Aiko yelled, “Lighten the mood? You two keep pulling stunts like this for your own entertainment! Last time you blew up the meeting room because of your ‘grenade dodgeball’ game! You nearly took out half the senior guild members!”
Axel whimpered, “B-but Aiko, it was an accident! We were just-”
Blitz cut him off, rolling her eyes playfully. “Yeah, an ‘accident’ that happens every other week. We get bored easily, you know? Gotta spice things up!”
Aiko pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly exasperated. Alister watched the scene unfold, a look of amusement crossing his face. These two were certainly… unique.
Just then, Yuuto chuckled, placing a hand on Aiko’s shoulder. “Relax, Aiko. They may be a handful, but they’re valuable members of the guild nonetheless. Besides,” he winked at the twins, “they haven’t blown anything up in at least a month, right?”
Axel and Blitz exchanged sheepish grins. “Technically, it was two months,” Axel mumbled. Yuuto turned to Alister. “Now, where were we? Ah yes, introductions. These two are Axel and Blitz,” he gestured to the twins, “and they’re more than just your average troublemakers. They’re siblings, actually.”
“Twins, to be precise,” Blitz corrected, puffing out her chest.
Axel and Blitz were identical twins. Despite their outward appearance, they were a unique pair within the White Comet Guild. Their secret weapon, a talent they called “Rush,” it wasn’t something they could activate on a whim.
Unlike most talents, it manifested involuntarily whenever they found themselves in a dangerous situation. Like a reflex honed by years spent on the battlefield, Rush propelled them into a state similar to what athletes called “The Zone.”
In this heightened state, their minds became laser-focused, their bodies moving in perfect sync with their thoughts, their reflexes reaching absurd levels.
Their physical capabilities skyrocketed, transforming them from playful pranksters into absolute maniacs during dungeon raids.
While their talent was undeniably powerful, their inability to control its activation made them a constant source of both awe and exasperation for the guild.
It is also believed it’s the addictive feeling of being in that state that causes them to court death on a daily basis.
Yuuto clasped his hands in an attempt to ease the atmosphere. “Alright, Aiko, why don’t you show Alister to his room while I go on ahead and call the rest of our available guild members so we can have a proper introduction.”
Aiko straightened her posture as she adjusted her glasses. “Understood,” she said.
She shot an intense gaze at the duo. “You both better not try anything while I’m gone, or else the consequences will be grim at best.” her words sent chills down their spines.
Blitz and Axel tensed up under her gaze, stuttering in fear, “W-we won’t try anything, ma’am, we promise.”
“For your sake, you better not,” Aiko said, narrowing her gaze slightly. She lingered for a moment before finally turning around and calling for Alister to follow her.
Yuuto chuckled and turned back to Alister. “Welcome to your new home, Alister. I’m sure you’ll fit in just fine. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some wrangling to do.”
“Thank you sir.” Alister said, as he bowed how head slightly.
Yuuto waved his hands at Alister’s words. “Just Yuuto is fine. We’ll save the formalities for the official meetings.”
“Understood.” Alister replied.
With that, Yuuto turned and began walking away, calling out to various guild members as he went. Alister watched him for a moment before turning to follow Aiko, who had already started down a hallway.
Aiko led Alister through the winding corridors of the headquarters. “Your room is in the north wing, it should be large for you and your summon.” she said, her tone more composed now that they were away from the twins’ antics.
“You’ll find it’s equipped with everything you need, excluding what you will feed your drake. If you require anything else, just let me know.”
“Understood, I’ll get going then.” Just then as Alister began to leave, Aiko called out to him.
“Let me make this clear, boy.” Aiko began speaking, causing Alister to stop in his tracks to turn back to look at her.
“I don’t like you one bit, and throughout your days here I’ll always be on your case.” She said as she shot Alister an intense cold gaze.
“And the reason for that being?”
Aiko paused before responding to his question. “You took advantage of Master Yuuto, and that is a sin I cannot forgive.”
“If you dare to disappoint him, I promise you, your days here will be over.”
Alister shot back a nonchalant gaze, “I’ll keep that in mind then.”
“Well, if you will excuse me, I’ll be heading over to my room now.
“Once you are done, return back to the main building, someone will be there to lead you to the main hall.”
“Understood.”
Alister then continued on to his room as Aiko turned and walked away.
Alister followed the winding hallway, Aiko’s words echoing in his mind. He couldn’t help but sigh. A challenge? He thrived on them. Just then, a chime echoed in his head, pulling him from
his thoughts.
[DING! Daily Quest: Train Your Body.]
Alister sighed inwardly. He knew training was important, but meeting the guild members
seemed more pressing right now.
‘It would be best I handle this at night like last time.’
He thought, silencing the notification.
Reaching the north wing, he finally came face-to-face with his quarters. It wasn’t a room, it
was a massive building.
Towering at least three stories high, it dwarfed the surrounding structures. He whistled in
surprise.
This was definitely more than he expected.
Approaching the colossal door, Alister noticed a small indentation beside it. It looked suspiciously like a thumbprint scanner. Intrigued, he placed his thumb on the smooth surface.
A faint blue light pulsed, then a synthetic voice echoed.
“Scanning… Identity confirmed. Welcome, Alister. Access Granted.”
With a satisfying whoosh, the massive door slid open, revealing a glimpse of a luxuriously furnished interior. This was definitely going to take some getting used to.