4. Unsanctioned Heroes

As the thief lay unconscious, he remembered his days as an A-rank adventurer. Memories flooded his mind, memories of his team, "The Shadow Warriors," and their battles against fearsome monsters.

One memory stood out in particular: the battle against the dreaded "Darkwyrm," a dragon-like creature with scales as black as coal and eyes that glowed like embers. The Shadow Warriors had been hired to defeat the Darkwyrm, which had been terrorizing a nearby village.

The battle was fierce, with the Darkwyrm's flames engulfing the warriors. But they fought bravely, using all their skills and strategies to whittle down the monster's defenses.

Just as they thought they had the upper hand, one of their own, a young warrior named Kenji, sacrificed himself to save the others. The Darkwyrm's flames engulfed Kenji, and he disappeared in a blaze of fire.

The Shadow Warriors were devastated, but they knew they had to keep fighting. They managed to defeat the Darkwyrm, but the team was never the same. They drifted apart, each member going their separate ways.

The thief's memories faded, and he slowly opened his eyes. He was in a small, cozy room, with Lila and Kai sitting at a table nearby.

Kai was saying, "So, our team is me, you," he nodded to Lila, "and the thief."

The thief's eyes snapped towards Kai, his voice laced with sarcasm. "So, when did I agree to join your team?"

Kai grunted, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Have you forgotten about our little bet?"

The thief's face fell as he remembered the fight. He sat down sadly, rubbing his sore head. "So, I'm gonna be stuck joining this idiot's team."

Kai smiled, seeming to enjoy the thief's misery. "Now that we're all on the same page, let's introduce ourselves. I'll start. I'm Kai, your team leader and a master swordsman, if I do say so myself."

Lila smiled, her eyes shining with excitement. "I'm Lila Heartfield, a mage."

The thief sighed, standing up. "I'm Shinji, a former A-rank assassin."

Kai nodded, a pleased smile on his face. "And from now on, we shall be known as... The Nobles."

With their introductions out of the way, The Nobles set out to buy their gear. They walked through the bustling streets of the city, passing by stalls selling all manner of goods.

As they walked, they noticed a sign that read "Adventure's Edge." The sign was accompanied by a logo of a sword and a shield.

Kai grinned. "Looks like we've found our gear shop."

The trio entered the shop, browsing the shelves for the perfect gear. The shopkeeper, an elderly man with a bushy white beard, greeted them warmly.

"Welcome, young adventurers! What can I help you with today?"

As they shopped, the conflict at the guild was starting to brew. The guildmaster, Goro Matsumoto, stood between two teams, "Moonlight" and "Darkness," outside the guild.

The leader of Moonlight, Akira Nakahara, glared at her ex-husband, Taro Nakahara, the leader of Darkness.

"You're not going to get away with this, Taro," Akira spat.

Taro sneered back at her. "We'll see about that."

The two teams had a long history of conflict, and it seemed that things were about to come to a head.

The Nobles finished their shopping and left the gear shop, heading towards the guild to register their team. As they approached the guild, they noticed a commotion outside.

Kai's eyes narrowed. "What's going on?"

Lila's eyes widened. "It looks like a fight!"

Shinji's eyes gleamed with interest. "Well, well, well. Looks like we've got ourselves a welcoming party."

The Nobles charged towards the guild, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. They arrived just in time to see Taro deliver a devastating blow to Akira.

Kai jumped into action, delivering a swift kick to Taro's chest. "Hey, that's not very sporting!"

Taro crashed to the ground, and Kai caught Akira in mid-air. "Are you okay, beautiful?" Kai asked, smiling.

Akira's face turned bright red as she looked up at Kai. Shinji chuckled, nudging Lila. "Looks like our team leader's got a thing for the ladies, and here l was thinking that his your boyfriend."

Lila's eyes narrowed, and she punched Shinji with a strong punch. "Don't say stupid things!"

As the fight died down, Goro approached The Nobles. "Well, well, well.Looks like we've got some new faces around here. I'm Goro Matsumoto, the guildmaster."

Kai smiled, sheathing his sword. "I'm Kai, leader of The Nobles. This is Lila and Shinji."

Goro's eyes widened. "The Nobles, you say? A new team, I presume? I wish you all the best in your adventures."

As The Nobles approached the guildmaster's desk, a commotion erupted outside. A man stumbled into the guild, bleeding profusely from a deep gash on his chest.

"Guildmaster... please... you have to...," the man gasped, collapsing to the ground.

Goro rushed to the man's side, his face etched with concern. "What is it? What's happened?"

The man struggled to speak, his voice barely above a whisper. "A... A-rank monster... has appeared... in the dungeon... 'The Devourer'... it's... it's too strong..."

Goro's eyes widened in alarm. "The Devourer? That's a legendary monster... said to have the power to devour entire cities."

The man's eyes pleaded with Goro. "Please... you have to... send someone... there are... 10 adventurers... trapped... in the dungeon..."

Goro's face turned pale. "I... I don't know if I can send anyone. All our A-rank and higher teams are currently on an S-rank dungeon raid."

Kai stepped forward, a confident smile spreading across his face. "Send us."

Goro's eyes narrowed. "You? You're not even ranked yet. You could die."

Kai's grin never wavered. "We have a former A-rank adventurer on our team," he said, nodding towards Shinji. "And I've even defeated him in combat."

Shinji's eyes rolled in exasperation, but he said nothing.

Goro shook his head. "I'm sorry, Kai. I appreciate your enthusiasm, but I just can't risk sending an untested team into an A-rank dungeon."

Kai's smile never faltered. "Then we'll go by force."

Without another word, The Nobles turned and walked out of the guild, leaving Goro looking worried and helpless.

As they walked away, Shinji turned to Kai. "You know, we're not even ranked yet. We could get in serious trouble for disobeying the guildmaster."

Kai's grin never wavered. "Don't worry, Shinji. We'll make it back alive. And when we do, we'll be heroes."

Lila's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I'm with Kai. Let's do this!"

And with that, The Nobles set off towards the dungeon, ready to face whatever dangers lay ahead.