Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

"...!?"Snapping his eyes open, Izayoi lurched into a seated position, hands shooting up to his face as if to confirm his head was still there."You were screwed from the start, but you really shouldn't have struck her in the face. Seraphina is rightfully proud of her looks..."Extending a hand, Vahn helped Izayoi stand before patting the young man on the back. The Game Boards were indistinguishable from reality, so, while he was perfectly fine, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had just experienced having his head blown off. He seemed to be taking it well but it was better to be safe than sorry.Returning a wry smile, Izayoi replied, "Yeah, I kind of got the message when she blew my head off..."While chuckling at the blond-haired youth's expense, Vahn turned to Asuka and Yo, a teasing smile developing across his face as he asked, "So? Still want a turn of your own...?"After seeing the superhuman battle between Izayoi and Seraphina, Asuka's confidence had been thoroughly thwarted. Her abilities primarily revolved around controlling and commanding others, be they human, animal, or even plant to do her bidding. Prior to meeting Vahn, she had believed this ability to be infallible. Now, she was beginning to realize that it was an ability that pits her willpower against her target. In other words, the moment she tried to use it against someone with greater willpower than herself, she might as well be a normal, albeit athletic human girl."No, thank you. I have no way to deal with Seraphina's laser beams so I'm going to have to pass on this particular opportunity."Adopting a highly practiced, business-like smile, Asuka attempted to take a step back with her dignity intact. This earned her an amused smile from Vahn, but, for the sake of her dignity, she pretended not to notice it.Resisting the urge to verbally tease the former heiress, Vahn shifted his attention to Yo to hear her answer. To the surprise of everyone present, she had a slightly serious expression on her face as she said, "I would like to fight against you. If I win, please become my friend."Punctuating her words with a courteous bow, Yo's sincerity was transmitted to virtually everyone present. As for Vahn, a casual smile developed across his face as he stated, "I may be an Emperor, but I rarely present myself as an untouchable existence. If you want to be friends, I am more than happy to oblige. There is no need to force yourself to this extent. Besides, even if you managed to borrow a bit of power from Fenrir, it wouldn't be enough. At your current level, you could exhaust yourself and still be unable to move me from my starting position..."Though she was more than a little surprised to hear Vahn casually reveal the secret of her Gift, Yo's expression didn't change. She still wanted to try, so, without any fear or hesitation in her eyes, she said, "Please..." before lowering her head a second time.........Seeing Yo dash around in a revealing outfit that greatly resembled a skinned version of Fenrir in her Vanargandr transformation, Vahn couldn't help smiling wryly. She looked like a little Berserker, but, instead of an ax or a club, she had scaled gauntlets that ended in remarkably sharp claws.As said claws traced toward his throat, Vahn's expression remained unchanged even as they sliced across the right side of his neck. This wasn't the first time Yo had tried to attack him, yet, despite her best efforts, he remained in his starting position without even a hint of injury. He wasn't cheating by making himself invulnerable, either. She simply lacked the strength required to pierce his defenses.Furrowing her brows, Yo didn't let up in her assault. Instead, she twisted her body like a bow before sweeping her leg towards the left side of his face. This also failed to get Vahn to budge, so, with the intent of catching him by surprise, a large volume of ice elemental energy erupted from her foot. It ended up encasing his head completely, but, as if it wasn't any concern at all, Vahn just stood there with his hands behind his back.Having zero experience manipulating mana, Yo sprawled out on the ground immediately following her failed attack. She immediately noticed that her right leg was frozen up to her thigh, but, despite the paradoxically fiery yet numb sensation climbing up her leg, her expression was more pouty than pained.Though it wasn't absolutely necessary, Vahn took a knee before placing his palm on Yo's outer thigh and dispersing the ice elemental energy before it could penetrate her bones and freeze the marrow within. He could have achieved a similar result without any contact whatsoever, but, curious to learn whether or not the young brunette could actually draw power from him, a bit of skinship would aid her quite a bit. From her perspective, he was basically just an animal so it really didn't matter all that much. Rather, if he allowed her to, Vahn could easily imagine Yo trying to pet him if he appeared in one of his dragon transformations...Feeling the pain in her leg dissipate almost instantaneously, a smile developed across Yo's face as she cheekily yet softly mused, "You moved..."Chuckling in response to the surprisingly mischievous remark, Vahn adopted a smile of his own as he extended his hand and said, "Congratulations. You're one of the few people in history to have defeated the Sage Dragon Emperor. Shall we advertise it to the rest of the Little Garden?"Accepting Vahn's hand, a subtle blush developed across Yo's face as she answered, "I'd rather not. I don't really like attention..."Since she still had her Vanargandr outfit on, Vahn ruffled the wolf head atop Yo's as he said, "I guess I get to preserve my dignity then. If people learned I was defeated by a little girl, I would never hear the end of it. Here, consider this an expression of my gratitude."Pulling out a violet Gift Card, Vahn handed it over to the befuddled Yo with a smile. He didn't know the specifics, but he was pretty sure he had figured out her Gift. She was able to mimic the traits of 'animals' she had befriended. So long as she had enough spiritual energy, she could also transform into a form that made it easier for her to channel said abilities. He suspected there was more to it, but, even if that wasn't the case, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Yo's Gift was one of the most powerful and versatile he had ever seen.Reading the text on the Gift Card, Yo's eyes practically produced stars as an uncharacteristically vivacious smile developed across her face. It was a Gift related to the Grooming ability Vahn had developed back in Danmachi. In other words, so long as she treated her 'friends' with care, they would be able to grow stronger alongside her.Though Yo seemed oblivious to it, Vahn had taken notice of the fact that Calico Cat was already nearing the end of its life. If he had to guess, it was a little over fourteen years old. He could easily extend its lifespan on his own, but, for the sake of supplanting Yo's existing abilities, Vahn decided to secretly entrust the task to her."Thank you, Vahn. I promise to use it well."Emulating Asuka, Yo crossed her hands over her lap before offering an even more courteous bow than the ones she had supplied previously. This earned her an approving smile from Vahn, but, at the same time, he couldn't help looking behind her at the wolf-like tail wagging happily despite not being attached to her body.........Exiting the Game Board, Vahn was unsurprised to see Izayoi grinning at him with his hands in his pockets. Before he could say anything, however, Vahn beat him to the punch, stating, "Don't bark if you're too afraid to bite. If you're that eager for another lesson, I have the Game Board right here."Raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, Izayoi maintained his smile as he mocked, "Wow, someone's testy. I didn't even say anything. No need to bite my head off..."Realizing what he had just said, an imperceptible shudder ran through Izayoi's body. He had literally just had his head blown off, so, while his words were intended as a joke, they now carried a certain weight behind them.Fortunately for Izayoi, Vahn had already escorted Seraphina back to her room. There was a very real chance she might attack him in the real world if she heard what he said, so, for the time being, Vahn intended to prevent the two from interacting with one another.With that in mind, Vahn figured he might as well ignore the youth as well. To that end, he shifted his attention to Yo, who, at the present moment, was currently being stared up and down by Fenrir and Asuka. The former had a slightly annoyed look on her face due to the fact Yo's outfit resembled her a little too much. As for Asuka, she had a troubled look on her face as she cupped her cheek and asked, "Yo...isn't this outfit a little too revealing...?"As she hadn't really inspected herself, Yo just tilted her head to the side before looking down at her outfit. Her top and bottom were basically just tattered rags and a loincloth that left very little to the imagination. She hadn't noticed it at first, but she wasn't even wearing panties. This caused a ruddy hue to spread across her face as most of her attacks against Vahn had been kicks.Covering her face with both hands, Yo deactivated her transformation as even the tips of her ears glowed red. It didn't help that Fenrir placed her paw on her shoulder, saying, "Don't worry. Master is skilled at producing undergarments. I'll ask him to give you a [REquip] System so you don't end up flashing people."Plopping onto the ground, Yo continued to conceal her face for several minutes as she imagined everyone seeing her exposed bottom. Fortunately, the Game Boards designed by Vahn had a built-in modesty function, so, even if someone were completely naked, impenetrable shadows or beams of light would appear to protect their dignity. It didn't cover absolutely everything, but, compared to being completely exposed, it was inarguably better than nothing.........After sending off the problem children with a smile, Vahn, Black Rabbit, and Fenrir retired to the nursery to spend time with the kittens and discuss the trio's reception into the No Names.Despite his cocky and brash nature, Izayoi was apparently very good with children. Black Rabbit revealed how she had detected him patrolling around the estate while most people were sleeping. He was apparently worried that the goons of Fores Garo would try something before the Gift Game, so, despite joining the Community hours prior, Izayoi stayed up all night to make sure nothing bad happened as a result of his, Asuka's, and Yo's carelessness.Since Izayoi gave off a very warm and friendly aura in spite of his behavior, Vahn wasn't all that surprised by Black Rabbit's revelations. The blond-haired youth was basically just a male version of a Tsundere. What did surprise him was the fact that Asuka had decided to sleep in the same room as some of the younger children. As for Yo, she had spent the evening making friends with Lily, the various Fox Spirits, and most of the children with animalistic traits. Her entire reason for coming to the Divine Realm was to make one hundred friends, so, despite being much older than the average member of the No Names, she was doing her best to befriend each and every one of them.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Yo be like, "You will be my friend..."','Just imagine if I had given her Fenrir's original outfit. She just might explode...','The legendary male tsundere o_o...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With nothing better to do until later in the evening, Vahn split his time between lounging about in the nursery, spending time with Seraphina and Usalia, and watching over Sarina and Nono.Now that his contract with the No Names had come to an end, most of Sarina's and Nono's training would now take place within the Sage Dragon's Hearth. To this end, he had them don uniforms that made them appear like young students in a military-sponsored magical academy.When asked why they had to wear such uniforms during their training, Vahn answered similarly to the explanation that Chloe had given him all those years ago. Specifically, he told them that one of the most important steps to changing one's mentality was changing their attire. If they were serious about pursuing the paths they had chosen, dressing the part was very important.Fortunately, neither of the girls really protested the sudden change. Rather, ever since they learned he was the one making all of their clothes, they were generally grateful for everything he prepared for them. Sarina, in particular, had giggled rather creepily when she learned that even her bloomers and pumpkin pants had been hand-stitched by Vahn's hands. As for Nono, she did her best to take care of every piece of clothing he gifted her as if they were some kind of treasure. After all, back in her previous world, fancy clothes were both exceptionally rare and valuable.........In the midst of overseeing Sarina's and Nono's attempts to resuscitate a small bird, Vahn sensed a subtle fluctuation in the barrier surrounding the estate. Shortly thereafter, a gentle chiming could be heard to indicate that someone had entered their reception room.Gesturing for Hime to relax, Vahn said, "I'll take care of it." before vanishing into thin air. He could have made another version of himself, but, unless he had something important to take care of, he generally limited himself to three vessels at a time."Welcome to the Sage Dragon's Hearth. What can I do for you...?""Oh? I never expected a Pure-Blooded Dragon such as yourself to greet guests. It would seem the rumors regarding your eccentricity are true."Raising his brows, Vahn eyed the young man that had entered his store. He had dual-colored hair with a peculiar pattern of golden blond and black. It was styled in such a way that his bangs hung over his piercing blue eyes, and, despite appearing rather weak and wiry at first glance, a powerful aura emanated from his body. More specifically, it emanated from the stone pendant attached to the choker around his neck. As for his attire, well, he looked like a punk rock enthusiast."I'm not fond of repeating myself. If you've no business here, the door is right behind you."Batting his bangs like an arrogant young noble, the wannabe rockstar adopted an arrogant smile as he said, "You have something that belongs to me. I came to get it back."Furrowing his brows, Vahn's teeth became noticeably sharper as he asked, "Is that so? Enlighten me, brat. What do I possess that belongs to you?"Seemingly undaunted by Vahn's toothy smile, the dual-haired man stepped forward and said, "The Pure-Blooded Vampire, Leticia. I don't know what those idiots-"Before the man could finish speaking, Vahn already had his hand around his neck, a vicious smile on his face as he exclaimed, "Wrong answer!"Though he had no idea who the man was, Vahn didn't particularly care. He was quite protective of his women, but, more than that, he disdained people who believed they had some inherent right to possess other people. Thus, without any hesitation whatsoever, he opened his mouth far wider than humanly possible as a rainbow-hued light built within his throat.Fearing for his life, the dual-haired man pulled out a golden khopesh, but, even after striking Vahn directly in the face, it was the blade that cracked.Just as a laser-like beam of light was about to erupt from Vahn's mouth, a paper fan smacked him in the head with a surprising amount of force. This spared the man from having his head removed from his shoulders, but, due to the close proximity of the breath, all the hair on the left side of his head had been burnt to a crisp."Vahn! You can't just ignore the rules...!"Dropping the now catatonic man to the ground, Vahn looked back at Black Rabbit, Fenrir, and his other self with a wry smile on his face as he said, "I was going to revive him. I just wanted to teach him a lesson."Stamping her foot in frustration, Black Rabbit's hair began to turn pink as she shouted, "You know I can't just ignore such egregious violations! No means no...!"Patting the frustrated bunny's head, Vahn adopted an apologetic expression as he said, "Sorry..." in a gentle tone. This caused Black Rabbit to quickly regain her usual pep, but, before the atmosphere could turn rosy, the man on the ground recovered enough to point and exclaim, "You! Do you have any idea who it is you're messing with!?""Do you...?"Though he was momentarily silenced by the aura exuding from Vahn's body, the dual-haired man managed to rise to his feet, cradling the burnt side of his face as he shouted, "I am Laius Perseus, Leader of the Legendary Perseus Community! You think you're hot shit just because you managed to defeat a bunch of upstarts? I'll have your head mounted above my bed so you can watch as I-"Noticing the man's sickly pink aura attempt to coil around Black Rabbit, Vahn slammed his hand into Laius's chest with enough force to send him crashing through the front door. Fortunately, it was a lot more durable than the man in question, so, while he would need to perform some light maintenance on the hinges, the door was largely unscathed as it gently closed behind him."What a complete and utter nutjob. He nearly had his head blown off and still has the gall to pick a fight? Talk about a lack of awareness.""Vahn..."Unamused by Vahn's further breaking of the rules, Black Rabbit furrowed her brows with an angry pout on her face. This caused his expression to become awkward until a childish voice chimed in to say, "Calm your tits, Black Rabbit. That brat deserves everything coming to him.""Eh? Shiroyasha-sama!?"Turning towards the direction of the voice, Black Rabbit was the only person surprised to see Shiroyasha seated atop the reception desk with a bag of rice crackers in her hand. She had been enjoying the show for quite some time, and, were it not for Black Rabbit's timely interference, she would have been the one to intervene.Ignoring Black Rabbit's outburst, Shiroyasha stared directly at Vahn as she said, "We need to talk. Come by my office when you get a chance."Having said what she intended to say, Shiroyasha, alongside one of the Vahn's, disappeared without a trace. This left Black Rabbit with a frustrated expression on her face, but, before she could throw a tantrum, Vahn handed her Luna and said, "Let's go back. I've already closed the shop so there won't be any additional interruptions. You've got a Gift Game to officiate this evening so you should try to relax as much as possible..."Unable to stay mad with an infant in her arms, Black Rabbit quickly calmed down. In truth, she was still a little frustrated, but, having already decided to place her trust in Vahn, she elected to just let him and Shiroyasha settle things. After all, the only time Vahn really got angry was when someone attempted to threaten the people he cared about. If she stayed mad at him because he was worried about them, that would be a little silly........."Though I can't say I'm surprised, this wasn't what I had in mind when you said we needed to talk..."Giggling in response to Vahn's words, Shiroyasha nestled even closer to him as she said, "Words are the least meaningful way to communicate. Besides, you know damn well I can't interfere in personal matters between Communities. Unless that idiot comes here or you purchase the information, there isn't really anything to discuss...""I see..."Enjoying the texture of Shiroyasha's hose beneath his palms, Vahn gave her small yet pert buttocks a squeeze as he teasingly added, "Does this count as a form of payment...?"Snickering in her characteristically mischievous manner, Shiroyasha linked her arms around Vahn's, her cat-like eyes glistening as she mused, "That depends on whether or not you can satisfy me..."Just as Vahn was reaching for the cord binding Shiroyasha's obi, a gentle knocking could be heard from outside the room as Nadeshiko softly informed, "Shiroyasha-sama, you have a guest arriving from the Perseus Community. He is awaiting your presence in reception room three...""..."Seeing the mischievous smile on Shiroyasha's face, Vahn remained silent for several seconds before asking, "You really want me to teach this kid a lesson, don't you?""Who knows~?"Rising from Vahn's lap, Shiroyasha playfully pinched his cheek before refastening the cord of her obi and making her way towards the room's entrance. Before leaving, however, she pulled out the Omnipresent Remote, tossing it over as she said, "Just think about what you want to see and press the button. Don't worry, I won't judge you."Punctuating her statement with a wink, Shiroyasha opened the sliding bamboo door before joining Nadeshiko. This left Vahn alone in her room, a privilege no other person in the history of the Little Garden had been allowed.Though he was tempted to just return home, Vahn dismissed that thought as he eyed the relatively plain-looking remote. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Shiroyasha's omniscience covered most realities, so, after a moment of consideration, he shifted his attention towards the Omnipresent TV and turned it on."Oh my..."Deciding to check in on what Gandr and Phae were up to, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as the display showed the former making out with Anak. They were both fully clothed but he wasn't oblivious to the fact that Gandr's hands were massaging the green-skinned girl's butt as she eagerly reciprocated his kiss.Changing the channel, Vahn was unsurprised to find Phae in the middle of forging what appeared to be a bracelet. What stood out about this particular scene was the fact she was wearing nothing but a blacksmithing apron without any other pieces of clothing on. This wasn't particularly strange, but, seeing a half-dozen scantily clad women crowding around her, Vahn couldn't help muttering, "Are all my Templates perverts...?"Since he was primarily just joking around, Vahn nearly spat blood when he changed the channel to see what Roger was up to. He was among the people that had stayed behind in the Tower in order to experience their own journey. At the present moment, however, he, or, more specifically, she was currently laughing her ass off in the midst of several naked men and women."..."Though he wasn't one to judge, Vahn couldn't help comparing Roger to Drake, the Admiral of his Imperial Armada. They were both exceptionally free-spirited, and, thanks to the technology of the Empire, Francis had been able to both sire and give birth to numerous children. This, alone, wasn't enough to draw a direct comparison between her and Roger. However, seeing the rather prominent belly bump supported by the Templated Pirate King, most of the color drained from Vahn's face as he promptly turned off the television.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is still on his journey to make the ultimate pair of panties...','Is that Peng Clan's Young Master!?','The power to spy on anyone you want is both a blessing and a curse...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though they had yet to see any play due to the fact he hadn't challenged anyone to a Gift Game, Vahn actually had quite a number of Game Boards at his disposal. They were effectively just Reality Marbles, so, thanks to the research he and Da Vinci had performed back in the Nasuverse, he could basically create as many as he wanted.Simply put, Vahn had a number of Game Boards that would either equalize the playing field or give the members of his Community an advantage. This included a world of ice and darkness for Fenrir, a planet filled with gold, gems, and other treasures for Seraphina, and a watery planet filled with a ton of mountainous islands for Hime.Under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn't have minded giving Seraphina the advantage against Izayoi. Since they had agreed to settle things fair and square, however, he made use of his personal Game Board, an extra-dimensional space inspired by his homeworld of Danmachi. This included an exact replica of every location he had ever visited, and, for a variety of different uses, a perfect copy of the Great Dungeon, Tartarus.Since there were no upper limits regarding how long a Gift Game could go on, Vahn had designed his own Game Board with the notion of either breaking down or empowering his opponents. Their only objectives were to reach the bottom of the Dungeon or survive for a total of ten years within the simulated space. This was made possible thanks to a tremendous amount of time dilation, and, more importantly, remarkably high stakes.So long as a challenger could complete the Dungeon within ten years, Vahn would reward them with 1 S-Rank, 3 A-Rank, 10 B-Rank, and 100 C-Rank Gifts. If this proved impossible, each of the members who managed to survive the full ten years would be given the opportunity to participate in a Gift Lottery. In other words, so long as they persisted until the end, anyone participating in his Gift Game would receive a reward while also having their strength and mentality strengthened by the trials they faced within.While it would have probably done Izayoi some good to challenge the Dungeon, the location of his and Seraphina duel was the Colosseum owned and operated by the Ganesha Familia. This wasn't an exaggeration either, as, in the process of creating his personalized Game Board, Vahn had basically plagiarized the Hidden Floor of the Hell Train to create Pseudo-Memory Fragments of every person, God, and even animal he had ever encountered. The only notable difference was, here in this world, he, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, had never existed. Instead, he was basically an unseen, all-powerful God watching over the world and controlling its very fate from the shadows.........Looking around at the crowd of fifty-thousand people, Izayoi would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little nervous. He wasn't shy, persay. Rather, whenever there were a lot of people watching him, he felt compelled to act and behave a certain way.Though Vahn had told him that everyone within the Game Board was basically a Phantom, the aura they gave off was indistinguishable from real, living people. It was actually a little terrifying, as, for a very brief moment, Izayoi couldn't help thinking he might be a phantom in someone else's world...Fortunately, such thoughts didn't persist for long, as, shortly after his own introduction, the burly man wearing an elephant mask introduced his opponent.Though he would never admit it, Izayoi actually felt a bit of envy as he watched Seraphina descend from the sky like a fallen angel. She and Black Rabbit were two of the most beautiful women he had ever seen yet both were head over heels for the same person. It was honestly a little infuriating, not because he wanted to replace Vahn, but because he had never been fond of the idea of a harem or two-timing. It was one of the only reasons he was still single, as, back in his own world, he had been more than a little popular with brats, girls his own age, and even adults.As cheesy as it might sound, Izayoi genuinely believed that true love was something that could only be experienced between two people. He wasn't going to go out of his way to tell others how they should live. That was far too troublesome. If anything, he just felt sorry for Vahn, the girls involved with him, and any children they were unfortunate enough to produce. They might be happy, sure, but they would never be as happy as if they were a normal family...Exhaling a sigh, Izayoi's body flashed as he evaded a veritable deluge of pink lasers that had been fired at him by Seraphina. He wasn't exactly familiar with the getup, but she was currently wearing an outfit similar to the one she had worn during her first encounter with Vahn. This consisted of a brasier-like top with spaghetti straps, a multi-layered yet remarkably short skirt, a feather mantle, and various accessories reminiscent of butterflies. The biggest difference was that she allowed her wings, tail, and horns to show as she was no longer even remotely ashamed of being a Succubus."Die you porcupine bastard~!"Though she was capable of performing attacks that could vaporize planets and even collapse stars, using them required a tremendous amount of energy and resources. It might sound ridiculous, but her power was intrinsically related to the amount of wealth in her possession. This was how she had managed to bankrupt her planet in the past. She had just been named an Overlord, and, as a result, she ended up showing off a little too much. By the time she had realized her mistake, Gorgeous, her homeworld, had effectively become a barren and lifeless planet as even the metals making up their liquid core had been exhausted due to her carelessness.Now that she had Vahn, Seraphina no longer had to worry about exhausting her fortune. She just didn't want to 'waste' it on someone like Izayoi. Thus, rather than going all out from the start, she took advantage of the fact she could fly to zip around the Colosseum at hypersonic speeds as she peppered the landscape with highly penetrative laser beams."Come on, little boy~! Is running the only thing you know how to do~?"With a visible tick mark appearing on his head, Izayoi surprised Seraphina by standing his ground and punching the lasers fired from her pistols. The strange thing about this was the fact that the entire beam shattered like a piece of glass rather than being deflected or absorbed. Then, without waiting for her to recover from her stupor, he shouted, "You better dodge...!" before throwing the pebbles he had been picking up while dodging.Though Izayoi's windup wasn't particularly impressive, a peculiar high-pitched sound was produced when he released the stones from his hand. If he had loosed them normally, they might not even be traveling at a rate comparable to a professional athlete. The moment the sound occurred, however, the pebbles effectively converted to beams of energy as they instantaneously accelerated to around ten percent the speed of light.With her pupils shrinking to the side of pinholes, Seraphina began taking evasive action, exclaiming, "What the hell!?" in a shrill, slightly panicked tone. In response, Izayoi began to laugh as he hurled stone after stone, musing, "What's the matter? You looked like you were having fun when I wasn't attacking. What? Did you think I was just going to keep standing here as you attempted to turn my body into swiss cheese?"Clicking her tongue, Seraphina waited until Izayoi had to 'reload' before dispersing her pistols and shouting, "Screw you, you edgy brat...!"Seeing Seraphina reached into her brasier-like top, Izayoi couldn't help exclaiming, "What the hell!? Is your bra a freakin' pocket dimension!?" as she produced a bomb more than twice the size of her body. It was one of the most ridiculous things he had ever seen, but, more importantly, the hair on the back of his neck immediately stood on end."Well, this isn't good..."Despite his words, Izayoi adopted an amateurish martial arts stance as Seraphina tossed the bomb towards him before immediately disappearing in a flash of pink light. At the same time, the crowd was literally going wild as Izayoi jumped into the air, a heroic cry emanating from his throat as he attempted to punch the oversized bomb into oblivion. Unfortunately, much like a Prinny, the bomb immediately exploded the moment his fist contacted its surface.Thanks to the phenomenally powerful barrier surrounding the field, the audience was completely unscathed as a pillar of pink light extending from the ground to the heavens dominated the arena. It was almost like watching a God return to Heaven, but, instead of a mere 5m across, the pillar was the exact diameter of the arena as it extended beyond the atmosphere and into deep space.Appearing shortly after the pillar of light faded away, Seraphina wiped away a bit of sweat from her brow as she mumbled, "That was a close shave. If I didn't have my Pocket Netherworld, I might have been done in by my own att-!?"Before she could finish complaining, Seraphina's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as a bloodied figure appeared behind her, saying, "Checkmate." with a devilish grin on its face.Though he would prefer not to strike women, Izayoi had always considered himself a champion of gender equality. Thus, after a very brief moment of hesitation, his fist glowed with a pale white light as he slugged Seraphina in the cheek with enough force to send her spiraling into the ground like a projectile fired from a railgun. He wasn't sure how durable she was, but, considering she was able to dodge around and change direction instantaneously, she shouldn't be weak.With that in mind, Izayoi landed on the ground before whistling at the rather sizeable dust cloud Seraphina's landing had caused. He had never used this much strength before so it wasn't much of an exaggeration to say he was just as surprised as everyone else. Of course, the thing that surprised him most of all was the fact that, despite his injuries, he still had a lot more to give...Unfortunately for Izayoi, he would have to wait until a later date to discover the true limits of his power. Seraphina hated taking damage, but, far more than that, she hated being struck in the face. She was, after all, the self-proclaimed most beautiful woman in the three realms. Thus, the moment Izayoi punched her, all the limiters that had been placed on her power spontaneously shattered as a veritable tempest of pink, purple, and black energy began to swirl around her body."I think I made her-"Before Izayoi could even finish his statement, Seraphina appeared right in front of him, her hand gripping his face as she coldly stated, "Die."Without waiting for Izayoi's response, a massive energy blast was released from Seraphina's palm that cut through Izayoi, the barrier, the Colosseum, Orario, and several mountains as if they simply didn't exist. She hadn't been elevated to the status of a Supreme Overlord merely as a result of her wealth and influence. It was because she had literally subjugated more than a thousand Overlords, several of which would be classified as Star-Class Demons within the Divine Realm.Though she had to exhaust most of her existing treasury, Seraphina simply snorted when the dust cleared to reveal what remained of Izayoi. Everything above his navel had simply been erased, and, were it not for the fact they were effectively in a digitalized space, no amount of healing would have been able to restore him to life."This is what you deserve for daring to strike me in the face. Return to the dirt, you worm...!"Punctuating her words, Seraphina released another energy blast, this time producing a sphere of vibrant pink energy that radiated purple and black lightning. When it faded away, all traces of the blond-haired youth, and much of the arena, had vanished without a trace.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn misses his home...','Kazuma approves...!','I would tell you to run, but it's far too late for that...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2103: The Power of Friendship