DMC through the GATE

Mission 1: battle of ginza

The Devil May Cry mobile workshop rumbled its way through the congested streets of Ginza, its heavy suspension groaning every few feet as another sea of brake lights forced it to a crawl. The customized vehicle, equal parts armored transport, repair garage, and living quarters, stood out even among Tokyo's endless stream of traffic. Its engine idled with a deep mechanical growl while impatient drivers honked all around it.

Inside, Nero had long since surrendered to the standstill. Reclined against one of the benches with his jacket draped over his shoulders, he slept soundly despite the constant noise outside, his steady breathing contrasting with the city's restless energy.

Behind the wheel, Nico rested one arm against the open window as she took another drag from her cigarette. Smoke drifted lazily into the humid afternoon air before she exhaled in frustration, fingers rhythmically tapping the steering wheel.

"I swear," she muttered, glaring at the endless line of vehicles ahead, "Tokyo's got more traffic than Hell."

In the rear compartment, Lady and Trish used the downtime to inspect their equipment. Every firearm had been stripped, cleaned, and reassembled with practiced precision, ammunition meticulously sorted into crates along the walls.

Lady's attention, however, rested on a weapon far older than any firearm.

Resting across the workbench was Alastor, one of Dante's earliest Devil Arms that Enzo Ferino had recently managed to recover from storage. Even dormant, the sword carried an unsettling presence. Its crimson blade emerged from the jaws of an ornate dragon whose sculpted head formed the crossguard. Bronze wings extended outward from either side, acting as the guard, while the grip twisted downward in elegant spirals before ending in several carved skulls surrounding a vicious metal spike at the pommel. Faint traces of demonic lightning occasionally danced across its polished surface before vanishing just as quickly.

Lady carefully lifted the weapon, studying its balance.

Setting the blade aside, she reached for something far more familiar.

Leaning against the wall was the newest evolution of her signature anti-demon launcher—Kalina Ann Model III.

The massive rocket launcher retained the intimidating silhouette of its predecessors, but Nico's countless modifications had transformed it into an even deadlier weapon. Reinforced barrels, an upgraded targeting system, interchangeable ammunition chambers, and enough firepower to flatten a city block made it a masterpiece of destructive engineering.

Lady rested the launcher across her shoulder with a satisfied grin.

Another chorus of impatient car horns echoed outside.

Nico flicked the ash from her cigarette and craned her neck toward the windshield.

"The hell is holding up traffic?" she groaned.

Before anyone could answer, the atmosphere changed.

The familiar sounds of the city—the engines, conversations, and distant advertisements—began to die away as thousands of people collectively focused on something ahead.

Nero's eyes snapped open.

He immediately sensed it.

Not a demon...

But something wasn't right.

He pushed himself off the bench and stepped out of the van, Red Queen resting across his shoulder almost by instinct. Lady climbed out moments later with Kalina Ann slung behind her back while Trish calmly followed, her golden eyes narrowing as she scanned the horizon.