Nero, 1 hour prior

"Damnit! The portal closed!" Nero yelled as he threw a rock at where the portal once stood. His frustrations showing as he grunted and yelled, annoying the three headed demon dog besides him.

"Will you stop with your incessant aggression, child?! The connection from the human realm and wherever in hell this place is has been severed permanently. No matter what you do, nor I do. Will be useless." Cerberus grumbled as they took turns talking.

"You're seriously just giving up?!" Nero yelled at the demonic entity, who merely huffed at the enraged quarter demon.

"As I've said, the connection has been permanently broken. Whatever that thing that threw us both in here is powerful... I'm not sure where it came from, as it's energy was demonic, but not like ours... It was more... Primal." Cerberus continued, standing up before walking next to Nero.

"So pick yourself up, child. Throwing a tantrum here won't yield any results. Come, we must search a way out of this disgusting smelling place... It reeks of nature energy." Cerberus spoke in slight disgust.

Nero stopped his tantrum, now more curious as to what Cerberus meant.

"Nature? What do you mean by that?" Nero asked.

"Are you that ignorant? There are more energies out there than just Demonic. While the energy that flows through our veins are the most potent, we aren't invulnerable. Specifically, the energy called "Nature Energy" is basically the antithesis of Demonic Energy. They are opposites, both hurt each other strongly." Cerberus replied, one of its head sniffing the air as a way to locate a means of escaping the realm.

But then, it suddenly stopped. Forcing Nero to stop behind it.

"What? Found something?" Nero asked, curious as to why Cerberus stopped walking.

"Before we continue... I've heard rumors from the past, where one of my kin. Was subjugated by your uncle..." Cerberus said, pausing as if to wait for Nero to confirm it.

"Uh, yeah? I think I remember that douchebag saying something about a former devil arm that is just a nunchuck made from ice... Why?" Nero confirmed.

"I see, then I propose a contract... As I have said before, I am the smallest of us. Thus wishes to be stronger... I propose becoming one of your so called... "Devil Arms"." Cerberus finished, one of his head looking at Nero expectantly.

Nero, paused of a moment. Thinking about the benefits and drawbacks for such a contract. But then again, he is of sparda's blood.

"Sure, why not? Beats scaring people when we finally get out of this miserable place." Nero accepted, which immediately made Cerberus's form to flicker and disappear into a ball of light, which Nero took and instincts took over.

As soon as the orb touched his palm, it glowed brightly before shifting its shape. Forming a pair of Sai, that crackled with electricity.

Nero then took the opportunity to try out the new weapon, spinning, jabbing, and slamming the weapon onto the ground that sent out a shockwave that destroyed the dull asphalt.

Next, Nero reformed the weapon into a pair of sickles. The blades radiating frost and fogging the air around it.

Nero slashed the weapon with near perfect mastery, and shot our curving blades of ice that formed a localized patch of ice or frost depending on how much demonic energy Nero pumped into the ranged attack. He then attached both sickles together, elongating it, and spun it on his hand like a spear.

And finally, one last shift. The spear/sickles combo turned into a large war hammer. The blunt edge radiating heat, strong enough to melt metal in mere moments of reaching the weapon's vicinity.

Nero spun, slammed, and tossed the hammer. Each throw powerful and causes lava to erupt at each impact, while also returning to him like a frenzied missile.

Nero then admired his new weapons, and for a moment. Blinked in confusion when the hammer glowed brightly and Cerberus's form returned. Now once again standing beside him.

"Impressive, it seems that mastering weapons are as ingrained to your blood as the rest of Sparda's offsprings." Cerberus complimented.

"Hey, don't once you become a devil arm, you cant assume your old form?" Nero asked. To which Cerberus snorted in amusement.

"That is a misconception to a degree. Ours is a contract, a mutual beneficial relationship. Unlike those of pure subjugated, I can still assume my original form which doubles as a way for me to cover your flank, should the notion be necessary." Cerberus explained, and Nero accepted his words.

"Cool, now can we continue searching for an exit?" Nero asked, Cerberus nodded.

And once more, the two unlikely pair went off in search of an exit... Until they were ambushed by ethereals.

Present

"So Mr. Angelo-"

"Just call me Nero, I'm not that old and this hair color is straight from the oven." Nero cuts off Caesar as soon as the words came out of her mouth.

"O-Oh, sorry. Anyway, I'd like to ask... How did you get yourself into this situation?" She asked, and Eous nodded, curious as well.

"Well, I can't say I remember much how it happened. I was just strolling through town and bam! Weird portal came out and sucked me in." Nero lied as he breathed.

"Huh, that tracks I guess. Still though, be careful next time ok? Hollows are dangerous, and the ethereals we just fought are not the strongest you could encounter in one." Wise spoke through Eous, his voice slightly distorted.

"Right, also... Regarding that... Dog?"

"Cerberus, they don't like being called a dog." Nero yet again corrected her.

"Yeah, about that... Where did you find them?" Caesar asked, now eyeing the impossibly large and three headed beast, playing with Burnice with surprisingly gentle actions. Like a parent to their overactive child.

"Not a clue, they just joined me when I got lost inside here and has been keeping an eye open to alert me from ambushes... Makes me wonder if I could bring them out." Nero, once again lied. Though the last part was genuine for him.

But before any of them could say more, the hollow started to shake. Causing everyone to be on guard. But moments passed, nothing happened.

"Phew, I think it's better we leave for now. I don't like the way this place just rumbled." Lucy said, picking up her bat and shouldering it.

"Agreed, with the hollow being new. Who knows what could happen. Follow me, the carrot just updated and found a rift we could exit through." Wise replied before running off, Eous's stubby legs carrying his round body with surprising speed.

Everyone moved, following the Wise controlled Eous through turns and jumps. With Cerberus letting Burnice ride on top of him with her flamethrowers out and spewing flames.

The sight making Lucy lose more braincells but decided to not bother with Burnice, and focused on leaving the hollow.

Soon enough, they reached an open area. With Eous slowing down to pinpoint the rift.

As they watched, Nero couldn't help but feel off... Like they're being watched.

So he followed his instincts, drawing out Blue Rose and firing at a direction.

Everyone stopped to see what he was doing and was about to question him, when the air that Nero shot at, suddenly shimmered. Revealing a humanoid ethereal with a toxic green glow.

It raised its bladed arm, showing the bullets that, while did little damage. Pierced its armor.

Nero smirked and holstered blue rose with flair.

"Well, someone got lost from their circus... Say, do you do balloon animals?" Nero taunted, which made the Sons of Calydon and Wise question Nero's sanity.

The ethereal shrieked, before disappearing from sight. But Nero already knew where it's going to attack from.

With a simple twist, Nero dodged the bladed hand of the ethereal with ease.

"Hah! You missed!" He taunted again, before kicking the ethereal squarely on the chest. Knocking it back a good distance away.

Caesar drew her sword alongside Lucy who tried to approach, but was stopped when Cerberus stalked forward.

"No need to interfere... Sparda's grandson will make quick work... Of the abomination." Cerberus spoke, before laying on the ground in a bored manner.

Seeing that Cerberus didn't want to interfere, Caesar lowered her sword, but is ready just in case something wrong happens.

"What?! That thing can tear through a trained group of soldiers alone! What makes you think he could defeat it alone?!" Lucy yelled, mostly out of concern but she would deny it.

Cerberus raised one of it's head at her, and stared. Making Lucy back down and slowly step away from them.

Cerberus snorted, flames erupting from the middle head before focusing on Nero.

Who is now somersaulting in the air and shooting the ethereal thrice at the same spot. Not only breaking armor, but shattering the blade arm it has.

"Not that tough, huh?" Nero yelled, before unsheathing Red Queen, executed a Streak straight towards the ethereal, who dodged sloppily.

Nero smirked as he took a stance, stabbing red queen on the ground before revving the exceed, causing the sword to glow red hot and spew flames out from the exhaust.

"OH MY GOSH, THAT IS SO COOL!" Burnice squealed in delight after seeing Nero rev the engine on red queen.

And before the ethereal could recover, Nero went for an upward slash, jumping up at the same time performing a High Roller and with another rev of the engine, performed a Double Down. Launching the ethereal down towards the ground and defeating it immediately.

Nero walked out of the rubble, wiping debris off his jacket and walking back towards the group.

"He ain't so tough. Now come on, this place is getting bleaker by the second and I don't like it." Nero said, ignoring the astonished looks he's getting.

Now while it's not uncommon to see a strong fighter to defeat a higher level ethereal. But to do it so in less than ten seconds, is something no other Hollow Investigators could do, other than Hoshimi Miyabi and Yi Xuan of the current era. Granted the ethereal was just a normal Thanatos.

Though one thing for sure... Is that Nero just became one of the most powerful people in the world just for that feat alone... From the local's perspective anyway. While Cerberus merely lets out an amused snort before standing up and following Nero towards the now revealed rift.