The Azure Tempest headquarters looked like something out of a sci-fi movie.

  Suzume stood on the sidewalk in Roppongi, craning her neck to see the top of the glass tower. It had to be at least forty stories. The building's surface reflected the afternoon sun like a mirror. The lobby visible through the front doors was all marble and chrome.

  "I... feel underdressed," Suzume said.

  She'd worn the nicest thing she owned, which was just black slacks and a button-up shirt Yumi had forced her to buy yesterday. It still felt like playing dress-up.

  "You look fine," Hikari said. She wore her usual blazer and looked completely at ease. "Remember what we discussed. Answer questions directly. Don't volunteer extra information. And don't let Fujimoto intimidate you."

  "Who's Fujimoto?"

  "The vice-guild master. He'll be conducting the meeting."

  "Great."

  Yumi adjusted her camera bag.

  "I'm just here as documentation. Guild-to-guild meetings are standard procedure, so having a record is normal. But I'll stay quiet unless you need me."

  "Thanks."

  They walked inside.

  The lobby was even more impressive up close. A receptionist sat behind a curved desk made of black stone. Security guards flanked the elevators. Everything was spotless. Everything was expensive.

  Suzume approached the desk.

  "Hi. I'm Aoi Suzume, guildmaster of the Dungeon Rescue Guild. I have a meeting scheduled with Vice-Guild Master Fujimoto regarding a staff transfer."

  The receptionist typed something into her computer. Her nails clicked against the keyboard.

  "Elevators to the left. Thirty-eighth floor. Someone will meet you there."

  "Thank you."

  The elevator ride took forever. Suzume watched the numbers climb. Tenth floor. Twentieth floor. Thirtieth floor. Her stomach felt tight.

  "You prepared for this," Hikari said quietly. "You know the material."

  "I know."

  "Then breathe."

  Suzume breathed.

  The elevator doors opened.

  The thirty-eighth floor was an open office space with glass walls dividing different sections. Players moved between workstations. Some wore combat gear. Others wore business casual. Everyone looked busy.

  A woman in a pencil skirt waited by the elevator.

  "Aoi-san? This way please."

  She led them down a hallway to a conference room. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city. A long table dominated the center. At the head sat a man in a charcoal suit.

  Riku Fujimoto looked younger than Suzume expected. Early thirties maybe. Dark hair slicked back. Sharp eyes that tracked her movement as she entered. His hands were folded on the table.

  "Aoi-san. Please, sit."

  Suzume took the chair across from him. Hikari sat to her right. Yumi hung back near the door with her camera.

  "Thank you for meeting with me," Suzume said.

  "Of course. Staff transfers are routine." Fujimoto's tone was pleasant but detached. "Though I'll admit, this request was surprising. Sasaki-san has been with us for three years. She's an excellent operations manager."

  "That's why we want her."

  "Mm." He opened a folder in front of him. "The Dungeon Rescue Guild. Formed three weeks ago. Five registered members. No corporate sponsorship. Operating out of a... former training facility in Shibuya."

  "That's correct."

  "Tell me, Aoi-san. Why should I approve this transfer? What does your guild offer that Azure Tempest doesn't?"

  Suzume had prepared for this. The real answer of course was because he had to, because it would be a horrible look if he chose not to. But, the PR answer was:

  "Sasaki-san approached us. She wants to work for an organization focused on rescue operations rather than dungeon clearing. Our missions align with her interests."

  "Interests don't pay salaries. It would be irresponsible of us to let her go join a group that could hardly promise to keep the lights on, let alone put food on her table."

  "We have funding. Public donations are projected to reach forty million yen in the near future. We've hired legal counsel and accounting staff. Our overhead is covered for the next eighteen months minimum."

  If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Fujimoto raised an eyebrow.

  "Forty million from donations?"

  "People support what we're doing."

  "Public goodwill is fickle. What happens when the next scandal breaks? When donations dry up? When they find a new darling to get behind?"

  "We'll adapt. But right now, we're financially stable."

  He leaned back in his chair.

  "Let's discuss operations. Your guild has completed how many missions?"

  "Officially? Four."

  "Four." He let the word hang. "Azure Tempest completes four missions per day."

  "Different mission types," Hikari interjected. Her voice was calm. "Rescue operations in destabilized dungeons carry higher risk factors and require more preparation than standard clearing runs. Not to mention being rarer."

  "Higher risk and lower profit margins. Most guilds won't say it but they won't touch rescue work because it's not sustainable."

  Suzume kept her expression neutral.

  "We're not most guilds."

  "No. You're idealists." Fujimoto tapped the folder. "I've read the reports. Meguro extraction. Nakano outbreak response. Impressive work. But four successful missions don't prove long-term viability. What's your projected success rate?"

  This was the part Hikari had drilled into her.

  "Based on current data and accounting for destabilization variables, we estimate an eighty-five percent extraction success rate for missions we accept."

  "Eighty-five percent means fifteen percent failure. That's fifteen percent of people who die on your watch."

  "Yes, as opposed to the zero percent survival rate they'd have if we didn't exist."

  Fujimoto blinked. He took a second and then smiled.

  "... Fair point. What about liability? Your guild operates in unstable dungeons. Insurance costs must be astronomical."

  "We have coverage through Miyamoto & Associates. Standard guild policy with hazard riders."

  "And if someone sues when a rescue fails?"

  "Our legal team will handle that. I suspect they won't have much trouble arguing that at least we gave any unfortunate casualties a chance at survival, even if we didn't come through for them."

  He asked more questions. About her team composition. About emergency protocols. About contingency plans if a member was injured or killed.

  Suzume answered each one. The homework Hikari made her do paid off. She cited insurance policy numbers. Referenced Association regulations. Explained their command structure during missions.

  Forty minutes passed.

  Finally, Fujimoto closed the folder.

  "You've done your research."

  "I take this seriously."

  "I can see that." He stood. Suzume did the same. "Sasaki-san's transfer is approved. Her contract ends in two weeks. After that, she's yours... Officially."

  The implication was clear.

  ["She can work for you right now, just don't put her name on any papers."]

  "Thank you."

  "Don't thank me yet." He walked to the window, hands in his pockets. "Your guild won't survive past six months. The math doesn't work. Rescue operations cost more than they generate. You'll burn through donations, take on debt, the public will move on, and you will eventually collapse. I've seen it happen to better-funded organizations."

  Suzume felt heat in her chest.

  "Maybe. But we'll save lives while we can."

  Fujimoto turned back to her.

  "That's what I mean by idealism. You think good intentions matter. They don't. Only results do."

  "Then we'll deliver results."

  He smiled.

  "We'll see."

  He walked past her to the door.

  "Takahashi-san, good to see you again. I'm sorry things didn't work out here."

  "I'm not," Hikari said.

  He left.

  Suzume exhaled.

  Yumi lowered her camera.

  "That guy sucks."

  "Eh, he's not a bad man. He's practical," Hikari said. She put a hand on Suzume's shoulder. "You did well. Very well."

  "I wanted to punch him."

  "I know. You didn't. That's what matters."

  They took the elevator down. Suzume's hands shook slightly as the adrenaline faded. The meeting had felt like a fight. Not with fists but with words and numbers and cold logic.

  Outside, the sun was lower in the sky. Rush hour traffic filled the streets.

  "I need food," Yumi announced. "Something greasy and bad for me."

  "There's a burger place two blocks over," Hikari said.

  They walked. Suzume stayed quiet, replaying the conversation in her head. Fujimoto's warnings echoed. Six months. The math doesn't work. You'll collapse.

  "Stop thinking about what he said," Hikari told her.

  "How do you know what I'm thinking?"

  "Because I'm thinking the same thing. And I'm telling you to stop."

  "Is he right?"

  "Possibly. But he's also betting against human determination. That's a bad bet."

  At the burger place, they grabbed a booth. Yumi ordered enough food for three people. Hikari got coffee. Suzume picked at french fries.

  "You impressed him," Hikari said. "I could tell."

  "He called me an idealist."

  "You are an idealist. That's not an insult."

  "It sounded like one."

  "Only to cynics and very smart people." Hikari sipped her coffee. "Fujimoto runs calculations. Risk assessments. Profit margins. He's good at his job. But he can't calculate for the fact that people will donate because they believe in what you're doing. Or that your team will work harder because the mission matters."

  Yumi nodded through a mouthful of burger.

  "She's right. That guy sees numbers. You see people. Different skill sets."

  Suzume ate a fry. It was too salty.

  "So what's next?"

  "Next," Hikari said, "you start preparing for the leadership certification exam. It's your last major requirement."

  "What's on it?"

  "Dungeon law. Player regulations. Ethical standards. Guild management protocols. It's comprehensive."

  "When do I take it?"

  "Applications open next month. The exam itself is in six weeks."

  Six weeks to study on top of everything else.

  "Okay."

  "I'll help you prepare. I took it when I founded my first team at Azure Tempest. The material is dense but manageable."

  "Thanks."

  They finished eating. Outside, the evening air was cool. Yumi headed to her apartment to edit footage. Hikari took the train north. Suzume walked toward the subway alone.

  Her phone buzzed.

  A text from Kasumi.

  Kasumi: Heard you had a big meeting. How'd my girl do? ??

  Suzume stopped walking.

  My girl.

  She read it again.

  My girl.

  People pushed past her on the sidewalk. She stood frozen, staring at those two words.

  It was probably nothing. Casual. The way friends talked.

  Except Kasumi didn't talk like that with anyone else. Suzume had noticed. The nicknames. The casual touches. The way Kasumi always found excuses to be near her.

  Her heart did something complicated.

  She typed a response. Deleted it. Typed again.

  Suzume: Meeting went fine. Got what we came for.

  Kasumi: Knew you would

  Kasumi: Dinner tomorrow to celebrate?

  Suzume: Sure

  Kasumi: It's a date then ??

  Suzume's brain short-circuited.

  A date.

  The winky kiss emoji.

  She shoved her phone in her pocket and walked faster, face burning. The subway station couldn't come fast enough.

  Back at her apartment, she collapsed on the couch. The ceiling fan spun slowly overhead. Her mind raced.

  Kasumi was just being friendly. That's all it was. Friends made jokes. Used emojis. Said things like "my girl" and "it's a date" without meaning anything.

  Right?

  Suzume grabbed her phone again. Reread the messages.

  She was probably overthinking this.

  Definitely overthinking this.

  Her phone buzzed with another text.

  Kasumi: I wanna take you somewhere fancy

  Kasumi: maybe tomorrow?

  Suzume: How fancy?

  Kasumi: Fancy enough that I get to see you in a dress ??

  Suzume threw her phone across the couch.