"It's hot, Shirou."

"Atsuya stop complaining."

"I can't help it it's hot."

"Shut up."

With the blazing heat of the desert the twin's quarrel was more annoying than usual. If only Atsuya took off his scarf maybe the he wouldn't be complaining so much.

Silence fell between the four adventurers.

"It's hot."

Three veins popped at Atsuya's whisper, the temptation to take extreme measures—knocking him out— was great, but someone would have to lift the dead weight.

Kidou supported his body with his staff, moving his tired legs forward. Only one kilometer left to reach the town, he thought. If only the Barbarian class twin hadn't lost control over himself they shouldn't be at death's door, again. Even his brother was in the same state—very unusual for him.

"Hey, Shirou." Atsuya called. "Can't you like . . . transport us to the town or something . . . ? Or cast a spell to and make it rain?" A smart proposal coming from him—seems the heat messed up his brain.

"I used the rest of my mana to transport you closer to us," he muttered.

"Okay."

With a lot of perseverance— and Atsuya's complains—they arrived to the small town that served as their base. As the sky dyed in orange and soon in darker tones they crawled to the bank to exchange their loot for a well-deserved pay . . . which wasn't much.

This was the daily of these four adventurers.

"Hi, Endou." Kidou greeted.

"Yo, guys." Endou covered his mouth and nose, either to control his laughter or repel the smell, and muffled: "The bath is empty, so help yourselves."

The adventurers enjoyed a bath after a long day of fighting monsters and receiving little money for the efforts.

"How long do we have to keep this up?!" Atsuya yelled to no one. It happened so frequently the other three had gotten used to. "I hate bein' covered in slime every day."

"Don't remind me Atsuya," Fubuki grumbled, his voice bubbled in the hot water.

Kidou proceeded to change the topic. "One of us needs to reach level 2 before we can buy a building for the guild, we have to consider costs too."

"Gouenji, you should work more!" Atsuya point said person. "You have more XP than us!"

"I would if someone a.k.a. you wouldn't break the formation." He glared. After he was told the same more times he could count Gouenji finally snapped—who said he was Buddha? His friends knew his hot temper—they were painfully aware about it.

"Atsuya is not the only problem." Kidou was placing the blame on him too. He, as usual was the one who held their Swordsman class friend—Gouenji—with clever words, sharing the blame, and on extreme situations he took it upon himself. Gouenji, noticing this backed down.

The two of them listened to Kidou about his observation on today's fight—Atsuya as much as he could, while Fubuki's relaxed. As the white mage—and healer—he didn't participated much on strategy meetings. His MP was always empty at the end of the day—thanks to a certain reckless brother of his. Kidou being the tactician and Wizard class and him made a good balance with the other two.

But they had a lot of room for improvement.

The next day the group was on the road early in the morning. Their hunting grounds was for themselves. After all who would walk two kilometers away from all civilization? They either had to be desperate or crazy, they agreed might be both.

Maybe as a blessing from the gods that day they encountered a rare prey.

"The hell is that?!" Atsuya said before his brother pulled his over behind a tree and shushed him.

"Captain what do we do?" Fubuki asked in sign language —a must-know for adventurers. "I have never seen it." Atsuya agreed in the same way.

That spells trouble. The twins' parents were monsters researchers, and they had grown hearing all kinds of facts about them. If they didn't know hardly the other two did.

"I don't know it either." Kidou replied likewise and glanced at the unknown creature.

It wasn't very big or menacing—as most monsters were—it was almost... cute, Fubuki thought. It was a small plant-like monster with short tentacles and a happy face emoji, but the bushes where too dense they couldn't see its roots.

The last time he concluded this and walked to a baby chimera he almost lost his head, if it wasn't for Atsuya.

Captain Kidou signaled their sweeper—the one with more self-control.

"Take it away."

After nodding Gouenji stealthily approached the creature until he was spotted, and while alternating between evading and running he lured it outside.

On cue, Kidou and the twins moved out as soon as they were out of sight. While ran Kidou gave quick commands Fubuki chanted some buffs—though he didn't have much on stock—when he finished Kidou and Atsuya were enveloped in a white glow before reaching the end of the forest.

"W-what is that?!" Atsuya yelled.

In front of them was a huge humanoid-like monster, as tall as a bear but as thin as a snake. It flailed its long whip-like arms around—left and right, up and down and when arm met ground it cracked into pieces.

The small plant they had seen sat at the top of its faceless head.

"Slenderman!" Atsuya cried out.

The mythological creature adventurers mentioned to green horns—though it was known far and wide the creature was rarely seen in its full form, described only as a black and thin wriggling monster by fellow adventurers.

It would fetch a good price.

"How long are you going to stand there?!" Gouenji yelled bringing the three into action.

"Gouenji come back!" Kidou was the first to act. He commanded their formation to the twins. Goeunji was running back, evading the snake-like arms when Atsuya helped him out sending a kick to one, buzzing passed him.

"Thanks Fubuki." He nodded after healing Gouenji's minor scars and giving him the same buffs as the others.

Gouenji branded his sword again and helped Atsuya.

On moments like this that they were grateful of each other's company. No matter how much they complained or how miserable times were as long as they had each other's back things will work out.

No one cowered back, or gave a sign of hopelessness. Each, in their own way, faced this legendary monster.

Kidou blinded the creature, giving a chance for Atsuya to smash his fist in its gut with a thunder buff—courtesy of his Barbarian class. It was the creature's weakness—according to Gouenji, who knew a little too much about it. The creature screeched and stopped, his body started to give off a yellow-white glow.

"It's healing!" Gouenji yelled. Kidou cursed, its HP was in the red zone their efforts would be wasted—not to mention they were getting tired—yes, they were reaching their limits.

"Let's attack at once! Hurry!" Fubuki shouted.

The fighters ran to the creature.

"Fire Tornado!" Gouenji jumped, his sword became enveloped in blazing fire. He slashed the sword downwards after spinning clock-wise.

"Eternal Blizzard!" Atsuya spun over his own axis, giving a kick as his frozen foot on the head of the monster.

"Dark Tornado!" From his rod Kidou released a swirling dark energy. Gouenji and Atsuya stepped aside, and the monster—in a daze—received a clean hit.

"FUBUKI!"

"Wolf Legend!" His staff lit up charging white energy in one point and released his remaining MP in a humongous shoot of blinding light exploding in the middle of the creature; giving an end to the long battle.

The creature exploded releasing a terrible stanch of rotten eggs and skunk smell that fell on the four teens—with a little blood.

"Disgusting." Atsuya murmured washing the remains with his hand. "Shirou, you okay? Guess not." He sweat dropped at his fallen twin. The fact that his strongest—and only—attack left his so vulnerable was ironic.

At least we made it, he thought.

The young adventurers returned to the cheap inn. Atsuya carrying his brother on his back brought the terrible stench to the humble building.

"Ugh, Atsuya you smell." Fubuki retorted.

"You too Shirou. I think I'm going barf."

Kidou walked slower than usual. Gouenji noticed he has been looking down for the past hour and asked what his deal was.

He evaded his eyes and said in a clear voice.

"The monster didn't drop anything. We can't claim the money."

"What the? What did you guys found this time?" Asked Endou.

The four shared a glance and replied at the time.

"Slenderman."