Inside the cave where the Black Diablos slept, a small, unremarkable figure slipped inside.
He approached the Black Diablos's head, stood upright, tilted his own head, and curiously studied the massive, pitch-black creature before him.
"Mew~"
Is this the one?
A flicker of almost human cunning gleamed in the Stinkmink's eyes. He raised his fluffy tail, slipped it into one of the Black Diablos's slowly flaring nostrils, and tickled it a few times.
The sleeping Black Diablos reflexively exhaled. A powerful gust, flecked with nasal discharge, blasted from nostrils large enough to swallow a person whole.
Caught off guard, the Stinkmink cried, "Mew!" and went flying.
He landed several meters away and tumbled across the ground before springing back up in a huff, baring his tiny, delicate fangs at the Black Diablos.
Unfortunately, the Black Diablos remained asleep and never noticed his threatening display.
Even if it had noticed, it would not have cared, any more than a human would care about an ant waving its antennae at them.
Dango was getting angry.
Just you wait!
He turned around and swished his large tail, preparing to release his alluring pheromone gas at the Black Diablos.
Apparently worried that this would not be effective enough, he stopped, took a few steps forward, then a few more, and finally wedged his entire body into one of the Black Diablos's nostrils. Then he strained.
"Pffft!"
Thick white smoke, rich in special hormones, instantly filled the Black Diablos's nasal cavity.
This was nothing like a few tickles from a tuft of tail fur. The sleeping Black Diablos's eyes snapped open, and a thunderous sneeze followed.
Dango, still lodged inside its nostril, was sent flying once again.
Startled awake, the Black Diablos rose to its feet. Its mind was still foggy, and it had no idea what was happening, but a primal, raging agitation drove it to open its massive jaws and unleash a furious roar that echoed across the oasis.
Its attention then shifted to the distant Stinkmink.
The Stinkmink was far too small. Even staring directly at him, the poorly sighted Black Diablos could barely make him out. Yet the pheromones lingering in its nose and that peculiar scent kept stimulating its nerves.
They drove it onward, compelling it to give chase.
"ROAR!" With another furious bellow, the Black Diablos followed the pheromone trail and started after him.
—--
Meanwhile, Dango had been blown a considerable distance and was still dizzy. He looked up, saw the massive black beast striding toward him, and let out a terrified screech before turning and fleeing.
One chasing the other, they charged out of the semi-open nest cave.
—--
At the same time, on the other side of the oasis, the leisurely roaming "Demon King" heard the Black Diablos's furious roar and snapped its head up.
Fierce excitement gleamed in its murky yellow eyes. As if answering the Black Diablos's challenge, the "Demon King" raised its head and unleashed an even louder roar.
"ROOOAAARRR!!"
The roar kicked up clouds of sand. A visible shock wave swept through the area, forcing the Hunters observing from hiding nearby to clamp their hands over their ears.
Before the roar had fully faded, the "Demon King" charged toward the source of the Black Diablos's cry, each heavy stride shaking the earth.
The oasis covered several square kilometers, but to Monsters of their size, it was little more than a garden visible from end to end.
Within a few dozen seconds, they came into view of each other.
The "Demon King" and the astonishingly massive Black Diablos stopped at the same time.
The Stinkmink had been chased the entire way, his little paws moving so fast they nearly struck sparks. While the two Diablos "gazed lovingly" into each other's eyes, he scurried to the "Demon King's" feet.
He sprayed it with a cloud of smoke using all his strength, then raced on without stopping and plunged headfirst into a nearby pond to wash the pheromones from his fur.
With that, his task was complete.
Wearing Ghillie Mantles and hidden among the bushes or atop the rocky ledge, the Hunters tensely watched the two Diablos for their reactions.
According to Mr. Alva, one was the vicious and savage "Demon King," which delighted in battle, while the other was a Gold Crown Black Diablos whose pregnancy hormones had driven it to equally ferocious extremes.
With the two facing each other, the likeliest outcome was naturally an all-out battle.
However, it was still Diablos breeding season, and these same two Diablos had recently spent four days engaged in another kind of "battle"...
It was not entirely impossible that they would start another round upon meeting again...
A female Diablos's desire to mate theoretically decreased considerably during pregnancy, but this was not absolute. Many animals with powerful sex drives, rabbits among them, continued mating while pregnant.
This uncertainty left the Hunters tense, while Alva and the other scholars observing from the shadows were positively thrilled.
Whether the two Diablos fought or mated, the scholars would have a valuable subject to study.
The "Demon King" moved first. It gave a low, rumbling growl and slowly approached the Black Diablos.
Altaïr's expression stiffened as he hid in the bushes. That did not look like a fighting posture...
Seriously? Weren't you spoiling for a fight just a moment ago? How did you suddenly start thinking with the wrong head?
The Gold Crown Black Diablos seemed confused. It neither lowered its center of gravity into an attacking stance nor approached the "Demon King." Instead, it shuffled in place and tossed its head from side to side, clearly agitated.
"Ah!" Lying beside Altaïr, Alva suddenly slapped the ground in frustration, startling him.
Before Altaïr could warn him to keep quiet, he heard Alva mutter, "The Stinkmink! I can't believe I forgot about this. How could I have used a Stinkmink?!"
"Huh? What's wrong with Dango?" Isis asked from Altaïr's other side, turning toward him in confusion.
"The smoke Stinkminks release is rich in a special pheromone. It attracts Large Monsters by making them feel as if they have encountered a potential mate during breeding season!
"Diablos are simple creatures ruled by instinct.
"They might not have been particularly inclined to mate under normal circumstances, but the Stinkmink's pheromones are making them yield to their reproductive instincts.
"Look. The 'Demon King' is more affected than the Black Diablos. The pregnant Black Diablos's own hormonal changes must give it some resistance to the Stinkmink pheromones, but the 'Demon King' was already in heat, so now it's trying to mate..."
Altaïr was speechless. For a moment, he wanted to seize Mr. Alva by the shoulders and shake him hard.
Couldn't you have said something this important sooner?!
"S-So... what do we do now?" Isis stammered as a soaking-wet Dango ran back to her side.
"Well... let them continue? Once they tire themselves out, they may split up and rest as they did before. After they've rested enough, perhaps they'll start a different kind of fight?"
"No," Altaïr said through gritted teeth. "If they keep at it for four or five days like last time and then rest for another few days, we'll miss the quest deadline."
More importantly, they had completed every preparation for the Hunt. The arrow was already nocked and the bowstring drawn taut. Calling off the Hunt now would deal a heavy blow to morale.
There was no predicting what the two Diablos would do next. What if the "Demon King" left this oasis, where the terrain favored the Hunters, after mating a second time? Their Barrel Bomb attrition strategy and trap tactics would both fall apart.
This is our best chance. We can't let one Stinkmink fart ruin everything!
Altaïr took a deep breath and forced himself to think calmly. "Is there any other way to salvage this?"
Alva adjusted his glasses and carefully observed the two Diablos as they slowly approached each other. After considering the problem for a moment, he said, "Perhaps we should influence the Black Diablos instead.
"It's pregnant, so its mating drive is already weak, and the Stinkmink pheromones haven't affected it as deeply. If we can find a way to enrage it, we may be able to break this deadlock."
A plan took shape in Altaïr's mind as he listened to Mr. Alva.
He raised one arm high and made several hand signals in succession. Then he left the hiding place and silently approached the two Diablos, using the vegetation and rocks for cover.