章節 172: Into the Abyss
Demonstrating its versatility and ability to change shape, the plating of Kishirika's armor opened up like an Iron Man suit to allow her to back into it. Then, accompanied by a series of metallic clicking sounds, the plates closed sequentially before hissing as they contracted to fit snugly around Kishirika's body.
Looking more like a proper knight than the seductive Demoness Paul had come to know, Kishirika struck a pose, arms akimbo and chest puffed out as she asked, "What do you think? If it were black, I'd look like a proper Demon King, wouldn't I?"
Nodding his head in approval, Paul replied, "It's pretty badass, not gonna lie. However, didn't you mention you were unable to power it...?"
Though she returned a nod of her own, Kishirika shrugged her shoulders and stated, "That was more than three months ago. Thanks to your oh so reluctant 'contr,' my mana has expanded by leaps and bounds. I won't be able to do anything flashy, but moving around isn't an issue."
Following her words, the plating covering Kishirika's face retracted to reveal an alluring, shark-toothed smile. She could feel her mana draining steadily, but the power afforded to her by the Golden Armor made her feel invincible. She knew that wasn't the case, but it had been millennia since she possessed even a fraction of her current power.
Fortunately for Kishirika, she was able to suppress the sudden urge to pit herself against Paul and his Party. Instead, she half-turned to reveal that the armor didn't just leave her back, sides, and parts of thighs exposed; it also framed her bubbly butt.
While staring directly at Paul, Kishirika gave her left cheek a firm smack as she asked, "How about it? Once we get out of here, wanna give it a go in my armor? I'm curious to see if I can convert the mana you provide into a power source."
Adopting a wry smile, Paul replied, "Sure, why not? So long as you don't ask me to top you off in the middle of a Dungeon, I don't mind giving you a hand. It wouldn't be the first time one of my women asked me to help in their experiments..."
Hearing Paul refer to her as 'his woman,' Kishirika's eyes briefly narrowed. She didn't particularly mind it, but due to the difference in age and status, she believed the opposite to be true. That would change if he decided to help rule over the Demon Continent, but his current course had him set to become her Consort. While she intended to work alongside him as equals, most people were bound to regard him as her concubine or sex slave...
With Kishirika just staring at him, Paul elected to change topics, asking, "So, where's this secret passage? I'm starting to feel antsy at the lack of enemies."
Amused by Paul's thirst for battle, Kishirika exhaled a hearty laugh before pointing toward a dress rack containing numerous gowns as she said, "It's behind there. Push open the clothes, and you'll find a circular hatch. Open it up, and you'll find a chute that leads down to the anteroom I mentioned previously."
Doing as Kishirika instructed, Paul spread open the assortment of gowns to find the hatch in question. Upon opening it, he found a meter and a half wide, completely black tunnel that appeared to lead down into the abyss. More surprisingly, there was a constant flow of water present...
"Is this a fucking water slide...?"
"What? Don't tell me you're afraid to get a little wet...?"
Pushing past Paul, Kishirika grabbed the two handles near the top of the opening before plunging down the slide and shouting, "Last one down is a Goblin's loincloth! Bwahahahaha~!"
As the violet-haired Demoness disappeared into the abyssal darkness, her laughter echoing up the chute, Paul turned towards his companions and said, "I'm starting to think this place is more of a theme park than an actual castle..."
Nodding her head, Yae noted, "It certainly matches the former owner's tastes. Unfortunately, mine and Ei's garments aren't exactly designed to get wet. How troublesome..."
In an effort to alleviate Yae's concerns, Ganyu mentioned, "I can help dry your clothes once we reach the bottom. With our Master's assistance, I've been able to master most of the Lifestyle Magic Spells."
Regaining her usual smile, Yae squinted her eyes in satisfaction as she playfully remarked, "My, aren't you just the sweetest thing? We should spend more time together after all of this is over."
Returning a smile of her own, Ganyu replied, "I'd like that." before turning her attention to Paul and Sayu. The two of them were staring down the eerie black waterslide with pensive looks, neither particularly fond of the idea of sliding down.
Exhaling a sigh, Paul began to remove his sword belt and harness. They would only get in the way as he slid down, so he entrusted them to Ganyu before turning to the group and deciding, "We'll go down in groups of two. Zhongli, I'll have you go down with Sayu. Ganyu and I follow shortly after, leaving Ei and Yae to bring up the rear. Any questions?"
With no one asking anything, Paul nodded his head in approval before turning to Zhongli and Sayu, saying, "Good luck."
Returning a slight bow, Zhongli replied, "Leave it to us." before picking up the still trepidatious Sayu and disappearing into the slide's abyssal black maw. A faint scream could be heard as the duo descended, but it quickly disappeared amid the sound of rushing water.
After placing his hand into one of the grooves above the hatch's entrance, Paul turned to Ganyu and questioned, "Are you going down in your human form? It might be easier to shrink down into your miniature Qilin form."
Though she had been secretly looking forward to Paul embracing her as they slid down together, Ganyu didn't particularly mind transforming into her Qilin form. Either way, she got to be held by her Master as the two of them descended into the abyss together.
Holding the house-sized cat in his left arm, Paul counted to thirty before taking a steadying breath and hurling himself into the water slide's mouth. He actually loved going to waterparks in his previous life, but there was a pretty big difference between sliding down a regulation water slide made of plastic and descending into a metal chute without any visible lighting...
After a tense minute and a half, Paul and Ganyu emerged from the slide's exit with enough speed to skid across the surface of a large, surprisingly warm pool. It took Paul a moment to get his bearings, but once he did, he popped up out of the water to find himself in what appeared to be a large bath.
"It's about time you showed up. How was it? Pretty fun, right...?"
Turning toward the voice, Paul found Kishirika relaxing at the side of the bath without her armor on, giving the impression her purple bodysuit was a one-piece swimsuit.
While moving out of the path he expected the others to soon follow, Paul replied, "It wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Still, did you seriously install a waterslide from your closet to your bath...?"
Shrugging her shoulders, Kishirika replied, "It beats having to walk down a bunch of stairs and passing through dozens of hallways. Besides, when you've lived as long as I have, it becomes important to find ways to spice things up. Routine leads to monotony, and immortality invariably leads to stagnation."
Finding herself agreeing with Kishirika's statement, Zhongli shifted her gaze from the former's armor and remarked, "Those are some wise words, Lady Kishirika. Many humans believe immortality to be a blessing. Those who manage to obtain it quickly find that it's a curse."
Rolling her eyes, Kishirika pointedly retorted, "It doesn't make me happy having someone like you agreeing with me..."
Unbothered by Kishirika's remark, Zhongli directed her gaze at Paul and Ganyu, explaining, "According to Lady Kishirika, this place is relatively safe. I sent Sayu to scout ahead, so feel free to relax and make your final preparations. There are some fairly powerful enemies nearby, so it would be good to warm up and stretch before we-"
Interrupting Zhongli's explanation, a remarkably girly scream preempted Ei emerging from the waterslide and crashing into the bath with explosive force. She had somehow gotten turned upside down in the tunnel, so she hit the water at an awkward angle that sent the fox-like Yae flying through the air and into Paul's arms.
Though Yae had revealed her fox form to him in the past, this was the first time Paul was seeing her in her 'kit' form. The last time she showed off her fox form, she was taller than the average human and resembled a regional Ninetales from Pokemon. Now, she looked like a tiny pink fox kit with pale pink fur on her underbelly, floppy ears, and a five-petaled sakura pattern on her forehead...
"I knew you could revert to original form..."
Rolling her amethyst-purple eyes, Yae flatly retorted, "Don't get used to it..." before promptly reverting to her human form and adding, "Besides, don't you prefer me like this~?"
While she didn't mind being doted on, Yae preferred to be the one teasing others. Thus, following her question, she gave Paul a mischievous lick on the lips before retracting her face and adopting an alluring smile.
Adopting a narrow-eyed smile, Paul replied, "You're not wrong..." before allowing Yae to stand on her own two feet. He had been supporting her by the pits of her arms when she transformed, so her feet had been dangling a few centimeters from the bottom of the bath.
Though she would have preferred if Paul princess carried her to the edge of the tub, Yae knew he was probably worried about Ei. The latter had yet to resurface after crashing into the water, so Paul promptly dove beneath the surface to retrieve her. Archons could breathe underwater and even survive in a vacuum, but Paul would feel guilty if he just left her floating at the bottom of the tub...
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Though she would have preferred to sneak off and find a place to sleep, Sayu did her best to stay focused as she skulked through the castle like a silent phantom.
Despite their ability to detect mana and life signatures, none of the Magic Armors or Golems reacted to Sayu as she snuck past them and took stock of their numbers. Sayu didn't fully understand how it worked, but she had always possessed the innate ability to go unnoticed even amidst crowds of people or herds of animals. Said ability had allowed her to become the most talented member of the Shuumatsuban in nearly a hundred years, so few were better suited to infiltration and scouting than she was.
"Hmmm...?"
Reaching a large hall, presumably a ballroom or some kind of foyer, Sayu stopped in place and took a moment to survey her surroundings. There were no enemies in sight, but her instincts were practically screaming at her to retrace her steps and run away.
Never one to doubt her instincts, Sayu performed a hand seal that caused two identical copies of herself, Bunshins, to appear out of thin air. At that exact moment, tendrils resembling black bolts of lightning stabbed at the area where she had been standing, piercing the floor despite being made of the same material as the castle walls.
Though she was able to evade the surprise attack, the hair on Sayu's neck stood on end as she clung upside down to the roof and caught sight of her attacker. She was immediately reminded of the armor that Kishirika had changed into. However, instead of being comprised of a shiny, almost luminous gold, the material was inky black and writhed about like a colony of eels...
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