As the day extended, preparing to transition into the cold descent of night, Vahn and a decidedly refreshed looking Fenrir were sitting at the dining table together. Since she hadn't come down yet, Vahn was keeping tabs on her through his domain but, seeing that Ishtar hadn't shown up, he credited her absence to the fact that she was just tired from the events earlier in the day. This left Vahn and Fenrir alone for the meal so the latter was sitting on his laps as Vahn continued his 'pampering' by transferring pieces of food to her mouth-to-mouth.
It was when Vahn was passing a small blue gemstone from his mouth to Fenrir's that the latter's ears stood on end, slightly before even he sensed the new presence that had just appeared in the room. Turning his focus towards apparently empty space, the sound of a tongue clicking could be heard before Nobunaga appeared out of thin air, accompanied by a fluctuation of mana particles. Turning her gaze upon Fenrir, Nobunaga remarked, "You're a sensitive one, ain't ya? Those ears and tail...you some kind of Yokai or Shikigami?"
Though Nobunaga's arrival hadn't come as much of a surprise, what caught Vahn off guard was the fact she had ditched her previous attire and had donned what looked like business casual, complete with an unbuttoned blazer, slacks, and expensive-looking dress shoes. It was similar in color to her previous garb, being predominately black, while a blood-red tie had found its way around her neck. Even more surprising was the fact that she had tied her hair up into a long ponytail that cascaded past her hips, giving her a sharp and somewhat masculine appearance. This was made even more apparent by the fact that, even though she had changed clothing, Nobunaga still had her sword tied around her hip...
Instead of letting Fenrir spoil her mood, Vahn kissed her forehead before saying, "Wait for me in our room." This caused her to nod before sending a glare towards Nobunaga as she trotted upstairs with a quick pitter-patter of steps. Nobunaga followed her with an amused smile on her face, waiting until Fenrir had ascended the stairs before turning to Vahn and teasing, "Don't tell me I'm going to have to worry about you crawling into my futon at night. You're a hundred years too young to think you can share a bed with this Demon King. Don't worry though, I'll give you a fighting chance...how about I allow you to massage my feet? If you're skilled, I might let you move your way a bit further up, kukukuku..."
Vahn hadn't been intending to humor Nobunaga at first but, hearing her essentially call his massage skills into question, he adopted a teasing look of his own before saying, "You should measure your words more carefully, Nobunaga. Even more than the gods themselves, there are some things you should never challenge haphazardly, lest you lose the ability to even regret your decisions." As he spoke, Vahn channeled Source Energy into his fingertip and, even though his [Hands of Nirvana] were much weaker at the moment, he was confident it was enough to get even a Demon King to concede defeat.
With a flash of light flickering across her blood-red eyes, Nobunaga's expression suddenly became extremely serious. Her eyes appeared twice as sharp as normal as a borderline murderous smile spread across her face as she warned, "Perhaps you have the right to make such claims...however, boy, you should consider that it is you who should measure their words carefully. I fear you haven't considered the consequences of challenging this Demon King and losing." As Nobunaga continued to speak, a powerful bloodlust began to radiate off of her, something only one who had slain an incalculable number of lives would be able to possess.
Instead of shying away, Vahn's own expression turned serious as his own aura began to spread through the room, forcing back Nobunaga's almost instantly. At the same time, he leaned forward with both arms on the table, crossing his hands under his chin as he said, "Though you may have fought to lay gods low with military might, I was able to accomplish far more with just these two hands of mine. I won't deny that I'm overconfident at times, but this is the one thing I can assure you of, Nobunaga. If you continue down this path, your pride may not be able to last the night, much less the entire Holy Grail War..."
As soon as Vahn's words fell, Nobunaga dropped low before dashing forward like a phantom, instantly reaching a speed close to 800km/h. Even faster than that, a black projectile flew towards Vahn's face that he was able to easily catch out of the air, revealing its identity as a dress shoe. Following this, Nobunaga's black-socked foot tried to plant into his face but, with much the same ease, Vahn caught her by the ankle while squinting his eyes. At this point, Nobunaga had an expression that seemed like it could cause ice to frost over as she icily stated, "I'll take you up on your challenge, brat. If you think you can cower this Demon King, you have severely underestimated me."
With Nobunaga having planted her other foot in a dangerous position between his legs, an impressive feat considering she had crossed the tabletop without even knocking over the vase in the center, Vahn could feel the 'promise' of violence contained within her words. He didn't know why himself but, having her continually talk down to him since her summoning made it almost impossible for him not to antagonize her a bit. It was similar to his almost instinctual need to tease serious and intelligent girls, especially if they were the strong-willed types...
The moment that train of thought crossed his mind, realization donned upon Vahn, bringing a stop to his actions just before he removed Nobunaga's sock. It was only now that he realized where this compulsion came from as, though they were remarkably different, Vahn briefly overlapped Nobunaga's image with that of Kali and, to a lesser extent, Loki. Not only did she have the aura of blood and death that often followed Kali around, Nobunaga also had a sharp mind that allowed her to verbally spar with him without a moment's hesitation. Her unwillingness to back down was similar to both Goddesses but, instead of having an almost overwhelming presence, something that could only be achieved with an almost incomprehensible amount of time, Nobunaga seemed distinctly 'human' in how she carried herself...
Sensing the shift in Vahn's state, Nobunaga's expression became even icier, a complete lack of empathy contained within her now glowing red eyes. Before she was able to get any words out, however, Vahn's chuckled in what sounded like an admonishing tone before his left hand grabbed her calf with a bit of force. Though this meant little to Nobunaga, as she wasn't even remotely bashful, the 'jolt' that accompanied Vahn's touch had caught her by surprise. In the next moment, Vahn, seemingly having returned to normal, stated in a teasing tone, "I wonder how long you'll be able to stand in this awkward position..."
Currently, Nobunaga was balancing on one foot, located between Vahn's thighs, as the latter kept her from falling over with the hold he had on her leg. It was a testament to her balance that she was able to maintain the pose without even shaking but Vahn knew this wouldn't last long as he slowly rolled her sock down to the heel of her foot. This caused Nobunaga's brows to furrow but, instead of showing any trepidation, she confidently stated, "The time for talk has already expired. Now, this has become a battle of wills. If you drop your guard for even a moment, don't think I won't take your head..." No sooner had these words left her mouth, Nobunaga had already unsheathed her sword as it drew a flash-like arc through empty space.
Vahn had inclined his head backward to evade the blow, all while simultaneously sending a veritable flood of Source Energy through Nobunaga's calf. Though he was tempted to hasten her defeat by sending a few choice threads to the more sensitive nerves in her body, Vahn wasn't quite sure he wanted to egg Nobunaga on in such a way. For the time being, he targetted some of the less sensitive nerve clusters as he liberated her sock and pressed his thumb into her heel before pushing deeper into the soft tissue of her arch. Nobunaga showed a surprising lack of response but Vahn wasn't too worried as he pushed off the ground, sending the chair crashing towards the floor to evade Nobunaga's follow-up attack.
Though his actions nearly ended up forcing Vahn into a rather awkward position, where Nobunaga was essentially standing on him, he rolled with the momentum before genuinely surprising his errant Servant when they flipped over in mid-air. Vahn had used his Telekinesis to anchor himself, changing their center of gravity to a fixed point that allowed just enough room for them to 'rotate' in the air. As a result, Vahn found himself sitting on Nobunaga's back as he pulled her leg up at an awkward angle and continued to massage her foot. Though she released a grunt when he sat on her, Nobunaga quickly recovered as she attempted to twist her torso around, this time holding a matchlock pistol in hand.
Without flinching, Vahn casually remarked, "Here I am using nothing but my hands while the Great Demon King has to result to using her trump card at the beginning of the battle..." This remark caused Nobunaga's trigger finger to pause for a brief moment, but only just. She showed next to no hesitation at all, remarking in a 'confident' tone, "If you think this is really my trump card, you deserve to take a few bullets for your ignorance." Though she managed to get these words out, Nobunaga found herself unable to fire a second shot as Vahn sat further up her back before tapping several points along her spine. Even though Servants were made manifest through mana, they still had bones, organs, tendons, and, most importantly, nerves...
Nobunaga's expression didn't change much as she watched her arm fall powerlessly to the wayside but, after having her face forced into the ground as a result of Vahn pulling her legs further back, she finally seemed to realize she had made a mistake. She futilely tried to lift her body using nothing but her neck muscles but Vahn was relentless as he moved her slacks up to expose her calf completely before 'gently' massaging her surprisingly tender legs. It was hard to tell, as Nobunaga seemed to prefer to wear men's clothing, but her figure actually wasn't as underdeveloped as he expected. Though she was somewhat petite, like most Japanese women, Nobunaga was only around 5cm below the national average while her hips and thighs were plusher than expected as they stretched the fabric of her slacks...
Contrary to the bravado she had shown from the start, it hadn't even taken three minutes for Nobunaga to fall completely silent as she clenched her teeth and exhaled through her nose. She couldn't tolerate the idea of surrendering so, even as the effects of Vahn's massage continued to increase in intensity, the Source Energy within her body overlapping and amplifying itself, she refused to admit defeat. This only egged Vahn onward, even though he was fully aware of the fact that Rin had awoken after hearing the chair crashed to the ground. When Nobunaga fired off her pistol, Rin had started to get dressed and seemed to be preparing to come downstairs at any moment...
Knowing things would become unnecessarily complicated if Rin walked in on him practically pinning Nobunaga to the floor, Vahn placed his right hand on the outside of her thigh, just a few centimeters below her butt. He had avoided touching any 'inappropriate' areas, as there was a chance it could set Nobunaga off later, but that didn't mean he couldn't get close. Vahn pressed his thumb into her skin enough to make an indentation that was nearly a full centimeter deep as a rainbow hue flickered across his palm. Though Nobunaga had been quiet before, a resistant grunt escaped her throat as Vahn began to slowly move his thumb up and down her leg. He made sure never to cross the halfway point leading to her inner thigh but that didn't prevent a powerful stimulation from causing Nobunaga's leg to twitch violently with his gentle movements...
With his [Eyes of Truth] active, Vahn was very aware of the state of Nobunaga's body so, just as it seemed as if she was about to suffer a 'defeat', he immediately released her foot before rising to his feet. Pulling out a towel, Vahn began to wipe down his hands while commenting, "You're one of the toughest women I've ever met. Since we're limited by the situation, how about we call this one a draw? It's a shame, really, I feel like I wasn't that far away from claiming victory..." With that said, Vahn leaned down over Nobunaga's body, ignoring the 'resentful' glare she was sending his way as he tapped a few points along her spine, effectively restoring her mobility.
Though she 'really' wanted to attack Vahn right now, Nobunaga felt weak in the knees as she slapped aside the hand he had offered to help her up. She made a show of rising on her own power before turning her eyes towards the corridor and muttering, "It seems your judgment is correct..." With those parting words, Nobunaga disappeared into her Spirit form but, much to her surprise, she noticed that the 'sensations' Vahn had imprinted in her body hadn't faded. Assuming this form was supposed to be a method that would allow Servants to purge things like toxins and other abnormal status effects. Whatever Vahn had done, however, seemed to linger within her body like a tenacious parasite that burrowed directly into the more sensitive areas of her body...
Unaware of what Nobunaga was thinking, Vahn picked up the chair only moments before Rin entered into the dining room. When she saw it was only Vahn present, it didn't take being a genius to understand that his Servant had been the one to cause trouble. Though the sound of gunfire was proof enough of this, the fact that Fenrir was absent meant it was a personal matter between Vahn and Nobunaga themselves. Thus, with a skeptical expression on her face, Rin looked around the area as she asked, "What was that all about?"
In response to this, Vahn produced a wry smile as he answered, "Call it a difference in opinion between Master and Servant. Nobunaga and I both have our pride and it doesn't seem like we'll be able to coordinate properly until the status quo has been established..." Though he was saying these words to Rin, Vahn knew that Nobunaga was listening in as well. Because of the very same pride he mentioned, she wouldn't be able to talk about her near-defeat, especially since he had effectively 'spared' her. Vahn knew this was effectively placing a proximity mine that only he could set off but, feeling that teasing Nobunaga was surprisingly refreshing, he was prepared for whatever form of revenge she had in mind.
Rin knew there was more to the situation than Vahn was explaining but, at the same time, she had her own troubles to worry about at the moment. Even though Ishtar was sealed away, her body had been burning up since earlier in the afternoon. Her desire to return to bed was stronger than her desire to press Vahn for information he would never give without having a good reason. She knew he was creating a 'wall' between them, so Rin just shook her head before saying, "Other people are trying to sleep. You shouldn't be making noise this late..." With those words, she turned her back and was preparing to head back to bed before Vahn said, "Rin...", resulting in her turning back around a little faster than she had intended.
Vahn had a gentle smile on his face as he walked over, causing Rin's heart to begin beating rapidly, at least until he handed her a small bag of cookies and said, "You should eat something light before going to bed. These are made with lemon and vanilla so the mild tartness you seem to enjoy...make sure you get some proper rest once you return, okay?" Though Vahn hadn't directly peeked into Rin's room, he was aware of the fact that she had been moving around restlessly all afternoon. He wasn't foolish enough to misunderstand what was wrong with her but, as he would like to avoid complicating their relationship, Vahn trusted Rin to take care of herself until things got 'too bad'. If she could accept that his help was just to make sure she was able to function normally, that would be one thing, but Vahn knew that Rin's affections for him had started to blossom in recent days...
After hearing Vahn's words, Rin's face became beet red as she quickly turned around and ran down the corridor. Towards the end of the hallway, Vahn could hear her mutter, "Idiot...!" in a flustered voice before hastily making her way up the stairs. It was only then that Nobunaga manifested again, now with a faint of a blush on her own face as she gave Vahn an accusatory look and commented, "That is pretty cold of you, don't you think? I get that you might not be romantically interested in her, but it's pretty cruel to play around while someone that is supposed to be your companion suffers. Even I'm not 'that' evil.."
Vahn was a little surprised by the impact of Nobunaga's words, causing his mood to quickly sour as he matched her gaze with his own and explained, "There is much about this situation that you're unaware of, Nobunaga. I have-" Before he could finish his sentence, Nobunaga crossed her arms with a look of ridicule on her face as she said, "Don't even try to bullshit me, boy. After the stunt you just pulled, do you really think I would believe half of whatever excuse you were about to pull out of your ass? You know full-well what you were doing to my body so don't pretend to be a righteous saint when the scent of two different women is still fresh on your hands. If this is your true nature, I seriously misjudged you, brat..."
With her admonishment apparently finished, Nobunaga snorted before turning around and walking through the closest wall, vanishing in a flash of magical light. Vahn had replenished her reserves, and then some, with his earlier actions so she could easily wander around for 2-3 days without issue. Since she was now pissed off, on top of feeling frustrated, Nobunaga didn't want to humor Vahn in the present moment as, instead of exiting the Manor, she moved towards Rin's room in her Spirit form. If Vahn wasn't willing to take responsibility for what he had done, she figured it wouldn't be a wasted attempt to try and find comfort with her fellow 'victim'...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Demon King Vs. Godhand','An 'indecisive' victory...?','That awkward moment when your pseudo-loli female Servant is more of a man than you are...')
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After Nobunaga's departure, Vahn sat at the dining room table alone, his mind in a state of deep contemplation. The most troubling thing was the fact that he knew Nobunaga was right and, even if he had been back in the Record of Danmachi, Vahn was certain many of the girls would agree with her. His mind had recorded all of his previous conversations with girls like Hephaestus, Loki, Tsubaki, Hestia, Artemis, Ryuu, Eina, and pretty much every girl he associated with. Because of their care and guidance, he had lived a relatively uninhibited life that few people could even imagine, much less make a reality. Though this had forced him to bear a burden that even he couldn't withstand in the end, now Vahn found himself in a world where the only limiting factor that remained were his own inhibitions...
The crux of the issue was that, even with Fenrir's presence, Vahn still felt homesick more often than he would like to admit. Even if he placed most of his focus on his interactions with her, his other sub-processes would find him aimlessly thinking about everyone he had left behind. At the same time, Vahn remembered all of the promises and oaths he had made to himself, each serving as a link in the chains that currently prevented him from taking more 'decisive' action. Unlike other bindings, however, Vahn didn't want to break these chains because it felt like one of the few things that kept him bound to his previous world. Though he told himself that his feelings for the girls wouldn't change, regardless of the passage of time, Vahn was afraid that his own weakness, his inability to be 'alone', would cause these emotions to slowly fade away within the vast stream of eternity...
With dark thoughts clouding his mind, the emotions Vahn fought hard to keep restrained were slowly beginning to break through the carefully constructed container he had constructed to repress them. He even started to feel a boiling rage surfacing within his mind as part of him wanted to blame Rin and Nobunaga for 'forcing' himself into a situation that he simply didn't want to face. Though he had come to care about Rin's well being, the efforts Vahn had put into making sure there was an appropriate distance between them existed for a reason. He just didn't want to have sex with a 'random' woman, regardless of how well he had come to know her, so soon after leaving behind the people he cared more about than his own life. The fact that it felt like he was being 'forced' to do so, regardless of his feelings on the matter, even gave Vahn the thought of bringing the Grail War to a conclusion and simply leaving before anyone realized what had happened...
Vahn knew it would be so 'easy' to simply leave and do, essentially, anything he wanted to do. At the same time, however, one of the things Vahn wanted to do was protect and help Rin. He even knew that, if the circumstances had been different, he wouldn't even mind having a temporary relationship with her. There was even a chance that he could come to genuinely love her, as her kind, caring, and steadfast personality were some of his favorite qualities in a woman. This was one of the problems with getting involved with anyone that had any form of fate within their Record as, with his nature, Vahn found himself inexorably drawn to them. They almost always had a tragic backstory that would weigh heavily on his heart, inevitably causing him to drop his guard around them until things developed to the point that he would practically fight a war on his own if it meant they would be happy...
Knowing this was undoubtedly their fate itself at work, as they were often simply 'too' likable to ignore, Vahn could only lament that he would likely be a victim to its influence for a very long time. It would take him several hundred, perhaps even thousands, of years to grow beyond the point that fate would no longer have an influence on him. This awareness was also another factor that caused Vahn to waver as, knowing he was barely at the start of a very long journey, he would constantly find himself feeling uncertain every time he began 'enjoying' life. He was worried that he would become 'too' attached to each world he visited, getting involved with every 'significant' person he met along the way. This would invariably lead to the terrifying reality that, by the time he finally returned home, he might have to link tens of records, bringing hundreds of star-crossed lovers back with him...
Even with the truly unbelievable tolerance the girls within the Record of Danmachi had shown him, Vahn didn't delude himself into thinking they would be 'okay' with him bringing back hundreds of extra lovers with him. Just the fact that he would eventually be traveling with Eva, who Vahn knew wasn't the type to appreciate the presence of other women, already nipped that possibility in the bud. This meant that, the only 'real' option available to him, as he still intended to travel through several worlds before his inevitable return, was to forgo relationships entirely. He would have to isolate himself from pretty much everything within the worlds he would visit, focusing solely on his desire to grow stronger so that he could shorten the interval between now and his return...
Knowing that such a thing was simply impossible for him, as he was unable to turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, Vahn let his head drop to the table in exasperation. The only thing it would take to break his 'resolve', unless he changed himself on a fundamental level, was finding a single child that needed his help. If he became the type of person that turned a blind eye to the suffering of a child, Vahn knew he would come to deeply hate himself. Though this would ultimately fade with time, the thought that he would become desensitized to his own self-loathing was even more terrifying...
As this wasn't even remotely the first time Vahn had these kinds of thoughts, he already knew the supposed solution to all of his problems. Ultimately, just as his desire had been before he even descended into Danmachi, Vahn needed to live freely. Not only would he be happier, but there was a good chance his strength would increase demonstrably while trying to protect others than if he were to seclude himself from the world. The moment he began distancing himself from the very moral compass he had created for himself, turning his back on people he could easily have saved, was the same moment the person known as 'Vahn' would die. He had put in so much effort into becoming a person that several people loved, that all of his kids looked up to, that entire nations aspired to be like. If he turned his back on all of that, it wouldn't even matter if he was finally able to return home as, by then, he would have become a completely different person from the man he had painstakingly forged himself into...
While these thoughts continued to haunt him, Vahn raised his head to stare into the glowing red eyes of Fenrir who, for quite some time now, had been watching him from the door's threshold. She was one of the people that, regardless of the decisions he made, would inevitably support him. Even if he became an evil tyrant that destroyed millions of worlds to increase his power, Fenrir would still stand at his side without even questioning it. This knowledge would, on occasion, fill Vahn with a pang of deep guilt that was only lessened when Fenrir would express her resolve to stay at his side for all eternity. Even if he tried to push her away, to the point that it drove her crazy, Vahn knew she would never stop appearing at his side to try and be of use to him...
Releasing a deep sigh that actually caused the void around him to tremble slightly, Vahn produced a wry smile as he said, "Your Master is a terrible person, Fenrir..." In response to this, she firmly shook her head in denial before saying, "Master is a 'big' person. Bigger than anyone else...you have so much to give to everyone and, even if it hurts you, you never stop giving. Since you only rarely take what others want to give you, I do not believe you are a bad person, no matter what you say. Not just me, everyone back at the Hearth Manor knows this to be true...it is why, even if you make mistakes, everyone still loves you..."
Allowing a dry laugh to escape his throat, Vahn ruminated over Fenrir's words and knew they weren't false. Even if he felt like a pathetic scumbag that couldn't even be faithful to the women he loved, they still forgave him for it and tried to help him become the best version of himself he could be. This was especially true for all of the Goddesses as, even if he made mistakes that would lead him down a path of ruin, they had literally made Eternal Vows trusting that he would always find his way back into the light...
Turning his eyes towards the roof, Vahn allowed his perception to peer into Rin's room where, more than an hour prior, he had detected Nobunaga's presence. With hos close they were, it didn't take any imagination at all to know what was happening, all because he had been too much of a 'coward' to do what was necessary to help the person he cared about. He had simultaneously forced Rin to face a difficult situation alone, something she had constantly been forced to do throughout her life, all while losing the trust of his newly gained Servant. Just as Nobunaga had implied, he had been the textbook example of a hypocrite, all because he simply didn't want to bother facing Rin's problems alongside her...
It was at this point that Fenrir, having fallen into an observant silence once again, carefully explained, "Before we left, I talked a lot with everyone about how best to take care of you. Knowing that you would be 'alone' on such a long journey, everybody was worried that you would break without their support. I wanted to try and make up for everyone else but I now understand that Loki was right...no matter how hard I try, I lack the stability for Master to truly rely on me. Even if I do my best to comfort you, you'll always turn things around until the only thoughts on my mind are the comfort Master brings me..."
Seeing Fenrir trying to blame herself for his weakness, Vahn's expression hardened as he said, "You haven't done anything wrong, Fen-." The moment these words began to leave his lips, Fenrir's eyes began to glow like hot coals, a look of pain and anguish on her expression as she shouted, "That isn't right! I've done so many things that Master should have punished me for, but you always take it upon yourself without ever truly punishing me. You're so afraid that I will become even more unstable that you are constantly bearing Fenrir's burdens...!" At this point, Fenrir had tears welling up inside her eyes as her body began trembling beyond her means to constrain it.
Vahn found himself forced into silence by Fenrir's words as it had never even crossed his mind that Fenrir had bottled up such thoughts in her heart. She always acted openly, rarely filtering what she said or did unless she was 'expected' to. Vahn felt that she had made a lot of progress since her feral days, causing him to feel genuinely proud of how far she had come. Now, however, it seemed like Fenrir had actually wanted him to be more stern with her, causing Vahn's heart to feel a pang of guilt that made her give a frustrated whine when she sensed it. Then, clutching her head with her clawed hands, Fenrir groaned, "Master...Fenrir doesn't want to be the thing that holds you back...Fenrir wants to be by Master's side, always. Not just as someone Master needs to take care of, but someone Master can rely on when things get tough. Fenrir doesn't want to be Master's subordinate forever...Fenrir wants to be Master's partner...Master's equal..."
With the chaotic state of her mind, Fenrir's speech patterns were beginning to revert back to how she would speak prior to their promise under the moonlight, what now felt like eons ago. It was then that they had decided to walk this path together but, at almost every possible moment, Vahn usually only considered what 'he' could do. Fenrir was included in many of his plans but was almost always relegated to a support role since he didn't want her getting hurt. He was so afraid something would happen to her outside of his control that Vahn had been placing increasingly heavy restrictions on everything she did. This was the main reason he would pamper her when they were alone as, while it was highly therapeutic for him, Vahn was of the mind that he needed to make it up to Fenrir for how he treated her...
Before he had instructed his body to move, Vahn was already tightly embracing Fenrir's body, finding she now felt particularly frail within his arms. In response, she was lightly headbutting his chest while sobbing, one of the few times she ever allowed tears to escape her eyes. Seeing this was the last straw for Vahn as, compared to almost anyone else, Fenrir was a central part of his life that he couldn't stand to see suffering. Just as she would do anything for him, there were no lengths Vahn wasn't willing to go to in order to ensure she was happy. Even if it meant he would have to let her be free to act as she pleased, something that had rarely crossed his mind before, Vahn would rather regret when something did happen than stand by and watch her suffer because of the restrictions he had placed on her...
In the most gentle tone he could manage, Vahn whispered, "I'm sorry..." while stroking Fenrir's had and rubbing her back in a small circle. Then, so she wouldn't misunderstand his meaning, Vahn reluctantly added, "From now on...I won't hold you back anymore. You are free to do whatever you want, even without asking my permission...if you make mistakes, I will make sure to lecture and punish you properly from now on...please don't be sad, Fenrir. It breaks my heart to see you cry..."
Though the moment was more than a little ruined by the fact that Nobunaga was now spying on them, Vahn decided he would deal with her later as Fenrir was infinitely more important right now...
Though her face was still stained with tears, Fenrir used her Master's T-shirt to wipe them away before nodding her head in understanding. Then, as if she were determined to shatter what remained of his grasp on reality, Fenrir showed a resolute look in her eyes as she said, "I will go into the City and hunt on my own tonight. Watching Master fight alone is very frustrating...I want to prove that I can move around on my own, just like Nobunaga. Since Master always says you trust me the most, you can't let others do whatever they want without supervising them if you refuse to let me do the same. I won't accept it any longer...!"
Each word spoken by Fenrir felt like a hammer striking the back of his mind but, after just promising to let her do as she pleased, Vahn could only nod his head in response. This caused Fenrir's sad and demure expression to immediately transition into a radiant smile, something she used to struggle with in the past. Seeing the freshly dried tear stains, overlapped with her happy expression, caused Vahn's heart to twitch as he instinctually pulled her closer into his embrace and said, "Promise me that you will stay safe. I'm not going to follow you, so you have to swear that you will alert me as soon as something happens. If I lost you, I don't think I would be able to-."
Without letting her Master finish, Fenrir covered his mouth with her paw as she confidently stated, "There is nothing Master can't do. Even if it is painful, you are stronger than anyone. You will be able to return to everyone one day, even if Fenrir isn't strong enough to accompany you the entire way. No matter what happens, though, I will never stop trying to return to Master's side. Even if my body breaks and my memories fade, my soul will never forget the mark you have left on it. Till the ends of time, always and forever, I will be the person most loyal to Master...this is my way of expressing my love..." With that said, Fenrir moved her paw aside before standing on her tip-toes and kissing Vahn's lips. Though it was only a small peck, there were more emotions contained within that expression of intimacy than most of their more 'passionate' exchanges...
After giving one last smile, Fenrir's clothes magically changed into a dark bodysuit that was adorned with small accents of white and gold. Then, pulling out a spear that her Master had previously prepared for her, Fenrir wore a hooded cloak to conceal her face as she quickly left the Manor. This was the first time she was being allowed to 'hunt' on her own and, even without the ability to see auras, Vahn knew that Fenrir was excited. He had done everything he could to make sure she didn't develop the habit of killing indiscriminately so, now that she was left to her own devices, he could only pray that the lessons had stuck...
Shortly after Fenrir left the Tohsaka Manor, Vahn turned his attention to the empty space where Nobunaga had been spying on them ever since Fenrir's outburst. His expression had now become almost 'scarily' calm, even as Nobunaga revealed herself wearing nothing but a pair of blood-red lingerie that was far more adult than he would have expected. Since Nobunaga seemed to prefer men's clothing, Vahn had never expected her to wear such intricately designed lingerie, nor had he imagined her figure to be even more mature than he had initially believed it to be...
As if understanding his thoughts, Nobunaga gave a somewhat taunting smile as she said, "Oh? You're only just noticing this now? Don't tell me you're beginning to have regrets only now, kiddo..." What she didn't say, even though Vahn had already began to piece things together, was that Nobunaga's body seemed to 'adapt' and change depending on the amount of energy she had in her body. Though the 'container' for most Servants had a fixed size, there were numerous ways in which their growth could be promoted to allow them to compete against more powerful Servants. These were often heinous practices, such as having the Servant consume the mana and 'souls' of normal citizens, but that wasn't a restriction Vahn had to face. His Source Energy was like pure nourishment for her body, giving Nobunaga a new height of 155cm while her breasts, hips, and waist were all more pronounced than before...
With a condescending snort, Nobunaga manifested a set of clothes to conceal her figure as she stated, "Even with a woman standing in front of you wearing nothing but her undergarments, you just stand there gawking. Well, not that it really matters, does it? Anyways, I already dealt with your little girlfriend upstairs so you owe me one, brat." As the last sentence left her lips, Nobunaga's expression became even more condescending than before, almost as if she were 'daring' Vahn to take action. His reaction surprised her, however, as he simply looked towards the direction of Rin's room before saying, "I'll deal with you later, Nobunaga. There are more important things I have to deal with than stand here and listen to your lies..."
Though 'something' had obviously happened between Nobunaga and Rin, lasting for quite a while, it was obvious by the aura radiating from the latter's body that Nobunaga's claim lacked credibility. Rather than 'help' Rin, it looked like she had only made matters worse as all three presences within her body were currently vying for control. Though Rin could use her Command Spells to reign in the two errant Goddesses, she seemed to be holding back on their use, likely due to the fact that the Holy Grail War hadn't even started. If she used two of her Command Spell from the outset, she would have no contingencies when an emergency situation required the use of a Command Spell...
Without waiting for Nobunaga's response, Vahn passed her by before determinately making his way up the stairs. He knew that the reason why Fenrir had wanted to go out hunting was due to the fact that she simply didn't want to be present for what he 'needed' to do. As she wasn't particularly close to Rin, at least for the time being, Fenrir would much rather hunt down any errant Mages lingering in the Miyama district than wait quietly in their room for his return. As for Nobunaga, she just followed his retreat with her eyes, an expressionless mask replacing her usual confidence. It wasn't until Vahn's footsteps had faded that a smile slowly grew on her lips, followed by Nobunaga vanishing into thin air...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hello Darkness my old friend...','Fenrir is too good for Vahn (T_T)','Nobunaga is a very forward person...')(Reference for Nobu appearance: https://bit.ly/2Um2t9T )
(A/N: Vahn is essentially having a 'Superman' dilemma. He has so much power, enough to practically do anything he wants, but forces himself to behave a certain way so that he doesn't compromise the person he has become for the sake of others. I have never intended to present him as a flawless character and, even though it feels like he periodically has these little breakdowns, you have to remember what kind of life he lives. Isekai novels that present their MC as some kind of non-feeling machines that, for reasons that are never explained, have the self-confidence and determination to turn an entire world upside down, even though they lacked the motivation to even succeed back in their former world are full of shit xD. Those MC's always seem like psychopaths that treat others as if they are an integral part of 'their' story, rarely hesitating to do morally reprehensible things because there are no consequences. Vahn's problem is, even though he knows his involvement isn't required, he simply can't treat people as if they are essentially NPCs in a game that revolves entirely around him. It is his inherent desire to be good, using his power responsibly, that consistently leads him into this cyclic state of anxiety and self-loathing.)
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