Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Tensions in the arena had increased rapidly after Vahn's transformation but Hippolyta and Myrina had remained almost entirely unaffected. The latter looked toward her Queen with a questioning gaze and, seeing Hippolyta nod, moved to the viewing area. During the brief moment when Myrina was moving away, Hippolyta uncharacteristically decided to speak, glaring at Vahn as she said, "Your interference will cause my Amazonesses to become weak and complacent. After I defeat you, I'll have you father the next generation until you are no longer useful..." Though she had a lot of resentment towards Vahn, Hippolyta knew he was very powerful and his genes would be of great benefit to all Amazonesses.Vahn had kept his low stance and was waiting for Hippolyta to make the first move but, hearing the words escape her lips, he couldn't help but raise his brows slightly. Though Hippolyta had every right to be proud of her strength, he didn't know what made her so confident that she would come out ahead in a battle between them. She had to know that Tiona was now Level 7 and, with her [Pactio], she could easily fight someone around Level 8. Hippolyta might not be aware of the benefits of a [Pactio] but there had to be people who would have informed her about how easily he had defeated Tiona...Deciding it wasn't really that important, Vahn lowered his head slightly before dashing forward with fierce momentum. He noticed Hippolyta raising her arm, causing a shield to form into existence out of a golden ring she had at her wrist. It wasn't a spatial artifact so Vahn's interest was piqued as a small desire to inspect the wristlet was seeded in his heart. He buried it for the time being, however, as he snaked his feet forward in a practiced motion before twisting his body like a whip. Hippolyta had an expression of mild shock upon witnessing his speed but she still managed to raise her shield and swipe forward while also backstepping to evade Vahn's attack.Vahn's expression became even fiercer when Hippolyta tried to evade him and, even though he didn't consider himself arrogant, a mocking light flashed across his eyes. Whipping his waist had caused his tail to strike heavily against Hippolyta's shield before his continued twist, combined with his agility and flexibility, allowed him to duck low and pass under her blade. This brought him in close striking distance as Hippolyta's dark-brown eyes looked down at him with shock, still in the movement of swinging her blade. Though she had moved backward more than 30m in an instant, Vahn spacing had been impeccable and he hadn't allowed the distance between them to increase even a single millimeter...Though he didn't shout the name of the technique out, Vahn was using a skill called 'Pursuit of the Sacred White Tiger' to keep Hippolyta in his range. His speed was nearly twice that of Hippolyta's at the moment and the technique focused on staying below your opponents center since it made their own movement techniques and attacks harder to perform. Though people didn't have too much difficult striking downward, it wasn't easy to attack an opponent low to the ground without performing a downward swing or swipe, limiting their options and making it harder to follow-through with each successive attack.Taking advantage of the sheer difference in their speed, Vahn brought up his left hand into a claw shape, Wind Elemental energy twisting around his forearm and fingers as he obstructed Hippolyta's vision. She had just started to change the direction of her strike and, out of instinct, tried to swipe away at the obstruction to her vision since the small blades of wind were a serious threat. This allowed Vahn to read her movements as his right hand, also forming the shape of a claw, shot forward from a position around his waist. Hippolyta had still be trying to create distance from him so Vahn had caught her in backward motion as his Sacred Tiger Claw Strike impacted the left side of her ribcage.Hippolyta's attempt to cut off Vahn's left hand resulted in failure as the flow of Wind Elemental energy around his forearms caused her blade to pass around the limb as he nimbly twisted his wrist. This was similar to how Ais would use a barrier of wind to avoid most attacks, though Vahn's was significantly weaker since it wasn't really his specialty. At the same time, the fingers of his right hand had deftly targeted the spacing between Hippolyta's ribs as he tightened his 'claw', hooking his fingers as his nails tore into the proud Queen's flesh. Several things happened the instant he had dealt damage to Hippolyta, some of which had even caught Vahn off guard since it was impossible to know how a person's Innates would manifest...From the ground around Vahn's position, several black vines sprang out from the hard surface of the arena floor and tried to coil around his legs. At the same time, Hippolyta seemed to have given up on trying to evade and instead attempted to wrap Vahn's right arm with her left as she raised her sword into the motion for a downward stab, aiming for the gap between Vahn's neck and shoulder muscles. Vahn had maintained eye contact with her throughout their fight and could see the determination in her eyes as she completely ignored the pain in her ribs and attempted to end the fight. Unfortunately for her, though he was indeed slightly surprised, Vahn had barely even scratched the surface of what his current Baihu form was capable of...Just as it had been coiling around his forearms and paws, there was a dense shroud of Wind Elemental energy around Vahn's legs. It was one of the reasons he was so fast and could easily keep a fixed distance between Hippolyta and himself. When the black vines tried to entangle his legs, the Wind Elemental energy around Vahn's calves exploded outward before forming into a tempest that shredded the vines into fine fibrous particles. This also caused a cloud of dust to form in the arena as the rotational force of the wind began to emulate a weak tornado that surrounded the two combatants. At the same time, Vahn's left paw had once again snaked upward as he 'pulled' Hippolyta to her left by using the claws he had embedded into her side...To her credit, Hippolyta had been able to resist the pain once again as she tried to adjust the angle of her blade, tilting it slightly to try and cut across Vahn's wrist. She didn't think her stabbing action would prove fruitful but it still had a chance to cause Vahn to remove his claws and create a distance of his own. At this rate, there wasn't much she could do since, as much as she hated to admit it, Hippolyta realized that Vahn wasn't just much faster than her, but his Power easily rivaled her own. When his left hand continued forward undaunted, Hippolyta nearly smiled in elation, even as her instincts screamed at her to back away...Though it caused him a bit of pain, Vahn completely ignored Hippolyta's golden sword cutting through nearly half of his forearm and wrist since, even without transforming, he still had the benefit of [Magia Erebea]'s regeneration. Almost immediately after the blade had passed through his flesh, Vahn's wound had mended. He quickly grabbed Hippolyta's wrist this time, meaning he had locked down her effective means of attack for the moment since she was currently trying to prevent his claws from digging deeper into her side by using her vice-like grip to prevent the flexors of his right hand from closing...For a brief moment, it was almost as if the battle had come to an end, allowing the cheering of the crowd to wash over Vahn and Hippolyta as the two glared at each other. Vahn was much taller than the proud Queen in most situations but many of the techniques he had performed thus far required him to have a lower center of gravity. This allowed Hippolyta to look down towards him as she attempted to wrest her wrist free from his grasp. Since their power was truly comparable to each other, this action was ultimately fruitless, causing Vahn to smile lightly as he said, "You have fought well, but I can't let this go on too long..." Knowing that he needed to display his power, Vahn couldn't dally for too long just because he wanted to test his Baihu form against a 'real' opponent.Hippolyta believed Vahn was just using words to taunt her but even that thought didn't have time to pass through her mind since the moment he finished speaking, Vahn rose far beyond his full height. Her head jerked back from the sudden acceleration before, moments later, Hippolyta found herself high in the sky as a result of Vahn's use of [Koku Shundo]. The wind around his arms and legs had also exploded outward, battering against her exposed body like a tempest as he pulled his wrist free from her lock without releasing her swordbearing arm. Hippolyta wanted to use this as an opportunity to strike back but was wholly unprepared for aerial combat as Vahn began to rapidly spin around faster than she could muster a reaction. Her body stretched outward from the intense centrifugal force as waves of hot energy flowed into Hippolyta's arm from where Vahn's hand was in contact with her wrist...What Vahn was doing wasn't exactly a technique that he had learned from observing Baihu, he simply wanted to move the battle into a domain where he had a supreme advantage. Unlike Hippolyta, he was able to fly to the sky with relative ease and, by forcibly relaxing the muscles in her arm, Vahn was able to prevent her from putting up any meaningful resistance as he spun around more than thirty times a second. This wasn't a speed that Hippolyta couldn't deal with but it was extremely disorienting for her while his domain was actively limiting the reactions from her body. She still managed to try and curl up in an attempt to kick him but Vahn used that exact timing to change his orientation as he launched the rapidly tumbling Hippolyta towards the ground.Long before Hippolyta impacted the surface, Vahn had brought both of his hands together, resting the base of his palms against each other as he formed a dual-claw shape. The Wind Elemental energy around his body exploded outward once again, forming a massive green aura around his body that quickly coalesced into the shape of a tiger that was nearly 20m long. Since he wanted to end things in a flash manner, Vahn struck forward with his claws as his voice resonated through the air, easily reaching the ears of every Amazoness below as he exclaimed, "Sacred White Tiger Descends From Heaven...!"Far louder than Vahn's own voice, a terrifying tiger roar echoes through the arena as the visage of the white tiger, comprised of strands of green and silvery energy, barreled towards the earth below. It descended much faster than Hippolyta was falling, enveloping her body and further increasing the momentum of her fall before smashing into the arena below. Vahn made sure to control the energy to disperse outward instead of passing directly into the ground, but it still caused catastrophic damage to the arena as a large crater was left behind after the smoke and dust cleared away. In the exact center of the crater was the unconscious body of Hippolyta, the whites of her eyes showing while vicious lacerations covered much of the surface of her body...Though he had held back a bit, Vahn was surprised by the amount of damage his attack had done to Hippolyta's body since he had expected her to be more durable. He neglected the fact that, unlike most of the people he sparred against, Hippolyta couldn't use techniques like [Cantus Bellax] to protect herself. She also lacked the anti-physical and anti-magical auras of most of the girls, meaning she needed to resist the attack with her physical body alone. Since flesh was generally weak against magical attacks, the amount of damage his technique had done was far beyond expectations...Vahn landed a short distance away from Hippolyta's nearly naked body, his expression stoic and unflustered as the fervent cries from the Amazonesses in the crowd reached his ears. Their auras had meshed together to form a veritable ocean of pink and red that caused Vahn's scalp to tingle since their focus was almost entirely on a specific part of his body. He wondered if this was how the girls that wore relatively skimpy outfits during the sporting matches felt, especially since the event was generally attended by well over a hundred thousand people. Many of these would be men who wanted to witness the rather exciting scene up close, especially since there was the occasional 'slip' where one of the athletes would be exposed. Since many Amazonesses didn't care if they were seen naked, Vahn had to implement rules that uniform malfunctions would result in a penalty if not addressed immediately...Breaking through the fervor of the crowd, an amused laugh spread through the arena that caused a few of the Amazonesses with higher willpower to look toward the source. Kali had a large grin on her face and was clapping boisterously as she exclaimed, "Well done, Vahn, that was a great match! Now, what will you claim as your prize~?" Since he had defeated Hippolyta in honorable combat, Vahn actually had the option of even becoming the first 'King' of the Amazonesses. This was ultimately a meaningless title, however, as he had even greater ambitions than building a harem paradise in this exotic land. After all, unless he brought about several generations worth of changes, there wasn't much development to be made within Telskyura without taking drastic measures.In response to Kali's question, Vahn made eye-contact with the diminutive goddess before passing his eyes over the massive crowd of brown-skinned beauties. He also gave a quick glance towards Amazonesses like Bache and Myrina before resting his gaze upon the smiling faces of Tiona and Tione for a short moment. Then, after nearly a minute of silence, Vahn declared, "I will not become your King, but I will shepherd the Amazonesses towards a future where they can prosper without fully isolating themselves from other societies. In the future, people will look towards the Amazonesses with respect and adulation, not as some species of savages who know nothing but violence and licentiousness..."Though Vahn's words were measured, he quickly noticed that most of the Amazonesses didn't even seem to know what he was saying. His speech was automatically translated into their common tongue but some of the words were a little too 'big' for most of the girls in the crowd. Vahn could even see Kali's brow twitch slightly as her aura began to flicker, a sign that she was doing her best to keep her composure but desperately wanted to say something. This caused Vahn to withhold a wry smile as he shook his head lightly, spreading his arms wide as he shouted, "I'll make sure each of you knows how to have fun while also growing strong. Follow me and I promise that even flying through the sky won't be impossible...!"As Vahn's words fell, he slowly began to rise into the sky while also extending his hand towards Hippolyta. Actions spoke much louder than words in situations like this so Vahn created a massive column of light that enveloped the unconscious Queen's body as he added, "The Amazonesses have always been a race that sought to increase the power of future generations. I will create a world where each successive generation of Amazonesses is far more powerful than the last. You 'will' all do as I say and, if you have any complaints, feel free to try and defeat me in battle. You'll have to go through the Amazonesses around me first, however...!"Though they hadn't rehearsed anything, Tiona and Tione also leaped into the sky and, even though they couldn't fly by their own means, Vahn was able to support them with his telekinesis. Form the perspective of normal Amazonesses, however, this looked like they were flying on their own while the white light that had encompassed their Queen slowly faded away to reveal her pristine body, now completely healed. Vahn caught her in a bridal carry as he looked down at the surrounding Amazonesses and said, "If you want to set me as your goal, you will have to seek strength through the path I will open for you. Unless you think you can match up against proud warriors like these girls, do not waste my time..." The words were a bit harsh, but Vahn knew it was necessary to say them if he wanted to avoid nearly every Amazoness in the crown trying to seek him out in the future.Since strength was the most respected trait within Telskyura, none of the Amazonesses in the crowd were upset by Vahn's words. They instead became even more excited and seemed to be looking forward to the opportunity to increase their own strength to try and approach Vahn in the future. Many had misconstrued his words as both a challenge and a promise, believing they could one day earn a place at his side if they became strong enough. This wasn't exactly false but they would have a lot more than just Tiona and Tione to deal with if they wanted to try their luck at starting a relationship with Vahn. He had already made far too many 'exceptions' at this point and, now that things had developed to this extent, Vahn had a few more promises to keep before he was just about done with expanding his already ridiculous harem...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hippolyta's Priorities xD...','Fights where one party severely outclasses the other are relatively anti-climactic...','A thousand years from now, Vahn will look back on the harem he built in Danmachi with a tired expression and glazed eyes...all with a small smile on his face')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though Kali fought hard to resist the changes in her body, there was little she could do after being stripped of her Divinity. It was the first time in her long existence that she had been truly vulnerable and, even though she shared the same racial traits as an Amazoness, Kali had never experienced the full effect of their body's natural response. In many ways, it was almost as if she were feeling their influence for the first time and, after only a few minutes had passed, Kali's breathing had become somewhat ragged as she glared back at Vahn. All the while this was going on, Vahn remained silent, staring down at the small figure of Kali with a stern expression as he ignored her barbs and insults...Feeling as if her insides were itching, but unable to do anything about it, Kali's anger was quickly turning into a profound frustration, unlike anything she had ever experienced before. She was unable to even rub her thighs together to relieve a bit of the discomfort since there were links of [Enkidu] wrapped around her legs that kept her immobile. Other than her head and neck, the rest of her body felt completely powerless, yet another thing she had never experienced before. As a result, Kali was beginning to feel extremely anxious and was focusing less on Vahn and more on trying to proactively resist the rising tensions in her body.Once things reached a critical level, Vahn squinted his eyes and said, "There are Amazonesses who live their entire lives having to deal with the influence of their instincts and the hormonal imbalances in their bodies. You, as a goddess, haven't even been able to last twenty minutes before you look like you're about to give up...it seems your understanding of what it means to truly be an Amazoness is lacking, Kali. But, you never really tried to truly understand them, did you? Though you may have led them on a path that allowed them to deal with their urges, most of your decisions were simply so you could be entertained and pampered without having to make much of an effort on your own part..."Vahn knew that, though Telskyura was one of the more balanced and 'fair' societies he had ever seen, there were still a plethora of issues. However, as a result of the culture they had established, there were no proactive measures being made to address them. Instead, their focus was almost entirely on keeping things the same, vehemently resisting most changes. Since they were entirely reliant on other communities to even reproduce, Vahn knew this lifestyle would be an extreme detriment in the future he wanted to create. He needed to start laying a foundation for a new path, one where all Amazonesses could continue to thrive, both without being exploited and allowing them to reach their full potential.With that in mind, Vahn lifted Kali's chin again, staring into her slightly glazed eyes as he said, "I will not allow you to keep steering the Amazonesses onto a path that restricts their growth, all while purporting that it is for their own good. I'm certain that I could create a community of Amazonesses that, within two generations, would completely overwhelm this entire society. You talk about Amazonesses constantly seeking power and doing their best to improve but, in all the thousands of years of their culture, have there been more than a handful of Level 7s? Have there been any Level 8s? The current methods keep them pacified and serve as a limiter, allowing only a few of the truly exceptional to shine as a result of the brutal methods that currently exist..."Though he didn't have the full picture just yet, Vahn had noticed that the Amazonesses with the highest potential generally died earlier than those with less. This was because they were generally the 'unique' Amazonesses that possessed much higher mana reserves and special abilities. As a result, they were put through more rigorous training and, even though their society didn't really put a heavy focus on treating any individual special, it was easy to see that older Amazonesses had unfair expectations for these unique individuals. Without proper care, both physical and mental, these young girls would eventually break down, many times with their minds breaking long before their bodies...As much as she wanted to refute what Vahn was saying, Kali wasn't in the state to talk back and, combined with her own observations, she had no means to contradict his claims. Her biggest concern at the moment was resisting the urge to beg for leniency, something her pride would never allow, even while her body and mind both desperately sought it. Vahn seemed to key in on this and, just as it felt like the fires were going to completely consume her, he did something that made Kali nearly tear up as she clenched her teeth in resentment...Vahn noticed the sharp drop in Kali's Affection, causing his brows to twitch slightly. He still chose to ignore it, however, as he reached out his hand and began to stroke Kali's head. Though he had the option to take her by force, Vahn refused to become the type of person that would take someone against their will, even if he 'forced' them into a situation where they wanted it. Even if Kali came to hate him because of his supposed indecisiveness, Vahn would tolerate her hatred since he knew she would eventually come around. This memory would become something deeply embedded in her mind and, even if Kali never openly admitted it, Vahn knew she would never be able to escape from the memory and the subtle influence of her own instincts...It didn't take long for Kali, fully restrained by [Enkidu], to begin to calm down and relax under the influence of Vahn's [Hands of Nirvana: SSS] and [Grooming: A]. She was completely helpless and, even though Tiona and Tione would show a fair amount of resistance if he tried to forcibly relax their bodies, Kali was simply denied the opportunity. Vahn very rarely went all out against the girls that resided in the Manor since it could potentially traumatize or even cause them to develop a dependence on his touch. Kali wasn't afforded this luxury and, with Vahn's understanding of the physiology of Amazonesses, it didn't take him too much effort to slow the release of chemicals in her body while simultaneously causing her extreme comfort.After a few minutes had passed, Kali's body had become completely limp and, without the support of [Enkidu], she would have fallen to the ground. She didn't even have enough strength to raise her head and continue glaring at Vahn, resulting in the once proud goddess to hang her head as a slight dribble of saliva would periodically find its way to the floor. With her in this state, Vahn gently supported Kali's head, still lightly caressing her neck and cheeks as he stared into her dazed eyes and said, "Stop trying to antagonize me. We can both see how much pain it causes you so just stop it. What is the point of having so much pride when you know it will cause you to experience regrets...?"Kali didn't have an answer to Vahn's question but, in her current state of mind, she was extremely receptive to his words. Her body felt so 'fluffy' and warm that it was almost as if she were stuck in an endless dream that brought a profound level of comfort. Vahn's voice seemed to promise even more comfort, causing Kali to listen closely to everything he was saying. She immediately recalled all of the times when she had tried to 'get even' with Vahn, often pushing his limits in a petty and unreasonable fashion. In truth, she actually wanted him to stop letting her get away with such things and had hoped he would 'snap' at some point before directly challenging her to a duel. This would have settled things from the very beginning and, even if she lost, Kali wouldn't have minded too much since she would still receive plenty of benefits...From the look in Kali's eyes, combined with her drooping blue aura, Vahn knew she was experiencing sadness and remorse. This whole event was to give Kali a deep mental impression, but it was also to allow her to reflect without the influence of her Divinity. She already proactively sought him out for comfort before this so Vahn knew she wouldn't be able to take action that would endanger her chances of receiving it again. Since this was also a way in which he had defeated her, Kali would have plenty of 'excuses' to change her behavior and, in time, it was possible that the two would have a positive and healthy relationship in the future. Now, however, Vahn simply couldn't treat Kali as his equal since she simply didn't care enough before...After nearly two hours had passed, Vahn began to loosen [Enkidu] before picking up Kali's limp body into his arms. He sat on the undestroyed cushion where she had been curled up before settling her into his lap, allowing the small goddess to straddle his hips. She didn't wear anything to cover her bottom so this would usually be a precarious position to be in but Vahn ignored it for the time being and just hugged her body tightly. Like this, he let Kali continue to experience comfort, now under the influence of her Divinity. A bit of her awareness had come back but, instead of lashing out at him, Kali simply wrapped her arms around Vahn's body and buried her face into his chest without looking up at him...Throughout the entire evening, Vahn continued to embrace Kali while gently running his fingers through her long hair and along her back. He didn't allow her 'instincts' to trigger at all, keeping her pacified on his lap instead of allowing the tensions in her body to increase. By the time morning had come, signifying that he would have to duel with Hippolyta, Kali's Affection had increased back to 95 from the startlingly low 41 it had dropped to. It would take her some time to adapt to the change in their relationship but, without proactively defeating him, something Vahn would never allow, Kali wouldn't easily be able to go against his words. He was the only person in the world that could allow her to experience the liberating feeling of being free from her Divinity while also providing her a level of comfort that was simply impossible by any normal means.Since they both needed to make a few preparations for what was to come, Vahn put less strength into his embrace before gently pulling Kali away from him. Her arms had resisted for a brief moment, clearly wanting to stay together, but she quickly relented when Vahn put even a small amount of strength into his actions. She was still sitting on his lap but, now that there was a bit of distance between their faces, Vahn could easily see Kali's expression. There was the shadow of a pout on her face as her eyes were averted to the side, avoiding looking directly at him. Vahn's own expression softened a bit when he saw this, causing Kali to give him a quick glance before her mouth formed a tiny frown.Knowing what was on her mind, Vahn brought his hands up, framing Kali's face and turning her to look directly at him as he said, "When we are alone like this, you are mine. I don't mind if you act a little brazenly on the outside, so long as you are proactively helping to fulfill my dream. From now on, we will work together to create a better future for all Amazonesses, even if it takes several long years to do so. You might not have had much of a vested interest in them before, but I'll have you take responsibility for the respect and adulation they have shown you. In exchange, I will still do my best to learn to love you until, one day, we can truly be equals. For now, you will have to be satisfied with the small comforts I can bring you...at least until you are ready for something more."Vahn knew that there was a fair chance that his 'melding' with Kali could have fixed everything from the very beginning, but it could have also had disastrous consequences. With Kali's previous behavior, Vahn didn't really want to understand her perspective completely and, as powerful as Death and Time were, he didn't particularly need her help to develop them. With his Qinglong transformation, he was already beginning to understand the Laws of Space and Time while the concept of Death wasn't exactly difficult to comprehend. He wanted to avoid experiencing them from Kali's perspective for a short while, at least until she was a more stable existence that actually cared about what was taking place in the mortal world...Upon hearing Vahn's words, Kali had felt a longing in her heart but it was overwhelmed by the sense of comfort that she had experienced over the last few hours. It almost felt like an extremely short period of time and, from a certain perspective, it truly was. That 'brief' moment still left a deep impression on her, however, so Kali nodded her head in response to Vahn's words before saying, "Fine...I have already lived for a very long time. Since I can experience so many new things through you, I will try to be more thoughtful in the future. You can't abandon me though...and even if I make mistakes, you have to help me..."With a natural smile, Vahn gently stroked Kali's cheek with his thumbs before saying, "I already told you before, Kali, you're already mine...unless you give me a reason to, I will never abandon you. You were already on thin ice before but I believe everyone has the potential for change, even the gods who have become stagnant and complacent. Time is constantly moving forward and, as long as we never give up trying, it is possible to create a better future for everyone. There are other ways to keep the balance of the world without simply allowing tragedies to continue when we have the power to prevent it..."There was a lot more Vahn could say but he allowed his words to trail off since he knew Kali still wasn't at the point where such things would matter to her. She might nod her head in agreement with him but it would only be because she didn't want to upset him. The only thing that really mattered to her was the fact that he said he would never abandon her, so long as she didn't do anything that would justify him doing so. This clearly established their relationship as being one where Kali was a dependent that was being 'kept' by Vahn, meaning they were no longer on equal footing. If he took advantage of the situation, it wouldn't be that difficult to even turn Kali completely submissive, though Vahn didn't really need another goddess with such character traits under his umbrella. He already had Anubis and, to a lesser extent, Nanu, Naaza, and even Lefiya...Instead of continuing his unnecessary speech, Vahn leaned forward and stunned Kali by giving her a brief kiss on the lips before smiling as he said, "Today is the first day of our new lives. Come, Kali, let's go create a new path for our people to walk..." Though it wasn't accurate to call them 'his' people, Vahn was already accepting responsibility for the future of all Amazonesses. After his battle with Hippolyta, the nation of Telskyura would fall under his influence and, with things like sports and other cultural phenomena, Vahn knew he could bring about real and lasting change. He would also come up with a more humane method to help the Amazonesses reach their full potential without having them undergo such brutal training from such a young age...Putting significantly less thought into things, compared to Vahn, Kali gave an almost demure smile in response before nodding her head and saying, "I'll do my best...make sure to treat me well in the future." This response was something that Vahn hadn't fully prepared himself for, as it was a stark contrast to Kali's behavior over the last three months. He experienced a sense of incongruity that caused his smile to turn awkward before he lightly stroked the confused Kali's head and explained, "You don't have to restrain yourself that much. I know you have a certain amount of intellect and wisdom so find a common ground between the goddess you were, and the goddess you will become. Even if you make a few mistakes, I can be pretty patient...so long as you never even get near my bottom line again..."With these words, Kali showed visible relief before releasing a long and heavy sigh. She had been worried about doing something to offend Vahn but, hearing his reassurance, Kali suddenly felt like a heavy weight had been removed from her heart and mind. Then, for the first time since they had started to interact with each other, Kali raised her head and showed a genuine smile as she exclaimed, "Make sure you teach that brat a lesson. I'll support you to the best of my ability, but I'm not really suited for such delicate things. The other goddesses in the Alliance can worry about such things while you can leave the establishment of the Amazoness settlement to me. If you want to try and bring change without conflict, the best way would be to show the other Amazonesses proof of a path that is better than their current way of life. Creating a community where they can thrive and grow beyond the restrictions of their current culture will be the best path forward."Vahn was genuinely taken aback by Kali's words, as they were in line with the very things he had discussed with Loki previously. She seemed to key in on the fact he was 'shocked', causing a small frown to appear on her face as she muttered, "Don't think you can get away with bullying me too easily...I'll really try my best, so you have to treat me well from now on..." There was a mixture of anger and anxiety in Kali's words as she looked towards Vahn with a plea in her eyes. In truth, she didn't know how to comprise well so this was all relatively new to her. Vahn was well aware of this, causing him to give a comforting and supportive smile before gently embracing Kali as he said, "Don't worry, Kali, I will also do my best...we'll slowly figure this out, together..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Commence the Petting into Oblivion strat...!','The Embrace of Death...','Plz, no bulli (T^T)...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 956: Whim