Morning. Alexa was taking a nap after a long night of playing on her phone, its already on low battery. Akino slept beside Lyka, who’s hugging her like a very soft pillow.

The sun shines inside through the window. It hits Akino’s face, she opens her eyes and holds Lyka’s hugging arms. She could feel Lyka’s breath on her nape, and her breasts pressing against her back. Akino is flustered, but she lets it.

Lyka: Good morning~

Akino: Oh! Oh… good morning, too.

Alexa suddenly jumps out of her bed, and she yawns very loud.

Alexa: GOOOOOD MORNING, WORLD!

Akino: Can you keep it down! Jeez…

Alexa jumps towards the two, cheerfully making them to stand up.

Alexa: Come on! We’ve got to go to the guild!

Lyka: Guild?

Akino: Oh, about last night…

Akino explains everything that transpired last night. From her taking a drink, getting in a fight with the knights, knowing an adventurer spy named Escobar, his offer to join the adventurer’s guild of Dasman, and Alexa’s pleas for joining the guild that will be decided by their votes.

Akino: And that’s it.

Lyka: You’re against it… why?

Akino: We’ve been avoiding public interference. If we drag others with our mess… it might get ugly…

Alexa: Come on! We’ll be able to take care of it!

Akino: How exactly is that? Only Lyka has the ability to safely terminate the mutated humans without blowing stuff! And our abilities came from a world millennium ahead of this one! We can’t just go out there and do a showcase, right? Plus, our zero-mana energy bodies are sure to attract big problems!

Lyka: Oh! About that…

Lyka pulls out a red crystal, the heart of Dr’akan. She casts a spell on it, and the crystal turns into two separate bracelets.

Lyka: This should do it. These bracelets emit the still lingering mana from Dr’akan, and I imbued it some protection spell. If you wear this, they might overlook your lacking in mana, and will thought that the mana from this bracelet comes from your body.

Alexa: That is very useful! Thanks!

Akino: Wow…

They wore the bracelets Lyka made. Lyka noticed that the bracelet she gave to Akino suddenly merged into her wrists.

Lyka: You… absorbed it?

Akino: They might focus on the bracelet instead, so it will be much better of its inside me.

Lyka: Oh…

Alexa: I think you turned her down.

Akino: What do you mean?

Alexa: The hell, Aki? You’re so dense, what the fuck?

Lyka: It’s fine, Alexa. As long as she accepts it, it’s fine…

Akino: Fuck me…

Alexa: Now you get it!

The bracelet reappears again on Akino’s wrist.

Akino: Would be a waste if didn’t show it off, right?

Lyka: Really?

Akino: Yeah! Ehehehe…

Lyka giggles with joy, Akino kept on laughing awkwardly, and Alexa stares at the two, cringing at them.

Alexa: AHEM! The gold coins, Aki?

Akino: Oh, yeah yeah, thanks for reminding.

Lyka: The coins?

Akino: Escobar told me that the coins of knights were infused with some kind of magic. They must be using it to track their thieves.

Akino placed the bag of coins on the table, and Lyka inspects it.

Lyka: Magic of light affinity… I should be able to remove those.

She casts a magic on the coins. The coins shone brightly with goldish in color, then a black smoke covers it. The shine disappears, and so the black smoke.

Alexa: That’s it?

Lyka: Yeah, that’s it.

Akino: Okay! On to the next topic, who votes for joining the guild? Please, raise your hand.

Both Lyka and Alexa raised their hand. Akino facepalmed herself in disappointment.

Akino: You bribed her, didn’t you?

Alexa: Ummm, no?

Akino: Come on, Lyka! You should be saying that it’s dangerous and we should be doing things in our own!

Lyka: Well, she wanted it. And when I was a child, I wonder what an adventurer does… so, I want to be in a guild as well!

Akino: Oh my god…

Alexa: So? 2 versus 1! Alright, folks! We’re going on an adventure!

Akino: Hold up! I told you, we can’t just show everyone our abilities!

Lyka: Then, we can come up an alibi, or substitution, or something…

They stop talking. While Lyka stands up to fix the bed, Akino seems to be focusing on thinking.

Alexa: You can have super strength, right?

Akino: Yeah?

Alexa: And you’re knowledgeable in martial arts?

Akino: I guess, why?

Alexa: Welp, you can be monk! Like a kung fu master, but armored! That will be awesome!

Akino: And you?

Lyka: I think Alexa could be similar to a morpho.

Alexa: Morphos?

Lyka: An ever-changing creature, it can copy one’s appearances.

Alexa: Then, I’m a tamed morpho!

Akino: But you’ve said that you can’t remove your cat ears, right?

Lyka: Really?

Alexa: Then what am I?

Akino: Then… stick being you, our daughter who can shapeshift into whatever she wants.

Alexa: Not technically shapeshifting, but thanks.

Lyka: So… we’re joining now?

Akino: Like I have a choice… anyways, we should get ready. I told Escobar to meet us in case we join in.

Alexa: Can we have some breakfast first?

And they left the room heading towards the guild. A small walk from the tavern.

Upon entering, they were greeted by Escobar, hanging out with his fellow adventurers: a human girl wearing white and blue robes, holding a wooden staff with a white crystal on its end; a male half-cat known as ‘feral’, wearing leather clothes, and has an arrow and bow; and someone wearing a silver medieval-like armor, carrying a huge sword of silver and gold.

Akino: Escobar!

Escobar: Oh! Miss Akino! Glad you’ve come here… so, you’re joining in with your companions?

Akino: Not companions, my family. And yes, we’re joining in.

Escobar: Before that, let me introduce you to my team. She’s Sarah, our healer and magic support. Next one is Gurg, our archer and spotter. Lastly, umm, he doesn’t speak much but does the work perfectly. He justs entered here and joined us. He’s our front-liner and takes most of the damage, that’s why we’re calling him ‘Tank’.

Akino: Wow… very RPG-ish…

Escobar: Ummm, what?

Akino: Nothing! Nothing… and what about you? The team leader?

Escobar: Yeah! And the strategist as well.

Sarah cuts in, clinging to Escobar’s arms.

Sarah: Excuse me! I am the one that strategizes!

Escobar: Sarah! Come on! Don’t do that in front of my new friends!

Akino: We’re not on that level yet…

Sarah: And hey! Don’t try and flirt with my boy!

Akino: I’m taken, thank you very much…

Escobar: EHEM! Okay! Shall we proceed to your registration?

Escobar guides the three towards the reception room of the adventurers. They are greeted by a man, wearing red-long sleeves and silver pants.

Escobar: Ladies, this is our guild leader, Lord Adrian.

He lowers his head in front of the three and offered them a seat. They made themselves comfortable with their seats, and Adrian took out his monocle and took some papers to write on.

The moment Adrian glances his sights to Lyka, he became a bit anxious.

Lord Adrian: Your mana, milady… its ominous and overwhelming… but impressively kept. If I hadn’t focus on you, then I wouldn’t notice it.

Lyka: I have affinity to dark magic, so… is it really ominous, huh?

Lord Adrian: Wow! Only few people get to have affinity to darkness! Most are… monsters, in nature…

Lyka: I should try to conceal it more…

Alexa: You’re calling my mother a monster?!

Lord Adrian: NO! No, I’m sorry young girl. I’ll never speak of it again -

Akino: Good. If you try to compare her to a monster, I’m gonna bash your head in. And by the way, what do you mean IF you hadn’t focus on her?! Are ya staring at something else, HUH?!

Lyka: Calm down! Both of you!

Lord Adrian: Umm… Escobar, can we have a moment, please?

Escobar: Sure.

Both Escobar and Adrian left the three. They went to a far corner and started whispering to each other.

Lord Adrian: Are you sure about this?

Escobar: Yeah?

Lord Adrian: A potentially dangerous demi-wolf whose magic levels compares to a grand magus, and her affinity is with darkness! Then a human girl and a cat-girl that have little magic in them! Where did they came from, by the way?

Escobar: They came from a forest, south-west of the city… where the Altruisians did their ‘crusade’ thing they mentioned to us weeks ago…

Lord Adrian: Then that demi-wolf is the -

Escobar: Yes. She’s the sole survivor of their attack. And these two were the ones who saved her.

Lord Adrian: You did mention that this Akino handled 6 Altruisians by herself. And we found their unconscious bodies on an alleyway near the tavern this morning… is she really that capable?

Escobar: Yeah, and she… she ‘outsmarted’ me, like she’s many steps ahead of me, you know? Kind of embarrassing when I remember what happened to me last night… so, you still want them in?

Lord Adrian: We have to test them out first… but I’ll some questions then we can get them to take the test.

Escobar: You won’t regret taking them in, I swear.

Lord Adrian: I hope so…

The two went back, and the three girls were staring at them.

Escobar: Umm, do we have a problem?

Lyka: You knew all along? The attack on our tribe?!

Lord Adrian: You heard us?

Akino: It’s part of our skillset… and we might start using it against you unless you started talking about that attack a week ago.

The two gentlemen went silent. Lyka’s holding her tears, she bits her lips in anger and frustration. Alexa kept on comforting her mother, and Akino stares at the two with fumed eyes.

Lord Aldrin: The Altruis Kingdom sent some of their diplomats and knights, over 2 weeks ago. They halted our expeditions and commissions, in order to appeal to the governor of Dasman that the adventurer’s guild wasn’t necessary for protecting the city… then they started their crusade, bantering about killing of all monsters. We knew there are villages or tribes in the forest, but we couldn’t move because were ordered to.

Escobar: Then a week ago, only 10 knights returned, and they let us continue our work after that…

Lord Aldrin: We’re very sorry… we didn’t do anything to stop them…

Akino stands furiously.

Akino: That is bullshit! You’ve said to me that you guys can’t be bothered by those jerks!

Escobar: Yes… but even they can’t order us around, the governor of this city can… and most of us fear the power of that kingdom… we’re sorry…

Lyka: Aki, it’s alright… I understand…

Akino sighs.

Akino: Gentlemen, can you leave us for a moment?

Lord Adrian: Yes. Please, take your time…

The two went outside the room. All that is left are the three girls.

Akino: So… we’re gonna back out, right? Are we backing out?

Lyka: No… I’d still want to join.

Alexa: Are you sure, ma?

Lyka: If they weren’t able to prevent it, perhaps we could. The massacre, the pillaging, and many more atrocities that evil minds could make… we can prevent it.

Akino starts thinking up of something. She sighs and smirks.

Akino: Welp, I guess I’m going back to do police work again, huh?

Alexa: What?

Akino: Don’t mind me… I mean, if it’s still okay to Lyka and to you… then we should still join in, right? I just thought of the advantages we can get when we join in this guild…

Lyka: Advantages?

Akino: First is what you’ve said, we can prevent events like that from happening. Second, it will be very easy for us to track infos about adventurers seeing unusual places, which could be the facilities we’re looking for. Third, if it’s true, then if we became adventurers the government of different cities won’t totally bother us and maybe let us pass peacefully, since we’re some sort of ‘security workers’. That’s it… so, are we joining in? This is my last call…

The other two nods in unison. Akino stands to call back in the two men. Lord Adrian brought some papers and a pen, and Escobar took three necklaces with quartz crystals on it.

Lord Adrian: So, all of you will be joining in. May I ask your full names?

Akino: The name’s Akino Kylei.

Alexa: Alexa Kylei.

Lyka: Lyka von Roza - Kylei? Right, Aki?

Akino: Yup.

Alexa stares at Lyka and Akino.

Alexa: OH! How could I forget, you two made a ‘vows’ last night!

Akino & Lyka: Alexa!

Lord Adrian: O – okay, Lyka von Roza – Kylei it is…

While Lord Adrian writes their names on the registration papers, Escobar hands the three necklaces.

Escobar: These necklaces will be the proof of you being an adventurer. Since all of you just joined in, you will be in the Quartz rank, the lowest one.

Akino: There’s a ranking system???

Escobar: Yes. Quartz, Glass, Bronze, Steel, Iron, Silver, Gold, Alchemist’s stone, Fortress gem, Silk diamond, and the highest, Soul Jade.

Akino: I – I see…

Alexa: So, when do we start hunting monsters?

Escobar: Oh, we need first to assess your skills and record it for future joint operations.

Akino: So that we plan ahead and fully utilize our skills?

Escobar: Exactly.

Alexa: Skill showcase, here we go!

Lyka: Where are we going to do it?

Lord Adrian: This way, please.

They left the room and went to a door leading underground. There’s an underground arena right under the guild’s building.

Akino: A colosseum?

Lord Adrian: Was. Before, the city of Dasman employs slaves, but due to a change in governance, and the eradication of the arrogant nobles, all slave business were removed. Everything in here is only a part of the city’s forgotten history.

Escobar: A forgotten one, and yet it lingers in the shadows…

Lyka: Lingers?

Lord Adrian: We’ll… discuss about that after your assessment.

On the other door of the arena, three people were standing by. One seems to be mage, wearing a black robe and holding a metallic staff. The other wears a light leather armor, holds a bow, a quiver of arrows, and two long daggers on his belt. The last wears a silver knightly armor, wielding a huge mace and a shield as large as a man.

Lord Adrian approaches them and the three stepped forward.

Lord Adrian: Ladies, these people right here belong to the Gold rank. They are here to test your capabilities. The human mage here is Finn, he’s a sorcerer from the prestigious Magus Academy.

Finn: My lord, you don’t have to tell that. It was a long time ago, I am no longer a sorcerer of the Academy.

Lord Adrian: Hahaha! Humble as always! Here is our elf archer, Diana.

Diana: Hi! Pleased to meet you!

Alexa: Hello!

Lyka: Likewise!

Lord Adrian: And lastly, our knight in shining armor, Kal.

Kal: Hmmm, another set of punching sacks, huh?

Lord Adrian: Don’t mind him, he’s always joking.

Akino: I don’t like his attitude.

Kal: And I don’t like your flat chest, girl.

Akino: WHAT DID YOU SAY?

Alexa: He called you flat.

Akino: I FUCKING HEARD IT! Alright, this pretty boy is mine!

Lord Adrian: O – okay… Miss Lyka, who will you pick to test your skills?

Lyka: I’ll take Mr. Finn. I want to test the things Aki taught me in casting magic.

Finn: A magic user as well? It will be an honor then.

Alexa: Then I’m left with Diana, right?

Diana: I got you, kid. We’ll have a lot of fun, okay?

Escobar: With that settled, I guess we can start with Lyka and Finn first.

As Lyka and the mage went to the center of the arena, the others went to the seats to observe the bout.

Lyka: Are there any rules?

Finn: Hmm. Most of the newly recruits attack already when we stand at this arena.

Lyka: I’ve been taught with manners, of course.

Finn: Go all out if you want, cast any magic as long as you can cast it.

Lyka: For how long?

Finn: As long as someone is already incapable of fighting, or one of us yields. So, I warn you, I’ll be going hard on you to see your full potential.

Lyka: So am I.