Monster Hunter:Volume3 Chapter5

Chapter 5 - Blossoming Pink, Blazing Azure

"How goes the explanations?" Enta spoke before Zeeg even reached the table.

Zeeg's brow twitched slightly as he resumed his action, placing four hefty coin pouches down in front of the party. The clinking of Zenny should have stirred excitement in any typical hunter, but the others seated at the table showed little reaction.

Enta looked straight at Zeeg, not the money. Vivi sat upright, reading from a book without so much as glancing up. Brass, preoccupied with mixing ingredients, merely shot a disapproving glare at the vibration caused by the pouches hitting the table.

Zeeg took a seat. A server promptly arrived, placing mugs of beer before the four of them. He wasn't sure if Brass drank, but it was tradition to share a drink after returning from a hunt.

Before raising his mug, Zeeg distributed the pouches. He kept the bulging one for himself - it held the refund of the contract fee. The rest of the reward was split evenly.

The group proceeded to offer a half-hearted toast and each took a drink. Enta drained his mug in one go. Vivi didn't seem to mind the taste either. Brass took a tentative lick, like he was sampling medicine.

Wiping foam from his lip, Enta leaned forward. "Well?"

"They're looking into it," Zeeg replied, gesturing toward the counter with a tilt of his chin.

The Guild's one-eyed receptionist had said only that in response to his report. If they knew anything more, they weren't sharing. In the end, all Zeeg had learned was that the Guild was just as in the dark.

He'd expected some argument over the reward. But, just as Enta had interpreted, the client's request had been exactly as written: the Basarios needed to be eliminated. It didn't matter who delivered the finishing blow. The Guild had paid out without protest.

And more than that - they'd offered a little something extra.

Zeeg slid a sheet of paper onto the table.

"And what's this?" Enta asked.

"A quest form." Zeeg waited for them to lean in before elaborating. "It's the Guild's way of apologizing for the mess. We're being given priority on this one. Only thing is... the targets are no joke."

Enta narrowed his single eye, studying the paper with suspicion. Vivi's expression remained unreadable. Brass, however, widened his eyes in shock and looked around helplessly. Of course he was rattled. This wasn't a quest someone of his rank was ever meant to touch.

The targets were a mated pair: Rathalos and Rathian.

"They've nested near a ranch..." Enta observed.

"Yeah." Zeeg picked up the quest form again, skimming it once more. "A couple weeks ago, a Rathalos was sighted near a ranch situated between Nusti and Minegarde. Not long after, a Rathian was spotted in the nearby forest. Looks like they're nesting. Normally, the Guild wouldn't authorize a hunt during the mating period - but livestock are being killed, and if they run out of prey, there's a good chance they'll move into the city. That's why the Guild's making an exception."

"A Rathalos and a Rathian..." Enta said with a grin. "A tempting challenge."

"...You can't be serious..." Brass's large frame quivered like a soaked puppy. "Even just one of them is terrifying... but both, at once? A mated pair? There's no way we stand a chance..."

"It's not impossible."

Zeeg waited until the server had quietly laid out their meal before continuing. All at once, forks reached forward, spearing through thick slices of grilled Aptonoth meat layered with root vegetables and melting cheese.

He paused to eat, letting the sizzling juices and creamy cheese fill his mouth, wiping his fingers clean on a napkin before catching Brass's expectant gaze.

"Well, sure. Neither Rathalos nor Rathian are your average wyverns. If it's sheer size you're talking, Plesioth is bigger. For toughness, Gravios can't be topped. But when it comes to aggression, cunning, and the sheer instinct to kill... nothing beats a Rathalos. It's the flagship of the flying wyverns for a reason. Rathian's slightly weaker, but her venomous tail makes her even more of a headache. And they both get nastier during mating season."

Brass gave a helpless look, as if to say - See? I told you so.

"But they can be hunted," Zeeg said firmly. "Taking them on together would be suicidal. So what do we do? Easy. We split them up. Mated pairs usually leave defense to the Rathalos. We exploit that instinct - bait him out alone and take him down first."

"Divide and conquer," Enta said, nodding as he popped a roasted yam into his mouth without even peeling it. "If we chip away at him bit by bit, just like carving meat off a bone, even the fiercest monsters are no worse than a herd of Aptonoth. Nothing to fear. I have no objection to accepting this quest. What say you, Lady Vivi?"

"I shall do as the Master wishes," she spoke without lifting her gaze, swallowing a neatly sliced piece of meat with ladylike grace behind her glasses.

No matter how many times he heard it, Zeeg still wasn't used to being addressed as Master. He'd asked her to stop, once. Her reply had been curt, unequivocal - I must decline.

Enta nodded once, then turned to Zeeg.

"What say you, Sir Zeeg?"

The idea had appeal. He wanted to try. But sending Brass up against the likes of a Rathalos and Rathian pair right from the start - that was far too much. Zeeg wouldn't have the luxury of watching over him. The answer, then, was obvious. He turned to the boy.

"...Brass, I'm sorry, but you'll have to-"

"I-I want to go too!" Brass interrupted, his voice ringing loud across the table. He must have known what was coming.

It wasn't what Zeeg had expected, but then again, the boy had never seen a Rathalos up close. That had to be it. He was only speaking out of ignorance. Once he laid eyes on one, heard that thunderous roar, saw the beast charge - he'd freeze up. Just like Zeeg had, his first time. He hadn't run, but he'd been paralyzed by fear, unable to do a thing.

"I won't get in the way! Please, just take me with you!"

"Look, this isn't-"

"Why not let him come?"

At Enta's words, Brass lit up with hope, while Zeeg furrowed his brow. But the one-eyed hunter remained unbothered, gesturing with a root vegetable soaked through with meat juices.

"If he's to be a hunter, he must face such foes eventually. It's a path no one can avoid. And it's our duty, as those ahead of him, to lead by example. The three of us should be more than enough. They don't appear to be anything more than a standard pair."

That was true. Some monsters were classified as Master Rank, a designation for those who had grown stronger through surviving countless hunts - learning traps, adapting to tactics, and passing that knowledge to their offspring. Such monsters were far more dangerous, even among the same species. But this particular Rathalos and Rathian weren't noted as Master Rank in the quest listing.

Zeeg looked back at Brass.

The boy's eyes trembled, but there was no sign of retreat. He wouldn't back down. If that was a decision made as a hunter, then it deserved respect. After all, it was only because Elmeria had once taken Zeeg along for a special Rathalos hunt that he was here now.

"Alright, fine."

Brass's face lit up - but Zeeg wasn't about to let the matter drop just yet.

"However! Don't get in our way. Don't expect us to protect you, either - we won't have the time. You're responsible for your own life. If you can handle that, you can come."

"Yes, sir!" Brass replied with such spirit that he seemed to think the matter was settled. He immediately dove into his meal, biting into it with gusto.

Watching him, Zeeg felt his own appetite shrivel. He set down his fork and forced himself to drink his beer - never a favorite of his - hoping it would help settle the weight growing in his gut.

This thing was good for one thing only - getting a laugh. Elmeria stared down at the freshly - forged hammer, the Enormous Ham, and let out a sigh.

She hadn't won any awards at the Meat Grill Festival, in the end. But Fradio, who had taken a prize, was generous enough to hand over his winnings - a slab of King Meat. With that and a few spare BBQ Tickets left in her stash, she figured, why not? The result, however... wasn't exactly practical.

Theoretically, the sheer weight of the smoked meat attached to the handle might be enough to cave in a Mosswine's skull. But against a wyvern, she'd be lucky not to have it eaten out of her hands. Maybe, just maybe, it could work as a distraction in a tight spot. But, realistically, it was more suited for drawing a laugh - or for a weapon collector with a sense of humor.

Sure enough, the moment she stepped into the gathering hall, all eyes turned her way.

"Oi, what in the world is that!?" someone shouted, laughter erupting.

Well, of course they laughed. The Enormous Ham looked exactly like a giant bone-in ham. She shot a grin in the direction of the voice and called back, "Mind your business!" Laughing as she did, her mood lightened just a little. Maybe making the thing wasn't such a waste after all.

She approached the counter, where Becky looked up from her ledger. Her usual smile was there, but Elmeria could see the fatigue etched around her eyes. With the Guild Master still away, it was clear she'd been handling everything herself.

"What's the occasion?" Elmeria asked, bracing herself against the counter.

Becky glanced at the Enormous Ham on Elmeria's back, but said nothing. Normally, she would've made some quip by now, but there wasn't much room for humor on her face today.

"I've got a request," she said quietly, sliding a piece of paper across the counter. The red stamp on it read: URGENT.

Emergency quests like this gave little time to prepare. They were risky, demanding, and usually the kind that others had already turned down. Elmeria picked up the paper, and soon Fradio and Gannon were peering over her shoulders to read.

"Eliminate a pair of Rathalos and Rathian..." Elmeria murmured.

The request detailed sightings of the wyvern pair attempting to nest in the forest near the ranchlands. Livestock had already begun to vanish. If nothing was done, the damage could easily spread to the city.

When a mated pair prepared to breed, their territory often expanded. If they chose to nest, the nearby settlement would fall squarely within range.

It was likely the Guild had tried to drive them off first. But once a wyvern picked a nesting ground, it rarely gave it up easily. This emergency quest was their last resort.

It was a fitting challenge - and, Elmeria realized, the perfect opportunity to prove whether she was still afraid or not.

She turned to Fradio and Gannon, lifting the quest paper. "I'm thinking of taking it. What do you two say?"

"No objections here," Fradio replied, chuckling deep in his throat. "Rathalos and Rathian - excellent. Not the same one, but I still owe that queen a favor."

Elmeria looked to Gannon. "You?"

"...Should we bring a fourth? Or go as three?"

"Huh, now that you mention it..."

They'd been running as a four-hunter team lately - filling the vacancy could make coordination easier. But bringing someone unfamiliar into a fight like this, against a pair of powerful wyverns, was just asking for disaster. They might hinder more than help.

"Actually, no," Elmeria decided. "The three of us will handle it. We'll split them up and take them down one at a time. That should be enough." With that, she turned back to Becky and slapped the request down onto the counter. "Quest's ours."

"Alright. Your name here," Becky said, offering a fountain pen.

Elmeria signed, then passed the paper to Gannon and Fradio to do the same. Once all three signatures were on the page, Becky nodded.

"You're all set. Departure's in an hour. Oh, and... are you actually using that?"

She pointed to the Enormous Ham, and Elmeria promptly shrugged and shook her head.

"Are you kidding? Of course not! I just brought it along to show it off. I mean, I went through the trouble of making it - it'd be a waste not to give it a debut. You know what, how about you buy it off me? Imagine that - Local Ninja Brains Hunter With Hunk'a Ham! Everyone's gonna retell that story for years!"

"Hmm..."

Becky tapped a finger to her chin, head tilted. She looked like she was actually considering it.

"Well, if you want it, let me know. I'll give you priority."

"Sure thing," Becky said with her usual smile.

Elmeria gave her a wave then turned on her heel. No need to eat - no time, either. For once, she'd had a full breakfast and wasn't hungry in the slightest.

("Since we're up against Rathalos and Rathian, we'd better pack as many Flash Bombs as we can...")

Weaving through the crowd of day-drunk hunters, Elmeria could feel her instincts waking up. She was thinking like a hunter again, and it made her feel alive.

Yes! This was who she really was - not the mopey shell she'd been since Zeeg's departure.

And this quest... this was her chance to make up for her earlier failures. To show Becky, who still believed in them, that her trust hadn't been misplaced.

("...Alright. Time to hunt!")

She drew a length of cord from her pouch, reached behind her, and tied up her long hair at the nape of her neck - tight. Very tight.

Zeeg drew a deep breath as he watched the Guild boat disappear from the dock. The acrid stench of something burnt still lingered in the air. The base camp, hastily erected by the Guild in a secluded grove ringed by cliffs, now lay half-collapsed - its canvas tents scorched and crumbling.

The scent told him everything. This wasn't the aftermath of some ordinary fire - it had taken a direct hit from a fireball. The Guild burned repellents around the perimeter to keep flying wyverns away, but when they were agitated, those deterrents sometimes failed. Camps being attacked was practically unheard of - but it was said that wyverns grew especially volatile while nesting, and now Zeeg had seen the proof with his own eyes.

He placed their supplies where the fire hadn't reached and dropped to one knee, spreading the provided map on the ground in the center of the group. Wyvern nesting sites always shared certain topographical traits - so much so that they all started to feel carbon-copied. As with many times before, the likely den this time was a cave carved into the mountainside.

Area 1, just beyond the camp, and Area 8, known for its steep cliffs and vertical terrain, were unlikely to harbor the creatures. That left Areas 2 through 6, and Area 9 as probable hunting grounds. But before they could make any decisions, they needed to locate the targets first.

"...We search for Rathalos first," Zeeg said, sweeping his gaze across the team. "If we go after Rathian first, there's a chance he'll come looking for her - but the opposite doesn't happen."

The statement was basic knowledge for any seasoned hunter - but Zeeg hadn't said it for the veterans' sake. His eyes drifted to Brass, the youngest among them, and saw the boy nod solemnly. He understood.

"If we run into Rathian first, we back off. Focus on finding Rathalos. No lone wolf stunts - we move as a team. Once we find him, Vivi, hit him with a Paint shot."

Vivi adjusted her glasses and nodded, the black maid uniform she always wore fluttering slightly as she moved. Paint shots and Paintballs worked by tagging the wyvern with scent, but using them on multiple targets could scatter the scent trail, making it hard to track any one of them effectively.

"I'll draw his attention," Zeeg continued. "Enta, use that opening to strike. Vivi, you'll-"

"Hold," came Enta's voice - quiet, but impossible to ignore. Zeeg turned toward him. "Would it not be wiser to reverse our roles? Your armor is heavy. Add the weight of a greatsword and you're hardly built for evasion. It would be more efficient if I were the one to draw the wyvern's attention."

"Maybe, but if it taps you even once, you're done. That's too risky."

"This Shinobi armor I wear is not as fragile as it appears," Enta countered. "Light yet durable. Excellent fire resistance. I was made for disruption. Let me do my part. You stay ready to strike when the opening comes."

"Wait, no, listen." Zeeg raised a hand to stop him. "The most effective way to use a greatsword against a flying wyvern is to get under its belly and hit it hard. That kind of attack doesn't suit a skirmisher."

"Ah..." Enta stroked his chin. "...I hadn't considered that. Then we shall decide based on how the battle unfolds. The target is a living thing, after all. We must adapt to its movements, and to each other's. We both act as decoys and skirmishers - that is the best course."

Zeeg stifled a groan. Enta was clearly satisfied with his own reasoning. There was no time to argue further - if they were both set on playing bait, then so be it.

Turning to Brass, Zeeg found the boy pale with tension. No doubt the state of the ruined camp had rattled him.

"Hey, Brass," Zeeg called. The boy jolted, his broad shoulders trembling as he looked up. "...Don't engage. Not under any circumstances. I'm not trying to scare you - but if you charge a wyvern in that gear, you won't make it back. Whether it's Rathalos or Rathian, their fireballs are no joke. You've seen what one can do."

He gestured toward the charred remains of the tent, and Brass nodded silently. In a way, the attack had done them a favor - Zeeg no longer had to waste words convincing the boy to stay out of the fight. Then again, knowing Brass's personality, maybe it wouldn't have been necessary anyway.

"Back to the strategy - what do I do, Master?"

"Ah - right." Zeeg turned, sheepish. Enta's interruption had made him forget. He gave Vivi an apologetic glance.

"Vivi, you'll focus on support over offense. With your aim, I trust you can tag us with Recovery and Antidote shots even while we're dodging like hell."

Vivi nodded, and Zeeg folded up the map. Enta reached into his pack for the standard-issue rations, prompting Brass to scramble for his own. Zeeg tore into the bland, dry pack and forced it down with indifference.

Once everyone had eaten, Zeeg stood and licked the leftover grease from his lips.

"...Alright. Time to hunt!"

Not our lucky day today - that was all Elmeria could think.

The forest-and-hills region supposedly claimed by the Rathian and Rathalos pair was a newly opened hunting ground. No proper camp had been established yet. As a result, the ranch that had filed the request served as a temporary base, and getting to the hunting grounds meant crossing the river by boat.

She had declined the ranch's offered meal - something about a warm welcome - and instead wasted no time departing, boarding the waiting vessel. But something was off.

"...Gannon. You feel it too, don't you?"

The horned helm turned, and Gannon nodded silently.

I knew it, Elmeria mused, sweeping her eyes over the surroundings. She had sensed something was wrong even before crossing the river: there wasn't a single Aptonoth in sight.

The riverbank, usually lush with tender grass, made for an ideal feeding ground. It should have been teeming with the gentle herbivores. That there was none, was cause for concern.

And then there was the smell - Paintberry. Faint, but unmistakable.

They were supposed to be the only hunters assigned to this quest. So why the scent of a tracking item? Had a drifter slipped in to poach? If so, that was no small matter. If this rogue was working independently, that was one thing - but if the ranchers had hired them on the side, things could turn messy fast.

("But... if that were true, could they really have acted so naturally?")

The ranchers had greeted them with open arms, every bit the picture of a family eager for their arrival. If they'd been lying, they were masters of it - and Elmeria didn't think they were.

"Tch. What a nuisance..." she muttered, clicking her tongue.

Paintballs or Paint shots were only used when a wyvern had been spotted - someone had already made contact. And if worse came to worst, this could escalate into a clash between hunters.

Officially, raising a weapon against another hunter was forbidden. But that didn't mean they were about to stand there and watch someone steal your quarry. The proper response was to report the incident to the Guild and let them resolve it - but no one out in the field had the luxury of waiting for bureaucracy to catch up.

They reached the opposite shore. As Fradio disembarked and began tying off the boat, Elmeria inhaled deeply once more. That Paintberry scent was definitely coming from nearby.

Whether the local Aptonoth had been slaughtered by those trespassers or devoured by the wyverns themselves, the result was the same - no fresh meat to be gathered. They'd have to rely on what rations they'd brought and supplement the rest with fish.

Unfastening the pack at her waist, which swayed against the steel bustle of her armor like a blooming flower of iron, Elmeria pulled out the map and spread it open. From the markings, it seemed they were in what was referred to as Area 1.

Hunting grounds always looked the same after a while. Still, the scents riding the wind were coming from the right - opposite the forest. That was where the trail lay.

"It's awfully quiet, hmm?" Fradio spoke in a breezy tone, but the slitted eyes of his helmet narrowed as he scanned the horizon.

Indeed. Quiet. Far too quiet.

"...Let's go," Elmeria said.

A faint, smoldering sensation lit up deep in her chest. She slung her Breath Core over her back, then stepped onto the grassy slope - like a carpet rolled out by nature itself - and began ascending the path that led toward the hills.

Pushing through the lush forest where Felynes often wandered near a tranquil spring, Zeeg's party emerged onto a grassy plain atop a sheer cliff - only to stop dead in their tracks at the sudden boom that echoed across the air.

Then, a trailing arc of firelight blazed skyward. The scent of scorched air crept over them, acrid and familiar. Either a Rathalos or Rathian had unleashed a fireball.

But something didn't add up. The sound they'd heard just before - without question, that had been a bowgun. Which meant...

There were other hunters out here.

("Again!?")

Immediately before this, they'd run into a similar situation with that Basarios. What was Nusti's Guild even doing? Their party had secured the contract for this hunt fair and square. To be scooped like this - it was intolerable.

Zeeg glanced at Enta. The man's expression was rigid, jaw clenched. For all his easy words and measured calm, he clearly wasn't taking this theft-of-prey well. Vivi, too, had gone quiet, absently stroking the canopy of her Dark Parasol, a sharp glint simmering behind her glasses.

The fireball had risen from Area 4 - just beyond the presumed nesting ground.

Zeeg led the party up a slope between gouged cliffs, emerging into a wide clearing. Nothing was immediately visible. The path ahead twisted through Area 3 toward Area 4, but an enormous rock formation split the terrain like a trident, obstructing their view almost entirely.

The silence was unnatural.

After the gunshot and that fireball, there should've been chaos. But the forest was deathly still. Tensing, lowering their bodies, Zeeg and his comrades crept toward the rock and rounded it in silence, suppressing every hint of presence. They heard nothing - but the smell was there. The acrid sting of gunpowder. The scorched bite of burning grass. And... the stench of charred flesh.

There was no doubt. A wyvern was nearby.

Peering past the stone into the grove beyond, Zeeg felt the hairs on his arms rise. For a second, he thought his eyes had failed him. But no - he could feel it from the others, too. They were all seeing the same thing.

Two flying wyverns. A Rathalos and a Rathian.

And yet - they were wrong. Not just in the way light fell across their scales, but in the very nature of their appearance.

The Rathalos was sheathed in blue plates, like the depths of an ocean, gleaming like cut jewels in the sunlight - nothing like the familiar crimson shell of the species. Beside it, the Rathian's verdant green was gone, replaced by a delicate pink that bloomed across her body like a field of cherry blossoms before spring's full flush.

The term that leaped to Zeeg's mind: subspecies.

Occasionally, such mutations appeared in the wild. Though he'd never seen one himself, blue-scaled Yian Kut-Kus had been spotted in recent months. That was enough to make the rumors credible.

The two wyverns nuzzled each other's snouts, brushing together in a manner almost affectionate.

But when Zeeg lowered his eyes, his gut twisted into a cold, hard knot.

Hunters lay sprawled beneath the beasts, collapsed in tangled ruin.

He couldn't tell how many. Severed arms and legs lay strewn across the ground. Some bodies had been charred black. Nearby, a heavy bowgun - the Titan Launcher - was half-buried in the dirt. That must've been the source of the final shot.

A few paces off, he saw a shattered greatsword - likely an Iron Grace katana. Two hunters had died here. Perhaps more.

"Ahh!" A gasp - sharp, high-pitched - escaped someone behind him.

Zeeg clicked his tongue.

Brass.

The boy had never seen a corpse before.

("That idiot...!")

The wyverns reacted instantly. Twin gazes - pink and azure - snapped toward them.

Their cover had been blown.

Zeeg's hand flew to the handle of his Lacerator Blade+, and he charged from the undergrowth.

If either wyvern attacked first, Brass wouldn't survive the first blow.

The wyverns stared. A second later, a crack of igniting powder split the air - and a crimson splash erupted across Azure Rathalos' face. The stench of Paintberry spread.

The hunters who'd come before must've marked him, but the effect had long since faded.

A roar shook the very air. Zeeg felt his muscles lock up with primal fear - something no amount of training could ever dull.

With a quake of the earth, the Azure Rathalos surged forward.

Zeeg raised Lacerator Blade+ as a shield just in time. The impact tore through his arms and down his spine like a thunderbolt. The wyvern's momentum sent it sliding along the greatsword, glancing off and crashing over his head.

His arms were numb, but Zeeg forced life back into them, swinging upward.

The line of jagged blades caught the Rathalos' tail - only to bounce off, harmless.

("Damn it - it's tough!")

It wasn't his blade. He'd sharpened it just this morning, and it had cut through countless Rathalos hides. This subspecies... its shell was different. Unnaturally hard.

Another roar behind.

Zeeg whirled - and saw the Pink Rathian charging.

No time to guard.

He dove, rolling sideways as the pink blur thundered past.

With no sign of slowing, she slammed side-first into the Rathalos beside her. Sparks flew where the thorny protrusions of her jaw scraped against his blue-scaled hide.

The Azure Rathalos reared up on his hind legs and bellowed - rage incarnate.

His chest swelled, and blue scales around his throat began to shimmer.

The next instant, the world drew inward.

A moment of vacuum. Then a blinding glow behind the scales.

And then - flame.

The fireball streaked past, missing by inches. A tree was ripped from the ground and blown apart mid-air, its splinters burning as they fell.

Wind howled, a shockwave billowing through the clearing.

A cherry-pink shadow flew overhead. Dust and ash scattered.

Thud.

She landed behind the party, kicking up soil.

"Sir Zeeg!" Enta's voice rang out as he rushed to his side.

They stood back to back. Enta had already drawn his dual blades - the so-called Zanki - and held them in a cross-guard stance as he faced the Pink Rathian.

"We're in trouble..." Zeeg couldn't help but chuckle. It wasn't amusement. The laugh just came, unbidden. "This is the worst possible situation. We should fall back... but you think they're going to let us?"

"Not likely," Enta replied, grinning faintly. "If I may describe the stage on which we stand - Fierce petals of pink; spill from spring's hand, brightening; fields of waking green."

"Ehh, not as good as your other ones," Zeeg muttered.

He wasn't angry at the inappropriately-timed poetry. His heart thundered so hard it hurt. His throat was ready to scream. His knees nearly gave out.

But still - he didn't want to run. Even knowing there was no winning this fight, his mind already churned with possibilities, plans. How to take them down.

Zeeg licked his dry lips slowly, watching the warning lash of the wyverns' tails.

"This way!"

At the sound of gunfire followed by two distinctly different roars, Elmeria and her comrades sprinted across the clifftop meadow of Area 3. The once-fading scent of Paintberry grew sharp again - someone had fired a Paint shot. Whoever it was, stealing another hunter's prey was unacceptable.

Charging up the slope between cliffs, Elmeria burst into the clearing marked on the map as an open plain - and froze. Crouching behind a rock was... a maid?

Why a maid!?

A girl was dressed in a black maid outfit, complete with a parasol trimmed in black frills. This was no picnic outing.

Nearby, a tall boy knelt, tending to something on the ground. Judging by his gear, he was a hunter, at least.

"Young Mistress - look," Gannon said, voice tense as he gripped her arm and pointed.

There, beyond a ridge of grass, was the sweeping tail of a wyvern. But not green, like a Rathian basking in dappled sunlight - this tail shimmered with the blush-pink hue of cherry blossoms.

"What an interesting discovery - here as well," Fradio called from the opposite path.

Glancing that way, Elmeria spotted another tail swaying back and forth - this one unmistakably Rathalos. But it gleamed in a deep blue.

What in the world...?

Neither Rathalos nor Rathian were supposed to come in those colors. Was this a sign of the mating season - temporary color shifts brought on by some biological state? Or were these entirely new subspecies?

"-Who are you people?"

The voice came from behind. Spinning around, Elmeria saw the black-clad maid standing tall, gazing straight at her. That parasol - no, now that she looked closely, it wasn't just that. It was a light bowgun.

She was a hunter too!

"I should be asking you that!" Elmeria snapped, keeping an eye on the unusually colored wyverns as she responded. "We're here on official assignment from the Hunter's Guild in Minegarde! Stand down and clear the area!"

But the maid shook her head.

"I'm afraid that won't do. We're here under a formal contract from the Hunter's Guild in Nusti. You're the ones who should retreat."

What?

Elmeria could make no sense of it. The girl's strange attire was baffling enough, but this - this was beyond reason.

A single hunting ground had always been the domain of a single Guild. She had never once heard of two Guilds being dispatched to the same site under separate contracts.

A roar shattered the moment. The Pink Rathian cried out, and a gust of wind tore through the narrow path.

"Whoaaa-!"

Amid the clamor, a voice reached her ears - one she couldn't ignore.

("Zeeg!?")

No... but she couldn't have misheard him. Elmeria's stomach twisted. She dashed over to the black maid and seized her puffy shoulder sleeve.

"...Is there a Zeeg Grandest among you!?"

The girl's black eyes narrowed behind her spectacles, studying her with intensity.

"There is. He's the one leading our hunting party."

Of course he is...

Another roar came, and a high-pitched metallic screech echoed across the plains. Then came the sound of rupturing air, and a wave of scorching heat filled the clearing. Flames surged, turning the skies crimson.

"Unhand me."

The maid yanked her arm free, flipped a grip affixed to the parasol's shaft, and pressed the butt of it to her shoulder. The moment she pulled the trigger, fire burst from the tip. She hadn't even aimed properly-

"Impressive," Fradio murmured. "You managed to make a light bowgun like the Dark Parasol hit so cleanly with such little preparation..."

So Zeeg's got himself a new team...

Seeing it with her own eyes - him, hunting with other comrades - it hit Elmeria harder than she'd expected. Even in the middle of a hunt, her resolve wavered.

Was it resentment? Betrayal? Maybe because, in some deep corner of her heart, she still thought of herself as the one who'd raised him.

"...Young Mistress." Gannon's voice was calm, grounded - as if he understood it all.

Elmeria blinked herself back to the moment.

Right.

This wasn't the time for feelings. She had to focus. Why were two Guilds given the same contract? They wouldn't find that answer here, bickering in the field.

There was only one thing a hunter should do now.

"Gannon! Fradio! Let's go! We're not letting them hog the quarry!"

Hand on the hilt of her Breath Core, Elmeria charged down the path to the left - where she glimpsed the Rathian's cherry-pink tail lashing through the air.

In midair, the Pink Rathian coiled like a whip and lashed out with her venomous tail. Zeeg took the hit on the flat of his Lacerator Blade+ and clicked his tongue.

She's strong.

Venom scattered like mist, shriveling the surrounding grass within seconds. The fumes alone stung his throat. Then, once the Pink Rathian landed, three fireballs came hurtling toward him. He deflected them with his broad blade, sending flames spraying out around him.

No room to strike back.

Behind him, Enta was faring no better.

The Azure Rathalos paralyzed its hunters' muscles with a roar, then rained fireballs from the sky. Any attempt to close the distance was met with a powerful tail sweep meant to keep them at bay.

Zeeg had never heard of Rathalos and Rathian hunting in concert, but there was no mistaking it now.

The Azure Rathalos wasn't going for the kill just yet - he was holding back, likely due to Vivi's precise suppressing fire. But Zeeg could feel it coming. The moment the pair rushed in from both flanks, even the Rathalos armor wouldn't hold up.

A roar tore through the air once more, paralyzing Zeeg where he stood.

Even in the grip of fear, sweat still clung to his skin. He fought to move, to wrench his body free of the unnatural stillness. The Pink Rathian crouched low, her frame tensed - her hind legs seemed thicker, swollen with power.

She was going to charge - no doubt the Rathalos from the rear would, as well.

A gunshot rang out - his one hope. But then came Enta's groan, and Zeeg understood. The shot hadn't stopped either monter. This was it.

He was going to die.

There was no bitterness in that thought. No despair. They had faced a monster of this caliber - such things were part of the life they'd chosen as hunters.

If he regretted anything, it was that he might never reconcile with Elmeria. They had parted on a fight.

("Seriously? That's the last thing I'm thinking about?")

A self-deprecating smile flickered on Zeeg's lips. And in that instant, as though the smirk had been some strange trigger, the earth behind the Azure Rathalos erupted in a spray of dirt. He could already picture how the spear-like tip of that extended jaw would pierce through him.

But then-!

"!?"

The Pink Rathian stumbled suddenly. She toppled onto her side, skidding across the ground as though shoved by an invisible force. The impact carved a deep scar in the earth before her body slammed into the cliffside. Her head snapped back in a violent jerk, and a shriek - not quite a roar - escaped her throat.

Behind him, Zeeg heard a deafening crack - but no gunfire. The explosion must have come from something else. The Azure Rathalos let out a pained, ragged roar.

Finally, Zeeg understood - Crag ammo. Of course. Vivi had fired a Crag shot. It didn't hit hard on impact - but after a brief delay, it exploded, tearing the target apart from within.

"Zeeg!"

He turned at the sound of that familiar voice, startled. A flash of metal and verdant green surged past him, charging straight toward the Pink Rathian. It was-

("Elmeria!?")

There was no mistaking her. A young Hunter clad in Rathian armor with the unmistakable Breath Core hammer on her back - there wasn't any other like her in the world.

And just beyond, he spotted another form: massive, horned, pushing the Pink Rathian's flank against the cliff to keep her pinned. That was Gannon!

"Talk later!" Elmeria shouted, holding her hammer at her side in a ready stance. "You go that way! We split the pay fifty-fifty!"

"Got it!"

The words came out naturally. Zeeg turned on his heel just in time to see Elmeria raise her Breath Core, aiming a vicious swing at the Pink Rathian's thrashing head.

"Enta!" He called out as he ran.

The Azure Rathalos was floundering, one wing shredded and struggling to take flight. It was a perfect opportunity.

Enta slipped into step beside him, his movements fluid as running water. He glanced briefly over his shoulder.

"...Who was that?"

"A friend! Leave the other one to them!"

"Understood."

With a sharp sidestep, Enta surged forward, swift as a river in flood. In the blink of an eye, he had outpaced Zeeg, slipping into the Rathalos's blind spot.

"Now is the time... to unleash the true power of dual blades!"

Shring - steel hissed as the twin blades scraped together. Enta opened his eyes wide, both of them - he wasn't one-eyed at all!

"Witness the swordplay of a demon!"

He danced.

No - he raged. The word dance barely captured it. His blades whirled like twin tempests, tearing into the Azure Rathalos's armored scales.

A wing talon came loose, severed, and crashed into the scorched earth. Blood gushed in violent bursts, staining the grass crimson - but not a drop touched Enta's white garb.

His swordsmanship was astonishing.

The Azure Rathalos bellowed and swung its tail in a blind frenzy. Enta leaped back, narrowly avoiding the blow. His breathing was ragged now, one eye closed once more. After all that motion, the fatigue was only natural.

("Now it's my turn!")

Zeeg charged straight for the Azure Rathalos' leg as it tried to rise. He swung his Lacerator Blade+ in a wide arc, the fang-like blades biting deep into the tender meat behind the knee.

This time, the wyvern screamed.

"O-over here!"

The cry was faint amid the roar, but Zeeg turned to see Brass at the end of a narrow path, pale-faced and half-hidden behind Vivi, motioning frantically for them to run.

For a heartbeat, Zeeg hesitated - but then the reason struck him, and he bolted.

"Enta!" He called out, and Enta seemed to grasp the plan immediately.

They sprinted together, the thundering footfalls of the enraged Azure Rathalos pursuing them.

That was exactly what they wanted. It had taken the bait.

A moment later, the roar of a collapsing pit filled the air, shaking the ground. Zeeg glanced back. The Azure Rathalos had fallen into a Pitfall Trap and was now thrashing helplessly.

Brass must've set it.

"Well done!" Zeeg called to the boy.

Without breaking stride, he and Enta charged back in. Lacerator Blade+ and Zanki struck in unison, tearing the trapped wyvern's scales to shreds!

"And now... the finálé," the calm, composed voice cut through the chaos.

A gunshot rang out. In the same instant, one of the Azure Rathalos' eyes burst - blood spraying as its head jerked back violently.

A beat later, its skull bulged grotesquely from within before rupturing in a thunderous explosion!

The Azure Rathalos wavered - then collapsed, its head slamming into the earth with a seismic thud. Blood poured from its nose and mouth, the Crag shot having detonated within its brain.

Off to the side, another death cry rang out - this one from the Pink Rathian. Elmeria's team had finished the job.

Zeeg let out a long breath and slid Lacerator Blade+ back onto his back. They'd made it.

If Elmeria and her group hadn't shown up, he would have died for sure. He had enough clarity to admit that.

But reflection could wait. For now-

Zeeg pulled a carving knife from his belt. Azure Rathalos. There would no doubt be rare materials to harvest - scales, shells, wing - his heart beat faster at the thought.

Enta, Vivi, and Brass all held their own carving knives, looking to Zeeg for the signal. Their eyes gleamed with expectation.

Zeeg gave a nod, and they knelt beside the slain wyvern, careful and deliberate with each stroke, wasting nothing.

"We hunt, and are prey; life turns on the endless wheel; a world without end..."

Enta's soft voice, like a eulogy, accompanied the rhythm of their blades as they carved into the Azure Rathalos' flesh.

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