Chapter 11

Yuna was ignoring him, which Leon noticed clearly as day and he couldn't blame her. He had lied to her, just as Satoru did. He knew he had hurt her by doing so and he was regretting it with each passing second.

"Yuna," he tried saying again for the umpteenth time. But the young Wyverian continued to ignore him, choosing to gaze at the road behind them. In the distance, Yuna could see the open plains growing smaller and smaller as they ascended the mountain path. "Look, I'm sorry that I hid it from you. But if I hadn't, you'd end up staying and we'll never get anywhere."

Silence. The only sounds were the clatter and thumps of the wagon's wooden wheels and chuffs from the Gargwa pulling their wagon. The two other hunters also remained silent, not wanting to make the situation even more awkward than it should be.

Leon cleared his throat. "Our goal is to get you to where you're supposed to go. I promised Satoru that. As long as we accomplish that, it doesn't matter what happens to us-"

At this, Yuna turned and glared at Leon, causing the hunter to flinch. "Since when did your lives not matter?"

"Yuna-"

"I don't want to hear it. You all are my protectors and when I say that we will arrive at my destination together, I expect that all of you will keep your promise." She then turned around to face the road again. "Once we arrive at Kamura, I'm ordering the village doctor to treat you. I don't care how long it takes or what methods they will use."

"But-"

"Enough," Julian interrupted, giving Leon a look. "It's clear Yuna has made up her mind. No point in arguing."

Leon immediately shut his mouth. He didn't speak until several minutes later when the silence started to get unbearable. "So umm, how's your arm?"

Julian rolled his eyes, "Better," he answered. "Doctors say my arm muscles had been torn but a few Potions and some rest would do the trick. Still annoyed that I have to wear this sling though."

"Which is why we are going to avoid fighting at all costs," Gigi said from the driver's seat. "We're down one member of the team and our main defender is injured, so we can't be reckless. The minute we see a large monster, we bolt out of there. Any objections?"

Julian raised his other arm. "None here."

"Fine by me," Leon said, leaning back against the wagon.

The next few hours were relatively peaceful, with no monster attacks whatsoever save for a few times a stray Kelbi ran in front of the wagon, startling their Gargwa. At some point, Leon had requested to switch with Gigi and the huntress had been all too glad to acquiesce. However, it would seem that Mother Nature has other ideas.

The first drop of water that hit the tip of Leon's nose caused him to look up at the sky, noticing the dark clouds that began to gather…which was followed by sudden heavy rainfall.

Leon cursed and quickly pocketed the map he was reading. "There's a village not far ahead! We'll rest there until the rain subsides!"

As the team hurriedly rode up the path towards the village, the rain seemed to intensify, followed by frequent bursts of thunder and lightning. A powerful wind also blew against them, slowing down their movement.

"This is no ordinary storm!" Gigi shouted. Her body was completely soaked as she tried her best to shield Yuna from the rain.

"Elder Dragon? Kushala Daora?" Julian suggested, knowing that unnatural phenomenon is often attributed to the powers of an Elder Dragon.

Just then, an eerie roar pierced through the skies. When the group looked up at the sky, they saw a large serpentine shape floating high above, its body obscured by the clouds and occasionally revealed through the cracks of lightning.

"What the fuck is that?" Leon blurted out, both in awe and in terror.

"Amatsumagatsuchi."

The hunters turned towards Yuna, who had suddenly spoken out of nowhere. "I'm sorry what?" Gigi asked.

"Amatsumagatsuchi," Yuna repeated. "Its meaning is Heaven's Catastrophe. It's an Elder Dragon known for causing storms. We Wyverians consider it a sacred being who was sent by the gods from the heavens to punish those who have forsaken their beliefs."

"…Thanks for the history lesson, but I'm just going to call it Amatsu for convenience's sake. Anyway, Leon! Are we close to the village?"

"It's just around the corner!"

True to his word, their wagon suddenly turned to the left as they entered through the village's open gates. Leon quickly led the Gargwa into one of the stables before hopping off and gesturing for everyone to follow him. "There's a cottage over there! Let's go!"

The group ran as fast as they could towards the nearby cottage Leon had pointed out, all while carrying as much of their supplies as they could save. Not bothering to knock or check for any people inside, the hunters barreled through the door and entered the building. There, they found themselves in a spacious room that had a dining table with four stools, an unlit fireplace, and an unmade bed fit for two.

"Hello?" Leon called out. "Sorry for barging in your home like this but we had nowhere else to go."

No answer.

"Hello?" Leon called out again, only to be met with silence.

"I think this place is abandoned," Julian said, taking off his armor and garments to squeeze the water out of it. "Actually, the whole village seemed to be."

"Yeah, I didn't notice any villagers, and judging by the state of this place, this village has been abandoned for a while now," Gigi added as she too lifted her armor off her body. She then picked up one of the bags and gestured for Yuna to follow her to what she assumed was the washroom to undress. "Also, don't get any funny ideas," she warned, eyeing the two men.

"Even me?" Julian asked innocently.

Gigi narrowed her eyes, "Yes, even you." She then shut the door with a slam.

Leon whistled. "…Woah did not expect that."

"Honestly I kind of like it," Julian said, earning a weird look from the other hunter. "And no, not in a sexual way mind you. I like that she's more casual with me after previously being so stiff and formal. It's a nice change of pace."

"I'm also surprised at how talkative and bold you are now," Leon noted with an amused smile. Along with Julian, the two were shirtless as they each grabbed a stool to on sit while they waited for their clothes to dry.

"I think confessing lifted the weight off my shoulders," Julian said, gazing at the window and watching the rain. "It felt good getting it out of my system, so really reinvigorated right now. As if I could take over the world."

"And has she…you know…"

Julian shook his head sadly, "We haven't really talked about it, you know with what happened to Camilla and all that…"

Leon nodded in understanding and didn't prod further. The topic of Camilla was a sour spot for them after all. "I'm happy for you though. Truly. Also, it was getting annoying watching you both dance around each other all this time."

"Thank you. I-"

The sound of the washroom door opening interrupted the two men's conversation.

"What took you both so long? I was just wondering-" Leon paused, then sighed. "Gigi, can you please explain your state of undress?"

Julian on the other hand, turned bright red and quickly averted his eyes.

Yuna smiled sheepishly, dressed in Gigi's black shirt that she usually wore when not hunting. In contrast, Gigi was dressed in nothing but her shorts and breast bindings, exposing her toned body for all to see.

"Her clothes were wetter than mine, so I lent her my shirt," Gigi explained before Leon and Julian could say anything else as she plopped down on the edge of the bed alongside Yuna. "What you got a problem with my body or something?"

"No." Leon's answer was immediate. "But you're killing poor Julian here."

"Leon!" Julian whispered furiously, eyes wide as saucers.

"Oh…Umm, should I wear something else then?" she asked, her voice somehow growing softer. Leon suppressed the urge to laugh.

"No!" Julian's face was on fire. "I mean, I don't hate it…that is to say that it looks good- No wait, not in a perverted way!" Julian was stuttering and even Yuna had begun to giggle.

"Ah I-I see…" Gigi's reaction was so uncharacteristically feminine that Leon couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Oh god will you two just kiss already and be done with it!"

"Shut up Leon," Julian and Gigi uttered simultaneously.

…

Despite the heavy rainfall and powerful winds, it did not deter four individuals on horseback from heading up the mountain path.

"Shit, what's with this weather?" Minerva whined, pulling the hood of her armor over her head.

"Elder Dragon?" Layla implied.

"Maybe?" Farron shrugged. "Ask Dorin, he's the one the one who has an actual Hunter's License here!"

Dorin, who was trying his best to keep his Guild hat on, frowned back at his group. "For your information, I forged that license and got a few contacts higher up at the Guild to help me with it! So no, I know jack-shit about anything Hunter related!"

"Well some leader you are…" Minerva said with a loud groan. But it seemed her comment did not sit well with Dorin.

"Need I remind you how much my infiltration of the Guild as a Guild Knight has helped us these past several months? How easy is it to attain information simply because people always listen to Guild Knights? How many successful jobs we've undertaken?"

The woman didn't have an answer for that.

"I thought so. Now shut up and keep going. We're almost there anyway."

"Hey, are you sure the Guild won't come after us? I mean, won't they be suspicious that one of their Knights and a number of accompanying Guardians went missing?"

Dorin sighed. "Layla, I told you this already. The Guild doesn't give a shit if they're missing a few fighters...or if some random no-name village gets destroyed because they couldn't be bothered to send their Knights or Hunters to deal with the threat and a single surviving child was left to fend for themselves…or some other issue." He paused briefly. "They're only concerned with upholding their 'values' which is just a roundabout way of saying they desire to control the entire continent. Besides, there are plenty of replacement Guild Knights, so my loss does not affect them in the slightest."

"Woah," was all Minerva said in response.

Soon, they arrived at their destination, evident by the Gargwa and wagon parked by the stable near the open gate. The trail Leon and his group had left led Dorin and the rest to an abandoned village named Akana. What had once been a popular place for travelers to rest as they trekked up the mountain had been reduced to an empty shell, its inhabitants having all fled due to the spread of the plague. It made for the perfect spot to hide and rest.

"Alright guys, you know the plan," Dorin began, turning around to face his team before they entered the village. "Our priority is the princess. No need to fight the hunters to the death. And based on the information we got at Mezeporta Square, they are down one member, so we have the advantage."

Their response was clear. "Understood!"

…

"Leon! Julian!" Gigi whispered, shaking them both awake. Leon blinked a few times and frowned in irritation while Julian yawned.

"What is it?" Leon asked, noticing that Gigi had put on her armor.

"Four people. One Guild Knight. Three armored individuals. They've just entered the village and are parking their horses."

Leon immediately shot out of his chair, as did Julian. They quickly moved to the window and sure enough, there they were. A Guild Knight, recognizable from the red armor and hat. The rest were a man and two women, dressed in leather and plate armor.

"Fuck," Leon cursed. He had a feeling those weren't just some random travelers that coincidentally stopped to 'rest' in the same village. He continued to look out the window, watching the movements of the intruders. Wait a sec, is that…

"What do we do?" Julian asked, looking at them both and at Yuna, who was sleeping on the bed.

"I'd say the best course of action is to run," Gigi answered. "We wait for the right opportunity, steal their horses, and make a break for it."

"Sounds good to me. What about you Leon?" Julian then noticed that Leon had been glued to the window, his eyes widened. "Umm, Leon?"

"I-It…It can't be!"

Before the two hunters could stop him, Leon made a break for the door. He was immediately blasted by strong winds and rain but he didn't care, his mind too occupied to listen to Gigi and Julian's frantic calls to come back. But by then it was too late, for the intruders had already spotted Leon barreling out of the door of the house to their left.

"Morena!" the hunter shouted over the rain.

Dorin and his companions stared at Leon, the former glancing at Minerva who also stared back at the hunter with wide eyes.

"Who's that?" Layla questioned. "Morena? Does he mean Minerva?"

"Well, this just got interesting…though where's the rest of your team?" Dorin pondered.

"It's you…" Minerva uttered in shock.

"You know this hunter?" Farron asked.

"I…" Immediately, however, a dreaded memory replayed in her mind and a scowl formed on her face. "Never mind, I do not know him. Must be some lunatic high on drugs."

"Then I suppose you won't mind if we dispose of him?" Farron suggested, glancing at Leon. At this distance, it was likely he wouldn't be able to hear them due to the rain.

She appeared to hesitate a little but before she could answer, her attention snapped back towards Leon, who continued to call for her attention. "Morena! Morena! You can hear me, right? Is that really you?"

"I'll make this quick," Layla said, aiming her crossbow at the hunter. "He's unarmored and unarmed."

"Do it," Dorin commanded as Layla's finger moved towards the trigger.

It had all happened so fast that Dorin and the rest did not have enough time to process what had happened. Suddenly, a blur sped past Leon, and before Layla realized what happened, a large carving knife was plunged right through her chest.

Normally, a hunter never used their carving knife for direct combat, its usage being limited to cutting pieces off their already dead prey. But in the right hands, its large size, strong material capable of piercing even the thickest hides, and the strength of its wielder turned it into a deadly makeshift machete.

Eyes wide in shock, Layla looked down to see a black-haired woman holding the knife and pushing it deeper into her body, piercing through her breastplate and into her heart. Layla's companions watched as her attacker forcefully pulled the knife out of her body just as Layla dropped her crossbow and fell onto her back. Gigi leaped back quickly after her attack and made to move beside Leon, who was also still in a state of shock.

"Gigi?" the hunter choked, both in surprise at her showing up and the fact that she still hadn't put anything on aside from her shorts and breast bindings. Briefly, he wondered if she was shivering from the rain.

"You're welcome for saving you by the way," she replied, her teeth slightly chattering from the feeling of the cold rainwater against her exposed skin.

Leon shook his head, "Julian?"

"Guarding Yuna."

He exhaled in relief. "Good."

"Once we get out here, you have some explaining to do. Then I'm gonna kick your ass," she said, handing him his knife.

Meanwhile, Dorin continued to stare at Layla's lifeless body, his face undecipherable before he slowly turned his head towards the two hunters. Leon could only describe Dorin's expression as cold fury. "Minerva, you get the girl. Farron…let's kill these fuckers."

"Roger that," the man answered his expression mirroring that of Dorin.

"Got it," Minerva also answered with a nod, quickly getting over her shock at Layla's sudden demise.

Unable to hear their conversation due to the rain, Gigi and Leon were not prepared for Minerva suddenly making a beeline towards where Julian and Yuna were, nor were they prepared for how fast Dorin and Farron had unsheathed their swords and charged straight at them.

"She's mine!" Dorin exclaimed, launching himself at Gigi, who barely had enough time to pull out her knife as their weapons clashed and Dorin pushed her back.

"Gigi!" Leon raised his knife in time and clashed against Farron's larger sword.

"Who are you people?" Leon demanded, mustering the strength to hold the larger man back. But Farron didn't answer and instead, quickly swept the hunter off his feet causing him to lose balance. Leon tumbled onto the ground as Farron raised his sword to stab him. The hunter managed to twist his body to the side in time as the sword embedded itself on the ground inches next to him. Leon then swiftly got to his feet and scampered a distance away as the larger man tried to pull his sword out of the ground.

With their positions set to neutral, Leon used this moment to reassess the situation. Although Gigi killing one of them had somewhat evened the odds, they were still unarmored and fighting against armored fighters who had the strength to match their own. Not to mention…His eyes then glanced over at where Minerva had run off to.

…

Julian was prepared the moment the doors burst open, and Minerva made her appearance.

"Leave us alone!" he cried, taking a stance with his knife, and remaining in his position behind the table he had positioned between them.

"Give us the girl and we can end this without any more bloodshed," Minerva said.

"Never!" Julian replied in defiance.

Minerva sighed, "Look, I don't want to do this to one of Leon's friends, but please hand over the girl so we can get this over."

The hunter raised an eyebrow. "You know Leon?"

A scowl formed on her face. "Not anymore at least…" she said quietly. "We're getting off track here! I'll say this one more time. Hand over the fucking girl."

Julian then uttered out words he never thought he'd say. "Eat shit."

"…Suit yourself." Minerva unsheathed the twin daggers from her waist and prepared for combat. The two glared at each other in silence, waiting for the first strike as they slowly circled the table. And then their eyes glanced at the table between them. In one swift movement, Minerva kicked the table at the hunter, crashing it against his stomach. As he staggered back, he glanced up and saw Minerva run up and launch herself at him. In just a second, he had managed to raise his arm just in time to block the powerful flying kick that was aimed at the side of his head.

There was an audible crack, a scream of pain, and the hunter was sent flying against the side of the room, crashing against the wall.

"Stay down if you know what's good for you," Minerva spat, sheathing her daggers. She then turned to look around the place before her eyes landed on the closed door by the bed. Smirking, she nonchalantly made her way over to the door and knocked. "Pickup services!" she said in a high-pitched cutesy voice.

Silence.

"If you don't open up, we'll be late!" she continued.

No response.

"Open this door," Minerva demanded, reaching to pull the knob. It was however locked. An obvious sign. "Haha very funny, now open the damn door."

For the third time, there was no response.

"If you don't open up I'll be forced…to use force!"

More silence and Minerva's eyebrow twitched. She decided on the spot to break down the door herself.

"Alright, that's it! Open the fucking-" The door had suddenly been flung open, smacking the woman directly in the face and knocking her out cold. The door closed suddenly closed again, before slowly reopening as a familiar head of shoulder-length white hair peeked out from behind the door. Upon seeing the unconscious body of her would-be kidnapper, Yuna breathed a sigh of relief, but it was quickly replaced with panic the moment she saw Julian lying on the far side of the room.

"Julian!" she called out frantically, running to and kneeling beside the man, who was propped up against the wall with a pained look on his face. He was clutching his left arm, which looked horribly bent out of shape.

"M-My arm…It's broken…damn it…" he croaked. "My pouch…get me…a potion…"

Yuna obliged and searched around the place for his pouch. She found it laid against the wall in the corner of the room near the bathroom. Yuna grabbed it and brought it back to Julian. She then rummaged through it and took out a few vials of green liquid which she knew were the potions. Popping them open, she poured three of them down Julian's mouth.

"Ughh, that feels much better," Julian moaned, feeling the effects of the potions repairing the damage he sustained. But upon glancing down at his still mangled arm, he frowned. "Yuna, please look away. I just gotta-" CRACK!

The resulting howl of pain he emitted was not worth it in his opinion.

…

"Focus dumbass!" Gigi voiced out loudly as she and Dorin continued to clash their weapons. The huntress's voice snapped Leon out of his thoughts just as Farron charged forward again. The hunter swerved to the side and landed a kick to the man's backside. Farron grunted but quickly turned around to retaliate. Armed only with his large knife, Leon ducked and dodged each swing while deflecting a few slashes.

But it was clear who was the better fighter.

When Leon swung his knife at the larger man, his swing was parried, and his wrist twisted as Farron attempted to disarm him. But the hunter kept a firm grip on his knife and retaliated with his left knee. But once again, Farron parried his attack, using his free arm to block the blow with his elbow. He then leaned back and delivered a painful headbutt to Leon's face, who reeled back from the blow. Before the hunter could recover, Farron stepped forward and slashed his sword at him.

"Woah!" Leon threw his body back to dodge the attack, but the sudden action caused him to lose balance and fall to the ground. As he rolled backward to regain his footing, Farron didn't waste any time attacking the hunter, jumping forward and bringing his sword down. Uttering out a yelp of surprise, Leon twisted to the side to dodge the hit while slicing at the man's stomach.

Farron hissed in pain and stopped to clutch at the wound. Blood seeped through his fingertips and although the knife had cut through his plating, it was a shallow wound.

Leon took a deep breath and readied his stance once more. It would seem this fight would take longer than he expected.

…

Warning Leon had been an unfortunate mistake Gigi thought as in her moment of distraction, her opponent summoned a burst of strength and clashed his sword against her knife with the force of it knocking her onto her back. With the huntress on the ground, Dorin leaped onto her with his sword. Gigi's quick reaction enabled her to raise her knife and block the swing. Sparks formed from the clash of their weapons as Dorin's sword hovered just inches above her face.

"Just die already!" Dorin growled.

"Fuck off!" Raising a leg, Gigi kicked him off her as she quickly stood up and backed away to get some distance. Recovering quickly, Dorin immediately reached for the small knives attached to his waistcoat and threw one of them at the huntress. Unable to react in time, it embedded herself in her left shoulder. She hissed and pulled the knife out as Dorin surged forward to continue his assault.

As Gigi dodged, ducked, and deflected his attacks, she noted that his swings weren't wild and uncontrolled. It was clear that he was a skilled and experienced fighter. Fortunately for the huntress, she was a skilled fighter too, having honed her skills since she was young. It was expected of her after all as Julian's bodyguard assigned to protect him since childhood. If she lost this fight, it would bring shame to her family, who have protected the Rosettis for decades, even though they had fallen to ruin recently.

That was why when Dorin swung at her, she leaned her body back to dodge it before using her other hand to grab his sword arm. At that moment, she attempted to disarm him by twisting his wrist and wrenching the sword out of his hand. But Dorin was equally fast and grabbed her arm that was attempting to disarm him and twisted it to the other side as well. Facing each other, the two rammed their heads at each other like two Diablos and the result was both fighters staggering back in a dazed state as they clutched their foreheads.

Dorin gritted his teeth. "Fuck, if we weren't enemies and you hadn't killed Layla, I'd have asked you out on a date!"

Gigi made a gagging noise at his blatant ogling of her body. "I'd rather fuck Leon than go on a date with you."

"Hey!" the hunter in question protested nearby.

"Heh, Minerva wouldn't appreciate that you know?" Dorin replied sardonically.

Is he referring to that woman who ran off? "Do I look like I care?"

"I mean you probably should, considering she's grabbing our target as we speak."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that."

"If you're talking about your friend, I'm aware. That was why I sent Minerva."

Gigi smirked. "Then, if you're so confident then why hasn't she returned with your target?"

Dorin frowned and glanced at where he had sent Minerva. She had yet to return. "You are right…"

"Face it, you're dumb as fuck if you think charging in like that is going to achieve results. And here I thought you're brilliant their leader." Gigi continued to smirk as she pointed a thumb back at Leon, who was still fighting Farron. "Our leader is ten times better than you'll ever be."

Scowling, Dorin tightened his grip around his sword, "You're one cocky bitch."

"Better than a coward who didn't have the guts to face us himself and sent their lackeys instead."

"You're just full of compliments, are you? Fine." He glanced at where Leon was still fighting Farron and to Gigi's surprise, it was his turn to smirk. "If your leader is the kind of man you say he is then how will he react to this!"

In one swift hand movement, Dorin grabbed one of his knives and flicked it towards Leon. It struck him on his shoulder and though not fatal, it was just enough to throw the hunter off balance and leave him vulnerable. Gigi watched helplessly as Farron then brought down his blade onto the hunter, who in the nick of time, raised his knife to block the attack. But his new injury had diminished his strength as Leon found himself brought down to one knee as he desperately tried to hold back Farron's blade with both hands.

With both sides at a disadvantage, Gigi quickly made her decision. She jerked her body around and threw her carving knife, striking Farron on the back. The larger man coughed out in shock, staggering back, and dropping his weapon. Without any hesitation, Leon dealt the killing blow, stepping forward and stabbing the man in the neck. Blood spilled out from Farron's mouth, splattering against Leon's face. In one last act of defiance, Farron reached forward and attempted to grab Leon by the neck but all it took was one kick to the chest and the larger man fell over.

"No!" Dorin screamed before letting out a roar of anger and tackling the now unarmed Gigi onto the ground. He pressed a knee against her stomach and wrapped both hands around her throat as he began to strangle her.

With his position atop of her, the huntress found herself unable to get him off. She tried to claw at his face, even drawing blood with her nails but it only made him squeeze harder. Her air supply was getting cut off and her remaining strength fading rapidly as her consciousness began to fade. She continued to struggle against his grip to no avail.

And Dorin? The look he was giving her was downright vicious and she was positively certain he was going to kill her this time. Was this it? Was this the moment she was going to die? Was she never going to see the light of day and tell Julian that she loved him back?

Nearby, Leon had pulled the knife out of his shoulder and when he turned towards where Gigi was, he was alarmed to find Dorin atop her, his hands wrapped around her throat. Frantically looking around, he spotted Layla's crossbow beside her corpse. Wincing in pain, he ran over and grabbed the weapon. Rummaging her body for a bolt, he found several and loaded the crossbow before aiming.

SPLITCH!

The man's eyes widened as his grip on Gigi loosened. Stiffly, he turned his head to look at the bolt embedded against his side. "You-" He was cut off when Leon shot another bolt, this one aimed at his back and puncturing through his lungs. Giving the hunter one last incredulous look, Dorin spat out blood before collapsing atop Gigi. The huntress gasped for air and shoved the man's body off her.

Leon tossed the crossbow and immediately ran over to support her. "Let's get out of here," he said, slinging one of Gigi's arms around his shoulder.

When they entered the cottage, they found Julian leaning against the wall and Yuna kneeling in front of him. When the latter noticed Leon and Gigi enter, she gasped.

"Gigi! Leon!"

"We're fine! But we need to get out of here," the huntress told her. "There are horses outside we can use, which should be faster than riding the wagon."

"Gigi!" Julian exclaimed, running over to her. He embraced her tightly as Leon and Yuna chuckled at the sight of a red-faced Gigi. When he let her go, he quickly cupped her face, trying to inspect for injuries. "Are you hurt?"

The huntress shook her head, but she was smiling. And flattered by his genuine concern. "I'm fine Julian. More importantly, what happened to you?"

Julian sighed. "That woman kicked my ass," he said, gesturing towards the still unconscious Minerva lying on the floor. "Though, for some reason, she didn't finish me off."

"That's because she's not the kind of person you think she is." Leon trudged across the room and knelt beside Minerva's body. "I don't know what she's doing with those people but now that they're gone, she's coming with us."

"Fuck that," Gigi snapped. "Why the hell should we bring the enemy with us?"

"Her real name is Morena, and she's not the enemy."

"Then what was she doing with those people? I'm sure she's killed a lot of people during that time. Not to mention, she also almost killed Julian!"

"Actually, I'm perfectly-"

"Shut up Julian," both hunters said at the same time. The blonde-haired hunter wisely closed his mouth.

But Leon was persistent. "Gigi, you have to understand that she…she means a lot to me." Gigi raised an eyebrow at that. Next to her, Julian raised his hand, asking for permission to speak. Leon rolled his eyes. "Yes?"

"Is she the woman from your-"

"Yes," the hunter answered immediately.

Yuna glanced at the hunters quizzically but made no move to ask what they were talking about. As much as she wanted to know about Leon's past and supposed history, it was probably best they get somewhere safe first.

"Then you should have said so from the beginning," Gigi admonished. "Still, I don't necessarily approve of this."

"Please Gigi," Leon pleaded. "Let me use this chance to right my wrongs. Let me redeem myself."

Seeing his sincerity, not to mention those eyes, the huntress groaned. After a few muffled curses and grumbling, Gigi closed her eyes in defeat. "…Fine. But you're taking responsibility for her. If she wakes up and decides to stab you in your sleep, that's on you."

"Thank you," Leon said as he lifted Morena into his arms.

With nothing more to say, the group hurriedly exited the cottage. Doing their best to shield themselves from the rain, the group quickly approached the four horses stationed by the village gate. Leon carefully placed the still unconscious Morena atop the saddle of one of the horses before hopping onto the horse himself and positioning himself behind her.

Grabbing the reins, Leon turned to look at Gigi, Julian, and Yuna. The two hunters looked exhausted and were shivering from the rain, including himself. It wouldn't surprise him if they all caught a cold not long after. In other words, there was no time to waste. "C'mon, let's get to Kamura village."

As if he hadn't had enough on his plate with the recent uptake in Afflicted monster reports and their best hunter being absent (he was somewhere across the sea fighting the source of the plague), the moment Elder Fugen saw Hinami, their resident merchant and gatekeeper, sprinting towards him in the distance, he knew it could not be good.

"Elder Fugen! Sir!"

The older man adopted his usual pose of both hands on his hips and stood tall and firm as Hinami stopped to catch her breath in front of him. Kagero and his friend and fellow merchant Ichikawa also turned their attention towards Hinami, their previous conversation interrupted upon seeing the woman hastily make her way over to them.

"What is it Hinami?" Elder Fugen asked.

"We…We have visitors. Three hunters they say, a young Wyverian and an unconscious woman. Should we let them in?"

Kagero raised a brow, though it was not visible behind the cloth over his face. "Unconscious? Are these people injured?"

"Let's just say they aren't in the best of shapes. So…should we let them in?" Hinami asked again.

Elder Fugen crossed his arms in thought. On one hand, Kamura was already swamped with refugees who had fled their villages due to the plague turning monsters highly aggressive and causing them to attack civilization. Furthermore, bringing in more outsiders would probably only spread the plague even more. On the other hand, Kamura village was known for its hospitality and being very welcoming to visitors so it would go against what they stood for in the first place. In the end, the latter won.

"Let them in. I'll take responsibility for whatever happens."

"Understood Elder Fugen!" Hinami gave a salute before hurrying back towards the gate. But just as she descended the small flight of stairs leading up to the Chief's house, she stopped and turned around. "I almost forgot! Mister Ichikawa, these people are looking for you."

The man in question cocked his head to the side. "Me?"

"One of them, the Wyverian, told me to tell you that the 'princess has returned'."

"Princess?" Kagero muttered, thinking of Yomogi, who was busy in the Guild Hall kitchens, helping the Felyne chefs create dishes to feed their hunters, most of whom had been injured after fighting off the Afflicted monsters. When Kagero turned towards Ichikawa, he saw what looked like an expression of disbelief on his face.

That expression morphed into that of shock the moment they caught sight of the visitors.

"Y-You're…You're alive," he mumbled before Yuna began to briefly explain everything that had led to their meeting. Both Elder Fugen and Kagero also listened and were horrified at what had happened to her kingdom as well.

Elder Fugen had a grim look on his face. "It seems this plague is worse than I imagined."

"A whole kingdom…Gone just like that…That is indeed a terrible tragedy…" Kagero said quietly.

As much as Yuna wanted to thank them for their understanding, there were far more urgent matters. "There isn't much time!" She gestured towards Leon, who was standing there while carrying the still unconscious Morena in his arms. "He is terribly sick and needs a doctor!"

"I'm perfectly fine-"

"Leon, can you please shut up?"

The glare Yuna was giving him was uncharacteristically scary and so the hunter froze mid-sentence and closed his mouth.

"Sick?" Elder Fugen tried to clarify. "As in-"

"The plague. Yes," Yuna answered.

Immediately, Elder Fugen and Kagero took a few steps back in alarm.

Gigi took a step forward to try to explain the situation. "Please be at ease, only Leon is infected. The rest of us are fine, and Yuna? I think she's actually immune."

"What?" Ichikawa sputtered out, finally snapping out of his dazed state. Immediately, all eyes were on Yuna, who looked down at the ground nervously.

"I…I don't know how exactly, but I think it has something to do with me being a half-blooded Wyverian."

Suddenly, she found herself looking up at Kagero, the taller Wyverian looking at her with intrigue, though she couldn't tell due to the cloth over his face. "A genetic mutation causing an immunity? How interesting…If possible, I have a friend – a doctor – who would be interested in studying your unique condition."

"Uhh sure…"

There was a loud click of the tongue, courtesy of Gigi. "Hey, I hate to burst your bubble, but we have a sick friend here who needs treatment ASAP. Also, we need a place to stay for the night."

Fugen crossed his arms with a gruff hum. "Right, of course. Kagero, can you inform Dr Zenchi he will be receiving a new patient?"

"Two actually," Leon said, gesturing to the woman in his arms. "She's not sick, but I'd like to stay in the same room as her."

The Wyverian man bowed. "That can be arranged."

…

Eventually, night fell upon the village. Finally getting over his shock, Ichikawa agreed to take Yuna to the remote village out of respect for Yuna's father and Satoru. They agreed to leave the next morning to allow for all involved parties to prepare. The subsequent responses from Leon, Gigi, and Julian had been of absolute relief as they could finally put the case to rest.

The former was currently sitting on the floor, back against the wall while Morena slept on a tatami mat in front of him. He was dressed in a simple dark kimono given to him by the village while Morena had been stripped off her armor, leaving her in a light-colored linen shirt and black trousers. They were currently in one of the empty guest huts, one that was located near the edge of the village to isolate themselves, both out of a wish for privacy and to avoid the possible spread of the plague from Leon. Though Gigi protested that, she was unable to make the stubborn Leon budge on his decision.

"You're still injured." Gigi had pointed out, referring to the bandages on Leon's torso. "She could wake up and stab you in your sleep anytime."

"I can assure you that she will not do that. I will be fine Gigi," Leon had repeated for the umpteenth time."

"You fucking-" Gigi sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, but Julian and I will be keeping a close eye on you and her. If I hear so much as slight commotion, I'm rushing in."

That was how Gigi and Julian ended up staying in a hut right next to Leon's. Though Leon disliked the intrusion on his privacy, he nonetheless appreciated that they were there to watch his back.

A small noise had awoken Leon from his slumber. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Morena had stirred slightly, indicating that she was awake. Ecstatic, he rushed over to her.

"You're awake."

Still groggy, the woman took a few seconds to register her surroundings. She blinked rapidly, groaning from the pain she felt in her head. "Ughh, where…" At that moment, she registered Leon's face looking down at her with relief and concern.

"Do you want water? I can ask for-" Leon, however, did not see the punch coming his way, the sudden force of it breaking the hunter's nose.

Morena immediately stood up and took a defensive stance, eyes wild with fear. Her eyes glanced over the room, looking for a weapon. Spotting a knife by the kitchen, she quickly grabbed it and turned towards Leon, who was in the middle of cracking his nose back in place. "Explain, or this knife is going into your throat."

"I saved you," Leon answered, still wincing at the pain.

"I didn't need saving."

"I know, but I did it anyway."

"…What happened?"

"You were unconscious, and I took you back with me. We are now in Kamura village."

"And my friends?"

Leon saw no reason to lie. "Dead."

"You killed them?"

"Yeah." He waited for her reaction. He saw her close her eyes briefly before shaking her head and fixing her glare on him. "Why?"

Leon blinked twice. "They tried to kill us so of course we-"

Morena narrowed her eyes, still defensive. "No, why did you bring me with you? Why? Why did you do it?"

"Well I couldn't just leave you there would I?"

She scoffed. "Like how you left me that time?"

Leon swallowed. "Morena I-"

"You left me to the wolves, Leon. Fled for your safety and left me and the rest of our group with the guards. I watched as you escaped while the rest of us were tossed into cells. You didn't even look back."

"Please I'm-"

"They executed us one by one, the highest possible punishment for the crime of poaching, a crime for which may I remind you was not our fault because we were set up!" she said, raising her voice before lowering it back down to a whisper. "I was set to die next when Dorin saved me and enlisted me in his group. I was so relieved to be saved and happy to be accepted by him and his group…but now that they're dead, I don't know what to do." Morena's shoulders slumped and in response, Leon chose to step closer.

"Morena-"

"No! Save your pitiful sympathy and fuck off. I don't ever want to see you again!"

Leon however, stood his ground. "I cannot."

"Huh? And why is that?"

"Because I lost you once. I won't lose you again."

"You lost me when you left me that time!" She brandished her knife at him. "Now for the last time, get out of my sight!"

"No."

"Why are you being so-"

Suddenly, the door was flung open, and Gigi entered. The moment she saw Morena holding the knife as well as the droplets of blood on the floor, the huntress flew into a rage. "I knew it!"

"Wait Gigi!" Leon tried to hold her back, but the huntress was faster. Gigi tackled Morena onto the floor and the two women viciously wrestled, the former trying to disarm the latter. Morena eventually managed to kick the huntress off her as the two scrambled onto their feet. Desperate, Leon swiftly stepped in between them.

"Gigi wait, I can handle this!" he pleaded, facing the huntress. Behind him, Morena looked towards the hut's entrance to escape but to her chagrin, a blonde-haired man dressed in a red kimono stood in front of the entrance. It was Julian, and he had his arms crossed with a displeased expression on his face.

"Didn't I knock you out before?"

Her comment appeared to have disgruntled him. "Yes, and I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."

Seeing that they were at a standstill, Morena took action. She suddenly grabbed Leon, pulling him back onto her and holding the knife against his throat. "Move and he's dead," she threatened.

Gigi gritted her teeth, "You piece of a shit. I knew I was right not to trust Leon's judgment!"

"Morena what are you-" Leon tried to ask, shock and hurt evident in his voice.

"Silence! Now I want you all to listen very closely. You will let me go and forget any of this ever happened. I will leave this place and you will not contact the Guild about my involvement."

Julian scowled at her. "And what? You'll go after her next?"

Knowing who he meant, Morena shook her head. "You think I'm still interested in the contract after what happened? Yeah, no thank you."

"You're lying," the hunter stated.

But Morena laughed. "Did that kick to your head mess you up that badly?" Her sardonic comment made the normally passive Julian shake with anger.

"Julian please!" Leon pleaded again, not wanting to escalate the situation. He failed to realize his mistake the moment he mentioned Julian's name.

"Julian?" Morena whispered. She looked at the hunter in question. "Julian Rosetti? The son of that man?"

Leon began to inwardly panic. "Morena-"

"You're telling me that after all this time, you've been friends with the son of the bastard who set us up that day and led to this whole fiasco in the first place?"

"I can explain-"

"No." She shoved Leon away and stepped back towards the corner of the room while still holding the knife. "I…I can't…" The woman was visibly shaking, holding a hand to her forehead as if in disbelief at everything that had occurred.

"Morena, let me explain…" Leon began, attempting to reason with her. "But first, put the knife down."

Suddenly, they heard a faint commotion coming from outside the hut. Julian, who was closest to the door, peeked out. "Uhh guys, some of the villagers are coming."

Upon hearing that, Morena's eyes widened like saucers. "No, no, no! I can't go back to prison!"

Leon moved closer. "You won't! Trust me!"

Morena, however, swung her knife, forcing him to back away. "Trust you? Bullshit! You're a liar! Always have been!" To everyone's shock, she then pointed the knife directly to the side of her chest where her heart was located.

"Put the knife down!" Leon shouted in desperation.

"My friends are all dead thanks to you. And now? I'm alone again, and I refuse to accept this!"

"Morena!" Leon shouted again, noticing the wildness in her eyes.

"Goodbye Leon. I'll see you in hell." Before Leon could reach for her, she promptly plunged the knife into her chest.

"NO!"

When the villagers finally arrived and rushed into the hut to investigate the commotion, they saw a dead woman on the floor along with a traumatized man on his knees being embraced by his two friends.

…