Over the following days, the Hunters' increasingly thorough surveys uncovered more traces.
Altaïr frowned at the abandoned nest in the woods before him.
He picked up a fiery red scale from among the branches and vines woven into the nest. After examining it for a moment, he confirmed that it had come from a Rathalos. In other words, the abandoned nest before him was a Rathalos nest.
They had made many similar discoveries over the past few days, including scales shed by a Yian Kut-Ku and traces of Royal Ludroth mucus. All of them were evidence that Large Monsters had occupied this area until recently.
This, however, was the first sign they had found of an apex predator like a Rathalos.
As the investigation team pushed farther north, the Mangrove Forest grew eerily quiet. Insects, birds, and other small creatures remained plentiful, but virtually everything larger than a Kelbi had vanished.
An ominous possibility began to take shape in Altaïr's mind.
He took out his pocket watch and checked the time. Their agreed meeting time was approaching, so he put away the Rathalos scale and headed for the rendezvous point.
—--
The rendezvous point lay beside a small creek near the center of the area they were surveying. The Rathalos Model-09 stood parked there, serving as a temporary landmark.
Altaïr was the first to return. Some of his tension subsided as his companions arrived safely one after another.
"Why such a grim look? Did you find something new?" Isis asked with concern when she noticed his furrowed brow.
"Yeah. I found an abandoned Rathalos nest." Altaïr took the scale from his pocket.
"A Rathalos, huh?" Morgan studied the scale intently. "Yian Kut-Ku and Lolo Gougarf are one thing, but even a Monster as powerful as a Rathalos has been affected and driven from its territory..."
"I have a troubling theory. Have any of you heard of Deviljho?" Altaïr asked.
Morgan blinked in surprise. "Deviljho?"
Isis's expression turned grave. "I have. Do you suspect a Deviljho is behind these anomalies?"
"Yeah."
A Deviljho was no ordinary Monster. The species was so rare that many Hunters had never even heard of it.
Its enormous size, terrifying strength, extreme aggression, and insatiable appetite meant that even a single individual could devastate an entire region's ecosystem.
Once the Guild confirmed the presence of a Deviljho, it would inevitably rally Hunters to take it down.
Hunters of their level, only 4★ or 5★, were not even qualified to answer the call. Even High Rank Hunters had to form a team to face it, and their safety still could not be guaranteed.
The Guild assigned it a danger rating of 7★. Aside from Elder Dragon-class creatures and exceptionally powerful non-Elder Dragons such as Acidic Glavenus, it stood at the pinnacle of all Monsters.
Morgan stared at him in disbelief. "You mean the Large Monsters in the Mangrove Forest, along with many of the other animals, disappeared because a Deviljho ate them all?"
He did not know much about the species, but he had heard of it.
"It may not have eaten all of them, only some. With a superpredator like that nearby, the large creatures deep in the Mangrove Forest would panic and flee in groups toward the forest's outer edges. That would make sense.
"Birds, insects, and other small creatures haven't shown any unusual behavior, perhaps because they're too small to be worth actively hunting, even for a Deviljho.
"Deviljho are terrestrial Monsters, so they pose no threat to the Hawk Wyvern flock atop Seacliff. That clue fits as well.
"The only problem is that, if there really is a Deviljho here, I have no idea how it reached such an isolated island."
"Deviljho can cross the sea, meow," Clawdia said in a grim tone. "They don't just reach islands like this one. Deviljho have even crossed entire oceans to reach the New World, meow."
"Is that so? None of the books mentioned it." Altaïr pressed a hand to his forehead. "The more I consider the possibility, the better it fits."
Morgan's expression grew serious. "If it really is a Deviljho, this mission is far beyond our capabilities.
"We should consider retreating. Have the Village Chief send an urgent message to the Guild and leave this to High Rank Hunters."
"If we'd already found concrete evidence, such as Deviljho scales or bite marks, I'd end the investigation and order an immediate retreat.
"The problem is that we don't have any. This is still pure speculation, and returning with nothing but an unsubstantiated claim would be irresponsible."
Altaïr rubbed his temple. "For now, we'll have to continue the investigation. Everyone, be careful and keep a close watch on your surroundings.
"Sajji, stay vigilant during your aerial reconnaissance too. According to the records, a Deviljho doesn't bother concealing its trail. If one is lurking nearby, you should be able to spot it from the air."
"Understood, meow!"
Once Altaïr finished explaining his suspicions, Isis raised her hand. "I found this. It looked a little strange, so I brought some back."
She unfolded her handkerchief to reveal several sticky strands of silk.
"Lolo Gougarf silk?" Altaïr asked in surprise.
Lolo Gougarf silk was hardly rare. Large numbers of the Monsters inhabited the Mangrove Forest, and wherever they passed, they left traces of sticky silk on the trees and ground.
The team had seen it almost every day since entering the Mangrove Forest.
The problem was that every strand they had found over the past few days had been dry and brittle, which meant it had been left there quite some time ago.
The strands Isis had brought back were fresh and tacky, clearly secreted only a short while ago.
Did that mean Lolo Gougarf were still active in an area that nearly every other large creature had fled?
Altaïr could not explain it. "Where did you find this?"
"Not far from here, only a kilometer or two away as the crow flies. I also found several broken branches. The breaks were fresh, so a Lolo Gougarf must have snapped them while moving through the treetops.
"There should be more tracks nearby, but it was almost time for the rendezvous, so I came back first.
"I think we should search that area carefully."
"Absolutely. If we'd encountered a Lolo Gougarf a few days ago, we could have dismissed it as a slow straggler that failed to flee in time.
"But we're nearing the deepest reaches of the Mangrove Forest now. Any Lolo Gougarf still active here cannot be some laggard that happened to fall behind. If we find it, we may uncover more clues."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Even Morgan, who was usually composed, could not hide his excitement.
Everything they had found until now amounted to traces left behind by Monsters, but Isis had discovered a fresh trail. This was a genuine lead. "Let's go now. This time, we'll stay together, follow the trail directly, and bring all our Ammo. We may have to fight.
"Sajji, get airborne first and search the target area. Finding that Lolo Gougarf would be ideal, but if you can't, circle overhead and keep watch for us."
"Got it, meow! Let's go, Hakucho, meow!"
Sajji spread his glider, sprinted several steps to build speed, and leaped. Hakucho swooped down at precisely the right moment, seized the glider's handles, and carried him aloft. In the blink of an eye, they were soaring through the sky.
The flawless coordination between Felyne and bird left Altaïr momentarily stunned.
He shook off his surprise and focused. "Everyone, stay alert. This used to be Rathalos territory. If even a Rathalos has fled while that Lolo Gougarf still dares to roam this area, it must have some reason for its confidence. It may be an unusual individual.
"Even if we aren't here to hunt it, there's a good chance we'll have to fight. Prepare for a difficult battle."