AN: Sorry for the long delay. But I just got into playing Iceborne since January 10, it finally released in PC and I've playing nonstop that my eyes almost melted out of their sockets. Also due to a nearby volcano erupting just last week, I've also have been busy with a lot of ash fall cleanups. So thank you for the favs and follows and here's chapter 19.

(Ancient Forest: 3rd person POV)

Three Hunters, each is in a league of their own. Kazuma of the Fifth Fleet, Jiro the Field Team Leader, and last but not the very least, Senshin one of the Legendary Veteran Hunters of the Old World.

Kazuma has faced very few Deviljhos in the Old World given that they were a nomadic species of Brute Wyvern, even fewer for a Variant Deviljho and he has only slain one Starving Deviljho, and that battle almost was his last if it weren't for his faithful Palico saving his skin at the last second via bomb to the face.

Jiro has slain his own fair share of Deviljhos with his Grandfather and the Admiral before when he was an A list Hunter when being taught on how to slay or capture the species. But he has never faced a variant of it before, so this will be a first for him, but that did not mean he was shaking in fear. In truth, he's shaking in anticipation for a new experience and his Greatsword is thirsty for a good fight.

Senshin has a track record for hunting down Monsters like this back home. And almost just as much for Variant species. Back in his prime days as a Hunter he usually hunts solo, but sometimes he and his team, Sojiro who is now the Commander of Astera, Torakka who's a tracker for the Third Fleet, Shekai who is roaming around the New World looking for something, and Meowscular who is now the head chef for Astera. He can still remember his old friend and rival Tsuteiku who is now Admiral. He always remembered how they competed on who would slay their hunt first.

Senshin was a legend when it comes in any sort of blade weapon, his strength was enough that he can wield a Greatsword with one hand and swing it like he was swinging his Longswords. But Tsuteiku was a legend for mostly slaying monsters with his bare hands, his favored weapon of choice is either the Greatsword or the Crushing Hammer. But regardless, both were always going for a draw in the end. They slay monsters in droves and somehow ends them being tied, and so an eternal rivalry was born. But both treat the other like brothers.

Senshin looked to his left, his friend's grandson and more so his own student stands at the ready, and to his right one of the rising stars of Astera, Kazuma. In all his years as a Hunter he has never seen a stranger duo than Kazuma and his partner Kira. On paper Kira is his Handler, but to the shock of the people of Astera they have never seen a Handler assist their Hunter in such a direct way before that the Commander updated her file as both a Handler as well as a Hunter. Even stranger for her is that she was able to befriend an Elder Dragon and even got it or him in her case to save her life like they've been friend for a long time.

He almost feels bad for all the Kirins he had slain back then.

He now focuses on the task at hand, it has been years since he's seen a Starving Jho and it's just as menacing as he remembered it to be. Hopefully his age doesn't get to him right now.

"You boys ready for the big leagues?" Senshin asks tauntingly. Already knowing the answer.

"Heh. Just try not to hurt your back old man." Jiro taunts back. With Kazuma just readying himself, his Insect Glaive already set to vault over onto its back.

"Hah! Well then, let's HUNT!" Senshin battle cried the last part before charging at the Deviljho. Jiro followed suit along with Kazuma.

The Starving Jho sees their assault and lifts its head up and roars its dragon breath towards them.

Jiro uses his Greatsword as a shield. Kazuma vaults up high. Although, Kazuma's eyes slightly widen in shock when he saw Senshin uses his own Longsword to pole vault over the attack. And with a great demonstration of strength and speed, Senshin uses his one hand on the Longsword and spin slashes the Jho's back, breaking some of the protruding spines on its back.

The Deviljho rears back due to the pain. Jiro uses this as the opening he needed to attack. He lifts his Greatsword high and slams it down, slashing the Jho's thick hide.

Meanwhile Kazuma landed on its back and begins hacking and slashing it as he retains his balance.

The Starving Deviljho then begins to glow a menacing shade of red and roars very powerfully, knocking Kazuma of its back, and even slightly pushing back Jiro and Senshin.

"Well, somebody's mad." Kazuma quips as they focus on hit and run tactics on the berserk Brute Wyvern. Kazuma vaulting over and slashing behind it. Jiro was attacking when it was focused on someone else. While Senshin is dodging its efforts to chomp him into two.

The Starving Deviljho is littered with slash wounds, but has made no indication of getting weaker. It rears its head back and breaths its dragon breath in a 360 motion. Jiro was in mid swing when the attack hits him directly. Kazuma was also knocked back due to just landing on the ground.

Both hunters rolled to a halt and begin coughing due to the dragonblight. Kazuma's insect also lost its element status temporarily. The jho was now on them and was about to devour them. Senshin took this opening and begins to prepare one of the most powerful Longsword techniques. He charges and stabs the Jho's left foot. It cries in pain before Senshin pulls back and uses his Longsword as a pole vault again and goes up high.

"TAKE THIS!" Senshin slashes down, performing the Spirit Helm Breaker. The force of the attack was strong enough that Senshin cuts clean through the Deviljho's tail. The said appendage now fell off. Along with the Starving Jho fell down due to the intense pain of losing its tail.

"Come on you, two get up! This isn't the time to take a nap!" Senshin shouts at the two as they downed their own potions, gaining their strength back.

"Sorry about that! Come on Kazuma, we can't let this old fossil show us up!" Jiro says to Kazuma, who smirks and nods in determination. The Jho just got back up on its feet but has a bit of difficulty in standing up right. Due to it losing good portion of its tail, its balance is now shot and easier to lose its footing. But it was now very angry and charges at the three of them in a blind rage.

The three leapt back and used its reckless attacking to strike back. When it focuses on someone else, the others take their shots. This repeated for a while until the Deviljho begins showing signs of fatigue. Once it finishes its attack, it hangs its head low and it begins to breathe heavily, its corrosive saliva drips from its maw.

"Alright. Let's finish it off!" Senshin says.

"Right!" Kazuma and Jiro said at the same time.

The three hunters charged at it. Senshin attacks first, stabbing it on the foot causing the Jho lose its balance and fall down, he vaults up high again and slashes down for another Spirit Helm breaker. Kazuma uses his Glaive to stab the Jho deep in its chest, where its heart is. And finally, Jiro finishes his full power slash. He brings down his Greatsword with all his might and it was enough to partially decapitate the Starving Deviljho. Even with its head practically almost falling off the Jho still struggled for a few more seconds before fully going limp, taking its last breath.

With it now truly dead, the three Hunters can now catch their breath, their bodies were running on fumes as of now. Jiro pulled his Greatsword out of the Jho's neck. Kazuma had to use all his remaining strength to pull out his Glaive out of its chest. While Senshin just sat down and begins to catch his breath.

"Damn… Hah… Hah… I'm getting too old for this crap… Hahaha…" Senshin gives a chuckle as Jiro and Kazuma follows his example.

"Hah! Not bad for an old man." Jiro says.

"I'll say… I've only heard stories about you and your Team sir." Kazuma says.

"Heh… You two weren't that bad yourselves… and just call me Senshin kid… you earned that much at least." Senshin says as he waves it off, not being much for formality himself. Hopefully the Ecosystem wasn't too badly damaged by the Starving Jho's rampage.

"ARASHI!" The Three hunters snapped to look at Kira shouting towards a limping Arashi. The Kirin in question was limping towards the Ancient Forest giving one last look towards Kira before disappearing in the foliage. With Kira just kneeling and tears were pooling out of her eyes.

AN: And that's another chapter done. Whoooweee this one was a conflict within itself to write. Also I would like to say on how I love how they added the Special sheathe move for the longsword in Iceborne. Also I love on how you guys are liking this story so far. And with the added effect of Iceborne's story, this will definitely give me a lot of ideas for this story. I hope you guys like this chapter and sorry for the wait. If you liked it tell me in the reviews bellow on what your opinion of it is. And the new twist on Arashi limping away. This is Fatalis0217 saying! ICEBORNE IS FINALLY ON STEAM!