The Anime Trope System: Stone vs. Viper #17 a LitRPG (ATS) Page 4

  [You received an Essence Crystal. Item class: *relic*. You sense a mysterious surge of cosmic power from this object.]

  Clyde moved Ruri over and then anime-fell to the side. He made a mental note to himself to inspect every item he found immediately. Sure, he had a ton of distractions to work through, but to think the entire time…

  Ha, Clare was going to be pissed, but the second trip to the Supreme’s Palace wasn’t needed after all.

  [Adventure Quest COMPLETED! Find a Depleted Omen’s Sphere, an Essence Crystal, and the Horn of a Chimaera for Naoko. See Naoko.]

  “You seem excited, onii-chan.”

  Clyde felt his soul briefly leave his body as he flinched. “Chika! Please find Naoko a bell.”

  “Why?” Chika asked.

  “You know why,” he said, causing her to grin.

  “Fine, fine, I’ll take her shopping later,” Chika said, then smirked. “Tear recently bought her more clothes.” She chuckled evilly, causing Naoko to anime-dive into the young man, cutely hiding her face.

  “Pervy cheater-nii!” Natalia popped in right on time.

  “Perfect, all of the actors are here,” Clyde said in an announcer’s voice, gaining a blank stare from his fiancées, except Kitome. Kitome was simply curious.

  At least Kitome will always accept my career choices, Clyde thought jokingly. “We won’t have to go back to the Monster Kingdoms—at least not to work.”

  Naoko looked up at the young man, eyes still kuudere, but emitting a serious vibe. Natalia did too, eyes wide.

  “What are you talking about, nii?” Natalia asked.

  Clyde revealed all three items. One thing that made him nervous at first was accidentally absorbing the Depleted Omen’s Sphere, but unlike its cousins which glowed with power, this didn’t appear to hold life inside. Just a grapefruit-sized black marble.

  The chimaera’s horn did give off something, but it was just another mystery for Clyde to add to the box. The most interesting of them was of course the Essence Crystal. A pale, roughly cut diamond about the size of a lemon, with a starlight-like subtle glow—quite warm to the touch.

  “Onii-chan… you did it,” Naoko said as she accepted the items.

  [Your relationship with Natalia has increased to—]

  How many times do I have to teach you this lesson, System? Clyde thought.

  “Do you think this will really work?” Natalia asked as she crawled onto the young man’s lap.

  “That’s for Naoko to prove,” the young man replied.

  “We should go outside for this,” Tear said. “Natalia’s power is no joke.”

  “How do you make your clothes grow to accommodate your size?” Airi asked as she entered the room. “Also guys, gals, let’s try to make this quick. I really don’t want to see Ako when her sushi trip is delayed.”

  “Hurry, hurry,” Natalia said. “Or it will be my fault. I’ll have to hide with Harumi all day.” She rapidly dialed the gothic loli. “My boobies are going to be bigger than yours. Come over later.”

  “No, you booby prophet,” Nina said on speaker and then hung up.

  Clyde and the women nearly fell.

  “At least we’ll get to dine with the mature Natalia,” Melody said.

  “Depending on how long the transformation lasts,” Kitome said.

  As they walked outside, passing Su Yang and Kaguya along the way, Clyde couldn’t help but revel in his thoughts. After all of this time, they were finally making progress with the fight against the loli-witch’s curse.

  Clyde opened the door, preparing to lead the women outside. A familiar loli stood there, cane in hand, glaring at them.

  “You kids have no respect these days,” Nila, Alice’s paternal grandmother, said. “I knocked on this door for ten minutes!”

  Clyde turned to the napping catgirl on the couch. “You’re free to lecture Neko.”

  Nila sighed. “I see your point. Damned cats. Alice, Tear, help your dear grandmother over to a chair. You two should learn to be like Yuki. There’s a sweetheart that will make the greatest of granddaughters, the best wife of even a deity, and one who’d come close to besting your ol’ Granny in Opals.”

  Alice and Tear anime-fell to the side.

  “We have to beat Yuki at something,” Tear said quietly to Alice.

  “War, it’s war,” Alice replied to her cousin in the same tone.

  Natalia frowned, but wisely kept her mouth shut as she jumped into Harumi’s arms. Harumi caressed her head like a caring mother. Clyde smiled at her. She returned it.

  “Tessa, wait, I want to know how it feels to take in Clyde’s sex organ,” Dera called.

  “You can search the internet for the answers on your own,” Tessa said as she hurried from the back room. A drop of sweat fell from the back of everyone’s heads, including Nila’s. “Can we get to weakening Natalia’s curse already?”

  Nila’s eyes widened. “Can that actually be done? Did Celestial give you—”

  “We’re about to find out right now,” Clyde interrupted. He pointed at Naoko. “Our adorable Entity’s got it covered.”

  “Adorable…” Naoko said.

  Fuyoko pulled her into a backward embrace.

  Clyde gestured and they followed him outside.

  “Stand a safe distance away from Natalia,” Naoko said. Everyone moved at least a dozen feet from the loli, except Nila. The loli-granny watched with a keen eye, almost as if ready to strike if Natalia was put in danger. The Entity continued the ritual as if she weren’t there.

  Using light-blue magic, she drew a small circle around Natalia, then followed it up with two larger ones, tripping and falling on her face before finishing the largest. Airi kept her hand in front of Fuyoko to keep her from interrupting.

  “Jiiiiii—nya, ow!” Neko said to her paper fan-wielding sister.

  “You should’ve kept napping,” Ako said.

  Naoko slowly and methodically placed the three curse-weakening items around the outer edge of the largest circle.

  A strange hum emitted from the green-haired Entity’s aura as she thrust her palms at the loli-witch. The horn glowed first, followed by the Depleted Omen’s Sphere, and then the Essence Crystal. Natalia closed her eyes.

  [Talent. Main character stuff. Magic spectrum.]

  Clyde’s eyes glowed as he witnessed two colors battling in Natalia’s body. The black represented the curse and the red oozed from the three quest items.

  [Naoko activated Entity Tier skill: Dispel!]

  Natalia winced, but held her concentration as Naoko continued working. Clyde wasn’t sure how he knew, but he could tell Alice’s grandmother also watched the commotion through the magical spectrum, which kind of reminded the young man of thermal goggles or night vision.

  Clyde glanced at Alice. Her eyes seemed to mirror her grandmother’s, watching carefully and ready to move if needed. She could cure status ailments and break curses, but had failed to dent the loli-witch’s mechanism of body imprisonment.

  Just then, the intensity of the black magic began to shudder, and the red gained some ground. Naoko raised her arms, possibly to finish things when a feminine voice called from the sky.

  “Someone’s attempting to remove my curse?” the voice laughed. “How arrogant.”

  A sphere of light materialized in front of the group. It burst, creating wind and dissipating white and blue sparkles of magic.

  Clyde didn’t get a good look at her last time—he attacked on instinct, as fast as possible, and then got Su Yang to safety. Standing before them at that moment was Fatalus in loli form. No… she wasn’t actually there.

  “Fatalus’s shadow, huh?” Nila said as she stepped toward it. “I was hoping the real witch had showed up, but seeing as we’re inside this city’s barrier, she didn’t send anything of interest. Just something to kill you and report back to her.”

  Kanako sighed.

  [Kanako activated GODDESS TIER SKILL: Wraith Banisher!]

  As the screaming shadow
burst into pieces of dark light, Nila’s eyes widened. The fight she prepared to enter, probably to show off, was easily taken away from her by the annoyed genie girl. To casually wave around a goddess tier skill—there was no doubt the granny-loli began to understand the overpowered nature of Team Stone.

  “Thanks, Kanako,” Clyde said.

  Kanako hovered over to him, shifting her genie tail to her legs. “You really should ask Clare to bless your barrier with protection from evil spirits, Master,” she said.

  Nila nearly anime-fell to the side.

  Clyde and Alice smiled.

  “Grandmother, are you well?” Alice asked, knowing damn well the loli-granny felt more than baffled.

  “I’m fine,” Nila said. “Don’t be blinded by my old age.” She used her cane to walk away from Naoko, giving the Entity more space. “Or my back pain.”

  “Finish it, Naoko,” Clyde said.

  Naoko let out a breath and then placed both palms on Natalia’s chest.

  “You should be able to hold your adult form for at least an hour,” Naoko said. “Possibly longer if you don’t exhaust your magic.”

  The loli-Entity’s eyes flashed. And right before their eyes, Natalia changed to her original form.

  [Natalia’s curse effectiveness, the Princess Dire Curse, has decreased from 100% to 60%.]

  [The Depleted Omen’s Sphere, the horn, and the Essence Crystal were destroyed.]

  Clyde grinned, feeling Natalia’s raw magic slightly warp the air around her. The beautiful woman nodded as she made a fist and opened it. She picked up her favorite golden staff from the ground.

  “This isn’t just for show,” Natalia said. “Most of my power has returned to me.” She smirked. “I could one-shot Dire right now if she showed up. My mind… it’s intact… at least for now.” She looked at Tear as if seeing her for the first time.

  Tear grinned. “Well, well, look at you, finally back.”

  Natalia returned the smile. “Not quite yet. I will turn back into a child, along with my mind. But I won’t fully lose myself this time.” She finally looked at Clyde.

  And he couldn’t help but feel just a little timid. A little. This wasn’t the same Natalia. Then again, it was still Natalia. He smirked.

  “Finally, I don’t have to worry about you riding my back anymore,” Clyde said.

  Natalia playfully feigned hurt. “Oh no, my fiancé hates romantic back rides.”

  She walked over to him, stopping face to face, and then pulled him into a breast hug. Alice’s eye twitched. Natalia grinned evilly at her.

  “Thank you,” Natalia said. “And again for wanting to marry someone like me. Ha, the Lost Path will be so jealous when they find out I got hitched before them.”

  Team Stone and Nila anime-fell to the side.

  “They’re also going to want an explanation for your form,” Tear said.

  “And that’s why we’re not going to visit them,” Natalia said, then winked.

  Tear sighed. “Do you think you can hold it while we eat sushi?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Natalia said. “Oh, and dibs on Clyde’s lap.”

  “Nya, don’t think so,” Neko said. “Besides, he’s eating too you know.”

  Natalia giggled. “Fine. He can just feed me. I read that in one of Melody’s books actually.”

  Melody nearly fell.

  Episode 80 (Part 4)

  Aunder’s castle…

  Aunder made a gesture. Two maidens brought in a round table, smacking it in front of the group. They set down multiple mugs, filling them to the brim with cold beer. His hard eyes rested on the immobilized women before him.

  “Hellfire, why do you not just kill them already?” Sol asked.

  “For me, killing them is too easy,” Aunder said, then yawned. “I’ve got a better idea.”

  He pictured his inventory, which possessed a vast number of items, and retrieved a staff. The long wooden stick didn’t appear to be remarkable at first glance, until one recognized the small symbol embedded on the tip. A gray skull with tears of blood. An item which had belonged to the legendary space pirates known as Zero Silence. “This is a one-use staff, unfortunately, due to the sheer amount of magic it needs to acquire to activate its primary spell. It is called the Monsterization Staff. And here, I will turn them into the very things they’ve sworn to protect the people from during their prime.”

  “Aunder… Lord Aunder, do you not think that’s a bit too far?” Kaymen asked. “Do you have definite proof that—”

  “Will you place your honor on the line and doubt me, my Orange Reaper?” Aunder asked, eyes hard. “If so, draw your weapon and face me.”

  Kaymen clenched his fists, eyes full of pity for his partner. “If you’re certain about this connection with Venus, why not use it to your advantage?”

  “That, my friend, sounds like the talk of a potential traitor in the future,” Aunder said. “Listen to yourself, dunkin. Dunkin means idiot in my world, by the way. We have one god to keep tabs on. And you know Thor’s not trustworthy—you’d be a dunkin to believe so. Now you want to bring Venus into this?”

  Kaymen didn’t reply.

  “Now.” Aunder took aim at the terrified Venus sisters.

  [Aunder activated the—]

  Abruptly, a blast of void-colored magic smashed into Aunder, knocking him off the rooftop, and undoing the man’s stun spell.

  Sol’s eyes widened upon realizing that Kaymen actually betrayed the Viper. And for what? Two worthless women who didn’t give a shit about his existence. Two traitors who probably had no fucks to give about the team, planning his death along with everyone else’s. What kind of child-like idiotic thinking could be trailing through the mind of a man who looked fearsome? Why throw away his life for nothing?

  [Kaymen activated GOD TIER SKILL: Gatlin Curse Breaker. The soul bonds on Olivia, Julius, and Momo were removed.]

  “Hurry, get the hell out of here,” Kaymen snapped at the shocked trio. “That cheap shot won’t do anything but bring his darkest hell on you. Go to your goddess, whatever. I won’t be able to hold him off—”

  Sol removed his materialized Titantic Elderic Sword from Kaymen’s throat and watched him drop. Good thing he’d poisoned his blade beforehand, or that one wouldn’t have dropped so easily.

  Unfortunately, the muscleman’s sacrifice didn’t go in vain. The traitorous trio escaped. Aunder returned in a fury of overwhelming power, but Sol simply shrugged as he stared at Kaymen’s purple flames. What a loser. To throw away the gifts from the Viper, to throw away the inheritance. Sol shook his head. What an idiotic, dumb fuck loser.

  Ever since he learned that the Viper simply wanted to get home and planned to leave everything he earned on this world behind, Sol couldn’t help but allow a little greed to gleam in his eyes.

  However, with Dire in his way as the Viper’s official successor, all of his plans would have to remain on hold. At least for now. He’d find a way to get rid of the little bitch somehow.

  Aunder turned to Terrance’s astral form. “Any reason why you couldn’t give me a heads up?”

  “If I could see everything in the future, your war would already be finished, and you’d be home,” Terrance said. “Do not push the acts of that dumbass on me.”

  “He really was an idiot,” Tiffia said, also in astral form. “He gave his life for three people that hated him. Three people that would’ve killed him without hesitation if it meant making an escape. Honestly, Aunder, it’s for the best that we don’t have any of your old baggage on board.” She winked. “We only need willing—”

  “All of this could’ve been avoided if you would’ve just killed them,” Sol interrupted, gaining a pout from Tiffia. He shook his head slightly. “Are you really the legendary Viper? Because I didn’t agree to team up with a softhearted hypocrite.”

  “That’s right, you wanted a coldblooded, villainized murderer,” Aunder said. He grabbed a beer. “Well, sit down, because I have stories for you.”

/>   “You let that attack hit, didn’t you?” Sol asked as he turned to the nonchalant Viper. “So you can use that as an excuse to spare those traitors. This party is a fucking mess. You’re organizing an army but can’t seem to decide if you want decent generals or drinking buddies. Are you wasting my time?”

  “Sit with me, and listen,” Aunder said. He gestured at Athens. “Would you like a drink?”

  Curious, the Entity sat next to him and accepted a mug of beer. The adorable wince and face she made when sampling the bitter drink revitalized Aunder’s soul.

  Sol didn’t sit. “Spill it already. I am in no mood for your antics.”

  “To put it simply, they were still hit with the magic,” Aunder said.

  “What? How? You were clearly interrupted by that fucking idiot,” Sol said.

  “Kaymen’s no idiot,” Aunder said. “Just a… as you said, a softhearted fool. He didn’t understand how soul bonds worked. He didn’t feel the evidence nor had he known the Venus sisters or Julius as long as I have. To him, this situation looked as if I created an excuse to kill the woman he was beginning to fall for.”

  Sol rolled his eyes. “Love is for the weak, not the ambitious. He betrayed the entire team for something that childish? I find that hard to believe, even for that micro-brained numbskull.” He sighed. “Not that that matters anymore with him dead. Now, how did you get them with the magic?”

  Aunder smirked. “Through the bond, of course. Kaymen didn’t think to disable it first or at least at the same time. With a little push from Athens, I turned those two into monster girls. Julius was unaffected, not that I targeted him. I’ve probed all that I need from his mind.”

  “What did he have?” Sol said. “He didn’t seem like much to me. Other than an icy loser.”

  “The key to entering something called the Vault,” Aunder said. “If anything, this information may fetch the most interesting buyers.” He gulped down a fourth beer. “Are you going to drink to the loss of four ex-Reapers, or what?”