No-Fly Zone

You little—

Palico, keep going.

Mrow, so here's what happened.

The Hunter I was following had accepted a commission from a member of the Royal Family. They seemed to be in a bad mood, and were looking for a Rathalos Ruby to fashion into a brooch.

A bad mood... you were hunting a Rathalos on such a whim?

...That client should be just considered an example.

To return to my main point, I furst spotted this Rathalos in the forest near a volcano.

Right as I was about to catch up to it, I was suddenly swept away by a strange force, and by the time I had made sense of things I was already here.

Do you remember what kind of force it was?

Unfortunately, my... meowmories of it are vague at best.

A power capable of bringing over a Rathalos could be considered an even greater threat... but in the interest of time, please continue.

I was still extremely unfurmiliar with the environment here when I arrived, so I chose to continue tracking the Rathalos and discreetly observe its behavior.

Based on what I've seen, it started behaving abnormally after it discovered a cave entrance and went inside.

A cave entrance? Leading into the mountain?

Purrcisely.

Was there anything distinctive about it?

Unfurtunately, it appeared to be a regular cave from what I could tell, but the Rathalos did start behaving strangely after entering.

I took a cursory stroll inside, only to find...

The cave network is purrticularly complex, and my several attempts to locate the Rathalos were all in vain.

My purrsumption is that it has occupied an area within the cave to build a nest, which should be a wide space near the entrance.

Based on what we saw in the cave behind Roka Village, these caves should all be interconnected, so it's no surprise the Rathalos showed up.

There's one more thing I'd like to know. As you've seen, our previous fight with the Rathalos was not at all easy. In fact, you could call it... difficult.

We've yet to effectively deal any damage, so I find it hard to be optimistic about our next encounter. I fear we may have to pay a considerable price for victory.

I understand.

So what I want to ask... based on your knowledge of the Rathalos, how do we ensure a victory in our next battle?

Or to put it another way, is there any way to improve our chances?

It's hard to judge... Compared to a typical Rathalos, this one is highly agitated and shows a strong tendency to attack at the slightest pawvocation.

Earlier, I noticed that its senses have also improved, which is correlated with a change in its attack patterns. This is the basis for my assumption that its behavior is abnormal... Mrow.

Neither of us have Flash Bombs nor Shock Traps in our pawsernal, so I am at a loss as to how to trap it.

So you're saying... our chances remain low?

I do have some ideas on how to boost the damage we deal to it, for I have observed... your meowjesty seems to lack instruction on the use of your Dual Blades?

Dual Blades...you're referring to these strange pair of weapons? True, I do feel a lack of strength behind my blows when wielding them.

These pair in your paws seem to be weapons from our world, and of extremely good quality... So mew can at least rest assured they were crafted by one of our finest craftsmen.

Is that so...

Mrow?

I can explain to you the key to using your Dual Blades. If mew can manage to wield them correctly, mew will be able to deal substantially more damage to the Rathalos, but...

But?

Before that, my observations have led me to ask the critical question: Is it truly necessary to hunt it?

You mean that we shouldn't kill it?

My understanding is that pawerful Hunters are usually the key to meowntaining a balanced ecology. Hunting of any kind will have an effect, and the consequences must be carefully considered before any action is taken.

According to my observations so fur, the Rathalos's activity range is quite far from the village, so it does not pose a significant threat to them, and moreover... The ecology of this area seems to be quite unbalanced.

The area is clearly overpawpulated by herbivores, judging from the obvious damage to the forest vegetation, so the Rathalos's ability to keep the herbivores in check could be considered a pawsitive.

If I was back in my homeland and had already obtained my commission meowterials, I would not choose to hunt harmless meownsters.

To be clear, my mission isn't to hunt the Rathalos either, but to deal with another deadly threat—Oripathy. And our current clues point to the Rathalos as the source.

The fate of the monster is irrelevant to me, as long as we can identify the source of the disease and eliminate the threat it poses to the village.

You lot...

So in order to determine the cause, we must—

You lot!

Your meowjesty?

Ignore him.

It's all... your fault!

You...

(Raises hunting spear)

Kuso! It's all your fault!

Kashiwau, what are you trying to do?

Why? Why don't any of you listen to me?

Why?! You... You just had to break into the forest and run around like a pack of brainless beasts.

Just look at yourselves, you are powerless before that monster, yet still you want to hinder me, block my way, chase after MY quarry. And still you talk about wanting to protect whatever it is...

But the truth is, that boy is missing because you didn't listen to me, and that monster is still alive and well!

We're still in the early stages of figuring out countermeasures, so a failure or two should be unsurprising.

What would you even know? Only trash like you would say it couldn't be done!

And now you're saying you shouldn't hunt it at all, hiding behind some nonsensical, cowardly excuse? I suppose next you'll even want to rescue it from me, yes?

Now I understand... You're here to torture me, aren't you? To purposely torment me, an old man not long for this world...

All because I still remember him! Remember the things you lot insist on forgetting! That's why you're torturing me like this!

Just like you did to him! Strip my skin, drain my blood, break my ribs, cut open my chest, extract my marrow...

Well...? Say something!

Sorry, I have no idea where to start with that rant.

Just put down your weapon and let's move on. We don't have the time to waste on irrelevant small talk.

Don't move!

What can you even do?

Begone from my sight! Crawl back to wherever you came from!

I'm ordering you! Get lost!

Not happening.

I will repeat myself, I have no reason to obey your orders.

Nandayo? Why is this happening again?

Unwilling to listen to even a single word of advice... yet still wanting to protect others?

With your meager abilities? Self-righteous fool! All you can do is impose your will on others!

......

No one needs your protection! Those who take action should suffer the consequences! They deserved what was coming to them!

Everyone else should mind their own business! Fuzakeru na! You should have just stood by and watched!

I'm the only one... who can hunt that monster... I'm the only one who deserves to...

If... If you dare take another step forward, I'll have you taste the tip of this spear!

No, you won't.

You don't have the guts to.

Stop!

What you say means little to me... That hunting spear in your hands... I barely see it as a threat.

See? I've been approaching you, and yet your spear has not moved an inch.

This is your last warning!

Just give it up already, you can't do it.

Since you insist on delaying my progress, I'll have to settle this with you in a way that will remove the possibility of future interference.

What... Stop!

If you really walked your talk, you would have disposed of me and Noir Corne while we were wounded, satisfying your desire to have the beast all to yourself. But you didn't.

You... don't come any closer!

I can understand the reluctance to strike at your own kind. Since the beginning I've felt that all your actions were only to dissuade us.

Not long ago, you even pushed me away from the Rathalos... You don't actually want us to be in danger.

Nonsense!

Stop! I'm warning you, this is the last time!

To return to the subject of hunting, as a hunter, isn't your top priority to eradicate the threat your prey poses at the least possible cost?

And yet, you've been fighting against such a huge predator for so long. Apparently you disagree.

You've consistently refused my offers to work together, insisting on facing it alone despite your lack of ability, in the process putting the safety of the entire village at risk. Which clearly contradicts your attempts to protect us from harm.

I'm starting to suspect that your Rathalos hunt is nothing more than a personal obsession.

Damare!

Judging at your expression, I must have hit the mark.

Then I take that nothing you've done has actually been to eliminate the threat, but instead you've been blindly chasing it out of anger and remorse.

Which is, in a word, selfish.

The way I see, you're not much of a hunter at all.

That... That was my quarry all along! You're no hunter, so who are you to judge?!

Stop this! Just stop it already!

If you wish to refute anything I've said, then just thrust forward with that spear of yours and you'll have everything you say you want. It's as simple as that.

I'm right here, right in front of you.

Come on.

Kill me.

I!

I—

I...

What exactly is source of your obsession, Kashiwau?

Is it Akira Kashiwau?

You... Where did you hear that name?

I'm guessing that he's not in the village anymore, correct?

What is his relation to you? You share a surname, so clearly more than friends. From the photo he seemed younger than both you and the village headman, as well as a former hunter. His name is also etched onto the hunting spear you're holding.

So, a relative?

Stop talking...

You keep referring to me in the plural. Is it because your image of him overlaps with me somehow?

I'm guessing that... he once went on a hunt against your advice, leading to irreparable consequences including him leaving you somehow.

Since then, you've regretted your decision and been haunted by the pain... And you can only vent your frustrations on the hunt.

Damare! You... know absolutely nothing...

I think I do, actually.

It can be hard, being caught up in the past, but those emotions will only impair your judgement. Your obsessions will never change the past, but they will keep you from moving forward.

But open your eyes and take a good look. Is this really the time to be rambling about the past to a stranger?

If you can't bring yourself to kill me, then we should put aside our differences and work together on this hunt.

I still trust you are a somewhat capable hunter, so if you agree I'm willing to put this all behind us.

And we can finally stop wasting time on this sort of nonsense.

No...you don't know a thing at all...

Akira... is my son...

He’s already dead.

......

Seven years ago, on this day, on a night just like tonight, the mountains were filled with the cries of those beasts.

I told him not to go, that those guys were asking for it, but no matter how much I warned him, he just kept saying...

'No, I am a hunter of the village.' He just kept saying that, over and over again, before rushing out without looking back.

Later, when I finally saw him again, it was far too late for him to say anything more.

Do you know? If it weren't his clothes and equipment, I wouldn't have recognized him at all.

The sun was shining on his body, and yet his hands were so cold.

I don't understand. My son, how did he end up like that?

I saw them... Ataru Takii... and the backs of those bakayarou...

I just knew it, they were all there when it happened, but they didn't do a thing! They just... watched my son...

So how... How could you possibly understand my pain...

(The tip of the spear is trembling so much now, as is his paw...)

(His fingers are moving towards, that's... mrow!)

Careful, your meowjesty! He's about to shoot his spear!

Mroaw! I caught it!

Let go!

—!

How... could I...

I'm fine, calm down...

Stay away!

No, it wasn't me... It's your own fault...

You! And you! This is all of your fault, all of you!

Kashiwau... agh—

(Anguished gasping)

Hah, augh, this was... from the Rathalos earlier...

Your meowjesty, what's wrong, why can't you stand? The situation—

Leave me! After him, Palico!