FOREWORD
Every year, I try to do at least one horror or occult-based oneshot. A number of them end up being Bloodborne crossovers, but honestly, the concept of the game means that having someone isekai'd into that game is appealing, and works from a oneshot that is in media res.
This time, this particular oneshot is a crossover with another masochistic FromSoftware game, specifically Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. While this is far from the first such crossover, it certainly seems to be the first of its kind. I will admit, I haven't gotten that far into Sekiro: I ran into a certain literal load of flaming bullshit, and I've given up on the game for now. But I intend to return to it, partly because it's a Soulsborne game that has a more accessible storyline, and the characters of Wolf, Kuro, the Sculptor and Emma are compelling, as are the Ashinas (and VaatiVidya's excellent videos have helped matters).
The title means 'werewolf' in Japanese. Anime fans might recognise it as the title of a rather dark anime film from years ago. Considering the monsters of Bloodborne and the name of the main character of Sekiro, I think it's rather apt.
Anyway, time for the disclaimers. Firstly, there will be annotations, and I don't want to hear any bellyaching.
Secondly, there will be spoilers.
Finally, this is a fan-written work. Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and the characters and scenarios are property of their respective owners. Please, support the official release. Otherwise, Wolf will gut you…
JINROH
Genichiro Ashina was concerned, to say the least. After all, with his grandfather (by deed and word if not by blood) ailing, the forces of the Interior Ministry were getting overly bold. Kuro, the Divine Heir of the Dragon Heritage, was potentially his last hope, especially as the research Genichiro was funding into the Dragon Heritage wasn't as fruitful as he had hoped.
But Kuro refused to help them, and his grandfather Isshin was reluctant to press the boy any further. To tell the truth, neither was Genichiro: he despised this necessity. But necessity it was in order to save this land of Ashina, and any qualms had to be overcome.
And yet, he had heard that the shinobi retained as Kuro's bodyguard, Wolf, had been roused from his stupor at the bottom of an old well, and had gone to collect the liege he had presumably thought dead. Genichiro had made preparations to intercept Wolf, and thus reclaim Kuro. Genichiro was wary of facing off against Wolf, given how he had been taught by the likes of Owl and Lady Butterfly, but he also relished the challenge, and he also had a precaution ready, in the form of a Nightjar Ninja, ready to intervene if things went south.
He watched the moon, entranced by its beauty. At times, he could feel it call to him. But then, he heard the door in the distance creak open, the one leading to the tunnel that opened out here in this field. He waited until he heard footsteps moving amongst the grass here. Strange, could he only hear one set?
Still, he remarked, "The Divine Heir. The last time we met, it was at your noble uncle's funeral." With that, he turned to face Wolf and Kuro. Only to blink when he saw that only Wolf appeared to be there.
At least, he assumed the man standing there to be Wolf. But instead of the rough clothes of a shinobi, the man seemed to be wearing a long leather coat and a wide-brimmed hat. But the grizzled features of the shinobi did resemble the drawings he had been given. But he seemed to be dressed like one of those barbarians from that Europe place, and yet in a strange style he did not recognise.
What was more mysterious, though, was the lack of Kuro by his side. Wolf said, "You expected my liege here, did you not, Genichiro Ashina? My apologies, but my duty is to keep him safe."
"And where have you hidden him away?" Genichiro asked, giving the shinobi some semblance of courtesy, due to the man's skill, and his token apology.
At this, a faint smirk twitched his lips. "In a dream."
Genichiro tried and failed to fight down a surge of annoyance. "Don't utter such nonsense!" he snapped.
"It's the truth, Genichiro Ashina. My duty is to my lord, ensuring his safety. You kept him prisoner, even if you treated him as an honoured guest," Wolf said. "I have seen much in my slumber. You covet the power in his blood, and whence it came, thinking it can save these lands."
"You think differently?" Genichiro asked, wondering what the man meant.
Wolf scoffed. "We are born of The Blood, made Men by The Blood, undone by The Blood. Our Eyes are yet to Open: Fear the Old Blood. A creed uttered by men both more wise and yet more foolish than you, Genichiro Ashina. The Dragon Heritage is dangerous to all. Take this advice from someone who has had long and hard experience in these matters."
"How could you have experience in such matters?" Genichiro demanded.
"You would never believe me if I told you," Wolf said. "Know then that I am no longer an Ookami, a mere wolf…but a Jinroh, a Werewolf. I only came here to do one thing, Genichiro Ashina. I will test your resolve to fight for your land and people."
"My resolve?" Genichiro demanded incredulously, all thoughts of giving this man, this noble fool, any respect chased away by the sheer gall of this man, to test his resolve. "I will tear the Divine Heir's location from you by force for your insolence, shinobi."
"I've endured much, Genichiro Ashina," Wolf said with a smirk. "I doubt there is anything you could do that I have not experienced already. Now…come, and show me your resolve…"
Kuro was not frightened. Anxious, yes, but frightened? After the initial shock died away, he found this place quite pleasant, peaceful and calm.
It appeared to be a vast garden, set within a misty void. And dotted all over this garden were various tombstones, of a type he had never seen before. There was also a fountain, and in that fountain, and in strange puddles in the ground, sometimes emerged these strange creatures, like malformed babies, pale and misshapen, creepy, and yet, benign.
Pride of place in this strange realm was a house, of a type he wasn't familiar with. Well, it was apparently called a workshop, the Hunter's Workshop to be precise, filled with all sorts of strange and wonderful things, to say nothing of many books. But that wasn't the thing that captivated his attention the most.
No, that had to be the Doll.
Kuro had met a couple of what some called the Southern Barbarians, but which he knew to be from some continent to the West known as Europe. They were a strange, pale people, with different faces. Many called them savages and barbarians with a strange faith in Christianity, and he had been told cautionary tales of how the infamous Oda Nobunaga enjoyed such things from Europe1.
But the Doll was no savage. Indeed, she was quite demure and gentle. True, she had a strangely husky and lilting voice, she was much taller than anyone Kuro had known, and her skin and hair and eyes were pale. Indeed, she had a most haunting beauty.
And there was, of course, the fact that she was a living doll.
But she was kind, despite being so otherworldly. When Wolf had sent him here, into this, the Hunter's Dream, he had been anxious and afraid, albeit partly for his shinobi. Wolf had changed much since the destruction of the Hirata Estate, his family's estate, when Kuro had given Wolf the gift of his blood. And in a way, it had been his fault.
The Doll spoke to him of Wolf's ordeals. The Dragon Heritage had resonated with something else, sending Wolf, in his dreams, to this realm. Once here, he had been charged by a man called Gehrman, the Doll's creator, to hunt vile beasts within a city known as Yharnam. The beasts were plagued, thanks to something known as the Healing Blood, or rather, the Old Blood.
Kuro wondered, had he condemned Wolf to such a nightmare, of a slaughter that would make even a Shura pause for thought? But the Doll reassured him. It was Wolf's duty to his liege that kept him sane, despite the madness he went through. It gave him the strength to endure, despite everything, including fighting beings who were called gods, even if they were closer to demons.
But it wasn't just duty that kept Wolf going. The Doll confessed that, late into Wolf's journey, they had become lovers. The gentle Doll and the grim Wolf, both bound by duty, and yet, finding a gentle love.
Wolf had stopped a horrific ritual that could have spelled the end of that world. But then, Wolf refused Gehrman's offer of mercy. Not because he refused to return to Kuro, but because he recognised Gehrman as being a prisoner, and so, decided to free him. After pitched battle, Wolf not only slew Gehrman, but also his gaoler, the Great One known only as the Moon Presence. But in doing so, Wolf became something no longer human.
Wolf was now a god, or at least a Great One. Kuro found the notion chilling, and yet, despite that, Wolf had come to save him, even though he had power greater than Kuro. That reassured him more than the thought of Wolf being a god disturbed him. Wolf had even knelt to him.
Which meant that, in the end, Wolf was still himself. A little less stringently dutiful, perhaps, given his remarks before, but he was still his loyal retainer. And some part of Kuro yearned to have Wolf as a father figure, and not just as a shinobi bodyguard. The way Wolf acted, not quite the same stoic Wolf he remembered, but a slightly warmer figure, and certainly less laconic, gave him some hope for this. True, Kuro had been concerned about his strange new clothes, but he was glad Wolf had returned.
As if summoned by Kuro's thoughts, a form shimmered into existence in front of one of the gravestones. The Doll smiled. "Welcome home, Good Hunter. How fared your battles in the waking world?"
Wolf harrumphed, though a slight smile touched his lips. He seemed less careworn than he had been before. "Genichiro Ashina was waiting for us. He was a little surprised to find I was without my lord. Still, he has conviction, I will give him that." He went over to Kuro, and knelt in front of him. "My lord…Kuro…have you fared well in my absence?"
"The Doll was quite accommodating, Wolf, and she told me something of your trials in this Yharnam city. Please, do not kneel. She told me that you have become…"
"What I have become matters little," Wolf said, fixing him with a look. "I am, and always will be, your guardian, my lord. That solemn duty is what kept me sane during that bloodsoaked night in Yharnam. However, because of the Insight I have gained, I know much about the Dragon Heritage and its origins. Not everything, but I know why Genichiro Ashina covets your blood. It's your choice whether to simply flee Ashina, and leave them to their fate, or to help them in some manner, whether it be by exploiting that which flows through your veins or not. I am no longer the Wolf you once knew, more of a Werewolf, a monstrous wolf wearing the skin of a man…but I am still your bodyguard."
The Doll giggled. "So solemn, Good Hunter. I have ensured Kuro understands. And he is quite an intelligent child. He too has a most dutiful soul."
Kuro contemplated his faithful shinobi's words, before saying, "I think we should begin to gather information, understand what is happening to Ashina, and what Lord Genichiro Ashina's plans involve. I believe Lord Isshin Ashina does not share his adopted grandson's plans, and he has a physician, Lady Emma, who may be of help to us. Once we know more, then we can act in earnest."
"If that is your wish, my lord. I had already intended to find a way to prevent the Dragon Heritage from wreaking havoc on Ashina, as the Old Blood did on Yharnam. I do not know for certain whether it will, but an instinct tells me it is so."
Kuro nodded. "Faithful Wolf…I thank you for this. I am sorry to send you into danger once more."
Wolf chuckled sardonically. "I doubt there is anything in Ashina that can truly threaten me now. And even before then…I was your shinobi then, and I remain such even now…"
And so, a strange trio began their journey. A living doll. A noble boy with otherworldly blood. And a shinobi turned god. All three intending to save a certain land from being drowned in blood and rot. Whether they succeeded or not…well, that was for another time…
THE END
STORY ANNOTATIONS:
So, there you have it. I hope that I got the Sekiro characters' natures down. If Wolf seems OOC, keep in mind, he's loosened up a little thanks to his experiences in Yharnam. He's less laconic, and while he may not show it, he has a stronger sense of paternal affection towards Kuro.
Basically, the Dragon Heritage afflicting Wolf resonated with the Old Blood of Bloodborne, so when Wolf travelled to that world, the Dragon Heritage became a hybrid of those two eldritch bloods. And whose to say that the Sakura Dragon isn't a Great One of some sort, huh?
Anyway, I hope I didn't bugger up the characterisations that much. Hopefully, you guys enjoyed it.
1. Sekiro seems to be set towards the end of the Sengoku or Japanese Warring States period, possibly during the rise to power of Tokugawa Ieyasu (VaatiVidya certainly thinks so, relating as such during one of his videos, "10 Japanese Secrets in Sekiro"), so Oda Nobunaga is likely to be fresh in the memories of the Japanese. I'm not sure whether Nobunaga's infamous brutality was ever blamed in part on his obsession with imported European goods, especially as this seems prior to Japan's isolationism, but given that Japan's isolationism happened not long afterwards, it doesn't seem wholly out of the question.
