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The rain outside Devil May Cry cast a soft rhythm against the windows, a calmness that was about to shatter. Inside, Dante reclined with his feet propped up, enjoying his evening meal—pizza, of course—while Patty sat across the room with Hadrian, who had stopped by after a recent mission. Patty was staring longingly at an old photo she'd tucked into her pocket, the edges worn and frayed.

"What's with the long face?" Dante asked, his voice a casual drawl as he glanced up between bites. "It's not like I've got any long-lost family coming around to bug me."

Patty rolled her eyes. "Not everything's about you, Dante. Sometimes people have... feelings."

Hadrian looked from Patty to Dante with a raised eyebrow, sensing the tension between them. "What he means is, if something's bothering you, you can tell us. Right, Dante?" Hadrian nudged him.

Dante shrugged. "Yeah, kid, but moping doesn't fix anything."

That was the wrong thing to say. Patty's face flushed with frustration, and she stood abruptly, clenching her fists. "You wouldn't understand, Dante! Some of us care about family!" Without waiting for a reply, she stormed out, the door slamming behind her.

Hadrian sighed, giving Dante an unimpressed look. "Real smooth, Dante. You could've just listened."

Dante shrugged. "She'll come around. Kids get angry, then they get over it."

But Hadrian knew better. He could tell that something deeper was bothering Patty, and he hoped Dante realized it too before it was too late.

The Mysterious Client

The tension simmered until Morrison entered, a determined look on his face. "Dante! I brought someone who might need your help," he announced, ushering in a woman dressed in a long coat, her gaze darting around nervously as if afraid of being followed. A pendant hung from her neck, faintly glowing with an otherworldly energy.

"I'm looking for Dante. I need... protection," she said quietly, glancing over her shoulder.

"That'd be me," Dante said, stepping forward. "You got demons on your tail or something?"

She nodded, gripping the pendant tightly. "This... this amulet has been in my family for generations. It's supposed to keep something terrible sealed away, but lately, demons have been drawn to it. They sense the power within, and... I don't know how much longer I can hold them off alone."

Hadrian and Dante exchanged a glance. "Alright," Dante replied, "but you should know demons aren't exactly polite houseguests."

As they spoke, a faint rustling came from outside. Shadows twisted through the windows as a small group of demons appeared, their eyes fixed on the pendant. They crashed through the door, claws reaching out, and Dante leaped into action, drawing Rebellion and striking with a fluid slash. Hadrian backed him up, casting Thops's Barrier to keep the woman shielded.

Dante smirked, "High Time!" He launched one of the demons into the air, spinning Rebellion with practiced ease before slicing through his foe. Hadrian followed up, casting Loretta's Mastery, which sent a cascade of magical projectiles toward the remaining demons. The bolts struck with precision, clearing the area within seconds.

"That all you got?" Dante taunted the defeated demons, sheathing his sword as the dust settled. Hadrian, on the other hand, focused on the woman, trying to calm her down.

"Your pendant is safe... for now," he assured her.

Patty's Discovery

Meanwhile, Patty wandered the rainy streets alone, her thoughts circling back to the woman in the office. There was something familiar about her, a feeling she couldn't shake. Curious, she found herself drifting back to the Devil May Cry office.

As she approached, Patty overheard snippets of conversation. "Dante, we need to find her before the demons do," Hadrian urged, the urgency in his voice piercing through the rain-soaked air.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over Patty. She quickly ducked behind a lamppost, peering through the glass. The woman—Nina—was stepping out, adjusting her coat as she prepared to leave. Without thinking, Patty followed her, ducking behind corners and hiding in shadows.

Nina walked with purpose, but Patty noticed her glancing back nervously as if sensing she was being followed. The tension grew, and finally, Nina ducked into a quiet side street, seemingly oblivious to her young pursuer.

Finally, the woman stopped and turned, locking eyes with Patty. Recognition flared in her gaze, quickly masked by a look of fear.

"Are you... my mother?" Patty's voice trembled.

Nina stepped back, shaking her head. "I... can't stay here. You're in danger just being near me." She spun and darted away, disappearing into the fog. But Patty wasn't about to let her go that easily. Her heart raced, her emotions conflicted, but she knew she had to get that pendant. If that pendant was linked to her family, she had to understand why.

The Altar of Shadows

Inside the dimly lit hotel room, a thick tension hung in the air as Sid, disguised as one of Nina's friends, loomed over Nina, a sinister grin plastered across his face. He had her pinned against a crumbling wall, the flickering light from the overhead lamp casting shadows that danced ominously around them.

Patty burst through the door, eyes wide with determination, only to stop short at the sight before her. "Let her go!" she shouted, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

Sid turned slowly, his gaze sharp and calculating. "Ah, the little orphan has come to play," he sneered, his grip tightening around Nina's arm. "But your timing is... unfortunate."

"What do you want?" Patty demanded, her heart racing.

Sid chuckled, the sound dark and mocking. "What do I want? Simple. If you want your mother to live, you need to get me that pendant."

Patty's expression faltered, confusion flashing across her face. "What pendant? I don't have it!"

"Of course, you don't," Sid said, rolling his eyes. "But Dante does. Go get it from him, and I'll let your dear mother walk away unharmed." His grip on Nina tightened, and she winced, a look of desperation in her eyes.

"No!" Nina shouted, struggling against Sid's hold. "Patty, don't listen to him!"

Sid smiled, relishing the chaos. "Tick-tock, kid. Time's running out. Do we have a deal?"

Patty stood frozen, the weight of the situation crashing down on her. She could feel the urgency in Nina's voice, the fear radiating from her mother. "I'll get it," she finally said, determination edging her tone. "Just... let her go."

"Smart choice," Sid replied, releasing Nina just enough for her to gasp for air. "Now run along. We'll be waiting."

As Sid turned away, a wicked grin still plastered on his face, Patty dashed out of the hotel, her mind racing with thoughts of how to retrieve the pendant from Dante. She knew the risks, but the stakes had never been higher.

The Ritual

Back in the office, Hadrian noticed the pendant was gone, his gaze shifting to the empty doorway. "Dante... I think Patty took off with the pendant."

Dante groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Why can't things ever be simple?" He grabbed his coat and headed for the door, with Hadrian and Morrison close behind.

They followed Patty's trail to a dimly lit hotel across town. By the time they arrived, they could already sense something was wrong. The building was quiet, almost too quiet, and an oppressive energy hung in the air.

Inside, Sid waited with a smug grin, disguised as one of Nina's friends. He held Nina by the arm, his grip tight as he forced her to the ground. Patty stepped forward, clutching the pendant, her eyes wide with determination.

"Just put it on the altar, kid," Sid sneered. "It's the only way to keep her safe."

Nina struggled against him, her voice urgent. "Patty, don't! You don't know what you're doing!"

But Patty hesitated, then placed the pendant on the altar, driven by desperation. The room trembled as the ritual began, dark energy swirling around the altar and expanding in a vortex of shadow and flame. Sid laughed, reveling in his victory.

At that moment, Dante, Hadrian, and Morrison burst into the room. Dante's eyes narrowed, taking in the scene. "Sid, you've outdone yourself this time."

Sid smirked. "You're too late, Dante! Thanks to this little reunion, I'm about to unleash the power of Abigail!"

As the portal widened, Sid jumped in, disappearing into the churning darkness. Without hesitation, Dante turned to Hadrian and Morrison. "Get Patty and Nina out of here. And tell the manager to start clearing people from the building."

Hadrian nodded, helping Patty and Nina toward the exit, but he paused just long enough to watch as Dante approached the portal.

"Be careful, Dante," Hadrian said, gripping his shoulder briefly before backing away.

Dante just gave a small smirk. "You know me, kid. I always am."

And with that, Dante leaped into the portal after Sid, vanishing into the hellish depths. The room began to shake violently, cracks spreading across the walls as the building groaned under the weight of the demonic energy.

Hell Unleashed

Deep in the underworld, Dante emerged, his eyes scanning the fiery landscape. Sid awaited him, his body already transformed by Abigail's influence, his power amplified to monstrous proportions.

"Too late, Dante!" Sid sneered, his voice echoing with malice. "I'm stronger than I've ever been. Abigail's power is mine!"

Dante rushed at him, Rebellion gleaming in his grip as he swung, meeting Sid's newfound strength head-on. But Sid's power was overwhelming, his strikes driving Dante back with each blow.

Finally, Sid lunged forward, tearing Rebellion from Dante's grip and pinning him against a jagged stone cross-like formation. Dante struggled, but Sid's grip was unyielding.

"Enjoy the view," Sid jeered, his laughter echoing through the underworld as he left Dante hanging, victorious.

Back in the Hotel

Back in the hotel, Hadrian, Patty, and Nina stepped into the cool night air, a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere they had just escaped. The distant sounds of the city felt oddly surreal after the chaos they had just witnessed. While they were safe for the moment, a gnawing sense of dread settled over Hadrian, creeping into his thoughts like a shadow.

He glanced at Patty, whose face was pale with worry, and at Nina, whose eyes reflected a mixture of relief and lingering fear. They had narrowly evaded Sid's sinister plot, but Hadrian couldn't shake the feeling that their troubles were far from over. Dante was still inside the hotel, facing a threat that rivaled even the darkest demons of legend. He imagined Dante's confident demeanor, but he knew that confidence could only go so far against the overwhelming power of Sid, now bolstered by Abigail's dark influence.

Hadrian's mind raced with scenarios—Dante surrounded by demonic shadows, his signature smirk replaced by the grim realization of the odds stacked against him. The thought of his mentor being overwhelmed sent a chill through him. 'He can handle himself,' Hadrian reassured himself, but the thought felt hollow.

Nina's voice broke through his reverie. "We need to get somewhere safe," she urged, her expression haunted.

Hadrian nodded, though his instincts screamed that they couldn't just run. "We have to get Dante out of there," he insisted, determination flooding his veins. He turned to Patty, whose eyes were wide with anxiety. "We can't leave him to face Sid alone."

Patty swallowed hard, fear evident in her gaze. "But how? We can't just go back in there!"

"We'll find a way," Hadrian replied, the resolve in his voice surprising even himself. He knew Dante was tough, but the thought of leaving him to face Sid alone felt like a betrayal. They were a team, and they needed to act like one.

As they made their way down the street, Hadrian's heart raced with a mix of urgency and fear. The night was dark, the path ahead uncertain, but one thing was clear: he wouldn't abandon Dante, no matter the cost.

The Cross of Despair

In the depths of the underworld, Dante hung limply from a jagged stone cross, the weight of his body straining against the sharp edges. Rebellion, his cherished sword, pierced through his chest, the hilt glinting ominously in the dim, flickering light of the infernal realm. Blood dripped steadily from the wound, pooling beneath him, staining the ground with crimson.