The party proceeded with weapons drawn and at the ready. Chilly autumn air caressed them. Clyde couldn’t help but notice that none of Hade’s demons spawned or patrolled. He asked Alice about it.

“Father either has them at a meeting or actually gave them a night off,” she said. “That or something ridiculous is happening that we cannot understand.”

“We really need to have a conversation with your father,” Chika said. “And I don’t mean the talking kind.”

Alice shrugged.

“Don’t look at me to stop you. Just know that he’s way stronger than me.”

That silenced the group. Could they actually defeat a freaking demon lord? Clyde wasn’t about giving up—this city could use some nightlife. Also, the people disappearances needed to stop.

Abruptly, Alice halted, raising a hand.

“I sense Deathbladers,” Alice said.

“Death what?” Yusuke said.

“It’s the name of Nezerath’s elites,” Alice replied.

“Sounds like a name the edge lord would choose,” Clyde said.

“Not just him,” Kitome said. “All men choose stupid names.”

Suddenly, a voice barked from the dark.

“I’ll make sure to have you bent over nicely, taking the plowing as I mess you up, magical girl. No one will insult us and live.”

Five demons dressed in bloodred ninja garb approached them. Each of them wore capes of a different color, curved swords in hand. They were well-muscled and with skin tones ranging from blue, green, red, and purple. One of them had an alligator-like tail. Others had devil tails. Clyde analyzed one.

House Ashfall Elite Guard

Level: 39

Type: Monster

Work under: Ashfall family

Special: Breath Blade. [Does demon damage. Does severe damage.]

Weakness: Metal. Fire.

Resistances: Your hostile detection isn’t high enough.

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

Clyde assumed Yuki’s absence meant that she led another group. By the intense look on everyone’s faces, they too knew the fights were going to be difficult.

[Your party has entered combat]

“Battle formation five,” Clyde ordered. “Keep up with your partner.”

The group fanned out and began the attack. His partner, Alice ran aside him as they engaged the first elite. Formation five was perhaps the best one for a situation like this where the enemies were stronger. Duo attacks were more likely to trigger, delivering mass amounts of damage. Before they set off, Clyde drilled the formations to Yusuke. They also arranged the partners. This was a frenzy at first, Chika and Harumi arguing to be his partner. Even Kitome tried to his surprise, blushing when Seth called her out for it. Toru came in with the assist, stating that the strongest member needs to be by the leader just in case something happened. Alice looked as if she knew she’d win. The arrangement was sorted to Clyde and Alice, Seth and Kitome, Chika and Toru, and Yusuke and Harumi. Yusuke’s job was to protect Harumi of course.

Alice made the first move, demon sword in hand. The elite guard parried the strike and Clyde’s sword. Clyde too used a demon blade, given to him by Alice.

[The elite guard used Breath Blade]

Mist and lightning oozed from his sword as he moved incredibly fast. Clyde dodged, relying on the airflow, and then countered with a Spirit slash. The elite guard roared.

[The elite guard’s HP has dropped to 175%]

“Two hundred percent,” Clyde said. “Fuck, they’re all mini-bosses.”

[Alice activated Targeted Raid Ender.]

The elite guard laughed then dodged the powerful blast of magic.

“Princess Alice, we wouldn’t be the elite guard if we didn’t know how to capture you. You may be more powerful, but—”

Clyde pulled his sword out of the guard’s throat, admiring the Deep slash. Well, he risked the MP via flash step, but it was better than listening to the fucker blab.

[Your MP has dropped to 70%]

[Elite guard’s HP has dropped to 90%]

The elite guard hopped backward, allowing another one to join in. While everyone else fought just one, Clyde knew with Alice on his team, they’d end up with the extra.

[Elite guard 2 activated Breath Blade.]

Clyde dodged but was still grazed. And it did a lot of damage. He was sure its higher level factored into that.

[Your HP has dropped to 82%]

A graze did this much damage? Oh…severe damage. Clyde gulped, focusing on the moods, the breathing, the steps it took, and the air disturbed.

[Alice used tier 2 spell: mocker’s wind.]

A blast of wind with literal laughing smashed the guards to the ground. Clyde wasted no time, leaping for the one he previously damaged. Alice’s attack did some nice damage.

[Elite guard 1’s HP has dropped to 33%]

He made sure to hone in the damage with a Deep slash. The guard surprised him by putting up a barrier, blocking Clyde’s sword. A tail wrapped itself around the young man’s leg. Then he found himself tossed to the site.

[Your HP has dropped to 77%]

Clyde roared, anger overrunning his thinking.

“Enough! I will not be humiliated by mere guards.”

He leapt to his feet, snarling, eyes shining brighter than the sun. A vicious white around bubbled around him like lava.

[Warning! Warning! You do not have access to this system! Your body cannot handle this kind of power yet!]

Clyde smirked, outstretched his hands and then unleashed spirit waves, nearly ten times larger than normal. Each guard it hit was instantly obliterated into nothingness. Somehow none of the energy even so much as grazed the young man’s party members. Soon, the area was filled with silence. Heavy and anxious silence.

Like the snuff of a candle, the aura vanished along with the lights in the young man’s eyes. He collapsed to his knees, breathing hard.

[Your MP has dropped to 25%]

Sweat trickled from his forward. What the hell did he just do?

[You’ve earned the title, Reckless Abandonment.]

[You have attracted the notice of all enemies in the city. There’s a consequence for breaking logic and using abilities that your body isn’t ready for. As the Stone, you must learn to control your—]

He cut off the prompt. No way in hell was he going to let himself be lectured by the kidnapping watchers who put him in this situation. He wasn’t an idiot. He knew what he just did was unnatural. That didn’t mean he could just do that at will—the anger got the better of him.

[Harumi used Mass Medium Heal.]

[All HP Healed.]

[Battle completed. Victory! Reward: 850,000 EXP and $30,000.]

[Congratulations. You’ve reached levels 33, 34, 35,36, and 37.]

[ Congratulations, you’ve learned a special! An ultimate attack. Tier 1 skill: Omen’s Desolation.]

[All of your sword skills have gained 1 level.]

[ You have learned the skill, Shatter strike 1. Does physical and fire damage. Chance to break barriers at 5%.]

[You’ve earned the title, Man of the Impossible. A level is just a number to you.]

Clyde stood back up before anyone could reach him. He dusted himself off, putting on a neutral, hopefully, team leader expression.

“It’s not over yet,” he said, “let’s get going. Also, don’t expect me to be able to pull that off again, not until I understand it.”

His party nodded, surprisingly accepting his lack of an explanation without so much as a protest. Alice smiled at him like a wife proud of her husband.

Clyde allowed everyone to take a break, hydrate or stretch before proceeding. Alice warned him that Yuki’s group was approaching.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, a beautiful maid flanked by four elite guards approached them. The pressure of Yuki’s strength struck Clyde for the first time. Purple aura raged around her. She moved with the grace of a dancer.

“Well,” Clyde said to his party, his voice light and humorous, “the real fight’s here.”