With the Kinsect extract still enhancing his mobility, Altaïr gripped the rope and scaled the Apex Estrellian's back with nimble strides.
The climbing techniques he had practiced during training with the Sandship fleet had not been forgotten; the ballista bolts embedded in the monster's body made the best handholds.
Altaïr weaved and leaped between the ballista bolts and the carapace, dragging the rope along and looping it around bone spines, shell edges, and the shafts of the bolts.
Clawdia was even more agile than he was, darting back and forth with the long rope in her jaws. Through the combined efforts of hunter and Felyne, the two long ropes were quickly tangled into a chaotic mess across the Apex Estrellian's body.
At the same time, Fabius launched himself forward with a Fierce Pounce, a burst of speed that placed him right in front of the Apex Estrellian.
He roared as he slammed down with his Lance and Large Shield, forcibly bringing the Apex Estrellian to a halt. At the same time, he seized its attention completely, leaving it no opportunity to notice the actions of Altaïr and Clawdia.
Isis followed close behind, slamming her shield into the Apex Estrellian's flank. Her Gunlance swung like a Great Sword, cleaving open one bloody gash after another on the monster's body.
Under this aggressive assault, the Apex Estrellian, which had originally intended to retreat, was now provoked into a rage.
It lashed out with a flurry of claw strikes, forcing Fabius and Isis back. Then it spun around violently, its long, powerful tail sweeping in a wide arc.
On the monster's back, Altaïr and Clawdia took the opportunity to let go, allowing themselves to be thrown clear by the momentum. Their landings were somewhat awkward, but thanks to the protection of their Armor and timely adjustments via wirefalls, they managed to avoid any serious injuries.
As it retaliated with these wide, sweeping actions, slashing claws and sweeping tail, the Apex Estrellian finally sensed something was wrong.
With every movement, searing pain from tearing flesh wracked its body. Its limbs felt as if they were tangled in something, making it difficult to fully extend them.
As a Large Monster that moved through the Jungle, it knew this sensation well, the feeling of being tangled in vines and branches.
Its first instinct was to use even more forceful movements to break free. Under brute strength, all bindings would naturally snap, just as it had ripped the Rakna-Kadaki No. 3 from the ground earlier.
The Apex Estrellian roared furiously, coiling its limbs before leaping into the air, aiming to execute that Somersault tail slam on Fabius, who posed the greatest threat.
But it underestimated the power of human technology.
These ropes, woven from special materials using specialized techniques, could not be broken by sheer force, not even by a colossal Elder Dragon like the Jhen Mohran.
Under the Apex Estrellian's broad movements, the already tangled ropes, leveraging the ballista bolts as anchor points, completely transformed into a giant net that could not be escaped through brute strength.
The Apex Estrellian, having leaped into the air, managed to barely curl its body. But its somersault motion was only halfway complete when its limbs were firmly bound by the ropes. It instantly lost all balance and crashed heavily to the ground.
"Clear out!" Fabius yelled a warning.
Knowing what was coming next, Isis and the others turned and ran. They had not gotten far when the heavy firepower from the Airship poured down like a torrential storm.
Explosive flames, the reek of gunpowder, and flying shrapnel once again engulfed the Apex Estrellian's massive form.
Isis quickly pulled out a Whetstone, seizing the moment to sharpen the Glavenus Gunlance's blade. The way she used the Gunlance consumed Sharpness far faster than an ordinary Gunlance user.
At the same time, Olivia, Serl, and Brandley also sprinted over.
The Estrellian Subspecies they had been facing was already dealt with, freeing them up to join the battle on this side.
Fabius immediately issued orders. "The target may flee toward the Ruins Passage over there. Olivia, take your people and get into the ruins first. Set an ambush at the bottom of the passage."
"Understood, let's move!" Without another word, Olivia led her companions running toward the Ruins Passage.
Amid the roar of Cannon fire, Isis swiftly finished honing her weapon, stood up, and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Teacher Fabius, should we go block the passage entrance too?"
Fabius cast a helpless look at this brash young woman. "No, we keep pressing it in close combat."
He didn't explain in detail, but Isis quickly grasped what the Old Hunter meant.
When facing danger, most Monsters have an instinct to return to their nest, but that didn't mean the Apex would necessarily flee toward the Ruins Passage. Abandoning the nest and escaping into the Jungle was also an option.
Besides, seeing two door-guardian-like figures blocking its doorstep, even an ordinary beast wouldn't try to force its way in, let alone an Estrellian with its exceptionally high intelligence?
The rope bindings had proven surprisingly effective. The Cannons and Machine Cannons fired two full volleys, and only after those ropes were blasted to shreds and burned through did it struggle to its feet with tremendous difficulty.
Those magnificent dark red wings, once flowing like streamers and tassels, had long since been pulverized in the explosive flames. Now it had reverted to that initial appearance, its carapace a dull bluish-gray.
Shattered scales and shell, blood streaming all over its body, burn marks everywhere; the once majestically imposing Apex Estrellian now looked utterly wretched, even its Spirit visibly declining.
The Hunters needed no further command from Fabius; they immediately closed in.
To avoid having his energy drained again, Altaïr did not condense his Spirit Gauge. Instead, he swung his sword relying purely on physical strength.
Under the sustained bombardment, the Apex Estrellian's Defense had long since collapsed. Patches of its shell in many areas had been blasted away, exposing the dark red, charred flesh beneath.
Faced with these vulnerable wounds, even without Spirit Gauge, the Sharpness of the Khanga Rebellion could still inflict considerable damage.
Isis was even more unrestrained. With her ferocious slashes, the Glavenus Gunlance sent up a rain of shredded flesh and blood.
In front of the Apex Estrellian, Fabius stood holding his Large Shield, maintaining the highest degree of vigilance.
A heavily wounded Monster on the brink of death was the most dangerous. The victor of this battle was already decided, but it was precisely at these final moments that accidents were most likely to happen. There could be absolutely no letting up.
One eye, along with most of the head carapace, had been blasted apart. With only one remaining eye, now dim and lusterless, the Apex Estrellian let out a low growl and crouched low.
"On guard!" Fabius immediately ceased his attack, fully alert.
"ROOOAAAR!"
With another hoarse roar, the carapace on the Apex Estrellian's shoulder blades shifted. The next second, those dark crimson wings suddenly spread open wide.
Through deliberate protection, even after weathering several rounds of cannon fire, these wings remained largely intact.
"All-out assault!" Realizing what was happening, Fabius bellowed, thrusting his Lance forward with full force.
Altaïr charged in with his blade, and Isis directly braced her Gunlance and unleashed Wyvern's Fire.
"BOOOOOM!"
Amid the deafening roar of Wyvern's Fire, the Apex Estrellian staggered, but it managed to steady itself again. Then, as if burning up the last dregs of its strength, it launched itself upward with all four limbs. At the same time, it beat those shimmering wings with everything it had, striving to reach higher into the sky.
Ten meters, thirty meters, fifty meters...
Under everyone's astonished gazes, this Estrellian shattered its past limits, rising to an unprecedented height in a single bound.
The glow of sunrise enveloped its massive body. Beneath the warm golden rays, those wings, their color dark as molten lava, reflected a light more dazzling than the stars.
But... those wings, not yet fully developed, ultimately could not sustain such an enormous bulk.
Reaching the highest point of its life, the Estrellian began to plummet, like a shooting star falling from the edge of the sky, dropping helplessly back toward the earth.
Watching this scene, Isis suddenly spoke. "Altaïr, it reminds me of that Vespoid Queen."
"Yeah." Altaïr answered softly, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere.
"Woo-ooow..."
The mournful cry of the Estrellian hatchling reached their ears. The Professor removed his glasses and, almost to himself, began reciting the verse recorded in the Ancient Scroll.
"Great wings carry them, soaring through the air more gracefully than any Flying Wyvern. Around them dance birds woven entirely of light, like earthly stars..."
"In the end, it never quite grew to that stage, did it? That brief flight at the end of its life... I wonder if that should be counted as fortune, or misfortune."
Ps. A little memorial for MHO, which ultimately never got to fly. Sigh.