"We'll each take one. The SOS Flare has been fired; reinforcements will arrive soon." Altaïr whispered to Nymera beside him.
Though inwardly he had no confidence whatsoever, after all, this was right at the entrance of the Estrellian's nest. If there were a first and a second, a third could naturally appear. And there was no telling how their companions were faring; they might be locked in their own bitter struggle as well.
But he absolutely could not let this unease show. Negative emotions like these were contagious.
"Alright." Nymera's reply was very concise.
Her palm brushed over the ammo belt as she rapidly checked her remaining Bowgun Ammo. The result made her expression sink by another two degrees.
An ordinary Estrellian already had a threat rating of 4★. This pale-colored Subspecies before them, larger in size and far more aggressive, should have a threat rating around 5★ by Guild classification.
Even without considering negative factors like the nest's location, physical exhaustion, and insufficient ammunition, the pressure was still immense.
As for Kagetsu's combat capability, they completely ignored it.
Expecting a Hunter who had just been promoted to 3★ to be useful against two monsters with a baseline threat of 5★ was simply asking too much. As long as that one could protect herself, it would be considered a major success.
She was also keenly self-aware, and while pouring potions like Armorskin and Demondrug into her mouth one after another, she said in a tiny voice: "I'll try to deal with some of the Star Butterflies, and then have Glint inject you with speed extract and armor extract–"
"That's already a huge help." Nymera offered a word of comfort.
"They're coming!"
The Star Butterflies orbiting one of the Estrellian Subspecies accelerated their wingbeats, shooting forward like throwing darts. That Estrellian Subspecies followed suit, its limbs surging with power as it pounced.
Altaïr advanced with his blade to meet it. Nymera was just about to open fire for cover, to help Altaïr deal with the few Star Butterflies flying closer, when the Estrellian Subspecies from the other direction also launched an assault. Left with no choice, she had to swing her gun barrel around to engage.
"Draw them apart! They might coordinate!" Taking advantage of the Mega Dash Juice's still-active effect, Altaïr instantly entered Demon Mode. Amidst the rapid flash of his blade, every single attacking Star Butterfly was cut down.
The carapaces of these Star Butterflies were extremely hard; killing them quickly wasn't easy. So Altaïr aimed for their wings.
Once the wings were damaged, no matter how aggressive these purplish-black Star Butterflies were, they could only crash to the ground and struggle futilely, posing no further threat.
Two years ago, he had been amazed and envious when he saw Isis sever a Vespoid's wing feathers in mid-flight with a single stroke of her blade. But without his even noticing, he had already become capable of more.
The pale-carapaced Estrellian Subspecies before them was nothing like the juvenile they were familiar with, which would only release a few Star Butterflies against its foes before scampering around shrieking on its own.
This creature's urge to attack was extremely strong. Driven by its powerful limbs, structured similarly to a Fanged Wyvern's, it closed the distance to just under a body's length in front of the Hunter in an instant. All four feet kicked off the ground as it leapt into the air, its sharp front claws tearing toward the Hunter with the full force of its pounce.
Altaïr instantly made his judgment. This kind of attack, where all four limbs left the ground and the entire body weight was thrown behind it, was not something he could block head-on. He swung his blade in a reverse slash, using the momentum to leap backward, then immediately followed with a Foresight Slash slide that propelled him further back. In an instant, he had put five or six meters between himself and the monster.
The Estrellian Subspecies's claw strike naturally hit nothing but air, but its assault did not end there.
The moment it landed, it adjusted its posture, using the momentum to spin its entire body. Its massive tail, nearly ten meters long, swept forward in a horizontal arc.
Altaïr, who had been about to execute a Foresight Slash, had no choice but to change tactics mid-motion. As the Foresight Slash slide took him back, the taut muscles in his legs released like springs, and he burst forward with a quickstep.
Just as the sweeping tail was about to slam into him head-on, Altaïr leaped. His body twisted through the air, backflipping clean over what should have been an unavoidable blow.
In that moment of evasion, his already razor-sharp focus surged. The blood-red fighting spirit faintly visible beneath his Demon Mode took on a glimmering, deep blue sheen.
It was a change that even Altaïr himself hadn't anticipated.
He had thought jumping was his only option for dodging a tail-sweep so low to the ground. He never expected it to awaken the special state Dual Blades users called "Blue Demon."
Come to think of it, Isis's mother's swordsmanship notes had mentioned similar phenomena. The Long Sword's Adept and Valor Styles seemed to have comparable applications.
He'd been meaning to find time to study and train in it. Who would have thought he'd stumble into it by accident in a moment of desperation?
Landing on both feet, Altaïr's movements became even faster. In the Blue Demon state, he could precisely control every muscle in his body, maximizing his power efficiency. He released his Demon Mode to conserve stamina.
Then, seizing the opportunity, he circled to the Estrellian Subspecies's rear flank and delivered several rapid slashes to its lower back.
Perhaps to accommodate the Star Butterflies that made their homes within it, the Estrellian's carapace was hollow-structured, far thinner and less durable than that of monsters like the Glavenus.
The Khanga Rebellion blade bit cleanly in, carving crisscrossing gashes. Dark purple blood, as if laced with poison, sprayed from the wounds.
The Estrellian Subspecies howled in agony, clearly not expecting such agility from the Hunter. It wheeled around and swiped with its claws.
But Altaïr had already read its muscle movements, predicting the action a full second in advance. He broke off his combo and sheathed his weapon, entering an Iai stance.
As the claws came tearing in, with a low shout, he drew his blade in a flash. He parried the wyvern claw, pushing it aside, and continued his slash forward, carving a long, narrow wound across the Estrellian Subspecies's side. Once again, he circled into the blind spot at its rear flank.
Great Iai!
The Estrellian Subspecies bellowed in fury, lashing out with its long tail. But the area near the base of its hind legs was a dead zone its tail couldn't reach. Its futile counterattack only bought Altaïr several seconds to act. Without a second thought, he launched into his Spirit Blade combo.
After a blistering series of slashes, he deliberately adjusted the rhythm of his movement, subtly slowing the timing for the final Spirit Roundslash.
Enraged to the point of madness, the Estrellian Subspecies spun and lunged, trying to rend the Hunter with its fangs.
Just as it turned, Altaïr decisively released his attack. The platinum blade traced a perfect arc of light before him as he once again circled behind the monster.
Blood arced through the air. The Hunter's fighting spirit surged to its peak. The biting Spirit Gauge became a visible, crimson aura, coiling around the blade. Having activated the Red Blade, Altaïr used the lingering inertia from the Spirit Roundslash to leap into the air. His entire body spun like a whirlwind, and with that rotation, a slash no less powerful than the Spirit Roundslash itself hacked viciously into the Estrellian Subspecies's hind leg.
Spinning Crimson Slash!
This strike tore through armor, split flesh, and bit deep into bone. Under a level of searing pain it had never before experienced, the Estrellian Subspecies went into full-body spasms, its limbs twitching and bucking so violently it nearly collapsed to the ground.
The scene before him confirmed one thing for Altaïr.
This Estrellian Subspecies possessed muscular strength on par with Large Flying Wyverns, had flexibility barely inferior to Nargacuga or Barioth, and could command the Star Butterflies, a troubling and dreaded ability.
But they seemed... severely lacking in combat experience.
Every Large Monster grew from a frail juvenile state, fighting tooth and nail through the brutality of nature. An individual that survived to adulthood could never be described as "lacking combat experience."
Even a herbivore like Duramboros had its own set of tactics for facing enemies.
Yet these Estrellian Subspecies were like rebellious youths wielding deadly weapons without ever having undergone actual training.
They were vicious, frenzied, and completely fearless in the face of a foe, yet unable to bring one hundred percent of their true strength to bear.
He'd used the repeated circle-behind tactic three times now, and it still hadn't found a counter. Such performance was clearly absurd for a monster whose physical capabilities ranked at least at a 5★ Threat Level.
Throughout the entire skirmish, it hadn't even coordinated the swarm of Star Butterflies to attack in unison, just letting them hover aimlessly around it in chaotic flight.
If it and the Star Butterflies had even a bit more synergy, it wouldn't have been drenched in blood from his blade within minutes of the fight starting.
Of course, this was good news for him, and he had no intention of giving it a chance to learn and improve mid-battle.
Noticing the Estrellian Subspecies staggering as it steadied its footing and began to turn again, Altaïr decisively readied his Long Sword and thrust forward.
Spirit Helm Breaker! Spirit Helm Breaker!
(Translated by yourtl.app)