Heart-Piercing Strike

Mew must be quite curious about how I gnaw so much. It's because I've been observing the endemic lifeforms affected by originium the whole time—

Hey, are mew even listening?

Saving people is more important than that! We need to go take a look!

Hello? It's safe now, where are you?

Here! Over here!

Huh... over here?

Yes, behind this sliding door.

...There's nothing blocking the door though?

Huh? How is that possible? I've tried everything I could to open it, to no avail.

Uh, how about lifting this handle down here?

Hmm? Like this...? Ah! It opened!

So that's how it works? No wonder I had so much difficulty finding it. Haha, what an ingenious design!

So... were you trapped like that for the last three days?

Uh... the corpse of an Originium slug. May I ask who you are?

Noir Corne, the horns on her head are diffurent than yours!

You said your name was... Mirai?

Yep.

We're operators from Rhodes Island, on a mission in the area. I'm Noir Corne, and this is—

Mrrow! So you're a scholar of the environment here?

Of course! I'm in the middle of an ecological survey, actually.

May I take a look at your research notes, purrty please?

Wha— Ah! What is this adorable talking creature?! What's it going to do?

Mrow! I'm not some creature, I'm a Felyne, and a researcher myself to boot! Look, I have meow own research notes here.

Wow, you even sketched the little explosion that Fukurami herbs make? That's one of my favorites. Did you know that it explodes from the pressure of the liquid inside the fruit?

That was my hypawthesis! As the fruit ripens, the mucus inside gradually builds up—

Hey, uh, I'm the one who saved you, so mind answering my questions first?

Oh fine.

...So how did you get stuck down here in the first place?

It was part of my ecological survey, I did say that I'm a researcher, didn't I?

Okay, next question—

Hold on! Let me talk first! I've got some incredible news for you all! You'll never guess what I saw!

Do you know what's living in this cave?

A—super—big—FLYING MONSTER!

...Yeah.

Flying! Monster! Breathes Fire!

...Gotcha.

'G-Gotcha'? Do you not find it the least bit interesting?

It's called a Rathalos, and we were on its back before getting thrown down here.

Ah... How could this be...?

What a tragedy... it turned out to be a creature that's already known. I was even going to name it after a character from a manga I read recently...I got so excited over nothing...

Wait! Talking creature, I've never seen anything like you before! Are you... a new species?

W-What are mew doing! Get your paws off me!

Just let me take a good look!

Hold on, let's get down to business first. Did you come into contact with the Rathalos?

Yes, I observed it for a good while. I recorded its actions in the mine and what changes it went through within the Originium zone, but now it feels like that was all a waste of time.

Mew recorded its behavior?

Originium zone? Changes?!

Give— No... could you please show us those records? This is really important!

Of course, just wait here for a bit while I find them.

Mrow? Food, drinking water, even light equipment... What's all this?

Protective gear for the Originium, of course.

...How well-purrpared. No wonder mew managed to last three days down here.

I even brought some carbonated Suzuka-flavored drinks.

Noir Corne, there's a ladder here, maybe we can escape through the hole we came from.

This looks like the entrance to the Originium processing plant, where did you see the Rathalos?

Not too far from here, just straight ahead through this hole in the mine shaft.

The shaft you came down was the one closest to the mine, and was only abandoned because it was too far from the village. I imagine it's the most convenient for the Rathalos to fly in and out from.

You seem awfully familiar with the place.

Enough to get by.

Oh right, here.

And this is?

The Rathalos brought you two here, right? So I'm guessing you were separated from your other companions.

You can make use of the vent over there to send a smoke signal, to help them to find you.

Thank you very much.

Anyway, here are all my notes, but my handwriting might be a little messy, so I'll read them out loud for you while you have a look.

Four days ago, the Rathalos flew into the cave at night, and the miners changing shifts were scared away.

The flames it spewed also triggered a small explosion which led to a partial collapse of the mine, and thus sealed the passage to the village.

No wonder there was so much active Originium dust...

Mm, it doesn't seem to be doing so well itself. The huge amount of Originium dust has noticeably affected it. In particular it has difficulty feeding and an increasingly violent temperament.

I used an instrument to examine the dust in more detail, and could see a large amount of particles suspended around it. Every time it breathes fire, the dust is set aflame, causing great devastation... We're lucky it hasn't wrecked the mine yet.

Noir Corne! That's why its flames are so pawerful!

Ah, did you come across it while outside?

More than once, even... It's why we came in the first place, actually. It's been spreading Originium dust all over the village.

In that case, I must stress that if you want to deal with it, now might be the best time.

Huh?

Because it's in an extremely weakened state, and though it can recover quickly, it will still take some time. Also, the mine has been overused to the point of becoming structurally unstable.

So if you just detonated bombs in certain spots, you could instantly collapse the entire mine.

I'm a little worried about the Rathalos spewing fire while we're doing that, though. It'd ignite all the Originium dust and... Well, the consequences would be disastrous.

Yes, but you have to trust me. As long as you follow my plan, it won't have a chance to open its jaws, let alone spit out an ember.

The only problem is that we don't have enough people to set up bombs in all the locations I marked on the map. We'd need at least one more, or it'll be virtually impossible to get it done by today.

It would be purrfect if Yato were here then.

Is that another of your companions?

Yes, a very serious, but reliable lass. She also has two other Felynes like me by her side.

Then we should have enough, but...

But what?

It's about the Rathalos. I still have some questions that might influence your final decision.

Check my notes on page 237, in the bottom right corner.

I've done some research into the materials it leaves behind, and found out that it's not actually infected with Oripathy. Which means its changes were not due to the infection.

They're not? Then why does it have so meowch trouble feeding...

I doubt it's completely unaffected by Originium, but I still wouldn't say it has Oripathy... What's even stranger is that more and more Originium clusters are forming on its body.

Uh, so... if the Rathalos isn't infected, the Originium clusters on its body might just be a temporary thing? And maybe it's not the one spreading the Originium dust?

That's my theory, but I don't have any hard evidence to confirm it. Besides...

The Rathalos's behavior towards Originium is also remarkably different from other creatures I've observed, and... it's really difficult to describe.

I think it's best if you just see it for yourselves.

Let's go, Noir Corne! Odd-horned Scholar, can mew show us the way?

No, wait...

Oh, right, mew just escaped.

I don't mind.

No, that's not what I—

The communicator—We got a signal.

Oh, maybe it's due to the signal booster here.

Can mew try and contact Yato? Hurry and tell her what's going on here!

Not yet.

First, I have to ask you something important, Ms. Takii.

Huh? Me?

You came into the mine alone but with ample resources, before the Rathalos even arrived.

You're very familiar with the place, but weren't with the miners when they changed shifts, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten stuck here.

From my experience with the villagers and how sus they've been about the mine, I doubt they'd let an outsider conduct an ecological survey here.

In short, I have some doubts about your identity.

Not to mention your family name... it's the same as the headman of Roka Village, right?

So you're related to him, but you don't mind teaching us how to destroy the mine, and are happy to guide us to the Rathalos.

Mirai Takii, what exactly is your angle here?

Oh dear. I wasn't trying to hide anything, but I suppose it was just a matter of time.

Were mew playing a trick on us? I see, so you weren't a scholar after all! Then... who exactly are you?

No, I really am an ecological researcher, got all my papers and everything.

I did omit a few details, like the fact that Ataru is my uncle, or that I actually snuck into the mine.

I also knew that you were from Rhodes Island, because I'm the one who left your contact information for my uncle to find. I'm assuming he couldn't handle the Originium dust the Rathalos was spreading, so he called you guys in.

You left him our contact info? Why?

Because I wanted to shut down the mine, and there was no way I could convince the entire village by myself.

Originally, I was planning to contact you myself.

I figured that once you saw what was going on here, you'd do whatever it took to get the villagers away from here, right? Unfortunately, they confiscated my external communication equipment before I could.

So I thought I'd come down here on my own, and figure out how to destroy it myself.

What made you so sure we'd evacuate the village? It wasn't even guaranteed that we'd stop them from mining... Also, I still don't know why you want to destroy the mine.

Because if Roka Village continues to dig any deeper, this place will probably suffer a... a Catastrophe.

A Catastrophe?! How soon are we talking?

Hard to say right now, since at this point it's just an anomaly in the surrounding environment.

So the 'Mirai' we saw earlier was you leaving your mark after your investigation...

Yup. Then I assume you've been in a situation where it felt like you were just going in circles for hours. That's an effect of the anomaly.

The bad news is that said anomaly is getting even worse.

And I'm pretty sure our big boy Rathalos is heading the same way, though I haven't seen it do its flamethrower thing in its lair yet.

Of course, everything would be solved if you just went along with my plan.

But why would the mine here cause a Catastrophe?

Because... Well, you'll understand once you see it.

Yato! Mew are bleeding!

Probably from when the Rathalos's tailspin that sent me hurtling to the ground. Some debris got into the wound, so I didn't notice it until now.

It entered from the inner thigh... Can't tell how deep it is until I pull the debris out.

Do you have any medicine to help treat this?

It's alright, Artisan. Is there anything that can be used as a rope?

Yes! Just wrap some grass together, like a braid!

How strong is it... that should hold.

And do you have anything that can burn?

Found something! It burns.

Alright, then please make a fire... And this is for you.

After the fire gets going, wipe this dagger clean, and put it over the flames, can you do that?

Yes, but mew...

*Huff*...

Captain's log number four, this is Rhodes Island Operations Team A4... Captain Yato.

In the previous battle with the Rathalos, I was separated from Operator Noir Corne, but our primary objective to track the creature has not changed. However... due to my current injury, the operation has been temporarily suspended.

During this mission, we encountered many difficulties that far exceeded our expectations, and progress has not at all been smooth sailing.

...But I still believe in our ability to complete the mission, whatever the cost.

I am now preparing to begin emergency field surgery on my wound, and will make an audio recording of the process for review purposes after the mission...

(Breathes deeply)

First, I will remove the shard of debris from the wound.

Ngh—Argh!

Blood! So meowch blood!

*Pant* *pant*...

Next... using a rope to stop the bleeding...

Argh—

*pant**pant*...The wound... I can see the bone, but at least none of my arteries were hit...

...Needs disinfection... scraping away the dirt...

Ah—*hiss*

Disinfection... complete. Next... to ensure the rest of the operation proceeds smoothly, I must make sure I remain mobile.

In the absence of medicine and bandages... I have decided to use...

Artisan, is it ready?

It's ready.

Now cauterizing... the wound. End audio log.

Hand me the knife.

(Breathes deeply)

(Presses the knife to the edge of the wound)

Ahh—*hiss*——Augh!

Hgh!

Yato! Are mew alright?

...I'm... I'm fine.

The wound... Alright, the bleeding's stopped.

Over there! Look!

A smoke signal... from Noir Corne? It's in the direction that the Palico pointed out, so they must have come across the Rathalos. I'm glad they're doing well at least.

The sky... It should be almost dawn by now, but it's still so dim? Black clouds...? Hm?

What's that noise?

Forest! Rumbling and shaking!

That sound! It's a beast!

Over there!

The beasts are dashing out from the forest!

There are so many of them... Have they noticed something?

Help! Help us!

Someone's calling for help! Let's go!

Kuso! Why are there so many of them?!

I told you not to listen to the headman's orders to enter the forest! It's just a few outsiders... Help!

Stop yelling! Why would there be anyone else in this damn forest? We better think of something before we die here!

Villagers? What are they doing here?

See! The yelling worked!

Come with me, quickly. I'll lead you out of here.

Can we head over there? I think we can avoid the beasts' rampage that way.

We can try.

We're here. Seems like the beasts aren't headed in this direction for now.

Huh? You're...

It's them! The outsiders the headman wanted us to find! So they were still alive!

The headman sent you after us?

That combat ability... No wonder Mirai left Rhodes Island's contact information. She did say you weren't your average pharmacists.

The headman said the cave-in might not have trapped you, so he told us to go look for you in the mountains.

And if we found you, to take you far, far away from the village.

Why would he do that?

Ah, save it for later! The beasts are headed this way!

Their numbers have increased as well. If this keeps up...

Curses, this is my fault for letting Kashiwau go alone. Even though the Palico followed him, given the current situation...

Can you two get to a safe place by yourselves?

From here? Should be able to.

Sorry, I can't continue to escort you. Stay safe, and if you manage to return to the village, please tell the residents to evacuate as soon as possible!

Got it, and... thank you.

Artisan, we should go help Kashiwau.

Um, what about Noir Corne?

...Right, they should still be with the Rathalos. I should update him on the plan, but... there's no time for that now.

*doot**doot*—*doot**doot*—

Comms! Alive!

It's Corne. I'm glad we caught the signal.

Yato, can you hear me?

I'm here. I'm seeing a smoke signal from my location, is that yours?

Yeah, I'm with the Felyne Scholar and we're safe for the time being, how are things on your end?

I'm... doing fine.

Corne, do you know what the situation is like outside?

The beginnings of a Catastrophe, yeah?

Yes, there have been some obvious tells. Judging from the situation, there's still time to evacuate the villagers, but the wild beasts in the forest have already started rampaging.

We need to update each other on the situation to coordinate our actions.

Not long ago... I made the mistake of clashing with Kashiwau and letting him go off on his own.

He might be in some kind of danger right now, and I think... I should prioritize saving him over rendezvousing with you.

I'm still not clear how we'll deal with the Rathalos, but it is highly likely that he'll lose his life on his own.

It was my fault, so I absolutely cannot leave him behind.

I get you, but I gotta tell you something too.

...What is it?

Right now, we're above the Rathalos's nest, and we found out it's connected to the cave in the village...

It's an Originium mine. That's the source of the dust that the Rathalos has been spreading.

So that's what it was...

Also... we have a really good plan to deal with the Rathalos.

Oh?

If we destroy the mine and bury it in the rubble, we'll be able to take care of it once and for all. It won't be able to spread any more Oripathy, and the villagers can evacuate without any worries too.

Can you confirm the feasibility of this plan?

It was hatched by someone who's researched the mine in depth. But if we want to do this right away, just me and the Felyne Scholar won't be enough. We'll need your help too.

If we miss this opportunity, who knows what kind of accident might happen? In the worst case scenario, we'll probably be facing an unprecedented crisis, so we need you to make the call.

...Understood.

Yato...

What a dilemma we've gotten ourselves into...

Yato, listen to me.

Remember what we decided back then? We've already made our choice.

......

Nonsense... I never said I couldn't do it.

I'm not changing my decision. I'll go look for Kashiwau right away, while you do your best to keep the situation over there under control.

I will save his life, and I won't let the Rathalos harm anyone else either.

I'll save everyone.

Alright, be careful out there.

You too.

Die! All of you, die!

Get out of my sight!

You scamp... just why did you...?

Don't hold me back, old timer.

You truly don't have a brain up there, do you?!

A group of hunters... who know not the rules of the forest, much less respect them. And in provoking its wrath, sent all the beasts into a frenzy, trampling all over our crops.

Well, fantastic! I suppose they'll get their just deserts!

All they brought were some mining tools. There's no way they can handle that many wild beasts.

So I... I have to go in there, I can't just stand back and watch them get torn apart.

Aren't you also against the Originium mining project? This is perfect for us, is it not?

Those fools in the forest were asking for it! Just let nature consume them, as it should!

Old timer, as a hunter of the village, I of all people can't sit back at a time like this.

You idiotic, wretched, brat!

You step outside this room, and I'll break both your legs!

But you never did stop me from going.

Which is how I ended up like that.

Yes, yes, it was all me.

I caused your death... It's all my fault, I'm a terrible father.

You should feel ashamed of your incompetence.

And you must also pay for your sins.

Yes, I should, which is why I've been trying to kill all the beasts here in your stead.

Especially that most wicked, enormous, insane fire-spewing monster!

...But I am incapable of hunting it.

These hands of mine are too old to properly wield a spear, and mine eyes so clouded I can only watch milkbeasts frolic around.

Then lay down and die.

Die. Yes, that's about the only thing I am capable of now.

Kill one, and then another.

And then... I will be able to see you again.

Hah, denied the chance... A beast clad in scales... Now that's a sight I've not seen in...

And now, the beasts mutually rend each other apart.

Will I die beneath the claws and teeth of these monsters...?

Yato, your meowjesty, I advise mew to reconsider, for it will not be easy to get out of this.

What is that...? Someone's voice?

Just tell me how you can help me, or I'll just cut my way through.

Someone's speaking... am I just imagining things?

It's not time for you to die yet, old man.

Ah...?

What are you still doing here, girl?

Saving you.

You should have left this place, not come to my aid!

Fuzakeru na!

Didn't you say you were going to hunt the Rathalos? Yet you're so willing to die to some nameless beast?

Open your eyes already! The frenzied beasts are going to rush down the mountain sooner or later, and the first thing they'll trample over will be the village... Your neighbors will be forced to scatter and flee, and innocent children will die.

Are you going to just stand by and watch all of that happen?

Yoshitaka Kashiwau, you are a hunter of Roka Village. And as its only hunter, you of all people can't sit back at a time like this.

The last thing you should be doing is feeling sorry for yourself here, much less giving up your life so easily.

Wield that spear in your hands, abandon those useless obsessions, and think carefully on what a hunter's duty is!

To defend their home from the sharp claws of beasts, to desperately keep the flame of survival lit!

True, somebody will always be forced to bear the price... Hunters, as well as us... But we have both chosen this path.

Now get up!

Akira...

What was it that you said back then, to get me to let you go...

I said... that I would defeat them all.

Did you succeed?

I did, father.

Akira...

You've got a damn good spear, boy. I should hold onto it tight.

Go, and never appear before me again.

I will defeat them all.

That's enough... noise from you.

You don't speak much, girl. But when you do, you're fiercer than a mangler.

If you have the strength to talk, then stop wasting time and cover the rear.

I have no reason to take orders from a whippersnapper... Mind your own business.

Your meowjesty's words remind me so much of my time in Kokoto Village.

Before the age of the Hunters, it was the headman who first stepped up to defend the village from meownsters, earning the title of 'hero' for his bravery...

Mrow! Please do not pick me up by the scruff of the neck.

Palico, watch our right.

Do you remember the moves I spoke of earlier, your meowjesty?

Well, I've gone over them in my head a few times.

Mew must remember, the trick to using the Dual Blades to their fullest potential is to abandon all defense and enter a state alike to a ferocious beast.

Or as we call it, 'Demon Mode.'

'Demon Mode,' huh...

We move.