After picking up the personnel staying behind at the canyon camp and bidding a brief farewell to the Gajalaka, the cargo airship carrying the investigation team quickly climbed to high altitudes above the clouds, heading straight back to Metapetatto.
Confirming that her Glavenus materials had also been brought aboard, Isis let out a relaxed yawn. After greeting the Professor, she retreated into the cabin.
After two consecutive nights without proper sleep, even she felt profoundly exhausted. Since there was nothing she could help with regarding the airship's operation, she took the opportunity to catch up on sleep!
Altaïr was also tired, but he did not follow Isis back to the cabin.
Whether it was because of the crash caused by the Monster attack they had experienced not long ago or some other factor, he felt a sense of unease that prevented his heart from settling.
After a moment of hesitation, he approached the Professor. "Professor, didn't the Gajalaka say before that the Estrellian attracts other Large Monsters? Could it be..."
Altaïr paused mid-sentence. "Should we... make some preparations in advance?"
He didn't want to be a jinx, but he believed the Professor would understand his meaning.
The Professor glanced at him. "We have already achieved our objective and are on our return journey. Isn't it a bit too late to start considering preparations now?"
Altaïr choked on his words.
"I do not mean to mock you." The Professor adjusted his thick glasses, his tone softening slightly. "At least you have the awareness to proactively identify and rectify omissions, rather than... carelessly going straight to sleep.
In the future, remember: preparation must come before everything else. Last-minute preparations don't achieve much."
"Yes," Altaïr replied, bowing his head to accept the lesson.
"As for your concerns, do you know why we are consuming extra fuel to climb so rapidly to such a high altitude?
There are only two ways the Estrellian could attract other Monsters: one is through some kind of energy fluctuation, and the other is through some kind of pheromone or information-carrying substance. Distance can effectively mitigate the influence of both factors.
Leaving before other Monsters are affected, that is inherently part of the response."
Altaïr realized the truth of it. No wonder the investigation team's movements became tense and hurried immediately after they airlifted the Estrellian out of the cave nest. There was a reason for it after all.
"At high altitudes, the probability of encountering a Monster attack becomes much smaller. At our current height, we have already exceeded the flight limits of Bird Wyvern species like the Hypnocatrice and Yian Kut-Ku.
The Rathalos, known as the 'King of the Skies,' can reach such heights, but Rathalos rarely hunt at high altitudes.
Oh, right, and then there's the Seregios you encountered last time. Seregios do have the habit of attacking aerial targets, but that Monster is extremely rare outside the Great Forest. Meeting one can only be described as a stroke of luck."
"..." Altaïr remained silent.
So, who exactly had the luck? Was it him? His luck shouldn't be that bad.
Was it Erik? Or Lady Shalan?
Ignoring Altaïr's strange expression, the Professor continued, "Of course, even for that tiny probability of less than a single digit, we have response strategies."
He nodded toward several objects on both sides of the cabin and at the stern, tightly wrapped in waterproof cloth and rope, then called over a crew member. "Uncover them, load the Ammo, and tell the lookouts to stay sharp."
Altaïr watched with curiosity. He had originally thought those were research instruments, perhaps large telescopes, but now it seemed things weren't that simple. He had a fair guess as to what they were.
As the waterproof cloths were pulled away, Altaïr's eyes brightened slightly.
Sure enough, there was a Heavy Ballista mounted on both the port and starboard sides. He had used such weapons before while serving with the Sandship fleet.
With a mild-steel bow that could only be drawn to full tension via a mechanical winch, it could fire heavy, spear-like bolts with incredible force, power enough to inflict severe trauma on a Flying Wyvern.
Next, his gaze shifted to the stern. He wasn't quite as familiar with what he saw there.
Sajji, however, let out a shriek and dashed over the moment the cover was lifted. "Meow!! It's the new model of Machine Cannons, meow!"
Altaïr looked toward the Professor.
The older man remained composed. "As you can see, this is an armed airship. Even if we encounter an attack from a Large Flying Wyvern, we are well-equipped to put up a fight.
The Heavy Ballista can easily pierce a Flying Wyvern's scales, and the Machine Cannons can shred a wyvern's wings in an instant.
This is what I call 'preparing in advance.' Do you understand now?"
"How exciting!"
Before Altaïr could speak, another voice rang out beside him.
Nymera, drawn by Sajji's screaming, was staring at the Machine Cannons at the stern with glowing eyes. "When I was young at the Red Stronghold, my master took me to play with these twice, though I have never used one in actual combat.
May I be entrusted with its use? When will a Monster attack?"
Altaïr fell silent.
Whether it was the Heavy Ballista or the Machine Cannons, these were ultimately defensive weapons meant for self-protection. But looking at Nymera, she seemed ready to go out and hunt down a Flying Wyvern herself.
The Professor's gaze turned stern. "A Flying Wyvern is not–"
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The reprimand was cut short as the warning bell on the lookout post atop the air sac rang out urgently.
"Seven o'clock position, twenty degrees up! Distance: two thousand meters! Incoming Flying Wyvern!"
The Professor's expression darkened, his lecture forgotten. "Nymera, you are a Gunner and you have experience with Machine Cannons. You take the controls at the stern."
"Understood!"
Nymera, who usually gave off an aura of quiet elegance, practically skipped toward the Machine Cannons.
Isis and the others, who had only just puffed out their pillows and hadn't yet fallen asleep, came charging out of the cabin.
"Altaïr, you've used a Heavy Ballista, right? Take the port side. Isis, you're on Ammo duty, help Nymera swap out the cases for the Machine Cannons.
Olivia, act at your own discretion. If that Flying Wyvern attempts to board the deck, repel it immediately." With a grim face, the Professor barked out his orders in rapid succession.
He personally took command of the starboard Heavy Ballista while shouting to drive all non-combat personnel back into the cabin.
"Load the One-shot Binder!"
Hearing the Professor's command, Altaïr practicedly cranked the winch to draw the string and loaded a One-shot Binder attached to a steel cable.
"One thousand meters! It's a Rathalos! He's accelerating! He's going to attack!" The lookout's shout was tinged with terror.
Even for well-trained crew members, it was incredibly difficult to remain calm when facing a Large Monster, especially when suspended high in the sky. If the airship were shot down, not a single member of the investigation team would survive.
"A Rathalos won't ram the airship directly; the impact would be too damaging for it as well! It will slow down at the last moment; use Flash Pods to disorient it then! Under that opening, follow up with the One-shot Binders and Machine Cannons to drive it off!" the Professor barked his orders rapidly.
Hearing the command, Isis, Olivia, and even hunting partners like Sajji and Clawdia each gripped a Flash Pod.
There would only be one chance; everyone had to strike together to ensure the creature was stunned!
Five hundred meters, three hundred meters...
When the Rathalos was less than a hundred meters from the airship, the Hunters and Felynes simultaneously fired and hurled their Flash Pods.
The successive bursts of blinding light successfully stunned the Rathalos as expected. Its flight pattern grew frantic and disorganized, and it nearly plummeted right then and there.
"Now!"
The Professor and Altaïr pulled their triggers at the same time, and two One-shot Binders tipped with massive barbs screeched out from both sides of the hull.
For a Heavy Ballista, a distance of several dozen meters was no different from point-blank range. The two sharp bolts, forged from fine steel, easily pierced the Rathalos's shell and embedded themselves deep into its flesh.
The mechanical winches tightened at high speed, causing the airship to lurch violently.
When a Monster on land is hit by a One-shot Binder, it only needs to endure the agony and win a tug-of-war against the cables to break free.
But in the air, the Rathalos, already destabilized by the blinding light, completely lost its balance under the tension of the two steel cables.
Nymera keenly seized the opportunity. She shoved the handles of the Machine Cannons with all her might, locking the target firmly within her sights.
Then, she squeezed the trigger flat.
Vroom!
The individually loaded Bowgun Ammo roared out at a staggering rate of several rounds per second. The originally low thuds of the cannon fire merged into a deafening drone under the extreme rate of fire.
The glowing red trajectories connected into an invisible chain-sword that swept across the Rathalos's body. Amidst flying flesh and blood, the wing membrane and bone of one wing were completely shredded.
Altaïr and the Professor released the cables of the One-shot Binders just in time. Having completely lost the ability to fly, the Rathalos wailed as it plummeted toward the earth.
An over-excited Nymera wanted to aim another volley at the falling Rathalos, but she was shouted down by the Professor.
"Save your Ammo. I fear the journey back won't be a peaceful one."
(Translated by yourtl.app)