MHGA Chapter 290 – Frenzy Virus
"Guildmaster big brother, the names you mentioned earlier—are they the other new recruits?" Sakura, with a little cream still on her lips, curiously asked Kairo Retsu about the other magical girls. "What did you mean by 'saving them'? Are their futures… not good?"
"...How should I put it."
Kairo Retsu glanced at the adorable Sakura before speaking: "In stories… regrets often appear. And not every tale ends with a happy ending…"
He hesitated—was it really okay to tell such heavy stories to a ten-year-old like Sakura?
In the end, Kairo Retsu chose to say it: "Hibiki Tachibana goes through a lot of hardship, but at least her ending is a good one."
"But the other two…" He looked at the names Mamika Kirameki and Madoka Kaname and fell silent.
There was no need to elaborate on Madoka. In her world, becoming a magical girl inevitably led to tragedy.
As for Mamika—who appeared in RE:CREATORS—though she entered the Creators' world as a magical girl, her final fate was being killed by the Military Uniform Princess, Altair.
[Trivia: Mamika's name is possibly a reference to Madoka and Mami. "Mamika" sounds like "Mami," and of course, there's "Madoka." In a way, it reflects the meta-malignancy of the highest-order narrative layers.]
"Don't worry." Kairo Retsu forced a smile for the two girls in front of him. "I'll help them. There's no reason to stand by and do nothing, right?"
"There's no logic in making young girls shoulder everything alone, right?" Kairo Retsu grinned. "Since they've become part of the Gathering Hall, it's my duty as Guildmaster to lead them toward a better future. That's what an adult should do."
"Guildmaster, you're… a good person!" Saki Uno was visibly moved.
"...Do I really not look like a good guy?" Kairo Retsu's face darkened, but he still reassured the two girls: "Anyway, don't worry about your futures. Nothing bad will happen."
Sakura and Saki were relieved by Kairo Retsu's words. After finishing the special cake prepared by Granny Felyne, they both got ready to return to their respective worlds.
"If you have time, drop by the Gathering Hall again." Kairo Retsu smiled. "I'll have your stories ready."
"Also, just call me Guildmaster." He gave them a big thumbs-up and a bright grin. "Even if you don't want to become Hunters… we can still be friends, right? I'll introduce you to the other Hunters and receptionists in the Hall. Everyone's really nice."
"Thank you, Guildmaster," Sakura said politely, bowing. Saki also gave her farewells, and the two magical girls returned to their original worlds.
"Ahhh, meeting new members really lifts the spirits!" Kairo Retsu hummed happily as he helped Granny Felyne clean up the dishes—only to find that some of the used plates had black, dust-like powder on them.
"Hm? Ash from where?" Kairo Retsu shook the dishes clean and continued humming the tune of Proof of a Hero as he put them in the collection bin.
But when he turned around—Granny Felyne was standing behind him, looking deadly serious.
"Guildmaster… you seem… sick?" Granny Felyne gently touched Kairo Retsu's forehead with her paw, visibly concerned.
"No way, I feel amazing right now." Kairo Retsu grinned. "Honestly, I feel like I could take on an Elder Dragon or two—I'm bursting with energy!"
As he said this, he struck a bodybuilder pose to show how fit he was. But Granny Felyne suddenly grabbed him and pulled open one of his eyelids—revealing an abnormal glow in his pupils…
"It's… Frenzy Virus." Her expression turned graver. "You've been infected by scale powder carrying the Frenzy Virus."
She quickly noticed other irregularities around the Canteen. In a flash, several masked Palicoes sprang into action, conducting a full inspection and cleaning operation.
Soon after, Kairo Retsu was forcibly pinned to a bed by the Palicoes. Granny Felyne held a small pouch containing the collected scale powder, her face grim.
"I'm infected with the Frenzy Virus?" Kairo Retsu was stunned. "Impossible! I haven't even seen a Gore Magala or a Shagaru Magala! And I haven't noticed any Frenzied monsters nearby either! How could I be infected…"
The Frenzy Virus… Its appearance nearly always meant the presence of a very specific monster—Gore Magala.
Hunters had long records on this mysterious creature—shrouded in darkness, dispersing black scale dust, leaving piles of corpses in its wake. When it appeared, other monsters would become frenzied, and any Hunter contaminated by its powder would lose their regenerative abilities. Infected creatures would eventually go mad and die.
"It's alright, Guildmaster. You've always had proper meals and are in good health. You should be able to overcome the virus." Granny Felyne tried to reassure him, but her expression still showed unease. "The Frenzy Virus itself isn't a big problem for the Hall. The issue is—where did it come from?"
Worry deepened on her face. "The Frenzy Virus scale powder… might have come into the Hall attached to the new Hunters."
"What?" Kairo Retsu was dumbfounded. "Sakura and Saki? Why would they have the Frenzy Virus on them? Which one was it?"
"…Both," Granny Felyne finally said, revealing what troubled her most. "I fear an infection source carrying the Frenzy Virus has mistakenly entered their worlds… and the same might be true for the remaining three new Hunters' worlds as well."
"Something like that… Could it really be Gore Magala?" Kairo Retsu felt a sharp headache coming on.
Gore Magala… In terms of raw combat ability, it wasn't among the strongest monsters. But what made it terrifying was the Frenzy Virus—a powder it constantly shed.
Frenzied monsters became more aggressive and had their power temporarily amplified. But what Kairo Retsu—and Granny Felyne—were most concerned about was this:
Gore Magala… is the immature form of Shagaru Magala.
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