Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While engaging in conversation with Touko back in her cottage, Vahn was also back in his workshop alongside Da Vinci and Sophia, the latter of whom was currently working on an airtight suit as she had recently taken an interest in outer space.Having succeeded in his prank, Vahn pulled out a small black orb from his Inventory, a smile on his face as he explained, "Your [Battle Sphere] ended up working perfectly. Touka didn't even realize she was inside a [Space-Time Orb] at all."Rather than an illusion, the trick Vahn used against Touko merely involved using a modified [Space-Time Orb], one which had a much larger radius. It was able to pull everyone within a certain distance into a near-perfect replica of the surrounding space, making it nearly impossible to ascertain what had happened. This was something he and Da Vinci had worked on together and, in many ways, it could be compared to a portable [Reality Marble].Hearing Vahn's tone, Da Vinci gave him a knowing look before saying, "Your bad habit always comes to the surface when you are stressed out. Make sure you don't tease her too much. Cold women like that are weak to men who are capable of peeling away their defenses."Though he didn't ignore her advice, Vahn shrugged in response to Da Vinci's words, explaining, "I'm pretty sure she is aware of Aoko's intentions. She tried to seduce me with one of her Puppets so it was a good opportunity to tease her a bit. Don't worry, I'm not in a particular hurry to increase the number of women that need my attention..."Toward the end of his words, Vahn sent Da Vinci a wink, earning a light chuckle from her before she turned back to her current project. This was the same as her telling him, 'you can leave now' so, after checking in on Sophia's progress, Vahn did just that. He had already been in the Workshop for a few hours and, while his presence wasn't that much of a distraction, Da Vinci had a lot of active projects that required her attention. Since most of these were the direct result of his requests, Vahn knew it was best to give her space to work.---With the usual trio following his primary vessel around, Vahn decided to make good on his earlier promise, choosing the Menagerie as his destination. Unfortunately, just as he sent his intent to the room in question, he noticed that Aoko had stopped by with Fenrir. This complicated matters a bit so, after a few moments of contemplation, Vahn took a deep breath before releasing a long sigh as he chose the [Training Orb] as his next destination. He was curious about Scáthach's new apprentice and, as he had the time to do so, he decided to make some headway on her challenges.After dragging his feet over to the [Training Orb], Vahn entered into the cold interior to find a small house a few dozen meters from the entrance. He didn't even have time to probe it with his senses, however, when Scáthach appeared like a blur at his side, asking, "What are your intentions, Master?"Though Scáthach could easily guess Vahn's purpose for visiting at this time, she still made a point of giving him the option. He was the type that worked harder when he said he would do something so, while he may have arrived with the intention to work hard, having him express his intention openly ensured he would work even harder.Vahn was, of course, perfectly aware of Scáthach's intentions but, as she was his Shishou, he couldn't really foot around the issue. Rather, if he tried to do so, a severe training regimen would await him in the near future, something he could handle but almost instinctually feared. Thus, in response to her question, he brought his mind to a state of focus before confidently stating, "I am here to complete one of your challenges. The world may be in disorder but that doesn't mean I can ignore my other duties, does it?"With a curt nod of her head, the Caster version of Scáthach appeared and, before Vahn could change his mind and inquire about her new apprentice, he was transported towards the challenge grounds. He had already completed the task of pulling the statue, increasing his physical parameters by a truly monstrous amount, so his next challenge was one that directly tested his willpower and focus. This was achieved by having him sit in a lotus position as hundreds of needle-like barbs hovered a single millimeter away from his skin...Any slight movement would cause the barbs to prick Vahn's skin and, as a result, he would be wracked with intense pain. To ensure he couldn't adapt to the pain, each barb had a unique curse placed on them and, to prevent him from simply 'shutting down', some of the barbs would move to stab into his skin at random intervals, requiring him to muster an immediate counter to the effect if he wanted to avoid triggering a chain-reaction.While each of these variables made the challenge difficult, the straw that broke the camel's back was the fact that Scáthach herself would tease and taunt him. She would, at times, perform highly skilled stripteases while, at others, she would ask very difficult questions she knew he couldn't really ignore. This often related to his true feelings, various troubles he was currently facing, and sometimes even involved existential conundrums that related to concepts of eternity and loss...This time around, Scáthach seemed to have realized why he had chosen to come for training so, in order to take advantage of his current state, her purple garb seemed to dissolve, taking on the form of an ornate, slightly transparent, bikini. She then sat in front of him, her legs forming an m-shape as a seductive glimmer reflected in her maroon-red eyes. At the same time, the barbs aiming at various pressure points and meridians began to vibrate slightly, masking their movements so that he would not be able to discern which was moving until it had already pricked his skin...---Vahn had been enjoying Touko's tense state but, after his training with Scáthach began, he was no longer in the mood to tease others. His current challenge required a lot of focus so it became a lot harder to engage others in a proactive manner. Since he didn't want to show any weakness in front of Aoko's sister, Vahn ultimately ended up bringing an end to the discussion. This resulted in Touko herself breathing a sigh of relief as, after what she had experienced, her mind had been racing to try and make sense of what happened...After parting with Touko, who politely escorted him to the door, Vahn turned his eyes skyward and said, "I'm going to go meditate for a bit. Wait for me back in the Menagerie, okay? I'll be there in a few hours..."With that said, Vahn teleported atop the back of Leviathan but, rather than meditate, he plopped onto his back and just shut off his senses completely. The frigid air and high winds were calming so, while his training with Scáthach was difficult, in many ways, he at least had a way to passively calm himself down. He had already learned the futility of trying to enter a meditative state during this particular challenge so it was better to just embrace the feeling of nothingness that he had become intimately familiar with.---Around the same time that Vahn was being tormented by Scáthach, Zelretch was making good on his previous words. Almost immediately after his parting with Vahn, he explained the situation to the fatigued Solon before teleporting to the top of Mount Chimborazo, the geological location that was the closest point to the moon. Here, space was twisted in the extreme, to the point that much of the mountain's peak was filled with pockets of vacuum that would rend apart the flesh of anyone who foolishly ventured too close.Rather than show any concern for the twisting of space, Zelrech lifted his cane so that the top was aiming towards a specific point in space. Then, after more than half the cane had vanished into the void, he turned it in much the same was as a key.Immediately after Zelretch unlocked the surrounding space, a massive set of stone doors appeared. They slowly opened, revealing a cold and desolate space that, on the periphery, appeared to be the night sky. Leading from the edge of the gateway, a set of pale white steps led into this seemingly endless starry void while, at the end of the pathway, a massive castle floated within the void while, above it, a miniature crimson moon served as the only other landmark within view.Seeing the familiar sight once again, Zelretch released a tired sigh, one filled with emotions such as remorse and self-admonition. The cane in his hand suddenly felt heavier than before and, with each step that brought him closer to the castle, Zelretch imagined he was aging by several decades. This place represented one of his only true regrets in life as, due to his unwillingness to act, an innocent soul had been forced to undergo unimaginable suffering...Though it felt like thousands of years had passed, Zelretch soon found himself at the entrance to the castle. The massive metal gates had already opened so, without further hesitation, he made his way into the heart of the castle. There, a throne far too large for a human to sit upon existed, one which held an indescribably beautiful woman with golden hair. She was slouched over, her head hanging low, arms spread wide as dozens of chains bound her body, each a self-imposed restraint to keep her immeasurable power in check.Further adding to the tragedy of the scene, the woman seemed to be wearing a gown that was not all that dissimilar to a wedding dress. It was a pristine white gown trimmed with gold that gave the bound woman an appearance similar to a princess. This was a stark contrast to the dark silver chains that bound her body, each flickering with divine light, the purpose of which was to siphon away the woman's power, spewing it out into the surrounding void to make the seemingly infinite space even vaster...Zelretch felt a discernible pain in his heart when he saw this sight but, before he could say anything, it felt like a stake was driven into his chest as the woman, without raising her head, asked, "Is it finally time...?"Hearing this question, Zelretch couldn't help but hang his head, silence overtaking him for several minutes. Fortunately, a long life had prepared his mind better than most so, while an overwhelming amount of guilt threatened to devour him, he ultimately regained his calm and answered, "Arcueid...I came here today, not to use you as a weapon, but to liberate you from this prison. Many things have changed since you last walked the earth. Please, see with your own eyes how things have changed...it is not too late to reclaim the hope you lost..."Though she kept her head down throughout Zelretch's dialogue, the golden-haired woman lifted her face when he fell silent. This revealed blood-red eyes through the golden locks, each glowing with a fierce light. It was enough to even make Zelretch's old bones ache as, while she was not as powerful as the original, the current Arcueid was nearly as powerful as Crimson Moon. In Vahn's terms, she would be a Tier 5 existence, one not all that dissimilar in power and purpose to Eva...After staring directly at Zelretch for several minutes, neither moving a muscle, the woman let her head hang again as she asked, "How certain are you..." in a dull tone. What she didn't expect was for Zelretch to instantly state, "Absolutely." without any hesitation. Then, seemingly with the intent to convince her, he added, "The man I've found is from the 'Outside'...we have already confirmed it. He even has Alaya and the Spider on his side..."This time, Arcueid couldn't easily ignore Zelretch's words as she knew just how powerful both of the aforementioned entities were. One of the reasons she had sealed herself away was in preparation for the coming battles against such entities as, without her power, humanity didn't really stand a chance. To hear Zelretch claim that the Spider had been subjugated was a ridiculous concept and, if not for his previous claim about the man in question hailing from the Outside, Arcueid wouldn't have been able to believe either claim was true.Now, with her eyes glowing even more than before, Arcueid raised her head to look back at Zelretch, her tone both apprehensive and excited as she exclaimed, "Take me to him...!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The ultimate troll tool...','RIP Vahn. Shishou is the true Master','White Princess of the Crimson Moon')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After suffering six hours of Scáthach's challenge, Vahn breathed a sigh of relief as, across from him, his demonic Shishou adorned her usual attire. At the same time, he sent a surge of his source energy outwards, shattering each of the needle-thick barbs while remarking, "If I had to guess the purpose of this challenge...you seem to be trying to curb my flirtatious habits...?"Instead of refuting his words, Scáthach gave Vahn a side-long glance, silence persisting between them for several seconds before she answered, "It is perfectly normal for a capable man to keep multiple wives. You, however, take things too far. There is a vast disparity between the women you keep company. At this rate, there is bound to be conflict at some point. You may have uncommon proficiency in the bedroom but, given enough time, those with wavering loyalties will stray from your side."As he had long prepared himself for that exact happening, Vahn gave an understanding nod in response to his Shishou's advice. However, while something would undoubtedly happen over the literal eternity he was expected to live, he still felt she was underestimating him. He may lack the capabilities now but, so long as he continued striving toward his ideal future, his aspirations and The Path would allow him to reach his goals. He just needed to remain focused and prevent any setbacks from adversely affecting him in any meaningful ways...Rather than worry about his infinitely expanding harem, Vahn was more concerned about each individual relationship. This included his relationship with Scáthach and, after completing all of her challenges, he was determined to make her his. She seemed to be preparing for this as well as, while it was almost never discussed, virtually everyone in the castle had noticed her changes. Since her default personality was cold and emotionless, even small changes in her behavior were noticeable to people with the sensitivities and perception of Heroic Spirits.Seeing the confidence in Vahn's eyes, Scáthach released a small sigh since she knew he hadn't taken her words to heart. She hadn't expected him to suddenly cut off the women in his life that had lesser value but, knowing she would eventually have to share him, it hurt her warrior's pride. If she had met Vahn during her era, anyone she didn't approve of would have been driven away as their presence ultimately threatened the status of her, her children, and Vahn himself...Had the situation been different, Scáthach would have put more pressure on Vahn but, with his vice-like grip on the entire world, it likely didn't matter all that much. Still, she affirmed her own resolve so that, if any of the other women were to betray him, they would pay the price. While it may not matter to Vahn, Scáthach would never allow someone that once held his affections, and potentially had his children, to become the mistress of another. It was a slight to all of them, not just Vahn himself, so she would punish them appropriately.Unaware of what his Shishou was thinking, Vahn stretched his body for a bit before saying, "I want to meet your new disciple. I trust your judgment but it will take more than a simple introduction to accept a past enemy into my home. Come, it is time I learn more about this 'Ciel' woman."Hearing Vahn's words, Scáthach immediately teleported them both to the small Japanese-style hut that had been constructed. The Empire borrowed a lot of oriental designs in everything from its armor to the architecture of the Castle Town so it was often the go-to style when constructing new buildings. Vahn personally felt more comfortable in such traditional houses, primarily due to his time spent living together with Tsubaki, so it always brought a smile to his face when he saw the familiar tatami mats, the sound of wind chimes gently ringing in his ears...Just as Vahn was beginning to relax, he was greeted by a somewhat unexpected sight, causing his brows to raise slightly as he looked toward Scáthach with a questioning look. She, however, completely ignored him and instead addressed the meditating woman in the middle of the room, saying, "Elesia, our Master has arrived. Greet him properly."Ciel had actually wanted to open her eyes earlier but, as early as her first day inside the Training Orb, she had learned not to allow external stimuli to distract her. Scáthach wasn't kind to people who slacked off in their training and, in the hopes of having her wish granted, Ciel wasn't going to slack off for even a moment. Thus, until Scáthach gave her permission to stop training, she did her best to ignore the literal ocean of mana that Vahn represented in her perception...Before Ciel could greet him properly, Vahn maintained his casual smile as he pulled out a thin cloth and guided it to wrap around her body. She had been wearing nothing but an extremely thin garment, one similar in structure to Scáthach's bodysuit. While it covered everything, the extremely thin fabric left very little to the imagination and, having been informed of Ciel's wish, Vahn felt it wasn't proper for him to see her in such a compromising state.Having never expected Vahn to suddenly give her something to cover her body with, Ciel was at a momentary loss. When she saw Scáthach staring at her, however, she quickly recovered, bowing at a very low angle as she exclaimed, "Ciel greets His Majesty, the Sage Emperor!"Though he didn't drop his casual smile, Vahn adopted a formal tone in response to Ciel's words, saying, "It is good to meet you as well, Ms. Ciel. I learned of your circumstances from Scáthach. As you have already made a vow, I intend to make good on her promise to you in the coming days. It is impossible to allow you to view the ritual directly but, when the time comes, you may stay in the nearby waiting area. I'm certain things will be a lot easier for our intrepid young friend if you are there to explain things for him."As it had only been a few days since the start of her training, Ciel hadn't even thought to ask about the promise that had been made to her. She believed it would only be after she proved herself that her wish would be granted so, hearing Vahn's words, her eyes began to tremble as a layer of moisture covered them. She wanted to thank him for his grace but, every time she tried to vocalize her gratitude, the words got caught in her throat.Seeing how Ciel was reacting, Vahn's expression softened a bit as he used his telekinesis to help her stand. Since she was tightly hugging the cloth he had given her, she looked especially frail and delicate, a testament to everything she had gone through to reach this point. This made him feel greater empathy for her and, while it was a little earlier than he intended, he decided to move up the next summoning by a few days. People like Ciel deserved a bit of happiness and, with how chaotic the world could become, each little bit of positivity could go a long way.Deciding to make it a surprise, Vahn kept his changed plans to himself and, without requiring a response from Ciel, he just continued smiling as he said, "I have other matters to attend. Please, continue to do your best. Shishou can be a harsh mentor but, when it comes time for you to put your training to the test, you will learn the importance of her lessons."Realizing that Vahn was about to leave, Ciel did her best to collect herself but, ultimately failing to do so, she decided to perform a kowtow instead. It was a little awkward to see a young woman lower herself in such a manner but, understanding she wanted to express something that words could not, Vahn gave a curt nod in response. Then, after making brief eye contact with Scáthach, he teleported out of the Training Orb. He had already kept the girls waiting long enough and, if he didn't show up soon, Circe would undoubtedly complain...---At the same time as his departure from the Training Orb, Vahn moved to a seated position atop Leviathan. He could deal with the girls without any major difficulties so, with a bit of free time on his hands, he decided to continue visiting the castle's newer residents. He still needed to check up on Lilith and, while she didn't really require much attention in her present state, he wanted to at least stop by to visit Tiamat for a short while. She had sealed herself away in a massive cacoon-like structure but, while it kept everyone else away, he could enter without any difficulties...Before paying either of his intended targets a visit, Vahn first made a detour to the outside world, expanding his senses to the surroundings before ultimately teleporting to the Hanging Gardens. If he visited Lilith without first stopping by to spend some time with Semiramis, the latter would be in a sour mood for several days. In fact, when she first met Lilith, Semiramis had been more than a little upset as the presence of the Queen of Succubi made her feel threatened.In order to pacify her concerns, Vahn whisked away Semiramis for a few hours, coaxing her until she had resumed her normal state. During that time, she had tried to have him promise to never sleep with Lilith but, as this was basically inevitable, Vahn talked her into a compromise. He would proactively try to set up Lilith with someone else in the near future but, regardless of how things turned out, he promised to make her his before pursuing the sensuous Succubi.From Semiramis' perspective, this provided her a bit of leverage as it allowed her to refuse his advances, potentially driving a wedge between him and Lilith. This would ultimately prove futile, however, as Vahn wasn't really the type to be swayed by schemes and machinations. He might not force himself on Semiramis but, if she tried to get away with teasing him, the only person she had to blame for the outcome was herself. After all, her long ears and tsundere nature brought out the slightly sadistic side he had developed back in Danmachi and, while he wouldn't torment her, he would tease her into oblivion if given the chance...Semiramis had learned this the hard way as, during one of her attempts to poison him, she mixed a very potent aphrodisiac into his meal while wearing a perfume enriched with pheromones. This ultimately had no effect on him but that didn't stop Vahn from taking advantage of the situation, surprising Semiramis as she momentarily believed her poison had taken effect. She immediately tried to toy with him only to realize that his sleeping dragon was fully functional, something the poison should have prevented.Though he ultimately released her before taking things too far, Vahn had forced Semiramis to sit on his lap as he held her close and nibbled on her long ears. She struggled quite a bit but, even though they were in the Hanging Gardens, a place where she could spam S-Rank spells and freely teleport, she made no attempt to actually escape. Since there was no way she wasn't aware of her own capabilities, Vahn enjoyed teasing her for the better part of half an hour before she ultimately ran off to her room, slamming the door behind her...Since then, his relationship with Semiramis had improved slightly but, from that moment onward, she pretty much refused to even visit Avalon. Instead, she made the Hanging Gardens her home and, as there had already been several attacks against the floating fortress, it now hovered in the Thermosphere, surrounded by an expansive Borealis. It was a truly breathtaking sight and, since he didn't want Semiramis to be too lonely, Vahn tried to visit when he had time...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scáthach is cold-blooded o_o...','Shiki is going to be so confused xD','The bane of long-eared females...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Contrary to Aoko's expectations, Vahn's did not kiss her on the lips. Rather, before he could make any headway with the red-haired beauty, there were other promises he needed to keep. Thus, after giving her a light kiss on the forehead, surprising the expectant woman, Vahn stated in a calm tone, "You don't need to push yourself like this. We only recently came to know each other and, in that time, have interacted for less than a single day's worth of time. Once you get a better understanding of the situation, I'll show you just how greedy I can be..."To punctuate his words, Vahn surprised Aoko a second by giving her a quick peck on the lips just as she wanted to respond. This forced back any words she had come up with, her face turning beet red in an instant. Then, before she could collect herself, Vahn lightly chuckled as he rose to his feet and said, "It really is a shame...if I had more free time, I'm not sure I'd be able to hold myself back."With those words lingering in the air, Vahn ruffled Fenrir's hair one last time before making his way toward the door. Truthfully, he didn't mind claiming Aoko as his own but, for the same reasons he had been holding himself back with others, he couldn't just let her jump the line. There was also the simple fact that she had yet to integrate into the larger group so, until she had a better grasp of the situation, she wasn't exactly qualified to leap forward like this...Even after the door had closed, announcing Vahn's departure, Aoko hadn't recovered her senses. It wasn't until Fenrir lightly pat her head that she blinked back to awareness, asking, "Didn't you say he liked red-heads...?"Without hesitation, Fenrir nodded her head in affirmation, explaining, "Master has a weakness for girls with red hair. Your timing was just bad. Right now, he is going around to make sure everyone is happy so it would be impossible to seduce him. He pays a lot of attention to the 'order' of things so you'll have to keep that in mind. Come, we will find you a room in the Inner Sanctum. Once you get to know everyone better, Master will come to you of his own accord. If you want, you can stay in the Menagerie with us...Master is very intimate with the girls residing in the Menagerie..."Though she had never entered the Inner Sanctum, Aoko had learned about the Menagerie through her interactions with Fenrir. Hearing the latter invite her to stay inside, an awkward smile spread across her face as she remarked, "I don't have the 'qualities' required of a girl in the Menagerie, do I?"Hearing Aoko's question, Fenrir tilted her head to the side, explaining, "Race means nothing to our Master. The Menagerie is just full of people that are more expressive with their feelings. There are people like Jeanne, Okita, and Medea who stay there often. The latter only has slightly pointed ears so it isn't as if you need some peculiar trait to be accepted. You just have to want to be pampered and, when the situation requires it, you need to be willing to pamper our Master."With the same awkward smile on her face, Aoko asked, "It sounds like everyone in the Menagerie is a servant, though? Besides, I don't really want to be spoiled...I don't think my mind could take it..."Shrugging her shoulders, Fenrir just plainly responded, "This is why Master wanted to give you more time to make your decision. You are underestimating him too much, Aoko. If he got serious, he could even make Gods become addicted to his care. Once you cross the line, even self-pleasuring will have little to no effect. What Master is capable of is something you can't begin to comprehend, even after you experience it directly. He makes you feel have been missing something important your entire life and, once you obtain it, letting it go is almost impossible..."Aoko was accustomed to Fenrir lauding her Master but, hearing the severity in her current words, she couldn't help but swallow an imaginary knot in her throat. She had already guessed there was something about Vahn that made the women around him acquiesce to being part of a large harem but, hearing Fenrir's words, it seemed as if she had nearly stepped on a landmine. It was likely that Vahn himself had realized she was mentally prepared so, rather than take advantage of her bravado, he gave her a leniency period, allowing her to make a more informed decision...---After leaving Aoko's room, Vahn released a slightly hot sigh as he had nearly gotten caught up in the moment. Aoko was a very 'passionate' woman and, though she wasn't really ready for what she was getting herself into, her emotions, perhaps as a result of her monstrous power, were scary. Since she also had the mentality of never regretting her decisions, she was fully prepared to jump in headfirst without proper consideration for the future. Rather, her decision was likely to secure a better place for herself and her family, reasons Vahn had never been fond of.Fortunately, the next person on his visitation list was someone he didn't have to worry about pining after him. Rather, she seemed to disdain him quite a bit and, if not for Aoko's insistence, Vahn could easily imagine the fiery woman leading resistance forces against the Empire.Since the person in question had been caught snooping around forbidden areas a few times, she had been barred from entering the Ivory Castle. As a result, Vahn had to teleport outside to an area on the outskirts of Vivian's Lake, the location of a small cabin that fit the description of Witch's Hut to a tee. This was where Aoko's Sister, Touka Aozaki, had made a home for herself using her unique Puppet Magecraft, an ability she had refined to the point that, in the not-so-distant past, caused the Mage's Association to put a Sealing Designation on her.Touko was so skilled in the art of making Puppets that she had 'perfected' the craft to the point that she could make bodies indistinguishable for her real self. In fact, the version of Touko that Aoko had thought was her sister was actually a puppet as, despite having her Sealing Designation revoked, she never trusted the Mage's Association enough to expose her true body. If not for Aoko explaining the capabilities of the Empire, including their ability to find virtually anyone, Touko may have continued hiding away indefinitely...After lightly knocking on the wooden door of Touko's hut, Vahn heard the cold voice of a woman say, "Enter..." before the sound of shuffling could be heard on the other side.Gesturing for his entourage to stand down, Vahn unhesitantly opened the door to the hut, passing over the threshold with a casual smile on his face. This was in spite of the fact that a very powerful curse had been set to trigger, the potency of which even exceeded Touko's Puppets. Rather, it was due to her research into Primordial Runes and Curses that allowed Touko to produce her Puppets in the first place.As could be expected from a Curse derived from Primordial Runes, Vahn's body was momentarily immobilized as tendrils of red thorns, similar to the effect caused by [Gáe Bolg] attempted to invade his body. At the same time, a woman with burgundy hair, styled in a short and prim manner, stared back at him with her cold hazelnut eyes. She was wearing an outfit similar to business casual, with a white blouse, form-fitting black pants, and high-quality heels while, adding to her intelligent look, a pair of artifact-grade glasses adorned her face.Though it was a little annoying, Vahn ultimately managed to 'shrug' off Touko's curse with relative ease. After all, she couldn't even hope to reach Scáthach's level in her lifetime and, with his unique constitution, Vahn didn't have to worry about the detrimental effects of curses at all. The only thing she managed to accomplish was easing his tensions a bit, meaning she had served the purpose he had intended for her without realizing it.Still, Vahn couldn't simply ignore the fact that Touko had, once again, tried to curse him so the smile on his face melted away, replaced by a stern expression as he stated, "Had I not stopped them, your little 'prank' would have resulted in your death...you do realize this, do you not, Ms. Aozaki?"Rather than showing any signs of trepidation or remorse, Touko took a long drag of her cigarette, her eyes fixed on Vahn the entire time. It wasn't until she exhaled a cloud of dense white smoke that she answered, "If you were the type to kill people over small slights, that idiot wouldn't speak so highly of you. Besides, we both know that isn't your only body. If it will make you feel better, you can do whatever you want to this one as compensation."Toward the end of her statement, Touko put her cigarette out in an ashtray before unhesitantly using her gloved hands to begin fiddling with the buttons of her blouse. Seeing this, Vahn shook his head in mock exasperation as he extended his hand, pulling at the void. In the next moment, Touko's real body was teleported in front of him, this one wearing loose pajamas as she lay suspended in the air by Vahn's telekinesis.Since she seemed intent on riling him up, the smile returned to his face as he mused, "While it is true that I have multiple bodies, each of my vessels is very real. If you will carry the memories, regardless, why not taunt me with your real body, Ms. Aozaki...?"Though he had no intention of actually harassing her, Vahn extended his hand toward the sleeping figure of Touko, his eyes glimmering with untoward purpose. This caused the Puppet to rise to her feet, her cool visage nowhere to be seen as she glared back at him, panic visible in her eyes as she shouted, "You're going too far! This wasn't a part of our agreement...!"Hearing Touko's outburst, Vahn nodded his head in understanding but, rather than stop his hand, he continued forward. This caused the Puppet to leap forward but, just as Vahn's hand was about to contact the sleeping figure, coinciding with Puppet's attempt to retrieve her body, both passed through. As a result, the Puppet ended up crashing into Vahn's body, her very real-feeling breasts squashing against him as confusion marred her face. At the same time, Vahn wrapped his hands around her waist, saying in a very serious tone, "You sisters are alike in the worst ways..."Before the Puppet could make sense of his words, Vahn smiled mischievously as the surroundings began to crack like broken glass. His hands began to snake towards her rump but, before they made contact, the Puppet found herself seated back in the chair, breathing heavily. Then, startling her even further, a light knock could be heard from the door, followed by Vahn's voice asking, "May I enter?"Touko had no idea what had happened but, fearing what might happen if she continued doing as she pleased, she quickly rose to her feet before alighting to the door. There, she removed the curse, which had yet to be triggered, before opening the door with a pale face and saying, "Y-Your Majesty, it is an honor to have you visit..." in a fumbling tone.Seeing Touko's panicked state, Vahn lightly chuckled as he extended his hand and began to pat her head, dulling the intelligent woman's expression. She was obviously against having her head pat but, after the confusing incident from before, she didn't even know what was real any longer. Fortunately, Vahn was done messing with her as he had already released his pent-up frustrations from dealing with Aoko. Instead of pressuring her any further, he simply smirked as he said, "You are more than welcome to keep trying to harm me. So long as you don't target others, it doesn't bother me all that much...however, please keep in mind that I'm not an easy target. Depending on how far you go, I am more than willing to answer in kind~"With these words, an uneasy peace was established between Vahn and Touko, one which would be disturbed at random times depending on the former's mood and the latter's nature...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You know not what you invite upon yourself...','Trying to mess with someone that is notorious for teasing others...RIP, Touko','For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1328: Ripples : Waves