Niyoto Hotel…
Ming glared at Natalia, shuffling her deck and studying the cards. The loli-witch was laid across Ming's bed, lazily reading one of her older volumes of the Loli Saga. She turned over, 'accidentally' kicking the young woman in the back.
"Do you need something, Natalia?" Ming said through clenched teeth. "Because if you don't, GET OUT."
"I'm hiding," Natalia said. She sat up and joined Ming at the edge of the bed. "You're the 'notice me senpai girl' like in the animes."
Ming's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
"With Clyde," Natalia said. "And he never notices you."
The evil loli placed her hand on Ming's leg. "If you follow my orders, I can help you become one of us."
Ming narrowed her eyes.
"Don't even try that—you're just a kid. You'll never get to kiss him."
Natalia fell backward in laughter.
"At least you aren't spineless, I'll give you that, prophet, but that's not what I'm talking about. Besides, I did kiss him. You're the one who hadn't."
"On the cheek I bet," Ming said.
"Lips and it was a nice and juicy one too," Natalia said.
"Clyde would never touch a kid—"
"Of course he wouldn't—and don't try to pretend like my true form doesn't exist," Natalia said. She exhaled, returning to her curvy adult form, smug smile on her face. Ming gaped, envious. Wasn't this kid supposed to be twenty years old? How did she get such amazing breasts—the young woman sighed. Life wasn't fair. Still, a half-baked transformation wouldn't deter her.
"As if you could last more than a few seconds at a time in that form," Ming said, then poked Natalia. The woman shimmered, retracting back into her normal shape. What fascinated Ming was how the loli's clothes grew and shrunk too. Magic no doubt.
Natalia pouted.
"A minor setback, but soon, I'll have Clyde's love regardless of form."
"No you won't," Ming said flatly. "Until you're able to get back to normal, you're pretty much out of the loop."
The young woman smirked at the loli. Fast tears rushed down Natalia's cheeks.
"Oh yeah," she snapped, pointing at Ming. "I bet I'll have him in my bed first. The loser must watch."
Ming rolled her eyes.
"I'm beyond such childish games. Besides, I have to wrap up the next volume or my editor is going to kill me."
Natalia dove into Ming.
"Please let me read it!"
"No," Ming said, struggling to pull the loli off her. "Get off me, you snot-nosed—"
The buzzing of their phones halted the banter. A text from Clyde.
"Pervy-nii saw the detective bite the dust," Natalia said. "Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles."
"That's one thing we can agree on," Ming said, "but I feel bad for her. She's simply doing her job."
"Good riddance," Natalia said.
Ming sighed.
"Kids are so cruel."
"I'm not a Ki—"
Ming pinched Natalia's cheeks.
"Ah- goochi-coo, goochi-coo, goochi-coo," she said as if speaking to a baby, while tickling the loli. Natalia was at her mercy, laughing.
"Cut it out, you eye-monster," she said wiggling.
Abruptly, Ming froze as the vision struck.
**
Watery-Drippings Forest Edge…
There was so much wind and magic being flung around that the young man briefly reconsidered stepping into such a fray. Clyde shoved away his "what the fuck!" thought and analyzed the new monster girl type—one of the adversaries that were currently in combat with half of the crusaders. The other half…. well. Their grunts pierced the air. Some would probably be fathers.
The women had hair the color of bark, fluffy weasel tails, dressed in different types of cheongsams. They were armed with swords and sickles. He analyzed one.
Kamaitachi- Eula
Level: 256
Type: Monster
Work under: Kamaitachi Union.
Special: Wind Control. [Men caught in this will be stunned and well, you know the spot. A man she fancies will be declared husband and taken back to her home.]
Weakness: earth.
Resistances: wind x 50.
Secret: loves to watch her romantic interests shower.
Level two hundred fifty-six, the young man thought. He thought about getting involved until he noticed something on the far right of the camp. There was a white sign with large painted letters on it reading, PUT TO THE QUESTION. Next to it was Tetra, covered in bruises and tied to a wooden cross, ancient Roman-style. One of the kamaitachis battled a crusader just yards from her. He checked his MP to see how much regenerated.
[Your MP: 175%]
Plenty. Putting on a game face, Clyde intended to charge through and nab the teary detective. He also put the crusaders on his super-shit list. No wonder why everyone hated them. Why ask questions this way? Of course. The holy warrior trope to the letter, even in the modern age. Assholes.
Thanking the system for giving Flash Step a very short cooldown period of only a second, the young man took a clear route around the chaos. No one knew he was there nor his identity. Too bad things just couldn't be that easy.
A Kamaitachi burst out of the ground like a fucking ninja, a wide grin on her naturally beautiful anime-woman face. Somehow she wasn't covered in dirt. Magic.
Clyde held up his hands.
"I'm here to rescue the woman tied on the wood," he said. "I have no intention of interfering."
The Kamaitachi shrugged.
"I can read your intentions. You be gentle, the bastards badly hurt her. Now go, hurry and get her out of here before I change my mind. I haven't had a prey yet."
"Yes mam," Clyde flashed stepped to Tetra, while carefully reading the moods and vibrations in the air just in case the monster girl attempted to double-cross him. She didn't. In fact, she laughed and dove on top of a wind-pinned crusader. The man's yelling protest and then the moans gave Clyde all the clues he didn't want to know about what happened to him.
He quickly cut down the detective.
"Hang on to me," Clyde said. "We're getti—"
He quickly put up a spirit shield to block an incredibly strong bolt of crusader lightning. In fact, it was so strong, the young man took damage. He shuddered.
[Your HP has dropped to 138%]
Tetra looked terrified, but still held onto the young man for dear life.
[Your Jump and Summon has been re-enabled.]
[You activated Jump!]
Clyde and Tetra warped just in time as another blast of lightning struck in the same spot. It could've been from any random crusader.
[Your relationship with Tetra has jumped to endearment!]
Clyde took the detective to a part of the city that was less known for having cult protests. Ironically there were fewer people, but cars passed through every now and then.
His phone ranged. Ming?
"Hello?"
"Take the detective and Jump to the hotel. Please."
Clyde did so without hesitation. He felt a tidbit of that strange presence from the Cult headquarters right as he faded out of there. What was that? And did Ming just save him?
In fact, she stood next to the landing spot upon arrival and anime-dove into the young man.
"Ashard's been restrained by Tear," Ming said. "I saw a flood of glimpses—and—and—"
"Relax," Clyde said, still holding the young woman.. "Call an emergency meeting if you haven't yet." He turned to Tetra. "Detective, do you mind joining us?"
"Who…are you?" Tetra said.
"It's a long story," Clyde said, pulling Ming closer. "And Ming, thanks for saving my ass."
"O—of course," she said. "I'm your prophet."
"Get a room," Seth said as he approached the trio. Clyde laughed then shook the other man's hand. "Just wait until you hear about the shit I've been through. Ashard's an asshole, but he did help me rescue Tetra. I can also see why he's scared shitless of the crusaders."
"Crusaders?" Seth said.
"I'll explain in a bit, let's get inside." Clyde said.
Niyoto Hotel…
Ming glared at Natalia, shuffling her deck and studying the cards. The loli-witch was laid across Ming's bed, lazily reading one of her older volumes of the Loli Saga. She turned over, 'accidentally' kicking the young woman in the back.
"Do you need something, Natalia?" Ming said through clenched teeth. "Because if you don't, GET OUT."
"I'm hiding," Natalia said. She sat up and joined Ming at the edge of the bed. "You're the 'notice me senpai girl' like in the animes."
Ming's eyes widened.
"Excuse me?"
"With Clyde," Natalia said. "And he never notices you."
The evil loli placed her hand on Ming's leg. "If you follow my orders, I can help you become one of us."
Ming narrowed her eyes.
"Don't even try that—you're just a kid. You'll never get to kiss him."
Natalia fell backward in laughter.
"At least you aren't spineless, I'll give you that, prophet, but that's not what I'm talking about. Besides, I did kiss him. You're the one who hadn't."
"On the cheek I bet," Ming said.
"Lips and it was a nice and juicy one too," Natalia said.
"Clyde would never touch a kid—"
"Of course he wouldn't—and don't try to pretend like my true form doesn't exist," Natalia said. She exhaled, returning to her curvy adult form, smug smile on her face. Ming gaped, envious. Wasn't this kid supposed to be twenty years old? How did she get such amazing breasts—the young woman sighed. Life wasn't fair. Still, a half-baked transformation wouldn't deter her.
"As if you could last more than a few seconds at a time in that form," Ming said, then poked Natalia. The woman shimmered, retracting back into her normal shape. What fascinated Ming was how the loli's clothes grew and shrunk too. Magic no doubt.
Natalia pouted.
"A minor setback, but soon, I'll have Clyde's love regardless of form."
"No you won't," Ming said flatly. "Until you're able to get back to normal, you're pretty much out of the loop."
The young woman smirked at the loli. Fast tears rushed down Natalia's cheeks.
"Oh yeah," she snapped, pointing at Ming. "I bet I'll have him in my bed first. The loser must watch."
Ming rolled her eyes.
"I'm beyond such childish games. Besides, I have to wrap up the next volume or my editor is going to kill me."
Natalia dove into Ming.
"Please let me read it!"
"No," Ming said, struggling to pull the loli off her. "Get off me, you snot-nosed—"
The buzzing of their phones halted the banter. A text from Clyde.
"Pervy-nii saw the detective bite the dust," Natalia said. "Well, that's the way the cookie crumbles."
"That's one thing we can agree on," Ming said, "but I feel bad for her. She's simply doing her job."
"Good riddance," Natalia said.
Ming sighed.
"Kids are so cruel."
"I'm not a Ki—"
Ming pinched Natalia's cheeks.
"Ah- goochi-coo, goochi-coo, goochi-coo," she said as if speaking to a baby, while tickling the loli. Natalia was at her mercy, laughing.
"Cut it out, you eye-monster," she said wiggling.
Abruptly, Ming froze as the vision struck.
**
Watery-Drippings Forest Edge…
There was so much wind and magic being flung around that the young man briefly reconsidered stepping into such a fray. Clyde shoved away his "what the fuck!" thought and analyzed the new monster girl type—one of the adversaries that were currently in combat with half of the crusaders. The other half…. well. Their grunts pierced the air. Some would probably be fathers.
The women had hair the color of bark, fluffy weasel tails, dressed in different types of cheongsams. They were armed with swords and sickles. He analyzed one.
Kamaitachi- Eula
Level: 256
Type: Monster
Work under: Kamaitachi Union.
Special: Wind Control. [Men caught in this will be stunned and well, you know the spot. A man she fancies will be declared husband and taken back to her home.]
Weakness: earth.
Resistances: wind x 50.
Secret: loves to watch her romantic interests shower.
Level two hundred fifty-six, the young man thought. He thought about getting involved until he noticed something on the far right of the camp. There was a white sign with large painted letters on it reading, PUT TO THE QUESTION. Next to it was Tetra, covered in bruises and tied to a wooden cross, ancient Roman-style. One of the kamaitachis battled a crusader just yards from her. He checked his MP to see how much regenerated.
[Your MP: 175%]
Plenty. Putting on a game face, Clyde intended to charge through and nab the teary detective. He also put the crusaders on his super-shit list. No wonder why everyone hated them. Why ask questions this way? Of course. The holy warrior trope to the letter, even in the modern age. Assholes.
Thanking the system for giving Flash Step a very short cooldown period of only a second, the young man took a clear route around the chaos. No one knew he was there nor his identity. Too bad things just couldn't be that easy.
A Kamaitachi burst out of the ground like a fucking ninja, a wide grin on her naturally beautiful anime-woman face. Somehow she wasn't covered in dirt. Magic.
Clyde held up his hands.
"I'm here to rescue the woman tied on the wood," he said. "I have no intention of interfering."
The Kamaitachi shrugged.
"I can read your intentions. You be gentle, the bastards badly hurt her. Now go, hurry and get her out of here before I change my mind. I haven't had a prey yet."
"Yes mam," Clyde flashed stepped to Tetra, while carefully reading the moods and vibrations in the air just in case the monster girl attempted to double-cross him. She didn't. In fact, she laughed and dove on top of a wind-pinned crusader. The man's yelling protest and then the moans gave Clyde all the clues he didn't want to know about what happened to him.
He quickly cut down the detective.
"Hang on to me," Clyde said. "We're getti—"
He quickly put up a spirit shield to block an incredibly strong bolt of crusader lightning. In fact, it was so strong, the young man took damage. He shuddered.
[Your HP has dropped to 138%]
Tetra looked terrified, but still held onto the young man for dear life.
[Your Jump and Summon has been re-enabled.]
[You activated Jump!]
Clyde and Tetra warped just in time as another blast of lightning struck in the same spot. It could've been from any random crusader.
[Your relationship with Tetra has jumped to endearment!]
Clyde took the detective to a part of the city that was less known for having cult protests. Ironically there were fewer people, but cars passed through every now and then.
His phone ranged. Ming?
"Hello?"
"Take the detective and Jump to the hotel. Please."
Clyde did so without hesitation. He felt a tidbit of that strange presence from the Cult headquarters right as he faded out of there. What was that? And did Ming just save him?
In fact, she stood next to the landing spot upon arrival and anime-dove into the young man.
"Ashard's been restrained by Tear," Ming said. "I saw a flood of glimpses—and—and—"
"Relax," Clyde said, still holding the young woman.. "Call an emergency meeting if you haven't yet." He turned to Tetra. "Detective, do you mind joining us?"
"Who…are you?" Tetra said.
"It's a long story," Clyde said, pulling Ming closer. "And Ming, thanks for saving my ass."
"O—of course," she said. "I'm your prophet."
"Get a room," Seth said as he approached the trio. Clyde laughed then shook the other man's hand. "Just wait until you hear about the shit I've been through. Ashard's an asshole, but he did help me rescue Tetra. I can also see why he's scared shitless of the crusaders."
"Crusaders?" Seth said.
"I'll explain in a bit, let's get inside." Clyde said.
