In the mountain forests less than twenty kilometers in a straight line from Metapetatto City, a giant emerald-green beast paced slowly.
Its name was legendary, the Rathian, the most widely recognized species within the concept of "Flying Wyvern," and the female of the Rathalos kin.
Broad wings and powerful hind limbs granted them impressive capabilities for both flight and terrestrial movement.
With toughened scales, razor-sharp teeth and claws, lethal venom flowing through hollow dorsal and caudal spines, and the signature Fire Breath of the Rathalos line, they were formidable.
Such a comprehensive array of abilities allowed them to firmly occupy the upper ecological niche of the Jungle, earning them the elegant title "Queen of the Land."
They might not be the absolute strongest Monsters in the Jungle, but even those at the very top of the food chain had to exercise caution when facing them.
Strolling through the woods, the Queen suddenly halted. Sensing an unseen gaze, she raised her head and looked around suspiciously.
Behind a slope just over a hundred meters away, two Hunters crouched low, observing her in secret.
"If only Nymera were here. With her and Mochi around, we wouldn't have to deal with the hassle of tracking Monsters or scouting the perimeter," Isis grumbled in a low voice.
"That wouldn't be much of a workout, would it?" Altaïr replied softly before letting out a whistle that mimicked a birdsong.
At the signal, Clawdia slid down from the top of an exceptionally tall cedar tree, shook off the debris clinging to her fur, and ran over.
"Confirmed, meow. No other Monsters nearby, meow. The Hunt can begin, meow!"
Hearing this, a dangerous smile spread across Isis's face.
"You go? I go? Or do we go together?" Altaïr asked quietly.
"I'll go first. Old rules: if someone makes a mistake or leaves an opening, we swap."
"Fine," Altaïr agreed without objection.
Given their current strength and equipment, hunting a Rathian alone was no difficult feat. Their efficiency would certainly be higher if they took separate quests and hunted apart.
The reason they hadn't done so was their desire to hone their techniques in live combat; traveling as a pair served as insurance in case someone's new moves weren't quite polished enough and led to a mishap.
"I'll be ready to provide support at any time, meow!" Sajji showed off the folded Rakna-Kadaki No. 3 on his back.
Before Nymera left Metapetatto, Sajji had begged her for a large supply of Ironsilk, finally completing the reinforcement of the One-shot Binder's cables.
This time, the Palico wanted to see for himself if those ropes woven from Ironsilk were truly as strong as they claimed!
"Time to go!" Isis stood up from behind the cover, rolled her shoulders, and pulled down her visor.
With absolutely no intention of hiding her tracks or launching a sneak attack, she strode toward the nearby Rathian.
The sound of heavy boots trampling through broken branches and fallen leaves quickly drew the Rathian's attention. She turned her head, locking her gaze on the approaching Hunter.
Judging by its size and the luster of its scales, this Rathian was still relatively young, evidently she hadn't yet suffered at the hands of Hunters, or she never would have nested so close to the city. Watching the "bipedal small animal" approach with such aggressive momentum and accelerating footwork, the Rathian lowered her body and let out a menacing roar.
"ROOOOOAAR!"
The roar swept through the forest, but since Isis was still sixty to seventy meters away and protected by her heavy helmet, the sonic wave failed to affect her.
Seeing that the Hunter was not only refusing to flee but instead accelerating toward her, the Rathian, feeling provoked, ceased her roaring. She lowered her frame, her powerful Wyvern Claws clawing at the earth.
The bony spike on her lower jaw pointed straight at her opponent like a Lance; there was no doubt, this was the precursor to a charge attack.
At this sight, the eyes hidden behind the grilles of Isis's visor flared with excitement and battle lust. She raised her Large Shield before her, her legs exploding with power as she began a full-throttle charge of her own.
At that same moment, the Rathian let out a low growl and launched her charge attack.
Watching the battle from a distance, Altaïr felt his teeth ache in phantom sympathy. What kind of person's first instinct when facing a Large Flying Wyvern's charge attack is to initiate a head-on collision!?
Then again, when the two initiated their opposing charges, the gap between them was less than fifty meters; before impact, the distance left for the Rathian to build speed wouldn't exceed thirty meters.
Given this Rathian's size, that was less than two body lengths, hardly enough distance to reach full velocity. This was undoubtedly advantageous for Isis, who had started her acceleration earlier.
So, should he praise this woman for being "strategically reckless"?
While Altaïr had these thoughts, he left his cover and drew closer to the battlefield, ready to provide timely support should Isis find herself at a disadvantage.
Sajji also deployed his Rakna-Kadaki No. 3, standing ready to fire a One-shot Binder to restrict the Rathian's movements.
The first thing to strike the shield was, naturally, the spear-like bony spike on the Rathian's chin.
Faced with a massive shield slanted back at a subtle, precise angle, the spike, which could easily run a person through, merely kicked up a shower of sparks against the surface. It was redirected without issue, forcing the Rathian's head to tilt upward along with it.
Isis seized this momentary opening. Her muscles surged with sudden force as she lunged forward, thrusting her shield.
The crimson Large Shield and the Rathian's jaw collided with a violent impact.
A resounding BOOM echoed through the air.
Altaïr's supporting footsteps froze.
He had imagined them being evenly matched, leading to a contest of raw strength; he had imagined the Rathian gaining the upper hand while Isis stubbornly maintained her Defense, being pushed backward.
What he had never imagined was what he saw now: the charging Rathian was slammed to a dead halt, her head snapping back as if struck by a massive sledgehammer, stumbling as she nearly collapsed.
This wasn't something that could be explained simply by saying she possessed "superhuman strength." Undoubtedly, at the moment of impact, Isis had employed an incredibly sophisticated defensive technique.
She had completely diverted the momentum of the Rathian's charge attack.
Stopping a charge, this was a dangerous feat that countless Hunters spoke of with reverence, yet few ever dared to actually attempt.
Not only had she done it, but she looked as if she had plenty of strength to spare.
Wait, what? How did your defensive skills refine themselves to this level? Is this the result of one month of special training back home? Why hadn't he noticed this before? Was it because her weapon had held her back during the Glavenus Hunt, or because Olivia had been the primary frontliner, leaving her with no chance to show her true potential?
For a moment, Altaïr's feelings were complicated.
His brush with death against the Seregios had triggered a breakthrough that significantly improved his own strength, but looking at her now, it was hard to say who had made the greater progress during that month.
In reality, Isis wasn't as composed as she appeared. It was impossible to bring a charging Large Flying Wyvern to a dead stop without taking any damage herself.
The shockwaves transmitted through the shield made her chest feel tight and her arms throb with a dull ache, but blunt trauma of this degree wasn't enough to hinder her movements.
Seizing the opening as the Rathian recoiled, Isis pushed off the ground with all her might. She slammed her shield into the Rathian's chest once more, further disrupting the Queen of the Land's attempt to regain her footwork.
Then, she swung her Gunlance down with everything she had.
In both weight and size, the cutting blade of a Gunlance was no less formidable than a Great Sword. It easily tore through the Rathian's carapace, carving a bloody wound across its head and neck.
"Gah!"
Isis pressed her advantage, striking with every step she took. Under this oppressive sequence of attacks she called her "Gymnastic" combo, the Rathian's head was soon battered into a bloody mess.
After a final, powerful slash, Isis spun around and swept her Gunlance upward, pulling the trigger for a Full Burst. The point-blank explosions forced the Rathian into another stagger, and Isis immediately leveled her Gunlance, preparing to fire the Wyrmstake Cannon.
Having been on the defensive since the start of the battle and subjected to a relentless barrage of heavy blows, the Rathian's primal ferocity was fully ignited. With eyes glowing a crimson red, she lunged forward, snapping her jaws.
Seeing the incoming attack, Isis instantly let go of the trigger for the Wyrmstake and raised her shield to meet the brute force head-on.
Clang!
The Rathian's mouthful of razor-sharp teeth nearly shattered against the Large Shield. Isis intentionally tilted the surface, jamming the excessively wide shield deep into the Rathian's gaping maw.
Unable to bite down and unable to spit it out, the Rathian was suddenly caught in a humiliating predicament.
"Hyaaah!" Isis let out a guttural roar, putting her weight into the shield and shoving the Rathian backward, the monster unable to exert any leverage with its mouth wedged open.
As a murderous glint flashed in the Rathian's eyes, Isis showed no sign of backing down. She slid the Gunlance in her left hand along the edge of the Large Shield, thrusting it directly into the flaming gullet, and pulled the trigger with a shout.
"Wyvern's Fire!"
At that exact moment, the pungent scent of sulfur filled the air. Sparks billowed from the Rathian's nostrils, and a searing heat ignited deep within her throat.
She intended to unleash her Fire Breath right then and there. Even if it meant injuring herself, she would blast this hateful creature and her shield into oblivion!
(Translated by yourtl.app)