Chương 330: Reason

After entering Tsubaki's room, Vahn looked around briefly to take in the sights contained within. He had never entered her room previously, and he noticed there were a surprising number of intricately designed weapons lining the walls, similar to Hephaestus's office. Though he was somewhat interested in the items, he turned his attention to the woman that seemed to be contemplating if she should break his arms or not. If he hadn't been resisting the urge, Vahn would have been slowly forced into his Báihǔ form and his hands had started to become numb due to the lack of proper blood flow.

Tsubaki had noticed the surroundings changed in an instant, and she looked around in confusion for a brief moment because Vahn's movement technique was unlike anything she had ever seen previously. She noticed he had been distracted somewhat, and she was currently trying to forcefully flex her muscles to try and restore the functionality of her lower body. All she had to do was distract him for a minute or so and he would lose any advantage he had gained with his sneak attack earlier. She didn't mind spending time with Vahn and sharing a few drinks, but she got butterflies in her stomach imagining what he might do if left unchecked.

Vahn had noticed Tsubaki leaning forward slightly with her head down and saw her aura was turning placid and calm. He knew she was beginning to focus her attention, probably using the brief moment when he was distracted by her room as an opportunity. Though he could use Shundo to knock them off balance, there was no way he could easily remove Tsubaki's vice-like grip on his arms. The difference between their actual power was likely several thousand parameters and his only practical solution was to use [Hands of Nirvana] to disable her arms. However, there was a part of his mind that prevented him from removing her ability to resist, since they were currently supposed to be in a 'battle'.

After a brief moment of reflection, Vahn turned his attention to the low table where there were a few ceramic bottles of alcohol that was popular in the Far East. It wasn't the 'sake' he had seen in manga, but it was something very similar that was distilled from a bean-like grain called 'Ponta'. Because of her Half-Dwarf heritage, the alcohol Tsubaki usually drinks was several times stronger than normal alcohol. Vahn cocked his head as if he were trying to see Tsubaki's face and asked, "Aren't you going to pour me a few drinks?" The moment he asked the question, Tsubaki laughed and said, "Sure, I don't mind, but don't think I'm unaware of your disposition Vahn. I've seen you drink entire groups under the table, so you'll be drinking alone if you want me to serve you."

Vahn released a snort that was a mix between a sigh and a laugh before turning his attention to the table and dropping a small item that made a 'plonk' sound. Tsubaki heard the noise and turned to see what Vahn was looking at before her eye widened. For a brief moment, her hands loosened up and Vahn converged his domain to extend the window as he freed his arms from Tsubaki's grasp. She tried to reach out and prevent his escape, but Vahn quickly pressed a pressure point between her collarbone and shoulder before jumping back. Before he moved away, he set a few large cushions on the ground to support Tsubaki's falling body.

Before it got destroyed in the ensuing chaos, Vahn recovered the item he had set on the table that distracted Tsubaki earlier. It was a bit of a cheap shot, but Vahn had set the [Matryoshka of Fertility] on the table while banking that Tsubaki would remember the item due to the previous incident. His guess had been on point, and her brows raised to a point he had never seen before with an expression of absolute shock. Now, after his escape, she just laid on the pillows for a bit as Vahn saw her aura grow and become somewhat flame-like. There was a hint of passion within the coloration, but it was predominantly the colors of anger intermixed with a bit of fear and trepidation.

Tsubaki grabbed the pillows he had dropped to the floor and threw them like bullets as Vahn dodged around the room using Shundo. Even though they were just cushions, Tsubaki had monstrous strength and, if not for the fact the walls of her room were reinforced, she might have actually put holes in the walls. Fortunately, the walls were very durable and the only result was the pillows exploding into a tuft of feathers and fabric that Vahn expected would be annoying to clean up later. He could see a fiery light in Tsubaki's uncovered eye with a healthy blush touching her bronzed skin. She was obviously very embarrassed, and her default response seemed to be lashing out in anger to gain an advantage.

After she ran out of pillows, Tsubaki looked around for something else to throw before Vahn appeared next to the low table and sat down in a casual manner. He picked up the ceramic cup and poured a bit of the crisp, somewhat bitter, alcohol into the cup before sipping it as if they hadn't just previously been engaged in a small scuffle. She could feel a warm energy flowing in her body as the feeling was slowly restored to her limbs. For a short moment, Tsubaki hesitated before eventually allowing herself to calm down and wait patiently for the tingling sensation in her body to cease. With Vahn's assistance, it only took around forty seconds before she stood up and stretched her limbs a bit as she walked over to the table and sat down opposite Vahn.

The moment she sat down, Vahn smiled and said, "It's fine, Tsubaki, if you're that afraid of my [Hands of Nirvana], I won't force you to do anything..." Tsubaki gave a somewhat dry laugh before releasing a husky sigh as she reached for her own cup. In a gentle voice that made Vahn's heart shake, Tsubaki turned her gaze and locked eyes with him as she said, "You've grown up so quickly, Vahn, I'm happy for you. It's hard to believe how much has changed...you know, I once thought you would be in my care for a few years as I slowly trained you up to be a [Master Smith]. I even wanted to nurture you as my successor..."

Vahn furrowed his brows a bit before placing his cup down on the table and saying in an apologetic tone, "I enjoyed every day that I lived here previously...though I didn't say it enough in the past, I'm grateful for everything you did for me, Tsubaki. It was because I had a safe refuge here at your Manor that I was able to slowly break out of the shell that I had surrounded myself with. You're even looking after Lili and Naaza, even though they should have been my responsibility, and not your's..."

Tsubaki laughed in a manner that made Vahn's heart wrench in his chest, because he could hear the sadness contained in the humor. She leaned on the table with her elbow and supported her head with her hand. The only thing she was wearing was her red hakama and a white sarashi, so her breasts swayed a bit with the movement. Tsubaki showed a wide smile with a reminiscent look in her eye as she said, "Honestly, it was good to have so much young blood around after such a long time. Other than clients, the only people that really visit this place were Hephaestus-sama and Welf. This Manor has more than enough rooms for twenty people, so it was a little unnerving to stay here alone...I'm glad that Hephaestus brought you here, and you don't have to worry about those two girls. They're good kids, even though Lili still has a ways to go before she stabilizes..."

Vahn stared into her uncovered red eye with a pained expression because he could feel the melancholy coming from her body, almost like it was a palpable, heavy, aura that permeated through the air. He frowned and said, "You don't have to be alone...there are all the girls on the network, and Hephaest herself...and..." Tsubaki's expression became very gentle as she stared directly at him and said, "Vahn, you're a good, strong, capable person...but you're still just a kid. You have to understand that it isn't possible to help everyone you come across. Even though I get a bit lonely, I'm also the Captain of an entire Familia and have more than a few things to keep me busy. There are plenty of young girls, and even a number of goddesses, that will look after you...you shouldn't be overly concerned with me. I accepted my lot in life a long time ago..."

Tsubaki saw Vahn's expression worsen so she laughed and righted her body as she said, "Don't worry, I'll be perfectly happy when your young'uns are running about. I imagine things will get pretty lively in the future, so you don't have to worry about me so much..." Vahn's expression didn't' loosen at all as he practically glared at Tsubaki and asked, "Why are you so determined to have me believe your lie? How can you smile and act so dismissively when it's obvious you have regrets!?" Hearing Vahn's outburst, Tsubaki released a long sigh before her own expression turned serious and she asked, "Why are you so persistent when I've already made my decision? Do you think you have more right to make choices about my life than I do? If you're just concerned with me having a baby, you can just leave that small doll with me and let me take care of things at my own discretion. The way you talk about the matter, its almost like you've made the decision that you have to be the one to do the deed!"

Vahn's mind blanked for a moment at Tsubaki's words and she noticed he didn't have an immediate response so she poured a drink and said, "You have plenty of things to worry about without adding my problems atop everything else. Go spend some time with the younger women in the group and leave the matters of the older-" Before Tsubaki could finish her statement, Vahn's cup shattered to pieces in his hand and he said, "Tsubaki...I refuse. If you gave me a real excuse, I would back down easily, but I can't just sit here and listen to you lie and make excuses. Do you really think I can overlook all our past interactions, the hope that was present in your eyes when you found out you could get pregnant, and how playful and responsive you were to being teased by me?"

Tsubaki ground her teeth a bit in frustration before saying plainly, "It was never your right to choose...it has always been my decision to make. If it were just playing around, I didn't mind spending some time with you after you grew up a bit, but that was before...things have changed now. There are literally dozens of potential partners surrounding you, and there are even two, or more, that are already pregnant with your children. I'm better suited to help raise the kids you have with the others than having a child of my own..." Vahn looked into her eye and asked in a stern voice, "Tell me...why? If you say it is because of your age, I...I..." Vahn flexed his hands in frustration because he disliked how easily influenced some girls were by their 'age'. Even though both she and Milan still looked young and beautiful, they acted like they were some untouchable, unworthy, object that would profane him with their touch.

After a brief period of silence, Tsubaki nodded her head and said, "I'm old, Vahn...even if I can live well over a hundred years, I don't want my children to have to be embarrassed that their mother looks more like their grandmother. I'm already 36, that means I would be, at least, 50 by the time my child reached adulthood. It might not show much now, since I take proper care of my body, but it'll become much more apparent when I'm older..." Vahn shook his head and said, "No, you're overlooking too many things while using your age as a convenient excuse! If I use my [Hands of Nirvana] on you, even just every few weeks, your age wouldn't even show within the next fifty years, much less fourteen. There are plenty of ways to keep you young, or even reduce your physical age depending on how things play out...Tell me Tsubaki, do you really think I'm such a shallow and incapable man that I can't even put in the effort necessary to help you be happy?"

Tsubaki frowned and didn't say anything for a very long period of time as she stared into Vahn's face. His expression didn't falter at all and he just continued to show a serious expression as if he wouldn't accept any excuse she might try to give him. She knew she could easily put an end to the entire matter by simply refusing, and Vahn wasn't the type that would force her into the situation just like he had shown leniency on her earlier. If he had wanted to, Tsubaki knew she wouldn't even be able to resist him after his successful sneak attack. Instead, he gave her time to recover and even de-escalated the situation himself after she got angry and embarrassed. His perception was just way too high and it was almost impossible to actually fool him with simple lies and excuses. She also heard about Shizune, how her body was returned to that of a child, and she also knew the supposed health and beauty benefits of Vahn's massage. Every single girl that had experienced looked healthier and more vibrant than they had previously, even the goddesses whose appearances shouldn't change regardless of how much time passes.

After a while, Tsubaki began tapping on the low wooden table in a rhythmic manner as if she were in serious contemplation. The biggest problems she was dealing with related to, just how Vahn mentioned previously, how they had interacted with each other in the past. There was also the fact that everyone on the network pretty much expected it to happen sooner or later, and this was the reason she had been 'avoiding' Vahn and never showed up to receive his massage. When they had been conspired against by Anubis and forced on a date, she had been very nervous and had even brought the date to an early end when she KO'd Vahn after he embarrassed her. It was all of this, combined with several other factors, that made it very difficult for her to answer Vahn's question, especially since she herself knew it would be a lie, much less the perceptive Vahn.

Eventually, Tsubaki's finger came to a stop and she released a long and exasperated sigh that diffused the tense atmosphere that had spread through the room. She made the excuse about not wanting to cause trouble for Vahn, but her current actions would likely cause him even more trouble than if she gave up. He wasn't the type that could easily back down and understand things that contradicted themselves. The more she tried to push him away, though he would never do anything forcibly, the harder he would try to approach her in the future. She would also experience pressure from the network and there was a very real possibility Hephaestus, alongside several others, would approach and try to convince her. If she remained at loggerheads with the network just because of her own denial of the situation, it wouldn't make anyone happy at all...

Tsubaki blinked and her expression loosened before she said in a yielding manner, "Fine, fine, I give up...I'll give you a chance to convince me. However, if I'm not satisfied with the outcome, you have to swear that you'll never try to broach this subject again in the future." Even though she hadn't said what he had to do, Vahn nodded and said with absolute confidence, "I won't fail, no matter what." Tsubaki laughed in an exasperated manner for a short while before saying, somewhat hesitantly, "Show me the full benefits of your supposedly unrivaled massage technique. They call you 'godhand' on the network, but I wonder if you're capable of actually performing a miracle, since that is what it would take to convince me."

Though he was confident before, there was now a literal blaze of resolve deep within Vahn's eyes that made Tsubaki feel like she just stepped on the tail of a dragon. She might be able to best a dragon in combat, but it was another matter entirely if she was expected to entrust her body to it. Before she could say anything further, Vahn stated in a firm manner, "If you leave it to me, regardless of how scary, or terrifying, things might get, I'll show you a miracle. I'm more worried that your mind won't able to cope with the procedure though...no, you're a strong and capable woman, I believe you'll be fine." Vahn nodded his head as if he had been convinced by his own words. Tsubaki, however, realized it wasn't a simple dragon's tail she had stepped on as she asked hesitantly, "What...do I need to do?"

Vahn's eyes darted about for a few seconds as if he were recalling the procedure before explaining with renewed confidence, "All you need to do...is believe in me. Believe that I would never do anything to harm you and that everything will be okay as long as you trust me. I don't want to scare you, but the procedure that I'm going to perform will not be easy to bear...the only thing you can do after I start is trust that I'll bring you back safely..." The more Vahn spoke, the stronger the giddy feeling inside Tsubaki's stomach became. She had no idea what he was planning, but she knew it would probably 'change' her in a way she might not be prepared for.

After a few seconds of silence, Tsubaki showed a resolved expression on her face as she looked into Vahn's face and said, "I said I'll give you a chance, so I'm not going to back down and renege on my own word..." Tsubaki began to laugh in an awkward manner before she continued, "Besides, I know that the other girls on the network would punish you harshly if you took things too far. You already have my trust, but it's nice to have a bit of insurance..." Vahn nodded his head without refuting her words before pulling out the massage table that he used often in the past. It would be necessary for the start of the procedure, so he stood up from the table and motioned toward the massage table and said, "You'll have to strip down..."

Without much hesitation, Tsubaki also stood up from the table and laughed for a short while as she loosened the band fixing her hakama to her hips. She gave Vahn a cheeky look and asked, "Are you just going to gawk as I get naked in front of you?" Vahn shook his head in a casual manner without averting his eyes as he said, "After we begin, there isn't really any part of your body that I won't know. Besides, we bathed together plenty in the past and I have no aversion to seeing your naked body at all. You're a lot more beautiful than you like to pretend..."

Tsubaki's smile widened a bit and she had a 'helpless' expression on her face as she loosened the fundoshi style underwear that she wore under her hakama. As Vahn said, they had been naked together a lot in the past and she just wanted to tease him a bit. After she stripped herself of her bottoms, Tsubaki removed the small clasp holding her sarashi around her breasts before letting the bandages fall to the floor. Throughout the entire process, she noticed Vahn had been staring at her body in a completely different way than he had in the past. It wasn't a perverse glare, but closer to an inquisitive and admiring gaze as he traced his eyes over every part of her body. She frowned slightly but ignored her apprehension as she walked over in a 'casual' manner before holding up her own breasts with her palms and asking, "I wonder if you'll be able to prevent my breasts from sagging, I've actually be worried about it you know?"

Vahn cocked his head to the side a bit before reaching out with his index finger and poking into the springy, somewhat youthful feeling, brown flesh. Even in the relatively low light of the room, there was a sheen on Tsubaki's healthy brown skin and he couldn't see any sign of sagging or stretch marks anywhere on her well-endowed chest. As he moved his finger away, Tsubaki's breast quickly resumed its almost flawless shape without any difficulty at all so Vahn said, "It'll be no problem at all. You have very healthy and beautiful breasts already, and I can guarantee they'll stay that way for years to come."

Tsubaki's brain had stalled for a moment when Vahn nonchalantly pressed his index finger on her left breasts and dragged it across her skin as if testing the resistance and feel before making a casual and confident promise while also sneaking in a compliment. She stood there for a short moment and thought about teasing him by trying to hug his face into them, but the thought made her feel a little nervous. There weren't any 'problems' yet, but Tsubaki was afraid she would get excited by the relatively intimate contact and do something embarrassing before the massage even began. After deciding against teasing him further, Tsubaki let her breasts hang freely before walking over to the table and climbing atop it. She noticed that, when she pressed her breasts against the upper cushions, they sunk into the incredibly pliant material and made it easier for her to lay down. It was her first time experiencing Vahn's massage, so everything was a new experience and she found it to be a little exciting as she rested her face into the oval shaped hole that would allow her to relax completely without interfering with her breathing.

Vahn watched the process of Tsubaki climbing onto the table and admired her figure from behind for a bit until she had gotten comfortable. Even though she complained about her age, there were nearly no signs of it on her body at all. She had springy, youthful, brown skin that had a healthy bronze tone. It was so healthy that, even when she wasn't perspiring a lot, there was always a subtle reflective sheen on her skin and both her breasts and butt looked very soft. He could see the powerful muscles of her body, but they didn't actually change the somewhat supple, refined, and womanly figure of Tsubaki in the least. Though she had abs if she focused her attention on making them visible, her belly was nearly flat and smooth when she was relaxed. Unlike a supposed 36-year-old, she had the body of a woman in her twenties because of her racial traits, Level, and the care she put into maintaining her figure. A Half-Dwarf could live nearly two-hundred years if they were strong enough, so the 36-year-old Tsubaki was hardly even considered middle-aged by the standards of her species.

After she had completely settled into the table, Vahn approached Tsubaki's side and said, "I'm going to begin, so prepare yourself for what is to come. Remember, no matter what you feel, trust that I won't harm you at all." From the hole in the chair, Vahn heard Tsubaki's voice, "Just get started, show me what you're made of kid." Vahn nodded his head before flexing all of his fingers and placing them on Tsubaki's back. He was very tempted to give some early attention to her very plump rump, but he knew there would be time for that kind of thing later. Right now, he needed to focus his full efforts on the procedure, since he was actually going to be using several techniques he had never practiced before. Tsubaki wanted irrefutable proof of his skills, and Vahn intended to give her a full course that would literally change how she saw, not only herself, but Vahn as a whole.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tsubaki's Hesitation','Vahn is not deterred','RIP Tsubaki')

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Chương 331: Nirvana

After resting his hands on Tsubaki's back for a moment, Vahn confirmed the process in his head one last time before he began targetting the various nerve centers located in her body. One thing he had learned through his experimentation with [Hands of Nirvana] was that the skill was originally created for humans. There very various things he had to learn on his own, and this was the main reason why his skill didn't develop as quickly as it should have since he used it often. The original skill focused on acupoints and pressure points within the body and massaging things like meridians to open up the channels in the body.

However, though there were similarities, there was a big difference in the basic structure of every different race he had come across within the Danmachi record. Because the energy system of the world was fundamentally different than the record where [Hands of Nirvana] originated, Vahn had to literally 'feel' his way forward and experiment to better understand the skills use. Without this understanding, which eventually brought his skill to Rank-S, Vahn wouldn't be able to make use of the skill to its full potential. This would be a problem since, the penultimate skill he was about to use, which also was where the skill derived its name from, was called 'Nirvana'. A single mistake could result in various sequelae in Tsubaki's body, and Vahn would lose his confidence even if he spent years trying to remove the effects of his mishap...

Though it wasn't necessary, Vahn contracted his domain to the small size and brought about a state of absolute focus to his mind. The cooling sensation slowly spread through his body and the almost imperceptible shaking of his hands ceased in its entirety. Vahn used his [Eyes of Truth] to scan Tsubaki's body from head to toe as he placed his fingers at the various nerve centers located through her body. The original record showed a total of 43 nerve centers, but Vahn found a total of 53 within Tsubaki's Half-Dwarf body. He also noticed they were perfectly aligned and he planned to fix this so that her body would be balanced in the future. The only nerve center that evaded his touch was the small bead hidden within the dark garden of Tsubaki.

After he had completely relaxed Tsubaki's muscles, even in her fingers and toes, she became completely limp against the table and drew slow and steady breaths. In order for her not to suffocate in the latter half of the procedure, Vahn would actually have to forcibly expand and contract her diaphragm manually or she wouldn't be able to draw enough air to sustain her body. Though it was a tedious, and very dangerous, process, it was necessary so Tsubaki didn't injure herself when he started. Unfortunately, though there might be some, pleasure wasn't going to be what Tsubaki was feeling for the majority of the procedure. Her body would experience intense extremes of pain and other stimuli that a normal person wouldn't be able to tolerate. By the end, her mind should be long gone from her body and Vahn would have to guide her back or she might be lost to the world forever.

'Nirvana', the skill Vahn was going to use, was the ultimate technique that could be used with the [Hands of Nirvana]. It literally made use of the principles of enlightenment, rebirth, and severance from the cycle of life and death. If used on a dying patient, or one that recently died, Vahn would literally be able to resurrect them if he applied the skill properly. When used on a living person, however, it was able to revitalize the energy within the trillions of cells that constituted their body. Though it couldn't make them live forever, Vahn could extend the longevity of the cells by a great deal and prevent them from breaking down and decaying through the natural progression of time. There was a large downside to this, however, as the cells would catastrophically fail later in life, much like how elves stayed young for hundreds of years without changing before suddenly aging rapidly into an elderly appearance.

Vahn had studied a fair amount regarding the differences between species, because he was curious why others live far longer than everyone else. He was able to determine that the primary factors were the vitality of their cells, the physical endurance of the person, their magical capacity, and the strength of their soul. Since he could even inspect the bodies of goddesses, Vahn noticed that their cells were constantly being nourished by their Tier 4 souls and this was the secret behind their physical immortality. For elves, there was a similar process going on, but instead of their souls, it was their mana that nourished their cells. For physical fighters, and races like dwarves and giants, the vitality within the cells, and the natural temperature of their body, were much higher than other races.

The most important factor for his understanding, however, had been his own body and blood. Vahn noticed that his cells weren't being nourished by anything, but the energy contained within his blood seemed limitless. His natural regeneration didn't force the blood cells in his body to split and become defective over time...instead, the energy contained within the cells would spike for a brief moment before creating a perfect copy of the damaged tissue. This was what led to Vahn's original breakthrough when it came to healing and influencing the energy within the bodies of others, because he knew he could use his 'source' energy to create what could only be called a miracle by those unaware of what was going on.

Vahn rubbed his hands together and they began to glow with a powerful, almost divine, white light that actually reminded him a lot of his blood in his past life. The light diffused into his own body, and it allowed him to see the shadows of his own bones and the powerful, energy-rich, blood flowing through his body. Vahn moved his fingers about dexterously and saw the various bones, tendons, muscles, and veins in his arms and hands move to match his movements. It was a peculiar sight, but Vahn felt encouraged since he knew this was the sign that the skill was being used properly.

Since he needed to start from the inside and work his way out, Vahn placed his hand on Tsubaki's back, in the area directly above her heart. He began to channel the 'Nirvana' directly in her body and the healthy brown skin that made up her back began to take on a rosy shade before the luminescence of Vahn's hand slowly spread in her body. As he continued to contact the same spot for nearly three minutes, Tsubaki's body began to turn somewhat translucent under this palm as it began to slowly sink into her back. This was the first step of the skill, and the reason why it could even revive the dead, since Vahn had oversaturated the cells in both his hand, and her body, to the point where they were able to perfectly intermingle and move through each other.

Though it was almost impossible to see through normal means, every single particle that constituted the great whole of objects, both organic and inorganic, were entirely comprised of mana. If you removed the mana from an object, it would turn into dust and vanish into nothingness. It was the subtle, almost imperceptible differences, in the mana of everything that prevented them from moving through each other. By perfectly matching the constituent mana in Tsubaki's body with his hand, Vahn was able to insert it into her body without even disrupting the flow of blood or damaging the surrounding tissues.

Nearly five minutes later, though it was actually only a few centimeters of distance, Vahn arrived at Tsubaki's heart and could feel it pulsing rhythmically through his own hand and arm. He began to channel the energy of 'Nirvana' into her heart and it slowly pumped the life-giving energy throughout her entire body. As time passed, Tsubaki's entire body began to start glowing and it was a very disconcerting sight for anyone other than Vahn. He knew this was part of the process, and his mind was in an absolute state of focus where the only things he could perceive were his hands and Tsubaki's body.

After nearly two hours had passed, the light had completely saturated Tsubaki's body and she had long lost consciousness. Her entire body was slightly translucent now and Vahn could see every bone, muscle, tendon, organ, and large blood vessel within her body. Even her aura had increased marginally and turned completely placid without a single ripple of emotion as it glowed with a pure white light. This state, as explained in the manual for [Hands of Nirvana], was called 'Enlightenment'. Tsubaki was currently in a state where she had no thoughts, no emotions, and no sense of self. She was literally becoming one with the record itself and, if Vahn didn't keep her grounded, there was a very real chance she would disperse into a cloud of pure magical energy.

While channeling the energy into her heart continuously, Vahn used his free hand to target the various 'imperfections' in Tsubaki's body. After he put her into the state of 'Enlightenment' and completely dispersed his energy to encompass her body, the next step was to remove any abnormalities and sequelae that existed within her body. He massaged the various parts of her body and molded the energy with his fingers to forcibly reshape the energy channels of her body while also repositioning her nerve centers to make them aligned with each other. Had she been awake, Tsubaki would have been experiencing a pain unlike anything she had ever experienced since Vahn was literally changing her body from the inside-out while pulling and manipulating her actual nerves. Even in her state of 'Enlightenment', Tsubaki's body responded to Vahn's touch and seized up painfully even though he had forcibly relaxed the muscles in her body. Stimulating the nerves directly would cause her body to react, even if there was no tension in her muscles through her own will.

Though he had long lost his sense of time, it was nearly 7 AM the following day when Vahn finished the second phase of 'Nirvana' and had completely rebalanced Tsubaki's body. He also removed any microfractures in her bones, dispersed any swelling in her joins, and even improved the blood flow through some of her veins that had become affected by her constant strength training and work as a blacksmith. He even removed some of the buildup of brackish material that had rooted itself in her liver before moving up and combing through the incredibly fine, porous, and spongey alveoli of her lungs. Though she properly ventilated her forge, Tsubaki couldn't avoid breathing in a few microscopic particles of the various materials she used when creating items. Vahn had noticed this and removed the entirely of the built-up material so she would be able to breathe easily in the future without suffering from any sicknesses or ailments.

The most awkward part of the procedure had, of course, been massaging and shaping the various womanly traits of Tsubaki. Even in a state of absolute focus, Vahn had hesitated for a few milliseconds before he started. He had to move her body around a lot, and removed some of the tension and strain that had been building up in Tsubaki's muscles that supported her relatively large breasts. Vahn also noticed that her right breast was marginally larger than her left because Tsubaki was predominately right-handed the muscles were more developed. Vahn 'fixed' this during his massage so that her body was almost perfectly symmetrical. He performed a similar procedure for all of her muscles, including the somewhat asymmetrical shape of her abdominal muscles and right glute. Since she leaned to the right when she swung her hammer, the entire right side of Tsubaki's body was slightly more developed and unbalanced.

Of course, though the entire process as massaging her breasts and body was awkward, the most difficult part had been saved for last. Vahn had flipped Tsubaki onto her back and spread her legs as he massaged the areas around, and somewhat inside, of her vagina. Things had become somewhat 'messy' because of his actions, but Vahn ignored any discomfort and excitement he felt as he slowly helped revitalize the organ. Tsubaki hadn't been a virgin, but Vahn still massaged and restored a bit of the tension inside her vulva. It was a very strange sight to see the somewhat fleshy interior contract slightly before returning to a somewhat 'youthful' state after a few long minutes of effort. By the time he was done, the slightly open vulva was sealed tightly in a youthful line and there was a springiness to the fleshy mound that made it seem entirely untouched.

The final phase had been something Vahn was putting off since it was both disconcerting and highly problematic to deal with. He laid Tsubaki on her back and positioned her parallel to the ground before placing his left hand between her cleavage and slowly sank his palm into her body and placed it back in her heart. He had removed his hand several times earlier, to reposition her body, but he had to make sure she was never allowed to fall out of 'Enlightenment' before he finished. Every separating for a few seconds could lead to her physical death, so Vahn was hesitant each time he moved her. After releasing a relieved sigh, Vahn placed his right hand under Tsubaki's navel, right above her womb. He had already inspected it earlier since he was curious about why it was so difficult for half-breeds to get pregnant, and Vahn noticed that a vast majority of the eggs within Tsubaki's ovaries contained no vitality. They still had 'mana' within them, but they were in a dormant, inactive state.

There was also another problem, which he intended to fix right now, and that was that the actual fallopian tubes leading to her ovaries were less than a tenth the size of Hephaestus's and Loki's. When her body moved around slightly, or when she tensed her abdominal muscles, the small tubes were nearly pinched shut and didn't allow anything in, or out, of the small openings. This almost guaranteed that, even if Tsubaki was ovulating, there was almost no way to guarantee the sperm would even be able to reach the egg, and that was assuming the egg was even capable of being fertilized since more than seventy percent were inert.

After a few minutes, Vahn's hand sunk into Tsubaki's body and he came into direct contact with her womb before tracing his finger into the interior. He couldn't actually feel anything since their bodies were perfectly fused through his energy, but Vahn still felt very strange as he diffused his source energy through his fingers and saturated the inside through direct contact. Vahn slowly moved his hand through her abdomen, literally centimeters every few minutes, and eased the tension of the muscles that constrained the entrances to her fallopian tubes. He gently prodded the bundle of nerves and slowly, very slowly, forced the pinhole opening to widen. Though he wasn't sure if it was a good metric to use, Vahn continued his efforts for nearly two hours until Tsubaki's openings were similar im size to Hephaestus and Loki. Since goddesses had 'flawless' bodies, Vahn assumed this would be the ideal size that would guarantee the greatest chance of success in her future attempts.

Before he completed the delicate procedure, Vahn tried to revitalize some of the inert eggs within Tsubaki's ovaries and had a marginal amount of success. Though he didn't really revive any, the vitality in the active ones increased by a fair amount. He then, though it felt incredibly terrifying, tried to contact the inert eggs with his energy before storing them into his inventory. His initial intention was to uses his [Eyes of Truth] to destroy the inert eggs, but Vahn was already very tired and he didn't want to risk overusing his energy for such a dangerous act. It wasn't much better forcibly storing the microscopic eggs into his own inventory, but it was the lesser of two evils and would allow Vahn to potentially study the inert eggs in the future. Surprisingly, he got a fair amount of good karma by the time he was finished with the procedure.

Now that he had completed phase two, the next phase was arguably the most important because, if he failed, he wouldn't be able to actually bring Tsubaki back. He had to bank on her own willpower and his successful execution of the skill as he slowly tried to restore functionality to her body. He flipped her body over onto her stomach and, instead of placing his hand back into her body, began rapidly pressing on a variety of pressure points, nerves, and muscle junctions to stimulate them to activate. He had a few short minutes to completely reactivate her body before the state of 'Enlightenment' wears off or she would suffer a severe trauma to her mind that she might never wake up from. Though her body had been kept in a near 'flawless' state for the last few hours, it had also become 'dormant' as her mind had completely stopped putting any effort into sustaining it. He also had the task of 'waking' her from the state before it wore off, or there was a real chance her body would just break down into the constituent parts of its mana.

After pressing each of the key points, Vahn placed two fingers at the base of Tsukabki's head, where it connected with the neck, and two more fingers at the tip of her tailbone, right at the spot where her butt cheeks split. He waited patiently as he watched the synapses in her body fire from his earlier actions until they had all linked together and converged near the points of his fingers. The moment he felt the almost undetectable twitch of her body, Vahn put a powerful energy into his fingers as he traced them towards each other along the line of Tsubaki's back. This was the original purpose of the 'Heaven and Earth Convergence' skill, because it would even be able to ground someone that had obtained 'Nirvana', or 'Heaven', and bring them back to 'Earth'.

Tsubaki's previously fluttering eyes opened wide, though Vahn couldn't see them, as she released a silent shout before a stifled, painful sounding, gasp like a scratchy monotone noise. Vahn had been paying attention to her body so, even though he couldn't see her face, he knew she had successfully awoken. He couldn't see any problems in her body, in fact, he saw several 'great' things about it, so he felt incredibly relieved. Though he would still have to check on her later to make sure there were no problems, Vahn released a long sigh before pressing on a few points to allow her to escape the perpetual climax her body was forced in to. Since he had 'held back' quite a bit during the procedure, Vahn raised his hand and smacked Tsubaki's left butt cheek with a bit of force as he said, "Welcome back, Tsubaki..." His words finished, all the tensions drained from Vahn's body and he passed out on the spot.

Though she had been stuck in the 'echoes' of her earlier climax, Tsubaki was aware of what Vahn was saying after feeling the stinging sensation on her own butt. When he fell, she moved to try and catch him, but his body had collapsed toward her and knocked over the stand he had propped her body on. They fell hard to the ground, and Tsubaki rubbed her butt a little before removing Vahn, who had by providence fell into her breasts, away from her body. She could tell he was in a state of complete mental, and physical exhaustion, so she affectionately stroked his head for a bit before picking up his limp body and placing it on her own futon. Tsubaki wasn't sure what he had done, since she couldn't remember anything after the first hour or so, but she knew he had done his best for her.

Tsubaki felt a little bad for Vahn, since he had worked so hard and she still intended to remain 'unconvinced' and force him to take a step back for his own happiness. She stroked his head affectionately for a while and said in a quiet, almost inaudible voice, "Sorry...it's better this way."

After leaning over and giving him a kiss on the forehead, Tsubaki stood up and stretched her body a bit. She had noticed it earlier, but her body didn't feel anything like she remembered. The small aches that were always present in her joints had been completely removed and she felt far more limber and flexible than before. There was even a healthy sheen to her skin and she couldn't help but commend Vahn's technique.

Since she felt incredibly hungry, Tsubaki wanted to go make some food so she began to get dressed. She wore her fundoshi as normal, but the moment the cloth came into contact with her genitals Tsubaki felt a strange, almost out of place sensation. Her sensitivity had faded a great deal with time, but now she actually felt 'uncomfortable' with the cloth against her skin and immediately felt embarrassed after thinking about what Vahn must have done when she was passed out. She stripped out of the almost painful cloth and visually inspected her own crotch while also extending her fingers towards the now 'unfamiliar' flesh. The moment she saw her own vagina, Tsubaki's eye widened and she felt a powerful sense of incredulity well up inside of her. She felt like she had returned to her teens and she noticed that the feel of her own insides was far more firm and smooth than she remembered. Even the area where her hymen had been torn previously had recovered by a large amount and she was genuinely shocked by the revelation.

Though she hadn't cared much before, now Tsubaki was very interested in the changes of her own body and moved over to a large secretary she didn't often use. Most of her clothing consisted of the same few outfits, and she didn't wear makeup at all, so Tsubaki didn't have a standing mirror in her room. The only one happened to be inside her somewhat dusty secretary and when she saw her own reflection she paused. For nearly a full minute, Tsubaki couldn't believe what she was seeing as she gingerly touched different parts of her body. Though she didn't have any wrinkles previously, her skin now seemed fresh, and young, almost vibrant, compared to its previous appearance. She didn't simply feel younger, but her reflection made her feel like she had stepped more than ten years into the past. Everything from the lines of her body, to her breasts, vagina, and especially her butt, all appeared to be in a flawless state. Every scar on her body had been completely removed and even some of the freckles that often bothered her had vanished entirely.

Tsubaki spent nearly a half hour just inspecting her own body and, no matter how long she looked, she felt like she was unable to believe what her own eyes saw. She had even removed her eyepatch to verify she wasn't under an illusion and noticed that the flow of mana in her body was much stronger than normal. It was almost like, not only the joint tension, aches, and pains, but even the channels within her body and blood circulation had improved greatly. It was simply ridiculous because she felt like she hadn't simply recovered the prime of her youth, but exceeded it greatly. Though she didn't often compare herself to other girls, Tsubaki almost felt like she had become 'flawless', like an actual goddess instead of a mortal. With her discerning eyes as a [Master Smith], she was even able to tell that Vahn had somehow balanced her body, including her breast size and position of her muscles...

Looking over, she saw the contented smile on Vahn's face and frowned deeply for a few moments before noticing her own reflection. Though it was a strange thing to think about oneself, Tsubaki felt like a 'frown' didn't suit her current appearance. It was like she was looking at her younger self upset and she couldn't help but want to reach out and cheer up the young woman. As her hand came into contact with the mirror, Tsubaki suddenly felt more grounded, like she had finally realized the woman within the reflection wasn't her younger self, but the person Vahn had literally shaped her to be. This was how he saw her, the ideal within his heart and mind, and it was that of a beautiful young woman in the prime of her youth, not an aging blacksmith that was well past her prime.

After having this realization, Tsubaki released a long sigh and drooped her head low before giving a sidelong glance at the sleeping Vahn. Based on the changes she could see to her body, Tsubaki even suspected there were several things she wasn't even aware of yet. Even if she wanted to pretend to be unconvinced, the moment the other girls saw her she would immediately be forced to retract her statement. A procedure that could fix imperfections while also revitalizing the body by nearly ten years was simply irrefutable evidence of Vahn's earlier claim. That meant that, unless she planned to go back on her own word for the first time in her life, there wasn't anything she could say or do to avoid the consequences of her own words. It looks like, though she had started with a massive lead, Vahn had overtaken her in an instant and invalidated any advantage she had gained over him. From now on, they stood on even grounds and there wasn't much she could do besides delaying the inevitable...

As she was still hungry, Tsubaki quickly got dressed in some lighter attire that she didn't often wear. Though she usually wore fundoshi, since her casual outfit was that of a hakama and sash, she was now wearing a proper pair of silk panties she used for special occasions. The smooth silk was far less abrasive than the fundoshi and Tsubaki released a sigh knowing she would probably have to wear normal panties from now on, at least until her 'sensitivity' faded. Instead of her sarashi and hakama, Tsubaki wore a simple bathrobe that was styled like a kimono without an obi. There was a simple sash that held it together and she walked outside of her room to get some food.

The moment she unlocked the door, Tsubaki nearly stepped on the sleeping Lili laying outside and turned her attention to see that it was still night time. She thought that the procedure had lasted longer and was surprised to find that not much time had passed at all. Lili woke up near her feet and stared blankly at her for nearly a minute before pointing and screaming, "WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO YOU!?" Tsubaki began to laugh at Lili's reaction and noticed that her own voice was less husky than normal. It seemed that, with the revitalization of her body, her voice had changed a bit to match. She sounded younger, more womanly, more vibrant than she had in the past. Lili stared at her with abject shock on her face as she said, "You were with Vahn for nearly an entire day without answering the door, and the moment you come out you look like you're barely out of your teens. What on earth happened!?"

Tsubaki blanked for a moment before asking, "You said, nearly a full day? Seriously?" She looked back into the room where Vahn was sleeping and felt more than a small amount of warmth spread through her chest. She knew he worked hard to obtain her 'approval', but she hadn't expected he spent nearly an entire day for her benefit. Of course, it made sense considering how drastically she had changed in the period where she was unconscious. She shook her head and looked back at Lili and said, "Even I'm not sure what happened, I just know that Vahn did his best...here, I'm very hungry and plan to head to the kitchen and grab something to eat. Let's leave Vahn to sleep for now and then we'll ask when he wakes up..." As if she remembered something, Tsubaki began to sweat as she remembered the existence of the network that she and Vahn had likely been ignoring for the last day or so...

Like the voice of providence itself, Lili nodded her head before worriedly gazing toward the room and saying, "A lot of people were worried and have been asking what was going on through the network. You have a lot of explaining to do Tsubaki-sama..." Lili's words made a chill run down her back, but Tsubaki laughed it away the moment her stomach grumbled a bit. Without warning, she picked up Lili's body and began to carry her to the kitchen. Lili struggled and said, "No, I just want to check on him~! Release me you gorilla woman!" Tsubaki laughed joyously before spanking Lili's butt with her hand and saying in a cheeky manner, "Is that any way to speak to a beautiful young woman such as myself~? Hahahahaha."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I really have no words for this chapter, it's so friggin long. 4969 words!','Vahn's efforts','Tsubaki's Revelation','Blah blah blah...(UwU)

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