Yuki's power felt overwhelming! Clyde's hands trembled, though, from excitement or nervousness, he wasn't sure . The woman couldn't just be a maid, right? What the h.e.l.l kind of Dragon Ball s.h.i.+t was this? He a.n.a.lyzed her, eyes wide . He also noted to himself the absurdness of his ultimate attack .

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Tier 1 skill: Omen's Desolation . [Does almighty, spiritual, and sound damage . Chance to cause hopelessness and despair . Triple super-severe damage against ent.i.ties, deities, spirits, and darkness-type enemies . ]

Isn't this a bit much for a level thirty-seven noob? He wasn't complaining, but wow . Only once a day, huh? Yuki's a.n.a.lysis killed his happiness .

Yuki, Head Maid and Leader of the Ashfall Elite Guard .

Level: 60

Type: demoness .

Work under: Ashfall Family .

Special: Time and Eternity Wave . [Inflicts colossal psychic damage . Chance to cause daze and suffering at 2%]

Weakness: holy, spiritual, fire .

Resistances: Your hostile detection isn't high enough .

Secret: Your hostile detection, luck, and will isn't high enough for this .

"She's strong," Clyde said softly . "I don't think my party is ready for this . "

Alice shook her head .

"You and I will face her . The others will handle the elite guard . "

"Let's talk to her first," Clyde said .

"It won't work," Alice said . "See the look deep within those eyes . Nezerath probably threatened h.e.l.l itself if she fails . When a demon grows desperate, they become even harder to fight . "

When she finally was close enough, Yuki spoke in an almost musical voice . Clyde just couldn't understand why this Nezerath s.h.i.+t-nugget treated her so badly? She seemed to hide kindness . But the young man knew deadly when he saw it and prepared for a very difficult fight .

"Princess Alice, heiress of the Hades family, I greet you," she said then gracefully curtsied . "Come back with us and we'll allow your company to leave unharmed . "

"You know I can't do that," Alice said .

Clyde decided to speak anyway, regardless of the demoness's warning .

"Why do you serve someone like that?" Clyde said . The head maid's eyes fell on the young man . In them was both recognition and sadness .

"It is none of your concern," Yuki said, but her eyes didn't leave Clyde .

"Enough talk," an elite guard from behind said . "Lord Nezerath wants blood and raping material . "

"f.u.c.king disgusting," Clyde spat . "Guys, follow the plan . Kill the elite . Don't harm Yuki . "

Yuki's eyes widened then narrowed .

"You still do not understand your position, human," she said . "Meet them head on, kill all . I will deal with Alice and…this man . "

Her voice had uncertainty in it .

[Your party has entered a Boss fight!]

[Alice activated Radiance!]

[You are the only one in your party compatible enough to receive Radiance . You are surrounded with Radiance . Unknown stat boosts to both you and your weapons . ]

"No holding back, my Clyde," Alice said, allowing the pink aura to surround her .

Clyde nodded .

"You don't have to tell me twice," he said as he activated his buffs .

[You invoked Mystic Wrath!]

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Yuki gestured them forward with a single hand .

"Come, both of you . And I'll show you why I'm the leader of the s.h.i.+t ba—my lord's elite forces . I will not fail . "

Clyde and Alice both rushed forward, swords still sheathed . Hand to hand combat wouldn't kill the maid . The unarmed maid . She met them blow for blow, defense impenetrable . Clyde couldn't feel her moods, so he relied mostly on airflow and vibrations to guide his blows, but the level sixty woman took no damage .

"This is all you've got?"

Clyde didn't even see the energy blast come out of her palm—he found himself falling backward, pain beating against his chest .

[Yuki used Guiding Strike Shot . ]

Clyde bounced off the ground with one hand, flipped while airborne then roundhouse-kicked the maid backward . She didn't budge much . Not until Alice unleashed her attack .

[Alice used Rapid Strike Force Wave . ]

Yuki tried to evade but was. .h.i.t by five fireball-like blasts of energy . Alice didn't stop there . She got a few well-placed kicks in before Yuki recovered .

[Yuki's HP has dropped to from 275% to 230%]

"Well that's nice, she's not a five hundred percent behemoth," Clyde commented . He inhaled and allowed the mystic wrath aura to intensify . Any idea why, System, he thought . To his surprise, it responded .

[Her natural demonic armor isn't very strong . The stronger the magical or demonic armor, the higher the extra HP . ]

So that was how it worked . Bulls.h.i.+t unfair, but he'd figure out how to magically increase his defenses .

He took aim .

[You activated Mystic energy ball . ]

Yuki smacked away the green and white ball of energy .

[Yuki activated Vast lightning wave . ]

The attack interrupted the casting Alice prepared . She yelped, but Clyde wasn't worried about her . She had plenty of health .

[Alice's HP has dropped to 480%]

Yuki seemed irritated by that, but also more determined . She raised two hands .

[Yuki activated Hollow plains of pain . ]

[You activated Spirit s.h.i.+eld . ]

The energy struck against his defenses furiously . Then the level sixty power broke through .

[Your HP has dropped to 35%]

[You have been inflicted with Stabbing blight . ]

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Clyde's mystic wrath dimmed as stabbing pain enveloped him . He felt knives in his legs, arms, nose, head, and even his back . Blood oozed from his mouth .

[Harumi activated skill fusion: Grand Heal + Refresh . ]

[Your HP and MP returned to 75% All status alignments, hunger, and thirst, and exhaustion removed . ]

He stood, nodding his thanks to the pink-haired young woman . Harumi smiled then reengaged the elite guard .

Yuki gave Clyde a puzzled look .

"I see . So if you die, the team goes with it, as far as motivation . "

[Alice activated Targeted Raid Ender . ]

[Yuki activated Raid canceller . ]

[Alice activated Raid Crus.h.i.+ng beam . ]

Yuki barely dodged most of the pink beam of powerful magic . The graze burned a little of her uniform .

[Yuki's HP has dropped to 220%]

Yuki shrugged then nodded to herself as if confirming something .

"I was attempting to fight without harming you, Highness . My lord would probably want to do it all himself anyway . Anyway, let's get you out of this fight, shall we?"

[Yuki activated Haze Cage . ]

[You activated Mystic lightning . ]

The level sixty maid fought against what seemed to be just a minor irritation, unleas.h.i.+ng her spell on Alice . Except Alice didn't stand around and let it happen .

[Alice used Explosion . ]

Yuki and Clyde bolted away from the impact zone . Alice smirked .

"You didn't think I'd be easy pickings, did you?"

Yuki laughed .

"I supposed Lord s.h.i.+—Nezerath wouldn't mind seeing some bruises or blood . The time for holding back has ended . "

"Are you s.h.i.+tting me?" Clyde hissed . "That was holding back? f.u.c.king level sixty . "

[Yuki has invoked Full Power!]

Winds picked up out of nowhere as the purple aura around the maid brightened . Clyde muttered a string of curses at his Mystic lightning cooldown . What a f.u.c.king annoyance . Yuki flash stepped in front of Alice, placed a hand on her chest and unleashed the blast .

"Not even you can go unharmed from this . "

[Yuki used Lightning Pinnacle of Odin . ]

The blast ricocheted Alice at least twenty yards away . She hit the ground hard and didn't get back up .

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[Alice's HP has dropped to 248%]

[Alice is inflicted with paralysis . ]

Yuki turned back to Clyde, smile of death on her face .

"She can get as arrogant as the rest of them . All of them forgot that I trained under the G.o.d of suffering himself . Now, let's dispose of the rest . "

Clyde noticed just a brief nervous glance at Alice no doubt making sure she was alive .

"We really don't have to do this," Clyde said . "Let us help you . "

"Help me, how? Pity? Charity?" Yuki shook her head . "You have no idea, so it cannot be helped . "

"I do," Clyde said . "I saw you in a vision . You were reaching out for help—from a brutally abusive blond man . Nezerath . "

Yuki aimed a hand at the young man .

"As soon as I bring her back, I'll be granted retirement . So die, please . "

[Yuki activated Destruction wave . ]

Clyde dodged the enormous black beam that evaporated part of a building fifty meters away . He looked at everyone else, intently fighting off the elite guard . With Alice down, he was in this alone . A level thirty-seven verses a level sixty beast . A powerhouse that actually damaged Alice . An unmoving Alice…frail . And with a guard moving toward her, menacing look in his eyes .

He thought about summoning a mist but couldn't image demons like these relying too much on vision . Yuki's weaknesses were in his ball game, but she'd dodge and kill him .

"Come on, make a move while I'm giving you the chance," Yuki said . "Unless you've finally given up . I'll make it quick and painless . "

The idea hit him like a truck . Only one teeny tiny problem remained .

"Of all the times to run low on MP," Clyde said softly . He made a run for it . Yuki was so surprised that she didn't give chase until Clyde was halfway to the guard .

Chika and Toru took control of the fight again, removing the threat from Alice .

[Yuki used Slas.h.i.+ng Fire . ]

Clyde dodged then retaliated with martial arts . Too bad his unarmed attacks did no damage .

"You don't stand a chance," Yuki said . "Maybe in the next life, you should try saving yourself before offering a broken hand . "

Clyde walked toward her, deadly calm . The maid looked at him skeptically, taking a fighting stance . She attacked viciously, intending to end the young man . And she could .

Clyde blocked every strike with a single finger . The woman gasped .

[Your real power has forcibly activated . ]

[Warning! You do not have access to this system! Warning, desu! Your body cannot hold for long!]

He poked Yuki on the forehead . Her eyes widened when she was launched at what felt like thousands of miles an hour, backward, skidding the ground .

[Yuki's HP has dropped to 13%]

She coughed out a mouthful of blood .

"You know what your problem is," Clyde said as he teleported beside her . He sat down while she looked at him in terror . "You see a way out but refuse to accept it . I've seen what he does to you . And the others . It's also a dream of his to do the same to Alice, which is why I'll be coming for him . "

"You can't possibly mean—" she quickly sat up .

"Bigger than that, Yuki," Clyde said . "I plan to destroy the Ashfall family . They've been so toxic that even the universe wants them gone . Except for the innocents . " He casually aimed a finger at nothing in particular .

[You've activated the Almighty Tier skill: Blood Nexus's Obliterating Scatter Shot . ]

s.h.i.+mmering void-colored b.a.l.l.s of energy jolted from the young man's finger and eliminated the elite guards one by one . They screamed in utter agony as they dissolved like objects dipped into acid .

"I won't make you, Yuki," Clyde continued, "but we do want to help . It can't be a coincidence about you and the vision—something's at play . "

"Where…where will I go?" Yuki said, her voice nearly a whisper . Tears fell from her eyes . "I have nothing . I am nothing . He killed my parents, my siblings, and enslaved me . His bond is inside me . "

"Will you allow me to get rid of it?"

Her eyes widened .

"You can do that?"

[Your heart protection skill has been at play . Would you like to shatter Nezerath's bond?]

Clyde selected yes . Yuki convulsed then fell on top of the young man . Tears poured from the woman's eyes .

"Do not ever call yourself 'nothing,' and now is as good of a time as ever to rebuild your a.s.sets," Clyde said . "You may go wherever you wish . "

"I wish to…may I live with you?"

Clyde's eyes widened in surprise .

"Until I can find a place of my own," Yuki added . "Being… a maid is all I've done for a long time . I…I don't know what else to do . "

"Fine," Clyde said .

[Yuki has lost the will to fight . Because this was a boss fight, you will gain all rewards, except the chest . ]

[Your relations.h.i.+p with Yuki has changed sides to Endearment; Friend . ]

[An automatic trust bond has formed between you two . ]

[Battle completed . Victory! Reward: 880,000 EXP and $100,000 . ]

[Congratulations, you have reached levels 38, 39, and 40 . Stats increased!]

[Warning, your body continues to undergo changes . ]

[Your Heart protection has reached level 5 . ]

Clyde's mystic wrath flickered out along with his…whatever state he was in, the essence in which the system admitted being his real power . Yuki paled when Alice walked over .

The demoness held up a hand before the maid could protest .

"It's okay," Alice said . "We only want to help . My father will attempt to make me life mate to him tomorrow . Imagine the surprise he'll get when we crash the party . "

"Or when he crashes the party," Yuki said, pointing at Clyde . "What are you?"

"Just a man stuck in some prophecy," Clyde said truthfully . Then he became aware that Yuki hugged him again, but in a way that made him too aware of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s . He shoved the thoughts to a corner . The woman was on her way to recovery from years of severe abuse . The kind of abuse that broke even demons .

The young man shuddered inside . A composed but deep boiling anger wanted to erupt at Alice's father . The idea of smas.h.i.+ng his face into concrete continued to grow more appealing . He wasn't a man of violence, but he'd become one .

"Let's get the h.e.l.l out of here," Clyde said . "We've got sleep and more planning to do . "

Ashfall Estates… .

Nezerath grinned at the succubus, tied by a few chains, glaring lavdaggers at him . He caressed the prisoner's face and the gag ball in her mouth . Then he laughed .

"Did you really think you could invade my dreams? Take me out from within?"

He drew back a fist and struck the succubus hard enough to make her shake . He was disappointed when no tears came . Well, one couldn't expect to get them from a demon, not with pain alone . "You intruded my household, Hades wench . " He ripped off the rest of her clothes . "You are incredibly lucky I don't keep male staff in my estates, or I'd let them have their way with you, death and devouring included . " He entered her and furiously thrusted, grinning . "You have no idea just how powerful I am, do you, wench . To underestimate ME . The heir to the Ashfall household . " He thrusted even harder and faster . "I am power . And even your household will soon be mine to control . " He grabbed the succubus by the throat, squeezing tight . No reaction, just a look of defiance . "It's no use . Your kind lives for this . "

Nezerath looked at the clock . "You're lucky I don't have any time or I'd you get into the room of No Return . " He released his load inside her, chuckling . "Yuki's really late . I'll make sure to have her tied up naked and beaten with a heat-rod for dare making me wait . "

He left the succubus on the table, chained . Time to check on the job progress .

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