After the cupcake feast at an amazing dine-in bakery, Clyde and Alice fell asleep on the living room's couch . A goofy anime played on the TV .

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He woke up an hour later, Alice in his arms . She stirred when he sat up . Neko sat next to them, innocent expression on her face . She licked Clyde's cheek .

"Nyan, you had a smudge of leftover cupcake on you . "

Alice glared, but let her annoyance out in a breath, seemingly not in the mood to deal with the catgirl . He had two things to do this day: date with Natalia, then that night, hang out with Toru, Seth, and Yusuke . He couldn't wait to see what Seth had planned for them . The blonde man kept a tight lip on the location .

"Let's go talk to Yuki," Clyde said .

"About?" Alice said

"The Abyss to the Blackness, nya," Neko answered .

"Good job with the mopping, you are now promoted from pathetic scrub girl to just scrub girl," Yuki said . "You can have the rest of the day off and I'll cut you a break and give you one hour of TV time today . Now off with you . "

Maki nodded, face cheerful . She gave brief greetings as she moved past the others . Of course, the sneaky girl made sure to brush a hand across the young man's arm .

Clyde recalled her terms: working very long and hard days dictated by a demoness, eating lesser quality foods and no sweets, also sitting at the c.r.a.ppy table in another room during eating times . Only allowed to drink water . Tea on very rare occasions . No fancy clothing . Forced to see parents once a month—despite hating them . She already completed that tick, but with the new month coming it, Yuki was probably going to send her through the torture soon . Only an hour or two outside per day, with fifteen minutes of forced exercises . Yuki gave her the most excruciating ones—Maki seemed to be in tears every time . He still remembered some of the vomit . An hour or two of forced college a.s.signments and studying, more scrubbing whether its floors, bathrooms, or toilets . If all cleaning was done, Yuki would create more work or just make her stand in a corner and count off how many victims she atoned for .

The young man held no sympathy . What she did, deserved worse . Even she knew that . Her powers and usefulness saved her . h.e.l.l, he had to face the Viper one day . Any advantage helped .

Yuki smiled .

"I've heard a part of the conversation already, so sit down . "

She served them fancy nachos with a delicious spicy cheese dip . Clyde knew he'd finish his early, crave more . To spoil the appet.i.te or not, that is the question .

"What do you know about this Abyss thing?" Alice said, eyes sharp, critical .

"I'm getting to that, Lady Alice," Yuki said then promptly sat on Clyde's lap . The half-demoness didn't react . "The Abyss to the Blackness is one of the seven legendary wrongs of this world . There are times when…that thing can slip into our dimension, though I couldn't tell you how off the top of my head . I encountered it only once from afar . It's an unnatural consciousness of taint, filth, dark magic, and raw unfiltered essence . It may be a dark deity, but no one knows for sure . Master Clyde, I cannot allow you to try to fight or agitate this thing . It's too strong . "

"Nya, that's not the plan," Neko said, "but its sp.a.w.ning is a small possibility . " She told Yuki about the Omen's sphere .

"Abyss wors.h.i.+ppers," Yuki said . "That still doesn't mean it's a deity, but the thing is some kind of crazy force that I wish some higher power would deal with already . "

"Nyaa, that's why we have Clyde," Neko said . Alice and Yuki were about to spout words of deadly objection but the catgirl forestalled them . "It's simple really . He's the Stone, nya . When he gains the power, he can give it the old knockout punch, explosion . "

"Let's say it does sp.a.w.n," Clyde said . "Do you know if it has a weakness . "

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"It's taint," Yuki said . "Evil and all that icky stuff . Maybe holy and light could strike some sense into it . If we had some purity wielders still in existence . " Yuki sighed then looked at her phone . "I've got some grocery shopping to do . Master Clyde, Lady Alice, you're welcome to join me . "

She stood . Clyde wanted to pull her back down, take her right there on the chair .

"I've got a couple of things to do," he said, "but Alice—"

"Sure, I'll go," Alice said . "Chika wants to force me on some health nut diet and I want to be long gone before she gets back . "

"Neko?" Clyde said .

"Nya, I'm going to take a catnap," Neko said, soliciting blank stares from everyone .

"How's the guest room doing for you, Neko?" Clyde said .

"UnNYAccessary," she said, "but kind of you . I warp back home, you know . How do you think I change clothes? Well, I do take advantage of those big bathtubs, but that's beside the point . "

When Neko walked off, Alice pulled Clyde into a pa.s.sionate kiss . "You should come with us . "

He considered it but knew he couldn't . The young man felt the compet.i.tion between her and Yuki rise into the air like a deadly smoke cloud .

"Let this be some girl time," Clyde said . "Ruri's pack is leaving today, right? Take her along so she won't feel lonely . "

"I don't see why that girl insists on staying here," Yuki said . "She's a princess, with access to a vast of wealth . Why waste any time here?"

"She's Team Stone now," Clyde said . "She asked to join and who am I to refuse that kind of power . Besides, she's—" He bit off his last words . Calling her adorable right in front of Alice would send mixed messages .

Alice shrugged .

"Sure, I guess . "

Everyone froze when Harumi emerged from the hall . Dressed in a pink and purple s.h.i.+rt and skirt combo…with fox ears and fox tail revealed .

[Warning: it is highly recommended to add more BP to your house's defenses . s.h.i.+elding vast power from beings like dragons will require more magic and a higher level . ]

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[Main barrier level: 6 . PP: 25 . BP: 25 . ]

Clyde would deal with that later .

"So cute!" Yuki chanted, rus.h.i.+ng over to the blus.h.i.+ng pink-haired girl . She fluffed her tail, touched her ears . Then bowed . "You…you're a real kitsune . I knew there was something off about you—a human being so strong without sorcery or that magician stuff, but I wouldn't have guessed this . "

Alice pulled Harumi into an embrace .

"I like this side of you, don't hide it . "

"You…guys really don't mind?" Harumi said .

Neko peeked around the corner .

"Nya, they're two canines now, scary . "

Everyone stared at her blankly . She smiled innocently .

"Let's drag Neko with us—and you're coming, of course, Harumi," Alice said . They walked toward the catgirl .

"Nyyaaa—stay away . I don't wanna! Nyaaan!"

"Let's go pick up Ruri after this," Yuki said .

After forcing Neko to change, the women were off—though Harumi s.h.i.+fted back to her human state first . She also stole a long kiss while the others were teasing the catgirl .

Clyde changed into some date-worthy casual clothes . Natalia waited at his door…in loli form . She giggled and made the s.h.i.+ft to his relief . Her original form continued to make his jaw drop, but he would be naïve to believe she wouldn't pop back . In fact, she did the moment they stepped outside .

"Let's go the aquarium first," Natalia said, raising a fist .

"Why are you a kid again?" Clyde said in a deadpan voice .

"Whacky magic, long story—now let's go," she said cheerfully .

This is going to be either embarra.s.sing or ridiculous, there is no in-between with her, Clyde thought .

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Yusuke and Kitome's house…

Undine paused the game in Yusuke's face—even though they were evenly matched . The reaperess was quite the fast learner and quickly turned into a game freak . He found out that she secretly read all the Loli Saga installments behind his back while he was away . It didn't take her long to get addicted to anime .

"There is a terrible danger rapidly approaching," Undine said . "My arrogance had come for me at last . " She shook her head sadly . "I do not want them to burn this place down . " She sighed, eyes on the hall outside of Yusuke's door . "I had so much fun living here, felt normal and not untouchable nor wors.h.i.+pped . I came to love both you and your sister, like family . I even gave blessings of protection to your parents . I…planned to reveal myself as your…what you humans call… girlfriend if you allowed it . Maybe after we moved out . "

"Undine, what are you talking about?" Yusuke said . "What's going on?"

"To protect this place which I came to love, I must surrender myself," she said then looked at the young man . "One of my enemies have found me and threaten your home . Threaten you . Come, see for yourself . I do not feel a need to hide this . "

Yusuke grabbed Undine's arm and pulled her into an embrace . Tears fell from her eyes .

"I'm f.u.c.king lost—but you're not going anywhere, do you hear? Don't go," he said .

The reaperess s.h.i.+fted into an intangible state, which allowed her to move through all objects and people untouchable, as a spirit . She walked toward the front doors, ignoring the young man's protests .

His confusion was answered when she opened the door . Three…people or demons dressed in red ancient armor, stood less than a dozen meters from his house . A reddish glow in their palms indicated the gathering of fiery magic .

"What the f.u.c.k?" Yusuke said . "Who or what are they? f.u.c.k, let's fight them?"

"You cannot," Undine said . "Even if we beat them, Shaku will send more . A lot more . Or worse, personally visit . Then all the good people of your neighborhood would die . I have…come to love all, appreciate life and no longer wish to see death . Especially those of the innocent . Please do not pull from my honor . This is simply Karma, coming for her dues . I must…protect you . "

Undine made a strange gesture at the three…samurai?

"f.u.c.k Karma and this s.h.i.+t—you don't have to do this, Undine," Yusuke said . "We can take them out then go get the drop on this Shaku f.u.c.kface . "

"No!" Undine said strongly . "He serves he who embodies taint . The Abyss to the Blackness . Why would I want to risk bringing that upon you or these people, Yusuke? You have your entire life ahead . I am simply an intruder . You do not deserve to die because of me . "

The three samurais nodded, seeming to accept her surrender .

"It is very surprising to see you simply give in," one of them said, his voice that of a soldier's straight out of the movies . "That boy softened you . "

"Let us go," another said . "You offered yourself in order to protect that house . By honor of the surrender pact, you now submit to Lord Shaku's oath . In return, it is not necessary for us to torch or harm any innocents . "

"Undine, seriously," Yusuke said after transforming . He took a fighting stance, debating who to kill first .

"A ninja, now that brings back memories," one of them said . "But you are much too young to have the experience I'm looking for . Challenge us when you get some years on your b.a.l.l.s, kid . "

The red-armored group laughed then vanished with Undine . Yusuke's metallic star plunged into a vehicle on the side of the street . He believed it a miracle that no one was around at the moment to see the event .

Still, he couldn't let this happen! And he would NOT sit back to mope while those…things had their way with Undine . He pulled out his phone to dial for help, but someone swiped it from his grasp .

A fourth red-armored samurai crushed it beneath his boot .

"Now, now, we cannot have that," he said then in a flash, delivered Yusuke a solid fist-smash to his face . The impact sent the ninja flying into a utility pole . "That is your warning, boy . Next time, I won't be so lenient . "

Yusuke wheezed through the pain, struggling to stand as the red b.a.s.t.a.r.d walked away . This…was worse than he thought . He needed to get to his party as soon as possible .

Tall Building in Lot City…

"What the f.u.c.k do you mean they failed to a.s.sa.s.sinate him?" someone snapped . "How hard is it to blow the brains out of an unnecessary nuisance, a kid who couldn't be more than twenty! We don't need people chanting that Team Stone nonsense . Kill him or I swear, I'll gut all of you . And next time, don't tell your dumba.s.s mercenaries to pretend to be robbers . Just shoot—both he and whoever's with him . Taking down the leader will disband the party, do you f.u.c.king here me?"

The man waited for a response from the other line . "Now get moving . If they get even more famous, we'll be finished . " He paused . "DON'T, BUT OYABUN ME . Hurry the f.u.c.k up or I'll f.u.c.k you up! And make sure my daughter's ride is on time . You know how Misaka gets . She'll walk . And if you make her walk, I'll make you…" He let his voice trail off, delivering the threat . "Be competent for once . " He ended the call . "Incompetent fools . Ask them to do one job correctly and…" he paused, propping his feet on the desk . His secretary glared at him . "Don't start with me today . And tell your sister Hinako to watch over Misaka . My baby girl's delicate . "

The secretary sighed .

"She watches too much anime, if you asked me . "

"Well I didn't," the Oyabun said . "She's a college brat . At that age, that's all . "

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