Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

"Well, if you're sending out invitations...it would be rude of me to refuse...!"With a high-pitched sound echoing through the void, Izayoi managed to break free from the pressure weighing him down like a man freeing himself from chains. Then, with a battle-hungry expression on his face, he managed to take a single step forward before falling face-first into the dirt."Not bad. Unfortunately, the relative gravity between us doubles every ten centimeters. While the distance between us is a mere three meters, the effective gravity near the base of my feet is more than one billion times Earth's gravity. Good luck."Hearing Vahn's explanation, the smile faded from Izayoi's face as he forced himself to a kneeling position and muttered, "You really are a monster...no...I guess you're a God, huh...?"Tossing a stone he had picked up during his tumble, Izayoi's expression paled as it arced sharply towards the ground before becoming one with the flat terrain. Upon closer inspection, he noticed a series of concentric circles around Vahn's body..."How thoughtful of you..."Since going forward clearly wasn't an option, Izayoi took a step back before picking up Asuka and Yo by their waists and leaping backward. He was hoping to open up some distance so they could come up with a plan. What he didn't expect was for the relative gravity to decrease as he moved further away from Vahn's position.If the relative gravity had simply decreased to zero, Izayoi wouldn't have been bothered by the unexpected development. Unfortunately, he eventually reached a point where gravity suddenly inversed. As a result, the three of them began falling toward the sky at an ever-increasing speed.Seeing the trio rocket off like a group with a similar name, Vahn's smile gradually faded away as he silently cast protective charms on each of them. The barrier he had erected around the planet was around 50k above its surface. If they were unlucky, they would end up crashing into it at relativistic speeds. While this wasn't much for someone like him, he was worried that Asuka and Yo would turn into meat paste on contact. He could easily resurrect them, but, unless he mucked around with their memory, the trauma associated with their death would linger.Though he didn't mind teaching the trio a lesson, Vahn didn't want to traumatize them. Thus, as an extra precaution, he also modified the planetary barrier to absorb the momentum of anything that impacted it. Then, he waited........."Sakamaki Izayoi! If you don't unhand me this instant, you...you better not come looking for me in the future...!"With a crimson blush developing across her face, Asuka ignored the fact she was falling into the sky as she struggled in Izayoi's embrace. She wouldn't have cared if he had held her like a princess or a bride. Instead, Izayoi had chosen to carry her underarm like a sack of potatoes. She would rather die than suffer such indignity, so, after several seconds of him ignoring her, Asuka grit her teeth before shouting, "Unhand me this instant...!"Though it was only for a brief moment, a mind-numbing chill ran through Izayoi's body. By the time he realized what happened, Asuka was already falling, upwards, away from him."This prideful idiot...!"Too far away to hear Izayoi's remark, Asuka brought her hands together as if she were praying. The vertigo was intense, but, after six years of meditation training and experience, she managed to stay calm as a ghostly blue flame began to appear between her palms. When she finally separated them, an object resembling an urn emerged from her chest before bursting into a phantom-like creature with features resembling a jackal and a dragon."Abyssinian...!"Reacting to its partner's cry, the elegant black, gold, and blue Companion promptly coiled around Asuka's body before overlapping its head with her own. This was a transformation method the two of them had come up with after a mishap that resulted in Asuka being exposed in front of half the Ganesha Familia. It took her months to get over that incident, so, instead of having Abyssinian turn into a mask, the two of them had practiced a more fluid and direct fusion...Emerging from a plume of ghostly blue flames, Asuka, now wearing an elegant black, gold, and blue gown took advantage of Abyssinian's immaterial form to negate the effects of gravity. She couldn't hold it indefinitely, but, so long as she remained focused, she could effectively negate her mass and freely move through objects.Seeing Asuka's transformed state, a look of realization flashed across Izayoi's face as he looked down at Yo with a wry smile and asked, "Can you also fly...?"Nodding her head, Yo explained, "I befriended a Pegasus, numerous Harpies, and several Lesser Dragons. I also learned how to use Wind Magic and Koku Shundo from Jin..."Realizing he may have jumped the gun a bit, Izayoi released Yo from his grasp before flipping upside down and kicking off the air as if it were solid ground. If the two of them could fly, he no longer had to worry about them. At the same time, he was also feeling a little embarrassed, so, while it would have been smarter to retreat and come up with a plan, it could wait until he had vented some of his frustrations.........Catching a twinkle out of the corner of his eye, Vahn shifted his gaze just in time to see a rather beautiful-looking spear hurtling toward him at a speed rapidly approaching the speed of light. It had a leafy-green body, and, thanks to his ability to perceive everything within the universe he had created, Vahn noticed that this wasn't just an aesthetic. It was literally formed from a crystallized plant that had been whittled into the shape of a spear.("A spear carved from the core and crystallized amber of a World Tree? Looks like someone became pretty close with the High Elves...")Not wanting to destroy such a magnificent weapon, Vahn promptly willed it to be indestructible as he raised his hand to catch it out of the air. Before he could inspect it further, however, the six leaf-like protrusions around the head of the spear promptly branched outward to form emerald green vines that could give Madara's Mokuton a run for its money.Though he remained unmoved, Vahn was 'technically' bound as a lance formed from red crystal immediately followed the first."What the heck? Did this kid become a Lancer when I wasn't looking...?"(*Given the fact he keeps throwing them, I would argue he has become an Archer...*)Rolling his eyes, Vahn made the flaming spear indestructible before intercepting it with a spatial rift. This caused it to reappear behind Izayoi, who, against his better judgment, attempted to grab it out of the air. As a result, he was sent smashing into the ground at nearly a third the speed of light..."Is it just me or is that kid's durability abnormal...?"(*He seems to possess an ability similar to your internalized realm. Most of the damage he sustains is absorbed within, converted to energy, and then weaponized against his opponents. It's quite the potent ability...*)Though he had reached a similar conclusion after sensing the energy of the spear simply disappear, Vahn still nodded his head in response to Sis's explanation. Then, with a notably mischievous smile on his face, he mused, "He's basically the ultimate Shonen protagonist. Someone who gets stronger the harder his foes hit him. He would make an excellent punching bag..."(*...*)(*Well...you're not wrong...*)Demonstrating just how ludicrous Izayoi's ability was, the ground for dozens of kilometers cracked as he erupted from the giant crater caused by his landing. A bluish-gold aura had surrounded his body, and, while there was blood dripping from his forehead and smoke rising from the palms of his hands, he somehow managed to appear heroic as he rested the fiery spear on his shoulder and asked, "Is that all you got...?"Though there was a significant amount of distance between them, Vahn was still able to hear the brash youth's remark. This gave him the urge to roll his eyes. Instead, he swept his free hand to the side in a manner resembling a backhand. To the shock of Izayoi, this caused a massive golden hand that was more than fifty kilometers long and twenty-five wide to sweep across the land like a giant golden tidal wave."Oh, shi-"Unable to complete his exclamation, Izayoi and a large part of the terrain were swept away in the wake of Vahn's backhand. This wasn't an exaggeration. A large swath of land had effectively been erased from existence, as, despite its size, the hand had been moving at near-light speeds. Izayoi was able to tank the blow, but, due to the energy contained within the blow, the terrain where he had been standing was vaporized as the youth was sent careening into the barrier surrounding the planet. After that, he skid across its surface for several thousand kilometers, nearly enough to circle the planet before finally slowing to a stop."Incredible. He barely took any damage and his energy signature has practically skyrocketed. And I thought my abilities were broken..."(*You say that despite having an infinite number of methods to defeat him...*)Raising his brows, Vahn's smile gradually faded as he remarked, "You're uncharacteristically testy today. Did something happen...?"(*...*)......Though she didn't actually sweat, Sis felt as though numerous beads were forming across her body as she heard Vahn's concerned inquiry. At the same time, each of her sister-selves fell silent as they all looked toward her with slightly panicked looks on their faces.Gesturing for them to calm down, Sis's tone became a whisper as she stated, "Don't worry...even if he senses something is amiss, he isn't going to try and sneak a peek. Just try and be on your best behavior..."Nodding their heads in concert, the countless iterations of Sis immediately went back to what they were doing prior to the interruption. This included cuddling, making out with each other, and some pretty intense petting. The few that were still 'working' were either naked or wearing nothing but lingerie, as, every time Vahn used his power and decided to show off, the excitement they felt made it impossible to remain calm. For them, seeing Vahn demonstrate his power was like going into heat and being bathed in catnip at the same time.........(*It's fine...it's just that your power is a little intoxicating. This is one of the reasons I never wanted to possess an Ego. I feel my body burning up every time you decide to show off...*)Since she didn't want to lie to him, Sis decided to respond with a convenient version of the truth. It was much easier than trying to explain to him that there were currently several thousand versions of her fawning over his projected form...Raising his brows even further, a fairly cheeky smile developed across Vahn's face as he teasingly replied, "Is that so? I knew you were my number one fan but I never expected you to have such an extreme reaction to me showing off. You're making me blush."(*Don't tempt me...*)Though he was tempted to do exactly that, Vahn's thoughts were interrupted as the ritual spell that Asuka and Yo had been working on was finally completed. A series of purple rings manifested in the air above him, and, though it seemed nonsensical to rely on a gravity-based attack, Vahn had to commend them for being able to recreate a spell he had only ever seen used by Mikoto...Seeing the massive purple sword descending toward his head, Vahn couldn't help smiling as he muttered, "How nostalgic..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tripping at the starting line xD...','Asuka and Yo aren't your average damsels in distress...','I feel it as well...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Since he was effectively immune to gravity in his current state, Vahn continued to smile even as the massive purple sword impacted the center of his forehead. This caused an even larger magic circle to appear, but, even after his relative gravity skyrocketed to more than three hundred billion times Earth's normal gravity, not even the feathers of his wings rustled."It's a good thing I stabilized the surrounding space. It would be rather ironic if they did themselves in by creating a black hole..."Waving his free hand, Vahn erased the magic circle above his head before manifesting more than a hundred Gift Cards behind him. Then, with a snap of his fingers, the cards rearranged themselves to form a deck as he used his Telekinesis to draw one at random."Brahmandastra? Wow, and I thought my luck was bad..."With the myths stating it was capable of burning the entire cosmos to ash, the Brahmandastra was one of the most powerful weapons in Hindu Mythology. Vahn's version took on the form of a small golden ring, but, when worn, it allowed the user to generate and manipulate golden flames capable of burning space and time itself.Shaking his head, Vahn tossed the golden ring into the air. It immediately burst into a fiery cocoon formed from golden flames. After that, a young boy with inordinately pale skin, faded golden hair, crimson eyes, and six arms appeared in a two-toned robe of gold and crimson."Have fun but try not to kill or traumatize them. They've matured quite a bit but they're still a bunch of kids."Nodding his head in understanding, the pale-skinned shota replied with a courteous, "Understood, Father." before shifting his attention to Asuka and Yo high in the sky. Weapons formed from golden fire manifested in each of his six arms, but, instead of containing the Law of Destruction, they were just normal, albeit solid, golden flames.Since there was very little chance Asuka and Yo would be able to defeat an S-Rank Zanpakuto Spirit, Vahn decided to leave them to Brahm as he shifted his attention to Izayoi. The youth hadn't moved ever since he was sent skidding across the planetary barrier for a good 17,000km or so. He was just sitting in place was a pensive expression on his face."Let's see if your luck is any better..."Drawing yet another card at random, Vahn's brows furrowed as he muttered, "Diqiu? Xiao Yun...?"Though he was tempted to place the card back into the deck, Vahn ultimately shook his head before tossing it up into the air. Then, from within a massive amber crystal, a remarkably beautiful woman with long, earthy grey hair, matching eyes, and black horns appeared.Unlike the majority of Vahn's Zanpakuto Spirits, Xiao Yun had a shapely figure that included large breasts, a thin waist, and plump thighs. To make matters worse, at least from his perspective, her outfit consisted of a skintight bodysuit that left very little to the imagination. Sure, she also had a rather stylish attachment to her hips that concealed her pert and shapely bottom but that did very little to conceal her other womanly attributes."Papa~!"Though her appearance was quite a bit different from her sisters, Xiao Yun was just as affectionate, if not more so, than Vahn's other Zanpakuto. She had the blood of a Celestial Qilin flowing through her veins. Her true form might resemble a chimeric mix between a dragon, a lion, and a goat, but, at the end of the day, Xiao Yun was still a True Dragon.Had he not anchored himself to his current position, Vahn might have been forced to take a couple of steps back when Xiao Yun promptly pounced on him. As for why she wasn't crushed by the 1.07-billion-times Earth's gravity, it was because Celestial Qilins represented the planets themselves. She was functionally immune to the effects of gravity as it was one of the many fundamental forces she had complete dominion over.Patting the ashen-haired girl on her back, Vahn suppressed a wry smile as he said, "I need you to go and beat someone up for me. You should try to avoid severely injuring or killing him. However, if he says or does anything perverted...feel free to teach him a lesson..."Nodding her head in a manner that resulted in her nuzzling against Vahn's chest, Xiao Yun replied with a chipper, "Okay, Papa~!" before releasing him from her monstrously strong grasp. Then, after spreading her senses across the entire planet, she bolted off in the direction of Izayoi. She couldn't actually fly, but, every time she took a step, it created an amber ripple in the air that allowed her to treat the sky as if it were flat ground.Watching the buxom beauty prance away, Vahn's expression darkened as he muttered, "I swear...if that brat tries to lewd my daughter, I'm going to curse him with a magical enchantment that gives him taste buds between his butt cheeks..."After guffawing loudly within the back of Vahn's mind, Sis wiped away a tear from her eye as she suggested, (*You could always send someone to support her. He would have fewer opportunites to take advantage of the situation if there are a dozen or so Zanpakuto bullying him.*)"Hmmm...that isn't a bad idea..."Though he wanted to let Xiao Yun have fun, her abilities weren't exactly suited for a confrontation against Izayoi. Her most powerful attacks relied on manipulating the terrain and gravity. The latter could prove to be effective, but, given the nature of Izayoi's Gift, there was a chance he could adapt and overcome the gravity she was capable of manipulating. Her maximum output was only around 500G. This was more than enough to deal with most foes but Izayoi was heroic protagonist whose power was derived from a Poet. In other words, his power influence reality itself, so, if he got fed up with the ever-increasing gravity, there was a fair chance he would simply become impervious to it's changes.........Thanks to her Companion making her impervious to most flames, Yo was able to go toe-to-toe with Brahm while Asuka provided support using a Japanese-style longbow. As the heiress of a traditional Japanese Clan, she had trained in swordsmanship, spearmanship, horsemanship, and archery every since she was six-years-old. The time she spent in the Game Board allowed her to hone these skills even further, as, with the exception of her Spirit, her Dexterity was her highest parameter."Eat this, you six-armed hooligan! Fimbul...!"Releasing an arrow that split into six icy beams of light, Asuka was hoping to freeze each of Brahm's hands. To her credit, she was actually able to accomplish this, but, without the slightest bit of effort, Brahm was able to pull his hands free before continuing his assault on Yo. His flames might not be able to burn her in their current form but he was more than capable of smacking her around.Seeing her attack broken in an instant, Asuka clicked her tongue before preparing another arrow as she screamed, "Freeze...!" in an authoritative tone.Though she experienced a backlash that caused her brain to feel as though it was melting, Asuka was able to stall Brahm long enough for Yo to land an ax kick in the center of his crown. This sent the fiery Zanpakuto Spirit hurtling towards the planetary barrier at tremendous speeds, but, despite putting all her strength into the blow, Yo felt as though she had done more damage to her leg than Brahm's head.Realizing they couldn't fight the youth head-on, Yo darted towards Asuka, who, as a result of the backlash she had received, was currently bleeding from her nose and ears. The only thing keeping her from passing out and falling towards the sky was the support provided by Abyssinian.Offering no resistance to Yo's embrace, Asuka adopted a wry, bloodstained smile as she weakly muttered, "The next time I get the bright idea to try and command one of Vahn's Gifts, please give me a hard smack on my noggin..."Feeling how cold Asuka's body had become, Yo's expression became fretful as she momentarily forgot the former had fused with Abyssinian."Don't close your eyes! Asuka...!"Though Asuka had, in fact, closed her eyes, it wasn't because she was about to pass out or die. It was because the wind pressure made it hard to keep them open. Thus, the moment she heard Yo calling out to her, a potent pout developed across her face as she flatly replied, "I'm neither dead nor dying. Stop shouting...!"......While Asuka and Yo were busy running from their opponent, Izayoi had a cheeky smile on his face as he stood upside down on the planetary barrier. This had given him an extreme case of vertigo at first, but, after accepting that the ground was currently 'overhead', he got over it pretty quickly.Hoving in the air a few dozen meters from Izayoi's position, upside down from his point of view, was none other than Xiao Yun. She wasn't quite sure how to go about attacking an opponent that was 50km above the surface of the planet, so, for the time being, she was just observing Izayoi with a calm and calculating look on her face."Well hey, hi, and hello there, pretty lady. Did you come all this way for little ol' me~?"Though she was a little confused by Izayoi's words, Xiao Yun nodded her head before answering, "Xiao Yun came here to beat you up." as if she were stating a simple truth.Realizing his opponent might not be 'all there' in the head, Izayoi just smiled before placing his hands into his pockets and asking, "What if I refuse to fight back? Are you going to beat someone who has surrendered...?"Furrowing her brows, Xiao Yun's expression became visibly troubled as her Papa had taught them to never to bully their opponents. If Izayoi didn't want to fight, it wouldn't be right of her to force him. This placed Xiao Yun in quite the predicament as she really wanted to beat Izayoi up...Seeing the conflict on Xiao Yun's face, Izayoi had to fight hard against the urge to laugh. Instead, he maintained a casual smile as he said, "You're pretty cute. How about we both take a seat and get to know one another? Who knows, we might even be able to become friends?"Staring back at Izayoi with her greyish, clay-colored eyes, Xiao Yun contemplated his offer before directly stating, "My Papa wanted asked Xiao Yun to beat you up. He wouldn't ask Xiao Yun to beat someone who didn't deserve it. Trying to trick Xiao Yun? You must be a bad guy."Though the corner of his smile twitched, Izayoi managed to maintain a relaxed demeanor as he removed his hands from his pockets and said, "If that's what you think then feel free to attack. Just know that I have no intention of fighting back."While he considered himself a champion of gender equality, Izayoi would rather avoid fighting a woman if he didn't have to. He could tell Xiao Yun didn't harbor any actual animosity toward him. In fact, despite her sinful appearance, she gave off a very childish and innocent vibe. If Vahn didn't tell her to attack, he doubted she would ever go out of her way to harm another person.Unfortunately, while Izayoi's impression was on the mark, he failed to grasp the true nature of Xiao Yun. She wasn't a person. She was a Zanpakuto Spirit whose true form resembled a pair of massive gauntlets. She had an almost instinctual desire to punch things, so, after considering Izayoi's words for the better part of three minutes, her expression hardened as she said, "Don't worry. I will not kill you."Before Izayoi could try to talk her out of it, Xiao Yun manifested one of her gauntlets before firing an amber beam of light in his direction. This caused the smile on his face to turn wry, as, now that he had told her he wasn't going to fight back, he had basically shoehorned himself into being her punching bag.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn: *casually commands cosmos-destroying spirit to 'have fun'*','Asuka is surprisingly op...','The prophecy has come to fruition...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Thanks to handy-dandy time shenanigans, very little time had passed by the time Vahn emerged with Jin in tow. In fact, the others had yet to even sit down when he teleported them just outside the dining room, saying, "It's okay to make mistakes. You'll regret it a lot more if you never even try."With a resolute expression on his face, Jin looked like he was about to say something when Vahn gave him a gentle yet firm smack on the back. As a result, he was sent stumbling into the dining room as Vahn emerged behind him with a massive grin spread across his face.After quickly recovering his balance, Jin sent a pouty look in Vahn's direction before ultimately shaking his head and approaching Lily. The latter appeared a little confused by his actions, but, as usual, she had the same considerate smile on her face."Lily...can we talk somewhere private...?"Though there was a hint of helplessness contained within, Lily's smile became even more radiant than usual as she answered, "Of course, Jin." Then, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, the duo departed the dining room for one of the many empty rooms within the Sage Dragon's Hearth.Waiting until the duo had disappeared completely, a smile developed across Izayoi's face as he said, "Let's hope he doesn't mess this one up. That last "confession" of his dealt collateral damage to my soul."Shrugging his shoulders in mock helplessness, Vahn replied, "I did everything I could. Fortunately, Lily is too kind to outright reject him. She'll most likely give him a chance. Whether or not they stay together is up to him."Since he didn't want to spend too much time talking about Jin's love life, Vahn punctuated his words with a casual wave of his hand. This caused various food items to populate the table as he sat down and stated, "I'm more interested in what the three of you were up to during your stay in the Game Board. Even without relying on my Gifts, I can tell you've grown quite a bit...some more than others..."Though Vahn's final words were intended for Izayoi, it was Yo who reacted with a rather potent blush. This caused the gazes of everyone present to shift to her as she cupped her fiery cheeks and explained, "I don't know what happened. I tried dieting, but, no matter how much I starved myself, it was like everything I ate went straight to my thighs...""..."Taken aback by the sudden shift in topic, Vahn found himself at a loss for words as Izayoi burst out laughing. This earned him a glare from Asuka, but, before she could say anything to rein the young hero in, Yo exacerbated the situation by asking, "Vahn, you do tailoring work, right?"Blinking back to awareness, Vahn's gaze shifted to the golden bracelet on Yo's wrist as he answered, "Indeed. However, I believe your [REquip] system renders such services obsolete. There is also the matter of your Companion. They should be able to transform into virtually any outfit you can think of."Though she nodded her head to show she understood, Yo left Asuka massaging her temples as she explained, "I am well aware of that. It's just that, even with the [REquip] system, my pants and shorts always feel tight around the inseam. It wasn't an issue when I still had my Aegis but they ended up dissolving away when I encountered a Black Slime. Speaking of which...you really could have warned us about those, you know?"As it had literally been hundreds of years since he last encountered a slime, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he resisted the temptation to say he had simply forgotten. After all, he was the one who created the Game Board, and, as a byproduct, every single monster within. In other words, he was the one who had bestowed the Black Slime with the ability to melt clothing and armaments."Sorry about that. Truth be told, I never expected anyone venturing into the Game Board to get that far. Those with the ability to descend that deep generally wouldn't be inhibited by such an effect so I never thought to remove it..."Though she didn't snort and cross her arms like she used to, Asuka responded to Vahn's apology with a pointed look as she retorted, "Oh, really? Are you sure you didn't just want to see us naked? Why else would such a monster exist?"Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn adopted a deadpan expression as he flatly replied, "Every monster within the Dungeon is something I encountered during my own journey. Also, has your time in the Game Board dulled your memory? So long as you're within range of my perception, I can sense the very molecules that comprise your body. You could layer yourself in thousands upon thousands of layers of clothing and it wouldn't make a difference. From my perspective, you may as well be walking around in your birthday suit."Blushing furiously in response to Vahn's words, Asuka looked like she was a hairpin trigger away from exploding. As for Yo, she simply averted her eyes with a bashful smile on her face. She had already been blushing even before his comment. Now, the crimson glow was gradually spreading to her ears, but, unlike Asuka, she didn't seem particularly bothered by revelation. Instead, she just picked up a simmering leg of lamb before using her inordinately large canines to tear away a rather sizeable chunk of the perfectly braised meat...Amused by Yo's reaction, Vahn's smile promptly returned. This seemed to be the proverbial straw the broke the camel's back, as, from Asuka's perspective, Yo was someone she needed to protect.Slamming the table as she bounced to her feet, Asuka's expression turned fierce as she exclaimed, "That's it! I challenge you to a Gift Game...!"Raising his brows, Vahn's smile turned wry as he asked, "Have you lost your mind? It would seem I was a little too hopeful when I thought you would mature during your stay in the Game Board..."Gritting her teeth, Asuka attempted to remove one of her white gloves until Vahn released a bit of his aura and said, "Don't do something you'll regret...I have been tolerant of your behavior thus far. Do not mistake my clemency for weakness and timidity. If you continue down this path, there is no turning back. I will have no choice but to teach you a lesson..."Recalling the previous times Vahn had embarrassed her, Asuka's body became rigid and tense. She tried to tell herself not to be afraid, but, seeing the solemn look on Vahn's face as his eyes pierced straight through her, she would be a fool not to feel even a hint of trepidation."Sounds fun. Count me in."After sitting in silence for several minutes, Izayoi decided to toss Asuka a metaphorical life preserver by chiming in. Sure, she could be pretty annoying at times but Asuka was still his friend. He wasn't just going to let her face off against Vahn on her own, so, with the intention of easing tensions and having a bit of fun, he began popping his knuckles with a cheeky smile on his face.Feeling the tensions drain from her body, a faint smile developed across Asuka's face as she sent the blond-haired hero a sidelong glance. She felt a lot more confident having his support, so, while the serious expression on Vahn's face was no less intimidating, she managed to adopt a challenging smile as she said, "I may have spoken out of turn earlier. For that, I apologize. However, since I have already issued a challenge, it would be cowardly of me to retract my statement. I'm also interested in learning just how far I am from the top. I didn't spend the last six years training just to back down in the face of a challenge."Though he maintained the serious look on his face, most of Vahn's anger had already disappeared. Asuka was far too weak to truly rile him up, so, even if she did remove her glove and challenge him to a duel, he would have just allowed her to tire herself out before giving her a spanking."Very well, then. I accept your challenge. I've been meaning to teach you a lesson and this is a good opportunity to see how far you've grown."Without waiting for the trio to respond, Vahn sent a telepathic message to Will that resulted in their surroundings spontaneously disappearing. This caused the smile to fade from Yo's face, but, before she could pout, he tossed her a peculiar fruit called a Meat Apple before explaining, "Now that you have accumulated experience in a fantasy setting, I imagine you'll be a lot more active in the Divine Realm. Before that, there are a couple of things you'll need to be made aware of..."Raising his hand, Vahn waited for the tensions to increase before snapping his fingers to produce a literal big bang. Were it not for the nigh-indestructible shields he had erected around their bodies, Izayoi, Asuka, and Yo would have immediately been reduced to dust as an explosion far beyond the comprehension of mortals spread through the surrounding void."First of all...so long as their actions do not adversely affect their surroundings, conflicts between Communities need not revolve around Gift Games. In other words, if you had truly antagonized me, I could kill, imprison, torture, or even erase you from existence without so much as a warning from the Central Network. Keep that in mind if you ever visit the territory of an unaffiliated organization or alliance..."With the surrounding space rapidly stabilizing under his influence, Vahn manipulated a tremendous volume of space dust and debris to form a barren and lifeless planet. Then, with a wave of his hand, a planet-wide barrier manifested high above its surface before a tempestuous wind spread from his body. Soon after that, a breathable atmosphere had manifested as he dismissed the glowing green barriers protecting the trio's body, explaining, "Secondly...this is no illusion. What you see around you is an authentic universe. Were it not for those barriers separating you from the Standard Axis of Time, you would have witnessed its formation and the billions of years it took to reach this stage of development. In other words, were it not for the barriers I provided, your bodies would have aged to the point of being cosmic dust in less time than it took to blink..."Spreading his arms, Vahn's clothes began to dissolve away as ivory white and resplendent golden scales began to manifest across his body. At the same time, a dharmic wheel appeared behind his body as six sets of wings unfurled from his back. Most of this was simple theatrics, but, as a literal God of Creation, they were as functional as he intended them to be."Lastly...as powerful as you have become, you are ultimately inconsequential when compared to the beings at the absolute pinnacle of creation. All it would take to defeat you at this point is to simply fly away. At your current level, there is absolutely nothing you could do. As for me, I could wave my hand and erase every star from the sky. I could grasp this very planet in my palm and crush it into dust while the three of you watch on in horror. That is the kind of power I possess, and, should you continue down this path, it is the power your enemies will invariably possess..."With a muscular figure, arms in powerful draconic claws, twelve angelic wings, and a long, whip-like tail, Vahn truly resembled a God. His aura was so powerful and majestic that even Izayoi was forced to bend a knee while Asuka and Yo could barely even raise their heads from the pillowy cushions he had thoughtfully laid out for them..."Now...since you foolishly decided to challenge me...show me what you've got. You have five hours to either destroy this planet or force me to move. After that...it's my turn..."Punctuating his words, Vahn raised his hand towards the sky. This caused a fiery red magic circle to cover the sky. In reality, the spell circle was actually tens of thousands of kilometers away. It was just so large that it seemed to encompass the heavens. As for its purpose? That was a bit of a surprise.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yo is primed and ready to save lives...!','Young Mistress Asuka...!','Vahn, this isn't even my final form, Mason...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2138: Futility