"I will rip out your throat and make you eat it," Chika seemed to say within her yandere glare . Her aura swirled out, visible at least to him . Even Harumi's normally friendly face looked neutral, those eyes seeming to dare the young man .

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Clyde couldn't believe how small the gazes of these women made him feel . That saying about a woman's fury—so this was it or at least a taste . Friends.h.i.+p, closer level two . He knew he didn't deserve it as he didn't put in the realistic amount of work . Agh! How could he let himself get trapped into a harem anyway? Wait . It wasn't a harem . No…just because he had three female friends didn't mean jack s.h.i.+t, right?

Friends.h.i.+p, closer level two . Okay, so they clearly liked him, Clyde knew that much . Can't be the dense-man here, he knew . That didn't mean he had to jump to being romantically involved with them right now .

Another excuse . They were very fun to hang out with, but he'd be lying to himself if he said he wasn't attracted to them . Constantly inviting Alice over, Harumi with chess as an excuse knowing she was impossible to beat, and still hanging out with yandere Chika because reasons .

G.o.d, what had j.a.pan done to him? Clyde needed to get out of his head .

"Meh, it's just a kiss for the transfer of spirit energy," Clyde said in a disinterested voice, knowing d.a.m.n well that he wanted to do more . His attraction to Alice was so strong, it seemingly transcended time . He needed to be sure that, that was him and not some ambient demoness magic . Another excuse . He grew tired of them .

Well, it was not as if he formed a harem . Pssh, as if someone like an OP trickster would suddenly surrender herself to him in some impossibly foolish notion . That absolute endearment had to be fake .

So many obstacles stood in his way—the entire experience had evolved into more than a mission to make it back to his prior dimension . And the system preventing him from rus.h.i.+ng .

One wave of Alice's finger surrounded the duo with some kind of glowing white circle . A magic circle Clyde remembered from various video games and fantasy TV shows, it s.h.i.+mmered like a blinking sun, tiny particles of energy rising into the air above it .

Before he knew it, Alice and his lips met . He…wished he could go further .

Suddenly, the circle collapsed, and a force threw the twin-tailed demoness to the wall . She hit with a thud!

"Oh s.h.i.+t, Alice . "

The three of them surrounded the demoness . It took Clyde a few seconds to realize that she was laughing .

"Well, she's not hurt," Chika said .

"He doesn't need a ward," Alice said weakly . "If anything, demons should want a warding against him . " The demoness sat up, her smile revealing itself for Clyde . "You have no idea how impossibly strong you are . What s.h.i.+nes inside of you, brighter than the brightest of suns . " She easily stood without a.s.sistance . "Yeah, don't expect me to try that again unless I decide to become some kind of m.a.s.o.c.h.i.s.t . "

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Clyde didn't know what to say . Special power, in him? Some useful thing to know . Where was it when he needed it? What a f.u.c.kin cliché . Where was the old man to tell him how to use his so-called special abilities, then die five minutes later to some cannon fodder enemy .

What about the times he nearly died—surely something could've manifested . As a prideful but wise anime character once said, power levels are bulls.h.i.+t .

Chika and Harumi looked at Clyde as if viewing him for the first time .

"Anything you'd like to share?" Harumi said . "I knew you were strange since the night I saw you fight, but you never talk about yourself . Where are you from? And when did you come across your powers?"

Clyde felt backed in a corner . In truth, he didn't mind talking about himself, but attracting Mortem was simply not an option .

"I can't say," Clyde said . Harumi opened her mouth to protest, but the young man interjected . "It's not like I want to keep any secrets . I simply can't say . "

Chika sighed then anime-dove into his arms .

"I trust you," she said . "Regardless of the mess you're in . "

"You shouldn't," Clyde said then pulled away . "Not to be emo or edgy, but don't . I will say the thing that I'm involved in could kill you . "

He sat on the couch, arms relaxed and open as if to embrace the air . For some reason, the three young women gave each other a look .

[Harumi activated skill-fusion: First speed + Flash step . ]

Before Clyde could even register what the f.u.c.ked happened, Harumi was in his lap, triumphant smile on her face . The other women glared daggers at her . Chika's pink aura threatened to outs.h.i.+ne the lights .

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He wasn't sure to be surprised or not that she boldly stirred the hornet's nest . And skill fusion? When did she learn such a thing? He wasn't sure what the h.e.l.l First Speed was, but…his thoughts stopped as his erection rose to new heights .

Harumi gave him a wry smile .

"As you were saying," she said in a voice that made him hope that material of his pants would hold strong .

"I…" he forced himself to look anywhere but those b.o.o.bs . He tried…and tried . How did she find the clothing to house such greatness? Must focus .

"You can tell us a little something about you," Harumi said softly . She leaned back allowing the enticing aroma of lingering soap and perfume to hug his nose . Still being in the skirt of the school, his b.o.n.e.r dug a little deep into her . He almost considered kicking the others out . "If not, I'll just leave until you're ready to tell . "

"That's not fair, Harumi," Clyde said, his voice nearly a whisper . He pulled himself together . Well, he tried . Mortem's words came to his head . You've done well for not talking too much . An ent.i.ty that can freeze time and pop on him at will—could the young man really risk it?

"Someone's really happy to see me," the pink-haired girl whispered . "You—"

"Enough is enough, you cow," Alice pulled Harumi off, not with her hands, but with what Clyde could only describe as the force . He wasn't much of a Star Wars person, yet, but he hadn't been living under a rock . The poltergeist-like ability made him a little envious . "If he doesn't want to tell, there's a reason behind it . "

Clyde made his decision, but first, he'd give them fair warning . After all of the s.h.i.+t they went through together, to simply expect them to nod and accept it was a bit arrogant .

"It's okay Alice, let her down . I'll tell, but you've got to decide if you really want to risk your lives for this . " Alice dropped Harumi from midair onto his lap, causing both of them to grunt . The women looked at each other, nodded once, then turned their attentions back to Clyde .

"Tell us," Chika said .

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Lot City Hotel… . .

"I am Dark . Conqueror of all nations . Warrior of the mighty, slayer of the foolis.h.!.+" Dark thrusted his right hand to the side in an exaggerated motion . "Bow before—"

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice said from his doorway .

He quickly straightened himself and turned from the mirror, face flushed .

"No—nothing," he quickly said . "What do you want, Selkie?"

The beautiful green-haired ent.i.ty fixed him with an amused stare . She was dressed in a light-purple cheongsam . Next to her in simple jeans and s.h.i.+rt, Dark looked like a b.u.mpkin .

"I was checking to see if you were hungry, Mr . slayer of nations," she said .

"You heard that," he said softly . "Anyway—woman, a supreme being like me does not trouble himself with hunger while training . "

His stomach rumbled hard enough to shake the dresser . Selkie softly facepalmed then marched over to the chuuni . With a firm grasp of his ear, she hustled him out the door .

After dinner, the two found somewhere quite to chat . A cool breeze ruffled the air of the young man as his head hung slightly over a rail . The cloudy sky seemed to spark a little life into him .

"What's bothering you, Charly?" Selkie said .

"Don't call me that—it's Dark! I am the…" he dropped his head . "It's the a.s.shole . "

"What? Who touched you?" Selkie said, twinkle in her eye .

"No, vile woman, Clyde!" he barked . "There are so many things wrong with his situation . Like how he's getting all the girls—I mean is given the power and t.i.tle of the Stone when it clearly should be mine . He should be embracing this world, but deep in his eyes, he looks like he was forced here against his will . He's a d.i.c.k . And yet I failed myself in that fight against him . I…let blinding rage get to me . And…when I saw the man who was also from earth get pulled off into the night to be some harpy's meal, I…I…" he took in a breath then let it out . "I was a little frightened for the first time since I've been here . " He looked at Selkie . "You told me that he's changing . His att.i.tude, his power, ambient spirit . Is it true? What's going on?"

Selkie gave the chuuni an intense stare .

"You should know that Clyde is something extremely rare . In fact, he shouldn't exist . " She folded her arms, allowing herself a shudder . "For the second time in history, someone was born as the Stone . The watchers are afraid of him, he who cannot be touched by the Great Hand . They also find him fascinating, want ent.i.ties to find a way to control him, fight the darkness at their bidding . Corrupted themselves . " She paused, realizing she released too many of her personal thoughts . "I've said too much . Just make sure you don't repeat it, or you'll be killed with me . "

Dark's eyes widened .

"My lips are sealed . "

"Good," Selkie said . "After I meet with Clyde tomorrow, we shall leave this city . This place gives me too many bad feelings . Besides, you have your destiny and he have his . " She gazed into his eyes . "You could try making some friends . Drop the loner act . "

"No," Dark said . "I already told you this world is mine . You keep your side of the deal and we'll be fine . And don't give me those eyes of pity—I'm Dark . I'll soon be the fear that makes everyone's skin crawl . "

Selkie shook her head .

"You do that on purpose . Bottle up like that . Charly, one day you'll have to break your sh.e.l.l, at least a little . You've got a part to play . And it's not as a puppet . "

The two met eyes, hardness and steel between the gazes .

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