...So it looks like the Blood Alliance...

...isn't here after all.

Those guys are the Hunting Blades.

Th-that man...we saw
him in Deidon Hold.

Ah, now that you mention it,
we did see him. So he's the
leader of your guild, then.

Is he gonna fight that monster all by himself?

...What? No way, man!

He took it out in one hit...?

That was a Fatal Strike.

A Fatal Strike?

It's a crazy-powerful technique that
extremely skilled swordsmen can use.

Hmmm... So how do you do it?

How do you do it...?
H-how should I know?!

“Fatal Strike -- A strong attack which
throws your opponent off balance...”

“...followed by a single, well-timed
strike to finish the enemy.”

Is that something else
you read in a book?

Y-yes, it is...

I see... It sounds like it's
easier said than done.

You really want to get back
into your guild, don't you?

Wh-what makes you say that?

Oh...? Karol, are you going to
go back into the guild?

I won't go back...! I'm sick
and tired of monster hunting.

Won't go back, or can't
go back? It sounded
like you were fired.

N-no way. I had been
planning on leaving
for a while.

Mmm, is that so?
Well, no matter, then.

So, uh, let's get going.

Well, I'm glad you're
staying with us, Karol.

Anyway, what do you think they're
doing with such a large contingent?

Yeah, if they wanted to take out that monster
we saw, one person would've been enough.

This is actually the first time I've ever seen
this many guild members gathered in one place.

Really?

Yeah, a lot of the members are loners.
They tend not to travel in groups.

And the Chief being here is
out of the ordinary, too.

Curiouser and curiouser...

You want to...follow them and see what they're up to?

Nah, that sounds interesting,
but I'm gonna keep going.

He's looking for members of the Blood
Alliance, after all. Right, Yuri?

Yeah, I don't want to worry about two
guilds. One is more than enough!