Hiro stepped out of the academy gates into the warm afternoon air of Sato City and muttered under his breath, "Man, I really need some spicy grilled chicken skewers and loaded rice bowls from that food truck right now."
He shoved the lingering thought of that popular girl with the bob cut out of his head. Hiro laughed as he dubbed her as Bob.
She was definitely going to come after him, he could feel it in his bones. That annoying trope would have to be swiftly dealt with when it finally showed up.
Right now, he just wanted to take control of the whole harem mess and shut it down for good before it got any worse.
Hiro pulled out his phone and started searching for a decent food truck on the web browser. The moment he found one that looked promising, he was about to dial Rin when a familiar voice cut through the noise of the street.
"Are you done with school already?"
Hiro turned and saw Thea walking toward him, dressed in the academy uniform like she'd been there all along. She looked completely at ease, blending in with the crowd of students heading out for the day.
He quickly scanned the area with just his eyes, not wanting to make it obvious. His anime trope senses were already vibrating hard.
'Who the hell was going to show up next?' He needed to stay ahead of this harem crap if he was going to beat it once and for all.
"Let's go!"
Thea's face lit up with excitement as he grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the nearest bus stop.
As the vehicle pulled away from the curb, he caught a glimpse of Hanako and her friend stepping out of the academy doors, deep in conversation.
Knowing them, it would have turned into a group lunch in a heartbeat, with Hanako dragging Thea along using her friendly personality.
"Where are we headed?" Thea asked, sitting beside him.
"We're going for some spicy grilled chicken skewers and loaded rice bowls," Hiro responded.
Right on cue, the demoness's stomach growled loud enough for both of them to hear it. She blushed in that perfect, over-the-top anime way that somehow made her look even more appalling.
"Don't start drooling now."
She gave him a quick pouty look before scooting as close as she could get. "I'll have to punish you for being rude," she whispered as she slipped her hand onto his lap and squeezed him firmly through his pants. "How long do you think we can keep this going before the normals try to throw us off the shuttle?"
"Yeah, um, I'm going to have to stop you right there," Hiro said, fighting the rush of heat that was going straight to his hardening little brother. "I'm not trying to get arrested for public indecency."
Thea giggled softly, clearly enjoying the reaction she was getting him.
The shuttle slowed at the next stop and a tall girl with long silver hair streaked with and sharp violet eyes boarded. She carried herself like she owned the whole city, and everyone on the shuttle suddenly looked a mix of uncomfortable and excited, like a celebrity had just walked in. Even Thea's smile faltered for a second.
"Great," Hiro muttered. "Well, if she leaves us alone, I'll leave her alone."
He got no such luck. Sienna's glare hit him like a lightning bolt straight to the chest. Unsure what came over him, Hiro grinned right back, which only made her angrier. He ran a quick analysis on her while she stared him down.
Sienna
Level: 12
Type: Silver-tongued Manipulator
Relationship: Burning Hatred
HP: 100%
MP: 100%
Stats: Relationship isn't high enough. Try having sex with her. Without getting stabbed that is.
Special abilities: Relationship isn't high enough. She can think of a thousand ways to kill you right now.
Skills: See above. And good luck. You're going to need it.
Magic abilities: See above. You could always try sex. A good way to clear up that bad relationship. That is if you don't die first.
Hiro shook his head. Why in the hell was the system trying to push him into bed with someone who clearly wanted to launch him into orbit?
Sienna's eyes stayed locked on him for the next fifteen minutes straight until Hiro felt like he was about to snap. Thea tapped his arm just before he could do something stupid.
"Would you like me to eliminate her? You've still got that favor from me."
Hiro chuckled. "Don't bother. She's not worth the time or the trouble."
Thea gave him a disappointed little look but kept quiet. When they finally got off the shuttle at their stop, Sienna and four guys with completely glazed-over eyes stepped off right behind them.
[Your Heart Protection has reached level 3: you're 34% less affected by unwanted mental magic or skills from enemies. You gain a 17% bonus to your ability to convince others to do anything that would protect their hearts.
Passive upgrade: 11% chance to break from any magic or charismatic hold.]
Hiro's inner gamer practically squealed with joy. Every single level up on heart protection brought him one step closer to being basically immune to all that mental bullshit and overpowered charm crap.
"Look, I just want some food, not trouble," Hiro said, keeping his voice casual. "How does spicy grilled chicken skewers and loaded rice bowls sound? My treat."
Sienna actually looked like she was considering the offer for a second. Hiro did his best to ignore the sideways glance Thea shot him.
"You will not bribe me with…ugh, that actually sounds heavenly. But the sight of you…you making me look bad. Gentlemen, kick his ass."
Hiro quickly analyzed the four entranced guys as they started closing in.
Dax
Level: 22
Type: Construction Worker
Affiliation: N/A. Honest citizen.
Special: Stagger Punch. (A 23% chance to stun.)
Weakness: Hostile Detection insufficient.
Resistances: See above.
Secret: Hostile Detection, Luck, and Will insufficient.
***
Jax
Level: 64
Type: Ex-Military
Affiliation: Reserves.
Special: Napalm Punch. (50% chance to inflict weakness.)
Weakness: Hostile Detection insufficient.
Resistances: See above.
Secret: Hostile Detection, Luck, and Will insufficient.
He didn't bother analyzing the other two. The ex-military guy looked like he could rip Hiro in half with a single stare.
[You've entered combat!]
"No system, you can't do this to me," Hiro said as he took off running. Or at least tried to. The military guy grabbed his arm in a grip like iron.
He almost took a fist straight to the face, but something strange happened. The man's punch froze in mid-air at the last possible second.
[Thea overrides your party.]
[Thea's radiance has covered the party.]
A sudden rush of energy and confidence flooded through Hiro. He yanked his arm free from the guy's grip. Even with the boost, he knew he stood zero chance against a level sixty-four monster. Yet, Thea was still completely in control of the fight. Wasn't her level only twenty-seven?
"Who are you people?" Sienna demanded, her eyes narrowing on Thea.
The demoness raised one hand. Lights flared all around them like the flash of an upbeat nightclub.
[Thea uses Targeted Strike Bolt.]
Spotlights seemed to appear from nowhere, pinning Sienna and her four entranced goons in place. Blue lightning slammed down from an invisible point in the sky and hit them all at once. They dropped to the ground unconscious.
[Enemy party has been inflicted with paralysis.]
"Let's get those skewers and rice bowls now," Thea said with a playful little tongue stuck out at the paralyzed group.
"Stupid humans."
[Thea ended the battle.]
'Holy fuck,' Hiro thought as he silently thanked every star in the sky that Thea was on his side. She was completely broken and overpowered.
That level twenty-seven had to be fake as hell. Maybe she was hiding her real strength the same way Hanako did.
"Skewers and rice bowls it is." His craving for food let him push aside the fact that if it hadn't been for Thea, he would have gotten the absolute shit beaten out of him by some seriously high-level NPC's.
Just then, he stopped dead in his tracks as the realization hit him like a truck.
'Thea… is the demon lord's daughter! She has to be.'