I don't own Bloodborne or Dorohedoro

Please enjoy this story to your heart's content.

Chapter 3: What Lurks Below

Nikaido winced at every little snip Vaux made with his patient. Not because it was gruesome work—after what happened only a few hours ago, this was downright tame—rather it was the fact that Lukas had been eerily quiet since his operation began. She figured he would've been groaning in agony with a chunk of his flesh missing after the adrenaline worn off, but Lukas soldiered on to the Magic Victim Ward without a single whimper or complaint. It's only when the good doctor started operating on him—still half stunned with what he had to work with after being groggily dragged out of bed—did Lukas finally let a grunt with every stitch that was made. But judging from his face, the pain, if there was any, was hardly noticeable. Instead he calmly laid down on the operating table and closed his eyes as Vaux inserted a tube connected to a blood pack into a vein and continued with his work.

Honestly it was concerning. She could understand someone having a high pain threshold, but this? It was like pain was inconvenient as a stiff breeze to Lukas. A part of her, small that it was, found it rather unnerving, if not frightening. What kind of experience could make him so cold and unmoving to his own suffering? Perhaps it had to do with his multitude of scars? The horrors he faced? To her relief, she wasn't the only one who had similar thoughts.

"Damn…" muttered Kaiman as he swapped Vaux's dirty scalpel with a clean one. "How the hell can you stand being cut up like this…?"

"If this was merely magical injuries or hexes, I would understand on some level how you can be so resilient to the pain…" uttered Vaux, "but from what you guys told me, you should be howling out your lungs right now."

"Wouldn't do much if I did…" Lukas answered calmly. "Besides, it would make your work much harder if I was thrashing around and screaming my head off."

"That's what sedation and anesthesia is for! Could've had you under, but no… Giving me some crap about this taking too long when rest and recuperation is exactly what you need right now. Plus it would give me time to figure out how you're still conscious in the first place."

"Sorry, Doc, but I can't rest… not yet anyway."

"Lukas… don't you feel any pain right now?" asked Nikaido, her worry growing further the more her employee made light of the situation.

"Of course I do. Even right now with Doc stitching me up, I can feel my nerves screaming with little cut into my flesh."

"Then how can you be so calm right now! I don't want to see you pain, but this… this isn't normal."

That was enough for Lukas to crack open his eyes, his crimson gaze turning to lock with her concerned sky-blue. He held it for a moment before turning to both Kaiman and Vaux, their expressions mirroring that of his boss. Letting out a sigh, he said, "Are you almost finished, Doc?"

"Oh, um, well… give me one moment, just a few extra stiches here and… done."

Lukas immediately rose up into a sitting position, wincing for the first time as he stretched out his body. Yet Nikaido couldn't tell if it was genuine or not. After getting the kinks out of his system, he turned to his friends, a dead serious expression on his face.

"You said you had questions. I'm willing to answer… within reason."

The little addition at the end naturally didn't sit well with either Nikaido or Kaiman.

"Now just wait a second, bub," said Kaiman, looming over Lukas with his cold reptilian gaze. "There is no 'within reason' bullshit here after all the crap we seen tonight. You're spilling everything you know about… about… god damn, whatever the hell spawn that monster!"

"You promised, Lukas…" Nikaido reminded sternly, though less angry than Kaiman. "We done what you asked, but I think its time you come entirely clean."

"Yes, please do," added Vaux. "If you know anything about those burnt corpses stored in the morgue, it would ease my mind a bit knowing what made them."

"… I did say I would tell you what I can. But I didn't say what I can't tell you both." Nikaido frowned at the answer, but he held up a hand. "It's not because I don't trust any of you… rather, I literally can't without… consequences."

"The hell does supposed to mean?" demanded Kaiman. "Is that supposed to be a threat?"

"Of course not. It's… more of a warning."

"Are you always this vague with explaining things?" Vaux asked with a frown. Nikaido had to agree, but she could tell instantly that it was completely intentional.

Lukas knitted his brow for a moment, thumbing his ear ornament as he tried to think up an answer. "Ok… What was your first feeling when you saw the cleric beast—the giant monster back at the steel mill?"

"Huh? The hell does that have to do with anything?" growled Kaiman. "Don't try to change the—!"

"Indulge me. I know it's asking a lot, but what was your first feeling. Not thought or reaction. Just your feelings…"

For a moment Nikaido didn't want to think about it, neither did Kaiman, but she relented when she saw the uncompromising expression on her employee's face. Holding back a sigh, she forced herself to recollect… and flinched back as the horror returned in full force. "Terror…. Pure Terror. As if I was being swallowed up in a sea of fear and suffocating for air."

"I, uh…" Kaiman scratched his chin, unable to look Lukas directly in the eyes like Nikaido. "Alright… it was the same for me… felt like pissing myself if I stared at that thing any longer than I had."

"Like your mind couldn't comprehend it?" Both nodded at Lukas question. "More accurately, your minds didn't want to. A fear so great that you would do anything to deny its existence… even when it's trying to kill you."

Nikaido couldn't suppress the shudder that ran down her spine remembering how close she was to dying tonight.

"So what's your point?" Vaux asked, confusion and a bit of worry sweating down his sizable face after hearing his friends' confessions. "I mean, I don't know what you guys saw this night, but I've seen plenty of nasty work in my day. A lot of which that makes me want to vomit."

"That is only natural, Doc, but that beast tonight wasn't anything close to your expertise... When confronted with the unreal, the mind will go berserk trying to comprehend it. The lucky ones simply shut down for a while, but as for the rest, especially those who do comprehend what they saw… death is often preferable to what waits for them in the end."

Silence filled the room as the implications spread like wildfire. Cold sweat beaded across Nikaido's head as she mulled over the idea. Death was more preferable than knowing? She would've scoffed at the idea and yet… and yet a part of her mind, tiny and secluded somewhere deep inside the darkest corner of her head, agreed with such notion. She was more astonished with that realization than the actual alternative!

But then a thought occurred to her, one that forced her to stare directly into Lukas' bloody gaze. If what he said was true, then how was he still sane?

Sensing her question, Lukas lightly tapped his still healing side, "I… gotten used to it. Yes, that is the best way to put it. As for everyone else, I have to choose my words carefully. I've seen lesser men go insane trying gain the knowledge in my head. Some can handle it, I can, but I will not risk anyone here with something that is far beyond them. I'll try to tell you what I can, but no more than you need to know and only that." Taking a reluctant breath, he leaned forward intently. "Now then… what do you want to know?"

Sharing a look with Kaiman, who gave her a nod, and then with Vaux, who shrugged uncertainly, Nikaido decided to start things off. "Who are you really, Lukas?"

"I am a Hunter. I'm sure it's obvious of what I hunt at this point, but to put it simply, I hunt beasts. All matter of beasts who lurk in foul places that humanity does not wish to know."

"So that's why you're in Hole," said Kaiman, "to kill these… beasts."

"Correct."

"Ok, second question then: are these beasts created from Sorcerers? Cause I can totally see them doing this kind of thing just to mess with humans."

"These beasts aren't a byproduct of any of magic any Sorcerer… and from what I can tell during my stay in Hole, they aren't too picky when it comes to victims. Be they humans or Sorcerers alike…"

"Wait, hold up," interjected Vaux. "How did you know these things were even here to be begin with? I lived in Hole for a long time and I sure as hell would've known anything about giant monsters or werewolves roaming the streets."

"That's because these beasts aren't native to this land. Only arriving recently, no more than a little over a month ago, if the amount of bodies I counted is anything to go by."

"But what brought them here, Lukas?" asked Nikaido. "If Sorcerers didn't, then they must've got a reason why they be showing up now."

Cold firmness filled Lukas' eyes as he set his jaw. "We're straying close to the questions I can't answer… However, I will say this—I do know exactly what and, as of now, where one of the causes for these beasts is located. Once it's dealt with, their numbers will stop growing and will die out by my hand."

Suppressing the urge to frown at the unsatisfactory answer, Nikaido mulled over what little information she was given. To her knowledge, there is one other party she was familiar with that could have had a hand at creating these monsters, but she dismissed the idea. As sadistically mischievous as they were, she couldn't see any Devil unleash a terror on a grand scale like this. Especially with humans whom they see beneath them. At least she didn't think so anyway. Then again, who can say what a Devil thinks is beyond their notice?

"Hmm, now that I think about it, there's something that doesn't make sense," Kaiman said as he scratched his chin lightly. "If you've been hunting these freaky monsters for a while now, then how did you get jumped by Sorcerers when we found ya? From what I seen, you could've easily made mincemeat out of them." The slits of his reptilian gaze narrowing slightly. "Was that another lie of yours? Or was it some kinda weird plan to find out if those smoke happy bastards were in on these beast attacks?"

Lukas blinked at the question before a red flush bloomed across his cheeks. "That… wasn't intentional. I didn't lie about being caught… The Sorcerers kidnapped me while I was taking a nap… I just arrived in Hole and I hunted for nearly three days straight without any rest, ok!" Huffing indignantly, he turned his face around to hide his reddening embarrassment.

Well, that answers something. Nikaido awkwardly scratched the back of her neck before pausing at a at the blood equipment placed nearby. "Wait a second… You said those sorcerer's took everything you own. So how is it you got all this gear?"

Stiffening, Lukas turned back to his boss with a furrowed brow, his mouth opening and closing as if struggling to find the right words. "Ah… uh, well… those sorcerer's did strip me of everything I owned, but I did hide some hunting gear and weapons in some caches I planted in parts of the city when I first arrived. Less because I didn't have a place to stay at the time and more because I was constantly on the move to hunt down my prey."

"Makes sense I guess—wait a minute… then that means I spent nearly seventy bones on you for nothing?!" demanded Kaiman.

"…too be fair, do you honestly think that these clothes would blend in Hole's community?" Lukas jutted a thumb over to his small heap of still blood stained gear. Their archaic design definitely would've made anyone stick out like a chicken in a den filled with starving wolves.

"…fair enough."

"I think we're getting off track," Nikaido cut in. "What I want to is how did you get to be strong enough to tear chunks out something the size of a warehouse?" Silence was the only answer she got along with an unmoving bloody stare. "One of those things you can't answer, huh?" She met with a single nod from the youth. "Alright, let's move on to my last question then… you're going to go hunting the cause of these beasts, right?"

"Correct."

"…then I'm coming to."

"Now hold on, Nikaido," Vaux protested. "From what you guys told me, this sounds seriously way over our heads!"

"Maybe, but I can't leave this all to Lukas."

"Damn straight," added Kaiman. "Won't sit right me if I left this one alone. Besides, these freaks are messing up my town. So I gotta—"

"No." Blinking at the rebuttal, everyone turned to see staunch resolution in Lukas red eyes. "Neither of you are coming along."

Shock flashed across each other of their faces, except for Vaux who breathed a sigh of relief at being left out of a dangerous undertaking. However the same couldn't be said for his two friends as red hot anger replaced their surprise.

"What?! Why!?" demanded Nikaido, stepping forward till she stood over her employee. "I'm not going to allow—!"

"Whether you allow me or not is irrelevant. If you want to fire me over this, fine. I'll resign as soon as I'm finished with this hunt, but I will not allow any of you to be part it." The absolute firmness in Lukas took everyone by surprise. So much so they flinched back slightly as he started to get off the table, unhooking the blood pack from his arm before putting the rest of his clothes back on. "…I'm sorry, but I refuse to allow anyone else get involved in this mess. This my problem and one I intend to fix alone so no one else has to get hurt or worse." He paused for a moment to turn to Doctor Vaux. "Thanks for taking the time to heal me. Especially grateful for the blood… I promise to pay you back some day."

"Uh, no problem…" Vaux said a bit uncertainly, more than likely uncomfortable with letting a patient discharge himself like this.

"Hey, we can handle ourselves, thank you very much," Kaiman said stubbornly. "After all, we did help take down that big bastard with ya. Besides, that was the big bad wolf for all those other runts, right? So what's the problem?"

"Firstly, I could've handled the Cleric Beast on my own. Not the first time I handled such large prey, but I do appreciate your help, Kaiman. You and Nikaido both." Clipping the last belt of his coat together, Lukas turned his bloody gaze back to his friends, his intensity made them shiver. "Secondly… you're under the assumption that was the worse that these beasts had to offer. That Cleric Beast was nothing more than the guard dog. Pray that you never meet what held its leash…"

Those words were all it took to make both Nikaido and Kaiman to freeze up. That couldn't be true, could it? That the thing they help take down was nothing more than a guard dog? The thought alone ground what little boastful confidence they had at slaying a terror to dust.

"You get it now, don't you? That's what I'm trying to spare you from… Don't worry though. Come morning, this will all be over. I promise."

Shocked as she was, Nikaido couldn't believe what she just heard. "Don't tell me you're going out right now! You're still injured!"

"I'm fine. Really, I am. I just needed this breather, as well these stitches, that's all."

"Bullshit it is!" refuted Kaiman, but Lukas was already walking towards the door. "H-Hey, don't ignore me!"

"Sorry, but I can't waste a second longer. Without its precious hound guarding its lair, the beast I hunt will try to flee and hide soon… I can't let that happen. So many lives have already perished by its machinations. I won't allow any more to be lost tonight." Pausing at the doorway, Lukas turned and tipped his hat. "…it was nice working with you both. Truly…. It was fun." Hardening his gaze, he turned and walked out into the night once more.

Slumping into a nearby chair, Nikaido ran a hand through her mess of hair as she stared at door. She felt slightly numb, the events of the night still reeling in her mind and the information that Lukas dropped onto her lap didn't help the dizziness that was drilling into her soul. Normally she would've rushed after her stupidly, stubborn coworker and yet… she found herself glued to her seat. It confused her for a moment, but she quickly realized why—she was afraid.

That monster—the Cleric Beast Lukas had called it—was something that unnerved her to her core. Nikaido thought her hectic upbringing desensitized her to such feelings, but she knew that wasn't true. Truth was, she merely buried it away the moment she came to Hole, thinking she had escaped her nightmares. It never occurred to her that perhaps new ones would emerge to take their place.

It was a terrible feeling… but not as terrible as the shame that quickly overrode it. How could she feel fear when Lukas, her very first employee who risked his life to save hers, showed none! Even going so far to confront the very heart of the nightmares that have plagued Hole without any hesitation. She was afraid, yes, but if she stood by and did nothing, then it would eat at her for the rest of her days. Worse than the shadow that haunted her past.

"Kaiman!" exclaimed Nikaido, jumping out her chair as she strode towards the door. "Meet me back at the Hungry Bug and grab any knife—no, axe you can get your hands on! We're—!"

"Going to go after Lukas, right?" The lizard-man grinned at his friend. "Knew you wouldn't sit this one out. Hell, would've dragged your ass with me if you did."

"Wait, don't tell me you two are serious!?" demanded Vaux, sweat dripped down the side of his face as he stared at the two of them. "You heard Lukas! All those monsters are only runts compared to whatever the hell created them!"

"Maybe so, but I can't let Lukas faced it alone," said Nikaido. "Even if it's against his wishes, we're going after him."

The doctor continued to stare blatantly for a moment before letting out a sigh and dipped into his pockets to pull out a cigarette. "…fine. It's not like I can't stop either of you anyway. Just don't get yourselves killed, alright? It's bad enough that I had to fix..." Suddenly Vaux's eyes shot open just before he could flick open his lighter. "Dammit… that reminds I forgot to ask that kid what the hell was up with his body."

Nikaido and Kaiman paused at the door, both raising a brow at the doctor's vague statement. "The hell you talking about, you quack?" asked the lizard.

"There was something odd I discovered while I was stitching up Lukas… namely that his wounds looked already partially healed."

"What do you mean 'partially healed'?"

"It's exactly that. The blood loss at the gashes already had stopped and the flesh looked less torn up. Like it was already knitting itself back together before I took a look… Now that I think it about it some more, when I hooked up his blood pack, his skin seemed to crawl. It was only for a moment, so I thought I just was imagining things, but with the way the guy got up without so much of a stumble or any show of weakness is unnatural. And since he's not a sorcerer… well, I have no idea what's keeping him together."

The revelation was chilling to say the least, but shocking as it was, it changed nothing. If anything, it reinforced her resolve. Despite his blatant unwillingness to explain himself fully, Nikaido was determined to figure out every little secret Lukas had. She only hoped that she live long enough to hear the truth from his lips.

The dark sky overhead was starting to fade, growing lighter as dawn was fast approaching. Good, thought Lukas. Though his prey would still try to flee, the sun's glorious rays would cause it to hesitate for a little while longer. Just long enough for him to find and slay it. Grimly he made his way back to the steel mill only to stop just a few streets down. From a distance he could just make out the outline of a great crowd assembled around the still blazing fire that raged from the pyre he made. But it was little concern to him. In truth, he didn't need to use the hole the Cleric Beast made in the ruined factory. All he needed to do was be close to the steel mill so he didn't have to waste any time lurking around in the sewers before picking up the beast's trail. Once he found it, then he would follow it back to the lair of his true prey.

Making sure no one was immediately around him, Lukas lifted up a nearby manhole cover before climbing down into the smelly depths.

To his surprise, faint light greeted him as soon as he stepped into the murky water. He originally thought it would be dark much like the forbidden sewers of Yharnam, but Hole once again surprised him with faint electric bulbs flickering here and there along the sludge covered walls. Their light was faint, constantly stuttering as if to go out at any moment, but it was just enough for Lukas to figure out where he was going. Truly an achievement in this advanced world he came to be in and one he appreciated since that meant he didn't need to use a torch or lantern. Within these enclosed tunnels, the charred smell of pitch, smoke, and fire would've alerted every beast that lurked in the shadows.

Scanning the area, Lukas noted down every little foul detail, even measuring how surprisingly wide the enclosure was, but found no trace of any beast. Sliding down his bandana, he took a deep whiff, blanching slightly at the smell, but couldn't pick up on any bestial scent. In fact the stench was overwhelming in more ways than one. Naturally there was the rotten awfulness of garbage and sewage that would've curled anyone's nose hairs, but there was something utterly toxic mixed in. As if everything wrong with the city was filtered down here and left to rot into something no human could withstand for less than several minutes without some consequences. It almost made the sewers of Yharnam pleasant. Almost anyway.

Ignoring the foulness that tainted the air, Lukas kept looking around till he spotted several signs along the wall. Most were covered in warnings and instructions on how to deal with excessive sewerage and toxins, but there was also directions for different parts of the city. To his luck, there was a sign for the steel mill.

Steeling his resolve, Lukas plunged through the awfulness that echoed his every step.

Splashing through the murky waters, he quickly found signs of the beasts—scratches along the walls, several bones and rotting corpses, and trails of dried blood leading further down his path. Clearly the leftovers of victims too torn up to be used for offerings to their God. Seeing that he was on the right track, Lukas continued onward until a new smell filtered through his bandana. It was the scent of burning metal and crisping flesh. Accompanying that awfulness was a faint glow just up a head. He had finally reached the steel mill once again.

Now knowing where he stood, Lukas didn't bother heading down to where the steel mill was. After all, one of the signs along the wall read "dead end". Instead he followed large prints scrapped into the metal floor to another tunnel that split away from the glowing mess ahead. Just staring through its opening left no doubt in Lukas' mind that this path would lead him to prey. The atmosphere was completely different. The sewage was still there, yes, but the lights were extinguished and the smell was of a different kind of foulness that he was familiar with. The stench of beasts and blood.

Without a second thought, he dove into the darkness.

Although tempted to pull out his lantern, Lukas didn't on the chance some bestial sentry picking up its faint odor among the horrid aroma that filled the air. Despite this, he moved confidently through the dark. His eyes already adjusting themselves and picking up little details every so often as he pressed on.

Having no idea how far the tunnel would take him until he reached his prey, Lukas moved cautiously. His experiences with sewers always ended with nasty work, so he couldn't lower his guard down for an instant. No sooner did he extended his senses did he pick up on a faint noise coming from behind him. It faintly rolled off the walls, but grew clearer with every second that passed. Turning around, he spotted in the distance a faint blue glow.

Narrowing his gaze, Lukas didn't expect to run into any of the monstrous kin. He figured he had enough time to stop such horrible pacts before they began, but such thoughts were useless at the moment. Fighting a kin in such an enclosed area, no matter how wide, was not ideal. Especially if some stray attack destroyed his path.

Looking around, Lukas found a hole in the wall for piping, just big and narrow for him to hide in. Quickly slipping in between the slimy metal, he waited patiently, his hunter saw ready in one hand and his pistol cocked in the other.

Distant splashes in the filth grew louder now and the glow grew closer. There was a faint panting accompanying each step, but it didn't sound like any beast he encountered. If anything, it sounded… human. No matter. Lukas resolved himself to slay whatever was stalking him before they had a chance to act.

Several paces now… Five paces… Three. Two. One!

Whirling out of his spot, Lukas raised his gun before a familiar voice halted his finger on the trigger.

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH!" Kaiman yelled as he held up both hands. "Put that thing down before you blow a hole in our heads!"

"Easy, Lukas!" echoed Nikaido. "It's just us!"

Lukas stared in disbelief. He almost thought he was imagining things, an illusion set up by kin, but there was no mistaking that these two were indeed Nikaido and Kaiman. Even with their clothes being very much different than usual. Having more pads and armor covering them from head to toe, some of which even having spikes, till not a speck of flesh, outside their heads, was exposed. Another surprise was the fact they both had great big fire axes strapped to their persons along with several knives. The glow he had seen came from strange little sticks that hung around their necks.

"How did you find me?" Lukas asked incredulously. It didn't take a genius to figure why they were here, but the fact that they managed to follow him was a different story entirely. If anything, it made his growing irritation all the more potent.

"You said that Cleric Beast was merely a guard dog. Since it appeared at the steel mill, we figured that was the best place you go to first."

"That is until we found an open manhole few streets down from that blazing mess," added Kaiman. "Didn't take much to put two and two together where you went. So we jumped in after ya… could've lived without crawling through all this shit though."

"Once we got down here, we followed after your tracks in the sewage… before following after the trails of blood and scratch marks."

Lukas resisted the urge to massage his throbbing temple. He didn't realize his urgency had made him this sloppy, let alone be tracked so easily. Such a rookie mistake that he would never live down. Making a mental note to correct himself later, Lukas focused on the more pressing concern with dealing with these two fools.

"Go back now," he said firmly. "You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"Damn right we don't, but we're not just going to let you walk into the dinosaur's maw like that!" Kaiman asserted.

"I appreciate your sentiments, but this my business. If I didn't make that clear, then allow me to firmly spell it out: you're just going to get in my way." Lukas hadn't want to get this direct, but this was the only option left to dealing with such suicidal stubbornness.

"Maybe," admitted Nikaido, "but if you think I'm just going to allow my employee to fight and bleed against these freaks, then you got another thing coming, buster."

"I—Look, I told you I resi—"

"Resignation denied." Lukas blinked at the intensity in Nikaido's tone. Her eyes blazing with a sapphire fire as she met his bloody gaze. "Since we're being blunt, allow me to be perfectly clear: I'm not going to allow you to go alone. I know we're totally out of our depth with fighting these… things, but honestly, I don't give a damn. We're going to help you whether you like it or not. And that is that."

Lukas had seen some stubbornness in his time, some to the point of idiocy, but he was honestly at a loss with these two. Didn't their encounter with the Cleric Beast give them an idea of the world of madness he lived and breathed? There was no doubt they had good and well intentioned hearts, which is why he wanted them as far away from this slaughter!

Irritated and tired of their repeated refusal to heed his advice, Lukas opened his mouth to give them one final ultimatum… before pausing all together. His irritation receded as quickly as it rose, leaving only resignation.

Sighing, Lukas rubbed the bridge of his nose before saying, "Stubborn fools… Fine… you can come along."

Nikaido allowed a small smile to grace her lips while Kaiman pumped his arms triumphantly.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" yelled Kaiman.

"I promise you won't regret this, Lukas," said Nikaido. "We came prepared and won't slow you don't!"

"…Perhaps…" Lukas muttered. "Doesn't look like I have much choice in the matter…"

"Damn straight you don't," Kaiman agreed boastfully. "Would've probably slugged you till you said yes."

"That's not what I meant…" The severity in Lukas' tone caused both his friends to pause as he pointed a finger behind them. "The decision to leave has already been made…"

Turning around, Kaiman and Nikaido blinked the moment their eyes landed on a solid, gray wall standing where their exit should've been.

Nikaido was the first to react, rushing up before pressing her hands up against the cold and mockingly thick stone. "It's real… But how… There wasn't any Smoke!"

"What in the…!" uttered Kaiman before whirling around. "What gives?! I thought you said there wasn't any magic involved with these monsters!"

"There isn't… At least the kind that isn't related Sorcerers…"

"What does that mean!?"

"It means that we dwelled here too long!" Lukas didn't mean get this intense, but the hornet's nest has been stirred and now it was time to deal with the consequences. "The prey that I hunt is… its power is unlike anything either you have faced. Something unnatural and beyond comprehension. But it's too late now… It won't allow any of us to leave here alive unless we kill it first."

Both humans looked at him, shock and growing worry warred on their faces, but Lukas knew he needed to nip that in the bud. "Listen to me. This… thing is strong. Stronger than any beast and incomprehensible to most people. But that doesn't mean it's immortal. I slain it's kind before and do so again, but you have to follow every instruction I give if you want to see the next sun rise. Ok?" The two looked at him for a moment, then each other before finally nodding slowly. "Good. Then let's get moving before our prey gets tired of waiting for us…" Lukas turned around, taking a step forward before halting. "Oh right… You'll need these." Digging into his pack, Lukas pulled out two jars filled with a peculiar yellow liquid and handed them to over to his unwanted companions.

"What is this stuff?" Kaiman asked hesitantly.

"Sedatives. They won't make you unresponsive or inhibit your fighting skills… but they are essential for when we face the monster we seek. Calming the part of the brain that deals with madness and the unnatural. But only take them once when I tell you to. Otherwise its effect would be wasted."

"How would sedatives help, Lukas…?" Nikaido trusted the hunter, but his explanation left her with a bit of dread.

"Remember what I talked about earlier, about the mind being a fragile thing when it comes to fear…? The thing we hunt tonight is an embodiment of that and so much worse. Many have gone mad merely looking at it, but this will help tremendously, I assure you both."

Gulping dryly, Nikaido eyed the yellow liquid in the jar, holding it tightly like a life line. She then lifted her gaze up to meet Lukas' blood stained eyes. The youth saw worry in them, which was natural, but surprisingly there was also a quiet resolve that reminded him of himself. Admirable, he thought. Even when the stakes weren't exactly how they envisioned, they still had the will to press on. And Lukas was determined to make sure they lived to see the end of it.

"So… Are you going to tell us exactly what the hell's waiting for us?" asked Kaiman, marching bravely alongside Nikaido as they followed Lukas deeper into the sewers of Hole. But every once in a while, a shiver ran through his hands. He wasn't afraid to admit his unease, this entire scenario was like something out of a ghost story. A loathsome thought and one that he desperately tried to avoid, hence why he started talking. If nothing else, the sound of his voice helped calmed his nerves, if for a bit.

"No…" answered Lukas not bothering to look back.

"Oh come on, dude. Throw us a bone! We're stuck here with ya and you still won't tell us what we're facing."

"He has a point," agreed Nikaido as she stepped over a particular slimy pile of filth. "I know you made your piece on the concept of fear, but if we can understand even a little bit of it, maybe we can better prepared for it. At least it won't leave us running blind or become a burden to you."

Lukas was silent for a moment, just long enough to cause Kaiman's brow to twitch in irritation, before the boy slowly exhaled a deep sigh. "You have a point… but I will only tell what you essentially need to know… The thing that I'm after isn't just another beast."

"How so?" asked Nikaido.

"Beasts are predators of instinct. They bound it, motivated by, live by it. Even the most intelligent of the lot are still driven by their bestial nature that they can't think beyond it… The one we hunt has no such weakness. Therefore far more dangerous than any of the most fearsome and tenacious beasts around."

"Is that related to how it block our exit?"

"In a matter of speaking. That is merely tiny bit of its power."

"You said it's not like magical smoke Sorcerer's use… what did you mean by that?" The intensity in Nikaido's question didn't surprise Kaiman. Hell, if he found out that there was another reality warping nonsense around, he'd definitely want to know every little detail before gutting the guy who perform said magic.

"Let's just say that their power is… unnatural. You wouldn't understand it unless you have a certain… insight."

"Is like how ghosts can change a room in a haunted house?" Kaiman was surprised the question had left his lips. He didn't really want to ask it, fearing the answer and all that entailed, but something compelled it out his throat.

"In a matter of speaking, yes." Kaiman instantly froze at the thought, but Lukas waved a hand up nonchalantly. "Don't worry, it's not like a crazed phantom. It's not even dead to begin with. As for that particular power, I'm already taking steps to prevent any future changes."

Kaiman raised a dubious brow underneath his mask. While the last few hours have shown Lukas to be absurdly strong, how the hell does one prevent such a power like that? It didn't help that all Lukas was doing at the moment was just pressing on forward and nothing else. Perhaps he had some kind of charm on him? A voodoo doll maybe? But wait, that was only for Sorcerers, so that didn't make sense. Sighing, it would appear that he simply had to trust the white haired hunter with keeping his skin intact.

"Anything else we should know about it, Lukas?" asked Nikaido.

"If it's the prey I think it is, then it's big. Equal or more than the Cleric Beast, but also more… shall we say, vicious? You'll know what I mean when you see it, but don't be fooled. It's faster than the Cleric Beast and hits just as hard. If not more so and can use its own brand of… magic." The way he stressed out the word almost convinced Kaiman that it wasn't anything but magic. Which was ridiculous. If it wasn't, then how would it be able to manipulate stone and metal on a whim? "It's not almighty. Certainly powerful, but not without a few drawbacks."

"Such as?" Kaiman questioned.

"It's limited. More accurately, it's limited to areas extending no further than its own presence. Such as its lair for example. Not to mention we're underground at the moment, so it has to be careful not to over exert its own mighty strength least it brings down the roof over its own head." A dark, mirthless chuckle left Lukas lips at the thought. "Ironic. To build a hidden lair to hide from me only to be unable to use the full extent of its awesome power. Nothing more than a cornered beast now cowering before a hunter than the mighty being it once was…"

Kaiman couldn't suppress the shudder that passed through his body. It wasn't because of this mysterious monster's power that unnerved him, but the way Lukas talked about it. There wasn't any malice in his words. No fear, no hatred, nor a deranged joy in killing. Simply a professional, almost instinctual, mindset. As if this was just another day out hunting for him. Only, his prey was supposedly something no man can see without going insane.

What kind of shit did he go through to get like this?

Such dark thoughts were cut short the moment Lukas came to a complete halt at the mouth of the tunnel's exit. Inside was a large, square room filled with panels and pipes that covered nearly everything. He held up a hand for silence before pulling down his bandana. Following a familiar sniffling sound, Kaiman was amazed that the youth was actually smelling the awful sewer air, let alone managing not double over in a coughing fit. Frowning slightly, Lukas dipped his hands into pack before pulling out what looked like Molotov cocktail, but it had no cloth for ignition and the liquid was too murky to be alcohol.

With one smooth motion, Lukas threw the bottle till it shattered dead center in the room with a gooey splat. Suddenly three huge shadows leaped down off the ceiling, surrounding the strange puddle before lapping it open ravenously. It was the same werewolves that Kaiman helped burned at the steel mill.

No sooner did the first crimson drop touched their lips did Lukas advance upon menacingly. With his saw hung low, he stalked forward before craving open the back of the head of the closest beast. The nearest wolf monster didn't even notice its companion's brutal death, still gorging itself upon the red substance on the floor before Lukas' blade came crashing down at its neck. The last beast, the only one who managed to break out of its frenzy, tried to stumble back to the safety of the shadows. A single step. That was it could take before Lukas' fist plunged into its back, splattering gore and a fountain of blood along the pipes.

Kaiman couldn't help the sharp breath that passed through his teeth. He seen how brutal Lukas could be after fighting the Cleric Beast, but those three monsters were nothing more than pigs to the slaughter. And somehow he knew that they were lying in wait for an ambush! "How did you know they were there?" he found himself asking, despite the answer being quite obvious.

"All beasts have a certain smell to them," answer Lukas as he hauled his kill over and piled it onto the rest. "Doesn't matter what species they are, I've been trained to notice them no matter where they or the occasion, even in areas where sense of smell would been otherwise overwhelmed by other odors."

"What was in that bottle, Lukas?" Nikaido eyed the red stain on the floor. "I didn't think those beasts would throw away their ambush just to get at it."

"It's a special cocktail of alcohol and blood. Beasts are attracted by blood, craving it, and will doing anything to devour it. Mixing with the right alcoholic chemicals gives the blood a stronger aroma, making beasts drunk off it till they abandon what little reason they had left and allow their hunger to consume them." He stared at the corpses for a moment before shrugging. "Remind me later to burn these once we're finish with this hunt. Can't have smoke clogging the tunnels and alerting every other beast of our presence."

"Or choking some of us who don't have any masks…" Nikaido said blandly, causing Lukas to wince a bit.

"Yeah, that too. At any rate, keep your weapons out from now onward. I suspect that more beasts will try to similar ambushes along the way."

That unfortunately proved to be an understatement. No sooner had they left the chamber did they run into two more ambushes lying in wait. Of course, Lukas was able to detect them every single time, but their numbers grew larger and the corridors grew thinner. So much so that Kaiman and Nikaido finally had to help cut down the foul beasts.

They were slower than Kaiman originally thought, just a few heartbeats shorter than the Cleric Beast's own unnatural speed. But what they lacked, they made up with tenacity. Even when they were sliced up till their fur was dyed with their blood, they still keep on clawing at their attackers frantically. Their movements were so haphazard that it was by sheer luck that Kaiman only received a few tears in his clothes than having chunks of his flesh ripped out. He made sure to get revenge for his favorite jacket by cutting apart the mangy culprit!

After finishing off the survivors, they left the bodies to stain the sewers. Thankfully they didn't have any more run-ins with the werewolves. Kaiman hoped that was the last of them, but a part of him doubted it. Not until they finished the mastermind anyway.

They traveled onward, keeping any eye out for every dark corner as if something would spring to life at any moment. Lukas certainly seemed to think so, occasionally throwing a pebble into a shadow before moving on without breaking his stride. The tunnels seemed to go on forever, occasionally splitting off into bigger junctions or smaller corridors. Despite this, Lukas confidently led them onward, always seeming to know exactly where he was going. At one point Kaiman thought he was simply was following the signs—the recent one reading "central department store, city center, and town hall piping"—but he dismissed the idea. The hunter acted like a bloodhound, following a scent that only his keen nose could follow.

They had entered a huge dome like area, a processing station that had seen better days, before Lukas came to an abrupt halt. The two humans immediately held their axes at the ready, eyeing the shadows and dark corners that the flickering lights couldn't reach. Yet instead of sniffing at the air, the young man simply said, "Nikaido… Kaiman… drink your sedatives now."

Stiffening at the command, Kaiman peered across the dome. There was no sign of any beast or great big monster that Lukas alluded to, but the lizard-man never the less slowly reached into his jacket for the yellow filled jar. As he unclasped his mask, he saw Nikaido had already downed her jar, grimacing almost immediately before wiping her mouth vigorously. That wasn't a good omen. Still it was better than going mad. With a casual pop, he pulled the stopper off the jar and was greeted with a hair curling stench. Holding back tears, Kaiman dipped back his head to gaze at a red dot in the ceiling as the nauseating liquid slid down his tongue and settled in his gut.

Wait… Red Dot?

Blinking, he focused his gaze and saw that there was indeed a small crimson dot poking through a sea of dark shadow clinging to the ceiling. There was only one at first, no bigger than a golf ball, before another appeared, glowing brightly along with its twin. Then another appeared and then another. Soon there were six in total… and all glaring directly down at Kaiman.

So frozen by the sight, Kaiman barely managed a squeak escaping his lips as the mass of darkness fell thunderously to the floor. The dome trembled, several pipes creaking loudly with one of them cracking open to release a small stream of sewage. None of which Kaiman noticed, his eyes glued to the blackness that stood up.

It was big. Just a few inches taller than the Cleric Beast, just as Lukas had warned. Instead of being just as wide, it was thinner, down right skinny to the point of being malnourished. But Kaiman saw tight muscle wound around whatever bit of exposed dead grey skin he was able to get a glimpse under that mass of darkness surrounding it. At first he thought it was simply some kind of sludge, but the moment it started to move, it became clear that was simply coarse, black fur. It covered every inch of the monster, a forest of black hair that extended wildly along its back, waving menacingly in the air as if caught by some unseen breeze. Four powerful legs extended out its slim body, each ending with flesh rending claws ready to sink eagerly into prey. A massive tail shot out its back, coiling loosely along the floor before flicking through the air with more grace than a whip. Its head was similar to the Cleric Beast's, but lacked any horns or mutilated skin. Just a wolf head with a great, big snout and rows of unbroken, knife-like fangs jutting out the mouth and connected to an impossibly long neck. But it was its eyes that Kaiman couldn't look away from.

All six crimson eyes were completely unnatural in shape and size. From far way they seem like red dots in the mass of black fur, but now that it was closer, Kaiman could see that some of the eyes were fused together and others misshapen, elongating the sockets to allow the mutated pupils to see every angle. And that wasn't the worse of it. While the Cleric Beast's gaze was that of a vicious, primal monster with nothing but pure instinct in its hungry eyes, this thing was different. There wasn't any hunger or simple predatory drive in those crimson swirls, but rather intelligence. An intelligence that was truly alien and went beyond mortal thought… but there were no denying the very human-like malice glowing from each of those blood red orbs.

If Kaiman hadn't run into the Cleric Beast earlier, he would've thought he was experiencing a living nightmare. Hell, he still wasn't entirely sure he awake at this very moment. There was a certain presence about the thing that made everything feel off. The air seemed distorted around it and the concrete floor seemed to bend like wet clay with every step it took.

Despite this, Kaiman didn't panic. He was certainly afraid, he would've been insane if he didn't felt the tiniest bit of worry at the awful sight, but to his astonishment he wasn't quaking in his boots. It was like something soothing the one bit of his mind that would've broke him entirely the moment he laid eyes on that monstrosity. It was Lukas' medicine, Kaiman concluded. It was the only thing that saved him from falling down and raving madly as his brains leaked out his ears. He honestly didn't think it would work, but now he was glad that it did. It didn't, however, stop the migraine that banged the inside of his skull the longer he tried to make sense of this unspeakable horror.

Yet as Kaiman felt sick merely looking at it, Lukas casually walked towards it with the grace of death itself. His saw held out low in one hand, his pistol cocked and ready in the other. He spoke one word that echoed loudly off the distant walls of the dome, "Loran..."

The beast, Loran, raised up its long neck, growling challengingly to the hunter. Its eyes gleamed, its teeth bare, and its claws dug into the floor with an ear splitting hiss. The distortions in the air grew intense for a moment, before ceasing as an ungodly howl bellowed out Loran's throat. Slapping his hands over his ears, Kaiman felt his migraine go wild, his every nerve being stabbed by thousands of icy needles. Shaking his head, he turned to see Nikaido wasn't fairing much better, holding her head close to her chest as the inhumanly wail raged on.

Suddenly a bang cut off the howl. Snapping his head forward, Kaiman saw a sizable hole in the creature's chest, just a few inches short of the heart. Murky white goo seeped from the fleshy opening, yet before a single drop could hit the floor, Lukas rushed forward, his saw racing to carve into alien flesh. It only met air as the hideous creature leapt back, skidding across the floor with an awful hiss. Within the same breath, it lunged forward, claws slicing lines through the air to reach the hunter.

Lukas ducked, weaving under the flesh rending fingers to slicing a brutal line across the chest. Yanking out a chunk of flesh and thick fur with a horrible rip, Lukas rolled under another swipe from the beast. He was about to move in for another attack when a large foot intercepted him, sending him flying through the air.

"Lukas!" cried Nikaido. The young man landed on his feet, but he clutched at his chest with an irritated frown.

"Never mind me!" He said, already rushing forward to meet Loran's charge, his saw extending out to block a claw. "You two focus on the beast! Attack his flanks while I keep it distracted, but watch out for its magical discharge!"

Needing no further encouragement, Nikaido rushed to the side, her axe held low and ready to cut into the hideous creature. At the right moment, she swung, slicing a jagged line through the thick fur and dying it an unnatural white. Yet to her surprise, the beast didn't retaliate. Threatening growls left its distorted lips, but it was clear that they were meant for one figure that held its attention. The only one it considered its predator. Whether it was because she was furious at the not be taken seriously or simply not letting this dismissive attitude go to waste, Nikaido continued to assault her foe without any mercy.

To Kaiman's relief, his headache had finally subsided somewhat, allowing him the opportunity to join the fray. Focusing on the monster's other side, he leapt at it with his axe. The sharp blade cut through the thick fur, but found resistance at the beast's very flesh, as if he were hitting stone!

How the hell did Lukas cut out a chunk from this bastard?! Yanking the axe free, he tried to go in for another swing. He would've, but something wrapped around his waist, halting the blade in the air. Briefly looking down for the faintest of seconds, Kaiman saw it was the thick, whip-like tail. With incredible strength, it yanked him off his feet, flinging the axe out his hands before sending him sailing across the dome.

Slamming into a thick pipe with an awful crack, Kaiman felt all the air in his lungs whoosh out of him as he crumbled to the floor. Gasping what little breath he could manage, he tried to stand, only his legs and arms were like jellyfish, refusing any kind stability. Gritting his teeth, he willed himself onto all fours, wincing as his body groaned with every little twitch he made. Suddenly a horrible crack resounded, forcing him to look up.

Crackling pops surrounded Loran as it ignored Lukas and Nikaido, standing on its two feet while strands of blue static weaved through its fur. Kaiman could taste the ozone frizzling in the air, growing stronger as the monster drew more power. The shout that erupted from Lukas' lips was drowned out by a thunderous clap. Webs of lightning spewed out of the monster, flying wildly and blasting everything that was caught its grasp to ash. Nikaido flung herself back, frantically scrambling up nearby pipes just before a terrible blast mark blew chunks where she was once stood. It was total chaos, ceaseless and merciless as a hurricane, only one filled unnatural magic the likes no mortal had ever seen. And it was heading directly towards Kaiman!

Suddenly finding his forgotten strength, the lizard-man jumped to his feet and ran. Immediately he heard the concrete behind him explode. Rubble flew ahead of him and he could hear the insidious crackling trailing close behind. Feeling every hair stand literally on end, he pumped his legs faster than ever in his life, sucking in sizzling ozone that matched the burning fire in his lungs. He was going to die if he stayed still, he knew it. There was no alternative but to try to stay of the madness!

There was no end to it. Furious bolts shooting endlessly from the monster as it tore apart reality to its whim. Despite this, it still couldn't kill the three who vexed it. Nikaido clung to the pipes while Kaiman outpaced the storm behind him, if only by a hair. As for Lukas, he danced around the lightning with a grace of a cat, bending at impossible angles without a hint of worry on his face. Carefully dodging webs of electricity sent his way, he walked over till he was only ten paces away from the beast. Loran howled at him, but Lukas didn't bat any eye. Instead he reached into his bag mid-dodge and yanked out a cocktail and a lighter. With a quick flick, he lit the dirty rag before hurling it squarely at his hated foe.

The scream that followed was so strong that Kaiman found himself thrown a few yards forward. Hacking up a cough the moment he crashed into the floor, he spun around, thankful that the lightning had ceased, before stopping dead at Loran. A coat of fire wrapped tightly around the beast, ravenously consuming every strand of hair and blenching out what's left in angry streams of black smoke. He couldn't tell if this was better or worse, for the beast now looked like something straight out hell. For all he knew, it could've been.

Furious howls bellowed as Loran flung himself everywhere, ignoring everything as it tried desperately to put out the hungering flames. Slabs of concrete cracked with every leapt took, the ceiling shook, and the pipes crack threateningly. All the while Lukas continued to harass it with a hail of gun fire, punching holes through fire and flesh alike. Suddenly Loran flung itself to the side, just where Nikaido clung to the walls. Before Kaiman could shout a warning, she scrambled out of the way before the wall exploded with a fury.

Metal and stone flew everywhere before a thick stench quickly followed. Sewage, waste water, and runoff poured from dozens of broken pipes, baptizing the beast in such ungodly contents that Kaiman didn't dare think of. Moaning in relief, the beast relished the filthy liquid, dosing every bit of stubborn flame that licked at its body. No sooner did it submerge itself did the beast push away from the broken pipes, standing menacing under flickering light. And despite the sedative he took, Kaiman shuddered violently as he couldn't take look away from the monster's true form.

Not a speck for fur was left, only ghastly white, leathery skin with more than a few patches of angry pink blooming here and there. But it was the multitude of eyes the lined up the neck of the beast and further down its back that made Kaiman's blood run cold. An infestation of eyes bulging out the flesh at unseemly proportions and angles. Made only worse by two maws lining just below the collar, gaping wide to allow a slew of dark yellow drool to seep onto the floor. And yet they didn't look unnatural. They seemed to fit right into place within the beast, as if they belonged there to begin with.

Such a horrible thought almost made Kaiman miss the floor shifting in front of the beast. Bubbling like boiling water, the stone suddenly erupted into the air. Waves of stained concrete rushed towards the one who brought Loran so much agony. Wasting no time, Lukas bolted out of the way, allowing the liquefied stone to slam into the wall. Thousands of spidery cracks erupted everywhere, but the wave didn't stop. Whether it was alive or moved by the power of the beast's will, the tidal wave of stone chased after the hunter. Ceaseless destroying everything in its path until it crushed Lukas to death.

Kaiman almost found him unable to look away as his friend managed to stay one step ahead of the living liquid… that is until he noticed Loran didn't move. Whether because of the power it wielded, it was clear it needed all its concentration to perform such unreal feats. And from where he stood, Kaiman was in the perfect blind spot.

Steeling himself, he lurched forward, picking up the axe he dropped earlier before sprinting over to the abomination. Mustering all his strength, Kaiman raised the axe before swiftly bringing it down at the base of the beast's hairless tail. The flesh parted in one clean stroke, parting like hot butter as the lifeless lump fell to the floor.

Inhuman agony howled out Loran's lips, ceasing its magic to crane its long neck back. Stiffening under the towering rage within those twisted red orbs, Kaiman found himself unable to look away for a sheer instant. His heart pounded, his head throbbed painfully, and time seemed to halt all together. It was only his reflexes that saved him, throwing him onto the floor just as a giant clawed foot shot overhead. Hastily he rolled to the side, eager to get away before halting at a new sound. The unforgettably gruesome sound of flesh mashing together while bone broke in two.

Looking back, he saw Nikaido smashing a broken iron pipe as tall as she was into one of the beast's hind legs. Another hair standing scream echoed in the dome, but Nikaido was deterred. Setting her face in stone, she hammered away violently and without any mercy. Loran stumbled forward, trying to get away only to come face to face with Lukas. The hunter rushed forward with his saw extended out ignoring the frantic swipes the beast gave.

Desperate, Loran reared back its neck and opened all its jaws. Bright whiteness glowed from deep within its maws, crackling intensely and growing by the second. Not that it stopped or slowed its target down. If anything, Lukas sprinted faster, lowing his saw till it made a chilling hiss along the uncaring stone floor.

With one last defiant howl, the abomination unleashed it final attack upon its foe. Beams of light erupted out the maws, joining together into one thick white bar that shot out like a mighty cannon.

But Lukas was quicker.

Swiftly dodging to the side, singeing his coat as the blast brushed him by, he made two great strides before leaping forward. Aided by the blast's explosive shockwave the moment it hit the wall, he flew like a blazing comet. Loran didn't have a chance to twitch before the hunter's saw flashed across its neck. A grisly rip was heard for a split moment before Lukas, now caked head to toe in murky white, landed on the floor with the monster's head soon following after. The disgusting body fumbled, as if not realizing it was dead before two bullets blasted chunks out its sides. It stiffened before collapsing in a puddle of its own blood.

Kaiman slowly got to his feet, unsure if the monster was actually dead for a moment. It didn't get up after a few seconds so that was a good sign, but just in case, he kicked its side before jumping back a step. Nothing. It was really dead.

Letting out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding, Kaiman slumped to the floor, exhausted but elated that he survived such an ordeal. He could feel someone sinking beside him, but he didn't need to look to know it was Nikaido. The only who didn't join them was Lukas, standing over his prize with a solemn look on his face.

His eyes lingered on the lifeless head for a moment before turning to his tired comrades. Pulling down his bandana, he smiled softly and said, "That was a good hunt."

Author's Note: Hi everyone! Sorry for making you all wait, but don't worry! This story isn't dead. Just a bit slow. But I hope I made up for my slowness with delivering some good stuff!

This chapter was fun to write as I thought it was fitting to end the introduction arc with Lukas hunting and killing a Great One. Yes that is a Great One, specifically modeled after the unused Beast Great One cut from Bloodborne. I gave it the name Loran since I figured that since Yharnam is named after it's titular figure who had a connection to the Great Ones, then I always figured Loran would be both a place and a figure in Bloodborne's lore, specifically that of a Great One. Now I know some of you might be asking, why would I put one a god-like being in the first arcs of series. Well there is a few reasons actually. The first being that of set up. At this point, without giving away too much, Lukas has killed Great Ones before. This isn't his first rodeo with them and they know it. I figured that this was a good way to show how powerful Lukas is while showing the stakes already. But I also know this is pretty risky from a story telling point of view, since I don't want make things easy for Lukas or have powerful creatures like Great Ones lose their value. Which leads me to my second reason why Loran is here: set up. This will be my only hint to things from here on out for major spoilers, so don't expect anything else from me, but to put it simply, there is a lot more going on than what you think is happening. Specifically why is Loran in Hole to begin with? That, like most things, will be told in time. After all, mystery is part of Bloodborne's and Dorohedoro's Bread and Butter.

Anyway, I would like to thank everyone who left such wonderful reviews for this story! I really appreciate it and hope you all continue to enjoy this story! I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter out, since I'm still trying to focus on my original story, but I'll try not to make you wait nearly half a year. No promises though. Cause life, hobbies, and other things always seem to get my way.

Until then, I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Sincerely, Count Chaos!