Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Seeing an Angel Attendant's Staff appear in Eshavi's hand, a hint of surprise appeared on the faces of Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita. They had heard about Gifts and abilities that could copy, borrow, or outright steal the abilities of others, but, having never experienced such a thing in their remarkably long existences, the trio of Angels couldn't help feeling marginally surprised.Amused by the trio's reaction, Eshavi attempted to activate the Angel Attendant's Staff only for a synthetic voice to respond, "Unauthorized Access.""I beg your pardon...?"Without responding to the ashen-skinned woman's words, the staff in her hand promptly vanished into thin air. This left her far more surprised than the trio of Angels until Vahn, with a wry, somewhat apologetic expression on his face explained, "Sorry, but, so long as I don't approve of it, no one has the right to borrow or steal the identities of my friends, family, or lovers. I might not have interfered if they knew what they were getting themselves into and you challenged them to a fair competition. Thinking you can get away with something like this right in front of me is simply foolish..."Clicking her tongue, Eshavi dismissed the eerie black and white grimoire before raising her chin and adopting an accusatory expression as she stated, "How shameless. Even if they were unaware of my ability, they still gave their names willingly. You can't seriously expect-!?"Performing a flicking gesture with his right middle finger, Vahn sent Eshavi stumbling back a few steps as he said, "Don't put words into my mouth. If it were any other type of Gift, I wouldn't care in the slightest. Your fault is thinking you could steal, even temporarily, the identities of people I care about. If this weren't a Gift Game, I would have crushed you on the spot."Surprised by the pain radiating from her forehead, Eshavi rubbed the area with one of her gloved right hands to check if she was bleeding. Confirming this wasn't the case, she directed a remarkably indignant look towards Vahn, stating, "There were no rules against it..." through gritted teeth.Unperturbed by the woman's venomous look, Vahn raised his left brow, an expression of mock incredulity spreading across his face as he rebutted, "Are you going to make an actual point? It's not as though I prevented you from using your ability; I simply negated it after the fact. If the only thing you're going to do is complain, I suggest making way for your sister. I'm not particularly fond of the overly prideful and petulant."Gritting her teeth hard enough to cause black blood to appear near the base of her gums, Eshavi held her glasses in place as she lowered her head slightly and said, "I challenge you, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, to a battle of wits..."Rolling his eyes, Vahn lazily leaned his head against the knuckles of his right hand as he said, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Just know that I reserve the right to annul the competition if you attempt to exploit, break, or bend the rules..."Snorting through her nose, Eshavi surprised Vahn quite a bit by manifesting what appeared to be an ancient-looking, remarkably ornate chessboard. It was comprised almost entirely of opal-hued stone. As for the pieces, both were carved from pure white ivory but one side had been stained an eerie, blood-red color. They were also themed to resemble members of the Rakshasa Tribe, the only exception being large, mammoth-like creatures with multiple horns and tusks.Speaking before Eshavi could begin explaining the rules, Vahn asked, "Chaturanga?" in a pleasantly surprised tone.Blinking in surprise, Eshavi's expression appeared to brighten ever so slightly as she asked, "Oh? Are you familiar with Chaturanga? Most people mistakenly believe this to be a simple chessboard."Returning a smile of his own, Vahn mused, "I'm familiar with many things. Now, out with it. Even if you're supremely confident in your intellect, I doubt you would challenge me to a simple game of Chaturanga. What are the rules, and, more importantly, the stakes?"Pushing up her glasses, Eshavi adopted a confident grin as she explained, "The rules are identical to a standard game of Chaturanga. The only difference is, every time you lose one of your Padati, one of your appendages will be rendered useless. If all your Padati are claimed, you lose the game. After all, a Raja without any subjects is no King. As for the stakes...well, that's for you to decide...""Hmm..."Though he knew Eshavi wasn't revealing everything, Vahn wasn't too worried. He had implemented quite a number of measures against foul play. More importantly, he has reserved the right to annul the competition if she attempted to swindle him, so, after a moment of considering, he nodded his head and said, "Very well. If you win, I will allow you to make a request of me once the promotional Gift Game has come to an end. As you have nothing I desire, I will forgo my right to a prize on the condition each turn lasts no longer than fifteen seconds. As fond as I am of board games, I have no intention of being trapped in one for all eternity just because you refuse to make a move..."Covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, a playful light flashed across Eshavi's eyes. It hadn't been her intention to stall out the game indefinitely, but, if Vahn proved to be ahead by a large margin, there was a very good chance she would do exactly that. At the very least, she could have leveraged each of her turns against him."I understand and accept your conditions. Now then, would you prefer to play as white or red...?"As it ultimately didn't matter, Vahn answered, "Red." before shifting his attention to the Geass Roll that had manifested next to him. At the same time, Eshavi sat in a seiza-like position before hastily moving one of her Padati, the Chaturanga equivalent of a Pawn, forward. This earned her an eye roll from Vahn as she was, very clearly, trying to pressure him. Unfortunately for her, he was able to read the remarkably complex Geass Roll in less time than it would have taken an atomic clock to record a single moment.Shaking his head in mock exasperation, Vahn mused, "Nice try..." before motioning with his right hand to manipulate one of his own Padati. Eshavi had made herself comfortable more than twenty meters away from his throne, so, unless he got up and walked over, his only options were to move the pieces at a distance.Seizing the initiative, a sly smile developed across Eshavi's face as she stated, "You just violated one of the rules. Pieces must be moved via hand or foot. Using Gifts or other means to manipulate them will result in the aforementioned piece being eliminated."Showing very little care for Eshavi's statement, Vahn issued a yawn before waving the hand he used to manipulate the piece, asking, "What does this look like to you? I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with band."Confused by Vahn's words, Eshavi's thought process momentarily stalled. She wanted to point out that, while he may have used his hand to activate whatever Gift he used, it was still relying upon a Gift. He needed to touch the piece directly or he was violating the rules.The only thing that prevented Eshavi from saying this out loud was the fact that the pieces were designed to vanish the moment they were eliminated. This included eliminations as a result of rule violations, so, seeing the piece resting comfortably in its place, Eshavi could only conclude that the Central Network didn't recognize Vahn's actions as cheating. She simply had no idea how he pulled it off...In an effort to save face, Eshavi chose to remain silent as she moved one of her elephant-like Gaja, the Chaturanga equivalent of a Knight, two spaces diagonally.Unlike normal Chaturanga, where Padati were readily sacrificed to protect higher-value pieces, this particular variant completely reversed the usual dynamic. Losing a Padati meant losing one of your limbs, so, while she had plenty of limbs to spare, Eshavi elected to play it safe by eliminating a few of Vahn's as quickly as possible.Amused by Eshavi's abrupt seriousness, a teasing smile developed across Vahn's face as he reached through space-time to move one of his own pieces forward. The Law of Perception was remarkably convenient at times like this, as, even if an object was tens of millions of kilometers away, he could still interact with it so long as it was within the domain of her perception and authority.Seeing Vahn move his Raja, the Chaturanga equivalent of a King, into the space previously occupied by his Padati, a gloomy expression developed across Eshavi's face. She now understood the trap he had set for her when he decided to forgo a prize of his own."You never had any intention of winning..."Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn maintained a relaxed smile as he replied, "Winning isn't everything. I also have a habit of honoring any requests that don't touch my bottom line, so, even if you came to me of your own accord, I would have helped you. Now then, I believe it's your...turn...?"Without waiting for Vahn to finish speaking, Eshavi knocked over her own Raja, a surprisingly pouty expression on her face as she said, "Screw you." in a scathing tone. She loathed being looked down upon, so, believing Vahn was either pitying or making a fool of her, she decided she wasn't going to play his game. Instead, she kicked off the ground with explosive force, the muscles in her six arms swelling ever so slightly as she launched herself towards the 'infuriatingly relaxed' man.Raising his hand to prevent Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita from intervening, Vahn maintained the same casual expression on his face even as Eshavi began raining meteoric punches on the invisible barrier separating them. He had already allocated the ashen-skinned woman seventeen minutes and forty-five seconds of his time. How she chose to spend that was up to her.Though she wasn't much of a warrior in her default state, Eshavi still felt an unbridled sense of frustration seeing her attacks stop just a few centimeters away from Vahn's face and body. The barrier he had erected wasn't a physical membrane, so, rather than the feeling of striking a solid object, she felt as though her attacks were simply falling short. It didn't matter how much power she mustered in her blows. Everything she threw at him, even magical attacks, simply stopped the moment it seemed like they were about to make contact.The most frustrating thing about the present situation was that she was literally able to step on Vahn's throne, but, the moment she tried to stomp his groin or thighs, the same invisible barrier prevented her from doing so. She was even able to sit atop his lap, heavily breathing with virtually zero distance between them. However, the moment she attempted to crush him with her thighs or wrap her hands around his neck, absolutely nothing worked. It was like, even when she was seated atop his lap, there was an infinite distance separating them...Realizing the futility of her actions, Eshavi ultimately slumped her head and shoulders, her glasses having long since dislodged themselves from her face as she muttered, "I hate you..."Shaking his head, Vahn simply leaned against the backrest of his throne before saying, "No, you don't. You are indignant as a result of the transgressions you believed I have committed against you. In reality, the only thing I did was prohibit you from borrowing the identities of people I care about. Other than that, I've tolerated pretty much everything you've done. Saying you hate me is just an excuse to protect your pride..."Gritting her teeth, Eshavi made one last effort to punch Vahn in the face. To her surprise, he actually allowed her to do so, as, unlike her previous attacks, there was little to no power contained within the strike.Feeling as though she had been seen through for the first time in hundreds of years, an indignant feeling swelled within Eshavi's chest as she powerlessly headbutted Vahn's and muttered, "I really, really hate you..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nice try...','Loki would be wheezing...','Mada Kirai...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

"As much as I enjoy the company of beautiful women, I believe it's about time you return to your group. Your father doesn't seem to approve of our particular seating arrangement..."Once the time he had allotted her transpired, Vahn felt compelled to have Eshavi alight from his lap. He didn't actually mind attractive women making themselves comfortable on his lap, but, with Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita standing nearby, there were better ways he could be spending his time.Raising her head from Vahn's chest, Eshavi stared blankly into his eyes for several seconds before remarking, "You're surprisingly cruel...you have, by your own admission, a beautiful woman seated atop your lap. You also know I'm upset yet you want me to alight so quickly? And here I thought-"Surprising both Eshavi and the crowd of spectators viewing the scene with diminishing interest, Vahn used the index fingers of both hands to press her faint yet still visible nipples. The teasing smile on her face immediately faded away. In its place, a cold deadpan reminiscent of a serial killer took hold as she asked, "What do you think you're doing?"With confusion marring his expression, Vahn continued to lightly poke Eshavi's breasts as he tilted his head to the side and asked, "What do you mean? I thought now was the time when people got to do whatever they wanted. I asked you to move. You elected to stay. This is the result."Punctuating his words, Vahn activated his Hands of Nirvana before spreading threads of Source Energy through Eshavi's breasts. Her back immediately straightened, and, though she did her best to cover her mouth with two of her six hands, a sonorous echo sounded through the vast, largely empty throne room.As Rakshasa didn't feel sensations in the same way as other races, Eshavi was so startled that she practically sprang away from Vahn's lap. When she landed, a dark grey blush could be seen on her face, as, despite her quick reaction, a spiderweb pattern only visible to Vahn could be seen pulsing within her breasts."Oh? And here I thought you were fully committed to stalling for time. Shame.""You...you ba-"Before Eshavi could finish speaking, a massive red x slammed into her face with enough force to give her whiplash. Vahn had never been fond of being labeled as a bastard. Not because he was upset by his lack of a father but because it was a brash insult that carelessly implicated his mother."You have lost your right to speak until the end of this competition..."Opening her mouth, the only sound emanating from Eshavi's throat was an exact replica of the moan she had previously attempted to stifle. Her hands immediately darted to her mouth, but, despite her best efforts, an echo lingered within the hall as she glared at Vahn as if he were her mortal enemy.Rolling his eyes, Vahn directed his gaze to the last of the sisters present, asking, "So? How do you intend to stall for time? Judging by your hat, I'm assuming you possess a Gift related to cooking?"Though she would have preferred it if Vahn continued to torment her sister, Vahida, the Sage of Wisdom representing Gluttony, adopted what could best be described as a carnivorous smile as she brought a finger to her lips and mused, "My, how perceptive. More specifically, my Gift is related to flavor enhancement. Even if it was something as plain and simple as rice, my Gift has the capacity to make it taste like Heaven..."With Vahida placing extra emphasis on the word Heaven, Vahn had to take a deep breath just to suppress the urge to ask if she was an idiot. Rather than a black and white apron, she may as well be wearing a signboard that said, "My food kills people."Fortunately, poison was something Vahn didn't even need to take precautions against, so, after mentally shaking his head, he adopted his characteristically casual smile and remarked, "Sounds interesting. Though I doubt they can compare with my personal chefs, I'm interested to see what you can come up with."Frowning at the insinuation there were better chefs than her, Vahida was half-tempted to challenge Vahn to a Gift Game. Instead, she removed the inordinately large saucepan from her head, taunting, "You really know how to get a girl's blood boiling, don't you...?"As he always enjoyed a bit of playful banter, Vahn's smile became marginally more sincere as he offered a playful wink and replied, "In quite a number of ways."Though she felt an almost overwhelming urge to snort, Vahida maintained a predatory smile as she flipped the saucer in her hands. The action seemed rather careless at first, but, by the time the dish had flipped completely, enough curry to feed more than twenty people had appeared within."I hear the 'appetites' of dragons are near insatiable. Please accept this paltry offering as an apology for today's events..."With three of her sisters having made themselves comfortable atop his lap, Vahida didn't hesitate to approach Vahn directly. She even extended her tongue towards Kusu, a teasing smile appearing on her shoulder nearly grazed the unsmiling Angel.Approaching close enough that she could have easily turned and made herself comfortable, Vahida took a knee before extending the large saucer toward Vahn. To the surprise of absolutely no one, he accepted the dish before placing it to his lips without question. This was an incredibly daring action, but, after seeing Vahn's performance during each of his Gift Games, daring was probably one of the tamer words that could be used to describe him...Swallowing several large mouthfuls of the surprisingly spicy, chicken-based curry, Vahn pretended not to notice the foreign energy attempting to invade his body. To his surprise, said energy actually possessed a remarkably familiar structure. There were so few differences, in fact, that it didn't even take him a full second to completely analyze it...To the astonishment of billions, Vahida included, Vahn's figure began to change from a muscular and handsome man with tanned skin to a stout, black-skinned pig. Genuine surprise colored the ashen-skinned woman's face, as, even in her wildest dreams, she had never imagined her ability would take effect so...seamlessly...Looking around, Vahida's suspicions grew when she found Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita staring at her with tranquil expressions on their faces. Even her father seemed equal parts confused and nervous, so, instead of assuming she had succeeded, Vahida observed the chubby black pig for several tense moments before attempting to pick it up."Huff...what the hell...?"Though she was able to get her hands around it without any trouble, no amount of effort allowed Vahida to lift 'Vahn' from his throne. He wasn't simply heavy; Vahida got the impression that, no matter how many people combined their efforts, they would never be able to move the adorably plump pig from its position. If not for the fact she could stretch his ears and pinch his cheeks, she might have assumed he was completely immovable.Feeling something was amiss, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes developed across Vahida's face as she asked, "You're messing with me, aren't you...?"Adopting a toothy, eerily human smile, the black pig promptly replied, "I would argue that I was humoring you. By the way, while your food was surprisingly flavorful, the overall quality places it around a six. You're a little too reliant on your Gift. Here, try this."While maintaining his pig form, Vahn used cleaning magic on Vahida's hat before filling it with a portion of curry prepared by Rindo. When Vahida saw, or, more specifically, smelt it, the glower on her face promptly turned to curiosity, as, even from more than twenty meters away, everyone in the hall got the impression the dish was indescribably delicious.As the worst that could happen was her elimination from the promotional Gift Game, Vahida didn't hesitate to manifest a small bowl of rice and a large spoon. She really wanted to ascertain whether or not Vahn was just talking out of his ass, so, after scooping up a spoonful of curry, she dipped it into her rice before placing it into her mouth.To the shock of many, an 'explosion' of golden light erupted from Vahida's body the moment she placed the spoonful of curry into her mouth. Stranger still, the accessories in her hair and even the clothes on her body promptly burst away, but, thanks to the Law of Modesty, the brilliant golden light exuding from her body made it impossible to make out anything but her silhouette.While everyone else was marveling at the scene playing before them, Vahida felt as though her soul had departed her body. In spite of this, she felt an indescribable feeling of calm as she stood, naked as the day she was born, at the base of a petrified bodhi tree. A warm breeze caressed her skin, but, rather than paying any attention to herself, Vahida was captivated by a literal ocean of stars gently flowing in and out over a sea of glistening black sand...Just as Vahida was tempted to throw herself into said ocean, a feeling of loss washed over her mind and body as she found herself standing in front of a smiling black pig.Seeing the 'smug' expression on Vahn's face, Vahida was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to smack him in the head using her saucepan. Instead, she exhaled a sigh before setting the now-barren pan aside and bringing all six of her hands together in a gesture resembling prayer. Every adult member of the Rakshasa Tribe had been given the opportunity to experience a lesser form of Enlightenment, so, even if the experience was quite a bit different, Vahida knew she had just received a tremendous gift from Vahn.Raising one of his trotters before Vahida could thank him, Vahn's voice emanated seriousness as he said, "You can thank me later. For now, you may want to fix your clothing..."Confused by Vahn's words, Vahida promptly directed her attention to her presently naked body. A grey hue immediately spread through her cheeks, but, instead of behaving bashfully, she returned her attention to Vahn and remarked, "You're a lewd little piggy, aren't you...?"With hands to spare, Vahida was able to cover her breasts, front, and back without difficulty. Then, as if their encounter had come to an end, she returned to the side of her sisters and father without further dialogue.Shrugging his virtually non-existent shoulders, Vahn directed his attention to Attutyaptish before asking, "Are we done here, or do you intend to give the duo waiting outside an opportunity? The little one with all the concealed weapons gives off a very pettable vibe."Shifting his attention from Vahida, Attutyaptish met Vahn's gaze, a hesitant look on his face as he asked, "What is your obsession with petting? There must be a reason for it."Though he didn't reveal the details, Vahn took advantage of the opportunity Attutyaptish had provided by manifesting his [Fragment of Origin: Godhand]. A swell of energy suddenly spread through his body, but, as he was already accustomed to the feeling of being empowered through beliefs, he managed to appear unshaken as he returned to his true form and answered, "Though I prefer being called the God of Infinite Possibilities, I'm also a God of Petting. Why? You curious...?"Swallowing the knot the had suddenly appeared in his throat, Attutyaptish reminded himself that his mission took precedence over everything else. He could call in his other daughters, but, fearing they would complicate matters, he steeled himself before answering, "Indeed...after observing the changes in my daughters' behavior, I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little curious about your ability. Even now, despite her association with the Sin of Lust, Prurmubhi is behaving as docile as a kitten. You clearly did something to influence her..."Unamused by her father's revelation, Prurmubhi, the vulpine woman that had enjoyed more than half an hour of Vahn's headpats, adopted a pouty expression as she asked, "Did you really have to go out of your way to reveal that in front of billions of people...?"Meeting his daughter's gaze, Attutyaptish unhesitantly replied, "Yes. The more people associate you and your sisters with the Seven Deadly Sins, the more potent your respective abilities. You were the one who fought your sisters for the right to become the Sin of Lust. If you're dissatisfied, feel free to trade places with Hantemu."Though she was accustomed to being chastised, Prurmubhi resented the fact her father had gone out of his way to do so during a highly publicized Gift Game. For a brief moment, the urge to lash out of him swelled in the back of her mind, but, before she could muster the conviction, a soothing voice entered her ears, stating, "Don't worry. I'll be sure to teach him a lesson on your behalf..."Shifting her attention to Vahn, a look of confusion marred Prurmubhi's face. Thanks to an illusion, however, Attutyaptish was wholly unaware of this. As a result, he did his best to appear calm and composed as he floated over to Vahn and stated, "Don't expect me to straddle your lap..." before taking a seat on his right thigh.Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn decided not to dignify Attutyaptish's words with a verbal response. Instead, he removed the feathery headdress from the remarkably furry man's head to reveal messy white hair. Then, without holding anything back, he nestled his hand between the man's large, cat-like ears and got to work.........(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Should have brought some Echo Herbs...','This is what it's like to chew Five gum...','Bruh, he ded...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Reacting to the increase in tensions, Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita promptly appeared between Vahn and the six Rakshasa Tribe members. This was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, as, the moment the trio appeared, the more mature of the vulpine women, Hantemu, charged toward Kusu with a massive club in hand.Extending his paw, Attutyaptish was prepared to call his daughter back but elected not to when Vahn suddenly stated, "Try not to injure them." in a completely relaxed tone.In an effort to respect Vahn's decision, Kusu dodged Hantemu's attack at a hair's breadth before darting around the six-armed woman's back and chopping her neck. When she felt virtually no feedback from the strike, a marginally surprised expression colored her face, but, thanks to her Autonomous Sovereign, she was easily able to avoid Hantemu's tempestuous follow-up.Though it offered a number of inconveniences, especially for those with large breasts, one of the benefits of possessing six arms was that you could string together combos that the majority of two-armed individuals had no hope of defending against. Hantemu, despite being one of the Sages of Wisdom, was one of the Warrior Class members of her tribe. Her specialty was hammers and maces, but, like every physically inclined member of her species, she was also gifted in the art of grappling.Realizing that she would never hit the nimble Kusu with her hammer, Hantemu promptly lobbed it into the air before pouncing on the comparably petite, blue-skinned woman. She believed that, so long as she could get a single hand on Kusu, the battle would swing in her favor.Amused by Hantemu's efforts, Kusu allowed her staff to blink out of existence before placing her hands behind her back. Then, much to the Rakshasa woman's chagrin, she began narrowly evading each attempt to grab her with a completely relaxed smile on her face. This was a good opportunity to strengthen the notion that the Angels were an untouchable existence. More importantly, it was an opportunity to show off in front of Vahn, so, while everyone else was reluctant to start fighting, Kusu happily performed her evasive dance."My, you're quite spirited, aren't you~?"Clicking her tongue, Hantemu ceased her torrential attempts to grasp Kusu's before breaking away and performing a series of hand signs. Unfortunately, while this was enough to earn her a curious stare from Vahn, Kusu wasn't particularly fond of sharing her spotlight. The moment she felt Vahn's attention shift to her opponent, the carefree smile on her face suddenly appeared remarkably frigid as she flickered into Hantemu's range and promptly planted her fist in the grey-skinned woman's gut.Confident in her durability, Hantemu made no effort to defend herself from Kusu's relatively plain attack. Instead, a ridiculing smile developed across her face as she spread her arms like a trap ready to spring shut.To Hantemu's credit, such a tactic would have worked against most opponents. Unfortunately, the Angels didn't stand at the pinnacle of their verse by resting on their laurels. They were among the most skilled martial artists that Vahn had ever encountered. Thus, while her punch appeared normal at a glance, those with enhanced perception would be able to see her fist vibrating at a remarkably high speed.Resonant Frequency was a concept that denoted everything in existence, even space and time, as having a natural frequency where the medium vibrates the highest possible amplitude. Anything beyond that maximum threshold would result in the catastrophic failure of the medium.Having gotten a basic understanding of Hantemu's body during their initial exchange, Kusu had managed to approximate the frequency needed to overcome a Rakshasa's apparent immunity to physical attacks. As a result, the moment her fist made contact with the much larger woman's body, Hantemu simply froze in place, her half-lidded eyes widening for the first time as an overwhelming numbness seized her entire body."It's time for you to go to sleep."Without giving Hantemu a chance to respond, Kusu stepped away from the statuesque woman before manifesting her staff and pointing it towards her opponent's head. Vahn's order to avoid injuring them left her with very few options, so, similar to how Vados dealt with Ahirani's Grudge-based attack, Kusu was intending to seal Hantemu off in a closed space.Just as a ring-shaped portal appeared over Hantemu's head, a flash of light briefly obscured the throne room as the largest of Attutyaptish's daughters, a woman with wolf-like ears but no tail, pressed the shutter of an old, magnesium-flash camera. When the light faded away, Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita had lost all color, their appearances reminiscent of people found in old, black and white photos.Undaunted by the sudden flash and the change in her body, Kusu guided the ring-shaped portal to envelop Hantemu's body before directing her gaze towards the remarkably tall woman wielding a variety of different cameras. In response, the woman pressed the shutter-release of her handheld camera, her voice a cool monotone as she said, "Freeze Frame..."Though it was invisible to others, Vahn was aware of a hazy grey cube manifesting the moment the camera's shutter clicked. Immediately thereafter, everything within the viewfinder of her camera was promptly frozen in time.Pointing her second camera towards Vahn, the remarkably tall photographer briefly paused when she found him smiling at her and making a peace sign. For the briefest of moments, her camera felt a lot heavier than usual, a look of confusion marring her otherwise innocent-looking expression as she reluctantly snapped his, Vados's, and Marcarita's picture...Seeing his daughter successfully capture the images of Vahn, Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita, a smile developed across Attutyaptish's face as he remarked, "Excellent work, Shaanti. The Queen-Mother is bound to be pleased with this result. Once we return to the forest, expect an ample reward."Though he doubted it would hold them for long, Attutyaptish felt the tensions drain from his body when he saw Vahn sitting statuesque atop his throne. Shaanti was actually the weakest member of the Seven Sages of Wisdom as she possessed no martial or magical talent. Fortunately, fate hadn't been completely cruel to her. While it prevented her from speaking above a whisper, Shaanti's Gift, Silent Documentarian, possessed incredible utility. The smaller cameras allowed her to temporarily freeze her opponents in time. As for the larger camera, it possessed an even more terrifying ability, as, once processed, any damage or alterations made to the photos would directly affect reality, or, more specifically, the subjects captured within the image.Just as Attutyaptish was preparing to reward his tallest daughter with some additional praise, the smaller cameras in her hands suddenly fell to pieces. A look of unbridled panic developed across Shaanti's face, as, even compared to enthusiasts and extreme voyeurs, she cherished her cameras and equipment more than her life. Photography was how she interacted with the world around her. Without the means to capture images, she wouldn't know what to do with herself.Fortunately, while the cameras disassembled themselves into their constituent pieces, none of the extremely delicate components crashed to the ground. Instead, they neatly arranged themselves on a cloth that had appeared out of nowhere. The only exception to this were the rolls of film, which, at the present moment, orbited around each other atop Vahn's outstretched hand."Neat trick. If your father and sisters had coordinated with you, you may have been able to get off a spell or two before I...broke free...?"Seeing Shaanti tear up as she stared unblinkingly at the rolls of film orbiting above his palm, Vahn's desire to tease her rapidly diminished. He hated seeing people cry. He also had a weakness towards women with fluffy, wolf-like ears, so, after quickly splicing out the images she had captured of Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita, he softly muttered, "Don't cry..." before returning the rolls of film to her using telekinesis.Not expecting her film to be returned, Shaanti's ears promptly stood erect as she hurriedly donned a pair of pristine white gloves. Direct contact with film could irreversibly damage the medium upon which the images were captured, so, while she wanted nothing more than to snatch the rolls out of the air, Shaanti made sure to follow proper procedure as she carefully placed each roll into a small, briefcase-like storage container.While that was going on, Attutyaptish and his remaining three daughters stared at Vahn and the Angels with a wide range of expressions on their faces. Attutyaptish looked as though he had just swallowed a bug, but, undoubtedly as a result of the prolonged petting she had received earlier, an appreciative smile had developed across the face of Prurmubhi. Similar expressions could be seen on the faces of her other two sisters, but, rather than appreciation, their smiles revealed a mixture of curiosity and chicanerous intrigue.Representing the 'most intelligent' of Attutyaptish's daughters, Eshavi was a bespectacled woman with the same ashen-grey skin as the vast majority of the Rakshasa Tribe. What truly distinguished her, at least as far as appearances were concerned, was the fact she elected to wear sophisticated black and white robes rather than the tribal garments typically associated with her people. She also kept her pristine white hair short and neatly styled, a stark contrast to the free-flowing, carelessly groomed styles sported by the vast majority of her sisters.Pushing up her square-rimmed glasses, a smile remarkably similar to the one often sported by Loki developed across Eshavi as she turned towards the last of Attutyaptish's most prominent children, a comparably petite woman with a reputation for being the greatest chef in the entire Rakshasa Tribe. Her outfit wasn't particularly sophisticated, but, with a remarkably voluptuous figure, fringe pigtails that framed her face, and a large black hat reminiscent of an upturned saucer, she stood out quite a bit even among the other members of their tribe."I believe it is our turn, Vahida. Would you like to go first...?"Turning to meet her sister's gaze, a playful yet distorted smile developed across Vahida's face as she retorted, "You know my abilities aren't suited to direct combat. If you're too afraid to act, however, I suppose I'll have no choice but to take action..."Though she didn't lose her crafty smile, Eshavi squinted her eyes ever so slightly in response to her sister's words. Their group, like many groups of seven, was loosely based on the Seven Deadly Sins. In that regard, she represented the Sin of Pride while Vahida, as could be expected of the greatest chef in their tribe, represented the Sin of Gluttony. The latter's skills might not be suited to fighting, but, when it came to stalling for time, she was nearly as gifted as Shaanti.Out of consideration for their mission, Eshavi responded to Vahida's words by turning towards the repositioned Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita. Before stepping forward, however, she made sure to hit the rim of Vahida's wide-brimmed hat using the tip of her long, thick, crystal-tipped tail. This earned her a murderous glower from the much smaller Rakshasa, but, pretending she didn't notice, Eshavi took a few slow and graceful steps forward before manifesting a black and white grimoire in one of her right hands."Before we begin, I believe introductions are in order? My name is Eshavi, daughter of Attutyaptish. May I have each of your names~?"While a look of realization flashed across Vahn's eyes, Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita still had the habit of looking down on their opponents. They were used to being the most powerful individuals in their respective Universes, so, in response to Eshavi's words, they readily introduced themselves.Though she was a little disappointed that Vahn had remained silent, his look of realization hadn't escaped Eshavi's notice. Thus, before he could inform the trio of the trap they had just walked into, she replied with a teasing, "Thank you." before snapping her grimoire shut and manifesting a very familiar staff in her left hand.......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Kusu has the makings of a yandere...','Unfortunately, Vahn...','Mega Oof...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2203: Entanglement : Futility