Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Since the award ceremony wasn't until the final day, Seraphina decided to stay at home while Vahn, Fenrir, Sarina, Usalia, and Black Rabbit attended the second day's opening ceremony."I didn't know there were going to be so many people. I'm starting to feel nervous..."Though she had seen the crowd during the previous day's broadcast, Sarina had underestimated just how massive a crowd of 100,000 could be. It didn't help that most of the crowd was filled with leery-eyed men who looked at her as if she were a piece of juicy steak.Understanding Sarina's concerns, Vahn's expression softened as he gently caressed her head and said, "You don't have to participate if you don't want to. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to show off in the future."Shaking her head, much of the apprehension in Sarina's expression faded away as she pumped her fists and said, "No! I'm the Vice-Leader of the Sage Dragon's Hearth! I can't keep sitting around all day while you do all the hard work...!"Chuckling in response to Sarina's vivacious remark, Vahn earned a fair amount of resentment as he bent down to give the slightly startled young woman a lucky kiss.........To help get the crowd in the spirit, the first event of the second day was the Long Jump followed by Putting the Stone and ending with the Javelin Toss. As a result, Fenrir had to separate from the rest of the group to join the other contestants in the waiting area.While girls with animal ears and tails weren't particularly rare, every single contestant took notice of Fenrir the moment she entered the room. She had a certain air around her that reminded people of a winter chill, and, the moment her carmine eyes passed over them, it was like the temperature had dropped tens of degrees in an instant."Get a load of this. Is she seriously trying to intimidate us before the match even starts? Are all the people in the Sage Dragon's Hearth this arrogant~?"Directing her gaze towards the person who spoke, Fenrir found a rather strange-looking girl with horns reminiscent of an Oni. What made her really stand out, however, were the prosthetics that extended from her biceps and nearly touched the ground. She also had strange proportions that made her body appear pillowy and soft at a glance, almost like you could touch anywhere on her body and your hand would sink into her flesh.Furrowing her brows, Fenrir restrained the urge to call the woman a pillowy bimbo as she shifted her attention to the strange, seemingly young girl standing next to her. She had a complexion that could make a zombie blush, blood-red eyes surrounded by sickly yellow sclera, a mane of unkempt white hair that extended past her waist, and baggy white clothes that resembled a mix between an EMT and a Firefighter. She was also wearing a pair of spats, but, due to the numerous cuts, bruises, and bandages on her legs, they may as well have been a shadow cast by her oversized coat."I don't recognize the two of you. Which Community do you belong to...?"After laughing in a manner that resembled a sensual cackle, the long-armed woman teasingly replied, "Wouldn't you like to know~?" before letting her inordinately long tongue fall from her mouth. As for the predominately white figure next to her, she just pointed to the badge on her chest as if that was the only explanation required.Though she got the impression the two were demons, Fenrir just snorted through her nose before ultimately choosing to ignore them. They wouldn't be here if her Master didn't allow it, so, even if they were up to something, it wouldn't really matter. After all, her Master was effectively omniscient and omnipotent within his own territory. The moment anyone attempted to break the rules he had established, they would be held accountable.Seeing Fenrir snub her like a pompous princess, the long-armed Oni promptly retracted her tongue before glaring at the retreating Vanargandr and saying, "Damn. You come in here and release your aura like you're some kind of big shot and then back down the moment someone speaks out? I was just joking around before. Who would have imagined that the Sage Dragon's Hearth was filled with pansies? What a joke. It's no wonder your Leader got disqualified from his own competition."Stopping the moment she heard the woman speak ill of her Master, the aura around Fenrir's body became visible as she looked over her shoulder and said, "Arrogance is derived from ignorance and yours is beyond comprehension..."Without waiting for the woman to respond, Fenrir cast a silencing charm on the entire room before walking over to one of the benches lining the walls. This caused a bit of panic among the other girls in the room. As for the demonic duo, the long-armed Oni adopted a fierce expression similar to a vengeful spirit while her white-haired counterpart just stared off into space with glazed, unfocused eyes.........As Fenrir had suspected, Vahn had immediately taken notice of the various demons that had infiltrated the competition. This was yet another failure on his part, as, not only had he failed to prevent Communities from seeking outside help, he had also failed to include a rule prohibiting substitutions. As a result, a total of thirteen demons had infiltrated the event, and, based on the information provided by Loi-chan, this was only part of a much larger organization.If it were anyone else, they would have immediately tried to cancel or postpone the event. High-brow Gift Games could be delayed for up to a week with the interference of a Judge Master, so, if he really wanted to, Vahn could call inform Black Rabbit and even fix the rules. Instead, he decided to simply ignore them as most of the demons had elected to join low-risk sporting events. More importantly, Loi-chan had revealed that they were basically just trying to gauge his reaction after ascertaining that Seraphina and Usalia were demons.Thus far, the Sage Dragon's Hearth had really only cooperated with weaker Communities seeking protection. The rules and provisions of the Burgeoning Communities Accord also made him seem like the type of person who only associated with the 'light' side of things, so, until now, none of the darker Communities had thought to approach him. More specifically, the various Demon Lords that had been active in the East prior to his arrival had effectively gone silent after his Gift Game against Leviathan's Tail.As a neutral or so-called grey organization, Vahn was willing to ignore the presence of demons so long as they abided by his rules. He didn't share the prejudice most people had against them as he understood, better than most, that there was no such thing as pure evil. There were literally Angels with hearts blacker than pitch and Demons who had dedicated their entire lives to helping people in need. In that same vein, there were religious figureheads who had committed every imaginable sin while witches who used their magic to heal and treat the sick might still be regarded as heretics deserving of a pyre. It was ridiculous."Still...I can't just let them openly antagonize the people I care about. Guess I'll need to have a chat with their leader..."On that note, Vahn waved his hand, and, as a result, a young woman appeared in front of him. She had red hair tied into a loose ponytail, crimson eyes set with fiery orange pupils, and an immodest outfit consisting of a short black and grey dress, and a long black mantle that left very little to the imagination. Since her hair also flickered like flames toward the end, it was pretty easy to tell which element she was affiliated with.Startled by the sudden teleportation, the young woman immediately raised her hand to produce a gaseous flame but it barely reached the size of a softball before petering out as Vahn mused, "You must be Typh(pronounced Tiff). Or perhaps you would like me to refer to you by your official title, Demon Lord of the Typhoid Fever?"Realizing she couldn't use her powers, Typh did her best to appear calm as she answered, "Typh is fine..."Not expecting such a meek reply from such a fiery woman, Vahn raised his brows before quickly shaking his head and saying, "Very well, Typh. You may call me Vahn. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."Though the feeling wasn't mutual, Typh surprised Vahn even further by grabbing the hem of her skirt and performing a polite curtsy as she grumbled, "It's an honor..."Resisting the temptation to ask where such a tomboyish-looking Demon Lord picked up etiquette, Vahn manifested a table and two chairs before gesturing for Typh to take a seat. She reluctantly did so, but, upon tasting the tea and cookies he supplied, her guard immediately lowered as she asked, "How did you teleport me? Even if you're the Game Master, named Demon Lords are supposed to have protections against forced spatial displacement."Returning a relaxed smile, Vahn answered, "We all have our secrets. Now, tell me...why has a group of Demons affiliated with the Ouroboros Demon Lord Alliance decided to infiltrate my Gift Game? I'm not particularly upset, just curious."Not expecting Vahn to casually reveal her backer, Typh began to sweat like someone legitimately infected with Typhoid Fever as she softly replied, "My...our mission was to gauge your reaction to the presence of Demons and ascertain whether or not you are willing to cooperate in the future..."As he was already well aware of this, Vahn just nodded his head before tapping empty space to create a projection of the encounter between Fenrir and two Lesser Demons named Edema and Smokie. Edema, as her name implied, was the oni-like woman with massive arms. As for Smokie, who else could she be if not the little girl covered in wounds and wearing a faded fireman's jacket?Though she was briefly confused by the sudden projection, Typh's expression darkened as she saw Edema trying to taunt Fenrir into attacking. She knew the lesser demon was a troublemaker but she hadn't expected her to go out of her way to taunt a member of the Community their superiors had warned them not to antagonize.Rubbing her now-aching forehead, an exasperated sigh escaped Typh's mouth as she stated, "I can explain..." as her mind quickly worked to find a reasonable excuse. Fortunately, she didn't have to as Vahn promptly replied, "Relax. So long as your people don't go out of your way to try and harm the crowd, I don't really mind what they do. A bit of banter between rivals never hurt anyone. Fenrir is a big girl. She can take care of herself."Nodding her head in understanding, most of Typh's fears faded away as she took the opportunity to ask, "Fenrir? As in the Heaven Devouring Wolf owned by the 9 Realms Alliance? I never expected such a legendary beast to be in the hands of the Sage Dragon's Hearth..."Unsurprised by the reference to a second Fenrir, Vahn just adopted a smile, musing, "Who knows?" in a lackadaisical tone. This caused Typh to puff out her cheeks. She wanted to burn him, but, with her powers sealed, that was impossible. Rather, unless Vahn let her go, she doubted she would be able to escape his grasp. This caused her to feel nervous, but, at the same time, she also felt a little excited. Every Demon Lord had a quirk and hers just so happened to be being held against her will. After all, she was the manifestation of the hundreds of thousands of men and women that had died during the war between Sparta and Athens. They had tossed the sick and infirm into stone prisons before setting them ablaze so being imprisoned against her will just felt natural...in fact, it made her body feel like it was burning from the inside.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir be like, "Muted..."','Where is Ebola-chan...?','Demon Lords are scary...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After waiting patiently for the other events to finish, it was finally time for the Javelin Toss to begin. In preparation for this, Fenrir used her [REquip] system to change into an outfit resembling a sports bra and knee-length yoga pants. She didn't particularly care about showing off, but, for the sake of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, she was willing to do her part."You're going to pay for silencing me like that. I don't care if the Leader of-"Without waiting for the long-armed woman to finish, Fenrir used Shundo to effectively teleport from the waiting room. This caused Edema to resemble a woman who had just swallowed a bug, but, before she could do anything they would all regret, the monochromatic Smokie opened her mouth to exhale a plume of smoke that briefly formed the words, 'We didn't come here to fight.'Clicking her tongue, Edema used her inordinately large hand to create a rather sizeable indentation in the waiting room's wall. She had actually intended to punch through it, but, due to the durability of the material, she barely managed to send a crack from floor to ceiling as Smokie observed her silently from the side.........Similar to the traditional Javelin Toss, the first round of the event measured the maximum distance a contestant was able to throw without the benefit of Gifts. For most, this was well under a hundred meters, but, as could be expected from the highest realm in existence, there were quite a number of outliers.Though she wasn't the first to blow the competition out of the water, Fenrir earned a considerable amount of fanfare when she appeared in her skin-tight uniform and an ice-covered javelin in hand. Her appearance might not be able to compare with the various Goddesses of Beauty that inhabited the Divine Realm but she could still turn heads with her curvaceous yet athletic figure, shimmering blue hair, inordinately large ears, and fluffy tail.Feeling the gazes of countless people crawling across her frame, a slightly nauseous feeling began to build in Fenrir's stomach. Fortunately, this wasn't the first time she had appeared in front of a large crowd, so, after a few deep breaths, she cast her gaze to the projection showing the current leader before taking her place at the foot of a 50m track.While most people would adopt a stance with the javelin above their shoulders, Fenrir surprised the crowd by spreading her legs parallel with the track before arching her limber body in a manner that suggested she was going to toss her javelin without a running start. To some, her form resembled a trebuchet, but, instead of a counterweight, she relied on the stability of her stance and the flexibility of her waist to generate leverage.In truth, these people weren't too far off. It's just that, instead of standing still, Fenrir took one last breath before raising her left foot, ever so slightly, off the ground. In the very next moment, she was already at the opposite end of the track, her foot less than a centimeter away from the disqualifying line as her body rotated with such force that her foot sank into the ground as if it were soft clay. At the same time, the javelin was released from her paw with such force that it would have melted into slag if not for the nigh-indestructible icy membrane protecting it.Since it was against the rules to face the throwing direction after releasing your javelin, Fenrir just stood with her arms crossed as she stared up at the projection in the sky. The top three scores at the present moment were 1793m, 104.8m, and 99.7m respectively. She intended to surpass these scores by a landslide, so, even after a full minute had passed, her javelin had still hurling through the sky like a shimmering blue meteor.To appease the crowd and prevent them from making accusations of foul play, Black Rabbit took it upon herself to explain, "While many of you rely on various Gifts to use magic, the members of the Sage Dragon's Hearth are taught how to convert spiritual energy into mana. In other words, while it might seem a little unfair, Lady Fenrir's use of magic to empower herself does not violate any rules."Though there were quite a number of people dissatisfied with Black Rabbit's explanation, especially among the other competitors, there was no denying that Fenrir's actions were within the rules. As a result, they had no choice but to wait patiently until, three and a half minutes later, the scoreboard updated to show a ridiculous value of 2,487,080,003.9m."Bullshit...!"As she had been looking forward to crushing Fenrir in the competition, Edema couldn't help giving voice to the thought that had crossed everyone else's mind. She wouldn't have been that upset if it was just a few hundred kilometers, but, based on the value shown on the screen, Fenrir would have had to have thrown the javelin at around 3% the speed of light to achieve such a feat.Snorting through her nose, Fenrir just walked off the field with her head raised and a subtle yet confident sway in her hips. This was merely the result of her using Vis Maxima and a variation of Shundo to transfer her forward momentum into the javelin. It was far from her maximum output, so, if this was enough to shake the competition, she no longer had an interest in competing........."Holy crap! Does every member of your Community possess such ludicrous strength!?"Keeping in tune with his previous responses, Vahn just chuckled in response to Typh's outburst before musing, "Who knows~?"Though she wasn't particularly surprised by Vahn's response, Typh still clicked her tongue before turning away from him with a pout. At the same time, however, she cradled the bag of cookies he had given her as if they were a treasure, eagerly stuffing her cheeks like a chipmunk as she sat less than an arm's length away on the same sofa.Amused by the Plague Demon's behavior, a silent chuckle escaped Vahn's throat before he rose to his feet and said, "So long as you don't come looking for trouble, you are free to stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth in the future. My Community has taken a neutral stance, so, unless you give me a reason, I'm not going to go out of my way to wipe you out. Just keep in mind that my services aren't free."On that note, Vahn surprised Typh by trying to leave the room. He knew Fenrir would be looking for him now that she had effectively forfeited the competition, so, before she could reach his other self, Usalia, and Sarina, he was intending to intercept her so they could enjoy some alone time."Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going!? Aren't you supposed to be keeping me captive!?"Raising his brows at the peculiar question, Vahn resisted the urge to manifest Loi-chan as he asked, "What are you talking about? I just invited you here to have a chat and issue a warning. You're free to go whenever you want. You just won't be able to use your power with malicious intent."Blinking in surprise, Typh held up her hand to produce a gaseous orange flame. This caused the fire in her eyes to become more prominent, but, the moment her usual urge to cause destruction came forth, the fire in her palm promptly vanished."That flame of yours is pretty dangerous. Not only does it cause people to become sick, but it also affects your mind with delirium. If you'd like me to do something about it, feel free to stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth. I should be able to create a seal that allows you to use your flames without affecting your mind. I can also help out your friends so don't be a stranger."On that note, Vahn waved in a casual gesture of farewell before promptly vanishing from the room. Fenrir had already reached their waiting room, and, while he had effectively stopped time, he didn't want to keep her waiting.Seeing Vahn disappear, the words that had been forming in Typh's throat ended up getting caught. This caused her to feel annoyed and frustrated, not because he had spontaneously left, but because she had been looking forward to being held captive by a tyrannical dragon. Vahn had basically been teasing her from the moment she was warped to his side, so, while she had no experience with the opposite sex, Typh couldn't help feeling like she had just been clam jammed."That mother-fucker...!"......After failing to get her scoop the previous day, Katana was skulking around the restricted areas of the Colosseum with a camera in hand, audio equipment strapped to her waist, and multiple layers of infiltration gear covering her body. This included a special beret that possessed an effect similar to the Helm of Hades, a Cloak of Invisibly inspired by the mantle of King Arthur, and a special black garter-belt manufactured by Water Nymphs. The first two provided the effects of imperceptibility and invisibility while the latter helped to regulate her body temperature so she didn't pass out and die of heatstroke.One thing that most people didn't consider when they were using items that granted invisibility was the fact that they prevented your body heat from escaping. High-quality Gifts got around this using various enchantments, but, with her meager salary, there was no way Katana could afford the good stuff. This was the reason she had been pantsless when Vahn arrived, as, even if she left gaps for air to flow, being under a Cloak of Invisibility was similar to covering yourself in a heated blanket.Fortunately, while he had taken her footage, Vahn had left her equipment intact. This caused Katana to wonder if he had an ulterior motive, so, after biting the bullet and spending all of her savings on a Helm of Hades, she decided to put her theory to the test.Though her penultimate goal was to get a scoop on the Sage Dragon's Hearth, Katana's dream was to become a Poet. In this regard, Vahn was effectively a Golden Goose. He was powerful, handsome, and, most importantly, completely unknown. She had even scoured the 108,000-page compendium that was constantly updating to reflect the birth of new dragons, yet, even after fingering through it front to back, there was no mention of any dragons named Vahn Aldrnari Mason.As a member of the Strongest Species, it was only a matter of time before Vahn and his Community rose to prominence. It had only been seven-and-a-half months since he registered his name at the outer gates and he was already promoting the Sage Dragon's Hearth to a 5-Digit Community. Thus, even if she had to spread her legs or perform acrobatics atop Vahn's cock, Katana was willing to do whatever it took to realize her dream.With this in mind, the false redhead skulked her way through the halls of the Colosseum with every intention of getting caught. Thus, with the exception of her garter belt and the equipment covering her body, she was practically naked. She didn't believe Vahn would be able to simply ignore her if he disrobed her to find she was completely naked, so, after sneaking past a number of physical and magical barriers, Katana took slow and deliberate steps towards his Community's waiting room..."You really don't give up, do you...?"Pausing mid-step, Katana's head swiveled like a rusty turret as she looked over her shoulder to find Vahn standing less than three meters away from her. The fact he was peering into her eyes made it pretty obvious her beret and cloak had no effect, so, after a momentary pause, Katana allowed the latter to fall away from her as she heatedly replied, "Not even if it kills me..."Though he already knew she was naked beneath the cloak, Vahn still raised his brows when he saw Katana reveal her sweaty, noticeably flushed body. She looked like someone who had just finished running a marathon, beads of sweat cascading down her voluptuous body as her chest heaved in response to her panting.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir has become the bully (U w U)...','Jebaited...','What's next? She shows up wearing dog ears and a butt plug...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After leaving his Faux Template to take care of the closing ceremony for the first day, Vahn returned to the Sage Dragon's Hearth with Fenrir, Usalia, and Seraphina. At the same time, another version of him split off to go meet with the members of Chhah-Hathiyaar(Six-Arms), the Community that Ziros belonged to.Finding the burly old man at a rather cozy-looking tavern, Vahn briefly eyed the other guests before making his way over and taking a seat. This earned him a gruff chuckle from Ziros, who, after taking a sip of his beer, remarked, "You're a bold one. Not many people would walk into a room filled with potential enemies."Manifesting a mug of his own, Vahn emptied half the glass before exhaling a plume of alcoholic vapors from his mouth. Then, in response to the man's words, he adopted a smile and said, "The curious thing about life is that everyone we meet along our path is a potential enemy. At the same time, however, there is also the potential for cooperation and friendship. Besides, even if you were to all team up against me...I wouldn't be the one to pay a price..."Though he found the first half of Vahn's words palatable, the second half caused a deep frown to settle on Ziros's face. He didn't get the impression that Vahn was trying to threaten him. There was no animosity in his words. Rather, he exuded the aura of an aged warrior who was perfectly willing but had grown tired of killing.Shaking his head, Ziros made his intentions clear, explaining, "I didn't gather these brats to try and intimidate you. They're mostly here to celebrate their victory. I won't deny I had ulterior motives in participating in your Vahnatus but there is no ill will between my Community and the Sage Dragon's Hearth. At least, I would hope not..."Without meeting the man's gaze, Vahn maintained his smile as he stared at the contents of his glass and mused, "That's an interesting thing to hear from someone who tried to 'erase' me..."As he had just been about to take a drink of his beer, Ziros ended up doing a spit take that caused everyone in the room to immediately look over. This included the four-armed woman fated to fight Usalia, the strongest after Ziros himself."You okay, old man? Need someone to pat your back? I have hands to spare."Waving the woman down, Ziros pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his mouth before adopting a wry smile as he said, "The only reason I used such an attack was because I knew it wouldn't be effective against you. Even now, I know this isn't your 'true' form. As far as I can tell, there should be at least five others, correct...?"Though the number was a little off, Vahn just shrugged his shoulders, answering, "Something like that..." before emptying the contents of his glass. Then, with a slightly more serious expression, he looked towards the old man and asked, "What did you want to talk about? I don't manifest multiple bodies for recreational purposes. I'm a pretty busy guy."Nodding his head in understanding, Ziros gestured for Pweamma to come over while saying, "Truth be told, I can't actually talk about the things I'd like to discuss with you. If it wasn't for my position, I might not even recall that an incident had happened..."Interrupting Ziros's speech, Pweamma adopted a toothy smile as she looked toward Vahn and said, "This is my first time meeting a Pure-Blooded Dragon. Mind if I shake your hand?"While Ziros was shaking his head with a helpless expression on his face, Vahn just returned a smile of his own as he extended his hand to shake the woman's hand. When it closed around his own like a vice, he wasn't particularly surprised. The woman was clearly a member of the Asuri tribe, and, while they weren't exactly like Amazons due to the existence of males and females, they were a race that regarded individual strength and power over all else."Hoooooo...quite the grip you got there..."Noticing that Vahn's grip was comparable to her own, fiery blue runes began to spread across Pwamma's arm as her strength drastically increased. Even then, however, Vahn just raised his brow at her, smiling as he asked, "Is this a competition? If so, I might have to get serious..."With her previously cheeky smile fading away, Pweamma became serious as she said, "Bring it on..." in a strained yet expectant tone.Though he could have crushed her hand even without it, the edges of Vahn's smile rose up as gold scales promptly erupted from his forearm. At the same time, his hand morphed into a glistening set of claws that closed around Pweamma's hand as if he were squeezing tofu.Despite paling, a condition that was rather obvious due to her ashen-grey skin, Pweamma didn't cry out in pain. Instead, a smile spread across her face as she remarked, "You're strong..."Maintaining a visibly amused smile, Vahn answered, "I'm well aware." before releasing Pweamma's hand and asking, "Need help with that?"Shaking her head, Pweamma surprised Vahn by reaching up to the middle of her bicep and simply twisting off the entire arm as if it were attached to a doll. He had noticed it during their handshake, but, seeing the shimmering metallic surface where her stump should be, it was clear that Asuri were not purely biological organisms.Waving around her 'severed' appendage, Pweamma, now appearing completely lax, mused, "When I said I had hands to spare, I never expected I would be losing one. Here, take this. You earned it~."Though it wasn't the strangest thing he had seen, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly as he caught Pweamma's detached limb out of the air. It was heavier than expected, but, considering her muscles and bones were made out of a pale-golden metal and other metallic fibers, he wasn't too surprised. Instead, he just casually tossed it into his Inventory under the amused eyes of the inordinately tall Asuri.Before Pweamma could derail the conversation even further, Ziros loudly cleared his throat before saying, "Pweamma...please, take a seat..."Hearing the old man's words, Pweamma scrunched up her nose but ultimately complied by taking a seat on the floor. Her height, combined with the fact she was sitting in seiza, actually placed her at a similar level to the seated Vahn. The latter found this a little peculiar, but, understanding she would probably break a normal chair, he didn't bother to ask why she was sitting on the floor.After nodding his head in approval, Ziros directed his gaze at Vahn, saying, "I've never been fond of subterfuge and deceit so I'm just gonna come out and say it. Once the Vahnatus has ended, I want you to accept Pweamma into your Community as a spy."Raising his brows, the smile on Vahn's face faded as he asked, "You want me to willfully accept a spy into my home? And to think, it hasn't even been a few minutes since you called me bold..."Exhaling a sigh, Ziros adopted a serious yet noticeably apologetic expression as he explained, "Your power is far too great. It wouldn't have been an issue if you were like those apathetic old monsters in the 1-Digit Gates. Unfortunately, your actions are clearly guided by your own moral compass. It's fine for the moment, but, should you deviate toward the path of a tyrant, I fear the Little Garden will find itself enthralled in yet another war...""What does that have to do with accepting a spy into my home...?"Though he had already reached a number of conclusions, Vahn wanted to hear the excuse Ziros had thought of. At the same time, he briefly shifted his attention towards Pweamma, who, despite being revealed as a potential spy, appeared more bored than concerned.Understanding Vahn's confusion, Ziros supplied a curt nod before explaining, "Even if you don't do anything to openly antagonize them, it is only a matter of time before those in power begin to feel threatened by your existence. Having an informant within the Sage Dragon's Hearth will help abate their fears and prevent them from acting on misinformation. I can't promise they won't antagonize you, but, so long as you don't deviate from the path of righteousness and decide to burn the Little Garden to the ground, they won't be able to justify rallying an army...""Hmmm...in other words, you're putting a leash on both sides. Pweamma's reports will prevent any misunderstandings from happening, and, if I go rogue, her 'sacrifice' will give you time to prepare. Is that it...?"Nodding his head in affirmation, Ziros cast a glance towards Pweamma, his expression becoming visibly conflicted as he revealed, "The Asuri, much like Angels, are remarkably pure beings. When a member of the Asuri tribe is corrupted by malice, it will reflect in their appearance and personality. If Pweamma 'falls', you can expect the entire Divine Army to mobilize against you..."Snorting through his nose, Vahn filled his glass with an aromatic ale as he mused, "Thanks for giving me yet another reason to refuse your offer..."Furrowing his brows, Ziros was about to advise Vahn not to make a hasty decision when Pweamma beat him to the punch, asking, "You're not gonna let me join? Come on, man. You can't do me dirty like that. You already got me all hot and bothered and now you're giving me the cold shoulder? Not cool."Blinking in surprise, Vahn directed an incredulous look towards the disgruntled-looking Pweamma, stating, "You have a rather interesting way of speaking..."Supplying a snort of her own, Pweamma met Vahn's gaze with a visibly annoyed look as she flatly replied, "You got a problem with the way I talk, lizard breath...?"Though he raised one of his brows, Vahn didn't hesitate to answer, "Not really, no. At the very least, it has nothing to do with my refusal. As for your hot and bothered remark...I'm flattered, really, but I'm not going to invite you into my home just because you're willing to sleep with me. I have more than enough women for that and I'm not going to stress them out by inviting a literal spy into their midst. Besides, I don't care how the Gods view me. If they come looking for trouble, that's on them. Everyone is responsible for the consequences of their actions. The Gods shouldn't be the exception; they should set the example..."On that note, Vahn downed the contents of his glass in a single swig before slamming it down on the table with just enough force to draw the attention of the entire tavern. Then, before Pweamma or Ziros could reply, he simply vanished from the tavern as if he had never existed in the first place.........Several kilometers from the tavern where Vahn had been meeting with Ziros, a bespectacled young woman with red and black hair could be seen lying beneath a light-refracting blanket as she peered through the viewfinder of a rather dated-looking camera."This is the scoop of the century! I can't wait to write an exposé~!"As soon as those words left the woman's lips, the ostensibly invisible blanket covering her body was pulled away to reveal none other than Kanade Katana in a simple black t-shirt and a curious pair of panties with the words 'eat up' emblazoned across her butt cheeks.After freezing like a deer caught in a pair of headlights, Katana slowly peered over her shoulder to find Vahn standing there with a deadpan expression on his face. The tips of her ears became tinged with a red hue, but, rather than attempt to cover her pert and shapely bottom, she made a point to squeeze her cheeks together as she asked, "I don't suppose I could convince you to let me keep my footage...?"Though his eyes were briefly drawn to the woman's shapely bottom, Vahn ultimately just raised a brow as he asked, "What footage...?"Eyes widening, Katana turned towards her camera and the audio equipment she had set up to find that all of her tapes were missing. This caused her to panic, but, by the time she had turned around, Vahn was already gone.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn ain't scurred of nothin'...!','Begone, thot...!','That's a plus-sized oof...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2129: Intervention