The Anime Trope System: Stone vs. Viper, #9 a LitRPG (ATS) Read online

  Episode 45 (Part 1): The Calm

  Last time on The Anime Trope System, Clyde and the party lived it up somewhat at the cultural festival, that is, until Melody’s mother, She Who Dawns Time, ruined it.

  But let’s not talk about that. No… They overcame her…Let’s take the time to congratulate Clyde for gaining three fiancées.

  However, is it really the time to celebrate? The price of proposing to Tear is high…

  Welcome to….

  The Anime Trope System Volume 9:

  The Stone’s Tear…

  Somewhere…

  Strongly Guarded Throne Room…

  In a room of gold and crystal and shiny floors, a woman sat upon a throne, staring at piles and piles of treasure. Her eyes, one purple, one gray, seemed distant, perhaps sad. Instead of wearing the usual fine garments that society expected of her, the woman lounged around in yoga shorts and a bra. They called her the Supreme. The empress.

  At the center of the treasure pile was a framed picture of an impressive succubus. One that she intended to make hers. The Supreme giggled, but when someone knocked on her door, she moved her fingers from herself, allowed the perverted look to fall from her face, and with a finger wave of magic, materialized a dress on her body.

  “What? WHO IS IT ?” she snapped, her voice taking on its usual tone of very pleasant to rage.

  “Your Imperial Majesty, it’s me,” a feminine voice said.

  “You may enter AND THIS BETTER BE GOOD ,” the Supreme said, taking one last look at the succubus’s photo. Tear. Her Tear. She needed her search sped up.

  Haruko, her right hand, entered the room, dressed in her succubus-style purple dress that stopped a few inches above the knee. A woman of beautiful brown skin with snow white hair and purple eyes as well as the power to remain worthy of the title as Right Hand of the Supreme—the Supreme supposed getting angry at her was counterproductive. Not that Haruko reacted, she simply blinked, knowi ng her empress’s personality better than anyone.

  Haruko didn’t kneel or bow, not when it was just the two of them. Old friends. They were missing one of course. Tear’s mother. Chiho, the wonderful woman responsible for birthing the prodigy. The one who would take her place, so that the Supreme could finally leave the politics to the new generation. Oh, how wonderful would it be to go back to doing succubus things again. That is, if her ultimate plan could succeed.

  “Haruko, how goes it?” the Supreme greeted.

  “All things considered, dear friend, pretty good,” Haruko said then flashed a smile of warmth.

  “Do you wish some comforting? I know of a certain handsome man who—”

  “No,” Haruko quickly interrupted, hand up. “I’m…” She looked to make sure the door was closed then lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m trying out the human dating thing.” The Supreme gasped. “It’s not so bad, Imperial Majesty. The human mating ritual is quite amusing. They feel as if they must earn the right for sex.” She giggled. “Meanwhile I can have whatever I want, whenever I feel like it. Being pampered is not as annoying as I thought.”

  “Will you make him husband?” the Supreme said.

  “Maybe after the new generation takes over,” Haruko said.

  The Supreme nodded.

  “So what’s the news, my dear friend. I know you didn’t come here for a social chat,” the Supreme said.

  “Just the daily update,” Haruko said. “Except that…the reports are strange, Imperial Majesty.”

  “Strange reports or RUMOR ,” the Supreme said. “The masses are always looking for anything that symbolizes their selfish hopes and dreams. THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN ALL THAT I HAVE DONE FOR THEM. LET MY NAME DROP INTO THE PUDDLES OF HELL AND INFAMY .” The Supreme’s dark voice returned to its goddess perfection. “All of my benevolence and mercy and love, overshadowed by groups and groups of idiots. And those idiots hide among other idiots, breeding and preaching lies. IT IS REPULSIVE.”

  Haruko nodded.

  “May I?”

  “Go on,” the Supreme said, clearing her throat.

  “The first report is that the stone-viper games started again, about two months ago.”

  “Two months?” the Supreme sighed. “Go on.”

  “The Stone and Viper hadn’t encountered each other yet,” Haruko continued, “yet they are upsetting the natural order of things greatly. That includes people, nature, the essence in the air, and even the dark gods. There’s even a tiny rumor about the possible reawakening of the founders of Taint and Purity.”

  “I hope not,” the Supreme said. “The stone-viper games are already a big enough disaster. WE DON’T NEED AN EVEN BIGGER ONE. Go on.”

  “Some figures had fallen,” Haruko said. “House Nezerath—all of them, even in the Demon Realm.”

  “I already knew about that one,” the Supreme said. “That was perhaps the only good news I received that day.”

  “The Blood Hand,” Haruko continued, her message widening the eyes of the other woman. “The cult in Niyoto is completely gone, though the Necro silent house remains as strong as ever. The legendary pain-in-the-ass monster, the Abyss to the Blackness was destroyed. A very important researcher of those pain-in-the-ass crusaders bit the dust. Perhaps the only one you will not like is that House Hades lost Tomin Hades as the demon lord, arrested by Celestial. Luckily his daughter took over, not as a demon lord, which is strange, but house head.”

  The supreme sighed.

  “A shame, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Some are simply not fit for the political world.”

  “Well Imperial Majesty,” Haruko said, “the strange thing is that she’s fully capable, but doesn’t care. Another rumor also places a certain successor candidate in the scene.”

  “No way,” the Supreme said. “My Tear never involves herself into demon affairs unless it suits her.”

  “Apparently she helped defeat her own uncle, supports Alice with her network.”

  The Supreme sighed.

  “And this is why House Hades will never be united. Chiho hates both of her brothers.”

  “She doesn’t hate Tomin as much as she hates Archelaus, the man responsible for the division of the family in the first place,” the Supreme said. “Chiho believes Archelaus is responsible for the death of Tomin’s wife and the hurt of such a good family. IT URKS ME TO HEAR THAT MY TEAR HAS TO CLEAN UP THE MESS HE MADE.”

  “I think the nail on the coffin, when it comes to the rumors, is that Tear my not have any intention of succeeding you. You’ll have no choice but to pick from the other candidates,” Haruko said. A bluntness that stung.

  “What do you mean?” the Supreme said. “EVERY DEMON WANTS THIS POSITION. WHAT DO YOU MEAN …my Tear would never pass up this opportunity.”

  Haruko stared at her blankly. The Supreme cleared her throat.

  “Go on.”

  “Imperial Majesty, we may have found a general area for Tear’s location after searching for so long.”

  The Supreme leapt to the air, cheering, then hugged her friend.

  “Where? WHERE?”

  “It is not confirmed just yet,” Haruko said, “but we believe that she lives in Tomin’s human nation palace, somewhere in….Yaponiya.”

  The Supreme frowned.

  “The human nations. It is the fault of the Watchers to why all monsters are seen as nightmares. That’s why I took over the Monster Kingdoms and as much of the once-neutral areas as possible. I wanted to create a world where monsters and humans can interbreed, live in the same society. My spell to try to make men incubi and women monster girls kind of only half-way failed…
” She sighed. “All of the trouble I went through, warding off the Watcher leaders and even the Head Watcher’s agent. Ugh.” The Supreme almost fell into another rage, but took a deep breath and when she released it, the sweet succubus tone returned. “Haruko, send the inquisitors to that area.”

  “Your Imperial Majesty, isn’t that going too far? Why not just send the other candidates? We don’t need the—”

  “Haruko, Haruko, we are good friends, BUT REMEMBER WHO IT IS THAT ONLY WANTS TO SAVE THE WORLD . You must remember, Tear is my successor and is quite powerful. She’d smite the others with little effort. So to save lives and time, we’re skipping the part where we give her the chance to escape. Rally the inquisition and get me my Tear. I shall marry her myself and add her into this family.”

  “Yes…Imperial Majesty,” Haruko said. “I just hope they don’t kill her by accident.”

  “My inquisitors know how much I love Tear,” the Supreme said, allowing a slight flash of lust in her eyes. “And they know how angry I will be if there is a single scratch on my future lover.” She cackled. “One of my future lovers. I still have to take husband, eventually. Maybe I’ll take the Viper or the Stone.”

  “I always wondered, why do you not choose one of your lilim daughters?” Haruko asked.

  “Only the most worthy can succeed me,” the Supreme said softly. “It just happens to be the daughter of one of my darling friends. Now, enough talk. Get word to the inquisition.”

  Haruko bowed.

  “It will be as you wish, Imperial Majesty.”

  As her dearest old friend left, the Supreme let out a sigh. She knew the burden given to her was great, but there was no longer a choice. The stone-viper games were happening. If her dear Tear got caught up in one of their battles or killed by a stray attack, the Supreme wouldn’t be able to live with herself. Oh, she could not wait to snuggle within those soft breasts and kiss soft lips. She’d give her future wife enough pleasure to make even herself addicted. She’d…ugh! This was why the inquisition had to go. A quick job getting to her love faster.

  “Tear, just wait for me,” she said softly. She wiped away a little perverted drool.

  **

  Clyde’s house…

  Sunday. Week 3. Month 2. Year 1. Season: Autumn.

  [School: off day. Classes: Monday, Wednesday, Friday.]

  [Current declared fiancée(s): Melody, Alice, Tear.]

  [Your fiancée, Tear’s current mood: heart-fluttering happiness and proud.]

  [Card bearers in Lot City: 2. Ming, Unknown. Alert, there is a dark card bearer in the city.]

  [Cook-off opponents in the city: 122. Harumi, Advanced chef Yuki, Alice, Kitome. The rest are unknown.]

  Clyde found himself running with his friends in an open field while music played in the background. Then he was fighting in a five-second fight against the Viper, which had no winner. Then back to running again, jumping high across some areas, traveling city to city, making poses with women and then when the short song reached its end, the young man was posing with his friends for a group photo, in the sunset and with various other characters, some flying in the air for some reason. Hell, the Viper and shadowy figures stood in the background as giants that hovered over them…

  He woke up. A terrible dream…endless running, group photos, and other things could only mean that the young man had a fucking nightmare about being in an anime opening. He did not recognize the theme song, which had some sort of rock tone to it.

  He looked around to see there were…four women in his bed. He blinked. Four. Alice, Chika, Melody, and Tear. He gave his grandmamma yet the thousandth mental apology, not that he felt apologetic overall. Chika was at his left as usual. No one, not even Tear, seemed brave enough to take her spot. Not that it mattered, since Tear was asleep on top of him. Alice took the right, Melody beside her.

  Tear’s soft naked body shot him into maximum overdrive horniness, although it could because of her succubus presence. She woke, smiling at him.

  “Good morning, love mate,” Tear said as she pulled away his boxers beneath the covers. “Why do you bother sleeping with clothes on?”

  “It’s kind of a habit,” Clyde said. Before the succubus could mount, a knock on the door gathered both of their attentions.

  “Tear, Natalia’s here to talk with you,” Yuki said. “And I think she’s mad that you left her in the palace without telling her you moved in with Master Clyde.”

  “Shit, that slipped my mind,” Tear said as she got up and made her way into the bathroom. The sound of running water of the bath filled the room. The sink and toothbrushing followed shortly.

  Clyde tossed on a robe and opened the door for Yuki.

  “She’ll be down in a bit,” he told the demoness, right as she grabbed his still-erected manhood. “Let me take care of that.”

  As she got to her knees and pulled her breasts out, Natalia walked in.

  “This may not be what it looks like,” Clyde said as he quickly tried to hide his massive erection beneath his bathrobe.

  “Pervy nii, and pervy-maid booby-monster,” Natalia said as she walked over to Alice’s side of the bed. “No need to stop on my account.”

  Clyde watched in horror as she prepared to slam on top of Alice. Somehow…Yuki caught her in time with a single hand by the back of her sleeve, leaving the half-demoness there to sleep peacefully.

  “No fair!” Natalia whined as she tried to wiggle out of Yuki’s grip.

  “Tear, I’m taking the runt to the living room.”

  “Sure, sure, I’ll be ready in a few,” Tear said.

  The young man looked at the comfortable bed of women and as much as he wanted to rejoin them, there was work to be done. So he settled with kissing their foreheads, starting with Alice then Melody. When he got the Chika, he dodged her unconscious double-arm grab.

  There would be no getting out of that easily. And while sex was nice, he still needed to wake Harumi and Airi.

  Airi would teach him how to not fail at adventuring. She’d also become his dungeon-finder. While Harumi wasn’t required to be present, her friend was the one who taught her how to wield magic. To the pink-haired young woman, this would simply be another lesson to learn for old times sake.

  He managed to brush his teeth and get into the shower without getting pulled by Tear. Whatever Natalia had to say was important enough to defer the succubus’s playful mood.

  After dressing, he walked down the hall, stopping at Airi’s door first. She didn’t answer right away, but after a little persistent knocking and maybe a few tiny threats, the legend twenty-seven finally opened the door.

  “Ah, is it my turn for the booty call?” she said then laughed. “I’m just kidding.” Clyde dropped his protesting finger. “What do you need, Stone of legend and of bedrooms? Or are you here to answer my questions?” Stars burst into her eyes as she tackled him to the ground, body pressed tightly against him. She unleashed the questions. Someone cleared their throat. Harumi glared.

  “Ah thank god,” Clyde softly. “Why didn’t I just knock on your door first?”

  She shot Clyde a Toru-style blank stare then glared. He smiled sheepishly. “This isn’t what it looks like. I wouldn’t choose the floor. Anyway, I wanted—”

  As Harumi offered a kind hand, Natalia seemingly emerged from nowhere and delivered a dive-mount to Clyde’s stomach.

  “Oof,” he grunted then wheezed, “why?”

  “You can’t have fun without me, pervy nii-sama,” Natalia said. When Clyde stood, the loli took an unsurprising hop on his shoulders. The young man sighed.

  “I’ll wait for you two to get ready,” Clyde said. “That is, if you don’t mind showing us the ropes to adventuring, Airi.”

  “Oooh, I’ll be more than happy to show you how it’s done, newbie,” she said, smacking his back. “I can show you more in a private, one on one lesson.”

  “Not happening,” Harumi said. Airi gave her a pouty face. Harumi returned it with a blank stare before they
both giggled.

  Clyde started toward the living room, Natalia on his back, humming an unfamiliar anime-like tune. The other women went to their rooms to get ready. He knew it’d take at least an hour, maybe two.

  As soon as he sat down, Natalia attempted to hop into his lap only to be plucked by Yuki at the last second.

  “Where did you hide that recipe, runt?”

  “Waah—Harumi, Yuki’s bullying me,” she cried.

  Episode 45 (Part 2)

  [Due to word spreading of Team Stone’s deeds, Your reputation has increased to level 6: You’re worth listening to!]

  [Secret quest completed. Learn the basics of adventuring from Airi. Reward: 150,000 EXP. 1 Super MP Potion. Item class: common.]

  [Base HP and MP bonus from Tear: +100%]

  [Perk bonus on hold until you marry her: GOD tier skill: Absolute Zero. Once per cooldown, you may target up to two enemies. Freeze them in time for up to fifteen minutes (the time increases as you age in godhood, not that it should matter.) This skill is unblockable. If you kill the enemy, the body will be released from the time-stop. You may also claim the soul.]

  [Warning, God tier skills will drain an enormous amount, maybe even all of your MP upon use. Use sparingly. You do not have to train this skill.]

  [Tear shares a very similar culture to Alice. The fiancé will continue to be known as life mate or sometimes love mate—although in the succubus’s case, just love mate. ]

  In the backyard, Clyde and Harumi sat side by side in chairs as Airi gave them the basics of adventuring. It was a bit chilly with an unwanted icy breeze hugging against the trio every few minutes or so. Few cars passed by. A dog barked a few times in the distance, as if warding off an intruder, including the poor mailman stuck running a morning route. A siren wailed from miles away, its echo barely touching the ears of the young man.