Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After pacifying Fenrir, Vahn parted ways with the four girls and left the Hearth Manor with the intent of going to visit Hephaestus. As of now, the premonitions that had been plaguing him had largely vanished, but Vahn was still somewhat alert and used his domain at full power to map everything within the vicinity on his way to Hephaestus's Workshop. Since he was in his Báihǔ form, Vahn had also memorized the scent of the girl called Haruhime, which was similar to lavender with somewhat of a robust undertone.Since he wasn't in a hurry, and had been paying attention to the surroundings, Vahn arrived outside Hephaestus's workshop after a half-hour before making his way inside. Though it wasn't nearly as bad as the previous night, the closer Vahn had gotten to her workshop, the more excited he became as a warm feeling spread through his body. This was magnified somewhat because, if Vahn focused on the bond they shared, he was also able to sense the anticipation of Hephaestus.When he tried to open the door, Vahn noticed it was locked even though it was during business hours. His smile grew marginally since it was a good sign for what was to come; Vahn spread out his domain and inspected the surroundings in detail and noticed that Hephaestus was the only person inside and she was slowly making her way to the front door. There were several presences in the surroundings, likely security personnel and a mixture of pedestrians. Even so, Vahn inspected each of them with his intent to verify there was nothing strange before the door finally opened a little and revealed a very bashful looking Hephaestus peering through the crack.Without trying to open the door himself, Vahn showed a gentle smile and said, "Good morning Hephaestus." Releasing a sigh, Hephaestus opened the door the rest of the way and crossed her arms loosely under her breasts as she said, "Come inside, quickly, who knows what problems might arise later." Following her words, Vahn stepped into the workshop before he heard the door close behind him with a bit of force as Hephaestus secured the lock.Curious, Vahn asked, "Did something ha-" Before he could finish, Hephaestus leaned her weight against him and began one of the many passionate kisses they would share. He was so surprised by her actions that Vahn nearly fell backward a few steps before stabilizing his body and embracing Hephaestus powerfully. Vahn noticed that her body was surprisingly hot, including her tongue which had invaded his mouth since earlier. Vahn intertwined his with Hephaestus's as she slowly pressed his body, almost as if she were pushing him toward her office hidden deep at the back.Realizing this was actually the case, Vahn felt emboldened so he picked up Hephaestus's body and princess carried her the rest of the way while she clung to his neck and began kissing the exposed parts of his collarbone. Since his spatial awareness was quite high, Vahn could focus on Hephaestus even while walking through the corridors without any issues at all. When they got to the door of her office, Vahn noticed Hephaestus had left it open so he side-stepped through it to make sure no parts of her body collided with the reinforced frame.By the time Vahn closed the door and locked it, Hephaestus had a deep blush on her face and was beginning to sweat profusely as she looked into his eyes with a fervent gaze. Vahn leaned forward to kiss her, but Hephaestus tucked her head to evade his attempt as she placed her hand over his heart. In a quiet tone, Hephaestus said, "Let's go to the couch...we need to talk..."After getting a face full of red hair for his efforts, Vahn followed Hephaestus words and walked over the couch. Though she seemed to try and free herself from his carry, Vahn turned his body and sat down while still holding onto her firmly. She gave him an awkward smile and said, "It's...somewhat hard to talk like this. There are several things I want to tell you before we go any further."Since Vahn didn't want to cause any discomfort for Hephaestus, nor did he want to appear impatient, he just for a moment before placing his forehead gently against hers for a few moments. He knew they shared a powerful bond now and she would be able to sense his feelings. When he was done, Vahn loosened his grip on Hephaestus's body so she sat at his side with a moderate amount of distance between them. Though she still had a fierce blush on her face, Hephaestus also had a serious look in her eyes and Vahn could feel her hesitation.Hephaestus was quiet for several seconds as she considered her words carefully. After a while, she released a somewhat pained sigh and said, "Vahn...I wanted you to know that..that..." As she continued to struggle, Vahn reached out his right hand and stroked the side of Hephaestus's face before running his fingers through her beautiful red hair. In a gentle tone, Vahn said, "Please tell me what is troubling you. No matter what, I will always be with you when you need me...now and forever more."Closing her eyes, Hephaestus rested against Vahn's gentle caress as she held onto his forearm with her left hand. Finding some comfort in the warmth coming from his palm, Hephaestus released another sigh and said, "Even though this body is that of a virgin...you aren't my first partner. I wanted you to know everything about my past...I want you to know about my weakness...the loneliness I have felt for so long..."As she was still trying to find her words, Hephaestus sensed movement and felt her head get pulled forward slightly as Vahn silenced her pained words with a kiss. Opening her eyes, Hephaestus tried to use her right hand to press against his chest, but Vahn wouldn't part from the kiss no matter what she tried. Giving up, Hephaestus slipped her arm to his side and Vahn reached around and embraced her in a powerful, comforting, hug.For several minutes, Vahn continued to kiss Hephaestus until the chaotic nature that had been appearing in her aura completely vanished. After sucking on her tongue a bit, Vahn pulled his face away and looked at the glossy-eyed Hephaestus who had a somewhat pitiful look on her face as she dazedly kissed at the air for an extra few seconds. Vahn reached up and caressed her face once again as he said with absolute seriousness, "Everything about you is important to me, but I've no interest in a past that causes you such pain. From now on, whenever you feel lonely, whenever you feel worried, you just have to call out to me...no matter how far away, I will come running. The inconsequential fools from your past aren't nearly as important as the present we share, the future we'll create...together."Though she was somewhat absentminded, each of Vahn's words resonated powerfully with Hephaestus. She could feel his emotions, the stability of his words, the comfort of his embrace, and the love they shared...everything linked together and echoed through her body until she felt her soul tremble. As if they were some insignificant thing, the images that had been plaguing Hephaestus's mind while thinking about her union with Vahn slowly faded away. Just like Vahn said, the past wasn't important anymore...not here, not now, not when she was in his arms and enjoying the comfort he provided her. Vahn was like a safe refuge for her soul, something that kept away all the feelings of negativity that had plagued her for so many millions of years...Placing her head against his chest, though it wasn't necessary to do so, Hephaestus listened to Vahn's hear beating powerfully. She could sense the presence of the 'eternal flame' within as Vahn stroked her back gently while hugging her body against his. Hephaestus could feel the heat radiating from Vahn intermingling with the heat from her own body and, even though they had yet to complete their union, she felt like they had already become one. As her emotions continued to rise, Hephaestus raised her head before using her hands to press into Vahn's chest.Though he could have resisted, Vahn allowed Hephaestus to push him over and he pulled her along with him. He could see she was taking long, deep, breaths and had an incredibly flushed expression on her face. She lifted her body from his with a bit of effort and began to unbutton his tunic until Vahn just unequipped it to save her some effort. Once his upper body was bare, Hephaestus traced his chest with her fingers for a moment before leaning down and kissing his body with her flushed red lips.For now, Vahn wanted to let Hephaestus ease her anxiety without experiencing too much pressure from him. Instead of doing anything too rough, he gently caressed her body even though he had a powerful urge to grip her butt. Even though he didn't quite agree with it completely, there were certain butts that Vahn was very fond of and Hephaestus's was at the top of the list. Since he knew she especially trained it to be to his liking, Vahn felt a great deal of excitement whenever he thought about it.By the time Hephaestus worked up to his shoulders, she stopped for a while which confused Vahn. Tracing her fingers along his shoulder, Vahn knew what she had found and explained, "It was left there by Chloe. Though we haven't done anything, we still professed love for each other..." Without responding to his words, Hephaestus continued to trace the scar with her fingers for a few seconds. After a while, she whispered in his ear, "Even though I'm okay with you having other girls, I can't help but feel a little jealous when seeing something so intimate..."Vahn's mind buzzed a bit as her words tickled his ears and he began to wonder if Hephaestus also wanted to leave her mark on him. Before the could think of anything to say, Hephaestus continued, "I want something more...something that will always be uniquely ours. And I don't want it to be on your body; I don't need to compete with the other girls...I want you to leave a mark on me instead. I want something that invalidates the scar that used to cover my face...something that I can take with me permanently...forever and ever."After he words, Hephaestus continued so lay against Vahn's body in silence before she asked, "I know you were able to modify Lili's crest in the past...I want you to leave a mark on my back...it doesn't matter what it is, as long as it is something important to you." Pushing against his chest and the couch, Hephaestus lifted herself from Vahn's body and began to remove her white, sweat-soaked, blouse. Since she had been expecting Vahn, Hephaestus hadn't been wearing a bra since earlier in the day. Vahn was able to see her milky white breasts and small, cherry-like, protrusions. Though he had seen them before, Vahn couldn't help but marvel at the flawlessness of Hephaestus's rather large breasts.Turning her back, Hephaestus move her long ponytail to the side and said, "Please..." Though Vahn was somewhat reluctant, he also felt an incredible anticipation building up in his own body as he gingerly traced his fingers along Hephaestus's back. Though she had powerful muscles, her skin still retained a youthful quality and there didn't really seem to be any obvious signs of the power contained within. Unless she forcibly flexed, Hephaestus looked very lean and had a very womanly, shapely, figure. When his finger followed the line of her back to the base of where her torso connected into her tight black trousers, Vahn suddenly stopped and the emotions that had been building in him reached a peak.Since she had been paying attention to his actions, Hephaestus could feel Vahn's excitement as his fingers stopped slightly above where her butt was. She knew Vahn liked her butt and had even been exercising for up to two hours a day just to appeal to him a bit more. Hephaestus felt like it was one of the advantages she had over most of the girls around him, so she planned to exploit it whenever possible. After a few seconds, she whispered in a somewhat sultry voice, "Do it..."Vahn gulped powerfully after hearing Hephaestus's words and he began to take several deep breaths to help calm his mind. Even though he knew more intimate things would happen between them in the future, leaving a permanent mark on the girl he loved felt incredibly deviant. Though he had a profound sense of excitement welling up inside him, Vahn was also somewhat scared and anxious to continue. However, he didn't want to let Hephaestus's expectations down and also wanted to give her what she wanted. Vahn consoled himself by remembering that he could always remove it later with [Hands of Nirvana] if she changed her mind in the future...Though it felt profoundly awkward, Vahn used [Yggradsil's Favor] and emulated the crest creation process of the Familia induction ceremony. She wouldn't obtain anything like a blessing, but the mark Vahn left on her body could only be removed by him from now on. Since he didn't have anything better, Vahn decided to carve his 'makers mark' into the small of Hephaestus's back, right above where the line of her back merged into her the division between her butt cheeks. By the time he was done, Vahn knew his face was probably very red because of the excitement and embarrassment he had felt.When Hephaestus learned what Vahn had carved into her back, her blush became a deep crimson and she gripped his shoulders with shaky hands as they passionately embraced each other. After what felt like an eternity, Hephaestus lited her face from Vahn's and took several, almost ragged, breaths before saying in a sensual tone, "If you're going to claim my body as your own...you're going to have to take responsibility...I want a baby."(A/N: 'Vahn is not concerned with inferior gods','Permanant Tattoo','Forging a baby in the forge goddess's furnace')I am currently at $749/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

(A/N: Oh, NSFW btw...)Hearing Hephaestus's words, Vahn felt an itch in his heart as an excitement far greater than when he had carved his mark into her backside. His brows lowered a bit while his eyes opened wide, almost as if he had a fiery look in his eyes as he said confidently, "Leave it to me!" Before she could even respond, Vahn lifted her body from the couch and hugged her bare breasts against his chest as he swept his hand toward the center of the room. As if materializing out of thin air, a large bed appeared and Vahn used Shundo and dropped them both in the center.Though she was already incredibly excited, Hephaestus could feel her emotions compounding as her heart pounded like a hammer in her chest. The 'decisiveness' of Vahn and his actions immediately after her request made her body feel like it had turned into a furnace. She felt a powerful aching feeling in her womb as anxiety rose of from her abdomen and caused shivers to run up her back. Even before they had begun, Hephaestus had already turned into a sloppy mess from the anticipation alone.Vahn leaned over Hephaestus's body and kissed the side of her neck before slowly moving up the rest of her face starting from her ears, continuing to her cheek, and then finally locking lips with Hephaestus before invading her mouth with his tongue. Even though Vahn couldn't really describe the taste well, it felt like her saliva made his body feel warmer and warmer as the emotions continued to rise between them. At this point, Hephaestus aura had turned a deep pink along the edges while the center was a passionate, almost blood-like red.Even though he had seen her naked before, Vahn began to take deep breaths as he finally stopped kissing Hephaestus and worked his hands around her hips. She watched him with the most passionate expression he had ever seen and Vahn even noticed she was periodically holding her breath before releasing short, sharp, gasps. Since her trousers were form-fitting, they were very elastic and Vahn felt like he was removing a slightly thicker pair of hose from Hephaestus body. Before he even got far, Vahn nearly fell over onto Hephaestus after he got a whiff of the powerful aroma coming from her vagina.Since it had been something that caused him excitement in the past, now that Vahn was so close, he had gotten a lungful of the mind-numbing aroma and it made him feel incredibly giddy. Even though he wasn't a virgin, Vahn felt like everything he was experiencing was brand new and he could hardly contain his own excitement as he shakily removed the rest of Hephaestus's clothing. Throughout the whole process, Hephaestus was biting the side of her hand and had even closed her eyes as a deep blush spread through her whole body.For several seconds, nearing an entire minute, Vahn just stared down at Hephaestus's nude body while unable to make any movements other than the jittering of his own body. The flush that had covered her body made every part of Hephaestus look even more beautiful. With the bond they shared, Vahn could feel her own emotions and it was an almost overwhelming sensation as her aura had long ago encompassed his body. He could feel it crawling along his skin and a heat spread through his body that seemed like it would burn through him if it wasn't extinguished soon.Vahn uttered in a shaky voice, "Before we use [Enkidu]...I want to make you my own in the normal way...we have plenty of time." Vahn spoke through long breaths as he looked down on Hephaestus's body from his kneeling position near her legs. Though it took her a while to compose herself, Hephaestus turned to Vahn and had an enamored smile on her face as she said, "Do it however you want...I just want to experience you...make everything else go away. I don't want to be a goddess of forging, I just want to be your woman right now..."At this point, even Vahn's legs were shaking somewhat as he unequipped the remainder of his clothing and stripped off the briefs he had been wearing. Hephaestus's eyes widened a bit at the sight as a burgundy blush appeared on her face. She had seen Vahn naked previously and had long prepared herself both physically and mentally. However, even though she had steeled her resolve, Hephaestus still dripped a small amount of blood from her nose due to the increased tensions and rise in blood pressure.Though it wasn't the first time he had been erect, Vahn felt like his penis had grown a few centimeters due to his own excitement. Since he knew he could control it to an extent, Vahn wanted to calm himself down to make things easier for Hephaestus. However, before he could calm his mind, Hephaestus sat up from the bed with a bit of difficulty and reached forward to grab his member in her hands. The moment her hand made contact, Hephaestus twitched a bit and said, "It's so hot...this will go inside me." Then, against any expectations Vahn had, Hephaestus leaned down and removed swept her hair to the side with her free hand as she kissed the tip of his penis and said, "Go easy on me..."Even though he had been struggling to suppress it, Vahn felt like his blood flow had increased marginally and had the illusion that his penis would explode soon. This wasn't caused by the urge to ejaculate, but the tensions in his body as he felt the girth of his own penis increase marginally. Hephaestus had noticed it as well and had a strange smile on her face as she whispered, "Or not..."Laying back down on the bed, Hephaestus pulled up her knees and spread her legs invitingly as she looked into Vahn eyes and said, "It doesn't matter, shape me however you want...even if my body isn't, my heart is ready." Vahn gulped heavily and almost wanted to comment that Ais had been able to manage, but the words got stuck in his throat and he swallowed them down before they had the chance to form. If things got bad, Vahn could use [Hands of Nirvana] to ease any suffering she might feel...Approaching near the inside of Hephaestus's legs, Vahn placed his left hand on her waist as he positioned himself at the incredibly damp entrance of Hephaestus's vagina. Though he hadn't commented about it, Vahn was surprised by the sheer quantity of fluids produced by her body. There were already several stains soaking into the bed and Vahn was even worried that she would suffer from dehydration if things continued. When he pressed his glans along the smooth, slippery, interior of Hephaestus's vagina, Vahn felt an incredible heat spread through his own penis.Since she was a goddess, Hephaestus was completely bare on her crotch and everything glistened in the low light of the room and created a dangerous urge in Vahn's heart. However, even before he began his insertion, a flood of liquid began pouring out from the steamy mound as Hephaestus's body shook a bit. Vahn looked into her passionate eyes and locked gazes with her as she said, "Stop teasing me..."Gritting his teeth, Vahn found the proper angle and began pressing his way forward into her depths. Other than the pleasant tightness, the thing that impacted Vahn the most was the incredible heat coming from her body. As if she was trying to compete with his own body that was powered by the 'eternal flame', Hephaestus's interior was like an actual furnace and Vahn felt like she was trying to mold his penis to her shape, instead of the opposite way around. As if driven by some primal instinct, Vahn powered his own 'eternal flame' and increased the heat of his own body until he reached a thin, somewhat firm, membrane.Hephaestus's body shook again and she opened up her arms and hugged around Vahn's neck tightly. Before she said anything, Vahn fixed his angle to a more optimal position and pressed powerfully against the futile resistance. Immediately, the heat of Hephaestus's body increased by a large degree as he inserted more than 80% of his penis into her vagina with a single powerful thrust. In response, Hephaestus released a loud, gasping, moan as her body seized up from the sudden painful intrusion.Vahn paused to allow her to adapt, but Hephaestus had different plans as she began forcibly kissing Vahn. Between gasping breaths and passionate kisses, Hephaestus said, "Don't stop, I want to remember this forever. Even if you ravish my body...I would only feel more fulfilled..." Though he was tempted, Vahn removed Hephaestus's hands from his face and body as he locked his fingers through hers and pressed them against the bed. Looking into her crimson-red eyes, Vahn said seriously, "I will make sure you remember this, but it won't be through pain..."Leaning down, Vahn kissed Hephaestus as she squirmed to free her hands. Even though he wasn't moving on his own, Hephaestus seemed to be trying to take action herself as she wrapped her legs around his body and tried to pull him deeper into her depths. Though it was an incredibly pleasurable feeling for Vahn, especially since he noticed he was slowly pushing against the back of her vagina, he continued to maintain his focus and finally released Hephaestus's hands while kissing her deeply.Even when Hephaestus was lightly gasping for air, Vahn continued to kiss her and only stopped to allow her to catch her breath for a few seconds before continuing. Though not to the full extent, Vahn began to caress Hephaestus's body with [Hands of Nirvana] as she squeezed his back with enough force to leave hand prints embedded in his flesh. Fortunately, Hephaestus seemed to trim her nails properly and there wasn't any blood like when he had experienced something similar in the past.Banishing excess thoughts from his mind, Vahn traced his hands along Hephaestus's large breasts and began to massage them from the outside before working his way to the cherry-colored nipples in the center. Though she usually had lighter colored protrusions, when Hephaestus was excited they took on a blush of their own and became firm. Even before he touched them with his hands, Vahn had felt them scratching against his chest while they were kissing.After around five minutes, Hephaestus's body had begun to vibrate even though Vahn hadn't eased the tension of her muscles like a normal massage. He had been stimulating her body instead and now there were powerful reverberations running through her body. Though he was tempted to heal her vagina as well, Vahn knew Hephaestus might begrudge him a bit since she seemed to care deeply about feeling the sensations normally. However, now that she was already in an echoing climax, Vahn began to slowly pull back his hips and piston into the fiery depths of Hephaestus's vagina.As if awakened from a pleasant dream, Hephaestus put more strength into her arms and began to gasp in sequence with Vahn's gentle thrusts. Since he was paying attention to her reactions, Vahn tried to time his pace with her breathing so she wouldn't be overly stressed. He couldn't deny he was feeling an incredible amount of pleasure, but Vahn was mainly focused on Hephaestus's needs and wanted to carve their first experience into her body. Though he didn't do it himself, Vahn knew about masturbation and was aware that Hephaestus had comforted herself to him in the past. Since he couldn't always be around, Vahn wanted to give her a memory she would never forget no matter what...Every time Vahn thrust into her, Hephaestus felt a jolt run along her spine as the aching feeling in her womb became increasingly stronger. She couldn't even form coherent thoughts anymore and just began chanting a phrase like it was the only thing that defined her at this moment, "Vahn...I love you...love you....love you..." Every time Vahn thrust into the back of her vagina and collided with her depths, Hephaestus would repeat the phrase like a mantra.Though she had been stuck in a climax for a while, Vahn knew it was possible to push Hephaestus to more pleasurable heights. After slowing is pace a bit and taking a few deep breaths, Vahn looked into Hephaestus's glazed eyes and stated firmly, "I'm going to get a bit rough...prepare yourself." In response to his words, Hephaestus just gave a vibrant smile and said, "Vahn, I love you so much." Taking her hands once again, Vahn pressed then back to the bed and whispered into Hephaestus's ear, "I love you Hephaestus..."After his words fell, Vahn began to put much greater effort into his thrusts and knocked at the entrance of Hephaestus's cervix as if he was trying to pry it open. Fortunately, Vahn had researched a bit about the matter and found out that was a needless worry. He also knew that the vagina could expand during intense arousal and stimulation and was intent on making Hephaestus fully accept him. Though he knew it would probably be somewhat uncomfortable for her, Vahn also knew that Hephaestus would be happy as a result.After more than two minutes of powerful thrusting, Vahn was at the absolute limit of his tolerance and Hephaestus had been loudly gasping while calling his name for a large part of the duration. Since he was worried about her suffocating, Vahn just continued to kiss Hephaestus's neck for the entire duration until he had finally reached a point of no return. Even though he had only worked around 90-95% percent of himself into her, Vahn took one last breath and tensed his body as he gave one last thrust into the interior of Hephaestus's vagina. Even though she hadn't accepted it naturally, Vahn was able to press his hips against the hard area of her pelvis and fully insert himself into her interior as he ejaculated more powerfully than any previous instance.As he had also timed it with the echoes and gasps of Hephaestus, she immediately had a power, albeit somewhat painful, climax as she loudly shouted, "Vaaaaaaaaaaaahnnnnnnnnnn~!!!!" Feeling the bulging sensation in her own vagina and the incredibly hot liquid expanding her depths, Hephaestus began to take several fast breaths as the most powerful climax she had ever felt wracked her body. Though she had felt a sharp pain for a moment, it was completely driven away by the intense heat that was spreading through her body.While his own hips were shaking and he was holding himself over Hephaestus's body, Vahn felt a strange sensation passing through his bloodstream and was incredibly confused by what was happening. The instant he had been preparing to ejaculate, the 'eternal flame' in his chest had seemingly exploded as its essence passed through his bloodstream and infused itself with his semen. He could feel a powerful heat erupt from his penis and it felt like the inside of Hephaestus's vagina had turned from a hot furnace into a blazing smeltery. His confusion compounded even further when the 'eternal flame' seemed to calm down and even acted somewhat melancholic as the heat began to dissipate...Before he could investigate further, Hephaestus grabbed the sides of his face since he had released her hands earlier and began to kiss him. Though it was still passionate, it was far more gentle than their earlier kisses had been. Vahn decided to bring up the matter with Hephaestus in a bit, but for now, he would continue to comfort her in the afterglow of their union. Even though he already considered Hephaestus to be one of most beautiful women he had ever met, Vahn felt like she was especially beautiful at this moment...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Leave it to me! -bed appears out of thin air- Aren't you a little too well prepared!?','Everlasting Impression','Eternal Flame's Peculiarity')I am currently at $749/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

According to Take', they used to be a Familia located outside a shrine located in the Far East. It was his assigned duty to teach martial artists to act as guardians of the province as well as protectors of the various palaces and shrines in the area. Though it wasn't part of their duties, a few of his younger children had grown close to a Renard girl named Sanjouno Haruhime, who was the daughter of a Noble Clan leader that ran the largest shrine in the area. Since she wasn't allowed to leave the sanctity of the shrine, Haruhime's only friends had been the children in his Familia and they used to sneak her out in the night so that she could get fresh air and play.Things had been peaceful for a time, but three years ago Haruhime had been falsely accused of stealing an offering that had been made to the shrine. Unable to find the true culprit, Haruhime's father was pressured by the other clan heads to pass judgment on his own daughter. In his rage, not at Haruhime but the people that had conspired against him, her Father had entrusted her care to a Pallum guest that had good relations with the shrine for several years. Unfortunately, the caravan led by the Pallum was later attacked by a group of roaming bandits that had pillaged the merchandise and kidnapped Haruhime.Unable to act on his own, Haruhime's father had entrusted the task of finding her to his trusted advisor which was none other than Takemikazuchi. Since it was a direct violation of the judgment that had been passed previously, Take' took some of his more gifted children that were close to Haruhime and set out on a rescue mission to uncover her whereabouts. They followed the trail through several villages until they had found out Haruhime had been sold as a slave and had been transported to Eden with her final destination as Orario. Though they lamented her misfortune, they found out she had been sold as 'fresh' goods so they had some hope that she might be okay if they were able to track her down quickly.Unfortunately, as exiles, the Takemikazuchi Familia had no easy way to pay for transport across the vast ocean separating Eden and the Far East, so they had to act as mercenaries as they slowly built up the funds. After more than a year passed, they had begun to lose hope that Haruhime was still safe until a kind monk had taken pity on them and helped procure their passage to Eden. Since he had saved the son of the Captain of a ship in the past, he was able to convince him to allow the group to board for a much cheaper amount as long as they acted as guards for the duration of the voyage.After several months on the ocean, they eventually made their way to Eden and followed directions between villages before finally arriving in Orario several months ago. By a stroke of fate, Take' had been introduced to Hephaestus through their mutual acquaintance Miach. Since she had been in need of assistance at the time, Take' had taken to her aide in order to establish a relationship with one of the most prolific goddesses within the City. Though he admitted it was a somewhat dishonorable act, Take's only desire was to track down the daughter of his friend and do whatever he could to confirm her safety. Even though she may never be able to return to her home, they still wanted to guarantee she could live a free life, even if she had experienced suffering due to their ineptitude.It was through Hephaestus that Take' learned about Vahn and had taken an interest in meeting the Adventurer touted as a hero. After conducting a personal investigation of his own, Take' began to grow more interested in Vahn and his exploits and purported that he wanted Vahn to help mentor and grow alongside his own children. Take' claimed Vahn's character to be righteous and above reproach but Vahn just waved away his flattery and urged him to finish the story.Though it was always his intent to eventually approach Vahn, it was the event where Vahn had saved Milan and Tina that inspired him to move up his plans. They had recently heard rumors that might pertain to Haruhime's location and wanted to seek Vahn's assistance however he sought fit to aide them. Since he knew Vahn likely saw through his true intentions, Take' even admitted that the primary reason he approached Vahn was, in the event that the danger was too great, Vahn would be able to rely on his network of allies to potentially save Haruhime. Even though his children had high potential, they were all still very young and even Ouka, the Captain of the Familia, was only Level 2.---Since he had only read up to the 7th volume of the manga, everything Vahn was hearing was new information and he wasn't sure what to make of things until a notification popped up in his system while he was ruminating over matters. Though he definitely wanted to help them out, since he felt terrible about the tragic fate of the girl called Haruhime, Vahn didn't want to get involved in anything that might endanger the people he cared about. Looking over the notification, Vahn's face became somewhat serious and he closed his eyes in 'contemplation'.//Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: Rescue Sanjouno Haruhime]Rank: C-SObjective: Rescue Sanjouno Haruhime from her captors.Optional Objective: Defeat and/or Kill the captors: 0/10Rewards: 'Upgrade' Function Unlocked, 10x[Upgrade Stones], 14,000OPFailure Condition(s): Death, Sanjouno Haruhime's Death, Escape of [Hidden].Penalty: 600 Karma, 'Upgrade' Function Sealed for Duration of RecordAfter reading through the quest, Vahn was somewhat interested in the rewards but still asked Sis, ("Why would I suddenly get a quest? I know Takemikazuchi existed in the original plot, but I've never heard anything about Haruhime.") Responding to his question, Sis explained in a patient tone, (*Your presence in the record has irreversibly altered fate but that doesn't mean that karma is balanced within the record. For example, if you alter events to an extent where you would endanger the record, 'The Path' would always give you a quest to help rectify things. However, since the quest is Optional, you still have the option to refuse it without penalty; This will likely result in the death of the girl named Sanjouno Haruhime though.*)Hearing Sis's words, Vahn frowned slightly as he realized his lack of knowledge regarding the record may become a problem in the future. Though it wouldn't force him to enact the original plot verbatim, Vahn would still be required to assist those that possessed strong fates that impacted the original story. One example would be, if he changed an event that would lead to the salvation of the world in the original plot, Vahn would then be burdened with fulfilling that role himself. Since he was now getting a Quest related to the girl named Haruhime, that meant she was significant to the original plot and Vahn had inadvertently set her down a path of no return....if he refused to help her, he would have, through his inaction, guaranteed her death.Though he didn't do so in reality, Vahn released a long sigh in his mind before opening his eyes with a serious look on his face. He noticed that both Take' and Ouka were waiting for his response with hopeful expressions. Frowning, Vahn said, "Know this, I will help you, but only after I have settled my own matters. I don't have the resources or the network you might think to search through the entire City looking for one girl. I'll need as much information as you can provide and..." Vahn sent a mental command and, a few seconds later, Fenrir burst through the door and cautiously made her way over to Vahn while glaring at the two strangers.Vahn explained, "Fenrir has the most powerful senses of anyone I have ever met, be they chienthropes or cat people. If you have an article that belonged to Haruhime, we may be able to track her. That being the case, it does not mean I will put my people in danger to guarantee the safety of Haruhime and the successful completion of this mission. It also doesn't mean I will drop everything I'm currently involved in to help you track her down at the expense of my other commitments."Before Vahn even finished, Take' had already bowed till the point where his head had nearly touched the hardwood table. He exclaimed loudly, "Having your assistance is more than enough! I would not dare ask you to inconvenience yourself in pursuit of an objective that was ours to complete. Even if you only help track down and confirm her location, that would be more than enough!"Vahn paused and stared at the top of Take's head for a while before he responded in a somewhat apologetic, yet firm, tone, "If it is within my power to do so, I will save Sanjouno Haruhime from her fate..." Raising his head, Take' had a grateful smile on his face as he bowed three times while saying, "Thank you, my Takemikazuchi Familia will forever be indebted to you for the leniency you have shown us here today." Pulling out a small, pouch-like, charm with a strange character that Vahn understood to mean 'Good Fortune', Take handed it over to Vahn and said, "This was a personal belonging of Sanjouno Haruhime. We had tried to use it to track her down, but chienthropes are uncommon in the Far East and we have had limited success finding assistance within the City..."Taking the charm from Take', Vahn stroked Fenrir's hair and explained in a patient manner, "Fenrir, there is a poor girl that had been bullied by a bunch of bad people. Can you remember the scent on this charm for me?" After listening to Vahn, Fenrir looked at Take' and Ouka for several seconds as her eyes began to glow red. Ouka immediately became alert, but Vahn spread his domain and completely locked down his movements with a glance.Take' raised his hand to force Ouka to stand down as a bead of sweat began to build on his brow. Vahn turned away and continued to stroke Fenrir's hair and explained, "These aren't the bullies, they are the friends of the girl. They are trying to find her so they can protect her and help make her happy, same as you." Fenrir's eyes continued to glow as her hair began to rise and she turned to Vahn and asked in a frustrated voice, "Same as Fenrir..?" At this point, Fenrir's hair was standing on end and her eyes began glowing a vibrant scarlet. Though some might have misunderstood it as hunger, this was actually the form Fenrir took when she activated [Huntress] and pushed her senses to the extreme.Taking the charm into her paws, Fenrir took several large breaths before glaring at Take and Ouka a bit and sniffing the air. As if confirming something, Fenrir nodded her head and took several more whiffs of the charm before handing it back to Vahn. Though she hadn't yet found Haruhime, Fenrir thumped her chest and said, "Fenrir remember, Fenrir find and save girl from bully!" With a smile on his face, Vahn pet Fenrir's hair before ushering her toward Hestia who already had a brush ready. Now that she had stored the scent, Fenrir would be able to track it easily if they came across the trail at any point.Turning back to Take', Vahn said, "I'll hold onto the charm for now. As for payment, since we'll be acting at our discretion, you don't have to worry about it. If it is known that our Familias are cooperating with each other during the probationary period it could cause problems for the entire Alliance. Unless we contact you through the network, please try to lay low and conduct your own investigation for the time being."Take' assumed a polite smile as both he and Ouka bowed low before eventually excusing themselves. On their way out, Take asked over his shoulder, "So, what do you think of Vahn?" There was a somewhat humorous undertone to his voice that made Ouka frown as he followed behind. After considering his words for several seconds, Ouka stated, "He is far more mature than anyone his age should be, and his bearing and etiquette are excellent. As far as his power is concerned...I don't think I could trade a single blow with him." Take' smiled and stopped his steps as he looked back and patted Ouka's shoulder as he said, "Now you understand, there are always greater heights to aspire toward. Though you were very strong back in the Far East, there are several people, some even much younger than you, that are much stronger than your current strength. If you want to protect the people you care about, you must remain level-headed and increase your power further."Afterward, they walked along in silence for a while until Ouka said, "He'll do it, won't he? I can tell that he had already decided to save Lady Sanjouno even before the second half of the conversation..." Hearing his words, Take' smiled widely and stated confidently, "Though it isn't wrong to say we took advantage of him, it is because Vahn has a righteous and heroic character that cannot easily overlook such injustices. I think that, as long as it doesn't endanger the other people he wants to protect, he will likely track her down much faster than we could have ever hoped to."Looking over his shoulder toward the direction of the Hearth Manor, Ouka's expression hardened as a resolved look appeared in his eyes. He had asked to accompany Takemikazuhi because he was curious about the boy who was touted as a hero while being similar in age to himself. Now that they had met, Ouka felt like he had found a worthy rival to aspire towards and eventually exceed...---After the two left, Hestia had a concerned expression as she looked up at Vahn and asked, "You will go to help her, won't you?" Vahn looked over and smiled as he stroked her hair gently for a while before responding, "I won't easily change my plans on a whim unless it is something I can proactively influence. Right now, my only focus is my family and..." Looking off in the distance, Vahn could feel the connection between him and Hephaestus throb a bit as he said, "I must go to Hephaestus...When everything is over, I will find the girl named Haruhime and return to her the freedom she had been deprived. It is for reasons like this that I wanted to create a righteous Familia in the first place."Hestia had a cheerful smile on her face as Vahn was stroking her hair and she, accompanied by Fenrir, both gave him a big hug. Kissing him on the cheek for a few seconds, Hestia pulled away and said, "Make sure you take care of yourself and...and remember that I'll be here waiting when things get hard and you need to rest..." Vahn laughed a bit as he stroked her cheek with his right hand before leaning forward and giving her a short peck on the lips. Even though it wasn't their first kiss, Hestia blushed a bit and crawled away from his body while acting far more bashful than usual.Vahn wanted to tease her since she was suddenly acting as if they had just met for the first time. However, before he could say anything, Fenrir pulled her lip a bit with her claw and said, "Fenrir want kiss." Though he had thought he had been prepared for anything, Vahn couldn't help but blank after hearing Fenrir and seeing her actions. The red glow in her eyes suddenly looked far more dangerous as Vahn explained, "Until you finish your education, you can't do things like that Fenrir. Here, come here for a moment..." Fenrir leaned over as Vahn gestured and he cleared away her bangs and kissed her on the forehead before saying, "Just like your Big Sis, that should be enough for now, okay?"Holding her paws on her forehead, Fenrir had the closest thing to a 'happy' expression that her unsmiling face could manage. Seemingly deriving something from Vahn's words, Fenrir ran toward the door down the corridor toward the dining room while shouting, "Big Sis, Big Sis, Fenrir got kiss!" Hearing her words, Vahn rubbed his forehead a bit before looking to the side as he heard Hestia laughing mischievously. Since she was still on the same sofa, Vahn wanted to tease her a bit so he shot forward and grabbed her foot before pressing one of the pressure points near her heel. Hestia felt a jolt run through her body and she tried to smack Vahn's hand away as he disappeared with the use of Shundo.Before she could say anything, Vahn showed a natural smile and said, "I'm going to go meet Hephaestus and see if she needs any help. Since Milan and Tina are going to be staying here today, I'll be back in time for lunch unless anything changes..." Understanding Vahn's implication, Hestia's smile changed from mock frustration and transitioned into a gentle smile that Vahn hadn't expected. In a low, somewhat serious tone, Hestia said, "Take care of her, Vahn. Though she puts on a strong front, I've known Hephaestus for a long time...she really was a very lonely Goddess in Heaven...Make sure you treat her well."Vahn lowered his head and ruminated over her words before showing a serious expression of his own and responding, "Not just Hephaestus, I will make sure to take care of everyone I care about. When you're ready, that includes you as well Hestia." The gentle expression on Hestia's face froze and she seemed to turn into a statue as a line of blush crept up her body and Vahn thought steam was going to erupt out of her head. After her face had a hue that would make a tomato jealous, Hestia looked upwards at Vahn with teary eyes and said through gritted teeth, "You have to spoil me especially! I don't want to be just another one of your girls, I want to be something sp-"Before she could finish, Vahn stepped in with Shundo, lifted Hestia's chin, and stared into her deep blue eyes as he said in an irrefutably serious voice, "You are my irreplaceable family, the beautiful goddess I have entrusted not only my life but the lives of my loved ones. Never devalue yourself..." Before she could respond, Vahn gave Hestia the first truly passionate kiss they shared. Though she was hesitant at first, Hestia soon caved in and returned Vahn's embrace all the way up until the point where they both heard a door open and Fenrir shouting, "Ah! Fenrir want kiss too!"Title: Sanjouno Haruhime(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fate','Takemikazuchi's Shamelessness','Hephbaestus calls...')I am currently at $749/1200 of my new goal~! If I can reach this amount, I intend to start having character profiles and images of all the characters created so I can update the information to a wiki~! Though the Wiki will be accessible by anyone, only Patrons will receive the high-res versions of the images &lt;3

Chapter 243: The Present : The Future