Current time: Early afternoon…

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Clyde and Harumi placed a hand on Toru's shoulders, smiling at him innocently .

"Toru, our good friend, our representative," Clyde began . "As someone familiar with the place, you're the best man to speak for us . "

Toru frowned .

"He always had an air about him," Harumi said . "Spirit energy that attracts the… uncivilized . "

The group of women continued to march toward them .

"Should we really be standing here?" Kitome said, uncertainty in her voice .

"I'll handle this," Sazuki said, her voice cold . "I know of these idiots . Good luck getting them to even talk to a man . They'll come over here, but if you stand up to them, they're all blushes, tears, and apologies until one of them rallies them . "

"Well, since they're already rallied, do your thing," Clyde said to Sazuki . He gave one more micro-glare to Toru then turned to face the approaching cult .

"There sure are a lot of them," Sazuki said . "So many gullible buffoons . Disgusting . Women should pride themselves to be at their best, not… wors.h.i.+p, whatever a minotaur is . A mythical monster, right?"

"Sazuki…remind me to get you into gaming and fantasy novels after this," Clyde said . The student council president blushed .

"Well excuse me for not being a famous magic-wielding, long-time Team Stone member," Sazuki said .

"We've got you covered," Clyde said . "By the way, how's the training going? Or is Harumi interrupting it to make sure you're not hurt . "

Harumi snorted .

"It's going quite well," Sazuki said, "but seeing my younger sister toss around heavy objects, even the boulders at Libado, like pillows, is kind of unsettling . But if it helps settle your consciousness, Toru works us like he's some kind of hardcore sports coach . "

"I see," Clyde said then pat Toru on the shoulder . "Good s.h.i.+t man . "

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"And you wanted to sacrifice me to the cultists," Toru said . "Although . " He said in a voice just above a whisper . "Look at what they're wearing . Makes a man glad to be alive . "

"I know right?" Clyde whispered back . "Why aren't there a ton of men around, gawking?"

"They probably believe that tangling with the cult-freaks will get them spirited away by the minotaurs," Toru answered .

"What are you two whispering about?" Kitome said, barging in between them .

"Nothing important," Toru and Clyde said simultaneously .

When the cultists were less than twenty feet from them, they stopped . The leader continued forward . She seemed startled when Sazuki moved toward her, poised and dignified .

"Those women are doomed," Harumi said confidently .

"Ice queen president," Toru said . "No man is brave enough to ask her out . She's like Kitome . Unapproachable . " The magical girl elbowed him in the gut . "Oof . "

"I'm not unapproachable," she snapped . "I just have standards . Unlike you, slime-chaser . "

"No need to be a species-racist . A speciest?" Toru laughed, gaining an indignant blush from the blue-haired girl . Her green eyes would probably turn red at some point if the n.o.ble continued to push it . Harumi hissed at them to quiet down .

"How can we help you?" Sazuki said to the cult leader .

"We just have a few questions for the men . No need to be alarmed, girl," the cult leader said .

"I know all about you, Lia," Sazuki continued . "So unless you want your name squashed all over the media, I suggest you leave these two college students alone . " She emphasized the 'college' to boil up her point . However, the cult leader just didn't back down .

"Perhaps I should tell you what we're all about," Lia said . "Because you clearly have a misunderstanding ringing in that empty head of yours . "

Sazuki suddenly punched the woman so hard, she lurched thirty feet backward, cras.h.i.+ng into a heap on some of her minions .

"Oh, I forgot Sazuki's habit of punching every girl that insults her," Toru said .

"Reminds me of the first real meeting with her," Clyde said . "Dammit Sazuki—let's go, run!"

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Sazuki said nothing but the ice remained in her gaze .

It took the group nearly twenty minutes to find another cab . Kitome muttered what felt like an infinite series of Toru insults . Sazuki looked weary . She apologized for losing her temper, but no one held that against her . They were at the right place during the wrong time .

"Toru, you'll be in charge of checking the news or internet every morning for minotaur cult sermon locations," Clyde said .

"Sure," Toru said, unenthused, but knew he couldn't protest . A f.u.c.k-up was a f.u.c.k-up .

"Oh no," Harumi said tiredly .

"What?" Sazuki said .

"Airi texted me . She stood against a group of minotaur wors.h.i.+ppers in defense of Yusuke and Seth . " Harumi groaned . "And here I thought if Airi took control of Yusuke's lessons, just for today, nothing could possibly go wrong . " Clyde winced at the mixed-in sarcasm . "She's also with Kiko . "

Sazuki nodded, her trust in Airi visibly displayed . Clyde took in that note . What was she behind those question marks? Did Harumi know? Well, it wasn't his business, for now .

The moment the group stepped out of the car, cheering up at the sight of the mall, the cab driver held up a hand .

"No charge . "

"Sir, we couldn't possibly hamper your job," Harumi said .

"No charge," he said again, voice firm . "FRESH MEAT, MEN HERE!" He slammed the door shut and took off while laughing wildly .

Clyde's eyes widened . Sure enough, cultists from just a dozen meters away looked at them, smiling . Leading them was another red dress-wearing woman .

"Friends! Oh, great friends!" she shouted . "Let's chat!"

"You've got to be s.h.i.+tting me," Kitome snapped . "Are the people in this place f.u.c.king crazy?"

"This one isn't on me," Toru said .

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"Funny enough, it was your suggestion to go to the mall," Kitome said .

"Let's not start the arguing," Harumi said . "It wouldn't surprise me if we found them near the hotel upon return . So, it's time we ditch the hide-magic approach, Clyde, because it's clearly not working . "

"Do undercover agents blow their covers in weak situations like this?" Clyde said . "Stick to the plan . "

Harumi sighed .

"Why is this happening?"

"I'll tell you why it's happening," Kitome barked . "Doofus-head here and his monster girl attraction magic . "

"That only works on monster girls," Clyde said . "Unless I'm blind—"

"Don't be a smarta.s.s on me," Kitome said .

"I'll do the talking," Sazuki said .

"No!" everyone shouted .

She smiled sheepishly . Clyde laughed . He almost said, "there's only one kind, sweet, beautiful, girl out there who could handle this," but thought better of it . Kitome was holding his arm now . Making the jive on Harumi would just backfire . Sazuki would probably lapse back into ice mode .

"Harumi, do you want to give it a shot or shall we run?"

"Fine, but you owe me for this," she said . Once again, the leader of the wors.h.i.+ppers seemed to be taken aback that a woman would dare side with a man .

"We really got to do something about the minotaurs," Toru said .

Kitome sniffed, but for once, held back her fiery tongue that held a football field's worth of insults for the n.o.ble .

Somewhere…

"I am Dark…washed up overlord . " Dark stared at the tired young man in the mirror . The watchers told Selkie that the Supreme demon lord unlocked the gate to Wonderland and that whatever she was discussing with the Queen of hearts could affect the entire world . And among one barely transmitted word, they caught, 'send a jobberwock to play with the Stone . '

Dark would've simply called the normie to warn him, but his phone was crushed by harpies . As if things couldn't get any worse, guides' had their Jumping privileges restricted to prevent the Viper from honing onto their magic signatures and killing them . Punishment squads were supposedly being prepared to deal with the maniac .

Despite level-grinding, he still didn't learn Jump or any kind of teleporting ability . What a mess for the great lord of the dark . A b.l.o.o.d.y freaking mess .

The young man sat back on his bed . Selkie walked into his hotel room, mocking humor in her smile .

"Charly, if you're going to continue to solo like a chuuni, then double your training," she said . "Triple it . You've got to do something . This standstill…"

"I know," Dark said . "I know . But…why should I? I'm not ever going back to earth . Maybe I should…"

"Then go back to the palace," Selkie said . "They're waiting for you . Many expressed how much they've missed you . "

"I…can't face them," Dark said . "I just left them there . What if the Viper turned out to be even crazier than he already is? Murderous and psycho, bloodthirsty . "

"Oh, come on, I'm not that bad," said a familiar voice . Selkie melted into goo, revealing the man with glowing purple eyes . A giant knife sp.a.w.ned from nowhere and lunged into Dark's throat . He gagged as blood poured from his mouth . The Viper laughed, spit-sprinkles dancing over Dark's face .

Abruptly he awoke, panting, breathing hard . A twisted version of the previous night's conversation…

Dark wanted to yell . A familiar ogre grinned evilly at him . To think that she even bothered tracking him fifteen miles—what the h.e.l.l?

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