**Moments later**
"Count me in, Dweeb!" a male with spiked blond hair with iced blue tips and round shades said to me.
I looked at him with an unamused expression on my face as he sat legs crossed with an open yellow beach button-up, pink swim trunks, and blue flip-flops. He sipped on a tropical alcoholic drink as he said this to me.
Girls in bikinis surrounded him on an elongated couch while Ryo, myself, and Zeno faced him sitting on mere plastic chairs…
"This some kind of script? Zeno said the same exact thing, Snow…"
"Nah, we all call you Dweeb. Unless you were referring to the way we said it. That is kinda weird…"
"Not what I was referring to at all… anyway, good to know, we'll be on our way to invite the next idiot. Wanna come?" I asked as I stood up from my plastic chair and turned away from him.
The place we were at now was like some kind of beach resort. It was hard to believe this was his Guild's underground hideout, ironically, also called the Shark's Den.
"You're gonna recruit THAT idiot next?" Snow asked as he sat up from his lax position, pushing off some of the girls leaning on him, all the while.
"Uh, no shit. Why? Did your match with him yesterday cause a falling out?" I replied.
He sighed annoyedly and said, "I just don't agree with the turn out of the match… seemed rigged in my opinion." He nodded as he said this, and the girls around him did the same almost in unison.
"Turn out? Thought it was a close match and was still being determined?" I asked obliviously.
"Oh, Dweeb… your inability to stay up to date baffles me to this day… the results came out at midnight last night, the hell were you doing?" he replied as my thoughts trailed to last night when I was blowing out Belle's back.
"You know what, don't answer that. I don't want you to mock me with your effortless rizz," he said over himself. "Anyway." He pulled out his comm and scrolled to the most recent post article about their match. He threw his comm to me, and I snatched it mid-throw. "Check that BS out."
When I read the article, I raised a brow at first and then amusement crept in as I kept reading.
"Think it's funny, huh? Keep scrolling—the next article," Snow directed.
All I read was the title, and my eyes widened with surprise—pleasant surprise.
The article's title read: "The Valley Kingdom's newest Guild, The Yellow Jacket Knights, led by the winner of the Valley Tournament." I read it out loud for everyone to hear.
"ARGH! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO READ IT OUT LOUD, DWEEB!? COME ON, MAN!"
I threw back the comm and asked, "So they declared Rex the winner of the Valley Tournament? On what basis?"
"Well," Ryo added in academically, "after all the battles of the first and second round, these were the contestants left: Goro, Rok, Rex, Snow, Lance, and myself." he paused before continuing, looking at me as he went on, "After you forfeited, Goro was next, and then Rok, Lance, and myself—leaving only Rex and Snow still in the roaster. That was why they held that match for them yesterday since the match-up for the tournament was interrupted by the Apostle Pride."
"You all forfeited after me?" I asked, curious as to why. This was the first that I was hearing of this.
"Why, yes. For starters, Goro and Rok both wanted to face you, but since you were no longer a part of the Tournament, they threw in the towel. As for Lance, he didn't say much except that he no longer wished to continue."
I knew the reason for him, but…
"And what about you? Why the hell did you forfeit, Ryo!?" I asked, almost angry that he did.
He simply laughed, then threw the question back to me. "Well, Greed, why did you forfeit?"
They all focused their attention on me now, even the other Silver Sharks that were passing by and overheard our conversation listened ever so intently.
"None of your business," was all I said, turning my eyes away from his confident gaze.
Ryo smiled then said, "Then it's neither yours."
The place was awkward now as the others who stopped to listen slowly began leaving the scene. Zeno gave a nervous laugh, and Snow cleared his throat, saying, "Anyway… we gonna go see him or what?"
I snickered at Ryo's serene smile and turned back around, leaving finally as I replied, "Then hurry up already, you fuckin' idiots."
***
Now with Ryo, Zeno, and Snow, who was still in beachwear, we made our way to the Southeast part of the Kingdom, where our favorite alleyway noodle shop was located.
"He stationed the place here?" I asked.
"Could have picked a better place if you asked me." Snow scoffed.
"Actually, it's quite perfect." Zeno said.
"I agree! About a corner away from our favorite noodle shop!" Ryo added.
"No one asked for your guy's opinions!" Snow replied angrily.
As we trailed passed the noodle shop, we headed down a path that felt so familiar as I recalled the memories of tracking down that six armed mech that kidnapped Alice, our pretending to be one of them, and then we were here… the abandoned building with an underground club of the fake Black Wolves… or at least, that's what I was expecting to see.
We all had awkward expressions plastered on our faces as we witnessed the building in front of us. It had only been a day, but it looked like it was on the verge of completion.
The abandoned building that was once here was no more. Instead, it was a black-and-yellow castle with an exaggerated monument sign, its flickering lights brighter than the morning sun… with the name "The Yellow Jacket Knights Hideout."
Snow ground his teeth and held a fist in the air at the sight of it. "It's not a fucking hideout if it's out in the open and looks like a damn casino, that fucking… Argh!"
I held my fist to the overly decorated yellow double doors with embossed symbols of wasps on them, but before I could even knock, the doors slammed open with a kick by a noisy, flashy individual. It was none other than…
"G'day, peasants. I've been expecting you! Welcome to the newest and most promising Guild the Valley has ever seen! Please keep all jaws collected and to yourselves so as to not stain the floors with your drool! I know it is impossible not to gape, but that is why I have granted you my blessing to at least hold your jaws as you witness the greatest Guild and its fearless leader of the Yellow Jack—"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY—" Snow and I yelled as Ryo and Zeno stood behind nervously holding us back.
The male in front of us was in an all-yellow tracksuit with two stripes that trailed from his high sides down to his ankles. On his feet were black boots, and he wore a black oversized puffer jacket that was effortlessly designed with embroidered numbers '0' on the right sleeve and on the left, the number '1' in yellow, contrasting with the black. On the back was the logo of a wasp—the esteemed yellow jacket he had named his Guild after. And that distinct, worn-out headband he always wore no matter what, with a yellow pattern wrapped around it…
"—REX!!"
"You called?" he responded as if we had summoned him. Though I suppose we had this coming...
Current Valley Kingdom Guild Rankings:
1st: Black Wolf Knights
2nd: Golden Rose Knights
3rd: Crimson Dragon Knights
4th: Snow Lily Knights
5th: Purple Panther Knights
6th: Silver Shark Knights
7th: Green Owl Knights
8th: Yellow Jacket Knights