Clyde's house…

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"EVERYONE GET UP!" Clyde shouted . He banged on their doors . "We're in some serious s.h.i.+t! The heart core is not enough . Hurry, get dressed, emergency meeting! You've got fifteen minutes . "

A flurry of motion and noise, as well as curses, let the young man know most were awake . He dialed Toru's number . Fortunately, the brown-haired n.o.ble was an early riser and answered .

"Get dressed . Wake up your gothic loli a.s.sistant too . We're in some serious trouble . I'll be Jumping there in a few minutes to bring you here . "

"Got it," Toru said .

Yuki met Clyde in the hall .

"I've taken the liberty to shake that silly girl awake . "

d.a.m.n . Clyde was actually looking forward to messing with Alice, if anything just to take his mind off the upcoming disaster . Still, Yuki saved him from one of the hardest tasks of the morning .

"Thanks," he said . "For breakfast, we'll just go with the box of granola bars . " Yuki pouted . He chuckled, kissing the demoness . She looked as if she wanted more, holding back due to the graveness of the situation .

After making the final call to Yusuke, urging him to bring Undine, Clyde Jumped to Toru's . He felt the surge of magic and bitter emotion through his mystic senses . So much and way beyond his capabilities . For the first time in a while, the young man felt very unsure . The heart core combined with Chika's pa.s.sive skill may not be enough .

His mind flashed back to the departure with t.i.tania .

"Go rally up your friends," t.i.tania said . "You must decide to run or foolishly fight . The heart core you obtained is an impressive relic—nearly impossible to find . You plan to combine it with Kanako's power . However, genie magic does not work on them, Stone . They can erase it with just a thought . I can also tell you're having trouble reaching your Full power, so please, I urge you to think this through . The literal fate of our dimension rests on you . The inquisitors will know if Tear departed and will pursue, but at least your beloved city will not get destroyed . I think . "

"What do you mean, you think?" Clyde said .

"The inquisitors are not the most predictable lot," t.i.tania said . "They are efficient, highly skilled and trained, deadly . Not even deities, S-ranked adventurers, or even the best of my fairy warriors like to tangle with them . You caught that inquisitor scout off guard with the heart core . The others will know to fight in a way to account for the loss of power . Halved doesn't mean much when they out-level you considerably . " t.i.tania placed a hand on his shoulder . "I can only buy you just a little time . Thirty minutes at most and if I'm lucky . Do not make me regret doing this . "

"t.i.tania, that's not—"

The fairy queen vanished . Clyde spouted a stream of curses as he lurched into motion .

After he gathered all of Team Stone in the meeting room, the young man explained the situation . The silence received after he finished made him nervous . He led to team into life-risking fights many times, but something about this…

That's when he remembered who he was fighting for . He had two decisions to make: defend the city or abandon it .

"I will flee," Tear said . "If I go—"

"I'm afraid Jumping isn't an option and you know this, Tear," Clyde said . "We can go by vehicle, but it wouldn't do us any good, pursued by supernatural ent.i.ties . And I won't have you surrendering yourself . "

"That's right," Toru said . "Team Stone protects theirs . "

Everyone voiced their agreements simultaneously . Tear sighed .

"You're all aware of the terrible power of the inquisition and still wish to face them," Tear said then shook her head . "We went through the trouble of getting that heart core, even faced a lich . Even if it's not enough, you're still willing to stand up to an entire legion of inquisition . " Tear stood . "I cannot allow this . "

"Tear—"

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"Listen to me," Tear said, interrupting Clyde . "The real inquisition are ruthless and powerful enough to make even deities think twice . I'm not sure why t.i.tania is…she's…I cannot allow you to die . I will go . "

"She's what?"

They turned to see Ashard standing at the doorway of the boardroom, eyes of ice . "Where is she?"

"At the edge of the city, where the inquisition is approaching from," Clyde said . "It's—"

Ashard vanished, causing the young man to curse . "Great . Just f.u.c.king great . The fairy queen and prince will be in the path of those inquisition b.a.s.t.a.r.ds . "

"Why is she doing this?" Tear asked .

"Turns out our fairy queen is a big believer in the Stone," Clyde said . "And yet…asking me to run? To leave the city to perish…"

"This is why I should redirect the inquisition's attention," Tear said .

"Remember when I said Jumping wasn't possible," Clyde said . "I wasn't kidding . From afar, they've already blocked any hopes of escaping . Test the magic . We could take you and get the h.e.l.l out by foot, but leaving the city to its doom…" His voice trailed off to let the sentence hang .

Tear stood then walked over to a window, staring out into the world .

"Truth be told…you're all that I have," she said softly . "Years ago, I cut ties with my mother and even the tiny parts of my family that I did talk to . Not that demons cared much about each other's interests . We're cold and heartless as a whole . So please…reconsider throwing your lives away like this . "

A suspicious twinkle of light made Clyde walk over, pulling the succubus into an embrace . Natalia was just a second into rising, but she stayed in place, staring down at the table .

Tear, a powerful succubus of n.o.ble blood, never shown these emotions . Her hot tears fell for only a short time, but they revealed a side of the woman that Clyde and most of Team Stone didn't think was possible .

The team sat in silence, the heavy vibe of sorrow hanging in the air . The prompt made things worse .

[-Territory- Alert! Level: *SUPER EXTREME* The Supreme Demon Lord's inquisition has arrived to your territory . ]

[Heart core activated . All attack, magic and non-magic, defenses and other stats are halved . ]

[System advice: it is strongly recommended not to engage them at your level . Their target is Tear . The Supreme has summoned her to begin training, which will lead to succession . ]

Clyde took a Super MP Potion from his inventory and downed it, topping off his recovery .

"They're here," he said softly . "I won't be letting them take Tear . "

Alice giggled .

"He did take on Amaterasu by himself . "

"That's right," Seth said . "I couldn't even read her power level, yet you sure could for that scout . "

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"I…may not be able to easily access the power," Clyde said . Everyone nearly fell backward .

Kitome grabbed Clyde by the collar .

"Then how do you expect for us to stand a chance?" she snapped .

"We can't fight them directly," Clyde said, "but we'll drive them off with tactics and guerilla warfare . Use skills that have the highest chance of inflicting status alignments . Since all of their power will be chopped in half, we have a fighting chance . "

"Against one hundred inquisitors, Clyde," Tear said .

He smiled at her .

"Have faith . I said you're not going back, so you won't . "

She kissed him . The others didn't react, already used to the physical affection .

"What's my job?" Tear asked .

"Direct protection by your knight in s.h.i.+ning ar—" he stopped at the glares of Alice, Harumi, Kitome, even Ruri . Chika simply looked indifferent .

"Chika, you're teaming up with me . It's thanks to you that I was able to take out the scout . "

"I'm still impressed," Tear said . "A scout's power level is usually five hundred or more . "

Chika got up and walked over to the young man's side .

"What's my job, sir?" She saluted .

"We'll get to that," Clyde said, "but, let me ask you this . How far are you from level one hundred?" She whispered her level in the young man's ear . "Nice! Kitome, I want you to activate your plains of silence spell in the midst of them . Everyone else, focus heavily on status alignments . Get them asleep, paralyzed, harsh blights, whatever . "

"I'll call Sahara to come over and give us a power boost," Kitome said .

Clyde activated all of his buffs . The rest of Team Stone did the same . All seemed as if it would somehow workout . Until…

[Talent, Main character stuff: Future a.n.a.lyze . ]

Inquisitor Commander Yahiko

Level: *???* [Future a.n.a.lyze has revealed the level: 1500 . ]

Type: Arch Demon

Work under: *Supreme Demon Lord .

Special: Void tier skill: Soul Dying Light . [Warning! This attack will destroy the entire city! Survivors will be petrified . ]

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Weakness: Purity x 2 . Holy x2 . Light . Deity x2 .

Resistances: dark and all of its attributes (complete resistance) . Fire, Earth, Purity, Holy, Light, Angel .

Secret: Venus almost killed him once by throwing him into the realm of light . He was foolish to challenge her, but due to surviving the element, he'd also gained a resistance to light and some of its attributes .

[Critical Warning: this fight is not possible to win . ]

[System has blocked: Hidden tier skill Foresight . Calculating… Intense stress possible from seeing a grim future . ]

Fifteen hundred . Clyde had deep hopes that one thousand would be the level cap, but there was none . Fifteen hundred… He sat down, eyes on the floor . His team looked to him . The system gave him a warning that not even the biggest of idiots could ignore . A critical warning, a foresight that would've no doubt shown the future of his team's deaths…

He clenched his fists together as the reality of the situation slammed hard on him . Team Stone's leader was just about to lead them to their deaths, again .

Tear…after filling his fiancé with so much courage . The guerrilla warfare plan…was a doomed failure . Not due to the idea, but simply because the commander had a cheat skill . Grim future . Lot City's last breath .

Clyde thought about the words Natalia told him, which enabled yet another increase to Stone Mode .

Special training . The Watchers wanted to make him wait for a week just to see if Natalia could become his trainer .

Clyde's friends were on the line…His Tear . His life mate's dearest cousin . Millions of lives, taken away at the whim of a supernatural a.s.shole .

His friends…fated to die again, led by him . The man that they trusted . What kind of f.u.c.ked up s.h.i.+t was this? Who do these people think they are, subjecting him to this?

Clyde…was at a realistic lost . The harsh, bitter sting of reality that seemed to flip him off at every corner .

[Your prophet's plea to Venus was successful . ]

[Your dangerous relations.h.i.+p with Venus has increased to Absolute Wanting x2, Unrequited Love . ]

Suddenly, Clyde heard a voice that filled him from the inside out—a pleasurable tone that felt almost like a succubus's seductive advance . Perhaps evens stronger . He focused to keep from losing himself into it .

She spoked through Ming . One could tell from the glazed over eyes and obvious holy aura surrounding her .

"Do you have any idea how hard I worked, how many bribes I paid to get them to even look at your good deeds . I can't believe I have to tell you, my love—this is breaking… certainly breaking the rules . Ah well, who cares . Stand and skip the melodramatic phase . We've got a future night rumble that you'll never forget . Now, pull your power from the very one you're trying to protect . Pull it from Tear . That girl has a scary amount of hidden power, I tell you . Hmm, come to think of it, she could probably kill me . Ah, she'll be a fun sister . You owe me one, Love . Oh and one more thing . Ming isn't my follower, but she has like maybe one percent of my bloodline . A cousin . Thank you for treating her well . Tessa too . She's such an innocent virgin girl . My Chosen . "

The voice faded out of existence . Ming started to collapse, but Matsume caught her in time .

Clyde wasted no time and focused on Tear . At first, nothing happened, but then something started to guide a ma.s.sive amount of magic and…something else…toward him in heaps . Venus's doing for sure .

The young man trembled . Tear did too, falling into him . He pulled her into an embrace then sat the woman into a chair . The changes to Clyde happened suddenly .

Eyes glowing purple, black bat-like wings burst from his back, startling his team . His muscles grew an entire size . A red haze flickered in and out of the young man's vision .

The haze turned out to be an afterglow of his aura . An aura made of fire .

[System crashed…]

[System changed…]

[*War Stone Mode*]

[War Stone Mode is utilizing the hidden MP of your friends . When it runs out, you will be forcibly s.h.i.+fted back to your base state . It will be called FM . ]

[Venus has broken the law, given you access to a forbidden Mode . ]

[Your intellect of 342 is compatible with this pa.s.sive skill…]

[You have learned pa.s.sive skill, *Ancestral Spirit Lineage . Type: Omni-spiritual . Cla.s.s: *Legendary . While in War Stone Mode, the knowledge and experiences of many generations of legendary warriors from across the multiverses will be synced with you as your own . ]

[This pa.s.sive is also a Ki skill and will slowly consume your overall Ki . It will continue to work even at 0% Ki; however, keep this in mind for the future . ]

[FM: 500%] [Ki: 100%]

Clyde tuned out the worried concerns of his friends as he calculated three trillion ways to take out each inquisitor . He grinned, revealing two fangs .

"I can smell the aroma of battle," he said in a demonic voice then chuckled . "Those two are fools, but fools filled with heart . I like it . Now it's my turn to become a fool . "

[Extreme Alert! The forbidden System could destroy you! Remember Mortem's—]

As Clyde Jumped, he told the system, "As if I give a d.a.m.n about Mortem or his advice . "

[After your special training, you will gain access to War Stone Mode upon reaching level 125 . It will only work by drawing on Tear's magic . You MUST make the special training a priority . ]

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