Dante Virus

The fire in the fireplace crackled as Chen Tian studied the map and planned their route. Vergil stood beside him, elegantly polishing Yamato. Dante, meanwhile, was sprawled across the sofa with a toothpick in his mouth—their last "snack."

Yes, Dante's cursed luck with money had once again cost the family everything they had worked so hard to earn. Fortunately, 2B had managed to save enough for them to get to Nepal.

"The cheapest way from New York to Nepal is to take a ship to Europe first, then travel overland," Chen Tian said with a frown. "But that would take at least two months..."

Dante lazily said, "Big nephew, don't forget that we're all undocumented. We can barely afford the electricity bill now. So why don't we just fly there? We can all use our Devil Trigger forms, can't we?"

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

Chen Tian and Vergil were genuinely terrified of this guy possessed by the god of poverty.

Chen Tian rubbed his temples. "We need to keep a low profile right now, because I don't know whether this is the timeline I came from or whether the temporal turbulence sent us into another one."

"My lord." Madara Uchiha's figure suddenly emerged from the shadows. "I just 'persuaded' a captain at the docks. He is willing to smuggle us to Morocco."

Vergil raised an eyebrow. "What method did you use this time?"

"I merely gave him a pleasant dream." Madara's Sharingan glimmered in the firelight. "He dreamed that he won the lottery, on the condition that he took a few 'friends' to Africa."

"Africa... sigh..." Chen Tian gave Madara a wry smile. "Since you could 'persuade' that captain, why not have him take us straight to Europe? Nepal would be closer from there..."

"Uh..." Madara had no answer for a while. After all, he had not studied the maps of this world.

"Forget it. At least we saved some money this way." Chen Tian patted Madara's shoulder. "You did well, Lord Madara."

At that moment, 2B pushed open the door and entered. Everyone looked at her, while Dante sprang up expectantly, hoping she had brought back something to eat from Alexei's house.

When everyone saw that 2B's hands were empty, they instinctively sighed. Dante flopped straight onto the floor.

2B calmly stepped over the collapsed Dante. Her artificial leather boots precisely avoided the foot the demon hunter had deliberately stuck out to trip her.

"Master, the situation has changed." 2B spoke much faster than usual. "Alexei's family is urgently packing their luggage, and Melina is acting unusually nervous."

Chen Tian abruptly looked up from the map. "When did this happen?"

"Thirty minutes ago." 2B held up three fingers. "They appear calm, but I can tell they are in a hurry."

Chen Tian stroked his chin, recalling the plot of Black Widow, then suddenly clapped his hands.

"Right! They're fleeing the United States!"

Chen Tian's eyes suddenly lit up, and he excitedly slapped the table. "Right! They're fleeing the United States!"

Everyone looked at him in confusion. Dante climbed up from the floor, still holding that toothpick in his mouth. "Big nephew, did a door hit your head? Didn't they say the whole family was going on vacation?"

"Vacation, my ass!" Chen Tian laughed. "This is an emergency evacuation by the Red Room! They have a private plane!"

Vergil set down Yamato, looking thoughtful. "You mean..."

"We hitch a ride!" Chen Tian spun around excitedly. "They definitely have a full set of fake IDs and flight clearances! It's ten thousand times better than smuggling ourselves out!"

Chen Tian's excited expression suddenly froze. He smacked his forehead. "Damn! I just remembered, their private plane is super tiny. I think it can only hold a few people!"

Dante immediately deflated and collapsed back onto the floor. "So we got excited for nothing?"

Vergil's long fingers lightly tapped Yamato's sheath. "How many people can it hold exactly?"

"I remember..." Chen Tian frowned as he tried to recall. "The standard setup has four seats. If we squeeze in, six at most."

Madara snorted. "There are five of us."

"Then that works perfectly!" Dante came back to life. "Their family of four plus our five... wait, something seems wrong?"

Vergil elegantly rolled his eyes. "A mathematical genius."

Chen Tian rapidly calculated in his head. "Melina, Alexei, Natasha, Yelena, plus the five of us... that makes nine people. That is obviously overloaded."

2B looked at the foolish men whose moods had sunk again and lightly cleared her throat. "You all seem to have overlooked a crucial fact." Her voice remained calm, but the entire room instantly fell silent.

"We are Master's summons." Her expression was faintly helpless. "We can enter the Summoning Space."

The air instantly froze.

The toothpick fell from Dante's mouth with a clatter. Vergil's hand polishing Yamato stopped in midair. Madara's Sharingan stopped turning. Chen Tian's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg.

"Holy shit!" Chen Tian smacked his forehead hard. "I actually forgot about that."

Vergil's cheek twitched as he lowered his blade. "...Indeed."

Dante flipped to his feet. "Wait! You mean that dark, cramped little black room without pizza?"

"We can stay there permanently," 2B calmly said. "It would merely be boring. And it is not small."

Madara's mouth twitched. "You thought of that already?"

"The moment Master mentioned the concept of an airplane." 2B tilted her head with the precision unique to a machine.

Chen Tian covered his face awkwardly. "So we spent all that time calculating seats like idiots..."

Vergil lightly coughed. "At least we confirmed the plane's capacity."

"And we can protect Master throughout the journey," 2B added.

Dante suddenly waved his arms. "Wait! Can we bring a game console into the Summoning Space?"

"No!" Chen Tian and Vergil shouted at the same time.

Madara slowly rose to his feet, his Sharingan glowing red in the firelight. "The plan is simple." He swept his gaze across the group. "2B continues acting as the nanny. The four of us stand by at the airport. Once the plane takes off, my lord puts us into the Summoning Space, and then 2B takes him aboard."

2B looked at Madara, who had proposed the plan. Even as an android, she could not help criticizing him. "Mr. Madara, you seem to have overlooked a crucial variable. Alexei's family is fleeing in an emergency. Why would they agree to take me along? Let alone Master?"

The atmosphere in the room immediately solidified.

"Furthermore," 2B continued, streams of data flickering in her eyes, "if they encounter pursuers, Master's presence would instead increase the risk of exposure. That completely contradicts our strategy of keeping a low profile."

Chen Tian looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "2B is right! How did I not think of that?" He then glared fiercely at Dante. "You must have infected me."

Dante spread his hands innocently.

Vergil elegantly raised an eyebrow. "It seems our ninja gentleman has not considered things thoroughly enough."

Madara's expression darkened. "Then do you have a better suggestion?"

2B lowered her gaze slightly. Data rapidly flashed through her mechanical pupils, as though she were performing complex probability calculations.

"Mr. Madara," she suddenly looked up. Her voice remained calm, but carried a subtle shift. "Can your Sharingan... implant a group suggestion in ordinary people?"

Madara's Sharingan turned slightly. "Group suggestion?"

"Yes." 2B traced a line through the air with her fingertip. "Make Alexei's family subconsciously ignore Master's existence. Then Master can quietly follow them onto the plane."

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became strange. Vergil set down Yamato and looked thoughtfully at Madara. Dante, meanwhile, gave an exaggerated whistle. "Wow, 2B, that idea is pretty sinister! I like it!"

A dangerous curve appeared on Madara's lips. "No problem. I can do that easily."

2B immediately continued, "Based on my observations, the entire process from their leaving the residence to boarding the aircraft will take no more than ninety minutes."

Chen Tian clapped excitedly. "Perfect! That way, I can sneak onto the plane without anyone noticing!"

Vergil suddenly frowned. "Wait, there is another problem. What if there are Red Room agents monitoring the plane..."

A blue light flashed through 2B's pupils. "I have already implanted a miniature jammer inside Natasha's doll. It can temporarily block surveillance equipment."

Dante dramatically clutched his chest. "2B, when did you become so devious?"

"After spending so much time with Mr. Dante, if I were not devious, I could not keep any money hidden." 2B answered expressionlessly, though the corners of her lips rose almost imperceptibly.

Madara suddenly stood up, his Sharingan looking especially sinister in the firelight. "Then the plan is settled. I will implant group suggestion in Alexei's family at the appropriate moment." He looked at Chen Tian. "My lord, once I am done, I will notify you immediately."

Chen Tian nodded, then suddenly thought of something. His expression turned strange. "Uh... you guys will not fight in the Summoning Space, right?"

Vergil and Dante exchanged a glance and snorted at the same time. Madara had already begun wiping down his war fan.

2B softly sighed. "I will ensure flight safety." She paused before adding, "But compared to that, I am more worried about Diablo—ever since he arrived at this point in time, he has remained shut inside the Summoning Space."

Chen Tian curled his lip. "That is his punishment. If we ignore him, he will not be scared at all. The movies, TV dramas, and anime on his tablet are enough to last him hundreds of years."

Outside the window, the snow fell even harder. Chen Tian looked at these "family members" with their vastly different personalities and suddenly felt that this hitchhiking trip would probably be even more... lively than expected.

"All right, everyone." He clapped his hands. "It is almost time to move. 2B, what is Alexei's family doing now?"

Data flickered through 2B's pupils. "They have begun moving their luggage into the garage. They are expected to depart in fifteen minutes."

Chen Tian took a deep breath. "Then it is settled. Madara, prepare your Sharingan. Vergil, Dante..." He looked at the two demon hunters. "...Try not to fight in the Summoning Space."

Dante grinned and gave an OK gesture, while Vergil folded his arms and snorted.

The fireplace flames reflected on everyone's faces. An unconventional "smuggling" operation was about to begin.

The night was black as ink, snowflakes whirling in the bitter wind. Chen Tian tightened his trench coat and, under the suggestion of Madara's Sharingan, silently blended into Alexei's family. Melina and the others did not suspect this "temporary bodyguard" in the slightest—Madara's genjutsu had already taken effect, and after completing his task, he had been recalled into the Summoning Space by Chen Tian.

"Move faster!" Melina urged in a lowered voice, holding the sleeping Yelena in her arms. "United States agents could discover us at any moment."

Chen Tian helped stuff the last suitcase into the trunk and took the opportunity to glance at his watch. It was 3:17 a.m., the hour when human vigilance was at its lowest. 2B should have been beside him to provide cover, but with the plane's limited seating, he had already recalled her to the Summoning Space, leaving only himself to follow them.

As everyone squeezed into the old station wagon, Chen Tian noticed that Natasha was tightly hugging the tampered doll—before leaving, 2B had quietly implanted the jammer inside it. The little girl's sleepy eyes held a vigilance far beyond her age.

"Three minutes to the airport." Alexei turned the key, and the engine gave an overloaded groan. "Damn weather..."

The sound of tires crushing snow was especially piercing on the silent streets. Chen Tian watched behind them through the rearview mirror when, suddenly, a faint blue light flashed in the doll's eyes.

Something is happening.

Sure enough, headlights lit up in the distance behind them. Three black SUVs burst from a side street like ghosts, their red warning lights carving bloody trails through the curtain of snow.

"Damn it!" Melina abruptly turned around. "How did they find—"

"Hold tight!" Alexei slammed the accelerator to the floor. The station wagon shot forward like a startled beast.

Chen Tian felt as though his organs were about to be flung into his back. Little Natasha gripped the seat desperately, and the doll slipped from her arms. Chen Tian reacted swiftly, catching it in one hand and lightly pressing a hidden spot on its stomach with his fingertips—2B's jammer activated.

The pursuing SUVs suddenly braked in unison, their headlights flickering strangely. Taking advantage of those precious thirty seconds of confusion, the station wagon made a sharp turn and charged through the side entrance of the private airport.

"Quick! Quick!" Alexei jumped out of the car and waved his arms like a madman. Melina was already sprinting toward the small Cessna on the runway with Yelena in her arms.

Chen Tian helped carry the last few pieces of luggage, secretly rejoicing—Madara's genjutsu was stable enough that Melina had not even realized there was one extra person in the group who should not have been there.

"Everyone here?" Alexei shouted from the pilot's seat.

Melina quickly counted heads. "Natasha? Yelena? Temporary bodyguard?" She frowned in confusion, but soon shook her head. "Damn it, let's go!"

The plane's engine roared, making the ground tremble faintly. Chen Tian ducked into the cabin and discovered that this so-called "private plane" was practically a tin can—its four seats were packed tight, leaving him no choice but to curl up in the luggage compartment at the rear.

"Hold on!" Alexei yanked the controls.

A wave of weightlessness hit him. The plane jolted violently through the airflow like a leaf, and a suitcase smashed down near his feet, revealing bundles of fake passports and cash inside.

"We're safe!" Ten minutes later, Alexei let out a long breath. "The flight path is set. We have seven hours of flying ahead."

Melina's tense shoulders finally relaxed as she checked on her two daughters' sleeping positions. The cabin gradually fell quiet, leaving only the drone of the engine and Natasha's steady breathing.

Inside the cabin, Chen Tian curled up in the luggage compartment, his gaze settling on the sleeping Natasha and Yelena. The two little girls leaned against each other, Yelena's tiny hand still tightly clutching her sister's clothes.

"Master." 2B's voice sounded through their mental link. "Your heart rate fluctuations have been detected as abnormal. Have you encountered a problem?"

Chen Tian gently shook his head and replied with his mind, "2B, do you think... should we change their fate?"

2B fell silent for a moment. "According to my calculations, interfering with history may cause unpredictable butterfly effects. But..." Her voice held a rare trace of hesitation. "If Master decides to act, I will assist with all my strength."

Chen Tian took a deep breath, his gaze becoming firm. He quietly took a coin from his pocket—it was one Dante had "accidentally" dropped into his pocket, calling it a "lucky coin."

Heads, we save them. Tails, we do not. He silently muttered, then flicked it with his thumb.

The coin traced a silver arc through the dawn light, and Chen Tian suddenly realized—both sides of this "lucky coin" were heads! That bastard Dante had tampered with it long ago.

"That old fraud..." Chen Tian clenched the coin with mixed laughter and tears, yet felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

He gently awakened his companions in the Summoning Space and told everyone his decision.

"Do what you want, child." Vergil's voice carried fatherly warmth.

"It should have been done long ago! Let's raise hell, big nephew!" Dante shouted excitedly.

"Master, 2B will always support you." 2B's voice was filled with delight.

"My lord, I will let all your enemies die within my Fire Release." Madara's voice was no longer as arrogant, but his tone remained just as domineering.

"Ah, ah, ah! My lord, can you let me out this time? The space you left me in is too small!" Leah's voice sounded somewhat aggrieved.

Chen Tian smiled as he listened to everyone's voices in the Summoning Space.

(New function unlocked: Through mental power, contact can be established with figures in the Summoning Space, preventing another occurrence of interference by dimensional demon gods.)

As the plane flew steadily onward, Chen Tian looked outside and saw nothing but ocean. The longer he looked, the more something felt wrong.

He suddenly snapped back to his senses and nearly wanted to slap himself. Dante really had infected him—he had forgotten that the place they were fleeing from was not Asia or Russia at all. It was fucking Cuba!

"Ahem, guys, I think I remembered wrong. We are currently... in Cuba..." Chen Tian said awkwardly in the Summoning Space.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"So the carefully planned smuggling operation... was wrong from the very beginning?" Even Vergil was speechless.

What was wrong with this kid? Had Dante infected him?

"Whatever! Our goal now is to get little Natasha and little Yelena away from the Red Room!" Chen Tian stopped caring. Wrong was wrong. At worst, they could just steal a Red Room plane later.

He had not even considered whether anyone knew how to fly a plane... or perhaps 2B did?