"Is it OK for all of us to fight him at once?"
Both The Duke and Miss Grace started to laugh at me, and I gave them a questioning look.
"Don't worry, if all of you can defeat his third form, then I will be very impressed. When I was able to defeat my trainer, it took six of us all above level forty to finally beat him in the sixth form."
"OK then, but I need a minute before we start."
I stepped back from everyone and opened my notifications, and selected STONE BLADE SHADOW DUELIST. I flashed with light, and then another screen popped up.
CONGRATULATIONS FULL RELATIONSHIP STATUS ACHIEVED
Your RELATIONSHIP levels have risen to the max with Tilly and Iona. You all have been awarded the passive Skill, SKILL FUSION. You have been awarded the Active Skill, RESCUE.
That must be the result of consummating the relationship in the mind of the game. SKILL FUSION looked exciting, and I was pretty sure RESCUE was going to be self-explanatory. I closed that screen and finally got to see my AVATAR.
LEVEL: 15
HP: 250/250
MANA: 240/240
NAME: Dave Huntington
AGE: 21
CLASS: Stone Blade Shadow Duelist
STATUS: Satisfied
WEALTH: Wealthy
HOME: Huntington Manor
STRENGTH: 40
CONSTITUTION: 35 (+175)
COMBAT: 38
SPEED: 62
INTELLIGENCE: 37
MANA: 33 (+165)
CHARISMA: 48
LUCK: 40
SPECIAL ABILITIES
HEROIC GRACE: Remove any adverse magical effects or side effects from a party member. This ability has a 24-hour cooldown period between uses. (1/1 uses available)
ABILITIES
PASSIVE SKILLS
SKILL FUSION: Combine Skills with another party member with this Skill. Skill combinations may vary.
STONEBLADE STYLE: Proficient at wielding stone weapons, and you are not affected by the weight of the weapon.
MOLTEN SKIN: You have become invulnerable to metal. If you receive damage from a metal weapon, that damage is transferred back as heat to the weapon. A heated weapon loses durability fast and causes user FIRE damage.
PEIRCE EVIL: People with evil intentions have black auras and are vulnerable to the HERO's LIGHT BLADE Skill.
SELFLESS HERO: Magic item find increased by 250%
ACTIVATED SKILLS
LIGHT BLADE+++: Activate to summon a blade of light. This Spell consumes 2 MANA per/minute.
SOUL AVENGER++: In the presence of demons, LIGHT BLADE will increase in size, but in this form, the blade only affects demons. A non-demonic creature struck by SOUL BRINGER receives no damage. Consumes 15 MANA per/min.
SOUL BRINGER++: In the presence of demons, SOUL AVENGER will erupt with golden cleansing flames, and all stats with temporarily be boost against demons. Consumes 5 MANA per/min.
SHADOW SLIDE: Enter any shadow and travel to any other shadow within 10m. Consumes 15 MANA per/use.
Well, Nothing crazy, but I could work with this. I turned to the girls, and they all were smiling and waiting.
"Ready?"
Chapter 57: In The Hands Of Defeat
"Before I forget, Trinity, what is your class?"
"HOLY LIGHT CONJURER! Just wait to see it!"
"OK, let's go!"
Ahead of us, Professor MTK, was already shifting shapes impossibly. His mass began to grow larger, but this time he wasn't the large metal crab-man. Instead, he had turned into a four-meter tall Mech style robot sporting a massive greatsword and shield.
All of us moved on to the field and prepared ourselves to fight. Tilly and Iona were at my side, Till passed her stone great sword to me, and Iona had bowed her head, pouring black mist out of the bottom of her dress to coated the floor. Instantly Iona was gone from sight, but I could feel her close, hidden in the black mist.
The Dualist tear was wreathed in a blue flame, while Lavender had red and blue magic circles surrounding her arms in preparation to cast. Last was Trinity, but she was holding her hand up and chanting something. She used her free hand to trace magical glyph into the air.
Suddenly, Trinity was bathed in light, and a pillar poured down from the sky carrying a winged form. In the next instant, Trinity cried out.
"Come forth, Augusta, Holy Angel of Light!"
The figure's speed increase and slammed down in front of Trinity on one knee and head bowed. Long radiant blonde hair, golden armor, and snow-white wings made him the fitting image of any angel ever dreamed. All of us wear taken aback when the angel drew his sword on Trinity but then held it before himself and presented it to her.
"My lady, My blade is yours to wield. Your wish is my command."
"Thanks, Gus! We have a Techknowledge level three to deal with, but we also have a full party of level fifteens."
"This will be difficult. I request that you allow me you defend you with this blade this time, my lady."
"I will permit it. I will also remove the limiter."
Suddenly four bands dropped like rocks from the angel's wrists and ankles. I was surprised that she didn't want to wait, but If Trinity wasn't playing around, then none of us could. I looked at Tilly, and she nodded.
"Go! Steam!"
Lavender's circles fell down her arm and locked together. Steam rolled over the black, and we shot forward to the direction that MTK was last, but a fist came out to connect with Tilly. With STONEBLADE MASTERY and my speed, I used earth magic to fortify my riposte, allowing Tilly to slide under and spun, hammer out, connecting with the elbow joint.
I didn't see the other fist come, but it connected with Tilly and me, sending us flying back, but Iona was there to Pull us into the shadow room. I slipped back out to strike from behind, MTK's back opened up, and I was pounded into the ground by a barrage of small rockets. Only my shield saved me, and then the missiles stopped as Trinity and Augusta attacked simultaneously, golden angel blade from one side and white spear thrust.
MTK was hit but was still moving and batted the two of them away from himself after taking massive damage. Augusta was able to break Trinity's fall, but both looked in rough shape. I smashed my arms down and launched myself up and kicked my greatsword into the air above MTK, and leaped up. As I leaped, Victoria, Lavender, and now Tilly stood together, arms forward.
Starlight blasted MTK back, and before he could react, I met the now falling great sword with a front flip. Momentum brought me crashing down, smashing into MTK. Suddenly I was sent flying and smashed into a wall. MTK was still operational!
"Watch out, girls!"
But there was nothing I could do. MTK was already reforming himself. We couldn't do it, maybe if CHAIN REACTION was charged, but even then, that wasn't really winning.
"Enough!" Called out The Duke.
Everyone stood down, and the way to real simulation ended, and my pain disappeared. We all walked out with our heads hung low except for Trinity. She seemed to understand that we didn't have a chance, when we were filled with false hope and pride. After all the success, this was a bit surreal.
"Don't be down. I would have been overly impressed or worried about the Professor's effectiveness if you had won. That being said, it was close."
"I'm as impressed as always! You constantly help my girls grow, dave, and you take such good care of them!"
"No, you will split into the groups. Dave, your group will stay here with me, and the rest will join my daughter on the roof, after lunch."
With that, we were all lead back to the dining room. Even though we were told we did good, everyone but Trinity looked a bit down. Tilly and Iona held my arms, leaning into me, but then I was asked to wait by The Duke, and the girl went on without me.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Don't get down, son. These people all see you as their leader. If you think they lost, then so do they. Remember, you aren't just the leader. You are the trunk of the tree holding your team together. You mu
st provide nutriment for them to flourish. Without you, they are just a bunch of branches. Be the Man that holds them together!"
The Duke slapped my back and laughed, walking past me and inside. I was left to ponder the words. All of them made sense. I was hurting my team by acting defeated. They needed to see me as the person that they can rely on.
I took in a couple deep breaths and slapped my face a couple times to straighten my thoughts back out. I had to get out of the mood. MTK was the real monster here. How did he take that direct hit from the starlight cannon the girls had made? Maybe it was something to do with the armor.
Next time we needed to make a plan and not just rush in. I headed to the dining hall while I started to think of ways we could have done better. Once I got into the hall, I was surprised to see the girls still crowded together and not sitting down.
"Girl's, I'm really sorry I was acting so down before. I have just been so used to us mowing down most things without trouble. I guess this loss was just a kick in the pants, but that's no excuse for me to be moping! You all did amazing! That Star fire cannon was out of this world! Tilly, your connection and Iona's saves were perfectly timed!"
All the girls visibly relaxed. They must have been talking about it, so I walked into the group, spoke to each person, and encouraged them to train hard. After we all sat down and pick sandwiches from a platter in the center of the table. After eating, I turned to The Duke.
"What kind of training will we be doing?"
"I have had some of the demons from certain noble houses here now, and you will be training against them. After that, you will head to the Mages Tower on the fifteenth level. If you all can complete the entire tower, then you will be able to come back to fight the demons kept here. None of this will be easy. We will be pushing you to your limits."
"Considering that Lavender, Victoria, and Trinity will be coming home to train, I convinced father to let you have the rest of the day off. It will be a week or more before you all are ready for the tower, so enjoy your selves today."
The two departed after that, and the girls and I were left in silence. Then Tilly, Iona, and Trinity all left suspiciously, leaving just Lavender and Victoria. I looked over at them, but they were already coming around the table.
Wordlessly they took me by the arms and pulled me out of my seat, and started to guide me. I was clueless about what was going on, and now I was beginning to get suspicious of the earlier group huddle. My eyes got big when I was pulled into a bathroom with a massive jacuzzi tub and three towels hanging up.
"What's going on,"
"You look really tense, Dave. So we are going to help you relax and get clean."
Victoria was already stripping down her shining armor, as Lavender explained. She, too, started to slide her purple dress down her shapely body until both were only wearing underwear. I hesitated for only one heartbeat but then stripped down and slid into the water with my back turned to the girls.
"Always so shy," I heard one of them say as they giggled behind me.
Both women slid in beside me, but I was very nervous, even shaking a bit. It wasn't until the women's bodies touched mine that I calmed down. Something about the connection made me remember other intimate moments that we all had shared. Suddenly, I could relax, and I reach my arm around each woman, pulling them both close.
"That's better!"
"Now, let us show how relaxed we can make you, and this way, you won't forget us when we are gone."
Victoria moved on top of me and pressed into me, causing her to let out moans of ecstasy, while Lavender's tongue tangled with mine.
Chapter 58: Rushed Plans
Fate stood in a hallway filled with corpses of the nobles and staff of this house. They stood no chance as Grismald's chains tore through their bodies, killing everyone. Lecter approached him cautiously.
"So, what now, Biford?"
The shade of Grismald and his chains disappeared, and Fate turns to face his partners. Even this Wargman showed hesitation around him, but that would all change soon. Fate gave the partner a friendly smile and motioned for him to follow as Fate approached a door with the number five on it.
"Are you ready to cast aside your petty emotions? Mars, are you coming?"
"Ey, Sir Biford," the Tarjoki, Mars, said as he turned, and his paper-thin bod was visible.
"Then let us begin. My name is not Biford. I am the god Fate. I have chosen you two to become partner gods with me when I win, but I need your help.
This revelation neither acted surprised about his identity, but after Grismald and this slaughter. Not much more could surprise them. Or that's what they thought until five doors of the hall opened, and black mist poured out of each entry.
"Come and join with my brothers and me and let us take back this tiny world and destroy everything."
Mars and Lecter let out howls of agony as two demons entered each. The last massive mist came to Fate, and he drank it in. No pain wracked his body, and he turned to look at the Lecter and Mars, who were now getting back up.
"How do you feel?"
"Power! More!"
——————————————
The girls had dragged me into the bedroom after the bath. Both of them exhausted me to my fullest, and after our passion charged lovemaking session, both of them lay in my arms. Under the covers, their naked bodies pressed into mine, surrounding me with warmth and softness.
"You should be able to remember us now!" Victoria spoke as she kissed my cheek and then bit my ear playfully, rubbing her nipple up to my side.
"I will remember this for more than just the week we are apart,�� Lavender ran her finger down my chest and below the blanket.
Suddenly, I felt my eighth wind coming on as her hand sunk deeper, and Victoria started to bite my neck. The door banged open, and Tilly and Iona burst into the room. All of us from in our act, staring at the girls as they stared back at us. Finally, Iona snapped out of it first.
"There is big trouble! You all need to get dressed now!"
"What happened?"
But they were already leaving the room and shutting the door. I sat up and looked from Lavender to Victoria. Both shrugged, but we all got up and got our things back on. As I did, I watched the girls with longing as they pulled the clothes back onto their beautiful bodies.
Soon, we dressed and left the room where Tilly and Iona were waiting. Neither would look at me, and I knew I deserved it, but this was all too complicated, to begin with, and by the sounds of it, not the time to be discussing it.
"That guy from the market, Biford Styles, do you remember him?" Tilly asked me while starting to walk to the stairs to go down the stairs.
"Yeah, what happened?"
"He and two others murdered an entire noble family and staff. Then they took the demons," Iona explained as a maid opened the doors to the sitting room as we walked down the stairs.
Inside was Miss Grace, The Duke, and two people I didn't know.
"Dave, This man with the interesting hair cut is Reginold Styles, and the women beside him is Olivia Styles. These are the parents of the boy who is possessed by Grismald. He murdered an entire noble house and took the demons. It's only a matter of time now," Miss Grace explained, pointing to each.
The man, Reginold, stood up and pointed at me. The top of his head had a cut impossibly flat like a long razor blade did one pass. The man was clearly angry about way too many things, and as he screamed at me, spittle flew from his mouth.
"Our child was fine until he met you! Then you let the demon out, and now my son is no longer there!"
"Your son was gone before I met him because when I did, I already knew him! There was something in there before the demon. You can't tell me you didn't see the difference!" I yelled back, standing up in challenge.
"ENOUGH!" The Duke's rapport made us both sit down and shut up.
"None of it matters now. We have to deal with this before it tears the city apart! Some of us put him in there
! I want to apologize to you, Grace, about my husband and the wrongful imprisonment that I was not informed about!"
Olivia overhand slapped Reginold's head from a sitting position. She almost knocked it off his shoulders, but then she continued as he moaned in pain. "Grace, I and fourteen others sealed Grismald, but he killed all of the party but us to do it. We need to do something now before he gets back to full strength."
"He just absorbed Kosha, The boar king demon. He will need at least five more greater demons, but now he is recruiting and infecting others with the demons. Our soldiers are nothing against these things, and we have very few high levels left," The Duke explained.
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