DMC5 AU (For @whollyconsumed)

[superstylishsquid]

[It's not often that Alastor lingers outside of Movieland after paying a visit to his friends on this side of the silver screen, but this time...this time something's wrong. A deeply unnerving type of wrong that's far too familiar. The demon bugs, Empousae, only enter this world to feed a Qlipoth sprout. Checking the news confirms his fears, and gives him a location at that.

Joe, Silvia, and Jet are doing their best to protect people from the wandering demons, but Alastor knows enough to head for the source. He doesn't bring them with him, not for this. Anything else, maybe...but he knows what he's going to see when he gets there, and it's not a sight he wants to inflict on them. Not one he's sure they could handle, spared the horrors of truly gruesome deaths as they have been.

What he sees is what he'd expected. It's a scene from a nightmare. Last time, he'd held back and tried to stay out of things. That had resulted in Mundus, to say nothing of countless innocent lives lost that he might have saved. This time will be different. This time, he'll tear this infernal plant up by the roots if he has a chance, even if it risks all of Hell knowing he's escaped his prison.

The first step to that is loosening those roots. Flying above the carnage of the city, it's easy to spot their weak spots. He's surprised to also see something human shaped moving down there, but the root is the first priority. Calling a replica sword to his hand, he takes a plunging dive down, blade point first, to tear open the straining membrane of the root. It's messy, the boil-like protrusion bursting open in a shower of blood, but it's efficient...and he rather thinks the image it results in, of him kneeling with his sword buried in Qlipoth flesh and surrounded in blood splatters is a striking one. Even if he is going to have to wipe the bloodstains off his armor and clothes.]

Comments

[carvemyname]

....oh. Oh.

[ Dante's eyes flash with recognition. ]

....how did you get a new form?

[superstylishsquid]

I made one. [A shrug as he returns Sparda to his back.] Wasn't hard, once I had time to recover my strength.

[carvemyname]

So, I can't just convince you to hand that over nicely, can I? It's kind of mine.

What's the saying, Dante? You snooze, you lose.

[superstylishsquid]

I'll give it back once Urizen is dealt with. I need it if I'm gonna kill him, after all.

[He grins, and there's definitely something taunting to the way he bares his fangs.]

[carvemyname]

That's my responsibility. You probably have no idea who he truly is.

Dante...

I know, I know. I wouldn't say, anyway.

[superstylishsquid]

And how's that responsibility working out for you.

[He rests a hand on his hip, tail swaying lazily behind him.]

Look, you've probably got me beat for raw power, but you've got at least a century before you have a chance of even being worth my notice in terms of skill. With Sparda on my side, I've got the better chance of the two of us.

[carvemyname]

Prove it.

[ Not that Dante has a sword, what with Rebellion being shattered. V, in the meantime, doesn't look happy with this at all. ]

[superstylishsquid]

Do we really have time for that?

[Even so, that's too close to a direct order...it's a struggle to ignore it.]

The longer we twiddle our thumbs out here, the higher the chances of the fruit ripening. I don't need to explain to you why we need to keep it away from him at any cost, right?

[carvemyname]

....





Fine.

[ Dante doesn't look happy about it, but at least he's agreeing.]

Now that we're done with that, we should make a plan.

[superstylishsquid]

I should head straight for the crown of the tree. If I get there before the fruit ripens, I can just destroy the branch it's on and prevent any chance of him being able to use it.

[carvemyname]

I can distract Urizen until you get to him, if I get a weapon anyhow. Sure don't think my pistols are enough.

[ Dante then pauses as something occurs to him. ]

Should one of us eat the fruit before he can?

[superstylishsquid]

.....It'd be a lie to say I hadn't considered it. If Sparda doesn't give me enough of an edge to win, the fruit will.

Just not sure if the people who died for it would prefer it used or destroyed, if there's a chance we won't need it.

[carvemyname]

I don't think it matters what they prefer. We're here to fix all this, they're not.

...I guess that's true, but harsh.

[superstylishsquid]

[He sighs.]

I'd argue if I didn't think we might need the extra advantage. But you're right, there's too much at stake here to take chances.

[carvemyname]

So. You eat the fruit, you defeat Urizen. What do I do?

[ V gives him a level look. ]

Figure out a way to gain more power quick, because otherwise you'll just get knocked unconscious again - or worse.

[ Dante truly thinks about that for a moment, before reaching down to pick up the shattered Rebellion. ]

I've got an idea.

[ Without waiting for an answer, or even giving warning, he proceeds to stab himself in the torso. ]

[superstylishsquid]

..........You know, if you missed being run through that much, I'd have been happy to volunteer.

[Okay, he knows Dante is...probably trying to accomplish something here, but he couldn't resist the sass.]

[carvemyname]

Has he gone mad?!

[ V doesn't get what Dante is doing at all. ]

If Yamato can tear apart and separate... What can Rebellion do?

[ But it's not working. Dante lets out a frustrated growl, blood dripping down. After a moment, he pushes Rebellion in deeper.

And then it disappears and he starts to transform, red lightning crackling across his body. ]

[superstylishsquid]

...You're merging it with your own soul, so you can repair it easily. I guess that's one way to get a personal Devil Arm.

[He holds out his hand, and the Alastor appears in it in a flash of purple light.]

[carvemyname]

Oh you got... That back. [ Excuse him for speaking stilted, he's currently doing something intense! ] Go ahead... and keep it. It's yours.

[ The lightning finishes forming and then a sheer shockwave rolls off of him. Rebellion disappears. ]

...

[superstylishsquid]

Yeah, decided it was worth the trip to be able to bring my all.

[He can easily create new ones, but this one gives off an aura of power in the way the copies don't.]

You should be able to will the result into your hand now, but... [Something about this feels...awkward? Not quite that, maybe unbelievable? He'd resigned himself to not getting this back so long as Dante was alive. It's hard to get his hopes up, what if Dante finds out how strong his claim to it really is, and demands it back?] Technically, this is yours now. That kinda is what claiming a Devil Arm means, even if the soul inside manifest a new body.

[carvemyname]

[ Dante straightens up now that he's not being stabbed in the guts anymore and eyes Alastor. ]

So how do I make it yours? Do I gotta chant something?

[superstylishsquid]

I...people don't normally just give up Devil Arms, unless they're passing them to someone else...but I guess the same method should work.

[He stabs the blade into the ground.]

Just...hand it to me and confirm you're giving it up for good.

[carvemyname]

[ Dante picks it up and hands it over. ]

I'm giving up the devil arm Alastor for good.

[ V wonders if this takes care of what Alastor had been worried about earlier. ]

[superstylishsquid]

[It's likely subtle from Dante's end, but to Alastor, he feels an immediate effect as he takes the blade back. He's his own devil again. It feels good, subservience has never suited him.]

...Right, we should get going. [The sword vanishes.] Urizen shouldn't be able to disarm you, now that the Rebellion is a part of you. If your sword breaks, just push a bit more energy into it and it'll be good as new.

I'm sure he'll be in a hurry to get to the fruit as soon as it ripens, so the more time you can buy me to get there first, the better. V, you said you know a way in?

[carvemyname]

I do. Follow me.

[ V starts to walk off, feeling relieved they're separating from Dante again. Dante, in the meantime, calls Rebellion to his hand and smiles. ]

Nice.