[The Raid Boss has appeared…]

[You have entered a Raid Boss Fight, showdown phase 2!]

Nezerath Ashfall Sr., Head of the Ashfall Family.

Level: 103

Type: ancient demon.

Work under: N/A.

Special: Exodus Flash Blast [Inflicts colossal hell damage. Chance to cause agony and despair.]

Weakness: holy, lightning.

Resistances: Your hostile detection isn’t high enough.

Secret: Your hostile detection, luck, and will isn’t high enough for this.

Clyde knew what that ridiculously high level meant. No mistakes here. He had an idea to confiscate for his lack of time—the strain of his current form was starting to take its toll.

“Now, Kitome,” he said, voice low.

[Kitome used Tier 3 spell: Plain of Silence!]

[All enemies around here and within a mile radius have been muted for three minutes. Use your time wisely.]

Clyde let out a breath then rushed forward. Ashfall picked up his son with a single hand and threw him at the young man. Clyde knocked him aside with a finger then proceeded, sword drawn. But when he swung, Ashfall caught it.

“Do not take me lightly, boy.”

Clyde grimaced as the demon lord overpowered him—pulling the sword from his grasps, snapped it in half, then tossed it to the side. Alice’s gift to him…

[Alice activated Raid crushing beam.]

[Harumi activated Skill fusion: lightning blast + feral fire wave]

[Chika activated Dire slash beam.]

[Yuki activated Destruction Wave.]

[Yusuke activated Focus Blast.]

[Toru activated Raging Blast.]

[Seth activated Honing fire wave.]

[Sahara activated Time Flame Strike.]

Clyde let go of the sword handle to duck under the magic. All of it struck, yet Ashfall looked as if it hadn’t affected him at all.

“We’re not going to let you do this alone,” Chika said. Clyde didn’t argue.

[Ashfall HP has dropped to 650%]

Clyde panted as the pain in his bones worsened. He ignored it at first, the aching wasn’t too bad, nothing worse than an itch. He couldn’t falter here. Not when the root of the asshole household stood in front of him.

[You activated Silver Tier Skill: Angel Energy Ball.]

Ashfall dodged the ball, but there was one thing he didn’t expect. Clyde made it turn around and smashed into the demon’s backside.

[Ashfall’s HP has dropped to 543%]

[Alice used Targeted Raid Ender.]

She had that one aimed for Nezerath.

[Nezerath’s HP has dropped to 30% Defense down! Attack down! Evasion down! Still weakened after respawn!]

Toru, Yusuke, Seth, and even Sahara immediately engaged him, happy to take advantage of his weakness. Neko continued to observe, bound by clan rules and whatever watcher had a leash on her neck.

[Kitome’s mute has worn off.]

Ashfall laughed.

“Finally!”

He dodged Clyde’s lightning fast punches, kicks, and well-formed martial arts, then countered.

[Ashfall used Demon Dance Blast.]

Clyde held up a hand and attempted to put up a Spirit shield but nothing happened.

[MP: 65%]

His MP was fine but the pain in his bones…well, that explained a lot. The energy blast struck him hard—he felt himself flying backward.

[Your HP has dropped to 90%]

He struggled to his feet, gritting his teeth against the strain. The system warned him—and he would’ve been happy to oblige right after Nezerath’s head rested on a pike. Daddy dearest just had to show up to save him.

Clyde took a deep breath, allowing fresh anger to rush in.

[Your MP has regenerated to 85%]

A regeneration that amazing was definitely something he knew he’d feel in the morning. Ashfall chuckled.

“Come on, boy, is that all you’ve got? My son isn’t the type to be totally crushed so easily. Come at me like you mean it. Give Alice something worthy to look at before I peel her like a banana.”

Clyde didn’t take the bait. He knew the cliché on sight. Fall for the taunt, let guard down, get destroyed.

Instead of rushing him, Clyde aimed a hand. Ashfall thrusted a palm his way. He pushed heavily through the pain, determined to not fail. He would not allow Alice to be stuck with the crazy demons.

[You activated tier 1 skill: Angel’s Spirit wave.]

[Ashfall activated Negative Raid crushing beam.]

Both of the energy beams collided. This made Clyde chuckle inside—it was like the Cell vs. Gohan scene from Dragonball. Except in real life, if he failed, he’d take either heavy damage or die. If he died, his team did too.

[Clash initiated. Will your magic and push back!]

Clyde invested more MP into his attack and willed it forward. So did Ashfall. The ancient laughed.

“Is this it? All of your great power and you go out like a candle when faced with a real threat. What a shame, boy.”

[MP: 65%]

Despite his best efforts, Ashfall’s beam easily enveloped his. Clyde knew this was it, but he gave himself a mental pat on the back for going toe to toe with a level one hundred super demon. The closeness of Ashfall’s power burned at his hands.

But he had no intention of dying here.

[Your HP has dropped to 56%]

[You’ve invoked Mystic wrath!]

[Whew, the strain on your body is going to hurt in the morning, desu.]

Clyde grimaced but took in the feel of his mystic mode and what the system called his real power. His anger still boiled within and wasn’t going away. Not until all of the victims had justice. And the root of it all stood in front of him.

Ashfall’s eyes widened as Clyde’s Spirit wave immediately overtook his beam then exploded on his chest, bashing the ancient demon backward, into the same wall he saw his son hit.

[Ashfall’s HP has dropped to 200%]

[Ashfall has been inflicted with confusion. Great job!]

“Oh no you don’t!” Nezerath aimed a hand toward his father.

Ashfall jumped off the ground and ran into a wall. Clyde would’ve laughed if he wasn’t so pissed.

[Ashfall hurt himself in his confusion!]

[Ashfall’s HP dropped to 180%]

[Nezerath used Refresh. Ashfall’s confusion is gone.]

[Clyde activated Mystic lightning.]

[Ashfall activated Extreme Evade.]

He teleported beside the young man, but Clyde blocked his fists with a single finger and without turning toward him.

“Perish,” Clyde said. With one hand on the old man’s chest, he initiated his ultimate attack. Or at least he tried to, but Nezerath was surprisingly faster.

[Nezerath activated Intense Raid Ender]

Ashfall took Clyde’s Spirit shield activation as an opening—Clyde knew he made a mistake. The ancient demon’s grin confirmed so much.

[Ashfall activated Exodus Flash Blast.]

Both of their special attacks. Clyde’s luck was finally going to run out—he and his friends were going to die here.

Fuck that. Desperate times called for extremes.

[You activated Skill fusion: Omen’s Desolation + Scattershot.]

The combination created red and black miniature suns that immediately absorbed all magic around it. He willed them with all his might to attack the Ashfall pair. To his relief, the deadly scattershot covered them. That didn’t stop the back-blast from knocking him off his feet and five feet toward the wall.

[Nezerath’s HP has dropped to 1%]

[Nezerath has lost the will to fight.]

[Ashfall’s HP has dropped to 11%]

[Your HP has dropped to 12%]

Neko walked over to him.

“Nya, Clyde are you crazy? Fusing your special with anything, while in two powerful modes, can wipe planets.”

The young man chuckled. As if the cliché couldn’t help itself, Tear and her group barged in to surround the older Ashfall.

Clyde needed the EXP. As much as it sounded selfish, this fight was just a reminder that one couldn’t fully rely on special boosts. Even if they were your true powers.

[Clyde activated Mystic lightning]

The Ashfall man howled in extreme agony as his blood fried. Boils emerged all around his skin, even the tongue he screamed with. His eyeballs burst. His clothing burst into flame and he burned. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of screaming, the life faded from him. Judging by the hard expressions, no one spared even a moment of pity.

[Ashfall’s HP has dropped to 0%]

[Mystic lightning prevents respawns. Nezerath Ashfall Senior will never live again.]

Clyde smiled weakly at the prompts, one which included Harumi’s healing. He released Mystic wrath and despite the healing warmth, the bone-deep pain circulated throughout his body. He needed to find a way to utilize it. It’s his power, right? How did one train to minimize the strain? Well as much of an anime trope this was, a training camp in the Libado Grasslands should fix the issue. Or amount to nothing at all except pointlessly ecchi moments with the women.

[Battle completed. Victory! Reward: 800,000 EXP and $400,000. You’ve earned 20 free points. 65 total.]

[Quest completed. Without the head, the Ashfall family falls. Rewards: 200,000 EXP and $100,000. Ashfall estate is yours to do whatever you please with it. Ashfall family treasury is now yours. Ashfall family sword has been added to your inventory: Legendary Sword- Ludacris.]

[Congratulations, you’ve reached levels 43 through 50. Stats increased! You’ve learned the special ability, Jump.]

[You’ve learned the learned tier 3 skill: Sound slash]

[Your hostile detection has reached level 5! MAXED. You can now see resistances. Your will and luck is at the right place—you can now see enemy secrets. Have fun with that, desu.]

[You’ve learned the tier 2 skill: Blizzard!]

[Your reputation has increased to level 3!]

[Your relationship with Natalia has changed to Endearment. Alice and she are longtime friends. You saved her beloved friend from a fate worse than death.]

[Your relationship with Alice has changed to Soulmate. You are currently the only life mate candidate.]

[Your relationship with Tear has changed to Endearment. You’ve helped her favorite cousin evade true danger.]

[Your relationship with Neko has changed to Friend Closer level 2. Ashfall harmed plenty of her family. You avenged the bullied and lost.]

Clyde forced himself to stand, denying Neko’s aid. The catgirl licked his face anyway then purred. The young man pretended he didn’t notice.

“So what should we do with that piece of shit?” he said, pointing at the terrified and defeated Ashfall heir. “Anyone not affected by cooldowns wants to finish him?”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Tear said then grinned at Nezerath. “First, I’ll curse him so that he’ll never use magic again. This cooldown takes a few months, but it’s well worth it.”

[Tear used Ancient Mute, Succubus’s curse.]

A black sun-like mark appeared on the blond demon’s forehead.

“I know some people who are called futas,” Tear said. “They know all about Ashfall and especially this one. He’s going to be their prisoner for the rest of his life. If Clyde’s lightning wasn’t impossibly fast, maybe you would’ve dove into it to avoid a fate worse than death.”

Tear laughed. Clyde shuddered. The succubus was just as ruthless as them.

“Butthole! Butthole!” Natalia said in a singsong voice, pointing at Nezerath. “Prepare your butthole.”

“Please, I’ll do anything,” Nezerath said, talking quickly. “Anything. What is it that you want? Money? I’ll give you—”

“Everything you own is already mine,” Clyde said then pulled the deed from his inventory. The young man’s name was already on it.

“That’s impossible—”

“Shut it,” Alice snapped at Nezerath. “I hope you get surprised every minute of the day.

[Harumi used Drip heal.]

[Nezerath’s HP has increased to 15%]

“We can’t have you dying,” Harumi said.

“They are packing,” Tear said then laughed again. “The smallest is twenty-four inches. I think there’s a four-foot grower there too. She’s rough rider.”

Chika laughed. Kitome, Sahara, and Toru all shuddered. Seth grinned evilly.

“I don’t condone this, but this is a prison sentence,” Seth said. “You know, for literally murdering and raping thousands. What’s the old saying, don’t drop the soap. Not going to matter for you. You’ll never sit down right again. Maybe they’ll have you in a wheelchair on the first night.”

Nezerath begged hard and wept. Tear grinned then ordered her agents to take him to the futas through a portal. They chained the demon and dragged him off. Nezerath’s last round of offers, having the world, and money brushed over the party, unheard. His kicking and screaming faded.

“Find his cousin Gamen,” Clyde said. “Take him to the futas too.”

“He’s already taken care of,” Tear said. “As soon as Alice told me he was still alive, I had agents deal with him.”

“That’s freaking awesome,” Kitome said.

Alice walked over to Clyde, love in her eyes.

“Let’s go home.”

“Oh yeah,” Clyde said, weary.

“I’ll massage him,” Yuki said. “He looks like he’ll need it.”

“What—no way, I’ll do it,” Alice said. “He’s my Clyde anyway.”

“I’m better!” Chika said.

“You don’t even live with us,” Alice said.

“Tear, could you do the honors and warp us back. I’ll figure out what to do with the estate later.”

Tear nodded.

“Of course,” she said.

“Clyde, you suck,” Seth said, jealously aura pouring out of him. “Fall off a bridge.”

Everyone laughed until the stomach-lurch of Tear’s warp travel struck hard.