[All enemies have lost the will to fight. You’ve ended the battle.]

After he finished telling them off in a cold, but quiet manner, Clyde and Toru went their separate ways. The feeling of being watched vanished a minute ago. The young man almost thought it was his imagination.

When he stepped outside, he noticed Harumi arguing with someone vigorously on the phone. Angry tears fell from her eyes. The young man stopped, unsure of how to deal with tears this strong. Back at home, he’d give mourners their space and the time to heal.

Harumi didn’t give him that option. Upon being spotted, she ran into his arms, tears falling.

[Warning. Your close friend truly needs comforting. Abandoning her at this moment will severely damage your relationship with Harumi, her friends, and some of your friends, desu. Or worse.]

Don’t insult me, annoying system, Clyde thought. That word again. He pushed it out of his mind to give full attention to his friend.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Clyde said, holding her in a way that allowed the young woman to melt into him. Harumi said nothing, clinging to the young man as if nothing else mattered. They walked to the apartments in silence.

“Will you be okay, alone?” Clyde asked. She nodded, but still didn’t tell him what happened. When she closed her door, giving the young man a forced smile, he entered his own apartment.

Alice was still there, reading something. Natalia slept peacefully next to her, snoring softly. She smiled when she noticed him. She followed the young man to the bedroom then slowly closed and locked the door.

“I’d like to stay here for the night,” she said. “Natalia will return to Tear when she wakes up.”

“You’re welcomed here any time,” Clyde said, meaning every word. “My place is your place.” He started to mentally kick himself for sounding so lame, but Alice’s face lit up. She sat by Clyde on the bed and rested her head on his shoulder.

“Sometimes I wish I was born as a human,” Alice said. “Then I wouldn’t have to deal with plots, my father’s backstabbing army, politics. Maybe Mother would still be alive. Maybe…” She let out a sigh. “They seem to think I’m clueless of their schemes. I have spies, wit, and…sometimes the looks they give me under their fake smiles reveal years of planning. My cousin came out of worry, even invited Natalia.” She looked Clyde in the eyes. “Everyone knows I’m capable of taking care of myself but against such numbers, supported by Father who listens to everyone else but me, I’m powerless. The female guards are either afraid of me or hostile. I don’t know what to do. And worst of all, my spies told me that Father is trying to make me life mate to some arrogant brute from our enemies, the Ashfall family.” She buried her face into Clyde’s chest. “I’d rather be dead than so much as sit at the table with that man. He visited the other day to hear out my father’s offer. When he left, rumor spread that he raped almost a dozen of our female guards without a care in the world. The Ashfalls are snakes and my Father wants to send me there.”

“You’re not going there, so don’t worry about it,” Clyde said, surprising himself over the words that came out before his furious thoughts. Alice…was his. He slightly flinched, mentally red-flagging himself. Alice’s intense gaze had so much interest in it that Clyde felt like she’d gobble him up. He continued anyway, regardless of the possible hole he dug himself in. “No one’s going to control your life. Not your father, not your enemies. And they will have to go through me to have you. I don’t know much about demon culture, but—”

Alice’s intense passionate kiss cut off words. She pulled away, reluctantly, and laid her head on his chest.

“You balance caring and defiance like a scale.” She smiled. “And reading your heart...it’s intoxicating.”

[ Incredible! Your relationship with Alice has changed to Soulmate Candidate. This impossibly rare relationship status cannot be taken lightly. Will not be taken lightly. Unknown benefits. For achieving this, you gain one level! You combat skills gained 1 level.]

[Alice has fallen in love with you. Because she’s a demoness, she is not bothered by human women being around you nor if they share the same feelings. However, her jealousy can spike around other demons and nonhuman beings.]

[Congratulations, you have completed two secret quests! First quest: have two or more people fall in love with you by being yourself. Second quest: woo a demon woman. You have gained 250,000 EXP, $10,000, and learned the skill Charm level 1. You have reached levels 28, 29, and 30. You can now learn or obtain a Special. A Special is your ultimate attack, which can only be used once per day.]

[Congratulations, you’ve earned the title: The Man Who Shatters the Balance.]

A surge of pain lasting less than a tenth of a second circulated the young man’s veins. And his senses spread, grew, influenced. All of the prompts were too much to take in. And a title? What did it mean? Maybe it had something to do with him gaining thirty levels in just over a week. No, anyone could do that with effort. So what did it mean? He decided to not care.

At that moment, he became even more aware of Alice. Maybe more emotionally than physically. The look of love she gave him was different than normal. It wasn’t longing, but belonging. This was just impossible…right? Clyde did know there were circumstances throughout earth’s history, but most were in stories. Myth. Love at first sight, so on. Yet, here she sat, a possible soulmate. Candidate? Having more than one soulmate should be impossible. Questions for later.

Alice’s sweet kiss seemed to shatter his thoughts. He kissed her back, pouring in his passion, his longing into her. There was no need to hold back. There—

A knock dissolved the mood faster than acid. Alice leapt up, but not before kissing Clyde again. His erection wouldn’t go away, even when he tried to cover it with a blanket. Alice stifled a laugh. She pointed at the bathroom.

“Just pretend you’re using the restroom,” she mouthed.

Clyde complied, closing the door behind him. He stretched his senses to listen.

“Hmm? Where’s the pervy-monster?” Natalia said, her loli voice blanketing his room.

“Bathroom. You need something, Natalia?” Alice said.

“Oh, you two were about to bone! Make love! Fu—”

“Watch your mouth,” Alice said, her voice clearly joking. “That is no way a child should be talking.”

“Why you,” Natalia said. “Let me join!”

Silence. Then Natalia playfully shouting. “I was just kidding.” She laughed. “I was just kidding.”

“Don’t lump my Clyde with those in the castle who really do look at you like a piece of meat,” Alice said.

“It’s infuriating, being treated like a child, especially by that one,” Natalia said. “So…how big is he?”

“Shhh,” Alice hissed. Natalia sounded as if she was being tickled, her laughter hard. “No child should be speaking like that.”

“I’m sorry—waah—sorry your highness. But it’s so cute, the way you’re acting around him. Or when I bring him up.”

“Shhh,” Alice said, but Clyde already knew. It felt weird and amazing at the same time. “Are you leaving, Natalia?”

“What do you mean, are you leaving, Natalia?” Natalia said. “Are you not coming back to the palace?”

“No,” Alice said. “At least not tonight.”

“Pervy-princess-monster,” Natalia said. “Ow!”

Clyde stifled a laugh.

“Tell Clyde-pervy-monster I did my best to ward his apartment but keeping Tear out while she lives in the same city may be beyond me. She’s a powerful succubus, next in line for being the queen in her nation.”

“I will.”

“Ciao.”

When her presence vanished, Clyde reemerged.

“She can be such a brat sometimes,” Alice said. Clyde gave her a sad smile.

“I need to get her to stop calling me a pervy monster,” he said. Alice laughed.

“But you’re my pervy monster,” she said then kissed him. His text notifications beeped. It was from Harumi, stating that she wouldn’t be participating in tonight’s patrol. At least she told him rather than pulling the cliché disappearing act.

“It’s going to be difficult to do a patrol without a healer,” Clyde said.

“Let’s go check on our friend,” Alice said. As if confirming his suspicions, a prompt flashed into his mind’s eye.

[Warning: Harumi NEEDS your presence, comforting, and help. Alice and she share a close friend relationship of 1. It is recommended to bring her along. Warning! An unknown situation has your close friend, Harumi, weighing the value of life.]

[Quest: Help Harumi. This quest is mandatory and cannot be refused. Rewards: unknown.]

Clyde dropped his phone as he raced out of his apartment, a worried Alice trailing him.