The jump made Clyde’s stomach lurch. No wonder why Dark preferred an airport—he couldn’t imagine transmitting over long distances. He pushed aside the need to vomit as he approached the scene. The standoff between a redhead and a silver-haired girl.

Clyde wasn’t sure to be surprised or not when the first thing he noticed was the colossal amount of Chika’s aura rotating around her like a tornado. Melody looked as if she’d rather be anywhere else. He couldn’t blame her. Chika’s place of power was a dungeon with the difficulty level of Super Extreme.

“Admit it,” Chika said. “You’re trying to use him. I told you, I won’t have it, you bitch.”

“And I said I’m not—Oh, Clyde.” Melody’s excitement sank when Chika blocked her path, murder oozing from the silver-haired girl.

“What the hell, you two,” Clyde said as he walked toward them, Selkie trailing with a deadly sense of calm. The young man knew she calculated and examined the trickster from the inside and out.

“Move,” Melody said to Chika, voice threatening.

“What are you planning?” the silver-haired girl said. “We know what you are.”

Melody’s eyes widened.

“Alice, you rebellious idiot. So, what? I still have my fancies toward men.”

“Not this one,” Chika said, still calm, “trickster. Make one move toward him and I’ll make you wish you born dead.”

“A human, threatening me?” Melody laughed.

Clyde stopped at Harumi side, ten feet from the two.

“I’ve tried everything to break them up,” Harumi said.

“Someone tell me what’s going on?” he said to two.

“She started this,” Melody said.

“Don’t try to play victim,” Chika said. “You think we’re afraid of you because you’re some trickster demon.”

“No.” Selkie’s voice made all eyes turn to her. “Half trickster demon, half-goddess. The daughter of he who I cannot name and of she who dawns time. What are you doing here?”

Melody said nothing. Selkie stepped forward.

“You better answer me girl,” Selkie said in a voice that trembled the air.

Melody’s eyes flashed with fury.

“I owe explanations to no one, I do what I want. And don’t think I’m going to back down to you, entity. You’re not allowed to interfere with this world.” Melody stuck her tongue out at her. Intense green aura rushed about Selkie in a lurch so powerful, Clyde was almost knocked to his ass.

“Okay, everyone’s clearly out of my league, I’m going home,” Clyde said. “Care to join, Harumi?”

“Clyde, wait,” Melody said. She was about to take a step toward him, but Chika’s expression hardened.

“It’s so simple,” Chika said, “but your reluctance won’t help you here.”

Melody sneered, then aimed a hand at Chika.

“Out of my way.”

It briefly flickered with intense white light. The flash bashed Chika to the side. Clyde saw a notification in his prompts, but it was too late to stop her.

[Your party has entered a Boss fight!]

[Chika has activated Tier 2 skill, a sheer-anger skill: Transcendence of the Goddess!]

“Chika wait!” Clyde yelled too late.

So much magic rained from the sky on Melody like the cross between a raging waterfall, a roaring hurricane, and crackling lightning. The redhead’s screams were louder than the shrill squeals of the giant white beams. Seconds later, all was eerily silent. Melody, battered, was on one knee, tears flowing from her eyes.

[Melody’s HP has dropped to 10% Utilization of her weakness and catching her off guard with such a powerful move has put your party at an advantage. However, there is a price to pay for using a skill that one just wasn’t ready for. Chika’s MP has dropped to 0. Chika’s attack has decreased by 40% for 10 minutes. Chika’s defense has increased by 20% for ten minutes.]

[Melody has been inflicted with Super Magic Mute. She cannot use magic for two hours.]

Chika loomed over the redhead, eyes seeming to shine, aura visible.

“Well,” Clyde said, eyes wide. “Holy shit. Chika, calm down. Let’s see what she has to say.”

Chika looked pleased with Clyde’s words. The young man nodded at her. Of course, he was going to side with her, she was his trusted friend. At least for now. But a skill like that…. And it had a tier. He recalled Zeth, the boss, also using a tier two skill. Notes for later. Not pissing Chika off was natural, but he’d probably do it just to mess with her. He looked at the bent signs, the lack of people, the shattered windows of the hotel nearby, the distant police sirens, then reconsidered.

[Melody has lost the will to fight.]

[You have ended the fight.]

“No tricks. Let’s talk about this,” Clyde said softly to Melody. He offered a hand.

[Your heart protection has cleansed the doubt from Melody.]

Melody eagerly accepted the hand. Clyde could no longer deny that the Absolute Endearment wasn’t a system glitch. At least not a full deny.

“As much as I don’t want to ask, Selkie can you teleport us out of here?” he said. Dark groaned. Clyde felt his pain. “Take us to my apartment, if possible. Not inside. Can’t have everyone puking on my floor.”

Selkie nodded, seeming to cover a hint of a smile. And just like that, they were engulfed in white light and whisked away.

As everyone but Selkie nearly doubled over upon arrival, he allowed himself to think, maybe even respect Chika. OP. That’s just too much overpowered for him. She did more than just mop the floor with the demi-goddess, she made her lose the will to fight. Come to think of it, Melody never really seemed that strong to begin with…. But, Alice would never emphasize the power of a weakling. By underestimating Chika, she let her guard down. Who would predict a human casting a tier two spell like that? There was so much Clyde needed to learn. Maybe he’d start with befriending her.