"We meet again, Dante-kun," said a mysterious man.
"Who are you?" Dante asked, raising his gun.
"Who? A rich, genius, playboy philanthropist," the man rattled off playfully, clearly dodging.
"I'm not playing. Name yourself," Dante demanded.
"Shoot an unarmed guy?" the man teased, feigning fear but staying flippant.
"Depends on your answer."
"Tough question… I'm a researcher. Call me 'Doctor.' Sounds cool, right?" He boasted about mastering physics, biology, and more, holding multiple doctorates, now studying demons with theatrical gestures. Dante listened, stone-faced.
"Got it?" the Doctor asked.
"Not yet. Did you create the Abyssals?" Dante pressed.
The Doctor laughed mockingly. "You're naive. Clueless."
"My bad, not much for studying," Dante quipped.
"You think I made the Abyssals? Not the first ones."
"Meaning?"
"Ask the Navy. They know the truth and hide it." He explained Kanmusu and Abyssals emerged naturally, their war endless as long as they fight, per Navy knowledge. No Admiral was present to confirm.
"Your goal? Studying demons for what?" Dante asked.
"I'd love to grandly reveal my evil plan, but no dice," the Doctor smirked.
Dante, tired of the games, nearly fired, but the Doctor interrupted. "I'm here to warn you."
"Warn?"
"Jester told me you're from another world."
Dante tensed at Jester's name. The Doctor might be Jester's "kind human." He urged Dante, an outsider, to stay out of this world's Abyssal-demon conflict and return home.
"Don't know how you got here, but go back," he said.
Dante didn't budge. Screams from the festival interrupted, and when he looked back, the Doctor vanished. Dante rushed to the scene.
At the festival, demons rampaged, panicking civilians. Kanmusu struggled through the crowd. Lady and Trish, weaponless, couldn't fight.
"I hate being unarmed!" Lady groaned.
Dante arrived, shooting a demon down. "Evacuate the people!" he ordered, slashing with Rebellion. The Kanmusu guided civilians; Lady and Trish, told to stay low, helped evacuate.
Devil May Cry Naval District
Akashi, in the factory, finished rigging maintenance alone, planning to join the festival in a yukata. Her phone rang—Yuubari.
"What's up?" Akashi asked.
"Bring the magic weapons!" Yuubari urged.
"For a festival?"
"Just do it!" The call cut off.
Sensing an emergency, Akashi grabbed random magic weapons and had a military police drive her to the festival.
Evacuation progressed; Dante culled lesser demons. Tenryuu and Tatsuta joined, speeding things up. As they felled the last, a knight-like demon appeared.
"Tenryuu, Tatsuta, stay back," Dante ordered, clashing swords. After trading blows, he leaped back, firing Ebony & Ivory. The demon's sword swing unleashed a tornado, deflecting bullets and wrecking stalls. Dante's Drive shockwave met the demon's black shockwave, canceling out.
Akashi arrived, tossing magic weapons. "Admiral!"
"Now's our time!" Agni called.
"Our turn!" Rudra echoed.
The toss went wild, landing away. "Sorry!" Akashi yelped.
"What was that?!" Tenryuu snapped, retrieving Agni & Rudra.
Dante ignored them, clashing again. The demon taunted, "Doctor told you to go home. Why fight?"
"Your pal, huh? It's my job!" Dante retorted.
As their swords swung, Dante dodged, firing charged shots point-blank, staggering the demon. Tenryuu tossed Agni & Rudra accurately; Dante caught them.
"What's that?" the demon asked.
"New toy," Dante grinned.
"Just two blades instead of one."
"Think so?"
Dante's dual-wielded flurry overwhelmed the demon. It leaped back, summoning a tornado. Dante linked Agni & Rudra, spinning them to create a fiery vortex, Twister. Upping the speed, he soared, turning it into a blazing tornado, Tempest, clashing with the demon's. Both vanished. Dante closed in, slashing the demon down.
"Finally scratched that shiny armor," he taunted.
"You think you've won? I've analyzed your weapons," the demon said, vanishing in a tornado.
"Ran again? Thought you had guts," Dante scoffed.
Agni and Rudra bickered, demanding gratitude. Dante tossed them aside, uninterested—they weren't his anymore, sold off by Enzo. Tatsuta retrieved them, scolding, "No littering!"
Dante regrouped and returned to base.
Next day, Ooyodo informed Dante of a naval review at Kure Naval District, including a joint exercise with Yokosuka. Kure's bad reputation hinted at trouble. Dante headed to Naval HQ.
Naval HQ – Admiral's Office
"What's up, Admiral Dante?" the Admiral asked.
"Yamato, leave us," Dante said.
Yamato glanced at the Admiral, who nodded. She left. They sat on sofas. Dante shared the Doctor's claims. The Admiral stayed silent.
"No more secrets, old man. Spill everything," Dante urged.
"Remember the Navy's Abyssal research?"
"Yeah."
The Admiral explained: Kanmusu and Abyssals are reincarnated souls of sunken WWII ships—Kanmusu protect, Abyssals resent. Fairies are crew souls. If a Kanmusu sinks, she becomes an Abyssal; if an Abyssal sinks, a Kanmusu. A coin's two sides, their war a cycle. The Navy aims to end it by sinking all Abyssals, a secret kept to prevent Kanmusu doubt or public panic.
"Keep this quiet," the Admiral pleaded.
"Why do Abyssals smell like demons?" Dante asked.
"Don't know."
Dante sighed, disappointed. The Doctor's motives remained unclear, tabled for now. As he left, the Admiral asked, "Coming to the review?"
"Planning to," Dante replied.
"See you there."
"Later."
Outside, Fubuki waited. "What'd you talk about, Dante-san?"
"Just small talk. What're you doing?"
"Passing by," she said.
"I'm heading back."
Dante left for base, Fubuki watching silently.
Looking forward to the next episode!