Changing clothes in front of someone else still made Nero squirm, even if she and Gloria were both women.
Nero reached back, pulling her cool, damp hair free from her neck, and glanced at Gloria. "…All done."
Gloria eyed her up and down, a pleased smirk curling her lips. "Lookin' good. Hold still—let me snap a pic."
God knows where she'd gotten a camera from. Gloria aimed the lens at Nero, motioning her to stand near the cave's entrance.
Moonlight filtered through the waterfall, casting a soft glow into the cave. Nero leaned against the rocky wall, her wet blonde hair glinting in the flickering light. Hands clasped in front of her, she forced a half-hearted smile.
The dress didn't quite fit right—it was too long for Nero's liking. And while it was loose by design, the plunging neckline didn't exactly flatter her frame.
Below her collarbone, patches of demonic, blood-hardened flesh were exposed. Whether Gloria had planned it or not, the golden, feather-like "eyelashes" of her demonic markings matched the outfit perfectly. Nero wanted to cover them up but felt too awkward to ask for a different dress. So, she made do.
A flash went off. Gloria tossed the camera into the air, catching it before it vanished into… wherever she kept her stuff. Then she reached to her thigh, pulled something out, and lobbed it at Nero.
Nero caught it in a scramble, eyes widening at the pair of sleek black handguns. Gold lettering on the barrels read Luce & Ombra, and the wooden grips bore twin carvings of a woman's profile.
She looked up at Gloria. "These are…"
"Borrowed. Don't forget to give 'em back." Gloria waved a hand dismissively, tossing a few spare clips Nero's way. "See ya, cutie."
With a flick, Gloria triggered a mechanism. The water gate slammed down, cutting off the waterfall. She strutted across the extending bridge without a backward glance, leaving the cave behind.
"Thanks!" Nero called after her, then muttered under her breath, "You're a lifesaver."
Considering what she was about to do, going in unarmed would've been suicide.
Nero crouched behind the now-roaring waterfall, setting the guns and clips on the ground. After a moment's thought, she strapped them to a thigh holster under her dress. Then, spotting a rusty railing nearby, she snapped off a sharp piece and sliced a high slit into the dress's right side, making it easier to reach her weapons.
She hesitated, wondering if wrecking a gift was rude, but saving her family trumped any guilt. Whether Gloria—or rather, Trish—had sensed that drive in her, Nero wasn't sure.
The guns had all but confirmed Gloria's true identity. Luce & Ombra—Light and Shadow—were weapons once wielded by the demon-slaying Sparda himself. Nobody but Nero's uncle Dante or his "lady friends" could have access to something like that.
Nero double-checked her gear, nodded to herself, and muttered, "Alright. Let's move."
According to Devil May Cry 4, this cave led to a forest tied to the Order of the Sword's testing grounds. Her adopted brother, Credo, would likely be at the Order's headquarters, hidden deeper in the woods.
"Oh, right… How do I change the ending?" Nero paused, frowning. "Gotta think this through."
She stopped in her tracks. To save Credo from his doomed fate, she couldn't just charge in guns blazing. Acting on impulse would only drag the story down the same tragic path.
"So, step one: figure out what gets Credo killed."
Nero sifted through her memories of the game's plot, mumbling to herself. "He dies because he takes on the Pope alone. And that happens because Kyrie and I—well, the other me—get captured and stuffed into the Savior as leverage."
Good thing avoiding that was already her plan.
"That's the key, then. Kyrie's in the Pope's hands right now. She could be shoved into the Savior any second as a hostage to control us."
To save Credo, Nero had to rescue Kyrie first. But she wasn't delusional—she couldn't pull that off alone. Which meant she needed to get Credo on her side.
The good news? In this world, Nero wasn't the troublemaking little brother but a dutiful sister. That might make Credo trust her more than he did in the original story.
"There's another option, though."
Nero's thoughts shifted to someone else. Her uncle, Dante.
The guy was Sparda's son, the world's greatest demon hunter. He could shift into demonic form and had an arsenal of weapons that'd make any hunter jealous.
"If I can track down Dante, he'd be a game-changer." Nero glanced toward the cave's far end. "He's probably here by now, right? But… how do I find him?"
No clue. Dante was a ghost in the early parts of the story, popping up whenever he felt like it. With the threat level still low, he'd likely be slacking off somewhere, impossible to pin down.
"Plus, dragging him to Credo? Yeah, that's a disaster waiting to happen," Nero sighed, picturing Dante's smug, devil-may-care attitude and his zero-tolerance policy for demons.
Credo was still loyal to the Order, and a face-to-face with Dante would spark a fight faster than Nero could blink. Credo had gained demonic powers through the Ascension Ceremony, but Dante wouldn't hold back. And with Credo's stubborn streak? Good luck explaining anything in the middle of that brawl.
"Nah, option one it is. Here's hoping Credo actually listens."
Nero slipped out of the cave.
Behind her, Gloria paused, glancing back at the cave's entrance with a knowing look. She kicked aside scattered demon remains and sauntered toward Agnus with the same confident stride.
"What a mess," she said, eyeing the wrecked lab. Hard to believe that timid-looking girl had caused this chaos.
Agnus, slumped on the floor, shot to his feet, gaping. "Y-Y-You! W-What are you doing here?!"
"Orders from His Holiness, naturally." Gloria covered her lips, her smile sharp as she fixed her gaze on the flustered, furious Agnus. "Care to explain what happened here?"
His next words made her eyes widen.
"Yamato's g-g-gone!" Agnus jabbed a finger toward the distance, shouting, "That b-b-brat absorbed Yamato!"
Gloria followed his gesture, her gaze landing on the dense forest Nero had vanished into. A sly smirk curved her lips.