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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