MHGA Chapter 171 – The Imprisoned Hunters and Aqua the Missionary!
"Come on! Let's show the strength of our Hunters' vitality!"
At this moment, Miko and the Hunters were standing on a small path that Miko usually took home. There weren't any people around for now, but Miko could already see quite a number of spirits nearby…
And those spirits seemed to have noticed the sudden appearance of Kairo Retsu and the others—they were all turning their attention this way and slowly approaching.
But in the next moment, Kairo Retsu made a move Miko absolutely didn't expect.
"Rrrip—!"
Kairo Retsu's chest armor was instantly retracted, and the remaining tank top he wore was torn clean off by his own hands, exposing a body built from consistent Cat Meals and relentless training.
"This is what it means to be a Hunter—this is our privilege!" Kairo Retsu struck a bodybuilder's pose brimming with power. "As long as you eat nutrient-rich Cat Meals, you'll naturally become strong! Born as powerful as lions! Though, of course, you still have to train!"
"Hrah—Radiant Wings Unfold! Side Chest!" Kairo Retsu flexed his muscles, his presence so overwhelming that Miko couldn't even look at him directly.
Why was he suddenly shirtless and flexing like a bodybuilder!?
"Come on, all of you join in!" Kairo Retsu cheerfully called out to Joseph, Tanjiro, and the others. "Show off your robust Hunter vitality!"
"Got it, Guildmaster!" Tanjiro responded without hesitation and imitated Kairo Retsu.
Joseph joined in and started clowning along with Kairo Retsu.
Naofumi sighed but reluctantly removed his chest armor to go along, leaving only an inner shirt.
As for Kazuma...
"No way! Absolutely not! Why are we suddenly stripping!?" Kazuma shouted in protest. "What kind of method even is this! You'll just get weird stares from people!"
"Of course it's to drive out spirits using the sheer force of our Hunter vitality!" Kairo Retsu declared confidently as he shifted into another pose. "Where I come from, this is called 'yang energy'… the natural counter to ghosts! Today we'll show these ghosts what true vigor looks like!"
"Come on, you too!"
Kairo Retsu and Joseph exchanged glances, then moved in together and began forcibly tearing at Kazuma's shirt, eliciting a shriek from him.
"Eeeeeek—No! Help meee!!"
While the scene before her was hard to stomach, Miko noticed something unexpected—those spirits that were originally approaching had actually been pushed back, their forms distorted as if impacted by something.
…Though she still wasn't sure if it was really their "masculine vitality" doing the trick, or if the ghosts were simply too disturbed by the ridiculous display to come closer.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Get away from that boy! Leave that girl alone!!"
Just as the Hunters were fully immersed in their sweaty, youthful exuberance—while bullying Kazuma—a voice of authority rang out from the other side. Joseph and Kairo Retsu paused and looked over to see a police officer approaching...
About twenty minutes later...
The Hunters were all sitting in a holding cell at a local police station.
"Dammit, our great venture ended in failure before it even started!" Kairo Retsu clutched the cell bars with dramatic sorrow. "We've been arrested! What'll happen to Miko now?!"
"I never should've gone along with the mood..." Naofumi covered his face in dismay.
Maybe it was because he hadn't had friends to mess around with in so long—but somehow, he'd gotten caught up in the absurdity.
"We caused trouble for others again," Tanjiro said, genuinely remorseful.
"Why am I even in here!? I'm the victim here! Why am I locked up with the rest of them!?" Kazuma wailed, clutching the iron bars. "I'm innocent!"
"No chance! You're going down with us!" Kairo Retsu proclaimed righteously. "Even if I fall into a bottomless abyss, I'm dragging you with me!"
"You bas—" Kazuma lunged at Kairo Retsu, and the two immediately started grappling in the cell.
"So not only did we fail to solve anything, we also got ourselves arrested," Joseph muttered. "I mean, we could leave anytime we wanted, but this is the first time I've been in a foreign jail..."
"Eh, don't worry!" Kairo Retsu replied while wrestling Kazuma. "Your grandson and great-granddaughter both made their first appearances from behind bars! Maybe it's hereditary!"
"That's not reassuring at all! I'm only nineteen!!" Joseph snapped.
"I wonder how Miko-san is doing right now," Tanjiro said, looking concerned. "Did that little exorcism of ours even work?"
"Probably. Just to be safe, I had Miko return to the Gathering Hub for now. Once there aren't any eyes on us, we'll slip out of here too," Kairo Retsu sighed. "Looks like we'll need another plan..."
"Since we've got time, how about a little chat?" Kairo Retsu said mysteriously as he rummaged through his backpack. "I brought something good with me…"
"Let's sneak a drink! Just a bit! It's the legendary Rathalos Whiskey!" He carefully pulled out a bottle behind the guards' backs. "No real men's talk is complete without top-shelf booze!"
Unbeknownst to the Hunters currently "team-building" in jail, back at the Gathering Hub, Miko had returned just in time for the girls' gathering.
"Huh? Miko-san?" Nezuko was the first to notice Miko's return. "Where's my brother and the others?"
"Actually..." Miko began recounting the absurd events that had just transpired with the male Hunters.
"L-Lord Naofumi did... that...?" Raphtalia blushed furiously.
Meanwhile, Aqua had already doubled over laughing, clutching her stomach and slapping the table. "Idiots! Absolute idiots! Getting thrown in jail like that—Kazuma totally deserved it! That's what he gets for keeping a place this delicious from us for so long!"
"B-But, the Guildmaster and the others really did have an effect!" Miko quickly added, trying to defend them. "While they were around, the ghosts didn't get close—but once they got arrested, the spirits came back…"
"See? Those men are totally useless!" Aqua scoffed, brushing pastry crumbs off her robe and standing up. She opened her arms wide toward Miko. "You can join our Axis Church! Once you're in, you'll never have to fear evil spirits again~!"
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