After returning that night, Finn, Iris, Octane, and Fanatic were all told to pack up their belongings and be ready to stay at the other squadron’s place for a while. The next morning, they set off, waving Archon and Melvia goodbye as they used the teleporter.

In an instant, they were transported, shrouded by white light. When it faded away, they found themselves within a traditional Eastern room, with paintings of dragons on the walls and velvet-colored wooden furniture. The furry carpet below them had a dragon inscribed on it as well, matching with the walls and ceiling where a chandelier of torches hung, burning with light.

The five stepped out of the teleporter that looked out of place here, gazing around in wonder at the ancient-feeling room.

“Wow…” Iris mused, eyes sparkling with excitement. “I know Archon said this squadron was an S-Class, but this is still incredible…”

“Heartbeat’s place doesn’t even compare,” Octane chuckled lightly.

“Indeed,” Fanatic narrowed his eyes and observed their surroundings. “All the decor and furniture in this room are top-notch. The material is Purple Heart wood, one of the most expensive woods in the world. And these paintings… it’s clear they were crafted by a true master of visual art.”

“You have a keen eye,” a voice suddenly said as the polished wooden doors with translucent windows in a grid-like pattern in front of the five swung open.

“…” Octane and Fanatic’s jaws both dropped at the person who had spoken — an extremely beautiful girl who seemed to be in her twenties. She had long, light purple hair, and two crimson red eyes that seemed to see through anything. Her figure was nearly perfect, curving in and out at all the right places.

“We’ve been expecting you,” she said firmly, ignoring the two boys’ stares of lust and turning to Finn and Iris instead.

‘That guy… is he blind? And the girl can’t even walk… Master didn’t say anything about this.’

Taking a deep breath, she continued.

“Now then… follow me. Don’t touch anything, because if you break it, you’ll never be able to pay it back in this lifetime.”

The girl led the five of them to a different building across from the one they arrived in. On the way, they couldn’t help but gawk at just how big this squadron’s base was. It was like a whole castle, with different layers of walls and large buildings that varied in size, all having Eastern hip-and-gable roofs on top.

The building the five of them were led to was incredibly large for a single room, with a tremendously tall ceiling and four thick pillars to support it.

“Master, I’ve brought them,” the girl said, bowing down respectfully.

A short distance in front of her, a man sat on a golden throne. He wore long blue robes and glasses, holding a traditional fan in his hands and flapping it gently.

“Good work, Qi Ling. You may leave now,” he said quietly. Finn recognized the voice — it was Lei, the person who had helped him and Iris get an audience with the Guildmaster.

“Yes, Master,” the girl — Qi Ling — replied before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her. From the name, one could tell she was from the Eastern Districts like B, C, K, L, and so on. Lei probably was from one of these as well, hence why he chose to make his squadron themed like this.

Once Qi Ling left, Lei spoke.

“Welcome to the 100th Squadron of the Phantom Slayer Corps, you five. That is it’s formal title, but I call this place the Thousand Dragons Sect. You will do well to remember that.”

“The Thousand Dragons Sect…” Octane echoed. “Sounds cool!”

“Octane!” Fanatic whispered sharply at his outburst. “Restrain yourself a bit!”

“A-Ah! Sorry…”

Lei glanced at Octane coldly. “I will let it go this time, as it’s your first time here, but I will not tolerate any more incidents like that in the future.”

“This squadron values discipline above all else,” he continued as Octane licked his lips nervously. “Those with higher power have absolute authority above weaker individuals. If you don’t like being ordered around as one of the ‘weaker individuals’, then become strong. In fact… if one of you can defeat me in a fight, I will even gladly hand over the position of patriarch to you. Is that clear to all of you?”

“Yes!” The five responded clearly, minus Reaper who said it in a somewhat robotic voice.

“It’s ‘yes, Master’,” Lei corrected. “I don’t care if you’re from Archon’s squadron. While you are here, I am your leader. I am your master. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Master!”

“Good. But I won’t be the one training you during this period of time before the mission takes place.” Lei looked to one of the pillars, where a tiny girl suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“… She will.”

“Wha… where did she come from…?” Iris wondered aloud to herself, confused.

‘… Even with my Ghost Blood enhanced senses, I was unable to detect her presence until now…’ Finn thought in his head. ‘Who is she…?’

“What are you puny kids staring at?!” The girl yelled in anger, placing her hands on her hips angrily. “Think I’m short, huh?! I’ll smack you upside the head!”

Octane and Fanatic looked one another, trying not to laugh, as Iris and Finn were still trying to figure out she just suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“Hua Hua,” Lei warned, shooting the small girl a dangerous look. “Calm down.”

“T-Tch…” Hua Hua folded her arms and looked away, gritting her teeth.

“This is Hua Hua. You can call her Elder Hua or Teacher, whichever works,” Lei explained. “She may have a figure like this, but she’s in fact older than all of you. Her body is just small because of a certain technique she practices for her Angelica — the Nightstalker Angelica.”

“Ah, so that’s how…” Iris murmured to herself. The Nightstalker Angelica was one focused around stealth and invisibility — it was the same one Stalker, the man who helped rescue Archon and Melvia, used.

“I will let her explain the rest, but for now, you may leave. I still have business to take care of,” Lei said, dismissing all of them. “Remember — the mission is in one week. Don’t waste this training opportunity.”

Finn, Iris, Octane, Fanatic, and Reaper all bowed deeply. Of course, Iris had some difficulty, but she still did her best.

“Understood, Master!”