The st few direfangs hesitated at the edge of the chamber, their bloodlust now repced by utter fear. One growled, but even that seemed more like a warning to the rest of its pack than a challenge to the twins.

  Then they turned.

  Without waiting for another command, the survivors bolted, disappearing into the winding tunnels from which they'd come. Emma stepped forward, wiping a sptter of blood from her cheek with the sleeve of her jacket. "They're retreating."

  "Or being called back," she added a moment ter.

  Ava wiped her blood-covered hands on the ground, trying to clean them up a bit. "Then let’s go."

  They followed the trail of bloody paw prints left behind, the air growing colder once more as they proceeded.

  The tunnel widened, revealing another, rger chamber. It was dome-shaped, with long rock spines reaching down from the ceiling like the ribs of a giant beast. At its center stood the boss. The alpha direfang towered over even the rgest of its kin, muscles coiled beneath fur so dark it was nearly blue under the light from the mana crystals arranged throughout the space. Its crimson eyes locked onto them as they entered, tail shing once against the stone with a loud crack.

  Ava rolled her wrists, the gauntlets groaning against the movement. Thomas lingered at the mouth of the tunnel, arms crossed, watching closely but not interfering. "Let’s see how you close it out."

  The alpha moved first, walking slowly like a predator. Then it burst into motion. Its leap was massive, mouth open, cws outstretched, aiming straight for Emma. She didn’t flinch. The moment it was airborne, she stepped lightly to the side, wand fshing.

  "Hehe."

  The beast’s leap was cut short, its momentum crushed by a sudden increase in weight. It hit the ground hard, the stone beneath it cracking, legs buckling as it growled in frustration. Ava took the chance to attack, ducking under one massive swipe and driving her fist into its ribs, her favorite spot to smash. A loud boom sounded, followed by a pained snarl from the beast. Ava hopped out of reach of the now-injured beast just before another swipe came her way.

  The creature staggered, its front leg dragging slightly as it attempted to fight through broken ribs. Blood dripped from its side, sizzling on the stone due to the heat of its body. It whipped around toward Emma, considering her the easier target once more. But she was already stepping back, wand lowering to the ground.

  "I'm tired. You got the rest," she said with a yawn that was just a little too fake.

  Ava chuckled. "Gotcha."

  The alpha barely had time to react before Ava smmed into it again, shoulder-first. The impact sent it skidding across the chamber floor, cws carving trenches in the stone as it struggled to dig in. It rebounded with a furious roar and charged, only to be met by a knee to the jaw. She grabbed its scruff mid-recoil, twisted, and flung it overhead in a perfect arc. The beast crashed into a boulder with a crunch, rolling over itself before shakily getting back to its feet. It was clearly durable, but very outmatched.

  Ava gave her gauntlets a light shake. "Ugh," she spat, then sprinted forward.

  What followed could barely be called a fight. It was just a brutal show of power as Ava delivered thunderous blows that

  cracked armor-thick hide. She used the walls to bounce off and strike from weird angles, grabbed a limb and spun the boss like a hammer throw, and ended it all with a sm to the back of the skull that made the entire room tremble. Hell, Rakan probably felt it, too.

  The animal went limp, and the dust settled as Ava stood over it, breathing only slightly heavier than a slumbering human. "Finished~"

  Emma gave a slow cp. "Wow. You really outdid yourself there."

  Thomas finally stepped into the chamber. "That was incredible!" he said, happy as could be.

  Ava smiled, loving the praise from someone other than her sister. "Well, thank you."

  He smirked, gnced at the cowering leftover direwolves in the corners of the space, then at the boss id out on the floor. "I guess you guys are gonna be worth every penny."

  Ava bent down and yanked the golden, ninja star-looking essence stone from the boss's chest with a sharp jerk.

  Emma tilted her head. "Aren’t you gonna take your share?"

  Thomas waved her off. "Nah. I didn’t lift a finger. Keep ’em. Consider it an investment."

  [Outside the B-Rank Gate]

  The air outside was mostly still, except for the occasional gust of wind sweeping dust across the clearing. The gate shimmered in the light, glowing gently on the surroundings. Laura stood a good distance from it, arms folded and weight shifted onto one leg. Her foot tapped the ground with a hint of impatience.

  She had been there since they entered. Though she wasn’t exactly worried, she still disliked wasting time. She gnced toward the gate again, just in time to see it ripple. A few seconds ter, the trio emerged.

  First was Thomas, hands in his pockets and as rexed as ever. His shirt was still spotless, and not a single drop of blood marked him. Behind him came the twins; Emma was mostly clean, and Ava was covered in grime, bloodstains, and small cuts- the cuts being from projectile bone fragments coated in enough mana to scratch her.

  Laura didn't look very happy. "That took longer than expected."

  Thomas shrugged. "Had to let them have their fun. They passed."

  Ava held up the boss’s essence stone between two fingers, grinning. "We got a golden one! Pretty, right?"

  Laura blinked. "That’s to be expected from a B-rank boss monster."

  Thomas held out his hand toward the twins like he was offering a handshake. "Welcome aboard, by the way. I’m officially hiring you both."

  Emma stared at his hand. "Thought we were already working with you?"

  "Now it’s official."

  Laura handed Thomas a tablet. "I already uploaded the report on this. Director’s going to see it before we even hit the road."

  "Good," he said, scrolling briefly. "Let them know we’ve got new talent worth investing in."

  He turned back to the gate, now emitting far less mana. "Alright. Let’s get cleaned up and head back. There's still some more papers you need to sign."

  The ride back to the Scavenger’s Guild building was smooth, at least by city traffic standards. The bck SUV moved between the nes, its dark-tinted windows shielding the twins from the stares of pedestrians and street-level cameras. Inside, however, the atmosphere was anything but rexed.

  Ava was slouched in the back seat, her arms folded and eyes narrowed in anger. Emma sat calmly beside her, occasionally checking the time on her phone. Laura occupied the front passenger seat, scrolling through her tablet while Thomas drove, humming lightly to himself as if the noise didn’t exist. He quite enjoyed driving himself pces.

  "We’ve got about twenty minutes before we hit the office," Laura said, not looking up. "Which gives me just enough time to walk you through what’s coming."

  Ava groaned instantly. "Oh god, please. I need a bath."

  "Oh, okay," Laura said, not paying her much mind. "Interviews. Press. PR training."

  Emma blinked. "This soon?"

  "You two are S-rank Hunters now," Laura replied. "Officially registered. That puts you in a category not many people in the country share. That’s a spotlight whether you want it or not."

  Ava sat up straighter, concern dawning on her face. She liked the idea of being famous, but not this part of being famous.

  "TV, podcasts, online media, you name it," Laura said, finally gncing back at them. "We’re lining up an exclusive with the New York Herald and probably Channel 6. We’ll control the narrative and introduce you properly. You’ll also have a prep session before then; how to sit, how to answer questions, what not to say, so on and so forth."

  "I can’t say things?" Ava asked, as if that were a personal attack.

  "Especially you," Laura replied.

  Thomas chuckled under his breath.

  "I’m not a damn talker," Ava muttered, gring out the window. "Why can’t Emma just do all the talking? She's already got the mysterious thing going for her."

  Emma gave her a tired look. "And you’re loud and scary, which probably sells better."

  "Exactly!" Ava said. "I already sell. Why do I gotta do training?"

  Laura didn’t answer. She didn’t have to.

  "You’ll be doing the prep tomorrow morning," she continued. "Scavenger’s already cleared one of their meeting halls for the sessions. Interview with the Herald is scheduled for the afternoon, unless Director Brennon says otherwise."

  Emma frowned. "Brennon’s not in New York, is he?"

  "No, he and the Deputy Director are both back in California, for now. They’re reviewing the footage from the raid and organizing a formal introduction package. If they like what they see-"

  "They already do," Thomas said, tapping the steering wheel.

  "-Then you’ll be flown out ter this week," Laura finished. "And no, you can’t skip that flight."

  Ava dropped her head back against the seat. "Ughhhhhh."

  Thomas turned into a private parking garage and pulled into a reserved spot marked with Scavenger’s insignia. He turned off the engine and twisted back toward the twins.

  "You’ll be fine. Just smile and don’t threaten anyone on camera. This is part of the job."

  Ava groaned once more.

  Emma patted her sister’s shoulder, nodding her head out of sympathy.

  They stepped out of the car and into the underground elevator, which would take them straight to the Scavenger Guild’s upper floors. There, contracts and, unfortunately, their PR prep awaited.