Nobunaga Oda's Isekai Cultivation Experience

With four and a half months passing since his arrival in Terra, Nobu was finally beginning to feel as though he had hit his stride. His cultivation base had exploded, his physique now eclipsed the body he had been proud of in his previous life, and, after a considerable amount of effort, he had finally managed to knock up Yui.Fortunately, while his mother had sent a rather 'spirited' letter advising him to be more considerate of his partners, Nobu's actions hadn't born any actual consequences. In fact, everything seemed to be going well for him. So much so that he was genuinely shaken when he received news that Takao, Rukia's daughter, had died during her training mission..."What the fuck did you just say...?"Bowing her head, Kumiko appeared sincerely apologetic as she softly repeated, "Trainee Takao was discovered invading the estate of Owari-Asai's Governor and publically executed...""Bullshit...!"After throwing his cup with enough force to send it crashing through the bamboo walls, Nobu jumped to his feet and began to pace around his room with a thoroughly incensed expression on his face. He hadn't gotten to know Takao all that well but she and her mother were two of the first people he had decided to save. She was supposed to start working for him the moment she came back from her mission. Now that he knew she had been executed, rage unlike anything he had ever experienced began to swell within his chest."Calm down. You accomplish nothing by throwing a tantrum."Nursing a small yet prominent baby bump, Inami's expression became stern as she watched Nobu pacing around the room. He had recently broken through to the Fourth Realm, and, though he was quite a bit weaker than Yui, his power was rapidly increasing. All of their powers were.Glaring towards the petite kitsune, Nobu was about to shout until he noticed her gently caressing her swelling belly. He felt as though all the wind had been taken out of his sails, a sigh escaping his lips as he returned to his seat and muttered, "I refuse to let this matter lie..."Nodding her head in approval, a smile spread across Inami's face as she said, "Good. So long as you possess that mentality, you're on the path to becoming a commendable Lord. Now you just need to focus on gathering information. Acting without proper consideration will only jeopardize the lives of the people you care about. I doubt Rukia-dono and Takao-chan would want that..."Inhaling a deep breath that caused a powerful air current to flow towards him, a refreshing chill gradually spread through Nobu's mind. When he exhaled, a much stronger flow exuded from his body, but, thanks to their glistening golden auras, the girls present were largely unaffected."Can I entrust this matter to the Yoshitsune Clan or do I need to prepare my own forces...?"Amused by Nobu's question, Inami's smile became noticeably more prominent as she said, "After witnessing your heaven-defying growth and your ability to empower others, it isn't an exaggeration to say that the Yoshitsune Clan is yours to command. With the exception of your father, there isn't a single person who can override your authority within the Clan."Though he was still unbelievably pissed, Nobu visibly perked up as he asked, "Does that mean I can change the laws of the Clan?"Shaking her head, Inami had to resist the urge to laugh as she explained, "You can propose change. That much is certain. However, unless you have a plan detailing what you hope to achieve, we can't implement changes based on a single person's whim. We could probably work something out if you elected to empower the entire Clan but that's a discussion best left for after you become Lord..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu decided to shelve that idea for the future. Instead, he adopted a serious expression as he said, "Fine. For now, send someone to inform Suzune that I wish to speak with her. We'll meet here around five. Until then, I'm planning to go and console Rukia. I can't even begin to imagine how devasted she's feeling right now..."Recalling Rukia's expression when she learned she and her daughter could work for him, the urge to punch something began to swell in the back of Nobu's mind. She was willing to do whatever it took to protect her daughter. Now, she was alone amongst a bunch of people who might not even care that her last remaining daughter had died.........Sensing a presence outside her door, followed by a gentle knock, Rukia hid the kunai she had been staring at listlessly for the past hour. There was only a single person who knocked to announce their presence, so, after drying her tears using her aura, she forced herself to appear calm as she adopted a proper seiza and replied, "Please, come in."Opening the sliding door, Nobu gestured for Onihime to wait outside before making his way inside. Then, without a word, he sat down next to Rukia, surprising the petite woman with a firm hug as he said, "It's okay to cry..."Though she wanted to insist she was fine, it didn't take long for Rukia's emotions to burst forth like a broken dam. Empathy was a rare commodity in Nian, and, even though she had experience with numerous partners, genuine care and affection were things she had never experienced. Thus, even though she knew it was wrong, she couldn't help wailing the moment her Lord wrapped his strong, seemingly all-encompassing arms around her body.........After cradling Rukia in his arms for the better part of two hours, Nobu gently caressed the bereaved woman's head as he stated, "I'm going to avenge her. I may not have known your daughter all that well, but I will not rest until the people responsible for her death have been brought to justice. She might have been a kunoichi but she was still someone I wanted to protect. I won't stand for this..."Feeling much better after crying her heart out for the first time in decades, a delicate smile spread across Rukia's face as she removed her head from Nobu's chest and answered, "Takao understood what she was getting into-""Stop. Don't give me that shit. You wouldn't have approached me if she had truly resolved herself to life as a kunoichi. Besides, this was never your decision to make. I'm the one who decided to avenge her so just shut up and be sad. I don't want to hear you lying to yourself on my behalf..."Without waiting for Rukia's response, Nobu forced her head to rest against his chest. His raw power was incomparable to a Cultivator of the Metal Infusion Technique but he was exponentially stronger than he had been months prior. He could casually lift more than 200kgs, and, when he ran at a full sprint, even Chi-Chi would struggle to keep up with him.Though her age and experience had allowed her to break free from most of the Clan's conditioning, the notion of disobeying her Lord had never crossed Rukia's mind. Thus, the moment Nobu told her to shut up and be sad, that is exactly what she did. Internally, however, she couldn't help remarking, ("Oh Takao...why did you have to die when we had finally found an ideal Lord? Now, even if I wanted to, I don't think I can come and join you...")Unaware of Rukia's thoughts, Nobu just continued to caress her head and back as he stared blankly at the ceiling above. He couldn't shake the feeling this was an event engineered by fate to get him off the mountain and more involved in the world. After all, while resources were quickly becoming an issue, his cultivation was increasing exponentially. The only things preventing him from breaking through to the Fifth Realm were his proximity to an active volcano and the fact he was currently in the process of adding everyone to his Friends List...Unsurprisingly, sleeping with Inami gave diminishing returns after Nobu's Realm increased beyond a certain level. He had originally hoped this was a byproduct of her pregnancy, but, after reaching the Fourth Realm, the modifier had decreased from 10 to 8 to 6. It was still worthwhile but it meant he would need progressively more friends if he wanted to maintain his current pace.The downside to befriending powerful people was that they cost their literal cultivation base to add. In other words, recruiting people in the Third Realm cost hundreds of thousands, recruiting people in the Fourth cost millions, and recruiting people in the Fifth Realm cost tens of millions.Simply put, every time he added one of the girls to his Friends List, Nobu would be Aura poor for a good 10-15 days. He also couldn't expend Aura that would place him into a lower Realm, so, if he wanted to recruit someone at Silver 3, he would need at least 400,000 Aura. This had allowed him to keep training without interruption but it was still annoying to have to wait around.While this might come across as extremely whiny, the truth of the matter was that Nobu could now see the girls' respective toxicity. In other words, he knew could literally see how close they were to dying. This placed a great deal of pressure on him, as, even at 0.172% toxicity, Cho had numerous health defects. Healing her completely would cost more than 4.9 million Aura, an amount he would need in surplus if he wanted to treat each of her conditions.Fortunately, breaking into the Fifth Realm all but guaranteed Nobu would be able to treat each of the girls' blood toxicity. He could even heal the entire Yoshitsune Clan once he reached the higher Ranks, so, while doing his best to comfort Rukia, a plan was forming in his mind. He would remain patient until the birth of his children. After that, even God couldn't help the corrupt cunts who put Takao to death.........While Nobu was contemplating a literal purge of the people ruling over Owari-Asai, his father, Oda Senken, was humoring very similar thoughts.Though Takao had lost her life, that didn't mean the Yoshitsune Clan had failed to gain information. They had proved, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the recently deposed Governor of Owari-Asai was organizing a rebellion with assistance from Granus."This is what I get for trusting those god-forsaken monkeys from across the sea. I went out of my way to cooperate with them and this is how they thank me...!?"After reading through the report several times, Senken smashed the table beneath him with a look of fury in his eyes. He was literally the only Daimyo willing to give Granus the benefit of the doubt and open trade with them. He was even in the process of gaining approval from the Imperial Family to ship unrefined metals overseas. In spite of this, they were secretly working with his enemies in an effort to depose him. This was so utterly ridiculous that he was half-tempted to charge over to Asai and slaughter the whole lot..."Calm down. You should have known something like this would happen the moment you opened trade with the outside world. Granus is still in the process of stabilizing as a nation. They have so many conflicts of interest that it wouldn't surprise me if a civil war broke out in the next couple of years. Instead of getting riled up, you should be thinking about how to deal with this before things get too out of hand."Turning towards his father, Oda Senichi, a frown marred Senken's face as he asked, "What can I do other than send troops? I cannot allow a rebellion to break out in my territory. Not when my son is so close to returning...""Hmmm..."Though he wasn't particularly fond of prophecies, Senichi's impression of Nobu was pretty positive after reading the reports of Hitomi. His unique perspective was something Nian desperately needed right now as pressure from the Heavenly Kingdom had been increasing in recent years. If they didn't unify under a single banner, and soon, there was a very real chance that forty thousand years of Nianese history would be erased in a single generation..."You're not going to like this, but hear me out...what say we leave this matter to that prodigal son of yours? A rebellion might be disastrous for a province, but it's also an opportunity for change. If our enemies think we are weakening, they may attempt to declare war on us. If your son is truly fated to unify the archipelago, he'll need to start somewhere. Owari-Asai is just as good a place if any..."Scowling in response to his father's words, Senken's first instinct was to call the man old and senile. His impression of Nobu was that the latter didn't want to get involved in politics. It wouldn't be fair to force this matter on him, but, at the same time, he knew that Nobu's destiny was something far beyond his ability to control. Thus, rather than immediately refute his father's suggestion, he picked up a brush and prepared to write a letter.........(A/N: I feel like Nobu is going to isekai back to our world and punch me...)

After comforting Rukia, Nobu asked if she was willing to look after Reina. The latter was basically an orphan so he thought they might be able to look after one another.Unfortunately, while she was grateful for the offer, Rukia wasn't ready to accept responsibility for another person right now. She had even confided in him that she had thought about killing herself, so, for the time being, she just wanted to focus on her duties as a teacher.Since he couldn't really force her to move into the main house and adopt someone she had only briefly interacted with, Nobu decided to respect Rukia's decision. Before he left, however, he had her promise she wouldn't attempt to harm herself or seek vengeance on her own terms.Fortunately, Rukia had already made the decision to continue living. More specifically, she wanted to see how far someone like Nobu was able to go. He was so different from other Nianese Nobles that she couldn't help wanting to see what he might accomplish in the future........."This is all the information our kunoichi have been able to gather thus far. As per your request, I have also gathered all information pertaining to trainee Takao's mission and the circumstances that led to her death..."Though the sound of Suzune's voice was as pleasant as always, Nobu's expression darkened as his eyes skimmed over one of the reports. It was written in code, but, thanks to his Camera App, he was able to translate the entire thing at the cost of a few hundred Aura."Granus is trying to invade us? Are they stupid...?"Despite knowing very little about Nian, Nobu knew they were effectively closed country. Owari was one of the only provinces willing to trade with them. It didn't make sense for Granus to antagonize one of the only administrations will to work for them. Even if they did manage to get a foothold in Owari, the surrounding Provinces would never let them establish a settlement. They would literally be wiped out the moment they tried.Restraining a laugh, an amused smile developed across Suzune's face as she explained, "Granus is a nation founded by criminals and opportunists. Most countries outright refuse to trade with them so this kind of behavior isn't particularly surprising. If they could establish a supply line, I imagine they would skip the pleasantries entirely."Shaking his head, Nobu elected to withhold further comment. If he were being completely honest, even the politicians ruling back in his previous world were a bunch of asshats. Nianese society was fucked due to how strictly regulated it was but it seemed like Granus was even worse. If they were able to find their footing as a nation, he had little doubt they would start waging wars all across the planet. The US certainly did.("It seems politicians are touched in the head no matter which world it is...")As that thought crossed his mind, Nobu's eyes widened as he found a strange document showing a hastily sketched drawing of a little girl wearing what appeared to be some kind of exoskeleton."What's this...?"Taking advantage of the situation, Suzune shifted from a flawless seiza to her hands and knees as she peered at the document in Nobu's hands. This allowed her aroma to tickle his nose, and, more importantly, gave him a clear view of her cleavage as she answered, "Hmmm...it appears to be one of the automatons excavated by Granus. Based on the detailing notes, I would assume it is one of their Amphibious Destroyers."Deadpanning even before Suzune finished speaking, Nobu earned a curious look from the pinkette as he lowered his face into his hand. He had learned about Granus's automatons but he had never actually seen one. Prior to this, he had assumed they were some kind of futuristic golems or maybe a knock-off mech. The last thing he expected was a bunch of fembots and gynoids that were clearly ripped from some shitty gacha game..."Fuck my life..."Misunderstanding Nobu's lament as concern regarding the automaton's battle capabilities, Suzune adopted an assuring tone as she said, "You need not be so concerned. As strong as the automatons of Granus are, they require a tremendous amount of power. They also require a specialized handler to command and are nearly impossible to repair outside of their original production facilities. This is one of the reasons no one takes Granus seriously. They like to openly flaunt the technology they've uncovered but they fundamentally lack the ability to make effective use of it."Though he nodded his head in response, Nobu couldn't help asking the thing that was bothering him the most, specifically, "Why are they female?"After a moment of confusion, a look of realization flashed across Suzune's face as she fixed her posture and explained, "It's because they are technology dating back to the previous era, the Age of the Gods. Back then, the method of cultivating Aura had yet to be developed. It was something given to humanity to strengthen their bodies and allow them to perform manual labor. The most common form of energy was Divine. The female form is far more suited to the accumulation and storage of Divine Energy as it naturally collects within the womb to form a Nascent Soul. Thus, for the most part, the various automata of Granus are female in form.""..."When he asked his question, Nobu didn't expect to hear Suzune confirm what he already expected to be true. The automata didn't simply resemble females. They had artificial organs, a womb, and, even without asking, he could guess that the handlers mentioned by Suzune were exclusively men..."This place really is an Otaku's wet dream..."Exhaling a sigh, Nobu ignored the inquisitive look on Suzune's face as he muttered, "Whatever..." before following up by asking, "What are our options? I can't imagine my father ignoring such an obvious invasion."Pausing to consider her words, Suzune's expression became apologetic as she explained, "Truth be told, our hands are tied. As vassals of the Oda Clan, we cannot act without their permission. This is especially true when it concerns Government Officials and Nobles..."Furrowing his brows, Nobu could feel his blood beginning to boil as he asked, "So we're just going to ignore the fact that enemies are infiltrating our province and executing our people...?"Closing her eyes, Suzune took a deep breath before calmly explaining, "Nations and Clans cannot be run on sentiment alone. We must reward our kunoichi for risking their lives and the majority of our funds come from the Oda Clan. There is also the matter of filing a report to the Imperial Family and requesting permission to install a new Governor. Owari-Asai is the most important port in all of Owari. Without a Governor, opportunists will quickly take advantage of the situation before cutting and running with their profits. Destabilizing the economy of the entire Province to avenge a trainee is not a wise course of action..."Though he couldn't help grinding his teeth in response to Suzune's words, Nobu didn't lash out at her. He hated to admit it, but he knew she was right. This was one of the reasons he hated politics, as, no matter how fucking useless the people in charge seemed to be, they were still important for maintaining control over the markets. If the economy collapsed, the citizens would be the ones to pay the price...Shaking that thought from his mind, Nobu's gaze sharpened as he said, "We might not be able to do anything about the Governor but there has to be something we can do about these perverted fuckwits from Granus..."Suppressing a sigh, Suzune forced a smile as she answered, "I'm afraid that is a decision for your father to make. Granus provides quite a number of high-quality goods to Owari. As a result, more than 20% of our annual revenue comes from distributing their products to other Provinces. While their actions are reprehensible, ceasing trade and opening hostilities against them is not an ideal solution. If we're taking the benefits of the Province into consideration, it would be better to use this incident as leverage to renegotiate terms in our favor..."Raising his hand, Nobu prevented Suzune from continuing. Once again, he knew she was right. He just didn't like it. Not one bit. In fact, it was so fucking fucked up he wanted to punch a hole in the wall."That's enough for today. Thank you for coming..."Understanding she was being dismissed, Suzune adopted an apologetic smile before offering a polite bow and promptly departing the room. She had wanted to use this as an opportunity to get closer to the Young Lord but it would seem she had underestimated just how sentimental he could be...Though he would have normally followed Suzune's departure with his eyes, Nobu pretended to be focused on the documents littered around him. He wasn't actually in charge but he was gradually beginning to understand just how difficult it was to govern a nation. Resources weren't unlimited and every decision you made had to be weighed against the interests of the entire country."I'm starting to wish I had reincarnated into one of those generic cultivation worlds. The MCs there get to behave like complete asshats without any fucking consequences..."Oblivious to the fact he was starting to view himself as the 'Main Character' of this world, Nobu just shook his head before rising to his feet and calling out, "Kumiko, you here?"Appearing the moment Nobu finished speaking, Kumiko resisted the urge to take a knee as she just smiled and asked, "How might I be of service, Nobunaga-sama?"Gesturing towards the scattered documents, Nobu asked, "Can you read through these and write up a summary for me? My hands might be tied at the moment but I refuse to let this matter lie. At that time, I'll be relying on you to supply me with information and advice."Smiling radiantly, Kumiko pressed a hand to her chest as she performed a half-bow and said, "It would be my pleasure~!" in an audibly excited tone. She had enjoyed teaching Nobu these past few months but her actual responsibilities revolved around gathering information and compiling it. This was the first time Nobu had officially tasked her with performing her primary responsibility so she couldn't help feeling excited.Seeing how happy the silver-haired woman was, much of Nobu's frustrations simply faded away. It was hard to remain angry when other people were happy, so, while he would probably brood over this matter for quite a while, he would do his best to make sure it didn't adversely affect the people around him.To this end, Nobu extended his hand to gently caress Kumiko's head. This had become a habit of his after spending time with Kaia and warming up to the five brats who constantly pestered him. It also put a smile on the girls' faces, so, while it was a little awkward to stroke the head of a grown woman, Nobu offered a smile of his own as Kumiko looked up at him with a happy expression on her face.........After departing Nobu's estate, Suzune zipped up the mountain like a pink phantom. Upon reaching the massive manor located at the peak, she quickly arranged a meeting with the Matriarch as it was customary to report on their interactions with Nobu as soon as possible. This was a decision made by the entire Elder Council, so, while it was annoying to have to run up and down the mountain, she didn't really have a choice in the matter.Fortunately, Hitomi was already waiting for her, so, after a number of formalities, she found herself seated across from the heterochromatic woman. What she didn't expect was for Hitomi to open the conversation by producing a letter written by their Master, Lord Senken.........(A/N: Governing a nation isn't easy...)

After calling Kazue and Nariko to bandage Chi-Chi's wounds, Nobu decided to ask the question at the forefront of his mind, specifically, "So, you're pretty fast, huh?"As she hadn't mentioned a single thing about her speed, Chi-Chi's hazel eyes lit up like lanterns as she exclaimed, "Wow! Are all Noble-samas this smart!?"Smiling wryly, Nobu was about to answer Chi-Chi's question when the latter went on to ask a series of rapid-fire questions regarding his height, his favorite food, his favorite game, and, most strangely of all, whether or not he popped.Had the others been present, Chi-Chi would have been admonished rather harshly. Nobu, however, just ignored her questions entirely, asking, "Would you like to become a student of the main house? You'll receive personalized train-"Unable to restrain her excitement, Chi-Chi issued a high-pitched squeal as she balled her hands into tiny fists before subsequently jumping much higher than the average seven-year-old as she happily replied, "Of course~! Chi-Chi's mama is going to be so happy~!"Though he wasn't particularly fond of being interrupted, Nobu just smiled helplessly as Chi-Chi ran literal circles around him. He knew he should admonish her, but, seeing how happy she was, he just let her tire herself out while sipping the tea Cho had prepared for him prior to the interview.Realizing that Nobu wasn't going to lecture her, Chi-Chi's excitement continued to increase until a massive smile had developed across her face. Most of her teachers would get angry when she ran around. She had even been punished with lashings a few times, so, despite having just met Nobu a half-hour prior, he was quickly becoming one of her favorite people. He had even given her candy and called people to wrap her cuts.Stopping right in front of Nobu, an even bigger smile developed across Chi-Chi's face as she said, "Nobunaga-sama, Nobunaga-sama, guess what~?"Returning a wry smile of his own, Nobu asked, "What's up?" as he considered who her teacher was going to be. Her personality didn't really match any of his kunoichi and he was pretty sure she had some form of ADHD.Leaning forward as if she were about to tell him a secret, Chi-Chi waited until Nobu humored her before whispering, "Chi-Chi loves Nobunaga-sama~."Seemingly riled up by her own words, Chi-Chi issued a high-pitched squeal before running around the room like she was afraid Nobu might try and catch her. Unfortunately for her, Nobu was far too lazy for something like that. Instead, his expression became somewhat helpless as he pulled out his stone tablet and waited for her to calm down.........Though it was selfish of him to view them in such a manner, Nobu regarded Reina and Chi-Chi as an additional 20,000 Aura to his reserves.Under ideal circumstances, Nobu would have been able to recruit enough people to increase his Aura reserves to 100,000. He wasn't in a particular rush to reach the Third Realm but it was best to have the option to do so whenever he wanted. After all, his strength was still garbage compared to the true powerhouses of Nian so he couldn't really afford to idle about at the lower Realms for too long.If he really wanted to, Nobu could recruit every single child thrown to him by the Elders. The only reason he didn't was that he didn't want his entire Friends List to be filled with brats. This wouldn't have been a problem if he added them while he was growing up, but, now that he was nearing 20 years of age, the notion of building a literal army of children sent shivers through his body.Fortunately, unless things changed from one Realm to the next, Nobu only needed ten friends to increase his Aura without limit. He was able to earn 10,000 from each of the girls in the First Realm. At the Second Realm, this amount should increase to 100,000. In other words, so long as he had ten friends, he could theoretically jump from the Third to the Fourth Realm in days.Nobu wasn't foolish enough to delude himself into believing things would be that straightforward but it never hurt to be optimistic. To this end, he spent the weeks following the interviews focusing on improving his control, training his body, fucking around, spending time with Kaia, and checking in to see how the training of his 'students' were going.Though he had wanted to avoid fucking his way to power, Nobu couldn't help smiling whenever he saw his reflection in the shitty, silver-backed mirror the girls had brought to his room. The average height of Nianese men was around 170cm so he was nearly a full head higher than most people at 190.5cm.As much as he enjoyed being 6'3, the thing that turned Nobu's smile into a shit-eating grin was the fact his muscles had swelled in a remarkably short period of time. His dick had also grown to a solid 22cm when erect. This wasn't a drastic change from the 19cm he was sporting previously but what kind of man would he be if he wasn't proud of an extra inch? The girls certainly appreciated it.On that note, Nobu's relationships with each member of his entourage had improved tremendously ever since he started 'using' them. They hadn't known how to behave when he told them to just act casually. After all, it went against every lesson they had been given over the course of an eighteen-year period. Thus, as strange as it was to consider, they were a lot happier now that he treated them like kunoichi and allowed them to focus on their duties.Truth be told, Nobu was still having a few problems adapting to life within the manor. Sleeping on a futon was starting to annoy him, and, thanks to the recent additions of Reina and Chi-Chi, bath time was more chaotic than ever. Chi-Chi also had a habit of running around in the nude, and, no matter how many times Kumiko attempted to correct her, the rambunctious little lady generally ran around and did as she pleased.Nobu knew he was the one who needed to put his foot down, but, at the same time, he genuinely believed Chi-Chi's behavior was relatively normal for a girl her age. Sure, the exhibitionist aspect of her character was troublesome but it was refreshing to see her more focused on playing and having fun than trying to grow stronger. As for her qualifications as a kunoichi? Nobu didn't give a damn.Since it was ultimately his decision to make, Nobu made the executive decision to have the children training in his estate reared as kunoichi-warrior hybrids rather than standard kunoichi. There was no way in hell he was going to support a curriculum that focused on teaching 7-12-year-old brats how to seduce, please, and ultimately kill men more than twice their age. Sure, training them to become literal soldiers wasn't much better, but, considering this was a world where the strong devoured the weak, he would be doing them a disservice by preventing them from becoming stronger.Simply put, Nobu had 'modernized' the curriculum based on his personal values and the future he envisioned for Nian. He was already being shoehorned into the path of a conqueror, so, rather than rear a bunch of assassins, he intended to create a retinue of powerful warrior women. The people of Nian might ridicule him for this but he'd like to see them talk shit when even the messengers in his army were stronger than their elites........."Nobu...are you certain about this?"Rolling his eyes, Nobu didn't even bother looking towards Yui as he lazily replied, "I've watched her turn from a thiccc wolf woman to a borderline furry and back. There's no way in hell I'm missing her Lycan transformation a second time..."Since Kaia was apparently too unstable during the previous full moon, Nobu had been prevented from seeing her. Now that an additional month had passed since then, he was determined to, at the very least, see what she looked like. Besides, he had promised he would. If he failed to show up, she might literally exhaust herself trying to smash through the roof of her holding cell...Suppressing a sigh, Yui exchanged glances with the room's occupants. With the exception of Kazue and Fuyu, everyone else had been asked to assemble. Some might think this was to protect Nobu in the event of an emergency. Unfortunately, even if they were to combine their efforts, the most they could hope to accomplish was stalling for time. Even then, she would most likely rip through half of them within the first minute of something going wrong...There was a reason Lycans were feared throughout the entirety of Nian. Thus, while they would do everything in their power to ensure Nobu's safety, the truth of the matter was that their only duty this time around was to observe.Simply put, this was a form of training to help them overcome the instinctual fear Lycans inspired in everyone they encountered...Nearly everyone...Showing none of the fear present on everyone else's face, Nobu waited until half his entourage had entered before descending the chute into Kaia's cell. There, he found most of the girls standing like statues as Inami, appearing even smaller than usual, faced down a bipedal wolf whose head nearly touched the ceiling..."Holy shit..."Starling everyone in the room, the three-and-a-half-meter tall wolf woman shifted her glowing red eyes from Inami to Nobu. This caused Kiku, Aiko, and Yuriko to immediately tense, hands shifting to their weapons, but, before they could even think to draw them, Kaia's eyes shifted to a pale blue as she muttered, "Ma...ster..." in a deep yet feminine tone.Ignoring the stunned gazes of his faithful kunoichi, Nobu approached the cell until Inami extended a hand to stop him. She could slaughter the transformed Kaia in an instant if necessary, but, should the wolf woman get her claws or teeth around Nobu, he was as good as dead.Furrowing his brows, Nobu tried and failed to push Inami's hand aside as he said, "Stop treating her like some kind of monster. Look at her eyes and the ways she's sitting. Do you seriously think she is going to hurt me?"Contrasting how she had been looming over everyone prior to Nobu's arrival, Kaia had squat down like an obedient pup the moment her Master arrived. Even her massive tail had begun to sway from side to side, so, while everyone else was extremely tense, Nobu was far more curious than anything else. He had never seen a werewolf with tits, and, though her hands were currently covering it due to the way she was sitting, he was pretty sure she still had humanoid lady bits.Though he wasn't attracted to the inordinately large wolf, Nobu would be lying if he said she was ugly. In fact, she looked pretty fucking awesome from his point of view, so, after several seconds of staring into her eyes, his voice became firm as he said, "I'm going inside...move your hand..."With an expression that made it appear as though she had just swallowed a bug, Inami wanted to refuse, but, knowing Kaia's training revolved around the notion that Nobu's orders were absolute, she reluctantly lowered her hand and allowed him to pass. At the same time, however, she attached a few mithril threads to Nobu's body so she could pull him back the moment something happened.To the surprise of literally everyone except Nobu, Kaia's only response was to wag her tail with ever-increasing zeal even as the former entered her cell. Her mind wasn't exactly clear, but, the moment her Master had arrived, she knew she needed to be on her best behavior or he might not be able to visit her in the future. This was an idea that had been firmly rooted in her mind, so, even though she was currently in her most feral state, she immediately rolled over, tongue hanging from her mouth the moment Nobu said, "Play dead...""Good girl..."......(A/N: That's a big floofer o_o...)

Chapter 101: Stride