I think I told someone this, but GPS stands for: Gafoogle Pochi Shankerz, so you could call me anything stemmed from that (I've had a lot of nicknames)

I'm sorry this is late ;-; The next one might be too because of the Finals Rush. Afterwards though, I'm happy to say I'll be extremely free for writing 8D Can't wait til the school year's over.

decidecii: why thank you. Here it is.

A Reader: I'm sorry. I have OTP feels that can't be contained. It's too late to change it now though because I have a storyline. Also, MuraAka/ AkaMura is more of a BroTP. 8D

Once again, this was checked over by Hayasaka Shion-san~ Even though afterwards, I always re-edit it. Any mistakes you find here are totally me.

Disclaimer: KnB is not mine. /Pterodactyl fangirl screech

Chapter 17: Mentor & Training

Several figures, all with their faces painted over in either disbelief or apprehension, stared dumbly at the redheaded male in front of them.

What? Me? This guy!?

"You've got to be kidding me! What do you mean he'll be my mentor?" Kise protested loudly, an accusatory finger pointed toward the smaller, blue-haired man.

"Have I not make myself clear enough?" The redhead replied, arms folding across each other in a way that conveyed authority; Kise was almost daunted from continuing to argue.

Almost.

"W-well, you did, but this is still kinda weird! I mean, first of all, we just met like, ten seconds ago. Second, isn't he just a high schooler or something? And third of all, he's a Mage! How is he supposed to teach me anything?"

Kuroko spoke up just as the Bandit finished talking, "actually, I am a year older than you. But I agree with him, Akashi-kun. Wouldn't Haizaki-kun or Momoi-san be a better idea as they are similar classes?"

Haizaki's face twitched, and one could immediately tell he disliked even the prospect of this suggestion. "Oh hell no! I'm not gonna teach some prissy little model how to use a knife."

…Prissy little model? I'm one of the most famous idols in Japan, and I definitely don't need you to teach me! What kind of pedestal is this guy putting himself on? ...Wait, did that kid just say he was older than me!?

"I can assure all of you that I have my reasons for this arrangement, though it would be difficult to express in words. Besides, Tetsuya, even if you cannot teach him the art of combat, you still have an excellent grasp of the concepts of this game."

"…Nee, Aka-chin. Can I go get some snacks?"

"Not yet, Atsushi."

"Ehh… Akashi?" this time it was Aomine who spoke up. "I think it'd be kinda hard for Tetsu to teach this guy too. Are you sure maybe I shouldn't do it or something? I mean, if they go somewhere with high-level monsters with no tank…" he didn't finish that sentence and waited for a reply.

The redhead contemplated for a bit, also taking into account of his guild's reactions toward his commands.

He nodded slightly to himself before saying, "All right then. Tetsuya, Daiki", he glanced toward them, "You two shall accompany Ryouta for the time being. I would like you to keep in mind that this will be meant to get him up to a certain standard in levels and for him to grow accustomed to your fighting styles; it'd be best for him to get used to your misdirection. Only intervene with his training if needed, though you might as well get some done yourselves."

Both of the blue-haired men looked at each other, a bit relieved at Akashi's words.

Ehh… why do I have to train with him? He's just a Cleric, so won't he be weak or something? Ah, but at least Aominecchi would be there too~ Then again, why do I have to train with anyone in the first place? Couldn't I just kill monsters myself? ...Am I joining a cult or something? Maybe this is some kind of–

Akashi's voice was the thing that brought him out of his thoughts when he inquired, "Do you happen to have a lot of free time do you have this week?"

"Umm… since it's Golden Week, I think I'm pretty free compared to usual. I could try to clear some more time though, since I really like this game."

The redhead smiled to himself. "Excellent. Would you mind telling me of your schedule so that we could work out an effective training regimen for you? I would like for you to reach a certain level so that you would be able to keep up with the rest of us. Also, if you happen to have the time tomorrow, we have another two duels scheduled and it would probably benefit you to gain experience in the arena."

"Of course! I think I have the whole afternoon cleared tomorrow."

Uwaaaah, group battles! I haven't gotten to try PVPing yet. I can probably get a lot of really nice skills if I do. How many slots do I have left? Fifteen, I think? Well, I could always replace some of the older ones.

The two walked to a less crowded spot and began to work out an amiable agenda that would match up with both Aomine and Kuroko for the next few days. While these two were in their discussion, the majority of their guild was off the side, still confused as to why Kuroko was chosen as Kise's "mentor". Though they couldn't hear what was being said by the two among the chatter and bustle of the rest of the players in the arena, they could see the blonde's facial expression changing drastically every few seconds or so.

Happy. Shocked. Distraught. Happy. Compliant. Sad. And then happy again.

Kuroko found it a bit amusing how much the other's mood showed of his face and how quickly it could change.

A few minutes later, the two men returned to the group after having worked out something of suitable accordance. "Tetsuya, Daiki, would you two mind taking Ryouta to train for a while? And while you're at it, I request that you let him copy some of your skills and spells."

"…I am confused as to what you mean by that, Akashi-kun."

"I mean exactly what I said."

His eyes glanced toward the shining weapon in Kise's hand, and Kuroko followed his eyes. "You see, Ryouta has informed me that he is in possession of a unique item similar to Shougo's. Instead of being able to steal spells, however, his has the power of imitation."

The guild's silver-haired Thief raised a brow at this, and spat when he noticed the similarities between the two weapons he and the blonde held. "Hmph. I bet he sucks at using this though". He lifted a hand and started gesturing for the log-out window to appear.

"Shougo."

He sighed, irritated. "I know already! I'll be back tomorrow. I'm not that stupid that I'd break our contract", he growled, resigned. With a final, "I'm out", he disappeared from the room.

"Hmm, Haizakicchi is good at fighting, but he's kind of a jerk, isn't he?"

"Pretty much", was the unanimous reply that came from the guild–minus Akashi who just chuckled quietly to himself.

The Sorcerer directed his guild outside after noticing that a small crowd was starting to form around the group; some were there because of their fight just now, others because of they had noticed the model in their wake.

When they reached the outside, he gave them some simple orders and instructions:

"Shintarou, take Atsushi and go get some food first–he won't last very long if you don't. Make sure he does not spend all his ladomi on snacks again. After that, I'd like both of you to complete this quest. For the average person, it takes about three hours to complete, but I suppose since you'll be working together, it'll be taken care of swiftly", He sent both of them a PM attached with a map and details of the quest.

Momoi followed them as well, and both the purple-headed giant and she asked Midorima to treat them to food. He scowled at them as if they were mischievous children, though he never actually refused.

Whines of "Mido-chin–" and "Midorin~" were heard as the three walked away. Kise couldn't help but think they'd along well–mostly due to the fact that he too loves giving cutesy nicknames to the people he knows.

Akashi turned toward the trio that remained where they stood. "You three. Have you prepared yourself?"

"I have~!", the blonde replied energetically, not having a clue as to what Akashi's "training" entailed.

Akashi, who'd already calculated what the map with the most effective leveling would be, spent the next minute casting one of his dimensional travel spells.

"This is soooooo aweeeesoooome", Kise thought, watching the dark ring encompass them until the scenery was merely a pit of black nothingness.

Seconds after being immersed in that space, the void started to disappear from view, and the three men materialized in the middle of a rocky canyon.

Slabs of slate and ore in all sorts of pale shades littered the ground and the dirt-and-stone walls surrounding them. Some of the shinier ones caught Kise's eye, glittering brightly around and above them. One trail of gem-like stones led upward, toward one of the ways of exiting the canyon they were transported to: up.

"Oh shit!" the blonde thought after having looked for where the trail of stones ended.

An large, unevenly-formed boulder was quickly descending above them and, by the looks of its size, it would probably kill them if it made contact.

Aomine was the first to react.

He grabbed the other two and flung them forward out of harm's way–before taking a dive back himself.

The boulder was narrowly avoided and crashed thunderingly to the ground, forming a small crater as bits of stone and rubble were strewn all around.

The three made their ways up the cliffs, bounding and climbing as they dodged more of the rocks that were thrown down at them. Kuroko, of course, had a lot of difficulty following the other two. Kise couldn't help but think the Magic-user was a little bit pitiful, being so slow regards to himself and Aomine when they reached the top and he was still only half way.

After making their way out of the crevice, the danger of the falling boulders for Aomine and Kise was now much less prominent; the monsters wouldn't throw at players within a certain range of them.

The Bandit looked around the map. Several large monsters that were similar to… sloths…? Were they? Or maybe they were supposed to be some kind of moles. Kise wasn't sure, but since the two animals look pretty similar in real life (at least to him), he decided not to think on it too much.

One of the creatures, dubbed a "Folitallupa", raised its body–which seemed to be covered with slick, flat leaves of some sort–and plunged its jagged claws toward the Bandit.

The speed and power of its crooked nails were deceiving in relation to the monster's appearance, but Kise still managed to step out of the way before being hit.

From the corner of his eye, he could see Aomine practicing his sword play against one of the lumbering creatures, darting around it quickly with his sword shining and shifting and–

That weapon is so cool! He wasn't using that earlier in the arena. Is it a unique weapon? I've never seen anything like it here.

In the Paladin's hand was a sword hilt adorned with a complicated, interweaving design that ran along its black base. Small flecks of silver could also be seen, elegantly high-lighted and flashing brightly in the sun. What is different about this sword in particular, however, is its blade.

Is that made of… water?

Yes, Kise. indeed it is.

From the sword's handle protruded a stream of clear, blue water shaped the blade of a long sword. When the man attacked his enemy again though, the sword changed into a form similar to an axe, giving him a stronger attack power. After jumping back to elude a flurry of sharp, knife-like leaves, he sliced through the creature once more.

When the creature tried to block the blow with its arms (Kise guessed the leaves growing from them added defense to it), the liquid blade merely passed through and then solidified once more, creating a long, blood-soaked fissure along the monster's chest. With one final attack–a system automated skill–the monster fell dead.

The sword he held, Hakua, allowed him a truly formless style–no other would have sufficed. The liquid blade could be molded to any shape he wanted at a moment's notice, which matched his own unpredictable fighting style perfectly. It was a good thing Akashi had hinted at how to use it, otherwise the weapon would have "expired" and disappeared from the game forever.

The Paladin turned to Kise, his face turning dismal as he shouted out the following:

"Geh–! Watch out, you moron!"

"Huh?"

Being distracted by the dark-skinned man's expert swordsmanship, the blonde didn't notice the dark, looming shadow of the monster he'd been fighting, poised to strike above him.

He sprung to the side, hoping to minimize the damage caused by the creature as it swung its claws toward his direction–he knew he wouldn't be able to dodge fully or block something of that power and speed in this little time.

He braced himself for the impact, turning his body in a way that would lessen the damage done to him when he was hit.

Not that he needed to.

A beam of darkness shot out and collided with the side of the monster's head, throwing it off balance and forcing it to fall sideways. Instead of smacking into Kise and possibly ripping him to shreds (though the game actually didn't allow things like that), the Folitallupa's awkward limb glided over the Bandit and hit the ground.

"Kise-kun, you should not be so distracted. I am glad I made it in time, though", the blue-haired Cleric spoke, face devoid of any emotion that would otherwise prove the latter part of his statement true.

The model might have laughed at the irony if he wasn't busy composing himself after barrel-rolling in the dust.

Aomine and Kuroko both arrived where he sat, patting some of the dirt off his pants. His hands were quite grimy and scratched up, and even though he actually hated getting dirty, he felt a strange sense of excitement in the face of the beasts he was being pitted against. Despite the fact he had just gotten hurt and was sure his hair was a mess, it was kind of a nice change from his repetitious, now-mundane way of life.

As if the chains and restraints were free to be cast off.

The Warrior to his side grinned widely and held up his clenched hand. "Nice one, Tetsu!"

The Elf raised his hand as well, and the two bumped fists.

Ehh!? That attack just now was him? But Akashicchi told me he was a Cleric!

Somehow… that was actually kind of... awesome…

"Are you all right, Kise-kun?"

For a second, he sat stupefied before replying, "Uh… yeah!" and grabbing the two hands that had been outstretched by the two players in front of him.

The taller blue-haired man gave a small, playful scoff as they lifted him. "This is kinda like déjà vu, isn't it?"

Kuroko nodded. The other two didn't see the soft smile tugging the corners of his lips upwards, even if it was only for a split-second and quickly faded. He really couldn't really help it though, he just wasn't used to this kind of thing. He hadn't had much expression ever since middle school some seven or eight years ago.

To him, it was a miracle he could even smile at all; by now, it seemed his facial muscles would've become rigid and stuck in the same bored, blank expression he usually had. Most of the progress he'd made in the last two years was thanks to Takao, even if the other didn't know it.

The Cleric turned to the fallen sloth-leaf-mole-creature-thingy (Kise still wasn't sure of what to call it) which had slowly gotten back up and dug a car-sized chunk of stone from the earth.

It was thrown, but Kuroko was poised and ready for the attack. He had started casting a quick spell before the rock started flying, and a burst of darkness now emanated from the head of his staff, causing the boulder aimed at the three to burst into a rain of small, broken shards and pieces. Afterwards, he left the rest to Aomine and chanted a healing spell on Kise, relieving him of the small cuts on his skin.

Meanwhile, their Paladin guild-mate charged at the beast, reached it in a speed that shouldn't have been possible for Fighter types, (and yet for him, it was) and comboed it ferociously before it could even try to attack. This Folitallupa let out a deafening screeching sound as it became fodder for his next level up.

But for once, however, Kise wasn't paying much attention to him. He was still reeling in the sight of seeing Kuroko blast that huge boulder into smithereens with a single spell.

I'm so stupid–Aominecchi is friggen cool, Momoicchi is friggen cool, Midorimacchi is so friggen cool… They're all so friggen cool! Ahhh, I should have known it when I saw them all earlier… Why did I think that it was possible that in this guild, this guy wasn't cool too? It's so weird though, he's using dark spells even though he's a healer! Is that even legal?

…ARRRRGGGHHHHHH–! …he's lame and awesome at the same time! I kinda feel bad for insulting him in my mind now. Sorry, sorry, it was my bad. Haaaaaaaaa… Why was I let into this guild? I'm pretty sure I haven't proven myself to anyone yet but… I really wanna be cool too!

As if it were bending to his will, the chance came right away.

At a sizeable distance away, the earth started to convulse violently, and a gigantic rift become apparent in the center of the churning vortex of dirt. From the newly-formed crevice, a head popped out–huge, ugly, and leafy; the rest of the sloth-mole creature's colossal body soon followed in a similar fashion.

"… I guess this is why Akashi-kun wanted us to come here."

"He really doesn't let up, does he? I'm pretty sure this boss is like, five levels above Kise. No way he'd be able to beat it alone", Aomine said as the two began to stroll casually toward the gargantuan creature. Really, they were just taking their time. They had already faced much worse, after all.

A few steps away, Kuroko craned his neck around to ask, "Kise-kun, are you ready?"

The Bandit wiped his sweaty palms before running after them. "Hn… yeah, I'm ready!"

"I'll show you've what I've got, so just wait for me! Aominecchi, Kurokocchi!"

Omake–Another of the unfortunate Tetsu-kun series:

"Oh shit!" the blonde thought after having looked for where the trail of stones ended.

An large, unevenly-formed boulder was quickly descending above them and, by the looks of its size, it would probably kill them if it made contact.

Aomine was the first to react.

He grabbed the other two and flung them forward–

They promptly got crushed by the massive stone.

Looks like your aim was a bit off, Aomine.

I don't know if that would actually become a series ^

You guys are gonna hate me for this next secret I'm about to tell you. So you know how Kuroko's weapon is called the "Phantom's Staff of Arcane Shadows"?

The reason is more than because it matches him and is supposed to sound cool. You can rearrange the name a bit and it becomes the "Phantom's Arcane Shadow Staff"

{Phantom's Arcane Shadow Staff}

Yep. Kuroko is the PASS master. I'm so done with myself. (not)

Anyways, thanks for reading once again, I'm very grateful to those of you who are sticking with this even though I'm such an inconsistent writer.

I answer back to all questions, so if you have any, send them through PM or drop a review~