Mushoku Impact

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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After finishing his after-sex exercises, Alek invited Savva to accompany him on a late afternoon stroll. The Demon Continent may be one of the most desolate regions in the world, but its night sky was beautiful to the point of leaving people feeling speechless and introspective.
Though she was native to a village where the Mana was nearly as dense as the Demon Continent, Savva agreed to Alek's request with a smile. He might leave her feeling dissatisfied in the bedroom, but she had vowed to follow and support him after receiving a prophecy from the God her tribe worshipped. It showed her a vision of a great cataclysm that threatened to annihilate a large part of the Asura Kingdom, plunging the entire world into disarray. The only way they could stop it was by defeating Paul Notos Greyrat before he could seize power.
Fortunately for Savva, Alek happened to be 'residing' within their village since the time of her great grandparents. Many within their tribe believed him to be a fool, but knowing Alek had invested seventy years of his life to keep them safe, Savva, as the daughter of the village Chief, couldn't help respecting and admiring him. At the very least, he took her seriously when she informed him about the prophecy she had received...
Walking along with Alek, Savva couldn't help staring at his profile with a wide-eyed, ostensibly captivated look on her face. He appeared no older than the other boys around her age, but his temperament and the aura of confidence he exuded were in a league of their own. She wasn't the only one who noticed it either. Whereas most newcomers to Wind Port would find it difficult to find their footing, even the most demonic and terrifying individuals gave Alek a very, very wide berth.
Noticing Savva staring at him, Alek returned a friendly smile and asked, "What is it? Did you want to hold hands or something...?"
Though he preferred to keep his hands free at all times, Alex decided to make an exception for Savva, extending his left, non-dominant hand for her to grasp. She was his first girlfriend in more than eighty years, so he didn't mind lowering his guard a bit to make her happy.
Returning a smile of her own, Savva was about to accept Alek's hand when a familiar voice interrupted them, asking, "Oh? Am I interrupting your lovey-dovey couple time...?"
Following the question, a man with short brown hair, large ears, and a distinct, monkey-like nose emerged from a nearby alleyway, a teasing smile on his face as he added, "It's good to be young."
As he had already sensed the man's presence, Alek raised the hand he was offering to Savva, replying, "I see you're still sneaking around, eh, Geese?"
Shrugging his shoulders, the monkey-like man, Geese, replied, "It's easy when everyone's paying attention to the Hero and his follower. Come on; the others are already waiting."
Though he nodded his head in affirmation, Alek said, "We'll be there in a few minutes. I want to walk around for a bit with Savva."
Throwing his hands up in mock helplessness, Geese replied, "Have it your way. Just don't pin the blame on me if Elinalise wanders off before you arrive. With such a wide variety of men available, that woman can't sit still for more than a few minutes without disappearing somewhere."
Understanding the truth contained within Geese's words, Alek's brows briefly furrowed until Savva touched his arm and softly assured him, "It's okay, Alek. Once we've completed our mission, we'll have plenty of time to spend together..."
Regaining his smile, Alek replied, "You're right." before grabbing Savva's hand and adding, "Once this is over and done with, let's return to your village and start a family together. I still have twenty-nine years to slay the behemoth. That's plenty of time to raise a child or two."
Not expecting Alek to basically propose to her, Savva found herself at a loss for words. She was happy, but she also knew that Alex descended from the Immortal Demons. In thirty years, she would be old and nearing the end of her life. Inversely, his appearance probably wouldn't change in the slightest...
Interpreting Savva's silence as her being overwhelmed with surprise and inexpressible glee, Alek exhaled a chuckle and caressed her face, saying, "Don't worry. When your father hears about our accomplishments, there's no way he'll be able to refuse our marriage. You have my word."
Blinking back to awareness, a somewhat wry smile developed across Savva's face as she placed her hand overtop Alek's. Others would jump at the opportunity to have a Hero as a husband, so, even though she felt like it was only a matter of time before Alek got tired of her, she replied, "It's a promise..."
Narrowing his eyes, Alek began to draw his face closer to Savva's until a loud clapping sound interrupted them, accompanied by Geese shouting, "Bravo! Congratulations, you two! To celebrate, let tonight's drinks be on me! Gishishishishi~!"
Though he was a little annoyed by Geese's constant disruptions, Alek maintained his smile as he replied, "I'll hold you to it." Then, with Savva's hand in his own, the trio made their way to the nearby bar where the rest of their Party was waiting...
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"Mou...if those three don't arrive soon, I'm going to leave..."
Standing at 178cm tall and possessing locks of golden hair forming drills that extended past her shapely bottom, Elinalise Dragonroad was a sight to behold. Her modest chest left certain groups feeling disappointed, but the moment she got them alone, even the most fervent breast lover would be singing her praises.
Though he heard his Party member's complaint, the stout and burly Dwarf accompanying her largely ignored her. Instead, he winked at a man nearly twice his size on the opposite side of the bar, smirking when the muscular man visibly trembled.
Following her stout companion's gaze, Elinalise's eyes sparkled as she teased, "Boohoo, it appears you'll be spending another evening drinking alone..."
Snorting through his nose, the burly Dwarf finally turned to Elinalise and replied, "Shove it, you long-eared hag. Once I get a few beers in 'im, he's bound to become more honest with himself."
Instead of taking offense to being called a hag, Elinalise chuckled before crossing her arms and leaning against the table as she asked, "How about we place a bet? If you can convince him to accompany you to your room without getting him blackout drunk, I'll foot the bill for all the alcohol you consume during our stay in the Demon Continent."
Though the grade and quality of the Demon Continent's alcohol left a lot to be desired, there wasn't a Dwarf alive who could resist the temptation of free drinks. Thus, after a very brief moment of consideration, the stout, full-bearded fellow replied, "I accept your challenge." before hopping off his stool and strolling confidently toward his quarry.
As money wasn't a concern for her, Elinalise watched her markedly more diminutive companion with an intrigued smile on her face. They had been traveling together since the Begarrit Continent, and, though it was pretty rare for Dwarves and Elves to get along, they were an exception thanks to their shared 'interests.'
Seeing the Dwarf who had been 'glaring' at him approach, the burly half-demon and his friends promptly stood up, asking, "What's your problem, man? Can't you see we're trying to enjoy our drinks? Piss off...!"
Causing the group of men to tense, the Dwarf reached into his pocket to retrieve a rather sizeable coin purse, declaring, "The name's Tallhand. I'm an A-Rank Adventurer who came to the Demon Continent to experience the sights, sounds, and culture. I've taken a liking to you and your friends. How about the three of you join me in my room later?"
Though they were going to refuse immediately, the trio's eyes widened when Tallhand threw the coin purse onto the table, its contents spilling out to reveal several Asura Gold and Silver.
Hearing Tallhand's proposition, Elinalise slammed the table as she rose to her feet and shouted, "You rock-headed stone fondler! That's foul play...!"
Without batting an eye, Tallhand gestured toward Elinalise with his thumb, adding, "Once I'm finished with you, you can have the tree-hugging harpy console you. Don't let her Noble appearance fool you. Even Succubi can't compete with her in terms of experience."
&nbsp;"You...!"
Though she intended to seduce the trio when Tallhand inevitably failed, Elinalise didn't enjoy being used as leverage to win a bet against herself. She knew Tallhand was shameless, but this was taking things a little too far.
Before the trio of Demons could choose between their dignity and some easy money, the tavern door was kicked open by Geese, shouting, "Order up, everyone! Drinks are on my tonight! We're celebrating the engagement of the North God and his future bride...!"
Hearing Geese shout out 'North God,' the eyes of everyone in the tavern shifted to the entrance, zeroing in on the young couple that had entered behind him. Very few people had met Alek, mainly due to the fact he had spent the last seventy years idling atop a hill, but everyone recognized his black hair, blood-red eyes, and, most notably, the enormous sword on his back.
Though the promise of free drinks was ordinarily enough to draw a crowd and countless cheers, those closest to the exit began to file out as Geese, Alek, and Savva made their way further inside. Even the trio that had been considering Tallhand's proposition made a pretty swift exit, as, even at the lower ranks, North God practitioners invited trouble everywhere they went. Only the brave, foolish, and outright suicidal would dare to accept the generosity of a North God...
As he was pretty used to people running away once they learned of his identity, Alek maintained his usual smile as he joined Elinalise at the bar. The latter was a more than a little annoyed that Alek had scared off all of her prey, but she still managed a smile as there was at least one person even more annoyed.
With an expression that looked like he had swallowed a bug, Tallhand joined the group at the table, groaning, "Wipe that smug look off your face, woman. We both know I was about to win our bet."
Reacting before Elinalise could respond with a teasing remark, Alek's expression revealed his interest as he asked, "Oh? Did the two of you make a bet? What did you wager...?"
Though their nightlife wasn't exactly a secret from Alek, both Elinalise and Tallhand averted their eyes, refusing to meet the youthful-looking Hero's gaze. Fortunately, even though he was ultimately responsible for their bet going south, Geese was there to chime in and state, "Probably something foolish." before holding up his beer and adding, "Cheers to the North God and his future wife...!"
Seizing upon the opportunity to change subjects, Elinalise and Tallhand joined Geese in his toast, shouting, "Cheers!" with a hint of awkwardness in their tones. Even after three months, they still weren't used to being in the same Party as the North God. However, with a payout of 10,000 Asura Gold on the line, they were more than willing to attend Alek on his journey to 'save the world.'
After everyone had clinked their glasses together, followed by a period of loud chugging, Geese exhaled a satisfied sigh and revealed, "According to the information brokers in this area, our target never passed through Wind Port. Fortunately, there are records of a Party calling themselves Einherjar registering at the Port City of Kurasuma. After trading in a bunch of Asura Gold Coins for local currency, they reportedly murdered a group of people in broad daylight before purchasing a six-wheeled carriage and departing for the Gaslow Region. A few days later, enormous storm clouds appeared over the region, raining down a constant stream of lightning that persisted for hours..."
Hearing Geese mention the Gaslow Region, Alek couldn't help reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He knew it was only a matter of time until his Grandmother came searching for him, but he wanted to delay it for as long as possible. Now, it was all but guaranteed that he would have to go directly to her...
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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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Chapter 183: MI183: Denial : Acceptance