《Vice & Virtue: D.M.C. Redemption》


 Chapter 1: Dreams

    "Heaven and hell suppose two different species of men, the good and the bad.


    But the greatest part of mankind float betwixt vice and virtue." ¨C David Hume


    Her vision was hazy, unclear, and heavy. She didn''t know why, but she felt disconnected ¨C as if she were a disembodied spirit or consciousness precariously floating around. Before her, she could barely make out a figure kneeling on the floor. The person looked to be frantically moving their hands in certain motions and patterns. All the details she could make out of this person was that she was a woman, she had long ivory hair that sprawled around her as she kneeled and that she wore a crimson patterned white dress.


    The woman''s voice, although trembling, sounded so pleasant and familiar. "She isourchild! And I am hermother!" The woman paused and looked up at a dark figure. "I brought you out of thatprisonof yours so I could have the power to protect! That monster can have her over my dead body!


    With a start, she woke up. She found herself gasping for air. Her negligee was damp and clung to her due to cold sweat. She could hear her heart pounding so loud that it filled her ears. With fists tightly clenching the bed sheets, she willed herself to slow down her breathing. Internally, she counted how many specks of dust she could see due to the sun''s beams. Eventually, she had gotten to twenty-one and decided to stop there. Her heart no longer pounding and her breathing even. She felt that she would have to take a shower though.


    Pushing her snowy white hair away from her face, she straightened her back and glanced out the glass wall overlooking the still half-ruined city. The sun was just beginning to set, its brightness peaking before having to fade and give into the darkness. With a heavy sigh, she slipped out of the bedsheets and got up to get ready for work... And to perhaps look for the closest pay phone.


    Music. Dancing. Alcohol. The holy trinity of what makes a nightclub, well, a ''club''. The music was so loud that the beat pulsated through one''s body. Undeniably, the people were so high on whatever substance that each body was practically dancing with the other, it was almost as if the crowd of people were an amalgamated hot mess that moved only to the music. In the midst of all this, on one corner of the kaleidoscope-like nightclub, a gaggle of giggling girls surrounded a single guy.


    The group was crowded together on a large leather couch. A collective sound of amazement came out of the mouths of the scantily clad females as they watched the object of their fascination complete a third bottle of spirits. The raven-haired male ostentatiously placed the empty bottle on the table next to the other two empty bottles; he did so with so much force that no one wouldn''t have been surprised if he had smashed said bottles in the process. The dozen or so females who crowded around him cheered.


    Despite downing that much alcohol he looked seemingly fine. His confident smirk and steady gaze gave no sign of any drunkenness whatsoever. If he were human he would be in a world of trouble drinking that much alcohol, but he wasn''t. He was a Nephilim. Half demon and half angel. As such, Dante felt he passed as a human through physical appearances only.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Just as he was about to receive his ''reward'' from one of the many women surrounding him, he felt his phone vibrate for the umpteenth time that night. That''s right, he was Nephilim, and so that resulted in him taking up quite a heavy burden... Not even bothering to say a word to the woman whose advances he swiftly rejected, he brought out his phone and answered the call.


    There was no need to check who it was, after all, there were only two people in the world who would bother calling him like this. One of them could be burning in the depths of hell for all he knew, as for the other person...


    "What''s up, Kat?"


    "Dante! Finally!" The raven-haired male resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The person on the other side of the call let out a sigh. "Honestly, you really need to stop ignoring my calls. What if there was an emergency?"


    Dante ignored the inquiring gazes from the surrounding women. "So, is there an emergency?"


    "Well, no, bu-"


    "Have a good night, Kat."


    "For fuck''s sake, Dante!"


    Dante smirked as he heard a sound of frustration emerge from the caller''s lips. "Just listen, will you..." Kat said with an indignant huff.


    Leaning back on the sofa he rested on, Dante replied. "Yeah, yeah. You''re gonna have to speak up, though. It''s a bit noisy where I''m at."


    Dante could sense Kat rolling her eyes at him. He was pulling her leg. The Nephilim had incredibly fine senses. She didn''t need to speak up.


    Trying her best to keep down her annoyance, Kat spoke. "You have a new hunt. The client wants to talk to you directly about the details."


    Eyeing the women who were now dancing in front of him, he quipped. "Usually the clients just leave a message and a tip. I wonder what''s so special about this one that they''d wanna talk to me face to face... But then again, who wouldn''t wanna see my face?"


    "I don''t even want to know you right now." Kat retorted. Feeling that they''ve dawdled away from the main topic long enough, Kat switched to a more serious tone. "The client wants you to kill a potential Demon Lord."


    With those words, Dante stood up, ready to leave - much to the chagrin of the many females around him. "Where?"


    "Seeing how you''re in a nightclub, you might be close to it. The place is called ''Vice and Virtue'', it''s a new cabaret-style hostess club that opened up some days ago."


    Smirking, he shrugged off the clingy hands as he made his way out. "Oh, that place? Sweet! I heard it''s great there, but you can''t get in without a club member giving you a recommendation."


    A visibly long sigh could be heard from Dante''s phone.


    "You''re a fool."


    Vergil turned to glare at the transparent figure of the witch who dared to ensnare and reproach him. "What do you know about my circumstances?!"


    "More than you''d like to think..." The witch''s astral form circled around him. "You know, at this point, you''re no better than him."


    "Quiet!" The ivory-haired Nephilim growled through clenched teeth.


    Fearlessly standing before him with an ardent gaze, the witch continued. "You once wanted to save the world. What happened to that?"


    "He betrayed me!" He spat.


    Their surroundings ominously rumbled. "Because you sought to stand over humans the same way that damned monster did!"


    Vergil heatedly swung his sword, however, much to his chagrin, he watched as his blade passed right through her form. The witch''s expression showed that she was unfazed, her transparent astral form only momentarily flickering due to his actions. "Shut up! You know nothing of what is good for the world!"


    "I know nothing?" With a complacent expression, she hissed. "Look at this demon army before you and just tell me what good can these wretched things bring to the world."


    Vergil felt the intense pent-up fury within him as he continued to talk to the witch. "Under the right hands, these demons can be used well!"


    The thundering sound of their surroundings rupturing was audibly louder. "Admit it!" The witch forcibly pulled at his lapels, causing her to hover above him as she growled back. "You''re only using these things in order to exact your petty revenge!"


    With an unhinged leer, the witch continued. "You''re a Nephilim?! Don''t make me laugh! You''re a Demon Lord, and one that''s no better than that piece of shit, Mundus!"


    ----------CHAPTER END----------

 Chapter 2: Lacrimosa

    Vergil leaned his back against one of the few remaining pillars that were sturdy and gave himself a moment to relax. The place was noiseless, save for the building¡¯s occasional creaking and crumbling. This building was once his family home, the place where he was born, and the place where he was meant to be raised. However, what was supposed to be a warm, safe haven from the war against the Angels and Demons, was now a ruined and abandoned shell of a home. The Great Demon Lord Mundus had found their fake paradise, as a result, his father was punished with an eternity of torture and isolation for betraying him. As for his mother, her beating heart was ruthlessly torn out of her body and eaten. His very own mother was killed and branded a whore by that wretched monster; absolutely no consideration to her pride as an Angel was made when Mundus dishonoured his mother like that.


    However, whether it was lucky or not, Vergil and his brother Dante were able to escape. If not for their parents¡¯ decision to temporarily seal away their Nephilim natures and hastily hide them away in the human world, then perhaps the both of them could have suffered fates just as bad or, most likely, even worse than that of their parents. As a result of their escape, the two of them were separated, but, after several years, they were able to reunite and defeat Mundus. However, who would have thought that after finally avenging their parents and freeing the human world from demonic rule, the both of them suddenly turned against each other due to a disagreement. Someone needed to take Mundus¡¯ place after his defeat, but neither twin saw eye to eye with that subject, for Vergil did not understand why Dante was so against the idea of the both of them reigning over the humans. They were Nephilim, the perfect guardians to help and rule over humanity. As a result, the boundary between the world of Inferno and Earth was left unsealed due to the Nephilim twins¡¯ conflict. Furthermore, Vergil was unsure of the effects of Mundus¡¯ death on Purgatorio, the war-ravaged world that the angels and demons fought in before Mundus¡¯ army won and successfully sealed it off, essentially preventing any angels from interfering with the demon¡¯s takeover on Earth.


    Vergil had much on his mind. That¡¯s right, he had too many things to worry about and contemplate due to his brother¡¯s unexpected rejection, so why did these wretched demons decide to add one more troublesome thing onto his plate?


    Glancing at the snow-haired female that laid unconscious on the ground before him, Vergil heaved out a sigh. After his altercation with Dante, he was left in a critical state, and, to add insult to literal injury, he was unexpectedly dragged into Inferno due to the instability between the human world and Inferno. With some newfound strength, he was able to literally survive hell and come back, however, he was no longer the same person after that ordeal. Along with his newfound strength, he was able to gain the ability to control demons. It was not as strong as he had initially thought to have been, so he had been biding his time as he developed some plans alongside his skills. The human world needs someone to watch over it and stabilize order between the other supernatural worlds, so if sacrificing the last remainder of his family allowed him to achieve that¡­ Then so be it.


    The Hunter demon that brought the unconscious female to Vergil said that she was a human who could prove useful as a witch. It would not be easy, but if what the demon said was true, he really needed the benefits that a witch could offer. With the fact that he still has to lay low as he formulated his plans, it meant that he¡¯d also need someone like her to be able to personally and accurately scope out the situation in the human world. The demons at his disposal are not exactly the most useful of scouts for information, for they could no longer easily hide themselves due to the merging between the two realms. As such, although Vergil has lost his trust in others, he resolved himself to make it so at least this one won¡¯t disappoint him. After all, if he can¡¯t gain the trust of one human then how could he ever hope to reign over all of them as their guardian.


    After having moved the female to the least dilapidated room in the ruined mansion, the Hunter demon¡¯s sleep magic had worn off and she began to wake up. With a groan, she gently massaged her temples. After a few seconds of blank staring, the female sat up on the burgundy French loveseat that Vergil had laid her on. At the sight of Vergil, no fear or apprehension could be felt from her. It was as if she had woken up in her own home and had not just experienced a kidnapping from a demon. The snow-haired guest held Vergil¡¯s inquisitive gaze, then, Vergil realized at that moment that this person was not a simple one.


    ¡°From one demon to another, huh¡­¡± The snow-haired female quipped, her voice heavily laced with mockery.


    The female¡¯s casual attitude was outside of Vergil¡¯s expectations and he wasn¡¯t quite sure how to feel about that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re safe for now.¡± He said with a reassuring tone.


    As she crossed her legs, she tossed a relaxed smile. ¡°I sure hope so. That guy wasn¡¯t exactly gentle.¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Vergil felt the corner of his mouth twitch after hearing her comment.


    Seeing that Vergil didn¡¯t say anything, the female continued the conversation. ¡°So, where is this place?¡±


    The ivory-haired Nephilim eyed the female before him. She was most likely younger than him by two to three years, chances were that she had been aware of her witch powers her whole life and now he had allowed an incredibly suspicious person know of his existence. Witches these days were mostly unaware that they were witches, but there are a handful who are aware and capable of using and cultivating their abilities. Of course, due to Mundus¡¯ actions, witches are on the brink of extinction; the unfortunate witch demons were products of Mundus¡¯ many witch hunts.


    Despite his apprehensions towards the individual before him, he nevertheless had to deal with her one way or another. ¡°This place is my home. Please forgive its current state.¡± Vergil replied.


    The female hummed as she glanced around the barely passable room. ¡°I¡¯m not one to judge...¡± Turning her gaze back to man before her, she questioned further. ¡°And you are¡­?¡±


    After some silence, he decided to indulge her. ¡°My name is Vergil¡­ And seeing how you know about the existence of demons, it wouldn¡¯t be wrong to say that I¡¯m a demon hunter of sorts.¡± With a flick of his chin, he gestured towards the female to introduce herself.


    With an iridescent smile, she spoke. ¡°I am Veya.¡± Leaning forward on her seat, she directed a provoking expression towards Vergil. ¡°And as you already know, I am a witch.¡±


    Vergil felt his senses tingle at her words. Unconsciously, he reached towards his blade, Yamato, at his side.


    Veya¡¯s eyes followed the Nephilim¡¯s movements. Leaning back, she spoke in a lighter tone. ¡°My powers are only newly discovered though¡­¡±


    Realizing his behaviour, Vergil stood in a more relaxed manner and moved his hand away from his weapon.


    Predicting the incoming silence, Veya took charge of the conversation once again. ¡°You said you were a demon hunter?¡±


    Vergil nodded and decided to sit down on the single sofa in front of the female. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you are curious about certain things pertaining to demons.¡± He said as he placed Yamato on the dusty table that separated them.


    Veya¡¯s expression became solemn, her long eyelashes cast shadows on her gorgeous face as her gaze looked downwards, admiring the Nephilim¡¯s blade. ¡°The world is in chaos. These monsters that used to dwell mostly in Limbo are suddenly released into the human realm and there is nothing that the regular human can do to even defend themselves against them.¡±


    Reaching forward, she drew two circles on the dusty table top and a line between the two rings. ¡°Two realms. Inferno and Earth.¡± She then rubbed the line away. ¡°All of the sudden, the power separating the two realms has disappeared, causing the two to essentially begin merging.¡± Veya drew another ring encompassing the two circles. ¡°Inferno and Earth are realms with different creatures and different laws... So different that should the two worlds fully merge, the weaker one of the two will be completely annihilated.¡± After a slight pause, she crossed out one of the inner circles.


    Vergil looked at Veya¡¯s grave expression, her metallic eyes, with an unusual reddish tinge, felt as if they pierced right through him. ¡°So, you fear for the impending doom of Earth.¡± Vergil remarked.


    With a wry smile, Veya agreed. ¡°The power which separated the two realms needs to be restored and this needs to be done as soon as possible.¡± Vergil observed as she retracted her hand and fiddled with a blood red diamond ring on her right ring finger. The white-haired pair held each other¡¯s gazes as the conversation paused.


    ¡°A power as strong as a Great Demon Lord is needed in order to gain balance between Earth and Inferno.¡± With a sudden condescending smirk, Veya spoke further. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Vergil, son of the demon Sparda and angel Eva...¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Vergil had unsheathed Yamato and pointed it at Veya¡¯s neck.


    Despite the Nephilim¡¯s figure towering over her and his blade pointed at her jugular, the snow-haired witch¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°I swear there were two of you. I wonder where the other one is?¡±


    Vergil grit his teeth, he did not like the way her presence caused his senses to be on edge, he should have gotten rid of her the moment that stupid Hunter demon brought her before him. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    The young witch leisurely patted some dust away from her maroon scalloped shorts before tilting her head up to once again meet Vergil¡¯s gaze, this entire time she had not moved from the seat she had woken up on, her attitude unnerved the Nephilim before her. ¡°I desire many things, but, at the moment, I need someone to get rid of a certain demon for me.¡± Veya¡¯s gaze moved towards a certain spot on Vergil¡¯s upper body.


    Veya¡¯s gaze caused unsavoury pain and memories to resurface in Vergil¡¯s mind. The fatal wound that Dante had inflicted during their battle still hadn¡¯t fully healed yet.


    The snow-haired witch¡¯s metallic eyes suddenly glowed a deep and haunting crimson. ¡°Forget it. I¡¯ve more or less figured out what happened between you two Nephilim.¡±


    Suddenly, their surroundings changed along with the booming noise of what sounded like earth shattering and grinding. The ruined mansion that Vergil called home changed to a charcoal black and the sky had changed to a scarlet hue, matching the eerie glow of Veya¡¯s eyes. Before him, the witch¡¯s form also changed to one that was see-through, only the outlines of her body and her glowing gaze could be seen. It was an astral form, but one that Virgil had not seen before.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate, but you would be causing more harm than good if I let you be.¡± Veya¡¯s tone felt cold as it echoed around the ivory-haired Nephilim.


    ----------CHAPTER END----------

 Chapter 3: Dernière Danse

    ¡°I¡¯m here. How do I get in?¡± Dante spoke into his phone as he stood across the street from the newly built and opened hostess club. The words ¡®Vice & Virtue¡¯ were glowing in crimson, violet and indigo atop the building¡¯s ostentatious entrance.


    ¡°The client said that the bouncer at the entrance will let you in if you say, and I quote, ¡®The Boss is waiting¡¯.¡± Kat replied.


    With an amused smirk, he made his way across the street. ¡°Sounds fishy, but ok. I¡¯m gonna hang up now.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°This client seems to have quite a bit of influence, so please try not to make any trouble. The Order could really benefit from this person if they decide to support us.¡± Kat entreated.


    Dante snorted. Without another word, he ended the call. Sorry, Kat. No promises¡­


    Stuffing his phone into the inner pocket of his signature parka, he skipped past the line of waiting patrons and walked up to the largely built bouncer. ¡°There¡¯s a line.¡± The bouncer frowned and narrowed his eyes as he looked up from his list.


    ¡°I know, but I was told that ¡®The Boss is waiting¡¯.¡± Dante ignored the glares of the people waiting in line.


    The bouncer immediately stopped his frowning and talked into his communication device. ¡°Hey, did the Madame say anything about a guest?¡±


    ¡°Hold on.¡± The person on the other end paused. The burly bouncer eyed the raven-haired male as they waited for a reply. ¡°Yeah, hurry up and let him in.¡±


    With a lingering judging look, the bouncer indicated that Dante could get in with a quick flick of his chin towards the building¡¯s entrance. Dante nodded, but before moving on, he tossed a mocking smirk at all the people who were glaring at him throughout the entirety of that exchange.


    Stepping through the tall gold embossed doors, Dante found himself in a modern renaissance styled reception area that could easily fit in a five-star hotel with its luxurious crystal chandelier, tall ceiling, terrazzo flooring and a pair of grand staircases leading to the top floor landing. The heavy bass of music could be heard through a pair of Ebony ornate doors on the ground floor of the reception area, and, standing a few feet from those doors, a certain dark-skinned lady in a pearl white bandage dress caught his attention. The woman was tall and gorgeous and didn¡¯t hesitate to approach the raven-haired Nephilim with an iridescent smile. Dante could tell that this ageless looking woman was an important figure in this place.


    ¡°Welcome. My name is Circe, also known as the ¡®Madame¡¯ of this business. Please follow me, our boss is waiting in their office on the top floor.¡± The woman greeted with a modulated voice.


    Dante raised a brow at her words but nonetheless followed her up the left staircase. She isn¡¯t the client?


    Upon reaching the top floor, another pair of ebony doors could be spotted, Dante¡¯s hearing picked up jazz music and the sound of people chattering. Having noticed Dante¡¯s inquisitiveness, Circe spoke.


    ¡°The ground floor is the dance area, where the pole dancing and striptease entertainment takes place. The top floor is where the hostess and cabaret-style entertainment happens. The office is, of course, in a private area away from all of this.¡±


    Dante hummed in approval.


    Turning left into a long hallway, the sound of dishes clattering and food sizzling could be heard as they passed a kitchen. At the end of the hallway, they arrived before a metal door, with the words ¡®STAFF ONLY¡¯ pasted on it in large, capitalized red letters. The raven-haired male wasn¡¯t sure where she brought it out from, but he watched as Circe placed a key card on a card reader that was to the right of the door. With an electronic beep, the door unlocked, and the pair entered a locker room, presumably for the kitchen staff.


    Navigating behind a certain set of metal lockers, Circe stepped before another door with a retinal scanner. Dante made note of the blatant use of security as Circe used the scanner. As Dante entered, he was greeted with the sight of various sized screens displaying news, numbers and certain web pages, as well as a number of women, either discussing amongst themselves or analysing whatever is displayed on the screen before them. Judging from the range of provocative outfits, Dante realized that these women were also part of Vice & Virtue¡¯s entertainment staff. The women paused their actions upon sight of Circe entering.


    ¡°You girls need to go and get to work in the entertainment areas.¡± Circe instructed the group of people in the room.


    Dante felt the inquisitive gazes directed towards him, but, despite their curiosity, the females wordlessly did as they were told. The raven-haired young man closely observed the procession as the women left through a different door on the other side of the room. Perhaps it was a symbol of being part of the business, but Dante noticed a tattoo, an eight-pointed star, on the bottom abdomen of every woman whose stomach was exposed.


    Interrupting Dante¡¯s admiring, Circe directed him towards the back of the room. ¡°The boss is right through here.¡± She indicated past an open entrance and urged him to walk on through.


    With a nod, Dante passed through the entrance. As he entered, he observed an empty black modern office desk and leather swivel chair, but movement on the far right of the room caught his eye and he found himself admiring the stimulating profile of a snow-haired young woman in a scarlet figure-hugging, long-sleeved wrap dress standing before a mini drink bar.


    Turning around with a glass cup on each hand, the young woman gave Dante a sultry smile. ¡°Thank you for bringing him, Madame.¡± Her silvery voice was pleasant to Dante¡¯s ears.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    With a nod, Circe carefully closed the sliding door to the office as she quietly left.


    Placing the cups on a glass table, the snow-haired young woman sat down on a brown leather Chesterfield armchair and indicated to another one across from her. ¡°Please have a seat.¡±


    The raven-haired Nephilim leisurely made his way. Eyeing the female before him, he observed the way her wrap dress revealed her torso up to her upper abdomen. If not for her maroon tube bra, he would have had an even better view before him. Her confident and unbothered expression told Dante that she knew exactly what he was thinking.


    Shifting her waist-length hair to one shoulder, she introduced herself. ¡°My name is Veya, the proprietor of this business. Thank you in advance for giving me your time.¡±


    ¡°The name¡¯s Dante.¡± As he spoke, he caught the young woman¡¯s gaze, her metallic eyes bright and steady.


    In a well-practised tone, she switched her gaze to the glass cup closest to Dante and spoke. ¡°The drink is a spicy cocktail often served here, it¡¯s called ¡®Passione Nera¡¯. I hope it suits your tastes.¡±


    Eyeing the black and violet drink, Dante unhesitatingly took the glass and had a sip. Veya also coolly followed suit as he drank. Interesting¡­ Dante usually drank beer or distilled alcoholic drinks neat, but he found that he quite liked the spiciness and slight sweetness of the cocktail.


    ¡°So, Veya, what¡¯s your business?¡± As much as he was enjoying himself, Dante wasn¡¯t one to beat around the bush.


    With a thoughtful expression, Veya placed her glass down and crossed her legs. ¡°As much as I see why you went straight for Mundus after defeating the Succubus, Bob Barbas and his bitch Lilith¡­ You¡¯ve left quite a few loose strings.¡±


    Dante visibly frowned. Mundus aside, he killed those demons only because a certain brother of his directed him to them. ¡°I also managed to get rid of the demon bastard who manipulated basically all of the banks¡­ Besides, how did you even get all this information?¡±


    Veya¡¯s lips curled into a smile, an expression which Dante found stimulating. ¡°A witch has got her ways.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a witch?¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re Nephilim.¡±


    Dante stared at the young woman before him, dumbfounded. The only witches he had come across thus far were of the demon kind. However, remembering Kat and how she had told him she was medium or psychic, he realized that she too might be counted as a witch too.


    The sound of Veya¡¯s chuckling suddenly filled Dante¡¯s ears. ¡°It was also not that hard to put together¡­ When that demon news reporter, Bob Barbas, made that huge terrorist fuss about you and the Order, I had my girls gather some intel.¡± Leaning back in her chair, she made a wry expression. ¡°Following Mundus¡¯ defeat, I was going to contact you about these loose ends, but you weren¡¯t exactly able to kill that bastard in a cleaner way weren¡¯t you.¡±


    The raven-haired Nephilim internally groaned. The sudden release of the demons, his brother¡¯s betrayal and not to mention the half-ruined city that was of course still being rebuilt after these three months¡­ Dante felt a slight headache at the thought of those troubles. The Order also had to regroup after the whole ordeal.


    ¡°Kat told me over the phone that there was a potential Demon Lord you wanted me to get rid of, but you keep saying ¡®loose ends¡¯. Are you saying that there is more than one problem we¡¯ll have to deal with?¡± Dante asked as he facepalmed.


    Veya reaffirmed Dante¡¯s thoughts. ¡°That ¡®demon bastard¡¯ who manipulated the vast majority of the world¡¯s banks is called the Hydra, and let¡¯s just simply say that he lives up to that name.¡±


    Dante felt his expression twitch. ¡°So that son of a bitch is still alive?¡± He clucked tongue. ¡°Alright. And who¡¯s the potential Demon Lord?¡±


    The snow-haired witch¡¯s eyes visibly flashed with discontent. ¡°The Incubus. After you killed Mundus, the Hydra and Incubus immediately went into hiding. However, seeing the state of the world and its economy, the Hydra couldn¡¯t resist coming out to fuck with humans. The Incubus, on the other hand, is biding his time and I¡¯m not willing to wait till he¡¯s ready to come out voluntarily.¡±


    Dante could see the obvious animosity Veya felt as she talked about the Incubus. ¡°What exactly makes you think that the Incubus is going to turn into a Demon Lord?¡±


    ¡°He has his hands on Mundus¡¯ assets. If we leave him be, he¡¯ll continue to grow in power and we¡¯ll have a repeat of Mundus.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Dante spoke in a sarcastic tone. ¡°And don¡¯t tell me your witch powers told you all of this information.¡±


    Letting out a long sigh, Veya replied as she combed through her hair with her fingers. ¡°On the lower abdomen¡­ Did you notice what looked like tattoos on the girls that work here?¡±


    Dante raised a brow. ¡°Well, yeah¡­ It¡¯s an eight-pointed star, right? What about it?¡±


    ¡°All the girls have one, and it isn¡¯t a tattoo. It¡¯s a mark. A¡­¡± Veya grit her teeth ¡°A brand.¡± She focused her gaze on Dante¡¯s icy blue orbs. ¡°This place may look like an attractive flower garden, but it¡¯s a glorified bird cage¡­ And all the girls in here are birds chained to a demon bastard of an owner.¡±


    The raven-haired Nephilim furrowed his brows. ¡°What...?¡±


    With a pained expression, Veya explained further. ¡°The Incubus marked all of us with a cursed brand that basically suppresses our witch powers, tells him where we are and also causes great pain should he find it fitting to do so.¡±


    ¡°Wait. You too?¡± Dante was taken aback once again. ¡°And all the women in here are witches?¡±


    ¡°The Incubus collected us specifically because we had witch powers.¡± The snow-haired female¡¯s face twisted into a sardonic expression. ¡°Despite the fact that Mundus abhorred witches, the Incubus still collected them like trophies. He¡¯s proud of us being his property¡­¡±


    With narrowed eyes, Dante realized something. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re actually pretty close with that demon.¡±


    Veya tossed a mordant smile. ¡°I¡¯m actually his favourite trophy¡­¡±


    Dante leaned forward with a severe expression, his senses suddenly on edge. ¡°And what makes you think I¡¯ll trust you after admitting that?¡± He could feel his sword, Rebellion, on his back ¨C ready to be summoned.


    ¡°You¡¯ll trust me because I admitted to that. And besides¡­¡± Veya looked at the raven-haired Nephilim, her gaze and tone desolate and despondent. ¡°I need you.¡±


    With those words, Dante felt something inside him shake. The snow-haired female before him caused him to feel a sense of heartache as he looked at her expression. Her eyes, which suddenly looked like a frosty blue, reflected the sorrow she felt.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been under that demon bastard¡¯s control for at least fifteen years of my life. I want to free these girls¡­ I want to free myself¡­ There¡¯s no one else I know who can help me do this.¡± Veya bowed her head, her voice pleading. ¡°Please. I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    Dante let out a shuddering breath. He was no good with conversations like this. After the whole ordeal with his brother, Vergil, his trust issues admittedly resurfaced. Killing demons was the only good he felt he could do and here was someone asking for his help, even if she was under the control of the Incubus, there was still the fact that the demon was a huge concern.


    After some silence, Dante finally spoke. ¡°Alright. Fine¡­¡± He noticed Veya¡¯s expression brighten, unconsciously, he felt relaxed and relieved seeing that. ¡°Where do we start?¡±


    It¡¯s not like I came here to say no to the job anyway¡­


    With an iridescent smile, the snow-haired witch voiced her thanks. ¡°The Order needs some allies, right? If we can manage to do things without too much fuss, I can also pull some strings so that the government can let you get away and continue on with your demon hunting antics.¡±


    The raven-haired Nephilim suddenly felt like he narrowly avoided making a dangerous enemy out of someone.


    ----------CHAPTER END----------