Infinite Journey: Dark Souls

"I still don't understand."

"Actually, we don't understand it either. We only know that if we don't stick together, it's impossible to conquer this world. Take the Undead Settlement, for example. It looks the most normal right now, but it's the one that hides the most secrets."

"Grandma Wolf seems to want to organize a unified strategy for conquering the Deep Cathedral, but then says she's encountered some technical difficulties," Do Misaka added.

"Stop, stop, stop! Stop providing fragmented information. Tell me directly, what exactly do you, or rather, the side that Granny Wolf stands on, want to achieve in this world?"

This question gets straight to the heart of the matter. Rudolph has been emphasizing the mission of "their ashes" to them and hoping that they will also embark on this path. Granny Wolf has never emphasized the mission of "otherworldly ashes" and has even argued with Teresa about the unfulfilled wishes of the otherworldly ashes. However, when they first entered this world, there were clearly flame symbols that aroused their desire for "embers," although this "ember" is now seen by her as "heartfire."

I always felt that these "otherworldly ashes" lacked a sense of racial mission, or rather, they came from different worlds, had no connection with each other, and each carried different stories. This complex ashes could not be summarized by "race". Their individual consciousness far outweighed racial responsibility, and they were like a scattered pile of sand, running for their own purposes.

If everything the unawakened Ash experienced here was to ignite the "inner fire," then what can the awakened Ash, aside from those with clear desires, gain at the end of her trial in her own "inner fire world," given that she is unattached?

Passing on the fire, extinguishing the fire, usurping the fire? No, that's the end of "Ashes" and not "Otherworldly Ashes." Moreover, as long as someone truly passes on the fire in "Otherworldly Ashes," the World of Fire will have already made a huge profit. Besides, Zhi only truly set foot in the World of Fire when she met Anri. It's clear that even if one wants to shoulder the mission of the World of Fire, one needs qualifications.

Therefore, the Ashes of Another World are lacking something—something that the Ashes have but they don't. Lacking this thing, they will always be rootless duckweed.

"I think that Granny Wolf and the other seniors, including those on our side, probably want to... build a society belonging to 'Otherworld Ashes'."

Everyone looked up in surprise again. The white-haired boy, under the gaze of his three companions, also showed a rare embarrassed expression, scratched his head, and carefully explained.

"I'm just guessing, because I used to enjoy reading novels that were more philosophical and reflected social phenomena and contradictions, so I might be more sensitive to these things. You see, a race that originated from humanity lives in a world with its own civilization, possesses considerable power and knowledge, yet is completely incompatible with this world's civilization itself..."

Perhaps because he had talked about his long-standing hobby, this silent boy shed the feeling that he had suffered a great change and had his personality forcibly distorted, and instead revealed a scholarly air.

As expected, none of the ashes were simple.

Zhi once again made a mental note of this information.

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Chapter Eleven: Struggling in the blood and gore are hunters and beasts.

When death becomes a passport to escape, then what is the point of living?

Mikuru Asahina had never thought about this question, because the happiness she had lost for so long was only rediscovered in the afterlife.

Perhaps in her mind, she was still the person she was after death.

So why would someone who is certain of their own death fear death?

She once thought she was used to death, so why did she scream in terror again when she saw death unfolding before her eyes? Was it simply because the dead were her emotional support at that moment? But didn't she know they had already died once? What does it really mean for someone who has died once to die again?

Of all the deaths she faced, this was the first time she refused to die. She cried out and picked up a weapon, wanting to fight back. However, after picking up the weapon, she realized that her hand still lacked the strength to pull the trigger, even for such a simple action.

She wanted to escape again, yet she didn't want to escape, simply because the price of escaping again would be the complete loss of her courage.

And so she died again; she could have overturned it all, avoided this death by cheating.

Just like how she cheated to pass the trial of the Ashen Judge.

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This is the bridge leading to Church Town. As always, Homura leads the way, with Asahina following closely behind.

"Once we take care of this wave of enemies, we should be able to cross the bridge."

After saying goodbye to Gilbert, they searched the neighborhood of Yharnam again, but unfortunately, they still couldn't find any news about the little girl's mother.

"Hmm... Akemi-san isn't afraid at all when facing enemies."

In the end, they decided to head directly to the church town. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bridge, a small team of five or six townspeople was slowly patrolling their way over.

"Ah, I was quite scared at first, but there were people behind me I had to protect, so I had to go forward even if it meant my life. If that person disappeared, I would feel worse than if I were dead... That's how it was at first, but over time, now, when I swing my sword, I don't think about it that much anymore."

"Have you... gotten used to fighting?"

"Probably, or rather, it's more terrifying than getting used to it, because it's become an instinct of the ashes!"

As soon as Xiaoyan finished speaking, she suddenly grabbed Asahina and flashed to the side of the bridge. The next moment, a huge round stone, burning with flames, rolled over with a rumble, smashing down the group of townspeople who had discovered the two and started to charge, and then crushing them heavily.

Releasing her grip on Asahina's hand, Homura ignored the rocks that had rolled to the other side of the bridge and exploded completely. Instead, she walked up to the half-dead townspeople one by one and plunged her longsword into their hearts before they could desperately raise their weapons.

"Instinct? But can someone like me, who can't even hold a weapon properly, fight?"

"In combat, you don't actually need weapons, like this."

Seeing that the trap had failed to work, the townsman who had set up the boulder trap rushed over in a fit of rage. When he discovered that Xiaoyan had actually thrown away his weapon, he unceremoniously chopped down with his machete.

Stepping forward, he used his left hand to block the townsman's wrist holding the knife, slightly deflecting his swing. Simultaneously, he thrust forward with his knee and elbow, causing the townsman to bend over from the heavy blow. His left hand then reached out and caught the lowered head, his palm resting on the chin. His right hand pressed against the neck, and with a forceful twist of his hands, he caught the head.

With a snap, the poor town resident's spine was broken.

"So whether you can fight or not has nothing to do with whether you can pick up a weapon or not, the important thing is..."

Throwing aside the villagers' corpses, Xiao Yan walked up to the petite girl, took her hand, and placed it on her chest.

"Is there any courage to fight here?"

My heart is still beating; does that mean I'm still alive?

Asahina was momentarily stunned, unsure whether she was trying to comprehend Homura's words or confirming some undeniable fact.

"However, in many situations, weapons are the best help in combat."

The last enemy charged forward; it was the burly man who had been pushing the boulder. He held a brick in his hand and slammed it down on Little Flame, who had his back to him.

With both hands on the longsword stuck in the ground, Xiao Yan turned around and unleashed an arc of light that struck the burly man's right hand, which was holding a brick, causing his hand and weapon to fall off the bridge.

The arc of light flashed past him again, this time slicing across his knee. The tall, muscular man lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground, his head falling to the blade.

The arc of light struck one last time, this time a vertical decapitation strike. The round head, with a clarity that followed its madness, rolled away from the body... all the way to Asahina's feet.

Xiao Yan thought to herself, "Oh no, what was supposed to be a proper demonstration has turned into a bizarre performance. I should have known better than to just chop off Brick Bro's head. Although it wouldn't be easy to pierce through the heart of such a large body, it would have been better than crushing the girl's already fragile courage again."

She took two quick steps, about to kick the head away, but unexpectedly, the girl who had been stunned bent down and picked up the round head.

His pupils were completely cloudy; whether he had been mad or clear-headed, they were all gone. The girl looked at the head as if she were looking at death. She trembled slightly as she closed the eyes of the strong man who could not close them, then walked to his body and placed the lonely head in front of his neck.

Xiao Yan couldn't quite understand her behavior. Was it pity for the enemy? Pity for life? Or a tribute to death?

It wasn't until the darkness beneath her feet spread towards her body... no, it was more like a retraction; that Xiao Yan began to understand her state all along.

It seems that Asahina thought she had shaken off the humanoid, but it was only the humanoid that understood her escapism and ended the game of hide-and-seek. She lost the opportunity to confront the things that had plunged her into the abyss, unaware that wherever she fled, her heart would follow, and those things would still lurk deep within her.

However, if what is lost is left unattended for too long, it will eventually breed the opposite, a different kind of thing. Just as if she lost her courage, cowardice will completely fill the emptiness in her heart. At that time, she will no longer be able to escape her own curse and will never be able to hold her weapon.

Fortunately, she was still struggling unconsciously. Whether it was accepting the little girl's request or helping Brother Brick close his eyes, she no longer chose to run away. Instead, she forced herself to accumulate the courage to take up the sword.

Perhaps fulfilling the little girl's request will completely help the child regain her courage.

Xiao Yan thought optimistically, so she patted her head again and took the lead to the end of the bridge, preparing to enter the final destination of their journey—Outon Cemetery.

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The Night of the Hunt is a cursed night. Hunters hunt monsters, then become intoxicated with blood, lose their minds, and begin to hunt for the sake of hunting.

In the end, the hunters become indistinguishable from monsters, and then other hunters will treat them as monsters and hunt them down.

It's another vicious cycle, another unsolvable curse. In the end, the battle where humans transform themselves into monsters in order to defeat them is a losing proposition from the very beginning. Because no matter who dies in the battle, the one who survives is still the monster.

Xiaoyan and her friends arrived at Orton Cemetery, but what was unfolding there was not a pleasant scene.

A hunter dressed as a priest was hunting a monster. He hacked the beast-like townspeople to pieces with his axe, the sound of flesh and blood separating from bodies being scraped off with each swing. Even from a distance, the sound of his brutality could be heard clearly.

Xiaoyan sensed something was wrong. Although it was the first time she had met a real hunter, and she herself had an instinctive aversion to hunters and hunting, she wouldn't be so disgusted as to label him a monster the moment they met.

"Excuse me, may I ask..."

However, one of the girls clearly lacked her accurate intuition. Because the priest's weapons and equipment were very similar to Gilbert's description, she assumed that the person in front of her was someone she could communicate with. Therefore, the girl, who had just mustered up her remaining courage, actually dared to approach the blood-soaked hunter.

"Monsters are everywhere..."

She heard the hunter's whispers, and a sense of foreboding began to creep into her heart.

"You will become one of them sooner or later."

"Huh? But we're not...!"

The hunter's axe finally changed its target; now it was about to drink the blood of the girl before it.

As dust settled and the tombstone collapsed, Xiao Yan caught the petite girl just in time, saving her from a fatal blow.

"Why, why did he attack us?!"

"What can I say to you? Didn't you hear what he said? We'll become part of the monsters sooner or later, so he has to get rid of us in advance."

"I know! But we're not monsters!"

"That's why he became a monster."

The priest raised his shotgun in his left hand, and holding Asahina's Homura, he immediately rolled behind a tree. The exploding mercury bullets instantly enveloped the entire tree, and the smell of blood filled the air as they flew.

"I need to hide carefully. It seems I'll have to play the role of hunter and help them complete their mission."

After placing the girl behind the tree, Xiaoyan drew her longsword and pistol, and dashed out from behind the tree. She leaped over the tombstone and ran in a long arc away from the tree, firing a barrage of bullets that attracted the hunter who was about to transform into a monster.

The hunter nimbly slid and dodged, the trigger of his shotgun constantly being pulled, bullets soaked in his blood dotting the tombstones with red spots.

With the final pull of the trigger, the arc of their running path changed, and the distance between the two charging towards each other was instantly closed.

The longsword and the great axe clashed once more, but this time it would be the true duel between the ashes and the hunter.

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Chapter Twelve Turmoil

Their visions of the future of the Otherworld Ashes have come to an end. These grand ideas only satisfied Weaver's curiosity but did nothing to help with the current situation.

The reality is that the Ash Soldiers are blocking the entrance to Farron Keep, and there are two powerful enemies who won't attack the invading spirits, waiting ahead of us.

"To be honest, I don't really have a reason to go to Farron Fortress. If I need to gather intelligence, I can just ask you to pass on a message to Granny Wolf and tell her to go back to the sacrificial grounds, right?"

"..."×3

Zhi's casual suggestion earned her a unanimous eye roll from the three of them.

"Uh, why are you all staring at me like that?"

"Captain, it seems this guy not only likes to show off, but he's also incredibly arrogant. Do Misaka has once again lowered her opinion of him."

"Ahaha, that's right. Granny Wolf is currently extremely busy with the construction of the stronghold and those things we were just guessing about. She probably won't have time to go back to the sacrificial site."

"Sigh~ That old wolf is so busy, I can't believe it. I used to see her lying there like a corpse every time I went back to the sacrificial site."