Bian kept hitting Gideon, not caring who he was. Gideon occasionally raised his hand, blocking Bian's punches while still letting himself get beaten up.
There was a reason why Gideon was doing this.
Lena panicked, Lyra was terrified, and Luke kept his eyes locked in focus. If something happened outside their predictions, Luke would step in to separate them.
"Why… are you punching me?!" Bian shouted angrily.
"It's the only way… they choose a leader," Gideon replied.
He kicked Bian hard, sending his body flying backward. Luke quickly rushed over to Gideon, whose face and body were covered in bruises.
"You alright?" Luke asked.
"This is better than taking dozens of bullets."
On the other side, one of Bian's friends was calming him down. He also hadn't expected Bian to respond so aggressively, to the point of injuring Gideon.
Slowly, Bian began to realize what he had just done.
He looked forward and saw Gideon sitting on the ground, his face swollen with bruises, Luke beside him. Bian's worry grew.
He was afraid Gideon and his team would punish him, just like they had killed the rebel wolves.
"Wh-What—"
"Bian…"
"You've beaten me," Gideon murmured.
"I admit defeat."
All eyes turned to Bian—both Gideon's team and the rest of the villagers. Gideon's words carried weight.
As a leader, he wasn't supposed to lose in front of his people. But if he admitted defeat, the one who beat him would have to be the new leader.
"What do you mean?" Bian asked.
Gideon gave a faint smile. He stepped closer to Bian, one arm over Luke's shoulder for support, Luke helping him walk despite the pain that wracked his body.
Once in front of Bian, Gideon raised his hand, asking for a handshake. Still confused, Bian reached out and shook his hand.
"According to your tradition, an Alpha who is defeated is no longer the leader of the people."
"You, with your bare hands, have beaten me."
"Now, you are the leader of the forest wolf clan, Bian," Gideon said softly but firmly.
"M-Me?" Bian stammered.
Following Gideon's words, the villagers immediately knelt and paid their respects to Bian as their new leader, replacing Gideon.
Gideon and the others watched the leadership transfer of the forest wolves.
He smiled—he had only been their leader for a few days, and he preferred giving the title to Bian.
It was because Bian was one of them, while Gideon was not.
"Our respect to the new leader, Bian!" the villagers declared.
Bian was shocked, stunned, confused, and speechless. He hadn't expected to ever become the leader of the forest wolf clan, a role that should have belonged to Gideon.
But Gideon had analyzed and understood the difference between their races. He worried that keeping the title for himself would cause more imbalance.
'Being captain of my own team is more than enough.'
"I don't know what to say, Captain Gideon."
"We can talk, leader to leader," Gideon replied.
"Yes, you can talk after we treat your wounds, Captain," Lena said as she approached.
Gideon chuckled. Luke helped him to the back so Lena could treat him. She pulled out the medkit and began wiping the blood from the cuts on his face.
"This is going to leave a scar."
"I know."
"What were you really thinking?" Lena asked, still worried.
"They, the forest wolves, will only follow someone strong among them. That's why the fight was necessary."
"To make Bian look strong. Am I right?" Lena asked again. Gideon nodded.
"Yes."
She dipped cotton in antiseptic and cleaned the wounds on his face. Luke and Lyra stood nearby, unsure what to do next.
They had already moved their supplies out of the wolf village, and they couldn't stay here much longer after the recent conflict. They also didn't fully trust the kitsune, even though Mitsuko had helped them a lot.
"What's our next move?" Luke asked.
Gideon stayed quiet, letting Lena tend to the wounds on his temple and chin. He knew the conflict and changes in the forest wolf village meant they had to take action.
They couldn't stay—not after the bloody fight three days ago. The villagers' trust in his team was split: some supported them, others opposed them out of fear and hate.
To prevent further conflict, Gideon decided they had to leave.
He turned to Lena, his gaze making her pause in confusion.
"What?" she asked.
"Do you remember that human village we visited before?" Gideon asked.
"Are we evacuating there?" Lena replied.
"That would be better. Kitsune and forest wolves are different from us. I don't want another conflict."
"We start again from scratch, build a permanent shelter there," Gideon said, loud enough for Luke and Lyra to hear.
"Luke, Lyra—head to Norton's camp and let them know. I'll probably need a horse cart to move our supplies."
"Understood, Captain," they answered.
Now, only Gideon and Lena remained in the wolf village. Slowly, the wolves who had rebelled three days ago were recovering—they could walk, though not yet work normally.
Bian approached Gideon, "What will you do next?"
Gideon looked up and smiled, "We can still work together. But I won't be staying in the wolf village."
"I don't want to trouble you. The best option is to move somewhere I believe is safe," Gideon said.
"Don't worry about them. You can stay here if you want," Bian offered, but Gideon gently refused.
"My decision's final," Gideon said, standing up.
He placed a hand on Bian's shoulder, drawing the man's full attention.
"I still need you for the plan to unite the mythical races, even if my team and I don't live here."
"Please, help me talk to them," Gideon said.
Bian stayed silent for a moment, then a wide smile spread across his face. He would carry out Gideon's request—he would show that the forest wolves still treated Gideon's team well, no matter the situation.
"Alright. I'll help you, Captain Gideon."
Gideon nodded. He knew he still needed them to keep the area around his future shelter stable. Peace had to be built by uniting all the mythical races, though he knew it would be hard and complicated.
Luke and Lyra met with Norton. After hearing Gideon's request, Norton had no objection. He ordered his men to take their horse cart to the kitsune village to load up the team's supplies.
Norton went with them, riding his armored horse. He led the cart until they arrived, and his eyes widened in shock at Gideon's battered face.
"What happened?" Norton asked.
"Power struggle. No big deal," Gideon joked.
"Can you help me out?" Gideon asked.
"Luke already explained everything. We'll help move your supplies to that village," Norton said.
"Since that village is still part of Moko, you can come and go freely without worrying about anyone suspecting you," Gideon added.
Norton nodded. He had already told his soldiers it was a reconnaissance mission—though in truth, it was to help Gideon's team.
Hearing that, Gideon smiled in relief. Luke and Lyra started loading supplies onto the cart, with a few kitsune men helping them.
Lady Mitsuko saw the activity and walked out to meet Gideon, who was being helped by Lena. Her face showed the same shock as Norton's when she saw his condition.
"What happened?" Mitsuko asked.
"Nothing to worry about, Lady Mitsuko," Lena said.
"It looks like we won't be staying in the kitsune village. We're moving to the human village in the forest," Lena explained.
Mitsuko nodded. It was a bit disappointing, but Lena and Gideon must have had good reasons—especially since she had seen the fight herself.
"Very well. But if you need anything, we're ready to help," Mitsuko said.
"Thank you, Lady Mitsuko."
"So, shall we leave now?" Norton asked, and Gideon cleared his throat.
They said their goodbyes to the wolf and kitsune villages, then climbed into the horse cart and set off for the human village.
The main problem there was bandits. There was a good chance they would come again, and the village needed protection. Gideon and his team could handle that.
"Once we get there, what's our first step?" Luke asked.
"Build a vast perimeter. Put up watchtowers. Activate detection sensors. Handle sanitation."
"There's a lot we'll have to do," Gideon said.
"It's like starting over. Am I right?" Luke asked. Gideon cleared his throat.
"Yeah. We start from the beginning."