Watching Olivia stride toward the Glavenus, Altaïr and the others couldn't help but feel tense on her behalf.
The Glavenus held its tail in its mouth, charging for several seconds. Any attack with such a long wind-up was bound to possess formidable power and range.
Altaïr wasn't sure how Olivia intended to handle the Glavenus's "great Iai." Another clashing upward swing like before? Unlikely.
The power of this strike couldn't be compared to the previous spinning Overhead Slash; if she chose a frontal collision, the Hunter would surely be sent flying.
In that case...
Before Altaïr could think further, the Glavenus, its tail blade glowing golden-red and its muscles tensed to the limit, finally launched its assault.
Its movement was almost identical to that of a Long Sword user.
Its legs slid and crossed as it lunged forward, the flame-wreathed tail blade carving a searing arc of light through the air, carrying a ferocious momentum capable of severing anything in its path as it swung toward the enemy before it.
In that instant, the hair on Altaïr's neck stood on end.
This was truly the Monster named for the "Slash"!
Olivia's pupils constricted. The moment the Glavenus attacked, she suddenly raised her left arm and fired the Clutch Claw into the ground ten meters away.
The internal mechanism retracted, and pulled by the cable, she slid rapidly forward, hugging the ground.
An instant before the searing tail blade could cut her in two, she slipped through the singular gap beneath the Glavenus's tail, reaching the blind spot within the inner circle of the "great Iai."
Her long-charged Hammer was released immediately. Meeting the high-speed charging Glavenus, she swung with a crushing blow against the creature's sliding ankle.
Altaïr didn't dare imagine what would happen if someone slammed a Hammer into his feet the moment he lunged forward for a great Iai.
Never mind a Hammer, even a stray vine would likely cause him to flip over instantly.
As he expected, while the blow might not have breached the hard shell of the Glavenus's leg to cause severe internal damage, it was enough to instantly shatter its balance.
Moving at such high speeds, the Glavenus had no way to adapt to the sudden disruption. Dragged by its massive inertia, its gargantuan body inevitably toppled over, rolling forward twice more before finally grinding to a halt, howling and struggling in pain.
"All out attack!"
While Altaïr and the others were still dazed, Olivia was already the first to charge in.
Her target remained the Glavenus's head.
Repeatedly bludgeoning a Monster's skull to force it into a stunned state was the most common tactic for a Hammer user.
In a group hunt, especially one with several high-aggression companions, this tactic would reach its maximum effectiveness.
Altaïr and Nymera no longer needed to coordinate to break the Glavenus's Defense; the wounds on the creature's body were already too numerous to count.
Following Isis's reminder, Altaïr moved to the Glavenus's throat. There lay the cross-shaped wound she had carved earlier; deep within the mangled flesh, the pulsing artery and windpipe were faintly visible.
Without a second thought, Altaïr activated Demon Mode once again. His Dual Blades blurred into silhouettes as he drove deeper into the wound, aiming to sever the artery and trachea.
Clawdia also ran over to join the fray. Although neither the man nor the cat would care to admit it, the two of them actually shared many similarities.
They were fast, agile, obsessed with attacking vital points, and struggled against heavy armor; the list went on.
Essentially, any target suitable for Altaïr was bound to be suitable for Clawdia, and vice versa. As a result, situations where the human and cat scrambled for the same attacking position occurred frequently.
There were conflicts at first, of course, but after partnering up countless times over the past year, they had gradually grown accustomed to each other's presence.
The man and cat crowded shoulder-to-shoulder before that cross-shaped wound. The Dual Blades of the Blade Dance and the frantic slashing of claws danced into two overlapping blurs of light and shadow, yet they somehow managed not to interfere with one another, occasionally swapping positions with fluid ease.
Altaïr was responsible for widening the wound, while Clawdia was responsible for burrowing deeper into it.
This inexplicable synergy left both Sajji and Isis scratching their heads.
Nymera held her Royal Torrent+, specifically picking out the areas glowing red from the inside out to fire upon.
Under the searing heat of the organs, the icy water transformed into massive clouds of steam, and the temperature of those parts continued to drop under her sustained assault.
Having never faced an opponent of this caliber before, Hibiki, who had been somewhat hesitant to step forward, swung the twin-bladed chain in his mouth and ran close to land a few opportunistic hits.
Meanwhile, Isis arrived at the Glavenus's chest.
Through that thick, hard muscle, the Glavenus's rapid heartbeat could be faintly heard.
The hitzone here was by no means soft, but she held a Gunlance in her hands, not something "flimsy" like Dual Blades.
A Gunlance user is never picky about where they attack; breaking through tough defenses is their specialty!
Isis took a deep breath and launched into her "Rising Vortex Full Burst Wyrmstake" combo once again.
The blade tore through scales and sliced into flesh. Along with the Full Burst and Wyrmstake Thrust, the Shells and the metal stake bored deep into the wound, exsanguinating the Monster.
Isis wasn't satisfied with completing just one combo. She held her Gunlance level, pressing the muzzle directly against the wound for a point-blank trigger pull.
"Wyvern's Fire!"
BOOM!
The terrifying impact expanded the wound on the Glavenus's chest into a massive, bloody hole. Slid backward by the recoil, Isis saw that the target still hadn't regained its ability to move and decisively flicked her Gunlance.
The barrel clicked open; amidst the "clack-clack" of mechanical rotations, the Shells were chambered. She swiftly pulled another Wyrmstake Blast stake from her back strap and jammed it into the breech, completing a Quick Reload.
Without a moment's pause, her actions flowed into another heavy Overhead Slash followed by a Full Burst, before she once again thrust the Gunlance into the deepest part of the wound to drive in a second Wyrmstake Cannon.
Having finished all of this in one breath within a few short seconds, Isis felt as if her entire being had been sublimated.
Her combo had a new extension! From this day forward, this enhanced chain would be called the "Rising Vortex Full Burst Wyrmstake Wyvern's Fire Reloaded Full Burst Wyrmstake"!
Wait, that's a bit too long to remember. I'll think of a punchier name later...
A massive geyser of scalding blood erupted like a geothermal spring. The staggering pressure and the skin-burning temperature forced Isis to raise her Large Shield to block the flow of blood spraying from the wound.
At that moment, she didn't realize that the second Wyrmstake had been driven directly into the Glavenus's heart.
This was, in the truest sense, the killing blow.
With hormones flooding its system and its life on its final countdown, the Glavenus ignored the pain in its body and leaped up like an electrified fish.
But it didn't notice a somewhat sneaky figure approaching stealthily from behind on its tiptoes.
It was Sajji.
Having temporarily abandoned the currently useless Rathalos Model-09, he silently approached the Glavenus and tucked a Shock Trap beneath it.
As an Assist Cat, setting traps at the opportune moment was his primary duty.
The Glavenus, leaping up to launch a final, desperate counterattack, stepped right onto it.
A powerful current erupted instantly. Golden arcs of electricity danced across its body, causing severe muscle spasms and plunging it into a state of paralysis.
No matter how strong a will to survive may be, it cannot break through such physical restraints. With its heart pierced and its vitality nearly spent, the Glavenus lost its final chance to fight back.
As the Shock Trap sputtered out and the electrical arcs faded, the once-arrogant apex predator of the Jungle collapsed heavily into a pool of blood, the life draining from its bloodshot eyes.
Olivia lowered her Hammer and let out a soft sigh of relief.
This hunt had gone much more smoothly than she had anticipated; the youngsters had been a tremendous help.
Isis looked exceptionally excited, practically skipping toward the Glavenus's corpse.
Altaïr watched her with amusement. Knowing she'd be getting a new weapon, it was no wonder she was so happy.
"Wyvern Filet!!" Isis cheered, throwing her arms high.
Altaïr: "..."
(Translated by yourtl.app)