Inside Beatrix's mansion, loud voices rang in all corners of the study room.

Beatrix was hysterical and dramatically pointed at herself. "It's not my fault! Why are you taking all that money that's supposed to belong to me?"

She couldn't contain her emotions when facing the holograms sitting on the long table. To begin with, she was not the calm type.

"It's because you lost those items that are worth the prize money. Don't you understand the consequences of your actions? Don't you understand how much money we lost because of your negligence?!"

"What are you talking about? This is my guild! I made this. You all have no right to call me names and dictate me on what to do."

"Apparently, sweetheart," an elderly lady chimed in. "The moment you took our money. This guild is good as ours. Your percentage in Ferocious Ravens is only twenty percent."

". . ."

Another sighed and his throaty voice rang in the room. "We'll give you one last chance as a recognition of your achievement in the first Guild War. But another major blunder like this . . . and we're afraid that we have to replace you as the leader of the guild."

"Y-you . . . you can't do this . . . ! It was Gina! It was all her fault! She took so long to apply in the bank! She's probably into this as well!"

A collective of sighs percolated in the room.

"Beatrix . . . ," her father's disappointed voice rang in her ears, "stop pointing at others and start owing to your faults. You're the leader of Ferocious Ravens. It's time that you act like one."

And everyone disappeared, leaving Beatrix with a gaping mouth and heaving breath. She couldn't believe what had happened, and she paced back and forth inside her study.

All those bags. All those clothes. Those jewelleries and shoes. Gone. Disappear! No more!

She couldn't contain the anger boiling inside her, so she let out an ear-wrenching scream that blew her mansion's roof.

Every powerhouses was busy meeting with their guilds, and Guns and Knives were no exception.

Faced with numerous elders in his family, Xian gulped a mouthful of saliva from where he stood. It was like he was being sauted in a pan from how everyone was frying him for his blunder in the Guild War.

"Not even top fifty." Augustus's piercing eyes narrowed at Xian. "How did that happen? How did our guild, our house that belonged to the top ten powerhouses in the world, couldn't even get our guild to the top fifty?"

Everyone clamped their mouth shut and avoided any eye contact when Xian pleaded for help with his gaze.

Augustus's anger was heating the room to terrifying degrees, and no one wanted to be implicated in his fury.

"W-we . . ." Xian licked his dried lips and curled his fingers to stop it from shaking. "W-we faced Black Lion in the final round of the second war."

BaAaAmM!

Everyone flinched when Augustus hammered his palm against the table while Isolde saved the sushi that jumped off her plate and chomped it one bite.

"@j*kjoidf *kjnfj*@bfn!!!"

Everyone looked the other way and hang on their seat when Augustus's loud roars almost flung them away from wher they sat.

"Do you mean to tell me that you can't defeat Black Lion?! You mean to tell me that you can't reach the top because you can't defeat Black Lion?! Then why are you the leader of this guild if you can't lead Guns and Knives to the top because you can't defeat Black Lion!"

Xian could do nothing but shut his mouth while his ears and pride bled at his uncle's anger. And when Augustus's rage simmered down a little, Xian defended himself.

"U-uncle, we're not prepared to fight Black Lion. Scar had a weird spell that we couldn't counter."

Another bang on the table made everyone recoiled while Isolde picked up the sushi that jumped on her plate again.

"Not prepared?!" Augustus sneered. "You've spent how many millions into that war preparations! And you're telling me that you're not prepared?!"

Xian controlled the trembling of his voice when he spoke, "U-uncle . . . Scar probably acquired a book to gain that unique spell. None of us has something to counter it. And frankly, no one could."

. . .

. . .

Augustus went silent, but none still dared to breathe easy as the heat in the room intensified even more.

Xian shrunk from fear when Augustus looked him in the eyes.

"Axel," Augustus called.

"Yes, father." Axel's eyeglasses glint in understanding before he plays Ren and Scar's fight on the screen.

At the reply, Isolde almost choked when the camera zoomed on Ren's handsome face.

Everyone knew that fight, and Xian closed his eyes tight when he realized his blunder, and he knew that another round of argument would take place.

Augustus took a deep breath and said in a calm voice, "Now . . . tell me why this guy could defeat Scar without even spending millions like us. And why couldn't you?"

". . . H-he . . . he also acquired a special skill."

"[emailprotected]*fljfld*@!!"

Another round of cursing roared in the air.

"So you're telling me that Guns and Knives couldn't handle players with special skills?! Then acquire one! What did you even spend millions for?!"

". . ."

Augustus then inhaled sharply before he released a blast of breath. "Now . . . I heard from my daughter here that they are her friends. And that Isolde even recommended them to you that you hire them for the guild war since they are a mercenary group or whatever that is."

Isolde looked to the side with a wry smile on her face when all eyes steadied on her.

Augustus regained his calm when it was her daughter's time to shine. Don't worry, sweetie. Guns and Knives will belong to you soon.

"Now . . . what I want to know is . . . why haven't you employed them? If you did, Guns and Knives would have been the champion."

The elders nodded and agreed.

Xian had a headache at the turn of events. "Uncle, we can't afford them at that time. We've spent so much for the guild house in both worlds as well as the preparation for the war."

Another bang on the table silenced Xian, and he cowered from where he stood when Augustus spat.

"You've spent millions already! What's the problem with spending even more?! If money is all that it takes to win the war, then spend it all! We could earn it back anyway!"

Xian could only cry inside. If he spent money, he'd get roasted. But if he didn't spend money, he'd still get roasted.

What's a guy to do?

"Xian, don't say that I'm favoring anyone to lead the guild." Even though that's the truth, Augustus cleared his throat and added, "We can't afford the guild to suffer anymore as it already is. Guns and Knives would be all over the headline for not reaching the top fifty if not for Black Lion and Ferocious Raven's issues. Don't you know how embarrassing that is?

"We can't afford another bad publicity and poor performance in the succeeding days. I'm sorry, but another blunder like this, and you're out of the position."

Xian gasped, and he was about to retort when Augustus had already addressed the other family members.

"Is everyone agree with me?"

Xian whipped his head around, staring at everyone to raise their hands in disagreement. The Guild leader title was rightfully his. He won it fair and square.

However, Xian gritted his teeth when none uttered a single squeak, and everyone was in favor of what Augustus said.

At the side, Lee-rin and her other cousins, that was eying the position of guild leader, all smirked in an overbearing manner. While Isolde remained impassive to the whole thing as she ate her sushi with gusto.

It was not her problem.

A/N (Doesn't Consume Coins)

Only one chapter today because I was busy preparing and organizing the whole day for our on-the-spot vacation of seven days

We will leave tomorrow and come back next week, so the schedule of update are as follows:

One chapter from Oct 19 to 23.

Oct 20, there will be no update since it's my birthday. I'm going to enjoy that one day

will resume publish next week, Oct 24, and onwards

Thank you for the love and support, everyone

Cheers!