Mushoku Impact

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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Though it did not harm them, the Black Knight, Brahm, Azura, and Atena found themselves unable to move, their bodies pinned to the ground and their power deprived by the eight pillars and golden barrier surrounding them. Not even the tendrils covering the Black Knight's body could move, their mass sloughing off her armor and pooling on the ground like viscous, inky-black syrup.
As Ancient Spirits whose bodies were entirely comprised of Mana, Atena and Brahm were the most affected by Zhongli's barrier, the former weakly groaning, "What kind of magic is this? I can't summon any strength..."
Ever eager to enlighten others, Zhongli tapped the barrier with her spear as she explained, "This is the Seal of the Dragon-Queller. In a place and a time far removed from this one, it was used to seal away a mighty dragon who brought ruin to order. It has the power to divest even the mightiest of creatures their strength, gradually soothing them into an eternal, peaceful slumber..."
Mustering what remained of his strength, Brahm stared up at Zhongli and asked, "What do you want from us...?"
Closing her eyes, Zhongli exhaled the faintest of sighs as she replied, "I have already expressed our intentions. We came here at the behest of the Great Demon Empress, Kishirika Kishirisu, to help reclaim her throne. That is, or, at the very least, was the only reason we came here. Now, it would appear we have a bit of a mystery on our hands..."
Directing her gaze to the Black Knight, Zhongli added, "I mentioned this before, but I have no doubt you believe yourself to be Kishirika Kishirisu. There is even a chance you are correct. However, if that is the case, why are you here? As the Great Demon Empress of the Demon Continent, why have you remained hidden for the past four hundred years?"
Maintaining the glare she had been wearing for the past several minutes, Kishirika growled, "I don't owe you an explanation...if you want me to talk to someone, bring the other Kishirika here. If she is who she claims to be, I have questions only she knows the answer to..."
Since she could sense Paul and Kishirika making their way over, Zhongli adopted a friendly smile and replied, "You'll have that opportunity shortly. My Master and his fiancee are already on their way."
Reacting like a cat that just had its tail stepped on, Kishirika asked, "What do you mean, 'fiancee!?' Don't tell me that charlatan went whoring herself out with my appearance!?"
Narrowing her eyes, Zhongli replied, "You've quite the sharp tongue...you would do well to abstain from any improper remarks in the presence of my Master. He might be a very forgiving person, but the same cannot be said of all who serve him..."
Baring her shark-like teeth, the Black Knight was about to ask Zhongli who the hell she thought she was speaking to when the voice of a man echoed through the hall, remarking, "Holy fucking shit, Zhongli. I knew you were a beast, but god damn..."
Turning away from her imprisoned quarries, Zhongli politely bowed as she replied, "As you requested, I have apprehended each of the enemies. Two managed to slip past me and trespass into the throne room, but I believed Lady Beelzebel would be more than capable of dealing with them."
Nodding his head, Paul was about to reveal that he had seen Vashti and Vahka hunkered down in the corner of the throne room, but Kishrika beat him to the punch, asking, "So you're the piece of me that Laplace scraped away, eh? I'll admit, you certainly look the part..."
Repaying Kishirika's smile with a hateful glower, the Black Knight stated, "You don't know what you're talking about...I'm not some experiment like you people claim. I'm 'the' Kishirika Kishirisu! If anyone here is a phony or an experiment, it's you...!"
Instead of refuting her doppelganger's assertion, Kishirika shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Who knows? You may actually be right. However, even if I'm the part that was scraped away, it doesn't change the fact I'm also Kishirika Kishirisu. My memory and ability to resurrect are more than enough evidence of that fact."
Maintaining an angry expression, the Black Knight retorted, "No, they're not..."
Without explaining her reasoning, the Black Knight directed her gaze to Paul and stated, "You must be Paul Greyrat...tell me, why have you allied yourself with a Demon? What do you hope to gain...?"
Shaking his head, Paul asserted, "Though there are some pretty clear differences between our people, I try not to make a distinction between the races that inhabit this world. We're all just doing our best to survive and find happiness. My penultimate goal is to make that easier."
Sensing no falsehoods in Paul's words, the Black Knight was somewhat surprised. Instead of showing it, however, she maintained her glare as she asked, "And who set you upon such a path...?"
Responding before Paul could, Kishirika interjected, saying, "I know what you're thinking, and no, this idiot isn't under that bastard's influence. He is trying to stop him..."
Unable to contain herself, a loud guffaw emanated from the Black Knight's throat. She hadn't sensed any falsehood in Kishirika's words, but that only made her more suspicious.
Ceasing her laughter rather abruptly, the Black Knight appeared agitated as she shouted, "Bullshit! Such a convenient story can't fool me! Not this time...!!!"
Feeling annoyed by the Black Knight's behavior, Kishirika frowned deeply as she remarked, "You've clearly gone off the deep end...tell me, what did that bastard Laplace do to break you to this extent...?"
Becoming even more incensed, the Black Knight appeared both excited and infuriated as she retorted, "Hear that!? The real me would never say such a thing! Laplace was one of my guardians, the man who taught me how to use Magic and develop my Demon Eyes! I would never call him a bastard...!"
Crossing her arms in defiance, Kishirika replied, "The person who taught me Magic was the Second Generation Dragon God, not the usurper who referred to himself as the Demon God. Even if they were initially the same person, Demon God Laplace was a monster who treated friends and foes alike as little more than experimental test subjects. He was-"
With an expression rivaling a banshee or some kind of possessed spirit, the Black Knight stared daggers into Kishirika as she growled, "You. Know. Nothing..."
Seemingly finished with the discussion, the Black Knight stopped resisting the influence of Zhongli's seal, resting her forehead against the floor. She still had a lot she wanted to ask, but she needed to organize her thoughts and calm her anger. Seeing a version of herself staring down at her wasn't making her any calmer...
Seeing the Black Knight set her head down, Kishrika snorted through her nose in frustration. She was willing to work with the Black Knight to reveal the truth, but it was apparent the feeling wasn't mutual.
Turning to Zhongli, Kishirika questioned, "How long will this seal last? And can you take people out of it...?"
Lowering her head ever so slightly, Zhongli calmly replied, "So long as it is not broken or undone, it will last indefinitely. As for extracting people from within...it's not impossible..."
Nodding her head in approval, Kishirika remarked, "Good." before turning her attention to the group trapped within the seal and stating, "There are two ways this can go. You can remain obstinant and become a permanent fixture of the Great Hall, or you can cooperate and help us uncover the truth. Either way, I'll be taking back my throne."
As the trials of the Guardians could be completed by defeating them in combat, Kishirika was confident she could convince Fayde to activate the crystals remotely. The Black Knight was aware of this, so, after clenching her teeth hard enough to bleed her gums, she raised her head and asked, "Why do you want to 'reclaim' the throne? If we were truly the same, you would understand the futility of such actions..."
Maintaining her cross-armed posture, Kishirika adopted a broad smile as she replied, "I understand your reluctance, but I guarantee you'll change your mind once you learn about my&mdash;make that 'our' husband's power. He might look like an idiot, but he's pretty reliable when he wants to be. Even Atofe has recognized him."
Hearing Kishirika mention the name of her best friend and refer to Paul as 'their' husband, the Black Knight's expression became dismal. Paul wasn't hard on the eyes, but unions between humans and demons invariably led to tragedy...
Understanding her counterpart's thoughts, Kishirika smiled even wider as she teased, "I can't wait to see the look on your face when you realize I'm telling the truth. It's going to be priceless."
Snorting through her nose, the Black Knight retorted, "Bite me..." before directing her gaze to Paul and stating, "Release me from this seal. I vow that neither I nor the Guardians will attack you..."
Catching the Black Knight somewhat off guard, Paul immediately replied, "Sure thing." before directing his attention to Zhongli and giving her a nod of approval. He knew that a proper discussion would be difficult when one party struggled to raise their faces from the ground, so he had planned to release the seal from the beginning.
Though she maintained her typical smile, a faintly exasperated sigh arose from Zhongli's throat as she replied, "As you will..."
Raising her hand to the golden barrier, Zhongli did her best to reabsorb as much of the contained Geo Energy as possible. She wouldn't be the God of Contracts if she implicitly trusted others, so she needed to be prepared for a potential counterattack.
Fortunately for Zhongli, Demons had always been a race that recognized and befriended others through conflict, so the Black Knight responded to her newfound freedom by sitting with her legs crossed and removing her helmet. Brahm and Azura emulated her actions, but Atena quickly shot to her feet and declared, "I'm returning to my room...!" before attempting to storm off in a huff.
Since there was no reason to keep Atena around, Kishirika shouted, "You better activate your crystal before disappearing or sleeping! If we have to come looking for you, you'll regret it...!"
Without turning around, Atena raised her hands to give Kishirika a double middle finger. She was annoyed that her first fight in hundreds of years resulted in her being toyed with by a Spirit she didn't even recognize, so, while she would eventually activate her crystal, she intended to sulk and take a bath first.
Shaking her head in mock exasperation, Kishirika muttered, "Some things never change..." before imitating the Black Knight and taking a seat on the ground. Paul followed suit and what followed was a long discussion about his history, powers, and, most importantly, his intentions for a world post-Hitogami...
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As Geese's report neared its end, Alek responded with a curt nod before asking the question that had been lingering at the back of his mind since their arrival, specifically, "Where's Rynka? Wasn't this supposed to be a meeting of our entire Party?"
Maintaining his characteristically sly smile, Geese replied, "You know how members of the Beast Race can be. She likely smelled something good or went searching for a strong opponent. We are nearing that time of year..."
Understanding what Geese was referring to, a wry smile replaced Alek's usually confident grin as he responded with a faint, "Ah...well, so long as she's back by sunrise, I suppose it's fine..."
Seizing hold of Alek's remark, Elinalise appended, "On that note, I should be searching for my bed companion. Congratulations on the engagement, you two. You make an adorable couple."
Without waiting for a response, Elinalise turned around and made for the exit of the tavern. Tallhand quickly followed suit after giving an excuse of his own, so, despite being an evening of celebration, Alek, Savva, Geese, and the barkeep were the only people remaining at the bar. This made the barkeep more than a little annoyed, but knowing the 'youth' sitting across from him was the infamous North God, he remained silent and didn't even think to voice his complaints...
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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...
...
..
.

Chapter 184: MI184: Hero's Party