ＣＯＬＬＥＣＴＩＯＮ.

⌠❖⌡ Unlike his father composure was not something he was even remotely good at, so where Vergil held back the tears he was unable to do the same as they slipped and fell to the ground beneath them. "What happened to you, where did you go…? I thought that…” That Vergil had been killed when he went out to stop Mundus from sending his demons after them, he had run away from Dante so he had no idea if that was the case or not and he was unable to feel his father’s presence either until now. Just how long had the other man been here with Yamato, suspended in that state of stasis…? Well, that fluffy hair was likely enough of a tale in of itself, but, he didn’t want to make assumptions and just kept his face buried in his father’s shoulder clearly horrified that this was just some cruel dream he was going to wake up from and Vergil would still be gone.

⌠❖⌡ With his normal hand placed to his chest to feel where he had just been stabbed through mere moments ago repeatedly, it was a shock to feel nothing as if the wounds never occurred in the first place was this his demon half coming through? It must have been otherwise he should have been dead right now, devil arm gripping Yamato’s hilt with his shock at the forced Devil Trigger the sight of the Avatar’s arms beside him was still something his brain was attempting to process. Not leaving the ground for a few moments longer, it was not until he heard his name spoken that he snapped back into reality and remembered he was currently staring at Vergil. 

"Dad…” While he wasn’t hurting physically it was the phantom pain that kept him from standing just for a little while, but, his urge to stand and go to his father soon won out over such a phenomenon and he didn’t waste a moment of time. For the moment he neared the older devil he wrapped both arms around Vergil, burying his face within the other’s shoulder gently as to not hurt him further. 

“I thought I was never going to see you again…" 

The pain in his own chest was gone now that Nero's body was healed. He hadn't quite realized that it had been very hard to breathe up until this point. Even knowing that Nero was healed Vergil wasn't surprised that it took the younger demon a moment to get to his feet. Shock would keep anyone from moving. He himself wasn't sure if he could move very well so he wasn't about to rush his son. When Nero hugged onto him Vergil didn't care if he got hurt. He didn't care if he was sluggish. He hugged the boy tightly, very suddenly fighting back tears.

@grimscollection​

“Shoooox!!” Her yells were muffled as she rushes over with frozen treats in her arms and one even in her mouth. Once she finally caught up to him she maneuvers the treats in her hand so she could take the popsicle out of her mouth.

“I wasn’t sure which flavor you liked the best so I got you one of everything!”

He heard the muffled yell of his name and paused in his steps. A glance over his shoulder told him what he already knew; Djeeta was headed his way. Seox turned to face her and tilted his head curiously at all the treats she was carrying. The Erune was ready to ask why she had so many but she got there before he did. The Captain couldn’t see it but there was a little embarrassment under his mask.

⌠❖⌡ While the dark feeling of heavy water was more than just overwhelming, body desiring nothing but to let go for the release from the pain searing through every fiber of his very being. It was the sound of a voice he knew better than anything else in this world, a heartbeat resounds within his own ears as his devil arm began to glow and even soon clenched in what could only be defiance. No, he won’t let it happen again he had lost his father for by far too long, he wasn’t going to bring him further pain by leaving him with no one else in this world. Teeth grinding the glow within his arm increased and soon the sword within its suspected half-broken state resounded with this, slowly coming back together it snapped back into perfect place and flew out of its containment into the young devil’s hand. 

Raising his head once more a stark red overcame what was normally lavender ice colored hues, ripping himself off the wall with a roar he used Yamato to blast away every single one of the armors that were coming to finish the job. If Angus wasn’t startled before the man certainly was now, this new state was difficult to control and he couldn’t quite feel properly even his own words seemed distant. “From that day forth… My arm changed… And a voice echoed, "Power. Give me more power!” And if I become a demon, so be it. I will endure the exile. Anything to protect my family.“ A strong wave of the sword sent a blast flying only missing Angus by mere inches before blowing up the roof of the containment room. After some choice words of how this wasn’t possible and pure ’madness’ by the scientist, he flew off and Nero soon dropped to his knees unable to walk further forward and stared at his devil arm in silence to comprehend what just happened. Only, to turn his gaze from it and slowly up at Vergil.

The Blue Demon felt Nero's life surge back into him. Thank whatever gods he didn't believe in. A slow blink left him when he felt the power shift in his son and he finally looked over to him. The surprise that ran through him when he saw Yamato suddenly repair itself was enough it brought the rest of his body back to movement. However, he was not at all surprised that the blade prioritized Nero over himself. The blade was saving him further by giving him more power. Another blink at Nero's words. Those were his own that Nero had heard. Clearly he had projected to the boy while he was trapped in the Underworld despite not meaning to.

⌠❖⌡ While he had been dispatched to chase down to chase after the man in red by Credo, one he knew all too well but refused to accept who it truly was due to implications in the past he could not bring himself to forget or forgive in the least. Who would have thought the Order would have had a place like this hidden within this castle, there were strange things here but he hadn’t started to fully question them until reaching the containment room. A large glass window separated this room from the next and soon enough he saw the man behind this whole place’s very existence, some banter here, some threats there and soon enough Agnus moved out of the way of a certain ’sight’ that he recognized without fail. Freezing in place for a moment or so it was hard for the young man to take what he was seeing as fact, there was no way after so long that… 

No, there was no doubt about it that snapped in half-sword and even despite that man in obviously status had rather fluffy hair there was no denying it, the blue outfit was also a dead giveaway as well and it caused the rage to build up within the younger man as his devil hand clenched into a fist. “I don’t care what you’re doing here, BUT LET HIM GO!” Past the breaking point and after a long fight with by far too many demon blades coming at him he finally managed to break through the glass, going so far as to try and take Agnus down with Red Queen but… Only to be distracted by what the man was saying and struck in the chest by that damnable soul armor and pinned to the wall. It hurt, it was the first time he had ever had something run through his chest before only to be pinned to the wall shortly after, is this what a pinned up butterfly felt like? 

One long spiel about what Angus planned to do later and Nero’s defiance one of those demon swords was jammed through his chest, was this really going to be it…? When he was so close to his father who he had lost years ago and searched for whenever he was able to, now he was here but was it to be short-lived as this would be his own end here? In a last act of defiance, blood was spat upon Agnus face, a comment made about how he would never be one of the other’s experiments, sword drove further into his chest and soon enough… Nothing just a flash of more of those armors coming to take him. “Sorry… Dad…” Spoken in a raspy breath his head hangs completely down.

None of the noise seemed to stir the stasised demon. Nothing reached him. Not the battle, not the ravings of Agnus. Not even Nero shattering the glass to get to the horrid scientist that held Vergil captive. It wasn't until the young demon was pinned to the wall that Vergil visibly flinched in his 'sleep'. Why was this? Father and son had a connection that made Vergil feel every bit of Nero's physical pain. The more intense it was the more pain Vergil would feel. The second bout of pain was what woke the dormant Devil. "...Nero..." Something was happening and he had to stop it.

Deep within the castle that the Order of the Sword called its base, a blade floated in a kind of stasis in the middle of the hidden laboratory. Unfortunately, the blade was snapped in two and thus served little purpose until it was whole again. It was uncertain how it was there given that it had been locked away in the Underworld for so long. Even more curious was the man that was held in a similar stasis next to it. The white haired man lie on an operating table completely unconscious. The scientist that held both knew exactly whom this man was. In fact, most of the high ranking Order members did. It was Vergil. The eldest of the sons of Sparda, twin to Dante, and owner of the broken blade.

A battle cry left him and he went to strike upon seeing the newcomer appear. Though as he got a good look at him he stopped his attack. That wasn’t one of the fallen. Not one of the trapped beasts either. “What are you doing here? This place is dangerous.” Though it didn’t seem to be the case at first a huge fight could be seen not far from the ship they were on. “Are you a mercenary or something?” 

⌠❖⌡ Here we go again when he was trying to leave and not look back at this, the other had to get in his way and ruin all of that in half a second… The air became heavy once more as his own tail he had not hidden back began to flicker in agitation, the yelling didn’t help either but he wasn’t used to anyone but Michael outright yelling at him and trying to burn him alive with her fire which clearly didn’t work. Expression hardened once more as he stares upon the man stood before him and blocked his path out of those place, if his wings were out and not utterly useless they’d likely be in an agitated position as well. 

“I was not the one who went sticking their nose in places it did not belong.” Not entirely wrong as he was not looking to share anything with anyone, those that did manage to get through the facade either ended up dead or given up by how violent he became at anyone who tried to poke and prod at that barrier he put up. This was more than poking and prodding as those neon hues of his turned much brighter than normal, while they were normally quite visible in the dar this was a case of such a sudden change in brightness it was startling. 

“You can’t help those who do not want your help, nor do I seek to be around anyone else.” Coldly spoken he was more than certain this would get this little Erune to stop bothering him, it has been a while since he had to push back against someone this hard but work he was more than willing to pursue. No one wanted to be around him as it was anyways, all they did was throw pity or slander which he himself knew he very much deserved. If it was to achieve Lucilius's dream then he will throw his entire being into it, nothing else in this world mattered but the happiness of his creator and just maybe one day he could see who he used to be once more… 

A far fetched dream, his back, and wings ached in excess to the memories of being within the rift as the only two living beings. Now, now that he was free he had been endlessly searching for a way to free the Astral, nothing else mattered in this world if it was all going to burn anyways including this one before him. “You’re in my way.” That acid-laced tone was back, the air pressure so intense it felt as if it could implode at any second.

“All I did was ask curious questions! Trying to be nice to you even after what you did to me! You did not need to lash out at me like this!” The scratches and blood on his face were long forgotten by the Erune due to the adrenaline he felt. His ear folded back aggressively to match the glow of those red eyes. He was not afraid of Belial and it showed. Even the weight of the air no longer bothered him. “You’re a damn liar. If you didn’t want help or attention or whatever it is you’re after you wouldn’t seek out people to ‘tease’ just like you did me. You just deny it to save your pride.” Clearly this Erune wasn’t so easily chased away.

⌠❖⌡ Seeing the other’s pain as the sound resonated through those big ears and how it caused him to drop that mask, his own tail making an appearance to snatch the item before it hit the ground and bring it back behind him out of view so the other could not see it or the tail. Pure entertainment danced across the Primarch’s features at what he was witnessing, seeing the other had a tail as well was not something he had been expecting… Not that he was going to do anything about it while seeing if this was going to be the final nail in the coffin and chase Seox off when the other shot a glare up at him, with that angry swaying puffed up tail he did have an internal thought to back off before he could press his luck and get into an actual fight. 

Something he could not take right now with his lack of full power and second rate healing ability, the pain still resonating through his back was enough of a tell for that… Taking his hand away from the wall now that he was yelled that apology at, not something he was entirely expecting but did not show upon the fallen’s features. What a stubborn little cat… Most would have run for the hills by this point, yet, here Seox was still being ever the pessimist… “You’re hopeless…” The man finally speaks as the air simmered down in the room just enough to no longer be bone-chilling, the mask he had taken and hidden with his tail was flung back at the shorter Erune as he was taking this chance to take his own leave if not stopped.

His reflexes were good enough that he caught the mask without even realizing what it was. When did he-- Right, I dropped it... The words of him being hopeless brought back the anger that had stilled when the air became lighter. A light growl left him and he tucked the mask into his belt as he went after Belial. “I’m the hopeless one? Me? When you’re the one that lashes out when someone is only curious?” He snapped at the taller man. Belial wasn’t far enough away that Seox couldn’t catch up and managed to get in front of him again, stopping in his tracks.

⌠❖⌡ That air didn’t change no matter how much time passed between them now, his expression changing to quite the twisted grin, amusement more than easily seen as he does not remove his hand away from the other either. Only, Seox stepping back was quite the mistake as he had been pressing his sharp nails into the other’s cheek, so, his automatic step back would leave quite the scratch marks that he ’knew’ how to make a sting worse than anything, akin to getting cut by a hundred pieces of paper at once and that’s what you had… 

The words about how he didn’t come here to fight caused a blood-chilling chuckle to escape the Primarch, not relenting in his so-called ’assault’ on the other aiming to permanently scare him. The fallen’s hand placed itself on the nearby wall and drug his nails down it in such a manner it was very close to listening to nails on a chalkboard, right next to the Erune’s ears to make matter’s worse. “Is that right, you didn’t come here to fight?” That tone is cold, no hint of his usual teasing to be found as he digs his fingers into the wall now and cracks it under the sheer force of his palm. 

“Then why don’t you ’leave’." 

A light hiss of pain left him as he effectively cut himself on Belial’s nails, small trickles of blood leaking down his cheek. The Primarch really was lashing out at him... And he’d only been curious. To him this clearly meant that he was right on his thoughts. But there was no need for all this. “Belial--” The Eternal was cut off by the screeching of the other man’s nails against the wall. The sound jolted him and he dropped his mask to cover his ears. This was enough that his normally hidden tail was loose and now puffed behind him. “Ngh!” The sound hurt his ears immensely and peaked his own temper. This was it. He was tired of being pushed around. Dropping his hands Seox shot a glare up at the other man, tail swaying angrily under his cloak.

⌠❖⌡ Upon seeing the other man’s gaze shift away from him to no doubt avoid eye contact, knowing full well just how utterly piercing his own eyes could be it must have been dreadfully uncomfortable to behold… This only made matters worse as he not only continued to stare at the Eternal but, moved forward one small step at a time to close the distance that was between them. Hearing those words about ‘upsetting him’ did not help the other’s case, the air seeming heavier than it had been prior he only stopped when Seox was either backed into some kind of object or the other took up some sort of threatening position. 

Whichever came first, as his hand reached out and all but placed itself on one of the Erune’s cheeks, touch much colder than it had been previously when he had been teasing the other when they first met. “You came here with a topic you knew was a bad idea… Yare yare, you are quite the special case, aren’t you?” Those words are laced with a special kind of venom, dripping with such an acidic value you could feel it seep into your very being and send a chill down one’s spine were it to affect them.

⌠❖⌡ “You’re right, I do find it amusing.” Ignoring most of the other’s sentences? Indeed, you’d have to do something pretty dire to get on this man’s bad side after leaving the rift, seeing how he tried not to get into any needed confrontation and this was just about the equivalent of that. Not to mention the sheer fact his entire presence, which was calm before has more than just chilled the very air around them with a thick layer of tension that could be cut with a knife.