Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

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 Yasratcha's energy signature vanishing from her perception, Pram, with blood dripping from her forehead, began to condense as many Baangs as she could in preparation for her next attack. This was a fight that prohibited the use of weapons, so, without her prized Needle, her strongest ability was the technique she had learned during her training with Fenrir. It allowed her to bolster her physical characteristics to extremes that simple Baangs couldn't achieve, and, more importantly, it stimulated her nervous system to provide a rather drastic increase in reaction and response time.Though raw speed was generally considered the most important factor when it came to fighting potential, it was useless without the reaction time to keep up with and guide your own attacks. It also provided little benefit when your opponent could simply shrug off your most powerful attacks, as, even if you could move near lightspeeds, that didn't mean you could strike at lightspeeds. After all, unless you had some kind of technique to redirect counter-forces away from your body, hitting a foe at the speed of light was the same as hitting yourself at the speed of light. This was the main reason people near the top still used weapons, as, more often than not, it was simply impossible to go all out with their actual bodies.Ignoring this logic entirely, Pram began to absorb a phenomenal amount of Shinsu into her body with complete and utter disregard for the consequences. Strangely enough, this didn't result in her body swelling due to the increased density of her muscles. Instead, her affinity with Yin Elemental Energy caused the energy within her body to enhance her feminine characteristics to a surprising extent. The most noticeable of these changes was her ashen-silver hair turning pitch black, but, as soon as you looked past this, your heart would seize up upon realizing how indescribably beautiful she had become.Not only had Pram's already striking features become even more outstanding, but, contrasting her relatively petite stature from before, her height had increased to approximately 180cm. Even more noticeable than this, however, was that her breasts and butt appeared as though they were trying to liberate themselves from the fabric containing them.While these were the features that stood out to virtually everyone watching the fight, Vahn's mind had stalled when he saw how much longer and fluffier Pram's tail had become. Previously, it had been around 120cm in length. Now that her body was saturated with Yin Elemental Energy, it was nearly twice as long, and, more importantly, thick enough that it looked like she could conceal her body within if she really wanted to.As thoughts of doing the same crossed his mind, Vahn's expression became inordinately serious as he noticed the major drawback of Pram's unexpected transformation. Though her fair skin made it difficult to discern, the very tips of her fingers and toes had started to freeze due to her inability to properly control and regulate the energy within her body. A similar phenomenon was occurring in the energy pathways of her body, so, while her power had increased rather drastically, it wouldn't be long before the chillingly cold energy completely froze and crippled her body.Even if she could hear Vahn's thoughts, Pram wouldn't have expressed any fear. She had already formed her resolve, so, even if she ended up completely ruining her body, she was willing to do so if it meant defeating her opponent. She also felt as though she had just broken through some kind of limiter, so, even if Vahn didn't step in to save her, she no longer had any regrets. This power was clearly something she had obtained as a result of the time she had spent at his side. Thus, even this battle ultimately resulted in her death, she was content knowing Iifa and Nio would one day surpass her...Believing wholeheartedly that Vahn would never allow the Snow Leopard Family to face extinction, a smile spread across Pram's face as she directed her ice-blue eyes towards an extremely faint energy signature. One of the major flaws in Yasratcha's ability was that, without a lighthouse or something similar, his senses were just as muted as his opponent. They might not be able to detect him, but, in that same vein, he could only detect energy within a few hundred meters whilst underground.Though she was actually aware of this flaw, the fact she could sense, not just Yasratcha's, but the life force of virtually everyone in the stands, filled Pram with the instinctual urge to 'erase' them all from existence. She could even make out a mysterious flame burning near the heart of virtually everyone present, the only exception being the chestnut-haired man sitting next to her father...Restraining the urge to go on a killing spree, Pram ordered her Family's Guardian Beast to return to its Bowl. To her surprise, it actually refused to come anywhere near her, fear visible in its pale-blue eyes as the hairs across its body stood on end. This left her feeling more than a little confused, as, despite having a limited number of techniques at their disposal, the Guardian Beasts of each branch family were exponentially stronger than the Elders they served. They could also reform their bodies so long as their Bowl remained intact, so, in the long history of the Lo Po Bia Family, it was unheard of for a Guardian Beast to fear the Anima controlling it...Feeling an emotion similar to disdain rising from the back of her mind, Pram's smile faded away as she ordered the inordinately large feline to flee to the periphery of the arena. This was an order the creature happily obliged, as, from the moment she had transformed, the central thought in its mind had been to get as far away from the abyssal-black-haired beauty as possible. Her presence felt like death itself, and, while it would readily sacrifice itself under normal circumstances, its instincts were practically screaming 'run away'.With her Guardian Beast seemingly fleeing for its life, Pram was marginally surprised to hear a snort escape her nose as she followed its departure with her eyes. She normally revered the creature that had protected her family for numerous generations, yet, here, at this moment, she felt as though it was beyond pathetic. Rather, with the exception of the three monstrous entities observing her with differing degrees of intrigue, she felt as though everyone else was simply taking up space they had no right to occupy...Doing her best to suppress these dark thoughts, Pram spread her arms with the intent to create as many Baangs as possible. To her surprise, the normally bluish-white swirls of energy had gained an unnerving black hue, and, for a brief moment, her own instincts kicked in, demanding she cease her current course of action. Instead, she focused on stabilizing two massive Baangs of Shinsu, a vicious smile appearing across her face even as visible cracks began appearing on her arms and legs.Though he had no idea what Pram was up to, alarm bells were sounding in Yasratcha's mind as he attempted to delve deeper into the ground. Unfortunately, the barrier surrounding the arena also extended below the surface, so, even if he wanted to descend much further, the maximum depth he could achieve was a mere three-kilometers. This might sound like a lot, but, considering there were High Rankers able to erase mountains with single Baangs of Shinsu, a cold sweat developed across Yasratcha's body as he instinctually hardened his surroundings...---With even Yuri having fallen silent, Vahn and his entourage's expressions mirrored those of the masses as they witnessed Pram emit a blast of energy that seemed to erase everything in its path. In actuality, the attack was actually decaying everything it impacted at an extreme rate. There was only one Law that came to mind when seeing this, but, before he could recover from his shock, it was Fenrir who muttered, "Death..." in a somber and serious tone.Without doing so consciously, Vahn nodded in response to Fenrir's utterance before opening his Unit Management to confirm Pram's status. Unsurprisingly, her Soul Tier had increased from three to four, and, though she lacked a Divinity, she wouldn't be lying if she began referring to herself as a Goddess of Death. After all, listed alongside her previous three, she now possessed a rather scary-sounding Innate called [She Who Is Death]. This was actually the Sanskrit translation ascribed to the Goddess Kali, so, while it didn't directly link her to the legendary Mahavidya, the fact it was listed as a Mind Innate indicated it wouldn't be long before Pram began to think and behave like a Goddess of Death and Destruction...Though it wasn't his first time witnessing someone awaken an Innate, Pram's breakthrough, while worrying, provided a considerable amount of insight. Her 'evolution', if it could be called that, was a combination of her past circumstances, the changes she had undergone whilst spending time with him, the burden placed upon her after the fact, and, most importantly, her resolve to both face and 'overcome' her impending end. He imagined his periodic 'infusions' of Source Energy also played a part in her awakening, but, in the end, it was Pram's heartfelt desire to 'move forward' that allowed her to bridge the seemingly insurmountable chasm between Tiers 3 and 4...---Ignoring the red crystals flaking away from the stumps where her hands used to be, the smile on Pram's face grew to a point that it began to detract from her world-shaking beauty. After all, not only had Yasratcha's energy signature completely vanished, a crater extending all the way to the barrier now dominated the barren and lifeless landscape. Before the fight had started, there had actually been a number of trees and shrubs decorating the landscape within the arena. Now, the only living being within the arena was herself, her family's Guardian Beast, and a number of eerie black plants that hadn't existed prior to her attack...With a full minute passing without any signs of Yasratcha appearing, a sudden and intense urge to laugh spread through Pram's body. Unfortunately, this was accompanied by a tremendous amount of pain, so, rather than the elegant laughter she was known for, pained cackles emanated from her throat as a black aura erupted from the cracks spreading across her body. Before she even realized what was happening, tears began to pour down her face, but, no matter how hard she tried to rein it in, the black aura continued to expand as her laughter caused the hearts and bodies of thousands to tense in fear...---Showing far greater concern than the duo at his side, a scholarly-looking man with sleek brown hair, sharp eyes, and a neatly trimmed beard turned towards his green-haired companion covered in pale-golden fur, asking, "Are we just going to sit here and watch? If the barrier fails to hold, your family will lose a lot more than two Elders..."Responding before the green-haired man could speak, a sharply-dressed man with chestnut-brown hair and similarly brown eyes remarked, "The Tu Perie Family is becoming bolder with each passing day..." before adjusting his silver-framed glasses and adding, "This barrier was painstakingly erected using techniques developed by my Research Association. Its durability is such that even the three of us would not be able to shatter it in a short period of time. Even if the Sage Dragon Emperor fails to make an appearance, that woman will destroy herself long before the barrier is compromised."Frowning in response to the man's words, the scholarly-looking individual's voice hardened as he countered, "I would have thought the man praised as the most intelligent within the Tower would be able to understand the repercussions of losing two branch leaders. If Lady Pram dies here, the conflict between the Snow Leopard and Forest Cat Families will-"Rather than waiting for his former colleague to finish, the sharply-dressed man, Po Bidau Gustang, adopted a glare of his own as he flatly replied, "I would advise you to learn how to think before you attempt to lecture others. Don't assume everyone is limited by your apparent inability to think, Lord Tu Perie. Unlike you, I have properly considered every outcome, inevitable or otherwise. Were there any doubt in my mind that the Sage Dragon Emperor would show up, do you think I would be here right now? Ah, my apologies. I already drew attention to your apparent inability to think, yet here I am assuming you are capable of more than simply spewing platitudes. Now, cease your blathering. If my calculations are correct, the Sage Dragon Emperor will be arriving any moment. Simply seeing him appear has more value than speaking with you for an entire year so stop wasting my time with your meaningless drivel."Finished with what he had to say, Gustang erected a sound dampening barrier between him and the glowering Tperie. This caused the latter's expression to darken, but, understanding the futility of trying to argue with Gustang, he quickly regained his calm before turning his attention to Lo Po Bia in an attempt to convince him to act. Instead, his words got caught in his throat as the fur-covered man excitedly muttered, "He's here...!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It's so fluffy that I just might die...','Embrace the darkness...','Apply cold water to burned area...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

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

Chapter 2004: Lurking