Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While relaxing in a steamy bath of emerald-green water, Vahn reclined with his arm hooked around the shoulders of Nobunaga, absentmindedly massaging her breasts as she leaned against him with a somewhat lascivious expression. At the same time, his right hand danced about whimsically, shaping the water of the onsen into the form of a serpentine dragon.

Though he no longer had something as convenient as Essence to aid him, Vahn had reached a level of mastery that allowed him to freely manipulate the elements within his domain. This required an intense level of focus, making it difficult to use in battle, but it was perfect for relaxed moments like this. After all, there was something mesmerizing about watching a glimmering, emerald-green, wyrm dance about above the surface of an onsen, lit only by the moonlight above and various candles in the surroundings.

Once he had the shape the way he wanted it, Vahn took a slow and steady breath before closing his hand, gradually forming the shape of a fist. In accordance with his will, the nine-meter-long serpent began to shimmer, its body gaining an ephemeral solidity that was reminiscent of the phenomenon of surface tension.

After several tense moments, Vahn released his held breath, forcing the steam from the surrounding onsen to clear away in an instant. Then, retracting his hand, he smiled as the serpentine dragon was able to keep its form, coiling above the surface of the onsen as if it were solid ground. It no longer required his direct control, moving according to an intent-based program that allowed it to function with a similar capacity to a golden retriever.

As this wasn’t the first time he had done something similar, Nobunaga lightly slapped the surface of the water, making small splashes that seemed to alert the confused serpent. It turned its eyes toward her, gazing with transparent green orbs as it recoiled back slightly, emulating the sort of trepidation you would expect from an abandoned stray. It was only when Nobunaga stated, "Come on...I’m not going to hurt you~." that the serpent began to hesitantly approach, snaking across the surface of the onsen without breaking the surface tension.

Vahn watched with bated breath as his creation approached within arm’s length of both Nobunaga and himself. It allowed her to gingerly place her hand upon its snout, freezing in place for several seconds before tentatively nuzzling against the palm of her hand. This caused the edges of Vahn’s smile to curl up slightly, but, as if to spite him, a ’ripple’ spread across the surface of the serpentine dragon. Immediately thereafter, it burst apart like a bubbling, spilling forth its mineral-rich contents and causing Nobunaga to release a somewhat grating peal of sonorous laughter...

Rolling his eyes, Vahn lightly pinched her exposed nipple, forcing her laughter to cease, replaced by a rather adorable groan as her body trembled. This earned him a punch to the chest, but, unless he proactively allowed himself to take damage, Vahn was immune to any attacks beneath the A-Rank. As a result, he released a light chuckle instead of a pained groan, lifting the glowering Nobunaga’s face to steal her lips. Though this resulted in her lightly biting his tongue, seemingly intent to draw blood, Vahn had long-since grown used to her antics...

After a brief stint of ’fun’ within the onsen, Vahn and Nobunaga emerged from the changing room with contented smiles, arms linked. They were both attired in loose-fitting yukata, allowing steam to rise from the exposed bits of flesh that had soaked a little too long in the startlingly hot waters. This resulted in Nobunaga’s skin practically glowing, a ruddy blush visible on each exposed bit, including her near-crimson face.

Though they had happy smiles at first, Vahn’s expression became somewhat awkward, as, waiting for them on the outside of the changing room was a rather ’ruffled-looking’ Benienma. She had a habit of partially transforming whenever her tensions were high, so, while she still looked like an adorable young girl, her body had inflated slightly as a small frown adorned her face. This actually increased her adorable factor, especially with the puffed out downy feathers around her neck, but Vahn elected to keep this observation to himself as he averted his eyes, finding Nobunaga doing the same...

With an expression akin to a ’serious pout’, Benienma shook her finger toward Vahn and Nobunaga as if she were lecturing misbehaving children, exclaiming, "This is your fifth warning, Ten’nō-sama! I told you not to play around in the bath! Even if you clean up after yourself, think of the guests who have to use the water after you-dechi...!"

Deciding not to point out the fact that others weren’t supposed to use his onsen, as it was meant to be reserved for him and his wives, Vahn lightly scratched his cheek as he said, "Forgive our lack of consideration. The baths here at the Enma-tei are simply too pleasant not to enjoy to the fullest..."

As she was exceptionally weak to compliments regarding her ryokan, Benienma struggled to keep an upset expression, forcing herself to maintain a stern look as she answered, "D-don’t think I’ll let just let you off-"

Before Benienma could finish, Vahn’s smile became more pronounced as he said, "It’s the truth. Why else would I come here so often? Everyone agrees with me, isn’t that right, Nobu...?"

Further overwhelming the young sparrow, Nobunaga nodded her head, a serious expression on her face as she answered, "The onsens here are world-class. As the Proprietress, you should be proud of that fact. Even this Demon King is impressed with your facilities."

No longer able to maintain her stern expression, Benienma had a gleeful smile on her face as she cupped her cheek and bashfully exclaimed, "Oh! You two are too much-dechi~! How can I stay mad at guests? Customer satisfaction is paramount-dechi~!!"

Seemingly forgetting her original purpose, Benienma began to walk away, her feathers puffing up happily as she added, "Dinner has already been prepared. When you are ready, just ring the bell and it will be delivered directly to your room, dechi~! I added looooots of love, so I’m certain you’ll enjoy it~!"

Despite the corridor seeming infinite in length, it didn’t take Benienma much time to reach the end, her figure disappearing as she rounded a corner. This left Vahn and Nobunaga laughing like two kids who had pulled off a successful prank. Then, arms still linked, they began to navigate the labyrinthine corridors, finding themselves at their room in a startlingly short period of time...

With more than six-months passing in the outside world, the Yokai District had grown exponentially in size. The flow of time within varied from location-to-location, but, even if you were simply to walk the perpetually moonlit streets, time would stagnate by a factor of three. As a result, an average of eighteen months had passed within the peculiar dimension that existed in the in-between spaces of Avalon, accessible only by getting lost or having an ’invitation’ from one of the thousands of Yokai that resided within.

Avalon had experienced an explosive growth in its population as of late, eclipsing more than eighty-thousand residents. Though the vast majority of these were Yokai, Spirits, and Fae, approximately six-thousand humans had come to reside in the port city located on the southern end of Avalon. These were mostly orphaned children who had shown considerable progress over the last six months, but, after various changes within the Mage’s Association, there were also a number of Faculty members and students from the Clock Tower.

Considering his encounter with the Heroes Faction took place a little more than seven months after his arrival in the Nasuverse, a lot could change in six-months. Now, the world had slowly started to move towards stabilizing, and, though construction was ongoing, even the European Supercolony had started to take in its first citizens. Now, it wasn’t rare to find people walking around with their Companions, smiles visible on their previously gaunt and downtrodden faces.

Though the majority of people still considered the Empire a tyrannical faction headed by a vile and wicked Emperor, sentiments amongst asylum-seekers had changed considerably. Those who lived in close proximity to food distribution centers had quickly adapted to the Common Law, finding their lives had actually improved beyond expectations. Even public order was all but guaranteed, as, the moment someone stepped out of line and tried to cause trouble, Imperial forces would appear to settle the dispute in an instant.

It would likely take several generations for people to truly accept the changes brought about by the Empire, but, as most people simply wanted to live stress-free lives, they were quick to acquiesce in the face of convenience. The Empire not only provided food and shelter, but, so long as you obeyed the Common Law, you didn’t even have to work. You could spend days on end without leaving your room, investing all your time in reading the hundreds-of-thousands of books and manuals that were provided by the Empire, studying anything that interested you, magic included.

Due to the availability of information, strict adherence to the Common Law, and an ever-increasing amount of mana in the environment, a growing number of people had started to display proficiency in the use of Magic. This was especially common near the nascent Supercolonies, as, seeing massive cities built in a short period of time was an eye-opening experience. People had become increasingly captivated by the mysteries of magecraft, opening their minds to the infinite potential represented therein...

While these developments were important, Vahn was most grateful for the fact that he now had a considerable amount of free time. He now did most of his training using Arcueid’s and Artoria’s Marble Phantasms, freeing up his schedule to spend time with his children, teach his students, and tend to his women. As a result, he felt as though his life had become infinitely more fulfilling, even if each day brought a fair amount of, generally pleasant, drama...

With a deadpan expression on his face, Vahn stared at the slovenly figure that was sprawled out across his and Nobunaga’s futon. Then, turning his eyes to the surroundings, populated by several empty containers of liquor, he dully asked, "How many times does this make, Shuten...?"

Despite Vahn’s tone, Shuten giggled in her characteristically seductive manner, rolling onto her stomach and supporting her head with her hand and elbows as she answered, "Didn’t I tell you? I won’t give up unless you kill or chase me away~."

Shaking his head, Vahn released a tired sigh, turning to Nobunaga to find a mixture of amusement and mild frustration visible in her countenance. She actually got along fairly well with Shuten, but, as it wasn’t easy to get a few days alone with Vahn, the presence of her fellow connoisseur of fine sake had soured her mood, albeit only a little.

Seeing the look in Nobunaga’s eyes, Shuten slightly squinted her own, the smile on her face growing a bit as she mused, "Ara~? I wonder if you have forgotten our promise so soon? Tell me, Nobunaga-sama, who was it who teased me to her heart’s content, promising to invite me drinking with Ten’nō-sama~?"

Hearing Shuten’s words, a small amount of panic could be seen in Nobunaga’s eyes, her face gaining a ruddy hue as she looked between the mischievous Yokai and Vahn. Fortunately, rather than appear even remotely upset, Vahn just lightly chuckled, asking, "I’m guessing she got you drunk before riling up your sadistic nature?"

Before Nobunaga could reply in the affirmative, Shuten adopted a pouting expression, saying, "Hey, that isn’t fair, Ten’nō-sama. Even if she is your wife, you can’t show favoritism like that. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s true that she played me without remorse. Is that not so, Nobunaga-sama~?"

Rolling his eyes in response to Shuten’s words, Vahn wrapped his hand around Nobunaga’s waist, a confident smile on his face as he said, "I know Nobunaga better than anyone. She might get out of hand at times, but she wouldn’t do anything I didn’t approve of. If you got played by Nobunaga, it is because you willingly incited her sadistic nature after getting her drunk."

With Vahn taking her side, Nobunaga couldn’t help but adopt a sly smile, squinting her ruby-red eyes in amusement. As for Shuten, she pursed her lips slightly, seemingly thinking about how to best respond but ultimately finding herself unable to refute Vahn’s words. Thus, rather than rely on words, she rolled onto her back, looking upside-down at them as she lightly stroked her lower abdomen and said, "Even if I used underhanded tactics, Nobunaga and I still came to an agreement. Is Ten’nō-sama willing to annul such an agreement after the price has already been paid...? How tyrannical~."

Shrugging his shoulders in a dismissive response, Vahn turned his attention to Nobunaga, ultimately leaving the decision to her. This caused her to shrug in turn, her smile turning slightly askew as she said, "Well, I wouldn’t want to be called a liar. Besides, Shuten’s alcohol is quite nice. I wouldn’t mind sharing a few drinks before sending her off."

Knowing it wouldn’t end with just a ’few’ drinks, Vahn issued a dry laugh before ultimately nodding his head and saying, "Very well, then. I don’t mind cutting loose before my battle tomorrow morning. If this becomes a habit, however, I’ll issue a complaint to Benienma. Don’t think I’m not aware of the fact you’ve been using my onsen as you please, Shuten..."

Shuten wasn’t surprised to hear that Vahn had learned of her ’arrangement’ with Benienma, but, as she had promised the latter it wouldn’t be revealed, it put her in a somewhat awkward position. She wasn’t even remotely afraid of Benienma, but, when it came to things like customer satisfaction, the petite sparrow could become pretty scary. It was also possible for her to be ’banned’ from the Enma-tei, preventing her from entering without violating the Common Laws that Vahn had imposed on the entire Yokai District.

While formulating a plan to win Benienma to her cause, Shuten pretended to be unaffected, giggling lasciviously as she pulled out a large bowl of fruit, seemingly out of thin air. Then, in a sensual and husky tone, she placed a large grape against her lips, letting it sit there for a few moments before sliding it into her mouth and loudly crunching it. Only after this display did she smile in amusement, answering, "Worry not, Ten’nō-sama. So long as you visit me more often, I can promise this won’t become a habit, ufufufu~."

Lightly snorting through his nose, Vahn guided Nobunaga to sit across from Shuten, leaving a fair amount of distance between them. Then, to make his point clear, he manifested a large kotatsu to separate them, earning an amused cackle from Nobunaga and a pouting expression from Shuten...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Vahn over here casually creating water elementals...’,’People are too easily pacified in the face of convenience x_x...’,’Some things change, others remain the same’)