"Understood."
Olivia nodded heavily, then placed a finger to her lips and let out a shrill whistle that sounded like a birdsong, the signal for the operation to begin.
The Hunters did not rush out immediately. They remained hidden behind their respective covers, eyes locked onto their targets, unmoving.
Only Sajji leapt out from the bushes, bouncing toward the pack of Yian Kut-Ku as they lowered their heads, preparing to use their massive, shovel-like beaks to filter-feed on the small creatures in the mudflats.
"Look over here, meow!" Once close enough, Sajji feared the Yian Kut-Ku might not notice him. He turned around and slapped his own backside vigorously, making loud, crisp "thwack-thwack" sounds.
Even without considering that Yian Kut-Ku are Monsters famous for their keen hearing, anyone who wasn't blind or deaf would have noticed this arrogant Felyne suddenly intruding on their space.
Feeling the hostile gazes of the Yian Kut-Ku, Sajji raised both paws high, each clutching a Flash Pod with the fuse already bitten off.
Three, two, one...
The Hunters counted down in their heads simultaneously. The moment the countdown hit zero and the intense light burst forth, they all surged out from their hiding spots at once.
Struck directly by the blinding light, the Yian Kut-Ku were left dazed and dizzy. They stumbled about like drunks, looking pathetic as they swayed on their feet, seemingly on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
"Charge!"
Kagetsu brandished her Insect Glaive as if it were a banner. She scattered dust as she ran, gulping down various potions.
Under the mysterious protection of Wide-Range, the potions transformed into a mist of magical energy that surged from her body and diffused toward everyone around her.
The Gunners' attacks were the first to arrive.
The Heavy Bowgun user Brandley and the Light Bowgun user Heath fired simultaneously. They locked onto the same Yian Kut-Ku. Amidst the roar of artillery, five rounds of Sticky Ammo hit the Monster's head in succession.
Each of these massive Bowgun Ammo rounds was equivalent to a small Barrel Bomb. The steel spikes of the warheads drove deep into the Yian Kut-Ku's head, reaching all the way to the skull.
As the final Sticky Ammo hit its mark, the fuse of the first one burned out. A flash of fire erupted, and all five Sticky Ammo rounds detonated at once.
"Rumble!"
Within the explosive flames and thick smoke, the shell atop the Yian Kut-Ku's head was shattered almost instantly, and a large chunk of its massive, exaggerated shovel-beak was blown apart and sent flying.
The moment the explosion occurred, the powerful shockwave traveled through the steel spikes in the tips, penetrating the skull and transmitting directly into the Monster's brain, nearly vibrating it to pieces.
The Yian Kut-Ku wailed as it slammed into the ground, shrieking and struggling.
The two Gunners closed the distance at full speed while reloading.
Brandley, acting as the Heavy Bowgunner, moved directly to a spot less than five meters in front of the Yian Kut-Ku. With his Heavy Bowgun connected to an ammo belt, he lowered his center of gravity and entered Crouching Shot mode.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
He was using spread ammo. At this range, the power unleashed by spread ammo was peerless. Every shot felt like an invisible sledgehammer slamming into the Yian Kut-Ku's head, sending shrapnel, blood, and shell fragments flying in all directions. Heath, meanwhile, swapped in a magazine of Freeze Ammo. One after another, the ice-blue bowgun rounds struck the target like hailstones in a storm. Frost congealed the Yian Kut-Ku's blood, steadily draining its life force.
Under the overwhelming suppression fire from the two Gunners, this Yian Kut-Ku was not far from death.
In another part of the battlefield, no more than twenty or thirty meters away.
The Lance user, bracing his Large Shield, committed to a full-force Dash, slamming into the flank of another Yian Kut-Ku like a rampaging chariot.
The weight of his Uragaan Set far exceeded even the Basarios Armor Set worn by Isis. For Dawn to be able to initiate a charge while wearing such super-heavy equipment, his strength and explosive power were naturally staggering.
The impact of this collision was in no way weaker than Isis's full-tilt charge. Since a Lance is inherently better suited for charging than a Gunlance, combined with the advantage of his equipment and body weight, the momentum of Dawn's charge was even superior.
If this had been an ordinary Yian Kut-Ku, let alone one in a stunned state, it would have been sent tumbling head-over-heels even in a head-on collision.
However, this Yian Kut-Ku was exceptionally large, no smaller than a Rathian, with particularly thick hind legs and faint traces of black mist swirling around its body.
Without a doubt, this was a Hyper specimen.
Under the full force of Dawn's impact, it stumbled, nearly losing its balance entirely and falling over, but at the very last moment before collapse, it somehow managed to steady itself.
Dawn roared and continued to exert force, pushing the Yian Kut-Ku straight backward. With a violent posture that suggested he would not stop until he forced it down, he seemed like a completely different person from his usual silent and gentle self.
Just then, two other swift shadows approached at high speed.
Altaïr, having entered Demon Mode, rapidly circled to the other side of the Hyper Yian Kut-Ku, reversing his grip on the blade as he entered a charging stance.
After a brief second of storing power, he dashed forward, his Long Sword sweeping toward the Hyper Yian Kut-Ku's ankle.
Spirit Roundslash!
Approaching from the other direction, Serl used his charging momentum to perform a Sliding Slash beneath the monster. Aiming for the weak point where its foot met the ground, he leapt up and delivered a strike.
Sliding Slash!
Through the coordinated teamwork of the three men, the exceptionally large Hyper Yian Kut-Ku, which seemed to carry the air of a leader, finally toppled to the ground.
Altaïr rolled to the side and unceremoniously moved to the front of the Hyper Yian Kut-Ku's head, seizing the most critical attacking position.
As he rolled to his feet, the platinum blade of the Khanga Rebellion scraped against his pauldrons. With a sharp "clang," the freshly sharpened blade swung down vertically onto the Hyper Yian Kut-Ku's head.
That swing was merely a warm-up. In Demon Mode, Altaïr swung his Long Sword with such speed it became a blur, flesh and blood flying amidst the flashing sword light.
Serl moved to the monster's chest and belly.
Explosive attacks were not typically the forte of Sword and Shield users, but he proved through his actions that an exceptional Hunter has no weaknesses.
With a flick of his fingers on his shield hand, the blade drug stored inside the shield splashed out. He struck the shield and Sword and Shield together, evenly coating the blade drug onto the edge.
His muscles tensed, but he did not strike immediately. Instead, while mobilizing his entire body's strength, he felt for the pulse of energy within him. At the perfect moment, he lunged forward, executing a leaping strike.
The blade in his hand did not move in a blur; instead, there was a strange rhythm and pulse to his movements. Every swing was impeccably timed, entering at the ideal angle, driving the edge deep into the narrowest gaps of the target's carapace.
Perfect Rush!
"Terrifying young people, truly," Dawn chuckled softly. The tip of his three-meter-long Lance remained perfectly still, without a hint of tremor or deviation. With every step came a thrust, burying the weapon deep into the Yian Kut-Ku's body; each strike carved out a bloody hole the size of a bowl.
His movements might not have been flashy, but they were as steady as a mountain.
Compared to those who moved with such speed, Olivia's attack seemed to arrive a moment late.
By the time she reached her target, dragging her Hammer behind her at an angle, the other two Yian Kut-Ku were already drawing their final breaths.
The creature before her shook its head. Though its vision had not yet returned, it was gradually shaking off the dizziness caused by the blinding light.
Sensing a threat, it screeched and pivoted, swinging its slender tail around like a whip.
"Leave it to me!"
Just as the long tail was about to strike Olivia while she was charging her approach, Niro stepped in front of her with his Great Sword. He braced his shoulder against the blade, firmly blocking the blow.
"Charge!" Olivia lunged out from behind Niro, spinning several times with the weapon in hand before the pitch-black Nargacuga Hammer, laden with terrifying force, slammed into the Yian Kut-Ku's lower jaw.
Boom!
The Yian Kut-Ku's head snapped upward as its bright yellow beak shattered with web-like cracks.
The horrific impact, a shockwave that even a Glavenus could not withstand, rattled its brain. The Yian Kut-Ku lost consciousness almost instantly and collapsed to the ground.
Having been alerted by Olivia, Niro had already begun storing power and entered a Strongarm Stance. Looking down at the massive head that had fallen right before him, he laughed and brought the Great Sword down.
In the brief span of barely thirty seconds since Sajji appeared, three Yian Kut-Ku had completely lost the chance to stand and fight back.
The remaining two Yian Kut-Ku gradually recovered from their dazed state, hopping and screeching in rage. They flapped their wings, preparing to launch a counterattack.
Suddenly, a Sonic Bomb flew in from a distance, landing precisely between the two of them. The high-frequency noise from the explosion dazed them once again.
Kagetsu, having hurled the Sonic Bomb in a manner no ordinary Insect Glaive user ever would, lowered her Insect Glaive. Regardless of whether she actually needed it, she downed another Potion.
"As if I'd let you wake up."
(Translated by yourtl.app)