U- I- Pa-

Orima mimi nari tari rure daso,

Wri se kaki gamente e garu wuda.

Gomoi wrudin wareta henna a desu-

Hai!

Tshitado da-

Kakago e hi.

"Dango's up!" exclaimed the cheery young girl who stood before Aiko. With the Kamura-style dumplings on their skewers, and the little bunny face on the top one, Aiko couldn't help but start salivating. Fluffy Bunny Dango were her single favourite food in existence with Yomogi, the village's chef, being a connoisseur of the treat.

"3 sets of dango as you ordered! Lemon and lime at the bottom, chocolate fudge in the middle and the top! Well you know what it is!" Yomogi happily announced. The huntress nodded as she eyed it up and down.

"Vanilla custard." Taking one of the skewers in her hand, Aiko took the top dango dumpling in her mouth. Then with a single motion she pulled back so that the dango was completely off the skewer and began chewing. The flavour sprung to life in her mouth and she, embarrassingly, moaned in ecstasy. When she swallowed, she moved onto the next dumpling of the skewer and then the next. This process repeated for the final two dango skewers. When she had finished both, she took her yunomi filled with green tea and emptied the cup. Then with a satisfied sigh, she placed the yunomi back on the table.

"You don't need my opinion again do you?" she asked with a smile. Yomogi grinned and jumped in the air as a sign of success once more. Her energy was exhilarating to watch and it could actually be felt.

"That's nothing new." Aiko turned at the sound of Shen's voice to see him wiping blood off of his gauntlets. Blood that once belonged to the Great Izuchi. She noted how he was alone.

"Where's Matthew-san?" she asked. Shen remained expressionless as he took a seat next to her. Yomogi moved to take his order.

"What can I get ya?" she asked cheerily.

"Just a cup of matcha please Yomogi."

"Okie dokie! Be right with ya!" Ignoring his bluntness was part of Yomogi's job description. It didn't say that in writing but it was definitely part of it. With a youthful spin on the heels, the young girl got to work on preparing Shen's drink. The hunter in question stretched out, cracked his knuckles and then his neck before looking forward.

"I want him gone by dusk."

"Did something happen?" Aiko was confused to say the least. At first he didn't respond prompting her to pry for more, "What happened out there?" Shen couldn't help but tense in anger as he thought it over.

"He hesitated."

"What?"

"That fool had the Great Izuchi in the perfect place to kill it and he just froze up. If I hadn't seen it or reacted quickly enough, he'd be dead." Shen explained. Aiko was somewhat taken aback by this revelation and could only ponder his words, "Perhaps I should've let him be killed."

"Don't say something like that. It's beneath you."

"Here's your tea big guy!" Yomogi took the yunomi for Shen and placed it in front of him before spotting a shipment for her arrive. With a wave to Aiko she headed off to check everything had been delivered. Shen meanwhile silently blew on his tea before taking a sip. Aiko on the other hand had many different thoughts swirling through her head.

Then a voice grabbed her attention. A voice that wasn't actually directed towards her.

"Things could've gone better honestly, Hinoa. As much as I hate to say it, I owe Shen my life… Matt's voice trailed off but it was all the incentive Aiko needed. Shen didn't even react as she stood up and walked away from the table; making a beeline for Matt and Hinoa.

"Are you okay Matt? Did the hunt go well?" Matt had walked back into Kamura a good distance behind Shen. Millie bound up to him and, immediately sensing something was wrong, nuzzled into his legs.

"Things could've gone better honestly, Hinoa. As much as I hate to say it, I owe Shen my life…" Matt flashed a smile of gratification Hinoa's way and the maiden simply smiled back.

"Well I hope all is truly well. It would pain me and my sister to hear otherwise," she replied. The hunter was still relatively surprised by how kind, considerate and compassionate both maiden sisters were. Minoto was obviously quieter and, at least in his opinion, secretly wished she was more like Hinoa.

"Thanks Hinoa. I mean it. I should probably freshen up and then speak to Shen. I owe him an apology for what happened."

"Unfortunately it won't do much to change his mind." Matt turned at the sound of Aiko's voice to find the adopted daughter of Fugen approaching with a sympathetic look on her face.

"Why hello Aiko. What a pleasant surprise. We were just discussing Matt's first official Kamura hunt." Hinoa said, choosing to look past what she knew to be true about Shen.

"Hi Aiko. What's up?" asked Matt.

"I was just wondering what your side of the story was. Would you be willing to share it with me?" The question was sincere and as such a breath of fresh air for Matt considering what he had to deal with regarding Shen's personality and behaviour.

"So Shen told you?" he asked in response, looking past her to see his hunting partner glaring into his soul. Matt felt a shiver go down his spine though he knew not from where, "Whatever he told you is true. I froze just before delivering the killing blow. That's all that happened. I froze and Shen saved me. End of discussion. Now if you'll excuse me…"

The hunter gave a small bow to Hinoa and nodded at Aiko before making his way past her towards his room. At least he would've if Aiko hadn't said anything.

"I only wish to know why."

Matt came to an abrupt halt, not bothering to turn around. When he said nothing Aiko pried further.

"I'm sure you have your reasons but for this partnership to work I need to know how I can help."

"Who said we were partners?" Matt's reply was quick and aggressive. For Hinoa it meant a confrontation had officially begun and she was its unwilling spectator. For Matt it meant something he wanted kept a secret was under question. As for Aiko?

It meant she had unintentionally hit a nerve and had yet to catch on.

"I beg your pardon?"

"We've known each other for less than a day and you think we're anything more than strangers?" Aiko walked forward so that the gap between her and Matt was just over a metre large. She quickly took note of his balled fists and slightly unnerving calm demeanour.

"I'm aware of that but we're more than acquaintances are we not?" Her statement elicited no response for a few seconds. Shen finished off his tea as he observed from afar, growing far more aggravated by Matt the longer he looked at him. Minoto had joined Hinoa's side and initially went to intervene only for Hinoa to stop her.

"If you truly think that then you're delusional." Matt's emotions were all over the place right now and as such, he was speaking before he could think.

"Wait you don't…"

"What seems to be happening?" Both hunters turned their heads to see a Fugen approaching with Utsushi by his side. Instinctively, Matt's head cleared and the realisation of what happened sunk in. He turned to Aiko to apologise but instead found the huntress unresponsive; it was almost as if she was trying to figure what she had done wrong..

"Aiko…" Matt muttered as he moved towards her only for a hand to suddenly grab his wrist. Hard.

"Back off."

"I'm just trying to.."

"I don't care. You're a wildcard and I want you out of Kamura now." Shen and Matt locked eyes as their tension continued to boil. Whatever chance there may have been of Matt apologising was now gone. He despised Shen almost as much as Shen despised him.

"Sorry to say I'm here. Tomoko chose me to take her place so you're going to have to accept it whether you like me or not." Matt retorted as he wrenched his wrist from Shen's grip to both his surprise and the slight surprise of Shen himself. All the while this was happening Fugen and Utsushi were watching whilst the maiden twins were comforting Aiko.

"Tomoko chose wrong."

"That's enough. Matthew I understand you're tense right now but that's no excuse to take it out on your peers. As for you Shen…" Fugen interrupted them before an actual fight broke out. Utsushi meanwhile stood in between them, "Matthew's not leaving as long as I have a say. I doubted Tomoko's judgement once before and it backfired on me. I will not make that mistake again."

"Go to your rooms now." They didn't await further instructions. They were already loud and clear enough for the pair to understand. With little more than a look at each other, they walked off to their rooms. Matt shot a glance at Aiko who was still silent.

"Hey Aiko. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said." The two locked eyes with Aiko nodding slightly after a brief moment. Matt figured he'd take it, "I hope you'll still give me a chance."

He continued on towards his room but not before spotting what appeared to be some sort of creature up in the clouds, floating or flying as it graciously turned. When it went behind a cloud it completely vanished from sight leaving him wondering if it was even there to begin with.

"Must've been my imagination," he muttered to himself, shaking his head and walking off.

"You know it's only going to get worse don't you?" Utsushi asked the contemplating Fugen. The question was practically rhetorical for even Hinoa and Minoto knew the answer.

"Of course it will. Their dispute this morning should've been more than enough of a warning for me." The Elder of the village was annoyed at himself more than anything. He turned to face Aiko who had her arms crossed and eyes closed due to the situation, "I'm not going to blame you. They collided like two Elder Dragons. No stopping that."

Aiko bowed her head and then with a deep breath lifted it, "I have a request Elder Fugen.

"I'm all ears."

The Next Day:

The Gathering Hub was buzzing with life the following day as the hunters of Kamura accepted quests, drank together and generally relaxed. There was a small male Wyverian atop some sort of docile monster. He had a jovial feeling about him. He was currently in discussion with the Gathering Hub's Quest Maiden. Well her sister at least.

"They should be here soon, Guild Master Hojo. Then Elder Fugen's idea can take off." Hinoa excitedly informed him. Hojo chuckled joyfully at this series of events.

"I'm excited to finally meet this Matthew fellow. I'm sure you can vouch for him?" he asked. Hinoa smiled and gave a quick nod, "I'm sure Minoto feels the same. I've heard quite a bit about him and he's only been here about a day. Speak of the devil..."

Right on cue, Matt, Shen and Utsushi walked in followed by Aiko. The huntress seemed to have a knowing look on her face in regards to the situation. She also seemed nervous and it wasn't difficult to see why. The heated talk between herself and Matt the day prior was still fresh in the pair's minds, for all the wrong reasons.

"Ah Shen, Utsushi and Aiko! A pleasure!" Hojo cheered. Shen nodded, Utsushi winked and Aiko bowed, "Can't wait for everything to work out in the end."

"Why am I here again?" Shen asked. He had already laid eyes upon Matt and was eager to leave as soon as possible. A sentiment shared.

"Because I requested your presence." Fugen appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Aiko immediately bowed as did Shen. Utsushi stayed upright and didn't seem to react but from the glint in his eyes it was obvious that he had an excited smile hidden by his mask.

"What seems to be the matter, Elder Fugen?" Matt asked though he became slightly worried by Fugen's grin.

"As of today Aiko will be joining the pair of you on your hunts." Fugen ordered.

"Absolutely not!" Shen was quick to react with his disgust, "I want out of this hunting arrangement. Bringing Aiko into it is effectively locking me in!"

"That was what I was going for to be completely honest." That took Matt, and especially Shen, by surprise. Not only was Aiko implying she was responsible, but she was standing up to Shen? It was so surprising that Matt couldn't stop himself from bursting into a fit of laughter at Shen's expense.

"Oh Aiko, that has really made my day. No! My year!" Matt's reaction earned him Shen's ire the more it went on though for Aiko it was something she would smile about. It was a far cry from the look he had shown the day prior.

"Well I also think it's a great idea." Everyone present looked to where the voice came from and found Minoto entering the gathering hub alongside Millie. The palamute, having spotted Hinoa, bound towards her and leapt into her lap. The maiden laughed as Millie began to lick her face. Minoto gave a small smile while Matt rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Guess I just get no love anymore. After all we've been through." His sarcasm was enough to catch his loyal canyne's attention and within seconds she had abandoned Hinoa and leapt up at him for a hug. A hug that came swiftly and playfully, "Okay okay! I still love you too!"

"The canyne seems to have more brains than her master." Shen said with a voice dripping in sarcasm. Sarcasm that once again was detected by Millie who, rather than bare her teeth, turned and rubbed alongside his legs. A clever ploy for if he kicked her away then well…

You get the idea.

"I do believe that's a victory for Millie." Shen shot a glare Aiko's way whilst she herself covered her mouth as she chuckled, "With Shen's thoughts made abundantly clear there is but one last thing I must ask." Matt's eyes darted in Aiko's direction at her sudden body movement and turned to face her despite how awkward he felt. An awkwardness she conveyed with her next words.

"Matthew-san. I do hope I haven't overstepped my boundaries by suggesting this." Matt felt his heart clench in his chest at her words.

"She thinks I dislike her."

"When have you ever overstepped?" He smiled. It caught her off-guard. Hell it even caught Shen off-guard and he thought it was Matt trying to cover his arse.

"Yeah. This is going to work very well." Fugen whispered to himself. Then with a boisterous voice he announced what came next, "An Aknosom and Tetranadon have been spotted engaging in a turf war in the Shrine Ruins. I want you three to go deal with it! Happy hunting!"

Millie sprinted off, clearly wanting to join the hunt this time. Matt and AIko laughed between themselves and chased after her whilst Shen groaned and slowly walked behind.

"I hate my life…"

"Are you simply incapable of walking?" Matt rolled his eyes. Shen was already breathing down his neck and they'd only been on the hunt for 10 minutes. And that was only after they arrived at the Shrine Ruins. He couldn't be bothered to remember every single thing he had said since leaving Kamura.

"If you must know, I'm riding on top of Millie because she offered to carry me." Matt admitted in response, "Why are you gonna start on her next? Cause I'll warn you now she's far less tolerant than I am." Shen furrowed his brows in annoyance whilst Aiko continued to walk ahead of them.

"It's entirely possible that either of our targets will attack us at any time. You should be more alert."

"I think I'll be fine to be honest. But is that concern I sense?" Matt smirked. He honestly couldn't care less if Shen was concerned or not. Chances are he wasn't and would quite gladly see his teammate killed or at the least, or so Matt hoped, grievously wounded. The hunter stroked Millie's neck before getting off, allowing her to stretch out slightly and trot off alongside Aiko.

"Shen. Matthew-san. We have more important things to worry about right now." Aiko expected her pleas to fall on deaf ears but rather, Matt placed all his attention on what she'd said.

"You know this quest has actually had me thinking." Aiko turned slightly at his voice, implying her wish for him to continue, "Aknosom and Tetranadon are two different classifications of wyvern. I get that the Rampage is causing monsters to get more aggressive but those two having a turf war is a little strange."

"In what way?"

"Well one is a lightweight bird wyvern that can shoot fireballs and the other is an Amphibian which causes the ground to upheave with a single bodyslam. You'd imagine that the Tetranadon would win rather easily and yet the Aknosom still wandered into its territory and initiated this conflict." Matt pondered.

"The Rampage causes this. It's nothing too complex," Shen commented only to start examining Matt's expression. The younger man was deep in thought and didn't seem to be coming out of it anytime soon.

"A natural phenomenon shouldn't cause extreme behavioural changes like this. Something else must be responsible. The question is what?" It seemed the younger hunter was talking to himself rather than to his peers.

"Another question." Matt suddenly snapped out of his trance upon noticing one very important detail about their surroundings.

"Where are Aiko and Millie?"

"I believe I heard it coming from this direction." Aiko was currently trekking through a secret pathway she knew of. It had always been her aim to take down both monsters with her hunting party but with the tension between Matt and Shen the chances of losing track of their targets was increasing. She'd been able to successfully hunt both species before so she shouldn't have any problems doing so now.

"I appreciate your company Millie." Mere seconds after saying that, there was an all too familiar roar that came from nearby. The exact location was to Aiko's left. Without a second thought, Millie beckoned the huntress to hop onto her back. At first Aiko seemed hesitant but complied out of respect for the canyne. Millie sped off in the direction of the roar and it didn't take them long to enter a swamp-like area. A swamp-like area that was immediately a danger zone.

As soon as Aiko had acknowledged that she was in enemy territory she was sent flying by an upheaval of ground. Millie yelped in surprise but not for itself. Rather for AIko who had been flung off his back. This called for quick action.

The huntress flicked open the container on her waist that housed her two wirebugs and threw her right hand towards Millie. The wirebug shot out and wrapped around the palamute with its silk before latching onto her. Then using her second wirebug, Aiko aimed her left hand atop her head. The wirebug flew up after attaching its silk to her hand and began to hover. This sudden halt in momentum meant that she began to swing in the direction she was initially travelling and then forward. She eventually came to be suspended in the air.

"You okay little one?" she asked the palamute who simply looked up and gave an affirmative nod. Aiko smiled before looking forward and getting serious.

"Found you." The Amphibian that was turning to face her had an inflatable belly and a turtle-like shell on its back. There was algae-like fur on its head, front legs, shell and tail. Its feet were webbed, its eyes orange with horizontal pupils and a crest on its a gurgle-like roar from its toothless beak, it charged forwards on all fours with the intent to swallow the huntress.

As it neared and clamped its beak shut, Aiko let go of the silk in her hand and dropped to the ground, just barely being able to lie down as the monster went above her. Both wirebugs returned to her mere seconds before the monster landed with a boom that caused an upheaval of ground. Aiko rolled over and quickly got to her feet. Not wasting a chance she tightened her grip on the boney shield that she wore upon her left arm. It had blue fur that adorned the hard bone that protruded down the middle and at the top. Removing her sword from its place on the back of her waist, she performed a sword spin. The sword was of similar materials and was clearly designed for hacking body parts.

"Over here." she demanded. The Tetranadon turned and glared at her and then looked at her gear. It growled deeply to which she simply smirked, "This is going to hurt. A Lot." With a single flex of her right hand, blue lightning began to crackle around the sword. At first it seemed to be coming directly from the blade itself but in reality there was a small group of insects emitting it. Fulgurbugs. Which meant only one thing.

The materials Aiko had used came from a Zinogre.

The thunder adorned huntress took a fighting position, her sword drawn back and her shield out in front. With a whistle she initiated the battle. Millie, who had drawn her shuriken, sprinted ahead and threw it from her mouth. The Tetranadon cried out as the palamute's weapon sliced across its upper body and, in a rage, it rushed forward. Aiko took off running as well, making sure to keep the charge from the fulgurbugs going. When the Tetranadon lifted itself onto its hind legs to slam down on top of her she remained completely unfazed.

The huntress dropped down and slid under the monster as it lifted up. Then as it dropped, thinking it would crush her with its immense weight, she slashed her sword diagonally across her body and then back again, cutting into its underbelly and causing a shock to move through its nervous system. Aiko slammed her shield into the ground on her left and used her momentum to swing herself out from under the Amphibian. Then upon being clear, she got to her feet and continued to slash away at the monster, leaving cuts and gashes on its legs and body. All the while the lightning the fulgurbugs produced wore down the Tetranadon. It dug its forward right foot into the ground and scooped it around its body towards Aiko, bringing mud and rocks with it. Having not noticed, Setsuna was unaware of the danger. Millie, who had been moving frequently and dealing her own damage, leapt at Aiko and pushed her to safety. Well not entirely.

A small rock that had been thrown at her, collided with Aiko's forehead causing her to stumble backwards in pain. Dazed, she felt blood pour down her face and winced as she touched the impact site.

"Damn it." This distraction meant that the fulgurbugs had stopped emitting lightning and needed to rest making any subsequent attack slightly less impactful and weaker. That wasn't Aiko's main concern at the moment though. Stabbing her sword into the soft, marsh-like ground, she pulled a jar that contained a green liquid from her pouch, flicked off the lid and downed it. A green glow briefly emanated before the cut clotted up and the bleeding stopped. The pain was numbed but only slightly. Aiko returned the jar to her pouch and looked up just in time for a water globule to slam into her, drenching her and pushing her backwards. She shook herself off, grumbling due to now being soaked, and wiped her face. Grabbing her sword she took note that it was covered in mud and she moved quickly to wipe it off and resharpen it with a whetstone.

"I was careless. I allowed it to swallow gravel." she grumbled at herself.

The Tetranadon, now inflated, lumbered forward on its hind legs, using its belly as a new type of attack. Aiko luckily managed to finish sharpening her blade and dodged out of the way. However, the monster anticipated this and attempted to hit her with its belly. She raised her shield to block the attack just in time with the resulting impact causing her to stumble back, uninjured but now open to attack. A contingency she had planned for. Knowing how susceptible an inflated Tetranadon was to damage meant she had but one advantage when she blocked the attack. When she had brought up her shield she had made sure to angle the spike-like bones at the top of it towards the monster's belly. As soon as the two made contact, the Amphibian's own weight worked against it and it fell forward. The spikes stabbed into its belly and effectively punctured it.

In other words, the monster was in excruciating pain whilst Aiko was simply bruised.

With a cry, the Tetranadon's belly deflated and it threw back up all the gravel it had ingested. There were two holes in its belly with blood coming from both. Neither were life threatening but would hinder its attack greatly. It lay on its side in pain and could do nothing as its opponent approached, her blade ready to strike it down. Aiko whistled for Millie to sit down and sheath her shuriken before she took a position in front of the monster's head. Placing her left hand across her chest, she closed her eyes and muttered some sort of prayer. Opening her eyes, she flipped her blade so that it faced downwards and took it in both hands, raising it above her head.

"This fight is over. Find comfort in your next life." Aiko spoke calmly and brought her blade down towards the Amphibian's brain. It never made contact. A loud screech came from her left and she barely had time to acknowledge what was going on before she was knocked away from the downed monster. She landed on her back and felt the oxygen being forced from her lungs. As she tried to get up she was pinned down by four toes with razor sharp claws. The talon latched around her and began to dig into her body causing her to scream out in pain before she was raised into the air and slammed back down again. Millie barked in distress before throwing her shuriken. It momentarily distracted the monster that clutched Aiko and she attempted to break free. However, rather than this happening the bird wyvern lifted her completely off the ground, stood on its other leg and threw her away.

Aiko landed with a thud and skidded along the ground. With blood pouring from her wounds, she was weakened and struggling to stay awake. Another screech erupted from the newcomer and she acknowledged what it was.

The bird wyvern had a large red and gold parasol-like collar around its head with the same colouration being present on its wings and eye-like head-crest. It had a long beak and yellow eyes. It was covered in white scales though some were in fact feathers. Its tail ended in a hook-like shape. She was already well accustomed to its long narrow legs.

Now while she could have fought this monster easily alone, she doubted she could take both on simultaneously. The Rampage had instigated this turf war and only one monster would come out on top. The wounded Tetranadon or the uninjured Aknosom.

The Aknosom began to slowly creep towards the downed huntress, flaring its crest in a show of intimidation. Aiko looked to her side to see her sword stuck in a nearby tree and very much out of reach. She began to crawl backwards, hoping that the bird wyvern would take it as a sign of surrender. It almost seemed like it might.

Right up until the Tetranadon attempted to tackle it. The bird wyvern cried out in surprise as it was picked up in the air and positioned above the Amphibian's mouth. Using its talons, the Aknosom scratched away at its foe causing it to release the bird and stumble backwards. Despite being wounded it appeared that the Tetranadon was fully prepared to fight another monster. With the Aknosom spreading out its wings and taking flight, there was little the Amphibian could do as its enemy zoomed down and landed atop it, clawing at it with its talons and biting at its body. The Amphibian managed to turn over with the Aknosom still atop it and attempted to crush it against the ground. However, its grip failed at the last moment and the bird wyvern got itself free.

All the while their fight was ongoing, Aiko was slowly but surely returning to her feet, albeit in extreme pain.

"No time for a potion. I must retrieve my sword and retreat." The huntress hobbled over to her blade and pulled it from the tree with her remaining strength, sheathing it immediately. Then spying Millie a little ways away, she snuck around the battle and towards her.

"I can make it. I can make it." Her strength failed and she fell over barely keeping herself up, "Come on. Move dammit! Move!" she yelled at herself only for a screech to be heard. Looking to her left she barely had time to acknowledge the Aknosom being thrown her way. The monster collided with the ground in front of her and slammed into her. Aiko was launched away and slammed into a tree, slumping against it as her vision became blurry and began to black out. Amidst the roaring and sounds of monster battle she heard a voice.

"Shit she's down! I'll deal with them, you go to her."

Then everything went black. Just like that, Matt had been thrust into a battle he didn't really have a high chance of surviving let alone winning. From what he could tell, Aiko had done a number on the Tetranadon with the small punctures in its stomach and the numerous gashes on its legs and sides. Its sluggish movements could be chalked up to its weakness to the elemental blight of thunder. A blight that had been inflicted by Aiko's sword and shield.

Speaking of the huntress, Shen had gotten over to her and was in the process of taking her to safety. He wasn't particularly fond of being ordered around by Matt of all people, but even he knew when to swallow his pride and do as asked. Aiko was more than just a friend to Shen; she was family.

With the pair now clear, Matt was free to engage with the monsters, "Alright then! Let's do this!" he cried as he sprinted towards his targets. Both monsters were drawn to his voice but only one was able to properly retaliate. The Aknosom shrieked as it turned its attention from the pinned Tetranadon to the rapidly approaching hunter. It flared its crown and headed straight for Matt with an open beak. The hunter didn't falter in his approach, although he did tighten his right hand around the hilt of one of his blades. As the two finally reached each other, Matt smirked and dropped into a slide. The Aknosom lunged right over him with the surprise from his action causing it to trip over itself. The hunter pulled the blade from his back and twisted over as he came to a halt on the ground. Then propping himself up with his left hand he pushed himself off the ground to a standing position. With the bird wyvern having fallen to the ground, Matt saw his chance to rush forward and attack. A chance that vanished due to one problem.

The Tetranadon, which had barely gotten to its feet, began to storm towards him. With the ground shaking, the hunter was left with little choice but to try and dodge the Amphibian as it rapidly closed in.

"Left or right? Left or right?" he pondered quickly but arrived at one decision, "Going left!" With little time to act, Matt made a sudden movement to his left before diving to his right. Just as he had hoped, the Tetranadon was fooled and charged to where its target would've gone had he not planned for this. That said it was an extremely close call with the monster running past Matt with only a small distance separating the two. As an added bonus the monster's own size and weight worked in Matt's favour as it struggled to stall its momentum. Matt looked up to see the Aknosom was only just now turning around and couldn't help but feel sorry for it.

The collision between the two could be felt in the ground. Even with the Tetranadon badly injured and weakened, it could still cause a good bit of damage and that it did. The Aknosom was practically belly slammed backwards and left incredibly disoriented with the Tetranadon simply backing off and recomposing itself. It never noticed the small human had sprinted past it, behind the Aknosom and then used a wirebug to leap onto the bird wyvern's back.

"Why don't we go for a ride?" Matt joked as he used both his wirebugs to create six long threads of silk. He spun them above his head before jumping back slightly and pulling them down. The threads stuck to the bird wyvern, effectively acting as some sort of reins. Two strands near the neck, two on its body and two near its tail. Matt returned to where he initially stood and pulled the threads tightly in his right hand. The Aknosom jerked to 'attention' and let out a shriek. The Tetranadon itself responded by releasing a gurgled roar. Using the silkbind reins, Matt forced his mount to face the Tetranadon and charge at it.

"Here we go! Let's do this you ugly bastard!" he cried out in excitement. With a shriek the Aknosom was commanded to attack. It swung its head from side to side, intent on slashing at its opponent. Everytime it missed, Matt would push it forward to do it again and everytime it made an incision in the other monster's flesh, the Tetranadon would cry in pain. This worked for a while until suddenly the Tetranadon launched its first major counterattack. Bellowing out, it lunged at both Matt and the Aknosom, grabbing a hold of the bird wyvern and pulling it towards its belly. The hunter atop braced himself as the Amphibian started to pull the Aknosom towards its open beak. He doubted it would be able to swallow the Aknosom, but this still didn't bode well.

"Please work please work please work!" he begged as he focused all his strength onto pulling the strands of silk near the bird wyvern's neck. This caused the monster to lurch back, open its beak and ignite something in its mouth.

The Aknosom's flame sac was ready to go.

The bird wyvern shot its head forward and unleashed a small fireball from its mouth. The Tetranadon was unable to dodge and took the attack head on, the moss-like fur atop its head being singed and a burn mark appearing. Matt held on tightly as the Aknosom broke free and leapt backwards. Both monsters were still raring to go whilst Matt was starting to tire a little simply due to his puppetry of the bird wyvern.

"Gonna have to wrap this up soon. One decisive attack…" he muttered. It was all well and good saying this but he had no idea how to do it. It was here that the Aknosom, finally fed up with him being on its back, spread out its wings and took flight into the air, "SHIT!" In his panic, he let go of all of the silkbind threads and could only watch as they harmlessly detached from the crane. All but one that is. Matt held onto the bird wyvern's back as they went higher and higher where he soon encountered a far more pressing issue. It was steadily getting harder to breathe.

"It's trying to suffocate me…" he managed to say as he held on for dear life. The Aknosom was clearly beginning to struggle but kept flying higher and higher. Eventually it had enough, flipping over and skydiving downwards. This had a profound impact on Matt as the lack of oxygen and sudden change in altitude finally caused his body to shut down and him to pass out.

Unable to consciously hold onto the monster, he entered a free fall. His body went limp and there was no sign of any consciousness present.

"Hey Matt!"

A voice he recognised. A memory of times past. Matt began to stir but didn't wake.

"I'll kill you! You hear me! I'll hunt you to the ends of the earth! Your life is mine to claim!"

The young adult's eyes snapped open and he gasped for air. Looking around he saw the Aknosom had noticed him and had turned midair. With its aerial prowess it was quickly gaining speed and would soon have him in its clutches. Matt flipped himself and began to hone all of his senses. Everything seemed to slow down as his survival instincts took over. He noted his velocity, the distance to the ground and more. He noted the wind speed, the location of the Tetranadon and the condition of the Aknosom's beak. Then everything clicked into place.

"Here goes nothing." Matt pulled his arms in tight to the sides of his body and closed his legs. This decreased the air resistance on his body and he fell quicker. Just quick enough for the Aknosom to go over him. However, just as it did he spread out his limbs, flipped over and barely grabbed ahold of the remaining silkbind thread. The speed of the Aknosom caught him off guard and his arm was nearly pulled from its socket by the sudden change in direction and speed. Holding on tight, he started to pull himself along it until he was close enough to the monster's neck to wrap his arms around it. As he began to effectively strangle it, he pulled the silk thread with all the strength he could and began to alter the Aknosom's trajectory. With the destination and speed set, all Matt could do was hold on for dear life.

The Aknosom's screech caught the Tetranadon's attention with the Amphibian turning to look up at the sky. It responded with its own roar. With the distance between the two rapidly disappearing Matt pulled his carving knife from the back of his waist and cut the silkbind thread before wrapping it around the Aknosom's mouth to force it shut. Finally, just as the danger became unavoidable for the Tetranadon, Matt swung around the Aknosom's neck and held on with his left hand. He took his right blade from his back and drew it across his chest.

"You have my utmost respect." he said with sadness before letting go of its neck and slashing its throat, killing the bird wyvern instantly. Its descent continued and Matt braced himself for impact. While he collided with the ground and gasped in pain, the Aknosom's pointed beak slammed into the neck of the Tetranadon causing the Amphibian to choke on its own blood before collapsing to the ground. The Aknosom's beak slid out of the stab wound, and its corpse also fell to the ground. The turf war was over and the hunter had emerged victorious.

Said hunter groaned in pain. He had broken at least two ribs, completely winded himself and had whiplash. Managing to prop himself up, he lay his blade on the ground, took a potion from his pouch and drank it. His ribs healed as did his neck injury though not fully. The pain was also numbed. Slowly getting to his feet, Matt picked up his blade and sheathed it before turning to see his handiwork. While it wasn't exactly a pleasant sight, he was pleased that he had succeeded. Now all that was left to do was get the two transported to Kamura for their materials.

"So you got the job done." Shen's voice came from behind him. When Matt's eyes meant his there seemed to be a moment of silence as they finally agreed on something.

"Was it ever in doubt?" Matt shrugged.

"This doesn't change anything.

"Figures. Is Aiko okay at least?" Shen nodded before turning and heading back to camp. Matt was left alone with the bodies of the feuding monsters.

He'd succeeded but right now all he could think about was having a nice long bath in a hot spring when he got back to Kamura. He surely deserved that much?

Aiko couldn't recall much when she came to. All she knew was that the Aknosom had ambushed her and then everything went fuzzy. She started to push herself off her bed, wincing as she did so. She was no longer wearing her hunter gear. Rather someone had changed her into her Hakama. It also seemed that the wounds inflicted by the Aknosom had been treated though not completely. She examined the one on her side.

"Hinoa said they would heal once you've drunk a potion." The bedbound, and slightly humiliated, huntress quickly looked to where the voice had come from. To her relief it was someone she knew.

"Matthew-san. I wasn't expecting to see you in my room." she commented.

"Relax. I just came to check up on you. You were injured pretty badly. Hinoa was exhausted and Minoto was busy so I offered to wait here for you to wake up." Matt explained, lifting his hands up innocently. Aiko searched his face for any trace of a lie but saw none. She felt no reason to doubt him, but better safe than sorry.

"How long have I been unconscious?" The question was quick and required but a single sentence answer.

"One day. Bet it feels longer."

"Only a day?" Aiko asked herself. Suddenly a more important matter came to mind, "What of the Tetranadon and Aknosom?!"

"Relax. They're dead. Both of them." Matt replied with a soothing smile, "I took them out whilst Shen and Mils got you to safety.

Aiko bowed her head in shame, "Forgive me. I was nothing but a mere liability today. It shan't happen again. Though I would understand if you wish to…"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Being cut off was not how Aiko expected this conversation to go and as such she glanced up at Matt who had taken a step into the light, "You contributed more than I did. If it wasn't for the wounds you'd inflicted on the Tetranadon things could've gone far worse."

"But I went off alone! I tried to complete our assignment by myself. How could you just brush that aside?!" she cried in response. Her mouth clamped shut instantly as she bowed her head to apologise for her outburst.

"So? Us hunters are the best of the best. But nothing ever goes perfect. You saw an opportunity and took it whilst me and Shen were arguing. I can't fault you for that." Aiko felt her bed drop slightly and looked up to see Matt sitting in front of her and smiling.

"Matthew-san I…"

"Aiko, it's fine. Truly." Matt carefully brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear before leaning back. Aiko stared into his eyes and saw no sign of malice or distrust. Rather she saw concern and compassion. She turned her head as she began to blush, not that Matt would've been able to see due to the poor lighting. Finally she spoke.

"次はもっとうまくやると約束するよ。" It was the same language Tomoko had spoken the day she left for the New World. Aiko suddenly panicked upon the realisation that Matt may not have understood her. So imagine her surprise when Matt responded fluently.

"私はすべてのステップであなたをサポートする。"

"Matthew-san… You speak the regional dialect?"

Matt simply smiled, "Of course. I was trained by Tomoko afterall."

Many hours later:

It was nighttime when a Great Izuchi howled in pain and slumped over. Its slayer pulled their Long Sword from its side, wiped it clean of blood and returned it to the sheath on their back.

"Oh well! You shouldn't have interrupted my journey!" A high-pitched and somewhat klutzy feminine voice. Noticing a drop of blood on her cheek, the huntress wiped it off quickly. She seemingly showed distaste for allowing the blood of this particular wyvern to get anywhere near her skin let alone on it.

"Now where was I?" The huntress took something from her waist; a parchment that she opened. Using the moonlight, she read what was written on the paper.

I wouldn't ask for your assistance unless I was truly uncertain of my home's future.

The safety of all who live here may depend on whether you choose to return.

You have always had a place here.

So I humbly request your aid in ending the Rampage once and for all.

Yours truly,

Utsushi.

The huntress folded up the piece of paper and quickly started a fire, dropping said parchment into it. As it burned away, the woman gathered her things and prepared to leave.

Her destination…

Kamura Village.

Author's Note

And thus Chapter 2 is out. Hope you enjoyed. I'm still getting to used to writing the fights, but am trying to make them as interesting as possible. At lesat I hope I am.

Chapter 3 is currently being written and so I will post that soon as I am able.

Hope you enjoyed, feel free to review (no pressure though) and I'll see you next time,

Tombsie