Mushoku Impact

Unable to keep up with the combined assault of Jean and Eula, especially with Paul and the others nearby, Regas eventually took a knee and asked, "What is it you people hope to achieve by assaulting the fortress? Even if you're able to take it over, it will never recognize you as its master..."
Stepping forward under the watchful eye of Ei, Paul answered, "We're not here to take over and occupy the fortress. We just didn't feel like running away after your people attacked us."
Though he had already assumed as much, Regas narrowed his eyes in response to Paul's words, stating, "You must be Paul Greyrat..." in a cold, almost accusatory tone.
Noticing an excessive amount of hostility in the man's gaze, Paul frowned as he asked, "What's with the hate? I get that humanity probably fucked you over in the past, but those people died hundreds of years ago. While humans in the present aren't much better, hating people who have never wronged you is just stupid..."
In clear disapproval of Paul's words, Regas spat out a mixture of blood and saliva before stating, "Humans are a pox upon this world, a pestilence that will not cease until it has consumed everything..."&nbsp;
"..."
Closing his eyes, Paul resisted the urge to massage his forehead as he exhaled through his nose, shook his head, and asked, "And? What would you do? Unless humans abruptly ceased to exist, any efforts to cull them would result in the very destruction you abhor. Instead of bitching about broad and esoteric issues, you should be living life to the fullest or looking for non-destructive solutions. Hatred without focus is just bigotry..."
Opening his eyes, Paul stared directly into Regas's blood-red eyes as he stated, "No species is perfect. So long as there is even a remote disparity between the status, wealth, and power of individuals, there will always be conflict. My group is actively trying to oppose corruption and improve the relations between all races. You've had hundreds of years to do the same, but you've wasted your time resenting others rather than trying to rebuild your people and protect them...do you honestly believe you have any right to lecture others?"
With an expression that bordered on madness, Regas venomously replied, "You despicable human knave...you dare spew platitudes before me!? You have no idea what I-what my people have endured because of people like you...!"
Unable to contain his ire, Regas promptly sank into his shadow and darted toward Paul at an extreme, nearly imperceptible speed. Among humans, he hated so-called Heroes more than any other. More often than not, they were singularly responsible for the deaths of countless people, so, even if it cost him his life, Regas was willing to sacrifice everything to prevent the rise of another human Hero.
Unfortunately for Regas, Ei had been on full alert. Paul barely had time to tense his body, but Ei was able to manifest her sword and slice off both of Regas's arms the moment he emerged from her Master's shadow.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah...!"
Though he expected to receive an attack, Regas had never thought it would come before his own. Ei's speed was unlike anything he had ever experienced, and he had once fought against Almanfi and Clearnight, the Ancient Spirits that governed Light and Thunder.&nbsp;
Forced to his knees as a result of the pain and the Electro Energy coursing through his body, sweat covered much of Regas's brow and body as he glared up at Paul and stated, "Even if you fight against the corruption of this world...it's only a matter of time...before you become the very thing you swore to destroy. Humans are frail of heart and mind. Once you reach your breaking point...countless...people...will suffer..."
Succumbing to blood loss, Regas collapsed face-first into the ground. Drow Elves, similar to their forest-dwelling cousins, possessed a form of biological immortality that allowed them to endure for thousands of years so long as their core, a seed-like growth near the center of their brain, wasn't destroyed. They could be incapacitated, but they could even regenerate from apparent death so long as there was an abundance of Mana in their surroundings.
Staring down at the man, Paul found himself wondering whether or not it would be for the best to put the man out of his misery. Immortality was a curse if you simply lived from one moment to the next without direction or hope. Regas had clearly succumbed to his hatred of humanity, so even if he lived for another four centuries, he was more likely to get in the way of progress rather than support it...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Paul turned to Ei and said, "Thanks for the save." before turning to the rest of his group, forcing a smile, and adding, "We should hurry. I'm not sure how much time has passed, but I imagine Atofe will be on her way momentarily. If we're in the middle of our siege when she arrives, I doubt she'll just let matters lie."
Unaware of the peculiarities of Drow Elves, Xinyan took it upon herself to ask, "What about this guy? Are we just going to leave him here...?"
Nodding his head, Paul's expression softened ever so slightly as he said, "If a member of the Four Heavenly Kings could be done in by something as mundane as the loss of a limb, they wouldn't have survived the war. So long as we don't destroy his brain, he'll eventually make a full recovery. If you look closely, you'll notice he has already stopped bleeding."
Though she had been trying to avoid looking directly at Regas's injuries, Xinyan ultimately followed Paul's gaze. Doing so made her feel more than a little queasy, but she was able to confirm that Paul was telling the truth. In fact, despite only a few minutes passing, Regas's arms resembled the stumps of a recuperating amputee rather than someone who had just lost their limbs.
"Whoa..."
Nodding his head a second time, Paul explained, "According to the history I've read, Regas was defeated and slain no less than six times during the Laplace War. Despite that, he would invariably appear a few months later, fully recovered and ready to keep fighting. As a result, he was eventually given the moniker Regas, the Undead King."
Finished with the impromptu history lesson, Paul reiterated, "We should make our way to the throne room." before taking the initiative to lead the way...
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After fleeing to the opposite side of the keep, Bhathia took a few minutes to collect herself before locking on to her Mistress's energy signature and teleporting to her side. She found it suspicious that the enemy didn't even attempt to pursue her, but she ultimately didn't care. Her foremost priority was tracking down her Mistress and apprising her of the situation back at the fort.
Upon reaching her destination, Bhathia nearly crumpled to the ground when she set her sights on Atofe and Moore. It wasn't the first time she had seen her Mistress in such a diminutive form, but the storm overhead and the fact Moore was missing his dominant arm were tell-tale signs that she wasn't just playing around.
While Bhathia was staring at her in disbelief, Atofe craned her head to the side and asked, "Bhathia? What the heck happened to you...?"
Resisting the urge to repeat Atofe's question back at her, Bhathia took a knee, lowering her head as she replied, "Fort Necross is currently being assailed. We reacted as quickly as we could, but the enemy was able to eradicate our Elite Guard in an instant. I attempted to gather information from the sky, but they had a powerful Fire Mage on their side, potentially even an Emperor..."
Since Ei was clearly at the level of a God, Atofe didn't immediately dismiss Bhathia's claim. The latter had a habit of exaggerating things, especially if it was to cover her mistakes, but the injuries on her body lent credibility to her story. As a half-blooded descendant of the Infernal Demon Tribe, she was nearly impervious to ordinary flames and Fire Magic.
Contrasting Bhathia's expectations, though she admittedly should have expected it, Atofe's response to her report was to burst out laughing. She had initially thought that Paul and his Party had run away, so she couldn't help laughing at her oversight.
After restraining her laughter a bit, Atofe exclaimed, "How interesting! It's been hundreds of years since I encountered such an audacious man! This is going to be fun...!"
With bat-like wings manifesting from her armor, Atofe kicked off from the ground with enough force to leave a sizeable crater in her wake. Asking Bhathia to teleport her would have saved a lot of time, but she was too excited by the prospect of a second round to consider sticking around to discuss a plan of action.
Seeing their Mistress take off, leaving several sonic booms in her wake, Moore and Bhathia exhaled near-simultaneous sighs. They knew Atofe wasn't the type to listen to reason, so, without a word, they took a seat and decided to focus on recovering from their injuries. They wouldn't be of much help in their present conditions, so they would allow Atofe to run rampant for a few hours before arriving to clean up the mess she would invariably leave in her wake...
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After making their way through the entrance, a large banquet hall, and ascending a flight of stairs, Paul and Party eventually found themselves in a large, dimly lit chamber lined with stained glass murals and dominated by twelve pillars. Everything was made of the same black material as the rest of the castle, but a thick red carpet had been laid out in the center of the hall, leading to a black and gold throne that looked better suited to a giant than an ordinary person.
Instead of making his way over and sitting on the throne, Paul took a moment to inspect the stained-glass murals running from around waist height and extending nearly five meters to the ceiling. Each depicted a battle and, more often than not, a member of the Immortal Demon Tribe as the central character within the scene. The only exceptions were the three largets murals at the back of the hall, the centermost depicting a voluptuous woman with goat-like horns and violet purple hair, while the left and right showed two different men, the first possessing obsidian-black skin and two prominent horns while the latter showed a man with emerald-green hair and luminous golden eyes.
Raising his brows, Paul remarked, "I'm guessing the person in the center is Kishirika. That makes the person on her right Necross Lacross and the person on her left...Dragon God Laplace? If people genuinely cared about history, this place could become a world heritage site..."
Nodding her head in agreement, Jean commented, "This place reminds me of the interior of Mondstadt Cathedral. Let us hope that Demon Lord Atoferatofe doesn't immediately unleash one of her attacks. It would be a shame to see this place destroyed..."
"Hmmm..."
Walking over to the closest mural, Paul knocked against its surprisingly warm surface as he said, "Unless we attacked them directly, I don't think we have to worry about destroying them. There's no way simple stained glass could endure for thousands of years without fading, and I seriously doubt Atofe has hired anyone to maintain them. If I had to guess, these panels are the same as the rest of the fortress. Even if they're destroyed, they will slowly repair themselves over time..."
Retracting his hand, Paul turned back toward his group and added, "If she does attack, our priority will be subduing her. I imagine she'll be pretty pissed after getting slammed by lightning for half an hour, but she should eventually calm down if we explain the situation regarding her troops. She might be a muscle-brained idiot, but she's still the General of the Demon King's Army. Since we went out of our way to spare her troops, she'll have no choice but to compromise with us..."
Though he doubted things would go smoothly, Paul wanted to believe that Atofe could be reasoned with. In the original novel, she eventually became one of the foremost allies of the main cast. She even went out of her way to summon the other Demon Lords and coerce them into lending a hand, so she was inarguably one of the most powerful and influential allies they could have amongst the Demons.
She was also pretty hot...
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After racing back to Fort Necross like a blue meteor streaking across the sky, Atofe spontaneously arrested her momentum above the courtyard, a shockwave emanating from her petite frame as she scrutinized the scene below.
Though it looked as though a massive explosion had been set off, leaving bodies strewn all over the place, Atofe could sense that most, if not all of her men, were still alive.
Clicking her tongue, Atofe grumbled, "What a pain..." before plummeting to the ground and impacting next to Regas.&nbsp;
"How long do you intend to keep sleeping!?"
Without waiting for a response, Atofe kicked Regas with enough force to send him barreling across the courtyard and into the keep's outer wall. He immediately woke up but was unable to rise as Atofe made her way over to him and asked, "Which one of them did this to you? Was it that monster with the purple hair...?"
Though he nodded his head, Regas adopted a solemn expression as he admitted, "I was initially fighting against two women, one with gold and another with blue hair. I was unable to contend against their combined might, so I attempted to stall by questioning their leader, Paul Greyrat..."
Raising one of her brows, a curious smile developed across Atofe's face as she asked, "Oh? And what did he have to say...?"
Gritting his teeth, Regas didn't immediately respond to Atofe's words. He could still visibly recall the judgemental expression on Paul's face as the latter lectured him. It was slightly different, but it reminded him of the other human Heroes he had encountered in the past, self-righteous fools who believed their view of the world was the only one that mattered...
Instead of providing a detailed explanation, Regas ultimately answered, "He has the temperament of a Hero..." with a visibly disgusted expression marring his beaten and bloodied face.
Understanding what Regas meant, Atofe began laughing as she left the grim-faced Drow slumped against the keep's wall and made her way into the interior. She didn't need to ask to know that Paul and his Party were waiting for her, so, instead of charging in like she originally intended, she made her way to the larder to grab something to eat before taking her sweet time to reach the throne room...
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"Oh? You're just standing around? I half-expected you to make yourself comfortable by sitting on the throne. You're pretty cautious, huh...?"
Entering the throne room with a peculiar black apple in hand, Atofe took a loud, crunching bite as she looked around to see if anything was damaged or missing.&nbsp;
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Paul shook his head and said, "It's not my throne to sit upon. Besides, I have no desire to rule. I would rather be free to travel around and do as I please."
Shrugging her shoulders, Atofe took another bite out of her apple as she replied, "Fair enough." before chomping down the apple core and asking, "Now then, what do you want from me? You mentioned something about us welcoming you as guests within the fortress. So, what, you want to live here or something...?"
Expecting Atofe to attack the moment she arrived, Paul found himself at a momentary loss for words. However, as she was God-ranked in the North God Style, he made sure to keep his guard up as he answered, "You seem like a straightforward person, so I'll be honest with you. I desire strength, and I wish to make you my ally. I-"
Interrupting Paul's response, a high-pitched voice loudly appended, "He wants to have sex with you~!"
Following the outburst, a black sphere resembling a black hole appeared nearby before Kishirika, wearing a strange form-fitting bodysuit, emerged from within. It had a dark-purple base with sections of violet that nearly matched Kishirika's hair. It resembled an anime-style plugsuit, but it was missing the fabric for the legs, left Kishirika's back exposed, and proudly showed off her nearly non-existent cleavage.
Suppressing his other questions, Paul incredulously inquired, "Kishirika?Since when can you teleport?"
Crossing her arms, Kishirika puffed out her non-existent chest even further as she shamelessly replied, "I can't! At least, not under normal circumstances!"
Before Paul could ask his follow-up questions, Atofe tilted her head to the side and asked, "Kishirika? You're telling me this brat is the former Demon Empress...?"
Snorting through her nose, Kishirika asked, "Who the hell are you calling a brat!? We're older than you are...!"
In response to Kishirika's outburst, Atofe muttered, "It certainly sounds like her..." before redirecting her attention to Paul and asking, "What's this about wanting to have sex? Did you really come here for such a reason...?"
Instead of refuting Kishirika's claim, Paul made a so-so gesture with his right hand as he replied, "Yes and no. I have certainly considered it, but it isn't the main reason I came here. Like I-"
Interrupting Paul a second time, Kishirika stated, "Don't listen to him. This brat is still trying to form his resolve and figure things out. The only thing that matters, at least right this instant, is that he has the power to restore the Demon Continent to its former glory."
As she had yet to reconcile that Kishrika was who she purported to be, Atofe furrowed her brows, crossed her arms, and retorted, "Since when did you care about such things? You've barely done anything these past four thousand years, and now you're telling me some human brat has the power to solve our problems and restore our glory? It's a little late to start playing Empress again, don't you think...?"
Though she once respected Kishirika more than any other, Atofe had lost faith in the former's ability to lead their people. Besides, while the Demon Continent wasn't exactly prosperous, their society had become a lot more 'honest.' There were still a few corrupt individuals roaming about, but their limited resources and functional isolation had led to most Demons simply living their lives to the fullest.
Instead of refuting Atofe's words, Kishirika exaggeratedly shrugged her shoulders and said, "Time marches on, and circumstances change. With this brat's unreasonable ability, we once again have a chance to make our shared dream a reality. Don't tell me you've forgotten even that...?"
Missing the implication in Kishirika's words, Atofe hung her head and exhaled a tired sigh as she muttered, "You have no right to question my convictions...even when you and Badi abandoned our people and started doing whatever you wanted, I never stopped fulfilling the duty entrusted to me by my father. No one desires prosperity for Demonkind more than I do..."
Raising her head, Atofe opened her eyes before narrowing them as she added, "It's for that reason I've allowed our society to crumble as far as it has. When Demons prosper too much, some among us grow increasingly ambitious. At the same time, humanity begins to feel threatened..."
Looking down at her left hand, Atofe balled it into a fist as she went on to explain, "After marrying a human myself, I've come to realize that the only way humans and demons can coexist indefinitely is by not interfering with one another. Not even the unification of a Demon Lord and a human Hero was able to make a lasting difference. Instead, the nations we helped to rebuild have become the central breeding grounds for resentment against our kind. We conceded nearly everything we had obtained during the war in the hopes of laying the foundation for a lasting peace, but humanity has already forgotten that..."
After exhaling a sigh of her own, Kishirika asked, "What did you expect? Even if they possess incredible magic power, humans can only live for a hundred years or so at the maximum. Even amongst Demons, children have a habit of rebelling against their parents, so why would subsequent generations care about the promises of their forebears...?"
Shaking her head, Kishirika didn't wait for Atofe to respond, stating, "As leaders of Demonkind, we have an obligation to at least try and improve the conditions of our homeland and its people. You said it yourself; there isn't a single person who desires prosperity for Demonkind more than you do. This boy shares our dream, the same dream your father dedicated his life to achieving. To that it, it doesn't matter if we fail. The important thing is that we never stop trying."
Not expecting such a serious response from Kishirika, Paul, his Party, and even Atofe were left completely dumbfounded. Kishirika usually gave off an aura as if she didn't care about anything, not even the preservation of her own life. Hearing her speak such idealistic words was like hearing a gruff, middle-aged man opening his mouth to sing in a perfect soprano...
Recovering from her stupor, Atofe reached up to massage her forehead and the base of her horn as she remarked, "For someone who has spent the last four thousand years playing around, you sure know how to talk..."
Dropping her hand from her forehead, Atofe shifted her gaze back to Paul, asking, "How did you get this lazy imp to stop pissing about? What makes you so special...?"
Answering in Paul's stead, Kishirika glossed over the detailed explanation by plainly stating, "He grows more powerful by having sex. Not only that, the girls you see around him are like those annoying spirits summoned by your favorite Armored Dragon. He might appear weak at a glance, but his Mana capacity is nearly a third the size of Laplace's."
Though her brow twitched at the mention of Perugius, Atofe's expression morphed into one of disbelief when Kishirika mentioned Paul's aggregate Mana. After all, the only other beings with a Mana capacity even close to Laplace were True Dragons and Primordial Spirits.
Directing a slightly mortified gaze at Paul, Atofe asked, "Just who the hell are you...?"
As Paula adopted a wry smile, Kishirika once again interjected to answer, "He is our benefactor, the man that will allow Demonkind to thrive without attempting to rule over us. What else matters?"
Instead of pressing the matter further, Atofe shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Fair point." before reaching up to release the clasp of her gorget, the piece of armor that protected her neck.
Realizing where things were headed, Paul's smile became even wrier as he said, "There's no need to rush things. We should see to your men and discuss-"
While continuing to remove her armor, Atofe stared directly at Paul as she interjected, declaring, "We're either doing this now or not at all. I'm still a little annoyed due to the 'baptism' that purple-haired monster gave me, so if you're serious about receiving my support, you're gonna help me relieve some stress."
Pulling off her breastplate, Atofe revealed two modest yet perky mounds. Her nipples were a darker shade of blue than the rest of her body, but the thing Paul was immediately drawn to was the massive scar running across her abdomen.
Unperturbed by Paul's gaze, Atofe traced her finger over her scar as she said, "Powerful enough Holy Magic functions a lot like a curse, especially against members of the Immortal Demon Race. This wound was given to me by that stuck-up brat that went on to establish the Milis Religion. She 'really' didn't know how to take a joke."
Unsurprised to hear that Atofe had clashed against such a legendary figure, Paul responded with a curt, "Sounds about right..." before shifting his attention to Ei, Jean, Eula, Xinyan, and Venti to ask, "What do you girls want to do?"
Interpreting Paul's words as an invitation, Venti raised her hand high and replied, "I'm joining in~!" without hesitation. Before the other could reply, however, Atofe inserted herself back into the conversation, saying, "As if. By the time I'm done with him, he won't even be able to walk, much less go at it with others. Instead of getting in the way, you all should look for a place to stay. There are rooms on the fourth and fifth floors."
Punctuating her words, Atofe allowed her tassets to clatter to the ground with a loud metallic sound. The only thing she was wearing underneath was a pair of simple black panties, so, even without removing the rest of her armor, she was ready and raring to go...
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Expecting a massive fortress that rivaled the Silver Palace in size, Paul was surprised to find that Fort Necross, once home to the legendary Five Elements Demon King, was a relatively small castle town, smaller than the private estates of most Asuran Nobles.
Surveying the fortress from a distance, Paul noted that it was separated into five sections by thick ramparts that ascended towards a glistening black keep like a set of stairs.&nbsp;
The first three sections of the fortress were an ordinary-looking castle town, the buildings resembling roughshod abodes, while the second and third had markedly more ornate structures, presumably belonging to soldiers and members of Atofe's Elite Guard. As for the remaining two, the fourth section resembled a parade/training ground, while the final section housed a rather imposing black keep, its surface smooth and polished like an eerie black gemstone or some sort of futuristic metal.
While the rest of the fortress, including its ramparts, appeared relatively ordinary, the keep looked like something straight out of science fiction. It was clearly a castle, complete with battlements and several towers, but it also resembled a series of black, predominately windowless skyscrapers that had been merged like a crystal cluster. Stranger still, the keep showed no signs of wear, tear, or even uncleanliness despite existing for thousands of years and enduring countless sieges.
Providing some insight into the fortress's rumored impregnability, Ganyu telepathically informed, ("There are Mana pathways permeating much of the fortress's structure, similar to a living organism. There is a possibility it can defend itself autonomously.")
Lending further credibility to Ganyu's claim, Venti playfully mused, "That would explain why most of the guards are just lazing about. They're all sleeping, drinking, brawling, or playing dice. I can't sense a single person tending their post seriously."
Since she was the only one that could see clearly from several kilometers away, Venti was providing tidbits of information as Ganyu flew around at a safe distance above and away from Fort Necross. The latter was outfitted with a total of 127 anti-wyvern ballistae, a countermeasure against the local Black Drake population, so approaching within eight hundred meters was exceptionally dangerous.
Unsurprised by Venti's remark, Paul nodded and replied, "That sound's about right. Most of Atofe's Elite Guard are hundreds of years old, and their strength is rumored to be around the threshold for a Saint. It would honestly be stranger if they were super alert."
Furrowing her brows, Jean asked, "Are you sure about this, Paul? If that rumor is accurate, we could quickly find ourselves overwhelmed. Saints shouldn't be looked down upon."
Nodding her head in agreement, Eula appended, "At the very least, you should consider staying back with Lilia, Ghislaine, and Ganyu. If we die, it's no big deal; you can always resummon us. If you die..."
Understanding what Eula was trying to say, a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he resisted the urge to sigh. He knew how foolish it was to assume people would act and behave a certain way based on his previous life's experiences, but he refused to live the life of a coward. He probably wouldn't be the one to defeat Hitogami, but he would be damned if he just sat back and observed the fight from a safe distance...
"Relax. Unless we go out of our way to slaughter her men, I can't imagine Atofe going out of her way to try and kill me. If she refuses to back down after we seize her throne room, we'll flee the Demon Continent and return at a later date. Worst-case scenario, I'll end up in a tower or a prison cell until Ganyu returns with reinforcements and you girls regain your strength in the IOF."
Unconvinced by Paul's words, Xinyan voiced the concern shared by most of the girls present, her expression revealing her deep concern as she asked, "And what if she decides to follow through on her previous threat? I don't want you to have to experience something like that..."
Closing his eyes, Paul exhaled through his nose before opening them to stare directly at Xinyan as he said, "If she follows through on her threat, I will endure and seek revenge. Others have experienced much worse and survived, so I'll eventually bounce back. After that, she only has herself to blame for what happens..."
Before Xinyan could respond, Paul cast his steely, green-eyed gaze over the rest of his companions and added, "You all entrusted yourself to me when you joined the IOF. To that end, I am prepared to endure as much as necessary to ensure you never have to suffer. If you're worried about my mental wellness, never compromise with the enemy or put yourself in a situation where I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I would rather hate someone for doing something to me than lament being unable to protect the people I care about...never, ever forget that."
Finished with what he had to say, Paul promptly turned away to deter any responses and conceal his awkwardness. Unfortunately, Venti didn't care about his attempts to play off his embarrassment and try to act cool. The moment he turned around, she pounced on him from behind, her massive breasts pressing into his back as she hugged him tightly and mused, "My hero~" before playfully biting the lobe of his ear...
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After learning from Aldrich that Moore had been defeated in an instant, Bhathia and Regas, the remaining Heavenly Kings, were feeling nervous for the first time in centuries. They believed in their Mistress's strength, but Moore was comparable to a seasoned Northern Emperor due to his mastery of various weapons and his ability to shorten the incantations of Advanced and even Saint-Ranked Magic Spells to just a handful of words or phrases.
As not even their Mistress could defeat Moore as quickly as Aldrich had attested, Bhathia couldn't help remarking, "That slimy bastard has to be lying..." while biting the nail of her right thumb.
Responding to the red-skinned woman, Regas, an androgynous man with ashen-purple skin, silvery hair, red eyes, and long, pointed ears, replied, "It matters not. We will remain here and watch over the fortress until our Master's inevitable return."
Though he wasn't a Demon like the majority of Atofe's guards, Regas, one of the few surviving Drow Elves, had near-absolute trust in the abilities of his Mistress. He had witnessed her facing off against Perugius and his allies more than a dozen times during the war, so, while he didn't doubt the veracity of Aldrich's report, he believed that Atofe would, at the very least, return alive.
Shifting her glowing red eyes to her colleague, Bhathia snorted when she witnessed Regas polishing one of his curved, scimitar-like blades. He only ever did as much when he was feeling nervous, so a teasing sneer marred her face as she said, "With our Mistress and Moore away, it's up to you to repel anyone who dares attack the keep. It must be frightening, not being able to hide in the back with your little bow and arrows."
Narrowing his eyes, Regas venomously replied, "I understand you're afraid, but how do either of us benefit from you inciting a quarrel while our Mistress is enthralled with the enemy? Unless, of course, you have betrayed us...?"
With her eyes releasing an intense, fiery-red light, Bhathia levitated from the ground, staring down at Regas as she growled, "You long-eared sack of refuse. You dare to accuse me of treason!?"
Unsheathing a pair of forearm-length daggers that doubled as magical wands, Bhathia was seriously considering teleporting Regas to the center of a Black Drake nest when the sound of an explosion promptly drew their attention. Immediately after that, the sound of an alarm bell echoed from outside as the keep's walls began to glisten with purple and green light, a tell-tale sign the fortress's defenses had been activated.
Unable to conceal the panic in her gaze, Bhathia exclaimed, "The enemy is here!? What about Lady Atofe...!?"
Ignoring his colleague's outburst, Regas unsheathed his second curved sword before sinking into his shadow and racing towards the keep's singular entrance at extreme speeds. There were other ways in and out of the keep, but they involved trespassing a room that suppressed Magic or sneaking in through an underground labyrinth. Neither would result in the soldiers sounding the alarm, so Regas assumed the enemy was attacking from the front.
Seeing Regas 'run' off, Bhathia furrowed her brows and clicked her tongue before crossing her daggers over her chest and teleporting outside, high in the sky and away from any conflict. The fortress would have no way of resupplying quickly without her power, so Moore had ordered her to avoid fighting unless she was certain of her victory.
Upon reaching her destination, the pupils of Bhathia's eyes contracted to the size of pinholes when she saw the state of the courtyard preceding the keep. It hadn't even been a full minute since the explosion that drew their attention, but nearly every member of their Elite Guard had been defeated, their 'corpses' littered about the courtyard or slumped down atop the ramparts they were charged with protecting.
Before Bhathia could fully grasp the situation, a sword-shaped flame more than three meters across and triple that in length barreled toward her with the speed and intensity of a living drake. She managed to slice through it with relative ease, but there were an additional sixteen blades right behind it.
"Impos-"
Unable to finish her utterance, Bhathia's body was promptly enveloped by the rapid-fire Magic spells. Flame Slice was only an Intermediate-Ranked Fire Magic, but it was still a three-verse Spell. Even with Truncated Spell-Casting or Chanting Omission, it wasn't a Spell conventional Mages could cast multiple of. Even if they could, they would utterly exhaust their Mana, leaving themselves exposed and vulnerable.
Unleashing a surge of magical power, Bhathia broke free from the sphere of flames that had formed around her, shouting as she prepared to make her opponent pay for their indiscretion. Instead, goosebumps developed across her body as she emerged to find a laser-like beam of bluish-white flames obstructing her view like a pillar.
Reacting instantly, Bhathia created several layers of Intermediate-Ranked Barrier Magic between herself and the beam of light. They were ultimately unable to stop the beam's passage, but they bought her just enough time to dodge to the side.
Not recognizing the Spell, Bhathia exclaimed, "What the fuck was that!?" as she continued to take evasive action. There were no additional attacks, but she didn't feel safe despite being hundreds of meters in the sky.
Seeing her target flee to the opposite side of the keep, out of her line of sight, Xinyan clicked her tongue and muttered, "I missed..." in an audibly annoyed tone. She didn't know how powerful the woman in the sky was, but she wanted to contribute to the conquest of the fortress rather than leaving everything to Ei, Jean, and Eula.
Having heard Xinyan's remark, a wry smile developed across Paul's face as he said, "I don't know about that. Considering how fast she took off, I think you did a good job. After all, if your attack had landed, you may have inadvertently killed her..."
With Paul following his words by caressing her head, a faint blush colored Xinyan's cheeks as she lowered her head and stared at him with upturned eyes. She knew using melded Plasma Magic was a little overkill, but she never had the opportunity to use it as it was too dangerous to use indoors or anywhere near the ground. After all, even the coldest Plasma she was able to generate was around 10,000 degrees, more than enough to ignite wooden structures or set the surrounding grass and trees on fire.
Interrupting Xinyan's presumed apology, Paul moved his hand from her head to her cheek, gently caressing it as Jean and Eula bullied Regas in the background...
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Chapter 161: MI161: Roots