Two months have passed since "that incident," and the scars left by the Order's experiments on the island have all but faded. The demons that slipped through the Demon Gate, lurking within the Order's halls, the snowy mountains, and the forests, have been hunted down. Demon attacks are now as rare as they were before the gate opened. The twisted experiments of the former Pope Sanctus have been exposed, but thanks to Credo and Kyrie's efforts, the Order's reputation has barely taken a hit.
The cost, though, is that Credo's been saddled with the title of "the man who slew the demon-corrupted Pope." His popularity's through the roof, and it won't be long before he's crowned the new Pope.
The Sword Festival went off without a hitch a month ago, though Nero didn't take the stage. She had her reasons. These past two months, she hasn't been idle. Nero's been diving into places tainted by demonic power, handling jobs too tough—or too secret—for the average Order knight. With Credo swamped, it's one way to lighten his load.
It's just until the filth is cleaned up, anyway.
Dante's "Devil May Cry" branch office sign arrived a month back, just as he'd guessed she'd need. Nero's been itching to leave Fortuna and make her mark in the wider world, and that sign—worthless in Fortuna—is exactly what she needs to start fresh.
Kyrie was reluctant about her leaving, but Credo, after a long silence, understood.
To meet the demands of combat, Nero ditched Fortuna's strict dress code for women. No more skirts—she's in sleek pants and a deep-neck top. Sure, it's practical for grabbing her devil arms, but the side-eyes from the locals are real. Add to that the demonic skin on her chest, and the Nero who was once a model believer alongside Kyrie is gone. Whispers spread that she's possessed, and the "little saint" they once adored is now shunned.
Truth is, that Nero never existed. Dante saw through her from the start. She never truly bought into the Order's faith—just played the part of a devout believer.
Now, she doesn't have to anymore.
As for Credo, he's never been thrilled about her new look, but he can't talk her out of fighting or hunting demons. When Nero said that bearing Sparda's blood meant she had a duty to the world, he couldn't argue.
Who could, when she'd memorized the Order's scriptures better than he had, all to play her role?
But just like her pious facade was a mask, so was her excuse to Credo. Sure, she doesn't mind helping demon-plagued folks off the island, but that's not why she's leaving.
She's preparing for a crisis that's coming.
To make sure she's ready if her resurrected dad shows up years from now to reclaim Yamato, Nero can't afford to slack. She needs to get stronger.
How strong? She doesn't know. But stronger is always better. She'll hunt demons, collect devil arms, refine her Devil Trigger, and wean herself off relying on Yamato. There's a lot to do.
For now, though, she's in the depths of Mitis Forest's valley, chasing a few stray demons.
"Mephisto" and "Faust." She's dealt with plenty of Mephistos before, and Fausts are similar. Both have frail, insect-like bodies wrapped in toxic black demonic mist. They slip through walls to ambush prey, striking with extendable claws.
Fausts, though, are bigger, with more humanoid heads topped by a mystical soft hat, giving them a dangerous, enigmatic vibe.
These near-ghostly demons, cloaked in their magic shrouds, are immune to non-enchanted attacks. For Order knights, bound by doctrine to avoid guns or holy bullets, they're a nightmare. Mephistos can be handled by knights who've undergone the Ascension Ceremony, but a Faust changes the game. Holy water's the only recourse, and that's in short supply.
These demons are best left to Nero or Credo.
The problem is, these creeps, originally holed up near an abandoned church, sensed Nero's power and bolted to the bottom of the valley behind it. To finish them off, she's had to descend into this sunless gorge.
The valley was once a riverbed, carved deep by flowing water. But the river changed course, dried up, and left this jagged mess. Nero leaps between the rocky outcrops, closing in on her prey. Each time she nears a demon, she conjures a magical shortsword, slices through their dark cloaks, drags out the bug-like core, and crushes it underfoot, splattering ichor.
Thankfully, when demons die, their traces vanish fast. Six Mephistos are down to two under Nero's pursuit, and now she's locked onto the lead Faust.
She springs off a protruding rock, aiming for the demon melting into the shadows, and hurls three magical shortswords.
The azure blades vanish into the thick black mist. The Faust halts its escape, twisting to face her. Its glowing red claws cross and lash out, charging at Nero.
It knows it can't outrun her. Time for a last stand.
"About time!"
Nero grins wide, conjuring a slender rapier of magic in each hand, and meets it head-on.
No point running—they'll all die by her hand eventually. Might as well make it quick.
The Faust's claws extend, slashing left and right, leaving ten crimson streaks in the dark valley. Nero vaults over its head, her twin rapiers slicing at its back.
But the Faust slides forward eerily, dodging her strike. Nero lands on a rock, spins with the momentum, and flings both rapiers, pinning them into the Faust's form.
With a snap of her fingers, the azure blades shatter, tearing gaping holes in the black cloak.
Nero seizes the moment. Her whip-sword Echidna unfurls, snaring the worm-like core leaking from the mist, and yanks hard.
The soft, scorpion-like creature, stripped of its cloak, is pathetically fragile. In an instant, Echidna cleaves its lower half, sending it crashing to the ground.