Would you believe that Devil May Cry's success as a demon hunter is indirectly the fault of his brother releasing every newly trained demon on earth. Wow, you can't find that kind of love anywhere on earth. I guess that's why Vergil's in hell.

Cameo time.

A Devil's Bliss

Chapter 3 – Relentless Evil

*ring*

"Hello,"

(…)

"Sorry, I don't do cats in a tree. Call the fire department."

*ring*

"Yeah, Devil May Cry,"

(…)

"No, not even big cats; please stop calling."

*ring*

*ring* (the calls were ignored.)

"I see you're as hard at work as usual," the door into the office closed as a beautiful dark haired woman strutted her way to the desk.

She was refined in every way that a woman could be described, well at least to the fact of being a demon hunter. Born with the eyes of her father but the heart of her mother, the young vixen had the intellect of an independent business woman yet the skill of trained assassin. She wore white slacks fit for her build that matched her boastful suit jacket. Though she held the appearance of a professional entrepreneur, the deadly device constructed to rid this world of demons carried on her back made a different impression. Her name was Mary, however she believed the person bearing that name had since died. She now preferred 'Lady.'

"You look different," the platinum white haired man stated with a sly grin mirroring his charm as he uncaringly raised a magazine in front of his face, "Did you do something with your hair?"

Known through the many guises of his mind's imagination, the young man with the crystal blue eyes was actually the son of a legendary warrior. His name was Dante and he was the unorthodox devil hunter people called on to save them from demons and the occasional cat. He established a business from his deeds called Devil May Cry, a name inspired by words of Lady and in memory of the family he lost twelve years ago. Since that day he had devoted himself to protect the innocent rather they be demons or humans, for he, himself, shared the blood of both.

"Nothing more than what you do to yours," she insisted, walking aside the hunter's desk to better gain his attention. She dropped his feet from atop the desk that he had promptly did seconds after her arrival after sitting the rocket launcher Kalina-Ann to the floor.

"This is actually my natural hair growth. But what can I say I was born blessed with the rest of my natural good looks as well." He caused her to break a smile as she rolled her eyes at the comment.

Lady snatched the magazine from Dante's hands tossing it to the ground and waited for a proper welcome from her would be accomplice. And like a true gentlemen he turned around in his chair to the fridge pulling out a couple of beers of his choice brand and popped the caps returning towards Lady.

"Beer," he offered taking a sip of his own.

"No thanks," she brushed it aside.

"So," he slammed the finished beer can into the wall dropping it into the trash can beneath it, "what do I owe to the luxury of one's company such as you?" He inquired, taking up the beer he offered lady. Suddenly he lowered the can from his mouth, "Or are you here to collect on something that I owe. I told you I'd get you the other three-hundred at the end of the month."

"It's actually five but that's not why I'm here," Lady revealed to a thankful Dante. "In the last two years I've been getting a few more unusual calls than usual."

"I'm glad to hear that someone's business is booming, thanks for rubbing it in."

"That isn't what this is about; I just figured you were receiving the same."

"Nope," Dante polished the blade of rebellion hanging from his wall and started to pick his teeth, "can't really say I have."

"Then I guess it's nothing," she jumped up grabbing Kalina-Ann from the ground in preparation to leave.

"What exactly were you trying to discover?" he asked, curious.

"I don't know. The sudden uprising of demons seemed so familiar. I thought maybe another demon tower had raised somewhere or something."

"Something…" Dante dug deeper.

"Ok," Lady turned back around to Dante, "A couple of weeks ago I faced a demon that seemed to be stronger than those we faced at Temen-ni-gru."

"I faced," Dante corrected, referring to that of Temen-ni-gru, "But it's to be expected. There are some strong devils out there that squeeze through into our world every now and again."

"I'm telling you this was different," her voice became serious almost if she was scared, "He wasn't just stronger he was smarter. I found him but it seemed like he was waiting for me."

The story finally caught Dante's interest.

"And just a few days ago I got a call about some marionettes holding up in a barn."

"I'm going to assume you're talking about the puppet… things," she gave him a displeased glare, "continue."

"When I got there, the old couple told me that they had just taken over. No attacks, no chases, nothing; they were just held up."

"So it's a little out of character, I'm not really getting the point," he started to get less enthused.

"I confronted them and they seemed frightened. Like something had scared them right out of hell. I think something is coming…I can almost feel it."

Dante remained silent, unsure if he should tell Lady of the evil he had been expecting to rise since the Temen-ni-gru's fall. The darkness that he believed was responsible for his mother's death and the evil that had faced his father over two millennia ago.

"Something," she continued, "or someone is raising an army Dante. And I don't think this world or the next is safe from its wrath."

*ring*

*ring*

Dante looked at the phone unwilling to break the tension between him and Lady on the current situation. But she insisted with a head nod.

"Devil May Cry…"

"You have to be stronger, disciplined and relentless…" Nelo Angelo shouted, fighting off Trish's strikes with one hand to an audience of demons. "To be anything else means to show weakness. And in my army, weakness is to be handled the same as human life…forfeit."

He punched out towards Trish unleashing a blue flame to blast her to the ground. But she didn't stay down long springing up to charge her demented mentor. An electric aura came over her hands and feet as she jumped up kicking the horned devil with round house kick. He, unsurprisingly, withstood the attack jumping over her sweep kick in sequence. The vigorous devil struck Vergil in the face turning around with for a back hand slap but was caught by the arm. She came back with the other hand but to no avail as he caught that one as well.

"Unacceptable," the dark angel insulted, driving his knee into her back with careful precision as not to strike her heart with the horn.

As he removed the daggering limb from her body Trish flipped forward from his grasp simultaneously kicking him in the chin. She turned around quickly prepared to emit a stream of lightning towards Vergil but was instead met by Necro-Yamato's end.

"Serving Mundus means," Trish grabbed the black zweihander by its blade to hold against Vergil's force as she ran forward, "Your life is an expendable weapon." She launched forward ramming her fist into his chest multiple times causing him to stumble back. But in an attempt to knock the devil off his feet she failed, landing her fist directly in his hand. He uncaringly tossed her aside ending the bout to face his minions.

The devil knight attempted to sheathe his blade as if it were in its reverted state to everyone's blasphemous chatter.

"Quiet!" he burst, his rage enabling him to outrigger his demonic state.

Since the day of his ascension it had become harder for him to revert to his mortal form. Though they feared his power in either guise, his army was at a constant mutter to taunt the devil's inability to control his demonic power. Those that served him weren't in line to question his ailment, but bickered amongst themselves to whether or not his humanity was his weakness.

"Has the infamous son of Sparda lost control of his temper," a dark voice called from the coliseum's dark entrance way, "Or has the blessing of Mundus proven too much for him."

"Berial…" Vergil revealed as the fire hell's devil lord made his presence know.

Embraced in the black molten stone that lit his body a flame, the large four legged fiend enter into Vergil's domain both unwelcomed and unopposed. He stood taller than the open stadium's stands with a sword just as great as his monstrous form. The heat of his internal power shot from his body like flares taking the image of wings. And the soles of his hooves made magma pits in his wake.

Since Mundus' revival Berial and the other lords who had divided the lands in his absence were forced to enter a contract of servitude. Though not bound to do his biddings as Nelo Angelo, they were set to relinquish their territories and armies for his cause. Yet, with the agenda of reclaiming his territory, the fire hell's devil lord chose to serve Mundus out of hope that his reign would fall again.

"Why have you come here?"

"To compete, Son of Sparda," Berial laughed, pointing his sword around the coliseum as he approached Vergil. "Is this not an arena, surely you have trained one of your," he looked down to Phantom & Griffon who sneered at his presence, "pets to face such a demon as myself."

Trish immediately stepped up by Vergil's side taking up the request Berial had laid down but was held back. The disgusted Phantom and Griffon also left their stations to surround the former lord but at Vergil's behest stood down. Berial laughed, mocking the completion which had presented itself to him.

"If it is your wish to die today, then I shall respect it."

"Human waste blessed with demonic blood. If you are to face me then Mundus' power may not drive your soul. And you can even use these pathetic worms that take your side."

"You're not even worthy of the Black Armor," he stopped, speaking of Nelo Angelo as a separate entity. He stood underneath the towering beast turning to face Trish, "attack."

"Gladly," Berial's dark voice echoed as he raised his sword to strike down Vergil.

"I believe he was talking to me," Griffon informed, taking to the sky at a hastened degree of speed.

The demonic beast waved off Berial's attack and began to strongly flap his wings releasing crimson darts of electric spikes toward the devil. Far too large to avoid the attack Berial was struck in the chest causing him to stumble back. He grabbed the electric spines with a single hand and snapped them altogether. Gathering his balance, the former devil lord refocused his attention to the land based Phantom who summoned towers of lava to erupt from the ground.

Cockily, the devil laughed awaiting the streams to feed into his power and ego, "The souls of the inferno would never betray their master."

"Foolish," Phantom replied, spitting a fireball through the flame pillars into Berial's face. As the pillars fell they quickly hardened into stone totems creased with faces of the dead as Trish made her ascent upon them like stepping stones.

The centurion like fiend stomped the ground to quickly revert the pillars into pools of lava as Trish closed the gap between them. Yet in an artistic display of demonic speed and power she leapt from the tower invoking her electric aura into a wing-like net that glided her towards Berial. She suddenly began to rapidly spin around in the air, twisting her aura around her and flinging multitudes of lightning bolts at the fire hoofed demon.

Whilst the electric torrent bombarded Berial the skies above the arena darkened with clouds and a red static aura. Suddenly amongst the clouds three red orbs pierced through making the obvious appearance as Mundus' avatars. But do to the ongoing battle the crowds of devils that once slaved under Berial's rule cheered for their champion, Vergil.

Trish fell back behind Vergil as the gigantic beast teetered to the side catching himself with his sword. Vergil turned his head back witnessing Berial rise to his feet. His shaded blue eyes began to glow blood red as a demonic aura swept across his body. The powerful dark blue aura raged behind him as the knight rose the arm wielding Yamato.

"I knew you wouldn't face me without his protection, "Berial taunted, signaling Mundus' gazing eyes above them, "His power is what courses around you, Nelo Angelo."

"Wrong," Vergil stated, as his aura constructed into a physical form radiating with a blue light. "Evil doesn't bear a name. Son of Sparda, Knight of Mundus…Nelo Angelo… these are just titles none of which hold any power over my soul." Suddenly a large specter resembling Vergil's demonic form rose to take Yamato as it fell from the devil's finger tips. It turned showing a developed will of its own though it still remained attached to its host.

"This is," Trish thought just as astonished as Berial, "Vergil's demonic light. But how could it manifest in such a way. I helped Mundus sever this bond myself, yet this…it's impossible." Trish looked to the sky as if she were directly speaking to Mundus. "Could the blood of Sparda really be strong enough to resist his corruption?"

"How can…your power be so strong," Berial worried as Vergil's spectral beast drooled with a lust for battle, "You're still just a human."

Vergil closed his eyes not dignifying the flaming centaur's question with an answer. With little else he flung his arm out from his side initiating the growling specter to race through the air. Berial raised his sword prepared to strike his foe down but too much disbelief the spirit's arm extended from his demonic body, disrupting space and stopping the blade midair. Though he struggled against it, Berial was unable to break the demon's grip and a sense of his approaching death took him over.

"Yamato," Vergil whispered, fully aware of the events taking place behind his back. His specter extended the small dark o'katana out, "Flare…," and suddenly it burst out to a size fitting him, enwrapped in blue flame that exuded with his aura. With Berial's sword trapped in the clutch of his right hand and Phantom Yamato swelling with energy in his left, the specter charged towards its enemy unthreatened and prepared to cross through his whole body.

However, as soon as the specter met face with the opposing force an electric red barrier lifted between them instantly dissipating Vergil's demonic power causing Yamato to fall through the air. Vergil immediately turned around as Trish leapt into the air to retrieve Yamato as Berial fell forward to the weight of his own sword and saw the avatars of Mundus standing before the former fire lord. Before long the devils that had once rooted for Nelo Angelo fell in dissension: even Griffon phased out into electricity while Phantom crawled into the ground of lava.

Trish looked back at Vergil then turned to Berial ready to finish him off per Vergil's original intentions with Yamato.

"Stand down Trish," Mundus acknowledged it was his will that wanted Berial's life spared. But rather than respect her creators wishes she continued to Berial's toe only to be caged with red electrical spikes. "Would you defy me when you have already extended your giving life span?" The demoness took care to these words displaying her answer by sealing Yamato to the ground. She turned to Vergil once again with a slight concern for his punishment if he were to defy Mundus then left in an electrical surge similar to Griffon's.

The dark angel wondered what allegiance Mundus held to Berial if any but was not in position to question it. A blue flame rolled over his eyes and Yamato phased into his hands responsively. As he slowed the blade into its sheathe the ground beneath Berial started to crack from where Trish dropped the blade.

"I thought you requested my presence to test your Nelo Angelo, Mundus," Berial spoke with a confidence that made him appear as an equal to the dark prince. "Instead, I'm nearly killed by a demonic apparition that shouldn't even exist," he razed.

"…" Mundus was silent to Berial's questioning as he and Vergil tried to make sense of what was happening.

The dark emperor had intertwined his own will into Vergil's to abolish his own control and resistance. Yet, through Mundus' manipulation of Vergil's power he created a dormant power that Vergil was fully aware of. This defiance could not last.

"It would seem that Vergil has developed a small link between his demonic blood and the demonic power I sought to rid him of," Mundus informed Trish as the spoke privately in her personal chambers. He appeared to her as thought the reflection of a darkened mirror upon her wall that was framed with Blood-Goyles. "I want you to insure he takes upon my dark armor and not his own spirit."

"You seem afraid of his power," Trish stated, though against her better judgment.

"I know the power of a Sparda's betrayal. I shall not let this slight of resistance to topple my empire once again. But unlike before I can take advantage of what humanity remains of him. So weak is the mortal coil wouldn't you say, Trish?" he laughed maniacally before vanishing.

"You treat me as if I were one of these human lives that you can manipulate and throw away at your own satisfaction. But your fear of Vergil places me at the helm of power. Maybe Vergil is destined to overcome your malice and free us both from your evil."

The dark slayer traced through the hallways of Mundus' palace exempt from thoughts of the past and dreams of the future. The pale titan just waited for the next time he could feed Yamato, Necro Yamato or Phantom Yamato with the honor of a worthy battle. Even the placement of Berial's arrival had dwindled in the shadows of his mind. But what did remain was the face of another, one who could wield Yamato; the daughter of Mundus who had taking the position of his second in command and unknowingly wore the face of his mother. Trish.

As the formerly introduced devil stalked Vergil, she guessed and hypothesized about deep Mundus' control had gotten and what would be the consequence of her betrayal if Vergil were to lose. Furthermore, the attraction she had for the young devil caused the instances of doubt. She wanted with every fiber of her being to overthrow Mundus for the lack of acknowledgement for her life but…she felt at odds about treating Vergil like a puppet, a tool for destruction. She had seen for herself that the soul of an honorable man still resided in Vergil when she was spared from his attack, however, she didn't know what would awaken that person to the light once again.

Vergil finally stopped in the middle of the hallway turning to see Trish stutter to a stop from the darkness. They stared each other down, unwilling to announce their mind's thoughts or their hearts desire. But as Trish found the key to Vergil's salvation around his neck in the form of his mother's pendant she also saw the hollowed armor of Nelo Angelo barred to his soul with the tyrannical laughter of Mundus victory watching over them.

Eight years later, it was now the time for Mundus' revival on earth. Here on Mallet Island the richest of his higher court stood tall to make the final preparations for his coming. The marble statue Phantom & Griffon had erected per Mundus wishes sat within his newly built throne room as his earthly avatar. On his right the devil knight Nelo Angelo stood motionless and faltered as Trish snapped to command from his left.

"It is time to bring him here so that Vergil may kill him," Mundus counseled, pre-advising Trish of her role.

The blonde haired devil took a glance at Nelo Angelo unable to see his eyes return their torment from servitude. Then she began to walk away, bringing down her dark glasses over her eyes as a flash of lightning swept her away.

"Are you ready," the griming voice of Mundus asked. To his delight, the blue veins upon Nelo Angelo's armor pulsated with life as he called Necro Yamato to his hand and the violet cape flew behind him. The corrupted Vergil displayed his technique with sword and fist then turned to his master to utter his first words in years…

"Come On!"

So Trish & Vergil have feelings for each other but are unable to act on them for different reasons. And because of this Vergil has fallen deeper towards Mundus will.

Next Time: Dante vs. Nelo Angelo