Mushoku Impact

After retreating to a wasteland located a few dozen kilometers away from Wind Port, Atofe stopped to take stock of her surroundings, noting, "This ought to be far enough from any major population zones..."
Having used the same wasteland several times in the past, Atofe couldn't help smiling as she looked around at several familiar markings, the legacy of battles both ancient and modern. Then, as a countermeasure against Alek's Gravity Magic, she began stripping off the pieces of her armor until she was left with nothing but a leotard-like undertunic.
Assuming she had a bit of time to kill before Alek's arrival, Atofe started performing a series of exercises known as calisthenics, a creation of her late husband. Such routines were useless for a member of the Immortal Demon Tribe, but they helped Atofe get in the proper 'groove' for a good fight. After all, with the most recent exception of Ei, the only person who could get her blood boiling was her husband. Paul was getting there, but he would need to defeat her in single combat before she admitted it...
Noticing his Grandmother performing a very familiar routine, Alek elected not to sneak attack her. Instead, he touched down just ten meters away, his expression unchanging as he observed her with an unblinking, almost statuesque smile.
Though she noticed Alek landing behind her, Atofe only acknowledged him towards the end of her workout, asking, "Why have you returned to the Demon Continent? Weren't you supposed to be in isolation until the resurrection of Laplace?"
Since he hadn't come to the Demon Continent seeking revenge for the way Atofe treated him in the past, Alek maintained his usual smile as he confidently replied, "I have it on good authority that a great disaster will occur if Paul Greyrat is allowed to continue pursuing his ambitions. If you know where I can find him, please tell me."
Crossing her arms in defiance, Atofe remarked, "I know you're an idiot, but have you gone soft in the head? Since when do Heroes hunt people down based on acts they 'might' commit? Sounds to me like you're being fooled into doing someone else's dirty work."
Furrowing his brows, Alek was going to refute his Grandmother's words but stopped himself. Seventy years of pseudo-isolation had given him a lot of time to think about the type of Hero he wanted to be, and it wasn't the type that pursued people for crimes they had yet to commit.
Surprised by Alek's clear introspection, Atofe blinked several times and remarked, "Well, would you look at that. Someone's come a long way. A few decades ago, you would have argued with everything I said..."
Regaining his smile, Alek mused, "Well, I am 75% human. My aging may have slowed to a crawl, but I'm constantly changing and adapting to my surroundings."
Adopting a smile of her own, Atofe nodded her head in approval, saying, "That's great to hear, Alek. Still, if my previous words weren't enough to convince you, consider this. Unless they were somehow made aware of the cataclysm in advance, who do you think humans would hold in higher esteem? The Hero who stopped a prophesied catastrophe from occurring or the Hero who defeated the person responsible? Humans have trouble caring about things they can't see or experience directly. Defeating Paul Greyrat right this instant might make you a Hero, but the only people who would care are those who stand to profit from his death."
Lowering his gaze slightly, Alek appeared to be considering Atofe's words before responding, "You make a good point...however..."
Pointing the forked tip of his sword at Atofe, Alek's usual smile revealed a hint of wryness as he revealed, "I promised the woman I love that I would defeat Paul Greyrat and prevent the devastation his actions would induce. Doing so may not increase my standing as a Hero, but I'm supposed to be in training until the resurrection of Laplace. I can afford to eliminate a few brigands and murderers without seeking glory."
Extending her hand towards her own sword, Atofe's aura began to swell as she developed a vicious smile and said, "I take back my earlier praise. You're still an idiot..."
Exhaling a light-hearted chuckle, Alek's aura increased to rival Atofe's as he playfully replied, "Well, I am your Grandson..."
...
..
.
After transferring most of his power and authority to the twin Demon Empresses, the only notable permissions Paul had left were the right to move freely throughout the castle and the right to have Fayde teleport him to and from Fort Necross. He technically had the status of a Demon Emperor, but as he had no intention of making such information public, it was useless to him.
With Paul keeping his word, rather than taking advantage of his status to order them around, the first thing Kishirika and Kishirisu did following the transfer of power was drag him off to 'commemorate' their tripartite union. He initially suggested they return to Fort Necross to ease the concerns of those left behind, but the duo promptly vetoed his suggestion and 'forced' him into a six-hour session of lovemaking.
Though he had participated in several threesomes in the past, Paul got to experience just how demonic the two Kishirikas could be as they worked together to tease and 'antagonize' him into being a lot more forceful than usual. He had to put his foot down when Kishirisu retrieved a strap-on and attempted to peg him, but he didn't mind tying the two up and testing out their rather extensive collection of bondage equipment.&nbsp;
Like many long-lived Demons, Kishirika and Kishrisu had distorted views on what constituted 'excessive' play. In the ancient past, long before her original death, Kishirika was even worse than the most perverse members of the Asuran Nobility. She had avoided killing anyone, but the number of people she had 'broken' exceeded a thousand.
As fate would have it, one of the people Kishirika ended up breaking was the childhood sweetheart of Ars, a transmigrator that had appeared in the world of Mushoku Tensei alongside twenty-eight similarly aged teens and a single adult. The group's appearance had caused quite the stir, not only because they were the first of their kind but because each and every one of them possessed a unique power.
Hearing this while nestled between the two naked beauties, Paul couldn't help remarking, "Sounds like an entire class got transported at the same time..."
Feeling absentminded after blowing his load dozens of times, Paul didn't register that he had basically admitted to being an otherworlder until the two Demonesses narrowed their eyes at him, Kishirisu responding, "That's right. They claimed to be a teacher and students of Kokusai High School, a purportedly famous academy from their homeland of Tokyo, Japan..."
Regaining his mental clarity, Paul's smile visibly cramped as he found his new wives boring into him with their stares. He knew Kishirika had always suspected him of being from another world, but she had never pressured him for details since he bore this world's 'imprint.'&nbsp;
Realizing he had backed himself into a corner, Paul was about to reveal the truth when Kishirika abruptly said, "It doesn't matter where you came from. So long as you're able to defeat Hitogami, I couldn't care less about the specifics. Now, where were we...?"
Though she 'was' interested in Paul's origins, Kishirisu ultimately decided to play off of Kishirika's words, responding, "Our inquisitive little husband here was asking us how we came to be so 'proficient' with the use of our tools. I believe we were about to tell him how our 'coincidental' encounter with Ars' sweetheart eventually led to our downfall...?"
"Ah, I believe you are correct, my contemporaneous coequal! We really must be cut from the same cloth for you to be this astute. Kishishishi~!"
Rolling her eyes, Kishirisu decided to continue the story, revealing, "We initially only had a mild interest in Ars and his group. However, after a few months had passed, they started attacking our borders and accusing our people of stealing land and resources. We attempted to reason with them, but it wasn't long before things escalated to an all-out war. It wasn't until much later that we found out the reason..."
Sharing the same memories, Kishirika exhaled a sigh as she rested her head against Paul and muttered, "We can't say for sure if he was the one responsible, but someone told Ars and his classmates that the only way to return to their world was to defeat us. We attempted to end the conflict by offering to help them figure out a way to return, but it was already too late. Nearly half of Ars's classmates had lost their lives during the conflict, and, though we didn't know it at the time, one of the slaves we purchased to relieve stress ended up being the girl he had a crush on..."
As if they had rehearsed the same script, Kishirisu seamlessly followed Kishirika's account by stating, "Once we were finished with her, we asked Badi to deliver Ars's beloved to one of our battalions near the frontline. A soldier's life can be pretty stressful, never knowing when they might die, so slaves and captured prisoners were commonly sent to the frontlines as stress relief..."
Noticing the frown on Paul's face, Kishirika interrupted Kishirisu's account, expressing, "War is a terrifying and horrendous ordeal, Paul. Even more so when one side refuses to even consider an accord. I'm not going to argue that we did nothing wrong; we most certainly did. However, until you have experienced the horrors of war for yourself, you can't judge the actions of those forced into it. You could attempt to, but you would just be spewing platitudes from a position of ignorance, likely backed by a very privileged upbringing."
Though he couldn't agree with Kishirika's words on principle, Paul didn't attempt to argue against them. Even with two lives under his belt, he only had forty-one years of experience under his belt. Compared to Kishirika's ten thousand years, he still had a long way to go...
Amused by equally approving of Paul's clearly reluctant silence, Kishirika adopted her characteristic grin as she remarked, "That's one of the things I love about you. You have an overdeveloped sense of righteousness, but you at least try to see things from the perspectives of others. Not a lot of people can say the same, Demon or otherwise..."
Nodding her head in agreement, Kishirius appended, "Kishirika is correct. Had you the ambition and means, you would make an excellent ruler...not just of Demonkind, but all races..."
Forcing a smile, Paul replied, "We'll see. For now, I'm more concerned with increasing my strength, protecting the people I care about, and voyaging across the world. I'll only consider becoming a King or Emperor 'after' I've attained their equivalent Rank in swordsmanship..."
Since they were content with Paul just seeking Hitogami's death, neither Kishirika nor Kishirisu tried to argue with him. Instead, the duo exchanged glances before adopting near-identical smiles. Then, without the need for words, they simultaneously lowered their hands toward Paul's semi-erect penis, Kishirisu musing, "It's a little too late for that. You might not care to announce it, but you're already an Emperor."
Drawing her lips closer to Paul's ear, Kishirika added, "She's right...now that we have consummated our relationship, you'll forever be the husband of two Demon Empresses. You can run away, play envoy to some King, or even establish your own nation, but you can never escape the reality that you're the first and only Great Demon Emperor..."
Exhaling an exasperated yet slightly heated sigh, Paul briefly pondered how his decisions had led to him serving as the meat of a Demon Empress sandwich. Less than three seconds later, he had the duo's breasts in his palms, trading kisses with them as they worked together to motivate his not-so-little brother for another session of intense lovemaking...
...
..
.

Though his attacks created gravitational vortexes that ripped through the land like natural disasters, it wasn't long before Alek found himself on the backfoot against his Grandmother, Atofe. They were about equal in terms of skill and swordsmanship, astonishing Atofe quite a bit, but the disparity in their respective strength and regenerative capabilities gave her a near-absolute advantage.
As a descendant of the Immortal Demon Tribe, Alek could regenerate from virtually any injury, even having his head or heart crushed. However, while this ability was greatly envied in human societies, so much so that he had nearly been forced to become a stag, it was nothing compared to his Grandmother's regeneration. Where it took him days to recover from missing limbs and other severe injuries, Atofe took mere seconds.
After being beaten to the point that most of his armor and equipment had been destroyed, leaving him in little more than a pair of tattered pants and chausses, Alek stared blankly up at the breathtakingly beautiful night sky and remarked, "I still have a long way to go..."
Staring down at her grandson in his personalized crater, Atofe, standing proudly despite the face she was completely naked, replied, "Don't beat yourself up too much. Your father, that brat of mine, struggled to make a name for himself until he was close to two hundred years old. You've got plenty of time to surpass him."
Closing his eyes, Alek exhaled a sigh before sitting up and asking, "Can you hand me my arms? I surrender."
Though he could fight without arms, manipulating his sword with just his mind, the amount of focus it required reduced Alek's capabilities by more than 90%. He also felt uncomfortable seeing his relative's boobs bouncing around whenever they traded blows, so his motivation had dwindled quite a bit since the start of the fight.
Nodding her head, Atofe replied, "Sure." before 'extending' her arm nearly fifteen meters to retrieve Alek's left arm. Without her heavy black armor to obstruct her, she could freely stretch, bend, and contort her body in ways that others couldn't hope to emulate.
Tossing Alek his arm, Atofe took the liberty to state, "Listen, Alek. I'm not sure what you heard about Paul Greyrat, but he isn't the type to cause a disaster. If anything, he would do everything in his power to prevent it..."
While holding his tattered arm up to his stump, waiting for this flesh to mend together, Alek asked, "What do you mean...?" with a confused look on his face.
Adopting a marginally more serious expression, Atofe revealed, "That brat is currently under my 'care.' I've gotten to know him well these past three months, and, while he isn't without flaws, he's similar to your Grandfather. He genuinely cares about this world and its people, regardless of whether they're human, demon, or any other race. Also..."
Directing her gaze toward the North, Atofe's expression softened as she added, "If he possessed half the ambitions others have accused him of, he would already be the King of Asura. You know I'm incapable of lying, so believe me when I say that Paul Greyrat possesses more than enough power and authority to conquer any Kingdom. Instead, he chooses to do his best 'within' the current system, willfully bowing his head to others in order to preserve the lives of the innocent..."
Having spent ten years in Atofe's 'care,' Alek didn't doubt the veracity of his Grandmother's words. One of the core tenets of Demon society was that the strong had no need for lies and deceit, so, as the most powerful Demon Lord in existence, Atofe was well known for her honesty.&nbsp;
Lowering his head, Alek responded with a faint, "I see..." as he weakly balled his hand into a fist. He didn't doubt that his Grandmother was telling the truth, but Savva had already informed him of Paul's ability to 'control and manipulate' the minds of others. The thought that his family was being manipulated caused an intense flame to burn in his eyes, but he managed to suppress it by the time he raised his head, smiling as he said, "Then I'll pull back for the time being. However, should a calamity occur in the future, I will hunt him down like a dog. At that time, please do not stand in my way..."
Shrugging her shoulders, Atofe replied, "Do what you want. I've told you this before, but you should never be afraid to follow your heart. It might lead you astray at times, but so long as you pick yourself up and attempt to do better, you'll eventually reach your goals."
Extending her hand, Atofe helped Alek to his feet before turning around and spreading her wings. Before she flew off, however, she half-turned to face her grandson, advising, "If you're serious about opposing Paul in the future, you should voyage to the Dungeon at the center of the Ringus Sea. It would be best if you also recruited powerful allies, preferably others at the level of a God..."
Surprised by his Grandmother's advice, Alek questioned, "Didn't you just say he cares about the people of this world? Why would I need to gather allies...unless...?"
Rolling her eyes, Atofe turned away from Alek and stated, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, you wouldn't even be able to touch Laplace at your current level. You would just get yourself and your allies killed. So, instead of getting involved in the affairs of nations that have nothing to do with you, focus on increasing your strength...understood?"
Having just been defeated, Alek decided to take his Grandmother's advice very seriously. The current Atofe wasn't even half as powerful as she was during the Laplace War. Her body had literally been split in two, half being sealed away by the Church of Milis, so he still had a ways to go before he could be considered the equal of the original North God, his Grandfather...
Lowering his head respectfully, Alek replied, "Thanks for the advice. I'll be sure to follow it..."
Without turning around, Atofe gave a curt nod before spreading her wings and taking off like a rocket. She had planned to talk Alek with her, sealing him away in the Dungeon beneath the fortress, but their battle had given her the idea of using him, either as insurance or to test Paul's growth. This likely played into the hands of the shitbag behind the scenes, but if it was indeed Paul's destiny to defeat Hitogami, it didn't matter if she positioned a few obstacles in his way. If anything, it would make him stronger...
...
..
.
Feeling fatigued despite his usually inexhaustible stamina, Paul allowed himself to float around listlessly while everyone else conversed nearby, enjoying the pool-sized bath.
Observing Paul from a distance, Kishirika and Kishirisu had amused smiles despite conversing with Zhongli about the castle's management. It would be some time before they announced their return to power, but that didn't mean they could afford to sit around idly. Well, they could, but only if they permitted others to act in their stead.
With Ningguang being preoccupied with her goal of founding a nation, she couldn't afford to micromanage the affairs of the Demon Continent. Trade was one thing, but even that would take years to set up due to both sides lacking the infrastructure to support a large-scale operation.
Fortunately for Ningguang, not that she was present to hear it, neither Kishirika nor Kishirisu had the expectation that someone else would solve their nation's problems. More importantly, there was no real point in trying to prosper before the defeat of Hitogami. It would just give power-hungry individuals on both sides an excuse to instigate a war.
Instead of asking for help rebuilding their nation, Kishirika and Kishirisu decided to focus on gathering resources and continuing specific avenues of Laplace's research. They would permit Ningguang to establish trade routes, but her side would be personally responsible for negotiating terms and defending their flotillas. If a war were to break out as a result of her actions, Demonkind would not participate in it, at least not in any 'official' capacity.
Simply put, Kishirika and Kishirisu had no intention of making any 'overt' actions until Hitogami had been defeated. They had learned the hard way that Hitogami would not permit any race other than humans to prosper, so while they intended to support Paul, their cooperation would be limited to supplying their essence and knowledge.
Though the terms laid out by the two Demon Empresses burdened Paul's side with supplying enough resources to rebuild an entire nation, Zhongli agreed on Ningguang's behalf. Four hundred years prior, Demonkind had helped humanity rebuild, and the only thing they received in return was a knife to the back. Many still remembered those days, so if Paul wished to unify the world, humanity or, more accurately, Ningguang would need to make concessions with each of the sovereign races.
Humans were responsible for destroying the trust of the other races, so humanity needed to be the ones to fix it. Personal interest and profits be damned...
As Kishirika, Kishirisu, and Zhongli were nearing the end of their not-so-casual conversation, Paul rose to a seated position and said, "We should pick up Shenhe and Yunyun and return to Fort Necross. I'm worried about the others."
Piggybacking Paul's words, Kishirika playfully teased, "You worry about everything." However, as she understood that Badi was likely on his way to investigate her loss of virginity, she also suggested, "Just have Fayde send you over. Now that you're the owner of this castle, you can order her to teleport you around or ask her to bring others to you. If she complains, just remind her she spent the last four hundred years sitting on her scaley ass."
As per usual, Fayde immediately appeared in response to Kishirika's brash remarks, an unamused expression on her face as she growled, "You're one to talk..."
Shifting her attention to Paul, Fayde made no attempts to hide her gaze, sizing him up with her peculiar blue and pink eyes as she asked, "Would Master like me to teleport him to Fort Necross. After you've donned some clothing, of course..."
Having bathed with countless, well, more like forty different women, Paul ignored Fayde's wayward gaze and replied, "I would appreciate it." before looking to Ei and Yae. The moment he did, the duo immediately rose from the bath, the former affirming, "I will accompany you," while the latter just giggled in amusement.
Nodding his head in approval, Paul moved to exit the bath when Kishirika suggested, "You should move those girls from Fort Necross to here. Until Badi has been dealt with, everyone you care about is in extreme danger. I wouldn't be surprised if the shitbag behind the scenes has already taken measures to manipulate him."
Though they felt a little sorry for Badi, Kishirika and Kishirisu had already decided it was best if he was sealed away. They didn't understand why, but even though Badi warned others not to trust Hitogami, the six-armed oaf regarded the false God as a friend. He was also incomparably petty, so much so that the twin Empresses could imagine him tracking down and forcing himself on every woman Paul had ever slept with, just to spite him.
Having already been warned about Badigadi multiple times, Paul nodded his head and replied, "I intend to do precisely that. Just don't go treating them like servants or attendants. The two of you might be my wives, but I'll take it personally if you try to bully or harass the people I care about..."
Rolling their eyes in nearly the same manner, Kishirika and Kishirisu briefly exchanged eye contact before the latter said, "We'll treat them well if they treat us well. However, so long as you're within this castle, you must share a bed with us before anyone else. You can invite others to accompany us; just make sure they know what to expect..."
Understanding that Kishirisu was referring to her 'collection,' Paul forced a wry smile as he replied, "I'll keep that in mind..."
...
..
.

"This isn't what I had in mind..."
"Oh, hush. It's not like we're asking you to lead or govern anyone. This is just a measure to prevent unnecessary disputes."
After discussing the matter amongst themselves, Kishirika and the Black Knight, now referred to as Kishirisu, decided to have Paul be the one to claim ownership of the throne. This would effectively make him the ruler of the Demon Continent, but, as he had no desire to rule over others, his power and authority would be split between the two Demon Empresses.
As one of the gems representing their parent crystals came to life, Paul found his vision abruptly obscured by what could best be described as a pale blue holographic display. The left side displayed a three-dimensional map of the castle, most of which was currently darkened. As for the right, it was presumably some kind of menu, but the symbols were significantly more archaic than the Demon Language he was familiar with.
Seeing the display appear, Kishirisu explained, "That's the Administrative Console. Once the other five crystals have been activated, we'll summon Fayde to have her transfer ownership of the castle to you. She'll need to draw your blood, so don't be surprised when she asks for your finger."
Adding to her counterpart's words, Kishirika teased, "You'll be her Master from that moment onward. Make sure to order her around and bully her as much as possible. She has a sadistic side to her, but she's a pervert and a masochist at heart."
Manifesting out of thin air, Fayde appeared unamused as she narrowed her eyes and growled, "You slanderous imp..."
Though she was unsurprised by Fayde's arrival, Kishirika snickered before asking, "What are you doing here? It'll probably be another hour before all the crystals are activated."
Crossing her arms, Fayde adopted an ostensibly defiant posture as she replied, "Activating the crystals is just a formality at this point. Since that female Spirit was able to defeat the Six Guardians, her Master is entitled to claim ownership of the castle."
Directing her peculiar red and blue eyes to Paul, Fayde asked, "What will you do? If you'd prefer, I can recognize you as this castle's Master right this instant..."
Instead of responding to Fayde's proposal, Paul looked to Kishirika and Kishirisu for their counsel. In response, the two Demonesses exchanged glances with one another before looking back at him, Kishirika being the one to suggest, "Just do whatever you want."
Having received similar advice countless times, a wry smile briefly developed across Paul's face before he looked to Fayde with a more serious expression and said, "Might as well..."
Since Kishrisu had mentioned Fayde asking for his hand, Paul extended his left hand towards the Draconic beauty. As he did, Fayde performed a rather unique curtsy, stooping her body low and gracefully spreading her wings before rising to her full height, approaching the base of the throne, and taking a knee. Then, after taking Paul's hand into her own, she gently caressed it with her fierce-looking talons before drawing his ring finger to her mouth and closing her moist, lapis lazuli lips around it.
Though he felt a sudden and literal biting pain, Paul didn't flinch as Fayde held his gaze and sucked his blood. He had the impression she was trying to seduce him, but after gaining twin Empresses as wives, he wasn't really in the mood to sink his teeth into another woman.
Sensing that Paul was only marginally aroused, Fayde turned her eyes up at him before releasing his finger with a glimmer of reluctance. She wasn't genuinely disappointed, but that didn't prevent her from staring at the bite mark around his finger and muttering, "So this is the taste of a Hero...a girl could get addicted..."
Extending her inordinately long, slightly pointed tongue, Fayde attempted to trace Paul's finger when Kishirika and Kishirisu abruptly grabbed her by the horns, the latter growling, "That's quite enough out of you!"
Clicking her tongue, Fayde disappeared into a collapsing ball of sparkling blue and black smoke before reappearing a few meters away and saying, "The process is complete. Congratulations, Master. You are now the ruler of Kishirika Castle. I suggest renaming it as soon as possible..."
"You...!" x2
As he was not unaccustomed to positions of authority, Paul raised his hand in a silencing gesture, interrupting Kishirika and Kishirisu before they could lay into Fayde. The latter smiled in amusement at this, at least until Paul said, "Your recommendation has been noted. Now, please excuse us. My wives and I have important matters to discuss."
Though she was a little annoyed by Paul's prompt dismissal, Fayde bowed low and replied, "As you will, Master..." before disappearing just as quickly as she had arrived.
Seeing Fayde disappear, a broad smile developed across Kishirika's face while Kishirisu nodded her head in approval. The two were nearly identical in terms of appearance, but their character and disposition were the exact opposite. At least on the 'surface.'
As if they were mirroring each others' movements, Kishirika and Kishirisu looked toward Paul, the former asking, "What 'important matters' did you want to discuss?" in an overtly alluring tone.
Disregarding Kishirika's temptation, Paul asked, "How do I transfer power and authority? I can't even...huh...?"
Though he hadn't noticed at first, the text of the Administrative Console had updated the moment Paul was granted ownership of the castle. He would still benefit from the duo's assistance, but the text on display was now a modern variation of the Human Language.
Joining Paul atop 'his' throne, Kishirika pointed to a menu icon that said Permissions and Constraints, advising, "Tap this with your finger or focus your intent as if you were attempting to use Magic. It will bring up a list of everyone present within the castle, their status, and their location. If you then tap on their name or icon, you can do things like designating official ranks and titles, managing which teleporters they're allowed to use, and where they're able to travel within the castle."
Sitting on the opposite side of Paul, Kishirisu appended, "You can also create new ranks and define who has power over whom. Each of the 72 families comprising the Demon Aristocracy has sworn their allegiance to the throne. Various factions have formed over the years, but the final say in any matter falls to whoever occupies this seat..."
Raising his brows, Paul asked, "Seventy-two? From what I've read, there should only be around thirty-six families of Demon Nobles. Did the rest die off...?"
Reacting in nearly the same manner, Kishirika and Kishirisu frowned as the latter answered, "They didn't simply 'die off.' They fell victim to the machinations of humanity, the Milis Church, and the bastard controlling them..."
Realizing he had said something pretty insensitive, Paul responded with a curt, "Sorry..." before tapping on the icon pointed out by Kishirika. He was surprised to learn that the 'hologram' had a texture akin to a stone pulled from a river, but he barely had enough time to process that fact as the left and right displays promptly split open to create a third, much larger panel between them.
Breaking Paul from his stupor, Kishirika pointed to a list of names that had appeared on the right side of the central panel, remarking, "Check it out. There are two Kishirika Kishirisus. I'm curious which of us is higher on the list. Hurry up and click one of them."
Though he wasn't sure it was a good idea, Paul clicked on the name listed just under his own. As he did, a profile page showed up, complete with a picture, statistics such as date of birth, height, weight, and, most notably, biographical information that included a list of feats, allocated territories, and other essential details.
While it was impossible to know which Kishirika was being displayed in the profile picture, things became more apparent when the map on the left display zoomed in to show a blinking icon on Paul's right, the place where Kishirisu was seated.
Adopting a shark-toothed smile nearly identical to Kishirika's, Kishirisu confidently proclaimed, "I knew I was the original. Laplace would never have discarded or mistreated me. His memories and personality might have been distorted due to Hitogami's actions, but he always did his best to keep me safe."
"..."
Feeling more than a little annoyed, Kishirika crossed her arms in defiance. However, instead of saying anything, she sat with a serious expression on her face and waited for Paul to click her name.
Understanding what Kishirika wanted, Paul clicked on her name to find a near-identical profile image and statistics. It wasn't until he looked at the biographical information that things changed rather drastically. Instead of a history of feats and accomplishments, there were a series of journal-like entries, each signed and date stamped by Laplace.
Borrowing a phrase from Paul's lexicon, Kishirika groaned, "Fuck my life..." as she reached up to massage her forehead. She had suspected that she might be the experiment, but that didn't make things easier. It didn't help that Kishirisu was smiling so broadly that even her wisdom teeth were on display...
In an attempt to ease tensions, Paul adopted a firm expression and tone as he declared, "It doesn't matter which of you is the original. You are two parts of the same entity. Until we can learn the specifics surrounding your separation, we shouldn't jump to conclusions."
Though she 'really' wanted to lord her status as the original over Kishirika, Kishirisu ultimately agreed to Paul's suggestion. Laplace had neglected to inform her about Kishirika's creation, so she was willing to remain patient until they could uncover the truth. There was a good chance that Kishirika was a literal part of her, so she would be bullying herself by talking down to her.
With the two violet-haired Demonesses leaning into him to get a better view, Paul began reading the memoirs left behind by Laplace. What they found left all three of them speechless, as, while it could be construed as proof that Kishirika was the result of his experimentation, the person who was experimented on was Kishirisu herself. There were also a number of apologies addressed to both girls, but the most notable apology came at the very end...
"I pray that neither of you ever discovers the truth of what I have done. However, to protect the lineage of the Demon God, sacrifices must be made. If the being impersonating the Human God is ever able to break free from his prison, the first thing he will attempt is to recover the Divine Gems that grant authority over the Six Worlds. If he is successful, he will truly become the 'One and Only God.' That cannot be allowed to happen, no matter the cost."
Though they had finished reading long before Paul, Kishirika and Kishirisu remained silent until he raised his eyes from the display. Once he had, the duo exchanged glances before Kishirisu muttered, "It always comes back to that bastard..."
Nodding her head, Kishirika appended, "So long as he remains the only God, that will never change..."
Directing their gazes to Paul, Kishirika and Kishirisu left him feeling a little nervous as their eyes bored into him. He almost suspected that they were about to suggest turning him into a God. Instead, Kishirisu proposed, "We need to pour through Laplace's notes and find as much information as we can about these 'Divine Gems.' If they are the key to Hitogami becoming the One True God, we might be able to use them against him."
Piggybacking her counterpart's words, Kishirika added, "If not, we should find a way to destroy them. That bastard cannot be allowed to succeed..."
As they would rather see the world destroyed than become Hitogami's playground, Kishirika and Kishirisu 'glared' at Paul as if they were willing him to agree. Fortunately, he had already made up his mind on the matter long before meeting them, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, he said, "Let's fuck that bitch up..."
...
..
.

Chapter 188: MI188: Collision : Reflection