Demon lord's estate… .

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Matazus held the laughing succubus against the wall, raw fury in his eyes . He had little patience for h.o.r.n.y demon girls . Especially the kind that raped him constantly in his dreams . He could hardly look his life mate in her eyes, without feeling shame, ever since Princess Alice brought her wench cousin to the palace .

"If you intrude one more time, I will kill you," the demon said . "The h.e.l.l with the Glider's pact . "

Tear continued to laugh . Matazus tossed the woman to the floor, knowing it wouldn't hurt her . He lost his temper, which could get him killed, but as the Middle Eye of his lord, he'd demand respect even from her kind .

Matazus stormed off, cursing both Alice and Tear under his breath . He also cursed Melody . As the Hidden Eye, she was virtually untouchable . Even with that position, the succubus would probably continue her nightly intrusions while he slept in the same bed with his life mate . Something had to be done about her . He'd extend that invitation to Alice too, but the princess spent more time arguing with his lord these days . No threat to him .

He walked into the barracks of his men, searching, until he found his righthand .

"Find a way to free me of the succubus . Look into her interests . Do whatever it takes . "

His righthand, a thin half-shadow, half ether creature, nodded with a faded, pale face of a man then vanished .

Matazus, still fully dressed in black armor, nodded at his men as he left . He'd return to his search to locate possible areas for Omen's spheres . That idiot Zeth let himself get too arrogant, c.o.c.ky and thus slain by an adventurer . Suited the fool . Matazus wouldn't let the same happen to him . Not when the chance of promotion was right there . He'd love to see a dethroned Alice too . Hopefully Lord Hades listened to his suggestion to give her a life mate . And the one he had in mind, the arrogant a.s.s from the Ashfall family, should tear her apart . He chuckled to himself . One step at a time, he thought .

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Academy…

Clyde watched Harumi's healing take root without anyone noticing . The blood remained, but the girls would turn out just fine . Harumi had Sazuki a way off, chewing her out . Clyde couldn't make out the words, but even he felt the sting of the lecture . The student council president looked defeated, but still held an air of defiance in her . A few moments later and both of the young women were in a shouting match . And not a single professor around . He decided he had enough and walked in between them, a glare daring an objection .

"Both of you chill out," Clyde said . "Explain to me why you're acting like children . "

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Both the women folded their arms and harrumphed . "Well?"

"It's her fault!" Sazuki said, her voice a bit childish .

"My fault?" Harumi said, venom in her voice . "My fault? You're constantly picking fights with any and everyone . It's like you're trying to throw away student council president . "

Sazuki said nothing .

"You are, aren't you?" Harumi said . "After working so hard . "

Sazuki gave the pink-haired girl a harsh glare .

"You didn't even try to run, as if being considerate, but no . It's insulting . You've become a sh.e.l.l of yourself ever since Airi left . "

"I didn't become a sh.e.l.l of myself," Harumi snarled . "I just grew up . I suggest you do the same . "

The women held fiery gazes until Sazuki threw up her hands and stormed off . The pink-haired girl stared after her, eyes sad .

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"She doesn't know you fight demons at night," Clyde said, his voice a statement . Harumi shook her head .

"Airi and I decided it was best not to get her involved . When she moved, I continued fighting the demons and spending less time with Sazuki, without giving her any explanations . "

"Harumi, if you don't mind me asking," Clyde said . "Why do you fight?"

Her eyes hardened, distant . The eyes that recalled an unpleasant past . He recognized a hint of trauma and attempted to walk his question back . "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to . "

"My…family were murdered by demons," she said softly then sat on a nearby bench . "Not even demons of this city, just rogue monsters in the countryside . Where…where Grandma lived . " A tear slipped from her eye, but she quickly wiped it away . "Everyone slaughtered, except my big sister who's abroad . She's afraid to come back, constantly and rightfully insisting on me coming with her, but I can't run from this . It took a few years to get over the death of my mom, Dad, and Grandma, but I did . Airi was the one who told gave me all the answers, taught me how to fight . Told me about the gifts . She also told Toru . Chika at the time didn't believe and I suspected she was going through something with her family, not that I knew her that well .

"Truth to be told Clyde, I've been keeping a dangerous secret from Sazuki . Something Airi discovered but told me to never reveal until the time is right . But I could never find it . " She looked Clyde in the eyes . He nodded . "Sazuki has a younger sister named Kiko . Supposedly, she ran away a year ago never to be found, but Airi said she saw her . Kiko was turned into a vampire . And she attacked Airi . Attacked as if they were total strangers . "

Tears flowed from her eyes . "I want to tell her but can't . She'll continue to hate me…" Clyde pulled the woman into an embrace, allowing her to release the tears . He especially felt like s.h.i.+t, hearing how Harumi's family died . He wished he could meet this Airi, maybe get a few details about the vampire . In fact, he could still do so .

"Do you still talk to Airi?" Clyde said .

"I do," she said, on the phone sometimes .

"Could you get her to text you details about the vampire girl . Like where she last saw her, what time, so on . I know I have no right to snoop, but you shouldn't let this drag on . She needs to know about the gifts and everything . "

Harumi didn't look especially eager to reveal the information to her protected friend, but Clyde knew that would hurt things more than help . Sazuki was level nineteen the last time he checked . Harumi had to know something about that but chose to not bring it up .

[Quest: locate the whereabouts of Kiko the vampire . This quest is mandatory and cannot be refused . Rewards: unknown . ]

He was still p.i.s.sed about the prior quest being cancelled rather than getting credit for all of the trouble . The system wanted him to splatter Natalia's guts all over the pavement instead of ending things peacefully .

"I sent the text," Harumi said, "but it may be a couple of hours before she replies . "

"Alright then, let's just go to cla.s.s . The professor's going to chew us out for being late . "

Harumi chuckled .

"Sorry . "

"It's cool," Clyde said . Abruptly, the hairs on the back of the young man's neck stood up and the feeling of being watched overwhelmed him . He looked around, but the presence vanished as quickly as it came .

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