Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Kali taking the lead, properly wearing her disguise, the four made their way towards the docks where a group of Amazonesses were waiting. Though Kali could have easily swum through the water, their Brig Sloop did have a few smaller boats for transferring supplies and, in order to receive Vahn, they had unloaded one to transport him and Kali over. That would have to wait until later, however, as there was currently an 'incident' occurring at the docks that caused Tione's eyes to glimmer with a murderous light...Currently, there were a few seriously injured fisherman laying around on the ground as an Amazoness with white hair, braided with golden twine, and a very revealing outfit. She had blood staining her hands and, with a predatory gaze, stared back at the surrounding fisherman as she licked the blood clean from her fingers. Vahn frowned when he saw this and, after confirming the men were only injured, not dead, he looked to Kali and said, "She can only blame herself for what is to come..." To this, Kali just shrugged dismissively before saying, "Our law is survival of the fittest. If she is too weak to survive then, just like those who have fallen at her hand, she too will die. It isn't anything to be upset over..."As a Goddess of Death, Kali didn't particularly care if any of the children, or anyone else for that matter, ended up losing their lives in battle. To her, death was a completely natural thing and, if you didn't have the power to stave it off, then the only person to blame was yourself. Since most gods were fully aware of the cycle of reincarnation, she had no real attachments to any of the children in her Familia, knowing that they would simply return to the cycle and live anew. Her only real interests were fighting, watching people fight, and observing the 'unique' Amazonesses that went against the grain and chose a different path from their sisters. It was this same mentality that allowed her to let Bache give Tiona books in the past, curious if the young girl that loved Heroes would be able to make her dream a reality...With Kali's words signifying her 'consent', Vahn gave a small nod towards Tione who, like a blue, vanished from sight before appearing near Argana. This movement caused Kali's brows to rise slightly as she uttered an 'oooh~?' in a small voice. As for Argana, her vicious gaze turned into one of surprise as she quickly twisted her agile body, kicking outward as her shin collided with Tione's hard enough to make a small shockwave. Vahn winced slightly upon seeing this, knowing both girls' shins probably had micro-fractures after contacting each other with such a forceful impact. He was tempted to transfer the injury from Tione to himself but, considering this was her personal fight, he decided to watch patiently from the side, trusting she would emerge victoriously...Now that she saw who it was, Argana's expression change from surprise to scorn as she intoned an amused, "Hooo? Look who's grown up. You know, I was hoping you would tag along with that boy, my sweet little disciple..." As she was speaking, Argana had gotten into a loose stance with both of her bloody hands up in a grabbing motion. Her style of fighting relied solely on her physical body, choosing to forgo the use of a weapon unless she was hunting monsters. Against human opponents, she preferred to rip them apart with her bare hands, bathing in their bloody and reveling in the act of slaughtering those weaker than herself.Tione chose not to respond to Argana's words, long having entered her berserk state, increasing her parameters further. Though she was actually more than strong enough to fight against Argana, the mental trauma Tione had suffered in the past was causing her to push herself from the outset. As a result, she launched herself towards Argana, shattering the paved stone of the port as she vaulted through the air and dropped her heel towards Argana's head. The latter, as arrogant and vicious as she was, wasn't a slouch when it came to actual combat. Her instincts warned her not to block the blow so she stepped back rapidly, spinning on her heel as she attempted to counter Tione's attack after the latter missed.With Argana having dodged, Tione's foot slammed into the dock and caused spiderweb fractures to spread out in an instant as her right hand shot up to catch Argana's foot. This caused Argana to tuck in her leg, turning her kick into a feint as her body twisted around in an instant. Her long braid came to an end with a solid gold ring that now sliced towards Tione's face with the intent to maim. It was this same attack that had cut open Bache's face in the past and, unless you were expecting it, most opponents would be caught by surprise. Tione, having 'trained' under Argana for years, was one of the few whom the attack was completely useless against...Argana hadn't been the only one twisting her body as Tione had also turned her attempt to grab the former's leg into a complete motion, turning her body and grabbing out with her left hand this time. For a brief moment, Argana had her back to Tione and, though she was preparing to vault away and get her distance again, her actions were one step slower. Tione had grabbed the long braid that her former 'Mentor' had prided herself over, causing Argana's attempt to jump away to fail. Instead, she was pulled off her feet as Tione jerked her hair, pulling Argana into a spin as she slammed the latter toward the ground with bone-breaking force.To Argana's credit, she reacted very quickly to being pulled by her hair, pulling up both of her legs to change her center of gravity as she moved with the motion of Tione's attack and landed on her feet. Even so, Tione hadn't let go of her braid just yet and now used it as a 'leash' that kept Argana in her range as she kicked towards the latter's abdomen with an explosive kick. Argana's expression had turned especially vicious since the moment Tione had grabbed her hair, screaming, "You bitch!" as she tried to meet the base of Tione's shin with her elbow. The elbows and knees were significantly harder than the straight bones of the body so Argana was trying to break Tione's shin with her counter attack.The moment Argana initiated her counter, Tione pulled the golden loop toward herself, knocking Argana's balance off-center and changing the vector of her elbow. This caused Argana's eyes to widen slightly as she tried to follow with Tione's pull while tucking in her arms to protect her ribcage. Tione's attack landed against Argana's guard, causing a ripple to pass through the latter's body as a pained grunt escaped her lips. Though Tione hadn't been using any weapons, the magic circle on her back was releasing a subtle glow that signified she had enhanced her parameters. It didn't reflect any changes on her Status Board, but Vahn knew the enhancement was very nearly 30%, though the effect would decay with time. This meant that, for the first few minutes of a fight, Tione's base Power easily eclipsed 6300 while Argana's maximum possible Endurance was only 5,994.Tione's attack wasn't enough to send Argana flying, but it had been enough to completely disrupt her balance for a brief moment as the wind was forced from her lungs. In that brief window, Tione had shifted her weight forward, planting her left foot heavily against the ground as she used the hand holding Argana's braid to smash the golden loop into the latter's teeth. Argana had tried to jerk her head back to evade the attack but Tione was slightly faster, causing the loop to slice through the soft tissue of Argana's mouth as several of her teeth were fractured and dislodged. She was then knocked backward by the attack but, with Tione still holding her braid, the latter simply yanked Argana's head forward again for another follow-up attack.Argana's expression had turned into completely murderous at this point as she completely ignored the injury to her face, grabbing her own braid as she brought her head forward and attempted to bite Tione's neck. Even with teeth missing, Argana's habit of trying to bite away chunks of her opponent was deeply ingrained into her attack patterns, something Tione was fully aware of. She responded to Argana's attempt by cutting her left fist upward in a short uppercut, forcing the latter's mouth shut before she slammed her head forward, slamming it into Argana's nose.Even after taking several painful hits, Argana didn't seem willing to back down as she quickly yanked her own braid away from Tione's vice-like grip. This caused the hair to rip, freeing her from Tione's grasp as her long hair slowly began to uncoil, blown chaotically by the cold coastal winds blowing inward from the sea. For a brief moment, the two Amazonesses stared each other down as Argana moved her tongue around inside her mouth before spitting out several fragments of teeth and a fair amount of blood. The inside of her cheek was ripped to shreds while the corner of her lips now extended several centimeters further than it should...As if it was someone else who was injured, Argana's expression remained vicious as she ignored the pain and spat, "You really have grown up, brat. I'm glad I didn't kill you back then...now, you will become part of my own strength...!" At this moment, Argana's pale-golden pupils became crimson red as her figure moved forward at several times the speed of sound in an instant. Like a spear, her hand tore through the air as it drew a fierce line towards Tione's neck. The only thing it contacted, however, was Tione's afterimage as she had completely avoided the attacked with the use of [Shundo].Argana had lunged forward with her fastest momentum, extending her body forward to try and end the battle with a single blow. With Tione evading her attack, her body was left completely exposed as a blur formed into existence at her side, turning into the image of Tione kicking upwards with similarly fierce momentum. Argana's body folded over Tione's leg as a powerful shockwave rippled through her abdomen before she was launched high into the sky. Her forward momentum from her lunge hadn't been lost, causing her to spin as she flew through the air for several hundred meters before smashing into a building on the port's periphery.After this attack, Tione was left breathing heavily but was otherwise in good condition as she looked towards the section of the building Argana had smashed into. She didn't think for a moment that the woman who had tormented her for years would be done in with such a simple, albeit effective, attack. As expected, there was the visual of the building 'exploding' outward, sending supersonic pieces of shrapnel outward as Argana's raging figure charged toward Tione once again. It wasn't until after Argana arrived that the sound of the building's explosion reached bystanders, as her speed was much faster than the sound of her movements.This wasn't something that Tione couldn't cope with, however, causing her to evade with [Shundo] once again. Argana wasn't caught off guard this time and, as she had kept low to the ground during her charge, he was able to palm against the ground and pivot quickly to reorient herself towards Tione. This showed remarkable adaptability on her part but, being weaker, less durable, and slower than Tione, it didn't provide her too many benefits. To her credit, she had made sure her back was facing towards the water this time so, when Tione's fist collided with her cross guard, Argana was sent barreling backward, skidding across the water a few times before sinking into the port's depths.Amazonesses could fight just as well in the water as they could on land and, being one of the Captains of the Kali Familia, Argana's aptitude in the water was above most. She had the [Master Diving] Development Ability, something Tione, with her [Diving: A], wouldn't be able to match. When Argana didn't emerge from the water, Tione knew she was being baited to chase after her but, even in her berserk state, she knew this wouldn't end well for her. Instead, surprising both Kali and the other Amazonesses, Tione held out her hand and shouted, "Adeat~!"Deep beneath the water's surface, Argana's crimson eyes glowed within the murky water of Lolog lake, patiently awaiting Tione's pursuit. She was genuinely surprised by how strong Tione had gotten in only nine years, causing her to momentarily reflect on her own path towards power. Since she had known Tione since the latter was born, Argana knew it couldn't have been her own talent that had allowed her to reach such heights in such a short period of time. Tione hadn't lacked talent, but it was a far cry from the truly prodigious Amazonesses that would periodically appear within the younger generation. Compared to Tiona, she had always been subpar and, with her emotional instability, it was easy to exploit the gaps in her attacks...at least it used to be.Now, Tione seemed to be stronger, faster, and tougher than she was, causing Argana to feel slight envy but even more excitement. She believed that defeating Tione would allow her strength to grow exponentially and, since Vahn should have been the source for Tione's quick rise, Argana believed she would be able to receive similar benefits in the future. For so many powerful people to come into existence around Vahn, he had to have the means to promote the strength of others and, now that he would be on their ship for the next three months, there would be ample opportunity to find out what he...Without being able to finish her line of thinking, a flash of gold tore through the water's surface, catching Argana off guard as she twisted her body to try and evade. She was extremely agile in the water so it wasn't too difficult for her to dodge a surprise attack, at least in most circumstances. Unfortunately for Argana, the blade of Tione's artifact could reach several thousand degrees and, cutting through the salt-filled water, a variety of detrimental things happened all at once. The surrounding water was explosively boiled while the super-heated salt became almost like a highly corrosive acid that pelted Argana's skin, causing chemical burns over a large portion of her exposed flesh. This had highly disoriented her while forcing her body to seize up slightly from the unexpected pain that now wracked her body. In this state, Argana was completely defenseless as the backwash of the water pulled her body back into the path of Tione's artifact, just as it was on its return vector...Argana didn't even know she had died as the last thought to pass through her mind was genuine relief that the pain she had been experiencing had ceased. The two split pieces of her body, charred and cauterized, sunk towards the bottom of the port as large fish, generally her prey, began tearing away chunks of her body. Just as she had lived, devouring the flesh of others, Argana's death was celebrated in much the same way. Her flesh would become the nutrients that nourished new life in the lake's depths, causing several large fish to explosively increase in size and strength over a short period of time. Just as she had consumed others to grow stronger, now Argana was being consumed by others, supporting the natural cycle even in death...On the surface, Tione had felt the feedback of her blade cutting through flesh and, after a few minutes of silence, it was Kali who announced, "Looks like Argana was the weaker one this time around. It's a shame you aren't still in my Familia, Tione, or I would have made you into my Captain. Congratulations on your victory; I hope you are satisfied by the outcome~." As if it was a stranger she had never met, Kali seemed completely unaffected by the death of her Captain, someone she had watched grow up over the last twenty-seven years. She gestured to the other Amazonesses, equally as unaffected by Argana's death, saying, "Prepare the boat so we can head back. I don't really feel like dealing with the Guild and Melen's Familia if I can avoid it."The members of Kali's Familia quickly set into motion, preparing for the departure while Kali lazily walked over to Tione's side and joined her in looked down at the water below. They didn't really say anything to each other, standing in silence as the sunlight cast its warm rays down upon the now devastated port. Vahn had sent Tiona to pass on a literal slab of Adamantine to the Guild, which should be more than enough to pay for the damages that had been done. He also took care of the injured and reimbursed the middle-aged couple who had their shop destroyed during the battle. All the while, he continued to pay attention to Tione, sending her comforting words through their [Pactio] link as she stared absentmindedly towards the cold water below...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A deeply rooted hatred...','The Student overcomes the Master...','What lays beyond vengeance...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

After taking care of the port officials, Vahn and Tiona had joined up with the ready to depart Amazonesses, Tione silently sitting at his side. Her aura was weak but stable as she leaned against Vahn's shoulder, ignoring the looks of her kinsmen that would periodically glance toward her or, more specifically, Vahn. They were all interested in the man that their goddess was escorting back to their homeland, a place where men were not allowed to trespass. Vahn joined Tione in completely ignoring them, all while Kali made casual conversation with Tiona for the short trip between the shore and the blood-red Brig Sloop anchored in the port's center.By the time the Amazonesses onboard had thrown ropes down to those waiting in the landing ship, Tione had taken a deep breath before hardening her expression and sitting straight. Now, instead of ignoring the looks she was receiving, Tione stared down the curious Amazonesses. There would be plenty of time to think later and it was more important, for the time being, that she remembered her 'purpose' on this trip. She needed to keep others in line and, if necessary, set an example to prevent any 'random' Amazoness from trying to approach Vahn.Vahn put a little bit of pressure into the hand he had on Tione's waist before kissing the side of her head and saying, "You don't have to force yourself. Take as much time as you need...Tiona and I can manage the rest, at least for the time being..." Knowing the 'emptiness' that followed successful vengeance, Vahn knew that Tione would take a while to accept the reality of the situation. If she recovered instantly after dealing with the source of her trauma, it would have been even more problematic. Emotions weren't something to be repressed in such circumstances as it could lead to other problems in the future whereas, not caring about the situation at all, would be the first steps towards developing psychosis and apathy towards life and death...Tione turned her eyes up at Vahn, her brown eyes shimmering for a moment before a smile spread across her face. Without saying anything, she began ignoring the surrounding Amazonesses once again and instead hugged Vahn's arm as she continued resting her head against his shoulder. As for the Amazonesses themselves, they were slightly surprised that someone as strong as Tione acted so 'docilely' around Vahn. Though they knew of his identity as 'the strongest' in Orario, they had never actually seen him perform any feats. Even seeing his battle against Ottar on the projection sphere didn't really have the same 'impact' as watching the fight in person. There was a lot that wasn't conveyed properly through an image, especially when it came to the overwhelming aura that usually emanated from Vahn when he was fighting seriously.Tiona had also been eyeing the interaction between her sister and Vahn, forcibly restraining her urge to snuggle up with the latter since she didn't want to butt after such a 'serious' development. She let her mind wander to what they could do later as, unlike Tione, she hadn't been affected by the death of Argana that much. Because she hadn't been particularly close to Tione in the past, she had never really interacted that much with Argana and only knew second-hand what kind of things Tione had to go through. She had resented her sister's tormentor quite a bit so the death of Argana was more of a 'happy' event for Tiona, not something to mourn and lament...Sensing the peculiar atmosphere on the small landing craft, Kali displayed an innocent smile, completely playing the part of her Chandi persona. Even the members of her own Familia, while being deferential towards her, were treating her differently than normal as they were already accustomed to Kali's 'shifts' in personality. While she was in her Chandi persona, they would treat her as if she were a young girl while doing their best to avoid directly antagonizing her. After all, though she appeared innocent, Kali was actually more dangerous as Chandi than her real form.Usually, Kali would laze about and just observe from the side unless the situation called for her to act directly. In her Chandi persona, however, Kali would proactively engage people and, if you did manage to offend her, it was almost the same as signing your death warrant. She would instantly transform from her relatively innocent self into a brutal and merciless killer, often in less time than it would take her victims to even process what happened...Kali usually adopted her Chandi form when dealing with outsiders who were completely unaware of her true nature. All they saw was an 'abnormal' Amazoness child that stood out from her kin, especially with her innocent appearance. There was no end to the number of people who would try to exploit such a young girl, giving Kali more than enough justification to beat them into 'literal' meat paste. She did, however, make sure to always introduce herself as Chandi which, to those who knew her native tongue, was a very big 'warning sign' as it meant 'slay evil without mercy'.With the landing craft being pulled up onto the deck of the Brig Sloop, Chandi hopped up to her feet and trotted over to an elevated platform with a thick cushion. The surrounding Amazonesses gave her a wide berth while those closest to the landing craft observed its occupants with interest. Many had respectful glints in their eyes as they looked upon Tione while the vast majority looked toward Vahn was a slightly predatory glimmer reflecting across their irises. Vahn's gaze also passed over them, albeit very briefly, as he committed their appearances and strength to memory.Most Amazonesses had similarly brown skin while, with the exception of a veiled woman, each had brown or reddish-brown hair. Like Tiona and Tione, nearly the entire crew had various shades of brown eyes, making Kali, Bache, and the Amazoness at the helm the only exceptions. Kali's eyes, even in her Chandi persona, were still blood red. As for Bache, she had the same pale-gold eyes as her sister while the helmswoman had sharp hazel-orange eyes like a hawk. For the brief moment when Vahn made eye contact with her, he noticed her eyes retract to points and it felt like her gaze had pierced him before she instinctually looked away, now slightly pale.While Vahn was standing on the deck with Tione, Tiona had walked over the Bache with an amiable smile on her face as she mused, "I'm even stronger than you now, Bache~." This caused Bache to nod her head slightly before a soft yet womanly voice sounded out behind her veil, saying, "That seems to be the case. Even though I was a terrible Master, I'm glad to see how much you've grown, Tiona. You truly are the pride of the Amazonesses..." As she finished saying this, Bache turned her eyes towards Tione, her eyes squinting slightly as if she were smiling, adding, "Your sister has also grown a great deal. I am happy the two of you were able to live a fulfilling life outside of Telskyura..."Even though she was Argana's twin sister, it had been nearly two decades since the two were genuinely close with each other. Ever since she received the scar on her face at only eight years old, Bache had never treated Argana as her sister. She had genuinely been afraid that the day would come when Argana would try and kill her, all in the pursuit of greater strength. Now that Argana was dead, she felt more relief than anything else since, more than any other Amazoness, Argana had killed the greatest number of their kin. Though she also reveled in battle, Bache had never been able to understand why Argana had been so 'bloodthirsty' since their youth...Tiona rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish smile on her face as she laughed, happy and embarrassed after being complimented. Unlike Tione and Argana, she had never really resented Bache and, after the latter began giving her books to read, the two had actually grown relatively close. The one thing Tiona had resented Bache for was the fact that her breasts were much larger but, after meeting Vahn, such things had become inconsequential. Now that she knew Bache would probably be her 'sister' in the future, as it was almost guaranteed she would bear Vahn's child, Tiona felt a little happy about how things had turned out...Unaware of the 'arrangements' that had been made for her, as she was unable to speak any language other than her native tongue, Bache looked toward Vahn and Tione with mild interest as she asked, "Is that boy really as strong as the rumors say...?" Since she was speaking in the Amazonian language, Bache was surprised when it was Vahn who smiled and answered, "I still have a long way to go before I can confidently call myself the strongest. However, if it is for the people I care about, there isn't anything in the world that can hold me back..."Vahn's words had caused most of the Amazonesses on deck to show genuine surprise as even Kali gave him a curious look, asking, "You can speak our language...?" Her question had been in their native tongue, causing Vahn to turn his attention back to her as he answered, "I can read, write, and speak in any language, including the language of the gods themselves..." Though it was a boon granted to him by The Path, Vahn was inextricably linked with it for the rest of eternity. Each function and ability it provided was a part of himself, something he had grown to accept with the passage of time.Kali's curiosity was piqued even further as this was something that hadn't been mentioned in the file provided by Loki. She didn't believe that the latter was unaware of this fact and, curious about the veracity of Vahn's claim, asked, "What am I saying right now...?" This time, she had spoken in a voice that caused everyone except Vahn to wince slightly as the language of the gods was something that 'should' be incomprehensible to mortals. They were words of power that were rarely used in the Mortal World as it would also cause the god in question to feel extreme fatigue for a short while.Since Vahn's 'translation' worked automatically, everything Kali said sounded completely normal to his ears. When he tried to respond, however, Vahn felt his energy reserves drain rapidly as he said, "You asked me what you're saying..." By the time the words had left his lips, Vahn had a small trickle of blood coming out of his left nostril that caused him to furrow his brows and activate his [Magia Erebea] constitution. He quickly healed while his reserves were rapidly replenishing, all while Kali looked at him with wide eyes and a large grin on her face. She suddenly felt like the next three months were going to be 'infinitely' more interesting than she had expected...Vahn felt like he had erred slightly but quickly recovered a stoic disposition as his mind raced with possibilities. He had felt the power contained within the words and wondered what kind of effect they would have if he used them in a spell's incantation. As Eva had emphasized 'a lot', there was a lot of power in words and, the older the language, the more powerful the effect. In the record of Danmachi, the language of the gods was the oldest language, existing far longer than the Mortal World and the concept of Magic itself. Because of this, Vahn decided to look into it using one of the Space-Time orbs, as his intuition warned him that things could easily go awry if he used it in the real world...Unaware that she had just made Vahn inordinately more powerful, Kali was also thinking about the future as she leaned to the side, resting her elbow against a small raised platform. For a moment, she had forgotten she was in her Chandi persona and had fallen into her rather uncouth habits, invalidating the purpose of her blue smock as she sat in a rather slovenly manner. This caused Vahn to snap out of his own thoughts, furrowing his brows slightly as he asked, "Where will we be staying during the voyage...?"Kali had noticed Vahn's reaction, the smile on her face vanishing as she adjusted her seated posture and explained, "My ship isn't exactly suited for the transport of passengers. Your choices are to sleep in my private quarters or below decks with my children. We don't have a lot of the luxuries you may be used to so you'll have to bunk up with me if you want to sleep on an actual bed. Keep in mind that I'm a 'rough' sleeper, however, kukukuku~." Kali had defaulted to the native tongue of the Amazonesses, allowing her children to understand clearly what she was saying. Now, the looks they gave Vahn contained a great deal of fervor as their goddess had never really shown any interest in men previously...As he had already scanned his intent across the ship, Vahn knew that Kali's words were actually the truth. Other than a few barrels full of preserved fruit and a few other essential supplies, they didn't even carry any food reserves. The large area below decks just had a few tightly bundled hammocks where the crew would sleep while all of their food was harvested from the sea. Even their fresh water was produced by boiling saltwater and processing the condensation and runoff into potable water that could be consumed sparingly. There weren't even any onboard weapons for dealing with pirates and sea monsters. Only the small private quarters at the back of the ship was properly furnished, though that itself was a bit of an exaggeration. Kali's 'bed' was just a wooden platform with a matted cushion nailed to it while the rest of the cabin was filled with strange ornamental furniture that served no practical purpose...Vahn was admittedly impressed with how seriously the Amazonesses were devoted to their lifestyle, even if he couldn't personally agree with some of their traditions. The fact they could sail out into the sea, seemingly without making any preparations, showed that they were completely dedicated to surviving through their own capabilities. If not for the fact they were transporting a few goods and required sleep, Vahn suspected they might even forgo the use of ships entirely. Since he had seen how agile Tiona and Tione could be in the water, Vahn knew that the Amazonesses could actually travel through the water much faster than the ship itself...In response to Kali's obvious 'taunt', Vahn's expression didn't change at all as he said, "It is only three months, so I'll stay on deck and observe throughout the journey. I'm pretty interested in sailing so it would be a good opportunity to see how professionals operate..." Since almost everyone had been paying attention to Vahn at this point, there were varying degrees of incredulity on the faces of several Amazonesses as they processed what he had just said. As for Kali, she gave a small frown, saying, "You really are no fun at times, Vahn...well, I can't say I'm not interested to see exactly how long you can last without sleep. If you get tired and pass out, I can't promise you'll wake up in the same condition that you fell asleep in though, shishishishi~."After laughing to her heart's content, Kali hopped up off her elevated platform and shimmied out of her smock before tossing her black-haired wig to the side. An Amazoness quickly scooped it up as Kali manifested a spiked bone mask, placing it over the upper half of her face. For a brief moment, she had actually been completely naked, wearing nothing but golden wristlets and anklets before her divine raiment took shape around her. Once her extremely revealing outfit had completely formed, Kali gave Vahn a mischevious smile before licking her lips and shouting, "Looks like we'll have an observer for the next three months, girls! Make sure you do your jobs properly so our guest is properly entertained! Khodiva, set sail for home~!"Following Kali's words, the Amazonesses on deck released a loud war cry as they set into motion, furling the sails and manually pulling up the two anchors before tying them down to the deck. It took less than a minute and a half before the ship was in motion, propelled against the wind by a series of long red oars that protruded from the side of the ship. One of the younger Amazonesses on the ship, even smaller than Kali, began beating a large drum in a rhythmic fashion, setting the tempo for the rowers below as the large Brig Sloop began to steadily accelerate through the water...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Moving Forward...','Language of the God's','Wise Sailors fear the sea during a storm while Amazonesses sail into it with smiles on their faces...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

As Melen was only located a little more than three kilometers away from Orario, it was a very short journey with Vahn, Tiona, and Tione all being capable of using [Shundo]. However, as it had been a long time since Vahn actually 'walked' anywhere, with flying being his primary means of transport, it was somewhat refreshing to be able to join the scenery they passed along the way. The area surrounding Orario was very scenic while the record of Danmachi itself was full of beautiful and breathtaking landscapes. Vahn was able to enjoy several sights that most people could only dream of but, on occasion, it was nice to just travel leisurely alongside some of the people he cared about.To make things more interesting, Tiona had started a game of [Shundo] tag, that had the three of them darting around along the landscape, trying to evade each other using the surrounding terrain as cover. Vahn enjoyed a big advantage, being able to detect the girls within his domain and use [Shundo] to a much higher proficiency, but it was still very fun. Seeing Tiona and Tione acrobatically navigate the terrain and try to pull feints against him, only to end up falling into his arms regardless, brought a smile to Vahn's face each time. It also made the trip to Melen seem much shorter, as time spent playing always seemed to pass much faster than normal...As such, Vahn and his two Amazoness companions arrived at the port town of Melen, located on the shores of Lolog lake and having a small population of only 40,000 permanent residents. This homely place was affectionately referred to as Orario's access to the sea, providing fresh fish to the City while serving as the primary hub for merchant vessels trying to conduct trade inland. The architecture primarily used wood for the foundation while the overall structure used the wattle and daub method, interweaving stray and hay before compacting it with processed mud, lime, and other building materials. Most of the buildings had slate-tile roofs and Vahn could smell the nearby sea, carried on the rather strong wind flowing in from coast. It was already much colder here than it was in Orario yet, everywhere he looked, Vahn could see people with smiles on their faces as they happily worked alongside each other to unload the early morning catch...Tiona, who had been standing close at Vahn's side, had her arms leisurely placed behind her head as she mused, "It's been a long time since I've visited Melen. I'm looking forward to being able to travel by sea once again~." Though they had used the land route when their journey began, Tiona and Tione had both served and Kali's personal vessel to train out at sea a few times. They both had experience fighting underwater and had a very high tolerance to both pressure and cold, much like most of the Amazonesses who served on such vessels. As for Tione's take on things, she had a stern expression as she muttered, "We're not here to play around, Tiona. Don't forget our purpose on this journey...!"Tione could already feel her blood boiling, completely invalidating the cool sea breeze as she looked forward to stomping the woman who had made her life a living hell. In the past, whenever she would make her 'Master' upset, it wasn't uncommon for the latter to beat her until Tione had been left bedridden for weeks. Once, Argana had even broken both of her arms and fractured several of Tione's ribs, all while insulting her as being 'weaker' than Tiona. Now, Tione knew she would be able to defeat the cruel and vicious woman who played at being her Master. She had even been tasked by Loki to personally deal with Argana as, no matter how things developed moving forward, there was no way such a woman could ever be a suitable mother. After all, back within Telskyura, Argana had the nickname 'Voracious Killer', as she had a propensity of biting the jugular and even taking large chunks out of her opponents using nothing more than her teeth. Though it had healed now, Tione had also lost a large chunk of her calve in the past after pissing off Argana when the latter had a little too much to drink...Remembering all of the times she had suffered under Argana's cruelty, Tione tightly gripped her fists in expectation, a murderous look in her eyes. Vahn and Tiona both noticed this, completely understanding Tione's current state of mind. Tiona had been there to see her sister's suffering and, though he hadn't been there personally, Vahn had seen the events from both sisters' perspectives. He knew that, if he had to choose between Argana and Bache, it wasn't even a contest. Bache had been a relatively kind and caring Master to Tiona, even if she was still harsh during their training. She was also the one that allowed Tiona to keep books related to heroes, giving her hope during the darkest part of her life...Vahn reached out his hand, grasping Tione's fist firmly as he said, "Whatever you decide, I will support you..." Though he knew it was 'better' for people to move on, leaving their tragic past behind them, Vahn also knew it was borderline impossible for some. Experiencing great cruelty, all while feeling you are powerless to change it, is something most people can't overcome. Tione had managed to escape with Tiona in the past, but the trauma she had experienced due to Argana's treatment was deeply rooted in her psyche. If she wanted to duel Argana to the death, Vahn wouldn't allow anyone to interfere, even Kali herself...though the latter probably wouldn't care at all.For a moment, Vahn, Tione, and Tiona were enjoying a heartwarming yet tense atmosphere amongst themselves. It wasn't until a burly looking fisherman, carrying a wet net full of a fresh catch, gave them a wry smile that they were brought back to reality. Tione gave a rare blush while Tiona just laughed out loud, just as she normally did when embarrassed. Vahn's own cheeks felt a little hot, even against the cold air, so he just gave a small nod to the fisherman before heading towards the port. There were several fishing vessels in port but, standing out amongst them all, Vahn could see a large red twin-masted Brig Sloop moored in the center of the harbor. It was a large vessel around 50m long, possessing a unique structure that had a very 'foreign' feel to it compared to the relatively standard vessels anchored nearby...Tione and Tiona had confirmed it was indeed Kali's ship and, with the large eight-armed female emblem adoring the sails, it wasn't really a point of contention as to who the ship belonged to. This was clearly the Kali Familia emblem and, as a result of her reputation, most of the other ships gave them a 'very' wide berth. Some ships were even traveling in a very wide arc to avoid passing anywhere close to the large blood-red ship and its crew. As for the crew themselves, Vahn could see several nearly-naked women diving into the large saltwater lake, disappearing for what felt like several minutes before reemerging with large fish they had caught by hand.Seeing this, even from a distance, Vahn wondered what it would be like to go fishing while relying on nothing but his physical capabilities. He had never really dived too deeply into a large body of water and couldn't help feeling a little intrigued by the concept. Unlike 'most' people, he didn't really need to breathe so there was no limit to the depth and duration of his dives. Vahn knew that, even with the large size of the Continents, they made up less than five percent of the planar world of Danmachi, the rest almost entirely comprised of an ocean that extended several dozen kilometers down into the dark abyss where the light from the sun had no hope of reaching...While humoring the thought of exploring the ocean's depths, Vahn came to a sudden stop as the aura of three gods entered his perception. One was far more powerful than the other two and seemed to be making its way towards them, causing Vahn to gesture to Tiona and Tione as he turned his head towards the direction of their 'guest'. Given the circumstances, it was almost undoubtedly Kali herself and Vahn was curious about what she was up to by meeting them without an escort. Though she didn't have any reason to 'fear' for her safety, it was still a very strange decision to make since Vahn did have a track record of killing gods...From around the corner connecting to an alleyway, a small brown-skinned girl wearing a blue smock-dress came into view. The dress had a squarish hole where the head protruded, adorned with cream colored and green stripes, just like the hem of the dress. Since the hem extended past her knees, it gave the girl a very youthful appearance and, if not for the golden ornaments on her wrists and ankles, she might have looked like a normal young girl. Even without such adornments, however, the long black hair tied into a loose ponytail that extended to the back of her calves, the crimson red pupils, and the fact that she had exuded a feeling of intense 'threat' made her stand out quite a bit...As soon as the 'young girl' made eye contact with Vahn, she gave a small pouting expression as she said, "Lok said you were very perceptive, but you could have at least played along for a little while, Vahn..." Vahn had already started to emit a bit of pressure from his domain while Tiona and Tione had both assumed combat-ready stances, neither remotely fooled by the 'disguise' of the goddess that had been deeply ingrained into their hearts, minds, and bodies. Even so, Kali didn't really seem bothered by the cautious and hostile reactions of the group, walking forward with a pretend 'innocent' expression on her face as she explained, "Like this, you can refer to me as Chandi, okay? Come on, don't you want to try patting my head~?"Completely ignoring the looks Tiona and Tione were giving her, Kali made her way right before Vahn, looking up at him with a playful and expectant smile. If not for the massive aura and insane bloodlust she exuded, Kali could have easily played the part of an innocent child, something that made Vahn feel apprehensive. Even so, he didn't let it show on his face and, causing Kali's smile to widen greatly, reached out his hand to stroke her head. She was only 138cm tall so it was very easy to place his hand on her head, sending waves of petting energy that caused Kali to show momentary surprise before 'giggling'. This time, Vahn couldn't help himself as he commented, "This act...is kind of disgusting..."Kali poked out her tongue in response, stating confidently, "Who, other than a god, determines how a god should act? Even Loki and Freya were allowed to change, even though they had been stagnant for so many years. Is my 'act' really such a bad thing, if its who I'm willing to become in order to make things easier for you~?" Being one of the older gods in her Pantheon, Kali was nearly as old as Hestia yet, because of her Divinities, she had a far more 'active' role throughout History. She wasn't nearly as 'clever' as Loki, but her experience over more than five hundred million years wasn't something that could be looked down on by most mortals.In response to Kali's words, Vahn moved his hand back, removing the silky black-haired wig that Kali had been wearing, revealing her blood-red hair that curled a bit towards the ends. It easily extended past the small of her back as it flowed down, falling naturally into place as Kali's eyes turned somewhat sharp. Her little tooth, which had been poking out innocently previously, now seemed more like a fang as Kali ran the tip of her tongue across it hard enough to draw blood. Then, with a bit of excitement glimmering in her eyes, Kali stated, "You know, I don't mind if you want to take the lead and do things your way...but, if you are going to disrespect me so readily, Vahn, you should prepare yourself for the consequences. Unless you can beat me head on, don't expect me to just stand idly by as you cause me to lose face in front of my Amazonesses..."Kali had tried to use the information Loki had provided about Vahn to appeal to him in a way that she thought he would prefer. Though Loki mentioned that he had inhibitions about her size, the fact that he had a Pallum in his 'harem' meant he wouldn't be able to use it as a genuine excuse. If he had just played along, Kali had been willing to keep up the pretense for the entire duration of their journey, all so that Vahn's mind would be at ease. Now, he seemed to be doing everything in his power to undermine her intentions and, though Kali also expected this somewhat, it didn't mean she would 'play along' if he wasn't willing...Vahn continued looking down at Kali, then, without minding her 'vicious' look, he reached out his hand and began stroking her head directly this time. The hair of a goddess was usually finer than refined satin so it was a very pleasant feeling against his palm, even though the silky black wig, which seemed to be a 'very' high-quality item, was also rather nice. Then, amidst Kali's confusion, Vahn simply stated, "There will come a time when we have to settle things, but that is beside the point...this whole journey is supposed to be us getting to know each other better, not a version of ourselves that we think is 'suitable' for the occasion. If I can't get close to the real you, there is no way I would be willing to have a child with you...for the time being, we should do our best to get close naturally. Don't play games with me, Kali..."Even as he spoke rather sternly, Vahn's actions 'seemed' gentle, especially with the aid of his [Grooming] and [Hands of Nirvana]. Kali had become momentarily absentminded as she listened to his words, only coming to her senses when the last syllable left his lips. Then, a smile that was the exact opposite of the word 'innocent' appeared on her face as a predatory light glowed in her eyes. She bared all of her teeth like a wild animal before saying, "I'm starting to see how you were able to win over those two troublesome goddesses, Vahn. If that is your wish, I'll be more than happy to oblige you~!"At the end of her words, Kali broke away from Vahn's hand, feeling a strange twinge in her heart that caused her brows to twitch as she began removing her one-piece smock. Before she could do so, however, Vahn had made his way to her side and held down the hem of the fabric, a stern expression on his face as he said, "Just wear that dress for the time being. You stand out quite a bit already, so it would cause problems if you're walking around with next to no clothing on..." Vahn also placed the black wig back on Kali's face, all while she looked at him as if he was spouting something completely ridiculous. He even went out of his way to make sure the wig was seated properly on her head, hiding her blood-red hair and fixing her clothing as if he was incredibly accustomed to the act...(A/N: Never underestimate Papa Vahn...)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It's all fun and games when you treat like as if it's a fun game~!','Tione's resentment runs deeper than the ocean...','Kali is wholly unprepared for the abnormality that is Vahn Mason xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 932: Settling Debts...