Selina felt annoyed.

Not enough to affect her combat ability. She had been through too many fights to allow that to hinder her in battle. But as she dodged under another horizontal slash from Tuula, she couldn't shake the slight frustration at the battle. Primarily because of something that had become very clear since this battle had begun: She was better than the Chieftan.

That isn't to say Tuula was completely helpless against her. She wouldn't be leading such a large force if she had no talent for battle. She took great advantage of the extra reach and power her size granted her. Sweeping horizontal slashes, stomps that shook the ground, and the occasional roaring charge to flatten the Huntress. It was clear the Chief had been in fights like this before and knew how to deal with them.

But so had the Huntress.

And powerful she may be, she was nowhere near any of the large Beasts that Selina has felled.

That wasn't some boast born of arrogance or overconfidence. It was a conclusion reached from observing how this fight evolved. She would easily slip beneath and beyond the reach of the Chief's massive sword, then strike out with either her fully formed scythe or its single curved blade form. Fortunately, this fight was between the two of them, Selina had more room to rest and manage her stamina. Meaning she could quickly move in for multiple strikes or probing slashes before moving back to regain her stamina. She would not be caught flat-footed during a battle such as this.

No, it wasn't her experienced that was keeping Tuula alive. It was her equipment.

Her blade wasn't truly an issue. Tuula was able to swing it without issue, taking full advantage of its thickness and length to either back the Huntress into a corner or extend her attack reach. However, it still gave her all the same openings a weapon such as it would. A window of opportunity for Selina after each swing, a tendency to overreach, and a clearly defined attack arc that the Huntress could dodge. The sword, while dangerous, wasn't what was stonewalling Selina's progress.

It was the shield.

No matter how she attacked, what angle she struck from, how close her strike came to ripping into her opponent's body, the shield was always there to stop it. Even when doing so would be physically impossible. As she started to circle her opponent, she thought of one final way to test her theory.

She started dashing in and out of the Mamono's range, trying to bait out a downward slash. Tuula eventually took the bait, slamming her blade down in a vertical arc. Selina dodged backward then jumped onto the sword as it hit the ground. She ran up the edge of the blade with her scythe held in both hands, angled down, and aimed at the Mamono's neck. She jumped forward and prepared for the feeling of her scythe slicing through her opponent's skin. Instead, a shock ran up her arms and send her off balance. Gripping her weapon tight with her right hand she used her left to pull Evelyn from her coat. She rolled onto a knee and fired as at Tuula's back...only to watch as the shield jerked the Mamono's body around to block the bullet.

The Huntress frowned beneath her bandana as she got to her feet. Her initial assumptions had been proven correct. The shield was enchanted, and it would stop any and all attacks that could hurt Tuula in any way. It was likely that the sword was enhanced as well, though the Chief had yet to use it. But even if she did, the shield was a severe problem she needed to deal with post-haste.

And while the Hunters didn't have many tools specifically for breaking through shields, Selina had a few ideas of how to accomplish that goal.

"Haha, wonderful," Tuula's breathing was labored but she still stood tall with an elated smile on her face, "I'm starting to see why the goddesses are worried about you. I haven't faced anyone like you before."

Selina didn't respond to the Mamono's words. Her focus was on drawing out the weapons she would need to get rid of that shield. She didn't stop slowly strafing around the Mamono the entire time. She did allow her attention to be temporarily taken by the rumble of footsteps charging up the path to this tent. Both she and Tuula turned to see the horde of Mamono rushing up with their weapons held high. They stopped when they saw their Chief locked in combat with the one who had assailed their camp.

One stern glare from Tuula was all it took to get the lot of them to back down. She turned her attention back to the Huntress and resumed her speech, "I've faced quite a few Heroes in my day. Mamono too, but that's usually just for sparring or having some fun or training. And wanna know something? And during those there always this sense of playfulness. One-sided for when I was fighting Heroes, but there was never this feeling that I was in actual danger. But with you? There's no playfulness. You're actually trying to kill me. And I gotta admit..."

The Chief grips her sword and shield as her smile turns into a full tooth grin, "...I love it. My blood's on fire, my heart's pumping faster than it ever has before, and my muscles are singing at the thought of our battle. Come on! Give me more! Let us battle until one of us lie dead at the other's feet!"

Tuula's final words resonated with Selina, but she didn't ruminate on them. Because she had a response to Tuula this time. She started by rushing at her foe with both hands on the weapon she had drawn from the Workshop. The High Orc's grin didn't leave her as she met the Huntress' charge with one of her own. She held her shield out in front of her, planning to feint a shield bash into a horizontal slash. Just when the Huntress got within her range she struck...only to see the Huntress leap over her blade.

The shield immediately moved to intercept the oncoming downward swing of Selina's new weapon.

A two-handed maul with a stone slab for the hammer.

The creaking, crunching sound of metal being bent and broken boomed across the camp. Some of the spectating Mamono fell to their knees as the ringing reached their ears. Selina landed on her feet as Tuula stumbled backward from the strike of her Kirkhammer. The Huntress rested the weapon against her shoulder to better handle its sheer weight. She had improved her body using echoes to the point where she could wield the hammer without issue. However, that didn't mean she was comfortable with using it. Its slow swings kept her vulnerable for longer than she liked, and the need to put her full power behind each attack went against her preferred method of fighting.

But she could not deny its effectiveness.

"Ares' tits," Tuula gasped out as she struggled to lift her shield arm, "Where were you hiding that?!" The Huntress's weapon had hit the shield dead center, putting a large cavity in the middle of the buckler. The metal around the dent was bent inwards, indicating the amount of damage the hammer had dealt.

Rather than answer, Selina ran forward to continue her assault. Tuula tried to get away from the rushing Hunter, swinging her blade in diagonal arcs to ward her off. However, her attacks were slower than before due to her numb left arm throwing off her balance. The Huntress brought her Kirkhammer down towards her opponent's thigh. As anticipated, the shield shifted to put itself directly in the path of her hammer.

Her Kirkhammer slams against the cavity in the shield, forcing more of the circular bulwark to bend inward. The blow transferred through the shield into the High Orc who grunted in pain and dropped down to one knee. The onlooking Mamono gasped in shock, while the Huntress continued her assault. She rained blow after blow upon the shield each one making the cavity in the shield worse and worse. Eventually, Tuula let out a battle cry and swiped at the Huntress with her blade. Selina dashed back, barely dodging the tip of the blade as she landed on her feet. She took a moment to observe the results of her attack and felt some of the tension in her body disappear.

The shield, once a bulwark of defense, was now little more than a bent and broken metal slab. The outer edges were folded inward, the center had been forced back far enough that Tuula had to yank it off her arm, and the silver had lost the shine it had at the beginning of the battle. The High Orc tossed the shield to the side, sending it into the crowd of pig-like Orc Mamono who had created a circle around the two. With the destroyed shield gone Tuula's left arm hung limply at her side.

Grunting in pain, Tuula stabbed her sword into the ground, grabbed her left arm with her right hand, and with a sickening crunch forced her bones back into place. She panted with exertion but picked her blade up with a manic smile on her face. She grabbed the hilt of her sword with both hands then changed her stance. She bent her knees and held her sword horizontally out at her side. She slightly twisted her body to the right while keeping her eyes locked on Selina.

"Well, now. Least that thing kept me alive for as long as it could. I can tell when I'm outmatched, stranger, but I'm not throwing in the towel."

With a battle cry, the High Orc charged at the Huntress. Her footsteps shook the ground as she trundled towards the black-clothed stranger. Selina put up the Kirkhammer and brought out the Burial Blade, switching it back to its curved sword form and equipping the Evelyn. She stood firm as the massive Mamono rushed her.

The High Orc's smile faltered as she rotated her torso to aim her shoulder at the Huntress. Why was she just standing there? She had been zipping around like a gnat this entire fight. Now she chose to stand her ground? Something was strange here, but what could it...

Tuula's eyes went wide, but it was too late. As she tried to slow herself down she saw the Huntress aim Evelyn and fire.

The force of the bullet knocked the High Orc off balance. Her arms flew into the air in shock while her body leaned backward on her knees. Selina dashed in as the High Orc tried to right herself. The Huntress' felt a portion of her Beastial-side come out as her right hand transformed into a wicked claw. As her weapon disappeared from her hand, she opened up her palm and shoved it forward into the Mamono's torso.

Tuula lets out a pained cry that made the gathered Orcs' hearts sink. Blood begins to seep through the Mamono's clenched tusk. She reached down and grabbed the Huntress's arm, her thick hand trying to crush the smaller Hunter's.

Selina, not worried about the Mamono's grip, grabbed hold of something within Tuula's body. With a small grunt of effort, she ripped her hand free of the Mamono, bringing a chunk of bloody flesh with her. She dropped the viscera onto the ground as the Mamono fell backward. Selina stepped around the fallen Mamono, blood pooling beneath the Chief as she did. She stopped near the High Orc's head, raising her blade to deliver the finishing blow.

Tuula's fading eyes looked up at the Huntress's shining sword as it loomed over her. A chuckle left her throat along with a river of blood as she struggled to say, "Guess...this is it. Well...fought. Would've...liked to...keep going...

Selina stared her dying foe in the eye and gave a simple nod in response. Then she brought her sword down...only to see the Mamono's stone sword move up and block her strike. Confusion fills her mind as she stares at the stone sword...and the rapidly intensifying red runes etched into the stone.

Selina's eyes went wide. Honed instinct made her jump back but she only just managed to avoid the explosion of vermillion light originating from the blade. The force of the explosion was still strong enough to knock her off balance and onto her back. She got to her feet to see what happened, though experience told her she knew the answer.

And, once more, her experience was correct.

Tuula stood completely changed. Glowing red lines looping across her entire body. Her hair seemed to be on fire, red ashes lifting from it as it floated in the sky. She had not one, but two identical blades in her hands. The one in her right was a polished and honed version of her original weapon, while the one in her left was an ethereal copy of the first that she nonetheless held with no issue. Her muscles looked more toned and defined, rising up and down with her steady breathing. The wound the Huntress made had rapidly closed up, leaving only scar tissue where there was once a gaping hole. Tuula's eyes opened up, revealing flaming pupils that locked onto Selina with barely held back fury.

As Tuula began to speak, Selina could hear a second voice layered on top of Tuula's. A familiar confident, booming voice that brought with it smell of battle and body oils, "Hunter. The Gods call for your death. And I have been chosen to answer that call. Prepare yourself."

Selina frowned and readied herself for combat. Prior experience in these matters made her fall back on her usual strategy against transformed foes; Stay back, dodge where she could, examine their patterns, and take advantage of weaknesses where they appeared.

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She prepared to begin her typical circling of the opponent...until Tuula appeared directly in front of her in a matter of moments.

Though caught off guard, Selina was still able to duck under the first horizontal swing from Tuula's right blade. However, the second vertical swing of the ethereal sword caught her. She felt her ribs crack as the blade knocked her into the air. Tuula followed her initial strike by slamming the Huntress into the ground with the flat of her solid blade. Then she kicked the Hunter across the ground towards her tent.

Selina spat up blood as she came to a stop on the ground. Wasting no time she took two Blood Vials from her pocket and stabbed them into her thigh. She felt her wounds quickly shut and her bones knit back together as she quickly got to her feet just in time to see Tuula stomp the ground. A wave of ethereal crimson spears, halberds, and pikes erupted from where she stood, all heading right for the Huntress.

Selina waited for the right moment, before dodge rolling over the wave of weapons. She turned her roll into a charge, heading straight for the opponent. Tuula's attack had shown her that the Chief could either move fast enough to close the distance between them in a short period or teleport. Which meant that the Chief could launch an attack regardless of the distance between them. She had now seen how the Mamono would act when the Huntress was passive. Now to see how she would react to aggression.

Her answer came from Tuula lifting her ethereal blade and aimed the tip at the onrushing Huntress. From thin air, multiple ghostly weapons appeared around her body. They flew forwards, cutting through the air heading directly towards Selina. She responded by dashed and dodging as much as she could, zigzagging across the ground to throw off their aim. While some of the projectiles managed to cut her due to their sheer number, she was able to get through the onslaught and close the distance with Tuula.

The Chief made two vertical slashes with both her blades. The Huntress dashed into the attack. As the weapons sailed over her head she struck out with her curved Burial Blade. The silverite weapon managed to slash the Mamano's torso, but it wasn't deep enough to kill. Tuula swiftly retaliated with another stomp. The force was enough to knock Selina back and off-balance. She still managed to dodge roll away from a diagonal swing from the ghostly blade.

Selina regained her balance, but the High Orc wasn't finished. She kept up the pressure, slashing away at the Huntress with seemingly unending stamina. Selina did her best to dodge or block the attacks, but they seemed to get faster with everyone she avoided. Eventually, a stab from the solid blade slipped through her guard. She spat out blood as the stone slid through her torso and out the back. Tuula lifted her while she was impaled, then threw her off with a flick of her wrist.

Once more, Selina pulled out two Blood Vials and stuck them into her thigh. While her body healed her mind worked to think of a strategy. Tuula's transformation had improved every aspect of the Mamono's combat prowess. Her speed, strength, and stamina were all far beyond her initial form. That's without taking into account the ability to summon spiritual weapons. While she had no doubt she could win this fight, it wouldn't be without a loss of resources.

As Selina got to her feet and dodged another barrage of the aforementioned weapons, she began thinking of a way to even the playing field. If she had a way to improve her speed or at least her ability to avoid Tuula's attacks, then this fight would be much easier. But she didn't-

Her eyes widened as she heard the familiar groaning of the Messengers. She put up Evelyn rolled to her left and felt a familiar cylindrical object in her hand. She brought the object up to her face as she scrambled away from another wave of weapons. In her hand was the brittle Old Hunter's Bone. She had found it in the Abandoned Workshop along with Eve's Hair Ornament but had never actually used it. She could tell there was a power hidden within the old bone, but her connection to the Arcane was too weak to draw upon it. Why would the Messengers give her this? They had to know she couldn't use it. Why...wait...something was different.

She stopped running and faced the reborn Chieftan. Her left hand gripped the bone hard as she lifted it to her face. She could...feel something. A connection to a technique from a time long passed. An ability shared learned and shared among only the oldest of Hunters. One used to great effect in against her by the Old Hunters. She could never hope to glean that knowledge in the past. But something told her this time was different.

Selina's eyes narrowed with uncertainty for but a moment. Then she resolved herself. If it gave her an advantage in this fight, she would use it. Questions can come after she defeats her adversary.

With a swift motion, she crushed the bone in her hand. She felt her Quicksliver bag get lighter as the dust of the old cartilage fell onto her body and ancient knowledge filled her mind. The art of Quickening, its history, and how she could make use of it all came rushing into her mind. She felt her body get lighter, her bones and muscles morph to be more flexible, and the invisible power of the Arcane engulf her form. She quickly stabbed the Quicksilver Syringe into her left thigh and then a Blood Vial into her right. Then she turned her attention to Tuula.

The Chief teleported in front of Selina. She stabbed forward with both her swords, trying to skewer the Huntress once more. But, rather than roll away from the attack, Selina stepped into it.

And then she disappeared. She wasn't sure how to describe it. One moment she was in front of Tuula, and the next she was behind her. However, she did not waste the opportunity. She turned on her heel, brought her curved sword back, and put as much power behind her next swing as she could. By the time Tuula realized what happened and tried to retaliate with a sword strike of her own aimed at the Huntress' neck, it was too late.

The Huntress swung just as the Mamono's own blade nearly hit her throat. For the first time since she transformed, the High Orc cried out in pain as the silverite blade cut a deep wound from her right shoulder to her left hip. Selina didn't waste the opportunity, moving in and shoving her transformed hand into the gaping wound she had made. She quickly ripped another chunk of flesh from the Mamono's body before dashing away in a cloud of smoke and air.

Tuula stabbed her swords into the ground to stop her fall. She stood up and turned to glare at the Huntress. Rage bubbling up in her mind, she charged the Huntress while sending a volley of ghostly weapons directly at her. However, with the art of Quickening still in effect, Selina easily dodged through all the weapons heading her way. When Tuula closed the distance and attacked, the Huntress simply appeared at her side and made a deep cut in the Mamono's side.

However, just when the Huntress turned around to keep up the attack, she felt all the knowledge leave her. Her body returned to its original weight, her bones and muscles reverted to their original forms and the Arcane power that had surrounded her disappeared. While she still managed to get another blow in on the Mamono, she got kicked hard in the stomach and then slashed across the chest for it.

She stumbled back but quickly recovered with another Blood Vial in her thigh. She pulled the bone, somehow reformed within her clothes, from her storage and crushed it just as Tuula came in to continue the assault.

And so the battle went. Selina held the advantage when she was Quickened, and Tuula held it when she wasn't. Back and forth they went, each dealing blows to each other that would kill a normal human or Mamono. The Orcs and some Succubi that had come to watch the fight could do little but stare on in terrified awe. Their Chief had ordered them to not interfere and they would follow that order until told otherwise. The Succubi because Tuula was their Commander, and the Orcs because it was their nature to do so.

However, they came to a horrifying realization as the battle came to a close.

Their Chief was losing.

This battle wasn't completely about combat prowess. It also about endurance. Who could outlast the other, and who would succumb to their wounds first. And even with the powers granted to Tuula by the War Goddess herself, she was completely outmatched in that regard. It was true that she was able to keep fighting despite her wounds...but that meant little compared to her opponent whose wounds seemed to heal no matter how severe. Even being impaled by a blade larger than her body or stomped under the High Orc's foot was little more than an annoyance to the black-clothed assailant.

When their Chief first came back using the powers of Ares, many of the Orcs either cheered or dropped to their knees with happy tears in their eyes. They gave thanks to the Goddess Of War for saving their leader from death at this mad woman's hands.

But now as they looked upon her bleeding form, they could only weep with grief. Because even the power of the Gods wasn't enough to stop this monster.

Eventually, the two's battle came to a head. The two of them stared each other down with a good ten feet between them. The Huntress was covered in blood and had tears all over her clothes. She was down to 5 Blood Vials. Most of them she had used to keep her Quicksilver Bullet supply up, while the others were used to heal her wounds. But, at the end of the day, she was in a far better condition than Tuula.

There were so many wounds across the Chief's body that it became difficult to differentiate between the blood and the red glowing markings. Her chest rose and fell in quick succession, evidence of even her immense stamina wearing thin. Her ghostly blade flickered in the night even as she tried to keep a tight grip on it.

It was clear Tuula was on her last legs...which only put Selina on edge.

Because, based on her experiences, opponents like Tuula always fall back on her last resort in moments like these.

And, yet again, her experience was proven right.

"Enough," Tuula said as she let go of her ethereal blade, "I have let this farce go on for long enough. It's time I ended this."

She placed both hands on her solid sword's hilt. Then she turned it sot the tip was pointing towards the ground, then raised it up until the hilt went above her head.

Then the world began to shake.

Tuula's markings began to glow brighter. The wind started to blow faster and faster, whistling through the camp. It gathered around Chief until it formed a clearly defined sphere. Then the weapons of the Orcs and around the camp flew out of their scabbards and the hands of their users. They circled around Tuula to form a shell of flashing steel that the High Orc could barely be seen through. The runes on her sword expanded to engulf the entire blade from hilt to tip. Within moments it became so bright many of the Orcs thought it was on fire. Especially when the weapons swirling around their Chief started to melt and breakdown. Their parts were swiftly absorbed into the blade, increasing its incandescence even more.

Selina could tell what was coming. She pulled out Evelyn and fired at the Chief, but the bullet merely dinged off the circling sphere of weapons. Cursing under her breath she put up her gun and pulled out the Old Hunter's Bone. But before she could crush it in her hands, a javelin flew out of the sphere and knocked the Bone from her hand. Two spears launched from the mass of weapons and embedded themselves in her legs when she tried to run after the Bone. She grunted in pain and fell onto her backside, reaching to wrench the weapons from her legs.

"It will do you no good," came the booming voice of Tuula. Her sword was nearly finished absorbing all the weapons from the camp. The glow had turned a dark crimson and started spreading across her arms. The glare she sent at the Huntress was aflame with loathing and hate, "I will not allow you to escape this. This attack will destroy your entire body to ensure you do not come back. Not even your cells will remain after this, and only the Mamono here will be spared. This will be your end, monster!"

Tuula shouted the last word at the Huntress as she prepared to end the battle. Selina's mind was working overtime to think of something that could save her. Some weapon or tool that...The Loch Shield! It was specifically designed to mitigate or nullify the powers of the Arcane. It should be even more effective against the magic of Mamono! All she needed to do is call the Messengers and...

She felt something touch the palm of her right hand and immediately brought it to her face...which then contorted in confusion.

In her hand wasn't the Loch Shield, but a phantasm. Specifically, the Hunter Tool "A Call Beyond." Why would they give her this when-

Ǔ̸͈̳̦̯̹̳̮͌̅ş̶̻̤̗̟̥̎͊̃e̷̼̥̳̬͚̽̈́̓̕ ̴̡̧̦̬̱͉͙̤͖̰̺̪̀̈́͐̉̈́̅͛̓̕͝į̵̡̳̥̖̦̳̮̖͉̦̜̪̜͛̀̑̀̂̅̀͌̃͋͂̕̕͠ẗ̸̪̞͎̯̪̠̝̞̱̼͜͝ͅ

A sudden throbbing brought her free hand to her forehead. She shut her eyes with a small, pained scream.

What...what was that...voice? That...that wasn't the-

Ǔ̸͈̳̦̯̹̳̮͌̅ş̶̻̤̗̟̥̎͊̃e̷̼̥̳̬͚̽̈́̓̕ ̴̡̧̦̬̱͉͙̤͖̰̺̪̀̈́͐̉̈́̅͛̓̕͝į̵̡̳̥̖̦̳̮̖͉̦̜̪̜͛̀̑̀̂̅̀͌̃͋͂̕̕͠ẗ̸̪̞͎̯̪̠̝̞̱̼͜͝ͅ

̷̳̠͉͙͍̤̠̣͙͉̰̤̟̀̆̓̒͊͐͒̒͘͠͝Y̴̘̞̬̅̈͂̈́o̸̮̎͛̍͒͛̾͐̂̕ứ̷̧͕͇̞̣̲̣̟̞̪̤̟̩͑̔͂́̄̈́̐ͅr̷̨̛̬͈̅̃̇͂͂̈́̋͌͗̚͠͝ ̸̝̞̋͂̒͘͜͝͠ͅP̶̛̠̠̖̯̮͂̄̍̋̽̐̎̄̈́̓́õ̶̘̝͚̙̣͋͋̿͛̀̎̏͊̍̎͜͝w̶̨̧̗͍̙̬̘̦͉͕̿́́͗̋̅̊̒̐̽̉͝͝ë̷͈̩̖̞̻̟̲̂̃̂̊̈́̀r̴̛̤̻̖̟̭͇̠̞͎͍̂͑̐̊̋̈̎̔͒̚͘͜͝͠

She screamed again, louder this time, as the throbbing intensified. She rapidly blinked her eyes as her heart hammered in her chest.

What...something...something is there...at the back...of her mind...what is...who-

Ǔ̸͈̳̦̯̹̳̮͌̅ş̶̻̤̗̟̥̎͊̃e̷̼̥̳̬͚̽̈́̓̕ ̴̡̧̦̬̱͉͙̤͖̰̺̪̀̈́͐̉̈́̅͛̓̕͝į̵̡̳̥̖̦̳̮̖͉̦̜̪̜͛̀̑̀̂̅̀͌̃͋͂̕̕͠ẗ̸̪̞͎̯̪̠̝̞̱̼͜͝ͅ

̵̨̡͖̻̤͔̼̻̞́̍͛̔̍̍̎̈̆͑̇͝

̷̳̠͉͙͍̤̠̣͙͉̰̤̟̀̆̓̒͊͐͒̒͘͠͝Y̴̘̞̬̅̈͂̈́o̸̮̎͛̍͒͛̾͐̂̕ứ̷̧͕͇̞̣̲̣̟̞̪̤̟̩͑̔͂́̄̈́̐ͅr̷̨̛̬͈̅̃̇͂͂̈́̋͌͗̚͠͝ ̸̝̞̋͂̒͘͜͝͠ͅP̶̛̠̠̖̯̮͂̄̍̋̽̐̎̄̈́̓́õ̶̘̝͚̙̣͋͋̿͛̀̎̏͊̍̎͜͝w̶̨̧̗͍̙̬̘̦͉͕̿́́͗̋̅̊̒̐̽̉͝͝ë̷͈̩̖̞̻̟̲̂̃̂̊̈́̀r̴̛̤̻̖̟̭͇̠̞͎͍̂͑̐̊̋̈̎̔͒̚͘͜͝͠

̶̢̡͖͔͖̲̜̝̙̞̟͇̞̬̈́̍͂̒̀́̓͝͝͠ͅ

̴̨̥̦͈͍̠̮̝͓̰̭̫̝̝͙͛̄͌͊S̶̤̙̻̒̅̿͗̇͠a̶̧̧͉̯͚̞̗̲̹̣͔͚̠͑̆̈́̑̋̄̅͐̅̍̒̍͠v̷̤̝̿e̵͉̼̠̬̰̿̉̄ͅ ̷͎̺̠̠͙̹̮̓̀̉͗͝͝Ţ̷̗͓̫̣̯̝̓͆̎̈̌̎̿͋̃̀͘h̴͈͇́̆͌̃̎̃̑̄̾̓͗̈́̈́͝͝e̶͕͗̒́̌̈͘͠ḿ̶̡̡͇̜̪̦̦͔͍̺̫̻̣̻͑͗̓̋̏͜͠

Images of Vinvers flashed in front of her eyes. Of the smiling faces of people and Mamono living together without a care in the world. Of Spencer smiling as he talked about her ability. Of Guard Captain Nikon's wistful smile when she spoke of her former Mentor.

She thought of how peaceful and serene the entire city looked.

And how it would all be gone if she failed here.

Thus, she made her choice.

The throbbing stopped and her vision blurred. All she could see what the small phantasm wiggling in the palm of her hand. She paid no mind to the sound of an explosion, nor the dark crimson sphere expanding and heading her way. Nor the sounds of the Orcs screaming in terror and saying something about stars filling the night sky. She simply lifted the phantasm towards the sky, cupping it in the palms of her hands.

She saw the moon and thought of how big and beautiful it was at this time of night. And the stars beyond it were just as lovely. There were so many of them out tonight. A thousand, two thousand, maybe more. She couldn't count them all, Even as they got closer and closer and closer. It was like she could just reach out and...

She crushed the phantasm.

Then all the stars in the sky, all at once, exploded into bright splendid novas of power.

Everything went white and the last thing Selina heard were the screams of Mamono being cut short.

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The guards on the walls of Vinvers called as many people as they could to witness the phenomena happening right outside their walls. This included the Church and its Heroes.

Which meant that Spencer, Valarie, and Nikon all saw the huge, white sphere, only a few miles from the city walls.

Nikon had told them that the Mamono Camp was in that direction. Which meant all three knew that, whatever that was, Cynthia was in the middle of it.

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Eve looked up from the grave she was tending.

She turned towards the sky, worry etched on her face. She clasped her hands together and said a single prayer that she had not said ever since the Dream was drawn away from Yharnam, "O flora, of the moon, of the dream. O little ones, O fleeting will of the ancients. Please, let the hun...let Selina be safe. Let her find a semblance of peace within her waking world. And, when the time comes, that she awakens to the truth, let it be a pleasant one."