Fanfic / The Good Hunter

The Hunter is adrift and he is not sure the Waking World was supposed to be this strange. Set during the Fall of Lescatie and beyond, watch as a man tormented by the Night of the Hunt tries to find his purpose in a new world.

The Good Hunter is a Fantasy/Tragedy Fanfic by StaffSergeant, the same author of The Night Unfurls. Published on 13th April, 2019, it is a crossover between Bloodborne and Monster Girl Encyclopedia (MGE).

A series of encyclopedia entries are available at SpaceBattles.com Forums, written by the same author under username TheReaper. Serving as segments of future chapters/interludes of the main story, the entries document the infamy of The Wild Hunt, an agency that stands against both human and monster kind. As they take place after the chapters of the main story (for now), any information on The Wild Hunt, as well as the SpaceBattles.com snippets will be marked as spoilers.

The story was taken off Fanfiction.net by the author due to some fandom drama, but remains on Fichub Archive and found on Archive of Our Own under the username SixtyThreeNineteen. As of December 2021, the story is being reuploaded to Fanfiction.net by a different user with permission from the author.

On 1 Jul 2023, the story released its 22nd chapter, putting an end to a 2-3-year hiatus.

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The Good Hunter provides examples of:

• Adjective Animal Alehouse: An inn of Sheffield, The Prancing Pony, is named that way.
• Adventure Towns: This fanfic has Cyril spend his time in a state/province-like area for an arc. The occasion where he moves to a new one indicates the start of a new arc. So far, Cyril has visited three — Lescatie, Sheffield, and Erebus. In particular, Cyril visits a different village every 2-3 chapters during the Erebus Arc, in order to crack down on the slaver raids and hunt down whoever's responsible.
• All for Nothing: Sasha has spent the majority of her life raising both human and monster children who lost their parents from the ongoing conflict between The Order and the Demon Lord. The Fall of Lescatie, an event she ironically caused to happen, renders her efforts moot when the Order Inquisition burned down her orphanage. The children under her care has dwindled to a small group of five, as a majority of them are either taken by the monsters, or presumably killed by Order soldiers. On a brighter note, by the time the plot moves to Sheffield, she seems to have overcome her Heroic BSoD and started a new orphanage. As this fanfic is currently ongoing, time will tell if this lasts.
• Alternative Character Interpretation: Invoked by the Wandering Scholar.
  • In his new work, Wild Hunt, he wants the readers to make their own conclusions regarding the Good Hunter: a cruel murderer who seeks nothing more than an eternity of bloodshed? Or just one of many who wished to make a place for himself?
  • He also invokes this regarding the nature of the Wild Hunt: an agency for good? Or a band of murderers?
• Appeal to Force: Sierra is being hassled by a local merchant son who believes himself a suitor to her, and asks Klaus for help upon realizing he's a mercenary of sorts in their first meeting. Klaus, upon meeting the son and his lackeys, knocks out the guards and threatens the son to back off on pain of death. Then that night, he sneaks into the son's family estate and does the same, letting his sudden, uninvited entry speak for itself on how the son will see no safety if he bothers Sierra again.
• Armor-Piercing Question:
  • During Bishop Ria and Jophiel's conversation, they later talk about how to deal with the Outside-Context Problem that is the Hunter. Ria suggests that it would be better for the Hunter to die on an errant knight's blade, since the bounty placed on his head is quite high. Jophiel instead asks her, "What makes you think any knight is capable of taking that fiend down?" Ria has no answer to that.
  • The Wandering Scholar's question towards Sierra on whether she thinks that Cyril Sutherland, the man she harbours feelings for, is evil is intended to be this, being the Scholar's last question in their meeting, as well as the question appearing at the last part of his interview entry. Sierra, instead of finding herself unable to answer, gives an Armor-Piercing Response that boils down to this: you could say that Cyril's evil, but if he were truly evil, the both of them would be already dead before they know it.
• Armor-Piercing Response:
  • In Chapter 19, Talbot comes to the conclusion that Cyril the Hunter is Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life, and advises him to find something or someone to protect, rather than letting the search be the only thing he lives for. Cyril, believing himself to have lost the right for this role, replies, "Easier said than done." Contrary to typical examples of this trope, however, the advice he rebuffed still lingers within his mind moments later, and he actually ends up heeding said advice in the end.
  • In the Wild Hunt (the SpaceBattles.com snippets), Sierra's answer towards the Wandering Scholar's question on whether she thinks that her Bodyguard Crush Cyril is evil proves to be so poignant that her words stayed with him for a long time.
    "Do you think he is evil?" I asked her.
    Sierra looked at me, blinking once. "We all have sins." She said. "Some darker than others. We don't like being reminded of our wrongdoings. I am certain he feels the same way, I could not imagine the burdens he bears and there was a time that I wished to help him bear those burdens... Is he evil? You could say that, but if he were truly evil... you or I wouldn't be here now would we?"
    Those words stayed with me the whole time I was in Sheffield.
• Balance of Power: A three-power example. The Order of the Chief God and the Demon Lord's realm (the extremists, in particular) are two major powers locked in conflict for an unknown period of time (assumed to be very long). The former routinely organises crusades against monster kind, while the latter converts foreign territory to its own, like Lescatie. Though the two powers are seemingly equal, the latter has the advantage in the long run, due to the monsters' seduction powers, as well as the Order showing signs of decline. The third faction, the Oberon League, is a gathering of neutral city-states outside the influences of the previous two powers. The League, a steadily rising power in its own right, keeps them balanced against each other (e.g. being trade partners with the Order, allowing monsters to settle in their territory peacefully, etc.). What's more, the League has the ear of the Moon Scented Hunter, providing the faction an even larger advantage. The balance comes into play as Lilith analyses the current state of affairs: she couldn't exploit the situation where the Order is losing influence because that would force more people into the arms of the League, and her plan for human-monster unification would be hindered should her realm ally with the League. By the time period where the Wild Hunt is established, it is heavily implied that the three powers are locked in a "Three Kingdoms" stalemate.
• Blood-Splattered Warrior:
  • Cyril is covered in dried blood after he slaughtered his way through Lescatie to escape the city.
  • Both Cyril and Talbot were covered in the blood of marauders as the two put a halt to the slaver raid in the village of Glaspire.
• Bodyguard Crush: Sierra is trying hard not to fall for her guard, Klaus. The crush is, however, one-sided.
• The Butcher: One of Cyril's infamous titles is "The Butcher of Lescatie", gained after killing any man or monster alike in his way during the Sacking of Lescatie. He's actually a good guy, but he is a brutal killer for sure.
• Byronic Hero: Cyril Sutherland/Klaus Tennstedt. Where do we begin? He's Tall, Dark, and Handsome, he's an adept killer of brutality, and in the perspective of others, he's a mysterious foreigner known for his stoicism and social withdrawal. Does he have a Dark and Troubled Past? Readers who have played Bloodborne before will know just how much he has to endure in Yharnam before stepping foot to Lescatie. Countless hours of slaying and being slain by beasts, madmen, and other otherworldly nightmares has left him heavily shell-shocked, numb and indifferent towards all sorts of bloodshed he causes in his wake. Furthermore, Cyril/Klaus finds it difficult to shake away the traumatic memories from the Night of the Hunt, in spite of his efforts in finding peace of mind, constantly walking on a thin line between man and beast. As determined as he is to avoid becoming the very beast he is supposed to hunt, he struggles to reign in the desire for violence. Is he intensely introspective? Cyril/Klaus often dwells on his perceived failings during his time in Yharnam, ranging from regretting his inability to save everyone he could help, to remembering the pleading or dead faces of the victims of the Hunt. What of his morality and worldview? He is a Heroic Neutral who desires to be left alone in peace, instead of actively looking for people to kill. Moreover, Cyril/Klaus is highly skeptical towards the two main opposing factions, namely the Order of the Chief God and the Monster Lord respectively, due to his defiance of What Measure Is a Non-Human? (or rather, his insistence that anyone will die if they cross him, man or monster be damned), in addition to his distrust of authorities who claim to destroy their oppositions "for the greater good". All of the above values he firmly believes in, together with his strength, practically invites conflict from both sides. His destiny, that is, him reuniting with the Plain Doll and the Hunter's Dream, and subsequently rising as the Master of the Wild Hunt, can be seen in two ways that are both Byronic in nature: a revolution (the Sleeping Giant has finally awakened, shaking the world forever), or a tragedy (destined to bear every secret, burden, and memory related to Yharnam forever, Cyril's desire for everlasting peace will forever remain a dream). All in all, Cyril/Klaus's character arc can really give his other counterpart a run for his money.
• Bystander Syndrome: Cyril struggles with this in Chapter 2. Witnessing the commotion of a noble kicking a fallen form of a young man with his hands up, he repeatedly tells himself not to get involved. Until Cyril sees red, that is.
• The Call Knows Where You Live: Poor Cyril. Finds a shelter in Lescatie? The city later finds itself under assault by monster armies, so he has to GTFO. Finds a home in Sheffield? With some acquaintances and a couple friends? It is attacked by Order zealots during a Fictional Holiday (though not outright destroyed), one friend is injured but decides to leave for family business, and the other is in a catatonic state. Then he takes up the call.
• Central Theme: The following themes and questions that are explored in this fanfic all revolve around one concept: the perils and consequences of Awakening the Sleeping Giant.
  • The motives and reasoning for provoking the Sleeping Giant, either because of arrogance, honour, vengeance, or the notion that the Sleeping Giant is too dangerous to live. Of course, this has consequences.
  • How far will the Sleeping Giant go to maintain his neutrality, all for a desire to be left alone in peace? What does "being neutral" mean in a conflict of two sides? Staying out of the conflict? Or fighting for his own side?
  • Can the powerful Sleeping Giant sleep forever?
• The Chosen One: The Order has Heroes, individuals blessed by the Chief God to fight against the Monster Lord. Wilmarina Noscrim is one of such individuals who is tasked to be the protector of the nation of Lescatie, the jewel of The Order.
• Clean Cut: Notably averted. The Hunter's attacks with his melee weapon tend to leave rough gashes and wounds on the target rather than slicing through the target cleanly and effortlessly, yet enough to be lethal. One example is during Chapter 18, when the Hunter goes after some slavers in the village of Glaspire. The first victim has her throat slashed open, leaving a hideous gash instead of cutting through the whole neck. He later embeds his Saw Cleaver into the second victim's skull, the force not strong enough to pass through the skull entirely.
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Sierra does not fit this trope entirely, given that she's far from being The Glomp, but she does get a little antsy about her friend Molly's forward attitude towards Klaus, whom she has feelings for. Just look at how she reiterates twice that she is not jealous from her POV.
• Crossover: Between Bloodborne and Monster Girl Encyclopedia (MGE). Specifically, the story is about the Hunter from Bloodborne finding himself in the MGE 'verse, searching for a new home and life.
• Culture Police: Exists among the ranks of both The Order and the Monster Lord, if the fact that The Wild Hunt by the Wandering Scholar being censored is of any indication.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Count the number of fights the Good Hunter gets into that is NOT this trope. Don't be surprised if you cannot find any.
• Curb Stomp Cushion:
  • Chapter 6 presents us Daria Noharis and the Second Company VS The Good Hunter. Daria managed to kick the Hunter sideways and launch him a few feet away, yet she, and the rest of her company are ultimately no match for his Holy Moonlight Sword.
  • Druella, the Fourth Born VS The Good Hunter in Chapter 7. Her flight means she naturally fares better in dodging the Hunter's deadly strikes, and, like Daria, she at one point succeeds in sending him flying. While it may seem that she took little direct damage, she is eventually overwhelmed by her wounds due to the magic within the Holy Moonlight Sword, and is left severely incapacitated. The fact that she narrowly avoids death is quite a miracle, though she's definitely not in a good shape afterwards.
• Cute Monster Girl: They are all over the place in the Monster Girl Encyclopedia 'verse, a series crossed with Bloodborne to form this fanfic.
• Deadly Scratch: During her fight with Cyril in Chapter 7, Druella receives seemingly superficial burns from the energy of Cyril's Sword Beam, as well as a shallow cut in the belly. She gets incapacitated by the very same wounds moments later, and she would've lost her head if it weren't for Kuroferuru and Greilia Little's interference.
• Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Talbot points out that Cyril is still looking for a purpose, then advises him not to let that search be the only thing he lives for. He's right about Cyril being somewhat lost, but he doesn't know that Cyril does have a purpose in life — to be left alone in peace and achieve a serene state of mind (that is, not being shell-shocked). It's just that trouble looks for him always. Should he come into terms with his role as the Hunter that answers to bloodshed, he'd have to give up his purpose.
• Determinator: The prerequisite for anyone who aspire to join the Wild Hunt. Skill and experience are merely secondary to possessing the will to see things through. It is noted that as an agent of the Wild Hunt, being determined does not mean the same as being stubborn — they also have to understand when to show mercy and when to disregard it all the same, meaning that it is essential for them to be disciplined determinators.
• Didn't Think This Through: Whatever Natsume is planning to do in Cyril house is heavily reliant on the assumption that the owner of the house will not come back before she leaves. Therefore, it should not be a surprise when she ends up getting caught red-handed as Cyril returns home. To her credit, however, the house itself looks like it's been abandoned, and she has no idea just whose house she is sneaking into.
• Distressed Woodchopping: Chapter 14 has Klaus chopping firewood as work for the Prancing Pony, while having "Vietnam flashbacks" not only about the Night of the Hunt, but also about his life way before that — a soldier, halberd in hand.
• Dodge the Bullet: Druella dodges a shot from the Hunter's flintlock pistol by flapping her wings twice to jink to the side.
• Don't Make Me Destroy You: Chapter 5 has Cyril encountered by a clergyman, William Noscrim, who intends to recruit the Hunter in the Order of the Chief God's ranks. Cyril warns William not to waste his time, and that "someone is not coming back home in one piece" should he start a fight. The clergyman orders his daughter Wilmarina to remind the Hunter of his place, which ends up in vain. Cyril later gives William another warning: send anyone after him, these people die; send his daughter after him, his bloodline ends.
• Dramatic Gun Cock: Natsume, unprepared for the Hunter's assault, flees from his abode. It looks like she has lost him, but then...
  Click.^note A gun cock is heard, revealing the Hunter to be right behind her, pointing a pistol at the back of her head.
• The Dreaded:
  • Being a mysterious foreigner wearing a weird hat and coat means that the common folk of the MGE 'verse are naturally wary of the Hunter. Especially so whenever he gets into a scuffle with someone else in front of a crowd of people, with the unfortunate one typically ending up with a limb bent in an impossible angle. Thus, it goes without saying that the people around him feel sickened upon witnessing the carnage he leaves behind with his Saw Cleaver, a deranged weapon in and of itself. After the events of the main story, the Wandering Scholar posits that few names and titles, such as the name of the man who calls himself the Hunter, strike fear into the hearts of man and monster alike. While he has become an infamous figure after the Sacking of Lescatie, it is only when Cyril establishes the Wild Hunt to stalwartly defend against the interests of both the Order and the Demon Lord, that cements his fearsome reputation.
  • Chapter 15 establishes Ancalagon the Grim as this, from how the lords and ladies reacted from her presence. It is said that The Black Dragon is capable of destroying entire bloodlines outright, and that no one dared to disappoint the First Founder twice and live to tell the tale. While it is obvious that Cyril does not fear her in any way, both the Chief God and the Monster Lord are wary of provoking her ire.
• Driving Question: What happened after Cyril's battle with Gehrman, the First Hunter? Which "ending" out of the three did Cyril get? Why is Cyril disconnected from the Hunter's Dream? And what does him "leaving behind the Dream" mean?
• Due to the Dead: When an Agent of the Wild Hunt is slain, the Blood Contract they have in person is returned to the Master, Cyril. He then records their deeds and the end of their career, before burying the deceased Agent in a grave, one among many amidst the field of White Asphodels surrounding his Workshop.
• Duel to the Death: In Chapter 20, Sir Henry Watson calls Cyril a knave and challenges him to a duel in hopes of taking his head upon victory. Cyril obliges and ends their duel instantly by shooting the Knight Errant in the throat.
• Elves Versus Dwarves: Any sort of animosity between elves and dwarves is merely mentioned but not shown. Sierra Underwood (elf) and Emil Gold-Gather (dwarf) presents an averted example, as they are shown to get along without trouble.
• Empathic Weapon: From how Cyril speaks to his Holy Moonlight Sword in Chapter 6, we can see that the sword seems to have a rather battle-hungry personality, providing guidance to its wielder when a hunt is afoot.
• Every Japanese Sword is a Katana: Averted. The kunoichi Murasaki Natsume uses a kodachi rather than a katana. It makes sense for someone trained in infiltration work to carry a short sword rather than something long like a katana.
• Fantasy Kitchen Sink: Bound to happen, given that 223 types of mamono exist in the MGE setting. Go on and take a look here.
• Fictional Holiday: Sheffield has the Union Festival, a week of merriment where man and monster alike celebrate the founding of the city state.
• Flight: A number of Monster Girls with wings possess the ability to fly. Druella is one such example, with her flight effective enough to dodge several of Cyril's attacks, including a shot from a flintlock pistol.
• Friend to All Children: Cyril does not see himself as one, but Sasha believes he is this played straight. Yes, he is an Anti-Hero who does not like to be around people, children even less, because they remind him too much of his hardships during the Night of the Hunt. Nevertheless, he is definitely not a Child Hater and treats children with patience rather than contempt. From how some children under Sasha's care have latched onto him, as well as how he takes two sibling orphans to safety, both of whom would become his apprentices later on, Sasha's statement may not be too far from the truth.
• Gambit Pileup: Bound to happen due to the politicking involved between the three factions.
  • The Order faction:
    • The Chief God has been raising human heroes, in hopes that they can strike down the Monster Lord. The wiki reveals that the Chief God opts for this indirect method as a result of being gravely wounded after trying to destroy the Demon Lord and her husband in battle.
    • Jophiel, Watchman of the Chief God, aims to remove Sheffield, one of the Oberon League's territories, of any monster influence in the long-run. However, the attack on the Union Festival, together with Father Zachariah's involvement in said attack put a wrench in this plan, seeing that the common folk of Sheffield are obviously not happy with the attack, together with the fact that it galvanised the Hunter into action. As of now, she and many other bishops of The Order are prioritising on negotiations with the First Founder of the Oberon League. In order for them to make progress, the sponsor of the attack has to be delivered, a task she and another bishop, Ria, are trying to accomplish. Furthermore, she is keeping an eye on the Hunter, in order to find out any way of putting down this unknowable threat, assuming there is one.
  • The Monster faction:
    • Adrastia is working with the deposed royals of the Kingdom of Erebus so as to sabotage the interests of Samael The Usurper, the current king of Erebus. This ensures that her slaver raids in the villages of Erebus remains unhindered, allowing the kingdom to become a part of the Demon Lord's realms.
  • The Oberon League:
    • King Samael the Thirteenth aims to root out all the slavers and marauders that are taking the men away from their villages. While he was not able to act directly against them, due to the troubles he had to deal with in his Decadent Court, this plan is made viable thanks to securing a powerful agent that is the Hunter.
    • Cyril Sutherland, the Hunter himself, is by no means a planner. Knowing that many who are in power may seek to exploit his skillset to further their agendas, he thought it would be better for him to simply play along and wait until some idiot makes a mistake.
• Glad He's On Our Side:
  • Implied in Chapter 8. The merchant, Laurence Miles, thinks it's best that he stay on Klaus's good side, for the mercenary is very skilled at handling sharp objects, and he has a vested interest in keeping his head on his shoulders. While not said outright, Laurence is definitely glad that Klaus is working with him, not against him.
  • In Chapter 18, Talbot internally notes that he's glad that he is on the Hunter's good side, for the Hunter is entirely capable of offing both him and his wife in one go, yet is cordial enough to be drinking tea with them on a sunny afternoon.
• God Save Us from the Queen!: Downplayed for Lilith, First of her name, Overlord of All Monsters and the Grand Mistress of Royal Makai. She's a Visionary Villain, neither incompetent or mindlessly evil, who wishes to bring forth a Free-Love Future for both human and monster-kind, showing that she does have a large-scale policy in mind. Said policy comes with serious problems: consent is not an option; humans may find themselves monsterized against their will; and humans will eventually be outbred by monsters, hence be driven to extinction. As revealed in the backstory for MGE, this would also drive Monster-kind into extinction, due to the fact that Mamono are a One-Gender Race who need human men to breed. It should be noted that the Demon Lord is trying to find an answer to the extinction issue by figuring out how to produce male offspring from human-monster relations, instead of just more female mamono.
• Gratuitous Ninja: The kunoichi (aka. female ninja). Out of the 223 types of mamono, which normally include fantasy or mythical races, there are ninja types, apparently. In particular, the very first chapter has Murasaki Natsume, a succubus ninja, showing up at the Hunter's abode. Alas, her training as a ninja is not enough to prepare herself for the Hunter's ferocious assault.
• The Guards Must Be Crazy:
  • In Chapter 1, Cyril lampshades how Lescatie's guards are worse than useless, failing to sense the intruder within their walls who successfully intrudes upon his home. Sure, said intruder turns out to be a Kunoichi good at infiltration work, but still.
  • Also lampshaded by Fina as she makes her way to Lescatie in Chapter 5, sneaking past the guards all the while. This is later justified as she does so by blending in with the stream of travellers and refugees who sought entry and safety in the city. The guards are simply overtaxed with keeping the area secure against monsters.
• Heroes Prefer Swords: Downplayed. The sword is not an exclusive weapon for the main characters, as there are Mooks who use them other than axes, cleavers, maces or polearms. Regarding the main protagonist Cyril, his Holy Moonlight Sword is his secondary melee weapon, while the Saw Cleaver is the primary one. He does opt for a normal steel sword as Klaus, though.
• High-Pressure Blood: In Chapter 6, Cyril beheads a mook. Blood sprays through the air, covering and paralysing nearby men and monster women alike.
• Hunter of Monsters: Once a Player Character from Bloodborne, which is all about this trope, Cyril currently refers to himself as a Hunter of beasts, beasts regardless of the skin they choose to wear. Unusually, he is a Heroic Neutral who strikes when his target either wants a fight or is plain hostile. Cyril does become more active after the attack on Sheffield's Union Festival, but rather than embarking on a mission to kill... whatever he thinks that is prey, he only goes for the targets that are assigned to him by his employer, and if said targets are more valuable alive, then he would keep them alive.
• Hypocritical Humor: "We have been tasked to find him (Cyril) and, if feasible, bring him here for questioning. I would advise restraint and extreme caution. He has shown to be more than capable of destroying us single-handedly," says Wilmarina, who forms a team to go after the Good Hunter under the orders of the current Demon Lord's husband, regardless of knowing what he is capable of.
• I Am a Monster:
  • A variant of this happens when Cyril, hearing from Sasha that people have been talking about him, asks, "So what are people saying? Am I a monster yet?" Sasha responds that's one of them, while others see him as some sort of blessed individual (hero). Cyril thinks it's some sick joke.
  • Sensing The Wandering Scholar's discomfort during his meeting with Cyril after hearing of the latter's deeds, Cyril wraps up the meeting by saying another variant of this. However, instead of declaring "I suck" like most instances of this trope, this one is filled with conviction, resignation, and a chunk of Cold Ham.
    Cyril: You must think me a monstrous man. And you would be correct. I do not ask to be remembered for my triumphs, only for the bloodshed I leave behind. Someday I will pay for what I have done, or perhaps this is my purgatory. Either way, you seem to be disturbed. Perhaps we shall speak again.
• Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Ancalagon threatens to impale a lord, Baron Fitzgerald Ludendorf, on one of the spires of her castle keep should the latter speak up one more time in her presence. The next chapter has Cyril getting a glimpse of someone dying this way, the victim he identifies as a Ludendorf heir, implying that the lord did not escape his fate.
• Knight Errant: Chapter 20 introduces Sir Henry Watson who refers himself as such, with the armour and mannerisms to match. Upon noticing the Hunter, he recognises him as an arch-heretic and proceeds to challenge the Hunter to a Duel to the Death in hopes of claiming his head. Henry ends up getting shot for his troubles, dying an Undignified Death.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Sasha Fullmoon, a priestess of The Order, has been secretly passing intelligence to the monster faction, namely Druella, in order to weaken Lescatie from within for her upcoming invasion. Said invasion turns out to be such a success that her orphanage gets burned down, she herself is declared a heretic by The Order she betrayed, and most of the orphans under her care are either dead or missing.
• Leotard of Power: Ursula, Captain of the Forth Company, has this as part of her outfit, complete with thigh-high leggings.
• Life Energy: It is established in the MGE 'verse that all creatures have mana, some a little, some a lot. If there were a being without mana, said being shouldn't even be alive. Furthermore, mana can be manipulated by others into spell-craft (aka magic). Since monsters are generally better at doing this than humans, it is very clear that the former faction has the upper hand. At the same time, Cyril Sutherland is a, if not the only, living being that has no mana at all, and thus his existence is considered to be an anomaly to both factions alike.
• The Magnificent: A Dragon with a lofty and dreaded reputation, the leading lady of Sheffield has a title with this particular format — Ancalagon the Grim.
• Mêlée à Trois: The conflict in later parts of the fanfic seems to be shaping towards this: the Order VS the Demon Lord VS the Oberon League. The Oberon League is the strongest among the 3, courtesy of Cyril and his agency, the Wild Hunt.
• Mistaken for Romance: During the meeting with the Good Hunter in the Dream brought to life, the Wandering Scholar thinks that Cyril and Evetta are married, but decided against inquiring him on the subject of his personal life, being in the midst of numerous weapons he can use to off him. When asked about who she is, Cyril simply says that she is "a faithful friend".
• The Mole: The architect of the Fall of Lescatie, Sasha Fullmoon. She is a hero of The Order who has been passing intelligence to Druella, Fourth Daughter of the Monster Lord.
• Monster Lord: Lillith, Overlord of All Monsters. Overlaps with Maou the Demon King as the fanfic is a Standard Japanese Fantasy Setting.
• Morton's Fork: The end of Chapter 1 has Cyril facing a situation like this, in regards to how he deals with Natsume. Should he off her, it would attract the Order's attention, as there would be a corpse near his dwelling; should he spare her, she would report his existence to whoever's in charge, thus attracting the attention of the Monster Lord. He ends up picking the second option, not before threatening her to keep her mouth shut, lest he will hunt down anyone who goes after him. It doesn't work.
• Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Cyril has a good number of titles comparable to that of his other counterpart that are this to cement him as The Dreaded. See Try to Fit That on a Business Card below.
• Nay-Theist: Anyone who is not on the Order of the Chief God's side, hence not worshipping the Chief God (e.g. Cyril, the Monster Lord, the Oberon League, etc.) is this, be it of hate or indifference.
• The Need for Mead: The Prancing Pony is one of the many fantasy inns. Notably, The Protagonist Klaus is hired as a guard and a cleaner in the Sheffield Arc, having been offered a permanent place here.
• Never Bring a Knife to a Gun Fight: The ending of Chapter 20 features Cyril being challenged by a Knight Errant to a Duel to the Death. After spitting to the side, he simply draws his pistol and shoots him, in a way that pays homage to a certain famous scene in an Indiana Jones film.
• One-Man Army: What do you expect? We're talking about a Hunter of Monsters from Bloodborne who does this on an hourly basis back in Yharnam. It shouldn't be any more surprising to see him carving through dozens of beasts wearing the skin of human or monster that dare to stand in his way to freedom.
• Only in It for the Money: Cyril's primary motivation for accepting Ancalagon's request of lending his blade to the ruler of Erebus.
• The Order: The Order of the Chief God is the main anti-mamono organization in the setting. It periodically recruits potential Hero candidates and organises crusades in order to pursue their agenda.
• Outside-Context Problem: The Hunter, obviously. No one has ever seen someone this strong and fast, yet has no mana and any sort of blessing from a god (whether the latter is true depends on whether the reader considers the Moon Presence a "god", not that anyone in the story knows this anyway), not to mention he is a man resistant to any sort of seduction, negating the main advantage a monster has over a human. The very fact that he is inimical to human and monster alike means that he is an unprecedented threat any man or monster has ever faced. Fortunately, Cyril/Klaus is possible to be reasoned with, as Greilia and the Oberon League have shown, which provides a silver lining that minimises the danger he poses. However, instead of opting for this less risky option, both The Order and the Monster Lord have decided that the best course of action is to track him down and eliminate him ASAP, with the assumption that he can be stopped, because his "outside-context-ness" is a threat to their pride, honour, existence, and whatever else they stand for. It wouldn't take too much to guess where this would go, even though the fanfic is still ongoing.
• Percussive Therapy:
  • Chapter 2 plays this trope for drama. Cyril sees red, subverts Bystander Syndrome, and beats up four noblemen that are harassing a commoner. After Cyril leaves the commotion, he feels his blood boiling, wanting more victims to satisfy himself. Fortunately subverted later as he calms himself down without doing anything reckless.
    He had to calm down. He had to stop thinking. He needed to... he needed to kill.
  • From how Klaus states that he finds comfort in simple physical labor, it is implied that Cyril/Klaus has been finding other, non-violent means of relieving stress, lest he succumb to his triggers and bloodlust.
  • After decapitating Father Tobias, a member of The Order Insurgents responsible for the attack on the Union Festival, Cyril begins to hack the headless corpse several times to vent his grief regarding the possible deaths of Sierra and Emil.
• Pistol-Whipping: Occasionally done by the Good Hunter, should he be unable to reload fast enough. His Super-Strength means that this is pretty effective, as an unfortunate monster and an Order soldier can attest to, both of whom have their skulls cracked like an egg in Chapter 3 and 6 respectively.
• Power Fist: Chapter 5 features the debut of the Fist of Gratia, described as "a hulking clod of iron fitted with finger holes". Cyril uses it to effortlessly incapacitate Wilmarina during their duel, barely using his Saw Cleaver all the while. Talk about disrespect.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner:
  • Cyril, right before his fight with Daria in Chapter 6, doubles as Meaningful Echo.
    Cyril: Tonight, Cyril Sutherland joins the Hunt. *fires Sword Beam to vaporise anything in its vicinity*
  • It's also deconstructed - for a haunted, tired man like Cyril with blood and baggage aplenty on his hands, speaking this is almost akin to a Trigger Phrase for falling back into a more merciless, bestial mindset, which is not a good thing for anyone involved, especially himself. It's not even the worst he can do. He has a second line for when he's well and truly angered, as Father Zacharias discovers in Chapter 14.
    Cyril: (upon discovering Father Zacharias standing over Sierra and Emil's seemingly lifeless bodies) Curse the fiends... And their children too... And their children, forever true...
• Precision F-Strike: During the council meeting in Sheffield, one of the lords objects to Nial's claim that Ludendorf Trade Company is involved in the attack on the Union Festival. In response, Ancalagon threatens to impale him on a spire, ending off with "shut the fuck up and sit down". This is the only time she dropped an F-bomb.
• Professional Killer: In simple terms, this trope is what becoming an agent of the Wild Hunt entails: They sign a contract that includes the agreement between the agent and the employer of said agent. The agent fulfils the duty given to them by the employer. The duty is to sabotage and subvert both Order and Monster interests... which most certainly is 100% homicide. If they succeed, then the contract will be returned, and they will get paid. If they die, they get buried in a grave. Nothing glamorous.
• Punched Across the Room: One of the nobles who are harassing Sasha Fullmoon's orphanage in Chapter 2 is struck on the head from Cyril's punch. He is then sent flying via a second punch. Does the victim come out unharmed? No, he later ends up in a coma.
• Pyrrhic Victory: The Fall of Lescatie, in spades. Sure, the monsters have claimed Castle Lescatie, which strikes a huge blow to their enemy, the Order of the Chief God. However, a sizeable portion of their forces, including half of the Second Company and their captain, have perished. Druella, the Fourth Daughter of the Demon Lord, is also severely incapacitated, and her condition means a fragile state of affairs in Lescatie in the days to come. All because the invasion inadvertently provoked the Good Hunter, who merely desired to be left to his own devices, into slaughtering his way to his freedom. Said Hunter would later on become the wild card that drastically alters the balance of power, which, from the perspective of the monster faction, does not spell good news in the long run.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Nial Andersen, Lord of the City Guard in Sheffield. His fellow lords sneered at his concerns over fanatics of the Order as "warmongering" when he had every right to fear that they were gathering, as the attack on the Union Festival demonstrates. He's more concerned for the wellbeing of his citizens than anything else, and when stretched to his limit he's perfectly willing to pull in shady help, including a former highwayman and an off-putting, seemingly remorseless killer. When Ancalagon is grilling the noble council for their idiocy, Nial is rightfully terrified, but she puts good stock in his words and, in a backhanded way against the rest of the council, praises him for taking control of things in the chaos.
• Rebel Relaxation: Byronic Hero Cyril Sutherland leans against the wall arms crossed, observing a crowd of onlookers cheering for a Knight Errant Sir Henry Watson.
• Red Baron:
  • Ancalagon's title, the Black Dragon, is referred to more often than her actual name or her other titles by the narrations of different P.O.V. characters. Justified that she is a black dragon.
  • While Cyril has acquired many a title throughout his time in the MGE 'verse, his most well-known is none other than "Moon-Scented Hunter".
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: The Hunter, being a highly capable killer with inhuman strength, has the deep crimson eyes to match.
• Sacred Hospitality:
  • Knowing that the Hunter is here to visit Talbot, the alderman of the village of Glaspire, his wife Aria invites the Hunter in for tea while the both of them wait for Talbot to arrive. The entire meeting goes well, and Talbot internally notes that the Hunter is far more polite than the brutal, murdering fiend the stories paint him as.
  • Lampshaded in the snippets. During his first visit to the Dream brought to life, the Wandering Scholar notes that he does not expect either the polite demeanour or the hospitality displayed by Cyril, the Hunter of bloodthirsty reputation.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Knowing that Lescatie will shortly become a place of war, pillage and constant conflict with The Order, Cyril's decision is to pack his belongings and GTFO.
• Secret Identity: In order to keep himself away from any attention due to his reputation in The Fall of Lescatie, Cyril Sutherland disguises himself under the alias of Klaus Tennstedt.
• Serrated Blade of Pain: It goes without saying that the Saw Cleaver is pretty much synonymous with Cyril Sutherland. To hammer it home, he notably uses a steel sword rather than his signature weapon during his time as Klaus Tennstedt.
• Shining City: Lescatie is described as the jewel of The Order, where many veteran heroes are trained and dwelt, a place of culture and refinement. The "snobby" aspect is certainly there with the nobility and the clergy being in full control of how the city is ruled, living in the dazzling noble estates.
• Shrouded in Myth: The Wild Hunt, though not a character per se but an organization. Rumours abound concerning the way to join this uncannily effective team of warriors. Common rumours include killing a hundred thousand of their own kind, or bringing some sacrificial tribute. One of the Wandering Scholar's encyclopaedia entries dedicated to this organization, named The Blood Contract, documents the exact way to join the group while dispelling the previous rumours (assuming his information is accurate).
• Slobs Versus Snobs: Subverted. Cyril witnesses a crowd of peasants gathering as a noble carriage passes by in Chapter 1, noting that there is a clear divide between the two classes. He doesn't care in the slightest, noting that there is no point in trying to change anything.
• Speak of the Devil: An anti-heroic example. Hansel and Gretel want to seek out the Hunter, but they eventually find themselves surrounded by a noble's son and his thugs. The noble's son mocks them for foolishly believing that someone so important like the Hunter would speak to the two street urchins. The Hunter, hearing this and wondering what the hell this idiot child is talking about, steps in.
  The Hunter: *raises voice* Who is speaking for me? Who dares speak for a Hunter? Who assumes that my blade is his to command?
• Spiteful Spit: Cyril lowers his bandanna to spit to the side as a disrespectful gesture, in response to some random Knight Errant challenging him to a Duel to the Death so the knight can have Cyril's head.
• Standard Japanese Fantasy Setting: The MGE 'verse. Further details of the world building of the MGE 'verse can be found in the wiki here.
  • In terms of inhabitants, aside from your typical Standard Fantasy Races like humans, elves, and dwarves, a whopping 223 types of mamono exist. Despite their variations, they generally have the desire to seek human males for companionship and reproduction. However, due to the current Monster Lord's power, the mamono have developed a strong, lustful desire for mating with said humans, with or without their consent. The succubus family, in particular, can transform non-mamono males and females into incubi and succubi respectively, again, with or without their consent.
  • The setting of this fanfic does not work like an RPG, but elements of Character Classes can be found. For example, Cyril is a multi-melee Magic Knight, Wilmarina is a Master Swordsman, Daria is an axe-wielding berserker, Druella is a Black Mage, and Jophiel is a valkyrie that resembles a paladin.
  • Light/Darkness Juxtaposition in a nominal sense is prevalent in the story, as shown from the conflict between the Order of the Chief God and the Monster Lord, though not to the extent of a cyclic conflict, just a very long one. The "light" side fosters human heroes via the blessings and guidance of the Chief God to fight against the mamono, while the "dark" side is, of course, more concerned about sexual intercourse than anything else. Both beings of power demonstrate Well-Intentioned Extremism. The "dark" side claims to strive for a Free-Love Future between man and monster, while using contradictory means (i.e. mating without the consent of their partner) to accomplish this vision. Meanwhile, the "light" side consists of Knight Templars who opt for a Final Solution to deal with the problems brought by the "dark" side.
• Statuesque Stunner:
  • Ancalagon's human form resembles a woman almost reaching nine feet tall, and she is undoubtedly a beauty, as per Nial's P.O.V..
  • The Doll is this according to Sierra and the Wandering Scholar's narrations. The former notes that the workshop steward has a "towering yet graceful form". As for the latter, not only she is the tallest woman he's ever seen, the Doll is described as "a beauty in all meanings of the word, but utterly unapproachable".
• Stopped Caring: Tired, Cyril expresses the sentiment at the beginning of the story, noting that there is no point of trying to change anything even if he is technically capable of doing so. The plot tries its hardest to make him ditch this mentality.
• Story Arc: A couple of these can be identified, and one is currently in progress due to the fanfic's ongoing status.
  • Chapter 1-7: Lescatie Arc. Amidst the ever-going conflict between man and monster, the Order and the Demon Lord, Cyril tries to find a home for himself in Lescatie, a powerful seat of the Order, hoping to rid himself of any attention. Meanwhile, the monsters plan an invasion on the city.
  • Chapter 8-15: Sheffield Arc. Leaving the remains of Lescatie behind, Cyril heads to Sheffield, one of the few city states with a neutral stance towards man and monster, to try one more time at settling down. Neutrality has never been any harder than ever, when the monster faction seeks retribution for their losses in Lescatie, while Order zealots aim to force the city to join their ranks.
  • Chapter 16 and beyond (for now): Slaver Slayer Arc. Cyril, accepting his role as the hunter, is tasked with rooting out slavers within the federation of the Oberon League. Little did he know that the state of affairs has gone through an upheaval due to his presence, as the politicking between The Order, the Demon Lord, and the Oberon League begins to unravel.
• Strong and Skilled: Cyril/Klaus. The "strong" part is obvious with the Super-Strength he possesses. The "skilled" part comes from his combat experience accumulated through hunting down beasts and presumably dying to them numerous times in Yharnam.
• Super-Empowering: Heroes chosen by the Chief God have an aura of divine strength bestowed upon them. It is known as the blessings of the Chief God. Wilmarina notes that if it weren't for the enhanced durability due to said blessings, the back of her skull would've been caved in during her duel against the Good Hunter (and even then, she gets utterly humiliated).
• Super-Strength: With merciless efficiency, Cyril Sutherland has enough strength to shatter a person's jaw with his hand, crush someone's throat with his boot, and crack a man's skull with his pistol like an egg.
• Super-Toughness: Wilmarina notes that all Heroes blessed by the Chief God, herself included, can shrug off most injuries. Downplayed in practice, for she is no match for Cyril and his clod of iron, but she doesn't get a concussion after receiving a blow to the back of her head — her skull would've been caved in (plus the nasty stuff that happens to the brain) if she were a normal person.
• Sword Beam: Just like in Bloodborne, Cyril's Holy Moonlight Sword can unleash waves of shadowy moonlight, so potent that even being grazed by its energy will result in seemingly superficial wounds that burns absolutely. Druella learns that the hard way.
• Talk to the Fist: Cyril, from his fight with Druella.
  Druella: You're quite strong.
  Cyril: You talk too much. *slashes her in the midriff*
• Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Stated word-for-word by Molly in regards to Klaus's appearance.
• Thwarted Coup de Grâce: Kuroferuru arrives just in time to intercept Cyril's strike that was meant to execute Druella after the fight between the latter two.
• Tragedy: This fanfic is labelled as such. It may not seem obvious at first glance, but if one considers Ursula's actions in the story, it is clear that she is the Tragic Hero of the story. Ursula is a person of great status, as the Captain of the 4th Company. She makes the Tragic Mistake of going after the Hunter, despite knowing that he is entirely capable of defeating her effortlessly. Warnings from multiple parties notwithstanding, she still decides to participate in a squad to pursue him due to her Fatal Flaws. That is, her Pride, the urge to find a Worthy Opponent, her desperation to regain her honour to make up for Druella's defeat, and her failure to look past the mentality of Do Unto Others Before They Do Unto Us. While the fanfic is currently ongoing, the SpaceBattles.com snippets shed light on her ultimate fate. Not only she alienates many of her comrades during her pursuit of the Hunter, she is presumably hunted by him personally after the raid on Sasha's second orphanage.
• Tragic Dream: Cyril hopes to save up for a piece of land in an isolated area. A place to finally rest his head, to be free from the ongoing turmoil happening in the MGE 'verse, to move on from the ordeal that is Yharnam, and to forever stow away his weapons to live the rest of his life in peace. Except that it is simply impossible for him to do that, with hostile monster girls all over the shop. Just as Cyril seems to have found a home in Sheffield, it is attacked by Order zealots. This, combined with him feeling guilty about what happened to Sierra and Emil, pushes him back into the path of bloodshed once more. Cyril is aware that coming to terms with his identity as a Hunter (that is, abandoning his dream) would be a difficult, yet inevitable affair, but he still feels lost. Fortunately, he learns a lesson regarding his perceived failings, that one has to make their own home, and protecting their home is their duty. He does exactly that after the main storyline, by creating an agency named the Wild Hunt to defend Sheffield from the interests of the Demon Lord and the Order's clergy.
• Trauma Button: Poor Cyril/Klaus.
  • Natsume touching Cyril's music box after sneaking into his abode proves to be a bad idea, as the sound it plays immediately triggers his traumatic memories about a daughter of Gascoigne, which implies the "Gascoigne girl side-quest" is canon in this fanfic. Needless to say, he is pissed upon returning.
  • From his perspective, his surroundings would distort into that of Yharnam and all the bloodshed that entails whenever he is in battle.
  • Chapter 9 features Klaus doing patrol work as a guard in the rain. He struggles to keep his breathing under control due to said rain, as memories of his brutal fight against the Orphan of Kos keep on coming.
    Klaus: A bottomless curse, a bottomless sea... accepting of all that there is, and can be...
• Try to Fit That on a Business Card: Cyril Sutherland, also known as "The Hunter", or "Good Hunter", has a multitude of titles, including: "Moon Scented Hunter", "The Butcher of Lescatie", "The Bane of Monsters", "The Unleashed Blade of Chaos", "The Breaker of Priests", "Bloody Hand of the Oberon League", and "Master of the Wild Hunt".
• Uncertain Doom: The entry about Sierra Underwood by the Wandering Scholar indicates that at some point after Chapter 21, Wilmarina and her band (including her husband Elt, Ursula, etc.) attacked Sasha's orphanage in order to use Sierra, who was residing at said orphanage, as a means to gain leverage over the Moon Scented Hunter, their target. This action prompted him to undergo a Roaring Rampage of Rescue that might as well be a massacre. It is neither shown nor proven whether the entire band was wiped out, but according to the Wandering Scholar, Wilmarina "would never be the same woman ever again, not after what the Hunter had done to her, her husband and her friends". Clearly, their fates are anything but good.
• The Unsmile:
  • When Vermut asks Cyril about the things that he hunts, Cyril stiffens a bit, then gives a smile, before answering that he hunts beasts no matter what skin they choose to wear. To Vermut and her compatriots, there is nothing good in that smile and it makes them anxious.
  • In response to Ancalagon's disappointment towards Cyril for not being brutal enough while killing Father Zachariah^note he merely shoots him in the face, Cyril replies that he simply did as she asked. Ancalagon then smiles at him, an expression the narration describes as "nothing nice".
  • Cyril smiles when asked by the Wandering Scholar regarding the reason he created the Wild Hunt and stood against monster and man alike. The Scholar internally remarks that there is "nothing good in that expression of his".
• Urban Segregation: Present in Lescatie. The dazzling noble estates in the rich district, controlled by the nobility and clergy, are contrasted with the slums where hunger, crime, and desperation rule.
• Walking the Earth: Prior to his arrival at Lescatie, Cyril has been wandering around for months. This is not as cool as it sounds like, however — Cyril would really appreciate it if there is a place to settle down or simply rest his head. If there is a nice, quiet farm, even better. A lifestyle akin to a boat adrift amidst the vast ocean is the last thing he wants in his life.
• Wham Line: Remember how Natsume is so traumatised that she has been having nightmares after Cyril threatened her? In Chapter 10, we get to see a glimpse of what exactly she is dreaming about, through a familiar echo that coincides with the hallucination that Runya has just seen.
  Natsume: I... I can't go back... I can't go back... they're waiting for me! An unsightly beast! A great terror looms!
• Wham Shot:
  • Chapter 10: The Plain Doll is seen in the Hunter's Dream cleaning Cyril's grave, after an unknown amount of time has passed since the battle between Cyril and Gehrman.
  • Chapter 16: Sierra's consciousness ends up in the Hunter's Dream.
• What Is Evil?: Discussed in the Wild Hunt. Sierra is presented a question by the Wandering Scholar on whether Cyril Sutherland, the very Hunter who has shed much blood, is evil. She replies that if he were truly evil, the two of them wouldn't even be alive at the moment.
• Who Dares?: Cyril growls "Who dares speak for a Hunter?" during a Speak of the Devil moment that involves him.
• Wrong Context Magic: Every creature should have mana, except for Cyril, who is a literal void. His absence of mana means that he should not be alive and be able to use magic by any means necessary, yet he is obviously alive and is able to use Functional Magic in the form of Hunter Tools, assuming he has any in his arsenal (though he is not shown to use any).
• Wrong Side of the Tracks: The slums of Lescatie, the City of Heroes, in stark contrast to the noble estates and the rich district there. The very first chapter describes the poorer end of the city as a place filled with abandoned houses, "where desperation and hunger ruled and existence was decided by the red blood thirst of a knife blade". Living in a small, uncomfortable house is not a problem for Cyril, however, as he is long inured to discomfort.
• You Are Not Ready: Cyril says this word-for-word as justification for not letting Hansel and Gretel join him in his ride to Denaris for investigating the slaver situation there.

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