Clyde flash-stepped continuously, well away from the enormous geyser of black, white, and red swirling magic. At the head of the magic, he could’ve sworn there was a woman’s face. His allies must’ve forgotten that he could do that. A boon for not abusing the special skill—not that he could. It drained MP faster than most of his abilities.

[Your HP: 62%]

[Your MP: 57%]

Clyde noticed that Harumi prepared to unleash a mass skill. Healing, perhaps? He’d stall her the time needed with another new ability.

[Clyde invoked Mystic Wrath]

The loli gaped as he made the brief transformation. Something that Kitome needed to learn. His eyes glowed like light bulbs, a thick bright aura outlined him. A glowing symbol that resembled a fiery sun appeared on his chest like a radiant tattoo. And Clyde could truly feel everything as if he was using the book again.

Natalia pointed at him.

“Whoa! Mister, you’re glowing. Does that fiery thing on your chest, hurt?”

“No, but it feels a bit tingly,” Clyde said. “Hey! Let’s get back to the deathmatch here.”

“Can I touch it?” she said.

“What? No. Now back to the—”

“Pleasseeee,” she interjected, voice full curiosity. “I wanna.”

Clyde aimed a hand at the little girl who was not ten years old. He recalled the details about Mystic Lightning.

[Mystic Lightning- can only cast during mystic mode. Does spiritual, electrical, and holy damage. Change to cause spiritual blight at 34%. Chance to blind.]

She may be level sixty, but a hit from his attack with a weakness in both spiritual and holy would cripple the best.

“No Clyde don’t do it,” Clare said, “it’s a trap.”

Clyde flash stepped a few paces from the smiling loli. This almost turned out to be the cliché, main character told about the trap at the last second. Wait! He glared at the busty woman.

“Any particular reason why you waited until now to tell me not to splatter her across the pavement?” He sighed. “That sounded dark, even for me. Anyway, explain please.”

“I felt her invoke reflect,” Clare said. “Just now.”

Natalia laughed.

“Your power level is at twenty-five. That transformation looks good on you, mister.” She smiled. “But…”

Harumi’s chant froze, which meant she planned something big. And not of the healing sort. There was nothing that could be done until that reflect was negated. Harumi would have to discard her plan.

“I got this,” Seth said, stepping up. His back glowed like a lightbulb as he smacked it on the ground once. A cloud of dust quickly covered the entire area. In fact, it looked as if it went on for a mile.

“What the hell?” Toru said.

“Right? You idiot,” Kitome barked.

“So much for healthy lungs,” Chika said sarcastically.

[Seth used Interruption!]

[Seth’s MP has halved!]

The dust vanished, but the loli’s smile was gone, replaced with a blank expression. That made Seth grin a little.

“Now, Clyde! She can’t put the reflect back—”

“Too late, the teleport cooldown’s gone—you’re done!”

[Natalia used teleport!]

With a finger at Seth’s neck, she unleashed a beam of black and red magic. It was like an inverted flashlight beam.

[Natalia used Shuddering Gotsuken!]

Clyde’s hand shot forward on its own.

[You’ve invoked Mystic aide to protect Seth. Nature’s barriers take hold around him.]

[Your MP dropped to 25% due to that and Mystic Mode’s automatic demand.]

[Seth’s HP dropped to 15% ]

Clyde had to move fast, this mode drained him too quickly. It only lasted for a short time anyway. Clare started an assault of arrows that the loli easily dodged, while laughing.

“Booby monster! Booby monster!”

The redness in Clare’s face urged Clyde to move faster. The maiden was frustrated that she stood no chance. He leapt on a nearby rooftop, thanks to his acrobatics, and focused on Natalia. A moving target.

The airflows and the sky and the kisses of nature whispered out to him. This attack would kill. A kill that didn’t feel quite right, but an illusion was an illusion.

“No don’t!”

Alice nearly knocked him over in a hasty embrace.

“Alice, what you’re doing? I was just about to…”

“Obliterate my cousin’s blood-friend,” she finished for the young man.

“Clyde, what’s going on?” Clare said, her voice deadly. “Why are you with the daughter of the overlord?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you later. Just know that she’s an important friend. She’s also rebelling against her father.”

Clare joined them on the rooftop with one graceful leap but kept her distance. Her bow was still in hand but not aimed.

“You’re going to shrug this whole thing off,” Clare snarled. “For fuck’s sake, she even looks at you with affection. I…don’t even know anymore.”

“That’s because you have boobies for brains,” Natalia said with a laugh then stuck her tongue out. Enraged, Clare leapt off the roof, chasing after the kid. The loli only laughed, as if this entire situation was nothing more than a game to her.

“Okay, so that kid’s a friend of yours,” Clyde said. “Why is she trying to break into Clare’s shop?”

“Most likely boredom. She can be quite the troublemaker,” Alice said. “I promise she won’t do it again. You’ll forgive her?”

“The demon lord’s daughter asking for forgiveness?” Clare said, landing gracefully from a leapt. “The world is coming to an end.”

“She’s not the monster in your head, so cut that out,” Clyde said. “Alice, Clare. Clare, Alice.” He rolled his eyes. Then another voice flowed through the air, more potent than Melody’s charisma. The voice made Clyde want to blow a load, its seductiveness caressing his ears like honey.

“Is he the one, my dear cousin?”

Alice groaned.

“I tried to keep her at bay, Clyde. That’s why I don’t come over as often.” She gave the young man a sad smile.

A shimmer in the air, revealed an incredibly gorgeous young woman. Hair as dark as midnight, eyes bluer than the purest oceans, bust at Harumi’s level, and poise, more than he could ever handle. Bat-like wings flowed from her back, able to blend in with that hair if folded.

“Oh my, you are him,” the succubus said, her voice still seductive.

[Your heart protection has prevented 413 status alignments. You have earned 12,000 EXP for setting a record block all at once. You are steel!]

[You have reached level 26! Stats increased.]

Clyde shook his head, glad that the fog was gone. He expected to start off on a negative foot with the woman, but she held out a hand.

“Just testing,” she said. “I’m Tear. It is a pleasure, Stone of legend.” She gave a predatory grin. And when Clyde reluctantly accepted the handshake, she caressed his hand quickly, but in a way that left an unmissable invitation.

A succubus. In the legends, they were a danger to men. Clyde had a bad feeling about this woman.