Chapter 2067: At the World's Edge
In hindsight, Vahn realized that he should have seen through Shiroyasha's plan much sooner. It was pretty obvious she had taken an interest in him. After all, even if she was a bit of a pervert, it wasn't exactly normal for a girl to strip in front of someone they didn't like.
Fortunately, though there were quite a number of ways around it, Shiroyasha would need to return her Divinity and give up her position as Floor Master if she was serious about pursuing him. In other words, all she could do at the present moment was tease and observe him. Inversely, this meant she would continue to pester him at her leisure as she, quite literally, had nothing better to do...
While simultaneously lamenting and looking forward to what the future might hold, Vahn, guided by Black Rabbit, found himself walking through a flourishing forest called the God's Playground. As the name implied, it was a place where numerous Lesser Deities, Spirits, and Faeries lived free from the conventional rules of the Little Garden. Anyone foolish enough to wander inside would quickly find themselves beset by various mischief-makers, several of which wagered lives, years, and even 'souls' as their prizes.
It was relatively common, albeit ill-advised, for residents of the Little Garden who were confident in their strength and intellect to venture outside to forge contracts with various Spirits. It was a quick way to increase your power, and, depending on your luck, you could even become immortal after a simple game of rock, paper, scissors. Inversely, if you were unlucky, you might find your perspective of time-warped to such an extent that seconds from your perspective would be hours from another. You could also find yourself trapped in Fairy's Garden for what felt like a few weeks only to discover that hundreds of years had passed in the outside world.
Simply put, the God's Playground wasn't a place normal people dared venture. Fortunately, as a Moon Rabbit, Black Rabbit was also one of the Little Garden's Aristocrats. She had the privilege to travel virtually anywhere within the Little Garden. Had this not been the case, she wouldn't be able to act as a Judge Master for the Thousand Eyes Community, as, despite working for Shiroyasha, she wasn't actually a member of her Community. In other words, the only thing preventing Black Rabbit from venturing into the 1-Digit Gated Communities was the knowledge that she would immediately be captured and made into someone's pet...
"We're almost there..."
Noticing Black Rabbit's ears drooping, Vahn's expression softened as he asked, "Are you going to be okay? You know I would never force you to do something against your will. I'm happy so long as you're happy..."
Pausing her steps, Black Rabbit looked back with a melancholic look on her face as she said, "It's not that. I...I don't mind becoming a member of your harem. You already told me about the other girls in your life, after all. It's just...I'm a little sad...I was really looking forward to having a family of my own..."
Feeling as though the bunny before him had just shot an arrow through his chest, Vahn nearly lost his footing. He recognized this as the influence of fate, or, at the very least, luck. Fortunately, he was able to catch himself before crashing into the dejected beauty. Thus, rather than knocking her over and pushing her to the ground, he ended up wrapping his arms around her waist and gently pulling her into his embrace.
"You just need to tell me what you want. I don't mind going along with Shiroyasha's plan, but your well-being is infinitely more important than that. Even if you asked me to whisk you away from this world for a hundred years, I would do so without hesitation..."
Though her hair didn't turn pink, Black Rabbit's ears perked up and began to twitch as she buried her face into his chest. He had already told her about his personalized Little Garden so she knew he wasn't just being facetious for the sake of touching her heart. Unfortunately, she also knew about his ten-year rule, and, more importantly, she didn't have the heart to be away from the No Names for a hundred years. Thus, without any significant hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him and said, "No...it's only a few months. Shiroyasha-sama also gave me permission to...to..."
Imagining what she and Vahn might be doing in the very near future, Black Rabbit's hair effectively exploded into a vibrant shade of pink. For a brief moment, she had even imagined them doing the deed in the God's Playground. After all, while it wasn't impossible for Shiroyasha to leave her post, it would cause problems if she was away for an extended period of time. Thus, so long as they were outside the Little Garden, it was a lot harder for Shiroyasha to interrupt...
Understanding Black Rabbit's thoughts from her reaction, body language, and the color of her aura, a light chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he held her a little closer. Unfortunately, they had a lot more than Shiroyasha paying attention to them at the present moment. He could probably hide their presence from the majority of peeping eyes, but, when it came to Gods and their omniscience, he presently lacked the authority to keep them from prying outside of his established territory.
"Hold that thought, okay? Once we're finished here, you need only ask and I will do everything in my power to meet your expectations..."
Punctuating his words, Vahn attempted to lower his hands and give Black Rabbit's butt a squeeze. Before he could, the befuddled bunny immediately hopped out of his arms, her face nearly as pink as her hair as she stammered, "W-W-We should be going...!" in an extremely flustered tone of voice
Without waiting for Vahn's response, Black Rabbit kicked against the ground with enough force to create a powerful shockwave as she leaped over the surrounding trees at hypersonic speeds. This left Vahn with a wry smile on his face, but, knowing it was only a matter of time before the bashful bunny petitioned him directly, he decided not to press the matter. In fact, depending on how things played out between him and Shirayukihime, there was a good chance that Black Rabbit would take the initiative just so that someone else didn't rob her of the opportunity...
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With Black Rabbit basically running away from him, it only took a few minutes before she and Vahn reached the Edge of the World. The sight of countless waterfalls flowing over the edge of the world was one of the most breathtaking sights Vahn had ever seen. Of course, compared to the beauty of Black Rabbit, the water cascading over the edge and flowing out into creation was secondary to the pink-haired maiden staring out into the endless blue horizon, a mere three meters from the edge of all things...
Though he didn't think she would jump, Vahn felt uncharacteristically nervous seeing Black Rabbit staring longingly towards the horizon. A part of him was even afraid to get near her, but, never one to back down, it wasn't long before he found himself standing next to her, a faint blue glow in his eyes as he asked, "What are you thinking about...?"
"Tell me...what are the lower realms like? I've heard countless stories about the worlds below, but I've never been able to perceive them myself..."
"Hmmm..."
Since there was no easy way to answer such a question, Vahn took a few moments to organize his thoughts before explaining, "Anything you can think of can be found in the worlds below. I'm sure you've heard something similar, but, from the perspective of beings at the top, the lower realms are no different from fiction. They take the form that others give them, and, through the actions of the people within, innumerable changes can occur..."
Having heard something similar before, Black Rabbit just nodded her head before turning towards Vahn with a smile and saying, "It doesn't have to be any time soon, but, one day, I'd like to explore the lower realm at your side. Will you come with me...?"
Returning a smile of his own, Vahn was about to agree when a massive water spout erupted a few meters away from them. Immediately thereafter, a serpentine dragon more than a hundred meters in length appeared. It had a body covered in predominately white scales with a strip of blue running along the right side of its body. Its head more closely resembled a snake than a dragon but it had a bluish-white mane, a crystalline blue horn, and two Shimenawa-style rope bindings around the base of its neck. The single-horn indicated that it was a serpent that had failed to become a true dragon on its own, and, while he would need to confer with the Law of Identity to make sure, Vahn guessed this was the reason she had formed a contract with Shiroyasha.
"Foolish mortals! You dare enter the territory of-wh-wh-what the hell!?"
Realizing that the white serpent was about to make a pretentious boast, Vahn allowed a bit of his aura to leak out as he stepped out in front of Black Rabbit. This caused the overgrown serpent to slither backward in the water in a somewhat comical manner, its yellow-orange eyes widening as it stammered, "M-M-Might I ask why someone as distinguished as your great self has decided to visit this lowly one's humble abode...?"
Figuring it would make things a little easier for everyone involved, Vahn plainly stated, "Shiroyasha sent me."
As if it had taken both physical and mental damage, the white serpent visibly flinched as it released a pained "K-Kuh..." before following it up by saying, "I haven't heard from Shiroyasha-sama in years. Why has she sent you?"
Though he was starting to feel a little sorry for the lesser water deity, Vahn answered, "She told me you had an agreement to become her maid in the future. She wanted me to give you the option of serving me or fulfilling your agreement and-"
"It would be my honor to serve you, oh great one..."
If given the option between Shiroyasha and virtually anyone else, Shirayukihime would side with the latter. She could also sense that Vahn was a Pure-Blooded Dragon. So long as he hadn't arrived with the intention of killing her, she would have readily challenged him to a Gift Game with her body on the line. Pure-Blooded Dragons were as unique as Unicorn Horns and Phoenix Feathers in the lower realms, so, with her only other options being a few lecherous deities that had set their sights on her, she was actually quite desperate.
Though he wasn't particularly surprised by Shirayukihime's instantaneous acquiescence, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he asked, "That's it? You don't want to challenge me to a Gift Game or ask where I came from? You're just going to accept what I said at face value...?"
Shifting her eyes towards Black Rabbit, Shirayukihime explained, "There is only one Moon Rabbit in the entire Divine Realm. Shiroyasha-sama would never entrust her to someone she didn't believe in. The only other way you could have that little one with you is if you somehow defeated Shiroyasha-sama in a Gift Game. Either way, you are someone worthy of my respect and admiration...I dare not besmirch your honor with something like a Gift Game..."
Following her words, Shirayukihime promptly transformed into an inordinately beautiful woman with fair white skin and glossy black hair tied up in a tri-colored flower hairpin. Her attire consisted of an elegant white kimono with blue trim and a match flower pattern, but, unlike a traditional kimono, it was fashioned much shorter than normal to accent her ample bosom and thighs. She even had on black lace stockings and a garter belt to further emphasize them. Thus, even though she had pointed ears, sharp blue horns protruding from the sides of her head, and peculiar blue runes hidden beneath her bangs, they somehow felt secondary compared to her breathtakingly beautiful physique...
Noticing Vahn's gaze even without his eyes wandering, a surprisingly common trait among women affiliated with Shiroyasha, Shirayukihime covered her cleavage and the bottom of her short kimono as she said, "Forgive me...Shiroyasha-sama ordered me to wear this shameless outfit...she claimed it had something to do with a concept known as gap moe...I humbly request your forgiveness if I have inadvertently offended you..."
Earning a slightly pouty stare from Black Rabbit, Vahn unhesitantly shook his head, an appreciative smile on his face as he said, "Oh, quite the contrary. You're a remarkably beautiful woman, Princess. Shiroyasha wasn't lying if she said this outfit suited you..."
Not expecting to hear such a compliment, Shirayukihime's expression froze as the water around her began to boil. She appeared icy and calm on the surface, but, thanks to the previously pristine blue water basically turning into a hot spring, it was pretty obvious she had been affected by his words. More specifically, Vahn affectionately referring to her as 'Princess' had practically caused her brain to explode...(A/N: The hime on the end of Shirayukihime's name means Princess. In other words, her name literally translates to Snow White Princess.)
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Black Rabbit wants tiny bun buns (O ^ O)...','Shiroyasha really is a demon of culture...','Vahn strikes again xD...')
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Chapter 2068: Arrangements
After waiting for Shirayukihime to calm down, Vahn explained everything he and Shiroyasha had discussed. He wanted her to understand what she was getting herself into, as, from the moment she joined his camp, it would be very difficult for her to change her mind. After all, while he could help her become a Pure-Blooded Dragon, the disparity in their power and authority would compel her to obey him for the rest of her life.
"My Lord...can you truly help me become a Pure-Blooded Dragon...?"
Though she was apprehensive to learn that Shiroyasha would continue her teasing, Shirayukihime had never once believed she could fully escape the diminutive demoness's influence. Thus, rather than allowing herself to be distracted by things she couldn't change, she decided to focus on the benefits she would receive by pledging herself to Vahn.
Nodding his head, Vahn explained, "I'll provide a more detailed explanation later on, but I possess the ability to help people change everything about themselves. Be it their race, physical appearance, talents, preferences, and even gender. If your faith in me was strong enough, I could even help you become a Phoenix, a Qilin, or a normal human being. The only limits to my power are the faith and desires of the person receiving my aid."
"I see..."
Detecting no falsehoods in Vahn's words, Shirayukihime began to feel a bit of excitement in her chest. Back in the Lower Realms, she had even been willing to sacrifice her life in her attempts to become a Pure-Blooded Dragon. Now that she had been given a second chance, she wasn't going to waste it. Thus, despite feeling incomprehensible embarrassment, she pulled at the binding of her dark blue obi, a faint shade of pink spreading through her cheeks as she whispered, "If my Lord is willing to accept someone as lowly as myself...I would be honored to serve you..."
"N-N-Now wait just a minute...!"
Though she had been made aware of the fact that Shirayukihime would likely be joining Vahn's harem, Black Rabbit hadn't anticipated that they would be consummating things so quickly. She thought they were just going to pick her up and take her back with them. Then, after a few days had passed, they would naturally begin to reduce the distance between each other. This was way too fast, almost ridiculously so.
As if she had only just now noticed Black Rabbit's presence, Shirayukihime prevented her kimono from slipping away as she questioned, "Black Rabbit...what is your relationship with my Lord...?"
Not expecting such a question, Black Rabbit's hair turned a vibrant shade of pink as she began to flounder about, wholly unable to respond. She wasn't quite sure how to define her relationship with Vahn. Sure, she knew she would probably be joining his harem, but, at least for the time being, they were more than friends but less than lovers.
Surprising both girls, Black Rabbit most of all, Vahn wrapped his arm around the befuddled bunny's waist before pulling her close and saying, "She is the future mother of my children, and, so long as she desires it, my fiancee and future Empress. I have vowed to do everything in my power to make her happy and I intend to keep that promise."
Hearing Vahn's words, Black Rabbit looked like her head was on the verge of exploding due to the increase in pressure. As for Shirayukihime, she appeared slightly taken aback for a moment before quickly recovering enough of her mental faculties to politely bow her head and state, "My Lady..." in the sincerest tone she could manage.
"Wawawawawawawa-"
Unable to process everything that was happening, Black Rabbit ultimately ended up collapsing into Vahn's embrace, eyes swirling around as illusory rabbits hopped around her head. It was a peculiar sight to behold for someone who was immune to Gag Laws and the Laws of Normalcy. At the same time, however, it was also quite cute.
Raising Black Rabbit into a princess carry, Vahn briefly met Shirayukihime's gaze, asking, "Would you rather I call you Shiro, Yuki, or Hime in the future? I don't mind using your full name, but it's quite long..."
While doing her best to keep her kimono from slipping, Shirayukihime bowed respectfully as she politely replied, "Please, address me as you see fit. I would be honored by any name or title my Lord chooses."
Nodding his head in both approval and understanding, a somewhat teasing smile developed across Vahn's face as he mused, "Let's go with Hime then. I noticed you seemed to enjoy being referred to as Princess..."
Though she was able to prevent a blush from spreading through her cheeks, Hime was powerless to prevent the surroundings from heating up as the water molecules in the air reacted to her flustered state. She, like many of the women Shiroyasha had set her eyes on, was quite weak to teasing. Thus, despite appearing as a cold and intellectual beauty on the outside, she was squealing like a little girl who had just received her crush's confession on the inside...
"I...I would be honored..."
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"I'm surprised you didn't push both of them down on the spot. Your tolerance is surprisingly high for a sex-crazed idiot..."
After returning from their trip to the God's Playground, Vahn allowed Black Rabbit to rest before giving Hime a tour of his workshop and introducing her to Sarina, Nono, and the members of No Name. She had been pretty insistent on becoming his Maid, but, thanks to the enchantments on his workshop, there wasn't really anything for her to clean or look after. Thus, after a bit of deliberation, Vahn assigned her to become the Governess of the two girls. She would be responsible for helping to educate them, and, more importantly, keeping them safe.
"That's pretty rich coming from a Demon Goddess who spread her butt in front of me during our second meeting..."
Snickering in response to Vahn's words, Shiroyasha continued to playfully kick her feet as she turned her head to the side and teased, "I figured you might need a few hints that I was interested. You were acting pretty standoffish after seeing me in this form."
"Hmm..."
Sliding his hands from Shiroyasha's lower back to her legs, Vahn prevented her from kicking before proceeding to massage her calves and say, "I try not to make assumptions. Even after hundreds of years, women can be remarkably difficult to understand. I've never been fond of using my abilities to woo women so there are times when even brazen actions fly over my head..."
Seemingly in response to the words brazen, Shiroyasha rolled over onto her back, a mischievous smile on her face as she pulled up her legs to create a tantalizingly deviant m shape, teasing, "Is that so~?"
Rolling his eyes, Vahn made Shiroyasha lay flat on her back before placing the palm of his left hand on her abdomen, rainbow-hued energy flowing from his hand and into her body as he warned, "If you're going to continue being disobedient, I'm going to stop..."
Though her jaw briefly trembled due to the sudden influx of energy, Shiroyasha managed to appear calm as she folded her hands behind her head in a lackadaisical manner as she replied, "Yeah, yeah. I know..."
Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Vahn continued to gently caress Shiroyasha's abdomen as his right hand ran along the length of her thigh. She was still genderless in her current form, and, even if he spread his senses through her body, she was basically just an amalgamation of energy without anything like organs. Thus, while it still felt a little risque, he didn't particularly mind where his hands wandered as he continued to massage her body.
Understanding that he really would stop if she pressed him too far, Shiroyasha decided to focus on what he had said previously, asking, "I'm assuming you can use your powers to know all of a girl's deepest and darkest secrets, huh? That would be a pretty scary ability in the hands of someone with malicious intent..."
Shifting his gaze to meet Shiroyasha's, Vahn appeared calm and relaxed as he said, "If I needed to rely on such things, I wouldn't be much of a man. Don't get me wrong. There was a time when I was obsessed with knowing as much as I could about a person so I that could make them happy. Now, I have the confidence to do so even without relying on such abilities..."
Though it was imperceptible to others, a teasing smile developed across Vahn's face as the energy from his palm flowed to form what appeared to be a tree that quickly spread its branches through Shiroyasha's body. This caused the diminutive demoness to swallow the words she had been about to speak, her cat-like pupils expanding and contracting as her fingers and toes curled against her will.
Seemingly by instinct, Shiroyasha's spontaneously disappeared from beneath Vahn's palm before subsequently reappearing behind him and asking, "What the hell was that?"
Chuckling in amusement, Vahn pulled out a towel to wipe his hands as he explained, "It's a little trick I learned to deal with conceptual entities who lack conventional nerves and neurons. To put it simply, I created branching pathways through your body that are capable of resonating with your unique energy signature. Then, using an assortment of Laws capable of bestowing pleasure, I made them do exactly that."
"It's no wonder you have such a ridiculous Fragment of Origin..."
Despite appearing calm on the surface, Shiroyasha was more than a little shaken by Vahn's words. It shouldn't be possible for him to affect her in such a manner without her realizing it. Her body was also sealed in a state of perpetuity after she received Divinity from the Buddhist Faction, so, even if he was able to mold people like soft clay, Vahn's powers shouldn't have any effect on her...
Understanding Shiroyasha's thoughts, even without Loi-chan's assistance, Vahn wriggled the fingers of his right hand as he said, "God of Infinite Possibilities. Remember?"
"So it would seem..."
Deciding not to press the matter, Shiroyasha flourished her arms to produce a set of clothes for herself before asking, "How soon can you start taking clients? I was originally going to procrastinate until those brats arrived but an old friend of mine has been having some trouble as of late. I figured you could lend a hand if you've nothing better to do."
Raising his brows, Vahn asked, "How are you able to make this request if you're supposed to remain unbiased? Also, I'm not your personal gofer. I don't mind lending a hand, but my original intent was to remain neutral. If I go around helping the people you want me to help, that doesn't exactly come across as unprejudiced and fair."
Pulling out her favorite fan, Shiroyasha used it to cool her surprisingly warm face as she confidently explained, "My impartiality is restricted to the East Side. The person I want you to meet with just so happens to reside in the South. She is also one of the women I've been keeping a close eye on, so I believe it's in both of our interests to have you meet. Don't worry. I'm not asking you to sweep her off her feet or anything. I just want to lay the groundwork for future cooperation between the East and the South. Besides..."
Having observed Vahn's behavior in the Tower, Shiroyasha was fairly confident she had, at the very least, a basic understanding of his character. Thus, the moment she had his interest, a mischievous smile developed across her face as she revealed, "The South has the largest population of mythical creatures, beast people, and hybrids. It's also the location of the Avalon, Mount Olympus, Yggdrasil, and the Garden of the Gods Communities. I figured you would want to make your presence known to them sooner, rather than later."
Though the notion had certainly crossed his mind, Vahn ultimately shook his head in response to Shiroyasha's suggestion, saying, "No. I'll worry about them once I've settled things here. For now, I want to focus on training Jin, Lily, Sarina, and Nono. The No Names are still recovering as well, so, unless your friend is in imminent danger, I'd rather wait. You might be eager to increase the size of my harem for your own benefit, but such concerns are only tertiary in my point of view."
Clicking her tongue, Shiroyasha crossed her arms in a somewhat defiant manner as she said, "You're being a little presumptuous, don't you think? Sure, I might be a pervert, but you make it sound like I'm desperate. Do you honestly believe I would be bringing this up right now if I didn't think it was important?"
Resisting the almost instinctual urge to apologize, Vahn's tone softened as he shook his head and said, "Very well then. I can, at the very least, hear them out."
Adopting the closest thing she could manage to a sincere smile, Shiroyasha's golden eyes gleamed as she happily replied, "Thanks, Vahn. I knew I could rely on you..."
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Black Rabbit xD...','*Confused FBI noises*','Shiroyasha and Loki really do have a lot in common...')
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