A Proper Warm-up

A few days ago, Master Frost announced to everyone that in a week's time we'd be entering the Guild Ranking Ceremony.

Afterwards everyone was in a hurry to test themselves and we all grabbed quests to do just that.

Me, Robius, Aceil, and of course Kukiri grabbed what was known as a Wave Quest.

Essentially, we'd be facing against hordes of enemies that were almost endless. And we'd continue until we were too exhausted to continue. After that a soldier belonging to The Council of Exorcists would extract us.

My new rune blade glided through the undead horde we faced in the large empty fields of tall green grass; I was able to kill at least fifty zombies without even activating a single rune.

Meanwhile Robius and Aceil who specialized in prolonged, close-ranged, fights were slaying the zombies by the dozen with intense speed and effectiveness.

"Do you really think you can outperform me!?" Robius shouted as he grabbed a zombie's throat and fried it with lightning leaving only a pile of ash in a move, he titled Volt Gun.

"Of course, I can!" Aceil answered as he slammed his Tanabo against the back of a zombie breaking it in half. "I've already killed three-hundred and ten!"

"Hah keep dreaming loser! I've killed three-hundred, eleven!" Robius shouted defiantly.

Watching the two fight I couldn't help but feel like the weakest link of our guild. It was true that close and spontaneous fights weren't my specialty. But I still figured I'd at least be able to keep up.

But between Robin's bright flashes of powerful lightning, and Aceil's incredible strength and reflexes. I was feeling quite inadequate.

I looked to my beloved rune blade; an elegant green crystalline arming sword made of pure invulnerable Etheruim. It was as gorgeous as it was effective, and it was quite effective.

Yet I was still unable to even fight alongside my guildmates without being blown away by their power.

Which only invigorated me to try even harder.

I activated a rune of my own invention which I'd been working on for a while.

"Rune of The Tireless Swordsmen." I named the new rune positioned on my shoulder, as I hovered over it with my rune sword, activating it without needing to return it to a pen, a technique I was recently abled to master.

With my new rune I was able to stay in the fight, though prolonged battles were still my weakness. I felt proud quite of my results by the end of the fight.

********

"You killed all of them!!?" The overseeing soldier of The Council of Exorcists shouted in disbelief. "What are you guys! How come I've never heard of you?"

"Don't worry. That's about to change." Kukiri said smugly. "Once we win the ranking ceremony everyone will know us."

Whilst Kukiri was bragging, and I was lying on the ground completely exhausted after my one-hundred and fifty kills. Robius and Aceil kept arguing as though nothing happened.

"Clearly I won! You don't even know how much you killed!" Aceil shouted as he budded heads with Robius just as fiercely as always.

"It's not my fault! I lost track after nine hundred!" Robius argued as his fists crackled with lightning.

"We'll dispose of the bodies. However, it will have to be deducted from your pay of course." The soldier said nervously, as he attempted to scam us.

"Not a problem." Robius said as looked back to the pile of corpses which were now ash. "There's nothing left. Light show is pretty neat huh? Cooler than anything the bone skull can do."

"I don't even get how that's an insult! But it pisses me off!"

Watching those two proved that I needed to get stronger if I wanted to truly contribute to Draconum Familia. But I welcomed the challenge with open arms.

********

Kenki, me, and Aceil, agreed to split the reward three ways even though I clearly killed the most. 

"This combined with the reward from the Jorōgumo and the Leviathan should get me a good place nearby." Kenki said as we all sat in the guild hall of Draconum Familia where only the gentlemanly Bastion was present, a fact we were all thankful for, seeing as he was the one who distributed our pay.

"Yeah, that's probably for the best. You drool big time. Not to mention you're a big-time sleep cuddler." I said whilst Kukiri nodded hastily.

"What! I've never even heard of that. Nobody in Azure Ursine ever complained." Kenki said as her cheeks flushed to match her hair in color, which was an odd and somewhat cute expression.

"They were probably creepy, and thought it was cute or something, cause trust me it's a thing! And quite a disturbing one!" Aceil argued vigorously. "One time I was about to leave for a quest, and you grabbed my arm with the force of a giant boa constrictor snake. And don't get me started on the drool."

"That can't be true! I haven't been here that long." Kenki looked to me and Kukiri desperately bouncing between us with her emerald eyes.

"It's totally true." We answered simultaneously.

"Nooo!" Kenki whined as she hid her face by slamming it to the table. "That's it, I'm getting my own place."

"And a body pillow perhaps?" I teased.

********

Most everyone returned in a group, especially Lilac who refused to let Nosora go alone.

"I would've been just fine on my own you know." Nosora said dressed in a new Dark blue trench coat and a white undershirt matched with a pair of dark slacks and shoes.

"Like you were last time you mean? No thanks." Lilac answered as she hung onto Nosora's arm all lovey dovey like. "I'm not letting you go again."

"Nice outfit! It looks just like your old one!" I shouted as I greeted the two. "Kinda ironic the fastest member of our guild wasn't the first done though don't you think?"

"I needed new clothes. I'm sure we were done first." Nosora growled as his yellow eyes flickered.

"Now now Nosora don't ruin my good mood." Lilac said casually as her grip tightened.

"Yes ma'am!" Nosora obliged before heading to Bastion so he could sew his crest on his new outfit.

"Those two sure are lovey dovey." Kenki said in an envious voice.

"Aww, how sad, Kenki can't get a boyfriend huh?" Kukiri taunted.

"I don't want one until I have my own place." Kenki argued defensively.

"I'm not staying for this conversation." Aceil said as he escaped with his beverage, gracefully.

********

Next to arrive was Okami and a highly reluctant Shade.

"Don't follow me again." Shade complained, irritated. "It's not like I'm splitting the reward.

"Aww. We both know that ain't gonna happen." Okami said as she leapt at Shade without warning, only for him to sidestep out of the way allowing her to fall on her face. "How cruel of you!" She whined. Yet her wagging tail betrayed her.

"How fluffy..." Shade admitted under his breath.

Finally, there was Jex who arrived alone, to nobody's surprise.

"Oh, come on. Where's my lover! I need some lovin' too damn it!" Jex roared in frustration as his blond hair erupted in flames for a moment.

"Don't ever make that accusation about us again." Shade growled with anger dripping from his voice.

"This is why everyone enjoys messing with you so much." Jex said as he wandered to the bar where Bastion poured him a drink and distributed his pay.

"Welcome back young pervert." Bastion said casually.

*******

"I must admit, I was hoping to have our whole guild here, but the other three members of our guild appear to be busy still." Master pops spoke from the second floor. "Which means we'll be fighting with a disadvantage. We won't have the luxury of holding back at any time we must show The Orochi Isles that we are the strongest guild, and the only one capable of fighting back the monsters trying to take our home from us. We must prove that Draconum Familia is the strongest guild in all of The Orochi Isles!"

All of us cheered with vigor at Master Pops speech, even our resident edgelord Shade.

"The ceremony begins the day after tomorrow, rest up for now. And remember we have to win this."

"I won't let you down Master Pops!" I shouted. "I'll prove to everyone that we're the best of the best!"

"Don't go taking all the credit." Kenki stated. "We'll all be fighting after all."

"Yeah. Besides as the highest ranked member who's abled to participate. I'll clearly be doing the best." Okami said proudly, starting another brawl.

Though with her there, the brawl wasn't exactly fair, or particularly lengthy.

*******

The next day Master Pops went over the basics of the ceremony's rules, though we had to wait for Kenki to come back from her new house which I'd definitely need to check out later.

She walked into our guild with her freshly washed hair up in a ponytail and a wide grin across her face as if she just witnessed the funniest thing.

Only for her grin to immediately dissolve from her face. Once she saw the impatient look on everyone's faces.

"I didn't know you were on a job too." Bastion quipped.

"I wasn't. I was simply enjoying a bath in my own house." Kenki said refreshed.

"What matters is that she's here. Which means everyone who's gonna be participating is here. Robius Frost. Aceil Roun, Shade, Okami Lupin, Nosora Noct, Lilac Kron, Kenki Asuma, and Jex Fortuna." Master Pops said before any brawling occurred.

"The ceremony lasts a week and includes several different tasks ranging from a simple free-for-all duel to a strategic game of chess. The participants will be picked at random for the sake of fairness. Though each guild is required to have a total of twelve members to participate, all twelve members are not required to register in the ceremony and guild masters are not allowed to participate. No limits apply to how few or many members of your guild register." Master Frost said as he read off a paper awkwardly, though nobody would dare say so.

"That's a lot to remember Master Pops." I whined.

"Aww don't worwy wittle bwaby, just follow my lead." Aceil teased almost beginning another brawl.

"I'm not done yet." Pops intervened. "Not every guild in the Orochi Isles will be participating in the Guild Ranking Ceremony, only those who wish to climb the ranks and the top guild Golden Chariot will be participating. The rules I mentioned are only the very basics. Each trial will have it's own rules and even exceptions to those I stated, adaptation is key to our victory. The ceremony takes place in Drasil the northernmost island, and the Capital of The Orochi Isles, where the Council of Exorcists dwell. As such we'll be departing as soon as possible, so rest for today, tomorrow we leave."