Nick nearly jumped when the door to Lady Cynthia's room burst open. The Huntress stood in the open doorway, her hat askew on her head and chest rising and falling with her rapid breath. Her eyes were wild with worry as they fell on Maggie's peaceful form. She ran to the girl's side, immediately pressing her ear to her chest while two gloved fingers went to her still pale neck. The Huntress glanced at Nick, asking in a panicked voice, "Is she alright?!"

A relieved smile lit up Nick's face. He nodded just as the young girl's heartbeat echoed into the Huntress' ear. Slow but strong, the Huntress felt her worry melt away at the sound. She stood up while placing a hand on her chest in relief, "Thank goodness."

The two were silent for a long time, their eyes glued on the gently breathing woman. Her cheeks had regained their pinkish hue and all her erratic movements had ceased. Her lips opened and closed in tune with her rising and falling chest. The small smile on Nick's face matched the one hidden behind the Huntress' bandana. They nodded to each other before stepping away from the bed and walking out of the room. The Huntress walked out last, gently closing the door behind her as they entered the hall.

Once it was shut they both let out sighs of relief that gave way to nervousness as the two searched for something to say. Numerous uncomfortable silent minutes stretched between them as Nick's eyes shifting from the Huntress to the clean floor, to the ceiling, then back to the Huntress. He made a show of clearing his throat before finally breaking the tension, "So, uh, I...I owe you quite a bit now, don't I?"

"Hmm?" the Huntress' head tilted with slight confusion.

"Well, you stopped my sis from turning into...a monster," he struggled as if finishing the sentence would make it come true, "Not many people would do that for a couple of slum rats like us. Heck, I didn't think anyone could do it till you came along."

The Huntress humbly shook her head as she adjusted her hat, "It was no trouble. Consider it my way of repaying you for walking Horace and Gloria home."

Nick flinched at the mention of their task. He couldn't meet the Huntress' eyes as he replied, "Yeah, yeah. Sorry, about that by the way."

"What do you mean?" The Huntress asked as her eyes scanned the doors along the hallway. Her sharp eyes spotted one with slightly cracked open and shook her head before turning her attention back to Nick, "I did not see them with you downstairs. Am I wrong in assuming you got them to their rooms before the...incident?"

Nick waved his hands up in the air, taking a step back in uncontrollable fear as he shouted, "No! No! No! Maggie got them upstairs before that! I promise!"

The Huntress waited patiently for the young man to collect himself and continue. She was not surprised by his reaction. He did witness her fight and mutilate two Mamono at once because they stepped foot into her home. Drawing that same ire to himself was the last thing he wished to do.

Nick took a few moments to compose himself before saying, "What I meant was, I'm sorry we let the monsters inside in the first place. I knew there was something up with them when I saw 'em. But I just...my mind started going fuzzy and...they smelled so nice and...dammit!"

A hand went to his head as he shook it out of frustration, "Why the hell am I still thinking about them like that?! They attacked my sister for fuck's sake!"

"It's what they do," Nick looked up at the Huntress as she explained, "They fill your mind with lustful thoughts, overpowering all rational senses to get you to do as they bid. Though you may not have slept with one of them, their influence over you shall likely remain for a time."

"But not you," Nick ventured, stepping towards the Huntress, "You're immune, aren't you? That's why you could fight them and why you haven't collapsed like Maggie."

"I...am not entirely sure that is correct," the Huntress admitted truthfully, "But I am sure that I can resist their powers to a high degree. And as you saw with your sister, I can seemingly draw the Mana out of others. This removes it from the person's body thus ensuring they do not turn into a Mamono."

When Nick was only a few feet away he drew his sleeve up and held his right arm up to the Huntress. He stared her down with conviction, "Then do me too. I want whatever's left of this shit outta my body."

The Huntress placed a hand on the young man's arm, then gently pushed it to his side, "I'm afraid I cannot grant that request. As I said before, you're Mana is being replenished as we speak. Any remains of the Demonic Mana should be gone by the time the sun comes up. And in truth, I took a gamble with your sister's life. Even if it did pay off, she was in clear pain the entire time I was draining the Spirit Energy from her body.

She looked down at her white-gloved hand with disgust. She had hidden the remains of Kogero inside the privy. She would dispose of it properly once Nick had left and the children were put to bed. Her hand turned into a fist as she imagined the same thing happening to Maggie, "It is not something I can use lightly."

Her tone made Nick regret his decision. He bit his tongue before pulling his sleeve back over his arm. A silent tension came over them as the meaning behind the Huntress' words sunk in. Then Nick snapped his fingers as a smile came over his face, "Eh, you're right. Stupid of me to think that'll work all the time. That would be too good to be true."

He turned his back on the Huntress and started heading for the stairs while saying, "I should really get going. Marcus is probably scared sick by now with how long we've been gone. Mind if I leave Mags with you until she wakes up?"

"Not at all," the Huntress replied while waving to the young man, "Come back at any time if you wish to check up on her. And...Nick."

Nick paused on the top stair and turned to look at the Huntress. She cleared her throat multiple times as she searched for the right words, "Um, next time you could...uh...stay for dinner. If you wanted..."

The red-haired boy chuckled and nodded, "Sounds good. Far be it for me to turn down a meal from a noble like yourself."

With a short wave goodbye, the young man marched down the steps. The Huntress waved after him, waiting until his footsteps went out the door. Once he was gone, she turned to the door held ajar down the hallway, "Gloria, Horace. I know you're there."

The door slammed shut but the Huntress was already walking towards it. She sighed, knocked on the door, and said, "Come on you two. You're not in trouble. I just want to talk."

It barely took a few seconds before the door opened. The children walked out with the statues in their hands and eyes taking great interest in the floor. The Huntress sighed, knelt to their level, and put her hands on their shoulders, "What did you see, and how much did you hear?"

They didn't answer. The Huntress repeated the question. Horace spoke up first, "We... came down the stairs right when you got home."

"We heard sounds from the living room," Gloria expounded, "And wanted to see what was going on?"

"But we went back up when we saw you. Then...then the screaming started," Horace's grip on the figure tightened as he finished.

The Huntress looked between the two of them. Her face and demeanor were impassive but her heart was aching. These children had experienced more horrors than anyone their age had. That they were forced to hear more made her feel sick to her stomach. She pulled the children in for a hug, holding them tight as she said, "It's alright. I know you were scared but it's all over. I came back, just like I promised. It's alright now."

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Within moments the two children were crying against their adoptive mother's shoulders. The Huntress held them tight until their heaving turned to gentle snores. Then she scooped them up in her arms, tucked them into bed with their figures, and started walking downstairs.

She had a lot of blood to clean up before the sun rose.

And she would need a little bit of help getting all of it.

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"Welcome home, Good Hunter," Eve said as she stood up from the tombstone she was tending to. She bowed as the Huntress came up the stone walkway to the workshop, the light of the ever-present moon shining down upon them, "What is it you desire?"

"Hello, Eve. Sorry I haven't been around lately," the Huntress said while taking in the familiar scent of the flowers around the workshop, "It's amazing how many things can happen in one day."

"Oh," the Doll folded her hands in front of her while tilting her head with clear curiosity, "Did the 'Mamono' you spoke of trouble you again?"

"More or less," the Huntress said while squatting down next to a tombstone. She gently ran a finger across the name of the Hunter scribbled across the top. It was one she did not know, but an intense feeling of camaraderie came over her as she did. She sighed wistfully as she stood up, "I've actually come to ask for your help, Eve. There's some cleaning I...wait."

The Huntress' eyes narrowed as she turned around. She pivoted in a slow circle while carefully counting the numerous headstones that littered the entirety of the workshop. When she returned to her original position, she looked towards the headstone Eve was tending. She quickly walked over to the grave and knelt to read the name emblazoned on the front.

A chill ran up her spine as her eyes slowly moved across the words:

Kogero Sakura

Ochimusha

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Kogero's breath was violently wrenched out of her as she crashed against the wall behind her. She fell to her knees, the blood below her splashing onto her clothes. Her eyes went hazy and her ears began to ring as she tried to stand. She stabbed her katana into the ground, hands aching as she pushed herself to her feet. Her ponytail had come undone, leaving her raven black hair to fall around her heaving shoulders.

The air around her was filled with the stench of death and decay, a dark mirror of the corpse and blood-covered landscape around her. That was the first thing she noticed when she woke up in this...place. She nearly vomited the moment it hit her nose and made her cough until her neck went raw. Undead she maybe, but this was entirely too much. She had never seen so much...so much...death and...blood. Why was there so much blood?

A splash of blood a few feet away forces her to her feet. Her eyes narrow with determination, but her hands are still shaking from blocking an attack from her assailants. There were three of them, their attire similar to the stranger who sent her here. However, her previous opponent has fought her and Akuri-sama with skill and talent. Her every movement was focused on dealing as much damage as quickly as possible while leaving few openings for retaliation.

But these three...they didn't care about retaliation.

They simply walked forward and attacked whatever stepped into their path.

They silently encircled her on all sides, ensuring any easy escape paths were closed off. Her head whipped between all three as tried to watch for the next attack. The one on her left raised a long, cylindrical object with a sharp spear sticking out the front. She heard a click and hopped to the right to dodge, only to gasp as he leads her movement. He fired just as she landed, her reaction stalled long enough to get hit by the oncoming projectile. The weapon pierced through her hip, blood splattering on the wall behind her as she stifled a scream of pain.

Another click came from her right followed by the shadow of a blunt, sectioned blade falling over her. Her katana came up instinctively to block, only to shatter as the weapon impacted her body. Both the bone armor covering her right arm, and the ones inside her purple skin were crushed to dust as the force of the strike knocked her to the floor. A coughing fit expelled blood from her throat as she tried to scramble to her feet again.

Then she heard a third click.

And the smell of blood was mixed with the smell of smoke.

She looked up as the shadow of the third enemy fell over her prone form. Her eyes went wide as a flaming hammer came crashing down on her head.

The last thing she heard was a loud explosion.

Then she woke up in the first room she saw when she came here.

She sat there for a time, staring up at the ceiling in complete shock. She didn't know how long it took for her senses to return. When they did she shot up, retrieved her blade, and checked around the entire room for an enemy. When none were found she felt the tension in her body leave her. She sat down with relief, thankful to be alive.

If she had been paying attention, she would've noticed something strange about her body; That both her breasts and hips had shrunken in size.

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"Calm yourself, Good Hunter."

"Why is that there, Eve?!" the stomping of the Huntress' boots could be heard all throughout the Dream, as she paced back and forth across the workshop. One gloved hand was held against her chin, while the other was pressed against her head to keep it steady. Her eyes darted from the Doll to the grave outside, shaking in her head as she tried to make sense of what was going on, "Why is a Mamono's name on one of the tombstones?!"

"Whatever your question, I will do what I can to answer them, Good Hunter," Eve said while stepping closer to the distraught Huntress.

The Huntress stopped pacing and starting walking towards Eve, "Then answer me, Eve. Why does a Mamono who I killed get a grave alongside the Hunters who left the Nightmare that was Yharnam!? Why does she get an epitaph with those who's journeys will never be remembered, told, or acknowledged by anyone outside of this Dream?!"

The workshop's foundation shook as the Huntress stood face to face with the Doll, a fact that she didn't notice in the slightest. Her mind was completely focused on getting answers, "And why is that specific Mamono here!? Why her and not the countless others I've murdered!? What makes her different!? Wh-"

The Doll pulled the Huntress into a hug.

All the frustration, confusion, and uncertainty in the Huntress disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"Calm yourself, my Hunter," Eve's soothing voice whispered into the Huntress' ear, "I will answer your inquiries to the best of my ability. So, please, compose yourself."

The Huntress leaned into the Doll's hug, steadying her breathing and closing her eyes in thought. She replied with a returned sense of serenity, "Of course, Eve. I am sorry for yelling at you. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, Good Hunter," the Doll stepped back and began to lead the Huntress towards the empty chair, "Could you tell me what happened?"

The Huntress nodded as she sat down in the chair. She went through everything that had happened since her last time coming to the Dream as Eve massaged her tense shoulders. Meeting Nick, adopting Horace and Gloria, her fight and interrogation of Scarlet, her deal with the Guard Captain, the cupid's attack, and finally what happened prior to her return. The Doll hung on to her every word without a hint of judgment ever crossing her pale face. She simply looked down at the Huntress as her jointed hands worked out the new sore spots on the Huntress' shoulders.

The Huntress sighed, feeling the tension drain from her with every word she spoke. She looked up at Eve and said, "And that's why I was so distraught. I don't understand how she has gained a tombstone here. I drained her Mana away until she was naught but a skeleton, but how did it end up like this?"

The Doll was quiet for a time. She replied with her same emotionless, yet soothing tone, "I believe it is possible that you absorbed the monster's soul, Good Hunter."

The Huntress turns to stare at her friend incredulously. Eve continues without losing her calmness, "If Mana is the life force of those who live in this world than it wouldn't it be the equivalent of their soul? And if so, then absorbing a creature's Mana is like draining its soul from its body."

"Yes, that makes sense," the Huntress nodded then frowned, "But that doesn't answer why she has a tombstone here."

"I'm afraid the reason behind that eludes me as well, Good Hunter. Could it possibly be connected to your status as the Master of the Dream?"

The Huntress stared at her friend in thought for a moment. Then she shook her head and turned around, "I suppose that's the best explanation, at least until I look into it myself. Add that to my ever-expanding list of things to do."

The Doll tilted her head questioningly, but the Huntress shook her head, "Don't worry, Eve. I think I know of a way to find the answers I seek. But that will have to wait. I have an important meeting tomorrow, and I'm gonna need to find someone to watch over the children and Maggie while she recuperates."

"I could watch over the children, if you wished," Eve offered as the Huntress stood up from her seat.

The Huntress shook her head with a smile, "Thank you for the offer, my friend. But I'm afraid not. I do not believe the children would be able to...see you like I do. However, I will require your assistance. I made a rather large mess in the living room during the battle. I would appreciate your help cleaning it up."

The Doll bowed then went to gather her cleaning instruments, "As you wish, Good Hunter. But what shall you do about the children? They will require a guardian."

"Let's just say, I'm going to be calling in a favor from a few old acquaintances."

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Jet sneezed loudly, drawing the attention of Sentinel and Blitz as they counted their gold coins. Sentinel asked his sniffling leader, "You get sick, Jet? Want us to get you something?"

"No, no," Jet gasped while reaching for the handkerchief he kept in his pocket. He wiped his face before continuing, "It's just a sneeze. Nothing to worry about."