Chapter 3

## Chapter Guide

**Of Werewolves and Hunters** (人狼 (じんろう) とは。狩人 (かりうど) とは。, *Jinrō to wa. Kariudo to wa.*?) is the third chapter of Yuki Kawaguchi's *The Hunters Guild: Red Hood* series.

## Summary

The battle against Dodou and Naraoia rages on!

Velou begins to fully understand the terrifying power of the werewolves, as he comes face to face with an enemy that will challenge his moralistic world view and fierce resolve.

## Plot Details

Velou stands defiantly before Dodou, holding a rifle up to the werewolf's back. He begins to think back to his earlier discussion with Grimm, as they raced down the hill to Kasoka Village. The huntress told Velou that he should be able to pick out who the werewolves in hiding are, and that she expects them to be younger and nastier than the one they fought before.

Velou asks her why she could tell, and if it's because there were bite marks on the mayor's bones. Grimm concurs, explaining that the werewolf they just fought didn't have any teeth; and that the remains had signs that they had been gnawed on. She says that there were two types of marks, indicating that there are at least two other werewolves in the area - the ones whom she suspects were watching them.

Grimm goes on, telling Velou that it's quite possible that one, or both of the werewolves, will already be hiding amongst the populace before they get to the village. This profoundly surprises and frightens Velou; as the huntress proceeds to lays out her plan.

She says that she wants to gather all of the villagers in one spot, and that the Kasoka Village meeting house would be a good spot. The villagers will be their bait to lure the werewolves out, Grimm expounds to Velou - who, at that, immediately grabs Grimm by her hood, and exclaims that the villagers aren't bait. The boy says that her plan is too risky, and that he won't let anyone else be devoured.

Grimm pushes Velou off with ease, and simply says that they won't, because it's in the contract. However, she can't pick the werewolves out, but with Velou's sharp eyes, keen observation and his love for the hamlet, he'll be able to find the outsider. Velou goes quiet, and then asks her what he will do once he finds the werewolf.

Grimm opens up her case and reaches in, saying that she'll let him borrow this, as she pulls out a double barrel rifle. She explains that this is a "Chekhov Series" firearm. Velou motions to the blunderbuss on his back, and asks her why he needs that if he already has a rifle. She says that his *can't* kill werewolves, and that the Chekhov Series gun has a mean kick to it, so he should aim it carefully and brace himself when he uses it.

Back in the present, Velou holds the Chekhov Series rifle at the ready, as Dodou turns around and begins to transform into his werewolf form. He mocks Velou, saying that - even though it's not cool - he'll retreat for now; but he'll eventually come back, because he's a werewolf, so it's easy for him to kill and eat humans, and then leave.

Fully transformed now, he towers over the youth, who cries out to the rest of the villagers to stay back. Dodou raises a hand and makes a swipe at Velou, saying that he'll be sure to kill the boy first. As Velou is about to pull the trigger, Dodou's attack smashes a hole through the side of the meeting house, and sends him flying out.

The werewolf walks out, remarking that the meeting house is a fickle building, as Velou lies on the ground a couple feet away. Velou winces in pain, thinking to himself that he's probably broken something. However, now he's got Dodou's attention. He stands up, holding his rifles in his one hand, and the mayor's axe in the another. Now, it's his turn to be the bait.

The boy calls out to Dodou, saying that he's still alive - to which the werewolf chuckles - when suddenly, loud clanging can be heard getting closer and closer. Dodou looks around confused, only for Naraoia to come crashing down in front of him. Grimm appears, holding the steeple bell, on top of a house's roof - much to Velou's surprise. The terribly beaten up and crying Naraoia rushes over to his brother, telling him that the huntress is crazy. Dodou appears caring at first as he reaches for one of Naraoia's teeth; that kindness quickly turns sour however, as he proceeds to savagely rip the tooth free from Naraoia's mouth.

Blood spurts from the wound, as Dodou asks Naraoia what his job was. The latter quickly responds; decoy and stopping the hunter, that was his job. Dodou screams into his face, asking him what he is doing here then. Naraoia points out that Dodou has been found out too, which further enrages him.

Dodou goes on, saying that he's never said this before, but Naraoia has always annoyed him. He picks up a heavy rock next to him and raises it above his head, as he says that if Naraoia is going to be useless, it would be better if we was just gone. His brother looks up at him with tears in his eyes, as Dodou prepares to bring the rock down on him. Velou, witnessing this, quickly reacts and raises his rifle. Before he can shoot however, Grimm jumps down from her spot on the roof, and holds him back.

Velou reacts in surprise, as does Dodou, who asks him if he was really going to shoot just to save Naraoia. He retorts that it wouldn't work anyway, because bullets don't work on werewolves; before promptly whacking Naraoia over the head with the rock. Dodou says, in a mocking tone, that he'll leave Velou with a parting gift before he kills him.

Werewolves can shift between human and werewolf forms, Dodou explains, because of their muscles' ability to regenerate. This also allows them to regenerate from any wounds they receive, whether it be from stabbing, or shooting, or anything else.

He steps on Naraoia, going on to say that Velou can't stop him. He says, as he begins to claw at his back, that he doesn't usually do this because it makes him a lot hungrier, but he wants to show the boy one more thing. As he rips and tears at his own flesh, Dodou explains that muscle fibers heal up bigger and better after you wear and tear them. *"Rip them, heal them. Rip them, heal them."* Dodou's furious scratching continues, as he asks Velou what happens when you do that over, and over, and over again with a werewolf's regenerative abilities.

Dodou gradually regenerates from his wounds, until he becomes a massive hulking beast, standing before Velou and Grimm imposingly. The former looks on in shock, blown away by the werewolf's size. Meanwhile, Dodou reaches down to his brother, who lies helplessly on the ground at his feet. He shoves his clawed hand into Naraoia's body, saying that even with their regeneration, werewolves aren't immortal - every werewolf has a weakness.

*"The heart"*, Dodou says as he rips Naraoia's still-beating heart out of his chest. Naraoia pleads with Dodou to stop, as Velou looks on in disbelief. The cruel werewolf pays no mind to his brother's cries for mercy, and crushes Naraoia's heart with his bare hand. Naraoia's body quivers for a moment, as he says sorry to Dodou, before finally giving up the ghost.

Grimm notices Velou; the young boy, breathing heavily, has his violent eyes locked on Dodou. The huntress calmly tells him to breathe, as Dodou says that he's seen that look on a lot of other peoples' face before, but he ate them all. Velou asks Grimm why she stopped him from shooting earlier, and Grimm inquires back at him, why he even wanted to shoot in the first place. She points out that the werewolves were killing each other off for them, but Velou shouts back at her that he can't forgive Dodou for what he's done.

He says that the other werewolf cared about Dodou and called him his brother, but Dodou killed him. *"He killed his own family!"*, Velou furiously screams out. Grimm looks at the boy in confusion, and asks him why that matters; they're trying to kill the werewolves anyway. Meanwhile, Dodou begins to stomp his way towards them, saying that his new form is tiring and makes him very hungry, so it's about time he killed the two of them. He decides that he's going to eat them, as he swings back his arm, preparing to crush them.

Just then, Grimm says to Velou that experience will be the best teacher here, as she whips out several clams. These clams are "Gas Shells", and they are part of the Hunters 616 Tools. The clams release a pungent gas as a self-defence mechanism, she explains, as Dodou begins cursing out amongst the haze. He should have a hard time sniffing them out, Grimm surmises, as her and Velou seek refuge on top of a roof.

Velou vows that he is going to get Dodou, and begins to ask Grimm what the plan is, when she interrupts him by grabbing his face. She says that he is going to be the one to take down the werewolf, and he's going to do it alone. Velou immediately becomes flustered at this, but Grimm continues on. She says that he already said it himself, back on the hill during their talk. Who is going to protect the hamlet once she's gone, she asks him.

The huntress says to Velou that he must come up with the plan, and that she'll be bait if need be, as she hands him her case. She explains that he mustn't tell himself that he's going to get Dodou, but that he will eliminate *any* werewolves that threaten the hamlet - no matter who they are.

Grimm tells him to drop the "righteous anger nonsense", because it serves no purpose now. She says that hunters aren't concerned about justice, and that he shouldn't think of himself as a hero. A hunt, is a battle of wits, she explains. If he truly wants to protect something, she goes on, he needs to stay calm, think and observe his surroundings. Once he can manage that, he'll be able to find his prey, and tease it out. And with that, the gas begins to clear, and Velou readies himself.

This is the moment, when he becomes a hunter.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Velou
* Dodou
* Grimm
* Mialli (Mentioned)
* Naraoia

## Locations

* Kasoka Village
	+ Meeting House

## Battles & Events

* Velou & Grimm vs. Dodou & Naraoia (Continued)