First off, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to get this chapter out ;-;

From now on, I'll try to have shorter times between uploads since I'm back into the groove of writing

Gaile and Nerco stood strong against their advancing opponent but it didn't last long as many eyes seemed to bulge out of the gigantic great one's head and mere moments later a white beam of focused energy was fired toward them in an advancing line they both rolled out of the way to avoid the beam each one rolling in the opposite direction of the other. "I dont know what that was, but I have a feeling we're going to see what that was for in a moment." Gaile said with a growl, baring his teeth as he glared at his massive opponent. Seconds later, a chain of explosions began to follow the same path the beam had taken. "So that's what that does!" Gaile exclaimed as they both rolled out of the way a second time, As he came back to his feet Gaile swung his Beast Cutter at the arm of the Amygdala latching the hooked barb at the tip of the weapon in its arm allowing him to climb the massive beast. The Amygdala responded in turn by raising its arm in an attempt to swat this annoying fly once and for all but before the act could be done, a nova of fire hit the great one in the chest knocking it off balance momentarily. It immediately fixed its eyes on Nerco as Gaile lashed out the with Beast Cutter again, this time catching hold in its shoulder with a furious roar he began to retract the weapon and as he did so he ran up its arm swinging The Blade of Mercy in his other free hand cutting into it as he did so "I. Hope. You're. HUNGRY!" he yelled out the last part as he flew into the air as the Beast Cutter dislodged from its shoulder collapsing back into a heavy cleaver, beginning to fall back to the ground below he spun himself around in a flurry of blades catching the Amygdala in the side of the face with a bone crushing strike that sliced through several bars of the organic cage-like structure protecting its head, hitting the tender, sensitive flesh below causing the massive Great One to let out a loud bellow of agonized pain. Gaile however, had landed flawlessly on the ground crouched on one knee while the massive beast thrashed around in pain, hands clutching at the wound on its head as blood began to ooze out of the massive gash he had inflicted looking back at the beast out of the corner of his eye, he spoke

"Now that I have your attention. You owe me a new set of gear, and I aim to collect!" He yelled as he ran forward at the Amygdala while Nerco called forth her Hounds. "Help him out you two, Buy me some time!" At first the did nothing but stare at him and then look back at her as if questioning her "Do it!" She yelled at them and needing no further orders they rushed alongside Gaile teeth bared at the Great one the cracks in their ashen bodies burning a fiery orange as they lunged forward biting into the flesh of the Great One's arm and never letting go even when the Amygdala thrashed its arms around in an attempt to shake the massive hellhounds off of its arm they refused to let go. Having decided its had enough the amygdala prepared to fire off another energy beam but this is what Nerco had been waiting for, with the same frightening smirk from before she pulled her sword halfway out of its scabbard catching the beam of energy on the blade but rather than deflect it, the blade was absorbing the energy having collected more than she could ever need as the beam dissipated she quickly shut the blade back into the scabbard with a dark chuckle she yelled out, "That's enough you two. Let go!" She said causing the amygdala to focus on her again Gaile forgotten even when he was furiously hacking into its arms with the Beast Cutter "Gaile... Move!" She said with glowing violet eyes with slitted pupils like Gaile's when his beasthood took him over. Drawing her Rakuyo from its scabbard in one smooth motion she unleashed a purple shockwave of fire and energy that hit the Amygdala with unrelenting force knocking it off balance for a second time and then throwing it to the ground, with a final pitiful wail the creature died as its body rapidly began to disintegrate into ash and strangely violet embers from the core of its remains a portal began to form and with a forceful power it sucked them both into its black depths where it would take them neither one knew but they could only hope to end up back home.

However, things dont always go as planned and in a final act of vengeance the Amygdala had flung them into the farthest reaches of Yharnam's outskirts, The Forsaken Castle of Cainhurst. "This... Isn't good, ...this isn't good at all." Gaile said worriedly as he got up reaching down to offer Nerco a hand up this time she accepted as he pulled her up and into his arms making her blush lightly "I dont know what that was Nerco but I'm glad you did it I dont think we would have been able to kill an Amygdala otherwise." Looking up at him she spoke "I took a gamble and it paid off." She said with heavy breaths, clearly the attack drained quite a bit from her but this wasn't the place you want to be if you drop from exhaustion. There are fouler things than Vilebloods lurking in the shadows of Cainhurst, Gaile knew this, he had braved the horror and insanity of this cursed place once before and now he had to look after Nerco while doing it all over again "I swear the next Great One I see that isn't Ebrietas is getting a Beast Cutter right up the ass." Gaile grumbled angrily causing the still exhausted Nerco to let out a light bout of laughter. It soon became apparent that they weren't alone as a sad sound began to make itself known around them tens of transparent women all dressed in bordeaux dresses of various hues of colour all bound at their wrists and all carrying very wicked looking knives and all of them splattered in brown, dried ancient blood, their own blood. These women were among the hundreds slaughtered by The Healing Churches so called Executioners in the Vileblood Massacre at Cainhurst. It didn't take much longer for them to notice The two living beings in their presence. "Executioners victims... of all the possible ways to die... Though I cannot pity them either, for they are nothing more but hatred and vengeance now." Nerco said easing in to a defensive stance hand resting on the hilt of her Rakuyo, She was waiting patiently for the angry spirits to attack them to do anything really but they merely stood, and stared "They wont bother us so long as we dont disturb them." Gaile said, his voice a light whisper. Things seemed to be going smoothly but then Nerco felt a pinprick in the back of her neck which caused Gaile to go wide eyed "Unfucking believable." Gaile said incredulously, "How did I forget about those stupid little hunch backed creeps." He said as he drew out the Albrecht Repeater that Jon used against him in their duel, it was just as powerful as his Evelyn but he didn't need to reload it every time he fired which for him was a huge bonus.

With a marksman's precision he sniped the aforementioned hunch back off his perch next to the winding staircase that lead up to the next floor of the ancient castle but before long the ghosts began screaming like banshees as an angry red rune appeared on Nerco's skin where the dart had hit her "There's too many for me to fight when I have you to look after!" Gaile said as he scooped Nerco up in his arms and took off up the staircase only for a second dart to punch into Gaile's shoulder, "Alright, you little bastard!" Gaile yelled out of frustration as the dart took effect, this one felt different, he felt thirsty, not for any normal drink, he wanted, no he needed blood. He knew at that moment what he'd been hit with, a condensed form of the Beast Blood Pellets he had threw in the fire during their time together in Old Yharnam. "Beast Blood huh? Alright then if the beast wants blood, then I'll give it Vileblood!" Gaile roared as he rushed the hunch backed man who was desperately trying to climb down from his perch to escape the beast that he had unleashed but to no avail as he was violently grabbed by the collar of his small waistcoat and his thin withered neck was torn into by the blood thirsty Gaile. Nerco stared half in horror that he was succumbing to his beasthood again so soon and half amazed that he was able to reason under its influence. As the rotted blood of the small pest flowed both down Gaile's eager gullet and also spilling on the floor the beasthood Caryll rune that etched itself on his neck began to fade and receded finally free of its effect he quickly purged himself of the rotten blood so as to avoid becoming that which he hated so. Some time later they found themselves in a massive library but there was nothing here that would interest either party but one book caught Nerco's eye "How to pick up Fair Maidens... Been a long time since I've seen a copy of this old book." She said as Gaile jumped forward out of a smashed in window going down first to clear the path of anything that might be lying in wait, as he landed he attracted the attention of two gargoyles that had been sitting, perched on the railing of the ancient castle waiting for some source of blood to cross their paths.

"...Well, fuck." Gaile said as the blood starved statuesque fiends rushed him again, and again intent on draining him dry. Gaile was much faster than they were as he back dashed away from them and followed with left and right sidesteps each time catching the beasts with his Beast Cutter slowly whittling away at them and chipping through their stony armor little by little, until finally, he heard a sickening crack and the wet sound of his Beast Cutter ripping through flesh and spraying rotted blood onto the snow covered ground of Castle Cainhurst. "finally cracked your shells now have I? That's good, now we can get down to business." Gaile said as he lashed out the Beast Cutter once more ripping into the shoulders of the blood thirsty gargoyles, tearing the left arm off of one of them which resulted in a shower of the rotted blood of the denizens of Cainhurst. Elsewhere, Nerco was exploring the massive library, "So many old tomes, though none of them are as old as I am, and many of them were being still written as I watched the world pass me by." Hearing footsteps directly behind her she turned on her heel hand rested firmly on her Rakuyo to find nothing there.

"I know you're here. Whoever you are I would advise you to show yourself, friend or foe." She waited patiently for whatever was in the room with her to reveal itself or attack from the shadows but then she heard it, a plain uninterested, almost bored sounding tone of voice "Well, this is interesting you were able to sense my presence in the room but not pinpoint my location" the voice, clearly male spoke out before a figure to match appeared out of thin air, "Blue Elixir, but I've never seen it completely conceal someone, or last as long as yours did." Nerco said to the man clad in a long trailing coat, with a ragged capelet hanging around the shoulders of his coat his face was shrouded by a hood with a mask of iron bars, a garb unique to the "Hunters" of Yahar'gul. "I'm going to guess that you're with Mensis..." She stated flatly as she tensed the grip on her Rakuyo the man made no attempt to do her any harm and raised his arms in a gesture of surrender "I mean you no harm miss although like those godless bastards of The Choir we too wish to see the prophecy fulfilled... We would prefer to have your hunter mate father the child rather than some spliced together monstrosity created by those damnable fools. You seek insight and knowledge no? Our library is vast in comparison to this castle's admirably impressive collection, and we have tomes that date back to before your time tomes that only a Keeper can break the seals on." The man paused before continuing,

"Come with us, and we will guarantee your safety from the clutches of The Choir and whatever horrifying beast that they planned to throw you to for the prophecy's fulfilment." Nerco stood fast her guard still up though she appeared to be weighing her options The Order of Mensis could keep Her and Gaile out of The Choir's clutches but they wanted her to fulfil the prophecy just like The Choir did, her thoughts were cut short however, when a mangled gargoyle carcass was sent flying through the smashed in window that Gaile had first jumped from, followed by a blood drenched Gaile who had hooked his Beast Cutter into the carcass before tossing the it through the window. "No deals here, I want nothing to do with anyone from the Choir or Mensis" Gaile said with an almost demonic glare, his golden yellow eyes burning like fire. The hooded Mensis Scholar looked at Gaile through his hooded mask and he said nothing, the silence seemed to drag on forever as none dared move nor speak until the Scholar broke the silence, "Ah the hunter! Fresh from a kill and eager to continue, we could offer you endless bounties such as these and more. Even better equipment than what you currently have on yourself, surely a hunter of your caliber seeks greater prey and stature to rise above the other hunters no?" Gaile's glare immediately died out from sheer confusion "I- ...I ...What?" He said through his bewilderment causing the Scholar to chuckle mirthfully. "Its a proposition for both of you Good Hunter. Both of you accompany me back to Yahar'gul and you will be given a place to stay, food and drink, and what has been promised to you both." At this Gaile looked at Nerco with a questioning expression "What offer?" Gaile asked his eyes narrowing once more. "I highly doubt you would simply give me all of this, you know well that I've done a great deal to hinder your people in the past." He said plainly to which the Scholar nodded. "That is true, but we, The Order of Mensis, are willing to turn a blind eye to these past offences if you were to cooperate, if you do not however, I fear that the higher ups of The Order may re-think their deal, at least with you. The Keeper will indeed have her own ends as she never made enemies of us." Hearing this was all it took for his previous fiery glare to return as Gaile angrily brandished the Beast Cutter in his hand transforming it back into a segmented whip with a sharp upward flick of his arm. He was about to lash it out at the Mensis Scholar but was stopped by Nerco's well timed question. "Can your library offer me as much insight and knowledge as a Great One like Ebrietas could?" Which caused Gaile to smirk darkly at the man standing before them. "I-... No, no it couldn't." The Scholar said utterly defeated.

Sensing his end, his gaze hardened under his helmet. "I'm sorry we couldn't do this peacefully but you really aren't giving me much of a choice." He said as he brandished his weapon, a pair of ornate silver long swords that was quickly locked into place inside of larger double edged scabbards with large rotary motors and chains of small blades similar in appearance to those of the Threaded Cane, forming them into a pair of massive saw blades at this Gaile's smirk turned into a sly grin "Heh, I never thought I'd see the day when a Scholar of Mensis would use a weapon designed by Neither The Healing Church Nor their own workshop." Gaile said as he eyed what was obviously a custom designed pair of Chainswords that were no doubt based upon the mass produced "Holy Blades" that were originally based on the Holy Moonlight Greatsword that was wielded by The First Church Hunter, Ludwig, Gaile himself, possessed this legendary weapon within the confines of his storage chest in The Hunter's Dream, but didn't dare to use it. With a quick pump of the levers that were attached to the scabbards that bent down to into the hands of the Scholar the massive chainswords roared to life, Gaile and Nerco both knew this was an opponent that would be dangerous to engage in close quarters, only a fool would do so as those spinning teeth would shred anything they came into contact with to bloody ribbons. The Scholar was the first one to make a move as he brought one of the massive blades down in an overhead swing forcing the two to dodge to the respective left and right of him Gaile dashed forward to attack but was sent flying back by a backlash swing from the scholar's right hand chainsword if the teeth had been spinning on that attack Gaile would have been ripped in two and for that he heaved a sigh of relief, mere moments later he quickly rolled out of the way as the same chainsword that sent him flying was headed toward him in a downward strike, that was narrowly avoided.

Gaile holstered his Repeater and replaced it with Eileen's Blade of Mercy and executed a haphazardly formed plan that he came up with on the spot while avoiding swing after swing "Follow my lead, we're never going to get close enough to do anything with those damn blades revved up like that!" Gaile shouted as he lashed out his Beast Cutter which was coiled around the chainsword in a tangle of serrated teeth and cables, forcing the Scholar to dislodge that scabbard from his blade "Cleverly executed Good Hunter!" He said as he threw the silver longsword at Gaile which he parried with a swift gunshot, knocking the flying projectile out of the air. Nerco however had a less risky idea for disarming this annoyance, she applied immense heat to the blade of her Rakuyo and dashed forward anticipating his downward swing and with a swift hit the superheated blade cut clean through the massive saw effectively disarming the Scholar Gaile finished the fight shortly after walking up to him and with a beastly growl he viciously rammed his hand into the chest cavity of the Scholar who let out a pained cry of surprise, feeling what he was looking for, Gaile wrenched his hand free with a massive spray of blood, and with it came the panicked, furiously beating heart of the Scholar. Gaile let out a lower growl than the last one and mercilessly crushed the beating organ in his hand causing the Mensis Scholar to fall over and with his last breath he left a final warning "You have no idea what you've set into motion by killing me, ...there will be no mercy for either of you." With one last breath he let out a final death rattle as he began to choke on his own blood, his eyes rolling backward into his head "Well that's the end of that I suppose..." Nerco said, her eyes lowered sadly "I wish things could have been different..." She finished before looking up at Gaile who's features suddenly hardened, "Different? Those bastards in The Order of Mensis are no better than those fools that make up The Choir, while they would rather have me as the father, as soon as I'd have done my part they would be rid of me no question on it. They know full well I would never allow them to lay even a breath upon my own flesh and blood. And I seriously doubt you would either... but it is true, he didn't have to die and my rash actions may cost us a great deal in the near future, but for right now we have to focus on getting out of this gods forsaken place. I know for a fact there's a lantern that leads back to The Hunter's Dream on the northernmost rooftop just before "Her" throne room" Gaile said the word with a venomous tone which both intrigued Nerco and slightly frightened her. "And who, may I ask is 'She'?" Nerco asked with a curious tone. To which Gaile sighed before continuing "'She' is Annalise, The Queen of the Vilebloods, and if I had to guess, she's probably just as if not older than you."

Gaile said as he began to walk up a large staircase in the middle of the library drawing out his repeater he blew an unaware sentry off his perch, the large quicksilver bullet nearly shattering his skull "I'd rather not deal with an army of Bound Widows again, Not so sure about you though" Gaile said with a devious smirk to which Nerco responded by punching him in the arm "I would prefer to avoid such a thing as well you know." She said with an exhausted sigh "My head is still throbbing both from that damnable dart and the infernal screeching of those pitiful spirits." she finished with a short exhale of breath. A short while later the two find themselves standing at the archway of the northernmost rooftop of the castle the lantern is in plain sight and their escape from this frozen hell is within their grasp when suddenly the sound of distant gunfire catches their attention mere moments before the lantern explodes in a shower of glass slivers and an ethereal wisp of white flame. "Oooooh... So close, and yet so far away! It must really suck to be you two right about now!" A cocky female voice sounded off from somewhere within the blizzard that was rampaging around them and it whoever it belonged to was getting closer. "I was actually wondering when you two were going to show up..." The voice spoke again as a silhouette was seen walking toward them through the dense, snow plagued winds "I was starting to get bored... To be honest, if you had taken any longer getting here I might have actually fallen asleep." The figure said as she finally walked forward closing enough distance between them, that she could finally be seen as more than a silhouette She was clad in a withered, black duster coat similar to those worn by The Old Hunters with Blood Red pleats on the collar and shoulders, the midnight black trousers seen on most if not all hunters today, her head was crowned with the iconic frayed tricorne hat worn by most hunters and held taught in her hands, which were protected by bone ash gauntlets were a pair of Beast Cutters. "So, who dies first?" the mysterious female huntress said with a psychotic smirk Gaile let out a low growl as his pupils shifted into beastly slits as he brandished the Burial Blade that Nerco had taken from him in their rematch, he had thought it destroyed but she had been keeping it with her all this time. "You do. Bast. I don't have time for you or your unquenchable thirst for violence and blood." At this her smirk widened "Really now Gaile who's going to kill me? You? Or that exhausted, panting keeper bitch you've been dragging along with you." At this, Gaile growled venomously "You're going to wish you had kept your mouth shut, you damned vampire whore!"

To Be Continued in Chapter 12