MHGA Chapter 334 – Do Your Best, Hunters
"Foolish words…" Altair looked down at Kairo Retsu. "This is not your world—your monster-infested realm. If you truly see me as the kind of 'monster' that destroys worlds…"
She raised the saber in her hand, and the gun, which served as the overture to Holopsicon, was already positioned like a violin: "Then for your sanctimonious arrogance—today, pay the price for your delusions."
With the activation of Holopsicon, the scattered rubble on the ground gathered together under Altair's will, forming a rough, colossal giant. It raised its massive arms and smashed down toward Kairo Retsu.
But as soon as the stone giant appeared, Kairo Retsu's expression turned… quite vivid.
"Get the hell—out of my way!"
Facing the stone giant born from Holopsicon, Kairo Retsu showed no fear. Stepping forward, he raised his Great Sword high.
A clash rang out like metal upon stone. That giant, so large it dwarfed ordinary men, was toppled by the attack of the small human beneath its feet.
A high draw slash to counter the attack… If Altair had simply used Holopsicon to assault Kairo Retsu from afar, he could only have blocked it with his Great Sword.
But if it was close-quarters combat with a stone giant…
"A perfect match!"
The moment the stone giant was knocked back, Kairo Retsu's claw hook had already latched onto the giant's head, yanking his entire body upward.
A mid-air sweeping slash came crashing down on the stone giant's head.
That High Rank Great Sword, forged from Elder Dragon materials, cleaved through the reinforced concrete giant with overwhelming force, reducing it once more to scattered ruins.
"As expected… only fleeting matters can truly anger you."
Kairo Retsu looked at Altair, whose emotions were clearly more unstable than before, and smiled: "In that case, let me… push your buttons even harder."
He deliberately provoked her: "Your creator really made something… incredibly troublesome!"
"Yes, you, Altair!"
He raised his voice: "A mentally fragile girl! Born from another mentally fragile girl's creation! That's what you are, Altair!"
"Boring, meaningless, pathetic! A child wielding deadly weapons! A colossal pain in the ass!"
As Kairo Retsu shouted, Altair's emotions were stoked into anger by the provocations.
Her attention shifted more and more toward Kairo Retsu, with only a fraction of her abilities left to suppress the others attacking her.
Naofumi Iwatani and Tanjiro stood at Kairo Retsu's side, sharing the pressure so he could continue provoking Altair.
"Guildmaster, you really are… good at taunting people."
Naofumi's expression was complicated. He still remembered clearly that during their first hunt, when the group had entered the Infinity Castle… Kairo Retsu had been just like this, dancing on their enemy's nerves, deliberately provoking them.
Though he hadn't done so again during the Winged Lion challenge or the Kirin siege, now that they were once again facing an intelligent opponent…
Naofumi fell into thought.
Technically, shouldn't the job of drawing enemy fire fall to him as the front-line shield-bearer? Why was Kairo Retsu so much more effective at taunting than him…?
"Guildmaster, sir! Watch out!"
Tanjiro deftly deflected a saber aimed straight at Kairo Retsu's throat with his Long Sword, pushing his body to the limit with his Breathing Techniques to perceive Altair's attacks and redirect them with the flowing force of Water Breathing.
The next moment, Naofumi raised his shield and activated the Shield Prison, enclosing all three of them to defend against Altair's area-of-effect assault.
"A qualified Hunter should make a monster rage quickly! Only then can we trigger its challenge response!" Within the Shield Prison, Kairo Retsu lowered his voice, then glanced up at the now-enraged Altair. "I understand her thinking—but what she's doing… has crossed the line of balance."
"We came here! Not to sympathize with a 'monster' that disrupted the world's equilibrium!"
Kairo Retsu clenched his fist. "I sympathize with Setsuna's tragedy! I know the pain her creator endured… I understand what kind of outcome being unjustly wrapped in malice can bring."
He took a deep breath. "I have never lacked compassion! I am human! If Setsuna stood before me, I would never turn a blind eye!"
"But I'm also a damn Hunter! I can't ignore the innocents being dragged into revenge!!!"
Kairo Retsu's eyes were sharp. "Everyone else in this world—those who gave everything just to survive—those people…"
"They gave it their all. So why should they have to face the end of the world without even knowing why?" Kairo Retsu declared. "Sadly, we can't save everyone. We're just a group gathered here—but I can save this part I can see in front of me."
Outside the Shield Prison, Altair's assault clashed repeatedly against its defenses, but Kairo Retsu tightened his grip on the Great Sword, looking at Naofumi and Tanjiro.
"Right now, I can only give my all to do what's within reach."
"…What's your plan?" Naofumi shook his head. "I don't care about the rest, but as your companion—I believe in what you're about to do."
"I…" Naofumi paused, then gave Kairo Retsu a light punch on the shoulder. "I've always felt that what we can achieve… is beyond what this world imagines."
"Of course."
A grin spread across Kairo Retsu's face. "Because we've been ready for this all along! Because we're goddamn Hunters!"
"We are Monster Hunters!" Kairo Retsu beamed. "Under the guiding Blue Star, let each of us give everything we've got to press forward!"
"Then—"
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At that moment, Altair was still outside the Shield Prison, relentlessly assaulting the barrier that Naofumi had conjured.
This shield… had a level of defense beyond what Altair had expected.
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