Mushoku Impact

"You can be pretty spoiled at times..."
"Mooou....you don't have to say it out loud..."
Suppressing a faint chuckle, Paul ran his fingers through Diona's hair and scratched near the base of her cat-like ears. She was currently curled up on his lap after a brief but intense session of lovemaking. He was initially supposed to move on to Lynette's room after they had wrapped things up, but Diona was reluctant to let him leave.
Fortunately for Diona, Paul had always been weak against girls who were more adorable than mature. He preferred older, big-breasted women, but he often felt like he was trying to live up to the expectations they had for him. With girls like Diona, however, he felt like they didn't care about how powerful or capable he was...they just wanted to be close and spend time with him...
"Ah..."
With Paul running his hand along the length of her body, stopping to cup her butt, Diona glanced at him with an almost pleading expression on her face.
Unable to restrain himself, an affectionate smile developed across Paul's face as he began to massage Diona's butt, asking, "Can you be any more adorable?"
Though she would prefer to be called sexy, Diona responded to Paul's words by drawing up and curling her hands like paws. Then, instead of answering with words, she cocked her head to the side and emitted a questioning, "Nya~?"
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After hesitating for several minutes, Paul raised his hand and knocked on Lynette's door. He was hours late, but, as someone who was more active at night than during the day, he was pretty sure that Lynette was still wide awake...
Instead of emanating from in front of him, Paul's body tensed as a calm, almost icy cold voice emerged from behind him, stating, "You're late..." in a flat, accusatory tone.
Turning slowly, Paul was unsurprised to find Lynette standing behind him, her amethyst-purple eyes appearing to glow in the dimly lit corridor. Her expression was a flawless deadpan, reminiscent of a Noh mask, but Paul could tell she was angry based on how rigid her tail was.
Before Paul could even think to apologize, Lynette interrupted him to say, "I'm not angry. I know you regress into a complete idiot when interacting with certain women. I'm just a little jealous, that's all..."
Though he was tempted to point out that jealousy wasn't far from anger, Paul wisely restrained himself. Instead, he adopted an apologetic smile as he extended his left hand toward Lynette and said, "Allow me to fix that..."
Staring at Paul's outstretched hand, Lynette didn't immediately accept it. She wanted to, but her nature made it difficult to forgive him outright...if she allowed him to get away with such slights, she felt that her value as both an assassin and a woman would gradually diminish...
Catching Paul by surprise, Lynette looked up at him and said, "I want to sit on your face." with a no-nonsense expression on her face. The former was more than a little confused, but he eventually managed an awkward, "Okay...?" before asking, "Should I lay on the ground, or...?"
Shaking her head, a hint of color began to permeate Lynette's cheeks as she instructed, "Get on your knees and keep your hands at your sides..."
Smiling wryly, Paul did as he was instructed. He could tell that Lynette was attempting to 'punish' him, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't interested to see where things were headed. With women like Ningguang, Lisa, and Yae among the girls he had summoned through the Intersection of Fate, he wasn't unaccustomed to such interactions...
Seeing how quickly Paul complied with her demands, Lynette couldn't help feeling as though she was about to give him a reward rather than a punishment. She was the type of person that would always follow through on her decisions, however, so she immediately turned around and raised her short, two-tiered skirt to reveal her perfectly sculpted bottom. It was a little dark, but thanks to his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision providing him the ability to see even in areas without natural lighting, Paul could make out everything from the texture of Lynette's translucent black hose to the seam of her pure white panties.
Captivated by the tantalizing sight before him, Paul was caught off guard when Lynette made good on her promise by smothering him with her butt. She would ordinarily not allow his face anywhere near her bottom, arguing that it was dirty, but she had apparently gotten over her anxieties during their time apart...either that or she believed that shoving something 'dirty' in his face was a suitable punishment...
Resisting the urge to bring up his hands and bury his face even deeper into Lynette's palpably warm and moist panties, Paul flexed his hands open and closed as he waited until the ashen-haired cat girl was satisfied. Once she was finished, it was his turn to startle her by scooping her up in his arms and kicking open the door to her room. Her pupils contracted to the size of pinholes, but she made no effort to resist him as he carried her over to her bed, laid her down, and eyed her with an expression that was equal parts admiration and hunger...
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Though it was nearing two in the morning, Paul was still wide awake and full of energy as he made his way to his final destination for the night, the temporary abode of Sucrose.
*tok* *tok* *tok*
Despite how late, or, in this instance, early it was, Paul only had to wait about three seconds before the door cracked open to reveal a demure-looking woman with mint-green hair and amber, almost honey-colored eyes.
After confirming it was Paul knocking on her door, Sucrose exhaled a sigh of relief. She wasn't good at dealing with new people and environments, so she had been on tenterhooks since her departure from the Strife Zone.
Stepping the room, Paul became aware of how tense Sucrose was as he wrapped his arms around her slender, slightly trembling frame. The keep was insulated against the chilly outside air, but her propensity for wearing thin, form-fitting outfits had caused a chill to set in her body.
As his smile faded into an apologetic look, Paul asked, "Please don't tell me you've been waiting next to the door this whole time...even if you had trouble sleeping, you could have waited under the covers..."
Lowering her head, Sucrose appeared even smaller than usual as she brought up her hands, bent forward slightly, and retracted her shoulders. Her instinct was to apologize, but before she could, Paul held her firmly and whispered, "You did absolutely nothing wrong..."
Though her face immediately became cherry red, a faint smile blossomed across Sucrose's face as she nestled against Paul's chest. She had been a little worried that their time apart had led to Paul forgetting her. She knew the odds of such a thing happening were negligible, but she couldn't help worrying. After all, regardless of how often Paul assured her that she was cute and charming, she still wore thick-rimmed glasses, possessed dog-like ears, and a disproportionately bottom-heavy physique...
"Ah..."
After several minutes of just standing near the entrance of the room, Paul lowered his left hand to caress Sucrose's supremely soft and springy butt. She often complained that all the nutrients she consumed went straight to her butt and thighs, compelling her to diet a lot more than she should. In reality, the only reason her butt appeared larger than average was due to her inordinately slender frame and a fairly modest bust.
"You lost weight again..."
"..."
Understanding that Paul's words weren't a compliment, Sucrose's ears flattened as she hung her head in shame. There were several reasons for her weight loss, but she couldn't bring herself to say that the main reason was their separation a few months prior. She was the opposite of a stress eater, so she had all but lost her appetite following his departure...
Suspecting that he was at least partially responsible, Paul strengthened his hold on Sucrose's body and whispered, "It doesn't matter. Now that together again, I'll just have to feed and pamper you directly..."
Picturing the scene of Paul feeding her, Sucrose covered her reddened face and issued an adorable, almost mewling groan. Ever since the time Paul had eagerly asked if he could touch her head and ears, she had been unable to say no to him. It was embarrassing to admit, but she was pretty sure she had fallen in love with him from the moment they first made eye contact...
Though her response was ultimately unnecessary, Sucrose looked up at Paul, a faint smile developing across her face as she replied, "Okay..." in a meek tone of voice. When Paul returned a smile of his own, she could feel her heart racing within her chest, its pulsations so powerful she could feel the blood pumping through her veins as she closed her eyes and parted her lips in anticipation of a kiss.
Unable to resist such a captivating sight, Paul lowered his head to seal Sucrose's lips. At the same time, he moved his right hand to cup the petite Alchemist's remaining cheek. Her body briefly tensed in response, but she offered no resistance as he massaged, squeezed, and kneaded her butt at his leisure. Instead, as the temperature of her body steadily increased, Sucrose took the initiative to hop up, her legs locking around his waist as their kiss quickly transitioned to a passionate, almost animalistic session of lovemaking...
When her switch was flipped, Sucrose was inarguably one of the more 'aggressive' girls in Paul's entourage...
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Making good on his promise, Paul ignored Kishirika's attempts to get him to afford her the same treatment as he fed forkfuls of food into Sucrose's mouth. Her face was beet red, and she could hardly contain the twitching of her ears, but she would unfailingly open her mouth and say, "A-Ahhh-" whenever he brought food to her lips.
Clicking her tongue, Kishirika looked around at the bevy of beautiful women seated around the rectangular table and asked, "Are you all going to sit there and remain silent? This is a clear example of favoritism...!"
Though it would ordinarily fall to Jean to speak on the group's behalf, the presence of Zhongli overrode the group's usual dynamic. In response to Kishirika's question, the amber-eyed Archon adopted a professional smile and said, "Only our Master can decide when, where, and who receives his affection. You're free to petition additional attention. Just know there are a substantial number of people who will oppose you trying to monopolize him..."
Furrowing her brows, Kishirika decided to no longer beat around the bush, stating, "I really don't like you." in a matter-of-factly tone.
Instead of taking offense to Kishirika's words, Zhongli covered her lips and emitted a throaty giggle. At this point, she was accustomed to being hated by people who either feared, resented, or felt unnerved by her. She had endeavored to open up and behave in a more down-to-earth manner, but her jokes often fell flat, and she found it difficult to remain interested in what other people were saying.&nbsp;
Concluding her laughter, Zhongli narrowed her eyes and mused, "That's a shame. Given our comparable ages, I was looking forward to being able to exchange wisdom and stories with Your Imperial Majesty..."
Clicking her tongue a second time, Kishirika glared back at Zhongli and said, "Stop calling me that. Even if it's correct, hearing you say it doesn't sound right. Just call me Kishirika from now on...!"
Maintaining her usual smile, Zhongli lowered her head slightly and replied, "As you will, Lady Kishirika."
Feeling a twitch in her left eye, Kishirika decided to ignore Zhongli, her expression turning serious as she stared directly at Paul. However, before she could say anything, he calmly remarked, "We'll head out around noon. For now, open your mouth and say, Aaaah~"
Though she was briefly taken aback by Paul's actions, a triumphant smile developed across Kishirika's face before she abruptly opened her mouth like a bear trap. Her appearance had changed significantly over the past few months, but she still had a maw full of shark-like teeth and an almost cartoonish ability to distort her facial expressions...
Even with a figure comparable to a Succubus, Kishirika was still Kishirika...
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As the teleportation mechanism Kishirika used to traverse between her castle, Fort Necross, and three other locations required something akin to biometric data, Paul and Party had no choice but to travel to the Capital City of Rikarisu directly. It was more than 1300kms away, but, thanks to Ganyu and Venti, it only took around two and a half hours to reach their destination, a colossal, 8km wide crater surrounding a futuristic-looking black castle that was elevated hundreds of meters above the actual city.
Though most people were forced to travel through one of three gates, all of which were massive cracks in the rim of the crater, Kishirika had given Ganyu her 'permission' to fly over the natural barrier. At first, Paul thought this was just Kishirika pretending to be magnanimous, but the reality was quite a bit different.
With the intention of making good on her promise to share her wisdom, Kishirika eagerly explained, "A few thousand years ago, the First King of Man, a man you may know as Ars Anemoi Asura, launched an attack on my castle from high in the sky. His attack devastated the surroundings and formed the crater you see before you. To prevent similar attacks, we installed several countermeasures, chief among them being a network of magical lasers that can take down even drakes. Did you ever wonder why there were so many holes in the surrounding crater...?"
Shaking his head, Paul reminded, "This is my first time visiting the Capital. I've read about it, but objective information about the Demon Continent and its history is difficult to come by. There's a reason the King of Asura sent me to conduct a survey."
Narrowing her eyes, Kishirika adopted an increasingly alluring smile as she mused, "Oh, yeah...I almost forgot you were a spy..."
Seeing Paul's face scrunch up, Kishirika covered her mouth to stifle an impish snicker before quickly changing the subject, stating, "Have your little Qilin friend land atop one of the towers. It doesn't matter which as Fayde will be able to teleport us to the Main Hall once we summon her."
Though Ganyu could hear the conversations on her back, Paul dutifully repeated Kishirika's words. There was no genuine hostility between the two, but Ganyu didn't like taking orders from people she didn't respect or admire. She would obey Kishirika if ordered to do so, but she wouldn't be happy about it...
As if she had been waiting for them to appear, a fairly demonic-looking woman appeared a few meters away from the spot Ganyu touched down. The skin of her chest, abdomen, and inner thighs was a pale, bluish-white that resembled the underside of a snake, while her arms, legs, and much of her back were covered in obsidian-black scales that reflected a purple hue. She had black hair that faded into a luminous blue near the tips, ears even longer than an Elf's, and blue eyes set with red, slit-like pupils. A set of four glowing blue horns protruded from her scalp, much like a crown, while a smaller yet equally luminous horn parted her bangs at the center of her forehead. Crystal-like protrusions released a similar light above and below her breasts, but, as striking as her apparent nudity was, a person's eyes would invariably be drawn to her draconic wings, the tail protruding from her lower back, and the fierce, glowing blue talons at the ends of her fingers...
Elbowing Paul in the ribs, Kishirika adopted her characteristically shark-toothed grin as she asked, "What do you think? If you ask nicely, I might let you bed her."
Answering before Paul could even roll his eyes, the demonic-looking woman adopted a venomous glower as she said, "I heard that...don't go thinking I'll obey your every command just because you're on the verge of regaining your authority. My contract is to protect the castle, not entertain its guests."
Though her words were directed at Kishirika, the demonic beauty, known to only a select few Fayde the Twilight, stared into Paul's eyes with a hint of confusion in her otherwise icy gaze. Very, very few people were aware of it, but she was actually the daughter of Almanfi the Bright and Adrienne the Dark. She had inherited her father's ability to ascertain the nature and identity of a person by observing their 'soul,' but Paul was unlike anything she had ever seen...
Interrupting Fayde's thoughts, Kishirika leaned close to Paul, her hand pointlessly covering the lower half of her face as she loudly whispered, "I think she likes you..."
Clicking her tongue, Fayde crossed her arms in a defiant posture as she said, "If you're going to keep messing around, I'm going to return to my slumber. Even doing absolutely nothing is more productive than listening to you prattle on like a fool."
Though she was tempted to let Fayde depart only to order her to return, Kishirika ultimately shrugged her shoulders and said, "Fine, fine, no need to be such a curmudgeon. Once you teleport us to the Main Hall, you can go about your business."
Snorting through her nose, Fayde responded with a faint, "Whatever..." before casting her gaze over the members of Paul's Party and stating, "It seems your memory has finally begun to fail you. In accordance with the Ancient Covenant, I can only allow seven people to enter and attempt the castle's trials. Including you, there are nine people present..."
Dismissively waving her hand, Kishirika said, "Some of them are only here to explore after the fact. For now, you can teleport me, this man here, the two big-breasted monsters, these two wannabe exorcists, and the horny goat woman."
Realizing she was among the group being excluded, alongside Yae, Sayu adopted a concerned expression and said, "It's probably for the best if I enter with the main group. I'm skilled at avoiding detection, mapping, and locating traps."
Catching Kishirika a little off guard, Paul adopted a wry smile, nodded his head, and added, "If anyone should remain outside, it's probably me. As much as I've improved these past three months, I still have a long way to go before I can consider myself powerful. I'll wait here..."
Though some might misinterpret Paul's words as cowardice, everyone present could tell he really wanted to enter the castle. It hadn't received a classification from the Guild, but the interior of Kishirika's palace could be considered an S-Rank Dungeon due to the complexity of its structure and the strength of its automated defenses. He had been yearning for a chance to test his skills in live combat, so it took a considerable amount of restraint for him to just sit back and leave everything to the girls from the IOF...
Fortunately for Paul, Kishirika trusted him a lot more than the 'Spirits' in his employ. There was no way she was going to enter her castle alongside monsters such as Zhongli and Ei without some form of assurance, so she immediately made a cross shape with her arms and said, "Bzzzt! Rejected! You're coming along, and that's final!"
Understanding that Paul really wanted to enter the castle, Yunyun came to Kishirika's aid, calmly suggesting, "Lady Ganyu and my Great Aunt are far more skilled at exorcising spirits than me. I can remain here alongside Lady Yae while you join everyone in exploring the castle's interior..."
Though she had no interest in exploring Kishirika's castle, Yae narrowed her eyes and mused, "You're pretty bold to nominate me without asking for my thoughts on the matter."
Feeling goosebumps develop across her body, Yunyun could be seen visibly sweating as she positioned her aunt, Shenhe, between herself and Yae. She wasn't good at dealing with 'devilish' women such as Yae, so she was already beginning to regret her decision to stay behind with the pink-haired vixen...
Catching Yae a little off guard, Shenhe gave her a fairly icy glare as she said, "I'll remain behind with Yunyun. You should accompany our Master and look after your Mistress..."
Sensing genuine hostility exuding from Shenhe, Yae blinked in surprise and muttered a faint, "Oh my..." She knew about Shenhe's murderous split personality, but this was the first time she had experienced being on the receiving end of the silver-haired woman's bloodlust.
Stepping between the two beauties, Paul adopted his characteristically wry smile and said, "Let's leave it at that. Shenhe and Yunyun will remain here while the rest of us enter the castle. Better yet, why don't the two of you go and explore the city while we're away? Here, this should be more than enough money to tide you over..."
Since Shenhe lacked common sense due to her prolonged isolation, Paul handed Yunyun a pouch filled with nearly three hundred Green Ore Coins. It was a paltry amount if converted to Asuran currency, but it was a small fortune in a place like Rikarisu.
Accepting the rather sizeable pouch, Yunyun adopted a rare smile as she said, "Thanks..." in a faint, almost bashful tone. Presumably realizing this, she quickly cleared her throat, adopted a serious expression, and added, "Good luck. If you encounter anything dangerous, please prioritize your safety over everything else."
Adopting a smile of his own, Paul was about to thank Yunyun for her concern when Fayde chimed in to pointedly inquire, "Just how long do you fools intend to keep me waiting? If you don't make up your mind soon, I'm disbarring you from entering the castle for at least a month."
Though she couldn't stop Kishirika from entering whenever she wanted, Fayde could prevent 'outsiders' from challenging the castle's trials. The Ancient Covenant only required her to permit Heroes and their respective Parties to enter, so if Paul's group continued to annoy her, she could send them away until they earned the qualifications to return.
As she was also beginning to feel a little antsy, Kishirika followed Fayde's threat by saying, "The horny, wannabe dragon spirit is right. I'd like to be able to sit on my throne and inspect what remains of my treasury, so let's get a move on."
Annoyed by Kishirika's words, Fayde barred her row of razor-sharp, pearly white teeth. If not for the contract she had made to spite her parents, she would never put up with Kishirika's antics.
Fearing that Fayde would make good on her promise to deny them entry, Paul promptly covered Kishirika's mouth from behind, his left eye visibly twitching as he said, "Please teleport us inside. We've already made our preparations."
Seeing Kishirika struggle in Paul's embrace, an amused smile developed across Fayde's face as she replied, "Very well. Just know that once you enter, the only way to leave is by completing the trials within. I'm not sure what this fool promised to procure your aid, but there'll be no turning back once she reclaims her throne..."
Maintaining his smile, Paul left Fayde at a momentary loss for words as he expressed, "I appreciate your concern, but I promised I would help her. If I turned back now, I would be leaving one of the most important pieces of myself behind...my dignity..."
Recovering almost immediately, Fayde raised her right hand and bit down on the sharpened tip of her right pinky. She had suspected that Paul was a Hero candidate, but hearing him speak all but confirmed it. Since Spirits were obligated to aid Heroes, Fayde would be lying if she said Paul hadn't piqued her interest...
"Very well, then...you have clearly formed your resolve, so I have nothing more to say. I wish you and your allies the best of luck..."
Without waiting for Paul's response, Fayde removed her finger from her mouth and tapped on empty air. As she did, what appeared to be a blue holographic display appeared. Unfortunately, Paul could only get a brief glimpse of it before his stomach felt as though it was being twisted and pulled in multiple directions...
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"It's a pleasure to see you again, Master Paul. I trust your stay in the Demon Continent has been fruitful?"
Though he adopted a faint smile, Paul didn't immediately respond to the buxom brunette that had just descended from Ganyu's back. Instead, he looked to see who else had tagged along, his smile becoming noticeably more sincere when he spotted a familiar, mint-haired girl with glasses.
Unbothered by Paul's apparent apathy, Zhongli maintained a professional smile as she explained, "Kusanali was unable to make it. She has been on an important assignment these past few months, so I brought along a few of your favorite people as consolation."
Since it was an opportunity for them to spend time with Paul, Zhongli had brought along Sucrose, Diona, and Lynette. Ningguang was a little worried about Paul's mental health, so she had dispatched the animalistic trio as a form of therapy. Alongside them were Yae, Shenhe, Yunyun, and Sayu, the former to check on Ei and the rest to assist in the exploration of Kishirika's castle.
As the girls descended from Ganyu's back, Kishirika couldn't help pointing out, "You really know how to pick 'em, huh? Too bad the soldiers manning the fortress are going to resent you even more once they realize there are even more beautiful women they can't lay their hands on."
With Kishirika's words serving as a reminder of her presence, Paul's smile turned slightly awry as he gestured toward her and said, "This is Kishirika Kishirisu, the former and soon to be modern Great Demon Empress. She's also my fiancee..."
Though she rolled her eyes due to Paul's lackluster introduction, Kishirika managed one of her characteristically toothy grins as she said, "That's right! I'm your Master's fiancee, so be sure to treat me with the respect I deserve~!"
Catching Kishirika a little off guard, Zhongli immediately offered a low and respectful bow as she said, "It is an honor to be of service to Her Imperial Majesty. Though my broader responsibilities will make it difficult for me to serve you to the utmost of my abilities, please do not hesitate to call upon me during our time together."
Feeling as though she had just walked face-first into a wall, Kishirika's face scrunched up slightly before she instinctually placed Paul between herself and Zhongli. She enjoyed being recognized and revered, but the impression Zhongli gave off was like an adult politely tolerating the whims of a child. It made her indescribably uncomfortable...
Whispering so that only Paul could hear her, Kishrika muttered, "We need to have a long talk about the nature and personality of the Spirits serving you. I don't like getting caught off guard..."
With Zhongli raising her head, Paul adopted a somewhat amused smile as he replied, "I'll keep that in mind." before punctuating his statement with a wink. In response, Zhongli covered her mouth as if to stifle a chuckle, but their interplay was interrupted by Atofe abruptly stating, "You didn't tell me so many people would be arriving. Fort Necross isn't a vacation home, you know?"
Though she knew why Paul had called in reinforcements, Atofe couldn't help feeling agitated. She was charged with the protection of the Demon Continent, and while Paul and his companions were technically allies, she wasn't comfortable letting them do as they pleased. It would be one thing if Paul chose to remain in the Demon Continent, but she knew it was only a matter of time before he returned 'home' and permitted Kishirika to run rampant...
Instead of responding to Atofe's words, Paul gestured toward her and said, "Allow me to introduce Atoferatofe Raibaku, the Immortal Demon King and the most powerful Demon Lord in existence."
As she had always been weak to compliments, Atofe regained her usual smile as she crossed her arms and puffed out her voluminous chest with pride. She knew there was a good chance that some of Paul's allies were more skilled than her, but not even Badi could compete with her in terms of raw power.
With the intention of eliminating the remainder of Atofe's apprehensions, Paul extended his left hand toward Diona. The latter was a little surprised but offered no resistance as he pulled her to stand in front of him, placed his hands on her shoulders, and said, "And this is Diona K&auml;tzlein. She's the one that's been mixing all those drinks you've been raving about."
As Atofe's pupils suddenly dilated, Diona felt goosebumps develop across her body as she involuntarily trembled. She was accustomed to tolerating the ravenous stares of drunkards addicted to her cocktails, but the auras of Atofe and Kishirika were unlike anything she had experienced.
Though she usually tried to present herself as a mature and somewhat fierce woman, Diona unexpectedly turned around and buried her face into the fabric of Paul's tunic. He was a little taken aback by her unanticipated reaction but responded by quickly enveloping her in his arms, adopting a serious expression, and stating, "She's mine. Don't even think about trying to order her around or demanding she prepares drinks for you..."
Hearing Paul mention she belonged to him, much of the fear Diona was experiencing vanished into thin air, her tail curling into an s-shape as she squeezed his body and nuzzled against his diaphragm.
Feeling the gazes of several women lock onto him, cracks appeared in the mask of severity Paul was wearing. Fortunately, he didn't have to give an impromptu speech about how nearly everyone present was an important, irreplaceable facet of his life.
Narrowing her eyes, Atofe maintained her cross-armed posture as she mused, "There it is. I was starting to worry that you had given up being a Hero. It's good to see you haven't completely lost your convictions."
Though Paul had never made excuses or attempted to skip out on his training, it was evident to everyone that it had been wearing him down both mentally and physically. Atofe wasn't particularly concerned about him, but his increasing indifference was one of the reasons Kishirika felt compelled to recapture her castle sooner. If Paul simply 'gave up' after a particularly challenging day, she would have sacrificed her anal virginity for nothing...
Exhaling a faint yet relieved sigh, Kishirika gave Paul's group a quick once over before looking to Atofe and assuring, "You don't have to worry. Even if we reclaim my castle, it will be some time before I announce my return to the throne. The Demon Continent isn't prepared for such an event, so I intend to remain low-key for a while longer."
Shrugging her shoulders, Atofe lied through her teeth, stating, "I honestly don't care. Even if you did announce your return, no one would be foolish enough to follow or support you. I only listened to you this far because of my father's final request and because our resident Hero decided to spare my men in his assault. If you weren't leeching off of them like a parasite, I would have locked you in the dungeon or kicked you out months ago..."
Though it was only for a brief moment, Kishirika's expression revealed a hint of pain as she winced in response to Atofe's harsh words. There were a few instances over the past few months where she tried to rekindle her relationship with the blue-skinned Demoness, but she had been shunned on every occasion. She did her best not to let it bother her, but it was still painful to hear her former best friend regard her as a little more than trash to be tossed aside...
Forcing a shark-toothed grin, Kishirika retorted, "Well, you're in luck. Once we reclaim my castle, you'll no longer have to worry about me. I'll just-"
Before Kishirika could say something she would regret, Paul surprised her by placing his hand on her shoulder. The brief contact made him aware of just how tense the violet-haired Demoness was, but he pretended not to notice as he gave her an assuring smile before stepping in front of her and staring into Atofe's glowing red eyes.
Eliciting mixed responses from the group of girls in his surroundings, Paul said, "When I first arrived here, you were prepared to go as far as bearing my child to ensure peace between human and demonkind. I understand-"
As she had always hated speeches, Atofe interrupted Paul with an audibly annoyed groan before stating, "Just tell me what you want. In the Demon Continent, we respect the strong. As chicken-shit as you might be, you're surrounded by monsters that could run rampant throughout the continent. So long as you aren't too unreasonable, I'll abide by your demands."
"..."
Though Atofe's response left him at a momentary loss for words, Paul wasn't too surprised by them. The Aristocracy of the Demon Continent was a lot more pragmatic than their counterparts in Kingdoms such as Asura. Where humans would remain obstinant and talk about things like birthright and other insensible notions, as if their rule over others was ordained by fate, most Demon Lords only cared about whether or not you were stronger than them.&nbsp;
After closing his eyes and running his fingers through his hair in a self-calming gesture, Paul met Atofe's carmine gaze and declared, "Once I'm strong enough to defeat you in single combat, I intend to make you mine. After that, I'll have you work alongside Kishirika as her sister-wife until my final breath...I expect the two of you to get along..."
Unable to contain herself, Atofe burst out laughing. She did not doubt that Paul would one day surpass her, but he had already made it apparent that he had no desire to rule. In other words, he intended to defeat her for the sole purpose of smoothing things over between her and Kishirika.
Though she didn't burst out laughing like her silvery-haired contemporary, Kishirika's smile became wry as she looked up at Paul and said, "You're an idiot..." in a soft, audibly moved tone. Everything would have worked out so long as Paul kept enabling her, but she still appreciated him speaking out and confronting Atofe on her behalf.&nbsp;
Suppressing her laughter after nearly a full minute, Atofe wiped away a tear from her eye before smiling broadly and replying, "Very well! If you manage to defeat me one day, I'll not only marry you, but I'll put up with this violet-haired fool for as long as the Demon Empire endures!"
As her penultimate goal was ensuring the prosperity of Demonkind, Atofe had no problem at least pretending to get along with Kishirika. She would prefer it if Paul installed himself as the next Emperor, but she understood why he wouldn't want to. After all, before the emergence of Laplace, both the moderate and progressive factions had been pushing to nominate her as Empress, something she had vehemently opposed.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Paul was about to suggest they relocate to the Lord's Hall, the location within the Keep where feasts and banquets were held. However, before the words could reach his lips, Diona tugged on the fabric of his tunic, forcing him to turn around and make eye contact with the visibly annoyed cat girl.
Getting straight to the point, Diona asked, "Why are you making promises to marry other women when there are several others still waiting for your proposal? Weren't you trying to avoid political marriages!?"
Not sure what else to say, a befuddle, "Uh..." emanated from Paul's throat as conflicting thoughts invaded his mind. He knew that girls like Barbara were pretty serious about marrying him. It made sense that others were just as serious, but he had done his best to avoid such discussions since the annulment of his engagement to Ningguang...
Fortunately for Paul, he was far from alone in the courtyard. The moment she realized Diona might throw a tantrum, Yae took it upon herself to step forward and muse, "Come now, Diona. You know our Master cares for you very dearly. We'll discuss this matter in greater detail once we get settled in, okay~?"
Realizing she had nearly caused a scene, Diona's ears lay flat against the top of her head as she nodded and suppressed a few sniffles. It had only been a short while since Paul's departure from the Strife Zone, but nary a &nbsp;day went by where she didn't think about him excessively. It was selfish of her, but now that they were together again, she wanted him to focus on her, not make promises to other girls...
...
..
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Chapter 168: MI168: Intimacy