Disclaimer: Written by Rime. Translated by Arcana. Approved by Rime to transfer from pixiv. The characters were not owned by the writer nor the translator. Characters were borrowed from the players of MHD. To members of MHD, if there are any problems, there would be no problem in removing.
Chapter Notes:The Genealogy of Hunters 11-2: Case All Cast
Characters: Nobutuna, Falt, jack, SEVEN, Billy, Riku, Ash, Sky, Mr. Sido
Chapter Summary:
They reached the snow mountains, and found out that the opponents they needed to face were a herd of Tigrexs. Before they set of, they spent one silent night in the village.
The number of times of fighting was five within few days. During, there were three times with two at the same time. He was lucky. Still Billy judged bitterly. In the three times against two at the same time, the opponents that appeared were all different. Because the snowstorm during the later two times was severe he was not able to judge, but still there were at least seven Tigrexs loitering around in the snow mountains. All of them were in king size. How on earth did this happened.
The descriptions of Tigrexs crowding together, could not be found in any documents. If they acquired a rank, excluding Elder Dragons, they had the strength that would always be counted in high rank among all wyvern classes. There was no need for them to herd. There were times that they appeared at the same time, but there were not more than two of them in the same place. The Tigrexs that appeared at the same time together, had body structures that were similar to each other, and they were generally considered to be siblings.
Female Tigrex would lay approximately six to seven eggs during breeding season, and only the female Tigrex would take care of those eggs. It was said that the eggs hatched from there were usually two, and at most five, but it was said that there were also really cases which all seven of the eggs would hatch.
The life of Tigrex was around twenty years to thirty years, the characteristics of Tigrex which matured in nature earlier than the other wyverns, was that breeding itself was stable so as to be terrible. The male Tigrex would disappear from the area immediately after copulation, and it would not enter the territory of nurture made the female Tigrex for three months. During this period, the male Tigrex would turn up on the snow mountains or in the forest and hills frequently. Tigrex with babies would become more than violent and tempered, they would bite even Elder Dragons that approached to death, and even the male mating partner could not be careless. The desert that was commonly said to be their breeding place, but not many descriptions of founding a nest of Tigrex which was said to be not so smart, could be found in the world either.
There was often a quests named as Brothers of Hell in the desert from the Hunters Guild, but this was after the breeding season of Tigrex, and overlapped with the period of the offsprings leaving the nest. There were many chicks that could not stand the heat and cold of the desert, the other wyverns and the merciless weather, it was no rare to see the young wyverns rushing wildly in the desert with their siblings, approximately two years before they matured in nature, the body became possible for mating, and became independent from the mother.
Here was the snow mountains. It was too cold for eggs to hatch. It was just the period which the female wyverns took care of their eggs and raised the chicks and the signs in the surroundings would held their breaths. In other words, the snow mountains now should have been the place where the male Tigrex drifted to. This case was not the level of haunting which the brothers of Tigrex banding together, visited the snow mountains getting tired of the games in the desert.
In such time of the snow mountains, the Tigrexs would fight for the preys with each other, and it often developed into a wild fight. On the other hand the snow mountains had entered the child care period of Bulldromes, the group of boars would also attack the Tigrex on the reverse. But, it was not something that happened near this village, but deeper among the snow mountains. Popos and Antekas also did not breed in the foot nor halfway up the mountain as long as it was not a long winter. When winter came, all the animals in the snow mountains would head towards the interior. In the ground where the god of the mountain lived, they spent only the nature of winter. In the middle of child care and bare living, the wildlife that got into range inadvertently which the hands of humans could reach, they were not wild anymore. In the nature there was wisdom.
Though the winter of the snow mountains, was always quieter.
He panted. It was not possible to attack. All he could do was to dodge. The charge from behind, there would be another tusk in front if he dodged, even if he managed to roll pass it without breathing, it would shove the long tail at him. If he concentrated in dodging without taking out his weapon, though he could prevent from receiving damages somehow, he would only die just he ran out of stamina.
If the Tigrexs were of the normal size, he might be able to manage a little more. The number of Tigrexs which roared towards him while kicking the white snow, was three of them. Most of the patterns from their forehands to the back of the necks were same, and their gestures resembled to each other closely too. He knew that they were siblings, but he could not gain control just by knowing.
(...They aren't in rage mode, they don't seem to be hungry too, they are chasing my movements with their eyes precisely)
Instead of agreeing with each other, they seemed more likely to be working together, he thought. There were little unexpected movements like when facing several individual monsters at the same time. They attacked again and again, like children playing with a ball, without confusion, and without mercy.
(And the ball, is me)
A ball that moved with the light steps of a G-rank hunter, there was no better toy than that. He hit his tongue. Turning around back into a space, he searched for a flash bomb from the porch behind his waist. Though he generally did not like to use items during hunting, he could not do so in a situation like this.
It was not enough to blind all the heads at a time, he threw another again. He put a distance and caught his breath. If he descended a little from the mountain, there would be a water place not far from the village. He could not let them descend to there at the same time. Hearing a roar, he only needed to support Tharros until she brought all the villagers who came to collect back to the village immediately. The time he needed to earn was one hour, no matter how he thought. Footings with many snow was hard for people to move on, and comparing to the Tigrexs, they had wings. Though they could only glide, still there was no change from being able to fly in the sky. If they caught up with the people at a stretch, they would only create a hell.
On the white snow mountains, the dark golden scales glowed vividly. The body running slowly, in blue like rusted cool copper. The claws which was said to become black from drawing up the blood of various preys, were still slightly in pink. Though they had strangely huge bodies, they were after all still young wyverns. The points of teeth showed towards him were still round, and there were still no trace of being polished by bones nor meat, the damages were light.
At least, if the anger reached the top, an easy movement may make a chance for him to pull out his weapon. The flash bomb he threw thinking so, dropped definitely in the middle of the three anger. The swelling muscles, red spirals that appeared vividly. When a Tigrex was angry, the muscles under the scales would expand. The scales were pushed up by the muscles, and opened as if the bones along fell apart, bloodstream would raise there. The damage of attacks that arrived directly at the muscle, would become heavier than usual, and both the teeth and claws that swung down when in raged, would hurt more than normal. Making them angry, was resembled to backwater closely...Relaxing for an instant would make him friends with the reapers.
The accumulation damages till now were approximately only a little. He only had three remaining flash bombs. The chances including now was only three more times. In one of the three times, even one of them would do, he could not help but to pray that it would go slightly further.
A scream, the wyvern that bounced off waving its neck, the muscles swelled up again in the pain of anger, its forefeet shined red such as cracks, and Billy swatted his hammer down to smash it. Though he used power that could have easy break a bare arm of a person, why would he not succeed like this when the opponent was a Tigrex. Nonetheless he swung down obstinately with the sense of being refused.
Noticing another Tigrex beside gesturing wagging its neck, several steps, stepping forward, he rolled forward to dodge the forefoot swinging down, and he gave off a single blow to its chin immediately after getting up. Jumping over the trace of tail that appeared in front suddenly, turning around, he swat his hammer down on the crown of head of yet another Tigrex. An unpleasant sign from the rear, jumping to the left, a lump of snow passed the place where he was. He was able to see the hind leg turning around, he swung his hammer around to calm it down. When it noticed incidentally, he crawled under his stomach, from there he could feel the odd beast smell. The scales around the heaved stomach were still form, but they seemed to be relatively soft. He let his hammer which was about to trail below, caved in there by force. Hearing the temperament voice, he got out from under the stomach just before the Tigrex curled its body up. While it made a gesture as if beginning to feed, with a glance, the eyes that stared at him were red. He glared back, but the serious of movement were too big, and he was out of breath. It meant that he did not have any surplus energy to relax left. He would only die if he did not fight with every effort he got.
(...Though I have a farcaster)
There was no security that the Tigrexs would leave this area by the time he returned.
Because he wielded his weapon closed to the Tigrexs, their claws and fangs and scales grazed his skin, and cuts many made in many places. He breathed heavily. In the midmost of the cold air, the white breath he breathed out drifted regularly gently. Frost and snow were stuck to the wounds.
Holding onto the hammer once again, he saw a shadow fell behind the three Tigrexs in front of him. Feeling a chill in his back, a chill that he felt after a long absence, he saw the vaguely dreadful future. The two Tigrexs that came down, had the similar structures as the three at the front, but they were slightly different. The two which came later had a totally same appearance, but these two with a characteristic blue from the forehead to the right eye, were probably brothers. Though they were similar to the three in front, they were after all different.
That meant.
"...A big family and relatives, welcome to the snow mountains... What kind of trip is this!"
The snow mountains became full of dark gold. He did not enter their views. No matter how he thought it would be too hard to fight alone on this ground. Anyway if it became like this, he should change to another area, and returned to the village through a way away from it, there was no other way possible.
He wondered were there even any people from the Guild Knights that had fought with five Tigrexs at the same time. Kicking the snow, the two Tigrexs at the rear thrust their forefeet, and while they gave out the roar of check, he crouched down and set a trap. Pushing aside the snow in one breath, he buried a small round circle. If he pushed the projection in the middle, thin iron wires would expand to some distance, and the element of the Genprey fang would flow out at a stretch. Even if a person got onto it, he or she wouldn't be able to touch it, but because the iron wires would be buried at the weight of monsters, as a trap that could be used in all kinds of places to an extent, he also carried them around.
But, there weren't enough stock either, in the present snow mountains. He could not use them idly.
The moment he stood up and tried to turn around, the two wyverns that were in front jumped. Though one of them was wonderfully caught in the trap, the other one came towards him jumping over it,
"...,"
His body froze. He held his breath. He rounded his body so as to protect his head with his arm, and he lowered his chin to cover the throat. A shock, ringing in his ears, he could hear a creak in his bones, and pain ran through the muscles of his body as if being tore. Something came to the center of his stomach, he could feel the organs clogged up inside were blown into the depth by the one-way shock. Dull pain and sharp pain wrapped around his body at the same time, although he bore the scream, the pain made everything before him went black for an instant. He looked for a direction where the ground was unconsciously, it was almost a reaction that he tried to recover his balance, and he drew air into his lungs in desperation, by the single blow just now he had completely lost his breathing rhythm. He looked up, in the sight which returned somehow, the Agito of Tigrex could be seen right up ahead.
"...Wow..."
If even a laughter could not slightly float, it would be slightly too dampened for his concentration. Among hunters, there weren't many that had the courage to avoid the attack in the form of jumping towards the enemy. Though the story would be different the situation of the surrounding had been judged to a certain extent, jumping into the chest of the opponent in the situation that the next attack could not be predicted, it was like bungee jumping without a lifeline.
Still Billy leaped forward. As he ran at full speed into the bottom of its stomach which moved at the same time the TIgrex bit, passing through ahead, towards the Tigrex which was caught in the trap in agony, he whipped out his hammer and swat at it's crown of the head. A response. The forehead cracked. The splashing blood poured into the snow mountains. Still, it did not faint, from the other side of the Tigrex trying to escape from the trap struggling with it's body, suddenly, the ground rumbled. He jumped behind to the right as he gritted his teeth. The fang of the Tigrex charging protruded from right behind the opponent caught in the trap. Cack, cack, just before he lost conscious to that which sounded making a harsh chewing sound, the TIgrex that passed through now, waved it's tail. It was completely unexpected. His side was hit hard by the tail, and he could feel his body flew out. Something butter inside his mouth. Spitting out something that came out with the landing, his consciousness got dizzy, and he got down on a knee. Weapon. In his hand. The enemies. Three of them. Three?
"...Tsk,"
From the rear, stepping onto the snow, rough breathing sound, ah, ah, ah, something with a roar that was stubbed with consonant voices, was surely heading towards him. The fourth of them. In the edge of his sight, he could see the fifth of them standing. It would jump. Though he was conscious, his body could not move. The pain did not fade. It was as if the organs inside had completely stopped working. Move, move, though he tried to order, his numbed hand only grasped onto his weapon, but did not move.
(Damn,)
For the rear, the thudding sound on the snow became louder. He took a breath. He breathed by force. He could no dodge by a jump at this distance anymore. He would only be trod. The pain misled his consciousness. The approaching fang, trying to stood against the wild will which was going to get him, he could feel himself burning inside. Concentrating on the head of the Tigrex which charged towards Billy, he turned his numbed body with all his strength.
The hammer was swung down on the head, with power above usual, break and crack, he faced towards its forehead. The feet which he did not know whether did he put power in, jumped reflectively. He bit his back teeth. Straightly, straightly he lifted his hammer up perpendicularly, lifting his body, he turned around forward as if to fall onto the back of the TIgrex which screamed. Not to mention being able to make a landing, the smooth and cold wyvern scales touched his hand. A heel sounded to the scales of the harder back, the back of the Tigrex which twisted its upper body in pain, lifted its upper body like a brick as if to send something away. It was after a reflection that he was able to kick its back, otherwise he must have been trod by the different Tigrex charging from another direction.
He fell down to the snow loudly. If the ground was bare, the damage would have been much heavier, he was lucky that the powdery snow last night was left. Huh...! He could not breath in after breathing out bigly. He stood up without laying down. Don, don, don, don, the sound of the heart beating inside, the closed wounds on the skin, the internal organs were still numb after being hit hard, and his whole body was heavy. Potions. Feeling the porch, though he was able to confirm it's position, he took out his weapon against the fangs of the Tigrex which chased him. There were neither the room nor the place to use any tools.
(Two more hits will be the limit...!)
Swing the hammer aside, he hammered into the opened agito. Though he thought of turning around and pulled distance, his movement stopped with something heavy. The muffled cry was imminent, let its neck and back bent, the Tigrex which was rushing in rage stopped. His arm was numb. He blinked his eyes.
(This is bad, )
The fangs bit into the hammer.
A crack, he could see slightly as he yielded, though he was going to pull his weapon back, the Tigrex which glared at slowly him with scattering slaver would not let him. The red eyes were close to him were in rage, its groan affected along his arm to his body, barking something to the other side, the footsteps of scattering the snow.
He was at loss for an instant whether to let go of his weapon or not. However, if he parted with his weapon, he would have no way to fight. He had never heard of any stories of hunters who was able to survive after doing something like this in the hunting ground. However, in this situation, it was certain if he did not do so.
No matter which, it was instant that the god of death stood behind him.
"...!"
The great very front moved slightly, he moved downwards as if the hand which grasped desperately was pulled. For a moment the Tigrex in front of him which its chin was being pulled, it then lifted the hammer it bit along with Billy.
His body was being lifted. Still it was well done not to have let go of the weapon, but there was nothing tied of it tied to him. The fangs let go. A sense of flying in the sky, the scenery he overlooked, the remaining four Tigrex turned their eyes to where he fell. Who is going to goal? The eyes looking at each other, one of them barked, standing its forefoot powerfully onto the ground, the process of falling, he must stop breathing if he was flung against the ground, one or two bones would be broken if he made a miss, the body falling tore the air, he struggled to stand up but there was nothing to support him, he fell, the dark golden waves of the Tigrex which showed its teeth, the one which charged into him looking back, he fell, and fell, gritting his teeth, still he held onto his hammer.
He himself who never gave up, was mysterious.
If he fell into the midmost of that, receiving the dash of all the heads of the Tigrexs, his body would be torn up separately. It would be impossible, including his life to continue.
There was no fear. In the realities that came too soon in a sequence, overwhelmed by that, it was as hard as possible to cope with it, there was nothing at all not even one thing he could think about. He did not know whether he was able to endure one more blow. Just before he dropped, something held onto his arm strongly, and he could tell that the direction of the fall had just changed. His body turned, and something red grazed his view. Here, the feeling of the cold snow, catching his breath in an instant, don, don, don, in the middle of his heartbeats increasing, still he did not let go of his weapon, standing up before him, holding in front of him was...
Kling, a sound was made, the fangs of the Tigrex which changed the direction of the charge immediately towards the other direction, stopped.
"Ash!"
The name being cried out, his clear voice that broke out echoed through the mountains, the fangs bouncing off, the fluttering great sword pierced straight through the opened month of the roaring wyvern. Scooping the medulla oblongata out from its throat in a flash, the drew out blade, the dripping blood, and eyes of the wyvern turned white by the instant death, and giant body of the wyvern slowly burdened onto the great sword. Yielding just to the weight, Ash turned the sword downwards, and pulled it out from the month of the Tigrex. The puddle of blood dyed the snow red. Billy kicked the ground. At the head of the second Tigrex which charged at them from the rear, he swung his hammer down again. After the single blow of power, the wyvern turned its eyes, and there was nothing left in its future.
"You, can fly in the sky?"
"As long as SEVEN is here, it's always I can fly for me. Beyond my control"
"...I see"
"Though I think it's good occasionally"
"I'll tell SEVEN later"
"Do not do what is unnecessary"
Swinging the blood, the blade with blood drew an arc in the snow mountains. He looked up. The Tigrex were looking at scattered directions unlike a while ago. The falling shadow was small, however, alert and agile. Lightly, lightly, the sparkle of a blade danced. The sound of arrows tearing in the cold air. Oh, he let out a sigh.
(Everyone, has come)
Much earlier, than he expected.
"Billy! Are you alright!"
"Yeah!"
"As expected from Billy-han! Hey hey, how many minutes have you keep with the enemies?"
"Around forty minutes! Two increased halfway! There's just no means to attack, and I was going to give up!"
"Whoa! Billy-han you monster! I will absolutely excuse myself from fighting like this solo!"
The fluttering lance, he knew the usual joking rhythm of his. It was depressing to fight in battles of silence. When no voices could be heard though there was somebody, it was always concerned whether the others were dead or alive, were they still standing, and he would feel uneasy. Falt was good at grasping the situation, though he was a head more outstanding, SEVEN was considerably good at it too. He might be the best among the close-range hunters.
"Billy! How many more minutes do we have to stand?"
"Twenty minutes!"
"Divide them two by two! Close-ranges and gunners divide into half-and-half after stopping them with flash bombs! Put as many distance as possible! Sky! Stay a little far from them, give us a signal if they seem to join together! Mr.! Protect Sky! Ash and SEVEN separate, Falt and Riku too! Lamia stay still Flat, and Sakura, behind Ash! Carry! Grasp the situation of everyone if you can! jack can be on SEVEN's side, Billy, can you move!"
"Yes!"
"Head towards SEVEN's side! Got it, it's a just fight without a good battle preparation! We're going to run tight if time passes! The first priority is to carry the supplies to the village first! Are there anyone confidence in their feet!"
"Me me! I'll show you the fast runner of this lance user!"
"Ah, I comparatively have confidence too!"
"In case of emergency, I'll entrust the feint operation to you! Let's go!"
SEVEN and Sky chuckled bitterly.
Playing tag with four Tigrexs, was a very absurd act. The thrown flash bomb, the world became pure white. Billy drank up a potion. There were no more of the uneasiness and fret he felt earlier.
(...No, it's still too early to be relief)
He grabbed the hammer by the handle. In the middle where the snowstorm was approaching slowly, the roar of the Tigrex echoed.
After the Tigrexs fortunately escaped to other areas approximately at the same time after ten minutes, the evening went around, until the moon lighted up the area, the transportation of supplies continued for a long time. The supplies loaded onto the small airship, were food, combination tools, materials, clothing, and assuming the invasions of monsters and snow slide could happen, tools and wood were loaded. As the quantities were hardly able to be carried by several people, if they were to be carried only by hunters, time would be needed. When all the members ate their suppers together, the moon was already going to arrive at the south.
"Everyone are mostly slightly injured, Billy have a little more bruises, and Tharros is healthy. Most of the villagers are not in serious conditions too... There aren't anyone that must be treated absorbedly, Nobutuna"
"Is this well done? ... I don't know how it will turn out beyond this point"
"I don't really understand whether such negative remarks of yours, are admonitions or whether just negative..."
"I don't know which is it either saying it... It's merely, reality"
So Billy. Though I think it's probably very much hard to demand an explanation from you, can you tell us the reason you called us. A cup of liquor in one hand, in the middle of fatigue, with the elbows slovenly on the table, Nobutuna rubbed against his sleepy dark eyes. If he looked around, everyone else was slowly behaving lackadaisically in the same way and licking the liquor in the name of protection against the cold. Such a scene could not be shown to the villagers and the guild either. They were in a state of having difficulty to be all right.
Anyway only by myself, he straightened his back. Billy who was going to answer, lifted his body slowly, murmured with his blue clear eyes still, and said.
"...Tigrex, eight of them"
"...Eight"
"For these past several days, I repeated fighting them several times. Still there weren't any three at the same time, or five at the same time, but in the meantime, I was just a little able to confirm the head count... Eight. Because one was killed, at least seven of them"
As I have only looked with my eyes, it might be wrong. There weren't anyone to plunge into the added lines. Because there was a confused fight with five within a small period at the same time, they understood immediately that it was abnormal even with the phenomenon only.
"...Sayings of Tigrexs herding together... Is there any, Mr. Sido?"
"Not in my dictionary"
An immediate reply.
"How about jack?"
"Nope, Sis?"
"Not any"
"The researchers are all annihilated. Riku"
"Huh? Why me?"
"You're a guide hunter. Have you heard of any rumors or informations like this, anything will do"
"Ask a guide hunter of the desert or snow mountains about that instead of a guide hunter of the great forest. SEVEN?"
"Me? I don't know. It'll be different if it's about Dia, but I don't know anything about Tigrex."
"...SEVEN is a guide hunter?"
"He only wants adjunction"
He answered back while being slightly surprised at the voice of Sakura surprised.
"But I haven't heard of anything like this after all. Well, the actions of monsters, are out of the range of human supposition. The spread in the power of Elder Dragons, and the signs of some natural disasters, and the happening of terrible things are possible... What are you going to do, knowing the reason that the Tigrexs crowded, Nobu-chan"
It was all, a mysterious part. Tigrexs herded. With the only the fact lying in front, the solution was nowhere to be fine by just investigating the cause. Anyway, they would only die of they don't fight. Leaving such a question off quickly, they should be examining a method to fight against them who became a crowd. There were no sayings, the way of handling was not known. Knowing the cause, would not affect anything.
Still, Nobutuna did not hand over.
"...There is often a purpose for creatures to crowd together. Even humans, a purpose is necessary when we group up. Like our hunting group... It's the same thing"
Like the Yian Kut-kus, though it was a frequent tendency in birds, it also existed in wyvern classes. Basarios and Gravios would group together to secure nourishment, staying still and not move in the volcanos, they may also make mysterious group to humans. Speaking of the snow mountains, the Khezus were so too. To that types of wyvern which did not have mating season, hermaphroditism, they would make babies alone, several of them may protect one laying eggs. Rathian would generally paired with a Rathalos, if one of them was killed due to some kind of curcumstances in the middle of child care, they may look for power from the other pairs, and the group they formed would grow bigger. Just like the examples, there were many cases of large-sized monsters forming groups because of breeding season, mating period, and the nurture period of the young.
There were also other cases. Several years ago, around five Gypceros formed a small group due to the change of quality of the water in the surrounding neighborhood. Screened by the environment of nature, and burrowing the hands of companions, were not limited to human beings only.
"It's breeding season to Tigrexs also. I think that they crowded for that kind of reason. But, why is it the snow mountains... This winter should be hard. The snow mountains are shut. Why are they calm on the closed lands of snow and ice which they must share their gained food? ... Those fellows aren't humans. They don't imitate nor waste nor do something inefficient."
"... Then why are they here? They really did appeared in front of us in that way. What meaning does it have to investigate the cause"
"Ash. Are you able to fight the Order of the Black Beast without knowing their purpose"
"... Huh? What do you mean"
"Simply because the purpose of the Order was theft and murder, killing them was right to the Guild Knights. We too, turned violence to the people... But, what if we don't know?"
If we didn't know, only, like ourselves now, we could have been a gather of people of "a group with the purpose of hunting", we could have not been anyone else. With the informations and the conviction of points, people could predict their opponents. It may be said that simply because the Order had black rumors, we were able to pull our swords.
"It's not as if I'm controversial to fighting. Such as breeding and food shortage, even if they crowded for living or because of physiological phenomenon, it has nothing to do with us. They might show their fangs and lives might be lost... Though I say it's pre-inclination, lay up for a rainy day, well, the other side will only think of it as the selfish circumstances of human beings, that's intelligence, but there's no help for it"
"...Nobutuna, what do you want to say. You, that, is an opinion that may justify the damages caused by that group in the snow mountains..."
Surely they were merely living. Hunters were the existence to protect people from the way of life of the monsters. What he was saying, was frowned.
"... Don't make such a scary face... It's not like that. My bad. It's a roundabout. Let's say it simpler."
Chuckling a little, Nobutuna waved his hands. He tried to reverse his idea. They crowded in the snow mountains. Why. In such a cold place. In the winter, running out of food, why.
.
"Isn't it because it's the snow mountains, the Tigrexs crowded?"
.
"...Because it's the snow mountains..."
"They crowded...?"
"They had to come to the snow mountain. However, being alone in such a place for a long term, it's hard to find preys, there's also a limit to the temperature of an individual. But, those are only problems that can be wiped out if they become a crowd. If they sleep together, it won't be cold. If they share and hunt, though the quantity of their meals will be decrease, it will be much more efficient than having nothing."
"For what reasons did the creatures of the desert come to the snow mountains..."
"Ash, that's why I have been asking urgently since a while ago. Like, why did those fellows come to the snow mountains"
"...I got it now, if we figure that out, by only removing that cause, we can drive the enemies back"
jack nodded at the words of Mr.. Sakura looked puzzled putting up her forefinger, and Tharros said.
"For example, if the aim of the Tigrexs are the meat of Popos, we only have to send all the Popos to the depths of the snow mountains. Or, if we can keep them away from the village, at least the peace of the village can be protected"
"...What a terrible nuisance to the Popos"
"It's a tradition of the world. The survival of the fittest"
Hearing the words of Carry, I see, Sakura shrugged, then, she looked at Nobutuna. It meant that she had became a hunter that could receive the reality lightly.
"That, cause, you say, is their purpose, do you have any predictions what it is?"
"No idea? Though I'm a hunter, it doesn't mean that, I know a lot about the habits of the monsters... I do have more knowledge than commoners, still if these guys who have studied more waggled their heads, we're finished"
.
"...When the King, is born"
.
It was Sky who opened his month.
"...The party of blessings begins"
"...What is that. It's sounding strangely cool"
"What is that. You're not in the position to say that to me... It's a phrase of a poetry"
Ash tilted his neck in the way that was unexpected, but Sky only raised an eyebrow. Nobutuna looked at Sky for a moment. Straightening his back as if he understood, Sky began to talk about it.
"When the King is born, the party of blessings begins. All creatures will flap their wings for the King, across every wind and waves, even from the other side of the sea. The King is born, the time to fly, in order to protect the young King, all the knights will show their fangs. ... It's another view of the folk song in this whole area, but it's not about the Kingdom, it generally is pointing to the monsters"
The monsters which herded in particular were often used as examples. The prey family, Bulldromes, Vespoids, individuals comparative small were closer with commoners, and Yian Kut-kus were the representative of the larger creatures. For the child who was born newly, they would show their fangs again and again, and turned their claws to everything that became their enemies.
"When the monsters that don't crowd together as groups normally, the same poem is always sung... As the omen, that the King will be born"
"The King can not be alone. The King will not be established, if there are not even one people... Sky, your prediction?"
"...Among the Tigrexs, the guys that appeared here, are big. Even the ones we fought today are of king size. Besides, it's confirmed that they're mostly siblings. If those are young wyverns, the mother wyvern should be huger... That mother wyvern, it might be going to give birth to a child. It might have already been born. For example, a child bigger than them. A much stronger child"
"...It is said that Tigrex's behavior patterns and the frame resembles the ancestors of the Elder Dragons... Even if there's something hereditarily, it's not strange"
"...So, they crowded in order to protect that child?"
"The nutrients of the Popo meat and Anteka meat, are markedly higher in comparison with other herbivores... Isn't that possible"
"But, why is it necessary to protect that child? If it isn't able to live independently, it's already disqualification from the nature. Even if they protected it, there isn't a reason for them to bring it up"
"Falt's right... Even mine, is only a supposition. But, I only showed one possibility"
However, usually, isn't it so, when we want to borrow the hands of someone else. Sky said.
"Oneself alone cannot protect it, but when one has something that one must protect, humans would look for friends, and ask for help... Even monsters, feel the same about that"
A feeling, next to, wanting to live.
"What is it... I cannot express it well"
The reason why a person took weapons, the reason why hunters were born, it was simply merely, not because to look for opponents stronger than was the second product. It should be different at first, because humans, took weapons because they were weak.
"...Anyway, somehow, it seems like you have some expectations."
"It's just a supposition?"
"The other side will not be concerned with our suppositions, they won't even what to know. In addition, even for us, let's say there's only one way for us too, right?"
Even the opponents have something they want to protect. We also, have something we want to protect.
If this is true, there's only one method.
Nobutuna laughed. His eyes were strangely clear.
"We're going to stay on the snow mountains from tomorrow... Though the number of people is hopelessly small, we won't accept it as an quest from the Hunters Guild. It's a free service, in return all of us have the authority to enter the snow mountains. Let's negotiate about the limited number of supplies... Forget about the Kokoto jinx at this chance. We're going to choose the members. It's a must to strengthen the defense of the village too."
For the time being, everyone, take a good rest today. Fortunately the night was quiet. The wind slowed down, and the prospects cleared well too. The snowstorm was brought by the Kushala Daora.
He looked down. Like swatting one by one, he recalled the figures of the Tigrexs.
"...It's the only night in the village. Spend it freely as you wish."
Though Nobutuna said so, he himself was the one that seemed to be captive in the middle of a nightmare.
You must not hate them.
This, was the first thing told to everyone who became a hunter.
.
The family was being robbed of, the lover was being killed, the village was damaged, the life was destroyed. There were in fact a great number which became hunters with such negative feelings. The feelings of them who were robbed of their loved ones, would think limitlessly fair, but still hunters... must not hate the monsters.
They, were only simply living. In order to be there, they showed their fangs, and polished their claws. They, were only simply living. Like humans that ran their lives, they may only kill someone, and destroy a village or town. They, were only simply living. Without hatred nor rage nor sorrow, they only faced the humans in order to live.
Humans too, should confront them, merely for the sake of living.
In the Hunters Guild, it was repeatedly told to everything who became a hunter, you must not hate them, running out in that one point, was probably because the feeling called hatred existed only inside a human. Even if the monsters had anger, there was no hatred. In fact, a story of monster which came to retaliate because one of them from a pair of a group was being killed, was never heard once.
Among them, it was definitely fate too, that the beaks would die. The law of the world always declared the survival of the fittest. About a commonplace, it was the original figure the world should have.
Therefore surely, the creatures called human beings, were exceptional. The weak should be protected, it was declared for a long time among people, but the reality of the weak being protected by the reason of being weak, existed only among humans. Though many monsters had the tended to protect their children, they would also showed their fangs towards their matured sons and daughters. The relationship of parent did not matter, they would slaughter the body that seemed to threat their lives. Even if there were exceptions in that, humans were definitely not so. So as to think that it was normal for the weak to die, humans were not strong as an individual.
They would not decide that weaklings did not have the right to live. They would not expel the weak. They would try to help them. It was because they had this thought, the medical development became remarkable. The weak was always near to death.
Humans, were creatures that found death sad. Humans, were creatures that found death fearful. Even if why was asked, there was probably no right answer. It could be the desire of physiological creatures, then humans probably may not be the first, to feel the sadness and fear of others.
He could not say that monsters did not have any feelings like sadness and fear. Rather Nobutuna may be an extremely rare hunter that was able to catch that point affirmatively. Even they would grieve, be pleased, laugh, sigh, despair, and hope, without confidence in his vague ground, he always confronted the monsters.
He only knew that he himself humans, were much much weaker than monsters.
(Humans always betrayed. Made lies. Deceived each other.)
In this world, not including the fights to live, humans were probably the only creatures that would murder the same kind for their own self-interests.
Jealousy, hatred, and dislike...They were really difficult creatures.
Led by wisdom, if he moved so that the ones around him could find more happiness than himself, misfortune would come like a reaction. As much as they themselves becoming unhappy, some humans would become happy somewhere, and he did not know where. Though he could afford to look at the happiness of the others when he was in the middle of misfortune, if he was called into question, because humans were weak, he wouldn't be able to see things like that. Surely jealousy and hatred and despise, made deep inside his chest jet-black.
Still to humans, let alone themselves, but found the death of others sad and fearfully, therefore they longed for power to run away from it desperately. Surely he thought, the result would be weapons.
They were many people being attracted by the strength of the big monsters. For hunters that considered them the best target for hunting, that tendency would grow stronger. They may be able to obtain strength if they defeated the monsters. Wyverns were the symbol of strength from the old days, people among the soloists that were able to defeat the strong wyverns alone, were looked at with admiration and a feeling of respect. In their hands, were by all means, the weapon made from the monster which they slaughtered. He himself was the same too. Weapons were the only thing left in the hands of human, to escape from the result of the death of themselves and others, it was the will to fight. Originally, it was not intended for killing something.
Still humans were weak, only weapons would not be enough, and they promoted the medical care and science hard. Borrow the hands of somebody when one alone was not enough. It would become like this, when a weak person was weak and demanded to live desperately. As a result, many indulged in the power of others and the power of items, when one must stand only by own power, there were many people that could not do so. He could only think that, people gather and might become more in vain and weaker.
.
All the monsters may know.
What was really necessary in order to live.
.
It was not weapons, it was not strength, that surely must not be, the biologic difference nor the difference in potential.
.
Their strength was from the will gained from bearing the overwhelming loneliness.
.
Including the joint struggles of monsters, they were rare. Even if there were rarely creatures that act in a group or a pair, that was not originally intended for fight against humans, it was intended for living, even if there were joint struggles, there weren't much cases, like the Tigrexs this time, of large monsters to form groups. Two at the same time would be the best limit. The two of them too, each other was conscious of each other, and may make 'joint struggles' as if to make up. Like humans, thinking of the habit and the injuries of someone, calculating the reach of the weapons of the opponents, more efficiently, including the methods of wining by all means, would they think and fight.
The herbivorous beasts formed a group in order to protect their bodies from the carnivorous animals. When the small carnivorous creatures formed a gang, the purpose was a survival plan when a larger carnivores appeared, and in order for a method of more efficient hunting, by those, they maintained the descendant prosperity with large round numbers. Humans were close to these small carnivorous creatures.
The large size.
The large-sized monsters that hunters all together assumed as targets, approximately almost, acted alone.
Overwhelmingly, in loneliness.
.
The loneliness of high purity was the proof of strength having the same high purity.
.
There were many hunters that aimed to be a soloist being possessed by that will, even if they realized about that impossibility on the way, the traces of humans that challenged from dragons to large-sized monsters did not cut off. Gaining victory from facing them, the sense of fulfillment and the sense of accomplishment, the deep emotion, the impression were rare in daily life. By replacing their loneliness with oneself, humans gained the illusion of becoming stronger.
.
But, still there may be many humans thought and wanted to become a dragon. They were strong.
.
They were strong as to realize that humans were something dwarfish. Without weapons and armors, humans would only run away, unable to make a match, and died instantly. Humans were frightened by them, expelled, and still they lived. Hunters were born from there. Really weak small creatures without organs that could breath fire nor claws nor fangs. Creatures in vain that would never be an opponent to the wyverns.
The strength they gained from slaughtering them, was truly nothing else but illusion. Things born as humans would die as humans. They could not become anything higher than humans. They could not become anything lower than humans.
Still humans created weapons, learned science, and gained from them by knowledge. Borrowed the hands of somebody if there was one enemy that one could not face alone. The strength of connection could oppose the strength of loneliness.
Till abusing the false and borrowed strength, he thought that there were humans that lived like that.
For hunters to continue as hunters was to possibly, be existed between humans and monsters, and it may be like something looking into the big big ditch.
In the depth of that, wanting to see something which was crystallized by the different strength of each other, they may go to hunting grounds with weapons.
The reason why there weren't many people that longed to become monsters, probably, was because it was hard to abandon the strength of connections between people and that pride.
They challenged monsters continuously because they wanted to check how far could that strength reach.
You must not hate them. To hate them is catching the wrong sow by the ear.
The field each other stood on was different. If one must fight them, oneself must stand in their fields. It would become nothing, including hatred and anger and sorrow. If one could not swallow what was natural to the monsters as something natural, one could not become a hunter. When a person became a hunter, he or she must return to the weakest wild monster.
Objects that could be bring in as a person, were weapons, a little science, and companions.
One could not but win if one wanted to keep the connections as a person.
.
With a turn, as if leaning against the sword in his hand, he looked down.
To the companion that he polished, spun, and walked together as a symbol of his power, he leaned against it and looked down.
Oh. He knew that his voice muttering was shivering.
"...This is scary..."
The Tigrexs which endured loneliness and held powerful strength alone, formed a group.
Wyverns that people in vain were able to face by gathering, gathered in the same way as humans.
.
The strength of loneliness had led to the strength of connection.
.
(Can we win)
.
Somebody might die. The moment he thought of, with a shiver, an absolute zero point sank to the bottom of his stomach in a breath. Occluding the stumps tightly, he grasped the handle of the sword. Why do I think of something like that. As he cursed himself, he closed his eyes tightly. As if to wipe out the future he just imagined, he gritted his teeth more strongly.
.
(Can we win,)
.
The opponents were Tigrexs. And they were exceptionally huge. With five of them in front of his eyes at the same time, it was hard for him to buy the fact that he was upset. Still because SEVEN cried out, and Ash answered, he was able to return to sanity. All was saved, they came through somehow, finally the unrest outran him, and a new quiver ran.
.
A need above that was actually here.
.
Anyone would run away if they had nothing to carry on their backs. They were hardly, opponents they could match with. Wyverns were strong. Humans were weak. In the reality arranged in front, including the dream to fight against, there was no room for him to look. Can we win. He asked it repeatedly. Can we win.
.
We can win, he thought.
But, someone, might die. Someone might hurt their bodies. Someone might lose it. Something.
They are not opponents that we can win without a price.
.
Even if he scolded himself for becoming timid, it did not affect the backside of his heart. Nobutuna was different from Billy. The things carrying on their backs, were different.
(I want to value the hunting group, more than the village. What a worst...)
He wanted to destroy the possibility that someone may lose a physical part from the beginning. He could not keep his sanity if it was expected that someone may die.
It was not as if he did not trust his friends. However, their opponents were too bad.
(I'm scared,)
It did not matter to him if he himself died, he did not care if his arm was taken from him.
Such things didn't matter, though it didn't matter, if someone else beside him ended up that way, he would want to run away from this place as quickly as possible.
The moment the hunting group leader made the signal, all the endings were granted to him.
When his companions that responded to the signal died, it was not the wyverns but himself that killed them. It was Nobutuna, who was the leader. Because it was natural for the weak to die. The weak believed in the wrong strength, fight, if he said so, and when one died, the erred was the one that gave the order.
If humans had the best method to evade it, it was not to let weaklings enter there. It was the same as hunters keeping villagers away from hunting grounds. If there's a slight possibility, they would destroy it completely. If they couldn't do so, they would lower it as small as they could.
.
And, I can't do so now. I cannot do so.
We are hunters.
.
Could he order them to die.
To his friends which he thought of important from the bottom of his heart.
(I'm scared,)
He knew that it was the only possibility. He could see the method to go through probably if he thought about it. It was not as if he gave up the hope, it was not as if his confidence and readiness were not enough. They were strong, and they hardly die. He knew. He understood.
However, as long as there was no matter of decision, the assumed worst prediction map always continued in the backside of his brain.
Tigrexs, were strong.
They were much stronger than humans.
(Am I going, to kill them)
.
Do you have the strength to kill a person?
.
(Why do you create an organization that kills other)
(Cause I think it's necessary)
.
He could not, tell his friends, to fight, to die. What would such a leader, be able to protect.
A hunting group, was a group of hunters. They were people who gathered to hunt. What was hunting. What was a hunter. What were weapons for.
What was the purpose of a hunting group that didn't fight.
(No, it's not a collusion, I didn't make it for such a purpose!)
But, he did not make, to let his friends die. He could not do so.
.
(What if I fail...?)
(You will only die)
.
He understood that running away from here, would be the same as creating a hell for the people.
He knew that that to the world, was only the phenomenon in conformity with the rules of the survival of fittest.
They would only die, if they did not fight.
.
(...You, are really, strong)
.
He recalled the man who was the head of the past black hunting group which he hadn't even seen his face.
Nobutuna still did not know the name of the man that picked him up. He thought that there was no need to know it, and his way of thinking had not changed till now.
Still, he regretted why did he not learn from the man who ordered them to kill others, what he was thinking when did so.
He did not think that there were any feeling. He understood that the man lacked in love and gentleness. However right now, he just wanted that cold-hearted strength. He hoped for the strength that gave up cold-bloodedly, taking the death of others. He thought that surely that, should be the figure of the one who was top in the organization.
Otherwise, he could not protect the village. A member was calling for help, and they came here in the form of responding to him, what they should accomplish was only one.
The villagers were weak. They did not know how to fight. They were only expelled weak people. If hunters existed to protect them naturally, though it should be inexcusable including turning around for their self-protection.
He understood about the survival of fittest in the world, yet he was not convinced. The Order of the Black Beast might only be a hunting group that added the wisdom of humans to the strength of loneliness of monsters.
Oh, his voice shivered.
.
"This is scary..."
.
Still he was frightened that his friends would die.
It was painful to lose something important.
He could not tell them, to fight, which was connected by equivalence of, to die.
Surely they would answer him. Of course, and they would proceed to the hunting grounds. It was easy to believe in them. Surely it was easy for him to believe that they would live and come home. However, the strength of trust in comparison with the strength of reality, he did not whether it could compete against.
Wyverns, were strong. Overwhelmingly.
He had seen with his own eyes. In that way, many hunters were slaughtered. Killed. Why do you hate the monsters, it might be said, to someone that sobbed for killing friends mercilessly. If he did not overlap that scene with themselves present, how good would that be.
The creatures that were proud of the strength of loneliness, throwing it away and becoming a crowd, what would they do against us trying to protect something connected.
Including the strength of trust, if it was replaced with reality, it would not even be a thing so vague and uncertain. The world always moved with the law of nature. The weak would die in battlefields. I am not a weakling, if there were humans that could say so with his chest straight, that fellow would just be a fool. Humans were fragile. The creatures called human, such creatures could not become anything higher, and they could not become anything lower.
They were weak and small creatures.
.
(How comfortable will I be, if I'm alone)
.
Certainly, there could not be anything like stopping because of the fear of death of somebody.
.
His breathing stopped. He opened his eyes wide.
.
He began to see the weakness born from the connection of people inside him.
"There, it's a big success"
"Doctor jack really has used a strong measure... To make that hard drinker slept in a blow"
Cause it's cold, let's warm ourselves first, everyone's gonna have one cup. Saying so, the fingertips that received the held out cup, and they were able to confirm that they were slightly shaking, was because the fluctuation of the pouring white liquor was reflected by the moonlight. Otherwise surely, they could not be able to catch up with the change of Nobutuna, from strange to alert and agile.
It was Falt, who noticed that he was frightened.
What is frightened of, everyone asked back. Falt tiled his head, Tigrex is his weak point from the old days, he smiled. Riku and Mr. Sido were surprised and looked back. Is that, true?
"Because, when we first met, Nobutuna fought against a Tigrex by himself?"
"Yeah. Though it's not as big as the ones this time, I remembered that it was bigger than the normal size. Two appeared at the same time, and I was able to carve only one by chance. Weak point, are you joking?"
"...It's not a lie? He often complained about it"
"Seriously? No way-...It's unbelievable. He was able to chip it's strength to let me able to finish me with bow within a few minutes? At that time he was received almost no damage, is that real?"
Why do you have to doubt so much, Falt pouted over, and Mr. shook his head. Because. It's absolutely impossible for one person at that time. Anyway it doesn't matter which is right. Cutting the descent flow of the conversation into chunks, Riku looked back towards jack.
"...How is the taste of the characteristic excellent sake"
"I don't think it's bad. Since I'm the one that combine it"
"Where does that haughty confidence come from... I never heard that something will put combination and cooking together"
Well, is Nobu-chan really scared. With a chuckle, he asked laughingly, and he did not tilted his head as if being puzzled.
"I don't think that he's scared... I think he probably won't answer us even if we ask him what is he scared of"
"If our hunting head is like that, it's be a little troubled. Is he all right..."
"Let's just say, how many of us are all right, within the members. Isn't everyone, quite scared?"
"Then what about you, Riku"
"Me? I'm frightened-–-–... Isn't that for sure, against those gigantic lizards"
Looking objectively, humans hunting wyverns is already strange, Riku thought. Because he had once been there barehanded, he understood about it with all his might.
There's no way we can win, he thought. Without anything, potions, traps, nor weapons. When humans stood completely in the same field as them, there was no forms of art.
I'm lucky that I'm not dead, till now he often thought so. Though he was an idiot, more could be known by sensing with owns living body than the words of others.
"... Human beings will run away because they think they cannot win. Cause we're weak"
"...You, do you intend to do so"
Do you plan to leave the hunting group, and descend from the mountains alone. A low voice, a voice angered by betrayal. Huh, then, he noticed for the first time. If he could give out such a freezing voice, then this fellow must have entered it once. Though Falt's eyes were raising slowly, Riku could see them through the mask. Those eyes, were the eyes of beasts.
The wild territory. The territory which only the will of loneliness, accepted one's existence. The loneliness that ones who protruded the territory of humans knew.
Humans were not anything above, if a living being which could not become anything below it entered, if it could not return, it would only be a territory of mere destruction.
(Oh, both he and I, probably are the kinds of people that returned from it)
Who was the one that dragged them back.
"...Actually it will be fine, to do so."
Probably, if it was himself a little before, he would have do so in that way without hesitation. Against such big Tigrex, worst, a crowd. Sacrificing a village and faced them with a huge army of hunters after the thaw, would be more effective in bringing victory.
The present condition was hopeless if they said. When would be the thaw? It was better to assume for another one month. One month. If all the Tigrexs could not be subdued within that period, probably someone would die. The worst situation was even the village was being exterminated without being able to protect it. Even hunters were humans, they were not as strong as the wyverns. The ability of recover was sadly weaker than wyverns. Defense fights would only bring death closer to this situation. The judgement of Nobutuna who said to stay in the snow mountains, was probably right.
"Though I don't know too well myself, I won't do so"
"..."
"It's actually a fine thing to run away from. If Nobutuna doesn't want to do so, I won't do it."
Though I might have done so if I'm by myself? Thinking that it was not like him, Riku said with a grin.
.
"Unfortunately, you are not alone anymore"
.
"... Seriously no way when you say that-–! But as you said! You just say something cool Riku! But it's so not like you!"
"What... No way, isn't that mean? I think it's not like me but is that all you've got to say?"
"Ah, I just feel refreshed. Sleep. I'm going to sleep before it's too alte. Thanks Riku! I'm not going to take back what I say even after I slept"
"Take it back Falt! Why am I always being treated like this? Seriously no way-–!"
The voice of giggles, and he looked at jack who was next to him. He was shrugged in the same way, with a calm face.
"It's not like you, but it just come, just a little"
"Yeah... To be frank, I'm scared. Somehow, I feel that it will be alright"
Take it back! No way you're just Riku. Why is it always like this! Ah-– already-– why does it always ended in this way every time every time I say something, as expected screw me. You're right it's protein, you better sleep quickly too! Down the noisy corridor, surely the leader who fell into sleep, could not here these voices either.
A nation. The next he could think of, was the military. The divided squats. Next would be units. Groups. Where would the Chivalric Order be if he put it inside a hunting group. The board of chess did not advance.
"...You're thinking of something else, right"
"Yes"
"It's Ash who told me to accompany cause he can't sleep..."
"Aren't you so too"
"Well it is... Isn't your defeat decided"
"I don't think so... If if do it this way"
With a push, a white knight nudged a black pawn.
"Probably, well, antagonism"
"You're wonderful"
"Hey Sky. A hunting group, how large in scale is this group"
"...This is unexpected. What kind of story is this?"
"If I apply it to the Chivalric Order, the scale of our hunting group, the number of people is around more than a group, and less than a unit... If the Kingdom is going to confront seven Tigrex, I think probably a number of teams are going to be dispatched."
As he played with the black king, Sky observed Ash without moving. His absentmindedness was because he was tired, and somewhere of his voice was wet with drunkenness, though it was not as if he could not turn his tongue around, he was sleepy yet he did not sleep, a little was still lacked in order to confirm the name of the feeling.
"...Though the strength of a hunter is different individually, there are many guys that could be equal with from a squadron to a team... Say if we have the same ability of a squadron level... One Tigrex is same as a team... Surely, their side will be too reckless..."
"...Aren't you unusually timid?"
"Every single words of you are making me angry... Even I have the eyes to judge the reality"
"It's dangerous to judge by the value of power and number and quantity. That doesn't work in the world of hunters... Seven Tigrexs, possibly, even the Royal Knights nor the army, might be able to fight against them? Though they know about the way to fight with people, they don't know how to fight monsters"
Few people could hunt efficiently. If a great number charged in, they were may frustrate each other. This was the reason that hunters chose their hunting companions carefully.
Saying, let's go together, even if answered with, sorry, they would not think of other too bad. What was under the words, was simply a sentence of "we might not cooperate well".
Beginning with the affinity of weapons, the way of hunting, build, eyes, equipments, skills. Some may ask directly about the battle style and habits. As a result, sorry, if told so, i see, the conversation would end. Of course, by the actions and words added afterwards, then let's go and see, it would be sufficient.
"...But, it's frightening..."
"...Which are you scared of"
"Which?"
"Yourself dying or someone dying, which are you scared of?"
It's said to Lamia. From Falt. That might be the first time for me, to see him seriously angry.
(If you died everyone is going to cry! It's painful! We're going to regret and suffer! How can there by any death good for somebody in this world! If you think of your friends never do such a stupid imitation again!)
"Those words... though I can't tell Falt, aren't they relatively, quite heavy"
"..."
"To Lamia, till then, she thought that her life would be hers only... Sakura told me"
(Ash, her life, it isn't her property only anymore. But, without changing, it belongs to her... Isn't it slightly hard?)
"By the words of Falt, Lamia felt like having carried Falt on her back"
The feeling of having tied up. She could not die anymore. It was not possible for her to abandon her life, she probably could not take risk anymore.
"I think that the choice to die has disappeared from her"
"...You're right"
"I think, probably, we'll have to do so too"
But, Sky, have you ever fight in the hunting grounds, not thinking that you might die?
"Me, nope."
"...I haven't too"
"Right? No matter how, even against 'an opponent that we can definitely win', hunters may die at any time, I think we thought so as we fought"
I think, in that, as if to pin the feeling of fear to the floor, as if to fight against that feeling, we wield our weapons.
(Someone will be sad if we die, that is surely true, but if that makes dying more frightening... In hunting grounds, can we win?)
It might be impossible for me. Sakura said. I might die. But I don't want to die, therefore I fight. The choices of, to escape, and , to fight, are always left in the middle of the fluctuation of our hearts, simply because we can choose, to fight, a hunter can be worth as a hunter.
(Ash, if you die, I probably will cry a lot. I might cry all the time... I think I'll want to chase after you)
Chasing after Ash, I may die myself.
(Still, can you go to the hunting grounds?)
"Well, I'll go"
"...Why, is that"
"...Ah-–, I'll be troubled if you ask, hmmm... Doesn't running away, look uncool"
"The dimension of our subject is not something about being cool and uncool"
"...I can't say it well"
"To me, Ash. The death of myself is more fearful than the others dying"
Are you going to laugh at me for being timid. After having thought a little, Ash slowly shook his head. Thank you. Muttering, Sky smiled.
"It's scary to see myself which I cultivated disappear. There's still more I want to see and do from now on, I'm scared that it will end. The future that will last ahead for me, it is firm. If that is taken away by the Tigrexs, it will be terrible."
He imagined himself who lived in tomorrow routinely. The day after tomorrow, one week later, oneself was no longer in the world, the consciousness was gone, thoughts disappeared, the heart vanished, were there possibly anyone people in the world, really thinking these?
I might die tomorrow, how many people were there would imagine about it and lived? How many people were there that fight against themselves in that way all alone?
(Probably, such sad people, are the strongest humans in the world)
Humans were very weak and small.
"Won't others have nothing to with it? Of course, even I will be sad if my friends die, therefore I'll cry, but probably one year after I survived, I'll play my horn again... The death of people fades. Though it can't be forgotten, the form of sadness staying without changing, there aren't just many among people."
Because it was not possible for a person to continue growing with just having sadness. Because probably, surely, it was very painful.
Sky knew that humans were creatures that would forget.
Humans were very weak and small.
"...Humans cannot be anything that is higher than humans, they cannot be anything below humans. Though there possibly may be unforgettable sorrow, most of them will be washed away by daily lives and forgotten. The feeling of a person wanting to live, probably, because it was stronger than any other things, it's beyond sadness."
Just like what Sakura said, there probably were sadness that could not be surpassed.
"...In the same way as Ash, the words of Falt, are quite heavy to me... But, I feel happy"
"...Yeah, I thought so too"
"If all that can be received and stopped, probably, I think, it might work"
There were people who would cry. There were people who would grieve. The words of his that shouted to live, reminded of the possibility that one might die tomorrow.
The words let them remembered the firm future including illusion ahead. With the forgotten fear, reality, and the dwarfish taste of human, still their enemies were the unknown Tigrexs which they did not know whether they could win even if their lives were bet on.
"I'm scared... But, I think now, we might win. I don't know how it will turn out either, I haven't think about it. There isn't a need to, right?"
"...Yes"
.
But, now, in order to survive with every effort, there were no value in the supposition of the future.
.
"...Hey, have you gathered up"
"jack"
"How long have you been there"
"Around when Falt's name appear. Relax, that guy has slept already"
"If he heard it, he's definitely going to dance happily and make fun of us... We're saved"
You two drink it too and sleep quickly. But drink it on the bed. Saying so, jack handed cups of white liquor to them.
"... What's this"
"The excellent sake of magic that made Nobutuna slept with a sip, compounded by doctor jack"
With a yawn, I'm going to sleep too, Riku waved his hand.
"Everyone is scared after all"
The remaining mutter, they looked at each other and bursted into laughters. So, everyone is frightened.
"What a cowardly hunting group"
"There's not a difference"
But, everyone noticed. jack slightly frowned.
It was Nobutuna who was the hunting head that decided to fight after the drift. Though everyone is scared, he should be the one with most fear.
(Thinking about it, it's like giving notice, telling all the members to die)
Therefore everyone, looked at their own death. They assumed the future that did not last. With fear, they were able to decide to exceed it. We probably can live, if the death of ourselves and our companions could be assumed. It was possible for humans to assume the death of others. Living and dying, these were granted to those who worked as hunters.
However, jack did not know.
(The sense of 'might kill his own friends"... can that fellow tolerate with it)
He's scared. Falt said, and he expected.
(...He was the one that created the hunting group, he's the one that gathered the members. He must no doubt, have more contemplation in this hunting group than others. He must be scared... Truly he should have wanted to throw away the possibility of destroying by his own hands)
We might die. All the members will fight while thinking so. To fight against the fear. There would be the resolution for death to open up means of escaping sometimes. As a result, the truth, some might die.
There might be the possibility, the chance, he was tired of assumptions.
"Mr."
"Huh"
"...Do you think, we can prevent anyone from dying"
Do you think we can do so, against a group of Tigrexs.
"...I don't know"
He said honestly. jack looked at him.
"I don't know, that's why, I'll do it... Both, have the possibility... Certainly it was not limited, to be tied up with the result of being aggressive continuously. Betraying the things originally believed in, is ordinary in the world. In the secular society, it is always. The world does not have any feelings... It'll manage if we believe in it, words like these, are just words of honest to a fault of a child"
"..."
"But, jack. We, aren't so powerless"
Though we don't have many supplies and power, we aren't powerless. We have techniques. We have wisdom too. Because we are humans, we though in various way and became a hunter. Because we are humans, we are hunters.
"... If we live the way we are, no matter till when, we will surely just be how we are"
Though I'm frightened. Mr. said smiling bitterly.
.
"It's human's special privilege to create how we want to live from the way we are now?"
.
"...It is so"
Do you think, we can not let anyone die?
Oh, I might be able to do it. He muttered deep inside his chest.
(If you say it, I'll do it, leader?)
If that, is the future we want to have.
"We'll be entering from noon till evening to look generally around the mountains. Decide the routes which marking with paintballs, drag out the routes which the Tigrexs wander from there... I'll like to incline the techniques of Mr. too. Plus, I'll have the tow guide hunters move separately also."
"Yes yes. Let it to me"
"Roger that"
"In case of battles on the way, there will be no problem in fighting against one or two as usual. But, when there's three or above, subjugation isn't the only aim, try to meet up with the other companions. If you think it's impossible, come back. Everyone bring a farcaster."
Let's divide the members. He drew a line on the snow, and wrote his name on the top most right corner.
"Billy will be the leader of the other group. He knows the most about the snow mountains, and he's used to the way of fighting on these lands too. jack and Mr. will be separated also, it'll be better to have a doctor hunter on each party. Falt and Riku will be on different teams also. We don't have much gunners. SEVEN and Ash are power types, and... Looking at it now, our hunting group really has taken a balance..."
"... Huh, didn't you think about it when you select the members"
"Nope I didn't think of anything. I let the feelings and weathers decide"
The balance of close-rangers and gunners were good, and it was ideal to have to doctor hunters. Incidentally, he even gathered a perfect hunting horn user as support.
(... We get along well, and the balance between hunters become so complete in this way)
After all, it will be painful to lose anyone of them.
"...Billy, Ash, jack, Riku. Well, me, SEVEN, Mr., Falt, Sly. We will head to the mountaintop. Is there any map?"
"Here."
"The distance which Tigrexs will took around five hours before arriving at the village will be great. That means, including the mountaintop... Around this area"
He drew a red circle, and the mountaintop was on the corner of it. Then to the right, he divided the circle from the middle into two.
"This side will be Billy and the others, this side will be us. We're going to spend one full say to search. Fortunately, cause there's no snowstorm, there will be enough time for us to look around if we split... The area of the nest will be good. Let's look together once again tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. After fighting once, the other side has one finished, they shouldn't be coming out so easily"
Drawing the same markings on another map, he hand one to Riku, and one to Mr. The rest of the members did not have a map. It was the basics of hunters to walk with as least extra items as possible.
"...Then, let's move carefully. Put out the fire"
The fire before the camp went out. Nobutuna had slightly more luggage than the other. Firestone and cigarettes were unnecessary.
But, he was not able to part with them. It was important for him to be stable. There was no more escape. The touch of the walking through the snow, was a little wet. Unnecessary words were not need if they came to the hunting grounds. It would be fine if it was after the hunting, but now, it was an interval which even the opponents could not be seen.
He took a deep breath.
The air of the snow mountains was cold.
.
"Keep your respective role... Survive... Hunting, start!"
.
Sounding lightly across the snow mountains, footsteps.
Author's Note:
It's fiction. Rime rhythm all on. Philosophy is a study for letting people live a better life, a great person said so. I think. Though I don't know about philosophy, 8th grader sickness (a humorous way of characterizing certain expressions or behaviors that are characteristic of teenagers). This is how Rime rhythm feels like. Be carefully cause it's lengthy. Anyway I think it'll be good if those playing 3rd could turn on 2ndG to fight a mega-Tigrex before reading. Hunting scenes are still no much. Please forgive me for the vague expressions. If it's "real" not game, how will it be, will it be like this? Don't give yourself air, don't flatter, aim and hit. Don't hide, don't hesitate, be straight. Thanks for reading.
Translator's Note:
Part 2 of chapter 11. Translating theories and fighting scenes aren't easy... sigh... Thanks for reading ( • w • )/''