Monster Hunter: The Telepathic Hunter; Ch52: The Black Panther
April 13th, 2099. Abandoned Schrade Castle.
Alex ran to the left as Kiba charged at him. "Ha!" Alex did a vertical slash at Kiba's side. There was a splash of Water Element, and a yellow glow. Sheesh! If I didn't have ESP-F, my attack would have bounced right there! Thank you, Viridia. Alex jumped back as Kiba turned to him while swiping a claw. He threw a horizontal slash with all his might to hit Kiba's chest. Splash of water, yellow glow. Even that wasn't enough? Okay, time for the Khezu Cloak.
Kiba moved back as the blue coat of electricity enveloped Alex. "Finally getting serious, eh? About time."
For the next seven minutes, Alex continually maintained Khezu Cloak as he got into a routine of dodging claw swipes, charges, tail whips, fire balls and attacking the nearest body part. He could tell that Kiba, despite what he said about trying to kill him, was still just playing around. For one, his Elder Dragon Pressure was not being laid out thickly, allowing Alex to even be able to move.
However, as Alex racked up small wounds on Kiba, the danger sense was increasingly going off stronger and stronger, until… "ENOUGH!" Kiba exclaimed at the eighth minute mark overall of the battle, letting out a roar of submission.
"ACK!" From mid-attack, Alex was forced to drop his sword in order to cover his ears. But once the roar was over, the full brunt of Kiba's Elder Dragon Pressure weighed him down to his hands and knees. Khezu Cloak dropped against his will, not that he had much energy to maintain it continuously anyway.
"Sorry, but playtime is over. I seem to have made a mistake. Even though you are a Kasai, that doesn't seem to mean very much. With specimens like you, it's no wonder that the clan has fallen from grace."
"Huh!?" Alex, on hearing that, became enraged. A higher power belittling him was no problem, but short-changing the Kasai Clan as a whole? That was a no-no. Alex looked up at Kiba. "H-hey! Take that back! Say anything you want about me. I'm no one of importance." The Dragonite Talisman began glowing a bright green. Alex picked up his sword as he somehow found it in him to stand up. Kiba, noticing this, increased his pressure further! "But don't you dare speak ill of the Kasai! I don't care if you're the ruler of the world! I'll make you sorry!" The increased pressure had no effect, shocking Kiba even more than how brazen Alex became.
Unknown to Alex, the ability Tranquil Rage activated, his body dripping with Water Element energy. At the same time, Super Khezu Cloak activated, his secondary Thunder Element affinity forcibly returning. "What? What is this? How are you doing this!?"
Alex got into his stance, his Aqua Guardian glowing white. "Sorry, but I don't have the strength to continue your silly test much longer, so take everything I have left. Do what you want afterwards."
"Fire Element: Grand Fireball!"
"Water and Thunder Element: Stormy Spirit Sword Attack!" Alex slashed the incoming giant fireball in half before unleashing his special attack. Kiba roared in pain as he took many hyper quick, lightning-fast slashes. Giant splashes of water and flashes of blue electricity occurred on each hit. But before the final downward power slash, Alex's Chikara hit rock bottom. "No! Not… now!"
"Take this!" Kiba, despite being in immense pain from his wounds, sent Alex rolling with a heavy claw swipe.
"Aaaaa!" Alex rolled to a stop a few feet before the main gate. "Oof!"
The gate swung open and Takahashi, Anna and Clarence charged in. They lined up protectively before him. "You alright, Dear?" asked Anna without looking back.
Alex struggled a bit but could not even get into a sitting position. "Sorry, but I went a little overboard. I'm not dead yet, but I won't be fighting anymore right now."
Takahashi took in the considerable amount of damage Kiba had taken. "A little, you say? Honestly, you did better than I was expecting."
"I would call you harsh, but my opponent was a Fatalis for crying out loud, so I'll forgive you," Alex replied.
Kiba growled. "Alex, you pass. However, I can tell that you have no intention of taking up my offer." Alex gasped. "That's quite alright, though. You already have something much greater, a power all of your own. You shall discover it in time. And when you do, you'll do great things. For now, this is farewell." The wounded Elder Dragon spread his wings and rose straight up into the air. "Feel free to tell the Guild what I have told you about the Ukanlos."
With that, Kibatodos the Fatalis was gone. The sky calmed only slightly. The trio then turned to tend to Alex. The chest piece of the Kirin armor was breached and he had four bleeding gashes on his chest. "Ow… I feel like that time when I woke up after being treated by Granny and Maxwell after Tiggy first attacked me…"
"Here," Clarence produced a Max Potion from his Hunter Pack, an item created from the nutrient-rich extracts of rare Godbugs, insects fabled to live for 1000 years, and Dragon Toadstools, a rare poisonous mushroom fabled to suck the life out of people. "This is a Max Potion. This will perk you right up, but it won't restore much of your Chikara itself, unlike an Ancient Potion. You'll have to rest for that."
"Thank you," replied Alex before downing it. The bleeding stopped as the gashes miraculously closed up, leaving four scars. "I hope these are not permanent…" Alex commented as he got up with some help from Anna.
"I don't know. They make you look more handsome," said Anna in a joking tone. Everyone but Alex shared a laugh.
"I… don't even know what to say to that." Alex just shook his head. "Anyway, let's go find that Hunter so that we can leave. I've had about as much of this castle as I can stand."
"Ah, I almost forgot!" exclaimed Takahashi. "I'll give you some time to rest, and then you can give me and Juniper a full disclosure of what the Fatalis told you."
"Sounds good to me."
The Quartet then began to explore more of the castle. On the other side of the court, the main building had an old prototype Dragonator installation. It was just one giant retractable spear. After they found the Hunter, who was spellbound by the Dragon Element energy of the Fatalis, Takahashi broke the spell and the group returned to the airship.
April 1st, 2099. Pokke Village
Some time after the Schrade Castle incident, Alex was yet again sifting through his mail. He had all but given up on hiring a secretary. He did a few less hunts and a lot more training. He often did Dual Blades spars with Anna while the both of them donned armor made from Hypnocatrice Mats'. These gave the Skill 'Marathon Runner' which allowed them to train for longer until they took the armor off, at which point all of the held-back stamina drain would catch up with them. Still, it allowed them to see great gains in their strength and Chikara energy. They also visited Kokoto a few times to get back into contact with Kotaru and Ai.
Takahashi and Juniper were intrigued by information about the power of Fatalis and the situation with the Ukanlos. They then informed Alex that before the next Ukanlos attack, an Akantor would attack first. It was the "First Wall" after all. They lived in the magma beneath the Battlegrounds in the Volcanic Belt, and the Guild was planning a consecutive strike attack to suppress it, sending a few dedicated squads one after another to pressure it and hopefully defeat it without too many losses. Due to its immense power, it was an illusion to think that there would be no casualties. The outcome of this battle would also decide how well the Guild would be able to fend against the following Ukanlos attack.
Alex finally found a letter to him from Takahashi. It offered a Rank-Up opportunity, in exchange for capturing a Nargacuga in the Great Forest. This would help the Guild gain more knowledge about the elusive "Jet-Black Panther." However, Alex knew this mission would probably be way too ambitious. While not high Elder Dragon level, this wyvern was of eight-star threat level due to its ability to kill Hunters without them even being able to lay eyes on it. Every single one of the few Hunters to actually fight one and live to tell the tale got a Rank-Up if they were not already HR9, the max rank. And that was even if they failed to slay it. Nargacugas, despite the few bits and pieces of information gathered so far, were rightly feared and respected that much. It was not the max threat-level of nine-stars because it lived in a few places and so far the only casualties it caused were those who were basically looking for trouble.
Hunter Stats
1. Alex Kasai (HR7)
Weapon: Aqua Guardian Long Sword (Water Element)
Armor: White Monoblos 'S' Blademaster
Skills: HG Telepathy, Kasai Potential, ESP-F, Spirit's Whim, Artisan, Heroic Comeback, Fire Resist, Cursed Protection, Water/Thunder/Ice/Dragon Damage Increase
2. Anna Frost (HR7)
Weapon: Wolf Tessen Dual Blades
Armor: Garuga 'S' Blade Master
Skills: Reckless Abandon +2, High Grade Earplug, Poison Resist, Water Damage Increase, Stun Time Increase
3. Ai Shiki (HR7)
Weapon: "Dark" Lance (Paralysis Attribute)
Armor: Gravios 'S' Blade Master + Special Attack Gem Decoration
Skills: Sleep Negate, Guard Increase, Gunnery King, Water Damage Increase, Dragon Damage Increase, Abnormal Status Up
4. Kotaru Shiki (HR7)
Weapon: Wyvern Blade "Maple" Long Sword (Fire Element)
Armor: Plesioth 'S' Blade Master
Skills: Cold Resist, Heat Resist, Water Resist, Evasion Up, Fire/Thunder Damage Increase, Paralysis Time Increase
Basecamp, Bateyubatom Great Forest, East Continent. 6:55 PM.
The last few rays of sunlight were vanishing, and as the quartet were finishing up their pre-hunt checklist, one could not help but feel the palpable dread in the air. Everyone could feel a wicked, sinister Chikara pressure that surpassed the Elder Dragon Pressure of foes like Metal the Kushala and Delsol the Teostra. Even without drinking a Psychoserum, or focusing very hard with HG Telepathy, Alex could just tell exactly where their target was located. Hopefully, the four of them would not be the targets instead.
"I'm going to be frank, Alex," said Anna. He turned to her. "This thing feels scarier than the Fatalis we encountered."
"Hmm… That's probably because our lives are really on the line this time. Our foe won't play around like Kiba did. If we give it an inch, it'll take a few meters or more." Ai and Kotaru were not surprised as Alex had already told them about the Fatalis he encountered.
Once the prep was done, the group set out to Area 5. They passed through Area 6, noticing that there was no life to be found. No Velociprey, Ioprey, Kelbi, Great Thunder Bugs, or Shakala. It was well after 7:20 now, and there was neither the chirping of insects nor the croaking of frogs. The wind was slow and cold. The forest was deathly quiet. The atmosphere was suffocatingly foreboding.
Great Forest Area 5.
The quartet walked slowly in single file, everyone keeping watch in a different direction in hopes of providing early warning. They could be "Bet-your-bottom-Zenny coin" sure that their target already had them in its sights. Alex was also focusing intensely to spread his Danger Sense to his comrades. They could all feel the malice in the air.
Ai, who was standing behind Anna, looking west, saw two Kelbi grazing under a gigantic tree root. She turned everyone's attention to the first sign of life they came across besides the knowledge that the Dark Bladewing Wyvern was lurking somewhere. "I don't think those guys got the memo," she whispered.
Alex felt inclined to look at the giant tree the root belonged to, just as a full moon came out from the thick clouds. Human eyes locked with glowing red ones on a huge branch. They belonged to a big dark shape which was crouched low like a jaguar about to pounce. "Great Fatalis… " Before the air could leave Alex's mouth as a gasp, the shape moved in a blur. One of the two Kelbi looked up a moment too late before they were both blocked from view. There was a pair of cries, a thick black tail slicing the air behind the shape, and it was over in ten seconds.
The group all took a single step back. Whether involuntarily or voluntarily, even they did not know. "Last call for a raincheck," whispered Kotaru. No one answered. "Just checking. Then, if we're all agreed… let's try not to get gotten."
"Even I don't see any need for reckless behavior," whispered Alex.
"I hope you mean that, Alex," replied Anna quietly.
The quartet moved away from each other and drew out their weapons as the Nargacuga turned to them. "Know that the only reason you have seen me is that I allowed it," said a gruff, condescending male voice that was passive-aggressive. "The four of you came here one way, but you will leave sixteen different ways." The interpretation of this statement caused the quartet to swallow.
Then Alex got a pang of resolve. "You seem very sure of yourself. Don't underestimate us, or you'll be sorry."
"That is just the kind of inconsequential drivel I expect from a Hunter in a group. Let us get down to business. My name is Moonfang, a member of the Kurokiba Clan. Remember it when you lament your powerlessness in the afterlife." Moonfang the Nargacuga got into a prowler stance, getting low with his right forelimb held forward. His eyes seemed to glow for a moment before he leapt impressively to attack with frightening speed.
"WHOA!" It was all Alex and Anna could do to roll out of the way, as even with the distance between them, the long wingspan coupled by the wyvern's sheer size would have seen them being sawn down like thin trees.
Yikes, thought Alex. Everyone, Plan A. Formation Cross, Spear and Shield! Alex ordered. The others nodded as Moonfang selected a target: Anna. Anna moved to join Ai and Alex and Kotaru got together.
Ai put up her shield as Anna went behind her, blocking the flying leap attack from Moonfang. The immense strength of the attack pushed her half a meter back. "What!? Even though I have Guard Increase!?"
Alex and Kotaru charged forward. But they were forced to stop as Moonfang's tail slammed a dent into the ground in their path. "WHOA!"
Anna went around Ai to attack. She raised the upgraded Bladed Fans she borrowed from Alex. However, mid-attack she locked eyes with the wyvern and froze. "Ack!"
"Weakling." Moonfang threw out his right claw with speed. Anna barely avoided damage by parrying, the force sending her flying back.
Though Alex was ticked off, he controlled himself as he and Kotaru did an overhead slash into Moonfang's tail. Kotaru's attack bounced off, while Alex's attack barely digged in an inch.
"Chikara Focus: Shards of Darkness." Moonfang leapt to the left and faced Alex and Kotaru. He held up his bristling tail and whipped it forward, releasing sharp scales at ridiculous speed.
"Oh, no!" Alex used Khezu Cloak and rushed at Kotaru, pushing him out of the way. Three out of the seven launched scales lodged into Alex's back. "Aaahh!" The other four picked up a cloud of dust due to the speed at which they struck the ground.
"Alex! Kotaru!" exclaimed Ai. She prepared to charge, but Moonfang turned his attention to her. She glared at him.
"Do not think your shield will save you." The wyvern began rushing towards Ai.
Ai did not put her shield just yet, sensing that something was off. She thrusted her lance just as the wyvern got near, but he strafted to the right and attacked while she was open. "NO!" Everything went dark. A red line cut through the darkness. "AAAHHHHH!" screamed Ai as she was sent rolling. Her lance and shield flew in two different directions.
"SIS!" exclaimed Kotaru. "You monster!" Kotaru charged.
Alex struggled to get up. I can't believe how bad this is going. Alex noticed the horrible, bleeding gash on Ai's left arm. She had taken a bad hit. Even after being healed, she would need to stay out from the rest of the hunt. Anna was moving toward her while Kotaru kept the dangerous wyvern busy. Alex drank a potion as he did some thinking, "I can't afford to use True Healing Spring on Ai just yet. Even with my Water Element longsword to boost my control, it will take a lot of Chikara to heal her damage. A temporary retreat might be in order. In that case… Chikara don't you fail me now! Super Khezu Cloak!" The red aura of fiery lightning coated Alex as he rushed to help Kotaru. "Anna, get Ai away from this area! I'll cover you two!"
"Okay, Alex. Her arm is hurt really, really bad," replied Anna.
"I did the best I could in split second conditions to avoid a lethal hit," said Ai.
"That's great. Kotaru and I will avenge you." Alex unleashed an overhead slash into Moonfang's left wing.
"A pinprick?" Moonfang sliced with his sturdy tail.
Alex easily jumped over it. Upon landing, he circled over to where Kotaru was, and switched to single-channel Telepathy. Kotaru, this guy has been running circles around us and looking down on us. Let's try out our new Steam Cross Combo we practiced before.
I thought you would never ask! Time for our comeback! replied Kotaru's thoughts. Alex powered down to regular Khezu Cloak as he took one of Kotaru's hands and gave him a Friendship Thunder Cloak.
"What's this? Some sort of strategy? I suppose I can humor you for a bit. Give me your best shot." Moonfang leapt back and got into his prowler stance.
Alex and Kotaru exchanged glances and smiles as they held their swords resolutely.
Author Note:
My favorite Chapters of this fanfiction so far are: #13 Hunter Vs Hunter, #25 Absolute Power, #32 Invisible Forest Menace, #37 Black Horns Vs. Heat Ray, #43-44 The Sun and the Moon & Return of the Phantom, #47 An Elusive Queen, and this one, #52.
I had lot of fun writing #37; I think the best part is when the Black Diablos replied to the Black Gravios "Do I look alright, you walking pile of soot!?"
#47 was fun too. Kimara's character did not get too much build up, but I hope I captured her as a fiendishly silly person and a wildcard. Alex's stuff being strewn across the Terosu jungle was a callback to his unfortunate episode in #16 Attack of the Poisonous Wyverns.
For this Chapter, #52, I wanted to do somthing special the Nargacuga. I tried to present Moonfang as cool and an overall bada$$, a force to be reckoned with amidst sinister, dark atmosphere.