Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Not long after he had 'gifted' the [Sakura Blossom] to Haruhime, she got to use it in actual combat. Because the blade was somewhat shorter, around 65cm, Haruhime was able to use it without interfering with her previous, 'dance-like' movements. The only thing that seemed out of place was the sheath so Vahn starting considering alternatives while watching her 'prance' about and cut down monsters. He wanted her to get used to using the magical ability of the sword, so Haruhime would shout, "Dance, fading effervescence. Blossom, petals of spring. ~Blossom!" before the start of an engagement and there would be a few petals dancing around her body in a very captivating manner.Though there were significantly fewer petals floating around her body than when he used it, Vahn actually thought it was a very lovely sight. He also got to see the actual effect of the petals when a Kobold had tried to break through the small barrier of wind and three of them cut through its body as if there was no resistance at all. Vahn could see, through the use of his [Eyes of Truth], that the petals were highly condensed 'blades' of mana and the 'wind' that flowed around Haruhime's body was actually a transparent magical energy that altered the flow of the petals according to the movements of the user. This was why, even if Haruhime wasn't moving, the petals would continue to slowly revolve around her body and keep a safe distance away from her.After successfully slaying a large group of monsters, Haruhime waved the katana about happily and dissipated all the petals before she sheathed it. She would then run over to his side and Vahn would pat her head while explaining where she could improve while her stamina and mana slowly recovered. Haruhime listened to his words very attentively and he was able to see her actively using the advice he had given her in the very next fight. Vahn began to suspect this was the influence of the [Mentor] skill, since she hadn't shown nearly the same improvement even though she had been training with Ryuu daily. Since the [Mentor] Development Ability was something that had never been documented before, Vahn was the first wielder and the only one that could understand its use presently.Some of the things he had learned, though it was all still speculation, was that the recipient of the Mentor's Mark seemed especially receptive to his 'advice'. There was also a noticeable glow to the mark, that only he could see, that allowed him to interpret how effective the skill was while in use. Through proper motivation, careful explanation, and adequate rewards, Vahn was able to make the mark shine brightly and it seemed to make his lessons more effective. Vahn honestly felt like the ability was a bit of a 'cheat', since he had the ability to already see auras to determine a person's mood, subtly manipulate their affections, and could even use his [Eyes of Truth] to see through the flaws in their movements to offer the most practical advice without forcing them to conform to his own combat methods.One example was, Vahn noticed that Haruhime always focused her weight on her left foot as a pivot since she was left-handed. This meant most of her attacks came from the left side of a monster, since she liked to spin and slice them, but always left openings on her right side while exposing several other parts of her body. If she continued down this path, Haruhime's moves would become repetitive and she would be restricted in the means she had to attack the enemy. After Vahn pointed out the downsides and made a few suggestions, Haruhime completely changed her approach to combat and started leading with her right foot more often and using it as a pivot for a variety of thrusts.She had even, after his suggestion, started trying to fight with her right hand and mirroring her former movements to improve the 'balance' of her technique. Vahn himself was ambidextrous, since he had very high dexterity as a [Master Smith], and had always fought with the use of his 'instincts' instead of any actual technique. He usually fought with a somewhat 'squared' stance that would allow him to change position easily and used a loose-grip to hold a sword that allowed him to swing it omnidirectionally without having any habits to speak of. He had picked up this habit after watching Tsubaki's training, since she could also masterfully fight with both hands, even if she was wielding heavy weapons. As they were both [Master Smith]s, Vahn and Tsubaki had a benefit that wasn't enjoyed by most Adventurer's which was an incredible flexibility in their combat style. Because of their familiarity with weapons, they were able to use any weapon they got their hands on, even though Vahn was the most proficient with a sword.When Vahn explained his reasoning to Haruhime, she had sparkles in her green eyes and even asked, "Should I learn to forge as well~?" Vahn imagined Haruhime wearing a kimono while slamming down a heavy hammer and couldn't help but feel there was an incongruity to the image. Instead, he shook his head and explained, "I don't think it suits you that much. Your movements are elegant and carry a similar quality to a dance, so I'd like to see how far you can polish your own style in the future. I think you're more suited to 'elegant' hobbies like tea ceremonies, reading, and maybe sewing." Though it felt a little strange to 'rationalize' a person based on their appearance and disposition, Vahn couldn't help but feel like they were the most suitable things for Haruhime to practice.As if to prove his statement, Haruhime held up her sleeve to cover her mouth as she giggled with squinted eyes. After a short while, she showed an elegant smile and straightened her back as she asked, "Do you prefer me to act elegantly~?" Vahn furrowed his brows slightly and was thinking of his answer before Haruhime continued, "I know, you want me to do the things I want without worrying about you. But, worrying about you is one of the things I want to do; it makes me feel happy inside~!" Vahn swallowed his words and showed a slightly wry smile as he patted Haruhime's head and said, "Well, I don't want to make you unhappy..." Remembering her earlier question, Vahn nodded and said in a cursory manner, "I feel that the elegant and gentle Haruhime is the most suitable."Haruhime's ears waggled a bit and Vahn felt like her disposition suddenly changed to be similar to how it was when she first entered the Hearth Manor. She seemed to stand straighter and there was a 'practice' to each of her movements and expressions as she followed behind him with short, but quick, steps. Vahn suddenly felt like he was escorting a 'noble lady' even though she was wearing combat attire and carrying a katana. There was a gentle, almost placid, look to Haruhime's green eyes and they suddenly seemed to be as deep as a still lake. Vahn didn't know why, but he suddenly felt a bit of pressure coming from the small Renard girl.After having spent an hour on the first floor, Vahn showed Haruhime down to the second level of the dungeon and tested her about her knowledge before they finally entered. She was able to accurately name all the monsters on the floor, including their habits, weaknesses, and drop items. Vahn knew that theoretical knowledge didn't hold up against practical experience, but it would be very useful if properly applied to the strategies used when fighting monsters.Haruhime was able to use what she had learned during her study sessions to change how she approached the monsters and was getting better at dealing with groups. Her stats, when they started, were actually lower than the twins, yet she was able to fight for longer periods of time since her movements were more fluid and didn't drain as much stamina. She also had an incredible comprehension ability due to her naturally monstrous Magic parameter and it showed in how quickly she was adapting to combat. The twins had taken more than ten minutes to fight a group of five monsters together, but Haruhime was able to deal with a group of six Kobolds, each faster than she was, without issue while making the best use of [Sakura Blossom] to cover the gaps in her movements. Only four minutes later, the final Kobold fell and Haruhime gingerly made her way over to receive praise.Around twenty minutes into the second floor, Vahn and Haruhime came across the first group of monsters that had a Dungeon Lizard in their numbers. It was a rather large monster, more than 2m long, and it had very resistant skin that was difficult to cut through for most newbie Adventurers. Their main weakness was their lack of agility, and Haruhime was able to deal with it faster than the rest of the monsters due to the fact that her blade cut through it like a hot knife. She already knew the location of the core and had cut through the back of the Dungeon Lizard to accurately strike the approximate location after performing a short hop overs its back, twisting her body slightly, and slicing downwards into its exposed flesh.Vahn had a somewhat conflicted look on his face as he watched her deal with the remaining monsters because it felt like her equipment was going to restrict her growth. Having an A-Rank katana as a Level 1 gave her an incredible advantage over most other Level 1's, and Vahn knew it could affect her mentality and growth negatively if she became overly reliant on her equipment. He would need to keep track of her development over time and get her used to a variety of weapons so that she wouldn't become complacent. Since she attacked as if she were 'dancing', Vahn thought about making her some weighted fans, or letting her use something like chakrams or short swords. Her final weapon would still be the ceremonial, wooden, sword-staff that he would make for her, but it was never a bad thing to increase the versatility of your capabilities and combat style.After she finished off the monsters, Vahn moved forward to intercept her as she came to receive his praise once again. Vahn stroked her head and explained, "For now, we'll keep going deeper into the dungeon until you reach your limits. It's still pretty early, so we should be able to make good progress before lunchtime. If you need a break before then, make sure you let me know before you strain yourself too hard. Rest is easily just as important as actually fighting monsters." Since she was currently getting her head stroked, Haruhime squinted her eyes a bit and made a polite "Nn." sound instead of nodding her head.Since Vahn had already mapped a few routes into the deeper floors, it didn't take long for them to reach the third floor and then progress through it to reach the fourth within an hour. This was the point where Dungeon Lizards became the dominant monster, and it ironically made it even easier for Haruhime to progress since she was able to easily outmaneuver them while ignoring their supposed 'high defense'. A simple swipe with [Sakura Blossom] was enough to cut through the resistant hide while also creating a path for the razor-sharp petals to follow. Though he originally thought the Piercing(A) on the sword related to its own blade, Vahn began to realize it applies to the petals just as well.At this point, Haruhime was beginning to get in high tensions and Vahn decided it was time to take a break before she pushed herself too hard. It was fine to push yourself in order to exceed your limits, but it was very dangerous to overstress your body when fighting monsters weaker than yourself. Haruhime needed pressure for difficult fights, not because of mental fatigue and a lack of stamina. After giving her his order, Vahn set down a large cushion for Haruhime to sit on as he sat against the wall of the dungeon and pulled out some snacks for them to enjoy an early lunch. Haruhime gratefully accepted what she interpreted as Vahn's kindness as she sat on the cushion he had laid out for her. Since she always sat with her knees under her body, Vahn was worried she would scuff the exposed skin on the rough floor of the dungeon and had given her a pillow for her benefit.They rested for about an hour and Vahn noticed that Haruhime was making an earnest effort to act 'elegantly' as she sat next to him and took small bites of her lunch. The only thing that broke the illusion was the fact that she twined her tail behind his lower back, where there was a small gap between himself and the wall. It wasn't the first time she had done such a thing, so Vahn didn't mind it much at all. The only thing he felt was that she also had a subtle 'possessiveness' to her as well, but didn't make it too apparent since it wasn't her intention to actually compete with the other girls around him. Though he had already proven to her that she was a virgin, Haruhime still acted as if she were somewhat 'beneath' the other girls that Vahn was in a 'relationship' with.When their lunch was finished, Vahn arose from the floor before helping Haruhime stand by extending his hand to her. Since she was acting ladylike, Vahn put on the act of a gentleman and got a small, delicate, laugh out her rosy lips like a wind chime that helped relax the mind. Vahn then escorted her down to the 5th floor and the second half of her training began. Haruhime confidently discussed the knowledge she knew regarding the monsters that habitated the 5th floor, including the notorious Killer Ants that were famous for being the end of several novice parties. Vahn nodded his head and actually developed a strange thought that he might try to implement in the future.Vahn knew from discussing matters with Ryuu and Aki about the prerequisites for the [Hunter] skill and wondered if it was practical to hunt 1,000 Killer Ants within 72 hours or if he should camp out near a Pantry and allow them to kill anything that came near. Ryuu had purportedly gotten hers by following a well-documented path in the dungeon that could trigger several 'Monster Parties', but that was a dangerous method if you weren't properly prepared. Aki had gotten hers in a similar manner because she was part of the Loki Familia and they tried to cultivate their new adventurers properly.While he was mulling over the idea, Haruhime had encountered her first group of Killer Ants and had taken a cautious approach to engaging them. She knew they secreted a pheromone that could attach itself to unwary adventurer's that would make it easy for other Killer Ants to track them. They also emitted a shrill sound that wasn't detectable by most people that was easily heard by other Killer Ants and would cause them to gather en masse and potentially overwhelm their enemies. The only solution was to avoid the pheromone was to apply a chemical to your weapon that would prevent the invisible chemical from tainting the blade. You also need to avoid any direct contact with the Killer Ants and douse your clothes to mask the scent if all else failed.After formulating a plan, Haruhime made eye contact with Vahn who gave her the go ahead and urged her forward with a confident smile. They had already discussed that he would only step in if things took a bad turn, since he would easily be able to deal with any number of killer ants using his domain and [Heart of the Eternal Flame]. However, Vahn would only step in if Haruhime couldn't manage on her own and she didn't want to let him down so she pressed forward with her confidence rising and a fierce determination in her eyes. She actually didn't plan to kill all of the Killer Ants, because it was her goal to increase their numbers and see how far she could go in order to measure her limits.Haruhime stabbed into the thorax of the closest Killer Ant and it immediately turned to dust as a shrill sound that made her ears twitch spread through the cavernous walls of the dungeon. Haruhime stepped close to the next Killer Ant and then smoothly evaded to the side of its body as it tried to lunge forward and attack her legs with its powerful mandibles. She rewarded its efforts by slicing off its head before spinning on her left foot, changing her sword to her left hand and slicing through the abdomen of the third Killer Ant. The initial group had five enemies, and Haruhime had killed two while disabling a third within the first ten seconds of combat. The shrill sound continued to echo in her ears but she remained focused on the task and evaded the combined attacks of the remaining Killer Ants. It wasn't long after that she could hear several clicking sounds and a mild vibration through the ground as she loudly called out, "Dance, fading effervescence. Blossom, petals of spring. ~Blossom!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Dance Dance Haruhime Revolution','Vahn is skilled with his hands','Haruhime's Drive')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After her chant, Haruhime began to skirt around the edges of the Killer Ants that had started to swarm. She knew it was dangerous to charge into their center and focused on using the fact they were clumped together to interfere with their ability to move. Due to the quality of [Sakura Bloom], Haruhime was able to cut through their hard carapaces easily as the sakura petals danced around her body and passively damaged any of the Killer Ants within their path. The petals were just as sharp as the katana itself and they drew beautiful arcs through the air as if they weren't influenced by the Killer Ants at all.Haruhime's green eyes had an excited glint to them and she continued to pump more of her mana into the blade as she swept up bits and pieces of the ants within the wind generated by her magic and they started swirling around her body along with the petals. It wasn't long before there were tiny pieces of Killer Ant bodies marring the surface of her outfit and staining her waist-length blond hair. Vahn frowned at the sight and wondered if he could come up with a method to prevent similar things from happening in the future. Though it would probably be best to have Haruhime cut her hair, Vahn thought her current hairstyle was very suitable for her since it was rather elegant, and incredibly rare for hair to grow to that length. It had probably taken her several years, and her hair was very glossy and well maintained before she entered into the dungeon.After slaying more than fifty Killer Ants, exploiting the fact that they were clumped together, Haruhime had started to breathe heavily and had long activated her accessories to supplement her expired mana. Vahn was able to see how they affected a person, and he realized that waiting until their mana was diminished wasn't a viable option. When the mind was weakened from having low mana, it wasn't easy to make decisions, nor was it reliable to use external mana sources to supplement your own lack of mana. He was now able to understand that it was more practical to use the mana within the accessories first, since waiting until you were already tired caused unnecessary troubles. However, even though she was struggling, Haruhime continued to 'dance' around the Killer Ants and whittle away at their ever-increasing numbers.Though she knew something like this would happen, Haruhime gnashed her teeth with a pained expression on her face and continued to push herself even further. She kept repeating encouraging words, almost like she was screaming in her own mind, so that she wouldn't back down just because things were difficult. The only way she could pursue her dream was to follow this difficult road, or else it might be several years before she was able to stand at Vahn's side. Haruhime knew what kinds of monsters he would face in the deeper floors, as she had been reading up on the information within the books. She knew that the current her would die with a single glancing blow from something like a Monster Rex, or even weaker monsters like Silverbacks and Minotaurs. Haruhime was aware of Vahn's achievements, and the things he had done to get to his current level of strength, and none of what she was going through came close to his struggles. If she wanted to catch up to him, she couldn't back...down...Haruhime's eyes started to glaze over as she took a step back to evade a Killer Ants mandibles and collided with the dungeon wall behind her. She snapped out of her daze and glanced around her in an instant to realize she had been completely surrounded and had no means of escape. Mustering what power remained in her body, Haruhime ignored her plight and released a loud shout while swinging [Sakura Blossom] toward the group of Killer Ants. The petals tripled in number as a small whirlwind passed through the closest ants within the encirclement before dicing through their bodies as if they had been put into a blender. It was the first time she had been able to 'throw' the magic of her katana and Haruhime had a contented smile as she collapsed forward into Vahn's embrace as he used Shundo to close the distance. Though she couldn't see what was happening, Haruhime felt a pulse of magical energy in the air as the shrill cries of the Killer Ants' deaths lulled her to sleep.Vahn held the unconscious Haruhime loosely in his arms and had an affectionate smile on his face as he roasted the more than two hundred Killer Ants that had surrounded them. Within twenty seconds, the entire horde had been destroyed and the only thing that remained were several drops items and hundreds of magic stones. Vahn ignored them all and embraced Haruhime for a while as he inspected the injuries in her body. She had several muscle cramps, and even some tearing in her left leg and arm since she was still somewhat over-reliant on her left hand. As the fight got progressively harder, she had switched to using nothing but her left hand and it had created a lot of gaps for the Killer Ants to exploit.However, even if she had made matters more difficult for herself, Vahn didn't blame Haruhime at all. He had been counting the total number of ants she had slain, including the large number that was diced apart by her final attack. Against expectations, Haruhime had killed a total of 139 Killer Ants, even though most adventurers her level would have fallen to a tenth of that number. A lot of it was attributed to [Sakura Blossom], but it was an undeniable fact that she had pushed herself far beyond her limits to create the small miracle. Vahn couldn't help but feel immensely proud of her as he removed any sequelae that could remain in her body through excessive exhaustion.Before he laid her down, Vahn pulled out a large brush similar to the one he used to deeply clean Fenrir's fur and removed all of the monster bits from Haruhime's hair. He wanted to clean her body, since he didn't really have an aversion to such things, but Vahn wanted to wait for Haruhime to awaken instead of doing anything untoward. He was almost positive she wouldn't mind, but Vahn always felt a powerful inhibition stop him from 'exploiting' a girl that was asleep. He felt like they were very defenseless and it just seemed like a shameless thing to do so he just wiped down the exposed parts of her face and neck before lifting her up onto his back. It was already around 3 PM, so there wasn't a need to stay in the dungeon any longer. He wanted Haruhime, when she woke back up, to be a comfortable place that was warm and safe. Even he felt a bit melancholic whenever he awoke in the dungeon, so Vahn expected a delicate girl like Haruhime to experience something similar.After arriving at the stairs, it only took Vahn around two minutes to actually get to the first floor, even without using Shundo. They had only gone down to the fifth floor, so there were only a few hundred meters of spiraling stairs to follow before arriving at the surface and following the path to the dungeon's entrance. Though he drew a few 'concerned' glances from the surroundings, Vahn just gave the actually concerned people a polite smile as he carried Haruhime through the first floor of Babel and exited into the Babel Plaza. There were some people that had given him 'strange' and 'menacing' looks along the way, since he was somewhat famous in the City and was currently carrying an unconscious, relatively young, girl on his back that was covered in blood and monster bits.There was even a group of three relatively strong adventurers that tried to approach him and call out, but Vahn saw they had no good intentions so he sent a burst of intent at them before disappearing from the spot with Shundo. The group had consisted of a relatively handsome elven male with green hair and blue eyes, whilst his two companions were somewhat beautiful girls, one with silver, the other with blond hair, that had an air of arrogance to them. Vahn didn't know, or care, what they had wanted and, even though they were Level 3, they flinched and dazed for more than a second after he vanished. The handsome elf looked around the area for a few seconds before scoffing at turning away with his hands around the two girls' waists.Because he was using Shundo, Vahn arrived at the Manor within ten minutes before making his way through the foyer. He noticed that Hestia seemed to be out, and she had taken Fenrir and Preasia with her. The rest of the girls were probably still in the dungeon, because the Manor was currently empty. Now that they weren't restricted to the grounds, Vahn didn't blame the girls for wanting to get out more since he had also started to feel a little suffocated even though it had only been about a week that he was stuck at home. Unfortunately, since there was nobody to help him with Haruhime, Vahn was in a bit of a predicament. Instead of worrying about it, however, Vahn just shook his head before taking Haruhime to the west wing of the Manor.The real renovations hadn't started yet, but they had already designated an area as a medical ward within the west wing to treat any injuries that might be suffered by their members in the future. Though Vahn could heal most wounds, there were some things, such as broken bones and illnesses, that needed more specialized care. Vahn carried Haruhime to one of the small beds they had set out for patients before gently lowering her body onto its surface. Her clothes immediately blemished the white sheets, and this was the reason he had avoided setting her down on the furniture and carried her all this way.Vahn could tell that her mana was slowly recovering, and the only thing that was keeping her unconscious was the mental strain she had gone through. He knew the proper procedures for dealing with an unresponsive patient, but Vahn wasn't an actual physician so he had to take a roundabout method and wake her up before he did anything. Using [Hands of Nirvana], Vahn placed his palm on Haruhime's forehead and channeled his energy to help calm her mind and ease the influence of all the chemicals and endorphins pumping through her body.After around a minute, she slowly opened her sleepy green eyes before a gentle smile appeared on her face. Vahn returned her smile and explained in a soothing voice, "You passed out after releasing an incredible attack and defeating a total of one-hundred-thirty-nine Killer Ants. Your performance greatly exceeded my expectations Haruhime, I'm very proud to be your Captain and ally. It was truly an amazing sight to behold...great job." As he spoke, Vahn gently stroked Haruhime's hair and continued to channel his [Hands of Nirvana] to comfort her.Haruhime enjoyed the pleasant feeling for several long seconds before saying, "I told you, I'll become much stronger...no matter what it takes, I'll chase after my dream until I can catch it with my own two hands~." As if to emphasize her point, Haruhime raised her hands and gingerly grabbed Vahn's wrist as she closed her eyes with a contented expression on her face. Vahn gave a short sight through his nose as a gentle smile appeared on his face. He knew exactly what Haruhime was trying to do and it made him feel a little blessed that she was putting in so much effort for him, no, them. Since he had put forth the restriction, just like he had done for Lili, Emiru, Maemi, and Preasia, Vahn wouldn't back down. Just like Ais had been Bell's motivation within the original series, Vahn didn't mind acting as Haruhime's motivation if it would help to guarantee her happiness in the future. He could tell, even though she had only been to the dungeon twice, that she had an amazing amount of potential and more than a few 'heroic' traits herself. She was no longer the damsel waiting for a hero to save her; she was now slowly walking toward the path of creating a legend of her own. Vahn knew it was within his power to help her, so he would do his best to make sure her story had a happy ending. Maybe one day, in the distant future, children would read her story and be inspired by her tale, just as she had been when reading fairy tales in the past...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What it means to overcome...','Ittoryu, Sanjouno-style Taifū~!(Typhoon)','The end goal never changes, but the distance is constantly shrinking. Work hard, young heroine~!')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn learned through Hestia about the meeting between Hephaestus, Loki, and Freya within the top floor of Babel. Though he wasn't aware of the details, Vahn knew that Freya had likely been scheming against him and that she had come to an agreement to not interfere with his life and had even allied herself with Hephaestus and Loki, though she didn't actually join the Alliance. Vahn knew that he would probably have to compromise with her a bit in the future, but at least he didn't have to worry about the troublesome goddess targeting the people close to him for the time being.Now that the looming threat of Freya had been temporarily dealt with, Vahn had a lot of freedom to take actions and start increasing the strength of the Familia. Even though he was Level 3, with two Level 4's assisting him, the Familia itself was still only I rank. Since they had never completed any actual missions through the guild and obtained any achievements, their Familia's standing was still low and Vahn wanted to improve it now that there was time. He wanted to help the girls get to Level 2 while also trying to improve his [Mentor] Development Ability in the hopes that it will allow him to mentor more than one person at a time.During the next day's training, Vahn noticed that Haruhime, Emiru, and Maemi were in much higher spirits than normal and were putting in more effort. It could have just been the result of their parameters increasing, but Vahn was able to see their auras burning brightly and knew they were very motivated. Once they were finished, Vahn gathered everyone together and explained what had been happening behind the scenes for the last two days. He also explained that now was the best time to try and improve their abilities while progressing into the dungeon and completing quests for the Guild. Since they were going to be much more active, Vahn consulted with Ryuu and Aki to draw up a schedule for everyone's duties, which even included a points system to obtain rewards.Aki had explained that it was 'bad practice' to always give equipment and items to the members of the Familia, because it would inhibit them from developing a self-reliance on their own capabilities. Their members should be encouraged to push themselves a bit in order to obtain benefits since it would also promote their mentality and give them the motivation to grow stronger. Vahn agreed to their terms, even though they had only shown him one of the lists for the rewards, which included custom items and other things that the girls would have to exchange Valis, points, and materials to obtain. Vahn was aware there was a second list, but it was kept a 'secret' from him which pretty much told him it was related to 'services' he provided, amongst other things.For Vahn's own schedule, he would be alternating between escorting Haruhime into the dungeon, and teaming up with the twins so they could progress at a relatively even pace. Vahn's main focus was on developing their skills and abilities, while Ryuu and Aki would alternate taking the other girls into the dungeon to develop teamwork and increase the Rank of the Familia. Fenrir was left on 'guard duty' since Vahn wasn't the only one worried about how the other girls would react when they saw her devouring monsters. Though they knew she was Vahn's 'tamed monster', it was hard to see Fenrir as anything more than a cute wolf girl that liked to be spoiled. Until their mentalities improved, and they were less sensitive to that type of thing, Fenrir wouldn't be partying with the other girls.Other than the time he had scheduled for entering the dungeon, Vahn also gave Hestia the green light to accept bookings for massages in the future as well as scheduling time to take the measurements of the various girls he would be making equipment for. Though he wasn't aware of it at the time, there was also a second list going around about who would get to spend time with Vahn when he took the weekends off. There was also a 'Vahnatus' scheduled since Hephaestus and Loki wanted to gather everyone together and discuss the upcoming Denatus and what would change in the future. The number of attendees had grown by a fair amount, and they also wanted to make sure everyone was up to speed on the 'need to know' information concerning Vahn.Though it might seem like the girls were trying to organize Vahn's life for him, he actually had a lot of sway in what he wanted to do and could easily move about as he pleased. He might not be able to visit the 'headquarters' of the members of the Alliance, but it didn't stop Vahn from meeting up with their members. The Guild had taken a 'wait and see' approach when it came to enforcing his probation anyways since Ouranos suspected there was a major event playing out that would likely come to a head at the Denatus. Using this newfound 'freedom', Vahn visited Hephaestus with Haruhime and they enjoyed a long tea time where they cuddled together after Vahn gave her the [Maternity Band] and explained its uses. Haruhime also tried to make a good impression on Hephaestus and the two seemed to mesh together well when Vahn showed Hephaestus the equipment and accessories he was developing for the young Renard.When Hephaestus saw the accessories and learned about their function, she gave Vahn a fervent gaze like she was about to eat him up on the spot. Though it wasn't the first item she had seen that could contain mana, it was the first time she had seen it in such a compact form like a bracelet. The capacity of its storage was actually very high as well, as it could store an average of 720 mana within each accessory. This meant that, with proper preparation, a mage would have an emergency store of 3600 mana while also improving the actual efficacy of their spells. Vahn's accessories were another 'revolutionary' concept that would fundamentally change the world in the future.Vahn explained how the items were produced and, after having Haruhime wait outside, gave her a specialized container that stored 500ml of his own blood within. Though the container he initially used couldn't keep the blood from decaying, Vahn had discovered that he could use the crystalline containers used for preserving the medicinal properties of potions to keep his blood for an indefinite period of time. Hephaestus took the container and had a serious expression on her face as she said, "I'll protect this process with absolute secrecy..." Hephaestus knew that it would cause a stir if people discovered that the blood of demigods, or gods for that matter, could be used as a container to store mana. Vahn nodded his head before lovingly stroking Hephaestus's face as he kissed her deeply for a time.Before they eventually parted and Vahn left for the dungeon, he kneeled down and caressed her relatively firm, muscular, stomach for a short while before kissing below her belly button. Hephaestus lovingly stroked his hair and Vahn could hear an endless number of notifications sounding in the back of his mind about how her Love parameter was increasing. She was currently the person with the absolute highest parameter for him, with her Love reaching 21,483 points. The next closest was Fenrir, who had a Loyalty value of 11,992 followed by Tiona who had a Love value of 1,165.After leaving Hephaestus's workshop, Vahn casually made his way toward the Dungeon while escorting Haruhime who was currently wearing a new kimono with a few other pieces of equipment to compliment her outfit. Her previous kimono had been torn on the sleeves, and she now wore one that was slightly more durable while also wearing a pair of thin, black, bracers on her forearms. Underneath her kimono, since it only extended to the upper half of her thigh, she wore a pair of black spats that ran to around the middle-point of her thigh with a pair of thin shin guards that merged into her black boots that had a slight heel to them. She originally wore a pair of sandals, but quickly learned that they interfered with her mobility and exchanged them for something more practical. Vahn felt like she was turning more into a kunoichi than a 'priestess', but he planned to fix the 'image' a bit when he finished her equipment in the future. She also wore a black obi around her waist with the white-gold accessories on her wrists and ankles.Because her stats were still quite low, Vahn had decided to trade in the [001] he had given Haruhime before purchasing a magical weapon for her to use. He wasn't sure what item would suit her the best, but Vahn had noticed that Haruhime had been trying to replicate his movements with the katana in the past so he used the gacha function that he typically avoided and spent 30,000OP for three of the basic gacha roles. Since it allowed him to narrow down a few search terms, Vahn had input 'Katana', 'Magical', 'Beautiful' since he thought they were the most suitable terms for Haruhime. Within his mind, there was a giant wheel that appeared and spun around before spitting out two white lights and a single blue light. Vahn quickly inspected the basic drops and compared the items to their original OP cost and realized he had lost around 13,000OP as their combined total was only 7,000OP. Fortunately, the blue item was actually worth 91,000OP so he had obtained a net positive.Vahn pulled out the katana named [Sakura Blossom] out of his inventory and raised his brows slightly due to the actual 'beauty' of the design. Its scabbard was predominantly black and it had vibrant pink sakura petals decorating its length as if a branch were extending from the guard. The handle of the katana was also black, with white undertones, and the cord wrapped around the scabbard was a mesh of black and pink interwoven in an intricate pattern. The guard itself was black, but it had a beautiful design that also showed sakura petals inlaid into it as if the blade bloomed from the handle. When Vahn unsheathed the katana, he noticed the blade was flawless and had an impeccable wavy pattern along the actual blade. Vahn could read the characters on the blade and understood they meant, 'Infinite', 'Sakura', and 'Blossom'. Along the spine of the katana, there was an almost unnoticeable red line that, when Vahn channeled his energy into the blade, glowed with a vibrant pink.[Sakura Blossom]Rank: A (Magic)P.Atk: 440+40M.Atk: 880Abilities: Blossom(B), Magical Amplification(B), Piercing(A)An intricately designed Katana that had been forged at the request of a proud Lord in a distant land. He had gifted the weapon to his daughter, whose favorite past time had been polishing her swordsmanship under the perpetually blooming cherry trees within the mountains.Use: Blossom(B): Creates a storm of cherry blossoms that dance around the user and cuts through foes.Chant: Dance, fading effervescence. Blossom, petals of spring. ~Blossom!After reading the chant within his mind, Vahn cocked his head a bit since he was able to imbue his energy into the blade without saying a single word. He swung the katana and a gentle wind sprung up around his body as beautiful pink flower petals danced lazily through the air. They seemed to defy gravity, and whenever Vahn moved around, they petals would move with him and follow the path of the blade. From the side, Haruhime had been watching his movements and muttered in a quiet tone, "Beautiful..." In her eyes, Vahn was moving around fluidly while surrounded by vibrant pink flow petals, almost like he was dancing in the wind, untouched by the murky darkness around them.Once he was satisfied, Vahn sheathed the katana and the petals dissolved out of the air before he handed to Haruhime and said, "This is for you, it'll help you develop your Magic parameter while also improving your other capabilities in the future." Haruhime's eyes widened as she quickly snatched away the katana and held it like a priceless treasure. Vahn saw her reaction and smiled since he found her to be quite adorable at the moment. She had noticed his look and blushed slightly as her ears twitched about. After calming down, she fixed the [Sakura Blossom] through her black obi and Vahn quickly realized the black design perfectly matched the aesthetic of Haruhime's outfit.After explaining the use of the weapon, Vahn led Haruhime into the dungeon without any hesitation as they made their way towards the deeper floors. Since he was worried about her ability to take on monsters with higher endurance, Vahn wanted Haruhime to fight some Dungeon Lizards while also learning how to control the [Sakura Blossom] to deal with groups of enemies. He noticed that the energy consumption of the katana wasn't that high, so Vahn hoped Haruhime would be able to make proper use of it since her Magic parameter was already over 600 points. She also had the accessories fully charged and Vahn was curious to see how far she could go without his support.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Calm...','Hephaestus's Overwhelming Love','Scatter...I mean Blossom!'If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149

Chapter 313: Captivating