Ruri's aura covered the city as she walked around, gawking. Nightlife…actually occurring here, so pretty. Lights and colors and scandalously dressed people. The Hades army really was gone.
She stopped at four vendors and gorged herself on delicious street food. The subtle rage from earlier had calmed. First starting with the handsome human boy who she let take the next issue of Loli Saga, then her childhood friend's home empty of everyone who mattered. No one told her anything—the servants didn't even know of Alice's whereabouts. That sent enough worry in the young woman already. She tried to change for the better, bury her hellhound instincts, but fate tempted her at every moment.
Not that hellhounds had the best reputation in general. Her pack was nearby, just a mile away. Every man in that area was probably being violated and raped. Maybe not. Her pack was angry with her for abandoning the old way those years ago, but Ruri never followed set rules. She did things her way, when she wanted and how she wanted. No stupid old rule could get in her way.
"Taiyaki, taiyaki, mm-mm-woo, taiyaki, taiyaki, so-so-good!" she sang, cheerful. Abruptly, she caught onto a sweet scent. Not food, but Alice's. "Yes, yes, yes." She gathered magic, right in front of everyone, and then just as quickly let it go. Her pack would punish her for the jump. Instead, she followed her nose until it led her to an apartment. Breaking down the door was simple enough. Empty.
"Are you kidding me?" she yelled. She sniffed everywhere but the clues to her childhood friend's whereabouts were vacant. "This is recent. She left today. A jump…"
Her mood dropped. She stepped outside and noticed someone. A pink-haired girl strolled out of the apartment next door, dressed in yoga pants and shirt. She had to know.
Ruri sprinkled a tiny bit of magic to repair the door and everything she broke in the apartment. She approached the pink-haired stupid breast human in the most non-threatening manner she could muster. Keep the rage down, Ruri, you can do this, she thought.
"Excuse me," she said, voice full of warmness. The girl seemed to be startled but composed herself before facing Ruri. "I'm looking for someone named Alice Hades. Do you know her?"
"I do," she said, "but she moved away today."
"Could you tell me where? She's a precious friend of mine."
"I'm not sure if she's still in the city," the pink-haired girl said. "Last time I talked with her, she said she had a big argument with her father. Then I guess it led to her leaving today. I'm sorry I couldn't help."
Ruri let out a groan of frustration.
"My sweet, sweet Alice, somewhere out there, lonely, alone and in need of hugs. We were best friends until I had to go somewhere far, far away."
Ruri sagged.
"I won't give up." She bowed respectfully to the pink-haired girl. "Thank you for your time." The hellhound continued her sniff for clues, determination increasing every minute. She craved her old friend.
Clyde's house....
"You met her?" Alice barked over Clyde to Harumi, currently on the other line. "What do you mean she seems nice? And Ruri despises humans, except for men—she's a hellhound. They violate first, speak later."
Clyde pulled the phone closer and out of Alice's grip. She was on top of him, nearly frantic when Harumi called with the news. Good thing Clyde warned the party via mass text. He even called to make sure they received it—but mostly due to Alice's panicking.
"Thanks for letting us know Harumi," Clyde said.
"Of course," she replied.
"Oh and let us know when you start packing Sunday. We'll transport your things."
"Okay," she said. "I…think I should be ready to go, early that morning."
"Yuki has your room nice and ready," Clyde said. "Should ease the burden on both of us—rent's no fun."
"You're a lifesaver," Harumi said. She let a moment pass before speaking again. "You know, I wasn't sure if you'd offer anyone stay. You've got no reason to."
"Do I need a reason?" Clyde said. "Beyond the old generic, 'you're my friends,' stuff."
"I guess not," Harumi said.
"Okay—you're spending way too much time on the phone with her," Alice said. "Let me speak. Harumi's my friend too."
Alice quickly kissed the young man then snatched the phone away. The topic went back to Ruri as he expected. She was like a persistent detective.
Clyde slid from beneath Alice, stood and stretched. Fortunately, his boner went away on time—they were still in the living room. Tear, Yuki, and Natalia put up the same barrier as before, though on a more powerful scale. The young man solidified the strength by using the power core.
[Do you wish to turn this building into your place of power?]
Clyde selected yes. The prompt beeped just a little, as if confirming his selection.
[Congratulations, this has become your place of power. You can utilize power core points (PP) to creature automatic guards that will engage at your order and keep intruders out. You'll need PP to level them up, give certain abilities and specialized commands, and increase damage capability. You'll need barrier points to increase the strength of the barrier. Use MP to pay the daily maintenance cost. Do you wish to have this done automatically?]
Clyde selected yes.
[You may convert free points to PP or BP. Be warned that the value of free points dramatically outweighs all other points. You currently start off with 5 points pre-distributed to each field. It is up to you to make your place of power stronger. Thanks to the combined power of your friends, they've managed to start you off with a level 6 barrier. It won't be enough to keep out the most powerful, but you will remain nearly undetectable.]
[Main barrier level: 6. PP: 5. BP: 5. Would you like to use free points to increase these numbers?]
Clyde distributed 20 points to each.
[Main barrier level: 6. PP: 25. BP: 25.]
[Free points remaining: 105.]
Free points were increasing in value by the second. Clyde was glad that he saved them rather than blowing FP on every level increase.
He closed all interfaces within his mind's eye, deciding it was a good time to see Melody. Alice and Harumi were having girl talk now, giggling and enjoying the phone call. The pink-haired girl had no idea how much of a bright star she was to them. Everyone loved her for one. Everyone would protect her. She was more than the healer, but the blood of the team. He made a note to himself to spend more time with her. While everyone cried on her shoulders, she cried on his. And to think he associated pink hair with danger. What anime was that anyway? The moment he thought of it, he cringed then pushed it out of his mind.
Maki was under his control now, unable to wield Ki nor pose a threat to anyone. Hell, if he wanted, he could make the contract take away her permission to speak. He glanced at the crazy yandere, scrubbing floors on her hands and knees. No sympathy. She'll work this off. He already made her apologize to each of the women she attacked, though some either spat at her, threw punches, or surprisingly nodded and walked away. He had her pay all of them a portion of her family's money.
Yet, she still got a rouse out of that somehow. The upside, which Clyde approved, was that she couldn't bear Yuki's wardenship. Yuki made sure she worked from sun up to sun down or after school to midnight. The demoness even had a calendar with a picture and name of each girl she violated. A check would be marked on a name when Yuki felt like that portion of the debt was paid. The servant girl had a long way to go. All that really mattered though was learning Ki from her. He'd do that after the vampire meeting.
Clyde stood in front of the door that led to the balcony, took a deep breath, and opened it. Melody awaited him at a table, book in hand, dressed in a nightgown. The faint fragrance of women's soap and a hot bath briefly hugged his nose.
She stood and shut the door. Before Clyde knew it, Melody jumped him.
Ruri's aura covered the city as she walked around, gawking. Nightlife…actually occurring here, so pretty. Lights and colors and scandalously dressed people. The Hades army really was gone.
She stopped at four vendors and gorged herself on delicious street food. The subtle rage from earlier had calmed. First starting with the handsome human boy who she let take the next issue of Loli Saga, then her childhood friend's home empty of everyone who mattered. No one told her anything—the servants didn't even know of Alice's whereabouts. That sent enough worry in the young woman already. She tried to change for the better, bury her hellhound instincts, but fate tempted her at every moment.
Not that hellhounds had the best reputation in general. Her pack was nearby, just a mile away. Every man in that area was probably being violated and raped. Maybe not. Her pack was angry with her for abandoning the old way those years ago, but Ruri never followed set rules. She did things her way, when she wanted and how she wanted. No stupid old rule could get in her way.
"Taiyaki, taiyaki, mm-mm-woo, taiyaki, taiyaki, so-so-good!" she sang, cheerful. Abruptly, she caught onto a sweet scent. Not food, but Alice's. "Yes, yes, yes." She gathered magic, right in front of everyone, and then just as quickly let it go. Her pack would punish her for the jump. Instead, she followed her nose until it led her to an apartment. Breaking down the door was simple enough. Empty.
"Are you kidding me?" she yelled. She sniffed everywhere but the clues to her childhood friend's whereabouts were vacant. "This is recent. She left today. A jump…"
Her mood dropped. She stepped outside and noticed someone. A pink-haired girl strolled out of the apartment next door, dressed in yoga pants and shirt. She had to know.
Ruri sprinkled a tiny bit of magic to repair the door and everything she broke in the apartment. She approached the pink-haired stupid breast human in the most non-threatening manner she could muster. Keep the rage down, Ruri, you can do this, she thought.
"Excuse me," she said, voice full of warmness. The girl seemed to be startled but composed herself before facing Ruri. "I'm looking for someone named Alice Hades. Do you know her?"
"I do," she said, "but she moved away today."
"Could you tell me where? She's a precious friend of mine."
"I'm not sure if she's still in the city," the pink-haired girl said. "Last time I talked with her, she said she had a big argument with her father. Then I guess it led to her leaving today. I'm sorry I couldn't help."
Ruri let out a groan of frustration.
"My sweet, sweet Alice, somewhere out there, lonely, alone and in need of hugs. We were best friends until I had to go somewhere far, far away."
Ruri sagged.
"I won't give up." She bowed respectfully to the pink-haired girl. "Thank you for your time." The hellhound continued her sniff for clues, determination increasing every minute. She craved her old friend.
Clyde's house....
"You met her?" Alice barked over Clyde to Harumi, currently on the other line. "What do you mean she seems nice? And Ruri despises humans, except for men—she's a hellhound. They violate first, speak later."
Clyde pulled the phone closer and out of Alice's grip. She was on top of him, nearly frantic when Harumi called with the news. Good thing Clyde warned the party via mass text. He even called to make sure they received it—but mostly due to Alice's panicking.
"Thanks for letting us know Harumi," Clyde said.
"Of course," she replied.
"Oh and let us know when you start packing Sunday. We'll transport your things."
"Okay," she said. "I…think I should be ready to go, early that morning."
"Yuki has your room nice and ready," Clyde said. "Should ease the burden on both of us—rent's no fun."
"You're a lifesaver," Harumi said. She let a moment pass before speaking again. "You know, I wasn't sure if you'd offer anyone stay. You've got no reason to."
"Do I need a reason?" Clyde said. "Beyond the old generic, 'you're my friends,' stuff."
"I guess not," Harumi said.
"Okay—you're spending way too much time on the phone with her," Alice said. "Let me speak. Harumi's my friend too."
Alice quickly kissed the young man then snatched the phone away. The topic went back to Ruri as he expected. She was like a persistent detective.
Clyde slid from beneath Alice, stood and stretched. Fortunately, his boner went away on time—they were still in the living room. Tear, Yuki, and Natalia put up the same barrier as before, though on a more powerful scale. The young man solidified the strength by using the power core.
[Do you wish to turn this building into your place of power?]
Clyde selected yes. The prompt beeped just a little, as if confirming his selection.
[Congratulations, this has become your place of power. You can utilize power core points (PP) to creature automatic guards that will engage at your order and keep intruders out. You'll need PP to level them up, give certain abilities and specialized commands, and increase damage capability. You'll need barrier points to increase the strength of the barrier. Use MP to pay the daily maintenance cost. Do you wish to have this done automatically?]
Clyde selected yes.
[You may convert free points to PP or BP. Be warned that the value of free points dramatically outweighs all other points. You currently start off with 5 points pre-distributed to each field. It is up to you to make your place of power stronger. Thanks to the combined power of your friends, they've managed to start you off with a level 6 barrier. It won't be enough to keep out the most powerful, but you will remain nearly undetectable.]
[Main barrier level: 6. PP: 5. BP: 5. Would you like to use free points to increase these numbers?]
Clyde distributed 20 points to each.
[Main barrier level: 6. PP: 25. BP: 25.]
[Free points remaining: 105.]
Free points were increasing in value by the second. Clyde was glad that he saved them rather than blowing FP on every level increase.
He closed all interfaces within his mind's eye, deciding it was a good time to see Melody. Alice and Harumi were having girl talk now, giggling and enjoying the phone call. The pink-haired girl had no idea how much of a bright star she was to them. Everyone loved her for one. Everyone would protect her. She was more than the healer, but the blood of the team. He made a note to himself to spend more time with her. While everyone cried on her shoulders, she cried on his. And to think he associated pink hair with danger. What anime was that anyway? The moment he thought of it, he cringed then pushed it out of his mind.
Maki was under his control now, unable to wield Ki nor pose a threat to anyone. Hell, if he wanted, he could make the contract take away her permission to speak. He glanced at the crazy yandere, scrubbing floors on her hands and knees. No sympathy. She'll work this off. He already made her apologize to each of the women she attacked, though some either spat at her, threw punches, or surprisingly nodded and walked away. He had her pay all of them a portion of her family's money.
Yet, she still got a rouse out of that somehow. The upside, which Clyde approved, was that she couldn't bear Yuki's wardenship. Yuki made sure she worked from sun up to sun down or after school to midnight. The demoness even had a calendar with a picture and name of each girl she violated. A check would be marked on a name when Yuki felt like that portion of the debt was paid. The servant girl had a long way to go. All that really mattered though was learning Ki from her. He'd do that after the vampire meeting.
Clyde stood in front of the door that led to the balcony, took a deep breath, and opened it. Melody awaited him at a table, book in hand, dressed in a nightgown. The faint fragrance of women's soap and a hot bath briefly hugged his nose.
She stood and shut the door. Before Clyde knew it, Melody jumped him.
