One of Sho's guild members passes her a microphone, though I can't tell who from this distance.
"Haha," Sho laughs. "So you all listened to me."
As she speaks, I see members from RG shift in place. They glare at her. RG didn't attend the last summit. They sent a representative instead, even though they were a top guild. It makes sense now. RG can't control the will of all its players. I wonder why they didn't do the same thing again.
More importantly, why show up at all?
At the last summit, Sho teleported two members from each guild, except RG, to a small building in a city on the First Floor. That made sense. Now she owns an entire floor. It's better this way.
Every guild gets to see the others face to face.
"I hate summits," she says, like we can't all hear her.
"Alright," she continued, raising her voice into the microphone. "The gates will open. I want the guild master and two other members from each guild to enter the city. The rest of you can talk among yourselves."
She smiles. "Make friends. Have fun. I'm sure one of you brought food and drinks."
"I have five constituents," she says. "I want G2's Teruki, BC's Hex, 10 Slayers' Thorne, and BC's Ryn."
She pauses.
"Oh, and Arthur. Since you complained so effortlessly about missing the last one."
I glance at Arthur. She glares at Sho. Sho glares back with that same effortless smile.
"Pale Branch will also make an appearance. They will not bring their guild onto the floor as I made all of you do."
"Welcome," she yells, "to the second Summit!!"
Sho turns her back on us as the guilds start talking among themselves.
Ascend moves first. Valen, Risto, and one more member I've never seen step forward.
The city gates hum. A thin thermal barrier coats the inside. Another layer scans their mana as they pass through, almost testing the gear they wear.
"She requested you," Rei says with a small smile.
"Yeah," Teruki replies, her voice tight. "I wonder why."
"Who cares," Viri says with a grin. "You've got this."
"The real question is who else is going in."
"I think Sera should go," Eli says, giving me a subtle wink.
I nod.
"Alright," Rei sighs. "Let's wait for the rest of the guilds."
I look back. RG moves next. Three people I've never seen step forward. Two men in heavy armour and a woman. I don't get a good look before they pass through the gates.
Another RG member tries to follow. The ethereal mana barrier stops him cold. He hits it and steps back.
Ten Slayers move after them. Pendant shifts my gaze and gives me a sharp look.
Lilith follows behind her. I've rarely seen her before. Rei notices her, grits her teeth in disgust, then looks away and follows. A man clad in armor walks with them. All I see are his sharp blue eyes beneath the helm.
Black Cats go next. The one in the pink hood steps forward. She has to be their guild leader.
Two more follow her. Their hoods are lined in gold and hide their faces. I try to peer through the shadow, but a platinum flash blocks my sight.
Mana steps forward after that. Lyra leads the pack, two members close behind. Mana is one of those guilds everyone hears about early. Like us, they keep their numbers low.
I glance at the three members we leave behind and wonder what Viri and Eli will do while we're inside the castle.
Crusaders move next. Adrian and Shino walk ahead. Yuto follows with confidence, his bag strapped across his back.
Glassthorn sends two members forward. Arthur follows soon after.
Cog and Core step up. Two members enter, then Han from Crusaders trails behind them. That feels strange. Han waddles after them like a child trying to keep up.
We move.
I walk up to the ethereal barrier and feel a familiar mana signature. Sho.
She maintains a massive barrier around the entire city like it's nothing. It doesn't only protect the space. It scans mana. It blocks anyone she doesn't allow inside.
I step through.
Silence hits me. Complete silence. The barrier locks out the sound from outside. I grip my gun holder tighter. Rei and Teruki don't seem to care, but it weighs on me.
I've been in this city many times since the floor was cleared. It isn't new. It rebooted, yes, but it's still the same layout I remember.
NPCs line the streets. They wave banners marked with our guild logos. I notice G2's banner flies the highest. A female NPC waves it with pride. I don't know who she is or why she does it.
As we pass, a small smile crosses her face.
We reach the end of the long road. Sho's banner hangs massive along the castle walls. More NPCs bow as we walk by.
Mr. Sato stands at the front. He smiles and leads us to a room on the second floor.
We waited outside. Sho's members move in and out, adjusting the room.
Inside, the room glows red. The windows are tinted deep crimson, casting a heavy hue across the space. Sho's members pull the curtains back. The light shifts to normal.
The room stretches wider than I expect. To the left and right of the long table sit towering bookshelves packed with thousands of books. Above the door hangs a large map of the floor, easy to miss until you step fully inside.
At the center sits a black circular table. Thorn symbols are etched into its surface.
Eleven main seats surround it. Behind each one stand two more chairs, set about a meter back.
The main chairs stand out from the rest. Dark carved wood twists into sharp, elegant patterns along the arms and backrests. Thorn motifs curl through the frame, detailed and deliberate. Deep red cushions rest against the seats and backs, rich and deliberate, marking status without question.
The chairs behind them look plain in comparison. Simple wood. Straight backs. No carvings. No cushions. Functional and unremarkable.
"Why don't you sit," Mr. Sato says. "Guild leaders, take the main chairs."
We follow his instructions.
Valen sits first, at the seat closest to the back window. An empty space remains beside him for Sho.
The Black Cats leader in the pink hood takes the next seat.
Lilith sits down after her.
Lyra stretches, then drops into her chair.
Adrian sits beside Lyra and gives her a small smile. She ignores him.
The Glassthorn leader takes the next seat. I finally see his face clearly. He has messy light brown hair and sharp blue eyes. He wears a long beige coat over a teal vest and a white ruffled shirt. A small bow rests at his collar.
Arthur pulls a chair in behind him and sits close. He doesn't seem to mind her position.
The RG guild leader sits next. She has long dark hair with blue highlights at the ends. Lavender eyes match her bright expression. She wears a white blouse with ruffled cuffs and a black bow at the collar. A dark corset with gold buttons tightens around her waist.
The old man from before takes the seat beside her. He strokes his white beard as he waits. Han moves behind him, almost dwarfed by the man's frame. The old man shifts slightly to give Han space.
That's when I realize something. There's more than enough room for everyone at the table. Sho separates the guild leaders from the rest on purpose.
Rei sits behind Han. A small smile forms on her face. Han blushes, subtle but clear.
Teruki slides her chair forward beside Rei. I stay behind them, watching the others who choose not to sit at the table. Most of them pull out papers and pencils and start taking notes. I bring nothing.
One exception stands out. The armored 10 Slayers member doesn't write. He stares at Adrian, though Adrian doesn't notice.
Across the room, one of the Black Cats with the gold lined hood glares at the RG guild leader.
A few stragglers enter late.
Pale Branch arrives.
Rhy and a woman step forward. The Pale Branch guild leader takes the seat next to Teruki. Rhy pulls her chair back and settles in.
The woman beside him has long ash blonde hair and blue eyes. She wears white and blue robes with silver armor plates on her shoulders. A large blue gemstone hangs from a chain at her throat.
Sho's guild members remove the extra chairs from the room. They step out and shut the door behind them.
Voices murmur in the hallway, but something muffles the sound. I catch fragments.
"When… Sho… time."
"Aura…"
We sit in silence and wait. Sho takes her time. Guild members start talking to fill the gap.
Rhy sits beside Valen.
"Enough of the silence," the woman next to Rhy says. "Why don't we introduce ourselves?"
"One of the Black Cats tilts her head. "What are you, a teacher?"
"I was, on Earth," the woman replies with a smile. "My name is Yin. I'm 45. I use water magic." She glances at Rhy, hoping she continues.
Rhy sighs. "I'm Rhy. I'm 19. I'm respeccing my character at the moment." She looks at Teruki and smiles.
Teruki nods. "My name is Teruki, but you can call me Tenshi. I'm 20. I use multiple magic types, mainly water and light."
She gestures to Rei.
Rei speaks calmly. "My name is Reyna. I'm 22. I use fire magic."
She looks at me. I stay quiet.
Han shifts in his seat. "My name's Han. I don't use magic. I'm 17."
The old man beside him laughs softly. "Veil. I'm 53. I use gem magic." A smile rests on his face.
The RG guild leader straightens. Her voice carries more weight than I expected. "My name is Anya. I'm 32. I don't use magic."
Two men in distinct RG armor sit beside her, different from the rest of their guild. They remain silent.
Arthur speaks next. "Arthur. I'm 28. I use glass magic."
"You should stop smoking," a young girl beside Lyra says. "Sho doesn't like it."
"Sho can tell me herself," Arthur replies, taking another drag.
The Glassthorn guild leader pauses before speaking. "My name is Ezekial. I'm 42. I use fire and ice magic. And I agree with the child."
"Screw off, Ezekial," Arthur says without looking at him.
Then Shino speaks. The room stills.
"My name is Shino. I don't remember how old I am. I manipulate mana."
Lyra leans forward. "So you're the one who bonded with the Slime Queen."
"Yes," Shino replies evenly. "I am the Slime Queen."
Ezekial frowns. "Are we really going to let a monster sit in on our affairs?"
"Monster?" Adrian snaps. "How dare you."
"Kid, you're emotional," Ezekial says. "You're young. You don't understand. The friend you knew is gone."
Adrian jolts to his feet. It looks like he's about to say more, but he stops. He breathes in and out, loud enough for all of us to hear.
"My name is Yuto," Yuto says quickly, cutting in before Adrian can speak again. "I'm 18. I don't use magic."
"My name is Adrian Kundra. I'm 17. I don't use magic. G2 and Crusaders were the only guilds who fought the Slime Queen. I won't take criticism from those too scared to try."
He sits back down.
Before anyone else speaks, Lyra raises her hand.
"My name is Lyra. I'm 23. I manipulate mana, like Shino."
The girl beside her pauses, then sighs. She has long brown hair and calm eyes. A wide blue scarf wraps around her neck. She wears a flowing white robe over dark blue trousers, a dark sash tied at her waist.
"My name is Circe. I'm 15. I use water, fire, earth, air, and light magic."
A boy sits next to her. Messy brown hair. Pale eyes. A loose white tunic with gold embroidery hangs over him, a dark green hood resting on his back. A leather strap crosses his chest. Fingerless black gloves cover his hands.
"My name is Ashen. I'm also 15. I use spirit magic."
Lilith speaks next. She sits tall in a flowing black gown that seems to merge with shadow. Pale skin. Ghostly white eyes that glow faintly. Long dark hair spills around her like living darkness.
"I am Lilith. I'm 29. I use shadow magic."
Pendant jumps in her seat, excitement clear on her face.
"My name is Pendant. I'm 23. I use illusion magic. I'm also the inventor of anti magic."
There's no way this is the real one, I think. She has the features, the energy. Still, I doubt the true inventor spends time like this.
"And don't mind this big guy," she adds, gesturing behind her. "Tanto wouldn't hurt a fly."
One of the Black Cats with a gold lined hood speaks. I caught a quick look at him now. Dark hair. Bright blue eyes.
"My name is Hex."
The Black Cats leader in the pink hood follows. Her face hides behind a smooth pink mask with no design.
"My name is Ryn, but you can call me Ripley. I've been trying to change my name." Her head moves towards Anya. "It's impossible to change anything with RG."
"I can help you with that," Anya says with a soft smile.
The other gold hooded Black Cat speaks next. Brown hair. Sharp green eyes. A green tunic with a red scarf at her neck. Leather belts strap across her waist.
"My name is Archer. I use archery magic."
A man beside Risto speaks. Dark skin. Short black hair. Solid black eyes. Silver armor plates over a blue tunic.
"My name is Orin. I'm 24. I use sword magic."
"Sword magic?" Veil asks. "What's that?"
"I make swords," Orin replies.
Risto nods. "My name is Risto. I'm 29. I use lightning magic."
Valen speaks last. His serious expression softens slightly.
"My name is Valen. I'm 32. I manipulate lightning."
The room falls quiet. We finish introductions. We are still waiting for Sho.
Yin smiles. "Wasn't that fun?"
"It was," Risto says.
"Yeah," Circe adds with a grin.
"Does Sho always take this long?" Ashen asks.
"Of course," Valen sighs. "She needs her entrance."
This room holds some of the strongest people in the tower. Not only strong individuals. Strong guilds. And they talk like this casually.
I glance back at the armored man.
Tanto stares at Adrian.
This time Adrian notices.
He stares back.