Altaïr had chosen the timing and angle of his Flash Pod with remarkable precision.
He waited until the Grimclaw Tigrex circled into the Elderfrost Gammoth's blind spot, then fired before the Gammoth could turn.
Propelled by the Slinger, the Flash Pod flew dozens of meters and landed directly before the eyes of the Grimclaw Tigrex as it prepared to launch another attack.
As a ferocious Monster that had fought Hunters many times and killed its share of them, the Grimclaw Tigrex knew what a Flash Pod was.
Had Altaïr tried this in a head-on fight, the Grimclaw Tigrex might have whipped its head aside and shut its eyes or simply swatted the Flash Pod away, rendering the flash useless.
Locked in fierce combat with a powerful foe, however, the Grimclaw Tigrex had never expected Hunters to be lurking nearby. Almost all its attention was focused on guarding against the Elderfrost Gammoth's crushing counterattacks.
By the time it recognized the little object that had landed before its eyes, it was already too late.
A blinding light erupted in the dim, snowy forest.
The flash behind it also badly startled the Elderfrost Gammoth. It thought the Grimclaw Tigrex had unleashed some powerful attack beyond its understanding.
It had already braced itself to take a devastating blow and fight for its life.
But when it whipped around as fast as it could, it was stunned to find the Grimclaw Tigrex staggering on unsteady feet as though it had run headfirst into the Great Snowy Mountains, dazed and disoriented.
The unexpected sight brought the Elderfrost Gammoth no joy. At that moment, caution outweighed everything else.
Just as it had initially pretended to feed in order to lure the Grimclaw Tigrex out of hiding, it now suspected that this was another trap set by its opponent.
It quickly retreated, putting a safe distance of two or three body lengths between them.
Altaïr nearly went mad with impatience as he watched.
He wanted to rush over, grab the Gammoth by one enormous ear, and shout into it, "Why are you being so cautious now? Charge in and crush it!"
The blinding effect of a Flash Pod did not last long. After only a few seconds, the Grimclaw Tigrex had already regained its senses.
Its head was still swimming, however, and its vision had yet to return. Unable to judge its surroundings, it began reflexively biting and clawing in every direction while spinning in frantic circles.
That tactic was highly effective against Hunters. Faced with a blinded, frenzied Grimclaw Tigrex, even a powerful and experienced Blademaster would not dare approach recklessly.
For the Elderfrost Gammoth, however, the situation was entirely different.
As it watched its opponent warily, the Elderfrost Gammoth gradually understood what had happened.
Flashbugs also lived in the Snowy Mountains. Over its long life, it had occasionally stepped on one and been dazzled by the sudden burst of intense light.
The Grimclaw Tigrex's panic did not appear feigned... No, even if it was, the Elderfrost had no choice but to gamble.
"BWOOOONNNG!" The Elderfrost Gammoth raised its trunk and released a long, horn-like bellow.
All four stout legs drove forward at once. With the ground shuddering beneath it and blood streaming from its body, it lowered its head and charged its opponent with everything it had.
Although the Grimclaw Tigrex had temporarily lost its sight, the Gammoth's movements were far too immense to hide. It sensed the attack coming.
It tried to evade the charge with a sideways leap.
That leap would have worked against an ordinary Gammoth, but the experienced Elderfrost was not so easily outmaneuvered.
It braced its massive trunk against the ground and used the extra leverage to force its body through the turn.
The Grimclaw Tigrex landed off balance and had no time to mount another defense before those gigantic, shovel-like tusks sent it hurtling through the air.
Altaïr clenched his fist in excitement.
The hit had landed squarely. He could even hear bones breaking!
"One of its forelegs is broken," Karin said softly beside him.
The Grimclaw Tigrex's reaction speed was astonishing. At the last possible instant, it had brought both foreclaws and its long tail in front of its body to shield its vitals.
The collision had still injured it badly, but at least it had avoided the worst. The tusks had neither shattered its neck nor pierced straight through its chest.
The Elderfrost Gammoth released a series of excited bellows and drove its four hooves forward once more, intent on trampling its opponent to death then and there.
Sent flying dozens of meters, the Grimclaw Tigrex crashed through a giant tree and tumbled awkwardly to the ground. Yet it regained its feet with astonishing speed. Roaring madly, it heaved up a massive boulder. The Elderfrost Gammoth swung its head and shattered the boulder, but the impact brought its charge to a jarring halt.
Seizing the opportunity, the Grimclaw Tigrex whirled around and limped away into the night-dark forest of towering trees.
The Elderfrost Gammoth clearly had no intention of letting its badly wounded nemesis escape so easily. It raised its head and bellowed as it started after the Tigrex, but after only a few steps, it stumbled and nearly collapsed.
It had no choice but to slow down.
As an elderly Gammoth, its stamina was already failing, and its wounds were severe.
Trying to catch the Grimclaw Tigrex in this condition would only waste its strength. Forcing the pursuit might even invite a sudden counterattack.
After several ragged breaths, the Elderfrost Gammoth slowly straightened. It turned and began making its way toward the Great Snowy Mountains.
Since it had failed to eliminate the threat, it had to return to the Great Snowy Mountains as quickly as possible, before the Grimclaw Tigrex could beat it there and slaughter its herd.
The thunder of the Gammoth's footsteps and the splintering crash of falling trees echoed beneath the night sky. As the Elderfrost Gammoth receded into the distance, the devastated snowy forest finally settled back into its customary silence.
The two Hunters crawled out of the bushes where they had been hiding.
Karin first drew an SOS Flare and fired it at an angle into the sky, marking the direction in which the Grimclaw Tigrex had fled.
The signal would warn their companions gathering survival supplies along the outskirts of the coniferous forest, so they would not run straight into the beast.
After firing the SOS Flare, Karin asked softly, "What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking Isis and the others should cut off the Grimclaw Tigrex's escape route while the two of us pursue from behind. We could catch it in a pincer while it's badly hurt and finish it here for good..."
He let the words hang for a moment.
Then Altaïr pouted. "Did you really think I'd say that?"
At his grumbling tone, the corner of Karin's mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. "You want to do that?"
"I'd like to, but I'm not an idiot." Altaïr brushed the snow from himself. "The Grimclaw Tigrex looks badly hurt. Who knows how many bones it has broken? One of its forelegs probably snapped in that last collision.
"But it's still nowhere near death. A Monster in that state is at its most ferocious and dangerous.
"If we had a few 8★ or 9★ Hunters here instead of four 6★ Hunters and one 5★ Hunter, of course I'd want to pursue it.
"But with only us? No, let's not. It isn't time yet."
For a moment, Karin was speechless.
Altaïr could keep his head even in a situation like this. She would not have to worry about him letting hot blood get the better of him the moment he heard so much as a whisper about the Grimclaw Tigrex in the future.
But those last two remarks were truly infuriating.
"What do you mean, 'if only we had a few 8★ or 9★ Hunters here'? Just what do you think the strongest Hunters in the world are?"
If Altaïr weren't still wearing his helmet, she would have loved to give this brat's ear a hard tug.
Altaïr met Karin's scolding with a smug grin. "Have Isis write her parents a letter and tell them we're planning to challenge the Grimclaw Tigrex. Within a few days, several top Hunters will descend from the sky."
Karin stared at him.
She opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
No words came.
Had she gone wrong in raising him? How had the kid turned out like this?
A mound swelled in the snow, and Clawdia, wrapped in her little cloak, tunneled up from beneath the ground.
She shook the ice and snow from her body and gave a cold snort. "They'll descend from the sky to break your legs, meow. Then you won't be able to do anything reckless, meow."
Just then, another SOS Flare rose in the distance. It was the rendezvous signal from Isis and the others.
The SOS Flare was far from the path the Grimclaw Tigrex had taken, which made Karin breathe a sigh of relief.
She took out her map and recorded their current position, along with the directions in which the Grimclaw Tigrex and the Elderfrost had retreated. "All right, enough wisecracks. The effects of our Hot Drinks are about to wear off. Let's hurry and rejoin Haifa and the others.
"We've secured our quest objective. It's time to prepare for the return trip."
With that, Karin put away the map and set off. Nearly frozen stiff, Clawdia hurried after her.
As they turned away, Altaïr's joking expression vanished and his gaze darkened.
He glanced in the direction the Grimclaw Tigrex had gone and murmured so softly that only he could hear, "I'll let you live a few more years."
* * *
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