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19.02% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 445: New Year's Resolutions (1/3)

章 445: New Year's Resolutions (1/3)

Vahn awoke around four hours later when he felt Eina's body begin to stir awake. She had been sleeping for more than ten hours and still seemed to be somewhat tired when she opened her emerald green eyes and stared into Vahn's smiling face. A smile blossomed on her own and she angled her head to kiss his lips before placing her head back on his chest and staring across at the sleeping Hephaestus. Eina began to wonder how long she should stay like this since she had started to feel a bit hungry and wasn't sure if she should say anything until her stomach seemed to have made the decision for her.

Hearing the somewhat cute grumbling of Eina's stomach, Vahn chuckled a bit before stroking her flushed face and saying, "It's fine, Eina, you don't have to worry about such things...we'll be together a lot from now on, so don't feel like you need to force yourself..." Eina had a thoughtful expression for a moment before raising her body and realizing she was still completely naked. Before she asked, Vahn pulled a pair of casual wear suitable for her out of his inventory, including a light-green set of lingerie for her use. Eina smiled and grabbed the clothes before folding them neatly and saying, "I'm going to go take a bath and get something to eat...if you need me for anything, please let me know, Vahn. I have the next three days off, but I'll be using some of that time to help Misha and Rose prepare their things..."

Vahn nodded his head before tilting it to the side, ruminating over a few matters before Eina laughed and said, "After Hephaestus wakes up, make sure to show your face around the Manor. Today is the first day of the new year so I'm certain everyone would like to see you..." Her words finished, Eina scooted off the bed and wrapped her body in a bathrobe before walking toward the door with shaky steps. Though her body didn't really hurt, it felt like there was a 'full' sensation in her lower body that had yet to fade. She noticed her own genitals were slightly swollen, even though Vahn had made ample efforts to make sure she didn't have any real injuries. If not for the fact that she wanted to 'feel' things properly, there wouldn't be any discomfort at all so Eina didn't complain and did her best to walk normally.

Once Eina left, Vahn started thinking about the matter that had come to his mind when Eina mentioned the fact that it was the first day of the new year. He had previously resolved himself to look at the various [Hearts Desire]s that had been accumulating in his inventory and now, while he was comforting Hephaestus' tired body, seemed like a good opportunity to do so. He would be stuck in the bed for a few hours longer and was actually curious about the contents of the orbs. The Divination had changed his outlook on many things and now he knew the important of 'knowledge', even if it was related to past events. Having a stronger bond with the girls that had already decided to be with him was never a bad thing...

As the first orb he had stockpiled, Vahn pulled out the pale orange [Hearts Desire: Haruhime] before breaking it in his hand and experiencing the stagnation of time once again. This time, however, he had his [Eyes of Truth] active and tried to pay attention to the phenomenon in order to get a better understanding of it before darkness claimed him and he was once again brought into an endless black space. The floor was non-reflective, but Vahn felt like he was standing on water as a result of the cool and wet sensation against his bare feet. Just like when he had used Chloe's, Vahn found himself in a black space surrounded by images that depicted Haruhime's past.

Since he had some experience with the phenomenon, Vahn knew this indicated that Haruhime on longer cared that much about her past and simply kept some of the memories alive in her subconscious. By the time he looked through the various memories, the avatar of Haruhime should appear and the cycle would have caught up to the reality after she conveyed her feelings to him. His time in this space was merely to 'experience' the things she held close to her heart and was willing to allow him to glean insight into...

Vahn stepped in front of the first memory, which was a subtle yellow color, which meant it was a time when Haruhime was happy. He could feel her happiness as he watched an adorable little Haruhime playing with a spinning top alongside a chibi version of Mikoto. Even without experiencing it in its entirety, Vahn knew this was the first time Haruhime had left the shrine and snuck out to play with the young members of the Takemikazuchi Familia...

Moving on, Vahn arrived at a grey image that was tinged with wisps of purple as he saw Haruhime bowing low in front of a fierce looking man that Vahn could understand to be her father. He had a complex expression on his face as he reprimanded her heavily for sneaking out but, though Haruhime didn't seem to realize it, Vahn could see the concern in the man's face. Several of her memories were related to her father and Vahn found it somewhat sad knowing that many of them were tinged with negative emotions. Other than the times when she was playing with the children of the Take' Familia, Haruhime only seemed to be happy when she was reading stories in a small room. Even the books themselves were things obtained from Mikoto since the only thing she was allowed to read normally were books on etiquette and how to be a proper wife in the future...

Haruhime spent many of her formative years being 'trained' to become a bride and Vahn even got to see the memory of when her father declared she would be married into one of the allied clans when she reached maturity. It made him frustrated seeing her crying figure in the deep blue memory and Vahn wished he could reach out and comfort the small girl that wasn't even seven years old at the time. The fact that her own father made her bow low when he was speaking made Vahn very uncomfortable and he promised to never treat his children in such a way...

Vahn noticed that, from the time of her kidnapping, Haruhime's memories became very sporadic and, other than some 'tragic' sequences, she didn't place much emphasis on them at all. Vahn could see gaps of several months in her memories at times and the only 'good' ones were when she was being cared for by Aisha and looking toward the moon, praying for the arrival of her hero before it was 'too late'. Soon after, Vahn saw the memory of Haruhime taking her first 'customer' and it was a dark purple full of regret and inhibitions as she stared at the man that was more than twice her size. Vahn could feel darkness collapsing in on him from all directions as the memory was suddenly cut short as a result of Haruhime passing out...

Vahn felt his mind become somewhat numb at this point until he finally reached a memory that shone as vibrant as the sun with a tinge of pink on the edges. When he peered into the memory, Vahn could see his own figure somehow wreathed in light as if he was some saintly entity that had stepped into Haruhime's life. The rest of the memory looked dull and bland, almost like Haruhime couldn't see anything but his 'heroic' figure in her mind at the time. It was somewhat embarrassing seeing himself in such a way because Vahn was aware of how 'embellished' the image of himself was in her mind. When he picked her up, Vahn could feel warmth and happiness spread through his own chest as the image of himself in the memory 'saved' Haruhime from the brothel...

After that, most of Haruhime's memories became far more vibrant and Vahn saw several yellow, pink, and even some red ones in the memory queue. He got to experience some of the private conversations Haruhime had with the other girls, including the ones where she 'educated' girls like Hestia, Lili, and even Mikoto. Vahn felt somewhat guilty watching her 'lessons' which included some rather erotic practices. He even had to avert his eyes when she began teaching some of the girls how to masturbate since it seemed 'rude' to stare at such things. 'Unfortunately', Vahn could feel the happy and somewhat teasing emotions that Haruhime experience at the time and it made his heart flutter a bit.

The most difficult memories to deal with, however, were the times Haruhime had spent with him in the Dungeon. Vahn knew Haruhime was affected by his presence, but he had no idea she saw him in such a 'passionate' light. Haruhime pushed herself so hard and most of the memories had been colored a passionate red that Vahn could feel spreading through his own body and making him heat up. Every time Haruhime looked at the version of him in her memories, her heart would begin to beat rapidly as powerful urges surged through her body. Vahn wasn't even sure how she was able to fight in such a state because her thoughts were plagued by an over awareness of his presence...

Vahn realized now that he had seriously underestimated Haruhime's infatuation with him and he actually felt somewhat guilty for denying her affections for so long. By the time he had gotten near present events, which included her memories of the Divination, Vahn had already decided that he couldn't keep putting Haruhime through such 'trying' experiences. She put in an incredible amount of effort to improve and Vahn knew that, even if he gave in to her advances a bit, she would continue to work hard without developing a reliance on him. All of her recent memories pertained to how she could become stronger, strong enough to protect herself so that she could continue to walk at his side without worrying him...

After watching the final memory, Vahn felt Haruhime's delicate arms wrap around his body as she rested her head against his back and muttered, "Thank you for saving me from the darkness, Vahn..." before the black void around them began to shatter. Vahn turned his head to the fading memories and, even though she wouldn't remember what he was going to say, said, "I will do my best to be the hero you see in me..." The avatar of Haruhime laughed in a happy manner before Vahn suddenly found himself back in the real world once again. After releasing a long sigh, Vahn took another deep breath and hardened his heart before pulling out a resplendent blue orb, this one belonging to Hestia...

Against his expectations, Vahn actually didn't end up in a memory where he had to experience the millions of years that Hestia had dealt with her version of loneliness. Instead, he appeared in what looked like an ancient temple that was filled with warmth that was emitted by a beautiful bluish-gold flame in a hearth located at the side. There was a simple mat on the ground and Vahn could see Hestia sitting peacefully with her long black hair reaching all the way to the ground and spreading out. As if she had detected his presence, Hestia turned around and had rose-red eyes as she whispered, "Vahn..."

Vahn wanted to speak to her but, unlike the dark void full of memories, he didn't actually have a body and was more like a disembodied 'awareness'. Hestia began to laugh before Vahn sudden found himself next to her with the warmth of the hearth spreading through his 'existence'. He still didn't have a body, but that didn't stop Hestia from leaning against the void itself as if she found some comfort in the action. With a somewhat lazy voice, Hestia reached out her hand and stoked the hearth with a long golden rod as she said, "I'm not sure how you found your way into my heart like this, but it makes me happy knowing you were able to do so...if possible, I'd like to just stay like this forever...but I'll just be content with however long you can manage to keep your awareness..."

Since he could say anything, Vahn thought of several words that might bring her some comfort but Hestia just laughed, almost as if she could hear him, and just said, "Quiet now, Vahn...just watch the hearth with me for a while...that will make me very happy." Though there were various things he wanted to say, Vahn turned his attention to the strange flames in the hearth and just did as Hestia asked. He didn't know why he felt compelled to listen to her, but it seemed very important so he gave into her 'selfishness' once again...

By the time Vahn returned to his senses, he found that the temple around them had ceased to exist and he now sat with his actual body, cradling the sleeping Hestia in his arms. She opened her eyes and Vahn could see that, instead of the pure blue of her real self, or the rose-red of her divine self, she now had eyes that were a mixture of blue and gold, the exact same as the hearth that had now vanished. With a beautiful smile blooming on her face, Hestia climbed up his body and sealed his lips for a very long time before saying in a happy voice, "I'm glad you stayed until the end..."

Vahn felt like there were important things to take from Hestia's words but he felt a numbing sensation that was preventing him from forming any coherent thoughts. It was very similar to when he had his memories erased after using the 'Scroll of Prophecy' and Vahn felt like he had forgotten something very important. Hestia showed a somewhat melancholic expression on her face for a brief moment as she hugged his body tightly and said, "Just having you here with me when I needed you is enough...thank you, Vahn...please treat my other self well from now on..." With the end of Hestia's words, Vahn felt like his thoughts were dissipating as her warmth spread through his body and he once again awoke in the real world...

Though he couldn't be sure, Vahn felt like he and Hestia had sat at the hearth for an unfathomably long period of time. He didn't get to glean anything from her past and, though there seemed to be many important developments, he wasn't able to discern anything else from her heart's desire either. The only thing he knew was that, even though she seemed somewhat sad, the Hestia within the vision was also very happy that they were together. Checking the system, he could see that several notifications had appeared without his realization and was absolutely mortified when he saw the values listed...

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//[Hearts Desire: Sanjouno Haruhime] fulfilled. Extra Parameter 'Love' unlocked.//

[Sanjouno Haruhime]: Love 11,418(Devoted)

//Bond Established with [Sanjouno Haruhime]//

//Optional Quest Triggered//

[Quest: A Man's Responsibility, Repeatable]

Rank: B-SS

Objective: Impregnate Sanjouno Haruhime (0). Ensure a safe delivery; Current Children(0)

Rewards: 100,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)]

Failure Condition(s): Death, Sanjouno Haruhime's Death, (Nameless) Child's Death

Penalty: 200 Karma (0)

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//[Hearts Desire: Hestia] fulfilled. Extra parameter 'Love' unlocked.//

[Hestia]: Love 520,108,023(Eternal Love)

//Bond established with [Hestia]//

//Optional Quest Triggered//

[Quest: Origin of Heroes]

Rank: SS-SSS

Objective: Impregnate Hestia(0). Ensure a safe delivery.

Rewards: 1,000,000 OP, 1x [Guardian:(Nameless)], 1x [Heroic Tale]

Failure Condition(s): Death, Hestia's Death, (Nameless) Child's Death

Penalty: 520,108,023( Karma (0), Divine Tribulation Tiggered

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Vahn had thought that Hephaestus had the highest value of 'Love' for him, but it almost felt like Hestia had poured her entire existence into loving him. He didn't even know what to make of the number since it was hard to process how someone could have more than 520 Million points of love for him. It actually felt like there was a heavy weight on his chest all of a sudden and Vahn could even feel the existence of Hestia, almost as if she were stuck to his body. When he focused on the feeling, Vahn even found himself at Hestia's side in an instant and could see that she was currently talking with Eina and Syr before suddenly turning her head toward him and showing a shocked expression on her face before it bloomed into a lovely smile and she hopped to her feet...

With her rise, Vahn suddenly found himself back in his own room with a light layer of sweat covering his body and he could sense Hestia's aura making its way through the Manor like a homing missile toward his location. Vahn already knew that the 'bond' he had with the girls became stronger depending on how high their parameters were, but he had never experienced an 'out of body' experience like that the moment he thought about them. Hestia was obviously aware of it as well and ended up opening the door with a bit of force as she grinned at Vahn and said words he couldn't hear because of the sound-dampening formation. However, even though he couldn't hear them, Vahn knew that Hestia had said, "I love you~!' before leaping at him like a goddess-shaped projectile...

---

Hestia's 'invasion' had stirred the tired Hephaestus awake and she was shocked to find Hestia clinging to Vahn's body like an animal in heat as she kissed around his face and neck in complete disregard of her presence. Her godly raiment had even begun to peel away from her body and it didn't seem like she had any intentions of stopping any time soon. 'Fortunately', Hestia was very weak and Vahn was able to raise his body and let her fall into his lap. Undeterred, Hestia began kissing around his chest with an enamored expression on her face and even sent a shiver through his pectoral muscle when she tried to roll his nipple with her tongue.

Vahn pulled Hestia's shoulders back and she began taking deep breaths with a feverish expression on her face as she said, "I can feel it...it's like Vahn's body is inside mine even though we were so far apart...I want to be together with you even more..." With her 'explanation' finished, Hestia tried to cling to Vahn once again but found her arms pressed firmly against her sides as Vahn tried to calm her down. At this point, she was already completely naked and had even taken to grinding against him because she couldn't move her upper body easily...

After Hestia managed to tire herself our, Vahn explained the situation to Hephaestus and the exhausted Hestia. He explained that, if he was close enough with someone, he was able to gain some insight into their thoughts and feelings and create a bond that linked them together, much like he was linked with Hephaestus through the eternal flame. Vahn explained that the strength of the emotions made the bond stronger and that, when he linked with Hestia, her emotions had somewhat overwhelmed him and 'pulled' his consciousness through the bond to her side. This triggered Hestia's excited state because, as she said, it was almost like he had 'entered' inside of her.

Hephaestus assumed this was an evolution in Vahn's abilities after her experience with him the previous night and cautioned him about putting too much of his focus on the bond that he shared with goddesses. Since they had lived a very long time, it would be very difficult for Vahn to actually bear the burden of their emotions, much like he had been easily overwhelmed the previous night the very moment he allowed Hephaestus' to spread through him. Hestia was simply happy to know she now shared a powerful connection with Vahn and, from how he described things, it seemed to be the strongest bond of all.

Toward the end of the conversation, Vahn mustered up a bit of courage and asked Hestia, who had been lazing about with a silly smile on her face, "Hestia, I know it may be somewhat rude to ask, but how old are you?" Not just Hestia, but Hephaestus' eyes widened slightly because, even though she knew Hestia for nearly her entire life, she didn't actually know how old she was either. Hestia's expression turned somewhat serious and it didn't seem like she was willing to give away the value until she saw the genuine curiosity on Vahn's handsome face. Still on cloud nine after the earlier events, Hestia released a long sigh before saying, "With the advent of the new year, I should be precisely 520,108,023 years old..." As she spoke, Hestia hung her head as if she were very ashamed of the number and had a deep blush on her face.

Hephaestus seemed shocked by the number and her mouth had opened into a small circle but Vahn didn't seem to mind it at all and just nodded his head as he hugged Hestia's still naked body in his arms. It was a somewhat strange though, but Vahn felt like Hestia had converted all of her 'accumulated' Love over the course of her entire existence and had placed it on him. Hephaestus was a somewhat stable existence when they met, yet her Love had rapidly built over time and, even though they had only known each other for around five months, her value was at 113,986. Hestia, however, was somewhat unstable and had been a virgin before meeting Vahn and 'giving' herself to him. He now somewhat understood why she was so clingy after the fact since even Hephaestus was very affectionate when her numbers were much lower.

Vahn spent some more time talking with Hephaestus and Hestia and asked a few questions about what it was like to live in Heaven. Now that Hestia had given away her own age, Vahn also got to learn that Hephaestus was 419,556,016 years old and they both began telling him about their pasts, with a few skimmed details on Hephaestus' part. Through this conversation, Vahn got to learn that Hestia, much like in her [Hearts Desire] actually spent the vast majority of her time in a large temple dedicated to her simply stoking what she called the 'Divine Hearth'. With further questioning, he even learned that it was the same wispy blue and gold that he had visualized earlier but, when Vahn asked about the significance of the item Hestia adamantly refused to answer. Knowing that he had an item in his inventory that had the same name, Vahn could speculate somewhat and wondered if there was something that made Hestia unique amongst the other gods...

(A/N: I figured some people would want a reminder, so here you go~!)

[Divine Hearth]

Rank: Unique

Use: Creates an inviolable space in an area where no harm can befall those within. Forces those within to remain calm and regenerates any pre-existing wounds. Duration: 72H

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Haruhime's Resolve','Peace...','The burden of Hestia's Love','Secrets of the Heavens...')

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章 446: New Year's Resolutions (2/3)

After his discussion with Hephaestus and Hestia came to an end, Vahn made the rounds and greeted everyone a happy new year. Hephaestus was still very tired so she ended up going back to sleep alongside Hestia, who also wanted to take a nap. Even though it was nearly 10 AM, Vahn found that many of the residents of the Manor were either still sleeping or were somewhat tired from the previous night. Not only had everyone stayed up late to celebrate the wedding, but they also brought in the new years together and, other than the youth troupe and the pregnant women, almost everyone else got drunk. Even Ais, who Vahn didn't think was the type to drink, had apparently passed out clinging to Lefiya's body like a hug pillow...

Ultimately, Vahn ended up in his own workshop after finding out what Eina had planned for the rest of the day. She had been talking with Milan, who was also in the process of moving rooms with Shizune and Tina, and they ended up having Eina move into their old room. Milan, Tina, and Shizune all ended up in their own rooms on the second floor alongside Ais, Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya. Tina and Fenrir were going to be roommates, even though Fenrir actually stayed in various rooms depending on her own mood. She often slept with Preasia in the past, but now seemed to be getting closer with Tiona, Ais, Ryuu, Tione, and Lefiya as well.

As it didn't actually eat any of his time, Vahn decided to go through the rest of the [Hearts Desire]s since he wanted to continue with the same resolve that he had found earlier. Hestia's matter was somewhat 'unique' so Vahn assumed the rest wouldn't be that difficult to manage. There were some he even looked forward to since he was interested to know what kind of background the girls came from to arrive at their current lifestyles. Checking his inventory, Vahn still had the [Hearts Desire]s of Aki, Ryuu, Lunoire, Tione, Tsubaki, Emiru, Maemi, and the recent additions of Preasia, Milan, and Eina. He somewhat regretted having put them off for so long since it seemed like a bit of a trial to go through each of them simultaneously...

(A/N: The way a [Heart's Desire] works is that is shows is relatively simple. If the person can't let go of their past easily, or their past 'defines' them, Vahn would experience the important memories held close to that person's heart. If the person had moved on from the past, but still has some lingering memories, Vahn would end up in the memory queue and get to experience the feelings of the person for each of those memories in sequence. For those that have no real attachment to the past, Vahn would see an almost sentient version of that person, their avatar, and then space would collapse later. In other words, damaged people carry a greater heart's desire than functionally content people.)

Using Aki's [Hearts Desire], which had been a pale onyx color, Vahn ended up the same endless black void except this time, like when he had seen Nanu's in the past, there was a beautiful nude version of Aki waiting for his arrival with a smile on her face. Vahn could see a few memories fading in the backdrop of the world and noticed at a glance than many of them contained the face of a boy he had met before, though had never been introduced to. The Aki avatar smiled up at the memories and said in a somewhat sad tone, "Raul...I wonder how our paths diverged so greatly..."

Though Vahn had already gotten over his 'guilt' about the former relationship between Aki and Raul, he still felt somewhat sorry to see her expression as she watched her own memories fade. However, her melancholy didn't last for long and the avatar quickly walked over to him with a beautiful smile on her face as she stroked her lower abdomen and asked, "Do you want to listen...?" Vahn smiled widely at her offer before kneeling down and placing his ear against her belly. Though it was still a bit early in the real world, Vahn was able to hear a small heartbeat this time and it made any negative feelings he might have had fade away entirely...

Awakening from the vision, Vahn got a similar series of notifications and the 'standard' pregnancy quest as normal, with the exception that Aki was already listed as pregnant. He was a little sad to see that her 'Love' was only at a value of 638 and decided to 'pamper' her a bit more in the future before pulling out the leafy green orb belonging to Ryuu. Since Ryuu had already told her a fair amount about his past, Vahn didn't expect to glean too much from her [Hearts Desire] and even hoped she was one of the girls who he had already made to feel happy. Unfortunately, though he already had a lifelong promise with the beautiful elf, Vahn ended opening his eyes in the body of what he knew to be Ryuu...

---

Ryuu was born into a tribe of Elves that cultivated 'sacred trees' that were used to create various staves and artifacts for use by the somewhat oppressive High Elves. Throughout the early part of the vision, Vahn got to experience several instances of Ryuu being taunted and mistreated by arrogant High Elves and, even when she complained to her own family, they actually reprimanded her for 'inconveniencing' the High Elves. Their family had been the servants of some of the smaller noble houses for generations and there was even a sickening instance where Ryuu's mother, a kind looking Elven woman, 'casually' explained to her how to 'cope' with the situation if a High Elf decided to rape her. She was told not to resist or 'cause trouble' since it would impact their entire family if she offended one of them...

Combined with the fact that Ryuu had longed for the outside world, which her parents referred to as a land full of 'savages' and 'barbarians'. Since it was actually the 'so-called' beautiful High Elves that acted in the most disgusting of manners, even at the expense of their own subjects, Ryuu didn't believe their words at all and eventually fled her home forest. Soon after arriving in Orario, which she had learned from several caravans was the 'beacon of light' for all races, she quickly found herself as a member of the Astrea Familia which was full of beautiful and capable women that had righteous principles, even if some of their dispositions were questionable.

For several years, Ryuu was relatively happy and felt like she was accomplishing something worthwhile with her life and had even made several strong bonds, especially with Astrea, Alise Lovell, Gojouno Kaguya, and the sly Pallum, Lyra. Though they had their share of conflicts, Alise was a kind and lively woman that always treated Ryuu well and taught her what it meant to truly represent righteousness. Other than the fact that Alise always called her 'Lion', Ryuu was quite fond of the woman and often confided in her when she was feeling down. As for Kaguya, she was a beautiful 'princess-like' woman that hailed from the Far East and was somewhat unfazed by the general dealings within the Familia. She was a bit abrasive at times, but she had a strong sense of justice and often donated the majority of her earnings to various orphanages around the City. Lastly, the Pallum girl, Lyra, was a bit of a mischievous girl who had grown up on the 'dark' side of society and finally found her way into the light by the time she became an adult. She taught Ryuu how to 'exploit' others, not for personal benefit, but to expose the true nature of people and track down criminals and con artists. Ryuu had never seen them together, but she also boldly claimed that she was the closest woman to becoming the wife of the Pallum 'hero', Finn Dieme...

Unfortunately, Ryuu's happiness didn't last long at all and she learned the hard way that evil was drawn to the light, not to escape the darkness, but in an effort to snuff out the brilliance of would-be heroes. Her entire Familia, with the exception of herself and their goddess, was wiped out on an expedition to the 37th floor after falling into a trap set by the evil organization, Evilus. Ryuu barely escaped with her life and spent all of her days after that trying to seek vengeance against the cruel-hearted individuals that had robbed her of her happiness. Eventually, after going on a killing spree that lasted nearly two months, Ryuu found herself having vanquished the majority of Evilus but on death's doorstep in the pouring rain after having succumbed to injuries obtained during a fight with Chloe and Lunoire...

Just as Ryuu believed she was about to breath her last, she managed to escape the battle with the assistance of Arnya and came across Syr in an alleyway. Fortunately, the two bounty hunters learned that they had fallen into the scheme of a lesser criminal organization and everyone ended up compromising later as they all joined the Hostess of Fertility as a cover for future operations. Syr nursed Ryuu back to health and both Chloe and Lunoire apologized to her for the incident and promised to make it up to her in time...

For the better part of three years, Ryuu had slowly started to regain her happiness by associating with the other 'damaged' girls at the Hostess of Fertility. She came to respect Syr's character greatly and she even saw the image of her former comrades in the relatively young human girl. She had a nearly perfect appearance, was often kind to others, even at the expense of herself, and even spent a large portion of her money and free time helping out at an orphanage. The kicker, at least for Ryuu, was the fact that Syr was also a sly girl just like Lyra, even though she was much better at hiding it that the rambunctious Pallum girl...

After returning from Melen, Ryuu and Syr met a very handsome boy at their main store and, against all of Ryuu's expectations, the boy easily managed to reach out and grab her hand. She could feel her heart begin to beat rapidly in her chest and, from that day onwards, thoughts of the boy constantly plagued her heart. Syr seemed to be interested in him as well, which made Ryuu somewhat sad since she didn't want to compete with her, but Ryuu quickly learned that the boy, Vahn Mason, wasn't such a 'simple' individual.

It made her somewhat uncomfortable, but Ryuu learned that there were several women that were in active relationships with the boy, including two powerful Adventurers from the Loki Familia. However, even though she had thoughts of giving up on the matter, Syr actually constantly convinced her to give the boy a chance and even talked about how he could 'save' all of them with his 'light'. With Chloe and Arnya as the forerunners, Syr began to get every girl in the pub more involved with the boy, including Ryuu herself...

Ryuu quickly learned that Syr's 'intuition' had indeed been correct and, after a series of events transpired, Ryuu quickly found herself having fallen for the boy completely. The incident where he charged into the enemy's headquarters to save the two Cat Persons resonated deeply with her and she wished that she could stand at his side to help vanquish evil. When they returned home that night, Syr had gathered everything together and began discussing a plan to 'help' Vahn and the two victim girls that he had saved...

Over time, as Ryuu interacted more and more with Vahn, she found that her defenses had started to waver greatly. Though it was only for brief periods of time, she often found herself making casual contact with the boy and, as she listened to the recounting of his exploits, they made her feel excited and even happy. When things developed to the point that Syr had approached her to 'protect' Vahn, Ryuu had accepted without any hesitation at all. Just imagining what it would be like to spend so much time with Vahn, especially when he often did such heroic deeds, made Ryuu feel very excited...

Though there were some hiccups along the way, especially regarding the troublesome wolf girl that Vahn had somehow 'tamed', Ryuu eventually found herself in several intimate moments with Vahn. When she was entrusted to care for him in the bath, Ryuu had decided that she wanted to keep her promise with her former companions and had made the decision to take Vahn's hand and never let him go. However, even though she found this resolve inside of her, Ryuu knew that things wouldn't be so easy. Because of the light that he represented, there would be countless enemies that would rise to the task of trying to snuff him out. The more Ryuu learned about Vahn, the more apparent this became and she began honing herself like a blade to take action when he was in danger. Even if it cost her life, Ryuu decided that Vahn couldn't die anymore...

---

Vahn was surprised that Ryuu's [Hearts Desire] didn't actually continue for much longer, especially considering they had become much closer after the visions in the orb. It seemed that, though they were both in love with each other, Ryuu's desire seemed to extend beyond them and had a broader range that took into consideration their enemies. If he wanted to be able to satisfy her desire, something he thought he had been able to do several times in the past after making the promise at the gravesite, Vahn would either have to become strong enough that his enemies couldn't harm him. It was either that or he would have to help Ryuu get to a status where she was confident in her own power and could protect him herself.

Somewhat disappointed that he hadn't 'completed' Ryuu's desire, Vahn pulled out the hazy brown orb that belonged to Lunoire and crushed it into his palm expecting another long vision. However, against his expectations, Vahn found himself face-to-face with the gentle smile of the naked Lunoire as the memories faded around them. She had already poured her heart out to Vahn in the past, without coating over things at all, and she was simply happy to be shown such care and concern by the handsome boy. After hugging his head into her chest, Lunoire stroked the back of his head and whispered, "Thank you for giving me a real home, Vahn...I think I have the confidence to start walking forward again...walk with me sometimes, okay...?"

When he returned to the real world after what seemed like only a few seconds, Vahn felt like his brain had stalled a bit as the smiling face of Lunoire continued to display within his mind. Releasing a long sigh, Vahn promised to treat her better in the future since it didn't really seem like she truly desired anything. Her 'Love' parameter, which had been unlocked with the standard notifications, was only at 174 and Vahn wanted to change that to make her happier. This was something Vahn noticed crossed his mind every time he had realizations like this and it always resulted in a relatively simple, yet incredibly significant thought...he wanted to make all of the girls happier. With that thought in mind, he pulled out a snow-blue orb and tried to crush it, only to find that it was incredibly hard.

As he had been pulling out the orbs in 'chronological' order, Vahn had selected Emiru's orb next and now found himself in a peculiar situation where it didn't break. However, he quickly realized that it likely related to her sister so he pulled out the purple lilac colored orb and held both of them in his hands. Squeezing his hands slightly, Vahn confirmed his speculation as both orbs broke and he once again found himself in the black abyss, this time alone as several vibrant memories passed through the void.

Because they were almost always together, even during the bath and while sleeping, Emiru and Maemi had nearly identical memories and, it not for the fact that there was a strange three-dimensional illusion to the images, Vahn would have expected he was looking at just one series of images. Since the girls shared a different perspective, even for the same memories, the memories 'popped' a lot more and Vahn was able to experience the conflicts both girls felt during each event...

Vahn quickly realized that most of the colors of the girls' memories were all dull and moderate colors, with few happy, sad, or even traumatic events at all. Other than the hunger and aching they would feel in their bodies during the harsh winters, the girls spent most of their time simply bored as they performed their duties. Since the women were required to take care of the livestock and tend to the homes, Emiru and Maemi were often only able to have fun if they played together since many of the other children avoided them for being 'strange'.

Unfortunately, this peculiarity wasn't shunned by everyone and, as the girls continued to age, it was quickly arranged for them to marry into one of the other households within the clan. The twins were very distraught over the matter because the man had been the same one that appeared in many of their negative memories because he always creeped them out. He often acted 'too nice' to them and had even 'stumbled' in on them in the bath when they were young girls.

The fact that their father had betrothed them to the man, who was more than twenty years older than they were, made both girls very dissatisfied. He had taken advantage of the famine they were facing and simply used the dowry of a single fat pig in exchange for both of their hands. Unable to accept this outcome, the girls instead convinced their mother that it would benefit the entire clan if they were simply sold as exotic slaves and exported to the City...

Every time things got harsh for the clan, merchants and slave traders would show up almost immediately so it wasn't difficult at all to arrange. Though their would-be husband complained about the matter, a single pig couldn't compare against the entire cart of barley that was given by the slave trader as compensation. The cart would be able to last the entire small clan for several months whereas the pig would have simply served as a luxury item unless they turned it into smoked jerky...

Thus, with delusions of serving a wealthy Master, the twins 'escaped' their boring lives in the Northern Tundra and became slaves hauled away to the 'big city'. To their surprise, and immense satisfaction, the first man that showed up to purchase them happened to be a very handsome young boy who seemed to have the air of a noble about him even though his face was very kind. Seeing himself reflected in the girls' eyes, Vahn felt somewhat embarrassed because he could tell they saw him as an 'ideal mark' and used their combined charms to earn his pity.

All of the memories after that, at least the ones the girls kept close to their hearts, became colored with a variety of warm colors in stark contrast of their past memories. Because the twins were somewhat 'delusional', Vahn got to see some tantalizing images of the two girls 'playing' with each other as each took turns pretending to be him. When the memories progressed to the point that both girls had received the 'victory underwear' from him, Vahn noticed that most of their 'important' memories were when they were around him, or when the two girls were alone with each other in a scarily passionate manner. The only exceptions to this were when they were talking with some of the other girls and when they had learned of the Divination about their own demise...

Once that final memory started to fade, Vahn felt two presences embrace him as both twins tip-toed and kissed the sides of his face. As a perfect mirror of each other, both girls began to laugh before saying, "We will become much stronger so that we can stay at the side of our loveable Master..." Vahn nodded his head in affirmation and allowed the memories to fade but, against his expectations, he found himself still in the black abyss for a while longer as the two girls began rubbing against his body. Vahn could feel a pressure in the bridge of his nose as the girls panted simultaneously and mewled, "Master...when will you let us serve you 'properly'...?" as the vision finally faded...

Even when he awoke in the real world, Vahn could still feel the pressure in his nose because, just before the vision faded entirely, he could feel both girls rub a warm and moist part of their body against his hands. He didn't expect the 'avatars' of the [Hearts Desire]s to actually be able to take such actions and it made him realize how 'peculiar' the two girls were. Even in their memories, though they often fantasized about 'serving' a wealthy Master, most of their delusions were sexual in nature. Because of their boredom early in their lives, both girls had been somewhat promiscuous, even though their fantasies only involved themselves instead of incorporating others into the mix.

Knowing that he would likely have to 'confront' the two girls in the near future, especially since he hadn't completed their quests, Vahn shook his head and pulled out a dark brown orb that belonged to Tione and crushed it into his hand with a bit of force. As he had expected, he found himself in Tione's past, much as he had for Tiona previously. Different from Tiona, however, was how Tione's memories were actually plagued with a severe inferiority complex for her own little sister instead of the desire for a hero and the will to escape their suffering by becoming stronger...

Tione hated how she was forced to constantly do battle against other children and how, no matter how many times she achieved victory, she was always compared to her more powerful younger sister. Tione didn't actually have a bad impression of Tiona at all, and she actually wished they could spend more time together as sisters, but that was something that wasn't allowed in their society. Because they had drawn the attention of Kali, they were split up very early on and were forced to train with two different masters.

Tione's master, Argana, was a cruel and ruthless Amazon that purported strength over everything. She constantly put her through harsh training to be able to overcome her own little sister but, every time they competed side-by-side, Tione found herself far behind her own twin. The only exception to this was when they were forced to fight each other and it made Tione feel like she was going to lose her mind because, no matter how poorly she treated Tiona during their duels, her younger sister never fought back at all. She would often have a silly smile on her face even when she was battered and bruised and, because of her failure to punish Tiona at the end, Argana would torment her during their training later.

Eventually, Kali gave them some grace when she got bored of watching their one-sided fights and allowed the two to earn their freedom by defeating one-hundred opponents without a single loss in the span of a single day. Even though they were only seven years old at the time, Kali proclaimed them to be capable adults and allowed them to leave the village in search of worthy mates. After that, Tione and Tiona became much closer but Tione always blamed herself for being the weaker sister and always 'tormenting' Tiona because of the teachings of Argana. Just like Tiona refused to fight, she had the same option yet chose to lash out in the hopes that her own torment would be easier later on. However, it took Tione far too long to realize that it was simply Argana's nature to torment others and it didn't even matter how she treated her own sister...

For several years, Tione wandered around the continent with her sister and was often saved by her whenever she lost her cool. Even though she caused so much trouble for Tiona, her 'little sister' never complained about the matters seriously and often played them off as a joke. This caused Tione to feel a great deal of frustration because she always felt like she was letting down her twin on every occasion. It wasn't until they finally arrived in Orario and suffered defeat at the hands of Gareth and Finn that the dynamic between them began to make a turn. Because of the age difference, Gareth never gave Tiona a chance and, even though Finn never actually returned her feelings, Tione felt like she had gotten her first real victory over Tiona.

Unfortunately, Tiona didn't seem to mind at all and simply went about life in a whimsical fashion as she steadily grew stronger and enjoyed each day to the fullest. Tione, however, found that pursuing Finn was quite a stressful life to live because, no matter how much effort she put in trying to get closer to him, he always refused her advances. Even when her body finally started to change, a fact she lorded over Tiona greatly, Finn still treated her like a child and, though he respected her feelings, never once gave her a chance. As time passed, Tione even realized she had become something of a gopher for the man that didn't have a place for her in his heart. Though it was painful, just spending time with him made her happy so Tione tolerated the fact that Finn treated her as a 'convenient' tool at times...

Things continued this way for a time until Tione met the peculiar boy named Vahn Mason that her younger sister had been on a tirade about. Out of curiosity, she agreed to accompany Tiona to meet the boy and was actually somewhat impressed by the amount of resolve he showed. He was very weak but never gave up trying to rise to his feet and, instead of resentment at having lost the fight, there was a competitive flame in his eyes. Tione knew he would become much stronger one day but, against all of her expectations, they were reunited shortly thereafter and he had already transcended the growth she had expected from him.

Seeing that her own sister had started to approach the handsome boy, Tione wanted to tease the two of them a bit and make her sister feel pressured. However, Vahn ended up being a 'peculiar' boy that didn't behave in the normal fashion at all and was quickly 'conquered' by her Tiona and, to her immense surprise, Ais. It ended up being Tione that felt pressured but things rapidly changed once again when she saw Vahn take an injury to his mind that he wouldn't be able to recover from.

Tiona and Ais were both very distraught by the situation and, even though it was suggested to put him out of his misery, they acceded to the two's demand to return him to the surface. Tione thought it was a tragic outcome that would likely impact her sister's heart greatly but, deep within her heart, she couldn't deny she was somewhat relieved by the loss. However, this didn't last long at all and, even though she constantly told Tiona that Vahn would never recover, he woke up after a mere nine days of being unconscious. Tione realized there was much more to the boy than she had realized and knew that her sister had definitely 'won' out against her this time...

Soon after, Tione experienced the event where Vahn charged into the Twilight Manor to 'steal' away Tiona and Ais and it made her somewhat resentful of the fortune both girls had found. When her own sister returned a 'woman', Tione felt like a fire had been lit in her heart and she desperately stepped up her advances against Finn, even though he didn't wave in the slightest. As things got progressively better between Vahn, Tiona, and Ais, Tione found herself feeling very envious of the girls and, even though she didn't like him in the same way as the two, began seeking his affection as well. It made her feel somewhat vindicated with how 'easy' Vahn was and it allowed her to justify that her own feelings for Finn were more 'real' than what the three experienced...

Tione realized once again that her expectations had been horribly misconstrued as she saw the power of the bonds between Vahn and the other girls in his life. Even though it was only for a brief moment, he had even touched her heart by his kindness and attentive personality. Every time she accompanied Tiona and Ais on their dates with him, Tione always found herself feeling happy whenever Vahn would give her attention. Since Finn constantly shunned her, Vahn became one of the only constant sources of happiness in her life and she began to resent that he didn't show her even more affection...

Tione's resentment continued to build up until it reached a critical point after they returned from the expedition to hunt Bloodsaurus. She had seen the weapons forged by Vahn for the other girls and it made her extremely jealous because there was a distinct difference in quality between their weapons. Her plan to drug Finn with an aphrodisiac had been the final straw and Tione had begun to give up on the man that she had fallen in love with because she couldn't tolerate the constant heartbreak. Though she knew she was lashing out somewhat, Tione wanted to vent on Vahn because she believed that he was strong enough, and kind enough, to forgive her later on...

The battle with Vahn made Tione's heart race and she started to realize that her feelings for the boy were becoming increasingly stronger as the fight progressed. Though she was very angry with how he was constantly avoiding a direct confrontation, Tione was impressed by his speed and the prowess he showed during their fight. Even though he was much weaker than she was, he constantly came up with methods to deal with her attacks and was slowly gaining ground against her. By the time he grew the black scales from his body, her heart had started to race even faster because Tione felt like she was on the verge of defeat. If Vahn was truly able to beat her, Tione felt like she could put her feelings for Finn behind her and finally find happiness for herself. Even though she might have to share the same man as her own sister, this didn't bother her at all and she even felt happy that they would be able to stay together...

In agonizingly slow motion, Tione felt the shockwave from Vahn's palms spread through her body before a powerful fury overwhelmed her and she kicked off of his face to open some distance for the next engagement. However, the moment her foot came into contact with his head, a powerful feeling of dread overwhelmed her as there was nearly no resistance at all and she knew that her blow had dealt a fatal degree of damage to the boy she had just decided to pursue. When she landed on the ground and saw that Vahn was still standing, Tione had a brief hope that he was okay but it was dashed in an instant when she saw his previously handsome face had been turned to a pulp...

As she stared at the image of her second love, dead on his feet, Tione couldn't form any coherent thoughts at all. She felt a powerful sadness seize her body as she lamented the fact that she constantly hurt, or even destroyed, everything she cared about. Just as she had beaten her own sister in an effort to alleviate her own suffering in the past...just like how she constantly caused problems when they were traveling...just like she had flaunted her shallow victories as a result of her own vanity...Tione realized that the reason she was always unhappy was a result of her own shallow personality and desire to be loved...Now, however, just as she was likely to receive real love for the first time in her life...she had destroyed it, entirely on accident...

However, Vahn once again completely shattered her expectations and turned out to be completely fine after the incredible item he had produced before the start of the fight took effect. Tione had just resolved herself to die as payment for her mistake but, instead of finding herself on the receiving end of a justifiable beating, she found Vahn's gentle smile trying to comfort her. Even when she had caused him so much trouble, even when she had literally almost taken his life, Vahn still showed her kindness and extended his hand to pull her away from her lonely existence. It was at this moment that Tione truly realized that she had fallen in love with the hopelessly heroic boy...

Even when she faced severe reprimands, several punishments, and the ire of many of the women surrounding Vahn, Tione accepted it all without complaint. Unlike her past self, which would have lashed out in an effort to deal with her frustrations, she accepted everything willingly. It wasn't just her happiness that she had nearly destroyed, but the happiness of several other women, including various goddesses. If she wasn't punished by them, Tione would have taken to the task herself because she felt that she owed it to Vahn for the tolerance he showed her. Every time they met after the 'incident', Vahn didn't seem to pay it any mind at all and, if not for the fact he was following the guidance of others, he would have likely even comforted her further...

Tione realized now why so many girls fell for Vahn because, even if it was someone as selfish and vain as she had been, he always looked for the 'light' inside of others. Unless they were a threat to the people he cared about, Vahn was the type that could tolerate nearly any level of suffering against himself if it would allow him to reach through the darkness and 'save' the other person. Though he was a bit of an idiot, he really did have the makings of a true hero as Tiona and Ais were so fond of bringing up. Tione wanted more than anything else, now that she had resolved herself to be together with him, to become someone worthy of his love...

---

When he returned to reality, Vahn was in a slight daze as he processed everything that he had witnessed from Tione's [Hearts Desire]. Even though she saw herself in such a negative light, it wasn't incorrect to say that Tione had actually been a very tragic girl. She grew up without parents, was forced to fight for the entertainment of others, even against her own sister, and was constantly denied love and affection for her entire life. Other than Tiona, who was a paragon of tolerance that could even put Vahn to shame, Tione had nothing else. Most of her relationships with other people were somewhat shallow because she spent the majority of her time in her pursuit of Finn, someone that would never reciprocate her feelings...

Vahn released a heavy sigh because he checked his notifications and realized that he hadn't completed Tione's quest and obtained her hidden parameter. Though it didn't seem like her initial desire at all, her heart had changed greatly after her interactions with him and it was now her wish to become a 'worthy' woman for him. Vahn didn't like that idea of others trying to become worthy for him because he had never once considered her unworthy at all. It was somewhat frustrating to know that she was still beating herself up over a matter that hadn't even made much of an impact on him.

The entire reason he had used the [Effigy of the Hero] is that he wanted both of them to go all out without inhibitions. Other than when other people brought it up, Vahn didn't think about the 'incident' at all and found it somewhat incredulous to consider that others were harping over it. If not for the fact that he 'understood' their justifications, Vahn would have probably walked straight over to Tione and whisked her away in a similar manner as he had done for Tiona and Ais in the past...However, that would have to wait for later as there were still several more [Hearts Desire]'s to go through...

(A/N: Alternate Titles:'Unlimited [Hearts Desire] Works~!','The Power of Delusions','Tione's Vanity Is A Cover For Her Loneliness And Inferiority Complex (TT_TT)'

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