Dylan was a junior Moderator in the fair city of Xylphys, rated number one for the most difficult name to spell, and also for excellent hot dogs. And he was late.

Sprinting between coal-covered miners returning from work, steel golems carrying massive loads above the heads of bystanders (was that a knight?) he ran into the huge marble building, a clean white banner reading 'Guild Hall' above. Breaking through the huge doors and spilling papers the whole way, Dylan ran through the group of startled adventurers, sidestepping Graves and his spike-covered armor, and up the grand stairs.

As he dashed towards the nondescript door at the end, the guards standing outside barely gave him a glance. The thin teenager was a common sight at the hall and his hurried mannerisms were the butt of more than a few jokes among the adventurers.

"I-I need to speak with the guildmaster right away! It's urgent!"

The two guards exchanged a look. They were more than familiar with the often-panicked Dylan and his certainty that everything was an emergency. "Exactly how urgent is it, Dylan?"

He fished through the remaining papers and pulled out one stamped with the Mana Society seal, holding it out to them. Accepting the paper, the lead guard took a cursory look and did a double-take, leaning his spear against the hallway and grabbing the document with both hands. The paper started to crinkle from the force and Dylan winced in spite of himself. The other guard looked curious and a bit concerned, asking, "Mike? Everything okay?"

Mike handed the paper back to Dylan and promptly opened the door, the other guard snapping to attention. "Thanks, Mike!" he said as he rushed in.

Charles McDevon, the current guildmaster, was reclining in a fancy velvet chair, the room draped with the previous accomplishments of guildmasters long gone. A small, neatly organized desk took center stage, with several knickknacks arranged on it and a large cat snoozed on a pillow nearby.

As Dylan rushed in, almost hyperventilating, Charles sighed. "Dylan, it had better be important." The young stood in front of the desk, nervously eyeing the cat. It'd probably eaten more monsters than the teen had ever seen. He took a deep breath and began talking. "On behalf of the Official Mana Society of Xylphys, I would like to request an immediate post for a triple-S rank threat." That got Charles' attention faster than anything else would've, and even the cat looked up. "What do you mean, triple-S? We haven't had one of those in over a century!" Dylan continued with the message, voice cracking slightly.

"Due to a sudden and catastrophic decrease in mana levels in the Hiding Forest, the Society has performed an A-rank scry and discovered the immediate and unavoidable return of..." His voice died in his throat. The threat they were facing was a familiar and ancient one, the likes of which hadn't been seen in hundreds of years. He tried to start back up, but his mouth was completely dry. He couldn't even say that... that monster's name. Charles summoned a glass of water, coming around the desk to pat him on the back. "Take your time. What's going on?"

He sucked in a deep breath, heart pounding, and said as calmly as he could, "They have discovered the immediate and unavoidable return of Noah Cosmic."

The blood drained from Charles' face, and he collapsed backward onto the table, knuckles white from holding himself up. "Are... are they sure?" he said hoarsely. Dylan simply nodded.

"Man, the way you guys are reacting, you'd think it was the end of the world."

Both men leaped away from the kid who had appeared in the room, Charles falling over the desk. Mike opened the door from the outside, having heard the noise. "What's going- " He collapsed before the sentence finished, snoring before he hit the ground.

Noah Cosmic grinned at the hapless men. "What's this I hear about a bounty post? I haven't even been back for a year, and you're already welcoming me so warmly?"

Dylan wet himself. To his credit, Charles managed to stand up, knees shaking. "We have committed no hostile actions to you yet and therefore are considered innocent in the eyes of the Apocalypse Accords." Noah raised an eyebrow, still smiling. "The Accords, eh? I forgot I signed those, but I guess you have a point. Anyway, I just wanted to drop by and let you know that you're free to hunt me as you will. I won't even kill anyone who tries since we both know it's pointless. However," His grin vanished as he pointed a finger at the guildmaster, and the shadows in the room seemed to grow longer. "Nobody associated with the guild is allowed to put a single step in the Hiding Forest. I've been working on something there and I'm not going to let it get messed up because a couple humans are having anxiety issues, got it? Stay out of it."

A hole in space opened, and Noah stepped through, still pointing at the two men.

Charles said what they were both thinking. "Holy carking crap, we're screwed."