Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the Model Omega's long-range sensors, Tomoe was able to sense that the largest collection of participants was on the planet belonging to the Akuma Community. It was also one of their primary targets due to its relatively low Gate Number, so, after familiarizing herself with the Model Omega's near-instantaneous movement, she repositioned a few hundred thousand kilometers away in order to prepare the Executioner's Judgement.
While it was possible for Players to leave their planets and confront the Model Omega, the rules prohibited it from returning the favor. Tomoe would first need to destroy the barrier surrounding her target. It was only once the planet's defenses had been overcome that she be allowed to run rampant.
Spreading the upper arms of the Model Omega wide, a tremendous amount of energy began to flow into the massive crystals embedded into its wings. Each crystal had been attuned to a specific element, and, as a result, the Model Omega had a scary amount of influence over the fundamental forces of the Universe. Were it not for the restriction preventing it from tapping into its only energy reserves, Tomoe would have been able to obliterate something as small as a solar system using a single pulse of energy.
Though its capabilities had been severely restricted, the Model Omega was still an unbelievably powerful marvel of magical engineering. It took less than six seconds for Tomoe to draw enough energy from the surrounding space to vaporize an entire planet. For a brief moment, she became even more luminous than the nearby star as she unleashed a beam of pure elemental energy in the form of a 300m wide pillar of rainbow-hued destruction.
When the Executioner's Judgment impacted the planetary barrier, everyone above the surface of the planet immediately ceased what they were doing. The scene of the entire sky heating up and fracturing was enough to shake even the hearts of Gods. Thus, even before the energy had begun to dissipate, everyone ceased fighting and began running toward the nearest Teleportation Nexus. The planet-wide barrier may be able to hold up against multiple strikes but no one wanted to be around when it finally shattered...
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Failing to escape Wu's assault, Nav suffered the same fate as the vast majority of the Monkey King's opponents. Her head was pressed to the ground, and, even though Wu was the one that sought her out to do battle, Nav was forced to apologize for daring to offend her.
Though she nodded in approval of Nav's behavior, Wu still flicked a booger towards the kowtowing girl before giving her permission to flee. It landed right on top of Nav's head, but, due to having her face to the ground, she didn't notice it as she thanked Wu for her clemency. Immediately thereafter, she bolted towards the nearest Teleportation Nexus, moisture building in the corners of her eyes as she swore to report Wu's bullying to Shion. Each member of the Akuma Community had a supreme degree of faith in Shion's [Abysswalker] transformation, as, even if they worked together to try and defeat her, she was simply untouchable.
What Nav didn't know was that the booger clinging to her hair wasn't the only gift Wu had left for her. More than a dozen golden hairs had invaded the interior of her cloak or adhered to its surface. Wu had done this with the intention of simply tracking Nav back to her planet. Unfortunately, each of the hairs shared her senses. Thus, the moment Nav badmouthed, insulted, or tattled on her, Wu would know...
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With the promotional Gift Game clearly entering its final stages, tensions in the Little Garden were at an all-time high. At this point, everyone understood, without a shadow of a doubt, that Vahn and his Aldrnari Empire were about to become major players in the happenings of the Little Garden. His power was far beyond their expectations, but, rather than being terrified of him, people were eager to see him deposing and slapping some of the more tyrannical Gods in the face.
While the vast majority of the Little Garden's residents were looking forward to their suffering, the Gods in question were split into three distinct categories. There were those who had accepted there was no longer anything they could do to prevent Vahn's rise, those that were willing to work with him to make the Little Garden a better place, and those that were determined to do everything in their power to stop him.
Taking advantage of the fact that Vahn was currently embroiled in a Gift Game, several of the forces that had previously set their sights on the Sage Dragon's Hearth decided to make their move. They believed that the majority of Vahn's war potential was gathered to participate in the Gift Game, so, before it ended, they intended to infiltrate the Sage Dragon's Hearth, apprehend the people inside, and completely destroy it.&nbsp;
What none of these people expected was for a force to be lying in wait for them even before they entered the Sage Dragon's Hearth. Even stranger was the fact that said force belonged to one of the most powerful Factions, not from the East, but the South.
After missing the timing to join and infiltrate the Sage Dragon's Hearth, Vor had returned to the South to coordinate with her sisters. Shortly after that, Odin had ordered Vor and several of her sisters to relocate to the East.&nbsp;
Though Odin was unable to see Vahn's future, he was able to see the changes brought about as a result of his actions. If the Sage Dragon's Hearth was allowed to be attacked, tens of thousands of Communities would be brought to ruin. While this was none of Odin's concern, one of the futures he peered into showed his Valkyries protecting the Sage Dragon's Hearth, and, shortly after, there was a vision showing the World Tree restored to its former glory.
Odin didn't know how Vahn would accomplish it but he believed the World Tree's restoration was a direct result of currying favor with the Sage Dragon's Hearth. Thus, in the months leading up to the promotional Gift Game, he met with Shiroyasha and obtained permission to have one of the White Raven Community's branches relocated to the East. They had to give up a lower-digit Gate in order to arrange the trade but it was a small price to pay compared to the restoration of their single most precious treasure. The World Tree, Yggdrasil, was the heart and soul of the Nine Realms Community. If it died, it wouldn't be long before the Norse Faction followed.
With a single high-ranking Valkyrie being enough to match some 4-Digit Communities, defending the Sage Dragon's Hearth was a relatively simple task. The Laws of the Little Garden restricted the groups targetting it from doing so in an overtly brazen manner. Thus, by merely posting up along the outside, the members of the White Raven Community were able to deter most of the would-be attackers. The only exception was a group from the Argonaut Community, a Greecian Community famous for being one of the largest and most famous groups of Heroes in the entire Divine Realm.
After the utter defeat of Laius and the Perseus Community, Athena, Laius's Aunt, practically begged the Olympus Faction to take action. She even entreated Zeus and Hera directly, but, as the status of the Olympians had fallen greatly ever since their battle with the Avalon Community, Zeus was in no hurry to antagonize a Community under the protection of Shiroyasha. He was one of the Gods that had stood in her way during her Problem Child days, so, while he would never admit to being afraid of her, he had absolutely no intention of offending her.
With Zeus practically forbidding her from getting involved, Athena could only rely on the Argonauts to avenge her nephew's defeat. Jason wasn't particularly reliable but his charisma had allowed him to recruit legendary figures such as Heracles, Achilles, Castor, Pollux, Atalanta, Odysseus, and, most importantly, at least for Athena's purposes, Perseus. He also had the support of the Great Witch of Colchis, Medea. She was mentally unstable, but, so long as Jason was the one asking, she would set the entire Little Garden ablaze if it meant earning his attention and love.
Though she was forced to humiliate herself in order to garner Jason's support, Athena was willing to forgo getting revenge so long as he was able to complete her objective. Jason was well aware of this, so, in the months leading up to the Gift Game, he buttered up the members of the Argonauts in order to ensure their participation. His Community wasn't nearly as unified as most other groups, so, while they would rally to his call in the event of an emergency, it took a significant amount of effort to convince them to join in his 'antics'.
Fortunately, at least for Jason, he had Perseus there to support him. The latter was good friends with the vast majority of the Argonauts. This made it a lot easier to convince the rather obstinate group that their cause was just. After all, avenging the crippled son of a dear friend was something even normal people would consider a worthy cause.
While Jason was wholly incapable of defeating a high-ranking Valkyrie, most other Greecian Heroes were more than a match for anyone outside the Top 3. The only Argonauts that could pull that off were Heracles and Achilles, but, even then, it would be a pretty close match.&nbsp;
The difficulty Jason and the Argonauts faced was that the Valkyries outnumbered them quite a bit. They also couldn't outright attack them, so, while most people were focused on the promotional Gift Game marking Vahn's inevitable rise, a rather sizeable crowd had formed to watch Jason and his Argonauts compete against the members of the White Raven Community...
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Finding a Teleportation Nexus unguarded, Kenshin and Tamamo loitered around on the surface for a short while before mustering the resolve to head directly to the core/control room. Kenshin went in first, and, as could be expected, an army affiliated with the Kotoamatsukami was there waiting for her. What surprised her was the fact that it was a relatively small force, and, while there were quite a number of people that gave her dangerous vibes, none gave her the impression she couldn't defeat them.
Though she lacked a Fragment of Origin related to breaking through enemy lines, Kenshin was still Kenshin. The moment she realized there were no significant threats, she immediately charged into the group of samurai, shinobi, and shrine maidens. They did their best to impede her but the most they were able to accomplish was slowing her down as she smashed through their defensive line in a single push. Around the same time, Tamamo appeared atop one of the teleportation platforms, so, while most people were focused on Kenshin, the opportunistic fox girl decided to teach them the importance of watching their backs...
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Seeing the members of her Community being defeated with relative ease, Hanzo, lurking in the depths of Tamamo's shadow, weighed the pros and cons of helping them out. She would normally only accept commissions at the behest of Amaterasu. As the latter had already been defeated, the only reason Hanzo could think to act was to curry favor with her Patron Goddess.
Unfortunately, at least for the people being incinerated by Tamamo's flames, Amaterasu wasn't known as a particularly generous Goddess. If Hanzo took it upon herself to help out, Amaterasu was more likely to argue she was fulfilling her duty than performing a commission. Honor didn't exactly put food on the table or replenish her stockpile of ninja tools, so, having already spent eight of her lives, Hanzo made the executive decision to preserve the one she had remaining...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Even when nerfed, the Model Omega is ridiculously OP...','Athena be giving off some mad Karen vibes xD...','Hanzo be like, "Work smart, not hard."')

Taking advantage of his ability to project realistic illusions over reality, Vahn was watching events unfold throughout the Game Board whilst relaxing with the back of his head against Nobu's butt. She had a habit of lying on her stomach so she wouldn't choke when she passed out drunk. As a result, Vahn was able to reduce his size, nestle between her thighs, and rest his head against her remarkably soft and pillowy bottom. (A/N: He brought out a bed.)
With Amaterasu suffering a crushing defeat and Shion basically giving up the notion of victory, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the Sage Dragon's Hearth had the exclusive right to determine which Community ended up in which Gate. This was generally the case during the latter stages of a promotional Gift Game, but, more often than not, the Community Hosting the game would end up occupying the highest-numbered Gate. The number of times a burgeoning Community had caused such an upset, securing the top position for themselves, could be counted on a single hand.
Since it would cause problems if Wu's personal Community ended up with a lower-digit Gate than the entirety of Communities in the Heavenly Domain, Vahn was intending to give her the position formerly occupied by the Onigashima Community. The 1002nd Gate would be serving as the seat of power for the Aldrnari Empire while the 1009th Gate, previously belonging to the Kotoamatsukami, would invariably fall into the hands of Indra's Trāyastriṃśa.
Though he was unaware of their past relationship, Vahn had learned quite a bit about Indra from both Shiroyasha and Black Rabbit. He had a considerable amount of respect for the altruistic God, but, as the 1002nd Gate was necessary for his future plans, Vahn had no choice but to seize it for himself.
Given how Indra hadn't attempted to oppose him following the Rakshasa Tribe's retreat, Vahn had come to the conclusion that their invasion had been a test. Indra was renowned for investing in people he believed were capable of making the Little Garden a better place. The Aldrnari Empire was bound to stir things up, but, once he had dealt with the Demon God, Vahn expected most of the Little Garden's inhabitants to side with him.
"Hmmm...?"
Sensing that someone was praying to him, Vahn promptly shifted his intent to their location. There, he found Musashi rubbing her hands together as if she were offering up a prayer at a shrine. What surprised him more was the fact that Musashi wasn't alone...
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Located in the middle of a forest clearing, two distinctly Japanese women could be seen sitting next to a brook. The first was a mature woman with raven black hair, eyes that resembled a perpetually shifting painting, and healthy brown skin. As for the second, she greatly resembled the woman that was seated across from. The primary differences between them were that the first woman appeared to be in her late twenties while it was more accurate to refer to the latter as a young lady.&nbsp;
She also had cat ears and a tail.
"Musashi-dono...have you lost your mind? Even if there are no cameras focused on you, it's only a matter of time before someone reviews the recordings and finds you praying to a foreign God. Are you trying to incur the wrath of Amaterasu-sama...?"
Rolling her ever-shifting eyes, Musashi retorted, "That pink-haired vixen reveres the God of Infinite Possibilities. He may not be my God, but, through her, we share a connection. If Amaterasu-sama is petty enough to hold a grudge over something like this, she only has herself to blame when people jump ship."
Shifting her attention away from the young cat girl, Musashi completed the ritual before smiling as a veritable banquet appeared before her. She was a little annoyed that a second wooden table had appeared in front of her uninvited guest, Hanzo. When she noticed the latter was served an omelet shaped like a fish, however, a massive grin developed across Musashi's face. There was even a little flag of Japan sticking out of it.
Though her expression morphed into a hateful glower, the aroma rising from the omelet caused Hanzo's stomach to growl. Her nose was exceptionally sensitive so she could detect traces of soy sauce and bonito flakes on the inside. The rice served on the side was also emanating a magical, somewhat mesmerizing golden glow. Just staring at it gave the impression it was some kind of precious treasure, so, after observing Musashi dig into her dishes without incident, she eventually pulled out her personalized pair of chopsticks to give it a taste.
As the omelet made its way to Hanzo's lips, Musashi cast a mischievous glance towards the petite cat girl. She had fallen for the same trick previously so she was eager to see someone else 'suffer' the same fate.
Failing to notice Musashi's gaze, Hanzo placed the glistening golden rice into her mouth only to find her mind and tastebuds exploding. Not literally, of course, but it felt like a physical impact had struck her mind like a gong. A pleasant vibration spread through her body, and, for a brief moment, the only thought in Hanzo's mind was the flavor and mouthfeel of the rice. Everything else seemed completely meaningless...
Coming back to her senses, Hanzo was about to comment on the quality of the rice when her body suddenly froze. She took notice of the fact that Musashi was trying desperately to stop herself from laughing, but, far more important than the hateful woman seated across from her was the fact that she was now in her underwear.&nbsp;
"..."
Unable to contain herself any longer, Musashi burst out laughing with enough vigor that she could barely sit upright. The look of stupefaction on Hanzo's face was something she would never forget. When they returned home, she was immediately purchasing a recording of the Gift Game in order to immortalize this moment for eternity.
Though Musashi was much, much stronger than her, Hanzo didn't hesitate to throw a pitch-black kunai towards the laughing woman's throat. Musashi could have easily intercepted it, but, before it could cover the short distance between them, the kunai simply disappeared. In its place, a double-sided piece of paper telling them it was improper to fight during a meal could be seen hovering in the air. It also told them their food would be taken away if the message was ignored, so, following a moment of silence, both Musashi and Hanzo returned to their respective meals...
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Preserving the image of Hanzo's stupefied expression in one of his personalized memory archives, an amused smile developed across Vahn's face as he repositioned himself between Nobu's pillowy butt cheeks and closed his eyes. Now that he had administered the first installment of Amaterasu's punishment, he no longer held any enmity towards the Six-Dragons Alliance. Many of the women in the organization were incredibly interesting. Hanzo, in particular, possessed a number of interesting abilities. Her ears and tail also resonated with something deep inside of him. Were it not for the fact he was trying to cut back on the expansion of his harem, he may have been tempted to try and pet her until she purred...
(*I wonder what Fenrir would think if she learned you were more of a cat than a dog person~?*)
Restraining a chuckle, Vahn linked his hands over his stomach before stating, ("She already behaves more like a cat than a dog. Besides, when it comes to texture and feel, Fenrir's fur and tail are easily among the top three across all realities. Even then, I would probably choose to snuggle her over the other two...")
Though Vahn's words caused his mind to wander to a certain sheep girl, his mood didn't diminish in the slightest. He missed Preasia dearly, but, based on his current rate of progress, it would only be a few years before they reunited. She probably wouldn't be the first person he sought out, but, once the opportunity present itself, he planned to cuddle up with her and enjoy a nice, long nap.
While such thoughts made it seem as though Preasia was the softest girl he had ever encountered, that title actually belonged to Xysteria. The little ball of malleable fluff was so soft and fragrant that the easiest way to describe the texture of her fur was comparing it to Arachne silk and the warmth of a fire in the dead of winter. When her countless duplicates cuddled up and surrounded him, Vahn would sometimes feel as though he was floating weightlessly in an ocean of ethereal fur.
Thinking of Xysteria, Vahn decided he would pay the 'triplets' a visit once the celebration following the Gift Game had ended. He had been visiting them with increasing frequency as of late, but, as a God of Time, he had as much as he needed in any given moment. Even if he decided to watch over them for a million years, it wouldn't interfere with any of his ongoing plans. If he made a 'snapshot' of the present state of his Ego, he could even return to his present state of mind without losing any of his focus.
Since he was already going to spend a few years watching over Shion to make sure things went smoothly for her, Vahn decided he may as well link her Actualized World to the same metaversal structure as Gaia. That way, he could watch over Shion while spending time with the three sisters and his children. The end result was ultimately the same, but, having spent a considerable amount of time with Da Vinci, Vahn had developed the habit of at least trying to be efficient.&nbsp;
"Seriously...?"
Sensing yet another prayer directed towards him, Vahn, once again, found his intent shifting to Musashi and Hanzo. To his surprise, the former was actually petitioning him for a set of underwear on behalf of Hanzo. They had apparently gotten into a discussion regarding undergarments, and, as a result, Musashi ended up flaunting the Aegis Vahn had previously gifted her. Hanzo hadn't been all that interested in the beginning, but, upon discovering that the undergarments were comparable to A-Rank Gifts, she quickly changed her tune.
Hearing Musashi's request, a mischievous smile developed across Vahn's face. He knew that Hanzo would eventually return to her more mature form, but, if he was being honest, she was a lot cuter in her present state. Thus, while the Aegis he provided was form-fitting and resizeable to virtually any body type, their outer appearance resembled the type of panties worn by young children. He even included a little shuriken print on the front where the face of a cartoon bear or cat would typically be located.
As could be expected, Musashi immediately broke into another bout of laughter. As for Hanzo, she just stared at the pair of pure white panties and accompanying training with a deadpan expression on her face. At first, Vahn thought she was going to refuse them, but, after nearly two minutes had passed, Hanzo suddenly stood up and unfastened the cord keeping her hakama-like trousers fixed in place. This prompted Vahn to shift his perception back to the throne room, but, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help being amused at the notion that a legendary ninja was going to be running around in the Divine Realm in a pair of indestructible kiddie underwear...
(*Was that supposed to be a pun...?*)
Confused by Sis's words, Vahn's brows twitched ever so slightly as he attempted to comprehend their meaning. Thanks to his accelerated rate of thinking, it only took a few picoseconds, but, from his perspective, nearly a full minute had passed by the time Vahn realized Sis was drawing upon the fact that Hanzo was a cat girl. Since her current form was a bit on the younger side, that meant she was basically a kitty running around in kiddie panties. Had he imprinted a cat face on them, Hanzo would have been a kitty running around in kitty kiddie panties...
("Have I ever told you you're a genius...?")
(*53,488 times, to be precise.*)
("You're also a braggart...")
(*Well, I am an extension of you...*)
("...")
(*Onee-chan laughter sounds*)
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Reminds me of one of those Zhongli mousepads...','I'm wheezing xD...','Sis is a very punny woman (U w U)...')

After beating Vahn and crying for well over an hour, Shion felt a lot better. She still felt as though she was missing something, but, at the same time, she somehow felt more 'complete' than before. It was almost like there was a voice in the back of her mind telling her that everything was going to be okay.
While wiping away the remnants of her tears, Shion didn't immediately dismount from Vahn's body. There was no special meaning behind her actions. It just felt good to sit on top of him and have the option to continue beating his face whenever she wanted. Her attacks may not have had any effect on him, but they also didn't hurt her hands. He was basically the perfect punching bag.
Though it felt really weird to have a girl sitting on top of him without grabbing her butt or holding her waist, Vahn just closed his eyes and waited patiently as Shion gathered herself. Unlike some of his other Templates, he had no intention of meddling in her life. He would be honest with her if she ever learned the truth, but, even if she never approached him after the Gift Game, he wouldn't let it bother him. They may be one and the same, but, at the same time, she existed wholly independent from him.
Seeing Vahn close his eyes, Shion fell into a long period of silence where she just stared at him. As her emotions settled, her feelings towards him had changed rather drastically. It was difficult to say she felt 'good' about him, but, at the very least, she neither hated nor resented him.
"I don't know what you did...but I'm reasonably certain you did it to help me. I didn't ask for it, but I also don't blame you for wanting to help. That's just the type of person you are...isn't it...?"
Placing her hand over the spot where her scar had been, Shion felt as though Vahn had given her far more than he had taken away. She couldn't really explain why but she felt better at this exact moment than she had in the past ten, maybe even forty thousand years. Even her mind felt a lot clearer than before, so much so that she could now distinctly remember incidents that had taken place as far back as her very first childhood...
"Thank you..."
Though Shion's words were barely a whisper, Vahn just smiled without saying a word. It was only when she dismounted him with a faint, almost undetectable blush on her face that he finally sat up and asked, "What are you going to do from here onwards?"
As she had been considering suicide less than seventy minutes prior, Shion didn't really have an answer to Vahn's question. Ever since she had destroyed the Community that summoned her, her singular goal had been reaching the pinnacle of existence and fixing the very broken system in the Lower Realms. Now that she had met someone with a much greater chance of success than herself, she felt lost...
With Shion staring at the ground with a pensive look on her face, it wasn't long before Vahn found himself extending his hand to caress her head. Her brows immediately creased, but, unlike before, she didn't react with hostility. Instead, she looked up at him, her brilliant blue eyes searching his for the better part of a minute before asking, "What do you think I should do?"
Retracting his hand from Shion's head, Vahn didn't need to consider his words before answering, "I think you should do as you please. I can tell from the types of people you surrounded yourself with that you put your objective before your personal views, wants, and needs. If the Community you are in charge of is broken, how do you expect to fix something on the scale of Creation? For now, focus on the small things. It is by becoming happy we gain the strength of character to help others obtain the happiness they deserve."
Exhaling a sigh, Shion's emotions appeared to stabilize quite a bit as she muttered, "You're really something...I suppose this is the difference between someone who spent their entire life gathering companions and someone who spent the majority of their life running away?"
Though she believed she had good reasons for it, Shion now felt as though she had wasted time by not even trying to open her heart to others. She just didn't want to defile the memory of the people who had supported her before her gradual descent into madness and solitude. She had convinced herself that if she never opened her heart to others, she would never have to endure the pain of losing them...
Immortality was not a blessing.
It was a curse.
Catching Shion by surprise, Vahn actually shrugged in response to her self-deprecating remark, stating, "Who knows? The best metric to evaluate a person's life is observing the legacy they leave behind. Things like differences in a person's character, temperament, and even inborn talent have very little meaning. So long as there is life, there is the possibility of change. We all make mistakes. So long as you pick yourself up and continue to move forward, I can guarantee you will one day be able to look back on this moment and smile."
Hanging her head, Shion couldn't shake the feeling she had been utterly defeated. As ridiculous as his strength and authority were, the thing that made Vahn truly amazing was his character. She had thrown her everything at him, yet, with the exception of the time he had chastised and slapped her, Vahn never lost his smile. He just continued tolerating everything until she no longer had anything left to give...almost like a father waiting for his rebellious daughter to see the error of her ways...
Feeling her face heating up, Shion attempted to disguise her embarrassment by rubbing her cheeks and wiping away her eyes. Vahn noticed her reaction, but, as was often the case when he dealt with a Tsundere, he pretended not to.
(*That Tsundere is actually an extension of yourself...*)
Ignoring Sis's teasing remark, Vahn waited for Shion to collect herself before saying, "The Gift Game should be concluding within the next couple of hours. When you have the time, stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth or come visit me at Castle Aldrnari. I'm not going to force you, but I think it would do you some good to stop by and vent your frustrations. I have a bad habit of rambling but I'm also a pretty good listener."
Having just likened Vahn to a father figure within her mind, Shion felt embarrassed just hearing him speak. In spite of this, she managed to appear relatively calm as she met his gaze and answered, "I'll keep that in mind..." before promptly vanishing. With space no longer off-limits, it was a simple feat for her to teleport back to her planet. As for what she would do from there...she wasn't entirely sure. It was one of those things she would need to figure out as she slowly and steadily moved forward...
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Observing the interaction between Vahn and Shion from start to finish, Indra couldn't help feeling a sense of appreciation for the man he simultaneously resented. Vahn really was the epitome of what he believed a man should be. He was strong, magnanimous, kind, caring, and, as far as Indra could tell, extremely genuine.&nbsp;
Where most people doubted themselves to the point of changing their behavior from one moment to the next, Vahn remained himself no matter the situation. So long as you didn't touch his bottom line, he appeared to have an infinite capacity for benevolence. It was truly awe-inspiring, but, at the same time, incredibly worrying.
As nonsensical as it sounded, Indra couldn't sense the depths of Vahn's power. It wasn't particularly well known, at least not anymore, but Indra, or, more accurately, his original self was, and still is, the Rank 7 in all of Creation. He had given away and bestowed the majority of his power unto others, but he was still one of the beings responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Little Garden.
The one power Indra had never given up was his ability to see the potential in others. It was one of the reasons he was known to be a jealous God, as, while his existence remained largely unchanged, the people around him were constantly moving forward. The only way he could experience change was to give up his power, manifest as an avatar, or reincarnate. Even then, everything he gave out would invariably return to him. Thus, in the grand scheme of eternity, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he remained the same.
When Indra looked at Vahn, he saw two things. The first was 'absolutely nothing'. While this might sound confusing, it made sense when every being except for Vahn had a clearly foreseeable fate. It might change from one moment to the next, but, from the moment of their creation to the time of their death, all beings were pulled along in the endless stream of fate.
Since before the dawn of time, Indra had never encountered a single being without a fate. Even the Abyss of the End, End Emptiness, had the fate of becoming the nothingness that followed the end of all things. It was an event that could be delayed for a literal eternity, but, at some point, beyond the concept of time, End Emptiness would consume all things.
Vahn lacking a fate made him the sole exception in all of Creation. This was concerning in and of itself but the thing that terrified Indra most of all was Vahn's unfathomable potential. It could be argued that all beings in the Order of Creation had the potential of reaching the absolute pinnacle of existence, but, when looking at Vahn, Indra sensed something...more.
If Vahn decided to take over the Little Garden and superimpose his vision onto the rest of Creation, Indra had no doubt he would be able to achieve it. The only question, at least in Indra's mind, was how much destruction would be wrought in Vahn's wake. Anyone or anything that got in his way or contradicted his vision was bound to be destroyed. Depending on the circumstances, even the Little Garden wouldn't be spared, as, according to the things Vahn had said and done thus far, he wasn't particularly satisfied with how 'out of hand' things had become...
At this juncture, Indra had an important decision to make. He could trust in Shiroyasha's decision and allow the Little Garden to fulfill its purpose or he could rally the Gods for one last stand against Vahn. It may turn out that he is inevitable, but, much like the Demon God, End Emptiness, and every other Last Embryo, they could still delay him for as long as possible.
If all of Creation was bound to be changed as a result of Vahn's ambition, it stood to reason that all of Creation should stand against him...
Had Vahn been an overtly corrupt or malicious individual, Indra wouldn't even need to consider whether or not he should oppose him. The thing that made his decision so difficult, other than the fact that Shioryasha had clearly placed her trust in him, was the fact that Vahn was clearly a good person. He demonstrated a considerable amount of patience and even showed genuine concern for his enemies. So long as they didn't touch his bottom line, Vahn seemed capable of forgiving anyone for anything.
The biggest issue was that the Little Garden wasn't exactly filled with fine, upstanding individuals. A lot of the Gods had become corrupt, but, while some had walked that path of their own volition, the vast majority had simply succumbed to fate and the influence of Poets. With time, they could be led back to the path of righteousness, but, as Vahn had clearly demonstrated, he wasn't going to just sit around and wait patiently for them to reform. He was making startling progress toward his goal, so much so that it may only take him a few years to achieve something no one, not since the Dawn of Creation itself, had achieved...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'When you Kuudere evolves into a Tsundere...','Vahn has always been the exception...','Indra over here playing with fire...')

Chapter 2236: Currying Favor