Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With countless people coming to her with requests for information, Jaina eventually got so fed up with disturbances that she ended up retreating to number seven of her twenty-three secret bases. In reality, this was just the basement of her castle, but, with her Guide turning most people away, it was one of the few places she could truly relax due to the existence of fifteen luxurious baths, each filled with different types of highly-concentrated and exceptionally valuable Shinsu.Though she had no interest in climbing the Tower, that didn't prevent Jaina from taking measures to ensure she was adequately prepared for her climb. After all, she wouldn't be allowed to take the Opera with her, so, before the 'hateful' rabbit came knocking on her door, she was doing everything in her power to strengthen her body. This predominately revolved around simply soaking her body in various types of Shinsu, but, with countless High Rankers lining up to gift her with exceptionally valuable materials, she wasn't going to simply refuse the platinum spoon life had gifted her...While soaking her body in a tub of Shinsu that could compress the average C-Rank Regular to the size of a grapefruit, Jaina made the most of her leisure time by completing Dailies on her eighteen favorite mobile games. At the same time, she used miniature Lighthouses connected with her Opera to keep track of various markets throughout the Tower. One of her favorite hobbies was beating her real-life High Scores, which, in essence, amounted to opening a new bank account at the beginning of each year to see if she could beat her score from years prior.Noticing a notification pop up on one of her games, Jaina's mood immediately improved as the only people on her friends lists were other Princesses and interesting people she had forced to play with her in exchange for information. Most of them quit shortly after playing for the amount of time specified in the contract, but, every now and then, she managed to convert one of her sisters into a hardcore gamer like herself.Opening her notification box, Jaina was unsurprised to see the nickname 'HatefulMonkeySnake' in the sender column. This was the nickname she had assigned Yuri's account handle after the latter joined up with Vahn and started wreaking havoc throughout the Tower. She normally wouldn't have cared, but, three days after Yuri's year-long 'vacation' in the Little Garden, she ended up blabbing to Jaina about her relationship with Vahn. To make matters even worse, she also prattled on about the existence of the Quest System, so, as an avid gamer, Jaina couldn't help feeling 'extremely' envious of her elder sister's luck. If her spoon was platinum, Yuri's was formed from some type of rare and indescribably valuable gemstone, as, despite being a complete idiot, everything always seemed to go her way...With half her face sinking beneath the surface of the water, Jaina began to blow bubbles as she prepared herself to read Yuri's braggadocious text. To her surprise, there were only three words making up the body of the message, specifically, "Look behind you." This caused Jaina's body to tense up, as, despite being an irredeemable idiot, Yuri was also a remarkably straight-forward and tactless woman.Though it would have been simpler to use her Lighthouses to reflect the view behind her, Jaina slowly shifted around in the bath until she was staring at the empty space behind the tub. Under normal circumstances, this would have caused her to feel relief, but, shortly after she had looked back, Yuri's disembodied head, attached to a translucent neck, manifested out of the void as she shouted, "Boo...!"Without startling in the slightest, Jaina simply stared at Yuri for several seconds before asking one of the most important questions plaguing her thoughts, chiefly, "Are you alone...?"Stepping out of the void as if it were some kind of malleable fabric, Yuri adopted a slight pout as she said, "You're no fun. What kind of lame reaction is that?"Ignoring Yuri's comment, Jaina commanded her Lighthouses to scan the area as her Opera, located in her main bedroom, lit up like a miniature sun. Even this didn't allow her to sense where Yuri had emerged from, however, so, even without the former explaining, she could reasonably assume that Vahn was either nearby or currently present. This caused her face and body to heat up considerably, as, despite caring very little about three-dimensional romance, the notion that an invisible deity had invaded her bath was supremely embarrassing.Amused by the pink-haired woman's reaction, Yuri was thinking about the best method to tease her when Vahn sent her a telepathic message telling her to stop fooling around. Unfortunately, this only served to rile her up even further, so, before the former could use his Unit Management to teleport her away, Yuri began to undress, saying, "Make some room. It's been a long time since we last took a bath together. I might not longer be a Princess of Jahad, but I'm still your big sister. It's important for us to bond when we get the chance~."Disregarding Jaina's protests, Yuri stripped down in a matter of seconds before forcing the petite pinkette forward and sinking into the peculiar green Shinsu filling the tub. This caused the bath to overflow a bit, and, due to the runes on the tub only affecting the Shinsu within, a rather sizeable explosion occurred as the highly compressed liquid instantaneously converted into a gaseous mist that quickly filled the entire room.With reaction speed that allowed her to casually dodge lightspeed attacks, Yuri was easily able to veil Jaina with her Ki long before the explosion occurred. Despite this, the pink-haired maiden still had a disgruntled expression on her face, and, were it not for the fact that she might trigger a much larger reaction by moving around too quickly, she would have immediately kicked Yuri in her smug face. Instead, she retreated to the opposite end of the oversized tub, hands protecting her relatively modest breasts as she asked, "Tell me, why are you here? Where is Vah-, I mean, where is the Sage Dragon Emperor? You clearly had his help infiltrating this place. Subtlely has never been your strong point..."Laughing in response to Jaina's words, Yuri hooked her arms over the sides of the tub, answering, "You're right~!" before using her toes to invade the pinkette's personal space. This caused Jaina's face to redden considerably, as, due to the former's height, she could easily extend her toes to the opposite end of the bath. Yuri wasn't exactly shy, either, so, even if Jaina wanted to shout at her to stop messing around, getting her to behave was nigh-impossible.Just as Jaina was about to protest, the tips of her ears turning scarlet, her mind completely blanked when Yuri simply vanished into thin air. Were it not for her clothes littering the ground, Jaina might have assumed she was having some kind of fever dream. Instead, she quickly yet cautiously got out of the tub before hurrying over to the hamper containing the same garments she had been wearing prior to her bath.Under normal circumstances, Jaina wouldn't think twice about wearing the same clothes for days on end. This time, however, she hesitated for a moment before lifting her frilly pink panties to her nose and giving them a tentative whiff. The smell of her own aroma caused her still-ruddy cheeks to turn a textbook example of apple red, as, for the first time in her life, she deeply regretted not practicing proper hygiene...Though the notion she was being watched made her feel exceptionally flustered, Jaina did her best to wash her panties in one of the tubs before donning them. She was lucky that the enchantments on the tub attracted the Shinsu within towards the bottom, so, as long as she was careful, anything pulled from within would dry before it breached the rim. The enchantment was like an exceptionally powerful magnet, so, even though she invested several minutes into washing her clothes, she didn't have to worry about having to dry them out after the fact.By the time she was ready to go upstairs, Jaina had spent the better part of forty minutes mentally and physically preparing herself. Before she left the bath, however, she made sure to stamp her feet on Yuri's clothes. She might be the closest thing to a real friend Jaina had ever made but that didn't mean she would simply forgive everything the former Princess did. Just the thought of what might have transpired if Yuri wasn't teleported away caused her to turn beet red, so, if she didn't take her anger out on 'something', she wouldn't be able to calm down.With her petty revenge complete, Jaina combined all the miniature Lighthouses she had brought with her into a much larger cube before riding it back to her room. She disdained having to walk around, so, much like a member of the Eurasia Family, her preferred mode of travel was floating. In fact, it was this ability that first earned her the attention of the Tperie Family, as, despite the fact she had yet to become a Regular, she could freely manipulate the Tower's Shinsu. The only other people with capability were Irregulars and absolute monsters like Baek Ryun, so, ever since she was a child, the entire Tower lauded her as a genius.Unfortunately, due to her nervousness, said genius could barely travel in a straight line, and, were it not for an invisible force preventing her from stumbling, she might have fallen off her Lighthouse as it ascended the spiral staircase connecting her bath to another of the castle's secret chambers.With her intelligence, Jaina could easily guess that the invisible force was somehow related to Vahn, so, by the time she finally reached her bedroom, her face had become a dangerous shade of red as she manipulated the doors to open with her Shinsu control. Instead, undetectable despite the fact they were a few meters away from her Opera, a large group of people was sitting in a semi-circle, clearly waiting for her to arrive. This included an unrealistically handsome man with dark-brown hair and green eyes that seemed to shift to a mysterious shade of blue whenever the light hit them just right. Unfortunately, the moment he looked towards her and smiled, Jaina immediately blacked out, propelled from her Lighthouse as if Vahn's smile carried some kind of physical force behind it...---Feeling a peculiar and somewhat ticklish warmth spreading through her body, Jaina opened her eyes to discover that she was sleeping in the middle of a distorted landscape filled with adorable yet mishappen creatures. This confused her quite a bit, but, seeing a sickeningly cute girl with pink hair floating a few meters from her position, understanding donned upon her as she groaned, "It's been a while...Lady Eurasia..."Nodding her head, the pink-haired girl, Blossom, approached to within a few centimeters of Jaina's position before explaining, "You passed out. I suppose locking yourself away and refusing to even meet your own Guide face-to-face has had some...unfortunate side effects..."Adopting a pout that was greatly emphasized due to the fact she was currently in a dreamscape, Jaina complained, "3D isn't supposed to be comparable to 2D. There is something seriously wrong with that guy. Wait. I know! He must be using some kind of transformation magic to make himself look better...!"Cupping her cheek like a concerned mother, Blossom adopted a somewhat helpless expression as she softly remarked, "What a helpless girl..." before immediately following it up with a radiant smile the moment Jaina glared at her. Then, before the pinkette could complain, she snapped her fingers and said, "Well, I'm sure you'll do better the second time. Good luck~!"Confused by Blossom's words, Jaina was about to ask what the inordinately petite woman was talking about when the ground beneath her spontaneously ceased to exist. This caused her to fall into an abyssal black void, frightening her to such an extent that she immediately lurched forward in the real world, grabbing the closest thing to her. Unfortunately, this just so happened to be Vahn, so, after several seconds of stunned silence, Jaina immediately blacked out a second time...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I wish I could set High Scores like that...','Yuri has naughty toes...','RIP Jaina xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Once Jaina was able to stay conscious for more than a few seconds, Vahn finally got around to the reason for his visit, surprising the pinkette with a blanket, comforter, and pillow as he explained, "I know about your attempts to procure the pillows I gifted away in the lower floors. I would normally chastise you for such behavior, but, since your situation was something that had been inadvertently caused by events I set in motion, please accept these as compensation."Receiving the three pieces of 'Divine Bedding', any complaints that Jaina might have had regarding Ureko's visit faded away the moment she felt their texture and softness. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and, were it not for the fact there were still more than a dozen people in her room, she might have gone to sleep then and there.Seeing Jaina hugging her pillow as if it were a great treasure, Vahn couldn't help comparing her to the members of the Eurasia Family. She even had their characteristic pink hair, but, a stark contrast to the Mare-descended maidens, Jaina spent so much time awake that it often caused her to have health problems. This had been remedied by the blood infusion she had received after becoming a Princess of Jahad, but, even now, there were dark circles beneath both of her eyes, a tell-tale sign she wasn't getting enough sleep.Since she probably wouldn't listen if he told her to get more sleep, Vahn figured he might as well ensure that the sleep she was getting was of the highest quality. The Divine Comforter was perfect for this, as, not only did it generate a protective barrier around the user, it increased the 'efficiency' of their sleep by 800%. This meant, even if she was only getting an hour of sleep every other day, it was the same as resting for a full eight hours.Though there was a chance someone like Jaina would come up with a way to exploit the beddings in the most 'efficient' manner, the comfort they provided made this unlikely. She was far more likely to become accustomed to even longer periods of sleep, as, compared to the 'real world', being able to control and manipulate her dreams at will was a tremendous blessing for someone as infatuated with video games as Jaina was. After all, unless you were proactively involved with it, the real world simply wasn't that interesting...Wanting to give Jaina the opportunity to try out the surprisingly rare artifacts, Vahn surprised the pinkette quite a bit when he turned to his comrades and suggested, "We should be going. I'm sure our little friend here would like to get back to playing her video games and spying on people using her Opera."Before anyone else could reply, Jaina, still hugging her freshly gifted beddings, intoned a confused, "Eh?" before immediately following it up by asking, "You're leaving so soon? Didn't you want to ask me something, or, I don't know, invite me to come with you?"There her social skills were sub-par, Jaina had always had a 'knack' for saying whatever was on her mind. Since there was a very real possibility that Vahn would never return if he just up and left, most of her nervousness had been momentarily suppressed by sincere concern. After all, he basically had the power to turn a person's life into a video game, so, as much as she lamented the idea of leaving her room, she feared 'never' leaving even more. Vahn was essentially a 'super platinum spoon', so, if she passed up on this opportunity, she was sure to regret it.Raising a single brow in response to the girl's unexpected inquiry, Vahn was about to ask the Law of Identity what the heck she was thinking when Yuri chimed in to teasingly remark, "No way. Without the Opera, you're practically useless. What makes you think Vahn would want to haul around a lazy brat who spends most of her time playing video games? You're better off staying here in your little castle and messing with anyone who comes seeking information."Puffing out her cheeks, Jaina's purple eyes began to glisten with a hint of moisture as she failed to think of anything that might refute Yuri's claims. After all, Vahn had demonstrated, time and again, that he didn't really need the help of others. He could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased without any real consequences. All she was good at was collecting information, spying on people, and manipulating markets to her advantage. These capabilities were extremely coveted by most people, but, as virtually anyone who had met him could attest, Vahn wasn't anything like most people...Realizing that she might be 'useless', an extremely sour feeling spread through Jaina's nose as the moisture in her eyes surpassed the threshold to generate tears. This caused the smile on Yuri's face to immediately cramp up, as, despite the content of her statement, it should have been obvious she was just joking. She just wanted to get a rise out of the petite pinkette, not reduce her to tears...Seeing Yuri look towards him for support, an inaudible sigh escaped Vahn's throat as he shook his head and said, "Yuri's lack of a filter shouldn't come as a surprise. You shouldn't take it personally..."Shifting her attention to Vahn, a hopeful glimmer appeared in Jaina's eyes as she expected him to say something nice to counteract Yuri's previous remark. Instead, she felt as though the world was crashing down around her as he went on to explain, "Still, there is a grain of truth to her words. You have built your entire life around your ability to use the Opera. It has allowed you to amass enough wealth to rival organizations that have been around for thousands of years, and, more importantly, it has drastically changed the way you view other people. You see them as nothing more than NPCs with rudimentary behavioral patterns that you can easily exploit for your own ends...tell me, if I were to invite you to accompany, what, exactly, would you hope to accomplish...?"Since she hadn't really thought about it, other than imagining how fun it would be, Jaina's response was to bury her face into the bedding Vahn had gifted her. She found herself incapable of refuting a single thing he had said, so, for the first time in her life, she began to consider whether or not what she had been doing was 'right'. After all, if someone were to observe her with the same scrutiny she observed the lives of countless others, there's no way she wouldn't feel uncomfortable...Seeing Jaina seriously considering his words, Vahn's impression of the petite pinkette developed in direct proportion to the amount of guilt he felt. She was clearly just a misguided young girl with an inordinate amount of talent for gathering and processing information. It wasn't like she was evil, so, while his words hadn't been wrong, it didn't feel right to chastise her for behaving in a way that was encouraged by virtually everyone around her. Unfortunately, that same logic could apply to people who had committed some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, so, while a part of him wanted to apologize, the experiences he had accumulated over the years compelled him to remain silent.In the end, it was Blossom who suggested, "I say we let her come along. Even if it's just a temporary arrangement, the ability to operate an Opera makes her invaluable so long as you're still inside the Tower. In fact, unless I've misjudged your ability to 'know everything', her abilities complement your own quite a bit. She also has pink hair, so, even if you don't wish for her to accompany you beyond the Tower, I'm certain she would fit right in with the members of my family~."With Blossom essentially saying she would take responsibility for Jaina's future, Vahn had no real reason to refuse her. He suspected this would come back to bite him, but, despite Yuri talking them up like they were character flaws, Vahn had always been fond of girls with hikikomori characteristics. He enjoyed pampering his women quite a bit, and, as fate would have it, one of the women closest to his heart just so happened to be among the laziest Goddesses in her Record...Though it was impossible to compare them directly, especially considering Jaina's productivity, the fact she had even briefly reminded him of Hestia went a long way towards ensuring her a potential position within the Little Garden. The notion that she would get along well with girls such as X and Tomoe also helped her case quite a bit, so, after a very brief period of consideration, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Very well. Though I imagine my earlier words might have given you a reason to reconsider-"Before Vahn could even get to his apology, Jaina surprised nearly everyone present by practically bouncing to her feet and shouting, "I'll go...!" with an excited smile and an even more enthusiastic glimmer in her eyes. The fear of missing out on her chance a second time allowed her to suppress her negative emotions, so, while some might mistake her earlier behavior as crocodile tears, Vahn's ability to vaguely discern a person's aura even without View Affection allowed him to ascertain the truth.Smiling in response to the petite pinkette's enthusiasm, Vahn was about to make a second attempt at apologizing when Yuri completely ruined the atmosphere by suggesting, "I guess the only thing to have her do at this point is strip." with a massive grin on her face.Though she was briefly taken aback by Yuri's words, a rather fierce flame immediately appeared within Jaina's amethyst eyes as she dropped the Divine Bedding, hands balled into resolute fists as she nervously stammered, "I...I'm not afraid! If it's for my dream of living in a video game world, I'm willing to do whatever it takes...!"Noticing Jaina's nostrils flaring as she looked at him like a perfectly prepared dragon meat skewer, the smile that had developed on Vahn's face immediately turned into an awkward grimace as Yuri cackled like a hyena at the side. She was still feeling a little guilty about making Jaina cry, so, even if her words had ultimately caused a misunderstanding, Yuri was pretty confident it would help out in the long run. Vahn was simply too kind, so, as long as she made an earnest effort, there was a very real chance he would help Jaina realize some of the fantasies she had developed thanks to her long isolation and unrestricted observation of other people...With the Law of Identity narrating Yuri's train of thought, Vahn was very tempted to give the former Princess a smack on the head. Instead, he met Jaina's inordinately 'passionate' purple eyes, dousing a bit of the fire contained within by explaining, "You don't need to get naked. What Yuri is indirectly alluding to is something called the Familia Induction Ceremony. By engraving my Familia Crest unto others, I am able to provide them with my Blessing as the God of Infinite Possibilities. You need only expose your back. After that, you will gain access to the Quest System, and, so long as your belief is high enough, you can even change your physical characteristics or have me change your race like a certain muscle-brained snake-head..."Though it took her a few moments, Yuri eventually realized that Vahn was talking about her when several people directed their gazes her way. This caused her brow to twitch slightly, but, assuming this was Vahn's way of getting back at her, she ultimately just crossed her arms before adopting a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Violence didn't really work on him, so, for the time being, she decided it was best to wait until she could ask for someone else's advice before trying to get even...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'At least he didn't give her the futon...','Voyeurism is bad...!','She's learning...')(A/N: This is technically the third chapter from yesterday. There will be three more releases before tomorrow's reset unless something comes up.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he should have been focusing more on his investigation of the 129th Floor, Vahn quickly lost interest after confirming that not even the most senior members of the Po Bidau Family knew what had taken place. Since Gluttony was bound by a contract that prevented him from disclosing any information pertaining to Gustang's research, this left Vahn without any credible leads, so, after failing to turn up anything on his own, he decided to let others search for clues while he enjoyed his time on the 199th Floor.To that end, Vahn currently found himself reclining against a veritable ball of fluff as Pram, in what they were calling her 'Death Goddess' state, lay curled up in his lap. In essence, they were reclining against each other, as, despite appearing as a shadowy mass, the black ball of fluff he was relaxing against was actually Pram's tail. She could drastically increase its size by stockpiling additional Yin Elemental Energy, and, thanks to the series of icy black pillars encircling them, she was now able to maintain her Death Goddess state for up to three hours.Staring at the black-haired beauty curled up in his lap, Vahn couldn't help adopting an affectionate smile as he ran his fingers through her silky, slightly chilled, hair. She had already been a world-class beauty prior to her transformation, but, now that her body was saturated with Yin Elemental Energy, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she could compete with Goddesses in terms of appearance.Trembling in response to Vahn's touch, Pram released an adorable groan as she drew herself a little closer to his body before opening her eyes just enough to see through her thick yet elegant lashes. When she saw him looking down at her with a smile, the ears atop her head began to twitch as the chill in her body was gradually replaced by a gentle and increasingly familiar warmth.To help Pram adapt to her transformation, Vahn had been periodically infusing pure Yang Elemental Energy into her body. Her Death Goddess transformation provided her an extreme Yin constitution, and, while this made her exceptionally suited for things like Dual Cultivation, her inability to control the Death Energy emanating from the very core of her prevented her from taking full advantage of this particular advantage. Thus, at least for the time being, Vahn had been using his Petting Laws to keep her calm as he channeled Yang Elemental Energy into the energy channels of her body, gently yet willfully thawing them.Had she received a Yang Elemental infusion from someone else, Pram would have experienced an extreme amount of pain and pleasure. Beneath Vahn's palms, however, her body was suffused with a feeling of extreme comfort that, more often than not, lulled her into a deep and peaceful slumber. From there, he would sustain her transformation for hours on end, and, as a result, she was quickly adapting to her transformed state without having to experience any of the pain and suffering often associated with mastering negative energies. For this, she was eternally grateful, so, even though he had yet to demand her loyalty, Pram had already decided to follow her 'Master' to the very ends of reality if necessary...Sensing the sudden increase in Pram's emotional state, Vahn began to caress the side of her face with his left hand, his voice gentle and smooth as he softly asserted, "Relax...there is still a half-hour until your treatment is finished. Don't worry. Once you've returned to your base state, I'll be sure to shower you with plenty of affection..."Though she was tempted to return to her 'base state' then and there, Pram ultimately just nodded her head before closing her eyes in acquiescence. She knew these treatments were for her sake, so, while it was surprisingly difficult to suppress her urges, she managed to appear borderline apathetic thanks to the Yin Elemental Energy coursing through her body. To others, she would have appeared as a cold and detached beauty, but, from the perspective of Vahn, he barely managed to maintain a straight face as Pram's vibrant pink aura clung and coiled around him with possessive intent...---After finishing Pram's treatment and subsequently pacifying her, Vahn emerged from his bedroom wearing little more than black trousers as he made his way downstairs to the living room. There, he found Lotte cuddling with Mikotochu on the couch while the sounds of grease popping could be heard emanating from the kitchen. Fenrir had recently been teaching Yuri and Enne how to prepare a few basic meals, not because they were interested in learning how to cook, but because Blossom had mentioned they would make terrible wives and even worse mothers if they couldn't even make snacks for their children.While mentally preparing himself to eat their burnt offerings, Vahn made his way over to the couch, startling Lotte who, prior to his arrival, had been immersed in a rather depressing yet extraordinary anime known as Angel Beats. It was a series that lured viewers in with comedic undertones before effectively smacking them in the face with a series of soul-shattering twists that, once upon a time, compelled numerous members of his harem to petition that he go in and 'fix' things.With Mikotochu taking advantage of the situation to extricate herself from Lotte's grasp, Vahn soon found himself seated between two bashful beauties as he kicked up his feet and inquired, "Enjoying the show?"As both girls had been staring at his refined and inordinately chiseled upper body, their immediate response was to hastily avert their eyes as a dangerous shade of crimson stained their cheeks. Then, realizing he had been talking about the anime, Lotte buried her face into her hands as Mikoto, with electricity emanating from her ahoge, pinched the minimal amount of flesh around his waist.Holding back his laughter, Vahn increased his height to a comfortable size before pulling the duo closer to him and enjoying the rest of the episode. It had been some time since he last viewed the anime, so, even if he could recall every detail with perfect clarity, watching it alongside the people he cared about was always worthwhile. He enjoyed being a part of their experiences, and, though it was a little troublesome at times, he always got a kick out of their pleas to have him change things they didn't agree with.Fortunately, the girls were only on the third episode, and, while the ending was a little sad, it was far from the emotional roller coaster awaiting them in the later episodes. His presence also provided a suitable distraction, so, even when one of the main characters disappeared near the completion of the episode, neither was particularly upset. They simply nestled a little closer to him, comforted by his warmth until Yuri emerged from the kitchen and exclaimed, "Lunchtime! Move your asses~!" in a commanding yet audibly nervous tone...---With three weeks passing in the blink of an eye, Vahn found himself wondering whether or not he should pay Jaina Repellista Jahad a visit before advancing to the 134th Floor to finally settle things with Jahad. He still had the pillow Ureko had stolen from her, so, at the very least, he should return it before departing the Tower. The question was whether or not he should return it now or wait until he had dealt with far more important matters...Though the answer might have seemed obvious, Vahn had been keeping tabs on Jahad. As a result, he knew the man wasn't quite ready to receive him, so, while he shouldn't really care, a part of him wanted to crush Jahad when he was at his best. This was the best way to finitely resolve the matter, as, even if he killed Jahad, the action only had meaning if the man recognized the error of his ways prior to his death. While this might not seem important, Vahn had never been the type to arbitrarily kill someone unless they were proactively engaged in a reprehensible or licentious act. Jahad might have perpetrated countless tragedies in the past, but, from an objective point of view, that had very little to do with Vahn. His desire to defeat the man was purely personal, so, if he failed to obtain an admission of guilt from the man, he simply wouldn't be satisfied.As petty as it sounded, this was one of the only ways Vahn could think of to lessen the amount of guilt he would experience following Jahad's death. After all, despite his numerous flaws, Jahad had acted in what he believed to be the best interest of the people living within the Tower. He was also a victim of the Workshop's machinations, and, though his end goal would have required countless sacrifices, he genuinely believed that he was doing the right thing. He simply viewed the world from the perspective of an immortal, so, even if billions had to die, he didn't care so long as billions more could live on...Shaking his head in an effort to clear his thoughts, Vahn looked towards the group of girls waiting for him to make a decision before settling his gaze on Yuri and asking, "Would you rather pay a visit to Jaina or move directly to the Imperial Castle?"Pointing towards herself, Yuri adopted a somewhat incredulous expression as she asked, "Eh? Are you really asking me to choose?"Nodding his head, Vahn was about to explain his own views on the matter, but, seeing the massive grin on Yuri's face, he waited until she excitedly exclaimed, "Let's visit Jaina! That brat used to tease me about my preference in men. I can't wait to see the look on that pervert's face when I show up with a handsome man at my side! She is going to be so jealous~!"Not expecting such a 'girly' reaction from the former Princess, Vahn's expression gradually morphed into a wry smile as he turned around and said, "Very well. From here, we'll move to the 123rd Floor. After Yuri has finished playing around, we'll either advance on the 134th Floor or spend a few days collecting the remaining 13 Month Series. Either way, I intend to try and wrap everything up before the week's end. If there is anything else you think I should consider, feel free to let me know before then..."Though he was facing away from everyone, Vahn could sense Lotte sheepishly raising her hand, so, before he initiated the transfer, he looked over his shoulder and added, "Don't worry. Your father is already doing quite a bit to redeem himself. Though his personality is something I cannot overlook, I will try to arrange things so that he isn't completely screwed over in his next life..."Understanding the underlying meaning within Vahn's words, a sad smile developed across Lotte's face, as, despite resenting her father for the actions he had committed, she still loved him. He had been kind to her when she was a child, and, despite countless others saying she was unqualified, he had been her greatest supporter during the Princess Selection Trials. He had also promised to never lay a hand on any of her friends, and, while this alluded to a number of underlying issues, he had always been willing to compromise in order to ensure her happiness and loyalty...Sensing the inordinately tall woman's melancholy, Vahn promptly chose to delay their departure in order to address the buxom beauty's needs. The mental wellness of his loved ones was one of the most important things to him, so, while he couldn't allow someone as monstrous as her father to continue living, that didn't mean he couldn't compromise in other ways. After all, despite his various flaws, he still lauded himself as a God of Infinite Possibilities...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Pet the fluff...','Angel Beats is a real kick in the nuts xD...','Vahn is such a softie...')(A/N 2.0: Deleted side story chapters can be found on my *******. I'll try to post more in the future, so please check it out, and, if you're feeling particularly giving, maybe throw a dollar or two my way. The cost of living in my area is gradually going up due to the imminent increase in the minimum wage. When multiple people pitch in, a little bit can go a long way.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2013: Extravagance : Lamentation