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MHD Chapter 44: Flirting with Fire... Literally
🕑 Added 2025-07-10 04:06:44 +0000 UTCAfter realizing it was her, Logan’s previous look of total indifference had been instinctively brushed aside by Aki’s younger sister.
A Rathalos this exceptional—of course he was aloof. That was exactly how he should be.
There was no way a monster like him would ever be short of mates. Barring some rare accident, any Rathian would be dying to have him.
And more importantly, his partner was Aki. In her eyes, Aki was something else entirely—powerful, special, flawless. The perfect Rathian.
Seeing that Logan made no move to stop her and that Aki wasn’t around, the younger sister finally took slow, rhythmic steps into the nest, her thick hind legs pacing calmly across the floor.
She ignored the ever-alert Grimalkyne warrior stationed nearby and casually looked around.
No bones left behind. No strange lingering stench. No greasy tar formed from long-unattended carcasses.
The nest was spotless. Aside from the claw marks that marked the territory, there wasn’t even a shed scale or piece of old keratin lying around.
Of course. Only a living space like this was worthy of such a stunning Rathalos.
As for whether this cleanliness was thanks to Aki, or even somehow related to the Grimalkynes—Aki’s sister didn’t give it a second thought. She credited it all to Logan.
What can you say? Whether it’s a human or a wyvern—once someone puts on rose-colored glasses, everything they see gets filtered through them.
She moved in closer, lowering her head to study Logan’s scales up close.
And the result? Absolutely flawless.
Not only were his scales smooth and rock-hard, but that deep crimson color even shimmered faintly with a metallic silver sheen. The definition of his muscles was clear—rising and falling with every breath he took. It made her want to rub against him so bad!!
Sensing her increasingly heavy and erratic breathing, Logan’s eyes snapped open, visibly irritated. He shot her a cold, sharp glare.
They weren’t even close!
Why was she getting this close?
Was she looking to fight?!
Logan hated wyverns that didn’t respect boundaries. Even if it was Aki’s sister—he didn’t care.
This had nothing to do with whether Aki would be upset.
It was a matter of principle.
The moment he opened his eyes, that frosty gaze startled her, and her heart immediately began to race—
[Thump! Thump! Thump!]
'So dominant! So savage! Just one look was enough to scare me! He really is my sister’s mate!'
Far from being intimidated, that icy stare stirred up some rather... unwelcome feelings inside her.
And so, in the seconds that followed, Logan’s expression shifted—from cold, to stunned, to downright incredulous—as he watched what she did next.
Just as Logan watched, Aki’s younger sister suddenly took two steps back—then abruptly spread her wings wide. The burst of wind pressure from the motion nearly knocked over the nearby Grimalkyne warrior.
The vibrant, symmetrical patterns on her wings shimmered as she gave them a light flutter. Her powerful hind legs gripped the vine-woven platform beneath her, and she proudly lifted her head, revealing the elegant curve of her neck. Then she turned around to show off her spines and the ridged carapace that ran down her back.
Logan was stunned.
What the hell are you doing, little sister?!
From a wyvern’s perspective, she was undeniably a high-quality Rathian: robust physique, fully developed body, and just the right touch of wild ferocity in her appearance. She had just reached adulthood, yet already possessed the ideal proportions.
One could say she had immense potential—exactly the kind of female who could produce strong offspring.
But still!!
Logan didn’t feel anything.
Leaving aside the fact that he was still a juvenile Rathalos—his partner was Aki.
Whether in looks, personality, strength, or raw potential, Aki was at the very top of every Rathian he had ever known.
More than that, they’d lived together for years, and their bond was as strong as ever. Lately, Aki had even started acting more affectionate and clingy than usual—a total change from her normal self.
That unexpected shift in behavior had nearly hooked Logan like a fish on a line.
His tastes, his standards—Aki had completely ruined him for anyone else. Even someone like Aki’s sister, as high-quality as she might be, barely registered to him. At most, he could give her a passing score.
After getting used to gourmet feasts, there’s just no appetite for plain forage.
“ROAR!!”
A sudden roar shattered the awkward moment. Logan unfurled his wings and immediately struck a defensive pose, clearly driving her away.
Aki’s sister stared at him, stunned, then slowly retracted her wings. A soft whimper slipped from her throat, almost like a wounded beast—full of grievance and hurt.
Too bad for her—Logan wasn’t buying it.
He stayed completely cold and unyielding. The Grimalkyne warriors, sensing his stance, raised their spears, breathing heavily. If Logan gave the word, they’d charge straight at the Rathian without hesitation—even if she was dangerous.
But before Logan could even make a move—
A thunderous, furious roar exploded at the entrance of the nest!
With a heavy thud, the corpse of a recently hunted Aptonoth slammed onto the slope by the mouth of the cave. Aki stormed in, her spines flaring, wings spread wide. Sparks flickered from her mouth as she bared her fury for all to see!
She had barely returned when she heard Logan’s roar—and right after that, the harsh, dry scent of the Wildspire Waste invaded her nose. The smell of a foreign Rathian from that very wasteland had seeped into the nest, trailing down the slope like a trail of betrayal.
Aki was instantly overwhelmed by a deep sense of crisis.
She had been so cautious—every hunt executed with maximum speed—yet even in such a short window of absence, some reckless Rathian still had the audacity to sneak into her nest while she was gone!
Furious. Absolutely furious.
But beyond that fury, what unsettled her even more was the terrifying what if—what if Logan couldn’t resist the temptation? What if, just by accident, one of these cunning Rathians managed to win him over and be accepted as his mate?
If Logan accepted her, then by instinct and custom, Aki would have no choice but to accept the other’s presence as well. The best she could do would be to beat the sly intruder into submission, wait until the mating was over, and then chase her off—banishing her all the way to the Wildspire Waste.
She couldn’t even kill her.
Fueled by that panic, Aki dropped the prey she had brought and charged into the nest with a furious roar.
And what did she find?
The one trying to sneak into her home while she was gone was none other than her dear little sister.
And that pitiful look she was putting on—who was that supposed to fool?
Fortunately, it seemed her Rathalos hadn’t been swayed. Even those Grimalkynes she usually had no respect for were standing alongside Logan, taking a clear stance to drive the intruder out.
That calmed Aki down—slightly. But her anger only burned hotter.
Other Rathians might not know Logan’s age—but her sister definitely did.
And yet she still chose to do this?
That made Aki even more furious.
'As I thought… choosing to live away from these idiots was the smartest decision I ever made.'
With that thought burning in her mind, Aki fixed her sister with a dangerous, murderous glare—clearly itching to beat the living scales off her.
The younger Rathian was startled by Aki’s sudden appearance. Then, under Aki’s furious, oppressive, and dangerous glare, her body involuntarily shrank back a little.
She had a bad feeling—today, she might just get a brutal beating.
The only time she had ever seen Aki truly angry was during a hunt when they were young. One of the Rathalos brothers from the same clutch suddenly lost his mind and insisted on picking a fight with the largest Mosswine in the herd. Because of that, several smaller Mosswine—originally their hunting targets—managed to escape.
Thanks to that Rathalos’s reckless actions, the whole group ended up going hungry that day.
In the end, Aki beat that Rathalos half to death. After that, they each went their separate ways and started surviving alone in the Wildspire Waste.
She didn’t want to end up like that Rathalos—beaten so badly she couldn’t get up for half a day.
Right now, the only one who might save her was Logan.
But when the younger Rathian turned her head toward him, she saw—when had it happened?—Logan had curled back up in his nest and even closed his eyes. He was clearly washing his hands of the whole matter.
“Roar~~”
A low, muffled growl rumbled from Aki’s throat, tinged with anger. The younger Rathian’s whole body trembled slightly, and she drooped her head in resignation.
But then, as if some thought occurred to her, she gave Logan one last look and suddenly let out a loud cry, full of spirit and defiance.
She actually dared to challenge Aki first!
Even Logan couldn’t pretend not to notice anymore. He opened his eyes and looked over at her in surprise.
'Oh? Young Rathian, huh~ You’ve got guts~'
Logan couldn’t help but admire her courage.
To be fair, sometimes the way the Pukei-Pukei thinks isn’t entirely wrong—at least among members of the same species, the bigger one tends to be stronger.
Not to mention, Aki’s current size was already approaching the upper known limits for Rathians. She was a true tempered specimen through and through. Meanwhile, the younger one had only just reached a decent standard—just a slightly more robust normal Rathian.
Seeing that Logan had finally opened his eyes, the younger Rathian was secretly delighted.
Didn’t that mean she’d successfully caught his attention?
Now all she had to do was show off a bit during the fight with Aki—there had to be at least a slim chance.
Naturally, her little scheme didn’t escape Aki’s notice. Her gaze grew even colder.
She had only meant to teach the little one a lesson, but now—if she didn’t completely beat her down, what was the point of all the size she’d built up over the years?
