Another Universe 2023 Version

12.

Half an hour has gone by since Nero left to defeat Malpha. In that time Nico decided to drive down the Qliphoth as far as she could just in case the men needed them.
While Lady and Trish talk with Nico Y/n sits on the couch still wondering about her dry throat, even coughing from time to time.
"Why isn't it getting better", She mumbles.
"Y/n, you okay", Lady asks as she notices the woman sitting silently on the couch. "I don't feel so good."

Lady rushes over and feels Y/n's head.
"You're heating up." Trish looks for something cool while Lady helps Y/n lay down onto the couch. "Gosh, you're turning pale", Lady notices as Trish puts a cloth soaked in cold water onto Y/n's head. "What's going on", Y/n mumbles as her condition gets worse by the second.
"Are you allergic to something? Has dimensional travel gotten to you", Nico asks after getting out of the driver's seat.
Y/n's face has turned pale and dark circles appear under eyes. "I don't know", Y/n manages to cough out.

"Something's going on. Something is doing this to her."
"What could be causing this?"

Their discussion is suddenly interrupted by loud growls and screeches coming from outside the van. "I think that just answered our question", Trish says grabbing the nearest Weapon.
"Shit", Nico yells as she looks for a weapon to use herself.

Lady and Trish confidently leave the van to attack the demons outside while Nico tries to get the van started. "Come on, not now!" With every turn of the key the van protests. They can't escape.
While Nico tries to start her van Y/n sits up, a sudden wave of nausea hitting her out of nowhere.
Before she can say anything she feels it coming up her throat, all she can do is puke onto her lap.
Even with a blurry vision Y/n can tell that that's not puke. This black liquid isn't normal.

Suddenly she hears a growl right next to her. Not now, not like this.

The Fury stares right back at her with it's bright yellow eyes. With its teleportation abilities hit snuck right past Trish and Lady. "Nico..." She's too weak to yell.
The Fury suddenly grabs Y/n's wrist and yanks her up from the couch. "Y/n!"

Y/n turns to Nico but it's too late. Nico can't reach her win time and both the Fury and Y/n disappear into dust. „Fuck", Nico screams in frustration.
"Lady, Trish, inside, now!"

Lady and Trish rush inside the van that finally managed to start its engine.
"Wait, where's Y/n", Lady asks as she walks up to Nico. "That damn thing, it took her."
"What!" Nico hits the gas pedal.
"That Urizen guy is still not done with her."

...

As Y/n finally opens her eyes she finds herself in a field. "What", She mumbles as she takes a look around.
Her surroundings match the garden of Dante's and Vergil's childhood home. In the middle of the room a bloody tree with the cursed fruit.

"I'm not delighted to see you again", A deep voice catches Y/n's attention, shocking her to her still weak core. "Urizen", She says as she tries to get onto her feet.
"Unfortunately you still serve a purpose."
"The purpose of distraction?" Urizen nods slowly as he finally locks eye contact with her.
"You, you poisoned me."
"Poisoned?" He slowly stomps closer to her as she finally manages to stand up straight.

"Love is poisonous", Urizen says finally opening Y/n's eyes. "You cursed our first kiss."
Urizen groans. "You catch on quickly."

Y/n's face fills with anger as her legs give in, falling into the puddle of blood that gathered around the tree. "Your weak body still serves a purpose." Urizen holds out his hand. "A vessel."
"I'm not playing any of your games, Vergil", Y/n finally manages to yell.
She can tell that Urizen is shocked by a slight twitch in his many eyes. "My suspicions were correct."
He reaches out to grab Y/n's throat lifting her off the ground and his grip tightens around it.

"You will obey", He growls as Y/n gasps for air.

Suddenly a red and purple liquid runs down Urizen's arm towards Y/n's mouth. With all her strength she tries to free herself but it's no use.

The feeling of the liquid forcing itself down her throat is intruding, like she's being fed forcefully, choking multiple times in the process.
As the last drop of liquid enters her mouth and slides down her throat Urizen drops her.
Weakened once more she falls into the pool of blood taking as much air in as she needs.

As Urizen turns to the beating fruit once more Dante finally arrives, earlier than Nero and V.

"Vergil", He sighs. Before further engaging with his brother he notices Y/n, her body laying there almost lifelessly.

The only thing Dante can do now is distract Urizen at keep him from eating that fruit.
"Hey, is that the damn fruit that you've been jabbering about? Doesn't look so special to me."
He takes a look around finally noticing the setting Vergil chose. "Yup, this is where it all started."
He hums. "That day mother saved me and... left you behind."

The memories start to come back to him.
"The thing you don't know is, she tried to save you too. She kept searching and searching until it killed her."

Dante steps closer also with an eye on the girl still laying there motionlessly.
"I have no recollection of this tale, or this place", Urizen says.
"It's all and illusion, created by this extraordinary fruit. Its power, you see, is all I ever wanted. And with this I will have everything!"

Before Dante can reach the fruit Urizen consumes it whole shattering the illusion and freeing him from his tentacles.

"No, brother. You don't have everything. That last shred of humanity that you still had? You just lost it."
"That is nothing but the pitiful cries of those without strength."

As his heavy armor finally falls his steps grow lighter.
"Come to me, brother...", He says stepping over Y/n's body. "I shall enlighten you, Dante!"

The battle between brothers begins once more.

Y/n finally comes back other senses and slowly manages to crawl away from the fight and to the edge of the cracked illusion.

Suddenly she feels a hand on her back. "Y/n!"
"Nero..." He lifts her up.
"What happened?" Y/n can barely make out the words.
"How did you get here?" Behind him she can see V struggling to keep himself up while Dante finally rams his sword into Urizen's chest.
"V", She mumbles. "What?"
"V!"

Immediately knowing what she means Nero carefully sits her onto the ground and goes back to V.

"Dante!" The man turns around with the same old smirk on his face while Urizen groans in pain on the ground.

"You're late... just finishing up."
"Is that really you're brother", Nero asks still win disbelief about the information V has given him.
"I'm afraid so", Dante says as V slowly makes his way over to him. "So he was behind all this", Nero mumbles. "Your own flesh and blood."
"Right again. Something's up with your girlfriend. I reckon my flesh and blood had something to do with it", Dante says while V starts to mumble, his skin cracking under the loss of power.

"V, get back. Things are about to get really messy."
"No! Please, let me. I want to end this battle with my own hands." Dante proceeds to let V towards Urizen while Y/n watches from afar.

Her being here his already interfering with the events of the game and probably the timeline itself. All she can do is use her knowledge to keep them going in the right direction, like letting V get to Urizen.

With his remaining strength V climbs onto Urizen's chest. "Do not struggle, for if you can't even defeat me, then you've already lost."
"I will not lose... not to Dante... I need power, more power!"

V kneels onto his chest. "I know... we are one and the same, you and I."

It's almost time.

"But you've lost me and I've lost you. Yet we are connected by that one feeling. While thy branches mix with mine and our roots together join."

V slowly lifts his cane while Dante slowly catches onto his plan, only before he can reach them it's too late.

V jabs his cane into Urizen's chest sending a beam of light into the sky and pushing Dante and Nero away. The illusion breaks, all to reveal the man who has been behind everything this whole time.

Vergil.