MHGA Chapter 316: Aerial Great Sword!
The searing heat radiating through the Great Sword scorched Kairo Retsu's hair dry. The force of the explosion hammered into him, and in that moment, he deeply felt a certain truth:
Regardless of age—be it young, old, or anything in between—the sheer vitality and power of these wyverns were what truly made them monsters.
But precisely because of that—because of this feeling of the hunt, of the struggle where small, fragile humans challenge beasts that roam the wild with nothing but weapons in hand—that was what made Kairo Retsu love Monster Hunter.
After launching that charged fireball, the flustered young Rathalos flapped its wings and soared into the air, climbing beyond the reach of Flash Bombs.
It had been startled by the heavy blows to its head and sought to relocate, regroup, and return for vengeance.
But the Paintball marking on its body made its position shine like a beacon on Kairo Retsu's map.
Watching the young Rathalos recede into the distance, Kairo Retsu retrieved the Scoutfly Lamp from his waist and gave it a shake, prompting the Scoutflies to shoot out and guide him in pursuit.
"Hunting… really is addictive, huh…"
With that, Kairo Retsu began the long chase after the fleeing Rathalos.
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In the depths of this vast, verdant forest, a thunderous roar rang out from near a jungle wetland.
The endemic life scattered in panic under the overwhelming bellow of the dragon.
It had now been nearly twenty hours since Kairo Retsu first ambushed the Rathalos. In this prolonged chase, the two had already clashed multiple times.
The Rathalos had even grown desensitized to the brightness of Flash Bombs. But no matter how far it flew, that tenacious little human would always catch up—always managing to inflict new wounds.
The Rathalos hadn't even had a chance to eat. When it finally managed to ambush a herd of herbivores and caught one, just as it was about to feast, that damnable hunter leapt from some treetop again—carving a deep gash in its wing membrane.
"RAAAHHHHH!!"
Hovering midair, the Rathalos loosed fireballs in Kairo Retsu's direction. Its throat, repeatedly scorched by its own flames, now struggled to even regenerate.
Kairo Retsu was feeling the difficulty too.
Unlike the data-driven Rathalos of screen simulations, the real one didn't linger just above the ground to let hunters clip its legs and tail.
This wyvern flew constantly, spamming breath attacks like a cheap boss fight. If it kept developing this way, Kairo Retsu thought, it might grow into one of the most annoying monsters ever.
He also noticed the wounds he had inflicted on its head—especially the first ones—were already healing. Monster vitality was monstrous indeed. If things continued like this, he didn't know how long the hunt would drag on.
Kairo Retsu scanned the surrounding terrain, and an idea began to take shape.
He would have to kill it here, before it could escape again.
Resolving this, Kairo Retsu slowed his attacks, giving the Rathalos time to catch its breath. But every time it showed signs of fleeing, he'd quickly mix Flashbugs into a Flash Bomb and fire it off, or target its damaged wing with other projectiles.
As the delay continued, the entire area fell into silence.
Neither Rathalos nor Kairo Retsu made a sound beyond their movements. The Rathalos' throat was too burned out to roar effectively, while Kairo Retsu remained focused, Great Sword raised to guard against a sudden charge.
Vines, towering trees, dense foliage, and various environmental plants surrounded them.
Kairo Retsu's mind whirred as he stood at a standoff with the beast. Then—an idea, risky but promising, surfaced. He acted immediately.
Putting away his Great Sword, he darted across the ground in a low sprint. The young Rathalos eyed him warily, confused by his sudden dash but uncertain of his intentions. It hovered in place, hoping to avoid another attack.
The scent of burned organic matter mingled with the iron stench of spilled dragon blood beneath the forest canopy. Hovering was straining the Rathalos now—its damaged wing required great effort to keep it aloft.
It fixed its gaze on Kairo Retsu, trying to read his movements. But the next moment, Kairo Retsu abruptly rolled and flung something from his left hand—a Slinger shot.
The throwing motion looked exactly like a Flash Bomb toss. On instinct, the Rathalos flinched and turned its head—only to realize there was no flash.
It was just a worthless forest seed pod.
But what truly unsettled the Rathalos—was that Kairo Retsu's presence had vanished.
That tiny figure that had been darting across the ground had disappeared entirely, as if it had been absorbed into the forest. No matter how keen its vision, the Rathalos could no longer find him.
"Grrhh…" the Rathalos growled from its scorched throat, sniffing desperately to catch a whiff of his scent.
But the burnt air and blood-stained wind masked Kairo Retsu's smell completely.
At that moment, Kairo Retsu—camouflaged in his Ghillie Mantle—was rapidly scaling a massive tree using the hanging vines.
The Rathalos, now flying in anxious circles, had no idea its hunter had reached the treetop.
From his vantage point, Kairo Retsu picked a Scatternut growing on a nearby vine and loaded it into his Slinger.
"Height confirmed," he said, glancing up at the sun above. "Position confirmed. Sharpness stable."
He stared at the Rathalos, now flying directly below him.
Then, he downed a Demondrug, tossed a Dust of Life infused with might-boosting powder, and popped a Might Seed into his mouth.
Finally, he shed the Ghillie Mantle and switched to his second specialized gear: the Glider Mantle.
"Aerial Great Sword, Unit One—ready for launch!"
"Takeoff!"
Kairo Retsu dove forward, catching the wind with his Glider Mantle. He soared toward the Rathalos, drawing his Great Sword midair. As he passed above it, the blade began glowing red with charging energy.
"Break for me!!"
With a roar, Kairo Retsu swung down—the charged Great Sword humming as it cleaved into the wounded joint of the Rathalos' tail.
CRACK!
Dark crimson ichor sprayed from the cracked scales as the blade dug deep—cleaving the thick tail clean off.
The Rathalos screamed and plummeted from the sky.
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