Toru and Seth joined them instead of waiting at the usual spot . They ignored Sazuki's glare . Harumi's look of defiance spoke for the entire group . Chika snorted, openly revealing her distaste . The student council president led them off to the side, out of dodge to an area with a bench . n.o.body sat, but probably because the autumn wind made the bench feel like ice .

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"I hope you have a really good reason to waste my time," Chika said with deadly promise in her voice . Sazuki ignored her, though she looked as if she strained not to fire back .

"There are rumors flying around about Maki, Clyde, and bits and pieces about you," Sazuki said . "The dean urged me to just confront you about them, mere rumors . Normally it's not something we'd care about, but this morning during early-rise cla.s.ses, a girl suddenly ripped off her clothing and declared a new religion under Maki . We restrained her—found out she was running a terrible fever, at least that's what it seemed, and sent her home . For some reason, the dean gave her a warning instead of suspending or expelling her . Two more incidents occurred with girls ripping off their clothing, laughing and declaring Maki their G.o.ddess . One of them said 'death to Clyde,' stoning and some other gibberish . She too had a bad fever . Connecting that and the rumors of girls being s.e.xually a.s.saulted…Something nasty is going on Clyde and you're at the center of it . So fess up or the police will make you do it . "

Indignation flared into the young man .

"Isn't it obvious?" he snapped, "she's crazy . I don't even know the girl—she invited me to her party, I declined . Then she started making advances, but I'm just not interested—let her indulge in that ridiculous fan club, I don't f.u.c.king care . But I will not sit here and be threatened by some bulls.h.i.+t and rumors . "

Sazuki sighed .

"You're the first man in the school to actually ignore that diva . " She nodded to herself . "I can see why Harumi hangs around you . They flock to Maki like goofb.a.l.l.s while she pretends to be nice and caring—it's infuriating! It's like the men can't see what she's really like . Rub her the wrong way and she's nasty . Sn.o.bby b.i.t.c.h . "

Clyde and his friends gaped at the student council president . She continued the rant for another twenty seconds then let out a breath .

[Your relations.h.i.+p with Sazuki has increased to friendly- respect . ]

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Sazuki nodded to herself as if deciding something .

"No one saw her on campus this morning and despite our strict attendance policies, she has enough influence to do whatever she wants . She even has family controlling the law . "

"Not for long," Chika said . "Or did you forget my family's more powerful than hers . And we contributed much more to this city . Just you wait—my father's already investigating matters . "

"Really? Well now," Sazuki said .

Chika sniffed .

"Learn to be a president for once . Wave the power you were given—or give it up, I don't care . "

She shoved her way past Sazuki, muttering to herself .

"Chika wait up," Seth said, following . He started to talk to her about something as they entered the building . Chika looked as if she had zero f.u.c.ks to give .

"That girl hated me even before I became president," Sazuki said . Her softness lasted only a moment, but Clyde saw a world's worth of beauty there and stories . "Go on to cla.s.s . I'll call you if you're needed . If you can, try avoiding Maki . "

"Don't speak the impossible," Clyde said, a tad weary .

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Sazuki blinked, seeming to take something in account then she shrugged .

"We'll see . " She started toward the entrance, only to stop to lecture some pa.s.sing students violating school regulations .

Clyde looked at his phone and noticed a missed call from Melody and a text message . He read it as they walked .

Melody: Hi Darling . I'm sorry for contacting so early in the morning, but in case I don't see you in school today, I just wanted to warn you that I felt my father's presence in the city last night . I don't know why he's here—Hades is gone, but that's very concerning . Please be careful . You may attract him simply because of what you are .

Clyde gulped then pa.s.sed the warning to his friends . He texted Chika and Seth so that they wouldn't miss out . While Melody's father should have no reason whatsoever to bother them, he'd at least heed the warning .

The school day seemed like it was going to be fine and normal, that was until his Sciences cla.s.s . A girl began to giggle uncontrollably when professional mentioned death in humans . She ripped off her clothing, eyes filled with madness . In fact, that even glowed .

"I wors.h.i.+p the great G.o.ddess Maki! Death to the Stone, death to the Stone! Maki is ascending to G.o.ddess . " She ran right into a wall, knocking herself out . As everyone got over the initial shock, the professor was on the phone . Clyde a.s.sumed he was calling the ambulance . When a man showed up instead with a blanket and Sazuki behind him, he immediately knew the plot . They were covering the incidents up to protect the academy's reputation .

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"Her parents are on the way," he said . He seemed to flaunt his gold DEAN badge pinned to his s.h.i.+rt . f.u.c.kery to its finest and whatever Maki did only made things worse . Alice made eye contact with Clyde, worried .

The rest of the cla.s.ses went by uneventful, lunch at in silence . Clyde's crafting level increased after his last cla.s.s . He decided that he'd gather the materials from the former Ashfall estates .

[Congratulations, you have reached crafting level 5 . You can now craft complicated items . ]

[Quest: craft 1 complicated item . This quest is mandatory and cannot be refused . Reward: unknown . ]

It was four in the afternoon, one hour until his meeting with this Ming . Clyde and the others headed home first to drop off bags and change into something casual . He wouldn't count on her simply handing over the Omen's Sphere without a catch . Whatever bulls.h.i.+t this Ming had planned, he didn't have time for it .

Maki's house…

Lady Mei Ashfall felt lost, pathetic, full of shame . She originally came to the city to thank her hero and convince him to rule in Ashfall's stead . She even considered marrying him just to help keep things running . Somehow the young woman ended up staying longer, getting lost into Maki's embrace . There were limits, lines that shouldn't have been crossed—and the display with the Stone didn't help her cause .

That wasn't what worried Mei . She rolled to the side, in Maki's bed, attempting to ignore the streaking sunlight with her pillow . That presence…those words . She only pretended to be sleep the prior night, hoping Maki would be up for another round . She was a demoness with cravings after all . Not that she minded men, but preferred Maki .

Somehow her pupil gathered Black Ki—something that was supposed to be impossible to all but the tainted ones and their servants . Maybe even a fallen angel or devil could wield it, but humans, shouldn't be able to . She sensed no taint in Maki—the girl was still herself, just…obsessed . Just… yandere, one of the most dangerous and thrilling human beings of all time .

Black Ki…forbidden, dangerous . Oh Venus, how did this happen to her, Mei thought . And now Maki's simply going to carry out the voice's plans without questioning it? Without snapping out of her obsessions to realize that she took things way too far . She tasted whatever power it offered and desired more .

Mei jumped up . There was only one type of being that could give Maki such power and frighten the demoness enough to root her in bed . She wasn't sure if compulsion was used or not, but she needed to warn the Stone . Maki was about to do something drastic .

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