1 Hokori's Pride

The wind rustled the leaves sending shivers up the guilds back from fear.

"Don't worry guys, I know I'm the best adventurer in here but there's no reason to be so scared when I'm not near you." A loud voice with much pride boomed off the walls of the cave.

"We would be equally as scared without you here, Hokori."

"That's Hokori Sugiru to you, Senku,'' Hokori spoke back.

Senku thought to himself of how much he hated having to explore dungeons with Hokori.

"Ahh, right. My bad Hokori Sugiru" Senku replied with annoyance under his breath.

A loud crash came from behind the guild; everyone turned around worried they had entered a dungeon too highly ranked for their skill set.

"Be ready, Benjiro" Senku strictly spoke to the fire mage of the group.

"Lookout, I'll handle this," Hokori pushed through everyone else while drawing out his sword.

"Stop Hokori, you are a close combat type. This is a fight for you to stay back for now." Moments later, after Hokori tried arguing, a loud beastly scream came from the smoke. "Look out!" Senku tried warning Hokori but it was too late. Hokori was slammed with a large paw into the rock wall.

A low growl that could scare any C-rank adventurer came from where Hokori had been knocked out. Benjiro took to attacking the beast known as, Kemono. His fire magic didn't do any recognizable damage.

"We barely stand a chance with only a D-rank mage," Senku thought to himself.

"Benjiro, flank to the right of Kemono! Kotonaru! Flank the left!" Senku screamed to his team members while his voice shook.

Kotonaru used a wind enchant to empower Benjiro's fire ability. "Kemono started to show pain, it seems this will work for now." Senku thought to himself. "Healer! Make sure to keep replenishing Benjiro's and Kotonaru's mana! It's the only attack we have working for now."

"I said ill handle this!" Another scream boomed from where Hokori was getting up from the rubble.

Senku rushed to keep Hokori from messing up their special wind and fire combo. "Stop if you try to fight it now you will only be burned."

Hokori pushed Senku to the ground, "Get out of my way! I am a top tier C-rank! I will handle it myself and get the glory for it as well!"

Hokori got a grip on his sword's handle and started walking to fight with Kemono.

"I'm gonna slaughter you, dog."

A yell arose from the back of the cave, "Demons from behind!"

"Our lower level close combat types should be able to handle them fine." Senku thought to himself. "Allow Itsuki and Fuji to handle it!" Senku told the rest of his guild. "Protect the mages at all costs."

Hokori rushed towards Kemono with a grin, he dashed forward into a slide underneath Komono cutting down the centerline of its stomach. "Wait, stop Kotonaru not yet!" Yelled Benjiro.

Kotonaru's wind attack was off timing causing Benjiro's attack to have no damage.

"Why did you stop?!" Yelled Kotonaru back.

"Hokori rushed in!"

"Don't worry guys, you can back off now," Hokori spoke with such confidence in his ability Kotonaru and Benjiro were almost condemned to to not worry about it.

"Develop," Hokori spoke under his breathe using his new skill.

Kotonaru and Benjiro were in shock to see his sword grow an extra four feet and thicken to now have the appearance of an old, knight's sword.

"A seven-foot sword? How is that even wieldable?"

Dodging the beast's attack, Hokori was going straight for its head. He leaped into the air slicing straight down with his new sword, swiping the beast head off completely.

"When did he learn that skill?" Senku thought to himself.

Hokori was bloating to Kotonaru and Benjiro when Senku heard more paw steps coming from the darkness due to his insane Sense skill.

"Look out Hokori!"

Hokori was prepared and swiftly turned around to fight it off. But these were the Level-C beats type monsters. Kemono was only D-Level!

'Wait what!?" Senku yelled when he saw the monstrosity of what a C-rank dungeon could hold.

"No, this can't be right." Hokori thought to himself.

"Everyone go back!" Hokori yelled in fear only to see the rest of the guild trapped by the demon's and now a necromancer type boss. Not only could the other guild members not reach the necromancer but they could hardly hold off his dead pets!

Itsuki was stabbed through the stomach by one of the necromancer's demons. Fuji couldn't hold himself up either, even with our other guild members trying to help they were being overcome by dead monsters.

"We are slowly being torn apart." Senku then used skill: Flank of The North Winds. "Although my wind magic is weak this skill should at least put the dead off balance; it could even change the course of this fight."

"Attack now with everything!" Senku spoke with the perfect timing of his wind flanking skill.

Although they are slowly turning the tables the guild hasn't gotten any closer to the necromancer. With Hokori still trying to hold off the other C-level beast. The rest of the guild had served more damage with the loss of three other members.

"We had twelve members to start and we are now at eight. No, make that seven" Senku spoke underneath his breathe while trying to direct his guild members.

Hokori flew past Senku into the other members' fight, "Hokori!"

Senku slowly turned his head to see three gigantic wolf-like monsters towering over him and the rest of the guild.