The streets of São Paulo buzzed with the chaotic energy of a metropolis that never sleeps. Zeki and Gustavo walked at a fast pace, making their way through the crowd of pedestrians who seemed indifferent to the urgency of the two young hunters. Cars honked, street vendors shouted their offers, and overlapping conversations created a constant urban symphony.
"What a pain," Gustavo grumbled, dodging a hurried man who nearly bumped into him. "Lately, it feels easier to find a monster popping out of the ground than a criminal. At least monsters don't waste your time with bureaucracy."
Zeki, with his calm and analytical gaze, observed the flow of people. "It's our duty, Gustavo. The guild assigned us to this. Besides, criminals with abilities are a direct threat to civilians. That's why we're here."
"I know, I know," Gustavo replied impatiently. "But right now? We could be training, getting ready for the Challenge. I wanted to test some new moves on you."
Before Zeki could respond, a subtle tremor ran through the asphalt beneath their feet. A few meters ahead, the concrete cracked, and a grotesque creature—about the size of a large dog, resembling an armored insect—emerged from the ground with a sharp screech. It was a low-level monster, something that, to Gustavo's annoyance, was becoming increasingly common.
The surrounding crowd screamed and stepped back in fear. Mothers pulled their children away, people stumbled over one another, and chaos broke out instantly.
Gustavo, however, didn't even blink. A bored smile formed on his lips. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."
Without giving the creature time to react, he stepped forward. His muscles tensed, and with a quick, brutal motion, he delivered a single punch to the monster's shell. The impact was sharp and powerful. The creature shattered into pieces, splattering a dark, viscous liquid on the ground before dissolving into particles of energy. No one was hurt. Panic turned into murmurs of relief and admiration.
"There. Done," Gustavo said, wiping his hand on his pants as if he had just crushed a cockroach. "Now can we get back to what matters?"
Zeki simply nodded, and the two continued on their way, leaving behind the small scene of destruction and the relieved citizens.
Finally, they arrived at the police district indicated in the mission. It was a gray, functional building, with a constant flow of officers going in and out. After identifying themselves at reception, they were quickly escorted to a command room, where a middle-aged officer with deep eye bags and an impeccable uniform was waiting for them.
"Zeki and Gustavo, from the Titan Guild, correct? I'm Lieutenant Moraes. Thank you for coming so quickly," the officer said, firmly shaking their hands. His gaze was tired, but professional.
"No problem. What's the situation?" Zeki asked, getting straight to the point.
Lieutenant Moraes pointed to a large digital map of the city on the wall, with several blinking red dots. "We have a serious problem. A gang of criminals with abilities. Their leader, in particular, is a C-level threat. He has the power to liquefy metals, which makes him a bank robbery specialist. He's already hit three branches in the last two days, and our men can't stop him. We need hunters to neutralize him and his gang."
"C-level? Easy," Gustavo said with a confident grin, cracking his knuckles. "Just tell us where they are and I'll shut down the party."
"We wish it were that simple," the lieutenant sighed. "They're fast and disappear before our teams arrive. Your mission is to stay on standby. As soon as the next robbery alarm goes off, I'll send the exact location to your phones. You need to be faster than us."
At that exact moment, a piercing alarm rang throughout the room. A red light began flashing rapidly on the map.
"Central Bank on Avenida Paulista! It's them!" the lieutenant shouted. "I'm sending the location now! Go!"
Zeki's and Gustavo's phones vibrated at the same time. The mission was active. Without wasting a second, they turned and ran out of the station.
"Finally, some real action!" Gustavo shouted as they sprinted through the streets, his excitement contagious. "I'm gonna love punching some wannabe criminals! Leave the leader to me, Zeki!"
They reached Avenida Paulista in record time. The scene was pure chaos. People ran in all directions, screaming. The bank's facade was partially melted, with a massive hole where the main entrance used to be.
Zeki and Gustavo prepared to intervene, energy beginning to pulse around Gustavo. But before they could take a single step toward the bank, a figure leapt from the rooftop of a nearby building, landing with an impact that cracked the ground.
It was a tall man, wearing a black tactical suit with the Titan Guild symbol on his chest. He had an air of superiority and a smug smile on his face. Zeki recognized him from the guild rankings he had researched, though they had never met in person.
"Stay back, rookies," the man said without even looking at them. "Leave the real work to someone who knows what they're doing."
It was Mitigal, Rank D, position 45 in their guild.
Before Zeki or Gustavo could protest, Mitigal moved. He advanced with incredible speed, becoming a blur. Within seconds, he was inside the bank. Sounds of fighting, screams, and muffled explosions echoed briefly. Then—silence.
Mitigal came out dragging the gang leader, now unconscious, leaving the other members tied up and neutralized behind him. He tossed the leader's body at the feet of the police officers who were just arriving.
Zeki and Gustavo stood still, completely stunned. They hadn't done anything. The mission, which was theirs, had been completed by another hunter in less than a minute.
Mitigal turned to the small crowd forming around him and to the news cameras already on site. He brushed nonexistent dust off his shoulder and gave a speech.
"Citizens of São Paulo! You can rest easy! As long as hunters like me from the Titan Guild are watching over you, no criminal will dare threaten the peace of this city! Justice will always prevail!"
He struck a heroic pose, and the crowd applauded. Zeki and Gustavo exchanged glances, confusion written all over their faces. Wasn't this mission theirs? Why had another hunter intervened?
At that moment, their phones vibrated again. It was a guild notification.
"Mission 734-D (Police Assistance) successfully completed by another hunter. We appreciate your availability. The guild expects greater proactivity and efficiency from its Rank D members in the future."
The message was cold, corporate—and, in a way, a reprimand.
Zeki remained silent, his eyes fixed on Mitigal, who was now giving interviews to reporters. His calm expression hid a storm of thoughts. The guild's logic, the internal competition… everything was starting to make frustrating sense.
Gustavo, on the other hand, couldn't hide his fury. A vein bulged on his forehead, and his fists were clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white.
"What the hell was that?" he growled, his voice low and full of restrained anger. "He stole our mission! And the guild still blames us for not being 'proactive'? What kind of bullshit is that, Zeki?"
Zeki finally looked away from Mitigal and faced Gustavo. "And don't even try to blame me," he said coldly. "I'm irritated too, but I'm not going to stress over something I can't change."
Understanding hit Gustavo like a punch, replacing his anger with bitter frustration. "I hope he's participating in the Rank D Challenge… so he can have a talk with my fist and see who the real rookie is."
Zeki nodded slowly. "Nice speech… though."
As they turned to leave, the applause behind them still echoed—louder than the recognition they never received.