Dreamer of the Eternal Hunt

by Count chaos

An old nightmare stirs, calling forth a world long forsaken. Beckoning the last bastion of humanity, Chaldea, to a land tainted by blood. Mysteries shroud every path, tempting Abigail Williams and Ritsuka Fujimaru with secrets beyond the veil of reality. But such secrets are better left alone. Nor are they without a price to be paid. For the Eternal Hunt must always have a dreamer.

2. The Cursed City

I don't own Bloodborne or Fate Grand Order. Those belong to their respective owners.

Please enjoy this story to your heart's content.

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Chapter 2: The Cursed City

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Pulling open his closet, Ritsuka peered over his mystic codes, trying to figure out which one would be best suited for his newest endeavor. Naturally, he had several on the Storm Border, but he rather be prepared beforehand than get caught with his pants down. Especially considering the many times he had been kidnapped or dragged into the most extraordinary scenarios more often than any sane person would be comfortable with.

Shifting several unique suits around and various knickknacks he collected over the years in Chaldea, most of which had come from the unbreakable bonds he forged with his servants, he hesitated as his hand brushed up against cold metal. It was armor he wore at the end of the incineration of humanity. His lips pulled down sadly at the memory. So many things had happened since then, but even when he had faced arguably worse situations in the Lostbelts and greater foes than the mad dream from a beast of humanity, he still considered that to be one battle he would never forget.

So much effort to squeeze out a victory, so much sacrifice to make it happen. Ritsuka sometimes wondered if he truly had won at all, that he simply wasn't living a dream made by the Demon Lord who impersonated his dear friend. Such bleak thoughts never lasted long, for all it took was the memory of his Kouhai's precious smile, right after he thought her lost forever, did he know this was not a dream, but reality. A reality he forged with the bonds he made with everyone in Chaldea. He would do everything he can to protect it. Even if it meant contending, once again, a world forsaken by time itself.

Suddenly, he felt something climb onto his shoulder before nuzzling softly against his cheek. "Fou, fouuuuu!" Fou chimed.

Smiling, Ritsuka leaned into the unexpected cuddling before reaching up to scratch behind the little beast's ears. Fou whined happily as he redoubled his nuzzling tenfold. "Yeah, I know, little buddy," Ritsuka said. "Only going to use this as a last resort from now on." He hoped it would never come to that again.

Shaking his head, he gently let Fou down before turning over his mystic codes once more. After a few minutes, he settled on a familiar black uniform. It was the mystic code he got just after the Lostbelt Crisis began. There were a lot of memories, both good and bad, attached to that simple uniform, but right now, he chose it for its simplistic abilities that were perfect for exploring the unknown.

After putting it on and tightening every belt strap, he took out a backpack from the closet before stuffing supplies in it from his desk drawers. Of course, the Storm Border was prepared for long expeditions, but he didn't want to be a burden just in case things went wrong. Besides, he knew from experience that having a few emergency bandages, water, and golden apples was extremely useful when facing a gauntlet of foes or outrunning monstrous beasts. Fou, of course, helped out as well, putting other essentials in the bag that he might have missed.

Satisfied with his provisions, Ritsuka slipped on the backpack while Fou climbed onto his shoulder once more before heading out his room. Or at least he started to, but paused when he found Mash in front of his door, her face surprised as her hand hovered over the doorbell. Gone was her usual Chaldean uniform and its place was the custom-made armor Da Vinci made, the Oritnax. "O-Oh, Senpai," she greeted with a little flush before quickly stepping back to allow Ritsuka out of his room. "I just—I mean I didn't mean to block your door!"

"It's ok, Mash," Ritsuka said, letting a small smile touch his face. "There's nothing to apologize for."

"Oh, ok." Quickly regaining her composure, Mash straightened her posture as determination gleamed in her eyes. "Da Vinci wanted me to come and get you. The Storm Border is nearly ready to launch, so she wants everyone at their stations soon as possible."

"Alright. I got everything I need, so I'm good to go."

Mash nodded at his readiness, before allowing a small, bright smile to bloom on her face. "Let us be off then, Senpai. Our circumstances may be abnormal, even more so than usual, but I know we'll prevail over whatever this new Lostbelt has in store for us."

"Yeah. No matter what, we will continue to survive and thrive." With his resolve resolute, Ritsuka patted Mash's head, causing her to flush once again, before leading the way to the Novum Chaldea's docks.

---

There was a clatter of footsteps as everyone in Novum Chaldea rushed to prepare for their newest expedition. Staff rushed to fill the Storm Border with supplies and fuel, making sure there was enough to last for a year if need be. Meanwhile the servants readied themselves in their own ways. Some mediated, purging unworthy thoughts and honed their minds for any unpleasant possibility they might encounter. Some performed minor exercises, limbering their bodies out of any kink that would hinder them. Others chose a more relaxed approach, taking it easy on the decks and chatting with other servants, but the steely gleam in their eyes told all that they were ready to go at a moment's notice. Whatever the case, everyone busied themselves in some form or another as they waited to leave.

Abigail was no exception. After leaving her Master, she went to her room and grabbed a few things—such as emergency sweets and Mr. Bear—that would prove essential for the journey ahead. Of course, she kept her things in a special pocket dimension that she could access at any time she wished; no need to take up unnecessary space on the Border. Once she was ready, Abigail headed to the docks with all the haste she could muster.

Yet as she ran forth, her mind was elsewhere. Over and over, she tried to puzzle out her dream and its possible connection to the strange Lostbelt, but still found no such luck. It was, to her great annoyance, very frustrating. If not downright aggravating. She did not want her Master to walk into a trap or disaster she could have prevented. Maybe she could call upon her Father to—

"Watch out!"

Abigail blinked as she slammed into something soft before falling to the ground with a thump. Rubbing her forehead, she looked up and saw Katsushika Hokusai sprawled on the floor in front of her, a mess of art supplies surrounding the artist. Floating just above the dazed painter was a little, cute octopus, shaking its head in disappointment. Standing not too far away were a few other familiar faces, all Abigail was very familiar with. After all, they were all the same class as her.

"I told you to watch it, but perhaps I should've screamed loud enough to shake the heavens instead," Jacques de Molay sighed out. The gender-bent Foreigner raised her hands up and shrugged. "Maybe that'll prevent any more unfortunate accidents. Or perhaps fate will continue to bless you both with bad luck as much as it did for me."

"Now, now, Mola," said Yang Guifei, causing the Frenchwoman to squint at the use of her pet name the Chinese beauty gave her. "No need to be so harsh with them. It's only natural for some little mishaps to happen during troubling times. Especially with how everyone is running around like the world is about to end."

"You do realize that it could very well be if we sit around like a bunch of turkeys drowning in the rain?"

"Mmmm, perhaps. I don't really care that much for the world, but if it were to be destroyed then so would Master. And that's not going to happen since I promised to be with him foreeeever!"

"I too wish to help Master… ehehehe…" Van Gogh spoke up, fumbling with a sunflower as she stared down at her feet. "Without Master, I would be nothing… a painting trapped in a painter's body. I want to be by his side forever too… Ehehehe… I will punish anyone who thinks they can take away Master…"

As the painter mumbled darkly to herself, the final onlooker stepped up to the still sprawled servants before extending out a hand. "Do you need any help?" Voyager asked politely. Although the youngest servant in Chaldea, the young boy was eager to help everyone in any way he could. Abigail liked him because of that eagerness, and not just because he also helped her secure some candy during special events from time to time. Certainly not just because of that.

Staring at those bright blue eyes that shined like sapphire stars, Abigail grabbed ahold of his hand without a second thought. The little boy beamed brightly before lifting her off the floor. Despite being smaller than Abigail, Voyager showed a surprising amount of strength in his child-like body.

With a little hup, Abigail landed on her feet, dusting her dress and things—especially Mr. Bear—of anything dirty. "Thank you, Voyager," she said with a polite little bow. The boy blushed at the gesture, but it didn't stop him returning her smile with one his own.

"Oh sure, pick her up first, but not little ol' me," Hokusai grumbled as she stood up on her own, half her art supplies already stuffed back into her arms.

"I-I'm sorry, Hokusai," Voyager apologized before quickly scrambling to help pick the rest of the painter's belongings. "I didn't mean—"

"Relax, kiddo. Just pulling your leg. Besides, it was my bad for having so much stuff that I couldn't see the forest for the trees, so to speak." She then casually kicked up the rest of brushes before catching them with surprising ease. It was enough to cause the little boy to clap in amazement, much to Hokusai's embarrassment. Suddenly, her face was sprayed with jet-black ink, causing her to flinch and cough harshly, nearly dropping the supplies once more. "Gah! Why, Toto-sama?!"

The octopus gave her a knowing look. A pensive glare that said, "Don't treat an artist's tools like circus toys!"

"I'm sorry, Toto-sama! I'll be more mindful next time, but that didn't warrant an ink shot!"

Abigail grinned at her friend's antics before turning to the rest of the foreigners. "So, you're all going on the trip as well?"

"Of course," Molay answered. "I thought that was obvious by now? After all, we can't leave our darling Master alone in some unknown and forsaken land."

Abigail hummed for a moment, digesting the priestess's words. It was a straightforward answer and she knew that none of them had a reason to lie, especially with varying degrees of devotion to their Master. Yet, something tickled at the back of her head. "That makes sense, but… since Master already has so many of us coming with him already, I figured that some of you were going to stay behind."

"As if I would leave Master for one second with some irresponsible looneys who would probably get him more into trouble than anything else," Yang answered as a matter-of-factly. "Besides, my intuition and my maid sprites are telling me that this new Lostbelt is baaaad news."

"Ignoring that little insinuation that I'm included in the looney category, I have to agree with Yang," said Molay. "Normally I don't get motivated to do anything, but… I have this strange feeling to just go with Master. Probably just my boredom acting up, I suppose."

"Ehehe, I too feel the need to be by Master's side," the twisted painter added. "Can't say that's anything new… but I would feel terrible if something bad happened to Master…"

"I really want to go too!" Voyager said excitedly before casting his eyes sadly down. "But… Erice said she wanted me to help her with a special project she's been working on." Tilting his head around, checking if anyone else was hiding around a corner, he then spoke a hushed voice. "She's trying to make a miniature plane for Ritsuka. A very special plane that is near and dear to heart. I've been helping her make it for some time now, but it's almost ready! Just need to be finger painted." His face visibly brightened at the thought of getting his hands dirty with some many colors before remembering who he was talking with. "A-Ah! Sorry, got too excited there."

"It's ok, Voyager," Abby said with a smile. "You're a good boy and I'm sure Erice appreciates all your hard work with finger painting. Don't worry about Master, we'll take good care of him."

"Heh, if you want, kiddo, I can help show you the finer points of being an artist," Hokusai spoke after wiping the remaining ink off her face, a passionate fire gleaming in her eyes. "After I got the urge to find some new material, anyway. The circumstances behind Lostbelts are not ideal—if not tragic—I can't deny that they have some amazing locations and scenery to take inspiration from! Toto-sama himself spent weeks printing out pictures from Atlantis alone!"

Tapping her chin thoughtfully, Abigail stewed over their responses before she finally figured out what was bothering her. Barring Voyager, all of them, including herself, had this urge to go to the Lostbelt. It could have been a coincidence, but combined with her strange dream, a dark suspicion grew within Abigail. Suddenly, she wondered if her friends had similar dreams. Of course! If this is what I think this is, then perhaps everyone else had the same dream. Or at least something similar.

Smiling at her own deductive reasoning that would have impressed Mr. Holmes, Abigail opened her mouth… only to be drowned out by a blaring horn from the Storm Border. "Attention! The Storm Border will be launching soon. All hands to their stations. Servants on the expedition to the Lostbelt are to board immediately. Masters are to meet in the Storm Border's control room with the command staff. Launch sequence will begin in five minutes!"

"Oh dear, it looks like we'll be late at this rate," Molay said. She then clapped her hands as she took a commanding posture, reminiscing the days when she was still alive and head of the Templar order. "Come along, everyone! Let's not keep Master waiting!"

"Goodbye everyone!" Voyager waved to his friends as they headed off. "Have fun on this new adventure, and bring back some souvenirs!"

Everyone quickly agreed with the childish request before rushing to the Storm Border with all the haste they could muster. Even Abigail hurried after them, her question lost for the moment as she did not want to be left behind. Making their way to the docks, they got in line with the other servants that were coming along for the expedition. As per Sion's prediction, there were a great deal more servants than any other expedition to a Lostbelt. Not surprising in the slightest for Abigail. After all, the difficulties from the last three Lostbelts inspired Chaldea to take a stance of being over prepared for any situation from now on. Not to mention with the inclusion of another Master in Chaldea, it was only natural that the number of servants would be scaled up as well. So many powerful servants strode into the Storm Border, their faces grim but resolute.

Two such faces Abigail recognized immediately as she strode through the huge opening hatch. Standing alongside the hallway was Yu Mei-ren and her husband, Xiang Yu. The two could not be anything different in terms of appearance. One being the closest thing to a true ancestor vampire, the other a humongous automata centaur. Yet, despite everything, they were both deliriously in love with each other that Abigail could not help but blush as they stared longingly into each other's eyes.

"My apologies, my Yu," began Xiang. "I should not have kept you from the control room meeting. It was irrespons—"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, my love," Yu Mei-ren replied sharply. "The affairs of men mean little to me. Besides… I'm sure my kouhai has things well in hand. He is, after all, rather capable despite being a human."

"Very true. Ritsuka Fujimaru is an excellent Master and one worthy of my respect. However, I think it would have been better to at least been there to assess the data for this new Lostbelt… To think one would spring up so suddenly is troubling. To think it would show up before I could predict it is concerning."

Yu pouted at her husband's stubborn, machine-like analysis before letting out a resigned sigh. "You may be right… Perhaps it would have been better to see what kind of hints our destination has in store for us… but…" She suddenly leaned forward and hugged the automata centaur in a loving embrace. "I just could not be pulled away from the breakfast you made for me."

Xiang was silent for a moment, his face shifting uncomfortably, as if the machine part of his brain was warring with the emotion he had developed since had come to be with his wife once more. "…then it was worth spending the morning with you, my Yu."

Seeing such a tender moment made Abigail's heart ache, but she knew if she stayed any longer, her face would red as Yu Mei-ren's eyes. Running down the halls, Abigail knew the one place she wanted to be before the Storm Border began its departure. Arriving at the bridge without any hassle, she immediately spotted her Master talking with Mash on the main deck of the bridge. Goredolf stood close by, watching everything unfold as he sipped some tea carefully prepared by one of the crew. At his side was Sherlock Holmes, a familiar thoughtful quirk of the brow raised as he stared off into the distance, more than likely already contemplating the mystery of this new Lostbelt with keen interest. Not too far away stood Kadoc and Anastasia. In a way, both mirrored Ritsuka and Mash as they both lost themselves in conversation, if a bit more subdued. Finally, sitting at the command seat was none other than the Captain of the Storm Border, Nemo. Despite his childish appearance, the little servant sat as if he was taller than anyone in the room, his posture straight and commanding as natural as it was to breathe. At his side was his Master, Sion, who made some last-minute calculations on a pad she was holding.

"Are you coming too, Miss Sion?" Abigail asked, rather surprised to see the Atlas student among the crew. To her knowledge, Sion never once partook in the many voyages through the Lostbelt.

Blinking in surprise at the sudden question, Sion turned off her pad before turning with a smile to the foreigner. "I'm afraid not, Abby," she said. "I'm just going through some details with Captain before giving him the go-ahead to make his departure. Someone must stay here and hold the fort after all." She then turned to her servant and patted his shoulder. "You take care now, Captain. Be sure to come back home safely as always."

"Not the first storm I've run through blind, nor will it be the last," Nemo said. "But no matter what this ship will weather, I will return."

"Of course. After all, you're my servant." Smiling brightly, Sion swung over to her fellow Chaldeans. "I'll be heading back to the control room now. By the time you punch through the storm walls, I'll be ready for any kind of data you find. As Shakespeare might say, may the winds of good fortune be at your back."

With a whimsical bow, Sion left the Storm Border to her trusted companions. Captain Nemo waited for a moment, allowing his Master to properly disembark, before clicking the intercom button. "Your attention, please," he stated. "This is the captain. The time for departure is nigh. All hands, batten down the hatches and get to your positions. Storm Border will launch in t-minus one minute." Switching off the intercom, he then pressed another button connecting to the navigation room. "Da Vinci, is everything ready?"

"You can bet the feather in your cap it is," the little inventor answered as she popped into the command deck as a hologram. "All systems are a go! All that is left is your leave to launch, Captain."

"Good. Standby until the final countdown." Flicking off communications, Nemo swung his chair around to face the Chaldeans. "I recommend finding something to hang onto. With the new systems in place for the Border, our kick off may be a little rough." Everyone nodded at suggestion before quickly finding their seats or poles to latch onto. Once he was sure that they would not be flung across the room at a moment's notice, the Captain turned forward, turning on the intercom once more. "This is the Captain. Final launch sequence for the Storm Border is a go. All hands, brace yourself for departure in t-minus 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… LAUNCH!"

A great rumble was heard as the whole ship shook. Clinging to her chair, Abigail peeked out the window and watched as the docks slowly got further away. Carefully the Border left the docks before maneuvering out the hanger door that led to the sea. But the sea was not where their journey lay. Just as it cleared out of the Wandering Sea and into the storm that ever encompassed the last bastion of humanity, the great ship gave another shudder. With a bright flash of mana and air bursting out of its ports, the Storm Border slowly lifted off and took flight.

Higher and higher it rose before finally Nemo gave the order to head to Germany. With another burst of mana, the ship lurched forward and sped out of the storm as quick as a flash. It didn't take long before they left the Wandering Sea entirely and met the emptiness that had become of their world.

Abigail felt sick looking at that mournful landscape. It was totally bleached of everything that remotely resembled the world she knew. Mountains, rivers, land, all nothing more than a white, desolate emptiness. Only the occasional ruin appeared from time to time, but that only added to the overwhelming void that tried to swallow the world whole.

Thankfully Abigail didn't have to suffer watching the ominous void for long. Within a few hours, the Storm Border closed in on their destination. Rising over the horizon was a familiar wall of towering storms. Churning endlessly, they rose to heavens with a mighty roar, as if daring all that stood before it to test its might. A challenge that the Storm Border eagerly rose to.

Speeding across the empty landscape, the border rose higher and higher before positioning itself at the right angle to pierce the wall. Activating the necessary protection protocols and the main spells that would allow the Border to fulfill its purpose, Nemo gave one last order to charge through the mighty cyclone. With their upgraded vessel, the little captain was confident that they did not need to zero sail into the Lostbelt this time.

Shining brilliantly as the stars, the Storm Border plunged into the churning storms. There was a heavy shake as everything roared around them, but there was nary a look of worry on the captain or his crew. With practiced precision and skill, they weathered the storm like the true champions of the sea that they were, never once losing control or letting their ship to be lost in that unnatural fury. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of sailing, there was a piercing light through the storm. A shining star that the Storm Border chased after… until finally plunging through the storms and into a world long forsaken.

---

Parting the raging storms, the Storm Border sailed smoothly through misty air before slowing to a crawl, allowing its crew to see what kind of land they intruded upon. Ritsuka joined his friends at one of the windows before looking down. What he found, however, made him pause. Below them was a sea of fog. Endless gray yawning from horizon to horizon, swallowing all beneath its murky waves. It was a surprising sight, for no Lostbelt, no matter how fantastical, had greeted them in such a gloomy manner.

"Status report?" Nemo demanded.

"The Storm Border was successful traversing into the Lostbelt, Captain," answered one of Nemo's many clone sailors, specifically the navigator. "As to where we are, I have yet to get a definite location. Our navigational instruments are having some difficulties at the moment—possibly a side effect from our journey. All the scanners are picking up is fog. And since I can't see any important landmarks, we could be anywhere in Germany."

"I'll have maintenance take a look at your instruments. In the meantime, keep at it with finding out exactly where we are. I want to know the nearest port or cove we can find before we can make land."

"Aye, aye, Captain!"

"That was…" Goredolf started, his face a bit pale as he wobbled out his chair, "…rather rough. I'd almost prefer a zero sail instead of going through that rollercoaster."

"It's best not to give away our trump card that early, Gordy," Da Vinci said, popping on screen as she eyed the chubby director. "We have no idea what to expect from this Lostbelt, so it's best to keep a low profile as much as possible."

"…as much of a low profile a flying ship about the size of a nuclear submarine can get?" Kadoc pointed out to which the little genius merely poked her tongue out playfully.

"As much as a giant puffball in this misty sea, Kadoc. Despite our size, our camouflage magecraft and technology is more than enough to fool any local down below. Not to mention this fog adds to our cover quite nicely. With that said, I suggest we should find a place to land and get our bearings as quickly as possible. I want to set up shop before we run into any trouble."

"I agree," said Holmes. "The faster we establish a base of operations, even a temporary one, the faster we can investigate the Lostbelt in earnest."

Ritsuka nodded in agreement at the idea, but didn't say anything. Instead, he kept his eyes glued to the sea of fog below. He was too interested in trying to find something, some clue that would tell him exactly why this world was cut from proper human history. Perhaps this fog was part of the cause? Or was it simply natural weather? There was no way to be sure, but he could not deny that the gloom left him a little tense. What could be hidden down there?

Suddenly, two hands slipped into his, clenching his fingers comfortingly before their owners drew close to his sides. Looking left and right, Ritsuka found Mash and Abigail, both smiling brightly as they took in the evening's dying light. "At least the trip here didn't end with the Border getting harmed or destroyed this time," the Shielder said. "I think that's the first time we arrived in a Lostbelt without some kind of trouble greeting us."

"Yeah, it is kind of amazing after all this time, huh?" Ritsuka had to admit, it was refreshing to be greeted by something, while bleak looking, seemingly peaceful rather than some intense disaster waiting around the corner. Almost immediately he peered down, waiting for some kind of fog monster to jump out just to prove him wrong. The sea of gray continued to shift endlessly down below, uncaring for the great ship above. Perhaps these Lostbelts have left him a bit more paranoid than he thought.

"I wonder if anyone lives around here anymore," Abigail suddenly spoke up.

Quirking a brow, Ritsuka looked down at the little girl. "What makes you say that, Abby?"

"Well, back in Salem, whenever there was a huge fog, the townsfolk always lit plenty of torches to light the way for anyone traveling. Sometimes lighting a big bonfire just so anyone could know where to find their way back home."

"An observant deduction, Miss Abigail," said Holmes, striding up to the trio as he looked down below. "Any kind of settlement would naturally have a signaling system during intense fog like this. London, for example, is exceptionally good at this, considering the climate. Hmm, I wonder… If—"

"City sighted port side!" yelled Meuniere before a hologram showing the surrounding area appeared in the middle of the room.

Following his curiosity, Ritsuka turned to the hologram and he took in the first city of this strange land. Receding like tides of the sea, the fog slowly parted to reveal a bright, red sun hanging over a sprawling mountain range. Sitting among the peaks, like a crown to a majestic landscape, was a city still partially shrouded in mist. It was grand in scale, sprawling from peak to valleys hidden in the shadow of the mountains. It even dipped down and into the sea of fog that still clung to the feet of the range.

It was an impressive sight to say the least, but Ritsuka was surprised when he noticed, at least as much as he could with the lingering fog, some interesting details about the architecture. Spiraling towers littered the city, rising high as if to reach the heavens themselves while great bridges connected sprawling districts. Most buildings were cramped together, often built upon one another. As if the design of the city was not so much planned, but rather in constant development. But the most striking thing about the design was that it reminded Ritsuka of London. Specifically, Victorian era London. Brooding gothic designs were everywhere when not hidden by fog. From statue to roof top, there was no denying how similar the city's architecture was to one of the most influential cities in proper human history.

"Now this is unexpected," Holmes noted.

"How so?" Goredolf asked. "We've seen far stranger cities in Atlantis, Fairy Britain, and every other Lostbelt combined. Really, the only thing that is strange about this place is why on earth would anyone think of building atop a mountain range idea."

"An excellent observation, Director, but that is not what caught my eye."

"Then what? And don't give me any nonsense about 'This is not the right time'."

"Nothing of the sort, my dear director." Holmes took a moment to light his pipe before taking a deep drag. "Rather, I'm surprised, if not a bit puzzled, to find the Victorian style architecture here. As I recall, Germany had some similar designs during the nineteenth century, but the detail here, at least what we are currently picking up, far outclasses anything from proper human history in terms of scale. Even at its peak in the Victorian era, London could not achieve something so grand, especially in a less than desirable location."

"My, you're awfully generous with your deductions today, Holmes," Da Vinci commented good naturedly. "In a good mood after finding something intriguing again?"

Holmes allowed a small smile to cross his face. "I would be lying if I said that wasn't the case."

"He looks like a kid in a candy store," Kadoc said.

"Can you blame him though?" asked Anastasia as she clung to her master's side. "A city built high up in the heavens and surrounded by a sea of fog. It's like something from an old opera my family took me to when I was younger."

"As majestic and mysterious as this is," Nemo cut in, "it doesn't help us make port. There are no clearings for the Border to land in and I would rather not try to park her anywhere near that city until we find out if she's friendly."

Ritsuka nodded in agreement at the assessment, but where would the Storm Border be set down? Just then, something caught his eye on the hologram map. The city was still covered in churning fog, but not too far down the mountain range, the gray sea thinned to reveal a clearing. It was stuck in a small ravine, but from its looks, it might just be large enough to house the border the Border. Furthermore, he thought he saw some kind of cobblestone trail up the mountains to the city itself.

"What about here?" he said, catching everyone's attention as he pointed at the hologram.

Nemo frowned, studying the map as he enhanced the image to get a better look. "Hmm… this could work. A bit cramped, but with the fog as cover, we should be able to defend the Border and set up camp."

"We would have easy access to a road to the city," Mash added. "Nice job noticing that, Senpai!"

"A good catch indeed," Holmes agreed before turning to the Goredolf. "I believe our course is clear, Director. We should take this time to establish ourselves quickly before exploring this strange new land."

"Well said, Administration Advisor," Goredolf agreed. "Then let us be about this."

Needing no further agreement, Nemo ordered the Storm Border to immediately head to the clearing. Drifting through the still murky sky, the ship slowly descended into the ravine. As if fitting a thread through a needle, Nemo carefully maneuvered around jagged rocks and sparse trees until finally the landing gear touched the ground.

"We made port," Nemo declared, nodding satisfactorily before turning to his passengers, singling out Ritsuka in particular. "I take it you're going to go investigate that city as soon as possible, yes? Then I'll stick to the Border and see if we can't upgrade our camouflage. She might be the best ship in the air or any sea, but subtly isn't her strongest suit."

Smiling understandingly, Ritsuka gave the little captain a thumbs up. "No problem, Captain. I know you'll keep the Border safe while we're away."

"It'll be hard for him not to," Kadoc commented. "After all, he has a small army of servants in the Border this time, instead of scraping by with nothing but the skin of his teeth."

"That brings up a point I wanted to address," Holmes said as he puffed away at his pipe. "Our forces this time are far greater than any other expedition into a Lostbelt, but taking them all into the city would be a detriment. There is no telling what kind of adversaries we could face, so it's best we not play our hand too early. Therefore, I recommend having our scouting party be small for now as we explore the surrounding area while the rest defend the Border."

"Hmm, this is a solid strategy for the time being," Goredolf considered as he brushed his mustache. "Defending the Border—especially myself—is paramount as it is gathering information. The important question is, who to bring along and who will stay?"

"Akuta will probably stay here with her husband," Kadoc said with certainty. "Knowing her, she'll probably find any excuse to laze around and be with her lover. And considering how much that mechanical horse sticks out like a sore thumb… we can count on them to stick with the Border for the time being."

"Yeah, that sounds about right," said Ritsuka, scratching the back of his head at the image of the giant, four-arm automata centaur in a Victorian style city. Instead, he focused on who would be viable to bring for scouting. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his sleeve. Looking down, he saw Abigail staring at him with bright, almost imploring, eyes.

"Master," she said, "can I join the scouting party? I know I'm not the best at sneaking like a Hassan or as subtle as Miss Corday, but I've gotten pretty good at finding all kinds of hidden secrets. And…" She looked away for a moment, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly. "I want to make sure you stay safe."

Allowing himself a small smile, Ritsuka reached down and rubbed the little girl's head comfortingly. "Of course, Abby. You can come along."

"You don't have to worry about Senpai, Abby, "Mash said as she walked over to join them, her smile just as encouraging as her senpai's. "I'll always keep him safe. But, having you there with us, reassures my heart knowing that there will be someone else looking out for Senpai."

Eyes lighting up like fireworks, Abigail jumped in the air enthusiastically. "Yay! I'll be your best secret finder, Master!"

"Well, we can cross her off the protection team then," Da Vinci said with an impish grin. "At any rate, I think our scouting party should consist of no more than twelve people, masters included. A nice round number that wouldn't attract too much attention." She then looked over to Ritsuka. "I'll leave that matter to you and Kadoc. In the meantime, I'm going to help Nemo with the Border. Good luck, and try not to do anything reckless."

Meeting her gaze, Ritsuka gave her reassuring nod. "You can count on us, Da Vinci!"

---

A shivering chill hung in the mountain air, but not a breeze stirred, allowing fog to stubbornly cling to life for a little longer. It was an eerie atmosphere, made more so by the dying light of the sun as the shadows lengthened just out of sight. Not that it stopped Ritsuka or the rest of the scouting party as they climbed up the worn cobblestone path to the city. If anything, he barely noticed it or the chill. Instead, he focused on simply getting to the city before night truly descended upon them. A sentiment shared by his comrades even as they looked at every twig and rock around, searching for some unseen threat only they could find.

It had not taken long for Ritsuka and Kadoc to assemble the right servants for their scouting party. Naturally, Mash strode in front of her senpai, ready to handle anything at a moment's hesitation while Fou rode on her shoulder. Abigail clung to his side, skipping over aged cracks on the cobblestone all while humming a merry tune. Anastasia quietly walked hand in hand with her beloved master, but her eyes were no less attentive than the rest of her fellow servants. At the vanguard was another of Kadoc's servants, Vlad the Impaler. The infamous Romanian King was in the middle of boasting loudly to the Elder Li Shuwen, claiming how his younger self is quite formidable with a spear, but was no match for himself, especially in his lancer form. The old assassin merely chuckled good naturedly before saying he was sure his younger half would be more than happy to test that claim as much as he would himself. Despite their differing personalities, the lancer and the assassin hit it off surprisingly well. Sticking to the shadows further ahead was the last servant Kadoc had brought along, the Hundred-Faced Hassan. Sending several personas out in every direction, they kept watch as they shadowed the Chaldeans as much as they scouted ahead for anything worth reporting.

The rest of the servants, consisting of Lord El-Melloi II, Asclepius, James Moriarty, and Holmes, mingled with the masters, sticking close at hand as they watched for unseen threats. Ritsuka was not surprised by the semi-circle they formed around him and Kadoc, but he did not expect to see the legendary detective to join them so early into their expedition.

"Aha, it's not every day that I get to leave the Border," Sherlock remarked, tapping his cane enthusiastically as he strode beside Ritsuka. "With so many servants protecting our only means of leaving the Lostbelt and its crew, I figured it would be a waste to simply sit this particular mystery out. Frankly, it's rather refreshing. Reminds me of some of my best years when I was still alive. Chasing after cases with my good friend, Watson."

"Hmph, I can feel the subtle jab in your nostalgia, Holmes," Moriarty grumbled. "I suppose it's only natural. After all, you took great joy in foiling every little scheme I cooked up."

"Not at all, my good man. You were—and still are—a worthy opponent in the grand game we played and have my utmost respect with your ingenious creativity. Admittedly, winning our little matches did leave quite the impression on me."

"So you do admit you're gloating!"

"If I knew how annoying those two were going to be, I would have stayed on the Border," said El-Melloi, flipping open his lighter and lit a cigar he pulled from his coat. "Honestly, Ritsuka, what on earth possessed you to drag me along?"

"I figured between the three of you, the mysteries of this Lostbelt would be solved in no time," Ritsuka answered honestly. "Not to mention… I figured since the city has a Victorian design, it would be a shame not to have Britain's finest on the job."

"Please!" Moriarty begged indignantly. "Don't lump in with this pompous, workaholic, drug addict!" Holmes merely laughed cheerfully, causing the professor to glower hard at him.

"Of course…" El-Melloi said, rubbing the side of his temple as he puffed at his cigar in resignation. "Only you could have come to such an incredible conclusion." He then glanced to the side, taking in the ominous scenery. "Still, your reasoning isn't without merit. Having the greatest detective and most ingenious mastermind in history at the forefront to this particular mystery is probably for the best. In comparison, I'm nothing more than a flashlight to two twin suns."

"Do not sell yourself short, your lordship," Holmes said. "Your keen mind for detail is already incredible, but combined that with your knowledge of magecraft, you would be useful in any mystery. Be they normal or abnormal."

"As much as I'm loath to admit," Moriarty started, casting his rival another glare before turning to the lord, "he has a point. Not to mention, compared to him, you are more tolerable than Holmes's own brand of nosiness. Plus, your skill—rather Zhuge Liang's skill—for strategy and tactics makes you more than competent in the grand game of schemes that will be needed for whatever opponent lies in wait in this Lostbelt."

Breathing deep from his cigar, El-Melloi soon puffed out a small cloud of smoke. "Perhaps. We'll see if such praise holds when we have our first encounter with any locals. Hostiles or otherwise."

"If anything does go wrong," Kadoc said, "Asclepius will be there to keep us alive. It's why Ritsuka brought him along after all."

"Heh, can't go out exploring strange new lands without a healer in our party," Ritsuka said with a smile.

"Indeed," Asclepius agreed. "Many exploration expeditions throughout proper human history have failed due to several factors, but none more egregious than simply leaving without any medical professionals, let alone medical supplies." He shook his beak-like mask profusely in disbelief. "The recklessness of men never ceases to amaze me. Shrugging off obvious infections in the middle of traversing jungles plagued by all kinds of bacteria or climbing the tallest mountains in the world without proper oxygen supply, all the while smiling gleefully like they're off to a picnic. Rest assured; I will ensure that none of that will happen while I'm in this expedition. Even if I have to bring you back from the dead."

"At least that's all you do," Kadoc grumbled, shivering at an unpleasant memory. "I still remember my treatment—if you want to call it that—by that relentless nurse… The things she did just to get me out of my coma were insane. Don't get me started on the aftercare she pressed onto me."

Resisting a shudder of his own, Ritsuka knew exactly what his senpai meant. He liked Nightingale, both as a servant and as a friend, but her methods were always to the extreme. At least until he talked her down to more manageable treatments. Asclepius had the same intensity when it came to the more severe patients that stepped into his office, but in comparison, he is far more reasonable than the berserker nurse.

"Master." Ritsuka's ears perked up at the hushed whisper, turning his head to see a white skulled mask appear from the shadows beside Kadoc. The shadow itself seemed to take form, allowing a thin, but muscular woman with purple hair to kneel beside her master. Asako was her name, the main face of the Hundred Faces. "We are close to the city now."

"How much farther?" asked Kadoc.

"No more than a few minutes away and you'll be at its main gates."

"Good. I was getting tired of this gloomy atmosphere."

"… about that, Master. There are other things I wished to note." Kadoc raised a brow at his servant, but nodded for her to continue. "The other faces currently found no threats from here to the city gates. However… there is evidence that something is wrong."

"Evidence you say?" repeated Holmes as he walked over to the assassin and her master. "What kind?"

"… I think it would be best to simply show you rather than explain it."

Curious over the assassin's insistence, Ritsuka followed after her with the rest of the expedition. Although Asako was confident in her assessment of no threats, the other servants continued to watch every direction at once, not one taking a chance to allow anything unexpected to happen.

It did not take long before they reached the city's gates and met up with the rest of the Hassan. As soon as he laid his eyes on that stoned arched gateway, Ritsuka immediately realized what he needed to see.

Resting between the iron barred gates was a carriage. At first, he thought it was simply broken down, but it quickly became clear that it was intentionally broken to block the gate completely. Rows of coffins, metal and wooden alike, were pressed against the iron barred gate. Not only that, but there were plenty of crates, bags, and wooden planks piled high everywhere.

It would have been an impressive little barricade… if not for the huge hole that tore right down the middle, sundering wood and metal alike.

Tension rose in the air as the servants eyed the destruction warily, quietly making a circle around their masters as they looked around for whatever may be lurking in shadows.

"What could have done this?" Mash asked as she firmly planted herself in front of her senpai. "Some kind of monster attack?"

"Whatever it is, it's big," noted Vlad, "judging by the size of that hole, anyway." He suddenly grinned manically. "Ah, what a stake I'll need to punish such a monster."

"The attack must've been recent," El-Melloi said before gesturing to some nearby building supplies. "There's plenty of materials still untouched. Whoever put the barricade up was probably in the middle reinforcing it before the intruder broke through… To go to such lengths with a wide spread of material bespeaks a certain desperation."

Ritsuka frowned at the thought. What could have done this and why?

"Yharnam."

Blinking at the word, Ritsuka turned to see Holmes staring intently at the gate. Curious, he followed his gaze until he spotted a plaque, worn and rusted, hanging across the arch of the gateway. "Central Yharnam?" he repeated the stained words. "Is that the name of the city?"

"It would appear that is the case," answered Holmes, his eyes intense as he took everything in at once. "The destruction of the gate is an interesting clue, but this name is quite concerning as well."

"I don't recognize the name," Kadoc said, eyeing the plaque curiously before giving the detective a sidelong glance. "Do you know something?"

"I'd be surprised if you did!" The bellowing exclamation from Goredolf preceded him before he appeared as a hologram right beside the Chaldean masters. "I'll have you know that no such place exists in proper human history! Especially one ludicrously placed in the mountains!"

"I was wondering if you would show up, tubby."

"Don't call me that! I have you know after being with Chaldea for so long, I'm the model of perfect health and weight!"

"Sorry for the delay everyone," Da Vinci appeared beside the tubby man. "There was some interference we just cleaned up before establishing communications properly."

"No apology is necessary, Da Vinci," Holmes said smoothly. "We can communicate now and that is the important thing. Still, the Director has a point. No such city, especially one of this size and scale settled in a remote location, fits Yharnam's description exists in Proper Human History. More than likely, this place is entirely exclusive to this Lostbelt." The detective frowned suddenly, tapping his chin as he scrutinized the plaque. "I suggest we move along. As interesting as the information is, it gives us very little to work with. Therefore, I advise a cautious approach as we head on in."

Nodding in agreement, Vlad and Li immediately took point and slowly made their way to the gate. Nothing stirred as they climbed through the remains of the barricade, after checking their surroundings past the stone arch, they gestured the all-clear sign. Cautiously the others followed after them through the debris, before finally they made their way into some kind of street. One half was packed with tall apartments, while the other half gave way to a fenced ledge, allowing everyone to take in the sheer size of the city. Especially with the sight of a great bridge connected to a higher tier of the city, one that with a towering clocktower looming over everything like a watchful sentinel.

Like the gate, the street was cluttered with all kinds of junk. Wooden crates, some with jars filled with a strange dark liquid, were abandoned everywhere. Carriages left unattended in the middle of the street while the stench from nearby rotting horse carcasses tainted the air. Much like at the gate, coffins filled the street. Some chained together on the sidewalk, while others were left abandoned, partially blocking the way for the outsiders. Interestingly, there were plenty of bags stacked high in front of several buildings, blocking doors and alleys alike. The windows were barred with iron, leaving no viable way to get in or out.

A bleak atmosphere to be sure, but Ritsuka was more than a little concerned by the lack of people or any form of life.

"A cheery place," Kadoc muttered as he stepped around a dented, metal coffin. "Just our luck that this place is a ghost town."

"An unpleasantly, messy one at that…" Anastasia agreed, carefully avoiding some garbage as she stepped close behind her master. "If anyone is still here, they should have cleaned the streets."

"Perhaps they were busy with whatever broke through the gate?" Mash proposed, which Fou agreed wholeheartedly.

"That is a very likely conclusion," Moriarty started, "but don't you think it's a bit odd that there is no other sign of the monster? With this many coffins, there should be something that would indicate what we're dealing with. Not just the dead left unintended."

"Perhaps, but what I'm concerned about is why would anyone barricade their houses from the outside if there is a gate destroying monster on the loose," Kadoc observed. Shaking his head, he turned to Asako and the rest of the Hundred Faces. "Could you scout ahead and see if you can find some kind of trail or indication where our mysterious boogeyman went? I'd rather know what I'm dealing with than having to look over my shoulder every few minutes."

"Of course, Master," the female assassin said. "We'll take care of it right—"

Dong!

Everyone froze at the toll of a bell. Thunderous and resounding, it chimes seemed to shake the very stone of the city as it echoed on and on. At the sixth chime did it finally cease, letting an ominous silence fill the air.

That is… until a sharp grinding slowly made itself known.

Everyone turned to the sound, up ahead where the street ended in a small intersection. Slowly the scraping grew louder until finally a man appeared from behind a broken carriage. Wearing what looked like black clothes and a ruffled top hat, he stumbled forth with what looked like a bloody limp, dragging a crude hatchet across the aged stone floor while holding up a blazing torch. He stopped in the middle of the intersection before slowly turning to face the outsiders. It was impossible to see his face from the distance, especially underneath the shadow of his hat, but Ritsuka shivered as his gaze slivered unsettlingly over him.

Suddenly, the man turned and disappeared around the corner with surprising quickness.

"Hey, wait!" Ritsuka called out. "We're not going to hurt you!"

"Wait, Ritsuka!" Holmes exclaimed as he clamped a hand on the young man's shoulders. "Do not do anything reckless. I know how you feel, but there is no telling if the man is friend or foe."

"Holmes is right," El-Melloi said. "The way that man acted after seeing us… it was unnatural."

"Perhaps he was frightened by the monster attack?" suggested Mash, but the lord shook his head.

"Perhaps, but an armed man would have raised some kind of alarm or shout if that was the case. No. The man immediately ran as soon as he saw us. Almost like he wanted us to chase after him."

"An ambush, huh?" Kadoc guessed, before letting out a sigh. "Figures. Was hoping things would be easy for a change, but I guess life likes to prove me wrong." He turned to his assassin. "Change of plans. Go and see if it really is an ambush. If it is, capture them. I want to know why they want our hides instead of focusing on their monster problem."

"At once, Master." Without another word, Asako and several more faces sprang from the shadows before scaling the walls of a nearby apartment. Once on the rooftop, they sprinted from building to building down the street until they were out of sight. A pregnant silence hung in the air before startled shouts tore around the street corner. Seconds later, a sharp whistle soon followed.

Satisfied at the Hassans' success, the rest of the scouting team headed down the street and rounded the corner. A short way ahead of them were the Hassan holding down five struggling men, while hatchets and chipped cleavers were scattered all over the floor. Their clothes were dirty and stained with sweat, allowing a pungent stench to wrinkle the noses of the rest of the approaching outsiders. It would have been a pathetic sight, yet as Ritsuka drew closer, he saw something that shocked him.

The struggling men's faces were all covered in various degrees of fur! At first, Ritsuka thought it was simply unkempt facial hair, but the more he stared at them, the more he noticed how fur reached everywhere. From chin to nose, to cheek to ears, barely any skin was left untouched by dirty, scruffy hair. Furthermore, he noticed that their ears were pointed, their teeth fanged, and their faces elongated ever so slightly that it was uncanny to look upon. Not only the faces, but some of their arms and legs were stretched out unnaturally. Yet the worst thing about the men were their eyes. Without their hats, their unsettlingly, sickly yellow eyes bulged with animalistic fervor and madness. Behind that rabidness, however, was hate. Hatred so pure and seething that, if they were not held down, they would have surely attacked anything they could get their hands on without any hesitation.

Such an unnerving sight froze Ritsuka for a moment, but what really caught him off guard was what they reminded him of. "Yaga?!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" exclaimed Kadoc, yet his face was similarly unnerved. "There's no way… no possible way they would exist here!"

"Yeah, but—"

"Fou, fouuuuuu!" growled the little beast of Chaldea before promptly tackling Ritsuka aside the head, sending him tumbling behind some nearby garbage. Not a second later did a loud bang rang out and a bullet whizzed right where the young master once stood.

All hell broke loose. Bullets whizzed through the air while the servants scrambled to protect their masters. Mash immediately jumped in front of her senpai, shielding him and Fou as a hail of bullets ricocheted off her class's namesake. Almost as quickly, Anastasia summoned a wall of chilling ice in front of herself and Kadoc, protecting them as the bullets mercilessly continued to rain down. Peeking around his kouhai's shield, Ritsuka saw windows open on several cramped buildings, allowing half-furred men to point crude rifles at the outsiders while others swarmed out of the doors.

"You fiends!" One of them cried as he clumsily rushed forward with a sword. "Filthy, cursed beasts! Slaughter and rip them apart!" No sooner did he raise his crude blade, a fist smashed into his teeth, shattering what little that remained.

Li did not give him a second to recover. Swiftly kicking the man aside, he turned to deflect a rusty pitchfork aimed at his gut. Within the same breath, he closed the distance to his foolish assailant and delivered a single strike to his stomach. Gurgling out a pained cry, the madman sailed back before crashing into some boxes all the while the elder assassin already pounced upon his next opponent.

He was not the only one who eagerly sought out their prey. Laughing with maniac delight, Vlad strode forth with spear in hand, meeting the mob's charge head on as only a crusader of his time would. Screams filling the air, the half-furred men clumsily raised their poor arms to match the lancer's own, all scrambling away as the crazed lancer bloodily tore through their ranks. Knees were impaled, hands staked to the crimson floor, guts spilling out their stomachs, and bones were crushed beneath boot and gauntlet.

The murderous triumph that emboldened the mob quickly turned into desperation as they realized their carefully laid ambushes were useless against the heroic spirits. Even those who slipped past the vanguard found themselves immediately beaten back by the superior boxing skill from Holmes. Weaving through the mob, he struck with keen precision at every weak joint and limb, rendering his foes swiftly unconscious. Meanwhile, Moriarty returned fire upon the windows, unleashing his own hail of bullets along with some rockets that shattered the upper floors upon impact. Crying out in fear, the mob tried to regroup, only to find themselves forcibly split apart by carefully placed magecraft. Face stretched intently, El-Melloi used his Zhuge Liang's skill to disrupt and befuddle the mob at every turn, making retreat impossible for them as much as it was for their ambush.

Madden by terror, the half-furred men threw themselves at the outsiders. Shocked by their fervorous zeal, Ritsuka thought that they would have surrendered by now. Instead, they howled and roared in panicked fury, insanely assailing the servants even as their numbers dwindled in brutally quick fashion.

Barely escaping being impaled by the Impaler, a trio of men broke away from the main brawl. Yet instead of getting away, they sprinted to Abigail. "The child!" one exclaimed. "Take the child away from the foul curs!" Lunging at the little girl, the raving mad man was just within reach before suddenly halting midstride. Stunned, the man struggled with what appeared like nothing for a moment before sailing through the air the next. For a brief moment, the madness in his companions' eyes dimmed as they watched in amazement as he crashed head first into a rubbish heap. Such disbelief only lasted a mere second before they too were hurled by the same unseen force.

"By the blood, she's a wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!" One of them screamed before being carelessly tossed aside with a bit more force than their comrade.

Abigail frowned at the madmen, but said nothing. It was only a little thing, but Ritsuka knew better. Their declaration struck a nerve in the little girl, one that he could not fault for. He would have comforted her then and there, but it would have to wait after they subdued their ambushers.

Thankfully, the heat of the battle did not last that much longer. Finishing off the last straggler, the servants rounded up the survivors, binding their arms and legs before piling them against one of the buildings. None of the captives cooperated in the slightest, thrashing around like feral animals caught in snares. Struggling to the point that they tore their flesh against their bindings while some even went as far to bite deep into their wrists. Before they could strip the flesh from their bones, the servants rendered all of them unconscious with a few swift hits at the back of their neck.

"…I seen desperation from cornered men, but to go so far…" Li said somberly. "…it's like they are more beast than man."

Circling around Mash's shield, Ritsuka fully took in the carnage. At least ten men now lay unconscious while another ten lay still on the ground, forever stained red with their blood, some even missing a few limbs. Asclepius was already fast at work at healing the wounds his comrades inflicted, his brow furrowed intensely and applied all his medical knowledge and skill to work. It was a sickening sight, but Ritsuka knew they had no choice. Against such animalistic rabidness, the Chaldeans' only recourse was to defend themselves as best they could, even if that meant taking a few lives. A necessary part of their job, but something Ritsuka would never truly get used to.

"Fou…" Fou barked, rubbing the boy's cheek comfortingly which Ritsuka appreciated.

"Thanks, buddy…" he said. "For that and the save back there."

"An unnecessary save more like!" Goredolf's hologram roared as he appeared beside the young master. "Why didn't anyone notice the second ambush?!"

"…I have no excuse," Asako apologized profusely. "I should have predicted more than one trap when we captured the first group." She and the rest of the faces then kneeled down to the two masters. "I beg your forgiveness for my pathetic oversight."

Kadoc immediately waved his servant to rise up while helping dust off Anastasia. "It's fine. Bit rough around the edges, but we're good."

"Yeah," Ritsuka agreed. "None of us got hurt, so all is forgiven."

"Tch! I figured Ritsuka would be more forgiving, but I suspected better from you Kadoc!" admonished Goredolf. "If it weren't for Fou, Ritsuka's grey matter would've been splattered all over the floor."

"Easy, Gordy," Da Vinci appeared beside him. "We all missed it too, in case you forgot. Especially when you were gawking like a little boy at the wolf-men." The tubby director gave the young servant an incredulous look, but she ignored him. "Honestly, I was also taken back by the look of these guys, but upon closer inspection, they aren't Yaga. If anything, they appear to be something of a cross between a human and a Yaga. Not quite a werewolf, but something else… A mid-transformation if you will."

"Hmm, mid-transformation…" Holmes mused. "That's one possible explanation I've considered, but that begs the question of what is causing the transformation. Then again, for all we know this could be these men's natural form." He then turned to Asclepius who continued to tend to their wounded captives. "I hate to ask you this, my good doctor, but to better understand the situation, we need to hear from the horse's mouth as the saying goes."

The medical servant paused bandaging a man's head to give the detective a flat look. "You have a lot of nerve to ask such a thing," he said. "Foolish they may be, but I will not endanger their lives any further. Especially after seeing their violent behavior…" He frowned as he turned to his unconscious patient. "Such unnecessary aggression normally would bespeak mental illness, but to occur in so many… It's not natural. You would have better luck drawing blood from stone than trying to get anything out of them."

"A more than likely possibility, but present necessity demands certain leeway."

"Not when it comes to my patients."

Sensing the growing agitation, Ritsuka decided to play his best role as the middleman. "How about just for a few minutes, Asclepius?" he asked. "We won't be keeping him up for that long to cause anything severe and you'll be watching over them every second. You could even find out what's wrong with them while we try to get our answers—if we get our answers. And if they give us any trouble, you can just put them to sleep immediately." The doctor thoughtfully thumbed his beak-like mask and Ritsuka knew he needed one last push to be convinced. "Please, Asclepius? I'll throw in volunteering for some medical work. Perhaps be a test subject for some of those new health pills you've been talking about."

"Damn, Ritsuka…" Kadoc muttered. "Taking one for the team…"

"...if only you were alive during my time, then maybe I could have convinced those damn gods to endorse my work," Asclepius relented with a sigh. "Fine, fine. We'll proceed with the operation then, but remember if I determine this is detrimental to future treatment…"

"He'll go back to sleep."

"Good to see we have an understanding." Bending down over one of his patients, Asclepius proceeded with waking him up with an elixir he pulled from one of his pouches. After he was finished, he pulled away to allow Li and Vlad to grip the man tightly.

For a moment, the half-furred man lay still before finally stirring to life. Hacking up spittle and mucus, he slowly opened his eyes and blankly stared at the assembled Chaldeans. That fragile look only lasted a second, before his eyes dilated and hateful madness swallowed all reason like an inferno. "MURDEROUS BEASTS!" he roared, kicking wildly as he tried desperately to lung forward with his teeth bare despite the two servants holding him down. "Filthy outsiders! It's all your fault that Yharnam is done for! Our blood corrupted and fouled by beastly taint! May your sickness burn eternally in the fires of hell!"

Ritsuka shivered underneath the man's hateful gaze. Such fanatical zeal, such loathing… it reminded him too much of some berserkers succumbing to their madness. Only this was not a servant.

The man's raving grew shriller as he continued to fight against the servants until finally Asclepius jabbed a needle in his neck. The light in his eyes dimmed and he shank drowsily against the cold brick wall.

"Apologies, but it would seem it is worse than I feared," Asclepius said as he wiped his needle clean. "There's nothing to be gained from a lunatic, doubly so from a raving patient who's yet to be cured."

"It's ok, Asclepius," Da Vinci said. "Sorry for pushing the issue, but we never know if we didn't try."

"Wish we could've got anything sensible from that madman," Goredolf grumbled. "All gibbering nonsense and not a lick of anything that tells us anything about Yharnam, whatever broke down its front gate, or the Lostbelt in general."

"Not necessarily, Director," Holmes interjected. "While he said very little coherently, his ramblings did have some interesting choice of words that stand out. Namely those associated with beasts and blood."

"What do you mean?"

"To put it in a way that is not pure conjecture, when he accused us of being beasts, it suggests that he does not see us as human. Or for that matter, does not see himself as beastly in appearance. As for the issue regarding the blood, he mentions 'tainting' his blood. Combined that with how he describes being inflicted with a 'sickness,' there are a great deal of implications one can interpret."

"Sickness…" Kadoc repeated gravely. "Hang on now, detective. I know you don't like giving your grand conclusion until the very end, but that awfully sounds like we walked right into a plague."

"Perhaps, there are other signs I seen that support such a theory thus far, but there are oddities that prevent it from being certainty."

"If there is sickness in this city, then I shall not rest until it is cured," Asclepius declared as he stood over his patients. "Perhaps I shall start with my new test subjects. A few quick tests will give us a basis on what we're working with."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm for your work, good doctor, but I'm afraid you will have to do it on the go. This is neither the time or the place for such tests unless we want to run into more rabid locals. I suggest we continue onward with our investigation until we find a more secure base to operate from."

---

Securing the half-furred men inside an abandoned building, the Chaldeans wasted no time continuing their exploration of central Yharnam. However, piling mounds of garbage and coffins made progress increasingly slow. To the point whole streets were closed off or inaccessible to everyone but the most agile of servants. It got so bad they had to clear out makeshift barricades thrice in the same street with how cluttered and clogged up everything was. Thankfully they yet to run into any more of the rabid mob, but the servants still kept to their ever-vigilant watch.

Just when they ran into another dead end, they found a ladder leading up to a higher terrace of the city. Seeing a better path, the Chaldeans climbed with the servants leading while the masters followed closely behind.

Lifting himself over the edge of the terrace with Mash's help, Ritsuka stretched himself out as he took in his surroundings. It was a lot narrower than streets below, with the cramped buildings pressed together vying for space, and the path forked down the middle, one completely gated off while the other was clean of debris. Oddly there was a small lamp planted in the middle of the street and emitted a pale light that was swallowed up by the lingering rays of the sun. The Chaldeans didn't pay it any more than a single glance as they had more pressing issues.

"Looks like there is only one way forward," Ritsuka mused out loud.

"We could get that gate open, senpai," suggested Mash as she brushed dust off her shield. "Shouldn't be too hard with everyone here."

"Eh, I don't feel like making too much noise right now," Kadoc muttered, eyeing the ornate gate suspiciously. "For all we know it could be closed up for a reason. No need to wake the dead trying to get it open."

"Hold on, Master," Asako interjected. "With the way we got ambushed earlier, this could be another trap. Allow me to investigate. I promise I will make sure there are no—"

"Who's there?"

Everyone immediately tensed up, immediately turning their heads to a house that stood directly between the forked path. No one moved for a moment, before the same hoarse voice called out, "If you're still sane, come over to the window so I can get a better look at you. That is, if you can understand me anyway." Suddenly, a horrible cough erupted from a barred window, followed by several more that ended in a very audible gasp for air.

The man's words didn't hold the same hateful scorn as the half-furred folk, nor were they the ravings of a lunatic. Trusting his gut, Ritsuka walked over to the window before anyone could object. Not that it stopped his servants from closely following at his heels. The curtains were closed, but a dim light from inside outlined what could only be the head and shoulders of the man as he sat close to the window. It was difficult to make out anything clearly from the outside, but it would appear that wasn't the case from within.

"Well now," the man said, "this is a surprise. To have visitors one after another is one thing, but all clearly not from around here either? I figured that this damn city drove off the last of the desperate already… but then, you lot don't look like the kind. Some of you have the look of a hunter, but others not so much. Especially with a couple of youngsters in company…" Suddenly the shadowy outline jerked forward as he hacked up another terrible cough.

"Are you alright, Mister?" Ritsuka asked.

"Ah… you have to forgive me, young man. The sick can't help what ails them, but your concern is appreciated. A true rarity in this town these days. Ah, but where are my manners? I'm Gilbert."

"I'm Ritsuka and these are my friends." The young lad then gave a quick introduction for his companions.

"Strange names, though we do live in strange times… Forgive me, I meant no offense. As a fellow outsider, I really have no reason to judge where a man comes from or what company he keeps."

"You're not from here?" repeated Mash.

"Yes. Came to town not long ago, but I didn't expect to be staying long…" Gilbert then coughed again, only this time sounding a bit less hoarse and more amused. "Probably not the best idea I had, but desperation can lead a man to move mountains. Even with the warm welcome this city had." He paused for a moment as he finally straightened back in his chair. "You must have had a fine time of it. Yharnam has a special way of treating guests… I don't think I can stand even if I wanted to, but I'm willing to help, if there's anything that can be done."

"Forgive me doubting your sincerity, sir," Moriarty cut in, "but what good do you get out of it. Like you said, this place has a special way of dealing with people? Who's to say that you're not one of them?"

"Moriarty," Ritsuka protested, but stopped at the pained chuckle at the window.

"A cautious fellow, isn't he, lad?" Gilbert said. "But one, I'm sure, born out of worry, which this city has plenty to give. Rest assured, I'm not one of them. Don't have the strength to move much anymore… But to answer your question directly, it's because I don't want you to suffer the same hell I've endured in this city." Suddenly hacking up again, Gilbert slumped into a chair with a tired wheeze. "Listen… This town, this whole city is cursed. Whatever your reasons might be, you should plan a swift exit. Whatever can be gained from this place, it will do more harm than good."

"What do you mean by 'cursed'?" Holmes asked as he walked up to the window.

Silence answered the detective for but a moment before Gilbert straightened in his chair. "… you seriously don't know? None of you really don't know what kind of trouble you stepped into?" At Ritsuka's nod he let out a disbelieving wheeze. "Forgive me… it's just… even an outsider like me knew the risks I took before stepping one foot in this blasted place. You must have some kind of providence watching over you to make it this far… I take it you don't know what kind of city Yharnam is either?" He didn't wait for a nod before drawing in a deep breath. "Very well. I'll explain as best I can, with what little I know anyway… This land is cursed with plague."

"Plague?!" Turning pale at the confirmation of Holmes' theory, Ritsuka felt everyone tense behind him and even felt a few hands draw him away from the window.

"Ah, but you needn't worry, it's not that kind of plague. Not in the traditional sense mind you… It's a plague of beasts."

"Beasts?" repeated Kadoc, holding a cloth to his face as he stared hard at the window. "I figured there'd be a monster roaming around, but a whole horde of them? We haven't seen any hide or hair or anything like it since we walked through the front gates."

"I doubt you would find many while the sun, low as it is, still hangs in the sky… Especially during the time of a hunt. But, that's not quite what I meant. The plague is a plague, but it's not something that'll kill or cripple you, though I'm sure some would agree that is a kinder fate… No, those infected by this vile disease turn into blood thirsting beasts."

If Ritsuka was cold before, then he was frozen with shock. Especially when the images of the mob they faced earlier flashed before his eyes. Particularly their furred faces and beastly eyes. He wasn't the only one who made the connection as his comrades all looked stunned and revolted by the news. "Then… the townsfolk we fought…" Mash said, her tone sick with revulsion.

"Yes… they are in the early stages now, though they don't know it. They think they are still human, going about their business or joining the mob to hunt down any scourge beast they can find. As you might have guessed, they don't see other folk—those who aren't infected—as humans either. Don't know if it's because of the plague or not, but crazed as they are, I doubt they see anyone else but themselves as true humans now.

"Then there's the beasts themselves… From the sound of it, you lot haven't seen one yet. Pray that you never will. I only caught the glimpse of one of those fiends stalking out my window once…" The sick man shuddered horribly. "About the size of a horse it was, probably bigger I reckon, and had fur darker than night and teeth crueler than any curved knife. And its eyes… oh god, they were the devil's own… Even if I had the strength to run for it, I doubt I would have the courage to do so if I saw that awful gaze again..."

Silence reigned over the Chaldeans as they took in the news, only broken by another series of throaty coughs from Gilbert. For his part, Ritsuka felt awful. Now it made sense why the mob had acted rabid, but knowing didn't help alleviate his empathy or compassion. In fact, it only pointed out one little detail staring at him through the window. "Gilbert… are you infected as well?"

Before the sick man could answer, there was a huge crash nearby, startling Ritsuka as he nearly jumped back into Mash. Dashing around the corner, he watched Asclepius kick open the busted doorframe before striding inside. Not one to stay behind, Ritsuka followed after the doctor with his comrades right at his heels.

Sitting in a delicately made wooden chair was a middle-aged man with more than a few silver strands in his black locks. At first, Ritsuka thought he was like the infected villagers, but upon closer inspection, he did not have the same furred look. Oh, he certainly was hairy, as if he had not cut his hair and beard for weeks, but he did not have any mutated features. At his side was a stand holding a vial of blood connected to a tube stuck in an exposed arm.

"What are you doing?!" Gilbert demanded, shifting in his blanket to meet Asclepius steady gaze. "Do you realize how long it took me to set up that barricade in my condition?!"

"Irrelevant," said the doctor. "It can be easily fixed once I've finished my examination. Now, tell me everything about your symptoms? Do you feel hot? Cold? Have you lost feeling in your limbs? Nerves jittery? Muscles stiff? Stomach pains? Have you grown fur or fangs yet? Well, man? Don't keep me waiting."

"Do you think that… I'm not infected! What's killing me is something else entirely."

"Did I stutter?" Gilbert stared blankly as Asclepius strode to his side without hesitation, forcing the sick man to lean back. "I'm a doctor. No matter what disease is infecting my patients, I will always cure my patients. Now tell me, what are your symptoms? Oh, and that of this beastly plague as well while we're at it. Well? Time is of the essence and I won't tolerate unruly patients who don't listen to their doctor."

"Oh boy, here we go," Kadoc groaned. "He held back longer than I suspected…"

"Figured he'd break the door down at the first cough…" El-Melloi noted with a shake of his head.

For his part, Gilbert continued to stare wide eyed like a deer in front of headlights. His mouth opened a few times, before finally he laid back into his chair. "… A doctor, eh? Well, don't think I'm not appreciative of your concern, but unfortunately, it's a bit late for me. My illness is incurable and there's nothing else that can help me except… Ah, but I'll get to that in a moment." He held up a hand as Asclepius loomed darkly above him. "Peace. I'll tell you what I know, but first a bit of a warning about the plague… I'm not too familiar with how it began, or how exactly it spreads, but from what I heard, anyone who's attacked by a beast, a true beast, usually gets infected. It's not airborne, at least I don't think so anyway, so you don't have to worry too much if you're careful. Same thing about my current ailment, but it's more, shall we say, personal than infectious." A dark chuckle left his lips then. "It's kind of funny honestly. I'm free from the taint of beasts, but came a day too late for my cure to prevent my death."

"Your cure?" asked Asclepius, eying the blood vial curiously. "Hmm, a simple blood transfusion can't possibly cure something that you deemed to be terminal. There has to be something more to it. What sort of medication have you been taking?"

"I understand your suspicions, but I can assure you that this blood is anything but simple. In fact, it's the reason why this city draws so many to its gates."

"How so?" asked El-Melloi, cutting in just as Asclepius was getting more intense.

"I can't say I understand the particulars, or even the basics, of how it works, but Yharnam is famous for its blood. It has healing properties that are said to cure all disease and ailments, within reason mind you. I'm living proof of that, even if it can't save me completely… Still, if you're interested in blood, you can try the Healing Church. The church controls all knowledge on blood ministration, and all varieties of blood." He then gestured over to the window, beyond the curtain to the great bridge connected to a higher terrace of the city. "Across the valley to the east of Yharnam lies the town of the Healing Church, known as the Cathedral Ward. And deep within is the old grand cathedral, the birthplace of the Healing Church's special blood, or so they say. Yharnamites don't share much with outsiders. Especially now, I'm told, that most entrances are blocked and warded off from all but official church members and residents. I only managed to scavenge a few vials from one of the old hospitals here in Central Yharnam before locking myself in this house."

"Interesting," muttered Asclepius, thumbing the tip of his mask as he stared over to the cathedral ward. "I must see the extent of their research if they really managed to discover a potent cure all." He then turned back to Gilbert, more specifically his blood vial. "For now, I'll settle with examining the contents of the vial while I tend to my patient."

"A moment, Asclepius," Holmes said. "First I want to ask Gilbert a few questions."

"Oh, very well, but do hurry up. I would like to finish my examination quickly so that I may start applying treatment."

The detective nodded before turning to the sick man. "As to not arouse the good doctor's ire, we should make this brief. Do you happen to know how long this plague has been around?"

"Can't say for certain," Gilbert answered. "All I know comes from after I arrived in Yharnam. Could've been around for months, maybe even years."

"I see. Then what can you tell me about this 'hunt' you mentioned."

"Ah, that. From what I can gather, the hunt was created to fight off the plague. More specifically the beasts that now stalk the streets. Once a month, the hunt is called and hunters cull the beasts they find while protecting anyone who has the misfortune to be out of their homes… At least that's what it's supposed to be. Only now the street is riddled with infected huntsmen and the hunters, true hunters who are still dedicated to their grisly task, are too few to be found…"

"And is that why you thought some of us looked like hunters, despite being outsiders?"

"Doesn't matter if you're an outsider or from this city. A hunter is a hunter, no matter what their origins. And I figured that was the case considering the fierce gaze some of you have… Reminds me of another outsider who came by earlier today looking for…" Suddenly, Gilbert blinked owlishly as he turned from one head to another. "Forgive me, but why did you all come to this cursed city? If not for its blood, then for what?"

"We're looking for something called a Tree of Emptiness," Ritsuka explained. He knew that he might be giving away important information, something that he was sure Goredolf would object to, but he figured that it was worth a shot to see if Gilbert might know anything that would help Chaldea achieve its ultimate goal. Not to mention, Gilbert had been the soul of courtesy and helpfulness despite his condition. So he wanted to believe, if for the moment, he could trust him.

"Tree of Emptiness?" Gilbert scratched his thick beard before leaning in his chair to hold back another cough. "Never heard of it. But perhaps the Healing Church does."

"I thought they sealed themselves off from the rest of the city?" Mash questioned.

"Indeed, but besides blood, the Healing Church is the center of this city. Everything revolves around it and they have much sway over areas beyond their practices. Even if they don't know what it is you're looking for, they might know someone who does." Gilbert then hacked up another string of horrible coughs, nearly doubling over before Asclepius helped ease him back into his seat.

"That's enough talk for now," he said. "You'll only hasten your own death before I had the time to study your affliction. So, sit back and be silent while I look you over." He then turned back before his eyes landed on Ritsuka. "Apologies, Master, but I'm afraid we'll have to part ways for a bit. I'll try to catch up later, but I will be staying here until I make sure that I cure this so-called 'incurable' ailment from my patient."

"I'll be staying too," Holmes said as he pulled out his pipe. "There are a couple things I would like to discuss with our new friend here. About the city chiefly, and a few other particulars that piqued my interest thus far. I will try not to tarry for long, but until then, I'll keep in touch through comms."

Ritsuka gave the good doctor and detective a reassuring smile. "Have at it, you two. I'm sure Da Vinci will guide you both back to us."

"Wait," Gilbert called out just as Ritsuka and company turned to leave, pushing away the insistent hand at his shoulder. "If you're going to the Cathedral Ward, then you won't get anywhere heading straight up the bridge over the valley. It's the main entrance, but's completely sealed off, and as of recently, enchanted by powerful prayers by the Healing Church… As to how or for what purpose, I'm not sure, but my new hunter friend tried getting in that way and well… said it was no good."

"You mentioned him before," noted Anastasia. "He's also an outsider, yes? Does he perchance look like us?" That caused Ritsuka to blink. It did not occur to him that this other outsider could be a servant.

"No, no. He had the garb of a hunter—dark clothed, a bit cut up, and armed to the teeth to face the hunt. I could tell he was an outsider, but different from you lot. Didn't have the speech or arrogance of the locals. He was kind to me and talked as if he knew his trade really well, even when I offered the same advice that I'm about to give you… Funny, it felt like talking to an old friend, but I'm sure we never met before. Probably just my sickness getting to me…" He shook his head in amusement. "Anyway, I'll point you in the same direction he went. Which is the only place that I know that might be available to get into the Cathedral Ward…" Gilbert suddenly squinted, as if disgusted by a faint memory. "There's a rather, how shall I put it, colorful area south of the great bridge. From there, an aqueduct leads to the Cathedral Ward. Not a place you'd normally want to visit, but… I don't imagine you have much of a choice. Do you?"

"No," answered Ritsuka, his resolve resolute as he and his comrades readied to truly delve into the city. "We don't."

---

Author's Note: The mystery unfurls. This was the longest chapter I written thus far, but I had to cover a lot of ground for the second chapter. Sorry if you find it a little wordy. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the little hints I spread across the chapter. As for where the Good Hunter is, well. You'll soon find out.

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

Sincerely, Count Chaos.