Discarding familiar weapons to use another type he had never handled before, had there been any other choice, he would never have entertained such a crazy idea.
Not to mention he had never even learned the Long Sword.
But! He knew how to use the Great Sword.
The two might not seem related at all, but he once heard Madam Marydan tell a story-like anecdote.
She said that many years ago, when even she was just a young apprentice, the Long Sword wasn't considered an independent weapon but rather a branch of the Great Sword. (MH1 era)
Some Great Sword users abandoned the immensely powerful yet slow Charged Slash, began pursuing faster and more fluid sword techniques, and gradually developed a skill called the 'Spirit Gauge,' becoming the first generation of Long Sword users.
After many years of evolution, it eventually formed the diverse schools of Long Sword techniques that exist today, completely breaking free from the Great Sword framework.
Setting aside these specialized Long Sword techniques, if he were to 'return to the basics' and use the Long Sword as if it were a Great Sword, theoretically, it should be possible, right?
Others might find it difficult to pull off, since the Long Sword weighed less than half of a Great Sword, but he was someone who could even perform a Charged Slash with a Sword and Shield.
Why couldn't he do it with a Long Sword?!
Having reasoned this out, Altaïr hesitated no longer. He flung away the Sword and Shield in his hands, rolled nimbly to evade the Barroth's attack, and arrived beside the Long Sword, scooping it up in one swift motion.
As he rose to his feet, without the slightest pause, he hoisted the Bone Shotel onto his shoulder and began to Charge.
Whoa, this feeling, though not as steady as a proper Great Sword, it was far more powerful than a Sword and Shield!
He used a Tackle to interrupt the Charge, shifted his stance, twisted his waist to hold the Long Sword vertically behind him, and entered the Strong Charged Slash posture.
This move was impossible to execute with a Sword and Shield, but with the Long Sword's weight, it seemed feasible. Power on a completely different level from when he used the Sword and Shield gathered within him.
"Hey!" he shouted at the Barroth, which had charged past him and taken a few extra steps forward. "Over here!"
Of course, the Barroth couldn't understand his words, but having missed its attack again and already in a foul temper, it instinctively turned around upon hearing the noise from behind.
Altaïr chuckled darkly and released the power he had built up to its limit.
The Long Sword in his hands swept downward in a forward slash, not as overwhelmingly forceful as a true Great Sword, but far quicker and more precise.
A flash of blade light, and the tip of the Long Sword had already struck the ground.
Less than half a second later, a massive gash split open on the Barroth's neck as it was halfway through turning. Dark red blood gushed out, washing away much of the remaining mud around its chest and neck.
The Long Sword user, who had shakily gotten to his feet, stared blankly at the scene for a couple of seconds before shaking his head vigorously.
A Sword and Shield user performing a Strong Charged Slash with my Long Sword? What kind of hallucination is this? Did I hit my head just now?
The severely wounded Barroth howled in pain and staggered backward several steps.
The frustration from earlier, when he had been scraping away with the Sword and Shield without breaking its defense, vanished completely. An inexplicably exhilarated Altaïr held the Long Sword vertically in front of him, just as he would a Great Sword, and took a firm step forward.
Then, he immediately sensed that something was off. The Great Sword was so heavy that it could only be wielded this way, otherwise the wielder's body would likely lose balance from its weight.
But what he held was a Long Sword!
Realizing this, Altaïr decisively changed his grip, tilting the Long Sword at his side as he charged forward.
He didn't head straight for the Barroth's front, the hardness and thickness of its head armor were too absurd. A Long Sword striking there would fare no better than a Sword and Shield, inevitably bouncing off just the same.
So he chose to leverage his speed advantage, circling toward the Barroth's rear.
The Barroth's attention was fully fixed on him. As Altaïr skirted around its flank, the Barroth struggled to turn around.
But Altaïr paid it no mind, he only needed to reach the attack position slightly faster than the Barroth could react.
Though the Great Sword and Long Sword had long evolved into entirely distinct weapons, one move remained nearly identical between them: the vertical slash.
Recalling the Step Slash used by the Long Sword user during their earlier ambush, Altaïr successfully converted part of his charging momentum. Yet he didn't immediately execute the vertical slash; instead, he entered a Charge stance.
In less than two seconds, the Barroth had turned around, just as Altaïr completed his Charge preparation.
Charged Slash!
The strike landed on the side of the Barroth's head, where the carapace was exceptionally thick, limiting the attack's effectiveness.
But Altaïr didn't mind. After evading the Barroth's counterattack with a roll, he swiftly resumed sprinting.
After all, this was his first time wielding a Long Sword. His prior experience with Long Sword techniques amounted to little more than mimicking a few vague stances, he knew nothing about how to channel force properly.
Rather than attempting unfamiliar techniques, he focused on one reliable approach: utilizing the Long Sword's relative lightness for rapid movement, then unleashing a Charged Slash whenever an opening appeared.
The earlier concentrated attacks on the leg wound now proved crucial.
The Barroth's turning movements grew noticeably sluggish, allowing Altaïr to find more frequent opportunities to circle behind it and release Charged Slashes.
Another Step Slash enhanced by Charge struck the Barroth's side. Dizzy from being outmaneuvered, the monster staggered uncontrollably.
So this is the Long Sword...
Altaïr couldn't help but marvel, twisting his body to enter a Strong Charged Slash stance.
Bleeding profusely, the Barroth endured the agony to steady itself, then suddenly jerked its head sideways to bite the charging hunter.
Seeing this, Altaïr immediately prepared to release the Strong Charged Slash early, aiming to clash directly with the Barroth's attack.
But neither he nor the Barroth expected another figure to rush in from the side.
"This is NOT how you use a Long Sword!!"
Amidst an indignant shout, she swung her shield and smashed it against the Barroth's head, actually sending the boulder-like skull whipping to the opposite side.
"Nor a Great Sword!"
Watching the female hunter return to the battlefield with his weapon, Altaïr's eyelids twitched violently.
What kind of monstrous strength was this? The Barroth's eyes were rolling back...
Under his teammate's furious cover, the Strong Charged Slash preparation completed. At the peak of its accumulated power, Altaïr brought the Long Sword down.
The dull bone blade traced a glaring arc of light across the night sky, followed instantly by a gush of blood.
"Groooaaar–" Amidst agonized howls, the Barroth, finally feeling fear, struggled to steady itself before turning to flee.
Altaïr set down his bone curved blade and let out a long sigh.
The female hunter stared at the densely chipped edge of the blade, puffing her cheeks as she glared at him.
Who fights by hacking and smashing like that?!
Altaïr's gaze also fell upon the heavily dented shield on her right arm.
The female hunter glanced down, let out a panicked "Eek!", and her puffed cheeks deflated.
"Let's call it even on the weapons," Altaïr said, wiping the blood off his Long Sword. Holding it flat with both hands, he presented it to the female hunter.
"And... thank you so much." As she took the weapon, Altaïr bowed deeply to her. "If not for your timely assistance, I might have met my end before that Barroth."
"No, no, you're exaggerating." Seeing his earnest demeanor, she quickly bowed in return and began untying the straps of the shield on her right arm.
Seizing the opportunity, Altaïr took a proper look at her.
She appeared even younger than he had initially thought, definitely under twenty, possibly even younger than him.
She was remarkably tall, roughly estimated at 190 centimeters, with broad shoulders and a large frame. Yet, unlike the muscular builds of teacher Haifa or Madam Marydan, her physique was tall and slender, with long limbs.
Her hair, barely reaching past her shoulders, was tied into a plain little ponytail at the back, giving off an honest, earnest vibe.
In the few seconds he observed her, the young female hunter finished untying the straps and returned his Sword and Shield.
"You're very skilled. You handled most of the latter half of the fight on your own. Even without me, you surely would have driven off that Barroth."
After exchanging a few polite words, Altaïr rubbed his stiffened face. "We're probably around the same age, so there's no need for formalities.
I'm Altaïr, a 2★ hunter from Loc Lac, currently traveling."
The female hunter nodded, her expression relaxing slightly. "I'm Isis, from Dundorma. I suppose I'm a 2★ hunter too."