(Insert Theme: Ancient Forest Battle Theme - Monster Hunter World OST)
Iris Arcadia has seen and felt her fair share of fire magic from the mages from Kimia, especially their grandmaster and her ally Astrid Flamel, as well as the dark magic from Olga Discordia and Negramstia's empress Radomira. They were powerful and deadly in their own rights.
Yet the flames that came out of the Teostra's mouth put all three to shame. Even from behind the Elder Dragon and at a distance, Iris felt like the sun had descended upon them and she covers her face with her arm, sweating profusely and she is sure Claudia and the others are feeling it as well.
It was a good thing then that it was aimed at the incoming demon horde, the cone-shaped attack incinerated any demon stupid enough to charge him head on, leaving nothing but ashes that drifts with the wind. Those closest were badly burned leaving them to wail in pain. While the breath attack lacks the same AoE as his powder, it did cause disarray that made the monsters lose focus and and cause confusion.
Confusion that the alliance took advantage off. "Archers! Mages! Let loose!" Farasha motioned with her hands and in seconds a volley of arrows and magic spells bombarded the demons. Many fell to the arrows but some manage to survive and continued on even if it mean stepping on the bodies of their fallen brethren.
"Charge!" The alliance soldiers let out war cries as they bravely charged at the incoming monsters and engaged in a brutal melee fight with their dark counterparts. The demons are stronger, ruthless and mostly bigger but the alliance had better training, equipment and greater coordination. Normally the monsters' superior numbers advantage would make even experienced veterans crumble. But the humans had their own trump card to even the odds:
They had the Monster Shifter at their side.
Teostra was in the middle of the demon horde, away from the Claudia and the others, and letting loose, the flame aura he radiated burning even when he didn't use his powder. Any demon got cooked when after Teostra's blasts them with his flamethrower in front and those that try to sneak from behind gets violently whipped by his tail. Two orcs manage to close the gap and try to overpower him. They get their heads crushed by his claws for their efforts.
"Try this one for size!" Teostra stands on his hind legs and unleashes the flamethrower at his feet, causing a massive flame wave that forces the demons to back off. Knowing the alliance needs some room to breathe, Teostra takes flight and and heads towers the end of the demon horde where there and began charging his nova attack.
Many foolishly tried to rush forward while the smart ones knew what was happening and began telling them to back away. But it was no use as Teostra release a massive explosion from his body, killing dozens of monsters nearby while knocking them off their feet to be picked off by archers and long-range spells. The Emperor of Flame lets out another roar as he flies above the monster horde to cull their numbers and allow his allies to advance.
Back with the alliance, Claudia ducks under a mace and slashes an ogre in the leg, causing him to roar and fell to one knee, only to be silence by Farasha beheading him. Iris breaks the shield of a goblin before stabbing his throat and yanks it to stab another one that attempted to attack her from behind. Janne parries a strike from satyr before lifting her leg and knees him right in the balls, making him squeal that was silence when Janne stabs his heart.
Janne heard a female scream and turns to see an orc holding a female knight by her hair, his eyes obviously filled with lust his would-be victim beats his chest with her fists to no avail. The princess of the Ribfoul Kingdom urges her horse to gallop and once they got closer, she jumps high and stabs the the orc from behind the head, his body crushing the imps that were below him. "Get to cover!" Janne instructed as she helped the soldier up. She regroups with the others as Janne presses on.
So far the coalition were making progress, slowly pushing back the monsters mainly thanks to Jack who was at the back and cutting them down. But that didn't mean it was easy. Any demon that Teostra ignores is one monster that pushes the the alliance back and even the Monster Shifter can only focus on several things at once. Teostra grunts, slamming his claw to crush several goblins into blood paste. "At this rate it'll be a repeat of the the past. Time to switch it up!" He slams the MonTrix and undergoes another transformation. But this time he was too focus that he hits it a little too hard.
"DUREMUDIRA- WHAT THE?!" His shout quickly turns into confusion as the Monster Shifter looks at himself. He expected the poison and ice wielding Elder Dragon, Duremudira, but instead got the hot tempered Flying Wyvern, Tigrex. He stayed silent for a while before his right eye twitches and his lips curl into a snarl.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING MONTRIX!" Tigrex roars, curving his head to glare at the hourglass symbol on his neck as he pointed at it. "TIGREX WANTED SOMETHING COOL LIKE DUREMIDURA, NOT TIGREX! IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME WHAT I WANT I WILL PERSONALLY RIP YOUR WIRES AND REWIRE THEM ALL OVER AGAIN! DO YOU HEAR ME?!?!"
While he was busy arguing with a non-sapient device, several demons took advantage and leap forward jump him. However, the Roaring Wyvern is quick to react and delivers a 360 spin, crushing their bodies and sending their body parts all over the crowd. He then addresses the rest.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING DEMONS TRYING TO COWARDLY ATTACK HIM FROM BEHIND! TIGREX DOES NOT APPRECIATE YOU INTRUPPTING HIS RANTS WITH THE MONTRIX! YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?! YOU GOT A PIECE! BUT YOU JUST BIT OFF AN EYE THAT'S BIGGER THAN YOUR STOMACH CAN CHEW!"
Instantly, the battlefield is overtaken by silence with cricket sounds as the demons all stared at the Roaring Wyvern with bewildered looks. Even the alliance and the monsters that were currently locked in combat in front ceased their fighting to look at Tigrex, unable to comprehend what he just said.
"..... that doesn't make any sense whatsoever." A goblin said, scratching his head.
Several tick marks grew on Tigrex's forehead. "I KNOW!" He bellows, raising his left forearm before swinging down and carving several chunks of rocks into the air as projectiles, crushing any demons that are in the same direction. "TIGREX WILL SHOW YOU WHY YOU DON'T PISS TIGREX OFF!" He reaches for the hourglass symbol on his neck to change forms. However, because of the positioning and blinded by his serious anger issues, Tigrex accidentally twists the MonTrix symbol vertically and ended up changing his appearance his appearance rather than switch to a new Monster.
His color palettes changed to dark ones. Yellow, orange and blue is replaced by grey, brown, and beige and has a bigger build. Notable of all is his more robust set of lungs and his eyes as yellow as the sun.
"BRUTE TIGREX!" The Black Roaring Wyvern bellows, his voice much deeper and more gruff.
"You're telling me that monster with anger issues has another form?!" A Dawn Templar that had been stationed in Stawford Village for several months gasped. Claudia herself is taken aback by the fact the Monster that Jack uses to discipline someone or vent his anger out on has another variation.
A tense silence followed before Brute Tigrex's right eye violently twitched once more, the veins on his around his eyes and front claws became red with fury. "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING MONTRIX! YOU JUST PROVED BRUTE TIGREX'S POINT!" Brute Tigrex roared, his voice causing those nearest to flinch from how loud he is. "FIRST YOU GIVE ME TIGREX, NOW YOU GIVE ME BRUTE TIGREX! BRUTE TIGREX SWEARS HE WILL PULL OUT YOUR CIRCUITS AND CHEW ON THEM UNTIL YOU WORK RIGHT!!!"
"Now this is getting ridiculous." Janne scoffs, unable to hold back. "We're a middle of a battle and he's talking nonsense."
However, the Flying Wyvern heard her words and instantly, the Black Roaring Wyvern snaps his head towards Janne's direction which made her jerk her head back in surprise. "LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING JANNE GRENOBLE OF RIBFOUL KINGDOM! BRUTE TIGREX IS NOT TALKING NONSENSE! MONTRIX DOES THIS SHIT EVERY NOW AND THEN AND BRUTE TIGREX IS ABSOLUTELY SICK OF MONTRIX NOT WORKING RIGHT WHEN BRUTE TIGREX NEEDS IT THE MOST!"
"Um, Jack. We need you to focus on fighting the demons right now." Claudia said awkwardly, trying to make him come back to his senses whilst Iris and Farasha remained dumbfounded.
"LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING CLAUDIA LEVANTINE OF THE LEVANTINE HOUSEHOLD! BRUTE TIGREX NEEDS TO VENT HIS ANGER OUT FIRST!" A few seconds of silence before the Flying Wyvern huffs and turns to the demons surrounding him. "AND NOW BRUTE TIGREX IS DONE! YOU WANNA SEE HOW ANGRY BRUTE TIGREX GETS?! HERE IT IS!"
Rearing his upper body up, Brute Tigre inhales a lot of air before letting out an ear-shattering roar, this one much more louder and stronger than the original. This one is now used as a weapon that blasts dozens, if not hundreds of demons away, creating a massive opening as Brute Tigrex sweeps the area with his sonic roars. This forces the monster horde to halt their assault and began to retreat for safer grounds which allows the alliance to regroup and charge forward, picking off the retreating demons with arrows and spells.
"Remind me not to get on his bad side." Farasha whispered to Iris who nodded with wide eyes as the Black Roaring Wyvern huffs and lets off some steam. Once he is calm enough, Brute Tigrex gets a better aim and slaps the hourglass symbol, causing him to be consumed by a dark blue flash. Brute Tigrex is now a massive golden insect akin to a devil's flower mantis with the designs resembling an Egyptian Pharaoh, almost like an insectoid sphinx. It has six limbs, each of which are yellow with a set of purple triangles beneath them.
All six are legs, four of which are for walking and two of which are raptorial; at the end of the main legs are small tarsi while the forelegs have elaborate wing like extensions at the base and have a pair of large hooks at the ends. In addition it has a large headpiece that has alternating gold and blue lines like those on a Pharaoh's crown. It has a pair of purple eyes, each with a minuscule black pupil. The MonTrix is located on its chest.
"AHTAL-KA!" The Palace Mantis declares. He looks down to inspect himself and gave a relieved sigh. "Finally, something useful!" He chirped. However, his transformation causes confusion and skepticism from the alliance. As temperamental as Tigrex and his subspecies was, at the very look they looked strong enough. Yet the form Jack uses looks fragile enough to be taken out with one hit. Did his device malfunction again?
Ignoring their looks, Ahtal-Ka began throwing golden silk everywhere which latches to several destroyed trebuchets and carriages and began attaching them to hos body and proceeds to dig underground. Many were stunned to see that and wondered what he was planning. The monsters thought the Monster Shifter had retreat and soon began to advance.
This is quickly halted as the ground beneath began shaking followed by loud mechanical whirring noises. Soon the ground explodes which prompts either side to tense up, thinking it was an a surprise from the other side. Luckily, it is allied with the alliance as massive metal footsteps are heard and the culprit revealed itself.
It is a massive automaton walking on all four with a tail and "head", most likely from the parts Ahtal-Ka had gathered. Golden silks are seen from the visible gaps to allows the Neopteron to move it like a puppet from a marionette. The Monster in question is hidden in the chest covered by his silky cocoon.
"Say hello to my little friend: Ahtal-Neset!" Ahtal-Ka boasted.
Jaws drop and eyes went wide as they witness the Monster Shifter's seemingly weak form conjure up a machine of this size and caliber. Claudia nearly drops her sword in awe. Once again, the Monster Shifter exceeded her expectations. 'Luu-Luu would definitely be jealous if words get out.' Claudia knew that Luu-Luu would be frothing at the mouth once she catches a glimpse of Ahtal-Neset.
The demons, however, began panicking. None of them expected something like this and began rushing at the machine in the hopes of overwhelming it with numbers. In response, the Ahtal-Neste simply walks froward and crush any stupid monster that got too close. Arrows, javelins and weak fire-based spells bounce off the metal.
Unable to make a dent and the Ahtal-Neset coming closer, the monster horde began to retreat in a panic, leaving their flanks vulnerable to be and the alliance push forward. The humans let out cheers as they are finally making progress and pushing the demons out of the Forgotten Wasteland. Regardless Iris, Farasha and Janne made sure to keep them in line as they steadily advanced.
Claudia though seemed suspicious about something. From her reports, there were other monsters that resided in the Forgotten Everlands, some of which she has yet to see in the monster horde. The Dawn Templar thought something was up.
"Incoming!" Her guts proved her right when one of her Dawn Templars shouted. Soon a giant fireball flew over the monsters and stuck the chest of the machine, causing it to flinch and stagger back as the humans gasped from the surprise attack and halted their advance.
"Gagh!" Ahtal-Ka cried out as he felt the attack and that left him dazed and vulnerable when not one but three flamethrowers sailed overhead hit his mech, one hitting the head, the second hitting the chest and the third hitting the front left leg. This causes and explosion that cripples the Ahtal-Neset as it jerks it body from side to side before falling over, damaged beyond repair as the user is ejected from the cockpit and currently on fire.
"Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot!" Ahtal-Ka squeals he's covered in flames, flailing his arms frantically and rolling on the ground. "Oh I am hurt! I am very much hurt!" Luckily several mages doused the Neopteron with water spells as he slumps down on the ground. Granted he was weak to the Water Element but fuck, whatever hit him had flames as intense as Teostra's.
"What the hell was that?!" Farasha exclaimed in shock as she looked around to see what had initiated the attack. The retreated demons then parted as several monsters stepped forward. One is a giant red scaled dragon with three heads and am horns as its throats glowed with intense heat.
"A Hellfire Dragon!" Janne gasped, seeing the powerful monster step froward with all six eyes narrowing in contempt.
"Foolish humans! I will burn you down until not even ashes remain!" It growls with disgust and unleashes a tri-flamethrower at the alliance. Those that were not shielded or protected were burned to ashes or left screaming in agony as their limbs literally melted. The demon horde are revitalized and began heading back to the fight, slaughtering the wounded or even raping any women they get their hands on.
"Fall back and regroup!" Iris commanded as she orders them to make a strategic retreat while keeping a defensive line with Farasha following suit. The Hellfire Dragon continues to unleash metamorphic hell on the humans with its flames before with the demon horde joining in pushing the alliance back. If they can't turn the tide soon, the expedition would end up as yet another failure, a repeat of the past.
But not on Jack's watch.
(Insert Theme: Rotten Vale Battle Theme - Monster Hunter World OST)
Once Ahtal-Ka recovered, he snaps his head up and narrow his purple eyes at the perpetrator of the ambush. "Oh, you did NOT just wrecked my ride! NO ONE rocks my shit and gets away with it!" He said before slapping the hourglass and underwent another form.
Now he's a giant dragon covered in glittering gold scales alongside spiky protrusion from his face, arms, chest and tail. It has two horns on its forehead and has four claws on each wing that are prehensile and capable of moving on their own. When fully spread, said wings take the form of a star. It has orange eyes and the MonTrix symbol located on its chest.
"SHAGARU MAGALA!" The Heaven's Wheel Elder Dragon exclaims, black and purple smoke escaping his mouth he locked eyes with his adversary who takes notice.
"Monster Shifter!" The Hellfire Dragon roars with all three heads, snarling. At this point, he assumed every monster in Garan knows his name. "Today is the day you will die! For Queen Olga!" It charges at full speed at the Elder Dragon with the intent on ripping him to shreds.
"Not if I beat you to it!" Shagaru responds before going sprinting at his opponent.
The gap closes fast as the two dragon rush to beat the crap out of each other. However, even with his smaller size, Shagaru proved to be equally as strong as he tackles the Hellfire Dragon first and slams him to the ground before they wrestle, clawing and biting each other repeatedly while unintentionally crushing any demon was too slow to escape.
Had the demons been paying attention to their surroundings, they would've notice massive amounts of black and purple mist that spills unto the floor from Shagaru and were unknowingly stepping on it or inhaling the mist
The Hellfire Dragon's three heads clamp down on anything it could grab on Shagaru, but the Elder Dragon retaliates with his own strength, delivering every hit with full force. One hit separates them from each other before charging once more and locking claws with each other, their back legs digging deep into the dirt as they struggle to overpower the other.
"You left yourself open, stupid human!" It sneered as all three heads loomed over the Elder Dragon and all three began to charge their breath attacks, each mouth gathering huge amounts of flames. The humans gasp as they saw Shagaru about to be burned alive. But Shagaru Magala isn't fazed. Far from it. He was actually smirking which surprised the Hellfire Dragon.
"Hey hot stuff! What's better than two extra heads? An extra pair of hands!"
Before it knew, Shagaru's wings unleash the claws and launches forward, grabbing the left and right head's throat and sinking his claws, drawing blood and making the two heads gag. The middle head is shocked enough for Shagaru to take advantage and tackles it to the ground, pinning it beneath him as more of the mist starts to spread. The Hellfire Dragon breathes some of it in and began coughing, trying to overpower the Elder Dragon to no avail.
Shagaru opens his mouth which gathers the mist for a powerful attack. Then he unleashes a very powerful and concentrated energy beam composed of Frenzy Virus into the middle head, making it roar in agony as the attack burns it very badly. His claws continue to dig deep into the throats of the other heads while continuing the breath attack until he felt the Hellfire Dragon go limp. He makes doubly sure by prolonging his attack before stopping and releasing hso hold as the corpse twitches slightly.
Screams of pain and confusion came from the monster horde and Shagaru glances to see several orcs, gargoyles, trolls and goblins attacking their own kin, their bodies covered in the black and purple mist and their eyes glowing red. There's no doubt they got infected by the Frenzy Virus. Luckily for the alliance, many of them aren't strong enough to overcome the infection and utilize it to harness the Apex State.
"Andros!" The Heavenly Wheel Elder Dragon sees Claudia rushing up to him.
"What's the situation?" He asked.
"Good so far, but we're spreading thin to the point a single mistake to break our defense. And until we can cut off their reinforcements, it'll be like battling an endless wave." Claudia said.
Shagaru nodded, his face serious. "Leave that to me. Tell the others to stick close and-" His left wing extends to grabs an imp attempting to blindside him and crushes its head to paste. "to wait for my signal to charge once I've cut their line. They'll be easy pickings once we've-"
Shagaru's sentence was cut off when the ground began to shake, catching them off guard and trying to regain their balance before the ground from the monster horde exploded, sending nearby humans and demons flying. Once the smoke clears, several giant monsters came out, towering everyone present.
One was a white-furred bipedal and has three tentacles on each arm with a mouth that's similar to Gaismagorm albeit not as terrifying.
Three are giant blue worm-like creatures with a horn made of ice on their heads and seemed lack eyes.
"..... oh fuck me." The Elder Dragon moans, slumping his shoulders.
He just had to tempt fate, didn't he?