บท 1079: Decisive
With time counting down towards the start of another evening of conflict, everyone had gathered together to enjoy a meal prepared by Vahn and discuss their next plan of action. Rin, having already discussed matters with Lord El-Melloi II, started off by explaining, "Things are quickly getting out of hand outside. The 'Shadow' has continued its senseless slaughter of innocents and has now even defeated the team of Exorcists sent by the Holy Church. If the Holy Grail War isn't brought to an end soon, Fuyuki will likely become the target of a 'purge' or an artificially created natural disaster. The public is already terrified by the rampant disappearances and, even with the Mage's Association sending teams to wipe memories, it is impossible to completely control the spread of information."
Hearing the severity of Rin's words, Vahn's face was set with a deep frown as he said, "Then we need to bring this farce to an end as soon as possible. Do we have any information regarding the location of Gilgamesh and Circe...?" Since it was probably impossible to deal with Illya and Heracles, at least for the time being, Vahn wanted to eliminate the source of trouble that has now plagued three Holy Grail Wars. With how he was maneuvering, combined with his recognition of Artoria, it was clear that the so-called King of Heroes retained his memories of prior wars. As for why Circe was partnered up with him, that could be the result of their Master's whims or, given that Circe was a Demigoddess of Love and Magic, she may have simply fallen for the arrogant King's nearly maxed [Charisma].
Unfortunately, Rin shook her head in response to Vahn's question, answering, "We can't be certain, but there is a good chance they have made their base beneath Mount Enzou. That is the location where the Greater Grail will manifest after the Lesser Grail has accumulated enough mana. Given his personality, his only reason for appearing at the Einzbern Forest was either related to his boredom or at the behest of his Master. Now that he has made an appearance, it is likely that Mount Enzou has become a fortress for Circe while Gilgamesh will be moving to eliminate the other Master-Servant pairings in order to try and obtain Artoria once again..."
Hearing Rin's words, Artoria tightly clenched her fists while, having never encountered Gilgamesh, Nobunaga asked, "So, how strong is this guy supposed to be? You're acting like we're up against insurmountable odds or something." Though the Throne of Heroes provided all Servants with basic information pertaining to all other Heroes, that didn't mean they had an understanding of the power their opponents wielded without facing it directly.
Instead of getting an answer from Rin directly, the latter's hair gained a purple hue as her clothes burst apart to reveal the raiment associated with Ishtar. Then, with a particularly fierce expression on her face, Ishtar venomously spat, "That man is a traitor who bared his fangs towards the very gods who granted him power. He is a cancerous existence that has embedded himself like a malignant tumor within the flow of history. Make no mistake, though, as he would not be able to achieve such a feat without possessing incredible power. If that man got serious, even the combined efforts of every other Servant will not be able to best him..."
Though everyone was surprised by Ishtar's words, Vahn was sweating internally as he still didn't know what all had changed after he used the [Page of the Akashic Tome]. Even within the system shop, there were almost no records dating back to the Era of the Gods as the Gods themselves had no need to keep an accounting. Since the information he had access to might not even pertain to the timeline he found himself in, Vahn hadn't worried about it all that much since the current Ishtar was still infinitely easier to deal with than her previous self. Now, however, it seemed like she had a more antagonistic relationship with Gilgamesh than the petty and jealous Goddess that had nearly gotten Rin killed in the previous Grail War...
Apparently not taking Ishtar's warning to heart, Nobunaga began to stroke her chin in a sagely manner, a sly smile on her face as she said, "Oho...I wonder how strong someone who has been defeated in the previous two wars really is..? He sounds like a pretentious oaf that could use an express package to the dome, courtesy of my Noble Phantasm~." Since her attacks were stronger against Servants with Divinity, Nobunaga was less afraid of existences like Gilgamesh and Circe than she would be of someone like Artoria and Scáthach. Nothing she did would be effective against them but, so long as she could guarantee a hit, Gilgamesh and Circe would undoubtedly take severe damage under her barrage. With that in mind, she gave Vahn a knowing look while licking her lips in a less-than-subtle seductive manner...
With Nobunaga destroying the tension, even Ishtar could only form a dour expression as she warned, "Gilgamesh's greatest weakness is that he simply cannot place others on the same level as him. If you can defeat him before he gets serious, there is a good chance at victory. However, now that he is trying to add that girl to his collection, you shouldn't underestimate his power. If you let your guard down, just like him, you won't even know how you died..." Though she said these words with full seriousness, the impact was greatly lessened when Ishtar smoothly flew across the table before plopping down in Vahn's lap. Then, having said what she wanted to say, Ishtar returned control to a very red-faced Rin...
---
After getting Rin a fresh change of clothes, the group began to discuss whether or not they should attack Mount Enzou or deal with the other Masters before the Mage's Association and Holy Church took even more drastic action. Though they had skirted around the issue till now, it was clear as day that Sakura's faction had the highest chance of being associated with the Shadow. The only other option was that Merlin was involved but, considering the fact that the Shadow now had a death toll of more than three-thousand people, that didn't seem all that likely. Since all the other Servants were accounted for, the time to confront Sakura had come before Vahn had been able to implement the measures he had intended...
With that in mind, Vahn made no effort to hide his intentions as he looked directly at Rin and said, "I will confront the Makiri's representative Masters and Servants tonight. Since they will have multiple Assassin's, I want you to stay here with Fenrir, Lakshmibai, and Nobunaga. I will only take Scáthach and Artoria along with me as they will be more than a match for any Assassin, even someone like Hassan. This time around, I do not want you to be involved Rin...even as an observer." Though Ereshkigal would probably be just as proficient at dealing with Hassan and Yan Qing, Vahn knew that she already had a strained relationship with her sister. If she learned about what had truly happened to Sakura after their falling-out, Vahn didn't even need to imagine how devastated she would be...
Frowning deeply in response to Vahn's words, Rin resolutely claimed, "I am prepared to fight, even against my own sister. Do not-." Before she could continue any further, Vahn's own expression hardened as he interrupted, saying, "Nobody here is going to question your resolve. However, there are more important things in the world than simple determination, Rin! I will not stand by and watch two sisters try and tear each other apart due to misunderstandings, especially for some trinket like the Holy Grail. No matter what happens, you will blame yourself for taking away Sakura's wish, just as she would blame you for being 'selfish' for wanting to destroy the grail. Since you can't see eye-to-eye, I will resolve the problem for both of you. In the future, you should use some of that resolve of yours to reestablish your familial bonds so that this type of thing doesn't happen again...!"
One of the foundational concepts that served as the basis for Vahn's thought process was a heavy focus on family. Knowing the tensions between Rin and Sakura were due to a misunderstanding, Vahn refused to watch the two sisters try to kill each other. Though Rin might not have that desire, he could still remember the murderous intentions contained within Sakura's eyes during their last meeting. Even if he had to be hated by Rin, Vahn would rather carry that regret with him for the rest of eternity than watch her anguish and blame herself for whatever Sakura had to go through. She might be a strong woman, but Rin had a few vulnerabilities that would outright break her if given the opportunity.
Having Vahn suddenly 'explode' at her, Rin's eyes had widened as her heart began beating furiously in her chest. She suddenly felt anxious and scared, like a child who had accidentally broken their parents' favorite vase and now had to face the consequences. As a result, Rin bit her lower lip before finally hanging her head and saying, "Okay..." in a sheepish voice. Her previous bravado had deflated completely, leaving Vahn to feel extremely apologetic as he released a heavy sigh and said, "Don't worry, Rin. I promise that no harm will come to Sakura under my watch...when all of this is over, the two of you really should reconnect. There are many unstable factors in life but, the one thing that never changes is family...though circumstances may cause your paths to diverge, there is nothing to stop you from being sisters again...if that is truly what you both want..."
Though Sakura and Rin were forced apart at an early age, being made to live very different lifestyles, there truly was little preventing them from interacting like sisters now that they were both the Heads of their respective families. He would undoubtedly need to 'fix' whatever had been done to Sakura, but the foundation already existed since they were still sisters. Rin's kind and caring nature would not allow her to ignore Sakura if the latter sincerely wanted to reconnect. Now, Vahn just needed to undo the damage to Sakura's mind and body in order to pave the way for the two sisters to finally be a true family once again...
---
Regardless of the fact that he only intended to take Scáthach and Artoria with him to confront Sakura, it wasn't long after the conversation came to an end that Vahn found himself keeping Nobunaga company. She had been riled up a bit after the short spat with Ishtar and, even though they would be staying at the Tohsaka Manor, that didn't mean there wouldn't be an enemy attack while their strongest forces were away. With Gilgamesh skulking about, there was a chance the King of Heroes might target himself and Rin in order to eliminate them from the competition. Equally as likely, however, was that he would target Sakura or Paracelsus' Master since they were, arguably, weaker...
With Nobunaga face-down in a pillow, Vahn affectionately massaged her backside while periodically changing the angle of his thrusts to keep her from adapting to his rhythm. He found it more than a little adorable that she had decided the best course of action available to her was to simply hide her face so that he couldn't see her expression directly. Though it was only their third time, there were no secrets contained within Nobunaga's body that he didn't intimately understand. After promising to never talk about their sex life to others, she had even stopped trying to insist on taking control as, regardless of her efforts, she simply couldn't reach the same threshold of pleasure without his cooperation...
While releasing a heavy sigh through pursed lips, Vahn leaned over Nobunaga's body before pressing himself into the deepest part of her insides. Her response to this was to dig her fingernails deeply into the mattresses material, tearing through it without much resistance. Vahn was used to this happening, however, so he purchased a type of 'memory' mattress that would repair itself over time. Fenrir had a habit of 'kneading' the bed like a cat whenever she was especially excited so it had been a necessary purchase even back in the Record of Danmachi.
After helping Nobunaga cycle the energy through her body, Vahn extricated himself from her with an always amusing 'plop' before sitting down near her feet. She was still awash in the echoes of her own climax so Vahn could see her slightly swollen vulva expand and contract hungrily just a few tens of centimeters away from him. If not for the fact they had already been doing at it for more than two hours, Vahn wouldn't have been able to refuse the gluttonous organ's temptation as, much like how Nobunaga changed form depending on her energy, so too did the feel of her insides. Though she wasn't exactly tight, she had a firm elasticity and a pleasant heat that amplified the pleasure he got from simply seeing her behave shyly...
Deciding to tease her a bit, Vahn gently pushed Nobunaga's hips until she plopped over on her side with an annoyed groan. With her face partially visible, Vahn could see her blood-red eyes glowing through her hair as she stared daggers that lacked any edge toward him. This brought a small smile to his face as he gently rubbed Nobunaga's legs and said, "Don't worry. I'm too selfish to share this with anyone else. Even if you only act like this when we're alone, that is enough for me, No-bu~." Though the final two syllables earned him a weak kick in response, Nobunaga followed up by lifting her tired body and moving her dampened hair away from her face. She had an amazing figure in her mature form, something Vahn made no attempt to hide his appreciation for. When she had fixed herself adequately, Nobunaga rolled her eyes in an exaggerated fashion before complaining, "You won't be content until you completely destroy my resistances against you, huh...?"
In response to her words, Vahn gave a dismissive shrug before answering, "There are few things that excite me as much as a powerful and strong woman turning docile in the bedroom. If you're against it, I don't mind changing things up so your pride isn't wounded..." As these words left his mouth, Vahn already knew how Nobunaga would answer as she deeply furrowed her brows and said, "If you hadn't said that, I might have been for the idea. See, that is what I'm talking about, you already know me too well at this point...haaaa..." Though she knew as much during their first time together, it was quickly becoming apparent that she would never get the edge against Vahn in the bedroom. Unless she stopped caring about her own pleasure and focused on some kind of pyrrhic victory, there didn't seem to be any means to turn the tides. After all, things were already heavily swayed in her favor, making it very difficult to mount any real resistance...
Thinking he might have gone a little too far, Vahn tried to give Nobunaga a way out by saying, "The better allies understand each other, the greater their cooperation in real battles, right? If we were back in feudal Japan, I'm certain we would dominate the battlefield together as an unstoppable duo..." At the end of his statement, Vahn gave a playful wink while gently massaging Nobunaga's feet with his hands. This seemed especially effective as, instead of looking somewhat melancholic, Nobunaga tilted her head down slightly while looking up at him with her blood-red eyes, a contented smile visible on her face even as she snorted through her nose...
---
Leaving Nobunaga's room, Vahn elected to walk around without a shirt on since it already felt like he was on the 'prowl'. Even if Rin were to show up and attempt to reprimand him, Vahn felt like it would only require a silent stare on his behalf before things quickly devolved into something more intimate than a lecture. In a way, perhaps due to the absence of Astolfo, Vahn felt as if he could freely walk about within this small lakeside residence with impunity. Though it was far from the truth, it almost felt like he was an Emperor visiting his inner sanctum, a place where only consorts and concubines were allowed to tread. Any occupied room could quickly become his nest of love with whoever resided within, seemingly without exception...
Feeling strangely 'elevated', Vahn gently rattled on the door located at the opposite end of the corridor from where Nobunaga's room was located. Since the soundproof barrier wasn't active, he could hear an adorable yelp from the inside before a loud thump echoed moments later. When the room's occupant finally answered the door, Vahn got to see Lakshmibai's furiously blushing face as a small trickle of blood flowed from her left nostril. It wasn't hard to imagine that she had fallen on her face in a hurry to answer the door, something evidenced by the fact that half her bedspread had been dragged free from the bed and was currently spread across the floor...
Though it was a good opportunity for some 'flowery' words, Vahn was well aware of how Lakshmibai had been looking at him ever since their first time together. Deciding to give her a bit of an extra push, Vahn slowly brought his hands to frame her face, causing Lakshmibai to tremble with her eyes as wide as saucers. Then, causing her legs to instantly turn to jelly, Vahn leaned his head inward as if he were going to give her a kiss before ultimately licking the small trickle of blood clean. This caused Lakshmibai to release a startled, "Fuwaaa...!?" before she nearly fell onto her plump butt. Since Vahn had been holding her head though, this led to an awkward situation where he guided her to lean against his chest before pulling her into a firm embrace and kicking the door closed behind him...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Gilgamesh's greatest achievement is making other characters look strong for having defeated him xD','Conquering the Conquerer','*Licking Intensifies*')
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