Judge the Fallen I (The World of Devil May Cry)

         The Vatican City – an independent city-state separate from the country of 21st Century Italy.  Surrounded by various domes, concrete and marble buildings patterned with columns and arches of various architectural styles ranging from Gothic to Neoclassical as well as other famous styles featured in the revolutionary European artistic age of the Renaissance, the sovereign that was home to the Catholic Church loomed peacefully isolated within the capital of Rome.  Within its silent yet holistic atmospheric structure called the Sistine Chapel, the head of the Catholic Church referred to as The Pope along with the various Bishops and Cardinals were supposed to be gathered around praying for the state of affairs within the world as well as helping the people across the world find a semblance of peace but this was not the case for today.

         Although this place was supposed to represent a significant center of glory for those of the Catholic Christian faith, there were rumors that many secrets of the world as well as lost treasures from various periods such as the Holy Grail were contained within.  Even though such speculation was never proven to be true, conspiracists still believed that the holy church held many mysteries that would never be disclosed to the public.  However, in this special case, such a rumor may just be proven to be true.

         It all started when a mysterious ruby-like jewel was discovered within the confines of the church laying on the altar before the statue of the Holy Mother.  One of the Cardinals could not fathom where the jewel could have come from so he sought out the Pope himself as well as other prominent figures within the church.  As they gathered around observing the luminescent item of unknown origin, one person suggested that it could be the notorious Philosopher's Stone that was the centerfold of intrigue in the practice of alchemy.  A stone said to transform any metal into silver or gold and even rumored to contain the key to obtaining immortality for man, the jewel was never found by any one alchemist though many hypotheses pointed to the fact the object was red in nature.  Given the unique glow of the object, this would definitely strike a massive wave of controversy and surge of greed as powers from all over the world would try to obtain it for themselves; therefore, they had to keep the discovery of this object a secret.  Unfortunately for them, not only was this gem what they had perceived to be but it was something that would bring them more trouble than they were planning to bargain for.

         It was at this moment when the doors to the sanctuary were plunged open with a loud, explosive echo as the giant rod-iron entrance was flung apart like a strong gust of wind ripping a tree from its roots in the earth.  The commotion severely startled the holy men inside as they instantly grabbed the Pope and hid behind the great podium where one would begin to preach a sermon.  Unsure of who would do such a thing, the men peeked from behind the platform to see the cause of the unexpected disturbance.  It was then that a silhouette obscured by shadow had traversed inside the area like a ghost making its way towards the people inside.

         The phantasmal being appeared like some sort of cursed aberration, which caused warning signs alerting the humans of danger.  The Cardinals grabbed their crucifixes, held them out like warding charms in a valiant attempt exorcise the spirit out from the holy place while using holy water and prayers uttered in Latin.  Much to their dismay, the being continued to advance unaffected by their feeble attempts to get rid of him.  It was then that the holy men were cleaved into pieces by just a mere wisp of black mist causing the sacred place to be dyed in blood.  Being the weak creatures they were, the ghostlike being advanced until coming upon the 'Holy Father' who was holding the crimson jewel.

         "Did you really think I would be so easily repelled by prayers? I once called the church my home.  Now then, I'll gladly take that crystal from your hands.  You humans could never understand the might of what it can do," he began before snatching the jewel away from the man on the floor.

"And since you consider yourself so holy, why don't you die in the same pathetic fashion as the so-called holy being you worship?" the specter taunted while grabbing the priest and throwing him against the giant golden cross arranging the man's body like he was being crucified before nailing him there with silver candle holders and splitting him down the middle.  As the once noble head of the Catholic Church leaked out blood and entrails all over the altar, the sinister individual took the red gem and dissipated into nothingness as if he was never there to begin with.

         The phantasmal projection then found himself in a room that was not in the realm of mankind but of something else entirely.  He sat in a solitary throne room in which his seat was plated with golden skulls and swords arranged like a chair worthy of a king or someone of similar stature.  Holding the red jewel in his hand, he sat down grabbing a crystal chalice filled with the finest wine that could only be described as an elixir reserved only for the gods.   As he juggled the jewel around between his fingers, he pulled out a black book that seemed to have a unique property of observation that worked like a portable surveillance system almost like a crystal ball akin to the one that the man he worked with seemed to employ.

         Within its pages, he saw the battles of Bael and Asmodeus versus the armored swordsman that was known as the son of the King of Elysium.  The two demon gods were dispatched as if they had nothing noteworthy about their strength despite of employing the power received from a fragment of the Arcana Crystal.  As he saw their demises so easily bestowed upon them, the being could only grit his teeth in annoyance over the display.

         "How foolish could two deities be?  Damn you Bael and Asmodeus, you both let your guards down becoming drunk upon your own powers.  You should have made use of your heads more as opposed to your strength.  Muscle brains never seem to listen.  I suppose I'll have to handle it my way by bringing the fight to my own playground," he sighed.  The man then closed the book as he sat back in his chair closing his eyes for a moment to think before opening his eyes once more to gaze at the fragment he possessed.  It was then that he opened his book once more feeling compelled to observe the happenings within his own universe.

         "So you've reappeared as well?  Yet another thorn in my side," he said in a distraught tone.  Within the pages of his observation tool, he saw a lone man in a dark red trench coat with white hair riding on a two-wheeled method of transportation commonly referred to as a motorcycle by human culture tearing up hordes of demonic creatures through the flaming territory.  He had two obstacles to deal with but taking care of them separately would be far too annoying.

         "I have an idea then," he remarked tearing open a small rift in space before him letting the aura of the red fragment leak through into the void of space.

         "I'll bring both of you together in one place where I have complete dominion and eliminate you both, killing two birds with one stone as it were.  Come straight into my world of Pandemonium where you shall fall before the cunning of the Demon God, Lucifer."

*****

         What does it mean to sacrifice?  Does it mean to give up something you want for the sake of another's happiness?  To pass up on a big opportunity just so you don't abandon something else?  Or is it something nobler than that? To the point where one does something without asking anything in return?  The answer to some may be all of these things, while to others it could mean something else entirely.  Who can say for sure?

         A roaring engine thundered through the rocky, desecrated crags of the fiery realm that many perceived as Hell.  A den known for the suffering of evil souls as well as the haven reserved solely for demon kind, a lone presence rode fiercely upon a black and silver, two-wheeled motorcycle with an unyielding atmosphere as he sought to tear down every creature he came across.  He traversed the winding pathways alone channeling his focus at all times as well as being alert for any sudden ambushes he would face.  He didn't care how many monsters he would have to take down, so long as it meant the destruction of all the demons in this realm.

         While riding on the steel horse, the man had silvery, white hair that was draped down to the nape of his neck while his bangs came down over his forehead with fierce, pale blue eyes and cream-colored skin.  His outfit consisted of high black boots and red jeans with a single belt wrapped around each thigh; a belt featuring a skull buckle around his waist and black, gauntlet shaped gloves with three buckled straps on each.  Covering his body was a deep, red leather trench coat with two coattails with a pronounced buckled collar, and a black strap going over his right shoulder wrapping around the chest with two golden studs on the front.  The front of this coat had its own individual pattern forming a vest-like shape or body armor with a closed zipper all the way from the waist to the bottom of this man's neck.  Known as the 'Legendary Dark Knight', he had the occupation of a mercenary along with being a vigilante devil hunter; he was the Son of Sparda, Dante.

         He was armed with a massive claymore that featured a heavy double-edged blade that was notched on both sides near the tip.  The pommel was split open into several spikes with a plain grip but featured a skeletal guard that had a skull design on each side; one side was the skull of a human while the other featured a horned, demon's skull while having an extended cross guard.  In addition to this blade—colloquially referred to as 'Rebellion', being a keepsake from his father—he also carried two powerful semi-automatic pistols, one black and the other white.  Often armed with ammunition that was infused with his demonic power, his trusted beauties were named Ebony and Ivory.  Armed with these weapons and a wealth of strength and skill coupled with years of experience fighting beings that were far above human comprehension, fear of what awaited him in this world was the furthest thing from his mind.  However, while riding through the desolate inferno, he found himself lost for a moment in his mind.

         How long had it been since he came into this world and left everyone he knew and fought alongside with behind?  How many days have passed or months or even years?  Did his former comrades think of him as still being alive or did they abandon that notion after a while?  Was all that he was doing here benefiting anyone or anything at all?  Such questions tried in vain to fill his mind but he pushed through making sure to not let himself be distracted.

         The Devil Hunter continued his lone ride through the rocky crag before emerging onto a wide open, fiery field being occupied by tormented souls that were being devoured by hideous creatures of dark origin.  Surrounded by ash ridden buildings and wreckage that looked like the aftermath of a major war, the man felt his instincts pulling on him that his fight was nowhere near over just yet.

         He did not let up his speed on his vehicle for a single second as he rode straight into the chaos before him.  Winged beasts with large spiraling horns and faces in the shape of skulls with burning scarlet eyes appearing like gargoyles felt the disturbance in the air coupled with the sound of the loud engine that was foreign to their native environment.  As they sensed the coming danger, they all flew towards Dante's direction letting out blood-curdling screeching bearing their claws to assail the invader.

         They rushed in from all sides in a vain attempt to overwhelm the red-clothed warrior but Dante merely let go of the handlebars of his steel ride while pulling his twin pistols from their holsters. While guiding the direction of travel with his legs, the Son of Sparda took aim without so much as a wavering twitch from his eyes before squeezing the triggers.  With his expert marksmanship, each bullet discharged from the barrel of the twin guns found their mark easily dispatching the creatures as they dissipated into black mist one by one.  The creatures were all mere fodder to the man as he fired his weapons in an arcing motion before him.  Skillfully twisting his legs while straddling the seat of his bike, Dante caused the entire vehicle to shift at once doing donuts in place while firing bullets in every direction that the demonic creatures tried to focus their attacks from before correcting himself resuming in the proper direction he was traversing initially.

         More of the phantasmal beasts appeared emerging from behind the falling building structures that littered the area.  They were utilizing guerilla warfare tactics to launch various attacks at the demon slayer by sweeping down to try and land an attack before disappearing behind cover of the scorched stone objects in the area.  Without revealing any signs of hesitation, Dante relied on his pistols once more by moving his torso only to counterattack and fire off a few rounds which dropped the monsters left and right. Taking notice of the locations where the monsters tried to strike from, he elected to change his tactics up.

         Dante tucked his pistols for a moment to steer the handlebars riding up fallen slopes of the buildings electing to go for a direct attack.  As he crashed through the weak stone flushing the beasts out causing them to fly in a panic, the devil hunter drew his trusted blade from his back.  The glistening steel blade let out a high-pitched ring upon being drawn from its leather holster sharpening its edge.  While maneuvering the bike with his left hand, he chased down the demons inside the building swinging his blade around with his right hand cleaving them in half one after the other.  For those that were too far out of range, he just sliced apart the support beams inside the interior of the building causing floors to crash down upon them.  As for himself, he weaved through the collapsing structure before bursting out of a window and dropping down upon the hard, bloodied soil before keeping ahead.  Behind him, the building fell taking any creature inside with it.  The devil hunter repeated this about three more times before moving on along the plain headed to another area.

         Far into empty cosmos, a lone streak of lightning gleaming with twists of crimson and amethyst colors strode through the void of space heading towards an unspecified direction.  Obsidian had visited two worlds and gathered two fragments of the Arcana Crystal with ease but he found himself thinking about the unfamiliar faction of enemies that he encountered in the last world he visited.  These Demon Gods sounded like beings he would possibly run into a few more times before this journey is over but who was coordinating their movements and how did they know about the re-emergence of the crystal?

         [Boy, you seem to have something on your mind.]

         "How could I not when I'm facing an enemy group I have no knowledge of?" he responded to the old God of Thunder in his mind.

         [The Demon Gods were always a group that had unpredictable interests.  Their sudden arrival seeking out the fragments of the Arcana Crystal is quite alarming.  Then again, who knows what powers are at play now that you and your Team AKARA continue to amass fame that I'm sure is spreading to the numerous gods out there.]

         "So in other words, these other gods are planning something against us and since I'm wandering through the stars then this is an opportunity."

         [Indeed, combine that with the fact that you are Alexander Mercer's son whom I am certain still has enemies in other factions makes you the ideal target.]

         "As long as they focus on me and not anyone I care about or the world that I'm tasked to protect then that's fine.  The last thing I want is people suffering because of their association with me."

         It was around this time that Obsidian felt the energy signature belonging to another fragment call out to him as he saw a portal open just up ahead of him.  Coming to a full stop thus floating in the emptiness of space, the Crimson Harbinger found himself feeling cautious about the rift before his eyes.  He felt like there was something off about this mysterious spatial distortion despite the energy of a key item leaking through from it.

         "This has got to be a trap, no doubt about it," he said to himself.

         [It would seem that one of the Demon Gods may have gotten their hands on the next fragment and wants to lure you, more than likely to steal the fragments in your possession.]

         "Great, a controlled environment belonging to the enemy who is basically dangling bait that is nearly impossible to resist."

         [It is an annoying set of circumstances but you have to go for it.]

         "I'd honestly prefer to avoid this if I could.  After all, falling for the enemy's trap is what got me into this situation as it is.  Maybe I should just let them have it for now and go elsewhere.  As long as I have two of the fragments, I know they will have to come after me for it."

         [True but you've seen what the other Demon Gods did with the fragment when they got their hands on it.  What if the person who has this piece of the crystal actually manages to tap into the full power of enhancement that you witnessed before?  What if they can overpower you?]

         "Even so, going in the enemy's environment is something I can't afford to do.  It's foolish," the Stormbringer said while gritting his teeth in frustration beneath his mask.  Indra had a point but he wanted to play this smart.  His knowledge of battle instructed him to avoid this scenario at all costs but his instincts wanted to tell him otherwise.

         What would Aniki or Aka-sensei do? I mean…they have more experience in these matters I'm sure.  Addy would probably go for it since she has confidence in what she can handle.  Hell, even Vesta-chan would trust in herself right? Kimi-nee, what should I do?  I have to get home as soon as I can…I don't want to let you or anyone else down again.

         In that moment, Obsidian felt soothing warmth come over him as if something gently touched his heart and caused his anxiety to subside.  It was like he was a raging storm tossing and turning the seas and someone just reached out and gave him peace.  Suddenly he heard something echo in his mind.

         Trust in yourself and believe in what you can do.

         "Yeah…I almost forgot myself for a moment there.  All right, let's see what lies on the other side," the young man in black nodded before rushing inside to see what was waiting for him on the other side.

         After annihilating countless scores of demons and tearing down everything he could in sight, Dante emerged from the city clustered area into a wide open space on top of a small plateau.  Before he could continue onwards, the blood red ash filled sky suddenly had a surge of dark clouds spiral around as bolts of lightning of two different hues cracked the atmosphere apart.  It was then that the clouds lowered drooping downward like a funnel forming a tornado but what came next was a massive pillar of light that struck the ground ahead of the demon hunter.  Unsure of what was occurring; Dante pulled the brakes on his vehicle coming to a stop wondering what would happen next.  The silhouette of a man could be seen from within the pillar of light as it began to fade away.  Unsure of who or what this presence was, the Son of Sparda could not sense any hostility or dark energy coming from the person but was nevertheless guarded letting things play out.

         "What is this place?" Obsidian said to himself quietly taking in the apocalyptic visuals that lied around him.  Everything was literally burning in some capacity as horrendous sounds of terrified cries and beastly howls rang out.  The air reeked from the scent of ash and death but what was worse than that was the fact that overwhelming atmosphere of suffering and terror made it so stifling to deal with.

         [It really does exist…]

         "What does Indra?" the armored assassin spoke quietly unsure of what the old god was talking about.

         [This place…what humans commonly refer to as Hell but among us gods and other well-informed individuals, this realm has another name—Inferno.]

         "Inferno…I see…so the fragment somehow wound up here?"

         [So it would seem.  Think of this place as the darker counterpart for Elysium.  Irredeemable souls, evil spirits and everything else considered guilty of heinous or unforgivable acts are sent here.  In addition, this place is home to many factions that don't see eye to eye with those in Heaven.  Though it would appear that this is just a portion of Inferno or a sector of it because I'm sure you can sense the barrier right?]

         "Yeah, if this really is Inferno then it must be a compact dimension of it or something because…I don't know how to describe it but it just feels like it's incomplete.  I mean I can tell this place is smaller than Elysium and a counterpart should be equal in size."

         As he scanned the area trying to feel out the energy pattern of the fragment that was here, Obsidian found himself caught off guard when he saw someone in the distance on top of some weird machine that he was unfamiliar with.  It looked strangely familiar like what he saw people ride around on when he visited his brother's universe that one time. He saw the unfamiliar white haired man in dark crimson and black clothing and wasn't sure who or what he was.  He could sense that the party was a strong person but he didn't have the energy that would suggest him to be one of the Demon Gods. An awkward few moments of silence passed before Obsidian folded his arms and decided to speak up.

         "I'm guessing you're not from here, so who are you?" he asked in a casual monotone.  Hearing those words, Dante dismounted from his ride and walked towards the man in front of him slowly.

         "I was going to say the same to you.  You're nothing like anything else in this realm so I'm guessing you are some kind of human?" he inquired.

         "Yeah you could say that. The same could be said of you."

         "Well that would be partly true. I'm a hybrid of demon and human."

         "Is that right? I know the feeling."

         "You're part demon?"

         "No, I'm half human and half Primordial God.  I think the proper term is demigod but eh, labels."

         "Well now, that's something you don't see every day.  What's a demigod doing in Hell?"

         "I'm looking for something that someone down here has so I'm hoping to take it from them. What about you?"

         "I'm just here to destroy every demon I can find to protect my home.  Actually, I'd like to destroy Hell altogether."

         "That's pretty ambitious but you've got a lot of ground to cover on that note."

         "Yeah, I don't even know how much time has passed since I initially came here.  But the fight must go on.  My name is Dante by the way."

         "I'm Obsidian."

         Before the pair of warriors could continue on with their conversation, the ground began to shake violently as the shape of a massive pathway appeared breaking the rocky surface apart leading straight towards a glowing neon red castle in the distance.  Catching their attention, the energy of the fragment violently grasped the black robed male's senses as he felt a massive power source emanating along with it.  The Harbinger thought it was going to be a hunt for the gem but apparently it was like someone wanted him to find it as soon as possible.  Feeling irritated by this like he was being toyed with, he could help but clench his fist tightly.

         "It seems like someone is beckoning us to come for them," Dante spoke patting the man on the shoulder.

         "Why don't we team up and take out the bastard who decided to send us an invitation?" he suggested.

         "You sure?  Whoever has what I'm looking for could be a real threat," the younger male responded.

         "True but our interests align.  The thing that's out there might be the key to bringing this place down once and for all plus you'll be able to get the thing you're seeking.  It should be something easy for the both of us."

         "I suppose you're right but this could be a difficult fight."

         Dante merely smirked before turning and jumping on his motorcycle revving the engine before rolling the two-wheeled vehicle up to the masked man's side.

         "I've seen my fair share of hard fights.  It's nothing I can't handle.  Besides, if you're as strong as I am thinking you are then it will be a walk in the park."

         "Fair enough, I guess we shouldn't keep our host waiting any longer right?"

         "Yep, you need a lift?"

         "No thanks, I can hoof it."

         "That might take some time you know."

         "Not even, I can run pretty fast."

         "Alright, if you say so but hope you can keep up," Dante said before taking off on his bike down the path as the obtrusive vehicle rang out in the air rattling Obsidian's ears.

         "Damn that's a noisy contraption."

         Immediately Obsidian took off after the male easily catching up to the man running alongside the bike as the pair headed off to face their destiny.

*****

         Obsidian and Dante soon arrive in the midst of the imposing castle that suddenly appeared before them when a giant highway sprawled up from the ground where they initially met each other.  Going across a giant draw bridge, the duo arrived inside the castle which appeared like a clustered metropolis much like the one Obsidian first encountered when he visited his brother's world.  Grand, towering skyscrapers of imposing nature radiated a myriad of hues, their stone and steel surfaces were dry and blood-like in color. Digital screens attached to those towering structures displayed messages written in a language known only to creatures native to this world. The shimmering lights and reflections off of the glass surfaces radiated the entire city in its loud, neon glow as the pair of warriors wandering onto the streets.

         "You really did keep up with me on my ride," Dante remarked casually in an attempt to make small talk.

         "That's not even my fastest speed if I'm being honest.  It felt like walking to me," Obsidian responded with a light chuckle.

         "Is that right? So you're telling me that you've been running the entire time on this journey of yours?"

         "Yeah pretty much, crossing an entire universe and breaking through the space-time continuum is a casual feat where I'm from."

         "You're kidding right?"

         "Nope and there are quite a few faster than me…my family in particular."

         "Yeah? Siblings or your parents?"

         "Well I don't have any blood-related siblings, just really close friends that are like my siblings.  I have an older brother and two older sisters, plus my father and stepmother among others."

         "What about your real mother?"

         "She's…someone I distanced myself from.  Our relationship is a…complicated one."

         "Sounds like you've got quite the situation to deal with kid."

         "Yeah, that's definitely an understatement.  What about you?"

         "I'm afraid there isn't much on my end worth telling.  My father and mother are both gone.  I had a twin brother but…we never really saw eye to eye and when it came down to it, I had to kill him.  Otherwise he would have unleashed Hell on Earth…literally.  I've met my fair share of interesting folks in my time but I don't know if they're dead or alive.  Hell, I've lost all track of time when it comes to how long I've been here."

         "Have you thought about going back?"

         "From time to time but those moments tend to be lost when you're focused on killing every dark creature in sight."

         "Fair enough," Obsidian spoke before observing the area in greater detail trying to pinpoint the location of the fragment he was after.  The energy signature felt sporadic to the robed male as he tried his best to hone his senses on ascertaining its precise location.  The problem with that was the simple fact that it felt like it was everywhere around him which didn't make sense at all.  As his instincts began to flash warning signs, the man halted for a moment and took a deep breath.  Dante stopped his vehicle from casually coasting before switching off the ignition and jumping off feeling a similar intuition that something was wrong.

         A cluster of dense energy encroached upon the two individuals looming down like a predator making its move upon its prey.  Obsidian immediately moved his right hand over towards the hilt of his sheathed blade, Vajra, as Dante reached for Ebony & Ivory.  The strong aura manifested like a black and gold mist causing the lights in the area to flicker uncontrollably.  The fixtures that could not handle the pressure cracked then shattered causing glass shards and chips of stone debris to rain down upon the concrete pathways below.  Alongside the mysterious pressure belonging to an abnormal presence, the aura belonging to a fragment of the Arcana Crystal resonated strongly within the atmosphere making Obsidian realize that a terrifying force had indeed got their hands on the gem first.

         "The Son of Sparda and the Son of Mercer, what pleasant guests to have in my lovely abode," a voice echoed out from the powerful mist as it poured down in one place before the two swordsmen.  The heavy wave of intensely concentrated might emphasized the single point giving form to a silhouette that would serve as the source of the sudden disturbance.

         The mystical aura twirled in place like a cyclone eventually calming itself to reveal the identity of the enigmatic presence to the pair of warriors.  What was unveiled to light of the city was a tall man about 6-foot-7 or so in a black colonial coat with a golden color and about 20 golden buttons going down the left and right sides overtop a black leather vest with silver buckles as opposed to a standard zipper.  He had black gloves with matching golden cuff links around the forearm area and wore a brown leather belt around his waist that was visible.  Complete with long, black trousers and black boots, the man with pale, dead looking skin and long flowing platinum blonde hair with bright, yellow eyes smiled ever so slightly.  His appearance emitted elegance, regality, and the very essence of beauty that would send any maiden swooning completely opposite of a man that Obsidian knew from his world that this stranger reminded him of. However despite this debonair aura about long haired man, he was nevertheless an enemy to the two before him.

         "Greeting Gentlemen," he spoke with a soothing tone, "Allow me to officially welcome you to Inferno, or just a part of it rather."

"Inferno?  Well there's a new name for Hell that I never really thought about," Dante remarked with a cheeky quip.

"I mean, it is hot down here and all so it makes sense.  Heh, I actually know a girl who'd probably consider this a vacation," Obsidian added referring to a certain red-headed female he knew all too well.

"Though I'm curious to know what you mean by 'part of it'," the armored Stormbringer said.

"Well humanity has always been aware of 'Hell' in some form of religious context or another but the true identity of Hell that I'm sure people you're associated with know it better as Inferno.  Surely you've heard about the dark version of Elysium right?" the regal male explained.

"To a certain degree I have," Obsidian answered.

"Indeed but moving along, this entire universe and all the lands contained within are a part of my personal estate within all of Inferno.  And that is what many people call Hell.  Although this entrancing city you are standing in is the Magnum Opus of my land that I prefer to call Pandemonium.  But where are my manners, I know the both of you but I have yet to introduce myself.  I am the Demon God known as Lucifer.  Pleasure to meet you both," he spoke before bowing his head.

"You know the both of us?" Obsidian inquired curiously.

"Of course, what god in the hierarchy doesn't know about the Child of Thunder and the rest of Team AKARA?  You all did take down The Architect after all.  And as for you Dante, you've been tearing up my land for quite some time.  I was wondering how long it would take for you to tire yourself out especially since you've been bound in the same dimensional space for years now.  Besides, Hell is the same no matter what religion you believe in.  It's a vast space that's all intricately connected.  I just happen to enjoy traveling with my own personal property."

"You mean…this whole time I've been fighting in this shithole…" Dante began to speak in disbelief.

"Has been a complete waste of time, yes that is exactly what I'm telling you.  Did you really think you could destroy all of Hell by yourself?  Sure you may be powerful, even more so than your father, but you're dealing with a territory that is way beyond your own imaginings.  Hell is as necessary as Heaven; it's what keeps the balance of souls in check."

"Then tell me why it's always Hell trying to invade the human world?"

"Because demons are greedy, that much should be obvious.  You may be able to seal the means of Earth and Hell of being connected or even destroy powerful demon hordes that try to tear an entrance into the human world but you cannot destroy Hell, Son of Sparda.  It's as simple as that."

"That may be true, but that won't stop me from making sure no one else threatens my home," Dante gritted his teeth drawing his pistols on the man.

"Oh my, we're already resorting to violence?  Well such is the fate of all fools…"

         "Lucifer," Obsidian cut in placing his right arm in front of Dante for a minute while stepping forward, "Even you are a Demon God then that means that Bael and Asmodeus were your comrades which also means you know why I am here.  So I am going to ask you one thing, where is the fragment of the Arcana Crystal?"

"You mean this extravagant stone?" the devilish man smiled pulling out a red stone of incredible luster from his pocket showing it to the dark assassin by holding it out in his palm.  Drawing the eyes of both men, the gem's energy began to leak out from it as if calling out to something.  It was then that Obsidian felt a disturbance within his own electrical field that surrounded him in order to obscure the other two fragments kept out of sight in a small pocket dimensional space.  The orange and green gems that he obtained from two prior worlds had been reacting to the third that was just in front of his eyes.

"I'm gonna need you to hand it over, Lucifer," Obsidian evoked from beneath his mask knowing that it would not be easy to hand over that jewel.

"I was actually about to ask you the same thing with the two fragments you currently possess.  It is apparent that we both have what the other wants but should it really come to violence?  We should be civilized and make a mutually beneficial decision that yields an outcome favorable to both sides right?  So let's make a deal then.  You hand over the two pieces of the Arcana Crystal in your possession and I create a dimensional portal that sends you home.  And to insist on good faith, I'll even send you home as well Dante and make a sworn oath that the gates of Hell will never open in the human world ever again.  In fact, I'll destroy every possible gate that can be used to trespass into the human world that is not bound by human death.  Does that sound all well to you gentlemen?"

Obsidian and Dante merely looked to one another easily being able to read the body language of one another about how to respond.  It was then that they directed their attention to Lucifer who was just standing there with a relaxed smile upon his features confident about the situation at hand and his persuasive tongue.  However, he would not be getting a favorable answer.

"I'm going to politely say hell no," Obsidian stated firmly before drawing Vajra from its scabbard at his side.

"Do you really think we'd make a deal with the devil himself?  You must seriously think you can get one over us because of the fact that you are a fallen angel," Dante ranted clicking the safety off on his trusted guns.

"I would request that you do not call me that.  I'm many things Son of Sparda but that is something I refuse to acknowledge," Lucifer iterated in a tense and irritated tone which was further reinforced by the sudden shift in his aura.

"Wait…he's a what?" Obsidian asked in surprise.

"In a certain faith amongst humanity, Lucifer here is known as the 'Angel Who Betrayed God' because of his own ambitions.  Some say it was because he wanted to be god while others believe it was because he hated the idea of humanity's creation.  But to select individuals including myself when I heard the stories, well…we all believe it's because someone got jealous and wanted to throw a temper tantrum because he didn't have daddy's attention anymore and he couldn't be the favorite," the devil hunter explained which only increased Lucifer's anger more and more.

"You talk too much you half-breed swine.  You're nothing but a sad pathetic joke who gets his rocks off slaying what would be his own kind should his father never spilled his seed inside a human whore. For the life of me I can never comprehend why your brother wasn't able to kill your cocky, worthless existence but I suppose those wretched creatures on Earth needed a mutt to protect them.  It's a pity Mundus wasn't able to succeed or even Argosax.  Since you love Hell so much, perhaps I should just send you to Purgatory to see if you can truly survive," Lucifer snapped flying into a long-winded and insulting rant against the gun wielder in red.

"Your devil side is truly beginning to show now that you lapsed in your façade, Lucifer," Dante taunted casually aiming his guns about to fire.

"It doesn't matter who or what you are Lucifer, that fragment belongs to me and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get it from you; even if that means I have to tear apart Pandemonium in the process," Obsidian added pointing his blade at the man.

"Interesting, very interesting indeed," Lucifer began before extending his right hand out to the side causing a 7-foot long silver longsword with the hilt designed like a rapier to form in his hand.  His yellow eyes shimmered with killing intent as he eyed both men identifying them both as targets.

"Come forth then, Son of Sparda and Son of Mercer.  Show me what you're capable of!"

         The ultimate battle began in the depths of the section of Hell called Pandemonium.  Without a moment's hesitation, Dante began to squeeze off a few rounds from his prized pistols upon Lucifer with his special ammunition.  Not even yielding so much as a blink, the demon lord merely deflected every single bullet that was discharged in his direction.  He sliced said bullets in half with his longsword not letting so much as a fragment to travel past him.  Seeing this, Obsidian dashed forward with his blade in hand to cut in close and break the fallen angel's guard.

         To prevent the possibility of hitting the armored male, Dante ceased firing his guns taking time to reload before tucking his pistols away to draw his own blade—Rebellion.  While he was doing that, Obsidian began to unleash a flurry of swings with his blade striking with even force to slice through the fabrics of space itself as the blindingly fast swordplay was directed at Lucifer.  Yet the former holy angel merely smiled before answering his hooded foe by easily matching the sword slashes and countering them with ease.  The clashing of steel rang out in the cityscape sounding like birds chirping in rapid succession as the pair collide blow for blow.  From the outside looking in they were evenly matched, but this was just the beginning.

         Lucifer had deflected a strong slash from the right side by Obsidian causing the assassin to have his chest exposed for a tiny second.  Before even having the ability to take advantage of that small window of an opportunity, Dante rushes in with his blade draw thrusting the sharp point straight towards Lucifer's chest.  Sensing the sudden rush of energy, the fallen angel reacts in that next instant by raising his sword up to block.  The impact between the steel blades rang out rippling through the air causing the buildings around them to shudder as the giant billboards shattered apart and began to collapse to the ground below.  This did not deter the Son of Sparda from following up with his attack releasing a flurry of stabbing motions like a stinger upon his opponent in which had the former angel of light on the defense.

         During this time, Obsidian had already recovered from his slip-up from before.  Unlike before, he'd have to fight seriously in order to win this fragment because that tiny exchange he had demonstrated that the man he had to fight was quite skilled.  He also needed to adjust his fighting style a bit to compliment his newfound partner being Dante.  Observing the man in red fighting the noble-like phantom in black, the assassin was trying to ascertain both fighting styles of the two demons.  Time seemed to slow down in the mind of the male during that moment while he watched them battle one another.  Lucifer's attacks favored speed and precision reliant upon a mixture of slashing techniques with pinpoint thrusting counters.  As for Dante, his sword style relied on straightforward blunt force attacks mixed up with unpredictable hand and wrist coordination.  Both of them favored using one hand unless caught guarding or swinging directly upon the opponent.

         A few seconds go by during the time Dante and Lucifer clashed as the heavy clanging of steel echoed out.  It was right when the devil hunter jumped up to swing down for a powerful attack in which the angelic god had met with a perfect guard that Obsidian joined the fray once more.  He dashed in from the left swooping in with a slash from behind Lucifer.  Dante put more force into the deadlock trying to pressure the alluring man to be trapped there but it wasn't going to work for too long.  Just as the assassin's blade cleaved the air threatening to make contact, a wall of smoldering hot, dark crimson flames spiked upward like a shield blocking the attack before transforming into a solid blade.

         "Watch out for those flames, that's hellfire!" Dante called out but he had no time to be concerned as Lucifer's free hand seemed to phase through space and open up right under Dante's chin delivering a devastating punch that sent the man flying into the air with the demon god chasing after.

         At the same time, Obsidian found himself in pinch summoning water by channeling it around the Vajra blade.  He collided with the Hellfire sword before causing a cloud of steam to surface before seeing the two men take to the sky.  The Hellfire structure was not completely dealt with as it transformed into lava on the ground seeking to claim the assassin's feet.

         "Really now?" he sighed before stabbing the water imbued blade directly into it causing the road to fill with a small lake washing away the fiery abyss turning the molten rock solid.  Though hellfire was known for the demonic application of being able to consume anything, Obsidian generated sacred water directly from his trusty blade as the holy application within the molecules of the liquid offset the dark magic that reinforced those flames.

         In the air, Lucifer swung his blade wildly at Dante to the point where some attacks were actually getting through the devil hunter's guard.  This damage was communicated through the visibility of several cuts in the man's red clothing as well as a few well-placed cuts that drew blood on the man's face.  The Son of Sparda gritted his teeth in slight frustration over being pushed back in the aerial battle he was fighting with the fallen angel but he didn't lose his patience at all.  Eventually he found his rhythm once more in a split second decision to let one quick thrust from Lucifer's blade to slip past.

         "My turn," Dante said grabbing Lucifer's wrist before hitting the man in the jaw with the spiked hilt of his blade puncturing the man's skin.  The red swordsman then proceeded to rush in for a drop kick pushing the demon god back a bit.  It wasn't long before the half-demon began to swing his blade once more in a multitude of directions forcing Lucifer to just brace himself by holding his longsword to guard.  After a series of attacks, Dante's blade radiated with red and white energy concentrating his aura before launching it at Lucifer to send him flying into the nearby buildings. A loud crashing sound echoed out as the mountain-leveling attack forced the regal male to tumble through several massive structures leaving only a massive cloud of dust in his wake.

         "Well then, his city could use the renovation," Obsidian commented while Dante landed next to him.

         "Yeah, his taste is a little too ostentatious for me," the man commented stabbing his blade into the ground before dusting himself off taking the moment to wipe the blood off his cheek as well.

         "Seems like you had an interesting warm-up but how did you get sent flying into the air?"

         "It looks like he can mess around with space to some degree because I saw his hand disappear for a split second before I felt him hit me in the jaw sending me into the air like that."

         "Oh, he's one of those types…then we'll have to be careful this time.  I'll take him from the left and you go from the right.  Does that sound good?"

         "Yeah, it seems like he can't handle fighting both of us at once."

         Suddenly the ground began to shake violently as the collapsing structures were cleared aside.  The air was being choked by the dark density of a formidable source of power emanating from the dust that still coated the streets of the city.  The cloud of debris parted directly down the middle like someone parting the sea.  In the distance, the visage of someone being surrounded by a dark orange and yellow aura was seen walking towards them.

         "Gentlemen, you managed to really push my buttons making me wreck my beautiful city," Lucifer said as he appeared before Dante and Obsidian in a flash.

         "Oho, you're fast like me I see," Obsidian spoke with a condescending tone.

         "Careful now, just because you have good looks doesn't mean ladies like a fast man, Mr. Satan," Dante added cheekily.

         "You both are quite the comedians but I do believe playtime is over.  I've been toying with you both for too long.  Now it is time that I bring out my true power and throw a little something extra into the mix," the menacing man spoke as he pulled out the red fragment of the Arcana Crystal once more.  Seeing this, Obsidian tensed up gripping his blade tighter recalling what happened with the last pair of demon gods he fought against.

         "Allow me to show you real power that Bael and Asmodeus failed to bring out before..."