Mushoku Impact

"Is this really necessary?"
After dropping Klee off and returning to his room, Paul was stopped at the door and asked to put on a thick blindfold. He no longer had access to his X-Ray Vision, so donning the piece of fabric would leave him functionally blind.
Maintaining her usual, businesslike smile, Ningguang replied, "The show we put on earlier was supposed to be the evening's entertainment. Since you've already witnessed what we had prepared, we had to come up with something else to surprise you."
Though he smiled wryly, Paul handed the blindfold to Ganyu and allowed her to put it on him. Afterward, he allowed the duo led him into the room by hand while Lilia followed close behind.
As a pleasant smell pervaded Paul's senses, Ningguang took the initiative to explain, "Since your senses are sharper than the average person, we've developed a game, especially for you. Your goal is to find each of the girls stationed around the room. Once you find one, you have thirty seconds to guess their identity. They have been instructed not to speak, but you are permitted to use any method to ascertain their identities. Once the game has concluded, you will be rewarded according to your rate of success..."
Leading Paul to his first target, Ningguang guided his hand to someone's shoulder and purred, "Good luck..." directly into his ear. Her voice caused goosebumps to develop across his body, but he quickly shifted his focus to the unseen beauty moving about in response to his touch.
After ascertaining that the woman was facing him, Paul adopted a smile and said, "Pardon me..." before wrapping his arms around her. He didn't think he would be able to identify her using just a hug, but the image of an ice-cold beauty immediately entered his mind when he felt the firmness of her lithe and shapely body.
Just to be safe, Paul moved his hands from the woman's lower back to her perfectly sculpted bottom, gently squeezing it as he declared, "If this isn't Eula, I'll eat my own foot..."
Though she was relieved that Paul was able to determine her identity so quickly, Eula couldn't help frowning as she flatly remarked, "You're going to make me self-conscious about my hindquarters..."
Returning a cheeky smile, Paul retorted, "You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Your ass is amazing..."
Disregarding the fact Paul was wearing a blindfold, Eula averted her eyes and muttered, "Fool..." under her breath. However, before pushing Paul away and insisting he move on to someone else, she briefly reciprocated his embrace and placed her head against his chest.
With Ningguang moving away to take up her own position, Paul was left to feel and smell his way around his oversized bedroom. Fortunately, it didn't take him long to detect an aroma distinct from Eula's, a thick, earthy scent that immediately reminded him of a specific person.
Confirming his suspicions, Paul felt around before he made contact with a figure even taller than himself. He immediately knew who the woman was, but went out of his way to squeeze her firm and muscular buttocks before touching her tail and declaring, "Unless Lynette spontaneously grew thirty centimeters and developed a six-pack, this is definitely Ghislaine..."
With a somewhat smug expression on her face, Ghislaine replied, "That's right." before wrapping her muscular arms around Paul and squeezing him with enough strength to pop his back. She was nowhere near as jacked as her anime counterpart, but she was the tallest and most muscular woman Paul associated with. As a result, Paul often felt she was more of a lioness than a traditional cat girl...
When Ghislaine eventually released him, Paul gave her a somewhat wry smile before departing in search of his next quarry. To his astonishment, he almost immediately detected a hint of perfume, his nostrils twitching ever so slightly as he openly remarked, "I'm positive this perfume belongs to Yun Jin..." before following it to its origin.
Before Paul could wrap his arms around her body or attempt to feel her up, Yun Jin took his hands into her own and expressed, "You did well." in an approving tone. She wasn't fond of public displays of affection, so she did her best to ensure a respectable distance between them when others were around.
Understanding Yun Jin's intent, Paul supplied a curt nod and commented, "Your perfume suits you...it's a pleasant and refined aroma..."
Adopting a smile of her own, Yun Jin teasingly replied, "You certainly have a way with words. Unfortunately, there are others awaiting you. I'm afraid this is where we must part..."
Extracting her hands from Paul's, Yun Jin took a few steps away to ensure he couldn't reach out to her. She didn't mind being held by him, but there was a time and a place for everything.&nbsp;
Though he followed Yun Jin's movements with his head, Paul eventually just smiled and moved on. Yun Jin was the type of woman who would only reveal her 'true self' when they were utterly alone. Why? Because she was actually an exceptionally lazy and slothful person, a stark contrast to how she presented herself in public...
While images of Yun Jin's hikikomori-like room flashed through his mind, Paul sniffed around for his next target. He felt a little ridiculous looking for people by their scent, but it was surprisingly effective as he quickly found himself in front of someone that barely came up to his chest.
As even someone like Ningguang was nearly twenty centimeters shorter than him, Paul didn't immediately assume that the petite figure was Diona. She was inarguably the shortest person present, standing only 144cm in height, but Hu Tao was a very close second at 146.2cm. While this might sound incredibly short, the average height of human females in the world of Mushoku Tensei was only around 151cms, roughly 4'11''. However, as it was a world created by a Japanese author, it was to be expected that the average height of characters would reflect the standards of Japan.
Confirming his suspicions, Paul reached up to pat the petite figure on the head, instantly noting the absence of cat ears. Their hair was very fluffy and warm to the touch, however, so he could immediately eliminate Hu Tao as she put a surprising amount of effort into keeping her hair straight and free of knots.
With only two possibilities remaining in his mind, Paul used both hands to feel around the sides of the woman's face.
"Ah..."
Though Paul immediately recognized the woman's voice, he had already confirmed her identity when he felt the two antler-like horns growing from the sides of her head.
"Hello, Yanfei..."
Adopting a somewhat awkward smile, Yanfei replied, "You found me." in an audibly embarrassed tone. Her ears and horns were 'very' sensitive, so having them grabbed and caressed so wantonly left her feeling flustered.
Pretending to be unaware of Yanfei's 'plight,' Paul continued rubbing the base of her horns with his thumbs. Their interior was purportedly harder than diamond, but they were covered in a layer of pliable keratin and soft, velvety fuzz that made them incredibly pleasant to touch.
"Master Paul...I believe you have more than confirmed my identity at this point..."
Nodding his head, Paul reluctantly released Yanfei from his clutches and offered an insincere, "Sorry. Guess I got a little carried away..."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Yanfei replied, "I didn't mind. It's just that quite a few others are waiting for you to deduce their identities. If you'd like, you may touch my horns as much as you want later..."
Hearing the sound of someone clicking their tongue, Paul turned away from Yanfei, a devilish smile on his face as he said, "I'll be over there in just a moment, Kishi. I'm not sure if it was Rika or Risu, but I'm positive it was one of you..."
As they had been asked to stand together, Kishirisu couldn't help giving Kishirika a stink eye. She was also annoyed by Yanfei's blatant attempt to secure her place as one of Paul's bedside companions, but she kept mum to avoid giving away their location and identity.
Realizing she had erred, Kishirika adopted an awkward smile and directed a silent plea at Ningguang. The latter rolled her eyes but eventually gave a slight nod to indicate that the pair could relocate before Paul sussed out their exact location.
Though he could hear Kishirika's and Kishirisu's movements, Paul didn't say anything as they were on the opposite side of the room. His plan was to make a counter-clockwise circuit around the room's periphery, so there were at least a handful of women between his present location on the one they had just moved from. Scrambling over to try and capture them would just disorient him.
With such thoughts in mind, Paul continued his counter-clockwise circuit before pausing within arm's reach of his next target. He was about to pass the location by due to the lack of an aroma, but he stopped upon sensing a very faint warmth lingering in the area.
Forcing several people to cover their mouths to avoid snickering, Shinobu narrowly evaded Paul's hand every time he reached out to touch her. She was a taciturn woman, but she had the heart and soul of a kunoichi and a delinquent. She also knew Paul would be able to identify her instantly due to the thick cord tying up her shuriken-like ponytail, so she did her best to avoid him until he gave up and said, "This is definitely Shinobu..."
Snorting through her nose, Shinobu cockily replied, "Lucky guess." before evading Paul's attempt to grasp her with his right hand. Then, as her role in the game had been fulfilled, she leaped up and away from him, sticking to the ceiling and snickering at him with a smile reminiscent of a Cheshire cat.
Though he couldn't see her, Paul could perfectly visualize the look on Shinobu's face as he 'stared' up at her and remarked, "And people call me cheeky..."
Disregarding the fact he was currently blindfolded, Shinobu responded to Paul by pulling down her left eyelid with her middle finger and sticking out her tongue. Similar to Yun Jin, she had a persona she 'needed' to maintain in public, so she always behaved like a delinquent whenever other people were around. She was a lot like Xinyan in that regard, outwardly gutsy but secretly very affectionate, almost to the point of being puppy-like.
Smiling wryly, Paul made a mental note to 'pamper' Shinobu plentily the next time they were alone. For now, he still needed to locate seventeen more people, preferably without making a single mistake...
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While Paul was busy fumbling around the room, the girls he had already identified gathered together on or around his bed, doing their utmost to remain silent. They knew it was going to take some time for Paul to find everyone, so Shinobu pulled out a deck of cards and began dealing them out to those who were interested.&nbsp;
With nothing better to do besides silently cheering Paul on, most of the girls readily joined in on Shinobu's impromptu poker game. Yun Jin was the only exception among the original batch of girls, but her mask began to crack after nearly half an hour of standing off the side by herself. By then, Paul had correctly identified Yunyun, Xinyan, Ganyu, Venti, Sucrose, Shenhe, Kishirika, Kishirisu, Albedo, Lilia, and Hu Tao, but there were still six people remaining, each near the center of the room or in locations that weren't easy to discover.
Though she didn't join in on the poker game, Yun Jin knew Paul kept a board game similar to shogi under the desk near the corner of the room. Thus, with the intent of challenging Shenhe to a match, she attempted to sneak around Paul, getting all the way to his desk before he snapped his head in her direction.
"Kuh..."
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Recognizing Yun Jin's very distinctive voice, Paul elected to pretend he hadn't noticed her. He knew she would be even more embarrassed if he attempted to catch her, so he slowly pivoted his head from side to side before moving toward where he believed one of the remaining six people to be.
"Oh my..."
Taking advantage of Paul's outstretched hand, Ningguang repositioned herself so that his fingers would come into contact with her right breast. She understood that Paul was trying to help Yun Jin save face, so letting her voice out was completely intentional.
Though his blindfold somewhat obscured them, Paul raised his brows in mock surprise before giving Ningguang's breast a tentative squeeze. She was wearing a bunnysuit that emphasized her cleavage, so his pinky, ring, middle, and index fingers came into contact with her bare, incredibly soft skin.
Giving Yun Jin the time she needed to sneak back to the relative safety of his bed, Paul traced his fingers across the surface of Ningguang's breast as he remarked, "It never ceases to amaze me...how can your breasts be so soft yet maintain such a perfect shape...?"
Adopting a slightly gratified smile, Ningguang replied, "I would like to say it's the result of a tremendous amount of effort on my part, but my status as a Spirit has made things a lot easier. Even if I eat five meals a day or go on a diet for months at a time, my figure remains wholly unaffected. It's a little disconcerting but exceedingly convenient."
"Mmm...I'm certainly not going to complain.."
Amused by Paul's response, a faint yet throaty chuckle emanated from Ningguang's throat. She was half-tempted to remind him that the only reason she, and many others, retained her 'original' appearance was due to his perception of how they 'should' look. In other words, her features remained flawless because that's what Paul expected. Had there been something about her appearance he didn't like, she would have changed similarly to Zhongli, Kay, and, most notably, Qiqi.
Reaching up to grasp Paul's wrist, Ningguang narrowed her eyes as she mused, "Though I certainly wouldn't mind continuing, I believe you have other matters to attend. There are still five of us remaining..."
Nodding his head, Paul retracted his hand and said, "I definitely won't allow you to return to the Strife Zone before we have a chance to spend some time together..."
As she had very similar thoughts on the matter, Ningguang just exhaled another light chuckle before casually orienting Paul in the direction of his next quarry, Lynette. She was perched atop Paul's wardrobe, so he had passed her by during his initial circuit around the room.
Realizing what Ningguang had done, a slight frown formed on Lynette's face. She was aiming to be the last person Paul located, so having her position exposed in such a 'wanton' manner annoyed her more than she would ever vocalize.
Fortunately for Lynette, Paul also realized what Ningguang had done, so, rather than going in the direction she had picked for him, he smiled wryly and decided to head elsewhere. His actions brought the faintest of smiles to Lynette's face, but she quickly regained her frown upon seeing the 'as expected' look on Ningguang's...
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Though it took much longer than he expected, Paul eventually managed to locate Yoimiya, Hina, Yae, and Ei before finishing off the game with his discovery of Lynette. Yoimiya and Hina had kind of cheated by concealing themselves in the bathroom, but even they were easier to locate than Yae and Ei. The former had reverted to her fox form, lazily observing the game from the comfort of a chair. As for Ei, she had erased her presence to the point Paul passed her by more than a dozen times before she gave him a break and allowed some of her sword intent to leak out.
Waiting until Paul had located and correctly identified Lynette, Ningguang clapped her hands together and said, "Congratulations, Master Paul. Not only were you able to locate everyone, but you were also able to identify each of us without so much as a single mistake, a feat as impressive as it is reassuring."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Paul reached up to remove his blindfold before smiling as he came face to face with Lynette. He had 'identified' her by pulling her close and running his hands up and down her incredibly lithe body while she sat atop his dresser, so their faces were a lot closer than he had visualized.
Having anticipated Paul's reaction, Ningguang waited until he removed his blindfold before adding, "And congratulations to Mademoiselle Lynette for being the last to be discovered. As the penultimate winner of our revised game of hide-and-seek, she is permitted to make a single request of our champion. Make it count~."
Hearing Ningguang's words, Lynette immediately perked up. The look on her face didn't change, but her back became straighter, and her tail began to swish slowly behind her. Unfortunately, not everyone was as enthused about the revelation as she was.
With a severely disproving expression on her face, Kishirika's brow was visibly twitching as she remarked, "This isn't fair. If there were a prize on the line, you should have told us from the start. We would have taken the game a lot more seriously."
Fully expecting a bit of dissent, Ningguang maintained a perfect mask of calm as she replied, "If you knew there was a prize on the line, everyone would have competed to be the last woman standing. Keeping the reveal a secret until the end was the best way to expedite things while keeping the game fair and objective."
Though she couldn't fault Ningguang's logic, Kishirika made her disproval known by clicking her tongue and crossing her arms in defiance. Kishirisu emulated her behavior, but while many others felt the same way, none of the girls from the IOF protested as openly as the two Empresses.
Stumbling directly into the 'trap' Ningguang had set for him, Paul adopted a wry smile and inquired, "I'm more than happy to grant Lynette's request, but, as the victor, don't I get a reward?'&nbsp;
Nodding her head in affirmation, Ningguang casually revealed, "Of course. We agreed beforehand that you would be entitled to petition each of us for a request so long as you didn't make any mistakes. Inversely, had you misidentified anyone, they would be allowed to shadow you for upwards of three weeks, a single day for each person you identified correctly. That way, you would have plenty of time to memorize their shape and scent..."
Swallowing the bait dangling in front of him, Paul's expression became serious as he stated, "Then the solution is simple. I'm already working hard to make my dream a reality. Beyond that, my only wish is that the people I care about are happy, healthy, and safe. To that end, I would rather hear each of your requests than make selfish ones of my own. I mean, just look around. I'm surrounded by beautiful and capable women willing to put on performances and don sexy outfits just to celebrate my birthday. If I met a guy who wasn't satisfied after all of this, I would feel obligated to crack their head open to see what the fuck was wrong with their brain..."
Though Paul's final remark was a little distasteful, his impromptu speech brought smiles to the faces of nearly every woman present. Even Kishirika and Kishirisu were no exception, but, unlike the others, their smiles held a trace of chagrin as they cast narrowed, sidelong glances at Ningguang.
Prompted by the looks on everyone else's faces, Paul adopted a smile of his own as he proclaimed, "Then that's that. My request is that each of you makes a request of me. In Lynette's case, she gets two. Just try and keep your requests reasonable...I intend to do my best, but I'm ultimately just one man..."
Nodding her head in both approval and affirmation, Ningguang mused, "We'll keep that in mind." before focusing on gaze on Lynette and adding, "As for the order, we'll start with Lynette, then those preparing to return to the Strife Zone, and finally everyone who will be remaining behind. I trust there are no objections?"
Understanding there was no point in arguing, even Kishirika and Kishirisu remained silent in response to Ningguang's words. Upon seeing this, the ivory-haired prodigy supplied a supplemental nod before redirecting her gaze to Lynette, silently encouraging her to kick things off.
While she wasn't a genuinely shy person, Lynette wasn't comfortable with making her wishes and desires known to others. Thus, instead of voicing her request aloud, she gestured for Paul to lean closer, whispering into his ear, "Please forgive my sister..."
Surprised by the request, Paul's eyes briefly widened. He didn't consider himself the type to hold grudges, so he wasn't entirely sure what Lynette meant by asking him to forgive her sister. If anything, Lyney was the one that was hostile toward him...
Instead of thinking too deeply about the request, Paul nodded his head and replied, "Sure. No problem."
As if a heavy burden had been removed from her slender frame, a faint yet relieved sigh escaped Lynette's throat. She often felt guilty about how far apart she and Lyney had grown, so Paul's willingness to forgive was the same as giving her permission to try and mend things between them.
Feeling warm, light, and a little fluttery, an uncharacteristically expressive smile bloomed across Lynette's face as she narrowed her eyes and asked, "Can I make my second request now?"
Nodding his head, Paul leaned in to hear what Lynette had to say, his eyes progressively rounder as she narrated, "Once I make up with my sister, I want to try lying on top or underneath her as you take turns doing each of us. I want her to stare into my eyes as I call your name, and I want to see her face as you force her to do the same..."
As he generally did Lynette from behind, her preferred position, Paul was surprised to hear her asking to change things up. She hated being on her back, but here she was asking him to effectively go to town on her sister while she lay beneath her. It was a little unorthodox, but he only hesitated for a brief moment nodding his head and responding, "Sure...just keep in mind that I don't enjoy forcing people against their will. If Lyney doesn't consent, you'll have to come up with a different request..."
Confident she could get her sister to agree, Lynette narrowed her eyes in delight as she practically purred, "Just leave it to me..." before planting a brief yet meaningful kiss on Paul's cheek. Then, with noticeably reddened cheeks, she extricated herself from Paul's embrace, descended from the dresser, and swiftly made her exit...
Though he was a little taken aback by Lynette's sudden departure, Paul had long grown accustomed to her cat-like behavior. Instead of fretting over it, he adopted a wry smile and turned to the sizeable group of girls awaiting their turn, asking, "Who's next...?"
As the second to last to be discovered, Ei would ordinarily be the next in line. However, as she rarely separated from Paul, Ningguang took the initiative to suggest, "I believe Lady Jin, Director Tao, and Miss Yanfei are the most suitable candidates. After them, it should be Miss Hina, Shenhe, Yunyun, and myself."
Since everyone mentioned would be departing within the next 3-5 days, no one protested Ningguang's suggestion. As a result, Yun Jin reluctantly stepped forward, emulating Lynette by instructing Paul to bend down so she could speak directly into his ear. However, before revealing her actual request, she said, "Don't act shocked or surprised by my request..."
Though he was briefly confused, Paul quickly understood the reason for Yun Jin's caution when she made her request. Unfortunately, while he did his best to maintain a blank expression, the extremity of Yun Jin's request forced an awkward smile onto his face. After all, it wasn't every day one of his lovers solicited him to sneak into their room and 'attack' them while they slept...
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"Holy sh-"
"Ah, ah, ah...language."
After gently chastizing Paul, Ningguang turned to address the gallery of beautiful and scantily clad women present, stating, "Our beloved Master has decided to grace us with his presence ahead of schedule. Get in your positions, everyone."
While most everyone began moving around in a hurry, Ningguang guided Paul over to where Kishirika and Kishirisu were seated, musing, "I'll leave him in your care."
Though they were as surprised as everyone else by Paul's sudden arrival, Kishirika and Kishirisu didn't show it. Instead, they adopted near-identical smiles and replied, "Oh, but of course~." in singsong tones.
With the two Demonesses pulling him between them, the smile on Paul's face became slightly awry as he remarked, "Rather than a birthday party, it's starting to seem like I've died and gone to Heaven..."
Drawing their lips to Paul's ears, Kishirika and Kishirisu briefly traced their ruby-red tongues around the interior before whispering, "If you'd like, we can take you pretty close..."
Punctuating their words, Kishirika began to undo the fastener of Paul's trousers while Kishirisu unbuttoned the tunic beneath his overcoat. Their actions earned them a slightly disproving look from Ningguang, but they largely ignored her. So long as Paul permitted them to do as they pleased, no one could protest their actions.
With everyone walking around in bunny suits or incredibly skimpy attire, Paul couldn't be blamed for assuming the surprise party was basically an orgy. He was severely outnumbered, but so long as they didn't line up to take turns, he was fairly confident in his ability to endure.
Interjecting before Paul could be led astray by the twin temptresses, Diona practically shouted, "What do the two of you think you're doing!? That kind of thing is supposed to come 'after' the party! Don't think you can sneak a head start...!"
Prompted by Diona's outburst, everyone in the room directed their gazes toward Paul, Kishirika, and Kishirisu. Not even the two Demon Empresses could endure such an intense pressure, so they immediately ceased their overt seduction attempt, Kishirika smiling wryly as she said, "We were just teasing him a bit. You know, to try and lighten the mood?"
Snorting through her nose, Diona retorted, "Likely story!" before stomping over and planting herself atop Paul's lap. Her actions earned her deadpan stares from Kishirika, Kishirisu, and several others, but Diona just crossed her arms in defiance, declaring, "Don't look at me like that! I'm only sitting here to prevent further misconduct!"
Though Diona's words weren't even remotely compelling, everyone returned to what they were doing beforehand when Ningguang clapped her hands together and appended, "Now, now, we still have a show to put on. Everyone into position."
With everyone turning away from her to complete their respective tasks, Diona couldn't help flashing a faintly triumphant smile. A part of her felt ashamed of what she had done, but she also believed she had done the right thing by preventing Kishirika and Kishirisu from ignoring the plan and doing as they pleased.
Noticing the expression on Diona's face, Kishirisu narrowed her eyes and remarked, "This cheeky cat..."
Prompted by Kishirisu's remark, Kishirika was about to supply a barb of her own when Paul interjected to say, "Relax. Now is neither the time nor the place for an argument. Besides..."
As he already had his arms wrapped around the two Empresses, Paul reached up to grope their nearly naked breasts as he added, "We don't need to have sex to enjoy our time together..."
Punctuating his statement, Paul planted a kiss on Kishirika's lips before turning to Kishirisu a few moments later. He was keenly interested in the preparations being made just meters away, but he knew where his focus was required.
Though they were still a little annoyed by Diona's behavior, Kishirika and Kishirisu promptly discarded the notion of petty revenge. Neither of them was particularly fond of the petite cat girl, but the drinks Diona prepared were enough of a reason to forgive her.&nbsp;
Seeing Paul concentrating his attention on Kishirika and Kishirisu, Diona couldn't help feeling a trace of envy. However, before she could voice a complaint or start grinding against the sizeable bulge poking against her bottom, Paul tilted her head back and proceeded to kiss her. At the same time, Kishirika and Kishirisu began caressing her abdomen, causing Diona to frown until Paul whispered, " It's okay... " in a soothing tone.
Though she felt differently, Diona resisted the urge to protest and instead reached up to hook her left hand around Paul's head and neck. She didn't enjoy others touching her body without permission, but she was willing to endure it so long as Paul continued kissing her...
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With their preparations finished, the mana crystals casting light within Paul's room began to dim, imposing a sense of stillness in the previously chaotic room. Then, just as complete silence had descended, the sound of a lyre began to echo around the room as Venti emerged from behind a partition in a green and white bunnysuit, albeit without the ears.
Noticing Paul staring directly at her, Venti supplied a playful wink as her fingers danced gracefully across the silvery strings of her lyre. She had been designated as the MC(Master of Ceremonies) for the night's events, but she simply couldn't resist giving a performance of her own.
"My heart is like a singing bird~ whose nest is in a watered shoot. My heart is like an apple tree~ whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit. My heart is like a rainbow shell~ that paddles within a halcyon sea. My heart is gladder than all of these~ for my love has come to me~."
Just as it was beginning to seem like Venti's performance would end without incident, the mischievous Archon abruptly tore away the fabric of her bunnysuit to reveal her voluptuous, nearly naked body. She had been 'inspired' by the costumes of Kishirika and Kishirisu, so, when no one was looking, she donned a pair of pasties over her nipples and crotch with the intent of punctuating her performance with a surprise.
As everyone was used to Venti's behavior by now, the principal response from the crowd was a series of sighs. Seemingly oblivious to the reactions of everyone else present, Venti performed a sensual pose with her hands raised, her face red and eyes narrowed as she practically purred, "Happy Birthday, Paul. I hope this evening carries with you for the entire year that follows..."
Returning a smoldering smile, Paul playfully replied, "It's certainly left an impression thus far..."
Though Paul's expression and words caused beads of sweat to begin forming on her body, Venti suppressed her growing urges and did her best to execute her duties as MC, broadcasting, "Then let's keep the excitement going with our first performer, the ever-illustrious Yun Jin~!"
Immediately following Venti's words, the room briefly became pitch black until Yoimiya illuminated the improvised stage with a mana-powered stage light. Lightbulbs weren't really a thing in the world of Mushoku Tensei, but magic crystals were a convenient, albeit very costly, substitute.
Contrasting virtually everyone else, Yun Jin appeared on stage in her usual gothic attire. She took her performances 'very' seriously, so, while she had on a pair of 'special' undergarments, her outerwear and makeup were impeccable, much like her singing voice.
While he wasn't able to understand much of what Yun Jin was saying, primarily due to the fact she sang and spoke in different languages, Paul enjoyed her performance quite a bit. There was something mysterious about the way she enunciated each word, and, thanks to the efforts of Shenhe, Xinyan, Ganyu, and Shinobu, the performance benefitted from the distinct sounds of a zither, shamisen, flute, and drums.
Though the song lasted less than two minutes, even Kishirka and Kishirisu were practically enchanted by Yun Jin's performance. Theatre culture and performance arts had yet to take off within the world of Mushoku Tensei, so unless a musician or a theater buff transmigrated over, there were very few developments in that regard. There was a Bard's College in the Holy Capital of Milishion, but only the most dedicated of Minstrels were willing to fork over the exorbitant entrance fee.
Unable to contain themselves, Kishirika and Kishirisu joined in after Paul initiated a brief ovation. Yun Jin wasn't particularly fond of clapping, but she still performed a flawless curtsy before making her way off the stage and disappearing behind the partition set up as a backstage area. She still had two more songs to perform, but they would be at the middle and end of the other performances.
Directly following Yun Jin's departure, Venti, now wearing a mantle that Ningguang had forced upon her, stepped out to announce that Xinyan would be up next. This immediately got Paul excited, not because he felt Xinyan was a better singer than Yun Jin, but because he had helped her write a number of songs based on those he could remember from his past life.
With a shamisen that had been modified to sound identical to an electric guitar, Shinobu on the drums, and Hu Tao on the bass, Xinyan was able to perform a remarkably faithful rendition of the pop-rock song 'Girlfriend' by Avril Lavigne. They even used a variation of Voice Magic, taught to them by Ghislaine, to amply their voices, similar to a microphone. As a result, the trio gave off the impression of a legitimate punk-rock band, complete with wild hairstyles and an abundance of spiked accessories.
Though the performance only lasted three and a half minutes, Xinyan was out of breath and caked in sweat by the song's end. This was far from her first 'live' performance, but singing her heart out while wearing little more than a bikini top and loincloth increased her excitement ten, maybe even a hundredfold. The content of the song also sounded like she was issuing a challenge to every other girl present, so Xinyan needed to be supported by Hu Tao to avoid passing out after their collective bow...
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After several additional performances, ranging from traditional songs to elegant dances and stripteases, the crystals within Paul's room gradually regained their luminance. He was a little reluctant to have things end, but Ningguang promptly reminded him that he was expected at dinner. Klee and Sayu hadn't been permitted to participate in the birthday celebration, so he was supposed to be eating dinner with them, Lilia, and a few others.
Though he was still a little reluctant, Paul would rather deprive himself of a good time than see Klee in a depressive state after he failed to show up for dinner. He also knew an exhilarating night waited for him upon his return, so, after a quick romp with Yae and Ei, primarily to get his boner under control, Paul took a bath and hurried over to the main banquet hall.&nbsp;
Having calmed down a bit after their previous separation, Klee was in high spirits by the time Paul burst into the hall, followed closely by Ganyu. She was one of the only people not actively partaking in Paul's not-so-secret birthday party, as, compared to most of the other girls from the IOF, she spent a considerable amount of time at his side.
Adopting a smile that could rival the Sun with its radiance, Klee shouted, "Big brother~!" as she dropped out of her chair and sprinted over to him with her arms spread like wings. Sayu, Lilia, and Falina were also present, but they elected to stay in their seats and observe the scene with varying degrees of a smile.
Since she had run headlong into his knees in the past, Paul bent down to receive Klee with open arms. His efforts were rewarded with a headbutt to the chest, but the pain disappeared almost immediately as Klee buried her face into the fabric of his tunic, stating, "I missed you..." with as much sincerity as she could manage.
Wrapping his arms around the petite pyromaniac's body, Paul replied with a faint, "I missed you as well..." before picking her up a few moments later and carrying her back to the table...
...
..
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Chapter 197: MI197: Blind