MHGA Chapter 269 — The Battle Finally Ends
Back at the Gathering Hub, while watching Himmel's gallant battle with Joseph, Kairo Retsu wasn't just sitting idle—he went and fetched a bigger TV screen, then asked Joseph to switch devices for Spirit Imprinting. That way, they could watch Himmel's fight on the big screen—and even record it.
Joseph's Spirit Imprinting seemed to have strengthened alongside his Stand's evolution. He could now control camera angles at will…
On the screen, the battle between Himmel and Kirin—adjusted constantly by Joseph—looked exactly like the climax of a blockbuster film.
"Record it! We have to record this! I'm turning it into a promotional video for our Gathering Hub Hunters!!" Kairo Retsu shouted excitedly. "Amazing work, Joseph!! I knew you were a man of talent!"
"Hey hey hey! Can you, as the Guild Commander, maybe not make that face?! It's way too gross!" Joseph shot back, exasperated—but his Stand continued working without pause.
On-screen, Himmel was launching a relentless assault on the weakened Kirin.
Moving through the thunder like a leaf untouched by rain, Himmel at times casually deflected Kirin's more difficult-to-dodge attacks using his small shield.
Kirin tried to evade, but Himmel was even faster now. His Sword & Shield left numerous gashes across Kirin's body. More than once, he smashed the shield into Kirin's head, leaving the Elder Dragon stunned as if concussed.
If not for the overwhelming vitality inherent to Elder Dragons, Kirin might already have been slain by Himmel.
Himmel's expression grew solemn.
This fight required him to exert significantly more strength than usual. He was doing his best to subdue Kirin without causing excessive damage to Night City.
And during the battle, Himmel had come to a few conclusions regarding Kirin's power…
Perhaps in terms of malice toward humanity, Kirin wasn't like the demon races of his own world—it didn't use deceit or dark magic—but its strength was likely above that of the Seven Sages of Destruction.
Its terrifying stamina, ceaseless lightning strikes, hardened body—every attribute was formidable. But what troubled Himmel the most… was Kirin's sheer vitality.
He had assumed that, after receiving this many attacks, Kirin would've collapsed by now. But the beast was still standing—still fighting—despite its horrifying wounds.
And all this while Kirin had gone for an extended period without any nutritional replenishment.
"The pure strength of life itself…" Himmel gave his judgment on the monsters of the Monster Hunter world.
He recalled how simply eating a Felyne Meal had restored his aging body to youthful prime. And now, Himmel fully understood how vibrant and overflowing with life the world of the Hunters truly was.
"Maybe Frieren would find this world fascinating…"
In the middle of his battle with Kirin, such a thought crossed Himmel's mind.
"Come to think of it… as a Hunter, I should be able to invite others to the Gathering Hub as quest clerks…"
Himmel smiled internally. "Once I find Frieren, I'll invite her to the Gathering. This time… I should be able to stay with her for a long while."
With that thought, Himmel's blade strikes grew even more fierce—prompting cheers from Kairo Retsu as he watched from the screen.
Kirin… at last, could no longer hold on.
Facing the Hero who had once defeated the Demon King, Kirin, after suffering countless injuries, finally collapsed to the ground—and, after a brief final struggle, drew its last breath.
At that moment, every Hunter in Night City received a prompt on their Gathering Hub quest panel:
[Exploration Quest Completed!]
[Quest Summary: In a world brimming with electricity and advanced tech, a monster wandered in and caused severe damage to electrical systems. Find it before it causes more trouble.]
[Anomaly of the Pale Hoof]
[Mythical Beast Kirin — Slain.]
[Gathering Hub has obtained: Proof of Kirin Subjugation. Low to Master Rank Kirin gear has been fully unlocked!]
"!"
Kairo Retsu's eyes flew open.
Did he hear that right?! What just got unlocked?!
Kirin… Master Rank gear?!
MASTER RANK?! G-RANK?! M-RANK GEAR?!
Were the Hunters about to strike it rich?!
Kairo Retsu dove headfirst into the Gathering Hub's gear crafting menu, eager to see whether they could immediately equip Master Rank gear—only to find…
"Damn it! Not enough materials!!!"
He realized the Master Rank Kirin gear was indeed unlocked in the system—but the materials were nowhere near sufficient. Not even enough for a single full set.
Worse, the crafting menu clearly stated: Hunters lacked the qualifications to wear Master Rank gear…
The Low Rank gear that Hunters could currently equip was made by Felynes using leftover scraps from monsters—basic equipment with foundational capabilities. They had used Low Rank gear to fight through three worlds already.
High Rank gear, by contrast, required materials gathered personally through monster hunts, imbued with vitality.
And Master Rank gear… that required parts from powerful individuals among monsters—Elder Dragons, deviants, apex variants, or anomaly creatures with secondary names…
But those challenges were still a ways off for the Hunters.
"Still… it's finally over."
Kairo Retsu grinned.
Everything they came to Night City to do—was basically done.
David's fate had been changed.
Saburo Arasaka had been eliminated.
Raizen Arasaka had begun his takeover of Arasaka Corporation.
Mikoshi's data had been destroyed through the joint effort of Joseph and Alt.
And the Mikoshi in Night City? It had been obliterated by Kirin.
The path had been cleared by the Hunters. The rest… was now up to David.
"David, the future from here on out… it's all yours now," Kairo Retsu said cheerfully, cracking open a Potion and savoring the honey-sweetened flavor to lift his mood. "This world from here… has nothing more to do with us Hunters."
On the other side of the city, David had also received the notification that Kirin had been slain.
Holding a panicked Lucy close, David felt the crushing weight of responsibility fall onto his shoulders.
This was the path he had chosen. No matter what, he had to see it through.
For his world.
For the world he wanted to see.
For the world… where the people he cherished could live in peace.
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