“How do you feel?” asked Albert as he rubbed Lilac’s hand.

“Hammered,” said Lilac. “And confused.”

“Otherwise, you are fine?”

“Not exactly. Do you think I can ever turn back to normal?”

“Which normal?”

“Oh, don’t try to be a cheek.”

Lilac, of course, understood Albert’s question. He knew she was a Lycan even when she was in human form. However, after Ifrit, Lilac considered her pseudo-hellhound permanent form to be her new normal.

But this time, she started to think that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea.

After Gurlon was exorcised and killed, Lilac started to recover, but her problem was just starting. Gurlon’s incomplete corruption left quite a mark on Lilac’s body, and it was so apparent that Lilac wondered if she could ever walk among the Lycan population again.

The most obvious of the changes were her hands and paws, both replaced by talons or claws, covered with reptilian scales. Unlike Eshdar’s harder scales, the scales she had were soft, almost snake-like. Her claws were also so sharp it could cut through skin, which reminded her of a falcon. Her paws, too, were replaced with clawed digitigrades, also reptilian in nature.

Another obvious change was her tail. She no longer had fur-covered lupine tail. It was replaced by a long, reptilian tail with ridges that ended with a bulb, which made rattling sounds when she shook it. It sounded so intimidating. The scales, like Gurlon, were crimson-colored. Her eyes were not as affected and retained its lupine appearance, as did her head and most of her fur-covered body. The change was relatively minor.

However, it was apparent. Far more apparent that Eshdar. She was no longer Lycan, nor was she a pseudo-hellhound. She could no longer hide the fact that she almost become a demon’s host, and she had the scars to prove it. Lilac knew her life would be different the moment she escaped the destruction of Sidve, but she never thought it would be so different.

She silently despaired, thinking that no one, not even Lycans, would want to know her. She could only sigh as the Demon Hunters converged around her after securing the area. She expected them to give her a cold look, cursing her for almost becoming a demon’s host.

To her surprise, one of the Hunters, a young man around her age, offered his hand and said, “We’re glad you’re safe. Things have been hard for you, huh?”

Lilac, taken aback by this, could only quip, “Oh, you can’t imagine.”

Albert nodded as the Hunter helped her up. He then approached the man and said, “Thank you. I hope she’s not going to be a problem.”

“Oh, she won’t. In fact, we want to thank her,” said the man.

“Thank me for what?” asked Lilac.

“For fighting on. You’re a very rare example of a Tainted One surviving an exorcism. Well, commander Schafner gets most of the credits, of course, but I never heard of anyone surviving an exorcism.”

“That…doesn’t change the fact that this is what I look like now.”

“People might stare, but they won’t act. We can help you with that.”

The other Demon Hunters nodded in agreement. Lilac felt grateful, but also sad, knowing that she could still be ostracized for her appearance. Nevertheless, she felt fortunate that she was alive. After everything she had been through, and after exploring her mind, she did not want to die just yet.

As Lilac started a conversation with the young Demon Hunter, joined by the rest of the Hunters, Albert walked to Otto and said, “Why did you stop us from entering your office earlier?”

“We were attacked by a Tainted before you arrived,” said Otto. “Unlike Lilac, he was crazed and in an advanced level of corruption. Since a Tainted is not a demon, killing him will be problematic, so with a great deal of effort, we captured him. Then, there was the death of ours from that Orobas you slew. It would be understandable if they won’t hesitate to hurt her.”

“So, why the change of heart?”

“We found out that the cultists we captured operated in the mansion,” said Otto. “And Andrei, one of our Searchers, sensed the demon they worshipped here. They only realized that Lilac was possessed by said demon. I was surprised that they expressed sympathy to her. I guess not all Demon Hunters are bloodthirsty killers, huh?”

Albert sighed and lighted a cigarette while offering Otto one. He refused.

“So, what now?” asked Albert. “Any other jobs we should do before you take on my offer?”

“None that I can think of,” said Otto. “I guess we will take on your offer, after all. You managed to single-handedly solved our demon problem. For a commander from Central, you’re not half bad.”

“Do I have a feeling that you might not like me?”

“I didn’t like you when you said you were a commander from Central. I started to think you’re interesting since you’re not acting all high and mighty and even used something that might piss Central off. Using guns to hunt demons sounds so ingenious. Too bad those codgers won’t be convinced.”

“You should see the Pugilist Hunter, then. Compared to me, he’s far more brutal.”

“I heard about it. Also heard he’s gone freelance. With all the freelancers around, I don’t think the Hunters will be relevant for long. At least we know those freelancers don’t always have subtlety in mind.”

Albert thought about Rhynsa and his activities, then said, “You got that right.”

“In any case, Lilac is going to be alright. Just let her know that her claws are sharper than a Lycan’s, and they can potentially be dangerous. Also, I’d appreciate if you don’t tell Central about all this.”

“I won’t. We better not make things more complicated than it should. Promise.”

Otto smiled. “Good man,” he said. “Glad to find someone not as rigid.”

“Glad to find someone tolerable enough,” said Albert with a wink.

And so, the group walked back to Struttemberg, reveling on their victory.

***

It did not take long for Lilac to become more accustomed to her new appearance. She thought it would be bad, but she found that it was just a change in appearance and not exactly anything harmful. The harmful thing she got was the fact that her claws were sharp enough to cut through flesh, and the rattles on the tip of her now reptilian tail, which usually let out a loud rattling noise that she tried to control.

After seeing herself in the mirror, and consulting the books about reptiles, she concluded that her appearance now looked like a mix between a snake and a wolf, which sounded very unlikely and only made her stand out. It was a good thing her head stayed wolf: she could conceal her tail and her claws if anyone were uncomfortable with her.

Nevertheless, her new appearance was not the main problem.

Over the next few days since the mansion incident, more and more reports of demonic attacks appeared in the news, with many reporting the mass evacuation of Tragorians and the changes of the once quaint countryside landscape of the region. Most of the region were reduced to burning forests and dried patches of land, life seemingly sapped out of the region. Yet another incident also made the Blackjack, the iconic steamship that crossed the ocean carrying explorers that discovered a new civilization, unable to dock in her port-of-call, Angla. The town was overran by hellhounds loyal to the demonic cause, forcing the Blackjack to dock elsewhere while taking in refugees.

Lilac wondered if Hans was part of the return crew and was concerned that he would be too close to danger. To her relief, he was working as an ambassador for the whole of Ternor in an embassy on the other side of the Ocean. While she wasn’t sure if her brother could do any diplomatic assignment, she was glad that he was safe. She started to think that she should write him a message, telling him that she’s fine. Like her, Hans would be terribly worried by the situation in Tragoria, and she was sure that he already knew that Sidve was gone.

Lilac also found that, despite the Demon Hunters’ job, they were sympathetic towards those who accidentally found themselves involved or even tainted. They revealed that Lilac was not the first, and would not be the last, victim of demons. The Struttemberg Chapter had a house near the outskirts of town to help the victims of corruption and tried their best to help them return to normal life. Gertha, the child she and her friends saved from the horse demon, lived, and worked in the house. She voiced her intentions to become a doctor, and when she was deemed healthy enough, she would attend school, paid by the Demon Hunters. She voiced her gratefulness towards Lilac for saving her, and even learned a bit of Tragorian just to say thank you. Lilac appreciated this gesture and wished Gertha well.

As she recuperated with Eshdar and Albert, both recovered early due to their relatively minor injuries, she learned a bit more about her situation from a Demon Hunter tending her. The Hunter, introducing herself as Gertrude, was a talkative and friendly person. She was a turned Lycan with a permanent werewolf appearance with brown eyes and chocolate-colored fur. Lilac wondered about this, since she never personally knew anyone who was a turned werewolf instead of a pureblood.

To alleviate boredom, she asked, “If you don’t mind me asking, how do you fare being a Lycan?”

“Like how others are treating me?” said Gertrude, with a heavily accented Tragorian. “Nothing different. This is not an accident.”

“I mean, you were a human, weren’t you? I may not look like it, but I was a pureblood Lycan before…well, before all this. What did you feel during your first transformation?”

“Painful, to be honest,” said Gertrude. “But it was my choice. The Lycan that is now my husband did warn me about it, but I made up my mind.”

“Husband?”

“A very funny story, this. It was 1899. I lived near the forests where my grandmother lived. She has passed away, sadly. Every morning, before school, mother told me to bring her some food. There was a path through the forest to her hut and I didn’t mind the silence and the dense forest. What I didn’t know, however, was that there was a werewolf who admired my red hooded cloak. I wasn’t scared of Lycans and he’s friendly. Grandmother was also aware of him, stating that he made sure she was comfortable. The thing that worried me was that he’s…not exactly decent.”

“Not decent?”

“He was not wearing any clothes and preferred living in the forest like a feral wolf. Dusdolf had a decency law against that. Then again, the forest was not the territory of men. Nevertheless, as we got close, he started to relate on what he did, and how he got turned. It turned out he was a victim of a truly dangerous criminal that was still free, and he was afraid that being turned by a dangerous criminal also made him one. I thought it was funny, but he was serious about it. Well, I told him that my teacher told me that what made someone was not their blood, but their upbringing. He wasn’t that convinced, though.

“Two years later, I met him again. He was mistaken for a feral wolf by a game hunter due to not wearing any clothes and, well, that game hunter told him to wear something decent and find a place to live outside the forest. He did, and well, the rest was history. He became lovers, and my parents weren’t that averse to me having a relationship with a werewolf. Grandmother was also glad that we both finally understood each other’s feelings. A year later, we finally married. On our first night…this happened.”

Lilac became surprised. “You mean, he…?”

“It was inevitable, but fortunately, he knew control. Otherwise, he might accidentally rip my throat off. Also, it was the night of a full moon, and that was when the transformation was at its most effective. By the next day, I was no longer human.”

“Are you parents alright with this?”

“They didn’t recognize me at first and thought I was a stranger,” said Gertrude. “I only convinced them when I showed full knowledge of my childhood, before explaining what my husband did. They were understandably reluctant in letting me stay werewolf and even considered asking for a cure.”

“There is a cure?”

“Only for a turned werewolf. Well, I refused, citing the pain of turning back to human. After a lot of convincing and my husband being very apologetic about it, they finally concede. Everything went on, both of us became Demon Hunters, and finally…we ended up here.”

Lilac listened eagerly, feeling that it had some parallel with her own experience, including the night of the full moon where she was turned, only that her turning was something far more than just a permanent werewolf form. She was glad Gertrude was happy. Too bad Lilac’s story ended with tragedy, followed by a twist that her lover was not exactly what he seemed to be.

“I do wish I had someone to talk to regarding unusual lovers,” said Lilac with a sad chuckle. “He came into my life as a mystery, and he left with a lot of mystery.”

“I heard from commander Schafner,” said Gertrude. “I asked about your history so that I know what to do. I’m sorry if it’s intruding your privacy.”

“No, that’s fine,” said Lilac. “But enough of that. What can you tell me about my condition? Can it be cured?”

“At this point, I’m not sure,” said Gertrude with a sigh. “I can assure you that it won’t get any worse, but you need to be careful next time. Still, I was amazed. You managed to weaken that demon’s hold over you, sparing you from the worse effects of exorcism. If his hold over you are stronger, I doubt we can have this conversation.”

“Because I’d die. Is that it?”

“You’ll be in a coma, and you either die or wake up, depending on your will. Amnesia will be your problem, as does your resilience to corruption. At that point, you will be sent to a chapter with isolation chambers, and you can no longer live as normal.”

“That’s…terrifying.”

“Yes. Good thing that is not your fate. You are strong, frau Rezmirn. You make a good Hunter someday.”

Lilac chuckled. “Not very likely, innit?”

The response made Gertrude smile as she kept rubbing Lilac’s scale-covered clawed hands. There was a constant bright aura as she did so. After an hour or so, the aura vanished, and Gertrude stood up with a smile on her lupine face.

“This way, it won’t be as obvious,” she said. “Also, it will help you immensely. Unfortunately, that’s all I can do for now.”

Lilac realized what she meant upon noticing her hands. Previously, both hands looked very monstrous and dangerous. They could easily rend flesh and it would make it hard for her to grab anything without damaging them. Her claws were razor sharp like a falcon. After Gertrude’s treatment, her hands looked normal, even if her claws were still very sharp. Her scales were still apparent, but it was more in line with Eshdar’s hard scales, though hers reminded her of a snake, especially with the pattern. She also noticed that her fur covered it so it was subtler.

She wanted to thank Gertrude but realized that the Lycan was already gone. Instead, Albert entered the room. He quickly noticed Gertrude’s work and said, “It seems she does have the right skills. It’s far less noticeable now.”

“What kind of skills?”

“Gertrude is a Hunter specializing in purifying Rituals,” explained Albert. “She knows what to do to reduce the effect of demonic corruption. Unfortunately, there is no safe way to remove the corruption entirely, and the only way we have is quite degrading, to say the least.”

“Yes, she told me about it,” said Lilac. After examining her hands, she said, “So, what now? Did we get their help?”

“We did. They are willing to help us after Otto talked with Anarim to understand the situation.”

Lilac sighed in relief. It wasn’t for nothing, after all.

“But this is where things get complicated,” said Albert. “Dusdolf is holding against the constant demonic invasion, but unfortunately, that prevents us from helping Tragoria. I’m afraid…I’m afraid your home’s completely gone, Lilac. Tragoria has fallen.”

There was a slight pause as Lilac processed the information from the clearly apologetic Albert, who felt that his organization failed her when she needed it. With a heavy heart, Lilac said, “I see.”

“Right now, our best option is to go back to Summinat and think of what to do next,” said Albert. “Lilac, I’m sorry. I should’ve done something. Anything, to prevent this from happening. Tragoria is my responsibility, after all.”

“Yet, you are just one against a horde of demons. You said it yourself, right? You are the only Demon Hunter assigned to the region.”

“But that is not an excuse for—”

“And I know you are a commander. I don’t know how high that rank is, but I am sure you can do more than just any Hunter. Even so, you are just one, and there are demons more dangerous than Gurlon or that horse. You don’t have to be sorry for that. It’s just simply beyond your capabilities.”

“Lilac….”

“And besides…I don’t have that much attachment other than my village, and even that is gone. Right now…right now, all we can do is ensure that this isn’t the end. Don’t you agree, Al? We will keep fighting, aren’t we?”

“Yes, we will.” Albert seemed to regain his confidence.

“Are there any news, then? I do hope this isn’t going to continue into Dusdolf and Adaline.”

“It won’t. At least for now.” Albert then dropped his serious manner and smiled. “I’m so glad you managed to get through that, Lilac. Not many can do that. You do have a resistance fit for a Demon Hunter, even without being trained to resist possession. What did you do, anyway?”

“I simply believe in both of you.” Lilac then smiled, remembering the embodiment of hope that appeared in front of her. “And Ifrit, I suppose.”

“Didn’t you blame him?”

“Never. He sacrificed himself to save me. There was nothing to blame for that. But now…now it’s time I move on from him. It’s time I realize that he’s no longer with us, and we are fighting for our future. Then again, we’re not going to forget him, aren’t we, Albert?”

Albert smiled, finally knowing that Lilac had grown and ready to fight for the future again. Her setback in the mansion did not deter her fighting spirit, and her rejection of the demon already proved that she had what it takes to be on the frontline.

All she needed was proper training. She may not be able to become a Demon Hunter, but there were still several things Albert could teach her. He believed that, in time, Lilac would be a good partner for him against the hellish incursion.

Lilac, too, was determined to prove that she did not need anyone to protect her. She wanted to fight alongside Albert and Eshdar, and also see that Rhynsa managed to move away from his personal vendetta, much like how she moved on from grief. She believed the Fuzandre to be capable of that, even if he had held it for a long time.

Nevertheless, she needed rest. The ordeal was a bit much for her. Afterwards, she would begin her training.

There would be no demon that would take her. Not anymore.