The D-Rank Guild Master of the No. 1 Guild

[Spot 44 has been captured by the Agasa Guild!]

Although it was just one capture spot secured by the 30 members plus one sniper, the subordinate group hugged each other in celebration. Kanel watched them with a short, amused smile. Whatever Rudel’s true intentions were, he felt that as long as they were together, the close-knit, family-like atmosphere would never change.

***

Currently, our Agasa Guild’s capture status in Area 2 is as follows:

[Team 1 (Gio solo): Successfully captured Spot 33, attempting to capture Spot 34. There are many enemies, so it’s uncertain if it will be secured in time.

Team 2 (Subordinate Group + Kanel): Successfully captured Spot 44, sending the injured back and attempting to capture Spot 40 with the remaining members.

Team 3 (Me and Unahar): Attempting to capture Spot 50.]

Thanks to the efforts of the subordinate group and Gio, we have already secured two spots. If they continue their efforts, we could capture four spots in total. This fuels my ambition further. Unahar and I must secure the fifth spot.

“Grr-!”

After defeating the last character, the capture spot was finally cleared. However, due to the fierce battle, I had to once again call upon the Mad Wolf in Area 2. If no other guild characters step onto the capture spot for the next few minutes, this point will be ours.

While gently scratching the side of the wolf’s head, I silently warned the surrounding characters eyeing the capture spot with greedy eyes. I may not be a threat, but the massive, ferocious wolf standing on the capture spot certainly was.

It’s unfortunate that the wolf I’ve tamed holds more charisma than I do as the guild leader, but that’s reality.

Grrrr—

Suddenly, the wolf started growling and drooling, perking up its ears and turning around. As the wolf turned, I was slightly nudged by its massive body.

What’s this? I turned around to look.

As soon as I confirmed the target that the wolf was baring its fangs at, I urgently shouted.

“Unahar! Fall back!”

A large axe held by a small, pale hand made a grating sound against the factory’s metal floor. Blood dripped from it, overlapping with a previous scene in my mind.

Damn, I had been avoiding Aleon and Shemarin, especially trying to avoid crossing paths with this character…

According to Lilith from the lookout, she was heading towards Spot 26, so I headed to the farthest end at Spot 50, as if on the opposite side of the world.

Did she come around the globe?

The Slaughterer, Yudirei, saw me and smiled.

“Finally found you,” Yudirei said, her voice dripping with malice.

I recalled the last image of Yudirei falling to the ground after being kicked by Gio in Death Run.

“I’ll kill you, Rudel!”

The memory still sent shivers down my spine. After that second round, it became clear that Yudirei had marked me as her target. I had been planning to improve my skills before facing her again, but she returned too quickly.

[Spot 50 is a battlefield between the Slaughterer Guild and the Agasa Guild!]

Praying that the wolf wouldn’t charge recklessly, I buried my hand in its fur and sent a signal. Meanwhile, I scrutinized Yudirei. Despite the short time since our last encounter, I remembered her appearance clearly. She hadn’t changed much, except for one thing.

“You cut your hair?”

The question slipped out casually, almost unintentionally. Yudirei squinted and shrugged.

“I hacked it off with an axe.”

Couldn’t she have just used a grooming ticket at the shop? She actually used an axe to chop it off? Isn’t that a bit too dramatic?

The jagged, uneven ends were a testament to her self-styling efforts. Yet, the rough look suited her, adding to her fierce charm. The bob haircut would likely be a hit with viewers, enhancing her cute features.

But it wasn’t good news for me. A chill ran down my spine. Some people cut their hair after a breakup, but Yudirei did it after losing to Gio and me.

Her round eyes were filled with an intense obsession.

Just then, a male character approached from behind Yudirei. Given that she trusted him with her back, he seemed to be a fellow guild member, though his expression suggested they weren’t particularly close.

“You handle that wolf,” Yudirei ordered.

The dual-wielding man glanced nervously at the massive wolf and swallowed hard. His eyes seemed to say, ‘Isn’t this supposed to be your opponent, Yudirei?’ but he couldn’t voice his thoughts.

It appeared that after their last fight, where she lost in a 2:1 battle, she brought another ally to balance the odds.

Just as Yudirei’s eyes lit up with the thrill of challenging me again, the wolf charged forward.

“Unahar! Stop!”

The wolf effortlessly knocked the dual-wielding man aside and lunged directly at Yudirei.

The shine of Yudirei’s axe flashed through the air. She propelled herself off the wall with agile feet, wrapping around the wolf. 

Slash, slash!

Blood splattered from the wolf as the axe found its mark. I wanted to assist Unahar, but the dual-wielding man who had been hesitating behind Yudirei charged at me, creating a one-on-one situation.

‘So, Yudirei has decided to focus purely on swordsmanship since I saw through her ‘gravity’ ability last time?’

If that’s the case, it’s the worst match-up for Unahar. 

Unahar’s strongest stat was ‘resistance,’ making him perfect for neutralizing opponents who relied on unique abilities, but it was of no advantage against someone with superior physical abilities.

“Come here! You’re just going to get hurt for no reason!”

And there was another reason Unahar was at a disadvantage.

Grr, grrr!

The wolf’s eyes were now completely bloodshot. It was reacting too strongly to Yudirei’s murderous intent. It had reverted to the bloodthirsty beast I first saw, with blood dripping from its mouth. 

My commands weren’t getting through.

Despite its fur being torn and flesh being slashed, it didn’t flinch. It circled Yudirei, always a beat too slow to catch her with its fangs. The wolf would either have to bite the small girl and immobilize her or be immobilized itself. There was no stopping it otherwise.

“Hiding behind your guild member again? You’re mine!” Yudirei’s shout echoed.

I didn’t want to hide behind Unahar either! But the wolf wasn’t listening to me!

“Don’t get distracted!”

Meanwhile, the man’s sharp dual blades sliced through the air multiple times in the blink of an eye. This dual-wielding man wasn’t just any character. As suspected, all of Yudirei’s guild members were exceptional fighters. They were once the so-called ‘Kill Point’ faction of the first round, enjoying their own spree of killings before submitting to Yudirei.

But so what! I trained hard enough to take you down alone!

“Enough of this! Get out of my way!”

I blocked his dual blades with a fiery counter and kicked him hard. His head hit the wall, and he collapsed, unconscious. As his body hit the floor with a thud, I was already moving to shield Unahar.

“Stop! I won’t allow any more injuries!”

I finally reached the bloodied wolf with my hand. Unahar was determined to kill Yudirei, even if it meant losing his limbs in the process.

Facing down this maddened wolf was reckless, even for me, its tamer. There was a chance, however slim, that it would heed my command to stop, but what if it didn’t? And with Yudirei still behind us, what if we both got caught in the path of her axe?

Viewers might be yelling, “Are you out of your mind? Who stops an ally mid-fight?” But they’d be completely misunderstanding my intent. I wasn’t trying to stop Unahar; I was trying to protect him from further injury.

My hand touched the bloodied wolf’s head, or rather, collided with it mid-charge.

[Forced Guild Return]

No matter how bloodthirsty, even the wolf couldn’t defy the guild leader’s authority. Its form vanished. I knew that upon returning to the fortress, the wolf would revert to its non-threatening state. There wouldn’t be a ravenous wolf waiting in the mansion, so that was a relief.

In the brief pause, I wasn’t struck from behind or by a flying axe. Turning around, I saw Yudirei standing still, watching my actions intently. Her short bobbed hair framed a face filled with a fierce obsession, her eyes even more bloodshot than the wolf’s had been.

‘Ah, I know what that look means.’

I had become another target for Yudirei. She found the spectacle of a guild leader sending a bloodied ally away and facing her alone both contemptible and fascinating.

Winning her favor meant nothing but increasing her satisfaction in wielding her axe. Her lips curled into a smile beneath her neat bangs. She raised her axe slowly, flicking off the wolf’s fur and blood in one graceful motion. It was a refined, deadly move, reminiscent of a seasoned swordsman.

I recalled a comment from after the second round of Death Run.

‘Who am I supposed to root for if there’s a Gio vs. Yudirei rematch?’

Gio was the protagonist for me, but Yudirei was a protagonist in her own right somewhere else. She was a growth-oriented character, just like me—a diligent maniac striving to become stronger with that small, cute face. In other words, she was a clear rival I had to surpass.

“Shall we fight again?”

Yudirei pointed her axe at me. I swallowed hard, unable to respond.