7 - Brother’s Meet

Joshua could hear the sound of teen girl pulling the trigger which allowed her launcher to fire out the wire while letting out a slight grunt as the boy closed the door behind him. From what he can tell with the hook-shot he had received, had a definitive shorter reach compared to what her massive weapon could produce.

It was expected as the size was a vast difference and provided more space for her and take such utility to skip past everything the tower has to offer.

Nevertheless, he wouldn't take such a risk the teen was taking by simply climbing from the outside of the tower with those demons flying around ready to pounce regardless if he now had a [Barrier] constantly shielding him. If he thought about it, climbing outside allowed the demon's a better view of her position while inside, with the amount of corners and darkness that surrounded the tower allowed a slight advantage to sneak past them when there was no reason to waste more energy and do battle.

Joshua looked down to see one entrance but could not see if there was a door to the next available floor. The glowing circular platform besides him was suspicious to see with every floor having such design in this room. The glow was noticeable in this dim area. Grabbing a small piece of rubble, the boy chucked it at the floor watching in amazement as it bounced to great heights before landing back to the circle to only ascend with the same height. There was neither an increase nor a decrease of velocity which came along with it as the rubble dropped and simply gave a momentum without stopping.

'But was it only because it's a small rock?' In contrast to a piece of stone, he felt that he would break his legs before he could land, meaning he needed something to give him some safety with gravity pulling him down. "Good timing she gave this gun." He complimented as he turned the safety measure off. Aiming up to the ceiling, he fired his gun and watched as the hook opened its claw and struck it causing small cracks to appear, keeping a steady and strong hold as the boy tugged the gun a few times before nodding to himself in confirmation that it seemed to hold his weight. "Looks stable enough." Taking a deep breath, he jumped onto the glowing circle and felt the feeling to be similar to a trampoline but with greater force.

Joshua continued to look up to the ceiling as he felt himself stop going further up and start to fall, the gun took action in slowing down his descent before he landed onto another circle. The boy continued to do so with each floor he climbed. There was still some gravity that strained his legs however, the barrier fortunately seemed to have take more of the brute strain of the pain he would have received. After more jumps led him the highest floor that could be reached in this room with a bright green door. A skull emblem plastered on top with three blue flames on each sides of the door frame.

Retracting the hook-shot back, Joshua brought out his gun and made sure it was filled with ammo before opening the door. The slight cool feeling as he drew closer suggested that there was an open room of air, the sense of cool air was present even before he fully opened the door which proved his thinking to be correct and witness the dark sky once more. Walking steady towards the edge of the cliff that was present, he noticed the area he had last made contact with the teen gun girl. Joshua thought he was quicker to reach this level but he couldn't see her meaning she had gone ahead. "She's quicker than I-Argh!!" He twitched in pain soon after as he stepped back from the edge and crouched down on the floor, dropping his gun to the floor before holding his limbless arm. The phantom pain erupting again as if pulsing, trying to tell him his arm is near.

It was weird, the feeling of having been able to feel his arm that he had lost calling him and yet it was a strange sensation that had arrived with the awakening of magic coming into play. He soon started to cough again, spiting out blood. He tried to steady his breath of the pain that soon started to come from within his chest, quickly taking another gulp of the potion easing his pain and his stopping the sudden adrenaline.

"What's...happening to me?"

XXX

Human blood. How ripe it was in just drinking it. The tower that trapped it for many years; decades or maybe even more than a century. It could not tell, the only desire it only had was to sustain its hunger, its thirst and it enjoyed every second of the scream and gore that came from just a mere swing of its sharp claws.

A pure healthy child was its favourite to feast. Like a stray little lamb just waiting to be attacked, it was only a shame it could only take the glorious texture of only one the child's arm. The taste was similar to the human inside the house, a relative? It didn't care. It only wanted to savour more of the child's flesh and bone.

The sense of danger had made it flee, if only there was a few more minutes to eat the child could it have been satisfied. The thoughts itself continued to cause it to salivate.

It halted its movements when it noticed the smell. Yes, the blood of the child was still alive, it gave the same texture as that women. How nice of the boy. The child may as well be a beacon with the development of his whole body.

The crackles of electricity soon began to spark into existence disintegrating the demons nearby that was already dead and bitten for its hunger. There was no longer a reason to eat them anymore.

There was something better coming along. It was only a matter of time till that delicacy would arrive to its location.

XXX

Joshua felt the pain subside once more. His lost limb felt as though it was calling him. Was this also some sort of magic? Or was this merely a trick on his mind to handle the amount of stress and fear he tried to hide through his anger. He couldn't tell, he only knew that the top had to have the answer in ending this nightmare.

Looking through his remaining items, he noticed the reduced amount of Vital Stars he currently had to use. It would mean that he needed to visit a Divinity Statue soon however, there was none in this open area. Nevertheless, Joshua was stalling and if he took too long, then the gun girl would have already reached the top along with the guy with the red jacket. Something told him he wasn't fully human. The glimpse of pure white hair could verify such.

Continuing forward to the next door, after walking up some stairs, Joshua opened the blue door and took a peek at the wreckage left behind. Statue pieces broken everywhere with some remnants of red orbs still scattered meaning whoever did this wasn't recklessly just destroying the statue but it was demons imitating as such.

Going further in to the spiral going upwards, he noticed one statue still intact, the glow one of its stone blade being blue while the other red. The stone sword looked far sharper than what you would expect from something as a rock melded together but that too must be a testament of a demons lifespan if they had stayed here for many years.

Pulling out his gun, he took a shot at its head which caused the demon to deflect the bullet. The statue turned slowly towards him before it moved. A leap was made to move and yet it did not reach his position with that one jump, it was slow, and he would take advantage of that. Waiting for the statue to be near him, Joshua waited for the statue to attack before he rushed in behind and brought out the spectral sword. It was larger than him and therefore he jumped high enough to reach the statue's head before swiping the neck. There was no noise of its death, yet the weapons it held dropped with its hands stationary.

There orbs that came out also indicated that it was dead. Collecting the remaining orbs scattered, he paused his looting after hearing the loud sound electrical current before a set of chains being unlocked. The door was opened wide before closed with the same amount of strength to cause a loud enough sound to echo.

The footstep was heard clearly in the open room. The steps was even from what he could tell even after the door was then shut closed without a care of how loud the door was slammed.

From what Joshua could tell, the cold breeze that someone went through was going outside. The feeling of the air was denser than previously which could only mean that he was nearly at the top. It was of course a found theory since the boy had basically jumped to the highest floor using those platforms.

Regardless, he proceeded to the door and opened it wide to be hit with the breeze hitting him harshly. "This should be the top of the tower." The edge provided no clear view of the city he just came from. The shine of the familiar glow was noticed and he felt a sense of relief of finding the statue, he ran towards it and immediately showed the vital stars that was at hand.

"Those who desire to acquire the ancient ways of war shall offer the blood of monsters in exchange."

Before he could actually offer the remaining blood he had of some demons, the statue had pulled him to the void. It was weird itself that it didn't wait and merely provided a selection of skills that was presented as well as items to be restored.

The amount of red orbs he recently collected levitated and pulled away from him pockets and flew around in a circle as Joshua looked at the new techniques and items. While having more skills was beneficial, if he couldn't be in top condition to do it then what was the point, moving away from the skills, he selected a few amount of vital stars and a piece of the golden orb that had miraculously disappeared before after saving his life.

He decided not to spend the remaining orbs and yet the stature did not let him leave.

"Thou should utilise thy creativity with protection for survival. Purchase an upgrade for better understanding. No resources are more important than thou own life."

If the statue itself was saying such things, then it could only mean the whatever he would experience after entering the next door would be something he had a low chance of survival. Or it could merely be the statue not wanting the red orbs to be wasted away if he ever died in this tower.

"Fine." Looking back at the techniques that was shown, he raised a brow when noticing a technique in making a more condensed [Barrier] that was not used to be connected to the body. An idea came about with such a ability and selected it without looking at another one that provided a better protection type of skill.

"The best defence can be the best offence…or was it the other way round? Don't matter."

Waiting for the usual farewell of the statue as he had found to be a natural quote of it, he looked in surprised at the statues direction with what was spoken. "...Thou should be wary of one's sanity, for the time comes close of unconditioned rage to arrive, the act of providing power to was not meant for the uses of Humans. Take precautions to heed my words...for thou is losing something precious the more time continues."

What did it mean, what was I losing?Shaking his head, the feeling of the void pushing him away was felt before he felt the return of the cold breeze. Looking at his hand, he began manifest a [Barrier] before it started the expand into half the size of a spear.

Having the sudden shock of memory being once again nailed to his mind, he head a hand out and channels a small [Barrier], the shape of the cone was created. It continued to increase in size and began to float by his side and aim in each direction whenever he turned his body. Looking at it, to Joshua it was, 'Cool~.'

The [Barrier] makeshift of a cone had more sharpness and had an even more denser glow to the regular [Barrier] he had invisible wrapped to around his body. With a hum, he looked back to hear the sound of flaps of wings, looking as it neared his area but not noticing his presence, he looked at the cone to attack and watched in amazement as the barrier shot ahead like a bullet and charged in a straight line, impaling the demon as it disintegrated along with the barrier. Wait a minute, a bullet!

Taking out a bullet, he materialised the size, shape and density of the barrier and watched in amazement of the spectral bullet like [Barrier] and placed it into his gun after taking out the ammo that was already placed in there. It fit perfectly.

*Bang!*

"I can work with this."

XXX

There was quite similarities between them when looking closely which came from their style of clothing being their long style coats that swayed with the air. One wearing blue with his white pale hair swept to the back while the other wore red and allowed his long white hair to freely fall.

"You showed up."

The man with the red jacket merely walked towards the man wearing blue in contrast while holding a katana inside its sheathe. Two guns held in each hand while spinning them around. "You sure know how to throw a party." Was his only reply with a smug look, noticing the irritated look coming from the man with the katana. "No food, no drinks, and the only babe just left."

"My sincerest apology brother." The blue coated man decided to play along and shake his head with the other man now known to be related to him. "I was so eager to see you, I couldn't concentrate on preparations for the bash."

The brother scoffed and walked around before facing back at the man again. "Whatever, at any rate, it's been a whole year since we last met. How about a kiss from your younger brother?" He shrugged before he aimed his gun at him. "Or better yet, how about a kiss from THIS?"

There was a few seconds of silence as lightening started to erupt between them in the dark and gloomy sky. "So this is what they call a heartwarming family reunion, eh?"

The older brother smirked before pushing the the scabbard of his katana out of his sheathe, "You got that right."

XXX

The sound of loud gunshots was heard near the door from where he was at and he turned his head quickly at the sudden indications. Did the gun girl already make it to the top? The sparks of lightning erupted near the tower and Joshua felt the sudden flash light that would have scratched him if not for his barrier.

He had to go. Opening the door, the continued to run forward upwards of the spiral, the noise of the clash of swords and gunshots was heard more clearly even with the sudden rain attempting to cover the sound. Panting at the sudden rush of running the whole way, he neared the stairs and noticed that there was no more floor, he had reached the top.

Calming his breath, he walked up the stairs only to be ducked down at the sudden noise of a bullet nearly hitting him.

"The hell?"

"W-what?! Since when was a kid here." Joshua noticed the man that looked to be in his teen with a red coat looked in his direction in bewilderment. The other person fighting him also had a similar face and showed a glimpse of recognition. "Hey, Vergil, What's with all the guests? You didn't invite them, did you?" The fight was halted before it could continue even further with the sudden interruption.

"That depends, there's been a lot of guests uninvited than expected."

Joshua soon recognised the teen, the one who had saved him. "You're the one who saved me—"

?!

The loud screech vibrated through the air and Joshua felt the same chill telling him to dodge, he listened so and felt the slight cold sharped nearly cleave his head away but only actually left a cut to the side of his neck. Too close.

"Hey Kid!"

Joshua couldn't focus at the red coated teen as he fell from the tower with the demon that took his arm dived to chase him.

"MINE~."

before he could aim at its head, he noticed darkness close in, capturing both him and the demon. 'Was I just eaten?!'

XXX

"Shit!" Ignoring Vergil, he decided to chase after the kid before he felt the blade of his older brother halt him.

"Not so fast Dante. We're not done yet."

"This isn't the time Vergil, a kid was caught up into this."

"Then you'll have to beat me quickly if you want to save him, brother." And so Vergil soon charged with his sword with Dante soon following along with gritted teeth. "The boy is beyond the level of normal than what you would think."