Kamen Rider Chaser Saga: Blood Hunt (Kamen Rider/Bloodborne)

[The Zog]

Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider or Bloodborne

Chapter 1: Thanatos Theory

Kamen Rider Chaser slammed into the concrete wall of the Special Defense Center's underground parking lot, the impact was so powerful that Chaser's body created an indent in the wall. The Mach Driver that powered his Rider form was broken, and he had sustained so much damage to his frame that standing was an effort. Chase could only utter these words.

"Gold Drive, you…" Chase spoke, it was harder to articulate than it normally was. He then saw the two smelted pieces of metal on the parking lot's floor. "My Driver…" That wasn't a good sign.

"Chase!" Gou shouted, he hadn't shrugged off the pain yet from Banno's assault. That was bad.

There was the sound of clanging metal. Someone had picked Chase's Signal Axe up. Of course, it was the man who had started it all. The one who was called the Devil without irony by whoever truly knew him. Professor Tenjuro Banno, creator of the Roidmudes in the form of Gold Drive.

Banno walked over to his son dragging the Signal Axe with him while speaking in his condescending voice. "For someone injured so gravely to challenge my grandeur…It is the very definition of idiocy."

"What did you say?!" Gou shouted back in defiance, his rage giving him the strength to stand up…if his father hadn't kicked him back to the ground.

"You have brought me nothing but shame!" Banno raised the Signal Axe above his head in the direction of Gou's neck, his intent clear. "I will put you out of your misery!"

"Gou!" There was no time to even think of the consequences. Kiriko's brother was going to die. He couldn't let that happen.

He activated the Break Gunner, taking on the form of Mashin Chaser once more, and took Banno's deathblow himself. Banno swung once, twice, and when the third swing of the axe dug into Mashin Chaser's body he held it in place with his left hand and pointed the Break Gunner at Banno's head.

"You piece of scrap metal!" Banno roared with fury, a jolt of Gold Drive's power surged through the Signal Axe enhancing the power of the weapon far beyond even what a Full Throttle could achieve and pushed the axe-head deeper into Mashin Chaser's body. This time the armor was pierced, bits of internal circuitry, and metal were revealed, and Chase felt white hot pain as his Core was finally damaged.

But the arm that held the Break Gunner was still held firm. He pulled the trigger, bolts of purple plasma hitting Banno at point blank range in the face, blowing him back and off his feet.

Mashin Chaser's armor then failed, turning him back into the human disguise of Chase. He just stood there, looking at the gaping wound across his body. It was fine as long as his Core survived.

That feeling, it was damaged. Chase didn't know what to feel. He was dying. He had killed other Roidmudes before, he had seen other Roidmudes be mortally wounded, he had seen humans die and be hurt as well. But dying himself? He had never asked or even thought of such a thing despite the dangers of his mission.

Chase wondered if that was what the humans also did. Ignore their own death until it's happening no matter what violence surrounded them.

Something jolted Chase out of his reverie. "No!" Someone caught him? It was Gou, but it was hard to tell; his optics were glazing over. A familiar angry yell. "What the hell did you do?!"

"I did what I thought was best, Gou…It was to protect someone who Kiriko loves…I felt proud."

Those were final words like what Brain did when he was dying. Chase hadn't studied what humans did on their death beds so it would have to do.

Copying until the very end…That doesn't feel right…But what else can I do? It isn't long until I explode. Ah!

Chase put two things into Gou's hand. His Chaser Signal Bike and his Driver's License. "My human friends gave me these…and I cherish them. You would have never considered me your friend…but I want you to take them. It would be a shame for them to be lost in the flames…" Gou didn't see him as a friend, Brain had died surrounded by his friends. Maybe he was doing this the wrong way?

A purple spark appeared from his hand; he was out of time. He heard footsteps. Banno had most likely regained coherence and was coming to finish the job.

It was time for Chase to do the last thing he could do. Everything was fading, it was his last chance. He stood tall for the very last time. It hurt. It hurt so much. But Chase didn't care. His sight was fading, his feelings were fading, his Core was leaking. It would all be over soon.

Chase ran at Banno. His body was leaking energy, sparkling, and crackling. Banno threw a punch, but Chase managed one last dodge and tackled Banno using his body's explosion to take the Devil with him.

Chase was no stranger to pain, both physical and emotional to varying degrees. He had been crushed underfoot twice by Heart's might, ripped apart and remade by the original three Executors into Mashin Chaser, been defeated by Brain as a Kamen Rider, and had exploded during his great duel with Shinnosuke Tomari.

While a prototype to the Roidmudes and lacked the full emotional capabilities of the rest of his kind, he had also learnt emotional pain as he understood Gou's scorn and felt the heartbreak from the realization that his sister, Kiriko, would not love him.

But he had felt happiness as well when he had acquired his driver's license, showing it off to Kiriko during a dangerous rescue in the Tornado Case. The back and forth rapport with Gou…

All of this and more went through Chase's processor as he died, using the explosion of his demise in an attempt to end the existence of the one both humans and Roidmudes saw as evil, Banno.

At death's door Chase thought all of this. It was a short life, and it might not have been fulfilling to a human, but to him? Dying to save a man who didn't even see him as a friend? For Kiriko's sake? It was all worth it. The fires then engulfed Chase's Core, ending his presence in the waking world.

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Chase's optics went online again. He felt too damaged to stand or even sit up, so he looked around. Wasn't he dead? Did he somehow go to one of the afterlives that the humans believed in? Chase turned his head to get a better look. According to the data Krim had downloaded into his CPU the afterlife was theorized to look more…incredible in nature, the ceiling he saw was nothing more than perfect white steel, nothing so majestic as a theoretical heaven.

Chase turned his head, he began to get a feel for the size of the room, it was rather large, and he was reminded of a human hospital.

Chase raised his right hand and instead of purple leather the silver, robotic hand of Proto-Zero greeted him. So his disguise had dropped? Wait, what was that attached to his arm? A wire was attached to his wrist pumping a suspicious red liquid inside off his body. A strange type of oil? No, that made as little sense as organic blood, while a Roidmude could leak a red cooling agent from specific damage Roidmudes were incompatible with fossil fuels due to their inefficiency. But what was being added to his body? Who was doing this?

The damage didn't matter, Chase had to understand his situation. He forced himself up…and couldn't move any farther. His feet were chained to a white, metal table, chains attached to the wall behind him wrapped around his wrists. The only reason why his arms weren't bolted to the table was most likely because the transfusion took priority.

Chase moved his head back and forth and what he saw was disconcerting. There were tables lined up beside the one that kept him imprisoned. In contrast to the clean, metal room, they had dirty grey tarps covering them.

One of them failed to cover a hand propped over the side, leaking the red liquid. That confirmed it, Chase was somehow being given a blood transfusion.

"What…?" Chase was confused. He was used to that emotion. Humans and Roidmudes were illogical beings.

He then became even more confused as two figures appeared beside him. They both wore black cloaks, had rubber gloves covering their hands, and had hoods covering their faces. They tilted their cowled heads to examine Chase's own, they moved in perfect unison, like clockwork, the tilt of their necks unnerving in the perfection of the posture.

"He's awake." One of them spoke, its voice was dull and flat, and had a reverberation similar to the radio that the Special Investigation listened to in their car.

"That is unacceptable. Father does not understand everything yet." The second figure spoke in the exact same way.

"Counter: Father wishes to bring justice. We have a chance. We must take it."

"What does Father think?"

Chase then felt power enter the room, greater than anything he had ever felt before. Greater than Banno, time unraveling because of Paradox, Megahex's armies, or that blond man's power. It was like something impossibly great, unique, and complex had focused its full attention on a mere ant.

"We all understand, Father. We shall answer their prayers." The two spoke as one and turned to face Chase. One lifted its hand, making a whirring sound as it did so, revealing that it held Chase's Mach Driver in one hand…and his Chaser Signal Bike in the other.

"How? Gou should have that." Chase said.

The other figure then put something in Chase's right hand. It was his Break Gunner. Before he could even consider using the weapon to threaten them Chase felt something else be put into his left hand and with it a strange fatigue overwhelm him as he heard a sound that reminded him of a bell being rung.

"Dream well, Brother. Despite your steel heart, you shall need the sleep. Remember, to have the fortitude of a steel throne."

Chase slept once more.

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Chase eyes snapped open and he rose to his new surroundings.

His area of awakening was a small plot of land covered by white flowers next to a cottage on a hill. It failed to be idyllic with it being surrounded by countless grave stones and dying trees acting as the main form of lawn ornaments that were made even more eerie by the thin fog of the area. To finish the enigmatic scene a full moon hung above in the sky to the backdrop of a starless sky.

Chase examined himself, his human form was online, he wore his purple leather uniform, the Break Gunner was holstered at his hip…but his Mach Driver was gone. Destroyed. Inconvenient. He would have to rely on his weaker Mashin Chaser combat form if things became violent.

Still, since he was somehow still alive he needed to prioritize. The status of the final battle against Banno was unknown. He needed to return to his friends and aid them. Chase didn't want to assume the worst, but in a situation this odd, it was best to assume that anything was possibly happening.

But was this even in Japan? Tokyo was a diverse city with many illogical inhabitants but the cottage seemed to be far away from any form of society given the size of the estate. Was the owner wealthy or even home? Japan loathed to waste space given the country's size so had he somehow ended up in another country? All of the 'what-ifs' made Chase's course of action clear; he needed to find out where he was, so seeing if the cottage had an owner was the first step.

Chase walked up the steps and along the way he saw the odd sight of a human-sized doll, it was female in design, with white hair, it was very tall, taller than Chase himself, and it wore a black dress and bonnet that acted as its main accessories. Chase had once had to retire a Roidmude who had undergone a mental breakdown by bonding with a human who had a doll obsession so he could surmise that such a thing must have been abnormal.

Chase continued his climb up the steps before coming to the entrance to the cottage and found the doors to be already open. Chase didn't know what to make of that until a voice called out from the cottage.

"What are you waiting for, boy? Come inside."

The voice was old, and had a European accent, he couldn't tell where exactly it was from in the cultural sphere.

Chase decided to obey, it was what he did. Walking into the house his hope of getting back to Japan faded. The cottage was musty, and somewhat rundown, its main form of furniture was dilapidated bookshelves and strangely it had no signs that electricity was used, no lights – and even worse – no phone. The cottage was alighted by candles instead.

The master of the house was a very old man sitting in a wheel chair. Chase couldn't guess his exact age, but it was most likely quite old for a human given his crusty grey hair and creased skin. He wore a ragged suit of dull, dark colors, a black, wide-brimmed hat, and his right leg had been replaced by a peg-leg. Chase didn't like the picture being painted, had he ended up in some odd recluse's retreat?

"There, young man, I'm not going to bite you. I take it that you're the new hunter? Your contract was a bit of a mess, but it went through…more or less. Welcome to the Hunter's Dream. This will be your new home, for now. I am Gehrman, friend to you hunters. You-"

Chase cut him off. "Do you have a telephone?"

Gehrman brushed off his question. "Well, you're definitely cognizant." He looked at Chase's purple, leather attire. "You must be from a place that's far away from Yharnam. Where are you from, son?"

Did the old man want to be humored in some way? If it would get him a phone… "My name is Chase. I'm an aide to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and I need to return to help my friends. A madman named Professor Tenjuro Banno is on the loose and he needs to be stopped."

Gehrman rubbed his chin, and said. "A lawman, eh? Yharnam isn't kind to the law, but there will be plenty of madmen in it that need to be put down."

Chase frowned. "What are you insinuating? I need to get back to Japan."

"What I'm insinuating is that Yharnam and this Dream will be your home for the night. It's in your contract."

To Chase's own surprise, his frown grew deeper at the old man's statement. "Are you threatening me? I don't take kindly to such tactics."

Gehrman countered Chase's frown with an eerie smile. "Not at all, my boy. You're contractually obligated to be a Hunter of the Dream," He then wheeled his chair over to a desk and pulled a piece of paper out of a cabinet. "See? You've signed your services over to Yharnam on the dotted line."

Chase took the contract out of Gehrman's hands and read it himself. The paper seemed to be very old thanks to its brown color and cracked edges. The words of the contract were written in cursive and most of them were faded or blacked out. To the Roidmude's confusion his name was signed on the bottom in the exact same style that he had signed the paperwork for his Driver's License. Chase read what was understandable, once, twice, three times.

"I see…" He finally spoke. "And I cannot leave this Dream until the Night of the Hunt is complete? What stops me from leaving the city to return to my mission?"

"The Dream was weaved to only encompass Yharnam. If you tried to leave without completing your contract," Gehrman grinned, his trump card ready, "Well, you'd find yourself dead."

"I'm not dead." Chase spoke those three words far faster than he usually did.

"Not right now you're not, but only thanks to your contract. The Dream sometimes drags in foreigners with nothing to lose to fight the beasts. People who sign this contract usually enter in a haze. But I can only guess that you cope differently. Blocking out the pain." Gehrman's grin was…irritating.

"The Hunt doesn't matter," Chase decided. "If Banno succeeds then everyone will become his slaves."

"This Banno you wish to hunt doesn't matter. If you protect the humans of Yharnam for the night then I can release you from the Dream with a reward. Your release will send you back from whence you came, I promise." Gerhman said, his smile fading.

Chase thought it over. Krim had installed him with a perfect sense of justice, but he had enough free will to prioritize. Banno had to be stopped as soon as possible and a lost city could wait until Banno was behind bars and he could bring the proper resources to wherever Yharnam was on Earth…wait.

Chase hoped that he was wrong.

"Do you have a map?"

Gehrman opened a different cabinet and pulled out a map, and Chase looked it over. His metaphorical heart sank. The number of continents was wrong. There shapes were different. The names were wrong.

"Gehrman, I think that I've ended up in an alternate universe." Chase said, it was an odd answer to any other man, but not a Kamen Rider.

"It doesn't matter, it makes no difference to the Dream." Gehrman promised. Another world didn't faze the old man…but he might already live in one, with all his talk of the Dream.

He was in an extremely bizarre and dangerous situation. The Special Division, the Roidmudes, and Banno were non-factors at best, and if Gehrman was telling the truth, then a city was in trouble and he was literally dimensions away from his friends and mission.

Protect the humans… Krim's programming flashed through Chase's mind. Well, I always have a mission.

"What benefits does the Dream give me?" There was one last thing to do.

"Now you're thinking like a proper Hunter." Gehrman said. "The Dream is a safe haven to the Hunters who have signed the contract. You can use the Hunter's Workshop to enhance your weapons and flesh. We don't have as many tools as we once did, but…You're welcome to use whatever you find. Just don't die, Chase." Gehrman chuckled at his last warning, like he knew a joke that Chase didn't. "To leave the Dream just bow to the tombstone at the bottom of the stairs, the Messengers will do the rest."

Chase nodded in affirmative and did as he was told.

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Chase awoke on yet another table. He looked around and saw that he had materialized in a ruined hospital room. The walls were made of a grey stone and were lined with stands made of rotting wood, and the room was alighted by waning candles.

He stood up and walked up to the door. Chase opened it and his first sight was a chandelier and a Victorian window behind it that showed the twilight of a setting sun. Beneath the fading light was a stairway pointing down.

Chase walked down the stairs until he fond found a bigger hospital room. The floor was made of rotting and torn up wooden planks and filled with hospital beds like the one he had materialized on. There was also a door to the outside.

As well as a figure that seemed to be chewing on something.

It was a wolf-like beasts that stood as tall as a man even on all four legs. It had shaggy, black fur, dead white eyes, and thick yellow fangs.

And it was eating a human corpse. Chase clenched his fist. A truly disgusting sight.

The beast had heard Chase entering the hospital room and turned to see what had intruded on its meal. It saw the Roidmude and growled in rage at its meal being interrupted. It wasted no time to run at Chase and lunged before Chase could react.

But it didn't matter, Chase had activated the key power of a machine powered by a Core Driviar: a Slowdown. The ability to slow down the time of anything surrounding the user.

Chase easily side-stepped the beasts slowed down attack and activated the Break Gunner. There was no sound but Chase was enveloped in a familiar shroud of purple energy transforming him into Mashin Chaser.

Mashin Chaser was a form that showed Chase's robotic origins clearly. He was covered in a black and purple exoskeleton. As it was made from the reverse engineered and cannibalized Proto-Drive system the design was a mess. The under-suit was black and covered by thicker bits of purple armor on the torso and limbs by thicker purple armor. The head was protected by a silver helmet that had one large insectoid orange optic on the right side and a smaller, partially covered eye connected to the helmet called the Nightmare Guard.

Strange, there was no call of "Break Up" to herald the transformation.

As the beast regained its senses as the Slowdown ended Mashin Chaser spoke. "So Gehrman didn't lie. Humans are in need of protection."

The beast performed another lunge this time extending its front claws. Mashin Chaser didn't bother with a Slowdown this time. He didn't need it. Instead he caught the beast's front paw with his left hand and spun around, slamming the beast into a nearby wall.

Mashin Chaser then pointed the Break Gunner at the beast's head and pulled the trigger. Its payload hit its target, causing a torrent of blood to explode from the beast's head as it died, splattering over Mashin Chaser's mechanical body.

"Strange, blood isn't supposed to be so pressurized. What created such beasts?" Despite the gory demise, Mashin Chaser watched with only apathy. He was a machine with a mission: hunt Yharnan's beasts. He would perform his mission and hunt to maximum efficiency. All threats to humanity would be terminated in line with his programming. Mashin Chaser would let nothing stop him.

…For now, at least. The Night of the Hunt was only beginning, after all.

 

[edboy49]

A Kamen Rider fic with Bloodborne, interesting.
Good intro.
Looking forward to more.

 

[The Zog]

A Kamen Rider fic with Bloodborne, interesting.
Good intro.
Looking forward to more.

Click to shrink...

Somebody actually commented on one of my threads, I don't believe it! Thanks.

What did you like or dislike about the first chapter?

 

[codeRR]

A strange turn of events for our Chase huh?

I do wonder how him having a 'heart of steel' as he was called affect him as a hunter.

 

[Pharohman777]

I wonder what insught will do to chaser.

Considering chasers artifical nature, could he enhance himself with bloodstones?

 

[The Zog]

Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider or Bloodborne.

And I would appreciate some legitimate feedback on the story this time.

Chapter 2: Leukemia

Mashin Chaser walked out of the hospital building and got his first view of Yharnam.

It truly was a degrading sight. It might have once been a courtyard, but at some point it had been renovated into a graveyard. Tombstones dotted the yard in front of the clinic shared by gnarled mismatched trees.

Mashin Chaser knew that out of all the Roidmudes, he was the one who was the least qualified to understand humans, but a field of graves in front of an abandoned place of healing had very grim connotations in his own opinion.

There were two steel gates on the right and left of the courtyard with the right gate slightly ajar. Given the beasts location in the clinic, had it come from that location? Best to start his mission that way.

With a push of robotic strength, the right gates flung open and Mashin Chaser was greeted to an impressive sight.

The Roidmude first took notice to a most impressive bridge. Enormous in size, the aesthetics of the admittedly few buildings he had seen implied that the bridge was a marvel of engineering for Yharnam's technological level.

Using the bridge as a skyline showed how impressive Yharnam looked in design and in size. While the bridge acted as the crown jewel of the scene, it was only because it seemed to be built upon already impressively sized buildings and although the bridge towered over the rest of the city, rather tall buildings could still be seen in the background. The bridge was connected to what seemed to be a smaller city, with a wall for defense.

A city inside of another city, a testament to Yharnam's former glory and scope.

An axe trying to behead him broke Mashin Chaser out of his analysis. The Roidmude dodged the blow with a technical kind of grace. The attacker this time was some variant of lycanthrope. Unlike Mashin Chaser's first kill, the beast stood on two legs, its form having a passing semblance to a human though that was eclipsed by its brown fur, stretched out arms that held an axe in hand, and a face that was beginning to form a snout.

It also had two pack mates. Though the werewolves wore different outfits, what really stood out were their weapons. The second werewolf held what appeared to be a sawblade while the third held what appeared to be a cane. Had the werewolf picked it up out of instinct?

Mashin Chaser was broken out of his threat analysis by the axe werewolf swinging his weapon again. Mashin Chaser decided that a back step was sufficient to dodge.

Then the axe extended in mid-swing. Mashin Chaser immediately activated a Slowdown to stop the axe from hitting him. Sadly, the Slowdown did not stop the other two werewolves. Both swung their weapons, most likely by luck the transformations activating.

The one who used a sawblades weapon transformed into a cleaver, while the cane users weapon disentangled into a serrated whip.

Mashin Chaser acted quickly, he raised his left hand, the whip wrapping around his Armed Impactor gauntlets. Mashin Chaser then dug his feet into the ground and pulled his arm forcing the werewolf into a contest of strength with the machine.

At the same time, Mashin Chaser grabbed the axe out of the time-slowed leader's hands with his right one, and swung the extended axe at the sawblade user. Mashin Chaser overpowered the werewolf with his new axe knocking, the sawblade out of the beast's unskilled hands causing it to stumble onto the ground.

The whip-wielder then abandoned its weapon in an attempt to crush Mashin Chaser with a charge, but it was met with a rib shattering kick for its troubles, the force of the mechanized blow sending it flying into an abandoned carriage.

It was time for cleanup, Mashin Chaser drew the Break Gunner and fired at the former sawblade-wielders head as it got back up, incinerating its skull with the purple plasma.

The Roidmude then looked at the werewolf who was trapped in his Slowdown. For a second, Mashin Chaser thought that he saw the beasts eye twitch in his direction.

A foolish thought. This land lacks the technology to cancel a Slowdown. Mashin Chaser thought.

He then swung its own axe down onto its neck, killing it.

Mashin Chaser looked at the weapon through his optics in appreciation. He was currently deprived of his favored weapon, the Signal Axe. It was primitive, but perhaps it would be useful for his new mission?

Or maybe I should be more careful… Mashin Chaser thought, as he caught sight of his left Arm Impactors damage from the whip-cane. It was torn from both the werewolf's strength…and the whips sharpness. The damage would repair itself, but it reminded Mashin Chaser that he was in an alternate world, things might not meet his expectations.

Mashin Chaser had hunted four beasts, and if the bridge and micro city were any indication, then the Night of the Hunt would be a long one. Best to start a patrol.

Mashin Chaser walked up an incline seeing a dead civilian on the way up. The beasts must have killed him. Not far away from the corpse there was a lever. With his current location being surrounded by Yharnam's valley, pulling the device seemed to the only option besides backtracking or employing more superhuman feats that could potentially alienate him from his new community…

Mashin Chaser pulled the lever.

A steel ladder fell down from above.

He then started to climb it.

On the way up he heard a scream – or roar, the Rodimude couldn't tell -- that would curdle a human's blood.

Mashin Chaser climbed faster, that was a clear sign that humans might need his aid.

He reached the higher part of the city and saw a lamp in front of a flat. According to his contract such Lanterns would act as transportation to the Hunter's Dream. With a spark created from scraping his armor together, the Lantern was lit, and the Messengers mentoned in the readable parts of the contract appeared beneath the Lantern, a sign of the connection.

"Hello, what are you doing there?" A youthful sounding voice with a noticeable rasp spoke out, then a cough.

Mashin Chaser walked over to the flat's window. The curtains covered it, and the decorations themselves were covered by steel bars, with smoke from an incense burner obscuring things further.

"I'm a Hunter. I'm on a mission to exterminate the beasts." Mashin Chaser explained.

The shadowed figure of the coughing man seemed to look him over. "Well, you're definitely not a local given that outfit, not enough leather, but I digress. I'm Gilbert. A fellow outsider. And you are…?"

"Chase," Mashin Chaser told him. Best not to confuse him with the subtleties of his transformations. "I've just been recruited for tonight."

"Really?" Gilbert said, a hint of disbelief creeping into his tone, followed by a cough. "You must have had a fine time with that task. Yharnam has a special way of treating guests."

"My recruiter did what he needed to too convince me," Mashin Chaser said.

"A special blood ministration, then?" Gilbert asked. "Is that how you move around in that suit of armor?"

"Blood ministration?" Mashin Chaser parroted in confusion.

"You don't know what a blood ministration is?" Gilbert's incredulity temporarily defeated his cough, such was his shock. "Back in its glory days, Yharnam spread the stories of its miracle healing blood far and wide. They were a cocky lot, said that they could heal anything; that they had a true panacea. By the time I had come to this city, blood had become a way of life. They don't even have alcohol anymore."

"Then what about you, Gilbert? If Yharnam's blood has such power, why is your body so sick?" Mashin Chaser asked.

Gilbert sighed. "I wish I knew…I was getting better thanks to the blood, but then I started to have some form of remission, and the Healing Church abandoned me here…now I'm too sick to even move."

Mashin Chaser perked up at that. "I could try to find a place to relocate you too. The other side of the valley."

"No, no, I've accepted my fate, I'm done with the Church and I don't want to be near them. You should do your job, Chase."

"My mission is to protect humans. I could be a Hunter by guarding your home fo-" Mashin Chaser began, but Gilbert cut him off.

"No, Chase. I'm flattered that you really care, but you shouldn't waste your efforts on a walking corpse like myself. That effort should be focused on more viable pursuits like surviving the night. I think this town is cursed. Use your care for yourself and leave town when the nights over. Get out while you still can."

Mashin Chaser's mind whirred. He knew that he wasn't the most emotive individual but Gilbert saw that he cared. He felt something at the injustice of a human being like Gilbert in such a precarious position. It wasn't like heartbreak, or the recklessness that overcame him during Shinnosuke's temporary demise, but it burned.

"…Do you feel nothing about your fate? A burning feeling?"

"I lived longer than I should have thanks to the blood. Now that the end is coming, I don't see the point in wasting energy by being outraged about the indignity of it all and you shouldn't either. But still, thank you for your kindness. Just don't waste it on the wrong person in this town. Yharnamites aren't a friendly lot." Gilbert said.

"I'll keep that in mind."

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Mashin Chaser continued westward, deeper into the City of Blood. The state of Yharnam showed that the hospital he had awoken in acted as a microcosm for the city as a whole. The stone streets were ripped asunder, with an abandoned carriage always in sight, and the tall, Victorian buildings that acted as the centerpiece of the city seemed to have been prematurely worn down.

Even worse were the roads. Mashin Chaser was able to brave the traffic in the streets of Tokyo without effort, but the design of Central Yharnam was somehow even more slapdash and nonsensical. For such grand architecture, the streets were abysmally planned out. He had encountered many dead ends and dead bodies in said locations. Mashin Chaser did not know if they were citizens or his fellow Hunters who made up the bodies, but their mauled forms showed that it wasn't the criminal element that caused their demise like back home.

On some of the corpses Mashin Chaser found vials of blood or crystalized jewels. Despite how distasteful such an act was, Mashin Chaser took them for himself. Maybe one of the vials held a miraculous healing blood that could help Gilbert? Or he could find some form of law enforcement that could return them to their families?

He had also…resituated a couple of belts. Tying them over his armor to act as a bandolier to carry his axe, vials, and the strange crystals.

Mashin Chaser was currently dealing with the consequences of the poor street design and the vulnerability caused by looting. Luckily, his newest foe was also loud.

The newest monster looked vaguely like a human if his – or her – mutations hadn't exaggerated their proportions to point of grotesqueness. Giant in size, the cloak it wore failed to hide said ugliness. And even more importantly the brick it carried as a bludgeon ready to crush the Roidmude's head.

Mashin Chaser immediately fired his Break Gunner, the technological weapon unleashing its payload fast enough to hit before the giant could finish its swing sending it back.

Mashin Chaser walked closer to his target and pointed the Break Gunner at the giant and prepared to fire the finishing salvo – until a dog jumped him from behind, biting one of his exoskeleton's cables.

The Roidmude dropped his the Break Gunner in a panic and ripped the dog off his body. It was truly a mangy beast. Its brown fur wild and disheveled. Its mouth drooling and eyes glazed over as it bared its fangs.

It definitely didn't have rabies. But this didn't matter to Mashin Chaser right now. It had the strength to pierce his combat form, it had to go so he could better protect the humans of Yharnam.

With a sharp blow to the neck and some quick footwork the rabid dog died before it could recover.

Then a bullet impacted onto his Violet Guard breastplate. The impact of the bullet dented the metal, the damage activating Mashin Chaser pain synthesizers letting out a grunt of pain. He looked to the direction of the bullet and saw more werewolves coming his way. They were more human than the previous three targets, but their hair was turning into fur, they had abnormally thick nails on their hands, and their arms were abnormally long. They wielded a mixture of torches, pitchforks, wood axes, and scimitars as well as guns. The weapons didn't look as well made as the transforming weapons as his earlier adversaries, but there were a lot of them.

Even worse there some of them had brought rabid dogs with them and there were two more of the grotesque giant monsters exactly like the one Mashin Chaser had just shot, they hung around the lycanthropes like a pair of minions.

They were like a pack or a mob. Mashin Chaser couldn't tell.

He was then brought out of his threat analysis by the first giant minion getting back on its feet to charge Mashin Chaser.

Mashin Chaser looked at where his dropped Break Gunner was. This will be a difficult retreat,

Mashin Chaser ran forward at the first minion, the mob firing their guns at him. No longer distracted the Roidmude effortlessly weaved through the archaic bullets. He swung his axe into the large minion's stomach drawing a spray of blood and then kicked it into the mob. The attack was a success and Mashin Chaser took the opportunity to regain his main weapon and transformation device.

Mashin Chaser was not given a chance to strategize once more, being forced to dodged a thrown axe as well as a dog's lunge.

A rush it was then, Mashin Chaser then made a jump to a nearby buildings wall, and he then used his momentum to make another jump on the wall sending him flying above the mob, he pulled the trigger on the Break Gunner sending out a spray of suppressive fire, the spray hitting some of the mob. The distraction did its job and Mashin Chaser landed on the other side of the street.

Now the mob was cornered in an alley way.

Would a human smirk at turning the tables in such a way? Mashin Chaser thought to himself.

He raised the Break Gunner while thinking. Best to not risk physical combat. And fired.

And fired.

And fired some more.

He didn't even need a Slowdown, they ran to their deaths like wild animals.

It was like a one man execution squad.

Blood rained through the streets.

Mashin Chaser felt something…wrong at such a wanton slau-termination, yes, termination was the correct terminology.

It's because these beasts look more like people. That's why my programming is causing such a unagreeable sensation. Mashin Chaser thought to himself.

Before the Roidmudes internal debate could continue one of the giant minions got back up and charged once more. Mashin Chaser simply punched it through the face. His fist ripping through its deformed head. Drenching his hand in blood.

Mashin Chaser removed his fist from its corpse and looked his bloody hand over for any damage. Roidmudes never bled in combat. That must be it. A machine lacks such a metaphor for life. It triggers my justice programming.

He had destroyed Roidmudes; his own kind, and had never felt this…unnerved.

Anger. An emotion that was far more familiar to him thanks to all the brainwashing and conflicting loyalties.

I can't worry. I must complete my mission. Protect the humans of this city. Fulfill the contract to return home. After all…

…Fighting is the best way for a prototype like me to work with humans. I've accepted that. Were the last thoughts he gave to the skirmish.

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Mashin Chaser continued his dusk run through Central Yharnam. Luckily, the beasts didn't manage to gain the advantage of surprise once more – barring an incident with a murder of obese crows hiding in some boxes. Any other opposition Mashin Chaser fought fell to his axe, fists, kicks, or Break Gunner.

After, many, many, many dead ends Mashin Chaser finally managed to reach the first landmark of Yharnam he had seen: the Great Bridge. He planned to scout the area and then check back with Gehrman for a map of the city.

Mashin Chaser walked past through the bridges first archway – and shot a murder of obese crows out of the sky as they tried to jump him.

Then the real threat attacked.

A Scourge Beast jumped from behind one of the bridges abandoned carriages prepared to rip the Roidmude's throat out. Mashin Chaser strafed to the side to dodge…only to get hit in the head by a bullet disorienting him and allowing the Scourge Beast to knock him down.

The wolf monster let out a breath of what could be considered satisfaction as it moved its snout into position to bite Mashin Chaser's neck.

Only for Mashin Chaser to grab its snout with both of his hands and twisted. The Scourge Beast's head turned to a fatal angle, blood dripping out of its mouth as it died.

There was no triumph, as the sniper took its chance to fire another round from its gun scoring another headshot. Luckily the Nightmare Helm provided the needed defense despite the odd design. Still, Mashin Chaser was disoriented again letting the rest of the Great Bridge's occupants have a head start.

Mashin Chaser heard the snarls of more Scourge Beasts. One, two, three, four, five of them. He'd only fought them one on one before, never in a pack.

Then one of the giant minions decided to charge swinging its brick wildly.

Mashin Chaser was grateful for such incompetence. With a roundhouse kick he snaked past its over-extended guard and kicked the minion away and sent it flying at the head Scourge Beast, ruining the packs cohesion.

The sniper took its chance for a third attack, but Mashin Chaser was ready this time. He activated a Slowdown stopping the bullet from being a threat. The silver casing glinted against the setting sun, giving away the sniper's position to be the Great Bridge's second archway.

Mashin Chaser returned the favor with a double tap from the Break Gunner. The werewolf sniper falling off the archway dead, blood spilling from its headless neck.

He didn't get a chance to decide how he felt about such a kill as three of the Scourge Beasts charged. Another Slowdown ruined the assault.

But the distraction was a success.

The two other surviving Scourge Beasts attacked Mashin Chaser from behind. One bit his left hand which held the Break Gunner while the other tackled his body to the ground. Mashin Chaser let out a scream of pain, his right arm flailed wildly impacting onto the Scourge Beast's skull, crushing it in an explosion of blood and gore like the giant minion from before. Blood dripped off his good hand as he drew his axe and swung it at the Scourge Beast who tackled him. It leaped backwards to dodge.

Mashin Chaser extended the axe, ensuring the hit. The axe-head impacted onto the Scourge Beast's forehead and sunk in, killing it.

Mashin Chaser then turned his attention back to the three Scourge Beast's trapped in the Slowdown. The Roidmude could imagine the three beasts trying to move their heads to glare at him.

Without hesitation, he decapitated both of them with his axe. Their empty eyes managing to widen before he did so.

Mashin Chaser looked over the corpses of his victory. It was becoming clear that while his new enemies were less powerful and intelligent than the Roidmudes, they still possessed a low cunning, a disturbing penchant for brutality, and no regard for their lives as long as they got to hurt something that wasn't their own kind.

His left hand could attest to that.

He examined the damage. The purple Violet Guard had been chewed off revealing the silver metal of his true, Proto-Zero body, but the hand was still functional.

Still, I now have a weak point. Mashin Chaser thought to himself as he walked through the bridge. Yharnam was chipping him away. A chance to repair himself in the Hunter's Dream would be coming up soon. He just had to finish his self-decided mission.

This is the first time I've decided my own mission parameters, Mashin Chaser realized as he walked closer to the walled off city at the end of the Great Bridge.

Mashin Chaser didn't get the chance to further realize his epiphany.

A familiar cry was let loose through the crimson sky.

Something leapt over the wall from the other side. A horrible monster of fur, muscle, and bones. A hulking mass that towered above the rabble. A shadow that eclipsed the sun like a full moon from its sheer size.

And it landed right in front of Mashin Chaser.

It stood tall and proud. Its body was gargantuan easily towering above the minions Mashin Chaser had slain and was almost as tall as the walls of the inner city. It stood with a terrible pride in a stance like a gorilla's. Its body covered by a thick shroud of fur helping to block out the setting sun. The fur flowed about with a manic energy, almost like a symbol of madness. Its lower body was streamlined and well-muscled; like a cheetah's. Despite its monstrous body its rib cage acted as its only true imperfection, it had not properly grown to the beast's girth, crushing its chest with its improper size like how a master would pull a dog's leash as an eternal punishment to its unnatural existence.

Its arms represented strength. The right one bulging with muscles that not even its billowing mane could cover up. The left arm was much thinner, its muscles coiled like a whip. Power and strength lay in its gnarled, red, claws, ready to shred the Hunter and turn it into prey.

The Cleric Beast's faceless gaze centered on Mashin Chaser, its skull having grown over it to better protect it with its spiked horns and roared.

"ARRRRRRRRGGGGAAAAAHHHHH!"

It was a true beast above the mutts. An alpha predator on the Hunt. A beast that had become a monster. And it would use all of its power and fury to grind Mashin Chaser into a pile of slag.

As Mashin Chaser gazed upon the Cleric Beast's form with his optics, constructing a strategy to slay the beast he, against all odds, stumbled, as he felt a jolt of something run through his head.

The Cleric Beast immediately capitalized on such weakness by swinging its gargantuan right arm down to crush the machine underfoot. Mashin Chaser immediately righted himself and ran ahead at full speed to dodge the blow.

He was right to do so. The Cleric Beast's strength creating a crater where its fist impacted, scattering the remaining bricks as debris.

Mashin Chaser took his chance and swung his axe, fully extended, at the Cleric Beast's leg.

The Cleric Beast proved is reflexes on par with its strength, despite its size it strafed to the side, dodging the blow and its left hand snaked forward ready to slice the machine to bits.

Mashin Chaser would not fall to such a setback and instead jumped over the Cleric Beast's speedier arm and over its back regaining the larger battleground and fired the Break Gunner. The Cleric Beast simply brought up its right arm to block. The plasma burning though its mane but failing to do meaningful damage to is body.

Mashin Chaser let out a growl of dissatisfaction. Whatever the Cleric Beast was made of, it was thick enough to make the damage caused by his plasma bolts be negligible.

The Cleric Beast dashed forward, swinging both of its claws outward into a flurry of slashes. Undeterred by the furious assault, Mashin Chaser merely ran backwards, having plenty of space on the bridge to give up. To finish the assault, the Cleric Beast readied its muscular right hand, forming a powerful fist, and smashed.

This time, the Great Bridge shook from the force of the blow.

But it wouldn't stop Mashin Chaser. The Roidmude charged forward without fear, capitalizing on the rabid beast's overextension, axe fully extended and slashed.

Blood marred the broken street as it sprayed out of the Cleric Beast's left hand, it had managed to protect its body at the last moment with its quicker left arm. Its whipcord muscles softening the blow.

Then it brought the rest of its girth down on Mashin Chaser. Desperate to escape, Mashin Chaser ran under the Cleric Beast's legs, cornering himself by going closer to the inner city's walls.

The Cleric Beast scrambled to regain sight of its prey, turning around, it swung its swifter left arm out wildly, the cut already clotting. Mashin Chaser ran at the opposite direction of the left claw, trying to regain the better side of the battleground. The Cleric Beast saw what he was doing, and pivoted its waist, twisting mid-lunge to slash Mashin Chaser with its right arm.

There was no other option. It was too fast for a Slowdown. Both succeeded. Mashin Chaser had made it past the Cleric Beast, regaining the better side of the bridge, but he was not unscathed. Sparks shot off his exoskeleton from the claw marks that now marred it. His torso would be compromised from now on.

The Cleric Beast wasn't ready to abandon its advantage. Another haymaker was delivered from its right arm.

This time Mashin Chaser met it head on. His axe was held in both hands, fully extended. And swung it with all his strength. Back when he first accepted the identity of Mashin Chaser, it had granted him the power of seven tons of force in each arm. Medic had made it stronger still. And that strength was used to dig into the Cleric Beast's right arm and divert the blow.

Abandoning his weapon to continue onward, Mashin Chaser raised his fists and jumped into the air, punching the Cleric Beast in the face with his multi-ton force fist. Its head jerked back from the force of the blow, spit and blood flying out of its mouth.

Then Mashin Chaser came down in a spike, his combined fists smashing into the Cleric Beast's skull knocking it into the ground.

As the beast collapsed as the combo was finished with a dropkick to its skull, cracking it and drawing blood.

Mashin Chaser stared at the downed beast, and then looked at his axe embedded into its arm. He walked over to his weapon, and pulled it out of the Cleric Beast's grotesque appendage and was rewarded with a spurt of blood as the axe was removed. He hefted the axe over his shoulder, and turned his attention to the beast's neck.

"The neck will be the best part to end things," Mashin Chaser decided, lifting his axe overhead, ready to make the swing that would behead the obstacle to his mission.

Then the Cleric Beast woke up and the situation changed.

Faster than should be possible, the Beast moved. No, it frenzied. Its body flailed around, too fast to be perceived as it righted itself, almost like a hurricane of fur and rage, the bridge sparking when its claws scraped the road. The shifting mass and wild claws forced Mashin Chaser to back away in shock, a familiar emotion from whenever Drive or Mach pulled out a new weapon to fight him during his days as the Shinigami.

But even with Mashin Chaser's experience with the emotion he couldn't react fast enough.

The Cleric Beast's massive shoulder slammed into him, sending the Roidmude flying back. The Cleric Beast's frenzy continued as it rushed up to Mashin Chaser, its larger hand ready. Mashin Chaser was as well, his axe raised to block the claw. He had matched its strength before, he could do it again, was his belief.

He was wrong.

The frenzy had empowered the Cleric Beast's strength, Mashin Chaser's axe being batted away, and the force of the blow this time knocking Mashin Chaser onto his back.

The Cleric Beast attacked to finish regaining the initiative, leaping high into the sky, it raised both its fists to the setting sun like a perverse form of prayer and came down harder than ever before.

This time, Mashin Chaser deployed his best weapon; the Slowdown, to stop the Cleric Beast's assault in its tracks.

He decided to wait until the exact moment where it would become in reach. There, helplessly hovering above the ground, Mashin Chaser would behead it. A risky trick, but doable.

He waited for the exact right moment as the Cleric Beast came down, and…now.

The Slowdown activated.

The Cleric Beast was still moving in the slowed time. It was still slowed but gravity still pulled it to the ground at an acceptable speed instead of being borderline frozen in a distortion in time.

"Ho-?"

The Cleric Beast didn't let Mashin Chaser finish. Both of its monstrous arms punched him, the attack utterly brutal. Mashin Chaser was sent flying back into Central Yharnam from the sheer force of the blow smashing through two of the bridges archways as he did so, the sculpted rock breaking into broken stones and pebbles from the power of the impact. Mashin Chaser fell through the air and then smashed through the roof of one of Central Yharnam's many dilapidated houses crashing through its second floor and then smashing into the house's wall.

Mashin Chaser looked around where he landed. It hurt to even turn his neck, his exoskeleton was once again torn open – burst open like a tin can -- sparks flied off his body because of his damaged systems… and the blood.

There was so much blood.

What? But I'm a machine, I do not bleed. Mashin Chaser thought to himself. He couldn't truly bleed like the humans do. It was merely some coolant from his human guise leaking through from the damage.

Mashin Chaser inhaled deeply underneath his mask. If he was deluding himself into thinking he was human, then maybe catching his breath would help?

Instead he coughed up blood. The flavor of life seeping through his mouth. Coppery…no, he couldn't decide on a taste. But it…It was something.

The liquid of life running through his mouth, even though it was somehow inside of his body…it tasted so…right.

He couldn't analyze it. He couldn't quantify it. He couldn't make proper sense of it with any program or lesson. Any form of logic was pointless in opposition to what the blood made him feel.

He needed more.

Mashin Chaser looked to his damaged chest and saw that his bandolier was ripped, but intact. As well as the blood vials attached to them, also still perfectly intact.

Yharnam doesn't just care about blood more than alcohol. They care more about it than people if its containers are so robust. But Mashin Chaser didn't care, he wanted to try proper blood!

"ARRRRRRRRGGGGAAAAAHHHHH!" A familiar cry was heard, unimpeded by the destroyed house that acted as Mashin Chaser's refuge knocking him out of his reverie.

What was I thinking? Mashin Chaser thought to himself, struggling to stand despite his wound. The blood doesn't matter, whatever cerebral damage I have been inflicted with doesn't matter. I have to focus on the mission and…

"Kill that thing!" Mashin Chaser shouted to himself, trying to stand. It didn't go so well. His knees buckled and Mashin Chaser fell to the ground once again.

He didn't know how long he laid on the house's floor, bleeding out. It was a bad situation, the fight having dragged on for too long was merely the first step to his sorry state. Besides the beast's bizarre resistance to Slowdown he didn't have a Viral Core or Shift Car to perform an Execution Break or Full Throttle with, prolonging the fight even more. Battle with the Cleric Beast had proven grueling and tedious.

A lower pitch growled sounded out from near the house. Mashin Chaser's outburst had worked against him. The Cleric Beast was coming.

It would soon find him in the debris, helpless and ripe to slaughter. Mashin Chaser tried to stand again, but a disconnect from his waist joints to his legs stopped him.

It wouldn't matter if I could empower myself with emotions like a complete Roidmude. My spines broken. Was the Roidmude's grim insight.

The Cleric Beast's stride became louder. It was like the thrums of a dying engine, the finality of the sounds reminded Mashin Chaser of Banno. Of death.

After killing him the Cleric Beast would continue its rampage through Yharnam, the other Hunters might eventually kill the beast, but how many people would die in the mean time? People like Gilbert? It was so unjust. He was designed with a perfect sense to enforce justice. That was his purpose to protect the humans. It would be an indignity for them to die, it was irritating. Angering. An outrage.

He wished he could feel such righteous outrage.

These thoughts caused something cold to flow through Mashin Chaser's mind. It gave him clarity. With this new perspective of the world could see better now, even with the blood. Then it became red hot. Hotter, burning. It felt good. It gave him a different clarity, of sight and of mind. He immediately began to rip his mask off. "I won't die!" The Nightmare Helm was removed and he uncorked a blood vial and downed it in one go.

Mashin Chaser found it easy to stand once more, his pain receptors were flaring, but he could stand again. He could fight again. The mission was within acceptable parameters once more.

Mashin Chaser looked at another blood vial. Maybe it was time to exceed parameters?

"Against such a threat not being at my most optimal is foolish." he said to himself, bringing another blood vial to his mouth with his damaged hand and downed its contents.

This time, the bloods effects were far more noticeable. Mashin Chaser's repair functions kicked into overdrive, his armor repaired and sealed itself to near perfect condition, and the greatest symbol of damage now was the red stains that covered his body, a sign that the blood that now flowed through Mashin Chaser's body was real.

Mashin Chaser pulled out a third vial to finish the restoration. Then the Cleric Beast burst through the wall, masked by the Roidmude's euphoria. Its size caused it to rip the wood of the house apart like toothpicks, its body set into a deadly lunge and tackled Mashin Chaser through the house and into another one.

Mashin Chaser felt the red rush run through his body again. You will die he promised.

They then crashed into a new house Mashin Chaser landing on his back once more, the Cleric Beast standing over head, its right arm raised for the death blow.

Mashin Chaser let out a roar of rage, rising up for a haymaker to the face which landed on the Cleric Beast's snout, sending it reeling back, blood and teeth spit out of its mouth. Mashin Chaser then curved his body for a roundhouse kick knocking the Cleric Beast through the house's other wall creating a sickening snap and a hole.

Faster than before the Cleric Beast lunged back into the house grabbing the Roidmude once more. Mashin Chaser response was ruthless, both arms reached out the monster's cracked ribcage and pulled with his multi-ton strength. Like a perverse piñata the Cleric Beast was ripped open blood spilling onto Mashin Chaser's uncovered face.

The Cleric Beast's response was just as cruel, tightening its hold mid fall, Mashin Chaser's body cracked like being shoved into a vice, blood leaking from his body once more. The Cleric Beast then smashed into another house lifting Mashin Chaser up for the fatal squeeze.

Mashin Chaser responded with an enraged yell, the stoic machine gone. With new strength Mashin Chaser forced the Cleric Beast's claw to open breaking its fingers like twigs. As the beast recoiled from its ruined hand Mashin Chaser made his own lunge and with one final burst of strength Mashin Chaser lifted his dazed quarry up and threw it out of the house through another wall and into another house returning the favor

Tactics had failed and brutality had overcome Mashin Chaser. With a primal roar the Roidmude began to run in for the kill. With a savage haymaker the Cleric Beast's head twisted to an unhealthy angle, the haymaker sending the beast twirling off balance and through the house's wall once again.

Mashin Chaser followed it into the house to finish the job. He found the Cleric Beast charging, embraced by another frenzy.

Mashin Chaser decided to take it head on. Mashin Chaser grabbed the Cleric Beast by the horns; the monstrosity trying to drag him along. Mashin Chaser felt his arms creak, his blood boiling.

Rage! Rage! More rage! His blood roaring Mashin Chaser ripped the Cleric Beast's horns off – the pain causing it too recoil in shock – and immediately tried to impale it with its own horns in a wild fury, but it managed to fall out of the way, regaining its footing the Cleric Beast capitalized on Mashin Chaser's overextension and managed to hit Mashin Chaser with another haymaker, its fingers broken, the blow lacked a razors edge, but the force breached Mashin Chaser's armor as he was sent flying a second time, his blood bleeding out once more.

Mashin Chaser landed closer to the Great Bridge and before he could get back up found the Cleric Beast almost upon him. Its speed fueled by desperation and smashed Mashin Chaser deeper into the ground, crushing the street beneath him, and causing more blood to leak out of his exoskeleton from the damage.

"Argh!" Mashin Chaser let out a cry of pain and rage and scrambled to roll out of the way, only to find the quicker left arm ready to impale him, piercing his Violet Guard and spilling far more of his blood than was safe for a human.

Pain. Pain will be fuel. The raging machine thought with resolve.

In spite of his impalement Mashin Chaser rose up, heedless of the damage and swung his fist with all his might embedding his arm into its chest, smashing the Cleric Beast's ribcage causing a its blood to spill onto him.

Mashin Chaser then tackled the Cleric Beast onto its back and with one, final blow his fist created a bloody mess as it impaled the Cleric Beast through the head, exiting from the other side, covered in blood. Mashin Chaser removed his arm from the Cleric Beast's destroyed head, letting its corpse fall onto the ground.

Mashin Chaser let a new feeling spread over him; euphoria. It was a rush he never felt from terminating other Roidmudes, it was like what Kiriko made him feel. His blood was singing in joy. He was over the moon. He wanted it to rise.

Then he began to bleed. His wounds catching up to him. Mashin Chaser's transformation faded, leaving only Chase, as the darkness claimed him and footsteps approached him.

 

[Wheenesss]

The insanity begins...

 

[The Zog]

The insanity begins...

Click to shrink...

How do you think that?

 

[Wheenesss]

How do you think that?

Click to shrink...

How Chase reacted to the blood. It doesn't strike me as a good sign.

 

[The Zog]

How Chase reacted to the blood. It doesn't strike me as a good sign.

Click to shrink...

Hehehehehehehe! What did you think of the Cleric Beast fight? I put so much effort into that to counter other Rider fics failings.

 

[Wheenesss]

Hehehehehehehe! What did you think of the Cleric Beast fight? I put so much effort into that to counter other Rider fics failings.

Click to shrink...

I think it was a good fight.

Although I am a bit confused why after Chase transformed into Mashin Chaser, the narratively only referred to him as 'Mashin Chaser'. It seems a bit impersonal when this story is primarily from Chase's point of view.

 

[The Zog]

I think it was a good fight.

Although I am a bit confused why after Chase transformed into Mashin Chaser, the narratively only referred to him as 'Mashin Chaser'. It seems a bit impersonal when this story is primarily from Chase's point of view.

Click to shrink...

What made the fight good?

It's a me thing. I like consistency and proper designation so when a character has multiple identities I like it when the narrative refers to them by the current identity.

Your criticism does have a good point, though, but its too late to change it. A misstep so early...

 

[Wheenesss]

What made the fight good?

It's a me thing. I like consistency and proper designation so when a character has multiple identities I like it when the narrative refers to them by the current identity.

Your criticism does have a good point, though, but its too late to change it. A misstep so early...

Click to shrink...

It's not really bad, it's just something I noticed.

What I liked about the fight is that you have a good grasp on how Chase fights.

Slower compared to the other Drive Riders, but deliberate and efficient.

He seemed to be channeling Chou Mashin Chaser near the end with the rage.

 

[The Zog]

It's not really bad, it's just something I noticed.

What I liked about the fight is that you have a good grasp on how Chase fights.

Slower compared to the other Drive Riders, but deliberate and efficient.

He seemed to be channeling Chou Mashin Chaser near the end with the rage.

Click to shrink...

Thanks I wanted the fight to be slower paced until Chase went apeshit.

 

[The Zog]

Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider or Bloodborne.

Chapter 3: Archetype Connection

Chase awoke propped up to a wall, his body was covered in bandages, tightened around him to stop the bleeding. His body's self-repair system was fixing the damage, but the blood-stained leather showed that it would be slow going for him.

Chase's hand clasped his chest, even with the blood healing the fatal wound that the Cleric Beast caused, an eerie feeling stayed there. He'd been wounded in battle before, he had exploded and survived the damage, but the aftereffects never felt like this.

He remembered the fight, things had…gone badly, and the creature had a resistance to Slowdown. It promised unpleasant things in the future.

Chase looked around, it was an alleyway; as dark and dank as the rest of Yharnam he had seen. He had been through so many of them. Did I shoot a dog in the head in this one? He wondered, it was hard to tell, for whatever reason this alleyway was halfway clean.

He could also see fading sunlight. He wasn't out for long.

But then there was the shadow that blocked out that sunlight. It was a foreboding figure that looked expectantly at Chase through its black crow mask. The rest of its attire followed that theme with billowing black leather clothes, thicker and more practical than Chase's own leather outfit, the finishing piece was a thick black cloak that was adorned with a feathery plumage encompassing its form.

It then spoke in an old and female voice, her accent similar to Gehrman's. "Awake, young Hunter?"

"Yes," Chase said. "Are you another Hunter? My name is Chase, I've been contracted to Hunt for tonight."

"Contracted? Ah, Gehrman's found a new recruit. Yharnam's desperate enough to make wastes of skin Hunters right now…but it looks like he managed to recruit an outsider."

Chase tensed. "You saw, didn't you?"

The crow women's mask tilted. "That you're not human? Don't worry about me trying to hunt you, I've seen men worse than beasts, so I'll give you a chance, metal man. Especially with your dedication. You left quite an impressive trail of corpses before you fought that Cleric Beast."

"It was my duty. I don't need praise," Chase said.

"You don't," the crow women agreed. "You were far too sloppy for a proper Hunter from what I saw from the corpse."

Chase stood up, the dismissiveness of his skill…it was a new sensation. "I fought a monster that would have killed the humans in the city and there were no other Hunters in this district. I don't think I deserve such criticism."

"And I'm not faulting that. Yharnam doesn't have many people left." She folded her arms creating an impressive presence. "The problem was that you fought it like another beast. We are Hunters, not beasts. The distinction must be upheld on every level."

Chase felt a haze as the final phase of his fight came back to him. It was so blurry in his memory, all that came to him was the rage, the joy, the blood, the anger...so much outrage. At everything.

Chase understood shame at that moment. What he did wasn't justice, wasn't worthy of a Kamen Rider, what Krim made him to be.

"I apologize for my arrogance. This is all so new to me, I never dealt with such things during my time with the Police." Chase bowed his head.

"So you were a lawman from wherever you're from?" the crow women asked.

"Yes. It was my mission to protect humans and enforce order and justice."

The crow women stared at him through her mask deeply, like his statement had caused her to need to rethink something important. Chase was used to masks, but the crow women was far more skilled at hiding her emotions than he had ever seen.

"Eileen," she finally spoke. "My name is Eileen, Chase." She turned around and began to walk out of the alleyway, Chase following her. He noticed six lycanthrope corpses laid out on the ground, their throats slit.

"Since you're my senior is there anything else you can tell me? Proper procedures? Other Hunters? A long term strategy to deal with the plague?" Chase asked.

Eileen crossed her arms and said. "We've been understaffed for a long time so every Hunter's off killing what they can, guarding their mark – that's the only strategy we have left now. The Night of the Hunt caught everyone off-guard, so prepare for the worst, the nightmare will truly begin when the moon rises."

"Then what about you? Do we share territory?"

"I hunt a different quarry than beasts." Was her vague statement. "As for you, I'd think it best for you to take a trip to the Dream, you could use its boons."

"I was planning on checking in with Gehrman, but the only two Lanterns I found were far away from here." Chase explained his original plan.

"There's no need to worry about the risks of Yharnam's streets. There should be a Lantern on the Great Bridge, you can use that one."

"I didn't notice it because of the Cleric Beast. Will you be joining me on the trip?"

"I can't. I don't Dream anymore." There was a sense of finality in Eileen's tone, and Chase decided not to press.

As the two Hunters got closer to the bridge, making the proper turns, Eileen decided to ask more questions. "So, Chase, what exactly are you?"

"I am an android called a Roidmude created by Krim Steinbert as a prototype originally designated as Proto-Zero," Chase explained.

"Didn't expect you to just tell me. So, Krim used the blood to breathe life into you, I take it?" Eileen theorized.

"No, that's a recent…upgrade," Chase said slowly, searching for a proper description to his new physiology. "I'm powered by Core Driviar technology,"

"I don't know what that is," Eileen admitted as they came to the Great Bridge.

Chase and Eileen then found out that their simple plan wasn't so simple.

The noises from the archways broken by Chase's flight had attracted complications.

The Great Bridge was being swarmed by a horde of lycanthropes. Their numbers beyond anything Chase had seen before. Looking and sniffing about the landmark, some clawing at the doors to the inner city.

"My fight attracted too much attention. Another error I must correct."

"While that is so…did they try to enter for refuge? The Church would do something like this."

"The gate was closed by the time I arrived." Chase confirmed.

Eileen let out a hateful sound. "They were supposed to wait for the sun to completely set."

Chase whirred his head to meet her mask. "Does the authority not care about the populace?"

"The Healing Church is a power in Yharnam. It cares about its own, but they would once let the citizens seek refuge in the Cathedral Ward." Eileen explained.

"To accelerate their quarantine. My fight with the Cleric Beast. I think this Church is having their own problems with the scourge." Chase theorized, the authorities were supposed to watch the people, so it made sense.

"If I was fifty years younger and had your optimism, Chase. Well, the night hasn't even started yet, I'm sure that you'll form your own opinion on the theocracy." Eileen said in bemusement.

"I'll think about it. But the Lantern takes priority. And we have our mission. If we manage to kill all those beasts Yharnam's citizens have a higher probability of being safe for the night."

Eileen crossed her arms. "After hearing that, there's no way I can't add my own techniques to your little Hunt."

Chase nodded. "Did you find any blood vials from my battle?"

"No, I didn't know that you had more, only the bloodstones attached to your belts,"

Chase looked over his bandaged frame and felt a frown crease his face. Waiting would just let more beasts show up. He'd have to fight wounded with Eileen's unknown abilities. The corpses hinted at skill, but she wasn't a Kamen Rider.

Chase slammed his fist into the Break Gunner's Destruction Muzzle, activating his transformation into Mashin Chaser.

He didn't know why, but he missed the "Break Up" announcement. Banno must have done some damage to the sound chip.

Eileen looked his robotic form over. "The power of a metal man. A 'Roidmude'," her voice tasted the new word. "Show me the dignity required of a Hunter, Chase." she ordered.

Everyone here in Yharnam is just calling me Chase. Maybe I should just designate myself as that more for the sake of simplicity? Mashin Chaser thought to himself.

Mashin Chaser – just Chase, he decided -- nodded to himself deciding on a single name, and began to walk forward. Break Gunner and fist raised, ready to terminate the beasts clawing at the Cathedral Ward, that impeded his way to resources that would help aid humans, that would soon spread to cause misery an-

"And maybe you should think like a Hunter as well." Eileen cut off his charge. "Think about it. Help might be near, but not in the future. A Hunter must always be more wily and cunning than the beasts we hunt. They must be prepared, armed with foresight. Don't waste any more energy than needed to kill a single beast."

Chase thought Eileen's lecture over. He had always charged into the fray as both the Shinigami and a Kamen Rider.

He remembered Heart's foot stamping onto his face.

It hadn't always ended well.

And these beasts might be resistant to Slowdown.

"You're right," Chase decided. "I might not have my axe, but my Break Gunner can kill the lycanthropes in a single shot. I can pick them off at range. I might also have a way to trap them. But I'll need a lure."

"You ask for simplicity, Chase," Eileen spoke with a quiet confidence. "Follow my lead. We'll bait them. Wear them down. Then go for the kill."

The two Hunter's separated, one hiding behind the right archway of the bridge front, the other the left.

Eileen drew a throwing knife from her sleeves and threw it at a lycanthrope carrying a gun. Impressively, the knife soared all the way across the Great Bridge, perfectly aimed at her chosen target killing it.

Like a pack of stupid animals a small gang of lycanthropes broke off from the group scratching the gate to search for the killer.

Eileen made a firing motion with her fingers, pointing at the lycanthropes that hadn't taken the bait.

Chase obliged, his arm snaking around the archway pulling the trigger at another gun holder. The lycanthrope's head was blown off, blood spurting from its neck as it fell to the ground.

That got the beasts attention. Herding out of the Great Bridge. Both Hunters responded to the migration by slowly backing away, preparing to make a break for it. Chase holding his Break Gunner at ready while more throwing knives slid between Eileen's fingers.

The second the lycanthropes reached the choke point both Hunters unleashed their volleys, ten knives impaled ten beasts through the head simultaneously while the Break Gunner's plasma scored six headshots one after the other.

It hadn't made much of dent in the horde.

"Now!" Eileen ordered and the two Hunters retreated, Eileen staying ahead of Chase as he followed.

The lycanthropes broke out into a full sprint to chase after the Hunters. The surviving gunman firing wildly, some accidentally hitting their own. Chase dodged gunfire that got too close, shooting suppressive fire to slow the horde down, while Eileen deflected the bullets with sublime reflexes and her longer knives.

Despite the quality of the Hunters, the beasts advanced without pause, mindlessly pushing aside their fellow monsters' corpses to close the distance, slowly but surely the distance between the two factions was closing.

Chase grew worried; turning around to fire was slowing him down. He looked to Eileen again. She was casually running backwards, moving at a slightly faster speed than he was; showing no sign of exertion from her backwards sprint, knives being thrown killing the lycanthropes through accurate hits to their vitals.

Then they came by a carriage. Without even turning her body Eileen's arm moved outward; grabbing the transportation and with a tug sent it flying at the lycanthropes finally breaking their charge, the broken wood sending bloodied corpses flying.

The strike was done perfectly. No wasted effort. Not a millisecond wasted. It was almost as if the tap was planned. But the beasts were a surprise to Eileen, she couldn't have planned this.

"Now follow me at full speed!" Eileen ordered.

Chase complied; more than ready to escape the remnants of the horde, turning around to run.

To his surprise, Chase saw that Eileen was still casually running ahead of him.

She's as strong as me at least; and definitely faster. And she's not even trying. Chase realized. This was the power of a Hunter. A power on par with a Kamen Rider.

And yet Yharnam was plagued by beasts with warriors as strong as her.

Chase felt the now a familiar cold rush run through his body at that revelation.

'Left!" Eileen's voice broke Chase out of his musings as he obeyed.

Both Hunters ran down the stairs to the left ending up in a ramshackle plaza, a wooden cross smoldering in the center…and lycanthropes surrounding it.

Chase didn't think, he acted. The warbling of air shifted throughout the plaza as he activated his Slowdown, managing to catch the lycanthropes inside the field of slowed time.

Eileen acted even quicker, the second the lycanthropes stopped moving they each had a throwing knife impaling their head.

Eileen turned to face Chase. "Why didn't you do that earlier?"

"There were too many to make a difference," Chase explained. "And the Cleric Beast was somehow resistant to my Slowdowns, so I wasn't sure what was wrong; me or something about the beasts,"

Eileen motioned to her protégé to position himself by the right of the stairway while she took the left. "Then make that an extra lesson. No skill or weapon will make you invincible on a Hunt. The beasts will always have a new trick. Always."

"But it was of little matter," Eileen continued. "I had us run ahead so I could prepare this plaza, but you gave us some extra time. Now learn patience, the horde won't give up on us now."

Chase obeyed once more waiting, the setting sun had seemed to slow its fall as the Roidmude waited for their quarry to show themselves.

Then the lycanthropes arrived. A brown, moving wall of fur, fangs, claws, and weapons. Right into a choke point.

Chase and Eileen unleashed their respective projectiles again slaying more beasts.

Eileen then switched to her larger knives with a flick of her wrists. "Aim for the gunners!" was the order this time.

Chase obeyed a third time…and saw Eileen in action.

It was like seeing a painting in a slaughterhouse.

With a burst of speed Eileen ran around the remains of the horde faster than anyone else could react. Her blades finding their homes in two lycanthropes' spines. Eileen then dodged a pitchfork by a paper's edge, and literally disarmed the attacking beast, sending blood flying into the eyes of another, leaving it an easy mark to kill.

She then parried an axe-man with her knives sending her reeling back. Vulnerable. Allowing Eileen to kill the beast with a lunge to the throat before ducking under two lycanthropes sword swings. Her blades flashed, sending both swords flying out of the wielders clumsy grips…and soon find their heads flying.

It was a kind of elegance Chase had never seen before. He considered himself a skilled fighter, falling only to enemies that wielded greater power.

But seeing Eileen fight he felt inadequate. This wasn't like a Roidmude who had mimicked a skilled athlete, this was a Hunter that flirted with death.

No, she didn't flirt with death, she predicted it. Every step if the battle seemed like it was choreographed by Eileen. The veteran Hunter knew the beasts better than they knew it themselves. It was all so predictable, both in action and movement, Eileen was always a step ahead.

With a final parry from Eileen followed by a final spurt of blood as heads rolled, Eileen sheathed her knives.

Not a single drop of blood had stained her.

Chase nodded and holstered the Break Gunner, feeling conscious of his bloodstained armor. "Most impressive," Chase said. "I see the difference now. I need to study my mark. Know everything there is too my quarry. Understand every action they perform. I must be in control and very drop of power must have purpose, it's too precious to waste."

Eileen didn't deign to look Chase mask to mask, instead retrieving her throwing knives. "You learn fast, Chase. I think that I haven't wasted my time aiding you. You've learned enough from this little run."

Chase nodded in thanks and began to walk back to the bridge…before stopping, realizing that he didn't know where he was. "Which way to the Great Bridge again?"

"Don't be sheepish. Yharnam's streets are cruel on their best days. I'll show you the way." Eileen promised.

A couple of turns and a jog later, the two Hunters were on the Great Bridge once again, Chase activating the Lantern, before canceling his transformation and entering the Dream.

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Chase awoke in the Hunter's Dream for the second time by the tombstones. Its eerie peace greeting him. The moon of the sleeping world acting as a reminder that the Night of the Hunt had not truly begun. Chase looked himself over, his outfit had been repaired and all the blood was simply gone. Another boon of the Hunter's Dream.

Chase prepared to climb the stairs to seek Gehrman's guidance. But even though he had only been to the dream once he noticed something different.

It was pretty hard to not notice that the doll was standing.

Chase walked over to look at the being. She stood taller than the Roidmude, her hands held in front of her waist, allowing him to see the joints connecting her fingers to her hands, while brilliantly sculpted the skin was still made from wood…but it would take a focused analysis to realize the difference. Chase couldn't tell if her eyes were made of some kind of very authentic glass or had become real eyeballs. If only she blinked.

Chase looked at the doll, waiting for her to respond.

She looked at the robot right back.

Two artificial beings staring at one another, waiting for human stimulus.

Eventually, the silence became too much for the new Hunter. "My name is Chase; designated as an aide to the Tokyo Metropolitan police department and Yharnam's newest Hunter. How should I greet you?" His first introduction. Usually he just forced his way into a conversation.
"Hello, good Hunter. I am a Doll," She spoke, sound coming out of her sculpted mouth as it moved, "here in this Dream to look after you."

"I don't need to be looked after." Chase said, it was true, he needed structure, not aid.

"All humans need companionship. It's one of the reasons I'm here; to embolden your sickly spirit."

Chase thought back, to that feeling when he gunned down those lycanthropes, the indignity of Gilbert's fate, to his…episode against the Cleric Beast, to how nice it was to talk to Eileen, despite her gruffness.

To being called human by the Doll.

Maybe he did desire companionship?

"Oh, are you upset? I'm sorry for hurting your feelings, good Hunter," the Doll said.

Chase realized that a scowl was forming on his face. A strange show of emotion from his thoughts.

"You did nothing wrong," Chase assured her. "I'm just thinking about…everything,"

"I should still do something to make you feel better. It is my purpose; shall I channel the echoes of blood into new strength? Hunter's always enjoy it." The Doll said, so eager to please.

Chase remembered the contract. It said that Hunters absorbed the strength of their fallen quarry through a part of their blood ministration. Chase hadn't thought that that part of the contract could benefit him. But that was before he saw Eileen in action, before he found blood inside of him, like a human.

I can use this mystery to my advantage. I can regain the lost power of a Kamen Rider through the blood. Chase decided.

"Do it."

The Doll smiled and nodded. "Very well. Close your eyes, and think of what power you want the blood to give you. Imagine power for strength of body, defense for vitality, and the abstract for the arcane."

Chase did as he was told, soothed by the Doll's voice. He felt his body crackling with energy, like a Roidmude evolving or attaining Ultimate Evolution, but not as pronounced as he made his decision. He felt his limbs harden and his self-repair system improve, he felt a spark of the wise ignite within him.

It was an incredible rush. Like the blood before. He understood why humans liked this. He liked it.

Then the rush ended and Chase felt the new power flow through him. He was stronger, would heal faster, the sense of exhaustion was gone and he could feel something new. A reservoir. And he could still sense some power in it, like a still useable well.

"I didn't use all of the blood," the Doll explained. "I thought that you might need to use it for other endeavors."

Chase nodded, "I thank you for your consideration."

The Doll tilted her head, she seemed sad.

"Does something else trouble you?"

"It's a bit selfish," the Doll said with a frown. "Whenever I awakened the power within past Hunters, they smiled. And I liked seeing them smile. You didn't even grin. It made me feel sad." The Doll smiled. "You see, even a Doll can smile, and you're a human, so you should smile better than me."

She's a Doll. For some reason that reminder…irked Chase. Made him feel that red feeling again. That word, that concept of 'doll', it angered him, and he didn't know why.

Was it a grim reminder?

I shouldn't feel this because of her, Chase thought in shame. She has shown me nothing but kindness. There are humans from my own world who weren't as kind to me than her.

He needed to say something to make her feel better, but what?

"You don't need to feel sad," The words spilled from Chase's mouth in desperation. "I'm just bad at expressing things; smiling is very hard for me to do. The power. The rush. A better chance to protect humans…I can only feel good from what you did.

I will talk to you again."

"Thank you, Chase. May you find your worth in the waking world." the Doll smiled once more.

As Chase walked into Gehrman's workshop only one thought passed through his mind.

Why didn't I tell her I wasn't human?

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Chase walked into Gehrman's study. It was exactly as eerie and musky as it was the last time, the sense of stasis prevailing. Gehrman had parked his wheelchair to a window that let in moonlight.

Without turning his head, Gehrman greeted Chase. "So…you're back from your first hunt. How was it, boy?"

Chase walked up to Gehrman, standing by his side. "It was an experience. That's the only way I can articulate it."

Gehrman smirked, amused at Chase's response. "An 'experience'? That is a way to describe Yharnam's way of welcoming someone. I'm impressed that you returned in one piece,"

"I am as well. The Cleric Beast was very threatening."

The old man took Chase's claim in stride. "It is quite a feat, to kill one of the Church's abominations on your first outing. But don't be consumed by overconfidence. The beasts won't show their true ferocity until the moon rises."

"Eileen warned me of the same thing,"

"Ah, Eileen," Gehrman's voice turned nostalgic. "She's been hunting for so long, heed both our warnings. Legends say that the moon awoke something in the blood, making things more ferocious, stronger, madder, more bloodthirsty…the beasts of Yharnam proved those superstitions correct."

Chase postulated what the Cleric Beast would be like as a stronger monster. He immediately didn't want to. "I've come to seek the Dream's resources. Do you have any maps? Yharnam's streets have been confounding."

Gehrman's grin turned humorless. "Every Hunter's said that since the burning." He wheeled himself over to the desk's cabinets and opened them, picking out parchments. "The Yharnam you know was built in a rush. The Church only cared about quelling the people and keeping up our little masquerade."

He handed Chase some papers. "These are maps other Hunters have left behind or that the Messengers have found. I can't vouch for their accuracy."

Chase looked them over. They mostly encompassed the main city, and were scribbled and rushed in content, but a picture began to form.

"Thank you. Now to other subjects," Chase unholstered his Break Gunner and showed it to Gehrman. "This is my primary weapon; the Break Gunner. It proved ineffective against the Cleric Beast, I want to know if the Dream has a way to enhance it."

Gehrman looked at the futuristic firearm closely for the first time, his eyes lit up, then he frowned. "I've never seen a gun designed like this…can I hold it?"

Chase handed the Break Gunner to Gehrman, who held it softly. "Hmmm…I have never seen the material used for the casing, it must be from your homeworld. Ah, it can transform like a trick weapon," He pushed the Destruction Muzzle to activate Break Mode. "And its other form is a knuckleduster, not the best choice for fighting beasts. But you said that you were in law enforcement, I surmise it's used to intimidate criminals? The above panel must be used to load some type of ammo…but it's not reliant on it, the triggers shown some very recent signs of use, I can feel it."

Gehrman wheeled himself into his backyard at record speeds and through the mist wooden targets could be seen. The old man shifted the Break Gunner back into Gun Mode, aimed, and fired. The purple bolts firing out of the Break Gunner with the skill of a master, each bolt perfectly hitting the bullseye on the targets.

"Incredible! It doesn't use slug-based ammunition for its basic fire. Then how does it create the energy that replaces the bullets? It must be some kind of internal energy storage device of some kind! Amazing, simply amazing, what a marvel. A weapon that never needs to be reloaded. If only we had something like this back then…"

Chase watched Gehrman. The enigmatic old man had used his own weapon more skillfully than he did and probably knew more how it worked than he himself did as well now. Chase only used the Break Gunner to shoot threats or load Shift Cars into it too shoot the threat better. That was his total knowledge.

Gehrman looked at Chase and lowered his head, realizing what he had been doing. "Oh. I must apologize for my behavior, Chase. It's just been so long since I've gazed upon anything new. I should have known better than that. Getting excited over the unknown."

Chase walked up to Gehrman and took the Break Gunner back. "The ideal solution would to find a replacement for the ammunition I need to use for an Execution Break…but that might need us to disassemble the Break Gunner and I can't risk damage. The most practical option would be to find a way to increase the power of the basic payload."

"Did you find any red stones while hunting in Yharnam?" Gehrman asked.

Chase looked into his pouch, "About five red stones," he answered.

"That's enough for the first enhancement. Follow me."

Gehrman led Chase back to his workshop where both were in front of his workbench next to the fireplace.

Gehrman held a small drill and pick in his hands over the Break Gunner on the bench. "Watch carefully, Chase. Blood can be used to enhance even inanimate objects if given a proper connection. I shall create an indent to insert the stones into so your Break Gunner can feed on their power. This weapon is unfamiliar to me, so warn me if I might damage something vital to its operation."

Chase's oversight was unnecessary. He watched as Gehrman worked, the old man lecturing him every step of the way. His hands were impossibly skilled. Marvelously so. The pick and drill cutting into the Break Gunner's casing without damaging its aesthetic in anyway. In the end the alterations he had made to the Break Gunner's casing had made it more elegant. The bloodstones then fit into the indents flawlessly, and with a flick of a knife, Gehrman had cut the stones into a more rounded shape that fit perfectly.

Gehrman picked up the enhanced weapon. "Can I try it again?" Chase nodded in affirmative.

A quick wheel to the backyard and Gehrman had raised the Break Gunner to fire it again. He pulled the trigger once more, the bolt was fired, thicker in size than before and hit a target.

Gehrman handed Chase his weapon back, "Try it."

"I will."

Chase fire the Break Gunner, slightly surprised at the increased kickback…it wasn't that much more powerful. But every bit helped.

"If you find higher quality bloodstone then you can enhance the Break Gunner even farther. And if you can find out where a certain tool is I can use Blood Gems as well. Though I'd suggest that you practice on the spare Trick Weapons that the Messengers drag in before you risk that weapon."

"I understand, I'll take whatever they found as well. I found an axe, but lost it in the Cleric Beast fight."

"A Hunter Axe is as simple a weapon as you can find. I have dozens stored away." Gehrman reached into his trunk and pulled out an almost exact replica of the axe Chase took from the lycanthrope he killed.

Chase took the Hunter's Axe from Gehrman and held it in appreciation. Spending time with the old man, it reminded him of Krim. Like a mentor…it was a good feeling.

…But weren't mentors supposed to teach, right? Krim had just asked him to perform tasks. It wasn't like what he did with Shinnosuke.

Chase immediately quashed a strange feeling down and turned his thoughts back to Gehrman, his current mentor.

Wait, mentors were supposed to give advice, right? Maybe he should push further?

"Gehrman, I want to complete my mission, but I don't have a strategy to do so. Do you have any advice?"

Gehrman wheeled himself back into position to look at the moon of the Dream. "Yharnam is like festering limb. The only cure is to amputate the infection…it doesn't matter how it's done. All you can do is run around, quenching fires before they consume the city like all the other Hunter's…" Gehrman then thumped his wheelchair's armrest in thought, before continuing, "But I can say that a great Hunter would use their foresight on a larger veneer than battle, see the worst beasts of Yharnam. But your safety would go from in jeopardy to a far worse fate. Before the sun completely sets, Hunt the way you want, find your own way in the city while you still have the chance. Make your own decision."

Chase thought it over, he was used to following someone else's direct commands or ideas; Heart, Krim, Medic, Kiriko, Shinnosuke…he had never truly made a decision for himself had he. For once, there was no concrete idea or goal to accomplish, just hunt.

"The beasts are endless but I've only met one person. If the moon rising will be as disastrous as you say I shall find as many citizens as I can, and make sure if they're safe." There, a plan of his own making. His own decision made from information he had collected.

"Hmmm…rather optimistic, but it is an option. I wish good fortunes to your plan. You will need it."

"Thank you, Gehrman," Chase said walking out of the Workshop, giving his new axe a practice swing.

"Wait," Gehrman cut in.

"What is it?"

"You're swinging it too stiffly," Gehrman explained. "It reminds me of the gears in an elevator. You could accidentally telegraph your blows or be too inflexible in your assault like that. Put your body into it, sharper arm motions; that will help."

Chase did as he was told, it was the first time someone had ever told him how to fight. Was this what it was like to have a mentor? He should talk to Gehrman again.

Walking up to the tombstone back to Yharnam, Chase saw the Doll saying goodbye to some Messengers and was holding something leathery in hands.

"Oh, good Hunter," the Doll greeted him. "I noticed you examining your clothes when you came in, they were covered in blood, weren't they? So I had the little ones find you this," She held up a worn leather duster with an earthy brown color with a proper bandolier wrapped around it. "Blood can be dangerous to humans, so these coats were designed to cover the body and have blood slide right off them. It will keep you sanitary for the night."

Chase took the coat and wrapped the bandolier around his chest, then slid the trench coat on. Such a long article of clothing was new to Chase, encompassing his body, but it was a gift.

He then checked the inside of the coat and discovered that it had pockets hidden inside of it. He slipped his maps into said pockets. Despite the unfamiliarity of wearing the duster its ability to carry more things is practical, Chase decided to himself.

"I thank you for your hospitality and kindness." Chase said, before teleporting back his last sight was the Doll's smile and Gehrman's silhouette from the top of the hill behind him.

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Chase reappeared next to the Lantern on the Great Bridge with Eileen waiting for him.

"I see that your trip went will," she observed.

Chase activated the Break Gunner, transforming into Mashin Chaser, his duster and bandolier now incorporated into his combat mode, the coat billowing from the energy the change generated. "It was more fortuitous than anticipated," the Roidmude agreed. "I have maps and a plan, you'll hunt and I will reassure the populace."

"For now." Eileen promised.

The two Hunter's ran down the Great Bridge to find their quarry, they both took a right only to find two of the minions ready to meet them bricks raised.

Before the first could do anything Eileen had already run past it, the monsters throat slit.

The second charged the slower Chase, but he caught its brick, halting its advance with ease thanks to his new strength, then shot its head off.

"Two actions. You're still sloppy," Eileen chastised.

"I'm still learning."

"I can't tell if you're being smart with me, metal man."

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Chase and Eileen's hunt stayed together for a few more streets, more minions falling to their weapons together than apart until Eileen broke off when the Roidmude found the first incense burner.

He quickly learned why Gehrman had called his plan 'optimistic'.

Half of the residents either politely told him to leave and that they were fine and not to come back in a surprisingly large amounts of ways.

The other half was far less cordial. Either insulting the Roidmude, cursing him, or simply refusing to respond back to his greetings.

After a particularly talking to a particularly…verbally creative Yharnammite, Chase couldn't help himself; he kicked a house's wall in rage.

"Who's that?!" a little girl's voice cried out in fear.

Chase quickly darted over to the child's voice. "It was an accident. Don't worry."

The Roidmude looked to the window, it and the house was far more heavily fortified than any other part of Yharnam he had seen; barring the Cathedral Ward's walls. The barred window was thicker and had chains, and the door was thick and black.

The girl's silhouette became visible in the window and spoke once more. "I don't know that voice, or that kind of armor. But your coat and the smell, are you a Hunter?"

"Yes, I am Chase. I'm checking the safety of the citizens."

"I didn't know that Hunters did that. I know that you must be working very hard, but can you help me? Will you look for my mum? Daddy never came back from the hunt, and she went to find him, but now she's gone, too…

"I'm all alone…and scared." The girl said in despair.

A family broken up, Chase thought to himself. Memories of Gou and Kiriko flashed through his mind. Family was important to humans, and something bad might be happening to this girl's. The answer was obvious.

"I will find both of your parents," Chase decided.

"Really? Oh, thank you!"

Such excitement made Chase eager to watch the reunion.

"My Mum wears a red jeweled brooch. It's so big and…beautiful. You won't miss it."

The girl's silhouette then vanished, and there was the sound of clinking clockwork as locks were undone and the door peaked open and a box was placed on the door mat. "If you find my Mum, give her this music box. It plays one of Daddy's favorite songs. And when Daddy forgets us we play it for him so he remembers."

Chase picked up and pocketed the music box into his duster. "And what about your father?"

"Oh, Daddy doesn't need help, he's a Hunter like you," the girl said proudly.

Chase was skeptical. It appeared that something bad was happening to the girl's mother and father, he might have to save them.

"To help my search; do you know your parents' names? As well as an appearance for your father?"

"Mum and Daddy sometimes call each other Viola and Gascoigne…as for what Daddy looks like…he's old, big, tall, wears a hat, and went out with a coat and axe like yours." The girl explained.

"And you have no idea where your Father could have gone?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Chase, but I don't know where Daddy would want to go. He said that he was retiring…but then I think he decided to join the Hunt again when the sun began to set."

Did Gascoigne think that tonight would be bad? That the Hunters would need all the help they could get? Is that why he came out of retirement? He was trying to use deductive reasoning like Shinnosuke did, so hopefully he was on the right lead.

Still, this could be a good thing. His plan was bearing fruit he did not intend. If Chase could find Viola and Gascgione he could contact another Hunter, being able to work with him to protect the humans.

The Roidmude could see the girl still shivering. Did she want something more, like the Doll?

Time to try again.

He walked over to the window and looked at the girl and said, "I will bring your parents back to you. You will not have to worry with me on the job." It wasn't a particularly strong vow, but he would fulfill it.

"Thank you, Mr. Chase. When you find Mum and Daddy tell them that Bretonne sent you!"

Chase raced through Yharnam's streets looking for more beasts to slay; and more importantly, Bretonne's parents.

He was interrupted by bigger quarry as Chase was forced to dodge a bloody axe head.

The creature that almost bisected Chase reminded him of the minions; only worse. It was almost as big as the Cleric Beast, with a black cowl hiding its undoubtedly deformed face, its black body was rotund, but more defined and powerfully built than its minion counterparts; best shown with how easily it carried its oversized axe, caked in blood like an executioner.

"A suitable moniker," Chase decided as he was forced to strafe to the side as the Executioner swung its giant axe again. Chase weaved through the third strike then ducked under the final swing that caused the Executioner to overextend itself, allowing him to swing his own axe at it unimpeded. The Hunter's Axe struck, Chase's new strength easily crushing the Executioner's armor, drawing blood.

The pain acted as a motivator the Executioner finding the strength to spin itself and its axe around to a three-hundred-sixty-degree angle, the whirling blade forcing Chase to roll out of the way. The Executioner was more flight-footed than it appeared righting its footing to charge at the retreating Roidmude. Its axe swung overhead for a downward chop, Chase managing to outrun the blow with his new speed.

Chase growled in irritation as he reclaimed the offensive his axe digging into bleeding flesh only for the pain to empower his foe to attack with its dangerous weapon again in spite of Chase's new strength.

"You're getting in my way," Chase said to himself, and instead tried to fire with his improved Break Gunner getting a perfect headshot. In spite of the Break Gunner's stronger ordinance the executioner still had its head, albeit all but vaporized, the old Break Gunner would have been as effective as it was against the Cleric Beast.

This wasn't good enough for Chase. It was blocking his mission.

With a cry of rage Chase swung his Hunter's Axe at the Executioner's own mid-swing, finally destroying its momentum, and he used that opening to kick it through the gut with a shout, the kick blowing the Executioner's belly open with an explosion of blood.

"Chase, why aren't you heeding my warnings?" Eileen asked, walking down the road where the Executioner entered. Behind her Chase could see the corpses of rabid dogs and lycanthropes. The blood on the streets acting as the symbol of their slit throats.

"Eileen, I'm sorry. But I'm in a hurry," Chase said.

"What's causing all the commotion for you? It hasn't been that long since our split." Eileen asked.

"I met a girl, her mother and father went missing and the father's a Hunter. I need to find them."

"Explain every last detail," Eileen ordered.

Chase told Eileen everything that Bretonne had told him.

Eileen crossed her arms and said. "Chase, drop Gascoigne and go back to your neighborhood watch. Forget about him."

"Why?"

"Because he's lost to the beasts, and as the Hunter of Hunters he's my mark, not yours."

 

[The Zog]

Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Drive or Bloodborne.

Okay, people, shits about to get real. I hope I sticked the landing.

Chapter 3: Wendigo

Eileen had been a Hunter for decades, she had lived through multiple Nights of the Hunt, she had fought both beasts and men for decades as a Hunter, she had been a part of that horrible Dream long, long ago that set her on her path…

Such experience had made Eileen skilled at preparing herself for a long night, she had a cache of weapons and tools stashed away, she had prepared herself for the Hunters she would no doubt have to put down so others wouldn't have to shed human blood, she had her trump card.

By the blood, she was prepared for this to be the night where Yharnam fell, Night of the Hunt be damned.

But she could have had never been prepared that the newest Dream Hunter would be a metal man. A Roidmude as the Hunter called himself. What was Gehrman doing?

Ironically, Eileen wasn't surprised when Chase wasn't satisfied with her statement. He was in his transformed state, wearing his black and purple mish-mashed armor, now covered by a trench coat. He spoke in his deep, baritone, voice, the eye-piece of his silver helmet glinting. "What do you mean? I want an answer. Gascoigne and Viola need to be found for their daughter."

Eileen was somewhat happy that Chase was in his transformed state. His face was so blank, it went beyond someone who was shell-shocked. That stony visage was a new kind of eerie. Just a sign that you'll never see everything. Eileen mused to herself.

She also didn't quite understand how a thing with such stoicness could always find a way to insert some morally upstanding line into every sentence he spoke. Admittedly, all she really understood about him was that he had a Core she might need to stab.

Hopefully not tonight, though. She didn't know what to do with Chase, but his power couldn't be wasted.

"Gascoigne has the plague," Eileen said, injecting drama in her tone. Keep it short and precise, use it to control the conversation. "What you've just told me are the symptoms. Gascoigne will be joining our marks."

"The beasts are…human…" Did Chase's voice just have terror in it? A familiar feeling.

"Of course, did you think that a werewolf starts out as an actual wolf? The beasts you Hunt were all once men."

"…I've killed humans?" Chase's voice cracked, horror seeping into it.

This was why lawmen who truly believed could become troublesome. Steel-clad moralities would break rather than bend, and the broken men would be put down by her.

And Chase isn't human, so who knows how he really feels, Eileen's more paranoid thoughts told her.

Still, she needed him on task. "No, you didn't. They weren't human anymore. You hunted beasts, protecting Yharnam's citizens from their fangs."

"And now we'll turn our blades against our fellow, just because he is ill?" He bought that spiel rather quickly…

"No. We will do nothing. I will slay Gascoigne. Your duty is to Hunt the beasts. As the Hunter of Hunters mine is to kill plagued Hunters before they turn and become the worst of the scourge."

"You've done this before…How many people have you killed?" Chase asked, aghast.

"Too many." was Eileen curt response. He wouldn't like the answer. She didn't either.

Chase then reached into his coat once more and pulled out some kind of box, his voice regaining its usual monotone. Was monotone metal man for a confident tone of voice? "You don't have to kill Gascoigne, he's a special case. His daughter said that the music will help him. With it, he can be restrained until he can be cured."

"You already told me that, Chase. It was one of the signs, a man reaching out to his humanity is one of the most telling signs of infection. He doesn't have long until the change." Eilleen warned.

"You don't accept my proof?"

"I've accepted what it really means: my mark has appeared. Your words will not stop me."

"Then why not stop now?" The metal man's voice had begun to speed up, desperation gripping her successor. "We can work together, restrain Gascoigne, find a cure, then find Viola for their daughter! It's not right to try to murder a man on suspicion. Killing a human's not right at all!"

"You're right. What I'm going to do is wrong…but it's also necessary. There is no cure, that's why both of us are Hunters; it's the only substitute." Eileen began to walk away. "Don't follow me, Chase. Search for Viola if you wish; but don't interfere. My Hunt is starting." Eileen began to run, outpacing Chase.

"Listen to me! This isn't right!" Chase shouted as Eileen began to run faster.

Now, where would Gascoigne go, while drunk with blood? Eileen thought, she had spoken to the man in the past, stoic on the job except when he bragged about his wife, was from a foreign religion, disliked the Church more than the average Hunter…Chase's rampage and the fact that he hadn't encountered Gascoigne would narrow things down so he's most likely on the West side of Central.

"There has to be another way!"

Yes, that would fit. The Night of the Hunt had just started so Gascoigne couldn't have had the time to leave the district.

"Listen to me!"

Mix together the process of elimination from Chase's rampage, Gascoigne's speed, the time past…and his grudge against the Church. Ah. He might be there.

Eileen began to run faster, imagining Yharnam's streets in her mind as she plotted her path.

"Please, reconsider! You can't kill a human!" Footsteps began to follow Eileen.

She simply ran faster vanishing into maze of the city.

He really cares, doesn't he? A metal man, a machine, thinks killing humans are wrong. I hope I finish in time…

…Even if you're a machine, you shouldn't see a human die.

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"Stop!" Chase shouted as loud as his vocal watched Eileen vanish into the winding streets. While he now had maps, that didn't mean that he could navigate this labyrinthine city like an expert and he didn't want to use force to restrain her yet.

It didn't take too long for any trace of Eileen to vanish into the darkness of Yharnam's streets. A dead lead.

Chase couldn't let what Eileen planned to do stand. Gascoigne was ill, so he had to be restrained for his own safety, not be put down like a wild animal. He had the methods to do so with the music box. It was just like with the Special Division, as long as there was a chance he would do it; his programming demanded no less.

But that didn't look likely. Chase could see the facts, even with his maps he was unfamiliar with Yharnam compared to a veteran like Eileen. And she was faster than him running backwards. She would find Gascoigne first…and kill him without a trial.

He had to find a way to stop her, a human killing another human went against his programming. It had to be stopped.

Think. Stay calm. Chase thought to himself. He was losing himself again. Logic would help him. Logic would help him devise a better solution.

Devise a better solution than a person who's clearly been doing this for years? The logic treacherously brought an unwanted line of thought to the surface.

"No. Everything will work out. It always does." Chase refuted his logic out loud.

"Grrrr…" the Roidmude then heard a growling sound behind him. He turned around and saw three new beasts behind him. They reminded Chase of the more common lycanthropes but they had progressed far further into beasthood. Their upper bodies had been completely transformed into wolves with thick, shaggy fur, and long, gangly arms holding metal spears in their hands.

Chase looked them and said. "I don't want to fight you."

The beastmen didn't care, all three attacked at once swinging their spears down. Chase easily dodged their brutish assault raising his Break Gunner to fire…then paused. They used to be human.

That was a mistake, the former humans took the chance and regained the offensive. Moving in tandem like wolves fighting in a pack, their spears soaring through the dusk sky as they tried to impale the metal Hunter.

Chase still managed a dodge, ducking under the spears and rolling under the former humans' legs, breaking their dominance. His Break Gunner was still in hand, all he had to do was shoot them in the back and be done with it. Chase had done it before, after all.

"But I didn't know that they were human," Chase said to himself. He could flee the fight, try to track down Eileen and stop her mistake. But then the beastmen would find new prey. A Slowdown would trap them, but even without a possible immunity it would only be a temporary solution, the beastmen would escape this spot before he could return.

Killing a human is unacceptable, but letting a human harm a human was equally reprehensible.

When he had fought Gou, he thought he was brainwashed by Freeze. All he had to do was restrain him and wait for a cure. Simple and moral, in line with his programming.

Now things clashed.

Chase didn't like that.

The former humans, caring nothing for Chase's dilemma renewed their assault, this time raising their spears up, ready to perform a downward impalement with their superior height.

Prioritizing brutality was foolish, Chase thought, as he easily dodged the grandiose attacks. These former humans were slow, and easy to dodge…but they kept him from saving Gascoigne and Viola. Eileen was getting ahead…how irritating.

It was irritating that Eileen was going to kill a human. It was irritating that Gascoigne was going to be put down like a wild animal when he had a solution. It was irritating that these mutants were stopping him from saving a family. It was irritating that they were stopping him from dispensing proper justice in line with his programming, his morals. It was irritating that the beasts weren't Roidmudes, and thus just to terminate. It was irritating that these beasts had once been human.

The beastmen lost their coordination, one breaking ahead of the rest, spear flailing wildly. It wanted to stab Chase. It wanted to stop him from helping Gascoigne. It wanted to stop him from pursuing justice. It was worse than Eileen! At least she believed she was doing the right thing, like Heart.

No. It this isn't irritating, it was an outrage.

Chase grip on his Hunter's Axe tightened. It these former humans would get in his way of helping a real human, then they would be terminated in the name of the greater good.

"Arrghh!" the charging former human shouted. It was large and it was slow, its spear being carried in a shaky fashion…leaving its left side open.

With the Hunter's Axe extended Chase swung his Trick Weapon at the identified weak spot, the axe head burying itself into the monster's side, splitting its torso open, spraying blood onto Chase's new coat.

Still having use for the dying beast, Chase didn't withdraw his axe, instead he swung again, his robotic strength easily lifting the former human, sending its bulk flying into its two partners.

Chase killed a second former human with a head shot, but the final one rose up throwing its spear at Chase.

Space distorted, a whirring sound being made as a Slowdown stopped the spear in slowed time.

Chase pulled the Break Gunner's trigger again watched the blood burst out of his enemies headless stump.

Chase then holstered his weapons and said to himself. "Thanks, Eileen." and ran off.

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Eileen dashed through Central Yharnam's path. Years of Hunting had taught her the how to traverse the broken city, and study during lulls in the Scourge had helped her navigate the rushed infrastructure after the Burning of Old Yharnam.

Take a left. Run passed two streets. Turn into the abandoned house for a shortcut. Throw a knife at the gunman hiding on the second floor. Dodge. Stab the overextended beast with the Trick version of the Blade of Mercy in the face. Exit through the window. And now the final sprint.

Oh, wait, can't forget to stab the infected dogs in the cages.

Using Chase's Hunt as a source of reference it became clear that he must be somewhere near the under part Central Yharnam as Chase cut a swathe of blood through the main streets to the Great Bridge.

Add in his madness and hatred of the Church Gascoigne was most likely trying to find his way into the Cathedral Ward.

If he wasn't going to turn into a beast Eileen would have been tempted to just let him. The Vicar held no interest in establishing any form of order. It was all prayer and blood to them now.

Damn the blood.

Eileen ran passed a house with a functional incense burner with a Lantern near it, she stopped to look at the Lantern. With the Lanterns she could have covered her ground far more quickly. With the blood her ailing bones would be strong again. With the Doll she would never be lonely.

A memory of blood and death. Of her own demise, again and again and again. Of Gehrman's apathetic stare as he talked at her until the Hunt had ended.

I made the right decision. she thought to herself, resolute.

Eileen soon found the elevator that would led her to the Tomb of Oedon. It was positioned in front of a building by the valley that blocked out the incline the city was built on, meaning that it acted as a wall that stopped superhuman Hunters from just jumping down to the shortcut if the elevator was locked.

And, of course, it was locked to Eileen's displeasure. The elevator door blocked by a slab of steel. The elevator itself was most likely on the bottom of the shaft, and the second lever to activate it was purposefully built on the other side. Most likely done to help the Church control the paths to their place of power.

And I thought that I still had time, Eileen mused to herself, shaking her head at her own misplaced optimism.

That meant that she had to take the aqueduct. Hopefully Gascoigne has had to do the same. Give me less trouble.

"Grrrrr…" The grand constant oh Yharnam. It had been too long.

She eyed her marks. Two of the failed Hunters Minions program – thanks Healing Church – and three fallen mob Huntsman who had fallen into the second stage of the Scourge, as always they had found spear like implements to use as weapons.

Eileen already saw victory.

The Minions were the fastest so she would stun them with throwing knives. She'd let the second stage Scourge victims come to her. Going by the tension in the left one it would attack first. If it didn't she would rush, they wouldn't turn down the bait, but they were slow and she was fast…on top of her trump card. She'd attack their arms with the main form of the Blades of Mercy, the pain of dismemberment would give Eileen the time she needed to finish.

Four throwing knives appeared in Eileen's hands as she got into the proper stance.

It went like clockwork.

Four throwing knives embedded themselves into each Hunter's Minions head, blood dripping out of their wounds as they dropped dead. As useless as any Church contribution.

Scenario two happened: All three beasts attacked at once, their pears plunging downwards to crush or impale the Hunter or Hunters.

An amateur assault to the veteran.

With a slick back step Eileen had dodged the spears by a papers width once again. Her right hand then blurred.

Three arms flew into the air, blood gushing from all three beasts bloody stumps, all three followed their instincts and recoiled in pain.

Fortunate that this lots listening to their pain. Eileen, thought. She'd judged there being a sixty-five percent chance that they'd go all in once maimed.

With a glint from the disconnection the Blades of Mercy split into two once again and she stabbed the beasts on the right and the left where their hearts would be and twisted her knives. Riding the momentum Eileen raised her leg using the impaled beasts as support pillars and snap kicked the middle beasts in the head, snapping its neck with her blood granted strength.

Eileen didn't even bother to look at the bodies, and ran off to the nearest entrance to Yharnam's aqueduct.

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Chase raced through the streets of Yharnam, the music box tucked safety in his coat as he scoured the city's broken streets, the buildings enclosed around him as he ran forward. The once-humans and mutated animals would not stop him, he would save Gascoigne.

But he did not know where Gascoigne was, Bronette didn't either, and he couldn't find Viola.

Chase had decided to backtrack, then, he used his maps to trace his path to his starting point in Yharnam then go in the direction he didn't go before.

But still, Eileen was ahead of him.

So that meant that he had to get help.

That was what led him back to Gilbert's flat. It was a long shot, but it was all that Chase had.

The Roidmude knocked on the flat's main window where Gilbert had talked too much last time. Chase heard some ruffling and coughing, right, Gilbert was ill…but it seemed a bit more frantic than last time, had he scared him?

A couple more coughs were heard as the silhouette composed himself. "Another Hunter's run come by? Oh, it's you, Chase. I didn't recognize you with that coat, you actually fit in!"

"You saw another Hunter?" was Chase's quick response, another Hunter was another potential ally in the future. Or even better, he could have seen Gascoigne after their first meeting.

"Yes, I couldn't tell the gender, but the Hunter wore a black costume patterned after a crow, from what I could tell, I think that they ran by twice."

Eileen, he still had time, then. "That was Eileen…she's not important, but my mission right now is,"

"And that mission is?" Gilbert asked.

"I'm looking for another Hunter designated Gascoigne…but the Yharnamites haven't been very cooperative in helping me locate him,"

"Well, isn't that a twist of fate, me and Gascoigne were once hospital mates," Gilbert said.

"Really," Chase said in surprise, glad at his turn of fortune. "How did you meet?"

Gilbert coughed before answering. "It was back when I was first being treated, we met and talked about things, Gascoigne was once a Church Hunter, but transferred to the normal branch after he got married and formed a partnership with old man Henryk. Talked about his wife the most, though."

"Do you know where Gascoigne might be, then? It doesn't matter how vague you think it is, any lead will do."

"I heard that he retired, why would you want to know?"

Better not tell him about Eileen, this seemed like a situation where omitting the truth would be helpful. "Gascoigne rejoined the Hunt tonight and didn't tell his family, his wife went to look for him and her daughter was worried and decided to ask me for help."

"The girl must be very worried to ask someone that looks like you for help," Gilbert agreed. "Well…what would I know about Gascoigne…? Hmmm…let me think, he once told me how he met his wife…it was in the Tomb of Oedon, he defied orders on the Night of the Hunt and saved her from a beast."

Gascoigne was unwell, so he wasn't thinking properly, so it was a good a lead as any. "I think that will be helpful," Chase pulled out his maps. "I can't find the location on my map, do you know a place?"

"Well, there is an elevator near here, but I saw that Hunter double around so the Healing Church must have locked it because it's a shortcut to the Cathedral Ward – that's just like them…but I've heard rumors of another way, take the aqueducts south and you'll be near the Tomb. The entrance is near a smaller bridge, from what I've heard."

"Thank you for everything, Gilbert. I'm sorry for disturbing your rest."

"It was no trouble at all, Chase. It feels nice to actually do something."

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Eileen walked into the door to the aqueduct. Like the rest of Yharnam it was dank and broken down, a carcass infested by parasites but with the unwanted addition of a musky mist rising from the water.

Oh, and a second stage beast Hunter was rushing at her. In the enclosed space it was child's play to sneak past its card and slit its throat. Then deflected a bullet fired from a barrage of beast men, and then retaliating with her own barrage of throwing knives, each projectile scoring a perfect headshot.

Eileen looked at the architecture of Yharnam's aqueduct. The river bellow was drained, it most likely wouldn't even reach Eileen's knees if she dropped down. Still, there was most likely some unpleasant surprise in the water; there always was, so best to keep to the bridges as long as she could.

The floor and walls were made completely from brick, the bridges were lined with statues of women that held lit lanterns, lighting the dank backspace of the city. There were barrels and sandbags lining the walls, a preparation for the worst; Eileen could approve.

Eileen jogged to the other side of the aqueduct using a nearby bridge to get a better look at things her gaze encompassing all like a proper crow should.

As I suspected, there's more corpses than normal. She thought, and then moved on. A few of those horrid crows stabbed later, and Eileen had reached the end of the brick walkways, and jumped down into the drained canal she then ran full speed ahead, having no time to waste on trapped animals content to roll around in the muck.

She raced past all of them, her Blades of Mercy dissuading any threat quick enough to slow her down…and the odd mutant crow.

To her delight she had found the aqueducts collection of zombies to of a lower amount than normal, Gascoigne's work, no doubt. Still, vermin always restocked itself, it gave her no excuse to dally.
Eileen then found two paths in front of her, a tunnel, and ladder.

Which way will be faster tonight? Eileen thought to herself.

The boar charging out of the tunnel decided for her. It was mutated to a grotesque size like every animal infected by the Scourge, it's oily grey skin stretched out to the limit as it let of a war squeal.

Eileen immediately jumped into the air, her leaps trajectory taking her to the ladder.

Should I leave that thing for Chase if he decided to follow? Eileen thought to herself. Gascoigne needed to be put down for everyone's good, and Chase didn't understand that, the ones who believed made the worst mistakes in the beginning, after all.

She knew that from experience.

No.

Eileen leapt down, Blades of Mercy in both hands, with all her strength the daggers came down on the mutant pigs head from above, slicing it into three pieces, letting out two torrents of pig's blood.

Why did she consider that? A Hunter without duty was no Hunter at all, without that they were just killers.

I can never err on my duty. I am the most qualified to be the Hunter of Hunters.

After Eileen climbed out of the aqueduct she quickly located the lever to the elevator that acted as the shortcut to Central Yharnam. Luckily, whoever had blocked the way had only set up the steel door on the other side.

I'll see about removing the door from the inside after Gascoigne. Eileen decided, and walked onwards. She quickly came to the second bridge to the Cathedral Ward, it was a smaller replica of the Great Bridge.

And completely devastated.

For some reason there was a flaming ball smack dab in the middle of the bridge, and everything but it was drenched in blood, body parts having been ripped to pieces and scattered all over the landmark.

Eileen decided to take a closer look.

Too much effort, was her analysis. Whoever had killed the beasts who had set the trap put too much work into desecrating the bodies. After the beasts had been killed they had been chopped into pieces and spread across the bridge painting the landmark with blood. Literally painted it. The culprit had done this to draw out as much blood as they could.

Not too far now.

Two flights of stairs later and Eileen entered the Tomb of Oedon.

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After an altercation with a murder of those obese crows, Chase had finally found the door to an aqueduct. His first sight was a former human with a slit throat. Eileen had been here.

Chase picked up the pace, he needed to hurry.

Besides the corpses of former humans there was nothing of interest in the aqueduct's design to the Roidmude, he needed speed at the moment, not architectural analysis. Chase ran to the edge of the brick pathways until he reached the end, then jumped into the drained river.

A caw called out as one of the obese crows feel out of the rafters, its wings slowing its fall and its beak opened greedily. Chase decided to feed it plasma.

That just brought the rats out the woodwork.

They were bigger than the dogs the former humans always had by their sides, thick and fat, their buck teeth rotten in color, but strong in size. Their frayed fur made them look like parasitic fungi, and in place of eyes there were only tumors.

Chase merely raised his Hunter's Axe and pointed his Break Gunner at them. Animals were refreshing quarry….but there were a lot of them.

Easily solved. A Slowdown was activated as the giant rats were frozen in time and the water around them stopped moving. A bolt of plasma for each rat then followed.

But there were still more. As Chase shot a frozen rat another took its place, luging at him, molars widened.

A blow from his Hunter's Axe ended that and its horrendous head was removed from its body.

Then the dead grasped his legs.

Chase looked down, the corpses in the water had dragged themselves up to him, rotting bodies moaning in pain, as they tried to tighten their grips, the broken bodies to rotten and malnourished to even stand.

Of course, such a pitiful state meant Chase could easily overpower them, a tug of his leg ripping off the zombies arms with barely any effort.

Chase then fired his Break Gunner into the water rapidly in order to purge the dead, while swinging his axe to kill the rats. Then ran deeper into the drained river, his feet kicking up water as he ran.

The sewers denizens were weak, but they were plentiful. They still slowed him down. But finally, after far too long for the Roidmude, he found the shredded corpse of a giant pig in front of a tunnel, and a ladder. The pigs body letting out blood into the water…and something else.

Chase picked a blood vial out of the water. Good Fortune. Gascoigne might be hurt.

The Roidmude decided to take the tunnel, and after a turn down another hallway found himself near a ladder which he climbed op. Having no time to look back, Chase climbed to flights of stairs, and entered the Tomb of Oedon, ready to save Gascoigne.

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Eileen walked into the Tomb of Oedon and saw what she expected.

It was littered with gravestones, along with a few statues that held lanterns, to light the Tomb, the lack of care had caused bushy weeds to spread about the area, and moss to grow on the gnarled trees that favored Yharnam soil. The back of the Tomb had a final flight of stairs that had a gate leading into the Cathedral Ward.

But in the center of the graveyard lied Eileen's mark.

Father Gascoigne was a mountain of a man, covered in leather from head to toe to keep the blood off of himself like any good Hunter should. His old Church Hunter coat making him cut an even more looming figure. His size and muscle being a great asset in culling Yharnam's beasts. To make himself even more imposing he wore a wide-brimmed black hat over his head, and as was practice, his eyes were bandaged to help him keep his clarity of mind.

But Gascoigne's actions had shown that he had failed; he had fallen to the beasts.

He was hacking a corpse of a beast with his axe, over and over again, the act of letting the blood flow enticing him more than the violence. He was long gone.

Gascoigne looked up from his desecration, and looked the Eileen, and smiled with his fanged mouth. "Ah, Eileen, it's good to see you, I can use some help, beasts were all over the shop, I need to find my Viola, before we join them…but you already knew that, didn't you?" His voice promised violence and death.

Eileen was silent, beasts did not need to hear human tongue. Her Blades of Mercy were already drawn as she prepared to strike.

Gascoigne was faster, his Hunter's Axe was ready to meet Eileen's blades. She evaded the weapon by a hair's breadth, taking into account its extended state. Now close to Gascoigne pointed his shotgun at Eileen face and fired at pointblank range. "BANG!"

The slug rocketed out of the gun barrel, the spray forcing Eileen to duck, if it was a slower Hunter Gascoigne's trap would have worked.

Sadly, whatever was left of Gascoigne knew that as well, he was already swinging his Hunter's Axe down onto Eileen's head, but Eileen's body twirled, legs shooting upwards, kicking Gascoigne backwards as Eileen regained her stance, both Blades of Mercy unfurled in her hands.

"Her blood song told me that me that we'd all become beasts, soon enough," Gascoigne clenched his teeth. "But you already knew that, didn't you, Hunter of Hunters?"

I'm sorry, my friend, Eileen thought to herself, the man he was deserved that much, to be remembered by his killer.

"You'd kill a friend? I have to kill them all. Avenge her! Avenge Viola! You won't stop me, killer!" Gascoigne's roar was one of rage and heartbreak as he raised his shotgun and fired once again.

Eileen saw the bullets path before Gascoigne even fired, she was already of its trajectory and closing in on her lost comrade, blades positioned not to shine in the setting sun.

But one did not become a Hunter without skill, Gascoigne was ready for his gun to fail him, his axe already swinging to force Eileen away. She merely jumped over the attack and behind the fallen Hunter ready to stab him in the back only to find Gascoigne's shotgun pointed at her mask once more.

As Gascoigne fired his weapon and Eileen dodged to the side and threw a knife that embedded itself into Gascoigne's breast, past his guard, though the leather outfit tempered the blade.

Throughout the exchange, a plan formed in Eileen's mind as she tested Gascoigne's capabilities, the path to victory forming.

There were sparks on the ground as Gascoigne charged forward his Hunter's Axe scraping the ground as he built up momentum. He then swung upwards Eileen managing to flip out of the way, landing on top of a tombstone, throwing knives ready, she let eight knives sail through the Tomb. Gascoigne knew that he couldn't dodge all of them after overextending, so instead he dived into a roll, his coat lessening the damage as knives dug into the leather, and he himself wasn't done, letting loose one last round from his shot gun. The bullet aimed at Eileen's chest, the Hunter of Hunter's diving off her perch as well, entering a roll of her own to close the distance Blades of Mercy once again in hand ready to cut her prey open.

…Only for Gascoigne to kick one of the statues in her direction, so great was his strength. It forced her to impale her Blades of Mercy into it too stop the stone, using her own, superhuman strength, Eileen held up the stonework. Eileen then used the statue to block Gascoigne's next shotgun splay, the stone cracking as the bullet hit.

As Eileen lowered her statue impaled knives to regain her line of vision she saw Gasgcione right in front of her, Hunter's Axe raised overhead and extended, fanged mouth fixed into a joyous grin. "Sing for me, Eileen!" he shouted as he brought his weapon down.

Only for the statue covered Blades of Mercy to meet the axehead head on, shattering the stone into dust as the blades crossed, Gascoigne dreadful might working against him. The Trick Weapon fusing back together, the larger weapon parrying the slowed axe, the single blade soaring further passed the mad Hunter's guard, slicing his chest, letting the blood spray onto Eileen's uniform as the two Hunter's ran past one another from the exchange.

Gascoigne raged at his wound. Abandoning his shot gun in favor of a forward charge, rampaging forward. Eileen merely jumped into the air, throwing a barrage of knives each hitting the mad Hunter, drawing blood as she landed in one of the Tomb of Oedon's gnarled trees.

Gascoigne was no longer deterred by pain and continued his charge, Hunter's Axe held in both hands as he cut in the tree in two in a single swing.

Eileen was not concerned. Checkmate. She thought

In a downward stab, Eileen's blades impaled themselves instead Gascoigne's shoulders, blood spraying wildly, her arms wrapped around her fallen comrade, trapping him into a lock for the death blow as her Blades of Mercy snaked towards her prey's neck.

"Die a man, Gascoigne!" Eileen shouted in her victory.


"No! Eileen!" Chase's deep voice called out, and then the world shifted.

The area around Eileen blurred, the tombstone's bubbling her muscles locking up, slurred like a drunk. She could move better than those beasts Chase had used the time slowing technique on, but her killing blow took precision and concentration; the cornerstone of her fighting style, her grapple, which were now broken.

Even worse, in this position her trump card was useless. She couldn't escape from the scenario Chase had created.

All Gascoigne needed was brute force. With a surge of strength he broke Eileen's lock. Though slowed like herself, his desperation made him faster than the Hunter of Hunters.

His fist impacted onto her face and then his axe drew her blood.

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Chase walked into the Tomb of Oedon. There were only so many ways a machine could describe Yharnam's lost glory, but Chase found the Tomb to be especially grim. Fitting its name the Tomb was littered with gravestones planted with haste. There were gnarled trees covered with green moss growing out of the grave soil.

And Eileen about to kill Gascoigne. An ill man about to be murdered.

There was no time for thought. "No! Eileen!" Chase activated a Slowdown the warped time spreading out across the Tomb of Oedon and centralizing around the murderous Hunters.

Like the Cleric Beast before them the two were slowed, but could still move. Eileen had lost her coordination.

Gascoigne hadn't. His fist impacted her crow mask, and his axe found his way into her side spraying blood across a broken tree.

Thanks to the Slowdown Chase got to see Eileen split open in excruciating detail.

The Roidmude instantly regretted his choice.

"Eileen!" He ran over to the Hunter of Hunter's still form, he removed her mask revealing her dark skin and wizened face, reaching into his coat to get out a spare blood vial – the one he thought Gascoigne would need -- he began to move it towards her mouth.

She batted the life liquid away. "You fool! Drinking it is unsafe, use an injector!"

Oh, that made more sense. "I don't have one with me,"

"Then use mine. It's on the right pouch! Hurry!"

Chase found the blood injector and put the blood vial inside it and pointed the needle to Eileen's arm…then stopped.

Instead he got out the music box. "If you're well enough to shout, then you can last long enough," a callous remark, but Eileen clearly wasn't interested in saving Gascoigne. "You're methods are unneeded. I have a better solution."

Then Chase played the music box.

It played its melody and Gascoigne clutched his head, "I…I…what am I doing?" he mumbled to himself.

It was working. His methods were correct, lethal force was unneeded. Chase walked closer to Gascoigne. "You are unwell. Go to sleep, I will handle your duties for the night."

"No! Finish me before the song runs out!"

"That will not be needed. You are human. I don't kill humans."

Chase played the music box again, Gascoigne clutched his head tighter, blood seeping from his skull.

'No! Stop! Please stop! I don't want to-!" His nails dug into his skull even further, silencing himself.

"Do not hurt yourself, once you are calm I will find a doctor for you."

Chase played the music box a third time.

"I-I, I remember. I'm sorry, Viola."

Gascoigne couldn't handle the truth, and a horrifying transformation took place. The Hunter doubled in size, black fur exploded from his body covering Gascoigne from head to toe, his arms becoming long and familiar looking with fingers armed with primal claws along with his feet which became lupine in shape. Gascoigne's hat and bandages were ripped off his head face as he transformed, revealing something not quite human with its white, empty eyes, and drooling snout.

The beast that was once Gascoigne looked at Chase with its pitch black fur, and its torn clothes, and without a second thought, smashed Chase with its clawed hands, cutting his armor and drawing blood once again, sending the Roidmude flying into the air, twice in one night.

Chase landed on the Tomb's second floor, the impact rattling his exoskeleton.

Chase let out a groan of pain as he looked at his once again bleeding body. What was he going to do now? Eileen was wounded thanks to him, and Gascoigne was now worse…. thanks to him.

Chase felt the rage build up again, but this time the feeling was going in a different direction, this time it was anger at himself.

But why? He had done the right thing; he had pursued the justice programmed into him.

That thought just made Chase angrier.

"I'll just have to find Viola, then. Bretonne's father might be…gone, but I can still return their mother."

Chase then saw a glint to his side, it was the corpse of a women, sharing his perch, the bleeding gash on her breast implying her to be one of Gascoigne's victims…and there was a red brooch on her chest.

"Oh, oh no. Eileen was right." Were the only words Chase could speak at the revelation.

Chase didn't know what to feel anymore. It was all too much, but it felt like he felt nothing at the same time.

"What is this world?" Not even Medic could bring herself to hurt Heart. Banno was evil, but this? It all made no sense, it was sick.

How could you kill the women you loved? Love was the proof of being human, right?

Such answers did not come, but Gascoigne did, easily making the jump to the second floor, he was quickly upon the downed Hunter, his form blurring from pure speed, fists clenched and raised for a death blow roaring from his fanged maw, spittle of drool spraying from his mouth.

"ARRGHHH!!!" he cried like the Cleric Beast before him, only swifter and more terrible.

Desperate, Chase activated his Slowdown for the second time in the fight, the whir of slowed time surrounding the both of them.

Gascoigne was still far too fast, quicker than ever before, Chase drew the Break Gunner, and fired frantically, straight into the beast's face. Luckily, Gascoigne wasn't as durable as the Cleric Beast and the plasma and the former human's balance took effect, he was sent flying back, his fur burning as he exited the slowed time.

Chase picked up his Hunter's Axe and he entered the fray, firing the Break Gunner to keep up the pressure, but like a leaf in the wind, Gascoigne dodged every bold of plasma with his blurred form, slinking behind the tombstones for cover and soon vanished from sight, even from Chase's perch.

Predict his movements, like Eileen said to do, the advice came easier to him now. How does an animal Hunt?

"Behind me!" Chase shouted to himself as he activated a Slowdown behind him, the telltale sound of time slowing was heard, as well as a slurred roar.

"Arrrrrrgggggghhhhh!" He was now so fast that he climbed to the second floor without anyone seeing him.

Chase extended his Hunter's Axe and swung with all his might the axe digging itself into Gascoigne mid-lunge.

But even slowed Gascoigne was still too fast, he had built up too much momentum, his form was still blurred from speed. The Hunter's Axe only hit Gascoigne's side, he tackled Chase to the ground, back to the graveyard.

The blow sounded and felt like a bomb exploding at point blank range as Chase tasted blood on his lips again as he lost his grip on his axe.

Pinned to the ground by Gascoigne, the former human's claws extended, his burned muzzle twisting in what could remind a man of anticipation. Chase raised his Break Gunner in retaliation only for Gascoigne to smash his gun arm to the ground. The other arm flailed out wildly, searching for something, anything, to ward of Gascoigne.

Chase found his foe's old axe, he took it, swinging it with all his might, Gascoigne tried to use his other arm to pin the weapon, but the sharp edge drew blood, dissuading that solution.

Chase saw Gascoigne clutch his cut hand in pain like what a human would do, and for a moment, he thought he saw the former human as a proper human.

Don't think. Fight! He told himself as he rose again, as Chase swung Gascoigne's own axe into his chest, rational thought abandoned for survival.

Gascoigne backed away, his speed helping lessen the blow, but it didn't matter, Chase decided the tempo now.

Chase swung Gascoigne's axe at its former owner again and again, each time drawing blood, but frustratingly, Gascoigne always dodged just enough to not make it a killing blow.

But that didn't matter. The path was simple and clear before Chase, he would crush Gascoigne with his superior might.

Their fight took them to another gnarled tree. Pointless. Power would crush the former human. Don't think about it.

That was a mistake. Chase should have stopped and thinked. A nimble beast like Gascoigne quickly climbed the tree to safety, Chase's attack downing the tree instead. As the plant fell Gascoigne used it as a springboard to drop kick Chase. This time knocking both his weapons out of his hands as his stomach armor cracked.

Gascoigne twisted his pawed foot, to immobilize Chase, his right claw raised, ready for the kill.

For a second, Chase thought he saw Gascoigne as a human again. A transformation in reverse. Don't think about that.

"Oh, that's why I didn't think about it, Eileen."

"Bang!"

Something hit Gascoigne in the back of his head sending the former human flying off of Chase.

The Roidmude turned his head and saw Eileen, struggling to stand, ignoring her bleeding side, as she held Gascoigne's shotgun in the other hand, the barrel smoking.

"Foolish child," she barked out. "Flesh or metal, they never learn!"

As Gascoigne rose again to fight the two Hunters, Eileen fired the shotgun again, this time aimed at his stomach. As the bullet hit Gascoigne's damaged body finally gave in after all his battles, his stomach splitting open, blood red innards bursting out.

The former human was rendered invalid. He couldn't stand anymore, but still he struggled, drowning in his own blood, all for the slimmest chance to hurt the two of them.

Chase looked at Gascoigne's bestial face, a portion of the flesh had been blown off. White chips poked out of the bloody flesh, but the snout still managing to growl, the eyes still shining with the desire to harm others.

Chase looked at Eileen, she was old for a human, she looked older than even the Chief, with her wrinkled skin and greying hair, but despite her wounds, her pain and exhaustion she stood strong, with purpose, conviction, determination, duty. Just like the Special Division did. All to save him from his own folly.

He watched Eileen cock the gun one last time, ready to accept his own responsibility. Terminate him.

"No." he decided. "I'll kill Gascoigne. I'll kill the beast." Not the former human.

"Don't think about bloodying your hands tonight, Chase. Killing a beast, you knew as a human is a horrible experience. I have to do it; so no one else has too."

Chase raised the Break Gunner at the dying beast. "I erred and made error. I have to take responsibility for my mistake. I took away his death as a human. I must do the right thing."

Chase's finger began to push the Break Gunner's trigger back. "I'm sorry, Gascoigne."

For a second Chase thought he saw Gascoigne as a human again.

A foolish thought, beasts were no longer human. He pulled the trigger before Eileen did, ending Gascoigne's misery in a shower of blood.

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Eileen walked up to Chase, fully healed through a blood injection, her mask back on her face, her uniform sewed back up.

The metal man had returned to his weaker, human guise, having found a shovel to begin digging graves for Gascoigne and Viola.

"Can I help?" she asked, showing her own shovel.

"You don't have to waste your time on my ineptitude," he said, his face blank and without emotion. Was he being self-deprecating, or did he really believe that?

"I insist. It's my duty to respect the dead." She began digging a second grave plot.

"Just duty? I was taught that humans should care, that humans should be good, that humans are inherently good. That they try and they'll eventually succeed." Chase jammed his shovel into the ground with too much force.

"I wish I lived wherever you came from. Caring will kill a Hunter on a night like this. Duty is all I have to give." Eileen finished her plot. "As for succeeding, well, you've seen our fair city."

Chase walked over to Viola's corpse and carried her remains over to her final resting place. "Then what should I believe in, Eileen? Tell me!" Chase's stoic face twisted into one of rage. "I'm supposed to protect humans, not put their remains in the ground! It was what I was designed to be! It's all I can do! A copy of a copy! A fake man!"

Eileen wondered if she should end Chase now, those types of speeches never led to good places.

It was how she joined the Dream after all.

Then Eileen saw something in Chase's eye.

No, he was too human to kill as a liability. It wasn't her duty as Hunter of Hunters.

She hoped that it never would be.

Eileen put her hand on Chase's shoulder. "I don't think what you believe in is pointless, boy. It keeps you going, doesn't it? That makes it worth something. My duty's been with me for decades, it's why I can care…when it matters. Believe in that justice of yours, no matter what. It might be all you have to help you see tomorrow."

"Thank you,"

Soon, the two finished the graves, and Chase had one final question. "What do I do with Bretonne?"

Eileen didn't have an answer to that one.

 

[Wheenesss]

I feel like Chase reacted a bit too violently to the idea of killing a human. I'm not saying he wouldn't be against it, I just feel like his usual stoicism broke too quickly.

I also feel like soon Chase's hypocrisy is going to be pointed out. He abhors the idea of killing a human, but showed no problem killing his own kind in canon. Granted, the Roidmudes he killed deserved it.

Is a human life worth more to him than a Roidmude life? Probably. That's how he was programmed and he can't really help that

 

[The Zog]

First, thanks for the feedback, I'm going into unknown waters here so the honesty is refreshing.

I feel like Chase reacted a bit too violently to the idea of killing a human. I'm not saying he wouldn't be against it, I just feel like his usual stoicism broke too quickly.

Click to shrink...

I did wonder if that break was too soon, but I decided to take the gamble here. But remember Chase's new found anger issues, him already having anger issues when he doesn't know what to do, him already losing his shit before, his view of morality getting sent through a whirl by Eileen, and projecting Kiriko and Gou onto the crisis, something like this happening is not unprecedented and has been foreshadowed since the first chapter.

I also feel like soon Chase's hypocrisy is going to be pointed out. He abhors the idea of killing a human, but showed no problem killing his own kind in canon. Granted, the Roidmudes he killed deserved it.

Is a human life worth more to him than a Roidmude life? Probably. That's how he was programmed and he can't really help that

Click to shrink...

Don't worry, that will be explored. If you're familiar with Bloodborne then you might know the guy I'm thinking off.

 

[The Zog]

Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider or Bloodborne

Here's my Christmas present to everyone who bothered to read this. I hope I can get feedback as presents in turn.

Chapter 5: Malpractice

Children. What do you do with children? Eileen thought to herself. Hunters rarely gave birth, there was just no time for that sort of thing. She'd never thought about potential loved ones her marks may have had; it was a necessity of the job. Children were a thing that she knew existed, but never thought about.

She fiddled with Gascoigne's shotgun on her belt in thought – she was running low on knives and Gascoigne had enough ammunition left over.

Chase moved his face to meet her mask's eye holes, his own face having regained his blank expression after his outburst. "What about your home? Could Bretonne stay at your residence?"

Something more familiar, good. Eileen shook her head. "No. My home doesn't have an incense burner. It's a symbol of commitment to Hunters."

"Then is the Dream an acceptable substitute? It might be the best option, it's been the safest place in Yharnam,"

"Forward thinking, but that idea won't work. Only people with a contract can enter the Dream."

Eileen could have sworn that the metal man's lips began to form the beginnings of a frown. "Then what about the Healing Church? We could approach the theocracy for aid, those humans couldn't turn down a child."

That was it! How could she forget the obvious? Falling victim to tunnel vision, utterly shameful…but best to play it cool. Have Chase perceive the image of a senior. "Do I detect a hint of doubt? You're learning. But your theory isn't completely foolish, I think I might know a place near here in the Cathedral Ward that could shelter the girls when night falls."

Chase expression completely became a frown at her words. "So Gascoigne had two children…just like he did. Why didn't Bretonne tell me?"

"It's not easy to trust a man you meet on the street in this town, especially the figure you cut in your armor. Bretonne must have been desperate to gamble on you."

"Right, too many beasts, here." Chase agreed, then turned to the gate. "The safe house is in the Cathedral Ward, should one of us destroy the lock?"

"Don't destroy metalwork without abandon, they have a purpose." Eileen lectured her successor. "The beasts are violent but stupid, they only react to flesh and blood, a metal gate can't catch their attention and confuses them. It's a barrier of humanity."

"And you have a solution?"

Eileen pulled out a key from her pouch. "You are growing wiser, Chase," she said, mirth in her voice. "Gascoigne had this key on him, and its design matches the gate on the second floor."

"Then let's go, we can't waste any more time."

"The Lantern first, Chase." Eileen said, pointing to the unlit Lantern in the Tomb, a gate to the Hunter's Dream.

After Chase had lit the Lantern, the two Hunters moved in tandem, Eileen a step ahead of Chase as they left the freshly dug graves and climbed the stairs. They both walked in front of the locked gate, Eileen inserted the key into its keyhole, turning it, unlocking the gate. With a push of superhuman strength from the Hunter of Hunters the gates tilted open, the space big enough for the two of them. They walked through the dim hallway in front of them, pass the walls lined with coffins, it was still a tomb, after all.

Silently through the dark, the two Hunters climbed through what looked like a small sitting room. Chase and Eileen noticed a rather large chest unlocked in the corner of the room. The Roidmude opened it, and found a strange device inside it.

"The Blood Gem Tool," Eileen explained. "You can use it to further enhance weapons in the Dream. How could Gehrman lose it?"

After Chase put the device into his coat, the two climbed up a ladder to the Cathedral Ward.

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The two Hunters walked out into a chapel, Eileen still ahead of Chase. The Roidmude looked around, examining the building. It was vital to see if it was up to a certain standard; children would have to stay here, they could be delicate, from what Chase understood.

He had stayed in churches before during his time as the Shinigami, but they hadn't been very grandiose due to promoting Christianity in Japan, they were painted white and were big enough to hold a sermon. This place of worship actually reminded Chase of his old pit stops. It was small in size, but wide in scope to let people pray, there was a glass window in the front of the chapel, which showed the setting sun, it seemed to have lowered.

In terms of differences Chase noticed the color. Like the stone walls below the chapel was made from dark stone, Chase also wasn't quite familiar with the aesthetic of the statues as he knew nothing of Yharnam's religious beliefs besides negative offhand comments and a worship of supernatural blood, so it was to be expected.

Eileen had little need to analyze and walked up to a space surrounded by pots that spilled out a mist of incense throughout the chapel, she glared at the empty space and let out another hateful sound.

Chase felt a cold chill once again, "What's the problem now?" Did that sound sardonic?

"The caretaker is gone," his senior explained. "An odd man, but a good one, you would have liked him…but in spite of the incense he's not here."

"Maybe he needed to go out to do something? There doesn't seem to have been a struggle." He had a logical argument and even he didn't believe it.

"The caretaker was far too old and far too unhealthy to leave his chapel, there wouldn't be a struggle if he was taken." Eileen casually disproved his theory.

Chase looked at the empty spot surrounded by pots, if Eileen wasn't here he wouldn't have thought that anything was out of place in the chapel. "So this place isn't safe."

"And with all this incense our new foe isn't a beast," Eileen pointed out.

"Another Hunter on his way to becoming a beast, then?"

"No. Things would have been far bloodier."

"So criminal activity?" Chase tossed out his next theory.

"I guess that's a word for whoever did this. People who commit crimes on the Night of the Hunt are never your normal brigands. This bodes badly for us."

"You don't think Gascoigne's daughters will be safe here?"

"No. I don't. We need a new plan. We'll split up, cover more ground. Since you're unfamiliar with the Cathedral Ward I'll search for a new safe house here, while you investigate Central since you've lit all the Lanterns. We'll meet up at Gascoigne's house to do the escort." Eileen ordered.

Chase frowned, an expression that was becoming easier and easier to perform which he had begun to notice. While he was on a time limit he didn't want to separate from Eileen, she was quick and decisive, having orders -- a directive to follow besides his programming -- from someone was a calming experience.

"I understand. I'll follow your plan on this. Good luck, Eileen…you're my friend. Be careful."

"So sentimental. Don't worry about me. Good Hunting, Chase."

"Wait, do you know how to talk to children?" Chase asked, almost begged.

Eileen almost seemed taken back, "Smile?" she suggested.

Chase created the human expression. His lips forced themselves upward, making a cracking sound along the way as his smile became a minor horror as it twisted into its contorted shape the upturned lips created a hollow form without meaning.

"Never do that again." Eileen said far too quickly.

"I understand." Chase said just as quickly.

"Just…improvise."

With a nod from Eileen which Chase mimicked, the two Hunters went their separate ways as Eileen left Oedon Chapel and Chase was spirited away to the Dream by the Lantern.

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Chase opened his eyes to see the Hunter's Dream once again, the familiar melancholy of the Workshop, the graves, and the moon in the sky surrounding him, the Doll standing by the incline, patiently waiting.

Given that time was of the essence, the Doll would have to wait, despite his promise. Chase ran passed her and up the stairs to his mentor's home.

He found Gehrman scribbling something onto a piece of paper on his desk…it looked like a firearm of some kind. The old man felt the Hunter's presence and put down the quill he was writing with. "Welcome back, Chase. How did that personal endeavor of yours go?" he asked as he turned to face him.

"First, I found this device," Chase said, putting the Blood Gem Tool onto Gehrman's desk.

"Ah, I wondered where that went," Gehrman mused. "I'll set it up for you to use. But I take it that finding this trinket isn't all that happened?"

"Everything went poorly." Chase admitted. "No one wanted to talk, and I had a disagreement with Eileen over Gascoigne…he fell to the Scourge and I made…errors." There was the shame again. "Both of us are focusing on finding a place to transfer his daughters for their own safety."

"I never knew much about that Hunter, but the tragedy has my condolences; most don't have children for such reasons. But a safe place for children…have you heard of Oedon Chapel?

"It was Eileen's first recommendation. We went there and found that the caretaker has gone missing."

Gehrman looked up and let out a long, weary sigh. "This will be a very dark night."

"I've been learning that, but I can still fight how dark it will be."

Gehrman folded his arms, lowering his head in thought, before speaking. "Chase, how about you take a break? Entertain yourself with the Doll? I know that you made a promise to speak to it again."

"It will have to be broken. I can't leave children alone."

Gehrman smirked. "Such a straightforward view. You are in a Dream. Time is a suggestion here. No time will pass in Yharnam while you rest. Enjoy the benefits before you run yourself ragged."

"Didn't you say I should decide my own Hunt?" Chase pointed out.

"And is it wrong to listen to your mentor? At least use your Blood Echoes, son."

"Y-you see me as your apprentice?" Chase asked, shock creeping into his monotone.

"Why wouldn't I? It's my duty to guide the Hunter of the Dream."

"I guess I can spare a few minutes. Thank you, Gehrman." Chase said and walked away from his mentor to see the Doll.

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Chase walked up to the Doll, and spoke first once again. "I've come to see you again as I've promised."

The Doll politely bowed to him. "I'm happy that you decided to keep your promise so soon, good Hunter." The Doll made a motion with her hands, and the Messengers burrowed out of the ground around her. "I've had the little ones be out and about, searching for things to help you on your Hunt. They've found you some blood vials."

"Thank you for your kindness. I almost didn't," Chase admitted as he took the vials as well as an injecter from the Messengers.

"Why is that?" the Doll asked, curious.

"Things went wrong on my Hunt, another Hunter contracted the Scourge, I made a…error. My comrade, Eileen, was wounded…and I decided that I needed to accept responsibility for failure. I killed Gascoigne."

"It sounds like you were up to some dreadful business with your fellow humans."

"Only Eileen, and we've fixed things. Gascoigne wasn't human anymore; he was a beast."

"How did your disagreement with Eileen start? You can tell me, when other Hunter's talked about what ailed their spirits they felt better afterwards. You don't have to worry," the Doll held Chase's hand with her own, the Roidmude's hand perfectly mimicking human flesh with its warmth and a sense of touch. In contrast, the Doll's hand felt like carved wood with no heat from the body to signify life in Chase's hand. "I will listen to whatever troubles you, it's a way to help humans." She finished, looking him in the eyes, they looked far more human. Chase decided to talk.

"I refused to accept that Gascoigne was…gone. That he was a beast, not a human. It didn't make sense, what he did until I realized that. I never encountered a human doing something like that while I was with the police, except one." Banno.

"And what atrocity did Gascoigne perform to freeze your blood so? You have been skipping words." was the Doll's observation.

"He…murdered his wife." Chase spoke the words his lips turning downwards into a frown.

"Oh," the Doll put her hands to her mouth in horror. "That is very ghastly. But didn't you say that you were a lawman? I would have expected a human like yourself to be more accepting of such tragedy." She admitted.

What did she mean by that? "I didn't work with the police for very long and they were all special cases," Chase admitted, all of the cases he had helped the Special Investigation with always involved Roidmudes in the end.

"But you still haven't heard of such similar crimes during your time with the constabulary? Given your success on the Hunt and your stoicness I will admit that I've made assumptions."

Chase thought back, there was one case he had participated in with a similar tragedy back when he was the Shinigami to the Roidmudes. "There was one case, there was a celebrity that a had stalker and the unit had to guard her. The original suspect was a disturbed fan but he turned out to be already arrested by a different officer. The next suspect became her ex-boyfriend who she had broken up with and had gone missing.

"But it turned out that he was dead. The celebrity turned out to be suicidal and when she tried to commit suicide by the ocean he tried to stop her, the struggle ended with him falling in and drowning instead. She couldn't accept what she had done and deluded herself into forgetting what she did. But the past isn't so easily buried, the new stalker saw the crime and decided to take the law into her own hands to prove the accidental crime."

That was the parts that resonated with Gascoigne incident to Chase, at least. No need to tell the parts about the Roidmudes, that Chase was one, or how the case also ended with him brainwashed again by Medic.

Remembering that made Chase clench his fist.

"Well, you don't want to hear such dreadful talk. How was the coat I gave you?" the Doll effortlessly changed topics.

"I didn't get to appreciate it; the Hunt became a rush…but looking back, it did keep the blood off of my body, and it was useful when I jumped into the aqueduct. So in hindsight, thank you for the gift." Chase then pulled the sides of the trench coat, sending the back out billowing.

The Doll's smiled. "You've learnt your first pose."

"And that's cause for celebration?"

"It must be another Doll thing. Whenever I see a Hunter do that for the first time I feel so happy."

Chase furrowed his brow in thought. He knew something similar, it was a quirk, like the Special Division members had, or maybe a hobby. "I don't think it's because you're a Doll, I've seen other humans with their own eccentricities."

The Doll looked at Chase with amazement. "You mean…that it's almost human?"

Chase's frown tightened. "I think it is. We could talk about it later, go over the evidence, figure things out."

The Doll bowed. "Thank you, good Hunter, for teaching me about humans. Oh, do you wish to awaken more power as well?"

Chase thought back to all the things he slayed in his rush to save Gascoigne…and the end result of his Hunt.

"Do it."

"Imagine the form once more, Chase."

What should it be this time? A stronger shell to weather damage? Speed like Eileen? Or more power? Power like Gascoigne had.

Chase made his decision.

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Getting back into the Cathedral Ward was a familiar experience to Eileen. The place of the Healing Church's power was better kept than the main city of Yharnam. With more impressive architecture, better planned buildings, and more stone was used to build its buildings and road than wood or dirt. But that still wasn't saying much. There was an overproliferation of the statues of crying women that the Church favored in their designs, plants sent to the Ward had died before their time, leaving only the ever-present gnarled trees, every inch of the city still had a layer of grime over it, and the stonework had been prematurely worn down by the Hunt.

And, of course, despite closing their doors early the Cathedral Ward's streets were filled with victims of the Scourge; lycanthropes all in differing stages of degradation, all which Eileen had encountered had been cut down by her. Either the Healing Church had failed, there had been an internal outbreak, or it was all their fault. Eileen was partial to her fourth theory: all of the above.

At the very least she hadn't been stalled by the Church's bio-weapons. They most likely were trained to attack anything in leather or got off their leashes again knowing the Night of the Hunt.

Eileen soon found her first house with an incense burner and knocked on the door. "Hello!" she shouted. "Can you spare a moment to speak with me?"

No answer. Unsurprising. Eileen knocked again "Please! This is important!" After another knock and call for help, Eileen stepped back and looked at the window. It was lit from the inside, so was she being ignored?

Looking deeper into the window Eileen could see no signs of a human being.

Eileen inhaled. You better be thankful, Chase, she thought, and punched the door open. Eileen entered the apartment…and found no one inside. The bed was made, the pantry was stocked with edible food, and by Eileen's observation, there was nothing out of place. A perfectly livable house with lit candles, working incense, and no one living in it.

Just like Oedon Chapel, Eileen thought to herself as she checked the lock. It didn't seem to be tampered with.

Still, the lack of evidence of a struggle painted a dark picture; the Cathedral Ward might be even more unsafe than the rest of Yharnam.

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Let it be known that there are Hunters of beasts, and Hunters of men. Besides the ethical distinction of their quarry there was another distinction that should be noted. Those who Hunted beasts patrolled the streets, those that Hunted humans stalked the rooftops to better track their prey through the urban jungle.

That was where two of these illegal Hunters stood in the Cathedral Ward, slinking above the deserted streets to fill their quota for the ambitions of the School of Mensis…and their own.

Clad in the ragged black cloaks, black tunics, black gloves, and black boots, and their black hoods covering helmets that resembled a knight's visor and they easily managed to look shiftier than Yharnam's normal Hunters. The two stood vigilantly on the roof tops, taking a brief respite from their patrol.

The first, slightly taller than his partner, was armed with a Rifle Spear as his main weapon; a bayonet taken to the next level of lethality as it could be used as a proper spear as well as a firearm. His second weapon was a more normal rifle, designed for a longer range than most guns.

He spoke, his voice a higher pitch than one would suspect. "Hey, Maurice, you ever wonder wh-?"

"No." Maurice immediately cut him off, his deeper voice contrasting with his partner and his thinner build. "I don't wonder why we're here. Your inept attempts at levity fail to account that repetition and poor timing ruins any jape." Maurice pointed his mace, the Tonitrus, at his partner. "Don't interrupt my thoughts like that again, Robert."

"Then what are we going to talk about, Maurice?" Robert asked his partner.

"The same thing we talk about every night, Robert: meeting our quota."

"And we've been running into problems with that; even I can tell that the Cathedral Ward is emptier than we anticipated thanks to that brute." Robert grumbled, arms petulantly folded.

Maurice lifted his right arm to look at his new makeshift wooden shield, that freak had cut his proper steel shield in half. "I know, Robert."

"Did you know speaking to the Crow was a bad idea?"

"A miscalculation. How could I have known that savage was uninterested in the School's protection?"

"That they liked to cut people up?"

"A calculated risk! If they accepted we could have taken the credit for gaining some new blood for the School…And if we were wrong, it was an opportunity to test the mettle of the opposition."

"Did you plan for testing the waters to involve almost being gored through the face with an eccentric's Cainhurst weapon?" Robert shot back.

"…A greater miscalculation than anticipated, I assure you. Tonight will be successful."

"Is anyone in Yharnam ever successful at anything, Maurice?"

"We are, Robert. We have power, advanced weapons, a home, three square meals a day, and we don't have to kill the beasts to get it, just drag in some dead weight to the Unseen Village."

"I thought you once said that we got initiated into Mensis' higher echelons we'd be successful because then we wouldn't have to do real work anymore?" Robert corrected his partner.

"You wouldn't, Robert. I have more sophisticated goals." Maurice refuted.

"Sophisticated as the boss' headgear?" Robert sniped back.

Before Maurice could correct his partner's foolishness he saw something black run across the streets below. "Well I'll be," he mused. "It's the Hunter of Hunters." He narrowed his eyes in observation to examine his new target, Robert doing the same.

"You think she's here for the Crow?" Was Robert's first guess. Acceptable, but most likely incorrect given her path and abnormal behavior.

"No. She's checking the empty houses with incense burners for some reason."

Maurice watched the Hunter of Hunters knock on the door to the building he stood on's window, the candles burning untouched and the incense flowing thanks to his skills at extraction. Eventually, after multiple attempts to gain the attention of a non-existent residence, the Hunter of Hunters broke down the door and would enter to find nothing.

"And is willing to break in. How out of character for a person of her reputation." Maurice felt a smirk forming on his lips. "Robert, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"

"That this is going to be one of those nights?" Robert said.

"No! I have a plan to meet our quota! Get the wires and net! We're laying a trap."

"Oh. Oh! I think I'll like this."

The two Hunters jumped across the rooftops to begin their plans. The dreaded hunters of Yahar'gul would not be denied their prey.

Chase's hunt for a safehouse throughout Central had gone rather poorly. Either a person refused to answer his pleas, was sick and unfit to watch a child, or flat out ignored him, even people who at the very least were willing to tell him to leave before. His misfortune continued whenever he prospected an abandoned building to see if it was defensible or acceptable to make into a safehouse. The buildings and hidey-holes Chase had found either couldn't meet his standards or held unwanted offenders hidden inside, dissuading him from seeing them as a safe place to put children.

Chase looked at the scar mark on his Violet Guard breastplate from a Scourge Beast that had surprised him. An ugly reminder that this was a Hunt, not a normal mission. He then thought over his next move as he checked his maps. He hadn't checked the lower half of Central yet, where he had first awakened in Yharnam, hopefully there was something there.

Chase soon entered the place where he had first awakened in this dystopic city. He remembered the rotting wood, the graves littering the front yard, the makeshift hospital bed he awoke upon, the setting sun from the window. Chase stopped himself, the memories of his earlier confidence as he left the building to join the Hunt returning to him…he didn't like that feeling. I wish I knew what was awaiting me here. were Chase's thoughts to the now tainted memories.

Then he caught sight of an arrow painted on the wall. Was that there before? If it wasn't, that meant someone had moved in. Chase followed the path the arrow presented and came upon a double door releasing a thick mist of incense from its hinges.

He saw something move up to the doors windows. Thanks to the broken glass, for the first time Chase could see glimpse of the person on the other side. It was a woman, Chase could tell because of the white dress that she wore, the linen spilling out like a robe. The woman saw Chase and examined him closely through the holes in the broken glass. Yet another person off-put by his appearance.

Like with the Doll, Chase decided that he should start the conversation. "Hello, my name is Chase, I'm a Hunter for Yharnam. I've already patrolled this area and I didn't see you before."

"A new Hunter? Splendid to meet you, Chase." The women greeted him, her tone inviting. "My name is Iosefka and I'm a doctor for this clinic."

"An abandoned clinic?" Chase pointed out in confusion.

"I just moved in and have begun to set up some signs. I was a part of the Healing Church but just left over a difference in opinion, leading to me setting myself up here. I know it's not much but I think I can do more for the people, even in a place like this."

Yet another person who had a negative opinion of city's government. Even Chase could pick up on the cues at this point.

"I've just joined the Hunters but those I've spoken to have avoided discussing the Church. Is the Healing Church really so despised among Yharnam?"

Iosefka frowned. "The Church was once great, they brought the city and its people to new heights through their discoveries and teachings...but the blood, it limited their scope, consumed them, they are not the pioneers of the people they once were. The night will be long so I decided to relocate my practice to here, it will increase my odds of helping the people who are suffering."

"It might be all for naught, my first Hunt was a Scourge Beast eating a human in this building."

"Most unfortunate," Iosefka agreed. "But I have brought a great supply of incense to ward off the beasts in the clinic, and I have the room behind these doors to hold a respectable amount of people for the night. There might now be no place safer in Yharnam now. If you tell people that Iosefka's clinic is a safe haven, I can reward you for your good deeds."

Chase tilted his head. "So you'd take even people who aren't ill…" Was his fortune finally changing?

"Of course I would care for them!" Iosefka promised. "I swear upon my Hippocratic Oath!"

Chase decided to act on this chance. "Are you willing to care for children?"

"As a doctor, I am qualified to care for children, Chase. Nothing will dissuade me from my path, you need not to worry about youth making me reject people who are suffering."

Chase thought things over. Everything checked out to him, as a Doctor Iosefka could care for Bretonne and her sister until the sun rose and a better solution could be found.

And to be honest, her distaste for the Healing Church sealed the deal. Two of his greatest allies in Yharnam spoke out against it.

But he still wasn't the authority on safe places in Yharnam.

"I'll have to meet up with my partner first," Chase told her. "I'll tell her about what you've set up and we'll come to a decision."

"Please, hurry, good Hunter," Iosefka begged. "Those children's lives are in your hands, for now, and the sun is setting. Time will not be on your side when the moon begins to rise."

"No need to worry, Iosefka," Chase said as he walked away to the Lantern. "I won't make another mistake. Gascoigne's children will see the sun rise tomorrow."

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By the blood, why can't I find a place to keep Gascoigne's children safe? were Eileen's angry thoughts.

For the first few houses she had found, Eileen had broken down the doors after receiving no response. Each time she had done so her fears had been validated. The house had been empty with nothing being upturned fueling Eileen's paranoia.

Then she had found a house that had its door be sliced in two. Eileen checked the crime scene inside the house.

There was so much blood, so much gore. Eileen couldn't tell if the body had once been a man or a woman. If the victim hadn't been clearly sliced to pieces, then Eileen would have suspected that a beast had decided to attack the house for some reason.

Eileen felt her fist tightened. Her worst fears had been realized, the Cathedral Ward was even more unsafe then Central and there were at least two culprits beyond the Healing Church.

She'd check one last house and then go meet Chase at the rendezvous point they'd agreed upon; she was close to the main Cathedral anyways.

She knocked onto her final chosen house with a working incense burner, and to her expectations there was no answer. With a punch from her fist the door was forcefully opened. Eileen then entered the house, it was a bit larger than the other apartments she'd checked, but it was still as worn down as the rest of the Cathedral Ward.

Walking in a straight line Eileen entered the kitchen. It had a small table suited to hold a small family.

I'll find nothing here, Eileen decided. I can only hope that Chase has found a safe haven. She would hate to have to deal with the fallout of the failure to protect those little girls. The Hunter of Hunters began to walk back to the door.

But something pulled back.

Eileen looked to her feet and while she couldn't see the material, she felt wire begin to tighten around her ankle.

She had walked into a trap.

Eileen immediately began to run to the exit but something pulled the snare around her ankle, slowing her down. There was the sound of a spark being made as a black specter wielding a mace that was starting to crackle emerged from underneath the table holding a bundle of wire condensed enough to see in his right hand…as well as a net that was in the same hand thrown at her, also connected to the wire.

Eileen expertly turned around without moving and began a more brutish dash to escape through the exit. Only to find another black specter pointing a rifle at her. It all came together to Eileen. The set-up was impeccable: wait in an old haunt and have one immobilize the target while the design of the house would ensure that the gunman could not miss the target running in a straight line while being slowed. Especially with the range of a rifle.

The second specter fired.

Eileen had no choice, she activated her trump card.

Where is Eileen? Chase thought to himself in trepidation. Leaning against the wall of Gascoigne's house, his foot tapping the ground. Normally performing such an action would have intrigued himself…but Eileen not arriving before him worried the Roidmude. Eileen knew the twisted city better than Chase and he hoped that she would be able to explain what happened to Gascoigne and Viola to the children.

But at the same time, Chase was worried about the time as he saw night begin to claim Yharnam's skyline. The sun began to vanish and the beginnings of the full moon began to rise from beneath the horizon.

My programming said to protect humans, and I've come to the conclusion that it must be done swiftly in a city such as Yharnam. But Eileen has valuable input, I have decided that she is equally important to this decision.

"Why not change your decision?" Chase asked himself.

"I still think I have time," Chase spoke back to himself.

"You thought you knew how to handle Gascoigne. A quick and decisive decision will more likely ensure success rather than deliberation of the variables just like last time. Hurry, time is running out."

Still, the wait brought its own share of drawbacks, like Chase's location attracting beasts.

"Grrrrrrrrrr…" a now familiar growl was heard from the streets; the sounds of padding paws echoed from the pavement. Chase's opposition was Scourge Beasts. He walked away from the house's wall to meet his enemies.

Two of them, to be exact. Large enough to match the size of small humans despite walking on all fours. Their front paws now noticeably resembling fingers now that Chase knew their origins.

The one to his right charged forward first, its fanged snout opened for a bite. Chase decided to have his Hunter's Axe be the substitute for its meal. It caught the axe in its fangs and bit down to stop the weapon from cutting its head to pieces and pulled back. To Chase's surprise it challenged his mechanical might. He hadn't put much of the blood into his physical strength this time but it was still surprising.

To stop the other Scourge Beast from getting ideas Chase fired his Break Gunner wildly, the bolts of plasma stopping the Scourge Beast from getting closer.

Having the room to deal with the deadlock, Chase then pushed his Axe deeper while letting go of it, changing the momentum of his struggle with the beast and sending it backwards, the Scourge Beast scampering awkwardly. Chase took the opportunity to kick its shoulder, a cracking sound signifying that he had inflicted damage.

Both Scourge Beasts looked at Chase, their eyes narrowed in even deeper rage and both of them pounced at once. Dodging wasn't an option, they'd crash into Gascoigne's house. But with but a thought, Chase activated a Slowdown, stopping the Scourge Beasts in mid-air. The Roimude raised his Break Gunner and killed the both of them with a barrage of headshots, their bleeding, headless bodies still floating in the slowed time.

Then Chase heard the crumbling sound of Gascoigne's house's roof being ripped apart. There was a third Scourge Beast; most likely the Alpha. It was unexpectedly swift compared to its kin. As its leg muscles propelled it faster than the previous opposition its claws slicing Chase's Violet Guard breast plate, leaving thick scars as sparks flew from the blow. Chase countered with a kick to its snout and then finished the disoriented beast by impaling its head with his fist. The Roidmude looked at his exoskeleton's new scars with a sense of irritation. He had invested most of the Blood Echoes into defense this time.

Chase went to pick up his axe and looked at the dusk sky. The black night was beginning to overcome the orange sky. Eileen and Gehrman's warnings were coming true; the beasts grew stronger as the moon rose, even by a little bit, even with the new might granted by the Blood Echoes the rising moon ensured that old opposition couldn't just be overpowered by sheer strength.

Chase looked at the roof of Gascoigne's house, it was noticeably broken and battered now. Because he waited too long the house had become a beacon to beasts, more would doubtlessly be here soon. He couldn't defend the house from collateral damage. The clinic hidden away in a bigger building and filled with the masking scent of incense was looking more and attractive by the second.

How do I talk to children, though? were Chase's fearful thoughts. He had expected victory, not tragedy. All Eileen told him to do was not to smile and to improvise.

"I'll just have to try." Chase whispered to himself and knocked on the door. "Bretonne, it's me, Chase! I need to talk to you!"

"Oh, it's you, Mr. Chase! You're lucky your armor and voice are so unique; I wouldn't have answered if it wasn't. Did you find Mum and Dad?"

The moment of truth, Chase's mind raced for answers and it would always go back to the Freeze case. There, he learned that lying could be used to spare others feelings…and in Yharnam he had already omitted the truth for the sake of convenience. Maybe he could combine the two?

"I haven't found your parents yet, but something dangerous is happening and the incense won't keep you safe. I've found a better location and need you to relocate to it. I will escort you." It sounded rather good in Chase's own opinion.

"So the Hunt is growing out of control? Daddy warned me about such a thing, just give me the directions and I can go by myself."

"I insist on escorting you, there were some Scourge Beast's I've just Hunted and there could be more. And another Hunter told me about your sister. Please, trust me, I do want to protect the both of you."

After a breath of silence Chase received an answer. "Well, you don't seem too bad, just this once, I'll trust you. Let me wake up Violet."

There was the sounds of rustling and the door opened. Bretonne and Violet exited their house. Chase noticed that Bretonne had more of a resemblance to her father with her darker hair, while Violet was aptly named, resembling her mother more. Violet still looked drowsy and her glazed eyes looked over Chase and said. "Metal…it blocks the eye."

Bretonne put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mr. Chase. Violet hasn't been feeling well and decided to go to bed early tonight."

"There's no problem," Chase reassured her, bending down to meet Bretonne eye to eye. "That just confirms that the two of you need to be protected on your trip. It's my mission, so you don't need to worry."

"I thought that Hunters hunted beasts, not guard the people. Daddy only did that to us because he's Daddy." Violet mused, rubbing her eyes.

"Killing beasts is a Hunt. Protecting humans is my mission. There's a difference." At least that's what he believed now. "Now come and stand behind me. We must be swift."

Chase led the children through the streets. Making an effort to stay away from any nooks, cranny's or carriages that could hide rats, dogs, or crows.

When they came across a pack of infected Hunters Chase ordered them to look away, only for Bretonne to tell him, "It's okay, Mr. Chase. We've seen the Hunt before."

"That…doesn't seem right to me."

"Daddy said something like that, Mr. Metal. I like that." Violet said dreamily.

"Don't call Mr. Chase names. It's rude," Bretonne chided her sister. "What is going on?"

"It's because he's metal."

Before Bretonne could chide her sister once again, the sound of a shotgun rang out, hitting a beastman that held a gun in the head, killing him in an explosion of blood. Another round was fired killing yet another beast as something came closer down the street.

A shotgun? Is it Eileen? Chase thought hopefully.

As the new Hunter came into view Chase discovered that it wasn't his ally. It was a man dressed similarly to how Gascoigne dressed as a human. There were differences, he preferred the color brown over black, his coat was buttoned up, instead of a wide-brimmed hat his was a tri-corn, and he his coats high collar was drawn up to cover everything about his face except his eyes. While he carried a shotgun like Gascoigne, instead of using a Hunter's Axe this Hunter favored a weapon resembling a sawblade.

He made good use of the weapon, bisecting a surviving beastman and then extended the saw into a shape similar to a spear, using his new range to impale a sword wielding beast before it could charge at him.

Violet looked at the Hunter and shouted joyfully, "Grandad!" and waved at him.

The Hunter walked up to the girls but Chase stood in front of both parties, blocking the path.

But this time, Bretonne sided with her sister. "You don't need to worry, Mr. Chase, this is Grandad, uh, Henryk. He's Mum's Daddy. He'll surely help us."

Henryk nodded in agreement. He undid his coat collar, showing a face that looked older than even Gehrman. He spoke in an equally aged voice as he looked his grandchildren in the eye. "Yes, yes… I'd be happy to know why my granddaughters are out and about tonight. I was…" He paused, having lost his words. "…planning on surprising you at your home."

"It's because of me," Chase said. "Certain events have led me to believe that their house isn't safe for them to stay at."

"And why would that be?" Henryk's gaze quickly meet Chase's mask, the old man's gaze was intense to look at. "The other half of the old gallant duo should be retired and guarding his children."

So this Henryk did know Gascoigne. "Gascoigne rejoined the Hunt and is currently missing, Viola is the same," Chase nodded. "My name is Chase and I'm a new Hunter. I've made it my mission to protect your grandchildren. I've selected a new safehouse."

Henryk chuckled, but his eyes still looked cold. "I understand, young man." His grip tightened on his saw. "Would that reason be because my partner fell to the Scourge?"

Chase looked at the children, should he come clean? How would they react to the truth?

"We can discuss that when your grandchildren are in a safe place. Please, Henryk, prioritize."

"Son," Henryk's voice deepened and sped up, losing its deliberate tone. "I don't like your tone of voice. A man with a pretty voice like yours is perfect for sweet talking; it makes you sound so untrustworthy. Give it to me straight. Now."

Chase turned his head away. "Very well. Both Gascoigne and Viola are dead. Can we please move now?" Chase begged. "Two escorts are better than one. We can work together."

The Roidmude then looked at the children. The happiness on their faces died as Henryk destroyed Chase's lie. "Grandad…what's wrong with you?" Bretonne asked.

Henrk let out a chuckle. "What's wrong? What's wrong?!" The repetition was disturbingly loud. "My son-in-law's dead, my partner's dead! The gallant duo is no more! My daughter is dead!" Chase saw a flash of fangs in his mouth as he pointed his shotgun at Violet. "You darlings shouldn't live a life as tragically long as myself."

He then pulled the trigger.

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Eileen had been turned from crow into a rat by her opponents. Her trapper in the building had slowed her and had a net coming down on her and his partner had fired his shot perfectly. The bullet wouldn't hit the trapper if she somehow dodged. Eileen felt a grudging respect for the skill of the kidnappers trap.

But she was no ordinary Hunter. She was once part of the Dream. And it had earned her a trophy, a trump card.

She drew upon the power of the Old Hunters Bone she had found in the Workshop long ago: The Art of the Quickening and she made an impossible move.

No. Not move. Eileen teleported. Out of the snare, and past the bullet. She ran at full speeds at the rifle man, now little more than a black blur, Blades of Mercy ready. Her knives were blocked by the rifleman's spear, the pole raised to block her slashes. Eileen raised her boot to kick the criminal when he broke their lock and fired his rifle at point blank range.

In an impossible show of reflexes Eileen deflected the bullet, the quicksilver shell spiraling off course as she struck it with a superior amount of force.

"Narx!" her new target shouted a word of nonsense in disbelief. 'Maurice, help!"

Eileen felt a shadow on her back, the trapper had his mace raised ready to crush her from behind. She merely rolled under his legs to dodge. The maceman missed and his weapon hit the ground causing a spark. Said spark became a literal electrical spark that consumed his mace – no, his Tonitrus – and he dragged it across the ground towards her, now empowered by lightning. Eileen quickly stood on her hands to do a flip to dodge the follow up strike and as she prepared to land she turned through the air to stab the Tonitrus user, Maurice.

He merely raised his still sparkling Tonitrus as a warning, it would shock her before the charge ran out. Going for her second option, Eileen used the Quickening again to teleport past Maurice and focus on his partner; shifting from Blades of Mercy to throwing knives as she did so unleashing a small barrage.

The partner merely transformed his spear into another rifle and wielding it in tandem with its more normal counterpart shot each of her throwing knives out of the air.

But it did allow Eileen to land safely on the ground. Still, she was unsatisfied, these Hunters of humans were skilled. Each seemed better than Gascoigne even. Eileen frowned, she was never one to enjoy a challenge. Still, she decided to grace her new marks with words.

"So, the mysterious fake Hunters of Yahar'gul. What do I owe this breach in contract for?" She raised her Blades of Mercy in challenge at them.

"Impressive. Most impressive." The supposed leader, Maurice praised her. "Yes, you do live up the skills whispered of the Hunter of Hunters to escape my cunning trap, a most worthy adversary to me!" He inhaled and continued his rant.

Eileen began to ignore him. Who unironically calls their plans cunning? I though the Unseen Village plan was madness but didn't expect this.

"and because I am a brilliant man of foresight, you escaping my trap was also had a back-up plan!" Maurice gloated. "Robert, Attack Pattern Minion. Don't let her strategize!"

"Got it, Maurice!" the partner – Robert – said as he began to favor his spear and attacked. Now moving at a faster speed, his spear forming so many jabs as to become a rain of bloody murder.

Eileen saw them all, and dodged each by a papers-breadth using the minimum amount of energy needed. Then with a spark Maurice electrified his Tonitrus again swinging the mace wildly to create a barrier of electricity. They wanted to box her in. Eileen danced around the speedy attacks with her decades honed skill, understanding each of the Yahar'gul Hunters capabilities. It became apparent to Eileen that Maurice was slower. It would be best to press the offensive against him. While his electrical weapon made a parry unwise, Eileen was confident in her speed.

The Hunter of Hunters became a blur once more easily getting past the Tonitrus ahead of Maurice's predictions and outpacing Robert. But before Eileen could stab him Maurice raised his wooden shield, causing her knives to dig into it. Before Eileen could use her strength to smash the shield and Maurice, her foe applied his own might, forcing Eileen back into Robert who had his spear ready to impale her.

This time, Eileen combined her Blades of Mercy into its larger form, spinning around in time to use the larger blade as a shield to deflect the spearhead, before her other arm shot out as a fist denting Robert's helmet, disorienting him.

She turned around to deal with whatever surprise Maurice had in store for her until her arms found themselves forced to her sides, one slapping onto Gascoigne's shotgun. The two Hunters had spread more wires to trap her during their fight.

Even with the teleporting powers of the Art of the Quickening there would be no chance for Eileen to react in time.

For Maurice had absolute faith in his plans he had already played his masterstroke. His Tonitrus' charge conducting through the wires.

Sparks of electricity raced through Eileen's body from the wires, frying her from the inside out as her world became pain.

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As the bullet exited the shotgun Chase had already activated his Slowdown. The particles that created the slowed time stopped the bullet as well as it always did.

Henryk was another matter.

Like the other two powerful foes Chase had fought the old Hunter could move feasibly well in a Slowdown. Even worse, he was still rather fast as the saw inches away from Chase's mask could attest too. Still, Chase was made swifter by his latest Blood Echo infusion and he brought his own axe up to parry the saw.

Chase felt his strength buckle under Henryk's strike. He was strong. Stronger than Gascoigne. "Run!" Chase ordered the girls. "Stay away!"

Henryk chuckled in an odd reverberation, the Slowdown slowing his speech. "Is…that…so…wise? Who…knows what things…they'll encounter…without an…escort. Best to leave the deed to me." With a final push of strength Henryk overpowered Chase pushing the both of them out of the Slowdown. With a swing of his saw he sent Chase away, the jagged weapon ready to spill the children's blood.

Only for Chase to make Henryk pay for his inattention, the plasma from the Break Gunner burning the old Hunter's coat and singing his flesh.

Having expected his gun to not finish the job, Chase had already regained the initiative, activating another Slowdown to stall Henryk the Roidmude ran in front of the girls, axe and Break Gunner drawn to defend them.

"This isn't your grandfather anymore! He's not human, his heart is gone, he's a beast now!"

Chase grimaced beneath his mask. The last words were also meant for himself. He wouldn't falter this time.

"But Mr. Chase-" Bretonne began.

"Follow my orders and get back but stay in sight! I'm an adult! I know what I'm doing!" Chase once again barked his commands, his voice harsher and more guttural this time.

Bretonne and Violet listened and ran away from their crazed Grandfather.

It feels strange, to demand obedience from humans, even if they were children. Were Chase's stay thoughts, but he shook them off to focus on Henryk. Though his coat was burnt to cinders and cooked flesh was now revealed the fallen Hunter had weathered the barrage. Like the previous two great beasts Henryk could resist plasma despite his human form. I should have gone for a headshot, a final thought of ruthlessness.

Both Hunters met each other in the eye. Henryk's intense gaze of madness met Chase's cool, masked optics. They began to try to circle around the other, all the while judging the other, probing for weak points in their stances.

But maybe stalling would be better, get him farther away from the children. Conniving, like Eileen's wisdom. "What logic do you follow to kill children? Why abandon your dignity? To repeat Gascoigne's madness?"

Henryk made a hateful snarl. "You sound like Eileen, such a stuck up hag. I'm doing this because I'm their granddad. It's only right to end things, with their being no more hope."

Chase raised his Break Gunner. "That isn't what a human would believe. You are a beast."

"Is that what you choose to believe?" Henryk mocked him. "Night hasn't even fallen yet but Yharnam has. Best to put the girls to rest, before they realize the tragedy of a long life like me. Or you."

"We're not the same. You're insane. The scourge has taken you." Chase stated, disgust creeping into his tone.

"We will be. You will be. They will be."

"No more words from a beast."

Henryk fired his shotgun and charged, saw ready. Chase dodged the bullet, not even bothering with a Slowdown and returned fire with a barrage. Ready this time, Henryk rolled out of the way, using the momentum to build up power for his saw swing. The two weapons collided into the other once more, with Henryk overpowering Chase.

Expecting this, Chase gave ground and raised his Break Gunner, releasing a spray of plasma to dissuade Henryk from pursuing him.

He was successful in all the wrong ways.

Henryk raised his shotgun in turn…and aimed at his grandchildren, pulling the trigger twice.

Chase immediately activated a Slowdown, stopping the bullets in slowed time.

"Such tactics won't work on m-" Henryk didn't give Chase a chance to boast, his extended saw-spear ready to slice into his waist.

The Roidmude made a desperate counter, he kicked the saw away by the flat of the blade.

Not expecting this, the surprise attack was successful against Henryk, the kick parrying the weapon. Capitalizing on his newfound momentum, Chase sprinted past Henryk's damaged guard, Hunter's Axe extended for his most powerful blow.

Henryk couldn't dodge such a blow.

So he picked his poison.

The fallen Hunter ducked and rolled at Chase, it let him dodge the deathblow, but it left him open in other ways.

Chase took advantage of such an opening by sending Henryk flying back with a snap kick. The blow making a snapping sound.

Chase felt pride in his skills, he was improving.

Henryk rose from his fall with a bestial growl, and ran.

He was fast. As fast as Gascoigne was as a beast without a Slowdown hindering him. And before Chase could react he was tackled through a house. Another of Yharnam's failing abodes was finished being made inhospitable by a mixture of flesh and steel.

The impact disengaged the Hunters lock as they were sent flying, Chase ending up in the house's privy, and Henryk…somewhere else.

Chase exited the waste disposal area, his armor dented, his pain synthesizers making him feel sore, a dented Nightmare Helm and found Henryk to be gone.

His target was obvious; the children. He wanted to kill his grandchildren.

Even after what happened with Gascoigne it didn't dull the horrible feeling.

But that was fine, Chase would believe in his programming like Eileen advised. And if the girls were dead then Henryk would learn what Chase's rage considered to be just for child murderers.

Even as Eileen spasmed in pain she endured. Her fingers searched for anything that they could reach. She found Gascoigne's shotgun. She couldn't properly aim the gun, but she could guess where the Yahar'gul Hunters kept the source of their wires. The shotgun was ripped from her belt and fired.

The bullet aimed true, hitting Maurice's shield hand, kept extended to pull the wires hidden in his sleeves. With an explosion of gore, the hand and bones were sent flying into bloody pieces and the wires slackened.

"Maurice!"

"Robert, defend me!"

Following the other Hunter's orders, Robert attacked Eileen with his rifle-spear with a greater speed than before, fueled by desperation.

Still, despite her wounds, despite the pain, the Blades of Mercy split in two in Eileen's hands and with her peerless reflexes she parried each of Robert's monstrous blows. And now that Robert fought alone, Eileen began to overwhelm him. Faster and faster, Eileen began to force Robert back, each strike of her blades reaching closer to his jugular.

She then felt a familiar shadow. She was getting slow in her old age.

Eileen dodged Maurice's brutal smash from his Tonitrus, breaking the ground in front of Robert, his shield hand without its glove, no doubt regenerated by a blood injection or three.

"Very impressive," To Eileen's bemusement Maurice's tone made it clear that it took all of his self-control to keep his delusions of sophistication. "You survived my trap. Robert, help me gut her like that freak did! Attack Pattern Executioner!"

"Is that a wis-"

"Just do it!"

Maurice's order was followed by the sound of a sword being unsheathed. Both criminal Hunters stopped.

"It's here." was Robert clipped declaration.

Eileen turned to see her new mark. Like herself they wore the symbol of the crow. A stylized knight's helm in this specters case. They wore a feathered cape almost exactly like Eileen's, and wore dark clothes of a noble make; Cainhurst make, a potential survivor? They were thick enough to make the new challenger completely androgynous. The weapon they held was definitely the work of the fabled Cainhurst eccentricity, a saber mixed with a katana from the far East covered with dried blood.

They looked over the warring Hunters and spoke in a soft voice. "Meat."

They looked at the two Yahar'gul Hunters and said. "Tainted meat. You'll bleed to the Gods."

They then looked at Eileen and said. "Old meat. Discarded meat. Rotted meat. You won't bleed well. But it will need to be done."

Eileen forced down a surge of indignation at the thing she had dubbed as the Cainhurst Crow's remarks. She wouldn't dignify this lunatic with human words.

The Cainhurst Crow then zoomed forward sword swinging. Like they were a bullet. Fast. were Eileen's thoughts. It could be faster than her. But all three Hunters could see such a showy attack coming and easily dodged.

The Cainhurst Crow then abruptly stopped its dash in front of the house where the Yahar'gul Hunters laid their trap.

Then the house collapsed horizontally. The Cainhurst Crow's held such strength to cut a building in two.

Eileen understood why her marks were afraid.

The Cainhurst Crow then looked over their opposition again, and attacked with glee.

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Chase raced through the streets as fast as he could possibly could. To his own frustration he still couldn't move so fast to blur his form without a Shift Car like Eileen, Gascoigne, or Henryk could.

He heard a girl's cry throughout the city. "GRANDAD, STOP!"

He could follow the voice…but there was a house blocking his way. It would be collateral damage. With all of his strength Chase smashed through the house uncaring if it had people in it. With another crashing sound Chase had casually broke through the second wall as well. At least the Blood Echoes were good for something.

Chase saw both Bretonne and Violet cornered by Henryk, saw raised, completely healed, most likely by blood vials. That must be why he retreated besides to carry out his murder.

He wouldn't be in good health for much longer.

Distracted by being on the cusp of his goal, Henryk was finally an easy target for Chase's Axe. It dug into his back finally letting Henryk's blood flow, spilling out of his wound as the axe was driven in deeper. Chase then grabbed Henryk's neck with a grip meant to choke him, even as he lost his supply of oxygen Henryk struggled against Chase with his greater strength. Chase didn't care for that and twisted Henryk to face him and punched him in the face with a multi-ton punch. Much to Chase's displeasure the old man was sturdy enough to weather the blow with just a bruise. Chase punched him again and again, meeting ruthlessness with ruthlessness as his fist pierced Henryk's skin, bruising him and drawing blood.

Now disoriented, Chase threw Henryk onto the cold, hard pavement and withdrew his axe from the old Hunter's body. He hacked into him, once, twice, and then raised his Hunter's Axe above his head to deliver the deathblow. He would kill his first beast in human skin.

Then Chase froze up.

Protect the humans… Krim's voice. His programming had stopped him. He could hurt humans in case they were the violent and needed to be stopped with force, but he could never kill them. Even when he was brainwashed as the Roidmudes Shinigami.

But Henryk's not a human. He's a beast! A beast! Chase thought desperately. He knew the beast beneath him wasn't a human. He wasn't.

But his safety programming didn't. To his safeguards, Chase was assaulting a human with lethal force. It didn't know what Chase did. It was never designed with such a scenario in mind.

Things then got simultaneously better and worse, for Chase.

Henryk transformed into his true, beast self. Like his son-in-law the older Hunter exploded with fur, growing in size as greying brown fur covered him with long, clawed arms, and beastly paws for feet.

Unlike Gascoigne, he had become a big cat, resembling a demented lion with a shocking grey mane, his gnarled face twisting into a feline's maw. His body bulking up in muscle mass dramatically like the Cleric Beast.

The good news was that there was no way that his safeguards would mistake this thing for a human.

The bad news was that Henryk was now stronger than before, and Chase had only won through the element of surprise.

The worst news was that the beastly Henryk had taken advantage of Chase's paralyzed state to send him flying into another house, bleeding out, like the two great beasts had done before him as Bretonne screams encompassed Central Yharnam.

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The Cainhurst Crow was fast in foot, and in reflexes, Eileen noted. And strong. So physically strong. Her sore arms could attest to that from the parry's better than the bisected house could.

Though she paid for it with pain, Eileen had gained knowledge about her foe. They were most definitely young, the way they swung spoke of a person with great talent, but no experience, most likely trained, though. Self-taught or mentored was still a mystery.

That inexperience mattered little now, though. Eileen was worn down, shocked, and overextended. Youth and power would carry the Cainhurst Crow through. Every swing of their sword moved as a blur and each blow carried the force of a battering ram. Eileen had to exert more effort than ever to keep up with the psychotic as they danced the deadly dance of death.

Even worse, the Yahar'gul Hunters were circling the two, waiting for a chance to profit. Which would they attack? Would they decide on an alliance with someone? If so, hopefully Maurice would see past his grudge to side with her.

The Cainhurst Crow was currently preferring to use stabs with their saber. The tip of the blade cut the air and when it hit a stone wall it gored a hole through them like a round from a Gatling gun.

Eileen forced her body to match her reflexes, saving energy by dodging by a hairs-breadth…and to get a better look at the other crow's personal foibles.

This time, the Cainhurst Crow's stab was just too stiff. Like Chase's. Eileen immediately capitalized on that mistake, her Blades of Mercy sneaking past the blind spot the stab created and then making any potential dodge infeasible with the Art of the Quickening, teleporting closer.

Robert decided to side with her at the moment, firing both his rifle-spear and actual rifle to further box the Crow in.

Eileen's blades veered ever so close to the jugular when the Cainhurst Crow proved their talent by lowering their helmed head to block the X-shaped slash the Blades of Mercy made. The mouth guard of the helmet had been cut off revealing the Crow's lower face. The pale skin tone was Cainhurst and the shape of the chin, the colored lips, the high tone of the hiss of pain. The Crow was a woman.

How familiar… was Eileen's bitter thoughts. Her opponent's parallels were not lost on her.

But the Cainhurst Crow cared nothing for Eileen's feelings. "I can do that too." Was her bitter boast.

And then the Crow vanished, and reappeared right in front of Eileen thanks to the power of her own Art the Quickening.

Eileen barely dodged with her own Quickening. The fight would need more energy then she thought. Energy she might not have.

"How can you do that?" Eileen's control slipped, she talked.

"Meat will never know." And the Crow drew a pistol and Quickened past Eileen, firing repeating rounds at Robert. Maurice came to his partner's aid, swinging his sparking Tonitrus at the Cainhurst Crow the moment she shifted her attention shouting.

"This is for my real shield!"

The Cainhurst Crow merely swung one of her powerful slashes at Maurice. He raised his shield to block, only for it to explode into sawdust from the force of the slash.

But it also let both Eileen and Robert rush her, spear and daggers ready to impale the mad Crow.

A Quickening from the Crow allowed another dodge. It annoyed Eileen how much better this new challenger was at with her own trump card.

The Crow began another offensive, a storm of slashes spread out across the battleground. Eileen let her, watching the rogue killer's movements and body. She must have an Old Hunter's Bone as well to perform the lost Art of the Quickening. Removing it would be quite helpful in killing her.

Things went wrong when Robert turned on Eileen, pushing her into the Cainhurst Crow, her killer found it just as unexpected, and didn't Quicken in time to dodge. Then Maurice brought his Tonitrus into the Crow's back, the contact shocking Eileen as well.

Greedy bastards, they want the both of us, Eileen realized. This fight wasn't going well, Eileen and the Cainhurst Crow both Quickened out of the way. The Cainhurst Crow turned her helmed gaze onto the Yahar'gul Hunters and said. "Tainted meat shouldn't hurt their betters."

"Maybe that wasn't the best idea, Robert."

"It's not like the Hunter of Hunters would have spared us if we sided with her."

"And now I'll leave you to die." Were Eileen's last words to her marks. This was getting ridiculous and she had prior obligations. She could also get Chase to help.

With that, one last Quickening let her vanish around the street corner.

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It was an unhappily familiar sensation, Chase thought, to be sent flying into a house and getting trapped in the rubble made from the crash. At least this time his spine wasn't broken, the Blood Echoes did that much. But it was still a cold comfort, Krim's safeguards had betrayed him and he didn't know which way Henryk would now go. Hopefully he would attack him.

Chase removed the Nightmare Guard's mouthguard and took out a blood vial given to him by the Doll from his trench coat. He downed it in one go, healing his wounds. The Doll might have given him an injector, but he doubted it would pierce his steel plating.

Getting back up, Chase threw off the support beams that held him down, and got back up, ready to kill the beast for good this time. He could see a previously destroyed house, at least he wasn't sent flying that far this time. And then Henryk appeared before him, eyes alight with bloodlust, ready to finish off his wounded and more dangerous prey. Good. At least something positive had come out of the transformation.

Despite being a big cat now, Henryk walked by dragging is knuckles like an ape now. Chase raised his axe and Break Gunner into a stance, given that Bretonne and Violet weren't targets anymore he could afford to follow Eileen's advice and test out the competition.

Henryk lunged forward, and like Gascoigne before him, his body moved so fast it blurred. Chase used another Slowdown to make their speeds more equal and fired his Break Gunner to further slow the beast. The plasma hit, the beast's intelligence now gone, burning his fur away, and cooking his flesh. But despite the damage Henryk managed to weather the storm and closed the range. Chase was ready for that and swung his axe at what was once Henryk's favored arm, the axe cut the clawed hand off letting blood rush out of the stump.

…For some reason, the blood moved at a normal speed as it spilled out.

Useless knowledge for now, Henryk was undeterred by the pain and sliced at Chase with his left claw. The attack hit, cutting steel and drawing blood. Making the best of a bad situation Chase grappled Henryk's arm with his own and spun around and let go, sending Henryk flying into a house of his own.

Chase felt a surge of vindictive pleasure at the shoe falling onto the other foot.

Henryk emerged from the hole, but instead of engaging Chase again, he sniffed the air, and ran off.

Chase immediately knew what he wanted to do and followed. Firing his Break Gunner at the retreating beast.

The chase very quickly led the two to the girls, they must have stayed close to be in sight of their only defense from stray beasts.

Both stood frozen in place in fear, the thing that was once their grandfather ready to tear them to pieces and chew them apart. Desperate, Chase activated another Slowdown, uncaring of the response that the girls would have from being trapped in time. They would live. That was what really mattered.

The slowed Henryk let Chase catch up, and he tackled the beast away from his grandchildren with all his strength. They rolled across the ground Chase trying to position the Break Gunner for a headshot. Henryk shoved his bloody stump into Chase face covering it in blood. His remaining claw dug into the Roidmude's breastplate. Chase responded by kneeing him into the stomach, the two becoming a ball of lethal limbs and weapons, searching for the right killing blow.

But Henryk triumphed through the mainstay of the beasts: He frenzied. The surge of mad strength giving Henryk control of the fight. He ripped at Chase's chest and battered his maskless face with his stump. The victor became obvious.

It was Eileen.

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Eileen raced through the streets at top speed. She had found Gascoigne's house empty. Her fight with the Hunters had stalled her more than she thought.

She ran even faster despite her fatigue when she saw all the property damage. That had Chase's brand of trouble all over it.

Eileen soon felt vindicated in her paranoia, seeing the sight of two little girls, frozen in time…and Chase defeated on the ground. The Hunter beast towering above him ready to maul him to death.

Eileen unleashed a storm of knives, her last set, each burying themselves into the beasts back. It roared in pain and turned to face Eileen. Just as planned.

It only has one arm. Chase is improving, she noted while drawing the Blades of Mercy. Using the weakened guard to draw some free blood. It tried to crush her with its claws and stump, sundering the road.

But compared to the Crow, it was oh so slow.

Like a leaf in the wind Eileen danced around the clumsy blows, her knives biting back in turn, drawing more and more of the beast's blood.

The rush. The dominance. The victory. After the Yahar'gul Hunters cunning and the Crow's youth and power a beast such as this was refreshing.

The beast tried one final attack, attempting to rip her to shreds with its bleeding jaws.

That was its last mistake. It left itself open to have its neck cut open. And just like that, the beast was dead from a slit throat.

Eileen walked over to Chase and she saw his unmasked face, caked in blood, begin to smile. A real one this time. "Eileen…thank you,"

Eileen helped Chase up. "You look terrible, boy." She said bluntly. "What happened?"

"That beast, it was their grandfather, Henryk," Chase motioned to the frozen girls. "He had the Scourge. It made him want to kill them."

"Henryk always did have problems," Eileen mused. "But he was a tough old cuss. Did he defeat you?"

"No." Chase corrected her. "I won…but I ran into a programming error. I'll explain later. I found a place to keep the girls safe and I need to get them out of the Slowdown."

"I'll help. Explain the whole story to me on the way."

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Chase, Eileen, Bretonne, and Violet arrived in Iosefka's Clinic. Chase and Eileen had been healed by his blood vials along the way and the Roidmude cleaned his face. Any remaining beasts that stood in their way easily falling to the two Hunters.

Eileen looked over the Clinic. "Well, it's out of the way, given the trouble that's shown itself in the Ward this might be the better choice."

Chase nodded, kidnappers and a killer, sullying the Hunter name. They had a new target. He might not be able to perform the necessary measures but he could help Eileen take them down.

"I'll screen this Iosefka. You watch the girls, Chase." Eileen ordered as she walked into the Clinic.

Chase looked at the children. They had clamped up after being freed from the Slowdown. The Roidmude didn't know what that meant.

Still, he wanted to check. "Are you two alright?"

After a moment of looking at the emotionless face once stained with her grandfather's blood, Bretonne gulped, but spoke. "I-I don't know. We're alive, but Mum and Dad are…gone. And Grandad just tried to kill us. Is it worth it?"

Chase wanted to say yes, it was, like Shinnosuke would do. To give them hope…but, wouldn't it be a lie, here, in Yharnam? In his world, the government would care for orphans, help them find a new family that would love them. But Yharnam's government was overworked dealing with the Scourge…if it even cared.

Chase decided to gamble, like how he started with the Doll. "I'll give you something worth seeing when the sun rises tomorrow. When dawn hits, Yharnam won't have to deal with its worst beasts for a long while."

"Mr. Chase, are you human?" Violet asked. "I saw you fight. The way you moved, it wasn't like Daddy. You're like steel…do you block the eyes?"

"I'm not," Chase admitted. "I'm a Roidmude, an android designed to work with and protect humans," Well, that was the original purpose, "my personal protocol is to fight off threats to humans and protect them no matter what. I've judged Iosefka to be acceptable for keeping you safe while I fight the beasts."

Eileen walked out of the Clinic. "I've screened the Doctor. She checks out. Do you want me to take them in?"

"No. I want to."

Chase led his charges to Iosefka's door, and to his surprise, it opened. Iosefka walking out. "Please, come in. Eileen explained everything. I'll be happy to keep the children safe."

Chase kneeled down to the girls and said. "You've heard her. You can do it."

Bretonne and Violet slowly walked past Iosefka, into her Clinic one by one. Their steps unsure, their movements slowed by sadness and fear.

Chase had to accept such an ending.

Iosefka walked up to Chase and whispered into his ear. "Don't worry. I'll help them sleep through the night. No need to distract you from your duty." Then put a blood vial in his hand. "As well as your reward for your good deeds."

Chase nodded, and left. He had his mission. His Hunt. And both were escalating in difficulty and scope. It would take all he had and more.

"Where to Hunt next?" he asked Eileen.

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Well…That was a rather grim Christmas present, wasn't it? How's that for the 'Rider saves the kid' episode?

 

[sdarian]

Well, there should be one hell of a reaction from him if this was fake Iosefka (not sure since Eileen checked her out) and he comes back later to find them turned into those blue aliens...

 

[The Zog]

Well, there should be one hell of a reaction from him if this was fake Iosefka (not sure since Eileen checked her out) and he comes back later to find them turned into those blue aliens...

Click to shrink...

That was the fake. Eileen didn't notice anything because Fake Iosefka hasn't gotten started yet and she's a smooth talker.

 

[The Zog]

Disclaimer: I don't own Kamen Rider Drive or Bloodborne.

Three months, that was way too long and this chapter was really hard to write and I'm still not sure about it. Oh well, maybe my hiatus will finally attract more attention.

Chapter 6: Dogs of War Part 1

Djura walked through the streets of Old Yharnam. Letting it all in, even decades after the Burning and all the work he and Briner put into cleaning things up, the city still resembled a grave even if nature sought to retake the city and give it life again. The moss and plants that persisted even if Old Yharnam hated life. The dusty buildings, the soot that wouldn't fade, the ruin and disrepair. A bitter husk of a civilization.

And sometimes, Djura still saw a world on fire. A hellish world not made by the beasts that seeked to harm humans, but by humans himself.

He saw the truth thanks to that fire with a little help from that nightmare. Even without the latter, others saw the truth too, and joined him in his vigil.

And he walked back over to the clock tower which had become his home, and saw Briner manning the Gatling gun he had built.

"Back from your walk, Master Djura!" he greeted. "You reach enlightenment?"

"Only beyond that of a Churchman!" a weak jest, but mocking the Healing Church never got old to him. "Any trespassers?"

"No, none while you were gone. I don't think we've had any for over a year." His apprentice shouted back.

"I'll mark it as an anniversary!" Djura shouted back.

After climbing the clock tower to meet Briner, Djura stopped to admire the part of the clock tower that acted as his house, it had been cleaned to the point of being truly acceptable to live in. Djura thought his home was so clean it sparkled like in a fairy tale. He built a workshop as well, creating new devices with Briner to ward off boredom, and everything was scrubbed to cleanly perfection as well. Retiring had been good for Djura, the free time it had granted him had allowed him to purify clean water, grow food on the roofs of buildings in soil boxes, and have a good home to live in. Who was crazy now?

Speaking of food the two moved on to check on the potato field on the roof of another building.

"Another fine harvest," Djura said after inspection. "We'll have another surplus this season."

"There is only the two of us, but yes, the preservables we've gathered could feed quite a few mouths." Briner mused.

"I see where you're going, but I don't think it will work. If we gave food to people in need it would just breed resentment for those we can't feed. We'd need infrastructure to support a relief effort." Djura said.

"Yes, I know." Briner said his shoulders slumping.

Djura patted his apprentice on the shoulder. "Don't let it get you down. It's almost time for science."

"We're not going to work on your 'gazer beam' or 'metal man' ideas. I still think the engine is more feasible."

"I think an puppet made of metal is worth looking into for sciences sake."

"And I think a dime store novel wouldn't sell the concept. We should have our projects be realistic, even with all the resources we brought with us and scavenged."

Then, Briner walked over to the roof's edge, looking at the new Yharnam. "Master Djura…do you think we made the right choice?"

"Of course we did, don't talk nonsense. Someone had to actually protect something that mattered." Djura said with conviction.

"Hmmm…I definitely think time alone was needed after the Burning. But with all we've accomplished, it also feels like a waste. We got to let time heal our wounds, but we didn't do anything else. We could have built something to truly help the people with all our free time." Briner said.

"Help the people…" Djura repeated, and once again, the world became one on fire.

Poison. Burning. Fire. Flame. Madness. Moon. The Red Moon. The Truth. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire. Fire.

"Welcome. Good Hunter."

The world was on fire. Again and again and again and again, again, again, again, again, for infinity. Everyone was dying. He was dying. He couldn't die.

"Master? Master, are you alright?" Briner shouted in concern.

Djura broke out of his episode, panting.

"I'm sorry about that, Briner. I need another walk."

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Djura walked down the streets of Old Yharnam, watching the setting sun. Night had almost completely fallen. It had taken awhile this time. The retired Hunter grimaced. This would be a long, horrible night, even for Yharnam, he could feel it in his bones. He most likely wouldn't have to worry about trespassers but if it rose again extreme measures might be needed.

Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that though. Everything was set up for the Night, maybe he should call-

Djura then felt his boot step on something. Strange, he had swept this afternoon. He looked down…was it a toy? It was smaller than a child's hand, was colored black, bulky in design, and had four wheels like a carriage.

Then it drove off, despite lacking a form of locomotion. Djura's mind raced at the sight, his mechanical knowledge searching for an answer for the means behind the movement. Did it have a hypothetical engine? They were all experimental and much too big to be used for a gadget so small in size even the one him and Briner put together.

They wheeled thing drove up to something in the shadows of a not-so-empty house. It was a man with a foreign skin tone. Most likely from the East, then. He wore a leather jacket and pants, silver metal adorning the leather clothes, closing it up in some way in metallic strips. A metal brace was around his right wrist with a indent pointing backwards. The shoulders of his jacket were inscribed with the number '109' in each shoulder, and he wore a red scarf around his neck. Around his waist, his belt was oddly bulky with two horns pointing out of the sides. Despite his foreign looks, the man had a thin, youthful face with black hair that was spiked up and was quite handsome.

Around his waist, the man had two guns of unknown make. One was square and blocky and the other's barrel was longer but its hypothetical bullet chamber was too big and covered by a black orb. There was also a sheathed short sword of some kind.

It was all too suspicious. Djura drew a gun at the man. "How did you get in here? Why didn't anyone see you enter through the gates?"

"I-I don't know. I don't understand! I shouldn't be here…right?"

"Then do you have a name?"

"I…I…I…I don't know. I can't remember anything. I can't remember a purpose."

"Do you really expect me to believe that tripe?" Punks had played the amnesiac role in the past to mock him.

"But I do know one thing… I touched it. I let it out of the church."

Djura felt his blood run cold. That was unacceptable. He had sealed it away for a reason. "What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't. I don't need to. My friends were leading the way. They have a purpose." The man rambled.

"And your friends told you to come to my house after letting it out? That's rather fair weather for a friend."

"But they're metal. Not bloody. I thought that would be enough." The nameless man begged.

"CARRRARRRGGGHHH!" the Blood Starved Beast cried through the night.

"No! It's coming!" the nameless man shouted in fear. He ran back into the house. Djura's immediately began his pursuit…and for some reason, after a whirring sound, Djura felt slower. He could still move properly, but whatever spell had entrapped him had made him unacceptably sluggish.

But he was able to turn his head to look at the back of the man who ruined his life. The intruder was now surrounded by five more little carriages somehow driving through the air around him, making loud noises as they beeped, honked, or whirred before the black one made a sound.

After disappearing into the house there was a louder noise of an engine. Some kind of vehicle drove out of the shadows, it only had two wheels, its casing was black and blocky with a light shining on its front and six pipes shot out of the machines back, belching smoke as it accelerated driving right where the man would fall instead landing on the device's seat with an uncomfortable grunt. He then turned a handle that was on the side of the device, making the machine create a louder noise as it moved even faster driving in the direction of new Yharnam, the smaller machines following the man and his metal mount.

Djura grimaced. "And I told Briner that tonight wouldn't be that bad." He said to himself as he went to get the guns.

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Then the ground began to tremble…

Chase and Eileen walked out of the Oedon Chapel, the two Hunters ready to continue their Hunt after the detour to restock Eileen's knives.

"So that teleportation power is called 'The Art of the Quickening?' he asked.

"Yes, it compliments my fighting style quite well."

"But if you can teleport why not just phase through locked doors?"

"A flaw in the technique," Eileen lectured. "If you can't see where you're going the Quickening will fail and things will get messy."

"How do you know that?"

"How do you think I got it?" Eileen's said smugly.

Chase connected the dots. "That must have a story behind it."

"A story for another time," Eileen said. "Anyways, you don't have to help me Hunt my marks, Chase. You shouldn't get more involved with the Hunt for humans as is, especially with your limitations."

"I believe that stopping scum from exploiting the citizens and restoring some semblance of order to a compromised safe area perfectly aligns with both my programming and duties as a Hunter. My power is yours for now, Eileen."

Eileen shook her head. "Are you really sure? You will be letting a human kill other humans. You don't have to do this if you don't want to; it's not your duty."

"I've let it happen before, at the very least this time might be necessary given what you've found."

"I didn't think a person of your character would let murder happen…" Eileen actually sounded disturbed.

"Oh, you don't know that part. During a mission gone wrong I was repurposed by the enemy…but my programming remained, I could never kill a human, which I'm thankful for but I know for certain that I can let a human die." Heart and Medic's killing spree of Roidmude hosts before springing that trap on Shinnosuke's life had confirmed that.

Thinking back on it left Chase with a cold pit in his stomach.

"So you were captured by your enemies and brainwashed?" Eileen mused. "Normally, I'd think that was how you became so stone-faced but I don't quite understand what makes a 'Roidmude' work."

Happy to change the subject, Chase explained. "One-hundred and eight Roidmudes were designed to work with humans and advance and upgrade themselves as they gained greater understanding of human emotions and could use those emotions for power…but I was the proto-type; designated as number zero; Proto-Zero. I was the proof of concept created by Krim Steinbert and as a result, I lack the emotional capabilities of the production models."

"You've definitely shown some emotion, Chase." Eileen pointed out.

Chase thought back to his fight with the Cleric Beast, the Gascoigne incident, him properly smiling when Eileen saved him. He thought back further, the anger and dissatisfaction from the brainwashing and torn loyalties, the less than polite way he told Gou that he was getting a Driver's License, Kiroko…he had felt before...

"I guess a more accurate description would be that I was designed around an ethical guideline but my programming developed beyond it." Chase said.

"I don't understand everything you say, but it might be that you developed an opinion."

Chase thought it over, the idea had merit…"I'm not sure-"

Eileen made a motion with her hand. "Trouble, Chase." And pointed down the street. A group of four figures walked calmly down the street. Too calmly. The way they walked seemed more mechanical than Chase himself. They were big men, being taller than both Chase and Eileen with burly frames. All four were garbed in pitch black outfits Chase had come to associate as a Hunters uniform, a trench coat, boots, gloves, and a wide-brimmed hat. Especially the faces, with skin so thin that it seemed to only stretch over the skull with sunken eyes, and a flat nose. All four carries lanterns in one hand, while two others carried tall wooden staffs, the other two had bulky scythes hefted over their shoulders. Chase wasn't sure if they qualified as human.

He hoped they didn't.

"What are those things?" he asked.

"Church Servants. They're bio-weapons made by the Healing Church to bolster their numbers due to the staff problems." Eileen explained.

"I know the Church isn't popular, but why hide from those things?" Chase asked.

"Because they aren't walking a proper patrol. They might have gone rogue. Again. It's happened." Eileen let the connotation hang in the air.

"I see. Any advice on what to expect?"

"They're slow, that's their main weakness. But they're also strong, tough, and durable. Don't expect one to fall from what would be a killing blow for a beast."

"Then we'll take two each?" Chase asked.

"Just what I was thinking. The scythe-wielders will be my mark. You take the ones with the staffs." Eileen agreed.

The two Hunters raised their favored weapons and went to confront the Church Servants. The second they came onto the abominations sight they pointed their weapon hands at the Hunters in eerie unison and let out a threatening moan. "ORRRRGGGHHHH!"

The Church Servants then began to run, the change of pace was sluggish, leaving the two faster Hunters an opening to capitalize on. They sped up effortlessly in contrast, Eileen ahead of Chase.

Chase's axe was blocked by the Church Servant's staff, but taking advantage of the deadlock the other Servant swung its staff down at Chase who was forced to block with his arm cracking the Violet Guard.

I'm too slow, Chase realized as he glimpsed Eileen casually strafing, ducking, and dodging her targets. Her graceful dance wearing the ghoulish monsters down with fatigue and confusion, they'd make a mistake soon.

Maybe I can move like that… Chase thought, and with that the Roidmude slackened his body and moved backwards his body hanging limp. As his neck turned Chase saw Eileen jump over a Church Servant's scythe swing and rebounding off the other Servant's scythe which was propped over its shoulder using the momentum to stab the first Church Servant in the back of the neck.

Chase was knocked out of his spectating as his two Church Servant's swung their staffs down on him at once, raising his axe to block, the power behind the Church Servant's blows were great. Chase's feet were grinded into the streets, shredding the pavement and emitting sparks. Thinking quickly, he abandoned his axe and took advantage of his foes' slowness rolling past their guard, and then immediately sprung up from the ground, his legs extended into a kick that smashed into the back of a Servant's head, cracking its skull and drawing blood.

Of course, the other Church Servant took the opportunity to try and smash Chase to the ground with its staff. It's must all be in the footwork. Fluttering like a leaf in the wind. The Roidmude thought, mimicking Eileen's running technique, dodging the staff, not by a hairsbreadth, but dodging it none-the-less, leaving the Servant open to a fist to the face. With a cracking sound, the Church Servants flat face bled blood. Off balance Chase knew it was time to finish the job and he grabbed the ghoul by the neck and twisted, killing the thing.

Chase looked at the Servant's corpses. Good. His programming realized that these things weren't human.

But Chase didn't have time to think that over, the Church Servant he had stunned with his kick had recovered, its staff soaring through the air to crush Chase. Undeterred by the surprise attack, Chase simply picked up the dead Servant's staff, using it to block its sister staff. Now by itself Chase could easily overpower his foe and used the momentum to leap over the Servant, pick up his axe and with his new stance easily spun around and bisected the Church Servant with a mighty swing.

"You moved like me…" Eileen said walking over to Chase, her last mark laid out dead on the street. "How did you do that so fast?"

Chase perked up. "Right, I didn't explain that part. Roidmudes are self-adapting and self-evolving to better keep up with adversity. Even a prototype like myself can learn at an accelerated rate compared to a human. I've been thinking about your lesson and after the fight with Henryk realized my slower fighting style isn't sufficient to Hunt beasts so I decided to try more acrobatic maneuvers."

"It took me ages to move like you did. But for you night hasn't completely fallen and you're doing it well enough."

"I'm using it because you're the best fighter I've ever seen."

"You think I'm the best?" Eileen said, bemused. "I'm not a legend like Ludwig is."

"I've seen more powerful fighters back home, but in skill their neophytes in comparison." Chase answered.

"Glad my years of effort amounted to something more than spilling blood." Was her sarcastic reply.

Before the conversation continued a new beast attacked. It stood on two legs and its body structure was more human than lupine, but its head had completely become that of a wolf. Its arms were thick and strong, with thick long claws. Dashing as quickly as it could with its claws extended it tried to impale Eileen, who simply side-stepped the attack. Retaliating with a swing of her daggers impaling the new beast in the chest. Not taking any chances, Chase followed up with a plasma bolt from his Break Gunner, scoring a perfect head shot.

Eileen looked at the corpse and said in a tone of disbelief. "What is one of those doing here?"

"What do you mean? It's just a beast." Chase said, confused.

"This breed-" Eileen didn't get a chance to finish, as two more of the new beasts jumped down from a rooftop, claws ready to gore the Hunter of Hunters through. Eileen then vanished causing the new breed of beasts to cut nothing but air. At the same time that was happening, Eileen then reappeared behind the beast and impaled one of the beasts at the nape of its neck, killing it.

Deciding to test the waters, Chase activated a Slowdown, the air distorted as his trump card slowed the time around the second beast, causing it to slow to a crawl with Chase finishing his prey with a swing of his axe.

They were not given a respite the street they were in was then swarmed with a pack of the new beasts. A brown, furry, horde surged in front of Oedon Chapel, growling, clawing, and scraping their long claws together, eager to make the Hunters their prey.

"Chase, watch out for their claws!" Eileen managed to warn him before she was forced away from him by the horde.

Chase resolved to take Eileen's guidance to heart, she had been treating these beasts differently and they were acting strange.

Then the horde came down on him, claws extended to rip him to pieces as a tide of fur and savagery eagerly stampeded to crush him under their weight of numbers.

Good thing another Slowdown stopped that. Chase looked at the frozen pack of beasts, frozen helplessly in his creation of slowed time. He felt a new feeling rush through him as he cocked his Break Gunner and pulled the trigger, scoring the head shots that had quickly become a staple of his fighting style in Yharnam. Enjoyment. He felt pride as the beasts died and he did his job, dispensed justice and protected humanity.

It was short-lived, more beasts poured down the street to make up for the lost numbers. "What?" Chase mumbled under his breath. Beasts did not come running to a Hunt so quickly, was it because the sun had almost set?

"No matter." Chase said to himself as he watched the new horde rush forward. He activated yet another Slowdown and the beasts repeated themselves becoming stuck in the slowed time, going from wolves to lambs as Chase pulled the trigger again, blood stones shining as his purple plasma blew the heads off the beasts.

Then Chase felt his side burning through his pain sensors, a searing sensation surged through his body as his blood sizzled. Chase looked at the cause, the beast had come around from a blind spot made when he aimed for his headshots. He then looked at the damage, the Roidmude's exoskeleton had been burned away by the claw's touch, it was venomous, acidic. That was the reason Eileen warned him about the claws.

But Chase ignored the pain, taking the poison beast's close proximity as a Chase, swinging his axe at its chest killing it.

A horrifying though burst forth from Chase's Core. The second wave was a distraction, the beasts had used tactics. But how?

Chase wasn't allowed to think, two waves of the poison beasts then approached, the two hordes mixing and mingling before splitting in two. That must mean that Eileen finished up her horde.

I should try and meet up with Eileen, having her by my side will be helpful against another distraction. he decided, and ran away, seeking out the Hunter of Hunters.

Chase found a pile of the poison beasts' corpses, Eileen had been busy, but where was she? Chase looked over his shoulder to check if the new horde was getting too close, then side-stepped a poison beast that was about to try another sneak attack and was rewarded for its abnormal cunning with an axe's edge.

"The same trick won't work on me twice." Chase spoke aloud. But was then surprised by a second sneak attack, then a third beast jumped down from the rooftops to ambush him, letting a fourth beast appear to slash him across the chest burning his armor away with its poisonous claws. Not waiting to be melted to nothing Chase activated his Slowdown yet again, stopping his ambushers in their tracks.

But he let the greater horde close the gap. The horde who's size could crush him.

Then a flurry knives flew through the sky embedding themselves into the back of the poison beast's heads killing them. A black figure then appeared as a blur stabbing a beast in the neck before it could change its course. Then another. Then another. And another. Breaking the wave of beasts confusing them.

Taking advantage of Eileen's rescue Chase raised his Break Gunner and fired as many times as he could at the broken horde. Killing as many beasts as he could before they entered his range; with Eileen by his side slowing down the horde a Slowdown was not a valid tactic with the risk of her being stuck even with her odd resistance.

After all the beasts had been killed Eileen teleported in front of Chase.

"Are you okay, boy? Do you need an antidote?" she asked.

"I'll need some of Iosefka's blood to heal, but my metal body can't be poisoned like a humans."

"Of course...I think I'm beginning to understand why you're different from us. Naturally calm, naturally stronger, naturally tougher, never tiring, never aging."

"Not going to criticize my performance?"

"It would be rather hypocritical of me to do so." Eileen admitted, an undercurrent of indignation in her tone. "I came to you because my horde should be on its way." She then drew a broken and burnt tree branch from her belt. "These beasts should fear fire and I set one, but they ignored it. Dark things are at work."

"Then it wasn't my imagination." Chase said darkly. "But what caused this change?"

"We'll do the detective work after my horde is down. Freeze them and shoot them all down. I'll protect you from any surprises." Eileen ordered while raising her knives.

"Very assuring." Chase said as a new horde entered his sights. With a Slowdown and a barrage of Break Gunner plasma the horde was devastated.

While Chase slaughtered his quarry, Eileen kept her word. A knife was thrown through the air, killing a rooftop beast. A beast that tried to attack from behind was gutted. Another tried to sacrifice itself to let its pack mates past Eileen's guard only for both to be cut to pieces.

The corpses piled and Chase and Eileen stood victorious, weapons still raised.

"What breed of beasts were those?" Chase asked.

"They're from Old Yharnam. Previously the main part of the city. Then a plague came from the blood; Ashen Blood. It poisoned the blood ministrations and made beasts that carried poison and made humans fall to the Scourge at an accelerated rate. It became an outbreak beyond anything Yharnam had ever seen…until tonight."

"I think I heard Gehrman mention a 'Burning'. Was that how the outbreak contained?"

"The city was declared a lost cause by the Church. They assembled every Hunter they could led by the Powder Kegs group. They couldn't contain the Outbreak either…So the Church ordered Yharnam burnt to the ground to kill all the beasts and the people still trapped there."

"That's obscene." Chase's voice was a hiss of disgust. Yharnam had elicited yet another response of pure emotion from the stunted machine.

"And it didn't even kill all the beasts! They just condemned the city after the burning and built a new one to cover things up to the outside world." Eileen's bitterly agreed.

"I knew that the Church was not very caring and the situation calls for different measure; but that's just… wrong."

"You weren't the only one to think that. Many Hunters who participated quit in disgust. The Powder Kegs above all, they went beyond the pale in their protests, deciding to live in Old Yharnam to protect the beasts."

"One extreme leads to another." Chase observed. "A Hunter needs to Hunt the beasts to defend humanity."

"The Powder Kegs were a great loss. A group of innovative geniuses who people thought would bring Hunter technology to the next generation. But the Burning…burnt them out." Eileen finished her tale.

"And you?"

"I'll never burn out." Eileen stated stubbornly.

Chase knew Eileen was an old woman, was most likely one of Yharnam's most powerful Hunters, and disliked talking about certain things, so he decided to bring the topic back to the subject at hand. "I think we're going to have to put Hunting the rogue Hunters off. Finding out how the Old Yharnam beasts are getting in and stopping it takes priority."

At those words the streets became swarmed with the poisonous hordes of Old Yharnam once again. Chase counted about forty beasts this time. Then, oddly, after lining up in a half circle to press the two Hunters against a house, they stopped.

"I think you're right, Chase." Eileen said while looking over the horde. "Due to staffing problems it looks like I'll be doing two duties tonight."

Acting quickly Chase readied a Slowdown while Eileen prepared her throwing knives for the inevitable rooftop ambush.

The Slowdown fired and all the poisonous beasts flipped back perfectly dodging out of the zone of distorted time.

Chase frowned darkly under his mask. The beasts grew more and more cunning.

Chase turned to Eileen. "I think we should wear them down from a range."

Eileen drew more knives. "My thoughts exactly."

Chase got the first shot, his plasma bolt scoring a perfect headshot as always despite the beasts attempt to dodge. He saw it coming and he was improving.

When Eileen's throwing knife was about to kill another beast something soared through the air perfectly hitting the knife sending it flying away helplessly.

"Someone shot a knife out of mid-air?" Chase said, shock creeping into his tone.

"Few are skilled enough to make such a shot," Eileen agreed.

Then the shooter came into sight. He was an old man, but younger than Henryk and Gehrman at the very least. He wore grey leather armor lined with fur, his grizzled and wrinkled face, bandages over his eyes and he wore a triangular hat that reminded Chase of a wolf.

He wore a bag on his back, a weapon Chase couldn't identify on his belt, twisted pieces of metal that seemed to form a claw. The rest of his belt was covered in holsters that held an impressive armory of guns His right arm carried one of those guns and Chase was able to get a good look at the model. It was different, more advanced than the guns he had seen which could only fire a few rounds before reloading. The gun the wolf Hunter used reminded Chase of an archaic magnum in size and bullet chamber.

But what was in his right hand was the strangest thing at all: a net. A net to use against dangerous beasts? Why would he want to do that?

Chase then saw another Hunter besides the wolfish one. He was still noticeably aged but younger the wolfish one, and wore the more traditional Hunter's uniform of a trench coat and leather clothes. His hood was up, and a muffler obscured the rest of his face. His weapons were familiar, a Hunter' Saw like Henryk's and a shotgun that Hunter's preferred only more streamlined in design, more advanced. On his back was some kind of box.

Chase's look over then showed something more strange about the second Hunter; he had a heavy box on his back that he carried with no strain; a Hunter's strength no doubt.

The wolf Hunter then spoke. "You two, stop. Can't you see that the innocent are under a malicious sway. Stop your senseless murder so they can be sent home safely."

"Djura," the second Hunter began. "I don't think you should antagonize the Hunter of Hunters and an unknown like the metal man."

"I can handle myself, Briner." Djura snapped back.

As if too mock his words a beast broke formation and tried to impale the wolf Hunter. Djura's arm shot out stopping the Old Yharnam monster from moving with a grip from its arm, casually over powering it. He then pulled a bag open with his other arm and shoved the beast inside the net and pulled it, tightening the net. The beast clawed helplessly, its poison failing to melt whatever made the net.

Briner took a more long-range tactic. His net was wider and bigger catching multiple beasts. Unlike Djura he avoided close range combat, running from two beasts who his nets missed.

Chase watched the new arrivals. They were clearly Hunters, but they weren't killing the beasts but corralling them. Why were they doing this? Djura seemed confident so did they have a plan? A more ethical solution? Was all the killing he did for nothing?

Chase looked to Eileen for guidance. She had ignored Djura's declaration and was stabbing or slashing whatever beast came close to her.

Chase looked to Djura again. He held a casual dominance over the lycanthropes, his wolf-motif well deserved. Casually grappling the beasts with no discernable effort, stuffing and trapping them into nets.

Chase looked to Briner, he had his saw out, but was hesitating to attack a beast who had caught up to him. He then drew a torch and lit it by scrapping the ground, causing its tip to bloom with fire. "That's it, you're afraid."

But Briner didn't get the memo. The beasts of Old Yharnam had lost their fear to fire. The beast had its claws shining in the night, ready to impale the Hunter.

"No!" Chase shouted, firing his Break Gunner at the beasts, scoring a headshot. The beasts neck spurting blood.

Chase felt good, he had saved a human. He had followed his programming. But now a new feeling came to him: Validation.

Then something barfed liquid onto him and Chase's world became pain. "ARRRGHHHH!" he cried out. The substance was acid! He rolled on the ground in pain and desperation, trying to wipe the poisonous substance off him.

As his armor was smelted away, Chase managed to look up. It was a new type of beast. Thin, spindly, emancipated. It stood on two legs and had long, gangly arms. Its snout could not be seen, covered by a dirty shawl with only two red eyes being visible.

Rolling in pain the Roidmude felt rage at the pain, the indignity of taken off guard. It caused the Roidmude to bolt up, dulling the pain, all the while activating a Slowdown. No chances!

The frozen beast could do nothing as Chase swung his axe, beheading it, its blood flowing out at normal speeds.

Chase felt the pain return. It felt like someone poured gasoline on and ignited it to cook him alive. Blood. He needed blood. Eileen and the reinforcements can handle it. In a strange twist of luck the acid made his mouth guard easy to remove, taking a blood vial out of his tattered coat Chase downed the panacea and just like that the pain faded and his exoskeleton's self-repair function kicked into overdrive.

As he returned to acceptable parameters Chase looked up in the direction of Oedon Chapel and saw it on the roof. It was broken, starved, flayed alive, raw muscle perfectly visible from the torn skin. Even more gruesome the flesh from its back had been sliced off, connecting only by thin membranes and fell over the beasts head. The body itself was anorexically thin, bones visible, veins showing, by all sense it should be dead. But it still stood. It was glaring at the blood spilling at normal speeds from Chase's latest kill which was otherwise stuck in the slowed time. Then its gaze turned on Djura and intensified. And then it was gone.

"What was that?" Chase gasped in disbelief.

Djura paused in mid-wrangle. "What did you see?"

Chase regained his composure and killed a beast with his axe. "It was a new type of beast. It was thin, flayed alive, bleeding blood."

Djura let out a snarl. "We were too slow. This will not be an easy capture."

"I think you mean Hunt." Chase corrected the old Hunter.

"I doubt that you'll listen, but I can simply relocate beasts to Old Yharnam after Briner and I round them up. They won't hurt anyone there."

"Look around you. The humans of the current Yharnam are in trouble and Old Yharnam can't hold the beasts. A Hunter Hunts."

"I don't kill innocent people."

"They're not humans anymore. They're beasts."

"A Hunter that deals in absolutes? You'll be lost this night."

"And a Hunter that doesn't Hunt will have the blood of the innocent on their hands." Chase said with finality.

Djura scowled. "You seem a little too intent on killing them."

"Because it's the only option."

"And I have a better one, send the beasts back to Old Yharnam, they'll be docile there."

"Old Yharnam failed to be the preserve you pretend it to be. We can't have this outbreak extend to Central. "

"Everything was going fine until that freak showed up," Briner entered the conversation.

"Oh," Eileen took interest. "How did an intruder get past Djura's Gatling gun?"

"We don't know. By the time Master Djura found him, he'd opened the church where we sealed it."

Eileen's head bobbed, she seemed to know what Briner was talking about. "That explains everything."

"So the beasts' new behavior is connected to that thing?" Chase asked.

"Yes," Djura spoke. "It was one of the major carriers of the Ashen Blood strain. After the Burning I found it wounded and captured it. I'm not so foolish to protect something so dangerous to other beasts but I spared it and crippled it to study the Ashen Blood."

"And you were successful?" Eileen asked, a hint of hope in her tone.

"No." Briner's words made way for disappointment. "We studied the Ashen Blood strain for years and couldn't figure out anything. It makes no sense to any scientific method."

Djura continued. "But killing such a rare specimen was a waste. We thought that if we kept at it we could still find a cure from such an unfathomable beast."

"But the years past, and it was slow going," Briner took over. "We moved onto other projects to eke out a living. Refurnishing houses, gathering resources, making new gadgets and weapons, farming, looking for water…"

Djura smirked. "They called us crazy but we live the most comfortable lives in this maggot's nest. We get to drink clean water with our meals. Retirements been a fine time."

In a break of composure, Eileen slumped. "I can't help but admit envy."

Djura looked over to Chase. "You're new? The way you fight didn't imply that."

"Chase is a special case," Eileen interjected.

But before she could finish the beasts of Old Yharnam took that moment to return.

"That thing marshalled its troops faster than I thought," Eileen changed gears nonchalantly. "There's some hidden away on the roofs, aren't they."

"I can smell it," Djura confirmed.

"Then I'll shoot them down," Chase said. "My firearm has the best rate of fire."

"It wouldn't be wise to underestimate the Powder Kegs genius, tin-man," Briner said with a casual confidence. "But don't think your slaughter will be even easier."

"Don't be cryptic, tell us." Eileen ordered.

"They've brought the women. Must have been using the first wave to soften us up," Djura theorized.

And you're still going to try and capture these beasts?" Chase said in disbelief.

Djura didn't get a chance to answer, as the female beasts howled. "AWOOOOOHHHH!"

In consequence the male beasts were empowered. Their muscles bulged, their jaws clenched, their fur stood on end from the charge, their claws flashed, and they charged.

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Djura saw the charge and realized that sacrifices had to be made. Eileen and that 'Chase' had no interest in sparing these victims. Like any experienced Hunter he would have to accept what was happening and hope he and Briner could capture more beasts than Chase and Eileen could kill.

He broke out of his thoughts as three male beasts dashed across the streets to him…Faster than normal, he was unprepared. It was time for a necessary evil. Djura drew a smaller pistol from a holster and capped each beast in the knees.

He was merciful, not stupid.

Briner, being the loyal apprentice he was had thrown out a net to capture the crippled beasts as soon as Djura had shot them. Good man, he knew he was out of his league but knew how to contribute.

Out of the corner of his eye (Hunter senses were so great that bandages failed to impede them, that was for another purpose) the retired Hunter could see Chase aim his weapon at the rooftops shooting down the male beasts before they could jump.

For the beasts that tried to take out their ranged fighter Eileen acted as a guard, Quickening around Chase like a ghostly shield, her blades cutting up the poor beasts with no remorse and aiming throwing knives at the ambushing beasts that used their fellows as shields to get closer to Chase.

Djura could not deny how impressive he found the weapon, his inner engineer astounded by the possibilities. Unlimited ammo, an unknown type of energy acting as said ammo, it had no kickback. Utterly incredible. Was the man's armor just as advanced?

Then the enhanced beasts charged the retired Hunter again. Three at him. Another set of knee cappings solved the problem.

"Master!" Briner cried, Djura turned around and saw his apprentice being pinned by five beasts, waving his saw in defense. They must have used their enhanced speed to sneak past them. Briner wouldn't survive their enhanced strength and ferocity without killing them.

Then the female beasts vomited at Djura, a deluge of vile acid sent out like a spray of a hose; they normally couldn't do that. The Blood-Starved Beast had gained more power than he thought.

Then he would exchange range for speed. His magnum was sheathed and the Beast Claw was drawn. He activated its trick form and the Caryll Rune, turning his hands into humanoid furred claws perfect for both slashing and running while his feet became wolf paws fit for a humans feet.

Running on all fours Djura outpaced the male beasts twirling around in a spin kick knocking the beasts away to protect his apprentice. Briner, ever helpful, threw a net over the downed five beasts.

Briner looked at the melted wall where the female beast's acid hit. "Can we make an exception with that breed, Master?"

Djura thought it over, he had his vow, but he valued living and Briner just as much.

"Try to help me restrain them, but if you can't…I'll understand. Now hide behind me."

Djura stood on all fours and charged at the female beasts who fired their spurts of acid from their mouths, the retired Hunter easily weaved his way through the acidic spray…leading him straight into the enhanced male beasts.

But Djura wasn't worried, Briner was surely ready. His faith was validated as a net flew over Djura's bipedal body and onto the beasts trapping them allowing the Powder Kegs to close the distance to the females. Now closer, the beasts returned to using their normal, wider spread of poison vomit.

Undeterred, Djura jumped above the beast and landed on her back, using his clawed hand to turn her still vomiting head to one of her partners. The other beast recoiled in pain as it tasted its own medicine and crumpled to the ground. The final female beast was now ready to spray its acid onto Djura and his mount…until Briner's bullet shot her in the chest making her fall to the ground.

Taking his chance Djura dismounted the beast withdrawing another net using it to trap the two living beasts.

The retired Hunter then turned to inspect his temporary allies. Chase was still doing his job, firing his marvelous weapon at the enhanced beasts, making them fall out of the sky like ugly flies. Eileen had moved into the larger horde, Quickening around his charges her knives impaling their vital parts with grace and ease.

Then a swarm of beasts broke past the Hunters guard and Eileen responded instantaneously her Blades of Mercy beheading the beasts that dared to hurt her new armored comrade.

Then, there was thumping noises from above. On every viewable rooftop female beasts stood over every inch of the ledge, their open mouths visible under their shrouds, ready to vomit their poison.

At this sight everyone knew what they wanted to do, but it was too late. Acid literally rained from the sky, ready to drown the four Hunters and melt them into rotting paste.

But Chase was unphased. "Come over to my side!" he ordered. With no other choice Djura and Briner obeyed, running near the metal man. Eileen stood by his side, her poise one of confidence.

Then there was a whirring sound, and the acid falling above the four Hunters just stopped.

…He slowed the flow of time just like that man did!

"Boy, how did you do that? What manner of Hunter to you?" the words leapt out of his mouth.

"I'll explain my capabilities later, right now we need to finish." Chase answered.

"I agree," Briner said, and he unfolded the Gatling gun he had on his back and set it up while Chase's time powers stopped another acid fall.

Eileen looked up. "I'll take care of our side." And with that she Quickened up the walls to the female artillery and the slaughter began.

Then Djura saw Briner finish setting up the Gatling gun, pointed it up, and fired. It's rapid fire spray easily shooting down the patient beasts on the other side of the houses. The power of a weapon ahead of its time. Of the heretical Powder Kegs.

He remembered how proud he was when he invented it. To bring a better tomorrow to Yharnam.

Ah, well, it's not worth it anymore.

Eileen then jumped back down to the street interrupting his thoughts. "I got all of them."

"Good, now we run to the other side," Chase said and everyone complied running down the street. The beasts' acid had made the street noxious and slimy. Hard to walk on and even harder to tolerate thanks to his enhanced senses.

Then Chase's time power wore off, and the acid from the other side of the street fell, destroying what was left of this street of the Cathedral Ward. More bubbling tar than something that could be traversed.

"You think we got all of them?" Briner asked.

"An outbreak like this is never this easy." Djura lectured.

And he was validated, more male beasts accompanied by more female beasts than ever seen before appeared for support. Then they all howled, each and every beast empowering the other.

"They must be going for attrition," Eileen grit her teeth.

"How many of these things are there?" Chase's monotone voice broke in frustration.

"Old Yharnam had a population in the millions. It was impossible to perform a census for the survivors." Briner said.

"So to assume the worst, we should prepare for an army of ten thousand beasts?" Eileen joked without humor.

"I think both of us have killed a hundred each," Chase noted. "But we can't run. The Ward is already compromised but if these things break into Central…"

"You don't have to murder the innocent, boy," Djura lectured the neophyte. "If we kill the Blood-Starved Beast they'll lose cohesion and I can shepherd them home."

"You mean clean-up will become possible."

"Not if you contribute your time trick."

Before Chase could respond salvation came.

Djura almost wished they hadn't come.

A small army of fake-men garbed in the clothes of the Healing Church all armed a lantern in one hand and a plethora of different weapons in the other hand from staffs, to scythes, to pistols, to those outdated flame sprayers.

But the Church's dolls weren't the only surprise to show up. They had mobilized the giants. Four abominations so tall they almost reached the roofs of the Ward's houses. Whatever mad procedure the Church had done to make the giants had left them deformed, with deathly white skin, flat faces, anorexic to the point where you could see their ribcages and you wondered how they could stand, their cloaks and hats failing miserably to hide their deformities.

But what they lacked in looks, they made up for in power and weaponry. Two carried massive axes just as tall as they were, while the other two pulled ball and chain's with ease that Djura would have had to struggle to pull.

All of the Church's weapons looked at the beasts of Old Yharnam, then pointed their weapons at the horde and let out their eerie moans and charged at the beasts.

"OORRRRGGGHHHH!"

"The Healing Church is helping us?" Djura's thoughts slipped through his mouth, such was his shock. "Did they change?"

"No, this is an odd event." Eileen admitted. "They're up to something."

"…Well, we're saved, I'll take that over death," Briner sagged his shoulders.

"Should I enter the fray and help? I'm not tired." Chase, the oddly armored man said. "I know the Church is negligent but if they've sent aid it might be best to help in turn."

"No, Chase," Eileen said. "The Church's bio-weapons and are notoriously unreliable even when on task. They'll most likely attack you as well. Let's step back and enjoy the show."

And watch they did, it quickly became clear that the battle between the abominations of the Healing Church and the beasts of Old Yharnam was a battle of quality versus quantity. The Church monsters were fewer but they fought with technique, their bodies enhanced by whatever ghastly secrets the Church used as they crushed, sliced, and shot the beasts, shrugging off sprays of acid and poisonous claws until their bodies just couldn't work anymore and they fell dead, taking down a dozen their number.

But the Church Giants were the real champions. All of the beasts physical attacks failed to impart lasting harm, their reliance of pinprick stabs and slashes failing to be effective against their girth. Then, with a mighty swing of their axes the five beasts were felled with a single swing. The ones with the ball and chains focused on the roof, using their range and disregard for collateral damage to deprive the beasts of the high ground.

The Church's forces should be winning, but as the Burning and the constants of Yharnam taught Djura; quantity is a quality all its own. More and more beasts poured in to replace their fallen fellows. The corpses beginning to form piles on the melted street.

Djura held himself, used all of his willpower to stop himself from running into the fray like a fool. He looked a Briner who looked relieve, of Chase and Eileen who watched with a detached air, their satisfaction clear despite the masks they wore.

…And he didn't want to die, he didn't want to risk Briner in this mess. At least he could take consolation in the beasts him and Briner had netted. He'd take them back to Old Yharnam once everything was over, and they'd be safe like they should have been all those years ago.

Then a ball and chain Church Giant raised its ball overhead, ready to crush the trapped beasts.

"No!" Djura shouted, it all couldn't be for nothing. He had to save them. He had to save something! He began to run forward…only for Chase and Eileen to grab him, even with the power he received from the Dream, the two Hunters managed to restrain him with their own monstrous strength.

"See reason!" Chase barked. "They're not human anymore!"

"It's inhumane!"

"It's what's right!"

"How is murder right?!"

"Because what I did can't all be for nothing!"

"Master," Briner cut in. "Calm yourself. This isn't the first time we've failed. We need to move forward. Find the source."

"I agree," a new, feminine voice said. It was deep, thick like a murky puddle. And the speaker walked up to the Hunters.

She wore robes similar to the Church Servants only white and more streamlined, she had her hood up to cover her head. She was a women of middle age, but strangely had white hair with her white hood covering it. Despite the shadows of her hood her eyes shined like blue marbles. A Ludwig model sword was strapped to her back, and a rifle was at her waist, good for Church make.

"The Church," Eileen spoke first, her voice controlled to be civil, "I didn't expect to see the clergy out tonight. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Greetings as well, Hunter of Hunters. My name is Lavinia, a humble envoy of Vicar Amelia." The Churchwomen spoke in her faiths preferred tone, pleasant but measured. "Due to the ongoing crisis the Vicar has decided the need to gather Yharnam's strength and sent me to seek it out. Fortuitously, the Old Yharnam beasts led me to such a congregation of strength."

She turned to Djura and smiled. He knew that smile from that night. He hated it. "It is an honor to meet the famed Powder Kegs, your designs are still used to this day and the Vicar will be pleased that you and your colleague have decided to exit retirement."

"Don't put words into my mouth before I even speak them." Djura scoffed.

The wolf Hunter was ignored as Lavinia turned to the most mysterious member of their alliance. "You must be a new Hunter. And quite powerful at that. I wonder where you came from? I know of no land who makes armor as fine as yours."

"My name is Chase…and I think I'll beseech privacy in meeting the Church. I've heard of your reputation." Not quite cunning enough, if he played dumb the toadie could have let slip some truth to tempt him.

"A pity. The Church does try. But this is not the place to talk and the sentinels will not last forever. Her Holiness Vicar Amelia is offering every Hunter sanctuary in the Grand Cathedral."

"And the civilians?" Chase asked.

"Her Holiness weeps for the innocent but believes that its best to gather those than can end the threat swiftly instead of hunting down the lost." She turned around and began to walk. "Now come."

Chase turned to Eileen. "Can we truly accept this?"

Eileen's answer was bitter. "We have no choice. We all can't fight forever and we need a place to recuperate; the Grand Cathedral is a stronghold."

There was an air of depression from Eileen's statement of that fact. To work directly with the Church. But all four followed Lavinia deeper into the Cathedral Ward.

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In spite of Djura's endless disdain for the institution he once worked for, the engineer inside of him had to begrudgingly admire the new Grand Cathedral. Tall, aesthetically pleasing, defensible, and not falling apart. The Church's base was impressive.

Lavinia opened the chapel doors, large enough to let a Cleric Beast in, and beckoned the four Hunters inside. Despite the groups trepidation they did as they were told. Walking down the tall halls they eventually came to the main hall where mass would be held.

The benches were plentiful, but only a few people sat in them, but the standout addition was a hospital bed, a blonde young man covered in bandages was hooked up to multiple blood dialysis. Must be because he contracted Ashen Blood.

At the end of the hall a sheet had covered the alter and the current Vicar was praying, At the very least she didn't look as presumptuous as the old one – that one looter he caught said she became a beast – but that might be because the Church simply didn't have the resources anymore. Especially if they were asking the rag-tag group like him and Briner had ended up with as well as an invalid for help.

Lavinia walked up to the Vicar who was bowed by the sheet praying while clasping a necklace in hand. Her body was covered by a weathered white dress and a ratty white cloak with the hood pulled over her head. Lavinia put her hand on her shoulder, ending her prayer. The leader of the Healing Church then steadily rose, and turned to face the Hunters. Djura was temporarily offput by how young the new Vicar looked in spite of her straw-like blonde hair spilling from her hood and her thin, worn face. Either the Healing Church had taken an even worse turn after the Burning or they kept the best blood ministrations for themselves to keep themselves looking young.

To his disgruntlement, Djura didn't get a chance to receive any more hints about his opposition's leader as Lavinia ordained in a booming voice. "All will now rise for Her Holiness, Vicar Amelia and the honored Hunters of Yharnam!"

The survivors in the chapel all turned their heads to where the Hunters and clergy stood. Djura saw Eileen make an angry motion as she understood the plan; set all eyes on them so the Hunters would have to play nice and not buy into the stigma of them being bloodthirsty beasts in human skin in the middle of a crisis.

Djura scoffed, that might work for the two official Hunters but Briner and himself were not Hunters anymore. If it came down to it the two of them would proudly speak blunt truths to the Church's current demagogue.

"Welcome, brave Hunters, I thank the founder, Laurence, to see that you have looked past reputations and hearsay and answered the Church's pleas for aid. Ah, I see that two of you have come out of retirement to help us deal with this crisis," she then turned to Chase. "And one of you is not on record. I shall take advantage of such an occasion to introduce myself to all of you; I am the Vicar of the Healing Church, Amelia. It is my duty to seek the truth of the Old Blood on this plane." The Vicar spoke calmly and politely, despite her young age Djura had to admit she was good.

"And the return of the Old Yharnam outbreak has deterred that goal, has it not?" it was Eileen who spoke. Her tone and words perfectly neutral. "I'm currently working two different jobs; I think we should both hurry up so we can get back to what we need to do."

"Very well. I understand why you don't wish to dally around given the crisis and the poor reputation the Church has gained thanks to resource shortages." Vicar Amelia said. "But the people's lives take priority so I let everyone I could into the Grand Cathedral and sent Lavinia and her fellow Church Hunters to find allies to fight the crisis when the beasts of Old Yharnam tried to pull through." She then turned to Djura and Briner, her eyes narrowing. "If only those who stationed themselves there for decades had done their duty and pacified the city like a true Hunter would have."

It seemed like the Healing Church hadn't changed at all since Djura's retirement. It was still all snake oil and blame shirking and he wouldn't let anyone fall for it like the Powder Kegs did. "Now, I understand that my lifestyle is seen as suspicious among all the inhabitants in this city, but my retirement was well earned. Your organization burned my comrades, myself, and the people the Church ordered us to save from the Ashen Blood. You're lucky that we decided to resign, not rebel."

Djura felt satisfied with his speech, until he saw Briner frowning at him.

"A most unfortunate belief that you've gained," Amelia said, her voice filled with sympathy. "Back in the days of Ludwig the Church empowered the Hunters to fight the Scourge. After the tragedy of Old Yharnam you tried containment and as we see it led to yet another catastrophe. A clear symbol of why the stigma against Hunters was formed. You sacrifice so much and are left with nothing but pain, so threaten to spread that pain to the Church's flock. A dangerous cycle."

At the Vicar's words he saw a refugee mumble in agreement, followed, by another.

"The Vicar's got a point. The Hunters let this happen."

"They made the Night of the Hunt worse!"

"This outbreak is the Hunters fault!"

"Now wait, the bird one and the armored one have been out fighting!"

"Then it's those two Hunter's fault! They need to be punished!"

"It will never happen! They need all the help that they can get!"

"Very well!" Briner shouted, silencing the growing panic. "The Powder Kegs understand your grievances and shall seek to atone. Tonight, we shall Hunt alongside our brethren again!"

Djura looked at his apprentice in disbelief. What about the vow they made? What about standing against the Church's crimes? What about defending the people of Old Yharnam? They would have to talk later.

But the world wouldn't wait for the Powder Keg. "I thank you for your selfless act, Mr. Powder Keg," Vicar Amelia's smile was a bit too saccharine to be believable. "Your skills will be put to good use."

"And speaking of skills being put to use," Eileen spoke up, her body language undecipherable. "The Church always has an ear in the ground, do they not? What do you know about the outbreak?"

"The Powder Kegs must have also been at the center of the outbreak as well and they know the bests of Old Yharnam better than everyone else," Chase backed her up. "We should corroborate information."

"I was hoping for my men to find more Hunters but I understand the value of a swift response in an outbreak; let's talk strategy. Lavinia, if you will?" Vicar Amelia said in agreement.

As Vicar Amelia stepped back into the shadows Lavinia stepped forward to better face the Hunters. She stood tall with a sort of presence to her, like she was used to it.

"The Old Yharnam beasts broke out of the main passage way to the condemned city. The Executioner we had staffed guarding the gate tried to fight off the horde by himself but the numbers proved too much and he barely escaped with his life." Lavinia pointed to the man lying in the hospital gurney being given a blood ministration.

"He came to the Grand Cathedral for aid. To our surprise the beasts ignored the Grand Cathedral and began to spread out among the city and began to Hunt other beasts. What they're doing we cannot guess."

"A single passageway couldn't transport the numbers we've fought." Chase pointed out.

Briner rubbed his chin in thought. "We only guarded the main passage way to Old Yharnam in case we needed to leave, we boarded up other potential paths to the city and the beasts were happy to be normal animals with their prey out of sight or scent. Given the Blood-Starved Beast's intellect it probably had its army search for every exit it could. It could find what Djura and I missed with its numbers."

"Perhaps the Powder Kegs could tell their side of the story?" Amelia suggested.

"Yes. Tell us what you know." Lavinia ordered.

"Well…the sun was a bit higher in the sky when the outbreak started so it took a while for them to migrate here. It all started when Djura was out on patrol and found that someone was trespassing." Briner explained.

"He snuck in through a blind spot in your defenses, then?" Eileen guessed.

"Bah," Djura scoffed. "That hooligan didn't know up from down and was scared witless. But he freed the Blood Starved Beast before I found him; that's what started all this."

"So the outbreak falls to your negligence," Amelia said lightly.

"And we have come to atone for our misguided attempts," Briner smoothly agreed. "When the Blood-Starved Beast escaped its howl frenzied the rest. Master Djura and I had to retreat to the top of a building to survive the stampede, it was insane. We stayed hidden until the noise stopped and went to Hunt the beast, it's why we we're so late."

"And with your story the solution to the crisis becomes clear; we must kill your Blood-Starved Beast." Amelia declared. "While I would prefer that the Executioner be healed in time for the Hunt I cannot risk the Ashen Blood mixing with the Scourge. My agents will locate the Blood-Starved Beast and the five of you will go and kill the abomination that's threatening Yharnam."

"Given the scale of the threat to humans, I will aid you in this outbreak…for now." Chase was the first to decide.

"He has a point. This is everyone's problem. I'll help." Eileen was the next to pledge her aid though her tone was far colder.

"You know where I stand, Vicar." Lavinia agreed.

"And I have already sworn to, uh, 'atone for my sins', haven't I?" Briner said wryly.

Amelia turned to Djura, looking at him intently, smiling. "And you, Djura?"

Djura fought the urge to make a deeper scowl. He knew he had lost and the Vicar was just getting a kick out of reminding him of how little a choice he had.

"I know I've lost. Don't get in my way and I won't get in yours."

"Excellent," Amelia clapped her hands. "I'll leave you to discuss your plans for the Hunt until news of your quarry's location has been found."

And with that she walked away, Lavinia looking intently at her mistresses cloaked back.

What's really going on between the two of them? Djura thought, they might put up a front, but the Church only cared about itself, and that included the individual members against the others of their ilk.

As the Vicar walked away Chase somehow removed his armor in a haze of purple energy by tapping the front of his firearm revealing the man underneath. Djura felt the engineer inside of him revel in its curiosity of the mechanics of such a transformation.

Until he saw what Chase looked like.

Sure, the clothes were different, his hair wasn't spiked back, and his face was rounder. But the skin tone, his Eastern ethnicity, the material of his garb underneath the remains of the duster, the odd technology of his gear.

His ability to slow time.

It was just like the hooligan that created this mess.

Djura walked up to the purple man and looked him in the eye. It was blank, just like his face. He wasn't shellshocked, so how did he make himself so perfectly stoic?

Djura wanted to gamble. To press this impossible coincidence for a lead. But he couldn't. He couldn't let the Church win again.

But the strange man approached him staring him in the face with his blank eyes. "Djura, since we have been forced together I would like to discuss important things with you."

"In the center of the Healing Church's power?" Djura countered.

"It cannot wait and either sides opinion doesn't matter to me." Chase blinked. "I apologize for my forwardness; I am new to starting conversations like this."

As if that make things better. Djura thought sarcastically. "Fine. Say anything you want. I've probably heard it all before."

"You showed interest in my Slowdown capabilities. While I see what you wanted to do it's also too impractical to implement with everything that's going on. The beasts must be Hunted."

"Alright, stop," Djura scowled. "I was prepared for everything but a lecture that sounds like it came from the Church."

"This is serious. You stopped protecting people. This is new territory for me as well, but I feel the need to assure the good of unit." Chase said.

Djura felt his mouth become an emotionless line and spoke despite who might be listening. "Chase, we're not protecting people. We're killing them. The beasts we fight aren't animals, they're ill people. After the Burning I couldn't justify all of the death for nothing. The only stain deeper than blood is bloodlust. I didn't like the road the Church wanted me and Briner to walk."

"So you needed rest from the killing, but why didn't you came back after you had recovered?"

"Do you know what you ask?" Djura said. "You want me to come back not to actually help, but add more corpses to the pile. Don't seek violence so easily."

"I'm not seeking violence, I just want justice." Chase said, his voice becoming harder.

"I don't see killing the ill and serving a callous dictatorship as justice." Djura shot back.

"They're not justice." Chase said, his voice still resolute.

"Don't tell me you think you're justice." Djura said, he then let out a sad sigh. "Child, justice is a very convenient word. The Church loved it once, I did too, it could be so many things but still be right. It's a concept that will lead you into trying to murder all the evil out of the world."

As Djura finished his speech, Chase's face twitched and made a most authentic frown. "I disagree. Justice is a construct of order. It divides right from wrong and helps people make the correct decision and if you make a mistake, it will lead you back to the right path eventually."

Then it all made sense to Djura. "You didn't know, did you? Thought you were killing monsters, protecting the people. That's one way they get foreigners in, have you make a decision so big you can't back out. 'It can't all be for nothing', right?" He repeated what Chase said at the end of their last argument.

Then the sound of the Grand Cathedral's doors opening ended their talk.

A man in Church armor walked through the door saying, "I've found the trail."

"Excellent work, faithful Hunter of the Church." Amelia praised. "Tell the location to Lavinia so she can lead the Hunt and you can rest here safely."

As the Churchmen exchanged information Briner stepped forward. "Let's go everyone," he said.

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With a heave of strength Maurice pulled Robert over his shoulder and onto the rooftop of the building. There better not be Old Yharnam beasts on this rooftop. he mentally grumbled as he looked over the rooftop for enemies. He'd heard rumors that the Ashen Blood strain was a step above the normal Scourge but the news that trickled down from the top of Mensis never implied pack intelligence.

Maurice positioned Robert into a more comfortable position once he judged that the coast was clear, looking at the bleeding gash across his partner's chest.

"Oh, Maurice, Cainhurst never changes," he mumbled deliriously. "Those beasts saved us from that brute. Cainhurst nobility remnant my ass, she's even more thuggish than we are. The aristocracy will always come back to oppress the commoners."

Maurice frowned. While it was true that the Crow would have finished gutting Robert if the Old Yharnam beasts hadn't started spilling in and given her something new to kill, but the blood loss made him not notice that gymnastics Maurice had to perform to find a safe place to rest.

Maurice was ready to disparage Robert when he held his tongue; it was one thing to berate his partner for stupidity but not for the inane babbling that came from wounds. Instead, he drew a blood vial – the man of foresight kept the medicine after all – and inserted it into his injector and jabbed the panacea into his wound.

"Don't talk, Robert, you can make all the asinine witticisms you want when you're healed."

The blood did its job and Robert's wound fixed itself. Maurice frowned, one of the reasons they had joined the School to lower the chances of injury but his hand had been blown off and Robert had almost been impaled.

But this is the Night of the Hunt, Maurice's formidable intellect reminded him. Even the School of Mensis couldn't keep its promises on this night.

"Hey, Maurice, were you listening to my japes?" Robert's voice had penetrated Maurice's thoughts.

Maurice scoffed. "I said that you could make your witticisms, not that I'd listen to them. You should be thankful that I'm gracious enough not to mock them after your wounds."

Robert responded by pushing Maurice's shoulder back then sighed.

"What are we going to do, Maurice? The Hunters of Hunters and that brute will surely be after us for their own reasons."

Maurice immediately quashed down the rage that had ruled him during the fight with the two crow-themed women as it tried to return. His intellect unblemished by rage could now tell that Attack Pattern Executioner was a foolish venture.

"I wish we could retreat back to Yahar'gul but I don't know how the Headmaster will react to us failing to meet our quota. The heads were very clear that they wanted results by tonight."

"Then maybe catch some of the Old Yharnam beasts that have caused the outbreak? The Ashen Blood will excite them."

Maurice shook his head in a negative. "I doubt it. I'm pretty sure that the scholars got everything they wanted during the Burning, the Church and the School worked more closely back then after all."

"And human flesh always proves its worth." Robert grumbled. "And the Ward is running out of humans at an exponential rate. Not a funny joke for us survivors."

"It's Yharnam's way, we made our choice," Maurice agreed, looking at the sun, almost completely set. "You do whatever it takes to make ends meet. I just swore to do more than that."

"Because you are a man of ambition. You should have learned humility like I did. They had me sold at the three meals a day." Robert said, a smile creeping into his voice.

Maurice looked down at the Cathedral Wards streets, despite all the work the Church put into their stronghold it was still noticeably worn down and broken. "This is why I feel like the lone crusader. There's more to this maggot's nest, but the Church, the Hunters, they're all dead ends. But the School of Mensis, what we saw there, they know the truth, they know more. I want that and if some diseased deadwood need to be sold to get it, so be it."

Robert let out his strange laugh. "And know you're making me feel guilty for being content trafficking blokes for some steak. We can try again, for old time's sake."

"Thanks, Robert." The words came out without thinking.

"Don't lose your touch, Maurice. You're not as clever as you think. Even a dullard like me can see that." Robert joked.

Maurice felt his bitter snideness return and prepared to show how clever his wit was when Robert spoke up again. "Well, would you look at that; the Church has pulled out all the stops."

Maurice looked down at the streets again and saw five Hunters run through the streets. To his displeasure the Hunter of Hunters was a part of the group, two Hunters who he couldn't recognized, an utter unknown in purple armor, and a Church stooge. Probably one of the oddest sights he'd ever seen.

"The Church actually rallying the Hunters around itself?" Maurice said in utter disbelief. "Not even the wisest scholar could discern the truth of that mystery."

"I think we should worry about the one in armor the most. Never seen a man like that and you know what happens when you Hunt the unknown."

Maurice watched the pack of Hunters run by and pursed his lips as he looked at their faces. Robert was actually right. Just not in the way he thought.

"No, the real unknown is the Church Hunter. The priority should be focused on her." Maurice decided.

"What makes you think that?"

Maurice smirked as he revealed the fruits of his intellect. "Elementary, my dear dullard. The Healing Church is the most public entity in Yharnam, the School knows all its leaders…but the reports never mentioned a women looking like that. It looks like the Church has some aces that they've yet to play."

"The boss should be satisfied with us sniffing out that secret." Robert said.

Robert kneeled over the rooftop as he watched the Hunters run past the empty streets. Strange, in hindsight there should be more beasts because of the outbreak…even on the rooftops. Realization dawned on Maurice as a hungry smirk formed on his lips and his eyes lit up with ambition. "We'll do more than satisfy him, Robert. If we make the right decisions we'll be the victors. Let's go! I have an idea!"

With nothing left to lose, the Yahar'gul Hunters followed the true Hunters from above. Their needed quota back in reach.

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Chase ran in the formation the five Hunters agreed upon at Lavinia's urging, the Church Hunter herself in front as the de facto leader, himself by her side for his strength, armor, and Slowdown, Djura and Briner in the back due to their superior ranged weaponry (How did they invent magnums?) with Eileen in the middle due to being armed for both close and long range and the speed to aid either mode of attack.

At the very least Lavinia seemed to know how to lead, her formation allowing the alliance to easily cut through any Old Yharnam or the regular Scourge beasts that impeded their progress.

Lavinia didn't seem bother to ask the origins of his chronokinisis, though then again, Eileen could teleport and no one reacted to that.

But Chase was brought out of his musings as he axe arm reflexively swung out to kill a male Old Yharnam beast that had once again tried to use the acid spray as a distraction. In spite of the higher coordination, it seems that the Blood-Starved Beast only knew one trick.

Chase turned to check on Eileen first. She had chosen to use Gascoigne's shotgun, deeming her throwing knives a waste on the rabble thrown at them. Briner had shot down most of the acid sprayers and to Chase's expectations Djura had refused to commit and sought to disable the beasts instead of properly Hunting them like he had done during the previous skirmishes.

Meanwhile, Lavinia was wiping the blood off her sword, Chase had seen her in action and knew her to be skilled with her sword, the beasts being little more than wheat to be cut in the face of bladework.

Still, she paced behind Eileen, Djura, and himself in combat, the beast he had to cut down spoke of her limits compared to the elder Hunters.

"You're quite skilled, Chase," Lavinia suddenly praised him. "This is your first night on the Hunt, yet you fight like a legendary Hunter."

Was this what Eileen, Iosefka, and Djura's reactions warned him of, an uncaring institution lying to him and using him? Still, at the very least Eileen was civil… "I don't think that this is the time for smalltalk, we need to break the core of the outbreak. Are we closer to where the Church has found the Blood-Starved Beast's den?"

Lavinia smiled. "While it's true you don't match the tales of the prowess of the greatest Hunters like Ludwig the Holy Blade you are keeping pace with two legends of the present."

Chase turned his head back and saw Eileen and Djura's uneasy postures. "You don't mean…?"

Djura let out a bitter laugh at the accusation, which Briner didn't bother to mitigate like Djura's other human faux pauses while Eileen gave one of her vague answers. "We're not legends. We were just in the wrong place at the right time."

Chase knew not to press when Eileen answered like that. Lavinia was far less considerate.

"You might not believe this, but the Church remembers the great contributions to Yharnam in times of crisis. The city would not still be standing if not for the both of your heroism."

"Still standing," Djura scoffed. "Forgive the madman for not taking pride in his accomplishments."

Chase decided to ignore the ugly feeling welling up inside him at Djura's remark as he remembered Eileen's story of the Burning. He might not have approved with what Djura had done with his life, but his disdain towards his 'legendary moment' seemed to be well justified.

Lavinia took the animosity with no change to her demeanor, if anything the smile became larger. "Such a view might sound callous, but take no shame in what you all had to do or will have to do tonight. What has been sacrificed has never been for nothing. If the rest of the world found out about what has taken Yharnam we would be surely be cleansed off the face of the earth in the name of the rest of the world's safety or our fair city would lose control of the Old Blood bringing the Scourge grip to unprecedented heights throughout the world. Yharnam's citizens in their suffering, only sees how the Church inconveniences them unable to see that the Church's insights on the crisis are far broader in scope. The Church sees the needs of all not just Yharnam and through this wordly sight we see the greater truth of what needs to be done with our power and authority."

Djura tipped his hat over his eyes. "You take that drivel from the Vicar? The one in my time said the same thing."

Lavinia shrugged. "Rumor has it that true politicians never write their own teachers."

"What happened to that Vicar anyway?" Briner wondered, "I never liked her."

"That was the consensus. She became a beast and had to be put down," Eileen explained. "I'm upset I missed it."

"And Amelia took her place, then?" Briner guessed.

"No." Eileen shook her head. "The one after that got crushed by his bodyguard becoming a Cleric Beast. The next Vicar made promises but Cainhurst killed him before anyone found out if he was honest. The one after that lasted longer but died during the next Night of the Hunt. After that Bloody Amelia took power."

"So nothing changed…" Djura noted.

"Well, Cainhurst got wiped out in the Crusade after Promised Johnson got assassinated. It gave the Church a major boost in political capital." Eileen added.

"Sounds about what I'd expect, even before the Burning." Briner nodded in agreement.

"Nothing's changed." Djura stressed.

"I wouldn't say that, Master, Cainhurst had been a drain on the city ever since they became addicted to blood." Briner offered his opinion.

"You're not like your master, Briner, why stay in Old Yharnam instead of making a difference?" Chase took the opportunity to ask.

"After the Burning, Master Djura and I were the only survivors of the Powder Kegs and after surviving that nightmare and the Church's reaction…well, we were both done. We retired in protest, gathered all our belongings, and decided to protect the grave that was Old Yarnam in its survivors. I had lots of reasons to join him, I was in a bad place back then and taking a break was the right decision, I couldn't let the Church just get away with what it did, Djura was even worse than I was back then and I owed him for making him the man I am today."

"Don't talk about my life like I'm not here," Djura grumbled.

"I'm your apprentice, not your satellite. There's a difference between loyalty and sycophancy and after our mess is cleaned up we will have out talk."

Then Lavinia rose her hand and said, "We're close. Be quiet and remember the plan."

"I don't smell anything but blood and poison. It covered its tracks." Djura reported.

And with that and silence reigned. In spite of the squabbles no one wanted to give the Blood Starved Beast an advantage.

Chase took in his surrounding, the area they were entering had more compact streets to better suit the housing buildings built around the rotting roads. It was disturbingly empty, no normal beasts, none of the omnipresent obese crows, or Old Yharnam beasts on the rooftops which had quickly become almost as common.

The Blood-Starved Beast had kept up its bestial cunning and the fight with the Cleric Beast had taught Chase the dangers of fighting a large beast in close-quarters.

But the Hunters here knew that, they knew that the Blood Starved Beast would attempt to scheme a trap and they had a countertrap: Chase's Slowdown. Chase knew that it wouldn't halt the alpha beast but it would slow the animal in an enclosed area easily letting his four partners and himself trap and kill the time slowed beast; a simple and efficient counter ambush especially with the caliber of bullets the Gatling gun was carrying.

Eileen looked up, then made a motion to negative, the Blood-Starved Beast wasn't hiding on the rooftops.

But it could still have merely dodged her sight.

Djura had decided to go with two of his magnums, not wanting to see if he could be a greater beast than his former prisoner.

Lavinia raised her sword into a defensive stance, but stepped forward, ready to test the waters.

The Roidmude turned his head as the road curved and saw that the house walls were stained with blood. He looked closer, did the Blood-Starved Beast do this or was it just a messy Hunt no one had bothered to clean?

Then Chase heard a familiar sound; a spark being made.

Then there was a light, a tiny flickering light in the dark, it fell from above hitting the blood.

Chase's world was consumed by an explosion as the blood ignited.

Used to such conflagrations and thinking quickly, Chase grabbed Lavinia and rolled backwards away from the explosion.

As Chase landed on his back he saw something in the smoke, sparks shining in the smog as a claw darted outwards ready to impale him. But Lavinia returned the favor her weapon assuming its Trick form by combining the blade and sheath creating a wall of metal to block the attack with a "Clang!" as more sparks were made.

Before the Blood-Starved Beast – for what else could it be? -- could attack again, gunfire rang out as Djura and Briner let loose suppressive fire to kill the beast, Gatling gun spinning as Djura fired every round in his time-displaced weapons, Eileen rushing forward to defend her comrade with a Quickening as a storm of knives was sent flying at the alpha beast.

Then just like that, the sparks vanished as the Blood-Starved Beast disappeared.

As the five Hunters formed a perimeter to await the next attack, Lavinia let out a snarl of rage. "Powder Kegs, explain! There was nothing about an explosive strain of blood."

"And it was faster than we thought," Eileen added.

"It couldn't do that before," Djura said, just as confused. "When I caught it, its blood was just more acidic than the rest of the Ashen Blood beasts."

"We still have my trump card," Chase said to assure himself. "It got the first strike, but we just have to catch it."

"But do we go deeper or retreat, hoping it will follow?" Briner said.

"I won't have all this be for nothing, we shall go forward." Lavinia ordered.

"Into another trap it set up? No, we stay here. Bunker up. Briner and I will know what to do." Djura retorted.

"He speaks sense," Eileen agreed. "Deeper in is most likely set to blow with a spark."

Chase saw Lavinia grind her teeth at being questioned and outnumbered. But before he could see the rest of her reaction, Djura all of a sudden pointed his gun at him…and fired at the beast behind him.

"ARRGGGHHHHH!" with a rather hateful howl of pain and rage the Blood-Starved Beast vanished before the Hunters could even see it beyond a blur.

"Can't believe that it's ignoring me for you," Djura drawled as he searched for where the Blood-Starved Beast retreated to on the rooftops.

"It saw the fight against the rest of its ilk, it must have seen Chase's time trick. It's using hit and run tactics to counter that." Eileen said, an assortment of knives in hand.

"Outfoxed by a beast, an embarrassing return from retirement," Briner joked.

"We still outnumber it. Just go all out." Lavinia ordered.

"I'd advise against such an action." Chase said.

"Smart boy, ignoring the Church!" Djura praised with a heap of sarcasm. "Instead, listen to me. Everyone, guns out and form a circle in the middle of the street. If you're too close to the buildings it might decide to just smash through them to get to us. Everyone share a line of sight, in this-"

The Blood-Starved Beast refused to let them plan. It dashed through a building, its bulk shattering it creating a storm of broken wood and plaster that flew about the road, the dust kicked up obscuring its form again set into a sprint for Chase.

But it was too late, neither cover nor destruction would deter the Hunters and they were in position.

Not bothering to wait for Chase Briner, Lavinia, and Djura fired their guns with bullets digging into the Blood-Starved Beasts body silhouettes of spraying blood could be seen even with the dust obscuring the Blood-Starved Beast from sight. Eileen also unleashed her payload, the sound of stabbed flesh could be heard.

Then Chase unleashed his Slowdown and the Blood-Starved Beast's gait began to slow.

"Behind it!" Djura ordered.

Everyone complied, Chase, Lavinia, and Eileen drawing their more brutal melee weapons ready to kill the Blood-Starved Beast.

Then before Eileen could even think to Quicken, a wicked claw lurched out like a whip and tore into her flesh drawing a torrent of blood.

Before Chase could even call out Eileen's name his world was turned upside down.

Literally.

The beast had blurred in front of him and punted him into the sky, easily breaking his armor, blood spilling out. Then he was smashed into back into the ground his body screaming in pain as claws dug themselves into his chest, shredding his internal workings and causing his new blood to pour out faster as he felt the liquid rush back up his throat.

But despite the new dimensions of pain Chase felt one thought appeared clearly in his mind.

It can move perfectly in Slowdown.

"By the blood! We got tricked by a beast!" a voice shouted, old and grizzled.

"We should have killed it when we found it!" another voice, younger and clearer said.

"Don't remind me!" the older voice said as Chase heard the sounds of gunfire.

"Damn it! This shouldn't be possible! Hurry up, someone needs to give them a blood injection!" this time it was a woman, her voice was drifting farther away from the Roidmude.

But all thoughts of what was going on left Chase's thoughts as he looked upwards and saw the Blood-Starved Beast.

Because it wasn't the beast Chase saw before.

Formerly a ghastly sight of shredded and flayed flesh dropped over an emancipated frame of a canine, the alpha of Old Yharnam had returned to its former glory. Muscles upon muscles had developed under its flesh, creating a large but compact frame that could move on either two legs or four. Its claws, now able to properly stand the beasts claws now stood out as truly wicked implements so sharp that any movement created sparks. Its snout was still disproportionately large showing an abyss of a mouth filled with a butcher's shop worth of sharp teeth, drool freely falling out the mouth, causing anything the liquid hit to sizzle and burn as its milky white eyes glared hatefully, free from the flayed flesh.

But it was its fur the stood out the most. Long. Shaggy locks now grew from its once naked skin like a natural amour garbed in blood red fur. Literally. Its fur was literally bathed in blood. The blood from its wounds mixed with the blood-soaked fur and dripped to the ground with a "plip, plip, plip…"

Then it shook its body sending spots of blood flying off its fur all over the street they were fighting in, then it scraped its claws together sending out the sparks. They hit the warm blood and it exploded the conflagrations consuming the streets setting it aflame.

"No! Not again! The world won't burn again!" the old grizzled voice -- Djura, wasn't it? -- called out. The old Hunters reached into his satchel and pulled out a black, square, container: a grenade, and threw it at the Bloody Beast. Not knowing but not trusting whatever Djura threw at him the Bloody Beast dodged the device and the explosion it created.

But Djura was already gone, waiting at where he knew the Bloody Beast would dodge, his hands and feet had become claws once again. His fist met the beast's face with an utterly brutal haymaker impacting onto its snout. Despite its size the beast was sent flying, teeth and blood flying from its mouth.

Pressing his advantage, Djura followed. The Bloody Beast had already risen on two legs, claws raised to attack, the two fighters clashed, claw against claw, Djura's abnormal strength matching the Bloody Beast's…for now. Djura had defeated this kind of beast before. Knew its moves, and this one must be stronger now, faster, angrier, and smarter. Djura knew that as well, he Hunted swiftly, putting every effort to be two steps ahead of the Bloody Beast. He was always two steps away from a claw slice before it hit where he was before, then counterattacked with an even more desperate savagery, all four clawed limbs swiping and smashing at the beast, a frantic attempt to make it go on the defense.

But it was too fast, even while standing on two legs, its claws scrapping the ground kicking up more of those sparks. But Djura didn't let an uphill battle stop him, instead, it motivated him. The dance of claws continued as the Bloody Beast continued to fight on Djura's terms almost lazily.

But why? Irritation filled Chase's thoughts at yet another question flitting through his head.

The Bloody Beast played Djura's game, every slice of its claws drew closer to cutting Djura, the anticipation of killing its former jailor made its eyes light up in glee, made the beast sloppy as it prioritized torture over efficiency.

Then… there! A pivotal mistake, a flaw in its guard like what the beast Gascoigne had become had done. Then, with speeds surpassing the Bloody Beast on all fours, Djura drew two gun, quickdraw style with perfect skill, even with his hands morphed into claws, and fired at the Bloody Beast's face.

The bullets shot out and at such a close range, they couldn't miss due to the Bloody Beast's bulky body scoring three shots to its head. Causing it too recoil in pain.

In the end, no matter what twisted intelligence it had gained, a beast was still a beast.

And Djura knows that. Chase realized.

There was the familiar sound of cocking guns. Briner and Lavinia had gotten back into position, Gatling gun and rifle drawn and fired. So drawn into its duel with Djura the Bloody Beast could not dodge the bullets in time.

Like before they hit its bloody hide, goring into its body, shredding it up all over again.

Djura wasn't idle either, taking advantage of the bullet storm hitting the beast to unleash a flurry of claw stabs with grace and speed far surpassing an actual boxer.

Chase sat up, finally beating the pain for there was more important things than it. He forced himself to stand and aim as he raised his Break Gunner at the Bloody Beast's back, plasma should prove flammable.

He pulled the trigger, again and again. The plasma bolts hit the Bloody Beast in unwounded areas, it burnt the Bloody Beast but didn't set the blood on fire like Chase wanted.

"What…?" Chase gasped out in disbelief. That things blood had proven to be flammable. No, wait, the bullet wounds should have done something as well.

"More tricks? You'll take them to the grave!" Djura boasted as he made a swipe for the Bloody Beast's eye.

The Bloody Beast let out a growl and got on all fours, its absurd endurance weathering the bullet and plasma storm that consumed it, and decided that sadism wouldn't give it its revenge.

Now on all fours the Bloody Beast could fully leverage its massive bulk easily overpowering Djura's claws where before it would parry. Djura didn't even bother to try and pin it, he knew he couldn't hope to match the Bloody Beast's full strength.

Now, Djura wasn't being whittled away by sadistic claws, he was being crushed by pure, wild, power. If the Bloody Beast was a wild storm before, now it was a violent maelstrom of fury. It crouched down into a lunge, ready to crush Djura in its jaws when a black feathered figure teleported into range behind it, leaping onto its back, her daggers digging into its neck, ruining its charge.

"Eileen!" Chase said.

Eileen dug her daggers in deeper on the Bloody Beast's back, its full attention on getting her off as it raged, trying to shake her off, as the beast tried to slam its back into the ground, Eileen teleported next to Chase.

"While Djura distracted the beast I took a blood vial." She explained.

"Then I'll continue to give fire support."

"You can give him more help when you can walk." She said, handing him a spare blood vial.

Chase gratefully took the panacea and removed his mouth guard to down it and his implements closed up.

Chase quickly then rejoined the front lines with Eileen to relieve Djura.

The Bloody Beast remained on all fours, trying to crush the three Hunters with its strength and speed. But with its accumulated wounds and a steel mines worth of bullets the Bloody Beast finally showed fatigue, now resembling its starved self more.

Its claws and fangs desperately lashed out, but when it targeted Eileen Chase and Djura smashed it with their claws and axe. When it focused on Djura Eileen took the chance to stab it with her fused dagger. When it focused on Chase Djura took the chance to disrupt it with a powerful tackle that disoriented it, allowing Chase and Eileen to strike. And that wasn't adding Briner and Lavinia now taking the chance to aim at old wounds as the front lines had regained dominance.

It wouldn't be long until the Bloody Beast fell.

"AWOOOOOHHHH!" the Bloody Beast howled.

The ground began to shake.

"It's like when it escaped. It's calling its pack to it!" Briner shouted.

"I can use my Slowdown to stop them!" Chase called back.

"Do it, quickly!" Lavinia agreed.

The Old Yharnam beasts spilled in from both sides of the street.

"Damn ants!" Lavinia voice reached a higher pitch. "A two pronged ambush! Make it a retreat!"

Got it!" Chase replied, deciding to use a Slowdown at the side they had entered from.

Chase heard the familiar whir, he saw time distort, and he saw the Old Yharnam beasts continuing their stampede.

"Damnit!" Chase cursed, his stoicism finally broken as he saw what protected the beasts from the Slowdown.

Blood. Like their alpha they were all covered in blood. Head to toe, male and female, they were dyed crimson through the blood.

Chase thought back, to Henryk, to the Bloody Beast's gaze during the first Old Yharnam battle. It all went back to the Old Blood, somehow Yharnam's healing salve could counter the slowing of time.

The Bloody Beast jumped back into a horde, a group of its pack held a Church Minion, and with a quick motion and a savage snap, the Church minion was picked up and snapped in two by the Bloody Beast, its blood being dropped down the beasts' mouth, and just like that, the Bloody Beast body fixed itself, it stopped bleeding, its wounds knitting up, and it was soon perfectly healed.

Djura glared at Lavinia. "The Church abominations! Whatever you did to make them causes it to heal faster, and you practically handed it a buffet!"

"It's less than an ant, less than an ant, less than an ant, less than an ant!" Lavinia wasn't listening.

The four cognizant Hunters were now surrounded by both fronts by the beasts of Old Yharnam. Their leader safely surrounded by its pack. Soon to be crushed by the horde.

After the wait, a cliffhanger. I hope this chapter breeds speculation.

 

[Alexander89]

Well, uh, finally finished reading this.

And man, is this brutal or what? So much fitting for a Bloodborne crossover, especially since you created scenarios like this one: it makes Yharnam alive.

Just one thing I dislike, it's the inclusion of more people from the Kamen Rider universe. I think Chase alone is quite enough, and even the Old Yharnam invasion could be given a different origin that still use canon Bloodborne elements.

Because blood that catch fire? That's totally Cainhurst for you!

 

[The Zog]

First, YES! Someone commented!

Well, uh, finally finished reading this.

And man, is this brutal or what? So much fitting for a Bloodborne crossover, especially since you created scenarios like this one: it makes Yharnam alive.

Click to shrink...

Thanks for the praise, but is there anything else you liked? I put a lot of effort into characterizing the cast and letting them have the spotlight to avoid making them worthless like every Kamen Rider crossover seems to do.

Just one thing I dislike, it's the inclusion of more people from the Kamen Rider universe. I think Chase alone is quite enough, and even the Old Yharnam invasion could be given a different origin that still use canon Bloodborne elements.

Click to shrink...

I'm going to have to disagree here. The other guy showing up gave me three responses on Spacebattles (That's sadly a lot) and drummed up interest so I feel validated in my decision to add him in on top of him giving me more chances to do divergences and avoiding a complete canon rehash. But trust me, I have a real reason for him being there unlike other fics.

Because blood that catch fire? That's totally Cainhurst for you!

Click to shrink...

I wasn't thinking of Cainhurst, it was more a reference to the Burning of Yharnam.

 

[Alexander89]

Thanks for the praise, but is there anything else you liked? I put a lot of effort into characterizing the cast and letting them have the spotlight to avoid making them worthless like every Kamen Rider crossover seems to do.

Click to shrink...

Of course, those are also points of praise. The characters feel alive, and the Blood logically provides different perks than a Kamen Rider. Eileen and Djura, of course, have a lot more experience and skills that probably most Kamen Riders, as Chase pointed out.

I'm going to have to disagree here. The other guy showing up gave me three responses on Spacebattles (That's sadly a lot) and drummed up interest so I feel validated in my decision to add him in on top of him giving me more chances to do divergences and avoiding a complete canon rehash. But trust me, I have a real reason for him being there unlike other fics.

Click to shrink...

In that case, I'll withhold my judgment for now.

I wasn't thinking of Cainhurst, it was more a reference to the Burning of Yharnam.

Click to shrink...

Thing is, blood that burns is the exclusive trick of Pthumerians and high-ranked Cainhurst members (also Maria). That the Blood-Starved Beast may have adapted to the fire is believable, but something like heat-proof fur could have been a more logical choice. Your choice though.

And now, to see how our heroes survive...