Monster Hunter Volume 2 Chapter 5

The surrounding area was filled with a burning smell, with white smoke different from fog drifting from the great number of corpses half-submerged in water.

Deep red skin and swollen head- they're small bipedal carnivore monsters, the kind that spit poison from sacs inside their throats.

All six of them, dead.

"These things are…"

Zeeg looked around, unable to comprehend the scene.

There were no external wounds on the Iopreys' bodies. However, their eyes were ruptured, and trails of lingering white smoke originated from their mouths, where their feces were vomited out.

Undoubtedly, the burning smell in this area was from the Iopreys' corpses.

However, burnt spots were nowhere to be found. The environment included.

If this were to be caused by a Rathalos or Rathian, then it would have been a fireball attack, which would have scorched the skin, evaporated the water dry, and burnt the earth black.

But nothing was out of the ordinary, except for the collapsed Iopreys.

"Khezu…"

Upon hearing Freda's words, Zeeg turned to her. She was kneeling down in front of a puddle, looking at something.

Going near her, soil piled up in a cone shape with a flat top.

"Khezu's that white wyvern, right? And this was caused by that thing?"

Freda nodded.

"Among you people, is there anyone who has fought a Khezu?"

Elmeria and Gannon raised their hands.

"-With that said, we didn't defeat it though."

"Eh, really?"

As Zeeg asked in surprised, Elmeria pouted in annoyance.

"N-never mind that! That time, our quest was to dig Coal…… While we were immersed in swinging our pickaxes in the jungle's cave, it just jumped out at us so suddenly. I just don't wanna talk about how repulsive and disgusting it was-"

Elmeria crossed her arms, her body shaking as if having chills.

"We got out of there on the double…… What's with that look, Zeeg!? We didn't think that thing would be there, and we didn't bring a lot of medicine because we had to carry the coal! -M…more importantly, how do you even know for sure that this was caused by a Khezu!?"

Freda pointed at the cone-shaped soil pile on the ground.

"This is a mark from being clung onto by a Khezu's tail. Besides, there's also how the Iopreys died. That couldn't have been caused by anything but a Khezu."

"Well, why's that?"

"Khezu releases the light of death. It's what people at the armory calls 'electricity'; if you touch it, the lightest effect would be loss of stamina and momentary paralysis, but in the worst case your body would be burnt from the inside- Like these Iopreys."

"……Now that's not very appealing."

Zeeg s.h.i.+vered. Then, as a shadow cast over him from above, Zeeg was prompted by his hunter instincts to look up at the sky.

As he caught what was there in his sights, the boy had gooseb.u.mps. As usual, the clouds are floating low, with no sign of the thunders stopping. In that sky, a "ghost" flew through.

On a body so white that it seemed to be melting into the fog, small wings that shouldn't have been able to support its thick body extended; it was undoubtedly the appearance of a wyvern.

But there was no head on its neck!

However-

"Khezu!"

Freda unsheathed the Heroic Blade from her waist.

"Eh-!?"

-BWOOOOOH…

A bizarre roar sounded from its headless neck. However, it didn't seem to have any intention to land, but rather keep its alt.i.tude as it slowly flew away.

("That's a Khezu…?")

Zeeg focused his eyes. However, he couldn't get a good look due to the fog's obstruction.

"Gannon, that's-!!"

Raising her voice in shock, Elmeria pointed at the Khezu.

"It's captured something!"

"Young mistress, the binoculars."

"R-right!"

Elmeria took out a pair of binoculars from her bag in a hurry and looked through it, then raised her voice once again.

"-Fradio!"

"Wait, what!?"

Zeeg strained his eyes once more.

He still couldn't get a good look, but surely, he could see that the headless wyvern does have something in its grasp. It was something in ashen grey- That's right, like Fradio's Gypceros armor.

Freda ran off- headed in the same direction the wyvern was flying towards.

"Ah- Wait!"

Zeeg went after her in a panic. Right after the boy, Elmeria and Gannon followed.

"What're we going to do!?"

"We're going to help him. Khezus don't eat when they're outside of caves. If it's now, then we might make it in time."

While he kept on running, Zeeg turned to look at Elmeria and Gannon.

The girl had an unamused expression on her face, as if she felt that she was being dragged around to places by Freda, but of course, she had no objections as it was for the sake of saving Fradio.

"Uwah-!"

As they came out of the tall gra.s.s, Genpreys were there. Five of them. As the ferocious monsters became aware of Zeeg's group, they cried out loudly to each other, then made a leap for their targets all at once.

"Zeeg!"

Prompted by Elmeria's voice to look forward, the boy could see the Khezu slowly start its descent on solid ground. Perhaps there is an entrance to a cave there. Their nests may differ in location, but in structure, most wyverns' nests closely resemble each other.

"Out of the way!"

Zeeg unsheathed his Ravager Blade+ from his back, pulled on the handle to bring out the fang blades, then brought down the sword right on the head of a Genprey that was rus.h.i.+ng at him.

Its blood sprayed into the puddle, causing ripples.

The Genprey was cut clean as its internal organs and scattered from the cross section; its life ended in one attack.

"If it's these things, then I have no complaints about making this baby's debut!"

Standing slightly apart from the group, Elmeria let the Breath Core on her waist drop into her hand, then made a swing with precise timing at the two Genpreys jumping at her.

A heavy impact sounded as the broken half of the hammer smashed a Genprey's side. The monster's body shook vigorously in the air as an explosion occurred on the opposite side of the hammer's. .h.i.t.

"Haah!"

The hammer pierced through the Genprey's body, ripping it in half. The arc of its swing then met with the other Genprey, pulverizing it in an instant.

"-! Awesome~!"

Stopping her swing, Elmeria exclaimed in delight.

-GYAH!

Zeeg turned around as he heard another Genprey raise its voice.

Freda was fighting it.

She narrowly dodged the lunging jaw of a Genprey before immediately turning around and cut its neck with the blade of her one-handed sword.

The Genprey's head was cut clean, falling over Freda's shoulder into the puddle with a splash.

("Whoa…")

Zeeg was thoroughly fascinated by Freda's flawless movement and excellent swordplay.

But while he wasn't paying attention, a sudden gust blew at him.

"GYAH!"

Zeeg hadn't noticed that the last monster of the pack was sneaking up on him, with its cry in deathly agony bringing the boy back to his senses. Bubbling blood gushed out of the Genprey's mouth as its white scaly abdomen was pierced by the Diablo Spear.

"……Do not let your guard down."

Dealing the blow with silent movements unfitting of his large build, Gannon then spoke up. Zeeg gulped in nervousness, knowing that he would have been bitten in the neck if the large man were to be even slightly slower.

"S-sorry…"

Gannon swiped the Genprey's body off his lance, then made a step towards the cave.

Zeeg sheathed his great sword and went after the leading man. Elmeria and Freda also followed in line.

Regrettably, there wasn't enough time for them to carve materials from the Genpreys. What takes priority right now is saving Fradio- or more accurately, the hunter in Gypceros equipment who could have been him.

Although Elmeria did shout out earlier that it was Fradio, she mustn't have been certain.

That is because, even when seen from a distance, the gunner in the Khezu's clutch definitely had the Gypceros Cap on.

The four finally arriving at an opening in the rock face, they stopped and stood there. A cold atmosphere oozed out from beyond the blue darkness.

"Freda, you have any advice for us? You've fought that thing before, right?"

"Many times."

Freda answered while checking her Heroic Blade's sharpness.

"His body doesn't have any scales, and is instead fully covered in a special mucus. That mucus sticks to bladed weapons to dull their edge, and also serves to disperse impact from blunt weapons."

"How annoying."

"Hm. Also, when his body s.h.i.+nes in white and blue, get away. It's the sign of an electric emission attack. If you take it head-on, you might end up the same as those Iopreys earlier."

"What about breath attacks?"

Zeeg enquired white taking out a whetstone, then nimbly polis.h.i.+ng the fangs of his Ravager Blade+, one by one.

"He can spit lightning b.a.l.l.s- a sphere-shaped light ma.s.s packed with electricity. If it hits, you'd most definitely die on the spot. The movement sign of him performing this attack is a raised-up neck, the same as other wyverns. His line of fire won't change after he starts doing that, so just run to the side. And then, you'll also need to pay attention when he clings to the ceiling and drips his saliva. It's highly acidic, and can melt all the way to your bones."

"Not just disgusting in looks but also fighting style, huh."

"You think so? I think he's lovely- like something out of a fairy tale."

Elmeria looked at Freda, eyes narrowed.

"……You- don't tell me… You like Khezu?"

Freda did not give an answer.

However, Zeeg thought that it is very likely the case. She referred to the wyvern as a "he" in the same manner as how Fradio referred to the Gypceros as a "she", and the girl is also fully equipped with Khezu equipment.

"Seriously? -No, it's not that I care about what wyverns you like or anything, but you can fight, right? I don't want you to say something like you feel sorry for it in the case when we need to kill it, you know."

"……If it's that, then you should have known the answer after seeing my equipment."

Elmeria stared at Freda for a moment before letting out a sigh.

"You're the same as Fradio even in that aspect, huh."

"The same?"

"You see, Fradio-" Zeeg spoke up, "He likes the Gypceros a whole lot. He even insisted on using equipment made from that wyvern, not changing to better things even when he had plenty of money and materials for them."

Freda nodded, as if to state her agreement.

"There's one more thing you need to know when fighting him. Flash Bombs won't work. It's because his eyes have regressed greatly. The methods he uses for finding prey are currently unknown. It's said that he does not by listening to sound, but by sensing smell and temperature."

"But that does not mean it does not have a sense of hearing."

Gannon spoke up while surveying the darkness ahead.

"I have encountered it once during my youth, and it responded to the sound of the Field Horn used by one of my friends, for it to direct its attention to them so that I could escape."

As for what happened to that friend of his, one would know just by looking at his facial expression even if he doesn't say anything.

"If we can get its attention, then it's all good- Alright, shall we?"

Zeeg and the others nodded.

Stepping out of hiding, the group ran head first into the cave with Gannon as the vanguard.

They surveyed their surroundings without stopping their feet.

Something resembling ivy dangled from the ceiling, and there were white mushrooms growing here and there. The interior's walls emitted a blue glow. On the wall to their left-hand side, they could see a large opening that leads deeper into the darkness.

("There!")

From that hole, a slimy white tail poked out.

Elmeria and the others seemed to have noticed it as well.

As usual, Gannon leads the way. The Khezu still hasn't noticed the group. It stood there, turning its back to its pursuers. What it is currently doing in the dark may very well be eating, but the hunters forcibly rid themselves of such thoughts.

Zeeg reached for the handle of his great sword, preparing to charge ahead like usual.

Elmeria detached the Breath Core from her waist, still holding it behind her.

Freda held her s.h.i.+eld up, while drawing her Heroic Blade with her other hand.

-Finally, a Field Horn has been blown!

Its sound echoed throughout the cave. From the hole in the wall, the Khezu turned its seemingly headless neck around.

("Geh-!")

Never before has Zeeg seen a wyvern so repulsive.

Immediately at the end of its neck was something resembling a face with only a pair of lips. It gave an impression of a badly wrinkled frankfurter that had been cut open on its tip.

While the Khezu shook its body and waved its neck, extending it outside the hole.

The neck was frightfully stretchy.

Its skin stretched out as much as it could, showing its gums and rows of sharp teeth at its end. Saliva dripped from the s.p.a.ce between its teeth, steaming as they created small punctures in the cave's rock floor.

("Where's Fradio?")

While the boy was looking around for him, the Khezu spread its small wings and kicked down on the ground, making a jump with the intention of dropping its body on Gannon.

A gunner hunter in Gypceros equipment was held in its foot!

"Nuh-!"

Gannon raised up his Diablos Carapace s.h.i.+eld just in time to defend against the talons of the monster's other foot. The heels of his Gravios Greaves broke the rock surface as they dug into the ground.

Although in an unstable stance, Gannon grabbed his Diablo Spear and jabbed its pointed end at the Khezu, aiming at the leg that the monster was using to hold its prey.

-BWOOOOOH!

Sounding its bizarre roar, the Khezu's saliva sprinkled all over the as it thrashed around, flinging away its prey. The gunner hunter in Gypceros equipment struck the Ice Crystal wall, scattering a faint glow before falling down to the ground.

Currently however, the group doesn't have the time to go help the person up.

Zeeg grasped the handle of his sword tightly as he ran towards the Khezu.

Elmeria charged up her strength as she ran off, and Gannon covered his front with his s.h.i.+eld, advancing towards the Khezu in order to draw its attention.

The white wyvern readjusted its stance and stretched its neck towards Gannon. However, its aim seemed to be off, as its neck missed the man, extending past him.

"Gannon, behind you!"

Gannon turned around as he heard Elmeria's panicked exclamation.

The unbelievably long neck curled back and opened its red mouth as it prepared to devour the large man from behind.

("I won't make it in time!")

Zeeg felt a chill run down his spine. However-

"Kuh-!"

The sharp teeth were met with symbols of red and blue wyverns on Freda's small s.h.i.+eld, effectively stopped by her guard.

However, half of the girl's arm was stuck in the monster's mouth!

Freda moaned as the wyvern's teeth wedged into her arm, its saliva steaming as it melted away her vambraces.

"Freda-!"

Zeeg ran ahead in an arc, unsheathing his Ravager Blade+ and swung it down at his target's wing. Although his sword bounced back in an instant due to the mucus on the monster's skin, the blade was able to cut its wing membranes, tearing it apart as the Khezu collapsed and hit the wall.

"Eat this!"

Elmeria waved her hammer as she ran in.

She'll definitely hit its head, was what Zeeg thought.

However, the Khezu instantly shortened its neck, causing the Breat Core's swing to shred the air as it banged on the crystal wall. A tremor could be felt throughout the whole cave along with a thunderous echo, as the impact left a large round hole on the wall.

Parts of the wall and ceiling then crumbled.

"Tch."

Elmeria pulled her hammer out of the wall, then raised it for an overhead swing.

It was then that the Khezu stuck its tail on the ground, standing there as its white body started to glow in blue.

"This is bad- Run!"

Freda shouted as she hopped back, Zeeg rolled away to the side, but Elmeria couldn't respond in time due to her body already fully committing to her strike.

Zeeg looked on with dazzled eyes, maybe because he hit his head while rolling.

"Young mistress!"

While hopping away, Gannon forced his body to change direction back forward, then used the giant horn on his Diablo Mail to grab Elmeria by the sleeve of her doublet, then threw her backwards.

Then sounded a crackle similar to a seed busting open as it fell into fire, as flashes of bluish-white lightning dispersed in a circ.u.mference around the Khezu.

Gannon ate that attack in full, his body springing up frantically like a fish out of water. He was then thrown out of the snares of lightning, tumbling into a pool of water.

"Gannon!"

With a shout that may as well be a scream, Elmeria rushed up to the large man, grabbing his arm in an attempt to drag him up.

She could not do so due to his weight, however.

Freda ran up to them and lent a hand. This time the Khezu, with its tail still grounded, stretched its body all the way up to the ceiling. A white radiance could be seen in its abdomen, running up its neck!

"Watch out!"

Zeeg shouted.

Freda turned around, and after discerning that dodging would be futile, readied her s.h.i.+eld and sprung out in front of Elmeria and Gannon.

The Khezu then released an electric ball from its mouth, with Freda taking a direct hit!

The whole cave was briefly illuminated in a bluish-white radiance.

Then as the light subsided, Freda, Elmeria, and Gannon were found collapsed on the ground, not moving a muscle.

The Khezu wasn't there.

"Dammit!"

As Zeeg was rus.h.i.+ng to their aid, a hand stopped him.

Turning around, he was met with the pair of eyes looking at him from inside the executioner-like Gypceros cap, worn by the gunner in Gypceros equipment.

Having seen that, the boy was fully convinced that it is indeed Fradio.

"……Please run away."

The voice was faint, but surely, that was what he said.

There's no way I'll do that- was what Zeeg intended to say, but he was thrusted away by Fradio before he could do so.

Zeeg looked on as he fell over on his back.

In the spot he was standing on just a moment ago, the Khezu jumped down! The rock floor cracked as it landed, fragments of Ice Crystals glittering as they scattered.

Finally able to stop his tumbling now that that he fell into a pool of water, Zeeg raised his face up from the water and was met with a sight horrific beyond words.

-Fradio is being eaten alive!

The Khezu is swallowing the man whole, starting from his feet. The state of him slowly being swallowed down the monster's throat could be seen from above its translucent skin.

"Please, run away! Hurry! Everyone-"

Completely swallowing Fradio down, the Khezu's swelled up significantly as the man was trapped inside its stomach, locked in a Fetal position.

The white wyvern sprung up and clung to the ceiling, then began its retreat towards a hole in the wall that apparently leads deeper into its nest.

A great sword is unable to reach all the way up to the ceiling.

At any rate, Zeeg understood fully that he's unable to do anything by himself in the current situation.

Keeping his eyes on the Khezu, Zeeg crept towards Elmeria and the others. In his head, the boy was trying to shake off negative thoughts, like the possibility of their internal organs having been cooked well-done like those Iopreys from earlier.

"Elmeria! Freda! Gannon!"

Zeeg shook up the bodies of those three.

Although there was a burnt smell, it wasn't as bad as when they found the Iopreys. The only apparent external effect was only a small amount of burnt hair.

The first one to come to their senses was Elmeria.

"Elmeria!"

"Zeeg……? What happened-"

"Fradio was eaten by the Khezu! But he's still alive! He'll be digested if we don't hurry and help him out!"

With a face like she had just sprung awake from a dream, Elmeria looked up at the ceiling.

The Khezu was searching for the entrance to its nest. But that hole had caved in due to Elmeria's previous missed strike. The wyvern pushed its mouth against the collapsed lump of rock again and again.

After making some observation, the girl then turned around to Gannon, seeing that although he is still alive, he still hasn't recovered from the paralysis effect and was inflicted a few burn injuries. Reaching into her backpack, the girl groaned as she found that all of the medicine bottles inside had shattered.

"……We're getting out of here."

"What-"

"While the Khezu is preoccupied with Fradio inside its stomach, we'll be retreating to the basecamp for some time to find our bearings."

Zeeg grabbed Elmeria by the collar.

"Are you seriously saying that!? You're leaving Fradio here just like this!? We won't make it back in time! If it's medicine, I have some right here-"

Zeeg reached for his bag, and upon realizing that it was soaked as he opened it, he noticed that two out of four bottles he brought with him had shattered.

"If we fight in this state, we'll all die-"

Speaking as if she was forcing those words out, tears welled up in Elmeria's eyes.

"If we were able to help him out but at the cost of you, Gannon, or me dying, then what's the point!? You think Fradio will be thankful for that!? He's a hunter! Like all of us! He… he understands…"

Other than tightening his grip of the girl's collar, Zeeg did not give any response.

The voice of Fradio's previous statement rang in his ears.

Yes, the man surely told him- to run away.

"Let her do what she wants."

Who muttered those words white struggling to stand up was none other than Freda.

As a sign that her wounds must have opened up again, blood welled up on the bandage wrapped around her head. Blood also seeped from her arm where she was bitten earlier.

"I will not turn back."

Elmeria glared at Freda with a look as if the anger in her eyes was bursting into flames.

"……Still keeping up the hero act, huh."

"Say whatever you want. I've decided that I will never turn back. Surely, it's possible that he had already prepared himself. But still, if I turn away from him, despair will surely well up inside him as he abandons all hope of salvation. If it's his fate to die here, then at the very least, I want him to not lose hope until the very end. I want to be the one keeping those feelings ignited in the hearts of people, and for that, I will never turn back."

Freda started limping towards the Khezu.

Zeeg noticed that the girl's breath was mixed with a burnt stink. Meaning, although she guarded the electric ball attack with her s.h.i.+eld, she didn't come out of it unscathed.

"Freda!"

Zeeg tossed her one of the potion bottles he has left. She caught it and looked on with a puzzled look on her face, before chugging it all down in one go.

Zeeg then forced the other bottle into Elmeria's hands.

"Elmeria. I get what you're saying. As a hunter, what you chose was probably the right decision. But still, I can't do it. I have a feeling that if I leave Fradio behind, I'll regret it for the rest of my life, you see. That- that's what I don't want."

As Zeeg stood up, he looked at the girl in her eyes, before turning on his heels as if to break away.

Freda looked up at the Khezu, holding in her hand the empty bottle she just drank from.

And then- It was flung up.

The bottle hit the Khezu's head and bounced back down, shattering to pieces as it hit the ground. Its pale white neck, seemingly able to stretch and bend freely in any direction, turned to Freda.

"Get over here."

The Khezu separated its talons from the ceiling. Its white, giant body then dropped down directly above Freda.

The girl dodged with minimum movement, while at the same time swinging her sword. Blood gushed from the base of the monster's neck as the sharp blade lacerated its wrinkled skin.

The Khezu thrashed around, letting out a wild scream.

Freda promptly raised her s.h.i.+eld.

With a groan, the monster tackled! Freda was knocked away by the blow, her back hitting hard on the Ice Crystal wall.

By holding on to the thick crystal protrusions, the girl was somehow able to keep herself from falling to her knees.

-BWOOOOOH…

Letting a howl out its throat as if to announce its victory, the Khezu trembled as it changed direction, causing tremors with each step as it approached Freda.

"Hey!"

Zeeg shouted.

The Khezu stopped its feet and turned its neck.

The boy could identify Fradio beyond the translucent skin of the monster's inflated abdomen.

The man's eyes under his cap showed signs of doubt, but surely, hope of living through this predicament welled up inside him.

Zeeg pulled on the handle of his Ravager Blade+. Fangs of steel sprung out all in a row, giving off a sinister sheen.

Staining his waist, Zeeg then put all his strength into a sideway sweeping swing.

He just can't afford to aim for the monster's abdomen.

The blades wedged into the Khezu's leg, tearing off flesh.

The wyvern staggered as it let out a shriek so grating that it could destroy one's eardrums.

Another strike!

Zeeg defended himself from the thras.h.i.+ng enemy, while at the same time positioning his great sword for another strike in the leg.

However, the Khezu crouched down so low that it could have crushed Fradio inside it, then spontaneously sprung up.

The great sword missed its mark, and the Khezu flipped itself upside down in midair, wedging the talons of its uninjured leg into the rock ceiling, then hanged itself down directly above Zeeg.

As Zeeg felt something tapping his back, a burning pain ran through his skin, causing the boy to squeal in agony.

"Hop backwards, face up!"

Moving his body in reflex to Freda's voice, Zeeg fell on his back into the pool of water.

He could hear the sound of something dissolving as the pain in his back was relieved.

("Acid spit!")

After gritting his teeth and standing up, Zeeg glared at the ceiling. His hand fumbled around for some rocks. If the enemy doesn't come down from there, then there's nothing else he can do.

The situation made Zeeg feel deep grat.i.tude for having had a gunner. And that is all the more reason that he can't afford to lose Fradio here.

But as he lifted his arm, the skin on his back was ripped open, making him unable to exert any force.

("Dammit!")

Zeeg shook off his welling tears. Then-

A dull thud echoed along with an impact that gave an impression of a horned herbivore wyvern's rush, as a giant horn pierced through the Khezu's wing membranes, staking it to the ceiling.

That's- the Diablo Spear!

Zeeg turned around and saw Gannon, losing consciousness with half of his body still raised up in a throwing pose.

Its bearings distorted, the Khezu let out a shriek.

With its talons separated from the ceiling, the Khezu's staked wing broke as it couldn't bear the weight of its whole body, causing it to plummet down on its back along with the lance.

Zeeg broke into a run!

Elmeria rushed forward with hammer in hand! Freda as well!

The Khezu got up and attempted to make its escape, limping away.

Zeeg slipped past the monster's tail, aiming for its uninjured leg as he made a side sweeping swing.

Razor-edged fangs of steel tore its way through the Khezu's protective mucus layer, firmly digging into its leg!

Feeling an intense pain running through his back, Zeeg dropped his great sword and collapsed on the spot.

He knew for sure that the skin on his back had already torn off.

Still, Zeeg's previous attack had a significant effect, as the Khezu was toppled, falling into the pool of water with a splash and landing on its shredded wing.

Freda rushed in with the ferocity of a tempest, thrusting the Heroic Blade into the Khezu's throat and dragged it along in one go, dissecting the monster from neck to tail.

Paying no mind to the various body fluids that gus.h.i.+ng out, the girl reached her arm inside and dragged Fradio out!

In a coughing fit, the man fell to the ground along with a continuous stream of gastric juices. Freda then dragged the man away from the Khezu.

-GWAAAAAH-

The Khezu's spontaneous outcry shook the air like a violent electric shock.

"Shut up already!!"

Pinning down its writhing neck, Elmeria brought down the Breath Core on it with all her might.

A mysterious force rippled the monster's soft and flabby skin, all the way from head to tail.

And with that- the Khezu ceased all movement.

"Kuh……"

Zeeg bore with the pain as he got himself back up, eventually managing to sit up cross-legged. He then took off his Ioprey Helm and took in a deep breath. Honestly, that was a close call. If the monster were able to dodge the boy's last attack, then things might have turned out differently.

As Zeeg slowly stabilized his respiration, he could see Elmeria approaching.

Zeeg felt nervous.

Although he didn't think what he chose to do was wrong, he did go against the girl's decision.

Elmeria knelt on one knee, showing an expression of displeasure as she examined the boy's back.

"……That's going to leave a mark."

"Eh, I'll be fine."

"Well, scars like there are like award medals for hunters, after all."

"What about Gannon?"

"He's fine."

Elmeria took the bag from her waist and squeezed it on top of the boy's wound. Drops of potion that soaked the bag seeped into the wound, easing the boy's pain slightly.

"……Now, I don't think my decision was incorrect."

While returning the bag to her waist, Elmeria muttered.

"That was a gamble with lives on the line. It's good and all that we won, but it's definitely not what a hunter should do."

"-That's right."

Turning to the source of that voice, they could see Fradio stepping towards them, with Freda supporting him. Parts of his Gypceros equipment had been melted out of shape.

"Fradio!"

Zeeg picked up his Ravager Blade+ and used it as an improvised walking stick, leaning on it as he stood up.

With someone who was just being digested by the Khezu up until a moment ago still standing up, the boy couldn't afford to sit around.

Although his back still hurts, he could keep standing up with Elmeria's support.

Frado gave Zeeg and the others with a reproaching look.

"Whatever would I do if any of you guys ended up dead from that kind of behavior? -Well, I am thankful, of course."

"You alright?"

"Yes. Well, I did break a few ribs, and my skin was cut and got festered. But that was noting. My wounds were infected so I figured that I needed antidotes for first-aid treatment, but when I went out to gather materials, I was surrounded by Iopreys and attacked by the Khezu-"

"What about burns? Those Iopreys got their insides burnt to a crisp, you know."

"Ah, I'm fine in that regard. Gypceros's Rubbery Hides are highly resistant to electricity. Well, that did save me, but I never thought that I'd end up getting to experience being eaten alive. I'm glad that its gastric juices haven't fully started working yet."

Zeeg felt relieved. If the man is able to run his mouth like that, then he's definitely alright.

"I'll be fine by myself now. Thank you, little miss……"

Fradio expressed his thanks to Freda as he moved his body away. He had been in a restless state since earlier, and it seemed that he could not endure it anymore. Maybe it was because of Freda's Khezu equipment.

"Freda Esgrand."

As Elmeria called her by full name, Freda looked at her caller. Most of the bandage on her head had already turned deep red. Although she looks a lot better now compared to earlier, blood is still dripping from her left hand where she had been bitten.

"You have my thanks. As a result of your actions, Fradio was saved."

"But- From now on, you should never party up with anybody else again."

"Elmeria!"

Zeeg was astonished. He questioned those words said by the girl.

However, Elmeria paid the boy no heed as she continued.

"Surely, your sword inspires hope in people. It makes them forget thoughts of giving up. It makes them muster up their courage. I think it's a good influence on those ordinary people you defend. Surely, when they see you standing up against monsters, strength would return to their exhausted legs, and they would rush to your aid so that everyone would return together alive."

"I've always thought that it is what I wanted."

"I knew you'd say that. But hunters are different from ordinary people. Take too much medicine, and they'll become poison. When they see you, even in situations they know full well that they have to quit, they'd surely stand tall to the end together with you. -Still, even if you know all this, you still won't stop going down that path, right?"

"Yeah."

"And that's why I said what I said. Your ideals are praiseworthy and all, but it will get your comrades killed. You can't possibly keep winning forever in this gamble."

"I knew you'd say that."

Freda wiped off the drop of blood that ran down from her bandage.

"I think that's that the Kokoto Village Chief tried to teach me when he sent me to Minegarde along with Zeeg. And what was written in his letter to the Guild Master must have been for me to party up with someone and successfully complete a request."

"And for just that, we had to go through a near-death experience… That won't do at all."

Although Elmeria said that, her voice sounded gentle.

"Well, since that d.a.m.n Guild Master forked up 10,000 Zenny just like that, I already knew that there's some hidden agenda."

Freda smiled.

"Thanks for the warning. As you advised, this will be the last time I join a party."

"That's for the good of everyone involved."

"Right."

Freda moved away from Fradio and knelt down in front of the Khezu's corpse, then took out a carving knife distributed to every hunter and stripped off a sheet of Flabby Hide.

It was the very moment that reminded everyone that she's certainly a hunter.

"……Alright, I'll be going."

The girl said as she stood up.

"Eh!?"

That surprised Zeeg.

"You're going already-"

"Isn't it bad luck for five hunters to be out together?"

Zeeg was at a loss of words.

Although it is just a superst.i.tious belief, but it was during a 5-member hunt when the Hero of Kokoto lost his fiancée. Hunters avoid being in groups of five as a result, no matter the situation.

"That's why I'm going on ahead, back to basecamp."

"B-but, your wounds-"

"I'll manage. You guys are too injured to have someone break off from the group to help me as well, right? Two of you guys need to be supported in order to move, after all."

That was the truth. At the very least, Gannon needs to be supported up by Zeeg, and Fradio needs Elmeria.

"Don't worry. I've always been in this by myself."

As Freda came closer and looked at Zeeg with her un.o.bscured eye, the boy's heart throbbed.

Freda the Frowner- The face of that girl certainly remains unchanged.

"Still, I glad that for the very first and very last hunt together, I was able to spend it with you."

The girl's face moved closer, and their lips made contact.

Zeeg felt pain running through his arms, so great that they could have been torn apart, but he paid it no mind.

It was just an instant.

Their connected lips then silently separated, in the same manner as when they came into contact.

"……Goodbye, Zeeg."

Freda walked past the boy and exited the cave, leaving him behind the image of a faint smile. She never turned her face around. Only the rear view of her white Khezu armor remained.

Zeeg licked his lips.

His first kiss, shared with Freda, had the faint taste of blood.

"Gwuoh-!"

A thump sounded as stars scattered right before the boy's eyes.

He knew that a solid fist had been brought down on the top of his head, but he needed a little more time until he fully realized it.

Elmeria snorted arrogantly while waving her fist.

"What was that for-!"

"It's because you were s.p.a.cing out! Get your act together! It'll be annoying if we don't get back to the basecamp before it gets dark, you know!"

"What's up with her? Jeez…"

While grumbling to himself, Zeeg fastened his Ioprey Helm to his waist, picked up the Diablo Spear, and went to Gannon to lend him a shoulder.

"…Sorry."

Gannon expressed his grat.i.tude to Zeeg in a straightforward manner as he stood up, but somehow a puzzled expression was painted on his face.

Elmeria lent Fradio her shoulder and walked up to the other two, then gave the boy another glare.

("I just don't get it.")

However, Zeeg did not inquire anyone for the reason. He just doesn't want to spark any arguments right now.

As all four members made their exit from the cave, night had already started its fall, apparent from the encroaching darkness.

Keeping wary of any Ioprey or Genprey encounters, Zeeg and the others walked off, their destination being the basecamp.

"Good grief… I truly want to wash my body right now, more than anything."

Slowly walking on, Fradio spoke up with a sigh.

"How was it? The experience of being eaten alive by Khezu the Loathsome."

In response to Elmeria's sarcastic question,

"……Surely, it was the worst ever experience in my like."

Fradio gave that answer.

The answer felt so genuine and relatable that Elmeria couldn't help but break into laughter. It's as if she had completely forgotten the motives behind hitting Zeeg's head earlier.

And that's why Zeeg also joined in the laughing, forgetting that he had just been hit. He thought of it as making an oath to not ask her why the girl did what she did.

Roars of thunder could be heard in the distance, as the night approached together with the deepening fog.

Zeeg and the others made it safely back to the basecamp, but Freda was nowhere to be found.

They instead met another hunting party that had arranged to use the basecamp, the explanation being that the girl had already left after borrowing a boat.

-However, n.o.body was surprised.

They had a feeling that it would turn out like this. That is beause the girl had already said her goodbye.

Even so, Elmeria had a bitter expression painted on her face. She was probably thinking about how the words she spoke earlier could have been what drove Freda away.

Elmeria, staring at the darkened river, was given a pat on her shoulder from Zeeg.

"……We'll meet her again, somewhere out there."

"Not like I care or anything."

Turning away from the river, Elmeria looked at Zeeg before suddenly wiping the boy's lips with her thumb.

"Wha-! What was that for-!"

"-It's all b.l.o.o.d.y."

With an expression showing that she was angry for some reason, Elmeria wiped her thumb on her thigh before nudging Zeeg's arm.

"Hey, aren't you also injured? Go get some medicine and I'll apply them for you."

He totally forgot.

And as he recalled, he felt as if his back were being torn off.

"Right… I'll leave it to you."

With that, Elmeria went back to her usual expression that's written with sarcastic remarks like "It can't be helped", before lightly grabbing Zeeg's arm and walking onwards.

Members of two parties surrounded the bonfire, already starting to drink. The boy and the girl walked on, welcomed by the warm radiance of fire and the merry laughter among comrades.