Identity and Origin
Name: Bell Cranel
Occupation: Bounty Hunter (Feared, not respected)
Nickname: The Black Flame Whistler
Brand Name: The Brand of Dusk
Symbol: Identical in appearance to the Brand of Sacrifice from Berserk, carved into the neck or upper chest of every true bounty hunter.
Reputation: Targets never live. The last sound they hear is a cold, mocking whistle—a haunting melody mimicking Death's own tune.
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Background
Bell was not raised by his grandfather as a dreamer chasing hero tales. Instead, he was molded by cold steel and blood. His grandfather, an ex-adventurer turned bounty hunter, taught him how the world really works—no gods, no glory, only survival and silver. He raised Bell to hunt monsters in flesh and soul: murderers, traffickers of cursed artifacts, sellers of soulbound weapons, and worse.
By the time he was fifteen, Bell was already known for dragging corpses across Orario's outer walls. He became infamous for only bringing in his bounties dead—never alive. His kills were clean, quiet, and terrifyingly efficient. The whistle always came first.
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Skills and Specialties
Blacksmithing & Alchemy Mastery
Bell's gear is his life.
He forges all his weapons and armor himself.
Favors blackened, barbed, and cursed steel, engraved with runes of anti-magic and entropy.
Uses monster parts, forbidden reagents, and cursed bone in crafting.
Alchemy grants him smoke bombs that blind divine eyes, necrotic poisons that kill in seconds, and potions that numb pain or break fear.
He keeps what's useful from every kill: teeth, blood, skin, weapons.
Nothing goes to waste.
Magic
1. Black Flame Magic
A flame that eats, not burns.
It consumes flesh, magic, light—everything.
Cannot be put out by water or wind.
It flickers in unnatural motion, like it's alive.
2. Shadow Magic (Inspired by The Darkness series)
Arms of abyssal shadow burst from his body.
They are semi-sentient: grabbing, rending, choking prey.
Shadows whisper around him constantly, forming maws, tendrils, and eyes.
Darkness cloaks him, turns his body into smoke and ink, or swallows entire alleyways.
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Weapons
Night Maw: A greatsword forged from the fangs of a Dungeon Wyrm. Coated in necrotic venom. It drips when idle.
Whisperfang Daggers: Throwing knives that glide silently through air, black flame lacing their edge.
Gravecoil Chains: Wrapped around his arms; can snare and burn targets with black flame on contact.
Crowveil Cloak: An alchemically treated cloak that turns his body into smoke when struck.
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The Brand of Dusk
Found on the chest or neck of all true bounty hunters.
A mark not of sacrifice, but of rejection: rejection by gods, Familias, and the tower's rules.
It means one thing to all who see it: killers without creed.
It offers no powers, no curses. It is just the truth, branded into flesh.
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Personality
Cold. Clinical. Unflinching. Bell never shows fear or anger. His eyes are silver steel.
His voice is emotionless, the kind that makes your blood run cold when you realize he's standing behind you.
He doesn't talk unless he must, and when he does, it's often to deliver a final sentence—followed by the whistle.
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Treatment of Other Bounty Hunters
Adventurers look down on bounty hunters.
They call them:
Trash-scrapers,
Grave-robbers,
Toy-swingers,
Failed Adventurers.
They try to rob them, kill them for gear or gold.
With Bell? The last man who tried was found hung by his own intestines, strung from a bell tower. His head was never recovered.
Other bounty hunters revere Bell.
They call him "Ashborn."
Some whisper that he's not fully human anymore.
Others say he made a pact with darkness itself.
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Reactions
Familias
Loki Familia: Ais doesn't care, but Bete mocks him—until he watches the shadows eat a Level 3 alive in silence.
Hephaestus Familia: They resent how someone not part of their forge crafts gear with properties beyond their understanding.
Freya: Interested. Intrigued. She watches him silently. Something about his presence makes even her hold her breath.
Ishtar (before her fall): Considered him a threat to be eliminated, but every assassin she sent disappeared.
Guild
Only tolerates bounty hunters due to necessity.
Bell terrifies even their highest-ranking agents.
Eina Tulle met him once, just once—and couldn't speak a word for the rest of the day.
Monsters and Criminals
He is nightmare incarnate.
His whistle became legend.
Some claim to hear it even when no one's around.
Entire black markets shut down when rumors spread that Bell took the bounty.
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Legacy
Bell Cranel the bounty hunter is not a hero.
He is the reaper that heroes fear.
He doesn't chase glory.
He doesn't pray to gods.
He walks in shadow, black flame in hand, and when his whistle echoes through the night, you will not see the dawn.