Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Feeling more content than she had in a long time, Hanzo released an unrepentantly adorable, "Munyaaa...?" before stretching her body and sitting up with a dazed expression on her face. For the briefest of moments, she had completely forgotten she was supposed to be participating in a Gift Game. Instead, she just stared blankly at Tomoe and Okita, her cat-like ears twitching atop her head as she slowly pieced everything together.
With the towel having fallen from Hanzo's head, Tomoe took the opportunity to check the petite ninja's temperature. She had cooled down a lot, but, even after sleeping for the better part of an hour, she was still a little warm.
"You shouldn't get up just yet. Your fever has yet to break."
Despite her words, Tomoe brought out some apple slices and a cup of green tea. She spent a lot of time with girls possessing animalistic tendencies, and, more often than not, green tea with ginger or mint were their go-to's in terms of drink preference. Altria, in particular, enjoyed her tea with a hint of catnip sprinkled in. She apparently enjoyed the way it made her tummy flutter.
Though the gears in Hanzo's mind were spinning like high-performance servos, the expression on her face was a perfect mask of calm mixed with slight caution. She wasn't unaccustomed to playing the part of a child, so, seeing how Tomoe and Okita had lowered their guards, her mind was racing with thoughts of how she could kill them and complete her mission.
Extending her hands in a tentative, sheepish manner, Hanzo accepted the tea proferred to her by Tomoe, muttering, "Thank you..." in a meek tone. The ears atop her head lay flat, and, though she was very nearly 500 years old, she managed to give off the impression of an innocent, ostensibly harmless youth on the cusp of adolescence.
Unfortunately, at least for Hanzo, Vahn had given the girls accessories that allow them to know the true intentions of the people around them. Hanzo was exceptionally gifted in the art of masking her emotions, but, unless she could manipulate the flow of fate around her body, the accessories joint-manufactured by Vahn and Da Vinci would invariably give away her intentions.
Feeling the band on her right ring finger vibrating ever-so-slightly, the corners of Tomoe's smile became indiscernibly cramped. She didn't know how old the girl sitting before her was but it made her uncomfortable knowing a 'child' wanted to kill her. It wasn't going to prevent her from lending a hand, but it was still disheartening when the people you helped were willing to betray you. It was one of those things that just felt wrong...
Though she had noticed the subtle changes in Tomoe's expression, Hanzo could only guess at the white-haired woman's thoughts. All she knew for certain was that Tomoe had helped her, so, taking advantage of her kindness, Hanzo downed the entire cup of green tea before voraciously devouring each and every one of the peeled apple slices. Then, with traces of gratitude in her doe-like eyes and an expression of childish naivete superimposed on her face, she asked, "Where is this...?" in the same meek tone as before.
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Exhaling through her nose, a motherly expression of exasperation marred Tomoe's smiling face as she extended her hand to caress Hanzo's head and say, "Don't take things too far. We know there is nothing wrong with you. That Elixir I gave you can resurrect the dead, regrow limbs, remove curses, and treat every ailment imaginable. That includes ailments that affect the mind, so, please, drop the act."
While resisting the urge to slice off the hand that was caressing her head, Hanzo silently shifted her ruby-eyed gaze between Tomoe and Okita. She was pretty sure she could deal with the former, but the latter gave off a similar impression to the Angels found in the West. Her current form appeared to provide her some degree of protection, but, based on what her instincts were telling her, Hanzo knew the dark-skinned woman wouldn't hesitate to cut her down if forced.
Exhaling a sigh of her own, Hanzo moved her head away from Tomoe's hand as she asked, "What do want from me? If you expect me to betray my Master over something as mundane as medical care, you're severely mistaken. I may have lived my entire existence in the shadows, but I'm not a traitor."
Raising her brows, a mixture of amusement and genuine concern appeared in Tomoe's equally red eyes as she unhesitantly replied, "We helped you because we wanted to. Though I would prefer it if you stop trying to assassinate or steal me away, you're free to do whatever you please once you're able to move freely. Just be more careful in the future, okay?"
Pulling out another golden apple, Tomoe placed it onto Hanzo's lap before rising to her feet and adding, "Good luck." in her characteristically motherly tone. Then, alongside Okita, she made her way towards the massive, vault-like door that led to the chamber containing the Model Omega. Hanzo followed their departure with her eyes, but, instead of attacking, she ultimately ended up shaking her head before grabbing the apple, taking a bite, and sinking into her shadow...
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***Player Tomoe Gozen of the Sage Dragon's Hearth Community has managed to awaken a Model Omega. Space has now opened to those with the ability to access it.***
Hearing the announcement broadcast throughout the entire Game Board, a smile developed across Amaterasu's face as she immediately placed Susanoo in charge of the effort to besiege the Akuma Community. At this point, her Community had already managed to blockade the planets belonging to the Roc and Saurian Demon Kings, but, due to their scorched earth tactics, they had been unable to destroy them.
Now that space was open, Amaterasu had a lot more options.
Manifesting within the center of the Game Board's Sun, Amaterasu quickly expanded her Authority through it. Moments later, she had absolute dominion over the massive ball of plasma and gas. This gave her a sudden and intense urge to unleash a series of solar flares towards the planet belonging to the Sage Dragon's Hearth, but, feeling that she had already offended Vahn too much, Amaterasu set her sights on the various offensive and defensive satellites littering the surrounding space.
"Model Omega? Such toys are completely meaningless in the face of true power. Now, people of the Little Garden! Bear witness to the majesty of a Goddess possessing a Sun Authority...!"
With most of the external displays shifting their focus to her, Amaterasu manipulated the Sun to transform into an impossibly large fox with nine, flaming tails. Unlike a traditional kitsune, however, it had relatively tiny, dragon-like horns protruding from its head, as, like all constructs formed from a Sun Authority, Amaterasu's 'True Form' was also a Pure-Blooded Dragon.
Unleashing a radiance that caused clouds to dissipate and oceans to boil, Amaterasu was about to unleash her rage and indignation on the nearest planetoid when her instincts compelled her to look in the direction of the planet belonging to the Sage Dragon's Hearth. She hadn't been able to sense it in her base state, but, now that she was a Pure-Blooded Dragon, Amaterasu was vaguely aware of the tyrannical aura that Vahn was keeping contained within. It caused a cold yet imaginary sweat to break out across her body, but, at the same time, she also felt a growing sense of excitement...
"Vahn Aldrnari Mason...you really are a beast beyond compare..."
Though Amaterasu's words had been muttered under her breath, the murmurs of a star-sized fox weren't exactly discreet. Everyone in the Little Garden had heard her, and, as a result, a seemingly endless surge of power flowed into Vahn. Compared to the amount he already possessed, however, it was surprisingly minuscule...
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Sensing the focus of hundreds of billions of people spontaneously shifting to him, Vahn actually felt a little guilty about the illusion he was using to obscure him and Nobu. He could feel their desire to know more about him, so, after a moment of silence, he forced the half-conscious Nobu to look up at him as he said, "It's time..."
Though she was currently in a dazed state, a predatory smile developed across Nobu's face as she traced the razor-sharp nail of her index finger across his exposed chest and mused, "Go and steal the show..."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn manifested clothes to cover Nobu's body before surprising quite literally everyone as he rose from his throne and allowed her to take his place. She was still a little tired, but, thanks to the illusion he had created to cover the entire throne room, the version of Nobu that everyone saw was the confident, slightly terrifying woman that had pursued Hanzo like a possessed demon.
While the Little Garden was practically exploding due to the unexpected development, Vahn took a moment to stretch his body and pop his joints before gazing at the ceiling overhead. A part of him was tempted to smash through the very foundation of the planet, but, considering he had basically just transferred ownership of the Sage Dragon's Hearth to Nobu, it wouldn't exactly be appropriate to destroy part of her ceiling. Instead, he teleported directly into space, a relaxed smile developing across his face as he, very briefly, allowed the tensions of his body to relax in zero-g.
Feeling even more people directing their attention towards him, Vahn inhaled a 'breath' formed from the energies contained within the void. Once his lungs were completely filled, he opened his eyes to reveal shimmering golden pupils that were squarely focused on the massive fox staring at him in the distance. He could feel the fear exuding from the very core of Amaterasu's being, but, as he had already promised her the consequences of her actions, his body began to swell as he quickly took on a form resembling a bipedal dragon with taloned feet, four arms, golden scales, and several sets of wings.
By the time Vahn had finished transforming, the planet he had previously been sitting at the center of could now fit in the palm of one of his hands. He could feel the attention directed towards him shifting from curiosity to a mixture of fear and awe, but, thanks to the self-actualized nature of his existence, he was largely unaffected as he exhaled a breath of fiery golden breath, fixed his gaze on Amaterasu, and said, "We are Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor and God of Infinite Possibilities. Amaterasu Omikami, the time for your judgment is nigh."
Though she had been stunned by Vahn's transformation, Amaterasu's vulpine expression morphed into one of vexation and fury as she bared her teeth and growled, "We...we are not afraid of you...!"
Instead of shaking his head, Vahn actually nodded in response to Amaterasu's words. This left the spectators feeling confused until he began gathering energy in his palms, stating, "You will be." in a voice that spread through the Game Board and the Divine Realm in equal measure...
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As the scene of two star-sized entities facing off against each other was pretty difficult to miss, Wu temporarily ceased her destruction of the Forest of Owls. The blazing inferno she created was still rampaging, but, instead of empowering it further, she allowed it to roam freely she joined Sarina in staring at the heavens, asking, "Is that Vahn? And here I thought he was going to sit on his ass the entire game..."
Understanding Wu's confusion, a conflicted yet resigned look developed across Sarina's face as she explained, "Once this Gift Game has reached its conclusion, the Sage Dragon's Hearth will develop into an Alliance known as the Aldrnari Empire. Vahn intends to spread his influence throughout the entire Little Garden. I can't go into too many details while we're in the Game Board but I can reveal that Nobunaga-sama is one of the Eight Empresses he has selected to help govern and watch over the Little Garden. I believe her official title was something along the lines of 'Far Eastern Empress' or 'Empress of the Far East'..."
Furrowing her brows, Wu couldn't help feeling annoyed by the fact Vahn hadn't informed her about his plans. She understood why he had kept it a secret, but, now that they were a couple, she wanted to be a part of everything he was planning. Her pride wouldn't allow her to be kept out of the loop when even someone as 'weak' as Sarina was kept informed...
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Covering the distance between him and Amaterasu's avatar in an instant, Vahn took advantage of the fact she had reared back her head to grab her throat. His claws immediately extended to form solid bands around her neck as his two, free right hands sank into the massive fox's abdomen and chest.
"Kuh-! You-"
Though her true body was located near the center of the fox, Amaterasu could still feel the impact of Vahn's fist. Unfortunately, the moment she opened her mouth to try and curse him, he released a soul-shaking roar directly into her face. Her vision became completely obstructed by his maw, and, for a brief moment, the terrifying notion that he was about to devour her whole briefly crossed her mind.
Without waiting for Amaterasu to recover from her stupor, Vahn hooked one of his claws under her left arm as his remaining two hands sank deep into the gaseous flesh of her abdomen. Then, with a second roar echoing throughout the entirety of the Divine Realm, he promptly ripped her avatar in two...
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"Holy shit! Is that Vahn...?"
With space opening up, Kefla was no longer forced to sit and wait for a chance to rampage. She was originally planning to charge towards Amaterasu, but, seeing a massive dragon appear shortly after the massive fox took form, she correctly assumed it was Vahn. He had done something very similar during his battle against the Grand Priest.
From the back of Kefla's mind, the voice of Kale could be heard grumbling, ("Grrrrrr...how dare he steal my Ane-san's spotlight...!?")
Responding with her own inner voice, Caulifla stated, ("Don't get worked up over nothing. We just need to find some other place to wreak havoc.")
("H-Hai...!")
Feeling marginally more 'complete' after Kale's response, Kefla took off like a golden meteor towards one of the distant specks of light she believed to be a planet. She had already made a name for herself by facing off against the Onigashima Community and destroying their planet. In spite of this, Kefla was nowhere near satisfied. She was someone who had once aspired to be the absolute strongest. Vahn knocking her up had caused her to mellow out a bit, but, now that she had a chance to show off, there was no way in hell she was going to pass it up...
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Hearing her Master's roar wash over her like a warm shower, a smile developed across Fenrir's face as she angled her head towards the heavens with her eyes closed. Mikoto and Usalia had also taken notice of the battle occurring in space, but, compared to Fenrir, their reactions were markedly more grounded.
Though she had seen Vahn go full-blown Eldritch God in his battles against the Magic Gods and the being known as The Beginning, Mikoto never enjoyed watching it. She genuinely believed that Vahn was the type that hated violence. He may enjoy showing off every now and again, but, whenever he was forced to take action and cause harm, he would subsequently fall into a depressive state.
Someone that cared so deeply about the happiness of others shouldn't be forced to subjugate their enemies through fear...
While Fenrir and Mikoto were lost in their thoughts, Usalia's mind had wandered in a very different direction. She was one of Rindo's biggest fans, so, seeing Vahn in his dragon transformation, Usalia was practically drooling as she imagined what it would be like to engorge herself upon a mountain-sized dragon tail steak...
Liberating the trio from their reverie, a massive explosion rocked the very foundation of the planet they were currently standing on. The trio immediately came back to their senses with Mikoto being the first to speak, asking, "Was that Kefla...?"
Spreading her AIM Field across the planet, Mikoto was able to confirm her suspicions even before Fenrir had nodded in affirmation. This left her with a wry smile on her face as Kefla's arrival was one of the biggest possible wrenches that could have been thrown into their plans.
"We should hurry, plip. Vahn doesn't want this planet to be destroyed until the others have been taken care of. I'm not sure how powerful this Indra fellow is, but I don't think he can defeat Kefla in her current state."
Though Kale, Caulifla, and even Kefla would have been powerless near the beginning of the Gift Game, their performance against the Onigashima Community had earned them quite a bit of favor within the Little Garden. It was also well known that Indra had bequeathed the majority of his power to his son after the previous war, so, even though he was one of the Gods credited with the creation of the current Little Garden, his power was a mere fraction of his original self's.
Exhaling a sigh, Fenrir attempted to contact Kefla via telepathy, but, due to Kale's cheering, she was unable to get a clear message through to Caulifla. The latter was fully focused on breaking through a defensive formation maintained by members of the Rakshasa and Asura Tribes.
In truth, Caulifla was fully aware of the fact that Fenrir was trying to speak to her. She simply had no intention of backing down after crashing into a planet and discovering a massive army awaiting her. Had they been using a standard means of communication, she would have pretended the reception was bad before subsequently dropping the call.
Understanding exactly what Kefla was up to, an icy expression developed across Fenrir's face as she shifted her attention to Usalia, asking, "Can you deal with that monkey-brained idiot for me? I can't fight her in her current state."
Though her power had increased by leaps and bounds ever since her 'awakening' during Zao Shin's Immortal Banquet, Fenrir was still a lot weaker than Mikoto and Usalia. The former wasn't all that far behind Vahn in terms of actual Tier while the latter was durable enough to survive the collapse of a universe. If anyone could make Kefla feel as though she had hit a wall, it was Usalia.
Nodding in affirmation of Fenrir's request, the hair on Usalia's body began to flare outward as it became noticeably spikier. Her tail, in particular, seemed to inflate like a balloon, quickly increasing to the size of a large melon as red electricity crackled across her body.
Believing that time was of the essence, Usalia followed her transformation by squatting down onto all fours and practically teleporting in the direction of the conflict. A massive explosion crashed into the bodies of Fenrir and Mikoto, but, thanks to their magical barriers, the dust flowed around them as they began to discuss changes to their original plan...
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Amaterasu was afraid.
For the first time since her encounter with the Demon God, Amaterasu knew what it meant to feel completely powerless. Her body vehemently refused to listen to her, and, no matter what kind of defenses she tried to put up, Vahn would tear through them as though they were paper. To make matters worse, each of his attacks was followed by a period of calm. He was, quite literally, giving her the chance to regenerate and retaliate just to demonstrate the futility of her actions...
"Please...no more..."
After experiencing the pain of having her avatar ripped limb from limb more than a dozen times, Amaterasu had already lost the will to fight. Vahn had even managed to punch clean through her Sacred Mirror, the Yata no Kagami. It was supposed to be able to reflect any attack, but, as if there was no force in creation capable of stopping his blow, Vahn managed to smash through it before piercing through her avatar's chest with such precision that the tip of his claw nearly grazed her true self.
Stopping just as his claws were about to tear out the avatar's throat, Vahn retracted his hand long enough to say, "Those that willfully endanger children and try to leverage the lives of the innocent against their opponents have no right to clemency. As beings that stand above countless others, we have an obligation to set an example. If we don't care, why should anyone else...?"
Despite his words, Vahn didn't immediately continue his assault on Amaterasu's avatar. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward one of the cameras focusing on the action. This prompted the majority of displays to show the same image as he declared, "The Little Garden may be a crucible to determine who has the right to govern reality, but it is also a place for entertainment and fun. The existence of Gift Games was supposed to allow us to compete without causing harm. Instead, it has become a tool used by the strong and opportunistic to oppress and take advantage of the weak. Most of the current residents of the Little Garden lack even the most basic qualifications to participate in a Gift Game yet their lives and living conditions are decided through them..."
Shaking his head, Vahn raised one of his massive, clawed hands before forming it into a fist as he said, "No more. Soon enough, my Aldrnari Empire will spread its influence through all four districts of the Little Garden. If I find there are people exploiting the Gift Game system to take advantage of others, the only mercy they should expect from me is a quick death..."
Manifesting a star-sized version of Laev-tan, Vahn swept it through Amaterasu and her foxy avatar before she could even blink. She was instantaneously ejected from the Game Board but the image that was burned into the hearts and minds of the spectators wasn't the defeat of one of the most prominent Sun Goddesses. It was the sight of a massive, abyssal black rift dividing the Game Board in two...
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Rising with a start, Amaterasu found herself searching her body in a panic. The attack Vahn had used against her was empowered by the Law of Destruction, so, even though the Central Network had protected her, cold sweat had developed across her body as the fear she might break down at any moment persisted in the back of her mind.
Fortunately, while Laev-tan did, in fact, carry the Law of Destruction within her, Vahn controlled it so that it only affected Amaterasu's physical vessel. He could even cut through fate at his current level so controlling the power of destruction to 'spare' her mental and spiritual energies was remarkably simple.
After confirming that she wasn't going to spontaneously dissolve into dust, a sigh of extreme relief departed Amaterasu's lips as she collapsed against the throne-like chair in her private waiting room. For several minutes after that, she just stared off into space, her eyes periodically shifting in and out of focus as she replaced the battle over and over within her mind.
Though he had ripped her limb from limb, Amaterasu recalled that there was never a moment when Vahn showed a genuine desire to kill her.
"Was he trying to break me...?"
Shaking her head in response to her own question, Amaterasu reasoned that if Vahn had wanted to break her, she wouldn't be sitting in her Community's waiting room right now. It was far more likely that Vahn had acted with the intention of teaching her a lesson and illustrating the fate that awaited those who opposed him...
Recalling the moment Vahn had grabbed her throat, Amaterasu's fingers subconsciously moved to her neck. She became keenly aware that her heart was beating far faster than usual, but, instead of feeling discomfort, she felt relief. If Vahn had wanted to kill or replace her, Amaterasu had no doubt he could have done exactly that. He had even prepared an Amaterasu of his own, but, from start to finish, she never appeared. She didn't know what had changed his mind, but, feeling that Vahn had given her the clemency she had been looking for, Amaterasu decided to carve his final warning into her heart as she began to reflect on her past actions...
(A/N: So many buts in that last paragraph...also, since there is a good chance that people have forgotten, Vahn keeps the true bodies of his family/friends/lovers in his personalized LG. Those appearing 'outside' are basically just avatars. Caulifla and Kale are actually a few months preggers atm.)
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Demonstrating she was a fair bit stronger than even the 'upgraded' Nobu, Okita managed to cut a path all the way to the 49th Floor in just a few hours. The only thing standing between her, Tomoe, and the Model Omega was a humanoid automaton known as the Proto Dragonslayer.
Unlike the various Imperial Dragon Models that invaders would encounter along their way to the core, the Proto Dragonslayer was exceptionally small at only 220cm. It possessed an exceptionally lean body covered in pure, ivory white armor. In its right hand was a 340cm long runic weapon that served as a lance, a magical catalyst, and an executioner's blade.
As a weapon that had come about as a 'safeguard' against Imperial Dragons going rogue, the Proto Dragonslayer could be compared to beings near the absolute pinnacle of Tier 4. The core pulsating in its chest was capable of generating a functionally infinite amount of energy, and, despite being a machine, it had been programmed to possess capabilities on par with Artoria in her base state.
Sensing Okita and Tomoe the moment they trespassed the moon-sized 50th Floor, the eyes of the Proto Dragonslayer immediately came to life with a silvery-blue glow. Pressure hissed from each of its previously locked joints as the runes lining its A-Rank Weapon burned with fiery gold.
Without so much as a single moment of hesitation, the Proto Dragonslayer covered the distance between it and Okita in what appeared to be a single step. Its teleportation-like speed was enough to catch Tomoe by surprise, but, as someone once had a personality comparable to an automaton, Okita immediately intercepted with her Zanpakuto, an excessively long katana whose handle, alone, was nearly 100cm in length. As for the blade, even Da Vinci wasn't sure of its exact measurements, as, despite appearing to be around 143cm in length, the space around it was so compressed that its actual length was easier to measure in lightyears than centimeters.
Despite the rather drastic difference in their respective heights, it was the Proto Dragonslayer that was sent skidding backward after crossing blades with Okita. A hair-thin nick had also appeared at the point of contact, so, rather than attempting to defeat her in a contest of speed and strength, it began to generate an infinitely amplifying loop of energy using the crescent-shaped ring near the center of its weapon. It was exceptionally difficult for a machine to emulate a person's mastery over the Laws, so, to compensate for its lack of true comprehension, the Proto Dragonslayer was able to generate blades and beams of energy that could cut through entire planets like a hot knife through butter.
Spinning its weapon with a force comparable to a tempest, hundreds of skyscraper-sized blades of golden, highly penetrative energy beset Okita and Tomoe at near-lightspeed. Okita was able to cut through each and every one of these with a notably casual finesse, but, instead of dissipating once cut, the resplendent energy lingered in the environment like a glistening golden mist.
Sensing that something was amiss, Okita returned her Zanpakuto, Rengoku, to its sheath with such extreme speed that the cameras observing the battle failed to register the movement. Immediately thereafter, everything within the scene appeared to slow to a crawl as the Central Network adjusted the frame rate to be able to capture the fastest object on the screen, Okita.
From the perspective of observers, the Proto Dragonslayer, and even Tomoe, everything around Okita appeared to dim at an ever-increasing rate. Even the golden particles produced by the Proto Dragonslayer's attacks appeared to fade away as Okita, very slowly, grabbed the hilt of her katana.
For a brief yet unnervingly long moment in time, Okita appeared to solidify in her drawing stance. Then, despite the fact the cameras had been adjusted to a frame rate of ten undecillion frames per second, it was only able to capture a blindingly bright flash of light before Okita appeared behind the now-bifurcated Proto Dragonslayer.
Though it could survive losing its limbs or being sliced through at the waist, Okita had effectively annihilated the Proto Dragonslayer's core by unleashing an even greater amount of energy than the functionally infinite it was capable of outputting. As a result, the silvery-blue glow promptly faded from its eyes, golden vapor erupting from its joints as it slouched over and spontaneously heated up to a temperature that rivaled the core of a blue star on the verge of collapse, approximately 350 million degrees.
Despite the fact they were wearing a sports swimsuit and a bikini, neither Tomoe nor Okita panicked when the Proto Dragonslayer promptly unleashed a wave of radiation so intense that it would instantaneously kill most biological organisms. The heat it generated was also localized on the molecular level, so, while their surroundings suddenly heated up to nearly 40 degrees, it was offset by the fact the previous temperature had been close to -240.
Wiping away a trace of sweat from her brow, a radiant smile developed across Tomoe's face as she approached Okita and said, "Good job. It's no wonder our Lord entrusted you with this task. I'm not sure Nobu-dono and I would have been able to emerge victoriously at our current level."
Shaking her head, Okita maintained a calm, almost emotionless expression as she stated, "Nobu is a lot stronger than you know. Her physical strength and speed may be lacking but she makes up for it with sheer cunning, determination, and general shamelessness. If she was unable to defeat it on her own, she would have asked Master for help."
Smiling even wider at the mention of Vahn, Tomoe didn't even try to argue with Okita. It might not exactly be fair or honorable, but, if they were to ask for help, Tomoe had no doubt Vahn would step in to lend a hand. While others needed a reason to help others, Vahn was pretty much the opposite of a normal person. Unless he had a very good reason not to help, he would even assist his enemies if it meant improving their quality of life and helping them better themselves. It was just the kind of man, no, the kind of God he was.
Nodding her head in agreement with Okita's previous statement, Tomoe was about to mention that it was her time to shine when a petite, heavily sweating cat girl suddenly emerged from her shadow to grab her ankles. Okita was quick to act, but, due to the attacker's innocent, child-like appearance, she was hesitant to cut off her hands, much less her head.
Fortunately, at least for Tomoe and Okita, the petite cat girl was currently having 'a lot' of trouble maintaining her focus. Her intention was to immediately draw Tomoe into her shadow, but, due to a sudden and intense shudder assaulting her body, she ended up clinging to the former's ankles as if they were the only thing keeping her from sinking into the depths herself.
Coming to her senses, the muscles in Tomoe's long, pale-white legs flexed as she leaped from her would-be abductor's clutches. The force of her jump was more than enough to break free, and, due to the girl clinging to her, she ended up being 'yanked' out of the shadow. She tried to right herself in mid-air, but, the moment the cat girl reached the apex of her arc, Okita appeared like a phantom before planting the pommel of her Zanpakuto into the girl's stomach.
While most people would exhale and gasp upon receiving such a blow, the petite cat girl actually issued a whimpering mewl as she collapsed over Okita's left arm. This left the tanned beauty more than a little confused, a befuddled expression appearing on her face as she held the limp cat girl by the scruff of clothes and asked, "Are you horny...?"
"Okita-dono...!"
With a faint blush on her face, Tomoe promptly retrieved the panting cat girl from Okita's clutches before helping her to lay on the ground. She knew this was the girl that had tried to assassinate her previously, but, even before her meeting with Vahn, Tomoe had already given up the path of a true warrior. She also had a soft spot for children, so, after a moment of deliberation, she pulled out a blanket to cover the cat girl's torso before retrieving a bucket and a series of hand towels from her Inventory.
Taking advantage of the medical knowledge she had accumulated during her time as a Nun and a Midwife, Tomoe soaked the towels in cold and lukewarm water. The former was placed on the girl's head to help cool her fever while the latter was placed into the slits of her hakama, specifically over her thighs. After that, she pulled out a golden apple and a vial of opaque, rainbow-hued liquid as she explained, "This Elixir should treat any underlying conditions you may have. As for the apple, it will replenish your stamina and satiate your hunger."
Without waiting for the girl's response, Tomoe promptly poured the contents of the vial into her mouth. To her complete and utter shock, an even more violent tremor ran through the girl's body as she curled up into a fetal position and shivered like a kitten that had been abandoned outside in the cold rain.
Just as Tomoe's confusion reached its peak, a contented sigh suddenly escaped the cat girl's mouth as all the tension drained from her body. She immediately lost consciousness as a pitch-black liquid began to condense like beads of sweat on her body. The sight was similar to seeing someone expel the impurities from their body. However, due to the distinct lack of a pungent aroma, Tomoe didn't believe this was the same thing.
Donning a pure white glove, Tomoe spooned up a bit of the pitch-black liquid before watching as it dissolved from her fingertip. It was surprisingly cool to the touch, and, though it wasn't obvious at first, she could detect a very faint yet feminine aroma.
"Is it really just sweat...?"
Though she was intimately familiar with first aid and patient care, Tomoe couldn't be qualified as an experienced physician. She just trusted that the Elixirs developed by Da Vinci and Vahn were able to cure pretty much anything.
What Tomoe didn't know was that the Elixirs Da Vinci had prepared for use during the Gift Game were catalyzed from Vahn's blood. They didn't have a particularly long shelf life on their own, but, the moment they were used, Vahn would become aware of it. In essence, it was actually Vahn that was curing people rather than the Elixir itself.
At first, Vahn was content with letting the cat girl, Hanzo, reap the consequences of her actions. He had no obligation to help her expel the blood Nobu had forced her to imbibe. Rather, the moment he stepped in to prevent her from being controlled, he had already done the feline assassin a great service.
Since Tomoe had decided to help Hanzo of her own accord, Vahn no longer had a reason to delay her treatment. He quickly purged Nobu's blood from her body, but, due to the energies that had transmitted and settled into her body, the Elixir had actually exacerbated her condition. He was able to mitigate the effects, but, for a very brief moment, Hanzo experienced a wave of pleasure comparable to melding.
If not for her inhuman self-control, her back would have arched rather than allowing her to curl up into the fetal position in a last desperate attempt to stifle her moans. As for the black substance expelled from her body? Hanzo's cells basically existed in a state of quantum superposition. She was a real person, but, similar to someone that had mastered the Magia Erebea, her cells were also comprised entirely of Shadow Energy. In other words, she was basically a Logia with the physical properies of a Shadow Human.
Simply put, the substance excreted from Hanzo's body was sweat.
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Chapter 2223: Stealing the Show