Chapter Text
“Kyrie!” Nero yelled, tilting his gun away from the freaky looking statue she happened to be half stuck in the forehead of. He didn’t want to hurt her, after all. He had done enough of that already, just by being a demon. A freak.
She looked at him and smiled softly, like she didn’t quite know what she was seeing.
“Is it not your wish to become one with her?” Sanctus boomed, from the top of the statue. “Within the savior, your mortal bodies will combine, melting into one to manifest and create his core! A thing of utter and pure beauty!”
“Go blow yourself,” Nero growled, aiming Blue Rose right at that fucker’s face.
He looked at Kyrie.
“I’m here to save you,” he murmured, “Please trust me.”
Kyrie didn’t respond. Instead, she continued to stare into space, glassy eyed.
Sanctus smiled down at him, seemingly unaffected by Nero’s threats of violence.
“Ah, but it is your destiny to serve the Savior, young Nero.” Sanctus began, “Long ago, a prophecy foretold that Sparda would fall in love with a human woman and beget twin sons. So when a white haired man with the power of Sparda in his veins approached us one day, with that very sword by his side, we knew that the dawn of a new and glorious age was approaching!”
Nero growled.
“And yet,” he went on, “While we were saddened by the fact that he refused to join us, even we could not predict that he would rut with a common woman while he was here.”
A white haired man. Who was able to wield the Yamato the same way he could.
A white haired man. Like Dante.
“I’m here for the sword. It was originally my brother’s.”
And like Dante’s brother, presumably.
“It’s gotta stay in the family,” Dante had said.
Which meant that Dante knew that he was related to him. To Sparda. And to Dante's twin brother, who had visited Fortuna with the Yamato and been with a human woman.
There was only one person this man Sanctus spoke of could be.
“My father…” Nero breathed.
“Yes, child,” Sanctus replied, “And after we found out about your existence, all we had to do was sit and wait for you to mature enough to harness your incredible power. And then, we would be able to hasten in the new age. An age in which good will triumph over evil!”
Nero scoffed.
“Yeah, right,” he said, “How are you and your buddies going to do that when you can’t even control me? I’m supposed to be your ace in the hole, right?”
Sanctus laughed.
“Who said anything about controlling you, dear boy? All we need to do is give you the right incentive, and you will play right into our hands.”
“Incentive, in-schment-ive, whatever!” Nero yelled, “You and your stupid savior can eat shit! My father didn’t join you, and I sure as hell won’t, either!”
“Indeed,” Sanctus said, “But you already are playing your part. You just have not realized it yet.”
Sanctus transformed in a flash of light, turning from a man to an armored behemoth.
“You will do anything to save your loved ones, won't you? Even if it means serving your most hated enemies.”
Nero summoned the Yamato into his armored hand, and felt the rush of power flow through his veins.
Father, he thought, Give me the strength to save Kyrie and send this man straight to hell!
The Yamato seemed to sing back to him, joining his thoughts in a harmonious cry of rage directed at the creature in front of him.
He let out a battle cry, and charged.
He had barely managed to do a damn thing against that fucker Sanctus. And now, he was stuck in the iron grasp of that stupid statue.
“I had originally intended to absorb Dante into our savior’s core,” Sanctus said, “We were not sure that you inherited the true power of Sparda until very recently, after all.”
Nero struggled in the statue’s grip.
“But circumstance presenting, I’d rather choose the option at hand.”
The arm holding Nero rose into the air, and he struggled even harder against its grip.
Santus lifted his hand, and the Yamato rose into the air in a graceful arc, landing in his upturned palm.
Nero growled. That was his father’s sword, damn it! It was all he had of him! He didn’t even know his old man’s name, or why the fuck he hadn’t been there for him, but Nero didn’t turn his back on family, even if they were deadbeats. And he would be damned if some nasty fucker fucked with his old man’s old sword the day he got it!
Sanctus looked at Nero.
“When this sword and your blood are combined, we will be able to proceed to the final stage of our ultimate goal!”
Sanctus raised the sword in triumph, but not before a monstrous form in white landed beside him and slashed into his torso.
The demon turned towards him, and Nero recognized its face.
Credo.
“Nero!” he yelled, “Run!”
Nero used his Devil Bringer to free his arm, but not before Sanctus used the Yamato to run Credo through.
“Credo!” Nero yelled.
NO!
Credo reverted back to his human form, and seemed to exchange a few words with Sanctus which Nero, despite the fact that he knew his hearing was demonically enhanced, couldn’t seem to overhear.
And soon, Credo was falling down towards the ground, a bloody hole in his torso. Nero watched, unable to look away, as Credo fell towards his death -
Only for Dante to catch Credo before he hit the ground.
His long lost uncle. Catching his surrogate brother. Fate just had it out for him today, didn’t it?
A blonde woman in a corset stood beside Dante, a pistol slung casually over her shoulder as she looked up at Sanctus with contempt.
“Oh, it’s you, Gloria,” Sanctus said. “Unfortunately, you did not anticipate a descendant of Sparda’s blood. And because of this boy, you have been outwitted and the savior will be completed!”
That was Gloria? Well, that explained the skimpy taste in clothing, at least. No one who actually liked the order would dress up like that. They were all too conservative to do anything nearly that scandalous. At least, scandalous to them.
“I dunno,” Dante called up, “I’d wager this kid’s still got some life in him!”
Nero glared down at him.
Gee, thanks for the encouragement, he thought. That was what family was for, right? Even shitty family that didn’t bother with him before today.
He concentrated and sent out his spectral arm, grabbing Sanctus and slamming him into the side of that stupid ass statue he seemed to like so much.
Only for him to disappear into it.
What the -
He felt a blade pierce his demonic arm, and gasped in pain.
“You fool!” Sanctus yelled, from beside him. “Escape is now impossible!”
Sanctus pulled the Yamato out of Nero’s arm, and Nero grit his teeth as he felt it slide out of his flesh with a sickening squelch.
“The ascension of the Savior cannot be stopped!” Sanctus continued, laughing maniacally as he phased back into the statue.
Nero slumped in the statue’s grip. There was no way he was going to be able to do anything, at this rate. He couldn’t save Credo, so how the hell was he going to save Kyrie? He couldn’t pull the power he needed out of his ass on a whim! He had gotten lucky the first time, in the Mitis forest, when his arm had manifested. And again when the Yamato came to him. But this time, he knew his luck was shot.
Damn it! he fumed. He was probably going to lose what little family he had today. Credo and Kyrie were pretty much already done for, and Dante was good, but not that good. Not good enough to defeat the entire Order and their giant pet statue.
His eyes became blurry, and he suddenly remembered how it felt to be the little orphan boy with no family and no home, nothing and no one left to fall back on despite being surrounded by people.
How it felt to be a slave to fate once again, powerless to change his situation no matter how hard he tried.
“Hey kid!” Dante called up, “Giving up so soon?”
Nero took a deep breath to steady himself again. No way in hell was he going to let this guy know he was going to cry, the asshole. Who gave two shits if they were related or not? He barely knew the guy!
“My options… are limited,” He hissed out.
Dante huffed.
“So melodramatic,” he yelled, “And besides, if you die without giving my sword back, I’m gonna be pissed!”
It’s not your sword, it's my father’s! Nero wanted to yell back, And you said you wanted it to stay in the family, anyway, so I’m keeping it. Fuck you.
He ended up telling Dante to come and get it himself before letting the statue absorb him… but not before shooting Dante one last obscene gesture.
That’s what he got for never getting Nero away from this hellhole. Or even visiting.
Asshole.
“Why oppose the order?” Sanctus asked, after Nero had managed to cut himself out of that damn statue’s tentacles and catch up to the fucker, Yamato in hand. “I knew your faith was weak. But I always thought you served our wishes well enough.”
“Bad enough you lying about this and trying to kill me,” Nero shot back, “And not telling me who my parents were. But what really pissed me off was using Kyrie!”
Nero swung the Yamato at him, sending an arc of blue light his way. But he missed, ending up being forced to Jake an orb of Sanctus’s energy in return.
He grunted in pain. Man, that shit hurt like a bitch.
“Come on, kid!” Dante yelled, from outside the statue, “Time to finish this!”
Well, at least he could count on his deadbeat Uncle to have his back and help out.
This time.
“I’m wrapping things up on my end!” Nero yelled back.
“Don’t be too sure, boy,” Sanctus said, suddenly appearing behind him, “Although flawed, the power of the Savior is beyond that of which you can defeat!”
“Yeah, well, like you can defeat it, either! Especially since I have it, and you don’t. Or was all that posturing about me having the blood of Sparda just you spewing shit?”
Sanctus growled and charged at him.
Nero smirked, and the Yamato sang in his palm as he directed a slash towards the beast in front of him.
He would win, this time. For Kyrie, if nothing else.
It was over.
Nero busted out of the statue and landed gently on the ground, Kyrie clutched tightly to his chest.
She smiled up at him from his arms, and Nero couldn't help but smile back at her, even despite everything. She was just amazing. And beautiful. And awesome. Nero would happily do anything to make her smile, and they both knew it.
“Heh,” Dante said, as Nero walked towards him, “You sure took your time.”
“What,” Nero shot back, “You looking for an apology?”
He let Kyrie out of his arms, and she moved to stand next to Dante.
“Well, how long am I going to have to wait for it?” Dante replied, glib as ever.
Nero growled pointing the Yamato at Dante’s chest.
“You first, Uncle Dante. Now, where the hell have you and my Old Man been for the past 19 years?”