The distance between Kamura Village and the Red Stronghold was not particularly great.
Even with scholars, Alchemists, and other civilian personnel in tow, as well as carts laden with supplies, the party from Kamura Village still reached the stronghold by noon.
By the time Altaïr rode Hibiki all the way from the Flooded Forest to the stronghold that evening, the Institute Director and her staff had already set up a temporary research facility.
The sight of Altaïr covered in black blotches startled everyone. Even Maki had not expected his Frenzy Virus infection to advance so far in such a short time.
The director personally supervised the thorough decontamination of the Hunter, Felyne, and Palamute, then promptly placed Altaïr in isolation inside a wooden hut far from the stronghold's core area.
Altaïr understood the arrangement and was quite happy to have some peace and quiet.
As the sky darkened, Altaïr sat cross-legged inside the crude little hut, which contained nothing but a bedroll on the floor. His eyes were closed as he practiced sword meditation.
Maki had suggested this method. When the Frenzy Virus infection flared up, clearing his mind through meditation would give him better rest than sleep.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the hut's thin wooden door. Before Altaïr could answer, the visitor pushed it open and entered.
Altaïr opened his eyes.
He was surprised to recognize his visitor. He had expected Isis to sneak over, but why was Lady Maki here?
As if she had seen through his thoughts, Maki gave him an enigmatic half-smile. "That little... well, big girlfriend of yours certainly wanted to come. She's been pacing back and forth in a frenzy of her own.
"If the scholars hadn't assured her that the Wystone would be ready within twenty-four hours at the latest, and that what you need most right now is to rest alone in peace and quiet, she would have rushed over long ago.
"Honestly, looking the way you do now, you're asking for a lecture. If you'd like her to come over and have a heartfelt talk with you, I can send someone to fetch her..."
"Please don't." Altaïr cut her off with an awkward laugh.
Even Sajji had been unable to resist scolding him a few times after seeing him like this. As for Isis... he would rather wait until the black blotches on his body had faded before facing her.
"Here, catch." Maki tossed something to Altaïr.
Altaïr fumbled the catch and discovered several still-warm rice balls wrapped in leaves.
They were hardly a delicacy, but at least they went down more easily than brick-hard field rations.
"Hurry up and eat. Once you've filled your stomach, I'm taking you outside," Maki urged.
"Huh? Outside? Now?" Altaïr glanced through the window at the pitch-black sky. "Aren't I supposed to be in isolation?"
"You're only isolated so you don't frighten anyone inside the stronghold. We're going beyond the walls. Hurry up."
Maki waved impatiently. "I don't have much time. Once the first batch of Wystones is ready tomorrow, I'll have to leave. Before then, I want to teach you how to overcome the Frenzy Virus and harness it for yourself."
"!"
Altaïr's eyes lit up, and he scrambled to his feet without another word. "Then let's get going!"
"Aren't you going to eat the rice balls first? Isis asked Nymera to make them especially for you."
"I'll eat on the way!"
"You won't have time to eat on the way." Maki gave him a pointed look.
Altaïr suddenly remembered that Maki's feet barely touched the ground when she traveled. Even if he activated Demon Mode and chased her with everything he had, he could only just keep pace.
Eating on the move with her was indeed out of the question.
With that thought, he decisively unwrapped the leaves and stuffed the generously sized rice balls into his mouth in just a few bites.
Immediately afterward, he pulled out a bottle of Dash Juice and downed it like tea after a meal.
Maki nodded in satisfaction. "Let's go."
With that, she turned, pushed open the door, and launched a Wirebug to leap into the air.
Altaïr activated Demon Mode and sprinted after her.
In the blink of an eye, they reached the edge of the stronghold. Faced with the towering outer wall, Maki showed no intention of asking anyone to open the gate. Two or three effortless bounds carried her straight over it.
The corner of Altaïr's eye twitched.
Her physical prowess was on a completely different level from his, and the absurd advantage provided by her Wirebug made her exceptionally difficult to keep up with.
Fortunately, he had methods of his own.
He raised an arm and fired his Clutch Claw, hooking it onto a protruding crenellation before hauling himself upward.
Maki had just landed outside the wall and was wondering whether to wait for the kid when she saw Altaïr vault over the top and jump straight down.
He twisted in midair, kicked off the wall once to slow his fall, and landed steadily.
Maki grinned at the sight. She launched her Wirebug again, leaped into the canopy of a nearby tree, and began bounding from branch to branch.
Altaïr also used his Clutch Claw to reach the treetops and followed close behind her.
"Oh?" Maki glanced back in surprise. "Hunters from the Old World know how to do this too? Weren't you limited to running along the ground last time?"
"I picked up some aerial combat techniques. Later, I saw a senior named Nadia moving through the trees like this, so I practiced it a little," Altaïr answered honestly.
"You're still clumsy." Maki delivered her judgment without mercy, then began to accelerate.
Altaïr gritted his teeth and sped up. Unfamiliar with this method of travel, he nearly lost his footing and fell from the trees several times. Each time, his exceptional reflexes and coordination allowed him to recover at the last possible moment.
His movements gradually grew more practiced, and his speed continued to rise.
They raced several kilometers through the trees, one behind the other, until Maki suddenly stopped up ahead. She made a halt gesture, crouched on a thick branch, and peered through a gap in the leaves.
Altaïr landed beside her and copied her crouch while steadying his ragged breathing.
Following Maki's gaze, he saw a Rathian curled up in a nest of branches and bones deep within the dense forest, sleeping soundly.
"Hmm? I was thinking we'd find an Arzuros or an Aknosom, but there's even a Rathian here? Lucky us. It will be our practice target tonight."
Altaïr could not help glancing at Maki, who looked as though this were the most natural thing in the world. "Um, Lady Maki, wouldn't this count as poaching?"
Maki's expression stiffened for a moment. Then she cleared her throat. "The Red Stronghold is Kamura Village's most important front-line gateway. Everything around it is human territory.
"A Rathian coming this close already poses a serious threat to the stronghold's safety, so Hunting it is perfectly reasonable. There is absolutely no problem."
As she spoke, she gave Altaïr a thumbs-up. "Besides, I'm the Village Chief. I'll just fill out a quest form afterward."
Altaïr had no reply.
Kamura was blessed with such abundant natural resources, and its Monsters bred like cockroaches. Otherwise, the people of Kamura Village would have driven them all to extinction long ago.
"Let's get started."
"Uh, what should I do?"
Could she not have explained anything first? Altaïr grumbled inwardly.
"Your infection is already fairly severe. You can feel it, can't you? That agitation, the feeling that you'll crawl out of your skin if you don't cut something."
Altaïr remained silent for two seconds, then nodded.
"So go in and start cutting. Keep at it, and you'll overcome the virus." Maki looked utterly relaxed.
Seeing the doubt in Altaïr's eyes, Maki stroked her chin and offered a little more explanation. "According to the scholars, sustained attacks increase... what did they call it? The body's metabolic efficiency?
"Then you overcome the virus. It's very simple.
"This method is easier with a Wystone, but a Wystone greatly suppresses the virus's activity. It's safer, but the boost you gain is also considerably weaker."
Maki winked at Altaïr. "The Wystone won't be ready until tomorrow at the earliest. I don't have time to wait, so I'll teach you how to overcome the virus without one.
"Or would you rather wait until it's ready and practice on your own?"
Altaïr's expression turned solemn, and he played along with equal gravity. "That won't be necessary. If I can do this without relying on an external aid, I'd rather not use one."
They both knew that was empty posturing. Neither of them was exactly short on "external aids."
"Here, take these." Maki removed the Kamura Iron Dual Blades from her back and handed them to Altaïr. "That sword of yours would kill it too quickly, which makes it unsuitable for practice. Use these instead.
"No Devouring Demon, either. All your other fancy techniques, including Demon Mode, are banned as well. You'll use nothing but basic attacks to bring it down."
"...Fine."