Selina paced back and forth in front of the bench where she worked on her weapons. Her hands moved in a rhythmic pattern. First they touched her forehead, then her mouth, then her eyes, then her nose, and then came back to her forehead.

"You are troubled, Good Hunter?" Eve asked her friend as she watched the Huntress walk from the Workshop table, to her chair, to the Memory Altar, then back to the workshop.

Selina stopped moving at the sound of Eve's voice. She forced a smile and turned to stare at the doll, "No, Eve. Not at all. It's just that I recently learned that my connection to the Arcane has reached a level completely beyond that of humans or Hunters, I have little to no idea of how that happened, and the Mamono who I thought was dead only to find out that she had a tombstone in the Dream, has returned as a male undead who is now calling me Mistress!"

Selina's voice steadily rose until she was almost screaming when she finished. Not at Eve. At the absurdity of the situation.

As if to punctuate this, "Kogero" decided to speak again, "May I add something to this conversation, Mistress?"

The Huntress flinched at the way the..., monster she supposed, addressed her. She wasn't sure if Mamono would work as a way to identify he-him anymore. Either way, the way the monster said the word "Mistress" made her feel...disgusted with herself. Her gloved hand began to massage her eyes while she spoke, "Please, do not call me Mistress."

"My Lady, then."

"No."

"My Sovereign."

"Please, stop. Just...just call me Good Hunter like Eve does. And you don't need to ask me for permission for anything. If something is on your mind, say it," she briefly wondered what Kogeor had gone through to make turn her into...well, this.

"As you wish, Good Hunter," she felt the feeling abate as the monster said those two words before he continued, "And, if I am allowed to speak freely, may I request that you give me a name?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" the Huntress stopped pacing to stare at the monster in confusion, "Don't you know your name?"

"Why would I? I was just created, was I not?"

"But you responded when I called you Kogero."

The monster twitched again, its face contorting into a confused sneer. The violent expression was not directed at the Huntress, however. It was instead aimed at something beyond her. The monster took its free hand, the other gripping the hilt of its sword while it knelt to the Huntress, and placed it on its head. It slowly began to speak, "That name...something about it does resonate within me. But...I can't seem to recall why."

"You mean...you have forgotten?"

"I believe so," the monster replied with a nod, "Though I am unaware what it is you speak of."

That feeling of disgust came back as Selina realized what had happened. Kogero had not only forgotten his name, he had lost all memory of his former life. He likely didn't even remember the name of the Mamono he gave up his legs for. All the experiences he once had, his allies, comrades, everything about him as a Mamono was completely erased.

And she was responsible for it.

"...I am sorry, Kogero," she sighed while walking over to the monster. She stopped in front of him, knelt and gripped his shoulder, "Come now, get to your feet."

While hesitant the Mamono turned monster complied, standing up to his full height...which only put him level with Selina and Eve's chests. He looked up at Selina and spoke with confusion, "Is something wrong, Good Hunter?"

"Yes, there is. And I am the cause."

"But you have done nothing wrong."

"Yes, I have. I have done something extremely heinous to you. And I shall rectify it to the best of my ability." She started to explain how Kogero got where he was now...which did not take very long. She technically only met him as a Mamono once before. And that was the same time she killed her...him. At least, she thought she killed him.

...She only realized how complicated the situation was after she got done explaining it to Kogero. At first she was certain that the former Mamono would be more confused than understanding. But the monster proved her wrong. He didn't respond to her explanations with a look of abject confusion.

But one of barely concealed rage.

"Do you remember now?" Selina asked the monster as his body begins to shake.

"Not all of it, Good Hunter. But enough to recall what happened between now and some time before our first meeting," the hand holding his blade grips the hilt with enough force to make it creak.

"Then you know what I have done to you. And I will not pretend that there is no reason for you to loathe me with all your heart. Not only for what I did to you and Akuri, but for bringing you back like this," the Huntress waves her had at the monster's body, "If your wish is to get revenge, merely say so. We will go outside, draw our blades, and have a final confrontation."

"It is not you who my rage is directed at, Good Hunter," the monster looked up into the Huntress' eyes. The flames inside his sockets burned a bright blue that only intensified as he continued to speak, "If anything, I am indebted to you. You rescued me from a horrid fate."

Selina raised an eyebrow in confusion, "How? Were you not happy as a Mamono?"

"How could I be?!" the former Mamono suddenly shouted while stomping on the floor, "I am an Ochimusha! A warrior from my homeland brought back from the dead against my will. I became a Mamono because some fiend refused to allow my soul its eternal rest. And to ensure I didn't complain, whoever did it erased all traces of my original life."

He lifted his sword up to look at his reflection in the blade, "Even now I can barely recall my true past. My life before I was turned. But what can I remember clearly?"

He growled with absolute disgust, his voice filling with vile as he spoke, "Nothing but vile lust. The lust of those around me, either Mamono who would talk of nothing save taking men or serving some 'Mistress', or of the humans stolen from their homes to become 'husbands'. The lust that the others forcible pumped into them while telling them to 'Let it happen' because of some fleeting pleasure. I feel sickened just thinking about it. But the worse of my disgust I save for myself. For doing nothing while it happened."

"But you were not yourself," the Huntress explains.

"What difference does it make?" he waves off her words, "I still stood and watched as others were defiled. Yet, the thing that disgust me more...is how I secretly enjoyed it."

He grit his teeth, voice straining as he continued, "I feel nothing anymore, but I remember the emotions. The jealousy, the wanting, the ever present niggling in my head to just let go and take someone. The thought...it...gah!"

He took his sword in both hands, pointed the tip towards the ground, and knelt while stabbing it into the floor. It did not manage to break through the tiles, but it did leave a single mark on them. The fire had grown to a point where it completely filled his sockets, his rage literally fueling the flames. He spoke with a fury in his voice that reminded the Huntress of a certain Executioner when he discovered the Vileblood Queen, "Good Hunter, if you plan to fight these Mamono, then I ask, nay, beg of you. Allow me to assist you! Give me the chance to exact my revenge upon those who did this to me!"

The Huntress stared down at the kneeling monster. She was silent for two tense minutes. Then she said one single word to Kogero, "No."

She turned her back on the monster and walked over to the Weapon Workbench. She took her hat off, wiped the dust off the table with a gloved hand, then took out the rapier and placed it on the wooden stand. As she did Kogero got to his feet before yelling in confusion, "But...why not, Good Hunter? Why do you deny me my chance to regain my honor?"

"Firstly, because I do not know how to return you to the Waking World," the Huntress traces a finger along the blade of the weapon. The silver of the blade sparkled in the light of the Workshop, its flawless metal indicative of its properties. She slowly nodded at the state of the weapon and started to remove one of her gloves, "If what Eve said is correct, then I somehow absorbed your soul when I drained your Mana. Which was a side effect and not my initial intention. I brought you here on accident. How would I know how to send you back?"

Selina took her now naked hand and ran her index finger along the blade. It's shine diminished in the wake of her appendage. By the time she reached the end, the rapier had lost most of its luster and seemed heavier then before. She made a mental note of the reaction as she put her glove back on, then started rummaging in a nearby drawer for any spare Blood Stones she could find. As she did she continued, "And the second reason...will be in the form of a question. Kogero, how far will you go to regain your 'honor'? How many will you kill for the sake of revenge?"

Kogero is silent, confusion evident on his wrinkled face. He took a step towards the Huntress and answered, "I will go to any length to accomplish my vengeance, and I will kill every Mamono I see until my task is finished."

Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

As soon as Kogero finished speaking, he found himself getting a right hook across his face. The force behind the punch, coupled with the shock of receiving it, sent the Ochimusha to the floor. He scrambled to his knees, sword still gripped in his hand, and looked up...right into the furious eyes of Selina.

Her red hair, grown long enough to reach the nape of her neck, emphasized the blazing fury barely contained within the Huntress. She spoke to Kogero like an angry mother scolding a disobedient child, "And that is why, even if I could let you leave this place, I never will. I will not deny that you are due retribution. I would even be willing to assist you in gaining it. However, I will not allow you to endanger innocents on your blood stained path."

"But they are Mamono, Good Hunter," Kogero said in defiance, "Not a single one of them is innocent."

"Spoken like someone blinded by hate," Selina counters, "And that blindness makes you little more than a mad animal. A Beast. A Monster."

"I am a Monster!" Kogero shouted back as he shot to his feet to stare the Huntress down, "They made me one! They turned me into this!"

"Yes. And if you continue down this path you will simply be exchanging the lust you saw and felt, for blood, death, and hatred. Not of nor at those deserving. But of the innocents and more that will litter your path," Selina stepped forward until she was looming over the shorter monster. She spoke her next words with a clear finality, "I will never allow that. The only way you are leaving this Dream, is if you master your emotions and focus your path. Do I make myself clear?"

The two stared each other down for a few tense moments. Selina's eyes never left the blazing fires that were Kogero's. The monster's grip on his blade tensed and loosened in succession as he ground his teeth together. Then Kogero looked away from the Huntress. He spoke with shame in his voice, "As you say, Good Hunter. I will..reflect on my words. But, what am I to do while I am here?"

Selina felt the tension leave her body as she stepped away from the monster, "You may assist Eve as she tends to this Dream. Would that be ok with you, Eve?" Selina and Kogero turned their attention to the doll.

Eve had been watching the argument between the two with indifference. She gave the Huntress a short bow as she replied, "I would welcome his assistance in my tasks while you are away, Good Hunter. If your guest would be willing to help."

"And if you are not, you may use the various empty spaces here to hone your skills. However, I must ask that you refrain from attempting to enter the gate that leads behind this building. It is where a...an old friend now rest," A melancholic expression briefly overcame Selina's face. But it left as swiftly as it came, "Do you have any questions, Kogero?"

"Only one, Good Hunter. I ask for a new name. Kogero is...was my name from when I was a Mamono. I do not feel that it is fitting any longer," he sheathes his sword as his speaks, a grimace overcoming his face.

Selina nodded in understanding, "Well, what do you wish to be called instead? It is your name, after all."

"...Koga," the monster replied, "It feels...fitting. More so than Kogero."

"As you wish, Koga," Selina smiled before turning back to the Weapon Bench, "Feel free to familiarize yourself with this place. Oh, and do not mind the Messengers. They are harmless."

"As you say, Good Hunter," Koga replied, confusion written on his face as he headed towards the door. The Huntress was silent as she listened to his footsteps. She waited until she heard the sound of him yelling in surprise and the familiar groaning of the Messengers. Suppressing a chuckle she returned to the Workbench and continued her rummaging.

"Will you not be returning to the Waking World, Good Hunter?" Eve asked her friend.

"Not just yet. I wish to test something with this rapier first."

"But what of your companions? Surely they will be worried for you?"

"Eve, don't you recall? Time free-"

Selina froze on the spot, her hands hanging above the rapier with two small shards in them.

The gears of her mind slowly but surely turned.

Then the shards fell from her hands as she slapped herself in the face. She screamed in a panic, "Fuck! This isn't Yharnam!"

----------------------------------------

"Ares!~ Leave some for the rest of us!~"

"First come first serve, Eros!"

"You know the two of you could stand to act with a bit more grace at this rare get-together of ours."

"And you could stand to loosen up a bit, Hel! Especially now! We managed to take her out!"

"Yes. Our world is much better off without that horrid woman in it. Oh, I still can't believe she did that to my cupid. Poor Jessica."

"And though she may be dead, it wasn't without sacrifice. I don't know what type of Magic she used at the end, but it was enough to annihilate all those Mamono. Even the one given your Blessing, Ares."

"Ok, you're right...but you got their souls, right? You can just bring them back."

"Yes, but only as spirits and otherwise. Their bodies are completely beyond repair. Not to mention what her spell did to the land itself. Even my Banshees refuse to go there."

"Really? Why?"

"I don't know, Eros. They say that something about that place feels...wrong."

"I say the both of you are being paranoid. Look! Those humans are standing in there just fine. Their even planting a makeshift tombstone in that white sandy place. By the way, Eros. Look at the two Heroes. I thin-"

"Their names are Spencer and Valarie. And, yes, I am aware of their situation. I believe their love should blossom soon...but I do have a cupid on standby in case either one proves too shy to admit their feelings."

"Atta girl! And see, Hel? Things are fine."

"Well...I suppose you'r-wait...do you see that?"

"See what? What are...What."

"The."

"Absolute."

"FUCK?!"

----------------------------------------

Spencer fell on his ass in shock, his staff falling to the scorched ground next to him as he stared straight ahead. Valarie had her sword out and pointed it in the same direction as his gaze. Guard Captain Luca stood in front of Priest Galoran, who was more than happy to use the Guard Captain as a shield.

They were all on edge and ready to attack at a moment's notice.

Because they were all staring at an absolute impossibility.

"Oh," the previously thought dead Huntress, back in her full uniform, spoke nonchalantly as she gazed upon the makeshift wooden cross that had been planted in front of her bloodstain, "You all made a grave for me. That is very sweet of you."

"Cy-Cyn-Cynthia. Is that-"

"Hold a moment, Spencer," she casually took out the Flamesprayer and stepped around the wooden cross, "Could you all back up a bit?"

Confused and uncertain, the four humans did as the Huntress asked. Selina smiled at them, "Thank you."

Then she pulled the trigger on the Flamesprayer.

White hot flames exploded out from the tip of the weapon. The humans were forced to cover their eyes while stepping farther back the heat was so great. The wooden cross was caught alight by mere proximity to the flames. When Selina released the trigger, she quickly moved to stomp out the remnants of the fire. She then did what she could to save the cross. The bottom half had been scorched black, but it remained standing.

The bloodstain?

Completely burned away.

"There, that's better," Selina stood up and turned to address the gathered crowd, "I know, I have many things I need to explain."

"That is an understatement!" Valarie shouted while taking a step forward, "How do you still live?! Have you been brought back as a Mamono?"

"I think my skin is a bit too pale for that," Selina removed her hat and pulled down her bandana, "And I was never dead. I was simply hiding in the forest as I healed."

Luca stepped up, his spear held across his shoulders, "Uh huh. Well, Cynthia was it? If that's the case, then why was there just a big bloodstain on the floor instead of a trail leading to your spot?"

"The Mamono was possessed by a part of the Goddess of War, and she used an extremely powerful magical blast in attempt to end my life. The force was so great it sent me flying into the woods."

"Bu-but what about all these...charred bodies?" Spencer got to his feet, holding back the urge to vomit as one of the bodies fell to pieces next to him, "Did the Mamono do this?"

"Yes, though not intentionally. Most of her power came from a weapon she was using. I managed to damage the weapon to the point that her power started to go out of control. Her last attack is the most likely culprit behind all of this."

"But where did you come from?" Priest Galoran stepped out from behind Luca, "Not a single one of us saw you coming from the forest. Nor did we hear your footsteps."

"One, you were all focused on my grave marker, which might I say is a wonderful thing to see, and two, I can be very quiet when I wish to."

Selina pulled her bandana back up and put her hat back on. On the outside, she projected the most serene and calm body language she could manage. On the inside, she was screaming. She had acted rashly, too obsessed with removing the bloodstain she left behind, lest someone touch it and start a new Plague. It led her to immediately return to the place where she had died...which now led to her being forced to lie to Spencer, Valarie, and the two newcomers. She could only hope they had all bought her words. Else...she didn't want to think about it.

The five of them were silent for three tense minutes. Then, Luca broke the tension by saying, "Well, alright then! Mission Accomplished, everyone! Lets get back to Vinvers for some food. I'm starving and want to get out of this heat."

"I don't think-" before the Priest could continue Luca started pushing him back towards the incline. He complains the entire way, but can't seem to get away from the Guard Captain's grasp.

Valarie sneered at the Huntress, mouthed that this isn't over, sheathed her sword, then grabbed Spencer's arm to bring him back towards the incline as well. The young mage hesitantly went along with the girl, but yelled that he'll talk to Selina soon.

With a relieved sigh Selina started to follow the group up towards where Nikon was standing. As she got closer, Luca hung behind the group and stopped her, "A moment of your time, Cynthia."

Selina stopped, curious about what the man wanted, "What is it..."

"Luca. Guard Captain Luca Dejure. At your service," he performed an exaggerated bow in greeting, his spear not hindering his movements in the slightest.

"Cynthia Albion," the Huntress returned his bow, "What do you need of me?"

"Oh, nothing much," Luca stepped forward until he was at the Huntress' side, "Just the truth."

"...Whatever do you mean?"

"See, partially thanks to my profession, I've gotten pretty good at telling when people lie. I'm not the best, but good enough that I can do my job better than most. And, no offense meant, but it was child's play to tell that you fabricated that entire story back there."

"Why do you think that?"

Luca put a finger in front of his lips, "That's a secret."

Selina kept her expression as neutral as possible, "Suppose that I did lie. Why did you not tell everyone else?"

"Cause while I don't know what you did, I do know the Church. And if they figured out you were capable of something this powerful," he waves his hand at the devastation around them, "they wouldn't let you outta of their sight. They'd want you indoctrinated as soon as they could manage it."

"And you do not?"

"Not at all. I just want to keep my city safe. And letting a walking magical bomb inside of Vinvers does not sound like my idea of safe. But I'm not unreasonable. All I want is for you to come to my place and explain how you did all of this. And I want the truth. The whole truth."

"And if I refuse your offer?"

"Oh, well, can't do much about that. Bbbbuuutttt, I am a Guard Captain. I may not be able to stop you from coming into Vinvers, but I can have the guards under me make your stay inconvenient. Or tell all the authority figures that you're a dangerous individual that needs to be watched. They might not listen...but they will consider it."

"...Alright. I will come meet you at your manor. However, I can't promise you anything."

Luca was silent for a few seconds. Then, still smiling, he stepped away from the Huntress, "Eh, good enough. I'll show you to my manor when we get back, so you know where it is. You can finish up whatever you want, just as long as you get to me before the moon rises. See you then, Ms. Albion."

He waved back at Selina while walking away. The Huntress returned the wave...even as she felt a pit form in her stomach.

While she could likely withstand any harassment from the guards, it would hinder her movements around the city. Which could prove problematic if there was ever a task that required her immediate attention. She could go to the Church, but that would lead to increased friction between the Guards and the Order. Which, if Luca not wanting the Church to discover the truth was anything to go by, was already a tense situation.

She would meet with Luca. And she would try to get him to see reason.

If he did not...then she would follow her best judgment.