Sitting high in the sky on his spear Chastiefol, Alex shielded his eyes with his hand to protect them from the bright, intense crimson light emanating from Ddraig's dragon breath. Ddraig's dragon breath was so powerful and fierce that the seawater instantly evaporated within a radius of several kilometers, creating a massive cloud of steam.
The victim of this dragon breath was the Orphan of Kos, who had evolved into a gigantic monster and was now forced to fight against Ddraig. Alex watched through his fingers as the giant body of the Orphan of Kos was burned by the dragon flames. He observed the situation closely, waiting for Kos herself to appear.
From the very beginning, Alex had been carefully watching the Orphan of Kos and couldn't help but notice that the connection between Kos and her child was growing only stronger. Kos could use this link to appear at any moment. By now, Alex had already confirmed who Kos truly was. All that remained was to force her to show herself so he could see where this conversation would lead.
Meanwhile, in the cove on the sandy beach, the atmosphere was completely different. Anya, Jinx, Tina, and Nyaruko had fully enjoyed the kaiju battle from the front row. For such a spectacle, they would have traveled to any other world just to watch two colossal beings fight. But only in this place could they witness a battle between a Dragon and a horrifying God — arranged for them by their father.
By this point, Maria had already learned what the enormous red creature that emerged from the crack in the sky was. It was the first time she had ever seen a dragon, and she could feel its power — the power that had effortlessly suppressed a being like the Orphan of Kos. All Maria could do was accept the words of Alex's daughters, who unanimously repeated that it was better to just accept what was happening as the most normal part of life.
Thanks to the mind-calming spell still affecting her, Maria quickly pulled herself together. The second reason she recovered so fast was her experience as a hunter. Years of training, where she had to maintain calm and focus in any situation, allowed Maria to accept everything as it was.
Taking another deep breath, Maria looked up at the large red dragon in the sky and thought that perhaps everything that would happen from now on wouldn't seem so strange to her anymore. Her gaze slowly shifted to the barely visible silhouette sitting high in the sky — a figure that looked tiny compared to the massive red dragon and the gigantic Orphan of Kos.
Even after everything she had seen and heard, Maria's opinion of Alex hadn't changed. In her eyes, he was still the man who had helped her partially overcome her guilt and leave her cage — the Clock Tower. And that was just one of the things he had managed to do in the few hours they had known each other.
"Girls… When is your father going to finish playing with this spawn?" Alucard suddenly asked, lowering her gaze to the four gremlins.
Hearing Alucard's voice, Maria also turned her attention to the four girls, who had been loudly commenting on every moment of the battle. Even Zhang Ya calmly shifted her gaze to her daughters, waiting for an answer. Upon hearing the question from one of their mothers, Nyaruko, Jinx, Tina, and Anya looked at each other and simultaneously put on thoughtful expressions.
A moment later, Tina spread her arms, showing she had no idea what was going on. Jinx copied her mother Bekka's carefree expression and also spread her arms. Anya simply looked at Nyaruko, who definitely might know the answer. Noticing Anya staring at Nyaruko, Jinx and Tina also turned their gazes to their sister. Alucard, Maria, and Zhang Ya likewise looked at Nyaruko after the three girls fixed their eyes on her.
Nyaruko, noticing all the intense attention, became completely flustered. How could she know what her daddy was planning when she only knew that he was waiting for something? She had no idea what exactly he was waiting for. Trying to come up with the right answer, Nyaruko pressed her fingers to her temples, tilted her head to the side, and began thinking hard.
"Sweetie, your father is trying to lure out the Daughter of the Dreamer," came Nyan-Nyan's lazy voice inside Nyaruko's head.
Hearing her mother's voice in her head, Nyaruko froze for a moment and tilted her head in confusion. She didn't fully understand what her mother meant, but it was enough to give an answer.
"Thank you, Mommy," Nyaruko immediately replied with a wide smile.
"You're welcome, sweetie. And tell your father to stop using that dead bitch's power," Nyan-Nyan said in a sweet tone.
Nyaruko nodded quickly, understanding which woman her mother was talking about. She didn't understand the relationship between her mom and that bony bitch, but she definitely didn't want to know all the boring details. While Nyaruko was talking to her mother, the others continued watching her, waiting for an answer.
"So, child. What is your father waiting for?" Alucard repeated her question.
"He's waiting for some Daughter of the Dreamer to come out. I just don't know who that is," Nyaruko said, spreading her arms and shaking her head.
Alucard frowned at the answer, as knowledge about such beings was completely new and unknown to her. She shifted her gaze to Zhang Ya and raised an eyebrow slightly, asking a silent question.
Zhang Ya simply shook her head from side to side, indicating she didn't know either. Maria, however, thought for a moment and quickly found the answer. After all of Alex's explanations about this place and the true nature of the Great Ones, Maria knew only one being that fit such a vague description.
"It must be Kos… No one else fits," Maria said after a short reflection.
"You guessed correctly, Maria," Alex's calm voice sounded from behind the group.
Everyone turned their heads toward Alex and saw that the large red dragon was no longer in the sky, and the sea had stopped raging from the dragon's fiery breath. All eyes focused on Alex, who was dragging a tall creature that looked like a very shriveled and pale old man with unnaturally long limbs.
Behind Alex walked a tall, muscular man with short bright red hair and a short red beard on his chin, wearing a leather biker jacket, a tight black t-shirt, and torn jeans with a chain hanging from the belt. As he approached, Alex released the leg of the barely alive Orphan of Kos, tossing him aside like useless garbage. Alex glanced at his daughters, who raised their thumbs with satisfied smiles, showing they had thoroughly enjoyed the battle.
"And why are you following me, Ddraig? You even took human form," Alex said, lighting a cigarette and turning his head back.
"I want to stay in a physical body a little longer, partner. I'm already tired of watching Isami beat up his perverted brother," Ddraig said, placing his hands behind his head, clearly not wanting to leave yet.
"Fine. Just stay quiet and don't interfere. Here, something to shut your chatty mouth," Alex said, looking at Ddraig.
He took out a pack of cigarettes from his inventory and tossed it to Ddraig. Catching the pack, Ddraig grinned and immediately lit one, as if he had been smoking his whole life. Exhaling cigarette smoke, Ddraig wanted to say something else, but immediately shut his mouth when he felt an icy gaze on him.
Ddraig turned his head and looked at Zhang Ya, who gave him a very eloquent look. Ddraig cleared his throat lightly and stepped aside, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. Alucard couldn't hold back a mocking smile as she watched the dragon in human form become scared of the ghost woman.
Ddraig also glanced at Alucard, thinking that Alex had met a female version of Dracula. Maria, for her part, was no longer surprised that the giant dragon had turned into a tall man with red hair wearing strange clothes. Stopping her gaze on Ddraig, Maria turned her attention to Alex, who had squatted down beside the Orphan of Kos.
"So how exactly are you planning to lure this creature out, my love? With another stupid plan?" Alucard asked, slightly lowering her red glasses.
"Very simple… Come out, The Secret Daughter of the Dreamer… Or I'll crush this bastard's existence and drag you out myself," Alex said, cracking his fingers lightly and bringing his hand to the Orphan of Kos's chest.
In response to Alex's words, complete silence fell over the cove, as if all sound had suddenly vanished. Seeing no reaction, a calm smile appeared on Alex's face, as if he had expected this. His fingers began to burn with pale black flames, and he immediately plunged them into the Orphan of Kos's chest. The sound of dry wood cracking echoed as his fingers pierced the body.
The moment Alex's fingers touched the Orphan of Kos, the creature let out a loud scream of pain, as if experiencing unbearable agony. Ignoring the screams, Alex slowly clenched his hand, and the sound of cracking glass rang out in the silence. Alucard watched what Alex was doing and glanced at Maria, who stood nearby. She wanted to see Maria's reaction to Alex's actions.
Noticing that Maria was calmly and focusedly watching Alex literally torture the Orphan of Kos, Alucard couldn't suppress a smile. Seeing that Maria was returning to the person she once was, Alucard calmly turned her gaze back to Alex.
"Stop…" a quiet female whisper carried by the wind sounded.
"Then come out… I'm still willing to talk… Come out, Cthilla. Don't make me wait," Alex said, squeezing the foundation of the Orphan of Kos's existence even harder.
In response to Alex's words, a strong wind blew, and waves began raging in the sea once again. The sea started to churn violently, as if something ancient and ominous living at the very bottom of this dimension was about to emerge. Dark clouds covered the sky, flashing with lightning and rumbling with thunder.
Seeing what was happening, Maria instinctively moved closer to Alex. Ddraig flinched slightly from the approaching presence, which felt almost on the level of the Great Red and the Infinite Dragon God. Alucard was once again about to witness with her own eyes a being possessing enormous power. From under the water, a huge creature slowly emerged, resembling a giant octopus with countless tentacles.
Its color was blood-red with black ring patterns that gave it a terrifying appearance. Next, enormous thick tentacles rose from the water, slowly writhing and reaching almost to the clouds. Along with the creature's appearance, a real hurricane began in the sea, creating tornadoes that sucked in seawater.
The creature slowly surfaced, and from beneath the tentacles emerged a massive toothy maw filled with countless sharp teeth and appendages meant to pull food into its mouth. The creature's maw opened wide, and a long tongue extended from it all the way to the shore.
"As always, it looks disgusting. One uglier than the other," Alex said, watching the spectacle unfolding in the sea.
"Now I understand what you meant, my love," Alucard said calmly, looking at Cthilla's colossal body.
Alex simply nodded, not denying it. The bodies of such beings never followed any logical rules and always looked as horrifying as possible — the very embodiment of true nightmares and madness. Everyone watched as Cthilla's long tongue touched the shore, waiting to see what would happen next.
Inside Cthilla's open maw was impenetrable darkness filled with thick black mist. A moment later, a leg emerged from the black mist, followed by an entire silhouette. From the monster's maw stepped a woman dressed in a black-and-red Victorian noble outfit. She had long white hair tied in a high ponytail.
Her eyes were a mixture of yellow and green. This was Cthilla's human avatar, slowly walking along her own tongue toward the shore. Cthilla's gaze never left Alex as she slowly approached the beach. Stepping onto the shore, Cthilla began walking toward Alex across the destroyed beach.
"I have come out… Release my child," Cthilla said in a quiet voice, stopping ten meters away from Alex.
"Your child? Are you sure about that?" Alex asked with a slight smile, narrowing his eyes.
Cthilla narrowed her eyes at Alex, and her gaze immediately swept over the others. Before any thought could form in her mind, her body was pierced by black spears that shot up from the sand. Cthilla was caught completely off guard and immediately felt something tearing her apart from the inside — something she couldn't even comprehend.
But the feeling vanished just as quickly when the black spears piercing her body disappeared. Cthilla began breathing heavily, her gaze locked on Alex, who was looking at her with cold eyes. That gaze frightened Cthilla so much that she took a step back. She hadn't expected to encounter this being, and certainly not in such a situation. She didn't want to believe it, but the answer was right in front of her.
"Impossible. Why are you here?" Cthilla asked, taking several steps back.
"Looks like I've been recognized. Too bad… I wanted to play a little longer," Alex said in a carefree tone, pulling his fingers out of the Orphan of Kos's chest.
Alex stood up from his crouch, and black chains wrapped around the Orphan of Kos's body, immediately pinning him to the ground and stripping away any chance of escape. Alex cracked his neck lightly and lit a cigarette. Having received confirmation, Cthilla finally understood what kind of being stood before her. Maria, standing behind Alex, couldn't help but notice how Cthilla was reacting to him.
It looked as if Cthilla had encountered an even more terrifying being than herself. Maria couldn't help but stare at Alex's back, wondering who he really was if such a creature feared him. Exhaling cigarette smoke, Alex looked at Cthilla with a calm gaze, causing her to flinch.
"So, who's been so talkative, Cthilla? Though you don't have to say it. I already know the answer… My real question is: did you perhaps get something mixed up?" Alex said, walking right up to Cthilla.
"I…" Cthilla began, looking at Alex with terror in her eyes.
"Let's skip that. You didn't seem afraid to break the pact when you caused all this. So why are you trembling now?" Alex said, grabbing Cthilla by the neck.
Cthilla felt her neck being squeezed. Even though she was currently in a human avatar, she still felt her very essence being crushed. Cthilla wanted to break free and escape. But in an instant, she became as powerless as an ordinary human. Her eyes widened in shock as she realized she had lost all her power.
The silence lasted only a moment before it was broken by the sound of a snack package being opened. Everyone turned their heads and saw an eleven-year-old girl in a black gothic lolita dress, with long white hair and bright yellow eyes. Yog calmly looked at Cthilla, put a piece of candy in her mouth, and began slowly chewing it, savoring the taste, completely ignoring that she had taken the candies from Nyaruko, who was looking at her with an offended expression.
"Hey, Yog. You here for her?" Alex said, raising his free hand in greeting.
"Mmm, hi… Yes, I'm here for her. I'll take her back where she belongs," Yog said, popping another candy into her mouth.
"You've learned to speak properly, that's nice… Just stop stealing sweets from my daughters," Alex said with a slight smile, looking at Yog with an empty gaze.
"It wasn't me," Yog replied, hiding the candies behind her back.
Alex sighed heavily and released Cthilla's neck. He realized there was no point in doing anything with Cthilla now that Yog had appeared. The moment Alex let go of Cthilla, Yog shifted her gaze to the daughter of Cthulhu. At that same moment, a portal opened behind Cthilla, from which black mist began to pour out, wrapping around both Cthilla's and the Orphan of Kos's bodies.
A moment later, both Cthilla and the Orphan of Kos were dragged into the open portal, which immediately snapped shut. Along with them, Yog herself disappeared, dissolving into thin air as if she had never been there. Alex squeezed the bridge of his nose from the oncoming headache.
Stopping, Alex looked at his daughters, who looked like they were about to go on a monster raid. Before he could say anything, Anya, Nyaruko, Tina, and Jinx quickly hugged him and jumped into the portal. Walter followed right after them, bowing before stepping through.
"That was weird, King. Even for you," Ddraig said with a grin, lighting a new cigarette.
"Go home, Red," Alex said, waving his hand.
"Wait. I can still—" Ddraig shouted, but his words were cut off mid-sentence.
Ddraig instantly disappeared before he could finish. Complete silence once again settled over the sandy beach — a silence unnatural for this place. Squeezing the bridge of his nose, Alex wondered why the hell he had gone through all this when Yog had ended everything herself and hadn't even let him do anything.
Alex raised his gaze and met Zhang Ya's black eyes. She gently stroked his cheek with light comfort before walking straight through his body and sinking into his shadow. Even Alucard was experiencing a strange mix of emotions — from disappointment to astonishment at how everything had unfolded.
Maria watched all of this, completely lost in the situation unfolding in this place. For her, everything was developing so strangely that she didn't even have the strength to react properly.
"Is that it? It's all over?" Maria asked, walking up to Alex.
"As strange as it looks and sounds… Yes, it's over. There's only one last thing left," Alex said, looking at Maria with a strained smile.
"I assume you're going to destroy this dimension to free everyone?" Maria asked, folding her arms across her chest and looking around.
"Yes, you're right," Alex nodded.
Hearing Alex's answer, Maria nodded as well and stared intently into his eyes. She understood that this was the end of her stay in this place and the beginning of something new. Alex noticed Maria's thoughtful gaze and smiled slightly. He then looked at Alucard, who appeared quite lazy now that everything was over.
The end of this place only brought her disappointment, as she had expected something much more grand and spectacular compared to what had happened so far. Alucard looked at Alex with a lazy gaze and instantly appeared beside him, showing her disappointment. Alex smiled faintly and looked at Maria, who nodded, indicating she was ready to say goodbye to this place.
Seeing that both Maria and Alucard were ready to leave, Alex decided to destroy the Hunter's Nightmare dimension to finally put an end to this place. Squatting down, he touched the ground with his finger, and cracks began spreading in all directions like breaking glass.
Maria and Alucard watched as an entire dimension started to collapse. Observing the slow destruction, Maria let out a small gasp when she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She quickly looked at Alex, who simply winked at her and stomped his foot on the sand.
At that moment, the ground beneath their feet collapsed, and they began falling downward. Maria clung tightly to Alex, looking down. The moment she blinked, they found themselves in a very familiar temple that now looked quite old, as if it hadn't been visited for decades. Alucard stopped hugging Alex's neck and looked around, realizing this was the same temple where they had entered the portal created by the Amygdala.
"Back where we started. Not bad," Alucard said, looking around.
"A familiar place… It looks like the temple near the Grand Cathedral," Maria said, recognizing where they were.
"Exactly. Now we have two options. Go to a place where we can rest and talk. Or continue the hunt," Alex said, raising two fingers.
Hearing Alex's words, Alucard narrowed her eyes and smiled, looking at Maria. How could she not know which place Alex was talking about? The place where Doll — Maria's copy — and Hermann, who had chained himself in a fit of despair, were located. Maria looked at Alex, not understanding why he was offering such options at a moment like this. Seeing Maria's confusion, Alex decided it was better to resolve this situation beforehand so she could accept it.
"Maria, the place I'm talking about… let's say it's very specific. And in that place, your teacher Hermann… and…" Alex said, hesitating slightly at the end.
"And what?" Maria asked calmly, already sensing that it wasn't that simple.
"There's another you there…" Alex said, dryly clearing his throat into his fist.
"Another me?" Maria repeated, thinking she had misheard.
"After your death, Hermann, let's say, sank into despair, wanting to bring you back. In the end, he created Doll, but couldn't bring her to life. Anyway, it's easier to show you," Alex said, touching Maria's forehead with his finger.
Alex transferred knowledge to Maria about what the Hunter's Dream really was and what was actually happening there, including who Doll was. Receiving the flood of information, Maria frowned as she learned about her teacher's fate and what had happened to him.
Realizing what fate had befallen Hermann, Maria found it almost ironic. And upon learning who Doll was, she understood what Alex had meant. Alex and Alucard watched as Maria's expression changed until her face gradually returned to its usual calm.
"In truth, Doll can be considered your twin sister. You look alike, but at the same time, you're different," Alex said, trying to convey his thoughts to Maria.
"I already understood that. Her fate isn't much better than mine. Watching hunters broken by madness," Maria said, shaking her head.
"Quite ironic, isn't it?" Alucard said, looking at Maria with a faint smile.
Maria wasn't sure if Alucard was talking about Doll's fate, Hermann's fate, or both. But she also found it quite ironic. After thinking for a moment, Maria agreed to go to the Hunter's Dream to see the place with her own eyes. Noticing that Maria was ready, Alex placed a hand on her shoulder, and the next moment they appeared inside the Grand Cathedral near the Messenger's lamp.
Alex immediately touched the Messenger's lamp, and an ethereal puddle appeared beneath their feet, into which the Messengers began to pull them. Maria didn't resist being pulled somewhere. After experiencing the rather strange sensation of traveling through dimensions, Maria opened her eyes and saw a very familiar place that looked quite different from what she remembered.
Her gaze wandered across the Hunter's Dream, and she saw the old Hunter's Workshop, which she could never forget. Doll, who had been waiting for Alex and Alucard, noticed that someone else had appeared with them. Doll felt something inside her change, and this happened after she sensed the disappearance of the Hunter's Nightmare dimension. And upon seeing Maria, Doll understood what that feeling meant. It was relief — the relief of knowing that someone connected to her had stopped suffering.
Maria walked up to Doll and stood in front of her. Maria stared intently into Doll's gray eyes, and Doll stared back into Maria's gray eyes. From the side, they truly looked like twin sisters. One appeared gentle and fragile, the other looked as though she had gone through many trials in life. Yet they were identical.
"Lady Maria, welcome to the Hunter's Dream. I hope this place can bring some peace to your soul, even if only for a brief moment," Doll said, bowing slightly toward Maria.
"I feel a connection with you…" Maria said, raising her hand.
Doll repeated Maria's gesture and pressed her palm against Maria's. Doll and Maria looked at each other as if seeing another version of themselves. Alex didn't want to interfere with this strange reunion and, together with Alucard, began walking up the stairs to the Workshop to rest a little.
Everything that had happened in the Hunter's Nightmare had mentally exhausted him so much that he wanted to rest. Taking off his outer clothing, Alex hung it on a hook near the workbench and wearily sat down on a chair, leaning back and stretching his legs forward.
"I thought I'd have to deal with another Outer Bastard. In the end, everything ended very strangely. I should have just taken Maria and left," Alex said, staring at the ceiling of the workshop.
"Do you really think so, my love? What about your desire to explore, or to play the hero who saves the beauty from the nightmare? You still got the main prize from that place," Alucard said, sitting down on Alex's lap.
"Maria isn't some prize. She's a living person. She has her own feelings and thoughts," Alex said, lowering his gaze to his wife.
"If that's what you think, then so be it. And what do you plan to do next?" Alucard asked, chuckling lightly at Alex.
"We'll do what we came to this world for. Make you stronger, break everything, and then go home," Alex said, wrapping his arms around Alucard's waist.
"As you wish. Now you can rest," Alucard said, taking Alex's face in her hands and kissing his cheek.
After kissing Alex on the cheek, Alucard got up from his lap and walked over to her coffin. Opening it, she climbed inside to continue sleeping. Watching Alucard lie down in her coffin, Alex also felt the desire to sleep. He didn't even know how much time he had already spent in this world.
All he wanted right now was to lie down in a comfortable bed and sleep. Letting out a heavy sigh through his nose, Alex looked at the workbench and rested his head on the table. Closing his eyes, he hoped to rest a little before returning to Yharnam. Clearing his mind of stray thoughts, Alex lay on the workbench until he felt warm hands touching his hair. Opening one eye, he saw Doll.
"Have you already talked?" Alex asked, not lifting his head from the table.
"No. We didn't talk," Doll said, gently shaking her head.
"Alright… Then how do you feel after seeing Maria?" Alex asked, yawning slightly while Doll continued stroking his hair.
"I feel… I don't know… I'm glad that Lady Maria is now free from her Nightmare," Doll said, tilting her head to the side as she tried to explain her feelings.
"Don't thank me… But if you really want to thank me, you can hug me," Alex said with a light chuckle.
Hearing Alex's words, Doll stopped stroking his hair and gently pulled him by the shoulder so he would turn toward her. Alex didn't resist, and a moment later his face was resting against Doll's chest. Alex was once again surprised that, despite having a doll-like body, she was quite soft and warm.
Pressing Alex's head to her chest, Doll slowly stroked his hair. She had hugged Alex before, but those embraces had felt different from the ones now.
"Is it comfortable, dear Hunter?" Doll asked, running her fingers through Alex's hair.
"Yeah. You have quite a soft chest. And if you keep stroking me like this, I'll definitely fall asleep… So don't stop," Alex said, feeling himself slowly drifting off.
"I'm glad my embrace helps you sleep. You can sleep, I will be here for you, dear Hunter. For as long as you need. Even if it's eternity," Doll said softly, running her fingers through Alex's hair.
"You should be careful with your words, Doll. Because then you'll never get rid of me, and you'll always have to stay by my side," Alex said in a sleepy voice, yawning slightly.
Hearing Alex's words, Doll smiled faintly. She wanted to say that she was ready for that. But before she could speak, she felt Alex fall asleep in her arms. With a gentle smile, Doll pressed Alex's face closer to her chest and continued stroking him. While Alex had been away in the Hunter's Nightmare, Doll had been able to better understand her own feelings, and now she wanted to stay by his side even more.
To be continued...
(This may be an unexpected ending to Hunter's Nightmare, but it's as it should be. Perhaps this is a signal that it's better to speed things up in Yharnam so we can finally move on. Next up is advancing the storyline towards Byrginwerth and killing Rom. Or maybe the Upper Cathedral Ward. I'll decide tomorrow. Right now, I need to eat. Peace, love, and coincidences aren't coincidences.)
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