidated on campus? It should've been torn down ages ago.” Rean said, looking at the cracks and fractured exterior. 

“Hell if I know” Nero hummed. 

Their questions fell on deaf ears as the woman hummed a tune as she pulled out a set of keys and opened the doors to the building and entered it. 

“What does she even want us to do here?” The blonde girl asked out loud. 

“Is she ever going to tell us what's going on?!” The green haired boy growled. 

“I suppose we'll just have to go inside and see for ourselves what awaits us” the blue haired girl stated as she and the others went on ahead. 

“Th-this place looks like some old haunted mansion or something,” Elliot said nervously. 

“Now that you mention, it kinda does” Rean noticed the creepy vibe the place gave off. 

“Ghosts or not, the sooner we find out what's going on the better” Nero said as he went to walk right in with two right behind him. 

On a plateau nearby, a student, a young man with white hair and a bandana and a woman with purple hair and a black jumpsuit, were currently drinking several bottles of water, trying to gain their energy back after what George had put them through. 

“Angie…remind me…to never carry anything from George again” the white haired man said between gulps of water. 

“Haha….only…if you'll stop hounding me….for prowling for kittens this year, Crow" the woman named Angie said, finishing her water. 

“Looks like yall still got some energy left.” Nico said as she walked in with Towa and George, who were similarly tired. 

“Th..thank you again, Ms. Goldstein.” Towa said as she rubbed her arm. “I don't…think we could have done that without your help

“Don't mention it, little lady. And don't call me Ms Goldstein, it makes me feel old!” she playfully snapped. “I don't plan on pushing daisies up yet.”

“Seriously though” the white haired man named Crow said with some effort. “Just what the hell is in that case?”

“Its a surprise, but those kids down there will see it, so I'd ask em” Nice replied as she hurled some spit on the ground. 

“Oh Nico~” Angie said as she looked at her with wanting eyes. “Please bless me with that divine water of yours~.” 

“Down girl!” Nico spat back. “I'd like to keep my job and help Nero out, so keep your shit in check!”

“You know him?” Crow asked her as she sat up. “Well that's news to the rest of us. Does he know what's about to happen there?”

“Nope. Kept my lips sealed,” she said, wiping a finger across her lip “Besides, it's not gonna give him much trouble, those kids though? They'll be put through the ringer with those…” 

She snapped her fingers trying to remember something. “Field studies, right?”

“Only if they get through this” George hummed, placing a hand on his chin. 

“Which is why we have to give it all we got to support this fledgling class!” Towa cheered out before coughing. 

“Take it easy, miss president” Nico said to Towa who blushed in embarrassment. “Ahaha, right.”

“Ah don't spoil her fun, she's going all in with this” Crow spoke casually, but it cheered Towa up a bit. 

“We'll they'd been in for a pretty rough time if we didn't help out, at least a little.” George said to the group. “Everything ready down there?”

“You bet’cha, just like the Instructor asked,” Angie said to him. “Can't help but feel a little sorry for them though. 

“Same here” Crow agreed with her statement. “They've got no idea what they're being tossed into. The class they've been picked for, didn't even exist until this year.”

Crow walked forward to eye the building one last time, knowing the actual meaning behind its purpose. “Guess all we can do is just sit back and watch what they're made of, right?”

“Agreed on that Crow” Nico said as she pulled out a cigarette and lit up. 

“Ms. Goldstein, you can't smoke on campus!” Towa chastised her, waving away the smoke in the air. 

“We're not on campus, little lady” Nico pulled out a map of the school. “See? we're technically not on the grounds right now.”

“That's a few reges of distance! That doesn't count!”

“Don't sweat the details, am I right?” Nico blew out a fresh gale of tobacco. The artisan found the word for centimeter kinda cute, but also weird. 

Crow laughed at the situation while George and Towa tried to argue the point. 

He had to admit, this was going to be an interesting few months. 

The interior of the building was no less worse for wear, in which you could feel its age as a draft blew in from all sides, walking along the stone flooring, the students headed over a makeshift stage with the woman who went up it to address the class. 

“The names Sara Valestine” she said, putting a hand on her hip. “I'm the instructor in charge of Class VII, which means you get the pleasure of seeing me all year. Glad to finally meet you!” she finished with a smile. 

Everyone in the room was stunned by this new bit of information. 

“Wait….Class VII?” the green haired kid repeated out loud. 

“U-us?” Elliot said, confused by the name.

“I don't understand. I wasn't told anything about this at enrollment” the blue haired girl commented. 

“Oh great, it is the cool kids club and not the fun kind” Nero said a little annoyed.  

“Aw, don't pout!” Sara shared cheekily. “I'll let you know that I'm the best teacher for the job. In fact, in this entire school and cannot wait to get to know each and every one of you.”

Yeah, she might be worse than Nico. 

“Excuse me, Instructor Sara?” A girl with glasses and long braided hair spoke up politely as she put her hands together. “I was under the impression that there were only five classes at the academy and that students were split among them based on their social class and home region.”

“What kind of wack-job school does that?” Nero asked out loud to no one in particular.

But he surprisingly got an answer from the girl. “Thors Military Academy and other institutions in Erebonia have similar systems of divisions among their student body.”

“Well that's a cool fun fact.” Nero said as he turned to her. When they saw each other, both noticed something….odd about the other person across from them. 

In Nero's case, he could sense what appeared to be magical energy, a bit more compared to the other humans in the room. Maybe the kid has a natural affinity for using arts, as he could best guess. 

As for the girl, she sensed that the white haired boy felt…..strange, as if something was radiating from him. 

“Right you are, Miss top scorer on the Thors entrance exam!” Sara said, making the two break eye contact. “Students are divided into five classes, two for the nobility and three for commoners and it's been that way for ages, right up until last year.”

Sara adopted a knowing grin. “But this year, we decided to shake things up a little.”

“Wh-what do you?” The girl's question was about to be answered. 

“We now have a sixth class. Fittingly titled…Class VII, and in Class VII, we recognize no distinction between nobles and commoners.”

“Wait, you just jumped from V to VII?” Rean asked the teacher.

The blonde girl asked another question, “Y-You're really putting nobles and commoners in the same class?”

On cue, the green haired kid voiced his disapproval at the notion. “This must be some kind of joke! And why is this the first I've heard of it?!”

“Well, uh…err….Who were you again?” Sara asked, taken aback by the sudden outburst. 

“Machias Regnitz! the boy said firmly. “And with all due respect Instructor, it's ludicrous to intermix nobles and commoners this! Must I be forced to spend my next two years shoulder to shoulder with those arrogant, stuck hedonists?!”

“Great, a soap box soldier” Nero thought as Sara went to address the situation. 

“Uh..you do know I'm not the one who made the decision, right? Besides, what's the big deal anyway? You're all kids. Can't you just…get along or something?” she said a little too casually to Machias, who fumed at the thought.

“J-just..get along?! Hah! And how would you propose we do that?” He asked mockingly. 

The blonde boy next to him scoffed. Machias heard it and turned to face him. 

“And what's your problem?”

“Oh nothing much” the boy said. “I just find the irony of your behavior rather humorous.”

“Is that so?” Machias drawled out. “It seems the scion of some noble house has left the comfort of his mansion to grace the unwashed masses with his wisdom! Please, milord, do share your esteemed name with us so I can give you all the respect you deserve.”

“Someone's cranky," Nero thought as the boy turned to face Machias to introduce himself. 

“Jusis Albarea,” the blonde boy said. “Not that I'd expect the name of an arrogant, stuck-up hedonist to lodge itself in that hard head of yours.”

Several of the students, Machias included, seemed to be very surprised by the revelation of his name. 

“H-he's from one of the Four Great Houses” Elliot said, now nervous at the presence of a well known noble. 

“So he's a part of the big leagues?” Nero asked the group. 

“Not the most crass way I would describe it but that explanation is fine for the most part” Jusis said to the demon. 

“Yeah Nero, he's the son of Duke Albarea, lord of the Kreuzen province in the southeast.”

“Well, you don't get much more noble than that,” the blonde girl said, crossing her arms. 

“Yeah, pulling up to school in a limo would definitely turn some heads.” Nero remembered the scene from earlier, bringing even more unwanted attention to Jusis. “I do believe I told you to think nothing of it” 

It wasn't supposed to be rude but to Machias it felt like an insult.  “D-do you expect me to be impressed?! And you have the gall to order people around?!” 

Machias scoffed with venom. “Your family lineage means nothing to me! I'll never bend my knee to the likes of…”

“Okay, okay! That's enough!” Sara clapped to shut down Machias's holier then thou rant before it could continue any further. 

The others broke away from the scene to look back at Sara. 

“I'm sure a couple of you have a few grievances, but now's not the time. I'll hear your complaints later” Sara spoke, making sure each and everyone of them got the memo.

She cleared her throat.“Right now, you've got your orienteering exercise, and far be it from me to keep you from our fun little icebreaker.”

Machias grumbled but decided to let his hatred go for now. 

“You mentioned this….’orieenteering exercise’ earlier?” the blonde girl questioned once again. “What exactly does that involve?"

The girl with glasses answered her question. “Its a form of outdoor competition, isn't it? Something like a cross between a map reading exercise and a scavenger hunt?”

“Let me guess,” Nero spoke suddenly. “Thats why we had to drop our luggage off at the front gate?”

“I was just thinking that, Nero,” Rean said in agreement. 

“Nothing gets by you two, does it?” Sara said, impressed how they were right on the money. 

She then walked backwards with her smile plastered across her face as when to the back wall and held her hand over a button. 

“Hey Sara!” Nero said, getting her attention. “There's not gonna be spikes down there right?” The instructor paused, surprised by his intuition. 

“Wait, what Nero?” Rean asked him confused by what he meant. 

“What are you talking about?” The blonde girl asked Nero as the other turned to him. 

“Did you happen to notice something?” The blue haired girl came in next.

“Now I'm curious,” a tall boy with tan skin said out loud. “Is it something dangerous?”

“Th-this isn't a trap door is it?” Elliot said somewhat shakily.

“What are you going on about?” Machias said, not having cooled off yet from dealing with Jusis. 

“You may as well tell us what you know,” Jusis demanded. 

A silver haired girl said nothing but kept a hand on her grappling hook none the less. 

“It's nothing dangerous, that's all I can tell you, so let's get started shall we?” Sara said as she pushed the button.

The other humans were surprised by the floor shaking, that bit of hesitation being their only warning as the floor opened up and they fell in. 

Except for Nero, who jumped back the moment the floor trap activated and the silver haired girl used her hook to latch onto a beam right above her. 

“Come on, Fie.” Sara said to the girl, pulling out a dagger. 

“You're going with them and that's that! What's the point of having an icebreaker if you don't make a couple of new friends?” She then threw the dagger and cut the girl's rope. 

“Ugh, lame” she said flatly as she fell down the slide. 

“And you there, young man!” Sara said to Nero who was near the trap doors entrance. “I gotta admit, that was very impressive. How'd you know about the trap?”

“You hovering a finger of a button made it pretty obvious, not that hard to figure out” he answered. 

Sara laughed. “You got some cheek on you! I think we're gonna get along smoothly, but I kiiinda need you to go down there. This ice breaker only works if all of you are well….breaking ice.”

Nero smirked. “Is this counting towards getting some extra credit?”

“Hmm..” the teacher hummed for a bit, “I'll think about it, now get a move on!”

 Nero rubbed his head “Alright then” he said, walking towards the hole in the ground. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained” he muttered as he jumped into the hole. 

After he left, Sara mussed over what she had just seen.  “His senses and reflexes are good, just like Nico said. He's definitely seen combat before, and not the kind that's sunshine and rainbows.”

She then let out a sign. “Regardless, I got to raise these kids right, because they might be the key Prince Oliviert needs to combat the Chancellor."

Nero slid down the incline and landed on his feet. “Well at least nobody's a pin cushion” he quipped to the group who were just standing around in the large, octagon shaped room. 

Looking around he saw his sword case among the other students' belongings. He then sensed the….awkward atmosphere in the air. 

“Uh did I miss something?” He asked, noticing that the blonde girl was standing close to the girls with a very flustered face and saw Rean was rubbing a red spot on his cheek. 

“Uh..” Elliot began but the blonde girl screamed out. “THATS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!”

Elliot shut down while Nero raised an eyebrow. “You sure nothing happened?”

“DID YOU NOT HEAR ME?!” the blonde girl yelled while blushing.

Nero raised his hands up, “Alright alright, I'll just investigate the old fashioned way.”

Before the girl could retort, Nero heard his and the others orbments start to ring. 

Nero went and pulled his ARCUS out and instinctively put it to his ear while the others pulled them out in front of them. 

“It's coming from the devices we received with the academy guidebook,” the girl with glasses said, looking at the device. 

“It seems to be some sort of…portable orbment” the blue haired girl said as she also analyzed the device. 

“Hello?” Nero said as Sara's voice came crashing through his ear. “Right you are! These handy little devices are a special kind of battle orbment. 

“Shit!” Nero flinched as the static attacked his ears like sandpaper. “Mind warning us next time before you set these things to speaker mode?”

“Speaker….mode?” the glasses girl asked him. “What does that do?”

“Uh don't worry about it, long story,” Nero replied, realizing his slip up. 

“But was that Ms. Valestine?” the tall boy said as he eyed the device. 

“Seems that way, I've seen another kind of these that can make calls too” Nero said to the tanned guy. 

“Wait, there are other orbments that can do that?” Machias said, adding another question to the mix. 

“Yeah…they're called Enigmas. Are they not a thing here?” Nero added. 

“No actually, they've only been introduced to Crossbell state” the blonde haired girl spouted suddenly. “Wait, then don't tell me these things are..” 

Sara finished for her. “..New-model battle orbments made through a partnership between the Epstein foundation and Reinford company. Newly made fifth generation battle orbments, in fact. They're called ARCUS units.”

“Right, Nero did say that was what these were called” Rean said as he looked over. 

“So these are battle orbments….that means they'll allow us to use arts, right?” the girl with glasses said.  

“Sure will!’ Sara said cheerfully. “Just set a quartz into one of its slots and you can use arts all the live long day. Which is why I've prepared enough quartz for each and everyone of you.”

Just then, the lights kicked in and of course, on various tables neatly placed in the corners of the room, were the students' belongings. 

“The weapons you brought are all here too, each packaged neatly alongside a little box containing a quartz. Find yours and try setting it into your ARCUS” Sara said over the loudspeaker. 

Nero went over to his weapon, which he spotted on the right side of the room. 

The others, while having some reservations, went over to their weapons as well. 

As he was about to open the box, a girl's voice spoke up. “Nice reflexes.”

He turned and saw the silver haired girl from earlier, putting her quartz inserting her ARCUS. “You too. nice trick with the grappling hook, sucks that Sara cut it in half though.”

“It's fine, I have spares,” the girl said as she went and opened her bag and pulled out two…gun blades and sheathed them to her back.

“Your name's Fie right?” Nero said to her. 

“Yep. Fie Clausell. You?”

“Nero” the demon said with a nod he put his quartz into his ARCUS, it being called “Criminal”

“Weird, I don't think Enigmas have these” He thought as his ARCUS started to glow. He looked around and saw that the other units were enveloped with light as well. 

 “That light means that you've successfully synchronized with your ARCUS.” Sara spoke through the device.

“Congratulations, now you can use arts as much as you want. These ARCUS units have plenty of more nifty features, but I wouldn't want to bombard you with too much info all at once, so we'll cover those another time.”

“So what now?” Nero asked through his ARCUS. 

“I thought you'd never ask!” Sara said as a wall at the far end of the room suddenly slid open. “When you all step through that door, you'll be in an underground testing area.”

“Testing for what?” Nero asked. 

“Basically, it's a dungeon. It's pretty large and full of twists and turns. I almost guarantee you'll get lost at least once” Sara answered. 

“But….” she emphasized. “When you do find the exit, you'll be able to return to the first floor of this old schoolhouse. There are monsters wandering around though, so don't let your guard down for even a moment!”

Nero saw the other students' various reactions to that bit of info. 

Elliot gulped at the mention of monsters, Rean seemed to be a bit surprised by them being here, the blue haired girl, Jusis, and the tall boy didn't seem phased by the prospect. 

Machias seemed a bit tense and the girl with glasses looked a little nervous at the idea and Fie seemed lax, yawning as Sara gave the group one last message. 

“With that being said, let's commence our special orienteering exercise,” she cheered to the students. “Your objective is to make it through this area and back to the surface. Make it back in one piece and I'll be happy to field any complaints you might have. If you make it back safely, I might even give you a kiss! free of charge!....On the cheek, of course.” 

Sara hung up on the group, leaving them to ponder what to do next. 

They all gathered in the middle with Nero still not having opened his case yet, deciding to bring it with him to this group huddle. 

“U-umm..” Elliot said, betraying his nerves. 

“I don't think she's joking,” the blonde girl said as she held her arms, having calmed down a bit.

Not surprisingly, Jusis was the first to go, that move making Machias fume with irritation. “And just where do you think you're going? Were you planning to wander off on your own without saying anything?!”

“I have no interest in becoming friends with any of you. And I'm surprised you, of all people, give a damn what I do” Jusis said snidely to Machias. “Unless you've suddenly decided you do want to keep company with one of those ‘stuck up hedonists’ after all.”

Machias growled, quite literally, as Jusis kept going. “Still, if you're afraid of the monsters, I suppose I could accompany you. After all, what kind of Erebonian noble would I be if I didn't have at least some degree of prowess with a sword? And noblesse oblige dictates that it's my sacred duty to protect powerless commoners such as yourself.”

“Damn these kids are annoying” Nero thought as Machias yelled. “Wh-what the hell?! Nobody's asking your high excellency to deign to help us!”

Machias began to walk out but Nero spoke up. “Not a smart move. I wouldn't head out while being pissed.”

“Mind your own damn business!” Machias shouted at Nero. “If that's how he wants to make it, I'll just…find my way out of here  before that arrogant noble does!” the boy stated, much to Nero's annoyance.

Was this what Dante meant by him being hot-headed?

“I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself without some relic of an outdated class system dragging me down!” Machias finished his speech as he walked down the corridor and Jusis scoffed as he went down his own way. 

“Someone didn't get his coffee this morning,” Nero said as he looked towards the remaining student. “Anyone else got complaints? Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

“I don't really have anything to say” Rean said, not choosing peace. 

“I um, am with Rean on this one Nero” Elliot said, scratching his cheek. 

“What should we do?" Emma asked the group. 

“Get to walking” Nero said as he broke away from the group to get some room to drop his case. 

“I agree with his assessment” the blue haired girl voiced her approval. “We should begin exploring these ruins ourselves. I believe it would be prudent to remain in small groups, however.”

She looked over the blonde girl and glasses girl respectively. “Would the two of you have any objections to accompanying me?”

“No, that's fine” the blonde girl said, happy to be with a group of girls instead of that….heathen. 

“It would be a huge help actually” the glasses haired girl also hopped on board with the team of women. 

“And you're welcome to join us as….” the blue haired girl trailed off as she saw Fie walk down the hallway without saying a word. “I suppose that's a no. Perhaps we'll run into her along the way, and she can join us then.”

She then turned to the remaining boys. “I'm certain you gentlemen will be fine, but do take care.”

“Okay” Rean said as the other girls left, with the blonde girl giving him a dirty look.

As they left, Rean let out a sigh. “Rean what happened?” Nero asked straight out. 

“Oh, that?...Well you see….when we fell I saw that she might get hurt so I used myself as a cushion” Rean answered a bit nervously. 

“And then what?” Nero asked again. 

“Well….he did,” Elliot said next. “But she landed on top of him and…Reans face was uhh…in her chest” the boy blushed profusely at the memory. 

Nero pinched his brow while Rean looked awkward. “Yeah this really isn't my day.”

The demon understood full well why she would be beyond pissed at the situation, but he had to basically chaperone these kids for two years so this needed to be nipped in the bud ASAP. 

“Look, we'll clear it up later,” Nero said. 

Rean perked up. “Oh um..thank you. So, how should we do this? Should the four of us stick together then?”

“Sounds good to me!” Elliot chimed in. “I'd get pretty anxious walking around in a place like this.”

“No objections here. I'd be happy to accompany you” the tall boy said in agreement. 

The four went by the entrance to the dungeon and the three humans pulled their weapons out and the tall boy finally gave his name out. 

“I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. My name is Gaius Worzel. I just arrived in the Empire’ so any help you can offer would be much appreciated.”

“Oh so you're from abroad then?” Rean asked curiously. “Ive been wondering…anyway I'm Rean Schwarzer. 

“I'm Elliot Craig.”

“Nero,” the demon said. “So you guys use a cross-spear, a tachi, and an orbal staff huh?”

The three humans were surprised by his knowledge. “That's correct, I was pretty handy with it back home” Gaius said to him. “And I was wondering what Elliot's weapon was.”

“I thought it was a staff or an orbment at first. But have to say, I'm surprised you know what this is” Rean said as he held out his sword. “Tachis aren't common in the Empire, so it's nice to know someone who has knowledge of eastern weapons.”

“Ive been around” Nero spoke back. “As for Elliot's staff, I've heard of someone using it back in Crossbell.”

“Oh you're not from here too?” Elliot said, surprised by the news. “That's awesome! But yeah, they told me I had some aptitude for it during enrollment, so I just sorta ran with it. But Rean's sword looks amazing too.”

“Yeah, the craftsmanship looks exceptional” Gaius said as he admired the blade. 

“They're renowned for the layering of their steel and the sharpness of their edge,” Rean explained. “Truth be told, though, I'm still a little hesitant to be swinging around something this dangerous..”

“So Nero what abo-” Nero swung the case and set it on the ground, making a loud thud as it landed. 

“Whoa!” That looks heavy!” Elliot said, surprised by the noise. Nero didn't say anything as he began to work. 

The boy heard the sounds of clicks and whirring as the case was opened in a way that the boys couldn't see what was inside. Gaius saw how…focused Nero was, as if he was putting together a masterpiece on a canvas. 

“Right there and you go up here” Nero muttered as he continued to build his weapon. Rean and Elliot shared a glance and made their way over to see what was inside. 

Nero fitted the cylinder of his gun into its frame as he spun it for good measure and clicked it back into place and holstered it. 

Just as the three finally came around to see what Nero was doing, they finally realized what was in the case, making them open their mouths in surprise. 

The blade was shaped like a durandal but it looked far thicker than your average one and they watched in awe as Nero flipped it to make its end fix itself to the ground. 

They also noticed mechanical parts all across the sword's handle and a makeshift guard similar to court fencing blades, not to mention how absurdly long it was. Lastly there were several holes lined up near the hilt of the blade. 

Nero revved the handle twice, creating a loud noise that echoed throughout the room. The humans instinctively covered their ears and saw flaming smoke coming from the holes. 

“What the?!” Elliot shouted. “What kind of sword is that?”

“Is that sword also an orbment?” Gaius asked. 

“No I don't think so” Rean said as he smelled the fumes. “Is that…..gasoline?”

“Wait if that's true, then it must be coming from a combustion engine” Elliot chimed in. “It's pretty old tech that's not used anymore. But that would mean…”

“Yep,” Nero answered. “The engine in this baby keeps it nice and warm.”

“Are you serious?!” Elliot again said, shocked by the possibility. 

“The engine is in the blade?” Gaius asked as he looked over the sword. “I don't know much about technology, but that's…. ..astounding. What's the engine for?”

“Well” Nero began as he switched the engine off. “Let's just say if there's something worth my time down here, you'll be in for a show.”

Elliot and Gaius were confused by Nero's statement as Rean spoke up. “That's the most unique two handed sword I've ever laid my eyes on” Rean said….

…Just as Nero swung the blade over his shoulder with one hand and looked at the three. “Nah, she handles just fine with one hand.”

“That sword must weigh a lot,” Elliot said, still in disbelief about what he had just heard and stunned by Nero's strength. 

“Kinda rude to make fun of a girl's weight” Nero joked. 

“Girl?” Gaius asked him. 

“Yep, the Red Queen, my one and only” Nero answered as he began to walk towards the entry hall. 

“Wait, where are you going?” Rean called out to him. 

Nero turned around but walked backwards. “Gonna look for…Machias, I think that's his name? I'll catch you guys later.”

With that Nero made his way into the maze.

“Take that!” Machias roared as he blasted another bug monster to bits.

Loading his shotgun with more shells and pumping the action, he began his assault once more as another set of bug monsters entered his line of fire.

As he fought, Jusis words clouded his mind, angered as he viewed him as a “helpless commoner."

“I'll show you helpless!” He thought as another bug monster fell to his fury. Unfortunately, the youth blinded by hatred for the upper class would soon be at the monster's mercy, as a bug launched itself into his back, making Machias fall forward and lose his glasses and shotgun in one fell swoop.  

Turning around, even through his blurry vision, he saw the yellow insect-like eyes bead into him as began to pounce. 

“Agh!” He yelped as he put his arms out, but a thundering noise pierced through the room the monster was blown to bite sized pieces. 

His ears rang as he tried to look around to find the source, only to see the faint outline of a figure reaching out to him to give him his glasses. “I told you man, not a smart move” the voice said, still somewhat muffled. 

Machias took the glasses and saw that his savior was the white haired boy from before. 

“O-oh, it's you” Machias said as he looked at him with clearer vision, clearer ears and a much clearer head. “T-thank you for that, I'm surprised that monster got the drop on me.”

“Im not surprised at all, you were blowing steam from your ears” Nero said as he held his hand out. “You okay?”

Machias' anger rose a bit before he stopped himself. He then sighed. “Im alright” he said as he took Nero hand and the demon hoisted him up. 

“The school really needs to deal with roach infestation.” Nero quipped and kicked away some bug parts. 

“Why our instructor sent us down here is honestly escaping me” Machias said, then realized something. “Oh um what's your name? 

“Nero, and I know your name Machias, made a pretty good impression with how you were acting earlier.”

While sarcastic, the underlying meaning was not lost on the boy's ears. “Right…that….” 

Machias let out another sigh. “Im sorry for snapping at you earlier, I let that arrogant noble goad me into losing composure and acted on impulse.”

“Well look at that, maybe you'll be friends with Richie rich after all” Nero said as Machias looked up, not happy with the suggestion. “Oh that will never happen!”

“You know what, let's walk and talk before you blow a gasket,” Nero said as he gestured towards a hallway to the left. “I'm pretty sure some of our buddies are that way.”

Machias's anger was briefly halted by the change in subject  “Ah I see, well….I did get lost so maybe I should retrace my steps” Machias said suddenly cooling off.

After walking in silence for a bit, the boy came to a realization. “Hey, what do you mean by gasket?”

Nero, keeping his pace, turned to him “I mean that when I brought up that….Jusis guy, I think, you end up going red in the face.”

“Well how am I supposed to not to?” Machias questioned, a little mad but not angry at Nero. “He is a part of the nobility, an outdated form of power that crushes the commoner under its heel for every waking moment of our lives.”

“But you don't know the guy personally, so why judge him? He didn't ask to be born with a silver pacifier in his mouth.” Nero said casually. “Can't exactly be surprised at him for biting back when you pressed him for no reason.”

“B-but that's…hold on.” Machias said as he briefly stopped. “Could…could I ask what social class you belong to?”

Nero stopped abruptly and turned around. “Really? Now you wanna ask?”

Machias fixed his glasses. “I know this sounds odd, given what happened earlier but I am simply curious to know who I may be associating myself with in the future.”

“You gonna treat me differently depending on my answer?”

Machias was taken aback by Nero's words, “Well….I mean you've been kind after I treated you so harshly befo-”

“Not answering.”

“Huh?” Machias said, confused. “W-Why won't you tell me?”

Nero walked forward and placed it on his shoulder. “Cause I think you need to not judge a book by its cover. Ever heard of the golden rule? ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ and all that shit? You should try it sometime.”

Nero patted his shoulder as he began to walk again, Machias stood there trying to ponder his words. 

“Hey what the hell is ‘the golden rule’ anyway?” He asked as he ran after him.

But the sounds of battle up ahead blocked any further questioning as Nero started to walk a bit faster to find out who was fighting what. 

Coming up on a set of stairs leading towards an open area, he saw Rean, Elliot and Gaius finishing up a fight against a group of monsters. The staff user fell to his knees, apparently tired from that last fight. 

Nero noticed a bug monster, trying to ambush the kid as it hopped from a perch.  Machias drew his shotgun but Nero was faster as he shot the bug and blew it apart with one shot. 

The humans flinched at the noise and Rean saw Nero and Machias walk down the stairs, “Glad we got here in time, but damn this place needs an exterminator” Nero said as he held his gun to his side.  

“Oh it's Nero and….oh I didn't catch your name.” Elliot said, relieved as the two made their way towards the three. 

“I think his name was Machias, if I remember right.” Gaius said as he propped up his spear to the ground. 

“That's right,” Machias said. “I got lost after I stormed off but he came to my aid” gesturing to Nero. “I would also like to apologize to the three of you for my outburst.”

“No sweat, water under the bridge” Rean said as he sheathed his sword. 

“Yeah, we all have moments when we say or do things we regret. That's human nature for you” Elliot said politely. “Oh and Nero, thank you for saving me by the way.”

“It's whatever,” the demon replied. “So heading back probably ain't the move at this point right?”

“Definitely not the best move” Rean said, looking behind him. “We stood around talking for a while after you left so the others are probably ahead of us at this point.”

“I see..” Machias began. “Excuse me, but would you happen to tell me what soc-”

“Machias, what did I just say?" Nero said to the boy.

“Wait, what do you mean Nero?” Gaius asked. 

Nero sighed. “He basically wants to know if you were born rich or poor.”

“Hey!” Machias spoke out. “That's not….well….okay that's not the best way I would explain it!”

“Does he mean social classes? Well my homeland has no class system to begin with" Gaius said.

Elliot seemed to follow suit. “Umm…well both my parents are commoners.”

Rean was the last, as he seemed to be….struggling with the answer as Nero could see by the small hints of uncertainty on his face. “Well….lets just say I haven't got a drop of noble blood in my veins. So I guess we're all on equal standing here.”

“Way to dodge the question.” Nero mussed as Machias seemed pleased with the answer. 

“Nero, what kind of gun is that?” Elliot asked suddenly as the others noticed it too. 

“Oh this? Another fair maiden that's always been by my side” he said as he held it out with the finger off the trigger. 

Machias Regnitz, considering himself to be pretty knowledgeable on firearms, but this gun looked like nothing that'd he'd ever seen before. “What the hell?” He said aloud as his eyes laid on the weapon.

It seemed to be a heavily modified revolver that had two barrels instead of one and had a wooden grip. 

As Nero removed a portion of his hand, Machias saw a blue flower engraved near the top of the grip. Taking a look at the cylinder, he noticed that it seems to use an absurdly large cartridge size, one that he was not familiar with. 

“The Blue Rose, designed and built her myself,” Nero said as he spun his gun back into its holster. 

“You built something like that?” Machias asked. “What kind of reason do you need two barrels for?! It's ludicrous!”

“Oh, if only you knew,” Nero said knowingly. 

“Did you also make your sword as well, or did someone design for you?” Rean asked next. 

Nero just nodded, “I didn't make it from scratch, but I modified the original design.”

“That's incredible!” Elliot said, amazed. “I didn't think you could make something like that….uh no offense of course.”

“None taken, so how about we get a move on? I'd like to get home and put my feet up” Nero said to the group. 

“That's right, we should probably press on, I'm somewhat concerned about the girls as you might imagine” Machias told him. “I'd feel much better if we were around to help if they wound up in danger.”

“Sure, lets roll” Nero said as he began to walk back with the hallways, this time taking a different route then last time. 

After walking for quite some time and dealing with several monsters along the way, Nero heard faint footsteps coming up from a hallway that they were traveling through.  

“We meet again” a familiar girl's voice said to the group as they entered a corridor with two paths to take. 

Looking to their right, they all saw the girls from before and the blonde girl locked eyes with Rean, surprised that he was there at all, much to her dismay.  

Rean seemed awkward too, but Elliot greeted them none the less. “Good to see you guys are hangin’ in there” 

“I’m glad the five of you are…..unharmed as well” the glasses girl said while she eyed Nero a little curiously. 

“Well, it seems you've cooled your head a bit, at least” the blue haired girl said to Machias who grimaced a bit. “Yes, I've calmed down now” he said as the two groups went to meet up with each other. 

“Guessing there's nothing down south?” Nero waved a hand to where the girls just came from. 

“Indeed, there was a dead end so we decided to circle back,” the blue haired girl said. “But at any rate, I don't believe I've introduced myself yet, have I? 

The girl gave her name with a smile. “My name is Laura S. Arseid, from the town of Legram. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I believe we spoke briefly before we entered the academy.”

“Yeah, you had that butler with you,” Nero said. “Seemed pretty good at his job, even at his age.”

Laura nodded, “That indeed. Klaus has been with my family ever before I was born and he has always been someone I can rely on.”

“You're from Legram?” Elliot asked her. “That's down on the southeastern outskirts of the empire, right?”

“Correct” she answered swiftly. “It's an old castle town on the shores of Lake Ebel. We're connected to the rest of the country by train, but other than that, it's a fairly remote region.”

“Hmm..” Machias hummed as some gears in his head began to turn. “That name sounds so familiar…Wait! So your father would be-”

“Yes. My father is Viscount Arseid, lord of Legram” Laura said first. “Do you take issue with that?”

“No-not at all,” Machias said hesitantly. 

“Oh brother,” Nero said. “So now he doesn't care.”

“W-well it's just as you said, the golden rule!” Machias spouted in an attempt to defend himself. 

“Whats the ‘golden rule’?" the glasses wearing girl asked the demon.

“Yeah, I don't think I've ever heard of it,” Gaius chimed in. “Is it a phrase in the Empire?”

“Not that I know of,” Rean said next. 

“Long story, he just needs to learn it better.” Nero said to break the line of questioning. “Anyway, what's your name?” Nero took his turn to ask away to the glasses wearing girl, who held her hands together and bowed. 

“I'm Emma Millstein. Like Laura, I come from a distant region of the Empire. I was only able to attend Thors thanks to a scholarship, in fact. It's very nice to meet you.”

“A scholarship? Hmm..” Machias mussed again. “Now that you mention it, our instructor did say yours was the top scorer on the entrance exam.”

He then adopted a disappointed look. “To think I was outdone..and by a girl no less.”

“You really got a chip on your shoulder, don't you?” Nero said. “Just hit the books harder next time you can beat miss prodigy over here.”

Emma smiled sheepishly. “Ahaha…Maybe it seems like it now, but really I'm not. I don't have any training in the martial arts either, so this is the weapon they recommend for me.”

Emma pulled out an orbal staff but this one had a hooked shaped design with an orb at its center and Nero could sense a faint flow of magic emanating from its center.

“That's a nice stick. Quick question, are you a witch?” he asked jokingly. 

But Emma's eyes went wide somewhat. “W-what?! Oh no I'm not! I m-mean I don't know what that is at all!" she stammered. 

“You know what, maybe I should think before I speak, you looked like you almost had a heart attack. My bad Emma” Nero patted his chest while Emma let out a breath. “S-sorry, I have a poor sense of humor.”

“Well uh it's cool that you got an orbal staff too” Elliot said, hoping to lighten the mood. “Yours looks different from mine though.”

Emma seemed to appreciate it. “S-so it does, I wonder if it's just cosmetic…”

“Might need to ask Nico to do some snooping on these manufacturers.” Nero filed that away as he noticed the blonde girl staring daggers at Rean. 

“Hmm? Is something the matter?” Laura asked as she seemed to pick up on that as well. “We're all acquainted now. It's only proper that you introduce yourself.”

The girl scrunched her face for a bit then relented. “Yeah, yeah, okay.”

The girl looked annoyed as she began to introduce herself. 

“I'm Alisa…R. From Roer. It's a pleasure to meet ALMOST of all of you” she said, emphasizing her disdain towards Rean, something not unnoticed by the others. 

“A-alisa” Emma said, trying to keep things calm. 

“Roer huh?” Elliot asked, hoping to help as well. “What's it like living there? There's probably a new technological breakthrough every week.”

Machias decided to pick Alisa's brain. “The Reinford company is based in Roer and they're the largest heavy industry corporation on the continent, aren't they?”

“I….suppose they are,” Alisa said, somewhat hesitantly. 

Rean decided to try his luck.

“S-So…hey…” he eyed the girl's bow. “I guess that bow must've been in that case you had when we first met right? I've never seen one like it. Is there some kind of orbal mechanism built in?”

Rean finished that question with more confidence than he had at the start of it. 

Unfortunately, Alisa shot that shit down real quick. 

“There is, but I don't see how that's any of YOUR business” she phrased with venom. 

“Alisa, it was an accident” Nero came into the boys defense. “Rean didn't mean to be all mushy with you by choice.”

“H-how do you know?! Alisa said flustered and angry at the two of them. “Didn't I say that was none of your business?! Which one of you told him?!”

“I asked Rean and Elliot” Nero answered as the two boys hesitated to nod in agreement as they met her eyes. “They gave me the details and I honestly think you're making making a huge deal out of a small misunderstanding.”

Alisa's mouth went agape. “E-excuse me?! I am not! Why the hell would you think that?!” She yelled at him. “I woke up and he had his grubby hands all over me!”

“N-now hold on Alisa” Emma went to try and calm the girl down but to no avail. 

“Why are you taking his side?! Beca-”

Nero whipped out his pistol and aimed it, making Alisa's heart stop……

…and shot a slime monster that was about to attack the girl, making the entire group wince at the noise. 

“Thanks for that little guy” he said to the drops of ooze splattered on the wall. 

The group took their time for their ears to get acquainted with the surrounding area before they all began to speak.

“I cannot believe I let myself lower my guard like that” Laura said, ears ringing and a little mad at herself. 

Alisa's anger was replaced by shock as she saw the gun. “Is that..a revolver with two barrels?”

“I know right?” Machias came in to diffuse the situation. “I've never seen anything like it.”

“Yeah, as you can see it's pretty loud” Rean said to Alisa, but this time she did not bite at him. 

“That's an odd design. I'm not familiar with firearms but that seems a little….much for one person to use, much less handle” Laura said as she looked at the gun curiously. 

“Yeah, she's really powerful! It busted that monster up like it was nothing!” Elliot spoke up, amazed by its power. 

“She?” Laura hummed in confusion. 

“Oh right you don't know, Nero's weapons have names. They're called the Red Queen for his sword and the Blue Rose for his gun” Elliot explained to the girls. 

“So that's what that meat cleaver is called” Machias said to Nero, who shrugged. 

“You're not exactly off the mark,” the demon said as he drew his blade and held it out. 

“Wow it looks….powerful" Emma said as she analyzed the sword and Alisa was also looking at the mechanical parts along the blade, one part she saw raised alarm bells in her head. 

“Hey are those….exhaust pipes?” She asked, pointing at the hilt.

“Yeah, apparently he has an engine in the sword.” Gaius said, pretty casually, not paying much mind to how crazy that sounds. 

“What?!” Alisa shouted. “T-that's impossible! There's no way a combustion engine can fit in something like that!"

“W-well the sword is pretty large” Emma chimed in. “But how did you know what kind of engine it uses, Alisa?”

“Oh, w-well I'm from Roer so seeing old technology isn't that uncommon to see from time to time” Alisa said hurriedly as she realized her error. 

“Nero was it?” Laura got the demon's attention. “Why did you give your weapons names?”

“Because I had to put something on the birth certificate” Nero said. “Is that an issue here?”

“Sort of” Rean suddenly said. “In the Empire, a sword with a name means that the person who wielded it was well renowned for the skill with the blade; several schools of swordsmanship can tie their histories back to just a single person.”

Rean then looked at Laura. “For example, the Arseid school is known for being the general basis of sword techniques used by knights throughout the Empire. Her father, the Viscount, is arguably the strongest swordsman in the country. People call him the Radiant Blademaster and his sword is called the….Galland-sharl if I remember right.”

Laura seemed to smile at the history lesson and swelled with pride at her lineage. “That is correct” she said as she pulled out her sword.

The blade was a bastard two handed sword with a length similar to Nero's with an ornate design. “It was the very same sword wielded by my ancestor and I believe my father has upheld its legacy well. As his daughter, I aspire to reach the same level of skill he has one day.”

“Thats really nice” Nero said as Laura took in the compliment……

Only for the demon to ruin it with an ill timed joke. “So we all practice the meat clever style?” Sweet.”

“....I would not call mine or my father's blade a ‘meat clever’ as you put it” Laura said, a little offended by that joke. “The Galland-Sharl is a sword that fells all evil through each swing.”

“And the Red Queen does the same, just nothing's ever lived to tell the tale about it.” Nero said, patting his gun and putting his sword on his back. 

Nero briefly missed the look of contemplation and….disapproval that appeared on the girl's face before she reheathed her blade. “I see….”

“Anyway” Nero said without skipping a beat. “Everyone here saw what happened, you fell and Rean tried to save you. Besides, didn't you fall on me earlier today?”

That seemed to get Laura out of her thoughts briefly. “Oh? Alisa, is that true?”

“W-well” Alisa began a little flustered. “I mean yes but the circumstances were different!”

“Not really,” Nero said. “You fell and I caught you, just as Rean did.”

“I do get what Nero is saying” Emma spoke up. “Reans hands were nowhere near your body.”

“I agree” Machias came in next. “It was clearly an accident.”

Before anyone else came in, Alisa shouted. “Alright, Alright!” She shook then took in a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “Look, Rean?” She looked at the boy.

“Y-yes Alisa?” 

Rean saw that she had an apologetic look in her red eyes. “I-im so sorry. I just get so wound up when bad things happen to me and I lashed out at you unfairly. It's a bad habit of mine.”

“But” she said very sternly to everyone in the room. “I don't want to hear anything about this ever again. Are. We. Clear?”

“Got it,” Nero said as he broke away from the group. 

“Wait, you're just leaving?” Alisa said as the others were similarly confused by the devil's departures. 

“Yeah, gonna look for our....resident aristocrat. We gotta…break ice and all that fun stuff. Later.” As he walked off, the others stood by, taken aback by his casual attitude. 

“Nero really goes at the beat of his own drum doesn't he?” Elliot said to everyone. 

“Why he wants to track down that pompous ass is honestly beyond me,” Machias said. “Did he do the same thing to you three after I left?”

“Yeah,” Gaius answered. “Took off and just said he was looking for you.” Machias looked a bit embarrassed by that bit of info. 

“Well, he seems kind,” Emma said thoughtfully. “Even if the words he uses aren't the most….gentle.”

“I just hope he doesn't get lost” Rean said” I wish I got to thank him for clearing things up.”

“Yeah I agree, Rean.” Alisa said, now back in a good mode. “Hopefully when this is over we'll get our chance to....apologize” she said, realizing the irony of the situation. 

Laura was quiet….silently trying to quell the fume that had lit in her chest. 

Nero twisted and turned through the school's maze, thinking on how this was going to be an interesting two years. 

Back in Fortuna, the only education he got was the one in the orphanage and when he joined the order, which primarily focused on information related to fighting and killing demons, so his only knowledge of public school was through magazines and movies. 

He just hoped that these kids wouldn't drive him up the wall as he faintly heard the clang of a blade hitting something. 

“Lets see who I find this time” he said as he made his way towards the source, finding Jusis fighting a pack of monsters. 

Nero watched as he darted back and forth striking quickly using his agility to outspeed the monsters with little difficulty, giving the impression that he was no amateur when it came to fighting. 

With one last cry, he finished off his last batch of foes and resheathed his blade, sighed, and saw that Nero was watching him, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. 

“Do you need something?” Jusis asked him, not pleased that he had an audience. 

“Not really, just resting.”

Jusis eyed him and just walked over. “I believe I have already introduced myself bu-”

“Jusis Albarea, son of a duke and all that fun stuff” Nero said as he pushed himself off the wall. 

“Well it seems that was a waste of time then” Jusis said as he went to walk down a corridor and found Nero following him. 

“Why are you accompanying me?” He asked as he kept walking. 

“Safety in numbers,” Nero answered. 

“If that was the case, why were you alone when you found me?” Jusis questioned. 

“Because I'm an exception to the rule.”

“Really now? Then you must be rather skilled in sword pla-....what the hell?” Jusis looked back and saw what weapons Nero had. 

“I call it the ‘kicking ass and taking names’ school of sword fighting,” Nero said. 

“Last time I recalled, guns were not a part of any known style of swordsmanship.” Jusis commented as he saw his pistol. “If you don't mind me asking, was that you shooting earlier?”

“Yeah, sorry if I hurt your ears” Nero apologized while the noble shook his head. “You did nothing to harm me in any way, shape or form. But I must say..”

“Say what?” Nero said as they both turned a corner. 

“I'm surprised that you would prefer to walk by me then by the son of the Imperial governor.” Jusis answered. 

“Wait who?”

Jusis actually stopped and turned to face Nero. “You don't know who he is?”

“Forget to mention, I'm from out of town, so I don't know whose turf I'm supposed to rep” Nero said to Jusis. 

“Another crass phrasing of a complicated issue but I will explain” Jusis began.  

“Machias Regnitz is the son of Carl Regnitz. The first commoner to ever hold the seat of Imperial governor in Heimdallr. In short, he essentially rules the capital.”

“Cool”

“And as a well known reformist that's a close friend of the Chancellor, he naturally is at odds with the Noble Faction, led by the Four Great Houses.

“Nice”

“With me being the son of one of them, I naturally assumed that you'd be more com-” Jusis stopped as he realized something. “You weren't listening, were you?”

“No I was,” Nero nodded with Jusis not buying that answer. “Oh really?” the noble asked quizzically. 

“Basically, your dad and his dad's gang hate each other and want to tear each other's throat out under the pretty view of politics” Nero said casually. “Seen this same song and dance throughout history.”

“Thats….well…yes but…” Jusis gave up. “I don't even know why I'm talking with you.”

“Well I know why, gotta give the spy something to chew on while she's watching us.”

That sentence made Jusis looked around for who Nero was referring to. The girl in question decided to enlighten him. 

“Huh. I figured you were sharp, ” Fie said as she stepped out from behind a pillar. 

“She was following us and you didn't say anything?” Jusis asked Nero. “Yeah but I didn't see any harm in it, besides, we broke ice already man.”

“Speaking of that, it appears I failed to ask you for your name.” Jusis sighed loudly. 

“Nero” the demon introduced himself. 

“And I'm Fie Clausell,” she said flatly. “You're just about near the exit. See you at the end. 

The two then saw her run up along a wall and land on an upper hallway. 

“She's quick.” Jusis said. 

“Definitely had some training in combat before coming here” Nero said. “Now, my liege” he said with a faux bow. “Let us tarry on.”

“...you are going to be insufferable, are you?” Jusis said as he and Nero continued to make their way through the last portion of the school house. 

“Nothing here even poses a threat” Jusis said as he cut down a monster with relative ease. 

“Yeah, not even worth a warm up in my opinion ” Nero said as he holstered his gun. 

The two then heard a load roar off in the distance. “Scratch that, there might be something worth my time after all” Nero said. 

“Then we'd best get a move on.” Jusis agreed with the demon as he began to follow the roar. 

Running up some stairs and entering through a doorway, the two saw the rest of their classmates fighting a gargoyle-like monster and it seemed they were struggling against it. 

Rean dashed forward and slashed at it several times while Fie and Machias shot at from a distance, but the monster was moving just enough for their shots to graze it and not hit any vital points. 

Laura attempted a sweeping strike to its legs but it hurled its limbs towards its body as it shot up in the air even further. 

It then casted an art, causing an updraft of wind to hit Emma, Alisa, and Elliot, causing them to shoot upwards, giving them no time to dodge its aerial assault. 

“No!” Rean yelled out. 

“Shit! Just hold on!” Machias roared as he began to fire while Fie provided back up, but it ignored the pain as it continued to hound towards its targets.

“Damn! It's going to-” Jusis yelled but Nero was already pulled his gun and shot the creature causing it to fly into the back stairway instead of its prey. 

He then ran forward and caught the students at a time as they fell one by one, and managed to get them down without injury. 

“Nero!” Elliot said as he got up. “You made it!”

“Hold that thought, think I just pissed off the flying rat” Nero said as the others regrouped and saw the gaping hole in its side. 

It screamed as it turned and locked eyes with Nero, who put his hand towards his ear. “What'd you say? Can't hear you over the draft.”

The gargoyle howled in defiance as it took the bait, charging forward towards the group. 

“Everyone, move!” Rean yelled as they all got out of the way except for Nero. Rean was about to yell at him to dodge…….

But he and the others would be amazed by what they saw next. 

As the monster went out to chow on Nero, the demon jumped on its back and plunged his sword into its spine, making it howl in agony.

“Impressive set of pipes ya got!” Let's heat 'em up a bit!” Nero taunted as he revved the sword and pulled it out and jumped and spun around to deliver a flaming slash that cut it's wing off, making it squirm, much to the absolute shock of the students. 

“Smells good,” Nero quipped. “What should I-” suddenly the demon felt a strange aura enveloping him as he felt….something from the other humans in the room. 

Fie was the first as she struck its hind legs, taking away its mobility. 

Machias shot its eyes as Rean cut its arms. 

Elliot, Emma and Alisa launched arts and arrows respectively, enveloping it in a hailstorm of sorcery.

Jusis slashed its other wing to force it to the ground for good. 

Gaius pierced its jaw with his spear as Nero and Laura instinctively went for its head as Nero cut it down the middle and Laura jumped and slashed its head off. 

In a few moments, the once deadly beast was no more than a pile of meat, now turning back into stone as the students gathered themselves. 

“Phew, I think that's the end of it” Emma said as she winced a bit from some bruises she obtained from the fight. 

“At the very least, it doesn't seem like that creature will be coming back for a rematch any time soon” Gaius wiped some blood off of his spear. 

Elliot spoke up to break a brief period of silence. “What was that? At the end of the battle…”

“The ightshow that made us work in sync? Yeah I saw it too” Nero said. 

“Now that you mention it, I did feel something wash over me for just a second there” Alisa chimed in.

“It was like each of us was engulfed in a faint, blue light” Machias said, referring to Nero's statement. 

“I did notice something as we fought. Perhaps it was just the blur of combat” Laura added her thoughts to the mixture. “But I felt like I could see everyone's movements in precise detail.”

“I don't think it was your imagination” Fie chimed in. “Not to mention what Nero just did.”

“Did flames just shoot out of your sword?” Rean asked exasperated and….a little envious at what he could do. 

“Bingo,” the demon answered. “Glad I got to give it some shine after a while.”

“So that's why you call it the Red Queen. What a fascinating sword.” Emma said.

“That's honestly amazing Nero” Gaius came in next. “And you built something like that all on your own.”

“He built that?!” Alisa said, shocked by what she had just heard. 

“I've seen some shit in the field but nothing like that” Fie said, garnering a confused look from Laura. 

“How does that even work?” Machias asked next. 

“Well gather around class and allow me to demonstrate.” Nero said as he pointed his sword to the ground. “Basically, every time I twist the handle, fuel is injected into the sword, giving it a lot more stopping power.”

“And it uses gasoline?” Alisa asked. 

“Yep, she's the best battle companion a swordsman could wish for” Nero said as he revved it, making flames spur from the hilt once again. 

“You're insane,” Jusis chimed in. “How can you even swing something like that around?”

“Eh, I make sure to eat my fruits and veggies and get a good night's sleep everyday” Nero snarked with a grin, making Jusis roll his eyes. 

“Hahaha, that's why you were able to catch us right?” Elliot said as he laughed. “Thank you so much for that”

“Seriously, that thing has to be heavy but you moved like it was nothing” Alisa commented. “But thanks for saving us.”

“You must be very strong in order to be able to do that. Did you happen to have some training in combat prior to enrolling to Thors?” Emma asked while she fixed her glasses. 

“He has too, no way a civie could move or hit hard like that” Fie said, very impressed with his abilities, earning even more confused looks from the group. 

“I'm self taught,” Nero answered. 

“You learned all that without a teacher?” Rean said, surprised by his answer.

“S-self taught?!” Machias shouted. “What kind of training regime did you even do?”

“I am….curious as well.” Laura said, intrigued.  “Laura, is something wrong?” Gaius asked her, noticing her slightly scrunched up….glare that she was giving the demon. 

“Oh…it's nothing, my apologies” Laura answered, relaxing a bit and putting a hand to her chin. “But to shift topics back to what we just witnessed… 

“I think I know what you mean Laura,” Rean said suddenly. “I think what we just experienced was…..

…..the biggest selling point of the almighty ARCUS? Give this man a prize!” a familiar woman's voice echoed as it came in from the top of the stairs. 

The others turned and saw Sara clapping with a big smile on her face. “Looks like friendship and teamwork save the day once again! I'm so proud of you guys!”

“I think that pretty much covers the how's and why's of your situations” Sara said as she finished giving the students the run-down. 

It turns out the blue aura the students felt was the main feature for the ARCUS battle orbment, combat linking, which essentially allows a pair of two or more people to mentally sync with one another, giving them far more cohesive movements in extreme combat situations. 

Supposedly, out of the entire freshman class of Thors, the ten students also had the highest aptitude for using this ability, so it made sense that they would all be gathered in one class. Not to mention the melting pot of people from various backgrounds, demons non-withstanding. 

After being informed that Class VII’s work would be more intensive then the other classes, she asked the group one final question. 

“Will you stick with Class VII, or not?”

Rean placed a hand on his chin and recalled a memory he had from a long time ago, something that he regretted ever doing, even if it was meant to protect someone he cared about. 

“Ill do it” Rean said “Whatever Class VII has to throw at me, I'm game”

The other humans were surprised by his sudden declaration as Sara noticed the determined look he had on his face.

“So you're the first then?” Sara said. “You seem pretty sure about it. Any particular reason?”

“Not really. I just feel like I've put my family out, asking them to send me to this school.” Rean answered. “So, if it gives me more to show for my time here, I'll take whatever opportunities come my way.”

“Mmm. A noble sentiment.” Sara hummed as the others pondered for their reason to stay. 

“Count me in as well” Laura stepped forward to affirm her position. “The greater the challenge, the more I can push myself to excel. One can't hone a blade without grit after all”

It was Gaius who was up next. “Let's make it three. Considering how far I came to attend this school, it'd be silly to back down before I even started.”

Sara was happy at that. “Well, looks like we got the country's strongest freshman on board and our foreign exchange student, too. Any more takers?”

Emma stepped forward. “Allow me to take part as well. I was only able to come because of the school's generosity, so I feel it's my duty to help in any way I can.”

S-sign me up, too!” Elliot went after her. “I kinda feel like fate brought us here for a reason y'know? And you all seem pretty easy to get along with.”

Sara was happy with that, also informing them they also had to write reports for their orbal staffs, along side their regular work, much to Emma's delight and Elliot's despair. 

Alisa, Machias and Jusis, and Fie were the next batch to give their answers, leaving Nero as the last one out. 

“So, Nero? You gonna stick with this program?” Sara asked him. 

“Yep.” Nero said. “On one condition though”

“And that would be?....” Sara questioned him. 

“I get extra credit on the first pop quiz.”

Dead silence entered the room for a few seconds before Sara busted out laughing. “Hahaha alright alright! Sure I'll see what I can do.”

Machias groaned. “For once I agree with Jusis, you are insane.”

“Comes with the territory.” Nero jabbed back. 

“Well I'm glad you'll be with us,” Elliot said, smiling. 

“Well how bout that?” Sara said happily. “Ten out of ten! With that, ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to congratulate all of you on being the first ever Class VII! I hope you keep those high spirits all year, cause the workload we got planned for you, you'll need it!”

Right at the top of the stairs, Principal Vandyck and a blonde man with a red coat looked down at the freshman, seemingly pleased at the results of the exercise.

“Well, well. I wasn't expecting Class VII to turn out quite as diverse as this” Vandyck said to the man next to him. “It certainly promises to be an interesting year.”

“Haha. You took the words right out of my mouth” the blonde man laughed. “But perhaps this, too, is the divine providence of the Goddess, no?”

“How do you mean?” Vandyck asked. 

“Seeing them there, I feel they have the potential to be the light we seek,” he said, thinking about the challenges ahead. “A light that can break through to storm clouds that continue to build over our nation day by day….”

“Even with his…lack of a background?” Vandyck gestured to Nero, who was chatting with Rean about something.

“That I do. Selecting someone at random is something I felt was a necessary addition to the Class VII project. Knowing how the Chancellor operates, this may end up being the wild card we need” the blonde man answered with a hand on his chin and smiled. "And I get the feeling that someone who doesn't have have a place to call home may find one here in the coming months. I can empathize with him on that front."

“Your highness…” Vandyck began. “With all due respect, given my former position, are you sure that is something that you should say in front of me?”

“Oh I'm not worried about that, besides, I trust you, because of who you are as a person” the blonde man said. 

Yes indeed. For what was to come, the Erebonian Empire would need an independent faction for the trials ahead. 

Because down the road, the nation would be shaken to its core, not only by the Chancellor's actions, but by the hordes of hell as well

Chapter Text

1204, Septian calendar 

April 1st 

Crossbell city

Garante Jazz Bar

Evening

“And I told Rixia that was exactly why I didn't want her to walk alone by herself.” Ilya said as she downed her third glass of wine “Those men had it out for her but I'm glad your son was there.”

“He is…hot headed but his heart is always in the right place” Vergil said as he went to sip his first and hopefully one glass of a martini Ilya recommended for him. 

“Speaking of that, how was his first day of school?” Sergei said, inhaling more ash from his cigar.

“Ive been wondering that about as well, it's a military academy in Erebonia, correct?” Sonya baelz also asked, finishing some pimento cheese and dip. “From what I've heard, he's quite the combatant. If he shows enough promise, I wouldn't mind having him join the CGF.”

“You're really trying to bag a man's kid on a double date? Jeez Sonya, would it kill you to not be a workaholic?” Sergei chided his ex-wife. 

“Says the man inhaling poison like he has more lungs to spare.” Sonya pushed back. 

“Well, at least the three of us agree that this date is going well, wouldn't you agree my knight?” IIya said as she looked Vergil in the eyes.

“I….am having a good time” the demon said, wondering why this had to happen to him. 

The first day of the Crossbell anniversary festival meant that any and all civic workers were going to be busy to hell and back for the entire week. So in the spirit of that, Sergei gave the SSS a day off to give them some much needed R&R before being thrown into the hellscape that was known as tourist season. 

Unfortunately, due to the “suggesting” that Ellie, Tio, Randy and somehow Zeit had harassed him into following through with, Vergil had been forced to make that call to IIya, praying that the note she sent him was merely a joke. 

IIya, however, was absolutely ecstatic with the fact that he even called her and pigeon holed him into a date. To make matters worse, Sergei happened to be listening in on the call itself and made it into a double date. 

Needless to say, the other two demons dipped out for “research at the library” aka letting the elder son of sparda to hang himself out to dry. 

“Another glass ma'am?” The bartender held a bottle for the dancer. 

“Yes and for my hero over here as well” IIya said, pointing a finger at a Vergil glass. 

“Im not a hero Ms-”

“Ah ah ah, just Ilya is fine” the dancer cut him off as both glasses were refilled. “You've earned the right to know me that well, at least.”

“If that's what you prefer, then I will oblige…Ms. IIya” Vergil said, swirling his glass, making it ripple. “Why thank only me? I believe the others deserve their fair share of praise.”

“True” Ilya said as she sipped once again. “However, you stole the show in the end and you saved my life without a second thought. Not many people would have done what you just did.”

As she put her glass down, a question popped into her head. “Are you a fan of the arts, in general?”

“I would like to say so, why do you ask?” Vergil said as the smooth jazz took up the room. 

“Well, I get the feeling that you appreciate my dancing more than others. I saw during the show how you were…..lost in thought,” she replied. 

“Yes well….a certain scene reminded me of something” Vergil took another sip, a bit more than last. 

“Oh what would that be, if you don't mind me asking?” 

Vergil noticed the very earnest tone in her voice and pondered if he should actually say anything. Well to be fair, he can't say all that much, but would it be really alright to hint at something…..so awful?

“The Sun and Moon Princesses duel of destiny” Vergil said, coming to a decision. Perhaps letting a little out wouldn't hurt. “It reminded me of a…..disagreement I had with my brother.”

“Oh really?” Sonya chimed in. “From what I've heard from Sergei, you two get along quite well.”

“When they're not trying to kill each other” Sergei joked, ignorant of how true that actually was. 

“You'd be surprised at how…serious our spats could get, Chief Sergei.” Vergil said as thought about the past. 

“Yay! My hero is letting down his shields for me” Ilya sang, much to the amusement of Sonya and Sergei and to Vergil's dismay. “Hopefully next time, I can see more of you.”

“Next time?” Vergil froze while he saw IIya have a glimmer in her eyes. “Wait..you are not suggesting…”

“I know a good place for the two of you is near the SSS building.” Sergei spoke up. “I'll try to see if I can get you a window view.”

Vergil could practically feel Ilya's eyes bore into him. 

This was going to be a long week

April 2nd

Downtown District 

“Gotta say Randy, this is not how I'd expected to meet the pit vipers and the crusaders” Dante said as he saw red and blue gangs, respectively gathered in the downtown district. 

“Hey punkass, it's the Saber Vipers” a large buff youth growled at the demon. 

“Saber snakes, yeah sure Wald” Dante said as he rubbed his head. 

“Hehehe well not to remind you, but we go by the Testaments” a green haired youth also said to remind Dante. 

“We'll try to keep that in mind, Wazy,” Trish said to the gang leader.

“Still, Lloyd, is this arrangement alright for you?” Vergil asked the detective. 

“At this point, no one is willing to back down, so I trust Randy's suggestion,” Lloyd answered as he got ready for the race. 

The second day of the festival, as expected, was a logistical nightmare, with the Bracer guild and CPD swamped up to their knees with work.

But somehow, the two groups managed to intermingle through an odd set of circumstances when the SSS got a call about a disturbance in the Harbor district Crossbell which turned out to be a series of one on one bouts between the aforementioned gangs. 

Estelle and Joshua showed up, things got heated, but Randy suggested a way for everyone to blow off some steam and have fun at the same time. 

A full contact foot race, using the downtown district rough terrain would give the group's both a satisfying way to let loose while ensuring no one got hurt.

A flip tossed decided the order of who was going first. 

Wazy and Wald would go first. Randy and Lloyd would go second and lastly Estelle and Joshua would go last. The rules were that each pair had to hit three checkpoint devices placed along the route in order to count it as a lap and whichever pair did this over the course of three times, would win the race respectively.

There was just one last issue. 

“Guess I'll be the announcer then” Dante volunteered. 

“But wait! You won't be alone in this. The star has yet to arrive” a familiar woman's voice said as it rushed towards the starting line. 

“Oh no, it's Grace” Trish muttered as the ace reporter waltzed in on the scene, giving the demon a disapproving look before facing the crowd. 

“Isn't she with the Crossbell Times?” Joshua asked as the reporter gave out her introductions. 

“How ya doing, ladies and gentlemen?!” She began smiling ear to ear. “Some birdies told me about an exciting event that's about to go down here. I couldn't help but sink my teeth into this scoop!”

“Nice to know you can talk to birds” Trish said, making the reporter glare daggers at the woman. 

“The hell you scheming lady?!” Wald shouted. 

“The answer, my dear delinquent…Is this!” Grace produced a pair of microphones. “An Electrifying full contact footrace, covered live from downtown, alongside the infamous red coated man of the hour, Dante!”

Without missing a beat, the demon grabbed her second mic and began to comment. “And our resident reporter brought along the cameraman, so racers, better give all ya got!”

“As if things couldn't get even worse” Tio tried to hold back her annoyance. “Those two are going to turn this into a spectacle.”

“But that's what makes it fun, Icy kid” Dante replied. 

“Oh? Is that her nickname?” Grace asked but Tio shut that line of questioning down. “That is not and I would ask that you both refrain from giving that name to the press!” Tio hissed at the pair. 

The demon shrugged. “I got it, privacy and all that.”

“Ill oblige….Icy kid” Grace gleamed with excitement while Tio resisted the urge to launch an art right then and there. 

Aw I think it's cute!” Estelle cheered. “But let's get down to business, I'm ready to kick some ass!”

“Sheesh, this gal..At least you're rarin’ to go” Randy said, dusting his feet off. “But she's right. Time to get this show on the road. 

“Yes, let's” Wazy agreed, doing some stretches before the race began. “Are you prepared, Wald?

The leader of the Saber Vipers was confident with his words. “Hell yeah. I'm ready anytime.”

Ellie cocked her gun and got ready to fire the starting shot. 

“All right, then” Tio expressed her readiness. “I will begin the count down.”

“Three”

“Two”

“One”

“Go!”

Wazy and Wald bolted out of the starting area, wasting no time to get to the second checkpoint. Five seconds later, Lloyd and Randy rushed off, proving that they were no slouches either. Estelle and Joshua were last but were no less quick on their feet. 

As Lloyd and Randy came down the alley, Wazy and Wald lay in wait, setting a trap for the two officers, with the Saber Vipers leader holding a barrel over his head and Wazy on standby, waiting to take advantage of the situation. 

“What's this?!" A bold move by Wald Wales! How will team SSS react, Dante?!”

“Who knows, it feels like Wazy and Wald have the advantage either way” Dante answered as he saw how they were positioned.

Regardless, Lloyd and Randy dodged the barrel that Wald was holding but their formation was broken as a result. 

Hitting the checkpoint, the two officers were hot on the heels of their adversary as they looped a corner to head to the third checkpoint. 

“Maybe a combined attack would help make up for lost time” Dante commented. 

“Dante?” Lloyd thought as he and Randy were almost at the checkpoint. “Randy, now!”

“You got it!” The red headed playboy shouted as they began their assault. 

Randy snaked his way behind the pair while Lloyd charged forward, launching a series of blows at the pair before sending one last attack at them. “Burning Rage!” The two yelled in unison, breaking Wazy and Wald's formation. 

“You got us good…” Wazy said as he was knocked to the ground. 

“Sorry guys!” Lloyd shouted as Randy hit the checkpoint. The detective ran ahead with Randy lagging behind a bit. 

“Second lap here we go!” Grace cheered. “Lloyd and Randy have taken a decisive lead and…..they've passed the first checkpoint!”

“Team bracers are hauling ass, they better pick up the pace Grace and keep their eyes out for traps!” Dante half said, half warned the duo. 

“Jeez, we get it okay?!” Randy sarcastically yelled as the two made it to the second checkpoint.

As they hit the second checkpoint, a trap of smoke did indeed go off, allowing Joshua and Estelle to take the lead. 

“Team bracer are ready and lying in wait for our favorite detective and his womanizer or a sidekick” Dante's comment did not go over well with them.

“It's hard to tell who's the womanizer” Tio said flatly, but somehow managed to direct that comment to Vergil as well, who pinched his brow. 

“Here they come!” Estelle yelled, getting ready to stop Lloyd and Randy in their tracks. “We're breaking through!” Joshua said to his partner. 

And breakthrough they did, because when Randy and Lloyd tried to use their same team attack again, Joshua and Estelle attacked with their own, leaving the pair thrashed and battered.

If that wasn't bad news enough, Wald and Wazy took advantage of this opening to snag second place from the pair.

“Wazy and Wald have overtaken the crestfallen Team SSS and have made it to the third checkpoint. Will this spell doom for our heroes Dante?”

“Well I think they go more fight in the-” 

Dante stopped as he felt an ominous aura envelope Randy, feeling the faint traces of……bloodlust from the redhead, that not being lost on the other two demons. 

This gave the duo a much needed second wind, well Randy specifically as he outsped Lloyd as he charged forth. 

With a battle cry, Randy easily smashed the checkpoint like it was nothing, and before this, set a trap in advance for Team Bracer and Team Downtown respectively. 

Lloyd bounced in and hit the checkpoint and was surrounded by the two teams, having a mutant understanding that Lloyd had to be stopped here. 

“But wait, where's…….shit!” Joshua cursed mentally.

“You're wide open!” Randy growled as if he was a hunter zoning in on his prey.

Randy jumped down from above and crashed his halberd into the ground, sending a shockwave that knocked all four teens on the ground. 

With that, the two raced towards the finish line, with Team Bracer and Team Downtown not far behind. 

“Let's give it a round of applause from our audience members!” Grace happily shouted as the crowd went wild. 

Dante hopped down from the perch to talk to his fellow hunters. “Well…did not expect that from Randy” he said to the two of them. 

“Yeah, that's not something you pick up everyday” Trish looked over to Randy who seemed fine…on the surface. 

“Congrats you two, that wasn't a bad performance” Trish said to the two officers who were absolutely exhausted with the performance they put on. 

“It was all….thanks to Randy's…..strategy and traps” Lloyd panted. 

“Nah, man..if you weren't there..I would have never…managed to pull off that last trick” Randy breathed out. “I need a break. L-Lloyd, I think we pushed ourselves a little too far…”

Ellie let out a sigh. “I swear you boys are all…

“Simple minded? or stubborn?” Tio finished for her. 

“I don't know Ellie,” Trish said. “I think we should've competed.”

“I mean the sun's not down yet” Dante came in. “Inner department tourney? I'm game”

“We're…still….technically…on duty” Lloyd gasped, trying to reign him in. 

“Anyway, I think we should get these guys something to drink,” Trish suggested. “On Vergil's tab of course.”

“...Fine, let us be off” Vergil said, not wanting to argue the point as he and the others went to East Street to get the two some beverages, with Dante staying behind. 

Sitting down next to them, the demon decided to say something. “That was a cool trick you did to get you guys to first place, consider me impressed.”

“Haha…..I wouldn't really call it a trick….more like something that's….” Randy trailed off. 

“Randy?” Lloyd questioned as he sat up. 

Randy was still lying down, feeling the weight of shame on his heart. “Im sorry you all had to see me like that. At the end there, I got a bit too worked up and…”

“It's fine, we all get competitive from time to time,” Dante said. Randy however, didn't seem to feel better. “I honestly don't know which one's even the real me. The chill guy who's always laughing and joking around….or the monster who lost his cool and went all out during a fun little game. I've lost sight of the answer over the last two years.”

“I think it's both Randy” Dante stated. “It's just a matter of making peace with the demon inside you. That said, if you don't mind me asking….how much have you fought in battles over the years?” Dante asked.  

“Dante?” Lloyd questioned, but Randy understood what the demon was hinting. 

“Ah..that….” Randy trailed off again as he sat up. 

“Well as you guys know, I'm not from Crossbell, unlike Mr. womanizer over here” Randy gestured to Lloyd, who was annoyed at that blatant act of slander. “But as to where I was before…..it was a place as hot as Gehenna and as cold as the underworld.”

Randy mussed as he remembered his life from before. “A world frozen over where blood boils and souls burn…A place of life and the dirtiest of human nature blend into a depraved mixture of suffering. That's where I was.”

“So just a casino?” Dante said abruptly.

“……hehe….HAHAHAHA” Randy laughed at the joke, not expecting that kind of a response. 

“Dante, can you learn to read the room?” Lloyd chided his friend. 

The demon waved him off. “I did, and I can say that I actually am like you Randy, in more ways than one.”

“Huh?” The redhead looked confused by that statement. 

Dante clasped his hands together. “Me Vergil, Nero and Trish know what it's like to be caught in the heat of battle. Where your strength is so overwhelming that you feel well….subhuman, that's how'd I describe.” 

The demon breathed in “You guys saw it first hand a few months ago when Nero took out those monsters. How you guys felt about that isn't anything new to us. But it doesn't make up for who you are as a person.”

“.......Ahaha hey Dante, didn't figure you to be a poet!” Randy said smiling. “But I was joking earlier. As far as I'm concerned, my past ain't even worth talking about. I'm just living life in the present now. I'm a suave, good lookin’ dude who loves the nightlife. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less.”

“Is that so?” the demon replied, not really buying the answer. 

“You know, Randy,” Lloyd said suddenly. “I've mentioned it before, but I had an older brother. Guy Bannings, an ace detective in the CPD's First Division. He was unbelievably optimistic, almost to a fault.”

“Guess it must run in the family then” Dante pointed out to the detective.

“Yeah, he was the best. After we lost our parents to an accident, he worked hard to support me on his own” Lloyd began to reminisce. “He was the kind of guy who wouldn't even let things like heartbreak or jealousy faze him…my brother was an amazing man.”

“Sounds like it,” Randy said, agreeing with Lloyd's perspective. “Haha, guess your lives haven't been all sunshine and rainbows, either."

“We've survived, that's just how it is,” Dante stated. “So Lloyd, you've been chasing your brother's shadow?”

“Yeah, something like that. Actually I have a confession to make” Lloyd said, getting their attention. “You know, you both kinda remind me of my brother in some ways.”

“Wha?” Randy sputtered. 

“I meant it's not like you look like him or anything” the detective clarified. “Its just the way that you both support Elie, Tio, and me, no matter what we're up against. Even Vergil and Trish gave us a helping hand more than once since we've started working together. Those parts of you all remind me of Guy”

“H-hey. Cool it with a sappy speech.” Randy denied the detective's attempt at a comparison. “Any more of this and my face'll go red as my hair.”

“Well considered me flattered,” Dante took the compliment in stride. 

“Haha. Even the way you get all jokey when you're embarrassed is just like him, Randy” Lloyd happily said. 

“You know…I've got a lot of respect for you both. You're very selfless, assured and confident, yet that doesn't stop you from being considerate of others.”

Lloyd looked at the demon. “And Dante, you always try to keep things light hearted, even in tense situations, I feel more at ease when you do that…even if it's not the most professional thing to do.”

“Well someone has to keep things interesting, might as well be me” Dante said casually. 

“If I had to say…well…I look up to both you-not just as coworkers or my seniors-but as an example of what a man should be” Lloyd said sincerely. “To be honest, I still have a long way to go. Even if you were able to tell me about your pasts, right here and now..I doubt that I'd be able to say anything meaningful in response-to help you at all.”

Lloyd straightened his posture. “So how about this? Someday, when I'm able to confidently stand shoulder-to-shoulder alongside you both and my brother..will you tell me your stories then?” The comment was very sincere. 

So sincere that Dante almost gagged. That might be the worst one yet, I'm gonna go hurl over there” Dante got up and walked over, leaving the two flabbergasted by his antics. 

As he walked he thought back on Lloyd's supposed proposal. 

And how he would never be able to tell him the truth, as anyone close to him, met their untimely end due to the nature of his existence. 

April 3rd

East street 

The third day of the festival was no busier than the last, especially with the round of support requests the team had to sift through. 

Monster exterminations, taking pictures around the state, catching a stalker that was following Ilya which turned out to be a young girl who was living in the slums, it was quite the wild ride. 

But even as the group rode a bus back from the border that had a counterfeit dealer among its passengers, the demons kept thinking back on an interesting bit of information they learned about from Estelle and Joshua. 

The Schwarze Auction.

Supposedly a very high profile illegal gathering of various nobles and political figures from all across Zemuria, this little party is held somewhere in Crossbell State, piqueing the interest of the group. 

But needless to say, for now, they had a dealer to catch, and Lloyd had already figured out who these individual was and with the help of from a woman with black hair who kindly pointed out this woman's location, the SSS went to go and commence their arrest, in which the woman tried to run away. 

The chase was brief as the old woman conveniently tripped as the group caught up to her. Restraining her took some effort, mainly because the old hag let off some swears and very…..suggestive comments that had the humans revolt in disgust, one of them being something along the lines of “you two bit skank,” and “in the ass so much.” 

As if by fate's design, the black haired woman arrived early on the scene and at the request of the SSS, she came with them to the police station. 

The woman, known as Killika, was apparently in Crossbell to try and convince Arc en Ciel to perform in Calvard and gave the group her regards as she left. 

Leaving the police station to get back to work, the group received a call from the last person they ever expected to get a message from, Jona Sacred, who supposedly needed Tio's help with something and as a reward, the hacker was willing to give the team a memory quartz for their services. 

Long story short, the hacker wanted to track the location of another hacker known as kitty, whose skill was superior to his and needed Tio's assistance. Considering the very busy schedule the SSS had, it was decided that Lloyd, Trish and Tio would go and handle this task, while the others covered the city's issues in the meantime. 

The group trudged through the sewers and after dealing with a pack of large bat monsters, the trio found the terminal they needed. 

“Cute little charm you got there Tio. It's called mishsy right?” Trish said as she saw the cat-like accessory dangling from her Enigma. “Never pegged you to be into something like that.”

Tio's focus waved for a moment. “Yes..I suppose you could say I like Mishy. And you're right, I'm not really one to get too attached to things, so…it's hard to believe I've held on to that keychain for all these years.”

“Years? So you didn't buy it when you came to Crossbell? Lloyd probed Tio. “I assumed you did, since he's practically Crossbell's mascot.”

“No. This was a gift” Tio clarified. “From Guy, five years ago.”

“Guy? As in Lloyd's brother?” Trish asked, a bit surprised by that fact. 

“Uh, y-yeah,” Lloyd's mind was still processing the revelation. “But wait a second….Tio, you knew my brother?!”

“Yes,” Tio answered, beginning to remember some things about the man. 

“I see…why didn't you tell me sooner?” Lloyd questioned. “You're from Leman State right? How could you know Guy? He couldn't have come acro-” the detective realized something. Something his brother told him a long time ago. 

'What do you mean you're gonna go on a trip?! Where are you even going?

'The Principality of Remiferia. Don't worry, I should be back in a month or two. I can't dive into specifics, but I'm in charge of escorting this cute little girl back to her home.'

“No way….that was you?!” Lloyd said. 

“Uh care to fill me in?” Trish asked him. 

“Lloyd's older brother was tasked with bringing me back to my home in Remiferia” Tio answered the demon's query. “I was nine years old at the time.”

“That's where you from? Not Leman?” Lloyd asked the girl.

“That is correct,” Tio affirmed. “To be honest, though, it does not feel like home to me. I have all but abandoned it.”

“What about your family, do you still keep in contact with them?” Trish leaned against a terminal wall. 

“I believe they are fine,” Tio said. “But I cannot say for sure. Ever since I left three years ago. I have received a few letters from them.”

“Heh, so why'd you get up and leave your place?” Trish asked rather casually. 

But Tio gave her a serious answer. “The same reason you left your village, because I was different from other people.”

Trish and Lloyd gave Tio their full attention. “When I was five, I went missing for a period of time. Guy was the one who rescued me. After that, I was hospitalized at St. Ursula for over half a year. Once I finally recovered, Guy insisted on escorting me to my home.”

“I had no idea” Lloyd said, taken aback by the news while Trish was deep in thought.

The demon had something to say. “Does being abducted have something to do with your heightened senses?”

“...yes” Tio muttered, but it was enough for the both of them to hear the undertone of pain in her usually flat voice. “As I said earlier, you both know that I'm different from regular people.”

“Tio, don't say that!” Lloyd said in defiance. 

But the girl would not let that lie, while done to make her feel better, not fly in her face. “It's the truth. You know it is. My sensory reception is orders of magnitude higher than any normal person….the faint sounds an average ear finds impossible to pick up…the flow of orbal waves no ordinary person could ever perceive..The presence of elements that go undetected by the public at large.”

Tio voiced now carried hints of sadness and angst within its cords. “Even people's emotions and the beat of their hearts…”

Lloyd was genuinely even more surprised now while Trish was oddly quiet. 

“When I attended Sunday School, I was always alone. The things the neighborhood children saw and what I saw were worlds apart….I wasn't oblivious to their prying eyes and their whispered conversations about me….I know my parents loved me, but everyone has their limits.”

“Damn, sucks to have to deal with school yard bullies” Trish chimed in, trying to lighten the mood and to….also loosen the coils around her heart. 

Tio continued on regardless as the grief continued to pile on. “The atmosphere at home just grew more and more tense. That is when I began to realize….that it would have been better if I never came home at all.”

Lloyd's heart was breaking piece by piece while Trish's was being held together by a thread. 

“Before I knew it, I found myself buying a ticket and boarding a train,” Tio said. “A train heading to the only place I could think to go-Crossbell.”

“Ah I get it” Lloyd managed to realize something. “You wanted to see my brother again, didn't you?” 

“I think that was the reason, yes” Tio answered. “When he brought me that keychain as a gift, Guy told me this…”

‘Don't worry, Tio. I know you can find happiness. And if you ever have trouble finding it, just give me a call. We can figure out whatever's making you dad and kick it's butt–together!’

“Haha, yeah” Lloyd laughed a bit. “That definitely sounds like something that Guy would do.” 

Lloyd's face then fell. “But around that time, he…”

Tio nodded, wanting to spare Lloyd from reliving quite possibly the worst moment of his life…as the girl began to recount her own tale. 

“At the lowest point of my life” Tio said. “I met an Epstein Foundation researcher by chance. He saw potential in my enhanced sensory reception and recruited me for an orbal staff development team that the foundation had just launched. With that, I transferred to Leman state and spent three years as a foundation researcher. Then three months ago, I returned to Crossbell.”

Lloyd, very moved by Tio's circumstances did the one thing that he could do, he walked over and put a hand on the girl's head, trying to reassure her he feels awful that her brother broke his promise to her but Jona broke the sad scene by letting them know that kitty was on the move and ready to be snatched. 

Trish was….thinking about doing something. Something probably very reckless and would probably lead to several inquiries that could potentially expose the demons true nature….

But she couldn't help but feel sorry for Tio.

“First Ellie, now Tio…Im really getting soft” She mussed as Tio finished dealing with Kitty. 

However, the girl's Aeon system took a huge physical toll on her and she fell back in her chair, but not before Trish and Lloyd caught her. 

“This is what Dante meant by being too glued to the screen, kiddo” Trish said to her. 

“I…will not take advice….from that sorry…excuse of a human” Tio muttered, exhausted from dealing with the genius hacker. 

Lloyd sighed. “Didn't I tell you not to push yourself?” The detective then rubbed her head while he held the girl steadily. 

“Lloyd?”

“..Hey Tio? That promise made to you..I'll keep it for him” Lloyd said, giving the girl a soft smile. 

“Huh?” Tio muttered in confusion. 

“And if you ever have trouble finding it, just give me a call. We can figure out whatever's making you sad and kick its butt-together!” 

Lloyd repeated the words his brother had said to Tio all those years ago. “No doubt about it–my brother was amazing. He was so strong, so confident, and so quick to take action…I still have a long way to go to catch up to him. But, I'll put every ounce of effort I can into getting there. I'll become the kind of man that can keep his promise to you. So, what do you say?”

“Yeah the more I hear about him, the more I realize you have big shoes to fill” Trish said. “But honestly I don't think you should.”

“What?” Lloyd asked, confused by her statement. 

“Basically, I think you need to try and be your own hero, not to try and be a replacement for someone who's already made a legacy for himself,” Trish said as she looked at him. “I think Tio would want the same thing actually.”

“.....How mysterious” Tio…let out a small laugh “Lloyd and Guy are almost nothing alike but….at the same time, they both remind me so strongly of each other. The way their spirits shine..the way they look ahead with confidence. 

“I remind you…of Guy?” Lloyd asked, very surprised by the comparison. 

“In a lot of ways, yes,” Tio said solemnly. “But Trish is right, you are your own person Lloyd. You are who you are. You can't ever become Guy, nor should you try to. I would think you would know that better than anyone.”

“..Yeah” Lloyd acknowledged. 

“That aside…” Tio began. “If you are going to make a promise, though, I would like you to promise me something else.”

“What do you mean?” Lloyd asked as Tio sat up in her chair. “You don't need to make it right here and now. I do not simply want you to take over Guy's promise. I want you to make one all your own. Whatever you come up with will be perfect, I'm sure.”

“Tio..” Lloyd said, feeling moved by her words. 

“And in case you have forgotten..I am not a child” she said matter of factly. “So I don't want to be someone who is simply protected all the time. After all, I am a member of the SSS two, aren't I?”

“She got you beat in speeches Lloyd,” Trish said while the detective laughed. “Yeah, you may be right on that.”

“Hehehe” Tio giggled then saw the two officers have a surprised look on their faces. “Is something wrong?”

“We just saw you smile, Tio,” Trish said grinning. 

“I-I was not smiling!” Tio denied the claim while the two shared a knowing look. 

“Well if you say so, but I think there's something that you'd like to know” Trish began to say, adopting a serious look in her eyes. “Lloyd, can you turn off speaker mode for a second and could you leave the room?"

“Huh? Why?” Lloyd asked while he and Tio garnered confused looks.

“Its just something that would rather not let a hacker boy have any info on, girl talk, all that jazz” Trish answered. 

“Uh sure” Lloyd said as he went to turn off the function and went to leave the room.

Trish then got on a knee to get to eye level with Tio. “Trish? What is this about?”

“Remember a few months ago when you asked why I left the village? It's about that.”

“Oh, if this is about what I said before, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. I imagine my problems are different then yours” Tio apologized, but then felt Trish's hand on hers. 

“It's not that. I also know what it's like to feel…..different from other people” the demon began. “I'm gonna guess that you didn't originally have those sensory capabilities when you were born right?”

Tio hesitantly nodded “...no, i did not” her face morphed into a grimace as she relived  a painful memory. 

“I won't pry, but I wanted to let you know that you're not alone in feeling like a freak at times” Trish joked, managing to hide the bitterness in her voice. “We're actually very similar in having…..abnormal abilities.”

“I don't understand,” Tio said. “Despite your physical strength, you look and feel like a normal woman to me.”

“Yeah…not really….to basically sum it up” Trish took in a deep breath and exhaled. “While you have your super senses…..I have this.”

Trish opened her palm in front of Tio's face and she saw…small discharges of…lighting dancing between her fingers.

Tio's eyes went wide “W-what? Is tha-”

“The same thing as your orbal staff? Yeah” Trish finished for her, still allowing small arcs of lightning to run between her fingers. “A pretty cool magic trick, isn't it?”

Tio genuinely didn't know what to say to this, evidently by the absolute shock she had on her face. “Trish..I…um”

“To answer your question, I didn't come across these powers artificially” Trish explained. “I was actually…….born like this.”

Born was a very strong word but it was the only appropriate one that could be used. A few seconds of silence passed before Tio broke it. 

“.....Have you told anyone else?” Tio asked hesitantly. 

“Only Dante and Company, ” Trish answered. “You're the first person here that I've told outside the group” Trish flicked her hand and sealed her power away. 

“...Did anyone in the village…know about your….power?” Tio still couldn't believe what she actually just saw. It defied all reason. 

“At first, no one but my…..father did” Trish did her best to keep her voice level. “When he first saw me use it, he was so excited about it. I was too…until he wanted to see more of what I could possibly do with it.”

Tio shifted a bit in the chair. “What did he want you to do?”

“He wanted to see how I could use this power….to destroy ‘anything and anyone that stood in my way.’ His words, not mine” Trish said, hiding her grimace. “First, he had me shock some trash cans and garbage lying around, nothing of note. Then…he made me zap some small animals, like foxes and stuff.”

Trish let out a deep sigh. “Then he forced me to attack this kid that had apparently been ‘bullying’ me.”

“He forced you?” Tio asked her, stunned by the revelation. 

“Yep. It was a small charge, but the kid was scared of me, and that's when the real bullying started. I quickly became the black sheep of the village. It was an open secret but no one dared to try and address it or they would face the wrath of the ‘demon witch’ as the kids whispered behind my back.” 

Trish's laugh was hollow. “At first, I didn't find anything wrong with what I was doing. My dad showered me with praise with what I did.”

“Then one day….I hurt a kid really badly. I remember the kid crying his eyes out when….his hand was burned by my powers. I felt guilty but when I brought that up, my dad told me that the child was weak and he deserved such pain for being weak.”

“W-why?” Tio asked in disbelief. “Why would your father force you to do something so awful?” 

“My dad believed that…in order to get the things you want in life….you have to rule by fear” Trish said, remembering the words from her creator. “No one will ever respect you and no one will remain loyal to you if you don't draw that line in the sand.”

“After that, well….I just accepted that I was a monster….with a human face” Trish laughed bitterly. Not even that belonged to her. 

Tio, who believed herself to not understand the woes of the human heart, felt awful for the woman. 

“But, there were two idiots who showed me otherwise” Trish spoke up with a small smile. 

“You mean…Dante and Vergil?” Tio asked as she held Trish's hand a bit tighter.

Trish gave a firm nod, weaving truth and lies in her story. 

“Yeah. Out of all the kids in the village, those two saw the score for what it was and decided to fight me and my dad. It wasn't easy and they got roughed up quite a bit….but somehow they managed to convince me that I was not a monster at heart and fought for my sake and the other villagers.”

“When the time came, I sided with them, you can probably guess, sappy speech and all that shit” Trish laughed while Tio stifled a giggle, feeling her eyes get moist in the process. “And together, we beat him and kicked his ass out of the village.”

“Then what happened?” Tio was fully immersed into the story. 

“Well as you can imagine, we weren't the most popular group of people. With my dad gone, the bullying got worse….way worse, and like with you, the tension grew and grew. No one liked us. No one thought to check on us. Hell, no one had the idea to even ask if we needed clothing or shelter or medicine when we got sick.”

Tio looked horrified at this point. “N-no one helped you?”

Trish shrugged. “We were all we had at that point. I never knew my mom and Dante and Vergil's story is nightmarish compared to mine. Knowing that, we gathered what we could and left. I remembered the things they said as we walked out the gates…how they were glad that the ‘demon children would finally meet their end’ and a bunch of other colorful things that I will not repeat to you.”

Tio sat in silence, trying to process everything she had just heard. “Trish…do you….still feel like a monster?”

“Yeah Tio, I still do, and I'm still trying to learn and live with it” Trish breathed out as she looked Tio in the eyes, the technician's yellow Irises being more misty than ever before. 

Tio found herself feeling lightheaded with the fact that there was someone like her….trying to live.

“.....Trish, do…you hate yourself?” Tio began to shake a little and sniffled. “Do you….wish that you….were never born?”

A very sad question, coming from someone so young. 

But the demon knew the feeling all too well. 

“......I do, from time to time” Trish hugged the girl. “But I can press on, knowing that I've got my friends with me, and I hope I can be that person for you as well. Along with our favorite detective who loves to whisper sweet nothings into every girl he chats up.”

Trish felt a hug back from Tio, and could hear the girl's breath hitch and her hands grab the back of her coat. “It's okay Tio.” Trish said as she patted the girls back as she began to sob into her jacket's shoulder. 

It was a small cry from the girl, but it was that she hadn't let out in a long, long time.

April 3rd

Thors Military Academy.

Late at night. 

“Trish was right, looks like the doll studio is shifty as hell” Nico said as she typed away at her laptop, letting her vans A/C to hum in the background. 

The hacking operation in the Geofront did indeed reveal the location of where kitty was located.

Rosenberg Studio, which was odd considering that the orbal network had not expanded that far out in the area. 

While the humans were stumped, Trish decided to pass on this info to Nico to see if she could find an explanation as to why this was even possible. 

The answer was very surprising, because it turns out that there was indeed a terminal in the studio, one that had access to a remote network. 

This really piqued Nico's interest because as far as she could tell, remote networks were in their infancy in this world and primarily large amounts of data was typically passed through orbal cables that were physically connected to places that utilized the orbal network. 

Furthermore, the information she found of this place was….stunning to say the least, and honestly got her a bit excited. 

“Pater mater huh? Pretty cute nickname for a giant robot” she said while drinking some alcohol. She had to admit Sara had taste when it came to the stuff. 

“Huh, its legs are busted” she looked over at the schematics of the machine.  Nico hadn't dived too far into this place's database but this seemed to hold a rather interesting set of information. 

For starters, Pater Mater was advanced in every sense of the word. Far advanced for anything the Nico had seen in at least the Empire and Crossbell. 

A robust array of weapons ranging from  two laser cannons, a highly advanced life support system, a powerful set of main and sub-engines that could run for years on end and what appeared to be the base layer for an AI black box that was to be installed in the machine soon. Not to mention its claw based weaponry and alloy, which appeared to be an unknown form of titanium. 

“God almighty, I would love to meet the bastard who built this!” Nico smiled as she read more of its specifications. “Hell, I wish I could reach out and give em some suggestions to really make it pack a punch.” Nico paused as she saw something. “And what do we have here?” 

Nico read a bit of info she found. “This thing is a….’Gordias Class….Archaism?’ Weird ass name if you ask me. And it links to a human's nervous system? Impressive shit we got here.”

Nico took another swig as she raised an eyebrow. “Test subject R3 has successfully completed all four test phases” she read out loud. “From the looks of it, it ain't easy being hooked up to the big guy, whoever got cleared to use this thing has gotta be tough in the head. I wonder who…”

An alert flashed on Nico's screen, signaling that someone had accessed the terminal she was currently perusing through. 

“Shit! Better make tracks!” Nico's fingers blitzed across the keyboard as she exited the terminal and set up several firewalls to make sure her location couldn't be found. 

“Whew” she let out a sigh as she sat back in her beanbag chair. “Sucks that I couldn't set up a backdoor. Maybe next time” she said as she shut off her laptop and went to sleep at her workbench.

Rosenberg doll studio

At the same time

“Interesting” Renne hummed as she powered down the terminal. “I was not expecting this to happen today.”

Renne got up from her chair and paced around the workshop's underground factory floor. Various machine parts were placed across workbenches and the forms of half finished dolls casted shadows, using the overhead lights as a source for their blackened forms. 

The girl made her way to a large hanger bay, gazing at a large bipedal machine with claw-like hands and a red coat of paint that covered most of the mechanical monstrosity. 

Looking it up and down, Renne eventually drew her attention to its legs, seeing the various power cables and open panels that ran up and along its lower half.

“I can't wait to play again with you, Pater Mater,” Renne said, smiling. 

A series of beeps and blips from the machine made Renne nod happily. “I know I know, I have to be patient, but once I wrap up my business, we can go somewhere else, okay?” 

“Ah Renne, checking up on him?” A elderly man's voice came in through an open door. 

“Grandpa Joerg!” Renne joyfully expressed as she saw him walk up to the hanger bay. “I'm glad you're back!”

“It's good to see you as well, Renne,” he said gravely as he came down some stairs. “My apologies for getting home late, I needed to get some spare parts for Arc en Ciel's work order.”

“That's okay, you're already busy enough as is” Rennes' smile then went soft. “By the way, has the professor been trying to steal anything from you as of late?”

Jeorg scowled at that. “That man is always trying to plagiarize my work, why do you ask?”

“Well……..here let me show” Renne motioned for the doll maker to follow her to the terminal. 

Renne hopped back into the chair and booted up the device, “Take a look,”

Joerg leaned in and what he saw was astonishing. “Hmmm…unauthorized access to the database…what?”

“You see it too, don't you?” Renne said as she brought a different screen altogether. “Someone's been poking around, and from what I can tell, this person accessed our database from Erebonia, which…”

“…Should not be possible, given the surface world's lack of technological advancement” the doll maker finished for her. “But Renne, if you've noticed this, then you've also seen what makes this even more….concerning.”

Renne hummed. “Mhm, someone accessed the network, not through use of the Astral code….but something else entirely….and it looks like they weren't trying to steal anything but trying to…read what was in here, on Pater Mater specifically.”

“Hmmm….the professor has inquired on Pater Maters combat data but this seems out of character for that shrewd man to even do. Making any entirely new code from scratch is absurd, he would never sully his pride like that” Joerg thought out loud. “You haven't managed to find any exact location of where this breach came from?”

“Nope. They set this up” Renne pointed to an unknown stream of data that unbeknownst to them, was Nico's custom made firewall. “Whatever this is, it's preventing me from diving any deeper. The little snoop that made this is good….very good.”

Joerg grumbled. “I suppose I will need to make a request to the Fool and see if he can bolster the terminal's defenses, but I can imagine the look of shock that will be on his face.”

Renne nodded as her face turned serious. “The Astral code, one of the professors crowning achievements and yet this is somehow on par with that…”

Indeed, because this would not be the only time that the artisan of arms would go toe to toe with the professor's technology.

April 4th

Ancient battlefield

“I think you got a couple cavities in there!” Dante quipped and used his sword to hold a large lizard-like monster's mouth in place. 

“Not the time!” Lloyd yelled as he struck another lizard in the eye. Said lizard roared and swiped him with his tail, but Randy caught Lloyd as he tumbled towards the ground. 

“Vergil, now!” Ellie yelled out as she shot her opponent's scaled legs, knocking it down while the demon went and cleaned its head off. Not wasting a second, Vergil went to assist Lloyd and Randy while Tio and Trish were about ready to end their opponent. 

“Tio, hit me!” Trish got her Enigma ready, charging a sparkle spell. “On it Trish!” Tio released the limiter on her staff to speed up the flow of time around the demon. Letting her demonic energy condense into the device, she aimed it at the charging beast, launching a highly condensed beam of electricity, with its molecules vibrating at high speeds, shredded through the monster like a sandblaster, blowing a huge hole in its torso, killing it in one shot. 

As Dante finished off his opponent, he gave the girls a whistle” Damn, when did you two get all buddy buddy?”

“Girl talk” Tio said flatly as Trish smiled at her. 

“Yeah, something like that” Trish said as she gave the girl a fistbump. 

“Aww that's adorable” Ellie fawned over the scene while Tio suppressed a small smile. 

“Look like you all blew off some steam” Vergil said as he put his sword away. Lloyd and Randy let out a breath in unison. “Yeah, I feel a bit better now.” the detective said, thinking about what happened last night. 

The memory quartz that Jona had given them the previous day gave the SSS a boatload of information on Crossbell's criminal underworld and political situation in greater detail then they had ever known before. 

For starters, they learned Revache was a lot bigger than they had initially thought. Founded in 1134, roughly around the same time that Crossbell State was initially established, the mafia syndicate has had a firm foothold in the city for decades at this point. 

As for its operations, it ranged from arms smuggling, smuggling illegal goods, insider trading, money laundering, sex trafficking and served as a middleman agency between Jaeger corps and so on and so forth. 

Needless to say, the sex trafficking bit was extremely heinous and while the SSS knew that their hands were tied, Dante Vergil and Trish had made a silent agreement to “clean up” this particular area of their operation. 

Granted they wouldn't kill the humans in charge but they would make damn sure that their acts of vigilante justice would not tie them back to the SSS. 

Next up was their total manpower which consisted of over five hundred members among its main forces, not including its subdivisions outside of the state, and to add icing on this little cake, their weapons smuggling has allowed them to wield the strength of a battalion or two, armed with the latest orbal weapons.

This in turn, made them a formidable force, not enough that the CGF couldn't handle them, but way more than what the CPD could muster at a moment's notice. 

Assuming that their political weight would shut down any conflict they would potentially try to start, as Revache had ties to powerful figures in the Empire and surprisingly the Republic as well. 

As for their leader, the organization was led by one Don Marconi, Revache's fifth don, who acquired this position through subterfuge and ousted the previous Don eight years ago. To add insult to injury, the man fancies himself to be more of a noble then a crime boss, within the manner of how he throws mira around like it's nothing. 

While Revache’s documented success in the past primary revolved around its political influence, recently, its fighting strength received a notable addition to their ranks around the time that the previous Don was forced out from his position.

Garcia Rossi, the underboss of Revache and leader of its rank and file henchmen, was responsible for turning the organization's previous lackluster mess of goons into a militarized threat.

This was in part due to him being a former commander of the Zephyr Jaeger corps, which Randy had pointed out was one of the two most dangerous Jaeger corps in western Zemuria. Earning the epithet of ‘Killing Bear’ due his large frame and overwhelming power, to say that he was a force to be reckoned with was an understatement. 

Lastly there was Speaker Hartman, the most powerful political figure in Crossbell and the man who had cut down Mayor Macdowell's attempts at reform at each and every turn. 

Due to his ties with Revache and with him being the leader of the Imperial faction of the Crossbell diet, one could argue that this man was the sole reason why Crossbell was known as the “City of Sin.”

To make matters worse, Hartmann was affiliated with an infamous man, one that had been making rounds through various political spheres both at home in his nation of Erebonia and abroad over the past ten years and that the devils had just learned about. 

Giliath Osborne. The de facto leader of the Imperial government and known as the “Blood and Iron Chancellor”, known for his intimidating presence and ruthlessness when it came to pushing and enforcing his policies. He had no issues with making enemies and sleighting those who were not worth his time, like with Ellie's grandfather. 

And to further add to how fucked up Crossbell's situation actually was, they learned that through a hidden piece of data that the memory quartz held, the very Shwarze Auction that the SSS had heard about from Estelle and Joshua, was held in Speaker Hartmans manor at Mishlelam Resort on the final day of the anniversary festival. 

Held by Revache, the auction sold various illegal items that were highly valued among high society through the continent of Zemuria and also served as a reason for Hartman to network with influential figures without jeopardizing his public standing and only a person could be admitted if they had a specially made black invitation card with a golden rose. 

And to Lloyd's dismay, Sergei, who had been watching the SSS look through this information, told them not to investigate the auction any further, citing that if they messed up, the SSS would be finished. 

Even as they felt hurt by being unable to do anything, Sergei had let them know that their chance to knock down this massive barrier would come at some point. They and the First Division would love to tear that place apart, so it's only a matter of time before a chance showed itself, that little speech earning the respect of the demons. 

Needless to say, the only thing the SSS could do at this point is make sure that the festival ran smoothly, which also included rescuing some dumb ass tourists who wandered into the ancient battlefield, a place known for its dangerous monsters. 

"Yeah, I definitely needed this,” Dante said as he stretched his muscles out. “Gotta say Lloyd, we gotta get some food after this.”

“I'll think about it,” Lloyd said as he and Randy walked over the rest of the group. “Everyone else alright?”

“Crystal,” Trish said. “Im unscathed as well” Vergil stated, dusting his coat off. 

“All systems are green across the board” Tio looked over to Ellie. “Scratch that, Ellie is dying.”

“I'm not dying!” Ellie winced as she shouted. “Well….im a little hurt.”

“Lloyd, pass me a balm” Trish asked as the detective produced it from his pocket and tossed it to the demon. 

As Trish finished applying the balm, a voice called out to the group from near the back entrance to the battlefields fortress. 

“Looks like everything is in order here.” 

The human members of the SSS immediately recognized who it was as they all turned around.

There the demons saw a man with long blue hair and a scar on his left cheek, wearing a red jacket with wrist buckles. Next to him was another bracer with a rifle and the aforementioned tourists. 

“A-arios?!” Lloyd sputtered. “What are you doing here?”

“I was checking on requests at the guild when I saw Scott headed down here” he answered as he got closer to the group. I'm aware how dangerous the area can be, so I thought he might find some help useful.”

Arios stopped a few feet away from them. “But it seems that I was worried over nothing,” Arios said as he eyed the three demons. “You three must be the ones who helped arrest Ernest, correct?”

“That we are,” Vergil confirmed. “I believe this is the first time we have met Arios Maclaine. My name is Vergil Redgrave.”

“Dante,” the demon said, waving at him. “Nice to meet the big bad rival of the SSS.”

“Trish Eva, and I've seen you in the newspaper but you really do feel like a Divine blade of wind.”

Arios adopted a small smile. “Is that so? Well regardless, It's good to see that you have all gotten stronger” Arios gestured to the human SSS members. “Especially you Lloyd, you seem a lot more confident in your abilities.”

"W-well I think so, but I didn't do it alone. I had all of them by my side” Lloyd said humbly as he looked towards his friends, who all had pretty warmhearted reactions to the compliment.

“Hey, looks like she woke up,” Dante said, pointing to one of the tourists. 

“Thank you so much, everyone!” The woman praised the group. “I heard that the cops were useless here but I guess I was wrong.”

“We'll uh….keep up the good work?” Lloyd did not know what to say to that insulting comment. 

“Seriously! We even got to see an awesome show! You took down those monsters like it was nothing!” a man said, most likely being the woman's partner. 

“Um…the red coated guy was really cool…..and so hot, the way he swung his sword was just…” 

“W-wait honey?” The man said, hurt by what he had just heard. 

“Not to mention the man in blue…oh I just want to-”

“And I think she needs a bit more rest” Dante cut the woman off before her boyfriend's pride was sullied and further. “Lets head back to inn party people.”

Taking Dante's advice, the SSS and bracers returned to the Ash Tree Inn and escorted the couple back to their lodgings. 

In a surprising turn of events, Arios stated that the SSS take credit for completing the request, since they played a huge role in saving their lives and both groups now seemed to have a mutant respect for one another. 

With that finished the SSS decided to head back to the building in order to take a much deserved break, but fate seemed to have other things in mind. 

Receiving a call from Fran, she explained that Harold Hayworth's child had gone missing and he needed their assistance to track the child down. 

Rushing down to the Administrative district, they found the merchant by a bench near the fountain, with a very distraught red headed woman. 

“You came,” Harold said, relieved by their arrival. 

“Oh, thank Adios” Sophia looked up at them with pleading in her eyes. 

Lloyd wasted no time. “Good afternoon, Mr and Ms. Hayworth. If I heard correctly, you guys were watching the parade when you noticed your son had gone missing, correct?”

“Th-thats right! I should have paid more attention…it's all my fault that he's…he's..oh Colin!” the woman's anguish was well heard. 

Sophia, please. We have to stay calm” Harold attempted to reassure his wife. “I apologize, everyone. She's just worried. We lost sight of Colin roughly three hours ago. It happened when we were watching the parade pass through this district. Sophia noticed almost immediately. We both searched around this area as hard as we could, but to no avail.”

“And with it being so crowded, you called us?” Dante asked.

“Yes, precisely,” Harold answered. “It was our only feasible option.”

“Heard that” Dante nodded. “We're gonna need anything that might help us find him, photos, favorite items he likes, all that fun stuff.”

“Smart move Dante, we should also split up as well. We can each search through the other districts as well as this one.” Lloyd suggested with the others agreeing with the idea. 

“P-please let me help as well!” Sophia desperately yelled out. “If I don't…..who knows what might…happen too…”

“Sophia, it's going to be okay,” Harold said kindly. “I'll hand over what you need to help find my son then I will escort my wife home for the time being. We'll conduct a thorough investigation of the neighborhood once we've arrived.”

But his wife wasn't hearing any of it. “Harold! But what if he isn't there?! What if it's happened again?!”

“It won't! It will never happen again, I swear it” Harold said firmly in an attempt to calm his wife down. 

“Hes right, we won't let that happen” Dante said as he walked up the two. “Just head home, we'll get this done ASAP. Harold, gonna need those items we need.”

Harold was taken aback by how serious the demon was before he gave them what he needed, a few pictures of Colin and a mishy plush. With those gathered, the group saw the couple off and began the search immediately, with the help of Zeit. 

Lloyd and Dante began in the Entertainment district but didn't find any leads on the boy. But as they looked through the back alley, a familiar voice called out to the two of them “Hehe, long time no see.”

The two officers turned around and were surprised to see the girl from the doll studio, walking by herself without a care in the world. “Good day, detective. It's been about two months since we last met, hasn't it? and you have the funny man with you too!”

“Hey, it's the kid with the good nose…..Renne right?” Dante asked. 

The girl did not look pleased at that comment. “You should really mind your manners, Dante. A lady's name isn't something you just casually forget. It's your duty as a gentleman to greet me as if we had just met yesterday.”

“Haha…sorry about him” Lloyd said while Dante looked at him. “Lloyd, you forgot her name too, not gonna take the fall myself this time.”

“Gah..I didn't..ah great” Lloyd said defeated. “So, Renne” the detective asked, hoping to change the subject. “What are you doing in Crossbell? Are you all by yourself or did you get lost or something?”

“Of course not” Renne stated like it was an impossible thing to occur for her. “As if I could get lost. I like to visit the antique shop here from time to time.”

“Ain't that kinda dangerous for a lady such as yourself?” Dante asked, but the girl gave him an odd answer. “Heehee. Oh, you're a funny one. What could possibly be dangerous here?” The mister and miss at the club are very kind to me. Even those men wearing sunglasses in the alley are super amusing.”

“Y-You're joking right?” Lloyd did not believe what he had just heard. 

“Well since you're already in a place you ain't supposed to be, I need to ask you something” Dante said as he showed a picture of Colin. “Have you seen this kid around here?”

Renne looked at the photo and after a few seconds, her trademark smile faltered as she felt her stomach drop. 

“You know him?” Dante asked her. Renne thought for a moment before she lied. “No. Renne has never known this child. However…he's quite the cutest little boy isn't he?”

“I…guess?” Dante said. “He does have his mom's hair so that's a plus in my book.”

“Only because it's red,” Lloyd said flatly. 

“What can I say? It's undefeated” the demon responded. 

“You said you are looking for him?” Renne questioned. 

“Yeah we are. I'd like to get him back to his parents ASAP, but we haven't had much luck in finding him yet” Lloyd answered. 

“If that's the case, then I'll grant you both a bit of my expertise” Renne said smiling. 

“....Sure you can help” Dante while Lloyd looked at him like he was crazy, but before Lloyd could question this insane decision, the demon put a hand up. “Listen, it's probably better if the kid hangs with us for a bit. It's safer that way.”

“Im quite skilled at life and seek” Renne said, picking up on their whispering. “Im sure it won't be much effort to locate one naughty little boy.”

“Yeah, but…….alright fine, I was anxious about leaving her alone anyway” Lloyd finally relented. 

“Welcome aboard, detective Renne!” Dante said, smirking at her. “Glad to have you on the team.”

The girl gave a curtsy. “I am happy to be of service.”

“One on condition though” Dante spoke up. 

“Hm?” Renne hummed. 

“There's a song that you gotta learn before being a member of the SSS..”

“NO..no! Not her too!” Lloyd tried to deny the demon his plans,  but to no avail, because as they began their search, he passed along the sacred tune….

“Whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” Renne sang as she typed away at the terminal inside the SSS building. 

After discovering that Colin may have left the city by accidentally getting into a vehicle, the young girl made herself at home and began to search through the database.

As Dante and Lloyd watched her work, it was clear that this incident, plus several moments throughout the investigation, confirmed that Renne was unnaturally intelligent for a girl her age. 

“Your kitty aren't you?” Dante asked the girl as he looked over her shoulder. “Your old man know anything about your little hobby?”

Renne nodded and just giggled. “Oh, Grandpa Joerg is just an associate of mine. He's a friend who repaired my dear Pater-mater for me…” she replied as she kept typing away. 

“The thing that Nico found belongs to this kid?” Dante thought as she continued on. “And since I don't trust the professor, I had to discreetly ask elsewhere about fixes.”

“The professor? And what the heck is a Pater-Mater?” Lloyd was starting to understand her less and less. 

“Heehee, that's not something you need to worry about” Renne said as she typed away. “After all. I'm only here to observe Crossbell.”

Dante was considering posing a relatively harmless question. But decided to disguise it in the form of a game. “Hey Renne, I want to play a game. I'll try to guess what Pater-Mater is and if I lose, I'll buy you some candy?”

“Oh? And what brought this on Dante?” Renne questioned as she kept searching through the database. “And what's a game with one sided stakes?”

“Alright then, if I guess correctly…you have to buy me some gum.”

“Dante, I know you like to do weird things but this is a little much” Lloyd said, not really on board with this. 

“It's fine Lloyd” Renne said as she briefly met the detective's eyes. “I don't mind playing with him.”

“Alright, guess number one…Pater-Mater is…..a dog!” Dante gave her his most enthusiastic voice. 

“Bzzzt, wrong answer Dante!” Renne shook her head. 

“It is a……plushie?”

“Wrong again” Renne stated. She was honestly confused as to why he was doing this, there didn't seem to be any poi-”

“Is Pater-Mater….an Arc-haism?” he hoped he pronounced the word he had heard from Nico correctly. 

Rennes' typing stopped as she immediately froze up. She then turned to face the demon and she looked….on edge…and Dante had noticed her eyes dilated a bit, as if she was looking at him as a threat. “Huh, was not expecting that” he thought.

“Oh Renne? What's wrong?” Lloyd spoke up as he saw how serious she looked. Renne managed to compose herself. “Heehee it's nothing.”

It was not nothing, for she had a feeling that Dante may in fact be in league with her former “friends”

Outskirts of Crossbell 

West highway

Afternoon

“Dante, is she alright?” Ellie asked the demon as they all passed over a bridge and headed over to Colin's last known location. “I'm okay miss Ellie” Renne lied, as shown by her almost walking ahead of the group making very subtle glances at Dante. 

“Dante, if you did something wrong, I will hurt you” Tio growled and gave the demon a mean look. 

“Im innocent until proven guilty in the court of law” he replied, noticing how Renne was shifting around a bit, as if she was preparing to fight at a moment's notice.

“So you don't deny it? Lloyd I think we need to file a report because Dante may have stolen her heart” Randy grinned.

“He wouldn't try and destroy our reputation like that….probably” Trish laughed at the demon's expense. Granted she and Vergil were also suspicious of how the girl was evidently spooked. 

As to why they were out on the highway, it turns out that little Colin had wandered into a truck and was found by the drivers in the back seat. 

Colin, being the absolutely oblivious child he was, wandered away from the truck for some unknown reason so the SSS were contacted to try and track the kid down. 

Thankfully, they didn't have to look for too long this time as they saw that the boy had been following a butterfly….that led to the territory of a group of dangerous wolves. 

Renne pulled out a nasty looking scythe and immediately ran over to the boy to try and save him, but the wolves were about to sink their teeth into the helpless child. 

“Stay away from him!” She yelled as she was about to witness him get chewed up.

But Dante was faster, blitzing a wolf with a rushing stab and pulling out ebony and shooting the other members of the pack, taking them out in one fell swoop. 

During this, Renne grabbed Colin to pull him away from the dangerous situation that had only lasted just mere moments. 

“It's all right now” Renne comforted the startled boy. “That…nice man took care of those big, scary monsters for you. You're safe now, okay? Please don't cry.”

Colin, of course, cried after the near death experience, much to Rennes' confusion. 

“Wh-why are you crying?! I already said nothing is going to hurt you anymore.”

The boy continued to sob much to her dismay. “I..I was….”

Renne shouted at the top of her lungs. “I never meant to save you…to involve myself like this!”

“Jeez, did you really have to wander all the way out here kid? You got her all wound up” Dante said as he walked on over, hoping to lighten the mood. “There's plenty of fun in the ci-”

Dante stopped as she saw Renne turn her entire body to face him, holding the tear streaked child close to her and stepping back a bit, giving the demon a glare that meant that she did not want him to come any closer. 

The demon stepped back and heard the message while the others were seemingly granted passage, to try and help her get through with whatever she was feeling.  

“Moronic! How utterly, completely moronic!” She said, scolding herself. “I just wanted to observe! I decided I wasn't going to get involved! So why…?!....Why Did…?”

Lloyd stepped in and got down on one knee to face her. “I can't pretend to know or understand your circumstances, Renne. But I think it's clear you acted to save someone you care about. With your own hands, the warmth that boy feels in your arms is proof enough.”

Renne started to tear up as Lloyd words hit her in the heart. 

“You did most of the work finding him,” Lloyd pointed out. “We were little more than back up, honestly. But, still I'm glad we were here. It was an honor to help you, Renne. To help you protect what's important.”

“I-I don't..” Renne tried to deny it to no avail. 

Because the tears she shed with Colin that day, was proof that she did care for him. 

The mood at the SSS building was somber. Mainly due to the team finally getting a clearer picture of what happened to Renne. 

The Hayworth's explained that a long time ago, they previously had another child….one with the same purple hair as Renne…..

Eight years ago, Harold was starting out as a trader in Crossbell market, a battle that he was woefully unprepared for. After a bad investment that had gone belly up, the man had acquired a large amount of debt, putting a target on him and his family's backs from debt collectors who had…ill intentions with how they went about collecting their payments. 

To ensure their child's safety, they gave their daughter to a friend of theirs, hoping that she would be out of the line of fire from the mafia. 

Sadly, despite managing to crawl his way out of debt in only a year, fate decided to deal the Hayworths with a truly cruel hand. 

The couple returned to the very same estate that they left their little girl at. 

Only to find its smoldering ruins in its wake, supposedly one of the many victims of a string of organized arson and burglary cases in the Republic and all bodies at the scene were burned beyond recognition. 

The couple was heartbroken, as they lost their most precious treasure for good. So much so, they considered suicide as they could not bear the pain of losing their child.

Sophia finding out she was pregnant, forced them to reconsider that decision. 

That child being Colin, the living embodiment of their second chance and the unknowing little brother to their deceased daughter. One that obligated them to live for him, for they needed to be happy, and to live for their daughter as well, who was assuredly watching them from above. 

The team gave them their condolences, and as the couple took Colin home for some much needed rest, the SSS went and informed Renne that they were gone, as she had been inside the closet, listening in on that conversation the whole time. 

She stepped out, holding back her tears. 

“Are you really okay with this?” Lloyd asked her, concerned for her well being. “If you run, I'm sure you'd be able to catch up with them.”

“No..it's fine” she said, wiping away some droplets from her face. “It's just that..one of my reasons for coming to Crossbell is gone now. So this is fine” Renne smiled through her pain. 

“Hold on Renne, are you absolutely sure?” Ellie spoke up. “Have you truly thought this all the way through?” aren't they your-”

“She'll need to work through this on her own” Dante chimed as he placed a hand on Ellie's shoulder. “Trust me, something's happen to the average guy or girl that……can't really be fixed. Even if we want to help anyway”

“I-I know that, but..” Ellie tried to say something back but the demon beat her to the punch. “I get where she's coming from, I know the house fire story all too well.”

“What?” Renne looked at him and saw…..the brief flash of pain in his eyes while Vergil and Trish had a similar look of knowing. 

“Anyway kid” Dante went and changed the subject. “Can we at least walk you back up the mountain? don't think you want to get your dress all coated in dirt if there are any more big bad dogs running around.”

That seemed to bring a bit of light into the otherwise dreary atmosphere. 

“…..Thank you detective and you as well, Ellie, Tio, Randy, Vergil, Trish….Dante” she said, grateful for the help. “But as for walking me home…could Dante be the one to accompany me?”

Randy adopted a shit eating grin. “Well well, looks like he did win her over after all!”

“RANDY!” Ellie scolded him. “That's very rude to our guest!” 

“But are you sure kid?” The demon asked her. “I talk a lot and I don't really care for manners.”

“I agree, he is a pig, not worthy of your time and an idiot” Tio insulted him. 

“It's fine, he will do. Come along Dante” Renne said as she left the room. 

Dante gave the others a farewell and he walked out the side entrance of the SSS building, and the two went towards the north exit and headed towards the doll studio.

But as they arrived at the fork in the road, Renne suddenly stopped. 

“Thinking about heading after em? Dante asked but the girl shook her head. 

“No, but there is something I've been meaning to ask you” She said, adopting a very serious face. 

The demon chuckled. “Look, it's already about dinner time and I'm not up for being cut up into swiss cheese with that scythe you got. You can swing that around well for a kid your age.”

“Yes, I'd like to think so” Renne said as she slowly put a hand on her weapon. “Where did you hear that word from?”

“Oh the word ‘Archaism’?” Dante sounded the word out. “Read it in a dictionary once, rolls of the tongue kinda weird.”

“Dante…..I'm afraid that I've had a long day,” she said slowly. “And……I am not in the best mood right now.....so please don't lie to my face.”

The demon began to pace. “Renne, I'm not lying, look I'm not crossing my fingers” he showed her his hands. “Just really think twice before you try to give me a shave.”

Renne scowl depended. “Do not play coy with me!  What is your game here?!”

The demon let out a sigh. “You really want to do this?” Dante said, not facing her but picked up the slight shift of her weight as she got ready to attack him. 

Dante decided to give her at least one last chance and tossed his guns behind him, along with his sword. “Here, I'm unharmed and at your mercy. Just look before you leap, kid.”

Renne's experience led her to analyze every opening she could, which is to say there were many. 

That made her pause, if she believed Dante to be one of “them” then there shouldn't have been any gaping holes in his defense at all. Deciding to take a huge risk, she posed him a question. 

“.......are you an Enforcer?” She asked as her stance slightly faltered. 

Dante turned around and put a hand to his chin. “I mean, I enforce the law so yeah?”

Renne looked absolutely dumbfounded for a few seconds before ceasing her hostilities. “Tio was right, you are an idiot” she said as she put her scythe away. “But it appears I was mistaken, my apologies.”

“Your cool, my bad for scaring you earlier, even if i still don't know what an Arch-”

“Dante” Renne said firmly to cut him off. “Once again, I appreciate you for saving Colin, and as a reward I would like to give you a warning.”

“Uh sure, let's hear it” Dante replied as he put his hands on his hips. “What's the red flag I need to worry about?”

Renne took a deep breath. “I don't know where you managed to learn that word from, but I suggest that whoever or whatever you did to find out about it, do not inquire about it any further."

"And why should I not dig any further?" The demon asked casually. 

"Because it's associated with a very dangerous group of people and I would hate for the SSS or the Hayworth's to get caught up in their schemes. Are. We. Clear?” Renne scowl lessened but still made it itself known to the demon. Whatever had her worried was not up for debate 

“....Crystal,” Dante answered. He was gonna ask Nico to do more research anyway, but Renne didn't need to know that. 

Renne seemed to believe him as she gave him her trademark smile. “Then I bid you a good day, and goodnight” she performed a curtsy then headed upwards towards the studio. 

After she went out of sight, the demon walked back to the city, even more curious about what she had just said.

A dangerous group of people? Eh, not like he hasn't dealt with organizations that are filled with psychos. He's gone up against the Order of the Sword and the international company that Arius was running, what's so special about these guys?

Dante took his time to get back home, a little too much time because by the time he'd gotten back, it was well into the evening and Trish and Vergil were waiting outside the SSS building's side entrance, with a to-go box from Long Lao Tavern.  

“Hey! Saved some for me?” Dante said as Trish held out the food for him. 

“Managed to somehow, Randy was trying to sneak in thirds” Trish replied. “So how did everything go with Renne?”

“The usual, tried to kill me, I convinced her not to, the works, the meats” Dante casually said. 

“Well considering who she used to work for, I'm not surprised that ended up happening at somepoint” Vergil spoke up, getting his brother's attention. “Who she used to run with?”

Vergil cleared his throat to being his explanation. “Well for starters, Joshua and Estelle came by and they were looking to bring the girl in to be a part of her family but that's not the most important thing about her.”

“At the Tavern” Trish came in. “We learned a few things from them, about what happened during the Liberl incident and how it involved a Sept-Terrion.”

“Really now?” Dante's attention was now piqued. “Anything we know about it?”

“It's a lot actually,” Vergil said. “But what's more interesting is the group that caused the incident to happen in the first place.”

“They got a name?”

“Yeah Dante, they do,” Trish said, pausing for a dramatic effect. “The Society of Ouroboros” Trish said, faking the ominous tone she had in her voice. “Ring any bells?”

“Haha you know what I was just thinking of the Dumary island job as I got back here” Dante laughed as he came to a realization. “Hmm well that's actually weird.”

“What was weird?” Trish asked. 

“During our little talk the kid called me an ‘Enforcer’ and told me not to look into the name ‘Archaism’ anymore because a deadly posse would come from under my bed and steal my toes” Dante chuckled. 

“As….funny as that might be, knowing what we know about our father, they may in fact have some idea of what these Sept Terrions are actually used for” Vergil stated. “Nico's still planning on investigating the doll house, correct?”

“Probably, but she said she needs to gather some better equipment for next time” Trish confirmed. “That's gonna take a while but we should assume that place has something to do with the society.”

“So, on top of saving the kids' family and solving daddy's little mystery, we have to deal with the Illuminati now?” Dante faked his annoyance. “Man, gonna have to up-charge her for this.”

“Well we can discuss her future payments inside” Vergil said, gesturing the two to follow him. 

Yeah, things were about to get interesting.

Because by tomorrow night, the child that they had been looking for, would inevitably lead the two groups to clash. 

Chapter Text

1204 Septian Calendar 

April 4th

Crossbell city, Bracer guild

Late at night. 

Joshua and Estelle have been through a lot for kids their age. Dealing with sky bandits, stopping a coup attempt in the Kingdom of Liberl, and facing off against the society aboard the Liber Ark, these two really have a knack for getting into trouble and somehow saving the day, solving whatever mysteries that came across their way.

Well, maybe not, because this little mystery quite frankly, shook Joshua to his core.

Just barely an hour ago, the bracers had dinner with the SSS minus one Dante, at a restaurant on east street, exchanging stories about their past adventures when the topic of the devils home town came up in a discussion. 

This story, exposing a glaring discrepancy that only the bracers knew to be accurate. 

Joshua was at the table, his elbows resting on its wooden frame and hands placed against his head, shaking, his elbows almost digging into the surface with how much this knowledge made him feel. 

Estelle was right next to the bracer, hugging him to try and calm him down, knowing what had affected him the most. 

The event that Joshua was reliving as he tried to figure out the lie he had just heard, was quite possibly the single worst thing that had ever happened to him in his life. 

The Tragedy of Hamel. 

Twelve years ago, Joshua's hometown was attacked by jaegers that were armed to the teeth, who then proceeded to massacre everyone in the village, ruthlessly and without mercy. 

The men were slaughtered like cattle, the women violated and sent to their deaths by gunfire or worse, and even children nor infants weren't spared from the onslaught. 

A young Joshua, along with his older brother Loewe and older sister Karin, attempted to flee but to no avail, as Karin met the same untimely end, trying to protect her little brother. 

This series of events led the two down a dark path, with them joining the society as a result, unbeknownst to them that a certain member played a role in the village's downfall. The very same member that recruited them to join the society's cause. 

Which is why Joshua was very concerned with the identities of the older SSS members as they claimed they were from Ravvenue Village, a place that kept in contact with Hamel prior to the tragedy. 

They told the bracers that they left in March of 1192 and went north. The same time as the massacre happened. 

If that were true, they would have seen the smoldering remains of his home, the bodies strewn about like discarded trash, the senseless death and decay that plagued the air, along with the remaining jaegers who stayed behind to pillage the corpses and further desecrate the dead. 

They would have seen the Erebonian army, who orchestrated the attack as an excuse to invade Liberl, trample over the ground with their tanks and decimate the fragile fortress that was Haken gate, three days afterwards.

But those two claimed to have only seen the wilderness with no signs of civilization, which by all means, should have been an impossible statement to make and that had set the two bracers on high alert. 

“Joshua..” Estelle trailed off, trying her best to comfort her boyfriend's cascading emotions. The boy's shaking began to slow down as he felt his partner's heartbeat. 

“..Thank you Estelle” Joshua responded, much to the girl's relief. “...I think we need to do some digging.”

“Do you think they might be with the society? They did say Renne was acting skittish around….Dante? I think that's what his name was” Estelle pulled away from him a bit and looked towards the guild's communicator. “The other two might be with them as well but…”

“...I don't know,” Joshua let out a sigh and clasped his hands together. “But we should probably make that call. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better chances we have. The society's best advantage is keeping its prey in the dark after all.”

Joshua's life long partner slowly adopted a smile. “Right! Let's see if that red head knows anything about these guys!” Estelle's usual light hearted tone, one that Joshua had grown to love, embraced the otherwise darkened room. 

The girl went over to the communicator and phoned the Zeiss branch. After a few rings and some back and forth with the receptionist, Estelle finally got in touch with who she needed to speak with. 

“Hey Agate! How's everything going for you right now?” 

“Hey Estelle! Im hanging in there” a rough sounding voice came in through the speaker. “Just got back from a job and was gonna get some sleep, but Tita wanted me to eat dinner first. What's up with you?”

“Well…not good…we've run into a situation here in Crossbell” Estelle's tone dampened a bit. 

“What's going down over there? Is it about Renne?”

“Kinda,” Estelle answered, taking some time to gather her words. “....There's something we need you to look into. It's about some people that said they lived in Ravvenue before leaving……about ten years ago…...right around the hundred days war” the daughter of Cassius felt nervous about bringing up such a touchy subject for Agate. 

“......really now? Who are they?”

“I'm sorry for bringing this u-” Estelle was cut off by Agate. 

“Don't worry about it, I'm not a kid anymore, trust me…..Mischa would get on my ass if she saw something like this get to me. So start talking.”

Agate, the ever gruff but caring bracer, managed to get Estelle back on track. “Alright then, did you know anyone named Dante Redgrave, Vergil Redgrave or Trish Eva that lived there? They said they left in March.”

“Hmm, I'm not sure. Nothing's ringing a bell. Are these guys up to something?”

“We aren't certain but….we think at least Dante may be involved with the society” Estelle said with a hint of worry.

“You serious Estelle?! I thought those guys weren't in Crossbell. What makes you think he's running with them?”

Estelle explained the peculiars of the situation, giving Agate the information he needed. When she finished, the bracer was now even more concerned.

“You guys gonna need any help? I can come running right now if you need it.”

“Thanks but I think we should be okay, we got Arios here, so if things go to shit, we'll have some great back up” Estelle answered. “Besides, I think Tita would appreciate you staying a bit longer.”

“Heh, you might be right. Anyway, I'm gonna head off to dinner now, then tomorrow I'll do some digging and probably give HQ in Leman a call, gonna let them know what might be happening. I'll tell Tita you said hi. Peace.”

“Goodnight Agate. Thank you so much!” Estelle hung up and walked back over to Joshua, who seemed a little better than before. “Agate said he didn't know anything about those three but he's gonna investigate and try to see if he can find any other information.”

“Thats good, I'm just worried about Renne” Joshua noticed Estelle's mood slightly damper a bit. “Crap, I'm sorr-”

“It's fine Joshua, I'm worried too” the girl said as she sat down next to him. “But we'll find her, and fulfill our promise, no matter what happens.”

Estelle's confidence made Joshua smile back at her. She was right, things were going to be okay and like always,  everything would work out. As long as they were together, nothing could stop them. 

If only they knew what they would be up against down the line.

April 5th

Cruise ship en route to Mishelam theme park

Early afternoon

“After all, you're all going to die here on this boat” a young man going by the name of Lechter Arundel casually said to the SSS as he fiddled with his Lute.

“Gonna make us walk the plank captain?” Dante said as the other humans stepped back from Lechter. 

“Funny guy ain't cha?” Lechter answered, grinning. “Do you know how many of my subordinates boarded this ship along with me? Let's just say, there are enough of them to ensure you have zero chance of escaping your swiftly approaching demise.”

Tio looked behind her, wanting to bolt down the stairs and find Trish to warn her. “Ah, ah ah, don't think I didn't notice you trying to sneak off” Lechter tilted his head. “Not that it really matters anyway. Your little buddies don't realize they're dead yet.”

“That's enough!” Ellie reached for her gun. “Why are you doing this?!” Ellie was about to point it at him but the demon placed his hand on the barrel. “Dante, what are you doing?”

“Listen don't be mad…but he's joking” Dante stated, looking at Lechter who couldn't hold in his laughter anymore. 

“Hah! You should see the look on your faces right now!”

“....you were joking?” Tio glared, but it didn't seem to freeze the man in place. “That wasn't funny.”

“Wow, do you even have to ask? When I was on the train to Crossbell, I read heaps of spy novels. Thought I'd be fun to put what I learned to the test” Lechter smiled. “But wow, it looks like it worked on some of you, but not him.”

Ellie let out a sigh. “You looked so serious, we couldn't help but fall for it, hook, line, and sinker.”

“I can at least give you an A for trying,” Dante said as he decided to change the subject. “So what's it like working for Mr. Blood and Iron?”

“Oh that? Nah I was pulling your leg, I'm just the son of a run of the mill imperial household, so noblesse oblige demands I attend the auction in my old man's place.”

Dante whipped out his invitation card. “Looks like we come from the same background, my fellow lord.”

“You are anything but noble” Lloyd chastised him. “But Lechter, does that mean you're attending the auction?”

“Yep, that's the plan, maybe we'll see each other at the mansion later tonight” Lechter answered, then noticed something weird. “But I gotta say, you guys look underdressed, I honestly thought you were police officers trying to scope the place out.”

“H-ha-Haha um us? No, we're definitely not with the police” Lloyd nervousness almost made the demon slap his head. 

“Sorry pal, but you don't really look the part of an imperial household if you're judging us for our clothes” Randy pointed out. 

“Besides, this whole thing is anonymous right?” Dante stated. “I could show up in my house robe if I wanted to.”

“Absolutely. Not. You. Lazy. Clown.” Tio emphasized each and every point to get it across to him. 

“Hahahaha your friend here is hilarious, maybe I was wrong! But yeah, I think we'll be seeing each other more often than not” Lechter said to the group. 

Dante nodded with a grin as the SSS excused themselves from the ship's upper deck, definitely enjoying how this little field trip ended up happening in the first place. 

Earlier in the day, the same man that accidentally took Colin by accident delivered a parcel to the SSS building. Within it contained several black cards that allowed entry into the Schwarze Auction. 

Knowing Lloyd was not going to let this opportunity slip by, the group agreed to at least stake the place out to get a better idea of what Zemuria's high society was really like when not operating in public. 

With the chief thankfully being at HQ for some business, the SSS headed off to Mishelam, to hopefully uncover the dark secret of the auction. 

As the SSS made it to the lower deck, they met up with Trish and Vergil, who seemed to have been speaking with Killika, who also happened to be aboard the vessel. 

“Trish…..is everything okay?” Tio asked the demon. “I'm alright Tio, just got done chatting with miss director over there.”

“I see….that's good” Tio felt Dante rub his hand on her head. “She's fine icy kid.”

“Is something the matter?” Vergil asked the group. 

“Well, we ran into that Lechter guy and he pulled a nasty prank on us,” Randy explained. “Said that he had planned to kill us all and got us good. Tio tot especially.”

“Yeah, he really made a fool of us,” Lloyd sighed. “but it's good to see you guys are okay. 

Attention passengers. We will be arriving at Mishlelam Resort shortly. 

Please ensure you have all belongings with you as you depart from the ship. 

Mishelam Resort welcomed you to a wonderful and unforgettable experience. 

Feeling the ship slow down, the SSS began to prepare for landing. 

Stepping off the docks, the crew got a good look at the resort and even from a distance, the SSS were impressed with what the location offered. 

Entering the main resort building, they all saw various shops and restaurants and the entrance to the theme park itself, but since they were here on police business, checking out the attractions was simply a no go, much to Tio's dismay. 

Eventually making their way through the very luxurious waterfront with villas that would assuredly break all of their banks, the SSS finally arrived at Speaker Hartman's mansion, which felt like an Imperial home fit for a noble. 

“So we've arrived at the castle of yore” Dante said as he looked over the building. 

“Now that you mention Dante, Speaker Hartman's mansion does look like one” Lloyd commented. “The entrance looks more like a moat than a simple walkway.”

“His family has been prominent in the Crossbell social sphere for a long time now” Ellie shared that fact with the group. “It's said this mansion was built as the governor general's residence during the Imperial reign nearly one hundred years ago.”

“Even so, this place is just way too big,” Randy said next. “It ain't like this guy's from one of the Empire's Four Great Houses or anything.”

“Well we can assume that the social gathering that will occur here later tonight must mean that it will be larger than we have anticipated” Vergil pointed out. 

“Vergil is correct” Tio focused her attention to the window of the manor. “There appears to be several dining halls inside the manor, as far as I can tell.”

“We also got some old friends of ours dead ahead,” Trish pointed out, noticing the mafia members walking out of the entrance, along with Garcia Rossi. 

The group hid behind a pillar near the mayor's entrance as they watched Garcia give some orders to his men. 

“Well, looks we got our work cut off for us,” Trish said to Lloyd. 

“Yeah, looks that way,” Lloyd replied. “We knew Revache was involved but Garcia was not something I was expecting. 

“Damn, was hoping we wouldn't run into him,” Randy cursed at their apparent misfortune. “and it's probably safe to say he's gonna be watching things from inside the mansion. Great. 

“A former jaeger will definitely make things more difficult,” Tio said. 

“If the bear has a good nose, we could lay out some honey to lure him away” Dante's attempt at humor was met with mixed reactions. “Only you would think of actually trying that,” Tio replied. 

“I mean…..he looks the part” Trish chimed in. “We could lace it with some sleeping agent. Besides, security is tight enough as is.”

“Trish that is highly dangerous and illegal” Lloyd sighed. “But on a serious note, if we're going in, we'll need to be careful.”

“For real. Those guys know our faces pretty well, given how much trouble we cause ‘em” Randy spoke. 

“We'll need to devise a plan in order to deceive them” Tio hummed. “Without any more theatrics from the two of you.”

“Theatrics?” Dante and Vergil said at the same time. 

“Lets back off for now” Lloyd said to everyone. “if we get caught, our entire operation will be over before it can even start.”

The group started walking back towards the center and Dante's stomach growled. “We should probably get some fo-

…Find me…

Lloyd, Dante, Vergil and Trish all stopped when they heard that and all turned to face the mansion.

“What was that? Am I hearing things?” Lloyd thought to himself. 

“Hey is something wrong guys?” Randy called out to the four of them. 

“Oh it's nothing” but Lloyd swore he could have heard something. “Sorry guys, i think my ears were playing tricks on me”

“I was looking for places that we could enter from without walking through the front door,” Dante lied. 

“I was just thinking to myself, sorry to worry you guys” Trish lied next. 

“I found the architecture to be quite interesting” a third line added by Vergil completed the trio of fibs. 

Ellie looked confused as Tio grimaced. “What did I say about NOT making any more theatrics?”

“Yeah yeah, I'll behave” Dante said, surprising Tio a bit as she expected his usual snark. 

“Well, whatever you say guys, let's get going” Randy waved the group over but as they walked the three demons hung back to discuss what just happened. 

“Looks like we finally found the client” Trish said as she looked back at the manor. 

“Seems that way,” Vergil said. “We'll need at least one of us in there, depending on what plan we come up with.”

“Agreed on that Vergil” Dante nodded. “It's kinda weird that Lloyd heard it too.”

“She does see him as her father so maybe a parental connection can supersede the laws of causality” Vergil came in. “Dante, should we go in now or later?”

“I say later, the kid said we'd be able to eventually find her so waiting a bit longer should be fine” Dante answered. 

Putting that discussion to bed, the SSS and demons went back to the center main hall to figure out what to do next. 

They needed to find a way to enter without being discovered but Tio pointed out a big problem. The invitation cards might not be enough so they needed to find something that could help bypass the issue. 

Deciding to discuss this somewhere more discreet, the SSS went upstairs to the hotel to see if there were any vacant rooms that were available. 

Thankfully, they found help in the form of Wazy Hempishere, who promptly invited them to his room so they could have some privacy. 

“Spending the final day of the festival taking in all the fine amusements Mishelam has to offer? Consider me impressed” Wazy said as he got comfortable on the couch in his room. 

“Er…yeah, we decided that it was a good day for it” Lloyd said nervously as he attempted to change the subject. “More importantly, what's with that outfit, Wazy?”

The gang leader smiled. “Pretty stylish isn't it? Let's just say it's the uniform for my side job.”

“And what kind of job would that be?” Trish asked him. 

“In the cold, cold world of high society” he began dramatically. “Many beautiful, lonely ladies search for that spark of love they've lost…..my job is to simply ignite that and give them the time they desperately dream about.”

“So you're a host then? I don't believe that's legal at your age” Vergil pointed as the other humans were shocked with the news. 

“He's a host?!” Randy exclaimed. “I work my ass off for the CPD while you get to have a good time chillin’ with bab-er, I mean…” the redhead fumed. “You're too young to be hostin’!

“Sure Randy, you ‘work’ so hard everyday” Trish said sarcastically. “Well…maybe more than Dante.”

“Trish, you are stretching the truth” Tio argued back. “Randy at least puts in some effort.”

“Ouch icy kid” Dante held his heart. “I've been doing better at it.”

“Haha” Wazy's laugh got the group's attention. “We'll I'll have you know, I'm not doing this for the money and I can assure you that I'm crossing no legal lines Vergil. I have women requesting my company day in and day out. It'd be rude to deny them that much.”

Wazy crossed his legs and had a thoughtful look on his face. “I suppose you could say…it's charity work.”

“You're unbelievable” Lloyd said, not amused at the comparison. Randy was no better, but seemed to get the gist of it. “He's frank, I'll give him that much. Guess his customers must be into that.”

“I can't see the appeal of that” Ellie sighed. 

“I can,” Trish said flatly. “You should try it for your next birthday.”

“T-TRISH!” Ellie shouted as her cheeks ran red. “Th-thats…no, absolutely not!”

“Im kidding, Im kidding” Trish stated and placed a hand on her shoulder to try and calm her down “Anyway Wazy, you here for a date then?”

Wazy nodded. “Why yes, I'm here to escort a lovely lady tonight. We're to attend some funny little party. I'm sure it'll prove quite the adventure.”

“A party? Sounds nice” Dante said, but his stoic face failed to hide the humans' surprised looks, which gave away their true motive. “Ah, that explains it. You're here for the Schwarze auction, aren't you?” 

“Uh haha, what are you talking about Wazy?” Lloyd couldn't weasel his way out unfortunately. 

“We might as well give up,” Vergil said, disappointed at the lack of secrecy. 

“Damn..We're we really that obvious?” Randy asked the gang leader. 

“Like a moth to a flame” Wazy answered. But don't worry, I'm not going to tell you. I plan on going to the very same party. This will be my second year attending actually, with a different lady this time.”

“You're full of surprises, aren't you?” Lloyd shook his head. 

“The real surprise is that we've known someone who's been to this auction the entire time” Tio chimed in. 

“Humor me for a second. Are guys planning to expose the auction to the public?” Wazy adopted a more serious look. “That won't amount to much, you know.”

"Weren't planning on it,” Dante answered. “The good detective wanted to see the seedy side of Crossbell, so we can learn how to deal with it.”

Lloyd nodded. “Right. We need to see the darkness for ourselves if we're ever going to overcome this barrier, no matter how high it is.”

“Haha..is that so?” Wazy was impressed by the detective's resolve. “I don't doubt your enthusiasm for a second, but you can't attend the auction that easily. With no invitation, you'll be kicked to the curb. Each year, they change the rose motif slightly, so forging won't get you far.”

“Funny you should say that” Dante pulled an invitation out, with the others following his example. “Looks like the darkness took a shine to us after all.”

“Oh interesting” Wazy sat up a bit. “I assume it's pointless asking how you got your hands on one.”

“Let's just say it was a…unique situation” Lloyd said as he put his invite away. 

“We have this invitation, sure, but won't  they try to check our identities as well?” Ellie wondered how they were going to get by the mafia security. “If the event is meant to be members only, I imagine they'd only let pre-registered people in.”

“No, there is nothing like that,” Wazy said, easing her worries. “Due to the underground nature of the whole thing, they're always open to potential clients. Since smuggled goods are a big aspect of the auction, many of the rich, famous, or powerful people who attend prefer to mask their identities.”

“Sounds like things might work out for us, then” Randy seemed happy at the news. “Oh, but how many people can get in with one invite?”

“I don't believe there's a rule set in stone, but most people go in pairs,” Wazy said to him. “I'd recommend that. Fours a crowd you know? You'll stand out quite a bit.”

“So only two of us can go,” Tio hummed. 

“Thats fine, we can go whoever Lloyd chooses to take with, once we get some better outfits” Dante said. 

“He's right, you know,” Wazy said in agreement. “This is a high class party, you really should wear something more formal. Though, of course, you don't want to dress as well as me or you'll be the center of attention.”

“Ellie, anywhere we can find some new threads for the party?” Trish asked her. 

“The boutique downstairs should be perfect for what we need. I've been there before, so no need to worry. I can pay too” Ellie said, now more confident about the operation. 

“You're a lifesaver Ellie” Trish grinned. “Lloyd, we should probably head down there now, you can choose who you want to go with when we get there.”

“H-huh? Why me?” Lloyd asked, garnering several confused looks from his team. 

“You suggested that we enter the heart of darkness. It is only right that you lead us down its depths” Vergil said to him. 

“That was very poetic,” Wazy noted. “Looks like you're going in.”

“Damn Lloyd, Vergil got you good with that, but yeah, all you gotta do is just pick one of us to go with you. No pressure, right ladies?” Randy said.

“Haha….very….funny” Tio snarked. 

“However, I'll be going with you,” Wazy claimed. 

“What's the reason?” Ellie asked him. 

“Since the opportunity has arisen, I figure I'll offer a lesson in style. I'll throw in a way to trick the mafia running the security checkpoint, while I'm at it.” the gang leader said as he got up. “So, shall we be off?”

Considering that Wazy was most likely not going to back down, the SSS allowed their plus one to be their fashion guide. 

Heading down the resort's boutique, the group entered the lavishly decorated clothing store. 

“I don't think our budget covers a place like this” Lloyd said as looked at the expensive clothing and price tags. 

“Well that's what you get when you deal with fancy brands like these” Randy whistled as he looked at some suits. “Classy suits, the finest casual clothes. They basically got stuff for every occasion here.”

“We should be fine, it's on Ellie's tab” Dante ran his hands over a leather jacket. “Ive been wanting to get something different for a while now.”

“Dante. You will not abuse Ellie's generosity” Tio chastised him. 

“That said, who's gonna be your plus one?” Wazy asked the detective. 

Lloyd ran his options through his head, shutting out the outside noise, and honestly he was stumped. 

Anyone of them would be an ideal partner. Even Dante or Randy, while acting immature at times, knew when to get down to business when it mattered. They knew to keep an ear to the ground well and could smell danger at the drop of a hat. They could allow Lloyd to get some information out of some more casual members of the underworld. 

Vergil on the other hand, knew when to be straight with people from the get go, so him being there would allow Lloyd some much needed flexibility when dealing with prideful members of Zemurias high society, not to mention that with the way Vergil carries himself, he could pull off that role very well. 

Ellie was great with political matters so maybe having her around to navigate with potential authority figures from other countries would be a useful move. But since the mafia was involved, he was worried about bringing any of the girls along in general. 

Even so, Tio…..could work? Given her short stature, it would make them stand out a bit. But maybe that makes them more approachable. No one would suspect an older brother and younger sister to be with the police. Not by a long shot. 

But it seems fate had other plans in mind for Lloyd. 

Because Trish was going to make his decision for him. 

“Lloyd. I want to go” the demon said firmly, taking the humans by surprise. 

“Wait Trish, why do you want to go?” Lloyd asked. 

“I get the feeling that it might be easier to blend in if you went with an older woman. Frankly the rest of you are young enough to stand out and…..well I don't need to say anything about these two” Trish pointed to the demons, hiding the true reason behind her proposal. 

“Well…Trish I don't know…” Lloyd began but Wazy had an idea. “Heh, this is perfect actually. An experienced noblewoman bringing her young, bright eyed son to a gathering like this in order to teach him the ins and outs of the underworld. A script worthy of Arc en Ciel, wouldn't you say?”

“That's actually amazing!” Ellie beamed as she was entranced by the story. “In fact, it would probably make you both very inconspicuous.”

“That's not a bad cover story at all,” Randy said in agreement. “I wish I could be the son, but eh, it's the way the cookie crumbles.”

“She's got my vote” Dante raised a hand lazily. 

“Mind as well. She should prove useful in this operation” Vergil stated proudly. 

Tio didn't say anything, as a small bubble of worry began to fill her stomach. 

“Well Lloyd? I think you've been outvoted” Wazy said as he saw the detective work this whole plan out in his head. 

He admitted that it was solid, very solid and Trish knew her way around people as much as Dante did. Albeit he was concerned about her playing the part of a noble, but at this point, anything was worth the risk. 

“..Okay, then. Trish, you'll be with me tonight then” Lloyd said as Trish gave him a grin. 

“Lets get our clothes ready then. I think I can find something nice” Trish said as she went towards the dress aisle with the girls following suit. Lloyd went off with the guys to try and find an outfit for him as well.

After about nearly half an hour of mixing and matching with Ellie fussing over Trish specifically because the demon's taste in style was anything but noble, the girls finally found an outfit that suited her. 

Stepping out of the dressing room, Lloyd was wearing a black and red lined suit with matching shoes and a green cloth around his neck, along with a pocket square. The group liked the look but as Trish stepped into the room, the expectations were blown out of the water. 

Pulling back the curtain as she stepped out, the demon was wearing a black turtle neck dress with a low cut neckline that had intricate golden patterns woven in the fabric, matched by a red shawl draped over her shoulders that ran a little past her knees with black stilettos to complete the look. 

“So…is this good for you Lloyd?” Trish asked the detective who looked gobsmacked.

 “Y-yeah” Lloyd stammered. “That look suits you well.”

“Trish, you look so beautiful” Tio said, absolutely mesmerized. 

“This was definitely the right choice, you look absolutely amazing!” Ellie said as she admired her friend. 

Wazy whistled in approval. “This is way better than I'd imagined. The design gives off the air of a mature, high class lady but the shawl adds an air of boldness that suggests a burning passion that remains even after you left your youthful days behind. The ideal spitting image of a mother.”

“.....yeah, I really look the part” Trish smiled in an attempt to drown out how bitter she felt, being reminded of her former purpose. Thankfully no one seemed to notice. 

“Guess Ellie really helped with that” Randy grinned as he saw Trish. “Must be all that experience with wearing fancy gala stuff huh?"

“Lloyd is rocking his fit as well” Dante said, noticing how intimidated he felt next to Trish. “You clean up good, kid.”

“You think so?” Lloyd asked him. “Honestly, I think I pale in comparison to Trish.”

“Nah the suit looks good on you Lloyd” Trish complimented. “But it's missing something.”

“I know just what you ” Wazy said as he gave Lloyd a pair of glasses. “What are these for Wazy?” the detective asked as he looked over the frames. 

“When women get dressed up, it's as if they become a whole different person,” Wazy explained. “However, formal attire doesn't do much to change your look, Lloyd. While you're at the auction, it'd be better to wear something that will add to the disguise.”

“That's a good idea. Thanks Wazy” Lloyd said. 

“Speaking of adding stuff, I should probably get some makeup and jewelry, just in case Garcia or anyone else decides to give us a chat,” Trish said, humming to herself. 

Ellie walked over, even more excited than before. “I know just the thing! Lets head over here” the girl went to a display case nearby with Trish following suit. 

Lloyd proceeded to put his glasses on, looking different then from how he was before and now with the disguises completed, the group went to Wazy's room to wait for the auction to begin. 

April 5th

Mishelam Resort

Evening

The fireworks display lit up the amusement park, entertaining its guests and unintentionally drawing attention away from its underworld counterpart. While the tourists of Crossbell were spending their last night of fun within the light, the encroaching darkness that was the auction lay in wait for its denizens to have their own bit of entertainment. 

Trish was finishing the last bit of her makeup as she heard a knock on the bathroom door. 

“Trish, it's me,” Tio said through the door. 

“Oh hey kiddo. Is it almost time?”

“We still have an hour, but….I wanted to talk to you” Tio said, with Trish picking up the notes of anxiety in her voice. “Come on in, Tio.”

The technician opened the door and walked in, looking paranoid as she closed the door behind her. 

“So, what's up?” Trish asked her. 

“...are um…” Tio seemed to struggle to find her words. “Do you have to go? I'm sure the others could find an outfit if they're fast enough.”

“Haha, well I'm already in too deep so I can't back out now” Trish smiled at her. “Is something wrong with me being a secret agent?” The demon finished applying her rouge lipstick. 

“No....definitely not,” Tio confirmed. “It's just….I felt something strange from you earlier today, when Wazy called you a mother.”

The demon slowed for a second.“Oh…..that” Trish realized something as she turned to face Tio. ”You sensed how I felt then?”

Tio nodded. “I'm sorry if I'm intruding, but does that bother you?”

“Well......it's a long story Tio” Trish said calmly. “But what I can say is that it will not affect me in the field.”

Tio noticed the red jewel with a silver chain that was hanging from her neck. “That looks nice on you.”

“Yeah well Ellie told me it brings my eyes or whatever, but she's the fashionista among the three of us so I'll take her word for it” the demon said as she held the fancy piece of neck wear in her hand. “How ironic. It's like they ordered this from Mallet island.”

Trish, still noticing some doubt from Tio, pushed herself away from the sink, knelt down and pulled her into a hug. “I'll be fine Tio, I promise I won't get hurt.”

Tio was surprised at first, then hugged her back. “Trish, please be careful, I know you're strong but…”

“Not just strong” Trish pulled away a bit and brought her hand up. “I got a few tricks to my sleeve as well” she said as she let loose some lighting across her fingers. 

Tio still found it amazing, even after only seeing it a few times. “If only I could do that, instead I have…”

“Hey, Tio. You have something special about yourself too” Trish suddenly said firmly, getting the girl's attention as she placed her hands on her shoulders. “I don't know what happened to you, but despite that, you still care for others, and that's far stronger than any bolt I can shoot, okay?”

“Trish….” Tio trailed off as she was taken aback, then adopted another rare smile. “Right. I'm sorry.”

“Don't mention it kiddo.” Trish replied. “I'm all done so let's meet up with the others. 

Linking up in the living room, the SSS spent the last hour finalizing the plan of attack. 

Lloyd and Trish would be the ones to enter the manor while the others would remain outside on standby. 

Trish's secret objective is to try and see if they could find KeA, hopefully without setting off an alarm. 

In the event that if shit hit the fan, Trish suggested they smuggle their gear in as just in case. Lloyd was worried about Trish bringing her guns in, but it was better to have at least some form of defense then none at all, even if her hand to hand abilities outshines even the most elite martial artists. 

With the operation now in motion, the team went down to the auction site, passing by various people who definitely didn't look like your average tourist. The cool march air carried the smell of the river as they walked down the familiar moat-like road to the manor itself. 

Up ahead, they saw two mafia members standing guard and checking people in. Once it was their turn, they got into character for their assigned roles. 

“Welcome to the Schwarze Auction. May I see your invitation?” A man with shades asked, placing his hand in front, expecting something to be placed there. 

“Certainly Sir” Trish said as she and Lloyd gave the gentleman their invites. 

“Thank you. For security reasons, could you give us your names?” another man with shades asked. 

“Names..?” Lloyd slightly panicked but came up with one on the spot. “Guy Bannings, I presume it's not mandatory to  use my real name, isn't it?”

“No, that won't be necessary,” the man confirmed with a nod. “and your guest?”

“Ah, they grow up so fast,” Trish suddenly said, garnering confused looks from the mafia members. “I was wondering how he would handle this.”

Trish then wrapped an arm around Lloyd's arm. “But it looks like my sweet little boy is handling himself just fine.”

“M-mother, please you're embarrassing me” Lloyd said, half playing along, half freaked out by how much the demon was playing the role really well. 

“Your his m-mom?” the mafia member asked somewhat surprised.

“Yes I am,” Trish said firmly. “Is that a problem?”

“N-no ma'am.” The mafia members shook their heads. 

“See dear?” Trish looked at Lloyd. “You have to be confident when dealing with people like this. Especially if you plan to lie to them. For example, considering the nature of this establishment, we could actually be police officers in disguise.”

The mafia members raised a brow while Lloyd got spooked. “Uh haha, y-yeah.”

“But” she raised a finger. “Would they be willing to incur the wrath of the secret lover of the Blood and Iron Chancellor, Giliath Osborne?” 

Trish looked at the men whose hearts stopped. “Oh, yes. I know that man very well, as his son from another marriage. I'm sure he wouldn't mind sending some Jaegers up here if he found out that I was accosted by you fine gentlemen, wouldn't he, my child?”

Dead silence was all that enveloped the entryway as Trish let that lie sink in to the guards.

“Please forgive us!” They both got on their knees and prostrated themselves, much to Trish's amusement. 

“Raise your heads” Trish said in a very menacing voice, making the mafia goons look up. “Did I say to keep groveling? Stand up, now!”

The Revache henchmen did so, scrambling to their feet and looking absolutely terrified. Trish walked forward and placed a hand on a man's cheek. 

“There there, I'll let you all live…until next time that is” Trish cooed in a motherly tone. “Shall we be off, son of Osborne?” Trish guided Lloyd towards the entryway, leaving the two guards shaken up. 

“Osbornes lover?! Really?!” Lloyd whispered as they got out of earshot from the guards. 

“Says the one using his brother's name, who was a police officer” Trish said back. 

“Ah…right” Lloyd realized his error but Trish gave him a tug on his shoulder. “Lloyd, we'll make it work. Let's just try to blend in.”

The pair entered the manor and if the front was already impressive enough, the interior was beating the outside out by a wide margin. 

Large fountains in the four corners of the entry hall with the water running down the statues, the various stone lanterns lighting up the room with a mixture of modern tech to support them, Speaker Hartman's manor seemed more and more like a modern day castle. 

Even the other guests seemed to take in the site, no doubt appreciating the man's similar taste in decor, obtained through illicit means. 

“What kind of place did we step into?” Lloyd said as the entry hall's grandeur assaulted his eyes. 

“The house of someone who thinks he's hot shit” Trish growled. “He really thinks himself to be royalty huh?”

“Yeah, this place is definitely fancier than I'd imagined,” Lloyd replied. “Speaker Hartman and Revache are more influential than we even thought.”

“The sooner we can deal with that, the better. This place makes me want to puke, much less the people” Trish gestured to a lavishly dressed couple that looked like they had no issues with throwing mira around needlessly. 

“Dear guests” a butler greeted them as he walked on over. “Welcome to the Schwarze Auction. Is this your first time attending?”

Lloyd took the lead on this. “That's right.”

“The auction is scheduled to begin at 9PM inside the main hall, straight ahead” the butler turned and waved a hand towards the large looming archway-like entrance that had two guards posted up front. “Until then, please enjoy a few drinks in the salon over through the door on the left. If you are hungry, food is available as well. If you don't mind me asking, are you planning on staying the night with us?”

“No, not at this time” Trish spoke up. “But if a situation arises, is it possible for us to request a room if need be?”

The butler nodded. “Of course ma'am. Please do not hesitate to inform one of the attendants if you require a room. Also you are more than welcome to stroll around the estate as much as you'd like. However, please be aware that there are a few restricted areas. We apologize for the inconvenience in advance.”

“That shouldn't be an issue,” Lloyd said with a nod. 

“For us it might. KeA has to be in one of these places” Trish thought as the butler excused himself to greet another set of guests. 

“We have roughly two hours before the auction gets underway,” Lloyd whispered to the demon. “Lets scope out the mansion for now.”

“Right. Lets move” Trish said as they began to explore the place. 

Heading to the left most hall, the duo made their way through the mansion, trying to be inconspicuous as possible. 

Trish managed to sense…something. She couldn't pin point to where it was exactly but she knew that it had to be KeA. 

Arriving at the end, Trish and Lloyd entered a large dining hall, slathered with tables upon tables of high end food. 

“Look at that spread,” Lloyd said. 

“I know right? Makes you want to vomit huh?” Trish faked her gag, thankfully managing to not catch the attention of some guests. 

“I…have to agree, my nerves are suppressing my appetite right now, even if some of the food looks good” Lloyd stated as he saw some lobster tail. 

“Well, maybe next time. We should probably poke around a bit” The demon suggested. They both moved through the hall, witnessing all kinds of gluttony and gorging from the esteemed guests. 

The random path they took ended up with the officers arriving near a few luxurious couches and a familiar face that they saw only just a few hours ago. 

“Fancy running into you here, Killika” Trish greeted the Calvardian woman. “Looking to score something nice?”

“Hehe, you could say that,” Killika replied. “But considering who you are associated with, I'm more surprised that you both are here.”

“W-well, we're just…” Lloyd began but Trish finished for him. “Taking a field trip through the black lagoon.”

Killika smiled. “What an apt comparison, but I won't press the issue. With that being said, what names should I use to address the both of you?”

“Right, our ‘names’.....just call me Eva” Trish said casually. 

“You can call me Guy” Lloyd followed up, wondering how Killika even knew they were using fake names. 

“Hehe. Very well, 'Guy' and 'Eva' then” Killika then crossed her legs. “You can just keep calling me Killika.”

“Alright then” Lloyd said. “So what brings you to the Schwarze Auction, Killika?”

“Well, it's as Eva said,” Killika answered. “Given the nature of my job, I've come to know my fair share of collectors and so, they requested I inspect what kind of goods are being auctioned off here. Market research if you will.”

“Let me guess, black market research?” Trish said as she also sat down to speak with her. 

Killika was taken aback. “My, you're very perceptive. I'd imagine Hartman being the shrewd man that he is would be wary of you, considering how this auction is finely crafted.”

“Finely crafted?” Lloyd was confused by what she meant by that but Killika decided to enlighten him. “Think about it. Any unknown, underground auction designed exclusively for the elite. That's quite the convenient meeting place for prominent figures across Zemuria. And there's more than just smuggled goods being sold here. You have bribery material, illicit fundraiser items, and who knows what else.”

“Would human trafficking be part of this whole shindig?” Trish asked in a very serious tone. 

“My, well that's an interesting statement to make” Killika said as she faced her. “But before you ask, that is not what I am here for, nor what my client seeks. The items listed are given out to each invitee before they arrive so I can assure that people are not being sold.”

“Phew” Trish let out a sigh. “Thought I was going to have to rip this joint a new one.”

Lloyd sighed as well, not realizing that his heart clenched from the mention of human trafficking, one of the worst crimes known to man. “Y-Yeah..Eva. With your martial arts, you could probably do that.”

“Oh? Do you practice martial arts?” Killika perked up. “May I ask what school you follow?”

“Oh, well…I'm self taught. I just picked what I've seen and felt as if I traveled through the continent” Trish said to her. 

“It surprised me too Killika,” Lloyd chimed in. “I actually thought she learned from some schools when she was in Calvard.”

“......Is that so?” Killika gave Trish an inquisitive smile. “Then hopefully I can get to see that in action. We should discuss this more Eva, I happen to practice Taito myself.”

“Ahh really? I…think I've heard of it” Trish said, trying to think of a way to change the subject. “I'd like to talk about this more but I think me and Guy should keep on…networking.”

Killika grinned. “Very well. I shall leave you to it. But there is one more thing you should know before leaving.”

Killika hummed and she began to gather her words. “This may be a hard truth to swallow, but going against this will be an uphill battle. Yet no matter how finely crafted this…shindig is, as Eva put it, it remains an unnatural creation.”

“That violates the flow of chi, Yin and Yang right?” Trish said, impressing the Calvardian native with her knowledge of eastern philosophy. “Correct miss Eva. In fact, just one tiny thing could be enough to make the whole foundation fall apart.”

Killika crossed her legs once more. “What I mean to say is, do not believe your efforts will be in vain. Keep at it, and one day, you may be the key needed to topple the wall of stagnation that the Empire and Republic have placed around Crossbell.”

“Killika..” Lloyd said, amazed at her words. “Thank you, we'll keep that in mind.”

“Thanks for the pep talk” Trish said as she got up and the two went to go and leave the dining hall. 

Killika however, was very interested in Trish now. “Maybe I'll request to do some digging on my own then. I won't even need the Rocksmith agency's resources for this.”

“Ladies and gentlemen,” a butler announced to the room. “The sponsor of tonight's event has arrived and would like to greet you all.”

The guests all faced the entrance as two men walked in, Lloyd and Trish immediately recognizing who they were. 

Don Marconi, a bald man that was wearing a light purple suit with a cigar to match, stepped ahead of Speaker Hartman, a slightly younger man with black and grey hair with a mustache, a black and gold suit and a visage that gave off the vibe of an experienced politician. 

Revaches don began to address everyone in the room. ”Good evening, everyone!” The don's voice was frog-like, understandably so, giving his appearance. 

“I am Marconi, president of Revache & Co, and sponsor of this cherished auction. By my count, this is our eighth annual auction. My, does time sure fly!” 

“Im happy to announce that attendance increases with each year, and of course, we've expanded our lineup of auction exhibits to account for that.”

“Everything you see before you I'd the fruit of your continued patronage. The night is yours, my guests!”

Everyone in the room clapped, even Trish and Lloyd, trying to keep up appearances, even though from a distance, they felt revolted by the dons boasting. 

Marconi cleared his throat. “There is still one thing that must be addressed. Every year without fail, one man graciously hosts us and our auction at this breathtaking mansion. I present to you a representative of Crossbell State, a powerful politician within our diet….”

“Speaker Hartman!”

The room erupted into another round of applause as the Speaker stepped forward and began his own speech. 

“Though previously mentioned, allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Hartman, the Speaker of the Crossbell Diet. It is a great honor to serve as your host and offer my humble home for tonight's festivities.

“Believe me, this is no ordinary auction. Famous individuals from a multitude of fields have come to socialize and mingle tonight. Remember, the night is still young. I have prepared a modest after party for you all following the conclusion of the auction.”

“For tonight, it would be my pleasure if you would all consider my home as your home. Everyone, please enjoy yourselves.”

A third applause resounded out as various guests went up to greet the two, or more accurately, kiss the ass of the two most influential figures in Crossbell. 

“Here ye, here ye, the king giveth his decree huh?” Trish spat in a low voice, not impressed with the faux formalities. “Modest my ass.”

“That's putting it lightly,” Lloyd whispered back. “The speaker definitely has the air of a high level politician.”

“Well if we're lucky, we can knock him down a peg or three” Trish said with a smirk. “If Ellie's grandad wants to see actual change, these two need to get their teeth kicked in.”

“I understand how you feel, Trish, but let's stay out of their way for now,” Lloyd said as they both went to leave the hall. 

Unfortunately for a brief second, Trish and Marconi's eyes met for a brief second and….the don liked what he saw, even if the demon didn't even notice him. 

The journey through the manor was brief as the duo entered an indoor garden with a large waterfall built right in. Looking over the edge, they both got a look at the bottomless abyss that the water gathered towards. 

Wondering just how much mira went into installing something like this. Lechter made his appearance before the two officers, impressed with how they managed to adopt a sense of style and at the same time, giving them a headache, as they man proceeded to bring out a fishing pole and actually caught a few of them in the indoor river. 

Leaving him to his own devices, Trish and Lloyd went off elsewhere, this time to through a set of spiraling stairs that led them to the mansion's top floor. At the end of a large hall with a red carpet, they came across someone guarding the door at the end. 

“I'm terribly sorry, sir,” the guard said to Lloyd. “But I can't let you through here. This room is for staff only.”

“Oh. Sorry. We got a little overwhelmed by the size of this place and lost our way” Lloyd explained. 

Just then, the duo heard a few voices in the back, claiming to have the “merchandise” ready for the first half of the auction. 

“So this is where they keep the goods?” Trish asked the guard. 

The man nodded, much to his irritation at how loud his fellow mafia members were being. “Y-yes ma'am. We've been keeping a watchful eye over them so things can run smoothly as possible tonight. You can look forward to seeing everything once the auction begins.”

“Of course. We wouldn't miss it for the world” Lloyd said to him. “Ready to head back, mother?”

“Of course dear” Trish faked her motherly tone again as they began to walk. “So, where to ne-”

..Find me…

They both stopped in place, Lloyd turned around.  

“Lloyd, is something up?” Trish asked him, feigning ignorance in the process. “She has to be there, but how can we get in?”

Lloyd swore he could have heard something but turned back around anyway. “Oh..it's nothing mother. Let's just hurry and get out of here.”

Doing just that, the human and demon went down to the first floor, to find a dramatic scene playing out before them. 

A couple was having a spat, to be more specific, their marriage was crumbling due to some very scandalous choices that both individuals have made. 

To top it off. Wazy further fanned the flames by trying to poach the man's wife, the very same woman that he'd been escorting for quite some time. 

Giving the two SSS members their regards, the both awkwardly dipped out from the scene, continuing their rounds through the mansion. 

They eventually made their way back to the entry hall, unfortunately running right into Garcia himself, who was speaking to a subordinate of his, briefly saw Trish and made his way towards the demon. 

“Lloyd, be calm” Trish whispered as the large man finally arrived. “Ah, my apologies for bothering you. My name is Garcia Rossi. I'm in charge of tonight's security detail.”

Garcia then looked at Lloyd. “Excuse me sir, forgive me for saying this..but I can't shake the feeling that we've met somewhere before.”

“I think it might be just your imagination,” Lloyd said with a small smile. “I doubt I'd forget meeting such a mountain of a man as yourself.”

Garcia laughed heartily. “Haha, you may be right. Still, just to be safe, you mind telling me your name?”

“Sure, I don't see why not,” Lloyd said confidently. “Guy Bannings. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Rossi.”

“Eva, it's a pleasure,” Trish said with a smile. 

Garcia however, adopted a quizzical look. “Guy? Something about that rings a bell…”

Lloyd started to look nervous as Trish got ready for a fight, in the event that their cover just got blown. 

She figured that KeA was in that upstairs room, but it would be difficult to fight through the guards while holding back. Just as she began to plan out her route of attack, a voice called out the underboss. “Heehee. Sorry I'm late."

The voice belonging to their savior was indeed Mariebelle Crois, who walked over to the underboss and undercover officers to hop in on their little conversation. 

“Good evening ‘Guy’ and ‘Eva’, fancy meeting you in a place like this” Mariabell gave the two a wink. 

“Y-yeah, you too” Lloyd said sheepishly and silently muttering a prayer to the goddess. 

“Yes indeed..I was not expecting you to be here” Trish said with a reassuring and thankful smile. 

“Hmm..? And who might you be, madam?” Garcia asked the woman. 

“Im Mariebelle Crois” she answered. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Garcia seemed to adopt a pleased grin. “You have my sincerest apologies, Ms. Crois. I was told you'd be attending. I take it you finally decided to accept our invitation this year?”

Mariebelle began to giggle. “I thought it would paint me in a bad light if I kept refusing your kind offers. Also these two are dear friends of mine……is there some sort of problem here?” 

Trish noticed that for some reason, Mariebelle had a slight puzzled look on her face as she met her eyes. As if she was staring at something strange. 

“Oh, of course not,” Garcia replied. “Allow me the privilege of welcoming you to the Schwarze Auction one more time. Would you like me to show you where Speaker Hartman is?”

Mariebelle shook her head. “I will pay our beloved Speaker a visit later. In the meantime, could you have a room prepared for me? I've been in a business meeting a good portion of the day and would love to get a bit of rest.”

“Very well.” But before Garcia could order a butler to get a room ready he then remembered his original task. “Excuse me, miss Eva?”

“Yes Garcia?” 

“Don Marconi was hoping to get a chance to speak with you after the auction ” Garcia stated as Trish attempted to hide her disgust at that information. “If you are able, he would like a moment of your time during the after party.” 

“I'll…..give it some thought. But tell him I said thank you for inviting me” Trish gave her answer as Garcia went ahead and got his underlings to get Mariebelle's room ready. 

“Heehee. Ah, so that's what's going on” Mariebelle hummed to the two officers as they finally got some privacy and explained why they were there in the first place. “Quite a bold move, guys.”

“Yeah well…it may look like we're doing this for some self satisfaction” Lloyd said. 

“I'd be more than satisfied if I could throw Marconi down the waterfall,” Trish grumbled. “That frog in a suit really thinks he can impress me. I'm gonna burn this place to the ground, with or without a warrant.”

“Hahahah! I can see why” Mariebelle laughed. “Old men love meeting with bold women like yourself. But speaking of that, you must be one the three new SSS members…..Trish Eva correct?”

“The one and only” Trish waved a hand through her hair. “Nice to meet you. I heard you gave Dante quite the uh….thorough interrogation.”

Mariabell slightly scowled at the memory. “But of course, I had to see if he was worthy of being one of Ellie's coworkers, just like Lloyd here. They both failed, just so you know.”

“Why am I not surprised?" Trish said sarcastically while Lloyd took the brunt of the insult. “Trish, I'm right here.”

“Anyway” Trish spoke up to change the subject. “You got dragged here too? And I'm guessing not by your own free will judging by the way you were talking earlier.”

“Why yes, in a manner of speaking” Mariebelle answered. “As my father's daughter, I've actually had a hand in various projects both in the IBC and Crossbell itself. I actually manage Mishelam, most of it anyway.”

“And since the king of the castle has lived here for a hot minute, you were pressured to go, am I right?” Trish asked her.

Mariebelle clapped. “Exactly! It seems that Ellie will be in good hands if she has someone like you around. As for the ‘king’ in question, he's connected to some rather…unsavory individuals, as you can imagine, Trish.”

“Unsavory doesn't do it justice” Trish scoffed. 

“But, I will admit, even if I have been eloped into coming here, there is a particular item that I've been wanting to acquire for a while now,” Mariebelle said. 

Lloyd raised a brow. “A particular item? What would that be?”

The woman ran her fingers through her ring like hair. “An antique doll, crafted during the early days of Rosenberg Studio. Among doll connoisseurs such as myself, those particular dolls are considered the ultimate rarity and sell for an exceptionally high price.”

“It must be pretty fancy to be sold at a place like this. How much do these things cost anyway?” Trish asked, but at the same time, she was thinking about something. “Why would a place affiliated with the society sell dolls?”

“Hmmm…let me think,” Mariabell pondered, putting a hand on her chin. “The studio's earlier works were much bigger than their ones now, and they rarely show up on the market anymore. Given the fact that the doll maker doesn't plan on making any of those like that again, they've racked up quite the premium. One even sold for approximately….five million mira at an auction in the Imperial capital.”

“One doll is that much?!” Lloyd said exasperated at the high price. 

“You collectors are passionate as hell, I'll give you that” Trish noted. “Anything else special about these dolls? Like can they move or anything?”

“If only they could, but this doll I'm afraid,  is lifeless,” Mariabell answered. 

A knock on the room's door prevented any further line of questioning as a butler informed them that the auction would be starting soon. Taking heed of what little time they had left, the three went down to the auction hall for the main event. 

As they went down the hall, Mariebelle was honestly perplexed, as an alchemist, she had knowledge of the natural energies that radiated from living things. 

But this woman, Trish Eva and somehow Dante, felt like nothing she had ever sensed before in her life. 

It was as if their existence defied the very knowledge of life that the Crois family prided itself on knowing, much less creating. 

Outside the mansion

“I hope they're alright” Ellie said as she leaned against the bridge. 

“They'll be fine,” Dante sat down next to her. “Im confident they won't get caught.”

“I agree with that assessment Dante” Tio chimed in. “There are still risks with this plan however.”

“Yeah, if Lloyd tries to woe any fair maidens first. That power of his is a gift from Adios herself!” Randy faked his scoff. “Maybe he'll try his luck with Trish.”

“I wish him well th-hm?” Vergil saw a shadow dip into the manor's roof. 

“You saw that too?” Dante asked as he got up. 

The other humans looked at them confused. “What did you guys see?” Randy asked them. 

“Yin” Dante said, making the humans tense up. “I recognize that get up from anywhere.”

“Are you serious?!” Randy exclaimed. “If Yin is here, then that means….”

“He may be on a job for Heiyue, an assassination most likely” Tio said as her heart began to worry for Trish.

“We need to let them know about this!” Ellie said, also worrying for her friend. 

“On it” Dante dialed the number on his Enigma and after a few rings, Lloyd picked up. 

“Dante? Is something wrong?”

“Yeah get this, the phantom of the opera wants to make his grand return to the stage” Dante said. 

“.....You mean Yin? He's here?”

“Yep. Might want to check it out if you can. But speaking of that, mind if I come and tail him?”

“W-what? Dante, that's too risky right now!”

“I know, but we're dealing with an experienced fighter here and you guys are outnumbered if he decides to use that shadow trick of his again. Better to be safe than sorry.”

“.....funny that you mention that, we just got told that Revache's war hounds were put to sleep…right before the bidding is about to start. Are you sure you can get in without causing an alarm?”

“I'll do my best. Just stay safe kid.”

“You too Dante.” Lloyd hung up the call. 

Dante explained to the others of what he was going to do and to their surprise, he climbed the archway and began to use the platform to reach the manors wall and climb up on the roof. 

Reaching the top, the demon looked down at the courtyard and saw the aforementioned dogs, fast asleep. He also sensed KeA's presence, but couldn't pinpoint exactly where it was yet. 

Deciding to follow the trail Yin unintentionally left behind, the demon came up to the back area of the roof top and felt Trish's demonic aura right below him. 

Her's flared up a bit, giving the demon a faint outline of the room, and lo and behold, he noticed the assassin himself, another person besides the two officers and to his convenience, a window. 

“Sorry about this, but we got a client waiting for us” Dante said as he jumped off the roof but twisted his body around to dive back into the window. 

The glass shattered as Dante rolled right into a lounge with several couches, a desk and three unconscious members of Revache, along with Lloyd, Trish, Wazy for some reason, and Yin, who immediately tensed up at seeing the demon. 

“Sup Yin, you crashing the party too?” Dante asked him as he walked over to the desk and sat on top of it. 

“Dante?! I thought you said you had a way in!” Lloyd was shocked by the demon's brazen entrance. 

“I did Lloyd, I made one.”

“Ah, the infamous jokester, it's a pleasure to see you again. I thought I sensed a peculiar presence” Yin said as he kept his blade focused towards the demon. 

“Glad this place doesn't have any alarms,” Trish pointed out. “But I do appreciate you breaking that window. I've wanted to smash several pieces of furniture ever since I got here.”

“Hahaha it looks like the rumors don't do you justice” Wazy said, very impressed by what he saw. “So Yin, do you plan on disposing of us swiftly like you did with those henchmen?”

Yin gave it some thought and sheathed his blade. “As much as I would enjoy having our rematch, I think it would be more amusing watching you fend for yourselves.”

“What's the change of heart? You got cold feet?” Dante said as he hopped off the desk. 

“Just the contrary, jokester” Yin replied as we went towards the broken window. “The exhibits for the second half of the auction are all stored in the room over there” the assassin pointed to a door at the far left side of the room. “According to information that was sent to Heiyue, there's a ‘bomb’, so to speak, among those items. I recommend you confirm it for yourselves.”

“I can sense that bomb too” Dante thought as he and Trish gave each other a knowing look. 

Yin gave his goodbyes and then jumped out the window, the humans rushed over to see where we went, but to no avail.

“Hey wait!” Lloyd shouted to the waters below. 

“I see that this Yin is as much a monster as the rumors made him out to be. We should consider it a blessing from the Goddess we didn't have to fight” Wazy looked over and saw the lack of ripples to be utterly baffling. 

“Well we can worry about that later, we got a bomb to find” Trish said to the group. 

“You're right Trish, time's running out. Let's conduct a sweep of the room Yin mentioned now. I want to see whether or not this supposed bomb is really there.”

“Haha, you never disappoint Lloyd” Wazy said smiling. 

With that, the group entered the makeshift storage room, it being filled with several supposedly high value items ranging from a deer ornament to statues, that were all cluttered about the room. 

At the end lay a black ornate chest, sticking out in comparison to the other illegal goods. 

“This room must be,” Lloyd began. But a supernatural echo stopped him, the same voice that he and unbeknownst to him, Dante, Vergil and Trish had also heard for the past few hours, sounded louder than ever before as it echoed in their heads. 

..Find me…

Please…Find me…

“Looks like we hit the jackpot” Dante said, his words holding a deeper meaning that only his fellow demon understood. 

“You can say that again,” Wazy said. “Only the extremely valuable things appear in the second half. We don't have too much time left. Shall we split up and search?”

“Let's do it,” Lloyd nodded. “I have a feeling we're going to find something in here…”

“You and me both, Lloyd. Lets hop to it” Trish said as the group split off to rummage through the room. 

The search went by in about a few minutes. Dante and Trish pretended to look for things while keeping an eye on the chest. As soon as Lloyd went for it, Dante followed him, to finally see the treasure that lay inside. 

“Whats with this truck? This thing is massive. What could possibly be in here?” Lloyd muttered to himself. 

“Better crack her open then. Might be something real valuable in there” Dante said as he knelt next to the detective. 

Lloyd was feeling….anxious, but pressed on nonetheless. Using a lockpick he opened the large case. 

What he found shook him to his core, but for the demons, it was step one off the checklist, for they finally found their client after all this time. 

Inside the case was KeA, curled up and sleeping inside the red velvet interior, wearing a light blue night gown.

“Is this…a Rosenberg Studio doll?” He asked in disbelief. 

“I don't think dolls can breathe, much less have skin like that” Dante pointed out. The demon used his hand to gently rouse the girl from her slumber. 

“Mhm” KeA groggily muttered as she slowly opened her eyes and steadily got up, much to the absolute horror of Lloyd. 

Wiping her eyes to clear up the fog, she met the gaze of the two officers and Dante felt the strange hypnotic effect she gave off once again. 

“...Huh? Who are you?” KeA asked the both of them, still feeling sleepy. 

“....WHAT?!” Lloyd jolted as his worst fears were confirmed. 

“Oh, well that's surprising.” Trish said casually as she walked on over. 

“A girl….” Wazy breath caught in his throat.

“You're….What were you doing in..?” Lloyd's words seemed to fail him.

“What's wrong? Your eyes are super-duper wide.” The girl said curiously. “Ahaha! You look pretty funny like that, you know!” She gave him the most carefree smile that could easily melt the coldest heart. 

“Don't worry about it kid” Dante stated. “He's just surprised that a little bundle of joy like you is in place like this, that's all.”

“Am I really a bundle of joy?” KeA looked at the demon. 

“Right you are” Trish said to the non-human. “Cute dress kid, I think I should've worn something like that.”

“How you two aren't phased is beyond me” Wazy let out a sigh. 

“I…think it was a pretty normal reaction to finding a girl in a case” Lloyd said to the demons. “Did you get yourself stuck in there? What's your name? Wait, more importantly, where are your mom and Dad?!”

“Lloyd, give the kid a chance to breathe, she just woke up” Dante said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Mom? Dad?” KeA asked strangely. “What are those? The only thing I know is that my name is KeA.”

“KeA?….you don't remember anything else?” Lloyd's mind kept racing. “Who in the world are you?”

“Definitely not someone's kid. Lloyd, I get the feeling she may have been brought in for a….specific set of clientele” Trish's tone implied something very….vile to the detective. Something that disgusted him to his core. 

“..I know Trish, I know” Lloyd pinched his brow. 

“Ah so thats it” Wazy chimed in. “Friends, I think we found our mysterious bomb. We have a large suitcase supposedly containing a Rosenberg Studio doll. Just imagine what would have happened if that case was taken onstage and opened up in front of everyone.”

“Oh, your name is Lloyd?” Lloooyd. Lloyd” KeA sounded out, seemingly too put the name to memory. “Heehee. I like it!” 

The girls eyes then met Trish's. “Triiiiiiish. Trish….its super cool!” KeAs eyes gleamed. 

“Th-thanks?” Lloyd said awkwardly before catching himself. “Wait, our names aren't important! KeA, do you remember anything before you were put in this suitcase. Like your home, or even someone you know!?”

“Umm” KeA began to think really hard. “Nope! I can't remember a thing! Sorry!”

“Kid knows when to go with the flow! I like her already!” Dante said, smiling at Lloyd, who was even more confused at this entire situation. “But we can't just leave her here.”

“I was just thinking that Dante, we ne-”

An alarm, one that slowly rose to crescendo, echoed throughout the entire mansion. 

“Damn it!” Lloyd cursed, the absolute worst case scenario just now occurred for them. 

“Oh dear. It seems our time is up.” Wazy said as he and the others faced the door, hearing the footsteps and shouts of some guards heading to the room.

When they entered, Wazy didn't even give them the chance to attack, jumping forward to deliver a roundhouse to one goon, jumping back to dodge a stab before throwing a side kick to the second one, launching him into a wall. 

“Good shit Wazy. Nice moves” Trish complimented as she cracked her knuckles. 

“Wooooow” KeA was also amazed at what she saw. 

“We should prepare for the worst, shouldn't we?” Wazy stated the obvious. “If we stay here any longer, we'll be caught for sure.”

“Your right,” Lloyd nodded in agreement. He then knelt down to meet the girl's eyes. “KeA. Will you come with us? I promise that we will protect you to the very end.”

“I don't know what's going on, but I don't mind going with you! I'm ready when you are, Lloyd!” KeA answered with child-like wonder. 

Lloyd then hoisted the girl into his arms, much to her delight. 

“Lets not waste time changing, the faster we can leave, the better” Trish said to the group. “Better contact the others while we're at it.”

Nodding in agreement, the SSS plus Wazy left the auction storage area to begin their escape from the manor. 

Almost immediately after leaving, they ran into a few guards at the end of the hall, one which recognized Trish. “Y-you!” He brandished a gun. “You're that cop from Mainz!”

“Oh…..who are you again?” Trish genuinely asked but the man and his buddies weren't having it. They ran towards them, ready to deliver a brutal beating to the crew. 

“KeA! Stand back!” Lloyd gently placed the girl on the ground, brandishing his tonfas as he did so. 

“Okie dokie” KeA said as she went to stand by Dante. “I'll keep an eye on the kid” he held the girl's hand, deciding to let Trish handle the work. 

“You'll pay, woman!” The man yelled as he tried to shoot Trish but the demon slipped by each shot without much effort.

Closing the distance quickly, the demon disarmed the man before using the gun to beat him over the head several times, before turning the man around and using him as a makeshift shield. 

“Le-let go!” He yelled while his other gun wielding partner tried to intervene, but Trish switched the gun's power to a non lethal level and fired a few rounds into the man's torso and head respectively, releasing her prisoner and shooting him in the head to knock him unconscious. 

The third goon tried to slash her with a machete but Lloyd caught the blow with his tonfas, disarming him by breaking his hand and following up with a gut strike that doubled him over and a blow to the back of the head. 

“That's that" Trish said as she tossed the orbal pistol. “Sorry you couldn't help Wazy.”

“It's fine, looks like the rumors were true for you as well” Wazy smirked at her. 

“KeA, are you alright?!” Lloyd said as went to check on her. 

Dante hoisted the girl up and handed her off to Lloyd. “Kids never been better.”

“Yeah, I'm great,” KeA said as she clung to the detective. “I've never been better! Like he said!”

“That's good,” Lloyd let out a sigh of relief. 

“Haha, quite the brave girl we've got here,” Wazy noted. “If we're lucky, we might actually be able to shake them.”

“Not if we keep standing here, let's go” Trish said, getting the others to pick up the pace. 

Rushing down the stairs to the first floor, they were about to enter the entry hall until they saw a large number of Revache members, along with Garcia, who seemed excited at the break in. 

“Heh…so the mice have finally decided to come out and play, huh?” He muttered before shouting. “It's time for the hunt to begin!” Keep the guests in the main hall and seal off all exits! None of them are escaping, you hear?!”

“UNDERSTOOD, BOSS!” the henchmen said in unison as they began to spread out. 

Lloyd grimaced as he peered through the room, seeing their only way out blocked off by too many people. “Not good!”

“That guy is suuuuuper big” KeA said to Lloyd. 

“We won't be able to get through…not without a distraction” Dante said with an all knowing grin that the detective knew all too well. “Dante!” Whatever your thinking, this is not the tim-”

“I say we trust your friends instincts” Wazy came in. “If he went toe to toe with Yin, he would have to be formidable in more ways than one.”

“Wazys right, he'll make it back” Trish said in the demon's defense. 

Lloyd bit back a curse, but the longer they hesitated, the less chance they had of getting out of here in one piece. “Dante……please be careful. Give us an opening and get back to us safely. You got it?” Lloyd's tone was dead serious.

“Got it bossman” Dante said as he charged up the stairs. “Hey! Looking for yours truly?” Dante said to some goons who cursed and ran at him, the gunfire letting the group know that he had things covered. 

They split off, heading towards the manor's indoor garden, but upon entering, they were met with several war hounds, who snarled at them as they bared down on the police officers 

“Wow!” That's a lot of doggies!” KeA said in amazement. 

“No way…They released the hounds inside of the mansion?!” Lloyd grimaced. 

“Better drop her now Lloyd!” Trish said, grabbing a hound that jumped at her and threw it over her shoulder, crushing its throat with a punch as it landed with a thud, snuffing its life out. 

“Oh my, how brutal” Wazy admired the blow as he threw a check hook, catching a charging hound in the jaw as he admired the demon's work. 

Not giving it any room to breathe, Wazy went and threw a side kick, sending the dog over the waterfall, but one managed to sneak by him and ran to bite KeA. 

Lloyd practically threw himself in front of the girl, bashing it back with his tonfas before a surge of strikes came next, knocking it to the floor. A gunshot from Trish ended its life, blood splattering all over the nearby plants. 

“Sorry about the mess.” Trish said as she holstered her gun. 

“It's fine!” Lloyd grabbed KeA and the group hauled ass towards their next destination. As they ran through the corridors and managed to sneak by some guards, they heard the shouts of the gangsters trying to deal with Dante. 

“Definitely a fine distraction wouldn't you say Lloyd?” Wazy panted as they all ran up some stairs. 

“I just hope he's alright.” Lloyd said, still worried about him. 

The son of sparda was more than alright. He was actually having a bit of fun.

“Agh!” A goon cried as he got launched into a wall. Several of his friends were beaten and unconscious as Dante admired his handy work. “Not my best performance on the pitch, but I've played worse games.”

“There he is!” A group of henchmen from down the hall closed in on the demon. 

“And here come the little league's rising stars!” The demon shouted as he held his sword like a bat. 

Kicking up a piece of debris from the dented wall with his foot, he sent it up into the air and used it as a makeshift ball and swung his sword with enough force to send it barreling down the hall, breaking a henchmen's nose with a resounding crack, making him tumble into his friends. 

“Home run! Time to clean up this ballpark!” 

The demon ran across the wall to fly over and cut down the remaining henchmen, one tried to cast an art, but Dante slashed him from behind, driving the pummel of his sword into another man who clutched his stomach, rolling over the man's back to launch him to the ceiling with an upward slash. 

Kicking a man that tried to stab him from behind, he got sent flying into his friend and the demon saw his last two assailants down a corridor.

Deciding to give these punks some much needed air time, Dante ran along the walls once again, dodging gunfire as he did so and landed on the ground right in front of them to deliver a powerful thrust that sent them and him over a balcony, hearing the cries and shouts of several humans in the room. 

The two fell to the floor screaming but Dante used a falling man as a platform to jump and maneuver his body to land on a wooden floor, then saw the source of the commotion.

He had ended up in the main auction hall, right on the middle of the stage, and Speaker Hartman, who had been attempting to keep everyone calm, looked at the demon with such contempt that Dante honestly thought he was looking at his brother for a second. 

The demon gave him a grin as he walked over to the podium, in such a casual manner that took the humans in the room by surprise and a bit of fear. 

Grabbing the mic, Dante decided to start the auction off properly.

“Who is that?!”

“One of the intruders?!”

“I heard gun fire from up there. Is he responsible!?”

“Hartman is a disgrace for allowing this to happen!”

That and several various murmurs from the crowd as the demon actually answered their question, noticing a few Revache members hesitating to rush at him. 

The demon decided to give them some much needed motivation.

“Good evening folks! My name's Dante and I'll be your host for this here auction!” The son of sparda said with the most exaggerated cowboy voice he could muster. “For the first item, I present this fine piece of beauty!” He pulled out Ivory and held it by the barrel and showed it to the audience. 

“You can have this for only…..five thousand mira! Any takers?” Dante could hear Hartman grind his teeth at the disrespectful behavior.

“What are you fools doing!? Seize him!” Hartman roared at a few henchmen who ran towards the stage. 

“Looks like we have some passionate buyers!” Dante used the gavel to smack one man across the face and delivered several more blows to the others, knocking them off stage. 

One however, seemed to have some fight left in him, deciding to try and shoot him. Dante chose to play the same card, using Ivory to shoot the gun out of his hand, the noise scaring most of the crowd. 

“You bastard!” The man ran towards the demon, trying to punch him, but the devil evaded the blow and countered with a slash from his sword, knocking the man into the podium. 

“Order, order!” Dante said as he lightly rapped the gavel on the man's head in a futile attempt to maintain the peace. “I promise we have more to get through tonight! Ain't that right Hartman?”

Several more Revache members crashed through the auction hall's main door, armed with orbal machine guns and marched halfway towards the stage, making auction guests immediately hit the floor in fear for what was going to happen.

Hartman however, stood in defiance, trying to take control of the situation as he was about to lose his own patience himself. 

“What the hell are you idiots thinking!?” the speakers yell somehow being the loudest in the room, drowning out the others.

“Who knows? I just work here” Dante answered as he hopped up on the podium.

“This might be your best chance to get me! Don't worry, I won't move!” The devil whipped out his second pistol and goaded them to shoot. “Give me your best shot!”

Killika and Mariebelle, who had been watching him closely, were more than curious as to how the man in red would get out of this. 

Needless to say, what he was about to do would cap off this event as one to remember. 

His taunt seemingly worked as the mafia members opened fire, the hail of rounds mixing in with the screams of frightened audience members. 

Hartman managed to hit the deck while Dante met every bullet with one of his own, somehow intercepting each and every shot. 

“My, those aren't ordinary guns, much less the person wielding them” Killika mussed as she saw the Revache members close in to try and increase their chances of killing the man. 

Normally, Dante wouldn't have minded playing gunslinger with these guys, but considering the risk of a stray bullet hitting a “civilian” from the way the gangsters started to spray and pray, he made the choice to create a more…..tactically convenient move. 

That being, with him jumping off the podium and running towards the wall and scaling it diagonally and jumping across to the other indoor balconies.

Drawing their fire, each missed bullet from the gangsters' guns chewed away at the stone marbling and gaudy walls of the faux castle's interior. 

The guests panicked as they tried to crawl away, being coated in bits of rubble. As the demon rushed across balcony to balcony, a singular thought crossed his mind. 

“Where the hell was Garcia?”

By all means, the Killing Bear should have been here by now. No way that an ex jaeger commander would allow his boss's client to be put in the line of fire like this. 

The demon decided to put it to the back of his head for now as he made his next move. 

Shooting and jumping to another balcony, he saw Lechter, ducking behind a pillar. The devil landed and decided to chat with him a bit. 

“Having a good time?!” Dante shouted as he peered over the balcony and shot at his opponents.

“Never been better! You're actually crazy!” Lechter yelled over the gunfire. Dante noticed that for a supposed noble, he was surprisingly calm, maybe the kid had some combat training. “Might wanna try to catch up with your friends though!”

“You seen em’?!” Dante weaved a shot and returned fire to the offender. “Did they bounce from this joint?!”

“Yeah! They ran down towards the lobby!” Lechter answered. “I don't know how you'll get to them, but good luck!”

“I won't need it but thanks anyway!” Dante said as he eyed a few chandeliers. 

Leaping from his perch, he easily scaled over the top of them as they swung each and every time he landed on one. 

The gunfire briefly stopped, allowing the curses and yells from below to be heard in full force. 

Hartman scrambled to his feet, his face red and livid with rage, not only at Marconi's incompetent foot soldiers, but at the stranger who sullied his home. 

“You insolent bastard!” Hartman bellowed as he met the demon's eyes. “Who do you think you are, to trample all over my house?!”

“I'm the devil, who's asking?!” Dante responded in kind as he looked down on him, standing at the edge of the largest chandelier in the center of the room. 

“He's gotta call himself the devil in his house?!” Lechter howled as he laughed at the demon's bold proclamation. “Shit, can't wait to tell the old man about this!”

“As for your little mutts down there” the demon gestured to the gangsters below. “For some former jaegers, you're……a lot worse than I'd thought you were. Guess killing civilians is all you can do.”

“You motherfu-” they opened fire, but the demon dodged as usual, however, the volley of bullets broke the chains that supported the chandelier's weight……

….leading them to inevitable crash to the ground, much to the horror of the crowd, as they scrambled to get out of the way. Thankfully no one was hurt, minus a few thousand glass shards leading to some very minor cuts. 

The gangsters went to check for a corpse but found none, raising several voices of concern. 

“Tch. Where is he?!”

“No way he could've moved out of the way!”

“Bastard thinks he's slick!”

“Not just slick, handsome too.”

The gangsters turned to find who made the strange comment, finding the aforementioned intruder looking at the mess he just made before meeting their eyes with a straight face. 

But the henchmen didn't even get the chance to attack, as a familiar blue blur swooped in and slashed them all in quick succession. 

Re-sheathing his katana, Vergil gave his brother a slightly disapproving look. “To think I'd find you taking the time to be cordial.”

Dante shrugged as we walked over to him, glass pieces breaking under his boots. “Like your one talk, you've made some new friends” he pointed a thumb to the auction hall entrance as several dozen more Revache members entered the fray. “Where are the others?”

“They made it through the main hall, it appears that Trish took some extra time to…..educate Marconi on how to treat women” the devil replied as he heard a chorus of footsteps nearby.

From the stage itself, more gangsters swarmed in, making the room feel claustrophobic, at least to the humans anyway. 

Standing back to back, the younger brother proposed something. “Lets see who can rack up the most points in…….one minute.”

The elder brother smirked. “You've gotten lazy, I'll get this done under thirty.”

The black clothed goons charged forth, weaving their way through the crowd but to everyone's shock, two yellow chakrams swept through the crowd as Killika flipped over to the two demons, halting the advance of Revache's henchmen briefly. 

“Nice blades! Sorry for ruining your night but we had some business to take care of” Dante said to her as she put her back towards the brothers blind spot. 

Catching the chakrams as they returned, Killika tilted her head. “On the contrary, you've made quite the impression, far better than any auction item could have done. Do you mind if I participate? ” she softly smiled at the demon. 

“Suit yourself ” Vergil said as the three began their assault. 

Killika was definitely proven to be anything but an average civilian as she tore through a group of henchmen, using her chakrams to slash through the goons with ease, mixing in several punches and kicks as the flying blades left her side momentarily

Dante used his sword to deflect a chakram to a group of henchmen before the Calvardian native caught it mid air and dropped down on a man with an ace kick. 

Vergil kept his blade in its scabbard as he cut and smacked around his group, deflecting a gunshot before driving the Yamato into the assailant's stomach, launching him to a horde of gangsters. 

“Looks like I'm up one!” Dante yelled as he jumped over a fallen chandelier and slashed downward towards his unsuspecting victim. 

“Not for long!” Vergil slashed upwards and launched two men before using a sweeping cut to cleave several men that were behind him, breaking ribs and other bones in the process. 

Killika backflipped and used her chakrams to stop a pair of machetes from stabbing her, locking the blades in between its holes. 

Using the brief pause, she flipped forward and twisted her body, causing the men to get tangled up before breaking away from their blades and throwing them into another unfortunate group, who toppled like bowling pins from the sheer force of the impact. 

The henchmen began to lose their resolve, but the demons and their unlikely human ally didn't give them the chance to breathe, as they began their offensive in due kind. 

April 5th 

Mishelam Resort

Residential area 

“Weeeeee!” KeA cheered as the SSS sprinted down the street, weaving back and forth between the sidewalk and street, illuminated by the lampposts, the owners of the resort homes woke up to quite the scare, seeing the officers fight their way through streets. 

“Have a nice dip!” Wazy taunted as he kicked a man over a railing, sending him to the water below as he ran to catch up with the group. 

“Lloyd! Are you sure it's alright to leave them back there?!” Ellie yelled, occasionally shooting at some open windows that had gangsters laying down suppressive fire towards the group. 

“I trust them! Somehow they've always come through, even when it's bleak!” Lloyd panted, ducking behind some cars to use them as cover, barely avoiding the shots. 

Tio casted an art, using her heightened senses to pinpoint exactly where she needed to drop an ice hammer spell,letting the large mass of ice crash into the roof of the house, taking out at least a few of the shooters, giving Lloyd the time he needed to pick up the pace. 

“They do not care anymore, they just won't stop!” Tio spat as she pressed on with the others. 

“We better do the same then! War hounds, twelve o'clock!” Randy roared as the beasts broke through the front yard of a house and leaped at the group. 

“Don't stop!” Trish pulled out her guns and shot the dogs, making them tumble over each other as they met their untimely end. 

Ellie and Tio winced at the sight, but they knew there wasn't any time to feel bad for the hounds. 

Things had gone belly up when Vergil volunteered to assist Dante. 

Lloyd vehemently denied his request but the demon proceeded to protect the group from being minced up by a garrison of gangsters, deflecting the bullets with ease and knocking them unconscious swiftly,  before heading off to the manor to help his brother. 

We've been through worse. Do what you need to do. 

The words seemingly resonated with the detective and the other's, bolting off without a moment's hesitation. 

It honestly…..scared him as to just how confident they were in their abilities. 

But for now, they had other things to worry about, like making it through the resort's main building. They just had to get through here and reach the docks.

Sprinting through the crowd of panicked tourists, the SSS made it about half way before being cut off by more of Revache's rank and file, along with a few hounds in tow. 

“Stop! Are you insane?! Don't involve innocent bystanders!” Lloyd yelled at them, but their eyes ran red with rage. “Hah! Like we give a damn!”

The gangsters drew their guns, but Trish yelled at the crowd to hit the floor immediately, the tourists panicked and crawled into various shops and stores. 

Unfortunately, a woman and her child were too slow and got hit in the process, but Trish grabbed them both and bolted to the hotel's entrance while the others ducked for cover. 

The two humans were both crying, the mother cradling her child but the demon went to work. “Just stay calm for okay? I'm gonna pull these out, three, two,” Trish yanked the rounds out and casted a demonic enhanced tear spell, closing and healing the wounds instantly. 

The mother was still sobbing but felt grateful nonetheless. “Th-thank you!”

“Just stay in the hotel!” Trish ordered and the mom ran up the stairs with her child. 

Peering out into the lobby, Trish saw Ellie and Tio getting absolutely torn the hell up by a barrage of bullets. 

Ellie managed to peek out from behind a fallen table and fired back, but her target pistol wasn't ideal in a heavyweight match against orbal machine guns. 

Tio used a sparkle spell to hopefully halt the gunfire somewhat, but it was clear that the former jaegers were used to such tactics, only letting the art briefly halt their assault. 

Trish could hear Lloyd, Wazy and Randy fighting right near the entrance to the residential area, tied up with their own opponents, dealing with the hounds that ran past the girls. 

Another shot from Ellie found its target, hitting the man in the head, but that pissed off his comrade even more. 

“You bitch! I'll rip you to pieces!” he roared as he and a few others zoned in on the girl's position, making them cower under the rain of bullets. 

As if things couldn't get any worse, Ellie's gun was shot out of her hand, breaking her trigger finger in the process. Ellie yelped as she pulled her hand to her chest to try and numb the pain. 

“Ellie! Stay still, I will he-” Tio's attempt to fix the wound was stopped by a bullet hitting her staff, disrupting the flow of orbal energy within it. 

“Ellie! Catch!” Trish tossed Luce over to her and the gun tumbled and slid to the wounded girl. Ellie grabbed it with her free hand but froze as she was about to shoot. “Trish! I can't kill someon-”

“Just trust me!” The demon yelled back as the gunman briefly turned their attention to her, firing on her position. 

Time slowed to a crawl, because from Ellie's perspective, her friend was going to die if she didn't do anything. She felt sick to her stomach, debating if she should actually cross that line.

The scared look that she saw in Tio's eyes made the decision for her. 

Muttering a prayer to the goddess for forgiveness, she peered out of cover and pulled the trigger…..

….the bullet exploded from the chamber and met its target. But to Ellie's surprise, there was no wound, nor blood to be found at the man she just shot. 

A microsecond later, Trish shot right after her, turning the tide of the gunfight in their favor. 

Even so, Ellie was still concerned for the citizens getting potentially caught in the crossfire. “Crossbell Police Department! Stop this right now!” she screamed between each panting breath.

Trish shot down two more before giving her a friendly reminder. “Hey Ellie, I don't think they feel like chatting right now!”

“If this drags, more people could get hurt!” Ellie fired back, dropping another mobster. “We have to try and talk to them!!”

Trish had to suppress a groan and a laugh in the same breath. “You wanna talk?! You know what, go ahead!”

“All of you! Stop this n-ahhh!” a window shattered near Ellie as bullets zipped by, coating her in glass. 

“They can't hear you, cause they're still shooting at you!” Trish shot the offender, thinning their ranks ever more. 

A bullet grazed Tio's hair, making her wince. “Trish! We need to end this now!”

“Start casting!” Trish moved from her perch, drawing the gunman to her. Ellie didn't waste a second, firing at the distracted henchmen, dropping two of them. 

The last was struck by a bolt of lightning from Tio, who limped towards the girls. 

“Tio! Are you alright?!” Ellie gasped as she saw a trail of blood from the girl's leg. “How bad is it?! We need to treat this now!”

“I-im fine, we ne-” Tio whimpered in an attempt to hide the pain but gasped as Trish practically yanked her off the ground and used her Enigma to heal her. 

“I gotcha Tio” Trish said reassuringly as the demon cradled her in her arms. “Looks like the guys finally got done.”

Randy slammed a halberd into his opponent, sending him flying across the floor as he and the others met up with them. “You guys good?”

“Tio got hit, but she'll live, the kid might be sore for a bit” Trish said as Lloyd and the rest looked on in concern. 

The detective  snapped back into focus. “Everyone! Head up the hotel and seek shelter!”

“Agreed, because we got more heading our way!” Wazy and the others saw the horde of Revache members heading their way as the lobby finally was clear of civilians. 

“Randy, crash bomb!” Randy immediately knew what Trish was about to do. 

Tossing out the flash grenade and Lloyd covered KeAs eyes as Trish shot the device, blinding the gangsters and disrupting their movements. 

“Get to the docks!” Lloyd yelled as the others ran towards the exit with Trish providing some covering fire to take out as many henchmen as possible. 

However, it seemed that the group's luck had started to run out, because as they went outside, they watched as the ferry began to cast off from the harbor. 

They tried to sprint after it but to no avail as it departed into the night.  

“Aw, the boat went bye bye” KeA's light-hearted tone did little to help the slowly rising panic that the humans felt. 

“But why?” Tio asked, frustrated at this ill timed stroke of luck. “It was not supposed to leave yet.”

“They probably heard the commotion and bounced, any sane person would've done so.” Trish pointed out. 

“We'll from where we're standing, it's the worst move possible” Wazy commented as he and the others heard shouts from behind them. 

“Let's keep moving!” Randy roared. “We might get lucky and find a small motorboat or somethin’!”

Rushing down to the docking area there were unfortunately no avenues of escape that the SSS could use.

“Anyone up for swimming?” Trish jokingly asked the group. 

“Swimming? That sounds like fun!” KeA exclaimed. 

“As funny as that might be, I think none of us brought any swimsuits,” Wazy said, smiling but grimacing at the same time. 

Lloyd begrudgingly agreed, now feeling the vice close in on himself. “At this rate, we're done for…”

“Behind us!” Ellie drew Trish's gun and began to fire at the approaching henchmen. 

Trish got some shots off of her own as she ran with Lloyd, covering Ellie's retreat as she did so. 

Some goons got bold and decided to try their hand at melee, facing off Wazy and Randy as they headed further and further down. 

Eventually, they reached a dead end, stuck between warhounds, machine guns and a watery grave respectively.

“The bad men are blocking the way,” KeA said, starting to feel a bit scared. 

“Is this it?!” Lloyd honestly asked himself. 

“You kiddin’? The main events coming down now” Trish eyed the infamous underboss as he strolled on down, flanked by henchmen. “Oh, would you look at that? The brats have nowhere else to run.”

“Garcia Rossi” Lloyd eyed the man, sizing him up. 

The underboss looked….happy for some reason. “Long time no see, Special Support Section. No wonder you looked so familiar back there. Hard to believe you actually got your hands on an invitation to the auction. What's more, you had the balls to sneak in.”

“I don't remember seeing any rules against police attending. Or did I miss that?” Lloyd responded with some snark, trying to make the best of a bad situation. 

Garcia seemed to appreciate that. “Oh, that's not the issue at all. Y'see, we don't turn away any potential clients. But it seems I underestimated you lot….especially that woman, Trish Eva.”

The demon smirked. “Thanks for the compliment, how's the dear don doing by the way?”

Garcia huffed. “Nursing those bruises you gave em’. Not a bad job if I say so myself. Even so, never would've thought you'd team up with Heiyue to bring down our auction. Ballsy move, I'll give you that.

“Hey-you-eh?” KeA sounded the words out as the others were surprised with the accusation.

“Wh-what are you talking about?” Lloyd genuinely asked the man. 

“I can assure you, we aren't connected to Yin in any way, shape, or form” Ellie said as she glared at Gracie. “Why don't you ask your subordinates for confirmation when they wake up?”

“In a sense I'd say we were the ones who stopped him from crashing the party” Wazy added. 

“You should thank us by….letting us go. That'd be nice.” Trish jabbed at him, but Garcia shrugged his shoulders. “Afraid not, we gotta deal with the fact that you made us look like fools in front of our customers.”

Garcia cracked his neck. “And trust me, we intend to deal with you and those jokers in the manor. Capishe?”

“Hah! You really think low of those guys don't you?” Randy asked with a grin.

But Garcia laughed in response. “Oh, they might be a bit tougher than the usual beat cop…but against a couple hundred ex jaegers, I'd say their odds are pretty thin eh?”

“That can't be true,” Ellie responded. “We know about your maximum fighting force and we didn't see even half that on our way here.”

“Heh, for a politician's brat, you can be clueless about the world, you know that?” Garcia put a hand to his chin as he began to pace. “This here auction is our most important event of the year, what makes you think we'd not bring everyone here? All hands on deck is the company's motto.”

“You're lying!” Ellie said back, trying to sound confident but Garcia pointed to the other humans. “Your pals don't seem to think so. That's why I'm here to deliver your punishment instead of fighting those idiots.”

Ellie hesitantly turned her head to look at the other humans, and to her dismay, it was Lloyd who looked the most conflicted. 

“...It does seem plausible…that they may have had a reserve force for the situation” Lloyd bit back a curse, realizing the huge error he had just made, potentially sending his comrades to their deaths. 

“N-no, it can't be” Ellie muttered.”They have to be okay….” 

“Shit, this isn't good!” Randy gripped his halberd, letting a bit of rage loose. 

“I guess surrendering isn't an option then? Wazy asked, but he knew the answer already. 

Garcia chuckled at that piss poor attempt to negotiate. “Damn straight. The best part of the hunt is hearing your prey scream when you finally catch them.”

The humans tensed up but Garcia gave them a warm…glare. “Don't look down, I don't plan to kill you….well can't say the same for the blonde.”

Trish saw Tio's eyes widen in horror at what she had just heard, the demon pulled the girl a bit closer as she widened her stance a bit. 

“What did you just say?!” Lloyd shouted, angered at what was implied. 

“If you're planning on hurting Trish, I won't let that happen!” Ellie drew the loaned gun, gripping it steadily, her finger just teasing the trigger. 

“......you so much as lay a finger on her” Randy growled, letting a bit of his old self out, making some of the henchmen's hearts skip a beat. 

"What's so special about little ol’ me?” Trish asked casually. 

Garcia rolled up his sleeve and began to put some black gloves with studs on them. “Saw your handy work on my way over here. The way you roughed up my boys was something else…only a real monster could've done like that.”

“Your point being?” The demon was getting a little confused by the underboss's tale. 

“That we're the same,” Garcia smirked as he cracked his knuckles. “Didn't figure you and your groupies to be killers like myself.”

“What are you going on about now?” Wazy chimed in. “I figured you would've tried to kick our asses already.”

“Killers?!” Lloyd said in disbelief. “That's not true! They'd never do that!”

“Hah” Garcia laughed at the boy's ignorance. “Take it from me kiddos, all you gotta do is just look in her eyes. She may act all nice, but she's sent plenty of folks to Gehenna without a second thought. Enjoyed it too, just as her friends did.”

“....is that so?” Trish cocked an eyebrow. “You have a pretty good imagination, a little too old to be daydreaming though.”

“You can deny it all you want, but that doesn't change what's about to happen” Garcia's men inched forward. “Just try to make it interesting. I'll make sure that the whole resort will hear your screaming when I rip you limb from limb, Trish Eva.”

Trish felt Tio's heart stop as she imagined what he had planned for the demon. 

“Trish get back!” Lloyd yelled as he ran in front of her. 

“Lloyd, step back and help the others fight” Trish said calmly. 

“No Trish! Im no-” 

“Lloyd,” the demon said firmly. “They need you, let me handle him.”

Unfortunately the detective would be forced from his position as Garcia whistled for his men to attack. 

A warhound lunged into him, while a few henchmen with machetes came down on Randy and Wazy. 

Thankfully, Lloyd managed to get KeA out of harm's way and the girl instinctively kept her distance from the ensuing brawl. 

Ellie cursed as she went to go assist Lloyd, leaving Trish and Tio alone in the ensuing chaos. 

The demon turned around calmly and placed Tio on her feet, but as the technician raised her staff, Trish halted her movement. 

Taking off her red shawl, she placed it around the girl's shoulders. “Tio, I'll be okay. I can beat him.”

“Trish, let me help! He wants to kill you!” 

“I won't die” Trish firmly put her hands on the girl's shoulders and smiled at her. “The others need your help. Just be careful, okay?”

“Ain't no time to be talking!” Garcia swooped in to deliver a crushing double hammer fist. 

“LOOK OUT!” Tio yelled, but the demon intercepted the blow, blocking it with both arms. “See? This guy ain't all that scary!”

That being said, the demon was not arrogant enough to dismiss the force of the impact, it somehow created cracks on the stone flooring. Not a threat to her at all, but if the humans took a single blow……

Trish looked up at Garcia, still trying to drive her into the ground. “Kinda rude to interrupt girl talk, don't cha think?”

The demon removed an arm and drove an elbow into Garcia's stomach, turning around to deliver three more blows to his midsection before finishing with a palm strike to his face

To her surprise, the underboss countered by keeping his balance and throwing a spinning elbow, far faster than what the demon had anticipated. Weaving under it, she delivered a body hook before stepping back to throw a spinning round kick. 

Garcia blocked it with both hands, smiling at her. “I HAVEN'T BEEN ON A HUNT IN AGES! LETS MAKE THIS ONE TO REMEMBER!!!”

“Don't complain when I kick your ass then!” The underboss shoved the kick off, making her spin back towards the ground. 

Garcia took the initiative, closing the distance with blistering speed, throwing a volley of punches, going high, mid, low, mixing up each strike to throw Trish off. 

A miss timed straight allowed the devil to catch it with her forearms, throwing a back fist into Garcia's jaw and pushing him with enough force that he collided into a fence.

Garcia grinned, bouncing off the fence and shoulder tackling Trish, who braced against the blow, skidding across the ground to the fence behind her. 

A teep kick followed up, but Trish evaded it, watching the fence break off and fall into the water. 

Trish kicked the man's back, but he took the hit and went for a sweeping low kick as the demon jumped back. 

“He's durable, probably the toughest human I've faced so far” Trish mussed as she faced down another set of strikes from the man. 

The others were dealing with difficult circumstances of their own, doing their best to try and reach their lone comrade. 

Ellie and Lloyd were up against a pair of warhounds that were larger and faster than the rest of their breed. 

Each time Ellie lined up a shot, she was nearly blindsided by one of the dogs trying to rip her throat out, while Lloyd managed to intercept it each time, leaving the other dog free to attack Ellie. 

“Lloyd, we need to help her!” Ellie looked over to the ensuing duel.

“I know!” Lloyd bashed a dogs teeth in, making it yelp. “We just need to find an opening!”

“No! We'll make one!” Ellie decided to try a different tactic. Letting the warhound get real close to her, she fired a shot directly into its mouth, but it collided with her, knocking her down. 

“Ellie!” Lloyd ran over to her to get the downed dog off of her. 

With adrenaline fueling her, Ellie pushed the dog off of her. “Im fine, we need to-”

“Get your heads down!” Randy yelled out a he smacked a henchman over the railing. 

Unfortunately, more henchmen arrived on the scene, leaving the humans unable to aid the demon. 

Except for Tio. 

The technician had been aiding Wazy for some time, but occasionally let her focus waver to check on Trish. 

“If you want to help her, I won't stop you” Wazy said as he broke a man's jaw with a right kick. “I can handle this”

“Thank you Wazy” Tio took off to where Trish and Garcia were fighting, even from a distance, she could feel the impact from the blows as it shook the air. 

The technician casted a sparkle spell to hopefully stun Garcia, but to her surprise, the man shook it off like it was nothing and within the blink of an eye, he disappeared from view. 

“Brats should stay outta fights they ain't meant to be in!” Tio became horrified as she felt the man's hands grab her waist and lift her into the air…..

To her blessing, Trish zoomed in and grabbed Tio as she was about to meet the concrete, using her body to protect her from the damage. 

The demon rolled away and kicked Garcia all at once, to give them some much needed distance. 

“Trish! Are you hurt?!” Tio feared for the worst. 

“Appreciate the enthusiasm Tio, but I need you to stay back” Trish gently reprimanded her. “But im fine, honest, maybe a bit swe-”

A jumping axe kick from Garcia prevented Tio from responding. Trish blocked it and socked him in his groin. 

Strangely enough, he managed to push past the pain. “Cuthroat move! I like that!” Garcia wiped his brow of sweat, ready to go for another round. 

“He's a monster,” Tio grimaced, stepping back from another charge from the Killing Bear. 

“Should've asked the guild to take care of this request” Trish quipped as she blocked a kick, throwing a straight right down the middle. 

“Still think you should be worrying about the brat?! People like us don't need shit like that dragging us down!” Garcia threw more strikes, a lot faster than the ones from before. 

“That ‘brat’ is worth the hassle" Trish said, surprisingly….angry at what he just told her as she hit him a lot harder than before, breaking a rib in the process as she parried a haymaker.

Garcia scoffed and held his stomach, giving Trish a sickening grin as he let out an animalistic howl, increasing his strength ten fold, enveloping the man in a powerful aura of energy. 

Randy parried a strike from a henchman and smashed his halberd into his ribs as his blood boiled, recognizing the technique that Garcia just used. 

“Cute magic trick” Trish said, amused at the light show, putting herself in front of Tio.

“You'd think that wouldn't you?” Garcia wiped the blood that was leaking from his mouth. “War cry. A jaeger exclusive technique that brings out one's very own battle aura. Perfect for hunting beasts like yourself.”

Garcia's strength wasn't the only one that sky rocketed, as his henchmen and warhounds also seemed to be amped by technique. 

“Tio, I need you to help the others deal with Garcia fangirls” Trish cracked her knuckles. 

“Stop being stupid!” Tio yelled out. “Im not going to let you ge-” Trish without turning around places a hand on her staff, powering it with demonic energy. 

Tio's senses felt the odd energy signature. It felt…..warm and caring “Trish?! Is this…”

“Something that let you help me kiddo,” Trish said. “I'll see you in a bit.”

Tio, while apprehensive, chose to trust in her friend's words and left her alone with the underboss.

Garcia went for a straight, but instead of dodging the blow, the demon met the fist with one of her own, zapping the man as it made contact. 

Garcia, for the first time since this fight began, actually felt cautious. “That wasn't an Art! What the hell was that?!”

Shaking his hand, he then cracked his fingers. “Neat trick, looks like that shitbag wasn't blowing smoke.”

Trish allowed a small amount of electricity to coat her fists. “Normally I wouldn't need this to beat someone's ass, but since the kids are worried about me, I'll make an exception.”

The demon was glad that Tio was finally out of harm's way, because the other humans were getting their shit kicked in right now. 

The dogs Lloyd and Ellie faced got up like it was nothing, fighting the duo far more ferociously than ever before. The detective was rushed almost immediately, getting bitten and tackled in one go. 

Ellie met the same fate, the dog dragged her to the ground and gnawed on her arm.

“Get off!” Ellie shot the dogs several times before the pain started to set in. 

She felt dizzy, only managing to see a haze in front of her. Looking down on her arm, she saw the blood trickled down on the concrete and felt the sting throbbing throughout. 

Lloyd wasn't faring much better, as his dog nearly tore his eye out, but the detective used its momentum to kick it over the dock towards the water below. 

Scrabbling to his feet, he ran to Ellie to examine her wound. “It's not too deep, just hang on” Lloyd casted a tear spell that closed the wound in mere seconds.

“Th-thanks Lloyd,” Ellie said. “This isn't looking good.”

“I know…Ellie, we need to trust Trish right now” Lloyd replied. 

“We can't just leave her!” Lloyd put a hand on Ellie's shoulder. “Panicking right now is the worst thing we can do. Lets help the others, THEN we'll back up Trish. Dante and Vergil have to be alive, and I'm sorry for letting my doubt get the better of me.”

The detective dragged her to her feet. “You ready Ellie?”

Despite the chaos around them, Ellie found the confidence to fight again as her vision cleared. “More than ever, let's go, Lloyd!” The two split off to help their respective comrades. 

Wazy earlier confidence wavered as he previously defeated opponents were bearing down on him ferociously. 

A kick blocked by his high guard left his stomach exposed for a strike, knocking the wind out of him. He staggered and haphazardly defended a low blow, but a headstrike made the move futile. 

“Damn it, I'm really off my game” Wazy thought as his assailants were ready to pummel him even more.  

A blue sphere art, enhanced by demonic energy, sent a large mass of water that smashed onto the pier, blasting Wazy's assailants into the depths below. 

“Tio?! What was that?!” The leader of the testaments finally got some breathing room, shocked by the show of force.

“Thank me later!’ We need to thin their ranks!” Tio began to cast again, healing Wazy, then somehow without time in between, sent a giant pillar of ice to the pier's entrance, smashing on another ground of henchmen. 

A dog jumped towards her but was shot by Ellie. “Guys! Are you okay?!”

“Alive and kicking” Wazy replied. “With little miss artisan here, we just might turn this around. 

“We have more Revache members coming in from the hotel!” Tio shouted. “We have to stop them from getting here!”

The three dipped past Garcia and Trish's one on one duel in order to prevent more reinforcements from coming. 

As for Lloyd and Randy, it was time for the boys to step up.

“Randy let's do it!” The redhead gave a swift nod as they rushed over to give the underboss a much needed ass kicking. 

Even if Trish was holding her own, she had to admit that the longer this dragged on, the less likely she would be able to keep her demonic strength a secret.  

So in kind, as Garcia went for a clothesline maneuver, the demon jumped over him, letting the two men crash into him. 

“Burning Rage!” The duo yelled in unison, tonfas and halberd embedded themselves in the man's frame, igniting the pain in his torso and halting his assault, coating him in a burst of flames in the process. 

“Grah! Damn brats!” Garcia yelled as he fell on one knee. 

“D-did we do it?!” Lloyd gasped but Randy shook his head. “Nah, bastards got some fight left in him!”

That was indeed true, for he let out another war cry and went and ripped a light pole out of its socket in an insane show of strength. 

Holding it over his shoulder, he swung the damn thing with an impressive amount of speed, making Lloyd's heart drop. “GET DOWN NOW!”

Randy's own War Cry told him otherwise. 

Howling to the heavens, the redhead used his halberd to take the brunt of the force, skidding across the ground as he was nearly taken over the edge.

Garcia, even while injured, began to laugh in recognition. “So, that's how it is, Randolph Orlando!”

Randy grimaced at that. He'd been found out. 

“To think the son of the War God wound up here in Crossbell, who would've thought?!” Garcia's strength kept pushing Randy ever closer to the water. “First the woman and the Red Reaper?! I just wanted a sample, but it looks like I'll be getting the full course!”

“Shit!” Randy tried to push back, but it was clear that he was rusty, and that War Cry he used was starting to wear on his strength. 

“The Red Constellation used to be a pain in the ass back in the day! Guess it's time I returned the favor!” Garcia pulled the lamppost back, spinning it around to hoist it into the air and drove it to the ground, ready to turn the former jaeger into red paste. “See you in Gehenna, Son of the War God!”

“RANDY!” Lloyd charged in to try and shove his friend out of harm's way, but was too slow and felt helpless as the lamppost was about to end Randy's life. 

But his fears were for naught, as Trish caught the makeshift club with her forearms, stopping it just above her head with a resounding crack as the ground further splintered. 

“What the?!” Garcia saw the demon looking at him with an eerie grin. 

“Trish?! How are you?!….” Randy couldn't believe what he just saw. 

“I'm wrapping this up, goodnight Garcia!” Trish said as she electrified the lampost, shocking the underboss and making his body spasm and dropping it. 

Trish was on him immediately, infusing her strikes with electricity and pulsing them through Garcia's torso so the others wouldn't see it.

The Killing Bear howled in pain as he was pummeled without mercy. In a desperate move, the man threw a right hook, but Trish smashed his hand with an elbow, breaking his fingers in the process. 

He roared and threw left hook with his second hand meeting another elbow, along with Trish throwing a third spinning elbow to his nose breaking it. 

Garcia however, still had one last trick up his sleeve, somehow managing to grab Trish in a body lock with his mangled fingers, the Killing Bear jumped into the air, and twisted the devil's body around to drive her into the ground. 

“KILLING DRIVER!” Garcia roared, hoping to splatter her brain all over the pier, but the demon had other plans in mind. 

Since she was upside down, Trish was able to grab the man's feet and flip him around, turning the Killing Bears signature move against him. 

Garcia couldn't even yell in defiance, as his face smashed into the ground, making a small crater in its wake with a resounding crack. 

As the dust settled, the demon sat down on the unconscious jaeger's back and looked at the two dumbfounded humans with a smile. “I always wanted to do that.”

“That was cool!" KeA said as she ran up to the demon. “You're so strong, Trish!”

The devil flexed her arms. “I just eat right kid, you should to if you want to be big and strong.”

“Trish….” Lloyd trailed off as he slumped to the ground as the pain started to kick in. “Hahah…..you just….are full of surprise's, aren't you?” KeA went the detective next and sat right next to him. 

“Yeah…a bunch of us are” Randy sat down as well, leaning against his halberd. 

“Hey Randy?” Trish got his attention. “You don't have to say anything about your past if you don't feel like it.”

“Haha well….I kinda wasn't planning on it anyway…if you guys still want me the SSS” Randy's smile was hollow. 

“Randy, that's not funny,” Lloyd said firmly. 

“Kids gotta a point, trust me, I got my skeletons in the closet” Trish added. “You can probably already tell, but i don't….fight like a normal person.”

“Damn straight,” Randy said, not feeling any better. “It's actually….scary how tough you are.”

“Well she wouldn't be the Trish we know and love if she wasn't anything less” Lloyd spoke up, hoping to brighten the mood. “Just like you Randy, things wouldn't be the same without you.”

Randy froze up. “I….im sorry, guess I made a fool of myself this time. But damn it Lloyd, trying to put the moves on both of us? you freak of nature!”

“Why do you all do this?!” Lloyd asked exasperatedly while Trish laughed. “Maybe Ellie was right, you can be dense.”

“Speaking of that, where are the othe-” Lloyd was cut off by a familiar howl. 

The three looked to their right and saw the rest of the SSS, Zeit and Sergei, who was piloting a boat. 

The chief in question saw the battlefield, nodded in approval, then spoke up. “Get in. Now.”

“Well, we're getting an ass whooping when we get back,” Trish quipped as she got up. 

“Heh” Randy let out a sigh as he hoisted himself up. “Haven't had that happen in a while.”

“Lloyd, what's an ‘ass whooping?’, is it bad?” KeA asked the detective with a straight face who hastily got up and carried her into his arms. “No and it's nothing you should ever say, ISN'T THAT RIGHT YOU TWO?”

“Got it, papa bear” Trish hopped into the boat and saw Tio's eyes looking relieved that she was safe. “Sorry for worrying you kiddo.” She gave the girl a big squeeze. 

“Trish, I'm glad you're safe,” Ellie said as she hugged her from behind. 

“Group hug? Lemme get some sugar” Dante said as he wrapped his arms around the girls. “Vergil, get in on this.”

“No.” The elder brother sat down while the younger brother shrugged. “Your loss.”

Randy got in and kept his distance, not feeling like someone like him should be apart of that. 

Lloyd “accidentally” bumping into him to make him mash into the group, took that option away from him. 

He was about to protest, but KeA hugging his leg conceived him to stay put. 

Zeit howled in approval while Sergei allowed himself small smile before driving off back to Crossbell and grilling the group on just what the hell happened at the auction. 

April 12th

Crossbell city

SSS building 

Morning. 

“And you shot the Speakers chandelier?” Sergei asked Dante, wanting to make sure he heard the demon right. 

“Nah, the staff shot at me while I was up there, and I shot back and they hit the chandelier” Dante clarified for him. 

Sergei pondered before pulling a cigar from his desk and smoking “At least I'll consider it a positive outcome.”

“I hear you there, since it's day seven of solitary confinement, we need to look on the brightside" the son of sparda said while Sergei nodded, appreciating his attempts to try and make the best of this bad situation. 

After returning to the SSS, Sergei explained that since there was a child at the auction, the mafia would most likely retaliate, as human trafficking falls under the bracer guild's jurisdiction and they would be free to take down the organization at a moment's notice. 

With that in mind, the SSS coordinated with the Bracer guild, the police department and even Jonas information network to keep tabs on Revache's movements. 

During this time, they learned a few things about KeA. 

One, is that even after everything, the girl still had no memories of where she came from, where her parents were, so far and so forth.

Secondly, Zeit seemed a bit more on edge whenever the demons interacted with her. 

The police dog managed to rein it in over time, but he always kept an eye on the three whenever one of them was in the same room as the child. 

Then after a while, the SSS received a message from HQ. 

Revache proposed a truce. 

The organization claimed that they had no idea that a child was in the truck of the case, throwing several excuses in their claim, citing that either ‘Heiyue did it’ or that the child wandered in somehow. 

The demons and the detective knew that bullshit from the jump, but considering how desperate Revache was, they decided to let shit be for now. 

At least for the demons, they finally had fulfilled a small part of the contract, patting themselves on the back for a job well done.

Unfortunately for them, things were going to get worse. 

Because Revache was going to be a far cry for the nightmare that was going to descend on Crossbell City. 

What kind of nightmare?

One that Zemuria was unknowingly connected to.

Because in a few days time , the demonic creatures from hell would finally make their move in Crossbell. 

And the Bracer guild and Special Support Section would be among their first victims. 

Chapter Text

Agony.

That was the only thing that Morgan Gillan could even fathom as of now. 

Her assailant made that point very clear, carving into her body as it took pleasure in her screams, even if her vocal chords were barely allowing even the smallest of sounds to sputter from her bleeding mouth. 

Not that she was only one to suffer under its amusement. 

She'd been a damn fool to drag junior bracers as young as them into the forest. It was supposed to be a simple excursion, to collect a variety of plants among the local fauna. 

So what if it was a bit late at night? As someone of her caliber, along with some bright and fiery up and coming bracers, nothing in the forest would have never given them any cause for concern.

Until that…..thing appeared. 

Morgan was knowledgeable about any and all manner of creatures that prowled through the wilds of Zemuria. 

But this “monster” was unlike anything she had ever seen nor heard. 

It was as if it came from a nightmare, no, it was as if Gehenna had rejected it and forced it onto the mortal plane, to torment the inhabitants of this land. 

The bracers tried to size it up, even as they pissed themselves in fear, for something like that, should not, nor never exist. 

Not that it helped when it began to speak to the three of them. 

The way it talked, you would think it was being cordial, but now she knew now that it enjoyed playing this ruse, to spell out to the humans that it was at its mercy and that they were going to suffer a hellish fate. 

The female bracer, a supposed self taught swordsman, attempted to cleave into the flesh of the creature to her dismay, it didn't even leave a knick. 

The creature goaded her into trying again, while the male bracer screamed at her to not fall into its taunt, alas, the girl was too frightened to listen to reason and charged forth…..

….but her leg was blown off from something zooming through the darkness, the force of the impact leaving crater sized holes into the trees. 

Morgan remembered just freezing in place as she saw the blood spurt from the girl's severed limb, rolling on the forest floor, screaming and crying, begging for her mom, dad, Adios, anything to come and save her. 

Her partner tried to help, using his halberd to cut its claw off. But the creature swatted him away to a nearby tree, breaking the boy's spine in the process. 

She heard it say “Please sit and wait, young ones, I will take good care of you” speaking as if several voices were layered on top of another.

Morgan's heart was nearly about to explode, as she saw it bring out something out of its “satchel, made up of skin, the object in question, a hacksaw, made with the unmistakable material of human bones, caked in dried blood, awaiting to quench its blade once more. 

The creature “trotted” on its many legs as it took its time to follow the bracer girl, who crawled away in a feeble attempt to get away, crying and begging it to stay away from her, as her stump left a river of blood, draining color from the girls skin. 

Lazily picking her up, the abomination brought its prey to its face, giving the horrified bracer a sickening smile as it sniffed the girl, gorging itself on her fear and despair. 

“Lux Lamina!” Glowing swords materialized and flew at the creature. 

Their source? Morgan herself, who casted the spell, tried to bring an end to the creature's plans. 

This was a mistake that she would pay dearly for. The blades did indeed pierce its flesh….only for its skin to heal as if nothing had been done in the first place. 

Morgan saw the creature give her that same ghastly smile it gave to the girl, before pursuing her. 

The witch's memory was fuzzy after that, she remembered getting caught, then strung up…….and…..she faded in out of consciousness, vaguely hearing the wails of agony from the male bracer, much as she bore witness to her own flesh being violated. 

The girl bled out, unconscious and somehow still alive, her face contoured in a manner that no child should ever wear.

The monster voiced its disappointment, but at least it managed to scoop the girl's eye out before she passed out, the silver lining that even if she couldn't see anything, Chloe could feel everything that has and was going to happen to her and her friend. 

That and it enjoyed making her partner watch what it did to her and their client, and it loved how the child puked and cursed at it. 

Needless to say, as it began to take Morgan's lung out, it noticed her eyes….glowing for some reason. 

Unbeknownst to the creature, the witch had casted one last spell, using the last of her life force to pass on a message. 

A message to the elder.

1204, Septian calendar 

April 15th

Crossbell city

SSS building

Morning

April showers rolled in as expected as the city of Crossbell got ready for a few days of downpour. 

Which meant that as of now, the SSS had a lot more time on their hands, even if they still couldn't find out where KeA was from. 

Randy took off to Bellguard gate to take care of something for an ex coworker, while Lloyd, Dante and Vergil were out and about to take care of what little support requests they had for the day. 

Zeit had been…restless for some reason, due to the downpour, he had been unable to patrol the streets, making himself far more irritated than normal. 

As for the girl's, Ellie, Tio and KeA were all in Trish's room, watching the demon practice with her new weapon. 

“Hah!” Trish grunted as she swung the one end of the weapon around before spinning it around and throwing it over her shoulder, ending her routine. 

“Yaaaaaay!” KeA and the girls clapped, impressed with what they saw. 

“That was amazing, Trish!” Ellie said, smiling at her. 

“It was truly a spectacular performance,” Tio added. “Ilya may have been right about you potentially being a part of Arc en Ciel.”

“Thanks but I'll pass” she said as she walked over to her bed and sat on it. “Im better suited for real fighting instead of play fighting.”

KeA went over to Trish and her eyes glowed as she saw the staff. “It looks so cool! Can I play with it?”

“Hm..maybe, but it might be a bit heavy for you. I don't want papa bear to chew my head off if you get hurt” the demon said. 

“Lloyd really does dote over her,” Ellie giggled. “Not that I can blame him. But she's right, I've never seen a weapon like that before.”

“I believe it's called a three section staff,” Tio explained. “A flail based weapon that's split between three poles, linked by chains.”

“I wouldn't be surprised if Trish was secretly a master,” Ellie teased the demon. “The Trish school of butt kicking!”

“You know it, wanna be my disciple?” Trish quipped, making Ellie laugh. “No thank you, but I'll give it some thought.”

“Oooooo pick me, pick me!” KeA begged. 

“.....Alright, I'll give you some pointers” Trish said. “But I'll need to get you a training set, because these things are very dangerous to use.”

That was true in every sense of the word, because what Trish had, was no ordinary three section staff. 

It was actually King Cerberus, the Devil Arm previously owned by Dante. 

After the close call with the battle against Garcia, the Sons of Sparda suggested that Trish arm herself with a weapon that could allow her to take down opponents more efficiently without revealing the nature of her abilities. 

That said, Dante loaned her the weapon, allowing Trish a bit more leeway in dealing with opponents potentially stronger than Garcia, without exposing her unnatural strength. 

“I can't wait to learn!” KeA's smile was infectious. 

Sadly, the next series of events would shatter such light. 

A knock on the door got the girl's attention. “Trish? Are you there?” Sergei asked through the door. 

Trish got up from her bed and greeted the chief. “Yeah, Ellie, Tio, and the kid are here too. What's up?”

“I hate to break up the fun, but I need you all to come downstairs in the office” Sergei tone carried a level of seriousness not seen since they first came back from the auction, getting the attention of Tio and Ellie, who gave each other concerned looks. 

As they escorted KeA back to her room, the girls noticed that Sergei puffed his cigar a little more often than usual, a tell tale sign that he was…anxious. A fact that did not feel comforting knowing. 

Making their way to Sergei's office, the girls, along with men, were assembled. 

“Chief Sergei, is something wrong?” Lloyd asked. “You said this was an urgent matter that needed our attention.”

“Not everyday the Chief reigns us in” Randy quipped. “Guess it must be something serious?”

Sergei sat at his desk, taking time to gather his thoughts, wanting to break the news to the kids, who quite frankly, may not be ready to actually tackle such a case. 

But nevertheless, Headquarters had the final say on the matter. 

“The SSS has been called in to help apprehend a serial killer in Crossbell.”

The room's temperature dropped as the news hooked itself into the humans. 

“A serial killer?!” Ellie asked in disbelief. “Here in the city?!”

“That's…quite concerning.” Tio added. 

“Definitely concerning” Dante stated. “That's not a good sign at all.”

“Chief” Lloyd got the man's attention. “Forgive me for asking this, but why seek our help specifically? I'm not saying that we wouldn't want to help, it's just that this is usually something that the First Division would handle.”

Sergei nodded. “You're correct, this is normally right up their alley, however…the severity of the murders is why HQ needs all hands on deck.”

“Excuse me Chief?” Ellie spoke up. “Why haven't we heard of these serial murders before? Headquarters would have been the ones to alert the public on such incidents, if I recall.”

The Chief sighed. “That's the thing, Headquarters only just learned about these cases over the past few days and they issued a communications black out to prevent any information about the victims from leaking to the public.”

“That's a rather interesting choice for them to make,” Vergil commented. “I assume they had a good reason for doing so?”

“Exactly that” Sergei clasped his hands together and took in a breath. “Just…try and be calm, because it's not a good situation at all.”

“We're listening, Chief,” Trish said. 

Puffing his cigar again, he got right down to brass tacks. “To start off, the total number of victims is over forty people, all killed within the span of two days, with little time between each murder.” 

“That high?!” Randy shouted. “Thats an insane time frame for that to happen!”

“Just how many people were killed?!” Ellie felt sick to her stomach. “Th-theres no way!”

“And the First Division is certain that this is all one person?!” Lloyd was fuming at the idea that such a vile criminal was stalking the streets of Crossbell. 

“I..can't imagine” Tio said, disturbed by the implications. 

“Unfortunately, that's not even the worst part of it,” Sergei began to explain. “To recap, we received several calls of missing persons reports during this time, and it was only until around noon of yesterday that we discovered the crime scenes of these mass killings.”

“Scenes? As in the murders took place in different locations?” Lloyd asked. 

“I'm afraid that's so, Lloyd,” Sergei answered. “When first responders arrived at one of the sites, they found the victims bodies….or what was left of them, but that's not why the information blackout was made.”

“So what was the reason?” Dante asked. “Can't imagine something this big would be just swept under the rug.”

Sergei grimaced. “That would've been the case, if not for the identities of the victims.”

The Chief's words created a sinking feeling in the human's stomachs. 

“The first victims we discovered were members of the CPD, who had not reported for duty for some time.”

“P-police officers were killed?!” Ellie sputtered out while the others were shocked by the news. 

“That's not all. From what they found…it looked like they had been tortured for a very long time before the culprit ended their suffering.…or that they died from their injuries before the killer could finish them off themselves.” 

“You got to be kidding me..” Randy said, not liking where this was going. 

“They were tortured?!” Ellie's heart began to race. 

“I take it that's not the only reason the black out happened? If it was just officers, there would have been a state wide manhunt already” Trish pointed out. 

“Trish….don't tell me..” Lloyd trailed off as his mind was filled with a horrible possibility. 

“It's just as she implied everyone,” Sergei said to the group. “We didn't find just police officers at the crime scenes ….we also found members of the CGF…..and several bracers as well.”

“Bracers?!” Lloyd's eyes went wide.

“N-no way!” Randy shouted. “This bastard killed members of the guardian force?!”

“Is Sergeant Major…” Sergei raised a hand to stop Tio from finishing that sentence. “Sergeant Major Seeker, as well as Commander Baeylz are fine. I went and checked with Tangram gate right after I received the news. You can add Mirrelle to that list as well, Randy.”

The red head hadn't realized he'd been shaking before that news released all the tension he had in his body. 

“Oh thank Adios” Ellie said as she and others let out a sigh of relief. “But still, it's awful that someone would do this.”

“That's not all, unfortunately,” Sergei said. “As you can imagine, we found similar scenes all over the state, this most recent one we found was the final straw”, Sergei had kept himself stoic, he couldn't lose control in front of the kids. 

“The most recent set of victims, were a civilian and two junior bracers…..while one was found alive, he's been crippled for life.”

Ellie gasped as she put her hands to her mouth. 

Randy was doing all he could to not punch a wall. 

Lloyd tightened his fists, disgusted that bracers so young fell victim to this monster, much less the civilian. 

Tio…froze as she tried to process just what the hell she had just heard. It was..frightening for the technician. 

The demons stood by silently, letting the humans come to term with the facts of the case. 

Sergei gave a nod of appreciation to the three as he began once again. 

“In case you aren't aware, the Bracer Guild has a non disclosure policy when it comes to the deaths of under age bracers, out of respect for the victims families. That being said, with several adult C and B rank bracers being amoung the victims, the guild isn't too happy with this decision.”

“C and B rank bracers are quite formidable in their own right,” Vergil said. “This means that whoever did this must be quite the combatant. Not to mention quick on their feet if they are able to move quickly around the state.”

“Arios has to know about this!” Lloyd chimed in. “There's no way he would stay quiet about it!”

“On the contrary, Speaker Hartman efficiently told the guild that they need to keep their lips sealed or they would face heavy repercussions” Sergei stated with a grimace. 

“Oh that piece of shit!” Randy spat. “Of course he'd pull something like that!”

“Why would he even threaten the guild with that?!” Ellie was furious at the man. 

“Well his 'official’ explanation was that since members of the CGF and the CPD technically fall outside the purview of bracer jurisdiction, the role of investigation would fall to us and as such, no information about this incident was to be leaked to the public in any way, shape or form.”

“And the unofficial reason?” Trish asked. 

“Hartmans political standing is…..shaky after the whole auction incident” Sergei pulled out another cigar and lit it. “He essentially feels that this needs to get nipped in the butt without causing too much of a fuss, so with that in mind, the CGF, CPD and Bracer guild will be working together to hopefully catch the culprit.”

“Why would the guild work with us if Hartman had snubbed them?” Tio wondered. 

“Arios was the one that suggested this middle ground deal, so to speak” The chief scratched his chin. “By allowing the guild some flexibility, it'll keep them from acting rashly.”

“Huh, was not expecting him to wheel and deal like that” Dante said. 

“Chief Sergei…do you know where these murders took place?” Lloyd questioned.

Sergei sat up in his chair. “They happened to take place in three known locations. Off the path of the mountain trail that leads towards Mainz, the slums near the border to the Empire, and the forest near Stargazers Tower.”

“That's a very sporadic set of locations” Vergil noted. “That being said, do we have a modus operandi for the culprit?”

Sergei nodded. “Its a working theory right now, but we believe that whoever did this has some kinds of sick grudge against the authorities, another reason why we're scratching each other's backs.”

“A united front, so to speak,” Vergil said. 

The chief hummed. “We're all potential targets, so safety in numbers is the play here. And as for why we believe that it's just one person…well when you take a look at the autopsy reports…you'll understand why.”

Ellie's face went pale at the idea that she or her friends could be slaughtered in such a manner. 

“Where are we needed?” Lloyd asked firmly. “We won't let Crossbell be terrorized by this person. Not as I live and breathe.”

“Heh,” Sergei smiled for the first time, appreciating the detective's resolve. “St Ursula, the survivor is currently there and from what I've been told, they got a nun from the cathedral to help with the interview due to his….fractured mental state.”

“You mean the same nun that tried to help KeA, right?” Dante asked. 

“The very same, she was one of the people that reported another crime scene to us, so she's been in the loop for some time now. Naturally she wants to keep her Thaumaturgy abilities on the down low.”

“I understand Chief. We'll head out as soon as we can” Lloyd said with fire in his eyes. 

“Good luck Special Support Section, and be careful.” 

Sergei hated this, he knew that the SSS would have to face this barrier eventually. 

He just didn't figure it would be so soon. 

The SSS left the office with a lot on their minds, a serial killer, one that had escaped the eyes of the CPD, was on the prowl in the autonomous state. It was truly terrifying. 

This would only be a prelude for what was to come.

St Ursula Medical College 

Late morning

The normally warm atmosphere of the hospital was replaced with an underlying sense of dread, even as the rain eased up a bit, it did little to help. 

As the SSS went to check in at the front desk, they could see it in the receptionist's eyes when she told them what they were here for, how her mask failed to produce its usual glow. 

The air felt wrong, threatening to suffocate even the plants that meant to showcase the vitality of all living things. 

It was an open secret that something like this was unprecedented, seen as the staff buried themselves in work, trying to keep their minds off the bodies that piled in during the early hours of dawn, casting shadows over their heads.

It was seen on Cecil's face, as the group went to check on her. She ran up to Lloyd and held him close. 

The look she had broke the detective's heart. 

It was the same face she had when she found out that Guy had been killed in the line of duty. 

“Oh, Lloyd…” she whispered. “Thank goodness you're here.”

“Cecil…it'll be okay” Lloyd did his best to reassure his older sister. 

“Im sorry I couldn't call you, the police sai-”

“I know Cecil, we understand,” Lloyd said as she rubbed her back. “I'm glad you're holding strong.”

“Thank you” Cecil said as she released her grip on the detective. “We've been told that you'd be coming to question the survivor.”

“That we have,” Vergil confirmed. “I believe that doctor Joachim was overseeing the transportation of the victims to the morgue, correct?”

“You're correct, that isn't normally his area of expertise, but he was insistent on handling the task. The younger staff….couldn't handle the sight of the bodies.” 

Cecil tried her best to hold in her tears. “This is just…”

“It's alright,” Dante spoke up. “I think we need to split this up. Me Vergil and Trish can speak with the doc, while you guys can interview the survivor, sounds like a good idea?”

“I think that would be the most efficient use of time, Lloyd” Tio said in agreement. 

“Alright, we'll split up and meet back in the nurses office, if that's alright with you Cecil.” Lloyd gave his sister another hug. 

She squeezed back. “That should be fine Lloyd. I'll take you to the third floor.”

The humans split off while the devils went to the basement. 

As they got closer to the room, the human SSS members did their best to steel themselves for what they were about to see. 

Before Cecil could knock on the door, Lloyd asked her something. “Cecil, we weren't told the names of the recent victims, do you happen to know?”

“Yes…Morgan Gillan, Nacht Weiss and Chloe Barnett” she answered, swallowing the sickening feeling in her throat. 

Lloyd nodded solemnly. “Thank you for explaining.” Cecil then politely knocked on the door and announced that they were coming in. 

The beep of a life monitor met their ears first. 

Then, the smell of blood came next, mixed in with the odor of bleach hit their noses first as the SSS zeroed in on the patient, whose state made their hearts freeze. 

He had white hair and had bandages wrapped around his head that covered his eyes, and all over torso, with blood bleeding right through the dressings. 

Finally, they saw it, the boys stump of a left arm and missing leg, making the SSS do everything in their power to not gasp at the sight. 

“H-hello?” The boy whimpered, his vocal chords dry like sandpaper and his pulse quickened.

“It's okay” the church sister next to him soothed his anxiety as she beckoned the SSS over.

“I will need to go and apply some new bandages soon” Cecil said. “Please be patient with Nacht…..he's been through a lot.” 

Randy grimaced, he recognized the alertness that the boy had, it was something he experienced when he went through the final initiation before officially becoming a jaeger. 

Hunted by his father and a select few of his most elite men, he remembered being stalked for days, feeling fear for the first time in his life. 

But this….was not meant for the likes of normal people, much less children.

“Sister Marble” Lloyd greeted as he and the others pulled up some chairs. “Its good to see you again.”

“You as well,” the nun smiled back at him. 

It did little to hide how tired she looked. “Nacht? It's just the police, no one is going to hurt you.”

The boy gave a half hearted nod. 

“Good morning, My name is Lloyd Bannings, with me are my colleagues. Ellie Macdowell, Randy Orlando, and Tio Plato.”

“It's nice to meet you.”

“You're tough for hangin’ in there.”

“I am glad that you are still here with us.”

“....im not” Nacht said weakly, making the SSS feel awful for the boy's state. 

Sister Marble cleared her throat. “They were wanting to ask you some questions about what happened. Are you comfortable with sharing that?”

“We understand that this was a very horrible experience, if you don't want to, then that's okay” Ellie stated to hopefully reassure Nacht. 

Nacht heaved. “Sister? Can you make the pain stop…when I tell them?”

“Absolutely” The nun began to recite the holy words. “In the name of She Who Dwells Above do I hold this consecrated septium.”

Randy and Tio were surprised when the woman started glowing. “So this is the power of Thaumaturgy.”

“Pretty bright for my tastes, Tio Tot, but I'll admit, it's a cool power.”

“Space's golden glow…Consciousness’ silver glow…By your congruent nature's, ease the soul of this wounded lamb.”

With the rite finished, the boy seemed a bit calmer. Giving Lloyd the go ahead, he began to start small. 

“Nacht, what were you doing prior to the incident?”

Nacht let out a breath. “Me and…Chloe received a report for an urgent request from the guild. A woman named….Morgan, wanted to collect some plants near Stargazer tower.”

“And when did this take place?”

“...Last night, yesterday evening actually” Nacht started to shake a bit. “W-we figured that this would've been a quick way to get a lay of the land. Chloe was from Liberl so she insisted.”

“That makes sense,” Ellie said. “She sounded like a helpful person.”

“Y-yeah sh-she was” Nacht stated. 

“And what happened when you arrived?” Lloyd eased ever closer to the inciting incident. 

Nachts heart began to race. “Well….it was dark out, but we had a few flashlights so visibility wasn't an issue. It had been a few hours in but things were going fine…until..”

“It's okay,” Marble rubbed his shoulder. 

Nacht shaking didn't falter. “We…heard a flute….but it sounded wrong, it came from all around us, and it got louder and louder..”

The SSS members gave each other a shared look of concern. “A flute? Okay that's great to know, you're doing good Nacht” Lloyd said. 

“..Then we heard stomps, of something moving in the darkness and we found…” 

Nachts eye bandages start to leak blood, catching the SSS and Marble off guard. “No…no, no, no!”

“Nacht, are you okay?!” Tio's question fell on the boy deaf ears. 

“I hear it now! It's coming! It wants to get me!” Nacht began to shout and hyperventilate. “Please just kill me! Just end it, I don't want to see it again!”

“Nacht, please calm down” Marble said with love as she began to increase the output of her technique while the life monitors beeps began to increase in rhythm.

Sadly, it failed to help the situation. 

“IT'S GOING TO KILL US ALL, WE ALL GOING TO DIE!” Nacht thrashed in the bed, causing his wounds to reopen.

“THAT'S WHY IT LET ME LIVE, IT WANTS TO BLEED US DRY! THAT MONSTER MADE ME WATCH IT CUT THEM OPEN!”

“We need a nurse!” Ellie yelled out as she ran out of the room while Tio followed after her. 

Lloyd and Randy went to restrain the bracer as gently as possible. “Nacht! It's okay, no one is going to get you!” The detective said. 

“IT'S HUNTING ME! I CAN HEAR IT!” Nacht kept screaming and hurting himself before Cecil and another nurse rushed in to apply an anesthetic to the boys IV. 

As if somehow knowing where they were, Nachts blood streaked bandages bored into their souls. 

“YOU'LL SEE! WHEN IT GETS HERE, IT'LL GUT US LIKE CATTLE! YOU'LL…you'll…you'll wish…..that you..w-were dead….” 

Nacht slowly lost the will to fight as he was forced back to sleep.

Removing themselves from the bed, Lloyd and Randy let out a horrified sigh. 

“Nurse Cecil, I can take care of replacing his bandages,” Cecil's co-worker said firmly. “I can assist as well,” Sister Marble stated as well.

“I can't let you do this by yourself!” Cecil said, but Sister Marble raised a hand. “My child, you're exhausted, please let us aid you. In the name of Adios.”

Lloyd placed a hand on his sister's shoulder. “Cecil, please.”

The nurse hesitantly nodded as they left the claustrophobic room. 

Heading down to the nurses office, the humans tried their best to gather their thoughts. 

“This is…I can't believe this” Ellie leaned against a wall. 

“This fuc-bastard, made him watch?!” Randy did his best to reign in his temper. 

“...O-oh, oh my God!” Cecil could not hold back anymore and began to cry. “It makes sense now!”

Lloyd hugged his sister once more. “What's wrong?!”

“I-I should have t-told you this before!”

“Tell us what?” Tio asked, feeling unwell as she leaned against Ellie. 

Cecil wiped away her eyes. “W-when Nacht was brought in, p-parts of his skin had been surgically removed.”

“Surgically?!” Lloyd gasped. 

“Y-yes!” Cecil tears flowed once again. “W-we can tell, based o-on how precise the cuts were made. I-it was d-done in a way to keep him alive….”

“....But to make sure he suffered the most amount of pain possible” Randy finished, recognizing a similar thing that some twisted jaegers liked to do. 

For once, he was glad that he put psychos like that into the ground. 

“This can't be real,” Ellie muttered as she pulled Tio close to her. The technician appreciated the comfort. 

“B-but his eye lids Lloyd” Cecil's lips trembled. “T-they were stitched open!” 

The others breaths caught in their throats, mortified by the fact. 

Ellie lost control. “Who would do such a thing to a child?!”

“A real sick piece of shit, that's for sure” Randy growled. 

Lloyd's Enigma rang, interrupting his dark thoughts, “Hello? This is Lloyd Bannings.”

“Hey it's Dante, you guys need to get down to the morgue. We got a look at the bodies and…it's not pretty.”

"....We can probably guess why, we'll see you in a bit.” Lloyd hung up the phone and explained to the others what they needed to do next. 

Lloyd waited until his sister managed to collect herself somewhat before he left. 

But he was aware that she wouldn't be okay for a long, long time.

The humans had to admit, they weren't keen on seeing a mangled corpse, but considering the many victims involved in the case, they all voiced their resolve to see this through, especially Tio, who felt she needed to be there for everyone, despite her age. 

The SSS members braced themselves for the worse when they reunited with the demons and traded information. 

Worst was a poor way to describe what they witnessed down there. The humans saw the pictures of what happened to Chloe Barnett and Morgan Gillan.

Most of the their skin had been sawed off, leaving behind flailing straps of flesh just barely dangling on their bodies.

As for their torsos, they were both a nightmare straight from hell itself. 

The ribs of the women had been methodically removed from their ribcage and carefully displayed on their backs, sewn together to imitate “wings” as best it could. 

Their lungs were dug out from their backs, exposed to the open air through slits that were cut on the sides of victims' spines. 

Chloe's face was contoured in a way that you'd think that her jaw was almost broken.

The doctor informed them that this wasn't caused by an external source, but from the bracer herself, implying that she had been screaming the entire time she had been tortured. 

Not to mention the girl's leg that had been swiftly cut off had wire wrapped around it, to lessen any bleeding so that she would be alive for a bit longer. 

Morgan's face was in a similar state, only that her terror filled eyes were sown into her gaping mouth for all to see. 

And to add further, Doctor Joachim had explained that when first responders arrived, they went to immediately try and remove Chloe from where she had been propped up, tangled neatly in some butcher's twine, coated in an unknown alloy. 

They saw that the girl's lungs were still moving, and heard her croak for a few minutes before passing. 

A similar scene at all three locations.  

The SSS reacted in several ways to this barbaric imagery that was now permanently etched into their minds. 

Randy, with rage now reaching a fever pitch, calmly asked Lloyd if he could go fight some monsters near the hospital. 

Dante offered to go with him, in which Lloyd allowed it, understanding Randy's need to blow off some steam and thanking Dante, for once again looking out for the younger members of the group. 

As for the detective himself, he muttered a prayer under his breath as his tears flowed, for those whose lives were taken away unjustly by the hands of a truly vile human being. 

Tio had to take a seat because she was about to pass out. Vergil accompanied her in the event that if she did, Tio would be able to receive proper medical care. 

As for Ellie……

She was currently in the bathroom, puking her guts out and sobbing, with Trish comforting her as best she could. 

“W-why?! Just why?!” Ellie cried out as she clutched her stomach. “N-no one deserves to die like that!”

“I know Ellie, I know” Trish patted her on the back. 

The girl clutched the bowl, hurling up another bile of stomach acid. 

“I-I just….” Ellie wiped her mouth. “They're just children! What monster would do something like this?!” 

“I don't know, but we'll stop them.”

A horrifying thought passed through Ellie's head as she began to panic. “Trish…t-the culprit is hunting members of the law…what if we're ne-”

“Ellie, stop,” Trish said firmly as she shook the girl's shoulders. “We're not going to let that happen, I won't let that happen to you or to anyone else.”

“Trish, I-im scared,” Ellie hiccupped as the demon pulled her into a hug. “I'm so scared. I don't want anyone else to die!”

“I know, I can relate to that” Trish said calmly. “but freaking out is exactly what this guy wants, but if we're calm, we can stop him, together.”

Ellie, moved by her friend's words, felt a little less frightened by the looming threat over Crossbell. 

Yet her fears were about to be proven true. 

St Ursula Medical College 

Noon 

Courtyard

The clouds were gray, but the rain ceased its downpour as the rest of the SSS gathered by the river. 

Lloyd was deep in thought, Ellie and Tio were doing their best to keep any nightmarish imagery from infesting the forefront of their minds, a battle that they were losing. 

Randy was leaning against a fence, gripping the top of it, trying to smolder a fire that hadn't gone out yet. 

“Nacht heard a flute?” Dante spoke up to Lloyd. 

“Yeah” Lloyd sighed and met the demon's eyes. “He..claimed that he heard the sound get louder before….the culprit got to them.”

“I've been wondering about that other thing too,” Trish said. “I didn't believe that one person could do this but based on his testimony, it actually might be the case.”

“There's also the way he talked about the culprit as well” Vergil chimed in. “The way he had described it, seemed as if he was speaking about a monster more than a person.”

“Considering the scale, I wouldn't blame him” a familiar voice said from the stairway. 

The others looked over and saw Detective Dudley, Noel Seeker and Arios Maclaine, making their way towards them. 

“Detective Dudley” Lloyd sat up on instinct. “My apol-”

“Save it, Bannings” Dudley cut him off. “We just finished up reading through the reports you all wrote, and conducted our own interviews with the staff as well….you all did a fine job, considering the circumstances.”

“Do my ears deceive me? Gumshoe giving us props?” Heh, looks like hell has frozen over” Dante said. 

For once, his jokes were a welcome sight compared the earlier horrors, seen as the the human members of the SSS chuckled a bit, even Noel adopted a small smile while Arios had an imperceptible grin. 

“Always trying to make a fool of yourself, aren't you Regrave?” Dudley pinched his brow, annoyed by the demon. “But we can discuss proper decorum later.”

“Sergeant Major, how are you holding up?” Ellie asked her. 

Noel let out a tired sigh. “Im…doing the best I can. The men and women we lost weren't from my unit, but the soldiers under my command had friends among the deceased, so I've been ordered to bring them here so they could say their goodbyes.”

“They're not taking it well?” Randy said solemnly. 

Noel nodded with pain in her eyes. “They're doing their best to be calm, but I feel just as pissed off about all this as they do.”

The Sergeant Major couldn't hide the anxiety she was feeling. “Im also worried about Fran, one of her friends was killed and if…..she'd been nearby….”

“We understand your concerns, Sergeant Major,” Vergil said. “We won't let this go unpunished.”

“My sentiments as well” Arios chimed in. “The bracers that were maimed were known to be upstanding individuals both in the guild and among the general populace. I won't allow their memories to be sullied.”

“On that I agree,” Dudley said. “Members of the First Division were tortured and I'll be damned if this monster walks a day longer!”

“Detective Dudley….” Lloyd felt the man's passion, even if he and the SSS got off to a rough start. “We're right here with you!”

“I imagine there's a plan of attack?” Vergil asked Dudley. “For now, it's been decided that the Crossbell Police Department will investigate the murder scene in Stargazer forest.”

“While we of the Bracer guild will investigate another site, located near the slums of the border between Crossbell and the Empire. Now that we know about this supposed flute, we hope that the citizens living there may have some clues that we'll need” Arios explained. 

“As for me, my unit will be assisting the forces stationed at Bellguard gate to check out the third murder scene, near Mainz” Noel said.  

“I just can't believe it happened so close to the village,” Lloyd stated. 

“I know that feeling too Lloyd. We received an alert that a few too many guardsmen went missing a few days ago, now we know why."

“If that chicken shit commander actually let you guys know what was up, then shit really has gone belly up.” Randy pointed out. 

“Anyway, we're burning daylight,” Dante said. “We got any transportation?”

“I believe the CPD has squad cars in the event of rapid responses for situations such as this, correct?” Tio stated. 

Dudley nodded. “That we do, let's get a move on officers!” 

The ace of the First Division was fired up, the Divide Blade was razor focused and Sergeant Major was determined to solve this case, along with the SSS. 

With that done, they all split off to their assigned areas, with Dudley driving the officers to the site of the massacre.

It wasn't a long ride at all as the pulled over to the entrance of the forest, it being surrounded by squad cars and walled up with yellow tape. 

Showing the officers his badge, Dudley and the SSS crossed through the threshold, feeling the forest close in on them, as if warning the group to stay away.

They pressed on regardless and after a while, they smelled the stench of blood, putting the humans on edge, as they finally arrived at the scene of the crime. 

It was an open patch of grassland in the forest, adorned with various stone fixtures and buildings that was once the foundation for an ancient village from a long time ago. 

Scattered throughout, they saw tattered clothes and items from the victims, painting a disturbing image of a struggle. 

But at the far end of the field, they saw it. 

A set of trees coated in an unnatural amount of blood, embedded into the wood, as if mocking the natural design of Adios herself. 

The wires from the autopsy were also there, connecting themselves between the branches. 

“So this is where they found Chloe,” Lloyd said steadily. 

Ellie did her best to keep her stomach bile from coming up again. “Yes….she was too young to die.”

“I hate to say this, but I think our guy wanted her found” Randy eyed the wires. “From what I can tell from the photos, the culprit wanted to show off.”

“I was thinking the same thing” Dante chimed in. “Looks like the path here is actually used often, not so much as the other one leading to the tower.”

“That logic does add up” Tio agreed, putting her hand to her nose to keep the stench of death from overloading her senses. 

“Detective Dudley, did any of the other investigators come to a similar conclusion?” Lloyd asked. 

“We did, I actually took a brief look here before coming to the hospital and that was the answer we came up with” Dudley knelt down, putting some gloves on because he saw something in the grass.

It was a bone, from one of the victims most likely. 

Placing it into an evidence bag, the detective faced the SSS and gave out orders. “Listen up, we need to comb this place as thoroughly as possible. I trust that you all are aware of the procedures when collecting biological materials?”

The SSS nodded. “Good to hear, I understand that this is a lot, so if you need to collect yourself, take any rest you need. We're on the clock, and any evidence could be crucial in solving this case, now get to it!”

“Yes sir!” Lloyd said as the others split off to try and get a better idea of what happened here. 

Trudging through the grass, the group searched and searched, finding more and more pieces of human tissue in the grove over the course of an hour.

Vergil found a broken sword, while Ellie and Randy found a halberd gun. 

They were relatively small finds…but not compared to what Dante and Lloyd found.

Behind a stone pillar was a rather large stick with a few gemstones fastened to one end of it by some string, with hand indents placed along the bark. 

“Don't think this came from the trees, Lloyd” Dante said as he picked it up. “I think Morgan had this, the other bracers weapons had been found already." 

“I agree, that may have belonged to her….hold on.” Lloyd saw tracks on the ground. “That….shouldn't be possible.”

The demon looked over and saw what had Lloyd confused. 

Scattered haphazardly all of the mud caked ground were hoof prints, with varying size and shape. “I want to say the culprit used horses from Amorica to get around but with the weather being as it was, it wouldn't have been possible to move around that fast.”

“I agree Lloyd, making this mystery even more weird. Not to mention how meshed up they are.”

Lloyd hummed. “I'll see if we can make any inquiries to Chief Tolta if he's seen anything strange lately. But that can wait until later.”

Dante nodded in agreement, but that wasn't the thing that got his attention the most. 

The staff that they found was emanating the unmistakable aura of magic.

“Only the bracers had battle orbments on them, right?” The demon asked the detective. 

“Yeah that's correct,” Lloyd answered, picking up a broken piece of quartz. “They were damaged during the fight, as far as we can tell.”

“Gotcha,” Dante replied. This was a working theory, but it's something that the demon needed to tell Vergil, Trish, Nero and Nico.

Morgan was most likely a witch. A pretty decent one too, considering how condensed the mana was in the staff. 

Then, much to his surprise, he felt that he was being watched, the other demons felt it too. 

“Lloyd, me and Trish discovered something” Tio and the demon walked over to them. “It's faint, but I feel the presence of the higher elements here.”

“Thats very strange” Lloyd commented. “This place does appear to be an ancient ruin some kind so that might explain it.”

“Good job kiddo” Trish said as she pulled her to her side. “This might be a clue in my opinion.”

While Tio was comfortable with Trish, she found it odd that she would receive praise for something so small. 

Pondering this, she failed to see the two demons giving each other a knowing look. 

Vergil eyed the perimeter, but he felt it too, not just the higher elements. 

But the faint traces of demonic energy, slowly building up around them.

Crossbell Police Department 

Headquarters 

Fran was afraid.

As an operator, her job first and foremost was to provide clear and accurate information to anyone at a moment's notice. 

As such, it required her to be calm at all times, her training demanded it and the city relied upon it.

Yet even now, she couldn't help but feel terrified, unable to shake the cold feeling of dread that latched itself onto her. 

When she was informed that her fellow operator had been killed, Fran was heartbroken. They had only just walked home together merely a day and a half ago, talking about plans for the weekend. 

Then Fran was told what the police discovered when they found her body, and the operator nearly fainted from the description alone. 

She'd been kept in the loop about the killings after that and was mortified that this wasn't just the actions of a vicious cop killer. 

Bracers and Guardsmen were ripped apart as well, piece by piece. 

When she got home last night, her sister scolded her ferociously, for not even calling that she would be running late.

Fran couldn't blame Noel at all for her outburst. 

Especially since she cried right in front of her soon after. 

Afraid that during this entire developing situation, Noel had to wrestle with the fact that she couldn't be by her younger sister's side to protect her from harm.

That she was so terrified that she might find Fran in a ditch somewhere, mutilated beyond recognition. 

Fran kept this mind as she typed away at the terminal, praying that Noel would come home safe and sound. After their father died…..

An emergency call came in as Fran went through her well practiced routine. “Crossbell Police Department, how may I help you?”

“F-fran…it's!”

Fran’s pulse quickened. “Detective Cunningham? Is something wrong?”

“Yes…we've been attacked!....only survivors….unknown…shit!”

“Detective Cunningham, you're breaking up” Fran's training kicked in to keep herself calm. “Are you injured?”

“We've suffered casualties….it was a massacre…” the man's voice heaved through the speaker. “Those things….”

“I understand, we're sending ambulances and more officers to the scene, just stay on the line for me.” Fran said as she overheard another operator.

The words “Guardsmen” and “Fatalities” unfortunately filtered into her ears, making her heart skip a beat. 

That would be the least of her worries as the low hum of a car engine slowly got louder and louder, making her briefly check the lobby. 

Only to see a squad car crash right into the building, Fran dove out of her chair as the vehicle nearly crashed into the front desk, with its horn blaring as it came to a stop. 

Not even seconds later, officers came out of the woodwork, wondering just what the hell happened. 

Shouts and orders were barked as Fran peered over the rubble tattered dusk, only to see the bloodsmeared hood of the car. 

In actuality, the car didn't hit anyone in the lobby, but Fran didn't register that as another problem presented itself. 

She recognized the vehicle, belonging to Detective Cunningham himself as she saw the man through the shattered windshield. 

Or what was left of him. 

The detective had deep gouges all over the visible portions of his body, his knuckles were stark white as one hand gripped the steering wheel. 

As an on site medic went to retrieve Cunningham from the car, the man fell out. 

Or more specifically, his upper body fell out, as it had nearly been severed in half, spilling his intestines all over the lobbies floor.

Fran saw his lifeless eyes drill themselves into her as her ears rang, cutting off the chaotic sounds of the outside world. 

This however, was a blessing of sorts. 

Because at the very least, Fran wouldn't be haunted by the shrill of her own screaming.

Stargazer forest

Twenty minutes later. 

“And to be clear, this happened with the Bracers as well?” Dudley asked the operator. 

“Yes sir, officers who had come to assist confirmed as much when they arrived…it's messy sir. Forgive me for speaking out of turn but…..you should hightail it out of there as soon as possible.”

“Understood, keep us posted” Dudley switched off his Enigmas speaker mode and cut the call off, giving the surrounding SSS members a serious look.

The demons looked calm, as for the humans, the color was slowly draining from their faces. 

“Detective Cunningham was probably delirious due to the state of his injuries, it would explain why he went straight to Headquarters” Vergil spoke up.

“He had people in the back also, probably to try and save as many as he could” Dante added. 

The brothers attempt at logical discourse failed to quell the growing panic that had rooted itself in their teammates.

“...Detective Dudley” Lloyd began slowly. “You don't think..”

“Considering the timing of it, Bannings, it's just as we feared,” Dudley said, finishing his junior's thoughts for him. 

“To be more specific, do we have any hard numbers of how many officers or bracers were killed this time?” Vergil said, trying to keep the humans focused. 

“I'm afraid not,” Dudley sighed. “From what I've heard, it's a mixture of injured and deceased. St Ursula has been alerted to prepare for a mass casualty event.”

“A mass casualty…” Ellie trailed off, trying and failing to fight against her growing fear. “They just….they just won't stop!”

“Just what the hell is going on?!” Randy spat to no in particular. “It's like they're playing with us!”

“Sure feels that way” Dante said. “It's like-

“-we're being hunted for sport” Tio couldn't hide the terror in her voice. 

“No one is going to touch you kiddo,” Trish said to her. “Or none of us for that matter.”

“You got my word, icy kid” Dante patted her head. “Ain't gonna let em’ lay a finger on you, besides you owe me one.”

“Owe you what?” Tio asked, much to the others confusion. 

“Fixing that plushie, remember?”

“What?….no I don't owe you that!” Tio's fear was replaced by her fuming. “You damaged Mishy's fur in the first place!”

As the two began a playful round of bickering, Lloyd couldn't help but smile, despite everything. “He always knows how to do this.”

“......Dante does have that effect on people” Ellie said, feeling a little less scared. 

“Think you should take notes, Dudley, this is how you connect with the youth” Randy whistled. 

“Grah, for once could you act with any semblance of professionalism?!” Dudley chimed in. 

“Don't be offended, I've also learned that being less stiff can be beneficial to one's self” Vergil said, surprising Dudley as he did not expect the man to bully him.

“Oh, so looks like things have been working with IIya huh?” Trish teased him. 

“You need to get your eyes checked” The demon said in denial. “We are friends, nothing more.”

“Haha yeah, well I heard through the grape vi-”

Gunfire muted Randy's sentence as it echoed from the entrance of the forest, ceasing the lighthearted mood. 

Dudley radioed the standby unit. “Stephen, what's going on up there?!”

Static….mixed with the shouts and screams of the officers, were all that answered him. “Dudley to Stephen, I repeat, what is happening?!”

The gunshots came to an abrupt stop, putting everyone on edge. The clouds gathered as it began to rain once more.

“Ah shit!” Randy pulled out his halberd while the others followed suit. “They're already found us!”

“Find some cover! We're sitting ducks out here!” Dudley ordered. 

The officers split off, within ear shot of one another. 

Lloyd had an idea. “Tio! Can you use your Aeon system to track their movements?!”

“On it!” Tio raised her staff and began to scan the surrounding tree line. 

To her surprise, she got a result that she was not expecting. “I can only sense one person! I'm not detecting anything else!”

“That can't be right! You'd need a decent group of people to get through!” Randy called out.

A cry in the distance told him otherwise 

A few minutes passed as the surrounding forest felt thicker and thicker. 

Tio gripped her staff as Trish fueled it with demonic energy as a temporary measure. 

Lloyd and Vergil kept their eyes focused on entrance. 

Ellie's attention was on the surrounding treeline, trying to fight the nausea that was building up inside her. 

The screaming got closer and Dante and Dudley found the source, a man broke into the grove, coated in wounds, limping as he flailed about. 

Dudley recognized him. “Stephen!” He rushed over with Dante behind. 

Stephen's eyes were filled with terror as he got closer and closer. “We need to run! We're go-” 

The air shattered above him, as several scythes pierced the man's torso. 

The creatures wielding them pushed themselves down, as if they were vultures feasting on a carcass. 

Lloyd and the other humans' hearts stopped as they saw the things rip their weapons away from the man's torso, gazing upon them, making their blood run cold. 

The black cloaks they wore danced in the wind, as their red eyes radiated hatred and malice. 

Ghastly pale skin accompanied their malnourished frames, making their previous feats of strength all the more bewildering. 

Then, they roared. It was the most unholy thing they had ever heard, as they felt in their bones, their minds, forever etched into their souls.

For the demons, it was a blast into the past. 

This had been discussed at length among the crew. 

Considering the fact that Sparda played a role in this world's history and with the method that KeA used to travel to their home, demons manifesting themselves here was a small possibility, one that the Sons of Sparda hoped would never come to pass. 

Sadly, fate always dealt them a terrible hand at the worst times.

Because a horde of Hell Prides, the sinful jailers of the underworld, have made their debut, rushing in to slaughter their prey. 

The humans were terrified beyond belief as their fight or flight instincts kicked in as a response, screaming at them to survive.  

Dante met them in kind, shooting several of them and using his sword to slash at any that were foolish enough to get into melee range. 

Trish yanked Tio from her spot as a demon's scythe pierced the wall, nearly running it through her chest. 

It snarled as it chased its prey, but Trish beat it senseless with a combo from King Cerberus, crushing its head with a final blow. 

Randy's jaeger instincts came into full force, as he saved Ellie from being decapitated, intercepting the blow.

Locking pole arms with the demon, Randy was being pushed back and the demon broke away and slashed. 

The halberd managed to stop it, but not before the blade dug into his shoulder. “Goddamn it!” he yelled as the blade inched deeper and deeper. 

“Randy!” Ellie yelled as she pulled the trigger, trying her best to force the monster off. A dozen shots later and the demon was still unphased. 

“GRAAAAAAAA!” a War Cry burst forth, allowing Randy to catch the demon off guard with overwhelming strength, shoving the demon back and bashing it with a volley of blows before smacking it away. 

“Oh no, Randy!” Ellie saw the ex jaeger fall to his knee. 

“I-ill be fine Mademois-Ellie!” Randy coughed up some blood as she ran towards him. “Just forget about me!”

“Shut up!” Ellie prepared a healing art. “It doesn't look too deep, bu-” an unnatural groan forced her to look at the fallen foe.

To their horror, the demon raised itself from the ground and saw that it was leaking sand from its wounds….wounds that began to heal, making their efforts futile.

It stalked towards them, taking its time to encroach upon its prey.

Randy tried to stand up, but the scythe had done far more damage then he initially thought. “Ellie, get out of here, now!”

Ellie didn't listen as she shot the demon, again and again, shrugging off the rounds as if they were nothing. She aimed for its head next, staggering it a bit. 

Her victory was short lived, as the demon leered its head forward, witnessing the bullet hole in its forehead close up as its eyes flashed red. 

She lost composure at that point. 

“Stay the hell back!” Ellie cursed as she kept firing. 

The demon leapt forward to slay its prey, but Vergil cut it down with two slashes, splitting it down the middle. 

Ellie and Randy watched it dissolve into nothing as the demon wordlessly activated his Enigma to heal the red head. 

“Ellie, can you fight?” Vergil asked her. 

Trembling, she nodded as several more demons appeared from the earth, shrouded in sand as they roared their intentions. “Oh shit!” Ellie yelped. 

“Cover me” Vergil didn't need it, but keeping the humans focused on something was the priority. 

Adrenaline flowing through her veins, the terror that Ellie felt briefly left as she zeroed in on her targets. 

Vergil danced through his opponent's, letting Ellie shoot at any lone demons before he cut them down himself, giving her a sense of hope. 

Randy smiled despite his aching shoulder as he stood. “Better save some of these assholes for me, Vergil!” The red head let out another War Cry and joined the duo in their frenzy. 

Lloyd and Tio were faring a bit better. 

The technician's devil enhanced staff along with her heightened senses were the difference between Lloyd losing a limb or two as she pointed out when and where these things were going to attack next.

“Above!” Tio yelled out as Lloyd rolled out of the way, but he was a bit slow, as the scythe gnashed at his jacket sleeve and flesh. 

“Grah!” Lloyd winced as he landed, clutching arm, but Tio healed him, far faster than what should have been possible.

Trish stopped the demon from splitting Tio Into ribbons, wrapping her staff around its neck and drop kicking it, severing its head from its body. “Lloyd! You good?!”

“I'm okay Trish!” Lloyd got up. “Where are the others?!” 

“Vergils with Randy and Ellie, Dantes well….keeping Dudley company” she gestured to the duo, with Dante tearing through the devils like a knife through butter, while Dudley shot at any stray demons. 

“Behind you!” Tio yelled as a Hell Pride crashed through a pillar, but Lloyd met the handle of the scythe with his tonfas, also shocked with the creature's strength. 

Lloyd, realizing the gap between the two, ducked under an attempted slash and tackled it. The demon threw him off and sent him flying, but Trish caught him, shooting the demon several times, killing it.

“You crazy, you know that Lloyd?” Trish said as he put him down. “Well, you all have rubbed off on me.”

Tio heard the air shatter again, seeing more demons gather by the forest's edge. “What are these things?!” 

“Not humans, that's for sure,” Trish said. 

A demon flew through a broken window, Randy followed behind and smashed its head in. “Just die already!”  

The demon roared in defiance, throwing Randy off and slashing down, but a bullet from Trish ended its life. 

“Dante! We need to end this now!” Vergil said as he used his scabbard to protect Ellie from becoming a pin cushion. 

“Heard that!” Dante cut down several demons in one swing and pulled out his pistols and shot as many demons as he could, all within a few seconds. 

Tio casted a space art, creating a gravitational pull towards the edge of the forest, crushing the demons as they ruptured into sand. 

Lloyd faced off against a demon, now having a better understanding of their tactics, used his tonfas to parry their strikes, letting Trish follow up with counters as they dispatched the last of their foes. 

The battle lasted only for a few minutes, but it felt like an eternity for the humans. 

Gathering near the forest's edges, the group heard sirens in the distance, as some of them fell to the ground, exhausted from what they had just gone through. 

The horrors from hell however, were just getting started.

St Ursula medical college 

Afternoon

The hospital was abuzz with activity, the arrival of so many dead and wounded had the staff working overtime. 

The SSS, along with Arios, Estelle, Joshua and Noel were the only ones with minor injuries. 

Joshua was beyond mortified, not by the fact that his team was nearly wiped out, nor that the way that those things defied all reason.

It was the fact that Estelle's light was flickering out. The young bracer tried to save her fellow comrades, but to no avail. 

And so here she was along with the rest of the lucky few, curled up on a cot, crying inside an empty maternity ward, which now had become a makeshift conference room. 

“They….they killed so many…” Estelle whimpered as her boyfriend rubbed her back, feeling helpless while she wept.

Lloyd and Ellie were facing a similar battle, making use of the tissues that Cecil had given them, one's that she had been frequently using to dry her own tear streaked face.

Randy kept a hand on Tio's head, to keep the girl from shaking through the floor.

Noel's eyes were razor focused, putting her rage towards something useful, to try and find ways to deal with this new enemy. 

An answer that she was failing to come up with.

The demons stood by near the SSS, waiting for Arios or Dudley to start this meeting.

Joshua would be the one to get the ball rolling however. “Just…what the hell were those things?!”

“Bad news, that's for sure,” Dante said. Joshua shot him a venomous glare but the demon pressed on. “Haven't seen or fought anything like them before.”

“There are….a few things we can surmise about these creatures” Dudley began. “I believe Bannings should have a clear idea.”

“...Th-they…” Lloyd struggled to speak.

“Go on, Bannings.”

“We…know..that they can appear out of thin air” Lloyd said with more firmness in his voice. 

“And what else?”

“That our weapons did jack shit to them!” Noel snarled. “It was like they absorbed our attacks like a damn sponge!"

“But not completely useless” Arios said, hiding his anger behind his stoic face. “I noticed that while it took far more effort to hurt them, they are capable of being defeated.”

“That's how you guys managed to make it?” Dante asked him, with Arios nodding in response. 

“This logic should also apply to Noel, if I'm not mistaken” Vergil pointed out. 

“.....You're not,” Noel answered. “Small arms fire didn't even scratch them but our heavier weapons managed to kill a few. It's what led us to…being able to escape.”

“Speaking of that, were they still there after when backup arrived?” Trish asked them. 

“No, they were gone, as if they weren't even there in the first place” Arios said. 

“Joshua…does the guild have a catalog on monsters?” Lloyd asked him. “Yeah….they do…but I can tell you right now if the guild was aware of monsters that can heal like that, the news would have spread far and wide.”

“Not to mention them bleeding sand” Trish said. “It might explain why they're so hard to kill.”

“There's….so much that we don't know” Tio piped up. 

“Yeah Tio tot, but we learned something, and that might help” Randy said as he rubbed his eyes. 

“Did…..anyone hear a flute before the attack?” Ellie wiped away the last of her tears. Dante shook his head. “Nah, heard nothing, makes this situation even more weird.”

“N-no…I didn't….hear anything” Estelle said as she slowly got up. 

“Estelle…” Joshua hugged her. He didn't care if other people were watching, his lover was in agony. 

“I need to report in, if you'll excuse me” Noel didn't even bother to salute as she left the room. 

“Guys, what's the plan?” Randy got out of his thoughts. “We got monsters that can pop up out of thin air, and can attack us at any time.”

“Headquarters has ordered all available personnel to head back into the city for the time being,” Dudley fixed his glasses.

“What?!” Lloyd perked up. “That's ridiculous, what about the civilians?!”

“Useless, I swear to Adios” Joshua muttered under his breath, but Dudley chose to ignore it. 

“Detective Dudley” Ellie began to tremble. “Did this order come from Hartman?”

“No Ms. Macdowell, the top bra-”

“Don't you pull this bullshit with me.”

All eyes were now on Ellie, who was beyond furious now. 

“We just saw our allies, people who we saw daily, people who had friends and loved ones, butchered by monsters that we have never seen before and HQ just wants us to sit and act like nothings wrong?!”

Dudley kept his cool. “I understand that you're frustrated and scared I-”

“Of course I'm scared! We nearly died and those things are still crawling through the state and Hartman's going to just sweep this under the rug, like with everything else, right?!” 

“Ellie…” Tio and the rest of the SSS had never seen her this upset before. 

“Wait a second, think about it for a minute” Dante cut in before the situation could escalate. “As you said, these freaks are running around Crossbell, but remember, we had a hard time fighting a small group of them.”

“So we're just going do nothing?! While we wait to be ki-”

“I wasn't finished,” Dante said calmly as he put his hands on her shoulders. “That being said, I may have an idea of where they might strike next.”

“What?! But how?!” Lloyd and the other humans were surprised by the statement. 

“Did you happen to not-” Tio stopped as she and the others heard a commotion from outside the room. 

“That is bullshit and you know it! Just go and shove that order up your ass!”

“Miss Seeker, you can't shout in the hallway!”

The group found the source. Noel was boiling over with anger as she yelled into her Enigma, while Cecil was trying to keep the peace.

“Yeah, I could never stand your shit!.....Disciplenary action!? Go ahead, I don't give a fuck!”

“Noel, stop this!” Cecil cried. 

Dudley walked over and snatched her Enigma away. “What the hell are you doing?!”

Noel's glare was laced with fire. “Talking to the cowardly commander at Bellguard! That asshole ordered all members of the force to stand down for now, like there aren't monsters in Crossbell, going on a goddamn killing spree!”

Dudley's patience was running thin. “Seeker! We know that, but we need to act rationally. Acting with anger is going to get us nowhere!”

“Rationally?......Act Rationally?!” Noel shouted as she kicked a medical cart, making bandages and scalpels crash to the floor.  “I just lost half my team out there! My friends are on beds with missing limbs! How the fuck do you expect me to be calm?!”

She stormed past him, breathing heavily, but Dudley grabbed her arm. “Seeker….where are you going?”

She turned to him, her face red. “I'm getting Fran and mom out of Crossbell! I failed to keep my team safe and I'll be damned if I let them become playthings for those sick bastards!”

Dudley's grip tightened. “Seeker…this isn't the right decision.”

“Go blow yourself! They're not about to be strung up in the woods somewhere while the cops just sit back, waiting for things to go unfuck themselves!”

"NOEL!” Dudley roared. “You think I like watching these people die?! You don't think I'll carry all this to my grave?! I lost my comrades too! So stop being selfish an-"

A right hook from Noel cracked Dudley on the jaw, falling to the floor with the Sergeant Major going after him, the detective responded in kind, striking any opening he could get as the tore at each other. 

Randy and Lloyd pulled her off while the others kept Dudley from further retaliating.

“Noel, it's not worth it!” Randy shouted. 

“Please, stop!” Ellie teared up as she watched. 

“Get a hold of yourself!” Lloyd strained as she put up a fight. 

“Get the fuck off me!” She roared in defiance as they struggled to keep her down. “Lloyd, get the fuck off!”

She kept kicking and screaming , Cecil tried to help, but she was unintentionally hit and tumbled to the floor. 

Tio rushed over to see if the nurse was okay, seeing a bruise well up on her forehead. 

“Damn it, Noel, cool it!” Randy tried to pin her down as the three tumbled to the floor. 

“Let me go!”

"SERGEANT MAJOR NOEL SEEKER, CONTROL YOURSELF, NOW!”

A booming voice from down the hall, as Sonya Baelz, along with Chief Sergei, waltzed right into the chaos. 

Noel's thrashing came to halt as she saw how furious her commanding officer was. 

“Chief? What's with the surprise visit?” Dante asked. 

“We heard what happened and we came together to check on you” He replied as his expression darkened. “But things aren't exactly on the up and up, aren't they?”

“C-Commander,” Noel scrambled to her feet, hastily picking up her hat, saluting, but wilting under her gaze.  

“.....Ms Nues, are you okay?” Sonya said in a terrifyingly calm voice. “Y-yes, Noel didn't me-”

“Is there a room where we can have a private discussion?” The commander's eyes were smoldering. 

“W-we have a room back here” Estelle pointed behind her. 

“Sergeant…Dudley…if you would” Noel headed in without a second thought as the detective hesitated.

But the look that Sergei gave him told him that he would be in for a worse chewing out if he did not listen to his ex wife.

The rest of the group followed in soon after, for a variety of reasons. Sonya didn't mind if there was an audience to see her crack the whip. 

“You should be ashamed of yourselves!” Her voice cut through their souls. “We are currently in a crisis situation and both of you are fighting in a hospital, like a couple of goddamn kids!” 

They both stood still as Sonya continued. “Seeker, you are the pride of the Guardian Force! How dare you try to sully that! We have a duty to protect the citizens of Crossbell and you tried to abandon them?! This behavior will not be tolerated!”

“Y-yes commander” Noel replied, disgusted with herself. 

“Alex Dudley, I understand the need to keep a level head, but we have a duty to make sure that our juniors' emotions are seen and heard! Not trampled under the idea of order. You should know better than that!”

“I-I understand,” Dudley nodded solemnly. 

“Besides….you should already know…” Sonya choked up as Noel and Dudley saw something they didn't even believe was possible. 

The commander actually started to cry. 

“You aren't the only ones, who feel angry and helpless in the face of this barbaric cruelty, but even so….we have a duty to help those who are left…..because on my honor as a commander of the Guardian force, I swear to Adios herself that this will not stand!”

“Commander….I understand ma'am!” Noel saluted more firmly than before. 

“And everyone..” She turned around to face the group. “I'm so sorry for my behavior! It wasn't fair for me to act like that!”

“It's okay Noel,” Lloyd said, clearing the tension between them. “We all have our moments, I'm sure Cecil will forgive you too.”

“Please forgive me for my behavior as well, that will not happen again.” Dudley agreed with the sentiment. 

The commander seemed pleased with that as she wiped away her tears. “I must......say, you all.....didn't need to be here for this.”

“I disagree,” Ellie said as she stepped forward. “I personally….feel as if I deserve to be punished for my behavior as of late.”

“Oh I agree, Ms. Prim and proper has a potty mouth”  Trish teased her. “I'll make sure to scrub her gums later with soap.”

Ellie blushed in embarrassment. “That's too far!”

That managed to cause a few lighthearted chuckles, alleviating the dim atmosphere of the room. 

“So, now that we've cooled our heads a bit, I can present my thesis to the class,” Dante said. 

“Oh right…you said that you had....an idea on where these monsters....would attack next” Estelle whispered as she held onto Joshua. The boys heart was breaking at the sight of Estelle, the girl he loved was a fractured mess.

“You do?" Sonya said, sniffing. 

“If it's anything that can help our fellow bracers rest in peace…then I'm all ears” Joshua stated.

“Well, I have good news and bad news,” Dante began to pace around. “Its safe to say that these creatures are ambush predators, and pick and choose their prey.”

“From what communications that we received from other survivors, these monsters, 'shattered the air,' as they appeared?” Sonya asked. “That is what you are referring to, yes?”

“Correct, but that's the only thing, unlike the murders, there were more survivors that managed to escape, but with their powers, they shouldn't have had an issue chasing us down. Why is that?”

“Because, brother” Vergil came in. “It would mean that they deliberately let them go.”

“Now….that you mention” Noel spoke up. “The monsters were nearly keeping pace with our vehicles as we drove away, we had to take alternate routes to keep them from coming into the city, but they stopped coming after us for some reason.”

“We've heard the same from Headquarters, survivors from a squad car told us something similar” Sergei explained. 

“These monsters sow chaos wherever they go” Arios said, but realized something. “Dante, do you mean?...”

“Exactly that” Dante finished for him. “These guys are hell bent on causing a ruckus, and unfortunately they've found their next target. Somewhere very close to home.”

Very close to home. 

It took a few seconds, but they gave each other concerned glances as a horrifying scenario wormed its way into their heads. 

Sonya swallowed as she felt her lungs tighten. “Dante, your not suggesting……that St Ursula is their next target?"

“I just have to confirm one last thing. Icy kid?” Dante looked at Tio. “Can you scan the area for the higher elements?”

It clicked in Tio's head as she brought out her staff. “Aeon system, activate.”

A tense minute passed. 

“It's faint….but i can sense them.”

“The higher elements were detected at our site, prior to the monsters attacking” Vergil pointed out. “So yes….St Ursula is on the list.”

The human's faces went pale. 

Sonya picked up her Enigma while the others talked amongst themselves in the background. 

“N-no!” Ellie began to panic. “We need to get everyone out of here!”

“I-I am afraid that's not possible” Cecil came into the room. “I heard everything….there's too many patients that are critical and it's not safe to move them!”

“This isn't happening” Lloyd's eyes dilated. The thought of his sister being slaughtered terrified Lloyd to his core. 

“Jo-Joshua!” Estelle began to freak out, “They're coming! We messed up, we led them right to us!” she began to sob and lost control of her breathing, her face red and coated in tears as images of the demons severing her flesh and those she loved, haunting her very being. 

“Estelle!" Joshua pleaded to his frightened girlfriend. "Listen, we'll stop this! Right Arios?”

Arios nodded firmly, he would not allow Shizuku to face any harm. “They will regret ever stepping foot in Crossbell.”

“C-commander,” Noel said, trying to not lose control. “We have to do something!”

Sonya was already done with her call. “Sergeant Major, gather your things and link up with our troops at Tangram gate. CHURCHBELL protocol has been initiated.”

Noel was shocked and regained her composure. “Yes ma'am” Noel stormed out of the room. 

“Playing a wild card eh Sonya?” Sergei huffed. “Gehenna has frozen over if you're breaking the rules.”

“As much as I am a hypocrite for doing this, good men and women have died today, I have several more in surgery that are crippled for life. I don't give a shit about bureaucracy anymore. This ends tonight, they will not terrorize Crossbell anymore. Not a second longer” Sonya said as left the room. 

“Anyone care to fill me in?” Trish asked. 

“CHURCHBELL is the Guardian Force's state of emergency response plan” Randy explained. “Basically, the entire force is being mobilized throughout Crossbell State, and they bring out everything last weapon, vehicle and more. Its our version of getting ready for war, even if we aren't allowed to be an actual military.”

“Hartmans gonna be pissed but, hey that's the way the cookie crumbles” Dante said. “But we should probably draft some plans for ourselves.”

“He's right team,” Sergei said. “Lets use what little time we have left to create a plan of attack. 

Now resolved to finally face down the monsters, the crew got to work.

Dante and the others knew the truth however, that a greater demon was most likely the mastermind behind these strings of attacks.

Ellie was sitting down, hanging her head low, because the plan the team came up with, was one that she vehemently hated. 

In short, while the demons would stay in the hospital, the rest of the SSS would hold the fort down in the city, along with a battalion of Guardsmen, explaining that KeA needed to have someone watching her in case the monsters decided to attack the city. 

Ellie was the most hesitant with this plan…because once again her….friend would be in potential danger. 

She….was her friend right? Ellie had grown to care about Trish so much for these past few months, but she felt inadequate, often feeling like she wasn't doing enough.

Even now, Trish was keeping her company as she rubbed her back. “Cheer up, Ellie, I'll come back home with some hospital tea or something.”

Ellie sniffed. “Trish…promise me something.”

The demon raised a brow. “Uh sure, name it.”

“Please be safe, and come home to us!” 

Trish smirked. “Jeez, first Tio and now you?” Man, you guys owe me for being a babysitter.”

“Trish!”

“Okay, okay” Trish stopped her joking. “I'll be careful and I'll….try not to do anything dangerous, okay?”

Ellie accepted her answer, even if it had her usual snark. “Thank you….im sorry I'm just…..it's been only a day and I've been stressed out.”

“Anyone would, this is a lot for most people. You want to get something to eat?”

“No thank you..” Ellie said with a sad smile. “I just…need to wash up.”

Ellie got up and headed to the bathroom, turning on the faucet and letting it run through her hands before splashing it on her face. 

She did this a few times, then heard something faint, making her pause briefly. 

Ellie began again, but heard the sound more clearly this time. “Hello?” No one answered. 

“Im going crazy” Ellie thought to herself. 

It made itself known again after several seconds, but the way it sounded made her hair stand up on end. 

Ellie looked frantically around the bathroom, looking for the source of the noise. 

“Ellie?”

“Ahh!” She yelped as Trish came in. “You've been in here for a while now.”

“I have?” Ellie was confused by that statement. 

“Yeah, for like twenty minutes.”

“O-oh” She swore she was only in there for a few minutes. “Sorry, I must have lost track of time.”

Trish beckoned her out and walked with the others down to the entrance of the hospital, which now crawled with Guardsmen, armed with heavy weapons that could take down a small army.

But this didn't phase Ellie at all, it was something else entirely. 

Because she swore that she heard a flute in the bathroom.

Near Mainz

Midnight 

Zeit had been glad that he finally had some free time. 

Because now he and his pack could hunt down the creatures that had been terrorizing his home. 

The divine wolf cleaved through his foes and worked in sync with his kin, making short work of the demons. 

This was however, not without casualties, as the pack was now half full, compared to what it once was over three hours ago.

It was odd. Zeit had visited the hospital briefly but detected no signs of the creatures, only out here near Mainz. 

Then he heard it. 

Tio had called for him, and the wolf blitzed down the mountain with impossible speed. 

Reaching the gate through the mountain pass, the wolf twisted and turned through the back alley streets of Crossbell, zooming towards the SSS building.

Bounding inside, the look on their faces told him that something was horribly wrong. 

He barked, to ask the child what had happened, and now realized why the creatures hadn't attacked yet. 

Because it was a diversion. 

“Mmhp” Ellie stirred from her slumber but felt….cold. she felt….dirt on her feet and couldn't feel her blanket. 

As she slowly woke up, she saw that she wasn't in her bed. 

She was in a pitch black forest. With nothing but her robe and night gown. 

“What?” She began to look around frantically. “What's going on?!”

Feeling something in her pocket, she felt the handle of her gun as well as a flashlight. “Why is this here?” She knew for a fact she put her gun in her case before heading to bed. 

Flicking the flash light on, she saw the trees almost wall themselves in, making it appear that Ellie was trapped in a cage of sorts.

Taking some time to breath, she started to move, anywhere was better than nowhere after all. 

Ellie's pace was slow, trying to avoid stepping on any sharp rocks or sticks that may have littered the forest floor. 

She could hear…no this was wrong. The forest was dead quiet, something that made the girl worry. 

Ellie knew that fact well. There was something here…or maybe she was feeling paranoid about the whole situat-

Several footsteps made her freeze. She turned around to find the source but found none. 

But she wasn't a fool, there was in fact something watching her in the woods. 

She began to move a bit faster, hearing the steps more and more frequently, making her heart skip a beat. “Hello!?” Whoever you are, please come out!”

The movement became more…erratic, and she swore she could hear breathing in the darkness. “My name is Ellie Macdowell, an officer of the Crossbell Police Department!” Come out!”

Silence. 

Ellie tried not to panic, but after today, it was impossible not to immediately think about the murders that happened….about the one that happened to Chloe…

Ellie picked up the pace, feeling a cold sweat down her back as she kept moving. 

The footsteps moved faster as well, but this time Ellie turned around and…….saw it. 

If you asked Ellie what scared her the most, the answer would have been ghosts, something that she never got over, even as she entered into the world of adulthood. 

Her best friend Mariebelle would tease her about it, much to her annoyance. At the end of the day, it was a relatively normal fear. 

Yet at this point in time, Ellie wished it was a ghost that was chasing her. 

Because she was now face to face with something that looked as if it was ripped from humanity's worst nightmares as her hairs practically leapt from her body. 

In the distance, was a large…..horse like monster, with too many legs and exposed flesh, painting it scarlet as its skin glowed in the moonlight. Its upper body was that of a man's, but it was lopsided, with several arms placed randomly all over. Spikes protruded from its body, making it into a living pin cushion.

But the worst part was its face. Horse shaped, but with a mixture of human features, It had no lips, displaying a child-like grin that radiated pure evil. With no eyes in its sockets, it defied all reason as something like that, should not be alive. 

“Pleased to meet you. Ellie Macdowell. My name is Sagittarius.”

It bowed and it took a few seconds of stillness between the both of them, before Ellie let out a blood curdling scream, shooting at it as she ran away. 

“Oh don't run, I want to take good care of you.”

Ellie turned back and saw that it hadn't moved from its spot, the thing had its arm raised. 

The creature pulled a spike from its body and placed it into its forearm, splitting it apart to create a makeshift bow of sorts, using the tendons to create a draw string. 

It pulled the “arrow” back and fired, the bolt whistling past Ellie's head, splintering a tree apart with the force. 

“Shit!” Ellie sprinted faster than she had ever ran before in her life, her lungs burned, her legs ached, but the mere thought of being caught by that thing kept her going. 

The chase went on for a while. The demon, Sagittarius, easily kept up with the frightened girl as it hounded her. “This is so much fun, I can't wait to catch you!”

Even the way it sounded made Ellie scream in terror, she didn't bother even looking back, any second wasted was just one more step of being caught by it.

Ellie broke into an open grove, the same one from earlier today…..if she could get to the tower, she could hopefully hide there until morning.

Her luck ran out as she fractured her ankle. 

“Fuck!” Ellie tumbled to the forest, holding her foot as she began hyperventilating, seeing the horse monster stop at the edge of the grove. 

She whimpered as she began to crawl desperately through the dirt, fighting through the pain but heard the creature get closer. 

In a desperate move, Ellie began to crawl on her back, shooting at to try and delay the inevitable. 

The bullets didn't even scratch it, as she saw something that caused her heart to thump in horror. 

It pulled out a hacksaw and some wire. “Its time to have some fun!” It giggled as Ellie began to cry, knowing exactly what was about to happen. “Please stop, please don't hurt me!”

“Hurt you? Why should I not hurt you humans? It's only fair that the winner takes the spoils and I cannot wait to see mine when I remove your skin.”

The last bit of hope Ellie had left her right then and there. 

She was going to die here, it was going to make mincemeat of her flesh, it was going to bleed her until there was nothing left. Images of her friends and family finding her in the forest, propped up like mangled ragdoll, shattered her soul.

“HELP!” Ellie sobbed, screaming towards the sky. “PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP ME!”

“TIGER CHARGE!”

Lloyd and a red blur smashed into the side of the creature, as Ellie saw her saviors in action.  

Trish came next and snatched Ellie out of harm's way. “I gotcha! We'll take care of the rest!”

Tio released the limiter on her staff and launched a concentrated beam of orbal and demonic energy, frying its skin. 

Vergil and Randy attacked its legs, overwhelming with a vicious assault as the blue demon severed its legs like a hot knife through butter. 

It roared as it tried to swipe at Vergil, but it lost its hand in the process, and the rest of its arm as well. 

In a desperate move, it nocked another arrow with its mouth and second appendage,  firing it at Trish. 

Ellie cried out but the demon summoned lighting from King Cerberus and sent a bolt that destroyed the arrow and ripped a hole through its torso.

Lastly, Dante came down with an overhead slash, splitting the massive creature down the middle, finishing it once and for all. 

A tear spell from Tio healed Ellie as they all rushed over. “Ellie! You're okay!”

 The girl was frozen still, not believing what she was seeing. 

“Ellie?” Lloyd questioned as they saw her look at them with wide eyes. “I-is this real?"

“She's in shock, damn it!” Randy knelt before the girl, who was frantically looking around, trying to find a threat that would never come. 

“Ellie needs be taken to St Ursula!” Tio shook her shoulder to try and snap her from her terror filled daze. 

“Reinforcements from the hospital will be here soon!” Lloyd said as he knelt down to face her. “You're gonna be okay.”

“I think I can help,” Trish said as she pinched the girl's nose. “See? That's real.”

Ellie flinched back and slowly turned to face Trish as her eyes began to shimmer. 

“I….I….AAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Ellie pulled herself into the demon's arms and wept into her shoulder. “You're safe Ellie. You're safe.”

Cars pulled in as they illuminated the scene, gobsmacked by the massive carcass of what was lying in the middle of the forest. 

“It was going to kill me!” Ellie's scream was muffled. “I was so scared! I thought it was going to sl-slice me open!”

As the rest of the humans gathered around their traumatized friend, Dante and Vergil kept their distance, as they sensed Dudley and Arios from behind them. “Calling Zeit was the right move.”

“I agree, Dante,” Dudley said. “Its a miracle we got here when we did.”

“Holy shit!” One of the Guardsmen shouted as he saw the body of the demon under close. 

Noel didn't have it in her to reprimand him. What she was looking at made her skin crawl. 

“Secure the perimeter, this is now a crime scene!” Dudley barked, getting everyone to focus on something else then the monstrosity. 

The brothers began to walk around, pretending to keep an eye on the surrounding area. “Hypnosis…haven't dealt with that in a bit.”

“Right Dante, you told me about…..Sara was it? The demon also known as King.”

“Yep, and I can guess that this demon used a flute instead of a curse to hunt its victims, probably brought those nasties from hell with him….man that takes me back.”

“Nostalgia aside, it's clear this won't be the last time this happens, we'll need to ask Nic-”

"I remember now....Sons of Sparda."

“What the fuck?!” several humans cursed as they drew their weapons when the demon spoke.

Trish pulled Ellie close to her while the SSS gathered in front of her defensively, astonished and afraid. 

“It just talked!” Dudley gaped while Arios placed a firm hand on his blade, getting ready to fight. 

But the demon had something else in mind, deciding to enlighten everyone in the vicinity. 

“Sons of Sparda, You have been found, you….are dead, Just like you whore moth-”

A gunshot from Dante ended the creature's life and for a split second, Arios saw the demon's darkened expression. 

This was going to be a long night for everyone.

April 16th

Crossbell city

SSS building

Evening 

The several hours that passed since the incident had been a blur for everyone involved. 

Ellie had been taken to the hospital with Trish staying with her, to recover from her injured leg and to keep her company until her grandfather arrived. The girl had been so traumatized from the ordeal that she didn't feel safe by herself, and practically demanded the demon to stay with her. 

The Bracer guild, police and the Guardian force walled off the section of the forest, only bringing in doctors from St Ursula, to try and make heads or tails of what the hell that thing was. 

They all came to the same conclusion. Whatever it was, it defied all conventional understanding of biology, not to mention its ability to speak. 

And moreso horrified by the tools they found on it, exposing it as the culprit for all the murders committed.

With that in mind, the case was to be covered up, something that the Bracer guild was furious about, nevertheless, Arios and the higher ups at Leman, decided that this was better then exposing something so nightmarish to the public. 

Joshua and Estelle decided to take a few days off from looking for Renne to recover, grateful that she was not discovered among the bodies. 

As for the girl herself, the former enforcer had been monitoring the situation.