Mushoku Impact

Seeing Zhongli appear by herself, Atena couldn't help feeling a little annoyed as she asked, "What the heck? It's just one woman?"
As Zhongli was the person who crushed her previous body, the Black Knight involuntarily tensed as she replied, "She is appearing alone for a reason. Don't underestimate her..."
Snorting through her nose, Atena unsheathed her Killer Roscoe Mk 3 and said, "I'll go first."
As Atena attempted to step forward, Azura promptly blocked her path with her spear, stating, "We already decided that I would be going first. Besides, look at her weapon. It's not often I get the opportunity to pit my spearmanship against another."
Interrupting before the duo could reach an accord, the Black Knight firmly stated, "We should go together. This one's earth magic is in a league of its own. If she isn't God-Ranked, no one is..."
Hearing the Black Knight mention their opponent was God-Ranked, Vashti took a step back as she nervously remarked, "I'm not so sure about this..."
Significantly less unnerved by the revelation, Vahka began stretching her right arm and shoulder as she teased, "Relax, Shti. What's the worst that can happen? We die~?"
Deciding to join in on the conversation, Zhongli replied, "Unless you take your own lives, you need not fear such an outcome. My Master has asked me to capture and, if necessary, seal you away. Inversely, you can choose to sit the fight out or engage in a dialogue. We are not here to lay waste to the castle and weaken its defenses."
Since she hadn't been able to gather any significant information from Sayu, the Black Knight seized upon Zhongli's words, asking, "Who is your Master? What do they hope to achieve by claiming my former throne...?"
Exhibiting the faintest hint of surprise, Zhongli's eyes widened ever so slightly as she echoed, "Your former throne...?"
Though she didn't remove her helmet, the Black Knight allowed her visor to retract, revealing the near-identical face of Kishirika beneath. Her aura was strikingly dissimilar, but she could pass as the 'authentic' Kishirika's twin.
"Oh, my...you're a dead ringer for the former Demon Empress, Kishirika Kishirisu. The only problem is...we've met the real deal. In fact, the entire reason we've come here is to help the 'true' Kishirika reclaim her throne..."
"What the hell did you just say, you big-tittied bimbo...!?"
Unable to contain her fury, the Black Knight unholstered her oversized, ancient-looking flintlock and aimed it in Zhongli's direction. She didn't pull the trigger, but her finger squeezed around it as she exclaimed, "What do you mean the 'true' Kishirika!? There's only one true me, and I'm standing right here...!"
Without considering whether or not the woman in front of her was a genuine article, Zhongli shook her head and argued, "The 'real' Kishirika isn't someone who transfers bodies upon death. You undoubtedly have a connection to the original, but we need only look at the objective facts to determine you're one of Laplace's experiments. He failed to replicate the reincarnation ability of the original, yet the Kishirika I'm acquainted with has died and reincarnated at least once since the end of the Laplace War. Can you make the same claim?"
Unable to argue with Zhongli's logic, the Black Knight shouted, "You're lying!" before squeezing the trigger of her flintlock. However, instead of firing a metal ball, the peculiar pistol unleashed a swift, highly compact ball of Fire Magic that gradually expanded as it traveled.
Though she had been willing to settle things with a discussion, Zhongli couldn't help smiling as the Black Knight's attack neared her. She hated conflicts that imperiled the lives of the masses, but battles of ideologies always got her blood pumping.
After slicing through the Black Knight's ball of flame with considerable ease, Zhongli's amber eyes shifted to the 'phantom' attempting to attack from her side. Legion wasn't particularly swift in his physical form, but he could dematerialize into an immaterial, shadowy form when he needed to close distances quickly.
Despite Legion's claymore being near twice her size, Zhongli managed to deflect it with a casual smile, remarking, "You're quite fast for someone so large..."
Not one for discussion, Legion responded with a ghastly, "Die." as just his blade became immaterial.&nbsp;
Though her eyes briefly widened, Zhongli avoided Legion's attack without moving from her initial position. The moment his blade connected with her spear, a hexagonal pattern appeared beneath Legion's left foot, erupting into a pillar of Geo Energy that knocked him off balance and changed the trajectory of his attack.
Reacting much faster than her titanic opponent, Zhongli stabbed through the abdominal section of Legion's armor. When she felt there was nothing inside, she surprised nearly everyone present by spinning her waist like a bow and kicking him in the chest with enough force to send him crashing into the far wall, covering nearly 300m in an instant.
Thanks to the durability of Goseki Stone, the castle walls were largely unaffected by Legion's two tons of mass impacting them. Legion himself, however, could barely stand as ghostly blue flames bled out of his body and pooled on the ground in front of him.
Raising his visored face, Legion intended to 'glare' at Zhongli with the ghostly blue orbs that made up his eyes. Instead, he was greeted by the pointy end of his very own claymore, separating his helmeted head from his shoulders.
"And then there were six..."
Turning her attention to the Black Knight and her remaining Guardians, Zhongli's smile became fairly mischievous as she asked, "What's wrong? Weren't you competing to determine who got to fight me first? No need to be shy."
Though she had no intention of killing anyone, Zhongli didn't mind playing the part of a 'villain' to intimidate her opponents. Legion would regenerate so long as the Mana comprising him wasn't purified, so, as ruthless as her actions appeared, they were ultimately harmless.
Whether she saw through Zhongli's intentions or simply didn't care, Vahka stepped forward and playfully replied, "Guess I'm up~." before vanishing into thin air. In reality, her initial burst of acceleration was so sudden that she appeared to teleport, reappearing next to Zhongli in an instant.
Catching Vahka's bare foot by the ankle, Zhongli noted, "Excellent speed." before moving her head to evade Vahka's follow-up kick. Then, as Vahka giggled like a child enjoying a carnival ride, Zhongli spun the red-skinned Demoness around before flinging her toward the nearest wall.
Despite Zhongli's tremendous strength and the speed at which she was thrown, Vahka managed to right herself mid-air, landing against the wall in a crouched posture as she remarked, "You're pretty strong."
Turning to meet Vahka's gaze, Zhongli replied, "I have my moments." while simultaneously erecting a wall to defend against the Black Knight's tendrils.&nbsp;
Bounding off the wall, Vahka's smile stretched at the muscles of her face as she shouted, "I'm pretty strong myself...!"
Twisting her body mid-air, Vahka slipped past the tip of Zhongli's spear and landed a meteoric punch on the latter's face. A visible shockwave emanated from the point of contact, but, despite packing all of her power into the blow, Vahka was unable to send Zhongli flying. Instead, she felt a combination of pain and heat radiating from her diaphragm, the result of Zhongli's fist sinking into it.
Though others might have been debilitated by such a precise counter, Vahka afforded Zhongli a bloodstained smile as she gripped the Archon's shoulders and said, "You shouldn't have done that~" in a sing-song tone.
Adopt a smile of her own, Zhongli replied, "Perhaps." as she attempted to send Vahka flying away from her with a zero-distance punch. The force behind the blow was enough to make the back of Vahka's outfit explode, exposing the skin beneath, but the Demoness herself just smirked as the muscles in her back, arms, and shoulders spontaneously swelled.
Realizing that her opponent grew stronger as she sustained injuries, Zhongli promptly lowered her center of gravity, forcing Vahka off balance as a pillar of Geo Energy rose to impact her abdomen. She did her best to cling to Zhongli's shoulders, but the stone-faced Archon readily discarded her overcoat, revealing a white, qipao-like undertunic.
As Vahka was promptly pinned against the ceiling, Zhongli performed a backhand sweep to slice through another expanding fireball. At the same time, she discharged Geo Energy into her surroundings, producing several large pillars that periodically pulsed with golden energy. However, instead of providing barriers to everyone nearby, each pulse caused the ground to quake with debilitating force.
Unaffected by the vibrations, Zhongli rapidly vaulted between the pillars, evading the Black Knight's Magic as she began to pepper the formation of Magic Armors and Anti-Magic Golems with a seemingly endless volley of spears. The Black Knight and Vashti did their best to erect a magic barrier, but the vast majority of Zhongli's spears tore through it like paper.
"Hmmm...?"
Emerging from behind one of the pillars she had created, Zhongli dodged to the side and caught a thrown spear out of mid-air. Before she could get a good look at it, however, the figure of a man appeared next to her, hand gripping the spear as he said, "You're powerful." with a confident smile on his face.
Interrupting before Zhongli could respond with a compliment of her own, Brahm attempted to slit the cordial Archon's throat with a bone knife. She was able to move back her head in time to evade it, but the fact the knife cut through her barrier didn't escape her.
Using Brahm's grip on his spear as leverage, Zhongli slammed the Ancient Spirit into the adjacent pillar, musing, "That's a neat little toy." before side-stepping and spinning around a sneak attack from her blindspot, courtesy of Azura.
"Wha-!?"
Interrupting the petite spearwoman's exclamation, Zhongli chopped the back of Azura's neck only to realize the ineffectiveness of such attacks. The force behind the blow was enough to send Azura face-planting into the ground, but it failed to disrupt the connection between her brain and body. Instead, the moment Azura crashed into the ground, the tip of her mechanized tail attempted to skewer Zhongli like a scorpion.
Though she managed to catch Azura's tail with her bare hand, a rare frown marred Zhongli's face as she felt a numbness encroaching up her forearm. The barrier coating her body was thinner around the extremities, so Azura's Mana-infused tail was able to slice into her palm, invading her system with some kind of toxin.
In reality, what Azura infected Zhongli with were nanoparticles powered by microscopic fragments of enriched Mana Crystals. Most people were incapable of using Touki and casting Spells when their body was infested with foreign magical energy, so they were effective against both Mages and warriors.
Unfortunately for Azura, Zhongli wasn't 'most people.' The moment she sensed 'something' invading her system, a dark brown, nearly black hue began to spread down the length of her arm. When it reached the tips of her fingers, a golden hue began to spread from her palm, climbing up her forearm as a similarly golden pattern developed across the contours of her muscles. At the same time, a peculiar red blush appeared around her eyes, followed by her pupils contracting into slits.
Discarding the smile she had worn throughout much of the fight, Zhongli's expression and tone were cold as she remarked, "It appears I need to get a little serious..."
Without giving Azura the chance to respond, Zhongli gripped her tail even tighter before utilizing the petite spearwoman as a flail, smashing her into Brahm. The latter attempted to grab and hold onto her, but that just gave Zhongli the chance to utilize both of them, smacking away the large, ball-shaped golem that came barreling toward her.
Instead of allowing the ball to crash to safety, Zhongli made a series of cutting gestures with her left hand, each causing a pillar of Geo Energy to erupt from the ground, impacting the spherical golem. She wasn't familiar with the game of pinball, but that didn't stop her from bouncing Atena and her golem around like a helpless ball bearing...
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Seeing Zhongli defeat the Guardians without sustaining any significant injuries, the Black Knight came to the realization she had underestimated her opponent. She hadn't intended to, warning the Guardians that Zhongli was a God-Ranked Mage; she just hadn't considered the possibility that Zhongli was equally skilled in Spearmanship and Hand-to-Hand combat...
With Zhongli approaching the Black Knight after devastating her forces, the former reluctantly lowered her enchanted flintlock and asked, "Just who&mdash;no&mdash;what are you...?"
Realizing she hadn't introduced herself, a mildly surprised expression marred Zhongli's face before she offered a curt yet courteous half-bow and replied, "My name is Zhongli, Chief Retainer of Paul Greyrat, and the Lord of Geo. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance..."
Appearing even more confused than before, the Black Knight parroted, "Paul Greyrat? Lord of Geo...?"
Though she recognized the name Greyrat, the Black Knight had never heard anyone refer to themselves as the Lord of Geo. She knew it must have something to do with Earth Magic, but it was strange to hear a God refer to themselves with a 'lesser' title.
Nodding her head in affirmation, Zhongli replied, "Indeed. Had you the same eyes as the Kishirika I'm familiar with, you likely would have been able to ascertain that I'm a Spirit. More specifically, I am the Spirit that governs the Element of Geo."
Preempting the Black Knight's follow-up question, Zhongli held up a cube formed from pure Geo Elemental Energy, stating, "This is Geo Energy. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you at this moment."
Closing her hand, Zhongli dispersed the Geo-formed cube, replacing it with a spear as she asked, "Will you continue to fight, or would you rather resolve this more diplomatically? I can say with relative certainty that our Kishirika has just as many questions for you as you do her."
Furrowing her brows, the Black Knight retorted, "I have nothing to say to that pretender. I don't know what tricks she used to fool you, but I'm the 'real' Kishirika Kishirisu...!"
Maintaining her calm despite the intense bloodlust radiating off the Black Knight's body, Zhongli responded by asking, "Then how are you here right now? In retaliation for what you did to our companion, I crushed you with my power. If you were truly who you claimed to be, your spirit would have returned to the cycle of reincarnation, resurrecting after a period of 10-20 years. Instead, your ego was transplanted into an artificial vessel. I have no doubt you believe yourself to be Kishirika Kishirisu, but the probability of you being one of Laplace's experiments is much, much higher..."
Though she waited for Zhongli to finish speaking, the Black Knight was trembling due to a mixture of rage, incredulity, and slight fear. She was unable to discern any falsehoods in Zhongli's words but accepting the latter was telling the truth meant admitting she was the imposter. Being herself was all she had ever known; how could she just accept being an experiment? And why would Laplace, the caring and benevolent man who saved her from the collapsing Demon World, do such a thing? He was like a Grandfather to her...
Feeling a sudden and intense pain radiating from the interior of her skull, the Black Knight clutched her head and screamed, "You're lying! You have to be lying...!"
Prompted by the Black Knight's unstable mental state, the black tendrils covering her body erupted outward with blinding speed, not caring who or what they struck. Zhongli managed to evade quickly, but she was forced to retreat as she could no longer read the intent contained within the inky black mass. It was just flailing about and stabbing things at random.
Feeling sorry for her opponent, Zhongli briefly considered putting the Black Knight out of her misery but knew it would be pointless unless they could eradicate her backup bodies. Her best option was to trap the Black Knight, preferably before she could use death as a means to escape...
As Zhongli began gathering energy for her most potent sealing technique, Legion nearly caught her unawares, appearing from her blindspot without triggering her seismic sense.
"I don't have time to deal with you right now..."
Contrasting her words, Zhongli caught Legion's blade with her 'bare' hand before placing her other against his chest. The moment she did, the ebony black armor covering his body began to turn dark brown, the same color as her arms and shoulders.&nbsp;
Though ordinary petrification magic would simply give Magic Armors an extra layer of defense, Zhongli's was unique since it involved saturating her opponent's body with Geo Energy. It was much harder to control than pure Geo constructs, but so long as her target could not expel the energy from their body, she could manipulate them like marionettes.
Since controlling an unwilling target took a considerable amount of effort and focus, Zhongli simply forced Legion to stand still as she took care of the Black Knight and the remaining Guardians. Two of them had snuck off, but as they had fled in the direction of the awaiting Ei, Zhongli pretended not to notice. Instead, she leaped high into the air, declaring, "This ends now." as eight steles of Geo Energy manifested around her, each covered in runes unknown to the world of Mushoku Tensei...
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After realizing the futility of trying to oppose Zhongli, Vashti attempted to flee the Great Hall only to discover that the path had been blocked. Since that wasn't an option, she waited for Zhongli's attention to be occupied by the Black Knight before sneakily recovering her sister's unconscious body and carrying her toward the still-open throne room.
Though she had been designated as one of the six Guardians, Vashti was not a fighter. She was a capable Mage, reaching King-Rank in Fire, Water, and Barrier Magic, but that was primarily due to her long life and heritage as a half-elf. If she had the lifespan of a human, even reaching the Rank of Saint would have been an arduous task.
"Let's just hope the people inside are as reasonable as their companion made them out to be..."
With Zhongli giving them the option to surrender peacefully, Vashti was banking on the fact that the intruders genuinely didn't want to fight. She had never trusted humans, but, as a half-elf, she was vaguely aware that Zhongli was a Spirit. Humans that could summon and contract powerful Spirits were usually very wise and level-headed individuals, so, as long as she didn't strike first, Vashti was confident they wouldn't attack her.
Guided by such beliefs, Vashti carried her sister's unconscious body into the throne room, tensing when she felt a terrifying bloodlust lock onto her. Ei was hovering a few hundred meters away, but even while seated in a meditative posture with her eyes closed, the intensity of her aura caused Vashti to feel like someone was squeezing her lungs.
Fortunately for Vashti, Ei did not immediately attack her. She noticed the unconscious figure of Vahka on Vashti's back and, more importantly, the similarities between the two.&nbsp;
After an inordinately long and tense moment of silence, Ei was the first to speak, startling Vashti as she calmly asked, "Are the two of you sisters...?"
Swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat, Vashti attempted to sound calm but nervously replied, "Yes...our fathers are different, but we share the same mother..."
"Mmm..."
Sensing only fear and caution exuding from Vashti, Ei left the red-skinned beauty feeling more than a little confused as she simply closed her eyes without further comment. Her task was to disable anyone who sought to pursue Paul, so as long as Vashti showed no hostility and remained near the entrance, Ei saw no reason to incapacitate her.
Feeling Ei's suffocating bloodlust retract, a sigh of relief escaped Vashti's throat as she carried her sister off to the side. She didn't know why Ei had decided to spare her, but she didn't care. Her prerogative was to check on Vahka and ensure her injuries weren't too severe.
Unbeknownst to Vashti, she had inadvertently earned the appreciation of Ei by choosing to prioritize her sister rather than asking questions. Many years had passed since Ei lost her sister, but the memory of arriving too late and being unable to protect the people she cared about haunted her to this very day. It was also what compelled her to follow Paul with such 'zeal'...
As not everyone would be willing to give up their freedom in exchange for a 'chance' to restore their world, one of the clauses drafted by the God of the Boundaries included granting the wish of each participant. For Ei, this meant the resurrection of her sister, so, even if everyone else abandoned hope, she would continue fighting to the edge of eternity...
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Noticing Kishirika's expression turning grim shortly after their withdrawal into the treasure vault, Paul became serious as he asked, "What's wrong? Don't tell me Zhongli and Ei lost..."
Instead of responding to Paul's words, Kishirika crossed her arms and started nibbling on the nail of her right thumb. Goseki Stone interfered with her ability to use her Clairvoyance to its full effect, but the recent 'infusion' she received from Paul allowed her to see into the Great Hall without too much trouble. As a result, she was privy to the moment the Black Knight's visor retracted to reveal a face identical to her own...
"Kishi...?"
Though she would ordinarily snicker when Paul referred to her with a pet name, Kishirika scowled at him and growled, "Can't you see I'm trying to think!?"
Surprised by the sudden outburst, Paul raised his hand in a gesture of mock surrender as he replied, "Whoa, whoa, calm your britches. I'm not the enemy."
Calming down ever so slightly, Kishirika responded with a faint, "Right..." before falling silent and attempting to organize her thoughts. Unlike her counterpart, she couldn't immediately dismiss the possibility that both of them were Kishirika Kishirisu. She knew Laplace had done 'something' to her, but there was a gap in her near-perfect memory, one of only two in the entirety of her existence.
Supposing that the Black Knight was the piece of herself that had been stolen by Laplace, Kishirika's expression was inordinately serious as she said, "I take back what I said before. We need to find Laplace's research and pour through every single docu&mdash;no, better yet, we'll force Betobe to hand them over!"
Preempting Paul's questions, Kishirka regained her smile, staring at him as she mused, "I'm starting to see why you're so easily frustrated. You might very well be the luckiest bastard alive."
Furrowing his brows, Paul suppressed his misgivings and asked, "What do you mean?"
Adopting an even broader smile, Kishirika explained, "There's a fairly high probability that the person wearing that weird black armor is the 'missing piece' that Laplace stole from me. I intend to do everything in my power to make us whole, but until then, you should be able to absorb 'essence' from both of us. If that isn't lucky, I don't know what is."
Though it took him a moment to fully grasp what Kishirika was trying to say, Paul eventually frowned as he said, "I mentioned this before, but I'm not the type to force people against their will. Even if she is a part of you, it's pretty clear your counterpart has her own thoughts and will. She also cut off Sayu's arm and leg, so-"
Interrupting before Paul could finish, Kishirika retorted, "So what? It's just an arm and a leg. It isn't like she killed anyone. Besides, if my suspicion is correct, she'll be just as eager to be rid of that shitty God as I am. Are you telling me you won't accept her essence just because she was doing a job she was likely programmed to do? That isn't how you reach the top, Paul."
Closing his eyes, Paul inhaled a deep breath before exhaling through his nose and stating, "If the two of you can work something out, I'll consider it. I did promise to help you, after all..."
Rolling her eyes, Kishirika retorted, "Oh, please. Don't pretend you're not excited by the prospect of being able to do it with two versions of me at the same time. I know Badi would be bleeding at the nose or panting like a dog."
Though there was a fair amount of truth to Kishirika's words, Paul smiled wryly and replied, "I wouldn't do it unless you were okay with it. I'm more than satisfied with just a single Demon Empress."
Sensing no overt falsehoods in Paul's words, Kishirika found herself at a momentary loss for words. She was weak against things like praise and sincerity, so even though she intended to 'force' Paul and her counterpart to do the deed, Kishirika couldn't help feeling a modicum of gratification knowing he was content with just her...
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With Sayu still unconscious after Ganyu's treatment, Paul was passing the time by experimenting with his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Unlike the Mystic Eyes from his memory, Paul quickly discovered that his own only applied to inanimate objects. Similar to how his X-Ray Eyes were incapable of seeing through a person's body, sufficiently dense Mana was able to interfere with his ability to perceive the Lines of Death.
Fortunately, while he couldn't see Lines of Death on living creatures, Paul could see them on items and constructs containing Mana. He tested this out by having Ganyu form an Intermediate-Ranked Barrier and stabbing a point where several Lines of Death intersected. He would ordinarily need to expend a significant amount of effort to cut through such a barrier, but the tip of his sword pierced through the junction as if it were awaiting his blade like a sheathe...
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Interrupting Paul's experimentation, Zhongli calmly informed everyone, "It appears our friend from before has returned. A group of powerful foes has begun to converge in the corridors joining the Great Hall."
As they had been expecting a counter-attack for nearly seven hours, Paul was more relieved than surprised by Zhongli's report, asking, "How many are there?" in a fairly calm and relaxed manner.
Without needing to double-check her findings, Zhongli adopted a faint smile as she confidently replied, "There are a total of seven with fairly powerful auras. There is also a battalion's worth of Anti-Magic Golems and Magic Armors."
Expecting a few dozen enemies, Paul's relaxed demeanor promptly faded away. He wasn't frightened, but the notion he would be forced to sit in the back immediately entered his mind...
Having heard Zhongli's report, Kishirika flew over in her prototype Golden Armor, asking, "You mentioned there are seven powerful auras? Can you see what they look like...?"
Nodding her head, Zhongli replied, "It's a bit difficult, but I can make out their general appearance. Is there someone, in particular, you're looking for?"
"Is this woman among them?"
Holding up her right hand, Kishirika demonstrated the versatility of her armor's amorphous properties by creating the figure of a catgirl in the palm of her hand. Unlike a typical Beast Person, however, this particular catgirl had a fairly 'modern' appearance that included short hair, a long-sleeved jacket, what appeared to be sunglasses, and a pleated skirt that extended to her ankles. She also had various weapons strapped to her lower back, one resembling a shortsword with a built-in revolver...
Recognizing the figure among their would-be assailants, Zhongli nodded her head and replied, "Indeed. She is presently seated atop a golem that resembles a large metal ball."
"I knew it..."
Exhaling a sigh, Kishirika pre-empted Paul's inquiries by explaining, "When we first entered the throne room, I initiated its lockdown feature, sealing it from the inside. Outsiders would need to complete a series of six trials to undo the lockdown, but the Master or Steward of the castle need only ask the Guardians to open the way..."
Holding up the figurine she had created, Kishirika continued, "This is Atena of Slaughter. Much like Fayde, she's one of the Spirits that sided with Demonkind after the collapse of the Demon World. If she's here, it's safe to assume the remaining auras belong to her fellow Guardians."
Since it was impossible for them to avoid a conflict, Paul decided to ask the most pressing question that came to mind, specifically, "Will you be able to reclaim your throne if we defeat them?"
Reabsorbing Atena's figurine into her palm, Kishirika turned to meet Paul's gaze, grinning as she replied, "Definitely. However, I would prefer it if your pet monsters didn't kill Atena. Summoning Ancient Spirits isn't particularly difficult, but negotiating their contracts is a pain in the ass."
Smiling wryly, Paul looked to Zhongli and Ei to hear what they had to say. He likely wouldn't be fighting on the frontlines, so it was ultimately up to them whether or not they would spare the stylish yet odd-looking catgirl.
Offering a smile of her own, Zhongli assured, "Based on my estimates, her power is around the standard for the King Rank. Unless she possesses a form of spatial movement or teleportation, capturing her should be a fairly simple matter."
Though it felt weird hearing Zhongli refer to King-Ranked individuals as if they were little more than children, Paul just nodded his head and replied, "Great. I'll leave her capture to you. There isn't much I can contribute to this fight, so I'll stay here with Kishirika, Ganyu, Yae, and Sayu."
Fearing that Zhongli would make the same mistake as before, Kishirika interjected to add, "It would be ideal if you could capture each of them, especially the one in black armor. If they're the same person you crushed previously, they should know the location of Laplace's spare vessels."
Nodding her head in affirmation, Zhongli replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind..." before shifting her amber-eyed gaze to Ei.&nbsp;
Understanding the meaning behind Zhongli's look, Ei furrowed her brows and asserted, "Spare me your concerns. I am perfectly capable of holding back."
Instead of arguing or attempting to refute Ei's claim, Zhongli maintained her smile as she looked at Paul and said, "If there's nothing else, Lady Beelzebub and I will depart for the Great Hall. Please take Lady Sayu and relocate elsewhere. As unlikely as it is for the enemy to breakthrough, it's better to take precautions against any unforeseen circumstances."
As much as the notion of hiding away bothered him, Paul didn't hesitate to respond, "Yeah, yeah, I know." before half-turning with the intent to go pick up Sayu. However, before stepping away, he looked back at Zhongli and Ei, adding, "I believe in you both..." in a solemn tone.
Placing her hand over her heart, Zhongli offered a courteous bow as she replied, "And we shan't disappoint you." before raising her head to reveal a squinty-eyed smile...
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While looking bored atop her personalized golem, the Great Ballmaru-san, Atena lazily inquired, "Are you sure they're going to come out? They can't be that stupid, can they...?"
Scowling beneath her helmet, the Black Knight version of Kishirika turned to the bored-looking cat girl and replied, "They were able to react to and dodge the Longsword of Light. If you don't take them seriously, you'll lose more than just your head."
Rolling her eyes, Atena fearlessly retorted, "You're not even a swordsman. Someone being able to dodge your attacks isn't even remotely surprising."
"Atena..."
Interjecting before the argument could get out of hand, a tall, lean, and muscular man with bronzed skin, brown hair, and tribal garments adorned with large feathers stated, "Even if she ceded her power and authority to Master Laplace, you should not speak ill of our former Mistress."
Raising her right middle finger, Atena replied, "Bite me, Brahm. Nobody asked for your opinion."
Narrowing his eyes, Brahm, also known as Brahm the Primal, gripped the archaic-looking spear in his left hand. It resembled a simple bone spear, and while that's precisely what it was, the materials used to assemble it were harvested from the bodies of extinct, calamity-class monsters.
Though Brahm made no indication he was about to attack, Atena leaped away like a startled cat, her fangs and claws bared as she shouted, "Huh, huh!? You want to go!? Bring it on...!"
Instead of responding to Atena's challenge, Brahm directed his gaze to the double doors separating the Great Hall from the throne room. He was unable to sense their auras directly, but his instincts told him there were a number of powerful enemies on the other side. In other words, he didn't have time for Atena and her nonsense.
Realizing that Brahm was ignoring her, Atena's right eye twitched as she reached behind her to grip the hilt of her self-created weapon, the Killer Roscoe Mk 3. Brahm was a lot stronger than she was, but she also knew he wouldn't fight back seriously unless she genuinely tried to kill him.
Before Atena could make up her mind about whether or not she wanted to attack Brahm, a petite figure using her distinctly mechanical tail as a sort of perch chimed in to say, "Give it a rest, Atena. It's not like you have any pressing matters to return to."
Looking toward the person that had spoken, Atena's expression morphed into one of conflict as she retorted, "I was in the middle of drafting a new name. As someone who nags me about new releases, I figured you would be more understanding, Azura."
Dropping out of her suspended, cross-legged posture, Azura landed on the blade-like tips of her clearly mechanical feet as she looked toward the Black Knight and proposed, "I'll lure them out. They might run out of food and supplies if we wait, but we didn't gather here to just idle about in the Great Hall. Our duty is to supervise the six trials, not assist in sieging the throne room."
Gritting her teeth, the Black Knight quietly muttered, "Damned turncoat..." before looking to the other Guardians to see their reactions. Brahm only really cared about confronting powerful foes and hunting large game, so she looked toward the remaining three, a drunk-looking woman with red skin, red eyes, white hair, and pointed horns, a marginally more petite woman with matching skin, fluffy white hair, blue eyes, and elf-like ears, and a burly, 318cm tall man that resembled a Magic Armor but with a far more regal appearance.
Noticing the Black Knight's gaze, the towering figure stated, "I will fight." in a deep, bone-chilling tone. He was the Commander of the Magic Armor Division, so he would never forgive interlopers who exorcised his brethren and attempted to claim the castle for themselves. As for his name, people simply referred to him as Legion, as, rather than a single person, he was the amalgamation of countless tortured souls.
Following Legion's example, the scantily-clad drunkard, also known as Vahka, made a peace sign as she assured, "I already came all this way. No way am I going to return before I've had a bit of fun."
Exhaling a sigh, the similarly red-skinned woman gave her markedly more lascivious counterpart a narrow-eyed stare as she appended, "If my sister is going to fight, I'm obligated to at least collect her corpse..."
Amused by her younger sister's remark, Vahka promptly pounced on the annoyed-looking woman, shamelessly groping her from behind as she laughingly mused, "Oh, Vashti, I knew you cared~!"
Though it was difficult to see due to her complexion, a slightly darker shade of red colored Vashti's cheeks as she extricated herself from her sister's clutches and groaned, "You're embarrassing yourself in front of our allies..."
Before Vahka could respond, the Black Knight firmly stated, "It's fine. So long as she does her job, I don't care how she behaves."
Following her words, the Black Knight returned her attention to Azura and asked, "Are you sure you wish to act as bait? We no longer have the ability to fabricate replacement parts. Once your current reserves run out, you'll have no choice but to inhabit the body of an Anti-Magic Golem."
Exhibiting no fear or hesitation, Azura replied, "So long as I can continue to fulfill my duty, it doesn't matter what form I possess."
Grabbing a device from her hip, Azura held it out to her side and allowed it to transform into a futuristic three-pronged spear. At the same time, an audible whirring sound began to emanate from Azura's body as lights at the tips of her artificial horns, feet, and tail began to pulsate with vibrant, azure-green light.
"I'm go-"
As if to mock Azura's conviction, the doors to the throne room began to open of their own accord. Then, despite just a single person appearing, even the Magic Armors and Anti-Magic Golems felt a strange tension as Zhongli emerged from within, a 'friendly' smile on her face as she calmly remarked, "I will give you one opportunity to surrender."
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Chapter 182: MI182: Revelation : Domination