Kaling City Guild — Training Ground
Metal echoes.
Blades clash.Footsteps pound.Voices overlap.
Zodiac trains without urgency.
No sirens. Just them.
The Team Divides Naturally
Combat Circle A — Reva & Sain
Reva circles Sain slowly.
Reva:"You've never sparred with anyone, have you?"
Sain:"No. I only trained on monster-killing setups."
Reva raises an eyebrow.
Reva:"Still impressive. You defense is good"
Sain being overwhelmed from her barrage of attacks
"That's all I can do right now."
Reva:"You never thought about a sparring partner?"
Sain:"Killing monsters is different from fighting a person."
Reva nods thoughtfully.
Reva:"I usually spar with Fugu or Grim.But they're better suited for each other."
She smirks.
Reva:"You and I might actually be a good match."
Sain pauses.
Sain:"My sparring skills aren't much yet.But once I catch up to you… it'll be fun."
Reva smiles.
Reva:"I'll look forward to it."
Combat Circle B — Vyan vs Maru
Vyan swings aggressively.
Vyan:"See? I'm stronger than you."
Maru blocks, steady.
Maru:"You're definitely better at fighting."
Vyan grins.
Vyan:"Haha!"
Maru tilts his head.
Maru:"But I'm much stronger than you."
Vyan freezes.
Vyan:"…Huh?"
Maru:"Your attacks lack weight."
Vyan snarls.
Vyan:"Then take this, you slowpoke—YAAAH!!"
Combat Circle C — Bete & Anya
Bete glances at Maru and Vyan.
Bete:"Finally. A perfect match for Vyan."
Anya nods calmly.
Anya:"Maru's strength and precisionbalance Vyan's tenacity."
Lily watches quietly.
(thinking):They group instinctively.Similar temperaments gravitate together.
Grim stands beside Lily watching Maru.
"He hits better when he's in his usual enthusiastic mode."
Lily nods.
Fugu peeks from behind Grim.
Fugu:"That other guy learns very fast"
Grim doesn't look at him.
"We got some great talents to join our teams"
Later — Guild Conference Room
Screens glow.
Maps rotate.Data scrolls.
A Guild official addresses multiple parties.
Official:"Recent developments include:Zoo animals breaching containment after mutation."
Images change.
Official:"Birds attacking signal towers and power lines.Worms originating from waste sites.
Vines emerging in overcrowded residential zones.Cockroaches consuming street food supplies.Rats attacking general stores.Ants targeting sweets, bakeries
He pauses.
Official:"It appears nature itself is pushing back.Our responsibility is to contain these threats quickly in the cityand minimize disruption."
Murmurs ripple through the room.
Official:"Silence, please."
The room stills.
Official:"We are short-handed and actively recruiting.Until then, make full use of training facilities and instructors."
He scans the room.
Official:"We also welcome any observations that could help predict attacks—especially with communication disruptions increasing."
After the Briefing
Hunters disperse.
Bete:"It's basically nature teaching us a lesson."
Tara leans in.
"Or someone's behind all this."
Lily :"Ridiculous. That's not possible."
Fugu shrugs.
Fugu:"I mean… worms are kind of useful."
Silence.
No one says anything.
Sain notices Lily & Bete pause.
Just for a moment.
Then move on.
Sain (thinking):They see it too.
But they don't say anything.
Neither does he.
Outside the Briefing Room
Reva and Kaal speak quietly.
Reva:"We need better coordination."
Kaal:"We need discipline."
Reva crosses her arms.
Reva:"We're not soldiers."
Kaal's jaw tightens.
Nothing more is said.
But the line is drawn.
No mission alert.No urgency.
Vyan laughing.Tara & Fugu recalling match highlights .Maru walking comfortably among them.
Sain follows slightly behind.
But closer than before.
Reva : Let's have a match