Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Not long after Nobunaga had wandered off on her own, Rin produced a dry laugh while Fenrir adopted an admittedly adorable pouting expression as she complained, "I don't like her." Though she hadn't been worried that her Master would be harmed, just the fact that Nobunaga had attacked him twice was enough to put her at the top of Fenrir's list of hated individuals. As for Rin, she actually found the situation somewhat humorous as, given what she knew of Vahn, the fact he had summoned such a Servant almost seemed like 'just desserts'. He had been like a demon during her training and, now that he had summoned a Servant of his own, it seemed like she represented many of the traits he generally kept hidden.Curious about the identity of Vahn's Servant, Rin asked, "So, did she end up introducing herself? Based on the fact she used a pistol, I imagine her classification is an Archer-Class Servant, right?" Even though Nobunaga had also used her sword, Rin didn't find it particularly impressive, especially when compared to the fact she could manifest a pistol out of then air before firing magical bullets. Unsurprisingly, Vahn nodded his head in response to her words before saying, "She said her name was Oda Nobunaga, the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. It doesn't seem like she will be easy to deal with unless I use a Command Spell..." Since Master's were able to sense the presence of their Servants, Vahn could sense that Nobunaga had already left the Tohsaka Manor before wandering off on her own.Hearing Vahn's words, Rin showed mild surprise on her face as she asked, "Oda Nobunaga? To think that yet another Heroic Spirit is actually a woman...hell, the real Oda Nobunaga was actually born after the Holy Grail War had already begun. It's pretty rare for someone born so late into the Age of Men to become a Heroic Spirit. At least this confirms our suspicions that the Grail is seriously messed up. Not only did I end up with two different Servants from the Mesopotamian Era, but your Servant is eastern in origin, meaning the Grail's previous restrictions pretty much aren't applicable anymore."Nodding his head, Vahn then took a quick glance at his Command Spells which, curiously, took on the shape of a bow with a cross-shaped arrow running through it. He didn't know if this was the result of summoning an Archer-Class Servant, or if whatever method the Grail used to 'scan' potential Masters had somehow detected his own skill with the bow. Since the magic circle hadn't done anything to his body, Vahn suspected that scan that Akasha had performed was also stored within the Root when she transferred his body over...Deciding not to 'force' Nobunaga to follow his orders, Vahn instead turned his attention to Fenrir before heavily stroking her head. She wasn't in the best of moods so he played with her ears as he said, "We won't have much free time once the Holy Grail War starts so I'll make sure to pamper you plentily tonight."Fenrir's mood immediately improved when she heard her Master's words while, at the side, Rin's expression became much redder than usual. Noticing this, Vahn gave her a concerned look that caused her to shake her head lightly before saying, "I'll be fine. Just for tonight, I don't mind if you and Fenrir make a bit of noise..." As these words left her mouth, Rin's red became two shades darker since it almost sounded like she didn't mind listening in on them. At the same time, her heart was starting to beat like a drum within her chest as, even 'deeper' within her chest, a presence began to spread from an area beyond her ability to discern.Noticing Rin's abnormal state, Vahn's [Eyes of Truth] activated, allowing him to see a foreign mana expanding outward, slowly encroaching Rin's own. What he didn't expect was, from the moment he activated his [Eyes of Truth], Rin felt like her body was burning wherever Vahn passed his gaze. She had the distinct impression that he could see through her completely, causing Rin intense feelings of shame and, more frustratingly, excitement. She barely even heard Vahn's words as he explained, "It seems like Ishtar isn't content with staying cooped up. What a troublesome woman..." Even with his aversion to forcefully imprisoning anything, Vahn knew that Ishtar was essentially an unwanted invader within Rin's body. Her comfort wasn't that important to him since she showed no regard for Rin's, her host and Master's, feelings...Deactivating his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn gestured for Rin to turn around and, somewhat surprisingly, she complied without a word. He then proceeded to place an even stronger 'seal' to prevent Ishtar from emerging while, at the side, Fenrir looked toward Rin with squinted eyes. Even if her Master seemed to be willfully ignoring it, her nose couldn't be fooled. She could 'smell' the peculiar aroma of a woman wafting from Rin's body, causing her to feel a strong desire to 'protect' her Master from Rin's inevitable attempt to seduce him. She had learned a lot from Loki, Syr, and Haruhime so, unless her Master was seeking Rin out on his own volition, Fenrir wouldn't let her get close to him without a good reason. It didn't matter to her if Rin was being influenced by a god as, ultimately, that was her problem, not something her Master should have to concern himself with...Feeling Fenrir's gaze on her back, Rin felt as if her entire body was covered in a thin layer of ice which, surprisingly, helped her calm down quite a bit. If the influence of Ishtar was like a tiny flame that continued to grow in intensity, Fenrir's glare was like a bucket of ice water that doused it almost instantly. As a result, by the time Vahn had finished 'sealing' away Ishtar once again, Rin had managed to regain enough composure to appear relatively unflustered as she said, "I'm going to inform the others that we both managed to summon Servants. I'll be going with the story that my Servant is the Lancer-Class, Fenrir, so you'll have to provide her with a spear..."Though Fenrir had never actually fought with a spear before, her natural dexterity and agility would allow her to play the part without too much difficulty. She may not be able to contend against the more powerful Servants, especially since the Grail was being finicky, but neither she nor Rin had to worry about acting alone. Fenrir was essentially just Rin's bodyguard, at least until the latter was forced to take action and reveal the existence of her actual Servants. Most of the fighting would still be handled by him, insofar as taking the fight to enemies was concerned.With Rin's condition stabilized for the time being, Vahn and Fenrir retired to the study to lounge about while Rin went off to call Lord El-Melloi II. Vahn used this time to play with Fenrir's tail for a bit as he looked through his Unit Management which, even though she wasn't actually his Subordinate, listed Nobunaga's status. It showed her Loyalty value as (-), meaning the number was null from The Path's perspective. Fortunately, it didn't matter that much if Nobunaga was truly loyal to him as, even if she had a high level of [Independent Action], she still had to follow the rules of the Holy Grail War. He hadn't given her any orders so she couldn't attack normal civilians and, unless they attacked her, even other Masters and Servants were off-limits.-----------------------------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Oda Nobunaga]Age: AgelessRace: HumanStrength: 30CEndurance: 43BAgility: 33CMagical Power: 41B+Good Luck: 47B++Soul Tier: 3 (Fragmented Lord)Noble Phantasm: [Three Thousand Worlds: Three Line Formation:E~A]Origin: Anti-Divine, PurposeSkills: [Loved by Fate:Innate:SS], [Child of the Stars:Innate:B], [Conquerer's Oath:Innate:B], [Tenka Fubu:A], [Demon King:A], [Strategy:B], [Magic Resistance:B], [Independent Action:B]Magic: (-)Magecraft: (-)[Tenka Fubu]Rank: APassive: User becomes stronger in the presence of any entity of Divine origin.Active: Attacks against entities of Divine origin have a high chance of ignoring resistances.[Demon King]Rank: APassive: Recognized as an evil entity by the world, regardless of alignment.Active: Increases parameters based on the amount of malice targetted towards the user.[Strategy]Rank: BUse: The user's ability to plan and make sound decisions under pressure.[Magic Resistance]Rank: BUse: The user's ability to resist magic attacks equal to the skill's rating and lower.[Independent Action]Rank: BUse: The user's ability to act independently without relying on a Master's support. Significantly reduces mana consumption when outside of combat.-----------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was rather impressed with Nobunaga's status but, considering she was a Heroic Spirit that had been recognized by the Throne of Heroes, it wasn't too difficult to believe she should have been very powerful during her time alive. Though the legend surrounding a person could actually make their Heroic Spirit more powerful than the original, especially for more recent Heroes, that didn't really matter to Vahn. Just the fact that Nobunaga's [Good Luck] had nearly broken through the 'limit' set by the Root showed a great deal of promise. It shouldn't be easy for Nobunaga to promote her strength further but, with the supplement of his Source Energy, Vahn felt like she would be a nightmare for other Servants at her preferred range...What Vahn was curious about was the power of Nobunaga's Noble Phantasm as, unlike other skills and abilities, there was no information on its function within her Status. Since each Servant's Noble Phantasm was usually their strongest means of attack or defense, Vahn couldn't help wondering what Nobunaga's did. The fact that it showed a never before seen variable like E~A seemed to indicate that it either had a variable efficacy or was entirely dependent on luck. Vahn assumed it was the former as it would be a significant weakness if Nobunaga's Noble Phantasm was solely based on her Good Luck parameter...Deciding it was best to ask directly, Vahn focused his mind before sending his thoughts to Nobunaga, asking, ("Nobunaga, can you explain to me the functionality of your Noble Phantasm? I need to know exactly what you're capable of if I want to incorporate you into my plans.") Even if he ultimately handled the battles himself, Vahn still wanted to know if Nobunaga might be useful for providing support fire. The only problem was, even if he would normally be immune to her attacks, Nobunaga actually dealt significantly more damage to beings of Divine origin. Since he had two active skills that made him even weaker against such attacks, there was a chance a stray shot of her's could actually injure him pretty severely. This wouldn't kill him, by a long shot, but it had been a while since his body was destroyed and Vahn wasn't in a hurry to experience it again...In response to his telepathic message, Nobunaga's voice sounded as if it were spoken directly into his ears as she mused, ("I was wondering how far you were going to let me wander off before sending me a message. I've already made it from one coast to the other and was just on my way to check out the northern part of the island. You're lucky I didn't just run off on you, boy.") There was a bit of excitement contained within Nobunaga's voice that, even without knowing what she was up to, it was easy to intuit that she was enjoying herself.Releasing a light chuckle, Vahn played with Fenrir's floppy ears as he said, ("I don't think you're the type that would just wander off and abandon your duty. Since you already claimed to recognize me, I don't mind letting you explore the area on your own. I trust your judgment, Miss Demon King...") With what he had learned about Nobunaga over the last few hours, Vahn knew she was the type that dedicated herself to whatever she decided upon. She was a great revolutionary during her times and, even though her reputation painted her out to be an evil and malicious force, Vahn felt that this was more along the lines of historical embellishment. After all, the policies Nobunaga enacted during her time, combined with the efforts she put into trying to help her people prosper, painted a different picture from how she was commonly portrayed in media...Though he didn't hear her laugh through their telepathic link, Vahn could imagine Nobunaga standing atop a building, gazing out over the horizon as she answered, ("My Noble Phantasm allows me to summon as few as a single matchlock, or as many as three-thousand. So long as you can provide me with an adequate amount of mana, I can even wipe out entire armies on your behalf. Though, if you expect me to work that hard for you, expect that you'll owe me quite the debt after the fact. You had better prepare some strong sake and a full banquet if you want me to defeat your enemies on your behalf.")As he was starting to feel like he had a grasp on Nobunaga's nature, Vahn's expression became more resolute as he replied, ("I do not require others to fight my battles for me. If you want to sit in the back and watch me do all the work, be my guest. I'm not after the Greater Grail to have something like a wish granted, as I'm perfectly capable of achieving my goals without such things. Our goal is to destroy the Grail and bring this whole farce to an end, nothing more, nothing less.") Though Vahn obviously didn't include the fact that The Path already provided him with infinite possibilities, including having wishes granted, that didn't make his words any less true.For several seconds after he finished his words there was only silence in response, even though Vahn could sense that he was still linked telepathically with Nobunaga. When she finally responded, there was a slightly teasing tone to her voice as she stated, ("You won't catch me idling, Vahn. If that is your true desire, don't think I'm going to miss out on the fireworks. Stay alert though, or I might send one flying up your ass...!") Following this, Vahn could swear that Nobunaga was laughing boisterously on the other side, even though it didn't leak through their connection. Since this seemed to be a quirk of her nature, he decided to ignore it and simply replied, ("Make sure you return by nightfall. You don't seem like the type to get caught off guard, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Even if I don't need your help to achieve my goals, losing someone that is supposed to be my ally would leave a bad taste in my mouth.")This time, Vahn could imagine Nobunaga waving her hand in a dismissive manner as she half-heartedly answered, ("Yeah, yeah, don't worry. Contrary to what my appearance might lead you to believe, I'm a big girl. Just make sure to summon me if you get into some trouble you can't handle. If you call me Big Sis, I might lend you a hand.") With these parting words, the connection Vahn had established with Nobunaga was severed rather unceremoniously. As this was within his expectations, he didn't let it bother him and instead shifted his complete focus to Fenrir before tracing his index finger around her navel. This caused her jaw to tremble slightly as she opened her eyes just enough to let her scarlet red irises shine through...Since Nobunaga would almost certainly return before nightfall, Vahn knew his time to 'pamper' Fenrir would come to an end a bit earlier than expected. Though it was somewhat embarrassing, Vahn actually couldn't send mana directly to Nobunaga through the mana pathways that were supposed to exist between Master and Servant. As the Grail was incapable of altering his body, Vahn completely lacked the capability to efficiently send Nobunaga mana without direct contact. Though he could get around this if she was inside of his domain, it was a problem if she encountered an opponent on her own.Nobunaga was obviously cognizant of the fact that she wasn't receiving any mana from him so, even if they footed around the issue, she would 'obediently' return in the evening. Then, either through the use of [Hands of Nirvana] or feeding her mana-rich foods, Nobunaga would be able to replenish her reserves. There were also a few more 'intimate' methods in which to transfer mana, such as the exchange of bodily fluids and 'life essence', but Vahn had no intentions of even broaching the subject. If it came down to it, at least during an emergency situation, he would allow her to directly consume his blood. This would undoubtedly provide her with more than enough energy to keep going, just as the Tier 5 Eva had been able to persist for years after feeding for a little over an hour.With his mind wandering slightly, Vahn leaned down, kissing Fenrir's collarbone before moving his way up her neck. She responded by placing her paw against the back of his head while stretching her neck to increase the available surface area. Vahn found this rather adorable so he made sure to move nice and slow to savor the moment. It wasn't until he could feel Fenrir's claws begin to poke through his hair that he released a light chuckle and moved to her lips. At the same time, his right hand snaked down her abdomen, sending 'electrical' surges through her body before he invaded the fabric of her shorts. She was wearing a light T-shirt and a pair of denim shorts that matched the style of the modern era. Though they were made from magic, they had the textile sensation and functionality of actual fabric, making it so that the elastic band allowed Vahn access to the treasure concealed within...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nobu-chan is super lucky o_o...','Playful Banter','(U,...,U)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

As the day extended, preparing to transition into the cold descent of night, Vahn and a decidedly refreshed looking Fenrir were sitting at the dining table together. Since she hadn't come down yet, Vahn was keeping tabs on her through his domain but, seeing that Ishtar hadn't shown up, he credited her absence to the fact that she was just tired from the events earlier in the day. This left Vahn and Fenrir alone for the meal so the latter was sitting on his laps as Vahn continued his 'pampering' by transferring pieces of food to her mouth-to-mouth.It was when Vahn was passing a small blue gemstone from his mouth to Fenrir's that the latter's ears stood on end, slightly before even he sensed the new presence that had just appeared in the room. Turning his focus towards apparently empty space, the sound of a tongue clicking could be heard before Nobunaga appeared out of thin air, accompanied by a fluctuation of mana particles. Turning her gaze upon Fenrir, Nobunaga remarked, "You're a sensitive one, ain't ya? Those ears and tail...you some kind of Yokai or Shikigami?"Though Nobunaga's arrival hadn't come as much of a surprise, what caught Vahn off guard was the fact she had ditched her previous attire and had donned what looked like business casual, complete with an unbuttoned blazer, slacks, and expensive-looking dress shoes. It was similar in color to her previous garb, being predominately black, while a blood-red tie had found its way around her neck. Even more surprising was the fact that she had tied her hair up into a long ponytail that cascaded past her hips, giving her a sharp and somewhat masculine appearance. This was made even more apparent by the fact that, even though she had changed clothing, Nobunaga still had her sword tied around her hip...Instead of letting Fenrir spoil her mood, Vahn kissed her forehead before saying, "Wait for me in our room." This caused her to nod before sending a glare towards Nobunaga as she trotted upstairs with a quick pitter-patter of steps. Nobunaga followed her with an amused smile on her face, waiting until Fenrir had ascended the stairs before turning to Vahn and teasing, "Don't tell me I'm going to have to worry about you crawling into my futon at night. You're a hundred years too young to think you can share a bed with this Demon King. Don't worry though, I'll give you a fighting chance...how about I allow you to massage my feet? If you're skilled, I might let you move your way a bit further up, kukukuku..."Vahn hadn't been intending to humor Nobunaga at first but, hearing her essentially call his massage skills into question, he adopted a teasing look of his own before saying, "You should measure your words more carefully, Nobunaga. Even more than the gods themselves, there are some things you should never challenge haphazardly, lest you lose the ability to even regret your decisions." As he spoke, Vahn channeled Source Energy into his fingertip and, even though his [Hands of Nirvana] were much weaker at the moment, he was confident it was enough to get even a Demon King to concede defeat.With a flash of light flickering across her blood-red eyes, Nobunaga's expression suddenly became extremely serious. Her eyes appeared twice as sharp as normal as a borderline murderous smile spread across her face as she warned, "Perhaps you have the right to make such claims...however, boy, you should consider that it is you who should measure their words carefully. I fear you haven't considered the consequences of challenging this Demon King and losing." As Nobunaga continued to speak, a powerful bloodlust began to radiate off of her, something only one who had slain an incalculable number of lives would be able to possess.Instead of shying away, Vahn's own expression turned serious as his own aura began to spread through the room, forcing back Nobunaga's almost instantly. At the same time, he leaned forward with both arms on the table, crossing his hands under his chin as he said, "Though you may have fought to lay gods low with military might, I was able to accomplish far more with just these two hands of mine. I won't deny that I'm overconfident at times, but this is the one thing I can assure you of, Nobunaga. If you continue down this path, your pride may not be able to last the night, much less the entire Holy Grail War..."As soon as Vahn's words fell, Nobunaga dropped low before dashing forward like a phantom, instantly reaching a speed close to 800km/h. Even faster than that, a black projectile flew towards Vahn's face that he was able to easily catch out of the air, revealing its identity as a dress shoe. Following this, Nobunaga's black-socked foot tried to plant into his face but, with much the same ease, Vahn caught her by the ankle while squinting his eyes. At this point, Nobunaga had an expression that seemed like it could cause ice to frost over as she icily stated, "I'll take you up on your challenge, brat. If you think you can cower this Demon King, you have severely underestimated me."With Nobunaga having planted her other foot in a dangerous position between his legs, an impressive feat considering she had crossed the tabletop without even knocking over the vase in the center, Vahn could feel the 'promise' of violence contained within her words. He didn't know why himself but, having her continually talk down to him since her summoning made it almost impossible for him not to antagonize her a bit. It was similar to his almost instinctual need to tease serious and intelligent girls, especially if they were the strong-willed types...The moment that train of thought crossed his mind, realization donned upon Vahn, bringing a stop to his actions just before he removed Nobunaga's sock. It was only now that he realized where this compulsion came from as, though they were remarkably different, Vahn briefly overlapped Nobunaga's image with that of Kali and, to a lesser extent, Loki. Not only did she have the aura of blood and death that often followed Kali around, Nobunaga also had a sharp mind that allowed her to verbally spar with him without a moment's hesitation. Her unwillingness to back down was similar to both Goddesses but, instead of having an almost overwhelming presence, something that could only be achieved with an almost incomprehensible amount of time, Nobunaga seemed distinctly 'human' in how she carried herself...Sensing the shift in Vahn's state, Nobunaga's expression became even icier, a complete lack of empathy contained within her now glowing red eyes. Before she was able to get any words out, however, Vahn's chuckled in what sounded like an admonishing tone before his left hand grabbed her calf with a bit of force. Though this meant little to Nobunaga, as she wasn't even remotely bashful, the 'jolt' that accompanied Vahn's touch had caught her by surprise. In the next moment, Vahn, seemingly having returned to normal, stated in a teasing tone, "I wonder how long you'll be able to stand in this awkward position..."Currently, Nobunaga was balancing on one foot, located between Vahn's thighs, as the latter kept her from falling over with the hold he had on her leg. It was a testament to her balance that she was able to maintain the pose without even shaking but Vahn knew this wouldn't last long as he slowly rolled her sock down to the heel of her foot. This caused Nobunaga's brows to furrow but, instead of showing any trepidation, she confidently stated, "The time for talk has already expired. Now, this has become a battle of wills. If you drop your guard for even a moment, don't think I won't take your head..." No sooner had these words left her mouth, Nobunaga had already unsheathed her sword as it drew a flash-like arc through empty space.Vahn had inclined his head backward to evade the blow, all while simultaneously sending a veritable flood of Source Energy through Nobunaga's calf. Though he was tempted to hasten her defeat by sending a few choice threads to the more sensitive nerves in her body, Vahn wasn't quite sure he wanted to egg Nobunaga on in such a way. For the time being, he targetted some of the less sensitive nerve clusters as he liberated her sock and pressed his thumb into her heel before pushing deeper into the soft tissue of her arch. Nobunaga showed a surprising lack of response but Vahn wasn't too worried as he pushed off the ground, sending the chair crashing towards the floor to evade Nobunaga's follow-up attack.Though his actions nearly ended up forcing Vahn into a rather awkward position, where Nobunaga was essentially standing on him, he rolled with the momentum before genuinely surprising his errant Servant when they flipped over in mid-air. Vahn had used his Telekinesis to anchor himself, changing their center of gravity to a fixed point that allowed just enough room for them to 'rotate' in the air. As a result, Vahn found himself sitting on Nobunaga's back as he pulled her leg up at an awkward angle and continued to massage her foot. Though she released a grunt when he sat on her, Nobunaga quickly recovered as she attempted to twist her torso around, this time holding a matchlock pistol in hand.Without flinching, Vahn casually remarked, "Here I am using nothing but my hands while the Great Demon King has to result to using her trump card at the beginning of the battle..." This remark caused Nobunaga's trigger finger to pause for a brief moment, but only just. She showed next to no hesitation at all, remarking in a 'confident' tone, "If you think this is really my trump card, you deserve to take a few bullets for your ignorance." Though she managed to get these words out, Nobunaga found herself unable to fire a second shot as Vahn sat further up her back before tapping several points along her spine. Even though Servants were made manifest through mana, they still had bones, organs, tendons, and, most importantly, nerves...Nobunaga's expression didn't change much as she watched her arm fall powerlessly to the wayside but, after having her face forced into the ground as a result of Vahn pulling her legs further back, she finally seemed to realize she had made a mistake. She futilely tried to lift her body using nothing but her neck muscles but Vahn was relentless as he moved her slacks up to expose her calf completely before 'gently' massaging her surprisingly tender legs. It was hard to tell, as Nobunaga seemed to prefer to wear men's clothing, but her figure actually wasn't as underdeveloped as he expected. Though she was somewhat petite, like most Japanese women, Nobunaga was only around 5cm below the national average while her hips and thighs were plusher than expected as they stretched the fabric of her slacks...Contrary to the bravado she had shown from the start, it hadn't even taken three minutes for Nobunaga to fall completely silent as she clenched her teeth and exhaled through her nose. She couldn't tolerate the idea of surrendering so, even as the effects of Vahn's massage continued to increase in intensity, the Source Energy within her body overlapping and amplifying itself, she refused to admit defeat. This only egged Vahn onward, even though he was fully aware of the fact that Rin had awoken after hearing the chair crashed to the ground. When Nobunaga fired off her pistol, Rin had started to get dressed and seemed to be preparing to come downstairs at any moment...Knowing things would become unnecessarily complicated if Rin walked in on him practically pinning Nobunaga to the floor, Vahn placed his right hand on the outside of her thigh, just a few centimeters below her butt. He had avoided touching any 'inappropriate' areas, as there was a chance it could set Nobunaga off later, but that didn't mean he couldn't get close. Vahn pressed his thumb into her skin enough to make an indentation that was nearly a full centimeter deep as a rainbow hue flickered across his palm. Though Nobunaga had been quiet before, a resistant grunt escaped her throat as Vahn began to slowly move his thumb up and down her leg. He made sure never to cross the halfway point leading to her inner thigh but that didn't prevent a powerful stimulation from causing Nobunaga's leg to twitch violently with his gentle movements...With his [Eyes of Truth] active, Vahn was very aware of the state of Nobunaga's body so, just as it seemed as if she was about to suffer a 'defeat', he immediately released her foot before rising to his feet. Pulling out a towel, Vahn began to wipe down his hands while commenting, "You're one of the toughest women I've ever met. Since we're limited by the situation, how about we call this one a draw? It's a shame, really, I feel like I wasn't that far away from claiming victory..." With that said, Vahn leaned down over Nobunaga's body, ignoring the 'resentful' glare she was sending his way as he tapped a few points along her spine, effectively restoring her mobility.Though she 'really' wanted to attack Vahn right now, Nobunaga felt weak in the knees as she slapped aside the hand he had offered to help her up. She made a show of rising on her own power before turning her eyes towards the corridor and muttering, "It seems your judgment is correct..." With those parting words, Nobunaga disappeared into her Spirit form but, much to her surprise, she noticed that the 'sensations' Vahn had imprinted in her body hadn't faded. Assuming this form was supposed to be a method that would allow Servants to purge things like toxins and other abnormal status effects. Whatever Vahn had done, however, seemed to linger within her body like a tenacious parasite that burrowed directly into the more sensitive areas of her body...Unaware of what Nobunaga was thinking, Vahn picked up the chair only moments before Rin entered into the dining room. When she saw it was only Vahn present, it didn't take being a genius to understand that his Servant had been the one to cause trouble. Though the sound of gunfire was proof enough of this, the fact that Fenrir was absent meant it was a personal matter between Vahn and Nobunaga themselves. Thus, with a skeptical expression on her face, Rin looked around the area as she asked, "What was that all about?"In response to this, Vahn produced a wry smile as he answered, "Call it a difference in opinion between Master and Servant. Nobunaga and I both have our pride and it doesn't seem like we'll be able to coordinate properly until the status quo has been established..." Though he was saying these words to Rin, Vahn knew that Nobunaga was listening in as well. Because of the very same pride he mentioned, she wouldn't be able to talk about her near-defeat, especially since he had effectively 'spared' her. Vahn knew this was effectively placing a proximity mine that only he could set off but, feeling that teasing Nobunaga was surprisingly refreshing, he was prepared for whatever form of revenge she had in mind.Rin knew there was more to the situation than Vahn was explaining but, at the same time, she had her own troubles to worry about at the moment. Even though Ishtar was sealed away, her body had been burning up since earlier in the afternoon. Her desire to return to bed was stronger than her desire to press Vahn for information he would never give without having a good reason. She knew he was creating a 'wall' between them, so Rin just shook her head before saying, "Other people are trying to sleep. You shouldn't be making noise this late..." With those words, she turned her back and was preparing to head back to bed before Vahn said, "Rin...", resulting in her turning back around a little faster than she had intended.Vahn had a gentle smile on his face as he walked over, causing Rin's heart to begin beating rapidly, at least until he handed her a small bag of cookies and said, "You should eat something light before going to bed. These are made with lemon and vanilla so the mild tartness you seem to enjoy...make sure you get some proper rest once you return, okay?" Though Vahn hadn't directly peeked into Rin's room, he was aware of the fact that she had been moving around restlessly all afternoon. He wasn't foolish enough to misunderstand what was wrong with her but, as he would like to avoid complicating their relationship, Vahn trusted Rin to take care of herself until things got 'too bad'. If she could accept that his help was just to make sure she was able to function normally, that would be one thing, but Vahn knew that Rin's affections for him had started to blossom in recent days...After hearing Vahn's words, Rin's face became beet red as she quickly turned around and ran down the corridor. Towards the end of the hallway, Vahn could hear her mutter, "Idiot...!" in a flustered voice before hastily making her way up the stairs. It was only then that Nobunaga manifested again, now with a faint of a blush on her own face as she gave Vahn an accusatory look and commented, "That is pretty cold of you, don't you think? I get that you might not be romantically interested in her, but it's pretty cruel to play around while someone that is supposed to be your companion suffers. Even I'm not 'that' evil.."Vahn was a little surprised by the impact of Nobunaga's words, causing his mood to quickly sour as he matched her gaze with his own and explained, "There is much about this situation that you're unaware of, Nobunaga. I have-" Before he could finish his sentence, Nobunaga crossed her arms with a look of ridicule on her face as she said, "Don't even try to bullshit me, boy. After the stunt you just pulled, do you really think I would believe half of whatever excuse you were about to pull out of your ass? You know full-well what you were doing to my body so don't pretend to be a righteous saint when the scent of two different women is still fresh on your hands. If this is your true nature, I seriously misjudged you, brat..."With her admonishment apparently finished, Nobunaga snorted before turning around and walking through the closest wall, vanishing in a flash of magical light. Vahn had replenished her reserves, and then some, with his earlier actions so she could easily wander around for 2-3 days without issue. Since she was now pissed off, on top of feeling frustrated, Nobunaga didn't want to humor Vahn in the present moment as, instead of exiting the Manor, she moved towards Rin's room in her Spirit form. If Vahn wasn't willing to take responsibility for what he had done, she figured it wouldn't be a wasted attempt to try and find comfort with her fellow 'victim'...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Demon King Vs. Godhand','An 'indecisive' victory...?','That awkward moment when your pseudo-loli female Servant is more of a man than you are...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1037: Intent : Lull