In the Jungle, the Hunters sprinted at full speed.
A flash of orange darting between the gaps in the canopy caught the Gunner's attention. Brandley shouted a warning, "Incoming! Watch the air!"
The Hunters skidded to a halt. The next second, two orange-red giant birds burst through the canopy and underbrush, landing directly in front of them.
This was far from their first ambush. Without Olivia needing to say another word, Altaïr and Serl, who were leading the charge, instantly rushed forward, launching a ferocious assault on one of them.
Brandley braced his Heavy Bowgun at his hip, the muzzle continuously spewing flame. The explosive spread ammo pinned the other Yian Kut-Ku so thoroughly it couldn't lift its head, forcing it back with agonized screeches.
Olivia held her Hammer at a slant, entering a charging stance. Her gaze was locked firmly onto the Yian Kut-Ku suppressed by the Bowgun's firepower, searching for the optimal attack angle. The moment the Gunner paused to reload, that would be her window to deliver a devastating blow.
As the support, Kagetsu didn't recklessly dive into the fray. Instead, she wielded her Insect Glaive, launching a blob of pheromone at the Yian Kut-Ku being double-teamed by the two Blademasters.
The Kinsect resting on her arm immediately whirred into action, darting back and forth to attack the Monster while simultaneously drawing essence from the target to inject and buff its companions.
After chugging a bottle of Demondrug on the side, Kagetsu let out a "urp" and turned to the scholar beside her.
"Lady Sheila, these continuous waves of Yian Kut-Ku are all small packs like this, and there have even been solitary ones. Doesn't that mean the Yian Kut-Ku population in these nearby woods is already running low?"
The scholar, rich in field experience but advanced in years, labored to steady her breathing. "It's possible. After all, you've exterminated so many Yian Kut-Ku over this period. The attack on Miss Nymera and that initial wave of interceptors sent out two separate packs.
"The Yian Kut-Ku in this Jungle aren't infinite; their numbers must be dwindling by now. However...
"This pattern of sending one or two Yian Kut-Ku every short while feels less like interception and more like a targeted effort to slow our advance and drain our stamina."
In the brief moments of their exchange, Altaïr and Serl coordinated their attacks, hacking one of the Yian Kut-Ku to the ground.
Seizing the pause in Brandley's sustained fire, Olivia closed the distance and pulverized the other Yian Kut-Ku's skull with a single swing of her Hammer.
Setting down her Hammer, now slick with blood and brain matter, Olivia's expression was grim.
Just as Sheila had said, their progress was being slowed. For Hunters, a sustained run of over a dozen kilometers was hardly a difficult challenge.
But running a stretch, then entering a high-intensity battle, only to run another two kilometers and do it all over again; no one could endure such attrition.
Only a few kilometers remained to the target area, yet their stamina had already severely deteriorated. If they stopped to rest on the spot, she worried it would take too much time.
The Estrellian wouldn't just stand there waiting for them like an idiot. Whether it chose to evacuate early or summon more Yian Kut-Ku for a decisive battle, time was the critical factor.
Just as she was wrestling with this dilemma, the sound of rapid, urgent footsteps approached from behind. The Palico named Basho was first to leap out of the forest shadows, and a few seconds later, Dawn, Niro, and Heath burst from the treeline one after another.
"Hey, we actually caught up with you guys?" Niro the Great Sword user laughed carelessly.
The steady-tempered Lance user approached Olivia's side and swept his gaze over the Yian Kut-Ku corpses nearby. "We saw the bodies along the way. Looks like things weren't easy on your end either."
At the sight of the three, Altaïr froze for an instant, then a flash of joy crossed his eyes.
He stowed his weapon and walked over. "Dawn, after you dealt with that pack of Yian Kut-Ku, did you encounter any more intercepting you?"
Altaïr already knew the answer in his heart. If the three had been attacked again, they wouldn't have been able to catch up. His question was merely to confirm.
"No. They must have all come after you." Dawn's answer was exactly as he expected.
"Olivia, I have a suggestion." Altaïr turned to look at Olivia.
"What is it."
"Split up further." Altaïr paused, then sped up his explanation: "Our goal isn't to take down the Estrellian in one decisive strike. The support forces are still on their way.
"The Estrellian can send Yian Kut-Ku at us in waves. So can we. We split into two-person teams or even solo operatives, advancing in alternation.
"Whenever one team encounters Yian Kut-Ku, they tie them down. The other teams push past while the opportunity is there. We're not that far from the target area anymore. Some team will inevitably break through the blockade.
"Any team, even if it's just a single Palico that reaches the Estrellian pack and tags them with a Paintball, then they won't escape."
Olivia hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded. "Fine."
Given the current situation, trying to intercept the Estrellian pack all at once with their full strength was no longer realistic. Finding the Estrellian pack and preventing them from escaping was now the top priority.
The Hunters exchanged glances.
Lance user Dawn spoke up: "You've just been through several fights. The three of us, on the other hand, still have plenty of stamina. We'll set out first.
"You take a short break, then follow in waves."
"Alright."
Without further exchange, Dawn was the first to stride forward.
Clad in ultra-heavy armor, he was the slowest of everyone, potentially slowing down the entire group's pace.
If he could tie down the attacking Yian Kut-Ku, that might actually be the most beneficial outcome for the team.
"Let's move." Less than a minute after Dawn departed, Light Bowgun user Heath broke into a run as well, and Niro the Great Sword user, who was close with him, naturally went along.
Grinning, Niro backpedaled a few steps and gave a sloppy, half-mocking salute. "We'll be the bait. The rest is up to you now~!"
Another two minutes passed. After drinking some water and steadying his breathing, Altaïr tightened his weapon straps. "I'm up next, then. I'll go alone. I'm confident I can hold off two or three Yian Kut-Ku."
"No." Olivia cut him off. "As you said, catching up to the Estrellian pack and marking them is the key to this operation.
"The fastest among us are you, Serl, and Kagetsu. The three of you, plus Sheila, will form the final pursuit squad. Athos, you stay too. Protect the scholar."
With that, Olivia slung her Hammer onto her back and ran off alone, vanishing into the night forest. "Olivia's right." Brandley adjusted his ammo belt. "If we get a chance to take down the intercepting Yian Kut-Ku fast, we'll find a way to catch up."
Not long after Olivia left, the Heavy Bowgun user set out as well.
From the forest ahead came faint cries of Yian Kut-Ku and the sounds of battle; it seemed another squad had already clashed with the attacking Yian Kut-Ku.
Noticing Altaïr's somber expression, Serl found it a little amusing. "What, you think they're treating you like a kid by not letting you take part in some tragic 'rearguard' mission?"
Altaïr opened his mouth to argue but no words came.
The smile faded from Serl's face, his expression turning serious. "Get this straight: the rearguard is the easiest job in this operation. Who among us can't handle two or three Yian Kut-Ku?
"The final pursuit squad is the key, and the most dangerous part. No one knows what we'll run into chasing them down. A whole flock of Yian Kut-Ku? Or something even stronger, something worse?"
"Whoa, now I'm scared. Is it too late to ask to join the rearguard?" Kagetsu muttered under her breath. "Wait, never mind. One Yian Kut-Ku is one thing, but two or three... I honestly don't think I can beat that."
To mask his embarrassment, Altaïr stretched his limbs as if warming up. "Ready? Shouldn't we get moving soon?"
Serl was about to answer when the whistle of something cutting through the air made him instinctively raise his shield. He lunged two steps forward, placing himself in front of Sheila and Kagetsu.
A purplish-black shadow shot through the air like a fired Bowgun Ammo round and slammed hard into his shield. The impact was so strong that Serl stumbled back two steps before barely managing to steady himself.
The Rathalos shell shield now bore a glaring, ugly gouge.
"What the hell is that, meow?!" Sajji yelped in alarm.
From the dense Jungle, a mysterious Kinsect came buzzing out, at least ninety percent similar in appearance to the Star Butterfly, but with a shell and wings far duller in color.
Its shell was as pale as withered bone, a savage, monstrous creature that seemed to embody "calamity" itself, emerging from the deep shadows of the forest.
P.S. By the way, the purple parts in the image are all Star Butterfly wings. The creature itself is white and gray. It only looks like this when the Star Butterfly is enraged and its wings extend outward.
(Translated by yourtl.app)