章節 473: Hunt

After making their way down into the 51st floor of the Dungeon, Vahn explained to Lili some of the dangers that would be present while also encouraging her to try and understand her 'rare' ability, [Atlas]. She had been somewhat surprised to know that her skill shared the same name as the bracers Vahn had forged for her in the past. Being a bright little Pallum, Lili could easily see through the fact that Vahn had done so intentionally in an attempt to spur her into awakening her skill passively over time. As she had been using the [Atlas's Grips] for several months now, she had some understanding of what her skill might do and the thought made her more than a little excited.

This was already Fenrir's second day straight of fighting on the 51st floor, so she was already in the 'groove' of things as she led the way forward in an alert status. Lili was a little distracted at first, but her disposition changed quickly when she saw the focus of Vahn and Fenrir. Her confidence in Vahn was a little 'abnormal' compared to some of the other girls, so she didn't feel like she was in any danger at all even though the monsters were sure to be somewhat difficult for her level. Since the previous night, it didn't feel like anything to stop her anymore but she was brought back to reality when observing how seriously Vahn inspected every inch of the Dungeon while entrusting Fenrir to lead the way.

After traveling for a few minutes, Fenrir leaned forward slightly and said, "Seven...Fenrir will go beyond. Lili will protect Vahn and kill what she can..." Without explaining further, Fenrir ran forward and caused the monsters to begin spawning as Lili startled for a brief moment before brandishing her rather elegantly designed naginata and jumping toward the nearest Black Rhinos without hesitation. Vahn still felt it was somewhat strange seeing her wield a weapon that was more than 200cm in length, considering she was only 110cm tall, but the way Lili used it made it seem perfectly normal. Unlike Vahn's training with Tsubaki, Lili had learned actual techniques from the lively [Master Smith] and it was very obvious in each of her movements.

Using the foundation she had established in the past, where she was constantly in motion, Lili vaulted around the Dungeon in short bursts while tracing perfect arcs through the air and cleaving at the limbs of the monsters. The first enemy she faced hardly had enough time to get its footing before Lili had jumped forward more than 12m in an instant and cleaved a path through both of its legs. There was so much momentum behind her blow, that the Black Rhinos, that weighed more than a thousand pounds, actually spun sides following the path of her blade. As he had watched her fight on the way down, Vahn knew this was 'abnormal' even for the relatively Powerful Lili.

Lili released a burst of excited laughter before stepping forward in a somewhat strange manner that made it appear as if her feet slid across the floor without any friction as her waist twisted and she performed a backward cleave that traced a path through the side of the Black Rhinos that had charged her. The blade of Lili's naginata was around 40cm, so it cut a large gash through the monster that actually sent a ripple through its body as its forward momentum was brought to a stop and it was knocked off its feet. When she saw this happen, Lili released another pleasant sounding laughter before planting her naginata in the ground and doing something that even caught Vahn a little off guard.

When the third Black Rhinos charged at her, Lili decided not to evade it and stood her ground against the monster that was more than twice her height and twenty times her weight. With a terrifying burst momentum of around 700km/h, the Black Rhinos charged at Lili as she stepped forward slightly and twisted her body in a fluid motion. During her movement, Lili gripped one of the fingers on the outstretched hand of the monster before she jerked it's body low and attempted to flip it using the same technique Tsubaki used to 'bully' Vahn with. Using her body as a pivot, Lili attempted to convert the forward momentum of the monster into a rotational force but she was surprised to find that the finger of the Black Rhino detached from its hand when she jerked it downward.

The Black Rhinos was still knocked off balance by her actions, but it wasn't quite the effect she was looking for since her initial movement was simply 'too strong'. However, her surprise faded away quickly and she tossed the thick black finger to the side before leaping forward and striking the lower back of the Black Rhinos as it tried to stand. Even without the [Fist Strike] Development Ability, Lili's punch made a wave pass through the monster's body as it quickly overwhelmed the tragic creatures Endurance parameter and caused what could only be described as a crater to appear in its back before the front of its body exploded into a gory mess. Though the contact surface of Lili's fist was rather small, around 8cm, the shockwave that radiated from her blow passed through the body of the Black Rhinos and expanded before a massive hole, more than 40cm, appeared on the opposite side of its body.

Lili was breathing heavily, not as a result of exhaustion but because of the nearly uncontainable excitement welling up inside of her. Though the [Atlas's Grips] already made her attacks very strong in the past, it wasn't even remotely close to her current power output. She already harbored some expectations when Vahn revealed the name of her rare skill, but this was way beyond anything her mind was capable of comprehending. It almost felt like she was stuck in a dream and the only thing that kept her grounded was the smell of blood, the sound of ongoing combat, and the sight of the boy she loved looked at her with a 'proud' expression on his face...

Seeing that Lili had actually killed her targets faster than she did, Fenrir felt a bit of anxiety inside her heart because she didn't expect the small girl to be a real 'threat'. Though she was still dealing with the last two Black Rhinos, Fenrir had turned her attention to Lili as she loosed the devastating blow against her final enemy and it made Fenrir frown deeply before she rolled to the side and evaded the monster that had tried to flatten her. Fenrir knew there were girls that were stronger than her, some much much stronger, but she couldn't tolerate the thought of someone 'weaker' than she was being 'stronger'. It made her feel vexed and confused because she tried so hard to get stronger and now Lili was able to 'cheat' and increase her strength without any effort at all!

Just as she was about to rip apart the closest enemy, Fenrir saw a blur of midnight blue before Vahn twisted the arm of the Black Rhinos and kicked it in the back hard enough to send it smashing into the wall and implanting the massive frame into the hard bedrock. Before she could make sense of what was happening, she saw her Master spin through the air before planting his foot into the shoulder of the final enemy and smashing it into the floor as he vaulted casually away from it and landed next to her. She wasn't jealous of her Master, Fenrir wished she could use the shiny black scales to crush enemies just like him. Seeing his current form, which was the 'same' as her's, in his Xuánwǔ transformation made Fenrir feel a little giddy until her Master's warm hand began stroking her head.

Vahn had seen the abnormal state of Fenrir and noticed that, even though the fight wasn't that hard, she was on the verge of either going 'berserk' or being overwhelmed by her 'hunger'. Though she was a very adorable little creature, Vahn knew that Fenrir was prone to jealousy, especially when she had something she could directly compare between herself and another girl. Since Lili was weaker than she was, but was able to perform borderline 'ridiculous' feats of strength, she was probably burning up with jealousy without having an outlet to vent her feelings. Vahn got a 'fun' idea that might be able to appease her, so he cocked his head to the side and stared into her glowing scarlet eyes before asking, "Does Fenrir want to hunt with me?"

Fenrir's ears twitched as she adorably mirrored his action and tilted her head to the side in a similar manner and asked, "Fenrir can hunt with Ma...Vahn?" Vahn picked up her paw and dragged her claws across his own fur-covered forearms to remind her that she couldn't 'accidentally' hurt him right now. Vahn actually wanted to experience what it was like to fight as a Vanargandr, so he didn't mind giving into his 'instincts' a little if it made Fenrir feel closer to him. No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like a fun and unique way that he could play with Fenrir that couldn't be emulated by anyone else unless they somehow had SS-Rank armor...

To alleviate Fenrir's confusion, Vahn smiled and explained, "My claws are sharp, just like Fenrir's, and I also used to use a similar fightings style...remember?" Fenrir's foundation was actually a 'mimicry' of his Báihǔ form, so there were a lot of similarities between them. He had been trying to become more 'proficient' lately and hadn't really let loose like he had when his Báihǔ form was his primary combat style. Though they were strong, the Black Rhinos weren't a great threat since their lack of Agility made them easy marks since everyone present could easily exploit the gaps in their attacks. Besides, Vahn was interested to see how 'developed' his current instincts were as a Vanargandr since it strangely felt stronger than his Báihǔ form of the past...

As she was still somewhat confused, Vahn pulled Fenrir along and said, "Just fight how you want, and I will show you what I mean..." as he looked over and winked at Lili. She had been observing his interactions with Fenrir with a fit of similar jealousy and Vahn wanted to disrupt the momentum of any negativity she might be feeling. It was difficult to manage a party with two girls prone to jealousy, but Vahn expected he would be able to manage as long as he himself loosened up a bit. They were all similar in appearance, though drastically different in size, so Vahn wanted everyone to get along better. When she had seen Vahn wink at her, Lili startled slightly before running over and freeing her naginata from the Dungeon floor and shouting, "Wait for me~!"

After progressing into an adjacent corridor, Fenrir's eyes darted to several spots as her hair edged out slightly. Vahn surprised her a bit by patting her back and saying, "Fenrir, lets hunt..." as he himself took a step forward while crouching low. Not wanting to be left behind, Fenrir dashed forward and leaped at a Black Rhinos in an attempt to rake her claws across its face and rend the flesh from its body. Her efforts proved successful so Fenrir planned to target the next enemy before her Master appeared in her peripheral vision and gripped her hand. She didn't understand what was happening but trusted that her Master wouldn't bring her any harm. As she expected, Vahn pulled her forward slightly, almost as if he were pulling her into his embrace, before he smiled and said, "Fly..." and tossed her at the blind spot of another enemy.

Following her instincts, Fenrir struck out at the monster but found her foot a bit off when she looked for a spot to bound away from. However, Vahn had moved along with her like a shadow and stuck the same monster with a fierce momentum while 'offering' his body as a point for her to bound off of. Though it looked somewhat 'crazed', a happy smile bloomed on Fenrir's face as she planted her paws against Vahn's shoulder and jumped back before using the ceiling as a second point and bounding once again, this time in a twisting motion as she passed by another nearby monster and decapitated it. A blue of blue passed by her once again and, without any hesitation at all, Vahn buried his own arm into the body of the Black Rhinos that tried to flank her and ripped out its monster core as an explosion of blood coated his body.

Just like when he used to fight in the Dungeon, before his collapse against the Juggernaut, Vahn had a smile on his face as he reveled in the thrill of the moment. His senses were focused to an extreme and the sensory stimuli passed over his body like a wave that made the fur on his arms stand on end as a result of his excitement. Since Fenrir was looking toward him, Vahn matched her gaze before twisting his body in a blur and launching the monster core he just obtained as a lethal projectile that passed clear through the body of another Black Rhinos. He then stepped forward before crouching down slightly as Fenrir's relatively cool to the touch, and incredibly soft and plush paw pads pressed into his bare back as she launched herself off his body. Vahn kicked off the ground and followed her like an echo as they passed on opposite sides of an unfortunate Black Rhinos and separated its body at the waist.

Lili had been fighting her own enemies, but she couldn't help but glance over at the 'duo' with the desire to join in on the 'fun'. However, the moment she looked over the second time, Lili heard Vahn shout, "Lili~!" as he kicked back a Black Rhinos toward her direction. She had just managed to deal with her own opponent, so it was almost a perfect window of opportunity for her to transition and deal with the new target. Lili ducked low, allowed the Black Rhinos to pass overtop her body, before smashing up with two open palms and forcing its body to collide with the ceiling of the Dungeon as the majority of the bones in its torso were shattered by her strike. Blood dripped down from its body like rain and fell into the dense midnight blue fur on her head before an excited smile appeared on her face.

Just as she had been feeling a little jealous of Fenrir, Vahn had drawn her into the fight so Lili launched herself forward and threw caution to the wind as she spun through the air and kicked the head of the closest Black Rhinos. A loud cracking sound echoed through the corridor as the head of the monster drooped without support since Lili's strike had completely shattered its jaw and the neck bone beneath its skull. Even Vahn wasn't sure exactly how her strikes were generating so much power, but it was quite the sight to behold seeing a girl the size of a human child 'manhandle' enemies several times her size.

Since Lili had started to act with complete disregard for her own safety, something Vahn planned to grill her on later, he needed to look after her a bit more but it was much easier now that his domain had evolved to the point where he could sense almost everything within a given space. Even if he was fully focused on something else, Vahn literally couldn't remove his awareness of his surroundings from his own mind and it was almost like his brain was now capable of focusing on two things at once. With his enhanced senses and the overwhelming amount of stimuli his body was experiencing, Vahn felt nigh unstoppable as he pressed forward and continued the 'hunt' alongside the two seemingly feral girls...

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For nearly a full eight hours, only stopping to replenish their stamina and enjoy some snacks and cuddling, Vahn carved a path of devastation through the Dungeon while acting as a protector of the two girls. However, it wasn't that long into the 'hunt' that Vahn realized they might not need his protection at all as Lili had gotten caught unawares by a Black Rhinos as it tried to slam down at her. Almost as if her body was reacting on instinct, she lifted up her arm and caught the fist of the monster before tightening her grip. Her fingers dug into the thick flesh of the Black Rhinos before she twisted its body like a rag doll with enough force that she ripped the arm straight out of the socket before slamming her small fist into the hardest part of the monster, its horn, and shattering it like glass.

Vahn had been preparing to go to her aid so he had gotten an up close and personal view of the sequence of actions before Lili turned to him, face and hair covered in blood, and smiled with a very cheerful expression on her face. Though his face had been in a stunned stupor at first, Vahn also smiled before stepping forward and pulling her out of the way of another monster that had tried to ram into her body. She began laughing happily before nuzzling against him for a brief moment and moving on to the next enemy without any hesitation. Lili had started to realize Vahn intent shortly after the 'hunt' began so she didn't want to upset Fenrir by 'stealing' advantages. Instead, she decided to 'earn' his praise and cut loose with them since it was a lot more fun to fight together instead of on her own...

As a result of their efforts, Vahn pampered both girls when they were taking a break by allowing them to recline against them as he rested his palms on their exposed navels and channeling and replenished their stamina, mana, and source energy. Though he might have earned the disproval of some, Vahn gently stroked their abdomens while making full use of his [Hands of Nirvana] and [Petting] which caused both girls to cover his hand with their paws as their abdomens twitched as a result of the pleasant and slightly ticklish sensation. Lili had eventually even given up on training to contain her laughter as she relaxed her body against Vahn's chest and simply laughed out loud, only taking a break when her abdomen tensed up and caused her to hold her breath.

Both girls were very slim, but Fenrir's body could easily be described as 'thin' since she had no pronounced muscles on her body at all. Her skin was very smooth to the touch, but it was almost like she had no real fat on her body at all. As for Lili, she still had an incredibly petite and 'frail' looking figure, at least at first glance, but Vahn could feel the tension of her muscles as he passed his hand against her abdomen. She had been doing nothing but 'full-body' training ever since she began her apprenticeship under Tsubaki, so her entire body had been converted into a small bundle of incredible power. Whenever she tensed up, the lines of her abdomen became very pronounced for a brief moment and this hinted at the power bottled up inside of her diminutive frame. During those moments, Vahn felt like her skin had temporarily become as hard as steel and it was quite interesting...

This cycle continued several times before they finally decided to call it a day as lunch was fast approaching. To wrap things up, Vahn pulled out a large basin and shared a bath with the two girls while also updating their Status Boards to mark their progress. Because they had been pressing forward with an almost 'mindless' momentum, they had managed to kill a total of 1,002 Black Rhinos, and seventeen Deformis Spiders, in the eight hour period. Vahn had actually decided to call the excursion to an end at their 1,000th kill, but they couldn't simply allow the two remaining monsters to go free. As for their progress, Fenrir's had slowed down slightly but she was steadily nearing the peak of normal Level 3's. As for Lili, her growth had nothing short of monstrous, which made a bit of sense considering she was only Level 2 and had awakened her Innate. The most important change, however, had been the fact that Vahn felt like his own body was beginning to 'expand' as he had started to reach the pinnacle of his parameter development for Level 3...

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[[Stats]]

Name: [Vahn Mason]

Age: 15

Race: Human, *sealed*

Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]

-Level:3(+)

-Power: 1906+(E415)->(A808)

-Endurance: 2221+(B733)->(SS1065)

-Dexterity: 1807+(D597)->(S919)

-Agility: 1959+(E460)->(A867)

-Magic: 3562+(SSS2019)->(SSS2302)

Total:11455+(4224)->(5,961)

Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)

[Karma]: 9023->9108

[OP]: 4,252,009

[Valis]: 643,884,901

Skills: [Will of the Emperor:SSS], [Rakshasa Body:E], [Keeper of the Akashic Tome:B], [Eyes of Truth: B],[Bow Mastery:S], [Stealth:B], [Chainbreaker:S], [Heart of the Eternal Flame:SS], [Prometheus:A], [Call of the Reaper:A],[Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S], [Featherfoot:B->A], [Hands of Nirvana:S], [Metallurgy:B], [Fist Strike:B->A], [Friend of Spirits:A]

Magic: [Thria*Mimos:C->B], [Shundo:B]

Development Skills: [Wound Transfer:S], [Spirit Healing:A], [Swordsman:A], [Master Smith:H], [Mixing:C], [Mentor:A], [Petting:E->D], [Mage:C]

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(A/N: Vahn's current 'limit' is around 6500 parameters per Level, just as an FYI. If you're curious why his parameters seemed to 'explode', its simply an illusion because I hadn't mentioned it in a few chapters since it was focused on the other girls :P. Keep in mind that he is also using the [Seal of the Challenger] as well (UwU)~!)

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[[STATUS]]

Name: Liliruca Arde

Race: Pallum

LV. 2(+)

POW: 887+(D517)->(S943)

END: 941+(C652)->(A805)

DEX: 676+(F312)->(D558)

AGI: 598+(E429)->(C666)

MAG: 811+(C631)->(SS1002)

Skill: [Artel*Assist:B], [Atlas: Innate:I->G], [Prometheus's Blessing:A], [Oniyuri:D]

Magic: [Cinder*Ella:A]

Development Skill: [Abnormal Resistance:F], [Spearman:(sealed), [Swordsman:(sealed)], [Crush:(sealed)], [Fist Strike:(sealed)]

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(A/N: See, Lili, now THAT is how you fill out a stat line...PLUS ULTRAAAA~! Btw, her 'max' would cap around 4500, though she could 'endanger' herself by pushing her body further to around 4700.)

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[[STATUS]]

Name: [Fenrir]

Level:3(+)

POW: E478->C611

END: F340->E495

DEX: C639->A850

AGI: C688->S900

MAG: G299->D513

Skills: [Insatiable Hunger:Innate(-)], [Lunar Cry:A], [Freezing Roar:A], [Chainbreaker:C], [Devour:SS], [Huntress:SS], [Endeavor:E->C], [Severing Claws:E->D]

Magic: -

Development Abilities: [Chain Attack:D], [Fist Fighter:(sealed)], [Acrobatics:(sealed)], [Mimickry:(sealed)]

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(A/N: As for everyone's favorite murder floofer, she actually has no limits at all but the higher her parameters, the harder it is for her to resist her urges. You'll notice that whenever she is nearing the 'normal' limit for other people, she begins to show signs of frustration. This is intentional o3o~!)

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Thus Lili became known as One Punch Pallum','Wolf Pack','Tummy rubs for good puppers','Author-Style, Immersion Breaking Jutsu~!)(A/N: I may have had a wee bit of alcohol tonight lads, so I apologize for any grammatical errors that may be present (UwU)~!)

If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the Patreon link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful <3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)

https://www.patreon.com/user?u=14397149

paypal.me/Einlion

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評論 94條評論

投票

章節 474: Four Phases

Vahn leisurely made his way back to the encampment in an awkward manner because he had Lili clinging to his back like a koala as Fenrir stood on top of his feet with both of her paws overlapped with his. As he was able to use [Shundo] as long as one of his feet was on the ground, Vahn could still cover a fair amount of distance, though it took a little more focus than normal. Fenrir had convinced him that she wanted to experience what it was like to move forward using the skill and, as she didn't really get to hold hands with other people, she had grown strangely attached to the moment. Her ears were bobbing up and down in an adorable manner and Lili also seemed to be enjoying herself on his back so Vahn didn't let it bother him...

Though they weren't remotely what you could consider 'friends', Fenrir and Lili had at least learned to compromise and tolerate each other's presence because they realized they could 'work together' to both enjoy some benefits. Vahn acted in a somewhat uncharacteristic manner on their behalf and he even seemed to greatly enjoy the experience so they had set aside their differences to make the most of the situation. From Vahn's perspective, the two girls looked like a family, though he could tell there was a fair amount of tension between them, so he pampered them both since they were quite adorable.

When they had exited the 51st floor, it was around noon and, as a result of the somewhat abnormal mode of transportation, it actually took Vahn almost as long as it would have taken for him to sprint, assuming he moved at his maximum speed, to reach the encampment. It only took a few minutes, but Vahn was surprised by the 'inefficient' method since he was using a spatial movement skill. He had never realized how much his posture and freedom of movement affected the skill and, with Fenrir standing on his feet, it took him several seconds longer to link the two points before completely the 'jump'. This was an important discovery because Vahn had been thinking of ways to improve his [Shundo] even further as it had been stuck at B-Rank for a long time, even though he used it very often.

As they had already eaten lunch, Vahn took the girls straight to the tent under the curious gazes of several onlookers who saw Vahn's and Lili's appearance. They could tell it was still the two Adventurers they had grown fond of over the last two weeks, but it was very confusing to see them have somewhat 'animalistic' traits. At this point, everyone in the expedition knew that Fenrir was a 'tamed' monster, but this actually made them more fond of her as it was very rare to see a truly humanoid monster, much less one that was as cute as she was. As long as they didn't 'antagonize' Vahn, they knew she wouldn't really pay them any mind at all and simply behaved 'adorably' in an attempt to appeal to her 'tamer', Vahn. Though it wasn't what he was most well known for, it was common knowledge that Vahn was inarguably the greatest tamer within the City as the Ganesha Familia actually publically proclaimed it as such.

Within the tent, the only girls present were Haruhime and Mikoto, who had both been enjoying tea while it was very apparent Mikoto herself had already prepared for the coming departure. Haruhime had shown an elegant smile by habit, but tilted her head to the side with intrigue displayed on her face as she remarked, "Those outfits suit the two of you very well..." She actually wanted to ask why they were all the 'same', but Haruhime had deduced the reason after a brief bout of confusion. Vahn had likely done something to bring the two closer together as it was very apparent that Fenrir was less 'hostile' toward Lili now. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the change extended to her as Fenrir showed a slight scowl and said, "Smelly Harume..." under her breath, but easily audible to everyone present.

Vahn rubbed Lili's head and said, "You should take a long rest, Lili, I know you didn't get good sleep last night. You worked very hard today, and I'll see you this evening..." Against the expectations of almost everyone present, Lili nodded her head and actually yawned before saying, "Okay..." and dragging her tired body to the sleeping area. As Vahn had already noticed, she was actually extremely tired but it was primarily a result of mental exhaustion, as her stamina was completely topped off while her mana was pooling around in her body at maximum capacity. That eight-hour 'hunt' had been one of the most taxing experiences of her life and she had let her tensions get the best of her since it was also a very fun experience. She was even nearing the point where she could increase her level soon, so Lili wanted to rest in order to make time pass faster.

After watching Lili's back disappear behind the room flap, Vahn walked over and sat down after setting a cushion for himself. Fenrir plopped down in his lap as if it was the only acceptable seat she could take but hung her head while tucking in her knees to create a small form since she didn't want to be in Vahn's way. She also didn't want to look at Haruhime as the eyes she looked at Vahn with were very 'frustrating' for Fenrir. Though she would never admit it, Fenrir saw Haruhime as her rival because they had a lot of parallels and were both extremely loyal to Vahn. There was also the fact that, though she didn't remember much about the Divination, she knew that Haruhime had 'won' out against her and had grown into a very powerful entity that served Vahn much better than she had...

Vahn wrapped his arms loosely around the bundled up Fenrir as he looked to Haruhime and Mikoto and said, "Well, I can tell you have already made your preparations, Mikoto, but I wanted to talk to you about a few things and also update your Status Board before we leave." Though she already sat ramrod straight, Mikoto's figure tensed up slightly as she inexplicably tried to make herself appear taller and more stoic. After reaching her maximum height, Mikoto bowed her head in a somewhat subservient manner exclaimed, "I understand!" before straightening her back once again.

Vahn experienced a small mental pause because he really wanted to remind her that he could see her aura flickering about and she didn't need to act so tense all the time. However, he knew a 'warrior' like Mikoto placed a lot of value on their honor and pride so he didn't mind it and said, "Though the quality of your katana isn't bad, I think it's about time you upgraded to something more 'long term' so you can begin adapting your combat style to fight more powerful enemies." Mikoto still used a katana named [Shinonome] that was only a C-Rank weapon. For a Level 2 in a small Familia, it had actually been a very suitable weapon for her. Now, however, Mikoto would almost always be fighting enemies much stronger than she was and her own potential had evolved after having a flame seed implanted in her chest. As her katana wouldn't be able to cut through the hide of a Black Rhinos, Vahn wanted her to take the opportunity to adapt to a new weapon.

For a brief moment, Mikoto showed a somewhat conflicted expression before she grabbed her katana and presented to Vahn with her palms placed upward in a 'relinquishing' gesture. She was the type of girl that was somewhat bound by her culture and tradition, at least for the time being, so Vahn reached out and accepted the katana by grabbing the center of it in an 'accepting' gesture. Though her aura belied her discomfort, Mikoto pulled her hands away without hesitation as Vahn inspected the blade. It was made of Nosteel, a relatively low-class material that was commonly used in beginner and intermediate weapons, but it's make was nothing short of marvelous. Even though it wasn't a powerful weapon, it was obvious a lot of love had gone into its creation and it had been something Mikoto carried at her side for more than half her life.

Vahn passed his thumb along the side of the blade, something that was generally considered impolite, but he was also a [Master Smith] and enjoyed some liberties when it came to such things. After he was done, he sheathed it once again before making eye contact with Mikoto and saying, "I will keep this katana for the time being, but I will return it to you one day much stronger. I know that it is believed in the Far East that a named sword can carry a soul, and I can see the care you put into maintaining this blade over the years. I will give it a 'burial ceremony' later before using its constituent materials to forge you an heirloom sword in the future..." Hearing Vahn's words, Mikoto's aura stabilized a great deal and an inexpressible sense of relief passed through her body. Though she still sat upright, her shoulders relaxed slightly as if a heavy burden had been relinquished from them.

After putting the katana, no, [Shinonome], into his inventory for safe keeping, Vahn smiled at Mikoto and said, "I had originally intended to give you a sword similar to Haruhime's, but I think your combat style is a bit different than her's. While her's is akin to an elegant dance, your's has always been one that borders on the level of 'faith' and shows a heavy emphasis on discipline. You've made admirable progress in trying to make your movements more fluid in recent months...I want to give you a weapon that enhances your current capabilities, but will also allow you to continue pursuing the way of the sword you wish to follow..."

As Vahn spoke, he was also filtering through the gacha system once again because he truly believed that The Path helped him out a bit when he made pulls with 'conviction'. He didn't truly want to gamble, he simply wanted to let Mikoto's 'fate' intermingle a little with The Path in the hopes that it would help make her own 'path' easier to tread. The final weapons used by the girls would be ones personally forged by him and named through the Akashic tome, so this moment was a true test to see what hand fate would deal them. Unlike the 'Magical' and 'Beautiful' traits he had assigned for Haruhime's katana, Vahn selected 'Refined' and 'Balanced' since it seemed suitable for the situation.

The large wooden wheel, adorned with somewhat worn looking gold, began to spin around in his mind once again as orb began to emerge from the hole in the center. The very first one to appear was a muted grey that made Vahn's eye subtly twitch but the very next one was a pale red, a color Vahn had yet to see before. Immediately following it, there was an even richer red which Vahn could deduce to be of a higher quality than the previous one. The next few were all white without any variations until a somewhat reminiscent blue light appeared on the 'bonus' pull. Vahn's memory could easily recall significant events and he recognized that it was the same color as Haruhime's [Sakura Blossom]. After seeing that the bright red katana was only C-Rank, Vahn immediately dismissed the other and opened the blue orb which contained a katana that had a black sheath with a stark blue cord and a pattern like cresting waves embellishing the side. The handle looked relatively plain, but the braid was a deep navy blue instead of a traditional black or white...

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[Mizuryū-no-Mai] (A/N: Essentially 'dance of the water dragon' or 'water dragon's dance')

Rank: A (Magic)

Slots: 0

P.Atk: 900+90

M.Atk: 300

Abilities: Four Phases(A), Drink(A), Impeccable Edge(B), Piercing(B)

A simple katana that belies the awesome power contained within its blade. Forged by a skilled blacksmith that had fallen in love with an enshrined river goddess who possessed the true form of a dragon. Inspired by the elegance of her dance, the blacksmith created this sword as the embodiment of his feelings for the love that could never be. Allows the user to store fluids within the blade to nourish it while also enabling them to exercise control over the four phases of water: liquid, solid, gas, and essence.

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Vahn was very surprised by the P.Atk of the weapon since it was bordering on S-Rank, though the M.Atk left something to be desired. However, it was the abilities and description of the [Mizuryū-no-Mai] that truly caught his attention as any 'control' type ability was incredibly powerful if used correctly. The fact that it was also related to water, especially while Mikoto was trying to make her style more 'fluid', also served to make Vahn feel vindicated about his somewhat presumptuous inference about The Path and its influence on 'fate'. Now his belief in his deduction was even more pronounced and he began contemplating if he should give all of the girls 'suitable' items by relying on the gacha system. Until he could forge them unique items suitable to their characteristics, it would be a good temporary measure to take. After all, more than half of his pool of OP could be credited to the efforts of the girls within the Manor...

Though it seemed like a fair amount of time had passed, it had actually been less than a minute in the real world before Vahn smiled and pulled the [Mizuryū-no-Mai] out of his inventory and performed the same 'relinquishing' gesture as Mikoto. Even though she couldn't understand it herself, Mikoto felt a strange affinity with the katana Vahn had 'created' for her. She reached out and gingerly grasped the katana in an 'accepting' gesture before pulling it close and stroking her hand across the black sheath. From the moment she took it into her grasp, Mikoto felt like it was perfectly balanced in her hands and the length of the blade was an ideal 90cm while the handle was slightly longer at 28cm. She actually preferred using a 'loose' grip these days so the added length would allow her more freedom in her handling capabilities in the future.

Vahn and Haruhime both watched Mikoto in silence as the swordswoman partially unsheathed the blade and marveled at flawless Hamon, the wavy pattern that adorned the length of the blade. Mikoto was seemingly unaware of it, at least for the time being, but Vahn noticed that a subtle ripple emanated from the blade when it was unsheathed and he could see that the water elemental energies in the air had become more active. He squinted his eyes slightly and watched Mikoto observe her own reflection against the surface before unsheathing it entirely and holding it up to check the edge. She appeared to have fallen into her own little world, something both he and Haruhime respected, so they waited patiently for her to familiarize herself with the weapon.

Mikoto eventually sheathed the katana once again and closed her eyes in an effort to hide her own embarrassment at having behaved in an uncouth manner. After collecting herself, she opened her slightly glimmering black eyes and asked, "May I be allowed to know its name...?" Vahn smiled in response and explained, "It is known as [Mizuryū-no-Mai] and it can be considered a first-class weapon with quality almost comparable to a 'masterpiece'..." The quality of goods within the Danmachi record actually used a 'grading' system instead of the 'rank' system that Vahn made use of. The grades were Low, Intermediate, High, Third-Class, Second-Class, First-Class, and, if it was a quality weapon made by a [Master Smith], Master-Class, though most people simply called them masterpieces. Above these were Grandmaster, God, and even Artifact, but such items weren't actually in common circulation in the mortal world.

After letting his words settle in for a short moment, Vahn continued, "You'll find that its physical attack power is quite high and that its cutting edge carries the 'Impeccable' ability. Alongside that, it also contains the 'Piercing' ability as well as two other 'rare' abilities, 'Drink', and 'Four Phases'. The 'Drink' allows you to store liquids within the blade, though I'm sure of the limitations, while the 'Four Phases' actually lets you control the different phases of water, including liquid, solid, gas, and essence. Simply put, it let you control water, ice, steam, and the pure elemental essence of water. I can probably demonstrate its use for you, but it may be more meaningful if you discern its capabilities for yourself..." For a warrior from the Far East, their weapons were equivalent to 'companions' for them and it was considered 'rude' to show you had a better understanding of their companion than the swordsman themselves...

Mikoto understood that Vahn was showing consideration for her pride as a warrior so she bowed her head low and said, "Thank you, Vahn, I will show you that I am capable of wielding this katana through my own efforts..." Toward the end of her sentence, Mikoto let her words trail as she raised her head to make eye contact with Vahn and said, "However...I would appreciate your guidance as my Lord and Master in the future..." Even if he didn't demonstrate it himself, Vahn could guide Mikoto from the side and give her pointers without blemishing her pride. The most important thing of all though was the fact that she had addressed him as both 'Lord' and 'Master'.

Unless Vahn refused her, she was essentially placing herself as both his vassal and apprentice. She already recognized him as her Lord, but the only person she had truly treated as her Master had been Takemikazuchi. This was a big step forward for the reserved Mikoto so Vahn bowed his head slightly to affirm the address and ease her heart and mind. The moment he did so, Mikoto's affection had increased from 95 up to 99 and she seemed especially happy since there was an almost indiscernible change in her expression as her lips curled up slightly at the edges. Other than the times when she had reunited with Haruhime and discovered they had an onsen in the house, Vahn had never really seen Mikoto smile. Seeing how happy she was, he couldn't help but show his own happiness, which seemed to be contagious, as both he and Haruhime displayed large smiles...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Smelly Harume...','That is quite the sword O____O','Subtle signs, drastic changes...')

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