Ini and Arike finished their meal, paid, and left the restaurant. As they walked, Ini asked Arike about the rate of magical beast appearances over the past decade. Arike's eyes widened slightly, and she quickly hid her surprise. "Since when?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant. Ini replied, "Ten years ago." Arike's expression turned serious, and she began to explain.
"At the time, the Colossal first started to appear, each with its own sphere. But later, the forces battling them changed their tactics. They'd send one massive sphere, which we call a Colossal, with layers. The outer layer, the first to be exposed, has the weaklings. They rely on numbers as their strength. After that, the next layer has slightly stronger beasts, although sometimes the power difference is significant." Arike paused, collecting her thoughts before continuing. "We classify the Colossal not by their layers but by their Magic Energy Radiation, or MER. This is because sometimes, as we've seen in the past, a double-layered boss is stronger than a triple or quadruple-layered one."
Arike took a deep breath before proceeding. "The fights are always recorded so that achievements can be allocated properly without any mischief. The Colossal are ranked based on their difficulty, from E to S..." Ini interrupted, his voice laced with curiosity. "Has an S-Rank appeared before?" Arike's expression turned solemn, as if recalling a troubling event. "Yes, it has, and it was gruesome. Hundreds of thousands died. It was a massive Colossal with no S-Rank monster, but tens of thousands of A-Ranked beasts from different races."
Arike's voice dropped to a whisper. "Although S-Ranks don't have trouble fighting A-Ranks, it's not the same case with thousands. That incident made humanity realize we were still weak." Ini's eyes narrowed, his interest piqued. "Did S-Ranks die?" Arike shook her head. "It wasn't the warriors, but the commoners. The Colossal landed inside a city. Our satellites didn't pick up its presence until it showed up. I saw the footage... humans being trampled, torn apart, and eaten like snacks. It's a day humanity lost, even though we won."
Ini fell silent, his expression unreadable. He continued walking alongside Arike, lost in thought as they navigated the bustling streets.
Ini continued to ask Arike questions, and she responded to the best of her knowledge. As they conversed, a loud alarm suddenly rang out, accompanied by flashing yellow lights. Ini turned to Arike, who had a panicked expression, and asked, "A Colossal?" She nodded, replying, "Yes, a B-Rank. We have to get back to the guild." Ini instructed Arike to hold him, and without hesitation, she grasped his arm. In the next instant, Ini leaped into the air, propelling himself toward the guild with incredible speed.
As they arrived, Ini landed smoothly, but Arike still clung to his arm, her grip tight. Ini looked at her, saying, "We're at the guild; you can let go now." Arike released her grip, her face still flushed from the shock of their rapid journey. Ini walked into the guild, with Arike recovering and rushing behind him. They made their way to the top floor, where the S-Ranks were gathered, discussing the impending threat.
On the screen, Ini saw the incoming Colossal, hurtling toward Earth with breathtaking speed. The S-Ranks turned to him as he arrived, their expressions varied – Kale looked normal, Temi solemn, and Blaze angry, though he hid it well. Ini asked, "How does this work?" Temi explained, "Since it's only a B-Rank, only one S-Rank is needed to lead the attack. As you're new, it'll be you, accompanied by Kale." Temi had deliberately chosen Ini, hoping to avoid escalating Blaze's hatred. She led Ini and Arike into the elevator and down to a few floors below, where they entered a luxurious sub-penthouse.
Temi gestured, saying, "This is your domain. It has a living room, two bedrooms, a personal gym, a kitchen, three toilets, a balcony, and many more features. This is where you'll be staying for the time being." Temi continued to try to win Ini over, adding, "Your battle suit is in the gym. You should suit up." Ini nodded, replying, "Okay," and headed into the room. Arike and Temi left, with Temi instructing Arike, "You should suit up, wherever he goes you go. And I hope you understand your assignment?" Arike nodded, and Temi continued, "Good. You know that A-Ranks are not few, but it's just that one thing that makes some special." Arike replied, "Yes, ma'am, I'll do my best."
Temi smiled saying " don't call me ma'am I'm still young"
Ini entered the luxurious sub-penthouse, making his way to the gym. He spotted the battle suit on a mannequin, encased in a glass box. The suit was a sleek, jet-black armor with thin, metallic plating. Ini's eyes widened as he estimated the suit's value – it was undoubtedly expensive. He donned the suit, feeling its lightweight yet durable design. As he approached the door, he remembered the coat Tosak had given him. With a swift gesture, the coat materialized, and Ini wore it over his battle suit, without wearing the sleeves giving of a cape vibe.
As Ini descended to the first floor, all eyes turned to him. Arike followed closely behind, feeling a bit awkward as Ini's majestic appearance drew attention. The battle suit and Tosak's coat made him look regal. Kale, also clad in his battle suit, stood alongside his mentee, who had a pair of daggers tucked into their chest plate. Kale asked Ini, "No weapons?" Ini's response was to wave his hand, and two sheathed swords appeared at his waist, attached to his belt. Kake looks closely and realizes the weapons must be special grade.
The group proceeded outside, boarding a peculiar vehicle that Ini didn't recognize. All 50 mages were on board, and the vehicle lifted off into the air, heading toward the impact site. Upon arrival, Ini beheld the massive, cracked sphere – roughly half the size of a soccer field. The group landed about 200 meters away and began advancing toward the Colossal.