Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction / Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction / Devil May Cry - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Knights of the Realms ❯ Ch 4 - Feuer Frei ( Chapter 4 )

KNIGHTS OF THE REALMS

 

 

FEUER FREI

 

 

 

 

Vincent Valentine was idly spinning the flower Marlene had given him between his fingers. He'd accompanied the girl to the church that had once been home to their late friend, Aerith, on one of the frequent trips she made there to pick the flowers and remember her friend. There was something special about those flowers. They grew where the alter would have been, the floor boards having been stripped away years ago. Holding the flower by the stem in his right hand, he brought his left up to stroke the petals, but quickly withdrew it when the razor edged talon on his finger tore the delicate petal. Not giving himself time to contemplate the past, he dropped the flower when his phone rang.

 

“Vin—,” he began, but was immediately cut off.

 

“Lissen up, Vampire Boy, I need you to haul your pale ass down to the bar, pronto! This guy shot Tifa dead, only it wasn't—“

 

Vincent's ear twitched and he dropped the phone, drawing his gun and turning to face the door of the church at the same time. He'd just leveled the gun when the double doors exploded. A motorcycle sped through the air, on a collision course with Marlene, standing in the center aisle. Knowing he wouldn't be able to reach her in time, he desperately fired off a shot at the motorcycle as it sped past him, the rider exclaiming “Oh, shit!” at the same time.

 

To Vincent's dismay, his shot did not alter the bike's course in the slightest, and he could only watch helplessly as it sped closer to Marlene, immobile with fear.

 

At the last possible second, a sword was thrust into the ground not six inches from Marlene, and was used to pole-vault the bike and it's occupant up and over the frightened girl. The rider landed on his feet in the middle of the flower patch, the bike held horizontally behind him by the handlebars. The sound of liquid spilling gave him cause to look down, only to see the gas tank with a gaping hole in it.

 

Again, the rider exclaimed “Oh shi—,” but was cut off by his motorcycle exploding.

 

Vincent had now reached the frightened, yet unscathed, Marlene, and shielded her from the blast with his cloak. Once the fireball had subsided, Vincent looked to where the rider had been…and still was, looking no worse for wear.

 

“Damnit!” he yelled, pushing his white hair out of his face. “That was a brand new bike.”

 

“Who are you?” Vincent asked quickly, hoping to bring the truth out of whoever this was by catching him off guard. Something didn't seem right about this man…Actually, Vincent thought, it seems all too familiar.

 

And that had him even more worried.

 

“Well, my friends call me Dante, and my enemies call me Dante, but I like to refer to myself of Lord Emperor Over All Things Bad Ass,” Dante said as he walked over to retrieve his sword. Holding it so as to catch his reflection, he gave himself a once over before slinging it on his back again. “I guess you could call me Dante.”

 

No, something didn't seem right at all.

 

“What happened to bring you here in this manner?” Vincent asked.

 

“Aw, you wouldn't believe it,” Dante said with an exasperated sigh. “I finished this job, right, smooth as you like, then I get chased by this spiky headed guy carrying an obnox—“

 

“--siously big sword,” Vincent finished for him.

 

Dante cocked his head to the side, studying Vincent. “Yeah,” he said. “Friend of yours?”

 

Vincent nudged Marlene and sent her to hide behind a large piece of stone as he brought his three barreled gun up to bear. “I'm afraid so,” he said in a calm voice. “Now, why was Cloud chasing you?”

 

Dante, for his part, didn't quail in the face of the menacing gun. He laughed, and suddenly Vincent had two hand guns aimed at him. He hadn't seen Dante move, but there was no doubting the reality of those guns. Dante laughed again.

 

“Looks like this is gonna be one hell of a party!”

 

***************************************************************** ******

 

Speeding down the slope, Cloud heard the distinctive bark of gunfire, and cursed himself for not being able to capture the murderer. He leaned forward in the seat and urged his motorcycle faster.

 

***************************************************************** *******

 

Vincent whirled as he fired, never still. His cloak swirled around him, catching the few bullets that came near him. He ducked behind a pillar to reload, and quickly looked around for Marlene, praying she was safe. He couldn't see her, and hoped that was good. He sprang out from behind the pillar, fired two shots, and spun to the left. Firing again as he completed the spin, he jumped up and fired his last three shots, pushing off with his feet as he did so, hurling himself straight at Dante, his razor talons outstretched.

 

***************************************************************** *******

 

Dante dodged the first two shots, caught the third in his coat, and stopped the final three with three rounds of his own. He continued the gun salvo, forcing Vincent to bring his arm up to deflect the bullets, making Vincent crash bodily into him rather than impale him on that deadly arm. Dante went into a back flip, his opponent into a front flip, both combatants landing face to face.

 

The Demon Hunter brought his sword to bear in an overhead chop, Vincent grabbing the blade with his armored hand, temporarily tethering the two to each other. Both immediately began firing their guns in their opposite hands, and both began twisting, dancing out of the way of the bullets.

 

***************************************************************** ******

 

Instead of reloading after six shots, Vincent jumped into the air and pivoted around the blade he still gripped, bringing both feet around to connect solidly with the side of Dante's head. The Demon Hunter stumbled back, having been caught off guard, but Vincent pressed the attack, not giving him time to recover. He once again lunged at Dante, taloned hand outstretched. Dante lunged too, hoping to once again force Vincent to defend, but Vincent was ready this time.

 

Shifting his grip on his gun, Vincent caught the blade where barrel met finger guard, forcing the blade off to the side, and sunk his razor edged talons into the soft flesh of Dante's chest.

 

***************************************************************** *******

 

Cloud burst into the church to see Vincent with his hand deep in the chest of Tifa's killer. A grim satisfaction came over him, along with a jealous disappointment that he hadn't been the one to exact vengeance.

 

Vincent withdrew his hand, and Dante stumbled back, blood pouring from his chest.

 

“Shit, son,” said the white haired Demon Hunter. “Ya got me.”

Then the blood reversed flow, returning to the wound, where the flesh was already knitting itself together.

 

“Point to you,” he said, nodding to Vincent. “Shall we continue?” he asked, freshening his grip on his sword.