KanColle X Devil May Cry: Devil Trigger Protocol

"Tell me it's a lie! The Admiral, a devil? That's a sick joke, right?" Kaga demanded.

Dante stayed silent.

"Say something, Admiral!" she pressed.

"…I'm a devil. Satisfied?" Dante replied.

The shipgirls reeled, stunned by his admission. They wanted him to deny it—the Admiral they trusted, revealed as the very devil they despised.

"Your turn to talk," Dante said, glaring at Jester. "What's your plan, pitting me against a high-class devil?"

Jester smirked wickedly. "Play your part well, devil boy." With that, he vanished.

A tremor shook the ground as a one-eyed, giant-like devil appeared, clutching a massive axe.

"What do you mean you're a devil? Explain!" Kaga snapped at Dante.

"Later. First, we deal with that thing," Dante replied.

"Look at its neck!" Satsuki pointed.

There, dangling like a necklace, was Naka, bound and unconscious.

"What the hell is it doing to her?" Dante muttered.

"Stay back!" he ordered the shipgirls.

Gripping Rebellion, Dante charged the devil. The shipgirls watched in silence. Their Admiral was a devil—their enemy. Yet they knew his kindness, the moments of joy they shared. Was it all an act to deceive them? And now, fighting a devil—what was this? Another lie? Dante was beyond their comprehension.

"For now, forget the Admiral! We need to save Naka!" Akagi urged.

"But our attacks might hit her," Houshou cautioned, stopping Tenryuu's advance.

The devil swung its axe at Dante, who dodged and ran up its arm. The devil swiped with its free hand, but Dante leapt, evading, and reached for Naka. He sliced her bindings, and as she fell, a swarm of bats caught her, carrying her to the shipgirls.

"Naka!" they cried.

Dante equipped Beowulf and punched the devil's eye. "Big target, easy to hit!"

Blinded, the devil thrashed wildly, missing Dante.

"It's over!" Dante unleashed Drive, a crimson slash severing the devil's head. As it fell, the space dissolved, returning them to the mess hall. Dawn broke outside.

"…It's done?" Miyuki whispered.

"Huh? Where am I?" Naka stirred.

"Oh, you're awake!" Akagi said.

"I slept so well," Naka mumbled.

"Explain this!" Kaga's shout echoed as she grabbed Dante's collar. He didn't resist. Naka, confused, looked around.

"I knew something was off! The fairies feared you from the start!" Kaga accused.

"Kaga, wait! Admiral, tell us," Akagi said, pulling Kaga back.

"What do you want to know?" Dante asked.

"Everything. From start to finish," Akagi replied.

The shipgirls sat in the mess hall, ready to listen.

"It began when my father sealed the demon world," Dante started.

"Your father?" Akatsuki asked.

"The demon world?" Kaminari echoed.

"Yeah. Two thousand years ago, demons invaded the human world. My father, Sparda, was a renowned demon swordsman," Dante explained.

The shipgirls listened intently.

"But one day, he betrayed the demon world."

"Why?" Ooyodo asked.

"He awoke to justice," Dante said.

"A devil with justice? Are you mocking us?" Kaga snapped, but Akagi restrained her.

"Kaga, let him finish."

"Sparda betrayed his kind, fought for humans, and sealed the demon world—along with his own power," Dante continued.

"Why seal his power too?" Tenryuu asked, baffled. She loved fighting; power made it easier. Why discard it?

"It was too vast. It could harm the human world. He stayed to protect it, met my human mother, and had me and my twin brother," Dante said.

"Your mother was human?" Akashi gasped.

"Yeah, I'm half-human, half-devil."

"Where's your brother?" Hatsuyuki asked.

"Hatsuyuki, that's—" Akagi tried to stop her.

"He vanished into the demon world. Don't know if he's alive or dead," Dante said.

"…Sorry," Hatsuyuki murmured.

"It's fine," Dante shrugged.

"Tell us the rest," Miyuki urged.

"Keep going," Murakumo added.

Dante recounted his life: his father's disappearance, his mother's death saving him from demons, his separation from his brother. He used a fake name to hide, worked as a handyman, but demons found him, killing his partner and allies. To avoid dragging others in and to hunt his mother's killer, he dropped the alias and worked alone. He fought his brother to stop him from unsealing the demon world.

"I jumped into a portal in a graveyard and ended up here. You know the rest. You're the first I've told this much to," Dante finished.

The shipgirls were speechless, overwhelmed by his brutal past.

"If you can't accept me, I'll quit as Admiral. Take your time, decide," Dante said, leaving the mess hall.

The shipgirls lingered, unsure. The naval base felt lifeless that day.

That night, as the shipgirls slept, a strange event unfolded. Light poured from the Spacetime Statue in the factory. The shipgirls' bodies glowed too.

They found themselves in an unfamiliar place, translucent and floating. Other shipgirls were there.

"What's going on? Everyone's here…" Kitakami muttered.

Akagi felt déjà vu. "This… it's probably a dream."

"A shared dream?" Akashi asked.

"Likely…"

Rain fell. Two men stood atop a tower.

"You came," one said.

"Some party. No booze, no food, and the girls left," the other replied.

"Sorry. I was in a rush, no time to prepare."

"Whatever. It's been a year. Should we kiss to celebrate? Or maybe this kind?" He drew a blade. "They call this a touching reunion."

"Seems so."

They fought. The shipgirls instantly knew: Dante's opponent was his brother.

"Why do brothers have to fight?" Satsuki whispered sadly.

"Admiral…" Kisaragi murmured.

"Stop calling him that…" Fubuki couldn't bear it.

The others were speechless, the battle's scale beyond them.

"Why not seek more power? Sparda's power?" the brother asked.

"Father? That's irrelevant. I just don't like you," Dante shot back.

Their blades clashed, Dante's Rebellion knocked away. His brother stabbed him.

"Admiral!" the shipgirls cried.

"Foolish, Dante," his brother said.

"Guh…!" Dante groaned.

"Power rules all. Without it, you protect nothing—not even yourself."

Dante collapsed, pinned to the ground by Rebellion.

"No way… the Admiral lost?" Tenryuu couldn't believe it.

Dante's brother and a man in black spoke briefly before leaving. But Rebellion flew from Dante's chest, and a water pillar erupted. Dante charged his brother from it.

"Your inner devil's awake," his brother said.

They vanished. The scene shifted to a library-like place.

"Out of breath? Step back, I'll handle it," Dante said.

"You step back!" a bob-cut woman shot Dante in the stomach. He didn't flinch.

"Don't you get it? You're outmatched. This isn't a human's fight," Dante said.

"You're the one who doesn't get it! This isn't about logic or human versus devil. I can't forgive that man. My soul demands I defeat him! Need more reason? This is family business. Stay out, stranger."

"Got it, Lady. But I'm not backing down. That guy pisses me off too. I'd force my way through."

"Fine. I won't let any devil live—not one!"

Their fight began.

"What's even happening!?" Miyuki yelled, overwhelmed.

Lady was cornered.

"He's mine," Dante said.

"Why go so far…?"

"Father sealed the demon world—that's where it started. My brother tried to revive it. It was just personal at first, but you made me realize what matters. What I have to do."

"Wait—"

"Trust me. I won't let you down. My soul says so."

Lady lent Dante her weapon, sharing her name.

"They understood each other…" Kongou smiled warmly.

The scene shifted to a sinister place. Dante faced a devil.

"Welcome. How's it feel to see your father?" the devil asked.

"That's the Admiral's father!?" Akatsuki and Kaminari gasped.

"Like staring into a sewer. Stick to better hobbies than meddling in family affairs," Dante quipped.

"Let's see if you can still talk after this."

The devil transformed into a grotesque, slime-like form.

"Power surges… the devil's power! Sparda's power!"

"It's getting intense…" Kaminari recoiled.

"Father wasn't that ugly. I'd know," Dante said.

The shipgirls gave wry smiles.

"Suits you, though. Let's start the main event!" Dante declared.

The fight began, but Dante struggled.

"Useless! Your half-human, half-devil power can't match Sparda's true might!"

The devil attacked. Dante braced, but its arm was severed—by his brother, standing above.

"You!" the devil roared.

"I'm taking that power back. It's too much for you," his brother said, standing beside Dante.

"Now you show up, stealing the spotlight?" Dante scoffed.

"Is that worthy of the main event?" his brother asked.

"…Fair point."

"Think you can defeat me? Your father's power?"

"You know you can't control it," the brother said.

"Words won't teach him. Let's make him feel it!" Dante added.

The brothers charged, their synchronized attacks overwhelming the devil. Dante aimed his guns, but a tentacle disarmed one. His brother caught it, and they aimed together.

"I'll play along this once," the brother said.

"Remember the 'decisive line'?" Dante asked.

"Stop! I'm…"

"Jackpot!" they shouted in unison.

"They can fight together," Kitakami said, relieved.

The scene shifted to a watery place, the brothers facing off.

"Hand it over," the brother demanded.

"No way. You've got your own," Dante replied.

"It's meaningless without both."

"You want power that bad? It won't make you Father."

"Shut up!"

They caught each other's blades barehanded, blood dripping, arms trembling with equal strength. Murakumo cried out, "Why fight again? You just worked together!"

"If we're Sparda's sons, we don't inherit power—a proud soul!" Dante said.

"Proud soul…" Akagi and Kaga echoed, resonating with their own pride as the First Carrier Division.

"My soul screams to stop you!" Dante said.

"Mine demands more power!" his brother countered.

"Twins, huh?"

"Yeah…"

Their clash intensified, a battle of convictions, neither yielding. The brother fell to one knee.

"I… lost?" he gasped.

"What's wrong? Done already? Get up—your power's more than that," Dante urged.

His brother rose with a growl. The space trembled.

"The path to the human world's closing. The amulets split…" the brother said.

"Let's end this, Vergil. I have to stop you—even if it means killing you."

Dante knows loss because of his foolish brother.

Dante understands the meaning of fighting. He has resolve.

Tenryuu recalled Nevan's words, tears falling.

The brothers swung their final blows. Dante won.

Vergil dropped his father's sword, picking up their mother's amulet. "This stays with me. It's mine—the true heir of Sparda's."

He stepped back toward the cliff.

"Dangerous!" Haguro shouted as Dante moved to save him.

Vergil refused. "Go. You don't want the demon world to swallow you. I'm fine here—Father's homeland."

Vergil fell into the abyss.

The scene changed. Dante reunited with Lady, returning her weapon.

"We're safe for now. But they'll return—soon," Dante said.

"…You're crying?" Lady asked.

"It's rain," Dante replied.

"It's not raining."

"Devils don't cry."

"Maybe. But some devils might cry for family, don't you think?"

"Maybe."

The shipgirls woke, tears streaming down their faces—even Kaga's. How much burden, resolve, and responsibility did Dante carry alone? They might not fully understand, but their tears wouldn't stop.

The Spacetime Statue's light had faded.

The shipgirls gathered again, reflecting on Lady's words: Some devils might cry for family.

Those words shaped their decision. They headed to Dante's office.

Admiral's Office

"Got your answer?" Dante asked.

Akagi stepped forward. "Yes. We believe in you. You, who can cry, are human. Stay as our Admiral. That's our answer."

Her words echoed Dante's own: Devils don't cry. Nor do weapons. Tears are a human right.

"You've never seen me cry," Dante said.

The shipgirls exchanged glances and laughed.

"…What? Fine, Kaga, you agree?" Dante asked.

"I don't care about devil or human. I'll judge you for who you are," Kaga replied.

"…Got it."

That day, smiles filled the naval base.

A girl staggered through the night streets. "…Someone… help…"

Behind her stood another girl, identical in appearance.