Mushoku Impact

Though their journey was made exponentially easier due to Ganyu casting an enchantment that gave the carriage shock-absorption properties, Paul would be lying if he said he wasn't bored. Venti and Xinyan helped to keep everyone's spirits high by singing songs and playing their instruments, but the journey was a lot less 'exciting' than he had anticipated.
When they had initially set out, Paul expected large groups, potentially even hordes of monsters, to assail them. Instead, they had to go out of their way to track down prey as Ei's aura, even when heavily suppressed, was more than enough to scare away the average beast.&nbsp;
To pass the time and alleviate their boredom, Paul had come up with a game that involved Ghislaine trying to 'attack' the carriage while he, Eula, and Xinyan defended it. Her speed had exploded ever since she obtained an Anemo Vision, so it was excellent training for people whose techniques revolved around the Water God School.
"I don't think so...!" shouted Xinyan as she moved like a red and caramel-colored blur to intercept one of Ghislaine's attacks. Her arms were devoid of any noticeable muscles, and her body was incredibly lithe, but she was able to swing around a Claymore nearly as long as she was tall to deflect Ghislaine's attack.
Instead of allowing herself to be forced back, Ghislaine flipped her body the moment Xinyan repelled her. In the same motion, she gathered bright green Anemo Energy around her feet to create a cushion of air, using it as a springboard to bound back with even greater speed.
Borrowing a word from Paul's vocabulary, Xinyan exclaimed, "Shit...!" as she barely managed to pull her sword across her body. Obtaining her fifth Constellation had drastically increased her speed and strength, but years of neglect had left her swordsmanship more than a little rusty.
Before Xinyan could smash into the wind barrier formed by Venti, Paul intercepted her comparably tiny frame as Eula dashed past them to repel Ghislaine. When she did, the latter immediately leaped, bounced, and flipped backward to create some distance as she had learned the hard way that her skills weren't quite up to par with Eula's.
"Too slow...!"
Taking advantage of the fact Ghislaine was briefly in the air, the muscles of her thighs appeared to swell before she propelled herself forward with extreme speed, her body low and nearly parallel to the ground.
Instead of landing where Eula was expecting, Ghislaine created another cushion of air that allowed her to change direction without landing on the ground. She managed to leap over Eula, but the latter was able to change direction nearly as quickly, meeting her head-on as she attempted to turn around and initiate a strike.
Despite being blessed with strength and senses that far surpassed other members of the Beast Race, Ghislaine was forced to grit her teeth under the strain of Eula's blow. The Sword God Style focused on overwhelming your opponent with extreme speed, so it was the worst among the Three Schools regarding defense and receiving blows.
With Ghislaine's feet sinking into the ground, Eula took advantage of her opponent's reduced mobility and recently acquired blind spot by twisting her body to land a graceful yet powerful kick to the former's right side. It felt like kicking a tree trunk, but the power behind the blow was enough to send Ghislaine crashing and rolling to the side before she caught herself and bounded to her feet.
Though she was annoyed by Eula's 'underhanded' tactics, Ghislaine didn't blame her for taking advantage of her newly acquired eyepatch. Instead, she darted past Eula to catch up to the carriage, which, since the start of the 'game,' had been moving forward at a steady pace of around 60km/h.
Matching Ghislaine's speed, Eula was able to keep her body between the former and the carriage until she abruptly activated her Elemental Ability, bounding high into the sky as Anemo Energy began to gather around her body like a Tempest.
Clicking her tongue, Eula raced to join Paul and Xinyan before Ghislaine reached the peak of her ascent and descended toward the carriage like a luminous green meteor. This was a combination of her Elemental Ability, which allowed her to create up to three air cushions in quick succession, and her Elemental Burst, an ability that surrounded her body in a tornado-like swirl of Anemo Energy that allowed her to penetrate massive boulders while simultaneously protecting her from attacks.
Though Venti could dissipate the Anemo Energy swirling around Ghislaine with relative ease, she opted to continue tuning her lute as Paul, Eula, and Xinyan stood their ground against the seemingly unstoppable attack. This wasn't the first time they had seen Ghislaine's Elemental Burst, so Xinyan and Eula leaped into the violent tempest without fear while Paul used his Dendro Vision to create a steel-like wall from vines thicker than his waist.
Ignoring the wounds it left on their bodies, Xinyan and Eula read the flow of Ghislaine's attack and sliced through the thinner sections of the wind barrier. Neither of their attacks was able to impact Ghislaine's body, but they were able to shave away at her momentum before being flung away.
As Ghislaine's attack impacted Paul's impromptu barrier, briefly stopping her in place, Xinyan and Eula landed on the ground and charged back at her. At the same time, Paul exhaled a breath, his expression calm even though cracks were quickly appearing across the barrier separating him from Ghislaine's fierce attack.
Though they were ultimately sent flying a second time, the efforts of Eula and Xinyan had a noticeable effect on the Anemo Energy swirling around Ghislaine's body. By the time she managed to pierce Paul's barrier, most of the energy had dissipated into motes of green light, leaving behind a disoriented Ghislaine to perform a swift yet completely silent attack that Paul calmly backstepped before changing direction and stepping into the gap between her body and blade.
Since he obviously wouldn't cut down one of his lovers, Paul ended the fight by knocking away Ghislaine's blade. The Sword of Silence created a powerful vacuum in its wake, so even if he unleashed his counter after the fact, the apparent lack of friction and almost magnetic pull of Ghislaine's attack allowed him to reach his maximum speed in an instant.
Despite anticipating Paul's counter, Ghislaine could not hold onto her sword. She did her best, but all she got for her trouble was an intense jolt of pain, followed by a familiar numbness as she instinctually wrapped her powerful arms around Pual's body.
Smiling wryly, Paul asked, "Didn't we agree the battle ended when you lost your weapon...?"
With a completely serious expression on her face, Ghislaine nodded her head and replied, "I know. I'm just a little annoyed right now..."
Without giving Paul a chance to respond, Ghislaine gave him a mighty bear hug that raised him from the ground and caused the bones in his back and arms to crack loudly. Ghislaine's form had 'softened' over the past few months, but her raw power had continued to increase under the influence of her Vision and a full-body exercise routine that involved feats of acrobatics no ordinary human could hope to emulate.
Discarding his sword, Paul responded to Ghislaine's bear hug by forcing a smile and grabbing her ass. Her tail briefly straightened as he did so, but she didn't immediately release his body. Instead, she flatly remarked, "I'm not in heat right now..."
Maintaining his smile, Paul began to massage Ghislaine's firm yet pliant ass as he replied, "I am well aware. But that doesn't make your ass any less springy. I could squeeze these cheeks all day..."
"..."
Though it wasn't the sort of praise most women fished for, Ghislaine's tail began to sway in response to Paul's words. She often felt self-conscious due to her height and somewhat muscular appearance, so it always made her happy to hear Paul 'compliment' her features.
With Ghislaine invariably releasing her hold on him, Paul took advantage of the situation to press his face into her breasts. She had sprouted up to 198cm over the past couple of months, roughly six and a half feet tall, so her breasts were the perfect height to nuzzle without needing to pick her up.
Instead of attempting to stop Paul's actions, Ghislaine reached up to envelop his shoulders and caress the back of his head. She knew the exchange wouldn't last long, especially with the carriage continuing to move further away from them, so she wanted to savor it while it lasted.
"You two sure seem to be having fun."
After healing her wounds and retrieving Ghislaine's sword, Xinyan made her way over alongside Eula. The latter had reached Paul and Ghislaine first, but she just stood stoically off to the side rather than interrupting the duo's moment of intimacy.
Pulling his face from Ghislaine's increasingly soft breasts, Paul wriggled his eyebrows and asked, "Jealous~?" in a playful tone.
Without missing a beat, Xinyan replied, "A little." before haphazardly tossing over Ghislaine's sword. The latter managed to catch it with ease, but she had to let go of Paul to do so.&nbsp;
Adopting one of his characteristically wry smiles, Paul spread his arms in an attempt to coax Xinyan into them. In response, she playfully rolled her eyes and said, "Maybe later. We should hurry and catch up to the others."
As if prompted by Xinyan's words, the horizon suddenly darkened before a large explosion assailed them with intense light and a powerful tremor. Then, before they could even process what happened, a dark purple tear erupted from the center of the explosion, seemingly cutting it in two.
After a moment of pause, Paul, Xinyan, Ghislaine, and Eula immediately ran towards the site of destruction with grim expressions and weapons drawn. They reached their destination in seconds, but even that was too slow as Ei had effectively ended the fight the moment it began.
Seeing the proud and noble Archon standing over the bisected body of a middle-aged man with silvery hair, a full beard, red eyes, and nearly pitch-black armor, a hint of incredulity appeared in Paul's expression as he remarked, "That's one of Atofe's men."
Hearing Paul's remark, the silver-haired man directed a stern and slightly venomous glare toward him as he questioned, "Who gave you the right to refer to our Master in such a casual manner?"
Seemingly oblivious to the fact he had been cut in half at the waist, the man attempted to right himself until Ei placed the tip of her sword at his forehead, stating, "Stay down." in a cold, bone-chilling tone.
"Hmmm..."
Though he looked like he had a lot to say, the somewhat elderly-looking man remained on the ground, his entrails slowly but visibly retracting into his body. It was a disgusting and incredibly disconcerting sight to behold, but Paul did his best not to let it bother him as he asked, "Is this the only enemy that appeared? If I'm not mistaken, there should be four of them."
Answering in Ei's stead, Venti calmly explained, "There was a featureless fellow with transparent blue skin, but he split into several smaller versions of himself before fleeing in multiple directions~."
Unsurprised by Venti's response, Paul exhaled a sigh and remarked, "As I thought..."
Believing the middle-aged man to be one of Atofe's 'Four Heavenly Kings,' Paul stated, "Unless I'm mistaken, this man is Moore, the Silver Lion. The one that ran off should be Aldrich, the Devourer. He has a slime-like body, so he is impervious to most physical attacks and is able to split himself at will."
As they had already been briefed on the Four Heavenly Kings, none of Paul's companions were too surprised by his words. Even Moore didn't so much as bat an eye. Instead, he remarked, "You're well-informed." before falling silent as Ei narrowed her eyes at him...
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With Ei, Eula, Xinyan, and Jean forming a perimeter around Moore's bound body, Paul asked, "Why did you attack us?"
Seemingly oblivious to his circumstances, Moore maintained an ostensibly calm and composed demeanor as he replied, "It was a trial. Our Mistress, the Immortal Demon King, Atoferatofe Raibaku, has developed an interest in you and your Party. You should prepare yourselves."
"Right..."
Instead of regarding Moore's words as bluster, Paul turned to Ei and said, "Try not to kill anyone once they arrive. Most of Atoferatofe's central forces possess some form of immortality, but it's better to be safe than sorry. We may end up fighting, but we're not enemies."
Since the blast that had drawn their attention had targetted the 'road' rather than the carriage itself, Paul assumed Moore and Aldrich hadn't been trying to kill them. They likely just wanted to stop the carriage so they could pass on their Mistress's words before testing their strength. Unfortunately for them, Ei was more of a 'strike first, ask questions later' kind of person.
Not expecting such a 'sensible' response from Paul, Moore craned his left brow ever so slightly as he remarked, "You're no ordinary human..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul replied, "I can't afford to be." before asking, "Are you going to cause trouble if we release you? I'd rather your Mistress not assume we're holding you hostage."
Without shaking or nodding his head, Moore replied, "Your ally has bested me in single combat. Unless ordered to do so by my Mistress, I will stand aside in the coming conflict."
Though he didn't exactly trust the silver-haired Demon, Paul nodded his head before removing Moore's bindings. They were formed using Dendro Elemental Energy, so he could will them away whenever he wanted.
Freed from his bindings, Moore retrieved the lower half of his bisected armor before holding the severed pieces up to the parts that were still intact. To the surprise of Paul and Party, the severed parts seemed to 'snap' back into place as if drawn by a powerful magnet. Moments later, the armor was completely whole again.
Unable to contain himself, Paul remarked, "That's pretty handy..." in an audibly impressed tone. He knew the ashen black armor worn by Atofe and her subordinates had to be special, but the novel and anime rarely went into the specifics of magical items and artifacts that weren't integral to the plot.&nbsp;
Though he understood Paul's curiosity, Moore cautioned, "It's an armor specifically crafted for Immortals. It draws upon the wearer's vitality to enhance their physical parameters, increase its durability, and repair itself. Unless you have a death wish, I would advise against trying to steal a set for yourself..."
While dismissively waving his hand, Paul assured, "Don't worry. I'm not really into the whole armor thing. A breastplate is one thing, but full plate armor? No thanks."
"Hmmm..."
Giving Paul a quick once-over, Moore noticed he was wearing very little protection. He had a gauntlet on his left hand, a mithril undertunic, and a thin breastplate that appeared to be treated with orichalcum. These were top-quality defensive garments against monsters and mundane threats, but they were functionally useless against opponents Saint-Ranked and above.
"You must be confident in your ability to protect yourself..."
Catching Moore a little off guard, Paul shook his head and admitted, "I still have a long way to go." before gesturing to Ei and the others as he added, "Fortunately, I'm blessed to have capable allies."
Recalling how Ei had sliced through both his Saint-Ranked Fire Magic and his body before he could get out a single word, Moore didn't doubt Paul's claim. Instead, he gave the purple-haired Archon an appraising look, his eyes lingering a little longer than they should have on her ample cleavage.
Narrowing her Electro-purple eyes, Ei coldly remarked, "My body is mine and my Master's alone. If you intend to keep those eyes, you will control where they look..."
Immediately averting his eyes, Moore remarked, "It was not my intent to offend. However, your-"
Interrupting before Moore could finish, Ei coldly stated, "I do not require your compliments." as the air began to crackle around her.
Realizing he was up against an uncompromising force, Moore swallowed the knot that had formed in his throat before turning to meet Paul's gaze as he said, "They're a lot more than capable..."
Adopting a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Paul replied, "I am well aware." before asking, "Any idea when your Mistress should be arriving?"
Shifting his gaze to the sky, Moore hesitated for a moment before saying, "With her speed, she should have arrived by now. If I had to guess, she is probably spying on us from a distance."
Instead of looking around himself, Paul looked to Ei, Venti, Ghislaine, and Ganyu, asking, "Sense anything?"
Though Ei, Ghislaine, and Ganyu either shook their heads or replied in the negative, Venti emulated Moore's act of looking skyward as she playfully inquired, "Does she have blue skin, a large horn, bluish-white hair, a large sword, and black panties~?"
Looking skyward, Paul had to cover his eyes to filter out the brilliant white sunlight. Even then, he still couldn't see whatever Venti and Moore were staring at. However, considering his eyes were photosensitive enough to see clearly in the dark, that wasn't too surprising...
Trusting in Venti's eyesight, a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he waved towards the presumed direction of Atofe and said, "Yo. Nice to meet-"
Before Paul could finish speaking, a figure impacted the ground like a tungsten rod dropped from orbit. A large explosion of dust and debris erupted from the area where the figure made contact, followed by the sound of several sonic booms and deranged-sounding laughter.
"Bwahahahahahaha! You've finally come, Paul Greyrat and his infamous Party, Einherjar...!"
Following the feminine outburst, a powerful gust swept through the area as a woman with features matching Venti's description swung a sheathed sword nearly as broad as her waist to disperse the cloud of dust. The only notable additions were the diminutive, bat-like wings on her back, the fact her hair was done up in a wild ponytail that fanned outward in defiance of gravity, and her height...
Though he knew Atofe was supposed to be short, Paul was slightly taken aback to see that the legendary Demoness was roughly the same height as Ganyu, approximately 160cm. She was remarkably well developed, but with her thick armor on, she actually appeared more dainty than muscular or athletic...
Recognizing the look on Paul's face, Atofe shouldered her comically large sword and asked, "What? Were you expecting me to be as big as my little brother?"
Shaking his head, Paul replied, "Not exactly...I just didn't expect you to be so...dainty?"
With an overbroad smile that revealed pearly white, surprisingly human-like teeth, Atofe playfully remarked, "Careful, brat. I didn't come here to kill you. Don't make me change my mind."
Though he didn't doubt Atofe could kill him, Paul adopted a smile of his own as he countered, "Shall we make a wager...?"
Narrowing her glowing red, black sclera eyes, Atofe's smile became even more prominent as she inquired, "Hoooo~? What kind of wager...?"
Gesturing toward Ei, Paul said, "If my Kagemusha manages to defeat you, you will welcome us as guests within Fort Necross. If you are dissatisfied with her performance, I will become your captive for the next three years. Deal?"
After mulling over the matter for quite some time, Paul realized that it would probably be best to settle down and train his ass off rather than wandering aimlessly around the Demon Continent. He also wanted to put Kishirika's theory to the test, so even if he had to 'suffer' for a few years, he was willing to swallow his pride if it allowed him to become immortal...
Without needing to consider her response, Atofe replied, "Sure. But if your side loses, I'll be taking all of you as prisoners. There aren't many females around Fort Necross, so I'll have them service my men while you undergo training as my pet."
Though he wanted to believe Atofe was joking, Paul's expression became severe as he stated, "We didn't venture here to antagonize you or become your enemies..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Atofe retorted, "Humanity does much worse to Demons they enslave or take prisoner. At least I offer people the chance to leave after ten years of service. You'll also be well fed and given ample opportunities to escape and grow stronger, so don't bother complaining to me about things like fairness or decency. Power and authority are the only things that matter in this world."
Without further word, Atofe launched herself toward Ei with enough force to cause a mighty explosion. She had yet to unsheathe her sword, but the speed of her movement was fast enough to ignite the air around her body and sheathe, giving her an even more demonic appearance.
Having been on guard the entire time, Ei didn't so much as flinch in the face of Atofe's surprise attack. Instead, she took a single step backward before her entire body abruptly disappeared, reappearing behind Atofe in an instant.
As her flaming sword swept through the area where Ei had been standing a single moment prior, a bemused, "Oh?' emanated from Atofe's throat as a series of purple lines appeared out of thin air. In the very next moment, the world around her began to spin rapidly as her head, leaving behind a corkscrewing trail of blood, spiraled through the air.
Brandishing her sword in a slicing motion, Ei's expression remained a mask of serenity as she gazed back over her shoulder to witness Atofe's body and armor separating like chaff from an aircraft due to her forward momentum. The only thing that wasn't even remotely damaged was her peculiar purple sword, which, despite receiving a cut, only lost part of its sheathe.
Though most opponents would have been killed by such a decisive blow, Atofe waited for her head to stop rolling before adopting a toothy grin and excitedly remarking, "Not bad! You even infused lightning into your attack to make it harder for me to regenerate! Bwahahahahaha~!"
Despite her words, the blood and individual chunks of Atofe's body rose from the ground and started to gravitate toward one another in a ghastly yet impossible to turn away from manner. Paul was briefly reminded of the scene of Majin Buu regenerating as Atofe quite literally turned into a ball of writhing flesh before morphing back into her original form, fully clothed and armored.
While rubbing and popping her neck, Atofe's smile became even wider as she stared at Ei and said, "I love that cold and arrogant look in your eyes. Perhaps I'll make you my pet and let that little boy replace you on service duty? You know what they say, a hole's a hole."
As Ei narrowed her eyes, Atofe extended her right hand toward her sword. In response, it spun towards her like a wayward propeller before stopping the moment she closed her hand around the forearm-sized hilt.
"Unfortunately for you, the lightning infused into your attacks seems to lack the purification properties of genuine Lightning Magic. You'll need to do a lot better than that if you want to protect your friends."
Removing what remained of her sheathe, Atofe held up her oversized sword with a prideful expression on her face as she attempted to explain what made it special. Before she could, however, a bead of sweat formed near the base of her horn, as, for a brief moment, Ei's form appeared to blot out the sky as she sliced toward her with an impossibly large sword...
"This one might hur-"
Interrupting Atofe's quip, Ei released roughly thirty percent of the Electro Energy she had stockpiled over the last year and a half. Paul had told her to try to avoid killing, but Ei would never allow her Master to be captured and subjected to maltreatment. Thus, for the first time since her arrival in the world of Mushoku Tensei, she exhibited her true power as the Electro Archon. As a result, a glowing purple channel nearly a kilometer long was spontaneously formed in the Demon Continent...
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Bursting out from one of the apparel shop's changing rooms, Kishirika spun around excitedly as she exclaimed, "Da-daaaan~! How do I look~?"
Opening his eyes from where he was perched, leaning against a wall, Paul remarked, "Not bad. Pretty cute."
Puffing out her non-existent chest, now protected by a brown breastplate, Kishirika said, "I would have preferred beautiful or sexy, but I can't deny my current form is a work in progress. Getting my horns in and out of this hood will be annoying, though..."
In place of her skimpy black tube top, loose black hotpants, and belted black leggings, Kishirika now wore a black and white top that resembled a vest with medium-length sleeves, black monster-hide shorts, a studded black belt with a skull motif, black riding boots, and a stylish beige cloak. The outfit left much of her midriff, back, and thighs exposed, but there wasn't much Kishirika could do about that as she had ebony protrusions that jutted out from her ribs and thighs. They were apparently sensory organs, much like the goat-like horns on her head, so Kishirika preferred to keep them exposed as covering them would be like an average person wearing a blindfold.&nbsp;
If there was one thing Paul felt justified complaining about, it was the fact Kishirika was wearing the same fashion of undergarments as before. He had asked her to wear something a little more 'appropriate,' but she opted for a black v-string thong that was better suited to a seasoned Succubus than a prepubescent Demon Empress...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul said, "We should get going. It's a long journey from here to Fort Necross."
While continuing to fiddle with her hood, Kishirika remarked, "Not really. If you didn't insist on traveling via carriage, we could reach it within a day or two, easy. Even in my current form, I could run from here to the Southern tip of the Demon Continent in three or four days. The same journey would take more than a month via carriage."
Shrugging his shoulders, Paul retorted, "What, you in a hurry? The Demon Continent might not be the most scenic place in the world, but it's good to take things slow every now and again."
Catching Paul a little off guard, Kishirika bared her sharp-like teeth as she replied, "Am I in a hurry? Shouldn't that be obvious?"
Approaching close enough that she had to crane her head back to stare up at Paul, Kishirika added, "You're currently very weak. Sure, you might be strong enough to swagger about most Kingdoms as if you own them, but you would be helpless without that posse of girls to protect you. So yes, I am in a hurry. A hurry to see you get some sense knocked into you so you can grow stronger under Atofe's tutelage."
"..."
Exhaling through his nose, the smile faded from Paul's face as he quietly replied, "Right..." He knew better than anyone he was still weak, but even with the revelation of his ability to absorb the essence of other people, he still needed time to grow.&nbsp;
Unamused by Paul's lackluster response, Kishirika planted a surprisingly heavy punch to his gut as she exclaimed, "Be more spirited! You'll never get stronger offering such a meek response! Be bold! Be assertive! Be a man...!"
With his left eye twitching slightly, Paul rubbed the pit of his stomach and replied, "People don't need to run around shouting to be considered bold and assertive. Just wait until you mature a bit, and I'll show you..."
"Hoooo~?"
Linking her thumbs through the elastic band of her black thong, Kishirika popped it like a rubber band against her skin as she teased, "You talk a big game for someone who had to relocate to another room just to shoot one out into a cup. Appearances aside, I'm more than twenty times your age in my present form. Chronologically, I'm closer to eight, maybe nine hundred times older than you. Acting shy because I look like a child is just senseless. What can you show me that I haven't seen?"
Resisting the urge to grab Kishirika's horns and shake her by the head, Paul's expression morphed into a flawless deadpan as he flatly replied, "It's a matter of principle..."
Leaving Paul no ground to stand on, Kishirika retorted, "Says the guy who knocked someone up shortly after his tenth birthday. You're unbelievably full of yourself at times; you know that?"
Without waiting for Paul's response, Kishirika stepped past him and made her way outside. She didn't particularly mind Paul behaving like a brat, but she couldn't forgive close-mindedness and double-standards. If Paul was going to continue making a big deal about her appearance, she was going to get really annoyed, really quickly.
Following Kishirika with his eyes, various thoughts crossed Paul's mind before he ultimately shook his head and muttered, "Whatever..." in a tired voice. This was far from the first, and he doubted it would be the last time someone pointed out the contradictions in his worldview. But what was he supposed to do? If he didn't have any inhibitions whatsoever, he wouldn't even be human anymore, much less a man...
Lines had to be drawn somewhere...
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Emerging from the shop not too long after Kishirika, Paul was surprised to find Ghislaine with a bruised right eye and Ganyu, now in her human form, checking on her.
Though it was pretty obvious what must have transpired, Paul's brows furrowed as he looked around for Kishirika and said, "It hasn't even been two minutes. What did I miss...?"
With a wry smile on her face, Jean explained, "Kishirika came outside and asked if Ghislaine wanted a Demon Eye. When Ghislaine answered in the affirmative, Kishirika then asked her to bend over-"
Shaking his head, Paul clarified, "What I meant to ask was, where is that little imp? Please don't tell me she ran off..."
With an even wrier smile on her face, Jean answered, "That appears to be the case. Before departing, she said she had something important to take care of before bounding onto the roof and fleeing to the East. Would you like us to give chase?"
Shaking his head, Paul said, "Forget it. If I had to guess, this is her way of 'protecting' us. She'll likely pop up of her own accord when it's convenient for her..."
Making his way over to Ghislaine, Paul couldn't help hissing when he saw how swollen her eye was. She didn't appear to be in any meaningful pain, but it looked like she had gone ten rounds with a south-paw Heavyweight Champion. More importantly, her iris was far from the vibrant green Paul had been anticipating...
Instead of immediately asking what kind of Demon Eye Ghislaine had received, Paul's expression softened as he asked, "Are you okay...?" in a genuinely concerned tone.
Nodding her head, Ghislaine calmly replied, "It surprised me at first, but it didn't hurt. Instead, it feels numb."
Adopting a faint smile, Paul softly remarked, "Well, that's good..." before reaching up to pat Ghislaine on the head. Her ears and tail twitched as he did so, but she made no attempts to stop him.
Retracting his hand, Paul asked, "Any idea what eye she gave you? As far as I'm aware, you should have had the Demon Eye of Magic Power lurking in your right eye. This is one I don't recognize..."
Chalking up Paul's remark to his apparent future sight, Ghislaine reached up to touch her glowing, crimson red-eye as she revealed, "She didn't tell me the name, only that it would save your life if I stayed near you."
"..."
Exhaling a sigh, Paul muttered, "Of course..." before shaking his head in exasperation, adopting a wry smile, and adding, "Looks like we have even more reasons to stick together."
Adopting a smile of her own, Ghislaine offered a curt, "Nn." as the tip of her cat-like tail swayed from side-to-side. The more she learned about Paul and his mysterious abilities, the more she felt it was her 'obligation' to protect him. She had even started to believe he was the 'Hero' that her people had been expecting for generations...
Though he was tempted to continue patting Ghislaine's head, Paul defied the urge as he looked toward the half-loaded carriage filled with clothes. He was a little annoyed that Kishirika had run off after they purchased so many things for her, but, considering this was the first time she had been 'free' in thousands of years, he couldn't really blame her.&nbsp;
Turning to Ganyu, Paul said, "Don't worry about Ghislaine. Based on what I remember, the bruising should fade on its own in a few hours. Let's head out."
Folding her hands over her lap, Ganyu bowed ever so slightly as she softly replied, "As you will." in her characteristically calm and composed voice. Then, in a flash of icy blue light, she reverted to her Qilin form and bounded over to the front of the carriage. Her transformation garnered a suitable amount of attention, but very few stuck around to gawk as Paul went about attaching Ganyu's harness, a duty that was his alone...
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After confirming that Paul and his Party weren't giving chase, Kishirika popped up from the monster burrow she had hidden in a few hundred meters outside the city, remarking, "At least he's sensible when it comes to things like this..."
While wiping away the dust from her freshly purchased clothes, a faint smile developed across Kishirika's face as she caught sight of the ring on her left ring finger. She usually didn't care about such trinkets, but the ring Paul had gifted her was an exception as it symbolized her newly acquired freedom and, to a lesser extent, their engagement.
Resisting the impulsive urge to bite the ring to test its hardness, Kishirika shifted her gaze to the East, her left eye swirling like a counter-clockwise vortex as a futuristic-looking castle appeared within her vision. Now that Paul had granted her a semblance of freedom, there was a possibility she would be able to enter her castle. It was a long shot, but it was necessary if she wanted to help Paul meet Betobe...
"Let's just hope that pain in the ass Guardian is willing to listen to me..."
Without further comment or so much as looking back in the direction of Paul and his Party, Kishirika broke off into a somewhat comical-looking run. Despite this, her speed was fast enough to leave a prominent trail of dirt behind her, as, even in her current form, she could sprint upwards of 120km/h without feeling even remotely tired. At that pace, she could run from Kurasuma to the Capital City of Rikarisu in just under fourteen hours, take care of her personal matters, and still catch up to Paul and his Party before they reached Fort Necross.
Unless something got in her way, there was no way Kishirika would miss witnessing Paul suffer a beating at Atofe's hands...
...
..
.
Far from the location of Kurasuma, quite literally on the opposite end of the world, a young man with long, windswept black hair and dark red eyes was standing stalwartly atop a hill located next to a small, isolated village near the heart of the Begarrit Continent.
Despite his youthful appearance, the man had been perched atop the hill for more than seventy years. He had received a prophecy long ago that a legendary creature known as a Behemoth would appear near the village, so, even though several generations of villagers had come and gone, the 'young' man waited patiently for the beast's arrival. Instead, a youthful-looking woman with dark hair, bronzed skin, and strange white markings covering her face and arms was about to interrupt his inordinately long wait with an entirely new prophecy...
...
..
.

Chapter 157: MI157: Fun and Games