31 Incoming Storm Part 3

Word count 11,305

"Are you ready?"

Rebecca tightened her grip on her shotgun.

One currently filled with Quicksilver Bullets. Not something they wanted to use on Earth for various reasons, but considering where they were about to go…

"We are." replied Jill, a grim look in her eyes.

Aeon nodded, looking at both of them, with Oedon and Lucy by his sides.

It was finally time for their last test as Huntress-in-training.

It was finally time to brave Yharnam's streets… or a simulation of it, at least.

The outbreak was suspected to happen in a few days, so it was now or never.

Rebecca had her sawed-off shotgun, axe, and grenade launcher, while Jill had her grenade launcher and the Blades of Mercy.

Even if they were going into a simulation, it would be an entirely "real" simulation that Aeon created in a temporary new pocket dimension connected with the Hunter's Dream, where the dangers within would be fully capable of harming and outright killing them.

Something about hard-light constructs?

Either way, their objective was to make their ways to Vicar Amelia, and kill her beastly self.

For that, they would need to make their way through Yharnam's streets and kill everything on their path… or be killed by beasts and therefore come back through a Lantern for another go.

Easier said than done, if Aeon's memories were anything to go by...

"Then, I can only tell you to remember your training… and to remember: a Hunter must Hunt. And at long last, it is your time to do so. I know that you will make me proud, my students." Aeon declared, a small smile on his face and pride in his eyes as he stared at them both.

Rebecca and Jill nodded.

"We will." they swore.

Lucy waved at them, while Oedon bowed respectfully.

And then the two Huntresses turned, knelt by one of the graves of the Hunter's Dream… and disappeared in white fog.

Oedon put her right hand on Aeon's shoulder.

"They are ready. You have trained them well."

Aeon kept staring at the grave before them.

"I know. But even so… I still worry. Yharnam can break even the best of heroes, Ludwig and many others have proven that. Still… It is all up to them, now. Though I think we should still prepare some tea. I have a feeling that, sooner or later, they will need a cup or several…"

He chuckled darkly.

"Though they might prefer something stronger by then."

Rebecca and Jill rose from the ground, looking around to see that they were in the same room Aeon's memories had shown him at the start.

The old clinic where he had first become a Hunter.

They exchanged a look, before Jill took point.

After going down the stairs, they saw their first beast, the same one that had killed Aeon so brutally.

One that was currently feasting on a human corpse on the ground.

Rebecca, eyes cold, took out her grenade launcher and fired.

The beast immediately turned, alerted by the sound of the grenade flying-

Only to get it straight in the face, turning the upper half of its body into charred flesh.

The two women grinned grimly.

"Not so tough when the other side has weapons in hands, huh?" coldly remarked Jill, referring to the fact that Aeon hadn't possessed a weapon when he first came across it.

Which directly led to his brave, but ultimately suicidal charge at the beast with his bare hands.

"Let's hope the others will be as easy." replied Rebecca, no less pleased despite her words at killing the same beast who once killed her lover.

Or at least, a simulation of that beast.

They kept going, Jill opening the heavy doors leading out of the building.

"Damn… those doors are thick. Why would you make them so heavy?!" exclaimed Jill, who had to exert even her superstrength to open them.

"In order to better keep the beasts out of the building, I'd presume." grimly replied Rebecca.

Jill opened her mouth, but was interrupted when a beast jumped from behind several gravestones and charged them.

Rebecca immediately opened fire with her shotgun, the beast stumbling when a good chunk of its right shoulder disappeared but otherwise did not even slow down.

Rebeca could see into its glowing red eyes, the color of fresh blood, and she stiffened slightly at what she saw within.

T-Virus infected had no emotions in their eyes besides mindless hunger. There was little to no intelligence within them, only the desire to eat.

But this beast… it hated her. It hated her with every fiber of its being, and would stop at nothing to kill her.

It would delight in her screams, feel only glee at the feeling of her warm blood splattering its body, and exult at her death.

It didn't matter they had only just seen one another, it already hated her utterly the moment it saw her.

Despite herself, she gulped and hesitated, disturbed at the sheer hatred in the creature's eyes-

And then Jill brought her swords on the beast, who snarled and lashed out with a clawed hand towards her.

For a few seconds, a vicious exchange of blows took place, until Jill's blades successfully took off the beast's right arm.

It roared, flinching back in pain, and that was yet another difference with t-Virus infected.

This beast actually felt pain. And as its eyes focused completely on Jill, Rebecca could see an even greater hatred in its eyes growing towards her fellow huntress.

It knew she had harmed it, and it hated her specifically for that.

And it would stop at nothing to get revenge.

So when Jill used its current weakness to decapitate it, Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief.

Aeon had been right. Fighting beasts was very different from fighting t-Virus infected.

And she had little doubt it was only going to get worse from there on…

"You alright?"

Rebecca flinched slightly at the question, before smiling at Jill.

"I'm fine. I just… the sheer hatred in its eyes…"

Jill nodded grimly. "I know. I noticed it, too. But don't think too hard about it. They want to kill you? Then just kill them first. Their hatred doesn't matter if they are dead."

Rebecca stayed silent for a moment.

"Do you think that's why Aeon has that… rage, inside of him? Because, unlike everybody else, when he got killed… he had the chance to go back and kill his killer? And every time he got killed, his rage grew, until he hated all beasts and sought to kill them all?"

It was Jill's turn to fall silent, her blue eyes thoughtful.

"... I don't know. Unlike Aeon, neither of us has died yet, and I intend to keep it that way. But… I guess it makes sense. People seek revenge for many reasons… few can claim theirs to be as good as seeking revenge on one's own killer."

Rebecca thought back on the look on the face of the beast that had killed Aeon in his memories, the smug, cruel glee in its eyes as the last thing he would see before brutally dying…

She winced.

"Let's keep going. I don't want to think about it anymore."

Jill nodded, and she opened the doors of the courtyard they were in, finally free to get a good look at Yharnam with their own eyes, and not through Aeon's memories.

For a moment, they took in the breathtaking sight of the city before them, with its intimidating gothic architecture and tall cathedrals.

And of course, the distant screams of beasts and madmen alike, alongside the cries of the dying.

Yharnam, as they were seeing it, was without a doubt a thriving city once upon a time…

But no longer. Now, it has clearly fallen to madness and monsters alike.

And it was up to them to make their way through it, until they reached Cathedral Wards and Vicar Amelia.

Jill took a deep breath, exhaled, and then nodded to herself in determination.

"Right, we should keep going. We have work to do."

Rebecca nodded, taking for one last moment the sights, sounds, and even the faint but undeniable smell of blood in the air.

And then she followed Jill as they began moving through the streets of Yharnam…

In all of their blood-soaked glory.

Rebecca knelt at the side of the corpse on the ground, looking with clinical interest at the obvious signs of mutation on it.

They had come across a member of the local militia that was only armed with a sword, but he had been completely incapable of being reasoned with.

Aeon had told them one of the first signs of beasthood was the broken pupils of the person's eyes… and their belief that everyone around them were beasts.

Curiously, one of the mental side-effects of beasthood was the conviction that others were beasts in disguise.

And no amount of reasoning could convince such people otherwise.

A fact that they had found out personally themselves, along with the fact that something differentiated them as "outsiders."

A word spat like a curse by the madman.

Thus, they had had no choice but to put him out of his misery, and once they did, Rebecca had naturally wanted to see a victim of beasthood up close.

And she could confirm that yes, the pupils of this man were indeed "broken," and that wasn't even mentioning the fur growing out his body at several different places, among other signs of heavy mutation.

He had also been shockingly fast, much like the beast Jill had fought, and it was only the Eldritch Blood in their veins and their training with Aeon that had allowed them to easily kill this man.

If they had neither…

Rebecca shuddered and pushed the thought away.

Then she got up, nodding at Jill who had been keeping an eye out for surprise attacks when she hadn't been staring at the corpse herself.

"Let's keep going. We've got a good idea of how strong and fast regular Yharnamites are, now."

"Yeah. And I'm damn happy that we are Huntresses now, because frankly, if we had to fight those guys back in the mansion, we would have been screwed. They are too fast, too strong, too much… everything for regular people, even trained soldiers, to handle."

Rebecca grimaced, thinking of that poor carriage that took a wild blow from the madman's sword.

There wasn't a carriage left. The damn thing almost disintegrated from how hard it got hit.

It was a good reminder that, in this city, no one was weak.

It just so happened the strongest could apparently fight actual gods and have a decent chance of winning...

After receiving directions from a man named Gilbert, they then ended up having to fight a number of madmen at once.

And dogs.

Neither Jill and Rebecca had good memories of infected dogs from the Arklay Mountains, but the Yharnamites' kind was so much worse.

The madmen they handled by throwing several grenades at them when they all charged towards the two, but the dogs had run too fast to get caught in the blasts.

So they had to deal with them the old-fashioned way, with guns and weapons.

And Yharnamite dogs were incredibly vicious. Capable of healing otherwise fatal wounds with ease and moving with speed and agility that would make any Olympic gymnast green with envy, it was hard to catch one with a blow of their weapons, and even harder to make it a killing blow.

They succeeded, but Jill wasn't going to forget anytime soon about that one dog that had been a second away from taking her head off if Rebecca hadn't shot it in the head at the literal last second.

After taking a moment to breathe and relax, they had kept going, eventually making it up on a bridge filled with beasts and giant crows.

Which were thankfully easy enough to deal with through a judicious application of grenades.

Both women nonetheless agreed that no crow, or any kind of bird really, should grow that big.

They made their infected counterparts from the Arklay Mountains look cute and cuddly in comparison…

And then they ended up at the end of the bridge.

Where their first true challenge awaited them.

With an ear-shattering scream that had to have been heard across the entire city, the Cleric Beast that Aeon had fought against so very long ago, now appeared, jumping unto the bridge in all its unholy glory and madness, the mere sight of it giving both women a sharp headache, before it looked straight at them, its beady eyes glowing with cruelty and glee at fresh victims to feast upon.

It roared again, before jumping, slamming both of its fists where Jill had been standing a moment ago.

The two women scattered the moment the beast had jumped, shooting grenades repeatedly at the beast.

It screamed, rage and pain mixing in its voice, before it charged at Rebecca, who Quickened out of the way, still throwing more grenades at it alongside Jill.

The problem was obvious, the Cleric Beast healed at even faster rates than other beasts, though they noted with relief and satisfaction that even its powerful healing couldn't fully handle the damage two Huntresses with grenade launchers could do.

Rebecca and Jill sensed a weakness in the beast, and clear satisfaction shone in their eyes, dark grins on their faces as they kept on pelting grenades at the Cleric Beast-

And then everything went to hell.

The beast roared, the grenades flying back towards both of them, sending them ass over head backwards, pushing them to the side of the bridge.

For a second both women groaned, but their own healing kicked in and they swiftly stood up on their feet again-

Only for their eyes to widen in shock when the Cleric Beast threw a massive white stone statue at Rebecca, too fast for her to dodge.

For a single moment, green eyes met blue, an expression of fear, horror, and shock in both of their features.

And then the statue hit, and Rebecca felt immense pain for a single instant-

Before darkness claimed her.

Jill stared in shock at where Rebecca had disappeared, both the statue and the young woman having gone over the bridge and into the depths below, guaranteeing that Rebecca would not survive that hit.

Shock turned to rage, and she turned towards the Cleric Beast, ready to make the asshole pay-

And then a massive fist crushed her body into the ground, her limbs flying off into different directions as her head and body was turned into bloody paste.

Rebecca opened her eyes.

The starry night sky of the Hunter's Dream welcomed her, twinkling slightly as if cheerfully greeting her.

For a moment she stayed frozen, staring blankly at them.

And then the phantom sensations of that stone statue hitting her body flashed through her mind, and she turned, vomiting all over the ground.

Not long after, the sounds of someone else vomiting nearby reached her ears, and she looked weakly towards that sound, seeing Jill on all four doing the same as her.

Huh, she must have died not long after me… she thought numbly, before refocusing on her efforts to empty her stomach completely.

Jill stared blankly at the hot cup of tea in her gloved hands, her mind so inwardly focused she hardly noticed anything going around her.

Aeon had come to them, she remembered, gently leading them to the outside table where several cups of tea were already awaiting them, Lucy and Oedon already sitting near the table, looking at them with sympathy and what she thought was familiarity in Oedon's case.

She wasn't sure. All that Jill could remember was seeing Rebecca die, the rage in her heart at the Cleric Beast…

And then she remembered an instant where she saw its enormous right fist heading for her, before a flash of pain… and then nothing.

Not until she opened her eyes, seeing the night sky of the Hunter's Dream, with the stunned realisation that yes, she had died.

She shuddered, thinking of what her body must have looked like after that punch.

She really didn't want to imagine the results.

She mechanically brought the tea to her lips, drinking some before, just as blankly, putting the cup back on the table, unconcerned by the heat of the tea.

For the first time, she truly contemplated the kind of willpower required to be a Hunter of the Dream.

To have the strength of will to die messily, and still choose to go back, to potentially get brutally murdered over and over again until finally, you kill your murderer at long last.

It was insane. It was brutal. It was unlike anything she could have ever properly imagined until now.

And it was what Aeon had to go through, on his own in the streets of Yharnam, against foes who she knew made the Cleric Beast look weak in comparison.

All of that without any kind of modern weapons like grenades, just what was available back then in Yharnam and what he could think, create or find by himself, whether it was primitive firearms, melee weapons, or magic.

Jill took another sip of her tea, idly noting just how excellent it tasted, while her mind struggled to come to terms with both her own death, and the idea that Aeon went through so much worse.

If it was possible to respect him even more, she definitely did now.

Finally, she let out a shuddering breath, before refocusing on her surroundings, seeing Aeon and Rebecca talking quietly at her side, Aeon having his right arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

She glanced at her other side, seeing Oedon look at her with concern in her green eyes.

Jill gave out a small, weak smile, which crumbled almost instantly.

She sighed.

"I'm sorry. It's just…"

"It's alright." softly replied Oedon. "I have been a caretaker of you Hunters for a long time now. The first time you die is always the hardest."

Jill mused those words for a moment.

"Does it really get easier? To… to die?"

Oedon fell silent for a moment, before nodding.

"For the most part, yes. Humans are creatures who can adapt quickly to their environment and experiences, that includes dying. Most humans fear death, because they do not know what will come next, and that fear of the unknown is something your entire species possesses. But for Hunters of the Dream, death is ultimately nothing more than a temporary inconvenience. Much like taking wounds in combat, the wounds, or the memories in this case, will eventually disappear and let you continue your life without leaving anything but scars behind."

She paused, before sighing.

"But that isn't always true. Much like how not everyone injured survives their wounds, there are those who… break. Those who just can't take it anymore. Those hunters… did not have a happy ending, even by Hunter standards."

Jill swallowed, before nodding.

Again, she glanced at Aeon, who she knew had gone through dozens, if not hundreds of deaths.

The sheer willpower to endure that and keep going…

Her eyes caught Rebecca's, the two of them communicating without words, only through their body language.

For a long time, they just stared at one another… and then Rebecca took her cup of tea, drank the last of it, and then let out a shuddering breath.

"Right then. We won't kill that thing by standing there, so… let's go back."

Aeon glanced at Rebecca, who gave him a weak smile before she grimaced, and then turned determined.

"You trained us, Aeon. Tried to prepare us for the challenges ahead. At no point did you hide just how deadly the beasts of Yharnam were. You warned us, and we kept training anyway, because we want to make you proud of taking us as your students… but also because we want to help protect the world. If you could face the horrors of Yharnam and win over them… then the least we can do is not give up at the first obstacle in our path."

Aeon frowned. "You don't have to do anything for my sake. I don't want you to think that-"

Rebecca put a finger over his mouth, smiling slightly.

"I know... I know that you still love us, whether or not we become fully recognized Huntresses in your eyes. And I love you for that… but this isn't just about you. This is about us too, and becoming the protectors of the world that we wanted to be. In the end, the path we have chosen to walk is just a continuation of the one we were already walking before we even met. And that's why I can't give up. Because it's not just about wanting to make you proud of me… It's also about being proud of myself."

Aeon's eyes flickered to Jill, and she nodded, agreeing with Rebecca.

Her birth city was soon going to become a battlefield. What hope did she have to make a difference in saving her home, if she couldn't even win against the first true danger of Yharnam?

So she finished her cup of tea, took a shuddering breath of her own, and then stood up.

"Come on, Rebecca. Let's show that ugly, malformed bastard what Huntresses can do! After all... " she grinned at Aeon. "A Hunter must Hunt, no?"

He snorted, grinning at her, but she didn't miss the approval and pride flashing in his eyes.

Rebecca was right, on a great many things.

But Jill also wanted to prove that she didn't need him watching over her to be strong. She was Jill Valentine, ex-S.T.A.R.S., and she was no damsel in distress needing a knight in shining armor to save her.

She'll damn well save herself.

And by doing so, prove to the man she loved that she could be someone he could rely on, even when he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Jill and Rebecca looked at one another, eyes grim and filled with both apprehension and determination.

Then they stepped forward, and the Cleric Beast once again appeared before them, roaring loudly.

They didn't waste any time, immediately using their grenade launchers on the bastard, which reacted much like before, with pained screams and it putting its mutated left arm in the way to protect its body.

Jill Quickened to the side and then behind the beast, seeking to ensure it couldn't fully protect itself from both of them.

The Cleric Beast screamed in pain as Jill's grenades found their mark at his unprotected back, turning around only to stumble from Rebecca's grenades.

For a few seconds, the two women kept up their fire, great chunks of flesh exploding out and falling into the ground with every explosion…

Until it roared, with the lobbed grenades flying back towards them.

Ready for it this time, they immediately Quickened out of the way, before attacking once more.

The Cleric Beast growled, taking one of the statues and throwing it at Jill.

She immediately dodged, not wanting what happened to Rebecca to happen to her, and then rolled out of the way as the beast charged at her first.

The Cleric Beast ended up hitting the nearby stone wall, stunning it for a second, and Jill shouted at Rebecca to stop.

Her fellow Huntress did, looking confused… at least until she saw Jill bring out the Blades of Mercy and run towards the stunned beast's head.

Jill jumped, blue eyes flashing in triumph as her soon to be victory-

And then the beast's massive left arm sent her flying, as it cut through the air like a club.

Sending her up and above the bridge, down into the depths below.

Rebecca's eyes widened when she saw the Cleric Beast, that she and Jill had thought weakened and stunned, moving with shocking speed once Jill had been sufficiently close, its mutated arm hitting her like a bat would strike a thrown baseball.

Rebecca blanched when Jill went over the bridge, before Quickening out of the way as the Cleric Beast almost succeeded crushing her into the ground into a bloody pulp-

And then, while Rebecca was mid-air from dodging that attack, the beast roared.

Rebecca had only a moment to stare in shock at the visible shockwave created by that roar before it hit her, sending her flying…

Up and beyond the bridge.

She made the mistake of looking down, seeing a red smear on the ground for a second…

And then she hit the ground, and everything went dark.

Jill gasped, heart beating fast, before she took in her surroundings, the quiet beauty of the Hunter's Dream welcoming her.

For a time, she merely laid on the cold ground, panting hard, before she heard a second gasp, followed by someone else breathing fast.

Turning her head, she saw Rebecca, much like herself laying on the ground, green eyes wide and shocked.

Jill closed her eyes, letting her head fall on the ground.

"You too, huh?" she said softly.

There was a moment of silence, before she heard a sigh.

"Yeah. I was mid-dodge, Quickening out of the way of that thing's arm trying to crush me… and then it roared, and I was sent flying above the bridge, down to my death."

Jill said nothing for a time, before chuckling.

"You know, Oedon was right."

"About?"

"Dying becoming easier to handle. I'm pretty sure I'm still in shock, but I don't want to vomit this time. That's an improvement!" she joked.

Rebecca snorted.

"Jill? I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'm pretty sure your sense of humor stayed back in Yharnam, because that's the kind of thing I would expect Aeon to say, not you."

Jill blanched.

"Oh gods have mercy, I'm turning into him!"

Both women began laughing.

And if there was something slightly hysterical to it, well neither of them were going to point it out.

"Ow."

Jill shivered.

That had been a bad death.

Humans were not supposed to be bent that way…

Rebecca groaned.

"Fucking piece of rock making me stumble at the worst time..." She grumbled.

"Yeah? Well at least you weren't used as a ragdoll! Seriously, I'm not sure what killed me this time, my legs being torn out of my body or my face being smashed into the ground…" complained Jill.

Rebecca hummed. "I'd say the second. Or at least, I think so, from my training as a medic and from what I've seen of what it did to you..."

"Thanks, Rebecca. I'm soooo happy to know that my caved skull brought about my death, rather than the shock and blood loss from the way my legs stayed in its right hand while the rest of me didn't."

There was a moment of silence.

"Hey, Jill?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think Aeon would be fine helping me write a book on the psychological consequences of being a Hunter of the Dream?"

"... Just one?"

"On second thought, you're right. I think I might as well start an entire series…"

"So, you think we'll win this time?"

Jill snorted.

"You want to bet on it?"

Rebecca tilted her head, green eyes thoughtful.

"50 bucks for whoever kills that thing."

Jill stared, before smirking.

"Deal."

They shook hands, before stepping forward.

The Cleric Beast turned towards them, and the two replied to its roar via several grenades to its face.

Then Jill switched to Fire Magic, while Rebecca charged in close with her axe, one focusing on the head of the beast while the other focused on its legs.

Then they switched, trying to keep it focused on the one closer to it while the other inflicted more and more wounds in an attempt to slowly kill it.

Occasionally avoiding thrown statues and deadly beast's Roars, they kept attacking, having learnt the hard way that Yharnamite beasts did not need to get close to you to be dangerous.

Usually, they tended to get creative when you kept attacking them at a distance.

Thus, they slowly but surely weakened it until-

Jill's eyes widened when Rebecca jumped on top of the beast, raising her axe high before letting it pierce the relatively small head of the Cleric Beast with all of her strength.

The Axe, reinforced with Bloodstones, split the top of the skull of the Cleric Beast into two, the massive abomination freezing before falling to the ground dead.

For a moment, both Jill and Rebecca stared.

The beast twitched, and the axe came down again, crushing the skull entirely.

Again, more staring.

And then Rebecca shouted in glee towards Jill.

"Hah! You owe me 50 bucks now!"

"You bitch! Not only did you get to kill this fucking bastard, but you'll take my money on top of that?!"

Rebecca shrugged, grinning madly, clearly high on the feeling of victory.

"You put your bet in, Jill! And you lost! Now pay up!"

Jill cursed harder.

"Alright, fine! But you'll see! The next beast we'll see will be mine!"

Both women stared at Father Gascoigne.

They had gone back to the Hunter's Dream after Rebecca's victory, and got stronger from the Blood Echoes of their slain foes.

Aeon had mentioned that, since this was a simulation, they shouldn't have had any, but that Oedon was cheating with her powers to let them gain Blood Echoes with their kills anyway.

She also had been the one to strengthen them that way, and it had been… an interesting experience.

They could easily feel the difference, and even Jill who received only half of what Rebecca got in Blood Echoes, "from the kill assists" as Aeon put it, could feel herself be much more skillful at wielding her Blades of Mercy.

Rebecca had chosen to become more agile, and the moves she could do now would put the best gymnasts on Earth to shame.

They had also gotten some of the memories of the Cleric Beast's human life, showing the twisted life of a corrupt priest of the Healing Church and his slow descent into madness and beasthood.

It certainly helped explain Aeon's less than stellar opinion of the Healing Church, to see the kinds of crimes their priests regularly got up to…

Still, they eventually went back to the city.

The simulation was essentially exactly the same as Yharnam from Aeon's memories, so they had come across the little girl requesting their help.

And while they knew how it would end, and even knowing it was a simulation…

Violetta had been far too adorable for them to reject her.

Even if it tore their hearts in two knowing the tragedy to come.

Which led to this moment, where they were both staring at a maddened Father Gascoigne, dread filling their heart.

"On second thought, I'm not sure if I want to kill this beast…" weakly said Jill, rather disturbed at the idea of making Violetta an orphan.

This simulation was way too realistic in many ways for their peace of mind.

Which they suspected was the intent. Being Hunters was about more than just knowing how to fight, it was also having the strength of will to do what needed to be done.

If the first fight, against the Cleric Beast, had been about facing the kind of monsters Hunters were meant to fight, Father Gascoigne was meant to be a grim reminder of the weight of duty of being a Hunter.

And that even in victory, there was often a price of some kind to pay.

It was thus with heavy hearts that both women began the fight when Gascoigne charged them, though it swiftly proved a very different fight than the Cleric Beast was.

Father Gascoigne, despite being just as tall as Aeon, was also incredibly fast, and just as strong and agile.

Rebecca had almost been killed by one of her own grenades when Gascoigne had literally used his axe like a baseball bat and batted it back towards her.

Only a last-second Quickening had saved her.

And that was when he didn't just dodge the grenades effortlessly, a feral grin on his face as he did so.

Both women had thus swiftly decided to discard using grenade launchers at all in this fight, their usage being obviously pointless, if not actively counter-productive, against an opponent of Gascoigne's level.

At least they were well used to working together as a team now, both women covering for each other the moment Gascoigne seemed ready to kill either one of them.

For several dozens of seconds, a vicious exchange of blows took place, as Gascoigne through sheer skill was able to not only keep up, but sometimes counter-attack against the two women putting the pressure on him.

Quicksilver Bullets flew all over the place, as all three Hunters fought at a level only Hunters could claim to be able to reach, though the two women had the advantage in terms of numbers and mobility.

Quickening was incredibly useful as a way to dodge incoming blows, after all.

The fact that Gascoigne could still hold his own even without it really showed how terrifyingly skilled he was.

As she saw him stumble from a shot of her shotgun, Rebecca charged in, axe raised-

Only for him to do something with his axe that sent hers flying, the move so smooth and fast she had only a moment to stare in awe of the sheer skill displayed…

Before his clawed hand pierced her stomach, Rebecca coughing blood as the visceral attack, as Aeon called it, tore through her organs, and she felt his hand go up, grasping her heart, and then violently removed his arm from her insides, her guts spilling on the ground alongside most of her internal organs.

She faintly heard Jill scream. Rebecca could see her charge at Gascoigne from behind, and the cruel, smug smirk on his face made Rebecca's eyes widened slightly.

It's a trap. She wanted to say, but could not.

A second later, Gascoigne whirled on his feet, punched Jill right in the face, and used the moment where she was stunned to repeat what he did to Rebecca on Jill herself.

"The sweet Blood, oh, it sings to me…" she heard him whisper.

And then everything went dark.

Rebecca gasped, a hand shooting up to her chest to hold her stomach and then over her heart, the phantom sensation of feeling her internal organs being crushed or spilling out onto the floor making her shudder hard.

Then a second gasp reached her, and she saw Jill doing the same.

"Bastard… could have at least bought us a drink before claiming our hearts…" Jill joked weakly when she noticed Rebecca looking at her, before grimacing at the memories of her latest death.

Rebecca snorted, laying back on the ground.

"That sucked." she said flatly.

"What? The joke, or our deaths?"

"Both."

Jill nodded. "Fair enough. Ow…"

Rebecca heard footsteps, and saw Aeon look at them both for a moment.

"Let me guess. Visceral attack?"

"Yup." Jill grunted in answer.

Aeon chuckled. "Thought so. Those always leave a huge impression, especially the first time."

Rebecca looked at him curiously.

"Are there worse ways to die? One that can top feeling someone literally crush your heart before feeling your innards spill out on the ground?" she asked curiously, a morbid sense of curiosity overtaking her.

Aeon hummed in thought for a second.

"Well, burning alive, I guess? Dying by acid probably, but I actually never experienced that, so I'm not sure."

He grinned. "You'll have to tell me if, or perhaps when, that happens to one of you how that feels! We'll exchange notes!"

Both women groaned.

They went back.

Not wasting their time using grenades, they went straight for close combat, seeking to use their numbers as their advantage.

Once again however, results were mixed, as Gascoigne showed off the skills of a veteran Hunter, and completely held them both back using only his gun and axe.

For a long time, they fought all over the courtyard of Oedon Chapel, amongst the graves of the dead, to which they sought to add one more lost soul to.

This time however, they had a better measure of Father Gascoigne, and their spars against Aeon let them better fight against someone who was, despite his incredible skill, far less of a threat than Aeon was.

They even fell into a rhythm, of attacks, dodges, and parries, the whole fight turning into something resembling more of a choreographed dance than a fight to the death-

And then everything went to hell.

Rebecca had managed to get yet another quick strike of her axe on Gascoigne, leaving behind a bloody wound which rapidly began to close, but it had apparently been too much.

One too many wounds, one too many successes on their end, one too many times where they had proven too good to easily kill.

And Father Gascoigne lost control.

Father Gascoigne, in a huge explosion of blood and gore, promptly exploded into an horrific beast, whose maddened howl chilled their blood like ice in their veins.

Worse still, was that both women could see the remnant of the man's [Humanity] falling, screaming in horror, into the hungry maw of his inner [Beast], before that monstrous abomination turned to stare at them with endless, all-consuming [Hunger] for more [Blood] in its eyes.

The True Sight of Gascoigne's Damnation would forever haunt them, they knew, and for a long, seemingly eternal moment they could only stare with wide, shell-shocked eyes at the Beast before them.

And then Rebecca fell to her knees, vomiting and crying on the ground, while Jill staggered backwards and fell on her back, face pale white and blue eyes wide in utter horror and shock.

They hardly even reacted when the beast that was Gascoigne bit Rebecca's head off, or tore into Jill's torso with its claws and fangs.

Jill woke up in the Dream, blue eyes wide but unseeing, the scene she had just seen replaying in her mind.

The mere memory of it chilled her veins, and she shivered as sheer cold, which had nothing to do with the current air temperature, coursed through her.

What she had seen… it was the damnation of a soul, plain and simple.

The literal damnation of a human being, happening right in front of her eyes.

There were no words truly capable of describing the sheer horror of what she had witnessed, but it would stay with her forever.

Gascoigne turning into a beast hadn't been part of Aeon's memories, and she knew now why.

He probably hadn't wanted to let them see… this.

Damnation. A word whose full meaning she had thought she understood the first time she saw a zombie.

Jill thought she knew horrors. Thought she knew what becoming a monster looked like.

She had been wrong. So very, very wrong…

Her head turned slightly, her blue eyes meeting equally traumatized green ones.

Jill slowly got up, taking Rebecca in her arms and hugging the younger woman tightly.

And then both broke down over the horrors they had just seen, now forever etched in their minds and souls.

In a mirror scene of what happened not that long ago, both women once again sat at the same table, with the same people drinking cups of hot tea in their hands.

No one was talking, both Jill and Rebecca far too lost in thought for that, as they contemplated their recent experiences.

Finally, it was Jill who spoke first, voice soft and fragile.

"Aeon… please tell me that those infected by the t-Virus don't have their souls still stuck in their bodies. That… that they can move on in peace the moment the t-Virus finally takes over."

Aeon nodded. "They do move on, yes, don't worry."

"And beasts?"

Aeon fell silent.

"Aeon…" Jill begged softly. "What about beasts?"

He sighed deeply.

"Beasthood isn't a completely physical and mental corruption like the t-Virus. It is… far deeper than that. It is as much of a spiritual metamorphosis as a physical one. It targets the very humanity of someone and makes them… something else. That's not to say that those who fell to beasthood don't have souls anymore, but… it does mean that a soul will be marked by beasthood even in an afterlife. Either by remaining filled with a thirst for blood or, in some cases… Some particularly badly afflicted by beasthood might see themselves as beasts even in the afterlife, with all that it implies."

Both women stared at him in numb horror.

Aeon grimaced, but nodded.

"As an example, Laurence, the First Vicar, took the form of a Beast even in the Hunter's Nightmare, which effectively was an afterlife. A version of Hell, more specifically."

He paused then, a bit of… was that respect? flashing in his eyes.

"However, even then such souls aren't necessarily completely beast-like. Some, indeed, in rare conditions can claw themselves back to sanity through sheer willpower."

"Ludwig." softly said Oedon, glancing at Aeon.

"Ludwig." agreed Aeon, that flash of respect reappearing in his eyes at the name, even stronger this time.

Everyone fell silent, most of them too lost in their memories to do otherwise.

And then Jill finished her cup of tea and sighed.

"Alright. Just to confirm, that vision we had…"

"Insight." confirmed Aeon. "You more or less have as much as I did back then, a bit more considering your training with me. It doesn't often act up as… dramatically as it did then, but from time to time… well, flashes of Insights will happen."

Jill grunted. "Great."

Then she stood up, hands going to her Blades of Mercy.

The name of them suddenly made perfect sense to her, and she remembered the look Aeon had given her when she had mentioned wanting them.

She now understood that he had to have foreseen that her reaction to the true horrors of beasthood would be naturally bad, and that those blades would either be embraced or rejected by her once that happened.

It was a test, she suspected, or something close to one.

Either she would see the true meaning and purpose of that name for her weapon and embrace the duties that came with it, or she would be repulsed by the weight of necessity that anyone carrying those blades needed to bear, leading to her discarding them.

Her mind flashed back to when she and Aeon had come across a zombified Kenneth, and he had asked her whether she wanted to kill him herself, or for him to do so instead.

Was it a test, even back then? To see if she had the strength of will to do what needed to be done, or if that burden would need to fall on his shoulders alone?

Her hands tightened on her blades.

If it was a test, then so be it. She wouldn't fail this one, much like she hadn't failed the first one.

Father Gascoigne may be a simulation, but much like in the mansion, there truly would be times where she would have no choice but to kill someone, because it was the right thing to do.

Because it was what needed to be done.

"Come on, Rebecca. Let's finish this. Gascoigne died a long time ago… so let's give him whatever measure of peace we can give to him."

Rebecca stared at her… and then nodded, rising up to.

"You're right. Let's end this."

And in these words, they turned around, walking towards the gravestone towards Yharnam.

Missing the mixed look of pride and sadness on Aeon's face as they did.

This time, Jill and Rebecca weren't greeted by a maddened Father Gascoigne, but by a beastly roar from his beast self, a second before he charged at them.

Jill immediately rushed in, blades swiftly cutting through the air towards the abomination in front of her, while Rebecca stayed back, choosing instead to provide support by sending the occasional fireball at the beast or healing spell at Jill.

One thing they quickly noticed was that the beastly version of Father Gascoigne was stronger… but far less smart or agile, and that despite his newfound strength, it was actually easier to fight the beast version of Gascoigne rather than the Hunter himself.

In no small part thanks to Quickening, which once proved its value by letting them more easily dodge the strong but wild swings of their beastly foe.

Finally, Jill rolled under a wild swing of Gacoigne's claws, slashing at his feet to make him stumble, and Rebecca used the opening given to her by sending a fireball at his face.

Gascoigne promptly roared in pain-

And then froze, before collapsing on the ground as Jill stood tall behind him, blades crossed after having cut his head off.

For several long seconds, the two women stared at the decapitated corpse, before Jill relaxed, eyes closing as she sighed deeply.

The corpse of their foe turned into white fog before disappearing, and Jill nodded grimly.

"I was right. Killing Gascoigne really wasn't the same as killing the Cleric Beast."

"Yeah." softly agreed Rebecca, looking sadly at the ground where the man's corpse had been.

"The Cleric Beast didn't leave any orphans behind without anyone to watch over them in this damned city."

Jill closed her fist, feeling the newfound strength of her arm as she did so.

Rebecca had chosen to become more skillful with her axe, but Jill had spread the Blood Echoes between strength and agility, and she could once again feel the difference.

She felt lighter on her feet, and the weights of her swords and grenade launcher were almost non-existent now.

What really left her thoughtful were the flashes of memory of the life of Father Gascoigne, of what she could see of the life of a Hunter of Yharnam.

Gascoigne had been a good man, with a family he loved dearly, and yet…

And yet, the bloodlust had gotten to him, in the end, like so many others.

She better understood what it was, exactly, that Aeon had put an end to that night he had become a Hunter of the Dream.

She could see it, feel the despair mixed with grim determination of Father Gascoigne to keep going for as long as possible, to try and help protect the city, and through that, protect his family to the bitter end.

What memories she could see were filled with a heavy fog of despair mixed with Bloodlust shackled barely by willpower, and it showed quite well just how bad the situation in Yharnam had been for a long, long time.

The Hunters of Yharnam, despite all of their strength and will, were barely capable of holding back the tides of beasts, and by the time Aeon had arrived, Yharnam had been nothing but a shadow of its former glory.

But through those same memories, Jill could properly understand the immensity and difficulty of the task that was saving Yharnam from the plague of beasts, and the fact that Aeon succeeded…

It gave her hope. If Aeon could accomplish essentially by himself what countless hunters could not, when all was already thought to be lost, then Raccoon City had far better odds of survival than Yharnam did.

So Jill nodded to Oedon, exchanged a look with Rebecca, and then began walking towards the tombstone leading to Yharnam.

Aeon had given them the emblem they needed to access the Cathedral Wards, so they would be able to go straight there.

And then finally, they would be able to fight Vicar Amelia.

Or her beast self, at least.

Rebecca and Jill stared at the tentacled humanoid… thing, whose burned out, electrocuted corpse was left smoking before them.

It had attacked them out of nowhere, creating some kind of Arcane binding spell that had trapped Jill before charging at Rebecca, who had freaked out by the unexpected attack (and at the Arcane spell catching Jill) and responded by unleashing an overpowered fireball at it.

Then Jill had broken free, and added a lightning spell to Rebecca's fireball while cursing loudly.

Which left them with this charred corpse in front of them.

Rebecca cautiously stepped closer, taking a good look at the thing before grimacing.

"Shit. That's a brainsucker."

Jill's eyes went wide.

"Wait, as in-"

"Not quite a literal brainsucker, but more like… well, from Aeon's stories, they trap people with Arcane spells, and then literally 'suck' the Insight that someone possesses out of them."

Jill blinked.

"How does that even work?"

Rebecca shrugged. "No idea. We can ask later. For now, we should keep going."

"Right."

"Giants! Of course there has to be giants!" shouted Jill, Quickening away from the massive axe the giant garbed with the clothes of the Healing Church tried to kill her with.

"Less shouting, more killing!" replied Rebecca, lobbing grenades at the massive monster in front of them.

"On it!"

Jill Quickened up to the giant's right knee while it stumbled from the grenades hitting it, then Quickened up to his shoulder, before jamming her own grenade launcher into the open mouth of the giant.

"Why don't you eat this, instead!"

And then she pulled the trigger.

Seconds later, Jill blinked, staring up at Rebecca who was looking at her with a glare while her hands glowed with the obvious signs of healing magic.

"Next time, think a bit more before following Aeon's advice of 'If it's big, shoot a grenade into its mouth', will you? Like, for example, not being close to the ensuing explosion?" the young woman growled with narrowed green eyes.

Jill looked down, noticing she was on the ground, utterly drenched in blood, and not far from where she laid was the headless corpse of the giant she had been trying to kill.

She blinked again, understanding that the explosion of the giant's head had sent her flying back and probably knocked her out.

"Oh."

Rebecca snorted. "Yes, 'Oh' indeed."

Jill and Rebecca opened the doors of the Grand Cathedral, before pausing on the threshold.

This was it. They had fought maddened Yharnamite militias, Church Giants, Church servants, beasts, a Cleric Beast, a fallen Hunter and so much more.

And neither of them was going to mention their trip down into the sewers.

Nothing happened there.

NOTHING.

… That was their story, and they were going to stick to it.

They had ammo, Blood Vials, weapons and everything ready.

They were ready.

After one last look between them, they stepped forward, faint whispers reaching them as they walked up the stairs.

"Remain wary of the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young."

"Were it not for fear, death would go unlamented."

"Seek the Old Blood."

"Let us pray, let us wish... to partake in communion."

"Let us partake in communion... and feast upon the Old Blood."

"Our thirst for blood satiates us, soothes our fears."

"Seek the Old Blood."

"But beware the frailty of men. Their wills are weak, minds young."

"The foul beasts will dangle nectar and lure the meek into the depths."

"Remain wary of the frailty of men..."

Mid-way to their target, she began convulsing, and they stared in grim horror as Vicar Amelia suddenly erupted in an explosion of blood and gore…

Which was still less shocking than the size of the beast Vicar Amelia had turned into.

True, they remembered her from Aeon's memories, but still!

"She's bigger than a truck!" Rebecca exclaimed loudly.

"I know. It doesn't matter. We need to kill her." grimly replied Jill, who, despite her words, was so tightly holding her grenade launcher that her knuckles became white.

Rebecca was right, this beast was big. Much bigger than even that damned Cleric Beast!

And then it moved, and both women Quickened out of her way with wide eyes as they barely avoided being crushed.

"Damn she's fast! How can something so big be so fast?!"

"Don't know, don't care! Just kill it!" shouted Jill, lobbing grenades at the monster.

Rebecca swiftly followed suit, but their eyes widened again when their grenades were sent back after a spectacularly loud roar from Amelia, forcing them to doge.

The next volley of grenades suffered the same fate, and the one after that, and Jill cursed.

"Alright, plan B! Fire Magic!"

"On it!" shouted Rebecca, putting her grenade launcher on her back before throwing fireballs at Vicar Amelia, Jill doing the same a second later.

Only for all of their fireballs to be sent back at them too!

"Fucking damn it!" cursed Jill, barely avoiding one of her own fireballs. "Alright fine, let's switch magics!"

Both women began throwing deadly Wind and Earth spells, even calling on Blood Magic too, only for the vast majority of the spells to be sent back at them.

And then Vicar Amelia began throwing massive chunks of stones from the ground of the Grand Cathedral at them, and the entire fight dissolved into utter chaos.

The only reason they haven't died yet was Quickening, which allowed them to break their bodies down into fog to better avoid being hit.

"It's not working either!" shouted Rebecca.

"I can see that!" screamed Jill back, a fierce scowl on her face.

"Remind me, how did Aeon kill this thing again?" wondered Rebecca.

Jill opened her mouth.

And then she closed it.

"I've got a crazy plan!" she shouted back, dodging a thrown rock the size of her torso.

"Is it one Aeon would approve of?"

"Most likely, yes!"

"Fuck it, his plans are crazy but they work! Somehow! I'll cover you, you go kill this bitch!"

Jill laughed. "Deal!"

And then she charged.

Amelia's head immediately snapped towards her, baring long fangs bigger than her arms, but the thrown rocks suddenly focused on Rebecca only, the beast's head focused towards Jill.

Jill grinned viciously in return, blue eyes cold.

Alright, at worst, I'll die and be sent back to the Dream. At best, I will kill this bitch. Let's do this!

Amelia slammed her massive arms on the ground, Jill barely Quickening out of the way in time, before using Earth magic to propel herself upwards.

Amelia promptly lunged towards her, maw snapping shut barely a hairbreadth away from Jill who took hold of her long white fur and used it to get up on her head.

And then she took out her Blades of Mercy, infused them with fire-

And stabbed them deep into Amelia's head before sending the flames downward into the beast's brain.

Amelia roared in agony, shaking herself widely for a few seconds, before collapsing onto the ground, one last death rattle escaping her before she died, disappearing into white fog.

For a moment, both women simply stared at the spot where Vicar Amelia used to be… and then they fell to the ground, panting heavily while sweat fell down their faces.

"I… don't think I could… summon even a candlelight right now…" whispered Rebecca, in between gasps for air.

Jill groaned. "Aeon was right… Umbrella's monsters and the t-Virus got nothing on Yharnam's beasts."

For over a minute, they laid on the cold ground, breathing hard.

And then they noticed an unlit lantern, having appeared near the altar of the Grand Cathedral.

"We did it." whispered Rebecca, a slow smile spreading across her lips.

"We fucking did it!" she shouted.

"Yeah! Take that, Yharnam! The next generation of Huntresses will kick your eldritch asses!" cheered Jill, before she looked at herself with a grimace.

"But first, shower and at least a dozen hours of sleep-"

There was a great rumbling, making Rebecca jump on her feet with alarm.

"What was that?!"

"...On second thought," declared Jill with a blush "A meal would be good, too…"

Rebecca blinked, before she heard her own stomach growling.

"... That's a great idea. Do you think we could convince Aeon to make more chocolate mousse?"

"I knew I loved you for a reason, Rebecca!"

I stared with amusement mixed with pride at the two women currently devouring their chocolate mousses with the kind of passion usually seen in starving lions being offered meat.

Considering this was after a rather heavy dinner, this was really saying something about how hungry they were.

Still, the look on their faces when they came back to see the victory feast I had cooked for them had been well worth it, to say nothing of the rather passionate kisses I got from both women as thanks.

Being highly intelligent and skilled (and being able to see the future) helped for many things, and that included knowing how to make one's lovers happy.

And besides, they earned it. They fought through the streets of Yharnam, successfully killing many beasts few hunters could have hoped to slay even after decades of experience.

Yes, they had modern weapons and training in magic, and some in the Arcane (though I made sure to not teach them any of the Arcane spells calling on an Eldritch god's help. I had no idea what would happen if someone called on them from RE! Earth, and I really didn't want to find out the hard way.), but it didn't change the fact that they had done very good work.

Besides, Hunters didn't care about fairness. We only cared about results, and they delivered.

So a victory feast was the least I could give them.

Though there was something else I wanted to give them…

Once they finished eating, both women showing utterly satisfied expressions on their faces, I stood up, drawing their gazes immediately.

"Stand up." I ordered firmly.

Their eyes widened, and they immediately did so.

I looked at them, expression serious, while Oedon and Lucy watched on in silence.

With the left hand I summoned the Burial Blade, with the left the Holy Moonlight Sword.

"Tell me, what have you learned of the foes you fought in Yharnam?"

They glanced at one another, before Rebecca spoke up.

"The first and third beasts were about the dangers of religious belief being taken too far, and on the consequences of seeking power at all costs, even at the cost of one's own humanity, weren't they?"

I nodded. "Amongst other things, yes. And the second?"

"That even good people can be corrupted. That even protectors can fall. And that sometimes… the only thing that you can do is fight, and keep fighting for what is right, even without hope of victory." softly declared Jill.

I nodded again, satisfied. The simulation hadn't been meant only as a way to test the skills and strength of Jill and Rebecca, but also to teach them some valuable lessons about life as a Hunter and some tidbits of wisdom in general.

That Rebecca focused on those with power using it for evil was no surprise considering her own views of groups like Umbrella, and Jill's comment about fallen or corrupted protectors mixed with standing up against evil showed off her experiences in the mansion and in the upcoming outbreak… to say nothing of the war against Umbrella and others like them in general.

There were other lessons that could have been learned, but it did not surprise me those were what they got out of this.

So with that said…

"Kneel." I ordered.

They blinked but did as asked, and I put my sword on each of their right shoulders.

"I name you Hunters of the Dream, with all the duties and privileges that this entails. Do me proud, Jill Valentine, Rebecca Chambers… or know that your left shoulders will feel the weight of the Burial Blade an instant before I take your heads off for whatever crimes that would have warranted your deaths." I declared coldly.

The two of them shivered slightly, their eyes going to the blade of the scythe in my left hand, before looking away.

I moved the tip of the Holy Moonlight Sword in a certain pattern in the air before both women, a glowing symbol looking much like the Hunter's Rune appearing, but with a sun on top of the rune.

It was my own personal rune in the language of the Great Ones, symbolizing the Greatness awaiting those who surpassed their weaknesses, who, through their own strength of will, successfully avoided the easy path of ruin and instead took the harder path towards a greater destiny.

I suspected the reason it was represented by a sun was due to both my victory over the Moon Presence, my current divine dominion over the cosmos, and a representation of successfully bringing about a Yharnamite sunrise for the people of Yharnam by ending the Night of the Hunt.

Well that, or my true self messing around for its own entertainment. Could be either, really.

The symbols flew to the women's foreheads, glowing brighter for a moment before fading away.

Both women inhaled sharply, no doubt feeling their strength growing as a result of that rune.

The closer the person's beliefs and morals were to my own, the more strength they would receive.

More than that, anyone with that rune who stood up to Evil, no matter what kind, would be granted power depending on the amount of power that Evil possessed.

It had a limit, but the basic logic of it was that even a mortal man, depending on a number of factors, could be made into a godslayer in the right circumstances.

Of course, the stronger the one with that symbol, the stronger the potential benefits. Someone who knows how to swing a sword would become stronger physically, but someone who knows how to use a sword and magic would be stronger physically and magically.

And it worked with any kind of power, since it essentially worked by boosting the already present capabilities of someone on a scale depending on both the evil fought and the power held by the person fighting that evil.

From a certain point of view, it was essentially a rune which bridged the gap between those with their potential unrealized and those with their potential already harnessed in anyone it was connected to, to ensure greater odds of survival of anyone fighting a foe stronger than they currently were, so that they could live on to achieve that potential.

And as for those who already were pretty old and experienced, it could give a flat boost in power to help.

Of course, it was focused on situations where an evil stronger than you threatened your life, so if you are fighting someone on your level, the boost would be minimal.

It had other uses too, for example I would not want to be the person trying to mess with the mind of someone who had that rune, and anyone evil trying to make use of it was essentially committing an eleborate form of suicide, but this was one of its more important uses.

In any case, now that the formalities were done and over with, I put my weapons back in my Inventory and smiled warmly.

"And that's it! Congratulations once again, you two did great!"

Both new huntresses of the Dream blinked, before standing up, shaking their heads slightly.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect something so… formal from you, Aeon. You're usually not one for that, right?" wondered Jill.

I nodded. "Normally I am not, but you are the first of the next generation Hunters of the Dream. One day, I will have civilizations praying to me as their god. As such, I decided that it would be… appropriate, to have at least something of a formal recognition of your new status. Your names will be remembered for eons to come, after all, so you needed something a bit stronger than a mere pat on the back and a 'Good job!' from me."

Both women blinked, looking rather overwhelmed by the thought of having their names be known by potentially millions of people across the world (though I almost snorted at the thought. Ah, millions. It would be more accurate to add a few dozen zeros...across the worlds in the multiverse. But then again, they weren't used to thinking on cosmic scales.) so I decided to completely break the tension that had fallen on the room at my little display.

So I grinned widely at them.

"No then, let's talk about everything you did right or wrong during your time in Yharnam and what kind of remedial training you need, yes?" I said, snapping my fingers and showing images of their time in the simulated Yharnam.

Including what happened in the sewers.

Ah, those sweet, sweet looks of utter horror as they stared at the images was like nectar for me…

"You never said you would be able to see everything that happened during that simulation!" Rebecca cried out.

I tilted my head innocently, blinking and putting a finger on my lower lip.

"I didn't? Ooops, sorry!"

Yep, truly delicious… I thought smugly at the faces they were making towards me.

Really, it was their own fault for falling for the occasional insinuations that I made that I wouldn't be able to watch over them!

Look underneath the underneath, my cute little students!

Omake: What if Aeon had taught Jill and Rebecca all the Arcane Spells he learned in Bloodborne?

Jill narrowed her eyes at Vicar Amelia's beast, scowling deeply.

Their magic didn't work as well as they had hoped, so they needed to try something else…

Then again, there was one kind of magic they had yet to use… she thought.

"Cover me, Rebecca!" she shouted.

"On it!" replied Rebecca, who immediately intensified the number of magic spells sent Amelia's way.

Jill put her hands above her head, focusing.

She had learned the theory, though this would be the first time she would actually use this Arcane spell.

For a moment, nothing happened, and sweat fell down Jill's face.

Come on, come on, work already-

And then several Arcane Stars appeared above her, before flying towards Amelia.

Jill grinned with satisfaction, hearing Amelia's pained roars as the Arcane Stars hit her body and exploded-

And then Jill screamed, faintly hearing Rebecca doing the same, as a portal of some kind appeared nearby, something falling through which caused both women to fall to the ground with raging headaches and pained groans.

Amelia took one look at the newcomer and roared, only to receive a literal barrage of Arcane Stars in return which swiftly reduced her to a bloody smear on the ground.

Then the newly arrived Great One looked around.

CURIOSITY/INTEREST/FAMILIARITY?

Meanwhile, several portals opened all around Yharnam.

And as Jill struggled to remain conscious despite the pounding in her head, she thought she faintly heard something in the distance resembling…

… SMUG?

I held my head in my hands, groaning softly.

At my side, Lucy had an unfocused look in her glowing blue eyes, staring at something only she could see, while Oedon calmly sipped at her tea, before putting down her teacup with a small smile.

"Well, that is a most interesting and unexpected development, don't you think so, my love?"

I groaned loudly.

The glow in Lucy's eyes faded.

"So, there is this old friend of yours who would like to see you. Something about 'meeting her puny Hunter?'"

I raised my head from my hands, glaring into the distance.

Atop the simulated Oedon Chapel, a massive spider-like being twitched.

It turned its body slightly upwards, and somehow, anyone watching would be capable of feeling a sensation of immense amusement exuding from the giant spider.

A feeling only accentuated by what happened next.

GREATER SMUGNESS