Operation story: CF-7

Operation

Story

Previous CF-6	Next CF-8
Characters
Felyne Artisan Felyne Scholar Noir Corne Palico Yato Akira Kashiwau Mirai Takii Yoshitaka Kashiwau Impatient Villager Timid Villager
Backgrounds
1 2 3 4 5 6A 6B

Before operation

“

Noir Corne rescues the female researcher stuck in the depths of the mine, and learns that now is the best time to deal with the Rathalos. After treating her injury, Yato must decide between saving the old hunter or hunting the Rathalos, and makes her decision.

”

<Background 1>
[Noir Corne is slaying the last of the beasts with his Long Sword...]
Noir Corne	Hyah–!
[...and almost struck the Scholar by accident.]
Felyne Scholar	Mrrowagh! Noir Corne! Mew almost cut me in half!
Noir Corne	Ah, sorry. I still haven't gotten the hang of this Long Sword yet.
Felyne Scholar	These fellows look even scarier than the ones we saw in the cave befur. Judging from the Originium crystal distribution on their bodies, the infection seems to be quite severe, and they're moving so quickly, as if trying to flee. Mew must be quite curious about how I gnaw so much. It's because I've been observing the endemic lifeforms affected by originium the whole time– Hey, are mew even listening?
Noir Corne	Saving people is more important than that! We need to go take a look!
[Noir Corne and the Scholar rushes to the source of the voice they heard earlier.]
<Background fades out and in>
Noir Corne	Hello? It's safe now, where are you?
???	Here! Over here!
Noir Corne	Huh... over here?
???	Yes, behind this sliding door.
Noir Corne	...There's nothing blocking the door though?
???	Huh? How is that possible? I've tried everything I could to open it, to no avail.
Noir Corne	Uh, how about lifting this handle down here?
???	Hmm? Like this...? Ah! It opened!
[The door opens to reveal an Elafia woman in research attire.]
???	So that's how it works? No wonder I had so much difficulty finding it. Haha, what an ingenious design!
Noir Corne	So... were you trapped like that for the last three days?
???	That's right, heheh... Maybe I was a bit too obsessed with my research. After all, it's such a rare finding... Oh? What's this soft thing under my feet?
Noir Corne	Uh... the corpse of an Originium slug. May I ask who you are?
???	Sorry there, sluggy... Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Mirai Takii, an ecological researcher.
Felyne Scholar	Noir Corne, the horns on her head are diffurent than yours!
Noir Corne	You said your name was... Mirai?
Mirai Takii	Yep.
Noir Corne	We're operators from Rhodes Island, on a mission in the area. I'm Noir Corne, and this is–
Felyne Scholar	Mrrow! So you're a scholar of the environment here?
Mirai Takii	Of course! I'm in the middle of an ecological survey, actually.
Felyne Scholar	May I take a look at your research notes, purrty please?
Mirai Takii	Wha– Ah! What is this adorable talking creature?! What's it going to do?
Felyne Scholar	Mrow! I'm not some creature, I'm a Felyne, and a researcher myself to boot! Look, I have meow own research notes here.
Mirai Takii	Wow, you even sketched the little explosion that Fukurami herbs make? That's one of my favorites. Did you know that it explodes from the pressure of the liquid inside the fruit?
Felyne Scholar	That was my hypawthesis! As the fruit ripens, the mucus inside gradually builds up–
Noir Corne	Hey, uh, I'm the one who saved you, so mind answering my questions first?
Mirai Takii	Oh fine.
Noir Corne	...So how did you get stuck down here in the first place?
Mirai Takii	It was part of my ecological survey, I did say that I'm a researcher, didn't I?
Noir Corne	Okay, next question–
Mirai Takii	Hold on! Let me talk first! I've got some incredible news for you all! You'll never guess what I saw! Do you know what's living in this cave? A–super–big–FLYING MONSTER!
Noir Corne	...Yeah.
Mirai Takii	Flying! Monster! Breathes Fire!
Noir Corne	...Gotcha.
Mirai Takii	"G-Gotcha"? Do you not find it the least bit interesting?
Noir Corne	It's called a Rathalos, and we were on its back before getting thrown down here.
Mirai Takii	Ah... How could this be...? What a tragedy... it turned out to be a creature that's already known. I was even going to name it after a character from a manga I read recently...I got so excited over nothing... Wait! Talking creature, I've never seen anything like you before! Are you... a new species?
Felyne Scholar	W-What are mew doing! Get your paws off me!
Mirai Takii	Just let me take a good look!
Noir Corne	Hold on, let's get down to business first. Did you come into contact with the Rathalos?
Mirai Takii	Yes, I observed it for a good while. I recorded its actions in the mine and what changes it went through within the Originium zone, but now it feels like that was all a waste of time.
Felyne Scholar	Mew recorded its behavior?
Noir Corne	Originium zone? Changes?! Give– No... could you please show us those records? This is really important!
Mirai Takii	Of course, just wait here for a bit while I find them.
Felyne Scholar	Mrow? Food, drinking water, even light equipment... What's all this?
Mirai Takii	Protective gear for the Originium, of course.
Felyne Scholar	...How well-purrpared. No wonder mew managed to last three days down here.
Mirai Takii	I even brought some carbonated Suzuka-flavored drinks.
Felyne Scholar	Noir Corne, there's a ladder here, maybe we can escape through the hole we came from.
Noir Corne	This looks like the entrance to the Originium processing plant, where did you see the Rathalos?
Mirai Takii	Not too far from here, just straight ahead through this hole in the mine shaft. The shaft you came down was the one closest to the mine, and was only abandoned because it was too far from the village. I imagine it's the most convenient for the Rathalos to fly in and out from.
Noir Corne	You seem awfully familiar with the place.
Mirai Takii	Enough to get by. Oh right, here.
[Mirai give some signaling smoke to Noir Corne.]
Noir Corne	And this is?
Mirai Takii	The Rathalos brought you two here, right? So I'm guessing you were separated from your other companions. You can make use of the vent over there to send a smoke signal, to help them to find you.
Noir Corne	Thank you very much.
Mirai Takii	Anyway, here are all my notes, but my handwriting might be a little messy, so I'll read them out loud for you while you have a look. Four days ago, the Rathalos flew into the cave at night, and the miners changing shifts were scared away. The flames it spewed also triggered a small explosion which led to a partial collapse of the mine, and thus sealed the passage to the village.
Noir Corne	No wonder there was so much active Originium dust...
Mirai Takii	Mm, it doesn't seem to be doing so well itself. The huge amount of Originium dust has noticeably affected it. In particular it has difficulty feeding and an increasingly violent temperament. I used an instrument to examine the dust in more detail, and could see a large amount of particles suspended around it. Every time it breathes fire, the dust is set aflame, causing great devastation... We're lucky it hasn't wrecked the mine yet.
Felyne Scholar	Noir Corne! That's why its flames are so pawerful!
Mirai Takii	Ah, did you come across it while outside?
Noir Corne	More than once, even... It's why we came in the first place, actually. It's been spreading Originium dust all over the village.
Mirai Takii	In that case, I must stress that if you want to deal with it, now might be the best time.
Noir Corne	Huh?
Mirai Takii	Because it's in an extremely weakened state, and though it can recover quickly, it will still take some time. Also, the mine has been overused to the point of becoming structurally unstable. So if you just detonated bombs in certain spots, you could instantly collapse the entire mine.
Noir Corne	I'm a little worried about the Rathalos spewing fire while we're doing that, though. It'd ignite all the Originium dust and... Well, the consequences would be disastrous.
Mirai Takii	Yes, but you have to trust me. As long as you follow my plan, it won't have a chance to open its jaws, let alone spit out an ember. The only problem is that we don't have enough people to set up bombs in all the locations I marked on the map. We'd need at least one more, or it'll be virtually impossible to get it done by today.
Felyne Scholar	It would be purrfect if Yato were here then.
Mirai Takii	Is that another of your companions?
Felyne Scholar	Yes, a very serious, but reliable lass. She also has two other Felynes like me by her side.
Mirai Takii	Then we should have enough, but...
Noir Corne	But what?
Mirai Takii	It's about the Rathalos. I still have some questions that might influence your final decision. Check my notes on page 237, in the bottom right corner. I've done some research into the materials it leaves behind, and found out that it's not actually infected with Oripathy. Which means its changes were not due to the infection.
Felyne Scholar	They're not? Then why does it have so meowch trouble feeding...
Mirai Takii	I doubt it's completely unaffected by Originium, but I still wouldn't say it has Oripathy... What's even stranger is that more and more Originium clusters are forming on its body.
Noir Corne	Uh, so... if the Rathalos isn't infected, the Originium clusters on its body might just be a temporary thing? And maybe it's not the one spreading the Originium dust?
Mirai Takii	That's my theory, but I don't have any hard evidence to confirm it. Besides... The Rathalos's behavior towards Originium is also remarkably different from other creatures I've observed, and... it's really difficult to describe. I think it's best if you just see it for yourselves.
Felyne Scholar	Let's go, Noir Corne! Odd-horned Scholar, can mew show us the way?
Noir Corne	No, wait...
Felyne Scholar	Oh, right, mew just escaped.
Mirai Takii	I don't mind.
Noir Corne	No, that's not what I–
[Noir Corne's communicator picks up something.]
Noir Corne	The communicator–We got a signal.
Mirai Takii	Oh, maybe it's due to the signal booster here.
Felyne Scholar	Can mew try and contact Yato? Hurry and tell her what's going on here!
Noir Corne	Not yet. First, I have to ask you something important, Ms. Takii.
Mirai Takii	Huh? Me?
Noir Corne	You came into the mine alone but with ample resources, before the Rathalos even arrived. You're very familiar with the place, but weren't with the miners when they changed shifts, otherwise you wouldn't have gotten stuck here. From my experience with the villagers and how sus they've been about the mine, I doubt they'd let an outsider conduct an ecological survey here. In short, I have some doubts about your identity. Not to mention your family name... it's the same as the headman of Roka Village, right? So you're related to him, but you don't mind teaching us how to destroy the mine, and are happy to guide us to the Rathalos. Mirai Takii, what exactly is your angle here?
Mirai Takii	Oh dear. I wasn't trying to hide anything, but I suppose it was just a matter of time.
Felyne Scholar	Were mew playing a trick on us? I see, so you weren't a scholar after all! Then... who exactly are you?
Mirai Takii	No, I really am an ecological researcher, got all my papers and everything. I did omit a few details, like the fact that Ataru is my uncle, or that I actually snuck into the mine. I also knew that you were from Rhodes Island, because I'm the one who left your contact information for my uncle to find. I'm assuming he couldn't handle the Originium dust the Rathalos was spreading, so he called you guys in.
Noir Corne	You left him our contact info? Why?
Mirai Takii	Because I wanted to shut down the mine, and there was no way I could convince the entire village by myself. Originally, I was planning to contact you myself. I figured that once you saw what was going on here, you'd do whatever it took to get the villagers away from here, right? Unfortunately, they confiscated my external communication equipment before I could. So I thought I'd come down here on my own, and figure out how to destroy it myself.
Noir Corne	What made you so sure we'd evacuate the village? It wasn't even guaranteed that we'd stop them from mining... Also, I still don't know why you want to destroy the mine.
Mirai Takii	Because if Roka Village continues to dig any deeper, this place will probably suffer a... a Catastrophe.
Noir Corne	A Catastrophe?! How soon are we talking?
Mirai Takii	Hard to say right now, since at this point it's just an anomaly in the surrounding environment.
Noir Corne	So the "Mirai" we saw earlier was you leaving your mark after your investigation...
Mirai Takii	Yup. Then I assume you've been in a situation where it felt like you were just going in circles for hours. That's an effect of the anomaly. The bad news is that said anomaly is getting even worse. And I'm pretty sure our big boy Rathalos is heading the same way, though I haven't seen it do its flamethrower thing in its lair yet. Of course, everything would be solved if you just went along with my plan.
Noir Corne	But why would the mine here cause a Catastrophe?
Mirai Takii	Because... Well, you'll understand once you see it.
<Background 2>
Felyne Artisan	Yato! Mew are bleeding!
Yato	Probably from when the Rathalos's tailspin that sent me hurtling to the ground. Some debris got into the wound, so I didn't notice it until now. It entered from the inner thigh... Can't tell how deep it is until I pull the debris out. Do you have any medicine to help treat this?
Felyne Artisan	Mrow... Not this, or this..
Yato	It's alright, Artisan. Is there anything that can be used as a rope?
Felyne Artisan	Yes! Just wrap some grass together, like a braid!
Yato	How strong is it... that should hold. And do you have anything that can burn?
Felyne Artisan	Found something! It burns.
Yato	Alright, then please make a fire... And this is for you. After the fire gets going, wipe this dagger clean, and put it over the flames, can you do that?
Felyne Artisan	Yes, but mew...
Yato	*Huff*...
[Yato starts another recording.]
Yato	Captain's log number four, this is Rhodes Island Operations Team A4... Captain Yato. In the previous battle with the Rathalos, I was separated from Operator Noir Corne, but our primary objective to track the creature has not changed. However... due to my current injury, the operation has been temporarily suspended. During this mission, we encountered many difficulties that far exceeded our expectations, and progress has not at all been smooth sailing. ...But I still believe in our ability to complete the mission, whatever the cost. I am now preparing to begin emergency field surgery on my wound, and will make an audio recording of the process for review purposes after the mission... (Breathes deeply) First, I will remove the shard of debris from the wound. Ngh–Argh!
Felyne Artisan	Blood! So meowch blood!
Yato	*Pant* *pant*... Next... using a rope to stop the bleeding...
[Yato ties her arm with the rope to stop her bleeding.]
Yato	Argh– *pant**pant*...The wound... I can see the bone, but at least none of my arteries were hit... ...Needs disinfection... scraping away the dirt...
[Yato disinfects her wound.]
Yato	Ah–*hiss* Disinfection... complete. Next... to ensure the rest of the operation proceeds smoothly, I must make sure I remain mobile. In the absence of medicine and bandages... I have decided to use... Artisan, is it ready?
Felyne Artisan	It's ready.
Yato	Now cauterizing... the wound. End audio log.
[Yato stops recording.]
Yato	Hand me the knife. (Breathes deeply) (Presses the knife to the edge of the wound) Ahh–*hiss*––Augh! Hgh!
Felyne Artisan	Yato! Are mew alright?
Yato	...I'm... I'm fine. The wound... Alright, the bleeding's stopped.
[The Artisan noticed something in the distance.]
Felyne Artisan	Over there! Look!
Yato	A smoke signal... from Noir Corne? It's in the direction that the Palico pointed out, so they must have come across the Rathalos. I'm glad they're doing well at least. The sky... It should be almost dawn by now, but it's still so dim? Black clouds...? Hm? What's that noise?
Felyne Artisan	Forest! Rumbling and shaking!
[The snarl of a beast is heard.]
Yato	That sound! It's a beast!
Felyne Artisan	Over there!
Yato	The beasts are dashing out from the forest! There are so many of them... Have they noticed something?
???	Help! Help us!
Yato	Someone's calling for help! Let's go!
<Background fades out and in>
Impatient Villager	Kuso! Why are there so many of them?!
Timid Villager	I told you not to listen to the headman's orders to enter the forest! It's just a few outsiders... Help!
Impatient Villager	Stop yelling! Why would there be anyone else in this damn forest? We better think of something before we die here!
[Yato runs toward the villagers.]
Yato	Villagers? What are they doing here?
Timid Villager	See! The yelling worked!
Yato	Come with me, quickly. I'll lead you out of here.
Impatient Villager	Can we head over there? I think we can avoid the beasts' rampage that way.
Yato	We can try.
<Background fades out and in>
Yato	We're here. Seems like the beasts aren't headed in this direction for now.
Timid Villager	Huh? You're... It's them! The outsiders the headman wanted us to find! So they were still alive!
Yato	The headman sent you after us?
Impatient Villager	That combat ability... No wonder Mirai left Rhodes Island's contact information. She did say you weren't your average pharmacists. The headman said the cave-in might not have trapped you, so he told us to go look for you in the mountains. And if we found you, to take you far, far away from the village.
Yato	Why would he do that?
Timid Villager	Ah, save it for later! The beasts are headed this way!
Yato	Their numbers have increased as well. If this keeps up... Curses, this is my fault for letting Kashiwau go alone. Even though the Palico followed him, given the current situation... Can you two get to a safe place by yourselves?
Impatient Villager	From here? Should be able to.
Yato	Sorry, I can't continue to escort you. Stay safe, and if you manage to return to the village, please tell the residents to evacuate as soon as possible!
Impatient Villager	Got it, and... thank you.
Yato	Artisan, we should go help Kashiwau.
Felyne Artisan	Um, what about Noir Corne?
Yato	...Right, they should still be with the Rathalos. I should update him on the plan, but... there's no time for that now.
Communicator	*doot**doot*–*doot**doot*–
[The Artisan noticed the communicator reacting.]
Felyne Artisan	Comms! Alive!
Yato	It's Corne. I'm glad we caught the signal.
[Yato picks up the call, with Noir Corne speaking from the other end.]
Noir Corne	Yato, can you hear me?
Yato	I'm here. I'm seeing a smoke signal from my location, is that yours?
Noir Corne	Yeah, I'm with the Felyne Scholar and we're safe for the time being, how are things on your end?
Yato	I'm... doing fine. Corne, do you know what the situation is like outside?
Noir Corne	The beginnings of a Catastrophe, yeah?
Yato	Yes, there have been some obvious tells. Judging from the situation, there's still time to evacuate the villagers, but the wild beasts in the forest have already started rampaging. We need to update each other on the situation to coordinate our actions.
Yato	Not long ago... I made the mistake of clashing with Kashiwau and letting him go off on his own. He might be in some kind of danger right now, and I think... I should prioritize saving him over rendezvousing with you. I'm still not clear how we'll deal with the Rathalos, but it is highly likely that he'll lose his life on his own. It was my fault, so I absolutely cannot leave him behind.
Noir Corne	I get you, but I gotta tell you something too.
Yato	...What is it?
Noir Corne	Right now, we're above the Rathalos's nest, and we found out it's connected to the cave in the village... It's an Originium mine. That's the source of the dust that the Rathalos has been spreading.
Yato	So that's what it was...
Noir Corne	Also... we have a really good plan to deal with the Rathalos.
Yato	Oh?
Noir Corne	If we destroy the mine and bury it in the rubble, we'll be able to take care of it once and for all. It won't be able to spread any more Oripathy, and the villagers can evacuate without any worries too.
Yato	Can you confirm the feasibility of this plan?
Noir Corne	It was hatched by someone who's researched the mine in depth. But if we want to do this right away, just me and the Felyne Scholar won't be enough. We'll need your help too. If we miss this opportunity, who knows what kind of accident might happen? In the worst case scenario, we'll probably be facing an unprecedented crisis, so we need you to make the call.
Yato	...Understood.
Noir Corne	Yato...
Yato	What a dilemma we've gotten ourselves into...
Noir Corne	Yato, listen to me. Remember what we decided back then? We've already made our choice.
Yato	...... Nonsense... I never said I couldn't do it. I'm not changing my decision. I'll go look for Kashiwau right away, while you do your best to keep the situation over there under control. I will save his life, and I won't let the Rathalos harm anyone else either.
Yato	I'll save everyone.
Noir Corne	Alright, be careful out there.
Yato	You too.
[Yato signs off.]
<Background 3>
[Yoshitaka is surrounded by beasts, which he kills with his hunting spear.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Die! All of you, die! Get out of my sight!
[Yoshitaka fends off the beasts.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	You scamp... just why did you...?
<Flashback starts here>
<Background 4>
Akira Kashiwau	Don't hold me back, old timer.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	You truly don't have a brain up there, do you?! A group of hunters... who know not the rules of the forest, much less respect them. And in provoking its wrath, sent all the beasts into a frenzy, trampling all over our crops. Well, fantastic! I suppose they'll get their just deserts!
Akira Kashiwau	All they brought were some mining tools. There's no way they can handle that many wild beasts. So I... I have to go in there, I can't just stand back and watch them get torn apart.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Aren't you also against the Originium mining project? This is perfect for us, is it not? Those fools in the forest were asking for it! Just let nature consume them, as it should!
Akira Kashiwau	Old timer, as a hunter of the village, I of all people can't sit back at a time like this.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	You idiotic, wretched, brat! You step outside this room, and I'll break both your legs!
<Flashback ends here>
<Background 3>
[The voice speaking to Yoshitaka in his heart is revealed to be Akira's.]
Akira Kashiwau	But you never did stop me from going. Which is how I ended up like that.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Yes, yes, it was all me. I caused your death... It's all my fault, I'm a terrible father.
Akira Kashiwau	You should feel ashamed of your incompetence. And you must also pay for your sins.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Yes, I should, which is why I've been trying to kill all the beasts here in your stead. Especially that most wicked, enormous, insane fire-spewing monster! ...But I am incapable of hunting it. These hands of mine are too old to properly wield a spear, and mine eyes so clouded I can only watch milkbeasts frolic around.
Akira Kashiwau	Then lay down and die.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Die. Yes, that's about the only thing I am capable of now. Kill one, and then another. And then... I will be able to see you again.
He wanted to swing his hunting spear. But his arms had no more strength, letting it fall to the ground. He had no desire to retrieve it, for it had lost all purpose. The beast bared its fangs, and was about to tear its prey apart.
[Yoshitaka fell to the ground.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Hah, denied the chance... A beast clad in scales... Now that's a sight I've not seen in... And now, the beasts mutually rend each other apart. Will I die beneath the claws and teeth of these monsters...?
[The beast snarls as...]
Palico	Yato, your meowjesty, I advise mew to reconsider, for it will not be easy to get out of this.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	What is that...? Someone's voice?
Yato	Just tell me how you can help me, or I'll just cut my way through.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Someone's speaking... am I just imagining things?
[Yato cuts down the beast before approaching Yoshitaka.]
Yato	It's not time for you to die yet, old man.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Ah...? What are you still doing here, girl?
Yato	Saving you.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	You should have left this place, not come to my aid!
Yato	Fuzakeru na! Didn't you say you were going to hunt the Rathalos? Yet you're so willing to die to some nameless beast? Open your eyes already! The frenzied beasts are going to rush down the mountain sooner or later, and the first thing they'll trample over will be the village... Your neighbors will be forced to scatter and flee, and innocent children will die. Are you going to just stand by and watch all of that happen? Yoshitaka Kashiwau, you are a hunter of Roka Village. And as its only hunter, you of all people can't sit back at a time like this. The last thing you should be doing is feeling sorry for yourself here, much less giving up your life so easily. Wield that spear in your hands, abandon those useless obsessions, and think carefully on what a hunter's duty is! To defend their home from the sharp claws of beasts, to desperately keep the flame of survival lit! True, somebody will always be forced to bear the price... Hunters, as well as us... But we have both chosen this path. Now get up!
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Akira... What was it that you said back then, to get me to let you go...
Akira Kashiwau	I said... that I would defeat them all.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Did you succeed?
Akira Kashiwau	I did, father.
[Yoshitaka confronts the Akira in his mind.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Akira... You've got a damn good spear, boy. I should hold onto it tight. Go, and never appear before me again. I will defeat them all. That's enough... noise from you. You don't speak much, girl. But when you do, you're fiercer than a mangler.
Yato	If you have the strength to talk, then stop wasting time and cover the rear.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I have no reason to take orders from a whippersnapper... Mind your own business.
Palico	Your meowjesty's words remind me so much of my time in Kokoto Village. Before the age of the Hunters, it was the headman who first stepped up to defend the village from meownsters, earning the title of 'hero' for his bravery...
[Yato picks up the Palico.]
Palico	Mrow! Please do not pick me up by the scruff of the neck.
Yato	Palico, watch our right.
Palico	Do you remember the moves I spoke of earlier, your meowjesty?
Yato	Well, I've gone over them in my head a few times.
Palico	Mew must remember, the trick to using the Dual Blades to their fullest potential is to abandon all defense and enter a state alike to a ferocious beast. Or as we call it, "Demon Mode."
Yato	"Demon Mode," huh...
Yato	We move.

After operation

“

The female researcher reveals the village's past while the enraged Rathalos rushes out of the mine, igniting all the nearby Originium and hastening a Catastrophe. The beasts go on a rampage, pulling Yato and the old hunter into a crisis.

”

<Background 5>
Felyne Scholar	I never thought the cave would be so close to a volcano. My tail is feeling so warm– Meowch! It's hot! It's on fire!
Noir Corne	Now I get why you want to close the mine. We'd have done the same, in your shoes. This place has definitely been overmined. It even has an Originium processing plant, but none of the specialized equipment you'd usually see... This has gone way further than a tiny village can handle. Mining so carelessly without strict safeguards in place will only result in the leakage of active Originium particles, and inevitably cause Catastrophes. But what I don't get is... Based on what you said, they started mining seven years ago, and the person who lead the project was your uncle, the current village headman. So... why do the tunnels stretch so deep after just seven years? They can't possibly have dug all this themselves.
Mirai Takii	You're half-correct.
Noir Corne	Huh?
Mirai Takii	The mining tunnels weren't dug by the villagers, they were already here before. Remember what I said earlier, about the beast outbreak seven years ago?
Noir Corne	Yeah, you said it was a real serious one, and that old Kashiwau's son, Akira, was also a hunter... and lost his life in it.
Mirai Takii	That was a direct consequence of the mining.
[The Scholar trips on something.]
Felyne Scholar	Meow!
Noir Corne	You good, Scholar?
Felyne Scholar	I'm purrfectly fine, what exactly did I trip on? Meow!
[The group noticed a heap of bones before them.]
Felyne Scholar	Bones?!
Noir Corne	Yeah, that's a whole lotta bones, plus teeth, and... claws?
Felyne Scholar	They have been dead fur a long time... Wait, this form... It must have been a large carnivorous creature! This is my furst time seeing one here! Judging from its remains, it would have been covered in scales and have well-developed forelimbs with long and sharp claws. So it most pawbably was good at digging holes!
Mirai Takii	An arma-clawbeast. That's their name. A type of predator that once inhabited this region. They were social creatures that would dig their nests in the mountains. This mine was actually one of their nests, and they built majestic palaces over the years while tunneling through the surrounding Originium veins.
Noir Corne	But we haven't seen a single one down here, or in the forest.
Mirai Takii	That's because... they disappeared seven years ago.
Noir Corne	Disappeared?
Felyne Scholar	Disappeared? Fur real?
Mirai Takii	The very last trace of their species in this area is the pile of skeletons before you.
Noir Corne	How... How exactly did something like that happen?
Mirai Takii	Back when this Originium mine was newly discovered, Akira Kashiwau was firmly against the project. He reckoned destroying the arma-clawbeasts' nests would net unpredictable consequences, and that Originium mining itself wasn't exactly safe either. On the other hand, my uncle and the other villagers believed that they desperately needed the potential profits to change their grueling way of life. So concealing it from Akira, they and the other hunters banded together to exterminate all the arma-clawbeasts in the region. In order to freely mine the Originium. But the slaughter resulted in the surviving arma-clawbeasts rampaging through the forest, leading to the beast outbreak that year.
Noir Corne	So many innocent lives were lost... just for the sake of opening a mine.
Mirai Takii	You must have seen my uncle's attitude, yes? To him, the Rathalos is simply the manifestation of vengeance from all the beasts he's slaughtered. He definitely has dreams about Akira's death on the regular too. His closest friend, his apprentice, carried out the will of a hunter to the very end... and died for his sake. And now that Akira's predictions have come true... naturally he's terrified.
Noir Corne	Akira died for the headman's sake? I thought he lost his life protecting the village...?
Mirai Takii	The outbreak wasn't threatening the village, but was closer to the mine. He was beset by frenzied beasts whose numbers far surpassed any regular outbreak we'd seen. Oh, we're here.
<Background fades out and in>
Originium rocks were clustering around the lava bubbling in the cave. The King of the Skies lifted its head. The insignificant Oni looked down. Their eyes each reflected the other's gaze.
[Rathalos slumbers in its lair, encircled by a bed of Originium.]
Noir Corne	Chikushou-me.
Mirai Takii	It's surrounded by a bunch of Originium rocks. Since you didn't want to deal with it right now, take care not to get too close. If we accidentally anger it, we'll be in deep trouble.
Noir Corne	Got it. Scholar... where you at?
Felyne Scholar	The Rathalos... seems to be using the Originium fur its lair. This is impawssible to comprehend...
Noir Corne	It looks like... it's in a lot of pain. Is it because of the Originium on it?
Felyne Scholar	Most pawbably, and there seems to be substantially more particles compurred to our previous encounter. Right now it's more or less an oversized source of pollution spreading Originium dust wherever it goes. My hypawthesis is that... the Rathalos most pawbably was just trying to survive, and ended up nesting here. But being deep in the mines, it's constantly exposed to Originium. When it returns to the forest to feed, the flames it spews while hunting will in turn trigger the clusters on its body, dispersing purrticles everywhere.
Noir Corne	So it's a victim of Originium too.
Felyne Scholar	Must you hunt it, Noir Corne?
Noir Corne	The Originium is too much of a danger to leave alone, and considering the safety of both the village and ourselves, hunting it is the best way of handling the situation.
Felyne Scholar	But if we can deal with just the clusters... I just need a little more time! I'll bring out my binoculars... What else could there be... Mrow? Those tracks are...
Noir Corne	Scholar, come quick! You're too far out, the ground's too unstable over there!
Felyne Scholar	Mrow?
[The ground beneath the Scholar crumbles...]
Felyne Scholar	Meow!
[...but Noir Corne pulls him to safety in time.]
Noir Corne	Haha... caught ya.
Felyne Scholar	Mrow.. I was so afuraid!
Felyne Scholar	Noir Corne! Why didn't mew warn me earlier?
[The binoculars fall onto something...]
Felyne Scholar	Did mew see that?
Noir Corne	Uh-huh.
Felyne Scholar	The bignawculars just bounced off the Rathalos's head.
Noir Corne	Ah.
[...which turns out to be Rathalos' head, waking it up!]
Felyne Scholar	Sparks are coming out of its jaws.
Mirai Takii	Just run already! The mine is gonna be destroyed!
Felyne Scholar	Run fur it!
Noir Corne	I'm running!
Mirai Takii	If it triggers all the Originium here, the anomalies are definitely going to spike, and then... It'll be a Catastrophe!
[The trio makes a run for it as...]
A black mist shrouds the sky, and the mountains and rivers burst. Wind scales the peaks, and flames rise like a crimson tide.
[...]
Vegetation burns to ashes, and life into coal. The village gates swing open, and the houses collapse. All life cowers, and the heavens fall.
<Background 3>
[While fighting off the beasts...]
Yato	Nghh... hah... hah... They're dodging my slashes so easily.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	How foolish. You clearly lack a hunter's intuition. Their weak point is the soft patch of skin in their jaws. Stab straight in, so you can slit the throat.
Yato	...Got it. (Sixfold Slash!)
[Yato unleashes the Sixfold Slash against the beasts, cutting down most of them but one who lunges at her...]
Yato	A hit! Ah...
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Have a taste of this, kono yarou!
Yato	Aghh–
[...but Yoshitaka intercepts it with his spear.]
Yato	We did it!
Palico	Be careful of the rear, mew two!
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Nanja korya?!
Yato	(Twofold Slash!)
[Yato unleashed a Twofold Slash that cuts down the beast trying to sneak up on Yoshitaka.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Hmph...
Yato	You're welcome. Are my hands... losing their strength?
Palico	On my way to a certain village, I heard tales of an endless stream of dragons, but to... purrsonally witness a similar event.
Yato	The beast outbreak is showing no signs of abating. If we remain trapped here, we'll eventually collapse from exhaustion. We have to find a way out. If we can make our way to those tall trees over there, we can make use of the canopy's height to avoid the rampage.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I have an idea.
[Yoshitaka gave Yato a bag of powder.]
Yato	What's this?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	This is the powder I used to trigger the hornbeasts earlier, in hopes of luring out the Rathalos. But I used too much and lost control of the herd. Using it on people is unheard of, and probably suicidal. But right now.... this might be our only method of drawing them away.
Yato	But that means...
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Yes, whoever is affected by it will be beset by the entire horde... But as long as we can make our way through, it will be worth it... Probably...
Yato	No... Artisan, do you still have that rope from earlier?
Felyne Artisan	Yes! I made so meowch of it!
Yato	Good... it's long and tough enough to support the weight of multiple people. If we tie it to the tree, we can use it as a makeshift grappling hook to retrieve whoever's acting as bait. Which will be me, so if you would...
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	No, I must be the bait.
Yato	I won't allow it. It's too dangerous to let you get surrounded by the horde again. If you sacrifice yourself here, wouldn't that make my efforts to save you meaningless?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I don't know if I'd be able to rescue you with these old hands of mine, but I can at least make sure not to croak before you rescue me.
Yato	...Fine, let's do this.
[After applying the powder on Yoshitaka, the beasts' attention are drawn towards him...]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Come, you dastards! Over here! Yes, just like that! Chase me like the lunatics you are!
[...as Yato rushes...]
Yato	Now's my chance!
Yato	(Flurry Rush!) Hrrh–haah!
[...and unleashes a Flurry Rush to slice them all down.]
Palico	It worked... purrfectly!
Yato	Deploy the grappling hook immediately, I'll go retrieve Kashiwau!
[fades out and in]
[As Yoshitaka runs to distract the beasts...]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	These beasts just charge straight at me with wild abandon. We really lured them away...I can't believe it. There's simply so many of them... That day... that day seven years ago, was also like this... Brat... Is this how you felt, that night? Did you... die to something like this? Was this... what you saw in your final moments? Surrounded by these beasts, encircled by their jaws, drowning in their saliva. You must have been slaying them one after another with this spear, just like this. But no matter how many you killed, there were always more of these damnable beasts, wave after relentless wave.
[Yoshitaka strikes down the beasts with his spear.]
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Ngh–Agh! Begone! Kuso! They saw you as a mere slab of meat to be divided between themselves, no longer among the living. And knowing you, brat, you probably just kept your mouth shut, rather than calling for help. Simply brandishing this lance till your strength failed you, till you could wield it no longer. Collapsing on some rocks, slowly falling to your knees... Yet the beasts never ceased their advance! Ah... so that's how it was.
Yato	Kashiwau, grab my hand!
[Kashiwau does not respond...]
Yato	What are you blanking out for?! Quickly!
[...and Yato grabs him.]
Yato	Got you! Palico, pull the rope!
<Background 6A>
Yato	Finally...
Palico	Not yet, your meowjesty... The branches over there have broken...
Yato	......
Palico	Meowny more beasts rush over as we speak!
Yato	Chikushou, is there anything else we can do?
Palico	Your meowjesty, look! The beasts are scattering all of a sudden! Mrow... A noise from the sky. The Rathalos soars through the sky! And that's...
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Nantekotta...
Yato	A Catastrophe...
The gale carelessly bound both land and sky together with flame, like an ignorant life devouring everything in its path. Trees were but weeds within the tornado of fire, and mountains crumbled to rubble. The most fearless of warriors were powerless to stand against it, and the most devout prayers echoed to no avail. It had arrived, the land's retribution.
<Background 6B>
Yato	Jump down! Brace for impact!
<Background fades out and in>
Yato	Is everyone alright?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I'm fine.
Palico	I'm... purrfectly fine as well.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	The sky is alight... Pillars of crimson flame... Kuso, what a truly terrifying sight.
Yato	...I've read about a similar case on the landship before. A hurricane unleashed by a Catastrophe encircled a mountain on fire, becoming a ferocious firestorm. As it moves, the vortex pulls from its surroundings. And with everything combustible in this forest... I can't imagine the consequences. Why... Why did the Catastrophe strike so soon?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	The center of the firestorm... it's near the mine.
Yato	The mine?!
[A beast pounces on Yato without her noticing it...]
Yato	–!
???	Taste my blade!
[...but it was cut down by an attack which turns out to be released by Noir Corne, who had just arrived alongside the Scholar and Mirai.]
Noir Corne	Hey! So this is where you guys were. See, Scholar? Just like I said...
Yato	That's enough yapping, Noir Corne. I expect a full report soon.
Noir Corne	Aight.
Mirai Takii	...Old Kashiwau? What are you doing here?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I could ask you the same thing, Mirai.
Yato	You can hardly call this fortunate, but at least we managed to escape the horde thanks to the Catastrophe. I don't know what the situation in the village is right now, but the core of the Catastrophe is still quite a ways away and moving fairly slowly. However, that's not the case with the beast outbreak. Any ideas on how to return to the village as soon as possible?
Mirai Takii	Ah, if that's still nearby... Maybe we can use it to descend the mountain quickly!
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	It has not been used for a long time. I can't be sure if it still works.
Noir Corne	So, uh, planning on letting the rest of us in on this?
Mirai Takii	There's a railcar. We used it a lot when the mines were just opening, and it made things real convenient, but after the cave was repaired we more or less abandoned it. Don't worry, it should still work fine. It was the very first thing I designed, after all.
Noir Corne	Weren't you an ecologist? I'm not sure I should trust your skills as a railcar engineer...
Yato	Kashiwau, our next battle won't be any easier, so I hope you're prepared.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I don't suppose you'd let this old man loaf about for once?
Yato	Please, by all means. I fully intend to respect your opinion.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Oh?
Yato	I'm aware that I tend to ignore the ideas of those around me and insist on doing things my way. And that this is a behavior I should correct. The mistakes I've made were precisely because of that, and I should also apologize for what I said earlier. I'm sorry for my unproductive words, without knowing anything about your background. I did not intend to hurt you.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Hm...
Yato	So will you accept my apology?
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Fine... if it pleases you.
Yato	Good, then that's settled.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Girl... Earlier you said you understood me... what did you mean by that?
Yato	Ah, that... It's a bit of a long story.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	If it's a bother, just pretend I didn't ask.
Yato	No, I don't mind. You see, before joining Rhodes Island, I was an assassin.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Nani?
Yato	A literal killer, acting on orders to take the lives of my people, day and night. Until one day, I looked at my bloodstained hands and felt nothing but fear in my heart. The next day, I was tasked to dispose of a mother and daughter, but chose to protect them instead. Because I didn't want to be a killer anymore. That was also the day I met Noir Corne, who listened to my story and chose the same path.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	......
Yato	But I'd made a mistake. It wasn't just a matter of refusing to kill. The pair I saved were so frightened of me that I could only leave them in a safe place. And while in the moment I felt only the weightless relief of not taking a life, I had forgotten something important... That the only end awaiting them was to be killed by someone else.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Do you... regret it?
Yato	Yes. For a long time after that, I... often dreamt of them. They would ask me why I had left them to die. I didn't want to hurt innocents anymore, but I still ended up indirectly cutting their lives short. ...I used to wonder if I was even capable of protecting anyone at all. Luckily, I had help... Thanks to him, I made my decision.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	You mean the boy over there?
Yato	Yes.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	Heh.
Yato	He scolded me–a rare occurrence–and said... "The past is the past... All your remorse, all the sins you carry, make up for them with your future."
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	I took him for just an oddball, but I suppose he's got a proper head on after all.
Yato	What he said seemed right to me, and since then I haven't given it much thought. We decided to make it our mission to protect others, and he dragged me along to join Rhodes Island. And because of our similar objectives, we're still working together even now.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	This must be some company, to hiring on people like you. So protecting others is your way of atoning for your past?
Yato	You might say it started like that, but I've had a few additional insights along the way. I've seen too much life and death. There are many reasons people might surrender their lives, and some even seek death out of ignorance. You could say I stubbornly impose my will on others, but only because of my duty to protect your lives. Life in this land is not meant to end so easily, but to be lived and experience all its possibilities. So I will continue my efforts. I don't want to regret anything, or to see people forced to gaze only at ruins. So I refuse to leave you alone.
Noir Corne	Yato! Kashiwau! We found the railcar and it's still working! Hey, what're you both looking at me like that for? Is there something on my mask?
Yato	It's nothing. We'll be right over. Anyway, I look forward to cooperating with you in the upcoming battle, Kashiwau. (Holds out hand)
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	...No. I've told you this so many times already, that's my quarry. You need only watch from the sidelines and applaud my brilliance.
Yato	I'll just pretend I didn't hear that.
Yoshitaka Kashiwau	...... The path you've chosen is not an easy one. All I can do is wish you the best.
Yato	Likewise.