Mushoku Impact

Though it had fallen into a state of disrepair after more than 400 years of disuse, a massive, underground city existed beneath the streets of Ars. It was built to be the last bastion of humanity, a nearly impregnable fortress where Magic, the trump card of Laplace, could not be used.
Since humanity had lost most of its territory at the time, much of the Ars Undercity had been dedicated to agriculture and food production. There were massive pools where fish and other aquatic creatures were farmed, and, to compensate for the lack of natural light, the vast majority of plant life consisted of fungi, algae, and a rare form of bioluminescent moss that had now spread throughout the entirety of the underground structure. As a result, walking through the otherwise dark caverns was like meandering through a sea of greenish-blue stars.
With Reida leading the way, Paul and Party eventually found themselves in a massive cavern whose ceiling was nearly 70m from the ground. What appeared to be the ruins of a fortress dominated one side of the stadium-sized cavity, but the thing that stood out most prominently were the tens of thousands of bones, swords, spears, and other armaments littering the ground.
Answering the question on everyone's minds, Reida explained, "This was one of the defensive lines humanity established back during the Laplace Campaign. If you go beyond that fortress, there's a stupidly long tunnel that eventually opens up into a residential area that once housed nearly half of the surviving humans. I honestly have no idea how we were able to push the Demon Army back when they had pretty much monopolized the entire world's land and resources..."
Shaking her head, Reida nipped any potential questions in the bud by stating, "Whatever, it doesn't really matter. The strong create history, not write it. Let chroniclers with nothing better to do worry about things like that. Now, then..."
Directing her gaze to Ei, Reida's cerulean blue eyes glistened due to the effects of Touki as she stated, "Come at me with everything you've got. If you don't, don't blame me if you lose your life..."
Though she had grown accustomed to standing in Paul's shadow, allowing him to shine as brightly as he pleased, the current Ei radiated an aura that seemed to place her at the center of all things as she coldly replied, "Very well." in a spine-chilling monotone.
Without even waiting for Paul and the others to back away, Reida abruptly leaped backward, a flurry of azure arcs flashing in front of her body as Ei appeared like a phantom in pursuit. As their swords clashed, a suffocating pressure immediately permeated the interior of the cavern as a sensation akin to being immersed in ice water assailed everyone present.
Despite the 70m distance from floor to ceiling, Reida's leap allowed her to flip upside down and stand on it as if it were the ground. Then, in the brief period where Ei was still mid-air, she flipped her sword into a reverse grip and unleashed a pulse of Touki that gave the impression it could slice just by staring at her.
"Reverse Flow - Swallow's Cry...!"
Though Reida hadn't actually shouted out the name of her technique, a strange 'echo' sounded within the minds of everyone present as her body appeared to blue-shift into the form of a sparrow descending toward the ground. Her descent brought her on a crash course with Ei, but instead of impacting or passing through her, a veritable pillar of purple light erupted from the Archon's body to form a giant crescent more than twenty meters in diameter. The sparrow's rightmost wing was immediately severed as a cut with perfectly smooth edges appeared wherever the arc passed.
Impacting the ground, a vexed expression marred Reida's face as she was forced to take a knee. Nearly a third of her adamantine-infused sword had been severed cleanly, but the thing that angered her more than anything was the knowledge that Ei had held back.
"You...arrogant..."
Interrupting Reida's hate-filled growl, Ei, in complete defiance of gravity, stood casually on the ceiling as she coldly remarked, "Arrogance is acting brashly despite a lack of skill. What I have given you here is a glimpse into eternity. Now then, shall we continue, or have you given up...?"
Hearing the words 'give up,' a vein appeared near Reida's left temple as she pulled out the Electro Vision nestled between her breasts. As she did, the color of her irises abruptly shifted from cerulean blue to Electro purple as a predominately blue and white sword materialized in her right hand. At the same time, a visible blue aura began exuding from her body, the ends of her hair becoming noticeably sharper as her furious expression became an intensely focused look.
Demonstrating a rare bout of haughtiness, Ei issued a throaty, "Hoooo...?" before brandishing her sword as if she were trying to remove blood. Then, with a faintly condescending smile on her face, she monotonously mused, "It seems your title as 'God' is not completely without merit..."
No longer simply testing Ei's abilities, Reida continued to refine her focus in silence. The essence of the Water God Style was using your opponent's speed and power against them, so, now that she understood Ei wasn't an opponent she could 'play' with, Reida was completely serious.
"Water Style Secret Art - Deprivation Sword Kingdom...!"
With what appeared to be a single swipe of Reida's sword, a 'bubble' of pale blue energy erupted out to form a gradually expanding hemisphere nearly 10m in diameter. From the perspective of Paul and the rest, even with the former's incredible kinetic vision, Reida's right arm appeared to completely disappear as the right side of her body blurred and distorted like a warped photograph.
Undaunted by the technique that had earned Reida the title of Water God, Ei narrowed her eyes as tiny arcs of Electro Energy emitted from the soles of her feet. She had been manipulating her body's internal magnetism to react with the iron and other minerals in the ceiling, so the moment she turned it off, she began freefalling towards the expanding hemisphere of Reida's Deprivation Sword Kingdom.
Instead of waiting for Ei to reach her, Reida leaped upward with enough force to make her trousers erupt around the thighs and leave two sizeable craters in the rocky terrain. The diameter of her Sword Kingdom retracted to less than half its previous size, but instead of a hemisphere, it formed a kind of tear shape as Reida ascended toward Ei at a speed the naked eye couldn't follow.
Similar to when Reida had performed her Reverse Flow - Swallow's Cry, the trajectory of her attack brought her on a collision course with Ei. This time, however, both women appeared to freeze in place the moment Ei's body overlapped with the edge of Reida's Deprivation Sword Kingdom. It was like time had stopped for a period lasting several seconds. In reality, less than a centisecond had passed before a cross-shaped flash of purple lightning sent Reida crashing into the ground with enough force to embed her, face-down, into the surface.
As Paul, at the very least, struggled to comprehend what had transpired, Ei landed on the ground with the finesse of a feather touching a stagnant pond as she remarked, "While impressive, the weakness of that technique is that, once launched, the angles you can attack from are limited by your arm's range of motion. Had you executed it at the moment of my attack, I may not have been able to break it with such ease..."
Though her words gave off the impression of a skilled senior talking down to an inexperienced junior, Ei was honestly impressed by Reida's attack. It could hardly be called a papercut, but Reida had managed to leave a tiny laceration along her left wrist. Had she misjudged the range and speed of Reida's counter, she might have lost her hand...
Demonstrating super-human perseverance and willpower, Reida raised herself from the ground to reveal a vicious, blood-stained smile. One of her top teeth was missing, but the excitement of having found a powerful opponent transcended any pain she was feeling.
Earning a narrowed gaze from Ei, Reida forced herself to stand as she asked, "Why...are you...acting like...this is over...?"
Just as Ei was about to point out that she could barely stand, an aura of Electro Energy suddenly erupted from Reida's body. Her Elemental Ability was similar to Paul's, allowing her to infuse Electro Energy into her sword, but her Elemental Burst was a skill Reida had named Twin-Lightning, both in reference to her twins and the fact it created an 'echo' that followed the trajectory of her attacks.
Exploding with speed comparable to a Sword Emperor, Reida unleashed a fierce flurry of blows that left Ei frowning. She could easily deflect Reida's leading attacks, but the prodigious Water God was effectively 'countering' her own attacks, reading the flow of her echoes to strike with increasingly precise timing.
Though she had initially wanted to settle things without using her powers as an Archon, Ei eventually created a bit of distance from Reida in order to summon her Musou no Hitotachi. However, the moment she did so, Reida abruptly fell face-first into the ground. Her Elemental Burst only lasted for six seconds before dissipating. It had no direct impact on her stamina, but the injuries she had sustained when Ei sent her smashing into the ground were a lot more severe than she let on.
Tasting defeat for the first time in years, a distorted smile marred Reida's face as she exhaled a laugh-like, "Fuck..." She was in intense pain, but the prospect of becoming even stronger by pitting herself against Ei made her both giddy and confused. Giddy because she had been looking for a good sparring partner and confused because she couldn't fathom how Paul had struggled to reach the level of a Saint with such a skilled swordswoman at his side...
As if summoned by her thoughts, Paul appeared next to Reida with Ganyu in tow. The latter was far more proficient with Healing Magic than he was, so he let her treat Reida's injuries as he knelt next to her and teased, "Try not to take this out on me during our training..."
Though it hurt to laugh, an amused chuckle emanated from Reida's throat as she rolled over with a bit of assistance from Paul. This made it seem as though she was laughing at Paul's remark, but the truth of the matter was that she had briefly considered informing him their training was canceled. It had been nearly a decade since she found a strong opponent she could refine her skills and techniques against, so she really didn't want to 'waste time' teaching others.
Fortunately for Paul, Reida was slowly learning to be less selfish. If not for him, her strength and physique would have continued to decline until she was little more than a bag of bones waiting to get pushed over by a young upstart. Ei was also his subordinate, retainer, or whatever the hell she and the other girls around him were, so Reida knew she would be stabbing herself in the foot if she suddenly started focusing on herself rather than helping Paul get stronger.
With her injuries healing a lot faster than she expected, Reida gave Ganyu an appraising stare as she said, "You're going to be very useful these next five months..."
Though she could detect a hint of obsessive malice in Reida's aura, Ganyu returned a characteristically gentle smile as she replied, "If it's to help my Master and his allies, I am always happy to be of service."
Adopting a now full-toothed grin, Reida was about to ask Ei for a rematch but was interrupted by Paul suggesting, "We should return to the surface and get some breakfast. I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon, so I'm starving."
With Paul's reminder, Reida realized that she also hadn't eaten anything in the past seventeen or so hours. Her stomach promptly growled in protest, but instead of acting bashfully, she exhaled a hearty laugh...
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Upon returning to the surface, Reida led Paul and the girls to a large, cafeteria-style dining room. Those who moved from the Royal Academy to the Citadel were effectively training to join the Kingdom's military, so their facilities were immaculate and spartan in design.
Before Paul and the rest could even get their bearings, Reida inhaled a deep before abruptly shouting, "Listen up! We've got some fresh blood in the Citadel...!"
Pushing Paul forward with a firm pat on the back, Reida bellowed, "This is Paul Greyrat! Get a good look at him because, starting from yesterday, His Majesty has declared him a Special Envoy of the Kingdom! He is also next in line to become the Water God unless you lot can get your act together!"
Finished with her introduction of Paul, Reida practically pushed him aside before pointing back with her thumb toward Jean, Eula, Ghislaine, Xinyan, Lilia, Ei, and the transformed Ganyu.
"These girls are the members of the B-Rank Party, Einherjar. But don't let their Adventurer Rank fool you. With a single exception, every one of them is at least Saint-Ranked in terms of strength and ability. They'll be helping out around the Citadel whenever they're not performing away missions for the King. You should treat them as you would any other instructor, or you can expect to pay the price with your body."
Though the revelation of Paul as Reida's successor left many with mixed feelings, the atmosphere within the cafeteria changed when the students discovered they would be receiving a bevy of beautiful instructors. A few of the more sensible students understood the futility of lusting after girls who were stronger than them, but this wouldn't be the heart of the Asura Kingdom if there weren't a fair number of arrogant, opportunistic perverts among the crowd. In their distorted version of reality, it was only a matter of applying the proper leverage before girls like Ei, Jean, and Eula became theirs.
With introductions out of the way, Reida turned to Paul and Party as she added, "I would encourage you to mingle, but approaching even the female students would probably lead to them being used against you in one way or another. Lucky for you girls, there's a separate area for staff and people above the Saint Rank. The five of you can join me while Paul babysits his pet and personal Maid."
Hearing Reida's suggestion, Ei was about to protest before Paul cut in, saying, "It's alright, Ei. This is the middle of the Citadel of Reida. Even if someone comes looking for trouble, they can't attack me in the middle of the cafeteria. We can eat together for lunch and dinner. For now, go with Reida. If I'm not wrong, she wishes to discuss your responsibilities as an instructor and what we'll be doing during our training."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Reida appended, "Paul's right. We can't just roam around as a massive group all the time. Besides, a lot of what I'll be teaching Paul is supposed to be a secret, so, unless you girls intend to laze about in your rooms all day, you'll need to familiarize yourselves with the Citadel and prepare to assist with lessons."
Though she would rather battle it out with Ei from sunrise to sunset, Reida felt obliged to train Paul and pass on the legacy of the Water God School. He didn't appear to have a genuine interest in inheriting the rank of Water God, but that was a concern for the far future. All that truly mattered was the present, and, right now, Paul still had a long way to go before he could swagger around a place like the Demon Continent without fear...
With Paul assuring them everything would be okay, Jean, Ei, Eula, Xinyan, and Ghislaine accompanied Reida to the faculty dining area while he, Lilia, and Ganyu made their way over to the queue of people waiting to receive their meals. The Citadel's cafeteria was similar to the school cafeterias of his previous life, so you would pick up a flat tray and move through a line of servers supplying ladles of grits, potatoes, bread, and other staple food items.
Unsurprisingly, Paul hadn't even joined the queue before the person at the end of it, a young man with fiery red hair and rust-red eyes, gave him, Lilia, and especially Ganyu an appraising look as he inquired, "Since when has the Citadel of Reidal allowed beasts to enter its hallowed halls?"
Without missing a beat, Paul countered by stating, "I just arrived the other day. How am I supposed to know when you joined the Citadel...?"
Though it took the youth a moment to understand what Paul was trying to say, his expression subsequently darkened as he asked, "Are you-"
Without waiting for the youth's response, Paul inclined his head toward the line, adding, "The queue's moving up. Don't tell me you need someone to explain how a line works..."
"...!"
With a face nearly as red as hir hair, the youth looked like he was about to roar at the top of his voice before a slightly older-looking fellow with pale blonde hair and blue eyes interjected to state, "Sir Redfox, this is no place to cause a scene."
Recognizing both the voice and its owner, the red-haired youth attempted to forcibly calm himself despite arguing, "This contemptible fellow dared to insinuate I was a beast. It's no wonder the King ordered his exile from House Notos..."
Rolling his eyes, Paul asked, "Are you seriously this daft? Listen, kid, you either believe there's something special about being born a Noble, or you don't. Whether or not I still have my title, it doesn't change the fact that I was born 'better' than you. Now, get the fuck out of my way."
"You...!"
As the youth attempted to reach for the weighted wooden sword at his waist, Paul took advantage of their rather considerable height difference to grab the fiery mane atop the kid's head. Then, with mercy limited to not using Touki, he forced the brat's head down before subsequently driving a knee into his face.
Though Paul had held back quite a bit, a visible indentation appeared to have formed in the red-headed cuntnugget's face as he dropped to the ground with the whites of his eyes showing. This brought the attention of everyone in the cafeteria to Paul as he pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his hand, his voice a calm and deep baritone as he said, "I've you've got a problem with me, we'll settle it like men in the dojo. If you come picking a fight when I'm trying to mind my own business, expect no quarter."
Dropping the used handkerchief on the back of the red-haired youth's head, Paul completely ignored the blue-eyed blonde as he stepped over the former and joined the queue. He hadn't earned himself any favor by trashing the first arrogant piece of shit that tried seeking trouble with him, but it wasn't like the people gathered in the cafeteria had any meaningful power or influence. Most were second, third, or even fourth sons aspiring to join the Royal Knights. Less than ten percent of them would reach the Advanced Rank before taking part in the Knight Selection Trials, while the vast majority would spend their entire lives within the Intermediate Rank. In other words, most of the students within the Citadel were the absolute dregs of Noble society; pure, unadulterated cannon fodder...
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Witnessing the minor kerfuffle between Paul and the Third Son of House Redfox, an amused smile developed across Reida's face. She was a little worried that Paul would try to talk his way out of a dispute or let himself be dragged into the pace of others. While there was nothing intrinsically wrong with engaging in diplomacy, everyone in the Citadel of Reidal was a Swordsman or woman. Only cowards settled things with words when both had perfectly good swords in hand.
Assured that Paul wouldn't be bullied, at least not by the rabble in the cafeteria, Reida walked over to join Jean, Ei, Eula, Ghislaine, and Xinyan. The faculty dining area was more like a restaurant than a cafeteria, so it was possible to sit and have a chat while a team of decently skilled chefs prepared made-to-order meals in the back.
After taking her seat, Reida initiated the conversation by stating, "Just as a heads-up, none of you should reveal anything that could be considered a secret while I'm around. Even if I weren't bound by a magical contract, I'm still loyal to the Kingdom. Expect that I'll be making regular reports to the King."
Acting as the group's representative, even though Ei was much, much older, Jean offered a curt nod as she replied, "Your frankness is greatly appreciated. Now then, what is it you wished to discuss...?"
"Hmmm..."
Passing her gaze over everyone present, Reida resisted the urge to ask where the big-breasted woman with teal-tipped hair had disappeared to. Instead, she said, "I need to know each of your individual strengths and weaknesses. Not in the malicious sense, but in the, 'I need to know what position you qualify for' kind of sense. I know Paul has intentions related to the Royal Academy, so I was thinking of referring a few of you to staff positions."
Nodding her head, Jean muttered, "I see..." before looking over her group and stating, "In that regard, Eula and myself are the most eligible for such an assignment. I am Saint-Ranked in both the Sword God Style and Wind Magic. Eula has yet to receive an official rank, but her swordsmanship is even more refined than my own."
Raising her brows, Reida gave Eula a scrutinizing gaze as she asked, "You haven't received a rank? Why...?"
Maintaining a calm and perfectly composed demeanor, Eula replied, "It was unnecessary. A person's official rank has no bearing on their ability, and I saw no value in obtaining the recognition of Sword King Augusta."
"Hmmm...fair enough. In that case, feel free to call yourself a Water or Sword Saint from now on. If Paul's words are to be believed, you lot are even stronger than him. I doubt Gal will complain...oh?"
With servers bringing over trays of food, a temporary lull occurred in the conversation. It was only once the waiters had returned that Reida said, "Then I'll go ahead and introduce the both of you to the Headmaster this afternoon or early tomorrow morning. I still need to measure where Paul is in terms of strength and ability, so I'll probably be focused on that the rest of the day..."
Shifting her gaze to Ghislaine and Xinyan, Reida asked, "What about you two? Members of the Beast Race aren't that welcome in the Capital, but we can work something out so long as you're skilled. As for you...I'm not even sure what you are?"
Though people with dark skin weren't all that uncommon, they were generally the descendants of a Demonic or Magic Race. Xinyan was an ordinary human as far as Reida could tell, but the same could be said for members of the Migurd and Hobbit Races. The only way to readily distinguish them from humans was with a blood magic ritual sometimes used to determine whether or not a person had a legitimate claim to an inheritance.
With a wry smile on her face, Xinyan replied, "I'm a 100% bonafide human being. As for my talents, my passion is music, but I'm also pretty capable with Fire Magic and a claymore. I've gotten a bit rusty over the years, but I'm at least an Advanced-Rank Water God Swordsman and Saint-Ranked in Fire Magic. I've recently been delving into King-Ranked Fire Magic, but the chants are really janky, so I've been trying to figure out a way to make them more interesting."
Blinking in surprise, Reida remarked, "Unless things have changed while I was focused on other things, the only requirement to call yourself a King-Ranked Mage is being able to cast King-Ranked Magic. So which is it? Are you a Fire Saint or a Fire King...?"
While it was true she could cast King-Ranked Magic with a bit of effort, Xinyan shook her head in response to Redia's words, stating, "The system we use is different from traditional Mages. For us, you don't qualify for the next Rank until you can cast the majority of spells from the previous Rank without chanting."
Opening her mouth, Reida wanted to call Xinyan out on her bullshit but noticed everyone around the table, sans Ghislaine, nodding their heads in approval. That implied that nearly every woman seated across from her was capable of using Saint-Ranked Magic without chanting. If that was even remotely true, the war potential of Paul and his Party exceeded even her wildest speculations...
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Upon reaching the Citadel and deboarding their carriage, Reida turned to Paul and said, "About those lasses you brought along...the Citadel doesn't exactly entertain guests. If they're going to stay here, they'll need to work or train. I'm also not particularly fond of sharing, so..."
Narrowing her eyes, Reida stared directly into Paul's as she added, "You'll need to choose. If you decide to stay with me these next five months, we can behave as brazen as we please. If you'd rather fool around with those little ducklings of yours, you'll have to live among the other male disciples. I don't care if people know about our relationship, but I'd lose all face if they knew I was just one of the women you were fucking. I am the Water God; I still have a reputation to uphold..."
Though he furrowed his brows, Paul wasn't incapable of empathizing with Reida's predicament. Most people would automatically presume she was the one that had taken an interest in him, grooming him into her successor with a carrot and stick approach. That view would shift rather drastically if it became known she was just one of many women he slept with.
"I'll talk with them once we get back. I can't promise I won't sleep with other women these next five months, but I can at least take it outside the Capital. That should suffice, right...?"
Nodding her head, Reida replied, "That's fine by me. So long as you aren't acting all lovey-dovey with other women during your stay in the Citadel, I couldn't care less what you do in private. Just remember that while you're here, you're mine."
Though she was now quite a bit shorter than Paul, that didn't stop Reida from pulling his collar and planting a kiss on his lips. Quite a few people had been eyeing them with curiosity, so even if Paul didn't truly belong to her, Reida intended to make it appear that way...
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After hearing Paul's explanation, a low-spirited sigh emanated from Venti's throat as she remarked, "If I had known something like this was going to happen, I wouldn't have held back these past couple of weeks..."
Adopting a mildly incredulous look, Paul retorted, "Held back? We've been doing it like rabbits nearly every day for the past three months..."
Raising her hands and shrugging exaggeratedly, Venti replied, "Well, yeah. I've got nearly three millennia of abstinence to make up for. At least we've stopped to take breaks."
"..."
Deciding to ignore the perpetually horny Archon, Paul shifted his attention to the rest of the group, asking, "So, what do you girls want to do? I know some of you plan to train here, but what about the rest of you? Reida has said she can arrange teaching positions for you at the Royal Academy, but waiting in the IOF is also an option."
Disregarding the fact Paul was at least pretending to ignore her, Venti was the first to answer, "I don't mind roleplaying as a teacher. The question is, what should I teach? Poetry, song, or perhaps Wind Magic? I'm not overly familiar with this world's Magic, but I'm fairly confident I can play the part of a Wind King. Maybe even an Emperor~?"
Shaking his head, Paul asserted, "Emperor is too excessive. If you exhibit that kind of might, everyone in the Kingdom will take notice. Also...not to sound rude, Venti, but you're one of the last people I would trust to act on their own. That isn't to say you aren't capable, but with your appearance and playful disposition, everyone from the faculty to the students would be trying to take advantage of you..."
Instead of taking offense to Paul's words, Venti stuck out her tongue and said, "Praise will get you everywhere~." in a playful tone.
"Right..."
Shifting his attention back to the others, Paul focused his gaze on Jean as he asked, "How about it? Any preferences...?"
Without needing to consider her response, Jean calmly stated, "I would like to stay and train within the Citadel. Though I wouldn't mind teaching, I see this as an excellent opportunity to refamiliarize myself with the use of my Vision."
Nodding his head in approval, Paul remarked, "Sounds reasonable." before shifting his attention to Ei. The moment he did, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she insisted, "It is my duty to remain at your side and keep you safe..."
Unsurprised by Ei's remark, Paul adopted a faint smile as he remarked, " I guess that about settles it, then. Venti will hang out in the Intersection of Fate for a bit while the rest of us focus on training."
Though she wasn't legitimately angry, Venti interjected, saying, "Now wait just one moment. What about Ganyu? She doesn't even use a sword...!"
In response to Venti's remark, Ganyu promptly reverted to her miniature Qilin form before moseying over and making herself comfortable in Paul's lap. As she did, Venti's brow twitched ever so slightly as she said, "That's cheating..."
While running his fingers through the velvety smooth fur of Ganyu's coat, Paul attempted to cheer Venti up by saying, "Look on the bright side. If you enter the IOF, it will only be a blip in time before we're out exploring the world together."
Tilting her head to the side, Venti brought a finger up to her chin as she remarked, "Hmmm...you do make a fair point. However...!"
Pointing directly a Paul, the former could swear he saw steam coming out of Venti's nose as she declared, "The next time I come out, we're going at it for two&mdash;no&mdash;five whole days! A day for each month you kept me locked away...!"
"..."
Though he felt like smacking the perverted woman upside the head, Paul surprised everyone present by appearing to consider it. The longest he had gone at it thus far was with a heated Ghislaine, but they had taken a lot of breaks in between. Five days was a little ridiculous, but Paul felt he could pull it off if he paced himself...
Surprising even Venti, Paul ultimately shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure. Truth be told, I am a little curious to know my 'maximum' in terms of sexual stamina. I doubt we can go non-stop for five days, but I should be able to keep it up until you tap out."
Feeling the muscles in her abdomen tense, a combination of fear and excitement swelled within Venti's chest. Ever since her first time having sex, she had wanted to experience even greater levels of pleasure. Paul had messed her up pretty badly in the past, but their longest session was around thirteen hours with other people present. Five days was nearly ten times that amount, and unless she sought outside assistance, she would have to accept his everything by herself...
As her heart began to race, the smile on Venti's face became somewhat distorted as she said, "You, my dearest Master, have got yourself a deal."
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With his discussion with the girls finished and Venti safely secured in the IOF, Paul made his way to Reida's room and knocked on the door. There was no response for nearly three full minutes, but, just as Paul was about to turn around and leave, the door cracked open to reveal a panting Reida wearing little more than a silken robe that clung to her voluptuous body...
Though he would ordinarily be captivated by such a sight, Paul couldn't help narrowing his eyes as he asked, "What's going on?" in a pointed tone. He could feel the pressure in his veins immediately skyrocket, but instead of appearing angry, his expression became a cold stone mask of calm.
Seeing the sudden and rather drastic change in Paul's demeanor, a mildly incredulous look marred Reida's ruddy face as she asked, "What's gotten into you? I went through all this effort to celebrate us becoming Master and Disciple, and you're behaving&mdash;ah, I see..."
Realizing what Paul must have been thinking, a teasing smile developed across Reida's face as she asked, "Seriously? I haven't slept with anyone since you unceremoniously got me pregnant. Why would I invite another man over when I'm waiting for your stupid ass to arrive...?"
Feeling a bit of warmth flow into his cheeks, Paul honestly had no idea how to respond to Reida's words. Fortunately, she seemed more amused than upset by his behavior, promptly pulling him into the room and kissing his lips until they were a little swollen. Then, despite him insisting it wasn't necessary, she walked him through checking every inch of her room, even a few secret compartments, to confirm there was no one else present...
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"What the heck happened to you? You look like a zombie..."
Seeing Paul emerge from Reida's room, alongside the Water God herself, Xinyan couldn't help commenting upon seeing the dark circles around his eyes. In response, Paul just forced a smile while Reida openly admitted, "This oversized idiot thought I snuck another man into my room last night, so I-"
"Reida..."
Though he had no authority over the woman, Paul interrupted Reida with a soft yet forceful tone and a silent plea in his eyes. She crossed her arms and frowned deeply in response but, upon casting her cerulean gaze over the other women present, promptly decided against embarrassing him too much.&nbsp;
Snorting through her nose, Reida muttered, "Whatever..." before adopting a serious expression and saying, "Paul told me you girls intend to join the Citadel. Under normal circumstances, that would be impossible without a Noble background or a referral. However, since you're apparently a bunch of Saints, I've decided to bend the rules a bit. So long as you're willing to assist in the training of other Disciples, you're free to stay in the instructor housing area. Just remember, so long as you're within the confines of the Citadel, your beloved little Master belongs to me..."
In a blatant attempt to assert dominance, Reida pulled Paul close to her and adopted a taunting smile as she wrapped her arms around his neck and attempted to kiss him.&nbsp;
Unfortunately, while he might be willing to play the part of simple Party members for the sake of Reida's reputation, Paul wasn't going to tolerate her behaving selfishly and trying to show off in front of the other girls. As she moved in for a kiss, Paul pressed his forehead to Reida's, saying, "Not cool..." in a disproving tone.
Furrowing her brows, Reida countered, "I only have you for five months. Can't I be a little selfish before you go galavanting around the world...?"
Instead of waiting for Paul's response, Reida released her hold on his neck, muttering her usual, "Whatever..." before looking towards Ei and saying, "This fool standing behind me claimed you have what it takes to defeat me in a battle. Once we reach my private training grounds, I intend to confirm whether or not his words are pure bluster. Prepare yourself."
Narrowing her eyes, the overwhelmingly dignified aura Ei usually kept in check surged outward with physical force as she straightened her back, raised her chin, and replied, "Very well." in a frightfully calm tone. As she did, goosebumps spread across the entirety of Reida's body as her hand instinctually moved to the hilt of her sword. At the same time, every single person within the Citadel of Reida, be they Kings or simple Beginners, felt as though they had a blade pressed to their throats...
...
..
.

Chapter 136: MI136: Water and Lightning