Mushoku Impact

Though she couldn't regenerate limbs, Ganyu managed to reattach Sayu's missing arm and leg without so much as leaving a scar. The process took several hours and left Sayu completely exhausted, but Paul was prepared to camp out for several days if it meant allowing her a full recovery...
With Ganyu watching over Sayu, Yae preparing dinner, and everyone else providing security, Paul made his way across the highly varnished, almost mirror-like surface of the floor to where Kishirika was lounging lazily atop an almost comically oversized throne.
Kishirika's throne, much like the chamber it was housed in, was one of the most unnecessarily grand and extravagant things Paul had ever seen. The well leading up to the throne was nearly six hundred meters long, seventy wide, and polished to a mirror shine. The hemispherical ceiling above the throne was approximately a hundred meters at its tallest point, and, much like Sistine Chapel, murals lined the walls and ceiling, seemingly detailing the destruction of the Demon World and the great migration that brought them to the Demon Continent...
Though she noticed Paul's approach long before he ascended the flight of stairs preceding her throne, Kishirika continued to stare listlessly at the murals overhead as she inquired, "What brings my beloved fiance to the base of my throne? Shouldn't you be fretting over the little one or going to town on one of your pet monsters? Don't let the acoustics of this chamber deter you..."
Shaking his head, Paul approached the throne, held up an expensive-looking brush, and asked, "Mind if I take a seat...?"
Seeing the brush in Paul's hand, a faint smile replaced the listless look on Kishirika's face. She had also been feeling a little lonely ever since she sat atop her throne, so, without needing to consider her response, she rolled to a seated position, pulled her legs up so that the soles of her feet were touching each other, and replied, "No need to ask! This throne is as much yours as it is mine...!"
Resisting the urge to repeat he had no interest in ruling over anyone, Paul adopted a smile of his own before climbing atop the oversized throne. The moment he did, Kishirika elected to lay across his lap instead of sitting in front of him, her back arching and breasts emphasized as she stared up at him with her off-colored eyes.
"What did you want to talk about...?"
After setting the brush to the side, Paul proceeded to comb his fingers through Kishirika's bangs as he asked, "Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to spend some time with you?"
Adopting a shark-toothed smile, Kishirika mocked, "How diabolical...you're surrounded by beautiful women willing to lay down their lives for you, yet here you are...willfully allowing yourself to be exploited by a woman who only sees you as a means to an end..."
Instead of reacting as Kishirika expected, Paul closed his eyes, exhaled through his nose, and placed his left hand on her abdomen. She was still wearing her dark-purple bodysuit, but he could feel her body heat against his palm as he moved his hand in a slow, steady, figure-eight motion.
As pleasant as it was to have her belly caressed, Kishirika's smile became a little predatory as she remarked, "I'm not a member of the Beast Race...it'll take a lot more than a few belly rubs to tame the great Kishirika Kishirisu!"
Shaking his head, Paul maintained a faint smile as he said, "I'm not trying to tame you. As annoying as you can be at times, I wouldn't know how to deal with you if you suddenly became timid or started acting like a proper lady..."
Rolling her eyes, Kishirika replied, "Well, you can rest assured. I'm many things, but a 'proper lady' isn't one of them..."
Punctuating her words, Kishirika guided Paul's hand to her breast, adding, "If you're trying to get me in the mood, you don't need to beat around the bush. Just get on with it..."
Though he readily fondled Kishirika's breasts, Paul wasn't in the mood to take things further. He hadn't lied about wanting to spend time with her, so, after enjoying the pillowy sensation of Kishirika's breasts for several seconds, he returned his hand to her toned abdomen and asked, "What have you been doing these past few hours? Every time I looked over, you were just lying down and staring at the ceiling..."
Realizing the reason Paul had come over to check on her, Kishirika rolled onto her side and groaned, "I've said this time and again, but I don't need your pity or concern. If you want to make me happy, defeat Badi, kill that shitty bastard, and make good on your promise to create a world where humans, demons, and the other races can live alongside one another...me feeling lonely should be the least of your concerns..."
With a self-deprecating smile on his face, Paul answered, "You've seen it yourself...despite my struggles, nearly all of my Spirits are more powerful than me. I'm not going to give up trying to grow stronger, but I've come to terms with the fact I won't be the one to defeat our mutual enemy. The-"
Interrupting Paul's self-denigration, Kishrika turned toward him with a baffled look as she questioned, "Are you an idiot? Jeez, it's no wonder you requested my wisdom during our first encounter..."
Without waiting for Paul's response, Kishirika rose to a seated position and asked, "Who do you think is more powerful, the Sword God or the King of the Asura Kingdom...?"
Though he was briefly taken aback by Kishirika's sudden inquiry, Paul eventually replied, "The Sword God..." in an uncertain tone.
Judging by Paul's intonation that he already had an idea of where she was going, Kishirika gave a curt nod before answering, "You're right. However, if the two were at odds with one another, who do you think would emerge victoriously...?"
"..."
With Gal willfully serving the King of Asura, it was easy to understand how things would play out if he rebelled against the Kingdom. He could do some incredible damage before he fell, but it was only a matter of time before he was defeated or captured. Afterward, everyone he cared about would be arrested and made an example of, regardless of whether or not they had anything to do with his rebellion...
Interpreting Paul's silence as understanding, Kishirika nodded a second time, stating, "At least you're not a complete idiot..."
Catching Paul a little off guard, Kishirika abruptly straddled him, her arms linking around his neck as she adopted a devilish smile and stated, "Might that endures the test of time isn't denoted by a person's strength or Mana capacity. It is measured by their influence over others and their ability to shape the world around them. You consider yourself weak, but how many people are you aware of that can topple entire nations with a single word or phrase?"
Drawing her lips closer to Paul's, Kishirika narrowed her eyes and added, "You consider yourself 'unworthy' of the power you possess, so you push yourself tirelessly in an effort to prove yourself. What makes your actions nonsensical is that you're the only one who feels that way. As far as I can tell, none of the Spirits you have summoned actively look down upon you or deem you unworthy. The only person who appears to need convincing is you..."
With her lips close enough to brush against Paul's, Kishirika felt a sudden urge to activate her Demon Eyes of Affection. Instead, she gave his lips a lick before evading his kiss and playfully snapping her teeth.
Surmising that Kishirika expected some kind of response before giving him his 'reward,' Paul exhaled a sigh and asked, "What do you want me to say? It's not like I'm in denial of my problems. I know better than anyone that most of my issues are manifestations of my lack of confidence or the result of my out-of-place morality. I can't just make them go away..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Kishirika retorted, "Why are you asking me? As far as I'm concerned, it isn't that big an issue. I mean, everyone has some form of doubt. Your biggest issue is that you allow your problems to define you despite encouraging others to seek change. It's annoyingly hypocritical."
"..."
Seeing Paul's expression turn downcast, Kishirika countered with a smile, grabbing the sides of his face and forcing him to stare at her as she said, "Relax. No one is asking, much less expecting you to be perfect. You have knowledge of the future but choose to dedicate yourself to helping others and fixing systemic issues that have plagued this world for thousands of years. You might not consider yourself worthy, but we both know how the vast majority of people would misuse the power you possess...who cares if you also happen to pick up a few beauties here and there? I sure as hell didn't feel forced..."
Observing Paul's pupils contract, a mischievous snicker emanated from Kishirika's throat. While it was apparent that Paul suffered from a bit of an inferiority complex, Kishirika had suspected the true nature of his ailment from the very beginning. He wasn't troubled by the fact there were people more powerful than him; he felt emasculated due to the fact most of them were women...women who would readily obey his every command despite the vast disparity in their power...
Repeating her actions from earlier, Kishirika drew her face closer to Paul's as she said, "You've stated multiple times that you have no desire to be a Hero or rule over others. While that may have been true at one point, your foreknowledge and disdain for the world compel you to try and 'fix' things. You tell yourself you're okay with providing support, but the reality is that you can't stand being weaker than the women you wish to protect..."
With her lips once again close enough to graze against Paul's, Kishirika purred, "How chivalrous~" in a sensual tone before sealing his response with a kiss. She truthfully didn't care whether her words were correct. So long as Paul had doubts, he would be vulnerable to Hitogami's influence. If she had to manipulate him to remedy his self-esteem issues, she didn't care if he eventually came to hate her. The only thing that mattered was Hitogami's death...
Fortunately for Kishirika, Paul ate up her words hook, line, and sinker. He would mull over them later, but, for the time being, the only thing he cared about was the fact that Kishirika had, at the very least, tried to help him make sense of his underlying issues. She was far from the first, but Paul had always had a weakness for women who chastized or lectured him for his benefit...
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Seeing Paul and Kishirika disappear behind the latter's throne, an amused chuckle emanated from Zhongli's throat.&nbsp;
Though she was 'ashamed' to admit it, Zhongli had been listening in on the conversation between Paul and Kishirika by analyzing the vibrations their voices created through the floor. Kishirika seemed to sense what she was up to partway through, but it took a lot more than keeping your voice low and sitting atop someone's lap to trick the archaic Archon's senses.
Following her laughter, Zhongli adopted a marginally more serious look as she muttered, "So long as the ideas you plant in his head coincide with his desires, you need not fear our response. Just try not to go overboard...our Master's mental wellness is one of the most important things to us..."
While others might not be able to discern it, Zhongli could feel Kishirika's intent lock onto her shortly after she vanished behind her throne. It was very subtle, but, as someone who had spent millennia observing others, Zhongli was very sensitive to others attempting to return the favor...
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(A/N: Chapters will be intermittent these next couple of weeks as I shift my focus back to EPIC. I'll try to put out one a day, but there are no guarantees.)

After guiding Paul through a short passageway connecting to a largely barren treasure vault, Kishirka activated the room's security features as she complained, "I really hate that woman..."
Without having to ask who Kishirika was referring to, Paul replied, "She isn't as bad as you make her out to be..." while looking around the massive chamber. It wasn't nearly as spacious as the throne room, but it was large enough to accommodate team sports such as basket and volleyball.
Not wanting to ruin the mood by talking about Zhongli, Kishirka 'snuck' up behind Paul and linked her arms around his muscular shoulders. He was taller than she was, but her rapidly developing Mana reserves allowed her to levitate as if she were practically weightless.
With her voluminous breasts pressing into Paul's back, Kishirika used her inordinately long tongue to lick the nape of his neck before raising her head to whisper into his ear, her voice a sensual purr as she said, "If you desire power, you know what you must do..."
As much as he enjoyed the sensation against his back, Paul's expression morphed into a conflicted glower as he asked, "What happened to waiting until I defeated Badigadi...?"
Instead of answering Paul's question directly, Kishirika brought her lips to his ear as she whispered, "One of your problems is that you're constantly receiving things from others. To obtain what you truly desire, you need to be willing to 'take' it. That's the only way to avoid feeling pressured by the burdens of others...you must take them upon yourself willingly..."
Releasing her hold on Paul's body, Kishirika began to float away from him with narrowed, seductive eyes. When he turned to face her, she bared her shark-like teeth and added, "No one, not even that shitty god, knows the final course of fate. Time is like a river with infinite breadth. We might not be able to resist its merciless flow, but we affect our final destination with every decision we make. Those who choose to go with the flow only have themselves to blame when they invariably collide with a rock..."
Finished with what she had to say, Kishirika turned away and sprouted a pair of dark purple, bat-like wings. Her maximum speed was limited in an enclosed space, but she was confident she could evade Paul for at least an hour or two. Instead, she nearly dislocated her own shoulder as Paul's hand abruptly closed around her wrist the moment she turned away.
Though he managed to hold onto Kishirika's wrist, Paul nearly blacked out as the buxom Demoness's initial burst of speed was enough to produce a sonic boom. He instinctually protected himself with Touki, but there were a few terrifying moments when he felt like he was falling backward due to his inability to correct his posture and look straight ahead...
Fortunately for Paul, Kishirika quickly realized something was wrong when she saw his head tilted back much further than was typically possible. It was her first time witnessing such a phenomenon, but she was pretty sure he had managed to dislocate his skull.
Grabbing the sides of Paul's head, Kishirika held it upright and said, "You better regenerate. I don't want to die over something as stupid as a game of cat and mouse..."
As she was well aware of what Zhongli and the others would do to her if Paul lost his life, Kishirika was paler than usual. She was confident Paul's regeneration could fix things, but she also knew that injuries to the head and neck were lethal for most humans.
Surprising even himself, Paul could feel the muscles in his neck move of their own accord, followed by a feeling of something 'shifting' as his skull popped back into place. His neck felt incredibly sore, almost like he had swallowed a bunch of ice cubes, but it was a hell of a lot better than not feeling anything at all...
Forcing a smile, Paul tried to speak but found himself momentarily unable to. Fortunately, his smile was more than enough to relieve the Demoness clutching the sides of his face.&nbsp;
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Kishirika released her hold on Paul's head before adopting a wry smile as she said, "Your regenerative abilities are coming along nicely..."
Though it pained him quite a bit, Paul couldn't help chuckling in response to Kishirika's attempt at lightening the mood. Then, taking advantage of their close proximity, he wrapped his arms around her and dryly croaked, "Got...cha..."
"Huh?"
As she was still aback by what happened moments prior, Kishirika was momentarily confused by Paul's words and actions. When things finally clicked, her smile widened to its limits as she replied, "So it would seem! Now, the real question is, what do 'you' want to do?"
With his neck and throat recovering rapidly, Paul's voice was nearly back to normal as he tightened his hold on Kishirika's body and replied, "I want to be the strongest...strong enough to tear down the broken system that's made this world into a playground for a psychopath...strong enough to set the world on a new path..."
Though she had been asking what Paul wanted to do with her specifically, Kishirika readily joined him in his digression, reiterating, "Individual power isn't what shapes the world...it's authority. Even if you went around killing those who disagreed with you, it wouldn't 'fix' things. You need to be able to inspire, to give hope to those who remain. Without a light to guide them forward, humans are quick to lose their way and succumb to the darkness &nbsp;lingering within the depths of their subconscious minds..."
Narrowing his eyes, Paul appended, "Not just humans...the only way this world can prosper is if everyone works together. I won't allow people to continue pushing the narrative that one race is superior to another...we all have our strengths and weaknesses..."
Amused by the prospect, Kishirika snickered through her teeth before adopting a serious expression and stating, "The other races won't be so quick to forgive what humanity has done. Neither will the vast majority of humans be willing to admit they did something wrong. That's one of the frustrating things about short-lived races...they readily benefit from the crimes perpetrated by their forebears, deny personal responsibility since they weren't present, yet expect every other race to continue paying the price to uphold their way of life. The thing that annoys me the most is that they're right...it's nonsensical to hold people accountable for crimes they had no hand in committing..."
Though she hated to admit it, Kishirika's long life had forced her to come to terms with the fact she couldn't blame people in the present for things their ancestors had done hundreds, if not thousands of years prior. One of the most fundamental characteristics of humanity was its ability to adapt and change over a remarkably short period. This made them exceptionally easy to influence, but it also severed their connection to the past in a way other races couldn't hope to emulate.&nbsp;
Seeing hope in Paul, a human with the capacity to live forever, Kishirika's smile broadened as she stated, "What you hope to achieve is something that will require multiple generations. However, it wouldn't even take one for the tensions between the races to render your actions moot...are you certain this is what you desire?"
Shaking his head, Paul admitted, "I honestly have no fucking clue. I don't know the best path forward, so all I can do is keep trying until something sticks. All I know with absolute certainty is that I have a beautiful woman in my arms and that I want to make the world a better place for everyone, not just humans. I'll have to figure out the rest as I go..."
Unable to contain herself, Kishirika smiled broadly and issued one of her characteristic snickers. She also had no idea how to achieve Paul's goals, so she couldn't really blame him for needing to 'figure things out.' Instead, she leaned into him and teased, "I know where you can start..."
Narrowing his eyes, Paul moved his hands from Kishirika's waist to her butt as he said, "I would have already started if your bodysuit wasn't in the way..."
"Oh~? Is that a fact~?"
Putting Paul on the spot, Kishirika's dark-purple bodysuit abruptly 'melted' off her body, pooling beneath their feet before moving away from them as if it were alive.&nbsp;
Suppressing the numerous questions in his mind, Paul released Kishirika's body and attempted to discard his equipment. As he fumbled around with his belt, Kishirika gave him a playful wink before turning around and taking off like a rocket as she shouted, "You better hurry~! Your little speech got me hot and bothered, but this isn't a twenty-four-hour operation. My front door closes in an hour~!"
Though the thought of vaulting around the treasure room in his birthday suit made him cringe, Paul readily chased after Kishirika the moment he stripped away his pants...
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Located less than a hundred kilometers off the coast of the Biheiriru Kingdom was the ancestral home of the Ogres, colloquially known as Ogre Island. Its actual name was Onigashima, but, as it was largely cut off from the rest of the world, most people simply knew it as the island where Ogres originated.
Situated on one of the larger islands making up the archipelago was a small human population consisting of unique individuals with olive-brown skin, black hair, and almond-shaped eyes. Most humans couldn't imagine sharing the same land as a bunch of 'monsters,' but those who grew up in Onigashima viewed things differently. After all, rather than suffering under the Ogres' tyranny, they were being protected...
Several hundred meters above the secret human settlement was a large building resembling a multi-tiered pagoda. Within sat two muscular men, one possessing blood-red skin, pointed ears, and a large horn. As for the other, he had obsidian-black skin, violet hair fastened into a wild ponytail, and six powerful arms, each thicker than an average man's waist.
Despite their frightening sizes and builds, each standing more than three meters tall when erect, the two men appeared fairly sophisticated as they sat on opposite sides of a gameboard resembling shogi. They were two of the most physically dominant beings in the entire world, but neither shied away from intellectual amusements. After all, living for thousands of years could get pretty boring...
Interrupting nearly twenty minutes of silence, the red-skinned Ogre said, "Lord Badigadi...if something is bothering you, we can resume this game at a later date."
Crossing two of his six arms, the onyx-skinned man, better known as Badigadi, the Demon Lord who Grants Wisdom, replied, "Nah, don't worry about it. I don't have anything else to do right now, and leaving things half-finished always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Of course, I'll be more than happy to accept the win if you want to concede...!"
As defeat meant serving as Badigadi's training partner, the red-skinned man, also known as Ogre God Malta, turned serious as he replied, "Let's play things out."
Countering Malta's grim expression with a confident smile, Badigadi was about to make his move when one of the shackle-like bands on his wrist suddenly emitted a gold light. Upon noticing this, the smile he often wore faded from his face, replaced by a look that could send shivers down the spine of a reaper.
Without explaining things, Badigadi rose to his feet and abruptly jumped through several layers of ceilings and walls, emerging from the side of the pagoda and grabbing the mountain adjacent to it. Then, despite his friend and several of his compatriots living in the area, he reared back his three right fists before smashing the top of the mountain with a meteoric punch. He could have gone over or around, but his anger compelled him to break everything in his path as he made his way Eastward. After all, the band on his left wrist could only mean one thing: someone had robbed his Kishirika of her chastity...
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Instead of allowing her Geo-formed wall to dissipate and crumble to dust, Zhongli thrust her hand forward and caused it to skid across the floor like a bulldozer on nitrous.&nbsp;
Though they were far from indestructible, constructs formed from Geo Energy were comparable to Anti-Magic Bricks in terms of durability and magic resistance. With the wall constructed by Zhongli being more than 3m thick, trying to stop it was like an ordinary person attempting to stop a semi from rolling down a steep incline.
Realizing she couldn't slice through Zhongli's wall, even at a much closer distance, the Black Knight had no choice but to evade. In the same series of movements, black tendrils shot out from her armor to pick up Sayu's body, holding it up like a shield as she exclaimed, "Drop your weapons, or your friend-!?"
Before she could conclude her threat, the Black Knight felt an intense chill permeate her entire body as a brilliant purple 'meteor' passed by her in an instant. In its wake, her right arm could be seen spinning through the air, but the more pressing issue was that every nerve in her body was tensing due to the 'electricity' flowing through it.
As the purple meteor burst apart to reveal Ei, the Black Knight's tendrils hurriedly brought Sayu closer to her body, seemingly moving of their own accord.&nbsp;
Dodging under the blade of light that attempted to cut off her head, Ei charged toward the Black Knight as if she was oblivious to the fact Sayu was being used as a human shield. Paul could always resurrect her come nightfall, and, more importantly, Ei knew that Sayu wouldn't allow herself to be used as leverage if she were conscious.
Realizing she was up against someone ostensibly cold-blooded, the Black Knight's tendrils hurled Sayu's body toward Ei, following it with a veritable volley of highly penetrative tendrils.
Though she felt a pang of guilt as she did so, Ei's body appeared to flicker as she evaded both Sayu's body and the tendrils. Her highest priority was eliminating the enemy before her, so she accelerated like a radiant purple beam of light the moment she had an unobstructed path between her and the Black Knight.
Feeling any icy chill suffuse through her body, the peculiar pupils of the Black Knight's eyes started to contract. Before they could even finish, a ring of rainbow-colored light seemed to overtake her, robbing the world of its color as her perception of the world abruptly split in two.
Appearing behind the Black Knight, seemingly in an instant, Ei exhaled a visible breath before rising to her full height. As she did, the two halves of the Black Knight's body began to fall away from each other, perfectly split from crown to crotch.
Just as the tendrils covering the Black Knight's body attempted to pull her back together, two hexagonal columns formed from Geo Energy erupted from the ground, seemingly crushing her as they came together to form a triangular arch.&nbsp;
Looking over to the smiling Archon, Ei's brows briefly furrowed as she felt Zhongli had robbed her of her triumph. The Black Knight wasn't nearly as powerful as she had anticipated, roughly the same level as Reida, so she was confident in securing a solo victory.
Unbothered by Ei's glower, Zhongli shifted her attention to the entrance of the Great Hall, informing, "Our young kunoichi friend is still alive. Ganyu, if you would be so kind..."
Poking her head out from the relative safety of the Great Hall's massive doors, Ganyu immediately located Sayu's unconscious body and rushed over. She would ordinarily wait for Paul's orders, but she already knew he would give her permission to treat Sayu's injuries.
Interpreting Zhongli's words to mean it was safe, Paul, Kishirika, and Yae also poked their heads out. When Paul noticed Sayu's body collapsed on the ground, his expression immediately darkened. He was happy that she was still alive, but the loss of an arm and a leg wasn't something a girl her age should be forced to endure...
Turning his attention to the triangular structure formed by Zhongli, Paul's voice was several bars deeper as he questioned, "Did you kill the asshole responsible for this?"
Earning a disproving look from Ei, Zhongli shook her head and replied, "I attempted to crush them, but I can sense they're still alive. The odds of them being immortal are quite high."
As immortality was becoming an increasingly common gimmick, Paul was unsurprised by Zhongli's response. In response, he narrowed his eyes at the two conjoined pillars and remarked, "I recall you using your powers to seal your pet dragon, Azi-something. Can you do the same thing with the person trapped between the pillars...?"
Though she showed a rare expression of surprise, Zhongli didn't hesitate to reply, "It's not impossible. However, it requires a tremendous amount of energy. I'm not exactly running low, but..."
Understanding what Zhongli was trying to say, Paul nodded his head and said, "Leave it to me. Hell, I'll do you here and now if it means this assbag pays the price for harming Sayu..."
Adopting a narrow-eyed smile, Zhongli playfully replied, "I'm feeling more motivated already. But first..."
Vanishing from view, Zhongli appeared behind Paul just as a trio of black tendrils attempted to impale him through the back. The Black Knight's arm had managed to avoid the fate of being crushed, and the tendrils covering it were still active.
With Geo Energy condensed in her hand and body, Zhongli backhanded the tendrils, causing them to fracture like broken glass. Geo Energy could be used to petrify opponents in its pure form, so Zhongli decided to test if it would be an effective countermeasure against the tendrils. Seeing the tendrils shatter into crystalline fragments upon contact with the ground, it was fairly safe to assume it was.
Shifting her attention to the tendril's origin, Zhongli was about to crush the Black Knight's arm into pulp when Kishirika abruptly exclaimed, "Wait! Don't destroy it...!"
As she didn't take orders from Kishirika, Zhongli made a chopping motion with her left hand that caused a hexagonal pillar to emerge out of thin air before smashing down on the arm like a hammer. The moment she did so, Kishirika shouted, "You stupid fucking moron...!" before stomping the floor in frustration.
Though she was initially unperturbed by Kishirika's insult, Zhongli blinked in surprise when she could no longer sense the Black Knight's life force. It hadn't simply faded away like when an ordinary living creature lost its life; it had disappeared entirely...
Without waiting for Paul's command, Zhongli dispersed the pillar she used to crush the Black Knight's arm. The mangled armor was still present, but the interior was filled with what appeared to be rainbow-hued ash...
Witnessing the unusual sight alongside Zhongli, Paul felt a palpable chill as pure, undiluted fury rose from within him. He wasn't angry at Zhongli for crushing the Black Knight's arm; he was pissed off at the realization that the Black Knight had likely escaped.
Unable to contain himself, Paul shouted, "Fuck...!" at the top of his lungs before punting the remnants of the Black Knight's arm. He knew that the entity was likely only doing as it was programmed, but he couldn't stand letting something that had harmed his allies escape.
In a reversal of their previous conversation, Kishirika was the voice of reason as she said, "Calm down. We managed to get our hands on the Longsword of Light and save your companion. I also have a pretty good idea of who, or, more precisely, what attacked her..."
Though he continued breathing heavily through his nose, Paul did his best to calm down when he heard Kishirika's words. He knew anger was one of the least-useful emotions on the battlefield, sans when you had given up on survival, so he took several deep breaths before saying, "Tell me what you know..."
Nodding her head, Kishirika explained, "Those black tendrils you just saw were a trademark of Laplace. He was unable to wield Touki, so he tried to compensate for his weakness by recreating the material used to construct the Golden Armor. Fortunately, at least for his enemies, he wasn't the type of person that could focus on a single project at a time..."
Realizing she was getting a little side-tracked, Kishirika shook her head before staring into Paul's eyes and stating, "One of the subjects Laplace was most interested in were the various forms of immortality. He wanted to find a way to make himself unkillable while developing methods to kill every other immortal. One of his more successful experiments concerned the production of living dolls, vessels in which his soul could transfer to in the event of his untimely death..."
Shifting her gaze to the ash on the ground, Kishirika narrowed her eyes as she appended, "Though he ultimately decided upon a different method of transference, likely hoping his enemies would die of natural causes before his revival, those tendrils and this ash are a testament to his experiment's success. Once we retake the castle, we need to locate his laboratory and destroy it. If that research found its way into the wrong hands..."
Even without clarification, Paul could guess who Kishirika was referring to when she mentioned the wrong hands. Hitogami was certainly a cause for concern, but his powers and influence were limited thanks to being sealed in the Void. The more significant threat was humanity, or, more accurately, the bags of dick that suppressed others and prioritized the accumulation of wealth and power over the lives of others. If they got their hands on a method to transfer their spirits into vessels of their choosing, they would become even more brazen and corrupt...
Understanding that some technologies should never propagate beyond a highly regulated lab environment, Paul left Kishirika feeling fairly gratified as he nodded his head and affirmed, "I understand. Though I"m sure that Laplace's research notes would shed light on many things, there are ways to advance without relying on the insights gleaned by a madman...if there aren't, maybe society doesn't deserve to prosper..."
Though she felt his final remark bordered on the extreme, Kishirika didn't disapprove of the sentiment Paul was trying to convey. Several thousand years ago, magi-science and technology were much more advanced than the present. Countless airships dominated the skies, fortresses the size of castles guarded the borders of major nations, and issues such as disease and famine only existed in societies that willfully isolated themselves from others. It was an era of relative peace and prosperity, ruined by the desire for even more...
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Located in the depths of a labyrinth that spanned nearly the entire Demon Continent, connecting several key locations, was a warehouse-sized room housing hundreds of crystalline cylinders containing near-identical female forms. Some were distinctly older or younger or possessed features from other races, but every single one of them had violet-purple hair and goat-like horns.
Following the Black Knight's death, one of the containers glowed brighter than the others before the liquid within began to drain rapidly. The tubes and apparatuses supporting her retracted soon after, forcing the naked beauty within to stand on her own two feet as she bent over and coughed up a citrus-smelling, jelly-like substance.&nbsp;
Without waiting for the container to drain completely, the violet-haired woman smashed her hand against the crystalline container, shattering it as she growled, "Those despicable fiends! They dare to steal the sword entrusted to me by my Master!? If I don't kill them all, then my name isn't Kishirika Kishirisu...!"
As the luminescent green liquid finished draining, an inky black substance began rising from the self-proclaimed Kishirika's feet, enveloping her from head to toe before congealing into a set of familiar black armor. This time, however, it had a golden trim and glistened with a faint purple hue...
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Chapter 177: MI177: A Demonic Heart to Heart