Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While his counterpart split off to introduce Hanako to everyone currently living within the Sage Dragon's Hearth, a different version of Vahn stayed back in order to give Da Vinci her 'reward'.Though the word 'reward' both sounded and was sexual, sex wasn't the only thing Da Vinci demanded from Vahn during their brief, three-week stay in her laboratory. He was still her primary research subject, so, whenever she got him alone for long periods of time, Vahn had little choice but to submit himself for testing.Fortunately, as dangerous and disconcerting as the word testing sounded, it wasn't particularly invasive. Da Vinci had long concluded that she wouldn't be able to make headway on his blood and composition until he reached the pinnacle, so, rather than focus on his physical and spiritual forms, her primary interest in recent years was Vahn's mental and emotional development.As intent and willpower were two of the most important factors to determining a person's power and authority, Da Vinci wanted to know everything there was to know about Vahn. She had even proposed 'piggybacking' his mind at one point, but, as supportive as he was of her research, Vahn had readily refused her. Sis was also opposed to the idea, for a number of reasons, so Da Vinci had little choice but to interpret his world through Memory Projections and via direct questioning.This is where things got interesting, as, for the sake of establishing a baseline she was intimately familiar, Da Vinci used their 'sexcapades' as the central focus of her research. In other words, they would 'experiment' with all manner of plays and positions before watching it back and analyzing it together. It was a remarkably embarrassing experience, but, after a while, Vahn had learned to enjoy it. After all, he wasn't the only one embarrassed........."I can still recall...the days...when this form made you uncomfortable...it's amazing how time...can change things...so drastically...isn't it...?"Though she was doing her best to remain calm, a thick glaze covered Da Vinci's eyes like an oil painting as she stared off into space. Her body was currently enduring such an extreme amount of pleasure that she had needed to partition a piece of her psyche just to avoid sinking wholly into the abyss that was Vahn. It wouldn't be the first time he had 'broken' her, but, for both their sakes, Da Vinci did her best to remain sane even as she goaded him into more precarious plays...Instead of immediately responding to Da Vinci's words, a greater volume of the nebulous black goo that currently formed Vahn's body surged into the visibly swollen abdomen of her 'Lily' form. At the same time, tendrils formed from the same substance coiled around her body, several holding her in place while innumerable others massaged each and every nerve cluster, muscle, and meridian in her body. There were even extremely fine, hair-like tendrils extending into her ears...Retracting said tendrils, Vahn's voice, seemingly echoing from everywhere, answered, "I'm still put off by such forms. I simply tolerate them out of respect for my partners. If you weren't more than 50,000 years old, I would never do something like this...regardless of your form..."Inverting Da Vinci's body, forcing her to dangle upside down, Vahn's tendrils began to coalesce until they had formed a nebulous mass reminiscent of the cosmos covering Da Vinci's body. Then, as countless lines of data ran across her phantasmagorical irises, the mass slowly encompassed her entire body...(A/N: O_O...)......After recreating her body and snuggling up to Vahn in her far more mature form, Da Vinci nestled as close as she possibly could to him before muttering, "I know you don't, but I still feel compelled to ask if you need my help. I may be a pacifist but I'm confident I can come out ahead in most Gift Games..."Much like before, Vahn didn't immediately respond to Da Vinci's words. Instead, he made his right hand predominately immaterial before sinking it into her body and directly caressing her interior of her right buttock. This caused a tantalizing blush to develop across Da Vinci's face, but, after what she had just experienced, the pleasure derived from the Hands of Nirvana was like having someone place a single cube of ice against your skin after spending an hour in an ice bath."If the two of us worked together, there wouldn't be anything for the others to do. Besides, you still have difficulties in the West to take care of. I don't mind bringing you with me to the North, but, for the time being, I would rather you focus on addressing the matters in your own district..."Though she puffed out her cheeks ever so slightly, Da Vinci didn't insist on Vahn allowing her to help out. Instead, she swat away his hand before standing up and reaching into the void to grab what appeared to be a golden ring. The diameter made it appear more like a bracelet than a ring, but, before he could even ask what it was for, Vahn's expression turned wry as Da Vinci explained, "I've been researching methods to make it easier for you to deal with multiple women at the same time. This ring pairs with the most recent version of the Aegis I've developed, the Aegis XXX. All you need to do is insert your penis inside and...you know what, why don't I just demonstrate it for you?"On that note, Da Vinci tossed the 'ring' towards Vahn before reaching into the void to procure one of the upgraded [REquip] Systems. Her body was immediately garbed in her characteristic red and blue garb, but, beneath the renaissance-style clothing, a rather futuristic pair of underwear covered her breasts and bottom.Resisting the urge to shake his head and shrug his shoulders, Vahn donned the ring without putting much thought into it. In response, a tantalizing smile developed across Da Vinci's face as she licked her lips and said, "Think of me..." in a sultry tone.Doing exactly that, Vahn was more intrigued than surprised when a realistic yet slightly transparent version of Da Vinci manifested atop his hips. At the same time, he felt a 'very' familiar pressure and warmth wrapped around him as Da Vinci flexed her abdominal muscles and asked, "How is it? Now we can have sex even when I'm preoccupied with work. Better yet, it includes a Layer, Visibility, and Delay mode. The Layer mode allows you to overlap multiple women in a similar manner to Aoko's Magic Blue. As for the Visibility and Delay modes, the former allows you to toggle off the projection while the latter synchronizes with the Aegis XXX to make sure your...ministrations aren't interfering with someone's work. Put simply, it allows your sex in the present to provide pleasure to women in the future. It even takes the person's sensitivity into-"Realizing she was going on a tangent, Vahn's expression turned into a wry deadpan as he said, "Da Vinci..." in a helpless tone.Coming to her senses, a picturesque smile developed across Da Vinci's face as she asked, "Yes? Is there something you'd like to ask~?"Shaking his head, Vahn removed the ring from his penis before rising to his feet and saying, "You know I can't use something like this. I mean, I don't really mind, but I don't have sex simply to feel good..."Giggling in response to Vahn's words, Da Vinci pushed back the ring he was proferring toward her, saying, "You're misunderstanding. This is more for the women around you than yourself. There are times when we want to get off but hold ourselves back because we don't want to travel all the way to the Sage Dragon's Hearth. There is also a substantial amount of interest in experiencing what it's like to be in the position of others. The Aegis XXX makes this possible as it comes equipped with an option to allow the wearer to interface with the projections of others. In other words, if you made love to me while wearing that ring, anyone who wears the Aegis XXX would be able to experience it at their leisure..."Though he understood what Da Vinci was saying, Vahn couldn't help gawking as the implications of her words washed over him. The Aegis XXX, much as the name suggested, was, quite literally, a tool for masturbation. If he accepted and made use-Interrupting Vahn's train of thought, Da Vinci moved forward to embrace him as she said, "You're overthinking things. If we were given the choice between you and a tool, each and every single one of us would choose you. The simple fact of the matter is that we each have our own responsibilities, and, while you are perfectly capable of tending to our needs, doing so obligates you to split your body and invest an inordinate amount of time towards our gratification. This is merely a stop-gap measure so that our urges don't build up while we're focused on other things. Nothing could ever possibly replace you, Vahn..."Feeling the tensions drain from his body, Vahn wrapped his arms around Da Vinci's indescribably soft and petite frame. She was only 165cm tall in her most mature form, so, with his current height reaching 188cm, Vahn towered over her quite a bit...After waiting for Vahn to calm down, Da Vinci gradually loosened her hold on his body, a teasing smile developing across her face as she explained, "This is actually a compromise we made after a discussion regarding the use of dildos and other forms of masturbation assistance. Only a handful of people were comfortable with the notion of inserting something 'foreign' into their bodies, so, rather than settle for a replacement, we came up with the idea of linking your penis to our vaginas through causal manipulation. Now, even if we're comforting ourselves in private, the thing getting us off is, and always will be, the genuine article..."Punctuating her statement, Da Vinci slipped the ring onto Vahn's penis before linking her arms around his neck and doing the same with her body. She knew it would take a little more than words to convince him, so, for the sake of expediting things, she drew her lips close to his right ear before whispering, "I already received permission from the Council of Wives...each and every one of them is currently wearing an upgraded Aegis..."In response to Da Vinci's words, projections of Artoria, Luvia, Olga, Rin, Eva, Asuna, Semiramis, and every other member of the Council of Wives manifested as realistic, overlapping projections. At the same time, the pressure on Vahn's penis increased explosively, as, much like when he made love to Aoko, he was experiencing more than a dozen different pressures and warmth simultaneously.........After meeting everyone in the Sage Dragon's Hearth and settling into her room, Hanako found herself staring off into space with a rare smile on her face. She had never expected that the person she had been tasked to spy on would offer a place in his home. He had even given her permission to report back to the people who contracted her, but, as the person they had contracted was the Demon Lord of the Lost and Forgotten, Hanako had absolutely no intention of doing so. As far as she was concerned, the Sage Dragon's Hearth was her home. Vahn had stated as such, and, based on the reactions of everyone she had encountered since, they respected his decision and regarded her as one of their own. This was a novel experience to Hanako, but, even after several hours had passed, she couldn't help smiling at the notion she had finally found a place to call her own.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Da Vinci is into some intense shit...','That ring is both convenient and dangerous...','Wholesome as fuck...(U w U)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With twenty-three days remaining until the succession festival in the North, Vahn gave Shiroyasha permission to begin advertising the Sage Dragon's Hearth's Promotional Gift Game. This sent the general public into a frenzy, but, just as before, Vahn simply ignored their droning as he prepared an event guaranteed to go down in the history of the Little Garden.As 4-Digit Promotional Gift Games were used to determine the rank and status of the participating Communities, the most popular way to settle things was through a Battle Royale. The people loved witnessing bloodshed, and, compared to every other form of competition, a Battle Royale was one of the best ways to demonstrate the overall power of a burgeoning Community as it mandated the participation of all Players.Though he wasn't particularly fond of Battle Royales, Vahn decided to keep things relatively simple. The only change he made to the basic format was introducing the theme of planetary defense. Each of the participating Communities would be given a planet filled to the brim with precious resources and raw materials. Their headquarters would also be equipped with a modified version of the Room of Spirit and Time, so, as long as they had the capacity to make use of them, they could train or use the chamber to convert raw materials into all manner of offensive and defensive equipment.Beyond the assigned planets, several moon-sized fortifications could be found. The majority of these were defensive structures containing additional resources, but, should you stumble across a satellite protected by autonomous Imperial Dragons, reaching the central core would allow you to invoke one of Da Vinci's most terrifying creations, the Sage Dragon Emperor's Visage, also known as the Model Omega.Though it was significantly smaller than the Model Excalibur, Clarent, and Tiamat, the Model Omega was capable of using an attack known as Executioner's Judgment to annihilate even sapient planets. In other words, it was an artificial construct comparable to a Tier 5 being. Its only notable weakness was that the power it wielded could only be used in areas where Vahn's authority was present.Simply put, the Model Omega was a weapon that could only be wielded by Vahn or with his express consent. In other words, while it was remarkably powerful, it was essentially useless. After all, Vahn's power had far exceeded the standards of a simple 'planet buster'. If not for his lack of Authority, he could conceivably envelop the entire Little Garden in his Domain before turning it, and everyone in it, into particles of energy. It would literally only take a single, decisive, intent-fueled thought.Such was the power of Authority......."You're really going all out, aren't you? Setting the destruction of entire planets as the win condition is something only you would think of..."Though she wasn't particularly surprised by Vahn's decision, Shiroyasha couldn't help shaking her head in exasperation. There were a number of Gifts described as being able to destroy planets and erase every star in the night sky, but, without the necessary authority, such displays of power were all but impossible.Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he explained, "If they can't even destroy planets, what right do they have to proclaim themselves as Gods of entire cosmologies? Besides, so long as they have sufficient mastery over the Laws, defeating Imperial Dragons isn't too difficult. At the very least, the Musashi and Kenshin that arrived at the Sage Dragon's Hearth should be able to pull it off."Snorting through her nose, Shiroyasha stared at Vahn with an accusatory look as she stated, "Yeah, I get that. The problem here is that very few people, even in 4-Digit Communities, possess the ability to fly or freely trespass the vacuum of space. What use is the ability to defeat an Imperial Dragon if they can't even leave the planet they spawn on?"Shrugging a second time, Vahn remarked, "I don't see how that's my problem. If they fundamentally lack the ability to contend against Communities of a similar grade, they shouldn't be occupying a 4-Digit Gate. In the lower realms, there are innumerable examples of normal humans freely traversing space. If the Leader of a 4-Digit Community can't even transcend the terrestrial plane, what right do they have to stand above others?"Shaking her head in mock exasperation, Shiroyasha manifested a scroll containing the names of more than a hundred different Communities. These were the people interested in participating, or, at the very least, negotiating with the Sage Dragon's Hearth. Most of these were affiliates of much higher ranking Communities. The Gates they occupied were generally used as leverage to draw in talent, so, with the exception of a few outliers, most of the Communities on the list wouldn't be able to compete in Vahn's modified Battle Royale...Exhaling a sigh, Shiroyasha noted, "If this is your attempt to undermine the rumors propagated by Amaterasu and the members of Kotoamasukami, you might want to reconsider. At this rate, most of the Communities willing to participate would be unable to actively compete. Even if they wanted to, they would have no-"Interrupting before Shiroyasha could finish, Vahn stated, "I'll make the planetoids mobile and add teleportation nexi across their surface. To make things easier, I'll add a self-destruct button in the control room of each planet. If they can't even battle their way to the control room of an enemy fortification, they really have no reason to be occupying a 4-Digit Gate."Though she wasn't particularly fond of being interrupted, Shiroyasha ultimately nodded her head in response to Vahn's words, adding, "For the sake of 'fairness', you should make space off-limits. The same teleportation nexi used to transport people between planets should also link to the satellites. Space battles are notoriously difficult to broadcast due to poor lighting and the sheer scale of the events taking place so it's infinitely better to keep things 'grounded' for the sake of the spectating audience. Battles such as this are basically a popularity contest, so, even if you have multiple people capable of destroying planets with energy blats, it isn't nearly as impressive as watching two people tear apart the foundation of a planet with physical blows."Having spent 37 years in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, Vahn had to agree with Shiroyasha's assessment. It was a lot more interesting to see two people duke it out in an arena than it was to watch two motes of light dart around in otherwise empty, black space. If there was a backdrop of stars, it was even harder to make things out, as, unless they grew to the size of planets or fought within a designated area, they would simply bleed into the background."Fine. I'll make it so that space is off-limits until someone activates a Model Omega. The latter has an effective range of 600,000,000km so it wouldn't be fair to the competitors if they were stuck on the planet after its activation."Nodding her head in affirmation, Shiroyasha updated the information she was planning to send out to the participating Communities before suggesting, "How about placing a cooldown on the Model Omega's Executioner's Judgment? You could also set it up so that each of the secondary satellites is capable of producing a planet-wide shield to protect the planet of whoever occupies them. As cool as the Model Omega is, watching one Community decimate every other just because they managed to obtain it first isn't very interesting.""Right..."Though he felt like Shiroyasha's suggestions were complicating things, Vahn didn't mind making a few adjustments in order to ensure things were interesting for the spectators. The original draft he had come up with didn't include the Model Omega or space at all. Instead, each of the planets was structured similarly to the Dungeon in Danmachi. Reaching the bottom would allow you access to the planet's controls, and, as a result, you would be able to fire off a beam capable of destroying up to two planets.The problem with this initial draft was that there was a reasonable probability that the Gift Game would never end. Since space and teleportation had been off-limits, everyone would be required to stay on their planet. If Communities colluded and simply refused to complete their Dungeons, they could basically hold every other participating Community hostage. A similar situation could occur if the weaker Communities were simply incapable of clearing their Dungeon, so, in the end, Vahn had to run his ideas by several others before approaching Shiroyasha with his penultimate draft."I don't want things to become too drawn out so we'll set the Model Omega's cooldown to an hour and give each Community a total of seven unique keys. Defensive satellites will take a single key to activate while offensive satellites will require three. Each defensive satellite will be able to generate a shield capable of withstanding a total of three Executioner's Judgments. If we preclude keys from being exchanged, the longest anyone can hold out for after the activation of a Model Omega is 21 hours."Nodding her head in approval, Shiroyasha quickly updated the information on the scroll before asking, "Anything else you want to add? If not, I'm going to go ahead and send this out. Twenty-three days isn't a long time to prepare for a Gift Game of this magnitude."Though he had a number of hidden objectives in mind, there was an optional objective that Vahn wanted to make known from the start. Thus, in response to Shiroyasha's words, a smile developed across his face as he answered, "Yes, actually. Though it would have been necessary for anyone to take first place in the event, I want to include an optional objective related to defeating me. More specifically, anyone capable of removing me from my throne will be given the title of Sage Dragon Emperor and full control over the Sage Dragon's Hearth..."Opening her mouth, Shiroyasha appeared as though she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words to do so. In the end, a low chuckle emanated from her throat before quickly turning into a cackle as she realized what Vahn was up to. By including such a condition and making it public knowledge from the get-go, he was basically telling everyone who agreed to participate that they were going to lose. At the same time, he was setting a trap for anyone who was willing to take him to task. After all, the only thing they would be risking was their rank and gate. In exchange, they had the opportunity to gain ownership over Vahn and all the assets of the Sage Dragon's Hearth.The best part of the arrangement was that Vahn's words were a slap in the face to anyone accusing the Sage Dragon's Hearth of foul play. By publicizing the event and making it clear that those with a higher rank had priority in regards to participation, he was showing the entire Little Garden that he wasn't afraid of competing against the most powerful people in the 4-Digit Gates. It was hilariously brilliant, so much so that Shiroyasha couldn't believe that Vahn had come up with the idea himself."Did that perverted dragon mage come up with this plan? If so, she's even scarier than I thought..."Understanding that Shiroyasha was referring to Da Vinci, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he asked, "Do you think so little of me...?"Though she shook her head, a teasing smile developed across Shiroyasha's face as she replied, "Oh, I think the world of you, Vahn. I'm just not an idiot. You simply don't care enough to come up with a plan like this. If you didn't want to give your lovers a chance to show off, I imagine you could settle this entire event while sitting on that impeccably soft ass of yours. Don't think I haven't noticed how much your domain has expanded since your little vacation. At this point, the only thing preventing you from spreading your influence even further is your lack of Authority."Unable to refute Shiroyasha's claims, Vahn's smile became even wrier as he remarked, "My ass isn't that soft..."Amused by Vahn's attempt to deflect, a mischievous smile developed across Shiroyasha's face as she raised her hands, dexterously wiggling her fingers as she said, "Boy, I bet I could spread those cheeks more than a meter if you didn't resist. They're basically mochi. Hell, if I bit into them, I bet something similar to red bean paste would come out..."Inspired by her own words, Shiroyasha found herself licking her lips. This elicited a dry laugh from Vahn, who, sensing the surrounding space solidifying, prepared himself for a climactic battle.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I'm not sure which is more imba, Da Vinci or Authority...','Space battles are only exciting in cinema...','Shiroyasha be like, "BRING ME THAT ASS...!"')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After checking in and spending time with each of his children, much of Vahn's hostility towards Amaterasu had mellowed. He still planned to teach her a lesson, but, so long as she apologized, he would spare her too much indignation.At the end of the day, Vahn wasn't a very cruel or malicious person. Amaterasu's only real crime was the fact that she had disregarded the existence of his children. As there were people who genuinely wished them harm, people who Vahn ignored due to their powerlessness, holding a grudge against her served very little purpose.Fortunately for Amaterasu, dealing with Kotoamatsukami wasn't even phase two of Vahn's current plan. That involved becoming, or, at the very least, gaining control over the Northern Floor Master. He was actually planning to use the festival to announce the existence of the Aldrnari Empire, so, in the grand scheme of things, dealing with Amaterasu wasn't even a tertiary matter.Though some might criticize him for a lack of vigilance, the simple truth of the matter was that Vahn didn't fear anyone, or, more accurately, anything outside the 1-3-Digit Gates. If he did, his plan wouldn't include the possibility of going to war against the 'entire' Little Garden.Having given it quite a bit of thought during his stay in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, Vahn had already decided upon the theme of his Last Embryo, the name of the most infamous Gift Game and the designation he would invariably be given once it had concluded.While the other Gods had to expend a bit of their essence in order to create things, Vahn was able to, quite literally, bypass this requirement. He could create without any upper limit, so, taking into consideration his other abilities, Vahn decided to become the Last Embryo personifying Excess and Change.With the exception of Empathy and Compassion, Excess and Change were the most prominent traits that remained once Vahn broke down and evaluated his character. They best explained his behavior, and, more importantly, represented the traits even his loved ones associated with him.By installing himself as the Last Embryo of Excess and Change, Vahn was laying the groundwork to subsume the entirety of the Divine Realm. This was the penultimate step required to advance to a Tier 7 being, so, for the sake of reuniting with his family and making the Little Garden a safer place, Vahn was willing to crush any and all who stood in his way........."Since her existence as the Lost and Forgotten would fade if she was remembered by many people, I decided to borrow a bit of inspiration from that Launch lass to create this! Behold! The Antithesis Locket~! "Dangling an ornate, amethyst-infused silver locket in her hand, the only thing preventing Da Vinci's nose from extending was the fact it would have marred her beauty. She took great pride in each of her creations, so, even though the Antithesis Locket was relatively straightforward in its design and function, Da Vinci couldn't help beaming as she showed it off in front of Vahn.Accepting the proferred locket, Vahn turned it over in his hand a few times in order to inspect the internal structure and craftsmanship. He also took a moment to deconstruct the enchantment Da Vinci had placed on it. The magical formation was like a multi-dimensional labyrinth, but, as one of the people Da Vinci had authorized to peek inside, Vahn was able to inspect the entire thing in less time than it would have taken most people to blink."As impressive as it is terrifying..."Though failsafes made up more than 90% of the locket's structure, the notion of an accessory that could invert the nature of a Conceptual Entity was terrifying. In the hands of someone like Hanako, it was relatively safe. If it was weaponized, it would instantly throw the entire Order of Creation out of balance. After all, unless they had a countermeasure against it, Da Vinci could gift lesser versions of the Locket to her enemies and they would promptly transition from greedy and licentious people to fair, almost saint-like individuals...Seeing through Vahn's thoughts as if they were her own, Da Vinci poked out her ruby-red tongue before snatching back the pendant and saying, "You're looking down on me. If I required trinkets such as this to deal with my enemies, I wouldn't be worthy of standing at your side until the end of existence. The only reason this locket exists is to aid Hanako. Nothing more, nothing less."On that note, Da Vinci handed the locket over to Hanako, who, as per usual, just stood off to the side and observed. She was so used to being ignored, that, unless they were actively looking at or talking to her, she simply assumed she had been forgotten.Donning the oversized silver locket, Hanako marveled at the purple heart adorning its center before holding it over her heart. This was the Activation Key that Da Vinci had prepared. She found it to be a lot more 'thematically relevant' than a simple sneeze...Nearly as soon as Hanako willed the change to happen, her hair transitioned from a neutral brown to a silvery, pristine white. At the same time, her previously forgettable features became flawless to the point that, even with Da Vinci standing near, Vahn had to admit she was a remarkably beautiful, ostensibly unforgettable young lady.Opening her previously brown eyes, Hanako revealed a pair of aquamarine irises that glistened like multi-faceted gemstones. This caused a wry yet appreciative smile to develop across Vahn's face, as, even without asking Loi-chan for clarification, it wasn't difficult to grasp Hanako's reason for settling on olive skin and aquamarine eyes...("Looks like we've got ourselves an adorable little daughter...")Hearing Da Vinci's enchanting voice echoing within his mind, a soft chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he took a knee to match Hanako's inquisitive gaze. The Antithesis Locket wasn't designed to influence her mind directly, but, when the very nature of your being changed, there were bound to be some side effects."How are you feeling...?"Though she readily met Vahn's gaze, Hanako didn't immediately answer his question. The truth was, she didn't really feel all that different. She still had the exact same thoughts and memories. The only thing that had changed was her...awareness? It was hard to put into words. All she knew for certain was that she was fully aware of herself, and, to a lesser extent, the awareness of others..."I don't know how to describe it...I feel like myself, but, at the same time, I feel like someone else...?"Nodding her head, Da Vinci manifested a display that only she could see, analyzing Hanako's body as she explained, "In this state, you no longer represent the Lost and Forgotten. Instead, while you are still a Demon Lord, your nature is that of the Found and Remembered. Similar to your previous self, your form would change based on the perception of the people who perceive you most clearly. At the present moment, you resemble what you might have looked like had you been born as one of Vahn's children."Manifesting a circular mirror, Da Vinci allowed Hanako a better look at her current form. At the same time, she monitored the structure of the Demoness's body to see how it would change in relation to her observation.Unsurprisingly, the structure of Hanako's body became significantly more stable the moment she saw her reflection in the mirror. The only thing that changed was the color of her hair, as, despite finding the silvery-white color beautiful, she had always associated herself with having brown hair.Smiling radiantly in response to the change, Da Vinci made a few notes in Hanako's profile as she explained, "There are a few things you'll need to keep in mind when using the Antithesis Locket. It has a remarkably powerful enchantment that serves as a contract with the Central Network. You are able to stay in this form as long as you like, but, the moment you revert back to the Demon Lord of the Lost and Forgotten, you will be obliged to stay in that form for an equivalent amount of time. In other words, an hour in this form mandates an hour in that form...""Fortunately, as you've already spent a tremendous amount of time as the Demon Lord of the Lost and Forgotten, you have a rather substantial stockpile saved up. Even if you stay in this form for the next 200,000 years, there shouldn't be any major issues. At the very least, we'll have come up with a few other solutions before then."Hearing Da Vinci's explanation, Hanako almost couldn't believe her ears. She wasn't entirely sure how old she was, but, prior to entering the Sage Dragon's Hearth, she would be happy if people remembered her for more than a few hours, days, or weeks at a time. Now, as the Demon Lord of the Found and Remembered, it would be impossible for people to forget her unless she willfully changed back...Feeling a sourness in her nose that hadn't appeared in quite some time, Hanako gripped the fabric of her hoodie with enough force to turn her knuckles white. She felt like she had just received the most precious gift in the entire world, but, before she could even express her gratitude, she felt as though she had received something far more important as Vahn wrapped his arms around her and said, "It's okay to cry..." in the most gentle and fatherly tone she had ever heard.Unable to suppress herself, emotions Hanako didn't even know she had surged through her mental defenses like an unstoppable deluge. Since her powers as the Lost and Forgotten had also affected her perception of self, it had never even occurred to her that she might be remembered and cared for by others. She had suffered so much that it couldn't even be put into words, yet, no matter how bad things got, she had never once questioned the reason for her existence. It was only at this exact moment that Hanako realized there was so much more to life than the suffering she had been born into. Thus, the moment she received Vahn's permission to cry, that is exactly what she did...not just for herself, but for the countless people who had been lost and forgotten throughout history...It was a very long cry.........Observing the scene of Vahn comforting and coaxing Hanako, an indescribable longing could be seen in Shiroyasha's eyes. The locket that Da Vinci had created was yet another balance-breaking creation, yet, as if it was a simple trinket, it had been entrusted to a little girl that few people even knew existed.Though she could understand why Vahn had taken action to help Hanako, Shiroyasha couldn't help lamenting his lack of foresight. It wouldn't be a problem if she remained in the confines of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, but, the moment Hanako ventured outside, everyone who gazed upon her would be unable to forget about her. This may not sound like a terrible thing at first, but, in a realm where popularity was one of the most important measures for Authority, Hanako now had the potential to become one of the most powerful beings in the Divine Realm.Exhaling a sigh, Shiroyasha attempted to console herself with the notion that Hanako wouldn't be concerned with such matters. Now that she had found a family, she wasn't likely to leave the Sage Dragon's Hearth unless Vahn or Da Vinci specifically asked her to. Thus, rather than becoming one of the most powerful beings in the Divine Realm, it was infinitely more likely that she would develop into something like a Poet. There was even a chance that Vahn had planned for this, but, unless he had been gaming her this entire time, Shiroyasha heavily doubted it.Da Vinci, on the other hand...such developments were right up her alley..."I really don't want to meet with that woman..."......(A/N: My friend thought he would 'surprise' me by stopping by yesterday morning and dragging me over to visit my family. I hadn't really gone home ever since my mom's funeral so he was a little worried that I had been ghosting them. Sorry for the lack of releases yesterday. I can't promise I'll make up for them but things should be relatively normal now that I'm back.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2187: Peculiarities : Home