9PM…
On the rooftop of a building in Niyoto…
"What do you mean he declined?" Leon snapped at his guard.
"The fairy boy didn't want the Omen's sphere," the guard replied. He was among the winged imp squad.
Leon shook his head, his short green hair rustling from a breeze. His red eyes seemed to glow in the night or perhaps reflected the light of the full moon.
"Why can't I get this right? We'll never succeed like a real demon house with her there."
"What are you talking about?" the guard said, his metallic armor clicking from slightly moving.
"Don't worry about it," Leon said. "Just know that I'm working to protect us all. And increase your wallet size. That will mean more of that alligator booze for you."
The imp grinned, then saluted.
"Sir, is there anything I can do?"
"Not really," Leon said then turned to look at the street.
"If it helps, Lady Noona will be at the Dragon-Honor festival tonight."
Leon's eyes widened. He grabbed the imp and shook him, excited.
"Really? Why didn't you tell me this in the first place, ya moron?"
"Ugh—I didn't see the relevance in it. But if you're all about protecting the boobs—I mean our demon lord, that's where's she at."
"Good work," Leon said. "It seems you are more than useless. You may take the rest of the night off."
The imp saluted and scurried away singing, "she takes it in the booze. She takes it in the boooozzeee. Yeah, yeah."
Leon stared at the roof entrance blankly. He pulled out his phone, preparing to order the execution but froze. A crusader man—he could tell from the intense light aura—smiled at him.
"You know, if you're going to do something devious, at least make it less obvious," the crusader said. "Now, fess up or you're going to the question in the name of the Great Ones."
"I was just calling my girlfriend," Leon lied. "Is that a problem with your kind?"
The crusader chuckled.
"No, but if we haven't watched you for days now, your story would be in fact believable."
The crusader grabbed Leon by the throat and held him over the edge.
"Evasiveness. I'll take that as an armed threat. Now, fess up or splat you go. Fifteen, maybe thirty stories. They say you feel all of the pain before you actually die."
Leon was not about to let his plans be ruined by them. The fact they were in a city was alarming enough, but now…
Leon aimed both hands at the crusader's face to release as much magic as possible. If only he didn't watch the same hands fall to the ground uselessly. He yelled, maybe scream in agony. The man smiled as he sheathed his blade.
"We've got a long discussion," said the crusader. "And you will probably be screaming more than my wife when she looks at my face." He cackled. "She has a phobia about handsome men throwing their lives away in battle."
"No!" Leon said, his hands regenerating. With seconds of restoration, the crusader handcuffed him. The feeling of rage and humiliation blasted through the young man. Everything…going so wrong.
"Oh the question isn't so bad," the crusader said. "Just tell us what we need to know and boom it's over." He pat Leon. "I'll be sure they make you hurt just a little bit more each time you lie." The crusader started singing as he carried the struggling demon to the rooftop exit. "If you can't make a demon speak, electrocuteeeee them! In-the-name-of-the GREAT ONEEEESSS. Do-do-do-, buzz, stab, cut cut, a little healing there, a little healing here. Slash, slash, do-do-do-do-dah -dah. Then drrrinnnkkkk to the Great One's names. Do-do-do-do, slash, gash." He grinned wickedly at the pale Leon. "We're going to have some fun tonight, boy. Just you, me, and the sharp end of my dagger. We can drink to my wife's nagging too. And she especially nagged today, so I'm in a reallllll good mood."
Leon could not believe this was happening to him. To be captured by a crusader. He needed to find a way out of this—he would not let these fuckers break him and ruin all of his plans. So much for calling his assassin to surprise that bitch at the festival.
**
Dragon-Honor Festival…
[Clyde's quest to the team: Mingle with the public!]
Clyde ordered the party to go separate ways, but the women refused at first. He had to be firm, even with Alice. The party needed as much information as possible from the locals and the last thing they'd do is talk to a man showing off his harem. He didn't tell them that exactly, but Toru at least got the meaning. He managed to speak logic to get things moving.
As soon as Toru walked away, Clyde sensed his manhunt approaching. The women had no fucks to give. He flashed stepped into a crowd of people right as the girls were reentering the area, some obviously pretending to find a food vender.
"Just one order," Clyde said softly then laughed. "And they won't follow it." He sat at a table with a group of people looking up to an entertainer dressed in a stage magician's outfit. In front of him were three large cups. He challenged people to choose the one containing a stone. A cocky teen boy stepped up, boasting.
The stage magician's hands moved blindingly fast as he shuffled the three cups. A normal human eye would never keep up. Clyde could already see the sweat dripping off the teen's forehead. All of that talk to his friends and now wore uncertainty like a freshly donned jacket. He predictably selected wrong.
"Now for the penalty!" the magician yelled. "Spin the wheel of shame."
The teen muttered to himself, unable to refuse due to his pride. He spun the small wheel, which reminded Clyde of the Wheel of Fortune, except for losers. It landed on a bowl of fried chicken wings. "Aha! You must each six of these coated in Alethian pepper sauce. Give it up to him folks. Cheer!"
Clyde cringed. He felt the penalty was a little extreme—that hot sauce wasn't meant for the human palette. Hell, even demons couldn't handle it. And holy shit did the servers coat the wings until they resembled bloody death. The teen looked terrified.
"You got this!" one of his friends yipped then laughed. "If you live, we'll get you an ice cream reward, buttercup."
"That hot sauce is no joke," Clyde said to a middle-aged man to his left.
"Yeah," said the man. "That penalty sent at least four people to the hospital."
"And they're still allowing it?" Clyde said, giving the man skeptical look.
"Yep—despite how that sounded, it's very popular. That kid knew exactly what he was getting into," the man said. "But you know, I find it odd that no one ever wins. It's straight to eating that hot sauce. Just look at the prize. Ten freaking thousand dollars and a gold card that discounts all groceries by half. They're asking us to win twice in a row. Piss impossible odds with this guy."
Yuki sat on Clyde's right. The young man gulped, taking in her pricey perfume. He was glad she didn't insist on wearing a maid outfit. And not because she'd embarrass him, but to mitigate the perverted stares. She still got them just for being super beautiful, but at least maid fantasies weren't running through the heads of the men that looked at her.
"So, no one has won," Yuki said with a familiar gleam in her eye. The same from the last festival.
"I think you'd want to pass on this," the middle-aged man said. "Unless you think you can get lucky twice."
"I will do it," Yuki said.
"You sure? I agree with pops here." Clyde said. "Three words. Alethian pepper sauce."
Yuki grimaced in distaste.
"Such foul stuff, but I shall take on this challenge." She let her neutral kuudere expression drop for a smile. "With you watching, I'll easily win this."
As the teens hauled their vomiting friend away, Yuki rose her hand to be the next volunteer.
"Come on down, beautiful. People, prepare to see what it's like to witness true beauty, weep," the stage magician said.
"Is she really a friend of yours?" the middle-aged man said.
"She's more than that," Clyde said, swelling with pride.
"Wow," the man said. "Keep her inside at night, especially on Thursdays. I don't believe in werewolves or minotaurs, but the rumors just won't stop."
The middle-aged man looked forward, taking a sip of something alcoholic, smiling appreciatively at Yuki's backside.
"Alright, let's see what our new challenger has! Can she guess it? Ten thousand is on the line as well as the Top Grocer's gold supreme card. Many have tried. All failed."
He shuffled the three cups at blinding speed. Yuki started for the cup on the left then quickly selected the middle. She even lifted the cup before the magician could touch it. A stone rested beneath it. Silence. Deep silence. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible, but a fluke is a fluke. No one has gotten past the first round. Let's see what she's got. My servers will be coating whatever food she selects with a good amount of sauce. Of course, in round two, we add twelve more cups."
"What?" Clyde and a few others said.
"Read the rulebook stapled onto my sign. No worries though. She can always walk away right now without penalty. You'll be known as the one-round wonder."
Yuki didn't move. The stage magician shrugged then with the same incredible speed, shuffled the cups. The young man shook his head. There was a very little chance that Yuki could win this. He cheated.
The demoness moved for the first cup then grabbed number three, on the third row. It revealed the stone.
The stage magician nearly fell backward.
"Watched by six hidden cameras to prevent cheating," the middle-aged man said. "That girl is amazing. Is she seeing anyone?"
Clyde laughed and clapped as the demoness received her prize. She pulled him up from his seat and off they walked, still cheered by the crowd. Someone carried off the stage magician, who fainted. Yuki would forever be remembered as the luck goddess.
As the duo made their way over to a food vendor, they stopped, noticing a familiar busty blonde cheerfully downing slices of cake. Some men were staring with astonishment.
"It's her," Clyde said softly, remembering how she instantly teleported an entire army of minotaurs to god knows where. "She doesn't look threatening at all."
"Noona Necro," Yuki said, "well I'll be damned. I didn't see her, being on the rooftop. That one's a mystery to me. But considering how she's out here in the open, chowing down on sweets, the rumors of her being lazy seem to be quite accurate."
"Pervyyy niiii-channn."
The duo turned to see Natalia running toward them from afar. Then he looked again. An angry mob of people chased after her.
"Oh fuck, run," Clyde said to Yuki.
"Waahh, nii-chan wait. You can't leave me."
Clyde and Yuki took one last look at the peaceful cake-eating demon lord as they sprinted away.
**
Dark bolted as the flock of thunder birds and harpies chased him from the air. As soon as they were in position, he stopped and faced them, grinning.
"The great lord of the dark has a present for you," he said aiming his hand at them. "Great power, Razor dark bolts!"
[Dark activated Tier 2 skill: Razor dark bolts.]
The sky unleashed enormous bolts of dark magic on the unsuspecting monster girls and it hurt. They dropped one by one. He sighed.
"I've already been raped by one flock of harpies," he said. "Not letting that happen again."
He recalled escaping the ogre again thanks to Selkie walking in. Too bad she got away before the entity could wipe her from the face of the earth.
"Are you done training yet, chuuni?" Selkie said. "Or do I have to make you go disturb more nests."
"I'm not disturbing them," Dark snapped. "They rarely see men traveling on these country roads you're making us take. Of course, being desperate—well, you know how the, whoever demon it was's influence goes."
"The Supreme," Selkie said. "Geeze, being out here has depleted your intelligence. Choosing buff over brains."
"Training is very important," Dark said. "I bet even the normie's level is impressive. I can't get left behind."
Selkie shrugged.
"I suppose you want to learn how to stop getting captured and raped by these women. Or are you doing that on purpose, pervy-chuunie?"
Dark nearly fell backward.
"You saw that ogre," Dark said then shook his head. "Whenever you warp to your world or wherever you go, you leave a trail of attractive magic. I told you this already, ya evil woman."
Selkie blinked.
"Well, the good news is, we're almost to Rift City," Selkie said. "But I still think you should go back to the palace."
"I still hate how cars aren't allowed," Dark said, ignoring her suggestion for the millionth time. "Why are they so protective of the harpy nests anyway?"
"It's not the harpies," Selkie said. "But the people driving. If a man is driving his family down these roads and a sex-starved harpy attacked, she may cause them to crash the car."
Dark sighed.
"Aren't adventurers supposed to do something about this."
"You're an adventurer, right?"
"Not officially," Dark said. "And I don't care about that. I'm the great lord of the dark. I smite adventurers." Selkie sighed.
"Fucking chuuni. Let's stop at the inn here for tonight." She pointed at the town. "Remember, your destiny can play a huge outcome in the stone-viper games. Oh, at the next city, you're getting a new phone."
"Will the normie find about the god?"
"No idea," Selkie said. "Now speed up. I think I hear harpy wing flaps. And I don't feel like painfully watching you take them down for experience when I could wave a finger and be on my way to a nice bath."
9PM…
On the rooftop of a building in Niyoto…
"What do you mean he declined?" Leon snapped at his guard.
"The fairy boy didn't want the Omen's sphere," the guard replied. He was among the winged imp squad.
Leon shook his head, his short green hair rustling from a breeze. His red eyes seemed to glow in the night or perhaps reflected the light of the full moon.
"Why can't I get this right? We'll never succeed like a real demon house with her there."
"What are you talking about?" the guard said, his metallic armor clicking from slightly moving.
"Don't worry about it," Leon said. "Just know that I'm working to protect us all. And increase your wallet size. That will mean more of that alligator booze for you."
The imp grinned, then saluted.
"Sir, is there anything I can do?"
"Not really," Leon said then turned to look at the street.
"If it helps, Lady Noona will be at the Dragon-Honor festival tonight."
Leon's eyes widened. He grabbed the imp and shook him, excited.
"Really? Why didn't you tell me this in the first place, ya moron?"
"Ugh—I didn't see the relevance in it. But if you're all about protecting the boobs—I mean our demon lord, that's where's she at."
"Good work," Leon said. "It seems you are more than useless. You may take the rest of the night off."
The imp saluted and scurried away singing, "she takes it in the booze. She takes it in the boooozzeee. Yeah, yeah."
Leon stared at the roof entrance blankly. He pulled out his phone, preparing to order the execution but froze. A crusader man—he could tell from the intense light aura—smiled at him.
"You know, if you're going to do something devious, at least make it less obvious," the crusader said. "Now, fess up or you're going to the question in the name of the Great Ones."
"I was just calling my girlfriend," Leon lied. "Is that a problem with your kind?"
The crusader chuckled.
"No, but if we haven't watched you for days now, your story would be in fact believable."
The crusader grabbed Leon by the throat and held him over the edge.
"Evasiveness. I'll take that as an armed threat. Now, fess up or splat you go. Fifteen, maybe thirty stories. They say you feel all of the pain before you actually die."
Leon was not about to let his plans be ruined by them. The fact they were in a city was alarming enough, but now…
Leon aimed both hands at the crusader's face to release as much magic as possible. If only he didn't watch the same hands fall to the ground uselessly. He yelled, maybe scream in agony. The man smiled as he sheathed his blade.
"We've got a long discussion," said the crusader. "And you will probably be screaming more than my wife when she looks at my face." He cackled. "She has a phobia about handsome men throwing their lives away in battle."
"No!" Leon said, his hands regenerating. With seconds of restoration, the crusader handcuffed him. The feeling of rage and humiliation blasted through the young man. Everything…going so wrong.
"Oh the question isn't so bad," the crusader said. "Just tell us what we need to know and boom it's over." He pat Leon. "I'll be sure they make you hurt just a little bit more each time you lie." The crusader started singing as he carried the struggling demon to the rooftop exit. "If you can't make a demon speak, electrocuteeeee them! In-the-name-of-the GREAT ONEEEESSS. Do-do-do-, buzz, stab, cut cut, a little healing there, a little healing here. Slash, slash, do-do-do-do-dah -dah. Then drrrinnnkkkk to the Great One's names. Do-do-do-do, slash, gash." He grinned wickedly at the pale Leon. "We're going to have some fun tonight, boy. Just you, me, and the sharp end of my dagger. We can drink to my wife's nagging too. And she especially nagged today, so I'm in a reallllll good mood."
Leon could not believe this was happening to him. To be captured by a crusader. He needed to find a way out of this—he would not let these fuckers break him and ruin all of his plans. So much for calling his assassin to surprise that bitch at the festival.
**
Dragon-Honor Festival…
[Clyde's quest to the team: Mingle with the public!]
Clyde ordered the party to go separate ways, but the women refused at first. He had to be firm, even with Alice. The party needed as much information as possible from the locals and the last thing they'd do is talk to a man showing off his harem. He didn't tell them that exactly, but Toru at least got the meaning. He managed to speak logic to get things moving.
As soon as Toru walked away, Clyde sensed his manhunt approaching. The women had no fucks to give. He flashed stepped into a crowd of people right as the girls were reentering the area, some obviously pretending to find a food vender.
"Just one order," Clyde said softly then laughed. "And they won't follow it." He sat at a table with a group of people looking up to an entertainer dressed in a stage magician's outfit. In front of him were three large cups. He challenged people to choose the one containing a stone. A cocky teen boy stepped up, boasting.
The stage magician's hands moved blindingly fast as he shuffled the three cups. A normal human eye would never keep up. Clyde could already see the sweat dripping off the teen's forehead. All of that talk to his friends and now wore uncertainty like a freshly donned jacket. He predictably selected wrong.
"Now for the penalty!" the magician yelled. "Spin the wheel of shame."
The teen muttered to himself, unable to refuse due to his pride. He spun the small wheel, which reminded Clyde of the Wheel of Fortune, except for losers. It landed on a bowl of fried chicken wings. "Aha! You must each six of these coated in Alethian pepper sauce. Give it up to him folks. Cheer!"
Clyde cringed. He felt the penalty was a little extreme—that hot sauce wasn't meant for the human palette. Hell, even demons couldn't handle it. And holy shit did the servers coat the wings until they resembled bloody death. The teen looked terrified.
"You got this!" one of his friends yipped then laughed. "If you live, we'll get you an ice cream reward, buttercup."
"That hot sauce is no joke," Clyde said to a middle-aged man to his left.
"Yeah," said the man. "That penalty sent at least four people to the hospital."
"And they're still allowing it?" Clyde said, giving the man skeptical look.
"Yep—despite how that sounded, it's very popular. That kid knew exactly what he was getting into," the man said. "But you know, I find it odd that no one ever wins. It's straight to eating that hot sauce. Just look at the prize. Ten freaking thousand dollars and a gold card that discounts all groceries by half. They're asking us to win twice in a row. Piss impossible odds with this guy."
Yuki sat on Clyde's right. The young man gulped, taking in her pricey perfume. He was glad she didn't insist on wearing a maid outfit. And not because she'd embarrass him, but to mitigate the perverted stares. She still got them just for being super beautiful, but at least maid fantasies weren't running through the heads of the men that looked at her.
"So, no one has won," Yuki said with a familiar gleam in her eye. The same from the last festival.
"I think you'd want to pass on this," the middle-aged man said. "Unless you think you can get lucky twice."
"I will do it," Yuki said.
"You sure? I agree with pops here." Clyde said. "Three words. Alethian pepper sauce."
Yuki grimaced in distaste.
"Such foul stuff, but I shall take on this challenge." She let her neutral kuudere expression drop for a smile. "With you watching, I'll easily win this."
As the teens hauled their vomiting friend away, Yuki rose her hand to be the next volunteer.
"Come on down, beautiful. People, prepare to see what it's like to witness true beauty, weep," the stage magician said.
"Is she really a friend of yours?" the middle-aged man said.
"She's more than that," Clyde said, swelling with pride.
"Wow," the man said. "Keep her inside at night, especially on Thursdays. I don't believe in werewolves or minotaurs, but the rumors just won't stop."
The middle-aged man looked forward, taking a sip of something alcoholic, smiling appreciatively at Yuki's backside.
"Alright, let's see what our new challenger has! Can she guess it? Ten thousand is on the line as well as the Top Grocer's gold supreme card. Many have tried. All failed."
He shuffled the three cups at blinding speed. Yuki started for the cup on the left then quickly selected the middle. She even lifted the cup before the magician could touch it. A stone rested beneath it. Silence. Deep silence. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is incredible, but a fluke is a fluke. No one has gotten past the first round. Let's see what she's got. My servers will be coating whatever food she selects with a good amount of sauce. Of course, in round two, we add twelve more cups."
"What?" Clyde and a few others said.
"Read the rulebook stapled onto my sign. No worries though. She can always walk away right now without penalty. You'll be known as the one-round wonder."
Yuki didn't move. The stage magician shrugged then with the same incredible speed, shuffled the cups. The young man shook his head. There was a very little chance that Yuki could win this. He cheated.
The demoness moved for the first cup then grabbed number three, on the third row. It revealed the stone.
The stage magician nearly fell backward.
"Watched by six hidden cameras to prevent cheating," the middle-aged man said. "That girl is amazing. Is she seeing anyone?"
Clyde laughed and clapped as the demoness received her prize. She pulled him up from his seat and off they walked, still cheered by the crowd. Someone carried off the stage magician, who fainted. Yuki would forever be remembered as the luck goddess.
As the duo made their way over to a food vendor, they stopped, noticing a familiar busty blonde cheerfully downing slices of cake. Some men were staring with astonishment.
"It's her," Clyde said softly, remembering how she instantly teleported an entire army of minotaurs to god knows where. "She doesn't look threatening at all."
"Noona Necro," Yuki said, "well I'll be damned. I didn't see her, being on the rooftop. That one's a mystery to me. But considering how she's out here in the open, chowing down on sweets, the rumors of her being lazy seem to be quite accurate."
"Pervyyy niiii-channn."
The duo turned to see Natalia running toward them from afar. Then he looked again. An angry mob of people chased after her.
"Oh fuck, run," Clyde said to Yuki.
"Waahh, nii-chan wait. You can't leave me."
Clyde and Yuki took one last look at the peaceful cake-eating demon lord as they sprinted away.
**
Dark bolted as the flock of thunder birds and harpies chased him from the air. As soon as they were in position, he stopped and faced them, grinning.
"The great lord of the dark has a present for you," he said aiming his hand at them. "Great power, Razor dark bolts!"
[Dark activated Tier 2 skill: Razor dark bolts.]
The sky unleashed enormous bolts of dark magic on the unsuspecting monster girls and it hurt. They dropped one by one. He sighed.
"I've already been raped by one flock of harpies," he said. "Not letting that happen again."
He recalled escaping the ogre again thanks to Selkie walking in. Too bad she got away before the entity could wipe her from the face of the earth.
"Are you done training yet, chuuni?" Selkie said. "Or do I have to make you go disturb more nests."
"I'm not disturbing them," Dark snapped. "They rarely see men traveling on these country roads you're making us take. Of course, being desperate—well, you know how the, whoever demon it was's influence goes."
"The Supreme," Selkie said. "Geeze, being out here has depleted your intelligence. Choosing buff over brains."
"Training is very important," Dark said. "I bet even the normie's level is impressive. I can't get left behind."
Selkie shrugged.
"I suppose you want to learn how to stop getting captured and raped by these women. Or are you doing that on purpose, pervy-chuunie?"
Dark nearly fell backward.
"You saw that ogre," Dark said then shook his head. "Whenever you warp to your world or wherever you go, you leave a trail of attractive magic. I told you this already, ya evil woman."
Selkie blinked.
"Well, the good news is, we're almost to Rift City," Selkie said. "But I still think you should go back to the palace."
"I still hate how cars aren't allowed," Dark said, ignoring her suggestion for the millionth time. "Why are they so protective of the harpy nests anyway?"
"It's not the harpies," Selkie said. "But the people driving. If a man is driving his family down these roads and a sex-starved harpy attacked, she may cause them to crash the car."
Dark sighed.
"Aren't adventurers supposed to do something about this."
"You're an adventurer, right?"
"Not officially," Dark said. "And I don't care about that. I'm the great lord of the dark. I smite adventurers." Selkie sighed.
"Fucking chuuni. Let's stop at the inn here for tonight." She pointed at the town. "Remember, your destiny can play a huge outcome in the stone-viper games. Oh, at the next city, you're getting a new phone."
"Will the normie find about the god?"
"No idea," Selkie said. "Now speed up. I think I hear harpy wing flaps. And I don't feel like painfully watching you take them down for experience when I could wave a finger and be on my way to a nice bath."
