Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or the Monster Hunter Franchise

The Queen of Disaster

Deviljho...?

"Damn, Maka. You trying to bag a man, or do you just really love the cold?" Arms held behind his head, the blue-haired hunter snickered obnoxiously in her direction.

Flashing a look that could kill a wyvern, Maka made her scorn quite clear to Black Star with a single muttered command; shut the fuck up. Immediately he got the message and with a soured expression he dropped the subject completely, though he still stared at her through the corner of his eye. Thankfully, Professor Stein was up front, leading them back from a minor expedition around the compound. Not that Maka suspected he'd be looking at her the way Black Star was, it's just that the feeling on eyes on her made the young hunter uneasy...and incredibly self-conscious.

It'd been this way since they arrived in the frigid north. She knew it was going to be like this, and still she listened to Soul Eater!

Barioth armor was infamous for being quite contradictory. Coming from a tundra-based wyvern, one would assume that clothing made from it would be thick and completely cover the body. Actually, because a wyvern's body temperature is much higher than a human's already, and Barioths need to stay even warmer due to icy weather, hunters ran the very real risk of overheating during battle. Therefore it was decided that non-critical parts of the body would be left exposed to vent body-heat, leaving the upper arms, legs, and sternum exposed to mitigate body temperature.

Basically, it was referred to as the "Winter Bikini." To be fair, it looked nothing like swimwear. To pig-headed men though, it was somehow no better than walking around butt naked. And Maka damned her partners name again and again each time she looked over to see Black Star still sneaking peaks at her. He wasn't staring because he was interested, she knew that much. It was more like awe; as in, why on earth would she be wearing something like that? Who could have talked her into wearing some skimpy clothing on the middle of a mission?

And it wasn't skimpy, Maka growled to reassure herself. It was just armor, very good armor actually, that very few hunters had the chance to wear considering just how fast and ferocious a Barioth can be. Soul Eater recommended it, so it must be appropriate...right? That comment he'd made before they left though, it still lingered in the back of her mind. Though she tried to forget about it completely, nothing Maka did could shake the thought of him looking at her like that. And the bastard was so quiet now...he hadn't said a peep since they'd arrived yesterday in the early morning.

"Well, you kick ass with that scythe anyway, so I guess having skimpy clothing works better for you," Black Star conceded, looking straight ahead.

"Excuse me-?" Maka started to say more, but quickly realized that this was the best she was going to get from him. She conceded as well. "-At least we're on the same page."

Flashing a stupid grin her way, the hunter clad in azure-armor suddenly grew excited. "Maybe I'll get to see that elder dragon of yours, Soul Eater?"

"Yeah, maybe..." she sighed in reply. Her concerns only re-affirmed, Maka's worry became noticeable to Black Star, whose grin died slightly.

He knew right away she needed cheering up, "You're so lucky to have a partner like that. I mean, if I didn't have Tsubaki, I might actually be slightly jealous of you!"

Maka looked up to find her friend smiling genuinely at her, and she couldn't help but to smile back. Especially when she knew that Tsubaki wasn't anything like Soul Eater; it was just the name of his Long Sword, one he had forged from a shadowy wyvern she'd never seen before. Maka knew he was trying to lighten the mood and appreciated it, which is why she held her head up a little higher and continued the trudge through slush and ice without thinking about it further. Besides she knew that Soul Eater, despite his silence, was still watching over all of them from the safety of his scythe, in case the Jade Barroth they were hunting for suddenly decided to show its face at the worse possible moment.

Having Black Star around was comfort too, because quite frankly she didn't know just how well Professor Stein could sync with them in battle. Of all the hunters in Minegarde, the blue-haired idiot was actually one of the strongest; In terms of raw power, he could take on monsters many times his own size without breaking a sweat. His armor reflected this, immaculate blue samurai gear forged from the dead body of an Azure Rathalos, lord of the skies. For any other hunter, fighting one would have been a death sentence. For Black Star, it was an afternoon.

Not to undersell their other party member, Stein was a master of the Switch Axe, Maka's former choice of weapon. Specifically, the weapon utilized advanced technology to shift between three modes in the heat of battle, providing optimal flexibility and strength in combat; Great Axe, Greatsword, and Chainsaw. Stein specialized in the latter two, his preference being to hack monsters to pieces with the Greatsword before finishing them off in a bloody whirlwind of buzz saw induced carnage. His nickname, the Mad Professor, was certainly well deserved among the Guild.

"Not to interrupt you two, but I believe we've run into a snag."

Stopping in his tracks, the point-man of the group held his arm out to stop the others. Likewise, Maka and Black Star came to a halt at his command, confusion obvious across both their faces. Uncharacteristically, Professor Stein showed something other than complete indifference; uncertainty, and the resulting air of worry began to cloud around him. It was obvious in the way he threw his head left and right, unsure of which way he was going, or maybe more specifically where something might be coming from. The scene was off-putting, and for a moment everyone was silent.

Then Black Star went for it, "Hey, what's with you? Did we get lost or something?"

"No," Stein muttered quietly, his eyes narrowed. "Something's just struck me as odd, is all."

"...Professor?" Suddenly feeling uneasy, Maka reached behind her for the comforting steel of her scythe.

As she tightened her grip, Stein let out a stressful sigh. "Jade Barroths are herbivores, or am I mistaken, Black Star?"

Even more confused at this point, Black Star looked to Maka for advice. She looked back at him and, with a deadpanned look of disbelief, told him the obvious with a silent shake of her head. He then replied no to Stein, but not before scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. The professor mimicked him, though clearly he was thinking. And whatever it was Stein had in mind, it wasn't holding well for Maka. She knew something was up, and couldn't help but to squeeze her scythe even tighter. She hoped that Soul Eater was there for support.

"We haven't seen a single fauna since we left the hunting grounds," the professor revealed, quietly reaching for his Switch Axe. "Not even a carcass."

Suddenly, a light turned on in Maka's head. It seemed the same was true for Black Star, as both crouched a little lower. "Are you saying there's another predator here?"

"I'm saying I wouldn't be surprised if our mark is already dead. Take a look at all the vegetation in the area." Clearly on edge, Stein took the cigarette out of his mouth and tossed it in the snow.

Following directions, the huntress clad in white looked around her and immediately realized what was wrong with this picture. For a monster some thirty meters long to live exclusively on plants, there should be very little vegetation, or at the very least obvious signs of feeding. There was none of that, in fact, there was an over abundance of trees that she hadn't really noticed before. Shrubbery and greens lined the outermost edges of the field, and it was at that moment Maka realized they were dealing with something far worse than a Jade Barroth.

"Stop being all coy and tell us what we're dealing with! Is it a Barioth?" Black Star held his sword close to him, his agitation slowly building.

Professor Stein scoffed, "No, I wouldn't be worried if it was something that minor. I believe what we're dealing with is a wandering predator. Large. Violent."

"...A Brachydios?" Maka swallowed a lump as it built in the back of her throat; being a brute wyvern with no habitat of their own, Brachydios' were a serious threat.

"I see no evidence of the explosive substance they use to kill their prey," the researcher deadpanned, suddenly gabbing his axe with haste. "This is obviously the work of a Deviljho."

As if on cue, the snowy clearing suddenly erupted in a drowning sound of pure chaos. Maka and Black Star both threw their heads around to find the source of the horrible screeching, but there was no single source. It came in all directions, bounced off the trees, and disoriented the two hunters like nothing they'd ever experienced before. Meanwhile, Professor Stein just stood there, eyeing the complete area in front of him. Ever vigilant, it was he who caught the first glimpse of the creature. A flick of a tail, saw-like, some fifteen meters long.

"Maka," a familiar voice suddenly whispered. His tone was hurried, afraid. "I can see it! This is bad!"

Soul alerted her to it, but even so the hunter wasn't prepared for what stood in the mist beyond the snow. She gaped in horror as the rest of the creature slowly emerged from beyond the haze of ice and wind, as if suddenly turning visible right before them. It was an enormous creature, just like the textbooks stated. With studs of bone lining its entire skin, the beast stood thirty feet tall, by and far the tallest monster Maka had ever seen. Its tail was nearly half that. Giant teeth haphazardly erupted from out of its mouth, with two or three replacements behind them should they fall off into their next prey.

They were symbols of gluttony and rage, wielding insatiable stomachs that forced them to hunt and devour any living thing in an environment. The Guild kept tabs on their population, making sure to hunt them to near extinction because, otherwise, they would eradicate an entire species. Deviljho would invade other monsters territories, eating anything that crosses their path before moving onto the next. Their violent natures were legendary and it was for this reason that the party of three knew immediately to turn tail and run; they needed to regroup.

Even still, they couldn't help but to scream out the obvious, "Run!"

Heart racing, lungs already full to bursting, Maka and Stein turned tail. The duo weren't cowards, simply realists; no three-man team could take a legendary demon head on. Their weapons clanking against horribly underwhelming armor as they scrambled for cover, not even taking the time to look back and notice that they were one person short. Simply the roars of the Deviljho were enough to make them duck behind some brush. Both hunters pressed their backs against the wall to catch their breath, only then realizing that Black Star was not among them.

"Wha-!" Maka breathed, throwing her head in every direction. "Where'd that idiot run off to?"

"...I don't think he ever left," Soul revealed. The shaft of his scythe grew warm, as if trying to warn her.

Stomach churning, Maka stuck her neck out to survey the area. Immediately she regretted it as a booming roar met her halfway, its intensity so great that she nearly lost sight of the damned idiot standing out in a snowy field. His back was to her and he made no indication of turning away, instead opting to face the monster head on. She screamed at Black Star to get out of there, but he wouldn't listen. Instead, the bastard calmly reached for his long sword and got into a fighting stance; he held the blade above him, his feet stuck solidly into an L-shape.

She screamed in anger. This idiot wasn't listening to her! Never mind the fact he was putting himself in danger, now he was just ignoring her and that was inexcusable in itself. Even so, she couldn't let him out there by himself. Soul had the same idea; the scythe continued to grow hotter, like all of Maka's frustration was rubbing off on him. With a terse goddammit, she disregarded Stein's warnings to come back. The hunter took off to meet up with Black Star. She'd force him to come back, before the Deviljho got wise and decided they were food.

The snow crunched beneath her feet. "You fricken idiot! We need to get out of here right now! I'll cover you while you run-!"

"-Stay back!" Black Star barked back at her, letting his guard down for a fraction of a second. She'd surprised him. "You can't handle this!"

Maka stopped dead in her tracks, taken aback by his brashness. Her face quickly grew red in anger, "You son of a bitch! Don't talk down on me like that-!"

A terrible vocalization on the horizon shut Maka up. The Deviljho was upon them and if it wasn't already aware of their presence, it was now. She was horrified when the ground beneath them shook, every half second quaking by the feet of a terrible lizard. The beast quickly came into crystal-clear sight, its hulking body enough to crush anyone's hope for survival. But Black Star stood fast, his head spinning back around to stare the creature down with killing intent. And Maka, not to be outdone, cursed the world once more before swinging her scythe around.

"Soul!" she screeched, still struggling to keep her solid footing. "You know what to do!"

A grin. A piano. The pinstriped suit of black and gray, topped off with the drawling of his voice; "Allegro of the Soul."

Chords of a never-played song echoed like a symphony in the graying haze of the tundra. Everyone, perhaps even Deviljho, stopped for a moment to watch in awe as Maka started off into a sprint. Her legs quickly grew into a blur, the speed with which they moved so great that nobody could keep up with her. Within seconds, she closed the gap between her and Black Star, but that alone wasn't enough for her. Soul Eater sat within her subconscious, grinning malevolently as just before crashing into the blue-haired idiot, she suddenly took hard left.

Now all of a sudden, her feet weren't moving. She skidded along the ice, the leftover momentum being enough to carry her to their destination; Deviljho. Slush and snow became like waves, and she rode them like a pro. Her concentration was precise and with Soul Eater's constant playing, time seemed to slow down. The giant, crocodile-like beast opened its gaping jaw as she approached, but not quick enough to knock her off guard. Maka raised her scythe and, with burning green eyes, slashed at the creature as she slid safely out of harm's way.

"...Got 'em!" she cheered, slowly wrapping back around before stopping completely. There was, however, a problem.

Two things caught her off guard; the first being that searing, fucking pain that suddenly plagued her shoulder. Confused and reeling, the hunter looked over to see a strange, green liquid seeping out of an open wound. She became horrified and promptly scrambled to get it out, but when her fingers touched the substance they too started burning. As she struggled with that, another thing became apparent. Despite being cut open by a giant scythe, Deviljho made no indication of being hit. In fact, the thing now came at the pair with full force.

"Shit!" Maka cursed, still busy pulling out globs of acidic green goo that never seemed to end. It kept making more of itself! "Shit shit shit-!"

"-Maka, get out of there!" Soul Eater called out to her, but it was pointless. The Deviljho was upon them and they couldn't outrun it if they tried.

The monster threw its mouth open wide, almost at a complete 180 degrees. Maka turned around and watched in horror as the giant, scaled behemoth threw itself forward and showed off its secret weapon; thick, green drool that burned the ground as it fell. She couldn't look away, knowing that she'd either die from acid or be torn to pieces. Soul Eater's constant calls towards her remained useless. She was frozen, with no hope of escape. If it wasn't for Black Star showing up at the last second, no doubt she'd have been a goner.

The man came out of nowhere. One second, Maka's eyes were filled with Deviljho's gaping maw. A moment later, Black Star came into view. His long sword outstretched, the hunter spun around and slammed the thick of his blade into the beast's skull. Even with just the bunt end, Black Star did enough damage to knock the Deviljho off its course and run into some adjacent trees. Flurries of wood and snow erupted from the small explosion, giving enough time for both him and Maka to take a few steps back to recover. Immediately they peeled off the acidic sludge.

"Deviljho saliva burns through armor," he breathed, gruffly wiping away at her open wound. Maka growled in pain. "Yours is too thin. Lemme take point, alright?"

She bit her lip to fight through the pain. With some effort, they got all of it off. After going through that, her mind was already made up. "Fine. I'll support."

"...You can't do it on your own, Black Star!" Both hunters turned to find Professor Stein running up towards them. To his right, an eager Switch Axe.

All three hunters looked at one another, as if conveying their plan to each other without words. Maka slowly fell towards the back of the group as Stein and Black Star took front stage. Whispering below her breath, the huntress let Soul Eater know to be ready. He obliged by readying his fingers to start playing the piano, and not a moment too soon as the Deviljho slowly emerged from his resting place. Its giant frame stood tall among the trees and once it spied the hunters down below, it made no hesitation. The beast was hungry.

They were ready to feed it steel.