MHGA Chapter 262 – The Guildmaster's Coming-of-Age Ceremony!
In the world of Monster Hunter, monsters dominate the natural ecosystem. Any creature designated as a "monster" by the Hunters is, by default, a being powerful enough to shape its surrounding environment.
There are numerous species and subspecies of monsters, forming a fully fleshed-out ecological hierarchy. Depending on the region, dominant monster populations vary. Some species are incredibly adaptable—capable of surviving in multiple biomes and even migrating across continents.
And among all these beasts, monsters share one terrifying trait—an almost absurd regenerative vitality.
This point was being demonstrated to perfection by the Elder Dragon Kirin.
The Kirin, having been in this world for who knows how long without proper sustenance, had just gone through a prolonged pursuit and was now being assaulted by waves of Hunters atop the Arasaka Tower rooftop—and yet, it showed no signs of exhaustion.
On the contrary, it was the Hunters who looked like cockroaches—being knocked away one by one, only to leap back into the fray, stalling the Kirin atop the tower.
Kairo Retsu understood this situation all too well.
Sure, people liked to call Kirin the "disgrace of the Elder Dragons"… the so-called only "Low-Rank Elder Dragon"…
But in the real world of Monster Hunter, Elder Dragons have no such "low" or "high" classification. An Elder Dragon is an Elder Dragon—period. Even if Kirin is among the weaker of its kind, it is still absolutely not an opponent the current group of Hunters could expect to take down through brute force alone.
Among all the Hunters here, only one had the ability to go toe-to-toe with the Kirin—Himmel, the fully realized hero.
But… if they left everything to the Heavenly Sovereign, then what the hell were the rest of them even doing?
Might as well rename the Guild to the "Felyne Meal Moocher Club"!!
Eyes blazing, Kairo Retsu charged at the Kirin with a Healing Potion gripped in his teeth. Dodging bolts of lightning midair, he forcibly shifted direction twice. With his Insect Glaive aglow with triple extract, he stomped down hard on the Kirin's spine and launched into a spinning aerial assault aimed straight at its head.
The Kirin reacted faster than he'd anticipated. Its shriek surged with a thunderstorm's fury. Its graceful neck snapped around, spiraling horn twisting into arcs of lightning. The first bolt barely missed Kairo, striking its own horn instead—but the second bolt caught the edge of Kairo's armor and yanked him off course.
He watched in horror as the Kirin's body twisted in place, hooves digging into the rooftop, then lashed out with a rearing kick—its entire body vertical as it struck upward with terrifying power, connecting cleanly with Kairo's Insect Glaive.
The impact nearly tore the weapon from his hands. His attack was completely broken. The force launched him uncontrollably into the sky—directly into the path of the third bolt of lightning.
His whole body seized. His face went dark. His hair stood on end. The thunderous current surged through his frame, locking his limbs.
His conscious mind screamed at him to move—but his body, now paralyzed, refused to obey.
When Kairo finally came crashing back down, the Kirin was waiting. A single backhoof slammed into the armor on his lower back. The sound of warped metal and cracking bone rang out in a muffled, sickening blend, sending Kairo flying like a cannonball.
"Hierophant Purple!"
Just before Kairo tumbled off the tower, Joseph acted—vines invisible to the naked eye burst from his hands, lashing around Kairo's body and yanking him back with every ounce of strength.
While Kairo was being reeled in, two others stepped into the Kirin's path—Tanjiro Kamado and Laios.
As second-wave Hunters in the Gathering Hub, they weren't leagues apart from Kairo's strength. Each had unique experience to make up the difference.
The moment Kairo was knocked back, Laios charged the Kirin through a hail of lightning, using his Switch Axe's sword mode to deliver a heavy overhead slash. The Kirin raised its hoof to block. In that exact instant, Tanjiro leapt from Laios's shoulders, using him as a springboard to unleash a precise Spirit Slash at the Kirin's horn.
The timing was perfect—his blade nearly struck the horn—but from within the Kirin's mane, a concentrated burst of plasma exploded outward, sending Tanjiro's attack flying wide.
Laios quickly pulled the trigger on his Switch Axe's sword form. The mechanical clack signaled his phial energy had fully charged—Zero Sum Discharge: ready.
Just as the supercharged blade was about to pierce the Kirin's shoulder, lightning engulfed Laios entirely.
A shock of electricity fried his nerves and gave him an instant perm. The close-range detonation hurled both him and Tanjiro backward.
The metal parts of their gear were glowing red-hot from the voltage. Laios genuinely felt like he was being roasted alive.
This was the rhythm of battle between the Hunters and the Kirin.
The Hunters would chug Mega Potions or Ancient Potions and charge again. The Kirin, in turn, blasted them back to death's door with its savage thunder and raw physicality.
The Hunters used this brutal loop to hone themselves through adversity.
Kairo saw this Kirin as their personal sparring partner—a crucible designed to forge them stronger.
Because in the future, greater trials awaited. Not every monster would be a gimmick fight like the Winged Lion. Sooner or later, they'd face threats where brute force was the only answer.
"Guildmaster… Kirin really is something else," Joseph muttered, helping Kairo back to his feet. "If there are even scarier Elder Dragons waiting for us down the line… I'm starting to question if I really wanna stay a Hunter."
"Shouldn't that make you more excited to fight?" Kairo retorted, unamused. "Besides… that horn's already taken a lot of damage…"
"Hm?" Joseph caught the implication. "What're you thinking?"
"Nothing much. I just remembered I haven't told you all about a certain creature yet… something called the Rajang," Kairo said, shaking Joseph off and rising to his feet, body still aching. "That black-furred ape's nickname is the 'Guildmaster.' But Rajang has a certain… tradition. Or maybe a shared understanding…"
"Listen up!" Kairo shouted, selling the drama. "Today, I'll show you what it means…"
"To take on the Guildmaster's coming-of-age ceremony!!"
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