MHGA Chapter 377 – Prelude, Part One
"Excellent. The elemental energy infused in the crafted ammo truly has a significant impact on monsters…"
While Naofumi Iwatani laughed heartily as he bombarded the imitation Witch.
"So, what do you think of our Heavy Bowgun's power?"
"It's… very strong." Homura Akemi watched as the target Witch continued to be shredded by Naofumi Iwatani's Heavy Bowgun rounds. "This Witch's defense—I tried testing it with a weapon just now—is far beyond that of a normal Witch."
"The rounds you fired, while their muzzle velocity didn't seem particularly fast, the impact upon hitting… was immense." Homura observed as one of the bullets splashed up water after striking the Witch. "What's the mechanism behind these bullets?"
"Monster Hunter Biology, girl!" Kairo Retsu lifted his nose proudly. "If you want to know how these bullets are made… you'll have to look at the art of Hunter Alchemy."
"But to be specific, a lot of the features in Hunter weapons are modeled after monster attacks… like how the Wyvernfire Cannon is essentially mimicking a Dragon's breath."
Kairo Retsu enthusiastically explained a bunch of things that Homura didn't fully understand, but as his explanations continued, she gradually began to grasp the basic concepts behind these devices.
Put simply, they violently harnessed attribute energy—like compressed elemental power—to deliver devastating strikes to the target.
Through different ammo types, they could inflict various types of damage—and even some special effects.
Homura Akemi found herself at a loss to describe those bullets. All she knew was… something utterly unbelievable had just occurred before her eyes.
The Witch in front of them… had been poisoned and stunned.
And not only that—Naofumi Iwatani's assault had even triggered a moment where lightning arced across the Witch's body—a paralysis state that seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Witches could… be poisoned and paralyzed?
Homura Akemi continued accompanying the two as they ran experiment after experiment within this fake Witch's Barrier. At one point, Kairo Retsu even—without her noticing—called in a round, chubby cat dressed in what looked like a blue ninja outfit and whispered to it for quite a while.
"Leave it to me, boss! Now's the time to show what I've learned!" the Silly Cat raised a paw, brimming with enthusiasm, and spoke to Kairo Retsu: "Let's go, Felyne Gadget Lottery! Time to show you the Felyne-style Wyvernfire Launcher, nyah!"
Under Homura Akemi's stunned gaze, the little round cat pulled a gigantic mechanical contraption from who-knows-where and promptly mounted it.
That clearly pressure-compressed Wyvernfire Launcher was now aimed directly at the target Witch.
"Fire, nyah!!!"
With a yank of the trigger, the Felyne-style Wyvernfire Launcher fired with a thunderous burst.
The massive, spinning Wyvernfire Lance rocketed forward, piercing straight into the Witch dummy's body.
The immense rotational force resulted in the greatest damage they'd dealt so far.
The oversized mock Witch, far larger than any ordinary one, collapsed with a heavy thud under the attack of the Felyne-style Wyvernfire Launcher, struggling as it lay on the ground.
"!"
Homura Akemi could barely believe her eyes as she stared at the mechanical weapon—not even much taller than herself—and could hardly fathom how such a simple-looking contraption had inflicted so much damage on a Witch.
It was as if it had bypassed the Witch's defense altogether.
"How many… of these devices do you have?" Homura opened her mouth at last and asked.
"Enough to assemble a fortress," Kairo Retsu replied calmly. "Don't you think… this fake Witch's Barrier was built for the purpose of constructing a fortress?"
Only then did Homura Akemi realize why Kairo Retsu had waited until she brought him to the location where Walpurgisnacht would appear—only then having the Winged Lion forge the Witch and generate this hidden Witch Barrier.
"Or rather, maybe you should call it something more in line with the Winged Lion's style," Kairo Retsu snapped his fingers. "From now on, this place should be called… a Dungeon."
"Once Walpurgisnacht appears… we just lift this Witch Barrier…" Homura began imagining the scene that would unfold.
At that moment, a massive, unrestricted-firepower fortress would appear in front of Walpurgisnacht—one completely invisible to any ordinary citizens of Mitakihara City.
With the firepower of these Hunters' devices… maybe they really could bring down Walpurgisnacht.
But that being called Shagaru Magala… after thinking it over, Homura Akemi decided to work earnestly with these Hunters.
She had to consider: was this her only chance? Would she even meet these Hunters again in the next loop?
"Then get ready to tie the rope and activate time stop, Homura-san." Kairo Retsu grinned wide. "Let's build our interception fortress right here in this Dungeon!"
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