Kapitel 1038: Hypocrisy
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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