That evening, Clyde took a refres.h.i.+ng walk . He allowed the surprise of the missed phone call to hit him . His professor, Hinako, was a daring woman . He did call her back—and her excuse being, of course, a reminder to do well on the exam for a reward . He felt the nosebleed threaten to emerge .

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Ruri walked alongside him, silent . Appearing out of thin air, she decided to just follow the young man .

He glanced at her . She really was cute . Just what in the f.u.c.k, Yusuke? He thought . Easily Alice's equal to beauty and powerful enough to level cities with even most basic her attacks…Clyde stopped, almost dropping his phone . Ruri did too, staring at him with sky-blue eyes .

Holy s.h.i.+t . Useful . Well…after all the dramatics, he wasn't sure if bringing the party up was a good idea . But hey, at least the relations.h.i.+p level didn't fall .

Still, he could consider double-checking things with that reaperess woman . No, Yusuke's fail was no longer his problem . f.u.c.k it .

"Do you want steak?" he asked .

Ruri's eyes glistened .

"Really?"

"I'm bribing you to join Team Stone," Clyde said .

She placed her hands on her hips .

"You are a little too good at it? Practice much?"

Clyde laughed .

"Maybe . Now let's go . I want to try the hibachi place a couple of blocks from here . "

[Ruri has joined your party! Know this, a chaotic companion on your side could dramatically alter the battle in your favor . Remember your vows . Anything promised to them will serve as motivation while they eagerly await the reward . ]

[List of chaotic companions: Chika, Ruri . ]

That night while studying, Ruri somehow ended up laying across his lap…in her new room .

He caressed her head and scratched behind her wolf ears . She nestled against him, expression peaceful . How did this happen?

Then it came back to Clyde . He made a bet with her at the restaurant . Who could eat the most steak? At the time, his growling stomach hi-jacked the brain, diving for earth's science: Ruri was a pet.i.te girl . She'd eat a tiny bite and pa.s.s out . Manliness and steak were a food match in heaven next to the bacon . No way he'd be outdone . Also…the bottle of sake may have influenced things . The young man sucked at holding alcohol . At least not yet .

Clyde's wager was simple: if he won, Ruri would turn into h.e.l.lhound form and pee on a fire hydrant . A wager of art!

It was a joke that earned him a good elbow in the ribs . Ruri, on the other hand, wanted Clyde to accept her with canine love, whatever that meant .

Then she destroyed him .

He put his book away, knowing d.a.m.ned well that he knew every subject on the tests by the letter . Chika lectured him like a perverted drill sergeant . In fact, the others were still out, at the Hade's estates . The declaration of a girls-only study party was what set him out to walk . Boredom . Ruri declined their invite, but Tear wanted to talk with Matsume, thus insisting on her going .

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Just then, Ruri sat up and licked his cheek . The cuteness threatened a nosebleed .

"Like I said, you won't be pus.h.i.+ng me away . " Her tail wagged excitedly as she laid back down . "Ah yes, right there behind—oh that's the spot . "

[Warning: your chances of getting raped has increased by 80%]

Not if he made the first move . He wasn't sure if the sake created those thoughts, but Clyde pulled Ruri close and kissed soft lips . And she melted into him . There…was a pulsing . Only one other young woman, a particular half-demoness, gave him that feeling .

As Clyde prepared to rip off the h.e.l.lhound girl's clothing, the sound of noisy women chimed through the halls .

"Ruri! Come see what I got!" Matsume called .

The h.e.l.lhound's ears sagged .

"I…don't want to go . " She leaned into Clyde . "Pet me more . "

Clyde did .

"Just go see what she wants . It's time for bed anyway . I've got exams in the morning . "

As he stood, the h.e.l.lhound hugged him .

"Thanks for inviting me for the team . " She smiled . "And the meat was delicious . " Clyde watched Alice's childhood friend walk off, cheerful, carefree .

System, was that…

[You can have only one soul mate . At least for now…]

He left out a breath .

[However, there is an unknown number of special t.i.tles that are very similar to soul mate candidates . Benefits are possible . ]

"Yeah, it's not NTR," Chika said to Yuki as they pa.s.sed by the open door, engaged in their conversation . Both sets of footsteps suddenly stopped, out of sight . Clyde dove behind the door, grinning . He thought about pulling Chika into him but decided that startling her is like pressing a red nuclear b.u.t.ton .

The women walked in .

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"So, tell me again why Alice's friend isn't staying at the palace?" Chika said .

"Beats me," Yuki said . "But I like her . She's cute . I wonder if I have an extra leash somewhere . "

"It's pointless if you're not leashed with Clyde holding . Don't look at me like that, it's true . At least she doesn't have chew toys all over the place . "

"She's not a dog you know," Yuki said .

"I was kidding," Chika said .

"Human sense of humor . It's lacking," Yuki said .

"Clyde likes my humor," Chika said smugly .

Yuki shrugged .

"You'd better get some rest . You'll need plenty of energy for crying when Master Clyde takes the number one spot . "

"No one can take my spot," Chika said . "Not even Alice . But if Clyde does, I get to give him a reward . So it's a win-win for me . "

"You're not the only one who will try to congratulate him," Yuki said then licked her lips .

"I'll be first," Chika said . "But…we'll most likely be congratulating him for getting second place . I don't slack in my studies . "

"We'll see," Yuki said, then pinched the silver-haired girl's cheek . "Ruri's not the only cute one . "

"Such a flatterer," Chika said, smiling . "But you won't be leas.h.i.+ng me . "

[Talent, main character stuff . Flash invisibility . ]

The duo walked out without sparing him a glance .

[Invisibility has worn off . ]

[You have earned the t.i.tle, Eavesdropper . ]

Main character stuff was the most broken talent in all of existence!

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Clyde walked out and down the hall . Alice met him halfway, leapt into his arms, and he carried her off to bed . She locked and warded the door, though Chika was already inside, preparing bath water .

Somewhere… .

Night… Full moon . . .

Julius fell to a knee, breathing hard as a true demon approached him . What a s.h.i.+tty chain of events .

First, he left Messalay in a hurry—Jumped before they could catch him in an anti-magic leash . Then the f.u.c.king stupid tavern at that weird village declined to serve the man because he refused to perform some kind of public s.e.x ritual . Julius didn't have the strength for it—even if the woman offering herself was as beautiful as the sunrise . The man felt beat! The woman cried, causing the village to riot…against him! He wanted to just sleep . Even offered gold for a room .

He just barely managed to escape, only to crash into three impossibly beautiful women . The Venus sisters . f.u.c.king great . He tried to pay his respects, but one of his hands couldn't leave the black-haired woman's breast fast enough . The noise disturbed their leader . HIM . MOTHERf.u.c.kING HIM . Julius abilities read that power signature, the legendary soul…the Viper . Oh, Lady Luck despised the man so much .

They were in the country—woods with a city a few miles ahead if the man recalled correctly . A royal place, he believed . It had been a while since he entered the nation of Nestilia .

The Viper stepped out of the house, face neutral .

"You know, the queen herself put us up for the night," he said . "A little convincing it took, but we've got this nice place . Fancy, full of technology, automatic baths, even a ma.s.saging chair . I fell asleep in the chair . A comfortable sleep that you disturbed me from . "

"I was just getting ready to dismantle him, Master," the black-haired Venus sister said .

"No, go finish that task with the others . He looks tough . And you know how I love a good fight . "

Julius pushed all of his strength into a sprint that could go toe-to-toe with a cheetah . He tried to Jump, but nothing happened .

[The Viper Used Mean Look…]

[Julius Can No Longer Escape…]

He soon found himself defending and taking nearly invisibly-fast blows . Hence why he was currently on his knee, panting . The Viper moved at an unhurried pace .

"a.n.a.lyze calls you Julius, sorcerer of the Lich Cult . An intriguing sort if I must say so myself . "

"I am no longer apart of the Lich Cult," Julius said . "They are but an inconvenience for me . Aiming for weak goals . I want a name for myself, one even as big as Legendary Adventurer Airi Hirayama . "

The cloaked man grinned, glowing purple eyes seeming to pierce Julius .

"Oh? Heh, it is a shame that you won't be making that," he said .

Julius's eyes widened, but he would not beg for his life . Not for anyone . Sure, he had to tactically retreat, but only from those two . Stone and Viper . He didn't have the power to fight a G.o.d, especially overpowered ones like them . Not yet . Too bad he wouldn't get the chance . f.u.c.k it, nothing to lose—he'd go all out .

Julius grinned .

"You want a fight, you son-of-b.i.t.c.h, then you got one," Julius said, soliciting a mirroring expression on the Viper's face . "First, tell me the name of my greatest foe . "

"I am Aunder," the man said simply .

"Let me show you my full strength . "

[Julius has invoked Semi-forbidden magic: Soul limit remover . ]

Julius knew the risk of soul-scarring, even tearing was possible, but he'd need all the power he could muster to damage the f.u.c.ker . Soul limit allowed him to take in much more than the average sorcerer .

Black and gray aura surrounded him . His eyes glowed red, hair s.h.i.+ned white, like the rays of the sun . The enormous intake of magic made Julius convulse for a just second . He pulled himself together, held out his hand, and summoned a blade of light .

"Let's go . "

Light and magic trailed him like afterimages and light-clones, as he rushed Aunder . He put FULL power into his swing with magic that could shatter nations, cause earthquakes, split oceans, all at the risk of his soul .

Yet…

Yet…

Yet…

With a single finger, Aunder made Julius want to vomit . A block—an impossible block! This just couldn't be… If not obliterated to pieces, he should at least lose the finger . He should be shattered to the soul . How was he so much different from the other guy? Then again, Julius didn't stick around that battle long enough to see if the Stone would get serious .

The Viper grinned .

"Well, you tried," he said . "As the people of this world sometimes say, A for effort?"

Julius forced himself not to tremble . He held a stony face but inside, the man wanted to weep, yell, roar . "I've got a proposition for you . "

He swallowed, heart, pounding so hard, his ears rang . Sweat seemed to pour from all directions . Breathing became a ch.o.r.e . "Join my party… I'll call it…the Forgotten Party . " He laughed . "Of course, your compliance isn't a factor here . You speak of wanting a name for yourself . Well now is the time . Speak your binding oath to me . Then we'll go get drinks and check out some pretty ladies . "

Julius tried to reject but the purple gaze changed his words . That night, he spoke the oath Aunder shoved into his mind .

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