Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though her attack was swift enough to leave a black distortion in the intervening space, Caulifla's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes when Sōjōbō used his free hand to casually intercept her kick.Snorting through his long nose, Sōjōbō's expression became even sterner than usual as he said, "Not bad, monkey brat. This kick was worth at least three hundred Tengu. Unfortunately for you, this form possesses the strength of one thou-"Before Sōjōbō could finish lecturing Caulifla, a fist larger than his face impacted him from the left as Kale shouted, "Take your filthy hands off my Aneue...!"Though Sōjōbō had raised the hand Caulifla ensnared with her tail to try and intercept Kale's attack, the force behind the blow greatly exceeded his expectations. If not for Caulifla's timely release, she would have been sent flying along with him as he smashed into the forest below with enough force to create a mushroom cloud more than ten thousand meters in height...Smacking the back of Kale's head before she could go on a rampage, Caulifla's expression revealed a moderate amount of frustration as she asked, "What do you think you're doing? I can easily beat this old bastard without your help."Rubbing the back of her head, Kale, despite towering over Caulifla, appeared to shrink as she bashfully replied, "Sorry, Ane-san...I just don't like it when men touch you..."Rolling her eyes, Caulifla resisted the urge to point out that Kale didn't seem to mind when it was Vahn doing the touching. Instead, she waved off the half-giantess, saying, "Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't worry. Now that I know he isn't a small fry, I'll stop playing around..."Punctuating her words, vibrant golden electricity flashed across Caulifla's body as a thick layer of short golden hair began to spread along her arms, back, sides and shoulders. When it was done spreading, the only part of her body uncovered by golden hair was her face, the front of her neck, breasts, and abs. Even her legs and butt were covered in a dense layer of short hair, but, due to her baggy pants, the audience wasn't privy to this fact...Exhaling a plume of steam, the fur covering Caulifla's body gained a platinum, almost silvery hue as the color of her eyes shifted from a beautiful, emerald green to shimmering pearl. At the same time, the temperature of her body increased far beyond the limit of most biological organisms. It couldn't compare to the flames of a Phoenix or a Sun God, but, even from hundreds of meters away, metals would become white-hot in Caulifla's current state."Ane-san..."Raising her hand before Kale could try to stop her, a feral grin developed across Caulifla's face as she said, "I trained my ass in preparation for this little game. It's time to show the world what we Saiyans are made of."Understanding the futility of trying to talk her aneue out of a fight, Kale simply nodded her head before pulling away to give Caulifla some space. At nearly the exact same moment, the ground below erupted like a supervolcano, ethereal purple flames ascending towards the heavens like the pillars of a massive demon's claw as Sōjōbō emerged with Khakkhara, Buddhist Ring Staff, in hand.Though Tengu were masters of martial arts, their true prowess lay in their supernatural spellcasting abilities. Sōjōbō, in particular, was famous for his training of the legendary samurai, Minamoto-no-Yoshitsune, then known as Ushiwaka-maru, in the arts of swordsmanship, tactics, and magic."Taste my staff, you upstart...!"Sweeping said staff forward, the pillars of ethereal purple flames spiraled towards Caulifla at a terrifying speed. Instead of finding their mark, however, a pulse of silver energy erupted from Caulifla's body as she leaned forward in the prelude to a charging motion. The fire that had been barreling towards her acted as if it had struck an invisible shield, but, rather than a physical barrier, the thing keeping them at bay was raw, unadulterated willpower."Grit your teeth, you old fart...!"Hearing Caulifla's words sound directly in his mind, Sōjōbō's eyes widened as pitch-black wings unfurled from his back. He also attempted to teleport away, but, the moment he appeared at his destination, Caulifla was already there waiting for him, arm drawn back in the most telegraphed punch he had ever seen.Unfortunately, while he was able to follow the punch as if it was thrown in slow motion, Sōjōbō felt as though his entire body was being pressed upon by a series of mountains. Purple lightning began to erupt from his body, but, even though it was much faster than actual lightning, it appeared to be spreading away from him at a rate comparable to the formation of a stalagmite. It felt like it would take years for the lightning to spread from his body and reach Caulifla. Long before then, the latter landed a punch so devastating that Sōjōbō's very next memory was waking up outside of the Game Board.........Feeling a tremor spread through his throne/control room despite the fact it was located more than 4,000km beneath the surface, a sharp-toothed smile spread across the face of a paradoxically lanky yet muscular man with fiery red hair.Noticing the man's smile, the hundreds of demonic-looking entities surrounding him immediately ceased enjoying their feast. At the same time, the androgynous figure seated atop their lap, an Oni with long white hair, ruby-red horns, and a veil reminiscent of a bride playfully remarked, "It would appear Lord Sōjōbō either underestimated his opponent or greatly overestimated his capabilities..."Nodding his head in approval, the fiery-haired man shifted his attention to seven similarly dressed figures seated near the far end of a massive banquet table. These were the remaining Lords of the Tengu, ancient and proud individuals who had boasted Tengu superiority when Sōjōbō volunteered to repel the enemies on his own.Tensing under the gaze of their Lord and Master, the eldest of the remaining Tengu Lords, Tarōbō of Atago, nervously stroked his stomach-length beard, asserting, "The assailants must have used some sneaky or underhanded method. Lord Sōjōbō would not have been defeated in a fair contest..."Hearing the elderly Daitengu speak of sneaky methods and fair contests, many of the surrounding demons and yokai rolled the varying number of eyes. Promotional Gift Games were practically War, so, while certain individuals ran around purporting themselves as noble and honorable warriors, the majority of participants used whatever methods available to secure victory. This was especially true among the members of Onigashima, as, with few exceptions, each and every one of them was some kind of demonic entity.Without a word, the fiery-haired man extended his free hand towards the increasingly tense group of Tengu. In response, those furthest attempted to flee, but, before they could fully rise from their seats, their expressions scrunched into prune red and purple caricatures before their entire bodies were crushed into meat paste.Extricating his remaining hand from the blood-red yukata of his companion, the fiery-haired man waited for the white-haired Oni to alight from his lap before rising to his feet and stating, "Though being weak is not a sin, making excuses for your weakness is. If you do not have the courage to join me in this battle, save me the effort and kill yourselves. Those of you who wish to frolic in the blood and entrails of our enemies, follow me."As a blood-red mist began to ooze from the remarkably tall man's feet, the Yokai gathered around the table began to grow restless. They knew exactly what it meant for the man to take the lead, so, after a moment of indescribable tensions, one of the Yokai seated closest to the throne exclaimed, "Hyakki Yakō! Lord Shuten is on the move...!" in a ferocious, guttural tone.While several other Yokai began chanting the phrase Hyakki Yakō in turn, the fiery-haired man, better known as Shuten-Doji, began marching forward without paying them any mind. The white-haired Oni from before, Ibaraki-Doji, immediately fell into step next to him while each of the Yokai seated around the table adopted their most ghastly forms. The Hyakki Yakō, translating to 'Night Parade of One Hundred Demons' was one of the most infamous events in Japanese mythos. It was also a unique Gift Game that Shuten could trigger whenever he pleased.Others may have gathered for the game to better their standing in the Little Garden. In Shuten's mind, the only thing that mattered was spreading bloodshed and fear. He wasn't regarded as the most famous of the Three Most Evil Yokai of Japan for naught. He may prefer to just lounge about and engage in debauchery, but, once his lust for battle had been triggered, rivers ran red with the blood of his enemies, allies, and everything that dared to cross his path. For this reason, each of the Yokai making up the Hyakki Yakō made doubly sure to follow 'behind' him.........After searching the surrounding forests and finding no trace of any enemies, Musashi ventured beyond the concealing mist until she reached one of the temple-like structures housing a lesser teleportation nexi. These were used to facilitate transfer to other planets, and, more importantly, the control room of each planet.Noticing that the only person guarding the incredibly important structure was a young man with raven-black hair that neatly framed his face, Musashi elected to cancel her State of Nothingness a few meters away from his position. This caused the apparently sleeping individual to open his eyes, a surprised expression appearing on his face before he promptly adopted an appreciative smile and said, "My, you're quite beautiful."Shouldering a katana most people couldn't even perceive before it came to rest, Musashi adopted a smile of her own as she rebutted, "I'm well aware. Now, are you gonna introduce yourself, or is my first opponent in the Divine Realm destined to be some nameless ronin?"Though others may have been distracted by Musashi's pert and perfectly shaped breasts, the clear black eyes of the youthful samurai were focused entirely on the sword in her hand. At a glance, he almost resembled a youth that had just laid eyes on his childhood crush in a bikini. Thus, for a very brief moment, he failed to even process Musashi's words until she lowered her relatively plain but masterfully crafted katana and mused, "Nameless it is..."Faster than even the hypersensitive, faster than light cameras guided by the Casters, Musashi swept her sword in a simple yet immutable arc. The motion gave off the impression that it simply couldn't be stopped, so, rather than trying, the smiling youth appeared to manifest in multiple places, a total of ninety-three versions of him appearing simultaneously. Eighty-seven of these were bifurcated at the waist while six were only partially cut through. This left only a single version of the young man intact, the smile on his face growing wider as he remarked, "The person wielding you is also quite phenomenal, isn't she...?"Hearing the man's words, Musashi realized his original compliment had been directed towards her sword. Unable to contain herself, she immediately burst into laughter, hand cupping her exposed abdomen as she chortled uncontrollably. In response, the youth simply scratched the back of his head, politely waiting until she had gotten herself under control before offering a courteous bow and saying, "My name is Sasaki Kojiro. May I have the honor of hearing your name?"Not expecting to hear the name of her former rival from the young man's mouth, Musashi's body tensed ever so slightly as a mixture of fear and expectation spread through her body. The color of her eyes immediately shifted like a kaleidoscope, but, rather than attacking as her instincts told her to, she habitually activated a lesser State of Nothingness, a mask of calm developing across her face as she replied, "Miyamoto Musashi..."Similar to Musashi, Kojiro's body immediately tensed when he heard her introduction. In the very next instant, however, a sword that was longer than he was tall appeared in his hand as the two unleashed an attack that caused even the immaterial 'camera' viewing them to be sliced in half.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'How ominous (O w O)...','Every female reader when they read the scene with Shuten and Ibaraki: *leans forward*','Some fates are stronger than others xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

"Incredible. You truly live up to the name Musashi."Though they had only exchanged a single blow between them, Kojiro could feel the indomitable sword intent contained within Musashi's sword. The moment their blades overlapped, a frigid chill ran through his body. It was almost like he had been walking alone in a peaceful mountain forest only to turn his head to find an avalanche charging towards him.Instead of responding to Kojiro's words, Musashi's perpetually changing eyes shifted towards the edge of her Zanpakuto. It might be unnoticeable to others, but, thanks to her incredible eyesight, she was able to make out an indescribably small nick on the edge of her blade."Gaze into the Void, Gōenjin...!"Realizing her opponent was more dangerous than his disarming smile let on, Musashi immediately unleashed her Shikai. This caused Kojiro's eyes to widen considerably, as, rather than a simple 10x increase in spirit energy, Musashi's Gōenjin provided a startling 50x increase. A bluish-white energy erupted from her body, forcing Kojiro back until he raised his almost comically long katana to block, or, more specifically, cut through the seemingly insurmountable pressure.Adopting a far more serious expression than before, the edge of Kojiro's blade began to glow with a similarly bluish-white light as he murmured, "Has she already surpassed the realm of the gods...?"Not expecting an answer to his question, the hairs on Kojiro's body stood on end as a feminine voice sounded from his side, stating, "The only person I focus on surpassing is myself."Spinning away from the voice, Kojiro's body spun in such a smooth and graceful arc that, for a very brief moment, he appeared to be the only thing in existence capable of moving. The only exception to this seemed to be Musashi's eyes, which, in spite of her unmoving figure, stared directly at Kojiro, their hue shifting between various blues, greens, and purples.Undaunted by the peculiar sight, an inexplicable scene occurred in the eyes of the Spectators. The spinning Kojiro promptly changed directions, a secondary arc forming as he cut towards Musashi's head to produce a dividing line that perfectly bisected her body. Some mistakenly believed this was the Tsubame Gaeshi. Instead, it was a raw display of speed. Speed so great that it simply defied the conventional rules of causality.To the horror and chagrin of quite a number of people, the 'cameras' viewing and recording the fight were able to see a thin red line running down Musashi's body. With everything appearing to move in slow motion, they were even able to make out Musashi's flesh beginning to slowly part. In spite of this, the pale, pink-haired swordswoman maintained a smile as her eyes continued to focus on the increasingly nervous-looking Kojiro.Just as it seemed as though Musashi was about to be perfectly split in two, the pink-haired Samurai took a step forward. Everything was still moving in slow motion, but, as if she was unaffected by the distortion, Musashi swept her Gōenjin in a casual arc that sent Kojiro's head spinning from his body.As if someone had picked up a remote and pressed fast forward, Kojiro's spinning head appeared to revolve at several hundred RPM, a cascade of blood spreading outward in a perfect spiral as the crowd looked on with stunned, stupefied gazes. Then, in such a short amount of time that people thought the display had lagged, several other versions of Kojiro had appeared on screen while the spinning head from before had completely vanished.Just as everyone was beginning to wonder what, exactly, was going on, Musashi satisfied their curiosities, her playful, almost innately seductive tone echoing through the Little Garden as she mused, "You've taken your Infinity in a rather interesting direction, haven't you? Your speed has exceeded the point of Parallel Superposition. Every action you perform results in the creation of countless versions of yourself...if I didn't already know she was taken, there is a redhead I would have liked to introduce you to..."Wiping away a bit of sweat from his brow, Kojiro regained his earlier smile as he rebutted, "Those eyes of yours are dangerous...the ability to guarantee an outcome is beyond terrifying in the hands of a truly skilled warrior..."As it was natural for people at their level to be able to see through each other's techniques with a single glance, Musashi simply shrugged in response to Kojiro's revelation. She didn't mind if people learned about her Empyrean Eyes. Rather, the whole reason she was wearing a bikini was to garner attention and increase her fame. If the residents of the Little Garden truly believed her eyes had the power to guarantee an outcome, the grade/rank of her Gift would invariably increase.Unsurprised by Musashi's silence, Kojiro adopted a low, sideways stance with his sword held parallel with his shoulders. An indescribably sharp aura immediately surged forth from his body, but, due to the intense spiritual pressure emanating from Musashi's, Kojiro actually felt an even greater feeling of suppression than before. He felt as though he was trying to blow a bubble at the bottom of the ocean. The more effort he pushed into expanding his domain, the greater the surface area exposed to Musashi's.Fortunately, the stance Kojiro had adopted was so famous that the momentum generated from the crowd's interest immediately shifted in his favor. His Tsubame Gaeshi was regarded as the absolute pinnacle of swordsmanship, so, while there were a frustrating number of opponents that had come up with methods to counter it, Sojiro had an absolute advantage when it came to high-profile Gift Games.Just as Kojiro was sure of his victory, something the crowd had been anticipating for quite some time occurred. Many had noticed the peculiar and unnerving sight of Musashi's flesh beginning to part in slow motion, but, rather than focusing on such gruesome details, the vast majority of people had directed their gaze to the string tying together her bikini. They figured that if the body behind the fabric had been cut, it was only natural that the fabric had also been cut. Now that Musashi was on the verge of being defeated by the Tsubame Gaeshi, hundreds of millions of people immediately shifted their attention to Musashi's breasts, eager to see the string loosen or sliced through...With so many people focused on the exact same thing, it was only natural that the Central Network took matters into its own hands. Thus, at the exact moment that Kojiro was preparing to unleash his Tsubame Gaeshi, the blue cord fastening together the two half of Musashi's top loosened.........After thinning the numbers on the surface, Nobu had managed to breach thirteen layers of the offensive satellite's underground structure before her mental and spiritual energies began to wane. The activation of her Bankai had vastly increased her reserves, but, at the same time, it placed a tremendous burden on her mind, body, and spirit. If not for her tremendous willpower, she might not have been able to surpass the 10th Floor without stopping to take a rest.Without wiping away the blood pouring from her eyes and nose, a vicious smile developed across Nobu's face as she mentally cursed the durability of the Imperial Dragons. She had wanted to clear the offensive satellite in a single go, but, with more advanced models appearing every five floors, it was proving to be impossible. It didn't help that Bosses appeared every ten floors, their power and durability far surpassing the parameters of lesser models.Accepting the thermos of tea offered by Tomoe, Nobu grumbled, "Remind me to kick Da Vinci's ass when we get out of here..." before emptying the contents in a single go. She immediately felt a cool and refreshing sensation spread through her body as the complex tattoo coiling around her back and shoulders lit up in response to the revitalizing energies contained within the surprisingly minty liquid."Paaaaaaa...that hits the spot!"Though she would have preferred sake or some other form of alcohol, Nobu was afraid she might pounce on Okita or Tomoe if she got tipsy. She didn't mind if the Little Garden viewed her as being bisexual, but, until her relationship with Vahn was known, she didn't want to do anything that might compromise his position. The only reason she openly gawked at Okita's butt was because she felt it would be an insult if she didn't admire such a flawless piece of work...With that in mind, Nobu shifted her attention to the bronze-skinned woman only to find that she now had a red sarong wrapped around her waist. The three tomoe in her ruby red eyes immediately morphed into a shape resembling the Oda Clan's Family Crest, but, instead of asking what the hell Okita was thinking, Nobu directed an accusatory glower toward Tomoe.Believing she had done nothing wrong, Tomoe maintained a calm and composed expression as she pulled out a bento box and said, "Take this. It's a bento box specially prepared by Lady Rindo. It will help you recover."Snorting through her nose, Nobu practically yanked the bento box out of Tomoe's hands before plopping down on the ground with a clearly annoyed expression on her face. In response, Tomoe exhaled a sigh before walking over to where Okita was keeping watch. This caused a scrutinizing gleam to flash across Nobu's eyes, as, much like the countless spectators, her gaze immediately focused on a certain aspect of Tomoe's departing figure...It didn't really need to be said, but there was a reason Nobu was the Heroic Spirit summoned by Vahn.........While everyone else was showing off or struggling, a rather strange scene was occurring on one of the defensive satellites littering the Game Board.Though she would normally be the first to show off, Seraphina had teamed up with Chronoa, the Supreme Kai of Time, to execute a special mission. They had been given the task of securing at least a single defensive satellite, as, while he was perfectly capable of defending their planet against the Model Omega, Vahn felt it wouldn't be fair if their Community was the only one impervious to the Executioner's Judgment.Unlike the offensive satellites, the only obstacle preventing Players from reaching the core of the defensive satellites was a labyrinth. While Seraphina might not seem like the best option when it came to exploring and capturing labyrinths, her recently acquired Zanpakuto more than made up for her personal ineptitude. Even in its Shikai form, it was among the most obscene abilities Vahn had ever seen as it created a domain that emulated the Netherworld's Dark Assembly.Representing the tip of a 'very' large iceberg, Seraphina was able to use her Zanpakuto to create or summon beings from virtually any world she was aware of. The only prerequisites were that she had enough money to create and enough spirit energy to sustain them. There was also a restriction that she could only use money and resources she had earned, but, as a Succubus Queen, Seraphina was more than capable of 'earning' everything she required from Vahn.Using her ability, Seraphina was able to purchase a functionally infinite number of ethereal Prinnies. They would disappear the moment she deactivated her Shikai, but, until then, she had a veritable army of weak yet extremely loyal servants to search and navigate the defensive satellite's corridors. As for what she did while they were hard at work? Well, any excess movements would be a waste of energy, so, while tens of thousands of Prinnies scoured the labyrinth at her behest, Seraphina used the Companion Vahn had created for her as a tanning bed, her bare back exposed for all the Little Garden to see.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I don't know if I should feel bad for Kojiro or envious of the crowd...','Nobu is a truly cultured individual (U w U)...','Of course she would be the one to get such a broken ability...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though it was a strange sight to behold, hundreds of millions of people were able to see Karyou's brow twitching when the giant bunny girl, Usalia, called her a fire chicken. She already had enough problems with people hating her due to the circumstances of her birth; she didn't need some stray rabbit coming up with a convenient insult for people to use against her."You dare insult the Great Sage who Leaves Heaven in Disarray!? My flames will burn you to ash...!"In an attempt to do just that, a runic pattern spread across Karyou's wings as she reared back in the prelude to a sweeping motion. Her flames could reach temperatures comparable to the Sun's core, just under 15 million degrees Celsius. With their added corrosiveness, even Gods and Pure-Blooded Dragons could be reduced to ash in her fury.Unfortunately for Karyou, Usalia had never been the type to sit around and wait for her opponent to finish their attack. The moment Karyou shouted her threat, she charged forward with a terrifying momentum that altered the very rotation of the planet."Usagi Punch...!"With the pupils of her eyes contracting to points, Karyou attempted to close her wings in a manner that resembled an embrace. The temperature in the surroundings soared to the point that the land for several kilometers was instantaneously liquidated in a fiery explosion, but, thanks to her natural resilience, Usalia was able to push through the intense heat to give Karyou an uppercut.Though Usalia was quickly becoming famous for her feral and untamed beauty, those that knew her well would attest that her two most prominent features were her durability and appetite. During her time in the Netherworld, she had tanked blows comparable to the forces present at the creation of a Universe. Though the power of the Sun was a direct counter to most demonic entities, especially those affiliated with the Moon, Karyou's tainted flames lacked the purification properties that would have given her an advantage. As a result, the only notable 'injury' Usalia suffered from the exchange were slightly singed pantyhose and a few black stains on her previously, pure white leotard.With space being off-limits until the release of a Model Omega, Karyou found herself skidding along the invisible membrane surrounding her planet. By the time she came to a stop, she had circled the globe a total of thirteen times. This earned her a tremendous amount of laughter and ridicule from the spectators, and, though she couldn't hear them, Karyou could sense their disdain washing over her like frigid, unforgiving water."That's it! I'm done playing around! Every single one of you can go to hell...!"Fearing that people would notice the tears building in the corners of her eyes, Karyou tucked her body and furled her wings in a manner that made her resemble a cacoon. The same runic pattern from before began to spread across her wings. This time, however, the runes shifted from a brilliant golden hue to pitch black as her entire body, previously golden, became shadowy and illusory."End of Nirvana...!"Having lost interest in participating in the Gift Game, Karyou unleashed her most powerful attack without consideration for herself or the planet beneath her. An eerie black pulse was released from her chest, but, instead of simply spreading outward and destroying her surroundings, it vaporized her body before continuing outward at a slow yet unstoppable pace. From the outside, it was like watching the expansion of a star. Instead of bright, bluish-white, yellow, or red light, however, the entire thing was a mixture of abyssal black and suppressed golden flames.What Karyou never could have anticipated was that the planets used in Vahn's Gift Game were quite a bit different from those that appeared in other games. Her penultimate attack was impressive but it was nowhere near the level of an Executioner's Judgment. If the planets were fragile enough that an invader could simply throw caution to the wind to destroy the entire thing, there would be very little preventing people from doing exactly that. Thus, while the eerie black pulse spread across the entirety of the planet's surface, it only managed to peel away a few hundred meters of the crust.To Karyou's credit, glassing and stripping away the surface was a lot more than most people would have been able to pull off. Unfortunately, while it was able to eliminate some of the weaker and more opportunistic invaders, it was far from enough to deal with the trio that had invaded from the Sage Dragon's Hearth. If anything, her attack helped them out, as, due to the nature of the flames, a large portion of Usalia's already scandalous bunny outfit had been destroyed. This garnered her a tremendous amount of attention as the sight of a three-hundred-meter-tall bunny girl vexatiously concealing her body using fluffy paws wasn't exactly commonplace.........Observing the scene from the comfort of his throne room, a frown marred Vahn's face as he sensed the tremendous volume of negative energy flowing towards Karyou. Her attack may have destroyed her body, but, due to her heritage as the descendant of a Phoenix, her body had promptly reformed at the center of a 3,000km wide crater. This prompted him to cast a reality-altering illusion over the area, not just because Karyou had appeared completely naked but because she started crying the moment she realized her failure...("Poor girl...")(*Just don't go blaming some 'Loli Curse' or Innate if you decide to help her...*)Chuckling dryly in response to Sis's words, Vahn briefly observed Karyou's figure as he prepared a change of clothes for her. The last time he saw the hybrid between a Garuda and a Divine Phoenix was when Loi-chan had assumed her form. At that time, she had dolled herself up using an almost ludicrous amount of makeup. She had also worn extremely gaudy clothing, and, as a tertiary layer of protection, relied upon multiple illusions just to make herself appear more mature.Now that she had undergone a process similar to a Phoenix's Rebirth, Karyou had none of her usual protections. As a result, she looked even younger than Sarina when Vahn first encounter her at the entrance to the Little Garden. She was barely 140cm tall, and, despite possessing fairly large breasts in her illusory form, she was even smaller than Wu in her present condition.Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Vahn startled Karyou by using telepathy to inform her that the cameras and spectators couldn't see her. At the same time, he manifested a small, pagoda-style cottage around her before leaving a pile of neatly folded clothes on the ground. He could have just as easily placed them on her body, but, understanding there was a very strong possibility he would upset her even further, Vahn decided it was safer to allow Karyou to dress herself.Instead of immediately grabbing the clothing, Karyou leaned forward to conceal her body, the temperature of her which caused the tears on her face to evaporate as she attempted to cast an illusion on her chest. This caused the smile on Vahn's face to turn wry, as, even at her lowest point, Karyou was more concerned with the perceived size of her breasts than the fact she was naked...Resisting the urge to ask if she would like him to increase the size of her bust, Vahn remained silent until Karyou, having completed a physical illusion around her chest, sat up straight and asked, "Who are you? Why are you helping me...?"Ignoring the two shapely mounds that now dangled from Karyou's chest, Vahn focused his intent on the petite woman's vermillion eyes as he answered, "This is the voice of Vahn, the Sage Dragon Emperor. I'm not sure if Wu informed you, but she and I have become very close since my stay at the Jade Palace. As her friend, I will not allow you to be shamed in front of the public."Though he imagined Karyou would be more than a little angry once she learned that Usalia was a member of his Community, there wasn't much Vahn could do about that. They were fated to fight from the moment Karyou unleashed a wave of flames towards her, Fenrir, and Mikoto. If anything, she was lucky that Usalia was the one that took up the challenge. If Mikoto had her clothes burned away in the middle of a battle, she would have short-circuited before transforming into her Pikachu form and unleashing a thunderous and indignant fury upon her fiery golden opponent...As Wu had actually bragged quite a bit about finally finding a man worthy of her affections, Karyou exhaled a sigh of relief when she heard Vahn's words. Immediately thereafter, however, a gleam of hostility reflected across her luminous vermillion pupils as she stated, "I'm not going to thank you. If it weren't for you and that damned monkey, I wouldn't be in this mess. I expect compensation once you've ascended to a 4-Digit Community..."Though he smiled wryly in response to Karyou's words, Vahn didn't hesitate to answer, "Very well. If you come by the Sage Dragon's Hearth, you will have access to all the services we provide without needing to pay. I believe that should suffice as compensation...?"Nodding her head in approval, Karyou generated an obscuring hemisphere of flames around her body before picking up the clothes Vahn had prepared for her. She was a little surprised to find that he had even prepared high-quality accessories to replace the ones she lost, but, after declaring that she wasn't going to thank him, the only thing she said after dissipating the veil of flames was, "I will visit once things have settled down." before immediately transforming into a fiery golden bird and bursting through the pagoda he had prepared...("There she goes...")(*Indeed...*)......After mowing down a veritable army of carnivorous plants and creatures, Caulifla and Kale finally came face to face with one of the better-known members of Onigashima, Sōjōbō, the Daitengu of Mt. Kurama.Tengu, as a species, were a form of Buddhist Spirit, that, as a result of their faith, made it impossible for them to go to Hell. At the same time, however, their excessive pride, vanity, or other flaws made it impossible for them to ascend to Heaven. As a result, they were trapped in the mortal plane until they either reached enlightenment or reneged on their beliefs and became yokai.Generally speaking, Tengu were separated into one of two categories. Those who were wise and benevolent during their lives would become Daitengu, retaining the vast majority of their features prior to death. Inversely, those who lived ignorant or despotic lives would become Kotengu, many even losing their identities as they gradually metamorphosed into beings that resembled humanoid ravens.Like all humanoid Tengu, Sōjōbō possessed an inordinately long nose, long-lobed ears, and a perpetually stern, almost angry-looking face. As one of the oldest and wisest Tengu, however, his complexion resembled that of a human instead of the traditional red and ashen-grey associated with those on the path towards becoming a Kotengu. The thing that stood out the most were his eyes, as, rather than white sclera and a natural eye color, he possessed black sclera and yellowish, perennially wrathful eyes."Ignorant and shameless wenches. You dare assail the great and mighty Onigashima Community in such licentious garb and in so few a number...!?"Though Kale was wearing relatively modest clothing that consisted of a halter top, spat-like shorts, and a skirt, Caulifla was wearing her usual tube top and baggy pants combination. The majority of people wouldn't find this overtly scanty, but, due to her propensity to go commando and the low-lying nature of Caulifla's trousers, it wasn't exactly 'proper' either.Angering the Daitengu even further, Caulifla unhesitantly used her middle finger to draw down the fold of her left eye as she stuck out her tongue, intoning a taunting, "Nyeeeeeh~!" before adopting a fighting stance and saying, "I didn't come here to listen to a lecture. If you're not going to attack, don't blame me for taking the-"Moving even faster than instant transmission, Sōjōbō appeared right behind Caulifla without even a hint that he was about to move. An ethereal purple flame spread within his palm, but, the moment he tried to thrust forward to strike her back, Caulifla's tail promptly grabbed his wrist as she twisted her body to kick him directly in the temple.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The legendary Usagi Punch...!','Another Tsundere appears...','Will Sōjōbō be able to put up a fight? Find out on the next, exciting episode of dra...wait, haven't I done this joke before?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2196: Omens, Parades, and Scripted Encounters