The sleek chrome hovercraft of the Blue Seals settled beside a small, red and black transport belonging to one of the residences of the apartment complex. Aria and Eryx stepped out, their expressions a study yet somewhat neutral.
Across the street, Arden of the Red Phoenix guild stepped out of a fiery red supercar, his gaze sweeping over the arrivals.
“Well, well, Eryx.”
“Haven’t seen you at one of these recruitment brawls in a while.”
Eryx shot back a playful jab. “Just taking a well-deserved break, Arden. Besides, some jobs require a bit more finesse than brute force.”
Aria spoke up with a stern look, “And we’re here to remind everyone that we aren’t that weak.”
Although among the top five guilds, the Blue Seals were considered to be the weakest, and more often than not, didn’t participate in many of such gatherings before.
Arden chuckled. “Weak, huh? I can’t help but wonder what you both plan to offer today.” It suddenly became silent, broken only by the whirring of the hover vehicles. Then, a sleek black limousine with tinted windows pulled up beside the Arden’s supercar. A collective feeling of unease rippled through the gathered guild representatives as the door hissed open. A man with dark brown hair, purple eyes, Cheng Zhi, branch master of the notorious Black Reaper guild, emerged. Wearing a look of complete indifference. A shiver ran down the spine of even the most seasoned guild members.
The Black Reapers were known for their ruthless tactics and shadowy dealings, also rumored to still be dealing in human and monster trafficking despite all the laws and protocols put down by the Union. His presence seemed to cast a dark cloud over the otherwise competitive atmosphere.
Aria whispered to Eryx, “Great, just what we needed. The Reapers.”
Eryx nodded. “Things just got a whole lot more complicated.”
Cheng Zhi took a look around, his eyes landing on the other guild representatives, a grin suddenly appearing on his face.
“Interesting turnout. I wonder who among you has the stomach for what’s to come.”
Arden smirked. “We all know you’re not here for a fair fight, Cheng.”
Cheng’s eyes narrowed. “Fairness is a luxury the weak can’t afford.”
Suddenly, the whirring of powerful engines filled the air. A massive, heavily armored hovercraft descended, emblazoned with the insignia of the Berserker guild – a roaring bear. The door lowered with a loud thud, revealing a figure of woman with deep purple hair and piercing red eyes.
Anya, the Berserker guild master, strode forward, her every step gave off power and prestige. Beside her stood a hulking man with a shaved head and a grim expression, the guild’s branch master, and a wiry, older woman with sharp eyes, presumably the vice branch master.
“Surprised to see you all here,” Anya yelled, her voice echoing across the small gathering. “I thought you’d all learned your lesson by now. Only the strongest get what they want.”
Eryx let out a sigh as he mummerd, “There she goes again, reminding everyone why the Berserkers are such a killjoy.”
Aria smirked. “Her confidence will be her downfall someday.”
Anya’s eyes flashed with amusement.
“Keep dreaming, Blue Seals. When you wake up, reality will still belong to the Berserkers.”
The assembled representatives shot each other intense glances, almost as if they could pounce on each other at any moment. Just then, another sleek vehicle, this one a shimmering silver, landed gracefully beside the Berserker transport.
A young man with white hair and chillingly cold silver eyes stepped out, followed by a towering blue haired woman with a pair of glasses.
This was none other than Yuuto Tsukumo, guild master of the White Comet guild and infamous for his nickname, “Mr. Immortal.” Despite his young appearance, bestowed upon him by his ‘Absolute Regeneration’ talent, Yuuto was actually the eldest member present, his age hidden by his unique ability.
Yuuto’s gaze swept over the crowd, landing briefly on each guild leader.
“I see we’ve gathered quite the crowd,” he remarked, his voice calm and even. “I trust we’re all here for the same reason?”
Anya crossed her arms, smirking. “Of course, Sir Tsukumo. We all want the same prize. The question is, who’s going to get it?”
Yuuto’s eyes glinted. “Youngsters, pray you all remember, it’s not merely power or cunning that shall win this day, but the virtue of wisdom and patience.”
The arrival of the White Comets sent a ripple of shockwaves that extended far beyond the assembled guild representatives.
Windows on the lower floors of the apartment complex creaked open, revealing a bunch of surprised faces.
A woman peered out her window with a monocle perched on her eye.
“Goodness gracious!” she gasped, clutching a string of pearls.
“What in the world is all this commotion?”
Down the hall, a man scratched his head in shock. Hovercrafts with the insignia of the top five guilds – the Berserkers, Red Phoenix, Black Reapers, Blue Seals, and White Comets – were practically parked bumper-to-bumper in front of their building.
“Did I win the lottery and not know it?” he said, pinching himself to make sure he wasn’t
dreaming.
A group of teenagers gathered on the fire escape, their expressions a look of awe and excitement.
“Dude, are those the actual guilds?”
“I thought I only saw this stuff in the news!”
“Seriously, this is insane!” another said, his phone already out, capturing the scene for his social media followers.
“The top five guilds all at the same place? What’s going on?”
The commotion outside slowly reached a fever pitch as Anya, the Berserker guild master, addressed the other representatives.
“We should grab the boy and go somewhere else before the paparazzi swarm the place.”
“Agreed.” Sir Yuuto said, nodding his head slightly. “But which one of you will be so kind as to notify him of our arrival?”
News of the “great guild showdown” as Mrs. Watanabe dubbed it, spread like wildfire. Local news outlets scrambled to dispatch their crews, eager to capture a piece of what was shaping
up to be a historic event.
Meanwhile, oblivious to the chaos unfolding outside, Alister stepped out of his apartment, a leftover pastry clutched in his hand. He blinked in confusion at the sight of the gleaming
vehicles and the gathering crowd.
“What in the world…” he muttered, his voice barely audible over the growing din.
All the guild representatives’ collective gaze instantly landed on him.
“Seems there might not be a need to go notify him after all.” Sir Yuuto said, smiling calmly
right after.