Lot City…
Julius watched his brother walk into the house, determined. An easy seed to plant if one dug at the truth, gently, then add the right words for the desired effect, then poof, magic occurred. Except knowing his brother, he'd somehow call off the attack against the Stone. And that is where the Omen's sphere would come in.
Seth was going inevitably trigger it, anger it, suck in the power. An effective trap. Julius laughed. This was too easy. Implanting fake anger, using a hint of truth and shielding past comradery. Julius was so good at manipulation that it got him kicked out of the house. His cowardly parents were afraid of him, rightfully so. They knew about his abilities after all—and certainly disagreed with his decision to go adventuring.
A tingling sensation made the man perk up. She called. He Jumped to their hideout—more specifically, the front door of her room. He didn't bother with bowing and kneeling—Julius submitted to no one. The others nearby glowered at him. He continued to stare at the closed door with a confident smile. The official Blood Servant opened it five minutes later. The kid elf looked at him with dual-colored eyes, one green, and the other red.
"You may come in to see the Master of Stars now."
Julius rolled his eyes as he pushed past her, walked around the corner to see a young woman lazily lying in bed, chin on hand, staring at a TV. She slowly turned to the man.
"Took you long enough," she said, "where the hell were you?"
"Nowhere important, just strolling about while in town," Julius said.
Fuyuko fixed him with her usual glare.
"What did you do with that tainted sphere?"
Julius grinned.
"Let's just say, it's in much better hands."
Fuyuko shook her head then raised a manicured foot to the man's chest.
"She's done a really good job." She rubbed her foot across his chest, hitting his chin. Julius pushed it away.
"What the hell—"
The woman with blue-green hair, pulled him toward her until they were face to face. She spoke in a firm and falsely innocent voice.
"We're fellow adventurers, went through the same hell, and made the same pledge. Now while we share some skinship, you shall tell me the truth of what you've done with the omen's sphere or I'll have to punish you."
Julius grinned.
"You can try, but you have no power over me. Remember, I'm here because I want something. And I won't bend my neck like the others."
Fuyuko laughed in delight.
"And that's what I like about you. Knowing that I can turn you into stone in an instant but still show no weakness. No matter. I had someone follow you."
Julius's eyes widened just a little. He was sure he left no magic trail.
"You had no idea I brought along the tracker," she said. "Now here's your job. And if you lie to me again, I'll make you spend the rest of your life in stone limbo. I give you respect and as your leader, demand it in return. You're my second. Start acting like it."
Julius sighed, caressing Fuyuko's cheek. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, holding to her face.
Julius held back a sneer. He'd play her game for a little while longer. He'd give the young woman her "love" then when the time came, eliminate her. He'd lead this group into a harder, but more beneficial direction, whether they wanted to or not. They glowered and talked behind his back, but came to Julius with their problems. He held the influence of a general. All of them were too afraid of the sorceress and even of the Blood Servant. If he had to be honest, the Blood Servant was the more dangerous of the two. The little girl may look human but he knew and felt that wasn't the case. A dangerous weapon indeed, that took orders from no one except the "Master of Stars."
Julius had to keep in the rage. The sorceress really believed her pathetic magic could take him out or turn the man into stone. Just wait until he showed her exactly how wrong she was.
"What job," he said.
Early that evening…
Clyde and Toru gaped at their approaching female party members dressed in yukatas of different colors and designs. They were only a few yards from the festival. Everyone was present, but Seth. Something about that made Clyde feel uneasy. He knew he was missing the big picture—that's why he forced everyone to wear gym shorts and a shirt beneath their yukata. Somehow he doubted not all of the women would listen…
With the vampires on their way, they needed to be ready for anything.
It was a clear and cool night with little wind. A dazzling moon shined above the city. The sound of people talking and laughing and enjoying their lives projected through the air. Tonight was not supposed to give the young man a knot in his gut.
Clyde spotted his blushing life mate, dressed in a pink yukata that matched her eyes. She was arguing with Tear.
Tear and Yuki were exposing the kind of cleavage that caught the eyes of many men, many blushing and then for some, getting the shit slapped out of them by their jealous girlfriends.
Melody, Alice, Harumi, and Chika were modestly dressed, though there were at least two sideways glances at Harumi. Clyde frowned when he saw Maki, also dressed up, sitting alone on a bench, eyes on watching the festival.
She couldn't do much without Yuki's command, which would seep into the contract and enable free movement. Inside his house, she had somewhat free movement, but only from her room, to Yuki's assigned areas, the restroom. The demoness didn't allow her to eat at the dining room table—she had a crappy wooden one in a separate room. She didn't seem miserable, until Yuki forced her to go see her parents. The purple-haired young woman practically begged not to go, but Clyde's orders were clear.
Yuki observed and reported the coldness from her father and the bickering from her mother. Oh well. None of that mattered, except his intention of making her useful. First teaching him Ki and her techniques if possible, then making her his minion or something. No…his spy. A yandere spy would do everything to the letter without caring about the danger. But, he wouldn't be sending her into minefields. She was Maki, a member of one of the richest and most powerful families in the city. Just because they were deposed from some offices didn't mean all. They still held influence. Maki would be Clyde's political spy, utilizing her family's network, and telling him things that could potentially help for important situations.
Clyde enabled "limited participation" in his contract and nodded at an extremely grateful Maki. His conditioning was slow but it worked. Paying and atoning from crimes while being useful. The young man nodded to himself. It was time to have some fun. He carefully felt the airflows, watching for a certain….brat. Peeps of her presence every now and then made him double his efforts.
Where was she…
Lot City…
Julius watched his brother walk into the house, determined. An easy seed to plant if one dug at the truth, gently, then add the right words for the desired effect, then poof, magic occurred. Except knowing his brother, he'd somehow call off the attack against the Stone. And that is where the Omen's sphere would come in.
Seth was going inevitably trigger it, anger it, suck in the power. An effective trap. Julius laughed. This was too easy. Implanting fake anger, using a hint of truth and shielding past comradery. Julius was so good at manipulation that it got him kicked out of the house. His cowardly parents were afraid of him, rightfully so. They knew about his abilities after all—and certainly disagreed with his decision to go adventuring.
A tingling sensation made the man perk up. She called. He Jumped to their hideout—more specifically, the front door of her room. He didn't bother with bowing and kneeling—Julius submitted to no one. The others nearby glowered at him. He continued to stare at the closed door with a confident smile. The official Blood Servant opened it five minutes later. The kid elf looked at him with dual-colored eyes, one green, and the other red.
"You may come in to see the Master of Stars now."
Julius rolled his eyes as he pushed past her, walked around the corner to see a young woman lazily lying in bed, chin on hand, staring at a TV. She slowly turned to the man.
"Took you long enough," she said, "where the hell were you?"
"Nowhere important, just strolling about while in town," Julius said.
Fuyuko fixed him with her usual glare.
"What did you do with that tainted sphere?"
Julius grinned.
"Let's just say, it's in much better hands."
Fuyuko shook her head then raised a manicured foot to the man's chest.
"She's done a really good job." She rubbed her foot across his chest, hitting his chin. Julius pushed it away.
"What the hell—"
The woman with blue-green hair, pulled him toward her until they were face to face. She spoke in a firm and falsely innocent voice.
"We're fellow adventurers, went through the same hell, and made the same pledge. Now while we share some skinship, you shall tell me the truth of what you've done with the omen's sphere or I'll have to punish you."
Julius grinned.
"You can try, but you have no power over me. Remember, I'm here because I want something. And I won't bend my neck like the others."
Fuyuko laughed in delight.
"And that's what I like about you. Knowing that I can turn you into stone in an instant but still show no weakness. No matter. I had someone follow you."
Julius's eyes widened just a little. He was sure he left no magic trail.
"You had no idea I brought along the tracker," she said. "Now here's your job. And if you lie to me again, I'll make you spend the rest of your life in stone limbo. I give you respect and as your leader, demand it in return. You're my second. Start acting like it."
Julius sighed, caressing Fuyuko's cheek. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, holding to her face.
Julius held back a sneer. He'd play her game for a little while longer. He'd give the young woman her "love" then when the time came, eliminate her. He'd lead this group into a harder, but more beneficial direction, whether they wanted to or not. They glowered and talked behind his back, but came to Julius with their problems. He held the influence of a general. All of them were too afraid of the sorceress and even of the Blood Servant. If he had to be honest, the Blood Servant was the more dangerous of the two. The little girl may look human but he knew and felt that wasn't the case. A dangerous weapon indeed, that took orders from no one except the "Master of Stars."
Julius had to keep in the rage. The sorceress really believed her pathetic magic could take him out or turn the man into stone. Just wait until he showed her exactly how wrong she was.
"What job," he said.
Early that evening…
Clyde and Toru gaped at their approaching female party members dressed in yukatas of different colors and designs. They were only a few yards from the festival. Everyone was present, but Seth. Something about that made Clyde feel uneasy. He knew he was missing the big picture—that's why he forced everyone to wear gym shorts and a shirt beneath their yukata. Somehow he doubted not all of the women would listen…
With the vampires on their way, they needed to be ready for anything.
It was a clear and cool night with little wind. A dazzling moon shined above the city. The sound of people talking and laughing and enjoying their lives projected through the air. Tonight was not supposed to give the young man a knot in his gut.
Clyde spotted his blushing life mate, dressed in a pink yukata that matched her eyes. She was arguing with Tear.
Tear and Yuki were exposing the kind of cleavage that caught the eyes of many men, many blushing and then for some, getting the shit slapped out of them by their jealous girlfriends.
Melody, Alice, Harumi, and Chika were modestly dressed, though there were at least two sideways glances at Harumi. Clyde frowned when he saw Maki, also dressed up, sitting alone on a bench, eyes on watching the festival.
She couldn't do much without Yuki's command, which would seep into the contract and enable free movement. Inside his house, she had somewhat free movement, but only from her room, to Yuki's assigned areas, the restroom. The demoness didn't allow her to eat at the dining room table—she had a crappy wooden one in a separate room. She didn't seem miserable, until Yuki forced her to go see her parents. The purple-haired young woman practically begged not to go, but Clyde's orders were clear.
Yuki observed and reported the coldness from her father and the bickering from her mother. Oh well. None of that mattered, except his intention of making her useful. First teaching him Ki and her techniques if possible, then making her his minion or something. No…his spy. A yandere spy would do everything to the letter without caring about the danger. But, he wouldn't be sending her into minefields. She was Maki, a member of one of the richest and most powerful families in the city. Just because they were deposed from some offices didn't mean all. They still held influence. Maki would be Clyde's political spy, utilizing her family's network, and telling him things that could potentially help for important situations.
Clyde enabled "limited participation" in his contract and nodded at an extremely grateful Maki. His conditioning was slow but it worked. Paying and atoning from crimes while being useful. The young man nodded to himself. It was time to have some fun. He carefully felt the airflows, watching for a certain….brat. Peeps of her presence every now and then made him double his efforts.
Where was she…
