The former Player gym looked worse in daylight.

  Suzume stood outside the building with Kasumi and Yumi, staring at the cracked windows and peeling paint. The sign above the door hung at an angle, half the letters missing.

  "This is it?" Kasumi asked.

  "This is it," Yumi said. "250 square meters, up to code, 600,000 yen a month."

  "It looks condemned."

  "It's not condemned. That's the important part."

  Suzume walked up to the door. The key the landlord had given them got stuck in the lock. She had to jiggle it twice before the door opened.

  Inside was somehow worse.

  The main floor was open concept—one massive room that used to hold training equipment. Now it was just empty space with scuff marks on the floor and water stains on the ceiling. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead. Half of them were dead.

  "Well," Yumi said, stepping inside. "It has potential."

  "It has mold," Kasumi said, pointing at a corner.

  "That's... probably fixable."

  They walked through the space. There were smaller rooms in the back—offices, maybe, or storage. A bathroom that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. A kitchenette with a sink that dripped continuously.

  "The lease said it was up to code," Suzume said.

  "It is... Technically." Yumi pulled out her phone, taking photos. "The structure's sound. Reinforced walls rated for dungeon breaks. Emergency exits. It meets the Association's requirements."

  "But it's a disaster."

  "Yes. But it's our disaster now."

  Kasumi walked to the center of the room, her boots echoing on the concrete floor.

  "We'd need to renovate everything. New lights. Paint. Furniture. Probably a full cleaning crew."

  "And someone to coordinate all of that," Suzume added. She was already feeling overwhelmed. "We have an accountant. A lawyer. But we don't have anyone managing the actual day-to-day stuff."

  "Like calling contractors?" Yumi asked.

  "Like calling anyone. Scheduling repairs. Ordering supplies. Making sure bills get paid on time." Suzume rubbed her face. "I can't do that and run missions and study for the Association exam."

  They stood in silence for a moment, the reality of running a guild settling over them.

  "We need a manager," Kasumi said.

  "Obviously. But who?" Yumi scrolled through her phone. "Everyone I know is either unqualified or already employed."

  "What about Hikari?" Suzume asked.

  They both looked at her.

  "Hikari's busy running dungeons with us," Kasumi said.

  "No, not for her to do it. But she worked at a pretty major guild. She might know someone."

  Yumi nodded slowly.

  "That's... actually not a bad idea."

  They called Hikari. She answered on the second ring.

  "Yes?"

  "We need a manager," Suzume said. "Someone who can handle logistics, coordinate renovations, manage staff. Do you, uh, know anyone?"

  Hikari was quiet for a moment. Suzume heard typing in the background.

  "... Possibly. Give me an hour."

  She hung up.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  "Well," Yumi said. "That was cryptic."

  They spent the next hour poking around the building, making notes on everything that needed fixing. The list got longer every minute. New flooring. New lighting. Walls needed painting. The bathroom needed a complete overhaul. The kitchenette might need to be torn out entirely.

  Suzume's phone rang. Hikari.

  "I have someone," Hikari said. "Sasaki Emiko. She was the operations manager at Azure Tempest. Handled everything from scheduling to vendor contracts to payroll."

  "Was?"

  "She stayed with Azure Tempest after I left, but she's been looking for a change. I contacted her. She's interested."

  Suzume blinked.

  "Just like that?"

  "Just like that. She's available to meet this afternoon if you want to conduct an interview."

  [...] Suzume looked at her phone. [Feels like there's a bit more to this story, but okay.]

  "We definitely want to conduct an interview."

  "I'll send you her contact information. One thing, though." Hikari's tone shifted slightly. "Azure Tempest will need to approve the transfer. She's still under contract with them. As a guild leader, you'll need to negotiate with their leadership directly."

  Suzume's stomach dropped.

  "I have to meet with Azure Tempest?"

  "Yes. It's standard protocol when poaching staff from another guild."

  "We're not poaching—"

  "Yes, we are. But don't worry. It's normal and Azure Tempest is professional. Just be prepared to make your case."

  "Right. Okay. I can do that."

  "Of course you can."

  Hikari hung up.

  Suzume looked at Kasumi and Yumi.

  "I have to negotiate with Azure Tempest."

  "You'll be fine," Yumi said.

  "They're one of the top ten guilds in Japan."

  "And you're a guild leader. You have just as much authority as they do."

  "I'm a Level 6 nobody running a guild out of a condemned gym."

  "A not condemned gym," Yumi corrected. "And you're not a nobody. You're Rescue Girl. You have more public support than half the major guilds combined."

  Kasumi clapped Suzume on the shoulder.

  "Besides, if they give you trouble, I'll come with you and look intimidating."

  "That's not how negotiations work."

  "Says who?"

  Despite everything, Suzume smiled.

  Her phone buzzed. A message from Hikari with Sasaki Emiko's contact information and a suggested meeting time. 3 PM today at a cafe in Roppongi.

  Suzume confirmed.

  "So," Yumi said, looking around the empty gym. "We have a potential manager, a headquarters that needs months of work, and a meeting with one of Japan's top guilds where we're basically just going to say 'hey, hope you don't mind us stealing one of your wheels'."

  "Yeah."

  "This is progress."

  "Is it?"

  "Absolutely." Yumi grinned. "A month ago, you were diving into dungeons alone and working at a maid cafe. Now you're running a guild with five members, negotiating with major organizations, and about to hire professional staff. That's not nothing."

  Suzume looked around the gym. Water stains and all, it was theirs. A physical space. A headquarters. Something real.

  "I guess you're right."

  "I'm always right." Yumi headed toward the door. "Come on. We should get ready for that meeting. And Suzume?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Wear something that makes you look like a guild leader. Not... whatever this is." She gestured at Suzume's jeans and hoodie.

  "What's wrong with this?"

  "Everything."

  ---

  Sasaki Emiko was not what Suzume expected.

  She'd pictured someone older. Corporate. Stiff. Instead, like most of the women in Suzume's life nowadays, the woman sitting across from her at the cafe was young, maybe mid-20s, with short white hair and sleek glasses covering bright blue eyes. She wore a blazer over a graphic t-shirt.

  "Takahashi-san speaks highly of you," Emiko said. She'd ordered a latte and was stirring it methodically. "She doesn't do that often."

  "We're lucky to have her," Suzume said.

  "You are." Emiko took a sip. "So. The Dungeon Rescue Guild. I've been following your work. Meguro extraction was impressive. The Nakano outbreak response even more so."

  "Thank you."

  "But I'm not here for compliments. I'm here because Hikari told me you need someone who can actually run a guild's operations while you focus on saving people." She set her cup down. "Is that accurate?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. I want in."

  "... Okay. Why?"

  Emiko took a moment.

  "Because I'm tired of working for a guild that treats everyone who isn't at the top like we're disposable. Azure Tempest is all about image. Everything's a photo op. Everything's calculated for maximum PR impact." She leaned back. "I want to work somewhere that actually gives a shit. Even if it means less money and worse hours."

  Suzume blinked.

  "You're... really direct."

  "If I wanted to deal with more corporate politeness, I wouldn't be entertaining this call. Do you want me or not?"

  "I want you. But Azure Tempest has to approve the transfer."

  "They will." Emiko pulled out her phone, showed Suzume a contract. "I'm on a standard six-month renewal. My current term ends in two weeks. They have no real leverage because I could just wait the two weeks and walk out anyway."

  "So, what do I do?"

  "You walk into their headquarters, introduce yourself as a fellow guild leader, and request a professional courtesy meeting to discuss my transfer. They'll posture. They'll act like they're doing you a favor. But ultimately, they'll approve it because denying a transfer request looks petty, as I said, Azure Tempest cares about their image more than they care about keeping one operations manager, and they're going to be losing me anyway."

  [Hm. Guess that makes sense.]

  Suzume absorbed that information.

  "So," Emiko said. "When do you want to meet with them?"

  "As soon as possible."

  "Good answer." She stood, pulling on her jacket. "I'll reach out to their admin team and set something up. Expect a call within two days."

  "Wait—shouldn't I be the one requesting the meeting?"

  "You will be. But they'll take it more seriously if it comes through proper channels first. Trust me."

  Emiko left cash on the table for her drink and walked out.

  Suzume sat there for a moment, slightly stunned.

  Yumi leaned over from the next table—she'd been eavesdropping the whole time.

  "I like her."

  "Me too," Kasumi added.

  "Yeah." Suzume grabbed her own coffee, which had gone cold. "Now I just have to convince Azure Tempest to let her go."

  "You will. You're a guild leader now." Yumi grinned. "Time to start acting like one."

  Suzume wasn't sure she knew how to do that.