"Didn't we already go over this?" the Pope shot back. "For the ideal world to come, someone's gotta make sacrifices. Like the Order's knights. Like your parents…"
"You don't get to talk about them," Credo snapped coldly, unleashing a blade of light that sliced through the air toward the Pope. The Pope teleported to the shoulder of the Savior statue, dodging effortlessly. Credo continued, his voice sharp with contempt. "This wasn't some accident or noble sacrifice. All I see is shameful betrayal and manipulation!"
The Pope clamped his mouth shut, silenced.
Meanwhile, Trish shed her disguise, reverting to her blonde, blue-eyed self, decked out in sleek black leather. She spun her hands, pulling out Nero's twin guns, Ebony & Ivory, lifted from the unconscious kid. She aimed them straight at the Pope.
"Gloria…" the Pope said, his tone layered with complexity as he noticed her move.
"You don't seem all that shocked," Trish said with a shrug. Then she waved at Credo, who was staring a bit too hard at her face. "Hey, handsome, now's not the time to get lost in my eyes."
Credo turned away, flustered. "My apologies, that was rude."
He suddenly remembered Trish's outfit was… less than modest. Staring like that wasn't doing his reputation any favors.
Luckily, no one else seemed to care.
"For someone who got their hands on Sparda's blade, no amount of digging is too much," the Pope sighed. "Still, I didn't see this coming. When did you figure out about Sparda's blood?"
"From the very start," Trish replied.
"So you two were in on it from the beginning," the Pope said, eyeing them.
Trish's gaze flicked between Credo and Nero, a playful smile tugging at her lips. "Yup. So, what do you say—ready to surrender?"
Nero rolled her eyes. If Trish had clued her in that she'd already teamed up with Credo, maybe she could've avoided that beating earlier. But thinking it over, Nero figured their deal probably came after her fight with Credo. Trish was likely bluffing to rattle the Pope.
"Surrender?" the Pope sneered, sinking into the Savior's core.
His voice echoed from within the statue, amplified like it was coming through a speaker. "Shouldn't you be the ones surrendering?"
He turned the question on Trish. "You're banking on Dante, aren't you? Problem is, he's halfway across the planet. You really think this little crew can take down the Savior?"
Then Agnus's voice, shaky and distant, piped up from below. "Y-Your Majesty, the activation is c-c-complete—"
The next second, fueled by a surge of demonic energy, the Savior roared to life.
It raised its massive fist and smashed it down where the trio stood.
Nero, Credo, and Trish scattered, the shattered floor kicking up a cloud of dust that blinded them.
The Pope's voice cut through the haze. "Agnus, go open the Demon World Gate."
"Huh?" Agnus's startled voice echoed from below. "But, Your Majesty…"
"I know, no Yamato. Don't you have another way? And while you're at it…"
"B-But—alright, I understand."
The dust cleared. Credo glared at the towering Savior, his voice icy with hostility. "What are you planning?"
"You heard me," the Pope replied. "Open the Demon World Gate."
Trish cut in. "Sparda's seal can't be broken. You don't have Yamato."
"Can't be broken? Hah…" The Pope's laugh was dripping with mockery. "How narrow-minded."
"Let me spell it out for you," he continued, launching a surprise attack. The Savior's massive palm sliced diagonally across the platform.
As the trio dodged below, he went on, "Why do you think we built those smaller Demon World Gates?"
"Aren't they just substitutes for the real gate?" Nero asked, landing on her feet.
Credo shook his head—he didn't know any other purpose.
"Substitutes? Hardly," the Pope scoffed. "The demons that come through those gates are too weak, and they're nowhere near big enough for the Savior to pass through."
He fired a laser from the Savior's gem, sweeping through the dust-choked floor. "Their real purpose? Resonance."
"Resonance?" Trish's voice carried a note of confusion.
"A seal's just a lock. Apply the right force, and you can pry it open."
Under the Pope's onslaught, the entire floor collapsed. The trio fell to the lower level, catching a glimpse of Agnus scurrying off in the distance.
"That's what resonance does," the Pope explained. "When three smaller Demon World Gates are cranked to self-destruct levels at the same time, the energy they release is enough to crack the seal!"
The Savior raised its leg, stomping down.
"You're insane!" Credo shouted, soaring into the air and summoning a light-sword to stab at the Savior's chest gem. "An uncontrolled Demon World Gate will kill everyone in Fortuna!"
"Don't listen to him, Credo!" Nero yelled, cutting him off. "One of the three gates is already gone."
"That's no issue," the Pope countered. "We built three gates to speed up the process. With Yamato, we could push the real gate to its limit instantly."
The Savior raised its hand, blocking the chest gem. Credo's golden light-sword clashed against its jade-like fingers.
"I suggest you hand over Nero and Yamato," the Pope said, his tone dripping with indifference to the lives of Fortuna's people. "Your choice will get them killed."
What a shameless way to shift the blame. Nero gritted her teeth and turned to the others. "Credo, you stop Agnus. I'll hold off the Pope!"
She readied herself to draw Yamato.
"You sure about this?" the Pope chuckled from inside the Savior. "I'm not so sure they can handle Agnus."
"Who're you underestimating?" Nero shot back.
She knew exactly what Agnus was capable of.
"Underestimating?" The Savior swatted Credo out of the air like a fly. "Oh, you don't know? I gave Agnus two tasks."
The words hit Nero and Credo like a gut punch, a bad feeling creeping up their spines.
Seeing their expressions, the Pope laughed again.
"That's right. I told him to grab someone first."
Kyrie.
Trish had already used her fake alliance with Agnus to get Kyrie away from the battlefield—a key part of her deal with Credo.
But they hadn't had time to hide her.
"SANTUS!" Credo roared the Pope's true name, fury boiling over.
"Such disrespect," the Pope sighed. "You—"
"Y-Y-Your M-M-Majesty!" A frantic voice interrupted, bursting into the fray. Agnus, clutching an unconscious Kyrie, flapped his wings and swooped back into view.
He stammered in a panic, "T-The D-D-Demon World G-Gate—there's only o-one left!"
"What?!" The Savior froze.
Trish glanced at the stunned faces around her, spreading her hands with a sly smile.
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