Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After a breakfast that was more a banquet than a standard meal, Vahn explained his plans to the girls before teleporting everyone to the 113th Floor. There, located at the center of an impossibly large briar bush, visible from virtually anywhere on the Floor, an ancient stone shrine known as the Altar of the Great Mother could be found. This was the very heart of the Lo Po Bia Family, as, prior to the Age of Genesis, it was here that Lord Lo Po Bia had gained the authority to govern all forms of Shinheuh within the Tower.Though his abilities as an Anima had always been second to none, there was a distinct difference between taming something and having absolute authority over it. The most notable exception, at least in this instance, was that Lord Lo Po Bia also had the right to share his authority with others. This, combined with the fact he had coordinated with Gustang to infuse the traits of his favorite animals into his descendants, resulted in the creation of the most strictly hierarchal society in the entire Tower. Those at the top could literally tell those below them to commit suicide or slaughter their own children, and, unless they possessed willpower far beyond the norm, they would have no choice but to comply.While this ability sounded terrifying, it was offset by the fact that Elders could generally only wield their authority against members of the same branch family. Since they had been given the order to protect their kin, very few members of the Lo Po Bia actually attempted to exploit the authority that had been granted to them by their Father. Instead, the most common usage of the ability was them ordering the younger generation to work hard to overcome them.Unfortunately, as was often the case when such systems existed, there were plenty of loopholes that could be exploited. The most notable example of a flaw in this system was when the Patriarch of the Forest Cat Family, a man by the name of Lo Po Bia Yasratcha, challenged the former Patriarch of the Canis Family for his authority. The two families had hated each other since their inception, so, taking advantage of the Canis Family's loyalty, Yasratcha ended up gaining absolute authority over the rival family before ordering its members to both slaughter and devour their own kin. This resulted in the effective annihilation of the Canis Family Family, and, were it not for the former patriarch expecting such an outcome, ordering his sons to flee, the Canine People would have gone extinct.Though fault penultimately lay with Lo Po Bia Yasratcha, the simple truth of the matter was that the entire situation could have been prevented with a few words from Lord Lo Po Bia. Instead, his belief in the 'Law of the Jungle' had resulted in countless tragedies being associated with his Family, many from within its own ranks. This, in turn, led to an almost universal hatred of the Lo Po Bia Family, as, more often than not, they were distrustful and outright hostile to anyone outside of their respective branch. Were it not for their rather 'prolific' breeding habits, most of the branches would have been wiped out a long time ago due to the unadulterated hatred they garnered from virtually every other family and organization within the Tower...---Seeing a number of Floating Castles and countless Suspend Ships loitering in the airspace around the Altar of the Great Mother, Vahn correctly presumed that every influential figure within the Lo Po Bia Family had gathered. There were also seven Princesses of Jahad, thirty-nine High Rankers, and, last but certainly not least, the Leaders of three Great Families.With Gustang among the trio that had gathered, Vahn's expression became far more serious as he turned towards his escort, eyes focusing on Blossom as he said, "It seems the Po Bidau and Tu Perie Families have decided to intervene in this matter..."Frowning in response to Vahn's words, Blossom's amorphous pupils began to release a subtle pink glow as she directed her gaze to Enne. In response, the burgundy-haired beauty simply shook her head before offering a hint of a smile as she softly asserted, "I'll be fine. I no longer care about what happened in the past. The circumstances of my birth no longer have any influence on how I live my life..."Since Enne was generally a very curt person, rarely speaking more than a few words, hearing her complete three full sentences underscored just how serious she was. This came as a great relief to Blossom, who, despite feeling things were going exceptionally well for both her and her daughters, still had apprehensions about their future. She had endured for tens-of-thousands-of-years, so, as much as she trusted Vahn, it was impossible to convince herself that everything would simply work out. Even defeating Jahad wouldn't completely allay her concerns, as, thanks to the information he had provided, her perspective on what constituted 'real power' had changed drastically over the last couple of weeks...Burying these concerns in the deepest recesses of her psyche, Blossom managed what appeared to be a completely natural smile as she mused, "You've grown. I wonder who I have to blame- I mean thank for this~?"With her gaze returning to Vahn, Blossom briefly tensed up as she noticed the perceptive glimmer in his bottomless aquamarine eyes. It felt like he was looking straight through her, and, for a brief moment, she felt as though she might drown in the endless abyss that was his pupils. Instead, the glimmer within his eyes almost instantaneously turned to one of affection, and, were she a little bit closer to him, Blossom could imagine Vahn reaching out to either caress her head or embrace her...Resisting the urge to flex the fingers of his right hand, Vahn averted his eyes from the somewhat stupefied Blossom to explain, "The plan hasn't changed. I'll be taking point in order to prevent any future troubles from arising. I'll try to create a situation where everyone has the chance to show off, but that is secondary to our actual objective. If it comes down to me having to defeat the Elders of each branch, just leave it to me and my Templates. Once everything has been resolved, you are free to challenge them at your leisure."Though his words were directed towards everyone, Vahn's eyes had settled on Yuri for the duration of his speech. This initially resulted in the seasoned battle junky appearing rather despondent, but, hearing him say could challenge whoever she wanted after the fact, her smile immediately returned. After all, if Vahn ordered them to comply, she could even face off against the Elders of every single branch simultaneously. Just the thought of this made her blood boil, and, as a result, crimson light began to emanate from her eyes as she nodded her head and exclaimed, "Yosh! Let's get this over with! The sooner you settle this, the sooner I can beat some ass. After that, we can all go home, eat a shit ton of food, and fuck till the sun comes up~!"With a dry laugh emanating from his throat, Vahn offered a curt nod of his own before turning to face the massive briar bush and softly muttering, "Well then...shall we get a move on...?"---Under normal circumstances, the Altar of the Great Mother was off-limits unless you had received a direct invitation from the Leader of the Lo Po Bia Family, Lord Lo Po Bia himself. For the last couple of weeks, however, virtually anyone had been allowed to move freely through the sacred grounds in preparation for the event that would determine the fate of the entire family.To prevent things from turning too chaotic, Lord Lo Po Bia had mandated that all conflicts between competing families would be settled in the massive arena that had been constructed in anticipation of Vahn's arrival. These matches were personally overseen by Lord Lo Po Bia himself, so, while most branch families had decided to conserve their strength, others were doing everything in their power to show off before their Lord.Most prominent among the groups competing for Lord Lo Po Bia's attention were the Forest Cat, Acinonyx, and Tigris Families. These three, alongside the Snow Leopard and Leo Families, made up the most powerful faction within the entire Lo Po Bia Family, the 'Feline Appreciation Society', an organization formed several thousand years after Panthera Family had been brought to ruin by the Epicyon Family.Though the Forest Cat Family was originally the weakest among the major feline families, they had risen to prominence under the leadership of Lo Po Bia Yasratcha. Now, the formerly most powerful within the group had become the weakest, and, thanks to her association with Vahn, Pram and her Snow Leopard Family were currently in a precarious position. Many accused them of orchestrating the conflict between the Aldrnari Empire and the Lo Po Bia Family, and, thanks to the orders Pram had received following the event at the Name Hunt Station, there was adequate 'evidence' to prove she was colluding with a foreign power for personal gain. Since this wasn't far from the truth, there was little Pram could say in her defense, as, despite her pleas, Lord Lo Po Bia had chosen to remain silent regarding his involvement in the matter.Forced into a situation where she was public enemy number one within her own Family, Pram was doing her best to lay low until Vahn's arrival. She may have failed to conquer his heart, but, prior to their parting, she had sincerely begun to consider him her Master. The betrayal of her family made this sentiment even stronger, so, even if she had never earned his love and affection, Pram believed Vahn would appear in her time of need. Her only regret was that she hadn't taken his words at face value when he claimed to be able to easily defeat the Leaders of the Great Families. Had she known the full extent of his power, she never would have left his side...As that thought crossed her mind, Pram's silvery eyes met the gaze of the man with dark-blue hair and 'watermelon' colored eyes standing on the opposite end of the arena. Her attempts to lay low had ultimately failed, and, as a result of her 'cowardice', she had been forced into a position not all that dissimilar to the former Patriarch of the Canis Family. If she lost the coming fight, her authority would be stripped away, and, in the worst-case scenario, most of her family would be wiped out to prevent them from ever posing a future threat. The thought of this filled her with endless fury, but, understanding she wasn't a match for the man standing across from her, she surprised everyone in the stands by standing in place and closing her eyes.Equally as surprised as spectators, the blue-haired man, none other than Lo Po Bia Yasratcha, briefly raised his brows before adopting a crazed, predatory, smile and asking, "Don't tell me you're giving up so soon? What? Are you going to start begging? I hadn't realized the Snow Leopard Family had fallen so low. Though, now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I expected anything different from a family whose leader pleasures and pisses themself in public..nyahahahahahahahahahaha~!"Though she had resolved herself to leave her fate in the hands of Vahn, Pram couldn't prevent her brow from twitching in response to Yasratcha's ridicule. As a result, the surrounding Shinsu began to gradually freeze, ice particles appearing all throughout the arena as the hateful man across from her continued to laugh. Despite this, his gaze was fully focused on her, pupils contracting into thin lines as his nails steadily increased in length...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mind control fuckery...','Yuri has her priorities in order...','Somewhere after midnight, in my wildest fantasies...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Having been keeping tabs on Pram ever since her departure, Vahn was well aware of the duel scheduled to take place between her and Yasratcha. He was also aware of what her family had been going through the last couple of weeks, but, considering how they had treated others over the last several thousand years, he wasn't in a hurry to bail them out. Instead, he used their predicament to observe how the other branches would react despite knowing his visit was inevitable.Unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the branch families had taken advantage of the Snow Leopard Family's fall from grace. This was relatively normal within the Lo Po Bia Family, but, due to the Snow Leopard Family's mismanagement of the Name Hunt Station, they had accumulated a considerable amount of resentment amongst the branches they had previously looked down upon.Simply put, Pram and the Snow Leopard Family were effectively reaping what they had sewn during the time they were in power. They had suppressed several weaker branches using their status, and, as could be seen in their treatment of the Grey Wolf Family, they weren't against annihilating other branches for personal gain. This was the consequence their past actions demanded, so, rather than immediately intervening in the fight, Vahn and his rather sizeable entourage were silently observing the proceedings from within a bubble completely isolated from the Primary Axis of Reality.Unaware of this, Pram began to tremble from embarrassment and fury as Yasratcha, now sporting a visage reminiscent of a hyena, continued to laugh at her expense. To make matters even worse, the crowd had started to join in, many laughing alongside Yasratcha while others began to jeer and cat-call the once-dominant Elder of the Snow Leopard.Unable to contain her anger, Pram's inordinately fluffy hair seemed to billow even more than usual as she raised her face to reveal moistened yet furious eyes. This caused an eerie silence to descend upon the crowd within her field of view, and, though he was sublimely confident in his power, even Yasratcha tensed up under the scorned beauty's gaze. After all, despite the rather drastic difference in their power, status, and authority, Pram's bloodline was actually of a higher quality than his own...With feelings of resentment and inferiority swelling from the deepest recesses of his subconscious mind, Yasratcha's muscles began to noticeably bulge as he leaned forward, claws and fangs bared as he exclaimed, "You dare look at me with such eyes!? What, you think you're better than me...!?"Without waiting for Pram's response, Yasratcha lunged forward with extreme momentum, the arena shuddering as he shouted, "You're nothing...!"Punctuating his words, Yasratcha swept forward with his right hand, massive blades erupting from his dagger-like nails. At the same time, the momentum of his charge caused a massive eruption of dust and debris to spread through the arena, heavily impacting the barrier that had been erected to protect the spectators.Despite several blades of energy tearing towards her, Pram surprised everyone by jumping forward to meet Yasratcha's assault. His attack had been meant to maim, not kill, so, having already formed her resolve, she dismissed any thoughts of protecting her body and instead focused exclusively on offense. This caused the hairs across Yasratcha's body to stand on end, as, despite being one of the most dominant figures within the Lo Po Bia Family, he was actually terrified of pain.Deciding he would rather not fight the crazed woman up close, Yasratcha immediately ditched his assault and instead leaped into the air while releasing several more blades of cobalt-blue Shinsu. If Pram wasn't going to try and defend herself, there was no reason to pressure her directly. He also specialized in long-range attacks, so, immediately following his retreat, he condensed the Shinu in the surroundings to form a physical wall resembling an ashen-grey cat's tail covered in razor-sharp spines...Gritting her teeth, Pram powered through Yasratcha's blades of energy without flinching. Her body had become remarkably durable over the course of her inordinately long life, and, thanks to the frosty white aura covering her body, most of the blades couldn't even penetrate her clothes, much less her flesh. Were it not for the shockwaves spreading through her body and violently shaking her organs, she might have been able to blitz Yasratcha before he realized what was happening.Seeing Pram approaching him like an icy missile, Yasratcha's pupils contracted into thin lines as he dodged to the side and shouted, "You've finally shown your true colors! Tell me, how many times did you need to open your legs before that dragon bastard rewarded you with such a technique!?"Ignoring Yasratcha's words, Pram kicked off the air as if it was solid ground, swiftly changing her direction before instantaneously accelerating to relativistic speeds. This was a little dangerous in a closed arena, but, having already forgone defense, she didn't care if she crashed into the barrier or pierced through the ceiling. So long as she could land a solid hit on Yasratcha's face, she would be more than content with any outcome.Trusting in his instincts, Yasratcha didn't even attempt to counter or block Pram's attack. Instead, he allowed the three-hundred-meter long 'tail' to thrash about at complete random as he backed into a spatial ripple that allowed him to instantaneously teleport away. This ended up being the correct decision, as, immediately thereafter, Pram ended up bursting through the tail like a bullet piercing a sheet of paper before smashing, hard, into the barrier protecting the ceiling...---Excited by the uncharacteristic manner in which Pram was battling, Yuri couldn't help pumping her fists in excitement as she shouted, "Yeah! You go girl! Punt that furry fucker in the balls...!"With Yuri shouting immediately next to his ear, Vahn was about to remind her that nobody outside could hear her when he noticed even Fenrir standing with her paws clenched into fists, fully focused on the fight. This came as a moderate surprise, as, even when Pram was effectively living with them, Fenrir had never demonstrated any fondness for the opportunistic woman. Rather, had he not been there to act as an intermediary, he could easily imagine Fenrir maiming, crippling, or outright killing Pram for ever thinking she could use the Empire for her own ends...Noticing her Master's gaze, Fenrir lowered her paws before casually informing him, "I can sense it. She still has a long way to go but Pram is no longer the bad girl she used to be. She doesn't defend herself because she sincerely believes you will step in to protect her when she needs you most."Though he was already aware of the reason for Pram's self-destructive behavior, hearing Fenrir say it caused Vahn's heart to briefly tense. Before he could even think about putting a stop to the fight, however, Fenrir went on to add, "She believes you are watching over her, so, even if it costs her life, she is willing to sacrifice everything in order to expose the flaws of her family for correcting..."Hearing what Fenrir said, Yuri shifted her attention away from the fight for a brief moment, brows raised as she asked, "Are you sure about that? It seems to me she's just lashing out because that cat bastard reminded everyone about the incident where she pissed herself."Furrowing her brows, Fenrir was about to say something in Pram's defense when Vahn, shaking his head, said, "There's no sense in arguing about the reason. Either way, Pram seems like she is willing to go all the way. For now, let's continue observ-"Before Vahn could even finish speaking, a Snow Leopard more than fifty meters in height and three times that in length erupted from the bell nestled above Pram's breasts as a feral roar escaped her throat. This was the Guardian Beast that had been gifted to the Snow Leopard Family by the Leader of the Lo Po Bia Family himself, so, while it was a little strange to consider it a Divine Fish, it was still one of the most powerful Shinheuh in the Tower...---Seeing the massive Snow Leopard descending towards him, Yasratcha cursed under his breath as he swept both hands forward to literally 'bend' the arena's floor around him. This might seem pointless considering his own charge was able to rend the terrain asunder, but, thanks to his inordinately rare Shinsu Quality, he could manipulate, strengthen, and even disassemble inorganic matter his field of control. The only downside was that conflicting fields of Shinsu directly interfered with his ability to control matter, so, even though he had invested decades of his childhood learning how to strangle people with their clothes, it was utterly useless against Wave Controllers and anyone even remotely close to his level.Fortunately, most Rankers were accustomed to fighting aerial battles, so, more often than not, they didn't even think to infuse their Shinsu into the surrounding terrain. This made it exceptionally easy to control, and, unless they possessed a specialized or A-Rank Lighthouse, he could easily escape a disadvantageous situation by creating an astonishingly durable dome and burrowing deep into the ground below. This was a domain few could freely trespass, so, even if they could detect him, most people could only bombard the ground with powerful attacks in a futile attempt to bury him.Unaware of this, as Yasratcha had effectively become inactive thousands of years ago, Pram ordered her Guardian Beast to direct its most powerful attack towards the spiraling mound generated by her opponent. This caused it to issue a high-pitched roar that shook the very foundations of the arena, yet, in spite of this, the peculiar mound seemed completely unfazed. Instead, its exterior darkened to resemble a deep earthy brown that glistened beneath the light emanating from the barrier...---Having never developed a real filter for her words, Yuri gave voice to the thought that had crossed nearly everyone's mind, asking, "Is it just me, or does that dirt barrier look like a pile of shit? I can't be the only one seeing this."Unable to contain herself, an impish giggle emanated from Blossom's throat before she nodded her head and mused, "It's very fitting, don't you think~?"Though Vahn was able to maintain a relatively straight expression in response to Yuri's remark, the corners of his mouth began to twitch when nearly everyone nodded their heads in concert. Most of the girls surrounding him had rather 'youthful' appearances, so, seeing them react in the same way was not only adorable but amusing.Noticing the change in Vahn's expression, a massive grin spread across Yuri's face as she asked, "If it was you, I bet you could literally assail your enemies with endless waves of shit, huh? Or, better ye-"While he wasn't exactly sure what she was going to suggest, Vahn gestured with his left hand, and, as a result, Yuri's mouth vanished from her face. This surprised even him as his original intent wasn't to erase her mouth from existence but to momentarily seal it. This demonstrated just how much the current battle had affected him, as, despite appearing relaxed on the surface, his mind was still in a state of disarray due to Fenrir's previous remarks.Instinctually reversing the flow of time for everyone except himself and Mikoto, Vahn's face paled imperceptibly as Yuri, grinning from ear to ear, went on to say, "If it was you, I bet you could literally assail your enemies with endless waves of shit, huh? Or, better yet, you could probably drown them in semen. That should keep most people from even thinking about opposing you. Heck, I bet most people wouldn't even admit to having fought you! Ahahahahahahaha~."Resisting the urge to rub his temples, Vahn forced a smile before shaking his head and turning his attention back to the fight. He really didn't know what to say in response to Yuri's words, and, due to his little 'accident', he was currently feeling a little sheepish. Fortunately, this feeling only lasted for a few seconds, not because the fight had suddenly become interesting, but because his [Will of the Emperor] had finally decided to kick in...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'If you ain't ready to do the time, don't commit the crime~!','Pram be like, "Abandon humanity, return to gato..."','I mean...it WOULD be pretty effective...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the sky outside gradually brightening, Vahn, feeling a little impatient, began to lightly drum Blossom's small yet bubbly butt. She always found a way to invert herself whenever they were all sleeping together, so, more often than not, the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes in the morning was her pert posterior a few centimeters away from his face. Some might suspect this was an attempt to get him addicted to her inordinately potent pheromones, but, while this was certainly the case, it was more of an instinct possessed by pure-blooded Mares than actual malice.Feeling gentle yet stimulating ripples bounce around her body, Blossom's eyelids began to twitch, but, rather than opening her eyes, she softly groaned, "Just five more hours..." before attempting to wiggle away. Unfortunately for her, this actually made it significantly easier for Vahn to drum on her bottom, so, having already decided it was time to wake up, he thumbed the hem of her panties into her intergluteal cleft, fully exposing her fair white buttocks before thrumming the tune of one of his favorite anime.Though she was more than a little annoyed by Vahn's behavior, Blossom was unable to prevent a cute yet sonorous moan from escaping her throat. Even when he was spanking her bottom, Vahn's hands radiated pleasure and comfort instead of pain. Thus, rather than attempting to put a stop to his antics, she allowed the pleasure to build within her body before opening her eyes and nibbling at the zipper of his trousers with her teeth.Realizing what Blossom was trying to do, Vahn gave her bottom an audibly firmer smack, the sound echoing through the room and arousing even the deepest sleepers as he said, "We have a busy day ahead of us. If you want to continue sleeping, you'll have to stay behind."Shifting her focus away from the throbbing sensation coming from her right buttocks, Blossom rose to a seated position before half-turning to face Vahn as she asked, "What's the rush? It's not like the Lo Po Bia Family is going anywhere. Besides, we literally have all the time in the world. Don't tell me you can't spare a few minutes to make sure we're all energized and ready to go~?"Rather than immediately responding to Blossom's goading, Vahn briefly shifted his gaze to Fenrir and Mikoto. Noticing this, the former adopted a slightly serious expression to indicate that she was ready to take his side while the latter, seemingly imagining how things might play out, allowed a bit of red to bleed into her cheeks as she habitually averted her eyes.Though Mikoto's reaction tickled his fancy quite a bit, the tensions building in Vahn's body relaxed when a monstrous rumble emanated from Yuri's stomach. This earned her the attention of virtually everyone in the oversized bed, but, demonstrating a remarkable lack of concern, she proceeded to brazenly scratch near the base of her tail as she lazily inquired, "What's for breakfast...?"Smiling in response to the former Princess' words, Vahn used Telekinesis to gently lift Blossom from his body as he casually replied, "I was thinking ricotta hotcakes with aged maple dressing, self-serve omelets, and a variety of pastries. If you're craving something more substantial, I can cook up some rice, sausage, eggs, and-"With a bit of drool escaping the corner of her mouth, a voracious glimmer appeared in Yuri's deep crimson eyes as she interrupted him to demand, "I want dragon steak with biscuits and gravy...!"Understanding what she meant when she said 'dragon steak', Vahn's smile became somewhat wry as he shook his head and said, "Some other time, perhaps. I'm not really in the mood to cook up anything too complicated right now. Sorry."Though her expression briefly shifted into an exaggerated pout, it didn't take long for Yuri to adopt her usual smile and answer, "No biggie. You're the one doing all the work so who am I to complain? Cook what you want. So long as it's made by you, I'm sure it will be delicious~!"Punctuating her words with a surprisingly adorable 'guts pose', Yuri's aura immediately shifted to a bright and vibrant yellow to indicate that she wasn't just giving him lip service. She might prefer to eat specific types of food, but, until now, Vahn had yet to disappoint with any of the dishes he had prepared. Rather, eating his cooking filled her with a tremendous amount of energy, and, as strange as it might sound, she was reasonably certain that she could taste the feelings he infused into each and every meal.Suppressing his sudden urge to go ahead and prepare his trademark brand of dragon steak, Vahn's smile promptly returned as he advised, "I'm going to head down. You all should go ahead and take a bath. Last night was pretty intense, and, while I don't particularly mind the smell, it might cause a problem when we visit the Lo Po Bia Family."Though the reaction of most girls was to blush slightly, Yuri responded to Vahn's words by sniffing her armpits, scrunching up her nose, and saying, "That's probably a good call. I might not be able to control my anger if one of those arrogant clowns from the Mandrill or Lemuroidea Families chooses to comment on my smell..."With the various tribes of the Lo Po Bia Family focusing heavily on strength and bloodline, the fact Yuri now possessed a monkey-like tail was more than enough justification for the members of a few families to target her. It didn't matter that she was out of their reach, and, so long as there was even a chance they might be able to woo her, the various primate tribes would do everything within their power to either capture or ingratiate themselves to her. She could even take over the position of an Elder or a Matriarch if she really wanted to, but, having no such desires, Yuri was already thinking of ways to mask her scent before the impending encounter.Fortunately, there were a number of methods at her disposal, as, even as far back as the Record of Danmachi, Vahn had been forced to acquire techniques and shampoos to mask both his scent and the scent of others. He had even developed a version of his self-made 'cleaning magic' that would linger for several weeks, passively preventing the build-up of dirt and grime while simultaneously masking the recipient's natural aroma. If he was especially serious, he could even manipulate the Laws to completely 'erase' the concept of a person's aroma, but, as personal odor was surprisingly important for mental wellness, he had never needed to resort to such extremes...---While most of the girls were enjoying a relaxing in the hot springs-like bath, Vahn found himself unable to suppress a smile as he snuck glances at Mikoto humming at the side in a frilly pink apron. She enjoyed cooking nearly as much as he did, so, ever since she had returned from the exploration group, she had been helping to prepare meals.Though she could sense Vahn's gaze whenever he shifted his attention her way, Mikoto did her best to appear completely oblivious. If he were 'serious', he wouldn't even need to look her way to grasp even the individual molecules in her body, so, with Vahn behaving like a boy paired with his crush in a Home Economics class, Mikoto couldn't help humoring him. She was even tempted to tease him a bit, but, having stepped on that landmine more than a few times during their stay in the Actualized World of Toaru, she ultimately managed to restrain the urge.As thoughts of 'home' crossed her mind, Mikoto couldn't help thinking about what all of her friends and family were up to. She knew Vahn had effectively stopped time following their departure yet, as was often the case, the mind failed to think rationally when influenced by sentimentality. Thus, for a very brief moment, her hands slowed as memories of the past began to surge forth like a wave that had just breached a floodgate.Sensing the not-so-subtle change in Mikoto's aura, Vahn's own actions ceased as he instinctually wrapped his arms around her body, asking, "What's wrong?" in a concerned tone.Since her melancholy had lasted less than a single second, Mikoto found herself habitually rolling her eyes as she answered, "You're too sensitive..." before following it up with a demure, "I'm fine..."With familial longing having become a perpetual acquaintance of his, Vahn knew when others were experiencing something similar. Thus, even though they had previously promised to put off visiting until he had reached the Divine Realm, his tone became gentle yet resonating as he asked, "Do you want to return home for a short while? I'm sure you would feel much better..."Feeling Vahn's words spread through her body, Mikoto felt as though the marrow in her bones was vibrating as a pleasant warmth suffused her entire being. Despite this, she managed to set aside her kitchen knife before leaning into his embrace and softly replying, "Dummy...you shouldn't be using your Authority for something like this..."Resisting the urge to chuckle in response to the chastizing remark, Vahn kissed the top of Mikoto's head before proceeding to gently rock her body as he said, "I'd rather use it for things like this than to truly force someone's hand...if I can make things a little easier for the people I love, I don't mind being shameless..."Having experienced quite a bit of Vahn's shamelessness, an exasperated sigh parted Mikoto's lips as she overlapped her hands with his and muttered, "You can't make me say it..."Though he could easily do exactly that, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation before strengthening his hold on the bashful brunette and saying, "I'd like to visit the Toaruverse. Even if little to no time has passed from their perspective, I'm sure everyone will be happy to see us...I'm feeling excited just thinking about it..."Rolling her eyes in response to Vahn's words, Mikoto entrusted her full weight to his embrace as she half-heartedly retorted, "It sounds to me like you just want to have another orgy..."Unable to suppress his laughter, a jovial chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat, his voice taking on a teasing tone as he asked, "Remind me...who was it that proposed the idea of linking her senses with her 'sisters' in order to spur the development of their individuality...?"With her face turning redder than a tomato, sparks began to emanate from Mikoto's ahoge as she found herself at a complete loss for words. Vahn had actually done his best to behave as a unique aspect of her esper abilities during the early days of their time in the Toaruverse. In the end, it was she who asked him to take a more proactive role in things, as, despite possessing far greater power than even Aleister, she couldn't protect everything on her own. It was impossible to play the part of a normal middle-schooler while meddling in the affairs of global organizations, so, more often than not, it was Vahn working behind the scenes that allowed them to reach a 'happy end'.Remembering the time she had given Vahn the green light to sleep with her mother, an offer he had ultimately refused, Mikoto's face became a dangerous shade of crimson before she ultimately reverted to her Pikachu form in order to hide the evidence of her embarrassment. Then, despite his previous claims that there were more important matters to attend, time began to slow to a crawl as Vahn and Mikoto disappeared into thin air. This was immediately followed by them 'popping' back into existence, but, from the perspective of the duo, weeks had passed in less time than the blink of an eye...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Cowboy Bebop Theme Intensifies*','Never change, Yuri...','Mikoto is a closet pervert...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2003: Treachery : Trust