Cover art by Wolfy1298
"Would you look at that!" the Field Team Leader said. "My favorite hunting duo's back, and I see you've been hard at work as usual."
"Heck yeah we are!" Mina called from her position atop the convoy.
She and Izuku had indeed been hard at work since taking down the Great Jagras several weeks ago. From mapping the Ancient Forest with the help of the Bugtrappers to securing a host of strange new ingredients for the chef, they'd made a significant impact on the citizens of Astera. People were already starting to take notice of the pair when they walked around Astera, much to Mina's delight and Izuku's consternation.
Now they were making their biggest splash yet.
Beneath Mina, a still living Pukei-Pukei snored wetly. Large, poisonous bubbles emerged from its nose every few seconds, sending the researchers pulling the cart scrambling whenever they popped. Long cuts ran down its face and sides, and a section of bone poked through the skin of its left wing, evidence of a long and difficult battle. Thankfully, the incredibly potent tranquilizers still coursing through its system kept any of its injuries from waking the monster.
Transporting the monster back had been a logistical nightmare, but in the end the ingenuity of the residents of Astera had proven equal to the task. A team of researchers and engineers had managed to whip up the massive cart in just a few short hours, arriving to transport the poisonous monster from the twisted woodland just before it awoke. A second round of tranquilizers ensured that it would make it back with Astera without causing any unfortunate accidents.
The biologists of Astera were already surrounding the cart, clamoring to be the first to examine the monster. Izuku and Mina had to elbow their way out of the crowd in order to meet with the Field Team Leader.
"Mighty impressive work," he said, looking the sleeping monster up and down. "It's been a while since anyone brought back a live specimen for study. Most of the time, our field teams are more concerned with saving their own hides than advancing our research, not that I really blame them. Still, I think you've made a lot of researchers very happy today. They'll probably be buying you more drinks than you can swallow, just as soon as they can tear themselves away from their new project."
He indicated a group of researchers who were actively restraining one of their fellows from clambering atop the monster. He was wide eyed and salivating wildly at the prospect of a breakthrough. The look in his eyes was more than a little manic.
"Remind me to keep well away from that guy," Mina hissed to Izuku.
"Will do," he replied, also glancing askance at the man.
"Moving past that," the Field Team Leader said, drawing the pair's attention back to him, "what do you think about taking a bit of a vacation from the Ancient Forest? We've got a research expedition heading out towards the Wildspire Waste tomorrow, and they could do with someone to keep an eye on them."
"Sounds awesome!" Mina said, her head already filling with visions of a beach vacation. "What's this Wildspire place like?"
The Field Team Leader shrugged. "It's about half desert and half marshland, at least from what our scouts tell us."
Mina deflated instantly. "I don't know why I got my hopes up."
Izuku patted her gently on the back to comfort her, and Mina had to resist the urge to purr. That was embarrassing enough if there was no one around to hear it besides Izuku.
"We'd be happy to help out," Izuku said, addressing the Field Team Leader.
"Glad to hear it. The convoy's heading out tomorrow morning from the main gate. Should only take a day or two to reach the Wastes. After that, it should be just babysitting. Even so…"
The man stepped behind Izuku, focused on the charge blade he carried. Izuku had done the best he could for maintenance in the field, but the iron weapon was still scuffed and splattered with various bits of gunk. He hadn't gotten the chance to polish it like he usually did when they returned from a hunt.
"Might be time to consider an upgrade," The Field Team Leader said when his evaluation was finished. "You shouldn't run into anything too bad, but there are a few nasty monsters that live out that way. A bit of extra power will go a long way in keeping you safe. I'm sure the workshop would be more than happy to do a bit of work on your blade, or make you a new one if they're not too overloaded."
Izuku started to reply, but before he could finish, his stomach let out a loud rumble. Mina started to laugh at the timing, but was interrupted by a gurgle from her own tummy. The pair flushed with embarrassment.
The Field Team Leader guffawed, placing his hands on his knees to keep from falling over. When his mirth finally subsided, he waved the two of them away. "Think about what I said, but do it after dinner. I don't want to hear about the two of you keeling over from malnutrition; the Chef would have my hide. Have fun on your trip!" he said, saluting them before walking away.
"Will do!" Mina said cheerily. She wasn't going to let the fact that they were desert-bound get her down. She was going to do her best to make this trip as memorable as possible.
"C'mon Izuku. I'm so hungry I'm pretty sure I could outeat a Great Jagras!"
Izuku snickered, no doubt picturing her attempting to swallow an Aptonath whole as they had once seen a Great Jagras do.
She placed her paws on her hips in mock indignation, flattening her ears slightly. "Do you doubt me?"
"Never," he said with a grin.
"Glad to hear it," she said, returning the smile. "Now, let's eat!"
The workshop was sweltering as usual, and Izuku could feel sweat begin to pour down his back the second he entered. His armor normally didn't present a heat problem, even in the humid jungle sections of the Ancient Forest, but the workshop was a different beast. He didn't know how any of the workers could stand to be there all day, let alone get any work done. He could see Mina had started panting as well, and was fanning herself in a futile attempt to cool off.
"Well, well, well, look who it is! S'been a while since I saw either of you in here. What can we make for you today?" the Smithy asked jovially. Not a single drop of sweat was visible on his body, leaving Izuku to question just how tough the eye-patched man really was.
"We're heading to the Wildspire Waste and were hoping you could help upgrade our weapons?" Izuku said, indicating the charge blade strapped to his back.
"Oh aye. Give 'em here then," the Smithy said, holding out one of his hands.
Mina handed her own weapon to the man, while Izuku tried to figure out where to set his charge blade. The Smithy's "desk" consisted of a metal-wrapped section of conveyor belt upon which a seemingly endless parade of weapons and weapon components moved. As far as Izuku could tell, the flow never stopped. Even in the middle of the night, there was always a weapon or tool being crafted.
Izuku was about to ask for directions when the Smithy cut him off.
"No need to be shy, boy. I won't take your weapon away, 'less you've been mistreating it, and if you want us to do anything, we'll need to see it eventually." With that, the Smithy reached forward and took hold of the charge blade in one hand.
Izuku froze as the man lifted the hunk of iron with seemingly no effort at all. It was obvious from a glance that the Smithy was strong, but that level of strength was just ludicrous.
"Someone's been eating his wheaties," Mina said conspiratorially as the Smithy looked Izuku's blade over carefully.
He chuckled. Leave it to Mina to make a joke out of an impressive feat like that.
"Not bad, not bad," the Smithy said. "I can tell you've been taking care of it. Haven't done a perfect job, but then again, who has?" He shook his head ruefully, then turned his eye back to the weapon critically. "Favor the sword and shield mode more than axe I see. You use it to block fairly often too, 'less I miss my guess. Bit of an unusual style. Not a bad one, mind, just uncommon."
Izuku blinked in surprise. The Smithy's assessment was completely accurate, despite only having seen Izuku's weapon for a few moments. His estimation of the man, which had already been high, rose several degrees.
The Smithy hummed for several moments, turning something over in his head before he looked back at the pair of hunters. "I can work with this. Leave it here tonight and we'll have it better than ever by the time you leave tomorrow."
"You can improve it that quickly?" Izuku asked in surprise.
The Smithy shrugged. "It's not like we're completely overhauling the blade. We could do that, mind, if you didn't have a deadline. As it is, we'll mostly just be adjusting the balance and improving the blade edge. If you have the zenny to spare, it might even be worth investing in a second blade. That way if we need to do some serious work, you won't be left out to dry."
It made sense to Izuku. Putting all your eggs in one basket when you didn't have to was a risk, and one he was glad he wouldn't have to take. He'd look into the Smithy's suggestion when they returned from the Waste.
"I think I'll take you up on that." Izuku said.
"Glad to hear it," the Smithy set Izuku's weapon to the side. "We'll get started on that right away. Yours too," he said, indicating Mina.
The pair were about to step out of the workshop when the Smithy's voice stopped them.
"By the way, if you happen to run into any strong monsters out in the Wastes, be sure to bring 'em back here. The boys and I can always use more materials to work with."
"Will do!" Mina called back, giving the Smithy a cheery salute. Izuku merely waved at the man, who returned the gesture.
"I hate sand," Mina said, lowering her voice as much as she could as she stared out at the sandy plains that made up half of the Wildspire Wastes. "It's coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere."
Instead of chuckling like she'd expected, Izuku just looked at her with concern. "Mina, you don't have to come if you don't want to. I'm sure I can handle anything that comes up and no one will blame you if you want to sit this out." He patted her head lightly.
"No, that's not what I was… Izuku, have you not seen the prequels?"
He cocked his head in confusion. "The prequels to what?"
"Izuku, you're like a super nerd! How have you not seen Star Wars?"
"Oh." He said as understanding dawned. "I remember hearing Iida talk about those. Aren't they super old though?"
Mina shook her head at her poor friend's ignorance. "But you see, Izuku, that's what makes them great. They didn't have modern tech or Quirks to create special effects with, so they had to get creative. They're super fun to watch, and when we get home, I'm making you watch all fifteen of them."
Izuku blanched at the number, but Mina wasn't going to let him weasel out of a marathon. The poor boy had been depriving himself, and he didn't even know it. Such a shame. Thankfully, he had a benevolent friend to take him under her wing and show him the wonders of the world.
"Alright everyone!" the lead researcher called. "Break time is over. Time to get back to work!"
A chorus of groans sounded from the other researchers, most of whom were splayed out on the dusty ground. They had been running on fumes when they arrived at the Wildspire Wastes an hour ago, and even the generous rest period hadn't been able to completely revive them. They might be adepts in their field of research, but their physical abilities were lacking.
"I know, I know." the lead researcher said. "We're all tired. But we're almost at our destination. There's less than an hour to go, and then we can get started researching!"
There was another round of grumbling, but it was significantly more subdued this time around. The news that they were so close to their destination had revitalized them more than anything else during the trip.
"Anything we can do to help out?" Izuku asked, only to be waved off by the researchers.
"No need. We can manage this load. You just focus on protecting us from any monsters that poke their heads up."
"You got it, boss!" Mina chirped, clambering her way up to the top of the cart. It provided her an excellent vantage point for surveying the landscape, though a few of the researchers shot her disapproving looks for having increased their burden.
For a while, things progressed well. They made it past the marshy sections of the Wastes without getting bogged down, which had been a worry, and through a section of caves lit by gently glowing insects. It was only when they emerged into the sunlight once more that things started to go awry.
Just as they crested a hill in the path, a roar echoed across the Wastes. It was far enough away not to be debilitating, but everyone froze nonetheless.
"What the heck was that?" Mina asked, rubbing at her ears.
"Sounded like a Barroth to me," one researcher said.
In response, one of his fellow cuffed him on the head. "What are you talking about? That was clearly a Diablos's call."
"Oh, this again! You know as well as I do that Diablos cries have a much lower register and—"
"Hey, so as much as I love a good cat fight," Mina cut in, pushing the two apart before they could come to blows. "I feel like we should focus more on avoiding whatever made that roar, and bicker about it later, okay?"
"She's right," Izuku said, drawing his blade. "It didn't sound that far away. We should hurry."
Fear of being eaten proved to be an excellent motivator. The group made it down the slope in record time, the cart that they were escorting nearly getting away from them a few times as they went.
They emerged into a lush, densely wooded area that was completely at odds with what they had encountered so far. The ground was soft and loamy, and birds called cheerily from the branches above them.
"Okay, I take back what I said about this place." Mina said as she took in their surroundings. "This is super pretty."
"Yeah," Izuku said, scratching his chin. "If I'm remembering my map correctly, this should be the very outermost edge of the Ancient Forest. That's the reason the marshland here is so lush. Water from the Forest flows out here before it dumps into the sea a few miles away. We might even see some monsters that make their home in the Forest venturing out here"
"That is correct." The lead researcher gave Izuku an approving look. "I admit, I'm rather impressed. You've obviously done your research."
Izuku flushed at the praise and started to stutter a response, probably telling the researcher that it was no big deal, but Mina cut him off.
"Yeah he did! He was doing research all night before we left so he could be prepared for everything. He's super good at that. Plus, he's like the smartest guy I know."
If Izuku had been blushing before, now he was in a full meltdown. His entire face was bright red, and he was waving his hands in front of him wildly, as if he could block out her words if he just flailed hard enough.
Mina and the researchers only laughed at his antics, teasing him until he was completely incoherent. For the researchers, it was a nice way to let off steam and a bit of cheeky revenge at the strongest member of the party who wasn't allowed to help pull the cart.
For Mina, however, it was more than just teasing. She really did believe that Izuku was the smartest guy she knew. He was clever too, and optimistic, never letting her lose hope that they would find a way to return home. But whenever she tried to compliment him on any of those qualities, he brushed her off or suddenly remembered something else that he had to take care of. So, instead of complimenting him regularly, Mina had settled on a strategy of what she called 'offensive friendship'. Izuku had been weak to teasing of all sorts for as long as she had known him, and Mina was going to take full advantage of that to compliment him until he took her words to heart, no matter how long it took.
Their joking was cut short when a growl echoed around the area. It was reminiscent of the roar that they had heard earlier, but where the roar had been general and forceful, the growl was softer, closer, and much more intimidating.
Every head in the convoy turned to the far side of the wooded area, where a large green dragon was emerging from the foliage. Its scales helped it to blend in with the vines and plants around it, which was why none of them had noticed its presence before now. Small bits of flames danced around its mouth, growing more intense in tandem with the volume of its growl. As it flicked its tail from side to side, Mina could see drops of purple liquid flying off of the barbs and landing on the surroundings, causing any plants they fell on to start wilting.
"It's a R-R-Rathian," one of the researchers whispered, his teeth chattering in fear.
"We might be okay," the lead researcher said, his tone matching his fellow's. "Rathians are highly territorial, but we should be safe if we're outside that territory."
"That is classic territorial behavior," another researcher hissed. "We're trespassers, and it's going to hang our entrails from the canopy."
"That's a Nargacugayou dolt! Rathian's don't bother with entrails, they—"
"Okay." Izuku said, cutting the two researchers off. "Regardless of what it wants to do to us, we need to get you out of here. Mina, you and I are going to distract the Rathian while everyone else gets clear. Try heading through the forest. Once we're done here, we'll meet you at the Wildspire, okay?"
"I'm not so sure about that, young hunters," the lead researcher said. "Rathians are extremely powerful and vicious beasts. An encounter with one has brought many new hunters down before their time."
"We'll manage. We are the rising stars of the Commission!" Mina said, injecting as much confidence as she could manage into her statement. They had never come up against a Rathian before, merely seeing them in the distant skies while they patrolled the Ancient Forest. She had heard stories though. The "Queen of the Land" that was as vicious as it was graceful, wielding poison and deadly flames in equal measure.
For a moment, the lead researcher looked like he wanted to argue, but a second roar from the Rathian quickly changed his mind. He got into position behind the cart with the rest, ready to push for all he was worth the second they had an opening.
"Count of three?" Izuku asked, looking to Mina for confirmation.
"Sounds good."
"One." He tightened his grip on his blade. His boots squelched in the mud as he shifted his stance, preparing to charge the monster head on, to take everything that it could give and stand tall despite the onslaught. Even with the coming challenge, his breathing was steady and his voice didn't waver. It was one of the things she admired most about him. No matter what he was like day to day, when the chips were down, there was no one more reliable than Izuku Midoriya.
"Two," Mina said, lowering herself until the tips of her belly fur brushed the mud beneath her. She tensed her legs, ready to drive herself forward with everything she had. Her transformation had left her much shorter than Izuku, and she needed to take two steps for every one of his if she didn't want to fall behind.
"THREE!" They cried in unison, surging forward. Mina stayed as low to the ground as she could, hoping to get in under the Rathian's defenses at an exposed part of its stomach. Izuku, meanwhile, kept his blade high, letting the dappled sunlight bounce off of the blade and land distractingly in the monster's eyes.
The Rathian roared its own challenge, surging forward as well. Flames licked its jaws, but it didn't use them yet, content to attack with fangs and claws for the moment.
Mina reached the monster first, darting under a swipe of its wings and searching its belly for any convenient weaknesses. She didn't get far in her search before being forced to dance backwards by a series of vicious bites from the Rathian. The poisonous spike that protruded from its lower jaw nearly grazed her twice, but Mina managed to get her limbs out of the way both times, suffering only ruffled fur from the assault.
The wyvern didn't get the chance to press it's advantage though, as a moment later Izuku struck. He slashed at its side repeatedly, sending chips of broken scales flying off with every blow. The Rathian hissed in surprise and pain before it dropped low and tensed it's legs.
"Mina, get back!" Izuku shouted as he brought his shield up.
Mina, who had been preparing to avoid the attack already, did not need to be told twice. She sprung backwards, twisting in the air to land on all fours and hurtling away.
She was just out of range when the Rathian spun in place. It's tail acted as a massive, poisonous club as it turned, smashing into anything remotely near the wyvern and toppling a few saplings. It slammed into Izuku's shield, and the force sent him careening backwards.
If smacking the iron shield caused the Rathian any discomfort, it didn't show it. It finished its rotation and came to a grinding halt, eyes locked directly on Mina, who gulped in apprehension.
The Rathian was the one to charge this time, barreling directly towards Mina without a care for what it stepped on. Mina saw a pair of Shepard Hares that had been trying to wait out the fight in the shelter of their burrow scurry off into the woods as their home was crushed beneath the Rathian's mighty claws.
She dodged at the last moment, letting the Rathian barrel past her. Even though it missed, the wind that the Rathian's wings kicked up as it charged blew her back several steps.
It came to a stop just before slamming into the trees that lined the clearing, then spun on a dime to face the hunters once more.
While the Rathian had been focused on Mina, Izuku had gotten back on his feet and had made his way over to her side. He looked a little worse for wear, with an assortment of leaves and sticks protruding from his hair and his mud-splattered armor, but at least he didn't seem to be injured.
"Are you okay Mina?" he asked the second he reached her.
"I'm fine. I wasn't the one that got launched after all!"
He shrugged. "I just wanted to be sure you didn't— look out!"
He only barely managed to get his shield up in time to block the fireball that shot towards them. It smashed into the shield, knocking Izuku back with the force and sending embers dancing around them. Mina patted herself furiously as they landed on her fur, making sure she didn't catch fire.
A moment later another fireball landed to their left, searing a stump into charcoal. It was quickly followed by a third, which also went wide. It seemed like the Rathian didn't have the best aim with its fireballs. That, or it was trying to hit them while they were dodging.
When the fire had finished dying away, Izuku and Mina charged the Rathian once more. With its fireballs and powerful charges, the wyvern had the advantage in a ranged battle. It was a powerful melee fighter too, but at least in that arena they stood a chance of landing some blows of their own.
It was content to let them approach, not bothering to shoot another fireball at them as they approached. Once they were close enough, it spun in place once again, its tail lashing towards the hunters. They were prepared this time though. Izuku parried the attack with his shield, sending the blow up and away from them. Mina didn't even bother to dodge, confident that Izuku would be able to handle the attack. She slid between the Rathian's legs and began to hack at its ankles for all she was worth. The alloy sword she wielded was too small to do any significant damage to the thick muscle, but she was going to hobble the beast as best she could.
The Rathian roared its irritation and attempted to stomp on her, but Mina was too fast and evaded the blows. As she did so, she could head Izuku hacking away at the Rathian. The rhythmic clash of sword on scales brought a smile to her face that she knew looked more than a little fur-ocious.
With her thoughts drifting slightly, Mina misread the signs of the next attack. The Rathian tensed its legs once more, and Mina assumed that it was preparing for another tail swipe. She hunkered down slightly in the center of the Rathian's legs, preparing to avoid its footsteps as it spun around. Unfortunately for her, the wyvern had a different plan in mind.
It leapt into the air in one smooth motion and proceeded to backflip. Mina had one moment for her eyes to widen in surprise before the monster's tail smashed directly into her back, sending her flying across the clearing. Thankfully, she crashed into a rather large and prolific shrub that cushioned her fall somewhat, but the pain was still intense.
"MINA!" Izuku shouted. He tried to run to her, but the Rathian didn't let him approach. It launched a series of bites that forced him to either stop and block them or risk losing an arm.
"I'm okay," she wheezed, extricating herself from the bush. She was limping and bruised to hell and back, but given some time (and a bellyful of mega potion) she'd be back to fighting form.
The Rathian, however, wasn't content to give her that time. It took to the air, keeping just below the branches while it soared. Mina could already see the flames licking its jaws even before the fireballs started to fall.
Once again, Izuku barely made it in time, practically wrapping himself around Mina so that they could both fit behind his shield. She spared a moment to be absolutely furious at herself for enjoying being held like that in the middle of a life or death battle. It was ridiculous and unprofessional, even if it had been months since she had gotten a proper hug from anyone. She was a hero-in-training, it shouldn't matter how gently he put his arms around her and the way his breath was—
Dammit girl, focus!
The Rathian couldn't keep it up forever. After a few more fireballs impacted Izuku's shield, the assault stopped. The Rathain hung in the air, breathing heavily as it beat its wings. It glared at them furiously though, its eyes seeming to glow in anger.
"Mina, I think we need to retreat," Izuku said softly. His own breath was coming fast and a line of blood was slowly making its way down his face from a cut by his hairline.
Mina opened her mouth to protest, to insist that they could pull through if they just worked at it, then stopped. She was aching all over, and it was starting to affect her abilities. The Rathian was a challenging opponent even in the best of times, and it was only going to get more dangerous from here. They had done some damage to the monster, but it was hardly equivalent to what they had taken.
"R-right," she replied finally. "How are we gonna get away though?"
He smiled grimly. "We're going to give it something else to look at." He reached into one of the rear pockets of his belt and pulled out a flashpod. He quickly snapped it into the slinger, the crossbow-like device that was attached to his left wrist, and aimed at the ground.
"Don't look!" He called a second before pulling the trigger.
Mina shut her eyes as tightly as she could and turned away from the flash, but the pulse of light was still intense.
If it had been bad for her, it was worse for the Rathian who had been staring almost directly at the point of impact. It shrieked in pain and fell to the ground with a crash as it futilely tried to rub its aching eyes with its wings.
"Let's go!" Izuku called, grabbing hold of Mina's arm and pulling her along behind him. A moment later she managed to find her feet, dropping to all fours so that she could keep pace with him more easily.
She had no idea where they were going, but trusted that Izuku had a plan. He'd poured over a map of the area in his journal multiple times on the trip to the Wastes, so even if he didn't know all the hidden paths like they did in the Ancient Forest, he knew enough to get them somewhere safe.
They ran in the opposite direction as the researchers had taken. No need to lead the Rathian to the vulnerable researchers if it decided to follow them. Instead, they headed into the marshy section of the Wastes. The water made for slightly slower going, but would hopefully disguise any tracks they were leaving and make it harder for the Rathin to follow them.
Izuku, however, was apparently taking it a step further. "In here," he said, pointing downward into a massive cave that had been carved into the cliff face beside them.
The air inside was cool and comforting on Mina's skin, especially after the long run they had just taken. The walls were damp from the water that ran throughout the cave, forming the perfect environment for moss and insects to grow and thrive. The whole place was practically teeming with life, which made it a much more pleasant place to relax in than Mina would have thought.
After a few minutes of wandering, they found the perfect place to rest: A dry and sandy offshoot of the cave that was large enough for them to spread their equipment out in—and that would make for an excellent camp, if they made it out of this all right.
"We kinda got our butts kicked, huh?" Mina said casually, trying to fill the silence that had fallen over them while they consumed their various healing items. Even though neither of them had been feeling sick, they had been sure to consume an antidote as soon as they sat down.
"Yeah," Izuku said morosely. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more."
Mina shook her head. "No, Izuku you did great. I mean, sure, you made some mistakes, but so did I. We gave it our best effort, but the Rathian was really tough."
She could tell her pep talk wasn't working. If anything, she was making things worse. His face was growing longer by the second. Sighing, she got to her feet and made her way over to Izuku. She draped herself over his shoulders, letting her arms fall against his chest.
"It's okay," she said gently. "We don't have to win every time. What matters is that we got out without getting hurt too badly, and the only reason we did that was because of you and your big brain. Now, we can rest and try again later. And you'll think of a great plan. I know it."
Slowly, he lifted his arms and wrapped his hands around her paws. "I… thank you. For reminding me of that. And… for being here for me."
"Course." She said, giving his neck a firm squeeze before stepping away. She was so focused on hiding her own blush from him that she didn't see the red flush that was dominating his own face. "If I left you alone, you'd probably just hole up with a book like one of those researchers. Pretty soon, you'd be all shriveled and pruny like them too!"
Izuku laughed at the image, and Mina felt a smile growing on her own face. Despite their pretty much total loss against the Rathian, she had managed to keep their morale up. That meant they still had a shot at taking the wyvern down. They just needed some time to rest, and a plan. The first one was easy to obtain. The second was up to Izuku.
Plopping down in front of the boy, Mina stared at him in anticipation. She could already see the gears in his head turning as he worked the problem over in his head.
It took several minutes, but finally Izuku blinked and his eyes focused as his thousand-yard stare came to an end. A small smile of satisfaction blossomed as he did so.
"So, I take it you have a plan?" Mina asked knowingly.
He nodded. "It's not perfect, but I think we have almost everything we need to take it on. Do you think you're up for a round two?"
Mina let the feral grin that had been building while Izuku planned creep across her face. "I'm game if you are."
"Well then. Let's go get a dragon."
The scatternut bounced off the Rathian's hide and exploded into fragments. It was too far from the monster's head to stun it, but it did grab its attention.
"Hey there, ugly! Looking for someone?" Mina taunted. The monster might not understand her words, but her singsong tone was so obviously taunting that she hoped the Rathian would get the message.
It raised it head to stare at her, narrowing its eyes in irritation. For good measure, Mina stuck her tongue out at the monster. That, apparently, was the last straw for it. The Rathian roared with fury and charged her.
Mina turned on her heels and ran for all she was worth. She was thankful for the energy drink Izuku had given her a minute ago. Thanks to it, she felt like she could run the entire length of the Wastes without stopping, then bench press a Kestodon. It reminded her a lot of the time she had brewed a pot of coffee using her favorite brand of energy drink instead of water. The taste had been ungodly, but she had finished two weeks of homework in a single evening, deep cleaned her family's house, and won a dance competition that she still didn't remember entering or attending.
Even with the boost from the drink, the Rathian was gaining ground as they ran. It's massive size let it cover much more ground with every step than she could. Thankfully, her goal wasn't far away.
Just ahead of her, a rocky overhang turned the open path into a narrow tunnel for just a moment. Mina grinned as she tore through the opening. Step one of their plan was about to begin.
She slid to a halt, scrabbling slightly on the dusty ground. The Rathian roared with triumph as it saw its prey halt and ran even faster, sure of its victory. It didn't even notice the markings on the ground that indicated a pitfall trap.
The moment the Rathian stepped onto the marked area, the fragile covering shattered and sent the monster plummeting into the earth. Mina could see its eyes widen in surprise as it fell forward. As it did, bands at the edge of the pit snapped up and wrapped around the Rathian's wings, preventing it from simply lifting off.
Mina whooped in joy and unsheathed her weapon. Phase one had gone perfectly to plan, which meant it was time for Izuku to begin phase two.
On the overhang above, Mina saw two large barrels roll into place. When they had been planning this engagement, Izuku had worried that the Rathian would smell him or the gunpowder before getting snared in the trap. Mina had assured him that between her natural talents and months of experience baiting a certain explosive blond, the Rathian wouldn't be paying an ounce of attention to anyone but her.
With the barrel bombs in place, Izuku used a large branch they had scavenged to shove them both off at the same time. The fell perfectly onto the Rathian's wings and exploded on impact.
The Rathian shrieked as the membrane that stretched across its wings was torn asunder, rendering flight impossible. Between the trap beneath it and the bombs above, the pair had the monster completely at their mercy until it eventually managed to extricate itself from the pit.
They weren't going to make that easy though.
Izuku leapt down from the overhang, rolling smoothly as he hit the ground and coming to his feet. Mina had no idea how he managed to do that with his charge blade strapped to his back, but she wasn't about to question him when he was looking cool.
As he unlimbered his weapon, Mina closed in on the Rathian's head. It was glaring at her in abject fury. Fire was already gathering in its mouth, flames leaking out from its rapidly expanding lips as it prepared to roast her. It was gathering everything it could muster into one shot, trying to take her out as quickly as possible. Izuku had predicted that it would do this, since it was unused to being on the defensive. Once it lost the upper hand, it would start to panic and make mistakes.
"Ah ah ah!" Mina said, jumping atop the Rathian's head. "None of that now!" It jerked in surprise, then began to crane its neck furiously to try and get an angle on her. She didn't give it the chance though. Instead, she brought the pommel of her sword down on the monster's brow again and again. She might not have a heavy weapon like Izuku did, but she could do some serious damage when she got up into a monster's face.
Finally the Rathian could take no more, letting out a roar of pain accompanied by a burst of flames. The fireball went long, scorching the ground a few dozen meters away and sending several dung beetles skittering for cover. She grinned. The Rathian could only use so much fire at a time before having to recharge, and they had now set that timer.
It continued to thrash, trying to throw Mina off its head, but she clung on with all her might. After all, her goal in all this was too keep the monster focused on its head.
Suddenly the Rathian froze in place before letting out another terrible scream. Mina spared a glance behind her, managing to catch a glimpse of Izuku out of the corner of her eye. His greataxe was buried deep in the ground, with the two halves of the Rathian's tale on either side.
And that was phase three complete. The monster was grounded, stripped of its fire, and now it had lost one of its main methods of attack. In just a few moments they had swung the fight massively in their favor.
The Rathian wasn't down for the count though. With a final toss of its head, it managed to dislodge Mina, sending her tumbling across the ground. Then, with a surge of strength Mina wouldn't have guessed it still possessed, the monster heaved itself out of the pitfall. A shower of dirt and stone coated the area, forcing Mina to cover her eyes.
When she opened them again, the Rathian had managed to free itself from the pitfall, leaving a large hole in its wake. The monster itself was on the other side of the pit, glaring daggers at them. Its once pristine scales were covered in dirt and grime and the loss of its tail had left it shuffling from foot to foot as it tried to maintain its balance.
"It's on its last legs!" Mina shouted in triumph.
Izuku nodded in agreement. He opened his mouth to say something else, but didn't get the chance to finish.
Apparently the Rathian needed less time to recharge its fire than they had initially thought. The whole area lit up as it blasted a fireball at them.
Izuku and Mina dodged out of the way and began to sprint around the pit, with Izuku breaking right and Mina going left. The Rathian was forced to choose between them for its next fireball. The shot missed Mina by a country mile, though the third blast came much closer than she would have liked. Thankfully by the time it had lined up a fourth attack, Izuku and Mina had closed the gap between them and the monster.
Izuku's sword lashed out, striking the Rathian across the face even as Mina slid underneath it and slashed at its belly. The Rathian in turn tried to snap at Izuku, who blocked the halfhearted blow easily, even as it tried to squash Mina beneath its talons once more. Mina responded by jamming her blade in between the Rathian's claws, targeting the vulnerable flesh there.
She succeeded in landing a blow that no doubt caused the Rathian a great deal of pain, but was swiped by the Rathian in exchange. Her armor caught the talons before they could pierce her, but the blow still sent her sprawling.
She was back on her feet in a moment, but that moment was enough for the Rathian to make one last push for victory. It leapt towards Izuku, its battered wings giving it only the barest amount of lift. He raised his shield, but the monster's weight was just too much for him to handle. He collapsed under it, pinned by the wyverns talons as it roared in triumph.
"Not on my watch!" Mina cried, already racing towards the Rathian. When she was directly behind it, she leapt on top of its back and raced towards its head, letting her blade run down the monster's spine. It didn't really do much damage due to the thick scales, but the sparks it kicked up made her feel like a badass, which was equally as important.
The Rathian felt her running along its back and turned away from Izuku to look at the girl-turned-palico, which was a mistake. She slashed at its right eye, scoring a line of blood down the monster's face and causing it to stumble sideways, blinded by a combination of pain and rage.
"Izuku, now!" Mina shouted, jumping free of the wyvern's back.
From behind her she could hear the distinctive crackle of electricity as the energy inside of his charge blade poured forth and began to surround the weapon. The first wide swing knocked the Rathian's feet out from under it and sent it sprawling. The second swing came crashing down on the Rathian's stomach bringing a storm of lightning with it.
The Rathian convulsed twice before finally lying still.
With the fight over, Mina let out a sigh of relief and fell backwards, stretching her limbs out as far as they would go. Despite knowing that Izuku's plan was solid, Mina had been tense for the entire preparation phase, waiting for her to screw something up or for their luck to go awry. It had been something of a shock when things had gone perfectly, and it felt like a weight had been suddenly lifted from her shoulders.
A few seconds later, Izuku dropped down beside her, kicking up a small cloud of dust that made her sneeze.
"Sorry," he said, helping to brush the dust out of her fur.
"It's fine. Means I'm still around to get dusty. And to bug you about getting too far into your own head."
He smiled at that, then, slowly, he raised one fist to the sky. "Once more?" He asked, not turning his gaze away from the sky.
"Of course." Mina said, raising her own paw.
"Hunters extraordinaire!" They called in unison, touching their fists together in triumph.
"Well, boyo? Whaddya think?" the Smithy said, handing the newly forged weapon to Izuku.
He unsheathed the sword of the charge blade, giving it a few test swings. It cut through the air smoothly, and its weight sat perfectly in his hand. The shield sat easily on his arm as well. Izuku was willing to bet that its axe form was excellent too, though he was unwilling to test it in the confines of the workshop.
"It's perfect." He said, sliding the blade back into its shield sheath. He was careful to avoid pricking himself on the spines that protruded from the back of the blade as he did so. They looked sharp enough to cause some damage if he wasn't careful.
"Glad to hear it!" the Smithy said, letting out a booming laugh. "I'm not surprised though. Honestly, what you're holding right there is some of my best work yet. The Rathian materials you two brought in were top quality, and were perfect for my inspiration. She ended up being a real beauty."
Izuku blinked in confusion. "She?"
"Ah." the Smithy rubbed at the back of his head. "Me 'n the boys might have gotten a little ahead of ourselves and named her. Sorry. Ya don't have to keep the name though."
Izuku shook his head. "I'd like to hear your thoughts, if you don't mind. I'm… not exactly an expert at creating names. My friends were always better at it than I was."
"Alright then," the Smithy said. "We took to calling her Dear Lutemis. Not sure who came up with it, but it just sounded right."
Izuku hefted the charge blade once more, admiring the way the forge light danced along the scales that covered the hilt and shield. "Dear Lutemis… I like it."
The Smithy shrugged. "I admit, I'm a bit flattered you like it. Still, you sure you don't want to make it your own? The Dear Ashido has a nice ring to it as well." He shot Izuku a significant look, wiggling his eyebrows as he did so.
Izuku flushed. "I… it's not… we're not…"
The Smithy guffawed at Izuku's reaction. "Whatever you say, boyo. We all move at our own pace. Still, whatever you call her, that blade is one fine weapon. You make sure you treat her well, ya hear?"
"I… uh I will." Izuku said, managing to recover from the teasing.
"Glad to hear it!" the Smithy said, giving Izuku a hearty slap on the back. "Now git! We've got forging to do, and you've got monsters to slay."
Izuku stumbled out of the workshop, feeling more than a little woozy. Between the heat of the forge and the blush that he was still fighting down, he was worried about falling over one of the railings of Astera's raised walkways. Thankfully, the cool evening air helped calm him down, and he was on his way to the Canteen in just a few minutes.
Mina was already there, making her way through a chicken that was almost as big as she was while she joked with several Commission members, including the Field Team Leader. The group was hanging off her every word, and Izuku idly wondered what she was saying that was so interesting. If he had to guess, she was probably telling them about one of their escapades.
"Did I miss anything interesting?" Izuku asked, approaching the table.
The Field Team Leader shook his head. "Not really. Mina was just telling us about the two of you getting tangled up in vines while running away from a Kulu-Ya-Ku."
Izuku flushed, though for a completely different reason this time. That story was not one of his finer moments.
Mina nodded. "Yep. It worked out though. I thought we were totally screwed, but Izuku managed to get his knife somehow and cut his arm free. Then he cut me out and I held the monster off long enough for him to get free. Let me tell you, seeing him jump down out of that tree with his greataxe out was the best thing ever. The monster was so surprised it nearly dropped the bolder it was holding on my foot!"
Izuku was supremely confused. Hearing Mina tell the story, you would think he was the hero instead of the one who had gotten them into that situation in the first place. And she made his blind luck sound like some clever strategy. It was surprising and more than a little embarrassing, especially when a few of their fellow hunters started clapping.
The Field Team Leader was probably the one clapping the hardest. Once the applause died away, and Mina had taken a small bow, he stood up to slap Izuku on the back.
"You know," he said, "stories like that are exactly why I knew you'd be perfect for that expedition to the Wildspire Wastes. You're both clever, resourceful, and some of the best hunters I've seen in a long time. In fact, that's why I swung by here in the first place. The Commander and I are putting together a council to prepare a strategy for capturing Zorah Magdaros, and we'd like the two of you to be part of it."
Izuku was floored by the invitation. Sure, he and Mina had been working hard on their assignments, and he knew that they'd caught the eye of the Commander, but he had no idea that they were this highly favored.
"We… uh… we'd be honored sir." Izuku said haltingly.
"Yeah we would!" Mina shouted from the opposite end of the table, raising her tankard in salute.
"Glad to hear it," the Field Team Leader said, chuckling slightly at the disparity in their responses. "Stop by the command station first thing tomorrow morning. After what the researchers found in the Wastes, it sounds like they'll get a breakthrough on Zorah Magdaros's location any day now. We're gonna need to be as prepared as we can when that happens." With a casual salute, he took his leave, grabbing a link on the massive chains that ran up and down the various levels of Astera and letting it carry him down to the Trade Yard below.
"You heard the man, Izuku!" Mina said excitedly. "Things are gonna get crazy around here soon. Better eat up while you can!"
He smiled. Leave it to Mina to take the news that they were about to face what might be their greatest challenge since arriving in the New World as good news. She really was one of a kind.
"Good point." He waved to get the Chef's attention and pointed at the platter laid out in front of Mina. The Chef took the hint and had his assistants cooking up a storm in a matter of moments.
Izuku sat down with a sigh as he watched the food and cooking implements fly. Like Mina had said, things were about to get crazy. He only knew bits and pieces about the Elder Dragon known as Zorah Magdaros, but what he did know pointed at it being extremely powerful. He and Mina would have to be at the top of their game when the time to face it came.
Still, now wasn't the time to think about that. For right now, it was time to eat, drink, and be merry. He was surrounded by friends, with someone who was a little more by his side and plenty of food and drink to go around.
Life, as they said, was good.
Good news everyone! After the last chapter, I had several people saying they wished this story would go on a little longer. I hadn't planned for it to go beyond three chapters, but when sitting down to write this, I got a burst of inspiration. Therefore, this fic is getting extended! There will be at least two more chapters after this one before we reach the final chapter. Expect the next chapter to go up this weekend.
An extra special thank you to Raef Darksbane, editor and Beta for this story. Without you, this chapter wouldn't have happened. You're a champion!