Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the time dilation of the Projection, Vahn was able to enjoy his time in the Menagerie with barely an hour passing in the real world. There, he continued gently stroking the sleeping Semiramis who, after falling asleep, curled up in his arms. He found this vulnerable version of herself adorable but, as all goods things were want to do, it didn't last for very long.Vahn had been picking long strands of raven-black hair from Semiramis' face when what could only be described as a ripple passed through the entirety of the Hanging Gardens. At the same time, the defensive measures of the floating fortress overloaded in an instant before blinking out of existence as the luminescent crystals lighting the interior suddenly dimmed.As could be expected, Semiramis awoke instantly after sensing the danger, her gold eyes turning a subtle shade of silver for a brief moment as she sat up and said, "Someone has intruded...they are very powerful..."Even without Semiramis explaining the situation, Vahn was well aware of what had happened as his domain extended to encompass the entire fortress with ease. He could even pinpoint the location of the interlopers and, sensing a familiar aura, he lightly pat the worried Semiramis' back, kissing the side of her head before saying, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. I can tell you're still a little tired so go rest in your bedchamber, okay?"Hearing Vahn's casual tone, Semiramis turned to look at him, her cat-like eyes reflecting a curious light as she tried to ascertain whether or not he was telling the truth. In response to this, Vahn just lightly touched his forehead to hers, saying in a calm tone, "They aren't enemies. Even if something happens, I'll move things away from the Hanging Gardens. Now, go get some rest..."To punctuate his statement, Vahn snuck a kiss from Semiramis' lips, earning a pouting frown from the beautiful woman. Despite this, she still obeyed his words, though not before she used the pale-golden nail piercing through her hand to lightly prick his chest.Vahn followed Semiramis' retreat with his eyes until she had disappeared behind the concealed door at the back of the chamber. Only when her figure disappeared completely did he bother to rise from the throne himself, his aura flowing out like water released from a sluice gate as he teleported to the location where Zelretch and a woman, presumably Arcueid, was located...Immediately after reaching his destination point, Vahn suddenly felt as if he had stepped into a new world. Though he was obviously still within the Hanging Gardens, it felt like he had entered into a projection of sorts, one where reality itself seemed 'off' somehow.As if to encapsulate this idea, Vahn found a woman with blood-red eyes, long golden hair, and facial features that could only be described as ethereal in their beauty. Her height was around 167cm and, even at a glance, he could tell she had a mature figure with an estimated bust, waist, hip ratio of 88, 55, and 85cm. This was emphasized by her choice of clothing, a pristine white dress that showed off her ample cleavage and completely exposed her back. It had a pleated blue skirt underneath layered white folds, each adorned with golden trim, giving her a distinctly 'noble' appearance. She even had long white garments covering her arms, flared at the top with silver bands holding them in place...While Vahn was evaluating her appearance, Arcueid was doing much the same, albeit for completely different reasons. She had seen the state of the outside world and, having felt the pain and suffering of so many people, she wanted to know what kind of man could have perpetuated such a thing. Her initial assumption was that he would be a tyrannical individual with clearly evil features, complete with beady eyes and a malicious aura. Instead, she found a kindly yet confident-looking young man with crystal clear eyes and an exceptionally gentle aura...Feeling confused, Arcueid couldn't help but tentatively ask, "Are you...the Sage Emperor...?" in an uncertain tone. She simply couldn't reconcile the person standing in front of her with the type of person that would have thrown the world into its current state.Hearing the question directed toward him, Vahn offered a casual smile before bowing politely in response and saying, "You must be the White Princess, Arcueid Brunestud. To answer your question, I am indeed the one known as the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."With Vahn making his identity known, Arcueid felt even more confused but, without any hesitation at all, she extended her hand, shaping the very fabric of reality around them, cutting it off from the rest of the world. From Vahn's perspective, it felt like he had stepped into a sub-texture of the world, one that made his prior 'feelings' a reality. In this place, Arcueid was like an indomitable God and, if not for his energy being almost entirely internal in origin, even he wouldn't be able to do much against her.Without having to be asked, Arcueid took it upon herself to explain her intentions, stating, "Zelretch told me you had the power to liberate me from my curse. Come, I will test you directly. Show me the power of someone that came from Outside..."The moment she finished her words, Arcueid dropped her hand and, with it, the area immediately around Vahn turned into a vacuous void. He could feel his blood boil as large chunks of his flesh, almost as if they were being devoured by an invisible entity, disappeared entirely. This happened in less than a microsecond and, while Vahn could have evaded, part of him was curious about Arcueid's power. She was obviously a Tier 5 entity so, while victory would be nigh-impossible, this was one of the few opportunities he would have to fight seriously...Ultimately, Arcueid's initial attack annihilated Vahn's body until nothing but his ankles remained. This wasn't even remotely enough to actually put him down, however, so his body reformed, not where he had been standing, but behind Arcueid's body. Given the fact she had complete control over the space within her Marble Reality, this came as a surprise to the blood-eyed woman as she didn't even sense the tell-tale ripples of space being warped.Rather than explain his trickery, Vahn had a serious expression on his face and, before Arcueid could react, he pulled out two of his [Lævateinn Proto]s, slicing her body into four pieces with a cross slash.In truth, Arcueid hadn't even bothered to defend herself against Vahn's attack as she didn't feel any real threat from it. While it was able to rend her body and sear her flesh, wounds of this extent were completely negligible to a True Ancestor. Even as the blades cleaved through her body, the wound had closed behind it without any time interval between severance and reattachment.By the time Vahn had completed his strike, Arcueid had turned her body around and, her hands moving with hypersonic speed as they formed fierce claws. These easily tore through Vahn's B-Rank defenses, exploding his head into mincemeat. Unfortunately for Arcueid, Vahn had developed a style of combat that made use of his ability to freely change form so, rather than spatter through the air, the minuscule bits of his body congealed together, reforming at a monstrous rate as he pressed the attack.Having battled against multiple Dead Apostle Ancestors in her time, Arcueid wasn't even surprised by Vahn's capabilities. Rather, it made her assume he was also an entity similar to a True Ancestor as the ability to reform one's body from its constituent molecules was one of their inherent traits. Thus, without any change in her expression, she attempted to sweep her claws across his chest, this time imbuing an immense amount of mana into her sharpened nails...While his regeneration could be compared to a True Ancestor's, the truth of the matter was that Vahn's ability greatly eclipsed the former. As a result, Arcueid's claws easily ripped through his body but, instead of blood and core, hyperdense black matter dulled her strike. She wasn't even able to complete her full attack as, by the time she reached the center of Vahn's body, Arcueid found her hand immobilized. Then, before she could pull away, the area seemed to simultaneously harden as the black matter began to encroach up her arm.At this point, Arcueid realize that Vahn's physique was unique but, as this idea cemented itself in her mind, so too did the latter's fist. Vahn had struck forward with enough momentum that a black trail was left in the wake of his movement, an area that represented an absolute void. Then, rather than pull back his hand for a second strike, he made his fist explode with metallic black tendrils, piercing through Arcueid's reforming head to dull her sense and debilitate her.It was at this moment that Vahn learned that Arcueid's body, while not as unique as his own, had a few tricky elements. In much the same way as he could manipulate his body, her blood seemed to gain sapience while simultaneously becoming the most corrosive substance he had ever seen. His hand, despite being made of a special compound of Adamantine, was instantaneously consumed by her blood. It even managed to extend to his forearm before his body naturally repelled it, causing the first genuine change in Arcueid's expression since the start of their battle.Arcueid was so surprised, in fact, that she broke away from the peculiar exchange to ask, "What are you, exactly? Even if you are from the Outside, you must have a race."Though he was just beginning to get excited for the battle, Vahn didn't immediately pursue Arcueid's retreat. Thus, when he heard her question, he smiled back at her, answering, "I am, at my very core, a human being. At the same time, however, I am everything else. Be it True Ancestor, True Dragon, or even inert stone, there are no limits to what I can become..."To emphasize his statement, Vahn became an almost exact copy of Arcueid, albeit with his own style of clothes and significantly less power. Despite this, she was able to ascertain the truth contained in his words as, from the moment Vahn transformed, control over her Reality Marble nearly slipped to him. This was something completely incomprehensible so, without further question, she vanished like a phantom, her colossal strength destroying what seemed to be her own body...After being stuck, once again, Vahn realized that Arcueid's base speed was definitely higher than his own. Even her raw strength seemed to outright eclipse his, something that was difficult to fathom considering he reached the 50A threshold after completing Scáthach's trial.From what he could tell, Arcueid was using a Skill similar to [Mana Burst] but, instead of manifesting externally, it was all contained within her body. This, combined with her functionally infinite mana, made her maximum damage reach a lesser version of infinity, making it nearly impossible to directly contend against. It was actually a little annoying but, considering he was able to experience a few of the more pertinent Laws at play, Vahn couldn't really complain.Still, being rag-dolled by someone other than Scáthach bothered him more than a little bit so, rather than reform his main body, Vahn used his trick from earlier. Since his form was linked to his Soul, not a physical vessel, he could move his intent away from the location of his decimated body. So long as even the most minuscule amount of Source Energy was present in that location, he could use it as the seedling to reform his body. This was a way to achieve an effect similar to teleportation without having to use Space Laws at all. Rather, as it was based on his usage of Source Energy, his enemies couldn't even hope to sense it.As could be expected, Arcueid was once again caught off by the incomprehensible ability as, until the reformation of his body, Vahn's aura seemed to come from his previous location. This allowed him to, quite literally, blindside an opponent as many times as he wanted. Arcueid was no exception to this so, despite her efforts to react to the sudden attack, her only reward was a golf-ball sized ball of Light-Elemental energy in the form of Vahn's patented [Elemental Star]...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tsundere are cutest when they are asleep~','Difference of perspective','Time to put Shishou's training to the test...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Taking advantage of the fact that Arcueid had basically sealed them off in her own little world, Vahn didn't hesitate to release the Light-Elemental Star at close range. He wasn't worried about destroying the Hanging Gardens and, even if something unexpected happened, Alaya would ensure the safety of everyone within.Arcueid, sensing the overwhelming energy contained within the golf-ball-sized sphere actually felt a little threatened but, due to Vahn surprising her, she had no choice but to take it head-on. She tried to use her Mystic Eyes of Enchantment to restrict Vahn's movements but this was a futile endeavor as directly influencing his mind was nigh-impossible with the protections of The Path and Sis...With her last-ditch effort having no effect, Arcueid could only watch as time seemed to slow down to a crawl, the white orb in Vahn's hand continuing on its inevitable course toward her abdomen. Even before it made contact, her dress flaked away due to the intense energy, the natural barrier around her body offering no protection whatsoever against the immensely pure force.Though it felt like several seconds from their perspectives, less than a microsecond passed in reality before Vahn and Arcueid were both enveloped in white light. He had, long ago, come up with a way to propel the expansion of the contained energies so, the moment his protective membrane of pure Source Energy vanished, the [Elemental Star] instantly expanded to more than 100m in diameter.Pure Light Elemental energy had the properties of restraining malignant forces and, as a result of True Ancestors being considered a 'foreign element', it was one of the most effective types of energy against vampires. Arcueid was no exception to this while Vahn, due to possessing his Magia Erebea constitution and designation as Type: Omega, literally took four-hundred percent increased damage from his own attack.For a brief moment, Vahn felt like his existence itself had been erased from reality but, having already made preparations prior to releasing the attack, he reformed outside of the destructive perimeter almost immediately after he set it off. Even then, his skin felt like it was on fire and, if not for the protective layer of Source Energy he erected, his body would still be destroyed just by being near the epicenter.It was during the eruption of the Light-Elemental Star that Zelretch, who had been observing since the beginning, decided to chime in, asking, "Do you need my assistance, Your Majesty...?"Hearing the old man's question, Vahn couldn't help but laugh out loud, something he would regret almost immediately since a clawed-hand emerged from the pure-white sphere of light, gripping his face. He felt his head snap back as his teeth bowed inwards, an unpleasant sensation that made his brain buzz in frustration...Instead of being destroyed, Vahn felt foreign mana envelop his entire body, creating an effect similar to spatial anchoring. As a result, he was propelled backward by Arcueid's charge, crashing through what remained of the projected Hanging Gardens. This brought them out of the floating fortress and, as a result, Arcueid's power seemed to rapidly increase without any upper limits while Vahn felt a powerful suppressive force try to invade his body.With Vahn restrained by her mana, Arcueid tightened her grip on his face, a somewhat vicious smile on her face as she mused, "You may be able to emulate the race and appearance of others, but your true nature is that of a Greater Divine Spirit, isn't it? I could feel your existence fading from your own attack..."Without waiting for Vahn's response, Arcueid manipulated her Marble Phantasm, changing the blood-red sky, complete with a crimson moon, into an endless expanse of white light. The only area unaffected was a small zone around Zelretch's body but, with Arcueid's mana making even small movements impossible, Vahn didn't exactly have the opportunity to exploit this. Rather, the moment the light appeared in his surroundings, he began to rapidly dissipate, his resistances providing him no reprieve from the intense pain.Arcueid was also affected by the domain she had created but, compared to Vahn, she got off easy. Her skin appeared to be in a constant state of burning and forced regeneration while he, unable to defend himself, began to rapidly flake away. Despite this, Vahn stared directly back at Arcueid, his previously aquamarine eyes now blazing with a fierce blue light. This obviously had no effect on the resolute woman but, deep inside his chest, something was stirring at Vahn's very core...If the action wouldn't guarantee he vanished even faster, Vahn would have burst out laughing since, for the first time in a long while, his [Chainbreaker] experience was rapidly increasing. He had been able to increase it to A-Rank during his training with Scáthach but, as she never truly intended to kill him, it developed at an extremely slow rate. Now, however, Vahn could see the experience ticking up rapidly and, long before his body dissolved away into nothing, powerful pulses of energy, timed with the beating of his heart, began to crack the shell of mana surrounding his body.Believing he was simply trying to escape, Arcueid kept increasing the amount of mana she used to restrain Vahn. She was condensing a veritable ocean of mana to entrap him but, to her shock and awe, it felt like the pulses of energy he emitted were outpacing her accumulation. Even her hand, which had been suffused with enough mana to make it comparable to an A-Rank Noble Phantasm, began to crack. To further exacerbate matters, these peculiar cracks couldn't be healed by her usual regeneration and, even though she tried to cut off her senses to the limb, the pain seemed didn't diminish in the slightest.Eventually, Arcueid couldn't keep her grip on Vahn's face so, with one final pulse, the mana she had used to restrict him exploded outward with enough force to tear the void. There had been enough mana present to wipe out an entire country so, in the aftermath of Vahn's release, he and Arcueid were, once again, destroyed. This didn't matter to either of them, however, as the destruction of the physical body meant very little to Vahn and Tier 5 existences like Arcueid.By the time the explosion faded, Arcueid had completely regenerated her body, dress included, while Vahn, using the small window of opportunity, finished a quick chant, infusing a light-elemental spell into his Magia Erebea. As the void began to collapse back in on himself, Arcueid could only watch with a cautious glint in her eyes as he smiled confidently and shouted, "Fixate. Seize. Load magic, 'Emperor of Light'!"As Vahn hadn't been replacing his destroyed equipment, the only thing he had been wearing was a pair of custom [Aegis] shorts. Thus, with his activation of 'Emperor of Light', the changes to his body could be seen clearly, stunning both Arcueid and Zelretch alike. This was due to the fact that Vahn's height increased to precisely 200cm and, a stark contrast to his lean and athletic physique, he now had a refined, muscular, appearance. At the same time, his skin had gain a golden luster as what appeared to be tribal tattoos comprised of light covered his arms, legs, and shoulders.While all of these were impressive sights, it was Vahn's blazing golden irises and the massive halo of light floating behind his back that really stood out. The latter was comprised of complex runes and, despite their vast knowledge and incomparable understanding of 'Mystery', neither Zelretch nor Arcueid could make sense of their structure. Then, as if to completely dash any hope they had of understanding the situation, Vahn parted his hands, sending a wave of vermillion flames out from his body as he muttered in a voice that seemed to echo through the area, "Vermillion Bird's Descent..."Understanding that Arcueid wasn't a foe he could deal any meaningful damage to in a base Magia Erebea transformation, Vahn overlapped his Zhuque form with his Emperor of Light. This caused the white tattoos on his body to turn vermillion as massive wings sprouted behind his back, complete with runic patterns of their own.Without being afforded the opportunity to study Vahn's transformation, the latter turned into a literal beam of light, impacting the area where Arcueid had been floating previously. Her body was instantly destroyed and, as a result of his inability to really control the form, Vahn ended up breaking her Marble Phantasm. This was only the beginning of his journey, however, as he was traveling at a speed nearing 300,000km/s. As a result, Vahn ended up far outside of the earth's atmosphere, deep into outer space...Seeing where he ended up, Vahn felt like laughing but, due to the vacuum of space, nothing came out from his mouth. He could see the earth in the distance, a tiny blue marble amidst a vast, endless expanse of stars. It was actually quite beautiful but, due to his leaving the planet, Alaya had basically been ejected from his side. Though she was still attached to his other body, he could feel that she was annoyed with him so, slowing his speed to a manageable level, he quickly returned to the planet to continue the battle...Unfortunately, the only thing waiting for Vahn upon his return was a frowning Arcueid and a slightly pale Zelretch. The latter was also a Dead Apostle Ancestor so he was even weaker to Light-Elemental energy than Arcueid. This, combined with the fact Vahn effectively became a composite bullet of Light and Yang Elemental energy, was enough to make the elderly Magus sweat. He knew that, if he didn't prepare the proper countermeasures, that kind of attack would be able to seriously injure, if not outright kill him.Sensing that Arcueid's desire to battle had faded, Vahn resisted the urge to sigh as he dispelled his transformation and returned to his base state. Truthfully, he could only keep up that form for a few minutes, at best, so it didn't really give him too much of an advantage. This was something neither Arcueid or Zelretch was privy to, however, so Vahn couldn't blame them for gawking at him as if he was some kind of strange and terrifying creature.With silence dominating the atmosphere, Vahn took it upon himself to shatter the tensions so, after making sure the Hanging Gardens was still safe, he tilted his head slightly and asked, "Will you join me for tea? I don't believe there is any actual enmity between us. Once you understand the situation better, I'm certain we will be able to coexist as allies, not enemies. This entire situation is because of that idiot's inability to explain things properly..."Hearing Vahn call him an idiot, Zelretch could only issue an awkward laugh in response. He wanted to say something to defend himself but, considering Vahn's current state, the chances of the latter listening were small. The truth of the matter was that Arcueid, due to her impatience, forced him to release her body so that she could leave the Millennium Castle. Then, upon sensing the current state of the world, she bolted toward the location of the Hanging Garden, the central point where all the world's enmity was gathering.Though the location of Avalon was no longer kept a secret, normal people associated the Hanging Gardens as the symbol of the current change in era. Their anger, hatred, frustrations, and a host of other negative emotions, coalesced to form an overwhelming amount of negative energy. This was something that could be exploited by capable Magi but, with the defenses measures of the Hanging Gardens, it would take more than a simple curse or two to have any real effect on it. After all, the main target of the people's hatred was Vahn himself, not Semiramis' Hanging Gardens.With the battle having come to an end, Zelretch felt his presence was no longer required so, after tapping his cane against the air a few times, he opened a spatial gate and said, "Honestly, I would like to stick around and have a go myself but, after seeing that display, I think I'll go home and relax for a bit. The world is already chaotic enough so try not to fight amongst yourselves if you can help it...Arcueid, my previous words to you were the truth. Listen to Vahn and make your own decision...I would think, after all this time, you would know better than to make assumptions..."Hearing Zelretch's parting words, the frown on Arcueid's face turned into a morose and melancholic expression as she hung her head and released a tired sigh. She didn't really get the impression that Vahn was a bad person so, as Zelretch suggested, she had let her emotions get to her. She had never been that great at socializing so, when she got upset, her instinct was always to act on her emotions rather than talk it over. In this past, this had caused several tragedies and, unable to cope with the emotional burden, she ultimately just ran away from everything...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'That's one hell of a night light...','Even Flex Tape can't seal the Emperor...!','The price of solitude is loneliness, the currency paid in suffering')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Several hours after his arrival in the Menagerie, Vahn, covered in sweat not his own, lay with his back against a veritable mountain of pillows, the bodies of his companions serving as a blanket with their body heat permeating through him. For a normal person, this would undoubtedly be uncomfortable but, as he could easily press a few hundred-thousand kilograms, the weight of the girls was entirely negligible...Unfortunately, Vahn didn't have as much time as he'd like to just idle about so, after enjoying the calming rhythm of everyone's heartbeats for a few minutes, he began to peel away the girls from his body using telekinesis. The last to go was the one who had been occupying his abdomen, her tail tickling between his thighs as she pretended to sleep.Feeling her body being tugged at by an invisible force, Fenrir playfully clung to him for a short while, licking his chest for several seconds before ultimately releasing him. At the same time, the girls, now having lost their source of warmth, stirred awake. This included Circe, Gareth, Hati, and, though she hadn't participated in the fun, Medusa. Having sex with her took the better part of half a day and, in spite of her best efforts, she still hadn't developed to the point she wanted. This was primarily due to her increasing strength which, for various reasons, effectively slowed her physical development.Seeing Fenrir playing around, Hati misinterpreted things to meant that the fun was ongoing so, as others were still wiping the sleep from their eyes, she attempted to pounce across the bed. All she got for her efforts, however, was an invisible force catching her mid-leap as Vahn lightly chuckled and said, "I'd feel bad if we kept the others waiting too long. Come now, Fenrir, we both have our respective duties..."After the final few words, Vahn somewhat roughly scratched behind Fenrir's ears, his fingers digging into the thick mat of hair in the way she liked. This caused her to squirm about in his lap but, instead of clinging to him further, she obediently released her hold on his body. As a result, her body, much like Hati's, was left to float in the air as Vahn held onto her head, his tongue invading her mouth and entwining with the affectionate Vanargandr's for a few moments longer...Ultimately, Vahn managed to free himself from what could easily turn into an endless cycle. Then, as everyone cleaned up and made their way over to the bathroom, he dutifully cleaned the bodily fluids from the bed and sheets. The only thing he left untouched was the massive pile of pillows which, in spite of their looks, were actually B-Rank items. They had the quality of memorizing the body heat and aroma of a target so, when Vahn wasn't around, the girls used the pillows while lounging about.Once everything was cleaned up, Vahn made his way over to the adjacent room and, after removing the seals, he passed through to find Medea, Jeanne, Okita, and, as a result of her decision to move into the Menagerie, Aoko. She was currently playing with the two-year-old Penelo while the previously noted trio played three-way chess using a round table. For various reasons, Okita was actually in the lead but, even after a single glance, Vahn could tell that Medea would likely come back to claim the final victory.Rather than continue playing, however, the girls immediately turned to the door upon its opening and, seeing who had entered, they stopped focusing on the game entirely. The only person who did not seem concerned by his presence was Aoko but, after Penelo saw the figure in the door, the red-head was immediately abandoned as the doll-like girl ran over, shouting, "Papa~!" in a happy tone.Vahn dutifully picked up Penelo, holding her in his left arm as he used his right hand to lightly pinch her cheeks. This caused her to giggle before she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and, with a loud 'mwah' sound, kissed his cheek in turn. Afterward, she rested her head in the nook of his neck, a happy smile on her face as he hugged her in return.Seeing the father-daughter duo together, the words Aoko had been saving faded away into the void as the presence of Penelo made it impossible to even pretend to rebuke Vahn. Instead, she made a show of crossing her arms, earning her a flicker of the eyes from Vahn as an amused smile crossed his lips. This made Aoko's brow twitch but, for much the same reasons as before, the opportunity to express her frustration was denied...Unlike Aoko, Jeanne and Okita had no problems approaching Vahn. As for Medea, she just watched at the side, a kindly smile on her face as she stood with her hands crossed over her lap. She was the type that 'didn't want to get in the way' so, until Vahn turned his attention toward her, Medea would just observe silently. This was something he had become used to but, as he was about to leave in the next few minutes, he gestured for her to come over.Medea happily complied to Vahn's request and, without having to ask his intentions, she obediently presented her head toward him, a smile on her face as she squinted through nearly-closed eyes. At the same time, Vahn stroked the top of her head, his understanding of Petting Laws allowing him to send calming and comforting energy throughout her entire body as he said, "Sorry for the trouble..." in a soft tone.Starting from Medea, Vahn moved to caress Jeanne's and Okita's head as well, a common ritual in the Menagerie due to the fact that the three girls didn't actively participate in the 'fun'. This was his way of apologizing to them and, while it didn't exactly make up for the fact they spent a few hours idling about in the nursery, they didn't seem to mind. Rather, if not for the presence of Penelo, Vahn was certain that Medea would have fallen into his 'clutches' long ago...Seeing the ritual take place, Aoko had a slightly incredulous look on her face, internally remarking, ("What is going on here? Am I supposed to let him stroke my head as well...?")As if he had read her mind, Vahn finished caressing Okita's head before looking toward Aoko and gesturing for her to come over with an amused smile on his face. Her first instinct was to refuse but, just after Vahn gestured toward her, Medea, Jeanne, Okita, and even Penelo turned to stare directly at her. This made Aoko internally sweat and, before she noticed it, her feet were already carrying her toward Vahn's outstretched hand...With the same amused smile on his face, Vahn began stroking the top of Aoko's head, explaining, "It might be a little embarrassing at first but you'll quickly get used to it. I'm trying to master a complex set of Laws related to Petting so I never pass up an opportunity to make use of my unique skills. Tell me, Aoko, what do you think~?"Hearing Vahn's question, Aoko was tempted to punch him in the gut as, inexplicably, his simple act of petting her head made it feel as though electricity was surging through her body. Rather than be painful, however, it made her feel both excited and frustrated. At the same time, there was calming energy flowing into her body to create a strong contrast that confused her to no end as, for a brief moment, she didn't really understand what her body wanted.Ultimately, Aoko shook her head free from Vahn's devilish fingers, her face forming a frown as she said, "Don't think I'm so easy to tease, Vahn..."Despite her words, Aoko instinctually hugged her own body as a self-calming gesture and, though she didn't seem to notice it herself, she was leaning forward slightly in the process. Rather than a fierce warrior, she gave off the impression of a woman having 'difficulties', something that was easily understood by everyone present, Penelo being the obvious exception.Without minding Aoko's words, Vahn gently stroked his daughter's back, lulling her to sleep rather quickly before remarking, "I know Fenrir gave you the option to stay elsewhere. The convictions you put into staying in the Menagerie...I will answer them, in time. For now, you should spend more time with everyone else residing inside the Inner Sanctum. I believe you and Nobunaga could be good friends so ask Fenrir to introduce you properly when time allows."With his words finished, Vahn lightly pat Penelo's back a few times before walking over and handing her to Aoko, surprising the latter. Despite her shock, however, she accepted the sleeping girl without a fuss, occupying both of her hands. Vahn used this as an opportunity to pat her head a second time, this time without teasing her. Aoko's initial reaction was to frown but, after a few seconds, she could no longer maintain the dour expression, a tired sigh escaping her lips as she asked, "You're a bit of a bully, aren't you...?"Rather than refute her words, Vahn's smile widened slightly as he mused, "I may have a weakness for women with red hair...but my propensity for teasing strong women is even stronger. Don't worry, I'll never pressure you beyond your limits. If I do something you don't like, just let me know and I'll do my best to avoid making the same mistake twice..."Hearing Vahn's admission, Aoko rolled her eyes but, before she could say anything in response, the usually quiet Medea added, "Don't let him fool you, Aoko. Vahn teases everyone if he thinks he can get away with it. If you let him gain any ground, his teasing will only get worse since he finds the sight of strong women blushing to be exceptionally cute...isn't that right, Master?"Vahn was slightly taken aback by Medea's sudden words but, rather than refute them, he began to laugh in an uninhibited manner. Then, turning toward the purple-haired beauty, an appreciative smile adorned his face as he asked, "Is this the route you've decided on...?"In response to his question, Medea's face developed a heavy flush as she lowered her face, words escaping her for a brief moment. Her previous words had been the result of her aunt's counseling so, to have Vahn easily see through her intentions, Medea felt a little overwhelmed. Fortunately, she had Jeanne and Okita at her side to offer their support so, after a few awkward moments of silence, she managed to nod her head, albeit without looking up...At this point, Medea was a little over sixteen-years-old and, while her appearance hadn't changed much, her charm had only increased with time. Vahn was very aware of the fact that he had become the object of her affections but, considering she didn't have a lot of choices, he never pressured her into anything. Rather, her past decisions to join them in the bath, massage his back, serve him tea in her underwear, etc, they were all choices she had made herself.Now, it seemed as if Medea had chosen the route of countermanding his claims without outright refuting them. This was a way of elevating her status, adopting a position similar to a wife as, during her time, women only provided open counsel to their spouses. Since Medea hadn't had the chance to really experience the outside world, her views were still shaped by her experiences as a Princess so Vahn was easily able to see through Circe's ploy. The latter's recent pregnancy likely had a lot to do with this development but, rather than be bothered, Vahn was, instead, looking forward to the days to come.As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn couldn't help but wonder if the principle reason behind Medea's decision had something to do with the current state of the world. The global chaos actually weighed heavily on his heart and, while he wasn't privy to their discussions, Vahn knew the girls were taking proactive measures to support him, both mentally and physically. Given Medea's nature, there was a very high probability she had made her decision as a result of the current chaos but, knowing it would trouble her if he asked, Vahn decided it ultimately didn't matter...Dismissing his wayward thoughts, Vahn left the sleeping Penelo to Aoko as he turned to the other three girls, asking, "Will you join me for a quick bath?", an offer they unhesitantly accepted...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gimme gimme','Vahn, God of Teasing','Aoko be like, "How did I become the go-to babysitter!?"')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1332: Reality