The Master Corps
Disclaimer: I do not own Monster Hunter. The game belongs entirely to Capcom. All characters that appear in this story belong to me, unless otherwise stated.
Edited by: dashboardgecko
Chapter 26: Initiation
Sapphire excitedly pulled the white fur cap of her Lagombi armor onto her head as she crossed her room to where her sword and shield rested, slinging the blue metal plate over her shoulder and sheathing the blade on the back of her waist. Her thoughts were filled with nothing but the events of the day ahead as she looked at the mirror in front of her, making sure she looked as good as possible.
I can't believe he finally asked! She thought excitedly.
She had run into Wes the night before as he was returning from visiting with his family, who had arrived to watch a few of his friends take part in the Hunter's Examination. Though it was clear he had an extremely hard time spitting it out, he had sheepishly mentioned a spare ticket and asked if she wanted to sit with him and his family at the event, something she couldn't have been happier to agree to.
This is the first time he's ever come to me about something like this too! After seeing him with Snow so much, I was starting to worry he liked her more than me… I need to make sure I make a good impression on him and his family so she doesn't steal him away from me! …Gosh, did I really just think that?
Returning her attention to her reflection, Saph couldn't help but compare herself to Snow. It just seemed like she had everything: amazing looks, great body, fun personality, and a really elegant fighting style. Sapphire just felt completely average, even lackluster in comparison. Not that she blamed herself for that, but she just wished that Snow wasn't so close to Wes all the time. The two had been together so much, rumors were spreading about them even being a couple, though Wes himself fervently denied that being the case.
It didn't make her feel any better that Snow was so nice to her all the time either. She was always trying to take on a sisterly role towards Sapphire whenever they were together. Saph didn't necessarily dislike the huntress for it, but it made her feel guilty to consider Snow a rival for Wes' affections when she was acting so nice about it all. She had to try and keep herself under control whenever they met, since her mere presence made Sapphire worry that her tongue would slip and she'd say something wrong.
Catching herself from thinking too much further into it, though, the huntress forced a smile onto her lips and turned her thoughts elsewhere. Today was technically her and Wes' first 'real' date! He hadn't really said it was a date, and sure, his family would be there too, but who knew whether or not what happened today might lead into something else later on. And, most importantly, Wes has asked her, not Snow, to come along. That idea alone was enough to relax her mind.
A light rapping on the door drew her attention away from the mirror.
"Hey, Saph, you about ready to go?" she heard Wes ask from the other side. "The exam starts in about an hour, and my Pa said he wanted to meet up before we went inside."
"Sorry, I'll just be a minute!" she replied eagerly, darting over to her table and grabbing her pouch. It was a tradition for hunters to garb themselves in their armor and weapons on the day of the Hunter's Exam, to act as an inspiration to the young apprentices and trainees on the arena floor and welcome them into the world of hunters. Not to mention that being cheered on by a crowd of people wearing all manner of armor and weapons was one of the greatest sights an aspiring hunter or huntress could look up and see.
Simply recalling the other times she'd seen the examination take place brought a smile to her face, but one memory did the exact opposite. She felt her expression fall slightly at the thought of him, but a moment later she shook her head free of any negative thoughts. She couldn't let those get to her today. She had to move on. Breathing a quick sigh, the huntress made sure she was finished getting her things together and stepped out into the hallway where Wes stood waiting for her, garbed in his newly-arrived armor set.
The mere sight of the hunter in the set practically made her heart skip a beat. True enough, it really did suit him; the dark blue plates softly reflected the light of the glowstone lamps around them, while the polished, gold-handled rapier at his side shone like a tiny sun. The blue cloth of the set was complemented by the white fur tufts that jutted out of a few spots on the set, especially around the hunter's torso and neck. She noticed a few small differences in the set from when she saw it in the store: the hunter's legs seemed to be a little less armored, though in exchange the plating looked a lot less restrictive. His gloves were also mail-backed instead of the entirely metal ones the set had originally come with. Lastly, and perhaps most notably, a large dark blue hood, similar in color to the rest of the cloth parts of the set was attached at the neck of his suit, and was resting just behind Wes' head. It looked as though the same white fur used in the other parts of his set was also used to line the hood.
"Wow, that looks great on you, Wes!" Saph complimented, admiring the suit and leaning in closer to get a closer look at it.
"Y-you think so?" he stuttered, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "I was kinda iffy on a few bits here and there, but I mean, I don't look like a clown, right?"
"Nah, it really fits you well! …I mean the armor, not the clown look."
"Er, right, haha. Alright, let's get a move on then," Wes said, taking a few steps towards the stairwell. "No need to keep Pa waiting, right?"
"I'm right beside you!"
About twenty minutes later, Wes and Sapphire arrived on top of one of the buildings surrounding the Loc Lac arena. The crowds below were positively massive; moving through them on the ground wouldn't have been nearly as fast, so the pair instead took to the rooftops, as Sapphire had no trouble keeping up with Wes' speed with her incredible jumping abilities.
"Gotta say, running on the rooftops makes it much more fun to get around!" the huntress laughed. "I don't know why I didn't try to do it sooner!"
"It's just a good thing the crowds are so focused on what's in front of them that they're keeping their eyes ahead," Wes smirked. "We'd be attracting a lot of attention otherwise, and… well, I'm not really keen on showing off anymore."
"Oh, so the spotlight got a little too bright then?" she teased, lightly elbowing him. "I'm just joking around, I know you've learned your lesson!"
"Yeah, yeah, that isn't really helping me forget about all that, y'know! Man, I can never catch a break, can I?"
"That runs in the family, Wes."
Sapphire yelped and jumped in surprise while Wes turned his head to the side, seeing his father standing right behind them. He hadn't heard York approach- after all, he didn't take the nickname 'Mr. Sneaky' lightly- but Wes had grown used to his father's stealthy approaches, enough to train himself to not give York the reaction he wanted. A minor victory, as far as Wes was concerned. Still, York seemed satisfied enough with startling Sapphire this time.
"You say that about everything, Pa," Wes remarked, turning to face the man.
He raised his eyebrows as he looked over his father's new armor; it was much different from his old suit, that was for sure. The majority of his outfit was still white, and included long coattails and a beaked hood that was pulled down at the moment, but that was as far as the similarities went. For one, York had actual armor plates on now. A spiked metal pauldron was strapped to his left shoulder, decorated with an orange stripe running down the middle, and two metal plates were strapped to the front of either of his brown boots. A large metal plate decorated with a large insignia was fastened to his stomach by the black buckles that wrapped around the man's back, further supported by a strap that ran from its center up and around his left shoulder. Attached to that strap was the silvery dagger he usually carried with him. His forearms were covered by similarly-colored metallic bracers, bearing designs similar to the man's torso armor. Attached to his bracers around the elbows were large rings of metal, which each had an orange metal blade attached for use in close quarters fighting. A few other belts were wrapped around York's right arm, waist, and torso, most of them carrying throwing knives. York's swords were slung across his back, over his right shoulder.
"Huh, I guess you weren't kidding about that new set, Pa. Looks pretty tough!"
"I'll admit, yours isn't too shabby either," York laughed as he crossed his arms. "I can tell that it's well made. The craftsman might even have skills rivaling mine. Maybe. I take it the hood doesn't come standard though?"
"Nah, had to get it customized. Worth every zenni."
"Agreed. Now then, this must be that Sapphire girl you were telling me about, right? Your girlfriend?"
"Ack! Pa! I-I told you it's not like that!" the dual blade wielder defended, his face reddening in embarrassment. He spared a quick glance to the side and saw that Saph's face was just as red, if not more so. "Do you want Ma to kill me or something?! After all those lectures she made me sit through, I-"
"Wes, relax a little, would ya?" York chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Why do you think I said that when she wasn't around? I'd never hear the end of it either! Still, a father's gotta have some fun, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, alright," Wes replied, rolling his eyes but affording himself a light chuckle to regain his composure a little. "A-anyways, yeah, this is Sapphire. Saph, this is my pa."
"I-it's nice to meet you, sir!" she stuttered, bowing respectfully towards him. "I've heard a lot about you from Wes! He's a great friend and a good hunter and I'm very grateful you're willing to have me along today and-"
"Does she always act like this?" York mumbled, leaning over towards Wes as the huntress prattled on, still bowing.
"Eh… Only when she's nervous," Wes replied quietly, scratching the side of his head. "And by that, I mean really, really nervous."
"Heh, guess you really do know how to pick 'em. Just like your old man!"
"Pa!"
"Kidding, kidding!"
"-and so I really appreciate all the trouble you're going through for me and I will do whatever I can to repay you and I promise that I won't disappoint and if at all possible I would like to know if-"
"Hahah, easy there, kiddo!" York laughed, cutting the huntress off. "You keep spewing air out of your lungs like that and you'll choke on the spot! It's not a problem, really, no need to repay me."
Huh. Pa usually jumps at that offer, Wes thought.
Guess he doesn't feel like ripping off his son's girlfriend.
Oh, don't you start with that too, Silver!
"Though, come to think of it," the older man continued, "I feel like I know you from somewhere, Sapphire. Have we met before?"
"Huh? Uh… I don't think so," the blue-haired huntress replied with a questioning look on her face. "Why do you ask, sir?"
"Ah, never mind then, guess I'm still on the road towards becoming senile. And please, don't go calling me 'sir'. Makes me feel even older than I already am. Just York is fine, Sapphire."
"O-oh, my apologies, si- uh, York!"
"Alright Pa, how about we head inside now?" Wes asked, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. "I don't think we should keep Ma waiting much longer than we have to, after all."
"Good point. Fortunately for you, I was able to pull a few strings with the Guild and get a specially reserved spot in the arena for us that doesn't even need the main entrance to get to. C'mon, I'll show you both in! Just… try not to get lost in the crowd, alright? I won't tell your mother if you want to hold her hand, Wes."
"Pa!"
With a short chuckle, York leapt down from the rooftop, and after sharing a hopeless glance and a sigh, Wes and Sapphire followed after him. The three made their way through the thick crowds of hunters and civilians milling towards the coliseum-like structure, towards the western side of the structure. There were far fewer people around there, save for a few people trying to circumvent the crowds and a couple Guild officers standing by a restricted entrance. They tensed up as the three drew near, but York waved them off and passed between them, while Wes and Saph followed just a step behind.
"It really helps having friends in high places, y'know?" York grinned as the guards returned to their positions, having recognized him as a guest. "I got a lot of favors in with the Guild, after all. It'd be a shame not to use 'em."
"What'd you do to get so many favors?" Sapphire asked curiously, tilting her head and looking up at the man.
"Well… Let's just say I helped solve a big problem a long time ago and leave it at that."
The group rounded a corner and found themselves at the base of a tall staircase leading into the stands of the arena, which they quickly ascended. Wes brought his hand up to block the sun as they stepped into the bright light outside, though it was hardly comparable to the nearly deafening roar of those seated in the stands. Countless hunters wearing all manner of armor sets were present, as well as an equally large amount of civilians who just came to watch the occasion. The Hunter's Examination was one of the busiest times of the year, after all: the fact that the arena was this packed didn't really shock him that much.
Still, Wes had to cover his ears with both hands to try and drown out the noise of the crowd. It was almost as bad as a monster's roar in there! Sapphire found herself in a similar circumstance as he did, though she was lucky enough to have the earmuffs built into her helmet to drown out a little more of the noise. York tapped them both on the shoulder and held out his hand, and upon inspection, Wes noticed that he was holding two pairs of earplugs. The hunters took them and put them both in immediately, and Wes sighed a breath of relief as the noise was heavily muffled by the plugs.
"Better?"
Wes blinked in surprise at his father's voice. He sounded the same as he did before, even though Wes had the earplugs in! Sapphire seemed just as confused as he did, and actually glanced around in surprise at the York's statement.
"Hah! Now that's the reaction I was hoping for!"
"Pa? What the hell are these things? Why can we still hear you just fine?"
"These are Disposable Earplugs of my own make," York explained. "They're meant to replicate the abilities of the earplugs that are built into some helmets to block out loud noises. So, you don't need a specific helmet to block out roars and such with these. The… actual science behind them are still kind of a mystery to me, but they basically dampen sounds above a certain frequency. We should still be able to hear each other just fine."
"Wait, you don't even know how they work? Then how the hell did you make them?!"
"It's a small project that I've been working on with Joshua's help. Involved lots of mail. You want to hear twenty pages worth of the exact details of sound frequency and decibels and how those effect the eardrums? Go ask him."
"That's incredible!" Sapphire exclaimed. "These things would be a huge hit with hunters everywhere! You ought to sell them or something!"
"Well, they're still only prototypes," he admitted. "I can only get them to work for a couple hours or so at most, and they'll break if certain monsters roar too close to you- don't ask me how I field tested that. Once Joshua and I perfect them, they'll be worth it, but until then… Hope you don't mind helping test them out!"
Jeez, again with the guinea pigging? Silver scoffed. And here I thought that after testing out that Triblade these past few days we'd be done with experiments.
Don't be a baby. Besides, these are keeping all that noise from getting into my head, and that means you don't have to deal with any of the damage that might do. You ought to be thankful, Silver!
Thankful? Oh, trust me, I'm thankful, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be snarky with you.
Oh really?
Wes reached up to his ear and plucked one of the earplugs out, wincing slightly as the roar of the crowd once again filled his ears, almost deafening him.
Aieieie! Cut that out, asshole! Not funny!
You going to be snarky with me now, hotshot?
Fine, you win, just put the damn earplug back in already!
Wes smirked victoriously as he did just that before following after his father and Sapphire. A small area surrounded by a short wall contained a number of seats, many of which had been filled by Wes' family. His mother, uncles, and aunts were all there, as well as Dustin and Sal the liaison. He greeted them as the trio entered the enclosed space, and Wes noted that almost everyone else was wearing a set of York's earplugs as well. He must've prepared a big supply for this!
After introducing Sapphire (and deflecting his mother's scrutinizing gaze as best he could), Wes took a seat at the end of the row between Dustin and Sapphire. He hadn't been paying much attention earlier, but he then noticed that the sandship captain was cradling a young girl in his arms. She barely even looked three years old. Still, Wes was relieved that York had prepared even baby-sized earplugs for her.
"That your kid, Dustin?" he asked. "I never knew you had a daughter."
"You didn't? I thought your dad would've filled you in on that little bit of information," Dustin chuckled. "Then again, it's just like him to forget little tidbits like that. Anyways, this is Kari! Say 'hi' to Wes!"
"You big butthead!"
"…We're still working on that, I'm afraid."
"I guess I'm just not that great with kids," Wes sighed, though he laughed a moment later. "Still, she definitely has spirit if she's already calling a fully armed and armored hunter a butthead."
"Honestly I don't quite know where she gets it from. Sal and I were never quite that excitable, even when we were younger. Hopefully it'll improve with age."
"It never does!" Hugh called from a few seats over.
"Quiet, you! Just because your kid turned out to be crazy doesn't mean mine will too!"
"Alright, that's about enough arguing out of you two," Sal said, taking Kari from Dustin's arms. She was wearing normal clothing for once: Wes had never seen her without her usual Guild outfit on, so it was almost stunning how different she looked with her hair down. "I swear, those Leovirtus' are all just as rowdy and boisterous as always."
"Just be thankful Lyle couldn't make it. Remember the last time Hugh, Cassian, and him all got together? I've never even seen a three-person arm wrestling match before then, and frankly I'd never like to again."
"Lyle? He was supposed to be here?" Wes asked. "Why couldn't he make it?"
"Apparently Balestra finally cracked down on him to actually do his job instead of just sitting around drinking all day, so he's on guard duty below the arena. He's the one letting the monsters out into the arena."
"That… seems like something he'd enjoy. So is that why there was an extra ticket for Sapphire here?"
"Hello again!" she added, leaning over and waving with a somewhat awkward smile on her face.
"You got it," Dustin replied, returning the huntress' wave with a light smile. "I think his exact words were 'I'd love to see some of them new kids getting tossed around out there, but knowing that I'll be throwing the beasties at 'em will be just as fun'."
"Speaking of that, look! They're bringing the examinees out," Zephyr said, pointing down into the arena proper. Sure enough, the large gates on the right side of the field were creaking open, and the hunters-to-be were stepping out into the sunlight in rows of four. Wes counted ten rows in total, meaning there were forty apprentice hunters in total.
That's quite a few more than there were at my exam, he thought, scanning the heads for Cassian and Iliana.
That's because you took the expert-level single's exam, remember? No teams allowed there. At least, not on the hunter's side.
I'm just glad those Raths weren't particularly fond of each other. It was easy enough to lure them into blasting each other with fireballs, but if they had actually been mates? Hoo boy, I'd have been in for it then.
Hmph. I'm impressed. You actually admitted that you could've failed.
To myself, sure. I'm still going to be a little proud of that accomplishment, Silver. Regardless of any handicaps, taking down two Raths isn't easy.
Yeah, yeah, just so long as you aren't letting it get to your head again, bucko.
"Ladies and gentlemen, hunters and huntresses! May I have your attention please!" a voice boomed throughout the stadium, and Wes heard the muffled cheers and roars die down. He glanced over at the announcer's platform, as did the rest of the stadium. He couldn't really tell who it was at this distance, but he saw about half a dozen figures beneath the awning above the platform.
"Say, isn't that Balestra?" Sapphire whispered to him, pointing to the figure on the far right. Wes squinted his eyes to try and see better, and while he still couldn't make out the Corps Head's face, his black uniform and telling stance gave him away. "What's he doing here?"
"Maybe headhunting? I know a few hunters get sponsored by the big name companies, but the Master Corps is a new height for hunters to reach. Perhaps he's looking for promising newcomers… Or something like that."
"We are now ready to begin this year's Hunter's Examination!" the announcer continued. "From across the country of Venatoria and beyond, this event has brought together not only a truly colorful audience, but an all-star array of prodigal souls waiting for their shot at entering the world of monster hunting! Forty young and bright-eyed examinees will take their chances today against new, fantastical creatures that many in these parts have never even seen before!
"But, before we can truly kick off the ceremony, first we must welcome the new bloods with an old tradition here in Loc Lac. Hunters, huntresses! I believe you all know what to do here!"
At the announcer's cue, every armored individual in the stands rose to their feet and took a step forwards, causing what sounded like a single massive stomp to reverberate throughout the enclosed space. Wes, along with all the other hunters, clenched his right fist and beat it against his chest once, turned to the side, and outstretched his arm over the arena, and the apprentice hunters below.
"Sit venatione incipiam!" Wes, and all the hunters present in the arena, called out triumphantly. A moment later, the crowd erupted back into cheering once more, and the hunters all took their seats as the announcer called the first group of hunters forward, and the remainder of the apprentices retreated back into the structure's interior to await their turn.
"Y'know, they make such a big deal about these traditions, but I don't recall them doing it for us at our examination," York muttered with a sour expression.
"They did, we were just a little too late to make it on time, remember?" Zephyr said. "Mostly because a certain someone decided to have three breakfasts that day. Right, Hugh?"
"Hey! Last I checked, you said it was a good thing t' build up your energy before a big fight!"
"Hahah, no need to get all fired up now, Hugh! That was more than two decades ago," Rose laughed. "I think you should just be glad that this time around, it's you who gets to take part in it, especially since Cassian is down there. Same goes for Zephyr and Iliana."
"Eh, I suppose you're right about that. Can't wait to see what those kids have got in store for us!"
"And the monsters too," Wes added. "They said there'd be new monsters not normally seen around here, after all. Who knows what we'll see?"
"Gah, that just gets me even more fired up!" Hugh groaned. "Let's get on with it already!"
"Careful Wes, we don't need him to pop an artery now," Zephyr chuckled.
"The hell's an artery?"
"Your family is really something, Wes," Sapphire said as Zephyr tried to explain his choice of words to Hugh. "Are they always this fun to be around?"
"For the most part, I'd like to say so. Sure, they're all a bit crazy in their own right, and they've definitely got some weird quirks, and they can butt heads on occasion, but there's nobody else they'd trust more than each other."
"I can see how that's the case!"
"What about you? I don't remember you saying much about your family, now that I think about it…"
"Oh, well… It's kinda complicated," Saph said, her expression darkening slightly. "I've moved around a lot in my life, met a whole bunch of people, lived in a ton of different towns, stuff like that. Honestly, I'm not even sure if I could consider my mom as a 'real' mother, if that makes sense. She was always so busy… My stepfather wasn't exactly the greatest man either, so… it was hard really getting that family connection. Plus, there was… Never mind that.
"But then I met the other Gems!" she continued, suddenly smiling widely as her face brightened. "I met all of them before I became a huntress, and it was actually because of them that I decided to start in the first place. They're like the sisters I always wished I had. I guess it's kind of like how you put it; sure, we may all be kinda weird and we might sometimes have our arguments, but in the end, we look out for each other better than anyone else might."
"I'd believe it," Wes replied. "I know I might not seem like I've been listening, but I've heard all about your team's assignments from the others. You girls are devastating out there, y'know? I could use a lesson in teamwork from all of you. At least, so long as Ruby doesn't try to strangle me. Did you… ever find out why she always seems so hostile towards me?"
"She hasn't said a word about it to any of us, sorry… Well, aside from the whole tower thing, that is. So, nothing you don't already know."
"Great… Nothing better than having a friend pissed off at you and not having any clue how to make it up to them," Wes muttered dryly. "Well, thanks for trying to find out, at least. Can you let me know if anything new pops up?"
"You betcha!" she answered enthusiastically, winking and giving him a thumbs up.
A loud gong from the announcer's platform drew their attention back to the stadium floor, where four of the hunting apprentices were standing at the ready. Wes mentally berated himself for drowning out everything else the announcer had been saying while he had been talking with Sapphire, though he supposed that he could still find out what he missed from the others.
"And now, to start this year's examination, our first group of hunters-to-be will be facing a mysterious creature from the eastern lands of Jaagazuela!" the announcer called, causing the crowd to roar even louder. At least, Wes assumed they did, since his earplugs made it difficult to hear just how loud they were being.
Not that I'm complaining!
Quiet, it's about to start.
Still, he couldn't help but glance down at his armor. The people at the Wyvern Heart Forge had mentioned that this set was Jaagazuelian in origin, after all. Not only was he wearing a set native to those parts, he'd be seeing monsters from there too! Wes made himself comfortable as the doors to the monster pens creaked open, and he noticed the bulky figure of an ape-like creature within moving about, growing closer to the doors with each step.
Now this, this is going to be good.
Yeah, yeah, just make sure I get a share of the popcorn, would ya?
There isn't any food, Silver. And how would I even give you any?!
Whaddya mean there aren't any concessions?!
Quiet already! We can get some later.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our first foreign creature, the primitive pink primate, Congalala!"
Throughout the next hour and a half Sapphire, Wes, and the rest of his family-as well as everyone else in the arena, of course- intently watched the various fights that were waged on the arena floor. The newcomers all looked promising, hunter and beast alike. While his friends had yet to take the stage, many of the other hunters-to-be had shown a lot of ingenuity in their fights, even those who were faced with Jaagazuelian creatures they'd never even heard of before.
Wes had read about a couple of them- namely Gypceros, Yian Kut-Ku, and Congalala- but he was surprised by the appearance of a giant spider-like creature known as a Nerscylla. He'd never seen a creature move quite like that before, let alone one equipped with as many natural methods of inflicting status ailments. The apprentices who had been pitted up against it had eventually been bested by the creature's swiftness and the globs of web it shot all over the stadium floor, requiring the guards in the wooden towers surrounding the field to put it to sleep with a number of well-placed rounds from their bowguns, but Wes was still impressed that they were able to hold their own against it for as long as they did.
A Kecha Wacha was another creature that piqued his curiosity, as well as Sapphire's (she didn't care much for giant spiders, it seemed). The orange monkey-beast seemed almost as dexterous as the Nerscylla, but with a few other tricks up its sleeves, such as a membrane it could stretch between its arms and legs to glide for a short time, the globs of water it could shoot from its trunk, and a rather peculiar rage mode that involved the creature folding its ears over its face and using the natural design on the backs of each to try and intimidate its attackers. How it could see like that was beyond him, though Silver theorized that it was possible it either used sound to pick up on where hunters were moving around, or that the membrane over its eyes was thin enough for it to see through partially. Despite its tricks, though, the hunters managed to fell this creature with only some difficulty.
One thing that Wes found curious about these fights, though, was that the creatures would occasionally glance upwards, or ready themselves to leap up higher, as if they were planning on leaping to another level of the arena to fight. Of course, there wasn't anything above for them to actually leap to, and the hunter thought he could almost see frustration in their eyes when they realized that too. Perhaps there was a difference in the geography in Jaagazuela that these monsters were accustomed to, but wasn't to be found in Venatoria?
All of this just made Wes want to visit this country even more. He'd had a slight interest in the nation after getting his armor, but after seeing the monsters in action, he couldn't help but imagine what other kinds of creatures might be awaiting him over the borders. A possible shift in terrain would've been a welcome change for the hunter as well; he'd grown quite used to the different hunting grounds of his country in just a few years, such that the most interesting fight he'd had as of late was the one against Hades inside the walls of that village, though he disliked calling that event 'interesting'. Still, he was hoping that if one day he were able to travel to Jaagazuela, he'd be able to experience everything that country had to offer.
"And thus ends yet another impressive display of hunting, this time from our prospective hunting team from the town of Yukumo!" the announcer's voice boomed throughout the stadium. This team had just succeeded in taking down a Barroth, albeit with a lot more difficulty than he had expected. Their movements just seemed a little too stiff and jerky, almost old fashioned, and the beast was able to give them a real run for their money.
"Guess it's true what they said. Barroths really are the bane of new hunters."
"I'd say their style was similar to traditional methods of hunting," Dustin pointed out. "How do I put it… As time goes on, people gradually pick up on new tricks and introduce them to others, thus building up more general knowledge about each weapon and how to use them. Some people only stick with the unaltered versions out of a sense of tradition."
"Stubbornness, really," Sal added.
"Yes, well, I'd say that these hunters had an older instructor, perhaps a hunting legend from their region who hasn't quite gotten up to speed with how things are done."
"Yeesh, that's pretty rotten," Sapphire commented. "They could be failed for that! That's not really fair for them if they didn't know any better."
"Better they fail now and learn some new tricks for the next one than pass and get crushed out on a real hunt because they didn't have those tricks," Zephyr said with a somewhat solemn tone. "I've seen quite a few younger hunters get in over their heads and end up paying the price for it. I'd rather not think that these lads are going to be next."
"Wow. That turned dark pretty quickly," Wes stated. "Still, six fights in and no sign of Cass and Ilia's team? Usually we're lucky enough to be first or second in the lineup. At least, that's how it's been for my family…"
"Just give it time. Not everyone can be that lucky, after all," the sandship captain chuckled. "I was one of the first to go during my examination. Coincidentally, that was also against a Barroth. I won, but I was left unconscious after the fight, so I missed almost every other fight that year. Going first isn't always that great."
"Now then, for our next group of hunters!" the voice echoed again, drawing the group's attention to the field. "This is a tenacious team of hunters hailing from the ocean village of Moga! We've heard nothing but praise about their teacher, but let's hope for his sake that these students can live up to that reputation! Give it up for Aquila, Iliana, Cassian, and Jango!"
"Speak of the devil," Hugh laughed, clapping as the crowd erupted into cheers once more, and the large wooden doors creaked open. The four hunters stepped out of the entrance and into the arena proper, waving to the stands excitedly. Wes himself began cheering more loudly than before; this had been the part he'd been waiting for the most! Time to see what his old friends could really do.
Their gear had certainly improved since he'd seen them last. Aquila had upgraded from his Jaggi set to a suit of Rathian armor, and his old Jaggi sword and shield were now weapons crafted from Gobul materials: a spiked, yellow bladed sword with a purple shield, from which even more spikes could extend. Cassian's alloy armor and buster sword were now a Barroth set and a blade crafted from Rathian materials, while Ilia's chainmail garb had been replaced with a suit made of Gobul parts. Her bowgun, originally a simple Crossbowgun, was now a Royal Launcher weapon made from Ludroth parts. Lastly, Jango had swapped out his Ludroth armor and axe for an ore based axe, which Dustin mentioned as being similar to Connor's old Rough Edge weapon, and a suit of ingot armor. All in all, they were much better equipped than they had been before. His father must've really been running them through all the hoops.
As the crowd began to settle down after the hunters' initial entrance (Cassian had made an effort to get them even more pumped up than they already were), the group readied themselves at the center of the arena, the doors opposite them slowly beginning to creak open. Wes leaned forward in his seat to try and get a better view of the creature they'd be facing, while Sapphire peered pulled herself up by his shoulder to get a look as well.
"What we've got in store for these hunters in training is another foreign creature, one that doesn't resemble a single species here in Venatoria! They've been known to be pretty tough customers back where they come from, but let's see if these hunters are up to snuff! Introducing… the Demon Frog, Tetsucabra!"
"Whatsucabra?" Wes asked, his attention stuck on the doors below, grinding to a halt. He could see a single, large blue eye in the darkness within, but not much else. A moment later, though, the beast leapt into the sunlight, giving the crowd a full view of the creature.
The hunter could best equate it to being an enormous frog with a massive pair of fangs protruding from its lower jaw. The majority of its frog-like body was covered in reddish-orange scales, while its underbelly was a pale yellow tone. It was definitely built tough; it was probably the most durable-looking beast out of all the foreign monsters yet.
"Thatsucabra," Sapphire replied with a short chuckle, pointing towards the beast. "It kinda looks like one of those weird Oni masks people wear during the autumn festival with those jaws!"
"I can see that actually. Let's just hope for their sake this thing is more frog than demon."
"Awright, it's go time, people!" Cass shouted to his teammates, gripping the handle of his great sword tightly.
"We'll use Plan Six on this one," Aquila said as he inspected the massive beast before him. He'd never seen anything quite like it before. No, check that, he had seen something like it before. Only problem was, that was the frogs he and his team used as bait to fish a Gobul out of the water. They were completely harmless! How would a frog even fight? "Ilia, we'll break left and hold its attention on us. Cass, Jango, you two flank it and try to topple it. Then we'll move in for the kill!"
"You got it! C'mon Cass!"
"Ilia, what's the best way you can keep its focus centered on us?"
The huntress replied by loading a single shot into her gun and loosing it on the amphibian before them, striking it squarely in the face and causing a number of small red pellets to fall free. When those connected with the ground or the Tetsucabra's face, they suddenly erupted into several explosions that completely engulfed the monster's face with flames.
While the beast didn't seem at all impressed by the attack, she at least succeeded in making it center its focus on her. With a guttural roar, the Tetsucabra leapt towards the pair, using its powerful hind legs to close the gap with a surprising amount of speed. Aquila and Iliana leapt back in time to evade the attack, though the short sword wielder still had to bring his shield up to block the stream of sand the monster's heavy jaw kicked up. He recovered quickly enough to slash his sword across the monster's face twice before leaping to the side Ilia was moving towards, barely evading being gored by one of the amphibian's massive tusks. While it had been a glancing blow, he had struck one of the tusks and felt his blade sink into it ever so slightly; perhaps they weren't as hard as he first thought! That was an advantage they might be able to use.
Ilia covered his retreat while Aquila ducked away from the red-scaled monster, rapidly firing water shots at its side and causing the creature to flinch from the impact. Instead of turning to face them, though, the Tetsucabra lifted its right legs high into the air, exposing its underbelly to them, and then slammed its feet down into the ground. Ilia and Aquila were both sent sliding back from the sheer force of the blow; they had been just outside the impact zone, luckily, but a massive burst of sand from the shockwave had struck them both, leaving the hunters a little disoriented.
Cassian and Jango leapt in before the Demon Frog could continue its assault on the pair, though; the switch axe user chopped his weapon into the creature's opposite side, in the space between its legs, while Cass unsheathed his great sword with one hand and slammed the heavy Rathian blade into the Tetsucabra's front claw, breaking several scales off and causing the beast to reel in shock. The hunter quickly pulled his blade around and returned it to his back before jumping out of the way of the Tetsucabra's retaliatory bite.
As Jango moved in to follow up on his teammate's attack, though the Tetsucabra suddenly rammed its jaws into the sand, and with a strange bellow the beast pulled its head up, sending a wave of sand and small boulders into the air, forcing the switch-axe user to stumble back with a surprised gasp. The frog creature had a look of confusion in its eyes as the shower of sand fell before it, as though it had been expecting something else, but it charged at the hunter a moment later regardless. He rolled to the side just as the beast leapt at him, avoiding being crushed under its weight in the nick of time.
Aquila rushed in then, leaping up onto the creature's hind leg and pushing off with both feet, leaping into the air above the amphibian while slashing upwards, leaving a thin line in the Tetsucabra's back scales. He twisted about in midair and delivered a second slash to the beast's opposite side as he fell, ducking and rolling away as he landed from the attack. He heard the crowd erupt into cheers after that maneuver.
Now I'm glad I watch York so closely out in the field, he thought, grinning to himself. I really hope Trance just saw that.
"Didn't realize we were playin' leap frog, Aquila!" Cassian shouted, laughing heartily at the sword user. "Maybe we should mix things up a bit! How 'bout we try Chain Formation?"
"Ilia, you're with Cass!" Aquila called, pointing his sword towards the bowgunner. "Jango, regroup with me behind it! We need to cover her when she lands!"
"That's what I like to hear! Try to keep up!"
The great sword user began to charge directly towards the Tetsucabra, with Ilia right on his heels, a fresh chamber of rounds just loaded up. Cassian bellowed loudly as he neared the creature, while the Tetsucabra stomped towards him, mouth hanging open in an attempt to run him through on one of its tusks. He slid to a stop and swung his great sword around in front of him just in time to block, planting himself firmly into sand as the beast ran headlong into the slab of metal and scales.
Much to the surprise and delight of the crowd above, Cassian actually managed to completely halt the beast in its tracks, only sliding back about half a dozen feet when its tucks met his blade. He held the amphibian back with his incredible strength, roaring and pushing harder when it attempted to send him flying back. The audience only cheered louder when Ilia came up behind the great sword user, leaping up onto his shoulder and kicking off into the air above the Tetsucabra and twisting about, her bowgun aimed directly towards the creature's back. She loosed six rounds into its back as she arched over it, earning a pained roar from the amphibian at the sudden assault on its back. She landed just as the last round left the barrrl of her gun, almost falling back in the process, but Aquila was able to grab her arm just before she fell.
"Still need to work on the landing a bit," she gasped as they ducked away from the beast, and Jango moved around to assist Cassian. "Think that one impressed the judges?"
"I think these stunts are impressing just about everyone," Aquila replied, passing off some ammunition for her to load into her gun. "I'll get Jango to try our secret weapon, see if that can get us to finally knock this thing over. After that, Cass will have an easy time finishing it off. Where's-"
A resounding crack cut the hunter off, and the pair glanced over in the direction of the Tetsucabra in time to see that the great sword user had actually broken one of its tusks off with a powerful shove of his blade, causing the chunk of tooth to flip away behind him and embed itself in the sand, point first. The crowd roared in approval, and Jango moved in to strike at the beast while Cassian moved back to catch his breath. He was strong, but stopping creatures that size really took its toll on him. He still insisted on doing it at least once a hunt, for whatever reason.
"Fire away," the sword user said quickly before rushing around to assist the switch axe wielder in attacking the Tetsucabra's front. They'd need to cover for Cass while he got his strength back, and if Jango's asthma decided to strike, Aquila needed to be there to tackle him out of the way. They'd worked out all of their strategies prior, and this was one of the most basic ones; make sure no one else gets creamed. It was that, or risk losing out on all of their dynamics.
Aquila slid in beneath Jango's weapon as the bronze-armored man brought his axe around into the side of the beast's head, slashing his Gobul blade across the bottom of its jaw and rolling to a stop just in front of the hunter, hefting his shield up as the amphibian surged forward in an attempt to gore Jango in retaliation. The blow struck center on his shield and knocked Aquila back into Jango, sending both hunters toppling to the ground and causing Aquila's helmet to fly off, but neither were badly injured thanks to the short sword wielder's quick defense.
"Jango, get ready for Roundtrip," Aquila said, shaking his head to get the sand out of his brown hair. "Cass, you back on your feet yet?!"
"You know it! Just gimme the word and I'll move in for the kill!"
"Ilia, you know what to do! C'mon Jango, we're flanking its left side! Let's get some space!"
"Wow, these guys are really something!" Sapphire said, her eyes wide in amazement as the fight raged on below. "I don't think I've seen anyone try moves like that, even in the Corps!"
"Me neither! What the hell did you teach them back in Moga, Pa?" Wes called over to his father. York simply laughed in reply.
"Well, they all had a penchant for throwing themselves at everything they could. Challenges, obstacle courses, tests, monsters, you name it. Unfortunately, that doesn't always get you as far as you'd like out in the real world. So, I taught them how to throw each other at their problems too!"
"So, you turned their primary weakness around and weaponized it? That's… brilliant."
"I thought so too!"
The dual blade wielder leaned forward in his seat to get a better view of the action below. Cass and Ilia were doing a great job so far, and the others were just as good. Trance's brother definitely looked to be the leader of their group, given how he was the one shouting out orders and coordinating their attack. Even then, he was in the thick of it all too, ducking in and blocking for the others if need be or striking when he found a substantial opening. Jango was no slouch either. It was his capabilities that rounded out the rest of the group.
"Say, Wes, look over there," Sapphire said, suddenly grabbing his arm and pointing towards the announcer's platform just as the hunters below dodged another wave of sand and rocks the amphibian flung at them with its jaw. "Does it seem like something's… wrong to you?"
Wes looked over to where she was gesturing towards, raising an eyebrow curiously. He could see a number of people hastily shuffling about, almost as if in a panic. It didn't look like there was any kind of violence happening, but something seemed to have those within riled up. The question was, what could that thing be?
"Tossing a flash bomb!" Ilia shouted, pulling the pin out of the canister and chucking the device in front of the Tetsucabra as it began to dig its tusks into the sand before shielding her eyes. Her allies did likewise, and a moment later an intense burst of light erupted from within, blinding the amphibian beast. Cass held off to the side while Jango and Aquila positioned themselves to the beast's left. The switch axe user had the head of his weapon resting in the sand behind him, and Aquila was just behind that.
"Now or never, Aquila!" he said, hefting the weapon. "Here comes Roundtrip!"
The bronze-armored man twisted his body, as though he were going to swing his axe with as much force as possible. Aquila readied himself as the man brought his axe around full circle, ducking beneath the blade and leaping forwards to grab hold of the one dull spike on the back of Jango's axe. The momentum of the swing carried him around another full rotation, during which he could think of nothing more than holding on for dear life, despite his shoulder screaming at him to let go. Jango spun them around once more before shouting:
"NOW!"
Aquila immediately released his grasp and felt himself take to the air like a cannonball, sailing towards the Tetsucabra at a breakneck speed. He instinctively curled himself up into a ball, flipping through the air and uncoiling himself just as he was about to strike the Tetsucabra, an orange aura flashing around him just as he made contact. The short sword wielder planted his feet into the beast's side, using his legs like springs to dampen the impact, and slammed his spiked shield into the monster's side for good measure. The sheer force of the impact, as well as the amphibian's surprise at the force of the blow, caused the Tetsucabra to roll over completely onto its left side, scales broken and hide bloody from where Aquila had struck it.
The hunter himself was lying on the ground dazed from the attack, having rebounded off its side and landed hard on his back. He wasn't quite sure what that aura was, but it seemed to appear right before he was about to hit something-or vice versa- and save him from the brunt of the damage. It only consistently worked when they used Rountrip, for some reason…
Jango rushed over to help him up while Ilia shouted to Cass to finish the beast off. Aquila watched as the great sword user charged the beast once again, drawing his blade as he neared the Tetsucabra's throat and bringing the green sword down onto the monster's neck as hard as he could. There was a massive spray of blood, as well as a pained groan from the creature, but instead of going limp, the creature suddenly rolled back onto its feet, forcingCass and Ilia to leap back to avoid being crushed.
"The hell?! How is it still alive?!" Cass exclaimed. "I nearly chopped its bloody head off!"
"It's on its last legs!" Ilia assured, chambering another few rounds into her bowgun. "We'll have it finished off in no time at all! Jango, make sure you keep Aquila out of the way until he's recovered! We'll take it from here!"
"Got it! Just be care-"
The hunter's voice was drowned out by the sudden sound of the gong above the arena being struck, filling the arena with an intense, resounding boom. All the spectators grew quiet as the sound died down, while the Tetsucabra weakly looked around with a look of fear in its eyes, blood spilling from the wound on its neck.
Aquila didn't understand. Wasn't the gong only supposed to go off when the hunters were in trouble? They were about to win! Why had it gone off now? His answer came from a new voice from the announcer's platform. This man's voice sounded stoic and flat, but it had a sense of urgency to it as well.
"I would ask all hunters within the arena proper to vacate the premise IMMEDIATELY. All civilians are asked to remain calm and leave the arena as quickly as possible. There has been a breach in containment below the arena, and the monster in question is heading towards the surface at an alarming rate. Any hunters in possession of a G3 level license or above, remain on standby. This is not a-"
BOOM.
Aquila glanced towards the large wooden gates opposite the one they had entered from immediately, as did every head in the arena. Dust and sand fell from the gate as the chains binding it shut rattled loudly, creaking against some unknown pressure from behind the door. Something big slammed into the door once more, causing a split to form in the wood and one of the thick chains to actually snap.
"Again, all hunters within the arena proper, leave immediately! You are not safe there!" the voice urged, and Aquila felt Jango pull him up to his feet and begin dragging him back towards the exit.
"We gotta run, NOW!"
"B-but the Tetsucabra-!"
"Forget that thing! It isn't even looking at us right now!" Ilia shouted, running past the pair while Cass pulled over to help Jango support the short sword wielder.
"It'll be dead in five minutes tops," the great sword wielder added. "Best we get out of here 'fore whatever it is those clowns let loose breaks in!"
Another boom resounded through the arena, and Aquila turned his head back to get a look at the door. The split had widened even further now, and another one of the chains had broken. The metal braces fitting the thick wooden planks together looked like they were about to fail too; the entire door was on the verge of being destroyed. One more boom sounded, and the gates practically flew off their hinges, breaking into hundreds of splinters and bits of metal. Even the stone archway above the gate had been damaged, and several large boulders flew towards the group, forcing the hunters to throw themselves out of the way to avoid being crushed.
Aquila warily glanced up at the beast towering above them, about fifty yards from where they lay. It had a long, sickly green body, lined with jagged spikes and old scars. It had short arms with a few talons on each, as well as enormous legs that ended in claws sharp enough that they almost hurt just to look at. And its head was absolutely terrifying. Its jaw was covered in teeth and spikes, similar to the ones that ran along its body, and it had a pair of deadly red eyes that it glared around the arena floor with before settling on him. Aquila felt his heart skip a beat, seeing the creature's swollen red back, as well as the stream of saliva running from its mouth.
"Deviljho."
That was all he could mutter, his eyes wide in horror. The others seemed just as stunned as he was, paralyzed in fear of the ferocious beast before them. This was a creature well beyond anything they were capable of, and they all knew that.
And they were stuck in the arena with it.
"PA!"
"I know!" the man shouted in reply, getting to his feet immediately. "Hugh, Zephyr, get everyone out of the stadium! Keep them safe! Do what you can to get the civilians out of here! Wes, Sapphire, you two are with me! We're going down there!"
"York, that's my kid down there!" Hugh argued, stepping towards the hunter. "If anything, Zephyr and I should be the ones to go help 'em!"
"Can you get down there in time? Like it or not, the only chance they have of getting out of there alive is a speedy rescue. Leave that to us. I promise I'll get them out safe," York assured.
"You'd damn well better…"
"Have I ever let you down before?"
"Okay, enough talk!" Zephyr cut in. "They need your help now! We'll come in to help as soon as the others are a safe distance from the arena. Good luck down there, all of you."
"Let's just hope we don't need it," Wes muttered, turning towards Sapphire. "You sure you're alright with this? You can go with the others if-"
"I'll be okay. If anything, I think I need to help out with this one…" the huntress replied. "That Deviljho looks a lot like the one me and the Gems captured the other day. Right down to that big cut across its face."
"Perfect, that means she's got info for us," York said. "Let's go, you two!"
Without waiting for a reply, Wes' father leapt over the side of the wall, with the Corps members only a second or two behind. Wes slid down the wall a ways before pushing off and grabbing a flag pole, flipping around the bar once before launching himself towards the arena floor about ten yards down. Sapphire bounded between the tower and the wall instead, using her impressive jumping ability to safely descend from their seats. York himself, meanwhile, quickly opened the emergency parachute he had built into the back of his armor to slow his fall and drift towards the center of the arena, not far from where the apprentices still lay stunned from the Deviljho's appearance.
Thankfully, they had been spared the wyvern's wrath by the efforts of the Tetsucabra. The amphibian beast, despite and possibly because of its injuries, attempted to confront the savage creature, only to be slaughtered in a few moments. The Deviljho was taking several bites from its hide, splattering the sand below with the orange-scaled monster's blood at each meaty chomp. Jango had been the first to recover, and was currently trying to pull Aquila behind a boulder for cover by the time York, Wes, and Saph reached them.
They hadn't been the only ones to leap into the fray, though. As he slid to a stop between the younger hunters and the Deviljho, Wes spied Viper and Snow dropping into the arena behind the beast, as well as three other hunters he didn't recognize off to the left, on the monster's right side.
Eight in all, huh? Let's hope these numbers tip things in our favor, Silver mused. Savage Deviljho's aren't something to take lightly, so keep your guard up.
Wes nodded slowly to himself as the creature swallowed the last bit of the Tetsucabra's carcass it was interested in, turning about to face the trio between it and the four apprentice hunters.
"Showtime," he muttered, pulling his hood up and drawing his twin swords.
Author Notes: Please review! I mean it. I appreciate the feedback.
Something that occurred to me as I was writing TMC was that all of the cool stuff only seemed to really happen to the main characters. They got all the cool powers, fought all the new monsters, stuff like that. Well, since TMC is a world of badass, I felt it was necessary to include a scene where even novice hunters get a chance to strut their stuff! There are a lot of other hunters out there who have those abilities, after all; remember the 'Hunting Sense' I introduced with Frontier Lineage? Well, that's actually a thing in TMC too! I will outright confirm here that Frontier Lineage takes place well after the end of The Master Corps; enough time for young Kari to grow up, at least! I'm a little surprised not many people caught that she shared her last name with Dustin, though. I certainly do love leaving little hints for all of you!
One aspect I really miss about Tri and 3U's arena is the battle theme. 4 Ultimate's isn't really BAD, per se, but compared to the old song, it just doesn't really do a good job of getting you hyped up for an epic battle that thousands of spectators are looking down upon. Well, imaginary ones, at least. The stands are always empty in game... Am I not popular with those people? Anyways, the Tetsu battle's music theme is indeed the track from Monster Hunter Tri's arena!
One of the main things I had to consider when bringing those fourth generation monsters back into Tri and 3U's environments, though, was how the monsters would handle it. I'm sure you all noticed a substantial lack of boulder throwing from the Tetsucabra; considering the third generation arena's floor is made up mostly of sand, there really aren't many rocks for it to dig up in the first place! Thus, it kicks up a lot of sand instead, which isn't quite as useful as a boulder the size of a small building. This also translated into the other monsters from Jaagazuela; most of them would normally appear in the Slayground, where they have a vine level to use as well. Honestly, the environment was completely against the foreign monsters here; don't expect that to hold true in all future fights, though.
And, as a final note for this chapter, this is the first one to really begin actually the dive into the overall plot of TMC! Can you believe it only took me 26 chapters to get to this point? I sure as hell can't. My initial draft had me at this point twenty chapters ago. Really puts my initial concept to shame, and I called THAT ambitious when I first came up with it a few years ago (has it really been years?).
I've got a little news for all of you too; alongside TMC, I've begun putting some work into not one, but TWO other stories, these ones being completely separate from The Master Corps! While this does go against my old philosophy of only working on one project at a time, I decided I needed more motivation to write a lot. With any luck, I'll actually have one of those finished up in time for a short break from TMC! It won't be nearly as long as the Frontier Lineage break though, since I'll only release them once they're finished or close to being finished. It's really just a break from posting anything TMC- I'll still be writing it, I assure you. For now, I'll just tease you with their current working titles: Driven, and Tales of the Everwood. Be on the lookout for one of those in the not too distant future!
Playing: MH4U, Super Smash Bros., Devil May Cry 4: Special Edition (currently screaming like a school girl over how awesome Vergil is; he plays way better here than his iteration in the reboot's DLC. Lunar phase, anyone?)
Listening to: Avenged Sevenfold, The Offspring, Combichrist, Monster Hunter Orchestra, grown men crying due to stress
Watching: RWBY, Sunday Without God, Noragami, Barakamon, hope draining from the eyes of my peers as finals approach
Reading: TLC: Shadows of the Past by dashboardgecko, enough textbooks and notes to drive any sane person mad (let's be honest, I'm already long gone by this point)