In the World of Devil May Cry
Lady roared down the road on her motorcycle, bound for Devil May Cry. Word had reached her that Dante had vanished under strange circumstances. As she sped along, another bike approached from the opposite direction. Lady pulled over, and the other rider did the same.
"Trish," Lady greeted.
"You heard too?" Trish asked, tilting her head.
"So you're on this trail too?" Lady replied.
"Yeah, just got the details from Morrison and Patty," Trish said.
She'd already visited Devil May Cry, piecing together the situation from Morrison and Patty's accounts.
"I was headed there myself," Lady said.
"I bet they're still at the office," Trish said. "I'm swinging by Enzo's to see if he knows anything."
"Got it," Lady nodded.
With the briefest of exchanges, they peeled off in opposite directions.
Devil May Cry Office
Lady parked her bike outside the Devil May Cry office and strode inside. Morrison and Patty were waiting.
"Lady, you came too!" Patty exclaimed.
"Yeah," Lady said. "This is getting weird, huh?"
"No kidding," Morrison grunted. "Dante just up and disappeared."
Lady sat as Morrison and Patty recounted the events.
"Is Dante gonna be okay?" Patty murmured, her face clouded with worry. It was only natural—anyone would fret when someone vanishes without a trace.
"Of course he is," Lady said breezily, masking her own concern to ease Patty's. "Knowing him, he's probably off chasing some whim."
She stood, brushing off her jacket. "Patty, head home. Trish and I will track him down."
With that, Lady left the office.
Devil May Cry Naval Base, Command Office
In the command office, Dante was talking with Shiranui while Kagerou watched quietly.
"Listen," Dante said, leaning back. "I don't need a babysitter. You don't have to stick to me like glue, got it?"
"Yes, sir," Shiranui replied, her tone neutral.
"Then go have some fun," Dante said, waving her off.
But Shiranui just stood there, staring at him, unmoving. Dante groaned, rubbing his temples. Everywhere he went, Shiranui trailed him, her gaze like a hawk's, making him feel caged.
Kagerou shook her head. (This is hopeless.)
Just then, Ooyodo burst into the room, breathless. "Admiral, to the command room—now!"
Command Room
The naval base had received an urgent message from the submarine fleet on an expedition. They'd been sent to make contact with foreign ships, a mission they'd completed successfully, and were set to return. But on their way back through the Curry Ocean toward the Stevia Sea, they'd stumbled upon a hidden enemy anchorage. They confirmed the presence of a "Harbor Water Demon." This was the emergency report.
The base contacted High Command. The Marshal and General appeared on the comms.
"We'll convene an emergency meeting," the Marshal said.
Dante scoffed. "That's slow. My girls are ready to roll now. They're itching for action."
"No," the General cut in. "Another base will handle the front line. Your fleet's on rear support."
"Details to follow," the Marshal added before the line went dead.
Ooyodo glanced at Dante, worry creasing her brow.
"Completely sidelined, huh?" Dante muttered.
"It's High Command's orders," Ooyodo said softly.
"Or they just don't want us in the fight," Dante said under his breath.
"What do you mean?" Ooyodo asked.
"Nothing, just thinking out loud," Dante said, brushing it off. Houshou's suspicions about the General weren't confirmed, so he kept them close for now.
"Where are the subs?" he asked.
"Waiting at the anchorage," Ooyodo replied.
Rabaul Anchorage
High Command and the Sasebo Naval Base assembled an elite fleet to strike the hidden enemy anchorage, aiming to cripple the enemy's remaining forces in the Western Sea. Devil May Cry's base provided rear support with a mixed fleet of submarines and surface ships.
Days later, Dante arrived at the anchorage with Yuubari, Shigure, and Shiratsuyu, joining the waiting submarines.
"The Admiral's here too, dechi?" Goya chirped.
"Got something I wanna do," Dante said with a grin.
Shigure stayed silent, her mind heavy. Before leaving, Houshou had asked her to keep an eye on Dante. She doubted he'd stick to rear support, and she wasn't sure she could stop him if he went rogue.
"Mission's tomorrow," Dante said. "Relax for now."
"Wanna chat with Shiratsuyu, Admiral?" Shiratsuyu asked, bouncing.
"It's gonna be a long night. Get some sleep," Dante shot back.
"Ugh, fine," Shiratsuyu pouted.
Dante and Shiratsuyu headed into the building.
"How've you been eating out here?" Yuubari asked.
"Caught fish, grilled 'em, dechi," Goya said.
"I'm so over it…" Iku sighed.
"(Total survival mode…)" Yuubari thought, picturing the subs roughing it with no cook.
The Next Day
At mission start, Yuubari, Shigure, Shiratsuyu, Imuya, and Hachi were in position. The fleet moved out as planned.
But during the battle, trouble struck.
"Where's the commander?" Imuya asked, scanning the group.
"…Damn it!" Shigure hissed.
Dante, who'd been with them, was gone. In the chaos of combat, he'd slipped away unnoticed.
"Forget the Admiral for now!" Yuubari barked. "Focus on the Abyssals!"
Stevia Sea, Anzu Islands
Dante sped toward the enemy anchorage at full throttle. The front line was already ablaze, flames and smoke visible in the distance. Veering off the main route, he landed on the island. His new plan: infiltrate the enemy base. Talking to Abyssals was pointless—they never made sense. But snooping inside might yield answers. Ignoring the bombs and shells raining down, Dante scoured the base. The surface held only Abyssal supplies, but then he found an elevator, leading only downward. He stepped in, descending to the lower levels.
The elevator doors opened, and a "Marionette" lunged at him. These low-tier demons, unable to sustain themselves in the human world, inhabited puppet-like vessels. Dante swung Rebellion, slicing the nearest Marionette, sending it crashing into others. More poured from the corridor's depths, but he carved through them, advancing.
Stevia Sea, Anzu Islands
On the front line, Yamato had joined the fight. A radio call came through.
"Yamato, has our Admiral shown up there?" Shigure asked.
"Dante? Haven't seen him," Yamato replied. "He's missing?"
"He was gone when we noticed," Shigure admitted.
"Keep to the plan," Yamato said. "I'll alert you if I spot him."
"Understood," Shigure replied.
Yamato relayed to the frontline fleet to report any sign of Dante. The battle raged on, hammering the Harbor Water Demon and the anchorage.
Enemy Base Interior
Amid the tremors of the attack, Dante fought through the corridors, dispatching demons. The Marionettes stopped coming, replaced by "Beelzebubs"—grotesque, buzzing fly-like demons.
"Annoying as hell!" Dante growled, swatting them aside.
He emerged into a vast chamber lined with capsules. Inside one, an Abyssal floated in a vat of fluid—humanoid and varied ship types suspended in eerie stillness.
(Were these things… made by someone?) Dante wondered.
Pushing through the capsules, he found a desk cluttered with monitors and documents—data on navy, army, political figures, admirals, and their fleets. His own file was there too.
"Got a real dedicated stalker," Dante muttered, flipping through.
A crash behind him—capsules shattered as a demon emerged, spitting fireballs. Dante dodged, but the desk and documents went up in flames.
"Damn, there goes everything," he cursed.
The demon was a "Phantom"—a spider-like creature of molten magma, encased in a tough exoskeleton. Dante had fought one on Mallet Island that talked trash. This one was silent.
"What's wrong? Your buddy back then wouldn't shut up. You too dumb to talk?" Dante taunted.
Enraged, the Phantom roared, lunging with its tail. Dante dodged, unloading bullets into its face. The base shook, debris and steel falling as the fleet's bombardment intensified. No time to get buried—Dante ignored the Phantom, sprinting for the elevator back to the surface.
Stevia Sea, Anzu Islands
The fleet had destroyed the Harbor Water Demon and the anchorage. Yuubari's group rendezvoused with Yamato's.
"Where's the Admiral?" Shigure asked.
"No one's seen him," Yamato said.
"Where'd he go?" Hachi wondered.
On the anchorage's surface, Dante burst through rubble, followed by the Phantom, blasting debris aside.
"Persistent bastard," Dante muttered.
The Phantom buried its face in the ground, and the earth glowed red beneath Dante. He leapt clear as fire pillars erupted, chasing him. The fleet spotted the flames.
"Is that…?" Shiratsuyu started.
"No question, it's the Admiral," Yuubari said.
The fleet closed in. Dante fought the fire-spitting Phantom, leaping onto its back and slashing at the gaps in its exoskeleton with Rebellion, then plunging the blade deep.
"Admiral!" Shigure shouted.
"I'll cover you!" Shiratsuyu called, firing.
The fleet's shells bounced off the Phantom's armor.
"It's not working!" Yuubari yelled.
The Phantom's exoskeleton was physically and magically impervious, vulnerable only at the head and back gaps.
"Hit the face!" Dante shouted, riding the thrashing Phantom like a rodeo bull.
The fleet aimed for the head, firing. The Phantom, enraged, spewed fireballs skyward, raining them on the fleet. They scrambled to dodge. Dante drove Rebellion deeper, irking the Phantom, which swung its tail at him. He leapt off, evading.
"Anyone got AP shells?" Yamato called.
"I do!" Ise replied.
The mission called for Type 3 shells, but Ise, from Sasebo, had brought armor-piercing rounds. She loaded and fired at the Phantom's face. Distracted by Dante, it took the hit full-on, staggering.
"Giving up already?" Dante taunted.
Furious, the Phantom charged, jaws wide to devour him.
"Eat this," Dante said, spinning Ebony & Ivory before unloading magic-charged bullets into its face. The Phantom melted, its magma body dissolving.
The fleet regrouped with Dante.
"Admiral, you can't just vanish!" Shigure snapped.
"Why are you in the enemy base?" Yamato demanded.
"Strategy," Dante said, smirking.
"That wasn't in the plan!" Yamato shot back.
Dante shrugged off their complaints, heading back to the base.
Devil May Cry Naval Base, Command Office
"Yo!" a cheery voice rang out.
Days later, Dante returned with the fleet and froze in the command office doorway. Lady and Trish, who shouldn't be in this world, lounged on the sofa, sipping tea like they owned the place.
To be continued!