Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

When everything was said and done, a total of three-and-a-half months had passed since the time of Vahn's shift in mentality.Though he could have significantly reduced the amount of time, at least from the perception of the people outside the Little Garden, he no longer felt like he needed to rush things. Instead, he found himself spending a fair amount of time simply listening to the world around him, as, even in a place like the Little Garden, the world was 'very' eager to be heard.Of course, as was often the case, the vast majority of Vahn's time was spent simply bonding with his family, friends, and loved ones. Reuniting with everyone had removed a substantial burden from his heart and mind. This was especially true in regards to his children, as, prior to their release from the Little Garden, they had been tucked away within the Emerald Grove.Now that a small city had emerged, practically overnight, Naruto and Hana could safely explore the outside world. The former had grown incredibly close to Xerneas due to spending most of his time in her forest, so, with Latias having taken a shine to him ever since he was born, there were very few places Naruto couldn't explore. As for Hana, she was the official protege of Madara, and, though he would never admit it, Izuna often watched over her from the shadows alongside Yoruichi and Angri.With virtually all of his Templates doting upon them, for obvious reasons, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Vahn's children were safeguarded twenty-four-seven. They had also received a modified version of the System Template, so, even if something did happen to them, Vahn could always recall them using his Unit Management system. From an objective point of view, this sounded a little odd, but, considering the consequences should he overlook even a single potentiality, Vahn didn't mind being called a helicopter papa...---As part of the final phase of their plan to take over the 199th Floor, Vahn was accompanying the trio of Kyurem, Zekrom, and Reshiram as they battled against some of the most powerful Shinheuh in the entire Tower. This included a few god-like beings that eclipsed mountain ranges in sheer size, but, unfortunately for them, they were no match for the trio consisting of a handsome young man, a petite beauty, and, despite being the oldest among the trio, an adorable little loli.In the original Pokemon, Reshiram, Zekrom, and Kyurem made up what was known as the Tao Trio. In reality, they were actually one and the same creature. The original Rishiram and Zekrom could be fused with Kyurem to produce one of the most powerful Pokemon in existence, but, for the sake of simplicity, the Templated versions were effectively a father/mother/daughter trio with the power to amplify each others' attacks.Though quite a number of stories dedicated Reshiram as a female, Vahn had always found the color black more suitable for women. As a result, his variant of the Legendary Dragon/Fire Pokemon was a young man with windswept white hair and intelligent grey eyes attired in an outfit resembling a frayed white tuxedo with striped, off-colored, orange slacks.Accompanying the inordinately handsome young man was a petite beauty with raven-black hair and an athletic yet curvaceous figure. Her outfit was basically the antithesis of the young man, as, adhering to the colors of her true form, she wore a black shirt, grey leggings, black boots, and a black blazer with spiked cufflinks. This allowed the electric blue ribbon tied around her neck and hair to stand out, but, the moment you looked past them, the feature that would captivate people the most was her obsidian black pupils, ringed with luminous gold.Standing side-by-side, the duo, despite their contrasting color schemes, were what many would describe as a match made in heaven. The only incongruency was that they could always be seen following around an adorable monochromatic loli with blue-grey hair, a gothic-style grey dress, dark-grey riding boots, and, of all things, a jagged mask formed of pale ashen-blue ice. This was none other than Kyurem, and, despite being an Ice/Dragon Type Pokemon, she was an incredibly hot-headed young lady.In terms anime fans might find easier to understand, Kyurem had what some would refer to as an Ojou-sama complex. As for her parents, Reshiram and Zekrom, the former gave off the impression of a stoic and extremely competent butler. Zekrom, however, gave off the impression of someone inordinately kind, caring, and slightly airheaded. Together, the duo did their best to look after their ancestor-turned daughter, but, more often than not, they were simply dragged around as Kyurem set out to conquer the world with a combination of ice, overwhelming force, and cuteness.While this might sound like an exaggeration, the truth of the matter was that all three of the Tao Trio were Tier 5 beings. Any one of them would be able to conquer the Tower on their own, but, together, they were basically unstoppable. This was especially true for Kyurem, as, so long as her 'parents' were nearby, she could both produce and bend Fire, Ice, and Lightning at will.What made the trio especially terrifying was that their Realm functioned remarkably similar to a Reality Marble. In other words, they could superimpose their Realm onto reality, and, for a brief moment, their opponents would find themselves trapped in a world of perpetual darkness where the terrain was formed from liquid magma despite a frigid electrical storm rampaging overhead. This had earned their Realm the name 'Fire-Ice Tribulution', and, unless you possessed some form of immunity against Yin, Yang, and Purification Energy, surviving more than a few hours was difficult for even Tier 5s.With these factors taken into consideration, it wasn't even remotely surprising to see Kyurem, arms akimbo, laughing like a tyrannical imp as a Shinheuh reminiscent of a Long Dragon struggled to so much as raise its head. This was inarguably the most powerful Shinheuh in the entire Tower, but, in the face of Kyurem, a True Dragon that had already stepped into the realm of Tier 5, it was basically just a snake with teeth, claws, ivory antlers, and whiskers...Though she knew she would get scolded once everything was over, that didn't prevent Kyurem from raising the back of her hand to her mouth, pinky extended as she leaned back and laughed even louder. She greatly enjoyed watching massive creatures freeze to death, and, thanks to the guidance she had received from Eva, she had become remarkably apt at targetting key muscles and joints to debilitate her opponent. This allowed her to draw out the freezing process, and, though it earned her a fair amount of admonishment from Vahn, she was, secretly, quite fond of his chidings.Fortunately for the Long, the ever-silent Reshiram eventually produced a ghostly blue flame that made short work of the river-sized creature. This earned him a glare from Kyurem, but, before she could say anything, Zekrom hugged her from behind, a gentle smile on her face as she said, "Be a good girl. If you take things too far, there will be no dessert after dinner."Though her response was to harumph in a rather haughty manner, arms crossed in defiance, the lack of a more vocal reaction was indicative of just how important dessert was to Kyurem. In fact, had she been given the option, the only distinction in her diet would be the varying flavors of ice cream, pudding, and cheesecake she consumed.Without letting Kyurem escape her grasp, Zekrom turned towards Reshiram, the corners of her smile turning upward as the handsome man habitually averted his eyes. This gave her a sudden and intense urge to tease him, but, deciding to save it until later, she simply smiled even more radiantly as she proposed, "Shall we return home~?"After quickly adjusting his tie, Reshiram responded with a curt, "Umu..." before creating a fiery blue portal with a wave of his hand. As Tier 5 beings, manipulating their respective Laws to influence the fabric of Space-Time was a relatively simple feat. It was significantly less effective than the variation used by Vahn, but, so long as they used their energy to produce the correct equation, teleportation could be achieved by virtually anyone. The only issue was, unless you possessed godly control skills, accidents weren't simply likely, they were expected.Fortunately, simply by achieving Tier 5, the world would proactively coordinate with you in order to realize the phenomenon you are trying to produce. This might not seem fair from the perspective of lower-tiered creatures, but, from the perspective of the cosmos, coordinating with Tier 5 beings was necessary for maintaining the integrity of the Universe. After all, Tier 5s were multiversal level individuals, so, were they to make a 'mistake', the consequences would be beyond measure.In Reshiram's case, he didn't have to worry about making mistakes, as, prior to his creation, Vahn had already completed his stint in the Toaruverse. This allowed Templates produced afterward to benefit from the knowledge he had acquired from countless grimoires, so, while his teleportation gate resembled a portal to Hell, the truth of the matter was that Reshiram, specifically, made it to look like that. He might appear cool, calm, and collected on the outside, but, were you to possess an ability to read minds, this illusion would be shattered in an instant. In reality, he was an extreme Chuunibyou, as, during their creation, Vahn had been thinking about anime stereotypes that might be interesting to observe in real life.With Zekrom and Kyurem unable to see his face, a somewhat sadistic smile immediately developed across Reshiram as he stared into his 'Flaming Netherportal' and resisted the urge to strike a pose. While this might lead others to believe he had remarkable restraint, the truth of the matter was that his resistance was just another aspect of his Chuunybyouism. He regarded his Pokemon form as if it were some kind of ancient dragon that had been sealed away, and, every time he 'released' its blue flames, he played the part of someone barely holding the seal together.What Reshiram didn't know what that Zekrom, thanks to their unique bond, could hear each and every one of his internal monologues. Instead of judging him, however, her inordinately kind nature caused her to find his behavior adorable. This was the reason she was constantly smiling, as, despite their problematic natures, Zekrom knew Reshiram's and Kyurem's true natures. This allowed her to become increasingly efficient at handling them both, and, had it not been for her clumsy and kind nature, she could have easily manipulated the duo into doing whatever she wanted...Seeing the trio depart through the portal, Vahn emerged from his position within the void to stare down at the half-frozen/half-eviscerated Long. He had actually been against the idea of culling the 'Lords' of the 199th Floor. They were intelligent creatures capable of communicating, and, at least in a few instances, transforming into humans. Unfortunately, they made the mistake of trying to target his children while they were out exploring, so, after a brief period of negotiations, Vahn ordered the execution of every Lord that refused to compromise and sign a contract.Though it was a tyrannical and arguably cruel act, the 'purpose' of Shinheuh within the Tower was to hinder and eliminate those attempting to reach its peak. It was possible to reach a compromise, but, were it not for the authority and protections afforded them by Gluttony, there would be no end to the number of Shinheuh attempting to attack their settlement. This was, simply put, the way they were made. Thus, while it was ultimately his fault for never officially inducting Naruto and Hana into his Familia, Vahn had never hesitated to eliminate beings who refused to compromise...especially if they were brazen enough to target his children...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tier 5 Helicopter Papa o_o...','Kuh...! Be still, my right arm...!','Vahn don't play when it concerns the safety of his children...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Returning to the city, Vahn was unsurprised to find that it had expanded in the few hours he had been away. The theme they were going for something similar to a modernized 'Elven Forest', so, using her Mokuton(Wood Style), Madara had been rapidly expanding the burgeoning city's borders in preparation to accommodate future residents.Nodding his head in approval, Vahn expanding his domain as an invisible pulse, instantaneously mapping the layout of the entire city. This was becoming the most frequent way in which he used his domain. As for his reasons, well, the most prominent justification he had come to was that he simply wanted to make Sis's job even a little easier. She was against this, but, as she was also the main person advocating he does what he wants, Vahn made the decision for both of their sakes.Even as far back as Danmachi, using his domain had made him feel detached from the rest of the world. Now, he felt closer to the world than ever before, so, rather than compromising the peace he had found, Vahn intended to make the most of every moment. His power had also increased to the point that using his domain was simply overkill. Thus, at least for the time being, he intended to see and experience the world using his seven senses alone. (Touch, Taste, Sight, Smell, Hearing, Energy, Emotions.)Having located the person he was searching for, Vahn teleported to just outside his own bedroom before gently knocking on the door. Immediately thereafter, he heard a soft sigh before the voice of Artoria could be heard echoing from his surroundings as she said, "It's your own bedroom...you do not need permission to enter..."Opening the door, Vahn found Artoria wearing little more than pajamas. She had also let her long and beautiful golden hair down, so, for a brief moment, he found himself rooted to his position as he instinctually remarked, "Beautiful..."Though she did her best to appear calm, Artoria was unable to prevent a blush from creeping into her cheeks as she combed aside her bangs and asked, "Is it done?"Nodding his head, Vahn closed the door behind him before making his way over to Artoria's side, joining her on the bed and embracing her startlingly hot body as he explained, "Shen Long was the last of the Lords who refused to cooperate. The trio was able to make short work of him."Exhaling a hot sigh in response to Vahn's touch, Artoria habitually rested her head against his chest as she distractedly uttered, "That's good..."Feeling his own body temperature increasing, Vahn used his fingers to comb through Artoria's remarkably soft hair as he asked, "Do you want me to help...?"Responding with a rare chuckle, Artoria gently nudged Vahn's chest with her head before replying, "It's just a typical Dragon's Heat. Don't worry, I can manage it on my own. Besides, if you decided to 'help' me, you would need to tend to the others as well."Unable to refute her words, Vahn held Artoria a little more firmly while resting his head atop her own. At the same time, memories of a few weeks prior resurfaced in his mind. At that time, he had humored Mordred's request to demonstrate the Sage Dragon Emperor transformation he had used during his fight against the Great Mother. This ended up being a mistake, as, due to his most recent and drastic increase in power, he inadvertently triggered the reproductive impulses of nearly every woman with draconic features.At the time, Vahn had attempted to help them quell the fires burning within their bodies, but, much like Terra, the only permanent solution was to fertilize their eggs. This was something he was willing to do, but, as a result of the desires that initially brought them to this world, most of the girls were being remarkably obstinate. The only exception was Mordred, who, being the closest to him at the time, ended up receiving the brunt of his draconic aura. As a result, she could now be seen carrying around a pale-golden egg that was larger than her head, a proud smile blossoming across her face any time someone made mention of its size...Fortunately, not that he would have minded, Modred was the only one to wholeheartedly succumb to her instincts. Everyone else decided to simply bear with it, as, according to Da Vinci's research, it would gradually fade away so long as they limited the flow of energy from their Dragon Heart and avoided sexual intercourse. This would cause them to experience flu-like symptoms, but, after a few weeks had passed, they would eventually return to normal.Understanding this, Vahn made no attempts to help alleviate Artoria's symptoms. Instead, he simply held her for the better part of an hour, gently cradling her in his arms until she broke the silence by asking, "When are you planning to confront Jahad? If you're waiting for me to get better-"Pressing his index and middle fingers to her lips, Vahn prevented Artoria from speaking further as he softly replied, "Let's not mix personal and private affairs...Jahad isn't doing anything right now that would mandate his immediate destruction. Of course, if my beautiful Empress demands it of me, I wouldn't mind dealing with him right this instant..."While others might mistake his words as simple flattery, Artoria understood that Vahn was 100% serious. If she asked him to wrap things up, he would immediately trespass the Imperial Palace to confront Jahad. This would spell the end of an era, and, from that moment on, the Aldrnari Empire and its collaborators would be the dominant force within the Tower.Though she was momentarily cowed by the notion that a single request from her could decide the fate of the entire Tower, Artoria quickly recovered. She wasn't an Empress in name only, so, after a moment of consideration, she adopted a serious expression as she said, "You should go. The people of the Tower have been waiting too long for this day to come. We also need to advance beyond the Tower if we want to anchor the Little Garden to the outside world. This place is far too small to hold us..."Raising his brows, Vahn was tempted to ask if she were sure, but, knowing Artoria, there were very few moments when she wasn't completely serious. Thus, while he had originally been intending to wait a while longer, dealing with Jahad immediately shot to the top of his list of things to do...---With Vahn and the Aldrnari Empire's forces having 'vanished' three months prior, many within the Tower, specifically those who had been dreading a personal visit from the legendary Sage Dragon Emperor, were beginning to suspect they had already moved on. Thus, when a strange formation suddenly lit up the entire sky of the 134th Floor, the reaction of the Floors residents quickly went from confusion to absolute despair once they realized the Floor had effectively been isolated from the rest of the Tower.Sensing the disturbance even before the massive spell formation had appeared, Jahad rose from his throne before turning towards a spatial ripple that had appeared nearby. He half-expected Vahn to step out, but, instead, he came face-to-face with none other than Headon. Unlike the white rabbit most people were familiar with, however, this one had multiple mouths superimposed onto various parts of his body, each snickering as the entity in question declared, "It would appear your time has come...Your Majesty..."Seeing Headon grit his teeth near the end of his statement, a faint smile appeared upon the face of Jahad as he remarked, "I always knew you hated me. Tell me, are you the one who invited the Sage Dragon Emperor into the Tower? I suppose I should have anticipated that a monster like you would eventually discover a loophole to circumvent our contract..."Unable to suppress his laughter, the mouths all across Headon's body began snickering as Headon spread his arms rather theatrically and announced, "That's the beauty of this situation! I didn't have to raise a single finger! The Sage Dragon Emperor entered the Tower of his own accord. So you see, my dear King, this has nothing to do with any secret plot. No. It is fate that has betrayed you...!"As Headon continued to cackle like a pack of hyenas, Jahad simply turned away without bothering to continue the conversation. He was someone who had manipulated the fates of countless people, so, even if this was fate's hand, he had no intention of running away. Not only would his pride not allow it, but, more important than even that, he simply refused to bend the knee to fate. He would keep fighting until the very end. After all, long before he became a King, he had been both a Hero and an Adventurer...if he feared what lay beyond the horizon, he never would have left his home in the first place...---With the dual-purpose spatial seal/teleportation ward in place, Vahn used his authority to teleport anyone below a certain level of power to the 2nd Floor of the Tower. This would prevent them from returning any time soon, as, without their Suspend Ships, they would need to travel to each Floor's Warp Gate. As for everyone else, they were prohibited from leaving until Jahad had been dealt with.Though he knew there were a fair number of earnest and kind people amongst the Empire's upper echelons, the majority of residents who lived on the 134th Floor belonged to the Jahard Family and its forces. They were many of Jahad's most zealous supports, so, once the King fell, they would most likely serve as the backbone of the 'resistance'. After all, Jahad actually had a substantial number of clones spread throughout the Tower, so, even if the man himself was killed, it was only a matter of time before they rallied behind one of his "sons".As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn briefly considered whether or not he should go ahead and deal with Karaka once he was finished with Jahad. He was among Jahad's eldest 'sons', so, once the Empire lost its figurehead, the Elders of FUG would undoubtedly support him as the 'rightful heir' to the throne. This was the reason Karaka had been chosen as the Slayer to kill Jahad, as, the moment the King fell, a new one would need to take his place. If this person just so happened to be one of the former King's illegitimate children, a lot of the social and political resentment associated with a sudden change in power could be mitigated.Fortunately, Vahn was aware of at least two other candidates that could easily replace Karaka as the rightful heir to the throne. If he took them under his wing and raised them to be peacekeepers, not tyrants, there was a fair chance the Jahad Empire could be converted into a Republic. This might not be the most ideal outcome, but, so long as he left behind a few Templates to preserve the peace, he should be able to leave without having to worry about some opportunistic 'assholes' stepping in to make life difficult for everyone but themselves...Sensing a presence, even without his domain active, Vahn ceased thinking about which Templates would be best suited to long-term observation of the Tower. He had other things to worry about right now, and, though Jahad didn't pose a threat, he felt he owed it to the man to send him off with a bit of fanfare. After all, despite his innumerable flaws, Jahad's original reason for becoming King was to help people. He was simply an idealist who had lived far too long, and, as a result, he experienced the trope where a Hero lived long enough to see themselves become the villain. Thus, in response to the meteoric golden rods converging on him from all directions, Vahn smiled as he mused, "A waning candle shines brightest the moment before it is extinguished..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'OwO...','I kind of feel bad...the only time Karaka is mentioned is when he is about to be bullied xD...','Time to snuff him out...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Using the feedback he received from the girls, Vahn ultimately decided to borrow inspiration from the Heavenly Realm of Danmachi and the Divine Realm of The Transcendental Path to Heaven. This meant, from the moment they were reincarnated, accidental or otherwise, the residents of the Little Garden would have all their powers sealed. They would still able to access them, but, similar to the Gods of Danmachi, doing so would force them back to the Little Garden.Expulsion from any particular world prevented reentry, and, depending on the circumstances, there was a chance you would be penalized in accordance with your behavior. Inversely, accepting Quests and performing exemplary acts would earn you points towards a number of coveted prizes. Most of these provided advantages towards future reincarnations, but, so long as you accumulated enough points, one of the grand prizes was reincarnating alongside Vahn.Since time within the Little Garden could be structured in such a way that a single day equated to ten years in the outer realms, it wasn't particularly difficult for Vahn to invest a few days of his time in order to pander to the hardest working girls in his harem. His existence seemed to be intrinsically related to the concept of eternity, so, while it might seem like a waste of time, at least from a purely objective point of view, he didn't particularly mind spending a few hundred years of his eternal life caring for the people that mattered most. He had already been experimenting with having multiple versions of himself existing at different points in time, so, if he worked hard, he might even be able to provide the reward while another version of himself simply meditated for a few days back in the Little Garden.Though this might sound like he was going to be exceptionally busy, purchasing the Grand Prize outright would require hundreds, if not thousands, of years. There were cheaper methods to obtain it, but, as a countermeasure against people stockpiling points, the girls made it so that most of the cheaper alternatives were related to a lottery. Thus, while it was possible to obtain the Grand Prize earlier, the chances of success were very-near 0.01%. The lots would also be drawn by a completely neutral party, unaffected by skills or Innates related to luck, so, while it was impossible to make sure everything was 'completely' fair, it was as balanced as it could be.Fortunately, while reincarnating alongside Vahn was among the most coveted prizes, it was not the only item in the Grand Prize category. There were also options along the lines of reincarnating into an Actualized World of your choosing, and, while it wasn't as enviable as spending an entire lifetime together, one of the Grand Prizes included teaming up with Vahn to 'complete a story'. Many of the girls had anime, manga, and video games they had become fond of, so, while it might only be for a few years, they wouldn't mind altering the story or even roleplaying as specific characters so long as Vahn was there to accompany them.While he had been against entering a Record under an assumed identity, Vahn had opened up to the idea after spending time with Mikoto and sending numerous Templates into Actualized Worlds based on their origins. There were a functionally infinite number of Records where the protagonist was someone who had assumed the role of an existing character, so, while it still made him a little uncomfortable, he wouldn't particularly mind so long as he didn't have parents or siblings to worry about or deceive. After all, even after all these years, there were still times when he imagined what it would be like to live the lives of his favorite characters...---With everything tentatively decided, Vahn tasked the girls with expanding his territory on the 199th Floor while he invested the vast majority of his time and effort into converting the Little Garden into a Heavenly Realm. He also began working on a prototype of the artifact that would link the internal space of the Little Garden to the outside world. This would ultimately require him to keep it open at all times, but, just as he had done with the Quest Boards in the past, Vahn was mentally prepared to adopt the form of a World Tree himself if it meant completing his objective.Fortunately, after a number of failed experiments, Vahn, or, more specifically, Rose had figured out a remarkably simple solution to the problem of preserving the girls' Egos and transporting them back to the Little Garden. She was surprisingly against the idea of him transforming into a World Tree, so, after discussing the matter with her sister trees, they proposed the idea of using [Universal Mind] to create 'System Templates' capable of interfacing with the 'Yggdrasil Network'.Though the notion of creating Templates based on various weapons and artifacts had occurred to him, Vahn had never once considered the idea of creating sapient systems to watch over and guide the people in his charge. This was somewhat ironic considering he was the beneficiary of The Path, and, though she had not always possessed an Ego, Sis was one of the most intrinsic factors behind his success. She not only served as the intermediary between him and The Path, but, even when he was completely focused on other things, she was constantly processing and analyzing any and all information that might be of use to him. In many ways, she was his better half, and, without her, he would have died countless times before finding his footing in one of the safer Records.Understanding the benefits of having someone like Sis on his side, Vahn conferred with the former to develop System Templates based on his personality and a combination of her abilities. The idea was that they would have all his thoughts and memories, so, even if the girls felt lost or lonely, they would always be able to hear his voice guiding them back.To prevent any potential 'complications' from arising, Vahn followed Sis' advice by prohibiting the System Templates from developing an Ego of their own. Instead, they would piggyback the Ego of their charge, and, depending on the wants and needs of the person they were looking after, change to accommodate them. This might sound 'unfair' to the Templates in question, but, according to Sis, possessing a True Ego early on would actually be a liability due to the sheer volume of information they would need to process. She even suggested that he generate them without his personality and memories, as, depending on the circumstances, there was a possibility of an overlap occurring if the original Ego sustained catastrophic damage.Since the entire point of the system was to protect the girls' original ego, not overwrite it with a Template of his own, Vahn ended up following Sis's advice to the letter. This caused the Templates to behave similarly to Memory Fragments, but, after linking his senses with the original, Vahn very quickly understood the reason for Sis' warning. The Template lacked the filter known as Sis, so, the moment he linked their senses, Vahn was momentarily overwhelmed by the amount of information transmitted through the connection. At the same time, time around him had slowed to a crawl, as, for the sake of fulfilling their duties, the Templates in charge of supervising the systems needed to process information far faster than the average quantum computer.After that little experiment had come to an end, Vahn's appreciation of Sis increased to an all-time high. He knew she worked tirelessly on his behalf, but, experiencing even a few moments of what it was like to be her, his own efforts felt half-baked. After all, from her perspective, his relatively short journey through the Records would equate to more than 400 sextillion years...an incomprehensible number that would break the vast majority of sapient creatures, himself included.When he first learned this, Vahn actually felt a little mortified, but, before he could even express his guilt, Sis assured him that receiving a True Ego was the greatest blessing she had ever received. She even came out to give him a hug, so, while he couldn't help feeling more than a little apologetic, he did his best to avoid thinking about alternatives to the predicament he had forced upon her. Even if she were only saying it to appease his anxieties, he wanted to believe she was happy, so, at least for the time being, he intended to avoid broaching the subject a second time. This ended up being the correct decision, as, had he pressed any further, Sis was fully prepared to introduce him to all of her 'sisters'...---For the sake of stability, Vahn ended up shrinking the Little Garden from ten layers to a mere three. The first was obviously the layer containing Rose, his sisters, and their many children, but, instead of a planar world, it was now a full-fledged planet roughly the size of a Red Giant. This meant it had a diameter of approximately one-billion-kilometers, but, considering it would serve as the central hub of countless worlds, this was actually rather modest.For the foreseeable future, the First Layer would effectively serve as the 'Heavenly Realm' inhabited by the godly pantheon Vahn had inadvertently created. As for the other two layers, the second was basically their version of the mortal world, as, with the exception of a few unique individuals, it was the place where people provided refuge by the Empire would reside. As for its size, it actually had a larger surface area than the First Layer, but, much like the Textures of Gaia, it was able to exist inside the latter without any overlap whatsoever. In fact, you could bore from one side of the First Layer to the other, and, no matter how long you looked, you would never find the Second.Though he was planning to kick most of the current residents out, Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before he invited others to reside within the Little Garden. Unlike the past, however, he was intending to see how much the residents could grow if he created a situation where they were able to develop without too much interference. With this in mind, he was intending to create a structure very similar to the Tower of Babel, but, unlike its counterpart in Danmachi, his version would punish those who attempted to commit heinous acts within its depths.Simply put, Vahn wanted to see what kind of society would develop when most of its residents were people who had experienced trauma and adversity. This might seem selfish, but, as someone fated to govern numerous Records and countless worlds, it was better he began accumulating experience sooner, rather than later. The experience he accumulated within his Realm was too biased, so, while some might accuse him of negligence, he wanted to see whether or not Heroes could arise on their own if given adequate stimulus. He also needed a method to deal with the tremendous number of spirits inhabiting the Third Layer, the result of countless monsters brutally slaughtering each other, so, much like the tower back in Danmachi, his own was designed to absorb and purify the negative energy of the deceased so that they might be reborn anew.The irony that the Little Garden was effectively becoming the same Heaven/Earth/Hell template he observed in countless Records was not wasted on Vahn. Unfortunately, he had underestimated just how much negative energy would accumulate when various creatures were competing for natural resources and trying to survive. This problem had been significantly worsened thanks to the Law of Progress, as, not only did it promote the growth of living creatures, it also supported the evolution of monsters, evil spirits, and, every now and then, beings that greatly resembled demons.While it was certainly possible for him to kill, purify, expel, or even absorb the energy that had been accumulating within the Little Garden, xenocide wasn't exactly at the top of Vahn's favorite things. If other Gods attempted to erase their creations in an effort to cover up a mistake, he would assuredly disdain and oppose them. Thus, much like the Second Layer, Vahn intended to continue monitoring the Third whilst Urahara and the members of the R&D Division researched methods to control and regulate the flow of negative energy between the two layers. In other words, he was basically doing the job he had initially been assigned in Bleach, but, unlike the members of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, the members of the R&D Division cared more about the methods used than the results...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What a covetous prize...!','Heph is bae, but Sis is, inarguably, 'best girl'...','TFW the systems you abhorred ended up being adopted for a reason...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2021: Cull