It wasn't until he charged closer that Altaïr noticed this Estrellian's size was smaller than he had anticipated.
Or rather, quite a bit smaller?
According to the data provided by the Professor, the average body length of an Estrellian should be around fifteen meters. However, the one before his eyes looked to be barely ten meters by visual estimate, perhaps even slightly less.
It was more than just a size category smaller than the records suggested.
Considering that the Estrellian itself is the juvenile form of its species, and since it is a juvenile, it naturally follows that there would be different stages of growth.
Much like humans, there are teenagers aged fifteen or sixteen whose physiques aren't much different from adults, and naturally, there are also young children of six, seven, or eight who can run and jump but remain small in stature.
The creature before them most likely belonged to the latter category.
No wonder its every move was so cautious, and it fled at the sight of a few Gajalaka; if it was essentially a child, then its behavior wasn't strange at all.
Isn't it perfectly normal for a child to scream in terror when they see a rat or a cockroach?
Furthermore, while the gender of this Estrellian was unknown, its magnificent appearance and elegant, delicate movements easily brought to mind a pampered young lady.
When the Paintball thrown by Sajji splashed all over it, the creature even let out a startled, panicked screech.
A sense of guilt for bullying a little girl welled up spontaneously...
Isis didn't possess an imagination as vivid as Altaïr's; she only thought about taking down the target as quickly as possible.
Having switched to the Long Sword, Isis felt her footwork was several degrees lighter than usual. Letting out a sharp "Hyaaah!", she rushed in front of the Estrellian and delivered an Overhead Slash right at its head.
The Long Sword emphasizes skill and is a weapon that must be practiced daily without rest. Having set it aside for over a year, she hadn't exactly forgotten how to use it, but a loss of finesse and a decline in the level of her sword techniques were inevitable.
Additionally, because this "Blood Cry" was customized based on Altaïr's physical proportions, Isis found it slightly awkward to handle, and the blade felt a bit sluggish when leaving the scabbard.
Under the combined influence of these factors, the strike, which should have been a clean, decisive hit, fell half a beat slow.
The Estrellian, showing no lack of reflexes, gave a frightened cry and leaped backward, causing Isis's blade to slam into the ground.
Staring at the tip of the sword embedded deep in the earth and imagining what that strike would have felt like on its own body, the young Estrellian had zero desire to counterattack. It turned tail and bolted.
Isis felt a bit embarrassed by the miss. Holding her Long Sword at an angle, she began to chase the Estrellian across the area.
However, the Estrellian's movements were unexpectedly agile. While it lacked the crushing pressure of a Large Monster's charge attack, it was far more nimble and graceful, like a startled rabbit being flushed out and chased by Isis.
Altaïr slowed his pace, his gaze narrowing slightly.
Isis, hot on the Estrellian's heels, didn't notice, but from his slightly more distant vantage point, he realized the Estrellian was consciously moving toward the corridor leading to the underground cave.
Suddenly, it flicked its long tail. Several Star Butterflies detached from its body, flapping their wings and accelerating until they turned into crystalline blurs, swarming toward the pursuing Isis from multiple angles.
These Star Butterflies folded their wings and tucked in their elytra, becoming like sharpened Throwing Knives. If hit head-on, it would certainly be a painful experience. Isis paused her stride, her gaze sweeping over the scene as she made an instantaneous judgment, sheathing her weapon at high speed to enter an Iai stance.
Immediately after, she drew her blade and delivered a series of rapid forward slashes, cleaving through two of the approaching Star Butterflies.
There was another Star Butterfly attacking from the flank; knowing she wouldn't have time to parry with her sword, she angled her body slightly, letting the creature strike her thick pauldrons.
There was a light "clack!"
A small pit was smashed into the grayish-white pauldrons, which were as hard as granite. Isis felt as though someone had shoved her with great force.
Fortunately, her rigorous training with the Gunlance had granted her a very stable lower body; she only staggered back half a step before firmly absorbing the impact, remaining uninjured.
As for the Star Butterflies that had turned themselves into weapons, their carapaces shattered and their wings snapped upon colliding with the blade and armor; they fell to the ground and soon lost all signs of life.
Taking advantage of the few seconds Isis was stalled by the Star Butterflies, the Estrellian hopped and accelerated, seemingly on the verge of diving into the corridor leading to the complex cave system.
But at that moment, a figure cut in from the side, blocking its path just in time.
Altaïr, bracing his Sword and Shield, was already prepared to take the impact.
If the opponent were a Tigrex, he certainly wouldn't dare to stand his ground with just the arm shield in his hand, but the one charging at him was a juvenile Estrellian barely ten meters long, not much larger than a Velocidrome.
In that case, he really wanted to experience the exhilaration Isis felt, propping a shield against a Monster's head and engaging in a contest of pure strength.
Regrettably, the Estrellian did not give him the chance.
Seeing another Hunter blocking its way, it screeched a high-pitched "Gyao!" like a cat spooked by a cucumber and leaped backward, looking for another escape route.
By now, Isis had also caught up.
Faced with the dilemma of being attacked from both front and back, the juvenile Estrellian let out a long hiss.
Several more Star Butterflies, which had been clinging to the gaps in its carapace and were easily mistaken for part of its body, took flight. They whirled around its body at high speeds, forcing the Hunters back.
"Tch, these are getting annoying," Altaïr muttered, clicking his tongue in irritation as he raised his shield to block a charging Star Butterfly.
The small Estrellian wasn't hard to deal with; the problem lay with these flying insects. They were like a Vespoid Insect Swarm, not lethal, but incredibly vexing.
The flight speed and strike force of a Star Butterfly were far greater than that of a Vespoid. They had to find a way to break through the Insect Swarm's perimeter, or the Estrellian would easily find an opening to slip out of the cave.
Sure enough, while the swarming Star Butterflies kept them at bay, the Estrellian accelerated once more, bolting toward the massive tree in the center of the cave.
It intended to climb the trunk and escape through the opening at the top of the cave!
Was there any way to intercept the Estrellian and stop it from running wild while simultaneously breaking through the harassment of the swarm?
Altaïr thought quickly, his peripheral vision catching the shield on his right arm, and an impromptu plan actually came to mind.
"Isis! Swap weapons!"
"Huh? Oh!"
Isis wasn't sure what Altaïr was up to, but since he had a plan, she would simply cooperate!
As the two of them swapped weapons, the Estrellian had already reached the foot of the giant tree in the center of the cave. Just as it prepared to leap onto the trunk, a loud shout rang out from the canopy above. "Eat this, meow!"
With a dull thud, the One-shot Binder fired by Rakna-Kadaki No. 2 struck the Estrellian's foreleg with pinpoint accuracy. The barbed Bowgun Ammo embedded itself deep into the heavy carapace, dragging the fleeing Estrellian to a halt.
The Estrellian struggled violently. Its sudden burst of strength was terrifying, and Sajji was immensely grateful he had pre-emptively bolted Rakna-Kadaki No. 2 to the giant tree's branch; otherwise, the monster likely would have broken free in an instant.
However, the Estrellian once again demonstrated an intelligence far beyond that of a typical Monster.
It abruptly ceased its struggling, turned its head, and clamped its jaws onto the One-shot Binder lodged in the armor near its shoulder. Tossing its head with continuous force, it began trying to rip the projectile out.
The rope of the One-shot Binder whipped violently. In a mere two or three seconds, the arrowhead was already loosening and on the verge of popping out.
Laboring to steady the rope, Sajji meowed loudly, "I can't hold it much longer, meow!"
By now, the Hunters, having finished swapping their weapons, finally arrived.
Noticing them, the Estrellian continued to tear at the One-shot Binder with its teeth while simultaneously releasing a massive number of Star Butterflies, launching a suicide attack at the approaching Hunters.
"I'll clear the path!" Altaïr activated Demon Mode, accelerating with a low shout.
He swung his Long Sword with such speed that it became a blur, cutting down the incoming Star Butterflies in clusters, though his pace inevitably slowed.
A Star Butterfly slammed into his chest, splintering his breastplate. The powerful impact made him want to cough up blood, but he gritted his teeth and continued pushing into the heart of the Insect Swarm.
Shattering several more Star Butterflies with a rapid Crimson Blade Slash, Altaïr's momentum finally gave out, and he immediately cleared the way to the side.
Right behind him, Isis raised her arm shield, her legs exploding with power.
Like a Bulldrome in a full-tilt charge attack, she smashed through an incoming Star Butterfly head-on and instantly burst through the final, thin layer of the swarm.
The Estrellian had just shaken off the One-shot Binder. Its limbs tensed as it prepared to leap, ready to climb the giant tree and escape the cave.
Isis let out a roar as she closed the distance. She had no interest in swinging that "thin and weak" Sword and Shield; clad in her armored carapace, she simply raised her shield and slammed her entire body weight into the Estrellian's lower back.
"Awoo!"
The Estrellian, caught just as its limbs were leaving the ground, was knocked flat onto the earth. It thrashed and wailed, unable to right itself for the moment.
Isis stumbled for a few steps, regained her footwork, and then lunged toward the Estrellian's head, which could almost be described as "small and delicate."
Recalling the position and angle of the hammer strikes Olivia had used to lock down the Glavenus, she swung her shield and slammed it down with all her might.
Thump!
The Estrellian's struggling immediately stiffened.
"One hit isn't enough! Hah!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
After a few more consecutive shield bashes, the Estrellian, painfully and promptly, lost consciousness.
Watching this scene from afar, Erik's jaw dropped.
"Is that what they meant by a Sleep Element weapon?"
(Translated by yourtl.app)