The Anime Trope System: Stone vs. Viper, #8 a LitRPG (ATS)

by Alvin Atwater

  Clyde took a clever step back, which put him beside Yusuke. “When ready, they’ll come to you.”

  Kitome and Yusuke’s mom finally let out a sigh, replacing her frown with a motherly smile. Everyone at the table visibly relaxed, even their dad.

  “Just take care of them, okay,” she said.

  Eventually, all of the parents left, except for Amaterasu and Alena. They were actually having a normal conversation.

  “When that Kitome girl’s mother finds out about your harem, you’re dead,” Dark said.

  “And I thought Chika’s father was going to be the most difficult to deal with,” Clyde told him. Chika giggled as she anime-dove into the young man. He winced at the strain’s soreness, but knew this was light compared to what awaited him in the morning. Pain’s seemingly courteous delay before it laid the smackdown.

  “You were awesome,” Chika said. “Dad actually likes you. And just because we’re tied for first doesn’t mean I’m going to slow down with tutoring you. I’ll keep that brain of yours in perfect shape.” In a whisper, she said, “And another part of you inside me.”

  Yusuke sighed. Seth let out an even bigger sigh.

  “I swear everyone has girlfriends but me,” Seth said.

  “Why don’t you pick any of the girls you take on dates,” Yusuke said.

  “I bet he makes all of that up,” Natalia said as she hopped on Clyde’s shoulders.

  “I don’t make up my dates,” Seth said. “They’re just…well, normal girls. I don’t want to bring them into our dangerous lifestyle.”

  Surprised by the non-comedic, deep thought of the blonde boy, everyone looked at him.

  “He’s got a point there,” Selkie said then pat him on the back. “You’re a good guy Seth.”

  Clyde nodded before turning his attention to the crusaders.

  “I suppose it’s time for the start of the main event.”

  Some of them gulped. After the dungeon experience and witnessing just a fraction of Clyde’s overwhelming strength, they did NOT want to piss him off. At least, that was what the young man gathered from their worried expressions. Even Chizuru looked openly uneasy.

  “No point in making this wait any further,” Clyde said. “And Dark, try to hold your edgy, want-to-kill-all attitude. Leave the judgment to me.”

  Dark shrugged.

  “You have the lord of the dark’s word.”

  Myriad whacked him on the head with a downward fist. “Ow! You’ve got to be delicate with us humans, you annoying woman.” The harpy gave him a tsundere harrumph, folding her arms.

  “Let’s start with the straightforward basics,” Clyde said. “What makes your group different from all of the other bastards we’ve encountered? And as you can see, nearly everyone at this table dislike crusaders.”

  Chizuru flinched but explained away undeterred.

  “I will not make any excuses for them,” she said. “My party and I are called crusaders, but we function independently from the others, and while they believe we’re fooled…we’re aware of being used as the public face. It’s a price to pay…to save lives.”

  Clyde gave her a skeptical look but allowed her to continue. “I know you may not want to hear this—I certainly don’t like talking about it, but please allow me to talk about myself.”

  “Go ahead,” Clyde said. “If it helps explain things, no problem.”

  “I don’t have parents, so I spent the start of my childhood at an orphanage. The crusaders marched in one day and declared that a goddess pointed at me as some kind of prodigy. It turns out I had magic, much stronger than the average gifted. We all came from the same orphanage. We were trained and even ate separately from the main group. The Order’s task for us was to travel and save people. Stay in the public’s eye and raise the name of the crusader. Everything seemed fine before the researchers started to get way too ambitious. In particular, Lead Researcher Tizen.” Some of the other crusaders looked uneasy about the young woman given out the information. Clyde gestured her to continue. “There are rumors about him working on a secret project—from opening some dimension to the Abyss or discovering a holy grail, among other nonsense. But, we all feel that he’s up to something—he was the one that encouraged all researchers to push for power.” Chizuru sighed. “He influenced crusader behavior overall, which lead to groups led by researchers to follow his vision. That’s why many of them are nastier. Being separate, my group still carries on the original values of the crusaders. The others look at us as relics of the past and something for the public to acknowledge. But we can’t be everywhere at once. We…”

  “I see,” Clyde interrupted. “Do you know where we can find this Order?”

  “To be honest, no,” Chizuru said.

  “You’re not trying to hide them, are you?” Clyde said, giving her a glowing-eyed look.

  “We’re not,” Chizuru said, voice almost a whine. “They hide themselves behind masks and hoods whenever they appear at camps. It’s possible that the researchers know where to find them.”

  Clyde nodded.

  “We’re going to form a pact, truce, whatever you want to call it. Just your group and Team Stone. And you’ll work for me. No objections. Bring me a researcher—I don’t care how. Tear will get an answer out of him.”

  Tear laughed. The crusaders shuddered.

  “This isn’t some bullshit, you versus us thing, but a push for the safety of the public,” Clyde said. “You clearly explained to us that the researchers are your problem and that they’ve somehow gained control of the Order. There’s no way around it.”

  [Adventure quest pending: Pay the Order of the Crusaders a visit. Stop their cruelty once and for all. You will have to rely on Chizuru to bring you back the researcher to begin this quest.]

  [Let it be known that all Adventure quests are mandatory and count as main story quests. Neko may appear as needed to guide you along.]

  Well, better her than Mortem , Clyde thought. Seriously, fuck that guy .

  The only good thing he’d ever done was laugh in Amaterasu’s face. That made the young man’s victory feel even more…universally valid.

  Clyde eyed Tessa. The Wind. He saved the most intriguing for last. She gave a quick sad smile then dropped it to a nervous expression. Everyone stared at her.

  “So what’s your story?” Clyde said. “You’re Venus’s chosen. Mortem, the entity that popped in to laugh at Amaterasu, serves her too. He looked at you and left in a hurry.”

  Tessa looked almost teary-eyed. “Relax, we’re not going to hurt you. Well, unless you really are a threat.” He winked at the green-haired girl, who tried and failed to hide her ears.

  Natalia blew on Clyde’s neck, causing him to shudder.

  “You evil loli,” he said. “Anyway, go on Tessa. The edge lord over there and I are from Earth.”

  She nodded.

  “I am too,” she said. “I suspected it was Venus who brought me here, and it still blows my mind to know that she’s real.”

  “You don’t have gods where you’re from?” Alena asked.

  “On Earth, we’re expected to believe by faith,” Tessa said. “Well in the modern era. Apparently the ancients witnessed them.”

  “Interesting,” Selkie said.

  “I encountered the Viper one day,” Tessa said. “A man wearing a black hood with scary glowing purple eyes.”

  Clyde’s eyes widened as the memory of a dream returned to him.

  “Let’s have a drink, you and I.”

  That person in the dream…. HE WAS THE FUCKING VIPER? Clyde could hardly breathe.

  “I met him too,” Dark said, surprising everyone except Selkie. “And he…he almost killed me and Selkie. He’s actually apart of the reason why we’re here and why we have a present for Clyde.”

  “I couldn’t so much as touch him,” Tessa said. “And he went on about honor and fighting—but that guy’s a freaking psychopath.”

  “I agree,” Dark said. “The rules of the stone-viper gam
es pit only the Stone and the Viper against each other. He’s only killing us because he feels like it. Even if we’re here just to…live a better life.”

  Clyde gulped but asked the question, anyway.

  “Do I stand a chance?”

  “If you were the same as the last time I visited, then you’d die instantly,” Dark said. “After seeing you turn into fucking black Thor of Asgard, you two may not be far apart. But dude if you can transform into…whatever the hell that was—do it at the beginning. The lord of the dark will beg this—please don’t wait. While your stats make no damn sense, his are worse. Infinite MP. His level showed up as red question marks and—”

  “He’s a legendary soul,” Tessa interrupted. Dark tried to talk over her again, but Clyde held up a hand.

  “So you fought the Viper and then what?” Clyde said.

  “Just as he was about to kill me, I heard Venus’s voice,” Tessa said softly. “In exchanged for saving me, I became her servant. She calls me daughter.”

  Selkie’s eyes were wide. Alena sighed.

  “That’s against the rules,” Selkie said. “She can’t make any of you serve her, but I suppose it’s alright. She’s a tricky one, according to my master. One moment she has a heart and the other, that woman is as perverted as…Oh sorry, I don’t want to badmouth your goddess. The important thing is that you’re alive. But why are you here?”

  “Venus sent me to check out a disturbance,” Tessa answered. “A wraith appeared in the city.”

  Dark had a coughing fit.

  “Seriously? Whoa!”

  “Long story,” Toru said to the chuuni.

  “It’s dead, that’s all there is to it,” Clyde said.

  “You don’t understand,” Alena said. “They’re nearly impossible to kill. How did you…”

  Amaterasu rolled her eyes.

  “Obviously by transforming. He beat me, didn’t he?” She folded her eyes and harrumphed.

  “Mother, no becoming tsundere please,” Melody said softly.

  Airi cleared her throat. Clyde grinned at her.

  “Airi gave me some kind of power that enabled me to take it out along with the researcher,” Clyde said. “Once again, long story and I’m asking the questions.”

  The breeze whipped across Clyde’s face as he made eye contact with the elf girl. Wait.

  “If you’re from Earth, why did you turn into an elf?” Clyde said. “Did you get the option to choose? What’s going on here? If it isn’t too much trouble for you, do you mind giving us a little more to work with? I’m not trying to get your goddess pissed at you.”

  “And especially not here,” Seth said. Kitome gave him a glare that promised later retribution.

  Tessa nodded.

  “It’s okay. On my last day, I was visiting an old friend of mine—it was supposed to be a surprise visit. Unfortunately as things turned out…” Tears fell from the poor girl’s eyes. She quickly wiped and continued. “It was I who got the surprise instead. His family said he disappeared without a trace, months ago. No one could tell me anything, as if he just vanished out of reality. It could’ve been a car accident, who knows. It was when I got to my hotel to call it a night, a voice called out to me.”

  “So this confirms that getting hit by trucks won’t reincarnate us in this world,” Dark said.

  “You read too many mangas,” Natalia said. “Dummy-chuuni.” She stuck her tongue out at him, gaining his comedic snarl.

  “You stupid—”

  “Enough,” Amaterasu said. “This is a rather bizarre story. And this sounds like something that perverted goddess would do.”

  “Sorry for your loss,” Clyde said. “What’s the name of your friend?”

  “Maybe we can dig him an honorary grave,” Dark said. “And decorate it with the blessings of your lord of shado—ouch. Dammit bird brain.”

  “Then shut the hell up with your chuuni rants in public,” Myriad comedically snarled.

  Tessa’s eyes widened.

  “No…it couldn’t be, just a coincidence,” she said softly. Her hands trembled.

  “What?” Clyde said.

  “He disappeared without a trace, gone for months,” she said. “And then I happened to meet someone with the same name, who is also from earth. And come to think of it… is like an anime version of…”

  Tessa suddenly fainted.

  “Ah shit,” Clyde said. “What was she talking about? Crusaders, make yourselves useful and take her to the nurse’s office. She can crash at our place for the night I guess.”

  “Damn, I wanted to know how she became an elf,” Dark said.

  “She’s no elf, chunni-for-brains,” Selkie said, shaking her head. “There are other races with pointed ears.”

  “Hell, even Mortem’s ears are that way, but that’s not the point,” Clyde said. “It’s probably best that we don’t bring up her friend again. We don’t need a potential ally to lose her head in a world like this.”

  Harumi tilted her head in thought.

  “The way she looked at you, as if seeing a ghost. Why?”

  “What was that?” Clyde asked.

  “No—nothing,” Harumi said, face flushed.

  Episode 44 (Part 2)

  After Tessa was set in a bed, watched over by the nurse herself, Clyde and the others made their way back to the eating area.

  “So what present are we talking about?” he told Selkie as he sat down.

  Selkie punched a hole into reality and pulled out a glowing green object. She carefully passed it to the young man. It felt rather…oddly cold and warm at the touch.

  A victory chime sounded off in his head.

  [Congratulations! You have received a *World Star Fragment!*]

  [Number of World Star fragments owned: 1 of 7.]

  *World Objectives:

  -Slay the demon lords: 3/15. Reward: *World star fragment* .

  -Receive special training. Reward: Stone magic line access.

  -World side objective: learn more about this world. Current knowledge of Satovia: 1.8%

  System opinion: you suck! Get on it, godling.

  *Challenges: 2/3.

  -Challenge: Attempt to get Noona into your party.

  -Challenge: win 5 cultural festival events.

  [You have earned the title Star Collector! Legend says something amazing will happen if all seven are brought together. An incredibly difficult, perhaps unreasonable task, but the reward may be worth the risk.]

  The world star fragments took a place in the MISC section of his stat page.

  Misc:

  -Free points: 265.

  -Wanted rep Harpy clan: 5/5.

  -Omen’s spheres (some call them orbs): 7 . (2 of 5 super)

  -Sato Academy Crafting Permission.

  -* Word Star Fragments* : 1/7.

  “Thanks. Seriously. You’re awesome,” Clyde said.

  “You’re welcome,” Selkie said, smiling.

  “Where did you find it?” Clyde said after warping the object to his inventory.

  “As you’ve stated, long story,” Dark said, “but we got super lucky. The boss fight sucked. There’s no real point to us keeping it. The lord of the shadows does not condemn this world to be doomed by the Viper, he just wants to rule it.”

  Clyde was legitimately impressed, but this find reminded him of something important. He could not skip the adventuring section of his journey. Well, the Watchers already decided where he’d begin. For them to deem the young man Safe and remove all restrictions…hell yes!

  The young man looked at the crowd and took notice of Sazuki and Ming waving at him from afar. They called his name.

  The concerts had finally ended and people wanted to finish off the festival with the traditional games.

  Needless to say, Clyde asked Yuki to not participate but cheer him on and make sure Tessa doesn’t try to make a run for it. The demoness was skeptical until he told her the truth, leaving out the game talk.

  “I’m trying to win this so a bu
nch of perverts won’t force themselves into Noona’s home,” he said. “At the same time, I don’t want to see a lone human walk into that house of demons and disappear for good. It’s a lose-lose for all of them.”

  That didn’t stop Harumi and the others from going all out, but Clyde managed to win the rest of the events, from a bean bag toss, to a fetch race, and even a pie-smashing battle. He took out the pink-haired girl first to make sure the victory was secured.

  Sazuki and the student council gave him a trophy and a medal, along with bragging rights. None of these victories were won with his powers, which made people go nuts. They should be thanking his evil system, not him.

  After signing a few autographs, Clyde snuck away. Tear and Ruri waved at him to join them at a table.

  **

  Cultural festival main grounds…

  Nuri cackled. She just wanted to jump for joy like an idiot in front of everyone. Her boss was definitely going to give a raise for the find. Woo!

  Caught up in the excitement, the young woman chugged the rest of her wine. And then watched him for a bit.

  She couldn’t stand the suspense any longer and rapidly dialed her boss’s phone number.

  “Maya! Maya! I found him.” She laughed maniacally, causing the people around to give her skeptical looks. She did not give a fuck.

  “Really? Where?” Maya said.

  “At the cultural festival—get over here now! Hurry hurry take the helicopter. I’ll have the others setup your room and cancel all of your meetings. You need this tonight.”

  Nuri was so happy to hear her boss squeal in excitement. The blonde boy was surprisingly difficult to find in the city, almost as if he had friends in high places hiding his information. Nuri grinned widely. She supported interspecies relationships to the fullest, being half-human, half-pixy herself. Maya was not only her boss, but her best friend—someone who gave her a purpose in life.