Mei… Standing before a man and his party...
Mei's eyes were wide as she took in the man before her. Her heart beat so fast, it threatened to break out of her chest. Her breathing quickened, face flushed. Shame filled her like a cup of sour wine. She felt small before this magnificent man, like a worm, no, an ant. She…didn't feel worthy enough to stand in front of the most gorgeous godling she'd ever seen in her life. The radiance from him was ecstasy.
She felt so…stupid. What could she possibly do to him? She certainly couldn't demand that she ruled Ashen city. No, she'd have to beg, grovel at his feet.
Is this what Maki felt? No, her friend was too perverted to understand what it meant to sense real power. Mei trembled with both awe and fear. So he was the great hero of Ashen City. And also the Stone. What the hell was she thinking—would she dare speak to him rudely? She…she…she didn't know what to think.
That morning, she awoke, filled with fire, ready to chew him to pieces. Maki jumped her again, adding fuel to the mixture. Now it was like that flame fell into the coldest ocean in the world. And there…he stood. With Maki there, he probably believed her to be a fool. Mei probably was a fool…oh dear Venus, why did she come to this city?
Mei dropped to her knees in a bow so low, her face touched the ground.
"My lord Stone, please forgive me and this girl for rudely interrupting your day."
She glared daggers at Maki. To think she believed herself good enough to woo the goddamn Stone? She knew her friend bordered the lines of insanity, but the same could be said about any demon—Maki just felt more demon than human. Did she know? No, she didn't. No one told her anything. Mei continued on, babbling. "I—I came to thank you, Great one, for freeing me—us from the tyranny of the Ashfall."
"Mei, what are you doing?" Maki said. "What's gotten into you?"
"What's gotten into me?" Mei snapped. "Maki, do you not know who he is? Can you not feel that? Focus as deep as possible, concentrate! Reach for the red Ki instead of blue—take life seriously, before life, before breath. And feel him." Mei trembled. "Back in my homeland, disrespect of the hero that would be is an executable offense."
Maki snorted.
"You're clearly not feeling well—"
"You will apologize to him now," Mei interrupted, voice nearly hysterical, but not quite a yell.
"I. Will. Not," Maki retorted, voice filled with enough venom to kill.
"You—" Mei started to say.
"Enough!"
Mei recognized the voice of Alice, her inspiration. Her personal heroine. She sensed a bond between the demoness and the Stone. A bond…a life mate string between a demoness and a human. To think such a thing was possible.
"Lady Alice, please accept my apologies."
"Rise, there's no need for any formality here, Mei," Lady Alice said, her magnificent voice seeming to be purer than life itself. "It's good to see that you're safe and well. You look good."
"You're…bowing to the slut?" Maki said, voice barely over a whisper.
Raged filled Mei, but she held it back. Her friend was simply ignorant. She didn't know anything. She…knew nothing of the greatness that stood before them, allowed the two in their presences. She looked at Great Lord Clyde, eyes full of awe. He seemed to study her, but also held a wary eye for Maki. Mei couldn't blame him of course. After hearing all the things she did—all of the atrocities, she could only pray that the Stone spared them.
"You do not understand," Mei said. "No wonder why you described him as mysterious. You felt the lord's radiance. But that's fine." She looked at Maki. "Come, let me teach you."
"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no," Maki stepped away from Mei. "You bowed to the slut like she's royalty. I don't know you."
She turned to Alice, hatred beaming from her eyes. "You.."
Clyde…
<Maki channeled Shift.>
And like the previous night, the yandere vanished. Clyde was lucky he opened himself up to Ki or he wouldn't have sensed the casting. The other woman, a big mystery to him, bowed.
"Please excuse me," she said. "I have to talk to—."
Suddenly, Maki reappeared next to Alice, eyes glazed over, and threw a punch. Clyde blocked it with a single finger.
"Maki, don't do that," he said, face expressionless. "And Alice, don't kill her."
Alice's rage receded, allowing the young man to take a breath of relief. If she wouldn't go away, he'd weaponize her. That was the plan until…
[Talent. Main character stuff. Mystic Sight of Redemption…]
[This sight is being shared with Maki.]
He saw all of the assaults, including Naomi. Her source. Her slave. His friend. Clyde rather liked Naomi. She was among one of his first few friends, sitting at a friend level nine, which is nothing to sneeze at. He never took the time to get closer to the journalist, but valued her nonetheless. He sure as shit wouldn't wish anything ill on her. He couldn't get physical evidence, but he'd make the girls come forward and confess.
The sky darkened as the young man tumbled decisions in his head, holding back the planet-sized bundle of rage buried within. His grip on the woman's arm tightened. She started to breathe heavily, sexually.
"Harumi, as mundane as this sounds, call the police," he said. "She raped about thirty girls, with Naomi being the most recent." He considered the futas, but the nutjob seemed like a masochist and would probably enjoy it. And…humans probably couldn't survive there anyway.
Mei looked at her friend, eyes wide and full of betrayal. Maki laughed and laughed.
"I told you, I've done some terrible things," she said. "Put away your phone Harumi, you're wasting your time. I own the local law enforcement. And besides, they wanted it."
She snatched her arm away from the young man. "I need just a little more Ki. Well…there's red Ki but it hurts, but…" The yandere continued to mutter to herself.
Clyde was at a loss. No, he wasn't some damned hero of justice, going around to stop crime, but this one came to him.
"I'll summon Tear," Alice said. "She'll have the girls testifying and—"
Maki giggled hysterically.
"None of you understand—none, but Clyde, you do. You won't admit it. And you hold yourself back because of the slut."
A red, electric-like aura emerged around the purple-haired nutjob. Ki aura? The young man could've sworn it was always blue. At least that was how he mentally perceived it.
"Maki, I still don't know what the fuck is going on in your head," Clyde said. "If it weren't for the rapes, I would've considered talking to you about it."
Chika may be Yandere, but she wasn't anywhere close to this. Just horny all the time.
Maki aimed a hand at Alice, laughing.
"Want to see something cool?" she said. Clyde stepped in front of his life mate, putting up a Spirit shield. The electrical Ki jolted through it, destined to deliver the young man either death or pain. Somehow, his luck stat saved him.
[Your Spirit shield has invoked Spirit counter.]
[Maki's Ki was reflected!]
The force of the Ki bashed the girl backward and into Mei.
"Maki, stop this," Mei snapped. "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"
Maki smiled at her.
"You wouldn't understand. Now…Ki. I need it. And you're going to give it to me."
She grabbed Mei.
<Maki channeled Shift.>
Just like that, they were gone. Clyde and his party looked each other, unease riding through the air.
"Okay, what…the fuck just happened?" Clyde said. "Fuck."
"I don't know," Harumi said. "I had no idea."
He dialed Naomi's number. Nothing like the crazy cliché where the reason is completely undefined. Clyde didn't like unknowns. He'd get to the bottom of this, somehow, someway.
Mei… Standing before a man and his party...
Mei's eyes were wide as she took in the man before her. Her heart beat so fast, it threatened to break out of her chest. Her breathing quickened, face flushed. Shame filled her like a cup of sour wine. She felt small before this magnificent man, like a worm, no, an ant. She…didn't feel worthy enough to stand in front of the most gorgeous godling she'd ever seen in her life. The radiance from him was ecstasy.
She felt so…stupid. What could she possibly do to him? She certainly couldn't demand that she ruled Ashen city. No, she'd have to beg, grovel at his feet.
Is this what Maki felt? No, her friend was too perverted to understand what it meant to sense real power. Mei trembled with both awe and fear. So he was the great hero of Ashen City. And also the Stone. What the hell was she thinking—would she dare speak to him rudely? She…she…she didn't know what to think.
That morning, she awoke, filled with fire, ready to chew him to pieces. Maki jumped her again, adding fuel to the mixture. Now it was like that flame fell into the coldest ocean in the world. And there…he stood. With Maki there, he probably believed her to be a fool. Mei probably was a fool…oh dear Venus, why did she come to this city?
Mei dropped to her knees in a bow so low, her face touched the ground.
"My lord Stone, please forgive me and this girl for rudely interrupting your day."
She glared daggers at Maki. To think she believed herself good enough to woo the goddamn Stone? She knew her friend bordered the lines of insanity, but the same could be said about any demon—Maki just felt more demon than human. Did she know? No, she didn't. No one told her anything. Mei continued on, babbling. "I—I came to thank you, Great one, for freeing me—us from the tyranny of the Ashfall."
"Mei, what are you doing?" Maki said. "What's gotten into you?"
"What's gotten into me?" Mei snapped. "Maki, do you not know who he is? Can you not feel that? Focus as deep as possible, concentrate! Reach for the red Ki instead of blue—take life seriously, before life, before breath. And feel him." Mei trembled. "Back in my homeland, disrespect of the hero that would be is an executable offense."
Maki snorted.
"You're clearly not feeling well—"
"You will apologize to him now," Mei interrupted, voice nearly hysterical, but not quite a yell.
"I. Will. Not," Maki retorted, voice filled with enough venom to kill.
"You—" Mei started to say.
"Enough!"
Mei recognized the voice of Alice, her inspiration. Her personal heroine. She sensed a bond between the demoness and the Stone. A bond…a life mate string between a demoness and a human. To think such a thing was possible.
"Lady Alice, please accept my apologies."
"Rise, there's no need for any formality here, Mei," Lady Alice said, her magnificent voice seeming to be purer than life itself. "It's good to see that you're safe and well. You look good."
"You're…bowing to the slut?" Maki said, voice barely over a whisper.
Raged filled Mei, but she held it back. Her friend was simply ignorant. She didn't know anything. She…knew nothing of the greatness that stood before them, allowed the two in their presences. She looked at Great Lord Clyde, eyes full of awe. He seemed to study her, but also held a wary eye for Maki. Mei couldn't blame him of course. After hearing all the things she did—all of the atrocities, she could only pray that the Stone spared them.
"You do not understand," Mei said. "No wonder why you described him as mysterious. You felt the lord's radiance. But that's fine." She looked at Maki. "Come, let me teach you."
"No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no," Maki stepped away from Mei. "You bowed to the slut like she's royalty. I don't know you."
She turned to Alice, hatred beaming from her eyes. "You.."
Clyde…
<Maki channeled Shift.>
And like the previous night, the yandere vanished. Clyde was lucky he opened himself up to Ki or he wouldn't have sensed the casting. The other woman, a big mystery to him, bowed.
"Please excuse me," she said. "I have to talk to—."
Suddenly, Maki reappeared next to Alice, eyes glazed over, and threw a punch. Clyde blocked it with a single finger.
"Maki, don't do that," he said, face expressionless. "And Alice, don't kill her."
Alice's rage receded, allowing the young man to take a breath of relief. If she wouldn't go away, he'd weaponize her. That was the plan until…
[Talent. Main character stuff. Mystic Sight of Redemption…]
[This sight is being shared with Maki.]
He saw all of the assaults, including Naomi. Her source. Her slave. His friend. Clyde rather liked Naomi. She was among one of his first few friends, sitting at a friend level nine, which is nothing to sneeze at. He never took the time to get closer to the journalist, but valued her nonetheless. He sure as shit wouldn't wish anything ill on her. He couldn't get physical evidence, but he'd make the girls come forward and confess.
The sky darkened as the young man tumbled decisions in his head, holding back the planet-sized bundle of rage buried within. His grip on the woman's arm tightened. She started to breathe heavily, sexually.
"Harumi, as mundane as this sounds, call the police," he said. "She raped about thirty girls, with Naomi being the most recent." He considered the futas, but the nutjob seemed like a masochist and would probably enjoy it. And…humans probably couldn't survive there anyway.
Mei looked at her friend, eyes wide and full of betrayal. Maki laughed and laughed.
"I told you, I've done some terrible things," she said. "Put away your phone Harumi, you're wasting your time. I own the local law enforcement. And besides, they wanted it."
She snatched her arm away from the young man. "I need just a little more Ki. Well…there's red Ki but it hurts, but…" The yandere continued to mutter to herself.
Clyde was at a loss. No, he wasn't some damned hero of justice, going around to stop crime, but this one came to him.
"I'll summon Tear," Alice said. "She'll have the girls testifying and—"
Maki giggled hysterically.
"None of you understand—none, but Clyde, you do. You won't admit it. And you hold yourself back because of the slut."
A red, electric-like aura emerged around the purple-haired nutjob. Ki aura? The young man could've sworn it was always blue. At least that was how he mentally perceived it.
"Maki, I still don't know what the fuck is going on in your head," Clyde said. "If it weren't for the rapes, I would've considered talking to you about it."
Chika may be Yandere, but she wasn't anywhere close to this. Just horny all the time.
Maki aimed a hand at Alice, laughing.
"Want to see something cool?" she said. Clyde stepped in front of his life mate, putting up a Spirit shield. The electrical Ki jolted through it, destined to deliver the young man either death or pain. Somehow, his luck stat saved him.
[Your Spirit shield has invoked Spirit counter.]
[Maki's Ki was reflected!]
The force of the Ki bashed the girl backward and into Mei.
"Maki, stop this," Mei snapped. "What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"
Maki smiled at her.
"You wouldn't understand. Now…Ki. I need it. And you're going to give it to me."
She grabbed Mei.
<Maki channeled Shift.>
Just like that, they were gone. Clyde and his party looked each other, unease riding through the air.
"Okay, what…the fuck just happened?" Clyde said. "Fuck."
"I don't know," Harumi said. "I had no idea."
He dialed Naomi's number. Nothing like the crazy cliché where the reason is completely undefined. Clyde didn't like unknowns. He'd get to the bottom of this, somehow, someway.
