Nuri glanced sideways at Lambert, his expression conflicted.
The stunt had been somewhat reckless, and the Egyurasu had reacted a little differently than expected, but he had to admit that the blast of sound Lambert had produced with her Hunting Horn had, to some extent, influenced the pack's behavior.
Her proposed tactic might actually work! Nuri was not the stubborn, inflexible sort. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to give it a try.
"Try it again. Ideally, draw the nearby Egyurasu together and make them hold position instead of attacking."
As he spoke, he called out and summoned two members of his squad.
The Hunters scattered along the street had also noticed what was happening and were drawing closer. Several gathered around Lambert.
"We'll cover you. Keep trying." Nuri then turned to the young Light Bowgun user, pulled out a Ghillie Mantle, and thrust it into his hands. "Vari, you're agile. Put this on and deliver a message.
Stick to the alleyways; you'll be less likely to be attacked there. Boss Joda is on the main commercial avenue, two streets over. Tell him what's happening. If possible, have him assemble the Gunner Squad and bring them here."
Vari nodded, donned the Ghillie Mantle, which was clearly much too large for him, and ducked into a narrow alley between the buildings.
Lambert, meanwhile, bit her tongue and continued clanging away, trying one sound after another.
Following Nuri's earlier advice, she kept the volume down. A Hunting Horn's sound seldom carried very far, but what if it did? What if Guanzorumu had keen hearing and came to investigate as well?
That would plunge the hard-fought battle into complete chaos. As time passed, almost every Hunter on the street gathered around Lambert, forming a tight circle.
Most had no idea what was going on, but people tended to follow the crowd. When they saw others gathering, they instinctively joined them.
Hunters were not soldiers and had little experience fighting in tight formations. Even so, once the six or seven Hunters on the street joined up with the Loc Lac Rangers, their position became markedly more secure.
Pincer attacks and crossfire ambushes became much harder for the Egyurasu to execute against the clustered Hunters.
Any Egyurasu preparing a breath attack also drew either concentrated fire from the Gunners or a well-placed Flash Pod. Once it hit the ground, a swift Blademaster would immediately rush in and finish it off with a decisive strike.
They had discussed a similar "tortoise tactic" long before the battle began. Its one drawback was that if the Egyurasu gave up their attack and flew away, the Hunters had no way to stop them. For that reason, the plan had been dismissed from the outset.
Now that Lambert could lure the Egyurasu in with her Hunting Horn, however, the tactic had become useful again.
As Lambert tried again and again, the nearby Egyurasu gathered and scattered in turn, quickly falling into disarray. A few even broke free entirely, flew straight out of the city, and vanished into the distant desert.
The bizarre sight caused a stir among the Hunters. The strangest expression of all, however, belonged to another Hunting Horn user in the crowd.
A companion beside him nudged him with an elbow. "Hey, I never knew a Hunting Horn could be used like that. That girl can't possibly cover all the Egyurasu in the whole city. Why don't you get up there too?"
The Hunting Horn user shot his companion an exasperated glare. "Quiet. You think that's something an ordinary person can do?
Try imitating that roar with your own voice. Controlling your vocal cords is much easier than controlling a Hunting Horn; at least your throat is part of your own body.
Damn it all, how the hell is she doing that?"
At the center of everyone's attention, Lambert suddenly plucked the strings of her instrument. The Wind Horn shuddered violently and let out a thunderous "Roar!"
A triumphant grin spread across Lambert's face. "Found it. That's the sound!"
As she spoke, she turned to Nuri, who was standing guard before her, and bared her teeth. "Producing more complex roars is tricky. The Egyurasu aren't complete fools, either. This so-called control is really just a reflex triggered when they hear a familiar roar.
But I can at least guarantee I'll pull the nearby Egyurasu together for a few seconds. Before they realize something's wrong..."
"Our Gunners can shoot them down!" Joda's booming voice carried through the crowd.
The leader of the Loc Lac Rangers came hurrying through the crowd with several Gunners in tow. "Head to the main district first! That's where the highest concentration of Egyurasu is.
Gunners, switch to Spread Ammo. Blademasters, be ready with Flash Pods and finish them off. We'll clear them out one area at a time and drive these damn things out of Loc Lac!"
—--
Altaïr opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling.
His final memory before losing consciousness was of flames crashing down as Isis, bearing a Large Shield, threw herself over him and pinned him to the ground.
Altaïr jolted upright, his thoughts in chaos. Then a tremendous roar from outside cleared the haze from his mind.
The battle was still raging!
His mind snapped to full alert. He grabbed the weapon lying beside him. Just as he started to push himself off the floor, searing pain tore across his body as though his skin were being ripped away, wrenching a muffled grunt from him.
Only then did he notice that the armor covering his upper body had been removed.
His singed undershirt had been cut away and discarded. His shoulders and neck, much of his back, and most of his left arm had turned a dull, dark reddish brown.
The discoloration was a sign of severe burns. In the worst areas, the skin would peel away at the slightest touch.
He drew a breath instinctively, and waves of burning pain shot through his windpipe and lungs, making cold sweat bead on his forehead.
His respiratory tract was burned as well. "You can't get up yet! Lie back down, meow!" a Felyne cried in alarm, scurrying over to him.
The Felyne was another Hunter's Palico, a healer skilled in first aid.
"Isis?" Altaïr asked urgently, his voice reduced to a terrible rasp by the burns to his throat and lungs. "My partner, the Gunlance user!"
The Felyne understood his distress and answered softly, "She's badly injured and still unconscious, meow. They're giving her emergency treatment, meow."
"Got it." After a brief silence, Altaïr nodded and began pulling on his armor.
"That armor will tear your skin off, meow!" the Felyne cried in alarm.
Altaïr ignored the warning. As his thoughts cleared, he assessed his injuries. Large portions of his upper body were burned, as was his respiratory tract. Overall, the damage was serious.
But his bones, torso, and vital organs seemed largely intact. If he could endure the pain, he could still muster seventy to eighty percent of his combat strength.
He pulled a precious Max Potion from his Item Pouch and popped it into his mouth. Once he swallowed it, he acted as though he were already healed.
He pulled on his armor, secured his weapon across his back, and donned his helmet. Movements that had once been simple and routine now left him drenched in cold sweat.
The armor's coarse lining scraped away a layer of necrotic skin like a rasp. Altaïr clenched his jaw and repeated to himself that it was only pain, and he would get used to it.
He strode quickly out of the building that served as a temporary field clinic.
The afternoon sun blinded him. The air rang with Monster roars, thundering Cannons, and Hunters' shouts.
"Make way, meow! Seriously injured, meow!" Two Felynes came racing toward him, pushing a cart. They squeezed past him and rushed frantically into the clinic.
At the edge of his vision, Altaïr saw someone waving to him, but their shouts were lost in the surrounding cacophony.
Perhaps he did not need to hear them clearly. They sounded like questions and urgent appeals.
Altaïr drew a deep breath, broke into a sprint, and plunged back into the chaos of the battlefield.
(Translated by yourtl.app)