"Here it comes! Captain!"
Uuk's voice rang out. Pushing through the underbrush, Uuk sprinted toward the wide clearing where the hunting party's ballista were set up. Since dawn, the hunters had been assembling the massive palintonon, a towering siege weapon now slowly shifting its aim toward the direction Uuk was running from. Standing over 10 cubits(5 meters) tall, the enormous wooden contraption began to move with deliberate slowness. Far larger—four or five times the size of the ballista typically used by the hunting party—this colossal weapon, powered by the torsion and elasticity of its ropes, seemed to embody Gromeyer's resolve for this drake hunt through its sheer scale. And beside the hulking palintonon stood Gromeyer, his dark red beard unmistakable.
"Clute! Can you hear me? Hrm… Is this thing even working? Oi, Leutang! Is this thing on?"
Gromeyer shook the magical communication device Leutang had handed him with one hand while tugging at his beard with the other, shouting to Leutang.
But the creaking of twisting ropes and the grinding of the palintonon's gears as they meshed drowned out Gromeyer's voice, preventing it from reaching Leutang.
"Captain! Captain Gromeyer!"
Just as Gromeyer was about to shout even louder, Clute's voice crackled through the magical device in his hand.
"Oho! Clute, is that you? How's it going? Where's the beast? Is this thing working?"
"Yes, it's working fine, Captain! It's coming—a massive drake with horns on its head… It's almost here!"
Gromeyer bellowed at Plong and the ballista crew, who were still maneuvering the creaking palintonon, urging them to hurry.
"Faster! Move it!"
"Argh!"
"Nngh!"
Thinking the crew lacked the strength to move the massive ballista quickly enough, Gromeyer lent his own muscle to the effort.
Clunk.
The gears, previously grinding in unison, came to a halt. In Gromeyer's line of sight, a dark blue behemoth emerged. With each massive step of its forelegs, it toppled and crushed the smaller trees in its path, advancing toward the clearing where the hunting party's palintonon awaited.
"Hahaha! It's as monstrously huge as expected! This drake will make a fine gift for old Lamir!"
It wasn't just Gromeyer, other members of the hunting party began to catch sight of the horned drake. Even for the seasoned hunters, hired hands like Rude's group, and veteran adventurers like Doshel and Turock, this drake was a creature of unimaginable size, unlike anything they'd ever encountered.
"Whoa…"
"It's enormous…"
"(Whistle) Compared to a forest lizard… it's on another level."
"It really has horns? Horn Drake's a fitting name…"
"We're fighting that monster?"
Intimidated by the horned drake's overwhelming size, the hunters, who had been eagerly awaiting their prey, now showed signs of hesitation and unease.
"Captain, we're ready! We can fire anytime!"
Leutang shouted to Gromeyer.
"We're ready to head back out, Captain."
Lat, Uuk, and Eto had approached Gromeyer's side unnoticed. Their appearance had changed since they'd gone to lure the drake. Now clad in thick metal armor, closed helms with slits so narrow it was questionable whether they could see, and wielding massive two-handed swords so large they dragged on the ground, they looked ready for battle.
"Alright! Let's do this! Adventurers! Our trusty mages! Cast the spells for us!"
Gromeyer's command echoed. Following his lead, the adventurers Vareeld and Doshel began casting spells. Closing their eyes in focus, they channeled mana into the magic circles drawn on the ground, causing the runes to glow faintly.
As the hunting party and adventurers completed their preparations, the horned drake spotted the small group of hunters waiting for it. Having been distracted chasing the annoying humans, it suddenly noticed the harpoons embedded in its back. Twisting its neck, it bit down on the harpoons, yanked them out, and spat them onto the ground.
With a clatter, the two harpoons, still attached to their chains, hit the dirt. The drake then charged toward the gathered humans.
"It's coming! Plong! Are we ready to fire?"
Gromeyer roared, turning to Plong.
"Yes! Three medium bolts for the beast, loaded and ready!"
"Good! Prepare to—"
Standing by the palintonon's firing lever, Plong glanced at Gromeyer and replied. Both men's eyes were wide, their teeth bared in broad grins. Whether it was the thrill of the hunt or the exhilaration of facing a legendary drake, their smiles were unmistakable.
"Eto! Lat! Uuk! Let's go!"
ROOOAR!
The three charged toward the direction the palintonon was aimed at. Eto hoisted his two-handed sword onto his shoulder, while Lat and Uuk took the lead on his left and right. Their movements weren't agile, but the clanking of their heavy armor echoed with every step as the metal plates collided.
"Huff… huff… Eto, this… every time we do this… it's too much…"
Lat gasped, struggling to keep up as he spoke to Eto.
"We're almost there! Just a little more, keep running!"
The distance between the horned drake and the trio narrowed rapidly.
The drake, spotting the three charging toward it, lowered its head in preparation to attack, baring its teeth and opening its maw as it advanced. Judging the trio to be within striking range, it lunged at Uuk, the closest, with its jaws wide open.
"Lat! Now!"
"Urgh… got it!"
Eto's shout reverberated through Lat's helm. Lat dropped to one knee and drove his two-handed sword into the ground. This was a practiced maneuver, honed through countless drills.
When they charged in a V-formation, drakes typically attacked either Lat or Uuk at the flanks. This left the other flank and Eto, trailing behind, free to target the drake's neck. It was a simple but effective strategy.
"Hraaah!"
Using Lat's back as a springboard, Eto launched herself high into the air. Feeling Eto's weight, Lat gripped the hilt of his grounded sword tightly, rising in sync with Eto's leap to propel her even higher. Then, yanking his sword from the ground, Lat swung it low and charged forward.
Uuk, meanwhile, dodged the drake's attack by diving to the side, rolling across the ground to evade its jaws.
In midair, Eto swung her raised sword downward, the blade's weight causing her to spin. she secured the sword on his shoulder, gripped the hilt tightly, and tucked her knees to her chest to increase her rotation. Like a whirlwind, the massive blade spiraled toward the drake.
"ROLLING MEISTER!"
Some might call shouting before an attack foolish, but Eto didn't care. No drake had ever dodged her attack just because of her yell. In fact, many turned toward her, only to fall to her blade. Her shout also drew the drake's attention, making it easier for Lat and Uuk to strike its neck from below. There was purpose behind his battle cry.
This horned drake was no different. It raised its head toward Eto, lifting its right foreleg to swat her down.
Just as the foreleg left the ground, it froze. Lat's massive two-handed sword had struck, embedding itself between the drake's claws. Blood sprayed, drenching Lat as Eto's strike aimed for the drake's head.
Uncurling her body to halt his spin, Eto channeled the rotational force into a critical blow, swinging his sword down at the drake's head.
Scraaape.
Eto's blade struck the drake's horn and slid off.
"Tch, of all places, the horn…"
Eto's attack hit the drake's head, but unluckily, it struck the horn. Despite the rotational force meant to cleave through, the blade slipped, lodging shallowly near the base of the horn.
Feeling the pain, the horned drake thrashed its head, sending Eto flying.
"Argh!"
With a short cry, Eto crashed to the ground.
"Eto!"
Lat shouted, dodging the drake's reflexive swipe as it reacted to the pain of the blade stuck in its horn.
"Cough, cough! I'm fine!"
Eto coughed, took a deep breath, and shouted, raising one arm and waving to reassure Lat.
"Hraaah!"
Uuk, having evaded the drake's attack and seizing the moment when it was distracted by Eto and Lat, closed in again. He swung his serrated two-handed sword at the drake's side. Unlike the others' blades, Uuk's was a saw-toothed weapon.
As a craftsman who processed drake bones, teeth, and claws for the hunting party, Uuk's serrated sword was both his most cherished tool and a familiar weapon in combat. His strike landed, the weighted saw-blade tearing through the drake's flesh and digging deep.
The drake, writhing in pain from the serrated blade in its side, swung its tail, sending Uuk flying.
Thwoooom.
The palintonon's twisted rope bundle unleashed with a thunderous sound, firing three medium bolts designed for massive beasts toward the drake.
Due to the drake twisting its body to attack Uuk with its tail, one bolt missed, embedding itself in the ground. The other two struck the drake's shoulder and foreleg.
"Nice! One more time!"
Though Gromeyer's voice was nearly drowned out by the drake's pained roars, the beast's cries of agony bolstered the courage of the hunters and adventurers facing it.