[4] Umu!

As a loyal fan of the Devil May Cry series, Aiden may not excel in Ace Combat or achieve triple SSS ranks, but he has mastered Dante's 'Yah' swordsmanship and Nero's 'Bingo' swordplay to perfection. This, however, doesn't diminish his love for the series nor his understanding of the tumultuous love-hate saga of the Sparda family.

Nero is named after a certain Umu-girl.

He's the protagonist of the fourth and fifth series of the action-packed Devil May Cry series, a legendary dark knight and grandson of Sparda, who single-handedly triumphed over the entire demon world, albeit existing mostly in background stories.

He's also the final boss of the third and fifth series, the son of the legendary hair-gelled warrior Vergil.

In the first three series, he's the nephew of the legendary old man swordsman Dante.

A former knight of the Order of the Sword, he's now a devil hunter.

While Capcom, as the game's developer, may prioritize flashy moves over practicality in the Devil May Cry series, and the limitations of the game may not fully showcase the Sparda family's power and destructiveness, Aiden can still deduce Nero's abilities based on the plot animations and official novels of the fourth and fifth series.

As a half-demon with only a quarter of Sparda's bloodline, Nero was praised by Dante in the fourth series as "surpassing sheer brute force." He possesses extraordinary talent and innate strength.

Firstly, judging from Nero's abilities in the fourth series, he possesses the unique ability of the Devil Bringer, which allows his right arm to absorb demonic objects and harness their power. It can manifest as a gigantic glowing hand with incredible strength, capable of grabbing, throwing, and striking demons, even crushing the Savior's head over a hundred meters tall.

Secondly, even before awakening his demonic power, Nero still possesses all-around superior strength, speed, reflexes, and physical qualities compared to ordinary humans. Despite having his right arm, usually used for swordplay, encased in plaster to conceal it, switching to wielding a sword with his left hand doesn't diminish his combat prowess. This suggests either strong coordination between his hands or exceptionally high learning ability, or both.

Thirdly, when pierced through the chest by a knight's spear and a large sword, with massive bleeding and facing imminent death, his intense desire to protect his loved one triggers the awakening of his demonic side. This initial awakening grants him a full recovery and a comprehensive boost in abilities. In his Devil Trigger state, he has a Shadow behind ability, akin to a Stand User, which allows him to transform demonic energy into weapons to attack enemies simultaneously with his main body.

Lastly, stimulated by his strong belief in protecting his family and catalyzed by the human blood flowing within him, he undergoes a medical miracle of limb regeneration and truly transforms into a demon with luminous blue wings, possessing flight capability and experiencing an all-around enhancement in abilities.

Perhaps because he entered his demon form solely through his own will and didn't use demonic weapons like his two predecessors, or perhaps because he has more human blood, his demonic transformation is different from that of his predecessors. And in his first transformation, he single-handedly stopped Dante and Vergil, at their peaks, from clashing and even defeated his father, Vergil.

Although Vergil had already fought Dante and wasn't in peak condition, and he may have held back against his son, this is the same Vergil who, after consuming the fruit of the Qliphoth tree, surpassed the Demon King, Mundus, and could transform into a true demon.

From this, we can see Nero's immense potential, reaching heights that even his predecessors hadn't achieved at his age.

Thinking about all this, Aiden couldn't help but feel excited. "So, does this mean that I can understand that I now possess a template similar to Nero's? After enough training and honing in battles, will I also have Nero's Devil Trigger in my twenties? It's kind of exciting to think about. System, can you show me what I look like now? After all, the Sparda family is known for producing handsome guys."

As Aiden's words fell, a holographic projection of a fully-blooded hybrid teenager accompanied by data appeared before him: tall, with muscles that resembled the David statue in their perfect combination of power and beauty. Fair-skinned, handsome, with deep facial features, particularly striking with a somewhat 'Gothic' mid-length silver hair by today's standards, a straight and delicate nose, and starry, deep blue eyes streaked with blood vessels.

The displayed data read:

[Race: Half-Demon (Third Generation Sparda Bloodline, Unawakened State)

Bone Age: 15 (Soul Age: 19)

Height: 175CM

Weight: 68KG

Equipment: None]

Looking at this projection, Aiden couldn't help but blurt out, "Holy crap."

"This physique, this complexion, this face, this nose, these expressive eyes and brows, who is this guy? Even though it's just a 3D model from the game, you can still see the resemblance to Nero during his teenage years in the fourth series. Truly deserving of the Sparda family's reputation for being universally attractive, with a built-in cosmetic effect. Hmm, I'm not even hungry anymore. If I had this face back on Earth, I might not have been perpetually single."

Only then did Aiden notice the data beside the body projection, prompting him to ask the system, "What's going on? How did I become 15 years old?"

[A 15-year-old body is more malleable than a 19-year-old's and is more easily trusted. The Sparda bloodline within the host has yet to awaken. Currently, it has only bestowed upon the host greater potential and physical qualities. Please, host, exert yourself in training to fulfill the tasks.]

Receiving this reply, Aiden sarcastically retorted to the system, "Got it, got it. With the Sword of Damocles hanging over me, threatening to turn me into a backstreet girl, how can I possibly relax?"

Ignoring the fact that he was stark naked, Aiden became engrossed in admiring his own physique and appearance.

Until a gust of wind breezed past his nether regions.

Finally recalling his predicament, Aiden addressed the system in his mind, "System, even though there's no 'one slash, 999,' can I at least get a beginner's package like those in online games? I'm not asking for much, just some clothes, a weapon, and a bit of starting capital. Of course, if the quality of the clothes could be better and I could choose the style, and a little more money, that would be even better."

[Please select your clothing style and initial weapon.]

Aiden rubbed his chin with his right hand, pondering. Finally, he clapped his hands together, making his decision!

As his words trailed off, an exquisitely decorated greatsword with intricate gold motifs, named Durandal (a high imitation version of his other brother Kratos), appeared in his right hand, while a pouch containing half a million valis materialized in his left. A magnificent and refined outfit magically adorned him: a traditional Sparda family black hooded coat, a simple yet stylish inner lining, slim-fitting jeans that allowed for movement, and a pair of understated brown leather boots completed the ensemble.

Aiden's lips curled into a satisfied smile as he admired this traditional Sparda family attire, reminiscent of Dante's flamboyant style in the game. After stowing away the pouch of money, he raised the black coat with both hands, swiftly drew Durandal, pointing it forward, and exclaimed, "Jackpot!"

Standing there for a moment, Aiden, who had only ever handled toy swords, awkwardly sheathed the blade while quipping, "As they say, a minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage. My demonic powers haven't awakened yet, so I can't even use the magnet back, huh?"

Leaning against the wall, with his left hand gripping the sword, Aiden rubbed his smooth chin with his right hand, contemplating, "The labyrinthine city Orario, the goddess Hestia, the goddess Loki, and the protagonist Bell. Although it's a Japanese anime, it clearly exhibits a Western fantasy vibe. I guess it's time to add a surname, only Aiden finds it very strange with how Sparda blood runs through my veins, hmm... Aiden Sparda, what a charming name."

Aiden Sparda, stylishly flicked his coat and, facing the rising sun, began striding confidently down the street.