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"Is this really the right place Onee-sama?"

A pair of heavily cloaked trekkers were trudging up the snowy mountainside, braving a freak blizzard that came down on them about half an hour ago. The strong chilly winds were showing no signs of letting up. It was the taller one of the two who posed the question, though she was only 'tall' with respect to her companion. Their large cloaks may have added some significant bulk to their outlines but with their feet in inches deep of snow, their height didn't appear to change much.

"As my navigator I should be asking you that question in all honesty."

There was a cheerful tone in the response as though the raging blizzard didn't bother them in the slightest and they could afford to be a little bit cheeky. The taller figure let out an audible sigh.

"There were no blizzards where we used to live. This is all so new to me. And besides Onee-sama, you were the only one who spoke with the villager who told you about this place."

"You'll have plenty of time to get used to it I suppose. It will be a while before our next assignment to a different island."

"Perhaps if you weren't so preoccupied with shopping for cloaks, then you might have heard about our destination today too."

The taller figure skipped on ahead a few steps while performing a quick twirl.

"But you have to admit Onee-sama. Thanks to these cloaks I personally picked out, we're nice and warm even in this blizzard."

That was her first logical victory for the day. And she could have it. It was uncertain how long the good mood would last. Assuming the villager's stories were true, they were in for a troublesome time today and this blizzard was just the beginning.

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Almost as quickly as it arrived, the swirling blizzard finally cleared up as the travelers crossed over to the other side of the mountain. Many tall but frozen trees dotted the mountainside. This was probably the reason the winds couldn't move as violently and freely in the area. Nature had its own way of protecting the land from the elements. The improved weather conditions allowed the pair the luxury of pulling down their fur hoods, revealing a red head and a pink head. This was Commodore Suzume Kouchou and her chief officer Ensign Callista. The little commodore was on her way to a certain foraging spot located on these mountains where she heard various species of edible mushrooms could be found. As for the ensign, it was actually her day off but chose to spend it tagging along on this little adventure. She typically took it upon herself to take care of and look after her 'older sister' and knowing the sort of dangers she'd get into for her food research, this was a trip she couldn't ignore.

"That looks certainly inviting. I'm not sure if this is just how things are on snowy mountains but after that blizzard, this place is unusually quiet in contrast. Your thoughts Onee-sama?"

Suzume couldn't help but agree with her navigator. There was a certain eeriness to the silence of the forest. Perhaps that could be owed partly to the fact that the frozen trees were devoid of rustling leaves. But even so any signs of life would be making sounds one way or the other. However there were none apart from their own footsteps as they ventured through. The little redhead stopped and pressed her hand against one of the frozen trees.

"These trees are alive. And where there are plants thriving, there are bound to be animals as well. Maybe they are cautious of newcomers entering their domain. I heard there was a scarcity of food here and considering the conditions it's not surprising. They might be thinking we're hunters who have come for them and so are staying out of sight."

"An interesting thought Onee-sama. But then the opposite could also be true. Perhaps we're the 'prey' and the predators are staying out of sight waiting for their chance to strike."

Callista adjusted her cloak to allow her wings to pop out. Flapping them gently, she took to the air and landed on a branch high above the ground. Suzume blinked and wondered what the ensign was up to before seeing her suddenly point westward in excitement.

"Aha! Onee-sama, there are a couple of beasts at 10 o'clock who have their eyes on us! They're about 20 meters above the ground on the treetops! Oh, they've realized they've been spotted! They're making their move!"

The ensign readied her pole-body slingshot and took aim. The creatures in question were a pair of snow leopards and were expertly maneuvering through the branches at considerable speeds. This was definitely their hunting ground. A normal human wouldn't have been able to spot them and even if they did, the leopards would have been far too nimble to outrun. But this was their unlucky day.

Suzume heard Callista loud and clear and started walking in the 10 o'clock direction. True enough despite their efforts to move quietly, there was no hiding the creaking on the branches anymore now that the leopards had decided to attack. The little commodore would have a visual of them soon and so stood next to a tree that would be on the predicted course of their approach.

The ensign could see everything that was going on from her position and took aim but didn't shoot. It didn't seem like these snow leopards were wary of weapons and so rather than head towards her, they were clearly going for the smaller and 'easier' looking Suzume. Leaping from branch to branch, they were making their way down to the little commodore who kept her cool and waited until they were just about close enough.

Suzume pressed her hands against the tree next to her just as the leopards jumped from the tree right before it. The previously frozen branches suddenly came to life and extended and entangled the predators mid-jump where they couldn't do anything to avoid the snaring attack. They growled frustratingly as they struggled against the branches that bound them out of nowhere. But it was to no avail. They simply weren't strong enough to break out of the holds.

"Your timing is as impeccable as always Onee-sama!"

The pink haired ensign who acknowledged that the situation was under control flew back down from her perch, staring mischievously at the captured leopards.

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The two stared at the strung up leopards curiously with Callista circling around to get a better view. By this time the beasts had realized it was useless to struggle and had calmed down a bit. The pink haired ensign was the first to speak.

"Isn't it weird Onee-sama? There was supposed to be a scarcity of food as you said, but these two were clearly working together to hunt. It's rather unthinkable for mere beasts don't you think?"

Suzume could see where the ensign was coming from. The usual assumption would be that beasts engaged in survival of the fittest. Of course there were animals that hunted in packs, but leopards? At the very least the commodore had not heard of such a thing. Perhaps there was another reason, like the two being mates. But a quick glance at them would confirm that they were both female. So maybe it really was the benefit greater success when hunting together. The snow leopards of this region likely possess such a predisposition.

"You've probably already thought this through Callista. I'm certain we've arrived at the same conclusion."

Callista smirked, satisfied at the response. There was no pulling the wool over her 'older sister's' eyes. She gently poked one of the leopard's bellies with her slingshot, causing it to growl annoyed. Suzume responded by walking over and giving the captured beast an affectionate belly rub, causing it to calm down again. The little commodore was pretty good with animals. Most critters seem to just fall for her caring aura and make it easier for her to approach them, in normal situations. She alternated belly rubs for a couple of minutes between the pair before suddenly realizing they had wasted enough time and ought to move on.

"Are you planning on just leaving them hanging there?"

Suzume answered her question by placing her hand against the tree once more, loosening the beasts' bindings. After a bit of effort, they managed to let themselves down. Callista stared at them intently while tightening the grip on her slingshot. The little commodore simply smiled at them kindly and after a few seconds the two snow leopards took off in the opposite direction, wanting nothing further to do with the Marine duo.

"A little kindness goes a long way. I figured if they intelligent enough to realize the value of cooperation, then maybe they would also recognize goodwill. Or perhaps in this case it was 'mercy'."

"More like 'fear' right Onee-sama?"

Callista chuckled teasingly as Suzume shrugged and motioned for them to resume their trek.

In the end it seemed the cause for the earlier silence when they first entered the forest was in fact the two snow leopards hunting. When they had exited their supposed hunting grounds, the commodore and ensign finally detected some semblance of life in the otherwise frozen woods. There was the occasional sound of shifting snow as a small critter carefully made its way to its den after trying to gather food. Up in the trees there was the rare chirp of a bird. The occurrences were few and far between but it was better than nothing. As they progressed on, the density of trees began to thin until they finally reached a clearing.

Their first impression was that it was hard to say if this was a natural clearing. It wasn't a patch of land that was devoid of trees from the start. The trees that should have been standing there were instead fallen, and rather violently too. Suzume rushed over one of the nearby trunks and noted how it was torn off from the stump with brute force. Curious. The damage was fairly recent. It couldn't have been more than a couple of days since this tree was knocked down.

"Onee-sama get down!"

An urgent yell from her chief officer would cause the little commodore to duck as instructed. Meanwhile Callista had fired a shot from her slingshot, grazing a new snow leopard that had tried to pounce on Suzume from behind a fallen tree trunk. The beast yelped in pain and landed just short of the little redhead who placed her hands on the ground and caused roots to erupt from it. The leopard was captured fast.

As the Marine duo regrouped from the surprise attack, the ground around them began to tremble and the sound of crashing trees could be heard close by.

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Not wasting any time, the winged pair did what most people in their situation would do in an emergency and retreated as fast as they could. In their case they did so by flying up to safety. Without any leaves and foliage on the trees, it wasn't too difficult to spot the creature responsible for the crashing noises beyond the frozen trunks and branches. It was a moving... hill? Whatever it was, it was bigger than a small house. Though it was following a clear path through the forest, a path that it likely created itself, it still occasionally bumped into trees that fell rather easily. The huge size came with similarly considerable strength. The two in the air flew up even higher and headed directly above the creature to get a better look. Finding its head they finally determined its identity.

"It's a pig? No, a boar. Onee-sama it's a giant boar."

Its proportions may have been slightly off, but there was no mistaking the shape of its head and snout. Two large tusks extended from its mouth as well and the overall build and bone structure seemed just right. Suzume would agree with the ensign's conclusion. This was definitely a mountain boar, though she had never seen anything quite like this size. In the first place, on an island like Karakuri where food was a little bit harder to come by it was weird to find a creature of this magnitude. Then again she did encounter a fish of similar scale not too long ago. Evolution worked in strange ways though that field wasn't her expertise. The huge boar didn't notice them yet and so they continued to watch from the sky. Judging from the cleared up path with trees knocked down, the giant mountain boar regularly passed through this area.

"This must be the creature they mentioned that frequented the area where those rare edible mushrooms grew. I can see why they chose to avoid it when they could. Its size alone would make it a challenging target. An average person would get crushed with little to no effort."

Suzume's pondering was interrupted by the sound of an angry captured snow leopard. In their haste they had left the one who tried to ambush the little commodore wrapped up in roots and unable to get away. The mountain boar eventually noticed this too and the beast locked its eyes on it while grunting viciously. It then broke out into a powerful charge, cause the ground to rumble again and felling more trees. It was much faster than it looked and before Suzume could release the bound animal, the giant boar made contact with its tackle.

The result was a bloody mess needless to say. Suzume's manipulated roots broke easily from the boar's power while the leopard was sent flying like a rag doll into another tree where it crumpled to the ground lifeless. From the state of its corpse there were multiple fractures all over its body with its limbs strewn in unnatural positions. A pool of blood soon began to form under it cause by external wounds from the crash. It was not a pretty sight and the little commodore felt a slight regret as she was the one who immobilized it.

Satisfied with its kill, the giant boar turned back around, retracing its steps through the path it came from. Was it going home? Or perhaps it was off to eat? This was a good chance to follow it back to its possible feeding grounds.

"Onee-sama, that boar is dangerous. We should definitely not engage it head on."

"That much is a given. Those roots from earlier didn't even slow it down. Even if I put my current full power into it, I don't believe my abilities are enough to stop it. However we cannot just ignore it if it's causing trouble for the people who live in this area. Fortunately I have you accompanying me today. A little ingenuity, scheming, and trickery might just be what we need to stand toe to toe with that beast."

"Well since you put in that much faith in me Onee-sama, I guess I should do my utmost not to disappoint."

Callista quickly switched to planning mode, running different scenarios in her mind. It may have been strong but it was still a beast. Outmaneuvering it should be very much possible. Naturally Suzume was also coming up with her own plans, but this was the sort of thing that her pink haired chief officer was more skilled at. She had not let her down yet.

"I'm counting on you."

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Thanks to the weather clearing up on this side of the mountain it was much easier for the pair of Marines to stay up high in the sky while they tracked their quarry. The giant boar moved through the forest following a path it must have cleared for itself at some point. It branched off in different directions but the duo merely kept their eyes on where the beast itself was heading. Before long they reached a sort of valley with lots of trees felled. This time they weren't recently knocked down and were clearly in a state where they had been dead or rotting for some time now. The two had finally hit the jackpot.

"One couldn't ask for a better environment to grow winter fungi. I believe this is the place where we can find those mushrooms. As expected that boar feeds on them too."

"I suppose the plan is to lure it away from this place then right Onee-sama? Battling that creature here will definitely cause a large amount of damage to the area."

"After giving it some thought, I would say the forest is our best bet. While its true that it's strong enough to just knock aside the trees, they still pose some hindrance to it even for just a second. I'm certain we can create some sort of opening there to bring it down."

Callista didn't mention it because it wasn't necessary to but having more trees around was also advantageous when considering Suzume's powers. The basic premise for taking down the boar was set, but there were just a few things they had to check on first before they could proceed. One particular factor was that they weren't locals here and so didn't possess the best understanding of the way the ecosystem here worked and if any of their actions would result in irreversible damage. Suzume flew up a bit higher and swept the surrounding scenery with her gaze, until she finally spotted what she was looking for. Past the surrounding forest in another clearing was a small settlement. Presumably the people residing there would be the best ones to consult regarding their operation.

"Let's confirm the situation before we begin."

The ensign looked up at Suzume and nodded, following her as she headed straight for the small collection of houses. A few people were actually outside working, chopping wood and the like. When the two winged Marines came into view, they kept their guard up, a little surprised at the unusual visitors. A man with an axe walked up to them as they touched down and gave them a little greeting.

"Howdy! Winged folk? We don't get a lot of them all the way out here. Actually you might even be the first I've ever seen come by in person."

He tried his best to keep his demeanor pleasant and polite. Suzume appreciated this gesture and returned a warm friendly smile. Callista followed suit.

"We're actually here conducting a survey on the land and were hoping to forage for some mushrooms. I was told that some rare ones grew around these parts."

The man looked at them incredulously for a moment before quickly fixing his expression and responding.

"That's the truth alright. Some of those mushrooms even have medicinal properties. God knows we could use them. A few of the kids came down with something in the last couple of days and have been sick since."

"But whoever told you about the mushrooms must have also mentioned the thing guarding them right? Really, really big fella. My grandpa used to call it the Master of the mountain. A long time ago people used to try and sneak into the valley to harvest some. But it was dangerous work. People were lucky to come back with their lives. At some point we just stopped cause the risk wasn't worth it."

This was the first time Suzume had heard that some of the mushrooms there had medicinal properties. That made her want them all the more. Not to mention if there was anything she could do for the sick kids, she'd be up for it.

"Yes, they did say so. Apparently besides claiming that valley as its territory, it's also been causing all sorts of trouble for those who live close by. I assume you're no exception."

The man nodded and shrugged.

"What if we told you that we'd like to try and take down the beast? Would you be willing to cooperate?"

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