Chapter 2 – Alliances forged on blood and sand
It did not take long for the quartet to find their prey, the injured and slow plodding Diablos. Despite claiming victory over a party of inexperienced hunters had taken its fair share of wounds along its legs and belly. Lurching across the narrow strip of land to sip at the small stream and gnaw upon the sparse cacti nearby, Zeshin and Sanzuin, Jiisha and Ryoma spied from afar. The group sat atop a sandy cliff overlooking the small lake as it concluded how this assault would play out. Too fatigued to burrow, the Diablos choose to remain here, assured that it would be safe until it regained its immense strength, time that Zeshin knew would not be too far off.
"I need my exact orders followed when we do this. No hesitation, no argue or rebuttals…" Zeshin said, his roaming eyes attempting to make contact with everyone, only preceding after he received some acknowledgment the group. Ryoma's nod came slower than the others did, but the incentives of zenny and more liquor were enough for his begrudging acceptance, at least for now. "We go at this in a diamond formation, gunner at the top with impact and cutting at the sides and bottom. Sanzuin is traveling the lightest, so it is up to you to antagonize and draw the monsters attention. Slow it down with shot aimed at the face and tail base. Ryoma, I will need you to stay near Sanzuin to the left, not too close, but near enough to apply the necessary pressure to its head when the monster slows or falls down. Jiisha, you act as the right the flank, blocking where necessary while focusing on the monsters legs and feet-" Zeshin stopped cut off by Ryoma's petulance.
"And what the Hell will you be doing up the monster's ass while we're getting skewed?" Ryoma asked angrily, completely untrusting of Zeshin's meticulous and excessive planning. "I ain't no damn doll for you to place where you see fit boy. I'ma solider and a hunter, damn good one's I'll say and I could do this on my own without having to listen you prattle and bark order. Wouldn't have to split the take either…" Ryoma finished, crossing his arms in what seemed to be his usual disgruntled fashion.
"The man, as loud and blunt as he is has a point Zesh. Sound like you're getting a pretty cushy ride there in the lead seat." Sanzuin said, the smirk on his face appearing as if he only responded in kind just to see Zeshin squirm in discomfort which had indeed proved to be successful. The questioning causing Jiisha to greatly reconsider Zeshin's place in all this as well, despite his private appeal to her.
"What will you be doing Zeshin, and how are we to be assured that is going to work. I seldom agree with Ryoma, but he does have a point. If Sanzuin's info is right we could very well do this without you or all this planning…" Jiisha said in a tone that almost sounded apologetic in its doubt. Zeshin looked at the Diablos as it dug into the soil for roots and buried cacti with its large feet and power legs, the increase in upturned sand hinted toward its strength returning. Focusing back to his party Zeshin sighed and removed his helmet in a display of sincerity.
"Look, you don't have to like this job or me, because I certainly don't like any of you. But if we don't do this together we will not win. That monster is injured and desperate, and where you all see an easy mark, I see the end if we even make one mistake… Do you think that thing is going to lie over and die cause were here to kill it? No, it just wiped the dunes with one group of idiots, and it will have no problem doing the same to us. There was a Legendary Black Diablos with a broken wing and one horn; it was always injured from all the hunters that came here to kill it. Guild Hunters and Knights alike were slain by the dozens till it finally died of exhaustion after the last group of fools retreated in defeat." Zeshin said, his temper now starting to show itself in his voice and face. "They called it a demon and a devil and it was no such thing. It was a damned monster, an ignorant beast that bested each and every fool that underestimated it."
"These things don't have a sense of honor... Nor do they feel remorse or empathize with misguided and chivalrous fools that come to do them harm with weapons. They are animals, and they deserve no quarter or reprieve, no mercy or consideration beyond acknowledging how dangerous they are..." Zeshin stopped him, realizing both his temper, tone, and words were growing out of hand and off topic. Sighing as he pinched the narrow mound between his eyes, he looked back towards the faces of the now puzzled group of hunters. "If you must know, I am handling the tail, with a weapon that does not allow for me the defense or maneuverability as the rest of you. This is why it will be important we stay in formation, our constant movement will stop the monster from getting to far and will allow us the chance to strike its vitals. I will have no cover save for Jiisha flanking an occasional blocking against the armored, flailing, and one-ton appendage of an already injured and soon to be Diablos. If any of you experts feel, I still have it easy I will gladly trade you positions. If not, fall in and do exactly what I say." Zeshin finished his monologue in an exasperated tone. He quickly replaced his helmet and looked to the group for any further discretion, and when he saw none, his helmet turned directly to Sanzuin. "Warning shot to the base of its tail, the marker will help me locate the point of damage during all the movement. Ryoma, when it turns to investigate toss a grenade within its line of sight. When we scale the cliff side and reach the ground everyone get in position and begin circling him..." Zeshin commanded.
Time was critical, and with a nod from his frightening helm, Zeshin silently gave the order to prepare their armaments. Taking great caution not to arouse the beast, the group swiftly appropriated the necessary equipment, items that would not have passed the most lenient inspection of Guild standard for their sheer destructive and wasteful nature. Sanzuin loaded his tainted Cutting cartridges into his Bowgun, as an almost sober Ryoma meticulous arranged his custom Crag shots and Flashing Sonic grenades along his waist for easy access. Jiisha applied an adhesive of distilled Monster Broth to a flat side of her Greatsword, proceeding to line the weapon with chains of outward exploding pellet shells. Zeshin himself frowned upon such unscrupulous tactics, but understood the necessity of speed in the line of work. His master had taught him that there was something to altered mechanics and enhanced weaponry, but such peerless innovation came at the heavy cost of environmental disruption. The risk of endangering an ally remained with him, but understanding that people were in this particular profession for their own gain made it somewhat easier to swallow the bitter pill of hypocrisy, rubbing shoulders with those of such loose ethics. As they all finished, there was a moment of silent deference, as they all looked toward Zeshin for his particular instructions.
With no further disruptions, gave the signal to Sanzuin who fired after taking a moment to line his Paintball shot. Instantaneously the Diablos was thrust back within the thrall of combat as his foes pressed the sides of their helms near their ears and vaulted down the sandy cliff. Instinctively the Diablos first reaction was to scream its loud and guttural shriek, one of its most terrifying weapons and oft the last thing many an unfortunate hunter hears prior to death by gore or trample. However, the assembled were no regular group, and as such, they were not prone to the same trifles and inconveniences, their Custom High Grade Earplugs reducing the monster's cry to a tame sonic instance no louder than the breeze. Cephalos and other unfortunate creatures exploded from the sand, writhing in pain from the Diablos' call as Zeshin and his group vaulted past them, dodging with extreme caution. Each explosion hurled sand all about as the group continued forward, Ryoma tossing his armament into the air. "Eyes down!" Ryoma roared as he hurled his luminescent explosive in the Diablos' field of vision. As the group shielded their sight with forearm and weapon, they splintered off into their respective positions, the blinded Diablos fuming black smoke from its nostrils seemingly in anger at their presumption that it would be taken so easily.
Here they stood, the monster surprisingly larger than expected, thrashing its tail about and kicking sand as it continued to cry out. Temporarily robbed of its sight, Zeshin took the time to survey the wounds already covering the monster as his constituents ready their weapons, Sanzuin continuing his barrage as Jiisha and Ryoma stood patiently for the monster to resume its movement. Tactically sound in his placement, Sanzuin continued to fire as he stood in front of the continuously flashing strobe grenade, and within seconds, the Diablos was on the move. In seconds, the Diablos covered half the ground necessary to get to Sanzuin who fired until his stocks were empty, deftly dodging a presumable gore attack from the Diablos as everyone else moved into position to accommodate the formation.
There appeared to be more to the fight it would seem as the target of the assault was not Sanzuin and his attacks, but the unnaturally strobe device, as the Diablos continued trampling in one place, throwing sand about to keep it covered. Zeshin's eyes narrowed beneath the cover of his helm as the still enraged monster once again turned its attention to the group, their first stratagem quelled. Still too weak to burrow, the monster bolted for Jiisha who braced for the impact planting the tip of her sword in the sand and assuming an altered defensive posture as Ryoma and Zeshin ran to her counter position, Sanzuin's doped shots taking their effect and slowing the beast down.
Zeshin could hear Jiisha grunt as she took the brunt of the impact, coinciding with the tactile detonation of the munitions stuck to her weapon. As the Diablos staggered from both the collision and unrelenting fire of Sanzuin's Bowgun, Jiisha sprung herself forward with a lifting step that helped to both remove her weapon and direct the stunned beast in Ryoma's direction. What followed was a violent capitalization of the pressed advantage, Ryoma who removed his hammer from his back and swung holding on with both hands in one graceful maneuver, delivered an eerily brutal smash to the Diablos' head as its body veered close to the ground allowing the opportunity. The crag shots exploded in the collision, the damage cracking the Diablos' beak, destroying an eye, and nearly shattering one of its horns as the other broke off landing on the dunes upon the monster's fall. Ryoma's immense power did not come without drawbacks, as the sheer force of his swing caused to monster to roll off the ground in a clumsy fashion. The beast taunted them, scratching and turning up more dust as its tail anchored its place in the sand. Zeshin watched pitiless as the monster regained its ground, its tail and the constant thrashing allowing for some time to rebound as the hunters, save for Zeshin keep their distance.
Zeroing in on the market, Zeshin dodged the large, living boned club at the end of the Diablos tail, the imprint remaining in the sand with every soft thud appearing as if it spelled death for anything unfortunate enough to have been there. The flying sand began to prove irksome, as Zeshin, despite his speed could not pinpoint an appropriate position to attack. Seeing one a less than moment later, Zeshin removed his prized Tigrex Longsword, which itself seemed to roar as he unsheathed it, moving in to attack as a Cehaplos leaped from beneath the sand in front of him. The monster promptly hit the ground and was gruesomely smashed by the Diablos' tail, the carnage spreading everywhere as Zeshin took a wide arching swipe and leap back, slicing the half of monster that flew at him cleanly in half. It was not long before he became the focus of the monster's attack, and with a quick pivot on its massive feet, the Diablos headed to run Zeshin down before he could properly plant his feet from his previous maneuver. In seconds, it appeared that he would be impaled if he did not react, the fiery blood in his veins replaced with ice water as something not too unlike fear took hold of him.