The cavernous ravine was bathed in an eerie blue light as the world rushed by. Gusts of wind whipped past her ears as she leaned into the hilt of her blade. The once-deafening roars of the beast below slowly faded, but her final gambit was not without cost.

The reality was… this was the end for both of them.

As if time had slowed to accompany their last moments, her blurred vision cleared, and her senses came back to her; if only briefly. She felt the temperature rising alongside the equally breathtaking sights. Their destination was soon to arrive.

The droning of the wind eventually gave way to the sound of lapping waves as the rapids at the core of all life churned beneath them. An aurora of greens and yellows mixed with the red and blue hues upon which she stood. She didn't know what would become of the world after this event, but she was certain that she had achieved her goal; the rest didn't matter as much now.

When the scorching concentration of bioenergy finally splashed across them, their potent forces immediately began to work. Whether it would be the igniter to the energy stored within the beast or that which dissolved her whole, the time was nigh. The color of black soon entered, an everlasting darkness that enshrouded her senses and mind.

In time, only memories remained, clung to her soul where her body faltered. Even in death, she would fight to keep what she treasured most. The hazed recollection of all that came before then flashed, the darkness lurching from the turbulent energies that entered the space.

Now cracking apart like glass to a window, the endless sky fell away, trailblazing a new path to tread.

"Mouuu… I thought they said no one else took that quest- huh…" a feminine voice trailed before realization set in. After a moment of cautionary thought, the woman decided to approach. "Hello-hello? Anyone in there?" the voice asked with trepidation, prodding the blunt end of a scabbard at the downed individual.

Suddenly pulled away from the otherworldly view, her instincts cried out to her in their moment of need. Breath rapidly filling her lungs and light filling her eyes, she weaved around the object coming at her and went into a defensive stance.

The cry of surprise that filled her ears quickly jolted her mind into gear. As the haze of her slumber passed, the information that followed immediately began to overload her mind. Despite the feeling of a migraine already forming, she maintained her focus on the person in front of her.

"Get back." she unconsciously called with a stern gaze, eyeing up the woman before her.

"S-sorry! Were you like sleeping or something? Gosh, this is embarrassing, but I totally thought you were like… dead." the woman replied with a placated expression. "I didn't mean to make you angry though, honest!"

She deadpanned at the response. Her instincts woke her up to… this? Perhaps she got the wrong impression? Taking a moment to recall what just transpired, she found herself shaking her head. While it was brief, she could tell the girl was ready to truly strike if necessary. Warriors came in all shapes and sizes, she of all people should know that. That being said, from the odd hair color to the attire, everything still screamed strange to her.

From what she could gauge, there was no malice in her words and admittedly, she got the impression this woman wasn't very good at lying either. "Well… do you have a name?" she said, trying to break the ice.

"Oh, right! My name is Mitsuri Kanroji. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Mitsuri introduced with a bow, returning the question with a smile. "What about you?"

"Luna Nightwing." she eventually said, lowering her combative stance.

Mitsuri held her hands together and waved them around cutesily for a moment before taking a calming breath. Taking on an air of seriousness, she took a couple steps forward. "I know you got here first, but if you're willing, I'd like to help you on this quest!" she offered, a sheepish mumble escaping her lips. "… plus, I could really use the money. I'm really hungry."

Luna turned to follow Mitsuri's gaze in confusion. "This quest?"

Mitsuri tipped her head. "Wait… are you not here for the quest?"

"… No?"

"Huh, really? Your whole look sort of screams fighter…" Mitsuri said, scratching the side of her cheek.

"What do you-" she began, unconsciously looking herself over at the remark.

The response was immediate.

She felt her entire body lock up as acknowledgment sank in. From the slight twitch of an ear atop her head to the idle sway of a black tail at her back, to even the strange blade at her left, it was clear that she was not as she remembered. However, what made it even stranger, was how familiar she suddenly felt with the shifts.

There was little else she could truly think at that moment. All questions she had no answer to. What had happened on that fateful night? Where had she ended up? Why was she like this now?

She had to shake her mind free of the thoughts that threatened to trap her further. There was nothing she could do about it currently, her time was better spent in the present. Glancing up to Mitsuri, she could only apologize for her silence. This was a matter she could think more about when she had more information. For the time being…

The worried look from Mitsuri vanished the second she spoke, a more jovial smile lining her cheeks instead. Honestly, it suited her much better. In the short time she had spent around the pink-haired woman, it was already abundantly clear that Mitsuri was a kind individual at heart. If not a little eccentric. Perhaps it was the memory of her past comrades that clouded her impression, but she felt a level of content in treating Mitsuri the same way she did them.

"Sorry, something just came to mind. What's this about a quest you mentioned? I'll be honest, I don't really know how or why I'm here. I just… woke up here. So, if you have some insight, that would be great."

There was a pause. Then suddenly, Mitsuri bounded over. "You too?! The same exact thing happened to me believe it or not, it was super confusing! Luckily some townsfolk had found me and were able to explain some things." Mitsuri explained with a giddy tone. "Okay, hold on one second…"

She nodded, watching the other woman fiddle with the contents of a pouch at her side. From what she could tell as Mitsuri pulled out a small journal and flipped through it, it seemed to be a diary of sorts. Whether it was the cutesy doodles here and there that gave it away, she wasn't too sure yet. However, one thing was certain: she was certainly organized.

As Mitsuri began to flip around the book and explain things, she felt the understanding come gradually. There was a lot to take in despite even the locals only knowing so much. However, with that said, she got the gist. She herself had encountered times where people from other worlds showed up to her own in the past. So, this wasn't something she was too surprised could happen to her as well.

Given all the information, she could understand why Mitsuri was so excited. If their kind, these 'Otherworlders', were so uncommon, then to find another in such a remote and rural area was all the more unlikely. To that end, it did bring her some comfort in knowing that similar had happened to her new companion. There was a sense of camaraderie to it, something that she dearly missed.

"You have my thanks, Kanroji-san." she said with as much gratitude as she could muster. When she rose from the bow, she shifted her gaze to the abandoned manor behind them. "Now, with that all said and done, care to fill me in on what this quest is about?"

Mitsuri nodded. "Oh, sure. The quest was just to eliminate some of the local monsters that had taken over the manor. I don't think it has anything to do with those 'Great Quests' though… and feel free to just call me Mitsuri."

She nodded, fully understanding why these townsfolk didn't disclose much about the latter. For some, it was simply fear- superstition, even, of the creatures in question. For others, it was the fact that a lot of dangerous information is withheld from the public. She herself had to do so with some of the quests she took up. That wasn't even to say for the lot of vaulted information she went through as the premier Hunter of her fleet. Nonetheless, it was good to know what this world was dealing with.

"Sure, can do. I'm still adjusting to everything anyway. So, partying up for this quest sounds like a great idea, if you're still willing?" she asked, offering a handshake. The quest wasn't hers anyway, but it was an opportunity to better acclimate to her body. As comfortable as she felt in it, she still couldn't shake the thought of where this seemingly borrowed experience came from.

Mitsuri, rather than simply return the handshake, jumped forward with open arms. She was much faster than Luna had anticipated even with her sharpened senses. Truly, there was no avoiding the beast that was this embrace.

Eventually, the pink-haired woman pulled away and pointed forward with a confident smile. "Alright! These beasties won't even know what hit 'em! Also… you remember how to fight, right?"

According to the information Mitsuri received, the manor was left deserted after the family was suddenly reported missing. Given that it was now infested with all sorts of monsters, the town must've assumed the worst when issuing the quest to reclaim the property. With that in mind, Luna approached the set of double-doors with her blade poised to strike.

The door let off a long creak as it gave way, immediately showering the dusty interior with light. The air was stale and filled with the musty scent of old furniture and decay. Cobwebs hung from the ceilings and walls, and she could hear the scurrying of rats in the distance.

Glancing over to Mitstui, the pink-haired woman pinched the bridge of her nose for a moment before nodding. As they walked further into the ever-expanding room, only the sound of a blade being drawn and footsteps remained. The whole atmosphere was eerily quiet for a place supposedly full of monsters.

As they continued through the main corridor, the darkness only grew thicker, unnaturally so. Given the amount of day they had left, she was certain of it. They were entering hostile territory.

Seemingly on queue with that revelation, the old creaks and groans from the wood soon turned to loud, high-pitched screeches as the gaunt shadows manifested into a physical form. Their intent was clear. Feeling the adrenaline rush through her veins, her instincts flared to life full-force.

Unimpeded by the darkness, her gaze immediately darted to one of the creeping shadows behind them. Unconsciously, she felt her body act, her new tail slamming into the creature with a surprising amount of force. Before the shadow could react further, she bolted towards it from their formation.

Despite everything painting this to be a deadly ambush, she felt oddly in her element. Everything was beginning to fully click together and she felt silly for not having recognized it earlier. From the look of her tail, her heightened ability, and her confidence in the shadows, it was obvious now.

Sticking the tip of the blade through the chest of the shadowy monster, she felt it tap into something hard. Although it didn't remain for very long before shattering under her might, she was surprised to see the creature suddenly turn to dust. She didn't dwell on it long however, more concerned for how her companion was faring… only to be equally surprised to see that Mitsuri had already dealt with the other shadows.

Peering over the pink-haired girl's shoulder from her crouched position, she let off a curious glance. "You alright?"

Mitsuri perked up, returning a smile. "I'm okay, thanks for asking! Just grabbing these monster cores, they should hopefully sell for a bit back in town."

"I didn't see any of those… when I killed the monster it just turned to dust." she said, kneeling beside Mitsuri as she carved out the monster stones.

"Oh, you must've broken the stone then. Good for when you need to deal with a monster quickly, but you lose most; if not all, of the stone in the process." Mitsuri explained.

She nodded apologetically. "Sorry, if I had known-"

A sheepish glance escaped Mitsuri as she waved it off. "Don't worry about it… I may or may not have only recently gotten used to the fact as well."

The pair both laughed before long, eventually returning to the matter at hand. As they went room by room clearing out similar creatures the whole way, Luna couldn't help but comment on Mitsuri's performance. While the pink-haired woman's weapon was no doubt unique, it was her fighting style as a whole that filled her with a sense of awe. She had never seen anything quite like it in all her time as a Hunter.

"If you don't mind, how did you learn to fight like that?" Luna asked, picking through a pile of loose papers littered around the room they had just entered.

Mitsuri did the same in another part of the seeming office space. "Well… I was a part of a group in the past that had to fight a lot. Training was like, really hard, so working towards your strengths was pretty important. Then this and that happened and before long I had developed this fighting style." she explained, tipping her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, really." Luna replied, rubbing the side of her cheek. "Although, maybe it's just the fighter in me looking to pick up some new techniques."

"I mean, I've never really taught anyone before… but it sounds like it could be kinda fun!" Mitsuri said, beaming at the idea before suddenly flushing. "Oh- if you're interested, of course."

"If you're offering, I'm not opposed." she said, pulling free an unfinished letter from the mess.

Although it wasn't part of their original objective, they had been trying to figure out what exactly had happened to the former homeowners. For a family of supposed alchemists, there was a strange lack of work to show for it. It was as if the place had been expunged of it entirely.

After skimming through the remains of the letter, it wasn't long before she felt her teeth grind together. To say she was annoyed was somewhat of an understatement. With a stern gaze honed in on the erratic penmanship near the unfinished portion, she could only hazard a few guesses as to what came next.

"These poor people…" she cursed under her breath, crimping the paper slightly.

Mitsuri appeared to catch on to her demeanor, moving over without a second glance. "Everything okay?"

She merely shook her head, handing over the letter. Distaste clear on her tongue, she explained the gist of the paper's contents and her theories about it. Allowing a moment for the girl to read it herself, she turned her attention elsewhere.

Flicking the curtains behind the desk away, she cracked open the panel into a small balcony. Resting her hands on the railing, she let out a long sigh. Despite all her experience, there was already so much for her to digest. Maybe this time around, it wouldn't be so bad to stick together with a party.

Sights locked to the gaining night sky, she eventually found her time of reflection cut short. Her ears keen as they now were, twitched as a familiar sound rang through them. A beastial cry, a roar any Hunter worth their salt could pick out from the many. And why did it sound like it was coming closer?

A/N: Firstly, I'd like to thank any of you who decided to give this a go! Admittedly, I'm unsure when I'll update this, but the idea had been swirling around my head for a it seems like it could be pretty fun. Still unsure whether to leave it here or put it to crossovers. EDIT: moved it to crossovers due to at least the MC being from said series.

If Totally get if it isn't to most people's tastes, no less with an OC running it. But, nonetheless, I look forward to anything in the comments, be it character recommendations, predictions, questions, or what have you. Till next time!