Rosa Clure turned to the young people with a playful smile on her face.
"So, is everyone alright?"
The young people were impressed by Rosa Clure's display of power as she approached them, and Zeki landed on the ground.
"Wow, so this is the power of an S-Class!" Bia said, admiringly.
"Are S-Classes really that strong? I'm super excited!" Gustavo exclaimed.
"Gustavo, stop talking nonsense in front of her," Isadora scolded him, arrogantly.
"Don't worry, it's normal for a young person to be impressed by my power," Rosa Clure smiled.
"You like to brag, don't you?" Gustavo teased.
"Gustavo, shut up before you annoy her," Bia said, worried.
"So what?"
"I don't even know why I try anymore," Bia sighed, exasperated.
Zeki, remaining calm, intervened. "Excuse me, but why would an S-Class be here? Don't you usually stay on the other side of the portal?"
"Wait, what do you mean, Rosa?" Bia asked, curious.
"Well, we S-Classes are indeed very busy, but that doesn't mean we don't have free time. I was out for a walk and only came here when I saw a fire dragon in the sky," Rosa Clure replied casually.
Everyone turned to Zeki, surprised by the mention of a fire dragon.
"Speaking of which, I saw something like that. It must have been some skill from the gang," Isadora said.
"Actually, that was me," Zeki said calmly.
"Really? So you can control fire?" Isadora asked, surprised.
"Wow, Zeki, I didn't know you could do that!" Bia said, impressed.
"Wait, so you weren't fighting me seriously? Is that it, Zeki?" Gustavo asked, incredulous.
"No, I don't control fire. I just used my psychic powers to manipulate the fire, like when I made the tornado," Zeki explained.
"It's the same thing," Gustavo grumbled.
"I see, Zeki. As much as I hate to admit it, you're the strongest among us," Isadora said reluctantly.
"Wow, even you think so, Isadora? Well, I think so too," Bia agreed.
"Damn, all of you praising Zeki, and here I am!" Gustavo said, frustrated.
"Gustavo, you're not that impressive," Bia teased.
"You little brat, you're the most ungrateful one here! I had to carry you after you got hurt."
"What? I'm fine now! That just rubs your face in the dirt!" Bia muttered.
"Please, everyone, don't ignore me. It's not nice to the person who saved you," Rosa Clure interrupted, provocatively.
"And you don't have the right to talk, Rosa. You could have shown up much earlier," Gustavo grumbled.
"And you're right, but if I had come earlier, I wouldn't have seen you in action, would I?" Rosa Clure smiled wickedly.
"To be honest, it was good that she didn't get involved. That way, I get a sense of your limits," Zeki said thoughtfully.
"Wait, are you acting like a leader? Who elected you, huh?" Gustavo said indignantly.
"Well, anyway, I'm leaving and I'll take you all to the guild with me. I'll report to the guild about what you did. Maybe you can rank up," Rosa Clure said calmly.
"Wait, ranking up means a higher salary? Oh, thank you so much, Rosa!" Bia said excitedly.
"What an interesting girl, huh?" Gustavo teased.
"So, could you tell me what ranks you are, please?" Rosa Clure asked curiously.
"Why do you want to know?" Gustavo said suspiciously.
"Gustavo, watch your tongue," Isadora cut him off.
"Just out of curiosity," Rosa Clure smiled.
"I'm D-Class, Rank 38," Bia smiled.
"The big shot here is D-Class, Rank 7," Gustavo said proudly.
"D-Class, Rank 3," Isadora said arrogantly.
"How are you ahead of me?" Gustavo said, shocked.
"D-Class, Rank 2," Zeki said calmly.
"You too? Why am I behind both of you?" Gustavo said indignantly.
"Shut up, Gustavo!" Isadora and Bia said together.
"Well, I'm leaving. See you later," Rosa Clure said goodbye and left.
"We'd better go too," Zeki said practically.
"I agree. But anyway, Zeki, where do you live?" Isadora asked.
"In a 10-story building, between two other buildings in the middle."
"Got it."
"It looks like only my sister and I live in a house. Well, let's go before I get contaminated by you," Gustavo teased.
"Okay, see you later," Bia smiled.
They said their goodbyes and each returned to their homes.
A few days after the confrontation, in a dense forest far from São Paulo, the giant spider and the three-eyed monster were arguing heatedly.
"I still think we should have finished off those humans when we had the chance!" the Spider said, irritated.
"Don't be impulsive. If we had done that, strong humans would have come," Three-Eyes replied calmly.
"Please, don't talk like that; you sound like a human. It disgusts me."
The sound of rustling leaves alerted them. An imposing figure emerged from the foliage: a gigantic serpent, whose eyes gleamed with cold, calculating intelligence.
"You two... always bickering like children," the Serpent Chief hissed, her voice smooth but threatening. "Still dwelling on that? How pathetic."
"Chief, we were just discussing the best way to proceed," the Spider said defensively.
"And what is this best way? Running like scared rats? That human showed weakness, and you let him live. Unacceptable."
The serpent silenced the three-eyed monster with a movement of her head. "Retreating... how disappointing. But now it's time to act. We'll lure them onto our turf, where we have the advantage. Prepare for the final battle."
As the two processed the orders, an unexpected presence appeared. Zeki emerged among the trees, watching the scene with a serious expression.
"So, in the end, I was right; you were the ones responsible for the incident in the city."
Right behind Zeki, Isadora appeared with a confident posture.
"Zeki, it seems you were right. There are indeed monsters inside the wall. After we take care of them, we'll report to the guild. But this will be a good warm-up. I was starting to get bored." She looked at Zeki with a disdainful smile. "By the way, why didn't you bring Gustavo and Bia? I know you're strong, but wouldn't it be better to bring them?"
"If we happen to fail to defeat these monsters, I'll send them a message. I can't rely too much on the guild's help request being answered quickly."
"Always so cautious, Zeki. You should learn to trust your own companions more. But anyway, it looks like I'm going to have some fun after all."
The Serpent Chief, noticing the intruders, raised her head, her eyes fixed on them.
"So, more humans dare to challenge our supremacy? How foolish."
"These humans are bolder than I thought," the Spider said, irritated.
"They must have some plan," Three-Eyes interjected cautiously.
"Plan or not, this ends here," the Serpent Chief hissed threateningly. "There will be no mercy. You should have stayed hidden in your cities. Now, you will face our wrath."