Scene 1: Echoes of the Mansion
The heavy iron doors groaned open, revealing the labyrinthine interior of the Hunter Mansion—a cold, silent monument of history and discipline. Inside, flickering torches lined the stony corridors, casting long shadows as the masked man led the new Hunters forward, his steps echoing like a slow heartbeat.
Each step deeper into the mansion felt like shedding their past lives.
At the end of the hallway, they entered a chamber where folded uniforms lay stacked on polished wooden benches. Black coats marked the lower ranks. Gold-edged ones for elites. Kyron, still stiff from the exam, stared at his—mid-rank, gray with crimson trim.
A voice called out.
"Kyron. Your trio has been decided. You'll be working with Ali and Luca."
Kyron blinked.
"Ali? Luca? You've got to be kidding..."
His stomach dropped. Ali was loud, reckless, and cocky. Luca was awkward, and last Kyron checked, barely passed the exam.
Ali waltzed in with a smug grin, tossing his coat over his shoulder.
Luca followed, holding his neatly folded one like it was a relic.
Ali (grinning): "Looks like we're the dream team, huh?"
Luca: "Heh. Don't worry. I don't snore."
Kyron gave them a polite nod, but his thoughts were a blur of doubt.
"Why them? Why not someone I can trust?"
Still, complaining wasn't an option. Orders were orders.
---
Scene 2: Fires, Fears, and First Bonds
The trio picked a secluded training spot—a forest clearing behind the mansion, where the sun filtered softly through rustling leaves. A breeze carried the scent of pine and old rain. Fallen logs became seats. Birds became audience.
They sat in a triangle, weapons laid aside. Time to talk.
Ali stood first, stretching his arms behind his head.
Ali: "I use Bravery Emotion. My strength scales with my pain. The more I bleed, the stronger I get. Even if my bones snap, I keep swinging."
He punched the air with confidence.
Ali (smirking): "I call it—'Victory by Stubbornness.'"
Kyron raised an eyebrow. "...That sounds suicidal."
Ali (grinning): "That's courage, baby."
Next was Luca, nervously rubbing his hands together.
Luca: "I, uh… I use Anxiety. It makes me fast. Real fast. But it drains me like crazy. I've only unlocked one move so far. The second one… I've never dared to try."
He looked down.
Kyron smiled gently, tapping his chest with a closed fist.
Kyron: "Trying is already braver than giving up. I use Anger Emotion—Bird Style. I've unlocked three techniques. Still feels like not enough."
Luca smirked. "You've already taken down a Beast Smiler. You've got protagonist privilege."
Ali cracked his knuckles. "Alright, enough feelings. Let's punch something."
---
Scene 3: Training Ritual
They trained until the sunlight dimmed.
Ali used his body like a battering ram, challenging gravity and pain itself. Kyron controlled his inner flame, practicing the delicate rhythm of rage. Luca blurred through shadows, weaving between trees like wind incarnate, sparks trailing in his wake.
Kyron noticed something. Despite all their flaws—Ali's recklessness, Luca's cowardice—they never stopped.
"They're raw, but not hopeless."
Their weapons clashed in friendly sparring. They groaned in pain, laughed when they fell, and picked each other up.
For the first time… it felt like a team.
---
Scene 4: The Mission Board Mistake
Later that night, they gathered around the glowing Mission Board at the mansion. Dozens of assignments floated mid-air—each a contract, each a risk.
Ali (eyes wide): "Ooooh! This one! Crystal Smiler. Look at the rewards!"
Kyron squinted. "That's a Frozen Forest mission… Crystal Smilers are high-tier. We're barely out of training."
Luca (panicking): "Guys, maybe we pick something smaller. Like pest control. Or babysitting."
Ali ignored them both and slammed his hand on the confirm sigil.
Ali: "Big points, big glory."
Kyron sighed. "This better not be our last mission."
---
Scene 5: Enter the Frozen Forest
Snow fell like ash. The trees were skeletal—covered in ice, their branches weighed down by frost.
They walked in silence, breath fogging. The only sound was the crunch of snow beneath their boots. Luca flinched at every crackle.
Luca (muttering): "Why is it always caves? Can't we fight a beach Smiler sometime?"
They arrived at the cave mouth. It looked like a wound carved into the mountain.
Ali unsheathed both swords, ready to charge.
Kyron (stopping him): "Holy water. Always keep it uncapped."
They each drank, letting the blessed liquid boost their stamina and endurance.
Inside the cave was beautiful—unnaturally so.
Glowing crystals of all colors lined the walls, floor, and ceiling. A rainbow of death. Some hummed faintly.
Ali (whispers): "This is... kinda cool."
Luca touched one. "Is it vibrating?"
Kyron (realizing): "Wait—These aren't decorations. This is part of the Smiler! MOVE!!"
Too late.
The walls exploded. Shards shot through the air as a hulking figure burst out, covered in jagged crystal spines, its grin long, splitting its face like a broken mask.
Crystal Smiler (grinning): "You stepped into my soul. Now bleed in color."
---
Scene 6: Flames vs Crystals
Ali leapt forward.
Ali: "Courage BOOST!"
His muscles flared with golden aura as he slammed into the Smiler—but was repelled by a sudden crystal spike from the ground.
Kyron: "FLAME RUSH!"
A blazing streak of red carved through the air. Kyron's sword met the Smiler's chest, burning bright.
Kyron: "FLAME SLASH!"
A wave of fire surged from his blade, leaving scorch marks and smoke.
The Smiler laughed as if amused.
Luca (nervously): "Alright, let's see if fear counts for something—ELECTRIC FALCON TACKLE!"
He zipped across the cavern like lightning, striking its leg with a static burst. The Smiler winced.
Ali recovered, face bruised, eyes burning.
Ali (roaring): "Break me all you want—I'll still hit harder!"
He activated a second Bravery technique—his skin glowing faintly like molten steel.
The three fought in perfect sync. Rage. Fear. Courage.
One slashed. One dodged. One tanked.
The final strike—Ali's blade, wreathed in golden emotion, cleaved through the Smiler's neck.
Silence.
Then thud.
Ali (panting): "That… was dope."
---
Scene 7: Embers of Triumph
Back at the Hunter Mansion, they dropped the Smiler's head on the counter.
The receptionist blinked. "You three? Crystal Smiler?"
Kyron smiled. "Told you we'd survive."
Luca (laughing): "I feel like I aged ten years in one mission."
Ali: "Worth it. That's how legends start."
The Mission Board glowed bright.
MISSION CLEARED. POINTS AWARDED.
Their ranks ticked upward.
Kyron looked at his new teammates. Not the best. Not the strongest.
But they were his.
We're just getting started."