"What do you mean, all the Devil Arms have been taken by Dante?"
Sephirot leaned on the counter, looking at the obese Enzo.
Enzo wore a pair of small round sunglasses and a flashy shirt, which perfectly accentuated his unscrupulous merchant aura.
He took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaled a smoke ring, his hands adorned with rings embedded with various gemstones.
"Calm down, calm down, little Sephirot."
Enzo spread his hands, looking innocent.
"A few days ago, that bastard Dante rushed over in a panic, saying a troublesome ancient demon had revived."
"So, under the banner of saving the world, he took away all the Devil Arms he previously mortgaged with me."
Enzo flicked off some ash and added:
"He also casually took one of my sun loungers and a strawberry sundae, leaving a message."
"All redemption payments and interest will be fully borne by my dear nephew Sephirot."
Sephirot: "..."
A troublesome demon?
This sounded like Dante was definitely bullshitting. He must have guessed that after hearing about the debts upon returning, Sephirot would come to retrieve his weapons, so he transferred his assets ahead of time!
"This damn old man..."
Sephirot muttered under his breath.
"But, he did leave something for you."
Seeing Sephirot's murderous expression, Enzo's eyes rolled.
He bent down, laboriously dragging a dusty wooden box from under the counter and dropping it on the table.
Upon opening it, inside was an ordinary double-barreled shotgun, with complex alchemical symbols engraved where the barrel met the grip, and the stock wrapped in unknown leather.
"Winchester 1887 modified version."
Enzo rubbed his hands together. "This was a piece Dante used back in his earlier years. Though it's not considered a Devil Arm, after being tuned by the top gun mechanic Nico, dealing with some Lesser Demons shouldn't be a problem."
Holy Flame of Exorcism?
Sephirot wasn't unfamiliar with this gun; it was a demon-slaying weapon from another world. Unexpectedly, he encountered it here.
He held the gun, expertly flicking the lever, hearing a crisp click, his expression finally easing a bit.
"Alright, old rules, on credit first."
—--
After returning from the black market, life resumed its usual tranquility and boredom.
Apart from wiping tables at the Agency and staring blankly at Alessa, Sephirot would also go out at night, acting as a friendly neighbor of Los Santos.
"Buzz..."
His phone vibrated; it was a message from Patty.
[Lowell: image]
The photo showed an endless highway, the sky azure, with some buildings faintly visible in the distance.
[Lowell: Look at the scenery here! You regret it now, right!]
Sephirot tapped his fingers and sent.
[Yes, I regret it immensely, please take more photos.]
Doing the math, Patty should have been on the road for about two days by now.
—--
Evening.
When Sephirot returned to the Agency after dealing with a few punks for some extra cash, carrying takeout, he found Morrison sitting on the couch.
He was holding a cup of coffee that was more than half gone.
"What's up?"
Sephirot tossed his jacket onto the coat rack and said irritably, "I can't afford to feed you dinner, and I don't have the money to get you more coffee either."
"Don't be so touchy."
Morrison chuckled, putting down his cup. "There's a semi-official job offer. The pay is very generous. Are you interested?"
"Tch."
Sephirot curled his lip dismissively, opening his takeout container and starting to shovel food in.
So-called "semi-official" usually meant trouble.
Those politicians and high-ranking police officials, usually full of hot air and low on action, would only pinch their noses and come looking for "freaks" like them when they had a mess they absolutely couldn't sweep under the rug.
But as he looked at the endless string of zeros in the system's mission description, he sighed:
"How much? Let's hear it."
"Fifty thousand US dollars, plus extra allowances from the police department."
Morrison didn't beat around the bush, continuing, "Have you heard of Poho County? Just a couple of days ago, the police station there was massacred. No survivors. The scene was gruesome, and not even a distress signal went out."
"The only surviving eyewitness is a crazy woman who claims to be a medium. She insists the attacker was a demon with huge wings that could fly."
"Fifty thousand..."
Sephirot looked disgusted.
These stingy politicians only understood that hiring professionals came with a hefty price tag when demons were dancing on their desks.
But complaining was one thing, life had to go on. Fifty thousand was still better than grabbing a few dozen or hundred bucks dealing with punks on the street all night.
He waved a hand in resigned acceptance. "Alright, fine. What else?"
Morrison pulled a yellowed newspaper clipping and an investigation report from his briefcase, sliding them across to Sephirot:
"According to the information we found locally, there's a local legend that's been circulating in that county for a long time."
"Every 23 years in the spring, that thing wakes up to feed."
"And this latest sighting report coincides exactly with the 23rd year since the last related case of missing persons."
"Twenty-three years..."
Sephirot felt that number was very familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd heard it.
The North American continent was a land of remarkable talents and spirits; the number of serial killers and demons combined probably outnumbered convenience stores.
Based on just a local legend and a location, even with his vast experience watching movies, he couldn't confirm if this was some old acquaintance from a horror film coming out to boost their stats.
Right at that moment, the system's voice chimed in his mind once more.
[Ding!]
[Main Quest Triggered: The Ogre's Feast]
[Quest Description: In the ancient legends of Poho County, there exists an ancient creature that feeds on human fear. It awakens every 23 years in the spring, hunting for 23 days.]
[Quest Objective: Completely Eliminate the Ogre]
[Quest Reward: 2,000 points]
[Bloodline awakening degree increased by 2%]
[Special Drop: Ancient Demon Essence (Regeneration) x1]
"So that's what it is."
Sephirot looked at the detailed introduction on the system panel and finally remembered.
The Heart-Stopping Cannibal was an ancient monster with an immortal body. It could replace its missing parts by devouring human organs.
The saying "eat what you lack" was manifested perfectly on this creature.
It also delighted in tormenting its prey, squeezing and savoring the fear emotions from its victims.
"Additionally, according to the police profile supplement."
Morrison pointed to a red line on the map and added: "Most of the missing person cases and sighting reports are concentrated along a highway that runs through the county."
"Which road?"
"East Route 9."
Sephirot put down his chopsticks, his heart sinking heavily.
The place Patty had chanted countless times in his ear before she left, that place with picturesque scenery in the photos...
An ominous foreboding surged in his heart.
Morrison had been observing Sephirot's expression, and he nodded: "So you've realized it too."
"So, you need to hurry."
After saying this, he tossed Sephirot a car key and a strangely-shaped communicator.
"This is the modified sports car I rented specifically for you. It's very fast. Take good care of it, don't wreck it for me."
"And this communicator."
"It's something Dante left behind. I don't think you'll run into any problems, but if you encounter any danger you can't handle, press it."
"Even if he's in Hell, he can arrive anytime."
(Translated by yourtl.app)
─────────────────────────────────────────
TL NOTES — CROSSOVER GUIDE
The notes below are here to help readers unfamiliar with these universes follow along more easily.
CHARACTERS
Nico Goldstein — The weapons engineer and modder in Devil May Cry 5. She is the granddaughter of Nell Goldstein, the legendary gunsmith who originally crafted Dante's signature handguns. Nico travels with the group in a customized van and is responsible for upgrading and creating new weapons and skills throughout the game. Her being referenced here as the one who tuned the Winchester confirms she exists in this story's world, though she has not appeared directly.