Chapter 8: "Broken Families"

As Dante begins to walk, bats start gathering in the center of the room. When they finish gathering, a girl with red hair and pale skin appears, dressed in a black dress. The woman, with a seductive attitude, looks at Dante and says, "Welcome, gentleman." The woman approaches Dante and says, "Is this your first time here?" Dante looks her up and down and replies, "It is, yeah. You'll treat me well, right?" The girl places a hand near Dante's chest and starts circling him, saying, "Of course. I'll treat you so well that you'll never want to leave." Dante steps back a bit and says, "That's what I wanted to hear." Preparing for a fight, he draws Rebellion from his back and points it to the ground. The girl steps back from Dante and walks over to a stage, then turns to him and says, "Show me what you've got, darling."

The music ("Nevan") begins to play.

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[Guitar Hero: "Another fight, another track, but looks like we're back to the ones with no lyrics."]

[Crimson-Haired Princess: "Seems like she's playing at seduction, this one."]

[Cat Guru: "With that pale skin and bats around her, she might be some kind of vampire."]

[Blooming Butterfly: "I don't understand much, but it seems that watching others' broadcasts makes this group quite entertaining."]

[Golden Lady Caged in Ice: "It's very odd, that a piece of music is chosen for each situation in the group."]

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After fighting for a while, with Dante taking the upper hand, the girl falls backward, but Dante catches her before she hits the ground. She looks at him and says, "You're quite the gentleman." She then tries to bite him, but Dante stops her by shooting her in the abdomen and says, "That's what you'd think, huh?" The girl responds, "Alright, I'll help you." She moves closer to Dante, caresses his face, and says, "Your father was a handsome demon, but you're no slouch yourself."

After some time, the girl begins to disappear in a blinding glow. A purple guitar then appears, crackling with electricity. Dante looks at it and begins to test it, playing a concert on it. He realizes that the Devil Arm can transform into a scythe or remain in its guitar form.

After trying it out and finishing the concert with a slide across the floor, Dante proceeds to leave and continue on his path toward his brother.

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[Added: 'Nevan']

[Guitar Hero: "Awesome, a guitar. Even if I can't use everything else, I should be able to use this one, I think."]

[Crimson-Haired Princess: "You do know it's a demon, right?"]

[Cat Guru: "And it doesn't come cheap either."]

[Blooming Butterfly: "Using a demon that turns into a weapon is really interesting."]

[Golden Lady Caged in Ice: "These demons are very strange."]

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After venturing further into the tower, Dante opens a door and finds Arkham's body. As he approaches, he feels a shot coming from behind. He dodges it by slightly tilting his head, then turns around and sees Lady, who has fired at him. "Well, that was quick," comments Dante.

Lady, pointing her gun at Dante as she approaches Arkham's body, asks, "Did you kill this man?"

Dante, indifferent, replies, "And what if I did?"

Lady starts shooting at him again; Dante dodges the shots, gets close, and grabs her wrist to stop her as she fires. "Oh, I love a quick woman," Dante jokes.

"Shut up!" Lady snaps, breaking free from his grip and shooting again. She continues attacking, saying, "He was obsessed with becoming a demon, so much that he killed his own wife." Trying to hit Dante, she adds, "That's why he massacred innocent people, too. He's the vilest creature."

Lady tries to use some combat holds on him, but Dante frees himself and sends her flying. She lands, gets up, and runs toward him, shooting again. Finally, she looks at Dante and reveals, "On top of that, that vile scum... is my father."

Dante watches her, with a mocking smile, and comments, "Well, we have something in common." He then adds, "I've got a dysfunctional family too."

Lady, frustrated, points her gun at him again and exclaims, "And what do you know about family? You're a demon! This is my father, my family." With bitterness, she adds, "It was supposed to be me who ended this!" She finally lowers her gun and stares at Arkham's body in silence.

Seeing she no longer points her gun at him, Dante remarks sarcastically, "Not going to shoot me? What a surprise."

Lady, without looking at him, says, "Go. I don't care anymore."

Dante turns and begins to walk away, muttering to himself, "So, family, huh?" He then continues his way through the tower.

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[Guitar Hero: "Seems like this is more complicated than it looks."]

[Crimson-Haired Princess: "So, to become a demon, you need sacrifices, even of someone close… It's very different from how I know them."]

[Cat Guru: "Looks like she won't get her revenge now, it seems."]

[Blooming Butterfly: "Oh, right. So, do demons really not understand what family is? Maybe they have something in common with mine."]

[Golden Lady Caged in Ice: "Maybe other worlds deal with demons too. I guess it's another coincidence."]

[System: "Right, it is a coincidence."]

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After some time, Dante finds a large door and decides to enter. As he crosses through, he observes a place surrounded by cells and lava, with a relic in the center of the room. He starts walking towards the relic when, suddenly, he hears someone falling from above, shouting, "Sparda!"