Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Covering the distance between him and Amaterasu's avatar in an instant, Vahn took advantage of the fact she had reared back her head to grab her throat. His claws immediately extended to form solid bands around her neck as his two, free right hands sank into the massive fox's abdomen and chest.
"Kuh-! You-"
Though her true body was located near the center of the fox, Amaterasu could still feel the impact of Vahn's fist. Unfortunately, the moment she opened her mouth to try and curse him, he released a soul-shaking roar directly into her face. Her vision became completely obstructed by his maw, and, for a brief moment, the terrifying notion that he was about to devour her whole briefly crossed her mind.
Without waiting for Amaterasu to recover from her stupor, Vahn hooked one of his claws under her left arm as his remaining two hands sank deep into the gaseous flesh of her abdomen. Then, with a second roar echoing throughout the entirety of the Divine Realm, he promptly ripped her avatar in two...
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"Holy shit! Is that Vahn...?"
With space opening up, Kefla was no longer forced to sit and wait for a chance to rampage. She was originally planning to charge towards Amaterasu, but, seeing a massive dragon appear shortly after the massive fox took form, she correctly assumed it was Vahn. He had done something very similar during his battle against the Grand Priest.
From the back of Kefla's mind, the voice of Kale could be heard grumbling, ("Grrrrrr...how dare he steal my Ane-san's spotlight...!?")
Responding with her own inner voice, Caulifla stated, ("Don't get worked up over nothing. We just need to find some other place to wreak havoc.")
("H-Hai...!")
Feeling marginally more 'complete' after Kale's response, Kefla took off like a golden meteor towards one of the distant specks of light she believed to be a planet. She had already made a name for herself by facing off against the Onigashima Community and destroying their planet. In spite of this, Kefla was nowhere near satisfied. She was someone who had once aspired to be the absolute strongest. Vahn knocking her up had caused her to mellow out a bit, but, now that she had a chance to show off, there was no way in hell she was going to pass it up...
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Hearing her Master's roar wash over her like a warm shower, a smile developed across Fenrir's face as she angled her head towards the heavens with her eyes closed. Mikoto and Usalia had also taken notice of the battle occurring in space, but, compared to Fenrir, their reactions were markedly more grounded.
Though she had seen Vahn go full-blown Eldritch God in his battles against the Magic Gods and the being known as The Beginning, Mikoto never enjoyed watching it. She genuinely believed that Vahn was the type that hated violence. He may enjoy showing off every now and again, but, whenever he was forced to take action and cause harm, he would subsequently fall into a depressive state.
Someone that cared so deeply about the happiness of others shouldn't be forced to subjugate their enemies through fear...
While Fenrir and Mikoto were lost in their thoughts, Usalia's mind had wandered in a very different direction. She was one of Rindo's biggest fans, so, seeing Vahn in his dragon transformation, Usalia was practically drooling as she imagined what it would be like to engorge herself upon a mountain-sized dragon tail steak...
Liberating the trio from their reverie, a massive explosion rocked the very foundation of the planet they were currently standing on. The trio immediately came back to their senses with Mikoto being the first to speak, asking, "Was that Kefla...?"
Spreading her AIM Field across the planet, Mikoto was able to confirm her suspicions even before Fenrir had nodded in affirmation. This left her with a wry smile on her face as Kefla's arrival was one of the biggest possible wrenches that could have been thrown into their plans.
"We should hurry, plip. Vahn doesn't want this planet to be destroyed until the others have been taken care of. I'm not sure how powerful this Indra fellow is, but I don't think he can defeat Kefla in her current state."
Though Kale, Caulifla, and even Kefla would have been powerless near the beginning of the Gift Game, their performance against the Onigashima Community had earned them quite a bit of favor within the Little Garden. It was also well known that Indra had bequeathed the majority of his power to his son after the previous war, so, even though he was one of the Gods credited with the creation of the current Little Garden, his power was a mere fraction of his original self's.
Exhaling a sigh, Fenrir attempted to contact Kefla via telepathy, but, due to Kale's cheering, she was unable to get a clear message through to Caulifla. The latter was fully focused on breaking through a defensive formation maintained by members of the Rakshasa and Asura Tribes.
In truth, Caulifla was fully aware of the fact that Fenrir was trying to speak to her. She simply had no intention of backing down after crashing into a planet and discovering a massive army awaiting her. Had they been using a standard means of communication, she would have pretended the reception was bad before subsequently dropping the call.
Understanding exactly what Kefla was up to, an icy expression developed across Fenrir's face as she shifted her attention to Usalia, asking, "Can you deal with that monkey-brained idiot for me? I can't fight her in her current state."
Though her power had increased by leaps and bounds ever since her 'awakening' during Zao Shin's Immortal Banquet, Fenrir was still a lot weaker than Mikoto and Usalia. The former wasn't all that far behind Vahn in terms of actual Tier while the latter was durable enough to survive the collapse of a universe. If anyone could make Kefla feel as though she had hit a wall, it was Usalia.
Nodding in affirmation of Fenrir's request, the hair on Usalia's body began to flare outward as it became noticeably spikier. Her tail, in particular, seemed to inflate like a balloon, quickly increasing to the size of a large melon as red electricity crackled across her body.
Believing that time was of the essence, Usalia followed her transformation by squatting down onto all fours and practically teleporting in the direction of the conflict. A massive explosion crashed into the bodies of Fenrir and Mikoto, but, thanks to their magical barriers, the dust flowed around them as they began to discuss changes to their original plan...
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Amaterasu was afraid.
For the first time since her encounter with the Demon God, Amaterasu knew what it meant to feel completely powerless. Her body vehemently refused to listen to her, and, no matter what kind of defenses she tried to put up, Vahn would tear through them as though they were paper. To make matters worse, each of his attacks was followed by a period of calm. He was, quite literally, giving her the chance to regenerate and retaliate just to demonstrate the futility of her actions...
"Please...no more..."
After experiencing the pain of having her avatar ripped limb from limb more than a dozen times, Amaterasu had already lost the will to fight. Vahn had even managed to punch clean through her Sacred Mirror, the Yata no Kagami. It was supposed to be able to reflect any attack, but, as if there was no force in creation capable of stopping his blow, Vahn managed to smash through it before piercing through her avatar's chest with such precision that the tip of his claw nearly grazed her true self.
Stopping just as his claws were about to tear out the avatar's throat, Vahn retracted his hand long enough to say, "Those that willfully endanger children and try to leverage the lives of the innocent against their opponents have no right to clemency. As beings that stand above countless others, we have an obligation to set an example. If we don't care, why should anyone else...?"
Despite his words, Vahn didn't immediately continue his assault on Amaterasu's avatar. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward one of the cameras focusing on the action. This prompted the majority of displays to show the same image as he declared, "The Little Garden may be a crucible to determine who has the right to govern reality, but it is also a place for entertainment and fun. The existence of Gift Games was supposed to allow us to compete without causing harm. Instead, it has become a tool used by the strong and opportunistic to oppress and take advantage of the weak. Most of the current residents of the Little Garden lack even the most basic qualifications to participate in a Gift Game yet their lives and living conditions are decided through them..."
Shaking his head, Vahn raised one of his massive, clawed hands before forming it into a fist as he said, "No more. Soon enough, my Aldrnari Empire will spread its influence through all four districts of the Little Garden. If I find there are people exploiting the Gift Game system to take advantage of others, the only mercy they should expect from me is a quick death..."
Manifesting a star-sized version of Laev-tan, Vahn swept it through Amaterasu and her foxy avatar before she could even blink. She was instantaneously ejected from the Game Board but the image that was burned into the hearts and minds of the spectators wasn't the defeat of one of the most prominent Sun Goddesses. It was the sight of a massive, abyssal black rift dividing the Game Board in two...
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Rising with a start, Amaterasu found herself searching her body in a panic. The attack Vahn had used against her was empowered by the Law of Destruction, so, even though the Central Network had protected her, cold sweat had developed across her body as the fear she might break down at any moment persisted in the back of her mind.
Fortunately, while Laev-tan did, in fact, carry the Law of Destruction within her, Vahn controlled it so that it only affected Amaterasu's physical vessel. He could even cut through fate at his current level so controlling the power of destruction to 'spare' her mental and spiritual energies was remarkably simple.
After confirming that she wasn't going to spontaneously dissolve into dust, a sigh of extreme relief departed Amaterasu's lips as she collapsed against the throne-like chair in her private waiting room. For several minutes after that, she just stared off into space, her eyes periodically shifting in and out of focus as she replaced the battle over and over within her mind.
Though he had ripped her limb from limb, Amaterasu recalled that there was never a moment when Vahn showed a genuine desire to kill her.
"Was he trying to break me...?"
Shaking her head in response to her own question, Amaterasu reasoned that if Vahn had wanted to break her, she wouldn't be sitting in her Community's waiting room right now. It was far more likely that Vahn had acted with the intention of teaching her a lesson and illustrating the fate that awaited those who opposed him...
Recalling the moment Vahn had grabbed her throat, Amaterasu's fingers subconsciously moved to her neck. She became keenly aware that her heart was beating far faster than usual, but, instead of feeling discomfort, she felt relief. If Vahn had wanted to kill or replace her, Amaterasu had no doubt he could have done exactly that. He had even prepared an Amaterasu of his own, but, from start to finish, she never appeared. She didn't know what had changed his mind, but, feeling that Vahn had given her the clemency she had been looking for, Amaterasu decided to carve his final warning into her heart as she began to reflect on her past actions...
(A/N: So many buts in that last paragraph...also, since there is a good chance that people have forgotten, Vahn keeps the true bodies of his family/friends/lovers in his personalized LG. Those appearing 'outside' are basically just avatars. Caulifla and Kale are actually a few months preggers atm.)
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With Amaterasu taken care of, Vahn didn't really have much left to do. He could destroy the other planets with relative ease but that would defeat the purpose of sending Nobu, Tomoe, and Okita to capture the Model Omega. Thus, after repairing the Sun and asking Amaterasu if she was willing to watch over it, Vahn teleported back to the throne/control room where Nobu was waiting.
"Oh~? Are you finished showing off? I expected you to at least wipe out the Akuma Community before returning."
As it had only been a few minutes since Vahn's departure, Nobu was still exhausted. Others couldn't see it but she was currently curled atop the throne in her most petite form, a smoldering, somewhat predatory smile on her face as she observed Vahn's approach with her carmine eyes.
Taking advantage of their relative privacy, Vahn picked Nobu up before placing a kiss atop her head and sitting back down. She responded by biting his nipple through the fabric of his clothes, but, as he was already used to such antics, Vahn just smiled as he drew her closer and answered, "I'll step in if Wu and Mikoto are unable to handle things..."
"Mmm...I see..."
Though she was prepared to defend the throne room with her life, Nobu would be lying if she said she wasn't happy that Vahn had returned. She didn't need to sleep but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy it. Thus, after making herself comfortable, she quickly dozed off in Vahn's embrace. A fatherly smile briefly appeared across the latter's face, but, understanding that Nobu wouldn't appreciate it if she learned he was looking at her with such eyes, Vahn subsequently leaned back, eyes closed as he enjoyed a short nap of his own...
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Even though it had only been a short while since she crashed into the planet, Kefla had managed to lay waste to a large portion of the Rakshasa tribesmen and women. If not for the interference of the Asura Tribe, she may have wiped them out in seconds.
Despite having one of the smallest populations in the Divine Realm, each individual member of the Asura/Asuri Tribe was a powerhouse capable of crushing weaker 4-Digit Communities on their own. They were considered one of the ultimate warrior tribes, so, while Kefla was able to fodder even the strongest Rakshasa, the only injury sustained by the nine members of the Asura Tribe was the loss of a single limb. A limb that almost immediately healed.
Unfortunately, as powerful as the Asura Tribesmen and women were, their only saving grace was the fact that Kefla was fighting with her arms crossed. She didn't want the battle to end too quickly, so, despite being surrounded on all sides by much larger combatants, she maintained a cocky smile as she practically danced around their attacks.
"You bastards ain't half bad. Keep this up and I may break a sweat."
While the other members of the Asura Tribe were offended by Kefla's remark, one of their members, an inordinately tall woman with ashen skin, untamed red hair, and emerald green eyes gestured for them to remain calm as she said, "Calm down. If you get riled up against an opponent like this, you won't be able to lay a hand on her. Maintain the encirclement and try to time your attacks so there are no gaps."
Shifting her attention to the apparent leader of the group, a taunting smile developed across Kefla's face as she raised her brow and asked, "Who the hell are you supposed to be? I'm Kefla, by the way. I guess you can call me the Saiyan Goddess. Nice to beatya."
Returning a smile of her own, the four-armed woman answered, "Pweamma." before manifesting a pair of daggers and two ornate metal clubs known as Gada.
Without waiting for Kefla's response, Pweamma charged forward with a relaxed expression on her face. Her attacks were unable to so much as graze Kefla's body, but, thanks to her large frame and four arms, she was able to gradually push her spiky-haired opponent back.
Dodging each of Pweamma's attacks at a hair's breadth, Kefla was committing each of the woman's moves to memory when the hair at the back of her neck and the tip of her tail stood on end. In the very next moment, a wooden mallet, the type typically used to beat mochi, passed through the area where her head had been.
Though she twisted her body and kicked towards the person that had sneak attacked her, Kefla was surprised when a jolt of pain ran up her leg. She felt as though she had just kicked an indestructible metal plate, yet, in place of such an object, there was a familiar and somewhat feral-looking woman with rabbit ears and a large, bushy tail.
"Usalia!? What the hell do you think you're doing...!?"
As Pweamma and the other Asura Tribe members had tentatively pulled back to observe, Usalia took a moment to massage the spot where Kefla had kicked her, stating, "Vahn never gave us the order to attack. I know you want to have fun, but you're out of line, plip. We may be at odds right now, but these people are supposed to be our allies. What you're doing is generating unnecessary enmity, plip."
Furrowing her brows, Kefla was about to protest when Fenrir and Mikoto popped up. The former didn't really concern her but the latter possessed an almost unreasonable amount of power. Kefla wasn't really afraid of either but she knew it wouldn't be particularly sensible of her to pick a fight with her own side.
Clicking her tongue, Kefla briefly surveyed the destruction she had wrought over the past couple of minutes. She didn't truly regret her actions, but, knowing she had probably caused trouble for Vahn, a mild feeling of discomfort swelled within Kefla's chest. Kale might not really care but Caulifla felt a debt of gratitude towards Vahn after everything he had done for them back in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball. She would never regard him as her Lord, Master, God, or anything else like that, but she respected him enough not to want to cause trouble for him.
"Fine. Just point me in the direction of someone I can fight. It's not like I particularly enjoy beating up weaklings..."
Though Kefla's final remark was directed towards Pweamma, the latter just shrugged her shoulders with a relaxed smile on her face. Mikoto was a bit of a surprise but she had known that Fenrir and Usalia were lurking around since earlier in the day. Her Lord, Indra, had told them not to antagonize the members of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, so, while Kefla's attack was somewhat annoying, she had no intention of pursuing the matter.
Snorting through her nose, Kefla didn't wait for a response before darting off toward the nearest Teleportation Nexus. Mikoto quickly gave chase while Fenrir, acting as a representative of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, stepped forward to cup her hands and say, "You have my apologies...it was never our intention to attack you so soon..."
Taking note of the fact that Fenrir had said 'so soon', a wry smile developed across Pweamma's face as she dispersed her manifested armaments and said, "It's no problem. This is a Gift Game, after all. It would be stranger if we didn't fight it out."
As she wasn't the type to ingratiate herself or be overly polite, Fenrir simply nodded in response to Pweamma's words before shifting her attention to Usalia and saying, "Let's go. We will return once our...my Master has given his orders."
Noticing the slight frown on Usalia's face, Fenrir quickly changed the way in which she referred to her Master. Usalia didn't really view Vahn as someone 'above' her. Fenrir didn't really agree with this, but, so long as her Master regarded his wives and lovers as equals, she would do her best to regard them as such.
Nodding her head in both approval and affirmation, Usalia took a moment to wave towards the members of the Asura Tribe before departing alongside Fenrir. Their departure was met with mixed reactions from the two groups of multi-armed tribesmen and women. Some wanted to give chase while others, seeing the devastation wrought by Kefla's rather casual assault, couldn't help feeling that the members of the Sage Dragon's Hearth were monsters to be avoided at all costs...
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With Amaterasu agreeing to watch over and protect the Sun from further interference, Kenshin and Tamamo decided to venture out of the obscuring mist to explore their surroundings. The planet was largely unprotected now that Amaterasu had been eliminated, so, before another Community could step in to reap their rewards, the duo decided to give invading the planet a go.
"Hurry along, Ken-chan~! I'm certain our Lord and Husband will reward us plentily if we manage to conquer this planet on our own~!"
Excited by the prospect of a reward, Tamamo was practically frolicking as Kenshin followed close behind her with a far more serious expression on her face. They may be able to move freely now that Amaterasu had been eliminated but she didn't believe that a Community as powerful as the Kotoamatsukami would leave their base unprotected. Tamamo's carelessness made her feel as if 'something' was about to happen, but, even after twenty minutes of skulking through a meadow, they had yet to encounter a single enemy.
What Kenshin didn't know was that the vast majority of Kotoamatsukami's members were currently engaged with the Akuma Community. The latter had gone on the offensive the moment Amaterasu had been defeated, so, even though Susano'o wanted to order the retreat, their strongest members were forced to hold the line in order to avoid a complete route.
At the present moment, the only people protecting Kotoamatsukami's planet were a few of their vassal Communities. Tsukuyomi had been sent to invade the planet of Kouryuu, so, while Kenshin was right to be cautious, she had severely underestimated just how lucky she and Tamamo were...
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Following Vahn's one-sided victory against Amaterasu, Wu was feeling excited to the point of fidgeting. She knew he was powerful but his performance against one of the most prominent Sun Deities left her feeling uncharacteristically hot and bothered. A growing part of her wanted nothing more than to use her Monkey Bounds Across the Heavens to return to his planet and immediately pounce on him. Instead, she turned her attention to the rapidly regenerating forest, a vicious smile on her face as she bellowed, "Come out and face me! If you continue with this farce any longer, you only have yourself to blame for what comes next...!"
To Wu's and Sarina's considerable surprise, the former's shout was immediately followed by a hooded figure manifesting from a cloud of mist. Her feet were completely bare, and, due to the charred remains of the forest, covered in ash and soot. In spite of this, she appeared completely calm and unflustered as she took a sip from a steaming cup of tea and remarked, "It's not nice to burn down someone's home..."
Brandishing her Ruyi Jing Bang, Wu was ready to pounce at the girl when a sudden chill passed through her body. Her Fiery Eyes of Truth allowed her to see through lies, deception, and illusion. The moment she peered into the shadowy veil concealing the woman's face, her instincts began sounding alarm bells that simply couldn't be ignored.
Trusting in her instincts, Wu immediately closed her eyes before shouting for Sarina to do the same. At the same time, she swept her Ruyi Jingu Bang towards the hooded woman, who, expecting the attack to simply phase through her, ended up being sent careening through several hundred trees before lying motionless at the end of a long and deep crevasse...
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Feeling more content than she had in a long time, Hanzo released an unrepentantly adorable, "Munyaaa...?" before stretching her body and sitting up with a dazed expression on her face. For the briefest of moments, she had completely forgotten she was supposed to be participating in a Gift Game. Instead, she just stared blankly at Tomoe and Okita, her cat-like ears twitching atop her head as she slowly pieced everything together.
With the towel having fallen from Hanzo's head, Tomoe took the opportunity to check the petite ninja's temperature. She had cooled down a lot, but, even after sleeping for the better part of an hour, she was still a little warm.
"You shouldn't get up just yet. Your fever has yet to break."
Despite her words, Tomoe brought out some apple slices and a cup of green tea. She spent a lot of time with girls possessing animalistic tendencies, and, more often than not, green tea with ginger or mint were their go-to's in terms of drink preference. Altria, in particular, enjoyed her tea with a hint of catnip sprinkled in. She apparently enjoyed the way it made her tummy flutter.
Though the gears in Hanzo's mind were spinning like high-performance servos, the expression on her face was a perfect mask of calm mixed with slight caution. She wasn't unaccustomed to playing the part of a child, so, seeing how Tomoe and Okita had lowered their guards, her mind was racing with thoughts of how she could kill them and complete her mission.
Extending her hands in a tentative, sheepish manner, Hanzo accepted the tea proferred to her by Tomoe, muttering, "Thank you..." in a meek tone. The ears atop her head lay flat, and, though she was very nearly 500 years old, she managed to give off the impression of an innocent, ostensibly harmless youth on the cusp of adolescence.
Unfortunately, at least for Hanzo, Vahn had given the girls accessories that allow them to know the true intentions of the people around them. Hanzo was exceptionally gifted in the art of masking her emotions, but, unless she could manipulate the flow of fate around her body, the accessories joint-manufactured by Vahn and Da Vinci would invariably give away her intentions.
Feeling the band on her right ring finger vibrating ever-so-slightly, the corners of Tomoe's smile became indiscernibly cramped. She didn't know how old the girl sitting before her was but it made her uncomfortable knowing a 'child' wanted to kill her. It wasn't going to prevent her from lending a hand, but it was still disheartening when the people you helped were willing to betray you. It was one of those things that just felt wrong...
Though she had noticed the subtle changes in Tomoe's expression, Hanzo could only guess at the white-haired woman's thoughts. All she knew for certain was that Tomoe had helped her, so, taking advantage of her kindness, Hanzo downed the entire cup of green tea before voraciously devouring each and every one of the peeled apple slices. Then, with traces of gratitude in her doe-like eyes and an expression of childish naivete superimposed on her face, she asked, "Where is this...?" in the same meek tone as before.
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Exhaling through her nose, a motherly expression of exasperation marred Tomoe's smiling face as she extended her hand to caress Hanzo's head and say, "Don't take things too far. We know there is nothing wrong with you. That Elixir I gave you can resurrect the dead, regrow limbs, remove curses, and treat every ailment imaginable. That includes ailments that affect the mind, so, please, drop the act."
While resisting the urge to slice off the hand that was caressing her head, Hanzo silently shifted her ruby-eyed gaze between Tomoe and Okita. She was pretty sure she could deal with the former, but the latter gave off a similar impression to the Angels found in the West. Her current form appeared to provide her some degree of protection, but, based on what her instincts were telling her, Hanzo knew the dark-skinned woman wouldn't hesitate to cut her down if forced.
Exhaling a sigh of her own, Hanzo moved her head away from Tomoe's hand as she asked, "What do want from me? If you expect me to betray my Master over something as mundane as medical care, you're severely mistaken. I may have lived my entire existence in the shadows, but I'm not a traitor."
Raising her brows, a mixture of amusement and genuine concern appeared in Tomoe's equally red eyes as she unhesitantly replied, "We helped you because we wanted to. Though I would prefer it if you stop trying to assassinate or steal me away, you're free to do whatever you please once you're able to move freely. Just be more careful in the future, okay?"
Pulling out another golden apple, Tomoe placed it onto Hanzo's lap before rising to her feet and adding, "Good luck." in her characteristically motherly tone. Then, alongside Okita, she made her way towards the massive, vault-like door that led to the chamber containing the Model Omega. Hanzo followed their departure with her eyes, but, instead of attacking, she ultimately ended up shaking her head before grabbing the apple, taking a bite, and sinking into her shadow...
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***Player Tomoe Gozen of the Sage Dragon's Hearth Community has managed to awaken a Model Omega. Space has now opened to those with the ability to access it.***
Hearing the announcement broadcast throughout the entire Game Board, a smile developed across Amaterasu's face as she immediately placed Susanoo in charge of the effort to besiege the Akuma Community. At this point, her Community had already managed to blockade the planets belonging to the Roc and Saurian Demon Kings, but, due to their scorched earth tactics, they had been unable to destroy them.
Now that space was open, Amaterasu had a lot more options.
Manifesting within the center of the Game Board's Sun, Amaterasu quickly expanded her Authority through it. Moments later, she had absolute dominion over the massive ball of plasma and gas. This gave her a sudden and intense urge to unleash a series of solar flares towards the planet belonging to the Sage Dragon's Hearth, but, feeling that she had already offended Vahn too much, Amaterasu set her sights on the various offensive and defensive satellites littering the surrounding space.
"Model Omega? Such toys are completely meaningless in the face of true power. Now, people of the Little Garden! Bear witness to the majesty of a Goddess possessing a Sun Authority...!"
With most of the external displays shifting their focus to her, Amaterasu manipulated the Sun to transform into an impossibly large fox with nine, flaming tails. Unlike a traditional kitsune, however, it had relatively tiny, dragon-like horns protruding from its head, as, like all constructs formed from a Sun Authority, Amaterasu's 'True Form' was also a Pure-Blooded Dragon.
Unleashing a radiance that caused clouds to dissipate and oceans to boil, Amaterasu was about to unleash her rage and indignation on the nearest planetoid when her instincts compelled her to look in the direction of the planet belonging to the Sage Dragon's Hearth. She hadn't been able to sense it in her base state, but, now that she was a Pure-Blooded Dragon, Amaterasu was vaguely aware of the tyrannical aura that Vahn was keeping contained within. It caused a cold yet imaginary sweat to break out across her body, but, at the same time, she also felt a growing sense of excitement...
"Vahn Aldrnari Mason...you really are a beast beyond compare..."
Though Amaterasu's words had been muttered under her breath, the murmurs of a star-sized fox weren't exactly discreet. Everyone in the Little Garden had heard her, and, as a result, a seemingly endless surge of power flowed into Vahn. Compared to the amount he already possessed, however, it was surprisingly minuscule...
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Sensing the focus of hundreds of billions of people spontaneously shifting to him, Vahn actually felt a little guilty about the illusion he was using to obscure him and Nobu. He could feel their desire to know more about him, so, after a moment of silence, he forced the half-conscious Nobu to look up at him as he said, "It's time..."
Though she was currently in a dazed state, a predatory smile developed across Nobu's face as she traced the razor-sharp nail of her index finger across his exposed chest and mused, "Go and steal the show..."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn manifested clothes to cover Nobu's body before surprising quite literally everyone as he rose from his throne and allowed her to take his place. She was still a little tired, but, thanks to the illusion he had created to cover the entire throne room, the version of Nobu that everyone saw was the confident, slightly terrifying woman that had pursued Hanzo like a possessed demon.
While the Little Garden was practically exploding due to the unexpected development, Vahn took a moment to stretch his body and pop his joints before gazing at the ceiling overhead. A part of him was tempted to smash through the very foundation of the planet, but, considering he had basically just transferred ownership of the Sage Dragon's Hearth to Nobu, it wouldn't exactly be appropriate to destroy part of her ceiling. Instead, he teleported directly into space, a relaxed smile developing across his face as he, very briefly, allowed the tensions of his body to relax in zero-g.
Feeling even more people directing their attention towards him, Vahn inhaled a 'breath' formed from the energies contained within the void. Once his lungs were completely filled, he opened his eyes to reveal shimmering golden pupils that were squarely focused on the massive fox staring at him in the distance. He could feel the fear exuding from the very core of Amaterasu's being, but, as he had already promised her the consequences of her actions, his body began to swell as he quickly took on a form resembling a bipedal dragon with taloned feet, four arms, golden scales, and several sets of wings.
By the time Vahn had finished transforming, the planet he had previously been sitting at the center of could now fit in the palm of one of his hands. He could feel the attention directed towards him shifting from curiosity to a mixture of fear and awe, but, thanks to the self-actualized nature of his existence, he was largely unaffected as he exhaled a breath of fiery golden breath, fixed his gaze on Amaterasu, and said, "We are Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor and God of Infinite Possibilities. Amaterasu Omikami, the time for your judgment is nigh."
Though she had been stunned by Vahn's transformation, Amaterasu's vulpine expression morphed into one of vexation and fury as she bared her teeth and growled, "We...we are not afraid of you...!"
Instead of shaking his head, Vahn actually nodded in response to Amaterasu's words. This left the spectators feeling confused until he began gathering energy in his palms, stating, "You will be." in a voice that spread through the Game Board and the Divine Realm in equal measure...
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As the scene of two star-sized entities facing off against each other was pretty difficult to miss, Wu temporarily ceased her destruction of the Forest of Owls. The blazing inferno she created was still rampaging, but, instead of empowering it further, she allowed it to roam freely she joined Sarina in staring at the heavens, asking, "Is that Vahn? And here I thought he was going to sit on his ass the entire game..."
Understanding Wu's confusion, a conflicted yet resigned look developed across Sarina's face as she explained, "Once this Gift Game has reached its conclusion, the Sage Dragon's Hearth will develop into an Alliance known as the Aldrnari Empire. Vahn intends to spread his influence throughout the entire Little Garden. I can't go into too many details while we're in the Game Board but I can reveal that Nobunaga-sama is one of the Eight Empresses he has selected to help govern and watch over the Little Garden. I believe her official title was something along the lines of 'Far Eastern Empress' or 'Empress of the Far East'..."
Furrowing her brows, Wu couldn't help feeling annoyed by the fact Vahn hadn't informed her about his plans. She understood why he had kept it a secret, but, now that they were a couple, she wanted to be a part of everything he was planning. Her pride wouldn't allow her to be kept out of the loop when even someone as 'weak' as Sarina was kept informed...
...
..
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Chapter 2224: Reaction : Clemency