Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After recovering her senses, Ayesha did her best to try and catch up to Yo but quickly realized the futility of her actions. Yo's speed greatly eclipsed hers, so much so that she would have immediately lost sight of her if not for the fact she was radiating a bright light in an otherwise dark region.
As an Ignis Fatuus, Ayesha was an Intermediate Earth Spirit capable of generating and manipulating natural gas. Her specialty, however, lay in creating illusions to deceive people. She could produce blue flames, but, much like the tiny tufts that would sometimes appear over marshes, they were relatively harmless.
"Damnit...!"
Biting the nail of her left thumb, Ayesha's ordinarily haughty expression turned to one of vexation. The Battle of the Creators was supposed to be her debut and an opportunity to repay the Leader of her Community, Willa the Ignis Fatuus. Ayesha was indebted to the much older Earth Spirit after she and Jack both protected and provided her a home. She didn't want to lose, not in such an embarrassing and one-sided manner.
"Jack! No more holding back! We can't afford to lose...!"
Nodding his oversized pumpkin head, Jack answered, "Very well." before his body appeared to flicker out of existence. In the very next moment, he appeared in front of Yo, stating, "Sorry about this, Oujo-chan."
Though his original size was around 2m, Jack spontaneously grew to more than 5m in height as he swept his oversized, white-gloved hand towards Yo.
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"That's cheating! That was clearly some kind of spatial movement...!"
Though Yo managed to evade Jack's attack with relative ease, Asuka couldn't stay quiet after seeing the pumpkin-headed creature suddenly appear to block her path. Unfortunately, Shiroyasha summarily shot her down, explaining, "No, it just resembles spatial movement. In reality, he's just fast."
Furrowing her brows, Asuka wanted to say more but immediately decided against it as Izayoi added, "Calm that pretty little head of yours. Yo's got this one in the bag."
As if to demonstrate just how unnecessary Asuka's concern had been, Yo used the surrounding tree branches to maneuver around Jack with such extreme speed that she created numerous afterimages. Though it lacked anything even remotely resembling pores, a bead of sweat could be seen running down the side of Jack's pumpkin head as it barely evaded one of Yo's increasingly powerful blows.
Seeing Yo's stunning display, Asuka was once again reminded that she was among the weakest of her Community's main forces. Her expression immediately turned somber, and, though she was happy that Yo had the upper hand, she couldn't help doubting her qualifications as Leader of the No Names...
Noticing the sudden and rather drastic change in his girlfriend's mood, Izayoi muttered, "This girl..." in a quiet and reasonably exasperated tone. One of the only complaints he had about Asuka, aside from her nagging, was her chronic bipolarism. There were times when she would go from a supremely confident woman to a meek and moody Aristocrat at the drop of a hat. The most annoying thing about her behavior was that she rarely trained yet got upset when others performed feats beyond her level.
Shaking his head, Izayoi decided to focus on the match. If he attempted to talk with her in such a 'public' setting, Asuka would invariably accuse him of trying to embarrass her. She would know that wasn't his intention, but her rigid upbringing and 'noble' mentality compelled her to behave in a certain way. She was quick to apologize after the fact, but it was still an extremely troublesome character flaw, one Izayoi wished she would make an earnest effort to correct...
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After darting around her opponent for several seconds, Yo decided to test Jack's durability by doing something she hadn't been able to do just days prior, combining her transformations.
As an honorary member of the Menagerie, Yo had befriended most of the girls within. She had also befriended every Companion she came across, so, after contemplating which would be the best to fuse with her Pikachu form, Yo's lightning-bolt-shaped tail suddenly inflated before splitting into nine distinct appendages. At the same time, long, fox-like ears protruded from her head as the color of her fur shifted from a bright, sunny yellow to a luminous shade of reddish-gold with black markings.
Empowered by the hybrid transformation, Yo's figure became a blur as she darted past Jack and lefter several significant cuts in his robe. When she looked back at him, her previously brown eyes had become crimson with black slits as she mused, "I'll have to thank Kushina-nee when I get back..."
Before he could ask who Kushina was, Jack was sent flying by a massive fist nearly the size of his body. Yo made sure to hold back, but a sizeable crack had appeared on his pumpkin-like head after he was sent crashing through more than a dozen of the inordinately large branches. It promptly closed up thanks to his incredible regenerative ability, but Yo was already long gone by the time he was able to recover enough to fly...
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"And our winner is Kasakabe Yo of the No Names! Everyone give her a round of applause~!"
Though the match ended much faster than anyone expected, the crowd still erupted into cheers. Not entirely because Yo had won, but because her hybrid outfit made her appear practically naked. Her entire body was veiled in a reddish-gold light, but that same light had also obscured the contours and details of her outfit. She wasn't actually exposed, but that didn't stop people from imagining she was.
Misinterpreting the reason for the crowd's enthusiasm, Yo inadvertently exacerbated matters by pumping her fists, waving her arms, and bouncing around the center stage with a contagious smile on her face. It was when she heard several people shouting out marriage proposals that she began to settle down, her expression becoming awkward as she meekly replied, "Sorry, but there is already someone I love..."
With her words were broadcast to the entire coliseum, Yo's response was met with a number of boos, an ample amount of laughter, and even louder cheering. A few of the more hopeful crowd members believed they would be able to poach Yo from the No Names, but they would soon realize the futility of their beliefs once it became known that Vahn was the object of her affection...
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"That's not something you see every day..."
Following Vahn's gaze, Sandora, who had been sitting beside him atop matching thrones, remarked, "Demons..."
While they failed to blot out the sky, the sight of millions of pitch-black Geass Rolls raining down from the sky was rather intimidating. Had she not spent part of her seven and a half years in the Actualized World of Ni No Kuni saving it, Sandora may have been as terrified as the members of the crowd. Instead, she was one of the first to take action, shouting, "An enemy Demon Lord has appeared! Prioritize relocating and protecting the citizens!"
Surprised by his younger sister's swift reaction, Mandra and many of his Officers were momentarily stunned. When she turned towards him with a severe expression and shouted, "Now!" however, he immediately regained his senses, repeated her orders, and began helping to carry them out.
Increasing the dread many people were feeling, an eerie black miasma began to manifest around Shiroyasha. Her expression immediately soured, not because of the miasma, but because of the feeling of powerlessness that had suddenly permeated her body.
"How annoying..."
Just as the black miasma attempted to surge outward from Shiroyasha's position, a two-layered spherical barrier appeared around her, one to prevent it from touching her and the other to prevent it from spreading outward. Immediately after that, an aqueous white light spread between the two barriers, rapidly purifying the miasma as Vahn appeared next to her and asked, "Should I let you out?" with a cheeky smile on his face.
To Vahn's surprise, Shiroyasha answered, "Check the Geass Roll first. If there is a rule prohibiting me from leaving this area, it could result in our loss if I try."
Though he was confident he could 'overwrite' the rules by initiating a Gift Game of his own, Vahn nodded his head and teleported a Geass Roll into his hand, reading:
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&lt;The Pied Piper of Hamelin&gt;
[Participants]
1: Players, Hosts, Communities, and Citizens currently in the Outer Gate of 3999999 and 4000000, Kouen City.
[Victory Condition(s) for Participants]
1: Kill the Host Master
2: Shatter the False Legend, making the True Legend known.
[Victory Condition(s) for Host Master]
1: All Participants are either killed or forced to submit.
[Rules]
1: Spirit of the Sun and White Night, Star Class Demon Shiroyasha is the Host Master.
2: Participants who surrender during the Game are automatically enlisted as members of Community: Grim Grimoire Hamelin.
3: Members of Grim Grimoire Hamelin must do everything in their power to force others to submit.
[Restrictions]
1: Suicide or killing of other Participants.
2: Gifts capable of modifying or interfering with the Rules/Conditions of a Gift Game.
3: The creation of Domains is strictly prohibited.
[Time Limit]
None
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Hearing Vahn read off the rules, Shiroyasha's expression soured further as she remarked, "How absurd. Killing other Participants is against the rules, but the victory conditions for both sides include me dying or killing everyone else? Even I wasn't this unreasonable during my Problem Child days."
After shaking her head in mild exasperation, Shiroyasha ignored the fact that everyone had gathered around her and Vahn, asking, "So? What are you going to do? If you use your ability, I imagine you could settle this in an instant."
Though he nodded in affirmation, Vahn didn't say he was going to settle things. Instead, he surprised Sandora by lightly touching her lower back, gently pushing her forward as he said, "Since the rules prohibit killing and suicide, I see no reason to intervene. Rather, this is a perfect opportunity for Sandora to demonstrate her capacity as a Leader. I'll only intervene if things get out of hand."
Recovering from her momentary discomposure, Sandora regained a calm and serious expression as she declared, "I am in agreement with Vahn. Though Salamandra and the Aldrnari Empire will soon become allies, this is currently a matter for the North to handle. If I can't resolve something like a Demon Lord attack, I have no reason being Floor Master."
"Well said, chibi."
Though his words were a little out of turn, Izayoi couldn't help admiring Sandora's conviction. He was also eager to cut loose, so, before Asuka could even think about lecturing him, he leaped into the air and took off towards the massive wall surrounding the city.
"That impatient oaf...!"
Unwilling to be left behind, Asuka directed her gaze to Sandora, saying, "The No Names and Salamandra used to be allies. Once this matter has been settled, we should sit down and discuss the terms of our renewed Alliance. Agreed?"
As she had been planning to do just that, Sandora immediately nodded in response to Asuka's words, stating, "There are very few things that would make me happier, Asuka-san." with a radiant smile on her face.
Adopting a faint smile of her own, Asuka shifted her attention to Yo and Lily, asking, "Can I ask the two of you to escort me? Though I may be the Leader, my combat power is severely lacking compared to the two of you and Izayoi. The best I can do is provide support."
Though Yo readily agreed to Asuka's proposal, Lily refused, apologizing before she explained, "I dislike fighting. If possible, I would prefer to aid in the evacuation and help treat the injured."
Seeing no reason to refuse and too anxious to continue standing around talking, Asuka immediately approved of Lily's suggestion before she and Yo took to the skies with the aid of their Companions. Sandora was very tempted to follow them, but her top priority was ensuring her people were safe. If there were people who hadn't read the rules and ended up giving in, things might quickly devolve into a situation resembling a civil war...
As important as it was to repel or deal with the enemies, defeating them would not bring the game to an end...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Legendary Nine-Tailed Demon Rat...!','Yo would make a great idol (O w O)...','Those are some pretty janky rules...')

After departing the coliseum, Izayoi, aided by his whale-like Companion, Seiun, darted across the sky like a pale-blue meteorite.
While Izayoi's senses were nowhere near the level of Vahn's, he could detect bloodlust and hostility across vast distances. The woman he had sent flying the previous day had apparently held a grudge towards him, as, shortly after the Black Geass Rolls appeared, he detected her anger towards him from several tens of kilometers away.
Fortunately for the woman, less so for her companion, she wasn't alone this time around. He had already determined her to be a non-threat, at least to him, so Izayoi's first target was her pointy-eared companion, a man with spikey black hair and an outfit reminiscent of a German Army Officer.
"What the-"
Before the man could finish exclaiming his surprise, Izayoi grabbed his head and smashed him into the wall surrounding the city. He was tempted to smash the man through it, but, understanding that would end with him being forced onto the enemy team, Izayoi held back quite a bit.
"It's you, that damnable man with the headphones...!"
Having learned her lesson from the previous day, the scantily clad blonde, Ratten, attempted to fly up and away from Izayoi, flute in hand. She knew she wasn't Izayoi's match, so she intended to assist the man buried in the wall, a Low-Class Demon named Wesser.
Demonstrating that he was far more durable than his companion, Wesser managed to endure Izayoi's retrained blow without losing consciousness. More importantly, he managed to convert a large section of the city wall into a mud-like substance, temporarily trapping him and Izayoi as he spat up blood and groaned, "Cocky bastard..."
Only marginally inconvenienced by the thick layer of mud, Izayoi drew back his right fist, a cheeky smile on his face as he rebutted, "You idiots targetted a Community hosting the Sage Dragon Emperor, and you have the gall to call me cocky? Your Leader had better be a badass, or this is going to be a stomp."
With the intent of punctuating his words, Izayoi threw his fist towards the snarling demon, only for his body to temporarily freeze as the sound of a flute reached his ears.
Seeing Izayoi stop mid-swing, a wicked expression developed across Wesser's face until the former's fist promptly impacted it. Ratten's flute had halted his movements, but, unfortunately for the two demons, Vahn was the one who repaired Izayoi's headphones following his stay in the Game Board. Not only were they borderline indestructible, but they could play music from Izayoi's original world while simultaneously blocking out all sounds from the outside.
"You assholes are so going to pay for making me owe that lizard a favor..."
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After seeing Izayoi resist the compulsion of her flute, Ratten immediately turned tail and flew away. Her task was to mind control people and cause chaos, not fight some monstrous pretty boy with more than enough bite to back up his bark.
Unfortunately for Ratten, she soon found her path blocked by Asuka and Yo. Her expression immediately soured, and, for a very brief moment, she felt like crying as she brought her flute up to her lips and said, "Get out of my way...!"
While Asuka instinctually commanded Abyssinian to cover her ears, Yo charged forward with the intention of preventing Ratten from playing her flute. Her reserves were spent after using a hybrid transformation during the Finals, but her Maneki-neko was more than willing to provide its own.
Not expecting Yo to be so fast, Ratten cursed the Communities that were supposed to be supporting her own as the former's comparably small fist impacted the same spot as Izayoi's. She managed to avoid being knocked out, but the pain made her wish she had been.
Adding insult to literal injury, Asuka waved her open hand towards Ratten, her voice echoing through the void as she shouted, "Drop your flute!" in a commanding tone. Ratten attempted to resist, but the last thing she saw before Yo placed her in a chokehold was Asuka enthusiastically grabbing her flute before it could fall to the streets below...
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As the rules didn't strictly prohibit her from moving around, Shiroyasha elected to join Vahn, Vanilla, and Caramel in the comfort of his room. Her status as Host Master prevented her from providing any help or feedback, so she figured she might as well enjoy Vahn's pampering as he kept tabs on events happening throughout the city.
Though the rules prohibited their creation, Vahn's domain had never been a representative example of the ability. His [Will of the Emperor] was also SSS-Rank, equivalent to Laplace and the Central Network itself. Unless he 'agreed' to play by the rules, there wasn't a force in the Divine Realm that could compel him to do so.
Fortunately for his would-be enemies, Vahn knew this event was at least partially the result of Mandra's machinations. It was a ploy concocted to silence Sandora's critics by demonstrating, once and for all, that she was capable of dealing with Demon Lords and carrying out her responsibilities as Floor Master. Vahn didn't wholly agree with his methods, but he could understand Mandra's desire to support his sister.
The far more significant threat was the forces pulling the strings behind Mandra and the Grimm Grimoire Hamlin. Vahn knew at least six different groups were coordinating with each other, two serving as diversions, one targetting Sandora's crown and horn, one targetting Shiroyasha's life, and two entire Communities targetting him.
Though he asked her to keep mum regarding the specifics, Vahn hadn't been able to resist asking Loi-chan about each group's objectives. Their penultimate goal was clearly to release the seal on the Demon God, but his very existence had thrown a wrench into that plan.
While thinking about what he would do if the enemy attempted to lure him into an 'unwinnable' Gift Game, Vahn ran his fingers through Shiroyasha's pale-blue, perennially warm hair. She was currently playing the part of his little spoon as any overtly intimate acts could be seen as 'collusion' due to the remarkable potency of his seminal fluid.
Voicing one of the many thoughts lingering in Vahn(s) mind, Shiroyasha whispered, "We should do this more often...I almost forgot how relaxing your aura can be when you aren't hopped up on lust..."
Resisting the urge to point out that she was frequently the one riling him up, the Vahn spooning Shiroyasha planted a kiss on her head. At the same time, his other self adopted a faint smile as he continued gently caressing the heads of the two girls using his lap as a pillow.
Compared to the chaos outside, the atmosphere within the suite was truly serene.
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"It would appear your hypothesis was correct, Rin. So long as we do not directly anger or offend him, the Sage Dragon Emperor seems satisfied with simply observing."
Happy to receive praise, a radiant smile developed across Rin's face as she merrily chimed, "I told you so. Beings like the Sage Dragon Emperor live according to a stringent set of rules. We just need to figure out what they are, and he's easy to plan around."
Nodding his head in affirmation, the white-haired youth standing next to Rin waved his hand to change the spherical display to show Sandora. For a very brief moment, a glimmer of conflict flashed across his eyes before promptly disappearing as he asked, "So, what now? Do we tell the others to pull back, or should we continue with our original plan? I get the feeling that man won't just sit around if we target something that belongs to him."
With a noticeably more cramped smile, Rin nervously combed through her hair as she answered, "I'm not entirely sure. We don't have nearly enough data on the Sage Dragon Emperor's omniscience or sensory abilities. If he thinks, even for a moment, we intend to hurt Sandora, he will probably kill us all. Our best bet is to leverage the lives of the people of Salamandra in an exchange, but I can't imagine the Sage Dragon Emperor behaving if we start killing hostages..."
Furrowing his brows, the white-haired youth, Highness, raised his hand to stare at his palm. He was relatively confident he could at least stall Vahn; the question was whether or not it would be enough. As far as they could tell, Vahn had near-absolute dominion over the flow of time within a given area. They ascribed this ability to an unseen domain, but if it turned out to be something 'more', it might not matter what they do.
"Though we have never met, I sincerely hate that Shiroyasha woman..."
Exhaling a sigh, Rin groaned, "I agree with you completely. While I can understand her motives, inviting the Sage Dragon Emperor into the Divine Realm was an outrageous decision. At this rate, it may only be a few years before the Little Garden has a new ruler..."
As Vahn had exceeded their expectations at every turn, Rin had no doubt he would continue growing faster than they could plan around him. It had taken him less than a year to acquire one of the lowest-digit Gates in the Little Garden. If the rumors alleging him to be the Progenitor of Dragons continued to gain traction, he might very well become the most powerful being in Creation. After all, every major Authority, even those of the Sun, manifested in the form of Pure-Blooded Dragons...
Just as Highness was about to make a suggestion to help Rin come up with a plan, one of the mirrors lining the wall of their hideout began to emit a pale white light. Shortly after that, the visage of a woman with a dark hood covering half her face came into view, stating, "It's no good. The space surrounding the Sage Dragon's Hearth is as impregnable as always. To make matters worse, we have confirmed the presence of the Sage Dragon Emperor within his castle. Are you certain the one on your end is the real deal...?"
Though he wasn't traditionally very expressive, Highness couldn't help hanging his head and rubbing his temples when he heard the woman's report. They knew about Vahn's ability to create 'clones' of himself, but the ongoing Gift Game should have made that impossible. The moment the Central Network detected a version of him outside of Kouen City, he should have been compelled to join the Grimm Grimoire Hamlin.
Hazarding a guess, Rin suggested, "Perhaps we were wrong. Instead of clones, there is a possibility that each of the Sage Dragon Emperors we have seen thus far is an Avatara. We already know that most of the core members of the Aldrnari Empire were created by him. Since there were no records of his existence before his emergence in the Divine Realm, who's to say he didn't simply...create himself?"
"You suspect him to be Self-Actualizing? If that were the case, how was Shiroyasha able to summon him? The Lower Realms do not support the concept of Self-Actualized beings. Such an aberration would completely disrupt the balance of Creation..."
Realizing what he was saying, Highness's expression turned grim as the entire room fell into an eerie silence. After all, his refusal was basically a textbook definition of Vahn's existence. Everything about the latter was anomalous, so much so that every attempt they made to understand him resulted in them learning just how little they truly knew...
Voicing the thought on everyone's minds, the hooded woman, Aura, softly muttered, "By the Gods...if what you say is true, the Sage Dragon Emperor is basically a Poet writing himself into the story of Creation itself. How can we hope to oppose such a being...?"
Answering without a moment's hesitation, Rin's eyes briefly lost focus as she listlessly replied, "That's all we can do...within the rules that the Sage Dragon Emperor, himself, has set..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Getting hit on a bruise hurts like hell...','Vahn does what he wants...','When you realize the person you're trying to gank in PvP is the Admin...')

Though they had only been apart for a few hours, Sandora was starting to feel a little restless without Vahn at her side. There were times when they had separated during their sojourn in the Actualized World, but things just felt 'different' now that they were back in the Divine Realm.
Fortunately, Sandora was not entirely alone as she carried out her duties. Lily was there with her, and though they had disappeared for a few days while Vahn was caring for her, Ebony and Raven dutifully attended her as she moved from one meeting to another.
Finally, half an hour before noon, Sandora's schedule brought her to the coliseum. Instead of heading to the Royal Box, however, she ignored the suggestions of the event organizers and made a beeline towards the VIP waiting area.
Without knocking, Sandora, still accompanied by Lily, Ebony, and Raven, opened the waiting room door, shouting, "Vahn~!" in a happy, bright, and cheerful tone.
Raising his hand, Vahn stopped the performance of Vanilla and Caramel before rising to his feet alongside Shiroyasha. Before he could greet his petite fiancee in turn, however, her nose began to twitch as a slight pout developed across her face.
Though Vahn had thoroughly cleaned and ventilated the room in anticipation of Sandora's arrival, there was little he could do about Frey and Alexys radiating pheromones like a space heater. Female Dragons were especially sensitive to the pheromones of others, so it didn't even take a full second for Sandora to ascertain the situation.
Fortunately, Sandora wasn't too upset. If anything, she was just a little envious that Frey and Alexys had gotten to spend time with Vahn while she was busy fulfilling her duties as the Leader of Salamandra. After her initial shock, a natural smile returned to her face as she asked, "I suppose some congratulations are in order...?"
"Princess Sandora..."
Feeling more than a little guilty, Frey hung her head and averted her eyes. She would have preferred Sandora to be angry; acceptance and kindness weren't something she was used to receiving, especially from members of the Royal Family.
A stark contrast to her elder cousin, Alexys folder her hands over her lap, a radiant smile developing across her face as she performed a polite bow and said, "Thank you, Princess Sandora. I sincerely hope that the Scarlett Family can, once again, become the shield and spear of the Royal Family."
Nodding in approval, Sandora answered, "I look forward to it." as her eyes scanned the rest of the room's occupants. The lack of any other servants made the presence of Caramel and Vanilla stand out like a sore thumb, so Sandora reasonably assumed they had either won Vahn's or Shiroyasha's favor. Perhaps even both.
Instead of asking about the twins directly, Sandora met Vahn's gaze and asked, "Do you enjoy dancing?" with a visible twinkle in her eyes. As much as her outfit was ceremonial, it was also designed for the specific purpose of dancing. She was a little out of practice, but Sandora had a fair amount of confidence in her dancing ability. It had been a fairly important part of her education as a member of the Royal Family.
Without missing a beat, Vahn answered, "Most certainly." before making his way over to give the petite dragoness a hug. After that, he repeated the act with Lily, and since they had previously revealed their identities, his two daughters, Ebony and Raven. Shiroyasha seized the opportunity to make a few teasing remarks, but Vahn largely disregarded them as he steered the conversation toward the upcoming Gift Game...
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Though the Bookmakers favored her at 7:1 odds, Yo couldn't help feeling a little nervous. She wasn't too concerned about the match itself. Instead, it was her personal decision to forgo concealing her body with the Maneki-neko that concerned her.
As much as she told herself she didn't care about the opinion of others, the notion that millions, billions, or even trillions of people would see her naked made Yo feel equal parts excited, anxious, and uncomfortable. Her Aegis would prevent them from seeing anything they absolutely shouldn't, but it didn't exactly leave a lot to the imagination...
"Introducing our first finalist, Kasukabe Yo of the No Names...!"
Hearing her name called, Yo's expression went from anxious to a mask of confidence as she stepped out of the passage connecting the contestant waiting room to the coliseum's arena. The moment she did so, the 25,000 audience members immediately erupted into cheers, not just because she was the crowd favorite but because her custom Aegis covered less than some swimsuits. Her top resembled a skin-tight white blouse that left her shoulders and much of her back exposed, while her bottoms were a pair of form-fitting red shorts that only covered about 2/3rds of her butt. They also had a large hole for any tails she might spontaneously sprout, so the view of anyone fortunate enough to be behind her was quite the sight to behold...
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"That idiot..."
Seated in the Royal Box located above the passage Yo had just exited from, Asuka couldn't help exhaling an exasperated sigh when she saw her best friend's outfit. She knew Yo wanted to start wearing less restrictive clothes, but this was just ridiculous.
"I don't know. It looks pretty good from where I'm sitting."
Adding fuel to the fire, Izayoi fearlessly eyed Yo's prominent posterior and truly remarkable thighs. Even from several hundred meters away, he could feel the power contained within them rippling with each and every step Yo took. She was a lot stronger than she had been just two days prior.
Though she honestly couldn't blame him for staring, Asuka still directed a warning look at Izayoi. In response, he just smiled and asked, "What? Do you want me to keep my eyes closed for the remainder of the Finals? I'm just admiring something our little animal lover, very clearly, wants to show off."
Coming to Izayoi's aid, Shiroyasha, seated two spaces over, stated, "The lesson Vahn gave you shortly after your arrival in the Divine Realm wasn't just him messing with you. There is little you can do about others coveting things like beauty, so it's best to benefit from it when you can. Besides, Yo was the one who decided to come out wearing that. If you want to lecture someone, talk to her after the match has concluded."
While it was hard to argue with Shiroyasha's words, Asuka felt a powerful urge to smack the impish woman atop the head. Not because Shiroyasha was lecturing her, but because she was leaning forward in her seat with a pair of binoculars and a lascivious smile on her face.
Adding insult to injury, Shiroyasha wiped a bit of drool from her mouth as she remarked, "I'll have to join Yo and Vahn on their next 'walk'..."
"You cheeky little imp...!"
Though she suspected Shiroyasha was in a relationship with Vahn, Asuka didn't want the impish demon anywhere near Yo. Unfortunately, it wasn't her decision to make. She may have been able to do something about it if she and Yo were in a relationship, but that ship had sunken before it had the chance to sail.
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With her extra sensitive hearing, Yo could hear Asuka screaming from the center of the arena. She couldn't make out what was said, but she could imagine it had something to do with her outfit.
Doing her best to avoid looking in the direction of the Royal Box, Yo gave the crowd a smile and a wave while the Announcer, an attractive woman with caramel skin, remarkably long black hair, hazel eyes, and bull-horns announced, "And our next Finalist, hailing from our very own North Side, Ayesha Ignis Fatuss from the Will-o-Wisp Community~!"
Accompanied by the sound of a 'Yohoho~" style laughter, a ball of blue flames more than 2m in diameter darted out from the far side entrance and attempted to sweep past Yo from her blind spot. To the surprise of the petite, blue-haired girl surfing atop it, Yo just casually stepped to the side with a moderately confused expression on her face as she wondered if the girl was trying to attack her.
Clicking her tongue, the inordinately thin and pale leaped down from the blue fireball, finger pointed at Yo as she announced, "You're not half-bad, girlie! Still, you're going to need a lot more than quick reflexes to be Jack and me...!"
As if responding to the girl's words, the ball of fire spontaneously burst apart to reveal a figure with a massive jack-o-lantern for a head, white-gloved hands, a flowing purple gown, and an old-fashioned steel lantern in its right hand.
"That is indeed correct, Lady Ayesha! Yohohohoho~!"
Smiling confidently due to her companion's words, the youthful-looking Spirit was about to say something when Yo interrupted, asking, "How old are you?"
Though looks could be incredibly deceiving in the Little Garden, Yo got the distinct impression that the Spirit before her was still a child. It wasn't the girl's thin, child-like figure, inordinately long, pale-blue twin-tails, or gothic-style clothing that gave her this impression. It was the trembling of her sharp, almost cat-like yellow eyes and the faint yet audible quaking of her voice.
Believing Yo was looking down on her, Ayesha's cheeks became visibly red as she shouted, "Older than you, you No Name brat!" in a distinctly child-like manner.
Furrowing her brows, Yo wasn't sure whether she should apologize or be offended by Ayesha's remark. Fortunately, she didn't have to think about it for long as Shiroyasha promptly bounded up to the railing of the Royal Box, arms spread wide like a gymnast who had just landed a dismount as she shouted, "Enough dawdling! If you want to fight, settle it in the Game Board!"
Punctuating her words, Shiroyasha slapped her hands together, stunning the crowd with a visible, rippling shockwave that expanded to encompass the entire coliseum. At the same time, at least from the perspective of Yo, Ayesha, and Jack, a domain of greenish-black energy washed over them before they suddenly found themselves in a dark environment comprised of a seemingly endless entanglement of massive tree branches.
Illuminating the darkness, two Geass Rolls unfurled out of thin air, a faint golden glow emanating from their surface to make them a little easier to read. The only other light in the maze-like entanglement was a luminous, greenish-blue moss, but while it appeared to illuminate the surroundings, it was a poor substitute for natural light.
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&lt;Underwood Maze&gt;
[Clearing Condition(s)]
1: Participating Player successfully leaves the maze.
2: Participating Player successfully breaks the opponent's Gift.
3: If a Player is rendered unable/incapable of completing either of the two conditions above, they are immediately disqualified.
[Rules]
1: Players must use the Gift they registered at the start of the Battle of the Creators.
[Restrictions]
1: Gifts related to Teleportation or Spatial Movement are Prohibited.
2: The killing of your opponent is Prohibited.
3: Leaving the Game Board without fulfilling one of the Clear Conditions will result in immediate disqualification.
[Time Limit]
000:000:00:59:45
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"So we either escape from this tree or destroy our opponent's Gift to win..."
While Ayesha was muttering the rules of the Gift Game aloud, Yo was staring at the Jack-o-Lantern behind her. As far as she could tell, it was a sentient creature, so she wasn't comfortable with the idea of destroying it. She also didn't want to bully someone she considered to be a child, so, after a moment of hesitation, an extraordinarily bright yellow light surged across her body.
Surprised by the sudden and intense light, Ayesha shielded her eyes as she shouted, "You scoundrel! Resorting to underhanded tricks this early in the game!?"
Contrasting Ayesha's expectations, Yo didn't attempt to sneak attack her. Instead, she burst out of the light with large patches of bright yellow and a bit of black fur covering her ears, hands, feet, forearms, and calves. The lightning-bolt-shaped tail protruding from her backside and the bright red markings on her face made it pretty obvious she was channeling Mikoto's powers as a Pikachu.
Before Ayesha or Jack could recover, lightning danced across Yo's calves before surging up and enveloping the rest of her body. Then, using her enhanced sense of smell, she, quite literally, bolted in the direction of the exit...
...
..
.
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sandora's intuition is scary...','Pretty soon, Asuka will be left with no choice but to grow up xD...','Yo be like, "I am speed!"')

Chapter 2280: Triumph : Despair : Resolution