Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With only a few hours remaining until the start of the Workshop Battle, Vahn decided to pass the time by watching a few of his favorite animated movies in the master bedroom. He had converted the entire room into a makeshift theater of sorts, and, though he knew there would be a lot to clean up, he even provided food and drink to the many women who had huddled together atop the bed.Fortunately, though the room was only equipped with a king-sized bed, virtually everyone present had the ability to transform into a more compact form. As a result, Vahn found himself buried under a mountain of fluff, his hand casually meandering across the fields of smooth, velvety, or sometimes bristly fur. The only thing he had to complain about, not that it particularly bothered him, was that Yoruichi was the one to claim his lap.After wriggling her way in between his thighs, Yoruichi placed her head right where Vahn's sleeping dragon was located. Then, without requiring him to caress her, she produced a deep and resonating purr that caused the entire bed to vibrate slightly. Despite this, there was no actual sound produced by the action, as, over the past couple of months, Yoruichi had developed what she referred to as a 'silent purring' technique.Though he could accomplish perfect cellular control if he really wanted to, Vahn had developed the habit of allowing his body to respond naturally a long time ago. Because of this, a very noticeable outline had appeared in his left trouser leg. This garnered a considerable amount of attention from virtually everyone present, and, as a result, the fragrance of female pheromones grew increasingly stronger with the passage of time.Fortunately, even without resorting to more intimate means, Vahn had countless methods to satisfy or coax others into contentedness. He just needed to infuse his intent into his domain, and, though it was less effective than direct contact, he could effectively 'pet' everyone within. If he got serious, he could even pet their entire body all at once, eliciting sonorous and restrained mewls, moans, and whimpers from virtually everyone present.The only person to escape the influence of Vahn's Law of Petting, at least for the present moment, was Index. She was fully immersed in the movie, blissfully unaware of the scene taking place behind her as she happily devoured a number of different treats. It was only when the credits had started to roll that she turned around, her expression demonstrating remarkable confusion as she noticed that even Mikoto was breathing rather heavily.With her expression turning into a potent pout, Index, who had been snacking away in her Jirachi form, began to hover above the bed as she asked, "Why is everyone acting strange? Did you all do something naughty? Why didn't you invite me!?"Before anyone else could answer, Vahn gestured for Index to come closer, his expression softening as he caressed the side of her face and said, "We weren't doing anything naughty. I just got a little carried away while petting everyone. Don't worry, I'll make sure to give you plenty of headpats later on. For now, I think it's about time that everyone returned to the Little Garden. You can come out to play once the first round of the Workshop Battle has concluded."With Vahn cupping and caressing both sides of her face, Index couldn't help but produced a silly smile as she replied with a contented, "Ehehehe~.". As for everyone else, they reacted to his words by returning to their human forms. The only exception to this was Mikoto, who, fearful of how she would appear in her human form, alighted from the bed before disappearing into the bathroom as a Pikachu...---Though there were variations between each successive Workshop Battle, the basic structure of the event hadn't changed in more than a hundred years. This made it pretty easy to obtain information about the event, but, thanks to the Law of Identity, Vahn knew 'precisely' how things were going to develop. Because of this, while everyone else was shoring up their defenses and drafting numerous strategies, Vahn could be seen walking leisurely through the city streets with Arusha treading close behind.After witnessing the wonders of the Little Garden and learning the true nature of Vahn's existence, Arusha's views towards him had changed drastically in a very short period of time. She now viewed him as an actual God, and, though she was still terrified of opposing her Family, he had assured her that she could simply reside in the Little Garden after the Workshop Battle had come to an end. For now, she felt fortunate just to be able to follow after and witness his greatness with her own eyes...Sensing Arusha's focus on him, Vahn briefly glanced over his shoulder, a casual smile spreading across his face. This caused the sporty-looking woman to avert her eyes, a tinge of red bleeding into her cheeks as she seemed to be searching for an excuse. Before she could think of anything, however, Vahn had already slowed his pace, his arm wrapping around her waist as he guided her through the city streets as if they were a couple. This caused her face to turn an even darker shade of red, but, rather than pull away, she leaned a little closer, a contented smile spreading across her face as she muttered, "Thank you..."Rather than tell her there was no need to thank him, Vahn just planted a kiss on the top of Arusha's head before putting a bit of strength in his hold. This earned them quite a bit of attention from the surroundings, but, most importantly, it demonstrated to the Observers spying on them that his and Arusha's relationship was developing smoothly. This was crucial for a number of reasons, but, most importantly, it would help to improve the standing of the Zebra family among the other twenty Lo Po Bia Branch Families.Though he wasn't particularly fond of the way the Lo Po Bia did things, Vahn had promised Arusha that he would help her family elevate themselves from the 20th position, a standing they had been cursed with for nearly a thousand years. This forced them to act as 'beasts of burden' for the other Branches, and, though they weren't actually the weakest, their limited numbers ensured that weaker families, such as the Mouse, Rabbit, and Grey Wolf families were always ranked above them.Vahn didn't really have an interest in the politics of the Lo Po Bia Family, but, understanding how much Arusha cared for her 'blood kin', he didn't mind playing his part. It was the least he could do until he was in a position to take advantage of the Lo Po Bia's hierarchal structure to essentially take over the entire family. This would ultimately require him to defeat the Lo Po Bia Family Leader, but, considering his 'unique' skillset, Vahn was pretty confident in his inevitable victory. The only Family Leader he was even more confident in defeating was Yeon Hana, as, regardless of how much Shinsu she possessed, it was ultimately useless so long as she infused it with the flames of the Phoenix and the Three-Legged Golden Crow...---After a short detour, making the most of their time together, Vahn guided Arusha to an area that was supposed to be off-limits to anyone unrelated to the Workshop. At nearly the exact same time, both of their Pockets were 'forced' into visible mode as an excited voice began to recount the rules of the first round, a game known as 'One Shot, One Opportunity'. This was one of the most popular events routinely selected by the Workshop, so, even without an explanation, most of the Regulars who had done their research were familiar with it. As for the actual rules, they were as follows:-----------------------------------------------[One Shot, One Opportunity!]1: Every Regular will be assigned a unique revolver and a single bullet known as a 'Dark Bullet'. The first 248 Regulars to shoot an enemy with a Dark Bullet will be teleported to the Archimedes, thus qualifying them for the next round.2: If a Regular is shot with a Dark Bullet, they are instantly disqualified.3: It is possible to steal a bullet from another Regular. Anyone who has their bullet stolen will be immediately disqualified.4: If a Regular manages to steal an enemy's bullet, they will earn the right to switch their revolver between Light and Dark Mode. Bullets fired in Light Mode will instantaneously teleport anyone hit, including previously disqualified participants, to the Archimedes, thus qualifying them for the next round.5: Regardless of how many bullets a person has, missing with a Dark Bullet will result in immediate disqualification. This rule does not apply to Light Bullets.6: The first person to shoot someone with a Dark Bullet will receive the 'Dyrnwyn', a special weapon produced by the Workshop. The person who shoots the most people with Light Bullets will receive the 'Saint's Grace', another special weapon that can be used in the upcoming Workshop Battle. As a bonus, anyone who is lucky enough to shoot the wandering 'Bong Bong' will receive both it and a VIP suite onboard the Archimedes.7: If any non-participant is shot or harmed, the person responsible will be disqualified.8: Though fighting between participants is allowed, killing is strictly prohibited within the confines of Sepia Island. This is meant to be a special event, not a Test for advancing to the next Floor. Let's all do our best to make the most of this unique opportunity hosted by the Workshop!-----------------------------------------------Since the Workshop Battle didn't officially start until after the rules had been listed, Vahn waited until his Pocket changed to reflect the number of people who had qualified before blasting a large hole in the nearby wall. This startled the nearly five-hundred Regulars who were inside, each chosen by FUG to make a complete mockery of the event. They had coordinated with sleeper agents within the Workshop to find out which event was going to be held. As a result, they had already gathered a total of 248 'sacrifices', each ready and waiting to be shot with a Dark Bullet so that the Workshop Battle could be completely dominated by members of FUG.With all Rankers being forced to leave the city prior to the beginning of the Workshop Battle, Vahn was able to use Reverse Flow Control to freeze all but a single Regular. Then, using his telepathy, he began to extract the bullets from their guns while making his way towards the scythe-wielding man wearing a silver mask as the latter shouted, "How...!?"Even without additional context, Vahn knew what the man was asking. Thus, with a relaxed smile on his face, he answered, "Perception is a curious thing...people place too much emphasis on what they can see with their eyes. Perhaps you have forgotten that after losing your own all those years ago?"Though his face wasn't visible due to the expressionless silver mask, it was easy to tell how shocked the man was by how unstable his aura became. Immediately after, a shadowy black Shinsu began to emanate from his body as he darkly replied, "I see...the rumors regarding your 'awareness' were not exaggerated. Tell me, why do you oppose us when you know the reason why we fight?"Cocking his head to the side, Vahn adopted a slightly incredulous look as he asked, "What are you talking about? I'm not opposing you at all. In fact, I have proactively issued a compromise to your Elders. They are the ones standing in opposition to me because, like the Ten Great Families, FUG has also become a cesspool for politics and corruption. You are simply being used as a convenient tool by one of the factions vying for increased political power and influence within the organization."With the shadows around him becoming even thicker, the masked man leaned forward slightly as he shouted, "You're lying! You're just a fool who galavants around the Tower in the pursuit of sexual pleasure! Don't think you can shake my beliefs with such baseless accusations...!"Realizing he couldn't reason with the man who was literally burning his Ego in order to increase his power, Vahn just shook his head before adopting a loose stance and remarking, "I didn't come here to try and convince you, Reflejo. Now, show me how powerful that hypocritical zealotry of yours has made you..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is well on his way to petting the Heavens xD...','The Law of Identity is such a cheat (O - O)...','Oh Yeeaaaaaaaaaaaah~!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Immediately following Vahn's taunt, the masked man, Reflejo, erupted like a shadowy volcano. This caused a tremendous amount of highly corrosive Shinsu to spread through the area, but, before it was able to reach anyone, it began to roll upwards as if it had hit the interior of an invisible bubble.Noticing the strange phenomenon, Reflejo began to increase the output of his shadowy Shinsu as he exclaimed, "You think you can keep me contained!? This is the power my Lord, Master Poken has granted me! In this form, even a B-Rank Regular wouldn't be able to defend themselves against my attacks...!"Following the outburst, Reflejo charged forward with a double-bladed crimson scythe, slicing at the invisible membrane with enough force to generate blades of intense crimson light. To his surprise, however, there was absolutely no resistance in the area in which his scythe struck. Only the Shinsu that was being discharged from his body seemed to be contained, both confounding and terrifying the masked man.Alleviating some of the man's confusion, Vahn casually remarked, "There is a functionally unlimited amount of Shinsu in the environment. Only a fool with terrible control would consume their internal Shinsu in order to release an external attack. You have become too reliant on a power that has been bestowed upon you. Tell me, have you ever even fought against a B-Rank Regular? Even if you have, does that automatically make you strong? There are plenty of actual Rankers who aren't even that powerful, yet you believe it is some kind of accomplishment to use someone else's power to rival a B-Rank Regular...?"Unable to control his emotions, Reflejo continued producing shadow Shinsu from his body, quickly filling the confines of his bubble prison. He had tried to move beyond the unseen threshold, but, as his body had long since been consumed by the power his Master had granted him, doing so caused him extreme pain. He required a special metallic armor just to prevent his body from dispersing, so, unless he could figure out how Vahn was keeping him contained, it was impossible for him to move beyond the invisible boundary.Seeing his self-created 'Reverse Flow Control Barrier' become filled to the brim with Reflejo's inky black Shinsu, Vahn couldn't help but cock his head to the side as he asked, "Can you seriously not break free? All you have to do is stop arbitrarily burning your internal reserves. I know that armor of yours has the function of sealing the power that has been granted to you. Are you so far gone that you can't even think about using your own power to fight...?"Though he was currently sealed within a black bubble of Shinsu, Reflejo was still able to hear Vahn's words without any issues. As a result, his expression darkened beneath his mask as he attempted to reabsorb his expelled Shinsu back into his body. This process took several minutes, and, by the time it had completed, all of the Regulars he had prepared for the Workshop Battle were nowhere to be seen.Answering the man's unasked question, Vahn explained, "Though I don't mind showing off every now and again, I'm not particularly fond of audiences. Now, let's try this again. Just know that, if you try to use that borrowed power of yours, things won't end well for you. I know all your tricks, including that little self-destruction tactic you keep in reserve. If you genuinely consider suicide a viable tactic, what is the point of having persisted these six-hundred years? I mean, really...you are so consumed by revenge that you would willingly walk the path of evil, yet, even after all this time, you continue to idle around in the lower floors just because someone told you to..."With his internal Shinsu no longer leaking out, Reflejo was able to charge forward unabated, his voice trembling with fury as he shouted, "Stop speaking as if you know everything! You are just an outsider! You have no right to speak down to us, the people who have suffered at the hands of the Ten Great Families...!"Adopting what could best be described as an incredulous deadpan, Vahn stepped inward just as Reflejo attempted to sweep with his scythe. This allowed him to easily disrupt the man's attack, his left hand arresting the momentum of the malicious-looking weapon as his right palm impacted the armored plating covering the man's chest.As if he had been impacted by a freight train, Reflejo's weapon was ripped from his hands as his body impacted the far wall of the facility, crashing through it. This caused a large amount of rubble to cover his body, but, thanks to his armor, he was largely unaffected. As for Vahn, he was currently eyeing up the peculiar scythe, curious how anyone could justify using such a weapon when swords and other flat-bladed weapons were considered impractical.Deciding that it didn't really matter, Vahn shook his head before shouldering the peculiar scythe and saying, "That strike was about the level of a B-Rank Regular. Without that armor of yours, you would have suffered severe injuries from such an attack. Do you still believe you're as strong as a B-Rank Regular...?"Crawling from the rubble without any discernible difficulty, Reflejo stared back at Vahn with a fierce glower hidden behind his mask. He now understood why Irregulars were considered such monsters, as, even with the power conferred to him by his Master, an incomprehensibly powerful High Ranker, he was still being played with. This only served to enrage him even further, as, from his perspective, someone like Vahn didn't deserve to possess such power...With his anger reaching levels beyond his control, wispy black shadows began to, once again, leak from Reflejo's body. This earned him a disapproving head shake from Vahn, who, noticing that the number of qualified Regulars was quickly approaching 248, decided to wrap things up. He actually wanted to offer the man a chance at redemption, but, with the Law of Identity revealing the man's innermost thoughts, Vahn knew he was far too gone for that.Having made up his mind, Vahn brandished the scythe with a finesse that could rival a master, but, before he was able to use it to attack, brackish flames erupted from his body, thoroughly devouring the peculiar weapon as Laev-tan forcibly manifested herself. This elicited a light chuckle from Vahn, who, understanding how temperamental his Zanpakuto could be, grabbed her hilt and mused, "You are, and always will be, my favorite weapon..."Though she emanated a discontented hum in response, Vahn could sense that his words had been effective in pacifying Laev-tan's fury. Her flames always became a richer crimson hue whenever she was in a good mood, so, even though she seemed to be pouting, he knew she had already forgiven him...Seeing the weapon that had seemingly emerged from within Vahn's body, Reflejo felt a sudden chill run through his own. He had a distinct impression that Vahn's power had suddenly skyrocketed, his aura becoming comparable to the terrifying presence of his own Master, a High Ranker. This wasn't an exaggeration either, as, the moment Laev-tan released herself from his body, Vahn's power had increased by a factor of ten. This placed him at the same level as weaker High Rankers, his reserves temporarily increasing to nearly fifty million at the expense of a heavy strain on his mind, body, and spirit.Though he felt it was more than a little overkill, Vahn pointed Laev-tan towards the stunned Reflejo, his expression turning serious as he said, "I pray that you'll find peace in the next world..."Breaking free from his stupor at the sound of Vahn's words, Reflejo was about to say something in response. Long before this intention could be actualized, however, a sphere of flames, seemingly appearing from the void, enveloped his entire body. To his surprise, he felt neither heat nor pain, as, the moment the flames appeared, everything, including his Ego and the armor protecting his body, were instantaneously vaporized...Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Vahn stared down at Laev-tan with a wry smile on his face as he remarked, "As always, you are simply amazing..."Pleased by Vahn's words, Laev-tan released a cheerful hum, blade vibrating contentedly even as she returned to his body. This caused Vahn to feel a ticklish sensation at the core of his being, forcing a chuckle from his throat in spite of the fact that his Pocket had just informed him that he had been disqualified from the Workshop Battle.Since killing your opponent was a violation of the rules, Vahn wasn't particularly surprised. Rather, he had already expected something like this to happen, so, before the battle even began, he sent Arusha ahead of him using one of the many Light Bullets he had pilfered. If he wanted to, he could easily sneak onboard the Archimedes or simply teleport to her location once she had reached the tournament island. This would place her in unnecessary danger, however, so, under the direction of the Law of Identity, he quickly made his way to a location near the outskirts of Sepia Island.Generally speaking, the only way for a disqualified contestant to advance to the next round was to be shot with a Light Bullet by one of the teammates. Were he a 'normal' contestant, Vahn would be in quite the pickle now that he had sent his only teammate ahead. Fortunately, he was anything but normal, so, while it would be exceptionally difficult for others, it didn't take him long to track down the tiny pink fairy-like object known as 'Bong Bong'. Then, with a single well-placed shot, he earned himself both the item and VIP passage onto the Archimedes...---Sensing his connection with Reflejo severed, an inordinately tall man that seemed to be comprised entirely of shadows squinted his ghostly eyes in dissatisfaction as he remarked, "Useless till the very end...even with everything set up for you to succeed, you still managed to fail....haaaaa..."Feeling a tremendous amount of exasperation, the shadowy man rubbed his head for several seconds before pulling out a Pocket covered in red runes. This allowed him to communicate with similar Pockets virtually anywhere in the Tower, so, after collecting himself, the man sent a call to his own Master. Then, once the call had connected, he promptly lowered himself to the ground, his voice gaining a highly reverential undertone as he said, "Reflejo has been killed..."Though it was very subtle, the sound of a sigh could be heard from the other end of the call before a very deep yet ghostly voice asked, "Am I to assume that your scheme to secure all the positions in the Workshop Battle also ended in failure...?"Without trying to lay the blame on others, the shadowy figure pressed his head to the ground as he said, "I underestimated the Irregular known as Vahn Aldrnari Mason. It seems that the report of that traitorous Guide was not false. Though I am unwilling to believe it is some form of omnipotence, he clearly possesses the ability to peer into the minds of others. He also seems to possess an unknown ignition weapon, one with the ability to incinerate souls..."This time around, there was a full three minutes of silence from the other end of the call before the voice asked, "Was it the Thorn...?"Since he had only gotten a brief glimpse of Laev-tan's form, the shadowy figure didn't have enough information to answer his Master's question with surety. As a result, he continued pressing his head to the ground as he answered, "I cannot say. All I know for certain is that it isn't an ordinary ignition weapon. It might even be stronger than the Thirteen Month Series..."With the Thirteen Month Series being among the most powerful weapons in the Tower, capable of 'ignoring' the restrictions placed upon other items, any weapon even remotely comparable to them was remarkably powerful. This made the man on the opposite end of the call believe that Vahn had, somehow, found a way to infuse the power of the Thorn into another weapon. If that was the case, they needed to do everything in their power to obtain that weapon as it might very well be the key to defeating Jahad. With this in mind, he commanded his servant to rise, his voice becoming even deeper as he said, "Hear my order..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Oh no! Not a B-Rank Regular...!','Laev-tan won't tolerate cheating...!','I kind of feel bad for Vahn's enemies xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After returning to his hotel room, Vahn wasn't even remotely surprised to find that Yuri had made herself comfortable in the living room. She liked to jump down from her own balcony in order to raid his fridge or fish for snacks. This was in spite of the fact that he had gotten an extra keycard for her to use the door. As for her reason? She thought it was more fun to enter from the balcony...Lying on the sofa in little more than yoga pants and a sports bra, Yuri craned her head back with a half-eaten potato chip in her mouth. Her brows raised slightly when she noticed his company, but, rather than show actual surprise, she just shook her head, finishing her chip before remarking, "I'm not really one to talk, but you need to show some restraint. It doesn't really matter to me, but Soo-Yun will be sad if you 'cheat' on her with another member of the Eurasia Family. They aren't fond of sharing their 'favorites' with others."With that said, Yuri hopped up from the sofa, her body seemingly blinking out of existence for a brief moment as she appeared in front of Arusha, the representative of the Lo Po Bia Family. This caused the latter to startle, but, rather than shy away, she instinctually threw a punch towards the former. She had been trained to 'fight' whenever her fight or flight response had kicked in, so, even though she could sense that Yuri was a lot stronger than she was, her body automatically reacted.Catching the fist with absolutely no effort, a smile spread across Yuri's face as she said, "Not bad. I heard that the Zebra family members were the weakest among the Lo Po Bia Branch Families. Your punch is a little light, but your reaction and instincts aren't bad. If you apply yourself, you should be able to become much stronger."Since she had been under the influence of Yuri's Reverse Flow Control, Arusha had little choice but to listen attentively to the former's words of advice. When her hand was finally released, freeing her from the irresistible freezing effect, she forced herself to take several labored breaths before saying, "Thank you for your guidance..."Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Yuri's smile became even more prominent as she said, "No need for any of that. Since Vahn brought you here, that basically makes us sisters. You'll have to call me Princess when others are around, but you can just call me Yuri when we're alone."Though she didn't fully comprehend the meaning of Yuri's words, Arusha still nodded her head in mock understanding before saying, "My name is Lo Po Bia Arusha. My mother and blood kin call me Aruru..."Finding Arusha's pet name rather adorable, Yuri's eyes began to shimmer as she gave the former a thumbs up and remarked, "Great name! We're going to get along great, Arururu~."Though she noticed Yuri had tacked an extra 'ru' onto the end of her name, Arusha's only reaction was the subtle twitching of her ears. Then, alongside the former, she turned her attention to where Vahn had just emerged after placing Soon-He, the Eurasia Family representative, in the guest room.Before Arusha could even think to ask what she should be doing, her mind totally blanked as Yuri unabashedly remarked, "You really have a thing for girls with tails, huh? Is it because they usually have more toned butts?"As if to confirm her own suspicions, Yuri looked around behind Arusha, noticing that, while her butt was rather small, it appeared very toned. She also had plump yet muscular thighs, a trademark of the Zebra family that was known for their exceptionally powerful kicks.Having never been the type to restrain herself, Yuri surprised Arusha quite a bit by squatting down and spontaneously squeezing her thighs. She wasn't completely sure, but, thinking this was part of her duty, she ultimately chose to tolerate the intrusion until Vahn muttered in a slightly exasperated tone, "Yuri...we need to have a serious talk about invading people's personal space..."Without retracting her hands, Yuri just rolled her eyes in response to Vahn's words before retorting, "Lecture me when you stop petting everything within arm's reach. I don't recall you ever asking for permission to touch my head or place your hand around my waist."Though he wanted to argue that it wasn't the same thing, Vahn found himself unable to speak. He had a natural inclination to avoid lying, so, while they 'were' different, that was merely the result of his unique perspective on the situation. From the perspective of others, including the recipients of his petting, there wasn't that much of a difference between his own actions and Yuri's. He couldn't even make the argument that his petting was less invasive, as, the moment he placed his hands on their heads, he knew everything about the structure of their body...Realizing she had gotten one over on him, Yuri's smile blossomed into a toothy grin as she released Arusha from her clutches and added, "You might have brought Aruru here with good intentions, but don't think you can deceive me. You don't have the heart to mind control someone so your options are pretty limited when it comes to convincing people to remain loyal..."Hearing Yuri casually vocalize his intentions, Vahn couldn't help but feel a little guilty, his expression showing the conflict he felt in regards to the situation. He had been doing his best to ignore it, but, now that his intentions had been laid bare, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of perturbation. After all, he was basically intending to 'conquer' Arusha in order to spare her from suffering she had been fully willing to face. He had arbitrarily made the decision, and, due to her strong sense of duty, she wouldn't even resist...Not expecting Vahn to suddenly become depressed, Yuri's eyes widened as she adopted a slightly incredulous look and asked, "What the hell got into you? I didn't say there was anything wrong with what you're doing. I mean, not that you should let it go to your head, but anyone who catches your interest, regardless of the reason, is pretty lucky. The Little Garden is basically a paradise, and, once they get a taste of Rindo's cooking, anyone with a functioning brain would want to live out the rest of their days there. Don't even get me started about your displays of affection...honestly, I'm a little envious of Fenrir and Ryun..."Shaking her head free of such thoughts, Yuri took a half-step behind Arusha, smacking the latter's butt hard enough to produce a crisp sound while subsequently propelling her forward with Shinsu. This caused Arusha to crash into Vahn, but, thanks to the thin membrane surrounding her body, she hadn't even felt the initial smack. The only person affected was Vahn, his bewilderment preventing him from acting until Arusha had already crashed into him.Finding Vahn's compromised state rather amusing, Yuri's smile inevitably returned, crimson eyes shimmering as she added, "You're both consenting adults. Don't worry about the circumstances too much. Just like we in the Ha Family always say, 'No matter what, charge forward'. You already made up your mind, so what reason is there to hesitate? Go have some fun."Though he was used to her being pretty straightforward, this version of Yuri left Vahn feeling at a complete loss for words. Her behavior was like a mix between Tsubaki and Tiona, two of the most influential women present during his formative years. This filled him with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia, and, though he couldn't simply set aside his guilt, he suddenly found himself unable to contain his laughter. This wasn't because of Yuri's words, however, but because Arusha's face had become beet red as she made no effort to separate herself from him...---Three hours after his entrance into the Little Garden, Vahn emerged from his room wearing nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms, his muscular body glistening with a thin layer of sweat. He had never activated his Magia Erebea constitution after entering the Transcendental Path to Heaven, so, while it wasn't completely necessary, he was quite fond of sweating in certain situations.Noticing his emergence, Lisanna, who had also just emerged from her room further down the hall, adopted a slightly impish grin as she mused, "You better not have paid more attention to that new girl than my sister~."Since Lisanna had taken the initiative to walk over to him, Vahn extended his hand to pat her head, his relaxed smile becoming somewhat wry as he answered, "I wouldn't dare. Though it's not as bad as her passive-aggressiveness, your sister can be pretty scary when she's mad. Besides, she actually took the lead this time around. When she gets like that, there isn't much I can do but go along with her suggestions."Giggling in response to Vahn's words, Lisanna continued to stand with her hands behind her back, head presented for his convenience as she remarked, "You're pretty bold to be petting the younger sister of your lover right outside your bedroom..."Rolling his eyes, Vahn ruffled Lisanna's short white hair as he said, "You shouldn't play with fire. I'm someone who has a thousand different Oyakodon 'recipes' contained within my mind. Do you think I have any reservations about 'eating' two sisters? If you're not careful, Mira might even be the one holding you down..."Rather than display any fear, Lisanna just giggled in response to his words, pristine blue eyes turned up in a playfully seductive manner as she traced her finger along his bare chest. This caused Vahn to squint slightly, his vibrant aquamarine irises gaining a golden hue as she drew herself close enough that her breasts were pressed against him.Though he understood that she was 'mostly' just playing around, Vahn surprised Lisanna quite a bit when he suddenly wrapped his arms around her, firmly gripping her rather bulbous butt and lifting her off the ground. This caused her mouth to open in surprise, but, before she could say anything, he sealed her lips with his own, kissing her for a full three-and-a-half minutes before pulling away to reiterate, "You shouldn't play with fire..."Not expecting her 'prank' to develop into such an intense and passionate kiss, Lisanna found herself at a loss for words. It took her several seconds to fully process what had just happened, her feet still dangling from the floor as an intoxicating sweetness pervaded the interior of her mouth. It was only after she swallowed the residual saliva that she fully returned to her senses, but, rather than petition for her release, her curiosity compelled her to lean forward and lightly nibble his collarbone...Surprised by Lisanna's escalation, Vahn felt a sudden compulsion to look over his shoulder to see if Mira was standing behind him. He knew she wasn't, but, for some reason, he felt like he needed to confirm it with his eyes. This hadn't gone unnoticed by Lisanna, who, feeling emboldened, wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to his ear before whispering, "Don't worry...it will be our little secret~."Though he got the impression she was back to messing with him, Vahn could tell by the state of Lisanna's body that his previous actions had stoked the fires within her body. He suddenly felt as though he had gone a little too far, but, as Mira had already given him permission long ago, even going so far as to suggest Lisanna during the time when he was first creating new Templates, there was no particular reason to hesitate. Rather than whisk her away to engage in a secret rendezvous, however, he laughed like a madman as he drew the panicking beauty into the room containing her sister...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What is this? Utawarerumono...!?','Yuri would make a great spokesperson for Nike xD...','Get burnt')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1841: Awareness