Heroes to Hunters
Chapter 33
Time to get more into what is happening. And answer a few questions on this mystery I've been brewing in the background. Sad to say though, after this and one more chapter I'll be shifting to some side stories as it were. Not just for a breather. But also to bridge a bit of time and tell some new story ideas I've had for a bit. About 6 to 10 chapters worth. So on with the show.
(Setsuna POV)
I took a deep breath while looking out over the ocean. Smiling as I heard Izuku, Ochaco, and Melissa behind me. Running to the water in swimsuits. And uh….. I'll admit, I was quite enjoying the view of Ochaco and Izuku's muscles. Heck even the little bit of ha…. Melissa's thickness was nice too.
Anyway, we were just taking the day off. Relaxing on a side island outside of the jungle. Took a few great wirebug yanks, but it was nice to just relax after the mess of fighting the Chameleos. We played on the beach, swam in the warm waters, had fun with our buddies. Even made a whole bonfire and cookout to just enjoy the evening.
"Man. If it wasn't for all of the monsters, this world would make one heck of a tourist location." Izuku had said aloud. "I don't know. Even with the monsters I still think it's a nice place. But maybe that's because… you're here." Yes I blushed like a dork after saying that, but I did mean it.
Course my blush darkened as Ochaco jumped on my back and asked about herself. Pouting her usual cute way. I think the kiss I gave her later cemented what I thought about her now too.
Right getting sidetracked. So we ended up sleeping on the island for the night…. Mostly sleeping anyway. At least no one was going to complain about us out there. But uh. Next morning was when things, got weird.
After wirebugging back, we all noticed something odd about the Jungle. "Uh. It's really quiet. Almost painfully quiet now." Melissa noted while we were making our way back towards camp. "Yeah. Hey where are the Hermitaurs?" Ochaco asked as we walked along the other beach.
We were on the wooded beach area when it happened. I think. Yeah, right as Izuku was noticing that even the spear squid were swimming…. He spotted it. Standing above the hollowed-out rock tunnel. It was…. A dragon. I'm guessing an Elder Dragon. It was sliver and red. Had these funky creatures flying around it.
You'd think that would be the scariest part, right? Hell no! That came when the others showed up. Right in the water, a Kushala Daora landed. And in an instant it sealed off parts of the map to get away with it's winds. Then this golden dragon with a purple glow landed behind us and sealed off the other cavern routes.
And before we could think of trying anyway to run, Melissa noted a terrifying sight. The crimson streaks of a Crimson Glow Valstrax blistering across the sky. We had no weapons, no armor, no chance.
"There's some flashflies nearby. I'll try to distract them." Izuku said with his own determined gaze at the silver dragon. Even with all of that against us, he was still trying to save us. But they wouldn't give him the chance.
Before he could act, the silver dragon pounced on him. And with it's roar knocked all of us back. It lashed out above our heads with it's sharp wings and then the tail. It did something weird though. It looked like it held one wing up like a shield when Izuku was focused on it.
We tried to take a stand ourselves, but the others were ready. The gold one jumped Melissa from behind. Tossing her up into the air and slamming her against the wall a bit. Before it could do more though, the silver dragon had it's wing blade next to the eye of the gold dragon.
The thing looked terrified and stopped after that. Putting her in it's mouth before the two jewel like dragons started to take off. "No!" Ochaco shouted before being blasted in the back by a rush of wind from Kushala.
It sent her spiraling up into the air… and right into the mouth of the highspeed Vlastrax. I barely saw her look of horror as it blitzed out of nowhere. The other two took off and I was left with Kushala stalking towards me. Our buddies couldn't help, those flying things from the silver dragon had stopped them cold.
It walked toward me with a measured pace, almost as if it felt pity for me. I wonder if that grew soon after. Because not long after, I passed out from the shock of everything that happened.
(No POV)
"And that's the last thing I remember. They're…. they're gone. I'm all alone." Setsuna said while curled up into a ball after Han and Amalee had awoken her. She started crying and Amalee wrapped her in a hug.
But it wasn't the only thing trying to comfort the girl. The strange small Kushala was also trying to comfort Setsuna. "Any idea what's with the mini Elder Dragon? Or the strange stone glowing behind you?" Fiorayne asked with some concern. Not just for what happened to Setsuna, but this whole strange affair.
Setsuna shook her head as the creature rested it's on her lap. She was a bit nervous but started gently petting the dragon. And it started purring almost. "Okay. This is just getting weird!" Han says while shaking his head a bit.
They all try to make sense of what was going on, but Amalee puts some of it together first. "Wait…. Malzeno! It's actions were odd right? It went to all of those other spots where some Elder Dragons rest when we beat them down enough! Just like her!"
"Maybe…. Maybe they aren't gone!" Han pieces together what his sister was saying and the group plans to check everything out and try to find more of the truth. "But first things first. We should get young Tokage out of here. I will take her and….. I guess this odd dragon and stone back. You search for the others." Fiorayn ordered before having her palamute come over to load up the stone.
Han nodded and assured Setsuna they would find out what happened to her partners. "For now, get back to base camp. And maybe get some more clothes," he noted with a cough and a blush. One Setsuna returned before thanking them.
Once she was gone, Amalee shared a look with her brother. One he understood as 'even if they are dead, we need to bring something back'. The twins whistled for their palamutes and rode off to check the areas that Malzeno stopped at before.
And tucked away in a corner of the corner of nest area opposite the resinmire, was Ochaco. She wasn't alone though. Next to her with another strange blue stone, was a small young Valstrax. "What the Hell is going on?" Amalee mirrored her brother's question when they found Setsuna.
They woke the brunette up gently before freaking out as much as Setsuna did when they woke her up. "What the…. who…. where am I?!" she finally asked after she stopped thrashing. Only to be shocked by the Valstrax with it's tail around her.
"What is going on?!" Ochaco screamed upon seeing the monster. Han and Amalee both rolled their eyes before helping the girl up. "Listen, we found Setsuna. She's fine and now finding you, I guess the others are safe too. We've gotta get you out of here though." Amalee says while helping Ochaco to stand.
She does just as Fiorayne did and loaded up the stone before taking Ochaco back to camp. While Han went to check the northern arena section where Gore Magalas would often molt to become Shagaru Magalas.
'Hope she's okay. If that thing roughed her up as much as Setsuna said, she might not be in the best state.' Han thinks while riding Riley up the vines hanging from the cliffs. And like before he found the girl and the young Elder Dragon.
Or rather, it was a small Gore Magala that currently had it's furry wings wrapped around a somewhat injured Melissa. Han gently woke her up before giving her a potion to heal. "What? What is this thing?" she asked after getting her bearings. "Well at least you didn't ask the same thing we all have been."
Han gave her a quick run down of what he knew so far. "But we've gotta get you back. Based on what's happened so far, we know where Izuku is. So we'll go get him after you return to camp." Han says before picking the girl up bridal style.
She pouts and says she wanted Izuku to do this to her. "No really the time to discuss it. Willy? Riley all set?" Han says with a raised eyebrow. "Good to go meowster." Willy said while securing the stone with some rope.
Han nodded and said they should get moving. "No telling what could happen to Izuku. But at least he's alive… probably." After getting down from the cliffs, a tremor shook the entire area. Han looked up and saw hundreds, maybe thousands of Quirio flying in the air. And out to the sea and a sink hole. 'What is with that?' he asked in his mind while hurrying to get Melissa back to the camp.
Speaking of Izuku though, he was partially awakened by the tremor and shook his head to sit up in… "Am I in a nest? Oh crap it's gonna eat me," he thinks aloud while pressed up against the same large blue stone that was with the other girls.
And then he notices an egg next to said stone with him. "Oh. No I'm not the big ones food. Nope. I'm the first meal for a baby. Great." Izuku says while shaking the cobwebs out of his head. Touching both the stone and the egg at the same time.
The stone glows bright as it spreads over Izuku and then the egg. Causing it to crack and then hatch into a new Malzeno. But not the same kind of Malzeno that Han and Amalee fought. This was the true form of Malzeno. Primordial Malzeno.
Though it was far smaller than it should have been. Izuku was surprised by the creature, and it grew as it sniffed him before gently rubbing up to him. "Okay. This is weird." Izuku said while gently rubbing the silver, gold, and blue scales of the Elder Dragon.
He shook his head again before walking towards the sunlight from the cavern he was in. And saw a large number of Quirio flying above the nest and ruined spires of the castle. "Shit" was all Izuku could say as some of the creatures flew at him. Before the could latch on though the little dragon pounced on the flying leeches and ripped them apart.
It looked up to the sky before snarling at the mass of little creatures. Which started to divebomb the pair in swarms. Izuku freaked out for a moment, but the Malzeno took to striking out with it's wingblades with gusto. At one point splitting six in half with a thrust of its wing.
"Whoa. This is.. what is going on?" Izuku asked as the small dragon kept attacking the Quirio. But it was clear it was being overwhelmed by the shear number. "It needs help. But there's no….. wait!" Izuku thought aloud before looking around the nest area. He picked up a large scale (likely shed from a larger Malzeno) and a piece of sharpened bone and leapt in to help the young dragon.
Charging forward first with a punch from his improvised shield arm, making a number of Quirios bursts. "No wirebugs to really amp my attacks up, but I can keep going!" Izuku says while slashing with the bone and scale. Even covering the young dragon similar to how he saw the other Malzeno fight.
The little dragon saw this and started mimicking the action. Lashing out with a thrust after protecting itself and Izuku's back with it's shield wing. Izuku smiled at the action and kept attacking the flying mass of leeches.
But a group bunched together and blasted him back into a different pile of bones. He lost the improvised weapon he picked up but found something else to use. "Might not have a kinsect, but I think I can make this work!" Izuku exclaimed while spinning a pikelike bone and slashing with it. Even vaulting up into the air to slash at the clusters of Quirio.
The Malzeno see this and follows Izuku's lead a bit by flying up slighting. And then lashing around with it's trident like tail and then its wingblades. But it seems to get dizzy afterwards and has to rest.
Izuku sees this and how some of the Quirio were attaching to the tired dragon's skin. Causing it a bit of pain. "I still have no idea what's going on, but I'll help you," he said before Tornado Slashing with the bone pike and cutting off the tiny creatures.
He winces once before noting this would hurt less with actual armor and shoes. "Oh no. No shield!" Izuku says as a group of Quirio dive bomb him again. Some attaching and draining his blood. Malzeno snarls before precisely slicing off the cluster of creatures with it's wingblade. Then sweeping the bodies away from Izuku.
The little Primordial Malzeno puts itself between Izuku and the Quirio. Snarling up at the creatures. Izuku coughs a bit before putting a hand on the little dragon. Suddenly both feel a strange rush as a power fills Malzeno.
It's eyes glow a blue green, and lightning seems to crackle around it. Before the dragon a group of lights gathered. Izuku could feel the energy as well and glared up at the swarming monsters. "Clench your buttocks or maybe your tail in this case. And scream out SMASH within your heart!" Izuku says while leaning on the dragon.
Malzeno lets out a powerful roar that launches the orbs of green energy forward. Blasting through the hordes of Quirio and causing a blast of wind all around. After the shockwave had passed, the Primordial Malzeno seemed exhausted. Leaving it vulnerable to a renewed attack by remaining Quirio.
"Not gonna happen." Izuku said before picking up an old fallen door and readjusting the grip he had on the bone pike. He grit his teeth before thrusting and sweeping at the mass of little monsters swarming the pair. Using the wood door to help cover the young dragon as well. Charging forward to crush a mass of Quirio against some rocks.
The dragon regains it's composure and fights with Izuku, but there are even more coming with a new tremor and a loud roar almost from the sea. Izuku and Malzeno brace themselves for the oncoming swarm.
Only to hear a blast and see a barrage of bullets above them. "Got your back kid!" Han shouts while unloading bullet after bullet from his Teostra Flamebolt. "You were right to change your weapon bro! Glad I took the same advice!" Amalee shouts while drawing her Abyssal Storm Bow.
Fiorayne meanwhile runs up to cover Izuku with her Sword and Shield. Tossing the boy a chainmail shirt to help protect him more. "I don't know why I'm protecting this beast, but it seems to dislike the Quirio as much as we do!" she shouted while slashing as fast as possible.
Izuku covered himself and struck out as many times as he could with his long piece of bone. At least until it broke from striking the rocks and walls around him. But luckily the arrival of the top two from Kamura and Elgado cleared enough of the Quirio. The rest flying towards the ruins out at sea.
"Well that was weird. I'm just gonna…. Take a nap now." Izuku says after the fight is done. And as he collapses, the Elder Dragon is there to catch him. Han lets out a 'huh' before saying they should check in the nest area.
"And yet again, this weird stone. What's with that?" he asks before picking it up and preparing to head back to camp. "I'm not sure we'll get our answers right away. For now, lets help these kids get home." Amalee says while adjusting her bow.
It doesn't take long for them to get back and the girls are happy and shocked to see Izuku. The latter though had more to do with the dragon who's back he was laying on. He was roused from sleep by their talking. Tearing up as he saw them.
He stumbled a bit getting down from Malzeno, but he happily embraced all three of the girls. "You're okay. You're okay," he kept repeating with some tears in his eyes. Tears matched by all of the girls as they hugged him as well.
Han and the rest smiled at this before being unsettled by the dragons coming forward. 'Well three dragons and a larval dragon.' Amalee thought as the little Gore Magala and the others surrounded the teens and hugged them as well.
Fiorayne shook her head before saying, "this is all touching and very strange. But what is this all about? And what is up with those Quirio? Why did they attack this young…. It doesn't even really look like a Malzeno. It seems closer to our depictions of the guardian dragon of the Citadel."
"Really? Maybe… that has something to do with it? Maybe this is like the original form of Malzeno. And without the Quirio, it doesn't have the same aggression." Han surmises. Noting how the Quirio could cause bloodblight. "They release a stimulant with their saliva after all. Without those little buggers, Malzenos are much calmer." Amalee finishes as the teens break up their huddle.
Izuku sniffles a moment before thanking all of the hunters for finding them. "But uh…. I don't think we're cleared for this area. We should probably get out of here bef-" As Izuku was speaking, another tremor shook the area. Making a huge section of the ruins at sea collapse. And a glowing hole opened up in the side of the island.
A massive roar was heard within the structure. All of the hunters were shocked and confused. Especially as the Quirio flew down towards the hole. "Wait… does something feel off with the tremors now?" Melissa asked while looking around her.
Ochaco noticed it too and said, "it's a rhythm. Like a heart beat or….. footsteps." Fiorayne, Han, and Amalee looked to the collapsed ruins and island. And their hearts dropped as they saw the shadow of the beast within.
And then they all saw it. A massive hand like appendage appeared and gripped onto the rocks nearby. Followed by a similar hand on the opposite side. The Quirios flew towards the massive beast that was dragging itself up from the abyss. Its mouth unfolded in various ways to let out a truly deafening roar.
Han and Amalee were slack jawed seeing the creature. While the teens were terrified by what they were observing. But their fear was slightly abated by the various dragons with them standing between the demonic monster and themselves. Snarling or growling while facing the sea.
"How….. how do we fight that?!" Amalee asked in a panic. Han answered he didn't know, but he was slightly distracted by something else. That being a strange figure flying from the top of the tower where the monster came from. It looked like a Kushala Daora, but it had a person astride it. 'What is going on?!' he questioned once more in his mind.
Fiorayne was unsure of how to proceed, but luckily, they didn't have to. From the ocean, a large dragonship was sailing. With Admiral Galleus at command. He had his hands behind his back as his eyes narrowed at the massive beast. "Hard port! And full speed ahead!" he commanded to get the ship in line with their target.
But the creature wouldn't go back into the hole easily. Using it's massive forearms, it picked up a boulder and proceeded to chuck it at the ship. The knights, or rather the artillery wielding Dame Luchika, are ready though and she blasts the boulder with her heavy bowgun.
Galleus though doesn't flinch and orders the dragonators be armed. With said sections of the ships popping out and ready to fire. The monster roars once more, causing a shockwave that blows the mist and steam across the deck of the ship and away from the pit.
The old warrior commands that the dragonators fire and they impact on the huge monster. Though one more substantially than the other. "Ready number three! Full reverse! Lower the stern!" Galleus commands as the huge beast roars in pain at the dragonator stuck in it's chest.
The third is needed as the monster pulled the impacted dragonator out of it's chest. Galleus then orders his men to fire the last dragonator. But this one has a surprise with it. That being it was laced with explosives. Powerful enough to knock the monster back into the pit. For now, anyway.
After seeing all of that, the teens from the world of heroes were dumbfounded. Though Melissa looked like she wanted to take apart the ship and see how it all worked. Izuku noticed something different though. The dragon he had been with was still on guard and seemed intently focused on the pit.
'What do you know?' he thought before gently stepping toward the creature. Resting his hand on it's back for a moment. And in an instant he could see something of a past within the memories of the dragon. Or perhaps the past of the past. As it showed another dragon similar to the one he was standing with engaging the massive beast that was repelled just a moment ago.
And it was repelled by an Elder Dragon just like it. But much larger and it seemed to have cost the warrior much. "You…. Or your ancestor fought it? And won. But now…. It's back. And it won't stop. Unless we do it." Izuku muttered while looking at the dragon in question.
Or rather the she-dragon in question. He could now tell that the dragon he'd been partnered with was in fact a female of it's species. Izuku smiled before saying, "I still have no clue what's all going on. But we'll stop them girl. We have to."
Just a disclaimer, no Primordial Malzeno did not just gain OFA. It's something else. Something born from the power of the kinship stone for those who know the other stories of Monster Hunter. But I thought it would be perfect filler for Malzeno's new enraged state to not be powered by Quirio in this case. But by the strange bond Izuku now has with the little dragon.
I do wish you had a full account LaugingMan. I'd like to pick your brain on a few things. But I think I get it. I didn't start or make a full account until I started writing for myself three years ago. I would just read a bunch of different stories. From Strike Witches, and various Kancolle fics, to my recent obsession with MHA.
Since I started working on my own comics in earnest and what not, this felt like a good place to feel out what people thought of my story ideas. Like how I've got Izuku empowered by the creatures of Chaotic in one story, my two independent character xovers if you will from JAST and Overseeing a Strange New World. The latter I just brought up an interesting detail and introduced the "magic classes" and sort of system I dreamt up for my magic police and crime story series and mystic weird western stories.
Or some less considered ideas like Izuku being an agent for Neuron in The Chains That Guide a Hero. Oh and doing a Star Wars story too. Working on the next chapter of that right now. Along with one inspired by DC Universe Online. Still need to get to the next fight with Brainiac in that one.
Getting sidetracked. Where I'm going next is that Izuku and the rest will have to figure out a bit more about this new situation with the little dragons. And observe the fight with the Archdemon of the Abyss: Gaismagorm. Please review!
