The Beast, much more menacing than Vince could have ever envisioned, towered above him. Even when slightly hunched over, it was still well over three meters tall. It's long body, vaguely resembling that of a snake, was made of what seemed like an enormous human spine and covered in patches of thin skin hanging down like old, worn-out bandages. Unlike real snakes were the creature's dissimilar four arms, a pair for each side. Thin, long limbs on the front were made for hunting as suggested by the scythed claws. Ones on the back meanwhile, much shorter and muscular, most likely served as a means of movement. Something to drag the rest of the unholy frame around. The devil's small head was barely visible, covered almost entirely by a thick, black mane. Only a pair of uneven, hollow eyes peeked out from underneath, staring mindlessly at its prey.
With his demise, in shape of the bloodied claws, inching closer and closer, Vince only grew more and more detached. Obediently awaiting the killing blow for what felt like hours, he saw the world around him slowly fade. Transforming eventually into an unknown void of boundless black. Enshrouded by this darkness, awfully reminiscent of being cast underwater, he heard nothing, smelled nothing, and felt next to nothing. The Daylight Beast was the only entity he was still able to somehow perceive, but as time went on, deciding whether it was truly there or not became a different matter altogether. Somewhere along the way, a grim idea sparked in Vince's mind. Maybe he was already long gone? If so, maybe the monster too, was just a figment of his imagination. An effigy burned into the brain at the very last second?
'I hope everyone managed to escape.'
He thought to himself, making use of what remained from his quickly escaping consciousness. As for who was everyone and what they were supposed to escape… He unexpectedly found himself rather unsure.
Sinking even deeper into the abyss with each passing minute, Vince's memory got all foggy. Desperately trying to recall anything, any point of his life, no matter if it was good or bad, he saw only blurred-out, fragmented scenes. Filled only with faceless, indistinguishable figures. Eventually, even his own name seemed to somehow elude him.
'Who am I?'
'Where am I?'
Asking questions was much easier than coming up with answers for them. The hopelessness of it all was overwhelming and as everything that built his sense of self was lost one after another, he contemplated just letting it all go. After all, why should he struggle that much? Wasn't it all already decided? If he was able to accept his weakness so long ago, why should he stand so opposed to it right now?
Welcoming this dark fate, Vince finally closed his eyes and decided to make that frightening leap. The results, however, were nowhere near what he could have envisioned. As he came in contact with the bottom of the void, it unexpectedly spoke back at him.
"Not… yet."
A distorted voice echoed, as Vince's body was brought to a sudden halt. With it, both his memories and senses came flooding right back. Clearer and sharper than ever before.
"You are not allowed to perish yet."
It continued in an increasingly aggressive tone. What followed it this time was a feeling of flames, quickly engulfing the young Hound's flesh and bones. His fingers stretched out and bloodshot eyes opened up wide. The landscape of the abyss cracked at first, then shattered completely like glass. Its remains vanished just as fast, swooped away by the soft wind. What hid behind it was a nearly forgotten, cloudless blue sky, which welcomed him surprisingly warmly. Vince had no clue as to why and how, but one way or another, he was back amongst the living.
'A Hallucination?'
He wondered, surprisingly logically for someone who was just about to cross the line between life and death. Humans tend to experience a vast number of strange phenomena when put under immense stress. Conjuring a whole other dimension was surely a bit out there, but it wasn't completely outside the realm of possibilities. Vince hung onto that explanation and stubbornly muffled all potential doubts. Whatever the truth may be, he had no intention of facing it anytime soon. Once the smoke clears, he will have all the time in the world to ponder about this strange experience. For now, there were other, much more important things he should focus on. Smelling a strong stench of blood and hearing the unsettling sound of ripped flesh it was made apparent. Just a few meters further a battle still raged on.
"I have to help"
He muttered, slowly raising his head and trying to move off the rubble that still pinned him to the ground. This unfortunately brought to his attention another, not-so-good revelation. Adrenaline and confusion must have dulled the sensation, but Vince was in fact wounded. Pretty badly at that…
'Damn it'
Three slashes of the Beast's claws covered his entire torso, after piercing right through the frail armor with no issue. Fortunately, cuts on the flesh didn't look all that deep, but nevertheless crystals of black blood, a trademark of Vince's improper regeneration, already began poking outside.
'How long was I unconscious?'
The young Hound asked himself, laying hands on the crystals and debating whether he should rip them off or restrain himself from it for now. He felt no pain but knew very well that leaving these wounds unattended for too long would have horrible consequences. He needed medical attention, and he needed it fast.
Frantically shifting his gaze upwards, he could see the ongoing fight. Things were looking grim, to say the least. One of the hunters laid motionless on the other side of the street. His left shoulder and a small chunk of his head were crushed completely, grotesquely painting the wall behind with real, red blood. He was dead. There was no doubt about that, and from what Vince saw, a similar fate probably awaited the other Hound. For now, he seemed to go toe to toe with the monster, trading blows almost equally. With every other strike, however, it was clear that should one of them fall. It would definitely be the man.
'I have to help… I have to…'
Vince repeated to himself, once again gathering all his strength to try to get back on his feet. Blood poured from fresh wounds, his nose and mouth, but he pushed through it.
'I was meant to die anyway. Let it be just me then'
Pushing his strength close to its limits, he managed to finally rise up and a little later, regain some of his balance too. As he reached for the sword, however, a wave of dull pain spread through his entire body. At first, he nearly folded over, struggling to even breathe in, but with a little time, the crippling sensation somehow passed. After that, with not a single second more to spare, he bent his knees and prepared to join the fight. If there was one time he had to pretend his weakness did not exist, it was today. Right here and right now. Hunter's pride sparked in his eyes and with no regard for his well-being, he swiftly leaped forward. In a flash, the young Hound appeared next to one of the Beast's back arms and aimed a confident blow. The slash was extended, fast as lightning, and the creature suffered its damage. The disgusting sound of flesh suddenly coming apart rang in Vince's ears and a bit of black blood sprayed onto his dusted face. Furthermore, the unlikely lead was followed. Matching the speed of his predecessor, the other Hound flashed forward and delivered a cut of his own, aimed appropriately at the adversary's opposite limb. Unprepared for it, the Beast swayed left and right, before letting out an ear-shattering screech.
Forced to cover their ears, both hunters were unable to continue their assault and instinctively took a few steps back. Making some space seemed like a good enough course of action, but unfortunately, Hounds greatly underestimated just how tough the Daylight Beast really was. While the roar still echoed, the creature suddenly lunged forward, raising one of its arms high into the air, telegraphing a mighty slam directed at the closest target — Vince.
The young Hound had no time to dodge and instead decided to brace for impact. He fell on one knee and held his sword high. As lackluster of preparation as it was, Vince astonishingly managed to block the attack. Still, the unbelievable strength dazed him horribly.
"Ugh!"
He groaned, hanging his head low and seeing some of his blood drip onto the cobblestone. The other Hound tried to step in, but despite his best efforts, proved to be a little too slow. The Beast swiped the ground with its other arm, catching the man off guard and sending him flying. Vince did not witness the strike but heard clearly how the body of his companion slammed into the bricks. Furious, he gritted his teeth and tried hard to push the Beast's arm off of himself. Sadly, his own strength was clearly nowhere near enough. In an act of desperation, a last-ditch effort. For the first time in years, Vince called upon the Patrons, praying for his comrade's health.
'Let him survive. Let him be safe.'
The Beast meanwhile, displayed no intention of giving up, rather it pressed down even harder. Pushing himself to the utmost limit and hearing his bones rattle, the young Hound still fought bravely. No amount of courage and persistence, however, seemed to outweigh the raw strength of the devil's hand. Eventually falling on both knees, Vince's eyes filled with tears. Even with a second chance, he made no difference.
'Endure it! You have to!'
He kept repeating in his head over and over again. Hoping foolishly that the strength of character will somehow translate into just a little bit of real power. However, as the Beast's claws enclosed him and dug themselves into his back, this fantasy only proved all the more worthless. With all hope lost, Vince let out an agonizing scream. The pain of both old and new wounds and the monstrous force crushing him slowly but surely, were something he couldn't bear for much longer. The death he seemingly once escaped, loomed over him once again like a famished vulture.
Dangerously close to resigning, Vince's eyes wandered off, but what appeared before them this time wasn't the black void. It was still a miracle, but much more familiar and much more real. A dark crimson entity resembling an absurdly overgrown centipede slithered past him, making its way onto the Beast's arm. It quickly wrapped itself around it and a moment later, ravenously bit into the filthy flesh. A scream of pain echoed once more, but this time it didn't belong to the Hound. A few seconds passed and as more and more centipedes appeared, one after another, Vince felt the Beast's strength diminish greatly. All to the point where the roles reversed completely and what cowered unsightly on the ground was his soon-to-be executioner.
"Stand down. You did great."
A rough but no less gentle voice spoke to Vince, as its owner passed by, patting him lightly on the shoulder. It was a tall young man with short, dark hair and round glasses. His uniform was outstandingly well-kept, the same as his armor and weapon. All that complete with a pair of striking, red gloves and an almost royal-like aura. At first, he appeared as more of a church official, rather than a Hound, but Vince even in the dead of night would never mistake that person for someone else. Who stood before him now was none other than the Hound's Red Reaper. Third-generation Zachary in the flesh.
"Forgive me."
Vince whispered in a shaky tone before closing his eyes and slumping over, exhausted to the point that even holding his body straight became an almost impossible task. Yet, in another stroke of luck, just before he could hit the ground, someone caught and held him.
"Dear Gods… Vince? Are you alright? Hey?!"
This gentle touch and a soft, melodic voice too, were a characteristic he could always recognize. The pair he grew up and trained with. The only two people who never ostracized him. His only brother and sister.
"Check on the others… Would you Cass?"
Vince had no strength left to as much as open his eyes. Despite that, he knew exactly what Clarissa looked like at this very moment. Her long, dark purplish hair was probably tied up in a high ponytail and her violet eyes looked at him like they always did, with a strange mix of care and frustration. Throughout all these years she hasn't changed one bit. When they were young Zachary used to sometimes say, that Cass was never a girl, that she was born as a full-grown woman.
"Can't you worry about yourself for once?! Have you seen what you look like?!"
"Cass… Please."
The older sister did not answer this time. Unlike Vince, she could clearly see that there was no one to check up on. The fate was twisted and as unlikely as it was, from the three Hounds who fought this battle, somehow the weakest one, was the sole survivor… Breaking this news didn't come to her easily, but the truth was always one of her saint-like virtues. For some reason, lies just couldn't pass through her lips.
"You're the only one left."
She exclaimed with great sorrow, coming close to tearing up as she watched Vince's face twist in anguish.
"I'm sorry. If only we had come here sooner."
"Don't. It is not your fault."
Vince answered, gripping his friend's hand. His eyes opened up slightly, letting a few tears run down his bloodied cheeks. If there was someone who should take the blame for these two lost lives it was definitely him. It was his curse, that rubbed onto them and extinguished their flames. No one else should carry that responsibility… Besides him.
"It's all taken care of now."
He added after a short pause, directing both of their gazes at Zachary, who took it upon himself to face off with the Daylight Beast.
Although to be honest, it could hardly even be called a fight. It was a hunt in its purest form. The Beast didn't really clash with the Reaper, rather it was relentlessly hunted down by him. Using his Blood Sacrifice to summon forth one centipede after another, Zachary must have decided to enact revenge for the fallen, and show the vile creature just how it feels to, for a change, be on the receiving end. The scarlet vermin crawled all over the monster's body, chewing on its filthy flesh and violently ripping it to shreds in the process. Overlooking the execution, the so-called reaper displayed no emotion. What took place before his eyes, he considered to be nothing more than a causal part of the relation between cause and effect. The cause being the Beast's audacity to appear here today and the effect — its merciless demise. Zachary's expression shifted only when the time came, to finish the Beast off. Only then, he frowned visibly and his eyes sparked with anger and disgust.
He took a step forward, ceremonially drew his sword, and raised it high. Reflecting the bright sun, the blade flashed and whistled as it was swung down. A fraction of a second before it came in contact with its target, however, the Beast's eyes lit up. The pool of black blood beneath the mutilated body boiled and in it, the monster dissipated suddenly, leaving next to no trace behind.
The Hounds stood in awe, their eyes widened with shock and fear. Blood Sacrifice… Used after suffering such extensive wounds? The atmosphere shifted. Abruptly, things became more grim than they were at the very beginning.
"What the…"
Cass broke the silence, but as quickly as she spoke, Zachary cut her off.
"We have to regroup."
He exclaimed, turning to the others. His tone was more commanding than ever before.
"We have two deceased and one critical."
"You can leave me he…"
Vince tried to butt in, but just like in Cass's case, Zachary knew exactly what he was going to say, and didn't let him finish the sentence.
"Absolutely not. We will split. Cass will help you get back to the headquarters. Once there, you will notify the higher-ups about the Beast's ability and seek medical as fast as possible. Make the church send out messengers. We have to immediately extend the patrol routes outside the Cathedral Ward. There is no accurate way to determine how far the Beast can transport."
Even if he wanted to, Vince couldn't really argue. To point out a flaw in his friend's judgment, he would have to first make up one, and then still, Zachary most likely wouldn't struggle at all with finding a fitting counterargument.
"What about you? You're going alone?"
Cass asked, in spite of the answer to her question being quite clear already.
"I'll try to gather anyone who I might come across, but for now I guess so. Time's not really on our side. I'm sure you understand that."
A moment of silence ensured. Not keen on admitting it, everyone knew that there was no other way to work around this new development. With two lives already lost, there could be no discussion about suspending the hunt. Vince's condition too, wasn't something that could be overlooked in favor of giving immediate chase. The divide was necessary, even if neither of the sides wanted it to be.
"Be careful."
Cass whispered finally, hanging her head low.
Zachary answered with only a slight nod, before swiftly turning on his heel and breaking into a sprint.
'I'll see you, once all this is over. Be safe.'
They all thought in unison, as their brief reunion came to an unavoidable, yet sorrowful end.