Mushoku Impact

If she were being honest, Ghislaine wasn't too enthused about the notion of losing her virginity to anyone, much less a human. Unfortunately, even if she took medicine or exhausted herself with training, the symptoms of Ghislaine's heat grew stronger with each passing year. Her species had a biological need to produce offspring, so the longer she ignored the call of nature, the louder it became.
Had Paul not arrived, Ghislaine knew it was only a matter of time before she fled the Sword Sanctum and 'attacked' someone in the neighboring regions. She had been conditioned not to harm the people training within the Sanctum, so there weren't many other options available to her. There was Gal, but even though she admired his strength, the thought of losing her virginity to him made Ghislaine sick to her stomach...
After waiting for Paul to catch up to her, Ghislaine, squatting down with her palms on the ground, inhaled a deep breath before exhaling a massive cloud of condensation. Then, in an almost growling tone, she said, "There is a tradition among the Beast Race...mates will fight to decide...who gets to be the boss. The loser has to obey the winner...understood...?"
Well aware of the traditions of the Beast Race, Paul nodded his head and said, "Sure. Just remember, I'm not a member of the Beast Race. I plan to respect your culture and traditions, but we both know it wouldn't exactly be fair if the two of us were to settle things with a brawl..."
Though he now had the benefit of Touki to empower him, Paul was barely as strong as Ghislaine was without it. The Beast Race were also naturally gifted wrestlers/brawlers, so there was no way he could defeat Ghislaine in a traditional bout.
"..."
Realizing there was some truth to Paul's words, a serious and conflicted expression developed across Ghislaine's face. She also knew she was a lot stronger than him, so it did feel a little unfair to have him fight on her terms. However, fighting and swordsmanship were really the only things two things she knew. They could compete by seeing who could hunt the largest prey, but her enhanced senses gave her an even bigger advantage when it came to hunting than fighting...
Falling directly into Paul's trap, Ghislaine looked to him, her voice hot and steamy as she panted, "What...do you...suggest...?"
After spending an inordinate amount of time thinking about how the original Paul must have seduced Ghislaine, Paul came to only a single conclusion. The original must have tricked her. Unfortunately, as he didn't exactly want to end up Ghislaine's lackey, Paul had little choice but to do the same. So, in response to Ghislaine's question, he proposed, "We will pit our respective strengths against one another...a contest of raw power versus sexual stamina..."
Though Paul's suggestion kind of put the cart before the horse, Ghislaine either didn't think about it or didn't care as she heatedly replied, "Okay...!" before promptly pouncing on and pinning him in the snow.
With Ghislaine tearing open his jacket with her razor-sharp claws, Paul realized the time for talk had come and gone. At this point, he could really only wait for Ghislaine to 'take' what she wanted before turning the tables on her once she began to calm down. It was mind-numbingly humiliating, but after waking up to find his ass being washed by a trio of girls he had previously slept with, there was very little that could shake Paul's mind...
...
..
.
"You do realize...I can tell...when you're cumming...attempting to deny it...is just being obstinate..."
With Ghislaine clinging to him in a desperate attempt to stop or, at the very least, restrict his movements, Paul just ground the tip of his glans against the depths of her swelteringly hot cavern. It was actually kind of surreal, as, unlike a normal human woman, Ghislaine's insides were much, much hotter. Stranger still, Paul was pretty sure he could feel her uterus descending, 'kissing' his shaft as he continued to move in and out of her despite her smothering embrace.
"No...you're wrong...I still haven't...cum...!"
Punctuating her words, Ghislaine bit Paul's shoulder for the umpteenth time since the start of their little sexcapade. Her nails had also cut up his back pretty badly, so much so that they had even needed to stop at one point due to a monster being lured to their location by the smell of blood.
Clenching his teeth, Paul asked, "Will you be satisfied...if the only reason you won...is because you keep lying...and biting me...?"
Since he was beginning to feel a little lightheaded, Paul attempted to use Ghislaine's pridefulness against her. He had actually found it kind of cute when she first bit him but seeing her face, neck, and chest now covered in his blood was a pretty massive turn-off...
Hearing Paul's words, Ghislaine weakened her hold on him just enough to get a look at his condition. When she saw him covered in blood, a feeling of panic briefly washed over her as she asked, "Should I...turn around...?"
Though it almost felt like cheating, Paul didn't hesitate to answer, "Please do...I would rather not die...during our first time together..."
"..."
Interpreting Paul's words literally, Ghislaine released her hold on him, a tiny yelp emanating from her throat as she fell against the cold ground and snow. Paul had been in a modified pushup position to tire Ghislaine out and get a bit of leverage, so she had been dangling from his body for the better part of twenty minutes.
Though the sudden and drastic change in temperature caused his little brother to protest, Paul exhaled a sigh of relief when Ghislaine released him. The latter noticed this, an apologetic expression developing across her face as she asked, "Are you okay...?"
Returning a sincere yet forced-looking smile, Paul gave the outside of Ghislaine's left thigh a light smack as he huffed, "Stop dawdling...we're still...in the middle...of a match..."
Staring at Paul's almost war-weary visage, Ghislaine was beginning to regret her obstinance. In truth, she had 'cum' more times than she could count. She just didn't want to admit it since Paul had only cum twice...
Wiping away some of his blood from her face, Paul's expression softened as he whispered, "Hey...don't give me that sad look...I knew what I was getting myself into...now, be a good kitten...and turn that ass around...I'm not stopping even after you surrender..."
Though she felt a shiver spread through her body in response to Paul's final statement, Ghislaine obediently presented her butt to him. In a way, this was already an indication that Ghislaine had submitted, but there was no way Paul would be satisfied with guilting her into obedience. As sus as it sounded, he had dreamed of fucking the buxom cat girl into submission since he first realized he had reincarnated as Paul. The only way he would stop now was if she legitimately begged him to or if he passed out...either way, he was coming out of this with a big-tittied kitty within his retinue...
...
..
.
While the sudden and unexpected maturation of nearly their entire group had disrupted a few of her plans, Ningguang didn't hesitate to capitalize on it.&nbsp;
No longer inhibited by their childish physiques, even people like Xinyan and Diona were nearly Saint-level while those evaluated as 5-Stars were comparable to Kings. Qiqi and Yoimiya were exceptions due to their lack of Visions, but Zhongli and Kusanali more than made up for everything by outclassing even Emperors.
Though it took most of the Geo Energy she had accumulated since her arrival in the world of Mushoku Tensei, Zhongli was able to drop a 300m long spear on the palace belonging to Eura Wayne Kurr, the leader of the Markien Mercenary Country. Afterward, she, alongside Kusanali, entered through the front doors of the palace and began cutting down everything while the latter used her Dendro powers to seal off the exits.
With Eura Wayne Kurr dying to the meteor-like spear Zhongli had dropped on the palace, there wasn't a single person within the Markien Mercenary Country capable of stopping her. What left people confused was the fact neither she nor Kusanali attempted to establish themselves as the ruler of the Strife Zone. In the wake of the practically apocalyptic attack, the duo had vanished without a trace, leaving behind a massive spear and a literal forest of trees and vegetation.
Taking advantage of the massive power vacuum caused by Eura's death, Ningguang spread her influence to the upper, Northwestern region of the Strife Zone while everyone else was fighting over the center. There were more than eighty mines located along the outskirts of the region, and, no matter who ended up in control of the center, Zhongli and Kusanali would be able to take them out. Thus, while everyone else was squabbling over the newly fertile region created by Kusanali, Ningguang was consolidating power and resources in preparation for slowly driving everyone else out...
If Ningguang had her way, it wouldn't be long before the Strife Zone was renamed Liyue. The hardest part would be convincing people to settle in the region and raising an army large enough to protect their borders.
Fortunately for Ningguang, there were a number of Kingdoms in the South that she could 'borrow' both resources and personnel from...
...
..
.
Hearing a sound from the mouth of the cave he was presently residing in, Paul opened his eyes to find Ghislaine approaching him on all fours with a deceased, snow-white rabbit in her mouth.&nbsp;
Rolling to a seated position, Paul had to restrain a wry smile as Ghislaine dropped the carcass near his feet. He had emerged as the victor in their 'battle,' but he ended up losing a lot more blood than either of them had realized. That, combined with the sub-zero temperatures, caused Paul to pass out due to hypothermia. When he next awoke, he found himself in a cave, delirious from fever and covered in animal carcasses.
Though he intended to have a serious talk with her once they returned to the Sword Sanctum, Paul had been allowing Ghislaine to take care of him according to her instincts. He didn't have the heart to condemn her when she had made such an earnest effort to help him, so, even after his fever had broken, Paul allowed Ghislaine to continue 'nursing' him until he had fully recovered.
"Thanks for your efforts..."
Extending his hand, Paul caressed the borderline feral cat girl in front of him. He didn't know if he was because he had gone overboard or if it was due to her heat, but Ghislaine had reverted to a very animalistic mentality since his collapse. Fortunately, Paul understood this was a fairly common condition among members of the Beast Race, especially during their first 'active' mating season. He just needed to wait a few weeks, and Ghislaine would gradually return to normal. Until then...
While rubbing her head and face against Paul's palm, Ghislaine grabbed at the animal pelts covering him, an almost pained look developing across her face as her ardor exceeded the threshold of her senses. Fortunately, more so because she had torn his clothes apart than anything else, Paul was already naked. He was also aware of his position in their relationship, so, before Ghislaine could completely lose herself and attack him, Paul's expression and tone hardened as she commanded, "Turn around and stick your ass out...I'm going to fuck you until you can't even crawl..."
Trembling due to Paul's words, Ghislaine, naked as the day she was born, readily obeyed. Instead of simply sticking her butt out, however, she used her hands to spread her cheeks and vulva apart, face pressed to the cold stone of the cave floor as she waggled her plump and pliant ass from side to side...
...
..
.

"Still pouting? It's not like I blamed you or anything..."
Instead of replying to Paul's words, Ghislaine continued blowing bubbles in the warm bath he had created for them using Beginner Rank Water and Fire Magic. She had come to her senses about three weeks after the start of the mating season, and she had been in a glum and gloomy mood ever since.&nbsp;
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul allowed Ghislaine to continue sulking and just focused on cleaning her thick mane of ashen-grey hair. Their bestial lifestyle had left them smelling like sex and roadkill, so he was giving her a good cleaning after wiping down his own body.
Interrupting Paul's rhymic scrubbing, Ghislaine muttered, "I did something awful...you shouldn't let me off so easily..."
Without missing a beat, Paul asked, "And who is it that decides that? Last I checked, I was the boss between us. Since I already forgave you, who are you to insist I punish you? Now, close your eyes and cover your ears. I'm going to rinse you off."
Flattening and covering her ears, Ghislaine continued to sulk as Paul used a weakened version of the Water Ball imbued with Fire Magic. It required him to suppress his Touki, but he could still use Magic if he remained calm and focused.
Leaning forward, Paul gave Ghislaine's hair a sniff test to make sure it no reeked like a stray cat's ass before rising from the improvised hot spring and asking, "Want to continue camping here for a few days? With a bit of cleaning, this place should fix up pretty nicely."
Instead of immediately answering Paul's words, Ghislaine crawled out of the bath, belly up as she lay on the cold ground, and said, "Please punish me..." with her hands drawn up like a cat's paws.
"..."
Realizing Ghislaine wasn't just going to let matters lie, Paul paused for a moment before exhaling a sigh and saying, "How about this...instead of a punishment, I'll have you make a promise..."
Without rising from her back, Ghislained tilted her head and body in an adorably alluring manner as she asked, "What promise...?"
Squatting down, Paul traced his hand on the explosion-shaped birthmark on Ghislaine's belly, gently caressing her smooth yet toned muscles as he said, "I'm actually a pretty possessive person...I may philander about and do stupid shit, but there are certain women I want to keep all to myself..."
Tracing his fingers down the line of Ghislaine's abdomen, Paul whispered, "Promise to be mine, and mine alone...at least until you find someone you truly love..."
Observing Paul's actions, Ghislaine could feel her body beginning to heat up. She was no longer in a frenzy, but the mating season typically lasted from the third week of the ninth month to the second week of the first. It varied from person to person, but most girls would be in a lesser state of heat for around fourteen weeks.
Though she felt a little muddleheaded, Ghislaine didn't need to be clear of mind to answer, "Okay...I promise..." in a voice that sounded like a purr. As far as she was concerned, Paul was her lifelong mate unless a member of her tribe managed to defeat both of them in a duel. Even then, she would give it her all to keep her promise.
Feeling gratified by Ghislaine's response, the corners of Paul's smile hiked upward as he traced his fingers further south and whispered, "Sit up...now that you've recovered your senses, there's a lot I want to teach you..."
Nodding her head, Ghislaine sat up before leaning with her back against Paul's chest. What followed caused her back, toes, and tail to curl...
...
..
.
Returning to the Sword Sanctum around the end of the first month, Paul and a very clingy Ghislaine were surprised to learn that Gal was currently on a mission for the King. Paul, in particular, found himself at a complete loss for words as the mission in question was rumored to be suppressing a group of rebels that had established themselves in the Strife Zone.
Since the Asura Kingdom never involved itself with disputes in the Strife Zone, it wasn't difficult to imagine the actual reason for Gal's deployment. Ningguang had probably done something drastic, and they wanted to get rid of her before she could become a threat to the Kingdom.
Upon returning to his room, Paul surprised Ghislaine by saying, "It's a little sooner than I planned, but I plan to depart the Sword Sanctum and head East. Will you come with me...?"
Without needing to consider her response, Ghislaine nodded her head and said, "I'm going." in a firm, almost threatening tone. She could tell Paul was planning to head into danger, and there was no way she was going to let him go alone.
Seeing through Ghislaine's intentions, a soft chuckle emanated from Paul's throat as he gave the slightly taller woman a head pat and said, "You're cute when you worry."
"Nn..."
Though she would punch anyone else that called her cute, Ghislaine let Paul say and do as he pleased. She could defeat him nine times out of ten if they were to fight, but he was still her Boss and, more importantly, the Master of her body...
...
..
.
Deciding to strike while the iron was hot, Paul and Ghislaine departed first thing the following day after informing the instructors of their intention to become Adventurers and head to the Begaritt Continent. Their status as Sword Saints allowed them to leave the Sanctum whenever they wanted, so, after saying farewell to some of his past flings, Paul and Ghislaine set out for the East rather than the South.
Before their separation, Ningguang had explained many of her short and long-term plans to Paul. One of her plans involved installing Andromeda as the Queen of the Kingdragon Kingdom, so Paul intended to check in on her, Rosaria, Lynette, Fischl, and Lisa at the Ranoa Magic Academy before traveling nearly 3600km along the Red Dragon Mountain Range. Once he reached the Eastern coast of the Central Continent, he would then take a ship around the mountains and enter the Strife Zone from the East.
If they hurried, Paul and Ghislaine could cover the nearly 5400kms to their destination in around 130 days. In actuality, Paul imagined the trip would take closer to a year depending on how many people he brought out of the IOF and how many stops they made along the way. Regardless, much like his original counterpart, Paul's expedition had officially begun at the ripe old age of twelve...
It was a little uncanny...
...
..
.
Before reaching the border of Ranoa, one of the three Magic Nations that had formed an alliance in the North, travelers had to pass through a forest known as the Wyrm's Whiskers.
As the name implied, the Wyrm's Whiskers were located near the 'head' of the Red Dragon Mountain Range. However, what made the forest unique was that it had become a den for bandits, thieves, and criminals who had fled the Asura Kingdom. There, they had gathered to form a community for mutual protection, championed by a man known as Faceless Jing, the self-anointed King of Bandits.
So long as you could afford the toll fee, the most dangerous thing about the Wyrm's Whiskers were the monsters who inhabited them. Most were relatively weak, such as Horned Rabbits, Flying Snakes, and Leopard Bats, but others, specifically the various Wyvern subspecies, needed at least a B-Rank Party of Adventurers to take down...
"Not gonna lie...that's kind of cool..."
Seeing a Wyrm that reminded him of a Nargacuga, a panther-like Wyvern from a game called Monster Hunter, Paul was seriously tempted to track the beast back to its lair and see if it had any eggs. He wasn't going to, as that would be a pretty dickish, albeit human move, but the idea was very, very tempting.
"Should we attack it? The Sword God always told me that the materials from Wyverns sell for a lot."
Since even lesser Wyverns were graded as B-Rank monsters, Paul wasn't even remotely surprised by Ghislaine's words. Their bones were as tough as metal, used to forge powerful and durable weapons, while their scales could sell for as much as an Asura Silver Coin a piece.
The real question on Paul's mind was whether or not he and Ghislaine could even hurt the agile-looking creature. There was a reason the best armors in the world were assembled from Dragon and Wyvern Scales. It was exceptionally durable and resilient, so much so that a Saint-Ranked Longsword of Light might not be able to cut through it.
After mulling over their options for a short while, a bit of conviction began to form in Paul's heart and mind as he muttered, "We'll never reach our full potential if we fear a challenge. A Wyvern of that size shouldn't be higher than A-Rank, so I'll draw its attention while you look for an opportunity to strike its weak spot..."
Recalling the time Reida stopped a massive, rhino-like Wyvern in its tracks using nothing but her bare hand and Touki to 'reverse' its momentum, Paul decided to put his own Water God Style and Touki to the test. He couldn't really imagine himself stopping a monstrous rhino's charge without it even disturbing the ground beneath his feet, but the fact it could be done at all was more than enough to compel him to try his best.
Without waiting for Ghislaine's response, Paul emerged from behind the snow-covered rock they had been hiding behind, his acceleration kicking up a storm of ice and snow as he bellowed, "Come at me, you Nargacuga wannabe...!"
Reacting more so due to Paul's intent than the sounds he was making, the panther-like Wyvern issued a surprisingly high-pitched screech that gave off the impression of an irate bird rather than a dragon. Then, as it dug its forepaws into the dirt, spear-like spines began to protrude from its glossy, black, almost metallic fur.
Trusting in his instincts, Paul ceased his forward charge and held up his Black Sword in a 'middle stance,' the tip pointed towards the Nargacuga wannabe and his weight perfectly distributed between his feet.
Matching Paul's expectations, the enraged Wyvern unleashed a volley of eighteen exceptionally lethal-looking spines. Fortunately, only four were actually in line to hit him, so Paul skillfully deflected them before charging towards the startled creature with even greater momentum.
Realizing the danger Paul presented, the panther-like Wyvern decided not to try and face him directly. Instead, it dodged to the side before spinning around to displace a considerable quantity of ice and snow using its thick, spine-covered tail.&nbsp;
To Paul's considerable satisfaction, he actually managed to slice through the thick blanket of snow using the shockwaves generated by his sword swings. Unfortunately, even though he managed to break through almost immediately, the panther-like Wyvern had already turned tail and run...
"Are you fucking serious...?"
Though he could understand why the Wyvern had simply chosen to run away, that didn't stop Paul from throwing his Black Sword at the fleeing beast. He didn't get anywhere close to hitting it, but the gesture was more symbolic than anything.
Appearing at Paul's side, Ghislaine's ears and shoulders were drooping a little as she said, "Sorry...I didn't see any opportunity to attack..."
Shaking his head, Paul said, "It's okay. Even I didn't expect it to run away so quickly. I sometimes forget that 'monsters' are just animals doing their best to survive..."
"Nn..."
Looking in the direction the Wyvern had fled, Ghislaine asked, "Should we hunt it? A creature that size shouldn't be difficult to track..."
Shaking his head a second time, Paul answered, "Nah. If it wants to live that badly, then let it. Spending hours or days tracking a monster we're not even guaranteed to kill is a waste of time. Let's go."
Though he would have fought tooth and nail if the Nargacuga wannabe stood its ground, Paul had never approved of the very human mentality of hunting monsters to extinction. He would cut down those who barred his path or tried to kill him, but he wasn't going to go out of his way to track down an animal that just wanted to live. He wasn't a complete asshole...
...
..
. &nbsp;

Though he would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted, Paul elected not to take advantage of Ghislaine's propensity to obey Gal's orders. They did go to his room, but all they did was hang out and talk about what life was like living in the Great Forest. The caveat was that Ghislaine laid her head in his lap and allowed Paul to pet her head as they did so.
Unlike most people, who deliberately went on a pilgrimage to the Sword Sanctum, Ghislaine had essentially been abducted by Gal when she was around 9-10 years old. Though this sounded pretty bad, the truth of the matter was that Ghislaine had been feral at the time. She refused to train, learn how to speak, and even attacked other members of the Beast Race.
Under normal circumstances, feral Beast children would be recaptured by the village, kept in solitary confinement, and practically starved until they had calmed down and started behaving. In Ghislaine's case, her heritage as a descendant of the Beast God made it virtually impossible to keep her in detention as she would simply smash through the branch barriers and trees confining her.
Unable to keep her under control, the Chief of the Beast Race, Ghislaine's father, ordered the village to stop trying to recapture her. In other words, she had been exiled from her village, forced to survive in the bountiful yet inhospitable Great Forest.
Had Ghislaine been on her own during the rainy season, there was a near 100% chance she would have died as the entire forest would be inundated with torrential waters. If she attempted to flee, she would have needed to break through the hundreds of hunters and slave traffickers that camped outside the Great Forest in preparation for its rainy season. Monsters and animals alike would be forced to flee the forest to escape the flooding, so they would shepherd everything into a trap-laden area to reap a massive bounty with minimal effort.
Ghislaine's encounter with Gal had come about as a result of her growing enmity towards humans. She had been hunted and nearly caught several times by various Slave-Hunting Parties. When she saw Gal traveling alone, Ghislaine attacked with the intention to both kill and eat him. Instead, she ended up getting smacked around for a while until Gal eventually knocked her unconscious and abducted her.
Due to Gal collaring and leashing her, Ghislaine initially believed she had been turned into a slave. Instead, Gal simply bought a deactivated collar to prevent her from running off and causing too much trouble as he, quite literally, beat some sense into her.
For the better part of a year and a half, Ghislaine's life revolved around waking up, being tossed a wooden sword, and being forced to fight until she was utterly exhausted. If she wanted to eat, she would need to be on her best behavior and 'beg' in the human language. If she wanted to rest, wash, or even relieve herself, she would first need to ask for permission, or Gal would end up beating and depriving her of food for the rest of the day.
Though she resented him to death for the way he treated her, Ghislaine gradually grew to respect and admire Gal's strength and intentions. When they reached the boundaries of the Holy Land of Swords, and he removed her collar, she willingly crossed the remaining 600kms of her own accord. Since then, she had lived her life with three goals in mind, surpassing Gal, proving she wasn't just some animal, and returning home to apologize for her past behavior...
...
..
.
With Ghislaine reclining between his legs and recounting her story while using his lap as a pillow, Paul couldn't resist massaging and caressing her head, face, and inordinately large, cat-like ears. It helped that Ghislaine seemed to enjoy it quite a bit, a contented smile on her face as she laid back with her eyes closed.
"It sounds like you've had it pretty rough..."
Instead of trying to refute Paul's words, Ghislaine issued an affirmative, "Nn..." before rolling onto her side, nestling her face in a rather dangerous location, and whispering, "But it allowed me to get stronger. Now, when I do return home, I'll be able to hold my head up with pride..."
Ignoring the fact that Ghislaine was very obviously sniffing his junk, Paul continued to caress the side of her head as he said, "I intend to go on a journey once I leave this place. If you'd like, we can go together..."
After taking several deep breaths of Paul's growing arousal, Ghislaine, somewhat meekly, replied, "That would be nice..." as her thick, cat-like tail began to curl in contentedness. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had caressed her head and treated her gently, so Paul was very quickly securing a place for himself in her heart.
Seeing Ghislaine rubbing her nose against his semi, an increasingly wry smile developed across Paul's face. If he didn't know it would cause her discomfort, he would bend her over or crush her in a mating press right then and there. Instead, he said, "We should get some rest...tomorrow is going to be a rough day..."
Turning her face to look up at Paul, Ghislaine asked, "Are you sure? Aren't you aroused...?"
Suppressing a soft chuckle, Paul cupped both of Ghislaine's cheeks as he said, "I appreciate your concerns, but I'd rather we have sex when we can both enjoy it. For now, I'm fine with just cuddling. We can worry about the other stuff once the mating season starts..."
Though she could smell the potency of Paul's arousal, Ghislaine didn't try to argue with him. Instead, she just crawled up his body and snuggled up next to him. She was starting to enjoy being held, so she wasn't going to pass on the opportunity for more cuddles...
...
..
.
Among the Three Sacred Grounds of the Sword Sanctum, the Hall of Broken Blades was especially important as it was the grounds where hundreds of Sword Saints and higher had been lain to rest. Because of this, a persistent sword intent permeated the area, inspiring awe in all who were allowed to enter its premises.
"From today onward, the two of you will spend at least four hours a day meditating in this place. Ghislaine is already familiar with the process, so I'll have her explain things. Well, try not to die."
Finished with what he had to say, Gal promptly departed the icy, sword-laden chamber.
Seeing the blue-haired man depart mere moments after they had arrived, Paul's expression formed into a deadpan. However, before he could even think to complain, the hairs on the back of Paul's neck stood on end as an invisible blade of Touki attempted to behead him. He could have dodged, but Ghislaine took it upon herself to intercept the attack, skillfully slicing it to pieces as she revealed, "You have to keep your mind clear...if you think too much, the energy within this area will attack you..."
Immediately following Ghislaine's explanation, several additional blades of Touki began to coalesce out of thin air before racing towards Paul with speed comparable to a Saint-Ranked Swordsman. He managed to deflect most of them, but the power behind each of the blows was much heavier than he expected.
Slashing apart the attacks Paul was unable to block on his own, Ghislaine advised, "Try to clear your mind. I will protect you."
Though he anticipated her answer, Paul gave Ghislaine a curious glance as he asked, "Why aren't any of the blades targetting you...?'
Puffing out her rather sizeable chest as if it was something to be proud of, Ghislaine enthusiastically declared, "I don't think...!"
"..."
With nearly a dozen different blades manifesting, Paul was forced to focus on deflecting and slicing them apart as Ghislaine protected his back...
...
..
.
Sensing Paul and Ghislaine emerging, Gal sheathed his sword and wiped away a bit of sweat from his brow before turning to the entrance just as the duo stepped out. When he saw their relatively haggard appearances, a vicious smile immediately developed across his face as he asked, "Have fun...?"
Exhaling a sigh that caused a large plume of icy condensation to kick up, Paul begrudgingly replied, "It was a very informative training exercise..."
Nodding his head, Gal said, "Thinking isn't a bad thing, but there is a time and a place for it. When you're on the battlefield, surrounded by enemies, action trumps thought. A moment's hesitation is all it takes for even a God to lose their life. Now, run along and get some breakfast. Afterward, meet me in the Exhibition Hall. I'm going to have the two of you spar in front of the other students. Those little brats look up to you, so you'll be helping in their training from now on. Understood?"
Though he didn't believe he was ready to teach others, Paul nodded his head in response to Gal's words. As for Ghislaine, she really didn't want to, but, upon seeing Paul nod his head, she invariably did the same...
...
..
.
With three months passing in the blink of an eye, Paul was actually feeling a little nervous as he waited patiently at the base of the stairs leading up to the Sword Sanctum. As Sword Saints, he and Ghislaine were allowed to leave the Sanctum for training and missions. To this end, the two of them had decided they would venture out into the monster-infested Holy Land for a few months, not for training, but to have a bit of privacy.
Leaping down the mountain with wanton abandon, Ghislained practically crash-landed next to Paul before bouncing to her feet with an ostensibly intoxicated look on her face. In reality, she was just really, really horny, so much so that each of her breaths produced a veritable cloud of steam.
Though he was a little worried that Ghislaine would strangle him before promptly attempting to have her way with him, Paul asked, "Need me to carry you...?"
Before answering Paul's words, Ghislaine exhaled a plume of steam that nearly reached the ground as she panted, "I'm fine...my body...is just a little hot..."
As if to emphasize her point, Ghislaine pulled at the fur collar of her winter coat with a little too much strength. The fabric ended up tearing a bit, but instead of showing any care or concern, a profoundly relieved sigh emanated from Ghislaine's throat as the frigid temperatures invaded her clothes.
Swallowing the knot forming in his throat, Paul replied, "Right..." before picking a random direction and adding, "We should hurry..."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Ghislaine surprised Paul by being the first to take off running, her near-instantaneous acceleration causing a swirl of ice and snow as she bolted towards the East on all fours.
Seeing the frenzied cat girl take off, a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he remarked, "This is going to be a long five weeks..."
Not wanting to lose sight of Ghislaine, Paul took a deep breath before accelerating the Touki in his body and charging forward at a speed he couldn't even imagine himself achieving previously. The snow and wind beat against his face, but the realization he could run as fast as a sports car made it impossible for Paul not to smile...
...
..
.
Observing Paul's and Ghislaine's game of tag from atop the mountain supporting the Sword Sanctum, a rare, non-vicious smile adorned Gal's face as he muttered, "Maybe it's about time I found a suitable woman to produce an heir..."
Intrigued by the notion of pitting his children against Paul's, Gal shifted his gaze towards the South. The image of Reida briefly crossed his mind, but he doubted she would be viable due to her age. Fortunately, she had a few daughters, the oldest of which should be in their late teens or early twenties.
"It has been a while since I visited the Capital..."
With nothing better to do while Paul and Ghislaine were traipsing about the Holy Land, Gal briefly considered his options before jumping off the cliff he had been standing on. Then, without even bothering to inform the instructors or students of his decision, he began making his way South at speeds untraceable by the naked eye...
...
..
.

Chapter 61: MI61: Taking Advantage