Heroes to Hunters
Chapter 30
I'd like to make a "Izuku! You got some splainin to do!" joke but that feels off. For now though, I'll have Melissa and Izuku learn about the Mohran festival. And get some of the special ores attached to the backs of the beasts in question. So on with the show.
(No POV)
Izuku groaned a bit as he woke up next to Melissa. Then blushing while remembering what they did last night. "This is gonna be trouble for later. But I will admit….. it is pretty nice," he said with a small smile on his face.
"Hey! You two okay?" the captain of the ship asked while pounding on the door. Melissa stirred a bit but didn't wake. So Izuku found his pants and opened the door. "Yeah! Yeah, we're good. Just uh…. It's been a rough couple of days."
The lead hunter hummed before acknowledging Izuku's statement. "Can't blame you for being that exhausted. But get ready. We've spotted one! A Jhen Mohran!" he said with excitement before heading to the top of the ship.
Izuku was confused by this and wondered what this Mohran was. 'Haven't come across one of those before. Could be interesting to see!' he thinks before quickly getting his Dual Blades ready. "Melissa! Come on! I think they could use some help!" Izuku said while shaking the blonde girl vigorously.
"Uh. Mphm. Izuku? What….. Oh right… we uh. Did that last night….." Melissa says before turning bright red and looking away. Izuku blushes a bit too but stays in the moment and grabs her face. Turning it back toward him to look him in the eye. "We can discuss it more later! Right now something is going on. Get your gear ready."
Melissa was a bit off put by the way Izuku spoke to her. But hearing the rapid movement of feet and equipment above her brought her back to where they really were. "Uh…. Right! I'll uh…. Look I know what we just did, but could you give me some privacy?"
Izuku clears his throat before agreeing and saying he'd meet her on deck. After he left, Melissa started screaming to herself internally. Both at finally confronting some of what she felt for him. As well as sleeping with a man who had a girlfriend. "Well two. And one is pregnant. So does that make me a….. you know what!? Never mind! I'll worry about that later!"
She quickly put her gear on and grabbed her Sword and Shield for whatever it was this group of ships was searching for. Something Izuku was getting briefed on by one of the hunters.
"We Loc Lac hunters specialize in fighting through these regions. And this is one of the biggest events for us. When a Mohran surfaces from beneath the sands. Bringing the ores it's collected up. It's a major boon for our home!"
The excited hunter's energy was almost infectious as Izuku felt himself getting hyped. "So what kind of monster is it?" he asked while looking through some binoculars at Delex swimming through the sands.
Only for his jaw to drop as the tusks of the beast arose from the sands. It's bellowing cry making the sands and ship tremble. Melissa, who had just arrived, was stunned by the beast and had to wipe her glasses a few times to make sure she was truly seeing what was there. "That is the Elder Dragon, Jhen Mohran!" the hunter said before running to load up some of the cannons.
A second large sand dragonship pulled up opposite the one Izuku and Melissa were on. All the while, a sandstorm seemed to rage around them. As if summoned by the very beast they were hunting. "This is crazy! How do we fight this? Like Zorah Magdaros?!" Izuku asked quickly.
The captain confirmed the general flow of the fight. "But in our case we have to keep up with it. So. We'll tie ourselves to the beast!" He then gestured to a hunter who readied a strong cable harpoon. Only for them all to be shocked when the Jhen Mohran dove down. And then leapt out of the sand so hard, it went right over the dragonship.
"We're dead." Melissa said with a blue shade over her eyes. "Not yet we're not! Sound the gong!" the captain called out and a hunter hurried to it. But not before they were all set upon by Delex.
Izuku quickly drew his blades and slashed a few of the sand swimmers. And while Melissa was still a tad scared, she shook out of it and blocked an attack from a Delex before slashing it. As the Jhen Mohran surfaced next to their ship, the captain called for someone to get a line on it.
A hunter did and that just made the Elder Dragon mad. "Crap! Get on the guns and load the cannons!" a hunter shouted and the others snapped to action. Izuku grabbing cannonballs and loading them as fast as possible. Melissa meanwhile grabbed one of the ballistae and took aim.
She fired as fast of shots as she could while quietly repeating, "this is crazy". Izuku and the other hunters though were ready with the cannons and closed the backs to barrage the beast. Unleashing a series of shots into the rocky side of the Mohran.
It then roared before shaking and throwing some of the rocks on it's side off and at the ship. One struck Melissa and she almost rolled off the ship. "Melissa!" Izuku called out before leaping to catch her. Just missing her fingertips.
And while he wanted to go after her, he had less to worry about. As she quickly used her wirebugs to pull herself up and back onto the ship. "You might want to work on your reactions there Izuku," she said with a chuckle. Izuku just groaned a bit before apologizing.
"You two can get in bed later! We've got incoming!" the captain shouted while loading some cannonballs and bolts for the ballistae. The Mohran cries out after another barrage of bolts and cannonballs. It's eyes seem to flash as it reels slightly before shoving it's weight towards the dragonship that it was tied to.
The hunters shout as they're tossed about but a few regain their composure and run to leap aboard the beast. "Are they nuts?" Izuku asked before fighting a Delex. "Hell no! The minerals we can get from that thing are invaluable! The gear we could make would speed up development too!"
"Did you say gear and development?" Melissa said with a twinkle in her eye. She quickly grabs a pickaxe from a crate and uses her bugs and the bit she had learned from Kamura to leap aboard the Elder Dragon. Izuku groans before trying to go after her.
But the captain stops him. "We need to keep it in place while the excavators work. Do some damage to the limbs to slow it down!" Izuku wants to protest but the bucking of the beast dampens that. So he curses while cutting and shooting at the fins on the monster.
Melissa meanwhile followed a few of the hunters to what should be the best point to gather minerals. Noting a few gleaming ores on the back of the Mohran. She smiles before using her borrowed pickaxe to strike at the collected stones.
But after a few seconds (and some decent chunks of metals and the like gathered) the Jhen Mohran starts bucking a bit. Tossing a few off it's back while others take out their weapons and struck the sensitive points they could find. Melissa followed suit again with her Guard Breaker and started chopping into the hide of the Elder Dragon. As well as using her wirebugs to stop the Delex that were leaping up at them with a Windmill technique.
"Oh shit! Get back to the ship! It's pulling away!" one hunter calls out before leaping toward the vessel. The inventor turned hunter tries to make her way back as well, but she stops as one hunter was bucked off towards the sands.
She didn't know what was happening. Only that her body started moving on its own as she leapt toward the hunter. Her mind caught up and she caught the man and could see the way back to the ship. Namely by using her wirebugs to pull them both up.
Doing so launched them a bit higher than she planned, but she saved her comrade in hunting. "Thanks for that. Now let's get this thing!" the hunter said before drawing his bowgun. Izuku helped Melissa up and asked if she was okay.
"Yeah. Huh. Maybe this is some of what it feels like to be a hero. Getting thanked by him…. It felt good." Melissa pondered aloud while looking at her weapon. Izuku smiled before admitting it was similar. "C'mon. Let's keep showing this sand whale what we've got!"
She agrees and takes up her post on the ballistae again while Izuku loads the cannons. After a few more rounds were poured into it, one of the Jhen Mohran's tusks broke off. Which angered the Elder Dragon as it dove into the sand. Before surfacing once more to charge at the dragonship.
"Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!" Melissa cursed as it charged right at her and she kept firing. Only leaping away at the last moment as it struck. It seemed disoriented after the attack and a few of the hunters took the moment to leap atop it again and collect materials.
Izuku being one this time who used his Dual Blades to cut into a cracked section of the back fin. Or rather drill into it with the Spiral Slash. "Okay…. That will take some getting used to," Izuku says after drilling open the cracked section of the stone fin.
But the Mohran did not take kindly to this and reeled up after he broke through. Tossing a number of hunters off and into the sea of sand. They all caught the ropes dragging from the back of the dragonship to pull themselves up to it and reengage the monster. And then the Mohran dived down into the sand
"All right. Let's see how you like this!" the captain says before striking the massive gong on the dragonship. The resulting vibrations are felt by all. Especially the monsters below and around the ship as it reverberates. Causing a number of them to be stunned. Or in the Jhen Mohran's case it surfaces in a disoriented state and open to more attacks. "It can't take much more!"
When one hunter says this, the captain told them it was wishful thinking. "We need to get it to a place it can't swim easily. Then we can use the heavy artillery!" he says before taking the group of ships toward a rocky section of the Mohran Desert. With the Elder Dragon following them.
The captain adjusts the sails a bit before having them go slack. He drops the deck extensions down while activating the dragonator that was positioned perpendicular to the ship. And the ballistae were repositioned to take better shots and the Jhen Mohran as it approached.
And while it did, Melissa again found herself fascinated by the technology and ingenuity of the Hunters. "Our world's equipment might be cleaner looking, but this is still impressive in strength and scale!" she marveled as the Mohran started to crawl toward the ships.
"Not the time Melissa! We need to face this thing!" Izuku said while loading ballistae ammo and adjusting the sights. And also feeling a tingle of fear as the monster started toward them. Reinforced as it felt like an earthquake was happening right along with the sandstorm around them.
As the Jhen Mohran starts flopping towards them, the hunters keep unloading whatever they have at it. From bowguns and bows with their varied ammo, to the ballistae and cannons firing away. Until it flopped over in pain to then rest.
"Move in with your bombs!" the captain shouted and most shouted affirmatives. Melissa and Izuku though stayed back. "We uh… don't have any," he said sheepishly. But the captain clapped him on the back and just told the pair to keep firing other shots. Needed as the monster awoke from it's stupor after the various bombs went off.
Even as the Mohran tried throwing rocks from it's back at them, the two hunters stayed calm and kept attacking with the others. Once it was close again, the captain and other hunters launched the binders to hold it in position for the big strike.
"Have a taste of this!" the captain shouted as the stomach of the Mohran was open to attack. Using the hammer on his back to pound the dragonator switch. And drive the explosive tipped spear into the Elder Dragon. Finally killing it.
The Loc Lac hunters cheer as this beast signals a great boon for their home. "We'll be able to eat great for a while! I'm more interested in making a Guan Yu with this. The Jhen Cannon is what I want!" some of the hunters say this and other things while working to prep the recently deceased dragon.
"Well. You should get use to this side as well Melissa. Besides, it's our kill too." Izuku says before drawing his carving knife. Melissa checks her pockets before finding her knife and heading to a section of the whale like Elder Dragon. 'Heck of a first kill I guess.' Melissa thinks while cutting into the creature.
The major butchering takes a while to finish though. Even with most of Loc Lac helping, it still took four days to finish. But once they were done, it was time to celebrate! Hunter's all around cheered as they started drinking and eating their fill of the meat collected from the Jhen Mohran fight as well as other hunts.
"Man. I'm glad you two were along! Didn't expect to find a lost couple out there, but at least you two are damn good hunters!" the one Melissa saved said while chugging down a beer. A few of the others confirmed and thanked the pair for their help with the work and festival.
Melissa couldn't stop beaming at the praise and was practically dancing in her seat. Izuku was happy to hear it as well, but something else was bothering him. Namely how everyone was looking at them. Part of that might have been due to the pair being from Kamura and were suddenly dropped into the desert.
But the bigger part was that some were eyeing up Melissa from behind. He pulled her close to him before kissing her once. Something that shocked everyone, Melissa turning bright red at that "What was that for?!" she exclaimed in embarrassment.
"Nothing much. Just…. Trying to say something. Hey uh…. Could you get a message to Kamura for us? We've been gone quite a while after all." Izuku deflected before asking for that and a way to get back there.
The elder nods and says, "we should be able to get you back to your friends soon. But don't worry about that now. It's festival time!" Izuku looks like he wants to argue but it falls on deaf ears. "You're worried about them?" Melissa asked with a nod of her head.
Izuku looks at her before admitting it was true. "It's just…. With Setsuna p-pregnant and Ochaco waiting…. I don't want them to worry more." Melissa put an arm around his shoulders before trying to talk him into not worrying.
"We should take some time to know more about these hunters. I was surprised by how they fight in sandstorms like that. I wonder if there are other specialized cities?" Melissa pondered aloud. And her last question was answered.
"There are a few varied types of hunters. You folks from Kamura have those canynes and the owls to help you hunt. Dondorma is the home of the hunter's guild. Astrea and Seliana from what we know is a research group. With some top tier hunters that have those slinger things. And then there's Moga. They fight in an ocean too. But one of water compared to our sand one."
Izuku hummed at this and wondered if any sea heroes would be interested in them. "Asui might find it interesting. Maybe I'll send a letter when we get back to Kamura. Might not be a bad idea to learn more about this world and the other ways hunters operate."
He leaned back a bit before the pair were told where to go to rest for the night after all the partying. Once they were exhausted enough from being around everyone, Izuku and Melissa slipped away to relax in private. As well as talk about some matters.
"So, do we tell them right when we get back or to we just end this here?" Melissa said with some fear. Izuku takes a deep breath before admitting he wasn't sure precisely. "But…. I do need to tell them the truth. It's not just about owing it to them. I can't betray their trust after everything."
The blonde inventor nodded before asking if there was anything else he wanted to do. Izuku took a breath before stripping out of part of his armor and looking back to Melissa. He reached up and gently took her glasses. Her sky blue eyes melting into his emerald one. He then asked her, "what do you want to do?"
Melissa gently took his hand before guiding it to one of the clasps of her armor. Unbuckling it and dropping it off her chest. She gulped slightly before putting his hand atop her breast and letting him feel her heartbeat.
Or that was what Izuku was focusing on. And he could feel some of the excitement that same beat was resonating. As well as the want in Melissa's eyes as they gazed at each other again. The two coming together in a kiss once more. Not as panicked or fervent as the first two times, but nonetheless passionate.
Each slid out of their greaves and wraps around their waists before rolling into the bed. Izuku initially started on top, but Melissa surprised him by quickly flipping around and getting atop of him. Her long hair came down around their faces as she moved in to kiss him once more. Both resolving to make this work with all involved.
There we go. Now the splain can wait till the next chapter. And no it's not because I'm procrastinating. Writing the fight with the Mohren took more than I expected. I think I've been spoiled by how easy Rise has been. Anyway, next chapter will have the duo getting back to Kamura and the others. And I'm also looking to do a side story with Tsuyu as the lead in Moga. Though I haven't decided on who else to send there. Maybe Tamaki, Koda, and Kinoko for starters. Please review!
