Two Years Later
A young man was walking through a dense forest.
His violet haori swayed gently in the wind, and in his right hand he held a rectangular device — a semi-transparent crystal engraved with glowing runes.
A magical invention by Hiro himself.
A communicator.
From within the crystal came a voice, laced with amusement:
— “Whoever finds her first pays for dinner at the guild! Haha!” — That was Garret.
— “Deal. Hiro, you got anything?” — asked Katsu.
— “All clear. You?”
— “Same. Still can’t believe you came up with this thing… What did you call it again?”
— “Communicator,” Hiro answered calmly.
— “Right! Communicator. So, Garret, anything on your end?”
— “Nothing. Wait… is that a bunny? Aw, what are you doing here, little guy… AAAAAAAAHHHHH—”
The line cut.
The scream was the last thing they heard.
— “Looks like Garret’s paying,” Katsu smirked. “Hiro, move!”
---
The Chase
A minute later, Hiro and Katsu stood at the edge of a massive pit descending into the earth.
Across the chasm, the forest continued thick as ever.
Without a word, Katsu threw a rope across and began walking it like an acrobat.
Midway, he called out:
— “Garret! You alive?!”
Only static replied — then fragments of a voice:
— “...Yeah… here… alive… Garret… stomach… snake…”
— “He’s alive,” Hiro whispered. That was enough.
And then it appeared —
A serpent, the size of a ship, burst from the darkness.
In a single moment, it devoured Katsu mid-step.
The creature didn’t stop — it slithered between the trees as if they were hallways and it, the queen of this labyrinth.
Hiro moved.
He flew across tree branches, leaping from canopy to canopy, calling into his device:
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— “Katsu! Garret! Answer me!”
— “Smells… horrible… inside…”
The voice was faint, but it brought clarity.
Hiro began calculating.
{Lightning? No — might hit them. Fireball? Too slow. Need a faster version someday. For now… Ice.}
He extended his hand.
Giant ice spikes formed from the air and launched with a roar.
But the snake was agile — it twisted and danced between them with unnatural grace.
---
Inside the Snake
Katsu awoke in a narrow, cylindrical chamber lined with slime.
The stench was unbearable.
Beside him, Garret was already grinning and stabbing the fleshy walls with his sword.
— “Pointless,” Katsu croaked, crawling closer. “My blade cracked the moment I landed in here. Don’t waste your strength.”
Garret chuckled:
— “Yeah, but it’s thinner from the inside! We’ll cut our way out.”
— “You idiot… the hide is the same everywhere. Or do you actually think—”
And then —
An ice chunk smashed into the chamber. The force hurled them deeper inside the creature until the spike shattered.
---
Outside
Hiro paused.
An idea sparked in his mind.
He vanished in a violet cloud and reappeared right in front of the snake’s open jaws.
With a sharp strike at the air, a wave of energy surged straight into its mouth.
A heartbeat later, the serpent burst with blinding light from the inside. Its skin cracked and exploded in an instant.
From the collapsed remains tumbled two slimy, soaking-wet men.
Garret wiped his mouth:
— “Ugh… No one talks about how we got out. Ever.”
Katsu smirked:
— “I’m drinking double tonight…”
Hiro stepped closer, a faint smile on his lips.
— “A new experience, huh?”
They pried a massive tooth from the carcass and began heading back to town.
---
At the Guild
Laughter, clinking mugs, and voices echoed from within.
As Katsu, Garret, and Hiro entered the guildhall, the doors slammed open, and Garret shouted proudly:
— “We killed that beast!”
The crowd erupted — applause, cheers, raised drinks.
They made their way to the bar.
Katsu, brushing slime off his shoulders, said:
— “Pick your meals. I’m dropping off the trophy… and showering. Garret, you're paying.”
— “Yeah, yeah,” Garret muttered.
Behind the counter stood Vinnie — a burly bartender with a round belly, calloused hands, and a dirty apron.
He was cleaning a mug with a rag that looked older than most patrons.
— “Back again, looking like you crawled out of a monster’s ass,” he grumbled without looking up. “Let me guess — Hiro saved their hides again?”
— “Perceptive as always, Vinnie,” Hiro replied.
— “Come on, Vinnie,” Garret smirked. “What’s good tonight?”
Vinnie turned, pulled out a notebook, skimmed the list:
— “I'd recommend the skewers. And for snacks — dried fish. Fresh shipment today.”
— “Hey, Hiro,” Garret turned. “Skewers. One of your favorites, right?”
Hiro nodded.
— “Oh, and,” Vinnie added, “We got a new wine. Honey and grape base. Thought of you — our local connoisseur.”
— “Good call,” Hiro said. “Got a barrel in storage?”
— “Already chilling. Garret, what about you?”
— “Something stronger. I want to black out tonight.”
— “I’ll find something that’ll melt your memory,” Vinnie winked and vanished to prep.
Later, Hiro and Garret sat in the old side room — small, warm, and filled with the smell of grilled meat.
Skewers sizzled, fish lined the plates, and the wine gleamed amber in their glasses.
Katsu joined them, towel-dried and freshened up.
— “Hey, Garret,” he said, raising a brow, “ever notice how we always come back covered in filth — but Hiro? Clean as glass.”
— “We’re getting old,” Garret grunted, massaging his shoulder.
— “Maybe. Or maybe we’re just lucky he’s around. Without Hiro, we’d be long gone. Snake guts and all.”
— “No doubt,” Garret muttered and took a swig of something strong.
Hiro stayed quiet.
He only smiled — because deep down, he knew they were right.
---
One Hour Later
The table was nearly empty.
Drinks low, meat devoured.
Katsu leaned back in his chair, raised his mug toward the ceiling, and slurred:
— “Alright… we're drunk enough to think clearly. Funny how that works.”
He looked between Hiro and Garret.
— “In these two years, we didn’t just survive. We grew. We gained new fighters, craftsmen. Our group — the Triple Brotherhood — is no longer just a team. It’s an organization. And now…” he paused, “it’s time to expand.”
Garret placed his mug down, voice low, serious:
— “To put it bluntly — one center isn't enough anymore. We need to divide and cover more ground.”
Katsu nodded and unfurled a map across the table.
He traced the city and surrounding lands with his finger:
— “I’ll take the city center. My team’s already based there. Garret, you’ll cover the outer sectors — farms, roads, forests. And you, Hiro…”
He looked up.
— “You’ll take the most important — and most difficult — territory. The Magic Academy.”
Hiro listened in silence.
— “Why you?” Katsu continued. “Because the Academy is a strategic asset for the entire Kingdom of Arcanum. We can’t just stroll in — not with our faces, and certainly not with our reputation. But you? You can enroll. You just turned fifteen.”
Garret added:
— “You won’t be alone. We’ll plant support staff in the Academy — cooks, guards, even a librarian. If anything happens — you’ll have backup.”
Hiro thought for a moment.
{We're expanding. No more daily monster hunts. Each of us has a post. Mine is the Academy. This isn’t just a cover — it’s an opportunity. I’ve always loved magic. Maybe I’ll even learn something new. And yeah… fifteen is the age of majority here.}
He nodded:
— “I’m in.”
Katsu clapped his hands.
— “Perfect! We start prepping tomorrow. Everyone gets communicators. And just in case, we’ll exchange letters too — mana’s unstable, and range is limited.”
Hiro smirked:
— “Wow, you actually remembered the name. I’m impressed.”
Katsu, grinning:
— “I’m drunk. Right now, I remember everything. Once I sober up, I’ll forget what a communicator is — and who the hell you guys even are.”
They all burst out laughing.
The mood was light.
But in the air — something had shifted.
Big changes were coming.
