Mushoku Impact

Demonstrating its versatility and ability to change shape, the plating of Kishirika's armor opened up like an Iron Man suit to allow her to back into it. Then, accompanied by a series of metallic clicking sounds, the plates closed sequentially before hissing as they contracted to fit snugly around Kishirika's body.
Looking more like a proper knight than the seductive Demoness Paul had come to know, Kishirika struck a pose, arms akimbo and chest puffed out as she asked, "What do you think? If it were black, I'd look like a proper Demon King, wouldn't I?"
Nodding his head in approval, Paul replied, "It's pretty badass, not gonna lie. However, didn't you mention you were unable to power it...?"
Though she returned a nod of her own, Kishirika shrugged her shoulders and stated, "That was more than three months ago. Thanks to your oh so reluctant 'contr,' my mana has expanded by leaps and bounds. I won't be able to do anything flashy, but moving around isn't an issue."
Following her words, the plating covering Kishirika's face retracted to reveal an alluring, shark-toothed smile. She could feel her mana draining steadily, but the power afforded to her by the Golden Armor made her feel invincible. She knew that wasn't the case, but it had been millennia since she possessed even a fraction of her current power.
Fortunately for Kishirika, she was able to suppress the sudden urge to pit herself against Paul and his Party. Instead, she half-turned to reveal that the armor didn't just leave her back, sides, and parts of thighs exposed; it also framed her bubbly butt.
While staring directly at Paul, Kishirika gave her left cheek a firm smack as she asked, "How about it? Once we get out of here, wanna give it a go in my armor? I'm curious to see if I can convert the mana you provide into a power source."
Adopting a wry smile, Paul replied, "Sure, why not? So long as you don't ask me to top you off in the middle of a Dungeon, I don't mind giving you a hand. It wouldn't be the first time one of my women asked me to help in their experiments..."
Hearing Paul refer to her as 'his woman,' Kishirika's eyes briefly narrowed. She didn't particularly mind it, but due to the difference in age and status, she believed the opposite to be true. That would change if he decided to help rule over the Demon Continent, but his current course had him set to become her Consort. While she intended to work alongside him as equals, most people were bound to regard him as her concubine or sex slave...
With Kishirika just staring at him, Paul elected to change topics, asking, "So, where's this secret passage? I'm starting to feel antsy at the lack of enemies."
Amused by Paul's thirst for battle, Kishirika exhaled a hearty laugh before pointing toward a dress rack containing numerous gowns as she said, "It's behind there. Push open the clothes, and you'll find a circular hatch. Open it up, and you'll find a chute that leads down to the anteroom I mentioned previously."
Doing as Kishirika instructed, Paul spread open the assortment of gowns to find the hatch in question. Upon opening it, he found a meter and a half wide, completely black tunnel that appeared to lead down into the abyss. More surprisingly, there was a constant flow of water present...
"Is this a fucking water slide...?"
"What? Don't tell me you're afraid to get a little wet...?"
Pushing past Paul, Kishirika grabbed the two handles near the top of the opening before plunging down the slide and shouting, "Last one down is a Goblin's loincloth! Bwahahahaha~!"
As the violet-haired Demoness disappeared into the abyssal darkness, her laughter echoing up the chute, Paul turned towards his companions and said, "I'm starting to think this place is more of a theme park than an actual castle..."
Nodding her head, Yae noted, "It certainly matches the former owner's tastes. Unfortunately, mine and Ei's garments aren't exactly designed to get wet. How troublesome..."
In an effort to alleviate Yae's concerns, Ganyu mentioned, "I can help dry your clothes once we reach the bottom. With our Master's assistance, I've been able to master most of the Lifestyle Magic Spells."
Regaining her usual smile, Yae squinted her eyes in satisfaction as she playfully remarked, "My, aren't you just the sweetest thing? We should spend more time together after all of this is over."
Returning a smile of her own, Ganyu replied, "I'd like that." before turning her attention to Paul and Sayu. The two of them were staring down the eerie black waterslide with pensive looks, neither particularly fond of the idea of sliding down.
Exhaling a sigh, Paul began to remove his sword belt and harness. They would only get in the way as he slid down, so he entrusted them to Ganyu before turning to the group and deciding, "We'll go down in groups of two. Zhongli, I'll have you go down with Sayu. Ganyu and I follow shortly after, leaving Ei and Yae to bring up the rear. Any questions?"
With no one asking anything, Paul nodded his head in approval before turning to Zhongli and Sayu, saying, "Good luck."
Returning a slight bow, Zhongli replied, "Leave it to us." before picking up the still trepidatious Sayu and disappearing into the slide's abyssal black maw. A faint scream could be heard as the duo descended, but it quickly disappeared amid the sound of rushing water.
After placing his hand into one of the grooves above the hatch's entrance, Paul turned to Ganyu and questioned, "Are you going down in your human form? It might be easier to shrink down into your miniature Qilin form."
Though she had been secretly looking forward to Paul embracing her as they slid down together, Ganyu didn't particularly mind transforming into her Qilin form. Either way, she got to be held by her Master as the two of them descended into the abyss together.
Holding the house-sized cat in his left arm, Paul counted to thirty before taking a steadying breath and hurling himself into the water slide's mouth. He actually loved going to waterparks in his previous life, but there was a pretty big difference between sliding down a regulation water slide made of plastic and descending into a metal chute without any visible lighting...
After a tense minute and a half, Paul and Ganyu emerged from the slide's exit with enough speed to skid across the surface of a large, surprisingly warm pool. It took Paul a moment to get his bearings, but once he did, he popped up out of the water to find himself in what appeared to be a large bath.
"It's about time you showed up. How was it? Pretty fun, right...?"
Turning toward the voice, Paul found Kishirika relaxing at the side of the bath without her armor on, giving the impression her purple bodysuit was a one-piece swimsuit.&nbsp;
While moving out of the path he expected the others to soon follow, Paul replied, "It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Still, did you seriously install a waterslide from your closet to your bath...?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kishirika replied, "It beats having to walk down a bunch of stairs and passing through dozens of hallways. Besides, when you've lived as long as I have, it becomes important to find ways to spice things up. Routine leads to monotony, and immortality invariably leads to stagnation."
Finding herself agreeing with Kishirika's statement, Zhongli shifted her gaze from the former's armor and remarked, "Those are some wise words, Lady Kishirika. Many humans believe immortality to be a blessing. Those who manage to obtain it quickly find that it's a curse."
Rolling her eyes, Kishirika pointedly retorted, "It doesn't make me happy having someone like you agreeing with me..."
Unbothered by Kishirika's remark, Zhongli directed her gaze at Paul and Ganyu, explaining, "According to Lady Kishirika, this place is relatively safe. I sent Sayu to scout ahead, so feel free to relax and make your final preparations. There are some fairly powerful enemies nearby, so it would be good to warm up and stretch before we-"
Interrupting Zhongli's explanation, a remarkably girly scream preempted Ei emerging from the waterslide and crashing into the bath with explosive force. She had somehow gotten turned upside down in the tunnel, so she hit the water at an awkward angle that sent the fox-like Yae flying through the air and into Paul's arms.
Though Yae had revealed her fox form to him in the past, this was the first time Paul was seeing her in her 'kit' form. The last time she showed off her fox form, she was taller than the average human and resembled a regional Ninetales from Pokemon. Now, she looked like a tiny pink fox kit with pale pink fur on her underbelly, floppy ears, and a five-petaled sakura pattern on her forehead...
"I knew you could revert to original form..."
Rolling her amethyst-purple eyes, Yae flatly retorted, "Don't get used to it..." before promptly reverting to her human form and adding, "Besides, don't you prefer me like this~?"&nbsp;
While she didn't mind being doted on, Yae preferred to be the one teasing others. Thus, following her question, she gave Paul a mischievous lick on the lips before retracting her face and adopting an alluring smile.
Adopting a narrow-eyed smile, Paul replied, "You're not wrong..." before allowing Yae to stand on her own two feet. He had been supporting her by the pits of her arms when she transformed, so her feet had been dangling a few centimeters from the bottom of the bath.
Though she would have preferred if Paul princess carried her to the edge of the tub, Yae knew he was probably worried about Ei. The latter had yet to resurface after crashing into the water, so Paul promptly dove beneath the surface to retrieve her. Archons could breathe underwater and even survive in a vacuum, but Paul would feel guilty if he just left her floating at the bottom of the tub...
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Though she would have preferred to sneak off and find a place to sleep, Sayu did her best to stay focused as she skulked through the castle like a silent phantom.&nbsp;
Despite their ability to detect mana and life signatures, none of the Magic Armors or Golems reacted to Sayu as she snuck past them and took stock of their numbers. Sayu didn't fully understand how it worked, but she had always possessed the innate ability to go unnoticed even amidst crowds of people or herds of animals. Said ability had allowed her to become the most talented member of the Shuumatsuban in nearly a hundred years, so few were better suited to infiltration and scouting than she was.
"Hmmm...?"
Reaching a large hall, presumably a ballroom or some kind of foyer, Sayu stopped in place and took a moment to survey her surroundings. There were no enemies in sight, but her instincts were practically screaming at her to retrace her steps and run away.
Never one to doubt her instincts, Sayu performed a hand seal that caused two identical copies of herself, Bunshins, to appear out of thin air. At that exact moment, tendrils resembling black bolts of lightning stabbed at the area where she had been standing, piercing the floor despite being made of the same material as the castle walls.
Though she was able to evade the surprise attack, the hair on Sayu's neck stood on end as she clung upside down to the roof and caught sight of her attacker. She was immediately reminded of the armor that Kishirika had changed into. However, instead of being comprised of a shiny, almost luminous gold, the material was inky black and writhed about like a colony of eels...
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"You have way too much hair..."
Though he was pretty used to helping girls like Ei brush their hair, Paul struggled with Kishirika's. Her violet-purple hair extended past her butt and flared outward wider than her shoulders, even in her loli form. Now that she had matured, her wild yet silky locks had grown to the backs of her ankles, almost like she was walking around in a violet-purple mantle.
"You're the one who offered to lend a hand. Stop complaining about every little thing."
As it had been quite some time since someone helped to brush her hair, literally hundreds of years, Kishirika was enjoying Paul's care more than she would ever admit. She half-expected him to be inexperienced or give up halfway through, but, despite his words, he remained calm and patient as he focused on brushing individual clumps of her hair.
Suppressing a sigh, Paul consoled himself with the reminder that Kishirika wasn't simply a beautiful and alluring demoness; she was also his fiancee. The circumstances that led to their engagement were beyond bizarre, but he still wanted to try and make her happy. After all, no one deserved to be 'alone' for thousands of years...
Sensing the subtle changes in Paul's aura, Kishirika tilted her head back and stared up at him with an inquisitive look on her face. She didn't know what he was thinking, but his expression and eyes gave her a reasonable idea of what it might be.
Squinting her eyes in amusement, Kishirika playfully inquired, "What, did you finally fall in love with me~?"
Catching the mischievous Demoness off guard, Paul maintained a calm and casual demeanor as he replied, "Something like that..." in a soft yet resonating tone.
"..."
Though she was unaccustomed to sincerity, Kishirika only blanked for a moment before adopting an alluring smile and stating, "Once you defeat Badi, I'm going to rock your world..."
Without waiting for Paul's response, Kishirika abruptly bounced to her feet and exclaimed, "You, the deep-throated woman with the tremendous tits! Shouldn't your friend have returned by now? My throne room isn't that far from here."
Finding Kishirika's descriptive form of address fairly novel, Zhongli issued a deep, throaty chuckle before adopting a marginally more serious expression and replying, "Lady Kishirika is correct. Though I'm reasonably confident in Sayu's ability to escape unharmed, she should have returned by now. We can either wait until nightfall or proceed under the assumption something has transpired."
Exhibiting a greater sense of urgency than his Chief Maid and Advisor, Paul jumped to his feet and shouted, "We're moving!" in a commanding tone. He also believed in Sayu's abilities to avoid detection and escape from harm, but there was no way in hell he was going to sit around and wait to confirm her fate. If she were still alive and merely captured, that would be condemning her to hours of suffering just to be 'safe.'
Since everyone was waiting for Paul to give the order to deploy, it didn't even take a full minute before the group had vacated the bath. The only delays were Kishirika getting into her armor and Paul reequipping his belt and breastplate, aided by Ganyu.
Stepping into the adjoining corridor, the pupils of Paul's eyes contracted as the hairs on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end. The bath had privacy and anti-magic barriers to prevent people from spying on the occupants, but it also hampered the senses of whoever was inside. Thus, the moment everyone stepped out into the corridor, the ambiance of the castle changed to that of a battlefield.
Increasing Paul's tensions even further, what appeared to be an ancient suit of armor came charging at them with the intensity of a bullet train. It was around 2.5m tall and comprised of a strange, bluish-black metal that expelled ghostly flames from the slats in its visor and joints. If that wasn't intimidating enough, it wielded a spiked tower shield in its left hand and a massive, 1.8m long broadsword in its right.
Though he had read the ecological reports on free-roaming Magic Armor, Paul was still taken aback by the tremendous bloodlust emanating from the mindless sentry. It was like an enemy straight out of Dark Souls, only several tens of times faster.
Fortunately for Paul, his years of training didn't fail him. The moment he sensed the Magic Armor's bloodlust, his expression became as calm and serene as the surface of a lake on a windless night. The Magic Armor was a fearsome foe for Intermediate and Advanced-Ranked swordsmen, but it was no threat to a prepared Saint.
Demonstrating that his training wasn't for naught, Paul spun around the Magic Armor's thrust, avoiding the side with the tower shield. In the same motion, the edge of his blade gleamed white under the influence of Touki as he cut through the automaton's waist. Its armor was a lot tougher than he expected, but it wasn't beyond his capabilities to cut through.
Since it took a lot more than physical attacks to take down a Magic Armor for good, Paul followed his disabling strike by shouting, "Ganyu...!"&nbsp;
Well aware of her responsibility, Ganyu performed a series of hand seals that caused a trigram-like Magic Circle to manifest beneath the downed automaton. Magic Armors, despite possessing physical forms, fell into the classification of Ghosts and Apparitions. Their true form was the ghostly blue flames that filled the interior of the armor, so unless you completely obliterated them with Magic, the only way to take them out permanently was to exorcise them.
As it took a few seconds for them to pull themselves together, the Magic Armor felled by Paul was defenseless as Ganyu's self-created Purification Magic took effect. All it could do was expel an ear-piercing shriek as the flames filling its insides transitioned from blue to a luminous shade of gold that ultimately dissolved away into nothingness.
Voicing the thought that had just entered everyone's minds, Kishirika said, "I suggest you ready yourselves. That shriek it released at the end wasn't just a death wail."
As they could already feel the vibrations through their feet and hear the distant sound of metal scraping against stone, Paul and Party didn't need Kishirika to inform them that reinforcements were on the way. It didn't even take a full ten seconds before another shield-wielding Magic Armor slid around the corner at the end of the corridor, followed closely by a pair wielding a halberd and a flail.
Though a trio of Magic Armos were dangerous in and of themselves, it was the four-armed feminine automaton following behind them that drew Paul's vigilance. Unlike the Magic Armors, which were comprised of the same bluish-black metal, the feminine automaton appeared to be formed almost entirely of Adamantine-treated steel. The only exception was the glowing blue stones forming its eyes and ornamenting various parts of its body, including its artificial nipples...
"You've got to be fucking kidding me..."
As ridiculous as the automaton's design was, it was the fact it could use Magic that left Paul feeling irritated. The glowing blue stones ornamenting its body were High-Quality Magic Stones. He initially assumed they were just a power source, but the reality was made clear when the automaton turned its body to the side, raised its right hand, and began to condense spears of ice around itself.
Determining that Paul wouldn't be able to take on the trio of Magic Armors while simultaneously evading the attacks of an Anti-Magic Golem capable of casting Chantless Magic, Zhongli promptly flung her spear like a bolt of geo-infused lighting, impaling the feminine automaton in the chest.
Though it would ordinarily take more than a single piercing blow to take out a sufficiently advanced golem, Zhongli doubled down by allowing the Geo Energy in her spear to erupt outward. The feminine automaton might be immune to Spells below the Advanced Rank, but it had absolutely no resistance to pillars of Geo Energy erupting from its insides.
Deciding to save his questions for later, Paul charged toward the trio of Magic Armors with a look of intense focus. It was known that groups of Magic Armors shared senses, so they were exponentially harder to deal with the more there were. The moment Paul side-stepped the tank-like Magic Armor at the front, the javelin-wielding one behind it attempted to skewer him. He managed to slip under the lethal thrust and slice through its weapon, but he was forced to jump and twist his body as the previous Magic Armor turned to try and cut him from behind.
As his heart beat rapidly, adrenaline coursing through his veins, Paul had the distinct impression the world around him was beginning to slow. The moment he landed back on the ground, his sword became a blur as three distinct trails of light cut through the bodies of the closest Magic Armors. The third attempted to strike him with its flail, but he precisely stabbed at the center of the spiked steel ball, shattering it into fragments that failed to pierce the layer of Touki covering his body.
Carried forward by the momentum of his thrust, Paul appeared to glide for a brief moment before twisting mid-motion to perform a sweeping strike through the body of the final Magic Armor. When he eventually came to a stop, he was breathing heavily, not because he was fatigued, but because of the sudden and intense rush of adrenaline.
Remembering his training, Paul took a series of deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. Unfortunately, his enemies weren't going to wait for him to collect himself. Before Ganyu could finish exercising the group on the ground, another Magic Armor showed up, this one standing more than 3m tall and wielding a massive battleax.
Unbeknownst to Paul, the center of his pupils briefly flashed purple as he charged toward the hulking automaton with a smile on his face. He didn't consider himself a battle junkie, but he had been craving a chance to test his skills in active combat. Now that he had one, he felt like he could take on an entire army.
Instead of attempting to evade the massive ax trying to bisect him from head to crotch, the corners of Paul's smile curled upward as he swept his sword in an arcing motion over his head, altering the trajectory of the ax to slip past him and get stuck in the ground. At the same time, he thrust forward with his empty left hand, manifesting his Black Blade just in time to stab through the Magic Armor's visor, exploding it to piece with a well-timed Critical.
With his breathing even more labored than before, Paul made the wise decision to retreat before any additional enemies showed up. As he did, an Electro-purple fox flew over his head, its speed nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye as it pierced through the body of yet another Magic Armor.
Seeing Yae standing with a Catalyst that resembled a purple surrounding an ornate golden gong with lavender tassels dangling from the sides, the smile on Paul's face became even more prominent. He knew Yae had to be fairly powerful as Ei's former companion and ally, but this was his first time seeing her in action. Being able to materialize familiars that moved at lightning speeds was just broken.
Deciding to save his praise until after they captured the castle, Paul came to a stop next to Kishirika and said, "I believe you have some explaining to do."
As Paul still had an excited smile on his face, Kishirika wasn't too nervous as she replied, "What do you want me to say? Laplace clearly made some modifications to the castle's automated defenses. It doesn't change what we came here to do."
Rolling his eyes, Paul decided to momentarily drop the matter as he took a knee and focused on controlling his breathing. Ganyu helped by placing her palm and his back and channeling Healing Magic into his body, but no matter how much time passed, he still felt as though pure adrenaline was coursing through his veins...almost like he was using an Electro Vision...
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Following Zhongli, Sayu, Yae, and Kishirika, it was finally Paul's turn to step through the teleporter. Ganyu used an Intermediate Detoxification Magic known as Clarity before he departed, but he emerged on the other side feeling like someone had yanked on his guts.
Fortunately for Paul, Yae was waiting on the other side to receive him with a full-breasted hug, a faint chuckle emanating from her throat as she ran her fingers through his hair and whispered, "There, there...deep breaths..."
Seeing Paul relax into Yae's embrace, his hands gravitating toward her waist, Kishirika rolled her eyes and remarked, "For someone who prattles on about wanting to fight and becoming strong enough to protect others, you sure seem to enjoy being coddled..."
Raising his face from Yae's fragrant and pillowy breasts, Paul revealed a serious expression as he retorted, "It's because I have the support of so many incredible and beautiful women that I can push myself as hard as I do..."
Exhaling another throaty chuckle, Yae tightened her hold on Paul's head, nuzzling his scalp with her cheek as she mused, "I'm starting to see why Ei loves you so much. You can be remarkably adorable when you want to be..."
Though he wasn't particularly fond of being called adorable, Paul smiled and allowed Yae to do as she pleased. Her aroma was reminiscent of the taste of honeysuckles, a faint yet sweet fragrance that overwhelmed the feelings of nausea and vertigo that had plagued him moments prior.
Feeling a little peeved, Kishirika's expression became uncharacteristically icy as she glared at Yae and asked, "Just what are you to my fiance? I get that you're having sex, but that doesn't explain why he lets you look down on him to this extent..."
Blinking in surprise, Yae looked directly toward Kishirika and asked, "I beg your pardon? I don't recall looking down on my Master..."
Pointing at Yae's face, Kishirika retorted, "There you go! He's your Master, not a child or a pet that needs your pampering! Show some respect...!"
Taken aback by Kishirika's castigation, Yae opened her mouth but found herself at a loss for words. She enjoyed teasing Paul, sure, but she never once viewed him as a child or a pet. Quite the opposite...
Believing she understood why Kishirika was upset, Yae released her hold on Paul's head as she declared, "I am willing to fight, die, and suffer any form of humiliation for my Master. If he wanted to leash me and keep me as a pet, I wouldn't offer any resistance whatsoever. Instead, he chooses to love, respect, and support each of us. I understand your desire to see him grow, mature, and reach his full potential. Each of us here shares that desire. However, it is not something we have any intention of forcing. So long as my Master finds comfort in my bosom, I will always be ready and willing to receive him..."
Seeing the resolution in Yae's amethyst purple eyes, Kishirika averted her own, staring at Paul as she asked, "Are you okay with this? I understand you have no desire to rule, but others will view you as incompetent if you permit the members of your harem to do as they please. Imagine how the public would view you if they knew you needed emergency healing or the embrace of a woman every time you had a tummy ache...?"
Though he couldn't help smiling affectionately in response to Yae's words, Paul's smile cramped when he heard Kishirika's counter. He didn't think it was that big a deal, but he could kind of see where she was coming from. If he stumbled across someone like Orsted or Perugius being doted on or receiving headpats from a motherly woman, he presumably wouldn't fear or respect them nearly as much as he did.
Believing Paul was about to apologize, Kishirika shook her head and said, "Don't. You haven't done anything to merit an apology. I'm only telling you these things now so that shitty god can't manipulate you in the future. It's fine to lower your guard and indulge in private, but you should never lower relax in a dungeon or labyrinth. For all you know, the four of us could have been illusions. Had that been the case, you'd be dead right now, your final moments denoted by an idiotic smile as your flesh and body became part of the biomass of a Mimic Slime or Doppelganger..."
Picturing such a scene, Paul's body shuddered involuntarily. He wanted to argue that the odds of such an occurrence were astronomical, but that would take ignoring the fact that their primary antagonist, Hitogami, could peer into the future.&nbsp;
Instead of apologizing, Paul adopted a serious expression and said, "I'll do better." in a solemn tone of voice.
Nodding her head in approval, Kishirika replied, "I know you will." before shifting her gaze to Yae and adding, "A faithful maid, servant, or whatever you want to call yourself, doesn't simply permit their Master to do as they please. Excessive pampering leads to dependency and frailty of the mind. Respect and reverence lead to independence and dignification. Keep that in mind the next time you compel your Master to act like a fool..."
"..."
Though she wanted to refute Kishirika's claims, Yae wasn't incapable of seeing the logic contained within. She had first-hand experience seeing how a person could break down upon losing their pillar of support; she just hadn't considered that Paul would follow a similar path...
As if responding to Yae's thoughts, Ei abruptly appeared at the center of the summoning circle. The latter immediately noticed the strange tension in the air but ultimately chose to remain silent as she positioned herself at Paul's side. She could be incredibly sloth-like in private but never dropped her guard while on duty. In other words, she pretty much behaved exactly how Kishrika expected all of Paul's subordinate spirits to act...
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With Ganyu arriving five minutes after Ei, the awkward silence permeating the hidden chamber promptly disappeared. At nearly the exact same time, a section of the wall furthest from the teleportation pad evaporated into motes of white light, followed by Sayu stepping in to say, "I was unable to detect any enemies between here and our destination."
As she had informed Sayu that the inner sanctum was largely devoid of enemies, the sole exception being the treasury in the basement, Kishirika scoffed and replied, "Wow, who could imagine such a thing...?"
Confused by Kishirika's unprovoked hostility, Sayu tilted her head to the side and inquired, "Did you eat something bad...?" in her usual monotone.
Blinking in surprise, Kishirika was about to ask if Sayu was an idiot but stopped herself when Paul narrowed his eyes and directed a genuinely angry look her way. She wasn't actually trying to upset anyone; she was just feeling antsy about reclaiming her status and home after living the life of a pauper for more than four millennia.
Surprising nearly everyone, Kishirika averted her eyes and offered a faint, almost inaudible, "Sorry..." before crossing her arms and pretending to be oblivious to the fact everyone was staring.
Shaking his head, Paul elected to shelf the matter of Kishirika's behavior, suggesting, "Let's get a move on. Same strategy and formation as before. If you notice anything even remotely out of the ordinary, don't be afraid to speak out. Communication is the key to teamwork."
With everyone responding with either an understood, roger, or very well, Paul focused his senses and stepped toward the wall Sayu had entered through. There was a square-shaped panel on the wall, so he placed his hand in the center and pressed down until he could feel a faint vibration spreading through his palm. He was briefly blinded when a section of the wall disappeared but recovered almost immediately and said, "Let's go." in a firm tone...
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As Kishirika's quarters weren't far from the secret chamber, it only took a few minutes for Paul and Party to arrive outside a set of ornate black and gold doors. It was comprised of the same material as the castle walls, but it had been reinforced further, making it nearly indestructible.&nbsp;
Though he wasn't surprised by the makeup of the door, Paul's expression morphed into a deadpan when he saw the image carved into the surface. He half-expected it to show Kishirika. Instead, he was greeted with a life-sized relief of Badigadi standing proudly, two arms crossed over his chest, and the remaining four spread out as if he was barring entry into the room behind him.
Noticing the expression on Paul's face, a nervous chuckle emanated from Kishirika's throat before she exhaled a sigh and explained, "Badi had this door commissioned the first time we were engaged. He wanted it to serve as a reminder to everyone in the castle that entry into my chambers came at the risk of offending him. I honestly never thought I would be escorting another man to this point..."
Feeling slightly nostalgic, Kishrika extended her hand towards the relief but stopped herself halfway. She suspected that Badi had something to do with the loss of her 'identity,' so, while she still adored the six-armed brute, it had been thousands of years since she trusted him...
"Anyways, let's go inside..."
Without waiting for a response, Kishirika raised her right hand to produce a complex, palm-sized magic circle. There were no handles or keyholes on the door, so the only way to enter inside was to know the exact spell to access it.
As the relief of Badi split in two, the nearly meter-wide doors slid open to reveal a sickeningly pink bedchamber. Kishirika generally wore black and dark-purple clothes, so even Zhongli was surprised to see the interior of her room. Not merely due to the color scheme but because there were at least a hundred stuffed animals, some nearly as large as the animals they were based on, populating the interior.
Noticing everyone's reactions, Kishirika questioned, "What's with the astonished looks? Did you expect torture racks, bloodstains, and bondage equipment? This is a bedroom, not a sex dungeon..."
Picking up one of the plushies, a paradoxically disturbing yet cute 'bear' with a patchwork exterior, bulbous eyes, stitch lines, and several nails sticking out of it, a nostalgic smile developed across Kishirika's face. She didn't explain its significance, but everyone could tell the doll meant a lot to her, especially with how gently she placed it among the remainder of her stuffed animals.
As if realizing something, Kishirika unexpectedly turned towards Sayu, a borderline predatory smile on her face as she remarked, "You know, now that I get a better look at them...your clothes are pretty cute. What animal is that outfit based on...?"
Before Sayu could respond, Paul said, "We have more important things to take care of right now. Let's save the idle chatter for later."
Resisting the urge to point out that Paul was the one fooling around less than twenty minutes prior, Kishirika rolled her eyes and said, "The hidden passage is in the closet, behind a rack of dresses. Come on, I'll show you where it's at."
Taking the lead, Kishirika opened one of the room's five doors to reveal a walk-in closet filled with hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of outfits. A number of powerful enchantments prevented items within the castle from decaying over time, so all of the clothes Kishirika had stockpiled over the years were present within. More importantly, so was the prototype armor developed by Dragon God Laplace...
As if reminded of the armor's presence the moment she opened the door, a shark-toothed smile spread across Kishirika's face as she made her way toward it.
Expecting a golden Gundam, Paul was surprised to find that Kishirika's personalized Golden Armor more closely resembled that of a Judge from the Final Fantasy series. It looked badass, but it was only around 170cm tall despite some prominent heels. It also left gaps in the side, back, and thighs, likely due to the horn-like protuberances sticking out of Kishirika's body, so there were some pretty obvious flaws in its design...
At least it wasn't bikini armor...not that Paul would have complained...
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Chapter 172: MI172: Into the Abyss