[125] Raising Battle Units
<span style="font-weight:400">Chapter 125: Raising Battle Units
<span style="font-weight:400">—
<span style="font-weight:400">By the time the two exorcistdies were done eating, the idol trainee girls had left. I saw off Mem-Cho and Shoko and returned to the house to lead the two exorcists to the personal gym.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Here,” I took out their holy swords from my Void Storage and threw them ahead.
<span style="font-weight:400">““H-hey!”” Durandal and Hauteclere couldn''t even touch the ground before their wielders jumped to catch them in the air. It seemed the swords were too precious to them to let them fall. How funny.
<span style="font-weight:400">I took out a Holy Sword of my own that had been rotting in my Void Storage for a while now and began to y with it for a bit.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Ah…” the two girls stared at me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” I asked them.
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s Excalibur Rapidly…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Err, who did you get it from?”
<span style="font-weight:400">One after the other, Irina and Xenovia asked. I looked at them, and only when I stayed silent for a minute did they realize that they had lost their position to question me.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, as a sign of my benevolence, I told them. “I got it from Freed Sellzen’s dead body. He was trying to kill my mother, so my sister vaporized him. This sword was lucky to not be in the way.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh…” the girls exchanged nces. Irina looked back at me and said, “That is one of the missing swords that the church’s been looking for. We''re surprised you have it…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I don''t care,” I tossed the sword in the air, and it spun for a couple of seconds before falling back into my hand. “I’m going to spar with you two. I''m going to attack you with Sword Aura, you two try to adapt to it and unlock your own sword auras.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“W-wait, right now?! We just ate!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yes, let us rest for a bit, we-”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It starts now.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I kicked the ground and appeared in front of the two. I could have cut them a dozen times already, but this wasn''t a battle but a spar. I was teaching them, making them stronger, so I let them dodge the attack and kept my power level near theirs.
<span style="font-weight:400">Like that, three days passed. The two girls managed to unlock their Auras during the first day, ten minutes into the spar because I had pushed my aura into their body to make it trigger. By the third day, their aura was enough to match those of experienced holy knights.
<span style="font-weight:400">After I was done training them, my next focus was the two little girls. It was time for Yuzuru and Asia to receive their Paths.
<span style="font-weight:400">* * *
<span style="font-weight:400">The week easily breezed past without any issues. I gave Yuzuru and Asia the cycling methods for their two exceptional Paths, and they finally reached Iron rank. So now I was granting them two Iron Bodies that would suit them the best, based on their Paths.
<span style="font-weight:400">The Path of the ck mes,ing down from the royal family of ck Dragons, went to Yuzuru. It was a me and Destruction affinity-based path. To withstand its few side-effects, I granted her the [<b>Bloodforged Iron Body</b><span style="font-weight:400">], to negate the negative effect that’d be left on her Qi veins for using such a destructive path.
<span style="font-weight:400">As for Asia, I had to make a whole new path for her. My initial n was to give her the Path of Celestial Radiance, the same as Ruby, but that was the path of a queen, a monarch, and Asia honestly didn’t have the mindset to handle it. Even if she became a fighter, she couldn’t be a queen.
<span style="font-weight:400">So, the Path of the Verdant Phoenix, a Yang and Life-Force affinity-based path, is what I gave her. Her Sacred Gear will take care of the Verdant part, while the Phoenix part should be fine due to her body’s natural Yang Affinity. Phoenix Fire wasn’t a simple me, but the re of the sun, so it wasn’t just me but also Light; the mix of which was Yang.
<span style="font-weight:400">Her Iron Body was the harder part, though. The [<b>Heatforged</b> <b>Iron</b> <b>Body</b><span style="font-weight:400">] was a lot harder on my part to grant than the Bloodforged one. Some girls were confused why I didn’t give both of them the same Iron Body, since their affinity was kind of simr, it was because Yuzuru needed a special body to withstand the poisonous effects on her veins from her ckmes, while Asia didn’t need so, her affinity was pure.
<span style="font-weight:400">Although the process of gaining both Iron Bodies was equally painful for the bearer. For example, I had to leave Yuzuru in a poisoned state for three days where she rolled on the ground while yelling in pain, along with some other process. Asia’s process was painful too, but it was harder to prepare on my part.
<span style="font-weight:400">Although my lightning could generate heat, it wasn’t as easily controble, so I wasn’t suitable to train her in this. So in the end, as much as I would have loved to keep all of this process a secret, I had to call upon Ranefer Phenex for help. Who could be a better assistant to help create a body for a Phoenix Path, if not a literal Phoenix herself?
<span style="font-weight:400">That’s what brought us here, right now.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What a sight, to think you were into torturing little girls.”
<span style="font-weight:400">There were two rooms in front of us, with a small ss window on top that allowed us to look in. In one, Yuzuru rolled on the ground while groaning in a muffled voice, while in the other, Asia <i><span style="font-weight:400">burned</i><span style="font-weight:400"> as if she were a sinner in hell. Their voices were painful to hear.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Help… Help, someone-! Ghhr…”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Aghhh! Nrghh!!!! Sto- Gghhr!”
<span style="font-weight:400">I stood with my arms crossed and Ranefer Phenex by my side. There was nobody else in this instant dungeon that was a copy of our house. I didn’t want Shoko to see what state her sister was in, and anybody else to hear the cries of Asia.
<span style="font-weight:400">Multiple rune formations, talismans, and spells worked around the rooms to bnce the natural aura in there and make this process go uninterrupted. It’d also make sure the girls did not die there. However, the pain couldn’t be bypassed.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I enjoy none of this,” I gave a short reply to Ranefer, who’s been apanying me for thest three days here. She talked in an annoying tone at times, but she wasn’t that bad of a watchmate. We were almost done.
<span style="font-weight:400">“This is really interesting, you know?” she stroked her chin and looked ahead. “I get more and more curious about who this ‘Immortal Venerable’ is for him to know of such cruel yet effective ways to strengthen the body. I’ve never heard of a guy like him in almost two millennia of living.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Maybe he is someone you do know, but he just changed his name,” I shrugged at her. “Or someone who rose to power recently, after you became, uh, inactive. I’m not sure how old he is, after all.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mhm,” she looked skeptical but didn’t say anything. She looked at me and smiled instead, “Will you give me a strong body? While I am effectively immortal and can heal from all injuries, it’d be great if I didn’t get injured to begin with.” She put her arms around my neck and pushed herself against me. “So? Give me an ‘Iron Body’ when?”
<span style="font-weight:400">See, this is what I meant when I said I didn’t want people to know.
<span style="font-weight:400">‘She’s such a clingy bitch, go get stronger yourself.’ I stared at her dryly, while she hung from my neck for minutes, swaying in her spot while humming. She didn’t feel awkward at all despite me not answering her.
<span style="font-weight:400">Instead, she pulled me toward a couch and pushed me down. I admit I was a little tired from watching over the girls, so a little stress relief was required – a spell blocked them from seeing or hearing the things happening outside their room, so they wouldn’t feel mad even if we got noisy here.
<span style="font-weight:400">So when she pushed me down on the couch and climbed on top of me, I let her be.
<span style="font-weight:400">Even after a sweaty session, however, her seduction attempt remained unsessful. I had no reason to make her more powerful than she already was, she’s annoying enough already.
<span style="font-weight:400">* * *
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s done,” I buttoned my shirt and said, looking at the two rooms that were now quiet. I felt a serene, calm, and bnced aura from both the rooms. The processes were sessful.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Mhm, do I leave now?” Ranefer barely covered herself with a piece of her clothes, lying on her back, her body sweaty and her chest rising and sinking, as she asked. “I don’t want your mother to get mad if we meet.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“It’s alright, you two should learn to get along,” I said and snapped my finger, bringing out a pair of women’s clothing and tossing it at her. Her clothes were ruined in our little situation, and I didn’t want anyone to guess what happened between us while two little girls were crying in pain. “Wear them. Be quick about it. I’ll go check up on them.”
<span style="font-weight:400">She giggled, “Alright, whatever you say, tiger.”
<span style="font-weight:400">I ignored her and walked to the left room, where Yuzuru was. I pushed it open and a gust of poisonous gas sted out of it. I let out a breath, and a burst of wind left my nostrils, clearing the gas in an instant. In the center of the room, I found Yuzuru lying on her back.
<span style="font-weight:400">She was unconscious, but her condition was fine. Her clothes were torn in parts, which let me see that although she hadn’t grown in height, her bones were stronger and denser now. Her veins were also extremely durable now, my Jade Perception let me know. Lastly, she could use her blood as a poison if she wished—it wasn’t a passive effect, poisonous blood would be a negative effect if passive, she needed to actively mix her Qi and will it be poisonous for it to work.
<span style="font-weight:400">With a wave of my hand, a wind aura carried her and put her on my shoulder. I left the room and went to the other. This time smoke burst out of the room, and I dispersed it in the same way. I was about to simply walk in and grab the unconscious Asia, but I paused.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Huh.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Haah…”
<span style="font-weight:400">The presumed unconscious Asia was actually conscious. She was on the floor, lying on her back too, but she wasn’t sleeping. She was staring at the ceiling, and when I walked in, she looked at me.
<span style="font-weight:400">“You’re here,” a soft smile formed on her lips. “I endured as you told me to…”
<span style="font-weight:400">No way.
<span style="font-weight:400">I wasn’t expecting her to hide such a tenacious personality under the veil of naivety… It appears that my little battle units might be far more formidable than I gave them credit for. I’m looking forward to their growth.
<span style="font-weight:400">* * *
<span style="font-weight:400">I took the girls to the real world with Ranefer and handed them over to Ruby and Shoko to help them with a bath. It was evening now, and so all the girls were here for their daily idol training. Among them, Kana just looked at the scene from afar, while Mem threw words of encouragement at the two little girls who had received their Iron Bodies.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ai did the same, and she even wanted to join the shower, but there was no need to crowd the ce so I told her not to. Which brought us here, sitting on the couches in the living room, and sipping tea.
<span style="font-weight:400">Mem and Kana trained in another room, while my Jade Perception let me know that Irina and Xenovia were training with Blue in our personal gym. Only Ai, Ranefer, and I were here, and the two olderdies could not find another seat in the entire room other than my two sides.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Careful, don''t burn your lips,” Ai said as she stared at me drinking, while she herself took a sip.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh,e on, he can withstand Phoenix Fire, you think a cup of tea is going to hurt him?” Raneferughed as she too sipped tea. She appeared a lot more confident since she and I were fucking just earlier. Perhaps she felt proud in her heart or something because of that.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A guest should be polite and keep her mouth shut,” Ai narrowed her eyes at the Phoenix who scoffed, giggling to herself.
<span style="font-weight:400">“A guest? Is this how the Hoshino Household treats its guests? With this cheap tea? I invite you to the underworld, in the Phenex Mansion, to give you an idea of what real tea tastes like.” Ranefer said proudly. “It’s certainly a lot better than what the so-called Japan’s greatest actress and idol can offer to her guests.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sorry, for not being an evil piece of shit, a <i><span style="font-weight:400">literal devil</i><span style="font-weight:400">, and collecting wealth for two thousand years, that I can’t waste my money to buy tea for a million dors. Why would I waste that much money on tea? You sound insecure with how materialistic you are.” She said, “But you know what? Even if I brew the cheapest tea, <i><span style="font-weight:400">my son</i><span style="font-weight:400"> will drink them. Would he drink yours??”
<span style="font-weight:400">Ranefer grinned, “Oh, he drank more than just my tea already. I-”
<span style="font-weight:400">Sandwiched between the twodies, I let out a loud sigh and interrupted both of them, “Ranefer, are you trying to get beaten by her again? Why are you provoking her like that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">I was just in time to interrupt them, as Ai’s clothes had already transformed into the armor of the Light Goddess. Another second, and they would have gone off against each other.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What?” Ranefer shrugged, still smiling. “It’s not as if I am lying.” She let out a fake gasp, covering her mouth, “Or are you going to pretend that you weren’t just sucking my tits earlier as if they had milk in them?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What do you mean?” Her tits did have milk; she was a Phoenix who had given birth in the past, and her unusual body never lost the power toctate. “They did have mil- oh.” I realized the trap toote.
<span style="font-weight:400">“WHAT?!” Ai, who really wanted to believe Ranefer was making stuff up, looked at me as if I had backstabbed her. “AQUA?! REPEAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID!”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, hey, calm down-”
<span style="font-weight:400">I tried to salvage the situation, but it was toote. She was truly angry. Her hand formed a massive sandal of light, which came flying at my face. I was hurdled against a wall, my body breaking through it—though fortunately I erected an <b>Instant Dungeon</b><span style="font-weight:400"> just before—while a sword formed on her other hand, and she attacked Ranefer with it.
<span style="font-weight:400">Ranefer blocked it with a ming sword of her own, and my mother attacked again by wielding a longsword in both her hands.
<span style="font-weight:400">I sighed as our house exploded, and two fiery women battled in the sky. Oneughing like a maniac as fire danced around her, the visage of a phoenix behind her, while the other, a holy sword-wielding goddess red at her intensely.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh,e on,” my dearest mother was too easily pissed off.
<span style="font-weight:400">She’s so cute though.
<span style="font-weight:400">**
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<b>Link: /Master4thWall</b>