The group broke into a run once more.
Only this time, Altaïr was no longer the one leading the way, but the one falling behind, desperately trying to keep up.
To increase the entire team's speed, Nymera had Kagetsu ride together on the Palamute. With the latter's size and weight, it was barely even a burden to the robust Hibiki.
Even though Altaïr had taken a Mega Dash Juice and activated Demon Mode, two legs could hardly compete with a Palamute's four. Had Nymera not specifically ordered the Palamute to slow down, he would likely have been left behind in the blink of an eye.
Whether it was because they hadn't been detected or for some other reason, the trio drew closer and closer to the gathering spot of the dark red Star Butterflies, yet the anticipated interference never came.
This only stretched the Hunters' nerves to their breaking point.
The Estrellian could monitor hundreds of square kilometers of the mountain forest around them, yet failed to notice a few of them approaching its doorstep; the probability of that was vanishingly small.
Altaïr had already mentally prepared himself for the sudden descent of over a dozen Yian Kut-Ku from the sky. If that situation truly unfolded, he would choose to help Nymera and the others break through while he himself stayed behind to cover their retreat.
After all, riding the Palamute, Nymera and Kagetsu had a much greater chance of breaking through the encirclement and reaching the group of Estrellian.
The Cohoot circling high overhead in patrol let out another series of cries.
Cocking her ear to listen, Nymera said excitedly, "Location confirmed! It seems those Star Butterflies have gone underground! Less than a kilometer straight ahead!"
Altaïr's first reaction upon hearing this was pleasant surprise. Their greatest fear, that the entire Estrellian pack would collectively depart and vanish without a trace into the Jungle, had not come to pass.
Judging from the information Nymera provided, the Estrellian pack very likely had not fled, but had instead chosen to go underground.
Considering that Star Butterflies would not leave their hosts for especially long periods, the as-yet-unseen "third kind" of Estrellian at least should still be around.
However, as the joy receded, a jolt of trepidation shot through Altaïr.
Why had they always tacitly assumed the Estrellian pack would flee? Because the impression that Estrellian hatchling had given, mild and timid, was simply too deep. Subconsciously, they felt that the other individuals of the Estrellian pack must be the same.
But then there was the kind that had appeared before them before, that ferocious, frenzied Estrellian Subspecies.
And the mysterious individual they had yet to see, who, merely by the ability to lure and manipulate Monsters, had given them such a headache already.
Did the Estrellian pack... truly need to run away?
With their heartstrings pulled taut, the group racing at full speed soon arrived at the location Nymera had mentioned.
There stood an extraordinarily massive ancient tree.
Its height might not have been so exaggerated, but its trunk was exceptionally thick, especially the complex root system exposed above ground, tangled and entwined, covering a vast area of over a thousand square meters.
Just then, a Star Butterfly with crimson wings approached from afar.
The Hunters instinctively gripped their weapons, but the Star Butterfly, as if it hadn't noticed them at all, simply flew right past them.
Nymera shouted to stop Hibiki, who was about to pounce, while Altaïr, with quick eyes and nimble hands, pulled out a Paintball and tossed it onto that Star Butterfly. That Star Butterfly paid it no mind and continued flying ahead. The Hunters' gaze followed it, watching as it burrowed into that astonishingly massive root system and vanished from sight.
The Hunters exchanged glances.
"Stay sharp. Let's get closer and take a look," Altaïr said in a low voice.
Nymera and Kagetsu nodded, staying close behind Altaïr. The three of them approached cautiously.
From a distance earlier, and with tree roots blocking their view, they hadn't been able to see clearly. But as their observation angle shifted, they quickly noticed a huge opening at the base of the colossal tree.
The tree's dense canopy and root system were like a lid pressing down over the opening, making it utterly impossible to notice from the air. Even approaching up close, unless you looked from a specific angle, your line of sight was easily blocked by those tangled roots, causing you to miss it entirely.
What the Hunters found most unusual was that the opening was a perfectly regular square. Through it, they could faintly make out steps leading underground.
Without a doubt, this was no cave torn open by geological shifts, but a Ruins left behind by some Ancient Civilization.
"Sh-Sh-Sh...Should we go in?" Kagetsu's voice had gone stuttery.
Altaïr considered himself a fairly rational person; naturally, he wouldn't make the foolish decision to charge straight into a Monster Den.
He raised a fist in the "alert" hand signal, then took out an SOS Flare and launched it straight into the sky.
In the hour or two before dawn, the stars and moon had already set, and the night was exceptionally dark. The SOS Flare soaring into the sky was, naturally, exceptionally conspicuous.
After the flare slowly descended, Altaïr took out another and fired it into the air.
Two flares in succession were not merely to ensure their comrades didn't miss or overlook them; this was a special signal agreed upon in advance.
Any Hunter seeing the signal, so long as they weren't absolutely unable to get away, would immediately converge on this location.
"Withdraw into the Jungle. As long as the Estrellian doesn't come out, we'll keep watch from a distance. Even if the Ruins have other entrances, that Star Butterfly we hit with the Paintball should be able to give us a lead."
As for Altaïr's cautious decision, Kagetsu supported it with both hands and both feet. She was just a combat washout who had to scheme even to advance to 3★.
In terms of direct combat ability, she probably couldn't even match that Estrellian hatchling that Isis had knocked out with a few strikes.
Nymera naturally had no objections either. She and Hibiki had been running through the mountain forest all night. They'd had to break through a Yian Kut-Ku pack's encirclement and conduct reconnaissance everywhere; to say they were in good shape would be a stretch.
"Boss, how about letting me slip in first and scout a bit, meow?" Sajji, who was following beside Altaïr, suddenly proposed. "Even if there are many Estrellian down there, they'd probably just see me as a harmless little animal. If things go wrong, I'll run, meow."
Altaïr was hesitating over whether to let Sajji take that risk when a certain sense of threat that made his hair stand on end suddenly struck him.
Instinctively, he threw himself into a diving roll and shouted, "Look out!"
At the same moment, the ground burst open. Several Star Butterflies, their wings giving off a dim purple light and their carapaces sharp as blades, shot up from beneath the earth, darting furiously toward the Hunters who were preparing to withdraw.
Nymera's reaction was no slower than Altaïr's; she evaded tactically in the very first instant. Only Kagetsu, whose combat experience was less seasoned, was a split second late. But thankfully, Hibiki reacted in time, catching her skirt in his jaws and dragging her out of harm's way.
From the night forest, which had been completely still a moment before, came wave after wave of horrifying roars.
Its eyes gleaming with a cold, eerie light, its entire body steeped in an ominous aura, a Pale Evil Beast stepped out from the Jungle, surrounded by countless Star Butterflies.
Its appearance was almost identical to the Star Dragon Subspecies that had attacked them earlier, but from its size, it was clear: this was another individual Star Dragon Subspecies.
How this creature had evaded the gaze of the Cohoot high in the sky and gotten so close to them was unknown, but that was clearly not the thing to consider right now.
"Kagetsu, find a chance to run." Altaïr drew his weapon and said quietly.
The presence of the Star Butterflies gave the Estrellian the ability to attack multiple targets simultaneously. He and Nymera had no confidence they could suppress the Monster before them, much less guarantee Kagetsu's safety.
Kagetsu was naturally well aware that her support tactics could be highly effective in group battles and drawn-out combat, but in a dire situation like this, she would be nothing but a liability.
She retreated cautiously, preparing to break away from the battle, but before a few seconds had passed, she came backing up again, her little face crumpled in dismay.
Another Star Dragon Subspecies emerged from the Jungle behind them, encircling the Hunters.
Altaïr's expression turned grim. He finally understood why, over those last few kilometers, there had been no more Yian Kut-Ku ambushes blocking their path.
Because the Estrellian intended to box them in and kill them at its own doorstep.
(Translated by yourtl.app)