YM778.TV Chapter 95: Jealousy?
"I don\'t know. I\'ll just use everything I have; it\'s not like I\'ll lose anyway. If he can regenerate, then I\'ll just keep cutting him until he gets tired of it," Vergil shrugged as they approached the mansion\'s entrance.
"You\'re being reckless. At least tell me you have a weapon," Roxanne said. Vergil snapped his fingers, summoning an oriental katana into his hands.
"Viviane gave it to me when we met. You\'ve seen it; as long as it\'s in my hands, it won\'t cut anything except my enemy." He smiled as the sword vanished again, like a magical piece of equipment.
Well, that\'s exactly what it was. Viviane was a spiritual blacksmith, and she had crafted the weapon based on Vergil\'s soul and how it could be shaped.
"Well, here we are." Vergil said at the door. "Looks like she hasn\'t returned yet," he commented as he began opening the door.
Upon opening it, Vergil barely had time to recover from their city walk before he felt something gripping his leg tightly. Looking down, he found Alice clinging to him with all her strength, her face pressed against his leg, holding onto him like she never intended to let go.
The little girl was dressed in a frilly, completely black dress, resembling a witch from the Victorian era.
"Huh?" Vergil noticed the peculiar way she was looking up at him... She seemed very determined not to let him escape.
*Well, I did ask Viviane to buy some dresses... guess she took it literally. I hope she bought basic things too, like underwear and casual clothes... Wait, did I even give her money? Actually, do I even have money?*
Alice, small compared to his nearly 7-foot frame, looked like a child beside him, and the scene took him by surprise. A gentle smile appeared on his face as he ran a hand over her head, feeling the softness of her hair under his fingers.
Being mute, Alice expressed herself uniquely, using gestures and looks to communicate her feelings, and that hug said everything. After difficult days and fresh scars, she found a kind of safety in Vergil\'s presence, someone who had saved her and pulled her out of darkness.
"Is she alright? She doesn\'t want to let go of me," he asked, glancing at the women around him, who seemed quite animated by the sight of the girl holding onto him.
"Hey... you may be small, but I\'ll kill you if you keep hugging my husband like that, you little wolf in sheep\'s clothing!" Katharina shouted, causing Alice to get frightened and hide behind Vergil\'s leg, holding on tightly.
"Stop scaring her; she\'s still a kid. You old witch!" Roxanne chided her.
Vergil felt Alice\'s grip on his leg tighten as if she were trying to merge with him to hide from the voices arguing above her head. He smiled, the corner of his mouth curving slightly as he realized how much trust this girl already had in him, seeking his protection even in seemingly lighthearted moments.
"Hey, Katharina, you do realize she\'s still a kid, right?" he murmured, a bit amused at his wife\'s over-the-top reaction. "And she\'s not a \'wolf in sheep\'s clothing,\' she\'s just... a little scared." He stroked Alice\'s head as she clung to him, her hair almost molding to his hand as she looked at Katharina from the corner of her eye, her gaze a mix of hesitant fear but also a certain determination not to move away.
*Pfft… you made your move! A woman\'s instincts don\'t lie!* Katharina screamed in her mind while Alice\'s expression turned mischievous, and she mouthed something, though no sound came out...
*"You lost!"* was what Katharina had heard.
"*She can talk! Vergil, she was mean to me!*" Katharina shouted, pointing at the little girl, who hid her face, though Katharina was certain she had seen it.
*She laughed at me!*
"Huh? I didn\'t hear anything. Is your jealousy that high? I might have to punish you somehow…" Vergil said thoughtfully.
"Oh, you think I\'d actually get jealous of a little girl? Oh, please, Vergil!" Katharina grumbled, but he knew that, deep down, the situation bothered her more than she let on. "I still think you should be more careful about who you let hold onto you like that," she added, trying to sound above it, but leaving a hint of irritation trailing behind.
"I\'m going to kill her at the first chance I get!" Katharina continued to roar internally.
Roxanne chuckled, giving Katharina a light shove. "Oh, stop making a mountain out of a molehill. Alice isn\'t a threat. She\'s just scared, and probably for a good reason, considering everything she\'s been through."
Vergil felt Alice cling tighter to him at Roxanne\'s defense. He looked at the young girl, catching a mixed expression of relief and apprehension. "Well, at least someone here is being reasonable." He gave Roxanne an appreciative smile while Katharina huffed, crossing her arms.
"And besides," Roxanne added, raising an eyebrow, "let\'s be real: if I\'d gone through what she has, I\'d probably cling to the person who saved me too. That kind of experience… it leaves scars." Her gaze softened as she looked at Alice, recognizing the visible and hidden wounds that would take time and care to heal.
Vergil sighed, relieved by Roxanne\'s understanding, then addressed both of them. "Don\'t worry, she\'s just a kid. You know I wouldn\'t get involved in anything without being fully aware of the consequences."
Alice, who had crouched slightly, now lifted her head to look at him with a near-reverent expression. He smiled at her, kneeling to her eye level, placing a firm yet comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You\'re safe here," he said softly. Alice seemed to understand, visibly relaxing, finally letting go of his leg, though she still clung to his clothes as if they were an anchor.
Katharina watched, trying to mask her mix of jealousy and concern. "Alright then, I guess I can try to be… a bit more tolerant," she said, with a hint of sarcasm but also a touch of resolve.
\'Yeah, right! Just thank my husband for shielding you! Just wait until you grow up! You\'ll be my training dummy, and I\'ll kill you instantly! I can\'t do that to my mother, but you\'re weak! HAHAHAHA, YOU\'RE DEAD!!!!\' Katharina screamed internally while trying to keep a calm expression on her face.
Roxanne scoffed, laughing, and nudged Katharina\'s shoulder. "Stop thinking about killing her; it\'s written all over your face." She turned to Vergil. "So, what\'s the plan now? We\'re on a timer here. We don\'t even know if the Blood Armageddon\'s upon us, so we may not have much time before our next \'surprise visitor\'."
Vergil chuckled, though the weight of his responsibilities didn\'t leave him entirely. "Maybe it\'s time for some more training. I mean, after all this time, I still don\'t have decent fighting techniques. I only know boxing, but I doubt that\'ll be enough."
The moment Vergil finished speaking, a crimson glow began to emanate from the floor. A vivid, pulsating magic circle appeared, sending a surge of energy through the room. Roxanne and Katharina stepped back slightly, and even Alice, who was still hiding behind Vergil, widened her eyes at the unfolding scene.
Within the circle, a tall and imposing figure emerged, with a presence both intimidating and strangely casual. Sapphire, Katharina\'s mother, appeared with a mischievous smile, holding a huge backpack with protruding blades, handles, and various odd weapons sticking out chaotically.
"Well, it seems I arrived just in time," Sapphire declared, dropping the bag on the floor with a thud that made the mansion\'s walls tremble. "I figured my favorite son-in-law might be in need of a… little upgrade." She winked at Vergil, who looked on, surprised and slightly unsettled.
Katharina sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Mother… did you really need a magic circle for that?"
"Oh, darling, a little mystery never hurt anyone," Sapphire replied with an enchanting laugh, pulling out a series of weapons from the bag. "And I heard something about a \'lack of techniques\'? Not to worry, Vergil, your mother-in-law\'s here to fix all your problems."
Vergil, trying not to laugh, looked at the weapons with a mix of curiosity and caution. "Well, I\'m not going to turn down help, but… where did all this come from? And I have to say, you have an interesting taste in weaponry."
Sapphire shrugged, as if carrying around an extravagant arsenal was the most natural thing in the world. "Each of these weapons has a story, and each is meant for a specific purpose. Some will devour an enemy\'s body, others target the soul, and a few… well, they\'re just for fun." She tossed him an exotic-looking sword, which he caught with a quick, deft movement.