Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dante had always believed he had bad luck with women. You had told him that fans from your world joked around about him not knowing what sex was, and he would always laugh whenever he would recall that. He'd had a few flings here and there, girls who were charmed by his flirty and comical nature, but nothing really lasted. There were also pretty, badass ladies around him, and they were good friends and some fans from your world shipped him with them. But he wasn’t really compatible with them, well, he thought so, because those girls deserved better men. But without a doubt, they had made his life more interesting. One of which he owed some money from, and she used to shoot him too, but those weren’t the reason why he wasn't into her romantically. They had both been through hell in that tower where they'd met, and it used to be that they reminded each other of the family they had lost in there. Though somehow, over the years, the family lost had turned into ‘family gained’, as this girl was like a sister to him now.  

Then there was this one, who bore the appearance of his mother. That alone was enough reason not to hit on her, wasn’t it? It would be like doing it to mom… @#$%^&* He enjoyed her company more as a friend, so he preferred to keep it that way, especially since she was quite the caring type despite not showing it. Yeah, much like a badass mom-friend. 

Speaking of mom, there was another one whose mother figure was even shipping them. Around the time he’d first met this girl, he’d been at a very low point as he'd thought he'd killed his twin. And when he visited their island for the second time and mother-granny was insisting he uh, at least try it with this girl, he refused. He still couldn’t see himself in a relationship with someone, knowing how messed up his life was. Apart from that, he didn’t want to accidentally add more kids who might be targeted by demons or cults or something just because of their bloodline. He was already satisfied finding out he had a nephew, whom he promised to himself he would protect with his life in his brother’s stead. 

But then Vergil returned, and to put it simply, things changed, kinda for the better, though not without difficulty. They were both emotionally-challenged, so… But then his brother met you, and since then, things really did change for the better. And when Dante got to spend time with you, he learned why you and Vergil were perfect for each other, and why his emotionally constipated stuck-up villainous dork of a twin had fallen for this woman from a different world.  

Soon enough, he met his own version of it, his fan from a different world, the one you nicknamed as Dante’s Girl or DG. She turned out to have fun witchcraft abilities and she knew him so much like how you knew Vergil so well. Those days were fun, truly. As he had promised to you, he confided in you about his relationship with her. But as always in his life, something kinda went wrong.  

Maybe it had always been this way and he just hadn’t noticed it before… that he was self-destructing every relationship he’d had. Just when things were getting good, he’d have this weird fear that it wouldn’t last. Maybe the other non-romantic relationships he’d had that had gotten demon-ended were what caused it. Let's see, there was this mother figure he’d had, then his buddy back then in his early jobs, and yeah, his family. Damn Mundus and those demons, really. If only they weren’t residents of the Underworld, he’d tell them to go to hell, or to burn in hell, and he’d even send them there himself. But yeah, he’d already been living his own kind of hell so… 

So in short, it didn’t go well with DG. Indeed, Dante cared about her, like how he cared for everyone he’d met and had to push away or keep at a distance for their own good. Apart from that, he called it off with DG because… well… she was someone who didn’t easily let anyone in, but as a special exception, she let him. She was looking forward to a future with him, meanwhile he was kinda… not chickening out, but something like self-destructing again. His fears and worries were getting to him, and it would get worse whenever he was off to a job and his mind would feed him worst-case scenarios related to his girl. Maybe that was what trauma meant? That was why he understood the reason behind Vergil's obsession to overprotect you. But he couldn't let Vergil know that, as he enjoyed scolding the overprotective dork and joining you in punishing the fool should his experiments cause trouble again.

Anyway, Dante couldn’t put DG through that, both those worst-case stuff and his messed-up way of thinking. He couldn’t let her be 100% on him while he was having doubts, not with her but with himself. DG didn’t deserve someone broken like Dante. She deserved someone who would treat her like a queen of the angels, something that high. Dante was just this half-demon who was uh, half, not whole. Or maybe someone with plenty of holes, not just literally with bullet holes from Lady and from hims—Anyway, when they were in the moment of separation, he told her the clichéd excuse that it was because he had feelings for someone else. After all, that was easier to explain and accept, compared to his messed-up reason.  

DG might have been sensing something that she guessed that the other person was you. So when she asked Dante about it, he took the easy way out and nodded. You and DG had become friends since he’d met her, so yeah, in DG’s eyes, Dante was the asshole who was kind of in an undefined-but-existing relationship with her but was crushing on her friend, his brother’s girl. No one would want to be with someone like that, right? That time, it wasn’t entirely true though. He admired you, and you were fun to be with, but that was just it. 

Since he’d visited your world to play the DMC games, he'd admired you for knowing his brother so well, even knowing Dante himself so well as a bonus. And perhaps that started the feelings thing? Probably just admiration of sorts. When his twin foolishly dealt with a big mission on his own and got himself badly injured, that was when Dante realized how much you cared for his twin, that you even risked your safety and gave your own blood to help save Vergil. But somehow, that admiration might have gotten sidetracked a little. More so since you always extended your thoughtfulness and care to Dante as well. He’d always been a mess since the incident in his childhood had happened, so receiving this unconditional love was just… it was hard not to feel things. Vergil had probably experienced the same. And that dork who always felt like he was cursed was someone actually lucky, for you were someone who had always been his big fan, you had eyes only for him. So Dante really did his best not to entertain these feelings-things. 

But perhaps because of everything you’d been doing for them, both intentionally and not, those feelings-things grew into something. Aside from that, you and Dante got closer, became confidants not just about what you called his ‘love life’ but about everything in life. Maybe it was because of the closeness and your innate kindness with sprinkles of foolishness, that he felt he could be truly honest with you... be himself, just a man, just your boyfriend’s twin, just your goofy big little brother, and not Dante... not the legendary devil hunter, not someone who had no choice but to be the hero because those who were trying to end humanity happened to be related to his demonic heritage. There was just something in that, in being open with someone, that would make a person kinda susceptible to feeling uh, stuff. Aside from the emotional support, you had been letting them experience ordinary things they’d never tried, including the most basic one, a birthday party with them together as adults. You were helping him and Vergil feel as though they deserved to live a happy life despite all that had happened in the past and the demon threat that was still around. The way you were too into the DMC games even strangely made Dante realize that life was a game and he just had to be the protagonist and protect everyone he cared about with all he could… and that he was not alone, precisely because his twin was here, and there was you who always made sure that he and Vergil were spending quality time together and not being awkward dorks who were satisfied with simply coexisting and sparring.  

So yeah, the feelings-things grew. Though, when you found out –quite late because he kept silent about it– that his relationship with DG was over and you asked him why, the reason he gave you was the honest one. He found himself telling you, though just briefly, about his fears and worries for the safety of his girl. There was just something about you... Perhaps it was because of how honest you were with him and how much you trusted him, that he couldn’t bear lying to you. Though, he'd never told you of his growing feelings for you, because that would ruin everything. It was easy to keep it to himself, since he wasn’t always with you, and yeah, because you and Vergil were together. 

Although, that time you were crying to him when Vergil had left you and you kinda punished Vergil with the same method just to let the fool understand what he’d done and learn something from it… that one was a bit challenging. And holy shit, Dante met another Dante, the one he called SSS Dante, who kind of experienced the same but had done things differently that time – he stole you in your moment of emotional vulnerability. Ahh, that idiot. Luckily, Dante was more adept in keeping his feelings to himself. Though, SSS Dante had been put in a different situation, so maybe even his innate Danteness hadn’t been able to resist? Maybe. Anyway, you and Vergil got through that rough patch and even got engaged afterwards. Dante was happy for you both, really.  

Things progressed wonderfully since then. That was why whenever you would do something nice to him and those feelings of admiration would pat him on the shoulder and wiggle its eyebrows at him with an evil smirk, Dante would feel guilty. He knew he shouldn’t be entertaining such thoughts because he’d always known his place. And at one point, he couldn’t bear the guilt, he confessed it but only to his twin, not to you. He figured that doing so might give him the punch he needed to wake up, perhaps even a literal one from his brother. But Vergil expressed how much he trusted Dante, and this made Dante feel more uh, yeah, motivated to keep doing the right thing, and not to act upon those feelings. Motivation and power really were Vergil’s things, huh? Capcom really got those accurately, lol. 

But when this certain time came, the time Dante took a hit for you and he almost died, that was when it became clear to him. Perhaps it was an epiphany, or a near-death realization, or whatever it was called. But hey, it worked. He realized that he really didn’t want you for himself, for he knew that you would be happy with his twin, not with him. Besides, he wanted the best for you and Vergil, and that was with each other, so he vowed to support you two as best as he could. He settled on just protecting you subtly, helping you when you were in trouble, making you laugh as what he did best. But all of that was without any ulterior motive, swear. He was satisfied with that, being someone in the background, watching your story flourish, like how you’d watched and played his story back then in your world before meeting them. 

And when he foolishly threw a multiversal party with his other versions, he met not just SSS Dante but another version of himself who had experienced the same, admiring their version of you. But those two acting upon those feelings had messed their lives even more. That made Dante feel as though he’d dodged a demonic-power-infused bullet. It strengthened his resolve. He still admired you and all, but he wanted you for his brother, not for himself. And seeing how even the younger Vergil3 seemed to have fallen for you just with that experience in Temen-ni-gru, Dante realized that you were really just ‘shiny’, someone who could easily draw them, with them being boys who grew up in need of love. Kinda funny. And with a younger Vergil being listed as one of your fans, Dante knew he was really far from having a chance with you. He’d already known that a long time ago. Perhaps if things had happened differently, such as him being the one who had gotten stuck in your world, it would be different. But it wasn’t the reality he was in; he ought to play with the cards he had been dealt with.  

And speaking of other versions, that experience with their teen versions in Temen-ni-gru, that one kinda struck him hard. It might not be his own timeline, but he was somehow able to right one of his biggest wrongs. Then there was this recent one, the portal that gave him a chance to see his parents again. He’d thought that it was far from possible because Vergil, the uptight president-guardian of the portals, had always been putting time travel as off-limits. But still, it happened. He’d seen them again and now had access to them. It was as if his traumatic experiences were slowly getting healed. It might be weird but he was grateful to you for it. Well these multiverse things wouldn’t have happened if Vergil hadn’t met you when he'd landed in your world. And you’d always been there pushing them to be more in touch with how they felt, be more honest even at least to themselves. That was aside from helping them understand each other whenever one was being too much of how they’d been used to and was keeping his worries and emotions all to himself.  

So really, Dante was satisfied with the life he was living, as it was far better than the one he’d lived for about 40 years. He had his twin back now, and he had his nephew who was so much like a combination of him and Vergil. His family had even grown because now he had his little big sis and his youngest nephew who was amusingly showing so much of Vergil’s dork—er, soft side. He also had his friends who had always been like family to him, well, secretly. He considered them family, but he just wouldn’t tell it to them, lest they call him cheesy or something. He'd even obtained friends from other universes, which was crazy because they were mostly other versions of himself and Vergil. He was really satisfied with everything. Things might not be too great especially in the love department but at least things were not too bad either. 

But then this day came.  

Dante had always believed he had bad luck with women, but perhaps there was a reason for that. 

Chapter Text

It was one of those days when Dante’s nighttime drinking had kind of gotten extended, that he hadn’t noticed that it was already morning. Well, early morning that most people were probably still asleep. Perhaps his naps were to blame, or his demontabolism, but either way, he’d gotten lost in his thoughts that he’d toppled over more than his usual bottle count. But somehow, it had been a pleasant ride down memory lane, compared to nights like this before. Though, these pizza boxes and bottles wouldn’t pick themselves up, like a damn-stubborn old man who would drown his sorrows with alcohol and refuse even the first step in moving on. Not him though, and his analogy might have gotten a tad too specific. 

So Dante figured he ought to tidy up the place a little. He'd been tasked to fetch you and Vergil today at noon, so he wanted to avoid both Vergil scolding him and you doing the clean-up instead. He enjoyed having you two coddle him sometimes but he also didn’t want you both to worry about his drinking. More so since he wasn’t doing it for the same reasons as before. He felt different these days, a good different, but old habits were just hard to break. 

However, as he was carrying the bag of trash to the nearest dumpster, he witnessed something that sobered him up more than necessary. His hard-earned sleepiness was instantly gone because of the flash of bright light in this alley he'd just made a turn to. Instinct got him sensing if there were demons around or humans that might be put in danger. Luckily, there were none, except for one, a human. And as he drew close to where the light had been, he found a woman… an unconscious woman… a stark naked, unconscious woman. 

Dante had to rub his eyes as if to make sure that what he was seeing was real. Why would there be a naked lady in here? It was fortunate that she was lying sideways, so some parts were hidden from his view. But she didn’t have the long hair that mermaids in movies had to at least cover the uh… Her hair was short, around the same length as his, only it was the complete opposite for it was black. So Dante tossed the trash then took off his coat, draping it over her as he knelt down to check her pulse. She seemed fine, just unconscious. And from the quick look he’d unintentionally done, she didn’t seem to have wounds or injuries. 

Scratching the back of his neck, he decided to bring her to his office. He took extra care in lifting and carrying her, for this was entirely different from that time with Trish. This girl seemed to be fully human, and what was her small frame compared to his demonic hulk? It was also a good thing that it was this damn early that no one saw him, for being a sexual offender was the last thing he wanted.  

When he placed her on the couch near the stairs, that was when he was faced with what he’d just done. Why did he bring an unconscious, naked girl in his office again? Well, he couldn’t just leave her there. If it weren’t him who found her, who knows what will happen to her. But should he call an ambulance for this?   

She didn’t seem hurt though, just out cold. But for humans, that might be something that was already bad. Although, the fact that there was that weird bright light was somehow telling him that this wasn’t an ordinary human. The last time he’d seen something like that was when Vergil was reborn. So did this girl pull off a fusion thing like what V did with Urizen?  

He didn’t realize that as he was lost in his thoughts, he was brushing strands of her hair away from her face. Well he knew how annoying it felt sometimes. He just didn’t want to do his hair like Vergil’s or his pop’s. He wanted to be different; he wanted to be Dante. And Dante right now was fucked, because his rough fingertips might have tickled the girl’s cheeks. Her eyes cracked open but not without a wince and that furrowing of eyebrows. 

He quickly got up intending to move away from her, but she did the same. Only, that made his coat fall off her, but she didn’t seem to mind as she formed her stance, even when bare…handed. So he pointed to his coat on the floor and said, “Y-You might wanna—” 

“Dare da?” 

“Huh?” 

“Koko wa doko da?” She took a quick glance of the surroundings, but her form didn’t waver. 

“What’s that?” He was bending down to pick up his coat. “Let me just—” But she must have mistaken it as him trying to do something underhanded, so she gave him a kick, which he was able to evade. “Whoa, babe, I—” But it was quickly followed by some more, along with punches and chops. She was throwing him attacks one after another at a surprisingly fast rate. He was able to block them all though, thanks to years of mastering his Royal Guard.

But he knew those still hurt – her hands hitting his arms and her bare legs hitting the buckles of his boots. He wanted to put a stop to this nonsense, so with the next punch she threw, he caught her fist and maneuvered her into something that ended up with him holding her wrists up with his right hand. “I’m not going to hurt you or anything,” he said close to her face. Although, noticing the proximity also made him realize that her body was kinda pressed against his. And he wasn't wearing his coat, so the thin fabric of his shirt was the only thing that was separating her soft uh, skin from his hard uh, chest.

So he planned to step away. But she was struggling out of his hold, so he had to… 

“Hanase!” 

...Pull her even closer? No, just distract her. Distract her with something…  

“Hanasetteba!” 

He summoned a rose into his free hand, hoping that even if she seemed to be speaking a different language, a flower would speak for him. Indeed, it made her stop, so he inserted it in her hand, the same time he flashed a smirk of victory. 

But her astonished eyes quickly squinted into doubting ones again when she mumbled something like, “Mahou tsukai?” 

And with that, she got the idea of making her knee land on his b— Wait a second. Vergil and Little Big Sis! Somehow, the memory of witnessing something like this before made him forget the throbbing pain in his probably-now-purple orbs. 

As the girl stepped back and formed her stance again, Dante feigned kneeling down in agony. It was really fake, promise. He did it so he could grab his coat and throw it to her. He was hoping her view would be blocked and that she would think of wearing it, as he Trickster’d away and into the bathroom. 

Hold up, did he just Trickster away from a naked pretty lady and then hide in the bathroom? Now the people of your world might really think that he's a 40-something virgin. And why is he mentally speaking like you when you're playing DMC?  

“I try to Trickster to the enemy so I can Swordmaster them sooner. Sometimes I forget to Royal Guard their attacks and I just spam it till I make it. But Vergil says that’s what’s making my hands hurt so I need to calm down.”

— Little Big Sis, 25 January ^PM07:07 

No, this was only because what she was saying sounded familiar. Dante couldn’t understand any of it, but he was sure that those syllables and that tone of speaking, he’d heard them before. He thought he'd heard them from you, sometimes from Vergil too, and from some of the shows you’d been watching in your world and in your phone when in here. You and Vergil would probably understand this girl and help him figure out what to do with her. 

As he summoned the Yamato shard from his pocket dimension and started the usual gestures in opening a portal, it felt as though this had happened before. Ah that’s right, when the kid Zen was in here, he’d also called you two for backup. He'd gotten lucky then, arriving in your world during daytime. Hopefully today would be the same; hopefully he wouldn’t earn Vergil’s wrath. Though that’d be funny if… 

...Haha, jackpot. 

Chapter Text

“What are you doing here?” 

Dante tried his best not to laugh upon seeing his twin quickly cover himself with the blanket. “What are you doing there?” he replied with a mocking smirk. Apparently, he’d arrived at your bedroom, and Vergil seemed to be waiting for you. 

“Go to hell.” If they were in their world, that line would’ve been accompanied by those blue shockwaves that would launch Dante in the air. Luckily they weren’t, and luckily, Dante didn’t open that portal a few seconds late. Otherwise, he would've arrived here a few minutes later and his twin would really kill him. Instead of those blue shockwaves from Mirage Edge in the game, what Dante had seen were blue strips around his brother’s bare torso. Vergil seemed to be tying himself with ribbon as a surprise gift for you –aww this foolish dork. 

“Need help in tying a bow?” the younger twin mocked before laughing out loud. 

“There is a context to this,” Vergil explained, trying to look indifferent. 

“Now I know what to give you two on your next hundred days.” Dante was still snickering. 

Meanwhile, Vergil was trying to change the topic. “Why are you here so early?” 

But Dante somehow wanted to get hurt. “Oh boy, I gotta cover my eyes in case Little Big Sis comes in here with a surprise like that.” And with that, a pillow came landing hard on his face. Dante braced himself for a human-mode brawl, seeing Vergil untangling himself from the blue ribbon in a hurry. He was still snickering when Vergil sprung up towards him, because he saw that the dork made it a point to cover the evidence with the blanket. 

“Dante? What are you doing here?” you said as you entered the room, making them stop before anyone could gain a point. Though, your worried look quickly melted into a silly one when they turned to face you. “S-Shirtless Vergil~” 

And with that, Dante confirmed that the blue-ribbon thing was indeed a surprise and explained the situation he’d left in his office. You seemed rather excited, even saying with a fist pump, “The day is about to get extended!” 

“Fool, it’s past your bedtime.” But Vergil was making you wear a blue silk robe over your pajamas as he was trying to sound strict. "Don't catch a cold, human." Though, noticing the robe's oriental motif, as well as the katana that his brother was now holding, made Dante realize that he’d called the right people for the job. If it weren't for the language barrier with the girl, he wouldn't have disturbed you two and possibly put you in danger.

“I’ll get back at you for this,” Vergil muttered with an evil smirk while subtly covering your ears. He was pretending to only be guiding you towards the portal by the head, while you were wearing a silly grin and pointing to his hands. Even now, you were still a big fan of Vergil, delighting over his simple things. Ah so the ribbon was for fanservice? 

“I’ll find you a big box so you can do your gift play again next time,” Dante said, trying not to laugh. “I’ll even tie it for you, ‘cause you know, you’ll be ins—” But he was halted by a loving kick from his twin, making him stumble into the portal trying to evade it. 

“What gift play?” you asked upon arriving on the other side, clueless of what Dante was planning to tease Vergil with for the foreseeable future. 

“Don’t mind him.” Vergil was emotionless at first, until he complained, “Why summon us from inside the bathroom, Dante?” 

He just grinned. “I had to find a place where I can safely open a portal. You know how concentration is important.” But he couldn’t keep himself from laughing at his own excuse. More so when the usual foolishness started. 

You: People do concentrate hard when in here. 🤭👉🏻🚽 

Dante: 😆 

Vergil: 🙄 Fools. *reaching for the doorknob* 

Dante: Wait! Don’t just come out! 😲 She might attack you, and she’s naked. 

Vergil: You are afraid of getting attacked by a naked woman? 🤨 

Dante: No, but are you not? I mean… 😏 Would Little Big Sis like it if you saw— 

Vergil: * realization moment like Conan’s * *faces you* 🥺 I am not interested, I swear. 

You: *tiptoes to pat Vergil’s head, which he lowered for you* I believe you. 😄 

Dante: 🤭 

Vergil: 😒 

You: If it’s a naked woman, then why don’t I go out first? 🙈 It’s not that I'm uhm, er, she probably won’t attack me if I go out waving a white flag. Or ah, maybe I’ll do a “Suuumiiimaaaseeeeen” like Red Blood Cell’s . 

Vergil: 🤦🏻♂️  

You: And if she’s still naked then I can dress her up before you two come out. Ah tsk, I should’ve brought a change of clothes! 🤦🏻♀️ Ah no, I can lend her this! 

Dante: My coat’s there with her, Little Big Sis. You can put it on her so you don’t have to take off yours. 

You: (^o^)ゞ 

Vergil: Are you certain about this, my love? I cannot simply stand here while you head to a battlefield. 

You: It’s not a battlefield. It'll be more like a girl’s locker room. 😆 And you guys can hear us anyway, you’ll be able to tell if I’m in danger …which probably won’t happen. 

And with that, you went out, speaking in a friendly, shy tone, “Anou… sumimasen. Nanika kikitain desu gaaah!” But before the door fully closed, the twins witnessed how you stepped on the hem of your robe and stumbled over. They were about to rush to your side, but the girl beat them to the punch.  

She was already wearing Dante’s coat on top of what he recognized as the blanket on the couch she’d made into a makeshift dress. Ah that's right, his coat wouldn't be able to cover her fully. Good thing she was resourceful. So that was how a female, black-haired Dante would look like, nice.

She was on autopilot – helping you stand up, dusting the bottom of your robe, adjusting its belt on your waist so that your feet wouldn’t trip on the hem again. And then she inspected your feet and your arms while saying, “Kega saremashita ka, Ojousama?” How she seemed to be checking you for injuries was oddly familiar, that even Vergil was shocked.  

“What does that mean?” Dante nudged his brother beside him. But Vergil was distracted, narrowing his eyes at how the girl was doing his usual protective thing. The possessive dork then gripped the Yamato tight and was about to step outside, so Dante pulled him back. “Don’t interfere!” Dante whisper-yelled. “She might go karate mode again if she sees us. Let them talk.” 

Somehow, Dante was able to convince his twin to settle on peeking for now. They saw you pointing to your nose when you said, “Ojousamatte, watashi desu ka?” 

“Itazura no baai dewa nai, Ojousama.” She sounded as if she was lightly scolding you that Dante couldn’t help but glance at his brother. 

*The ladies continue talking as the two grown men are eavesdropping from the bathroom* 

Dante: What are they saying? 

Vergil: The unknown woman is using so much honorifics that are too advanced for my current level. 👿  

Dante: Unknown woman? Is this a game? 😆 Ah yeah, we are in a game. 😲  

Vergil: Shhh! 

Dante: How about what Little Big Sis is saying? 

Vergil: Σ(°ロ°) She seems to be repeating what the unknown woman is saying in the form of confirmation, but at a lower level of formality.  

Dante: 🤨 

Vergil: I think she is doing that for us. So I can understand what they are talking about… *touched* (My love is really so considerate and smart… 😳) 

Dante: So what are they talking about? 

Vergil: The unknown woman keeps calling her ‘Ojousama’. 

Dante: What does that mean? 

Vergil: But she seems to be mistaken. 

Dante: Huh? 

Vergil: And she is saying that there was a dangerous white-haired man a while ago… 

Dante: 👀 *looks up at his bangs* 

Vergil: So in order to keep ‘Ojousama’ safe… they need to escape from here? 👿 

And that, as expected, caused Vergil to rush out of the bathroom, almost breaking the door in the process. “Unhand my mate, unknown woman!” It was probably because you were in front of the girl that Vergil wasn’t drawing the Yamato right away. 

“No, Vergil, calm down.” You were about to approach him.

“Osagari kudasai, Ojousama.” But the girl stepped in front of you, holding you protectively behind her with one arm and ready to block or attack Vergil with the other. “Kono otoko wa sakki no hentai no nakama no you degozaimasu.” Dante couldn’t understand a damn thing, but it seemed as though Vergil was the villain in this scenario. And when the girl threw him a piercing glare, he figured he was too. 

“Hentai,” you repeated, laughing, which threw the girl off her game. “And you speak like a samurai, so cute.” Then you shook your head as if to reset your seriousness and pulled down the girl’s arm before holding Vergil’s left hand which was holding the Yamato. The girl seemed worried at first, but you were probably showing her that Vergil could be trusted. “Kono hito wa otto desu,” you stated, hugging Vergil’s arm. 

“G-Goshujin?? Itsu kekkon saremashita ka?” Dante was imagining that there were subtitles, and based on the girl’s reaction, you probably said that Vergil was your husband. 

“Dakaratte, watashi wa betsujin desu. Ojousama ja arimasen.” Even though you said it with a gentle tone as you were shaking your head, the girl looked as though her world shattered. Then her hand slowly made its way onto her head as she winced as if in pain. She then fell to her knees, groaning as she clutched her head, making you rush to her side. 

“Daijoubu?” you said as you tried to soothe her. Dante didn’t know if he should do something like assist you two, but seeing how Vergil seemed lost as well, he decided to just keep watching the Japanese TV drama in front of him. 

“Ojousama…” The girl looked at you, confused. 

Apart from being evidently worried, you seemed to be onto something. “Hyottoshite, kioku soushitsu?” The girl’s eyes grew wide as if in horror. And when you said, “Onamae, oboete imasu ka?” she shook her head, looking more distressed. 

You: *facing Vergil and Dante* She doesn’t know her name but she thinks I'm her Ojousama. 🥺 

Vergil: 🤨 

Dante: 😯 

You: I think she has amnesia… 🥺 

Vergil: 🤨 

Dante: 😯 

You: Can we keep her? 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 

Vergil: 🤦🏻♂️ 

Dante: 😖 

Of course they couldn’t say no to that. 

Chapter Text

At first, Dante, you and Vergil had all considered that the girl was from this world, what you called the DMC World. But after Dante explained how he’d found her, with that flash of bright light, you three agreed that it might have been a portal. Well the recent adventure in Temen-ni-gru had made you experience those light portal kinds aside from the mirror ones, which was probably why you were the first to blurt out the idea, “That must’ve been a portal!” With that came the possibility that the girl might not even be from this world. After all, with all these Dantes and Vergils you’d met, and the very fact that Dante and Vergil had met you in the first place, the idea of other universes were no longer big news. 

Because of that assumption, it made more sense to keep the amnesiac girl with you all, instead of sending her to some missing-persons facility or so. Of course, being the portal couple you and Vergil were, you were quick to suggest the reverse – using the portal to return the girl to where she had come from. 

“Why don’t we try opening a portal to an ojousama that looks like me, for starters, since she seems adamant that I’m her Ojousama,” you suggested with a sheepish smile, gesturing to how the girl was staring at you as if she’d longed to see you. 

But Vergil gave the bad news, “That is not enough connection as there could be plenty. The fact that she is calling you ‘ojousama’ right now,” he was referring to how the girl mumbled that word after you’d spoken, “is already considered one universe where it is true. Imagine us opening portals to those universes where you have been called ‘ojousama’ or ‘my lady’, as well as alternate or branched-out timelines of such.” It got both you and Dante open-mouthed in surprise and realization as Vergil continued, “That would be wrong portals one after another. We could end up meddling in some other timelines or causing chaos in the multiverse. And I cannot risk your safety as I know you would want to accompany her to ensure that she will arrive at her home properly and that someone would be there to care for her in her current state.”  

“Hehe, you know me.” You grinned. 

“We need more details that I can use as a connection to the destination,” Vergil added. 

“Like more clues about her and her ojousama?” you confirmed, to which Vergil nodded. “Then we should focus on helping her regain her memories, so we can have enough of those details as leads.” You even seemed excited, probably considering this like an important mission. Vergil was just nodding calmly, until you faced the girl and said, “In the meantime, stay with us. We’ll be roomies!” 

Dante had to hide his smile seeing how Vergil’s emotionless face instantly turned into furrowed brows. It was either Vergil was already imagining all the cockblocking that would ensue, after experiencing one from Dante just a while ago and seeing how the girl wouldn’t let you leave her side since meeting you. That, or he was worried about your safety, knowing how the amnesiac girl had cornered—er, caused Dante to resort to opening the portal in the bathroom.  

So Dante volunteered, “She can stay in the guest room here.” Indeed, he enjoyed teasing his twin, but it wouldn’t be fun if he wouldn’t witness Vergil’s frustrated reactions firsthand. “Is that alright with you, roomie?” Dante said even though he knew she wouldn’t understand him. He also just wanted to show her the friendliest, far-from-being-a-creep smile he could, as their initial encounter hadn't been that pleasant for her. 

You agreed with so much enthusiasm, though Dante found out that it was about a different thing. “Great idea, Dante! That can be her name for now, Roomie!” You repeated the word, facing and gesturing to the girl, encouraging her to pronounce it. Then you explained in her language what ‘roomie’ meant and that you would all be calling her that as her temporary name. 

Then you faced Dante with a worried look. “Is it really alright with you, Dante? She can stay with us so you won’t have a hard time…” But Dante could see how his twin seemed to be emanating some kind of an aura as a manifestation of how he was disagreeing but unable to say so. Vergil was standing beside him, forced to just watch because you’d made the girl, not Vergil, sit beside you on the couch. The girl had actually been hesitating to do so earlier, even choosing to kneel down on one knee in front of you. But you’d just laughed it off and said you weren’t her ojousama, as you pulled her to sit beside you. 

“When my twin was stuck in your world, you didn’t hesitate in letting him stay in your apartment till he could come back to our world,” Dante explained. “So consider this as me returning the favor to you and the multiverse.”  

That somehow made you smile knowingly and say, “You sound so much like a PresiDante now.” 

“Perhaps someone will pick her up too, so maybe she ought to stay close to where she landed,” Vergil said. It made big sense, but Dante could tell that his twin said it more to keep the girl away from you, seeing how Vergil’s unimpressed eyes were locked at what you were doing. 

You: *patting Roomie’s head* Don’t worry, we’ll help you regain your memories. And when you do recover them, Vergil might be able to open a portal back to your home, or to your world… to your real Ojousama.  

Roomie: *didn’t get it but is feeling concern from your tone and action* Ojousama…  

You: I’m not really your Ojousama… *shaking head slowly with a shy smile* 😅  

Roomie: 🥺  

You: Alright, maybe temporarily, I can be your Ojousama. Like for therapy—ah, maybe that can also help in regaining your memories! (^o^)ノ  

Roomie: *didn’t get it but you seem excited about something* 😍 

With that, you explained to Roomie that she was to stay here with Dante, along with the reason that Vergil had figured out. You also said that she could call you her Ojousama in hopes that it would help in recovering her memories. Then it was a series of you coming in and out of a portal to your world, carrying clothes and girl products. Vergil was scolding you lightly for you had already been yawning often. As Dante helped you set up Roomie’s room, he could almost imagine you looking like a kid who had just adopted a stray puppy and was excited to give it the best that the world could offer. Maybe that was why Vergil couldn’t really be strict with you. 

Though that was until your leg hit the bed frame, which Vergil must have recognized as a sign that you were already sleepy-clumsy, something he’d once said that was different from the others. Dante could even recall… 

“When she is already sleepy, her proximity sensor malfunctions, and she hits objects or furniture. It is different from tipsy-clumsy which is characterized by miscalculating the weight of what she is lifting, either putting in too much or too little of strength in doing a simple task that something is bound to spill. The usual-clumsy is an unpredictable, sometimes unbelievable combination of both known and unknown clumsiness classifications.”  

–Vergil, the Little Big Sis Expert 

Why Vergil had been telling him that as if in a seminar, he didn’t know. Maybe it was one of that brooding dork’s protective strategies, leaving you in Dante’s care in case he… Ah, this was no time for that. 

“My love, you need to sleep," Vergil said after teleporting to your side. This time he beat Roomie in checking you for injuries. "It’s past your bedtime and you have work tomorrow.” Hearing the quote and seeing his twin's competitive side made Dante smile, but the latter part made him realize that his decision to take in the amnesiac girl was correct. He couldn’t burden you and Vergil any more than what he’d done today. 

“But I still have some other things I can’t think of yet that I need to give to Roomie…” You frowned with half-lidded eyes. 

“We shall do that tomorrow.” And Vergil had to look away, probably to retain the strictness. 

“Tomorrow here or tomorrow in my world? I’m worried she won’t be comfortable…” 

“Leave it to me, Little Big Sis.” Dante decided to assist. “You two go ahead now.” 

Somehow, that worked, and Vergil was able to convince you to go home. With that, Dante was left with his new-found roommate. He noticed that Roomie seemed calm but with a bit of unease. Maybe it was because of their encounter earlier. He did see her naked. Though as much as he wanted to apologize, it was an awkward topic and she wouldn’t understand him anyway. 

She was still looking at where the portal had been, which kind of told Dante of what was on her mind. 

Dante: Don’t worry, they’ll come back in about three hours. 

Roomie: 😐 

Dante: *tries to recall the term* Ojousama. 

Roomie: 😯 

Dante: *gestures a loop, then puts three fingers up* ↺ 👌 

Roomie: 😐 

Dante: 🤦♂️ I should’ve asked them for some guide. 

Then he realized, aside from a flower, what was something common even to people of different languages?  

Dante: You hungry? 😁 

Roomie: 😐 

Dante: Food. *gestures eating pizza*  

Roomie: 😐 *didn’t get it because… Dante why pizza?🤦♀️* 

Dante: *says slowly* Pizza… 

Roomie: Pitto…sa? (・_・;) 

Dante: *says it fast* Pizza. 

Roomie: Piza. (¯ . ¯;) 

Dante: Yeah, we’ll work on that as we eat. 😆 

#🍕# 

Since then, you would also invite Roomie to your apartment or your world as you’d volunteered to teach her English. You’d said that it was so that while she was trying to regain her memories, she could communicate with everyone more effectively. Dante was honestly thankful for that, as the first few hours with Roomie had been purely charades. Even Roomie seemed glad about it as she got to spend more time with you. 

And in line with the goal to help Roomie regain her memories, which would then help in opening a portal back to her home or her world, you had come up with this whiteboard idea. You had suggested listing things that you would all discover regarding Roomie, hoping they would serve as clues that Vergil could use to find her origin with the portal. 

While Dante was still looking for the perfect spot in his shop to put this whiteboard up, he figured that there was no harm putting the first entry. Writing on a whiteboard sure felt weird, but this might be fun. He didn’t bother making his handwriting pretty as he was known in your world as the Wacky Woohoo Pizza Man anyway.  

Roomie was evidently drawn to you, but Dante wasn’t sure if you simply looked a lot like a Japanese highborn lady with that robe last time and Roomie had mistaken your identity as part of her amnesia, or you really looked like the Ojousama that Roomie knew. Either way, it was a clue, and it would be a useful detail as one of the portal-connections to Roomie’s home. 

And funny how right now, Roomie was sitting on her knees in front of the downstairs bathroom, looking intently at the door, as if waiting for the slightest movement from it. 

“What are you doing there, Roomie?” Dante asked from his desk. She faced him, and she looked like she was trying to comprehend what he just said. So he pointed to the bathroom door and raised his brows to hint that he was asking about it.  

Luckily, she must have understood what he was asking. “Ojousama ga irassharu no o matte imasu.” But him, he didn’t understand a word apart from the first one.  

“Are you, by any chance, waiting for Little Big Sis? Er, Ojousama?” He pointed to the door again when he said the term, and she responded with a determined nod. Dante couldn’t help the palm that reached his face as he tried not to laugh. Well, she had a point, as the bathroom was where she’d first seen you come out from. “She’s not there.” He pointed to the door again then waved his hand while saying, “Ojousama, not there.”  

Dante didn’t know if she got what he said, but she looked down and clenched her fists on her lap as if in frustration. “Ojousama no koto o shinpai shite imasu,” she said, facing him again. Then she looked at the bathroom door and said softly, “Buji de ite kudasai, Ojousama…”  

In spite of the language barrier, that look in her eyes told Dante that Roomie might be worried about her Ojousama. He was also basing that on the fact that from the moment she’d met you, she’d been protective of you. And Ojousama was the only thing she could remember… For someone with amnesia, that might be something akin to the only rope she could hold on to as she tried her best not to drown or get overwhelmed by this unfamiliar world she was in. 

Sighing, Dante stood up from his comfortable position. He knew how it felt to be alone in a scary world and suddenly be separated from his fam— Anyway, if being with her substitute ojousama would help even a little, then Dante would support that.  

Though, as he did the gestures in opening a portal, he hoped that it was daytime in your world right now. Otherwise, this portal might be his last. 

Chapter Text

Living with Roomie had been pleasant so far, as she was mostly quiet and she didn’t complain on being fed pizza all day, every day. Well, she only ate a little, probably because whenever she was in your world for her English tutorial, you and Vergil would offer proper meals to her. She also had the initiative to clean, and even if Dante kept telling her she didn’t need to, she would explain something he couldn’t understand, along with sitting on her lap and lowering her head, practically bowing in front of him. Dante figured that rather than making her do such gesture every time, it would be easier to just let her do the cleaning she wanted to do. There was no harm in that anyway— ah yeah, maybe except the few instances… 

At first, he thought that it was just because some of his things were quite the old versions of typical things, and that Roomie just wasn’t used to them.

## ☎📞 ## 

Dante was taking a nap that afternoon, with his feet on his desk and a magazine on his face. Last he'd seen, Roomie was studying her worksheets from you on the couch. It seemed that the English lessons had started from learning the alphabet and basic words. You were used to teaching kids so it must’ve been of some help, but the fact that there was still some translation involved, Dante could only imagine how tough it was. Roomie seemed eager and motivated to learn though. Due to the time difference, her English classes were only three hours apart, which was a day in your world. But even when in here, in between her tutorial sessions, she was always studying. 

Anyway, it was a peaceful afternoon until the phone rang. He would normally answer it after a few rings, or ignore it when he’d previously hung up on the caller. But this time, there was a sequence of “Dante-dono, abunai!” Then him being pulled away from his seat that he almost fell to the floor like that magazine. And then him realizing that Roomie was in front of him, defending him from the thing that was ringing.  

As he was taking in what was happening, Roomie grabbed the nearby bar stool as a makeshift weapon, ready to hit the Victorian phone with it if the caller would be persistent enough to hold out for another ring. He tried not to laugh as he convinced her to calm down. “It’s alright, Roomie. It's not a threat; it’s just a phone.” He was gently pushing her arms down, but because the thing rang again, her furrowed brows and tight grip on her weapon didn’t ease up. So he opted to unplug the phone for now, just to keep the alarming sound off as he demonstrated how he could safely put the handset to his ear. “See?” 

She reluctantly and slowly put down the bar stool, but she still seemed alert. So he offered the handset to her with a grin. “Try it.” She just stared at him with a worried face so he pointed to the handset he was holding, then placed it close to his face again. “It's harmless.” He offered it to her once more. “You try.” 

She stiffly took it from him then slowly brought it to her ear, trying to imitate how he’d done it earlier. “There, that’s right,” he said, trying not to smile. She was still distrusting the device, seeing how her eyes turned to look at the handset even without moving her head. She seemed to be monitoring its movements, ready in case the damned thing pulled some underhanded trick on her. Chuckling, he brought the rest of the phone to her, making her hold it with her other hand. She was stunned, as if she suddenly got cornered by two wild ringing animals. But she wasn’t doing any attacks as she seemed to be trying to trust him and the device. With this, Dante made a mental note to ask you to call the shop next time you were in this world, just to let Roomie hear your voice from the receiver. That would probably help the phone gain her complete trust. 

## 📻🎛💿🔊 ## 

There was this time when Roomie was cleaning the shop, wiping the dust off the furniture. She’d started at the bar, probably because it was at the corner. She was even particular in this dusting that even the bottles of aged whiskey in Dante’s collection ended up looking brand new. It was going well, until she reached the jukebox between the bar and the small fridge.  

Perhaps it was due to her thorough cleaning that she somehow pressed a button, which prompted the machine to play the song selected. Funny how it played the song which was in DMC1 and was played by the jukebox at the bar in DMC3. Anyway, the ominous intro got her alert and looking around, wondering where the sound was coming from. And when the beat and guitars started, she got startled. So much so that she was about to karate chop the whole thing.  

Dante dashed to her side and caught her arm on time. “I once did that, Roomie,” he said with a smirk, recalling how DMC3 Mission 1 was accurate to the detail. “Repairs will cost a fortune and I still owe Lady some money, so let’s not wreck the jukebox again.” 

Then she said something fast that he didn’t even catch the syllables. But with how she looked, how she was blocking Dante from the jukebox’s view, he could tell that she was worried, wary of this machine causing harm to both of them. It was amusing how she was protective even of him right now, in contrast to how they’d first met. Stifling a laugh, he stepped forward and pulled her arms down. “I’ll show you how it’s used.” He carefully pulled her closer to the jukebox, making sure his tone was gentle so she wouldn’t get provoked to do a sudden attack. “You see, this one is the most interesting invention humanity has ever come up with.” He took her right hand to guide her to the panel of buttons, and of course she resisted, though lightly. “Trust me. I won’t do something that would hurt you,” he said before showing the best smile he could.  

He didn’t know if she’d already learned some of what he’d said, but she seemed to have understood his intentions. So he guided her finger to press the button for a certain song, one he’d chosen in a hurry yet something that he knew to be mellow and calming enough. It was said to be the number one song played in jukeboxes during its time, so perhaps its charms would work even on an overly alert amnesiac. He pointed to the glass as he pushed her close to it, to let her see how the vinyl record would get chosen and be sent to the turntable.  

Sure enough, it worked, as she was wide-eyed in amazement watching the movements. The spinning was as if hypnotizing her, pulling her closer and closer. In no time, her palms were on the glass, with her face only a few inches away from it. The way her finger was moving subtly looked as though she wanted to touch the record. Perhaps she was curious if it would stop if she did, but at the same time she didn’t want it to stop, so she was trying not to move so much. 

Seeing her this way somehow made Dante smile. “Yeah, that’s one thing that those modern eyepods or earpods don't have.” She looked at him when he said that, and she nodded even though she probably didn’t get it. Even Dante himself wasn’t sure of what he’d said. 

Then her eyes were caught by those bubbles in the tube along the lights. She followed them, trying to find out where they were coming from and where they would go. As he watched her marvel on the music machine, Dante took note of some of the things he was learning about Roomie. She seemed protective of those she knew, especially you. And she was curious while at the same time not easy to trust others. She would always look unreadable, but when faced with something that triggered her curiosity, it would seem as though nothing could pull her away from it. But she would still try to hide it once she realized that she was being too open, like how she just straightened up right now when she noticed that he was smiling at how she was inspecting the whole jukebox—wait a sec, those descriptions sounded familiar… 

But before Dante could repeat them in his mind, the song ended, making Roomie look at him. She just stared at him, but he could see it in her eyes somehow, that she wanted more but was trying to hide how she truly felt in fear of seeming weak. So with a smirk, he took her hand again and guided it to press another button. “Just choose among these when the song ends.” He pointed to the options, earning her nod. 

A smile escaped her when a vinyl record popped out and went to the turntable again. But she must’ve seen from the reflection that he could see her reaction, making her hide it quickly. He wanted her to feel free to enjoy the spinning and the light bubbles along with the music, so he was about to leave her side. But then she called him, “Dante-dono.” 

“Hmm?” 

She pointed to the jukebox and looked like she was trying to recall something. “This…” It took her a couple of seconds and a few eye movements to continue, “…I like.” Then she flashed a slight smile, probably in an effort to convey her appreciation of him teaching her how to use it. She didn’t need to, actually, because her making an effort to say it in the language he could understand was already enough for him to get it. But of course, a bonus was always welcome.  

So he returned the favor and smiled at her. “Yeah, I like it too.” 

And with that, Roomie continued with the cleaning while going back to the jukebox every time the song would end. Dante went back to his desk, contemplating on whether to read this magazine in front of him or use it like an eye mask instead. But as he chose option number 2 and leaned back, his mind kept him busy, wondering if it was just his preference for old things or Roomie was really not good with technology. He could recall her flinching a few times when he’d turned on some lights. And last night when he took a beer from the fridge beside the jukebox, she seemed amazed sensing the cold air from it. She even subtly held out a palm to feel it. But that time, he didn’t consider it a technology thing and just offered her a beer because of her gesture. 

So he wasn’t sure if Roomie had possibly come from a world that was more in the past compared to this one. Or those things were just some culture differences? Like the way she would mop the floor, for instance. Roomie would do it by pushing a damp cloth along the surface of the floor with both of her hands. It was as if she was playing, but she looked serious while doing the task. Maybe back in her world they mopped floors like that. Or maybe she’d also lost her memories related to tools and electrical appliances? Or she was just not that technologically-inclined even before losing her memories? But yeah, that could be counted as a clue, so maybe he ought to write it down before he forgot. 

Though, with her being not that good with technology, it oddly felt comfortable. Dante was one who didn’t bother being updated with it either, because he had been too uh, busy. Vergil was kind of the same. He was only up from Dante by a few things because he’d always been the curious one. And because of that, Nero and Nico had taught him a little back then, even though he would always show reluctance. Though when Vergil had met you, the dork became more high-tech. Actually, Dante did too. Visiting your world often got him learning things, such as that fan fiction website and that Red-something website with amusing stuff. That one in particular, something-Tube? The vast collection of videos there was just amazing. It was as if everything you could think of, you could find it there. And because of that, he’d somehow realized that these days, people in your world, or probably people in here as well, sure were willing to showcase themselves to the public. They seemed proud to display their hidden talents and abilities that people of older times would just keep private. Some of those he’d seen were even videos taken from their own bedrooms, making him realize the convenience of those mini cameras and how easy it was to upload things to the hub or whatever it was called—ah, cloud. 

Anyway, because of visiting your world and some more things that you had him and Vergil try together, Dante had been exposed to things he wouldn’t have dipped his toes in on his own. It was also why he thought that your English tutorial with Roomie would probably work as her healthy exposure to technology, even little by little. Knowing you, you’d probably make her enjoy interesting things too.  

And because of the time difference between your world and this, Roomie was learning both English and technology at a rather fast rate, to Dante’s excitement. It was as though she had classes every three hours, classes that lasted for—Wait, excitement? Well yeah, he wanted to at least be able to have a decent conversation with her, ask her if she liked sweets too, so he could maybe take her to the sundae shop, for example. That was just something he'd gotten from the top of his mind because he was kind of craving for it right now. The shop didn’t do deliveries in here, unlike in your world so… And he couldn’t just take Roomie there without explaining it to her. It might lead to some more karate chops and kicks. Yeah, that could be some sort of a reward or celebration. Once Roomie could understand English enough, she would be rewarded with a sweet treat. 

## 

Though, contrary to how she was easily startled by appliances, especially those that made a sound, she seemed used to seeing weapons and even tricks that was like magic to ordinary people. Such was Vergil’s summoned swords. One time you two were here, Vergil sent a spectral sword to Dante’s direction when Dante was teasing the older twin about ribbons again.  

He heard Roomie ask you something like, “Karera wa mahou tsukai de gozaimasu ka?” And you seemed hesitant to answer right away. You even asked for Dante and Vergil’s permission first, if it would be alright with them for you to tell Roomie about their not-so-human identity. They saw no reason to keep it since she was staying with him and sometimes with you and Vergil, so they both nodded. And with that, you explained to her that the twins were half-demons and that they had some supernatural abilities. 

Roomie just nodded as if it wasn’t a big deal. So Dante thought that maybe she was used to people with some kind of power too. After all, that ‘mahou tsukai’ term, he could recall it from that time he’d summoned a rose to distract her with. Yeah, maybe this was another clue. 

Speaking of weapons, there was this time that piqued Dante’s interest. Seeing Vergil holding a katana everywhere didn’t seem to be a big deal to Roomie either. But there was this time, when the name of said katana was uttered. He’d already forgotten the context as to why it was mentioned, because he got more focused on Roomie’s reaction. She swiftly turned her head to look at you and Vergil upon hearing it, and mumbled, “Yamato…?”  

You enthusiastically pointed to Vergil’s katana and introduced it to Roomie as if it were a person. Dante thought that Roomie was welcoming what Vergil called your foolishness, because Roomie lowered her head at that. But it turned out that she was having a tough headache that even brought her to her knees as she held her head in pain. 

You got worried, of course, but Roomie was somehow gesturing for you not to. As you led her to sit on the couch and attended to her pain the way you seemed to know so well, Dante and Vergil got to look at each other. The way Vergil glanced at the katana in his hand told Dante that they might be thinking of the same… that Roomie might have some sort of connection to their demonic heritage. Well, she had conveniently arrived here, a few meters from his shop… Hopefully she wasn’t someone sent here to end them, or worse, earn their trust and betray them one day. That would indeed be an interesting plot twist, but this wasn’t the games. Hopefully she wasn’t a pet project of that son of a… marble, if ever he was still alive down there. Swear to Sparda, if that bastard ever lay as much as a statue finger on Dante’s growing family right now, he’d— 

“Is there something wrong, Dante?” Vergil got him back from his thoughts. 

Dante just smiled and said, “Nah, I just realized another clue.” It was honestly an excuse so he could go to the whiteboard and calm his demon without worrying his twin. But throwing a glance to your and Roomie’s direction, as well as his previous thoughts made him realize something he should’ve realized right from day one. The idiot he was! How could he have not realized this sooner?  

But before he could blame himself or entertain more doubts, he saw what you’d written on the whiteboard, making him laugh to himself. You were always being foolish and making his twin put a palm on his face, but perhaps you had a point. Your silly ideas were somehow bringing a good balance to offset his, and probably Vergil’s, suspecting ones. 

Chapter Text

Yep, offsetting the doubts with foolishness indeed.   

Dante couldn’t help but laugh at your theories. But this was the purpose of this whiteboard anyway, to list findings, to share ideas.  

And… for some reason, as much as he wanted to be careful and not to trust Roomie completely, something kept making him feel too guilty to doubt her. There might be different factors to that, but he’d been noticing some things… similarities that were hard to miss… that Roomie was a lot like Vergil. 

He didn’t want to see it that way at first, but somehow, even the trust challenge was similar too. Back then, when he’d just returned from the Underworld with Vergil, there was this fear that he’d kept trying to ignore. Dante was afraid to fully trust in him, afraid that after getting his hopes up, his long-lost twin might suddenly go off seeking power again and be some sort of a villain again because of feeling weak or something. But he’d chosen to trust in his brother. He’d told himself that if ever Vergil would end up pulling some trick on him and leaving him again and breaking his trust then he would chase Vergil even to the ends of the Underworld or wherever just to knock some sense into the dork again. Over and over again if necessary. That was actually why when Vergil had gone missing for a week back then, when he’d gotten stuck in your world, Dante was low-key worried and was quietly searching through his connections. He was just playing it cool, but that portal call was really a big relief. Perhaps that was why he’d been goofing around teasing Vergil and Nero, even you, that time. 

 
Come to think of it, Roomie had been doing the same – trusting Dante. She’d arrived here without memories of herself or of her life, so she was basically in some unfamiliar world. Not only that. She was living with a stranger, the same guy who had picked her up naked from an alley. That alone was a big show of trust, wasn’t it? So yeah, maybe he ought to trust her too. Like how he’d trusted Vergil before… because for some reason, Dante was seeing so much of Vergil in her. Yeah, let’s whiteboard that for now and enjoy Vergil’s reaction. 

## 1. Overprotective ## 

The biggest similarity would probably be Roomie being overprotective of you. Whenever you were here, Dante could see how the girl was like an alert guard, wary of any possible harm that could fall upon you, including the self-inflicted ones. She was even more literally following you around, probably because unlike Vergil, she wouldn’t be able to teleport to your side should you need some saving. You were even being treated by Roomie like a princess, with all that bowing, kneeling on one knee, wiping the couch before letting you sit on it… Those excessive chivalrous gestures were making Vergil’s competitive side flare up, to Dante’s amusement. 

And yeah, Roomie seemed protective of Dante too. He didn’t actually need any of it, as he was the type to go jumping off a cliff or from the top of a tower, but she just… For instance every time there was a client or visitor, she would stand next to Dante’s chair, as if on guard if ever the outsider would suddenly flip the desk and summon demons in here or something. It might have started when Lady and Trish barged in here like usual, and Roomie was alarmed seeing Kalina Ann. Roomie wasn’t rude to them though. She just stood watch, quiet yet alert, as if eyeing their every move from beside Dante.  

He briefly explained to them Roomie’s situation, so the girls ended up teasing him instead of feeling intimidated or anything like it. “You got yourself a bodyguard there, huh?” Lady mocked, to which Dante playfully did a blocking pose and said, “Royal Guard.” Sometimes he’d forget that he wasn’t talking with you and he’d seem weird to people of his world. Anyway, it was quickly followed by Trish saying with a derisive chuckle, “You’ve gotten soft now, Dante?” He simply laughed at their succeeding comments, but deep down he was hoping Roomie wouldn’t suddenly sense harm from them and overprotect him. Well she was still human so against those two… Trish was a demon with literal lightning abilities while Lady, well, that woman could send bullets flying as fast as she could blink. Somehow, while Roomie was protective and worried about Dante, he was getting worried about her too. But luckily she was just the quietly observing type, one who wouldn’t bark but would readily bite the enemy if threat was confirmed. 

But that was another factor. How could he distrust someone this determined to keep him safe? She might only be projecting on Dante her protective instincts for you, but still. And one time, he told you about it, intending to ask you to make Roomie stop. If anything, he should be the shield around here, when with you or Roomie, because he could heal unlike you two and he didn’t have any kid that would need his existence unlike Vergil. But when you asked Roomie, you relayed to Dante her translated reason, “Everyone that Ojousama holds dear is someone I ought to protect.”  

So Dante was getting the offshoot protection. It felt weird, really, because he’d always been in harm’s way, and sometimes even intentionally putting himself in that position. He’d been used to having no one giving a damn if he cut himself, even literally. Well yeah, the bird had chastised him for stabbing himself back then, but it was even willing to help him kill himself. Now there was this person who was more human, more physically vulnerable than he was, and yet she was quick to stand in front of him, even when against false alarms like an alarm clock. It was the small one that Vergil had insisted he use, to be able to open a portal at the exact time when picking you two up. Well a minute late would mean eight times in your world with you waiting and worrying about him, so he understood his twin’s reason. Ah yeah, speaking of which…  

Dante held the Yamato shard in place of the whiteboard marker he’d just put down. 

## 

## 2. Those Three Hours ##  

It was also an amusing similarity with Vergil, the fact that Roomie kept going to your world every three hours for her English lessons. It reminded Dante of how Vergil had been when you two had just started dating. Though in Vergil’s case, he’d been staying there longer. Back then, Dante couldn’t help but be amazed at this dedication, which was why he’d been full support when you two had come up with this setup, living together in each world alternately. It was partly why he was foolishly commemorating the 100 DMC World Days with you two. It wasn’t just to tease his twin with the ridiculous gifts, but it was also because he was truly happy for Vergil. He had witnessed how the dork had been living in two worlds before, with a messed-up sense of time just to be with the person he liked. 

Right now, Roomie was doing the same. …even the same with the last part, ‘just to be with the person she liked.’ It was because whenever Roomie was about to go to your world, like right now, she would subtly fuss over how she looked like – straightening her clothes, making sure her hair wasn’t a mess, covertly sniffing herself… all to make sure she was presentable. It was as if she was about to go to school and see her crush. Others might mistake it that she had a crush on Vergil but no, Dante could see it every time. Whenever you were here, it was as if she was only seeing you and everyone else was blurred in Roomie Vision. Even Vergil would attest to that. 

It wasn’t just that. The stiffness that sometimes couldn’t recognize a joke was present in her too. Because 15 minutes later, Dante was opening a portal again then welcoming Roomie with a grin and, “How’s school?” 

With a serious face, she reported what she’d learned from you today. “Ad…Adjectives.” Then she pointed to his coat, “Akakute—chigau. Red and stylish.” She pointed to his hair, “White and rare.” 

And since Dante was quick to switch jokes like how quick he could switch fighting styles, he pointed to his face and said, “Hot and handsome.” He laughed, but was stopped when Roomie nodded with a neutral face. Did she just agree? Nah, she probably didn’t get that he was just fooling around.  

“Wanna eat pizza?” he asked to change the topic. 

But she shook her head then lowered it a little as she handed him what she was holding. It was a rectangular shaped thing wrapped with a cloth. “From Ojousama and Vergil-dono,” she said, and she stayed bowing like that until he took it from her. 

“What’s this?” he asked while undoing the knot. 

“I… eat dinner 3 hours yesterday.” She pointed to where the portal had been behind her. See, even this girl’s sense of time was getting messed up. “So this dinner, I don’t refuse… but I ask Ojousama, give Dante-dono.” 

Aww… Isn’t this roommate sweet, bringing home dinner-lunch for him.  

And since then, Dante was receiving a portal take-out every three hours. Roomie bringing back the empty container the first time must have told you that Dante was now willing to eat something other than pizza and sundae. Vergil would probably scold him and make it stop if Dante didn’t eat the food that Vergil or you had cooked, so he had no choice. 

About three hours later, Dante tried to rein in his smile seeing Roomie carrying another packed dinner upon exiting the portal. Yep, no choice but to eat it every time. Good thing there’s his demontabolism.  

## 

## 3. The Introverted Dork Behind the Cold Exterior ## 

This one was something Dante had realized because of you. Or maybe his whiteboard entry had influenced your opinion? Whichever the case, the bigtime Vergilist was finding his roomie Vergilish too. 

You would often pat Roomie’s head whenever she spoke in English, which seemed to be motivating her to do it even more. Whenever she was looking too serious and on guard, you would unfurrow her brows with a finger or pinch her cheeks as if to make her smile. Those were some things that Dante used to see you doing to Vergil, which would probably explain why Vergil was grumpy every time you two were here. The dork had a rival for your attention. 

Apart from that, you would often insist things that Roomie would refuse, saying, “Don’t be shy,” and the like. Then Roomie would obey you, and she'd be a bit flushed afterwards when you asked her if she liked it. That same sequence happened when you gave Roomie some more clothes and insisted she try it, when you made her take a sip of the coffee you were drinking, and when you fed her a piece of the chocolate chip cookies you’d baked. You even squealed, “I knew it, you have a sweet tooth like a Vergil too!” which earned a “Hmph” from the real Vergil beside Dante. Should he worry that his twin was being supplanted? Nah, it was fun to watch every time. 

## 

## 4. Keeping it All to Herself ##  

Roomie was reading the whiteboard entries as you had instructed her. For practice, you said, aside from possibly triggering something in her memories. She seemed to have gotten curious about the word ninja, which instantly switched-on your enthusiasm. In no time, you were on the couch with Roomie, showing her videos about ninjas, telling her things you found amazing about them. 

It would’ve seemed like a usual thing where you were excitedly introducing something interesting to Dante or Vergil, but Dante noticed something about Roomie. Her smiles were more forced compared to how she would usually smile while gazing at you, and she was subtly pressing a finger or two on her head, as if massaging it or commanding the pain to hide. 

The last time she had a headache when you’d introduced the Yamato to her, you’d gotten worried and kept apologizing to her while helping ease her pain. So Roomie was probably intending not to cause you such trouble right now, ahh this Vergilish fool. 

So Dante summoned his usual childishness when with you and said, “Little Big Sis, have you shown her me and Vergil of the games?” As expected, that led to you being too excited to stay on one topic as you explained why you still hadn’t shown her some things. It switched the conversation indeed and relieved Roomie of what seemed to be pressuring her brain. But Dante thought that maybe he’d hold on to that ninja theory for now. Haha, punny! 

Also, funny how while all of this was happening, Vergil was on the other couch, holding a book he wasn’t really reading, keeping his ‘pain’ all to himself as well. Sorry Vergil, Roomie needs an assist right now, Dante shall wingman you next time instead. Note to self, find that big box. 

## 

## 5. Single-Minded and Motivated ## 

Like the fact that she often drank tea, Roomie showing the top two Vergil traits might only be a coincidence. Dante couldn’t help but notice it though. It seemed that every decision that Roomie was making was in line with protecting and pleasing her Ojousama. Dante could tell so because almost every time that Roomie was doing something strange and Dante would come over to her side, curious, she would say, “For Ojousama.” 

There was one time that Roomie was folding some papers and making animals with them, Dante thought that for a change, the stoic amnesiac was showing a rather cute side. But as expected, when he asked what she was doing, she said, “For Ojousama.” 

But there was this time when it was Roomie who approached him, when he was busy cleaning his babes.  

“Dante-dono.” 

“Hmm?” 

“That is your… weapon.” 

“That's right.” 

“Please teach me.” 

He turned to face her. “Teach you?” 

She nodded eagerly and said her catchphrase, “For Ojousama.” 

He laughed, which caused her to look worried. “Is it… forbidden?” 

The term made him laugh even more. “No, it’s not that. I think your Ojousama will be safer without guns around her.” That somehow reminded him of the experience in DD’s world, which he quickly fast-forwarded to the fun parts of that memory. 

“You and… the lady… have that weapon.” She pointed to the other guns on the wall behind his chair. “Common weapon in this world. I must learn. To protect Ojousama better. Use it, defend against it.” 

Apart from that being the longest English line he’d heard from her, the way she looked determined—no, motivated, somehow convinced Dante into agreeing. He could somehow feel the frustration in her, and some fear or worry, probably because she had no decent weapon of her own apart from those things she’d been making these days. Whenever Dante was human mode in your world, there was this weird annoying feeling about him not being able to summon his devil sword. It was as if he was on vacation but it just felt a little worrying that he wouldn’t be able to fight at his best should the need arise. And in his case, he still had his pistols with him when in your world. So if he were to imagine Roomie’s situation, wanting to protect someone but feeling powerless and weaponless to do so… “Alright. Next time they stay in this world, when you don’t have your three-hourly English classes, I’ll teach you.” 

He was worried that she might not understand what he’d said, or misunderstand him because he might have gotten a little too serious after recalling something unpleasant. But luckily, the last part made her smile, which might have been a lapse in her usual control on her emotions. He recognized that smile as one of those that were only for her Ojousama. Ah, maybe that was why you enjoyed being foolish and making Vergil slip on his control and smile. There was some sense of achievement in it, different from that one he’d get whenever he would annoy Vergil for fun. 

Anyway, why was he thinking about that again? There was this topic that he wanted to think about, now he forgot— ah, that’s right.  

He got reminded of it when Roomie went back to her workshop. That's right, and this might be related to that ninja theory —XD —Come to think of it, maybe this very fact that Roomie had asked him to teach her how to use a gun was influenced by that. You had recently told Roomie to follow her instincts, hoping that it would lead you all to finding out more about her. You’d said that if ever she felt like doing something, any activity or force of habit, she should indulge it, as it might help jog her memory.  

And since then, it was as though there was a weapon-making crafts corner in Dante’s shop. Roomie liked listening to the jukebox so she was on the floor near it, with an easy access to the buttons for the song selection, along with her trinkets… She had those twigs that she was sharpening and carving into a palm-sized pointy throw-thing using the small knife that she’d borrowed from him. There was also that big circular thing she called or translated as ‘water shoes’ that she was making by tying pieces of wood together. There were also slender pieces of wood she seemed to be tying to form a ladder , which made Dante wonder where she intended to use that. …Ah, probably to climb your apartment in here when needed. She had also found a roll of aluminum wire among the shop’s junk and asked Dante for it. So now she was cutting it into small pieces and bending them together to form something like triangular spikes . It got him wondering what those were for. 

Dante didn’t know if it was influenced or triggered by those videos you’d shown her. But it seemed that she was making those things from muscle memory and instinct, because she wasn’t looking at any instruction guide and she was being resourceful with her materials. So maybe that was one thing different from Vergil – different though somehow still the same, because Roomie might be a ninja while Vergil was more like a samurai. Dante couldn’t help but laugh thinking about that though. 

## 

## But what she doesn’t have are Vergil’s demonic (possessive) instincts ##  

Or maybe Roomie had a human version of that? 

No matter the case, nothing could beat this dork’s possessiveness. Indeed, when they were kids, Vergil would write his name on his things to keep Dante from messing with them. But now that they were this old and it was about you and not books or toys, Dante figured that it might be something related to Vergil’s demonic instincts. Well the mate marks on you would prove that. 

Every time you and Vergil were in the shop, Dante would notice how Vergil was extra clingy to you, more than before. He would come over beside you then subtly take your hand whenever you’d been talking with Roomie for more than five minutes. Of course that would make you giggle or give a silly smile. It was as though Vergil was reminding you of his presence and that you were his, which was romantic in a way but was still funny to Dante precisely because it was his twin. Though maybe he’d take a page from Vergil’s book someday… 

Anyway, there came this time when Dante felt foolish enough to ask about it. Maybe he just wanted to fluster his twin or see how Vergil would explain it. You four were grocery shopping that time, your idea of course, to replenish your DMC World apartment pantry, as well as Dante’s, and maybe to give Roomie some form of a day out. Vergil had to reluctantly let you go, because you were excitedly showing Roomie around. 

Dante: Why are you jealous of Roomie? 😁 *puts a pizza-flavored cereal in the cart* (This is interesting. 🤔) 

Vergil: (😳) I am not. 😒 *takes it out of the cart and puts it back to the shelf* (Pizza is not meant to be mixed with milk. Disgusting. 😒) 

Dante: 😆 Alright, let’s change the question. 😆 *gets it from the shelf and puts it back in the cart* ( Strawberry sundae is perfect after eating pizza. So they are technically mixed together in my stomach. I wonder how it’ll taste like when they are mixed in a bowl. 🤤) Why are you being ‘instinctively possessive of your mate’ around Roomie? 

Vergil: (😳) Foolish little brother, do you not know the thing called F/F? 😒 *got distracted, let the pizza cereal pass, Dante goes (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑* 

Dante: F/F? What’s that? 

Vergil: It is a possibility that I am wary of. 😒 ---> You→ ヾ(・ω・`)ノヾ (￣▽￣*)ゞ ←Roomie 

Dante: 😆 

Chapter Text

Roomie was cleaning the shop as usual while Dante was taking a nap on the couch near the stairs. Things were going well until Dante smelled fresh blood, which got him pulling down the magazine on his face to take a peek. 

There he saw Roomie holding a cloth by the dart board, now looking down as if checking her hand. “Something wrong, Roomie?” She was evidently startled when he spoke, though he wasn’t sure if that was because she’d thought he was asleep or because she intended to hide what had happened to her. 

“Nothing, Dante-dono,” she said, though he noticed that she wiped the dart pin she was holding before carefully trying to stick it back to the board. 

Sighing with the realization, he got up and went over to her side. Good thing that those were the new pins from Lady and not the old ones he’d used to hit the demon on display. At least he was sure that there wasn’t any rust on it. Rust was dangerous for humans, right? 

Roomie hid her left hand behind her when Dante was close, that he couldn’t help but smile. “I can smell that blood Roomie. It won’t do you any good to hide it.” He’d taken her left hand before realizing he should’ve been more cautious of possible karate chops and kicks. Perhaps his concern for her wound had won over his better judgement. He even uttered a “Tsk” upon seeing a small hole in her palm, near her pinky, especially since it was still bleeding. 

“This is nothing,” she said as she took her hand back and swiftly wiped the blood off it with the cloth she was holding. “Is this a weapon?” was what she was more concerned about, pointing at the dart pins on the board. 

“It’s not a weapon, it’s a game.” 

“Game? Ojousama like game, she said.” Hearing that, he somehow knew what was coming next. “Dante-dono.” 

Though he still played the part. “Hmm?” 

“Teach me.” She pointed to the darts. 

Dante shook his head as he smiled and facepalmed. “I’ll teach you if you treat that wound.” 

She nodded and was about to rip the hem of her shirt. “That’s not—” He sighed as he stopped her hands. “Wash it and I’ll get you the first aid kit.” He pointed to the bathroom, and she just stared at him. “I’ll teach you after that,” he added, which somehow convinced her. This was probably something he’d come to learn from and developed as an SOP for wounds because of you and Vergil. Well, not for himself. Though at least he now knew a thing or two about those antiseptic solutions and ointments, or at least the fact that they must be applied instead of just putting bandages or those Band-Aids. 

He took the box labeled as ‘Clumsy Human Kit’ from the kitchen. It was where it seemed to be needed the most around here that Vergil had decided to leave it there. When Roomie came back, he handed it to her, but they just stared at each other, both with some sort of expectation.  

Dante sighed in defeat yet again as he instructed Roomie to sit down at the bar. He didn’t know if this was more troublesome than having Patty in his shop before, but then again, at least Roomie was mostly just quiet. Even while he was treating her wound, she just stared silently at everything he was doing. It was as if she was trying to memorize the steps, so he couldn’t help but ask, “Are you trying to learn this too, for Ojousama?” She nodded eagerly, making him smile. “You don’t need to. She’s probably an expert at this already.” He recalled one time he’d seen you treat both of your hands on your own, back then when a wrong spell had caused you to make Vergil’s face a punching bag. 

“You are smiling, Dante-dono,” Roomie remarked, making Dante realize it. 

“Yeah, I just remembered something—” he quickly stopped upon realizing that he was talking to an amnesiac. Was it insensitive to say such a thing to such a person? So he quickly shifted it by lightly scolding her, “Try not to catch falling sharp objects next time.” 

“I cannot promise.” 

“At least if it’s not for saving your Ojousama.” 

“I shall try.” 

He chuckled and mumbled, “Vergilish.” 

## 

“The goal is to hit the red thing in the center,” Dante explained darts in the simplest way he could think of, before showing Roomie a sample. She was open-mouthed and amazed at the simple fact that he hit the bull’s eye with all three pins. Or was it because she had just realized how this could possibly be used as a weapon?  

Maybe it was the latter, because when he handed her a pin, she inspected its parts. She seemed to be weighing it and finding its center of gravity. She even touched the flight carefully, before ruthlessly removing it while mumbling, “Iranai.” He wasn’t sure what that meant, but he was sure that Lady would shoot him next time for this. 

His worries were interrupted when he saw the way Roomie was holding the dart pin. She had it in her right hand, between her index and middle finger, and her thumb held it in place. Then she raised her hand around forehead level and in a snap, she threw the pin to the board. Dante could only blink after seeing it landing in the bull’s eye despite the improper way of using it. In his mind, though, two words or a video game company name kept echoing, ‘Ninja Theory.’  

“Yeah, I guess as long as you hit your target, it doesn’t matter,” he said, chuckling, as he handed her another pin. “Maybe next time if we find a bigger board, I’ll let you try Lucifer,” he kidded, even though he knew she wouldn't get it.

## 

## 

There came a time when it was Dante’s turn to get wounded. No biggie, actually, that he didn’t even know where he'd gotten that scratch from. Maybe some nail sticking out from some surface, or maybe he’d scratched himself a little too hard, or maybe there was an invisible imperceptible enemy somewhere who had taken a sample of his blood or something, meh. But when he came home to the shop and Roomie saw his arm bleeding a line, it seemed as though he’d just entered an emergency room.  

“Dante-dono!” It was followed by a sequence of him being pulled to the bar, then Roomie going to the kitchen and Roomie coming back carrying the Clumsy Human Kit. 

“Roomie, there's no need for that.” Well, he was neither clumsy nor fully human. 

“Dante-dono, you are wounded,” she stated in grave seriousness, as if she was forbidding him to join the battle or something. 

And it somehow made him laugh. “Nah, it’s nothing.”  

“You taught me… wounds must be treated with this box.” She tapped the first aid kit she’d placed on the bar counter. 

“Yeah, but that doesn’t apply to me.” He wiped the blood off his right arm to show her the proof. “See, it’s already healed.” 

Roomie took a closer look at his arm in disbelief. She froze so he got a little worried and asked, “You alright? Headache again?”  

She shook her head, but he wasn't convinced. Then she looked at him and emotionlessly repeated what she probably found quite surprising. “You heal.”  

“Yeah, that’s one of the perks of being a half-demon.” He gave a smirk, which might have been a sarcastic one. He realized so when he heard himself add, “Though before, I considered it a curse.” He wanted to scold himself or something for suddenly jumping back to that kind of mood. He was happy now; he shouldn’t— ah but yeah, reminders are just a bitch. Even this girl would experience severe headaches whenever she got reminders of her past. Though in her case they ought to help her. 

“Does it hurt?” Her question and the way she was gently touching his arm got him back from his thoughts. 

“Huh?”  

“Are you in pain?” she even reworded it, probably doubting her English. But it wasn’t the case. He just thought that he’d heard it wrong. Or was he just not used to something like that? Someone asking him such a question… 

“Nah, I don’t feel a thing.” He smiled. Though that might have been a lie. 

Chapter Text

You had told Roomie to practice more reading to improve her speed in doing so. You had given her books and worksheets, but she seemed to like learning with real samples. That was probably why there she was, reading everything she could in the office. It started with the whiteboard, then the sexy posters on the wall that thankfully didn’t get her offended or something. It was followed by some documents she’d found somewhere, and now she’d found his magazines. The first two were about guns and travel, but the one she was holding right now, Dante could remember it being something that would make the posters on the wall look conservative. 

“Read this instead,” Dante suggested as casually as he could as he slipped a Ciacco’s flyer over the page Roomie was reading. She looked up at him so he focused on the, uh… telephone. “We’re gonna order. I miss pizza after all those packed dinner you’ve been bringing home.” 

She looked like she was processing what he’d said before giving a nod and putting down the magazine. Dante grabbed the chance to subtly take it and put it in his desk drawer. Hopefully she’d focused on the text instead of the visuals. Though hopefully, she wouldn’t ask him, or you, about the unfamiliar words she’d encountered there— 

“Dante-dono.” 

Oh boy.  

Dante turned to face her, still undecided if he’d be DMC2-indifferent or DMC4-debonair to cover the embarrassment.

Maybe whichever would come out first and depending on the word she’d ask about.  

“This one…” She pointed to the upper part of the flyer she was showing to him. “Yasu—cheap. But big.”

Ah that’s right. You’d mentioned that you were also teaching Roomie some math and numbers, because she was used to a different system of those. And now she was putting it in application. She even looked excited with those wide, sparkling eyes.

But that was until she seemed to have remembered something and she looked at the flyer again. This time, she brought it closer to her face, with her eyes squinting at it. She frowned a little when she pulled it away and said, “Ah, no good. It has black things.” As she went back to checking the other choices, she mumbled her main criterion, “Dante-dono don’t like the black things.” 

Hearing that, Dante found himself DMC5-chuckling. 

## 

“Dante-dono!”  

Dante nearly dropped the eraser when Roomie called. He saw her running towards him, so he hurried with what he wanted to do before she arrived at his side. 

“Almost portal time,” she said, showing him the alarm clock that she was holding. She usually had a resting unreadable face, but she would often fail to hide her excitement when it was about seeing you. And somehow, whenever that happened, Dante would also fail to keep himself from smiling.

Chapter Text

The promised day had come. Through the convenience of portals, Dante had brought Roomie to this clearing where he and Vergil would often spar, so he could teach her the basics of guns. 

Dante drew Ebony and Ivory from their holster and showed them to Roomie, a gesture to let her choose. He didn’t normally just lend these babes to anyone, but somehow, he felt like Roomie could be trusted with them enough. Well, just this morning, Roomie had prevented you from stumbling over a beer bottle that coincidentally rolled to where you were about to step on. It had been beneath Dante’s desk, but when he’d put his feet on the furniture, it must’ve toppled over. Roomie had even been faster than Vergil in saving you because she didn’t have to rush to your side to catch you, like what the Dark Slayer had done. She only had to throw her fluffy indoor slipper —which was also from you— to hit and spin the bottle out of the way. Sometimes you were all playing a game called ‘Save Ojousama’ with Roomie competing against Vergil, and Dante indirectly and unintentionally causing the mishap. 

So yeah, it might have been the 10th time that Roomie had protected you, or more, so she was on the level where Dante could let her hold one of his pistols. If ever she would do some sort of trick, he’d be able to come out of it unscathed anyway. Well, after a fashion. 

In fact, he was putting himself in such a situation right now. Because after Roomie glanced at his face then chose Ivory, as if she’d chosen it favoring the color of his hair instead of hers—well, not that it meant anything. Anyway, Roomie held Ivory carefully with both hands, inspected it a little then asked him, “How strong?” 

“You mean when it hits the enemy?” He was smiling for he found her first question amusing. 

It might have flicked some switch in him for when she nodded, he suggested, “Try it.” She just stared at him like usual so he positioned her hands to hold Ivory aimed at him. “Just pull the trigger.” He even gestured it with his index finger. 

She shook her head and was about to return it to him. “Dante-dono will get hurt.” 

But he held her hands to keep them on it. “I heal, remember?” He grinned as he took a few steps back, which somehow convinced her. He rarely indulged a student of sorts, and he wasn’t the trainer type like Vergil, who had training sessions with his younger self every now and then in your world and theirs. But Roomie would always ask Dante to teach her things. It might have started when he’d taught her the jukebox, but she seemed to trust him enough to often ask him different how-to’s. So why not teach her his expertise the way he did best, right? Giving her a demonstration would teach her not to use a gun carelessly. What good was his healing for if he wouldn’t use it to make things a little more fun? 

Although, part of him might have thought of this idea for a different reason. This strange part of him might have been aiming to sabotage whatever this was… to remind himself that Roomie was just like the other girls he knew. Like the other badass women he knew, Trish and Lady, whom he'd also met in an interesting way that involved him getting hurt. Nothing special. Just friends, maybe. Ah yeah, roommates. Because he didn’t want to— 

*gunshot 🔫*

Dante fell.  

Damn.  

He’d forgotten that this girl had a good aim and fighting instincts, that she got him in the head. Or maybe she was aiming at his chest or just his shoulder but it was the recoil that had caused the shift? Whichever the case, a headshot had a knockdown effect on him and would take a few seconds more to recover from, compared to a shot to his body. He’d learned that the first time Lady had shot him back then in Temen-ni-gru.

So it took him a few seconds of not being able to do anything as Roomie ran to him looking all worried and… crying?— ah no, she wasn’t. But he somehow noticed that her eyes were quite moist compared to usual. She was speaking in Japanese again, and really fast. Well, in instances like these, one would really speak in their native language, wouldn’t they? She was breathing fast as if she was panicking, but she seemed to be trying to get a hold of herself. She was wiping his bleeding forehead with her hand, before she ripped the hem of her shirt to have something to press against his wound. All the while she sounded really worried, while either scolding him or apologizing to him, or both? He didn't get what she was saying, but he could understand how she was feeling. And there was blood on her forehead too. Why was there— Headache? So she was suffering from a headache again, but she was trying to ignore it to focus on him? 

Aww, man. His foolish stunt was now making him feel guilty. “D…” He tried his best to utter at least a sound. “D-Don’t worry…” And he tried to get up as soon as possible. “I’m still alive.” 

Maybe he’d gotten used to getting stabbed and getting shot a little too much. Even you, the most delicate human he knew, were used to him getting jabbed that you would even laugh whenever Vergil would hit him with a Summoned Sword. Well, you called it their brotherly love. Perhaps Dante had gotten so used to getting hurt that he’d forgotten that it shouldn’t be the normal thing. 

Maybe that was why he froze when Roomie hugged him. 

Chapter Text

Dante was sitting on the ground, and his palms were even touching the surface, so he was literally grounded, but for some reason, it felt like he was afloat. Well, the reason was obvious, it was right in front of him, still hugging him, actually.  

He didn’t know if he should pull away – how could he? He'd just gotten up. To pull away, he’d have to lie down again, that’d be dumb. Push her away then? No, that’d be—she might think he got mad or something. Pull her close then? That sounds nice. His hands were even on their way to hug her back, see? Err, no. 

But Roomie pulled away before he could respond. She even lowered her head—no, bowed down beside him. As her hands and head touched the ground, she said, “Moushiwake gozaimasen, Dante-dono. Yurusanai koto o yatte shimaimashite, makoto ni moushi—” 

“Roomie.” She flinched at that, but it was probably because she remembered the language thing. 

“I apologize, Dante-dono,” she restarted, now English version, without moving from her position. “I did something un… unforgivable. I am truly—” 

And like the first time, he cut her off, “Roomie.” She still had her head down, so he gently pulled her up by the shoulders. “There’s no need to apologize. I’m alright, see?” He lifted his bangs to show her his now-healed forehead. “And it was my fault anyway.” 

She looked half-worried, half-convinced, until she averted her gaze from him. She even seemed a little flushed, but he wasn’t able to pay much attention to that for she then mumbled something in Japanese. “Kyuu ni Dante-dono o dakishimeta no de, hazukashii…” 

“What’s that?” She seemed embarrassed for some reason, but that light dusting of pink on her cheeks sure looked goo—Dante laughed before finding a new topic. “Does your head still hurt?” 

She shook her head, then faced him, all the while still looking abashed. But with the gesture, he noticed the blood on her forehead. This got him compelled to wipe it off, for he didn’t want his blood to taint her pre— her face. But when the tip of his finger was only about an inch from her skin, he stopped. Well, his hand was dirty, literally full of dirt, so he shouldn’t do something like this. Especially since he and Roomie were too close, their faces were— How did that happen, by the way? Did he close the distance without realizing it? Anyway, that wasn’t important. He had to move away now because her eyes were so pretty while this up-close, and there was nobody else in this place, and her shirt was torn on the side upwards that he could see frilly pink— er, he had to really think of how to break this odd silence. 

“Let’s uh, let’s cancel this for now. You might have gotten—” 

“No cancel, please. This is rare chance. I must learn, for Ojousama.” She looked at him with her version of pleading eyes – one that wasn’t accompanied by a cute pout but with slightly furrowed brows that somehow showed how determined she was. 

“Alright.” Dante stood up and Roomie followed suit. Then he took off his coat and handed it to her. “But wear this.” She just stared at him like usual, so he sighed and draped it over her shoulders. “You ruined your clothes because of me.” At least with that, she nodded and wore it properly. Now off to the real, more correct way of using guns. 

## 

“It needs some getting used to, but if you’re flinching at every shot, your aim will be affected.” Dante said as he went behind Roomie. They’d found some twigs and trash to set up as targets, though were those too difficult for a beginner? But he knew Roomie to have a good aim, so he was somehow expecting her to nail this. Though his bloody stunt earlier might have given her the jitters, and the loud sound might be amplifying it. So it was his fault that she was failing at what she could’ve been awesome at. 

That would probably explain why he did what he did next. When Dante was standing behind Roomie, he gently put his palms over her ears. Of course, she flinched at that too, but she didn’t shoot nor kick him. She might have even gotten frozen or something, until he lifted his hands momentarily just to whisper to her, “I’m right behind you. I’ll keep you safe, and you won’t hit me again, so focus on your target.”  

He’d intended to say, ‘I’ll cover your ears for now because this is how beginners do it in a proper shooting range, so don’t karate-chop me,’ but for some reason, something different had come out, and even the way he'd said it turned out a little serious. Maybe it was because he could sense that those were the things that were bothering her. Roomie had been glancing at him every pull of the trigger, as if she was worried that she would unintentionally hit him again. That was exactly why he'd gone over to where he was now, not to hide, but to give her more confidence and to make her feel safe. Whether his assumptions were correct or not, it worked, because her next shot hit that one twig! See, she really had a good aim! 

She went on and hit all the others, with each target toppling over bringing him some sense of pride. When she was done with all of them, that was the only time she faced him with toned-down excitement he could see in her smile. But she hid it quickly as she handed the gun to him. With her usual indifference, she lowered her head and said, “Thank you, Dante-dono.” 

“It’s alright to squeal or hop in place.” What he said confused her a little, but he continued with a smirk, “If your Ojousama were here, she’d certainly do that because you were awesome. It’s alright to show your emotions sometimes, Roomie.” Though that was kinda rich coming from him. But no, he just wanted her to stop stopping her smiles, or maybe save her from being like him who often hid how he was truly feeling. One Dante was enough ...well, per universe, that is. 

And yet Roomie shook her head and said, “In protecting Ojousama… I must be un…” 

“Unreadable?” he guessed, and she nodded. “Then at least when it’s just us, when Ojousama is not here, let yourself relax a little. Indulge like you’re off-duty, something like that.”  

“Relax?” 

He grinned at the word she repeated for he’d gotten worried she wouldn’t understand the long thing he’d said. Then came a great idea, “Ah, I know just what you need. Let me take you to the place where I do that. To make it up for giving you a scare earlier too.” 

He'd grabbed her arm before realizing it, and for some reason it slid down. But that didn’t mean anything. He was just craving for it– for sundae, that is! And her wrist was too small, maybe that was why his hand slid down. Besides, if he suddenly let go, it might seem like he’d gotten embarrassed about it. That would only make the situation awkward, so yeah, fake it till you make it, but don’t break it. 

## 

‘But why are you still holding her after exiting the portal, Dante?’ asked his annoying voice of reason, or whatever it was.  

‘We have to be careful not to let anyone see us come out of a portal—’ Why was he even explaining to himself? And this was the first time he’d gone out with Roomie without you and Vergil, so it felt like he had to make sure he wouldn’t lose her, otherwise, he’d get in trouble. Yes, like a leash, much like whenever he was holding Dante3 by the leather straps. This was just a harmless precaution.  

Though Roomie didn’t seem like she would escape. She even looked preoccupied, with her left hand covering her mouth. That got him worried instantly, causing him to stop for a second. Was she nauseous? Well, going through portals had once made him pass out, though that was with too much Witchy Whiskey. But still, he wanted to make sure. “You alright?” 

She nodded and gestured with her palm for him to continue leading the way. He looked at her closely, and she did seem alright. She was a little flushed, though, and was somehow avoiding eye-contact with him... Oh, maybe she was embarrassed at the fact that they had just come out of an alley. Perhaps she was recalling the day he’d picked her up and he'd seen her— Anyway, whatever embarrassing or unpleasant feeling, his or hers, sundae would be perfect for soothing that.

They made it into Fredi’s without any trouble, but to Dante’s surprise, they were greeted with a squeal and, “Dante, you brought your girlfriend!” 

“Cindy?” She didn’t work here anymore but Fredi had mentioned that she visited from time to time. And she must’ve noticed the very thing that Dante had forgotten about. Timing, really.  

Dante chose to handle it the way similar to those boys in the uh, anime you'd been watching and telling them about last time; he tried ‘Play it Cool, Dante.’ He didn’t let go of Roomie’s hand to emphasize that it was nothing when he said, “She’s not my g—” 

But Cindy went ahead and rapid-fired at Roomie. “Hi, I’m Cindy. What’s your name? You’re so pretty. You two look cute together. Aww, Dante must’ve brought you here to let you try his favorite. Isn’t that sweet. Hold on, I’ll get it for you two, for old time’s sake.” She winked at Roomie before heading to the kitchen. She didn’t even give Roomie a chance to say her temporary name. 

“Don’t mind her,” Dante said, followed by a sigh as he led her to the available seat by the window. He was still holding her hand though, damn—no, leash. This was a leash. But he wasn’t treating her like a dog. Maybe a babe—er, a baby. Some people put a leash on their baby, right? Well, Dante3 had done so on Baby Nero one time, which earned him a summoned sword from his twin. So this was a natural Dante thing then. He only let go of her hand when he gestured for babe— baby— for Roomie to sit. He sat across from her, looking forward to the sundate— sundae. Dammit, the bullet from his own gun must’ve damaged his brain. 

## 

See, even this amnesiac who might have come from a different world, was enjoying Fredi’s sundae! It was right to bring her here then, and she looked like she’d forgotten about his bloody demo earlier. She even looked cute with the way she was eating it with some sort of a system. It was as if she was trying to keep the whole thing intact by eating off the melted parts first. So even in something like this, she was in that what you foolishly called ‘must protecc’ mode. 

Being a little too concerned about her enjoyment of his favorite dessert, Dante caught Roomie’s hand and said, “If you keep doing that, you won’t be able to enjoy the best parts.” He then guided her hand to scoop a good portion of the yet-to-melt ice cream with a piece of strawberry. “If you do it this way, you’d still end up with some melted ice cream in the end but at least you enjoyed it for the most part.” Come to think of it, maybe sundae could be a microcosm of life. 

Roomie had noticeably jolted a little upon his touch, but that might have been because the fingers of his left hand, the part not covered by his glove, were cold from holding the sundae glass. But she nodded and obeyed his advice, even obviously trying to rein in her smile at the delectable treat. Him though, he might have been smiling the whole time, just happy that someone else had come to appreciate his favorite. 

That was until Cindy passed by in her old waitress roller skates to subtly yet teasingly put something on the table. It was a rectangular white thing, but it wasn’t the bill, it was… A photo? Dante recognized upon checking. It was a polaroid photo of him and Roomie just now, with him holding her hand and them looking at each other. Damn it. And when he looked at the culprit, she just stuck her tongue out and grinned at him. Well he’d indeed helped her out back then with that guy she liked, so maybe it was her trying to return the favor. But it was unnecessary and inappropriate, as Dante wasn’t into Roomie. He didn’t even find her—  

‘Ah, isn’t that cute.’

The moment he placed down the photo and Roomie recognized the image on it, she was about to eat a spoonful of her sundae. But maybe because of the recognition and surprise, she flinched again, causing her aim to go astray. She was able to catch with her spoon the piece of strawberry that was about to fall, but because of that, she didn’t notice the cream that she’d smeared on her cheek, near the corner of her mouth. So even while being cool and all, this girl could still have some minor slip-ups. And she sure was quite jumpy today. Maybe what he’d done with the gun had given her some form of trauma. Hopefully it wouldn’t last. She'd been able to shoot perfectly when he’d covered her ears after all. 

Wait, she still hadn’t noticed it? Upon glancing at Roomie, Dante saw that she was innocently eating her sundae with that smudge still on her cheek. He wanted to wipe it off but that would lead to Cindy possibly taking a photo of them again or squealing at the gesture. He really didn’t want others to misunderstand it, even for himself to entertain the idea. For starters, he was satisfied with being by himself right now. At least this way, he wouldn’t have to worry about a special someone being put in danger because of him and his background. And besides, there was a big chance that Roomie was from a different world. She was only staying here temporarily, but once she regained her memories, she would have to go back to her life before meeting them. And she seemed to be so much into her Ojousama that maybe there was more to that overprotectiveness…? He’d asked you what that F/F he’d heard from Vergil meant, so it made him see things from a different angle. And yeah, speaking of different angle, what if Roomie turned out to be their enemy or something? Though that seemed impossible, with how she was always this kind to him… Anyhow, those were just the few reasons from the top of his head, but he could come up with plenty more if needed… reasons for him not to entertain such thoughts and feelings. Besides, he’d probably end up ruining it anyway, so he shouldn’t consider being anything more than mere roomies. 

Come to think of it… maybe he’d gotten used to the things he’d been doing regarding Little Big Sis? Maybe he’d gotten used to stopping whatever he was feeling for the good of everybody and being satisfied with how things were. He'd been a pro at that, to the point where even with that kid Humes’ truth ability, he was able to say that he truly didn’t feel anything for Little Big Sis anymore. Nothing beyond brotherly love and ConfiDante concern. 

Anyway, since that idea had come to mind, maybe he could do something similar – his usual subtle ways of showing harmless care. With that, Dante intentionally yet sneakily put some ice cream on his cheek too, a mirror of Roomie’s. Soon enough, Roomie pointed at it, about to reach for his cheek. But she hesitated halfway and mumbled, “Daki-dono—janakute, D-D-Dante-dono…” 

“Hmm?” he played clueless. She settled on pointing to herself, to her own cheek, which then made her realize that she had it too. Jackpot.

“Ah, watakushi mo,” she mumbled when she saw ice cream on her finger.  

And when she turned to face him, looking quite embarrassed, he handed her a sheet of tissue. “I guess we’re the same.” He smirked, to which she just nodded and lowered her head.  

Somehow, it was amusing that Dante had seen a different side of Roomie today. Something like her introverted, awkward side. Ahh, that was another Vergilish thing, wasn’t it? And yeah, maybe he could add that to his reasons too, because that’d be weird, wouldn’t it? Even Vergil wouldn’t fall for a female version of his twin, right? Someone like Dante who would do a foolish stunt just to lighten up the mood of the people he cared about, someone who would just laugh the unpleasant things off, someone who would subtly show concern especially when the recipient wasn’t the type to just accept such. Wait, that also sounded familiar— 

“Dante-dono.” He was pulled back from his thoughts when Roomie called. “Thank you for today. I… engrave it in memory—new memory, everything you teach. Even this, proper way of eating.” She pointed to her empty sundae glass. The way she was saying those things seriously kinda struck him, but the last part just made him laugh. Though it did feel good to be appreciated. 

He thought it would be as pleasant as that from here on out, but when he paid for the food… “Nice to have your wife in here. Thanks for your continued patronage over the years, Dante.” Aww, he didn’t know that the old man could be this appreciative. Though, even before, behind the temperamental exterior was a sensitive man, so it made sense, but… Wife??? 

Now even Fredi was teasing him? Why were they still assuming that Roomie was his girl? He wasn’t holding Roomie’s hand anymore, he was even— Ahh, that’s right. Upon glancing at her, Dante noticed that Roomie was still wearing his coat. And he didn’t normally just lend it to anybody, not even to Trish when she’d been buck naked from inside a demonic armor. His red coat had somehow been his identity for decades, so no wonder. 

Dante: 🤦🏻♂️ 

Chapter Text

Dante was looking at the whiteboard with Roomie beside him, wondering who those Smiths could be. He’d intended to write a reply to ask you about it but seeing Roomie giving her best in reading the entries, he changed his mind and gave her the green marker instead. “Reply to your Ojousama. It’s a good way to practice.”

Roomie smiled and nodded, so he stepped back a little and watched her. The way she carefully wrote each letter was making him smile for some reason. 

But then she faced him and caught him off guard with what she said next, “Dante-dono… about Ojousama, you like her.” 

He gave a cocky smirk instead of a surprised look. “Are you asking me that or are you stating a guess?”  

“Kakunin… Confirm. For Ojousama.” 

The way she looked serious and worried, he figured that it was her being protective of her Ojousama again. So Dante laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that would harm or upset your Ojousama.” Then he went to the bar, not to avoid this conversation but to grab a drink for tonight.  

Roomie followed behind him though. “But do you really… like Ojousama?”  

He wasn’t sure why but he felt like it was harmless to tell her about it. Maybe it was because Roomie would only be here temporarily, and she wasn’t a tattletale anyway. She even hid things from you, those things that would only make you worry. And yeah, if he didn’t give her any proper answer, she’d probably keep asking him anyway. Or worse, she might ask you or Vergil. Roomie was extremely curious after all. 

So Dante sighed in defeat and poured a second glass of whiskey. He pushed it to Roomie’s direction before sitting down and holding his glass. “I used to,” he said casually as he focused on his drink and gave it a swirl. “But not anymore.” And with that, he downed his shot. 

“Not anymore?” Roomie repeated as she sat down beside him. She held the glass he’d given her with both of her hands like some precious thing. It might also be representing how she was handling the information she’d just received. 

He simply gave a nod with a smirk, before gesturing for her to drink. She sniffed it and pulled back as if in thought. Then she drank it quick, looking like her usual emotionless face that was hiding a probably unpleasant feeling. Well, he knew that face; he was used to seeing it in the mirror, or in the other person who was a mirror of himself. So he teased, “Bitter?” 

She gave an eager nod, making him smile. Then she said, “But if I must drink this to get answers, I will.” 

It made him laugh and pour another round for the both of them. “This’ll be fun.” As Roomie held her drink close and stared at it, Dante tried catching her off guard like what she’d done to him. “You also have feelings for your Ojousama, don’t you?” 

Roomie flinched evidently that he thought she’d spill her drink. But as usual, she was quick to regain her composure. She was even emotionless when she answered, “Yes.” Then she gulped her shot in one go before continuing. Was she imitating what he’d done earlier? “I want Ojousama safe. Make sure Ojousama is happy. But Ojousama is not for myself. Vergil-dono make Ojousama smile wide and give those pleased sounds.” What sounds could she be—Ah, the squeals and giggles, probably. “I only protect Ojousama and support her from the side…walk.” 

“You mean sidelines?” Dante mumbled while laughing to himself. But after taking his shot, he said in a rather serious tone, though still with a smile, “I guess we agree on that. I want the same thing, not just for Ojou—for Little Big Sis but for Vergil as well.” 

When Dante held the bottle, Roomie offered her empty glass while asking, “Dante-dono will also protect Ojousama?” 

He nodded as he refilled their glasses. She was still holding hers with both hands, so Dante clinked his on it when he said, “Yeah, also from the sidewalk.” That somehow earned her smile, and she drank the same time he did. This time, though, he tried to influence her with the proper, more human way of drinking whiskey: not quick bottoms-up every refill. 

And with that, their conversation shifted to different topics such as “How's your stay in this world so far?”, “How about Lit—Ojousama’s world?”, “Right? I’ve been telling them how pizza is the most convenient food there is,” and “What’s your favorite among those new things?” Indeed, alcohol was effective in shattering inhibitions and bridging people. It was fun to hear Roomie speak long sentences compared to her usual stares and nods. Her English was already good, apart from some unusual word order. Though that was probably because she was translating it in her mind first? But practice would polish that, and this right now was a good form of such. 

Although, the fun came to a halt when Roomie answered the last question. She said she liked the jukebox the most, so Dante offered, “You can play a song, if you want. Drinking is fun with music too.” She nodded, but when she was about to stand up, she seemed to have lost her balance. She was able to prop herself though. “You alright?” She just nodded without looking at him, so he added, “You don’t have to drink for every question, okay? It's not a battle or something.” 

But she shook her head and faced him. “For Dante-dono. Respect and grat…gratude.” Then she pointed to her glass and said something in Japanese or in…coherent. 

“Roomie, you’re drunk.” He laughed. More so when she shook her head vehemently but with her eyes half-lidded. She was standing straight but was swaying slightly. 

“Saigo made Dante-dono to tsukiatte—s-s-sou iu imi de wa nai!” She flushed and covered her face, so Dante got worried. 

“You feel sick?” He stood up to accompany her to the bathroom.  

But she waved her hand like a fanning gesture and said, “Daijoubu degozaru.” 

He smiled. “I assume that means you’re okay?” She nodded. “Then let’s just get you to bed.” 

Bringing Roomie upstairs was easy. She let him hold her by flinging her arm around his shoulders when he insisted. He hadn’t expected that, but maybe it meant she was really dizzy. He wanted to scold her lightly for drinking as much as he’d done and not knowing her limit, but then again, maybe she’d also forgotten about that. So Dante just sighed and shook his head. But all the while, he was smiling because Roomie was still mumbling some things in Japanese, and the only thing he could understand, as usual, was ‘Ojousama’. 

It would’ve been a simple task that was about to end when they entered her room, if not for some car alarm outside suddenly going off. It was even the long, obnoxious, 90's one with varying tones and patterns. So naturally, the resident ninja became alert, suddenly pulling Dante behind her and blocking him from any threat that might come from the window. In one swift move, she threw some things that pinned the curtain to the wall and kept it from fluttering. Where did she even get that?   

He was laughing in amazement when Roomie turned to grab the nightstand. That became his cue to stop her before she threw it out the window. “Roomie, calm down.” 

“Protect Dante-dono,” she said in resistance. 

“There’s no enemy,” he explained in between laughs, “That was just an alarm—” But then, in one of her tugs, her hand slipped, causing her to fall. She would certainly land on her bed but she might hit her head on the headboard, or the nightstand on the other side, or in extreme cases, cause her head to shake violently. Would that solve the amnesia though? Probably not, and he might be going overprotective as well, but he just didn’t want her to get hurt so he tried to catch her. 

In the process, however, she resisted a little, probably due to instinct. So Dante ended up falling for— falling with her to the bed. How that happened, he didn’t know, but he was too distracted right now to care. He found himself on top of her, with their noses just an inch apart. Moments like this would easily lead to— but no, he— 

“Dante-dono?” She looked at him, eyes getting heavier every blink. 

“Roomie…” He couldn’t think of what to say nor what to do. He was stuck between pulling back, and throwing all care in the wind then leaning forward to catch those li— 

“S-Spinning… Enemy magic…” But what she was mumbling while looking worried made him smile, bringing him back to his senses. 

“Just close your eyes,” he whispered, and she obeyed. “I'll take care of you—Er, I mean, I'll— Throwing up and hangover. I'll take care of you in case you experience those things. This is my fault after all.” 

He might have overexplained himself, but it was just that… He just didnt want to pull another stunt like what he’d done to DG. He didn’t want to start something he wouldn’t finish—well he’d finish it, if ever they would— maybe even multiple times, because well—but what he meant was— ‘Follow through’! Dammit, was he running out of English now too? 

As Dante was busy with his internal turmoil, Roomie seemed to have fallen asleep. It somehow made him smile, seeing her this defenseless. No, he didn’t mean it the wrong way! It was just that she was always on guard, even in showing emotions, that seeing her asleep right now felt like he was granted a special privilege, her trust, that is. She could still fight if needed, like what the alarm had shown, but she wasn't using that adrenaline against him. She trusted him. And even in this compromised state, she still aimed to protect him. This overprotective fool. 

Somehow though, all these instances that Roomie had tried to keep him safe were making him feel weird. He’d always been stabbable, and now there was this girl who didn’t want him to get hurt even from loud sounds. It was silly, but… 

‘And it’s her who needs to be protected, see?’ he thought as he got up and fixed her position on the bed. As he did so, he noticed the small scars on her hands, probably cuts from all the weapon-making she’d been doing. Tsk.  

“There’s no need to protect me, Roomie. I’ll be the one to protect you instead.” He even topped it off with a kiss on her forehead after tucking her in the blankets. 

Why he’d done that, he didn’t know. Maybe it was the whiskey, or his demonic instincts, but whichever it was, he meant what he’d said. 

And what he did next was in line with it. He plopped down on the comfy chair by the window, putting his feet on the small table as he sat back. He'd be here in case she needed him. Even if she wouldn’t need anyone, for she always managed to do things on her own, he’d still be here… just a Trickster away and ready to be the Royal Guard of this single-minded, overprotective amnesiac. 

Chapter Text

It might have started because the whiteboard was almost full. Dante could easily write smaller letters and squeeze them on the sides, if need be, for he didn’t want to erase the foolishly fun comments. But space wasn’t actually the concern.

You and Vergil were in the shop that afternoon. You read Roomie’s reply and told her you’d get a copy of that Smith movie and some more about secret agents, spies and assassins next time you were in your world. Then you got excited planning a movie night with all four of you, Roomie, Dante and Vergil.

“Or I can pop in my world for a minute and download at least ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’ from Netflix so we can watch it today! Then I’ll leave the tablet for the other downloads so when we’re done with the first movie, we’ll have plenty more on ready!” Vergil was facepalming while shaking his head, though he might just be hiding that smile at your enthusiasm. But your grin suddenly turned into a frown when you faced Roomie, who, actually, seemed to be having a hard time trying to rein in her secondhand excitement.

All three of them got worried, naturally. They were even in sync when they asked their own versions of “What’s wrong, my love/Little Big Sis/Ojousama?”

“I want to do fun stuff with Roomie, but I feel bad taking her time and casually going back to my world when she’s… kinda stuck in a different one…” you mumbled the last part weakly.

Vergil was the fastest one to cheer you up. “Her return isn’t something we can hasten. So you, making sure that she is having a pleasant stay while she’s stuck, is already a good thing.” That, and him emotionlessly patting your head instantly brought back your smile. Contrary to how he was reacting a while ago, the dork could be sweet, huh? And he might be speaking from experience, aww.

Roomie nodded in agreement and you were about to pat her head too. But Vergil pulled you closer to himself and away from her. Dante could only laugh quietly, witnessing all that. At least, though, Vergil wasn’t kicking Roomie to a random world just to get rid of his current rival.

In fact, Vergil had been strict about not just carelessly opening a portal to an unfamiliar universe, for it might be dangerous. But today, while still standing in front of the whiteboard and reviewing the clues, you suddenly got an idea that topped the movie marathon.

“Hey, instead of opening portals trying to find Roomie’s correct world, why don’t we just peep?” You grinned at Vergil. “The places we would check with these clues could be wrong, but one of them could possibly be right. And it won’t be dangerous because the portal will not be open enough for someone or something to go through it. We’ll just peep so we won’t be messing with their timelines either.”

Vergil seemed to have found it sensible for he was nodding as you spoke. “Perhaps we can try this,” he said before stepping away from you and drawing the Yamato.

It only took a second, and he was already sheathing it, that you wondered, “What just happened? My human eyes didn’t see…” Vergil just smirked and gestured for you to check the very small rift in space in front of him. “Aaahh!! A Peeping Portal^TM!”

“It is not!” He cleared his throat and regained his composure. “If you shall, call it a Mini Portal instead. The same way you call your Mini Yamato.”

“Aww… You’re too shy to call it a Peeping Portal~” you said while poking his side. You then gestured for Dante and Roomie to try the portal too.

It was like peeping indeed, for one would have to be on eye level in front of it to see what was on the other side. Though it was bigger than a peephole —not that Dante had ever tried such— so one could view it with both eyes open. But it was indeed smaller than the portal call thing from back then. Maybe it was so that the other side wouldn’t notice the hole in space. This one right now was a peephole—a tiny portal to the apartment in your world. But it seemed to be the view from a corner-ceiling of the living room, so it was more like a CCTV camera footage and the viewer could see a wide area. Wow, portals sure were both convenient and terrifying. Or was it Vergils?

“Peeping Vergil would be happy to hear about this,” you continued teasing Vergil. “You two are really the same Vergil, one just branched out.”

“We are not. And don’t tell him about this.” Vergil then explained the technical stuff, probably an effort to distract you. But from how you were snickering, Dante could tell that the usual foolishness was about to start.

Vergil: 😑 I simply used the same concept of the regular portal and minimized the resulting rift as a way of checking—

You: Peeping. 🤭

Vergil: …other universes that fit the description. 😒

You: *turns to Roomie and holds her hands in excitement* You hear that, Roomie? Now we might be able to find your world sooner. This’ll be a fun hunt! \(^o^)/

Roomie: Ojousama… 🥰

Vergil: 😒 …Peep.

You: *faces Vergil* Hmm? 😃

Vergil: Nothing. 😒

Dante: 😆

You: Wait, can you also channel that ability to my Mini Yamato? Like what Peeping Vergil did when I was in his world. He gave my Mini Yamato Peeping-Portal abilities. 🤩

Vergil: 😏 Of course, I can and will do that if you wish to conjure them with your Mini Yamato. But only if you call it appropriately. …and not use it carelessly. 😑

You: 😆 The name was prioritized more than the usage.

##

“Is an ojousama someone like a princess?” Dante asked, and you explained the term. It was the lead that Vergil was using right now in creating Mini Portals, an ojousama who looked like you, and of course, spoke in Japanese like Roomie. After all, in opening portals, one must access a connection to the destination, may it be a person, an item or the place itself. And what better connection would there be than the person who was probably waiting for Roomie’s return in their world. But the mention of ‘princess’ might have influenced the portal-opener, because the next Mini Portal that Vergil presented was showing you as a literal princess in some medieval setting. The people were bowing as you passed by them, and you seemed to be on your way to your seat at a banquet. A knight was even escorting you, one with golden blond hair.

Dante: *glances at Vergil* 👀

Vergil: *grumbling to himself* Hmph. A heavy sword and armor will only slow you down. How could this slowpoke possibly protect his princess? 😒

Dante: 😆

You: *mumbling to yourself* Wow… If I’d ever once dreamt of becoming a princess when I was a kid, I can now say that it came true. And this one looks so Game of Thrones, love it~ 😆 Wait, that guy looks like season 1 Jaime Lannister! I hope GRR Martin didn’t write this timeline though. 👀 Otherwise, my character might not last beyond this current season. 😆

Roomie: Ojousama, beautiful… 😍

You: 🙈 That’s not your world though, is it?

Roomie: *shakes head*

You: Tell us if any of these worlds seem or feel familiar, okay?

Roomie: *nods*

When Vergil was about to open another Mini Portal…

Dante: This will probably take us more than a day. Not that I don’t enjoy it though. Especially the reactions… 😆

Vergil: With such a vague lead, there would indeed be numerous universes or timelines that would fit the criteria.

You: Ah, it’s like googling something. If your keywords are too broad, you’re gonna have to comb through various results. But if they're too long and specific, you might not get any result at all. 😆

Vergil: That’s right. *pats your head* Allow me to try something. 😏

With a move like a Judgement Cut End, Vergil opened 20 Mini Portals, all at once. It was as if you were all in a gallery, surrounded by mini paintings that were adequately spaced for a pleasant viewing experience.

You: Wow… 😍💙

Vergil: Hmph, can that blond knight do this? 😏

Dante: 🤣

You and Roomie: 🤩🤩 *looking at the Mini Portals around*

Vergil: Those are only the top 20 results.

You: Thanks, VerGoogle. 🤭

Vergil: 😒

You: *pinches Vergil’s cheeks to make him smile* You’re amazing. 😍

Vergil: Hmph. 😏

Dante: *goes to the Mini Portal that Roomie is peeping into* If there’s anything in those portals that triggers something in your memories or makes your head hurt, tell us, okay?

Roomie: *looks at Dante and nods, then lets Dante peek into that portal*

You: *looking at them from about seven Mini Portals away* 🤭❤️ *makes a heart with your fingers and looks at them through it*

Vergil: That’s not a Mini Portal^TM. What foolishness are you doing? 😑

You: Shipping. 🤭

Dante: Hey Vergil, look at this one! This is you and Little Big Sis! But you two look younger, and you seem to be wearing an ascot—ah no.

Vergil: 😒 *approaching Dante with you*

Dante: Ahh, you’re carrying her like a princess, that’s why. But who’s that guy behind you two? He’s carrying a guitar case on his back. Is that a real guitar or a sword? *remembers Rebellion days* 😔 (Rebellion inside him: I’m forever with you, Dante. 💀⚔😎)

You: *peeks* That’s Earl!

Vergil: *peeks* It is. This must be a different version of us who met at a younger age. Interesting… 🤔

Dante: Who’s Earl?

You: Ex. 🙈 *peeks again* Are we three friends there? Why is Vergil carrying me?

Dante: Does this have a sound, Vergil? I wanna hear what they are talking about.

You: *looks around the portal* Where do we plug the earphones? 😆

Vergil: You can hear them if you will the portal to let you hear them. *peeks and listens to show a sample*

Dante, You, Roomie: *amazed* 😯😯😯

You: Peeping Vergil’s Peeping Portals have automatic audio. Yours is will-controlled, neurokinetic like Kang the Conqueror’s ship! It’s beyond high-tech. 🤩

Vergil: 😏 *proud, but the longer he listens to his version in the Mini Portal…* 😳 Don’t listen to this one.

You: Why? What are they talking about? *tries to peek*

Vergil: *covers it, but is not closing it despite having the ability to, because he doesn’t want to upset you*

Dante: I bet his younger version there is saying something cheesy that’s embarrassing for this older version. *pointing a thumb to Vergil* 😆

Vergil: He is not. 😑

You: *Uses your height to trick the blocker, ducks under his arm. These Mini Portals are on your eye level, actually, because it was Vergil who conjured them.* Hah! 😏 Tricked ya! *finally gets to peep and listen* 😍🙈🥰

Vergil: Now on to the next batch. 😏

You: Wait! I haven’t peeped into the others yet! 😣

Vergil: Too slow. 😑

You: Quote! 😍

Vergil: 😏

You: So we’re gonna have to peep through different batches of VerGoogle results? That sounds fun. (˶’ᵕ’˶ )︎

Vergil: It is not. Every decision could possibly lead to a different version of a timeline. That means we might have to scan—

You: Peep.

Vergil: 😒 …through a continuously increasing number of universes and timelines.

You: Ooohhh… Still fun. It’s like watching movie trailers! ໒꒰∩˃ ᵕ ˂∩꒱১

##

While you and Vergil were busy, Dante noticed that Roomie frowned after peeping into a certain portal.

“Something wrong, Roomie?”

She just shook her head then offered to prepare refreshments for everyone. But Dante was sensing that something was off. Even though he just luckily caught that one-second frown which Roomie hid right away, for something like that to slip past her control, it might mean she was really bothered by something. So he volunteered to help her, though indirectly.

Dante: I feel like drinking a weird mix of coffee and chocolate today. I guess I’ll go help prepare the drinks so I can customize mine. 😁

You: 👀 Okay. Enjoy~ 🤭

Vergil: Keep your odd, planned drink away from the tea. 😑

Dante: (๑ơ ₃ ơ)✨✨ *got a prank idea*

##

“Something bothering you, Roomie?” Dante asked upon entering the kitchen.

“Dante-dono.” She just acknowledged his presence with a glance but refused to share her thoughts.

Dante figured, since this girl was Vergilish, maybe your methods when making him and his twin open up would work. So he tried, “When we seem bothered but don’t know how to talk about it, or don’t want to because it’s embarrassing or tedious to explain, your Ojousama has some tricks she uses on us.”

“Ojousama?” As expected, that got her attention.

“Yeah. One of those, she calls ‘Guessing Game’. Wanna try it?” He crossed his arms and leaned on the counter to his right, as he looked at her intently. Helping in the drinks would be for later; he had to do his best in this. And when she nodded, he explained, “I just have to give one to three guesses and if I get any of them correctly, you’ll share your worries about it. Easy, right?”

“That is Ojousama’s game?” she asked and he nodded. “Hai, let’s try.”

“Okay, hmm… I think you’re worried about your Ojousama.”

“Dante-dono, that is a given.”

He laughed for she had a point. “Alright, darn, that cost me a guess.” He rubbed his stubble in thought. “Those Mini Portals made you realize something…” She nodded though still focused on making tea. But that encouraged him on his next guess, “You miss home? Your real Ojousama, I mean.”

And with that, Roomie faced him with a frown that she seemed to be trying her best to contain. Realizing that this might be her version of teary-eyed, he had the urge to hug her or something. But that might turn her on the defensive again and make her refuse to talk about her worries altogether. So he just gave his usual smirk and played it cool. “I win, now you explain.”

She nodded weakly and focused on the tea leaves again, fiddled with it rather. “I realized… my real Ojousama is somewhere there. Maybe in danger, maybe alone. I can’t protect her…”

“It's also possible that she’s not in danger,” he tried to console her. But he immediately realized that Roomie always being worried about threats and enemies might be stemming from what she had gotten used to back in her world. So he shifted, “Maybe she has someone there with her. Someone like you, teammates perhaps, protecting her in your absence.”

“I can’t remember…”

He didn’t know if it was the frustration he could sense in her, or the way she gripped the canister of tea leaves tight, or because she hid her eyes even more by looking to her left, away from him… but because of one of those or all of those, Dante found himself pulling Roomie into his arms.

“Dante-dono?”

“I know you want to protect her. I know you must be feeling powerless right now… But thinking of all the negative possibilities will only drive you crazy.” He felt Roomie nod in his chest, but it somehow brought him back to his senses and made him pull away. “Sorry, I…” She shook her head and looked down, so he tried to cover up the awkwardness with a chuckle and, “You know, this reminds me… When Vergil was stuck in Little Big Sis’ world before, we only got to talk when he was already two months in there. Meanwhile in here, I was goofing around for only a week. So it’s possible that while you’re in here, you’re only gone from your world for a day, or even for a few hours. Your Ojousama might not even notice it. She might think that you just woke up late or something.” The last part somehow made her chuckle, to his relief. That was why he grabbed the chance and added, “So don’t worry too much, okay?”

She nodded and lowered her head, saying, “Thank you, Dante-dono.” And when she went on with preparing the tea, Dante summoned his mischievous side and shared his prank idea.

“Vergil-dono will get mad.”

“No, it’s just a prank. He’ll laugh at it. Your Ojousama will too.”

“Is that so…”

At least with that, he’d distracted Roomie somehow. Though if the threat in her world was real, whoever or whatever those enemies she had to protect her Ojousama from, he didn’t want to just send her back and leave her on her own. But it would be selfish of him to just keep her here… Although, there really was nothing they could do right now aside from this portal checks and helping her regain her memories. In the meantime, maybe they should just focus on that. Worrying too much about something they couldn’t do anything about wouldn’t do them any good.

He could, perhaps, tell Vergil to add that to the portal search keywords: 'an Ojousama who looks like Little Big Sis and is currently in danger'. But he could imagine the images that the Mini Portals would show, the possible violence and… No, they wouldn’t want you and Roomie to see those. The attempt would be useless if Roomie wouldn’t check them to confirm if any of them was her world, but letting her see multiple look-alikes of her Ojousama getting harassed, abused, about to get killed… No. The trauma it would give Roomie would outweigh the benefit. He wouldn’t let her see any of that.

Besides, it was also possible that her Ojousama wasn’t really in literal danger. Maybe the people around her were just overprotective like how Roomie and Vergil were when it came to Little Big Sis. Maybe they could focus on relatively pleasant alternate universes like that.

Chapter Text

You: Vergil, what if I lend my Mini Yamato to Roomie? The power would still be from you, so maybe if it’s her who would do it, she could open at least a Mini Portal to her world.

Vergil: *puts a hand on top of your head* Even if the power to open the portal is there, it’s the person’s will and concentration that make it possible.

You: Ah, that’s right, amnesia. 🤦🏻♀️

Dante: And whenever Roomie gets a reminder and she forces herself to recall more, she gets a tough headache, Little Big Sis. Making her concentrate hard for a portal might only hurt her.

You: Aww, I don’t wanna hurt Roomie. *pats Roomie’s head*

Roomie: 🥰

You: *meanwhile, looking at Dante* 👀 (Ayeee, concerned~) 🤭

Meanwhile, Vergil: 😒

You: *turns to Vergil* Then why not find a universe where there’s a Roomie who fits the description in the clues.

Vergil: That will definitely be a different universe, a different version of her, precisely because she is here.

Dante: Ah that’s right. Those teen versions last time opened a portal to Humes while she was with them, so they ended up meeting us. 😏

You: So our concrete connection to Roomie’s world is really Ojousama. 🤔

Vergil: It seems so. The clues on the whiteboard are more for regaining her memories.

You: 💡 Ah! Why not search for another Roomie that’s closest to her version, but just use that universe to find more clues about our Roomie and her Ojousama! Like checking parallel-universe versions which would then lead us to the right one. 😃

Vergil: 🤔 That might be useful. We are merely peep—peeking anyway, so there is no harm.

You: You said peep! 😆💙

Vergil: 😒 (😏)

Dante: 😆

And with that, Vergil opened a new batch of Mini Portals that were showing universes where there was a Roomie who was with someone who looked like you and happened to be called or treated as an ojousama. They were still with the Japanese factor as well, whether just a side-skill or their main language. That was why…

Dante: What are they saying, Roomie?

Roomie: *peeps*

Dante: Ah, wait, I’ll try to guess it first. I’ve gotten used to context-clues-ing Japanese recently.

Roomie: *nods*

Dante: They are talking about food. 😃

Roomie: They are at a restaurant, Dante-dono. *trying not to smile*

Dante: 😆 Wait, I got this. *tries more guesses*

Meanwhile, You: *watching and shipping* （๑ ᷇ v ᷆๑）💞

Dante: Are you not surprised to see these other versions of you?

Roomie: I am.

Dante: 🤨 You are? *checking her face up close* You don’t look surprised one bit. 😆

Roomie: *got a little shy, looks away, pretends to focus on another portal even though she has already peeped at it earlier* (🙈)

You: (っ＞ω＜c) 💕

Vergil: Fool. 😑 I will be closing this batch of portals in three… two…

You: Waiiit! ฅ(º ﾛ º ฅ)

There was a portal that showed you and Roomie as children. You were sisters in it, and your father called you two 'princess', which was probably why it had gotten included.

You: We’re sisters in here! 😍

Roomie: 🥰

Dante: I don’t think you’re twins though. I wonder who the older one is. 🤔

Vergil: You already know who the smaller one is. 😏 → You: Σ(*゜Q゜*)

You: Meanie.  (｡•ˇ₃ˇ•｡)

Vergil: *cheek pinch* 😏c<｡•ˇ₃ˇ•｡)

There was also one in a high school setting, a Japanese one. It seemed to be showing a school play and you were portraying the sleeping or unconscious princess. Roomie was wearing a cape and had a sword strapped to her waist. From the looks of it, she seemed to be playing the role of the prince. And the prince had just arrived to wake the princess up from her deep slumber.

You: Kyaaa~ F/F! 😆

Roomie: 🙈 *but fingers apart*

Dante: Dream come true, eh, Roomie? 😏

Roomie: Iyaaa… 🙈 *squirming stiff-style, so more like pivoting left and right, then her elbow hits Dante who is currently crouching down a little while peeping*

Dante: (゜ε゜((((((💪(゜д゜) ← This is Roomie and that’s not really big biceps

Roomie: Dante-donooo! *kneels down in front of Dante who fell to the floor*

You: 🤭 Now you have to wake this unconscious prince. 💕 Chuu~ 😘

Vergil: Quit daydreaming and peepk into the other remaining portals. 😑

You: 🤤 Huh?

*so all of that action didn’t happen, Dante and Roomie are still just watching that school play portal*

You: Ehe~ (´>∀<｀)ゝ Wait, did you just say peepk? 👀

Vergil: I did not. That was part of your daydream. 😒

You: How’d you say so? Did you peepk into my daydream? 😏

Vergil: Foolishness. 😑

There was also a universe where you and Roomie seemed to be a couple. She might be the more dominant, ‘seme’ one in the relationship, as seen from how she had an arm around your shoulders. You in that universe, meanwhile, were blushing and covering your face.

You: This…

Vergil: *mumbles* …is power? 😑

You: …is real F/F! 😍😆

Vergil: Tch. 😒

Dante: *hears Vergil because of enhanced senses* 🤣

Roomie: 🙈

How it got included? Roomie there seemed to be a rich heir or a businessman, judging from the sleek suit she was wearing, the fancy room you two were in, and the way she gestured for the butler to serve snacks. Then the butler referred to you as ‘Ojousama’, that was probably why. It was Japanese dubbed at first, but when you in there spoke, you all realized that this was bilingual. …and that you all got curious that you four were peeping alternately.

Other You: This is too much. I don’t need all of these… 🥺 *gestures to her pretty dress and all the gift boxes around*

Other Roomie: I’d give the world to you, my princess. Just say the word.

・・・

Dante: 🤣

Roomie: Hazukashiiiiiiii… (/ω \*)

You: 😆 There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Roomie.

Vergil: Hmph, that’s not the right way to please her. 😏 *still competitive*

You: 😂

As much as you wanted to keep watching that Jdrama, you had to move on to the next one. It caught your attention right away because…

You: *quotes V but in a question intonation* We’re one and the same, you and I? 🤩

Roomie: *couldn’t take it anymore, for being one with Ojousama is like the ultimate form of being together* (///﹏///).｡oஇ

Dante: This is crazy. That’s clearly Little Big Sis, but I call her Roomie! 😆 And yeah, Vergil and I are in this universe too!

Vergil: Isn’t her name Rumi? As in Japanese name, Rumi. 🤨

Dante: I’m pretty sure it’s Roomie, short-for-roommate Roomie. 🤔

Vergil: Is there really a person so eccentric that would name their daughter from birth as ‘Roomie’?

Dante: Why not? 😂 I bet you’ll give your daughter a more unusual name.

Vergil: Her name will be meaningful but mysterious. 😏 *deep down, regrets that he doesn’t have a portable copy of his list of baby names in his ‘Baby Ready’ binder back at home, but realizes he wouldn't show it to anyone anyway, except for you, of course*

You: This is fun! 😍 It’s like we’re characters used in different AU fics. 😆

Dante: *subtly glances at Roomie* (At least this is distracting her from worrying too much.) *slight smile*

You: *sharp when it’s about your (newest) OTP, notices the lingering subtle glance and the smile* 👀 … 🤭❤️

Chapter Text

Dante had just finished viewing the current batch when you suggested something.

You: You guys have been crouching down to peep. Make the Pee—Mini Portals higher so it won’t be hard for you.

Vergil: Then it will be hard for you. 😑

You: It’s fine, I’m just one, and I can tiptoe. 

Vergil: You might cause a clumsy incident if you tiptoe for 20 Mini Portals.

You: Hmph, wanna bet on it? 😏 *just don’t want the others to keep adjusting …and because these tall guys crouching down to peep make them look like peepers (🤭)*

Perhaps that was why the next batches of Mini Portals went by fast. You were doing your best to be careful, while Vergil probably didn’t want you to get tired or risk you spraining your ankle and such. “This one is similar to the ___ one earlier,” was his frequent excuse to not wait for you to view all 20 Mini Portals before closing them. Subtle protective ways, hmm? Dante could only smile to himself, realizing that. Though, when Vergil noticed him…

Vergil: Are you planning a prank again? 😑

Dante: I’m not. 😆 It’s just fun to watch your subtle protective ways. 😏

Vergil: 😳 Wha— 😑 Foolishness.

This time, the ninja theory was put to use. Along with ‘Roomie and Ojousama’, Vergil willed the portals to show them in an ancient Japan setting. You said Roomie’s Nihongo sometimes sounded like that of samurai, so it was worth a try. 

There weren’t many universes that appeared though. So you asked, “Does the name Oda Nobunaga sound familiar, Roomie? How about Edo?” It seemed like you were onto something. You asked Roomie a few questions involving names of people and places. But you were still careful not to cause her headaches, as seen from how you were hesitating and monitoring her reactions. Dante was on the lookout too, for he knew that Roomie had a tendency to hide her pain, especially in front of her Ojousama.

"How about Y-Yamato Period? —Sorry for the headache, sorry for the headache..." you mumbled the last part before quickly realizing, "Ah, wait, if you live in a certain era or period, you wouldn't know that it would be labeled in history as such, unless you go to the future. Ahhh, I don't know much about pre-Edo Period either, so I can't mention related names and terms... I've only recently learned that there's actually a Y— I don't wanna say it," so you pointed to Vergil's katana instead, "Y-Period. I can't call myself a full-fledged weeb this way." You whined then laughed. All the while, Roomie seemed amused with your quick changes in facial expressions that the word 'Yamato' didn't seem to bother her anymore.

“What if she’s not from the ancient Japan we know," you continued, "Or, at least, the one I know. Yeah, come to think of it, does this world have the same history as mine?” You got sidetracked a little but went back immediately. “So what if she’s from a video game but just with that setting. I mean, there’s Shogun: Total War, Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima… Or not a video game but an alternative version of ancient Japan, like in Kingdom, the one with the zombies— ah, wait, that’s Korean.” You were pacing back and forth while cupping your chin and rambling on with your ideas. “Or what if she’s from an anime universe but just got a humanish body when she arrived here. Like how we’ve found out before that I’m an anime character in this world. And yeah, Dante is also an anime character in mine. Vergil too, I hope, but Adi Shankar and his guys are still in the meticulous, creative process— aaahhhh, can’t wait— wait a sec, what was the topic again?”

It was then when Vergil decided to tap your shoulders, as if they were a switch or a buzzer, and pulled you to sit on the couch.

Vergil: Break time. Eat something, drink coffee. 😑

You: Ehe~ 😅

Roomie: *already handing you a cup of coffee* Ojousama. (っ_  _)っ☕

You: Uwaa, haya! (°v °〃)

Dante: *got the meaning by context –see, he’s doing great* That sure is fast. 😂 Roomie 3, Vergil 1.

Vergil: 😒 What nonsense are you spouting?

Dante: Score—

Vergil: I’m up one. 😒

Dante: 🤣

You: *pulls Roomie to take a rest beside you and have snacks too*

Roomie: 😳

You: How’s our portal version of a movie marathon so far? 😄

Roomie: Ojousama everywhere… 🥰

You: Yeah, there’s so many us’s. 🥴 It’s like I’m browsing reader-insert AUs in AO3. 😆

Roomie: *mumbles the word as if taking note of it* Reader… insert…

Dante: 😆

Vergil: *to Roomie* Did any of these seem familiar? *gesturing to the current batch of portals, intending to close them*

Roomie: *stiffens then lowers her head* Nai degozaru. <(_ _)>

Dante: A ninja and a samurai. 😆

Vergil: 😒

You: 🤭 We can all go cosplay~

Dante: You’ll be the Ojousama.

You: 🙈

Dante: What do ojousamas wear? *grabs a slice of pizza* 🍕(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)

You: Probably a kimono. 😍

Dante: How about ninjas? *glances at Roomie*

Roomie: *drinking tea, a bit shy because it was Ojousama who poured it for her* (*￣▽￣)旦

You: Depends, but usually… a disguise. 😏 *recalling the Jdrama Nobunaga Concerto where the ninja characters did some good spying and manipulation* 🤩

Dante: 😆 *but is a bit struck* (...Nah, Roomie is not in disguise here.)

You: Whom will you be? 😃

Dante: Hmm… 🤔 … 💡 A dragon. 😏

You: There’s no dragon in ancient Japan! 😆 Maybe if it’s a game universe, there can be a dragon. 🤩

Dante: Is there a gunslinger in ancient Japan? 🤔

You: I don’t think so—Ah! There’s this famous samurai who also wielded a gun! Sakamoto Ryouma!

Dante: Then that’s me. 😏 Spardamoto Dante.

You: 🤣 That’ll be a fun spinoff!

Roomie: *enjoys seeing Ojousama laugh and Dante-dono be funny* 🥰

Vergil: Enough foolishness and try searching—

You: Peeping. 🤭

Vergil: …too, Dante. 😑 *then looks at you* 😒

You: 😜

Vergil: *pinches your cheek* 😑c＜ ￣ω￣ )  *while he continues talking with Dante* Try opening peep—mini portals too. You might be able to find more accurate universes because you are the one spending more time with Roomie.

Dante: 😃 *summons the Yamato shard*

Vergil: Wipe the pizza grease off your hand first. 😒

Dante: 😆

##

Vergil sat on the nearby bar stool, for you were on the couch with Roomie. He was wearing the same unamused expression as he watched his twin try to conjure a Mini Portal, until he realized you were standing beside him, handing him a cup of tea.

You: Hehe~ ( ^ ω ^)っ🍵

Vergil: *Slight Smile™*

You: Did all those Peepi—Mini Portals drain your DT?

Vergil: Hmph, foolish human, I eat Devil Stars for breakfast. 😏

You: *happy at the DMC joke* That sounds like a kid’s cereal though. 🤣 

Vergil: *happy at the reaction and that you brought him tea, leaving his ‘rival’ for it* 😏

But he told you to go back to your seat and take a rest. “You too,” you bid, along with a kiss to his cheek. With simple sweet gestures like this, how could he possibly get tired or ‘run out of DT’?

Although, it wasn’t really tiredness that had made him decide to sit down for a while. He was just finding it odd. He knew this whole trial was a long shot, but with all these portals you had tried today and not one of them showing anything familiar to Roomie… Had she been too distracted seeing different amusing versions of you two? Was she just hiding it, along with her true identity? But no, as much as he wanted not to trust someone else easily, the way Roomie was always protecting you was making him reluctantly approve of her to be one of his substitutes in keeping you safe. She was even almost on the same level as Dante, because despite her being a mere human, her reflex was reliable enough to catch what you were about to drop and push away any obstacle that was about to make you stumble. 

And Dante had said that Roomie would have a painful headache whenever there was a reminder of her past. Vergil had witnessed her try to suppress it once or twice, probably because she didn’t want you to get worried. He was familiar with that for he’d done that numerous times before, way back then, whenever some things in your world would hit him hard and feed him unpleasant visions from the past and he couldn't let you notice it. Anyhow, he hadn’t seen Roomie do that today.

So the problem might not be with her. 

The only reason Vergil could think of was that Roomie's timeline might be unique… But that would be quite impossible because, as he had experienced, there were other versions of himself who had gone through the same timeline but had just branched separately at some point. That Peeper and Vergil Nazarov, for instance. Then perhaps, such a timeline as Roomie’s no longer existed? No, this thought might have only been influenced by that TV series you’d made him watch, the one where a group of time police was erasing branched-out realities to preserve what they called ‘The Sacred Timeline’.

Then… Could it be that the main portal connection he'd been using, Roomie’s real Ojousama, in all versions of her timeline, was already…

But Vergil’s thoughts were interrupted because you called out, “Dante can’t do Peeping Portals!”

Dante: (￣▽￣*)ゞ Maybe it’s because I’m not a peeper. 😏

Vergil: Fool. You are probably not concentrating hard enough. 🙄

Dante: I am! I’ve cleared my mind, even wiped the traces of pizza off my hands. 😂

You: Try doing it like a Vergil! 😆 *stands up and shows what you foolishly call ‘Judgement Cut End pose'* Imagine you’re drawing the Yamato shard from a sheath.

Dante: *tries* 💡 Maybe I need to do this first. 😆 *brushes his hair up* 😏

Roomie: 🤭 Even with that hairstyle, Dante-dono still not look like Vergil-dono.

You: I know, right! A lot of fans have been saying that! 😆

Dante: That’s because he’s the cool twin. 😏 …and I’m the hot one. 😎🔥

You and Roomie: 😆🤭

Amidst the mirth, Dante noticed that Vergil looked serious. “Something wrong?”

“Nothing,” Vergil replied, though in his mind, he was speculating something. Dante was able to produce the small cross-shaped slashes in the air, so he could conjure Mini Portals. But they weren’t opening because he wasn’t locating them correctly. Since this was a rather far-fetched attempt at a possible Roomie’s world, it would be easier to open wrong ones than to not locate anything at all. For Dante to be creating only closed Mini Portals, that could mean…

A smile was forming on Vergil’s lips as he continued watching Dante goofing around and making you and Roomie laugh. It might be presumptuous to conclude, but Dante might have gotten quite attached to Roomie that he was subconsciously unwilling to send her back to where she had come from. 

After all, Vergil could still remember himself doing something similar in your world before. Finding out that he could summon a spectral sword back then, which meant he had his power back, had gotten him disappointed. He had even been relieved to find out that he couldn’t do it again. He thought he'd been a selfish fool that time, but perhaps it was a natural response when one didn’t wish to be separated from the person he… He then caught your gaze, and you flashed him a smile. As if by reflex, it made him return a slight version of it.

That kind of thing. If it was existent between his brother and this amnesiac woman from a different world, if Dante was indeed harboring feelings for Roomie, then Vergil would support that. Foolish rivalry –with Dante or with Roomie– aside, he wanted nothing more but for his twin to be happy. Though hopefully, Roomie didn’t need to go back to her world soon. Hopefully, time wasn’t of the essence in her case.

Chapter Text

## Jukebox ##

Roomie had met Dante-dono in a rather embarrassing and frightening way, which was why she'd reacted the way she'd done. But the longer she'd gotten to be with Dante-dono, the more she learned that he was a kind person. The very fact that he'd allowed her to stay in his shop was already a big sample of it.

But things in Dante-dono's shop, as well as Ojousama and Vergil-dono's houses were a bit terrifying. Although, among those things that suddenly made a sound, and consequently caused Roomie to be alert, there was this machine that struck her more than the others. She almost wrecked this one, if not for Dante-dono stopping her and teaching her how to use it.

The moment Dante-dono showed how it worked and she heard a pleasant melody, something quickly flashed in her mind. As she stared at the rotating disk that was hypnotizing her to entertain her vision even more, she saw Ojousama focused on playing a musical instrument. The item was blurred, but she could see Ojousama gracefully plucking its strings, producing a melody that felt so warm and homely. She couldn't see anything else, not even the background. Perhaps it was because she had always been focused only on Ojousama? Ojousama's kindness, Ojousama's smiles...

Yes, something like what Dante-dono was doing right now… He was smiling at her while saying something about eyepods and earpods. She nodded even though she didn’t understand it, because Dante-dono's gentle smile stunned her. But she had to distract herself, and indeed, she found a good distraction when she turned to face the machine again: the bubbles in the tube. 

As she followed those bubbles in pure curiosity while listening to the song, the relaxing effect it somehow brought to her also brought her back to her vision of Ojousama playing music. Even though she always had to be on guard to protect Ojousama from the enemies, Ojousama's soothing music was her reprieve— Eh? Protect her from enemies… What enemies are they again?

But before she could recall them, the music stopped. She instinctively faced Dante-dono, as if asking him how to bring it back. But she didn't know exactly how to say it and what those things were called. It was a good thing that Dante-dono often understood what she couldn't express. He would always smile at her and tell her not to be afraid of the unfamiliar and loud objects. Dante-dono was always teaching her new things, telling her to trust him, then showing that she could indeed trust in him. Dante-dono was always so kind and warm, similar to Ojousama but a bit different. Ojousama was the one Roomie had sworn to protect, so with Ojousama, she had to be at her best. But with Dante-dono, she somehow felt at ease.

## Wounds ##

But Dante-dono is not careful sometimes. That is one more reason why Dante-dono must be protected too.

There was a time when Dante-dono came home with blood on his arm and Roomie couldn't help but worry. He'd taught her how to treat wounds, even treated her wound that time. So Roomie should return the gesture and treat Dante-dono's wound too.

But… Dante-dono heals? That… somehow felt familiar. Seeing blood and wounds one moment and then they would be gone the next…

“You alright? Headache again?” Dante-dono asked all of a sudden. 

Roomie shook her head, but that was a lie. Her head was hurting but she didn't want Dante-dono to worry. But images of wounds being healed by someone's hand as if by magic kept flashing in her mind. It was similar to how Dante-dono had simply wiped the blood off his arm to show that there was no wound anymore. In all confusion and disbelief, Roomie could only look at Dante-dono and repeat the obvious, "You heal."

## Gun ##

But even if Dante-dono heals, Dante-dono could still die, right?

When Dante-dono taught her how to use a gun, he told her to try it on him. She didn't want him to get hurt, but he was insisting on it. She didn't want Dante-dono to feel that she had no trust in him, and this was Dante-dono's weapon so he knew this more than anyone else. So with a deep breath, she pulled the trigger like how he’d taught her.

And in that instant, the world suddenly turned dark. She could see fire everywhere, people were shouting from afar, there was blood on her hands, her head was hurting, she didn't know what to do, tears were about to betray her, but she had to stay strong… But it felt like she was about to lose the person she cared about the most. Ojou—"Dante-dono!"

Maybe it was because of the overwhelming and confusing feeling, that when Dante-dono spoke and got up, she ended up holding him tight as if afraid to ever lose him. That was extremely embarrassing, and it bothered her for the rest of the day. But as always, Dante-dono was so kind that he even introduced something wonderful to her again. It was something sweet and comforting, the same way he always was with her.

## Whiteboard ##

Roomie didn't know what a 'secret agent' was, but the 'Mr. and Mrs.' was in her English lesson the other day, and it meant 夫婦, 'fuufu', a married couple. Was Ojousama comparing Roomie and D-D-D-Dante-dono to that? She and Dante-dono weren't a couple. If anything, she’d want to be a couple with Ojousama, if only that were possible, so she could always be with Ojousama even when they were old… But that would be disrespectful, dream-like, unrealistic. And it was the rule: One must not feel, must not show what they are thinking of, because that would only put the one you are protecting in danger.  

…Eh? Who made that rule again?  Well, even if she couldn't remember, that was the rule.

But Dante-dono seemed to care about Ojousama too. He was different and was smiling more, a bit childlike, whenever Ojousama was here. Even in this whiteboard, Dante-dono was more cheerful with Ojousama compared to how he was whenever Ojousama and Vergil-dono were not here. Maybe that meant Dante-dono also liked Ojousama? Roomie had to confirm. It was for Ojousama. Yes, only for Ojousama's safety and—

"Not anymore?"

But it was nice that Dante-dono was honest. And Dante-dono was the same with how Roomie felt for Ojousama. Ojousama had always been a very bright and warm presence, but she was also as far and as magnificent as the sun. Roomie could only look up to her and protect her from where Roomie stood. It had always been that way. Roomie was Ojousama's sworn shield, so Roomie would always keep her safe, and prioritize her happiness and well-being above all.

It felt pleasant, finding out that Dante-dono was doing the same, even for both Ojousama and Vergil-dono. Roomie wasn't alone in her mission; she'd found someone who understood her and someone she could trust that would continue to protect Ojousama when her life reached its end. She was glad that she'd met Dante-dono in this unfamiliar world. And even if this world's sake was really bitter, she would do her best in this formal discussion so she could learn more about Dante-dono.

## Portals ##

The portals made Roomie realize that she had her real Ojousama somewhere far. She might have been confusing the Ojousama she'd met in here and the Ojousama she'd left back in her world, but that was because they were the same. They didn't only look alike, they also treated Roomie the same. All those smiles, those kind gestures, even those slips that she always prevented for Ojousama's safety… Even telling her to sit beside Ojousama and drink tea, bestowing upon her Ojousama's handmade food, treating her as an equal despite their positions…

But that was right, there was another, the same Ojousama somewhere out there. She might be alone right now, or in danger, or worried, or feeling betrayed by Roomie's disappearance. It was frustrating that Roomie couldn't remember anything. She didn't even know what dangers it could be. 

But what Dante-dono did and said somehow eased her worries. It was quite shameful, but it felt safe to be in his arms... Maybe that helped, because after that, she wasn't that bothered anymore. And the other portals showed her interesting versions of her and Ojousama, some of them even too good embarrassing to be true. They also made her realize that if the Ojousama in here had Dante-dono and Vergil-dono protecting her too, perhaps the Ojousama in her real world had their version of Dante-dono and Vergil-dono as well. After all, some of the portals showed other versions of Ojousama still with a Vergil-dono and a Dante-dono with her. If Roomie's real Ojousama had them with her back in their world, Roomie could be at ease.

#####

With everything that Dante-dono had been doing for her, Roomie wanted to return the favor, even in little ways. She'd started protecting Dante-dono only as an extension because Ojousama cared for Dante-dono as well. Vergil-dono too, actually, but he always looked alert and terrifying, and he wasn't always with Roomie. And Ojousama had directly given Roomie the order when she said, "I'm glad you're keeping Dante company. He's kind of different when he's alone; the anime ending song taught me that. So at least he has a roomie now. Make sure he doesn't stab himself, okay?" Even though Ojousama was laughing that time, hearing the last part made Roomie put Dante-dono second place in her must-protect list.

But now, protecting Dante-dono wasn't just for Ojousama's sake. Dante-dono deserved to be protected and cared for because he was the best person in this world. Next to Ojousama, that is.

That was why today, Roomie was trying to make this type of food she could remember Ojousama would always make for her before. She could vaguely remember Ojousama's version of onigiri to have varying shapes, but something caused Roomie to make these all triangular. Hopefully, Dante-dono would like it. It was, after all, of the same shape as his favorite pizza.

Chapter Text

"Dante-dono is always kind, and you teach me many things. I am grateful," Roomie said as she lowered her head and handed Dante a plate. It contained neatly arranged triangular mounds of what he assumed to be rice, which were partially wrapped by something dark green.

"You made this for me?" He quickly sat up from his usual position on his chair to accept it. "Thanks, I– I don't know what to say. This is really sweet. The gesture I mean, because I don't know what this tastes like yet."

She pointed with an open palm, "This one has fish, a bit salty. This one, umeboshi, uh, p… plum? A bit sour. This one, kombu, sweet and salty."

"Awesome, there's a surprise inside?" He took the last one she'd introduced.

"One can also put other things in it."

"Other things?" He laughed. "Maybe we can prank Vergil with this too." She nodded with a slight smile that slipped out. Now he had a partner in crime. "What's this called?" he asked after a sumptuous bite.

"Onigiri."

"Is this the Japanese version of pizza? Because it's triangular and you can eat it with one hand." 

"Maybe…" She seemed nervous though, avoiding a direct look, rubbing her cheek with the back of her hand.

Ahh, that's right, he hadn't expressed how he was enjoying it. So he quoted what she'd said about the jukebox before, "This, I like." That earned her smile, though she hid it right away, when he met her gaze. Since that didn't work enough, he figured he could use a secret weapon. He tried recalling the term he'd asked you last time, "O… Oishii." With that, her eyes grew wide. Even more so when he finger-gun'd her and said, "Roomie, sugoi!"

"D-Dante-dono speak Nihongo?"

“Yeah, no, I… I just thought, since you’re studying my language, then as your uh, roommate maybe I ought to meet you halfway a little." He focused on taking his second onigiri, to avoid her eyes which seemed to be sparkling with excitement she was trying to contain. "My twin’s studying it too, so yeah, it’s like uh, I'm not letting him be up one.” He could swear that she was smiling, but when he faced her, she hid it again. 

That somehow posed a challenge to him. Why hide your smiles, Roomie? You're prettier when you smile— er— So he said, "How do you say it in Japanese when you like something?" He raised the salmon onigiri he was eating.

“It’s ‘suki’.”

“Suki?” he confirmed as he looked at his food. 

"Hai, suki,” she repeated.

Then Dante grinned at her and said, “Suki.” 

・・・

She flushed at that, so he panicked. “…Aaah, I mean this. It’s good.” Then he shifted to explaining the things he liked about the onigiri. "It's convenient like pizza. There are different flavors to choose from. And more importantly, it tastes good."

"Yokatta…" she mumbled to herself, but he caught it.

So he asked, "That one, what does that mean?"

"Y-Yokatta?" He nodded when she repeated, which encouraged her to explain, "It is… when you are glad, relieved. Dante-dono liked the onigiri so, yokatta."

"Ohh, yokatta," he uttered for practice, and was glad that he didn't seem to be mistaken in his pronunciation. But maybe he felt a bit too 'yokatta', because he slipped with, “Will you… keep making an onigiri for me?”

"Eh?" They both looked at each other in surprise.

“I- I mean, so we can have variety, aside from pizza. Not that I'm getting tired of my favorite. It's just– this is really just interesting. It’s like your version of pizza. So we'll always be eating and sharing our version of it, s-something like that…”

To his surprise, he heard her laugh softly, making him hurry to look at her. "Dante-dono speaking fast."

It was a rare sight, especially when her Ojousama wasn't here… which was actually strange, because she'd said she had to be emotionless in protecting her Ojousama, but her foolish Ojousama would always make her slip on her emotional control. So Dante felt like Roomie's laughs were kind of reserved for her Ojousama. Even last time when Dante was goofing around and making you laugh, Roomie was just smiling. She did laugh once or twice but those were more at your reactions, because she was looking at you. Not that he was always watching her. He just happened to witness those instances.

But this one right now, it was surely his. He'd earned this. And somehow, he wanted to see more of it. So he said, the fastest he could, "IfI'dhavetospeakfastlikeI'mdoingarap,thenI'ddothiseverydayjusttomakeyoulaugh. Yo." It was a relief that she did laugh some more because that one just now was utterly embarrassing. Worth it though. "I guess onigiri makes me silly," he added with a sheepish grin.

Roomie nodded and with a slight smile, she said, “I will keep making onigiri for Dante-dono.”

With that, his grin turned wide and more heartfelt. "Yokatta."

Chapter Text

Roomie was making weapons right now in her spot near the jukebox. Dante was also in his usual spot, intending to take a nap, but for some reason, he couldn’t. The music should’ve been helpful as Roomie chose relaxing ones, but something kept bothering him. Well, she was making weapons again today so for sure, she’d get wounded again today. He kept imagining the cuts he’d seen on her hands last time, and something was urging him to do something about it, now that he had the chance to.

So he stood up and summoned his usual, went to where she was seated while grinning like a goofball. “Waccha doin’ there, Roomie?”

She gave a slight bow before starting something like a presentation. With an open palm, she pointed to each group of items on her mat while explaining. “This, makibishi, to scatter, enemy step on. This, bou shuriken, for throwing, like the game.” She pointed to the dart board. Then she pointed to a spiked ring among her trinkets. “This, kakute, wound enemy arm when they try to grab you.” Then she opened a folded square piece of paper, revealing red powder inside it. “This, blind enemy, give chance to escape.”

“Amazing.” He meant that, truly. For someone who could now summon his version of spectral swords, call forth a sword from some void –or was it from inside him?– and throw flaming balls when in his demon form, it was refreshing to see these probably ninja things. This was definitely Roomie’s version of assembling her own gun and preparing her version of summoned blades, like a behind-the-scenes of the action. It was awesome that she was just making these things on her own, even from scraps at that.

He sat down on the floor, in front of her, and took a piece of the… makizushi, was it? “Can you teach me how to make this?”

“D-Dante-dono asking me to teach him?” She couldn’t hide her surprise.

“Yeah. I wanna learn your things too.” She nodded at that and showed him the materials. But when she demonstrated how she was bending multiple pieces of aluminum wires together to make them thick enough, then combining two to make a spike, that was when he saw a new cut on her left index finger. It wasn’t bleeding, but he could still see the red line as it seemed to be angled quite deep. “Tsk, Roomie…” He couldn’t help the frustrated tone, which must’ve confused her.

Before she could ask and before he could explain, he'd already taken her left hand into his right. His thumb was gently rubbing the wound as if to console it. “Please try not to get wounded,” he said, trying to sound and look neutral when he faced her. He knew he didn’t have the right to ask her that, but it just annoyed him. They were really minor cuts compared to the stabs he’d gotten used to, but for some reason, it was just irritating to see them on her. It felt like he was being mocked for not doing his best in protecting her, yeah, even from a trivial wound like this. He might be starting to understand why Vergil was ridiculously overprotective of his mate even from non-life-threatening possible harm. Wait, Roomie wasn’t Dante’s—

“D-D-D-Dante-dono.”

“Hmm?”

“You are still… holding my hand.”

“Aaah, sorry, I…” He scrambled for an excuse. “The, uh…” Luckily, the current song ended at that moment, so he grabbed the chance. “I’ll choose the song for now because your pointy finger is wounded.” But before he stood up to do his intended task, he pressed his lips against her wound, as if wishing for it to get well soon. He’d done it before realizing it, damn. So he had to hurry to the jukebox. He might have even used demonic power to teleport to the machine; he hadn’t noticed for he'd gotten too focused on Roomie’s reaction. She was stunned with what he’d done, and when she turned to face him, she looked like she’d be asking him for an explanation.

So he tried to distract her, and what he was able to grab was the song that started playing, one he'd randomly chosen but was fortunately familiar. “Ah, ah, this song... You know, this one, this was uh, in one of the movies that Little Big Sis made me watch before.”

“Ojousama?” Success. Maybe he should’ve just said ‘Ojousama’ and it’d work the same. “What is the movie about?”

“Just some characters calling themselves uh, Protectors of the Galaxy? Something like that.” And her eyes were sparkling with curiosity again, probably because of the P-word. Ahh, Vergilish people and their ‘Power’ and ‘Protect’ P-words.

“Who is this Galaxy?” was her next question which almost made him laugh.

“Probably their version of Ojousama.” He had to pretend to be rubbing his stubble just to keep himself from laughing at what he’d said. More so because it was followed by a series of foolish questions and answers.

Roomie: Where is this song in the movie?

Dante: The guy just danced with the girl, then she pointed a blade to his neck. *shrugs* Meh. 🙄 ← someone who has tried being shot in the head by a girl he just saved from falling off a tower, then another one throwing a motorcycle at him after she stabbed him with his own sword with some bonus lightning

Roomie: Dance? 🤩 *thinking along the lines of self-defense because he said there was a blade involved* That is the thing Vergil-dono does in the game. Ojousama showed me.

*Roomie referring to Vergil’s sword dance taunt *

Dante: Ahh yeah, his dance. 🤣

Dante thinking of:

Roomie: Ojousama also showed Dante-dono’s dance in the game. 

Roomie referring to:  

Dante: My dance?

Dante thinking of:  

And

Roomie: Dante-dono… 🤩

Dante: 😆 ( Oh boy, I know that look. )

Roomie: Please teach me.

Dante: 😆 ( I knew it. )

Finding it harmless, he said, “It’s not something you can use to protect your Ojousama with, but alright, I’ll teach you.” She smiled at that, which took away the slight embarrassment and gave him an idea. “I think it’s better if I teach you a different dance. Something that suits this song, at least.” He pointed a thumb to the jukebox. She nodded and stood up immediately. Then he brought his palm to her, waiting for her hand to take it. 

“W-What is this for?”

“Give me your hand.” She hesitated but complied eventually. “Do you trust me?” he asked, and she nodded eagerly, making him smile. “You have to relax and put your guard down to do this well.” 

“I will do my best.”

“These go here.” He put her hands on his shoulders. “Then mine, uh, here,” he said as his hands carefully went to her waist. “Then you just follow my lead.” And he started swaying left and right, matching the rhythm of the song.

“This is dance?”

“Yeah.”

“For enemies?”

“No, for lov— for people who get along. You can also do this with your Ojousama, if you like.”

She shook her head. “That is against the rules.”

He laughed. “What rules? Don’t mind what other people would think. Follow your heart.” She nodded and looked away as her cheeks turned a little pink. He only said that to express his support for F/F and the like, but realizing that it could also apply to him got him distracted. 

More so when their eyes met. Something was pulling him in, urging him to… yeah, follow his heart . 

But no, it wouldn’t work out anyway… It would probably end the same as the others before.

So instead, he pulled her to his chest, his arms wrapping around her. 

##

Load subtitle: Roomie_POV_eng.srt

D-D-D-Dante-dono is holding me close again. 

Calm down, he is only teaching me his dance. 

Is this really a sword dance? Maybe he misunderstood my English? But I trust Dante-dono. It would be disrespectful to doubt his methods, when all he has ever done is be kind to me. 

I shall do my best and learn this version of dance instead. I can use it someday, in something, maybe. And Dante-dono is so warm… I feel like I can forget everything when I'm in his arms— No, I have already forgotten everything! 

One must not feel… that would only put the one you are protecting in danger. 

That’s right. I must stop being weak and focus on what Dante-dono is teaching.

##

Roomie’s hands slid down his chest, and with that, Dante regretted what he’d done. It only strengthened his urges, the way her hands slowly traveled down, the anticipation… But as it turned out, there was a reason for that. She wrapped her arms around him too, making him realize why. Roomie would always imitate what she thought he was teaching her, so this was probably one of those. Laughing to himself, he held her a bit tighter. This wasn’t asking for too much, was it? Only till the end of the song… He’d be honest with himself just until the song ended.

.🎵 Free on my own, that's the way I used to be 🎶.

.🎵 But since I met you baby, love's got a hold on me 🎶.

At least, this would keep him from staring at her lips. Though, when her cheek rested on his chest, he planted a kiss on top of her head as if by reflex. What the… But hey, she didn’t get mad. Maybe she didn’t notice it. Or maybe it was alright with her! 

So… would it really be bad if he kissed her for real? It wasn’t like they were kids; he had no idea how old Roomie was, but she was certainly no longer a minor. Her features were no doubt that of an adult, fully developed—er, dammit, no. If the foolish theory was right and she was really from the ninja era, then she was technically at least a hundred years old right now, wasn’t she?

But yeah, such recklessness might only ruin the peaceful roomie days here. He didn't want to creep her out either. But what if, just what if… What were the possibilities? Let’s see… If he suddenly pulled back a little and let himself get carried away in the moment, then just kiss her here and now, it was likely that...

A. She’d kick him in the balls again. 

B. She’d kick him in the balls in surprise because she hadn’t tried a kiss before. Maybe she'd been too busy protecting her Ojousama that she didn’t have any interest in romance and stuff.

C. She’d kick him in the balls because she was more attracted to her Ojousama or to Little Big Sis. Even if she'd said that Ojousama wasn't for herself, she still had her heart, her eyes, her lips, the whole her reserved for Ojousama.

D. She’d kick him in the balls because—

Why is it that all roads lead to balls?  

But what if she’d like it? What if she really hadn’t tried it, or had forgotten how it felt, and then she’d like it? She’d get surprised but she’d like it. Well, he could do it in such a way that she’d definitely like it. Something like pulling away from the hug and looking at her eye-to-eye, smiling at her surprise, slowly leaning in, tilting his head for the best angle, moving closer and closer till their lips were touching, kissing her gently as he—

“Dante-dono, is there a problem?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Your heart is beating fast.” 

He pulled away quickly and laughed. “Nah, I just— I’m just hungry.” It was also then when the song ended. “Wanna eat pizza?” He grinned. Yeah, back to the usual...

Chapter Text

This is a story about two people who are obviously attracted to each other but are too stubborn to admit it, even to themselves. They are Robert De Nial and Deny Moore. Robert will be referred to more as De Nial, because of uh, force of habit when typing his name. Meanwhile, Deny Moore's first name is pronounced as 'Deni' so it won't be too obvious –the inspiration name that is. No, don’t anagram the 'Moore' and add 'i'. Don't.

So these two are noticeably into each other, with those subtle protectiveness, the lingering glances, the extra effort to make the other one smile. But if you ask them how they felt for the other, they would answer you with something that would make you facepalm.

De Nial: Me and Deny? Nah, there's nothing going on. We're just roo officemates.

Deny: D-D-D-De Nial is only being kind to me.

De Nial: You know me, little sister. I'm fine the way I am right now. I don't wanna go through something that I know wouldn't last.

His little sister: Or is it, you don't wanna put her through something that you know wouldn't last? 👀 She might be in here with just a tourist visa but it doesn't mean her visit here will only be a one-time thing. We have por— planes nowadays.

De Nial: *pats her head* 😆 I think she has important responsibilities back in her country. I don't want to get in her way and involve her in my mess.

Deny: I have a duty to protect my ojous cousin. Feelings will only be a distraction.

Her other cousin: It doesn't have to be just one. You can do both. Like work or school, for example. You can still go to work or attend your classes even if you have a boyfriend. He won't be a distraction; he'll be more like an inspiration. 😄

Deny: B-B-B— *clears throat, emotionless again* I cannot risk their safety. One must not feel. That is the rule.

So it's always like that when you talk to them about feelings-related stuff. De Nial will even trick you by pulling a funny stunt or asking you about something, so you'll forget the topic. He's sneaky like that.

But if you look at them closely, what they are doing and how they are with each other kind of contradicts what they are telling themselves. For one, they are both protective of each other. Deny tends to act as the shield for everyone, even for the invincible De Nial. But recently, it's not just literally protecting him from harm, but also being considerate of how he feels and being a little too concerned about him. For instance…

Deny: *refusing a client* De Nial is taking a nap. He drank till 5am. He needs this nap. Please come back again later.

De Nial: *sensed the visitor's presence, not really taking a nap, hearing everything, doesn't know if he'll pretend to still be asleep or not* 👀

That, and…

De Nial: *looking for a certain paper in his drawers*

Deny: Is this what you are looking for, Dono De Nial? *she has organized his things because she knew his tendency to leave his office a mess*

As well as…

Deny: *puts two small plates on De Nial’s desk, beside the whiskey bottle*

De Nial: Hmm? What’s this, Deny?

Deny: Healthy to pair with osake. *gestures to one plate* Fruits from cousin, I dried on the rooftop. Dehydrated fruits, rich in fiber. *gestures to the other plate* Vegetables from cousin, I turn into tsukemono, pickled vegetables. Has vitamins, probiotics, good for stomach.

De Nial: *doesn’t actually need those things because his metabolism is subhuman and he is omega, but is touched by the gesture* Thanks. (￣▽￣*)ゞ *doki doki*

Cousin: Deny is amazing! 😍 *taking notes and photos*

That last one… Deny would always overprotect her cousin when she’s in the office. But this time, when she saw that De Nial was drinking, she asked for permission to leave Cousin’s side for a few minutes to get these pickled veggies and dried fruits she’d prepared.

Meanwhile, De Nial, he's someone who often laughs things off, does his job as if he's just playing, and prefers to do things in a more exciting way. He used to be a bit cranky, about 10 years ago, like 'kicking the jukebox when it's malfunctioning' kind of cranky. But that was because of a traumatic experience that was still fresh then. Even so, he never lost his cool. Maybe just a few swearing and snide remarks here and there, but he was still composed even when facing big enemies. At his current age, he's often goofing around, the kind that still finds the time to dance before heading to a battle. So he's basically the type to not get angry easily. Even polls say that an angry De Nial is rare.

But… There was this one time when he witnessed Deny get wounded. She was cleaning the office that time, particularly under the stairs, and she was pulling an item that was stuck. When she tried to remove the obstacle, she nicked her hand on said obstacle. It was a tiny cut that bled, but when De Nial smelled it, he sighed audibly from where he was. Something that seemed out of frustration but like a scary kind you've never seen on him before. Then he went to her side and checked the wound, looking a bit too serious. She said it was nothing, and she was about to try pulling the item again. But then, De Nial grabbed the obstacle thing and just squeezed it broken, thereby releasing the item that was stuck. Deny faced him at that moment in surprise. He must've realized that he might be giving her a scare, so he laughed and said, "Ahh, my hand slipped, sorry." That's cool and sweet, kind of yandere-ish, isn't it?

Proofreader: Your tenses are inconsistent. 😒

Narrator: This is still just a draft! 😆 I'll improve it later. For now, call it 'inconsis-tense'. 😜

Proofreader: 🤦♂️

But there are also—

Proofreader: Hold on. That previous incident, you weren't there. How did you—

Narrator: I've been practicing the thing you taught me. 😜

Proofreader: 🤦♂️

Narrator: Practice makes peepfect! ٩꒰｡•◡•｡꒱۶

Going back to the topic, there are also sweet little things that they keep doing for each other. For instance, there was this time when Deny's cousin tried a social experiment and put ingredients for onigiri in the office's kitchen. She told Deny to use those ingredients before they expire. It was a way to possibly jog her memories and check if she really was from— er, because uh, fun fact! Ninjas and samurais often ate onigiri because of its convenience and portability. It is easy to prepare and they can bring it when they go on a mission or travel to another city. At least, that's what some TV series and anime taught me.

Proofreader: So technically, it is not a fact. 😑

But surprisingly, Deny did make onigiri but she gave it to De Nial. And De Nial ate it right away and liked it. Aww, if only those onigiri were Japanese Valentine choco…

Meanwhile, De Nial, he's been asking his little sister, "What's that in Japanese?" while pointing to an item or after she said something. Of course she excitedly gives him the answers, thinking that he's getting interested in the language. But to her even more excitement—

Proofreader: Reword that later.

Narrator: Hai. (-☆_☆)ゞ✨️

…De Nial turned out to be collecting words he could use with Deny. You see, Deny Moore is uh, half-Japanese. And he was so cute when he used those words and surprised her. And the reason he told her… that was just so sweet.

Proofreader: *clears his throat* Yaruki ga dete kita. 😏 [Now I'm a little motivated.]

Narrator: 😆 You're so adorkable! Of course I also find you cute when you speak like that. 😍

Proofreader: Baka. Sonna tsumori wa nai. 😒 [Fool. I have no such intention / I don't intend for that to happen.]

Narrator: Tsunproofreadere! 😆

So there you go, those two clearly like each other, don't they? But they have plenty of excuses that they tell themselves. 

Proofreader: Is that why you have been gathering proofs? 😒

Narrator: You betcha! 😏 And now let's narrate what they are up to. 😎

*mini vertical slash, mini horizontal slash*

Proofreader: 🤦♂️

They seem to be heading to this abandoned warehouse. Wait, he brought her to a job??

Proofreader: If I were to make a backstory for that, I'm certain that it started with him receiving a job from his broker, and given that he is broke, he accepted it right away.

Narrator: He's not really broke. 😆 He always has money for pizza and sundae.

Proofreader: Because those are what he considers his necessities. 🙄 Anyway, I'm assuming that she went over to his side, saying she wanted to assist, to provide any help she could as a way to compensate for him allowing her to stay in his dwelling. He wanted to refuse, but he knew it would still end up the same. Once you realize that they are the one, they just have that power over you. 😑

Narrator: You need a drink to go with that? 😆 Wait, so that means he's like 'mate spotted', 'target acquired'? 😍

Proofreader: 👀 *shrugs* 🤐

Narrator: Come on, share your findings about them!

Proofreader: Shouldn't you be narrating? 😒 *points to what they are watching*

Narrator: Σ(゜Д゜)!!

De Nial told Deny to just wait by the entrance. He even made up an excuse that he needed eyes on the outside in this mission. Aww, he granted her request to accompany him, but he doesn't want her to be in the front row seat of danger. So this is him treading the thin line, nice.

But before entering the building, De Nial handed Deny one of his pistols, the white one. Aww, that's a big clue right there. He won't just lend that to anyone! 

Then he said, "Use this, just in case. Like how we practiced." She nodded but she looked worried. So he grinned and put a hand on top of her head. "Your cousin is not here and I'll be fine on my own. So focus on protecting yourself."

Kyaaa, Deny seems to be blushing at that. Thanks to this Peeping Portal, we just witnessed a live—

Proofreader: Mini Portal. Mini. 😒

Narrator: Ehe~ 😜

Proofreader: Hmph. 😒 *turns off the Mini Yamato power, so the Mini Portal disappears*

Narrator: Σ(ﾟДﾟ υ) 

Proofreader: 😒 I made it clear last time.

Narrator: Y-You closed it… 🥺

Proofreader: 😯 I… *worried he upset her, summons his secret weapon* … 😏? 🥺? 😒?

Narrator: 😔

Proofreader: It is back now. You can now open another Mini Portal. 😐 (😣 I did upset her… )

Narrator: Thank you… I will call it properly from now on if it really bothers you… 😔

Proofreader: 😒 ( Call it peeping, call me a peeper, just don’t do that… 😣) 

Narrator: 🥺 *mumbling to herself while raising her miniature katana* Mini… Mini… 🥺

Proofreader: 😒 (😱) *thinks fast, glances left and right* 💡 *gets the glass of juice from the desk, pours it on his chest, then emotionlessly speaks* 😑 Ahh, my shirt is dirty. Now I have to take it off. *unbuttons his shirt*

Narrator: Why did you do that? 😂 … 😳 … 🤤

Proofreader: Too bad my wife is busy. 😏 I would have asked her to—

*beeeeeeeeep*We interrupt this program for a special parade 🙈🙊🙉 *beeeeeeeeeep*

・・・

Where were we? 

Ahh, Dan– De Nial and Deny went to a job, but because of the portechnical interruption, we didn't get to see the details of said job. Now we peep—

Proofreader: *clears his throat* 😏

...peek at them, and *mini vertical slash, mini horizontal slash* OMG! Dante is now– er, uhm, Dante is in his shop, probably napping. Meanwhile, De Nial is now in his demon form! Yeah, didn't I mention that? The character Robert De Nial is a half-demon, like his twin, uh, George Clone.

Proofreader: So now I'm reduced to being my doppelganger's clone? 😒

Narrator: 🤣 You're Proofreader right now!

It seems De Nial had to catch up to this enemy demon who flew out of the window and into the night sky. He probably didn't want to let this one escape and possibly put Deny in danger, so he had no choice but to quickly transform and…

Oh no. When she heard the shattering of glass, she went over to that side of the building, so she witnessed the chase. She saw him in his demon form.

Wait, have I shown her that in the game? I might have already shown her that, or not? Well, seeing it in person is far from the game. Even as a mere human, you can feel the energy and the heat they exude. Like you're in front of a walking heater.

Proofreader: 😒

Narrator: A gorgeous, gigantic walking heater— no, a walking, talking, adorkable heating pad that you'll want to cuddle with for the whole day, every day. 😍

Proofreader: Hmph. 😑 

Now that the enemy demon was finished, De Nial had to face her. I didn't expect him to be bothered by this but he seems to be. Ah, maybe he's just afraid of R–revealing his demon form, afraid of her being terrified of him. George Clone was the same back then, ahh these adorkable twins. We all love you, both human form and demon form!

Wait wait, they're now talking…

De Nial: I uh, *lightly rubs his cheek with a finger* I might have given you a scare back there… 😅 If ever you feel uncomfortable or terrified, you can stay with Li—

Deny: *looks at him in all seriousness* This does not change who you are to me, Dan–Nial. You have always been so kind, no terrifying form could overwrite that. Whoever or whatever you truly are, I accept and respect.

De Nial: Σ>―(〃° - °〃)♡– >

Aww… In the end, we're all satisfluffed!

There you have it folks! The ship has sailed! No form of denial could ever deny that!

Chapter Text

## Of Devils and Swords ##

You were in Devil May Cry today, with Dante and Roomie as your Vergil-assigned babysitters. As much as Vergil didn't want to be apart from you, you had convinced him that you would be fine in here while he was…

Dante: In your world?

You: No, they’re not Human Mode today but Devil Hunter Mode. 😆

Dante: 😂

You: They were supposed to train here but I told him to make use of the time difference and do it in Vergil3’s world instead. So they can train twice as much time compared to when in here. *opens a pack of sakura mochi and offers to Dante, then to Roomie*

Dante: I didn't expect that he'd agree to be in a different universe while you're here. I thought he didn't like that. *gets one, curious, smells it, takes a small bite* Mmm… (ˆ ڡ ˆ)

Roomie: *refuses politely while she was pouring tea for the three of you*

You: I actually wanted to watch them train too, but they might not be able to go full-power if I’m somewhere around. 😅  So I said I’d just stay with you and Roomie. But I asked him to let me watch once Vergil3 can do the DMC5 skills. *when Roomie was done serving tea, you take her hand and put a sakura mochi on it then pull her to sit beside you* 😄

Roomie: 😳 *shyly takes a bite*

Dante: Hmm, s' that so… *watching Roomie only to see if the leaf and the flower on this pink ball is meant to be eaten, not because she’s cute whenever she’s shy around her Ojousama* 👀

You: Vergil kind of made it his motivation. He said he’ll teach the kid his Judgement Cut End. 😍

Dante: That’s just a matter of time before the kid does all the DMC5 tricks. It’s Vergils after all, they work fast. 😆 *tries to take a bite with the leaf on* 

You: But they can’t train so often because Vergil can’t just leave me and Vergil3 can’t just leave Baby Nero. They are overprotective and clingy. 🤭

Dante: Well, it is a surprise that he left you here. 😆

You: He trusts that you and Roomie can keep me safe in his stead. 😄 

Dante: Aww. 😅

You: And I’m working on a Dante/Room—Reader fic so I’m here to observe for fic research purposes. 🤓

Dante: Will it be safe for me to read? 😆

You: Define ‘safe’. 😏

Dante: 😂

You: How about you and Dante3? Aren’t you two doing some secret training? 😀

Dante: He’s got his own style. His training starts with annoying his twin and ends with either a sparring session or getting stabbed.

You: 😆

Dante: He’ll be happier that way, and he’ll probably keep complaining if I do a Vergilish training with him. 🙄

You: *recalls how Dante3 in the game got impatient listening to Agni and Rudra talking* You've got a point. 😆

Dante: Though one time I’ll spar with him too. 😏

You: Can I watch? 🤩

Dante: Sure. 😄

You: *to Roomie* I can’t wait for you to meet the younger Dante. I wonder how you’ll react. 🤭

Roomie: Younger Dante-dono?

Dante: He’ll probably try to hug her or something. 🙄 Then she’ll kick him in the crotch. 😆

You: 😂 Did that happen to you?

Dante: No. 👀

## The Job ##

Then came Morrison, bearing a job and an exciting chance for you to finally try as if you were in DMC Anime.

But Dante was being the stand-in for his strict twin. “No, I can’t bring you to a job. Stay here with Roomie.”

“But I can help!” you almost heard yourself in Patty’s voice as a child. Though you turned serious to convince them. “This man is only suspected to be the demon summoner. We have to make him show it to us, instead of just ambushing him. If we’re not careful, he might end up hiding, along with this demonic book that he’s suspected to have.” Roomie and Morrison were just watching as you tried to persuade Dante.

“And how can you help with that?” It was unusual for Dante to not be grinning at you, but it was fun that he was being a bit like his anime self.

“The guy’s a professor of archeology at this certain university,” you said, pointing to the paper from Morrison. “But now he seems to be more into studying demons. I’ll meet him ‘by chance’, unintentionally show him some of my ‘artifacts’ and geek out about demons with him.” You even gestured air quotation marks.

Dante put a palm over his face but you could see the smile he was hiding. He probably knew you had a point. But he was still reluctant when he suggested…

Dante: Why don't we just go with plan B - Break in and find that demon book?

You: *Quotes what Dante and Dante3 often say to Vergil* Where's the fun in that? 😏 And we don't want to get arrested for trespassing. 😆

Dante: And why are you playing the role of the bait? Vergil will kill me if something happens to you. 🤦🏻♂️

You: I'm not the bait. This is the Nakayoshi Sakusen or Friendship Scheme, as Loid Forger calls it. 😎 I’ll just be the one befriending the guy. Who knows, maybe he can be a regular and be the resident demon expert we can consult. That way, no one’s going to get hurt. 😄

Dante: We already have the demonology expert, one who has two big portals to the Underworld listed in his resume. 😆 

You: 😆 

Dante: And I can be friendly.

You: Let’s see… *hands Morrison a random magazine you picked up* Let's pretend that this is your most treasured item that you've been geeking about for the past month, Mr. Morrison. Which of us three would you entrust it with?

Dante: 😏

Roomie: 😑

You: 😃

Morrison: *gestures to Dante* You look like you're packing a handful of mischief in your pocket. *gestures to Roomie* She looks like she'll break my arm if my hand enters her half-meter radius. *hands the magazine to you*

You: *eyes and smile grow wider* 😃

Dante: Oh come on! We've known each other for so long.

Morrison: I’m sorry but there's an inexplicable power in that innocent look. *lights a cigar and heads to the door* Give me a call when you're done. You keep the book too. I know it's safer with you than with anyone else.

## Drive! ##

You were humming the Spy x Family theme while preparing in your apartment. A few minutes later, you presented yourself to Dante and Roomie. You were with a backpack, wearing big eyeglasses, holding a certain book and dressed in something that college students these days wore.

You: Waku waku! [Exciting!] \(★ω★)/

Dante: You do look the part. 😆

Roomie: Ojousama kawaii… 😍 [cute]

You: *points to Dante* Chichi. [father] *points to Roomie* Haha. [mother] *makes a heart with fingers* Icha icha. [lovey-dovey] ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ )

Dante: 🤦♂️ I can already feel phantom Summoned Swords through my chest.

You: 😆 Donmai, chichi. [Don’t mind, father.]

You then handed them your phone along with your Bluetooth earphones. After making them wear an earpiece each, you called your phone via the internet using your tablet. You set the tablet volume to minimum as you left the call ongoing. Then you locked the device and held it with your book, before running to the bedroom. After closing the door, you spoke through the call, "Can you guys hear me?"

Dante and Roomie: Oohh… 😮😮

You: Improvised bug, amirite? 😏 *comes out of the bedroom* Let's go! \(★ω★)/

Chapter Text

## A Chance Meeting ##

"Why are you holding a slice of bread, Little Big Sis?" Dante asked while you three were waiting, watching the entrance of the Archaeology Department from afar.

"It's a requirement to pull off the shoujo manga trope," you explained without taking your eyes off the door. "Ah, there he is! Turn off your protective instincts for a while, okay? I'll be using my natural ability for this."

He wanted to ask what you meant by that, but you bit on the bread and ran off before he could respond. He was curious what that natural ability was, but when he saw you bump the guy then drop the book you were holding, he figured it out.

Roomie: *mumbling to herself* Must refrain from saving Ojousama… 😖

Dante: 😆 Natural clumsy ability.

You: Aahh, sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going. I was too engrossed in this book. ( Ah, that might make me too transparent. ) …and bread. Teehee~ (´>∀<｀)ゝ

Man: It's fine. *picks up the book that was dropped open, sees the sketches of demons on the current page, as well as the detailed descriptions written* (⊙_⊙) This book…

You: Aiyaa~ *takes it and holds it close* You’ve seen my top secret fascination~ (*/ω＼*) *but the way you’re holding it is deliberately showing him the cover of the book and its title: Demons*

Man: The author of this… Vergil? What’s his full name?

You: That is a mystery. 👀

Man: How did you get a hold of such an interesting book? I mean, I haven’t stumbled upon something like that until now. 😯

You: That’s probably because this is from a different wor— country. (*¯︶¯*) Are you, perhaps, *whispers but loud enough for the bug to hear* interested in demons too? 🤩

Man: 😏 To say I’m interested is an understatement. 

You: (*°▽°*) *uses another natural ability: rambling* Did you know that those demons that look like ants with big red butts are named Empusa, but Empusa is a kind of mantis? And that some demons can become weapons if you defeat them and they deem you worthy of wielding them? And that the big demonic tree that appeared in Red Grave was actually kinda upside down because those on the surface were the roots and the fruit was at the bottom?

Man: *laughs* Are you a student here?

You: ( OMG, did I go overboard? Those were even just from the top of my head; just 1% of my DMC knowledge. Don’t report me… >o< ) Ehe, depends. If you’ll teach me what you know then I can be your student. 😏 ( Did I just sound like I was hitting on a professor? 😆)

Man: You are an interesting young lady. However, I cannot—

You: *pulls a hard-to-get before you get rejected* Ahh~ *yawns* I guess I’ll go ahead and grab a cup of coffee. I’ve been losing sleep researching Machiavelli's armor. He is said to be a demon who’s one of the Underworld's top gunsmiths. Can you imagine that, there’s a gunsmith demon? 🤩 Ah, sorry, it’s because this… *shows him your Proto Angelo bracelet* This one’s made from the same metal used in that armor. My old man found it in some demon-infested run-down mansion. Then he turned it into a bracelet and gave it to me, for protection. 😃 ( Truth-bending à la V. 🤭)

Man: 😲 *about to check and hold your arm but hesitates and glances left and right* How about we discuss this in a place that’s more private? I can be your adviser in that research. 😏

You: Sure! 😍

*while walking to the building exit*

Man: How much do you know about the events related to that tree in Red Grave?

You: 😏 I’m still halfway through DMD but I’ve finished Vergil’s Special Edition, so I guess a lot?

Man: *laughs* Will you let me take a peek at those books as well?

You: (That did sound like those were books. Okay, let's go along with it. 😆) I have them back at home, but I’ll bring them next time. 😅 Do you have interesting books about demons too? 😃

Man: As a matter of fact, I do. 😏

You: 🤩 ( Jackpot. 😏)

## Chaos’ Warm Welcome ##

'Little Big Sis! You’ll get kidnapped easily if no one’s there watching you! Now I know why Vergil’s that overprotective!'

Dante was now twice as worried because you just let yourself be brought to the guy’s place. 

Although, during the car ride, it was the guy who was rambling on what he knew about demons. It seemed he was indeed an introverted demon enthusiast and you’d baited him well enough. You were even asking the right questions that made him talk more, and the way you would react seemed to be making him feel like he could share everything. It was as if you were using your ConfiDante warmth plus DMC fan enthusiasm. What form of power is this?

But Dante couldn’t shake it off his mind, the images of how Vergil would react to this.

“You let my wife ride a random guy’s car and go to his apartment?” + 3 Summoned Swords

“I have entrusted you with her safety and you sold her to another man?” + 5 Summoned Swords

“You let her run while eating bread? Did you not know the dangers of such?” + 10 Summoned Swords

Dante in that scenario: Why was that last one worth 10 Summoned Swords?!?

Vergil in that scenario: Such a meet-cute could lead to a shoujo manga kind of love story. Even a reverse-harem kind! I’m already dealing with that considering how things are. Do you really hate me this much?

Dante in that scenario: Huh? I didn’t understand a thing! And I don’t hate you! 💔

“Dante-dono, is there a problem?” Roomie got him back from his thoughts.

“Nothing.” He grinned as if by reflex.

“They are in the room. It seems he is showing Ojousama something,” she added, holding her earpiece as if intending to listen closely.

It made Dante realize that he ought to do that too. So he focused on listening and on this idea… Even though the Vergil in his thoughts just now didn’t sound so much like his twin, he’d show that Vergil that he could be trusted in keeping you safe. He would show Vergil his motivation!

And funny how the next lines were triggering his motivation.

You: Waaa, revealed as soon as we entered!

Man: I… You have led me to thinking that— 

You: No, no, I’m actually honored. Just a little surprised, hehe. It sure is big, huh? And thick! May I hold it?

Man: S-Sure… Just be gentle with it, please.

Dante: 🤯

Dante only realized that he'd taken a step forward when Roomie said, "Hold a horse, Dante-dono. Ojousama is doing her best."

...👐🐴?

But thanks to that idiom she'd misused and he'd visualized quickly while his imagination was running high-speed, he had a temporary, much-needed distraction. And she had a point, you were doing your best right now. You were probably showing that convincing innocent smile too, just to lure the guy into showing the demon-summoning, but Dante just… Did he really have a filthy mind? Was this all those porn mags backfiring?

Man: Hold it this way. Something this big requires a particular way of handling.

You: Like this?

Man: Yes… that's better. You may continue exploring it while I prepare.

You: Okie dokie.

Man: I must say, the way you are handling it pleases me. If you were one of my students, I'd give you a high grade just for being this careful with a precious thing.

You: Hehe~ I may be clumsy, but these hands got skills.

Man: S-Shall I make something come out now?

You: That's what we came in here for, isn't it?

Man: Are you not afraid?

You: Nope. I'm even getting excited.

Man: That's a relief to hear.

You: *gasp* That's… Doesn't that hurt?

Man: It doesn't, trust me. I've done this a lot of times before. But perhaps we should set a safe word first, so you—

Dante: Aaaahhhhhhh-ykennat hold a horse anymoooore! 😱🤯🥴

Before he knew it, Dante was already running down the hallway with Roomie right behind him, then kicking the door and barging in.

"Unhand Little Big Sis, you creep!"

Chapter Text

"Unhand Little Big Sis, you creep!"

Seeing you holding a big-ass book, and the man with a bleeding left arm, with two fingers of his right hand dipped in his blood as if he was holding a paintbrush to his palette, Dante realized two things: 

(1) Oh, okay, so that's what you were worrying about, the thing that hurts. And yeah, from how the man reacted to you worrying about him, it seems he's used to this.

(2) The man was probably about to use his blood to summon a demon. But why wound his arm instead of just a finger? Does this summoning require so much blood? Thankfully, he didn't think of using yours.  

But with Dante suddenly going PlanB, chaos somehow ensued. The man quickly turned on the defensive and grabbed the book you were holding. Right from the start, he’d been reluctant to share what he knew, and you just managed to butter him up. But now, he made use of the shock and uttered some spell while doodling something on a page of this book with his blood. And he was definitely used to summoning demons because he did that all at the instant that you three were…

You: Dante?

Roomie: Ojousama, can I protect now?

Dante: Sorry, Little Big Sis, I thought…

You: No worries, we have the—

But you shrieked upon realizing what was happening. A small demon passed by your feet, which thankfully didn't hurt you. But that demon came along with the others that were coming out of the book right now, from the blood symbol that the man had drawn on the page. They were small and round, like plush toys that could fit your hand, but they weren't that cute because… well, their faces were hideous and the fact that their fur was made of fire was irritating.

You: Fire Mojacko ?

Dante: Fire Gremlins ?

Roomie: Onibi ?

You: Our generations are showing in our references, eh? 😆

Dante: 😆 Dammit, these demons are annoying.

Dante was shooting at them, but they were moving around so quickly, that he had to be extra careful not to end up shooting you or Roomie. So he couldn’t just go all out Gunslinger, nor could he blast these little monsters with his own SDT fireballs. Ah yeah, he was in a residential building so going full demon was out of the question. 

Meanwhile, Roomie was throwing her ninja darts at the demons and it seemed she’d found out where to best aim for a one-hit kill. You, on the other hand, "I can't stab them! They're kinda cute! I'm sorry!" You were shooing them away from you and Roomie using a huge spectral spatula with your Mini Yamato. Seeing that somehow reminded Dante of your foolish summoned objects back then in Temen-ni-gru II, as well as the fun battles with the younger versions. That somehow raised the excitement a little, although something was dampening it.

It would’ve been easily manageable if it weren’t for the fact that these demons were setting everything they touched on fire. That was aside from how they were as if overflowing from the book that the man just dropped on the floor as he went for his escape through the window. 

Roomie was obviously torn between protecting her Ojousama and not letting the man escape. But of course, she chose her Ojousama, the same way Dante was prioritizing the prevention of any harm this would cause. Thankfully, your demon knight came out even when you’d forgotten to call him.

“Ichimatsu!” you greeted him in surprise.

“My lady, allow me to summon my knights.” He said before raising his broadsword and making Scudo Angelos appear and surround you and Roomie. Nice, those guys with the shields! At least there'd be something to protect you two from those demons that were running around, and Dante could focus on cutting off the source.

He summoned his devil sword and went straight for the book but… "What the—?" It was repelling the attack, and these tiny fire demons kept coming out as if mocking his attempt. "Why… can't… you… pierce through!" He tried it more forcefully, even tried hammering on it, but to no avail.

"Some are already out of the room!" You pointed to the main door that Dante had kinda broken when he’d gone FBI mode earlier. Damn all this. An endless supply of target-practice demons would’ve been fun, and he'd be playing with them stylishly till the book ran out of supply, if only it weren’t in this place and with people that could be put in danger.

In the midst of this chaos, hope came in the form of a squeak, “I-Ichimatsu...”

“My lady,” Proto Angelo replied, facing you but without stopping in his fire-demon sweep.

“Could you…” You were hesitating, as it seemed you were worried about something. “Could you be your usual devil armor form but around that book instead of me?” But you were teary-eyed and your fingers were fidgeting with the spatula as you made this request, probably because you were about to risk your demon bodyguard for the sake of saving more people. “But that would hurt you, wouldn’t it?” You sounded against the idea at the end.

“If that would protect My Lady and be of service to My King, then I shall contain the book,” he replied, lowering his head the same time he held his sword against the floor. “Although, that would make these Scudo Angelos disappear, leaving you defenseless.”

“We’ll take care of that part, big guy,” Dante said to reassure both the knight and his master. This idea was the only viable solution for now, as there were probably a hundred of these fire demons already on the loose. If the source was stopped, they could focus on the clean-up and damage-control.

“Very well.” Proto Angelo bowed yet again before disappearing into a ball of purple light. His minions also did, though white ones, and they all joined him before he hit the book. A few blinks later, there was already a metallic box where the damned book had been. It jolted a little, showing how chaotic it must be inside. It even expanded into twice its size, which told you all that you could count on Proto Angelo to contain the supply of those fire demons.

“Ichimatsu, don’t die, please,” you said, walking through a few of those fire gremlins just to touch the metallic box.

It gave off a purple light before you heard Proto Angelo’s voice say, “Focus on evacuation, my lady.” 

“He’s right, Little Big Sis,” Dante agreed while still exterminating the fire demons in the room. “You and Roomie get out of this place. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Let's go, Ojousama. I will take you to safety.” Roomie seconded.

“Thanks, Roomie, but you go ahead and catch that guy instead. I'll be fine." You smiled to reassure her. "He might have some more tricks up his sleeve because he left his precious book on purpose. And there's a fire escape here, so I can simply go down,” you said, as you were now by the window where the guy had escaped from. "Then I'll call the firefighters and an ambulance, in case some people get hurt." Roomie nodded reluctantly, which might be why you distracted her with, “Remember what we do to bad guys these days, okay?” With that, she smiled a little and nodded once more.

She then handed your phone back before assisting you to climb the window. But before leaving, you requested, "Dante, please try to ring any fire alarms you find in the hallways so the residents will be warned.” 

It was indeed amusing how your loyal protectors, the ninja and the demon knight, were both concerned about your safety while you were more concerned about the other people in the vicinity. Contrary to how the world was filled with corrupt idiots these days, seeing such selfless things made it more fun to keep protecting humans from dangerous demonic situations like this. Maybe that was one of the reasons why his pops had chosen this troublesome path. 

"Sure thing, Little Big Sis.” Dante grinned. “You two be careful.”

But something felt off as he watched you two leave... so Dante called, "Roomie."

You were already outside when she turned to face him, the same moment he summoned a ball of light in his hand. He'd been hesitating about this for a while now. She had a fascination for weapons, while he had quite a collection of devil arms. He just feared that the 'devil' part might put her in danger, for he was unsure if a human could safely wield these things. But he figured, from how Vergil was providing you protection in every little way he could, such as that bracelet demon knight and that miniature katana for summoning spectral objects, perhaps Dante could also...

He took a second to whisper to the ball of light, "Go for a fun walk with my girl for a while, little pooch. But make sure you keep her safe." With that, he smiled at Roomie and said, "Catch!"

Chapter Text

After making sure that you were able to safely descend the fire escape, Roomie climbed up again, now to the rooftop, to look for the target. She had noticed that the man's arm was bleeding so she intended to follow the direction that the blood droplets she'd seen on the ground were leading to. Since it had been a few minutes from the moment the man had escaped, she figured that looking from a high place might help find the man faster.

Indeed, she found him a couple of blocks away, still running. The nearby buildings were mostly mid-rise ones that were spaced just enough that she could still jump from one rooftop to another. She found herself doing this without any hesitation, as if she was moving by muscle memory. The wind against her skin, the thrill of chasing after someone who had wronged the person she was protecting, the gratification waiting ahead once she made the world a bit cleaner and safer for her Ojousama… It all felt familiar, too familiar. Had she been doing this before?

Although, leaving her Ojousama was making her worry, especially since Dante-dono and Vergil-dono weren't there. But then again, this was the task that Ojousama had entrusted to her, and the way Ojousama had kept saying that she would be alright…

Somehow, the feeling of being torn between protecting Ojousama and obeying her will, made something flash in Roomie's mind. It was an image of her Ojousama smiling at her and saying, “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine." This Ojousama was doing something that Roomie couldn't make out, but she sounded determined. "These people need our help. Some of them even came from faraway lands. So in return, we must also give them our best.”

The recollection came with a sharp pain in Roomie's head, so she had to shake it off to focus on her current mission. The sooner she could accomplish this, the sooner she could go back to Ojousama and ensure her safety.

Roomie concentrated, instead, on coming up with the best way to catch the man. All she had were the weapons she'd been making, but they certainly felt inadequate. Even her bou shuriken right now were merely, shamefully, made of wood, as she didn't have access to a blacksmith's materials. She had to throw them with more force so they would pierce through as intended. Though, with the fact that they were made of wood, came the advantage that she could carry more of them than she could if they'd been made of metal. But even so, these wouldn't be enough to catch a man on the run.

Fortunately, Dante-dono had lent her this one, a three-stick nunchaku. Although, it was a little unusual, so she intended to test how it was used. But upon pulling two sticks apart, the whole thing turned into a sansetsukon, a three-section staff. This one, she might be able to use a bit more confidently. But it would've been more beneficial if the chains were a little longer— Eh? It became a bou, a long metal rod, when she straightened it. Amazing…

And she could swear that Dante-dono had been talking to this weapon before he'd given it to her. And Ojousama could talk to her weapon too, the one that started as a bracelet and became a demon, and then a box. 

So Roomie tried, “Dante-dono's weapon… it seems you can transform. Could you, perhaps, also become a kusarigama? It is something with a—” But the moment she visualized said weapon, the one she was holding transformed into it. The pole broke into the three sticks again, which, with a flash of light, then became (1) the sickle handle, (2) the blade, and (3) the weight at the end of the chain. “Oh, arigatou gozaimasu." Roomie couldn't contain her smile as she lowered her head a little. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu.” [Thank you. I look forward to working with you.]

##

"The book won’t burn anyway," the man mumbled to himself as he kept on running. He’d come back to the wreckage later and find it like how he’d first gotten hold of it. For now, he had to hide, go as far away as he could. He hadn't intended to summon fire demons specifically. It was just what was on the current page that the young lady had opened, and he'd been in a hurry. It was frustrating that the fire would destroy all his other materials, but at least, it would help erase the evidence of his involvement. He couldn't risk losing his career over this, so at least, in the end, it worked to his advantage. And besides, he still had his emergency sheet here with him.

That woman would’ve been a pretty nice ally, but it seemed she was working with some hostile people who might be against what he’d been doing. It was such a waste, for he'd never met someone as knowledgeable and enthusiastic about demons as— Wait a second. Was she after the book all along? But no, hah, they wouldn't be able to use it. He had spent his whole life digging up the wonders of the past and learning languages that were no longer in use. Ordinary people wouldn't be able to use that book, let alone comprehend the inscriptions.

He was feeling confident about the turn of events until he felt something metallic wrap around his leg and he was slammed to the ground the next instant. Luckily, his hands were still free; he could use his emergency sheet, his blood was still dripping anyway.

##

When the man saw Roomie, he took out his wallet and obtained a folded piece of paper. He unfurled it quickly and was about to write on it with his blood again, but Roomie recognized what he was planning.

This man was about to do the same thing that Light Yagami had done with his Death Note in that movie. He'd torn a page for emergency, and now he was going to use it. Ojousama was right! This man really had a trick, though not up in his sleeve, but in his pocket.

And what Ojousama had said was indeed true. "Watching anime and movies teaches you things you can use in real life." Because Roomie had watched that movie with Ojousama, she had an idea what this man was about to do. So she threw a bou shuriken, hitting the man's wrist, causing him to drop the sheet of paper. As he groaned and squirmed in pain, Roomie picked up the sheet for safekeeping. But the man turned out to be faking it, for he seized the chance to attack her while she wasn't facing him.

But Roomie was better than that. She didn't want to use this one, for this was more painful, but now she had to. She didn't have the proper device for this yet, so she just closed her eyes and resorted to merely throwing her red powder to the man's face. With that, the man gave a louder, more pained cry.

She knelt down close to where he was writhing in agony, holding the sickle against his neck, intending to finish this quickly so she could finally go back to her Ojousama. But the idea of returning to Ojousama made her recall what Ojousama had said to her last. Aside from her sweet, "You be careful. Don't worry about me," she had also said, "Remember what we do to bad guys these days, okay?"

This quickly reminded her of what Ojousama had been talking about. It was one time that she and Ojousama, along with Vergil-dono, were watching a movie.

Ojousama: When you catch a bad guy, what do you do to him?

Roomie: *gestures slitting her throat* Quick or slow, depending on how bad. 😑

Ojousama: 🤦♀️

Vergil-dono: 😏 *gives 1 point to Roomie in his Substitute Protectors scoresheet*

Ojousama: *points to the screen* Nowadays, when you catch a bad guy, you bring him to those people. They are called the 'police'. Their job is to catch bad guys and keep them locked up. You'll recognize police officers because of that kind of uniform and their car has that light on top.

With that recollection, Roomie sighed and withdrew the blade. She shifted into using the kusarigama's chain to tie this man up. Luckily, Dante-dono's weapon was very cooperative, because it extended the chain part and gave her as much as she needed. She made a mental note to thank Dante-dono for this. Even while he was away and dealing with something else, he was still helping her. Hopefully, Dante-dono was also safe right now.

Dragging the man in chains, Roomie headed back to her Ojousama, looking left and right for signs of any 'police' around.

Chapter Text

## Inner-demons ##

Dante had gone out of the room to eliminate every annoying fire gremlin that had escaped. He followed them through hallways, even had to track others that seemed to be hiding. Apart from the fire alarm, he didn't need to tell the people to escape, for seeing these demons were causing them to run away.

It would've been a fun hunt if not for the burning surroundings giving him unpleasant reminders. At one point where he reached a certain room and saw a white closet, he had to hold on to a nearby desk to stabilize himself in more ways than one. But he knew he had to keep himself together right now, so he tightened his grip on the edge of this wooden furniture to the point that it cracked and his hand bled. But the pain served well to wake him up, and oddly, it even reminded him of Roomie. That's right, he had to focus on this current mission so he could go check on you two sooner. 

He then noticed that the bunch of little fire demons ahead seemed to be heading outside, jumping off a certain opening made by a collapsed wall. "I've once chased an enemy to hell; I'll chase you guys wherever you go," he muttered, smirking, as he followed them. With these demons on the loose, it would be a more troublesome search-and-smack. But at the same time, he was quite thankful that this would lead him to escaping this hellish place.

## Family Ties ##

You had just called the city’s fire department and an ambulance. If you had powers and awesome fighting skills, you would’ve joined Roomie in chasing after the guy, or Dante in fighting those fire demons. But you knew you were only an ordinary human, a clumsy one at that. The best thing you could do now, aside from calling for help, was to assist the other people in need. After all, some of those that were coming out of the burning building were carrying babies, some were with children and pets. 

It was heartwarming, in a way, both literal and not, that in a situation like this, the people were doing what they could to help. Some guys from the nearby establishments were using their fire extinguishers while the firemen had yet to arrive. Some were even throwing buckets of water to keep the fire from spreading to the adjacent buildings. But there was something that caught your attention and made you worry…

You saw a boy climbing up the fire escape where you’d come down from, so you rushed there to call him. "Kid, you're doing the reverse! Come down here!"

He stopped to look at you. "I need to save my little brother." Then he went on.

"Wait! Your brother might have already escaped. Let's look for him among the crowd."

"It's not likely. He broke his leg in soccer practice. I'm sure he's still there in his room, trapped," he said, sounding like he was trying his best to keep himself from crying. "I shouldn't have gone to school today, tsk… I have to rescue him." The kid sure was motivated. 

The more he climbed up, the more you were panicking internally. "Wh-Where are your parents?"

He evidently froze before continuing and replying, "Mother is at work. Father… went to buy cigarettes with his secretary... two years ago."

Oh boy…  Apart from the family members, the way this kid spoke was reminding you of someone… someone who always had that same motivated look on his face. Dammit.

"Why don't we wait for the firemen, I mean they're more pro at this…"

"There is no time for doubt. I know what must be done."

Aaaahhhhh!!  You didn't know if you'd heard that correctly or your mind had edited it a little, but after that, you found yourself going after him. You knew Vergil and Dante would scold you for this, but you couldn't just leave this kid on his own. Your conscience wouldn't let you sleep if something bad happened to them and you just stood watch. And besides, they reminded you too much of them…

“What are you doing?” the child asked upon noticing you climbing up.

“I’m coming with you, Little Vergil. Let’s save Little Dante!”

“Those are not our names, big sister.”

“When you hit puberty and have a growth spurt, you’re gonna be adding a ‘little’ to that too,” you rambled on, distracting yourself, for you were really scared about this.

“Huh?”

“Nothing. I’m nervous.”

“You’re weird… but thank you, big sister.”

Chapter Text

Roomie reached the burning building without finding any ‘police’, so she was still dragging the man in chains. But upon her return, she immediately noticed Ojousama about to climb the fire escape from earlier. There was a boy above Ojousama and they seemed to be talking. Now curious and worried, Roomie looked left and right, wondering where she could leave this man.

Fortunately, there was a nearby tall box with the ringing device inside, the same in the game that Ojousama often played. Roomie put the man inside, but before closing the door, she said, “Dante-dono’s weapon, please keep this man's eye while I help my Ojousama.”

“Keep my eye? Wait, what? Don't take out my eye—” But the chains moved and muffled the man’s mouth. Roomie smiled, seeing this as Dante-dono’s weapon acknowledging her request.

But the people around them seemed curious and worried about the man. So she said, while pointing to him, “This man is bad guy.” Then she pointed to the burning building. “His fault.” And with that, the people around narrowed their eyes at the man in chains. Now this man surely cannot escape.

##

“Ojousama! Nani o nasatte irasshaimasuka?” [very polite “What are you doing?”]

“Oh, Roomie! Hi!” you greeted as if you were in a very normal situation, stopping momentarily to glance at her. “Did you catch the man?” She nodded and pointed to a phone booth surrounded by an angry mob. “Oh, that’s great. You’re awesome! I’m just gonna go help Little Vergil here rescue Little Dante. Just wait for us there, okay?”

“Ojousama…” Roomie replied in a frustrated tone with furrowed brows. Ah, she really was Vergilish, wasn’t she? “I cannot simply wait here.” And with that, she also climbed up, joining you in this mission.

##

Upon entering the floor that Little Vergil had led you to, you left a trail of spectral air-vent passageway. The area was barely walkable right now so you wanted to make sure that the four of you would have a safe makeshift path you could use in going back to the fire escape later. Hopefully the Mini-Yamato’s spectral objects would be enough to keep you all safe from the fire. You made this spectral air duct big enough to crawl comfortably in, so you could all still move quickly once inside it.

Little Vergil gave you an amazed yet incredulous look when he saw what you’d been doing, so you said, “We'll crawl in this path later to keep the flames away, alright?”

“You can do magic?” was his takeaway, to which you just smiled and shook your head.

It was a good thing that Roomie came with you, because she was the one kicking the flaming doors open and keeping Little Vergil from carelessly running ahead. You three eventually reached their unit, and there you found Little Dante.

“David!”

“Vincent!”

They hugged upon seeing each other, both looking like they were about to cry but were trying their best not to. ‘Aww, Devil May Cry, boys… Oneesan may cry too…’ you thought as you watched them. You were trying your best to hold back your tears for you were imagining this as a what-if for Vergil and Dante.

“You came back for me?”

“Of course, fool.”

“I was so scared…”

“Don’t be afraid. We’ll get out of here.”

Little Vergil then piggybacked Little Dante, even if Roomie had volunteered to carry the injured child. “Big Sister #2 focus on clearing the path like earlier. I’ll take care of my brother.” Yeah, coldly calling others by numbers but protective of his little bro, that’s Little Vergil alright.

So you all went back, and you guided them to enter the spectral path. “You go in first so you can assist him from the other side,” you told Little Vergil. “I’ll be right behind him,” you added, showing the kid that you were motivated to keep his brother safe too.

With that, you four started the crawl. “Imagine we’re just playing in tubes and tunnels in playgrounds,” you said, hoping it would help them not to be scared, because the fire had gotten worse on your way back. The fact that the path was spectral proved useful in seeing the outside.

And you were more thankful for that fact and for Roomie being alert, because a few minutes in, something was about to fall over you. “Ojousama, abunai!” Luckily, she was able to pull you back close to her, thus saving you from getting crushed by that big ceiling debris.

But you got more worried about the kids. Thankfully, you heard Little Dante say, “Big Sister! Are you alright?” It was a relief, because of the two kids, he was the one closer to what had just fallen.

“We’re fine. You kids go ahead and escape. We’ll find another way out,” you reassured, because the path was indeed literally blocked. You were confident that the spectral passageway was still whole on their side because you’d made it a segmented one, like air ducts in spy movies. But you made sure by asking, “Is the tunnel still okay there on your side?”

“It is. Promise you’ll get out too!” Little Vergil demanded, making you laugh. 

“We will, I promise! Big Sister #1 can do magic, remember?” 

And with that, the kids went on. You could hear Little Vergil cheering on Little Dante in his own stiff way. At least they’d be able to escape. You then looked around and noticed the fire surrounding you and Roomie… the hopelessness dawning on you at the same rate that you could feel the heat increase.

You forced a grin in contrast to her worried look, and said, “At least the kids are safe.”

Chapter Text

No matter how you looked at it, you and Roomie were trapped. 

Roomie had tried pushing or kicking the big piece of the ceiling that was blocking your path, you'd even tried using summoned objects in pushing it, but it was really too heavy. So you two tried finding other ways, with you conjuring one of those big-ass spectral umbrellas from before with Dante and Vergil3, for protection against falling fiery debris. Roomie was still protective of you even in here, so you wanted to return the favor by having this umbrella follow her around. But no matter where you turned, the paths were either blocked by fire or ruins or both.

Refusing to lose hope, you summoned all your escape room experiences and tried to think of a solution. But this wasn't a situation with locks to solve and surroundings you could search for clues. There was clearly no way out. Even the sprinklers that should've been dousing the fire were not working, or had they already melted? You weren't sure, but either way, even those things hadn't been able to last…

"Wait, that's it!" your thoughts slipped out, making Roomie look at you. So you explained to her with a hopeful smile, "If we can't get out… we just have… to survive… till they can… put out the fire… right?"

Eh? Why were you speaking like that?

It was only then when you realized how difficult it was to speak… to breathe. So you had to do this quickly. Gripping the Mini Yamato tight, you visualized what you wanted to conjure. After all, Foolish Summoned Objects were your specialty, as Vergil called it. You made four spectral walls appear in this limited space you two were in. Then you pulled Roomie close so the umbrella would serve as the roof.

"Blue House," you said with a silly laugh …or was it panting? You couldn't even say your joke that this wasn't a greenhouse nor the White House. But at least you were able to say, "Sorry, Roomie… and Vergil…" before everything turned black.

##

Roomie had been trying to find a way out, but there seemed to be none. She tried pushing or kicking things away, not minding how her hands and feet were getting wounded or burned. She just wanted to make sure that Ojousama would survive.

It didn't help that her head was experiencing a throbbing pain at an inconvenient time like this, and her vision was failing her. She was seeing the surroundings differently at times. The floor would become tatami, the walls would become shoji, and Ojousama… Ojousama was the same but she also wasn't. She was doing things that would protect Roomie such as making this floating umbrella and healing Roomie's wounds with her touch, when it was Roomie who should've been protecting her Ojousama. Even in Ojousama's last moment, she did something to protect Roomie again, and she was still smiling like usual. 

As Roomie held Ojousama's limp body inside this glowing field that was shielding them from the fire, she felt a surge of emotions, mostly frustration and guilt. She tried to think of what to do as she repeatedly called out Ojousama's name. But her mind wasn't cooperating, for it was showing her images after images instead. Ojousama's laughter, her efforts to help everyone she could, her excitement whenever she was pulling Roomie to places, and her wistful smiles whenever she would apologize to Roomie while treating Roomie's wounds. This helplessness right now was oddly too familiar, and she felt like she was close to understanding everything.

But then she noticed that the space to her left was ripped open as if it were merely a sheet of fabric.

Chapter Text

Vergil felt odd as thoughts of you kept crossing his mind while he was training Vergil3. But he figured that it must be because he wasn't used to being in another universe without you. And before leaving you today, you'd kept reassuring him that you would be fine, that Dante and Roomie together were already too much as your substitute protectors… and that he needed to spend time doing things he enjoyed without worrying so much about you. One of which was this training, his second chance at making himself be powerful through less-genocidal methods.

So with that in mind, he tried not to get bothered by that odd feeling. He might have failed a few times though, when he spaced out for a split-second and the lad was able to land a hit on him. Even Vergil3 considered this unusual. "You seem preoccupied with other matters, S-Sensei," he said monotonously.

Vergil didn't want to elaborate on his worries and fears about his human mate, so he just shook his head and formed his stance again. But then this certain moment came when he felt his chest constrict. He wasn't in your world where arrhythmia and palpitations were normal side-effects of his bad sleeping habits, so he knew that there really was something that his demonic senses were telling him. So he quickly opened a portal to where you were. 

"Where are you going?" the lad asked.

"She's in danger," was the curt reply he managed to give as he grew more nervous by the second. It might have been because his younger self was also drawn to you that he didn't need to explain it and Vergil3 just went into the portal with him. At least the lad's presence proved useful, because the moment Vergil stepped out of the portal and saw you unconscious in a burning place, everything else became white noise to him. He was drowning in fear, guilt, rage, and even unpleasant visions, but he didn't let those things stop him.

He wasn't able to save his mother before. He wasn't able to protect his twin that time. And he only escaped and felt more powerless the next time it happened. 

All the power he had obtained would be useless if he lost you here. It would be a big bloody joke if he lost you in something like this. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he lost you now… if you died and he hadn't been there to prevent it.

Even as those thoughts filled his mind, Vergil was moving as if he knew everything he needed to do. Apart from the trembling hands, he resolutely passed through the spectral wall in front of him, took you from Roomie's arms, then cut open another portal to Dante's shop. He carried you through it while holding you tightly, mumbling both his apologies and promise to save you. 

He will save you. He would cut out his lungs and put them in you if necessary. He wouldn't have a reason to breathe if he lost you right now anyway.

He will definitely save you.

As Vergil was doing his best to resuscitate you, he could hear Vergil3 asking Roomie what had happened. Then Vergil3 bid, "I shall go and assist Dante. You better save her." It sounded more like a threat than a plea. His younger self was getting arrogant with him again, but that might be because it was about you. But Vergil was thankful. The lad probably understood, since they were the same person, that he would be able to focus on you if he wouldn't be worried about Dante, hence Vergil3's decision. The tsundere lad was definitely worried about you too but he chose to give support the best way he knew. 

So Vergil felt like there were two of himself who was pressuring him to save you. And perhaps that was a good thing. He wouldn't lose you here. You two would last longer than this. You'd said that you wanted to see if that lad would indeed meet his version of you someday. You would certainly be excited to meet her. You'd probably peep at them too. He'd let you use peeping portals as much as you wanted, even let you call them as such. Just please don't let this be the end...

"My love, please... Breathe for me, please..."

But the longer he had to give you chest compressions, the more his vision was getting blurred. He had to blink a few more times than usual and swiftly wipe his face. He wouldn't lose you. Not here. Not now. Not this way. Not when he hadn't even been there to protect you.

So when you choked and coughed, he felt a shower of relief, a complete opposite of his usual reactions to you choking and coughing. He knew he had to restrain himself to let you recover your breath, but he couldn't. Almost at the same instant, he held you tight then kissed you as if to suck all the smoke that you'd inhaled and take it out of your system.

"Vergil…" you then said, almost a whisper, while giving him a weak smile. You glanced at Roomie, closed your eyes and sighed in relief, and then… you fell asleep?

"Ojousama!"

You were breathing fine and you even had a hint of a smile. So Vergil said, "Don't worry. She merely fell asleep, probably from exhaustion and stress." Though he said it more to himself, to keep him from worrying too much. But he kept hold of your hand and watched you in your sleep. He'd be monitoring your pulse and breathing as if he were a machine. He'd stay by your side till you woke up, and he would certainly never let something like this happen again.

Chapter Text

"Oh, hey, what're you doing here?" Dante greeted.

"Saving you," Vergil3 replied emotionlessly as he swung his sheathed katana to shove away the fire gremlin that was about to jump on him. He'd arrived at what seemed to be a park, so maybe that was why he couldn't help but ask, "Are you playing with these demons?"

"Of course I'm not! They're just sneaky little bastards that like to hide," Dante said after shooting at the demon that the kid threw in his direction. "And I don't need any saving. You're just reminding me of the last time I played as you and I overwrote my Dante save file!"

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Dante laughed. "Wait, this means Vergil's back. Am I in trouble?"

With that, Vergil3 explained how he'd gotten here. Of course, Dante wanted to come home as soon as he heard about what had happened, but he knew he couldn't just leave this unfinished. In return, though, Dante also enlightened Vergil3 about the situation, while he was still searching for fire demons by trying to sense them and following the trail of burnt leaves in the area.

Vergil3: Defeating them like this has no meaning. We must get that book. 😑 

Dante: The solution's in there? 😲 

Vergil3: *nods* 😑

Dante: What is it? How?

Vergil3: 😏 Well, what puts out fire? And what kills a prey?

Dante: A cryptic dork. 😆 *finger guns*

Vergil3: 😒 Hmph, suit yourself. I'll go back to my world. *unsheathes the Yamato*

Dante: No no no don't leave! 😂 *grabs the kid's arm*

Vergil3: 😏 Then say the magic word.

Dante: Cryptic dork? 🤭 Open sesame? 👀

Vergil3: 😒

After a few more teasing, Dante opened a portal with the Yamato shard to retrieve the Proto Angelo box. It was now twice as big as when he'd last seen it.

Vergil3: This is… 😯

Dante: Little Big Sis' demon bodyguard. You can talk to him, don't be shy. 😏

Vergil3: I am not shy. 😒 I was asking for its name so I can command it. 🙄

Dante: Pro— *doesn't want to say 'Angelo' even to a non-Nelo'd Vergil* I think it's "Itchy"? 🤔 Just call him… Big Guy! *pats the metallic box*

Ichimatsu: *faintly glows purple* My King's twin… How may I serve you?

Vergil3: 😑 *still has issues with keeping demons as pets and bodyguard*

Dante: Could you uh, open up? Because Edgy McEdgelord here needs the book. 

Vergil3: 🙄

Ichimatsu: I'm afraid that might be too dangerous even for demon hybrids such as you two. Perhaps I can simply bring out the book and still contain the demons that are inside me. I must warn you though, that it is still continuously summoning these fire demons.

Dante: Must be one hell of a heartburn you're having right now, huh? Can you still hold up?

Ichimatsu: I must. This is a task that My Lady has entrusted to me.

Dante: Well then, poop the book, Itchy! 😆

Vergil3: 🤦♂️ *might only be suppressing his laugh*

##

Vergil3 found it strange that this demon knight was concerned about others that he was putting himself in danger. Although, he'd mentioned that it was your command, so perhaps it wasn't exactly concern for humanity, but loyalty to his master?

Shrugging the thoughts for later, Vergil3 then made a cut on his right palm as he pulled the book on the ground close. He made his blood drip to his index finger and he began writing over the symbol that was currently on the opened page. Trying his best not to get bothered by the small fire demons that were still coming out, he finished the writing quickly while uttering the incantation on the page. Once done, the demons stopped coming out of the book.

Dante: *while dealing with the most recent batch of fire demons* That's it? 😯

Vergil3: That's not it. 😒

Dante: It's as simple as overwriting it with another person's blood? 😆

Vergil3: It is not. 🙄 It requires the ability to read the spell and alter it to your will, as well as drawing the symbols correctly and swiftly. 😑

Dante: Oh, so that's why the man earlier made his blood like a paint palette, while you made yours like a continuous-ink fountain pen. 😆 I'd give your method an SS.

Vergil3: Hmph. 😒 *not satisfied because it's not SSS* Let's see you rank this…

Dante: What are you doing?

Vergil3: *flipping the pages of the book* 😏 *cuts his palm again because it already healed, then writes something on a page while mumbling something*

A blue snake-like dragon demon came out. It was rather small, though bigger than the fire ones.

Dante: What the— Kid! Don't play with your new book!

Vergil3: I wasn't playing with it. 😒 This… solves your problem. 😏 *to the dragon* Hunt every single one of those fire demons. 😑👉

The dragon then chased after the fire demons around and devoured them one by one.

Dante: 😯 

Vergil3: Like I said, what puts out fire and what kills a prey? 😏 

Dante: A water-type predator! 🤩 *follows the dragon around*

Vergil3: 😏 *pats the Proto Angelo box* You may release them now. *calls the dragon* Feast on these. 😏👉

Dante: It obeys your command? 🤩

Vergil3: They are given form because of the summoner's blood, so… 🙄 These demons are different from the usual ones we encounter. They are not the type to seek human blood but they can still be dangerous if misused, like what happened here. 😒

Dante: *no longer listening* Wow, he gets bigger the more he eats… 🤩 *poking the water dragon, planning to ride it once it gets big enough* (๑ơ ₃ ơ)✨✨

Vergil3: 🤦♂️ Don't play with it, fool. *picks up the Proto Angelo bracelet on the ground*

Dante: *realizes something* Σ(゜Д゜) Hey, tell him not to hurt humans.

Vergil3: *sighs then calls the dragon* Don't hurt humans… even if they can be frustrating at times. 🙄

Dante: Is that what you’ve been telling yourself these days? 😂 How're you gonna get your version of Little Big Sis if you still have disdain for plebs?

Vergil3: (😳) Hmph, foolishness. 😒

Dante: Hey, dragon, wait! Live in the ocean after this so we don't have to hunt you. *nudges Vergil3* Tell him that.

Vergil3: 😑 Dragon demon. *dragon looks at him 🐉, he gestures to Dante* What he said. 🙄

Dante: You should've at least given him a name. Something edgy like "Demonic Dragon of Darkness" or "Stygian Serpent of Solitude." 😆

Vergil3: 😒 *but is thinking of a cooler name*

Dante: *picks up the book* Wanna keep this and be the very best, like no one ever was? 😆

Vergil3: 😒 Fool. Give it to sens— 🙊

Dante: What's that? 😏

Vergil3: I said "You're not making any sense." 😒

Dante: 😆 Gotta catch 'em all!~ 

Chapter Text

You woke up, but before you could figure out where you were, Vergil caught you in an embrace. Of course you hugged him back, but he held you tight in silence for a while, giving you a chance to glance around. You were in Dante's shop, on the couch near the stairs. Then you saw Roomie sitting on her knees on the floor, in front of the other couch. She was facing you and she even bowed down when you looked at her. But before you could call her out for sitting so far away and being too formal like this, Vergil spoke.

"I… was worried about you." He sounded like he was careful in speaking, as if trying his best to hide how he was feeling. That made you realize how worried sick he must've been. More so when he held you tighter once you uttered his name.

"Vergil… I'm sorry." You stroked his hair, both in apology and in hopes of calming him down. "Sorry… There were those kids... I couldn't just let them be. They… reminded me of you and Dante." 

You were hesitating on elaborating in fear of reminding him of unpleasant things. Luckily he stopped you when he shook his head and said, "No, I'm sorry I wasn't able to come to you sooner…"

"Vergil…" You pulled back to look at him and cup his cheek. "You arrived on time. You saved me and Roomie." But he just shook his head again while gazing at you, as if he hadn't seen you for so long. His silence seemed more like an effort to control his emotions. So you'd thought of distracting him a little, to somehow keep him from probably blaming himself in his mind. "How did you know I needed your help?" You were aiming to make him appreciate the fact that he’d saved you, for starters.

"I sensed that you were in danger so I quickly opened a portal to you." 

You were amazed, in contrast to how he answered emotionlessly. "You were able to do that even when in a different universe?" 

"Well, with all the mate marks I’ve put on you, I suppose that the 'sensing when you are in danger' feature also got amplified." This time he had his usual unimpressed face. But with how his eyes strayed away from yours, you could tell that he was slightly embarrassed.

“Aww…” You giggled then pinched Vergil’s cheeks to make him look at you. “That’s so sweet.” You were planning to make him at least sit beside you on the couch, for he was still kneeling on the floor.

But you weren’t able to, because he immediately went back to blaming himself. “I have been sensing something odd but I didn't listen to it. I should have—”

“Vergil, it's fine,” you cut him off, squeezing his face a little. “I'm safe, you saved me. You came right when I needed you.”

“Had I opened that portal a few seconds late, you—” This time you cut him off with a kiss. At least this one worked, and with how he was pulling you as he responded, you could feel how he wanted you close, as if he was really afraid to lose you.

So when you pulled away, you said while caressing his cheek, “Vergil… stop thinking about unpleasant possibilities that we were able to dodge. It will only make you worry…”

He nodded, but he didn't seem convinced enough. Somehow, you were expecting more protective strategies and insomniac experiments because of this. But since he looked calmer than before, you went to the next concern. Roomie seemed downcast for some reason, that you wanted to apologize to her because you had to ease Vergil’s worries first. But then you realized, “Vergil, did you scold Roomie?"

"No. I even thanked her for protecting you."

You laughed, for his eyes grew a bit wide when he denied your accusation. "Good." Then you kissed Vergil’s cheek before pulling him to sit beside you.

And probably because you were laughing at him, he became a bit relaxed, that he was scolding you a little. “Foolish human. You can't breathe properly in a dusty room and yet you went inside a burning building.” At least his dad mode was back.

But you escaped it by sticking out your tongue then shifting to, "Are you alright, Roomie?" She just faced you and nodded. "Do you have any injuries?" She merely shook her head. She seemed off though. Ah, maybe she was just worried about… "Where's Dante?"

“He is still fighting those fire demons, I presume.” Vergil looked away when he added, “With Vergil3.”

“He came with you?”

Speak of the devil, a portal opened, from which Vergil3 and Dante came out.

##

When Dante arrived at his shop, he was relieved to see you greeting him and Vergil3. You even seemed to be about to stand up to approach them. But the overprotective dork beside you pulled you back and held you close, then told you to take a rest, for you had just regained consciousness. Okay, so everything is back to normal with these two, now where’s his…

“Roomie, you alright?” The portal was facing you and Vergil so Dante had a delay in seeing her. But Roomie had more delay in realizing he’d arrived. She even flinched before looking at him when he called her name. She just nodded at him and went back to staring at the floor while she was sitting on her knees. If he didn’t know about her habits, he would’ve thought that Roomie was getting punished by her strict father, or Vergil, in this scenario. But he was sensing something off about her. Indeed, Vergil was holding you close for he'd probably been insanely worried, but Roomie wasn't showing her usual Ojousama thing… It seemed she couldn't even look at her Ojousama.

So Dante was going over to her side, but you caught his attention when you asked, “Are the fire demons gone?”

“Yeah, grumpy kid had a simple solution.” With his answer and laugh, no one could tell how worried he was right now. He even ruffled Vergil3's hair while still talking to you. “I  told you we already have a demonology expert. There’s even two of them here.”

Vergil3 slapped Dante’s hand off him, but the older man was persistent. “It is merely from something I have read before,” the kid said fake-indifferently. Dante could tell he was getting shy from the attention because he was looking away.

“Tell me about that solution,” you said enthusiastically, making the kid subtly flustered.

As Vergil3 handed Vergil the big book and told the two of you of his solution, Dante went over to Roomie’s side. His worry was increasing every step for she seemed lost in her thoughts. He knew she was normally quiet and straight-faced, but she wouldn’t be like this when her Ojousama was here. Heck, she wouldn’t be sitting this far from her Ojousama unless you’d commanded her to, and Dante doubted you would do that.

“Something wrong, Roomie?” He tried to sound casual yet gentle, hoping she’d tell him what was bothering her. But as he’d expected, she just spared him a respectful glance and shook her head before going back to staring at the seemingly-interesting floor.

Dante knew he wasn’t good at feelings-talk, especially initiating them, so he tried hard to recall your techniques in making him or Vergil open up when they seemed bothered. Luckily, he found an opening while he was looking at Roomie. No, he wasn’t subtly inspecting her for wounds, like Vergil’s not-subtle SOP with you. Dante just happened to notice a hint of unusual redness on her right hand, on that part between her thumb and index finger— He just noticed it by chance, promise…

So he knelt down on one knee and took her hand, and he felt that same frustration which made him grit his teeth. But he forced a smile when he said, “You got yourself wounded badly this time, eh, Roomie?” It was difficult to keep wearing it, though. More so when he noticed that she had burns and cuts on her left hand too, as well as her legs. Dammit.

So he didn’t beat around the bush and he gently pulled her to stand up. “Let’s get these wounds treated.” That one might have sounded like he wouldn’t take no for an answer, that she didn’t resist nor said it was nothing, like how she normally would. He pulled her to the kitchen where the first aid kit was. At least, in there, he would have a better chance of getting her to open up, especially if it was something she couldn’t say within her Ojousama’s earshot.

##

Vergil3: *returns Proto Angelo bracelet to you* It was a smart move to contain them, human. 😒 ( Should I put it on her? It might be rude if I simply hand it this way. But no, I should avoid any physical contact; she belongs to Sen– the older me. No more time to decide; she’s about to take it— D-D-Did the tip of her finger just touch my fingernail??? 🤯😳 ) Hmph. 🙄

Vergil: 😑 ( I saw that very slight unintentional touch, but I will let it pass for you have done well, young me. )

You: You saved Ichimatsu! 😭 Thank you, Vergil3… 🥺

Vergil3: 😳 I- I must return to my world post-haste. Dante might be feeding Nero pizza right now. 😑

You: Aww, young Dadgil… 🥰 But Baby Nero doesn’t even have teefies yet! 😆

Vergil: *to Vergil3* Thank you for your help. 😑 *deep down, proud of his son younger self, and would give a head pat if it was their thing with each other but it isn’t* ( Foolishness. Head pats are reserved for my mate …and younger twin, fine. Although, Vergil3 is younger and we are identical, more identical than with Dante… And he’s my younger-version twin’s twin, thus by correlation, he’s also my younger twin, so… should I give the head pat? No more time to decide; he’s about to leave. )

Vergil3: *turns his back to them to hide his 😳* I considered it as merely part of the training. 😒

*Vergil stops Vergil3 from leaving for a moment to talk with him about who should keep the book. While they are talking and having more of their millisecond-thoughts…*

You: *trying to wear your bracelet while talking to it* I'm glad you're safe, Ichimatsu. Sorry I put you through that… Thank you for containing those demons. They could've put more people in danger if they were let out. 🥺

Vergil3: *watching you from the corner of his eye while still listening to sensei* ( She really cares about demons… Well, that one did provide some help. 🙄 ) 😒

It was decided that Vergil should keep the book, and Vergil3 said that even Dante had agreed to it. Vergil3 also didn’t want to take it to his world, for his goofball twin might mistake it as one of Nero’s bedtime stories and cause trouble with it.

And when Vergil3 left…

"Vergil…” you called in a worried tone while showing him the bracelet on your wrist. “Something's wrong with Ichimatsu… He doesn't lock. He locks automatically, demonically… Now he doesn’t."

Vergil checked it, then took it to inspect it closer, before calling, "Ichi." But Proto Angelo wasn't responding. "Ichimatsu," Vergil called again, despite him usually finding the new nickname quite foolish. Still, the demon knight wasn't responding, not even with the usual purple light. "Come out at this instant, Proto Angelo," Vergil said, surprising you with the stern tone and the fact that he just uttered the name ‘Angelo’.

The bracelet then turned into a purple ball of light, floating in front of you two, and from it you heard Proto Angelo’s voice. "Forgive me, My King. I believe I am no longer suitable to be your mate's armor and guard. I can no longer respond with the same speed as before. Even giving off a light as a response was already taking so much of my remaining power.

"Show yourself."

"Apologies, My King, but I… cannot."

"Show. Yourself." Vergil was scary, but you knew it was just because he was worried… and he might be onto something.

And he was indeed sensing it right, because when Proto Angelo appeared, he was… "Mini Angelo?" You covered your mouth quickly for saying the name. But you couldn’t help the squee that escaped the muffling because Proto Angelo now looked like a plush that could stand on your palm. No, not a fluffy plush, more like an action figure, a Gundam… yeah, like a Master Grade Gunpla , one that could still possibly stand on your palm. “Proto…type Gundaaam!”

So Proto Angelo couldn’t be the big knight but only a chibi one, due to how he’d exerted and drained himself in containing the seemingly-endless supply of the fire demons. Even Vergil couldn’t explain how this had happened, but he reassured you that this was most likely temporary and that he would do research about this. 

For you though, a mini demon knight wasn’t a problem. And like what had happened to Groot, at least he just shrank and he didn’t die. You were already thankful for that, even happy-tears kind of thankful. Though, you were also feeling guilty about this, because what you’d suggested had taken a toll on him…

Proto Angelo might have thought that he upset you, so he scrambled, though in his usual stiff way, "Forgive me, my lady, I did not intend to cause you distress. Should you wish for me to continue my service, I can still protect you in this form, but I may not be the best choice for your safety. I am still uncertain if I can provide you an armor or summon my knights. Though they would probably be miniaturized too…”

And with that, your sniffling had a mix of laughs, as you imagined a squad of mini demon knights. "Everything with me is always mini.” The stoic duo looked relieved when they saw you now smiling. But you went serious right away and faced Proto Angelo, then lowered your head as you apologized properly, “I’m sorry I caused you to be like this, Ichimatsu…”

But he knelt down on one knee and bowed as he replied, “My lady, do not apologize for saving your people. You did what you had to do, and you were commendable for being able to come up with such a solution under pressure. It brings me honor to have been part of such a strategy and to have served you till it was resolved.”

“He’s right, my love,” Vergil said as he wiped your tears. “Stop crying now…” As he rubbed your back, he suggested, “Why don’t you give him a new nickname?” He sure knew how to cheer you up. 

Even Proto Angelo looked relieved hearing that. “Does this mean you are allowing me to continue being of service to your mate, My King?” Vergil nodded, so the knight confirmed, “Despite my current lack of… power and stature?”

Vergil responded with a smirk. “I have backup plans and some more expe—” He cleared his throat then continued, “...ideas to try. You can provide me with assistance in that.”

“It is an honor to be offered this chance,” Proto Angelo said, bowing again.

“And besides, I’m theorizing that your current form will help you conserve your power. You still have it in you, probably depleted, possibly recoverable, but this new form is your body’s way of coping. This way you can be something like…”

“Like a tiny bomb that booms so big?” you piped in amazement, imagining the new Mini Proto Angelo to still be able to knock out a regular-sized demon with something like a charged attack.

Vergil chuckled and patted your head. “Yes, that.” Then he gave you a warm smile with a gentle pinch on the cheek, as if to make sure that you would keep smiling now. “So what will you name him?”

Of course you were excited. “Mini Ange— Minilo. Or instead of Proto, Petite An—” But you were stopping because you didn't want to say the name ‘Angelo’. “Oh! Little Angel! Cherub? Nah, it doesn't fit. How about mini…gelo… Melo—" You quickly covered your mouth for it was only a letter away from…

But Vergil smiled. “Take your time in deciding.” That even came with another head pat. “And it is fine to call him…Angelo. It's fine.” But the fact that he repeated it was telling you that it was still on the way to being ‘fine’. Vergil was really doing his best against his traumatic experiences. Just today there was the fire, now the Angelo... And the way he held your hand and gave it a squeeze and a kiss, before giving you a warm smile… that somehow told you that he was doing his best for you.

Aww, this foolishly sweet adorkable man… And you just hugged him in return, as tight as you could.

##

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Dante was treating Roomie’s right hand first. While doing so, he was thinking of ways to make her share her worries. He had used the Guessing Game before, so he wasn’t sure if it would work the same.

Lucky for him, it was Roomie who broke the silence. “Dante-dono’s weapon… I tied the man with it.”

“Yeah, I got it back.” He chuckled, more in relief that they were now talking, at least. “The cops found the guy but they couldn’t untie him from it. So I called it back into the void thing, and they were surprised that the chains disappeared.” He laughed to buy himself some time to extend this, to keep her engaged in a conversation. Follow-up question, come on… “What was that thing you transformed it into?”

“A kusarigama.”

“Is it a weapon you’re used to?”

She just nodded. 

“That’s nice. It seems the little pooch likes you.”

She simply nodded again, though thankfully, with words. “That is a relief. Please send him my gratitude.” She lowered her head at that.

“You don’t look relieved though.” And that became his segue into turning serious. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

But she shook her head and pulled her hand away. “Roomie!” She was about to leave, so he grabbed her arm. This might be a ‘now or never’.  

And with that fear plus the frustration in not being able to protect her like he’d secretly promised, Dante found himself hugging her. She had her back on him but she didn’t resist. He was preparing for some defensive reflex, planting his feet on the floor so she wouldn’t flip him over. But it seemed that what he’d done was melting her walls.

She wasn’t saying anything though. She just looked down then had her bloody palms face her, as if she was forcing herself to face the truth or something. Her hands were trembling, her shoulders too, so he wrapped his arms around them, pulling her even closer. He wanted to make her feel safe, to let her know that she could trust him… that she had somebody here who would carry it with her, whatever it was that was weighing her down. 

“Please, Roomie. Don’t keep it all to yourself. If it’s something you can’t even tell your Ojousama, you can always tell me.” And he must’ve hit the jackpot with the last thing he said because that caused her breath to hitch.

“Dante-dono… I…” she said in between sobs. He reluctantly pulled away just to turn her around. But she hid her face even more by looking down as she mumbled, “I killed my Ojousama.”

Chapter Text

Dante had managed to help Roomie calm down. He had also convinced her to tell her story to all of them, but he didn't mention to the other two what Roomie had said in the kitchen, that thing about her killing her Ojousama. Dante refused to believe so, which was why he wanted to know what had really happened. And he figured that sharing the information to Vergil might help in finally opening a portal to Roomie's world. So here they were right now in the shop's lobby, listening to Roomie's tale, with some translations provided by you.

##

Even before, Roomie didn’t have much memory of her own family as she had been trained right from the time that she could walk, trained to be someone else’s sword and shield. It had been engraved in her and her companions that there was no point in finding out about their origin nor establishing familial bonds, because the person they would be assigned to protect was of higher priority than their own family, even themselves. But when she met Hikari Ojousama…

They were of around the same age, but were still children when they'd met. That was why Ojousama had treated her like a playmate, even like a sister, right from the start. The first thing that Ojousama had said to her was, “Let’s play in the garden! Ah, I’ll show you my kanzashi collection first! Oniisama always gives me one as a souvenir from his travels. Let’s put a kanzashi on your hair too! Can you also play the koto? I’m learning it, but it’s quite difficult. What’s your favorite food?” Yes, it was the first thing Ojousama had said, which included glancing at Roomie every question, all the while pulling her by the arm and grinning wide. 

Dante: That sounds a lot like someone I know. 👀 *trying to lighten up the mood, to somehow make Roomie smile*

Roomie: *glances at you with a wistful smile then looks down again*

You: 😅

Vergil: 😑 ( So this Ojousama is really a different version of her, not just a look-alike? )

Ojousama would often get scolded by her father for treating her shield as a playmate, so whenever her father was around, she would pretend to play the role of the ojousama with her loyal protector. She just considered it a game, because she didn't like putting a wall between her and Roomie. But when her father was no longer looking, she would drag Roomie to interesting activities again. Despite Roomie's reluctance to indulge, she couldn't do anything against Ojousama's persuasion and persistence.

But that wasn't the only thing special about Ojousama. She also had the ability to heal people with her touch. 

You: OMG, she's like Yanagi and Roomie is Recca. 😍

Dante: Who are those? *looks at Vergil*

Vergil: I'm assuming they are anime characters where one is a healer and the other is a ninja. 😑

In every generation of the Yamato clan, a member of them was born with a special ability. That was why other clans had always been pursuing them, for the power they could provide to rule the country. Either that, or seeking to eliminate them, so those that a certain clan considered their enemy wouldn't be able to seize the Yamato clan’s power.

You: Wait wait, Yamato clan? So that’s why you had a headache when you heard about Vergil’s katana being Yamato! 🤩

Vergil: *glances at the Yamato, wondering if his katana is related to that clan and their power* ( Foolishness. It's probably a mere coincidence. 😑) 

Meanwhile, the Yamato clan had always intended to utilize their power and influence to help the common people. Peasants, as well as warriors and noblemen, would line up to get their illnesses and injuries treated, as Ojousama didn't discriminate. She even hated it whenever a highborn would demand to be prioritized. That was where Roomie and other retainers would step in to make sure Ojousama wouldn't have to deal with such a nuisance that would only add to how the healing process was already affecting her.

Healing another person would drain Ojousama's strength, but she still insisted. Even her strict and protective father couldn't go against it, as it was the clan's ancient custom to make use of their 'gift' to serve others. Deviating from that practice was believed to be disrespectful to their ancestors and could possibly lead to the next generation no longer being bestowed a gift. But those weren't Ojousama's motivation. She simply wanted to make use of what she had. "If I was born with this and I won't use it, that'd be a waste," she would often say with a silly smile. She would push herself to the point of passing out, as she refused to listen to Roomie and the others who were asking her to stop. "Some of these people came from faraway lands to get healed, so we should also do our best." Even when weakened, she would still smile while saying that reason.

You: Let me guess, her healing ability doesn't work on herself?

Roomie: *nods*

You: Aww, Ojousama… 😖 I wanna spoil her with food and her favorite goodies. Ah, *looks at Dante* let's bring pizza when we go to her. 😃

Dante: 😅 *nods*

Vergil: *sensing something odd* ( Why is Roomie not in a hurry to open a portal back to her Ojousama? 🤔 If that were me, who had lost my memories and just regained them, I'd waste no second to come back to her… ) *glances at you, who look excited to hear the rest of the story*

That was also why Ojousama couldn't go anywhere far, she had a weak physique because she kept draining herself. Apart from being bound to stay within the grounds of the castle, she was also physically… uncoordinated.

Vergil: In other words, clumsy. 🤦♂️

Dante: So that's why Roomie's been overprotective of Little Big Sis right from the start! 😅

You: 🙈 Maybe it's a multiversal trait. *mumbles to yourself* Wait, is Humes also clumsy? 🤔

Her strength or energy being drained was the reason why Ojousama would often fall or drop what she was holding. Despite the toll that the healing would take on her, she was always cheerful. She would laugh whenever she would stumble, so people around her wouldn't worry. But Roomie could tell that Ojousama was just shouldering it all herself, doing her best to help as many people as she could, the sooner she could. Ojousama had always lived as though she knew her time in the world wasn’t long, so she didn't like waiting for tomorrow. Whether it was helping those in need or simply a fun activity she had thought of, she always wanted to do it today. Perhaps it was because she could feel it in herself, that her life force was getting weaker.  

That was why Ojousama always seized every day, always making time for the people she cared about. And her retainers or protectors, as well as her handmaids, were all included in that list. She would make food or at least serve refreshments for Roomie and the others, which was always both an honor and a worry for them. She would also heal Roomie right away whenever Roomie would get injured while protecting her. Even though Roomie would insist that Ojousama should conserve her strength, Ojousama would counter her with, "I can't just conserve my strength and let you be in pain for so long. It bothers me to see you hurt." And if ever Roomie would surpass that and prevail in prioritizing Ojousama's well-being, Ojousama would eventually beat her with tear-filled eyes and the line, "What is this ability for if I can't even use it to heal the ones I hold dear?"

You: Aww, Ojousamaaaa… 😭

Vergil: *hands you a handkerchief indifferently* 🟦🤏🏻😑

Dante: 👀 ( If that is already making her cry, what more if… No, no, Roomie is probably just exaggerating, blaming herself. Yeah, I do that too. )

Chapter Text

Contrary to common expectations, Ojousama’s healing ability actually worked like a time fast-forward on the person's wound or injury. Other people thought that she was reverting the body part back to how it had been originally, but in reality, she was somewhat bringing its state to its future where it would be healed. A cut would be hastened to its closed state. A broken bone would be mended within a few minutes instead of weeks or months. But she wouldn’t be able to regenerate a torn limb, for its future state would still be a torn limb. She could close the wound, though, and keep the person from bleeding too much.

Dante: *looks at Vergil* 👀

Vergil: *looks away* 😒

When she was treating a sickness, however, she would have to make the person take the appropriate medicine for it. With her ability, she could hasten the medicine's effect, even amplify it a little, letting the person be healed right away. Unlike how it would normally go where the person would have to suffer the symptoms and wait for the medicine to take effect, Ojousama could make it so that the whole healing process would be shortened. It helped, in particular, those people who could not afford medicine for their illness. And because of this method, Ojousama was also trying to learn the available medicines, identifying which one would help which ailment. But the whole process was limited to what diseases that the present time could address. She couldn't treat a yet to be studied sickness.

That was exactly why Ojousama's older brother, Oniisama, pursued the study of diseases and medicine. As much as Oniisama wanted to keep Ojousama safe, he knew he couldn't stop his sister from wanting to help other people. So he became the one in charge of developing cures, which meant Ojousama would only have to focus on healing the people with it and with her ability. It was Oniisama's way of protecting his sister and helping her accomplish her goal.

Along with other scholars, Oniisama did extensive research on different diseases, as well as plants and substances that could be used to treat them. Because of that, he was often away from home, gathering books and materials from different places. Oniisama's return was always something Ojousama looked forward to, and she would ask him about his adventures with wide eyes, as if she was getting secondhand fun from the tale.

Ojousama wanted to be like her Oniisama, but her body was too weak for such frequent travel, let alone sleepless nights dedicated to gathering information. But she had found a way to help in Oniisama's creation of cures and medicines by using her ability to make the necessary plants grow immediately. Her ability was akin to fast-forward after all. She could also hasten the manifestation of the effect on the test subject, if there was a need to test a medicine or a chemical substance first.

In line with this, Oniisama always volunteered to be the test subject, saying he didn't want to experiment on other people and animals, and that he was confident in his concoctions. Apart from that, he seemed to like it whenever Ojousama would use her ability on him. 

You: Siscon even in a different version… 🤦♀️ 

Vergil: 🤦♂️ 

Dante: 😅 *has already met the siscon Oniichan at this point, but he just can't laugh right now*

Whenever Ojousama would use her ability, the body part being healed or the person being treated would be as if in a time bubble. They wouldn't be able to move until the process was over. The same thing would happen to the test subject, and Oniisama might have been finding that experience enjoyable.

Oniisama: Heal me, Hikari~ 😚 *lies down on the tatami, in front of his sister*

Ojousama: Oniisama! 😆 You didn't have to bare your chest for this!

Oniisama: This is the closest we can get in sukinshippu! 😘 *puckers his lips at the extended 'puuu'*

Ojousama: What is that? 🤭

Oniisama: Come closer and I'll show you. 😏

Roomie that time: 😑 Oniisama, I am wired to protect her and you know that, don't you?

You: 🤦♀️

Dante: 😅

Vergil: 😑

Oniisama would often be playful like that, intending to make his sister laugh whenever possible. But when it came to serious injuries, he often hid it from Ojousama, for he didn't want to add to the reasons why his sister was getting weak. He would keep it to himself until Ojousama would wonder why Oniisama wasn't seeing her despite him being in the palace. She knew him well enough to know why, so she would rush to Oniisama's chamber to scold then heal the man.

Roomie: Ojousama, be careful. *following her, ready to prevent any slip*

Ojousama: *barges in Oniisama's room* Mou! Why is it that you– no, you two *looks at Roomie* of all people always refuse to be healed by me? 😡🥺

Roomie: *surprised that she is getting scolded too, but doesn't show it, stays on alert*

Ojousama: *goes over to Oniisama's side while he's lying on his futon* I worry most about you two, but you're both stubborn and- and- *sniffles* pain-keepers! *pouts to stop her tears*

Oniisama: *smiles* *would've laughed but is trying not to, for a different reason though* What is a pain-keeper, dear Imouto?

Ojousama: *slaps the blanket over Oniisama's chest*

Oniisama: Oof! *in pain because he broke a rib when he fell from his library ladder due to lack of sleep, but tries not to show it* (＾︺＾💧).. *in a hoarse voice* No pain, no pain at all.

Ojousama: *takes off the blanket and inspects Oniisama's body*

Oniisama: 😳

Ojousama: *sniffles* *starts healing her brother*

Oniisama: 🤤

You: 🤦♀️ If that's really ancient Japan then he's probably the first-ever siscon. Gotta Google that later. 🤦♀️

Vergil: Are you really doing what you call a facepalm, or are you just covering an embarrassed face? 😏

You: 🤦♀️ *turns away from him, still a palm over your face*

Apart from Oniisama's best effort in creating medicines, what also made them work successfully was the fact that Ojousama could also will the body to its future state where the medicine from Oniisama worked in the person's favor. It was the same reason why Ojousama's touch and the light that came with it would only heal them and wouldn't make the body part or the person age fast. As long as there was the correct catalyst, which was Oniisama's medicines, Ojousama could make them work on the affliction. That was why despite the limitations of the current technology and available resources, Ojousama was able to heal even the seemingly fatal conditions.

But with such power, which was misinterpreted as one that could give a miracle, also came the dangers… especially since they were living in a time where one could conquer a piece of land as long as he defeated those who were guarding it, and the whole nation was ripe for the taking.

Chapter Text

“Is it true that I really can’t play with Oniisama today?” asked the little girl who was peeking from outside the sliding door.

“Hikari? What are you doing here?” replied the boy who was lying on his futon, covered with a blanket and with a damp cloth on his forehead. “You might catch a cold too if you stay here.”

“I’m not good at catch anyway,” she countered with a pout as she entered the room. “The man with the circle things on his eyes told Okaasama that Oniisama has a w-walrus. Is that why you are not feeling well?”

“Yes, but it’s a virus.” Oniisama laughed, which ended in a fit of coughing.

(Translator’s Notes: virus = ウイルス = uirus, pronounced as "wee-rues")

Hikari walked over to her brother, looking worried yet determined. “Then let’s tell that virus to go away. I don’t want Oniisama to be unwell.”

“That’s not how it works, Hikari.” Oniisama smiled, and it grew when Hikari poked the cloth on his forehead out of curiosity. “We’ll have to wait for the virus to run its course, and it will go away on its own.”

“How long will that take?” She frowned.

“About a week.”

“That’s long!”

“You can play with the others in the meantime.”

“No.” She frowned even more. “I don’t want Oniisama to be like this for a week.”

“My body is fighting it. Don’t worry about m–” his sentence and his smile were interrupted by another set of coughs. He then sat up to drink water, but his movements were evidently sluggish.

“Oniisama’s hand is trembling. Oniisama’s voice is different. Oniisama’s forehead is hot,” Hikari was mumbling to herself while clenching her tiny fists. “Okaasama also told the eye-circles man that you are not eating much and you threw up the small amount you ate.” Then she faced her brother with more determination as she repeated, “Let’s tell that wal– virus to go away.”

Oniisama laughed and held her hand. “I’m sure it will go away faster now, because you’re wishing for it to.”

She looked like she had a great idea. “Does that mean if I wish harder and talk to the virus politely, it can go away today?”

He laughed again, but this time with some coughing as he lay down. “Maybe. Try it.”

She nodded, as if she had just been entrusted with a very important mission. “Where is the virus?”

Chuckling, Oniisama pointed to his chest. “I think it’s in here.”

Taking a deep breath, Hikari put her little palms on her big brother’s chest and said, “Virus-sama, please leave my Oniisama’s body. I will give you, hmm… I can’t give you anything, not even my fruits after dinner, because Otousama will get mad if I don’t eat them. But I promise I will be a good girl and go to sleep when Okaasama turns off the night lamp.”

And the virus, or fate itself, must have fancied the offer because at that moment, light came out of Hikari’s hands, engulfing her brother’s whole body. From then on, Hikari was able to make illnesses and injuries heal faster in exchange for her ‘sleeping’ a bit early.

##

“That’s why I’m somewhat responsible for everything…” Oniisama told Roomie with a wistful smile. “Why she didn’t have a normal childhood, why she’s too weak to even be allowed to go beyond the castle’s walls… and why vile people are seeking to utilize her ability for their selfish gains.” The last part, he said with contempt. Then he put a hand on Roomie’s shoulder and said, “So promise me that you will keep her safe no matter what.” Roomie nodded resolutely at that. “And indulge her with those things that please her, even if you might find them quite silly.”

But at that one, Roomie shook her head. “I enjoy everything I do with Ojousama, to the point of feeling guilty.” As if on cue, scenes, such as Ojousama playing with Roomie’s hair and Ojousama making a mess in the kitchen trying to make her onigiri consistent in shape, quickly flashed in Roomie’s mind. Ojousama could find joy even in the smallest things, so being with her and doing even the most mundane activity would end up delightful.

“Don’t feel guilty.” Oniisama smiled as he draped a blanket over his unconscious sister who had passed out after a whole afternoon of healing people. “If you’re both enjoying the time you spend together, then that’s time well spent.” He then faced Roomie again and said, “I’m often away, but it eases my mind to know that you are with her. Thank you for being like a sister to Hikari.”

##

Indeed, Oniisama’s research always kept him busy, but it seemed he wasn’t the only one coming up with breakthroughs. 

It goes without saying that Ojousama couldn’t bring back those who had already passed. But with how information about her unfathomable ability was spreading with exaggeration from those who were simply too happy to have been healed, Ojousama had become a target of conquerors who refused to play fair.

There had been terrifying rumors about a certain clan, Kuroda, experimenting on their men, intending to create a formidable and indestructible army. According to the mercenary that Roomie and her comrades had been interrogating, the one they’d caught in his attempt to assassinate Ojousama, Kuroda clan was aiming for Ojousama’s power. They were trying to make undying warriors, and Ojousama’s healing ability was the key to achieve the ‘undying’ part. They thought that Ojousama's power could somehow make soldiers immortal, perhaps, by endlessly healing them. 

You: Ojousama is neither a gold orb nor a Medpack from Guardians vol.3, foolish enemy clans! 😠

Vergil: Calm down. 😑 *puts a hand on top of your head*

You: They make my red orbs boil. 😤 

Dante: *slight smile but is focused on monitoring Roomie’s reactions* ( So that’s why she’s always alert about ‘enemies’… )

The person who had hired the mercenary had given the order to end Ojousama before the Kuroda clan could get her. He still refused to utter the name of whom he was serving, but nevertheless, it meant that Ojousama was being targeted by both sides — those who were seeking chaos and those who wished to uphold relative peace.

But after some time, it turned out that the Kuroda clan was quite successful in their objective. News about undying warriors who were raiding villages had been spreading. Witnesses who had survived talked about men who still continued fighting despite getting stabbed multiple times. They were said to be indifferent to pain as well, and it seemed cutting off their limbs didn’t stop them from pursuing their prey.

You: OMG, is this a zombie samurai situation? Zom… Zomurai! 

Vergil: 🤦🏻♂️

You: Aim for the head! 😖

Dante: (Is that why Roomie didn't freak out seeing the demon on the wall? 🤔)

Indeed, decapitating them seemed to be the solution, but Roomie and the rest of the Yamato clan only learned about that quite late, when the Kuroda army attacked the Yamato castle one night. It seemed to be the very reason why the Kuroda clan still wanted Ojousama’s power. They wanted to perfect their… Z-Zomurai.

You: Don’t be embarrassed about the term, Roomie. You’re pronouncing it right. 😖 *would’ve been happy about the naming that was quickly adopted, but is worried about the Yamato clan*

They seek perfection for their warriors, in a sense that the torn limbs would regrow, their broken bones would be mended so they’d be able to fight effectively even when gravely injured, and their neck would heal before you could even finish cutting off their head.

Dante: 👀

You: They are seeking the power of Sparda… in the Yamato… clan. O_O

Vergil: 🤦🏻♂️

They seemed to believe that Ojousama could consistently bring the Zomurai’s bodies back to their original state so they would never die. But Ojousama wouldn't be able to do that, precisely because her ability worked the other way around.

##

“Can’t we just explain it to them, Oniisama?” Hikari asked while Oniisama was pulling her by the arm as they ran up the castle keep. Meanwhile, Roomie and Oniisama’s protector were making sure that none of those Zomurais could follow them.

Oniisama smiled at his sister’s innocence. “They wouldn’t listen, Hikari, that’s how curious minds work. They would try and try, and that would certainly involve putting you in harm’s way. Either that or they would hurt you to make you comply, thinking that you’re only being uncooperative.”

Hikari was still frowning, so when Oniisama halted in his tracks, he faced her and gently patted the top of her head. “You two run to the top and hide in there."

“Us two?” Hikari gestured to Roomie. “You mean you are not coming with us, Oniisama?”

“I have a duty to protect our people like Chichi-ue, Hikari." He clenched his katana but gave a warm smile, in contrast to her worried look.

"Then I have a duty to heal our people too," she countered. "I'll stay with you so I can keep healing you."

"Then I won't be able to move," he replied with a knowing smile. "And I doubt that the enemy would give us the chance to recuperate like that."

"But…"

"Don't be stubborn now. You two must hurry. We shall keep the enemy away from here to ensure your safety." Oniisama then faced Roomie to say, "I'm counting on you should they make it past us." Roomie gave a firm nod.

"Oniisama…" Hikari gripped his arm, as if unwilling to let go. It made Oniisama smile, but somehow, his eyes were welling up.

So he pulled her into an embrace, not just to hide how he was feeling but also to ease her worries. "I am pleased to have lived this life as your older brother, Hikari. I hope, if we are to be reborn, that we still be siblings so I can protect you from the moment you are born…" He pulled away to show her a sincere smile. "Imouto." 

You: Oniisamaaaaaaa… 😭 Why are you giving a death flag… 😭 Don't say something like that… 😭

Vergil: *hugs you*

You: He's got a point though. Older brothers are there right from the start. That's something a siscon can do, that no boyfriends or husbands can. 😭 Respect… *salutes despite crying* <(╥﹏╥)

Vergil: Shh shh… *stroking the back of your head* ( I suppose I should thank Oniichan for that, next time we get the chance to talk… )

Chapter Text

“Is that your only name?” the little Hikari asked, eyes brimming with pure curiosity as she looked at the young Roomie. They were sitting on the porch, watching sakura petals falling from the trees in the yard, while drinking tea and eating mitarashi dango. To be accurate, Hikari Ojousama had just forced Roomie to sit beside her and have this afternoon snack. It was against the rules she had been ingrained with, but it was Ojousama’s command so Roomie had to comply. And when Ojousama noticed that Roomie wasn’t eating the dango she was holding, she gently guided Roomie’s hand to make her take a bite. And when Roomie did, Ojousama grinned then gave her follow up question, “Do you not have a clan name? Like mine, I’m Yamato Hikari.” 

Roomie shook her head with a neutral expression. It wasn’t only that she didn’t have a family name, she didn’t even know if the name she had been using was her birth name or it was just something that her master had given her. But it didn’t matter, as long as she was fulfilling her duty.

“How do people call your family then?” Ojousama tilted her head in confusion.

“I do not have one,” Roomie replied respectfully.

“Ehh???” Ojousama’s calm face instantly turned into a baffled one. It was as though she’d just received a big, worrying news. “So you don’t have an Oniisama?” Roomie shook her head. “Even an Okaasama and Otousama?” She shook her head again, making Ojousama's brows furrow even more. Then Ojousama put the dango she was holding back on the plate so she could hold both of Roomie’s hands. 

It startled Roomie a little, but she didn’t show it. She got distracted at how serious and determined Ojousama looked while facing her. “Then I will be your family!” Ojousama stated, her expression slowly melting into a smile. “My family will also be your family! Oniisama will also be your Oniisama. Then Otousama and Okaasama too, as well as—”

“We cannot do that, Ojousama.” Roomie lowered her head.

“Who says we can’t?” Ojousama anchored her hands on her waist in a playful manner before counting with her fingers. “You live here, you’re always with me, you always help me in everything, you keep me from stumbling and getting my hands wounded, we always play and eat together, we always talk with each other, isn’t that already family?” Ojousama grinned when she concluded, “So when people ask you, tell them your family name is Yamato. Tell them you have an Oniisama, an Okaasama, Otousama, and this biiiiig family..." She opened her arms wide as she prolonged the word, before pointing to her nose. "And of course, me!”

Roomie didn’t know what to say, as it was the first time that she'd felt her eyes moisten, the same time she could feel something creeping up her chest. But it was definitely something pleasant and warm. She might have gotten frozen in place, that Ojousama handed her a cup of hot tea along with a caring, “Wash it down if it’s stuck in your throat. Oniisama said that’s why sticky wagashi is best paired with tea.” She grinned innocently, completely unaware of what was going on in Roomie’s mind. 

It was at that moment when it was made clear to Roomie why she existed. Back then whenever her master would make her accompany him to acquire supplies from the town, she would see children of her age playing as if it was the most normal thing to do. There were also others who were clasping hands with an adult while browsing the market. Those children looked like they would crumple with just a kick, but they had made her wonder why they were different from her… if it was just by luck that all she had been doing everyday was training, while other children seemed to be spending their time playing or studying or simply being cared for by adults.

But now she knew what all of this was for. She had been trained for this person, she had been prepared for Ojousama. And from then on, she protected Ojousama not only because it was her duty, but because she wanted the best for this wonderful person.

##

“Is there really nothing we can do?...” Ojousama mumbled while wiping her cheeks. From the small window, they had seen that different parts of the castle were burning. It wouldn’t be a surprise if this very tower had also been set on fire on the lower floors. Their men were still fighting but it was evident that the odds were against them. "If I just surrendered to the enemies right from the start, everyone would still be alive…"

"Ojousama, don't say that."

"This is my fault… Because of me, everyone—"

"Everyone had a more meaningful life. Everyone was treated like family. Everyone was able to smile even in difficult times." As if to prove her point, Roomie found herself unable to keep her lips from curving up. "And that is all because of you." But what she said made Ojousama cry some more, now with a smile though.

Before Ojousama could reply, three battered men came up to where they were. One was already limping, with a broken bone sticking out of his leg. The other one already had his intestines hanging from the big gash on his abdomen. The one behind them had already lost his right arm up to the shoulder, but he still held his katana firmly with his left hand. They were a bloody mess that Roomie didn’t want to let Ojousama see them any longer.

But Ojousama was even trying to talk to them, convincing them to stop, explaining to them that she wouldn’t be able to do what the enemy clan wanted her to do. But their eyes were empty, that Roomie could tell that they didn’t understand anything. They even looked unrelenting, as if they only had their mission in mind and nothing else could sway them from it. She was familiar with that, for it was the same way Roomie would always be when facing anyone intending to harm Ojousama, such as right now.

“Ojousama, stand back. They cannot seem to understand what you are saying so allow me to finish them off.” Roomie was, after all, only giving Ojousama a chance to do what she’d been wanting to try, the diplomatic method. If not for that, Roomie would’ve ended these three a minute ago.

“Wait, let's see if this would work,” Ojousama piped when Roomie was about to cut off the head of the last one she was pinning down. “Maybe my ability can do something in our favor.” She knelt down beside the man, making Roomie hold him tighter. Indeed, Ojousama wasn’t quick to give up as she had come up with the idea, “Since my power can bring someone to their future state, maybe they can be brought into a… a state where they would no longer keep fighting despite their fatal wounds and blood loss.”

“You mean to say you can bring them to their supposed death?” Roomie confirmed what Ojousama couldn’t seem to utter. This man she was holding down, after all, was the one with his innards already out.

“Maybe that can help in defeating these undying men. Maybe we can still save the others…” Ojousama said as her trembling hands reached for the man’s head. It was either the man’s animalistic snarl was frightening her or she was afraid to cause a person to die.

And it seemed to be the latter, because after the man was engulfed by light, he ended up partly healed and even stronger than before. He was able to break Roomie’s leg when she prioritized pushing Ojousama away upon realizing that the man was still hostile. Apparently, Ojousama’s ability could only be used to better the other person's state, not to harm nor kill them. That, or her pure heart really couldn’t bear hurting others when all she’d done her whole life was to heal people.

Luckily, Roomie was still holding her kusarigama so she was able to decapitate the man after that short tussle. With her position on the floor, though, she was able to take a peek through the ladder where these men had come from. She saw that more of the enemies were reaching the floor below, so she hurried to pull Ojousama to the last remaining one above, the attic. At least it had a closable door on top of its ladder. If they somehow barricade it, that could buy them some time to think of an escape. Or perhaps the fire that she’d also seen reaching the floor below would consume these undying men before they could come up to reach them. She couldn’t have Ojousama jump off the window or climb down through the roofs either, as that was dangerous for her and there were surely enemies waiting for them below.

So the only choice was to go up… for now. Perhaps they could set up a trap like what she’d done on the lower floor earlier—

“Your leg,” Ojousama interrupted Roomie's thoughts when they had sealed the entrance of the attic. “It must hurt a lot.” Well, Roomie wasn’t able to notice, for she was more focused on taking Ojousama to safety. Maybe it was due to adrenaline rush, or the fact that she had experienced worse before and she was just lucky enough that she had Ojousama always insisting on healing her. And right now Ojousama was doing the same. “Let me heal it while there are still no enemies here,” she said with a forced smile. 

The way she put it, though, told Roomie that Ojousama must have seen what was waiting for them in the floors below. She even added as she checked Roomie’s leg, “Those men reaching us here means Oniisama and the others have been defeated, right?” She trailed off at the end, then looked up for a moment as she wiped her cheek. “That means we are…”

“I won’t let them harm you, Ojousama,” Roomie said, despite not knowing how to make that possible. She was running out of options, and she only had a few weapons left with her. This part of the castle was supposed to be the one which was the best defended and safest, as there were plenty of traps and spaces to hide in. But the fact that those undying men were cornering them here meant that they were indeed undefeatable... almost to the point that Roomie wanted to tell them that there was no need to pursue Ojousama, that they were already powerful enough.

But then she found out that Ojousama was still more powerful than any of these undying men nor those who had created them. Although, she learned it in a rather unsettling way. “Wh-What are you doing, Ojousama?” She was supposed to have only her broken leg treated, but Roomie found herself being engulfed in a big ball of light. And it was different from the usual because she was able to move inside it, even knock on the invisible surface that was trapping her inside. “Ojousama?”

"I can't fight so this is the only way I can protect you with." Ojousama gave a forced grin as she continued to hold her hands forward to Roomie’s direction.

"Ojousama, I'm supposed to be the one protecting you." Roomie was starting to panic, afraid of what Ojousama could be planning, and of the enemies reaching this place and harming Ojousama while she was still inside this now floating sphere.

But Ojousama shook her head. “You have always been protecting me and making me happy. Allow me to return the favor."

"No, Ojousama, please! Let me go!" 

"It's either we'll both die here, or you'll die protecting me, leaving me alone, crying and being practically an easy target. So this way, at least one of us will survive."

"I am your shield, Ojousama. It is my duty to die for you."

"Then I command you to live…” Ojousama smiled despite the tears rolling down her cheeks. “Live a new life as someone else. This will not only heal you but will also… bring the whole you to a healed future." In between sniffles, she continued, "You shall be healed of all your pain. Everything that makes you sad will be forgotten, so you can start anew.”

Indeed, Roomie could feel that her broken leg was getting mended, as well as the other minor cuts she’d obtained. But that was already enough. “Ojousama, please! Release me so I can protect you in case they barge in.”

“Forget about those worries too.” Ojousama smiled warmly in contrast to Roomie’s dread. Roomie tried kicking and punching the invisible surface she could touch. She even used the sharp weapons she still had with her, to possibly tear a hole in it. But even those weapons were turning into specks of light that would’ve been a beautiful sight under normal circumstances. Even Roomie’s clothes were replaced by a smoke kind of light when Ojousama said, "You don’t have to remember who or what you are. I want you to have an ordinary and happy life. Live for yourself, experience new things…" 

"No, please stop this, Ojousama!" Against her will, Roomie’s eyes were starting to well up with all this helplessness and fear – fear not for her safety but of an imminent separation. “I’d rather die protecting you than be somewhere else without you, Ojousama!” Roomie begged and cried, but Ojousama was determined in her last resort. “If there is no escape then I'd gladly face my end here with you, protecting you till my last breath." 

"You have done that enough for me. I wish for you to be with someone who would protect you instead."

"I won't be needing that, I only need you, please." 

"Don't worry. You will certainly find me there too." Ojousama smiled warmly amidst her tears.

"No, please." 

"Thank you for everything, …" 

##

And that was the last thing Roomie could recall. She didn't even hear Ojousama say her name at the end, but she could see Ojousama smiling when she said it. Perhaps that was part of Ojousama’s will to make Roomie forget who she was and the life she'd had. But she hadn’t forgotten about Ojousama; she'd resisted that bit, and she might have been successful at that. It was probably because Ojousama had never made her sad nor caused her to suffer. Ojousama was the only happiness she'd had in that life… Perhaps that was why Ojousama had been the only thing she could remember.

But knowing that Ojousama would always get drained whenever she would use her ability, Roomie feared that this unusual spell which had transported her to a different, future world, would have taken a great toll on Ojousama. And if Roomie had been brought here, even stayed here for how long it had been, that meant Ojousama was left alone there, weakened and trapped in that room inside the burning castle, left to die either from the fire, the smoke or the enemies that were pursuing her.

“That’s why I…” Roomie looked down as her eyes were welling up beyond her control. “I killed my Ojou—” But before she could finish it, she found herself getting pulled by familiar arms into a familiar, warm, red coat.

Chapter Text

"If I don't return, you must run. By yourself, alone. You must change your name. Forget your past and start a new life as someone else. A new beginning."

It struck Dante to hear a line similar to that one he cherished as the very last thing his mother had said to him. To think Roomie had experienced the same… seeing someone she held dear prioritizing her safety and telling her to live a new life… bearing the guilt of not being able to do anything, while at the same time wanting to fulfill that person's last wish… 

He wanted to hold Roomie close, console her as much as he could, let her know that there was at least someone here who understood how she must have been feeling. But he hesitated. Or was it that he'd gotten frozen in place?

Well, Roomie was still narrating, and you and Vergil were listening intently. Even Dante himself wanted to know how it had turned out. And the rest of the story gave sense to why he’d found Roomie with that flash of bright light in the alley, unconscious and buck-naked, but without any injuries... also without memory of who she was, except memories of the person she cared about the most, the one she'd refused to forget.

So when he heard Roomie about to say it again, taking the blame and saying that she'd killed the only family she'd had left, the person closest to her… that was it. Dante couldn't keep himself from finally pulling her into an embrace. If only this could take that awful feeling out of her. He knew all too well how that could haunt a person for years.

He wanted to tell her that it wasn't her fault. That it was her Ojousama's will. That Ojousama probably knew how much Roomie wanted to protect her, but Ojousama just chose to do the same for Roomie. But how could he tell her that, if he couldn't even tell himself the same?

So the least he could do was to let her know that he'd be here to help her cope with such a thing, however he could. That it was alright to cry, and that he would keep her face hidden so she could pour it all out. That she didn’t have to keep pretending to be strong for her other Ojousama who was seeing her right now. That she could show weakness anytime because he'd be here to protect her when her guard was down.

But Dante didn’t know how and where to start. It even felt like his words were stuck in his throat. So he just settled on hugging her in silence. After all, he and Roomie had never needed words to communicate. They’d started without a common language, he couldn’t understand her back then, but he'd felt her worries and experienced her kindness. Maybe in the same way, he could tell her that he was here for her, without the need for words. So he did just that and hugged her tight, gently stroking her back as she tried but failed to keep herself from crying.

##

So that was why Roomie wasn't in a hurry to return to her world, Vergil realized. And that was also probably the reason why he hadn't been able to find Roomie's world with the Mini Portals before — her Ojousama was no longer… Vergil couldn't bear imagining so, knowing that it might be another version of you, that she looked like you.

But perhaps that could help in locating Roomie's world with the portal. That particular detail, as well as everything she'd narrated. Although, Vergil was far from eager to see such a universe… one where you didn't have him to help keep you safe, one where you were already gone. Even the mere idea was already making him pull you closer and kiss the top of your head, as you were shedding tears while looking at Roomie and Dante.

"That flashback story can help you locate Roomie's world now, right?" you said when you faced him. Vergil simply nodded as he gently wiped the tears off your cheeks. To his surprise, you seemed like your motivation was revived. "Then there's still hope."

You then turned to the other two, the same time they looked at you for what you just said. "There's still hope, Roomie." But you held on to Vergil's arm as you continued, which told him that you weren't so sure about this. "I'd be rooting for the villains this way, but it's possible that they made it in time and caught her before she suffocates or so. Or if she got drained, maybe they did their best to revive her, because they need her." 

You threw Vergil a glance and he nodded to show support. With this, you sounded a bit more confident when you added, "And they wouldn't kill her because they need her ability. So those Zomurais will be like her rescuers. Though the Kuroda people experimenting on her might harm her to some extent, they would surely keep her alive because they need her." You then forced a smile despite the worried look. "And who knows, maybe there’s a time difference too. Maybe you’ve been gone from there for just a few minutes or so."

"Ojousama…" Roomie bit her lip as if in an effort not to show you her tears.

"So don't lose hope." You went over to her side, clasped her hands with yours, then showed her a sheepish grin. "I mean, I don’t want you to get your hopes up in a bad way, but I don’t want you to just lose hope and give up either. So let’s go to your world and see your Ojousama."

As if in full agreement, Dante put a hand on top of Roomie's head. He seemed to be back to his usual self when he smirked and said, "This is gonna be a doozy."

Chapter Text

"Are you sure you guys will be alright on your own?" Nero asked as he sat down on Dante's chair, looking like the perfect heir to the shop, to being the protagonist and maybe to the debts as well.

"We're good, kid. We don't need extra hands." Dante winked, to which Nero narrowed his eyes in feign annoyance.

"We wouldn't have asked for help, if it weren't for your mother's insistence," Vergil said, looking away when Nero faced him.

You gave your usual silly "Ehe~" before explaining, "It's just to make sure, in case you guys don't have your demonic power in there." And from then, you started rambling due to nervousness. "We wouldn't want to get stuck in a different world, especially one with zombies. I suck at aiming for their heads and it takes me more than five handgun shots to kill one. That's excluding the misfires." How you got sidetracked by the end made Dante look at you, for you were talking about a gun. So you grinned and added, "It's in the game. The one which DMC was supposed to be." 

Dante nodded in recognition, before reassuring, "Don't worry, Little Big Sis, we got you covered." He then took Ivory from its holster and handed it to Roomie. When she threw him a toned-down surprised look, he countered it with a grin. "Coach said to aim for the head." Roomie reluctantly though respectfully accepted it, holding it with both hands and lowering her head in appreciation.

The currently, physically 10-year old V then weakly tugged at your sleeve, catching your attention.

V: Can't I really come along, mother? 🥺

You: Aww, V!~ 😖 Don't use our secret weapon on me. *hugs V so you won't see his pleading face* No matter what game we're playing, we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket.

V: 🥚? Huh?... 🥺

You: Aside from the emergency portal, we have to play safe and leave you and your big brother here, in case there's a big time difference and we go missing for so long and DMC6 suddenly happens in here. You know, long shot but just making sure. 😅

Nero: I'm gonna be needing your help here too, V. *tries to distract the child* In case a client calls both here and our mobile shop, I need someone to handle one of the missions. 😏

*Poof, effective* 

V: 🤩 I am now allowed to go on a quest on my own?

Vergil: 🤨 You are not—

Dante: *nudges Vergil* 👀

Vergil: 🤦♂️ Fine. *Looks at Nero* 😐 (inside: 🥺)

V: 🥰

Nero: 😆 Relax, old man.

You: *whispers to Vergil* Nero was Max Vergil's reliable and stricter sidekick, remember? He's been protective of V even before V was born. 🤭

Vergil: Ah, that's right. 😑 *now relieved, about to unsheathe the Yamato*

You: Wait, I really feel like we're leaving a Save Room with an Item Box. 😣 Maybe we should bring all of Dante's weapons here in case you guys don't have powers there. Just to be sure. *looks at the wall behind Dante's chair and points* ( ˘•ω•˘ )っ A shotgun works better for zombies. Do you have a grenade launcher, Dante? Or a flamethrower that doesn't require demonic power?

Dante: 😆

Vergil: 🤦♂️ We won't be needing those things. We have our swords.

Dante: Ah, that's right. *summons the DSD* Just in case, like she said. 😁

You: Then at least lend me a gun or a dagger, in case the Mini Yamato won't work, so I can have something to—

Vergil: You said it yourself that you have a bad aim. And you tend to get wounded with sharp objects, so no. 😑

You: But… 🥺

V: Mother, I'll lend you Zom-D instead. 🤭 *removing his watch* 🐕

You: That'd be great! 😍 Zom-D versus the Zomurais.

Vergil: *stops V* That dog might go out of control without you around. He might even bite your foolish mother's arm out of sheer excitement. 😒

You: Ah wait, that's right! Let's wrap our arms and shoulders with something thick, like cardboard boxes. For zombie bite protection. 😣

Vergil: 🤦♂️

Dante: 😆

You: I've been imagining zombie outbreaks since I was a kid and mentally preparing, thinking of everyday objects that I can use to survive, I'm sorry~ 😭 I just want everyone to be safe and me not to die after the first cutscene…

Vergil: *puts a hand on top of your head while facing you* We will all be safe. We will protect you, and we will protect each other as well, so you don't have to worry. Just focus on being the coach like before. *slight smile*

Dante: 😲 *amazed at how Vergil sounded un-Vergil there just to ease his wife's worry* *subconsciously glances at Roomie before pitching in* That's right, Little Big Sis. Pretend that you're just playing Devil May Cry in Resident Villain setting with a newly unlocked ninja character. *glances at Roomie again, now intentionally* 😏

Roomie: *lowers her head* I continue to protect Ojousama.

You: Aww, thank you… 🥺 I guess I can try that…

Vergil: *summons a spectral controller and hands it to you* 😏🎮

You: Ah, now I'm a little motivated! 😍

##

"Sorry for the delay, Roomie," you said to her when Vergil-dono was opening a portal. "I'm really just afraid of being a burden to you guys, but at the same time I can't not come along and be left here worrying about you three and wondering how Hikari Ojousama is doing."

Roomie smiled and shook her head. She was indeed quiet the whole time, but she was actually thankful for the delay. In fact, she wished for this to take longer, but she had seen many times how Vergil-dono and Dante-dono could easily open portals.

She knew that it was not the right thing and that it was like escaping reality. But she somehow wished for this moment to last longer… so she could still cling on to that hope that Hikari Ojousama was safe.

Not knowing what really happened, blindly hoping for the best, or facing the truth no matter how painful it could be? Roomie didn't know which one was the most difficult. Thankfully, she got a good distraction right away, because upon exiting the portal, it didn't take long for her Round 2 against these undying warriors to start.

Chapter Text

"Okay, so we're not video game characters in this world, glad to know." Dante laughed after parrying an attack with his version of red summoned blades. “But why portal us in the middle of these freaks?” 

“The portal couldn’t locate the Ojousama for some reason, so it brought us here instead,” Vergil explained briefly in between slashes.

"Then we better ask these guys politely to point us in the right direction," Dante said with a confident smirk.

So there were no cutscenes nor villain talk. The battle had started as soon as someone who looked pretty much alive had spotted you four and rang the intruder bell, which then caused the zomurais to attack. Well, all of you were sticking out like a sore thumb wearing these modern outfits. And yeah, he was carrying a big-ass demonic sword, so that might have been a red flag for them. 

You didn’t even have the time to huddle and plan things with Coach like in Temen-ni-gru II. Luckily, they had their demonic power in this world, their advantage against the enemy's number. Vergil had quickly summoned his doppelganger G… Gio-something, to carry you and keep you from getting harmed while he was also busy fighting.

It was actually amazing to see even for a fraction of a minute that these zombies had been repairing the ruined parts of the Yamato castle. It seemed that the enemy had taken over this place, making Dante wince, for it meant that there really were no more of the Yamato clan left. But the fact that the zomurais had been playing carpenter meant that the virus or whatever it was had really put them under some twisted mind-control. Putting an end to them might even be giving these former-humans the peace they deserved.

But with how some of these bastards had burnt skin and peeled-off faces, they looked too familiar to Dante. It was as if he was simply fighting with demons, particularly the humanoid ones in that demonic tower. Although, unlike the typical lesser demons he'd fought before, these zomurais were indeed tenacious in a sense that they'd really keep on fighting even when they were already crawling limbless on the ground. Are samurais really the epitome of motivation? He couldn't help but glance at his twin as Dante thought of that.

"Quit playing with them and just cut off their heads," Vergil said, upon noticing what Dante had been doing. See? Too motivated to enjoy the bits.

Of course, Dante seized the chance to annoy his twin by being more playful. Every strike, he embellished with lines or words he'd memorized so far. "Bakayarou!" "Temee~" "Omae wa sushi da!" Or was that supposed to be 'mushi'? Was he even pronouncing them correctly?

Anyway, at least him fooling around like this was making Roomie smile a little from time to time. Because she'd been looking too serious, almost like cold-blooded serious. Even you were amused, hearing him do a makeshift Japanese dub of a Devil May Cry battle.

"This reminds me of how thrilled I was the first time I heard Reuben Langdon speak Nihongo," you said while snickering in Giordano's arms.

But the fight and his antics weren't actually the only thing that Dante was enjoying. Because as you four— err, now five including Geoffrey. As you all made your way into the main building following Roomie's lead, he couldn't keep himself from watching her. She had indeed used Ivory at the start, planting headshots one after another while the enemies were still at a distance. But she'd switched to her ninja throw things and karate when the enemies had gotten closer, probably because she was more used to her methods. Or was it because she was still afraid of accidentally shooting any of you three? Looks like 'Dante's Gun Safety 101' was too effective. 

Although, her last shot before returning the pistol to him was a remarkably literal 'Eat this, Zomurai!' She didn't even flinch when the bullet through the zombie's mouth blasted its head and blood was smeared on her cheek. Roomie sure had her game face on.

More so when you all reached the inside of the castle, where Roomie started grabbing different weapons from the most unexpected hiding spots. For instance, she took a dagger from behind a scroll hanging on the wall. A little later, it was a kusari-thing, the sickle-with-chain weapon, from inside an ornamental urn. There was also a time when she stomped on a particular plank of the wooden floor and it flipped open, revealing small knives attached to it, which she then used for throwing and stabbing the enemies' eyes when they got close. 

But it wasn't just with the creatively hidden blades. She was also using harmless items as melee weapons, such as the broken sliding door and the ceramic teapot she'd snatched from the mess on the floor the split-second she was on a low stance. It was as though every move was an attack, and every step she took guaranteed a zomurai falling down. There was even one time when Dante thought she got overwhelmed by three enemies who attacked her simultaneously, but it turned out that she diverted the momentum of the one in front and used it to hit the one to her left, before stealing the sword from the attacker to cut the head of the one on her right.

Dante: 😳 Damn that’s hot– er, I-I mean, hot damn! 😏

You: *passing by, still being carried by Vergil's doppelganger* You’re drooling, Dante. 🤭

Dante: 👀

He wasn’t– it was just— Roomie was beyond amazing. He had always been a little too protective of her, for he would always see her get wounded and then act like it was nothing. Now he’d seen what she could do when she was serious. But yeah, of course he’d still be protective of her, pfft, that’s a given.

“So Roomie is a yandere, hmm?” he heard you say with a teasing tone when Giovanni passed by again while trying to keep you away from enemies.

“What’s a yandere, Little Big Sis?” he asked without stopping in his zomurai sweep.

“Hmm, how do I explain this—ah, remember how Vergil became a demon-shredder in those times I almost got killed? And when he became a demon-mincer when you almost got killed!”

“Oh, yandere…”

At that moment, though, he noticed that Roomie was about to get hit from behind by a zomurai that was apparently still alive. So Dante plunged his sword into that bastard as fast as he could, and maybe added a million more stabs just to make sure that this undying wouldn’t be standing up again.

“You didn’t say ‘Eeeeyaaah!’, Yandere Dante,” he heard your silly commentary when Giorgio passed by once more. “I’m surrounded by people with yandere tendency, oh my~” And yet you giggled in amusement.

“I’m not a yandere, Little Big Sis,” he denied as he switched to Balrog and crushed the skull of that other zomurai who was charging at Roomie while she was busy with five others. “I’m just a simple half-demon who likes pizza,” he added before switching to Cerberus and bitch-slapping that one who was about to tackle Roomie. He might have overdone the hit because the zomurai crashed onto others like a cue ball. But that was perfect, for now they’d be cuddling together as they “Freeze!”

"Yan~ de~ re~" he heard you again in a sing-song manner, making him laugh to himself.

But the fun stuff came to a halt when you all reached this certain room that was screaming 'boss fight'. Well, not without a foolish extension.

You: There you are, Kuroda Nobunaga! (✘ ` ^ ´)っ

Vergil: 🤦♂️

Kuroda Head (based on his fancy kimono): Nobuhisa da kedo. 🤨 [I'm actually Nobuhisa.]

Chapter Text

The way Kuroda greeted you, “You’re finally awake,” got your hopes up, aside from causing Vergil to make George hold you more protectively. That meant Hikari Ojousama was only being Sleeping Beauty here somewhere. When you glanced at Roomie, it seemed she realized it too. With how she asked Kuroda where Ojousama was, you could tell that Roomie meant serious business. But the old man just laughed, probably because he was thinking that you were Ojousama. 

Roomie narrowed her eyes at the smug old man, but the moment he took a step in your direction, she charged at him. You could only watch in awe as you witnessed a samurai vs ninja one-on-one. Dante and Vergil, meanwhile, were still busy with the zomurais, keeping them out so Roomie could focus on the boss fight. But it didn't last long as the ninja was too darn motivated to rescue the princess.

Kuroda was still wearing a cocky smirk even while Roomie was holding his shoulders from behind, with a blade pointed at his neck. "I'll ask you again, where is Hikari Ojousama?" In their tussle, she had somehow mentioned to him that you were a different person. But Kuroda still wasn't buying it, hence the continued arrogance that made Roomie move the threat closer, causing his skin to start bleeding.

"Roomie!" Dante called, and you could swear that her eyes switched back to normal from the scary one earlier.

##

"Roomie! That one's still a human." Dante might be putting his world's rules in here inappropriately, but he just didn't want Roomie to somehow feel guilty afterwards. Although, Roomie's job protecting her Ojousama might mean that her hands had already been bloody even before he'd met her. "If he won't talk, let's try asking someone else," he added with a grin to lighten up the mood.

But because of getting quite distracted, Dante got stabbed by an enemy who was only pretending to be a really-dead undead.

"Dante-dono!" Roomie was evidently worried.

"M' fine." Dante just laughed and focused on clearing the current batch before pulling the katana out of his torso.

##

"Y-You… You are the perfect undying samurai. Who are you?" Kuroda was astonished at Dante's indifference to the stab.

"Is he talking to me?" Dante looked at you. "What's he saying?"

"He said you're the perfect undying warrior," you quickly explained while trying not to smile. "You just got shish kabob'd but you didn't even flinch."

Dante merely laughed again, but he got busy with some more enemies as he replied, “Not perfect, maybe just a handsome swordsman.”

"Quit fooling around and let's end this." Vergil was getting impatient, probably worried about you, for he kept glancing.

"And tell him that this guy trained me in getting stabbed," Dante added, pointing a thumb to his twin.

But Kuroda, who might be thinking that Dante was mocking him, seized the chance that Roomie's hold on him had loosened a little when she'd thought Dante had gotten gravely injured. He kicked her leg and knocked her down while saying, "You won't fool me." And he faced you, like a predator about to pounce on his prey. "You might be dressed in a strange outfit, but you are definitely Yamato's daughter. Perhaps you can also teach me how you managed to keep yourself untouchable for days, aside from giving me your healing power."

"Roomie!" Now it was Dante's turn to worry, because she wasn't getting up right away. But it seemed more because she was letting Kuroda spill some clues.

And much like the subhuman, the ninja was also used to getting hurt because someone had been healing her before. After Kuroda had divulged a useful lead, Roomie maneuvered her kusarigama to grab the man's leg before he could even reach the Spiral Swords that had just appeared around you and George. Then she pulled him down and tackled him. This time, though, she cut his neck for real. You looked away, but you heard the squirting of blood followed by, "Must protect Ojousama." Roomie said that in English, probably to tell Dante her number one priority.

For some reason, when Kuroda stopped breathing, the zomurais also stopped moving. They fell down one by one, as though their bodies had finally realized that they were supposed to be dead.

"Wow… It's like when Leon defeated Saddler and the Los Illuminados lost their purpose," you mumbled, wincing at the sight as George placed you down. But recalling Resident Evil got you curious enough to look around where Kuroda had been sitting when you'd arrived. And there you found something like a jewelry box. Luckily, it didn't need a key item nor solving a puzzle. You opened it with ease and saw a vial of olive-green liquid. "This must be what made those zomurais," you concluded as the others approached you.

"Zomurai Serum," Dante named it upon checking the bottle.

"Maybe we should destroy it?" You were unsure, but that was what your instinct was telling you, seeing all the dead bodies around. "Their version of Ada Wong might come and take this sample. We have to keep it from being misused."

Dante: *about to give you back the vial, but what you said made him think twice* Who's that? 

You: A merce—wait a sec. If we destroy it, how could their version of Rebecca develop a cure? But if it goes into the wrong hands, their version of Wesker or Birkin might enhance the effects and create monstrous BOW's, not just classic zomurais. 🤔

Vergil: 😒 *takes the vial from Dante and drops it to the floor then steps on it* Problem solved. 😑

Dante: 😆

You: Waiiit! If rats drink them, or if they somehow seep into the floor and reach the underground water supply, that could start an outbreak! 😖

Vergil: *carries you out of the room like one of the game over scenes in RE4 (so you wouldn't have a hard time avoiding the bodies on the floor)* You've played too much of those zombie games. 😒

Chapter Text

Because Kuroda had mentioned Ojousama being untouchable and implied that she’d been unconscious for days, it led you to the conclusion, "Ojousama is probably still on the topmost floor of the castle keep." And with that, you all went there.

Thankfully, the other non-zombie warriors that you encountered on the way were dropping their weapons in surrender, so there wouldn’t be any unnecessary battle. Apart from realizing that their master was gone, they must have witnessed how the three had been fighting the horde of zomurais earlier, so they knew they wouldn’t stand a chance. Because of that, you were able to make your way to the top in peace. 

But with the silence came the chance for worries to fill your minds, especially Roomie's. 

##

As you all made your way to the top of the castle keep, everything that had happened that night was playing in Roomie's mind. She hoped that she would simply arrive at the continuation, that she would see Ojousama welcoming her with a warm smile like usual. She knew it in herself that it was far from possible, but still, Ojousama had taught her not to quickly lose hope. 

Upon arriving, there were two men who seemed to be scholars assigned to figure out how to extract Ojousama's power, judging from the books and materials they had set up in here. They didn’t seem to be armed nor hostile, so Roomie let you and Vergil-dono deal with them as she approached her Ojousama.

Hikari Ojousama was inside a field of light, the same way Roomie had been at this very place. Only, Ojousama wasn't floating and struggling in the air; she was lying unconscious on the floor. Roomie would have been panicking about Ojousama's state, but the peaceful expression and slight smile that Ojousama had was somehow easing her worries.

The enemy had said that Ojousama had been untouchable for days, so Roomie wasn't sure what to do. But when she knelt down beside Ojousama, she couldn't keep her hand from trying to reach Ojousama's. It was certainly against the rules Roomie had been living by, but she needed to hold Ojousama, to confirm that she really was here.

To everyone's surprise, Roomie's hand passed through. The light even slowly disappeared as she tried to wake Ojousama up. She wanted to say, "Ojousama, it's me, I came back with help," hoping Ojousama would recognize her and get up instantly. But Roomie couldn't even remember her own name, so she was stuck at the first word, the only word she’d remembered despite forgetting everything.

And the longer she tried calling Hikari Ojousama but was met with silence, the more fear Roomie felt. It sped up the moment she noticed that Ojousama's body was as if fading, that Roomie had to blink a few times to make sure her eyes weren’t just welling up and obstructing her view. But apparently, it was real because she heard the others' reaction.

The imminent separation and what this all meant made Roomie pull Ojousama close, hugging her while she still had the chance to. "Ojousama, please, don't leave– I still have a lot to tell you– I’m sorry– No, don’t go, please…" She begged and she apologized, but there really was nothing she could do. As much as Roomie tried to hold her tight, Ojousama still disappeared into a faint glimmer. Roomie only heard a light clank on the floor, and when she turned to face it, she saw someone handing her something.

"She must've left this for you." Dante-dono had an unusually soft voice as he gave Roomie a kanzashi.

As Roomie stared at the hair ornament in her hand, she recalled…

“Mou!~ Why did you cut your hair again?”

“I can protect Ojousama better this way.”

“I was waiting for your hair to grow long enough so I can play—err, put kanzashi on you again.”

“Ojousama, we are no longer children.”

“Even so! I’ve been saving this. It’s a pair that Oniisama bought for us, look.”

“That is too special, Ojousama. Not for someone like me.” 

“What are you talking about? You are special! And see, it can also be used like a shuriken in case of emergency. Like this—aaahh!”

“Be careful, Ojousama!"

"Ojousama…" That memory was even one of the simplest ones, compared to the others that had been playing in her mind as you all made your way through the castle halls. But now, that memory, no matter how simple, belonged to her treasured ones. Back in Dante-dono's world, the memories related to Ojousama were the only ones Roomie had, and now they were still the only ones she had left of Hikari Ojousama. Apart from this...

Roomie clasped the kanzashi in her hand as if in an effort to keep her emotions from overflowing. "Sh-Shuriken…" she uttered what Ojousama had said in that recollection. "I will get my weapons," was the excuse she came up with. Roomie then lowered her head at you three, not just to avoid meeting your eyes but also to say, "Thank you. I… wouldn't defeat the enemies on my own. Kansha shite orimasu."

She didn't want to go without properly expressing her gratitude to the people who had helped her. But she couldn't think straight that she wasn't able to translate the last part. She had to take her leave while she could still control it. She even skipped a few steps when she exited this attic. Then she jumped out the next window she saw, to skip a few floors as well, because she couldn't stop them anymore, these tears that had been threatening to fall.

Chapter Text

“I… I think I better help her carry those weapons,” Dante said a few minutes after Roomie had left. “There seems to be a lot hidden in this place,” he added with a sheepish grin.

You were actually relieved to hear that. Shipping them aside, you knew it was Dante who had been with Roomie the most. It had always been him who could make Roomie spill her woes, such as back then with the Mini Portals and after the demon-summoner incident.

Now there was only you and Vergil left in this attic. You’d let the two researcher guys earlier leave, for they’d said they were just following orders, and they weren’t the ones responsible for the creation of the Zomurai Serum. As much as you wanted to play BSAA and search the whole castle for useful information that could help prevent any further zomurai outbreak in this world, you just felt downcast. Well, you had been hoping to meet Ojousama, to see Roomie finally reunite with her, and maybe have a fun chat with her about the interesting similarities and differences of your lives. But that didn’t happen like in typical happy endings of rescue-the-princess stories. You tried to glass-half-full it though, to appreciate at least the fact that Roomie was able to see Ojousama one last time. It was even as if Ojousama had been waiting for Roomie’s return before she passed.

“Would you like to take a stroll with me?” Your thoughts were interrupted when Vergil offered a hand to you. “It’s rare that we get to visit ancient Japan. I’m certain there are things you would… squeal about.” Aww, this sweet dork just knew how to make your frown upside down. You nodded and took his hand, but you gave the room one last glance, as if saying goodbye to Ojousama.

But even while walking through the gardens of the castle west area, which seemed to be the least damaged by what had happened here, your mind was still afloat. Vergil was right, this ought to be a rare experience, but aside from the zomurai outbreak worries, different thoughts were swirling in you. And Vergil could sense it, for he said, “You can tell me what’s bothering you.” And when you looked at him, he gave your hand a squeeze as he added, “Even if you babble on and flood me with unsorted thoughts, I can handle them.”

You laughed and said, “Are you sure you’re up for it?”

“Hah, try me.” 

You didn’t know if he really recited one of his DMC taunts or that was just Vergil being Vergil, but that made you hug his arm and start sharing. “You’re right about the thoughts being unsorted, that’s why I don’t know where to start, or what to worry about first.”

“From the top of your head then. You tend to process your worries and thoughts better when you pour them out whether in writing or rambling.”

You giggled at how well he knew you now, and it led you to one more realization. “It’s probably a given that I’m worried about Roomie, I’m sad about Ojousama, and I’m worried about the people of this world in case of a zomurai outbreak.”

“Fool, it won’t happen. I already took care of the serum. And if ever they still have other containers stored somewhere, Dante might have already broken them while fighting earlier.” And when you laughed at that, he added, “Dante might have even ruined this place more than what the enemies did.”

You chuckled at his usual meanness to his twin, but that somehow strengthened the newest realization, so you shared it. “It’s also sad that Ojousama didn’t meet their version of you and Dante. I mean, in the Mini Portals, some of them have me still meeting you two. Well, yeah, maybe there’s a lot more version of me out there who didn’t meet you guys. There’s probably a lot more of me out there who are like how I was before you came to my world, just playing DMC, or reading or writing a fic about you. Makes me wonder, do I even deserve to be in this spot? But of course, I’m grateful to be here. It’s just uh, crazy, you know. Ahh, I think I’m having a light existential crisis while in a different different-universe.”

“That’s more like it.” He smiled when you looked at him. “You’re speaking as if without periods; you are back to normal.” You pouted at him, which made him pull you close to kiss the top of your head. “What else is bothering you?”

“Hmm, I guess why Ojousama disappeared like that. If it’s in your world, in DMC terms I mean, it’s like she became a devil arm and her soul went into the kanzashi. But I didn’t see it happen. Or were my eyes just too human to see? All I saw was light.” You tilted your head as you continued, “Her power is healing with light and ironically, she also disappeared like light. Come to think of it, the name Hikari means ‘light’—Wait a second, that means…”

“I found her in an alley after a flash of bright light that caught my attention.”

And some more lines came replaying in your mind. 

“At that moment, light came out of Hikari Ojousama’s hands, engulfing her brother’s whole body. From then on, she was able to make illnesses and injuries heal faster in exchange for her ‘sleeping’ a bit early.”

“I have been trained for this person; I have been prepared for Ojousama.”

“If there is no escape then I'd gladly face my end here with you, protecting you till my last breath.”

…which then led to, “"Roomie is technically a noble warrior of the samurai period!” 

You grabbed Vergil’s arm in panic, making him raise a brow at you. “Which means?” 

“We have to hurry to where she is!”

Chapter Text

"Damn, this castle is big," Dante muttered to himself while deciding which way to go. It would've been easier if he had the Yamato shard with him, especially since the smaller house-like structures looked alike. He was sure that Roomie wasn't in that tallest one where he'd come from. Maybe he should check that long, low-rise one next. He had to rely on his senses for now, not that he'd memorized Roomie's scent and could recognize it from afar. 

Luckily, his nose and his gut were more reliable than his ability to manage his finances. He found Roomie in this porch kind of spot that had a great view of the cherry blossom trees in the yard. They were even in full bloom right now, and those falling petals were so pretty that you'd get to ignore how wrecked this place was. 

Her back was on him, she was seated on her knees like usual while probably enjoying the view. He could remember something like this from Roomie’s tale. This was where Ojousama had told Roomie to consider herself part of the Yamato family when they were kids. No wonder she'd chosen to grieve in here.

But as Dante took a few steps closer, he realized that she was holding a short katana that she just unsheathed. Then she took a deep breath and was about to—

“Roomie!” He tried to sound casual, even forced a laugh, but it was harder to fake it this time. “What’re you doing there?”

“Dante-dono, just in time." She looked at him, still polite but a bit too emotionless. "Please assist me in seppuku.”

“Assist you? What the hell are you talking about?”

“You will be the one to cut my head after I—”

“Dammit, Roomie, stop this nonsense!” Dante knew he didn’t have the right to object. He was even the type to support such a thing, as what he’d done when Modeus had chosen to follow his brother. But no, not Roomie.

It took a few seconds before she could respond, as though she was surprised at how serious he'd suddenly turned. She gazed at the trees again when she replied, “I failed, Dante-dono. And it was my fault that Ojousama—”

“It wasn’t your fault. She chose to protect you.” He might be a bit hypocritical for telling her what he’d been too stubborn to listen to before. Nevertheless, he had to convince Roomie. “Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain. That’s the only thing you can do against the guilt of being the one who survived.”

“Dante-dono…?”

He couldn’t stand her staring at him as he said these things that stung, so he teleported in front of her and grabbed the short katana. Despite the fact that he was holding it by the blade, he even held it tight as if to show how determined he was to keep Roomie from harming herself. But with her noticing that his hand was bleeding, she let go, so he took the chance and threw the katana to the side. Then he pulled her into his arms, just to make sure she wouldn't carry on with a spare blade she could get from her weapon hiding spots. He'd be there to block the stab; he was used to such things anyway.

But it seemed that his gesture stunned her, so he seized the chance to convince her some more. “I know it'll be difficult, Roomie," he said softly close to her ear. "But don’t give up. Live on her behalf, fulfill her last wish, make her proud of what you’ll do with the life extension she gave you.” He couldn’t help but hold her tighter when his mind gave him a review of what he’d been doing these years with his extension.

Maybe his words were getting through her, or perhaps it was the embrace, but it seemed she was having a hard time continuing the stoic facade. “I no longer have a purpose, Dante-dono.” Her breath was hitching, but he could feel her still trying to resist her emotions. “Ojousama is gone, everyone too, and I—” 

He didn’t know what had gotten into him, but he pulled away a little just to hush her with his lips. Maybe he just didn’t want her to keep telling herself those things. Maybe he also wanted to tell her something he found inappropriate to say at the moment. But damn, this was…

“D-Dante-dono?” Roomie was flushed when he pulled back, contrary to how he couldn’t contain his smile.

“I’m here. I-I mean, we’re still here, me, Vergil and Little Big Sis. We’re like your second family now, aren’t we?” He had the urge to rub his cheek; maybe his hair was tickling it. “And if that’s not enough then let me give you a reason to liv— I mean, I’ll enumerate what you’d be missing if you go.” He playfully counted with his fingers. “Let’s see. There’s pizza, strawberry sundae, my jukebox, your English lessons… And you promised me a consistent supply of onigiri, didn’t you?”

And with that, she smiled, which turned into a short chuckle before she looked down to hide her tears.

“Aww, Roomie.” He pulled her to his chest again and gently stroked her back. “It’s alright. It’s only the rain.”

“I don’t deserve to live, Dante-dono. I-It’s my fault. I failed to keep Ojousama safe.”

Dante could indeed provide the necessary comfort and even relate to how she was feeling. But he didn’t know what else to tell her to make the guilt go away. Blaming himself had been his hobby for decades, after all.

Good thing someone came to assist. “You didn’t fail, Roomie.”

Chapter Text

“You didn’t fail, Roomie,” you said as you entered the room, leaving the spot where you and Vergil had been hiding since exiting the portal. You were a bit hesitant to interrupt the moment of your OTP, but it seemed Dante needed an assist. And you wanted to keep Roomie from blaming herself, so you pushed through with it. “This is just me giving meaning to things and forming headcanons like usual, but if it makes sense…”

You took a deep breath before starting. “Hikari Ojousama brought you to us, maybe even literally through that light that Dante said he saw when he found you. But I think you also brought her with you. Because you refused to forget her, you somehow kept Ojousama with you.” 

You tried to gauge Roomie’s reaction; it seemed she was eager for you to continue, so you did. “I think that’s why the enemies couldn’t touch her, that’s why she was inside that light, and only you could turn it off.”

Roomie then looked at her hands, as if recalling how she'd held her Ojousama for the last time. “Ojousama…”

“And maybe it’s because she has confirmed that you're doing fine when you arrived at her side, that she has successfully transported you to where you'll be protected, so she was finally able to… to rest without any worries." You were carefully sharing your ideas, worried if it would help Roomie at all. But when she looked at you while she was evidently trying to hold back those tears, your eyes welled up as well. “So my point is, I think Ojousama disappearing like that was like her finding peace, knowing she successfully protected you back as her way to thank you for always keeping her safe. That was why she did that spell unto you in the first place, wasn’t it?”

Roomie just looked down and didn’t respond, so you took a few steps closer to where she was standing. You were glad that Dante had been able to stop her earlier, but just to make sure, you added, “And Ojousama wouldn’t like it if you kill yourself, even through an honorable death like seppuku. Remember what she said she wanted for you?”

“To have an ordinary and happy life…” Roomie’s reply was almost a whisper, probably her way of controlling her emotions.

“Yes, to live for yourself and experience new things. For you to be with someone who would protect you instead.” But when you started saying those things that Hikari Ojousama had said, Roomie quickly looked at you. So you smiled at her, despite your tears that had already gotten out. “That’s why Hikari…the light, brought you to Dante, to us.” 

Roomie was just staring at you, speechless, so you decided to come closer. You were aiming to lighten up the mood by quoting AO3 tags and saying, “Roomie needs a hug—” But the part of the floor you’d stepped on turned out to be a brittle piece of burnt wood. It snapped upon contact with your foot, causing you to fall as if into a hole. Luckily, Roomie was close and she was quick enough to hold you by the arms.

##

Seeing you say those lines that Hikari Ojousama had said already felt like a strange replay to Roomie. That smile despite your tears got her frozen in place, for it was as though she was reliving the last time Ojousama was talking to her, that moment before she'd been sent to another world. And what followed, seeing you almost fall down and with her catching you, it just sealed the familiarity completely. “Ojousama!” 

Roomie tried to ignore the rules and just let herself be selfish for a while as she pulled you into an embrace. “I’m really sorry… I want to be with you, to protect you and accompany you through everything. But I failed.”

Then she felt you shake your head as you replied, “You didn’t fail. You have protected Ojousama for as long as you could. You were with her till her last moment, even the very last. And right now you are even still protecting this New Game Plus version of her…” You chuckled at the end, but it was followed by a sniffle.

Roomie honestly didn’t get the last part, but she figured that you were referring to yourself. If only you knew that she was really seeing you as her Ojousama right now…

“So stop blaming yourself, okay?” You said while gently rubbing her back. “Ojousama won’t be at ease if you keep saying you failed her. Ojousama wants you to be happy.”

Roomie nodded. “Thank you, Ojousama…”Saying that in English made Roomie realize that she might be confusing which Ojousama she was talking to. But she meant it for both, as well as, “Taihen osewa ni narimashita.” [I have greatly been in your care.]

You pulled away and grinned at her when you replied, “Osewa ni narimasu.” [ We’ll be in your care.] 

The way you replied in the future tense with that familiar mischievous look made her smile. How could she possibly refuse that?  

You even added, tilting your head a little with a sweet smile, the same way Ojousama had done when Roomie was first introduced to her as her protector, “Yoroshiku ne… Roomie.”

Chapter Text

It had been a week since you’d returned from Roomie’s world… and a few days since Roomie had left the DMC Office. 

She said she didn’t want to be a burden. She wanted to start anew without causing more trouble to you all, and she figured it would be fitting to stand on her own two feet.

It might have been your fault, because Roomie had decided to leave after you’d told her that she didn’t need to keep protecting you. That you already had Vergil overprotecting you 24/7, and that she should focus on fulfilling Ojousama’s wish, which was for her to have an ordinary, happy life.

“Ojousama brought you to us, to our time, because she wanted you to live in a peaceful era, be protected by people who care for you, and experience new and fun things.” That was what you’d told her as part of convincing her to live in the DMC World instead of her original one.

And after thinking it through, she’d proposed her plan to live independently, for her to adapt to this world, which she would now treat as her own. Dante was full-support on that, of course, with his usual wide grin and laughs. …Yep, he was sad about it.

So here you were today, entering Devil May Cry with a box of pizza. Dante must have sensed you or the pizza, for he was already getting up from his nap position as you opened the door. “To what do I owe this pizza– er, pleasure?” he greeted, making you chuckle. When you placed it on his desk, he asked, “Where’s Vergil?”

You pointed a thumb to the door while snickering. “I made him wear earphones. He’s listening to his Rebirth Soundtrack.”

*Meanwhile, Vergil*

Dante: Oh, so this is a ConfiDante Pizza. 😆 *stands up to get a bar stool*

You: Yep, courtesy of your tsundere twin. 🤭 *opens the box*

Dante: Now that’s a surprise. *sits on the bar stool to lower it, then points to this and his chair, gesturing for you to choose*

You: He’s worr—wondering how you’re doing. 👀 *sits on the bar stool*

Dante: *sits on his chair, holds the pizza box, lets you take a slice before he does* Why would he? *takes a bite* 🍕

You: *mumbles before taking a bite* Because he also ships you two. 👀🍕

Dante: Hmm? 👀

You: 😁 So how are you doing?

Dante: Same old.

You: Heard from Roomie lately?

Dante: No beating around the bush, huh? 😂

You: Well we’re already eating pizza. We’ve done enough of beating around the box. 😆

Dante: 😆

*a bit of silence*

Dante: I haven’t heard from her. *distracts himself with a new slice*

You: Ohh… Aren’t you curious how she’s doing? 👀

Dante: *chuckles* As long as she’s fine. *shrugs*

You: Hmm… I heard she’s starting her job hunting.

Dante: Is her job hunting? 😆 Like bounty?

You: No! Job-hunting! 😆

Dante and You: ( Being a bounty hunter suits Roomie though… 👀👀)

You: Wanna visit her?

Dante: Nah, she’s probably busy. I'll only disturb her.

You: Is that why you’re not even calling her to ask how she’s doing? 👀

Dante: *just smiles*

You: She’s not afraid of telephones anymore.

Dante: 😆

*silence*

Dante: She’s better off without me around, Little Big Sis.

You: 👀

Dante: Dammit, did Vergil put truth serum in this pizza? I should’ve learned as Danica. 😆

You: 😆 We’d call Humes over to interrogate you, before we resort to that.

Dante: 😂

*silence*

You: Do I need to channel my inner Humes, or will you elaborate on what you said?

Dante: 😆 *but looks away* She wants an ordinary life. Or at least, her Ojousama wanted that for her and she’s trying to fulfill that wish. Me and my demonic world, it’s far from ordinary.

You: Well…

Dante: And I might just remind her of what she’s been through.

You: You’re still friends with Trish and Lady, aren’t you? Neither them nor you treat the other as a walking trauma reminder, right? I doubt Roomie would do that.

Dante: …

You: How about you?

Dante: What about me?

You: If we’re in a world where we’re free to be selfish, what do you want?

Dante: I want her—

You: Waaaiiii! \(^o^)/🎉

Dante: 😆 You cut me off on purpose.

You: 🤭

Dante: *serious again but is smiling while focusing his gaze on his pizza* I want her to experience living like an ordinary girl… have mani-pedi with her girl friends, be hit on at a bar then maybe kick a creep in the crotch… Those things.

You: She should be girlfriends with Danica then. 😆

Dante: *weak laugh*

You: Aren’t you someone who also deserves a chance to have an ordinary life?

Dante: *looks at you, low-key struck*

You: You’re no longer alone in this devil-hunting business, Dante, so you don’t have to keep holding back on what you really want. Why not be the extraordinary person trying to have an ordinary life with a fellow extraordinary person trying to have an ordinary life? 😉 It’ll be more fun if there’s two of you trying out ordinary things.

Dante: Isn’t she better off starting a new life and forgetting about me?

You: Roomie’s done with forgetting. 🤦♀️ She’ll kick you in the crotch if you tell her that.

Dante: 😆

You: Speaking of trying out ordinary things… *brings out a flyer* I found this new pizza place. Looks good, but I don’t think they serve take-out orders and delivery yet.

Dante: *checks it, sees the address, recognizes the street*

You: 😏 Not too shabby for a first date, hmm?

Dante: *smiles to himself while putting the flyer in his pocket* 

Chapter Text

Wednesday PM 12:15

As Roomie exited her apartment building, she encountered a young man who handed her a flyer. She instinctively lowered her head at the person who just gave her something and mumbled, "Ariga—" But then she realized that she ought to be practicing English consistently as part of her new life here, so it became "Ariga-thanks."

Then this piece of paper caught her attention, for it seemed to be advertising a newly-opened pizza restaurant nearby. Upon seeing pizza, one name immediately came to mind, making her smile wistfully. But because of getting preoccupied, she unintentionally bumped someone on the street. She quickly lowered her head again and said, "Sumima-sorry." And like earlier, she only remembered to say it in English halfway. It seemed that the expressions one would subconsciously or instinctively say were more challenging, but she could do this. Just keep practicing!

To her surprise, however, the person she'd bumped laughed. "Arigathanks and sumimasorry. New words I ought to learn." 

She looked up and her heart jolted upon noticing a familiar red coat. "D-D-Dan–"

"The name's Dante." The man offered a handshake.

##

Dante hadn't intended to play first-meeting initially, but he thought that it might be a good first step to keep Roomie from calling him with too much respect. He'd learned from you, after all, what 'dono' meant. And the chance was there so he grabbed it just for fun.

But because Roomie rode along with it, shaking his hand and bowing her head politely and rather nervously, he found it amusing to keep this up. It turned out that she might be wondering if he was a different version like that kid Vergil3 she'd met not so long ago, for she said, "Anou… Are you… the same Dante-dono I know?" And perhaps the few Dantes she'd seen in the Mini Portals influenced it too.

"You tell me, Roo—" And he covered his mouth quickly, making her smile after realizing his mistake.

Then as per usual, she imitated what she might be considering as something he was teaching her. "The name is Roomie." She even offered a handshake as well.

Dante: 🤦♂️ *but is laughing quietly*

Roomie: You didn't shake hands, Dante…san.

Dante: *peeks between his fingers* Is 'san' more polite than 'dono'? 👀

Roomie: Hmm… 🤔 It is like 'mister' or 'miss'.

Dante: *takes his hand off his face to do another facepalm* 🤦♂️

Roomie: *finds him funny but is trying not to laugh*

Dante: *hears her chuckle* 😏 *comes up with a plan to take that 'san' off his name* *changes topic for now* You sure have an unusual name, huh, Roomie-san? I bet the guy who gave you that name is unusual too.

Roomie: He is. *nods while smiling a little* He is someone who eats only pizza every day, unless you give him something else to eat.

Dante: Oh, weird fellow. Why don’t you tell me more about him while we eat there? *points to the pizzeria across the street* 😏っ   🍕

Roomie: 🤭 *nods*

#####

Thursday PM 1:53

Roomie was carrying a big bag of clothes she intended to take to the nearby laundromat. She was holding it in front of her with both hands while she was mentally encouraging herself that she could do this. That place seemed to be full of complicated machines, but there were always people in there that she could imitate for the correct method. She could simply wash her clothes manually in the bathroom, but this was part of her conforming to the ways of this modern world.

The bag was not that heavy, but it suddenly felt lighter to her surprise. It turned out that as she was too focused on the target ahead, someone from her right took hold of her laundry.

“You look like you’re about to pounce on a prey, miss,” she heard that person say before a laugh.

“D-Dante-do–san—”

But he cut her off with a playful smile, “The name’s Dante, no ‘san’.”

Roomie: *lowers her head a little in apology* 😅 Mr. Dante Nosan.

Dante: 😂🤦♂️

Roomie: *finds his reaction funny but is regulating her smile*

Dante: Alright, I’ll be Dante Nosan today. But only if you don’t keep your smiles to yourself. 😏

Roomie: *nods* Hai, Mr. Nosan.

Dante: 🤣🤦♂️

Roomie: *smiling more, trying not to laugh*

Dante: Is this your first time trying out the laundromat?

Roomie: *nods*

Dante: That explains the scary look you were giving that place. 😆

Roomie: 🙈

Dante: Need help? I run an odd-jobs business after all. 😏

Roomie: *nods eagerly* Thank you. *then realizes* But don’t look at my clothes, please. 😳

Dante: (😳) O-Of course. *forces a laugh* I can do this even with my eyes closed. 💪😏

Roomie: *believes that, sigh of relief, mumbles* Yokatta…

Dante: *recognizes that word and repeats* Yokatta.

Roomie: *smiles, recalling she taught him that before*

#####

Friday PM 3:02

Roomie was carrying the things she’d bought from the hardware store, including a few pieces of plywood. She was about to enter her apartment building when she heard from behind her, “You doing repairs?”

With a bit of excitement she wasn’t able to hold back, she quickly turned around and saw a familiar grin. She couldn’t help but smile as she shook her head, for she was expecting him to put a palm on his face once she revealed what these things were for. “I am making traps and weapons.”

Dante: 🤦♂️ I should’ve expected that. 😆

Roomie: *shy smile*

Dante: Need some help in that?

Roomie: *mentally calculates fast, she doesn’t really need help and she’s not used to seeking help, but she finds herself nodding* 🙈

Dante: Good. *takes everything she’s holding* Lead the way, ma’am.

Roomie: *tries not to smile* What is your name today?

Dante: Ah yeah, let’s see. *glances at the hardware stuff that husbands usually buy for house repairs* How about Darling? 😏😎 (🙈)

Roomie: 🤭 *heard a stranger call someone like that the other day* That is a woman’s name, Dante-don—

Dante: *cuts her off with a ‘wrong’ sound* Mm!

Roomie: *pretends she intended to say this all along* Dante-Darling. *proud smile*

Dante: 😏 You do know what ‘darling’ means, don’t you?

Roomie: *eyes widen, shakes her head in fear*

Dante: *finds her cute* 😂 It’s fine. That’s my name for today. 

Roomie: *makes a mental note to ask Ojousama next time what ‘darling’ means, but focuses on planning what snack she could whip up and offer to Darling for helping her again today*

Darling– er, Dante: *makes a mental note to grab this chance to check Roomie’s neighbors* ( Gotta mark my territory. 😈)

*On the way to Roomie’s unit, they encounter someone who just exited one of the doors nearby*

Dante: Hiya, neighbor! 😁 *visual check*

Neighbor Guy: *taken aback, only managed a nod*

Roomie: *chuckling to herself*

Dante: Why’re you laughing at me?

Roomie: Darling is so energetic. 🤭

Dante: 😆

Neighbor Guy: *heard it, mumbles to himself on the way to the elevator* Oh, so the new girl is already married.

Dante: *heard it* 😈

#####

Saturday PM 6:07

Roomie couldn’t help the frown after glancing at the clock. She had somehow expected Dante-dono-Darling Nosan to come by again and add more to his name, but it seemed he wouldn’t for today. He hadn’t promised anything after all, and he might be busy too. 

She had even prepared onigiri to offer as an afternoon snack, imagining how he would enjoy it again to the point of licking the nori and grains of rice that stuck to his hand. But it seemed that it wouldn’t happen today, so here she was, getting a plastic container to put them in. Despite the slight disappointment she was trying not to entertain, she couldn’t help but smile as she mumbled his current full name. “Dante-dono-Darling Nosan…”

“You called?”

Roomie quickly turned around only to see a bloody Dante-dono who had just come out of a portal. “You are wounded!”

She was in a hurry to get the first aid kit she’d bought, like that one in Dante-dono’s place. But he grabbed her by the arm to stop her. “It’s just demon blood, no worries.” He backed it up with a grin.

“This one is not.” She pointed to the torn part of his shirt, something that looked like claw marks.

Dante: I heal automatically, don’t worry about me. 😄 *but is feeling fluff-fluff deep down having someone this worried about him*

Roomie: 😟

Dante: *pinches her cheek to force her to smile*

Roomie: *reaches for his cheek to wipe the blood off it*

Dante: I thought you were gonna pinch me too. 😆

Roomie: *gives him a light pinch* Like this?

Dante: 😆 *likes it, wants more* (🙈) Pinch the other side too so it’s balanced. 😆

Roomie: *complies and pinches both his cheeks, trying not to smile at how silly he looks*

Dante: *speaks while still cheek-pinched* Are those onigiri?

Roomie: *nods* They are for you. *covers her mouth, wondering if it was wrong to be that honest* 🙊

Dante: 😍 Great! I’m starving. 🥰

##

As soon as Dante took one of the onigiri that Roomie had offered him, she ran to her bedroom. He waited for her in place, eating while still standing, for he didn’t want to ruin her furniture with blood. He would’ve taken a shower before coming here, but he didn’t want to arrive so late that he would have to cancel his visit for today so as not to burden her so much. He just couldn’t skip on meeting her; even a few minutes would do. He hadn’t planned to use the portal either, for he might arrive at an inconvenient time for her, but he figured today would be an exception. After all, he didn’t want to alarm the neighbors who would see Roomie having a bloody visitor at her door.

Though it seemed Roomie wasn’t one to mind blood for here she was, carrying a white towel as she approached him. “I will wipe you while you eat,” she said before tiptoeing a little to reach the top of his head.

He held her arm to stop it before his bloody hair stained the pristine cloth. He wanted to tell her he just didn’t want to sully her towel, but gazing at her this up-close just got him quite frozen… and perhaps even drawn to close the distance between them.

This felt a lot like their first meeting, that time she was still doubting him and they couldn’t understand each other. He’d distracted her with a rose that time… and then she’d kicked him in the crotch. 

Dante: *laughs*

Roomie: Hmm?

Dante: *shakes his head* I just remembered our first meeting.

Roomie: *recalls it, her face slowly turns into an embarrassed one, remembering that she was naked that time* 😳 *As if a gesture to cover herself or his eyes which she wasn’t able to do before, she covers his face with the towel now, before rubbing— wiping the blood off him rather vigorously* (≧ o ≦)

Dante: You’re ruining your towel, Roomie. *but to someone who's used to getting stabbed, this intense head-rub feels good, so under the towel, his face is: 🤤*

Roomie: It’s alright. Dante-dono is more important— 😳 I mean, Dante-dono’s comfort. 🙈

Dante: Okay~ 🥰 

Roomie: *pushes him to sit down on the couch as she continues wiping the blood off him, now she’s crouching down while wiping his chest*

Dante: 😳 *Current situation generating 100 scenes in his mind… a lot of them starts with him just pulling her into a kiss and onto his lap* 😳 😳 😳 ( No, take it slow. Roomie deserves an ‘ordinary’ experience… 😣) 

Roomie: Is something wrong, Dante-dono? 😧

Dante: *grabs what he can fool around with quickly* The name’s Dante, no ‘dono’. 😏

Roomie: 🤭 Mr. Dante Nodono.

Dante: 🤦♂️😂

#####

Sundae  Sunday 10-something AM

Dante was in his shop, sitting on his chair with his feet on the desk as usual. The only difference was that he was smiling to himself, something he’d rarely do while in this very spot that reeked of whiskey and uh, depression. 

Well, he was recalling the previous night and how it felt like an innocent and cute version of those clichéd things... of him coming home from a job, with his uhm, wife welcoming him with food and wiping away all the dirt and tiredness off him. It was too simple a thing to still be smiling like an idiot about, but meh. And it had been quite challenging to keep being a good boy like 😇 while inside he was 😈. So he should be happy if not proud of it.

Now he was thinking of the best way to bother Roomie again.

Although… should he tone it down a little? She might want a day all to herself without her persistent uh, s-sui– super-clingy old roommate. It was Sunday after all, what most people considered their day off. But ahh, day-offs ought to be enjoyed with the person whom one wants to spend the rest of their— the rest of the week with!

Seriously though, should he stop? Or at least skip a few days?

Maybe he should ask ConfiDante Little Big Sis for some advice. He didn’t want Roomie to find him annoying after all. But it was hard to resist… like pizza or sundae being just a portal away and he had some cash for it unlike before, thanks to his twin who was managing the shop’s earnings efficiently.

But before he could repeat the question to himself, the door opened, revealing the very person he’d just admitted he couldn’t bear not seeing for even a day.

“R-Roomie?” He got up from his seat, even subconsciously straightened his clothes and his hair. “What are you doing here?” He tried to sound casual, but his smile was giving him away.

“The name is Client,” she said with a smile she was trying to rein in.

“Ms. Roomie Client then.” He laughed, for now he was able to get back at her. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the couch near the jukebox, the spot that used to be her weapon-making corner. And he noticed how she stopped to smile at the familiar music machine on her way to sit.

How she sat down, carefully tucking the hem of her dress, made him realize that… that yeah, she was dressed quite girly today, compared to her usual outfits that reflected how she preferred to always be ready for a fight. She even had her hair tied into… partial horsetail? Ponytail! Half-ponytail though, with the hair ornament from her Ojousama sticking out of that cute little bun she’d made with her hair.

He cleared his throat as well as his mind of these embarrassingly simp thoughts, then said, “Is there a demon you want me to deal with?” She might have indeed come here with a concern after all.

To his relief, she shook her head. “I…” she hesitated, “It’s Sunday.” Then she looked down, perhaps to hide her flushed cheeks. “It sounds like s-sundae, so I remembered…” She nodded a little, as though she was telling herself she could do this. “As client, I request… the location of…”

“Roomie,” he called and greeted her with a smirk when she faced him. “Wanna go on a date with me?” He might have jumped the gun at that, but he was sensing it… The fact that she’d made an effort to return the gesture, the foolish first-meeting play… That means she feels the same way, right?

But still, he got a little nervous when he offered a hand to her. Maybe this was too fast after all. There was culture difference he had to consider too, as well as the past versus present conventional ways and such. Damn, it felt like it was taking forever waiting for her response, with all these thoughts. 

But when she finally gave him her hand, he couldn’t stop smiling. He even considered renaming his shop Devil May Smile. That was dumb, but it was just… He hadn’t thought that someone like him could be this happy.

“Where’d you wanna go after sundae?” he asked after giving Roomie’s hand a kiss. He’d done it before realizing it, so he hoped she wouldn’t mind that. Though that blush made her even cuter, making him want to earn it more often.

“I-I’m not sure. There are still a lot of things I haven’t tried.”

“Me too! How about the movie theater? Or an amusement park?”

“All?” she said with a shy smile that just made him grin wide.

“Alright then. This Sundate is gonna be a doozy!”

As he opened a portal to Fredi’s while still holding Roomie’s hand, Dante thought to himself, ‘See, Sundays and day-offs ought to be spent with the person you want to spend the rest of your, uhm, ‘week’ with.’

## The End ##