Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

For several long seconds, Vahn didn't know how to respond as he stared into Preasia's still blank expression. Even after he saw her lips move, Vahn almost felt like it was his imagination until she began repeating her words for the fourth time. For a brief moment, Vahn wanted to cry out and comfort the girl but he willed himself to remain still as he muttered in a soft voice, "I wanted to help you...I want to make the man that did this to you pay dearly."As if she were responding to a different question, Preasia asked, "Will you...hurt me?" Her words made Vahn grit his teeth so hard that he felt like they were going to crack. He looked at her straight in the eyes and barely forced out the words, "I would never hurt you...I want to heal you. You shouldn't have had to go through this...it just isn't right!" If the scumbag was in front of him right now, Vahn swore he would rip out the man's guts so they could both find out the color of his insides.Preasia remained quiet for several minutes and Vahn noticed she didn't even blink a single time as she continued to look into his eyes. He didn't know what she was thinking at all and wasn't sure if there was even anything he could say to help her. Fortunately, Fenrir didn't be able to take the silence as she stated confidently, "Vahn is good. Vahn never hurt Preasia. Vahn only beat bad people, Preasia good girl." To emphasize her words, Fenrir patted Preasia's head with her paws in a comforting manner.Though her head bobbed slightly with the pats, Preasia continued to stare into Vahn's eyes for a while until she asked, "You can...heal me?" For the briefest moment, Vahn thought he saw a spark in Preasia's eyes, almost like a single glimmer of hope in an infinite darkness. Without explaining anything, Vahn drew a line into his palm and it began to bleed slightly. Demonstrating his [Hands of Nirvana], Vahn created a line of light with his index finger and completely removed the cut as if it had never been there in the first place.For the first time, Preasia turned her gaze away from Vahn's face and stared at his hand blankly for several seconds. Vahn saw that she was leaning her head forward a bit, so he slowly moved closer to her and allowed her to inspect his palm. Preasia continued to stare blankly at the now-healed hand before gingerly reaching out and touching Vahn's palm with her hand. The first thing Vahn noticed was how cold her hands were and he had to fight against the urge to help warm them up.After a while, Preasia moved her hand away and rolled up the sleeve of her sweater and revealed several of the wounded covering her arm. There were small holes that looked like she had been poked with a hot skewer and there even several derogatory names permanently carved into her flesh like 'animal' and 'slave' that made Vahn's brain buzz. In a dazed state, Preasia traced her fingers over several of her own scars, including the insulting words. Vahn couldn't help but swallow a bit of saliva because of how nervous he was feeling. He wasn't even capable of forming any excess thoughts as he continued to watch her actions in silence.Vahn watched as Preasia touched the word 'animal' for a long period of time before she muttered in a quaking voice, "I'm...not an animal...Please...make it go away." Preasia held out her arm to Vahn and he nodded his head and explained, "You may feel an itch or some discomfort...it is because your wounds are regenerating..." Channeling his energy into his fingers, Vahn slowly traced his index finger over the word and began to erase it. Even though he knew it was painful, Vahn noticed the Preasia didn't flinch in the slightest and just continued to stare as the word was erased from her arm.For the first time, Preasia's expression began to waver as she hesitantly touched her ruddy pink skin that looked somewhat irritated after the treatment. Even though it still itched slightly, the hateful word was now gone. Other than the memory, nothing remained but clean and healthy skin. Vahn saw her wavering eyes moisten as a bit of light returned before Preasia began sobbing loudly. Her cries were so loud that both Hestia and Haruhime showed up to investigate and saw the scene of four people with tears in their eyes as three of them tried consoling the loudly crying girl on the ground.Vahn looked into the crystalline blue eyes of Hestia and the placid green eyes of Haruhime with a pained look and they both realized he was asking for their help. If it were up to him, Vahn would simply heal all of Preasia's wounds and hope she recovered in time. He couldn't deal with the girl who had been catatonic before but was now sobbing inconsolably on the floor. Because of his earlier rage, Vahn didn't know how to react at all and suddenly wished that Eina or Hephaestus were here to guide him.For Haruhime, this was her first time seeing Vahn look so lost and she couldn't stop herself from walking forward quickly before sitting next to him and trying to help console the small sheep girl she had met earlier. She didn't remember her name, but she could tell that things had to be serious given how Vahn was acting. Since she also didn't know how to deal with the situation, she just began whispering comforting words to the crying girl while trying to soothe her.Hestia, who had been hesitating due to her own concern, felt somewhat at a loss by Haruhime's decisive response. Even though she couldn't do anything to help the situation, Haruhime immediately moved forward to try while she, a goddess, was stuck at the sidelines watching. The only thing Hestia knew was that Vahn needed her help but she didn't know how to help him...Vahn uttered a quiet thanks to Haruhime before turning back to stare at Hestia. Even he didn't know what he wanted to ask of her, but Vahn felt like she should have a solution. In his mind, Hestia might act selfish and spoiled sometimes, but she was inherently a kind and gentle girl that empathized with others. Though he didn't know why Vahn believed Hestia would be able to help in the absence of motherly figures like Milan and reliable girls like Eina...Hestia saw the expectant look in Vahn's eyes and felt a bit of fear well up inside her from the pressure contained within his gaze. However, there was also a small flame that rose up to overtake the fear as a confident glint passed through her eyes. She didn't want to let Vahn down, so Hestia moved forward calmly and with her characteristic gentle smile as she stated clearly, "Please move away from Preasia for a moment." Though they didn't understand her intentions, every girl except Fenrir moved away from Preasia.Vahn saw Fenrir's actions and gently ushered her away from Preasia to give Hestia an opportunity to take action. Though he saw her aura fluctuate greatly earlier, Vahn noticed Hestia had stabilized a bit even though her aura still flickered like a candle. When everyone had cleared away, Preasia continued to cry on the ground as if their lack of presence had no meaning to her. Hestia kneeled down next to her and, instead of trying to console her directly, cradled Preasia's head in her hands as she gently turned her face upwards and made eye contact with the watery light-grey eyes.Though her actions seemed to lack delicacy, Hestia asked in a very gentle manner with a hopeful look on her face, "Do you want all the bad memories to go away?" Preasia continued to look into Hestia's deep blue eyes as her sobbing slowly calmed down. There was still a stream of tears pouring down her face, but she said through muted sobs, "Please...please help me..." Hestia hugged Preasia's head against her chest even though her horns got in the way slightly. She stroked the back of her hair and explained in a gentle tone, "Vahn will help you...you just have to believe in him. The people who hurt you will never come back, you can be happy as long as you continue to push forward. The reason gods are envious of people is that they have the ability to change...even when sad things happen, you just have to continue to seek happiness...as long as you never give up, there is nothing that can stop you from moving forward except yourself...don't let bad memories from the past affect how you live in the present...don't give any more power to the people that hurt you. You're better than they can ever aspire to be...you're safe now."Vahn almost felt like Hestia's soothing words were a spell that was something akin to a magical spell. She was so gentle and confident in her speech that even Vahn felt somewhat affected and hopeful for the future. He wasn't the only one affected either, as every girl, other than Fenrir, had somewhat serious expressions on their faces as if they were lost in contemplation. As the target of the words, Preasia had started to take deep breaths as her body shook. After a few seconds of silence, Preasia looked up, not at Hestia, but at Vahn and pleaded, "Please heal me...I want to forget...I don't want these scars anymore!"Though he still felt chaotic emotions inside, Vahn nodded his head and stated firmly, "I'll heal you. I won't leave a single mark behind." Vahn stood up from the ground as Hestia helped lift Preasia's body. With shaky hands, Preasia started trying to remove her sweater and Vahn realized she wanted to be healed now. Nodding to the twins, they both moved forward to help Preasia with her clothing while Hestia and Haruhime approached Vahn to see if they could help with anything. Vahn thanked them but said, "Leave it to me, I'll take care of everything."Waving his hand, Vahn pulled out the table that he had purchased for the purpose of massaging in the past. It was a long table that could be inclined slightly and had a cushioned hole where a person could place their face and completely relax while they were laying on their stomach. Thinking for a moment, Vahn also placed a large mirror nearby so that Preasia could more easily inspect her own body before and after the fact. Vahn assumed she would want to verify things immediately and then he would send her away with the other girls to wash up while Vahn contacted a few people.Perhaps due to her exposure as a slave, but Preasia didn't have any noticeable aversion to being seen naked as her clothes were fully stripped down to just her panties. Because of the cruelty of her former owner, not even her genitals or backside were spared and the final garment was removed which caused some of the girls to begin shaking slightly at the sight. For Haruhime, this was her first time seeing something so terrible and she could do nothing but hold her mouth as she did her best to contain her sobs.Hestia's aura was very chaotic but her expression remained gentle as she walked forward and guided Preasia in front of the mirror. When Vahn had set it out earlier, she immediately understood its purpose and took the initiative to support Preasia. Seeing her own reflection, the small light that had appeared in Preasia's eyes began to fade somewhat before Hestia whispered, "This isn't you...this is what someone tried to make you. Show them you're not a slave...you're a free girl now and will never have to see this form again." As if rekindling a flame, the small light in Preasia's eyes came back with marginally more intensity as she walked over and sat on the table with the assistance of Hestia.Because she was most heavily impacted by the wounds on her front, Preasia laid face up and had a pleading look in her eyes as she gave one last look at Vahn before closing her eyes tightly. Vahn knew it would be a somewhat painful procedure and said, "I will do a massage that helps relax your body so you don't feel as much pain. You won't be able to move easily so don't panic..." Without saying anything, Preasia nodded her head slightly and kept her eyes firmly shut.Vahn took a deep breath and used [Hands of Nirvana] to force Preasia's body to relax while dealing with some of her smaller wounds. The tension in her body soon faded away and she opened her eyes and blankly stared to the side where Hestia sat holding her hand. It took nearly forty minutes, but Vahn was able to completely remove the scars from the front of Preasia's body. It was an incredibly unnerving experience when he had to remove the scars from the inside of her thighs. Preasia, who was almost completely unable to move, still tensed up her body somehow and grit her teeth while Vahn finished the procedure.After her frontside was healed, Hestia helped Preasia inspect her own body. When she saw the absence of any noticeable scars on her body, Preasia wasn't even able to cry normally. She just stared with wavering eyes at her own reflection as if she was incapable of believing what she was seeing with her own eyes. Since she didn't seem to be making any movements on her own, Hestia helped take Preasia back to the table as Emiru stepped forward and helped.Preasia's backside was actually severely more damaged than her front and it took Vahn more than an hour to heal her wounds. Though he couldn't be sure, he thought that the scars on her back were caused by a whip. There were even areas that cut more than a centimeter into the skin and looked incredibly painful even though they had scarred over. The monster behind the actions must have used a low-grade potion to force the wounds closed after the vile act. Just the fact that Preasia had almost no actual reaction from what should be an incredibly irritating healing process showed that she was almost completely numb to normal pain...By the time nearly two hours had passed, all of the wounds covering Preasia's body had been completely healed without a single scar remaining. Because she couldn't see her back, Vahn set up a triple-mirror setup that was typically used in changing rooms. Using the mirrors, Preasia was able to see her body from every angle and she even inspected the areas around her tail and ears where there used to be burn marks. After a while, Preasia looked like she had begun to hyperventilate and eventually passed out as her body was caught by the twins that had been attending to her. Hestia had left earlier when Vahn asked her to pass messages for him along the network.Vahn helped carry the unconscious Preasia to the girls' onsen and was accompanied by Haruhime, Emiru, Maemi, and Fenrir. While the girls changed out of their clothes, Vahn found a shallow pool and helped submerge Preasia's body without removing his clothes. Even though he could unequip them, Vahn felt incredibly insecure about being around Preasia's body while being naked. A few minutes after he entered, the other girls walked into the onsen completely naked without minding Vahn's presence at all. Even Haruhime followed along and just gave Vahn a comforting smile as she helped take over the duties of cleaning Preasia.Vahn offered a polite thanks to the girls and didn't stare at their bodies at all before stepping out of the pool with his soaked clothes and walking through the empty changing room before swapping into dry clothing. A fierce look appeared on his face as Vahn walked towards Hestia's room to find out if she had heard anything yet. Vahn wanted to find the man that did this and make him pay dearly...even if it brought no closure to Preasia, he wanted to vent his own frustrations on the person who he could only identify as a monster.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Glimmer of Hope','Hestia's Gentleness','Vahn's Wrath Is Invoked')I am currently at $718/1200 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

Arriving outside Hestia's room, Vahn knocked on the door to announce his presence before entering into the room. He saw Hestia at her desk writing on a large scroll before she looked back with an encouraging smile while a touch of sadness was present in her eyes. Remembering her earlier actions, Vahn smiled and said, "Thank you, Hestia...I didn't know what to do at the time. Preasia...she isn't like anyone I've ever had to deal with before." Putting down the quill, Hestia hopped out of her chair and walked over to her bed before sitting down and saying, "Come here Vahn."Vahn's fierce expression eased a bit as he released a sigh and walked over to the bed and sat down next to Hestia. She scooched back on the bed before patting her thighs, indicating for Vahn to use her legs as a lap pillow. Though he didn't understand what she was trying to do, Vahn accepted her offer since, of all the goddess and girls he had been with, Hestia had the most inexplicably soft body. Since they slept together a lot, Vahn always felt comfortable whenever they were in contact so he gladly accepted the lap pillow.Hestia stroked his hair for a bit before asking, "Vahn, what is it you want to do right now? Tell me the truth..." Her gentle words and soothing tone caused Vahn to relax his mind a bit as he responded, "I want to make him pay...I want the person that hurt Preasia to suffer..." Hestia caressed the side of Vahn's face and looked into his eyes as she asked softly, "Will that make you happy?" The simple words caused Vahn to blank for a moment as he stared into her clear, lake-like blue eyes that seemed to contain an infinite depth to them.After a few seconds of silence, Vahn responded in a muted tone, "No..." Nodding her head a bit, Hestia's expression changed into a gentle smile as she asked, "If you could let Preasia hurt that man to her heart's content, would you stand at the side and watch her?" Her words caused Vahn to frown as he tried to picture the delicate looking Preasia using a hot skewer on another person and carving words into someone else's flesh. Gritting his teeth for a moment, Vahn responded in a quieter tone than before, "No...I would try to stop her...she shouldn't be-"Before Vahn could continue, Hestia placed her index finger on his lips to halt his words. Vahn closed his mouth and had a sad look on his face before Hestia continued, "It isn't your burden to bear everything Vahn...can you tell me names of everyone you're currently trying to protect?" Vahn thought for a few moments before muttering, "Haruhime, Eina, Tina, Milan, Lili..." Before he could continue, Hestia silenced his words again and said, "People often list the names of people by the priority they place on them in their minds...even though you empathize with Preasia and want to do something for her, the actions you want to take are things you'd prevent her from doing. You also have so many things that you want to protect...now isn't the time for vengeance. You need to relax and focus on taking care of the people around you while we do our best to take care of you. Preasia is already safe...let her recover a bit and then you can worry about the matters of her past later. Right now, our Familia is caught between the Isthar Familia and the Entertainment District as a whole...Please remember your own priorities and stop getting caught up in every little moment..."For more than a minute after her words faded, Vahn continued to lay in silence as Hestia stroked his hair gently. Since he hadn't said anything for a while, Hestia whispered in a soothing tone, "Take a nap Vahn...rest for a bit...you've worked hard. I'll wake you when the others show up...for now, just sleep..." Vahn listened to Hestia's words and slowly closed his eyes while enjoying the soft sensation of her thighs and the calming sensation of her hands. It wasn't the first time he had been told to slow down and relax, but the words seemed to have a bit more of an impact when they came from Hestia. Since she was often lazing around, it was somewhat rare for her to be the one tending to others...Vahn suddenly began to feel very tired as the tensions slowly drained from his body until he eventually fell asleep.Hestia continued to stroke Vahn's hair while gently caressing his face. She stared down at his sleeping expression from above with a profoundly gentle look on her face and a hint of concern in her eyes. He looked so gentle and innocent while he was asleep...nothing like the decisive and heroic boy that he acted like when he was awake. She wished that they could just stay here in this moment forever, just the two of them sitting in silence. It hardly made sense to her how a boy so young could bear so many burdens willingly and continue striving so hard to meet the expectations of others. Hestia knew she also relied on him quite a bit, even though she only pestered him when they were at home...Looking back toward the scroll, Hestia could see several lines of writing appear before floating off the page and falling into a small journal-like book next to it. It was a magical item called a 'Record Logbook' and could be parented to a communication scroll to record everything that had been transmitted and received. Earlier, before Vahn had knocked on her door, Hestia had gotten word from Eina about several murders that had taken place late last night.The Guild had gone to investigate the residences of the various men and women that patronized the illegal slave trafficker. Though not always the case, a great number of the residences had been the sight of grisly murders. Because Eina had already met Preasia, she had checked the information about her prior owner and had found the man amongst the list of casualties. Hestia was afraid that Vahn, having lost the outlet for his emotions, would have struggled to cope with the situation. Hestia would much rather he forget about the matter entirely for the time being...-Several Hours Prior- (A/N: BTW, serious trigger warning. This section contains very graphic themes and isn't suitable for those with fragile sensibilities. You won't miss much, if any, of the story by skipping this part of the chapter.)Having separated from the boy that saved her life, Shiva made her way through the back alleys of the red light district before crossing through the northern section of the City where the homes of various wealthy businessmen resided. Because of her actions against her would be masters, Shiva had been traded around by several men due to the exotic nature of her body. Even under the slave crest, she was able to resist the pain and fight against the vile men that saw her as an object to be possessed to fulfill their own desires.One of the clients, the one responsible for her losing the ability to speak, had been the same man that was the previous owner of Preasia. She had been purchased by him several weeks after he got his monstrous hands on the petite girl and had seen the devastation wrought on her body. Because the man had an elitist complex and thought himself to be of a 'superior' status to Preasia, he tormented her body and treated her like an animal to feed his sadistic urges. The only thing that kept him from raping her was the fact that he considered the action 'beneath' him. Of course, this didn't stop him from using her to tend to some of his other needs as he forcibly trained her body to respond to his presence lest she faces a severe punishment.When Shiva had arrived at his small mansion, he tried making her do the same actions as the pitiable girl while also insulting her for being of a 'lesser' species even though he was just human. Resisting the compulsion of the slave crest, the moment the vile man put his penis into her mouth, Shiva tried to gnash her teeth to tear off the disgusting member. Unfortunately, due to the resistance of the crest, she was prevented from completing the act and her brain had nearly been fried as a result. After beating her body severely, the man ended up returning both she and Preasia to the slave trader while demanding compensation in the form of 'higher quality' slaves.Though Shiva never saw the girl that he purchased, if Vahn was there he would have recognized both the girl and the 'gentleman' as the people he had seen when he first entered the brokerage. Even though he looked like a kindly middle-aged man, he was actually a cruel and sadistic human being that sought pleasure in the suffering of others. When she and Preasia had been returned, they used some expensive medicine to help heal her body while scrubbing down Preasia with various ointments and medicines to try and hide her scars. Only an hour or so after their return, they were forced to meet their new prospective 'master' and eventually met Vahn...Thinking back about the gentle-natured boy, Shiva couldn't help but feel grateful for his actions that led to her freedom. She was, in fact, nearly a Level 4 and had been a prisoner of war between two conflicting tribes within the Land of no Sun. After being humiliated, she was sold to the nearby City of Orario and had met several different masters before finally being liberated by Vahn's kindness. Now, Shiva was determined to slaughter the fools that treated her as a commodity to be traded amongst themselves. She would butcher them all before leaving the City and getting revenge against the clansman that tarnished her honor as a proud Dark Elf Huntress.Stepping into the home of her most recent master, Shiva sneakily made her way through the corridors before finding her way to the secret entrance that led down to the dungeon where the man kept his slaves imprisoned. Because of his 'superiority' complex, the man had more than a dozen slaves of different races that had all been severely mistreated. His current purchase looked to be a young human girl with blue hair and an already blank expression on her face. Her body was covered in several wounds and she was forcibly bound to a wooden table that contorted her body into whatever shape suited the man. Since she was human, the old man was forcibly raping the girl with a mad and sadistic expression on his face as Shiva sneaked up behind him quieter than the night.The man was so lost in the act that he didn't react at all as a knife passed through his lower back and severed part of his spine. He immediately slipped out of the poor girl and fell to the ground with an agonized shriek as he stared at his attacker with a crazed expression and shouted, "Yooooouuuu! Y-y-you vile sow! How dare a disgusting animal like you attack me!?" Not offended by the man's words, Shiva showed a cruel and sadistic smile that could give the man's a run for his money. She played with the dagger in her hands as she walked forward slowly...Fearing for his life, the man tried to desperately crawl away from his assailant as he cried out for one of his servants or guards to save him. Unfortunately, he had made a concerted effort to completely soundproof his own dungeon to keep it concealed. Now, while his guards earnestly protected his property, he would be at Shiva's mercy until she finally thought it was time to send him on his way to Hades.After reaching a wall, the man could go no further and turned backed to stare at the trail of blood that had been left by his own body. His gangly, aged, legs were covered in the filth and blood that covered the floor of the dungeon as he stared into the cold eyes of Shiva and muttered in a pleading voice, "P-p-please don't do this...I'll give you money, anything, just leave this place. I-I-I'll never tell anyone about this if y-y-you just walk away!"Shiva brandished the knife in her hands and admired the blood covering the blade as she smelled it. After taking a whiff, she had a frown on her face as she scrunched up her nose and retorted, "What a foul smell odor...are you really a man? Why does your blood smell closer to that of a goblin...eeeeei, look, even your emaciated arms and legs match a goblin, don't they?"Though he was still profoundly afraid, the man couldn't help but scowl at being compared to such a lowly creature. He tried to shout out once again, but the moment he opened his mouth a flash of light passed in front of his face and his tongue and lower jaw were completely severed from his body. Since he was only a Level 1, the man couldn't even see the actions of the Level 3 Shiva. He tried to scream out again, but the only thing he could manage was a pained gurgling sound as he tried to stimy the flow of blood with his hands.Shiva stared down on him a bit before walking over to the 'tools' the man used for his hobby. There were also several types of experimental potions that were used to seal wounds and treat infections. Shiva grabbed a few hooked tools, a hammer, and some of the potions as she made her way over to the man that once again tried to crawl away. She used the hammer to crack his wrists before shattering the joints of his fingers to prevent him from trying to crawl away again. He couldn't resist her actions at all and was helpless as she shoved a potion down his open gullet. Since he had no lower jaw, he couldn't resist her actions at all as the wounds slowly closed around the bottle.Shiva held the side of his face and gave him a 'gentle' smile before smashing the glass bottle into the top of his mouth and destroying several of his remaining teeth. When the man passed out, she took the hooked tool and placed it on the inside of his thigh, approximately next to the knee, and jammed it into his leg before pulling up with a tearing force. The man instantly woke up and tried his best to scream but was unable to. All he got for his efforts were several pink-hued bubbles that were frothing around his nose and air-hole as he struggled to breathe.To prevent him from suffocating, Shiva jammed a tube into his larynx and fixed it in place with loose bands. She didn't care if he died, but she wanted him to savor the experience more before he passed on. For the next half hour, she continued to carve away and flay his flesh while inspecting each part of the man's body. Before she moved on, she would use the experimental potions to heal his wounds and then neatly arrange the body parts for him to view. By the time she was done, the only thing that remained of the man was his torso and head as he stared at his own butchered limbs with dead eyes.Shiva showed an incredibly gentle smile as she stroked his tattered and sticky hair for a few seconds while saying in a soothing tone, "Don't worry, it'll all be over soon...this next part is your favorite...it would be a shame if you went your entire life without experiencing it yourself." Pouring the remaining salve and potions on the man's body, Shiva bent forward before severing the man's penis. Since she had force-fed him an aphrodisiac earlier, even though he was in severe pain, the man still had an erection. She tied off the base of the member to keep the blood from flowing and then removed the remnants of the vial that was in his mouth. The parting gift she left for the main before freeing the slaves in the mansion was his own penis shoved deeply into his throat...(A/N: The title is a play on the phrase 'Just Deserts'. Get it, because the title is just 'Desserts'(O,..,O)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Softness','Whims of Fate','Shiva's Vengeance')

After Hestia calmed down, she sat behind Vahn and watched as he used [Yggrasil's Favor] to emulate the ability to read status in conjunction with his system. He dripped a bit of blood on Haruhime's back and, even though she expected it, Hestia was surprised to see her own crest activate for someone else. She noticed that, unlike her own ability to read status, Vahn's had some extra intricacy that she hadn't seen before. Though she had trouble understanding it, Hestia knew that Vahn was able to see extra information from his skill just as he had claimed. She even began to wonder if she should have him inspect the other girls...much later in the future.Haruhime had a small frown on her face as she closed her eyes, not from pain, but because of how flustered she was feeling. Even though she had a powerful androphobia, Haruhime felt no aversion against Vahn's touch at all. Instead, she actually felt pleasant and giddy feelings welling up inside of her as the tingling feeling from her back persisted for around five minutes before Vahn said plainly, "Thanks Haruhime, you can fix your clothes now." Releasing a short sight, Haruhime pulled up her red kimono and fixed her obi before looking back to see what Vahn had discerned from her Status Board.As he expected, there was much more to Haruhime's Status than the values that Hestia had written down previously. In fact, she was far more overbearing than Vahn had expected and he couldn't help but pity the lack of foresight on behalf of Ishtar. She obviously just wanted Haruhime for her magical ability, but the actual value of Haruhime's potential far exceeded her understanding. Vahn also began to understand the significance of the characters that were involved in the original plot and wondered if he should inspect Ais's Status Board in the future...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Sanjouno HaruhimeRace: RenardLV. 1POW: I11END: I28DEX: I12AGI: I30MAG: F367Skill: [Inari:Innate(sealed)] (A/N: BTW, Vahn wouldn't record these down so don't worry about Hestia seeing them)Magic: [Uchide no Kozuchi:B],[Kokonoe:D]Development Skill: [Moon Priestess:Innate(sealed)] (A/N: BTW, Vahn wouldn't record these down so don't worry about Hestia seeing them)[Uchide no Kozuchi]Rank: BLevel Boost Magic that can only be used on a single target, after which an interval occurs before it can be cast again. It cannot be used on the caster. Enhances all parameters on the target by 30% of their hidden status total.Chant: Grow. That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion. -Grow. Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you. -Grow[Kokonoe]Rank: DA special enchant magic that creates a maximum of nine tails on the user depending on their limit. The user adds the effects of a second magic they chant connect to each of the tails to multiply its effects. (Current Tails: 4)Chant: Kokonoe. Beloved snow. Beloved crimson. Beloved white light. Please let me be beside you - this love I have found at the end of two thousand nights. My name is Magic Fox. Former destroyer. My name is Ancient Song. Former dreamer. For you who beat your wings like a bird, I shall allow the nine spirits to dwell in me. Echo, song of gold, sacred poem of Tamamo. White face, golden fur, king of nine tails. Oh, tails of the auspicious beast, consume all, grant all wishes (Affected Magic Chant) - Dance!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Unlike Lili, who seemed intent on remaining a Supporter in the manga, Haruhime had two Innate abilities instead of one. Based on their names alone, Vahn assumed they related to magical prowess and support. Since Haruhime's magic stat was significantly higher than the rest of her parameters even without every fighting monsters, Vahn assumed her development was already being influenced by the Innate skills. He had learned that a person's Innates always existed in their bodies, they just had to have something to trigger their awakening.Vahn hadn't overlooked Haruhime's magic just because her Innates though, and he was actually shocked when he understood their capabilities. Since his stats were very high for his Level, if Haruhime used her magic on him he would be nearing the Status of a Level 4 without even using his Innate abilities to enhance his fighting potential. With the inclusion of his own abilities, Vahn could theoretically even fight against a Level 6 with his current equipment...After explaining Haruhime's skills to the two girls, Hestia was in abject shock as she read over the information. Though she could see the use of a magic, she couldn't identify the chant or identify the efficacy as Vahn could. She even suspected, based on his earlier reaction, that there was even more that he was able to discern from reading Haruhime's status than he made known. Considering that it was something Haruhime didn't need to hear, she decided to ask him about it later when they were alone.Though she knew about Kokonoe, Haruhime was surprised to learn about the existence of her level-boosting magic. Because of Aisha, she knew she had a unique magic, but Haruhime had never learned about what made the magic special. When she originally got her crest of Ishtar, Haruhime had been left in the dark about her own Status before beginning her life as 'prostitute in training'. Now that she learned about her magic, she felt a fire stirring within her heart because she thought she would be able to help Vahn in the future. Even if she wasn't that strong herself, she could specialize in support and buff the entire Familia in the future.With a confident expression on her face, Haruhime pumped her tiny fists and said, "I know what I want to do now! I want to become a support specialist and learn magic for healing and buffing our allies~!" Vahn was already thinking of the future possibilities of Haruhime's skills, so he was pleasantly surprised by her outburst. Hestia also couldn't fault Haruhime at the moment since she also realized the incredible potential of her skills. If they were able to nurture Haruhime, she would become one of, if not the most important members of their Familia in the future.Vahn reached out his hand and began to pat Haruhime's head, something which she found very pleasing, while Hestia stared at the action for several seconds before sighing. She wanted to protect Vahn and the children that joined their Familia in the future so there was no way she would be able to push away Haruhime. She would have to compromise with the fox girl and do her best to get along in the future even if she had slight inhibitions about the presence of another woman around Vahn. After sorting her thoughts, Hestia released a sigh before fixing her expression and saying, "You have an incredible magical skill Haruhime, I'm glad to have you in the Familia. I might have acted inappropriately earlier, so I'm sorry...I also want to apologize to you as well Vahn. I don't know why, but I just feel so jealous at times..."Haruhime's smile grew even wider as she bowed slightly toward Hestia and said, "I also want to apologize for barging into your lives like this Hestia-sama. I know you care about Vahn deeply and I don't mean to take away his time from others...I'd like it if we worked together and got along better in the future." As usual, Haruhime was very polite and showed proper courtesies even when someone was in the middle of apologizing to her. Vahn nodded his head slightly because he thought her behavior and bearing were commendable traits. Turning to Hestia, Vahn showed an earnest smile and said, "As long as everyone can be happy, I have no complaints at all. I worry more that you'll overburden yourself instead of worrying about your general behavior.Hestia released an exasperated sigh as she gave Vahn a sidelong glance and said, "I think you're the least qualified person in the world to comment about other people overburdening themselves~! I wouldn't be nearly as frustrated if you didn't treat me so well..." Towards the latter half of her words, Hestia trailed off a bit and Vahn wasn't able to hear her well. Haruhime, however, heard everything she said and stepped forward with an elegant smile on her face as she leaned over and whispered into Hestia's ear, "I can help you if you want Hestia-sama...I may not have much experience, but I've received a bit of education on various...matters..."Hestia's eyes widened a bit before she looked at Haruhime with a somewhat fiery look in her eyes before dragging the young Renard toward her own bedroom. To prevent the confused Vahn from asking questions, Hestia shouted over her shoulder, "Go spend some time with Fenrir and the others~! There will probably be a lot of people coming around later so spend some time with them!"As they stepped out the door, Haruhime gave a backward glance at Vahn and he could almost swear he saw a glimmer in her eyes that unnerved him a bit.Following Hestia's 'advice', Vahn went downstairs and followed the corridor until he came to the room where the other girls were located. One of the best things about being able to sense presences was that he didn't have to search through rooms just to find the people he was looking for. When he entered the room, Fenrir had already been expecting him as she had her sights turned toward his location before he even touched the doorknob. Vahn saw that Fenrir was sitting next to Preasia on cushions that they had set on the ground while reading picture books meant for children. Seeing the twins so seriously staring at the images and trying to memorize the words made Vahn inadvertently smile.After they noticed his presence, Maemi put down the picture book as she and Emiru stood up together and bowed politely while saying in concert, "May we be of assistance Master?" Vahn habitually rolled his shoulders as he explained, "You don't have to call me Master, just Vahn will do. Seeing girls call me Master might make me feel excited, but it also feels wrong...if anything, just call me Captain?" Before responding, the two girls looked at each other before nodding their head in sequence and saying, "Vahn-sama."Seeing the glimmer in their eyes, Vahn gave a wry smile before walking over and picking up the picture book from the low table. He realized that he wasn't able to easily rebuke the twins when they performed synchronized actions since he took more than double the impact at how adorable the sight was. Holding up the picture book, Vahn saw that it was a story about a hero that saves a princess from a dragon. Curiously, there were small markings on the hero that obstructed his original hair color to appear similar to his own.Fenrir got excited and asked, "Vahn read for us!?" Before he even responded, Fenrir patted Preasia who stood up with her characteristic blank expression. Vahn felt a little worried about their interaction as he moved over to the large sofa nearby and placed cushions around as he sat down and prepared to read. Since he placed four cushions on the ground, Vahn was going to read to the girls from memory since he had stored the information within his head previously.Against his expectations, Preasia sat on the area right in front of him without sitting on the cushion at all. Before he could make sense of her actions, Preasia reached her hands forward and Vahn's brows immediately shot up before he gently stopped her hands with his left hand. He could feel his body shaking a little as he said as gently as he possibly could, "You never have to do anything like that ever again...Fenrir, Emiru, Maemi..."Understanding his words, the twins guided Preasia away from Vahn before helping her sit on a cushion. Fenrir sat behind Preasia and hugged her body from behind as she gentled patted the shaggy hair of Preasia and whispered, "There, there, be happy, be happy...." The whole while she was being moved around, Preasia continued to stare at Vahn with her light-grey, lightless eyes...As Vahn hadn't been using [Will of the Emperor], he wasn't prepared for what had just happened in front of his eyes. He felt an incredible anxiety intermixed with a powerful hatred as his teeth clattered a bit. Other than when he had found Milan in the past, Vahn had never felt so much uncontainable hatred as he felt now. Since he wasn't using anything to control it, Vahn was experiencing the emotions in full and began to breathe heavily as each of the girls gave him worried expressions. Fenrir seemed especially frustrated as her eyes began glowing scarlet while she tried to distract herself by tending to Preasia.After failing to control his breathing, Vahn began to release his domain to forcibly calm his mind as he sat with his head in his hands while covering his eyes. At this moment, Vahn wanted nothing more than to know the name of the monster that had hurt Preasia. He wanted to make the scoundrel pay and bring them to justice so that she might find some closure and be able to move forward. Vahn couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of person would do something so blatantly cruel to someone that looked so innocent...While he was hanging his head in rage, Vahn heard a small sound that he had never heard before. He didn't know why, but his mind began to clear up a bit as he strained his ears to hear the sound. After several seconds passed, Vahn heard the sound again and looked up from his hands with slightly teary eyes as he stared at the small girl in front of him. The other three girls remained absolutely silent as Preasia said for the third time, "Do you...cry...for me?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dual-Innates','Haruhime's corruption','Today is going to be a long day...')I am currently at $718/1200 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 259: Pain