Mushoku Impact

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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At the end of a massive hall lined with stone archways more than thirty meters tall, a circular dais supported a ten-meter tall statue of a beautiful woman with wild hair that ran to her ankles, goat-like horns, and a pair of bat-like wings.
Similar to the throne room of Fort Necross, the gallery-like hall housed large, stained glass panels depicting various scenes. However, unlike those found in Fort Necross, each panel depicted the same person, a woman with violet-purple hair whose appearance matched the statue at the end of the hall.
Disturbing the silent ambiance of the hall, a series of spheres resembling black holes burst into existence near the base of the statue. From within, a group of seven people was unceremoniously tossed out onto the thick red and gold carpet that ran the length of the hall.
"Oh, God..."
Feeling as though his insides had been reorganized, Paul placed his hand against the square base of the statue and bent over. As he did, Kishirika, appearing unaffected by the teleportation, exclaimed, "Don't you dare! At least go behind one of the columns...!"
As hilarious as it would be to see Paul throw up, Kishirika didn't want him vomiting on or around her statue. Fortunately, Ganyu immediately made her way to his side, icy blue light emanating from her palm as she gently caressed his back.
Feeling much better, Paul exhaled a sigh of relief before rising to his full height and smiling back at the always-reliable Adeptus.
"Thanks...I owe you one..."
Returning a smile of her own, Ganyu resisted the almost instinctual urge to say she was just doing her job. Paul 'owing' her generally meant they would be spending more time together, so she didn't mind allowing him to accrue a debt...
"Bleeeeeh~! Now isn't the time to be getting all lovey-dovey, fools. This place might be safe, but there are enemies just beyond those doors. Get your heads in the game...!"
Though he exhaled loudly through his nose, Paul ultimately nodded his head in response to Kishirika's words, replying, "Right." before directing his attention to Zhongli, Ei, Yae, and Sayu.
"Sayu will take point and scout ahead. Zhongli, I want you to focus on defense and keeping everyone safe. Ei, you're our trump card against powerful foes, so stick back and only take action if it looks like the rest of us can't handle it..."
Focusing his gaze on Yae, Paul briefly paused as he had never seen her in action. He knew she was a Catalyst-user, however, so he quickly regained his senses and said, "I'll be acting as the forward Vanguard. I want you to provide support alongside Ganyu."
Pulling out a bamboo fan from her sleeve, Yae popped it open to cover the lower half of her face as she remarked, "Oh, my...don't tell me you intend to take on all the enemies on your lonesome? Is it not our duty to protect you...?"
With his brows furrowed, Paul replied, "I am well aware of that...however, I can't just sit back and allow myself to be protected. I know it's the right thing to do, but what manner of man would I be if I spent my days hiding away and indulging myself?"
Unable to contain herself, Yae narrowed her eyes and playfully replied, "A wise and competent one~?"
Though she suspected her lifelong friend was just playing around, Ei's expression became serious as she muttered, "Yae..."
Snapping her fan shut, Yae revealed an alluring smile as she said, "Oh, come now. Our Master is well aware that I'm simply teasing him. Besides, I'm more than happy to sit back and enjoy the show. My hair gets all puffy and disobedient when I use my powers."
Inserting himself back into the conversation, Paul interrupted what Ei was about to say, stating, "It's okay, Ei. I'd rather be a courageous idiot than a competent coward."
Shifting his attention to Kishirika, Paul said, "You don't have to fight, but I expect you to give us accurate directions..."
Adopting a toothy grin, Kishirika gave a thumbs-up gesture and answered, "Just leave it to me. This chamber is part of the castle's inner sanctum, so my private quarters aren't too far away. From there, we can enter a secret passage that connects to one of the throne room's antechambers."
Furrowing his brows, Paul asked, "Weren't you able to reach your room during your previous visit? When's the fighting supposed to take place?"
Maintaining her smile, Kishirika replied, "Calm down, Mr. Courageous. As I told you before, there are Magic Armors and Anti-Magic Golems guarding the throne room. Once we take care of them, we'll be able to enter inside. However, that's only the first step. To regain control of the castle, we'll first need to activate six crystals, each protected by a powerful Guardian."
Voicing the thought in nearly everyone's minds, Paul asked, "Isn't that a little...convoluted?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kishirika replied, "I don't know; I find it rather novel. It prevents random and ambitious fools from taking over the castle and keeps invading Heroes occupied long enough for us to mobilize our forces and come up with a solution."
Though Kishirika's statement left him with more questions than answers, Paul shook his head and said, "Whatever...for now, let's just head to your room and get this party started."
Beating Yae to the punch, Kishirika covered her grinning mouth, narrowed her eyes, and replied, "Oh, my~" in a playfully seductive tone.
Rolling his eyes, Paul took the initiative to head towards the large double doors separating the gallery from the adjoining corridor. Sayu had already disappeared to God knows where, but he wasn't too concerned about her. She was technically still a child, but her stealth and infiltration skills were beyond comprehension. Back when they were playing hide-and-seek in the subsurface tunnels of the Strife Zone, she managed to remain hidden for three whole days, even when he eventually got worried and employed the assistance of the entire Service Corps...
After pushing open the massive, nearly 20cm wide stone doors, Paul and Party emerged into a corridor with a checkered, black and white floor. The ceiling was much lower than the gallery, but there was still around 10m of headroom, disregarding the areas with ornate black chandeliers emitting pale, ghostly blue light.
Though he didn't spot any enemies, Paul immediately became suspicious of the statues lining the interior side of the hall. However, upon activating his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision, he quickly confirmed they were ordinary statues. Well, as ordinary as statues of Kishirika posing could be...
Showing a complete lack of caution, Kishirika chimed, "Not bad, are they? I held a contest a few thousand years ago to see if anyone could capture my beauty in sculpture form. None were able to, but these were the ones that came the closest. If you look closely, you can even see the outline of my nipples on a few."
"..."
Instead of responding to Kishirika's words, Paul carefully observed both ends of the corridor before deactivating his X-Ray Vision and questioning, "Didn't you mention there were enemies waiting for us just beyond these doors?"
Raising her brows, Kishirika retorted, "What, did you think they would be lined up in a formation, spears at the ready? This is still within the inner sanctum. There are a few teleportation traps and anti-theft measures in place, but most of the enemies are waiting outside."
"..."
Though he didn't completely lower his guard, Paul released the vice-like grip he had on the hilt of his sword. Kishirika had told him that it would take a Party of A-Rank Adventurers to take on a single Magic Armor, so his tensions were high. He was confident he could fend off two or three, but there were purportedly hundreds roaming the castle's interior. Even with his tremendous stamina, he could still be overwhelmed if the enemy was well-coordinated.
Pointing toward the shorter end of the corridor, Kishirika said, "My room is in that direction. We'll take a right at the corner and continue walking until we reach a topless statue near the end of the hall. If you trace your finger around the left nipple in a counterclockwise motion, the wall behind it will open to reveal a hidden chamber containing a teleportation pad. We'll use that to reach the corridor connecting to my room."
Resisting the urge to smack his head, Paul took a steadying breath before walking in the direction Kishirika had indicated. There were no enemies on the way, so it wasn't long before they reached another life-sized statue of Kishirika performing a seductive pose in little more than a corset, panties, and stockings...
Seeing the lifeless expression on Paul's face as he stared up at her statue, Kishirika elbowed him in the ribs, a broad, teasing smile on her face as she asked, "Well, what are you waiting for? Get on up there and give 'em a good rub."
Instead of responding to Kishirika's words, Paul activated his Demon Eyes of X-Ray Vision to ascertain if there was actually a mechanism connected to the statue's nipple. Kishirika immediately clicked her tongue as he did, muttering, "Boring..." before pressing down on the statue's left pinky toe. As she did, a section of the wall next to the statue emitted a brilliant white before appearing to dissolve away completely.
"The door will remain dematerialized for twenty seconds. If it reappears while someone is crossing over the threshold, they're going to have a bad time."
Seizing the initiative, Kishrika stepped through the rectangular hole and into the circular chamber on the opposite side. Fortunately, just as Paul was about to suggest they wait for Sayu to arrive, the tanuki-garbed girl abruptly walked past him, entering the chamber and checking it for traps.
"..."
Amused by Paul's befuddled expression, Yae exhaled a soft chuckle as she linked her arm through his and teased, "Right this way, Master. Now's not the time to be getting distracted."
"Right..."
With Yae practically pulling him into the room, those waiting for Paul to enter had just enough time to do the same. Ei was the very last person to do so, and her braid nearly got snagged as the wall materialized at nearly the exact moment she crossed over.
Realizing that his focus was diminishing, Paul attempted to give himself a light smack, but Yae beat him to the punch, channeling a thread of Electro Energy into his body. It wasn't painful, but it was more than enough to get him back in the appropriate mental state as the pink-haired woman issued an amused chuckle and subsequently released his arm.
Though her brows briefly furrowed when she saw the interaction between Paul and Yae, Kishirika didn't comment on it. Instead, she motioned to the complex magic circle engraved into the foundation and revealed, "This was previously an emergency escape passage, so it only permits a single person to pass through at any given time. There's also a built-in delay, so we'll need to wait around five minutes between activations. If you attempt to activate it before then, it will send you someplace completely random."
Speaking for the first time in quite a while, Zhongli remarked, "That's quite the useful function. It gives the person attempting to escape a chance to relocate or sends their pursuers somewhere else entirely. Quite the useful function, indeed..."
As if she hadn't heard Zhongli speaking, Kishirika kept her focus on Paul as she added, "It doesn't matter, but I'll leave it to you to determine the order in which we pass through. There's another concealed chamber on the other side, so there isn't any real danger of an attack."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Paul shifted his attention to Zhongli and asked, "Mind going ahead? I would send Sayu, but I'd rather be safe than sorry..."
Placing her right hand over her heart, Zhongli offered a courteous bow as she replied, "As you will, Master Paul." before rising to her full height and stepping onto the teleportation pad without a moment of hesitation. The moment she stepped into the very center, a projection of the circle carved into the floor rose from the ground, seemingly erasing Zhongli's body as it rose just past the top of her head before promptly disappearing...
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"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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Chapter 169: MI169: Choosing a Party