That evening, Clyde took a refreshing walk. He allowed the surprise of the missed phone call to hit him. His professor, Hinako, was a daring woman. He did call her back—and her excuse being, of course, a reminder to do well on the exam for a reward. He felt the nosebleed threaten to emerge.
Ruri walked alongside him, silent. Appearing out of thin air, she decided to just follow the young man.
He glanced at her. She really was cute. Just what in the fuck, Yusuke? He thought. Easily Alice's equal to beauty and powerful enough to level cities with even most basic her attacks…Clyde stopped, almost dropping his phone. Ruri did too, staring at him with sky-blue eyes.
Holy shit. Useful. Well…after all the dramatics, he wasn't sure if bringing the party up was a good idea. But hey, at least the relationship level didn't fall.
Still, he could consider double-checking things with that reaperess woman. No, Yusuke's fail was no longer his problem. Fuck it.
"Do you want steak?" he asked.
Ruri's eyes glistened.
"Really?"
"I'm bribing you to join Team Stone," Clyde said.
She placed her hands on her hips.
"You are a little too good at it? Practice much?"
Clyde laughed.
"Maybe. Now let's go. I want to try the hibachi place a couple of blocks from here."
[Ruri has joined your party! Know this, a chaotic companion on your side could dramatically alter the battle in your favor. Remember your vows. Anything promised to them will serve as motivation while they eagerly await the reward.]
[List of chaotic companions: Chika, Ruri.]
That night while studying, Ruri somehow ended up laying across his lap…in her new room.
He caressed her head and scratched behind her wolf ears. She nestled against him, expression peaceful. How did this happen?
Then it came back to Clyde. He made a bet with her at the restaurant. Who could eat the most steak? At the time, his growling stomach hi-jacked the brain, diving for earth's science: Ruri was a petite girl. She'd eat a tiny bite and pass out. Manliness and steak were a food match in heaven next to the bacon. No way he'd be outdone. Also…the bottle of sake may have influenced things. The young man sucked at holding alcohol. At least not yet.
Clyde's wager was simple: if he won, Ruri would turn into hellhound form and pee on a fire hydrant. A wager of art!
It was a joke that earned him a good elbow in the ribs. Ruri, on the other hand, wanted Clyde to accept her with canine love, whatever that meant.
Then she destroyed him.
He put his book away, knowing damned well that he knew every subject on the tests by the letter. Chika lectured him like a perverted drill sergeant. In fact, the others were still out, at the Hade's estates. The declaration of a girls-only study party was what set him out to walk. Boredom. Ruri declined their invite, but Tear wanted to talk with Matsume, thus insisting on her going.
Just then, Ruri sat up and licked his cheek. The cuteness threatened a nosebleed.
"Like I said, you won't be pushing me away." Her tail wagged excitedly as she laid back down. "Ah yes, right there behind—oh that's the spot."
[Warning: your chances of getting raped has increased by 80%]
Not if he made the first move. He wasn't sure if the sake created those thoughts, but Clyde pulled Ruri close and kissed soft lips. And she melted into him. There…was a pulsing. Only one other young woman, a particular half-demoness, gave him that feeling.
As Clyde prepared to rip off the hellhound girl's clothing, the sound of noisy women chimed through the halls.
"Ruri! Come see what I got!" Matsume called.
The hellhound's ears sagged.
"I…don't want to go." She leaned into Clyde. "Pet me more."
Clyde did.
"Just go see what she wants. It's time for bed anyway. I've got exams in the morning."
As he stood, the hellhound hugged him.
"Thanks for inviting me for the team." She smiled. "And the meat was delicious." Clyde watched Alice's childhood friend walk off, cheerful, carefree.
System, was that…
[You can have only one soul mate. At least for now…]
He left out a breath.
[However, there is an unknown number of special titles that are very similar to soul mate candidates. Benefits are possible.]
"Yeah, it's not NTR," Chika said to Yuki as they passed by the open door, engaged in their conversation. Both sets of footsteps suddenly stopped, out of sight. Clyde dove behind the door, grinning. He thought about pulling Chika into him but decided that startling her is like pressing a red nuclear button.
The women walked in.
"So, tell me again why Alice's friend isn't staying at the palace?" Chika said.
"Beats me," Yuki said. "But I like her. She's cute. I wonder if I have an extra leash somewhere."
"It's pointless if you're not leashed with Clyde holding. Don't look at me like that, it's true. At least she doesn't have chew toys all over the place."
"She's not a dog you know," Yuki said.
"I was kidding," Chika said.
"Human sense of humor. It's lacking," Yuki said.
"Clyde likes my humor," Chika said smugly.
Yuki shrugged.
"You'd better get some rest. You'll need plenty of energy for crying when Master Clyde takes the number one spot."
"No one can take my spot," Chika said. "Not even Alice. But if Clyde does, I get to give him a reward. So it's a win-win for me."
"You're not the only one who will try to congratulate him," Yuki said then licked her lips.
"I'll be first," Chika said. "But…we'll most likely be congratulating him for getting second place. I don't slack in my studies."
"We'll see," Yuki said, then pinched the silver-haired girl's cheek. "Ruri's not the only cute one."
"Such a flatterer," Chika said, smiling. "But you won't be leashing me."
[Talent, main character stuff. Flash invisibility.]
The duo walked out without sparing him a glance.
[Invisibility has worn off.]
[You have earned the title, Eavesdropper.]
Main character stuff was the most broken talent in all of existence!
Clyde walked out and down the hall. Alice met him halfway, leapt into his arms, and he carried her off to bed. She locked and warded the door, though Chika was already inside, preparing bath water.
**
Somewhere….
Night… Full moon...
Julius fell to a knee, breathing hard as a true demon approached him. What a shitty chain of events.
First, he left Messalay in a hurry—Jumped before they could catch him in an anti-magic leash. Then the fucking stupid tavern at that weird village declined to serve the man because he refused to perform some kind of public sex ritual. Julius didn't have the strength for it—even if the woman offering herself was as beautiful as the sunrise. The man felt beat! The woman cried, causing the village to riot…against him! He wanted to just sleep. Even offered gold for a room.
He just barely managed to escape, only to crash into three impossibly beautiful women. The Venus sisters. Fucking great. He tried to pay his respects, but one of his hands couldn't leave the black-haired woman's breast fast enough. The noise disturbed their leader. HIM. MOTHERFUCKING HIM. Julius abilities read that power signature, the legendary soul…the Viper. Oh, Lady Luck despised the man so much.
They were in the country—woods with a city a few miles ahead if the man recalled correctly. A royal place, he believed. It had been a while since he entered the nation of Nestilia.
The Viper stepped out of the house, face neutral.
"You know, the queen herself put us up for the night," he said. "A little convincing it took, but we've got this nice place. Fancy, full of technology, automatic baths, even a massaging chair. I fell asleep in the chair. A comfortable sleep that you disturbed me from."
"I was just getting ready to dismantle him, Master," the black-haired Venus sister said.
"No, go finish that task with the others. He looks tough. And you know how I love a good fight."
Julius pushed all of his strength into a sprint that could go toe-to-toe with a cheetah. He tried to Jump, but nothing happened.
[The Viper Used Mean Look…]
[Julius Can No Longer Escape…]
He soon found himself defending and taking nearly invisibly-fast blows. Hence why he was currently on his knee, panting. The Viper moved at an unhurried pace.
"Analyze calls you Julius, sorcerer of the Lich Cult. An intriguing sort if I must say so myself."
"I am no longer apart of the Lich Cult," Julius said. "They are but an inconvenience for me. Aiming for weak goals. I want a name for myself, one even as big as Legendary Adventurer Airi Hirayama."
The cloaked man grinned, glowing purple eyes seeming to pierce Julius.
"Oh? Heh, it is a shame that you won't be making that," he said.
Julius's eyes widened, but he would not beg for his life. Not for anyone. Sure, he had to tactically retreat, but only from those two. Stone and Viper. He didn't have the power to fight a god, especially overpowered ones like them. Not yet. Too bad he wouldn't get the chance. Fuck it, nothing to lose—he'd go all out.
Julius grinned.
"You want a fight, you son-of-a-bitch, then you got one," Julius said, soliciting a mirroring expression on the Viper's face. "First, tell me the name of my greatest foe."
"I am Aunder," the man said simply.
"Let me show you my full strength."
[Julius has invoked Semi-forbidden magic: Soul limit remover.]
Julius knew the risk of soul-scarring, even tearing was possible, but he'd need all the power he could muster to damage the fucker. Soul limit allowed him to take in much more than the average sorcerer.
Black and gray aura surrounded him. His eyes glowed red, hair shined white, like the rays of the sun. The enormous intake of magic made Julius convulse for a just second. He pulled himself together, held out his hand, and summoned a blade of light.
"Let's go."
Light and magic trailed him like afterimages and light-clones, as he rushed Aunder. He put FULL power into his swing with magic that could shatter nations, cause earthquakes, split oceans, all at the risk of his soul.
Yet…
Yet…
Yet…
With a single finger, Aunder made Julius want to vomit. A block—an impossible block! This just couldn't be… If not obliterated to pieces, he should at least lose the finger. He should be shattered to the soul. How was he so much different from the other guy? Then again, Julius didn't stick around that battle long enough to see if the Stone would get serious.
The Viper grinned.
"Well, you tried," he said. "As the people of this world sometimes say, A for effort?"
Julius forced himself not to tremble. He held a stony face but inside, the man wanted to weep, yell, roar. "I've got a proposition for you."
He swallowed, heart, pounding so hard, his ears rang. Sweat seemed to pour from all directions. Breathing became a chore. "Join my party… I'll call it…the Forgotten Party." He laughed. "Of course, your compliance isn't a factor here. You speak of wanting a name for yourself. Well now is the time. Speak your binding oath to me. Then we'll go get drinks and check out some pretty ladies."
Julius tried to reject but the purple gaze changed his words. That night, he spoke the oath Aunder shoved into his mind.
That evening, Clyde took a refreshing walk. He allowed the surprise of the missed phone call to hit him. His professor, Hinako, was a daring woman. He did call her back—and her excuse being, of course, a reminder to do well on the exam for a reward. He felt the nosebleed threaten to emerge.
Ruri walked alongside him, silent. Appearing out of thin air, she decided to just follow the young man.
He glanced at her. She really was cute. Just what in the fuck, Yusuke? He thought. Easily Alice's equal to beauty and powerful enough to level cities with even most basic her attacks…Clyde stopped, almost dropping his phone. Ruri did too, staring at him with sky-blue eyes.
Holy shit. Useful. Well…after all the dramatics, he wasn't sure if bringing the party up was a good idea. But hey, at least the relationship level didn't fall.
Still, he could consider double-checking things with that reaperess woman. No, Yusuke's fail was no longer his problem. Fuck it.
"Do you want steak?" he asked.
Ruri's eyes glistened.
"Really?"
"I'm bribing you to join Team Stone," Clyde said.
She placed her hands on her hips.
"You are a little too good at it? Practice much?"
Clyde laughed.
"Maybe. Now let's go. I want to try the hibachi place a couple of blocks from here."
[Ruri has joined your party! Know this, a chaotic companion on your side could dramatically alter the battle in your favor. Remember your vows. Anything promised to them will serve as motivation while they eagerly await the reward.]
[List of chaotic companions: Chika, Ruri.]
That night while studying, Ruri somehow ended up laying across his lap…in her new room.
He caressed her head and scratched behind her wolf ears. She nestled against him, expression peaceful. How did this happen?
Then it came back to Clyde. He made a bet with her at the restaurant. Who could eat the most steak? At the time, his growling stomach hi-jacked the brain, diving for earth's science: Ruri was a petite girl. She'd eat a tiny bite and pass out. Manliness and steak were a food match in heaven next to the bacon. No way he'd be outdone. Also…the bottle of sake may have influenced things. The young man sucked at holding alcohol. At least not yet.
Clyde's wager was simple: if he won, Ruri would turn into hellhound form and pee on a fire hydrant. A wager of art!
It was a joke that earned him a good elbow in the ribs. Ruri, on the other hand, wanted Clyde to accept her with canine love, whatever that meant.
Then she destroyed him.
He put his book away, knowing damned well that he knew every subject on the tests by the letter. Chika lectured him like a perverted drill sergeant. In fact, the others were still out, at the Hade's estates. The declaration of a girls-only study party was what set him out to walk. Boredom. Ruri declined their invite, but Tear wanted to talk with Matsume, thus insisting on her going.
Just then, Ruri sat up and licked his cheek. The cuteness threatened a nosebleed.
"Like I said, you won't be pushing me away." Her tail wagged excitedly as she laid back down. "Ah yes, right there behind—oh that's the spot."
[Warning: your chances of getting raped has increased by 80%]
Not if he made the first move. He wasn't sure if the sake created those thoughts, but Clyde pulled Ruri close and kissed soft lips. And she melted into him. There…was a pulsing. Only one other young woman, a particular half-demoness, gave him that feeling.
As Clyde prepared to rip off the hellhound girl's clothing, the sound of noisy women chimed through the halls.
"Ruri! Come see what I got!" Matsume called.
The hellhound's ears sagged.
"I…don't want to go." She leaned into Clyde. "Pet me more."
Clyde did.
"Just go see what she wants. It's time for bed anyway. I've got exams in the morning."
As he stood, the hellhound hugged him.
"Thanks for inviting me for the team." She smiled. "And the meat was delicious." Clyde watched Alice's childhood friend walk off, cheerful, carefree.
System, was that…
[You can have only one soul mate. At least for now…]
He left out a breath.
[However, there is an unknown number of special titles that are very similar to soul mate candidates. Benefits are possible.]
"Yeah, it's not NTR," Chika said to Yuki as they passed by the open door, engaged in their conversation. Both sets of footsteps suddenly stopped, out of sight. Clyde dove behind the door, grinning. He thought about pulling Chika into him but decided that startling her is like pressing a red nuclear button.
The women walked in.
"So, tell me again why Alice's friend isn't staying at the palace?" Chika said.
"Beats me," Yuki said. "But I like her. She's cute. I wonder if I have an extra leash somewhere."
"It's pointless if you're not leashed with Clyde holding. Don't look at me like that, it's true. At least she doesn't have chew toys all over the place."
"She's not a dog you know," Yuki said.
"I was kidding," Chika said.
"Human sense of humor. It's lacking," Yuki said.
"Clyde likes my humor," Chika said smugly.
Yuki shrugged.
"You'd better get some rest. You'll need plenty of energy for crying when Master Clyde takes the number one spot."
"No one can take my spot," Chika said. "Not even Alice. But if Clyde does, I get to give him a reward. So it's a win-win for me."
"You're not the only one who will try to congratulate him," Yuki said then licked her lips.
"I'll be first," Chika said. "But…we'll most likely be congratulating him for getting second place. I don't slack in my studies."
"We'll see," Yuki said, then pinched the silver-haired girl's cheek. "Ruri's not the only cute one."
"Such a flatterer," Chika said, smiling. "But you won't be leashing me."
[Talent, main character stuff. Flash invisibility.]
The duo walked out without sparing him a glance.
[Invisibility has worn off.]
[You have earned the title, Eavesdropper.]
Main character stuff was the most broken talent in all of existence!
Clyde walked out and down the hall. Alice met him halfway, leapt into his arms, and he carried her off to bed. She locked and warded the door, though Chika was already inside, preparing bath water.
**
Somewhere….
Night… Full moon...
Julius fell to a knee, breathing hard as a true demon approached him. What a shitty chain of events.
First, he left Messalay in a hurry—Jumped before they could catch him in an anti-magic leash. Then the fucking stupid tavern at that weird village declined to serve the man because he refused to perform some kind of public sex ritual. Julius didn't have the strength for it—even if the woman offering herself was as beautiful as the sunrise. The man felt beat! The woman cried, causing the village to riot…against him! He wanted to just sleep. Even offered gold for a room.
He just barely managed to escape, only to crash into three impossibly beautiful women. The Venus sisters. Fucking great. He tried to pay his respects, but one of his hands couldn't leave the black-haired woman's breast fast enough. The noise disturbed their leader. HIM. MOTHERFUCKING HIM. Julius abilities read that power signature, the legendary soul…the Viper. Oh, Lady Luck despised the man so much.
They were in the country—woods with a city a few miles ahead if the man recalled correctly. A royal place, he believed. It had been a while since he entered the nation of Nestilia.
The Viper stepped out of the house, face neutral.
"You know, the queen herself put us up for the night," he said. "A little convincing it took, but we've got this nice place. Fancy, full of technology, automatic baths, even a massaging chair. I fell asleep in the chair. A comfortable sleep that you disturbed me from."
"I was just getting ready to dismantle him, Master," the black-haired Venus sister said.
"No, go finish that task with the others. He looks tough. And you know how I love a good fight."
Julius pushed all of his strength into a sprint that could go toe-to-toe with a cheetah. He tried to Jump, but nothing happened.
[The Viper Used Mean Look…]
[Julius Can No Longer Escape…]
He soon found himself defending and taking nearly invisibly-fast blows. Hence why he was currently on his knee, panting. The Viper moved at an unhurried pace.
"Analyze calls you Julius, sorcerer of the Lich Cult. An intriguing sort if I must say so myself."
"I am no longer apart of the Lich Cult," Julius said. "They are but an inconvenience for me. Aiming for weak goals. I want a name for myself, one even as big as Legendary Adventurer Airi Hirayama."
The cloaked man grinned, glowing purple eyes seeming to pierce Julius.
"Oh? Heh, it is a shame that you won't be making that," he said.
Julius's eyes widened, but he would not beg for his life. Not for anyone. Sure, he had to tactically retreat, but only from those two. Stone and Viper. He didn't have the power to fight a god, especially overpowered ones like them. Not yet. Too bad he wouldn't get the chance. Fuck it, nothing to lose—he'd go all out.
Julius grinned.
"You want a fight, you son-of-a-bitch, then you got one," Julius said, soliciting a mirroring expression on the Viper's face. "First, tell me the name of my greatest foe."
"I am Aunder," the man said simply.
"Let me show you my full strength."
[Julius has invoked Semi-forbidden magic: Soul limit remover.]
Julius knew the risk of soul-scarring, even tearing was possible, but he'd need all the power he could muster to damage the fucker. Soul limit allowed him to take in much more than the average sorcerer.
Black and gray aura surrounded him. His eyes glowed red, hair shined white, like the rays of the sun. The enormous intake of magic made Julius convulse for a just second. He pulled himself together, held out his hand, and summoned a blade of light.
"Let's go."
Light and magic trailed him like afterimages and light-clones, as he rushed Aunder. He put FULL power into his swing with magic that could shatter nations, cause earthquakes, split oceans, all at the risk of his soul.
Yet…
Yet…
Yet…
With a single finger, Aunder made Julius want to vomit. A block—an impossible block! This just couldn't be… If not obliterated to pieces, he should at least lose the finger. He should be shattered to the soul. How was he so much different from the other guy? Then again, Julius didn't stick around that battle long enough to see if the Stone would get serious.
The Viper grinned.
"Well, you tried," he said. "As the people of this world sometimes say, A for effort?"
Julius forced himself not to tremble. He held a stony face but inside, the man wanted to weep, yell, roar. "I've got a proposition for you."
He swallowed, heart, pounding so hard, his ears rang. Sweat seemed to pour from all directions. Breathing became a chore. "Join my party… I'll call it…the Forgotten Party." He laughed. "Of course, your compliance isn't a factor here. You speak of wanting a name for yourself. Well now is the time. Speak your binding oath to me. Then we'll go get drinks and check out some pretty ladies."
Julius tried to reject but the purple gaze changed his words. That night, he spoke the oath Aunder shoved into his mind.
