Chapitre 2235: Repudiation

Though she felt Vahn's suffering couldn't compare to her own, Shion would be lying if she said the parts prior to his transmigration hadn't shaken her to the core. Her childhood hadn't exactly been pleasant. In fact, she had experienced suffering beyond the imagination of most people. The thing that distinguished her from Vahn, however, was the fact that she had a system, cheats, and a future to look forward to. Her first reincarnation had been a waking nightmare but that was primarily due to the fact she had carelessly wished for immortality without considering the consequences...

Had Vahn's first incarnation lasted a bit longer, Shion may have tried to sympathize with him. What changed her mind was Vahn's life from the moment he reincarnated. There were moments when he experienced setbacks, but, once he had found his footing, Vahn hit the ground running. He became a true 'leading man', someone whose momentum was so unstoppable that the only options he left his enemies were acquiescence or annihilation.

Seeing Vahn grow from a naive, terribly tragic young boy into a bonafide, seemingly unstoppable force of will, Shion found herself feeling mixed emotions. She envied his confidence, but, far more than that, she envied his ability to gather people around him. Sure, he handled most issues on his own, but, no matter how great their burdens of others, Vahn seemed to be able to carry them with a smile.

The part of Vahn's story that impacted Shion the most were the parts related to his mastery over the Magia Erebea. While she had suppressed her trauma to the point it still haunted her even after tens of thousands of years, Vahn had faced his darkness head-on. Instead of simply overcoming it, however, he accepted it as an integral part of himself. He used his pain to propel himself forward, and, most notably, help others overcome theirs. He was like a beacon of hope that wandered the seas, actively searching for those in need of aid rather than waiting for them to find him...

By the time Vahn's extended, movie-like presentation had ended, Shion found herself no longer willing to 'compare notes'. Her suffering had been great, but, had she faced things head-on, she wouldn't have nearly as many regrets. Instead, she spent much of her life on the run or avoiding her problems entirely. When she had finally gained the power to defeat all the Gods in Celestia, she was incapable of feeling a sense of accomplishment. The only thing she felt was a painful, agonizingly lonely feeling of emptiness...

Placing her hand over her abdomen, the glimmer of resolution that had previously existed in the depths of Shion's brilliant blue eyes was nowhere to be seen as she said, "You win...even if I had all of eternity, I can't see myself surpassing you. Once this Gift Game has reached its conclusion, I will disband my Community and disappear into the Abyss..."

Though he wasn't even remotely surprised by Shion's words, Vahn couldn't help scowling. He hated seeing people simply give up, and, knowing what fate awaited Shion once she died, he vehemently refused to let her disappearing into 'nothingness'. Everyone deserved to be happy. They may not be able to obtain it in one life, but, given enough time and reincarnations, they would eventually find a place where their heart and soul could rest comfortably.

"I refuse."

Without going into detail, Vahn suddenly lunged forward to stab his right hand into the center of Shion's chest. Her eyes became as round as saucers, but, having already given up on life, she didn't even try to resist. Instead, a look of resignation appeared on her face as she closed her eyes and let Vahn do as he pleased.

While it may appear as though Vahn had pierced Shion with a spear hand strike, the truth of the matter was that he had activated both [Hands of Nirvana] and [Godhand] to their absolute limits. His hand had literally phased into her body, but, instead of targetting anything physical, Vahn was reaching much, much deeper.

Thanks to the numerous System Templates he had created, Vahn had become intimately familiar with the structure of a person's Ego. He was also one of the only beings in all of Creation that had even a basic understanding of the true nature of the Soul. He knew that, even if Shion did give her body, mind, and spirit to the Abyss, her Soul would eventually manifest another Ego at some point in time. It simply wouldn't have anything to do with her. Not even in the most elementary sense.

As horrible as tragedies were, Vahn 'had' to believe they served a purpose. They were one of the things that allowed a Soul and the Egos associated with it to grow and develop across countless incarnations. 'Resetting' the cycle was a purely destructive act that served absolutely no purpose. Shion may have experienced some of the most terrible things imaginable, but, so long as she, or, more accurately, the people she became kept moving forward, such experiences would eventually become her strength.

Removing his hand from Shion's chest, a gem-like object that resembled a rainbow-tinted star encircled by a ring appeared in Vahn's palm. The moment it appeared, the Cameras operated by the Central Network began to 'glitch' for the first time since the conception of the Gift Game System. It was like the image that had appeared on screen was simply impossible for it to reconcile with any known thing in existence...

Seeing the strange object in Vahn's hand, an overwhelming sense of panic exuded from the very depths of Shion's being. The resignation she had shown previously was now nowhere to be seen. In its place was an expression of terror and mild hysteria as she instinctually lurched forward, shouting, "Give that back...!"

Intercepting Shion's charge with his left hand, Vahn placed her into a state of unconsciousness that completely ignored any resistances she had against abnormal status effects. Her body became limp against his chest, but, as much as he wanted to focus on her, Vahn's gaze was fixed on the object in his right hand. It had a relatively simple structure but was somehow one of the most mesmerizing things he had ever seen. He felt as though he could just stare at it for the rest of eternity and never grow tired of it.

(*Vahn...*)

Hearing Sis whisper his name, Vahn immediately came back to his senses. He placed the pulsating object in the most secure region of his personalized Little Garden before supporting Shion's waist with his left hand and patting her back with his right. When she woke up moments later, confusion marred her expression before she suddenly pushed him away, shouting, "Get your hands off of me!" in an uncharacteristically panicked tone.

Raising his hands as both a placating gesture and to show he had no intentions of laying a hand on her, Vahn looked past the vexed expression on Shion's face and focused on the connection that had formed between them. For a very brief moment, he found himself staring back at himself before his perspective promptly returned to normal.

Feeling that somewhat was very, very wrong, Shion placed her hand over her chest while her eyes focused on the Status screen that had appeared before them. There didn't appear to be anything wrong with her but she couldn't shake the impression that something, something fundamental to her very existence, had changed. It was almost like she had become a completely different person.

With far more emotion than she had shown throughout the entirety of their interactions thus far, Shion glared at Vahn, asking, "What did you do to me?"

Though Shion and the people who had witnessed the scene would vehemently disagree with him, Vahn wasn't lying when he returned a smile and answered, "Other than put you to sleep and wake you back up? Absolutely nothing."

"Bullshit...!"

Grabbing the collars of Vahn's tunic, Shion shifted her weight so that she could leverage his before slamming him over her body in a textbook example of a shoulder throw. What distinguished it from a normal shoulder throw was the fact that it caused spiderweb cracks to spread outward as a plume of dust more than a kilometer in height dominated the image visible to spectators.

When the dust began to fade, the audience outside was able to see Shion mounting Vahn, tears building in the corners of her eyes as she rained down meteoric punches on his calmly smiling face. She couldn't recall what, exactly, he had taken, but Shion felt as though Vahn had taken something unbelievably precious from her. Emotions that she hadn't experienced in tens of thousands of years were surging forward like a tidal wave, and, no matter how much she tried to stymy her tears, they just kept pouring in an unceasing flow.

What Shion, or, more specifically, the woman that looked like Shion didn't know was that Vahn had, in fact, replaced her. She had the exact same thoughts and memories as the original, but, in reality, the woman smashing her fists into Vahn's face was one of his Templates. If Shion was incapable of bearing her trauma, Vahn figured he may as well bear it in her stead. As for the original Shion, Vahn had effectively enticed her Soul to inhabit the artifact he had pulled from her chest. Once the game had concluded, he was planning to create an Actualized World that was an exact replica of the one Shion had reincarnated into. This time, however, she would be able to live the life she had in mind prior to falling for the God of Chaos's scheme.

In essence, Vahn had separated the parts of Shion's Ego that comprised the version of herself at the exact moment of her original death. As for the pain and suffering she had accumulated, it was now his to bear. The Shion smashing his face in may act and think like her original self, but, on the most fundamental level, she was an extension of Vahn. His willpower and resolution were now an integral part of her being, so, while it was unbelievably painful, the emotions she had suppressed for tens of thousands of years were rising to the surface. This time, however, she wouldn't run away from them.

Though he wasn't sure he had done the wrong thing, the simple truth of the matter was that Vahn was never sure if his actions were objectively correct. All he knew was that he wanted to help, and, no matter how much either Shion hated him, he would willingly bear their rage, indignation, pain, and sadness. He would even bear their very existence if it meant they could move on and find the happiness they deserved...

...

For the first time since the creation of the second Little Garden, the being that ruled over it as the absolute pinnacle of existence opened its eyes. It wasn't the type of entity that would traditionally pay attention to things transpiring in the 'outside' world, but, the moment Vahn withdrew the gem-like object from Shion's chest, the undisputed Rank 1 in all of Creation couldn't help taking notice, stating, "The Axis of Reality has shifted..." before once again falling silent...

Similar to the being occupying the Rank 1 Gate, the deities occupying the Rank 2 and 3 Gates both opened their eyes. The first was a statuesque being that simultaneously resembled an old man, a young woman, and a fierce beast. Everyone that gazed upon it would see something different, but, no matter who they were, all beings would recognize the entity as Ahura Mazdā, the Principal God of Zoroastrianism. As for the second figure, representing absolutely no one and the most powerful Faction in the Divine Realm, their appearance resembled that of a young scholar with jade-like skin, fair features, and exceptionally long, raven-black hair that was supported by twining branches that grew directly from their body. They were much younger than the majority of deities that called the Divine Realm, yet, in a remarkably short period of time, they had managed to secure their position as one of the three most powerful beings in existence. As for their identity, they were known across all Realms as the Buddha of Truth...

"Darkness falls/The Dawn Approaches..." x2

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is no mere mountain. He is the foundation that supports all...','That escalated VERY quickly o_o...','The Big Three have awoken...')

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Chapitre 2236: Exceptional

After beating Vahn and crying for well over an hour, Shion felt a lot better. She still felt as though she was missing something, but, at the same time, she somehow felt more 'complete' than before. It was almost like there was a voice in the back of her mind telling her that everything was going to be okay.

While wiping away the remnants of her tears, Shion didn't immediately dismount from Vahn's body. There was no special meaning behind her actions. It just felt good to sit on top of him and have the option to continue beating his face whenever she wanted. Her attacks may not have had any effect on him, but they also didn't hurt her hands. He was basically the perfect punching bag.

Though it felt really weird to have a girl sitting on top of him without grabbing her butt her holding her waist, Vahn just closed his eyes and waited patiently as Shion gathered herself. Unlike some of his other Templates, he had no intention of meddling in her life. He would be honest with her if she ever learned the truth, but, even if she never approached him after the Gift Game, he wouldn't let it bother him. They may be one and the same, but, at the same time, she existed wholly independent from him.

Seeing Vahn close his eyes, Shion fell into a long period of silence where she just stared at him. As her emotions settled, her feelings towards him had changed rather drastically. It was difficult to say she felt 'good' about him, but, at the very least, she neither hated nor resented him.

"I don't know what you did...but I'm reasonably certain you did it to help me. I didn't ask for it, but I also don't blame you for wanting to help. That's just the type of person you are...isn't it...?"

Placing her hand over the spot where her scar had been, Shion felt as though Vahn had given her far more than he had taken away. She couldn't really explain why but she felt better at this exact moment than she had in the past ten, maybe even forty thousand years. Even her mind felt a lot clearer than before, so much so that she could now distinctly remember incidents that had taken place as far back as her very first childhood...

"Thank you..."

Though Shion's words were barely a whisper, Vahn just smiled without saying a word. It was only when she dismounted him with a faint, almost undetectable blush on her face that he finally sat up and asked, "What are you going to do from here onwards?"

As she had been considering suicide less than seventy minutes prior, Shion didn't really have an answer to Vahn's question. Ever since she had destroyed the Community that summoned her, her singular goal had been reaching the pinnacle of existence and fixing the very broken system in the Lower Realms. Now that she had met someone with a much greater chance of success than herself, she felt lost...

With Shion staring at the ground with a pensive look on her face, it wasn't long before Vahn found himself extending his hand to caress her head. Her brows immediately creased, but, unlike before, she didn't react with hostility. Instead, she looked up at him, her brilliant blue eyes searching his for the better part of a minute before asking, "What do you think I should do?"

Retracting his hand from Shion's head, Vahn didn't need to consider his words before answering, "I think you should do as you please. I can tell from the types of people you surrounded yourself with that you put your objective before your personal views, wants, and needs. If the Community you are in charge of is broken, how do you expect to fix something on the scale of Creation? For now, focus on the small things. It is by becoming happy we gain the strength of character to help others obtain the happiness they deserve."

Exhaling a sigh, Shion's emotions appeared to stabilize quite a bit as she muttered, "You're really something...I suppose this is the difference between someone who spent their entire life gathering companions and someone who spent the majority of their life running away?"

Though she believed she had good reasons for it, Shion now felt as though she had wasted time by not even trying to open her heart to others. She just didn't want to defile the memory of the people who had supported her before her gradual descent into madness and solitude. She had convinced herself that if she never opened her heart to others, she would never have to endure the pain of losing them...

Immortality was not a blessing.

It was a curse.

Catching Shion by surprise, Vahn actually shrugged in response to her self-deprecating remark, stating, "Who knows? The best metric to evaluate a person's life is observing the legacy they leave behind. Things like differences in a person's character, temperament, and even inborn talent have very little meaning. So long as there is life, there is the possibility of change. We all make mistakes. So long as you pick yourself up and continue to move forward, I can guarantee you will one day be able to look back on this moment and smile."

Hanging her head, Shion couldn't shake the feeling she had been utterly defeated. As ridiculous as his strength and authority were, the thing that made Vahn truly amazing was his character. She had thrown her everything at him, yet, with the exception of the time he had chastised and slapped her, Vahn never lost his smile. He just continued tolerating everything until she no longer had anything left to give...almost like a father waiting for his rebellious daughter to see the error of her ways...

Feeling her face heating up, Shion attempted to disguise her embarrassment by rubbing her cheeks and wiping away her eyes. Vahn noticed her reaction, but, as was often the case when he dealt with a Tsundere, he pretended not to.

(*That Tsundere is actually an extension of yourself...*)

Ignoring Sis's teasing remark, Vahn waited for Shion to collect herself before saying, "The Gift Game should be concluding within the next couple of hours. When you have the time, stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth or come visit me at Castle Aldrnari. I'm not going to force you, but I think it would do you some good to stop by and vent your frustrations. I have a bad habit of rambling but I'm also a pretty good listener."

Having just likened Vahn to a father figure within her mind, Shion felt embarrassed just hearing him speak. In spite of this, she managed to appear relatively calm as she met his gaze and answered, "I'll keep that in mind..." before promptly vanishing. With space no longer off-limits, it was a simple feat for her to teleport back to her planet. As for what she would do from there...she wasn't entirely sure. It was one of those things she would need to figure out as she slowly and steadily moved forward...

...

Observing the interaction between Vahn and Shion from start to finish, Indra couldn't help feeling a sense of appreciation for the man he simultaneously resented. Vahn really was the epitome of what he believed a man should be. He was strong, magnanimous, kind, caring, and, as far as Indra could tell, extremely genuine.

Where most people doubted themselves to the point of changing their behavior from one moment to the next, Vahn remained himself no matter the situation. So long as you didn't touch his bottom line, he appeared to have an infinite capacity for benevolence. It was truly awe-inspiring, but, at the same time, incredibly worrying.

As nonsensical as it sounded, Indra couldn't sense the depths of Vahn's power. It wasn't particularly well known, at least not anymore, but Indra, or, more accurately, his original self was, and still is, the Rank 7 in all of Creation. He had given away and bestowed the majority of his power unto others, but he was still one of the beings responsible for the creation and maintenance of the Little Garden.

The one power Indra had never given up was his ability to see the potential in others. It was one of the reasons he was known to be a jealous God, as, while his existence remained largely unchanged, the people around him were constantly moving forward. The only way he could experience change was to give up his power, manifest as an avatar, or reincarnate. Even then, everything he gave out would invariably return to him. Thus, in the grand scheme of eternity, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he remained the same.

When Indra looked at Vahn, he saw two things. The first was 'absolutely nothing'. While this might sound confusing, it made sense when every being except for Vahn had a clearly foreseeable fate. It might change from one moment to the next, but, from the moment of their creation to the time of their death, all beings were pulled along in the endless stream of fate.

Since before the dawn of time, Indra had never encountered a single being without a fate. Even the Abyss of the End, End Emptiness, had the fate of becoming the nothingness that followed the end of all things. It was an event that could be delayed for a literal eternity, but, at some point, beyond the concept of time, End Emptiness would consume all things.

Vahn lacking a fate made him the sole exception in all of Creation. This was concerning in and of itself but the thing that terrified Indra most of all was Vahn's unfathomable potential. It could be argued that all beings in the Order of Creation had the potential of reaching the absolute pinnacle of existence, but, when looking at Vahn, Indra sensed something...more.

If Vahn decided to take over the Little Garden and superimpose his vision onto the rest of Creation, Indra had no doubt he would be able to achieve it. The only question, at least in Indra's mind, was how much destruction would be wrought in Vahn's wake. Anyone or anything that got in his way or contradicted his vision was bound to be destroyed. Depending on the circumstances, even the Little Garden wouldn't be spared, as, according to the things Vahn had said and done thus far, he wasn't particularly satisfied with how 'out of hand' things had become...

At this juncture, Indra had an important decision to make. He could trust in Shiroyasha's decision and allow the Little Garden to fulfill its purpose or he could rally the Gods for one last stand against Vahn. It may turn out that he is inevitable, but, much like the Demon God, End Emptiness, and every other Last Embryo, they could still delay him for as long as possible.

If all of Creation was bound to be changed as a result of Vahn's ambition, it stood to reason that all of Creation should stand against him...

Had Vahn been an overtly corrupt or malicious individual, Indra wouldn't even need to consider whether or not he should oppose him. The thing that made his decision so difficult, other than the fact that Shioryasha had clearly placed her trust in him, was the fact that Vahn was clearly a good person. He demonstrated a considerable amount of patience and even showed genuine concern for his enemies. So long as they didn't touch his bottom line, Vahn seemed capable of forgiving anyone for anything.

The biggest issue was that the Little Garden wasn't exactly filled with fine, upstanding individuals. A lot of the Gods had become corrupt, but, while some had walked that path of their own volition, the vast majority had simply succumbed to fate and the influence of Poets. With time, they could be led back to the path of righteousness, but, a Vahn had clearly demonstrated, he wasn't going to just sit around and wait patiently for them to reform. He was making startling progress toward his goal, so much so that it may only take him a few years to achieve something no one, not since the Dawn of Creation itself, had achieved...

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'When you Kuudere evolves into a Tsundere...','Vahn has always been the exception...','Be very careful about what you choose...')

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