One year prior

'The fuck was that!?' Shirou internally as he raced through the dark forest, dodging and weaving past the thick tree branches. 'The man… h-he was changing... started turning into some kind of beast but what in the world would cause such transform… i-it c-couldn't be…' Shirou's eyes then slowly narrowed.

'Magic… right?'

Present day

"So… young Shirou… you mind telling us why you're out here and not inside?" question Gascoigne as they trudge through the empty streets of Yharnam.

"I don't have a place to stay, nobody would allow me to stay at their place so I decided to crash on the nearest bench I could find and try the church tomorrow." He told the two men he was with.

"Didn't let you in did they? Heh, typical Yharnamites. Wouldn't trust a stranger even if their lives depended on it. 'Specially an outsider like yer'self." Henryk said, Gascoigne's partner in crime when it comes to hunting.

Gascoigne nodded "Yes that is something people here do." He then paused and thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion.

"Hmm… Well you did help out my daughter today, so I guess you could stay at our place for a few days." He said.

Shirou's eyes widened "That wouldn't be necessary sir, I'm going to the cathedral ward in the morning, so I-"

"Nonsense boy. Do you really think they'll let you in tomorrow? No. They most certainly will not. In fact, they'll tighten security and close the ward off." Gascoigne bluntly interrupted Shirou with less subtlety than the beasts they hunted.

"But… why are they closing the ward off?" asked Shirou. This time it was Henryk who answered.

"They're getting ready for the Night of the Hunt Shirou. The Healing Church slowly restricts access to the outside over time, today-or yesterday by now- was the last time for people to be able to access the ward and it was for only those who are members of the church." He explained.

"The night of the Hunt? But aren't we hunting now?" Shirou questioned, confused as they were already on the streets hunting the beasts.

Henryk laughed "Ha! You got that right. But no, this is not the Night of the Hunt. We're just doing our nightly maintenance, keeping the streets relatively clean of beasts before the hunt. This is nothing compared to the Night of the Hunt, well… nowadays most folks just call it the Hunt. The Hunt feels different, there's this strange aura during the hunt… As if the Old ones themselves are watching, time seems to slow down and the hunt then suddenly feels… never-ending."

Both Henryk and Gascoigne both became solemn as they recollected their times on the Hunt. "But it always does and that means we can go see my daughter and granddaughter. Ah that's right, coming back to them always makes it worth it."

Henryk finished softly, they both turned silent before Henryk asked him a question that took him by surprise "And you Shirou? What makes you come to this place? I know it's not for the common reason, that being you sick, and by the looks of it this isn't your first time dealing with the beast. So tell me, why would anyone in their right mind come to this place?" he finished, now both Henryk and Gascoigne were waiting for an answer.

'That's right, why… why would anyone come to this place knowing what's to come?' Shirou thought to himself, looking all the way back to the beginning on how and why he started this trip.

As he did so he remember what his adopted father, Kiritsugu had told him long ago…. "Remember Shirou, to be a magus is to walk with death."

That's right he had accepted the dangers long ago and if he couldn't do that he couldn't fulfil his dream…

"I am here to find answers for the cause of a catastrophe." Shirou answered resolutely.

"Oh… answers ey? Well you'll get plenty of those if you look hard enough. Whether you like the ones you get well… there's nothing left untainted by the darkness." Henryk said darkly in warning.

Shirou nodded slowly "Right." he said "Well it's not like I was going to like them anyway." He finished.

The streets of Yharnam were surprisingly quiet than Shirou anticipated, when he asked why "It is because of hunters like us that despite it not being The Hunt, still go out to slaughter the beasts. Some for the sense of twisted duty and others because they can't resist. So most choose wisely to stay indoors." Was the answer Gascoigne gave him.

They continued to scout the area for beasts, making small talk as they did. They then finally reached the entrance to the sewers. All of them slowly making their way down the

"Hmm… perfect place for an ambush. We'll have to be careful going down there, so watch yourself and get ready. I have a feeling this isn't going to end well." Gascoigne said as he pulled out his modified hunter's pistol.

"Right." said both Shirou and Henryk. Henryk now with the Saw cleaver in hand and a hunter's pistol in the other.

They both looked at Shirou "You sure you're goin' to be alright without a weapon?" asked Henryk.

Shirou nodded surely "I've got a few tricks up my sleeves, so don't worry about me. I can handle myself."

"We saw the boy fight off the beast that attacked him before Henryk. He'll be fine against a few sewer dwellers." Gascoigne assured Henryk.

Henryk shrugged "Alright then, if you say so." Then started down the stairs with Shirou and Gascoigne trailing behind.

As they descended the stairs they began to hear a faint sound around the corner. As they got closer it became more distinct, it was breathing.

They tensed, preparing themselves for the encounter as they the deep, ragged breathing was suddenly stopped.

Footsteps echoed from the corner as the unknown figure slowly entered their view. Revealing a hunter with a weapon Shirou compared to the saw cleaver.

As he continued to observe the new hunter, information flooded his mind. He wore the yharnam hunter set, a simple and practical attire made for physical damage mainly but had a mediocre poison, magic and… what's blood resistance?

It was also then that he realised that he had a secondary weapon, a large fire arm that seemed to be a blunderbuss-

Before Shirou had time to do anything the hunter was suddenly upon them. Blade clashing with Henryk's as he intercepted the mad hunter.

"Tsk. Just our luck we ran into a blood drunk hunter." Gascoigne grumbled before dashing towards the hunter with axe out for an upper cut. Letting sparks fly as the edge was dragged across the floor.

In response the hunter pushed Henryk away and trick his weapon just in time to doge slightly to the right Gascoigne and deliver a vicious thrust to Gascoigne's side, before ripping it out letting blood burst from the wound.

Before he could continue his onslaught Henryk was again upon him with a flurry of attacks. They dodged and weaved around each other, bouncing across the entire stairway.

'Damn it, their way to fast for me to intervene without risking getting in the way of Henryk.' Shirou thought to himself.

Shirou went over what he could do. Knowing he was out of his league in terms of physical speed and strength and his experience on the rocks compared to the others. He turned to magecraft for balancing out the playing field.

"Trace on." Shirou said under his breath, activating his magic circuits he let prana fill his body strengthening it to levels normally unachievable. Then used the second spell he knew, Structural analysis on the Hunter's weapon.

He learnt that it was called a saw spear and that the hunter had used it throughout his entire career. It had slaughtered many a beast and even a few hunters whom had gone mad. The spear had been drenched in so much blood, it was a wonder how the hunter had not gone mad sooner.

After analysing the blade it was then Shirou used his third and last spell he knew.

"TRACE ON!" Shirou shouted as he jumped the hunter, now with a saw spear in hand as well.

Projection also known as gradient air was the only ability Shirou had a natural talent towards. Sure with time and practice he could use other spells but not on the same level as he could with projection. However his father-the only other magus he knew- had considered it useless, but-

Now with the innate knowledge from structural analysis on the blade, he efficiently brought the weapon into the gut of the hunter. Tearing into flesh and causing blood to fly and splatter across the stairway.

The hunter grunted as the blow shredded many vital organs, if he were a normal man he would have died by now. However the man was a hunter and they were certainly not normal.

For they had the blood of gods within them.

Shirou twisted the blade in the man and then tricked it, the hunter staggered back to defend himself as best he could. Still fighting despite the gaping hole in his gut, revealing the mushed remains of crushed intestine.

The Hunter was now higher up on the stair case and keeping his distance as he procured two vials from his back pocket and injected them into his leg.

A slow, wet, sickening crunching sound echoed through building as the wound slowly healed. Leaving raw red skin in place of the gaping hole in his stomach.

'He healed himself!' Shirou thought as he realised that the hunter had prevented his demise with two vials of blood.

"Kosm curses! So he still has enough sense to use the blood aye… fantastic." Gascoigne muttered loud enough to be heard by Shirou and Henryk.

"Well it just means we gotta make sure that when kill him, he stays that way." Henryk said in an almost jokingly fashion.

It was at this time where the hunter then tricked his weapon, revealing the spear that gave it its name.

This time Gascoigne and Henryk worked in cohesion to attempt to slay the mad hunter. Gascoigne attacked with an overhead attack but was abruptly parried by the spear, placing out of harm's way just in time to counter Henryk's attack with blast from his blunderbuss.

In just a second, the hunter had defended against two of the strongest hunters and probably the current strongest hunter pair in Yharnam.

However this was taking a toll and his body and humanity, the cracking of bones and flesh had not stop. His body mutating as the scourge slowly devoured the rest of what one could call 'human' from the man, leaving nothing but the beast within.

What was once a six foot five hunter was now a twelve foot tall beast, whose face was an ugly combination of wolf and man and had blazing red eyes filled with madness and bloodlust. His arms now thrice the size they once were, threatened to rip the seams of the attire.

Hands now bore claws which replaced his nails, could crush granite easily and bend steel. His body grotesquely deformed as thick black hair began to grow over his entire body. Covering everything that was once skin.

As the transformation stopped the beast let out a bellowing roar. Stunning them as it then proceeded to attack with vicious power and speed.

"RAAAGGGGHHHHH!" It roared, arm behind its head to deliver a powerful over arm swing with the saw spear. It rushed Shirou, releasing the powerful attack with the power of a battering ram.

"ARGH!" Shirou grunted as he parried the weapon, dodging to the left and diverting most of the force away from himself with his own saw spear.

They then began to trade blows, the beast using his superior strength and speed while Shirou countered each attack with his knowledge of the techniques the beast had every time started his next attack.

However knowledge didn't allow him to fully dodge uninjured as Shirou was physically inferior to the might of the newly turned beast.

"Shirou! Back up!" Gascoigne then interrupted the two by swinging his axe in a upward arch, smashing and cutting deep into the beast. The blow caused it be thrown off the staircase and into a pile of barrels on the upper floor, revealing a hidden doorway above the cistern.

The doorway lead to the arrangement of planks that held up the roof of the building. Seeing this as an opportunity to make distance the beast rushed and jumped onto the rig.

Seeing this happen, Shirou, Henryk and Gascoigne all gave chase. Landing on the rig carefully as to make sure they would fall to their deaths.

"Alright, we've got him cornered. Now, any bright ideas on how to ensure permanent death?" Henryk asked.

"Let me try." Said Gascoigne before shooting at the beast with his scattergun. The beast avoided the shot by quickly jumping over to the next plank over.

"Well it was worth a shot." Gascoigne said simply as he put away his gun, looking back over to Henryk for the next idea.

"Hm… I've got an idea. Because were more nimble, Shirou and I will go out and gang up on him while you guard the entrance so he doesn't get out. You'll also double down as our back up." He told Gascoigne.

Turning to Shirou he said "Shirou, as I'm more experienced I'll try to corner him. You attack him front on and make sure to keep him off balance. If you start failing or lose your balance, back up immediately. Got it?"

"Yes."

"Good. Then let's not keep him waiting anymore."

They then charged at the beast, Henryk jumping across planks to round up on him while Shirou went directly at it. Blades closely missing their targets as they engaged in combat.

Shirou parried a blow then gave a reinforced kick to the knee, breaking it badly causing the beast to howl in pain. It was then Henryk appeared behind the beast in a cloud of mist, bringing up his gun and firing the bullet into the back of the head of the beast.

The beasts howl was abruptly ended by the bullet, causing it to stand there head lowered for a second in a daze. Shirou took immediate advantage those seconds to stab the entirety of the blade into the beast's body.

However, just as Shirou is about to rip the blade out and let the beast fall to his death. The beast's hand grabs onto his and begins to pull himself closer to Shirou and deeper on the saw spear.

Shirou's eyes widens as the other hand still contained the blunderbuss, slowly being pointed towards Shirou.

"What should I do what should I do what should I do-"Shirou constantly repeats in his head, before then looking at his saw spear lodged in the beast. And instantly new what to do.

"Henryk! Gascoigne! Get away!" Shirou shouts before flooding the weapon with prana. Causing it to slowly emit more and more of a glowing turquoise colour.

Then as it the weapon reached breaking point, it exploded. Shredding the beast and killing it immediately, Shirou saw this happened before he quickly went unconscious.


AN: For those wondering who the on earth is this hunter, well wonder no more as he is based off the dead guy you get your saw spear from in the very same place this fight scene occurred. yknow the guy that is just chillin' around, hanging by a chain until you come around and cut him off. I know I took a ton of creative liberty when writing him up. But at least he no OC.

Of course sorry for the wait, just been busy with finishing off school work and all. Hopefully I'll be able to update much more often than before.

Until next time.