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(A.N. Just realized that I've been calling the firekeeper's mask a blindfold... I'm sure some have you have already grilled me about it before arriving here. I'll start calling it a mask from now on.)

"An obsession with blood? Haha, ok then, I'll show you some." Diluc laughed as he summoned a short iron dagger and slit his wrist. He didn't feel the pain at all.

"Wha-" Matsuo was flabbergasted but was interrupted by Himiko jumping off his lap and getting closer to inspect the crimson fluid.

"Ohhhh. It's so much more beautiful than the other blood I've seen. It's so red! The smell is intoxicating!" Himiko got into a yandere pose as she caught a whiff of the blood. Her eyes were becoming clouded like she was being hypnotized.

"Hey, hey! Stop that!" Matsuo tried to intervene.

"Why? She wants to see blood and I don't feel the pain, just let her see the blood." Diluc blew off Matsuo's words.

Himiko got so close to the blood, she herself was convinced she was going to slurp it up, but before she could, Matsuo grabbed Himiko and dragged her outside.

"Which school do you go to?" Himiko shouted to Diluc.

"Izanagi preschool!" Diluc shouted back.

(A.N. Yeah, original amirite?)

The door shut and Diluc was now in the room alone. Seeing the time, he knew that the time for his session had expired so he simply walked out and found his mom.

"Hey darling, how was it?" Inko asked Diluc.

"It was alright, I think I made another friend my age." He replied. This was something he'd soon come to regret as she began asking questions like a machine gun throughout the car ride home.

Unknown to him, the Toga household was full of arguments between Papa Toga and Mama Toga.

"If there's a boy that can satiate her urge for blood, why don't we send her to his school?" Mama Toga shouted.

"Because we want to get rid of her need for blood not feed it!" Papa Toga shouted back. Unfortunately, Himiko was stuck in the middle of this discussion, she knew better than anyone how strong her urge was, it couldn't be extinguished, only fed.

"Who's we? I want her to be happy and be able to be herself! She can even become a hero with her quirk!" Mama Toga counterargued.

"She can't be a hero if she's drinking blood! That's a villains quirk!" Papa Toga was becoming increasingly angry. He wanted to suppress her while Mama Toga just wanted her daughter to stay the same.

Himiko's quirk and thirst for blood had been a point of domestic arguments for a long time. For a psychologist, Matsuo was surprisingly terrible at understanding what is best for Toga. And these arguments have ramped up ever since Himiko came home and told her mom about her new friend that let her watch his blood flow.

"Who cares if it's a villain's quirk if it can help people? You can't even look past that for your daughter?" she continued to argue her point. Unfortunately, Matsuo was no longer listening to reason.

"Well, what are you gonna do? You gonna run away with her? Do you really think the law will keep a villain with you and not with a trained psychologist?" He continued shouting. Thankfully, this is not the first time Papa Toga had said something like this in their arguments. And thankfully, Mama Toga is quite smart. She had been recording this whole conversation on her phone in her pocket.

"Himiko, pack your things, we're going to grandmas." Mama Toga spoke to Himiko, she had gotten enough evidence to prove to court that she was the more suitable guardian. Himiko nodded and gathered her stuff, this has happened many times before so she was familiar with the process.

Within 2 minutes, they were both outside in Mama Toga's car making their way to grandma's. Looking into the living room window, they could see Matsuo drinking alcohol while watching T.V. not paying attention to his family fleeing. He never hit either of him but he was still a bastard.

All this happened unknown to Diluc who was currently walking up to an elevator. Getting closer, the elevator came up and stopped, in front of him stood a short man with onion armour.

"Hmm...Mmmmmm...Hmm... Mmm...Oh! Pardon me, I was absorbed in thought. I am Siegward of Catarina. To be honest, I'm in a bit of a pickle. Have you ever walked near a white birch, only to be struck by a great arrow? Well, if I'm not mistaken, they come from this tower. Whoever it is, I'm sure I can talk some sense into them. But I have to find a way up, and that's just the trouble. This lift only goes down, you see, and... Well, that doesn't get me anywhere... Hmm... Mmm..."

"Take a step back, I think I know how it works." Diluc requested. Siegward nodded and stepped back from the elevator. He stepped on the pressure plate that sent the elevator down and quickly jumped off. It went down and from above came another elevator.

"Ah... I see, quite the confusing contraption. I must thank you for showing me the solution!" Siegward got excited and got on the elevator to go up without any further words.

Diluc decided to wait a while before going up himself.

At the top of the tower, he found a giant with a large bow and equally large arrows.

"Hey buddy. I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot at me while I'm walking around the place." Diluc told the giant.

"Ok. I will help you." He said in response, it was low and the words were dragged out.

"Thanks buddy. I'll be back later with some booze as thanks!" He said as he boarded the elevator down. The giant shot at everything that looked like a hollow, anyone that asked him to stop shooting at him would be ignored from his target practice in the future.

Diluc wasn't sure if he should interact with Siegward or not. He decided that it couldn't hurt to grow attached to a character that would most definitely die and stepped off the elevator.

He navigated the scaffolding and found Siegward with his legs over the edge of a building watching a flaming demon. Diluc approached him.

"On some days, I begin to doubt myself. I went up the tower, so I thought, then somehow ended up here. I'm not exactly sure what happened. Anyhow, do you see that? That humungous beast. I'm no coward, and I've a steady hand, but that thing makes my skin crawl. Now, now, think twice before you go down that road."

"How about we both kill it? Surely, we'll be able to do it if it's two against one." Suggested Diluc. It's not like the beast was as strong as any of the bosses he had fought so far.

"Hmm... Mmmmmmm... Understood. We will strike it down! To Battle!" Seigward shouted as he ran down to the demon. Diluc was slightly shocked by him rushing in so quickly and was a step behind but caught up fast because of the difference in armor.

The battle was hard-fought, not because it was difficult but because Diluc had to keep saving Seigward. He wasn't able to respawn according to Diluc's memory which made it more difficult than it needed to.

In fact, Seigward was almost killed. The demon hit Diluc which caused him to go flying and wasn't in range to take a hit for him.

Fortunately, both of them had spoken to a friendly giant. A large arrow penetrated the demon's chest, almost killing it. Diluc finished it off with some attacks from his friendly long sword which ended its life.

Diluc felt a stream of souls enter his body from the death of the mini-boss and sighed in relief. Seigward sits down and talks.

"That was quite the performance. But you mustn't get in over your head. We Unkindled must put our duties first. But for the moment, we've a toast to make. To your valor, my sword, and our victory together. Long may the Sun shine!" He takes out a Seigbrau and shoots it into the air with a yell of joy. He also gives one to Diluc who joins him.

After Seigward goes to sleep, Diluc returns to the top of the tower and gives a Seigbrau to the gentle giant.

"Thanks buddy. Not sure if Seigward would've made it out if not for you." Diluc praised the giant.

"You're welcome..." The giant replies and drinks the Seigbrau in one sip.

After spending some time with the giant which was mostly just watching him snipe hollows from hundreds of meters away, Diluc returned to the firelink shrine.

Before going to speak to the firekeeper, he goes to a throne on the left side of the firelink shrine.

On it is a disabled old-looking boy. Before he has the chance to speak, Diluc simply hands him the Transposing Kiln.

"I was told you could make use of this." He says to the man.

"Oh, belike it is… a transposing kiln in thy possession. Seen better days, but, methinks it shall suffice. Now bring me a twisted soul. Transposition is the art of extracting, and coalescing the essence of a soul. In transposing a twisted soul, its true power transferreth to thee. Thy purpose is to seek Lords, and slay them. What's to fear in a little transpositon, now?" Ludleth speaks.

"I have some right here Ludleth." Diluc pulls out some strong souls. The souls of the Cursed Greatwood and Vordt. Unfortunately, Iudex didn't give a soul that could be transposed.

With those souls, he gained 'Pontiff's Left Eye" and "Hollowslayer Greatsword". To Diluc, the ultra greatswords left the biggest impression on him, beating enemies with the largest weapons to ever exist was awesome, and that's what he's building towards.

With his new weapon and ring equipped, he decided to once again see his future wife.