(MC POV)
So apparently I found out a flaw in this Technique.
I had grown a body out from its infancy stage and returned to the body too early, resulting in me being trapped in this child's body for the time being.
The body is still going through an accelerated growth rate so I should theoretically be able to return to my normal form in just a month or so.
Theoretically, that is.
But in the meantime…
Manami hugged me closer to her, "Ufufufu~~ Master, is it too much to ask you to call me Manami Onee-chan during this time?"
"Umm… It will feel quite weird for me so I would refrain from doing such a thing," I refused.
Cai Hong tilted her head, "Then… Should Cai Hong call Papa 'Big Brother'? Umm… But Papa looks smaller than Cai Hong now… Maybe 'Little Brother'?"
"As weird as it may sound coming from my current form… I would like Cai Hong to continue calling me Papa."
Eris played with my fingers, "My… Master's fingers are really soft… Addicting… This one humbly requests to be allowed to address Master as 'Little Brother'… No, 'Lil Bro' would be a better choice don'cha think so, Master?"
"No."
"Kukuku~ Master, could you try erm… Spanking me over your knee later? I just want to know the difference in the feeling…" Diao Chan requested.
I flicked her forehead, ignoring the surprised scream from her, "Don't joke like that with me."
Lian Li wiped the drool from the side of her mouth, "Slurp… Erm, Master… There aren't any bad side effects from this form, is there?"
I shook my head, "I'm still keeping the Technique active so I'll just be experiencing a sudden growth spurt later on. I guess I'll have to do some revision to this Technique."
"Ara, ara… For Master to devise such a Technique so easily when we had been researching for one such Technique for so long without success… We are once again humbled," Manami sighed.
Well, I did die once before after all. So I guess I had more advantage in creating a Technique that dealt with the life and death side of things.
But I'm still exceedingly proud to hear they had already been doing research into Techniques on their own without my prompting, such diligent disciples I have.
I stroked her tail to console her, enjoying the feeling of being able to sink my entire body in the fluff. I guess that's an advantage to being small.
"Once I perfected the Technique, I'll share it with you girls," I decided.
"Ara ara, to give this big sister a chance to be the little one for once, I thank Master from the bottom of my heart."
Hmmm? I was referring to the Technique of anchoring of your soul to this world though? Eh, whatever.
"Umm… Manami, could I hug Master now?" Lian Li pleaded.
I'm being treated like a plush toy right now aren't I?
Well, can't say this is the weirdest experience for me though.
And since the girls seemed to have managed to take down the demon and the Dark Sect members, I decided that I should just let them do whatever they want for now as their reward.
Within reason of course.
Manami was in the midst of passing me over to Lian Li when a figure blurred into my vision, lifting me into the air with them.
I was greeted with the sight of a mass of maroon hair and a pair of half-crazed eyes partially hidden behind those bangs.
Ah… It's the yandere fox I had burned to nothingness some time ago… It seems my hunch about her not being able to die was right when I sensed her cursed soul.
How did she return so fast though?
"Mine," She had muttered, though loud enough for all of us to hear.
A sword pierced through the air, the fox spinning away with me in order to dodge it.
Eris pursued her, her blade stabbing towards her side.
The maroon fox swiped her tail in an arc, parrying her thrust while still staring at my face.
"Unhand Master this instance, Shizuri!" Manami demanded, her hands outstretched with a multitude of fireballs hovering around her.
"Ehehehe~ Oh Manami… Why didn't you tell me your mate was like this?" The maroon fox laughed. "We could have had sooooo much fun together! So much fun… So much blood…. Delicious, sinful blood…"
Lightning sparked off Lian Li's fingers, her face scrunched up in rage, "Harm a hair on Master and I will make sure you die a very painful, agonising undeath."
Wow, I never knew Lian Li was that protective of me.
Or is it because I'm currently in this body that she's so protective? Ah, must be the girls' motherly instincts, understandable.
"'Burden of the sky, weight of the world; imprison the heathen that dares to be so bold. Restrict their free will, with naught choice but to be still. Divine Chains!'" Diao Chan chanted.
Chains sprang forth from around us, enclosing around the maroon fox in an attempt to restrict her movements.
Or at least, that's what it must look like to them.
"Ehehehe~ How interesting, I've not heard of such a Technique before," The maroon fox giggled, watching the chains wrap around a nearby tree.
Manami growled, "Be careful, she is able to use her Technique to mess with our senses, confusing us to her real location."
My fox disciple snapped her fingers, a shrill ringing sound resounded through the air that released the girls from their disorientation.
Cai Hong dashed up towards her, surprising both the fox and I with her sudden speed.
She latched onto the fox's leg with her mouth, chomping down on her leg.
"Let'mmf mm'Papa go'ff!" Cai Hong demanded with her mouth still latched on her leg.
So cute.
The fox clucked her tongue, annoyed that her confusion Technique had been dispelled so easily by Manami. She summoned a wall of air around her, pushing Cai Hong back to where she had came from.
Deciding it might be a good time to defuse the situation, I tried to circulate my quarks to expel her Technique and force her to release me.
Eh?
My Cultivation Point… Is not there? I can't feel any Elemental Quarks as well. This… Why?
I was still pondering the situation when Eris had lunged forward with her sword again, aiming to impale the fox at the end of her sword.
Instead of dodging like I thought she would, the fox had placed me in the path of the sword with a manic smile.
"Yes, let's see how your blood tastes like. It must be simply divine!"
Eris gasped, her free hand punching towards her sword wrist and dislocating it, redirecting her thrust to the side that barely missed me by several inches.
The maroon fox sighed in disappointment, placing a finger nail at my cheek, "You wouldn't cut him? Then let me do it then—"
A tail wrapped around her wrist before she could carry out her plan, Manami pulling her wrist away from my face.
"You cut even a single hair off Master and I will let you burn for the rest of eternity, Shizuri!"
My captor giggled, "Ah Manami~~ As much as I would like to play with you, I found myself a new toy here, so would you mind?"
There was a loud crack as Manami broke her wrist with her tail, the maroon fox only giving a roll of her eyes as a response.
"Always the serious one, Manami. I remember back when we were both young and innocent. Why can't you stay that way, hmm?"
Young… That's right. Since my body regressed, so did my mastery of my Cultivation Point and Elemental Quarks.
I remember that I only set off on the road of a Practitioner in my early teens, which means the current me should have no experience in handling Elemental Quarks.
Crap…
Well, that doesn't mean I'm helpless though.
But what I can do now is limited since knowing my captor is an undead, she probably doesn't feel pain…
I looked towards Eris, the swordswoman just managing to pop her dislocated wrist back into place.
I gave her a nod towards the maroon fox's arm to which her eyes widened before nodding back.
"Hey, Shizuri was it?" I spoke.
She looked down at me, the manic smile materialising back on her face, "Yes, toy?"
I flung my head back, smashing my head against her nose and sending her head tilting backwards.
Eris dashed past us, her sword flashing out to cut the muscle under the arm that held me and loosening her grip.
Manami immediately wrapped her tails around me, pulling me back into her embrace while Diao Chan recited her binding Spell again, this time successfully binding her in place.
Cai Hong then rushed up towards her again, this time leaping up to punch her right between the legs and sending her flying upwards.
Lian Li took the opportunity to let loose the lightning she had charged in her fist, sending it forward to strike the airborne fox away and into the distant mountains.
The five of them immediately crowded around me.
"Master! Are you hurt?!"
I waved my hand to show that I'm alright but it still took a good five minutes before they were finally convinced I was alright.
"Well, I think it's time to address the big issue now, though," I announced.
They tilted their heads at me.
"Well, I believe the elf is still stuck in Abaddon's chest right? And I just found out that I can't circulate my quarks in this body so things have gotten a little bit complicated for her now."
The girls gaped at me.
I narrowed my eyes at them, "Don't tell me you girls completely forgot about her just because I turned small, did you?"
They refused to meet my eyes.
