Chương 1917: Misgivings
Arriving on the opposite end of the bridge connecting to the seed, a frown immediately developed across Vahn's face the moment he spread his senses through the area. It wasn't that he sensed any danger. Rather, it was the complete and utter lack of anyone's presence that soured his mood.
Resisting the urge to sigh, Vahn slowly combed through his hair in an effort to remain calm as Sis analyzed the environmental data pertaining to the Seed. Everything within the Hidden Floor, from the smallest particle of sand to the giant Shinheuh that roamed the wastelands had positional and render data that determined everything from its X, Y, and Z coordinates to its ability to interact with other objects in virtual space. After all, while the system was unbelievably complex, it still relied on variable vertices, mathematical points similar to atomic particles, to realistically simulate physical, spiritual, and anomalous phenomena.
Though he could conceal himself from the systems designed to keep track of everything with the Hidden Floor, even Vahn was unable to completely hide his presence. After all, he still existed within the Hidden Floor, so, every time he took a breath or stepped on a piece of terrain, the environment data would update to reflect these changes. Were this not the case, he wouldn't be able to interact with, or even perceive, the world around him.
Noticing Vahn's grim silence, Theo, Musashi, and Scathach each exchanged looks before nodding in concert. Immediately thereafter, Scathach vanished from view, her intent to investigate the Seed's interior as Theo stepped forward to say, "There is no need to worry. From what I can tell, there are no signs of conflict taking place. Given the circumstances, the most likely scenario is that one of the Sworn Enemy versions of yourself convinced the people here to follow him. Even if the system took liberties to bastardize your character, I can't imagine any version of you choosing to willfully harm the victims of tragic circumstances."
Nodding her head in agreement, Musashi adopted a sincere smile as she nudged Vahn's arm and added, "Theo's right. If anything, I bet the people here were moved someplace safe before being provided with food and alcohol. Hell, they might even be in the midst of celebrating their escape."
Understanding that the duo was trying to comfort him, Vahn's grimace relaxed into a noncommital smile as he offered a nod and said, "You're probably right. Still, knowing this is basically a version of myself's efforts to screw me over...I can't help feeling a little annoyed..."
In an effort to ease the tensions, Musashi laughed rather boisterously in response to Vahn's remark, a toothy grin on her face as she teasingly remarked, "So, what's new?"
Blinking in confusion, Vahn was about to ask what she meant when Theo, with an accusatory glower directed towards the mischievous samurai, dutifully explained, "She is trying to indicate that you are generally the one responsible for screwing yourself over..."
With the light fading from his eyes, an awkward laugh emanated from Vahn's throat as he made a mental note to give Musashi a light punishment once they returned to the Little Garden. The latter seemed to sense this, but, rather than showing even a modicum of fear, she returned a daring smile and questioned, "So, what's our next plan of action? This is clearly some kind of trap. Are we going to walk directly into it? I'm fine with anything, so long as I get to test out my Zanpakuto's edge."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn sent a mental command to recall Scathach before explaining, "Though it is best to view them as anomalies, we will proceed with the assumption that your Sworn Enemies act in accordance with the behavioral guidelines established by the system. To that end, we can assume this incident is the precursor to a scheme to try and separate us. Since their objective is ultimately to eliminate their designated targets, trying to confront you while I'm around would be a direct contradiction of their prime directive..."
Hearing Vahn ramble on, Theo, Musashi, and even Scathach, none of which were particularly known for their ability to process information, just stared at him with neutral expressions and slight smiles. This left the former feeling slightly exasperated, at least until Index chimed in to say, "He is saying it is pointless to chase after them. They won't attack us directly until they can secure an advantage, so, unless they intend to go against their programming, we can just ignore them. If their disposition is anything like our Vahn's, they are probably going around and helping people in secret. Let them do what they want. We can always deal with them later."
Earning a slight pout from both Musashi and Theo, Vahn nodded his head, adding, "To be fair, we could avoid most problems by having everyone return to the Little Garden and simply wait. Even if we do nothing, it is only a matter of time before Sis takes over the entirety of the Hidden Floor. This situation is entirely the result of individual selfishness...not that that's a bad thing..."
Noticing the genuine annoyance and slight hurt within the girls' eyes, Vahn held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, supplanting his previous statement, saying, "Sorry. That was a poor choice of words on my part. Given my past actions, I can't exactly lecture others for wanting to get out and have a bit of fun. If anything, I'd like to provide more opportunities for everyone to get out and do as they please. It just gets a little complicated when situations like this present themselves."
Though they couldn't hide the slight blame in their eyes, neither Theo nor Musashi decided to hold Vahn's words against him. They knew what kind of person he was, and, though he could be a bit of a control freak at times, it was generally only when lives were at stake. He cared about their lives far more than his own, so, if anything were to happen to them, despite his ludicrous strength, he would never be able to forgive himself.
Misunderstanding the girls' silence as passive-aggressiveness, the edges of Vahn's smile began to twitch slightly as he suggested, "If you are that eager to fight...we could always split up? I can keep track of your status from afar, so, even if you get trapped or are unable to communicate, I should be able to teleport you to safety..."
As Vahn had already revealed the existence of The Path and its functions, none of the girls were particularly surprised by his words. Rather, despite their thirst for battle, the trio of warrior women began feeling a little guilty. They weren't exactly lacking powerful opponents to battle against, so, knowing there was ultimately no point in defeating their Sworn Enemies, it was hard for them to simply accept Vahn's offer. After all, their entire reason for reincarnating into the 'Transcendental Path to Heaven' was to help him. Instead, they had unnecessarily complicated the situation in an effort to alleviate some of their boredom...
Not expecting the girls' moods to suddenly diminish, Vahn was beginning to feel a little fretful until Theo took pity on him and explained, "We didn't choose to come out just to seek thrills. We wanted to spend more time with you, and, if possible, help relieve some of the burdens you carry. Now, it's beginning to seem like the only thing we've accomplished is adding to them..."
Experiencing some guilt of his own, Vahn's awkward expression eased into a somewhat sad smile as he extended his hand to caress Theo's head, whispering, "Never think that...with perhaps the single exception of my children, it is my life's greatest blessing to have all of you here with me. Regardless of what transpires...regardless of how challenging things get...sharing moments like this is what will allow our bonds to withstand the test of time. Rather than worrying about how your actions might inconvenience me, I would be happiest knowing you are doing everything in your power to secure your own happiness. It is my privilege to carry your burdens and fret over your safety...you are not obliged to avoid danger and suppress your desires just to make my life a little more convenient...if I had such expectations for others, I would be the biggest hypocrite in all of creation..."
With the added benefit of having her head caressed, Theo's mood drastically improved in response to Vahn's words. The thing she wanted least was to cause trouble for him, but, much like how things were back in her Record of origin, Vahn didn't seem to care about that in the slightest. His primary concern had always been their happiness, so, while she still felt a little guilty about contributing to the current predicament, she was happy knowing he would always stand beside her...
Though she belonged to the group of women who generally refused to let Vahn pet them, Musashi couldn't help but adopt a teasing smile as she asked, "What is this difference in treatment? Maybe I should consider getting hitched as well? I wonder if there are any capable men nearby..."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn gestured for Musashi to come closer so that he could snake his hand around her waist. In response, she batted her eyes in a flirtatious manner, asking, "Ara? Are you certain? You didn't seem particularly worried about me when you were giving that longwinded speech and staring passionately into Theo's eyes..."
Understanding that Musashi was forcing him to come to her, Vahn planted a quick kiss atop Theo's head before approaching the buxom swordswoman and wrapping his arms around her remarkably durable yet impeccably soft body. Then, compensating for the eighteen-centimeter disparity in their heights, he supported her by her pert and shapely buttocks, enjoying the intoxicating sensation as his lips overlapped with hers for the better part of three minutes. When they finally separated, there was a line of saliva briefly linking them until Musashi subsequently licked her lips and asked, "Is this your way of proposing~?"
Though he assumed she was just playing around, Vahn allowed Musashi to stand on her own two feet, gently cradling her in his arms as he answered, "If that is what you desire, I would be honored to have you as my wife. Rather, I should apologize for making you wait this long...it has been quite some time since I defeated you in a duel..."
Snorting through her nose, Musashi averted her indescribably beautiful and unique eyes to the side, her voice audibly pouty as she replied, "Don't wanna..." in a mock childish tone. This, coincidentally, allowed her to meet Scathach's gaze, the latter adopting an accusatory deadpan as she mouthed, 'If you don't stop playing around, I'm going to hit you'.
Poking her tongue out at the taciturn beauty, Musashi's pouting pretense faded away as she looked up at Vahn and spontaneously grabbed the sides of his face in a vice-like grip. This was followed by a rather aggressive kiss, a precursor to her telepathically advising, ("Show some sincerity next time. I might prioritize being a swordswoman over everything else, but I still have expectations for how my partner proposes. At the very least, you should defeat me in a duel prior to uttering such words...")
Vahn wanted to point out that he had defeated her a number of times, but, understanding that she meant proposing to her immediately following their battle, he opted to remain silent. Instead, he let her lead the kiss, and, though it made him feel a little sheepish, he did his best to ignore the sounds of Index munching away as she twisted around to try and get a better view of what was going on...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is his greatest enemy (O w O)...','Everyone used accidental guilt trap...it's super effective...!','*Munching Intensifies*')
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