Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After enjoying a rather playful night with Emiru and Maemi, Vahn entered in into the Sub-Space Orb with both of his bodies, a rather rare occurrence that caused his mind to actually stall for a brief moment when he entered. He had been getting so used to experiencing two different flows of time at once that, the moment he entered with both of his bodies, Vahn felt like something was 'off'. Even so, it didn't take that long for him to recover and set out to see two different women that he had, rather unfairly, been forcing to wait for him to push things forward.Though he was feeling a little nervous about going to them like this, Vahn was confident that both Risna and Mikoto wouldn't mind the sudden intrusion. He had already talked to both Aina and Eina about his relationship with Risna and, as they were both supportive of the idea, Vahn didn't want to keep the rather delicate looking novelist waiting. As for Mikoto, he was certain she would wait for years if he didn't take the initiative and, considering it 'had' been years within the orb, Vahn felt it was time for them to move to the next level. That left only Nanu, Shizune, and Tina for him to tend to later on, with the latter two being rather troublesome for slightly different reasons.Shizune had been training hard with Chloe over the last few years and, though she no longer seemed focused on her revenge, her personality had become a little cold and distant. She was no longer the personable woman who would tease and casually chat with people, now spending a fair amount of her time talking with her own Shadow Summons instead of the others. It wasn't that she would avoid you if you tried to engage her in conversation, she just no longer sought it out on her own prerogative. Now, other than Milan, Chloe, Syr, Haruhime, Preasia, and Tina, Shizune didn't really go out of her way to talk to anyone.Tina was a slightly different problem as, though she was of age, Vahn felt like she wasn't actually ready for a physical relationship. He felt that she needed to mature a bit more as, even compared to her past self, Tina didn't seem as sensible as she used to be. It was like her hard training, combined with her [Luck] Development Ability, had slowly caused her to develop a few quirks. Though she was generally very bubbly and outgoing around everyone, she would immediately become very clumsy, excitable, and angsty whenever he was around. He knew this was because she was anticipating their future relationship too much, causing him to feel a little worried about how she will behave once they finally consummated their relationship...Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Vahn gently knocked on the small cottage that had been built within the first layer of pressure along the orb's periphery. Since it wasn't as if the gravity had been increased, structures were able to remain stable without showing any significant signs of strain. Mikoto had asked him to help her build a cottage in the area so she could temper her body, even when sleeping. She took her training very seriously so, even though she 'rested' properly, it was just another method she used to train herself even further...Mikoto, who had been inside the cottage silently meditating, opened her eyes with a start and quickly made her way to the door. Since she couldn't detect the presence of the person on the other side, she knew it was Vahn and, though she was pleasantly surprised to see him, it didn't really show on her face. Instead, she had a casual smile as she asked, "Vahn, did you come here to train with me? Please, give me a few minutes to get prepared and I'll be right out..." As it wasn't that uncommon for Vahn to seek her out, Mikoto was looking forward to another exciting training session, completely unaware of the actual purpose behind her Master, Lord, and Lover's visit...Around the same time as he was meeting with Mikoto, Vahn was also standing outside the door to Risna's room, feeling somewhat hesitant about intruding into her 'sacred' territory. In general, she never let anyone into her room and, though he would likely be an exception, Vahn had never stepped into this inviolable space over the last year. The last time he had seen it, there was almost no space to even sit as Risna had piles of books, laundry, and miscellaneous items littering the whole area. Even her bed had been stacked with a pile of clean laundry, which also substituted as both a pillow and blanket to the rather peculiar young Half-Elf...Soon, Vahn's hesitation ended up fading away, helped by the fact that Mikoto had turned beet red when he made his intentions clear to her. Currently, he was being invited into her cottage as she peered out the door to see if anyone else was nearby before closing it behind her and locking it. Though he kept a casual demeanor on that side, Vahn couldn't help but chuckle lightly outside of Risna's door before lightly rattling on it. He heard the sound of a pile of books being knocked over, followed by a somewhat pitiable groan before, nearly a minute later, Risna finally opened the door.At first, Risna had an annoyed expression, emphasized by the rather haggard look she currently possessed. She was wearing a loose, pale pink, pajama top without any bottoms on, barely covering the stark white cotton panties doing their best to protect what remained of her dignity. Her muted green hair messily fell around her face which, even while appearing very tired, still had an adorable and youthful appeal, made more apparent when Risna's emerald green eyes opened wide and she suddenly shouted, "Vahn!? W-W-What...ah...nooooo, don't look at me~!"For only the second time in his life, Vahn experienced having a door slammed in his face as the sound of Risna 'whining' as she quickly tried to fix her appearance sounded out from her room. He could hear her 'cursing' under her breath about showing up unannounced, all while simultaneously letting slip her 'expectations' and guesses behind his arrival. With his sensitive hearing, Vahn could hear everything she said and couldn't help cracking a smile as he patiently waited for her to prepare herself. Since she apparently wanted to try and hide some of the stuff in her room, it took nearly twenty minutes, but that gave him plenty of time to focus on what was happening at Mikoto's cottage...Once she learned his reasons for stopping by, Mikoto had become somewhat tense and mechanical in her movements. In truth, she had been anticipating this moment for a while longer than she would care to admit. After all, she spent every day hearing other girls talk about their own interactions with Vahn and, though she never expressed much interest in the discussion, Mikoto had garnered a few expectations about this day. Now that it came down to it, however, she found her heart beating rapidly in her chest and it was difficult to stay calm as she tried to offer tea to Vahn...Vahn found Mikoto's behavior adorable but knew she would need him to lead her into things in order to avoid stressing her out too much. She was always a little 'too serious', making it almost impossible for her to actually fall into the flow without being 'pulled' along. Thus, as she awkwardly offered to make him some tea, Vahn walked closer to her, causing Mikoto to take a deep breath as he reached out and stroked the left side of her face. With a smile on his own, Vahn leaned forward slowly, saying, "Mikoto...be mine..."Stopping just a few centimeters away from her lips, Vahn waited for Mikoto to give a small nod before pulling her into his embrace instead of going the remaining distance on his own. She was startled, causing her eyes to widen greatly, but calmed down and began reciprocating the kiss he had imposed upon her rather forcefully. She twisted her right hand free, as he had been pulling her wrist, and began to cling to his tunic while slowly pressing herself closer to him. Vahn allowed her to 'push' him back with her efforts until he had impacted the side of the cottage. He kept his right arm around her waist as Mikoto stood on her toes and somewhat eagerly sought to extend the duration of their kiss even further.As she was currently wearing just a light purple kimono, held closed with a red obi, Vahn used his left hand to remove the tightly bound red cloth, causing the kimono to open naturally. Mikoto temporarily broke free from the kiss, doing her best to calm her breathing as she looked down at her bound breasts and the singular piece of fabric 'protecting' the last bastion of her maidenhood. At the same time, Vahn's hand was loosely resting on her hip, thumb playing with the 'tape' that kept the cloth from falling away from her body.Though she already knew the answer, Mikoto took a deep breath and turned her deep black eyes up at Vahn, brows furrowing slightly as she asked, "Vahn...do you love me...?"Without any change in his expression, one which already showed a great deal of love and affection, Vahn nodded his head and said, "I probably can't love you as much as you deserve, but I will always do my best to make you happy, Mikoto...so, yes, I do love you..."Hearing this, Mikoto felt her heart dancing around in her chest while her stomach was performing acrobatic feats that would have caused a circus performer to blush. She felt incredibly giddy just hearing Vahn say those words and, even though she had resolved to simply be his sword, retainer, and mistress, Mikoto couldn't help feeling a little happy at this moment. In fact, it was more than just a little happy and, if not for her own embarrassment keeping her in check, Mikoto felt like she wouldn't be able to stop herself from 'attacking' Vahn...With a small nod of her head, and a happy smile affixed to her face, Mikoto leaned in and gave Vahn another kiss, saying, "I love you too, Vahn...it is hard to even describe all the reasons why...but I do...truly..." Punctuating her words with one last kiss, Mikoto's breathing started to rapidly increase as she added, "Now, let me do my duty...I have prepared myself for this day for a long time...please, leave it to me..." Without explaining how she had 'prepared', Mikoto began crawling down his body while Vahn continued to stand with his back to the wall. Her fingers dexterously unfastened his belt and, in the blink of an eye, Mikoto had released the dragon that had been threatening to break free from the restraints keeping it at bay.Vahn's eyes widened slightly as Mikoto moved her hair to the side and brought her mouth close to his exposed member, pressing her muted cherry-red lips to his glans as she began licking it. Since she was an inexperienced woman, Vahn immediately understood just who Mikoto had been talking to in order to 'prepare' herself. The image of a mischevious four-tailed Renard appeared in his mind as Mikoto suddenly attempted to try and take his full length after lubricating it with her saliva. As she didn't really have the technique to pull it off, she ended up gagging before she even got half of it in, eyes widening in surprise as she tried to adjust her angle while slowly bobbing her head...Understanding that there was simply too much stuff in her room to hide it all, Risna eventually gave up and instead focused on trying to fix her appearance. She hoped that Vahn hadn't been upset when she closed the door and prayed he was still waiting for her. So as not to keep him waiting even longer, even though it had already been nearly twenty minutes, Risna just took a hairband and tied her somewhat messy hair up into a ponytail and tried to fix a few of the stray locks using a small mirror. She then wiggled into a pair of form-fitting pink shorts, noting that they were fitting a little tighter than she remembered and hoping that she hadn't been putting on any weight...After finishing her preparations, Risna took a few deep breaths to try and calm down, muttering, "It's okay, Risna, you can do this...!" She repeated similar phrases a few times, psyching herself up until she was confident in finally opening the door. When she saw that Vahn was indeed still waiting on the outside, Risna couldn't prevent a smile from blooming on her face as she asked, "What brings you to my room, Vahn? Don't tell me that you finally decided to calm the fire in my tiny little heart~?" To ease the tension, Risna had tried to make a joke, even if it hurt a little knowing that he probably hadn't come by for such a reason. At this point, she fell like Vahn didn't actually like her and, if not for the fact that she was Eina's sister, wouldn't have even cared about her at all...Contrary to her expectations, to the extent that she didn't even process the words that left his mouth, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Yes, that was my intention. Sorry for keeping you waiting, Risna. I haven't shown you the care you deserve...please forgive me." To emphasize his remorse, Vahn gave an apologetic bow, further startling the already confused Half-Elf. Her brain was still trying to make sense of the situation and, by the time the gears had clicked into place, Risna's face had turned completely red as her legs turned to jelly. Feeling faint, Risna fell forward but, instead of colliding with the nearby tower of books, she found herself landing in a warm and intoxicating embrace. Without her brain processing what her body was doing, Risna deeply inhaled the fragrance of the boy in front of her, closing her eyes in the process as she enjoyed the aroma that tickled her nose, lungs, and heart...As he was very accustomed to the girls enjoying his aroma, as it was a common trait among many of those he associated with, Vahn didn't mind Risna absentminded actions. Instead, he just casually helped her rise to her feet, supporting her shoulders as he said, "If you'll accept me, Risna, I would like to take our relationship to the next level. We don't have to do anything too serious, but I'd like to spend some time with you..."Still feeling a little absentminded and flustered, Risna just stared blankly back at Vahn as her tired mind slowly made sense of the information. She regretted the fact that she had spent the last thirty hours writing her novel and felt like downing an entire kettle of black tea just to force her brain to start functioning properly. When a few words finally clicked into place, Risna just blurted them out without really thinking about them, startling herself and Vahn in the process as she practically screamed, "Yes, please! I have a ton of things I want to try!" Her mind had been filled with all the delusions she had harbored over the last six years, now swarming around in her head like a school of fish that threaten to drown her rationale completely.Though things were progressing in a slightly different way than he expected, Vahn nodded his head, smiling as he said, "Sure. From now until you wake up later, I'm at your disposal..." He had already decided to stay with Mikoto and Risna until they were completely satisfied, including any necessary aftercare. To Risna, however, these words seemed to set off an explosion in her mind as she quickly ran over to her bed and pulled out a stack of books without titles on them, fingering through them rapidly until she apparently found what she was looking for. Then, with a resolute nod of her head, Risna muttered, "Yosh! You can do it, Risna!" before scampering over and shoving the book into his chest.Taking a deep breath, Risna too excitedly stammered, "Please, do everything in this book! I...I want to live out the fantasies in my head, just to see if my imagination matches what I wrote on paper...!" While she yelled this, Risna's face had become beet red and it looked like she was on the verge of passing out as a result of her rapidly building tensions. To prevent this, Vahn nodded his head, stowing away the book and stroking her head as the contents were rapidly processed in his mind. While he helped to calm her mind, Vahn's own started to buzz after he saw what Risna had in mind in book identified by the system as ['My First Time With A Beast']...Within the book, there was even a 'script' that she wanted him to follow, making it sound as though he greedily sought her body and wanted to 'eat' her. Her own lines were also annotated with slightly shaky pen strokes, making her seem like a frail and helpless young woman who couldn't escape the 'tragic' fate that would befall her. As for the contents of what she wanted him to do...it was far more advanced than what Vahn had expected for a 'maiden'. He realized that, probably from reading too many romance novels written by other people, Risna had developed some rather...deviant tastes...Much like Risna had, Vahn also took a deep breath and resolved himself to help Risna's fantasies come true, so long as they didn't develop in a dangerous direction in the future. He had already promised to do what he could and, though the things described were a little advanced, it wouldn't be the first time he had acted out a 'play'. Anubis, Loki, Maemi, and Emiru were all rather fond of the uniquely intimate act and, at this point, Vahn had a wealth of experience to pull from in order to guide Risna towards a 'safe' direction. Still, that didn't mean he wouldn't start things off according to her expectations so, after helping replenish her stamina, Vahn moved his hand to caress Risna's cheek, tracing it past her pointed ears, and then pulling her towards him in a slow but firm manner as he brought his face to the side of her own and said, "From now on...even if you want to leave me...I will make your body unable to do so...from now until the heavens fall upon the mortal world, you will be mine, and mine alone..."Risna's body began to tremble, simulating fear but actually the result of her rapidly rising tensions. She weakly pushed against his chest, whimpering, "No...please...spare me..." Vahn, however, following the script, began to lick the upper ridge of her ear from root to tip, saying, "It's your own fault, Risna...how can I not eat up such a tantalizingly sweet young maiden..." Punctuating his words, Vahn began nibbling on Risna's ear as she writhed about in his embrace, trying to break free from his inescapable grasp. Then, with her anxious moan as his cue, Vahn put pressure into his hands, firmly gripping Risna's pert little buttocks as he stated in what he intended to be a possessive manner, "I have already decided...there is no escape for you now...blame your own tragic fate for giving you an appearance that stirs up my beastly nature...don't worry, Risna, even if your body can't live without me, I won't let you have any regrets...now, give yourself to me...or I will take it from you..."With her jaw quivering from 'fear', Risna's delicate fingers tightened around the fabric of his tunic as she looked up with wavering eyes and said, "Then take me...I'm yours...you beast..."(A/N: 'Godhand comes a'knockin...','Mikoto's Duty (O-O)...','It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Unsurprisingly, without a great deal of assistance, Risna was unable to see the end of her own story through to fruition. Though things started off smoothly, she quickly ended up at a disadvantage as a result of the fatigue she had been feeling since before they even started. Vahn could help replenish her stamina, and help to calm her mind, but there wasn't much he could about the diminished mental and spiritual energy within her body. He allowed her to push herself a bit but, by the end of things, Vahn was just holding the rather petite Half-Elf in his arms as her sweat covered body slowly calmed down, long having passed into unconsciousness after a little under an hour...His other self was having a significantly different experience, however, as he was able to experience the full extent of what Mikoto considered her 'duty'. Though she had required him to lead into things, Mikoto quickly put herself into a service mentality and had been focused more on his own pleasure than her own. Vahn managed to reverse the situation partway through, but it was still a very refreshing experience having a very different kind of battle with Mikoto. The more he had tried to pleasure her body, the greater her own attempts to service him. By the end of things, Vahn found it rather difficult to believe it was her first time and, if not for the fact that she was Level 6 and had bled a great deal, Vahn didn't think she would have been able to go to such great lengths, lasing nearly five hours before she eventually begged for a reprieve...As a result of his earlier decision, Vahn had found himself in two different rooms, snuggled up with two uniquely adorable girls. Risna, having long fell asleep in his embrace, had a youthful vibrancy and, even though she had her quirks, this actually made her more appealing. As for Mikoto, her demure behavior during the times they were generally together, combined with her serious nature, created a bit of a gap between how she normally behaved, and how she behaved in bed. Though he enjoyed the excitement of spending time with the more experimental and outgoing girls, Vahn had always been rather fond of those who had a 'service' mentality in the bedroom.After this encounter, Mikoto now fell into that category alongside Anubis, Eina, Lunoire, Emiru, and Maemi. As for the other categories, there were the girls who were very open and eager about their emotions, such as Ais, Tiona, Tione, Lili, Haruhime, Chloe, Arnya, Milan, Tsubaki, Hephaestus, Hestia, and Aki. These girls were also the most open to experimental play, generally involving other women within their comfort groups. As for the final two categories, there were the 'competent' women and those that liked to 'receive' more than take proactive action in the bedroom. Loki, Terra, Freya, Syr, Eirene, Demeter, and, surprisingly, Lefiya fell into the former category. As for the latter, which Vahn had a soft spot for, they were the girls like Riveria, Ryuu, Preasia, Naaza, and, now, Risna...Thinking of all the girls he was involved with, Vahn couldn't help but produce a slightly wry smile, even though there was also a great deal of love contained within his gaze. He genuinely cared about all of them, to the point that he would be heartbroken if their paths one day diverged. To prevent that from happening, Vahn tried his best to keep them happy and was infinitely grateful for the efforts they themselves put into their sisterhood. The fact that everyone supported each other, even to the point that they considered 'roping' in other girls, was something that Vahn would never quite be able to wrap his head around. Even so, he was extremely grateful for this fact and, if possible, intended to make them even happier in the future...Lost in his own thoughts, Vahn hadn't gone to sleep throughout the time that Risna and Mikoto were resting. He wasn't too surprised by the fact that Mikoto, even though she had lasted much longer, ended up waking before the rather lazy Half-Elf, the latter having terrible sleeping habits from the start.When she awoke, Mikoto could feel a powerful warmth beneath her that made the cool air within the orb feel somewhat chilly and unpleasant. Generally, she would never mind such things but, as a result of being within the first zone of pressure, it made the warmth coming from the person she was laying against even more attractive. Opening her eyes, Mikoto entered a momentary daze, still struggling to believe that she had finally been able to dedicate herself to the man she had long-since recognized as her Lord, Master, and Lover...With that thought crossing her mind, Mikoto released a rare giggle, causing Vahn's brows to rise slightly as he pulled her closer toward his face and asked, "How curious...I wonder, will you tell me what you find so amusing, Mikoto~?" While speaking, Vahn allowed his left hand to follow the curve of Mikoto's body but, somewhat against his expectations, she lightly slapped away his hand and said, "Sorry...I need to mentally prepare myself before we do something like that again...even though my body feels like it's recovered, I'm afraid my mind may break if we have sex too often..."Recalling this, Mikoto regretted even trying to contend against Vahn in an area where he had every advantage, something she had known about beforehand. Still, her pride and desire to dedicate herself to him had caused her to see the limits of her self-exerted hubris. In the end, her only salvation had been the fact that Vahn showed mercy on her after she begged for leniency. Had this not been the case, Mikoto felt like her dedication to her sword, and everything she believed in, might have been shattered by the almost 'too capable' boy holding her...Vahn gave a casual smile in response to Mikoto, bringing his nose to where it touched against her's as he said, "Don't worry, Mikoto...I just wanted to cuddle with you for a little while..." While speaking, Vahn brought his hand to the small of Mikoto's back without going any further, even though she had a pert little rump that he had grown rather fond of a few hours ago. It wasn't big, but it was immaculately round and had a pleasant firmness that seemed to attract his hands like a powerful magnet.Mikoto gave a small sigh but, instead of rebuffing him any further, just rested her head against his chest and allowed her mind to wander for a little while. In truth, it was very pleasant to simply stay like this and, even if they were to lay in bed for hours, Mikoto didn't think she would mind too much. This, however, was one of the reasons she forced herself to mind it as it seemed counter to how she had lived her life up until this moment. The interest she had towards training, at least for the time being, had almost completely waned and, unless Vahn finally released her on his own, Mikoto wasn't quite sure she would be able to pull herself away from him...Fortunately, though it was rather embarrassing for the 'proud' swordswoman, Mikoto's stomach began to rumble after around twenty minutes of silence. As a result, the rather warm and intimate atmosphere was instantly shattered, causing Vahn to release an amused laugh while Mikoto's face turned tomato red...After getting dressed, even though it was just Mikoto putting on a loose kimono over her naked figure, the two ate a hearty together, Vahn teasing the taciturn young woman by offering her bits and pieces of food with his chopsticks. The fact that she ultimately gave in and ate everything offered to her, even though she was clearly embarrassed, made Vahn feel like moments like this could become addictive. Now that they had consummated their relationship, moments like this would be more prevalent in the future and Vahn was looking forward to seeing how Mikoto would change over time, even if it was subtle.Towards the end of the meal, Mikoko wanted to take advantage of the momentary lull, asking, "After this, what did you intend to do, Vahn? If you're not busy, I would like to have a spar against you..." Though she knew it wouldn't be the case, Mikoto felt like she needed to vent out some of the more difficult to process emotions she was feeling by picking up her sword. In fact, during breakfast, she continued to look towards where it was resting, something Vahn had noticed throughout the meal.With a curt nod, though his smile didn't fade away, Vahn said, "Sure. After we're done, I'll have you join me in the bath and then brush your hair afterward...okay?" Looking at Mikoto, Vahn's smile widened marginally because her silky black hair, which was usually fixed up in a ponytail at the side of her head, was currently loosely hanging around her shoulders. There were a few tangles here and there and, after they finished sparring, Vahn knew it would probably be significantly worse. He suspected that, if she had seen her own appearance, which was currently wearing nothing but a loose kimono over her naked body, Mikoto would be significantly less concerned about training right now...A few minutes later, after Mikoto prepared her equipment, the two made their way into the third pressure zone, the place many of the girls used to temper themselves during training. Though she would only be able to stay inside for around an hour before having to leave, that one hour of training could be worth several in the lower pressured regions. As for Vahn, his body had 'adapted' to the resistive forces of the compressed space, enabling him to move freely without any major restrictions. Since his body had always had an affinity with Space Elemental Laws, his presence within the pressure zones helped to increase his comprehension, even if it didn't do much for his actual training.Mikoto checked herself over, making sure she had her [Effigy of the Hero] safely tucked away, before assuming a squat stance with her legs spread out slightly and her hand resting lightly against the hilt of her katana. Vahn also assumed a stance of his own, wielding a slightly larger katana than Mikoto's that had a muted grey handle. Though there was no way he could directly contend against her mastery in the [Flying Heavenly Sword] techniques, at least during live combat, Vahn still had a few advantages of his own to even the odds.Instead of allowing his aura to spread out for 741m, Vahn condensed it down to twenty, making the space around him even denser. Like this, even if Mikoto used her 'godly' speed, she would actually crash against the 'barrier' he had created and make openings that were easy to exploit. Her only means around this would be to enter within the 20m radius before she began her attack, though she would still have to overcome the resistive forces acting upon her body.As this wasn't her first time seeing Vahn use this technique, as he often used it against the faster girls, Mikoto remained absolutely calm. From the moment she assumed her stance, it was as though her mind completely blanked and, other than this one moment, where she and her sword had become one, nothing else existed in the entire world. In truth, had Vahn not used his domain to make her movements more difficult, almost every strike Mikoto performed would have ended the fight in an instant. Though she was only Level 6, her techniques allowed her to fight people much stronger than herself, with only a few 'anomalies' like Ais, Haruhime, and Tiona being a serious threat to her...From Vahn's perspective, it was like the world around him dimmed slightly and he hadn't even been able to see Mikoto's strike as a blade of formless energy contacted his barrier and 'cut' apart space itself. She wasn't at the level of someone like Ottar, but Mikoto's single-minded pursuit of mastery of the sword had turned her into a true monster. Around two years ago, within the orb, she had started to glean insight into Sword Laws themselves, now able to make her attacks able to strike targets from a distance of around 50m...Though the attack moved faster than he could see, Vahn was able to react to it when it entered into his domain and was 'slowed' by the compressed spatial energy. He used [Shundo] to close the distance between them in an instant, causing his domain to 'slam' into Mikoto but ultimately having no effect on her. Vahn could see the muscles in her body tense slightly, but her eyes remained clear and focused as her figure turned into a phantom image. At the same time, he had already moved to open up a distance between them, coming to a stop nearly 400m away from her. His left arm and leg, being infused with the Sword Laws from Mikoto's strikes, were unable to hold their form until he allowed them to fall freely before reattaching them.Mikoto was perfectly capable of giving chase, as she had also made great strides in techniques like [Shundo], but she chose to stay in her draw stance as she observed Vahn with the intensity of a hawk. From his perspective, he could actually see Mikoto's own 'domain', even though it was just something that had come about as a result of his perception, not something that actually existed. All around her body, there was a small 'bubble' that extended out to a distance of 50m, the maximum attack range of her current Sword Laws. The moment he entered inside of that space, he would have to deal with Mikoto's nigh instantaneous attacks...Knowing this, Vahn just smiled lightly and assumed a draw stance of his own, this time triggering Mikoto to move toward him in an instant. Unfortunately, his mastery of [Shundo] was much higher than her's so, every time Mikoto moved forward, Vahn would keep the distance between them as they skirted around the periphery of the orb. For the first time, Mikoto's expression changed, becoming slightly hardened and more fierce as she forwent using her [Shundo] and instead moved forward with raw speed, temporarily even exceeding her own 'instant movement' technique. Even without skills like [Shundo], the core principle of the [Flying Heavenly Sword] technique relied on having speed that greatly exceeded the limits of the human body, to the point where the user could even move faster than the 'perception' of their opponents.The only thing Vahn saw was where Mikoto had 'started' her movement and she was already on the edge of his domain with a brilliant flash of light emerging from her katana. Though he couldn't see the strikes, Vahn felt nine 'lines' of energy pass through his body in an instant, temporarily disrupting his own energy flow and allowing Mikoto to enter into his domain, moving swiftly at a low angle as she drew a vibrant crescent that seemed determined to split the heavens and earth. Unfortunately, the moment she entered his domain, the world around Vahn had dulled to the point that it was almost monochromatic in color...Ever since the first incident where he almost injured Anubis with [Enkidu], Vahn had noticed he had the ability to 'see' things that were much faster than he should be able to react to. He also had a lot of experience using the [Hearts Desire]s, observing as time slowed and stagnated to the point that he could spend 'hours' within the girls' inner heart without a single second passing in reality. This phenomenon had always resulted in a 'dimming' of the world around him and, understanding this was his own perception of time being altered, Vahn had been trying hard to master using it to his advantage. The final straw had been when Terra assisted him in assuming a [Magia Erebea] form that used Time Elemental energy itself as a catalyst. Though he still had a long way to go until he reached mastery, there were already a few ways Vahn could use this strange phenomenon to great effect...Though Mikoto should have almost been frozen in time, Vahn could still see that she was moving in slow motion, with her blade not only seeming to cut through space, but time itself. If not for his increased perception, he probably wouldn't even be able to react to the attack without having a much greater proficiency with the sword. Still, he 'could' react and, sidestepping the lethal crescent, Vahn was already drawing his own sword, using one of the principle technique of the [Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll], Battojutsu. He noticed that Mikoto's eyes actually followed his movement, but there was nothing she could do to make her body move to avoid the sword that had already come to rest on her neck, with only a single microsecond passing. (A/N: Microsecond = 0.000001s. To put it in perspective, it only takes a single Millisecond .001s for neurons in the brain to send information.)Suddenly, it was like a bubble had burst and color had been restored to the world as both Vahn and Mikoto began breathing heavily. That one instant had pushed both of them beyond their limits and, even though he had the regenerative effects of [Magia Erebea], Vahn could feel the strain on his muscles and mind for a few seconds after the movement. As for Mikoto, she plopped to the ground and allowed the beads of sweat to fall from her forehead as she said, "One day...suuhaaa...I will surpass that instant...suuhaaa..." To this, Vahn just nodded his head and pulled a barrel-like tub out of his inventory, filling it with hot water as he said, "I have absolute confidence you will be able to do that, Mikoto. You're already one of the most skilled swordswomen in the world and, if anyone claimed to be above you, I would be highly skeptical of their claim..."Mikoto was never the type to mind such things, but she still appreciated Vahn's compliment, a small smile spreading across her face. She knew that her skills had already reached a point beyond what she had even been capable of comprehending in the past. If not for Vahn, she could have spent decades trying to master the sword, something she had completely dedicated herself to, and never even scratch the surface of the skills she currently possessed. Now, like most of the girls around Vahn, Mikoto genuinely believed that there was no such thing as limits, each seeing the others break through their own preconceived limits on a daily basis...After the bath was ready, Vahn picked up Mikoto's body, noticing that some of her muscles had actually torn from the excessive strain. He helped liberate her of her clothes, enjoying the light blush on her face before submerging both of their bodies into the hot water. Then, just as he had this morning, Vahn simply focused on enjoying the moment, hugging Mikoto's body from behind as he helped to repair the damage she had suffered from her inhuman movements. All the while, Mikoto stayed relatively docile and just allowed it to happen, the same small smile she had graced the world with earlier never leaving her face...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mikoto is adorable af...','DON'T BLINK(0.003s)','Entrusting oneself to another...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 785: Duality