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PLAYER
NAME: Kyah
AGE: 31
PREFERRED CONTACT:
OTHER CHARACTERS: N/A
CHARACTER
NAME: Nero
AGE: 24ish
CANON & CANON POINT: Devil May Cry, post-DMC5
RESERVATION LINK: HERE
HISTORY: Here's a trash boy.
PERSONALITY: Spoilers for DMC5 below
Nero is a man who has lived a life of hardship since the day he was left at a doorstep in Fortuna.
Not that you'd be able to tell just by looking at him. If anything, Nero comes across as a confident jackass who has a bit too much to his ego and a predictable temper if pushed the wrong way. You'd never think he'd faced any trouble in his life in the way he acts around others, offering a sassy retort for questions asked, or giving something of a trollish reply if he feels like it. He's the epitome of a shitposter; always thinking of a comeback or quick to throw some humor at a situation and bring it back in his favor. If he can manage to piss off a demon who thinks it's the hottest thing since sliced bread and then kick their ass, he'll consider it a good day.
Still, there's more to him than just a facade. Nero wears an easy and confrontational personality because for him, it's been instilled into him since he was a child. As an orphan, he was considered a complete black sheep amongst the citizens of Fortuna; no one knew who his parents were, and everything about him was a mystery. In a tight-knit community that was spurred by religion, Nero's presence was seen as something of an oddity, prompting many to shun and easily discard him compared to the other children his age. If it weren't for Credo and Kyrie's family taking him in, Nero would have probably grown up to be much colder like his father, Vergil.
It's through living alongside those two that Nero came to know and understand what family was, even if he wasn't related to them. Kyrie showed him kindness and love when no one else would give it to him, and Credo was a protective older brother of them both. When the time came for Credo to follow in the ways of the Order of the Sword, Nero followed because Credo was there, and he held immense respect for him. Loyalty is something Nero has in spades- provided the person makes it worth his while. He's a good person with a kind heart, but he guards it well from being hurt as much as he can. But once the person gets under his skin? Nero easily can prove that he's fond of them, easily going out of his way to protect them and take care of them in his own style.
And that's the heart of who he is. Despite all the wrongs that have happened to him in his life, because of his love from Kyrie and Credo, and because of his love for them (especially him loving Kyrie with every fiber of his being), Nero cherishes humanity as a whole. Sure, there are bad apples in the batch- really bad ones, like the Order of the Sword. But there are shining people amongst the bad ones, and they're the ones who prove that they're worth fighting for. He'll try to deny any sappiness towards others, but it's apparent in his actions that there's an immense desire and care in all he does. This is how he differs from his father, and it's what guides him in knowing what's right, and what he has to do.
That doesn't mean he's without flaws. The biggest problem he has is his temper, and while it's gotten better over the past five years, he can still swim in his fury if he's pushed enough. Where most people would consider replying about something irritating or angering with a bit of rationality or timidness, Nero practically explodes if it concerns something he keeps close to his heart. He's like a lit firecracker let loose into a crowd of people, tunnel-visioning to where his target is. Nero isn't lost to his anger completely- he doesn't lash out at anyone else, and only focuses on what he needs to. It can be a hindrance but also a good look at how he feels on certain subjects or people.
Vergil: "Stand down, this has nothing to do with you."
Nero: "Nothing to do with me? It has EVERYTHING to do with me!!"
But at the heart of all his motives lies his devotion to family, found or blood-related. This is a man who has spent his entire life with the quiet and buried hope of one day possibly learning about where he belongs, of choosing to make his own path and his own connections to live a normal life (not that he really has one, honestly, but who's counting at this rate). When Nero learns of his father, and consequently how his father and uncle plan on killing each other, Nero finds the true reason of why he fights- to protect. Having to watch Credo die while he was helpless to even reach out and save him has carved a very deep and lasting scar on Nero's heart and his will to save others he cares for. He refuses to let the same situation happen again, instead taking Kyrie's words to heart and pushing himself with such a fierce determination that he's able to Devil Trigger (without Yamato this time) and stop them entirely.
Tie all of this together, and this is how Nero is as a person. His strength and inner demonic power comes from his heart, his love for Kyrie, and his wanting to protect his dumbass family from going and doing Stupid Shit (looking at you, Dante and Vergil). He's a quietly complex character who accepts himself for what he is, and doesn't back down, no matter what.
ABILITIES/SKILLS: Bullet pointing this, as there's a lot.
• Superhuman strength - Nero is capable of fighting creatures much larger than him, and tossing demons that come at him head-on without much difficulty. Since his true power has awakened, it's implied that he's essentially on-par with Dante and Vergil in terms of power.
• Superhuman speed - Nero moves much faster than the average human, able to keep up in fast-paced fighting and at some points, defy gravity by running up the sides of demons.
• Incredible endurance - Where most people would falter within several hours of constant in and out fighting, Nero can last on his feet without much issue for at least a day. It's not known how long a Sparda's endurance can last, but at full power they're shown to easily take on hordes of demons, massive bosses, and even save the world in a relatively short amount of time.
• Fast recovery and healing rate - Like Dante and Vergil, Nero can recover from wounds at a ridiculous rate. He's capable of taking a sword through the stomach, ripping it out of himself to shove it into Vergil's stomach, spends about five to ten seconds recovering from the pain and the wound, and go back to fighting all out as if he'd never been struck there.
• Demonic heritage - As the son of Vergil, Nero is 1/4th demon, and his true power allows him to outperform most humans with ease.
⦔ Bringer Claws - Ephemeral wings that form on Nero's shoulders, these are indicators of him tapping into his power. These wings function both for flight (flight is easier to achieve while in Devil Trigger) and speed, but can also raise themselves and have claws at the end, allowing him to attack with them and activate new abilities if he so desires. Nero can grab and hold people or objects with these claws, enabling him to use them like he used to with the Devil Bringer before it was torn off.• Engineer/Tinkerer - Nero has built his own gun from scratch- from the design to the entire creation of it. With his sword, he removed the limiter himself so he could place propellant on the blade and actually use fire with his attacks. He's also shown to work on the van for his devil hunting business, so he has plenty of mechanical knowledge as well.
⦔ Devil Trigger - The ability to transform into a demonic form, gaining heightened speed, strength, and new abilities specifically for this form. With Nero, his Bringer Claws remain to add more destruction to whatever he goes against, allowing him to fully use his powers to take on whoever challenges him. While in Devil Trigger, Nero can fire summoned swords, use his Devil Breaker fists while charging his two powerful attacks (which create spectral blades to hit one enemy all at once, or fire off a huge laser X that does a ton of damage, which you can see both here), fly between enemies and recover his healing even faster. Suffice to say, it's the ultimate form of power Nero has, and it's not one he uses all the time.
• Talented swordsman - Being taught with swords has always been something Nero takes to, and he joined the Order of the Sword to learn how to protect those he cares for. Nero has had several years of training under his belt, and while most would say his form isn't graceful, he certainly knows how to hit enemies hard and do it well enough to split some in two. His swordsmanship skills derive from training and also his own experience and instinct with working with a sword he specifically modified for himself.
• Hand to hand combat/wrestling - Among other things, Nero has the uncanny ability to be flexible in fighting. When the Devil Bringer actually formed on his arm, Nero took to training with it, eventually making his own form of fighting style akin to wrestling. Even now, he'll grab enemies and put them in headlocks, he'll dropkick someone without hesitation, he'll get a demon into a chokehold before trying to ram a sword down their back. He gets creative, and he's used to fighting without his weapons too.
INVENTORY/COMPANIONS: No companions, but he has several things in his inventory. For the sake of what he can actually carry on himself without looking like an idiot-
• Devil Breaker (can hold 6 at a time along his belt) - After losing his right arm, Nico fashioned a number of arms for Nero to take on demons and still fight like he did with the Devil Bringer.
☞ 1x Overture - An arm that modifies and enhances the output of electricity to enemies.• Red Queen - His sword
☞ 2x Rawhide - An arm that functions more like a claw than a hand, able to turn into a whip and hoist enemies towards him and make them easier targets.
☞ 1x Punch Line - A literal rocket arm that can be fired as a projectile or ridden like a skateboard and used to hurt enemies.
☞ 1x Ragtime - An arm capable of slowing down time in a targeted area. Enemies inside the area are effected and slowed for a short amount of time.
☞ 1x Gerbera - An arm that can fire ricocheting lasers or be powered up to fire one large beam.
• Blue Rose - His gun
• 2x Holy Water
• A few coins for a telephone booth
• Vergil’s book
FACTION CHOICE: Moon Temple
REASON: Nero is not one to wait when it comes to getting something done. Even at a younger age, he took on demons and troubles against Fortuna by himself, refusing to wait for orders at times, and eventually telling the Order of the Sword that he works best alone. Even beyond his time in the Order, Nero sets up his own business taking care of demons, always on the move and helping whoever he can in that sort of deal. He is not one to back down, and not one to simply stop what he's doing- when his arm was ripped off, nearly a week later, he was in the bad guy's lair, trying to kill him. "Slow your roll" really isn't in his vocabulary.
TATTOO: It looks like this, mostly. It's located just under his right (our left) collarbone.
SAMPLES
NETWORK: Network post here.
LOG: Test drive comment here.
NOTES, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS: If anything needs to be nerfed, please let me know, I'll happily work something out.