Chaos..

[Vergil]

Vergil busied himself with examining the new area they were in. He could identify some of the types of demons that inhabited this area by the claw markings and other general destruction left by the creatures. Thankfully so far he didn't see any indications of anything they wouldn't be able to handle, but he was bothered by the unusual quietness. Surely they should have heard something milling about, especially lower level demons that traveled in packs, but it was strangely silent. He'd even stopped picking up on the pack that had been trailing him just a short while ago. Vergil knew that this sort of thing was never a good sign, usually an indicator of something much larger in the area. 'Lovely.'

It was hard not to notice how unusually quiet Lady was being as well, since the woman was never one to hold her tongue, and Vergil glanced over at her curiously. He looked just in time to see her look away quickly, and a singular dark silver eyebrow rose curiously. The demon had no clue what to make of that, only that the behavior was a bit strange for the woman. He supposed he could chalk it up to a number of things, and shrugged the matter off for now since he had much more important things to worry about, like getting out of here alive. He was too close too fail now.

As Vergil stared in Lady's direction, it was hard not to take notice of how she'd changed over the years. She seemed more mature, he'd noticed this as soon as he'd realized it was her. The woman seemed less likely to fly off the handle than she had the last time they'd met, for which he was appreciative since he didn't receive a bullet in the face. Not only that, but she definitely seemed to have filled out a lot better, being less of a somewhat small and ferocious girl to a more... curvacious and deadly woman. As a man, he could appreciate that, but he refused to let such thoughts cloud his mind right now. She was a human in the end, though that didn't seem to really bother him quite as much as it had in the past. The devil shook his head, telling himself he was just having a moment since she was the first woman without scales and a tail that he'd seen in years, and that it would pass the moment he emerged in the human realm.

Vergil found himself easily distracted from his disturbing train of thoughts when Lady asked him about his sword. His lips pressed into a thin line as he thought about his prized weapon, one of the most precious possessions to him in the world, rivaled only by his half of his mother's amulet, both of which he had lost or had taken from him. "...It's gone," the half devil replied flatly, making it clear that it was a sore subject for him. In all honestly, after he'd awoken from Mundus' control once the demon was defeated, Vergil hadn't been able to find his sword or really even recall much about what had happened to it. It was a problem that plagued him ever since, yet he hadn't been able to sense the sword's power even once, and no matter how many demons he attacked and threatened, no one seemed to have any information as to its whereabouts.

The half demon walked over to join Lady in her half of the room, annoyed that the woman wouldn't even bother to look at him. It was insulting to a man of his standing, even if he was a little pathetic right now. "You're bleeding,' he pointed out, having noticed the blood in her hair when the woman had turned her back on him. That wouldn't do at all for them if they were to avoid being attacked, the demons would smell the blood from a mile away.

[Lady]

" I see that but.....where.. is it?" Lady continued gently, She was sure this topic held nothing but ill feelings and resentment for him, but that didn't change her burning curiosity. How was it he planned on defending himself without it? And what exactly had he suffered through? She dare not ask him this question, but secretly ached to know.



Almost instinctively, Lady could feel something attempting to burrow it's way into her skin from inside of her jacket pocket, as if sensing it's true owner and making an effort to return to them once more. She had nearly forgotten she had it, a bargaining tool she could dangle over Dante that would automatically give her the upper hand. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the amulet, immediately wanting to hand it over once she realized whose it was, her own beloved trinket around her neck and close to her heart as it always was. "I believe, this is yours.... Or at least, I seem to recall you wearing one exactly like this." Lady said quietly, placing the treasure on a table behind her, afraid of what might happen if she got too close. "I swiped it from Dante a while back as insurance, you know, in case he forgot to pay me back for the millionth time. I don't know how he got a hold of it but...here you go anyway. " Let's face it, Lady was never going to get her money back.



His voice was no longer echoing through out the main chamber and as she was overtaken by the feeling of someone watching her, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, she quickly realized he was standing close behind her. "I'm fine..." Lady lied, pretending to take interest in some of the furniture before her so she wouldn't be forced to look at him. The layout and interior design of this place was beautiful, even if it was a breeding ground for pure evil, she had to give them that. It was mostly true, her head was no longer pounding as badly as before, but she was certain the blood loss would not easily be ignored or brushed aside. And on top of that, she was beginning to get really thirsty, dehydration the last thing she needed to be immobilized by at the moment.

[Vergil]

Vergil sighed loudly in exasperation as Lady continued to harass him about Yamato. "If I knew that, I'd have it," he snapped, the feelings of resentment and loss springing back up as he was forced to talk about his precious sword. The demon sighed, instantly feeling a pang of guilt at snapping at the woman for no real reason. It wasn't like she had taken it from him, and he was supposed to be getting along with her while they attempted to get out. "I... can't find it. It's been missing for ages, since I was defeated by Mundus," he added quietly. Vergil refused to tell her anything else, however, not wanting to relive the horrible memories anymore than he had to.

The half devil watched curiously as Lady reached for something, though he never would have been able to guess what that was until he saw it, and even then it was hard to believe. Vergil stared at the glittering necklace for a few moments, barely even hearing Lady's words. He was too focused on what he was looking at, completely in shock at seeing something that he'd thought was lost. His memories of everything that had happened while in Mundus' service were hazy at best, and he'd just assumed the demon prince had taken the trinket from him. One thing the woman said did ring a bell with him though, and that was that Dante had apparently been in possession of the amulet. Of course, he'd known his brother had defeated Mundus because rumors and stories spread quickly in the demon realm, but at least now he had a more clear picture.

All of this new information had also helped clear his confusion on just how he'd been defeated, since everyone here seemed either reluctant to tell him, was purposely not speaking, or just didn't know. Of course he'd assumed it was Dante, considering his brother had been the one to destroy Mundus, but now he had confirmation. Did his brother think he was dead then? Had it been hard for him to 'kill' Vergil? The elder twin hated to admit it but he was curious to know the details of his own defeat. In a weird sort of way he hoped that his brother had a hard time with it, during and after the fight. It would be nice to know that he wasn't entirely hated by the last shred of family he had left, even if that 'shred' was a lazy, annoying brat.

Vergil reached out and grasped the chain of the amulet, inhaling sharply as his fingers closed around the cool metal of the chain. He couldn't begin to describe the way it felt to hold it again, and a very faint smile crept onto his face as he lifted the necklace from the table. Without hesitation the devil slipped the chain around his neck, sighing in a mixture of happiness and relief as he felt the familiar weight of the jewel against his chest. "...You have my thanks." Vergil reached up and gently ran his fingers over the face of the amulet, glad to at least have something that he loved back in his possession.

Vergil sighed and turned to face Lady again, taking note of the woman's suddenly tense appearance even as she confirmed that she was okay. Without thinking he reached out and gingerly touched her hair where the blood was beginning to dry and frowned. "This isn't just a scrape. We need to move... even I could smell this from a distance," Vergil explained as he motioned to the corridors.

[Lady]

Taking his tone of voice as an obvious sign of his mixed feelings on the matter, she dropped the topic, for now. Thinking it best to discuss this matter elsewhere, when they weren't in constant danger of being eaten alive by whatever resided here. "Fair enough." She said simply," But you'll want to speak to Dante when we get out of here, I'm sure he might have some knowledge or theories as to it's where abouts.." Dante was insufferable, but the man always seemed to know things others didn't, especially when family heir looms were involved. And then it hit her, she hadn't bothered to think what would happen once they reached the surface, surely he wouldn't want to stick around with her, and who could blame him. Was he just using her to get what he wanted? Would he try to kill her as soon as she found a way out? Perhaps, he was merely pretending so she would take pity on him and aid him in his plans. What bothered her most was not the possibility of betrayal, but that she cared enough to worry about it.



"Don't worry about it.. " responded Lady, with a pained expression only she could see, eyes still avoiding his like her life depended on it. Those eyes that were barely human, red and blue like the Sons of Sparda, like everything.... important. "I'm just glad it's in good hands...your brother can't take care of anything properly, himself included." She added, forcing a smile for her own sake. He was killing her and he didn't even realize it, what was worse, was that she was allowing it. Why?


Her body tensed up and she felt a strange surge of electricity pass
through her as she felt his hand brush against her hair lightly. She was unable to avoid him any longer, despite herself, her head slowly tilting upward to confront his gaze longingly. She wanted to reach out and gently touch his hand, if only to know what it felt like against her own, but restrained herself. Afraid of what such an action might mean for her. Clearing her throat a little, she took a step away from him, nodding in agreement and heading through a large archway with a door at the end, that she only prayed didn't lead to another chamber filled with corridors.

[Vergil]

A soft sigh escaped Vergil's lips and he nodded when Lady mentioned that he should speak with his brother. It seemed like the most logical choice, but that didn't mean that he was definitely going to do it. Maybe one day, but he wasn't sure how he felt right now about seeing his brother. His life had already been turned upside down over the course of the last hour, the half-demon wasn't sure if he could handle much else at the moment, especially where Dante was concerned. He'd lived without his sword for this long, a little longer wouldn't hurt until he adjusted. Just thinking about life out there was enough to unsettle him.

Vergil felt himself frowning at Lady's strange behavior. It wasn't like her to be so reserved. Icy blue eyes bored into her, but Vergil said nothing. If she wanted to keep it to herself, then that was her business, and this wasn't the time to force the issue. "He was always useless with such things..." the half breed replied and nodded in agreement.

The strange urge to let his fingers linger in Lady's hair struck Vergil, but he knew better than to try such a thing, lest he find himself on the receiving end of the barrel of her gun. Though the look he received right after touching her was enough to completely brush that expectation aside. He couldn't quite peg the expression on the woman's face, but it definitely didn't seem like malice or contempt, and that startled him. Thankfully she moved away quickly and saved them both the embarrassment of the awkward moment. Vergil sighed and ran his hand through his own hair, the unruly locks not quite staying put like they used to due to the longer length. He quickly followed after Lady as she began to walk, not wanting to let her get too far ahead lest any demons be lying in wait.

This place was like a maze, Vergil knew that better than anyone after wandering the realm for so long. It seemed like no matter how far he'd walked, he'd never made it any closer to getting out, and when he finally did locate a way, it was collapsed in out itself. But surely they would find a Hellgate to use, after all, demons escaped to the human realm all of the time, so it really shouldn't have been so hard. 'If it's not that hard then why are you still here? And now look what you've done... protecting that woman, you'll get yourself killed before you have the chance,' he scolded himself mentally as he walked, eyes trained on the brunette just ahead of him. He knew he shouldn't be staring, but it was hard not to, and it wasn't like she could see him when he was behind her anyways.

[Lady]

They had moved past those irritating corridors and onto an entirely new area unlike the one they had been in before, that was a good sign. The vastness of this new area, however, was not. Lady could swear she heard something that resembled running water, perhaps a fountain? or a river mayhaps? If there was running water, there had to be a main source, and that source, wherever it may be, could possibly lead them outside.



"Does any of this look familiar? Because it's an endless nightmare to me.. wondered Lady, knowing for the first time what it felt like to be a mouse stuck in a maze. Now where the hell is that piece of cheese... She had been on many a mission in all kinds of places crawling with demons out for her blood, but never one with a Hellgate of this magnitude, who ever was responsible for this place did not want that gate to be found. And Lady had no desire to be transported into the Demon Realm should they stumble across the wrong one.


"Do any of these areas not have these ridiculously confusing layouts, It just keeps going and going... How do you navigate through here!? There has to be a door leading out or some stairs somewhere..." Lady cried out, her frustration and lack of patience apparent now. If she didn't know any better, she'd think this place was an illusion that went on forever with no real exit. Was this a dream? The Demon Huntress was going to open her mouth to complain some more when she heard it, a sound in the distance that drowned out the water, almost faint, but definitely present. It was the sound of large claws being dragged across the tile floor, like nails on a chalkboard, and she was frozen stiff but prepared to face it nonetheless. Lady couldn't tell how far ahead it was, or if it was even on the same floor, but whatever it was it sure as hell didn't sound friendly.

[Vergil]

It didn't take them long to enter the new area, and Vergil easily picked up on the sound of running water. He'd come across areas where the water had pooled before, but it usually wasn't that strong, and he considered this a good sign. He could go for a while without provisions, but Lady was only human. The devil shook his head when Lady asked if the area looked familiar."Not particularly..." he mumbled, looking around in concern.

Vergil narrowed his eyes as he tried to make out any distinguishing features of the area that might give him a hint as to whether or not they were going in the right direction, but everything looked the same. The half-demon was about to suggest that they head for the water when he heard the very distinctive sound of a much larger demon in the distance. He muttered a curse under his breath; this was exactly what he had been concerned about. It would be nearly impossible not to leave a trail with Lady reeking of blood to a demon's nose, and they obviously didn't want to go backwards. He would have to figure something out.

He had no idea if this would even work, but Vergil supposed they didn't have much of a choice. "I hope you've got plenty of ammo..." he said, glancing over at Lady as he began to strip off his wrecked and filthy. The once magnificent coat was in complete ruin, the tails and sleeves shredded and tattered to where it was just barely wearable, the colors almost completely sullied by blood and filth. "You'll have to excuse the condition, put this on," he instructed, holding the coat out to Lady. It was a stretch, but he'd been wearing it for years and it was drenched in his scent, so he hoped it would help to mask her quite obviously human smell, which was amplified by the fact that she was bleeding. "We're going to have to go in the direction that creature is in... I can't have you broadcasting to the entire place that I have a human with me," Vergil explained.

[Lady]

Lady was a bit reluctant to oblige his request, considering the outfit she was currently wearing was completely white, but he did have a point. "Fine, but you owe me a new jacket." She huffed as she took the coat from him. More flattered at his gesture and the effort he was putting in to protecting her than anything else. She smiled internally, handing him the dagger that was strapped to her boot in return. It had never failed her and it would be deadlier in his hands than in hers.


"More than enough." she said, reloading her clips and magazine with ammo similar to Dante's. It was specifically designed to wear down demons of all kinds, one of the few perks of working along side the Devil Hunter. As long as her guns remained in her hands, she would be fine. And in a worst case scenario, she had Kalina Ann to fall back on, as inconvenient as Kalina's size was, what it lacked in mobility it made up for in fire power. Those rockets were difficult to dodge. While she wasn't sure what to expect, keeping the being as far away from her as possible seemed the best plan of action.


Searching her pouches for another piece of cloth, she used it to clean up her wound as best she could, wincing a little as it made contact with the cut. By this point, it had fully stopped bleeding and she was positive it wasn't all that deep, but the remnants of blood lingering in her hair were enough to lure anything in the area with a nose. "I'm ready when you are."

[Vergil]

Vergil was thankful that lady didn't argue too much about wearing the coat. He knew it was rather disgusting, but it was necessary for them right now. If it was made known that a human was around, even more demons who wouldn't normally chance it just for an injured demon to hunt would come running for the supposed 'easy snack'. "Put it on Dante's tab," Vergil replied as he shook his head. The demon accepted the blade that Lady offered him, grateful to have a weapon in his hands again, even if it wasn't ideal.

It was somewhat comforting to hear that Lady came prepared, it would have been too hard for Vergil to protect both of them if the woman wasn't sufficiently armed. He glanced over to watch her reload her weapons, smirking slightly at the sight of her in his coat. Even with the thing as tattered as it was, it still dwarfed her, though Vergil thought it looked nice in a way, but he kept those thoughts to himself. There was no use making things even more awkward than they already were.

Vergil twirled the dagger he'd been given in his grip as he watched Lady attempt to clean her wound some. He knew she possibly needed medical attention, and there wasn't much of anything here to help her with, so the need to escape was greater than it had been when he was alone. He would have to be careful not to overdo it since Lady couldn't regenerate like he could, but the devil was confident he could manage. Vergil nodded when Lady confirmed that she was ready and he took her by the wrist, pulling her behind him. "Stay close, let me lead the way," he instructed as he started down the path.

The half-demon walked in silence, still gripping Lady's wrist as they moved through the area. It took him a few moments to realize that he was still holding her, but when he did he quickly but somewhat reluctantly let go so that she would have her hands free to shoot if need be. The sounds they'd both heard earlier were getting louder, both from the water and whatever creature was lurking out there. Vergil was certain they were close to what sounded like a river of some sort. Maybe whatever was out there was thirsty? The half devil glanced over his shoulder and put a finger over his lips to indicate that they needed to be absolutely silent as they crept further ahead.

As they continued to move forward the air began to feel more damp and the rushing water was quite loud. Vergil felt himself tense as he sensed that they were nearing the demon, and he tightened his grip on the blade in his hands. He ducted down low as they rounded the corner and a massive, hulking figure came into view a short distance away. "We're going to have to kill it," he whispered, watching the demon sniffing, obviously trying to discern their direction.

[Lady]

Unable to see in this corridor, she was relying completely on Vergil to be her eyes. Under other circumstances she would have been completely against the idea, convinced that she could handle it all on her own, but right now, she didn't mind so much. Lady was taken a back when she felt his hand wrap tightly around her wrist, moving quickly to keep up with him as he lead them in the monster's direction. For a split second thankful that he could not see her eyes betraying how she felt about him, even if she didn't want to admit it.


Much to her surprise, his hand felt warm against her small wrist, and as he went to let her go she found herself reaching for his arm to hold, standing as close to him as humanly possible; just to reassure herself that he was still there. "After we kill this thing, we're heading straight for that water. You need a bath." Lady teased, a smirk creeping on her lips, her voice barely a whisper.


Judging by the sounds that hellion was making, her pistols were not going to be enough. Quickly putting them back into their holsters, she unhooked Kalina, if she could take down this thing with one shot, the better. It would save them the time and energy they were quickly running out of. Luckily, she could snipe with her rocket launcher from her current location, eliminating the need to get any closer to the creature than she had to. Kalina Ann was capable of firing single rockets or a huge barrage of mini missiles, along with the bayonet at the tip of the barrel should she run out of ammo. But that seldom happened.


"If you can distract it..." Lady began. " I can bring it down from here." Well, it was now or never she supposed.

[Vergil]

Vergil glanced back when Lady touched his arm, noticing the way she was staying so close to him even now. He wasn't complaining, that was for sure. The half-devil snorted very softly when Lady said he had to take a bath after this. He really didn't think he smelled that badly, but then again, he was used to it by now, so what did he know? "My smell should be the least of your concerns right now," he mumbled, though he couldn't deny he wanted to find that water himself and rest for a few minutes.

The half-devil was debating on how they should go about their attack when Lady suggested he distract it for her to use her rocket launcher. Normally he thought such weapons were ridiculous, but he had never before been so thankful for Lady to have the thing. "Alright then... be careful," he replied, giving Lady one last, long look before he crept away from her.

Vergil waited until he was a good distance away from Lady before he stood upright and cleared his throat loudly. The demon's attention instantly snapped to him, and the beast growled loudly, thinking it had found its dinner. "Pathetic," Vergil scoffed as he twirled the dagger in his hand. "Come on then, I haven't got all day," the devil sneered at the much larger creature. The demon hissed and lunged for Vergil immediately, and the man quickly dove to the side, platinum hair whipping behind him as he rolled out of the way easily.

It was harder than Vergil thought to avoid the creature's attacks, it was faster than it looked and he was slower than he remembered, but he was doing okay so far. The half-devil worked to steer the much larger demon into a position for Lady to have a clear shot, which was much harder than it sounded. He had to keep the beast from noticing her before she shot.

[Lady]

"Come back to me alive....." She whispered as soon as he had gone. Lady wouldn't deny, seeing Vergil in action was an incredible sight, and as much as she tried not to, she admired the half devil in battle from afar for a few seconds; before focusing on the task at hand. There would be plenty of time for that later. Right now, she needed to cover his ass. It was important to make sure Kalina Ann was positioned in a way that allowed her to support the heavy weapon as well as fire it. Crouching down a bit, she rested the back of her weapon against her shoulder, her hand gripping the large handle and slowly following the creature as she waited for the perfect opportunity to shoot.

There was no room for failure and one missed shot could mean the end of her life, because once she fired that thing, her position would automatically be compromised. "Better go with the ex-wife..."

[/color] Reaching around to the oversized pouch that was usually on the back of her belt, Lady pulled out a single missile and loaded it into her launcher. The downside was that she only had one of these special armor piercing missiles. The upside, even if it didn't instantly kill it, it would significantly weaken it and possible set it's body on fire upon impact.


Noticing the perfect window of opportunity, the split second where the demon's hands were no longer shielding it's face, she took her shot, aiming straight for the area between his eyes. Afterwards Lady instinctively reloaded Kalina Ann, driven by her muscle memory and years of experience with this weapon. She could load, fire and wield this weapon in the dark, with her eyes closed and a hand tied behind her back. [/blockquote]

[Vergil]

Vergil ducked, skidding across the floor away from a wipe of the beast's massive claws. 'That was close,' he scolded himself inwardly, fairly certain that last attack had nicked off the tips of his hair. If Lady didn't take that shot soon, he was sure that he was going to be injured. The half devil did his best to drive the beast back, swiping the dagger at the tendons in its legs to keep the creature at bay. He'd fought things like this before, but he was so drained now and he didn't think it would end well if they kept at it.

Seconds later the demon's face exploded in fire and Vergil leaped backwards several feet. Lady had taken a perfect shot, but it seemed like the monster wasn't done yet. The loss of its sight only seemed to enrage the massive demon more, and it began swiping wildly as it stumbled in the woman's direction. Vergil slashed at it, weaving in and out of its legs to avoid being clawed or crushed, but his attacks didn't seem to deter it in the least. A particularly violent slashing of the beast's claws had Vergil diving to the side a split second before he was ripped in half. He had taken a rather nasty scratch across his stomach, but the half-devil paid it no mind since it would heal quickly enough.

"Shoot it again!" Vergil shouted as he tried to get in between Lady and the demon again. He dodged another swipe from the demon and slid across the floor towards the woman, determined to reach her before the creature did. Fire shot from the demon's face and it snarled, lunging in Lady's direction, snapping its jaws ferociously.

[Lady]

"Vergil!" Lady exclaimed, watching in horror as the creature ripped through his flesh. She knew that he would be alright, he had survived this long in hell so a demon was nothing, but that didn't make the flood of worry and sadness that washed over her any less intense. Adrenaline pumped through her veins and she could hear something quickly approaching down the hall. When there was a mother or father present, it's children were sure to be close behind.

If there was one thing that fueled her and completely annihilated the fear and concern for her own well being, it was blind fury. Lady has alot of it to work with. And this hideous creature and it's minions seriously had it coming. Lady dropped Kalina Ann for the moment it took to pull out her VZ61, emptying her magazine into the bodies of the minions who dared to get close to her. She slashed, decapitated and tore her way through them all without mercy, until she was once again standing in the hallway alone; blood splatter covering her face, arms and clothes."Say hello to my father.." She hissed.


Picking up Kalina once more Lady turned on her heels quickly and fired, just in time to see it's head attempting to snatch her up violently."I'll put you in your grave, you bastard!" Lady growled, reloading and firing another shot for good measure. She had just enough time to move out of the way before the creature came tumbling down, where she had been standing only minutes ago. Stepping all over the creatures lifeless body she walked over to Vergil. "Are you alright?" asked Lady, not bothering to conceal the concern in her voice.

[Vergil]

Vergil didn't need to look to see what Lady was shooting at; this was exactly what he was afraid of. He was more worried about the massive creature on its way to rip the woman apart than the lesser demons, though, he was sure Lady could take care of a few babies on her own. Sure enough, the gunfire stopped moments later and the woman was still in one piece. Vergil let out a sigh of relief at seeing that she was okay, though that feeling was cut short as the creature descended on her.

Icy blue eyes widened when the demon was upon Lady, and for a moment the half-devil wasn't sure she was going to be okay. He couldn't get to her, there was no time, but once again Lady managed to impress him and leave Vergil staring in awe as she managed to shoot another rocket into the beast's face. Vergil had to admit he was amazed when Lady managed to take the thing down and avoid being crushed in the process. She was truly an impressive woman, and that wasn't something he thought very often of anyone, human or not.

The sight of Lady covered in blood disturbed Vergil, but he simply nodded in response to her question. "I'm fine," he confirmed, glancing down at his stomach. The wound there had almost completely healed already, and that was the worst of his injuries. "Let's just get to that water... It looks like I'm not the only one who needs a bath..." He sighed, glancing back up to meet the woman's mismatched gaze. Walking around coated in blood like this wasn't a good idea, especially considering how badly it had turned out with the little bit that Lady had on her before. They may as well just stand in the middle of the place and invite the demons to them.

Vergil took Lady's hand, too exhausted to care if it was weird or not, and turned to lead her towards the water source. He had only taken a couple of steps when something flashed for a split second in his peripheral vision. That was all it took for Vergil to grab onto Lady and dive to the ground with her, using his body as a shield over her as a set of razor claws swiped just over top of them. The attack surely would have ripped them both in two had it connected. The demon, one of the young that had been straggling behind, wasted no time and spun on the spot, leaping onto Vergil's back and attacking him. The half-devil hissed in pain and slammed the blade of the dagger Lady had given him back into the creature's face all the way to the hilt.

The beast screamed in pain and Vergil flung it off of him, the dagger still imbedded in the demon's skull as it howled and finally collapsed to the ground, dead. Vergil panted heavily, feeling the sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through him and glanced down at Lady to make sure she was okay. That was when he realized their predicament. He was practically laying on top of her in nothing but a ruined pair of pants and panting like a dog left out in the car on a summer's day. He quickly scrambled to his feet, glad that his face was somewhat covered in dirt to hide the heat he felt rising in his cheeks. "Are you alright?" he asked, trying to sound much calmer than he felt as he reached a hand down to help her up.