Fast forward some hours later, Punk Riot is in awe of the luxurious room, commenting how they’ve never been in such a room before and that they feel out of place.

Tatsuo checks up on Queenie to see if she was still inside the bathroom. Queenie emerges from the bathroom and Tatsuo asks if she was alright. Queenie pauses, but then puke begins to waterfall from her mouth.

A party starts. The Punk Riot members glamorize at the shiny neat furniture and abuse the room service function. The thought of simply calling for someone and they arrive to serve as a feature mind-boggled them. This led to complaints from the staff members, but all of it was easily waived with Queenie bribing them.

Sharon and Victor were reluctant at first, but they eventually got absorbed in the Punk Riot member’s tomfoolery and shenanigans. Sharon laughs while drinking with some of the Riot members. She then shows off a little bit of magic to them. Tiny particles of magic form within Sharon’s hands, leaving the Riot members dazzled.

Punk member: Ooooo~!!! That’s rad miss!

Punk member: While we can’t do magic, we can do tricks!

A punk member takes an empty bottle and flips it. The bottle swings in the air, landing upside down on its top on a table. The punk members roar in excitement.

Punk member: How’s that? It might not look much, but it’s actually quite difficult!

Sharon, her face flushed red from the drinks she's had, takes a nearby bottle. She proceeds to flip the bottle flawlessly, perfectly emulating the punk member. For a moment, the punk members stared silently in awe. They then begin celebrating in marveling cheers and nonsensical noise.

A punk member places his hand up to his head: Yooooo–!!! First try…?!!

Sharon places her hands on her hips whilst smiling smugly.

Nearby, Victor is bandaged and has a cast wrapped around his arm. He is getting along with the other members, making jokes with them.

A punk member pokes finger at another punk member, “Dude, do you want to know how this guy got into Punk Riot?” The other punk member says under his breath, “oh no…”

Punk member: This dude was actually a soldier before!

Victor: What?! What happened?!

Punk member: So ya know how we’s wanted by the city, aight? One of dem bounty hunters or whatevers came up to us thinkin’ we was civilians or something I guess. Man was trying to gather info about us.

Teased member: No…Stop…

Punk Member: So we just pointed to the nearest soldier in the area and told him that’s actually a punk member in disguise! (trying to hold laughter) And…And…! And the dude actually believed us! Bwa! Ha! Ha! Ha! – The rest of the members also burst out laughing.

Punk member: We just said all that crap just to mess around with him! WE DIDN’T THINK IT’D ACTUALLY WORK! – The members continue to laugh uncontrollably.

Punk member (wiping tears away): And guess who this guy ended up running to for help in the end…? It was Jayce! HA! Not the mayor, or any of the other soldiers, but our leader!

Teased member: That’s because it so happened to be only my first week on the job! The other soldiers tried to suspend me for suspicious activity! They were going to arrest me and run a thorough background check, aka. TORTURE!

Punk member: Ever since then, this dude was taken under our wing! Oh boy, ya shoulda seen this dude’s face when we told him every thang that happened! At the end, we welcomed him into the group by telling him, “you’ve been punked!” – The other members begin laughing again.

Teased member: You assholes! I’ve lost my life because of you guys! – The teased member begins to get into a scuffle with the punk member telling the story.

Punk member: Yea! Yea! But you enjoy it here better! Otherwise ya woulda just went back!

Victor: I see…True to your gang’s name, you guys really do cause a riot.

Punk member: Hm? What do ya mean?

Victor: Huh? Isn’t that why you guys are called Punk Riot?

Punk member: What? We just called ourselves that cuz we like to laugh out loud.

Victor: HUH!? I thought it was because you guys like to cause trouble around the city– you know, a riot!

The punk members stiffen staring off into an epiphany from Victor's words.

Punk member: Oh my god…I didn’t think about it that way but…That’s super smart…!

Victor: What do you mean?!! How did that never occur to any of you until now???

The interaction between Victor and the punk members draws the attention of Jayce who approaches them.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Jayce: Looks like you and my bois are getting along well. – Victor looks up at Jayce smirking at him.

Victor: I still don’t like you!

Jayce: Hey now, don’t be like that~! I’ll apologize again if that’ll make ya feel better~! Hell, I’ll even let you beat me up!

Jayce: I like ya bro! Even before you rocked the socks out of that old coot, the way you got beat up by Hector and Malone without backing down, now that was tight!

Victor (questioning Jayce’s phrasing): Why did you have to word it like that?

Ignoring Victor’s comment, Jayce offers him a proposal.

Jayce: Why don’t you join me! I’ll gladly take ya under my wing!

The riot members begin hyping up the moment.

“Oooo~!!! Yo! You put some mad respect on our big bro Jayce! He rarely tells anyone to join! We always gotta ask him first!” - A riot member says excitedly.

“No thanks.” - Victor says, putting his hand up. The punks ‘awws’ disappointingly in the background.

***

Some time later, Tatsuo and Jayce begin chatting with each other.

Tatsuo: So, how’d it go?

“No good. Ya boi rejected me.” - Jayce says dejectedly while gulping down a bottle. He lets out a hearty sigh.

Tatsuo: I’m surprised you're as lively as you are right now. Didn’t some of your bones break?

Jayce: Well, it’s all thanks to the potion you guys gave me. That’s some magic stuff. It’s the first time I ever drank one of those. Before that, it was a pain getting here. Walking was just terrible. Every step made me want to kill myself. Even now, I can still feel my whole body aching. It’s like that numbing feeling when you hit your elbow or knee against something, but everywhere.

Tatsuo: And yet you're still having a good time…Or is it because your gang is here?

Jayce (scowls): Pheh! What do you think…?

Jayce: ….

Jayce: Do you think it’s pathetic…?

Tatsuo: Not at all. – Tatsuo’s quick answer took Jayce by surprise.

Tatsuo: So what if it’s all a front? It’s easy to say to just be yourself. That’s why sometimes it’s tough to put on an act and not crumble from it. It must be suffocating. In some ways, I find it quite admirable.

Jayce lets out a relieving sigh.

Jayce: Hoo boy~! The world is amazing! You know, just after today, I’ve realized just how big the world is and how I’m just living in a small part of it!

“From just these past couple days, I’ve managed to see things that I thought I’d never see! And you’re one of them!” - Jayce says with his bottle hand pointing at Tatsuo.

Tatsuo: Then how about traveling the world? Become an adventurer or something. You could even join us. You’ll even get to hang out with Victor.

Just like Victor, Jayce puts his hand up in the air. – “Nah I’m good. I don’t like the thought of being under anyone.”

Tatsuo: Then…How about making your own guild then? That way you and all your bois can travel around the world together.

Jayce thinks about Tatsuo’s idea silently, giving it some deep thought while gulping down another bottle.

***

Out at the balcony, Archer who is now back in his original age, is interacting with Darren and has decided he wants to try to make a guild.

Archer: Hey, I’m planning on making my own guild.

Darren: What the – That sprung out of nowhere.

Archer: I’ve talked with your friend Tatsuo a while ago…It turns out both of us have made a pact with monsters.

***

*Flashback to a while earlier when Tatsuo and Archer were chatting with each other in the mansion. The two are waiting around in the living room as Sharon is tending to Victor’s broken arm.

Tatsuo: So you formed a pact with a phoenix, eh?

Archer: ...Yeah.

Tatsuo: That’s cool. I formed a pact with a dragon.

Archer’s body twitches from hearing Tatsuo’s comment.

Archer: Really…!? I was under the impression that dragons were creatures that no longer exist…I guess that explains how you were able to beat around the mayor like that.

Archer: How did you do it? Forming a pact with a dragon, if you don’t mind me asking.

Tatsuo: We got into a fight. Me and Henteko formed a pact in order to survive. That was it really…

Archer ponders in his head - ‘To survive…? What kind of foe were they facing for a dragon to need to form a pact with a human…?’

Archer: I’m surprised to find another human other than myself that formed a pact with a monster. That stuff is generally considered a taboo.

Archer’s words intrigued Tatsuo: Huh? Is it?

Archer: What? You mean you weren’t aware? Well…Besides the topic itself, it’s not like it’s common for people to even know how to form a pact.

Tatsuo: Hmmm…

Tatsuo: So how come you did it then?

Tatsuo's question left Archer uncomfortably disturbed.

Archer: It…Was for survival also…

Tatsuo: I see…We’re very similar, me and you. Well, that’s fine if you don’t want to tell me the whole truth. – Archer's body flinches again in surprise by Tatsuo's intellectual insight.

Tatsuo: You told me a phoenix always reincarnates after they die, so why would one decide to form a pact with you if it was about just simply surviving?

Archer couldn’t muster a retort to Tatsuo's question.

Tatsuo: It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me everything. You probably have the same thoughts about me.

Tatsuo: We can just leave it at that for our stories…A half truth…

***

*Return back to the present time with Archer and Darren.

Archer: Hearing that and seeing him in action inspired me.

Archer: I’m still looking for two more members to fill the guild making requirements. How would you like to be one of them?

Archer’s proposal takes Darren off guard.

Darren: Me…?

Archer: Yeah. We were both trained by the same mentor after all. I could help you look for Sahara.

Darren pauses to think.

Darren: That doesn’t sound like a bad idea…

Darren leans his body back against the balcony: Unfortunately though, someone asked me first, and he’s currently pending on my answer. – Darren glances over at where Tatsuo is.

Archer: That’s a shame…But I guess you wouldn’t be able to handle being constantly overshadowed by me.

Darren scoffs: Big talk coming from someone who had to have their ass dragged here.

Darren: So? What are you going to do now?

Archer: With the loss of the core, I’ll return back to the person I’m currently working together with.

“I’m planning my revenge on someone…” - Archer says dubiously. His face turned frown with an intense focus of seething contempt.