Clyde wasn't always the speech-giving "leaders.h.i.+p" type, but coming to Satovia changed him . It forced the young man to discard the remainder of any sh.e.l.l or…well, die . In this case, speak to a group of potentially angry parents . And Kitome's mom . Her invisible anger aura endlessly radiated to the point where the other parents kept at least a small distance away from her . Her dad was facepalming—but turned out to be friendlier .

Sponsored Content

Chika looked as if she would rather be anywhere else than near her parents . Toru's parents fortunately kept them at bay . Seth parents were way different from their son . They were normal parents, but also kind and respectful .

Sazuki and Kiko's mother—there didn't appear to be a father—glanced at Team Stone with both intrigue and skepticism, but remained silent .

Amaterasu seemed fascinated by the others . Without the glowing eyes, she sometimes caused the men to blush .

Clyde began with the introduction . The group watched the man they probably saw on the news and heard about in every social circle . He made a mental note not to be caught alone by Chika's mother .

"I'm Clyde Stone," Clyde said, rowing with the last name . His earth family name, which no longer mattered was Tokin . Only Alice knew it . "And as you probably know by now, I am the leader of Team Stone . He manifested an energy ball above his hand . "The magic is real and all of the freaky things that happened across the city was due to supernatural beings . The bad ones of course . " He let the ball of magic dissipate . "Your sons and daughters have access to magic and so they stepped up, using it to keep the city safe . "

He opened the table up for questions . At first, no one spoke, but seeing Clyde's respectful att.i.tude seemed to have sparked something within them . Even Kitome's mom introduced herself . The young man forced himself not to wonder about the gene pool and why his blue-haired friend didn't gain all of her mother's a.s.sets .

Abe Tanaka, father of Chika Tanaka, seemed to switch from Yakuza mode to a heartless CEO every second or so . Clyde answered all of his questions—which were surprisingly lighthearted . A few questions about himself . He seemed to be more impressed that the young man tied with Chika, but told him that the upcoming finals was where it all counted . Abe would be watching . Then he made a surprising anime bow .

"Please take care of my daughter," he said . "She means the world to me . "

"Dad," Chika said softly . The man handed Clyde his business card .

"I've never seen her so happy and determined," Abe said . "She's even competing against me in the business world, which makes me proud . My girl building her own thing, taking no handouts . " Stars s.h.i.+ned in his eyes, but the fatherly kind . "Don't make her cry . " He offered a hand, which Clyde accepted, before taking off . A possibly bada.s.s, tough-looking butler, who looked to be in his fifties hurried to his side . Madrian Tanaka pulled him into a breast-trap hug and whispered .

"Thank you for saving our lives . Son-in-law . " She scurried off to catch up with her husband .

Seth's parents seemed a bit intimidated at first, but after Clyde spoke to them, the duo calmed .

"Why are you surrounded by so many girls?" Kitome's mother snapped, shaking Clyde .

"Because…they…have magic," Clyde managed to say in between the shakes . She stopped, suddenly looking innocent . The young man kept eye contact, but still couldn't miss her bust . These people didn't understand the concept of personal s.p.a.ce . No wonder why he gave in to the poison of the world .

"Oh," she laughed . "I guess women have more potential for magic than men . What's my daughter's powers?"

Clyde saw a growing storm which was Kitome and did NOT want to unleash that on himself . He worked hard to get the young woman to like him . A relations.h.i.+p drop with her meant going back to being called a dips.h.i.+t, idiot, so on .

"You'll have to go to her about that," he said . "I may be the team lead, but I don't infringe on their rights . " He already told the parents as a whole how their children were free to come and go and take breaks as they pleased . This won him the approval .

Clyde took a clever step back, which put him beside Yusuke . "When ready, they'll come to you . "

Kitome and Yusuke's mom finally let out a sigh, replacing her frown with a motherly smile . Everyone at the table visibly relaxed, even their dad .

"Just take care of them, okay," she said .

Eventually, all of the parents left, except for Amaterasu and Alena . They were actually having a normal conversation .

"When that Kitome girl's mother finds out about your harem, you're dead," Dark said .

"And I thought Chika's father was going to be the most difficult to deal with," Clyde told him . Chika giggled as she anime-dove into the young man . He winced at the strain's soreness, but knew this was light compared to what awaited him in the morning . Pain's seemingly courteous delay before it laid the smackdown .

"You were awesome," Chika said . "Dad actually likes you . And just because we're tied for first doesn't mean I'm going to slow down with tutoring you . I'll keep that brain of yours in perfect shape . " In a whisper, she said, "And another part of you inside me . "

Sponsored Content

Yusuke sighed . Seth let out an even bigger sigh .

"I swear everyone has girlfriends but me," Seth said .

"Why don't you pick any of the girls you take on dates," Yusuke said .

"I bet he makes all of that up," Natalia said as she hopped on Clyde's shoulders .

"I don't make up my dates," Seth said . "They're just…well, normal girls . I don't want to bring them into our dangerous lifestyle . "

Surprised by the non-comedic, deep thought of the blonde boy, everyone looked at him .

"He's got a point there," Selkie said then pat him on the back . "You're a good guy Seth . "

Clyde nodded before turning his attention to the crusaders .

"I suppose it's time for the start of the main event . "

Some of them gulped . After the dungeon experience and witnessing just a fraction of Clyde's overwhelming strength, they did NOT want to p.i.s.s him off . At least, that was what the young man gathered from their worried expressions . Even Chizuru looked openly uneasy .

"No point in making this wait any further," Clyde said . "And Dark, try to hold your edgy, want-to-kill-all att.i.tude . Leave the judgment to me . "

Dark shrugged .

"You have the lord of the dark's word . "

Myriad whacked him on the head with a downward fist . "Ow! You've got to be delicate with us humans, you annoying woman . " The harpy gave him a tsundere harrumph, folding her arms .

"Let's start with the straightforward basics," Clyde said . "What makes your group different from all of the other b.a.s.t.a.r.ds we've encountered? And as you can see, nearly everyone at this table dislike crusaders . "

Chizuru flinched but explained away undeterred .

"I will not make any excuses for them," she said . "My party and I are called crusaders, but we function independently from the others, and while they believe we're fooled…we're aware of being used as the public face . It's a price to pay…to save lives . "

Clyde gave her a skeptical look but allowed her to continue . "I know you may not want to hear this—I certainly don't like talking about it, but please allow me to talk about myself . "

"Go ahead," Clyde said . "If it helps explain things, no problem . "

"I don't have parents, so I spent the start of my childhood at an orphanage . The crusaders marched in one day and declared that a G.o.ddess pointed at me as some kind of prodigy . It turns out I had magic, much stronger than the average gifted . We all came from the same orphanage . We were trained and even ate separately from the main group . The Order's task for us was to travel and save people . Stay in the public's eye and raise the name of the crusader . Everything seemed fine before the researchers started to get way too ambitious . In particular, Lead Researcher Tizen . " Some of the other crusaders looked uneasy about the young woman given out the information . Clyde gestured her to continue . "There are rumors about him working on a secret project—from opening some dimension to the Abyss or discovering a holy grail, among other nonsense . But, we all feel that he's up to something—he was the one that encouraged all researchers to push for power . " Chizuru sighed . "He influenced crusader behavior overall, which lead to groups led by researchers to follow his vision . That's why many of them are nastier . Being separate, my group still carries on the original values of the crusaders . The others look at us as relics of the past and something for the public to acknowledge . But we can't be everywhere at once . We…"

"I see," Clyde interrupted . "Do you know where we can find this Order?"

"To be honest, no," Chizuru said .

"You're not trying to hide them, are you?" Clyde said, giving her a glowing-eyed look .

"We're not," Chizuru said, voice almost a whine . "They hide themselves behind masks and hoods whenever they appear at camps . It's possible that the researchers know where to find them . "

Clyde nodded .

Sponsored Content

"We're going to form a pact, truce, whatever you want to call it . Just your group and Team Stone . And you'll work for me . No objections . Bring me a researcher—I don't care how . Tear will get an answer out of him . "

Tear laughed . The crusaders shuddered .

"This isn't some bulls.h.i.+t, you versus us thing, but a push for the safety of the public," Clyde said . "You clearly explained to us that the researchers are your problem and that they've somehow gained control of the Order . There's no way around it . "

[Adventure quest pending: Pay the Order of the Crusaders a visit . Stop their cruelty once and for all . You will have to rely on Chizuru to bring you back the researcher to begin this quest . ]

[Let it be known that all Adventure quests are mandatory and count as main story quests . Neko may appear as needed to guide you along . ]

Well, better her than Mortem, Clyde thought . Seriously, f.u.c.k that guy .

The only good thing he'd ever done was laugh in Amaterasu's face . That made the young man's victory feel even more…universally valid .

Clyde eyed Tessa . The Wind . He saved the most intriguing for last . She gave a quick sad smile then dropped it to a nervous expression . Everyone stared at her .

"So what's your story?" Clyde said . "You're Venus's chosen . Mortem, the ent.i.ty that popped in to laugh at Amaterasu, serves her too . He looked at you and left in a hurry . "

Tessa looked almost teary-eyed . "Relax, we're not going to hurt you . Well, unless you really are a threat . " He winked at the green-haired girl, who tried and failed to hide her ears .

Natalia blew on Clyde's neck, causing him to shudder .

"You evil loli," he said . "Anyway, go on Tessa . The edge lord over there and I are from Earth . "

She nodded .

"I am too," she said . "I suspected it was Venus who brought me here, and it still blows my mind to know that she's real . "

"You don't have G.o.ds where you're from?" Alena asked .

"On Earth, we're expected to believe by faith," Tessa said . "Well in the modern era . Apparently the ancients witnessed them . "

"Interesting," Selkie said .

"I encountered the Viper one day," Tessa said . "A man wearing a black hood with scary glowing purple eyes . "

Clyde's eyes widened as the memory of a dream returned to him .

"Let's have a drink, you and I . "

Sponsored Content

That person in the dream… . HE WAS THE f.u.c.kING VIPER? Clyde could hardly breathe .

"I met him too," Dark said, surprising everyone except Selkie . "And he…he almost killed me and Selkie . He's actually apart of the reason why we're here and why we have a present for Clyde . "

"I couldn't so much as touch him," Tessa said . "And he went on about honor and fighting—but that guy's a freaking psychopath . "

"I agree," Dark said . "The rules of the stone-viper games pit only the Stone and the Viper against each other . He's only killing us because he feels like it . Even if we're here just to…live a better life . "

Clyde gulped but asked the question, anyway .

"Do I stand a chance?"

"If you were the same as the last time I visited, then you'd die instantly," Dark said . "After seeing you turn into f.u.c.king black Thor of Asgard, you two may not be far apart . But dude if you can transform into…whatever the h.e.l.l that was—do it at the beginning . The lord of the dark will beg this—please don't wait . While your stats make no d.a.m.n sense, his are worse . Infinite MP . His level showed up as red question marks and—"

"He's a legendary soul," Tessa interrupted . Dark tried to talk over her again, but Clyde held up a hand .

"So you fought the Viper and then what?" Clyde said .

"Just as he was about to kill me, I heard Venus's voice," Tessa said softly . "In exchanged for saving me, I became her servant . She calls me daughter . "

Selkie's eyes were wide . Alena sighed .

"That's against the rules," Selkie said . "She can't make any of you serve her, but I suppose it's alright . She's a tricky one, according to my master . One moment she has a heart and the other, that woman is as perverted as…Oh sorry, I don't want to badmouth your G.o.ddess . The important thing is that you're alive . But why are you here?"

"Venus sent me to check out a disturbance," Tessa answered . "A wraith appeared in the city . "

Dark had a coughing fit .

"Seriously? Whoa!"

"Long story," Toru said to the chuuni .

"It's dead, that's all there is to it," Clyde said .

"You don't understand," Alena said . "They're nearly impossible to kill . How did you…"

Amaterasu rolled her eyes .

"Obviously by transforming . He beat me, didn't he?" She folded her eyes and harrumphed .

"Mother, no becoming tsundere please," Melody said softly .

Airi cleared her throat . Clyde grinned at her .

"Airi gave me some kind of power that enabled me to take it out along with the researcher," Clyde said . "Once again, long story and I'm asking the questions . "

The breeze whipped across Clyde's face as he made eye contact with the elf girl . Wait .

"If you're from Earth, why did you turn into an elf?" Clyde said . "Did you get the option to choose? What's going on here? If it isn't too much trouble for you, do you mind giving us a little more to work with? I'm not trying to get your G.o.ddess p.i.s.sed at you . "

"And especially not here," Seth said . Kitome gave him a glare that promised later retribution .

Tessa nodded .

"It's okay . On my last day, I was visiting an old friend of mine—it was supposed to be a surprise visit . Unfortunately as things turned out…" Tears fell from the poor girl's eyes . She quickly wiped and continued . "It was I who got the surprise instead . His family said he disappeared without a trace, months ago . No one could tell me anything, as if he just vanished out of reality . It could've been a car accident, who knows . It was when I got to my hotel to call it a night, a voice called out to me . "

"So this confirms that getting hit by trucks won't reincarnate us in this world," Dark said .

"You read too many mangas," Natalia said . "Dummy-chuuni . " She stuck her tongue out at him, gaining his comedic snarl .

"You stupid—"

"Enough," Amaterasu said . "This is a rather bizarre story . And this sounds like something that perverted G.o.ddess would do . "

"Sorry for your loss," Clyde said . "What's the name of your friend?"

"Maybe we can dig him an honorary grave," Dark said . "And decorate it with the blessings of your lord of shado—ouch . Dammit bird brain . "

"Then shut the h.e.l.l up with your chuuni rants in public," Myriad comedically snarled .

Tessa's eyes widened .

"No…it couldn't be, just a coincidence," she said softly . Her hands trembled .

"What?" Clyde said .

"He disappeared without a trace, gone for months," she said . "And then I happened to meet someone with the same name, who is also from earth . And come to think of it… is like an anime version of…"

Tessa suddenly fainted .

"Ah s.h.i.+t," Clyde said . "What was she talking about? Crusaders, make yourselves useful and take her to the nurse's office . She can crash at our place for the night I guess . "

"d.a.m.n, I wanted to know how she became an elf," Dark said .

"She's no elf, chunni-for-brains," Selkie said, shaking her head . "There are other races with pointed ears . "

"h.e.l.l, even Mortem's ears are that way, but that's not the point," Clyde said . "It's probably best that we don't bring up her friend again . We don't need a potential ally to lose her head in a world like this . "

Harumi tilted her head in thought .

"The way she looked at you, as if seeing a ghost . Why?"

"What was that?" Clyde asked .

"No—nothing," Harumi said, face flushed .

Sponsored Content