A Shield in the World Of Monarchs
Chapter 54

Guild Management System – Maple Tree

Guild Name: Maple Tree

Guild Level: 5

Guild EXP: 7,000 / 15,000

Max Members: 500

Current Members: 59

Guild Status: Active

Guild Points (GP): 17,800

(Earned through Guild Level-ups, Recruitment, and Dungeon Raids)

---

Guild Overview

Total Registered Members: 132

Kaede Tawata — Level 73 — Guild Master

Elizabeth Urahara — Level 38 — Vice Guild Master

Hunter Distribution by Rank:

S-Rank: 5

A-Rank: 27

B-Rank: 19

C-Rank: 12

D-Rank: 32

E-Rank: 35

---

The air shimmered around the massive blue vortex swirling in the heart of Kyoto’s western sector. An A-Rank gate, towering and ominous, pulsed with raw mana.

“Damn, this gate is huge,” Korra said with a low laugh, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear as she stared up at it.

Behind her stood the strike team tasked with clearing the gate. 

Shimizu Akari, clad in a dark leather battle coat, rested her massive bardiche on her shoulder with practiced ease, exuding effortless confidence. She looked cool, because she was. 

Still, Korra couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “Damn that money-grubbing healer,” with a smirk, though no one was quite sure what prompted it.

Next to her was Anna Mikoto, a towering S-Rank and former member of the now-disbanded Brass Den guild. She stood like a fortress, her colossal odachi resting easily in one hand. Her silence was more intimidating than most threats.

A little to the side bounced a far more energetic figure, Hinata Tsukehime, a green-haired B-Rank Hunter who radiated optimism like a walking sunbeam. Her eyes sparkled with unrestrained excitement.

“This is the highest-ranked raid I’ve ever been on!” she said breathlessly, practically vibrating in place. She turned to one of her teammates, eyes wide. “Can you believe it?”

Korra tuned them out as Anna stepped forward, eyes locked on the swirling vortex before them. She exhaled slowly, the sharp edge of her breath cutting through the tense silence.

“Keep tight. Watch your flanks. The guild master isn't with us today. Just like the simulations.” Her voice was low and steady, like steel drawn from a sheath. “Let’s make this clean.”

With that, she took the first step in.

The gate accepted her without resistance, her silhouette vanishing into blue.

Korra cracked her knuckles and followed close behind, her smirk sharpening.

“Guess that’s our cue,” Akari muttered, her bardiche flaring briefly with light.

One by one, the strike team entered the gate, energy rippling behind each of them, swallowing their forms in blue light.

Hinata was the last. She bounced in place once more, whispered, “Let’s go!” like it was a promise, and leapt in after them.

The gate pulsed once, then settled.

Of course, not before flashing red.

---

Vivi glanced over her shoulder, frowning. “So that’s how it feels.”

Behind her, Kenzo let out a long sigh. “Another Red Gate? It’s barely been three months since the last one. I hope Team Gamma is having a better time than we are.”

A sudden shriek snapped their attention forward.

“Ah! The gate is gone! Is this a Red Gate!? Oh no, are we going to die? I knew I should’ve hugged Anna this morning. Vice Master, save me!” Gine cried out, her hands flailing as she spun in place.

Several Hunters cringed at the display, especially coming from a veteran A-Rank Hunter, handpicked by the Vice Guild Master herself.

Vivi’s expression remained composed. “Alright then, Kenzo-san. This is my first time in a Red Dungeon, so I’ll be following your lead.”

Kenzo nodded, rubbing his neck as though he still couldn’t believe the situation. “Akari’s never going to believe I was left in charge of a raid by myself.”

He turned to address the rest of the group. The breeze tugged at his unbuttoned fur-lined jacket, the deep blue fabric fluttering as he stepped forward.

“I’m sure some of you have experienced a Red Gate before,” he said, eyes briefly locking with one of the older Hunters. “I’m looking at you, Nagi.”

His tone hardened.

“Make no mistake, this won’t be like any dungeon you’ve cleared before.”

Kenzo pointed behind him with his thumb. “What’s behind me isn’t the familiar cave-like system every dungeon you’ve seen has resembled.”

BOOM!

A deep, thunderous rumble echoed through the air, steady, rhythmic, like a heartbeat from something massive.

“This isn’t the usual, predictable routine you’ve all grown used to over the past month.”

BOOM!

He turned slightly, the wind catching the edge of his fur-lined jacket.

“Each of us is stronger than we’ve ever been... and I don’t mean that metaphorically. That’s just how awesome Maple Tree is.”

The name alone made a few of the Hunters straighten their backs, their eyes sharpening.

“And as members of Maple Tree, we’re accepting nothing less than a decisive victory. Prove that this gift wasn’t wasted on us.”

BOOM!

Nagi silently stepped forward, drawing his glass-like blade. The translucent weapon shimmered faintly, reflecting the blue sheen now emanating from his fur coat.

Nearby, Gine raised her twin pistols, sleek, red-metal constructs with glowing glyphs along their barrels. She gave them a quick spin in her palms before locking them into a combat stance.

BOOM!

The rest of the team followed, drawing their weapons and activating their enchanted armors and relics. Every single item they wore or held had been forged or enhanced within Maple Tree, personally overseen by Iz herself.

BOOM!

The ground trembled again.

Kenzo nodded once, satisfied. “Good. Now, what can you deduce from the environment behind me?”

A blonde-haired man stepped forward, surveying the terrain with sharp eyes. “We appear to be within a rocky impasse, sir. Elevated cliffs flank both sides. The terrain funnels movement straight ahead, like a natural kill zone.”

Boom!

Kenzo nodded again. "And what foes do you deduce we'll be facing within this dungeon?"

Boom!

The thunderous sound echoed once more, closer this time. Loose gravel shuddered beneath their boots. 

The blonde-haired man furrowed his brow. “Given the terrain and the vibrations, I'd wager earth-type monsters.”

Kenzo nodded approvingly. “Exactly. Red dungeons are explicitly known for their elemental bias. This terrain, those jagged cliffs, cracked plateaus, and unnatural stone formations.”

Boom!

“This place was built to kill,” Kenzo muttered with a grin as the ground rumbled again. “And it doesn’t discriminate.”

His fingers twitched slightly. “Now… without further ado.”

Vivi’s gaze drifted upward, her lips curling into a small, feral smile.

BOOOOOM!

A massive figure crashed down behind Kenzo with a catastrophic impact, the ground splitting and debris flying in all directions. Several Hunters stumbled or tumbled from the shockwave, scrambling to find their footing.

But Kenzo didn’t move. He stood still as the violent wind howled past him, his jacket billowing like a banner. His hair blew forward, casting shadows over his face, until he raised his head.

When he did, his eyes glowed with a burning golden light.

His voice calm and low. However, everyone heard it.

“Let’s go hunting.”

Vivi’s grin widened, and a flicker of fire burst from her eyes.

---

Iz frowned at the glowing panel in front of her, the map of Japan littered with pulsing markers. "Two Red Gates?" she muttered, narrowing her eyes. "And on opposite sides of Kyoto, no less. Just what we needed."

Her fingers tapped anxiously against the edge of the console as she scanned the rest of the readings. "And of course, four A-Rank gates decided to pop up this week on this side of Japan. Great. Just great."

With a tired sigh, she rubbed a hand down her face and leaned back in her chair. "Hopefully... it's just a normal Red Gate. Not one of those anomalies like the one Maple dealt with back then."

Her voice trailed off into the soft hum of the command center. For a moment, she let the silence settle around her before muttering, "Still, just in case... I’ll have Maple check in on them."

A beat passed.

"...Ah, but you can’t enter a gate once it turns red," she groaned, slumping deeper into her chair. "Whatever. It’s Maple. She’ll probably stumble in by accident anyway."

---

“We just walked through a red gate, didn’t we?” Akari asked, refusing to glance back to confirm if the portal was still open.

“It appears we did,” Anna replied calmly, her blade slicing cleanly through the wall of dense jungle foliage they had emerged beside.

“A jungle,” Korra noted, narrowing her eyes. “Looks oddly similar to the last red gate we entered. That’s something we can work with, at least.”

“Yeah,” Akari nodded, remembering the mushroom-infested forest from before. “Perimeters, everyone. Last thing we need is another ambush.”

Korra scoffed. “As if the exact same thing would happen twice..."

CLANG!

Anna’s sword met a spinning axe mid-air, the force of the impact sliding her back half a step. She didn’t flinch. “Orcs,” she muttered with clear disgust.

Akari turned her head slowly to look at Korra.

“Shut up,” Korra grumbled with a pout.

Weapons came out in a flash. Akari spun her bardiche in a wide arc, its edges gleaming. Korra’s hands lit up, flames igniting the rotating earth spikes forming around her.

“This raid’s going to be different than last time,” Korra said with a smirk.

Akari grinned. “Hell yeah. I’m in the mood to wreck stuff.”