Central City Guild.
The building never seemed to sleep.
Hunters flowed in and out through the massive front doors.
Weapons clinked.
Mission boards updated constantly.
Guild employees hurried between counters carrying stacks of paperwork.
The entire place buzzed with noise.
Maru stood near the entrance.
Waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.
"...He's coming, right?"
Across from him, Reva sipped coffee.
"Relax."
"I'm relaxed."
"You've asked six times."
Maru checked the entrance again.
"...Seven."
Tara laughed.
"I think he likes his new friend."
Maru nearly dropped his coffee.
"I don't—"
A pause.
"...Maybe a little."
"Adorable."
Maru groaned.
The doors opened.
A familiar figure stepped inside.
Navy-blue hair.
Spear on his back.
Same unreadable expression as always.
Sain.
Maru immediately stood up.
"You came!"
Several guild members turned to stare.
Sain visibly regretted entering.
"...Hello to you too."
Maru ignored the embarrassment entirely.
"You almost didn't come."
"I said maybe."
"Which is basically yes."
"No it isn't."
Reva smiled.
Good.
Both showed up.
That alone was promising.
She motioned toward the table.
"Sit."
Sain sat.
The others gradually gathered.
This time, introductions happened properly.
Not all at once.
Naturally.
The large man Maru had noticed before extended a hand.
"Anya."
Maru blinked.
"...Anya?"
The giant shrugged.
"My parents had expectations."
Maru nodded immediately.
"Fair."
A pale woman looked up from a notebook.
"Lily."
She returned to writing.
Conversation apparently finished.
A hunter with sharp eyes grinned.
"Vyan."
His grin widened.
"I heard you flattened a rat into the pavement."
Maru looked proud.
"...I did."
One by one, the remaining members introduced themselves.
Kaal.
Maya.
Bete.
Fugu.
Tara.
Grim.
The names slowly became people.
Not just faces.
Eventually a guild receptionist appeared beside their table.
Holding paperwork.
And looking tired.
Very tired.
"Have you decided?"
Everyone froze.
Reva smiled nervously.
"...Decided what?"
The receptionist stared.
"The squad name."
Silence.
The receptionist closed her eyes.
Slowly.
Dangerously.
"You've been sitting here for forty minutes."
The argument started immediately.
Vyan leaned forward.
"Something intimidating."
Maru pointed at himself.
"Heroes."
"No."
Maru frowned.
"Super Heroes."
"Absolutely not."
Tara nearly choked laughing.
Fugu buried his face in his hands.
Even Sain looked concerned.
"Shadow Hunters."
"No."
"Iron Fangs."
"No."
"Rat Exterminators."
"Definitely no."
Maru slumped.
"No one appreciates genius."
"Correct."
The debate continued.
Nothing stuck.
Every suggestion was rejected within seconds.
Even Reva was running out of ideas.
Eventually Bete glanced down at the registration forms.
Then blinked.
"...Huh."
Nobody paid attention.
"...Huh."
Still nothing.
"...Guys."
That got everyone's attention.
Bete looked around the table.
Then at the forms.
Then back at the table.
"...All twelve of us were born in different months."
Silence.
Maya tilted her head.
"...Seriously?"
He handed over the papers.
Everyone checked.
January.
February.
March.
April.
All the way to December.
No overlaps.
Tara blinked.
"...That's actually kind of incredible."
Even Lily looked mildly interested.
Which was apparently the equivalent of excitement.
The group fell silent.
Thinking.
Then—
A voice.
Quiet.
Almost absentminded.
"Twelve constellations."
Everyone turned.
Sain looked up.
Immediately regretted speaking.
Too late.
Reva's eyes widened.
"...Zodiac."
The room went quiet.
For the first time all afternoon—
Nobody objected.
Maru grinned.
"Oh, that's cool."
Lily nodded.
"Acceptable."
Kaal shrugged.
"No complaints."
Tara smiled.
"I like it."
Even Grim approved.
Which was slightly terrifying.
Reva stood.
Decision made.
"Then it's settled."
She took the paperwork.
Walked straight to the receptionist.
Before anyone could change their mind.
The receptionist looked over the documents.
Then reached for the guild stamp.
Everyone watched.
Maru practically vibrated.
Sain looked strangely invested for someone pretending not to care.
THUNK.
The stamp slammed onto the paper.
Large red letters appeared across the form.
APPROVED SQUAD: ZODIAC
For a moment—
Nobody spoke.
Then Maru raised a hand.
"...Do we get uniforms?"
The entire table groaned.
Fugu laughed.
Tara laughed harder.
Even Reva covered her face.
Sain slowly stood.
"...I already regret joining."
Maru pointed.
"See? That's team spirit."
"It isn't."
"It is now."
For the first time since meeting them—
Sain smiled.
A small one.
But real.
The others noticed.
Nobody commented.
Outside, the afternoon sun hung over the city.
Inside the guild hall—
Twelve hunters sat around a table.
Unaware of the trouble they were about to cause.
And the trouble that was about to find them.