The SOS Flare launched at high altitude was impossible to miss, even from a great distance.
After two other observation Airships relayed it with their own signal flares, the warning of the imminent attack reached Loc Lac, dozens of kilometers away, in only a few minutes.
That gave Loc Lac's Hunters between half an hour and an hour to respond.
Piercing blasts from the alarm horn echoed throughout the city.
In a small plaza connected to the main street in the city center, Boss Joda of the Loc Lac Rangers shouted, "No time to talk. Stick to the plan!
Everyone at 3★ and above, form squads and hunt the invading Egyurasu with me in the city! Those of you at 1★ and 2★, head to the refuges!
You have only one mission. Guard every refuge entrance and don't let any stray Monsters get inside!"
"Yes, sir!"
The assembled members of the Loc Lac Rangers and the Gunner Squad answered in unison.
They numbered more than a hundred, but the Loc Lac Rangers were not a Hunter group in the strictest sense. They were, more precisely, Loc Lac's security force.
Although they occasionally took on assignments to cull Small Monsters near the city, they spent most of their time patrolling the streets and handling public disturbances.
Young members who wanted to grow stronger often left before reaching 3★, so despite the Rangers' large numbers, very few of them held a Hunter rank of 3★ or higher.
Even counting Boss Joda, their leader, they could not muster two full squads.
With so few experienced members, they would struggle to provide effective support on the front lines. Their sole duty was to protect the civilians in the refuges.
For Loc Lac's residents, the mere sight of those yellow-and-white Ranger uniforms was enough to put their minds at ease.
However, a few odd "splashes of color" had slipped into their formation.
Lambert, dressed in a light, gauzy dress with a veil over her face, looked almost like a desert dancer.
Even calling her a dancer did not seem quite right. The conventional image of a dancer was a voluptuous, seductive woman with a fiery presence.
Lambert, however, was as flat as a board. Her limbs were slender and she was fairly tall, but there was little else about her figure to draw the eye. Combined with the natural dark circles around her eyes, which resembled smoky makeup...
Altogether, she evoked the peculiar disappointment of a "catastrophic casting failure."
Vari, standing beside her, gave her a sympathetic, pitying look. Lambert's mouth twitched. She was considering teaching the rude boy a lesson when he spoke.
"That armor of yours doesn't look like it offers much Defense. There's still time. Why not ask to borrow a Defender Set? Boss Joda would probably allow it."
Lambert said nothing.
The workings of his mind were as transparent as glass. Forget it. She could not be bothered with him.
Altaïr had deliberately assigned her to the Loc Lac Rangers.
He knew exactly how restless she was, and once the battle began, neither he nor Isis would have time to keep an eye on her. He had no choice but to place her temporarily under Boss Joda's command.
Moving with the Rangers carried dangers of its own, but at least it was better than letting her run around alone.
"Before we move out, Lambert, play something for everyone." After emphasizing each team's assignment, Joda looked her way.
Hunting Horn users were rare to begin with, and there was not a single one among the Loc Lac Rangers. The weapon's role was poorly suited to the Rangers' daily patrol duties.
In a large-scale battle like this, however, a Hunting Horn user's value increased tremendously.
A melody's blessing did not weaken as more people heard it. In theory, everyone within earshot received its boon.
Lambert agreed without complaint. Rebellious as she was, she knew when to take matters seriously.
To make sure everyone could hear her clearly, she deliberately increased the volume of her performance.
As soon as the melody rang out, the Rangers' expressions ranged from bemusement to amusement.
Whatever one might say about her figure, Lambert's armor did resemble a dancer's costume. When Boss Joda asked the young woman to play for them, everyone instinctively imagined an elegant yet passionate display of spirited dancing.
Reality did not match their fantasies. Lambert took a great step forward, dropped into a half crouch, hugged her Hunting Horn close, and began banging and plucking away while whipping her head wildly.
Every so often, she raised the Hunting Horn high and swung it from side to side. Any thought of elegance vanished. She looked as though she were performing some shamanic ritual dance.
W-was this really right? No one present used a Hunting Horn, and few had ever worked alongside one. Otherwise, they would have known that this was precisely how one was played. With remarkable efficiency, Lambert wove one melody into another and layered their effects. Sound waves infused with mysterious blessings radiated outward.
Everyone felt their heartbeat quicken as a faint warmth spread through their limbs, as if they had just finished warming up.
Lambert lowered her Hunting Horn, her eyelids drooping. "That melody enhances mobility. I layered it several times, so it should last for a while.
There's also a special blessing that boosts fire resistance and would be better suited to this fight, but it doesn't last long enough. It might wear off before the battle even begins.
This one will at least help you reach your assigned positions faster."
The Rangers, few of whom had ever received a Hunting Horn's melodic blessing, flexed their arms and legs in wonder. Boss Joda nodded approvingly.
"Excellent. A fine blessing. Well done. Everyone, move out!"
—--
"These melodies enhance physical ability and create a sonic barrier that mitigates the force of a Monster's roar." A middle-aged Hunting Horn user put away his Tigrex Horn, an instrument crafted from Tigrex materials.
"This Hunting Horn's core melody stimulates the body to greatly increase muscle strength. Playing it now would only waste stamina, so I'll use it as needed once the battle begins."
"Good. We'll be counting on you." As the only 7★ Hunter present and a Heavy Bowgun user, Kane naturally assumed command of the battlefield.
"Everyone, take your positions and be ready for battle at any moment."
The Hunters had chosen Loc Lac's high ground as their battlefield.
The hillside overlooked the great lake and most of the city below. It was, without exception, Loc Lac's most expensive residential district.
Many wealthy merchants had built mansions there, and the Guild's premium suites reserved for High Rank Hunters were also located in the area.
Isis had never paid much attention to such things, but while reading the notes her parents had left behind, Altaïr had noticed that her father seemed quite taken with Loc Lac's "lake-view homes." He had even gone out of his way to write that it was a wonderful neighborhood, or something along those lines. That, of course, had nothing to do with the Hunters' decision to turn the luxury district into their battlefield.
The real reason was that Loc Lac lacked a dedicated combat district like Dundorma's for intercepting Elder Dragons.
The streets between the buildings in this affluent neighborhood were broad and laid out in a regular grid, while the buildings themselves were mostly low, two-story structures.
They might not have been tall, but their builders had spared no expense. The buildings were invariably sturdy, making them ideal cover for Hunters fighting an Elder Dragon.
Cannons, Ballistae, Machine Cannons, and even more formidable hardware could also be positioned among them, creating overlapping fields of fire alongside the Gunners.
In short, it was the most suitable battlefield in all of Loc Lac for repelling an Elder Dragon.
The economic damage could be tallied once the battle was over.
If they failed to repel the approaching Elder Dragon and the entire city fell, there would be little point worrying about property damage. Beside one of the buildings, Altaïr, Isis, and Nymera carried out their final equipment checks.
After meticulously confirming that every component was in working order, Nymera deftly reassembled her Bowgun, though the worry on her face was plain. "I wonder if they're safe."
"Relax. Sajji and Hibiki are both clever and resourceful. They'll be fine." Having loaded her Gunlance and arranged the extra Shells needed for Quick Reload at her waist, Isis gently reassured her companion before looking at Altaïr.
"Do you think Haifa and the others can handle it? I heard Guanzorumu is about the size of an average Large Flying Wyvern, so there won't be much room to maneuver around it. We can't all mob it at once."
"We'll have to wear it down. When the main team reaches its limit, the reserve squads will rotate in and pin it down while the Cannons and Ballistae positioned around us open fire.
It should work in theory." Altaïr tried to make his voice sound more confident, but unfortunately, that proved difficult.
"Screee!" A Cohoot's cry rang out from the sky.
Nymera looked toward the northern horizon. With her eyesight, she could just make out tiny black dots that no one else could see clearly.
"They're here!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)