Soomin launched into it. The words tumbled out faster than her mouth could shape them. Braxton had them running combat drills every morning. Raphael had gotten into a fistfight with a Scarlet Phantom over something stupid and Braxton had made them both clean the entire training facility with toothbrushes. Emi had been baking constantly, worried sick, and the common room now smelled permanently of cinnamon. Isabelle had disappeared into the library for two days and come back with theories she wouldn't share. Akari had won a betting pool on when I'd come back and refused to say what the wager had been.
"And there's a thing," Soomin said. "A tournament thing. The inter-guild results got finalized while you were gone. We're officially ranked first now. Like. Actually first. Everyone's talking about it."
"Of course we're first," Natalia said. "We're the only ones who matter."
