EG: The Devil Might Lieby ZeroraidChaptersProloguePrologue Part 2Prologue Part 3PrologueIt’s raining today. Honestly, that didn’t really surprise him. After all, he’d bothered paying attention to the weather forecast so he knew it would be raining today. Besides, it’s been raining for a few days now, so finding out it was raining once again didn’t really surprise him that much. Regardless, knowing that the rain was coming down today didn’t change anything. After all, people still had to be out and about. Had to go somewhere - anywhere really to get their required education or fulfill their 9-to-5. After all, people still had to make money, and those bills still had to get paid somehow. Of course, with that being said, there were very few who actually wanted to step out and get pattered by rainfall, which of course wasn’t too surprising. Only time someone really liked getting wet was when they were either in the bathroom or the bedroom. For one well dressed young man in particular though, neither option seemed available at the moment. Staring out at the city from its tallest building, the Silver Sacks Towers, he couldn’t help sigh in annoyance as he watched the rain come down. “Hell of a view.” The figure muttered as he stared outward, attention focused on the rain that continued to fall across his city. Limbo, that was the name the world gave it. It was a strange name, truly, but it was no stranger than the names given to some cities like Capulet or Enamel. With that said, he had no idea why the founders chose to call this place ‘Limbo’ of all things was honestly beyond him. The city wasn’t situated in Limbo after all - ‘the Edge’ where the borders between realms was weakest. Pushing such thoughts aside, the young man kept his gaze fixed on the city that rested beyond his window. Disregard the rain, it didn’t look any different from any other city out there. It was a well-developed metropolis with skyscrapers and boroughs. He couldn’t see the people from up here, but that was fine. He didn’t need to see them, not really; but if he wanted to, all he had to do was look through the CCTV cameras installed throughout the city. While he was busy looking outside his office phone went off, and it was with a bit of reluctance that he found himself stepping away from the window that he was next to headed over to his desk as he picked up the phone. “Yes?” “Mister Ryder, Lostlight and Paleflame have returned.” Ah, about time. “Good.” Ryder mutters, nodding his head. “Send them up.” “Yes sir.” That brief conversation ending, Ryder took a moment to walk around his desk before settling himself down in his chair. It’s quiet for a while, there’s no noise outside of the rain coming down and hitting the window. It ends only when two figures step through his office door. One of them with a head full of white hair while the other was blessed with a mess of black. “Hey boss.” The black haired one, Paleflame, did this light wave and smiled as he walked over to one of the office chairs and settled down. “Sorry it took so long to get back, traffic was a nightmare.” “I bet it was.” Their boss muttered as he looked to Lostlight who seemed to just be standing at attention and waiting for something. He just made a gesture, allowing the white haired youth to sit as he gave an appreciative nod. “So, what’s your report?” “It’s as you thought, Mr. Ryder.” Lostlight stated. “The uproar in Red Grave was caused by the Qliphoth appearing in Red Grave.” He admitted. “And as you predicted, Dante got involved.” Paleflame stated as he made a swinging motion with his arm. “Took him a month, but he finally chopped the damn thing down.” “I’m not surprised.” Ryder muttered as he rested his cheek on his knuckle. “Still, who was it that planted the seeds of the Quiphoth?” “Some guy named Urizen.” Paleflame stated with a shrug. “Never heard of him.” “Likewise.” Paleflame grumbled. “Arte glanced through Lemegeton's Guidebook, and couldn’t find a damn thing about this Urizen guy, so he’s not from the Demon Realm.” “That means he was probably from this side.” Lostlight stated. “I see…” Ryder muttered as he seemed to think. “If that’s the case, how were they able to reach the Demon Realm and the Qliphoth?” “Nero.” Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Dante’s heir?” “Think so.” Paleflame stated as he raised his right arm and tapped it a few times. “Saw him sporting a prosthetic.” He admitted. “Seems Urizen ripped that demonic arm off and pulled the Yamato out of it. And given that Yamato can cut through dimensions~” “They used it to reach the demon realm and acquire the Qliphoth seeds.” Ryder rubbed his temples. “Makes sense… and what else is there for you to report?” “For one, Dante got his ass handed to him before settling things.” Paleflame stated as Lostlight reached for something he had carefully wrapped up and presented it on the table. Ryder’s eyebrows shot up slightly. Though they could have been mistaken for the shards or any random blade, he knew on an instinctive level that these shards belonged to a very specific demonic blade “Rebellion?” “Yes.” Lostlight couldn’t help but nod. “It seems that the Rebellion was shattered during combat.” He states. “We’ve collected a few shards, but the remaining pieces as well as the handle are still missing.” “More than likely it’s still in Dante’s possession.” Ryder grumbled. “Regardless, even with the broken Rebellion, Dante managed to pull through in the end. That’s good at least.” He muttered as he seemed to stare at the fragments of Rebellion for a moment. “Now for the bad news.” “Well, in order to seal off the Qliphoth, Dante would have needed to go to the Demon World and sever the roots himself.” Lostlight stated. “Not to mention seal the portal it created with the Yamato.” Ryder didn’t say anything, letting the words echo into his head before taking a breath. “I see.” He muttered after a while. “A one-way trip.” “That’s right.” Paleflame muttered. “But knowing his luck he’ll find a way out again.” “Till then the Legendary Devil Hunter is gone.” Lostlight added. “And as such he’s out of our hair.” Ryder muttered as he made a face and started fiddling with a piece of Rebellion. “So.” Paleflame spoke up again. “What’s the plan, boss?” Ryder didn’t say anything, just chose to continue fiddling with a fragment of Rebellion and made a noise. “To start, we ensure Dante can’t get back to this side.” “Oh?” Ryder just stopped messing with the fragments of Rebellion and seemed to look at his guests. “The Qliphoth opened a portal to the Demon Realm, but as you know it’s not the one.” He stated. “Two thousand years ago, Tenen-Ni-Gru was created by mortal hands to act as the true gateway, and countless other structures were created to act as portals as well.” Ryder stated. “If every last one of them is destroyed…” “Then we ensure that Dante can’t return.” Lostlight whispered as Ryder gave him a nod. “I get it… but if we destroy all the Hellgates, then won’t more demons be unable to cross over as well?” Paleflame asked. “No, actually.” It was Lostlight that answered him. “Remember the Hellgates are a human creation.” He stated. “It was their way of bridging the worlds, but in truth the demons never needed them.” He stated. “After all, we have our own methods of crossing over.” “Ah~” Paleflame leaned back in his seat as he put his hands behind his head. “Right.” Was all he said as he seemed to think. “Well if that’s the case~.” He smiled. “When do we start, boss.” “You in particular?” Ryder began as he sighed to himself. Without a word he reached for something in his desk before pulling out a file for the two. “Ever heard of Canterlot?” Lostlight nodded as Paleflame raised an eyebrow. “Nope.” Paleflame admitted as Lostlight reached for the file. “Must be somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” “Well, you aren’t wrong.” Ryder admitted with a smile. “There’s no airport, there’s no trains, just a single road leading to a beach and beyond.” “Wow, that is in the middle of nowhere.” Paleflame muttered as Lostlight continued looking through the file. “Either way, we're going to destroy the hellgate there?” “Yes, though we aren’t entirely certain if it’s a Hellgate at all.” Ryder admitted. “Regardless, there is a portal there. “And if there's a portal that means that there's a possibility that Dante can come through it.” “So where is the portal?” Lostlight showed Paleflame the file as his eyes shot up and he started to laugh. “It’s in front of a school? Who puts a portal in front of a school?!” “I’d love that answer myself.” Ryder stated, shaking his head. “Regardless…” “Right.” Paleflame returned the file to Lostlight. “We’ll get right on it, boss.” Prologue Part 2The silence that filters throughout the office of something broken only by the sound of a bottle hitting the table. and it is a noise that seems to echo out before quickly fading away. Sitting at his desk, a man just sighs to himself, as he drinks from his cup before setting it down beside the bottle he had on his table. His expression isn’t twisted by annoyance, or regrets, or even that drunken high, rather it’s laced more with boredom than anything. He pours himself another glass and starts to down it, stops half way before leaning back to make himself more comfortable. In glancing to the side of his desk the man finds a collection of notes both in his writing as well as in his forebears and takes a moment to look them over. The notes concerned, as he liked to put it, magic bullshit; not that stagehand bullshit you see at parties but actual magic bullshit. Or at the very least the closest people could get a hold of; demon magic. That was what ‘human’ magic was at the end of the day; demon magic that they managed to get a hold of through either some kind of demonic pact or objects. Either case, what humans could grab hold of was nothing in comparison to what a demon could pull off. With a light flick, the man returned the papers to his desk, not even bothering to check where they might end up before just leaning back and seeming to think. Demon Magic… never quite understood why Devil’s went about sharing their dark gifts with humans. But he figured that it was something that helped them better influence those they turned their gaze to. Either way, getting ahold of those dark powers allowed human to recreate some of the demon's more esoteric abilities. Some used them to create ‘miracles’ some used them to create ‘curses’ or other abominable things. And he’d seen many abominable things brought into reality by demon magic. With that being said it didn’t stop him from studying the art; trying to break it down into a scientific method he could accept and share with others. If he could do so, the things that could be done for humanity… The man chuckled lightly. “As if I originally planned on doing this for humanity.” His reasons for studying demon magic, and everything related to it; were all to further his own personal goals. Really that was probably the reason a lot of people studied anything. Or maybe it was just him. “Honestly, it doesn’t really matter.” It really didn’t. Pouring himself another drink the man took a minute to relax for a moment longer before deciding to get to his feet and headed over to his coat rack and grabbed a coat and threw it on. That done he retrieved his bottle and started heading out. Walking down the halls of a building complex, the man took the time to run a hand through his charcoal colored hair as he checked in on the others as he made to leave. “Vein.” Stopping, the man turned himself away from the bottle as he saw one of his associates leaving a room. They looked exhausted, not to mention annoyed. “Yo.” Vein greeted them as he returned to his bottle and took a drink before passing it over. His associate didn’t even question the bottle being offered, instead chose to practically snatch it away before downing what he could. “Rough day?” “Is that a rhetorical question?” Vein shrugged as he grabbed his drink and looked at how much was left in it. “What do you think?” He remarked, shaking the bottle before finishing it off. “Let me guess, we lost a few more.” “Fraid so.” His counterpart grumbled as they both started walking away from the room they had resting across from them, as well as the corpses lying lifeless on the tables. His companion reached into their pocket, pulled out a pack of smokes and bit into one as he pulled it out. “Careful with those.” Vein grumbled. “You keep taking those your lungs are gonna give out one of these days.” “You’re one to talk.” His companion grumbled, before lighting his smoke up. “You should have liver problems by the end of the day.” “Should is the key word there.” Vein muttered as he tapped where his liver would be. “But this thing ain’t gonna kick anytime soon.” “So you say.” His counterpart let out a trail of smoke as they walked on. “I can’t seem to get a break.” They said after a while. “Even with the notes we picked up from the Order, we’re still having some difficulty binding demonic energy to human tissue.” “It can’t be helped.” Vein stated. “We have Agnus’ notes, but only what he felt a need to write down.” Vein admitted as he raised a finger. “Everything he didn’t write down concerning his Ascension Ceremony, was likely stored up here before he died.” He tapped his skull as his counterpart made a noise. “Yeah, I know… still.” The smoker muttered. “If we could have extracted the stuff straight from his head that would be great. It would help with the Devil Eater project we’ve been entrusted with.” “You’re right.” Vein admitted as the two walked on, stopping as they reached the breakroom and took a seat. “Still, in the words of our esteemed Director; to ensure the survival of humanity, we must succeed.” He declared, almost mockingly. “And we have, to an extent, anyway.” Vein admitted as he leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. “We have succeeded in recreating the Order of the Sword’s Ascension Ceremony, and with it we’ve successfully created several Devil Eaters.” He admitted. “But we have more failures than successes.” He stated. “Less we can find a safer way to bind the demonic power to humans, our body count is going to eventually surpass the demons. “Agreed.” The smoker admitted taking another puff. “I wish this was easier.” “Anything worth doing is never easy.” Vein muttered. “Still, if we’re talking about continuing to succeed in this Devil Eater Project, I recommend a more thorough screening concerning potential volunteers.” “Oh? Why’s that? His counterpart asked. “Getting concerned for the wellbeing of those we bring in, that’s not like you.” “You’re right, it’s not.” Vein stated. “But I have noticed something throughout our trials and errors.” He admitted. “Those who survive the process of becoming Devil Eaters possess more than just a strong body, they possess a strong will as well. Without that factor they have a far greater risk of becoming a demon we have to put down.” “I see~” Vein’s counterpart muttered, leaning against a wall as he took another drag from his smoke. “A strong mind to match a strong body.” They muttered. “Yeah… that make sense. If the mind can’t handle the stress from being introduced to demonic magic, then why would the body be able to handle it as well?” They muttered. “Isn’t there some old martial arts saying about that? Mind and body being in harmony or something?” “Yeah something like that.” Vein muttered. “If I’m right, a more thorough screening for mental fortitude will result in far better results. It should also weed out those that can’t handle the pressure, without the risk of needless deaths.” “Agreed.” His counterpart muttered as they pulled out their cellphone and started making a call. “Hey boss, it’s Lumen.” He started. “You got a minute, Vein just brought something to my attention.” Seeing that his counterpart was drifting away now, Vein took a moment to lean back in his seat as he took the time to look at his watch. “11:45…” He muttered to himself before lowering his arm and just stared at the ceiling for a moment. “I’m gonna check out for a bit, go for a quick walk..” Lumen just gave him a thumbs up as Vein got to his feet and started to leave. “Yes… sir?” Lumen muttered as he seemed taken back by something. “Oh… ok… Vein?” Vein paused as he turned to his colleague. “Before you leave, someone wants to talk to you.” “Of course.” Vein grumbled as he rolled his eyes. “This person got a name?” “Mi Amore Cadenza.” Vein froze for a moment before taking a breath. “God fucking damn it.” Mi Amore Cadenza. That was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time. He saw her as a friend once, a close friend at that. Course that was a long time ago; before they got in that fight that ended things. Well, if you could even call it a fight, he remembered her yelling a lot; questioning what he had done. Walking to the main lobby, Vein ran a hand through his hair as he took a breath. “Fucking hell.” He muttered looking ahead. “It’s been a while Cadenza…” Mi Amore Cadenza… Cadence… She was without a doubt beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful women you’d find in this day and age.. Often she had a smile that would light a fire in a man’s heart… not to mention their loins. She didn’t have that smile on her face this time, it wasn’t flipped upside-down either, now was it locked into a fine line. It was… uneasy, perhaps that was the right word. “Vein…” Cadence muttered as she looked at the man. “You look well.” “You look like you could use a nap.” Was his disinterested remark. “I probably could.” Cadence admitted as she looked elsewhere for a moment. “How have you been?” “What do you want?” He wasn’t going to do this today. He had no interest in beating around the bush and trying to make small talk to ease into things.”I know you’re here for something, so let’s cut to the chase.” “Straight to the point like always…” Cadence muttered as she looked around. “Is there somewhere where we can talk in private?” “The closest thing I can get to privacy is the cafeteria, or outside.” The man stated. “Take your pick.” Cadence turned slightly, looking to see the entrance of the building that she had just come through and peeked at the outside world. “The cafeteria is fine.” “Alright.” Vein muttered, turning around so he could lead the woman further into their complex. “Stay close, I don’t want you to get lost.” It’s not that long of a walk to the cafeteria, but that doesn’t mean it feels like one. The silence between the two makes it feel like time has slowed to a crawl. “Vein I’m…” Cadence begins as they walk on. “I’m sorry.” She confessed. “I was in the wrong, I shouldn’t have…” “I know.” Was all Vein said. “Let’s leave that in the past eh?” “Vein-” “I don’t want to talk about it.” He said, a sense of finality in his words. “Right.”Cadence fell silent as they walked into the cafeteria and found a seat somewhere. “So…” Vein began. “What can I do for you?” “I… we need your help.” Cadence muttered. “No doubt you know how things have been since that giant tree showed up in Redgrave.” “Qliphoth.” “What.” “The demonic tree.” Vein rolled his eyes. “It’s called the Qliphoth.” “You know its name?” Cadence paused for a moment. “Of course you know its name, you’re well versed in all things demonic.” “Ain’t that the truth.” He agreed. “Anyway… since that tree appeared, there’s been more demons popping up all over the world and Auntie… she’s worried they might be coming to Canterlot soon.” “So she want’s someone there in case something happens.” “Yes.” “She want’s Dusk there, doesn’t she?” “Yes.” Cadence repeated. “I know she said it’s just for work, but… I know she want’s to try making amends for… everything that happened.” She admitted. “She knows it won’t be easy, but… she want’s to try…” “Not surprised.” Vein muttered as he looked elsewhere. “You know Dusk probably isn’t going to be all that interested in going back.” “I know.” Cadence muttered. “But… can you-” “I’ll see what I can do.” Vein muttered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out some cigarettes. Cadence just stared at the man. “Just like that?” Vein shrugged. “Just like that.” Cadence couldn’t hold back the noise that left her. “Always so straight forward.” She mutters, looking down. “Thank you.” “Don’t thank me yet.” Vein states. “You’re the one who has to convince Dust to head over there.” He admitted. “You might need some kind of incentive.” “I have one.” Prologue Part 3It’s still raining outside. Ain’t gotta be a genius to realize that. Even though he was indoors the youth could hear the rain coming down, slamming against the windows. Its not a bad sound, but its still not one that he was interested in hearing. After all, it's already been about a week, exactly how much longer was the rain planning on coming down? “Ugh~” A groan left the stallion as he just cracked an eye open, his attention locking onto the blurred font staring down at him. Without a word he reached up, pulling the book up off his face as he got a better look at the text that had been typed out before him. Not too sure what the title was – didn’t really look at it - hell he couldn’t really remember the words he’d read so far. Just goes to show how uninteresting the read was in his eyes. Closing the book, he raised it up and sat down behind his head, then rolled over… only to fall face first as he fell off his couch. “Ow…” Was all he said for a moment as he sucked in a breath and raised his head a bit. “Great way to start the day.” He grumbled, pushing himself off the ground as he sat upright and got to his feet. Taking a second to rub his face, the youth looked around and got to his feet. His place wasn’t that impressive to look at – it was basically a cube with only had a restroom and kitchen sectioned off. It wasn’t much, but it was his little place in the world, so he couldn’t really complain. Well, he could complain but he didn’t have the energy to do so today. He could complain about the fire alarm being oversensitive at times. He could complain about how thin the walls were and how he could hear his neighbors fucking sometimes. He could complain… but he didn’t have the energy right now. “God I hate slow days.” “Trust me, you ain’t the only one.” A voice called out as the youth glanced to the side and say that someone was sitting in one of his chairs, practically spread out over the piece of furniture as they glanced in his direction. “How’s it going Dust?” “Vein.” He replied, taking the time to stretch. “You know, breaking and entering is a crime, right?” “You wouldn’t respond when I knocked.” The older man admitted as he righted himself on the chair. “So I invited myself in.” He stated before chucking something at his counterpart. “By the way, you should find a better place for that spare key.” “Yeah well…” Staring at the key he caught, Dusk spun it on his finger for a moment before clenching his fist around it. “What’s up?” He asked. Wasn’t expecting to see you any time soon.” “I bet.” Vein admitted as he started reaching into his jacket for something. “Got a job for you.” He pulled out an envelope. “Cash, up front.” He stated as he tossed the envelope towards his counterpart. “Cash huh?” Dusk muttered as he grabbed the envelope and spun it on his finger. “This I like…” He admitted before opening the envelope and doing a check of its contents. He whistled. “That’s a lot of cash.” “Yes it is.” Vein stated as he pulled out a cigarette and lighted it up. “”Feel free to send a bit my way when your got the chance.” “Doesn’t Fenrir pay you enough as it is?” Dusk muttered as he closed the envelope and set it back on the table. “Still, this is a lot of cash for one job, what’s the deal?” “That is something you’ll have to ask your new client.” Vein stated as he picked himself up and wandered over to the door. “Dust, say hello.” Without another word he pulled the door open as he let someone in. His new client was a woman, a very beautiful woman at that. Seeing her, Dusk raised an eyebrow for a moment before it dropped, his expression twisting into a narrow line. “I’ll leave you two alone to hash out all the details.” Vein stated, adjusting his hat as he excused himself. For a moment neither said anything, just staring at each other before Dusk groaned and rubbed his temples. “Cadence.” “Dusk.” Cadence, vice principal of Crystal Prep, released a light smile as she stepped further into the small office. “It's been a while.” She admitted. “You look good.” “You too.” Dusk grumbled as he got to his feet and started making his way towards the couch again. “You know, normally I'd be happy to see you… but~” He held up the envelope for a moment for Cadence to see as he dropped onto his couch. “You’re here on business it seems.” Cadence's smile faded. “So, what do you say we cut the small talk and get right to business.” “If that’s how you want to do this…” Cadence muttered, taking a breath. “No doubt you've heard about what happened in Red Grave.” Cadence began as Dusk rolled his eyes. “Who hasn't?” He grumbled as he flicked the envelope towards the table. “You could be living under a rock and you'd still hear about what went down in Red Grave.” He probably wasn't wrong. “Yeah well…” Cadence paused as she seemed to think. “After Dante cut that strange tree down-” “Qliphoth.” Dusk interrupted, causing Cadence to sigh to herself. “Adrian told you about it.” “Nope.” Dusk admitted. “Didn’t have to.” He shrugged. “I was there.” Cadence's eyes widened. “You were there?” “Yeah.” Dusk shrugged. “Wasn't on the job, but I was there.” He admitted. “Tried taking some time off and what do you know, I find myself at Ground Zero for a demon invasion.” He admitted with a hint of disappointment. “I swear, got the worst luck sometimes.” He fell silent as he looked back at Cadence. “Regardless, since the tree - the Qliphoth fell, the remaining demons decided to scatter, and Auntie’s worried that some might be heading towards Canterlot.” “Of course…” Dusk grumbled leaning back in his seat. “Let me guess, she wants a Devil Hunter on call in case things get ugly.” Dusk grumbled as he looked at Cadence. “Basically.” “And she wanted you to bring me in.” “Yes.” Dusk just made a face, his expression twisting as he leaned back in his seat. “For fucks sake…” “Dusk…” Cadence muttered, staring at the youth. “Please…” She began. “Well, pay you as much as you want, just…” She paused. “Please, come back to Canterlot with me.” Dusk didn't say anything. “Auntie… she misses you.” She muttered. “We all miss you.” Dusk didn’t say anything, just staring at the ceiling for a moment as he started twiddling his thumbs. “This is a bad idea Cadence.” he grumbled as he closed his eyes. “You and I both know that.” he states.”Nothing goods gonna happen if I go there.” Cadence looked down, her hands tightening on her blouse. “Dusk…” “Still, I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to visit some old stomping grounds.” Dusk grumbled as he stood and decided to stretch. “Besides~” He kicked the bottom of the table with his foot as the envelope jumped up. He caught it before it started to fall. “The cash will be worth the trip.” “Dusk…” Cadence got to her feet as she started walking around the table and made to hug him. “Thank y-” “Nope.” Dusk held a hand out to stop her. “None of that.” He told her. “I’m not doing this for you or Celestia.” He states. “I’m doing this because you paid for my services.” He states. “Nothing more, nothing less.” Cadence looked hurt at his words, but slowly she nodded her head. “Right, I’m sorry, I just…” “I know…” Dusk grumbled as he looked elsewhere. “Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I have to book a flight.” He paused. “There is an airport near there now, right.” “Um… about that…” Dusk sighed in annoyance, taking a moment to scratch his head.. “Of fucking course.”
PrologueIt’s raining today. Honestly, that didn’t really surprise him. After all, he’d bothered paying attention to the weather forecast so he knew it would be raining today. Besides, it’s been raining for a few days now, so finding out it was raining once again didn’t really surprise him that much. Regardless, knowing that the rain was coming down today didn’t change anything. After all, people still had to be out and about. Had to go somewhere - anywhere really to get their required education or fulfill their 9-to-5. After all, people still had to make money, and those bills still had to get paid somehow. Of course, with that being said, there were very few who actually wanted to step out and get pattered by rainfall, which of course wasn’t too surprising. Only time someone really liked getting wet was when they were either in the bathroom or the bedroom. For one well dressed young man in particular though, neither option seemed available at the moment. Staring out at the city from its tallest building, the Silver Sacks Towers, he couldn’t help sigh in annoyance as he watched the rain come down. “Hell of a view.” The figure muttered as he stared outward, attention focused on the rain that continued to fall across his city. Limbo, that was the name the world gave it. It was a strange name, truly, but it was no stranger than the names given to some cities like Capulet or Enamel. With that said, he had no idea why the founders chose to call this place ‘Limbo’ of all things was honestly beyond him. The city wasn’t situated in Limbo after all - ‘the Edge’ where the borders between realms was weakest. Pushing such thoughts aside, the young man kept his gaze fixed on the city that rested beyond his window. Disregard the rain, it didn’t look any different from any other city out there. It was a well-developed metropolis with skyscrapers and boroughs. He couldn’t see the people from up here, but that was fine. He didn’t need to see them, not really; but if he wanted to, all he had to do was look through the CCTV cameras installed throughout the city. While he was busy looking outside his office phone went off, and it was with a bit of reluctance that he found himself stepping away from the window that he was next to headed over to his desk as he picked up the phone. “Yes?” “Mister Ryder, Lostlight and Paleflame have returned.” Ah, about time. “Good.” Ryder mutters, nodding his head. “Send them up.” “Yes sir.” That brief conversation ending, Ryder took a moment to walk around his desk before settling himself down in his chair. It’s quiet for a while, there’s no noise outside of the rain coming down and hitting the window. It ends only when two figures step through his office door. One of them with a head full of white hair while the other was blessed with a mess of black. “Hey boss.” The black haired one, Paleflame, did this light wave and smiled as he walked over to one of the office chairs and settled down. “Sorry it took so long to get back, traffic was a nightmare.” “I bet it was.” Their boss muttered as he looked to Lostlight who seemed to just be standing at attention and waiting for something. He just made a gesture, allowing the white haired youth to sit as he gave an appreciative nod. “So, what’s your report?” “It’s as you thought, Mr. Ryder.” Lostlight stated. “The uproar in Red Grave was caused by the Qliphoth appearing in Red Grave.” He admitted. “And as you predicted, Dante got involved.” Paleflame stated as he made a swinging motion with his arm. “Took him a month, but he finally chopped the damn thing down.” “I’m not surprised.” Ryder muttered as he rested his cheek on his knuckle. “Still, who was it that planted the seeds of the Quiphoth?” “Some guy named Urizen.” Paleflame stated with a shrug. “Never heard of him.” “Likewise.” Paleflame grumbled. “Arte glanced through Lemegeton's Guidebook, and couldn’t find a damn thing about this Urizen guy, so he’s not from the Demon Realm.” “That means he was probably from this side.” Lostlight stated. “I see…” Ryder muttered as he seemed to think. “If that’s the case, how were they able to reach the Demon Realm and the Qliphoth?” “Nero.” Ryder raised an eyebrow. “Dante’s heir?” “Think so.” Paleflame stated as he raised his right arm and tapped it a few times. “Saw him sporting a prosthetic.” He admitted. “Seems Urizen ripped that demonic arm off and pulled the Yamato out of it. And given that Yamato can cut through dimensions~” “They used it to reach the demon realm and acquire the Qliphoth seeds.” Ryder rubbed his temples. “Makes sense… and what else is there for you to report?” “For one, Dante got his ass handed to him before settling things.” Paleflame stated as Lostlight reached for something he had carefully wrapped up and presented it on the table. Ryder’s eyebrows shot up slightly. Though they could have been mistaken for the shards or any random blade, he knew on an instinctive level that these shards belonged to a very specific demonic blade “Rebellion?” “Yes.” Lostlight couldn’t help but nod. “It seems that the Rebellion was shattered during combat.” He states. “We’ve collected a few shards, but the remaining pieces as well as the handle are still missing.” “More than likely it’s still in Dante’s possession.” Ryder grumbled. “Regardless, even with the broken Rebellion, Dante managed to pull through in the end. That’s good at least.” He muttered as he seemed to stare at the fragments of Rebellion for a moment. “Now for the bad news.” “Well, in order to seal off the Qliphoth, Dante would have needed to go to the Demon World and sever the roots himself.” Lostlight stated. “Not to mention seal the portal it created with the Yamato.” Ryder didn’t say anything, letting the words echo into his head before taking a breath. “I see.” He muttered after a while. “A one-way trip.” “That’s right.” Paleflame muttered. “But knowing his luck he’ll find a way out again.” “Till then the Legendary Devil Hunter is gone.” Lostlight added. “And as such he’s out of our hair.” Ryder muttered as he made a face and started fiddling with a piece of Rebellion. “So.” Paleflame spoke up again. “What’s the plan, boss?” Ryder didn’t say anything, just chose to continue fiddling with a fragment of Rebellion and made a noise. “To start, we ensure Dante can’t get back to this side.” “Oh?” Ryder just stopped messing with the fragments of Rebellion and seemed to look at his guests. “The Qliphoth opened a portal to the Demon Realm, but as you know it’s not the one.” He stated. “Two thousand years ago, Tenen-Ni-Gru was created by mortal hands to act as the true gateway, and countless other structures were created to act as portals as well.” Ryder stated. “If every last one of them is destroyed…” “Then we ensure that Dante can’t return.” Lostlight whispered as Ryder gave him a nod. “I get it… but if we destroy all the Hellgates, then won’t more demons be unable to cross over as well?” Paleflame asked. “No, actually.” It was Lostlight that answered him. “Remember the Hellgates are a human creation.” He stated. “It was their way of bridging the worlds, but in truth the demons never needed them.” He stated. “After all, we have our own methods of crossing over.” “Ah~” Paleflame leaned back in his seat as he put his hands behind his head. “Right.” Was all he said as he seemed to think. “Well if that’s the case~.” He smiled. “When do we start, boss.” “You in particular?” Ryder began as he sighed to himself. Without a word he reached for something in his desk before pulling out a file for the two. “Ever heard of Canterlot?” Lostlight nodded as Paleflame raised an eyebrow. “Nope.” Paleflame admitted as Lostlight reached for the file. “Must be somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” “Well, you aren’t wrong.” Ryder admitted with a smile. “There’s no airport, there’s no trains, just a single road leading to a beach and beyond.” “Wow, that is in the middle of nowhere.” Paleflame muttered as Lostlight continued looking through the file. “Either way, we're going to destroy the hellgate there?” “Yes, though we aren’t entirely certain if it’s a Hellgate at all.” Ryder admitted. “Regardless, there is a portal there. “And if there's a portal that means that there's a possibility that Dante can come through it.” “So where is the portal?” Lostlight showed Paleflame the file as his eyes shot up and he started to laugh. “It’s in front of a school? Who puts a portal in front of a school?!” “I’d love that answer myself.” Ryder stated, shaking his head. “Regardless…” “Right.” Paleflame returned the file to Lostlight. “We’ll get right on it, boss.”
Prologue Part 2The silence that filters throughout the office of something broken only by the sound of a bottle hitting the table. and it is a noise that seems to echo out before quickly fading away. Sitting at his desk, a man just sighs to himself, as he drinks from his cup before setting it down beside the bottle he had on his table. His expression isn’t twisted by annoyance, or regrets, or even that drunken high, rather it’s laced more with boredom than anything. He pours himself another glass and starts to down it, stops half way before leaning back to make himself more comfortable. In glancing to the side of his desk the man finds a collection of notes both in his writing as well as in his forebears and takes a moment to look them over. The notes concerned, as he liked to put it, magic bullshit; not that stagehand bullshit you see at parties but actual magic bullshit. Or at the very least the closest people could get a hold of; demon magic. That was what ‘human’ magic was at the end of the day; demon magic that they managed to get a hold of through either some kind of demonic pact or objects. Either case, what humans could grab hold of was nothing in comparison to what a demon could pull off. With a light flick, the man returned the papers to his desk, not even bothering to check where they might end up before just leaning back and seeming to think. Demon Magic… never quite understood why Devil’s went about sharing their dark gifts with humans. But he figured that it was something that helped them better influence those they turned their gaze to. Either way, getting ahold of those dark powers allowed human to recreate some of the demon's more esoteric abilities. Some used them to create ‘miracles’ some used them to create ‘curses’ or other abominable things. And he’d seen many abominable things brought into reality by demon magic. With that being said it didn’t stop him from studying the art; trying to break it down into a scientific method he could accept and share with others. If he could do so, the things that could be done for humanity… The man chuckled lightly. “As if I originally planned on doing this for humanity.” His reasons for studying demon magic, and everything related to it; were all to further his own personal goals. Really that was probably the reason a lot of people studied anything. Or maybe it was just him. “Honestly, it doesn’t really matter.” It really didn’t. Pouring himself another drink the man took a minute to relax for a moment longer before deciding to get to his feet and headed over to his coat rack and grabbed a coat and threw it on. That done he retrieved his bottle and started heading out. Walking down the halls of a building complex, the man took the time to run a hand through his charcoal colored hair as he checked in on the others as he made to leave. “Vein.” Stopping, the man turned himself away from the bottle as he saw one of his associates leaving a room. They looked exhausted, not to mention annoyed. “Yo.” Vein greeted them as he returned to his bottle and took a drink before passing it over. His associate didn’t even question the bottle being offered, instead chose to practically snatch it away before downing what he could. “Rough day?” “Is that a rhetorical question?” Vein shrugged as he grabbed his drink and looked at how much was left in it. “What do you think?” He remarked, shaking the bottle before finishing it off. “Let me guess, we lost a few more.” “Fraid so.” His counterpart grumbled as they both started walking away from the room they had resting across from them, as well as the corpses lying lifeless on the tables. His companion reached into their pocket, pulled out a pack of smokes and bit into one as he pulled it out. “Careful with those.” Vein grumbled. “You keep taking those your lungs are gonna give out one of these days.” “You’re one to talk.” His companion grumbled, before lighting his smoke up. “You should have liver problems by the end of the day.” “Should is the key word there.” Vein muttered as he tapped where his liver would be. “But this thing ain’t gonna kick anytime soon.” “So you say.” His counterpart let out a trail of smoke as they walked on. “I can’t seem to get a break.” They said after a while. “Even with the notes we picked up from the Order, we’re still having some difficulty binding demonic energy to human tissue.” “It can’t be helped.” Vein stated. “We have Agnus’ notes, but only what he felt a need to write down.” Vein admitted as he raised a finger. “Everything he didn’t write down concerning his Ascension Ceremony, was likely stored up here before he died.” He tapped his skull as his counterpart made a noise. “Yeah, I know… still.” The smoker muttered. “If we could have extracted the stuff straight from his head that would be great. It would help with the Devil Eater project we’ve been entrusted with.” “You’re right.” Vein admitted as the two walked on, stopping as they reached the breakroom and took a seat. “Still, in the words of our esteemed Director; to ensure the survival of humanity, we must succeed.” He declared, almost mockingly. “And we have, to an extent, anyway.” Vein admitted as he leaned back in his seat and stared at the ceiling. “We have succeeded in recreating the Order of the Sword’s Ascension Ceremony, and with it we’ve successfully created several Devil Eaters.” He admitted. “But we have more failures than successes.” He stated. “Less we can find a safer way to bind the demonic power to humans, our body count is going to eventually surpass the demons. “Agreed.” The smoker admitted taking another puff. “I wish this was easier.” “Anything worth doing is never easy.” Vein muttered. “Still, if we’re talking about continuing to succeed in this Devil Eater Project, I recommend a more thorough screening concerning potential volunteers.” “Oh? Why’s that? His counterpart asked. “Getting concerned for the wellbeing of those we bring in, that’s not like you.” “You’re right, it’s not.” Vein stated. “But I have noticed something throughout our trials and errors.” He admitted. “Those who survive the process of becoming Devil Eaters possess more than just a strong body, they possess a strong will as well. Without that factor they have a far greater risk of becoming a demon we have to put down.” “I see~” Vein’s counterpart muttered, leaning against a wall as he took another drag from his smoke. “A strong mind to match a strong body.” They muttered. “Yeah… that make sense. If the mind can’t handle the stress from being introduced to demonic magic, then why would the body be able to handle it as well?” They muttered. “Isn’t there some old martial arts saying about that? Mind and body being in harmony or something?” “Yeah something like that.” Vein muttered. “If I’m right, a more thorough screening for mental fortitude will result in far better results. It should also weed out those that can’t handle the pressure, without the risk of needless deaths.” “Agreed.” His counterpart muttered as they pulled out their cellphone and started making a call. “Hey boss, it’s Lumen.” He started. “You got a minute, Vein just brought something to my attention.” Seeing that his counterpart was drifting away now, Vein took a moment to lean back in his seat as he took the time to look at his watch. “11:45…” He muttered to himself before lowering his arm and just stared at the ceiling for a moment. “I’m gonna check out for a bit, go for a quick walk..” Lumen just gave him a thumbs up as Vein got to his feet and started to leave. “Yes… sir?” Lumen muttered as he seemed taken back by something. “Oh… ok… Vein?” Vein paused as he turned to his colleague. “Before you leave, someone wants to talk to you.” “Of course.” Vein grumbled as he rolled his eyes. “This person got a name?” “Mi Amore Cadenza.” Vein froze for a moment before taking a breath. “God fucking damn it.” Mi Amore Cadenza. That was a name he hadn’t heard in a long time. He saw her as a friend once, a close friend at that. Course that was a long time ago; before they got in that fight that ended things. Well, if you could even call it a fight, he remembered her yelling a lot; questioning what he had done. Walking to the main lobby, Vein ran a hand through his hair as he took a breath. “Fucking hell.” He muttered looking ahead. “It’s been a while Cadenza…” Mi Amore Cadenza… Cadence… She was without a doubt beautiful. Probably one of the most beautiful women you’d find in this day and age.. Often she had a smile that would light a fire in a man’s heart… not to mention their loins. She didn’t have that smile on her face this time, it wasn’t flipped upside-down either, now was it locked into a fine line. It was… uneasy, perhaps that was the right word. “Vein…” Cadence muttered as she looked at the man. “You look well.” “You look like you could use a nap.” Was his disinterested remark. “I probably could.” Cadence admitted as she looked elsewhere for a moment. “How have you been?” “What do you want?” He wasn’t going to do this today. He had no interest in beating around the bush and trying to make small talk to ease into things.”I know you’re here for something, so let’s cut to the chase.” “Straight to the point like always…” Cadence muttered as she looked around. “Is there somewhere where we can talk in private?” “The closest thing I can get to privacy is the cafeteria, or outside.” The man stated. “Take your pick.” Cadence turned slightly, looking to see the entrance of the building that she had just come through and peeked at the outside world. “The cafeteria is fine.” “Alright.” Vein muttered, turning around so he could lead the woman further into their complex. “Stay close, I don’t want you to get lost.” It’s not that long of a walk to the cafeteria, but that doesn’t mean it feels like one. The silence between the two makes it feel like time has slowed to a crawl. “Vein I’m…” Cadence begins as they walk on. “I’m sorry.” She confessed. “I was in the wrong, I shouldn’t have…” “I know.” Was all Vein said. “Let’s leave that in the past eh?” “Vein-” “I don’t want to talk about it.” He said, a sense of finality in his words. “Right.”Cadence fell silent as they walked into the cafeteria and found a seat somewhere. “So…” Vein began. “What can I do for you?” “I… we need your help.” Cadence muttered. “No doubt you know how things have been since that giant tree showed up in Redgrave.” “Qliphoth.” “What.” “The demonic tree.” Vein rolled his eyes. “It’s called the Qliphoth.” “You know its name?” Cadence paused for a moment. “Of course you know its name, you’re well versed in all things demonic.” “Ain’t that the truth.” He agreed. “Anyway… since that tree appeared, there’s been more demons popping up all over the world and Auntie… she’s worried they might be coming to Canterlot soon.” “So she want’s someone there in case something happens.” “Yes.” “She want’s Dusk there, doesn’t she?” “Yes.” Cadence repeated. “I know she said it’s just for work, but… I know she want’s to try making amends for… everything that happened.” She admitted. “She knows it won’t be easy, but… she want’s to try…” “Not surprised.” Vein muttered as he looked elsewhere. “You know Dusk probably isn’t going to be all that interested in going back.” “I know.” Cadence muttered. “But… can you-” “I’ll see what I can do.” Vein muttered as he reached into his pocket and pulled out some cigarettes. Cadence just stared at the man. “Just like that?” Vein shrugged. “Just like that.” Cadence couldn’t hold back the noise that left her. “Always so straight forward.” She mutters, looking down. “Thank you.” “Don’t thank me yet.” Vein states. “You’re the one who has to convince Dust to head over there.” He admitted. “You might need some kind of incentive.” “I have one.”
Prologue Part 3It’s still raining outside. Ain’t gotta be a genius to realize that. Even though he was indoors the youth could hear the rain coming down, slamming against the windows. Its not a bad sound, but its still not one that he was interested in hearing. After all, it's already been about a week, exactly how much longer was the rain planning on coming down? “Ugh~” A groan left the stallion as he just cracked an eye open, his attention locking onto the blurred font staring down at him. Without a word he reached up, pulling the book up off his face as he got a better look at the text that had been typed out before him. Not too sure what the title was – didn’t really look at it - hell he couldn’t really remember the words he’d read so far. Just goes to show how uninteresting the read was in his eyes. Closing the book, he raised it up and sat down behind his head, then rolled over… only to fall face first as he fell off his couch. “Ow…” Was all he said for a moment as he sucked in a breath and raised his head a bit. “Great way to start the day.” He grumbled, pushing himself off the ground as he sat upright and got to his feet. Taking a second to rub his face, the youth looked around and got to his feet. His place wasn’t that impressive to look at – it was basically a cube with only had a restroom and kitchen sectioned off. It wasn’t much, but it was his little place in the world, so he couldn’t really complain. Well, he could complain but he didn’t have the energy to do so today. He could complain about the fire alarm being oversensitive at times. He could complain about how thin the walls were and how he could hear his neighbors fucking sometimes. He could complain… but he didn’t have the energy right now. “God I hate slow days.” “Trust me, you ain’t the only one.” A voice called out as the youth glanced to the side and say that someone was sitting in one of his chairs, practically spread out over the piece of furniture as they glanced in his direction. “How’s it going Dust?” “Vein.” He replied, taking the time to stretch. “You know, breaking and entering is a crime, right?” “You wouldn’t respond when I knocked.” The older man admitted as he righted himself on the chair. “So I invited myself in.” He stated before chucking something at his counterpart. “By the way, you should find a better place for that spare key.” “Yeah well…” Staring at the key he caught, Dusk spun it on his finger for a moment before clenching his fist around it. “What’s up?” He asked. Wasn’t expecting to see you any time soon.” “I bet.” Vein admitted as he started reaching into his jacket for something. “Got a job for you.” He pulled out an envelope. “Cash, up front.” He stated as he tossed the envelope towards his counterpart. “Cash huh?” Dusk muttered as he grabbed the envelope and spun it on his finger. “This I like…” He admitted before opening the envelope and doing a check of its contents. He whistled. “That’s a lot of cash.” “Yes it is.” Vein stated as he pulled out a cigarette and lighted it up. “”Feel free to send a bit my way when your got the chance.” “Doesn’t Fenrir pay you enough as it is?” Dusk muttered as he closed the envelope and set it back on the table. “Still, this is a lot of cash for one job, what’s the deal?” “That is something you’ll have to ask your new client.” Vein stated as he picked himself up and wandered over to the door. “Dust, say hello.” Without another word he pulled the door open as he let someone in. His new client was a woman, a very beautiful woman at that. Seeing her, Dusk raised an eyebrow for a moment before it dropped, his expression twisting into a narrow line. “I’ll leave you two alone to hash out all the details.” Vein stated, adjusting his hat as he excused himself. For a moment neither said anything, just staring at each other before Dusk groaned and rubbed his temples. “Cadence.” “Dusk.” Cadence, vice principal of Crystal Prep, released a light smile as she stepped further into the small office. “It's been a while.” She admitted. “You look good.” “You too.” Dusk grumbled as he got to his feet and started making his way towards the couch again. “You know, normally I'd be happy to see you… but~” He held up the envelope for a moment for Cadence to see as he dropped onto his couch. “You’re here on business it seems.” Cadence's smile faded. “So, what do you say we cut the small talk and get right to business.” “If that’s how you want to do this…” Cadence muttered, taking a breath. “No doubt you've heard about what happened in Red Grave.” Cadence began as Dusk rolled his eyes. “Who hasn't?” He grumbled as he flicked the envelope towards the table. “You could be living under a rock and you'd still hear about what went down in Red Grave.” He probably wasn't wrong. “Yeah well…” Cadence paused as she seemed to think. “After Dante cut that strange tree down-” “Qliphoth.” Dusk interrupted, causing Cadence to sigh to herself. “Adrian told you about it.” “Nope.” Dusk admitted. “Didn’t have to.” He shrugged. “I was there.” Cadence's eyes widened. “You were there?” “Yeah.” Dusk shrugged. “Wasn't on the job, but I was there.” He admitted. “Tried taking some time off and what do you know, I find myself at Ground Zero for a demon invasion.” He admitted with a hint of disappointment. “I swear, got the worst luck sometimes.” He fell silent as he looked back at Cadence. “Regardless, since the tree - the Qliphoth fell, the remaining demons decided to scatter, and Auntie’s worried that some might be heading towards Canterlot.” “Of course…” Dusk grumbled leaning back in his seat. “Let me guess, she wants a Devil Hunter on call in case things get ugly.” Dusk grumbled as he looked at Cadence. “Basically.” “And she wanted you to bring me in.” “Yes.” Dusk just made a face, his expression twisting as he leaned back in his seat. “For fucks sake…” “Dusk…” Cadence muttered, staring at the youth. “Please…” She began. “Well, pay you as much as you want, just…” She paused. “Please, come back to Canterlot with me.” Dusk didn't say anything. “Auntie… she misses you.” She muttered. “We all miss you.” Dusk didn’t say anything, just staring at the ceiling for a moment as he started twiddling his thumbs. “This is a bad idea Cadence.” he grumbled as he closed his eyes. “You and I both know that.” he states.”Nothing goods gonna happen if I go there.” Cadence looked down, her hands tightening on her blouse. “Dusk…” “Still, I guess it wouldn’t be too bad to visit some old stomping grounds.” Dusk grumbled as he stood and decided to stretch. “Besides~” He kicked the bottom of the table with his foot as the envelope jumped up. He caught it before it started to fall. “The cash will be worth the trip.” “Dusk…” Cadence got to her feet as she started walking around the table and made to hug him. “Thank y-” “Nope.” Dusk held a hand out to stop her. “None of that.” He told her. “I’m not doing this for you or Celestia.” He states. “I’m doing this because you paid for my services.” He states. “Nothing more, nothing less.” Cadence looked hurt at his words, but slowly she nodded her head. “Right, I’m sorry, I just…” “I know…” Dusk grumbled as he looked elsewhere. “Anyway, if you’ll excuse me, I have to book a flight.” He paused. “There is an airport near there now, right.” “Um… about that…” Dusk sighed in annoyance, taking a moment to scratch his head.. “Of fucking course.”
