D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

— Kat —

“Well… let’s work backwards. What do we know needs to be done?” asked Kat.

“That is part of the issue. I need to be on the tracking team for obvious reasons. This is especially true now that there is evidence to suggest that it has less standard abilities my tracking capabilities are more important then ever. Then, I likely need Kat’s assistance to take the thing down.

“My gun has high penetration power and I have some exotic effects, but it is still a gun. It works best on more standard beasts that I can simply shoot in the head or heart and be done with. It is not the only way I have killed beast, I’m sure you remember my stories, but in this instance killing the beast is likely going to be a matter of wailing on it until its regeneration cannot keep up…

“And unlike Kat I do not regenerate so if it comes down to a damage trade I will lose out in most instances. I can deal what should be lethal amounts of damage regularly, but if it is anything like I expect one or two attacks on my person would take me out of the fight, thus Kat is necessary for the win…

“Which leads onto Lily and Kamiko. I do not wish to simply relegate you to rear guard, especially when that leaves you too far away for Kat and I to intervene should the drake get past us somehow. Which would likely mean that we should remain as a group of four.

That comes with some issues, mostly in sneaking through monster habitats, but at least with someone watching us from the Hub nobody is at risk of death…

“But while that is true for us, it is not so true for the rest of the people living in this area. If the full team comes along on this last leg of the journey, that means there’s nobody with even a chance to take out the drake remaining behind… but I do not know if any of us could deal with it alone, and perhaps only Kat and I as a pair.

Which cycles back to me being unsure what to do in regards to our team composition,” explained Hunter.

*That… does complicate things.* “What are the chances the drake can get away from us?” asked Kat. “That’s what a lot of this boils down to… and as much as I hate it. That thing needs to die. I don’t want to start a conversation about the ‘greater good’ because that way leads to atrocities… but we need to stop it. So what gives us our best shot?”

Hunter shrugged, “I simply do note know,”

“Well… is there any way we can find out that information?” asked Kat.

“Not without committing rather heavily to one plan or the other. If the drake does take to running its not the worst thing ever. If we can chase it down we might be able to catch and take it out before issues occur… but the worry is that it might be significantly faster then us,” explained Hunter.

Stay updated with

“I want to go along,” Kamiko cut in. Hunter and Kat slowly turned to Kamiko, her body shaking slightly but her gaze hard. “I’m all but certain mum would have bullied her way onto the observation team. If I get injured fatally I know she’ll pull me out and keep me alive. She’s not going to be happy with me… but she can do it.

“Maybe I could save more people by staying back and helping. The drake is what you’re both focusing on but the monster waves that come along are still causing problems. I could help with that, I fully admit… but the drake NEEDS to die, and I refuse to let you both go off to fight it by yourself. I can handle pain, I can handle injuries.

I… I may be rather shy but my mother is an expert in the medical field.

“Many of my training sessions were likely more deadly then your own Hunter. I am weak. I likely less skilled then you Hunter, and definitely less durable than you Kat… but sitting around back in town and feeling useless? That scares me more. Maybe if death was on the table I’d agree to stay back… but with this? I… I want to come along,”

Hunter gave a firm nod, even as Kat looked worriedly at Kamiko. Lily sighed and transformed to say, “I guess I’ll be coming along as well. I don’t particularly want to be separated from Kat and… I can try to perfect my ability to merge with shadows. I’m not sure if I can get it done before we find the drake, but if I manage it I’ll be safe from attacks,”

Kat bit her lip as she forced her mouth close and tried to keep her mind empty. She didn’t want Lily taking this sort of risk… but she wasn’t going to force Lily to stay behind either, that would be much worse. Ultimately Kat wanted Lily to be competent, to be willing to go on dangerous adventures with her… and that meant that sometimes Lily would be in danger.

That Kat wouldn’t be able to protect her easily.

“I guess that’s that?” asked Kat.

Hunter nodded slowly. “It is still a risk but if they are willing to face danger I will not deny them. They were sent on this mission for a reason, and I believe that reason has not yet manifested. Additionally, they are no worse at stealth then you are Kat so they were not cause more fights to break out while we make our way through the forest,”

“Thanks Hunter,” grumbled Kat.

“Though that does bring up another question,” stated Hunter. “Do we wish to enlist the help of one off the locals?”

“Um… what would be the point in that? Wouldn’t they be quite weak?” asked Kamiko.

“Indeed they would be. We would either need to ensure they had a secure area to wait for us in, or ensure they were willing to die for the cause beforehand as we lack healing capabilities. Though I suppose they could have such capabilities themselves,” stated Hunter. “As for why I believe we might wish for their services?

“The terrain is mostly unknown to us. I can allow us to make decent time towards the area I assume the drake is in, but I can only go based on the terrain I can see and guess at. There might be large ravines with a bridge only in one particular spot. There could be particularly deadly monster habitats that we would save time avoiding.

We could run into plants that react to our presence, trying to capture us. We likely wouldn’t deal with many, if any, true threats but constant things that waste time? I find that likely,”

“It… seems a bit dangerous,” said Kamiko. “They’d actually be at risking of dying…”

“While I do not disagree, I do believe it is worth mentioning that they are at risk of dying staying in a town as things currently stand. Forest Village is doing fine for now, and they will likely continue to be fine, but there is always a risk. With us around to protect them, it is unlikely anything except the drake could take them out,” stated Hunter.

“But we are looking for the drake,” retorted Kamiko.

“Indeed,” agreed Hunter. “I do not dispute that fact,”

After seeing that Hunter wasn’t going to elaborate, Kamiko asked, “Why are you just saying that like it’s ok?”

“Because we would ask for volunteers and try to keep them safe… but I admit to not having the best care for those I am unfamiliar with. While I try to perform good deeds, and wish to ensure the safety of a large number of people… if someone accepts our offer and comes along to help, fully aware of the danger, I treat them as an experienced hunter able to make their own choices.

I will not intentionally put them in danger, but if they know what is going on? I see nothing wrong with allowing them to make that risk,”

“I… I don’t like it. This is our job and people shouldn’t get hurt because of us…” mumbled Kamiko.

“Just to play… sort of devil’s advocate,” Kat added, wincing slightly at the phrasing and hoping it didn’t come across in the translation, “If they’re an adult and willing to take that risk it isn’t on us to stop them. We might need the help, and if they are a fully informed adult? Is it really our choice to stop them?”

“Hunter was just spent her time agonising over if it was safe to take me and Lily though!” insisted Kamiko.

“Yes, and as a member of my team you are my responsibility, but a volunteer is not part of the team. Perhaps if they proved themselves in some major way I might come to care for them and protect them at great cost, but I make no promise of that,” said Hunter.

Kamiko pouted at the response, unhappy but not sure what else to say.