It has always been foolish to think that human as the only beings with sentient thought. There existed many worlds out there, populated by other humans or other strange being. There is one thing that tie them all together, the ability to progress. But if that’s the case, how come nothing has crossed from another world to another.

Is it because no world has ever come that far… or couldn’t.

None of that can bother the Smiling Hunter, who has a prey in her sight. A king? A champion? The last of his kind.

“You are the same as that thing”

The woman can see the similarity between her opponent and the creature at the spiral temple. In his lonely eternal rule, the champion wished for a kin. The deity listened and replied, another of his kind was brought to this world, but nothing could stop the new-born from being cut down.

The champion leaps into the air, slimming his sword into the ground. The weapon is dull from time, but it still creates a shockwave enough to send the Smiling Hunter flying. The woman flips mid-air to land on her feet but before she could touch the ground, the champion is already there, the swing of his weapon threatens to crush every bone in her body.

As the sword flies to her, the Smiling Hunter grabs the weapon and lifts herself above it. Then she stabs her own blade straight into the gap underneath the champion’s helmet. The steel couldn’t pierce through his cursed skin.

His body in position, the champion shoulder bashes his opponent. The direct hit is marked by sounds of cracking bones.

The Smiling Hunter is sent tumbling through a wall. She could barely breath as the blow had made a mess of her ribcage. Removing the cloth covering her mouth, the woman pukes out hot red blood. Her legs trembling, she could barely stand straight, much less fighting. It’s not like she can beat him in tip top condition either. The champion is stronger, faster, tougher and is a more capable fighter.

“Heh… heh…HAH HAH HAH” The Smiling Hunter laughed out loud. Every sound escaping from her mouth is excruciating but she continues to laugh andyway.

The champion, without any hesitation, slams his sword onto the broken figure. At the last moment, the Smiling Hunter rolls out of the blow, leaving something behind. A bomb which explodes into a cloud of smoke. With a swing of his weapon, the champion disperses the smoke with ease, only to find that his ‘prey’ has disappeared.

From behind one of the many pillars decorating the spiral temple, there the Smiling Hunter clings with a pick.

Stronger? Faster? Tougher? It doesn’t matter, it is the job of a Blind to fight threats that far outstrips their own capabilities. As a hunter, she will lurk in the dark. If the monster can see in the night, then covers are her friend. But some can use sound, echolocation, with those she will lurk with her cloak, blending in the environment. Thermal vision can be annoying, but nothing a little of mud can’t fix. Monsters that can read thought, her pure unfiltered instinct is enough to overwhelm them. Recognising the target ability to observe and disappear accordingly is a skill of every accomplished hunter. And Siobhan, the Smiling Hunter, she is all the way up there in the hall of fame.

‘Make no mistake, you are my prey’

Jumping from one pillar to another, grabbing onto them silently, the Smiling Hunter observes her target. Her ribs screaming out in pain, but she cherishes that sensation. It helps her to remember that she still exists.

___

It was a long time ago when the Smiling Hunter was simply a hunter like any other. She joined the Order as a ghost, having lost everything. Monsters had taken away everything she ever known like many others. But she didn’t want revenge, that thought never crossed the girl’s mind. Faced with the unknown, such a basic human’s feeling couldn’t remain.

She was like the many recruits that dotted the rank of the Blind Order. Those that wanted revenge, those that had nowhere to go and ghosts like her.

There were also the naïves, fighting for the people or for some noble causes. They didn’t last long, their ideology broken in the face of overwhelming horrors or they simply died. Well, all but maybe one, a young bright eyes boy. But no one cared, he would join the rank of the naïve, he wouldn’t survive.

The trainings were harsh and many couldn’t make it, dropping out or perishing to be forgotten. Nevertheless, the girl made it and was assigned her first mission.

Even with all the preparation, the death rate of Blind recruits first outing was staggering.

It was a normal village with a monster hiding within the populace. Or not. It was a trap, set by fate. Everyone was already turned, the friendly faces turned into monstrosities from nightmare. The Blind and travellers passing by were slaughtered. Even the instructor was killed, his steel blade couldn’t stop the countless pitchforks.

The girl was dragged away, her gears stripped away, she was to join the monsters’ parade, becoming one with them. She had nothing left in this world and yet in that moment, when she saw what was about to come, the girl screamed out.

“Help me!”

A cry like many others, destined to be unheard. But a miracle happened, someone had heard her call. A traveller stopping by this cursed town had survived.

Covered in a grey cloak, the traveller drew out a long unknown. The sound of thunder rocking the world, the monster holding onto the girl was decapitated. The traveller cranked the handle and let out shot after shot, ejecting shell after shell. Then, quiet fell upon the village once again, but not for long.

The traveller took the trembling and vulnerable girl into their arms. She was carried into a building with all windows barred up. The traveller set her down and reloaded the rifle, one shell at a time. They gave the girl their grey cloak to cover her exposed self.

“The rest will be swarming us soon” The traveller said.

The girl was surprised to find who is underneath that cover. A woman wearing white shirt with patterns on the chest. Most striking were her crimson hair and iris-less eyes. The woman handed her the rifle.

“You know how to use this right?” She asked.

The girl nodded, remembering how the traveller wielded the weapon.

“Clever girl” The woman said, patting her head “Just point this at the door and fire at anyone who isn’t me. I will be back soon”

And so, the Blind hunter stayed covering underneath the grey cloak. Her adrenaline running dry, she fell asleep. When her eyes opened again, the traveller was by her side, sitting. The door to the building was wide-opened, rays of sunshine coming in.

Many Blind hunter had turned mad in their hunts. The girl could have been one of them, what happened here in this village was more than traumatising. But the traveller had kept her sane with her smile. It wasn’t a smile of kindness or sympathy, not it’s the traveller ever mystery smile. But it was enough to keep the girl tethered in through this ordeal.

Life could be long, one traumatising didn’t have to be the end the end. One just needed to be reminded of their own humanity, perhaps with a smile?

The girl had kept that grey cloak and smile with her ever since, always.

___

It doesn’t take long for the champion to realise what is going on. With great strength, he starts to smash down the many pillars. The temple quakes in awe of the champion but continues to stand, the pillars are only for decorative purpose.

But even then, the Smiling Hunter is nowhere to be found.

The many vantage points lost, the woman sneaks around the rubble. She needs find out her prey’s weak spot. Nothing can be spotted asides from the obvious slit for however many eyes this thing has. But such an accomplished warrior would be well aware of this. Aiming for his head might be the most thing to do.

No, she will need to carve out a weakness by herself. A hunter has a tool for just that, it doesn’t see much use but, in the situations that it is needed, it makes the difference in life and death. A stake with reinforced tip and explosive within, made to drill through anything.

But this tool can only be used once and she had been a long supply-depleting journey already, this is her only shot.

‘Piece of cake’

The way the champion moves is similar to a human. A scholar would wonder whether if it used to be human or vice versa, two races with similar ancestry perhaps. But for a hunter, all that matter is that the bone structure of the champion resembles a human. From the way his body is twisted, the woman can see the spine is the same, so what about the nerves?

Now that is something, she can only make an educated guess about. But there is nothing guarantee in this world infested by the unknown. The Smiling Hunter must make a choice, if she is wrong then that’s that.

The problem is to get close without being pulverised first.

She runs from one cover, showing herself just enough for the champion to notice. Instead of coming to her, the champion goes to cut her off instead. He had realised that if the woman had eluded him till now, this must be a trap. While there’s nothing she could do to hurt him, hubris is a common pitfall.

The Smiling Hunter finds the champion already in front of her, having read her movement.

“Gotcha”

The champion steps on a Blind trap. She already knows that he wouldn’t chase behind. An experienced warrior would always try to cut off their opponent.

The trap explodes, sending steel dust all over. It doesn’t cause a dent but the Smiling Hunter escapes in the confusion, but not before leaving a dust bomb behind. As the thing detonates, she fires a bolt from a cover, then quickly relocate to fire another one, both aimed at the eye slit. The champion dodges them easily but the dust refuses to settle and from behind the cloud, bolt after bolt pelts at him.

Utter chaos, enough to mess with a person mind. But the champion is no ordinary being. He had survived countless battles, the same that reduced his kingdom to nothingness. Chaos had moulded him, the champion can tell exactly where the bolts are coming from and soon, where will they come next.

But even as the champion knows where his target will be even before she even thinks of it, he holds his ground. There is only one reason for this meaningless chaos. She had found a weak spot and a confusion this magnitude is easy to strike.

From the start, the hunter has always been a prey.

Then from behind the dust cloud, the Smiling Hunter pounces at his head. The champion ducks forward to prevent an attack to his eyes. He digs his feet into the ground, which crumbles with his strength, the champion stands up, slamming at the helmet at his opponent.

The woman simply flips over his head to reach her true target, her pick digs into the helmet.

If the champion dodges by spinning his head, with her anchor, the hunter could still follow and strike at her target. Even if he slams back into her, the woman is ready to brace herself. Whatever he does, this stake will find its way at his neck and it does. A small explosion pushes the drill bit forward, digging through the armour and skin.

For the first time in eons, the champion is hurt.

But the stake couldn’t make it through enough to cause any real damage.

The Smiling Hunter kicks off the helmet to escape but it isn’t enough. With his frightening speed, the champion turns in an instant, swing his blade at her. The woman tries to vault over the weapon mid-air again. But the blade changes its direction straight up, a feat of strength unheard of. Even with his dull weapon, the force alone is enough to tear the woman in half.

But something drags her back from the mortal blow.

“You really love to make a dramatic entrance” The Smiling Hunter smirked, her grey cloak missing.

“Me, not at all”

A person emerges from the well, his garb covered in ashes. A bloodied arm is covered with barb wire, dragging the woman back.

The champion is of course aware of the well, the gateway outside. But that woman wouldn’t be able to use it and it is not possible for the acolyte of pain to find her. Then he notices something, the grey cloak held back by a boulder, part of it going through the well. An item dropping through the well can reach anywhere. But wrapped inside a cloak is an item that the Smiling Hunter had borrowed, a piece of black stone.

Followed behind Walker emerges another man, unscathed except for a bloodied sword. The old hunter, fresh of a hunt, is ready for another.