“I need tacos,” Clyde said as he stepped outside. He pushed away the thought of the popular girl. She’d be after him—he somehow knew. The young man would combat that trope when he got there. Right now, he just wanted to take control of the harem trope and fuck destroy it. The system wasn't going to drag him around. Dragging around the guy to new the world.

He pulled out his phone to search a location on the web browser. As soon as he found one, he proceeded to dial Chika when a familiar voice caught his attention.

“Are you done with school yet?”

Clyde turned to see Alice, dressed in the school uniform, walking toward him. He briefly scanned the area with just his eyes.

“Not yet, just going for some lunch,” he said. His anime trope senses vibrated within. Who was going to show up? He needed to be proactive to defeat the Harem trope. “Let’s go!”

Alice looked thrilled as he pulled her to board the city bus. As the vehicle set in motion, he saw Harumi and her friend walk out of the front doors engaged in some conversation.

“Where are we going?” Alice asked.

“We’re going to get tacos,” Clyde said. At that moment, the demoness’s stomach growled. She blushed in a way that was overwhelmingly cute. The anime girl way. “Don’t start drooling now.”

She gave him a brief pouty face then moved as close as possible to Clyde.

“I’ll have to punish you for being rude,” she whispered.

She placed her hand on his lap, grabbing his horn. “How long do you think we can go at it until the humans try to throw us off.”

“Yeah, I’m going to have to stop you there,” Clyde said. “Not trying to get thrown in jail.”

Alice giggled.

The bus stopped. A redhead, that made even Alice’s smile drop, boarded. Everyone looked a bit uncomfortable and excited as if a celebrity walked among them.

“Great,” Clyde muttered. “Well, if she fucks off, I’ll fuck off.”

Clyde got no such luxury. Melody’s glare struck him like a lightning bolt. Unsure of what came over him, Clyde grinned, infuriating the girl. A quick analyze showed her current strength.

Melody

Level: 12

Type: sweet talker.

Relationship: utter hatred.

HP: 100%

MP: 100%

Stats: Relationship isn’t high enough. Try having sex with her. Without getting stabbed.

Special abilities: Relationship isn’t high enough. She can think of a thousand ways to kill you right now.

Skills: See above. And good luck. You’re going to need it.

Magic abilities: see above. You could always try sex. A good way to clear up that bad relationship. That is if you don’t die first.

Clyde shook his head. Why in the hell was the system attempting to get him in bed with someone who’d rather send him on Mars to watch his head explode.

Melody’s eyes remained glued to the young man for fifteen minutes until Clyde just couldn’t take it anymore. Alice tapped on his arm before he had the chance to do something stupid.

“We've got to do something about her. Maybe trap her? You’ve got that favor.”

Clyde chuckled.

“Don’t bother. She’s not worth the time.”

Alice gave him a disappointed look but said nothing. When they got off the bus, so did Melody and four others with glazed eyes.

[Your heart protection has reached level 3: you’re 34% less affected by unwanted mental magic or skills from enemies. You gain a 17% bonus to your ability to convince others to do anything that would protect their hearts. [Passive]. 11% chance to break from any magic or charismatic hold.]

Clyde’s inner gamer squealed. Every level increase with heart protection edged him closer to being immune to mental magic or any other bullshit OP ability.

“Look, I want tacos, not trouble. How does tacos sound?” Clyde said. “My treat.”

Melody looked as if she considered the offer. The young man did his best not to entertain the sideways glance from the demoness. He could've sworn there was a millisecond of horror in her eyes.

“You will not bribe me with…ugh, tacos sound so heavenly—but the sight of you…you making me look bad. Gentlemen, kick his ass.”

Clyde analyzed the four entranced men as they slowly approached him.

Rudy Taboody.

Level: 22

Type: construction worker

Work under: N/A. Honest citizen.

Special: Stagger Punch. (A 23% chance to be stunned by this attack)

Weakness: Your hostile detection isn’t high enough for this, shiteater.

Resistances: See above.

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

Rodger

Level: 64

Type: ex-military.

Work under: Marine reserves. He will kill you.

Special: Napalm punch. (A 50% chance to inflict burn)

Weakness: Your hostile detection isn’t high enough for this, doofus. You’re stuck with trial and error.

Resistances: See above.

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

Clyde didn’t bother analyzing the other two—the ex-military man looked buff enough to rip him in half with just his stare.

[You’ve entered combat!]

“No system, you can’t do this to me,” Clyde said as he took off running. Or so he thought he ran, but the military guy grabbed his arm. He almost had a face full of knuckles, but something strange happened. At the last second, the man’s fist froze.

[Alice overrides your party.]

[Alice’s radiance has covered the party.]

Full of energy and confidence, Clyde pulled out of Rodger’s grip. Despite the radiance, the young man knew he stood no chance. The jarhead was fucking level sixty-four. Yet…Alice still controlled the battle. Wasn’t her level just twenty-seven?

“Who are you, really?” Melody said to Clyde, but when she looked at Alice, something resembling recognition, maybe skepticism passed through her eyes.

The demoness held up a hand. Lights shined everywhere like the glimmer of an upbeat nightclub.

[Alice used Targeted Strike Bolt]

A spotlight shone from nowhere on Melody and her entranced goons. Blue lightning smacked against them from the same invisible spot in the sky. They dropped.

[Enemy party has been inflicted with paralysis]

“Let’s get tacos now,” the demoness said then stuck her tongue out at the enemy group. “Stupid humans.”

[Alice ended the battle.]

Holy fuck. Clyde thanked the stars that the demoness was his friend. Broken and overpowered—that level twenty-seven had to be fake. Maybe…. she hid it like Harumi.

“Tacos it is.” His craving allowed him to forget the fact that if it wasn’t for Alice, he would’ve gotten the shit beat out of him by some serious high-levels.

Just then, he stopped as realization dawned on him. Alice….was the demon lord’s daughter. She had to be!