Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After an extended stay within the Emerald Grove, courtesy of his ability to control the flow of time within, Vahn, accompanied by Fenrir, Ryun, Illya, Eva, Asuna, Artoria, Gray, and Karin, reemerged within the confines of their room aboard the Hell Express. With the exception of Karin, who was primarily around to accompany Eva, the other seven, accounting for Mordred, had officially become the main members of 'Team Aldrnari'.Though he could easily clear most Special Tests and events on his own, there was quite a number that required a full party just to register. He had originally intended to have people like Arusha and Arryn fill in during these moments. Now, he was spoiled for choice, and, even if the members of his current party decided to take a break, he still had Musashi, Kenshin, Altera, Okita, and several others who were more than willing to journey alongside him.Comforted by the thought of traveling alongside his family and loved ones, Vahn was all smiles as he turned toward his entourage of beautiful women and said, "Though there are still three months until we reach the Name Hunt Station, I would rather resolve this matter as soon as possible. Ryun, you will lead the way using the ring provided by the God of Guardians. The rest of us will focus on eliminating any enemies who appear along the way. Any questions?"Raising her hand without hesitation, a fiery glint appeared within Asuna's heterochromatic eyes as she asked, "When we encounter this White person, can I be the one to fight against them? I mean, they were defeated by a bunch of Regulars in the past. I'm pretty confident I can wipe the floor with them."Though he had originally intended to deal with White himself, Vahn didn't see any harm in allowing Asuna to face him. His current parameters were still listed as a bunch of [Errors] so it was difficult to know exactly how strong he had become. It was like he had broken the system used to quantify the power of people within the Tower. There was even a chance that, much like an actual Axis User, the common residents of the Tower, High Rankers included, wouldn't even be able to touch him...Resisting the urge to shake his head and sigh in exasperation, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he answered, "Sure. I don't see any problems with that. Just make sure you don't underestimate them. While it is true they were defeated by a group of Regulars, it isn't difficult to imagine their fall being the result of hubris. Objectively speaking, they are a sword prodigy who has lived for thousands of years. During that time, they defeated innumerable opponents and harvested the lives of billions of people. They might be significantly weaker in the present, but you should never underestimate the depravity and craftiness of those who consume 'souls' to enhance their strength...even if it is a short battle, you should treat them as a threat from start to finish."Happy to have the opportunity to face off against a potentially powerful foe, Asuna's face bloomed into an excited smile as she nodded her head and said, "Leave it to me! I'll cut apart that bastard's techniques and then beat them until their face looks like a pig...!"Though she was significantly weaker than her peak self, Vahn could easily imagine Asuna defeating opponents far more powerful than she was. She still had a Mitigation-type Innate that provided her an effective immunity against long-ranged attacks, and, while her [Child of Destiny] had faded away the moment she departed her Record of origin, her [Beloved Disciple of the Sage Dragon Emperor] seemed to provide her a number of benefits. She was also Tier 5, so, unless she encountered a High Ranker, she should be able to defeat most foes before they even understood what was happening...---With the combination of the ring provided by the God of Guardians and Ryun's guidance, choosing a path that would lead to the location of White was a simple matter. Unfortunately, they still had to spend a total of ten days clearing rooms and passing a very specific number of sections in order to reach their destination. The routes aboard the Hell Express were constantly changing depending on the pace of the people clearing them, so, in order to ensure their path intersected with White, they had little choice but to pace themselves accordingly.Fortunately, while there weren't any particularly dangerous or interesting foes to face, it was still an opportunity for the girls to practice their teamwork and improve their individual combat skills. This left Vahn with very little to do, but, much like a spectator enjoying a game of women's volleyball, he wasn't particularly bored. Rather, now that the girls each possessed adorably animalistic or draconic features, it was quite the sight to behold. Illya, in particular, looked especially adorable as she tried to emulate Fenrir's combat style, her ears and tail flopping around as she did her best to fight like a wild animal...In the end, Vahn's duties during the ten-day period primarily revolved around complimenting the girls, pampering those who sought his affection, and preparing meals to keep their bellies full. They actually had a lot of free time on their hands due to the lax difficulty of the individual chambers so there was also a fair amount of waiting around, cuddling, and, despite the intermittent appearance of Shinheuh, they also found ample time to lounge about and watch anime.Ever since the awakening of his [Actualization] Innate, Vahn's intrigue in animated movies and other related media had increased exponentially. After all, he could literally enter into the world by simply placing his hand against the screen, dropping himself into the story, and influencing the outcome at his leisure. This made the viewing experience far more exciting, not just because he could jump into the worlds whenever he wanted, but because he could see a representation of himself in a myriad of different art and animation styles.One of the more intriguing aspects of [Actualization] was how the fictional world would appear just as real as any other the moment he entered into it. This allowed him to personally witness what the characters would look like in 'reality', and, inversely, it allowed him the opportunity to view himself as a 'character'. The best part about this was that he could 'tweak' how realistic the worlds seemed when he entered them, effectively allowing himself to experience the anime version of the world or a realistic representation that could then be linked to the ever-growing population or worlds within his Internal Reality.Vahn found the notion of appearing as a character within an anime very novel, and, though he was infinitely more attached to his women in 'reality', he could still greatly appreciate the aesthetics of certain female characters. It sometimes made him feel like he was witnessing the Avatars of other people in the Virtual World, but, unlike the latter, everything felt infinitely more realistic within the fictional worlds he had [Actualized] into reality. He also enjoyed experiencing 'cartoon physics', and, though it had earned him a fair amount of teasing from some of the girls, he was quite fond of the toon versions of himself.Thus far, Vahn's two favorite worlds to enter were based on an anime known as 'Pokemon Universe' and a video game series known as the Star Ocean Anthology. The former allowed him to experience the wider world of Pokemon, viewing the creatures in their natural environment, and observing how various cultures interacted with them. He could even take his own Pokemon along with him, as, due to the nature of his Templates being extensions of himself, they could freely enter any world so long as he summoned them using his Unit Management. This had allowed Arceus to make considerable progress in the formation of her own world, and, most importantly, it allowed his other Pokemon to experience roaming freely in a world filled with their own kind.At the present moment, many of Vahn's Templates were actually exploring worlds based on their Record of Origin. This included Nami, who, benefitting from her experiences in the Imperial Fleet, combined with the fact she was a Tier 4, managed to flip her personalized version of One Piece on its head. She had even learned how to use all three types of Haki, but, more so than anything else, it was her ability to manipulate the weather and cast water-elemental magic that provided her a nigh-absolute advantage in the oceanic world.Vahn was actually a little envious of his own Templates for having the free time to explore various worlds, but, knowing he could literally spend years within one before a single second passed in the outside, he couldn't actually complain. He just had other things to focus on, and, while he was often tempted to idle about in certain worlds for months on end, his desire to reunite with his family kept him largely rooted to 'reality'. He would have a functionally infinite amount of time to explore other worlds once he linked the Records, so, while he couldn't completely resist the urge, he rarely spent more than a few days within a fictional world before returning.The only real exceptions to this rule were the worlds based on the Pokemon Universe and the Star Ocean Anthology. The former was due to his love of the world and his desire to allow his Pokemon to roam freely. The latter, however, was entirely due to the existence of the Ethereal Queen, a being he was bound to face once he reached the pinnacle of Tier 6. She was an existence that represented the pinnacle, and, though he was the 'creator' of her world, Vahn had been soundly defeated during each of their engagements.Though they had only fought a total of three times, Vahn had been completely overwhelmed by the inordinately beautiful Ethereal Queen mere moments after their battle began. She possessed speed and power on a level he couldn't even begin to comprehend, and, unless he used his [Actualization] to basically cheat, Vahn couldn't imagine defeating her at his current level. Her power was basically identical to his own, but, due to the concepts she represented, it felt like there was an unbridgeable gulf separating them. Thus, as part of his training, he would periodically appear before the Ethereal Queen; much to the amusement of the angelic beauty, who, similar to Tsubaki, had a penchant for reminding him of the number of times he had failed...---With ten days passing in what felt like the blink of an eye, Vahn and Co found themselves in a large chamber inhabited by a mountainous man with a bald head and a colossal figure covered in various tattoos. Even while he was lying down, he towered over everyone present, the distance between his chest and back roughly the same size as a two-story building. As for his actual height, he was about half the size of the God of Guardians, roughly twenty-five to thirty-meters from the top of his bald head to the soles of his massive feet.Seeing the massive figure from the entrance of the chamber, Eva couldn't help but retort, "Are all the Guardians going to be this gigantic? Seriously, don't they understand that increased size just makes them a bigger target...?"Chuckling in response to the blonde bombshell's middling complaint, Vahn went on to explain, "It probably has the ability to compress its body into a much smaller form. The spatial laws within the Tower are surprisingly advanced for a dimensional plane that seems to be capped at the pinnacle of Tier 4. Yuri even possesses a Needle that can compress to a mere two meters despite its true form being more than three kilometers in length."Rolling her eyes in response to Vahn's words, Eva's heels clicked against the metal plates covering the floor as she took several steps forward. This caused the colossal figure sleeping on the ground to rouse from its rest, grumbling unintelligently as it's piercing grey eyes locked onto the person who had interrupted its slumber. In response, Eva's expression morphed into a taunting sneer as she raised her hand and mused, "Let's see if this technique has any actual value in combat...Shinsu Black Hole Sphere...!"Though the giant Guardian attempted to raise its body before Eva could finish her 'incantation', it's large size made its movements exceptionally slow. As a result, it was unable to evade the spherical vortex that appeared right in front of its head. This particular Baang was formed from the elements of Ice, Darkness, and Space, so, while it was a beautiful sight to behold, its capacity for destruction would leave most people feeling horrified. As for the Guardian, the upper half of its body was eaten away by the expanding sphere in a matter of seconds, it's movements ceasing almost immediately thereafter as the temperature in the room quickly dropped to more than a hundred degrees below zero...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'White is so fucked xD...','Vahn scoping out future waifus...','Eva don't play...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the body of the massive Guardian dissipating into a pale blue mist, the only thing standing between Vahn's group and the man known as White was a single sealed door.Under normal circumstances, only those with the 'key' would be able to gain access to the sealed chamber. It was protected by a series of electric locks and a number of powerful curses, several of which were lethal to anyone attempting to probe the interior.Unfortunately, while there were a number of powerful spells and enchantments within the Tower, their complexity was elementary compared to the magical system that existed within the Nasu and Akamatsuverses. It would have only taken a few minutes for Eva or Illya to thoroughly remove the seals protecting the door, but, with a 'cheat' like Vahn present, they could just as easily 'force' their way through. After all, he was 'immune' to curses, and, even if there were lethal traps installed, they were ultimately ineffective against a being who could re-manifest from complete destruction with a simple thought.Without minding the malicious spells and enchantments whatsoever, Vahn covered the entire vault-like door with a black ooze formed from his own body. Then, by channeling the Law of Destruction through his own body, combining it with the Source Energy that comprised each individual cell, he began to eat through the seemingly indestructible door at a startling rate. In the end, it only took a little more than thirty seconds before the sound of a childish voice could be heard inquiring, "What the hell...?"With the black ooze having worked its way around the perimeter of the door, Vahn jerked the entire thing free from its hinges before tossing the porous slab of corroded metal to the side. This allowed him to see a youthful figure seated atop a throne. At a glance, the figure appeared no older than ten to twelve years old, and, from facial features alone, it would be very difficult to determine their gender. They also possessed long white hair that extended to their ankles, silvery-white eyes that reflected a palpable sword intent, and a delicate complexion that complimented their androgynous features quite a bit.After briefly scanning the figure, Vahn shifted his gaze between the four-pointed silver crown atop their head and the strange claymore-like sword resting on the youth's shoulder. The former had a 'very' powerful enchantment fused into it, and, though the blade of the latter was relatively plain, it possessed an inordinately long handle and a cross-guard that looked like a saw-tooth blade. There was also a silvery breastplate covering their chest, it's front-facing plate possessing a similar rune to the crown listing lazily atop their head...Feeling unnerved by the mysterious man's gaze, the white-haired youth's face formed into a frown as they asked, "Who the hell are you people? Are you with the Jahad Empire?"Ignoring the youth's questions, Vahn shifted his attention to the Law of Identity, now appearing as an exact copy of the white-haired swordsman. In response, she nodded her head, saying, "His name is Hoaqin. He is the primary component of the being known as White. There should be four others: Vicente, Anna, David, and Albelda. They are his siblings. He tricked them into becoming 'one' with him in order to surpass their father, Arie Hon. They were forced to separate so he is currently a lot weaker than his Slayer counterpart."Continuing to ignore the questioning of the increasingly annoyed Hoaqin, Vahn nodded toward the Law of Identity before looking towards Asuna and saying, "You're up. Don't hold back."Nodding her head in understanding, Asuna, having already donned her modern-looking combat attire, stepped forward with Ko in her hand. This caused Hoaqin's pupils to shrink, and, though she had yet to attack, he could already feel an extreme threat radiating from the former. As a result, he unhesitantly swung his massive claymore as if it had absolutely no weight, shouting, "You accursed dogs of Jahad...!" as a cage of sword beams began to appear from the void.Though he had already seen a number of examples of Arie Swordsmanship, Vahn had to admit that Hoaqin was leagues bove someone like Serra. The only observable flaw in his technique was that it burned the energy contained within his Ego, stolen from countless others, as a fuel source. To make matters even worse, he seemed incapable of not using this energy, so, as Asuna continued to dance between his sword beams with remarkable speed and grace, he was steadily exhausting himself...For a fleeting moment, it seemed like Asuna was going to close the distance between herself and Hoaqin without needing to rely on her more anomalous characteristics. She was 'much' faster than Hoaqin, and, though their ages were incomparable to each other, Asuna had a substantial amount of experience fighting against completely incomprehensible foes. This allowed her to see through all of his attacks, but, just as she was about to step in and stab him in the chest, Hoaqin proved why you should never underestimate someone who burned 'souls' as a fuel source.Refusing to accept the reality that he was being outclassed by a swordsman unrelated to the Arie Family, Hoaqin's silver eyes blazed with a malicious light as he exclaimed, "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with, you brat!?"Following his exclamation, Hoaqin's body seemed to become shrouded in ghostly white flames as the sword in his hands briefly changed into a sword formed entirely from the concentrated 'power of souls'. In essence, it was almost like he had activated Bankai, his power increasing by a factor of ten as he countered Asuna's attack with near-perfect timing. This caused her pupils to shrink, but, rather than attempt to flee, she actually stepped further inward, a resolute light flashing across her eyes as she stabbed Ko into Hoaqin's body before attempting to phase through him with the State of Nothingness.Unfortunately, the ghostly flames shrouding Hoaqin's body effectively turned him into a pseudo-spiritual entity. This made it impossible to phase through him as the State of Nothingness was, on its most fundamental level, maintained by a person's mental and spiritual energies. If they actually became one with the concept of Nothingness, they would cease to exist, so, for the duration of its activation, the State of Nothingness effectively placed them into an immaterial, spirit, form.Unable to phase through his body, Asuna crashed into Hoaqin with a force akin to that of a freight train. This caused most of the bones in the youth's chest to shatter upon impact, but, at the same time, the flames shrouding his body quickly spread to Asuna's, seemingly intent on burning and subsequently subsuming her. What he never could have anticipated was that Asuna's soul was a lot more powerful than his, so, while she wasn't completely immune to the effects, it was like trying to evaporate an ocean by igniting its surface.Though she was unaccustomed to taking damage, Asuna didn't even wince as she quickly reacted to the situation by retracting Ko and slicing off Hoaqin's sword arm. Then, with a pivot, she kicked his already broken body in the diaphragm, sending him flying into the far wall and coughing up a large volume of pitch-black blood. This same blood stained his pure white garb to create a rather eerie contrast as he fell to his knees, eyes burning with a malicious light as he uttered, "You filthy cowards...sending Rankers into a place like the Hell Train..."With hazy white flames still burning on parts of her body, Asuna frowned in response to Hoaqin's words as she answered, "We're not Rankers. Besides, what ground do you have to stand on when you literally killed more than a billion innocent people for the sake of a ritual? Seriously, grow the hell up and stop blaming others for repercussions you brought upon yourself."Without responding to Asuna's comment, Hoaqin attempted to draw several runes using his own blackened blood. This was concealed by the inordinately long sleeves of his white robes, but, as could be expected, Asuna had easily seen through his actions. As a result, she activated Ko's ability, cutting through the air and severing Hoaqin's body from above his left shoulder to just below his rib cage. This also cut directly through his heart, but, as an entity who had abandoned its physical body long ago, Hoaqin wasn't instantly killed by the commonly fatal blow.Unfortunately, while he did possess a surprising degree of mastery in the domain of Spirit Magic, Hoaqin was currently facing off against five Archmages. Vahn could even directly interfere with the casting of all magic within his domain, so, despite Hoaqin's attempts to use the remnants of his life force to forcibly devour the 'souls' of everyone present, his actions were ultimately futile. It was only after several seconds of smiling viciously that he seemed to realize this was this case, his expression morphing into one of utter disbelief as the light gradually faded from his eyes...As he had burned the energy within his own Ego during his last desperate attempt at a comeback, Hoaqin had effectively exorcised his own spirit prior to his death. Under normal circumstances, this would have meant he was completely erased, beyond the hope of even Vahn's resurrection, but, as part of the ritual to become one with his siblings, Hoaqin had effectively superimposed part of his Ego onto theirs. Thus, in a manner reminiscent of Orochimaru taking over people's bodies, he could still be revived so long as even a single person possessed a fragment of his Ego.Sighing in exasperation, Vahn flashed over to Asuna's side in an instant, waving away the persistent white flames with the ease of extinguishing a candle before pulling her into his embrace and saying, "You really know how to worry me..."Feeling a paradoxically warm yet cooling energy diffusing throughout her body, a contented smile quickly replaced the expressionless visage Asuna adopted whenever she was in combat. Then, after returning his embrace with her own, she relaxed her head against his chest before musing, "We can say the same...I feel like my heart is going to burst every time I see you fight against a powerful foe. If it would help you become more self-aware, I wouldn't mind burning for a few days longer..."Taken aback by Asuna's teasing remark, Vahn found himself at a momentary loss, mouth hanging open for several seconds as he failed to find his words. This allowed Asuna the opportunity to perk up, standing on the tips of her toes in order to seal his lips with her own. Then, with a girlish giggle arising from her throat, she tightened her hold on him before separating their lips to remark, "Your bewildered expression is always so cute..."Though he was tempted to give the impish woman a light 'punishment', doing so in the presence of a corpse would be rather tasteless. Instead, Vahn just adopted an amused smile as he held her head to his chest, gently caressing her silky hair as he finished healing her body. Afterward, they gathered the constituent parts of Hoaqin together before burning his remains as part of a perfunctory funeral rite.Hoaqin might have become an irredeemable monster over the course of his life, but, regardless of the weight of their sins, bearing resentment toward the dead was like consuming a lethal poison in the hopes of killing someone who had already passed. There was absolutely no sense in this, and, more often than not, such sentiments became the seeds of hatred that caused people to gradually become monsters themselves. Thus, while some might believe that Hoaqin deserved to suffer for each individual person he harmed, Vahn had no interest in such things.Though he was not without flaw, Vahn did not kill in order to pacify the victims, nor did he fight as a champion of the bereaved. Instead, he killed his foes almost entirely to satisfy his own sense of self-righteousness, and, most importantly, allow them a chance to start fresh in their next reincarnation.Nobody deserved to suffer, and, more often than not, those that perpetuated the greatest amount of suffering did so because their circumstances had forced them into a corner. This didn't redeem them, not by a long shot, but it also didn't justify having them experience even greater suffering. If that logic was applied to each and every situation, the amount of suffering in the world would only ever increase. This would invariably lead to the destruction of everything, so, regardless of how he felt about someone in life, Vahn would still pray for them in death...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Om nom nom...!','Asuna be like, "I'm fast as fuck, White boi...!"','Hatred is a very personal thing. If you find yourself hating 'something' or a group of 'someones', that isn't true hate. You are just a patsy to someone else's agenda or a bigot. You don't have to be a part of the solution, but don't be a contributor to the problems that plague our society. If we want Full Dive VR and genetically engineered catgirls, we must first build a society of mutual understanding...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though there were a number of exceptions, such as the Name-Hunt Station on the 39th Floor, the Hell Express typically stopped for a total of one hour at each of the nine stations. This was further broken down into two thirty-minute blocks, the first allowing passengers to debark and the second allowing new arrivals to board.Just as he had done on the previous Floor, Vahn was intending to restrict access to the Hell Train. This time, however, he wasn't going to allow 'anyone' to board as the odds of them getting in his way was simply too great. He was about to hunt down one of the ancient Slayers of FUG, so, for their own sake, he couldn't allow other Regulars to embark until he had finished his business.With this in mind, Vahn waited until the doors opened before stepping out ahead of John and his companions. Immediately thereafter, his domain swept across the circular ring below, upon which more than three-hundred opportunistic Regulars had gathered. They had intentions for any of the Regulars who might be disembarking the Hell Train, and, so long as they played their cards right, it was possible to join a team of Ticket Holders after seizing the tickets of previous passengers.Recognizing a few faces among the crowd, Vahn's eyes squinted slightly as his figure seemed to vanish from atop the stairs. In the next moment, he appeared right in front of Sachi Faker and his team, smiling as he asked, "Are you looking down on me? I told you before. Aka has lost their right to board the Hell Express. Trying to sneak them onboard using a Lighthouse is a trick even a toddler wouldn't fall for...I mean, really..."Punctuating his words, Vahn forcibly teleported the Lighthouse concealed on the far side of the Hell Express. Then, before the Light Bearer accompanying Sachi could react, he smashed the pale yellow cube into several smaller fragments, forcing ejecting everything within. This included Aka, who, after a month of rest and relaxation, now appeared without so much as a trace of their former injuries.Shaking his head in disappointment, Vahn directed his gaze towards Sachi, frowning as he released the man from his Reverse Flow Control and said, "I will be dealing with the person who killed Roen. If possible, I will also try and help her. For now, your group should wait patiently on the 44th Floor. Now that you've attempted this little stunt, you have all lost your right to board the Hell Express. If you continue trying my patience, don't blame me for the consequences."Without sticking around to humor the man's response, Vahn teleported to a spot above the circular arena, a place where everyone present could see him. Then, in an authoritative voice that resonated throughout the entirety of the platform, he stated, "The Hell Express is off-limits this year. I will give you the next twenty minutes to depart. Any who remain after that will be forcibly removed from the arena and have their tickets seized."Though some people had heard about what happened on the 35th Floor, very few people actually moved to withdraw from the arena. They also didn't wander very far. Instead, they took up positions along the outskirts, most intending to spectate while others were awaiting an opportunity to take advantage of the ensuing conflict.Rather than minding the opportunistic individuals hoping for his fall, Vahn gradually floated toward the Hell Express while scanning the crowd below. He noticed there were quite a number of Regulars belong to FUG mixed within the crowd. They stood out due to the fact that nearly every member of their team wore hooded cloaks, and, unlike the other Regulars gathered below, they radiated an air of 'confidence' that didn't match their strength.Though he could easily guess based on the context of the current situation, Vahn still had the Law of Identity confirm their intentions. Unsurprisingly, they were intending to board the Hell Express, and, due to him ignoring the first team sent by FUG, they mistakenly believed he would allow them to do so.Amused by their audacity, Vahn couldn't prevent a light chuckle from escaping his lips as he came to a stop on the stairs leading up to the Hell Express. He obviously wasn't going to let them board the train, as, not only would it be slapping himself in the face, it would also implicate him with the infamous criminal organization. He had no interest in being associated with them, and, considering he was about to kill one of their former Slayers, there was a pretty good chance that they would be at odds in the very near future...With this in mind, Vahn gradually increased the pressure within his domain, an action that helped to 'convince' several other teams to depart the arena. Then, once there were only two minutes left, his smile disappeared as a golden luminance spread beyond the confines of the platform. This caused the remaining Regulars to fall to their knees, sweat breaking out across their bodies as the pressure skyrocketed to the point of cracking the arena's foundation.Surprised by his own power, Vahn began to gradually release the pressure as he slowly descended the stairs. For a brief moment, he was seized by the notion that he could just 'erase' everyone that had refused to obey him, their wills crumbling under the pressure of his own. This was more than a little perturbing, but, rather than allow it to affect him, Vahn mentally uttered, ("This is still just the beginning...don't let your own power frighten you...use it...control it...")Following his own advice, Vahn's eyes began to radiate with an intensity that rivaled the Sun as he came to a stop at the very base of the stairs. Then, in a tone that seemed to pierce directly into the minds of everyone present, he simply uttered, "Leave."Despite the pressure that continued to weigh upon them, virtually everyone within the vicinity of Vahn's domain, including those spectating from outside the arena, began to migrate towards the elevators and stairs leading away from the platform. Those who couldn't stand crawled on all fours while those who couldn't even do that began to pull themselves across the ground. It was an eerie sight to behold, and, though he was the one who had caused it, even Vahn could hardly believe the scene playing out before his very eyes...---Feeling more than a little exhausted, Vahn saw off the marginally frightened members of Team John before returning to the Hell Express. There, Artoria and Asuna were waiting for him, concern visible in both of their gazes as the former asked, "Are you okay...?"With two of his wives standing before him, Vahn was already beginning to feel better, so, without needing to lie, he managed a smile as he said, "I am now. Come, let us return to the others. I'm sure Fenrir is probably feeling a little restless. Once I deal with her, we can return to the Little Garden for some R&R. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten our prior arrangement."In an effort to allay the duo's concerns, Vahn punctuated his statement with a playful wink before casually snaking his hands around their waists. Fortunately, they both possessed the ability to see through him with remarkable clarity, so, while they could tell he wasn't completely fine, they could also tell that he wasn't lying. Thus, rather than press the issue, Artoria responded by changing into casual wear while Asuna planted a light peck on his cheek before uttering, "I'm looking forward to it..." in a voice amplified by a sensual purr.Smiling wolfishly in response to Asuna's bold words, Vahn attempted to slide his hand down her body and give her pert rump a light pinch. This was something she had seen coming, so, before he was able to, she planted another swift kiss on his cheek before blinking away like a phantom. Rather than simply open up some distance between them, however, she continued until her figure was out of sight, seemingly with the intent to give him and Artoria some alone time.Though he understood she was trying to make up for her earlier selfishness, Vahn's expression still melted into an affectionate smile when he realized Asuna's intentions. As for Artoria, she issued a light chuckle before leaning her head against his shoulder and softly remarking, "Be sure to reward her plentily once we reach the outer rings..."After a light chuckle of his own, Vahn gradually slowed his advance before stopping completely as he wrapped Artoria in his embrace. She responded to this by stealing his lips, preempting his words with action. She even slipped her hands into his back pockets, seizing the initiative by squeezing his butt and guiding his back against the nearby wall. These were things she could only do when other people weren't around, and, though he wasn't unfamiliar with such behaviors, her marginally more youthful appearance somehow made her actions seem exponentially bolder...---With Mordred showing no signs of completing her Revolution any time soon, Vahn had everyone return to the Little Garden so they could relax and discuss plans for the future. He also wanted to spend some time with his children, who, as could be expected, were growing at a remarkable rate. Every month that passed for them equated to five months of development, so, despite being only eight months old, they had the appearances of three-year-olds.Though Naruto had found a place for himself among the verdant forests of the Emerald Grove, the same couldn't be said for young Hana. She had never outgrown her penchant for spying on others. Rather, thanks to numerous people doting upon her and a burgeoning friendship with Madara, she had become a 'very' successful prankster. She had even learned a few basic Jutsu, and, much to the chagrin of the less perceptive residents of the Emerald Grove, she had a remarkable talent for laying traps...Fortunately, despite her persistent pranking, Hana was still adored by virtually every resident of the Emerald Grove. Most of her pranks were pretty harmless, so, rather than take offense to them, they would actually praise her for a job well done. This served to further encourage her, and, though this resulted in an ever-increasing number of traps, that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It allowed her to gain an understanding of basic mechanics at a very young age, and, most importantly, it helped her grasp the difference between right and wrong via positive reinforcement rather than reproach.Vahn genuinely believed in the inherent goodness of children, and, so long as they grew up in an understanding environment, the chances of them being led astray later in life were negligible. This was a sentiment shared by all of his Templates, so, while her pranks could be a little troublesome at times, the only times they admonished her was when she endangered herself or others. The rest of the time, they praised her ingenuity and even encouraged her to prank specific people, effectively becoming her accomplice.Unfortunately for Vahn, the person Hana enjoyed pranking more so than anyone else was himself. This put him in a difficult situation since he could easily see through her traps, yet, in spite of this, had to walk into them. This had resulted in his hair being dyed a variety of different colors, and, on one occasion, he even had to walk into an invisible barrier that had been erected by Latias. This was Hana's most common accomplice, and, after realizing she wouldn't get in trouble, Latias' penchant for pranks had increased to match the young Hyuuga's.Since they were exceptionally cute whenever they smiled, Vahn was utterly powerless to oppose the tyrannical duo. He couldn't stand to see his daughter cry, and, though she could get a little out of hand at times, Latias had gradually become one of his favorite among the Pokemon. The only one he was really closer to was Arceus, but, considering the direction their relationship had developed, that wasn't too surprising. After all, while it had yet to hatch, she was still the mother of one of his children...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tier 5 Vahn be scary...','Oh my (OwO)....','Better get to steppin~')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1863: Leisure : Intrigue : Overwhelming