Zeki gets up, changes clothes, and goes to the living room. He heads to the kitchen, where he finds his parents having breakfast.
Zeki: Good morning.
Father: Good morning, Zeki. Don't eat junk first thing in the morning.
Zeki looks around and decides to grab a banana.
Zeki: I'll just eat a banana.
He sits on the couch, chewing the fruit slowly. His mother, hearing the conversation, asks for his help.
Mother: Zeki, can you get the broom from the porch for me, please?
Zeki gets up, goes to the porch, grabs the broom, and hands it to his mother.
Zeki: Here it is, mom.
He picks up his cell phone and sees that it's already 10:00.
Zeki: (thinking) I'd better hurry so I won't be late.
Zeki: Mom, Dad, I'm heading out so I won't be late.
Father: Already? Well, anyway, I know you'll pass. Isn't it the guild you were talking about yesterday?
Zeki: Yes, it's the best in São Paulo, but also the hardest to get into.
Father: I know you'll make it, son. You've been preparing a lot for this.
Mother: How rare to see you encouraging him. (smiles)
Father: Well, he deserves it. He's really dedicated.
Zeki: Thanks, Dad. Bye, Mom. Bye, Dad.
Mother: Good luck, Zeki. We're rooting for you.
Father: Give it your all, kid.
Zeki leaves the house, feeling motivated by his parents' words. As he walks along the sidewalk, he can't help but think about what's ahead.
Zeki: (thinking) This guild I'm going to is the best in São Paulo, but also the hardest to get into. But I have to succeed.
He observes the busy streets, with people coming and going, each with their own destinations and concerns. The city is alive, and there were many competitors.
Finally, Zeki arrives at the guild. The building is immense, with an imposing and modern facade. Many people are arriving, some as nervous as he is.
Zeki: (thinking) Up close, this building doesn't seem so big now.
He takes a deep breath and takes the first step towards the guild.
Upon entering the guild, Zeki hears some conversations around him.
Person 1: Wow, I'm so nervous. Do you think I'll get in?
Person 2: Relax, I'm sure I'll get a high rank right away. I'm prepared!
Person 3: I'm confident too. I didn't come here to be kicked out.
As Zeki walks, he hears someone calling his name.
Bia: Hey, Zeki! What's up, is everything good?
Zeki looks around and sees Bia and Gustavo approaching.
Zeki: (thinking) So they came. I thought Bia would come, but Gustavo was so determined not to.
Zeki then walks towards them.
Zeki: Hey, Bia.
Gustavo: Hey, man! Are you ready for this? This guild is awesome. I'm going to get a high rank, you'll see!
Zeki: (thinking) He never missed a chance to pick a fight with me, now he's acting like he knows me. What do Bia or mom do to make him act like this?
Zeki: So, shall we?
Bia: Let's go! I'm curious to see what it's like inside.
Gustavo: That's right! I can already see it, I'm going to leave here as the top of the guild. And you, Zeki, have you accepted that you're going to lose to me?
Zeki: (calmly) If that's what you think.
Bia: Ah, Zeki, I'm so excited, right? But that's it, let's go!
Gustavo: Let's go then. I want to see everyone's faces when we crush it!
The three go in together, ready to face the challenges that await them. The environment is imposing and full of aspirants, all with determined looks and focused on their goals.
The citizens of Fortaleza began to question if the hunters were really trustworthy for their safety, since the news of the wall breach and the tiger-ranked monster attack that set the city on fire had spread rapidly. Marta, the employee, leads the three S-class heroes to Director Roberto's office.
Marta: Director Roberto, the S-class heroes have arrived.
Roberto: (looking at the three with a serious expression) Come in.
The three enter, and Marta closes the door behind them.
Roberto: (irritated) Sit down. We need to talk about yesterday's disaster. About the monster that destroyed the wall. But Gustave, where were you?
Gustave: (with a superior air) Ah, Director, you know how it is. I'm very busy and these monsters are unpredictable. Of course, if I had been there, I would have resolved everything quickly, but. The monster is already dead, so why worry so much?
Choquita: (concerned) Gustave, you always think you're so great, huh? What matters now is to act quickly. And how is the guild's reputation going to be? There should always be an S-class hero in the guild for incidents like this.
Amanda: (concerned) I agree with Choquita. Besides, the guild's image is ruined. Not to mention, how did that monster manage to break the walls? Those things were built to withstand dragon-ranked monsters, so I thought everything would be fine.
Roberto: (frustrated) Did you see the news? The message the guild sent? It took five A-class heroes to defeat a single A-class monster. This is not good for the guild's image. The hunters are getting too relaxed and confident, which is not good.
Gustave: I can't blame them. After all, who would have thought that inferior monsters would break the wall, right, Amanda?
Amanda: Yes, yes, but I was also irresponsible. I should have taken a look. I'm really sorry.
Choquita: (concerned) Don't blame yourself, Amanda. But why didn't the alarm go off when the monster broke the wall? I would have come immediately.
Gustave: (impatient) Look, sorry to interrupt, but that's in the past. I have things to do. I'll send some money to the guild, please, okay?
Choquita is outraged by his attitude and Gustave leaves.
Roberto: (irritated) If Gustavo weren't strong, I would have gotten rid of him already. What an arrogant kid.
Gustave, while walking down the corridor:
Gustave: (arrogant) What do they think I am? If they think I'll lower myself to fight weak monsters, they're wrong. I'm not going to waste my strength on tiger-ranked monsters.
In fact, Gustave was present during the incident, but he didn't help because he had a commitment he considered more important.
Choquita: (irritated) That jerk. We'll have to manage without his help, as always.
Amanda: (trying to calm) Please, calm down. Don't lose your temper. We can resolve this, right, Director?
Roberto: (hopeful) I hope so. Please, you may leave now.
The two S-class heroes nod and leave the room.
Choquita: (irritated) Oh, if I could, I'd punch that arrogant snob.
Amanda: (positive) Well, he could be kinder, right?
Choquita: (impressed) Amanda, I'm impressed with how positive you are.
The two leave the guild.
Back in São Paulo, Zeki, Gustavo, and Bia were in line to write their names.
Gustavo: So, how does this rank thing work?
Bia: Well, I don't really know, but it seems there are 7 ranks. You know what, Zeki, it's better if you explain since you seem to understand this better.
Zeki: Okay, there are 7 ranks. The highest is Z and the lowest is E.
Gustavo looks confused.
Gustavo: Wait, class Z, what is that? Isn't class S the most powerful?
Zeki: Actually, it's a bit different. The Z ranks refer to global hunters, while the S are the best in each region. Got it?
Gustavo: Wow, how long did it take you to memorize that?
Zeki: Let's talk more later. It's our turn now.
Zeki, Gustavo, and Bia write their names on the paper to start the exams.
At the São Paulo guild headquarters, the directors discuss the number of registrations this year.