[Yuki has joined your party!]

Chika and Clyde angrily muttered in sync, walking side by side in step.

“I told her that splitting up was a stupid fucking idea. Now look, we’re totally lost. Her dumbass agent disappeared,” Clyde said.

“This whole splitting up in a goddamn house of death was a stupid idea. Now look, we’re lost! Stupid succubus,” Chika said.

Kitome whacked Clyde on the shoulder.

“You’re our team leader,” she said. “Don’t let some booby monster take control of the team.”

Alice sighed.

“My cousin’s… a little too focused on finding this mystery room and first.”

“I can sense where we’re going,” Sahara said, her voice cool and serene. “We’re still on the right path. I came with this group because of this very reason. And…I don’t want to miss out on watching Ashfall finally…fall.”

She paused as if waiting for a laugh. They stared at her blankly.

“Nya, don’t try that again,” Neko said. “I’ll have to Pun-ish you.”

Clyde and Chika simultaneously groaned. Nya smiled innocently. Yuki, Harumi, Yusuke, and Toru glared but continued forward in silence. Seth chuckled.

“Neko, you’re welcome to punish me,” he said, grinning.

Neko rolled her eyes.

“I’m not allowed to cheat on Clyde,” she said then smiled, false innocence glistening in her eyes.

Clyde flinched as he felt the jealousy auras skyrocket from the women. Saving him was the appearance of a maid, staring at them with wide eyes.

“Yuki, you’re alive,” she rushed into Yuki’s arms, tears falling from her eyes. “He hurt me, Yuki. He hurt me so much. All of us.”

She cried.

“It’s okay, we’re here to end this. Go gather the others. Get them out—”

“Yuki, who are these people? His orders were to,” the maid's eyes widened further as she took in Alice. “What’s going on?”

“Listen to me,” Yuki said, both of her hands on the maid’s shoulders. “Rouse the others, get them to safety. My friends and I are here to end the Ashfall reign.”

“There’s only four them here,” the maid said. “And they’re…” she cried. “They’re beating, torturing, raping anyone in sight. His orders were to find Alice or it won’t end. I’m so scared. I was considering killing myself.”

The building began to shake as Clyde’s white aura oozed then violently outlined him. His eyes shined with indignation.

“Never claimed to be so fucking hero of justice,” he muttered, “but if I can stop it, it’s better than being a bystander. Let’s go.”

“Wait,” the maid said, “there are guards in that hall.”

Her warning didn’t matter. The shaking of the mansion probably sprang the four charging armored guards into action.

[ Your party has entered combat.]

Toru led the charge, engaging his first foe with an onslaught of well-done martial arts. To Clyde’s surprise, he didn’t have to intervene, the guard was down in seconds.

“These aren’t elites,” he said. Seth, Chika, and Harumi downed the others with little effort.

[Battle completed. Victory! Reward: 2000 EXP and $200.]

Clyde strolled forward, Alice flanking on one side, Chika on the other. The maid reluctantly obeyed Yuki’s orders, her last warning being,

“there’s an Ashfall on the other floors. Nezerath’s main office is on the fifth floor. The top.”

After slaughtering more guards, the party eventually found a staircase that led to the second floor.

Tear’s Party….

Tear nodded in approval as her team dismantled the guards with little effort. She and Natalia didn’t have to move a muscle. She knew Clyde probably hated her idea of splitting apart, but there’s nothing more annoying than attracting too much attention with a mega-sized group. Besides, she had to find out what was in that room. And recover her agent, if possible.

“This mansion is surprisingly bland,” one of the magical girls said. “Generic boring red carpet, as if poorly trying to hide those blood stains. Few windows and paintings of boring old men and monsters. Most of it looks overcleaned, as if the maids in this place were giving themselves something to do.”

Tear shuddered, feeling sympathy for the women. The Ashfall family were among the cruelest of the demon houses. They contribute to the reason why demons are seen as evil. What she’d give to tear Nezerath’s limbs off one by one. Thanks to Melody’s hard work, the barrier was disabled, allowing them to get here in the first place. Clyde had to realize that courting Alice is to court her supporters. She’d love to get him in bed for a few hours—that’d be the start to teaching a stone how to…take control of things.

“Stop with your pervy thoughts and look at this, Tear,” Nattie said. The loli-witch knelt over to show three multi-colored buttons. Ahead of them was a warded door, which survived Melody’s assault. A ward this strong had to be hiding something.

“I’m pretty sure his maids know the combination,” Tear said. “Hold this position. I detect one sleeping. Poor girl, I think she’s been raped for hours by the pigs.”

[Tear activated Dream Jump]

And immediately regretted it. The nightmare of the horrific sexual assault raged in the maid’s dream. She cried for help. A tear fell from the succubus’s eye. Her glare hardened.

She held up a hand, more than willing to use the MP for her spell.

[Tear activated Dream Shift.]

She took the maid to a field of sweet-smelling flowers and beautiful scenery. She approached gently, pulling the woman into a comforting hug.

“It’s okay. I’m truly sorry for what happened to you.”

She oozed comforting magic into the maid. “I can help. We’re here to help, but you’ll have to cooperate. It’s time to get all you out of this abuse.”