Hard As A Rock

All these years and you still haven't broken that habit of asking pointless questions.

None of these pests should be allowed to go any further. I can't imagine what would happen to the village if they broke free.

There's more coming! On your right!

—Gah, my blade! Curses, it's becoming even more dull from the sheer numbers we're dealing with.

We have to stop them from coming... If I'm not wrong, there are still some pretty powerful Originium bombs in my bag from our last mission; they can be remotely detonated.

Just gotta think of a way to trigger one without blowing up us too...

That ventilation shaft.

It opens up into the inner walls of the cave, so we can use a bomb to blow open the covering and give us an escape route.

After we're out, we can then quickly detonate the bombs below and cause a cave-in to trap them in... It's definitely feasible.

But the explosion will also weaken the cave's structure, so we'll have limited time to escape. We'll have to be fast.

I'll go plant the explosives, but I'll need someone to block the infected creatures, can you handle that?

Why even ask? I'll hold them off, go set them up.

Be careful.

Hey, I'm right here! Don't even think of looking anywhere else!

Quickly now... Alright! Set up complete!

Top bomb ready for detonation!

It opened up... Damage within expectations.

You head up first! I'll keep them at bay here!

No, too dangerous. You'd probably end up getting buried alive.

Just listen to me for once, or one of them might slip past.

...Fine, then you follow my instructions.

I'm up! Corne, evacuate immediately!

What's the matter?

The ladder broke...

What? How?! Chikushou!

Calm down, Yato! I'm fine!

Stay calm, stay calm, let me think... Right! I have an idea!

Position your shield between yourself and the bomb, then detonate it and use the force of the shockwave to launch yourself up!

I'll definitely catch you.

Got it.

Get ready!

Jump!

Alright—I've got you!

Get—up—here—

My body—I'm fine! That was perfect!

Corne... You should think about going on a diet.

...Guess I'll ask Hibiscus for ideas when we get back.

So are we in the forest?

Smithy, over here! The two long-horned people meownaged to escape!

Mew escaped!

How do you guys always just pop up out of nowhere?

...Those chunks of meat were deliberately placed to lure something out from the cave, and we were almost certainly the targets.

But we managed to escape, so their plan should have failed.

Could it have been the villager who gave us the cave's location?

It doesn't matter who did it. We managed to at least block the cave entrance for now, so it's going to be difficult for the headman to make any further moves against us, and I doubt he intends to destroy his own village.

If the source of Oripathy and the Rathalos are both connected to the cave, then the most direct solution would be to... find out where the cave goes.

Based on its trajectory, it probably ends somewhere within this mountain range, but the exact location will be hard to determine.

What if we looked for the Rathalos instead?

The cave's condition... implies it's been in there before, at the very least, and it might even be at the endpoint you're talking about.

Yes, that's very likely.

Considering that returning to the village will only put us in a sticky situation, there's only one path left for us.

We head deeper into the forest to find the Rathalos.

Wait just a meowment!

Mew just went through a thrilling crisis, and are about to embark on an exciting journey chasing a Rathalos. A Felyne's life truly never pawses!

So furst! We have to fill up our stomachs! Come enjoy the uniqueness of Felyne cuisine!

Ain't these just leftovers?!

Mew know nothing, the taste has changed not one bit!

Fine... I'm craving some meat, so give me a piece.

Me too.

Ecological Research team! Onward!

New meowterials! Furward!

(chewing)

The Rathalos... will have to wait.

Ritou, give me one good reason why you led them to the cave.

It's simple. Didn't they tell you they were going to deal with that monster? I simply created the perfect conditions for them.

Do you understand what would happen if outsiders found out about our secret?

Of course, of course. Even your niece who only comes back once in a blue moon made such a ruckus when she found out.

If a company familiar with Originium like Rhodes Island found out, the consequences would be unthinkable.

So are you ready to handle said consequences?

They will die down there.

Think about it carefully, Headman. We're both former hunters. I've laid out the bait, and as we both know, beasts are most tempted by the scent of blood.

They'll encounter that monster long before they discover our secret and— Bam! The battle begins.

If they're weak, the monster will take care of them for us, and we won't have to worry about any consequences.

And if by some chance they can take care of the monster, then wouldn't that also be a win for us? Threat successfully eliminated.

I had some people wait for them to enter, and follow after a short while.

Surely they'll be weak and injured after fighting the monster, so if we want to dispose of them, that would be our best opportunity.

No matter how it ends up, we benefit.

You have clearly put a lot of thought into this.

And of course, whichever way it goes... it'll be better than you sealing the cave off and stubbornly concealing everything.

Hmph...

Oh, don't look so serious. I knew you might be concerned about it, so I just helped you out a little, that's all.

After all, Akira is no longer with us, so I'm your right-hand man.

Headman, it's a disaster! Someone blew up the cave at the back of the village!

The entrance... has been blocked off by rubble.

I understand, bring some men with you to clean up the debris and re-open the cave.

You can go now.

Ritou, was this also part of your brilliant plan?

Oh? This was indeed outside my calculations.

But since the cave was blown up, I can't imagine they survived the aftermath, so they probably died along with the monster. No matter.

What you've done today...

I will weigh the pros and cons for the village and decide whether to hold you accountable for your actions later.

However, for now I'll send a search party to make sure they stay silent.

Works out nicely then, doesn't it? Well, I'll be heading back. There are still quite a few bills I need to go through.

See yourself out.

*sigh*

Akira, you were right...

Hm?

The leaves are falling.

So autumn is already here...

Let's go, Akira.