"It's a thundercloud!" Alma shouted in warning.
She had predicted earlier that the weather would remain stable until midnight, but conditions in the mountains could change far faster than they did on the plains.
She was only an apprentice Handler with no specialization in meteorology. Even an experienced meteorologist could easily misjudge conditions like these.
The surrounding mountains were also rich in metallic minerals, making the region naturally prone to thunderstorms. She could already imagine how violent the lightning strikes would be.
Kuarusepu could absorb natural energy through the crystals on its back and turn it to its own use. If it absorbed the lightning, it would become far stronger than it was now.
"Ten minutes! No, the thunderstorm may arrive in five! I recommend a temporary retreat!" Alma shouted.
Isis hesitated for an instant, but ultimately decided to continue the Hunt. She pushed her offensive even harder, holding nothing back.
There would be a thunderstorm tonight and clear skies tomorrow morning. If she withdrew now, she would not be able to resume the Hunt before sunset the next day. Besides, who could guarantee that another thunderstorm would not arrive tomorrow night?
That would give the Kuarusepu plenty of time to recover from most of its injuries. Where was she supposed to find another hoist to drop on it?
A battle of attrition was not an option. The weather in these mountains changed too quickly for her to wear down her opponent at leisure.
Besides, what if the Kuarusepu burrowed underground and escaped? Just as no one could catch a Lagiacrus once it returned to the sea, no one could pursue a Kuarusepu deep beneath the earth.
Her best option was to seize this opportunity and brave the thunderstorm to finish it before dawn!
She drove the Gunlance deep into the wound on the Kuarusepu's belly. After unleashing a point-blank Full Burst, she fired a Wyrmstake Cannon into its abdominal cavity, tearing through its internal organs.
Isis pressed her assault with everything she had, doing all she could to inflict more damage on the Kuarusepu while shouting, "Fire the signal! Have them send the other Armor Set!"
Alma immediately pulled out a signal flare and fired it into the air.
The Hunter had made her decision. As the Handler accompanying her, Alma's role was to support her with all her might.
"Bang!"
A few seconds later, a muffled boom like cannon fire echoed from the distant sky.
Fully focused on her assault, Isis had no time to look. Alma raised her head and was delighted to discover that the Knowledge Seeker had already reached the nearby airspace.
The dim sky and the Airship's silent flight had kept them from noticing it earlier.
Even a large Airship like the Knowledge Seeker could not safely fly through a thunderstorm. Its crew had been waiting for the Hunter's signal, so only seconds after the flare rose into the sky, they launched a Support Rocket.
Comparable in size to a Large Barrel Bomb, the Support Rocket traced a nerve-racking spiral through the air before landing more than a hundred meters from the Hunter.
Its light but sturdy casing opened automatically, revealing a neatly arranged Lagiacrus Armor Set.
The launch had undoubtedly been a success.
Cheers erupted from the deck of the Knowledge Seeker. The operator immediately engaged the propulsion propellers, turning the Airship away from the rapidly approaching thunderclouds.
Driven by the intense pain, the Kuarusepu struggled even more violently. It was already pushing aside the heavy hoist pinning it down and would soon regain its feet.
Isis glanced toward the distant equipment and knew she could not press her luck any further.
After firing the last of the shells in the chamber, she gave the Gunlance a sharp flick, folding it away.
The Gunlance's blade was caked with charred flesh and badly needed sharpening. Fortunately, the blood and the weapon's cooling system had lowered its temperature enough that it would no longer burn her through her armor.
"Clawdia! Dango! Follow the plan and keep it busy for a few minutes!" Isis shouted before breaking into a run toward the Support Rocket.
"Got it, meow!"
"Mew!" Dango crawled out from beneath Isis's armor and leaped onto Clawdia's back.
Clawdia dashed up to the Kuarusepu and raked relentlessly at its face and eyes with her razor-sharp steel claws.
They had planned every step in advance.
The Support Rocket spared the Hunter from running back and forth between camp and the hunting grounds, but armor was not as simple to swap as a weapon. Changing it was cumbersome and time-consuming. She could not do it in front of a Monster, let alone in the middle of a fight.
The technicians aboard the Knowledge Seeker had originally planned to launch the Armor Set several hundred meters from the battlefield.
The Hunter would then break away from the fight, change equipment, and return to the battlefield.
Dango's presence saved Isis some trouble. His pheromones could forcibly hold a Monster's attention for a time.
Clawdia's attacks on the Kuarusepu's head served a similar purpose.
The Kuarusepu was not particularly intelligent. After being pinned beneath the hoist and thoroughly pummeled, it raised its head to find a Felyne clawing wildly at its face. Combined with Dango's pheromones, the provocation easily consumed all its attention, making it temporarily ignore the Hunter who had already broken off her attack and withdrawn.
Their tactic worked.
After finally throwing off the hoist and rolling upright, the Kuarusepu roared in fury. It unleashed a frenzied barrage of head slams, lunging bites, claw swipes, and tail strikes at Clawdia and Dango.
Relying on her small size and agility, Clawdia effortlessly evaded the onslaught and drew the Kuarusepu away from the others.
Clinging to Clawdia's back like a cape, Dango released a thick cloud of pheromones and cried, "Mew, mew!" as if to say, "Come and get me!"
—--
Meanwhile, Isis had reached the Support Rocket. Rather than change on the spot, she dragged the Armor rack behind the ruins of a nearby building, using the rubble to block the Kuarusepu's line of sight.
She did not want the Monster turning toward her while she was halfway through changing.
Alma came sprinting over as well.
They had rehearsed the coordinated changeover several times over the past few days. With Alma's help, Isis donned the Lagiacrus Armor Set and its excellent Thunder Resistance as quickly as possible.
Isis poked her head over the ruined wall to check. Clawdia still had the Kuarusepu's attention firmly locked down, so they had a little more time.
She ducked back behind the wall and shoved two rations into her mouth. While laboriously chewing, she pulled out a Whetstone and began sharpening her bloodstained weapon.
Alma crouched beside her, took out a waterskin, and removed its cap. When Isis nearly choked on the dry food, Alma held it to her lips and gave her a couple of swallows.
Then she swiftly retrieved Gunlance shells and Wyrmstakes from her pack and slipped them into Isis's ammunition belt, replenishing her supplies.
When she saw that Isis had not finished sharpening her weapon, Alma began loosening her muscles. Finally, she took out a Thunderproof Mantle and draped it over her.
"A thunderstorm like this won't last long. The Thunderproof Mantle will give you another layer of protection."
After Alma had tended to her so thoroughly, Isis felt completely refreshed.
Just then, pitch-black thunderclouds slowly rolled in on the wind, blotting out the formerly clear night sky above the mine. Lightning flickered within them, and scattered raindrops began to fall.
The Kuarusepu stopped chasing the two smaller creatures and looked up at the sky.
It raised its head high and released a long howl.
Covered in mineral scales rich in metallic ores, the Kuarusepu had become a giant lightning rod, drawing thunderbolts down from the heavens.
Lightning flashed. A devastating pillar of electricity crashed down, engulfing its body in blinding light.
"KRA-KOOM!"
The deafening thunder echoed across the mine as a curtain of driving rain descended over the entire mountain region.
Isis raised her Gunlance and Large Shield and stepped out from cover.
Electric arcs now leaped between the crystal prisms covering the Kuarusepu, and its entire presence had transformed. Isis bared her teeth as she stared at it.
"So it can discharge electricity now? That just makes it an oversized Lagiacrus, doesn't it?"
* * *
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