Chapter 70: Explain yourself!
"You better have a good explanation, Vergil Kennedy."
The three pairs of eyes glaring at him were a mix of anger and confusion, and Vergil felt the weight of their irritated stares... even though he knew it wasn't his fault.
He quickly glanced at Sapphire, seeking support from her, but she was utterly uninterested in the situation, casually examining her nails, which looked freshly manicured.
Vergil bit his tongue.
"It's that old lady's fault." He said, pointing his finger directly at Sapphire, who was still focused elsewhere.
"Huh?" She turned, her face a blend of confusion and apathy.
"Yeah, it's her fault. She's the one who enjoys kidnapping her son-in-law," Vergil shrugged, as if the whole thing was the most trivial matter in the world. "Blame her."
The others' eyes shifted to Sapphire, who raised an eyebrow, completely unfazed.
"Oh, please," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Kidnapping? I prefer to call it 'forced recruitment.' And if you'd paid attention, you'd know this was part of the plan."
"What plan?" Katharina asked, her tone filled with both curiosity and frustration. "A plan to get him into trouble? To abandon your daughter like that? Huh? HUH?" Katharina shouted, clearly agitated.
Sapphire crossed her arms, finally showing some interest in the conversation. "The plan was to train Vergil, purify his soul, and prepare him for what's coming. The battle he just faced was only a step. Stop acting spoiled, you would've killed everyone there if you weren't afraid." Sapphire's eyes gleamed emerald, causing Katharina to slightly back off.
"A step?" Vergil retorted, his voice rising. "You kidnapped me and threw me into another dimension under a lake just to train me alone! You're a terrible mentor!"
"Because you needed to learn to face challenges on your own!" Sapphire replied, her voice firm. "If you can't handle a simple fight, how do you expect to face more powerful enemies in the future?"
"Simple fight?" Vergil almost laughed. "You call being trapped for, I don't know, a hundred years, fighting against myself a simple fight?!"
Viviane, who had been quiet up until then, finally intervened. "Can you two stop?" she asked, her tone more conciliatory. "Vergil, you need to be more open about your actions. And Sapphire, you should consider how your decisions affect those around you."
"Shut up, you bitch, I didn't ask for your opinion," Sapphire snapped, unleashing her killing intent on Viviane, who immediately trembled in fear.
"S-sorry! I'll stay quiet," she stammered, trembling.
"Oh, don't do that to little Viviane, you heartless monster!" Vergil said, stepping forward and gently patting Viviane's head, instantly calming her. For a moment, her blue eyes shimmered with a subtle glow, almost as if she was about to purr like a cat.
'Purr... maybe this isn't so bad...' Viviane murmured before a scream broke her thoughts.
"Vergil, that doesn't help!" Katharina interrupted, "And who is this woman?! Why are you petting another woman!!" She yelled, completely unhinged, her yandere nature flaring up.
"Oh, this is the Lady of the Lake, the one who gave Excalibur to King Arthur," Vergil replied casually, continuing to pat the girl, who looked quite small compared to him—she had to look up to meet his eyes.
"Huh?" Katharina, Roxanne, and Ada were utterly baffled. The incredulous looks on their faces made it clear they couldn't believe what they had just heard.
"You're joking, right?" Roxanne asked, her voice full of skepticism. "The Lady of the Lake? Just like that?"
"Yes, that's right," Vergil said, completely unfazed. "She's just helping me out. Sapphire told her to be my personal maid." He winked at Vivianne, who was looking at him with a mix of admiration and confusion.
"M-m-maid?!" Katharina stammered, her mind spinning from the revelation. "Are you seriously saying she's the Lady of the Lake? The same one who gave Excalibur to King Arthur? And you're treating her like... like a pet? I mean, a maid?!"
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Vergil replied, raising an eyebrow. "And Vivianne is not a pet; she's a force to be reckoned with, okay? Treat her well." He turned back to Vivianne, who was clearly on the verge of melting from his head pats.
Katharina didn't seem convinced. "And what were you doing with her while you were... kidnapped? It's not like you did a great job keeping your feelings in check!" She stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as the tension in the air thickened.
"I didn't have a choice. Blame your mother," Vergil defended, raising his hands in surrender. "I wasn't having fun. I was fighting myself. Literally!"
"Right, right," Roxanne interjected, trying to diffuse the situation. "Let's all calm down. What matters now is what happened during this 'training.' What did you learn, Vergil?"
"Oh, plenty," Vergil said, smiling with renewed confidence. "I died a few times, killed you guys a few times, killed myself a few times, cut you guys up, cut myself up—it's hard to deal with my own mind, you know?"
The girls exchanged perplexed looks. Katharina opened her mouth to ask a question, but Vergil continued.
"No, seriously. Dealing with my own demons is like being stuck in an endless cycle of pain and struggle. I had to face every single one of my weaknesses, and it wasn't easy. Sometimes, it felt like I was fighting twisted versions of myself. But in the end, I learned to accept who I am."
"And what was that, exactly? Some kind of journey of self-discovery? Sounds more like really expensive therapy!" Katharina remarked, her tone a blend of sarcasm and curiosity.
"Yeah, something like that," Vergil said casually. "But really, it was intense. Sometimes I'd find myself fighting against you—or, rather, my insecurities about you guys. It was like each battle was a reflection of what I felt inside."
"That's... intriguing," Roxanne said, tilting her head. "But why did you feel like that? What's been bothering you so much?"
"Well, I've always had to deal with the pressure of being stronger. The fear of letting down the people around me, especially you all. When I was there, those doubts took physical form in the fights I had to face, and I had to confront them," Vergil explained, his expression turning more serious.
Vivianne, still under his gentle touch, muttered, "I had to help him... otherwise, the three of you would've died..."
"It's true," Vergil confirmed. "But now I feel stronger. More aware of who I am and what I need to do. I'm not letting those insecurities hold me back again."
"That's great to hear," Roxanne praised. "It sounds like you've really grown from this."
"Yeah, just hope that doesn't mean you're gonna start cutting us up too!" Katharina teased, raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, don't worry. I left the sword at home," Vergil replied with a dramatic pause before flashing a grin. "Besides, I've got some business to settle with Ada's mother soon, right, Sapphire?"
"Hmph, I told you to call me Master," Sapphire huffed, but Vergil ignored her.
"You haven't taught me anything yet. It was Vivianne and the illusion that did all the work. You didn't do a thing," he said with a sly grin, deliberately provoking her.
Sapphire narrowed her eyes, clearly irritated by Vergil's teasing, but she managed to keep her composure.
"I put you in that situation. Without me, you would never have faced your inner demons. So, technically, I did teach you something," Sapphire retorted with a smug smile.
Vergil chuckled, shaking his head. "Sure, sure. Throwing someone into a mental hell counts as 'teaching.' Very pedagogical of you, Master."
"Exactly." Sapphire raised her chin, satisfied with the title, even knowing Vergil was still being sarcastic.
"What did you mean by that?" Ada finally spoke, crossing her arms. "You're not seriously thinking about going after my mother, are you?"
Vergil glanced at Ada, his smile widening enigmatically. "It's good that you guessed exactly what I was thinking. Yes, she's going to learn that some situations can't be resolved by kidnapping her own daughter."
Ada narrowed her eyes, visibly suspicious. "You do realize you were the one kidnapped by that lunatic, right?"
"I'm well aware," Vergil replied, raising his eyebrows as if it were obvious. "But unlike me, your mother needs to learn that certain actions have consequences. If she thinks she can just kidnap her own daughter and get away with it, she's sorely mistaken."
Ada crossed her arms tighter, her distrust growing. "I don't like this, Vergil. My mother isn't someone you can just mess with. She's more dangerous than you think."
Vergil chuckled softly. "Since when do I care? If she's so eager to take you away from me, then I'll just go over there and kill the person you're supposed to marry. Problem solved, right?"
Ada stared at him, disbelief and anger flashing in her eyes. "You can't be serious, Vergil."
"Serious? Do I look like I'm joking, Ada?" Vergil gave a sinister smile. "If she's so willing to play the game of kidnapping you and forcing you into a marriage, then why shouldn't I solve this in the simplest way possible?"
Katharina stepped forward, placing a hand on Vergil's chest, stopping him. "Vergil, calm down. That's not going to solve anything—it'll only make things worse. We can't just go around killing people!"
"I can." He said, looking down at her. His entire aura shifted in an instant. "If you think I'll just sit back and do nothing, then you don't know me at all." He turned his gaze back to Ada.
"Your mother is going to be a hot topic in the demon world from now on. And the trash who wants to marry you? Even more so." Vergil's eyes... the coldness in them made all the women around him tremble with fear.
All except Sapphire.
"HAHAHAHA! I'd LOVE to see that!" she roared, clearly thrilled by the idea.