Chapter 15- This Time, This Time For Sure!

As we reach the top of the hill I see Dante running up from the other side.

"Dante! Eh? where's he going?" I laugh as he runs behind us and hides behind me. Shaking and saying something inaudible bar the word Vergil.

"Speak up old man, what about my old man?" Nero cocks an eyebrow in confusion and V sets off laughing as he summons Griffon and Shadow while pointing to where Dante had run from.

"Vergil, wait, wait wait wait, bro ...." Vergil slams Yamato against his head and then turns to face the way he'd come from.

"Make haste, she's coming" as he points, Shirai comes over the hilltop. Once again she was in the human form that she'd been in when I'd pulled her from...the...lake.

"Oh my god, guys I just thought of something. I think I summoned Shirai partially when I made the oasis in town." They all look at me in confusion, but it quickly changes as they realise what Im talking about.

"Shit, that would make plenty of sense" Lady and Trish crest the hill to our left and join us.

This is my fault. I thought she'd wanted to teach me, I thought she'd always been there but she was using me to be partially summoned so she'd be stronger now. If I hadn't ...

"Don't even go there kiddo. This wasn't you, I know that look. Makes sense why we couldn't hear her before though when she spoke. Cause she was using you as a condouit and couldn't communicate with anyone other than you." Dante chides knowing me too well for my liking in this situation.

I shed a tear at my naivety and then I'm angry. For the first time since the oasis I feel the 'net' brush over me and I welcome the shift.

"Mel you, DAMN enchantress alert." Nero openly drools at my form and I turn to him in confusion.

"This isn't what you looked like last time you changed. You were animalistic then, now" click, Lady takes a picture and shows me.

"What in the name of blue wolf creek!?" I stare at the image. Looking back at me is a pale white skinned, indigo haired, yellow eyed... Nevan. "I look like my mum" I mutter with a small smile. My hair covers my body as hers had, but where she had her skirts of bats and black I have layers of wolf fur and a tube top of the same grey fur where she was topless. I look sexy, which is new as I never thought I was before now.

"Hot mama alert!" Griffon caws as he lands on my outstretched arm and ruffles in excitement.

I smile and feel sharp things drag over my lip. I don't bleed but I know what they are. I lick my fangs and flash them Griff who caws again and flies off laughing.

I turn to Shirai who has been stood atop the hill on the other side while all this took place. It had felt like a good 30 minutes to me, in reality it had been three.

"Shall we?" I ask heading forward to meet her. I should be nervous, butterflies or something but I feel nothing. I'm calm and ready to deal with this, fix the house and then go home and have a hot shower with V and go to sleep.

You again. You will not learn will you brat? you are inferior to me and yo... She stopped talking as she turns and saw me in my 'true' form, full enchantress.

Humph that stumped you didn't it Shirai, guess you'd been holding me back all this time.

Dante and Vergil go to either side of her and Nero makes his way behind. V remains directly behind me, ready to cover with his familiars if need be. For the first time he summons nightmare.

The golem crashes into the hill behind us and slumps up behind us, picking V up and out of danger. Lady goes to Vergil and they nod to one another while Trish leans on Dante's shoulder.

"You're weak Shirai and your portal is destroyed. Still think you stand a chance against us?" She recoils as she takes in that she is surrounded.

She ends with me and then she slams into me before I even register that she's moved.

If I take you down then YES. She bellows as she pins me to nightmare and wraps an arm around my neck and squeezes tightly.

I hold my breath, not fighting the choking as it doesn't affect me when I'm not breathing. I breath out slowly and then do something she isn't expecting. I whistle.

Griffon and Trish fire at me with their strongest bolts, aiming for her of course but she dodges and they strike me.

Foolish brat you think they can hurt me, I'm faster than you. I laugh and then take in a slow breath, proving I'd done what I'd intended.

"Yeah you may be, but you let go and now they can hit you again" as I finish she is struck by a rocket and two strong sets of electricity. What she doesn't realise is she can't move, because I've got her in ivy tied to the spot.

"Oh booooys" I smile wickedly as the two elder sons and grandson of Sparda descend with their swords. Shadow strikes for V between the ladies, impaling and ripping into the now formless creature before us.

"Lost your ability to keep form huh?" Asks Dante as he strikes with Rebellion again, followed quickly by Red Queen in Nero's handand finally Vergil with Yamato.

"Trish Griffon, on my count" they nod and Lady fires a rocket as I signal. Counting as it moves

3

2

1

"Now!" They hit her with everything they've got as I wrap the shadowy mess of demon in vines, enchanting them to draw her energy to them so the more she tries to slip through the more entangled she becomes.

I wrap the vines and ivy into a small cage and bring it to my hand. I form a barrier circle on the floor and everyone else goes to the mark that represents them.

The barrier rises and I lift the cage so it hovers in front of my face.

"This barrier is impregnable for both of us, either I kill you and I leave it in human form, or we both die." The others scream and try to leave their marks to break the barrier but they can't. V cries out my name, but I can't turn to look at him. I stare at the eyes looking at me inside the cage of trapped shadows, take and deep breath and say.

"Blazing flame, dark with desire, burn this land in banishing fire!" The entire interior of the barrier erupts in flames and when they fade both the caged demon and I are gone.

The last thing I hear is the echo of the others yelling my name and V's sob as he sees an empty field where I should have been. Then nothing.