A week flew by, and the day to infiltrate the underground casino arrived. Dante had trained relentlessly at poker, but the results were dismal. To add pressure, the shipgirls bet their allowances against him—Dante lost everything. Desperate, he wagered his magical gear, only to lose that too. The shipgirls, unimpressed, couldn't even use the gear—it didn't recognize them. All Dante had left was Rebellion.
Devil May Cry Naval Base: Main Gate
Yamato stepped out of the headquarters' car. "Sorry to keep you waiting."
Dante nodded. "Right on time."
The shipgirls seeing him off blinked in confusion as Yamato joined him.
Akagi tilted her head. "Yamato's going too?"
Yamato blushed. "We're… married////"
The shipgirls froze, then glared at Dante. It was a cover for the mission, but they hadn't been told.
Suzuya exploded. "Married!? What's that about!?"
Ryuujou shouted, "When'd you get hitched!?"
Yuubari teased, "Moving in on Yamato, huh?"
Akebono smirked, "Even the lousy Admiral's settling down?"
Shiranui asked, "When's the ceremony?"
Kagerou snapped, "That's not the issue!"
Junyou cheered, "I love weddings! Free drinks!"
Kongou wailed, "Yamatooo!"
Hiei pleaded, "Calm down, big sis!"
Kirishima urged, "Be rational!"
As expected, chaos erupted. Dante had kept quiet to avoid this, but Yamato's vague words sparked a mess. Time to escape.
"Yamato, get in! Driver, go!" Dante barked.
Suzuya yelled, "Wait!"
Dante and Yamato piled into the backseat as the car sped off, dodging objects thrown by the furious shipgirls. Exhausted before the mission even began, they headed for the estate.
Inside the Car
The car wound through mountain roads.
Yamato gestured to the driver. "This is Lieutenant Lady."
Lady nodded. "Nice to meet you."
Dante replied, "Yeah, same (Why's she here?)."
Lady was infiltrating the navy, so they played strangers to avoid suspicion. Her role was to find the traitor, but driving for them? Likely the Marshal's doing.
Lady handed Dante an envelope while driving. Inside was a sheet detailing their cover: Dante, a wealthy businessman, and Yamato, his wife, madly in love, with two kids, always traveling for weekend dates.
Dante raised an eyebrow. "Who came up with this?"
"The Marshal," Lady said.
Yamato sighed. "He actually put thought into something…"
They arrived at the estate. Lady parked for a final briefing.
"No weapons inside," she said, handing over an invitation. How she got it was shady, but Dante didn't care. The mission was priority.
Guards at the entrance conducted body checks to prevent trouble among the notorious attendees. Dante left Rebellion and Ebony & Ivory in the car.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow," Lady said, driving off with his weapons.
The VIP poker game, with its massive stakes, spanned two days. Passing the checks, they reached a reception desk for check-in, hotel-style, since VIPs could stay overnight. Then, the last person Dante wanted to see spoke up.
"Well, this place has class," the Doctor said.
Dante glared. "Why're you here?"
"Same as you—poker. Old friend of the estate's owner."
Yamato frowned. "(I've seen him before…)"
The Doctor sauntered off. Dante glared after him, while Yamato tried to recall where she'd seen him.
They checked in.
"Dante, invited as Tony Redgrave," Dante said.
Yamato's jaw dropped. Using his real name? The plan was crumbling already.
They reached their room and stowed their bags.
"How do you build a mansion like this with dirty money?" Dante mused.
Yamato stayed silent, visibly upset.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Why'd you use your real name!?" she snapped.
Her anger was justified—failure wasn't an option. Dante plopped onto the sofa, unfazed.
"They know who I am and still let us in. They're either confident or idiots. So I showed our hand too."
The Doctor clearly saw Dante as a threat but hadn't interfered yet—either overconfident, foolish, or part of a larger plan. By using his real name, Dante signaled he was ready to face them.
Yamato paled. "They know us? How…"
"You read the reports. That guy's the Doctor."
Sweat beaded on Yamato's forehead. If their cover was blown, they were already in danger.
"It's over… let's leave!" she urged.
"This is my job," Dante said. "I'll see it through."
Retreating wasn't his style. Staying meant risk, but leaving handed funds to the Army or criminals. Better to stay and drain their wallets. Yamato, reluctantly, agreed.
The poker game was set for the evening. They waited in silence.
Night
As poker time neared, Yamato prepared, changing into a party dress and applying makeup. Dante lounged on the sofa.
"Change," Yamato said.
"What? This is fine," Dante replied.
"You'll stand out! Change!"
Their cover was already shaky, but Yamato clung to the plan. She unzipped a garment bag, revealing a tailored suit.
"I didn't order this," Dante said. "How'd you get my size?"
"Your uniform measurements were on file," Yamato explained. His old uniform was ruined by Cerberus, but new measurements were taken when he rejoined the base.
"No way I'm wearing that," Dante protested.
"You have to!"
Dante, despite being the Admiral, had no veto power. Grumbling, he changed into the suit, staring at himself in the mirror. Yamato giggled at his awkwardness.
"I need more time. Go ahead," she said.
Dante grinned. "Yamato, kiss me."
"W-What!?" Yamato flailed, blushing. "Even for our cover, that's too much!////"
Her flustered antics were amusing, but Dante's request wasn't romantic.
"Join me mid-game. Get close and kiss my cheek. Your beauty will distract the players."
Poker wasn't just cards—it was psychological warfare, reading faces and predicting moves. This was strategy.
He handed her a hair accessory. "Wear this. I'm counting on you."
Dante left. Alone, Yamato slapped her cheeks, psyching herself up in the mirror.
"Kiss…////" she muttered, flailing again. Could she pull this off?
Dante reached the VIP poker room, showing his invitation to the guard and entering smoothly. A grand poker table sat at the center, with a bar counter along the wall. Other players and their entourages mingled—associates were allowed in.
No sign of the Army officer. As Dante scanned the room, the Doctor approached.
"Let's have fun, Dante… or Tony Redgrave? I'm a bit confused," he taunted.
"Confusion in poker means you lose," Dante shot back with a smirk, walking away.
The Doctor grinned, unfazed.
The estate's owner, acting as dealer, greeted the room and explained the rules. Twelve players, including women. Each started with 5 million in chips, with a 3-million top-up allowed if they ran out. Quitting meant losing everything. Players got two cards, combined with five community cards dealt by the dealer to form hands. Winnings would be wired to designated accounts post-game.
Dante took his seat. Across from him, where the Army officer should've been, sat the Doctor. Dante's eyes widened.
The Doctor smirked. "Surprised? Flinching before the game starts? 'You'll lose winnable bets.'"
Dante gritted his teeth. "(This guy…)"
The Doctor was tied to demons and Abyssals. Was he also linked to the Army?
"Let's begin," the dealer announced.
The Doctor raised. "Raise."
The dealer nodded to Dante. "Your turn."
Dante stared at the Doctor, locking onto his target. "Call."
The showdown came. Cards were revealed.
"Three Kings and two Sixes—full house. Your win," the dealer said, sliding chips to the Doctor.
It was day one, so players bet cautiously, feeling each other out.
"You're off your game, Dante," the Doctor teased.
"It's just getting started," Dante replied.
The game continued. Dante signaled a waiter. "Gin and tonic."
His drink arrived quickly. Sipping it, he glanced at the entrance and froze. Yamato entered, radiant in a cherry-blossom pink dress with an open neckline, wearing the hair accessory he'd given her. Every player turned to stare.
She approached Dante, placed a hand on his shoulder, and softly kissed his cheek before heading to the bar counter without a word. Dante couldn't stop watching her.
The dealer coughed. "Dante, your turn."
"Huh? Oh…" Dante tossed in chips for a call, still glancing at Yamato.
The Doctor chuckled. "A kiss from the goddess of luck? Hope it works."
Yamato thought, "(I'm dying of embarrassment…////)"
Night's End
The first day ended, and Dante and Yamato returned to their room. The game had been a grueling stalemate—no one busted out, but Dante's chips dwindled.
Tomorrow, players would go all-in. The next round started at noon.
As Yamato prepared for bed, a problem surfaced: the room had one double bed, not twins.
"I'm sleeping," Dante said, flopping onto the sofa.
"No!" Yamato protested. "You take the bed! I'll take the sofa!"
An Admiral on the sofa while a shipgirl took the bed? Unacceptable to her.
"I'm fine here," Dante insisted.
Yamato reluctantly climbed into the bed, tossing restlessly.
"Can't sleep?" Dante asked.
Yamato jumped. "I thought you were asleep!"
She admitted, "I'm not used to such a big bed alone…"
Dante teased, "Even though they call you Yamato Hotel?"
"It's not a hotel!" she snapped, bolting upright. His joke didn't land.
"Who's that Doctor guy?" she asked.
"No clue," Dante said.
The Army officer never showed, replaced by the Doctor. Was he impersonating them or connected to the Army? A mystery.
"I feel like I've seen him before," Yamato said. "But I can't remember where…"
"Doesn't matter. Sleep," Dante replied.
"Um, Dante…" Yamato hesitated.
He cracked one eye open.
"This bed's too big for one… I mean, the sofa's bad for your body! Sleep here!" she blurted.
Dante smirked at her flustered honesty and moved to the bed. Soon, Yamato fell asleep, turned away from him. Thinking how shipgirls always need looking after, Dante closed his eyes.