Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Seeing the familiar island enter her vision, Eva couldn't prevent a smile from spreading across her face. This didn't escape Karin's notice, but, before she could question what had made her Master so happy, her forward momentum seemed to disappear as her surroundings instantaneously changed.Thinking they had fallen into some kind of trap, Karin didn't hesitate to draw her weapon alongside Juuzou. Fortunately, before they could do something lamentable, Jinbei, appearing just as lazy and relaxed as usual, performed a twisting gesture with his hand, muttering, "Switcheroo~". As a result, both Karin and Juuzou found themselves reappearing next to him, allowing the man to grab both of their shoulders as he said, "Relax. I don't think Eva would be too happy if you got in the way..."Having known and trained under Jinbei for hundreds of years, Juuzou immediately resheathed his katana. As for Karin, she just stared wide-eyed at the scene playing out before her, the hand she used to grip her katana tightening along with Jinbei's grip on her shoulder...Ignoring the looks being cast their way, Vahn and Eva continued to hold each other close in the middle of a small clearing. As for why Karin was so upset, this was largely due to the fact that she had seen Eva initiate their rather passionate kiss, and, though he held himself back, it was possible to see Vahn's fingers moving slightly as if he were massaging the former's waist.Truth be told, Vahn had nearly grabbed Eva's butt on instinct, but, feeling the gazes of both Asuna and the black-haired woman, he managed to restrain himself. As for the two men present, he did his best to keep his back toward them, habitually shielding Eva from view while combating the urge to simply teleport all three of them away...After a passionate embrace lasting nearly three minutes, Eva seemed to remember there were other people present, her impassioned look giving way for an embarrassed fluster as she began to lightly hit Vahn's chest. She was trying to make him release her, but, while it had only been a month or so for Eva, more than two years had passed since the last time Vahn saw his beloved fiancee. Though he did eventually allow her the chance to breathe, he didn't immediately release her from his grasp, choosing to continue holding her for several minutes before muttering, "I missed you..." in the most heartfelt tone he could manage.Though she was beginning to feel a little upset by Vahn's excessive display of public affection, Eva's tensions relaxed the moment she heard his words. She was well aware of the existence of his Realm, and, if the appearance of the woman behind him was anything to go by, it had probably been a few years since he last saw her. He had always been the sentimental type, so, while her embarrassment grew with each passing moment; Eva did her best to ignore it, placing her ear against his chest to listen to his powerful heartbeat as she muttered, "I missed you too...idiot..."---Realizing he couldn't keep ignoring everything else to keep holding Eva, Vahn eventually relaxed his hold after more than ten minutes had passed. Before he could greet the trio, however, the man he assumed to be Jinbei smiled back at him, a teasing look appearing in his pale-grey eyes as he said, "Don't mind us. Please, continue..."Though he had heard a lot about all of Eva's former companions, Vahn was still a little taken aback by Jinbei's teasing. He could also feel Eva's aura begin to surge outward, and, though he had briefly shifted his gaze away from her, he could tell her face had become beet red as she lowered her head to hide the evidence...Suppressing the urge to release his own suppressive aura, Vahn did his best to return a smile as he said, "You must be Jinbei...Eva has told me a lot about you. Though it is hard to put sincerity in my voice right now, know that I am deeply grateful for everything you have done for my fiancee...that goes doubly for you, Ms. Karin Yuuki. If there is ever anything you need from me, never hesitate to ask. So long as it does not go against my principles, you have my word that I will do everything in my power to aid you."Hearing Vahn's words, Karin released the death grip she had on her katana while Jinbei, showing no real changes in his expression, just replied, "You're pretty serious, ain't ya? Well, if I had to make one request, how about a life-time supply of alcohol? I've always wanted to try the alcohol produced by the Gods~."As his status as a God wasn't really a secret, Vahn wasn't all that surprised by Jinbei's words. Rather, even if Eva told them everything she knew about him, he wouldn't have cared. These three people were the closest thing she had to family, so, without any hesitation, he extracted a large gourd from his Inventory, tossing it to the man as he explained, "That is a rare liquor known as [Ningyo's Blood]. I'm certain you will find it palatable..."For the first time since his appearance, Jinbei showed a rather drastic change in expression when he heard Vahn's words. His Immortality was derived from devouring the flesh of a mermaid more than thirteen-hundred-years prior. Though modern Japanese had popularized the western version of the creature, embracing the idea that they were beautiful women with the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish, their true nature was far more sinister. Japanese Mermaids were actually a type of Yokai known as Ningyo, a man-eating demon that lured countless people to their deaths by appearing as a beautiful face floating in a river...Despite his initial shock, Jinbei still managed to catch the gourd, and, after his expression gradually returned to normal, he fearlessly uncorked it before downing half the contents in a few large gulps. It was infinitely better than the poisonous meat he had consumed all those years ago, and, though it was subtle, he could actually feel some of his old wounds beginning to mend...Seeing the man down the contents of the bottle with great vigor, Vahn issued a light chuckle as he shifted his gaze between Karin and Juuzou. He knew both of these individuals were bound to give him some trouble, but, regardless of what the future held, Vahn was compelled to thank them for everything they had done for Eva. The former was probably the closest person to Eva's heart before they met, and, though Juuzou hadn't done that much, he still helped her alongside Jinbei whenever she requested their assistance.Noticing his gaze, Karin caused Vahn's smile to strain when she instinctually covered her chest. As for Juuzou, he showed absolutely no hesitation or restraint as he said, "Eva has mentioned that you are a transcendental blacksmith and an even greater swordsman. Though I am fond of my current weapon, I am very interested in a blade that can grow alongside me. If that is not possible, I would ask that you afford me the opportunity to test my skills against your own."Though a Zanpakuto was probably off the table, Vahn didn't have any problems forging Juuzou a weapon that could grow stronger. As for his second request, that aligned with his own desires, so, without needing to consider his response, he simply nodded, smiling as he said, "For a blacksmith, it is a great honor to see our creations in the hands of those who can draw out their full potential. I will see to it that your weapon rivals those wielded by the Gods. As for your other request...I would be a fool to refuse a duel against another Grandmaster..."Hearing Vahn's response, the atmosphere around Juuzou seemed to stagnate, and, though neither of them drew their weapons, a visible tearing of space could be seen as their gazes intersected. This was a phenomenon derived from pure sword intent, and, though it gave others the impression that the world itself was about to be cut in twain, neither Vahn nor Juuzou was expending any strength.Unfortunately, thanks to Asuna's previous antics, Vahn was far from his peak, so, after several tense seconds, a very thin line appeared on his left cheek. This actually startled Juuzou quite a bit, his eyes widening slightly before a shadow of disappointment appeared over his face. After listening to Eva's words, his expectations for Vahn were exceptionally high so he never expected the man to suffer an injury from a simple exchange of intent...Recognizing the disappointment on Juuzou's face, Vahn released an internal sigh as he decided to stop holding back. He very briefly closed his eyes, and, after opening them, it was like his gaze itself had become a blade, compelling Juuzou to draw his sword on instinct. Before he could so much as draw it a single centimeter, however, the lower half of his mantle and military-style blouse fell away as nearly every tree behind him collapsed due to a cut at their center...Seeing the man freeze in place, a wry smile spread across Vahn's face as he rubbed his temples and explained, "I expended a lot of mental and spiritual energy earlier so I'm currently not at my peak. If you give me an hour or so to recover, I'm confident I can give you an even better demonstration of the difference between us..."Contrasting his previous calm demeanor, Juuzou surprised nearly everyone present by sheathing his sword and bursting into laughter. For a brief moment, he actually thought Vahn had already cut him in half, so, realizing it was just his intent, he couldn't help but feel 'extremely' happy. This wasn't due to the fact he had survived, but, after nearly five-hundred-years without a proper opponent, the fact there was someone so far beyond him was both a relief and a wake-up call...Bringing Juuzou's crazed-sounding laughter to an end, a red-faced Jinbei heavily slapped the man on his back, forcing him to nearly trip as he said, "Hey now, don't go losing it after seven-hundred-years. I always told you there were some real monsters in this world~."Though he was momentarily tempted to cut off the arm of his former Master, Juuzou managed to control himself after seeing the light glowing in the Jinbei's eyes. This was enough to cool his head, as, despite greatly exceeding Jinbei's mastery in the sword, Juuzou knew he would lose if they both went all out. He had great confidence in the former's strength, and, though Jinbei was indolent to the point of sitting in a single spot for more than a year at a time, his power, speed, durability, and raw talent were all beyond comprehension...Restoring his image as a cool and unperturbed swordsman, Juuzou respectfully nodded to Jinbei before turning to Vahn and performing a courteous bow as he said, "Forgive me. I get excited at the prospect of battling against powerful foes. I pray my behavior did not offend you..."Rather than feel offended, Vahn actually felt relieved by Juuzou's outburst. He was thinking he had gone too far by incorporating the concepts of Infinity and Nothingness within his gaze. Fortunately, he seemed to have acquired himself something of a male rival and protege, two things he would benefit from having more of.Gesturing for Juuzou to raise his head, Vahn couldn't hide the anticipation in his smile as he said, "I am also excited for our future battles. Though it will have to wait until tomorrow, I have the perfect venue for us to exchange pointers. I'm greatly looking forward to seeing your Shishimi-Ryu with my own eyes."Though he would normally ignore such compliments, Juuzou couldn't help but smile in response to Vahn's words. He couldn't even put into words how excited he was for their coming battle, so, after a few seconds of silence, he lowered his head a second time before stating, "Expect my return with the dawn...". Then, with one of the most seamless versions of Shundo Vahn had ever seen, Juuzou vanished from the clearing, reappearing behind a boulder about three-hundred meters away before cutting Space with his katana and hiding within the void...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gimme gimme...','She knows...','Imagine being a 700-year-old Chuuni...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the 'departure' of Juuzou, Vahn took the initiative to invite everyone back to the hideout. He wanted to give the new residents a chance to get settled in, and, though she was currently on her best behavior, Asuna still needed her punishment. Leaving her fate to Eva wasn't exactly fair, but, as it served as a decent segue into the topics of the Little Garden and his future plans, Vahn left Jinbei to the Chacha sisters before alighting to the large library on the northern side of the estate.As could be expected, the moment Eva was out of sight from people like Jinbei and Juuzou, an air of confidence radiated from her as she briefly inspected Asuna before pointedly stating, "I can't say I'm surprised...still, mind explaining how the brat turned into a breast-demon in a single month?"Hearing her Master's words, Karin instantly adopted an accusatory frown, but, before she could so much as utter a syllable, Eva, with a very serious expression, turned to her and said, "Vahn isn't the type to lie and wantonly manipulate others. Give him a chance to explain himself without throwing out accusations."Surprised by her Master's words, Karin was caught with her mouth slightly agape, her lips failing to form words as her mind floundered about for a response. She didn't expect Eva to snap at her, and, though she could understand the reason, it made her feel a little bitter knowing the former didn't hesitate to speak out in defense of Vahn.In the end, Karin gave up trying to speak out and simply bowed respectfully in acknowledgment of her Master's words. Then, with her hands neatly folded across her lap, she stood like a dutiful young attendant at her Master's side, her eyes staring off into empty space as if the discussion no longer had anything to do with her.Seeing how Karin was behaving, Eva had to suppress a sigh as she shifted her gaze back to Vahn, clearly expecting an explanation. In response, Vahn didn't beat around the bush, lifting his hand to show a brilliant blue orb of light as he explained, "I came into possession of a portable realm known as the Little Garden. Everything inside is governed by the Laws of Progression, and, though the flow of time is only ten-to-one near the center, it effectively increases a person's growth rate by a factor of one-hundred. There are a lot of finer points, but, simply put, it drastically accelerates growth, aids comprehension, and provides a sort of biological immortality since entities inside never age beyond their biological prime."If anyone else was saying these things, Eva would have looked at them as if they were completely full of it. When Vahn said such things, however, she always took them at face value, as, unless it was related to the things he couldn't tell her, he simply couldn't lie to her face.Shifting her attention to Asuna, Eva already had an idea about what had happened, her expression visibly darkening as she plainly stated, "I am disappointed in you, Asuna. You undoubtedly have all kinds of logical arguments to justify your behavior, but, even without being present, I can guess you went way overboard. Though Vahn has his fair share of the blame, taking advantage of his nature to get what you want isn't an act of love...it is pure selfishness...tell me, how old are you right now?"Hearing Eva's words, Asuna couldn't help but avert her eyes, unable to answer Eva's accusation and subsequent question. She wasn't used to being reprimanded or accused, and, even if she wanted to try and justify her actions, she couldn't deny the truth contained in Eva's words. She was well aware of the fact that she had been the one pushing Vahn, willfully taking advantage of his inability to stay mad at her...Seeing Asuna's reaction, Eva didn't need an actual answer to know the faux-woman was still just a brat. Since Vahn mentioned the center of the Little Garden experience a ten-to-one flow, she could easily intuit that there was a varying rate of flow within the miniature realm, likely increasing as you moved towards the outer edges. Asuna had probably found a way to sneak into the region without notice, and, by the time Vahn became aware of what had happened, the damage had already been done.Shaking her head, Eva turned her attention back to Vahn, her arms akimbo as she maintained her accusatory glare and said, "You're too much of a pushover...tell me, how do you go from being one of the most domineering people in the entire world to a floundering idiot who gets tyrannized by a little girl? I know you don't want to hurt the feelings of the people you care about, but letting them do whatever they want just isn't healthy! You are supposed to be the one in control, Vahn! Where is your dignity as a Master and an Emperor!?"Though he didn't avert his eyes like Asuna, Vahn's expression morphed into an apologetic frown as he listened to Eva's words. He knew she was right, and, given Asuna's nature and temperament, she would have adjusted her behavior accordingly if he put his foot down. She was a very obedient and rational young lady, and, prior to her Eva's departure, the only action he needed to take in order to correct her behavior was explaining his reasoning and expectations...Realizing his fault in the situation, Vahn solemnly lowered his head, stating, "I understand where I have erred and will commit myself to do better moving forward...please forgive me..."Though she had heard similar promises before, Eva didn't actually blame Vahn, as, even before her departure, she expected something like this to happen. She knew what kind of person he was, and, in the absence of someone with greater expectations for him, he was susceptible to falling into the pace of others. He just couldn't help but try and make everyone around him happy, and, though it often caused him stress, he could bear any burden if it was for the people cared about.Feeling her anger rapidly diminishing, Eva wasn't able to maintain her accusatory glower any longer, a tired sigh escaping her lips as she crossed her arms and muttered, "I forgive you..." while casting a communicative gaze at Asuna. The latter easily understood the meaning contained within her gaze, so, without needing to be told, she bent down and performed a faultless dogeza, forehead pressed to the ground as she said, "I have also realized my wrongs...I owe an apology to everyone. I'm sorry for taking advantage of your kindness, Vahn...I just like spending time with you...I..."Seeing Asuna perform a dogeza, Vahn felt like a cold sweat had spread across his skin as he looked between her and Eva. The latter just rolled her eyes when she noticed his gaze before giving him a shoulder shrug as if to state, 'do whatever you want'.With his fiancee's consent, Vahn leaned down and placed his hand upon Asuna's shoulder, silencing her apology by sincerely stating, "I accept your apology, Asuna...now, stand up. You need not lower yourself to such an extent. The most important thing is to remember the lesson you learned and do your best to avoid repeating the same mistakes. You are an exceptionally bright and capable young woman, and, though you are not without fault, I believe you will become even more amazing in the wake of this incident..."Hearing Vahn's words, Asuna raised her head to reveal a thin layer of moisture covering her eyes. It was clear she had been on the verge of tears, but, now that she had been pardoned, the glistening layer took on a new meaning as she looked up into the face of the man she loved. This made Vahn feel a little helpless, not because she hadn't learned her lesson, but because he could tell Asuna had resolved herself to greatly exceed his expectations...---Though it seemed like everything had been settled without incident, Asuna insisted that Eva met out a suitable punishment for her recent behavior. She immediately came to regret this decision, but, rather than complain, Asuna had a defeated look in her eyes as she helped the Chacha sisters move all of her stuff into a spare room. She had been barred with sharing a bed with Vahn until her birthday, and, unless it was for training purposes, she wasn't allowed to make physical contact with him unless he was the one patting her head or tending her wounds.Feeling guilty about the situation, Vahn was tempted to commute Asuna's sentencing, but, before he could utter a single word, Eva silenced him completely with a gaze shaper than any spear. After that, he found himself back in the library, and, though he wasn't exactly complaining, Eva elected to use his lap like a throne as she explained the situation to Karin. The latter had yet to be informed of the existence of his Harem, so, as could be expected from someone that admired Eva as their most important person; Karin wasn't at all enthused by the presence of Asuna and the mention of others associated with her Master's fiance.Truth be told, Karin had already prepared herself to 'assist' her Master, and, if necessary, she was even willing to dutifully serve her Master's husband. She couldn't lose her virginity, and, if it made things easier on her Master, she was willing to suffer some indignation on her behalf. After all, they would be together for thousands of years, if not longer, so Karin wasn't foolish enough to think that 'nothing' would happen between her and Vahn. Her Master had also been behaving 'strangely' ever since their reunion, so, even if she was sorely lacking in experience, Karin hadn't lived for more than two-thousand-years without developing the ability to intuit certain things.Hearing her Master segue into topics such as parallel worlds, alternate dimensions, the flow of fate, and tangential timelines, Karin felt like her brain was gradually beginning to melt. There was far too much information to process, and, in the end, none of it really mattered. All she took away from the explanation was that her Master's fiance had come from a different world with the singular purpose of saving her Master. In that world, he had an expansive harem filled with actual Gods, Heroes, and a bevy of mystical and legendary entities. In the present world, there were at least five other women besides her Master, two of which were legendary monsters while the others were the Princesses of the most powerful nations in existence...Needless to say, Karin was incensed by Vahn's lack of fidelity, but, more than anything else, she was frustrated by the fact that her Master was completely smitten with the man. To make matters even worse, she could tell that the reverse was also true, as, even when he was just looking at her Master, Karin could see the love, respect, and admiration he had for her. He was also completely deferential toward her, a trait Karin both respected and felt increasingly confused about. She didn't understand how someone could be completely smitten with another person, yet, in spite of that, have a massive harem that seemed to span more than a hundred people...In the end, Karin couldn't help but voice her perturbation, waiting until her Master asked if she had any questions to glare at Vahn and ask, "What makes you so special that my Master chose you over everyone else in the world? I don't understand it. Even if you were able to treat her condition, I can't see my Master falling in love with someone so-"Before Karin could finish her words, Eva silenced her with a simple gesture and a pointed look. This filled the dark-haired woman with a bit of indignation, but, trusting that her Master would explain things, she remained silent and attentive. What she didn't expect was for a crimson hue to spread across her Master's face as she explained, "Explaining the reasons I love this idiot would take even longer than my previous explanation...the only thing that really matters is that I chose to fall in love with him. It might be difficult for you to understand right now, but believe me when I say it isn't all that different from your decision to follow me all those years ago...the love I now feel has given my life new meaning...even though I have the option to live a normal life, I'm no longer afraid to face eternity because I know a certain idiot will always be there to watch over me..."Though she was sitting with her back to Vahn, Eva couldn't help but bury her face into her hands as she uttered the final few words. This was a little contrary considering her statement that she was no longer afraid to face eternity, but, rather than point it out, Vahn earned the most profound pout he had ever seen on a grown woman's face as he embraced Eva from behind. Karin was glaring at him with a look that could even rival the release of his sword intent, but, rather than angry; it would be more accurate to say she was 'extremely' envious, not of Eva's position, but his...If looks could kill, Vahn was pretty sure he would, at the very least, be extremely injured by Karin's gaze alone. He could even feel his skin tingling slightly when he whispered, "I love you." in Eva's ear, his Magia Erebea constitution causing him to feel actual pain due to the rather ridiculous amount of holy energy exuded by Karin's body...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eva be like, "Only I can say bad things about my husband!"','RIP Asuna','Karin about to go Biblical on this fool...)(A/N: I'm taking my break today. I'm feeling a little lethargic and want to decompress. Take care of yourselves.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Before Karin and Juuzou could begin trying to tear each other apart, Eva decided to put her foot down, turning to the former to say, "Karin, what's done is done. Though it will take some time for the Gateport to be repaired, those most affected will be the Merchant's Association and the Guild. Normal people don't benefit much from items passing through the gate, and, due to the war, the cost of transferring to other cities has become exorbitant."Hearing her Master's words, a conflicted look marred Karin's face, not because of what Eva said, but because the smile on Juuzou's face was really beginning to annoy her. Fortunately, Eva wasn't quite done speaking, turning to the idol-like swordsman to add, "And Juuzou...I understand your passion for battle, but you shouldn't antagonize your own allies. As I stated previously, you will have plenty of opportunities to test your skill in the future. The Sage Dragon Emperor, in particular, is someone who has reached an incomprehensible level of swordsmanship. If you can avoid offending him, you will have the opportunity to refine your skill even further. He hides it well most of the time, but he is also a bit of a battle junky...just don't piss him off...if you actually managed to offend him there is no category of immortality that can protect you from his wrath..."Though he found it difficult to believe Eva's words, Juuzou knew she wasn't the type of woman to embellish things. Some of the most powerful people he had ever faced were at Eva's behest, and, at several points throughout their history, she had proven her own strength time and again. There was even an instance where she had frozen him in a pillar of ice for an entire year, so, while he was very confident in his skills, Juuzou was equally as confident of Eva's. If she said the Sage Dragon Emperor had reached an incomprehensible level of swordsmanship, that was more than sufficient reason to be excited about the future...With that thought crossing his mind, Juuzou placed his right hand atop his heart in a gentlemanly manner before politely bowing to the two women, his voice calm and smooth as he stated, "Forgive my indiscretions, Lady Evangeline. It has been many years since I proactively associated with others so my sociability and etiquette seem to have suffered. It was never my intention to provoke, much less offend my own colleagues...to that end, I will endeavor to keep your words close to my chest..."Finished with his apology, Juuzou raised his head, offering a less-than-sincere smile towards Karin in the process. This caused the latter's brow to twitch, but, with her Master's words still fresh in her mind, Karin was ultimately able to restrain her anger, her expression turning cold and emotionless as she began willfully ignoring the man. This, of course, didn't bother Juuzou in the slightest, as, in his mind, her most redeeming quality was that her immortality was one of the few things he was, at least for the time being, unable to cut...Fortunately for everyone present, Juuzou rarely spoke his true thoughts aloud, so, despite a notable tension still permeating the air, everyone simply ignored it as Jinbei chimed in, asking, "So, where to now, Kit-?"Before Jinbei could finish uttering her old nickname, Eva appeared next to him in an instant, an icy aura erupting from her body as she grabbed his wrist and hurled him into the ground with enough force to create a crater 10m in diameter. Then, with a face redder than a tomato, she exclaimed, "I told you not to call me that! I'm engaged now and I don't want you giving people strange ideas by referring to me with a pet name...!"Despite having his body planted in the ground like a bamboo shoot, Jinbei continued to smile with his characteristic half-lidded expression. He had grown used to being rag-dolled by Eva a long time ago, and, during the seventy or so years she had a crush on him, he had become intimately familiar with the ground...With Eva releasing his hand, Jinbai rose to a seated position, and, after coughing up a small amount of blood, he looked up at her with a trace of amusement apparent in his gaze as he mused, "What a shame...it seems like little Eva-chan really is growing up. I wonder if this is how a father feels when his dau-"Without waiting for Jinbei to finish expressing his sentiments, Eva kicked him hard enough to send him crashing through the surrounding trees. At this point, it was possible to see steam rising from her head as she began to seriously rethink her decision to bring Jinbei and Juuzou along with her...---Due to most of his vessels disappearing whenever he entered his Realm, the only exceptions being those who entered alongside him, Vahn was unaware of the 'danger' that was approaching his not-so-secret hideout. As a result, he found himself at the mercy of Asuna, who, after their return from the beach, donned her usual shirt and panty combo. If it was just this, Vahn would have been okay, but, after twenty minutes of snuggling up at his side, like usual, Asuna very casually asked, "Can I sit on your lap? It feels like it's been a while..."Not thinking much of it at the time, Vahn ultimately agreed to Asuna's request as she had always been fond of sitting in his lap whenever they viewed his memories. What he didn't expect was for Asuna to straddle his waist, her back facing away from the three-dimensional memory projection as she leaned against him with her full weight, hugging his body. He actually used to hold her like this all the time when she was younger, but, now that she was fully grown, Asuna's rather large breasts squashed against his chest. At the same time, he could tell she was putting a bit of strength in her legs as her muscular thighs held his waist like a vice as something soft pressed accurately against his lower body.At first, Vahn was going to have Asuna move, but, before he could voice his complaint, she hugged his body tightly, her chin resting on his shoulder as she whispered, "I missed being able to hug you like this...thank you..."Though he was absolutely certain that Asuna was up to her usual antics, Vahn had always had a soft spot for sentimentality. As a result, it wasn't long before he released a faint sigh, his arms wrapping around her body to both embrace her and lightly pat her back. This caused Asuna to bury her face in the nook of his neck, but, as this was pretty common whenever they hugged, Vahn just closed his eyes and enjoyed the brief moment of peaceful intimacy.If things ended there, Vahn wouldn't have minded if Asuna wanted to continue hugging for the rest of the day, but, after around thirty minutes had passed, he became aware of the fact she was slowly grinding against him, nigh-imperceptibly, in harmony with her heartbeat. She disguised the act as a natural biological process, and, if not for her body gradually heating up, especially around a certain region, he might not have noticed it until a stain had begun to form on his trousers...Exhaling a sigh, Vahn was about to make Asuna get off of him when she held him even tighter and muttered, "Please...I just want to be with you...I won't do anything else..." in a pitiable tone.Though her tone was very affective against him, Vahn was unable to stop his brow from twitching slightly as he internally remarked, ("This rascal is steadily becoming a temptress...").Shaking his head, Vahn opted to allow Asuna to continue hugging him, but, rather than continue tolerating her mischief, he simply 'removed' the focal point of her assault. This caused the young woman a great deal of confusion, and, for a brief moment, she abandoned her pretense entirely, wiggling her hips probingly as if she was searching for something. Then, failing to find what she was searching for, her hold on his body relaxed so that she could stare at him with an accusatory look on her face.Resisting the urge to laugh, Vahn just smiled radiantly at the dissatisfied young woman, his voice unable to hide his amusement as he asked, "What's wrong? I'm not going to force you to get up. If you want to continue, I don't mind holding you until you are completely satisfied~."Though her expression didn't change much, Asuna couldn't hide the subtle twitch of her right eye as the words forming within her mind failed to reach her lips. It was one thing if Vahn outright told her to stop, but, once again, he decided to handle her in a roundabout manner. This made her feel more than a little frustrated, as, even when she was younger, she hated being teased...After seeing the smile on Vahn's face grow to a smug grin, Asuna was unable to prevent a smile of her own from developing. This immediately caused the former to adopt a more sober look, but, not willing to let him backpedal, Asuna's smile only grew as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her first instinct was to try and kiss him, but, knowing Vahn would have anticipated that, Asuna put a bit of strength in her arms, pulling his face into her chest. At the same time, she traced her finger atop the gemstone of her bracelet, using the opportunity when Vahn was 'distracted' to prepare a bit of a surprise...Feeling that Asuna had gone too far, Vahn was preparing to remove her by force, but, the moment he placed his hands on her soft waist, she immediately released her hold on his head. At that exact same moment, Vahn realized Asuna had completely removed her clothes, and, taking advantage of his momentary stupor, she didn't hesitate to embrace him tightly. Then, as if stating a simple truth, Asuna's lips nearly caressed his ear as she whispered, "You shouldn't have a problem with me being naked if you don't even have a penis..."Without responding to Asuna's words, Vahn allowed his body to simply fade out of existence the moment she attempted to bite his earlobe. As a result, she plopped onto the sofa, and, before she could make sense of the situation, a new version of Vahn appeared behind her, his face fixed in a stern expression as he muttered, "Asuna..." in a heavy tone.Hearing the uncharacteristically deep voice from behind, a shiver ran through Asuna's body as she slowly peered back over her shoulder. There, she found Vahn staring down at her with the closest thing to a livid expression he had ever directed toward her. She quickly realized she had gone more than a little too far, and, before she even realized what she was doing, Asuna activated the State of Nothingness in a vain attempt to try and escape.Though it was exceptionally difficult to influence Asuna with his Divinity, Vahn wasn't going to just let her escape. She had grown too bold over the last couple of weeks, and, if he didn't at least try to punish her, his instincts told him she would grow even bolder in the days to come. Thus, despite the drastic reduction of his mental and spiritual energies, Vahn forcibly locked Asuna within Space-Time before reversing the order of entropy to pull her out of the floor.Asuna was greatly flustered by the fact her body was moving in reverse, and, when she saw Vahn's face, all the color drained from her own as she immediately gave up trying to run away. Instead, she began to tear up against her will as she resolved herself to face whatever punishment he was about to give her. She knew it would only make things worse if she attempted to escape, and, though he was obviously very angry, Asuna knew Vahn wouldn't punish her too severely.After rewinding time to a point where Asuna was no longer naked, Vahn allowed the Space-Time lock to dissipate as a throbbing pain spread through his head. He could even feel a trickle of blood attempting to escape his right nostril, but, with Asuna abruptly becoming obedient, he managed to stymy it by activating his Magia Erebea constitution. Then, with the anger already beginning to fade away from his countenance, Vahn looked down at Asuna seated in a seiza position on the sofa.Seeing that she had prepared herself, Vahn found himself wondering whether or not spanking was considered a reward or a punishment for someone like Asuna. It seemed like everyone he had ever spanked came to enjoy it, and, though he was absolutely certain it was painful, even Nobunaga had a phase where she enjoyed having him strike her butt with increasing intensity...Just as Vahn was beginning to contemplate the existence of 'spanking laws', assuming they were a sub-set of 'taming', several powerful auras spontaneously appeared within his domain. This caused his eyes to widen in surprise, Laev-tan manifesting out of thin air as Asuna immediately donned her battle attire, Ko manifesting from within her chest. Fortunately, among the group of powerful auras, Vahn sensed one he was intimately familiar with, instantaneously relieving his tensions and causing him to look toward Asuna with a teasing smile and remark, "I'll let Eva decide your punishment. I've always been too soft when it came to meting out disciplinary actions..."Since she could also detect Eva's presence among the group of powerful auras, Asuna's expression immediately darkened into a look of dejection. Eva was a lot stricter than Vahn, so, not only would she come up with a 'suitable' punishment, but, now that the former had returned, any chance she had of tempting Vahn before her birthday had vanished in its entirety...Understanding Asuna's thoughts, Vahn couldn't help but smile as he plopped his hand on her head and said, "Let's go welcome our new friends and colleagues..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The hauntings of the past...','Someone needs to teach Asuna that silence isn't the same as consent...','RIP')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1671: Passion