21 Chapter 20:

The Saturday after Dante talked with Rias and Akeno he was leaning against Cavalire while waiting for Akeno in front of Kouh. It was around 3 o'clock and he was dressed in a black button-up shirt with a red tuxedo jacket, wine-red slacks, and black boots. He had been there since noon but, after waiting about another half an hour he saw Akeno walk up, she was wearing a beautiful black dress that hugged her upper-half while splitting at the knee to allow mobility, to compliment her dresss she wore a wine red belt and heels, she also had her hair braided and in a ponytail that was draped over her shoulder. "Hi, I'm sorry we didn't set a time, so I didn't know when to come. I hope you didn't wait long." Dante gave a smile, "I've only been here for about five minutes. You look stunning by the way. Hop on, I have a plan for us already." Akeno gave a small blush when he complimented her. As she got on the bike she said, "You also look quite dashing. I didn't know you could dress up like this. It suits you." Dante gave a smirk. After she got on he told her to hold on tight as he sped off.

When they arrived at the movie theater Akeno was shocked at how fast Cavalire could move because normally it was a half an hour drive to the theater from the campus, but they made it in less than ten minutes and that's with Dante slowing down on occasion to talk to her. "Well then my little princess, I have us a pair of tickets to the newest 50 Shades of Grey movie with our names on it. So, would you be ever so kind to follow this man?" Dante gave a large bow as he held out his hand with the tickets. Akeno giggled at his antics, "Ara, Ara, but don't you have another girlfriend? How could you cheat on her with me? I don't want to be a side-toy." Giving a fake stern look as Dante kept his smirk, "That was my sister that likes to tease me, and she also told me to use it to get rid of any pesky girls. Now that you know my secret will you indulge me?" Akeno gave a smirk of her own, "Very well, this princess will indulge my little dark prince." As she said this Akeno took one of the tickets with one hand and accepted his hand with the other. Dante gave a victorious smirk and held her hand as he walked her into the theater.

After the movie and taking a small drive around the city because Akeno wanted to drive Cavalire, much to its disapproval, it was around 5 o'clock. Dante had Akeno get back onto the bike as he drove to a massive building that said, 'The Devil's Golden Crown' above the door. Akeno was shocked because this wasn't only a 5-star hotel but also a top-grade restaurant that is known for even its cheapest meals costing hundreds of dollars. The building was 50 stories tall with 45 to rooms, 3 to the restaurant, one to the CEO, and the last was unknown to any but a select few within the staff. "What are we doing here? You know I can't afford this right?" Akeno gave a suspicious look. Seeing her look Dante started laughing, "Did you honestly think that I would bring you to a top-class place then expect you to pay? I already have reservations and have the money for you to order to whatever you please and this place doesn't care about laws, so you can drink if you want." Giving a smile he grabbed her hand and led her inside.

Once inside she was shocked again because all of the staff and bodyguards either bowed or saluted Dante when he walked past them. Dante would give them a smile and a wave as he continued to walk. Dante laughed again seeing Akeno's surprised expression, "If you haven't figured it out I'm kind of king around here. The Devil's Golden Crown is a business I started by compiling a bunch of chefs together and had them teach everything they knew to a team of young chefs that had high potential. We arranged for a few important officials to eat here and after they were done they all started giving us funding and after time the result is what you see here. My office is on the second highest floor because the top is private observatory that I had designed for when I with to eat under the stars." Akeno was unable to process things as they made their way to the elevator in the back. She watched as Dante pulled out a black card with a gold emblem that was famous, it was a picture of a devil leaning onto a throne while spinning a crown on his finger. This was the emblem for 'The Devil's Golden Crown', when Dante swiped the card the button for the top floor lit up and Dante pressed it. After a few minutes Dante walked Akeno into the room and she gasped at the sight. Even though it looks like a normal roof the top floor of 'The Devil's Golden Crown' is actually an observatory with a one-way all glass roof. So those outside can only see a regular roof, but those inside can see the night sky in all its glory. "So, what do you think of my little get-away?" Akeno was brought out of her confusion when he spoke, "It's amazing. I have never seen anything like it, sure I could fly up to see the sky but this…" Dante chuckled at her words. Bringing her to a small table in the middle of the floor he decided to play the gentleman and pulled out her seat for her and helped her sit down. When Dante sat down he pressed a small button on the underside of the table and shortly after a waitress came out with two menus. "Master Dante! Ah, it is a real treat to see you again. You hardly ever come by any more. And who is the mistress with you today?" Dante keeping his smirk as usual said, "She is my friend and current pursuit Akeno Himajima. Akeno this is Jane my personal waitress. Jane would you be a dear and bring out my 1912 White Russian Wine from my personal safe?" Akeno almost fell out of her chair at Dante's words but saved herself the embarrassment. Jane on the other hand, just smiled and handed them their menus and went to go get the wine per Dante's request.

When Akeno recovered she looked at the menu and was shocked, although there were hundreds of dishes none of them had a price tag, "Um, Dante-kun. Why don't any of these items have a price tag?" Dante laughed, "Oh Akeno-chan, why would I pay to eat at my own restaurant? Go ahead and order whatever your little heart desires." Akeno was shocked but got over it because she was slowly building up an immunity to Dante's surprises. After about five minutes Jane came back with a very old wine bottle that seemed to be in perfect condition. Jane walked up with a smile as she poured some in a glass for Dante, turning to Akeno, "Would the Mistress like to sample some before?" Akeno shook her head, "No thank you Jane-san I prefer not to drink. Can you please bring me something nonalcoholic." Jane didn't seem fazed as she simply nodded and left the wine bottle for Dante as she left to get Akeno a drink. "You know you are still a minor right? How could you be drinking at 16!?" Akeno asked. Dante shrugged as he continued to take sips out of his glass, "In my line of work you pick up some form of hobby or clarity manager, Mine happens to be weapon collecting and alcohol sampling. This wine is something I stole from Azazel and kept for my personal use." Akeno's interest was peaked, "What do you mean your line of work?" Dante gave a sad smile, "To train myself I took up the job of exterminating rogue exorcist, fallen angels, devils, demons, vampires, hell, I've even captured a weakened lesser god that broke out of a prison. But do you know what it is like to be on a battlefield with nothing but death and violence around you? Princess you may think you have seen some things, but you haven't seen shit. At some point you have to accept that this world is as fucked up as the people living in it." Akeno was shocked by his answer, 'He had to hunt rogues most of his life and even fought in minor wars! But, isn't he my age! How could my pain compare? If I had been through what he probably has been through I would have started drinking too. No, that isn't right, I probably would have broken at some point. Just who are you Dante?' While she was lost in her mind Dante just had a bitter smile, during these years he, with the help of Azazel opened a mercenary business to exterminate unwanted beings in the supernatural world. Keeping up with the original Dante he named it, 'Devil May Cry' and while it didn't get much business at first that all changed when he managed to kill a high-class rogue devil that had been caught killing and consuming fallen angels to gain power. It was a hard-fought battle but he managed to pull it off and to declare his victory he dropped the head of the devil right on the great Satan's doorstep with a note saying, "Thank you for hiring Devil May Cry, please call again if you require my services." After that Devil May Cry blew up across the supernatural world, a mercenary that not only killed a high-class being but also delivered it to the devil king's doorstep without even being seen; it was something unheard of, but Dante did it. He became very busy after as he was hired to kill different class beings and he did manage to capture a low-class god that had escaped purgatory. During these missions is how he unlocked Cavalire, Beowulf, Lucifer, and Osiris. At one point he decided to leave a mark in the form of a card, on one side is the joker, on the other is a seductive devil laying on a sword and under her is the number to DMC. Because he never met in person he became known as the laughing reaper, or the white reaper by the select few that had seen his hair. He managed to hide his identity by wearing the outfit he got during the trial of the rogue. After a while he stopped delivering the heads and would just mark on his card the number to transfer the money to his account that was under a fake name.

Back to current time Dante called Jane once more, "Yes Master. How can I help you?" Dante gave a smile and said, "Can you prepare my signature meal and for Akeno please give her the classical priestess deluxe." Akeno was brought back from her mental warfare when Dante started talking to Jane but didn't say anything and started to drink her tea that had been brought when she wasn't paying attention. "Of course, Master. It will be about 45 minutes is that alright?" Dante gave a nod and Jane just gave a smile and walked off. "I see you are back from la-la land. So, what were you thinking about in that beautiful mind of yours?" Akeno ignored his teasing, "I was…I was thinking about what I would do if I was in your shoes. How did you manage to not go crazy minus the drinking?" Dante gave her another sad smile, "I have three sacred gears, one has a dragon with millennia of wisdom, and another that has 14 individuals with their own lifetime experiences to tell me, so I have plenty of people I can talk to about things I cant tell anyone else. It helps but I guess living a life covered in blood doesn't explain that huh? I guess I just remembered what my mother told me, she would always tell me that whenever I'm in a dark place to remember that I am never alone, which I guess is true since I have 29 other voices in my soul that I can talk to." Akeno was surprised that he had three sacred gears but quickly put it in the back of her mind when she heard him finish, "What happened to your mother?" Dante just chuckled and regained his smirk but in his eyes an ocean of sadness could be seen, but thankfully he was saved by Jane that had come with the food. "Ah, Jane just in time. Thank you and please tell Jarvis to give the chefs a bonus for the evening as thanks for a delicious meal as always.!" Dante flashed her a smile that she returned, "Of course master. Please enjoy your food." With that she left.

Akeno stared at the plate in front of her and was shocked, there were dozens of dishes but all of them were in a small quantity so that the consumer could enjoy them all without getting full. Not being able to resist she dug in, "Oh my mouh! This is the best food I've ever had!" She wasn't lying either, even the food from the chefs at the Gremory mansion paled in comparison. Seeing her reaction Dante let out a small chuckle as he watched her reaction. Hearing him Akeno blushed and looked at him to see a simple one-person pizza and a strawberry sundae. Dante just gave another smile and ate in quiet.

Once finished eating Akeno asked, "Why did you really bring me here?" Dante let out a sigh as he leaned back into his seat and gazed at the stars. "I wanted to be around someone that can understand my pain. The pain of being hated and hunted just for your blood. After the day I came to school to get my stuff I decided to look into all of the supernatural beings on the campus. I was shocked that there was another half-blood. Perhaps of a different kind but half-blood all the same. So, I took an interest in you, when I heard you were a sadomasochist, I got a good laugh out of it but didn't make fun because I know that I am in no position to make fun of others in honest. So I made up my mind to take care of the fallen angels in the town so that you wouldn't have to deal with them and after I met you I decided to see what would happen if I asked you out on a date, and to my surprise you accepted so I thought why not. I decided to at least make this night enjoyable for you, even if this is a bad day for me." Akeno was shocked by his words, 'half-blood?' "What do you mean half-blood?"

Dante gave a dry laugh: "My father was a demon, something much older and much more powerful than any devil could even dream of being, and my mother…. my mother was a half human, half angel. She was the by-product of true love between a human man and an angel woman. After I turned 6 my mother told me that after around three years my bloodline would unlock, and demons would seek after it because no matter what I did there would be a pulse of demonic energy that would lead the demons to our doorstep. So, my mother being the wonderful mother that she was decided to send me to her and my father's friend from a long time ago..."

Akeno: "Azazel."

Dante: "Yep, so when I left my mother detonated a crystal that would make a copy of me with my exact demonic signature and the demons flocked my home and slaughtered my mother, but I did find out one thing…she died smiling while saying my name. My mother was killed because I was born an abomination, the cross between a human, an angel, and a demon. When I was 6, I entered my mindscape and met my first sacred gear, the Armigar. It is a living sacred gear that choses its wielder based on their heart, soul, and potential, the Armigar contains the legacy of the 14 kings of Lucis a kingdom long lost to time. I underwent each of the 14 trials to unlock it and I won't say that it was painless, but it was worth it. When I turned 9 and was on my way to Japan, I managed to get in contact with my second sacred gear, the Boosted Gear that contains the Welsh dragon Empress Irene. I was honestly shocked to find out that my adoptive uncle was actually the leader of the fallen angel faction, but unlike I expected he took me in, in earnest and he treated me like I was his real nephew. I am thankful for that and it's that reason that I started my mercenary job. I'm sorry for ranting, I just needed to vent, thank you for listening Akeno." Dante gave her a weak smile.

Akeno: "No, no, no. It's fine really, I am happy that you chose me to listen to your story and I will admit that I am a bit shocked that not only are you a cross between a human, demon, and angel, but also possess three sacred gears which all are on the level of a longius or even better. I can understand the need to vent about these kinds of things. How did you discover your mother's race?"

Dante gave a smile and pulled out Osiris, "When I was 13, I traveled to a town near my original home on a mission and decided to visit my old home because I finished a day ahead of schedule. I needed to know if it was still there, and imagine my surprise when it was there full intact with nothing changed in the slightest. When I got home there wasn't anything to make you think there was anything wrong, but I knew differently. When I got to our living room, I saw a necklace hanging off the family portrait of myself as a baby in my mother's arms while she was sitting next to my father. When I picked up the necklace it showed me a vision and I met my mother once again, she had separated a section of her soul to form the crystal on the necklace and she talked to me about her heritage and how it relates to me, conveniently it turns out that I am immune to all light based weapons so all holy artifacts wont hurt any more than their base form. She also said that this was her weapon of choice, it has the ability to put wandering souls to rest, and it can omit any holy aura radiated by other weapons even if Excalibur was reforged it wouldn't hold a candle to this scythe. She said this was her last gift to me as her soul fragment faded away. Turns out that I actually have 46 wings, 12 angel wings, 12 metallic from armiger, 12 demonic, and 12 draconic from Irene. So apparently I am currently a being that can be compared to most mid-tier gods." Akeno was shocked when she heard about the abilities of Osiris and his heritage but brushed it off. "Now that you have told me everything about you what makes you think that I won't turn around and tell everything to Rias so we can use it against you?" she asked mysteriously. Dante just gave a weak smile, "Because I know you are a kind woman at heart and as someone who is also hated for their blood you know my pain and won't say anything. This is what I believe. Now then Akeno-san, I want to ask you a question." Akeno blushed at his words, "What is it?" Dante gave her a genuine and kind smile, "Would you be willing to go out with me?" Akeno almost fell out of her chair, "W…w…WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!!!!????" Dante gave her a rare serious look, "I honestly wanted to ask you this before I spilled my guts, but I figured that it would be easier if you knew why first. Was I wrong?" Akeno's face was red as a cherry and it almost seemed if steam would come out. 'He is a bit of a tease, but he is handsome, kind, and accepts me for who I am. It wouldn't hurt to date him... would it?' Akeno slowly calmed down and looked to see Dante still having a serious expression to show that he wasn't teasing. "I guess I could give you a shot, but can you promise me one thing?" Dante gave a kind smile, "What can I do for you?" Akeno took a deep breath, "Please don't let anything happen to Rias, she has been like a sister to me ever since my mother died. I don't want her to be hurt." Akeno looked at Dante with pleading eyes, "Of course my precious little Akeno." Akeno blushed at him but didn't rebuke his words.

After Dante drove Akeno home and gave her one last kiss before driving home to see a very disgruntled Nevan, but it didn't take long before her grumbles of frustration turned into moans of pleasure.