By using feints to distract the Tigrex and sharing some of the frontal pressure for Isis, Altaïr attempted to maneuver around to the Tigrex's rear.
Without needing much explanation, one could tell just by looking at those terrifyingly stout wingclaws that this fellow's attack range was staggering.
If both of them stayed in front, a single horizontal swipe from the Tigrex would catch them both; even staying at its side wasn't safe. One had to get behind it to serve as a distraction.
Hopefully...
Altaïr's target was the Tigrex's hind legs.
He didn't have much experience hunting truly large Monsters, only the Barroth and the Vespoid Queen. The latter offered little reference value, but he had summarized some experience from the former.
Attacking the legs is a very effective strategy against land-based Monsters.
Biologically, the Tigrex is classified as a Flying Wyvern, but its flight capabilities are poor. It can hardly take off from level ground and can generally only glide by spreading its wing membranes when jumping from high places.
What it gained in exchange for its flight capability were wingclaws specialized for land travel. Their wingclaws were even thicker, longer, and stronger than their hind limbs, and they moved with all four limbs on the ground when running at high speeds.
From this perspective, defining it as a land-based Monster was perfectly fine.
If he could injure one of the Tigrex's hind legs, even if it didn't lose its mobility, it would at least slow its running speed, increasing their chances of escape.
While Altaïr was maneuvering, Isis had already guessed his plan.
As a heavily armored frontliner, she couldn't just keep her shield up against the Monster's face; she also had to actively attack to hold the target's attention.
Swinging her Gunlance and quickly completing a reload, Isis raised her hand and fired a shell.
"Boom!"
At such extreme close range, the firepower of a Wide-type Gunlance was not to be underestimated. Even though most of the shrapnel was deflected by the Tigrex's tough scales, a few landed in the gaps between the scales, splashing small, inconspicuous sprays of blood.
After the shot, she didn't fire continuously. Instead, she used the recoil of the blast to leap a large step backward, then suddenly lunged forward, swinging the Gunlance in her left hand.
Whether it was a Great Sword, a Long Sword, or the Gunlance she was currently using, they were all melee weapons with large attack ranges. When fighting with such weapons, it was difficult to exert their power while clinging too closely to the target; a distance of three to four meters was the optimal attacking range.
The Tigrex seemingly hadn't expected her to charge back in immediately after leaping away. Its reaction was half a beat slow, and it was struck on the side of its face by her horizontal sweep.
The specially weighted and lengthened blade produced power nearly on par with a Great Sword when swung. Under Isis's immense strength, the Tigrex's head was knocked slightly to the side, leaving a bloody gash on its cheek.
If it had been the Barroth they hunted before, this horizontal slash to the face would have at least made it stagger, but her current opponent was the Tigrex, renowned as the "Absolute Challenger."
A single close-range shell and a full-force horizontal slash caused damage that didn't even qualify as a light injury; at most, it just broke the skin.
But regardless, the goal of attracting the opponent's attention was achieved. The Tigrex's crimson vertical pupils, bloodshot with rage, locked onto the Hunter before it.
Taking this opportunity, Altaïr successfully circled behind the Tigrex. Drawing his sword from its scabbard, he delivered a standard Step Slash.
It wasn't that he didn't want to perform "fancy moves" like a Charge; his current opponent was an "Absolute Challenger" whose strength was far beyond his capacity to handle, and he lacked detailed combat information regarding its attack habits. Being conservative was only logical.
He didn't want to be halfway through a Charge only for the opponent to turn around and crush him in one bite.
The vertically descending Long Sword slashed across the Tigrex's hind leg. He could feel a distinct sense of resistance as the blade cut through the scales, but the sharp edge of the Iron Gospel nonetheless lived up to expectations, piercing the defense of the Tigrex's hide and carving an inconspicuous bloody slit.
Altaïr was incredibly grateful to that wyverian artisan at this moment. If he were still using his previous Hunter's Dagger or Iron Katana, he undoubtedly would have suffered a bounce right now.
Perhaps because he lacked sufficient power or the wound was too shallow, the Tigrex didn't react to this strike. Altaïr adjusted his attacking position and delivered several more slashes in succession.
The Tigrex still gave no reaction. Clearly, Isis was providing enough distraction in the front that the Tigrex didn't realize for a moment that it was being attacked from behind.
This gave Altaïr a bit more confidence.
He adjusted his attacking position again. This time, instead of a normal swing, he shouldered the Iron Gospel and entered a charging stance, then shifted his movements to enter the Strongarm Stance.
During the charging process, he also maintained 100% focus, cautiously reading the Tigrex's muscles. If it showed any signs of a kick, tail swipe, or turning around, he would immediately abort the Charge and roll to evade.
Fortunately, no such situation occurred. He completed his Charge preparation very smoothly. The moment his energy reached its limit, Altaïr let out a low shout and brought the Long Sword down on the Tigrex's hind leg.
Under concentrated force, the Long Sword successfully shattered the Tigrex's scales, but the moment the blade entered the flesh, a powerful hitlag was transmitted through the hilt once again.
This fellow's muscles were too hard; they literally squeezed the blade. Under the force of the vibration, his palm and wrist throbbed with intense pain. Altaïr gritted his teeth and exerted force to keep dragging the Long Sword, barely opening a wound over half a meter long on the Tigrex's thigh.
At this moment, he truly realized the flaws of using a Long Sword to perform a Charged Slash.
The Long Sword was derived from the Great Sword, but it had now evolved into a completely different weapon. Its slender blade was suitable for slicing, parrying, and thrusting, but it was not suitable for hacking and smashing.
It was like trying to cut through a large piece of meat with skin and bone; if one used an axe or cleaver specifically for chopping, one just had to apply brute force.
But what if one used a sharp but thin sashimi knife? It was unlikely to hack through the meat directly; after the blade entered the meat, one still had to rely on the force of dragging the knife to slice it.
The Long Sword was the same. Against weaker Monsters, as long as the blade could break the hide, the "meat-cleaving" sensation, the hitlag, wouldn't be too severe. But for a Monster of the Tigrex's caliber, not only were its scales and carapaces tough, but even its muscles were incredibly hard.
A Strong Charged Slash with a Long Sword certainly had a better effect than a normal slash, but it didn't justify the risks one had to take during the preparation process.
If he had the chance later, he would have to find a way to modify the movements of the Long Sword's Charged Slash. For instance, changing the vertical hack into a properly angled slice to make it more consistent with the weapon's characteristics.
Just as this thought surfaced in Altaïr's mind, he noticed the muscles in the Tigrex's leg tightening. Without a second thought, he immediately stepped back, pulling away at full speed.
"Whoosh–!"
A massive claw capable of tearing an Aptonoth's body like a sheet of paper swept past him, the tips of the claws less than half a meter from his chest.
The first few slashes were merely itchy scratches to the Tigrex, like rubbing the skin until it turned red, but that Strong Charged Slash just now had made it feel actual pain.
An ill-tempered Tigrex wouldn't just endure it. There were no mere kicks or tail swipes; it came back with a full-force counterattack.
Cold sweat instantly soaked the Hunter's shirt. If his reaction had been just half a beat slower, a severe injury would have been considered lucky; the toughness of the Genprey Armor couldn't possibly withstand a turnaround strike from a Tigrex.
Facing the Tigrex as it turned around, its crimson vertical pupils locked onto him, Altaïr quickly cast aside thoughts of modifying moves.
If they couldn't survive this, no amount of ideas would matter.
Not bothering to wipe the cold sweat sliding down from his forehead, Altaïr tightened his grip on the hilt. Staring at the fangs and claws that could easily end his life, a strange sense of exhilaration welled up in his heart.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES: LORE SECTION
Some terms and creatures referenced in this story may be unfamiliar to readers new to the Monster Hunter universe. The following entries provide additional context.
CONCEPTS
Hitlag — A gameplay and in-universe mechanical term describing the brief moment of resistance felt when a weapon strikes a hard surface. In-game, hitlag refers to the slight freeze that occurs on impact, which skilled players use to time inputs. Within the story, Altaïr experiences it literally: his blade bites into the Tigrex's muscle and the vibration travels back through the hilt. The harder the target, the worse the hitlag.
EQUIPMENT
Long Sword — A versatile, single-edged weapon with a long reach, optimized for fluid, chained slashing combos. Its Spirit Gauge system rewards aggressive play by building up meter through consecutive hits, unlocking more powerful attacks. Derived historically from the Great Sword, it has since evolved into a fundamentally different weapon favoring precision and flow over raw impact. Altaïr's primary weapon.