Vergil and Dante were forcibly pushed back by the power of the bullets unleashed by Izuku and Nero. Vergil found himself on his knees, and Dante sprawled out on the ground, both visibly fatigued from the encounter.
"Interesting," Vergil remarked, his voice strained as he caught his breath, while Dante started to laugh.
"Oh, brother. You cut off your son's arm for more power, and you still lost," Dante teased Vergil, his laughter growing.
"Don't be mean, Dante. You got your ass kicked too," Izuku interjected, bringing a balanced perspective to the conversation. Dante chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, tore me a new one," Dante admitted with a grin, pushing himself up.
"You know what, this might be the best birthday present I could've asked for." Izuku said as Dante remembered.
"Oh right, today's your birthday. Well, my present is with Morrison, so talk to him about that," Dante mentioned casually.
"How did you manage to attack during my Judgment Cut?" Vergil inquired, looking at Izuku with curiosity. Izuku wore a confident smirk as he replied.
"Rag-time. Hell, you didn't make it easy, you were still moving faster than I could swing, so I had to strike at the perfect moment," Izuku explained. Vergil's expression shifted to a knowing smirk as he absorbed the explanation.
"Guess you've gotten weaker, Vergil," Dante chimed in teasingly. Vergil scoffed in response.
"If I recall correctly you're the one who was defeated by my son." he retorted, reigniting their classic sibling banter.
"Oh yeah, at least I don't have a ugly ass mug for a face!" Dante retorted as vergil was dumfounded.
"Dante that insult doesn't work, we're twins." Vergil replied as the argument began to get even more heated before Nero stepped in to stop the banter.
"Enough, dammit! The underworld is taking over, and we need to do something before it's too late," Nero warned them, his voice carrying a sense of urgency as the tree continued to shake violently.
"He's right, we need to close that portal. Hey, we lost, so we better do what they say," Dante suggested to Vergil, who stood up, raising his sword.
"I can still fight," Vergil declared, adopting a fighting stance.
As they contemplated their next move as Nero and izuku got ready to fight.
"But if those roots continue to spread through town, it'll just interfere with our business," Vergil pointed out as he calmly sheathed his blade. His statement left Nero and Izuku somewhat puzzled.
"Now that's the smartest thing I've ever heard you say." Dante said getting up and following his brother to the edge of the Qliphoth.
"Better hurry up, we still got a score to settle." Dante said as Vergil nodded agreeing.
"Evidently." He said as they made their way to the edge while Izuku and Nero were still confused.
They then heard the sound of an missle above them. All eyes turned upward to see an atomic bomb plummeting towards them.
"Should we do something about that?" Izuku asked casually, while Dante waved it off nonchalantly. The bomb was intercepted by a Qliphoth root in mid-air and casually tossed into the underworld, a comedic end to the government's desperate attempt. Izuku couldn't help but laugh at the spectacle.
"Wait! Where are you going?" Nero inquired as he ran up to them, and Izuku followed suit.
"We need to sever the Qliphoth roots from the underworld itself," Vergil explained, while Dante added, "Then we'll seal the portal with the Yamato."
Izuku voiced his concerns, "Hang on, if you do that, you can't come back."
Dante turned around and pointed at them, saying, "Why do you think I'm going? Someone needs to keep an eye on your old man," as Vergil continued walking forward.
Nero protested, "You can't expect us to stay here while you both go a-"
Dante interrupted, "It's because you're here that we can go. We're trusting you guys with things on this side. Capisce?" He asked, placing his hand on Nero's shoulder before nodding at izuku.
"Make haste, Dante," Vergil urged, and Dante nodded, following his brother.
"Hey, wait!" Izuku yelled, and both he and Nero ran to stop Dante and Vergil. However, they were abruptly backhanded by the two brothers, sending them flying back and crashing onto the ground.
Dante smiled, taking one last look at his successors before bidding them farewell.
"Take care, Nero, and you too, Izuku. Adiós!" He waved to them as he jumped off the Qliphoth, transforming into his Sin Devil Trigger and flying down to the underworld.
Vergil stayed, looking at his children as he took out his old poetry book.
"I won't lose next time. Hold on to that until then," he said to the boys, throwing Nero his poetry book before looking at Izuku.
Vergil dug around in his pocket and found a broken piece of the Yamato. He smirked, tossing it over to Izuku.
"Since it will not return to me, maybe it will go to you. Happy birthday, Izuku," Vergil said as the shard went into izuku's blade which suprised them.
Just as Vergil was about to jump off, Izuku called out to him, stopping him.
"Dad!" He said, freezing Vergil, as it was the first time he heard those words from his son.
He turned back to see a fist flying at his face. Izuku punched him off the Qliphoth, yelling at him.
"That's for taking my eyes, you douche nozzle!" He yelled with emotion as Vergil couldn't help but smile at his son before turning into his Sin Devil Trigger and flying down to the underworld.
Nero ran up to Izuku as he picked up the book on his way, looking down at the underworld.
"Idiots," he remarked at Dante and Vergil, who had left as izuku nodded.
"You wanted to hug him, didn't you?" Nero teased as Izuku blushed for a second before shrugging.
"Maybe, but that was so much better," Izuku said as he looked around at the battlefield.
"Let's get out of here," he said, and Nero nodded.
Both devil hunters transformed into their devil triggers. Nero flew off first, followed by Izuku. Before leaving, Izuku glanced at the only surviving piece of furniture in the entire city, which was still atop the Qliphoth. He shrugged and followed Nero.
Later-
10 to 20 minutes later, Izuku and Nero were in Nico's van as she drove them out of the city. Nero was engrossed in Vergil's poetry book, while Izuku sat on a plastic chair, idly playing with baby versions of Vergil's nightmares.
Izuku stood up, leaving the familiars to play with themselves, and headed into the van's kitchen to make coffee for the three of them.
Nico couldn't handle the silence any longer and decided to break it.
"Ho-wee! I'm still in shock," Nico said, catching Nero's attention while he kept his eyes on the book.
"About what?" Nero asked.
"Uhh, duh. Your arm? Who the hell grows an arm back? It's just weird," she exclaimed.
"It's like a lizard tail or something?" Nico wondered aloud as Nero pondered how to respond.
Izuku returned with the coffees, handing them to Nero and Nico before taking his seat again with the familiars on his lap.
"Look, I don't know. It just grew, are you kidding me? Lots of weird stuff happened. There were demons, scary plant roots, arms, and eyes growing back," he explained, referring to his and Nero's experiences. A baby Griffon landed on Nero's finger.
"Also, did you really have to bring the plastic chair?" Nero asked, to which Izuku nodded.
"Yes, Nero, it comforts me. Also, it's a souvenir," Izuku replied, taking a sip of his coffee.
"By the way, how'd you save these little guys anyway?" Nico inquired. Shadow and Nightmare returned to Izuku's body.
"Fenrir did, though it took a lot out of him. He's currently sleeping," Izuku explained as Griffon started to chirp at him.
"Language, bird," Izuku scolded, prompting an amused look from Nero.
"You can understand them?" Nero asked, surprised. Izuku nodded.
"The funny thing is, he's too young to talk, so he hasn't developed his vocal cords yet. All he can do is chirp. It's cute," Izuku said, causing Griffon to chirp even louder.
"By the way, where are Lady, Trish, and Kafka?" Izuku inquired of Nico, brushing off Griffon's attempts to peck at him.
"I left Lady and Trish on the outskirts and dropped Kafka off at the airport," she clarified, leaving Izuku puzzled.
"The airport? Why?" he queried, to which Nico shook her head.
"She had a flight arranged for her by her mafia associates," she replied, prompting a nod from Izuku.
"Let's swing by the airport then. I have something to return to her," Izuku stated, and Nico agreed with a nod.
"Do you know how much love and care I put into that Devil Breaker?" Nico asked, placing a cigar in her mouth. Nero shook his head.
"Nope, but this arm. It's nice," he replied, lighting her cigar. They shared a moment of silence before Nico asked,
"So, uh, how does it feel?" Nico asked both Nero and Izuku.
"How does what feel?" Izuku inquired, examining the shard of the Yamato in his hand.
"Saving the man that killed your own father? I heard Dante killed Vergil once," she probed as the two brothers remained silent.
"Doesn't matter. They're both gone now anyway," Nero stated, closing the book and placing it in front of him.
"It's okay to cry if you want, Nero. Over a loss," Nico offered, trying to console him.
"I'm not crying," he retorted, his emotions still clearly raw.
"It doesn't make you a crybaby," Nico said, offering her perspective, to which Izuku added humorously,
"It does make you a little bitch though," with a smirk. Nero sighed deeply, feeling the weight of his emotions.
"There it is," he commented, acknowledging his brothers comment.
"You think we're demons?" Izuku asked Nico, but she didn't immediately respond.
"I didn't cry when my asshole daddy died. But... I wouldn't be here without him, that's a biological fact. All I'm saying is, tough guy, it's okay to cry if you want," Nico explained, offering her perspective.
"Devils cry," Nero responded with a hint of defiance.
"I'm not gonna cry," he stated firmly, refusing to show vulnerability. Nico, however, was persistent in her point.
"Kittens cry, puppies cry," she continued, turning the discussion into a playful argument, much to Izuku's amusement.
"This is why I feel like I'm the only sane one here," Izuku remarked as Griffon chirped disagreeing.
"Fried chicken sounds real good today," Izuku added, changing the subject and effectively silencing Griffon who began to sweat. Just then, the phone near the driver's wheel rang, and Nero picked it up.
"Devil May Cry! Shi—" he began, but Nico's smile revealed her triumph in the argument.
"Hey Kyrie... yeah, I'm coming home... Oh yeah, I don't wanna spoil it, but I've got a surprise for you," Nero said, speaking to Kyrie on the phone. Nico couldn't resist interjecting, "Oh, he's got a huge surprise," which earned her a "shut up" from Nero, who was now dealing with Kyrie's confusion on the other end of the call.
Nico abruptly stopped the van, causing Nero to almost fly out of his seat. Izuku managed to save the coffees from spilling just in time as Nero yelled at Nico.
"What the hell's your problem!? Where'd you learn to drive!?" Nero asked angrily, while Nico smirked and nodded forward, indicating the demons blocking their path.
"Hey, uh, sorry. I'll call you back," Nero said, hanging up on Kyrie. Izuku placed the coffees back on the table, and with a touch of annoyance, he commented,
"You're lucky I can stop time," before heading outside with Nero to confront the demons.
Nico tossed Nero a prototype Devil Breaker, which he caught with a confused expression.
"I've got an arm, I'm good," Nero responded, but Nico went on to explain.
"It's a prototype, and this is the perfect place to use it. Look, you're gonna use it, and it's a..." Nico began to say, with Nero finishing her sentence.
"Work of art, I get it," he concluded. Izuku, walking past them, grabbed Muramasa and remarked, "And it ain't complete without you."Nero smirked and equipped the Devil Breaker.
Izuku asked, "So devils cry, huh?" Both brothers grinned looking at the devil's.
"Let's hear what that SOUNDS LIKE!" They yelled as they charged at the demons, engaging in battle one by one.
They efficiently eliminated every demon that crossed their path, with Nero and Izuku providing mutual support. Nero employed his Red Queen, Blue Rose, and his new Devil Trigger to execute new combinations, while Izuku utilized his diverse collection of Devil Arms and his Devil Trigger to dispatch any demons that approached. After dealing with the demons, they witnessed the Qliphoth tree collapsing, and Nero remarked,
"Guess that's the end then." He said as both brothers smirked knowing that their father and uncle had saved humanity.
Nero was swiftly pulled back into the van by Izuku, who urgently stated, "Airport now!" Nico nodded and floored the gas pedal.
"Nico, do you happen to have a shirt I can wear? They won't let me into the airport without one," he inquired. Nico nodded and gestured towards a drawer, where Izuku found a shirt and quickly put it on.
Later-
Izuku entered the airport with his sword at his side, drawing some curious looks from the people around him. He soon spotted a girl with dark pink hair, patiently waiting for a private jet to arrive. He gently tapped her on the shoulder.
"Izuku, are you alright?" she asked, enveloping him in a warm hug, to which he reciprocated.
"Yeah, I've been through quite a bit, as you can tell," Izuku replied, his appearance marred by a bit of dirt.
"So, I guess you're here for the jacket, then?" Kafka inquired, to which Izuku shook his head.
"I actually came to return this to you," Izuku said, handing her the gun.
"I know how much it means to you and your mom, so..." he began, scratching his head as she looked puzzled.
"But I thought the jacket meant a lot to you," she said, seeking clarification. Izuku nodded in agreement.
"Keep it," Izuku insisted, leaving Kafka stunned.
"What!? I can't accept it after all you've been through. It means a lot to you, doesn't it?" she protested, puzzled by his decision.
"It does, but as a wacky wahoo pizza man once said, 'that's the only kind of gift worth giving.' So, keep it as a souvenir," Izuku replied, a hint of a smile on his face.
Kafka chuckled at his response just as she heard someone calling her name. She turned to see a group of men in black suits, her ride to the flight.
"That's my flight," she said, and for a moment, they shared a quiet moment together.
"You know, we could always go out for a meal sometime," Izuku suggested, a faint blush gracing his cheeks.
"Kafka," a man with long white hair and piercing blue eyes called out to her, prompting a sigh from Kafka.
"I'd like that," she replied, planting a kiss on Izuku's cheek before leaving. Her departure left his heart racing and the white-haired man looking utterly shocked.
"See you around, handsome!" Kafka called with a playful wave as she departed with the men with the man giving him a look before leaving with her.
Izuku exited the airport, his hand gently pressed against the spot where Kafka had planted that unexpected kiss. His face was still flushed, and his heart raced with a mix of surprise and excitement. He walked slowly, lost in thought, as he made his way out of the airport.
Outside, Nico had parked the van, leaning casually against the van door, his arms crossed as he waited patiently for Izuku to return.
"So... How did it go?" Nero inquired, noticing the kiss mark on as he smirked.
"I think I'm... in love?" izuku replied his gaze distant.
Nero put his arm around Izuku and advised, "Probably, so next time you see her, you make the first move. Got it?"
Izuku nodded in agreement. "Got it," he confirmed. He stretched and added, "I could use some sleep right about now."
Nero nodded in agreement, and they both settled in for some much-needed rest.
Okay this marks the end of the DMC5 arc and beginning of the Japan arc. Also as a doctor should izuku have a "legal" clinic where he treats everyone except hero's that can't pass his test?