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shooter-nobunagun · 10 months

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Falling Leaf

//split from the previous chapter

They duo nodded at each other once, before Adam hoisted himself over and down the slick ladder. The shark giant hadn’t spotted them yet—but it wouldn’t be long now, as they slowly descended. The air was damp and smelled rank, of rotting fish and entrails that were scattered all over the bottom of the well. As they drew closer, Adam saw the giant anchor being wielded by the monster fishman. Great. This was not going to be an easy fight, and given their tight quarters, even less so compared to the battle above. He tapped the huntress lightly, before silently indicating his plan to rush forward as an opening, while she waited behind for an opening. Perhaps if they were lucky, she might even be able to grab Rakuyo immediately and the two could make a break for the ladder.

Of course, nothing was ever so simple. Sio barely stepped out from behind Adam before the giant anchor swung inches from her face, and she was forced to retreat back. So close! She could see the sword right there, sunk at an off-angle from being stuck in the muck and whatever else was down here, but the shark man-beast seemed determined to thwart them. The idea that a giant, mutated monster had the gall to stop her from claiming one of the prized weapons from her homeland sent her blood boiling, and the second Adam had countered the beast’s anchor she fired a burst of shots with her blunderbuss, bringing it to its knees.

“Adam! Now!”

“Don’t need to tell me twice—”

Sio swung high overhead as Adam swept low; their combined attacks knocked the shark beast onto the ground, and Sio dashed forward—

“—Watch it!” Just before her fingers grasped the hilt she felt someone pull her back, just as a second shark giant dropped down out of nowhere. “Fuck, I should’ve known—there’s two of ‘em now!”

“Damn it!” Really, was it so much to ask for things to their way for once? Not in this place they don’t, Sio thought bitterly, now back-to-back with Adam as the two carefully sized up the situation. The first monster was weakened, but certainly not dead yet. And now a there was a second one to deal with, all in a tiny circle with barely enough room for all four of them.

“Of course, of course th’ bastard’s got a friend,” Adam growled under his breath as he moved his Stakedriver into a defensive position. “Not gonna lie, this doesn’t look good; that first one’s still hanging on, and I’m willing t’ bet both of them can do some serious damage together...” A set of roars nearly caused the well to cave-in as the beasts charged together, one with the anchor overhead and the second simply rushing forward. Steeling himself, Adam braced himself for the inevitable impact as the Stakedriver swung forward to meet the anchor. The clash shook his footing but he remained standing—had to, for if he gave even an inch, there was no telling if he could get a second chance. While he fended off the first beast, Sio used her small size to her advantage to squeeze past him, and then dove underneath the second shark’s legs in order to get behind for a backstab.

Blood splashed onto the already-slick floor as Sio withdrew her spear, following up with a transformed trick-shot to keep the momentum going. As much as she wanted to fire away with her blunderbuss, the risk of accidentally hitting Adam was too great—so single, timed thrusts it was. Already she’d nearly tripped him, and vice versa, yet the shark monster seemed to have no trouble getting around the well. ‘Probably because they’re so big, they know they can just take a swing in any direction.’ Still, their large size was no match for her agility—as long as Adam kept the anchor shark busy, she could chain backstab after backstab, effectively staggering the beast. She risked a glance back, where Rakuyo sat like a temptress, its hilt covered in grime but she could see it was still in prime condition. In a split-second she turned tail and, despite the risk of being caught off-guard, lunged towards the sword.

“Got it...!” Fingers grasped the cold steel, as Sio grinned to herself. Finally! It was hers now, all hers and no shark or undead warrior could take it—

The huntress’ victory was cut short by a blow strong enough to knock the air out of her (and probably crack several ribs). Sio went flying into the stone walls, her breath barely audible as wheezing pants as she struggled to stand up. Dimly she heard Adam’s concerned shouts, as she tried to force her eyes open. Blood tainted her vision and made it hard to see, but she could feel the steel of Rakuyo in her grasp still, as if reassuring her. Heavy, pounding steps vibrated the floor in front of her, and as Adam yelled out a warning, Sio flipped Rakuyo around, dodged low and swung up in a high arc—just as the shark giant was about to devour her. Though her vision was still blurry with red, she knew her hit had connected—and was fatal. Warm, stinking blood rushed down the shaft and soaked her sleeves, before the weight of the corpse followed as Rakuyo pierced clean through. Sio barely wiped her face in time as the giant’s body threatened to crush her, but she managed to dodge backwards in a half-hearted roll.

“Sio! You alright?” Back against the other side of the well, Adam couldn’t exactly see what had happened—he hoped the shark was dead, but it was taking all his concentration to keep the other bastard with the anchor at bay. “Sio!” He’d seen her make a break for Rakuyo, and then the beast walloped her into the wall. Before he could reach her the other shark giant gave a furious roar and charged with its anchor at the front, forcing him to counter. “Fucking bastard...!” He shuddered as one of its webbed hands swiped his head, leaving several bloody gashes across his cheek.

“Adam!” He looked up only to see flash of silver as a blade pierced clean through from behind, the shark giant pausing as if not quite believing what had happened. Adam took advantage of the stun and charged up his Stakedriver, firing a stake into its heart the same time Sio pulled Rakuyo back into a visceral attack. Finally the shark menace slumped to the floor, both hunters staring at each other in a bit of a daze as they caught their breaths.

She didn’t look too much worse for wear, thankfully, though the nasty gash on her head needed to be patched soon. Same could be same for me, Adam thought, gingerly touching the lines across his cheek and wincing.

He stilled as the girl gently blotted out the blood with a handkerchief, ignoring her own wounds. “Sio...” Even now her touch was soft and tender, careful not to hurt him. “Don’t worry about me; you should get your head looked at...”

“It’s fine; I already used a blood vial, this is just the residue,” she continued to wipe up the blood, until it was as clean as she could get. “Adam, I-I...I’m glad you’re not hurt. And even though I know it was a huge risk...we did it,” she declared, holding up the bloody Rakuyo in triumph. “And it’s just like I’ve read—it doesn’t require blood, it just demands high dexterity.”

Adam nodded. He’d seen just how effective she was the second she got ahold of the the weapon, and that was before any training or upgrades as well. “Yeh, I saw; I’ll admit, I’ve no doubt you’ll be able to master it even more than the Rifle Spear. That being said,” his eyes narrowed, “that was one hell of a risk t’ take. You could’ve been badly hurt—or worse...”

All her enthusiasm from the victory seemed to drain as her face sagged a little, though Sio knew Adam was right. “...Yeah, I know. And I’m sorry I gave you such a fright...but, I meant it when I said that I know this will help us. More than I already am. You may be concerned about me, but so am I; I worry about you too, Adam. The way you always put yourself in harm’s way...” Those maroons furrowed downward as Sio resisted her tears. “I, I know it was extremely dangerous...but if you want me to believe until the morning arrives, then please, trust me...”

“I—” Damn those eyes; that look was enough to melt any and all reservations he had earlier about her intentions. “...I do trust you, Sio. It’s just...let’s both just agree to try and avoid any more risk than absolutely necessary, yeh?” Once again, with just a single look he found himself unable to voice his doubts. Adam wondered briefly if he was under some kind of weird enchantment or spell that caused his mind to fog over whenever they had a moment like this: caught between tension and vulnerability, being so close after a physically exhausting fight—

“Oy, what are you...” Since when did the huntress get so close? This was not like when she was cleaning his wound earlier, no; certainly her eyes then hadn’t been so dark and hazy, those lips drawing closer against his own until he could feel her breath. “Sio, what—”

“—Shh, please, just let it happen...” Adam found himself pushed back against the stone wall as the girl leaned in, then closed the distance and he found himself kissing her back. Slowly at first, then with a kind of fervor that was usually reserved for the bedroom, not at the bottom of a dank, dark well. Her lips were soft, a tongue eagerly running against his and he could taste a tinge of metallic blood—whether it was his or hers, he didn’t know—her fingers warm and delicate as they brushed against his neck. It took a few second before he realized her hands were close to undoing his belt, which shook him out of his reverie.

“H-Hey there, now hold on a second,” Adam forced himself to break the kiss and wrenched her hands back up. “What the hell d’ya think yer doin’?! In a place and time like this?!” He hissed, cheeks flushed from embarrassment. “Sio! Get a hold of yourself!”

“Adam, please,” her lips trembled as she whined low, which certainly sent a shiver down his spine. “Just a little bit...”

A little bit? What the hell did that even mean? How could you only do it a ‘little’? Before he could answer Sio’s hands were at his waist again, but this time Adam firmly grasped her wrists together.

“Sio Ogura! What’s going on? We need to get back up before Hunter an’ Tell think we’re dead!”

"I know! But I...I’m...” Biting her lips, the huntress looked as if she were debating herself; then to his relief, she pulled her hands back. “...I’m sorry; you’re right, Adam. It was...wrong of me to do that...I’m sorry.” Without another word she tucked then newly acquired Rakuyo into her pack, then began climbing back up the ladder. Adam remained a bit stunned at the sudden whiplash of her behavior, before following her back up.

It happened again... This strange, almost split-personality trait she still exhibited. But wasn’t that supposed to be cured now, with the blood transfusion? Or maybe this was something else entirely—a hidden side of her that had nothing to do with the blood sickness or even the Frenzy. His anxieties came back with a vengeance, Adam now once again see-sawing between just what Sio’s true feelings and intentions towards him were.

“Och, ye made it—again,” They were greeted with an exasperated but relieved surgeon, who helped pull them out. “I s’pose I shouldnae put anything past ye two at this point—and I see ye got what ye came fer, eh lass?”

“Yeah, I did get Rakuyo...but I couldn’t have done without Adam. So, thank you...” Still, as she said this Adam noticed the huntress was turning away from him. “A-And, thank you Hunter, Tell...for, trusting me and keeping watch up here.”

“Well, you succeeded in the end, so that’s all that matters,” said Tell in that even tone of his, while he eyed the relic. “So that’s Rakuyo; I suppose it is the original version, and not the blood-imbued one that Lady Florence wielded?”

Sio nodded. “Yes, I was able to test it out down there—it really is one of the best weapons for a dexterity fighter, so I’ll be sure to do my best.” The huntress bowed low.

Off to the side, Adam stood quietly as he watched the girl chat with the other two men. She seemed normal enough; but again, what was with the sudden and strong come-on? And after a battle, to boot, he thought warily. Was there something about the high of a life-and-death fight that made her mind more susceptible, and allowed her true nature to come through—which gave him more pause than her ambiguous intentions—or was there something else driving her odd behaviors? Something, like say, fear of a surrogate pregnancy...

“Yur awfully quiet,” Adam didn’t even flinch when Hunter came over to him, as they prepared to press onwards. “Dinnae like the lassie throwin’ herself into danger again, ‘ey?”

“...No, but when has she ever listened to me,” Adam replied blithely, deciding to keep this second incident to himself for now. “Anyway, like Tell said we did manage to get it, and she proved its worth the moment she grabbed it.” Even though this could be more ‘proof’ that she could have ulterior motives, a part of him wanted to believe Hunter and Tell.

Would it make a difference if she wanted to be with you both because she loved you, but also because she wishes to avoid birthing a surrogate?

Adam grit his teeth as Tell’s question came back. Did it really matter? He didn’t know; he didn’t want it to be, but if she was more interested in just a warm body...

‘Don’t. You can’t keep making assumptions like that.’

Sio looked back at him with a curious, almost guilty expression, but he turned away. Not now; not until he figured out what he really wanted, could he confront her with an answer. --------- The stink of rotting fish guts did not help the churning in her stomach, especially after her loss of control after gaining Rakuyo. ‘Stupid...you’re so stupid Sio, giving into your fears like that...! Now he’s definitely going to avoid you even more...’ Even now the huntress still wasn’t sure what possessed her to come onto him like that. Maybe I am possessed, she thought sarcastically as group moved up the hill along the worn path, keeping a close eye on the abandoned buildings. The adrenaline in her veins, twisting and confusing her senses between fear of a surrogate and her lustful desires towards Adam; Sio grit her teeth and vowed to not let temporary feelings contaminate her mind.

She loved Adam; that much she was sure of, despite everything. Her own erratic behaviors were just as distressing to her as they clearly were to him; yet, as Sio mulled over her memories, she also remembered a feeling of longing, that perhaps a moment of indulgence wouldn’t be so bad—and what if she really were at risk of being impregnated, if so then wasn’t it imperative that she do all she could right away to prevent that—

“—Sio! On your left!” Her head jerked up just in time to see the javelin fly by, not quite missing her as it drew a thin red line across her nose. Cursing, the huntress immediately ducked and spun around, firing her blunderbuss just as the mutated fisherman came charging forward. The creature stumbled and fell, and before it could even get back up Rakuyo’s sharp edge decapitated him. Blood splattered as it landed with a dull ‘thud’, soon joined by other bits and pieces of body parts as Sio whirled Rakuyo with an uncanny ability. Even though she’d only picked it up a a few moments ago it already felt as if she’d trained with it forever.

“Whoa...and it’s not even fully upgraded yet,” she muttered, a bit in awe at how much damage she could do now. Not that the Rifle Spear had been lacking; it’d gotten her through all kinds of trials and horrors up until now, and she vowed to keep it in storage as a backup. Perhaps there would be situations that would require its specific abilities, and in any case, it would be a waste to simply toss it after all the resources she’d spent on honing it. She was just about to congratulate herself on clearing the fishermen out on her own, when a familiar, dreaded roar shook the air.

Sio cursed under her breath as she spun around. “Oh no...it’s another one of those!” Another giant shark beast was charging through the waters towards them, also armed with a rusty anchor. This time they were prepared however—Adam and Tell rushed forward to meet the beast as Hunter hung back, partly out of fear but nonetheless he backed them up with his pistol. A sharp metallic clang rang in her ears as Adam’s Stakedriver parried its anchor, while Tell followed up from behind with a swing of his Bowblade in its original bladed form. Thick, slimy blood oozed all over the place as the beast staggered backwards, still roaring in fury. While it was staggered, Sio dashed up with Rakuyo now transformed into dual blades; with one weapon in each hand, she spun in place, using the blades to slice the monster into several pieces.

“Holy...” Hunter let out a low whistle as they regrouped, Sio panting from exertion as she attempted to wipe off the gore as best she could. “Well lass, consider me convinced. Tha’ attack you just pulled off, ‘s definitely one-of-a-kind.”

“I’ll say; almost looked like you were dancin’, or somethin’,” Adam said, and Sio blushed slightly from both mens’ words. “You sure you’ve never trained with this type of weapon before, back in your village?”

“N-No, honestly I’ve only ever read about it...” Though she was used to learning quickly by now, even the huntress was surprised at how well she’d adapted to her new weapon. Was it something innate that caused her to pick it up so quickly? The joy she’d felt at having mastered something was replaced with a rising fear that it could be tied to her other strange behaviors, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. ‘Don’t go there Sio, you don’t know that for certain. Now’s not the time to be worrying yourself into a mess, anyway.’

Up ahead was a dilapidated lighthouse, and though they had no map or even the barest idea of what awaited them, all members of the group seemed to feel the same. There wasn’t even a need for discussion; instead they set out for the building, as if guided by some unknown force. Sio held her breath as Tell pushed the door open, but let out a sigh of relief as she saw the familiar lamp. “Whew...maybe we can take a quick rest here.” They all sat down in varying states of relaxation; Adam and Tell set about on weapon maintenance, while Hunter checked their supplies and used the opportunity to take a closer look at some of the more serious injuries. The huntress herself was busy with embedding blood gems into her new weapon, when all the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Even though there was no sound and nothing in her sights to indicate danger, instinct told her to turn around.

She almost wished she hadn’t. A wide, leering grin stared back at her, those eyes dark as coal as the assassin Mahesh Mirza stood no more than a few feet away. There wasn’t even time to fathom how he’d gotten so close without any of them noticing—or how he’d even gotten here at all. Sio immediately leapt to her feet with Rakuyo at the ready, startling the other men until they too noticed the intruder.

“You!” Adam didn’t even bother with a response before he swung the Stakedriver forward; the assassin seemed to vanish in an instant however, and the stake hit only air. “What th—” A split-second later his body exploded with pain as the Bloodletter smashed into his side, its spikes thrusting clean through. He heard Sio scream his name, but the shock was so intense he could barely breathe, let alone respond. Another swipe came towards him, but Adam managed to pull the Stakedriver up in time to block the fatal blow, but not before it nicked him across his chest.

“Adam! Damn you, Mirza!” She should’ve known he wouldn’t keep his word; the man had already proved to be a scheming, wily liar on more than one occasion, so why did she think he would actually leave her alone as she went about this ‘test’ or whatever the hell this place was? Adam was right; there would be no more second chances, not if she could help it. In a fit of rage she leapt up, both blades pulled into diagonal slashes as she broke through the Bloodletter’s guard and forced the assassin to the ground. “Die!” Blood splattered her clothes as she fought with a fury unlike anything she’d ever experienced: rage at her own naivete, the carelessness that now put those she cared about in danger—but most of all, Sio had just about had enough of this nightmare. Even the spikes shooting out couldn’t deter her, the huntress letting them pierce her on purpose as she closed the gap and transformed Rakuyo back into a single weapon. As Hunter managed to temporarily stun Mahesh with a backstab, Sio dashed and thrust Rakuyo forward at the same time, sinking the blade clean through the assassin’s torso.

“Die, you son of a bitch.”

Still, even as his body sank to the ground from the fatal blow, there were no words or taunts; only the same, psychotic grin, and a bone-chilling laugh as the body collapsed, then dissolved into dust. Sio grimaced as she stared at the empty spot where the Church assassin had just been. It didn’t feel right; how he’d just appeared out of nowhere, and not uttering a single word. Given how chatty the assassin was whenever they met, it felt unsettling that he’d simply vanish like that.

That mystery was for later, however. Sio pushed those worries to the back of her mind as she rushed over to Adam, who was already being tended to by Hunter and several blood vials. “Adam!” One look at his wounds, however—blood pouring from several deep holes where the morning star had pierced through and his entire left side stained a deep crimson—and she burst into tears, much to the bewilderment of the men.

“O-Oy, come now lass, I promise it isnae that bad; it looks worse than it is, trust me ye?” The surgeon tried to comfort the huntress, but it did little to stem her sobs. “Och, there there...”

“O-Oh, I, I’m...I’m sorry, Adam...everyone...” Still hiccuping, Sio tried to regain a sense of control, but that failed as she continued to cry. She felt Tell pat her back in a comforting manner, reassuring her that Adam would be alright with Hunter’s skills and nobody else was seriously injured, but none of the words seemed to register in her mind. How could she have been so stupid? Even before they learned the truth about Mirza she’d been suspicious; why did it always take a near-death crisis before she finally grasped the truth?

Another hand reached out, this time brushing her tears away and she finally looked up, Adam’s piercing green eyes staring back at her with a concerned gaze. “Oy, Sio, I’m alright. Don’t you go getting yourself worked up over somethin’ like this...you know it’ll take more than that bastard to bring me down.”

“I-I...I know...b-b-but it’s just...I’m sorry...I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you the first time, back when we were at the Orphanage; y-you, you were right, Adam. We should’ve just dealt with him right there and then...b-but I, I...” She choked back another wave of tears as Adam gently stroked her hair. “It’s all my fault you’re injured like this...and I put everyone else in unnecessary danger, too; getting us trapped here in this Nightmare...”

“Oh Sio; there’s no use in beating yourself up.” He let out a half-sigh before it morphed into a grunt of pain. “Yeh, I’m not gonna lie, that hurt like hell; but trust me, it’s not your fault,” he emphasized as he gripped her shoulder. “There’s no way we could’ve predicted any of this, even from back then. An’ remember, I was the one who ultimately let him tag along back in the woods. We could’ve just abandoned him to his devices—but well, sometimes we make mistakes. What’s important is that we didn’t let it get the better of us.”

He rubbed her shoulder soothingly, which seemed to help. Her sobs quieted down to a few hiccups here and there now, as she wiped up the remaining tears with a handkerchief. “Th, thank you, Adam...I can always count on you...”

“...I’m glad to hear that.” Despite everything, his own inner turmoil and all the bullshit they’d slogged through so far, hearing her gratitude made Adam forget about all that. Those feelings had to be real...because if he couldn’t believe in them, then what was the point in continuing on? “Anyway, I already vowed to cut that bastard’s head off the next time he showed his face—and it seems we’re now all on the same page about that.”

The archer cleared his throat, and all eyes turned towards Tell. “About that; as much as I hate to be a pessimist, I suspect that’s not the last we’ve seen of that man.” He nodded towards the bloody remains of Mahesh’s arm bands.

Sio felt a chill go down her spine as Tell also confirmed her fears. “Yeah...I don’t know about you, but that fight didn’t feel...right. For one thing, how did he sneak up on us without anyone noticing? And also, he never said a single word; yet each time we’ve encountered him, he’s always taunting me.”

“Ye think it wasnae him, then? What else could it be, an illusion o’ sorts?” asked Hunter. “I ken this place doesnae follow the usual rules, but that mace felt real enough to me.”

“No, I think he...or whatever it was, was real. But maybe it wasn’t the actual Mirza; not an illusion, but some kind of projection or double,” Sio murmured, as she replayed the battle in her head. “I don’t know what he’s trying to get at, but Adam’s right; next time he appears, or one of his doppelgängers—or whatever—I won’t hesitate.” Her maroons glowed with a fierce gleam as she gripped Rakuyo’s hilt. “I’m done being his fool.”

“Let’s get a move on then; I don’t know if he’s gonna come back or what, but staying here is no safer than pressing forward.” Adam took a deep breath, before slowly pushing himself up—he glanced in surprise as the huntress wound an arm over her shoulders to support him. “Sio?”

“Are you going to be okay? Those wounds...maybe we should rest a bit more,” her maroons now furrowed with worry as she gently traced a finger along the bandages; Adam couldn’t help but twitch slightly. The blood vials and Hunter’s handiwork had patched up the worst of it, but there was no denying that he’d taken a fair amount of damage during that fight. “It still hurts, doesn’t it?”

“...I’ll be fine. But,” and this time he gently wound her fingers with his, “I appreciate your concern, Sio.”

Slowly the group descended the steps down through the lighthouse, Tell volunteering to take point while Sio helped Adam along, and Hunter brought up the rear. A winding path awaited them, and as they followed it deeper through the hamlet, Sio couldn’t help but jump at the slightest movement or noise. She half-expected to get ambushed again by Mirza, but the only thing that stood in their path were more fishermen, and then...

“Wh, what are they? Snails? No, they look human...ish.” Sio felt the familiar tingle in her head, and for a second she feared the Frenzy. “A-Are these Kin?”

Adam grew alarmed as the huntress shrank back, clutching her head. “Sio! Do you need a sedative?”

“N, No...I think I’m alright, actually,” Sio let a shaky breath, her eyes wide but so far she didn’t seem to be losing control. “I think they’re related, but the feeling isn’t that strong; it’s just a little bit...” The cave before them was filled with these creatures, half-women and half-mollusk. Some had shells, while others simply writhed about on a slug-like body, but all seemed to prostrate towards something greater. Their heads were bowed and hands locked in prayer almost, as the group gingerly picked their way through this bizarre minefield. Though she was sure the creatures were human at one point, Sio found herself searching her memory for another one that looked very much like these forms...

As much as he didn’t like it, Adam had no choice but to trust the huntress’ words. “...Very well, if you say so. But the second something doesn’t feel right, you let us know, yeh?”

‘Kosm... The Great One, I saw her in my dream; she washed up on the shore, and her body looked a lot like...these. Because the villagers, they were influenced by her power—so using the power of Insight, they became more like her, they were turning into a Great One...’

A hand clapped her shoulder and she looked up into Adam’s concerned glance. “Sio? You good?”

“Y, Yeah...sorry, but I was just thinking about m-my...dream,” she gulped, and the hand gripped a little tighter, “these snail women, they remind me of that Great One, K...Kos...and these are the villagers that, that...!”

“The outcome of when Kos washed up on the shore, and blessed the villagers...these are the remnants that survived the Church’s genocide.” said Tell. “It makes sense they would be similar to Kin...but, seeing as how you’re not having much of a reaction, perhaps they were not successful transcendences.”

Even though her head was still clear, Sio knew she had to be on guard as they made there way through the cave. The snail women did not seem all that interested in attacking the group outright, though if they were unfortunate enough to stray too close, or make themself seem like a threat, they certainly reacted. The huntress dodged to the side as one of the half-maidens sprang towards them on her slug-like body, shrieking an unearthly wail before Adam’s Stakedriver brought it into the ground. With each step Sio felt the hairs on the back of her neck get stiffer, even though there was nothing out of the ordinary—so far, anyway.

Ahead of the last maidens, a faint glow pierced through a foggy veil into the cavern’s gloom. “This has to be the place,” Sio murmured under her breath, and the rest of the men readied their weapons. “Whatever’s dreaming this Nightmare, it’s beyond this point...I can feel it.”

“And that’s why you’ve been able to make it this far.” A sinister chuckle breathed right into her ear, and Sio spun around with Rakuyo at the ready. “Oh, my dear huntress Miss Ogura; you really are more than you seem, aren’t you?” The Bloodletter pulsed to life as the assassin dropped down from seemingly out of nowhere. “Your drive to find the truth is one thing, but to actually accomplish it...I admit it does seem like a shame to have to end this game so soon, but alas, duty calls.”

The bile rose in the huntress’ throat as she willed herself to remain calm. At this point it didn’t matter what was said or promised—nothing mattered except defeating the liar who stood before her. “Mirza; I swore I’d no longer be your toy, and I aim to make good on that promise.”

The assassin threw back his head and laughed. “I can tell you’re serious! You finally stopped hesitating when you met my other self earlier...” A small chime rang from a Resonant Bell that Mirza held in his right hand, but its tone was ominous.

“A Sinister Resonant Bell...! That’s how he invaded us out of nowhere!” Adam cursed under his breath as he pushed Sio protectively behind him. This was no body double—and if Adam had it his way, soon there wouldn’t be anything left of the Church assassin at all.

“Ah, and the White Knight appears; tell me Muirhead, is the girl truly that important to you? Moreso than this hunt you vowed to end?”

“Shut up,” he growled, priming the Stakedriver. “I don’t give a fuck what you say or do at this point; just know that your head is mine.”

Mahesh Mirza’s eyes narrowed into dark slits while his mouth split into a grin that almost sliced his face in half.

“Do you hear this? Fear the bell's toll. For only death awaits prying eyes, and the Church assassins are never far behind.”

A single, silver chime echoed throughout the gloom as both men rushed towards each other.

#documentation #//WHOOPS #//that took uh #//a long time #//dang i keep drifting away from my original notes lol #//its fine #//its called the muses have their way with me

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