章節 1067: Nirvana
With the room having turned into a scene of absolute silence, Vahn continued his analysis of Gray's affliction, finding it to be a combination of several different troublesome factors. The malignant black aura seemed to possess something akin to a rudimentary self-preservation function whereby, the more effort you put into trying to remove it, the faster it would spread. Even more troublesome was the fact that the energy didn't simply invade the cells of the body, it targetted the flow of mana itself. Small particles of pure black mana would 'infest' the individual particulate of mana, self-propagating and spreading in a flow that was the opposite of how mana was supposed to behave. This had come as a big surprise to Vahn as, even in the presence of Death and Decay Laws, only the form of the mana changed, not its fundamental composition...
To test his theory, Vahn surprised everyone present by placing his hand near the tourniquet tied around Gray's stump, effectively 'guaranteeing' that he was also infected. This was, however, his actual intent as, even with the ability to see the changes in Gray's body, it would be far faster to test theories using his own. As a result, the malignant black energy spread into his hand before bringing a small smile to Vahn's face when it suddenly became even more chaotic. Moments later, in much the same ways as a normal toxin or curse, Vahn's body had completely dispersed the malicious energy. He hadn't believed for a moment that it would be able to cannibalize his Source Energy infused blood, but seeing it practically writhe around was surprisingly satisfying.
After confirming his suspicions, Vahn looked towards the older Doctor and explained, "I can treat this. I'll need absolute silence and no distractions. If your people don't think they can manage that, they will need to leave. Once I've healed Gray, I will help you and that Nurse remove the curse from your bodies as well." These words seemed to come as a great relief to the woman who had been growing steadily more anxious at the side. As for the Doctor, he gave an understanding nod before looking towards his younger protege and saying, "Thomas, you need to leave. You have been too emotional since the lass was dragged in. Don't worry, this man seems to be competent enough to make good on his word."
In response to the senior Doctor's words, the man named Thomas showed a dour expression before finally nodding his head and quickly leaving the operating room. Then, as if to explain why the man was so upset, the older Doctor smiled as he explained, "Miss Gray had saved his life around three years ago. Though nothing has come of it, you can't really blame the man for being upset when the person he cares about is brought in with such severe injuries." As this was something Vahn could understand, he gave a curt nod in response before unceremoniously placing his palm on Gray's abdomen. It didn't really matter to him what the man's reasons were, as everyone had some form of justification for their actions. Vahn just wanted to make sure that Gray wasn't forced to spend the rest of her life missing an arm just because her primary caretakers weren't able to treat the affliction she was burdened with...
Seeing that Vahn wasn't in a talking mood, the older Doctor made no further attempts to converse as he, along with the three Nurses, closely monitored everything Vahn was doing. When they saw Gray's body steadily become suffused with a rainbow hue, followed by Vahn's hand 'sinking' into her abdomen, they were more than a little surprised. This was only the beginning, however, as they watched Vahn slowly guide his hand 'through' Gray's body as a surprising amount of blackened blood began to flow from her arm. Things reached an extreme when Vahn removed the tourniquet completely, causing a potentially fatal amount of blood to flow from Gray's amputated arm...
Ignoring the stunned gasp of one of the nurses, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly as, from the hand he had placed in Gray's body, he was directly sending his own blood from through the major arteries around her heart. He had essentially extended one of his own arteries through his finger, allowing his blood to transfuse into Gray's body as it quickly expelled the malignant energy that was grossly unprepared to contaminate his blood. At the same time, Vahn held his left hand over Gray's arm, isolating the malignant cells and 'ripping' them from her body. Fortunately, even if she hadn't already been sedated, Vahn had put her into a pseudo-nirvana state, cutting off all sensations of pain.
It took much longer than Vahn had expected but, after a period of around 33 minutes, the black aura trying to spread through Gray's body had been removed down to the smallest particulate of black mana. Once this was completed, he slowly pulled his hand from Gray's body before applying a fresh tourniquet to her arm, explaining, "I've successfully removed the malignancy. After I treat you and the Nurse, everyone present will need to leave before I can begin the next phase of treatment. I only allowed you to witness the first part since you would experience it yourself later on. Everything that will follow is a secret I'm unwilling to disclose..."
As it wasn't uncommon for Magi to want to protect their secrets, both the Doctor and the three Nurses all nodded their heads in understanding. Just the technique Vahn had used to remove the malignancy in Gray's body was something that would cause a stir within the Magus Community. If he wanted to keep his other methods a secret, they knew better than to try and insist, especially when two of them still needed treatment of their own. With that in mind, Vahn had the older Doctor and the Nurse named Samantha remove all the clothes from their upper bodies before going through the arduous process of treating them as well. It wasn't a simple process of targeting the malignancy directly, meaning he could just sink his hands into their arms, Vahn was forced to work from the 'core', the source of mana even in the Nasuverse, before working is way through the major organs like the heart. This seemed particularly awkward for the young Nurse as, after removing her green medical garments, her rather buxom breasts were laid bare for the whole room to see...
With their own afflictions significantly weaker than what had been affecting Gray, treating the two only took Vahn a combined forty minutes. To make things easier, Samantha had gone first while the Doctor, surnamed McKenneth, politely sat with his back to the room. Though he had seen more than his fair share of breasts over the years, he understood there was a basic professional courtesy involved when taking into consideration the wellness of his staff. Even as his fingertips began to slowly necrotize, his only reaction was to self-administer a shot of morphine before 'meditating' at the side to resist the building pain. Vahn had to admit that, even if the man hadn't been able to help Gray, he had a commendable work ethic and an even more impressive nature.
Once Doctor McKenneth had finished his treatment, he quickly ushered everyone out of the room in order to receive follow-up treatment for his own wounds. The encroachment of necrotic tissue on his right pinky and ring fingers had been especially severe, as they were the closest digits to Gray's wounds while he had been treating her. Though he didn't say anything at the moment, Vahn made a mental note to make sure the man's hands were able to regain complete functionality if they were unable to treat it themselves. It would be a terrible travesty for a Doctor with McKenneth's level of professionalism to have their career ended in such a fashion.
Shortly after the room had been cleared, Scáthach slowly manifested her body within the room, likely to avoid startling Vahn unnecessarily. She, along with Nobunaga and Lakshmibai, had been observing the operation from start to finish. Since it seemed like Vahn was becoming fatigued, Scáthach asked, "Do you want me to restore her lost limb...?" To this, Vahn pulled out a tiny vial of blue liquid before downing it in one go. In an instant, his internal reserves had completely restored, followed by him smiling as he said, "I don't leave things like this unfinished." This elicited a rare smile from Scáthach before, choosing to withhold further comments, she once again returned to her Spirit form.
Though Vahn's words to Scáthach were certainly the truth, it wasn't the only reason he had decided to treat Gray personally. During the time he had 'interfaced' with her body, Vahn had noticed several other abnormalities present, many of which had likely been there since her birth. It was as if she was spliced together from two different people and, though her mana circuits had harmonized over the years, Vahn could tell that Gray's potential had been severely limited by the two conflicting networks of mana. In a way, her body was similar to those of the Half-Races found within Danmachi, meaning she was not only severely handicapped by her genetic abnormality, but the chances she would ever have children of her own were near zero. Since he had the opportunity, Vahn figured he might as well repair and fuse the two different networks, greatly increasing Gray's power and making her more comfortable in her own body. This might even cause her to smile more often in the future, something she seemed to reserve due to a trauma Vahn was currently unaware of...
Before beginning the process of 'Nirvana Rebirth', Vahn pulled out a [Hea] from his Inventory, a nostalgic item that would likely cause the entire Magus Community to flip on their heads if they knew of its existence. After Vahn channeled his mana into the staff, a large and complex magic circle came into view, discernably different from the one he had seen within Danmachi. This wasn't too much of a surprise, as the magic systems used differing logic, but that didn't make it any less interesting. Vahn figured, once he had more free time, he would study these differences more closely so that his understanding of Magic and Magecraft more closely matched his previous knowledge.
At a rate visible to the eye, Gray's bones began to quickly regrow as new arteries, veins, muscles, and flesh grew to cover them. It ultimately ate up nearly a third of Vahn's internal reserves, but Gray's arm had been completely regrown in less than a minute. Now that she was 'complete', Vahn felt a little awkward staring at her defenseless body before quickly shaking away the errant thought. Then, after ingesting a [Hi-Ether], the weaker version of the [Turbo Ether], Vahn placed his right hand above Gray's navel while his left hand hovered over her heart. Rainbow hued energy began to flow from his hands into her body before Vahn's hands, once again, began to sink into her flesh...
Though he had considerably improved within the Record of Danmachi, Vahn's development of the [Hands of Nirvana] was a bit lacking in the Nasuverse. As it was one of his most used skills, he decided to put a concerted effort into developing it further as, even though it hadn't been that difficult, spending seven hours in a state of absolute focus weighed heavily on the mind. By the time he was completing the process, there were only a few hours left before sunrise. In order to help Gray, Vahn had essentially abandoned participating in the Holy Grail War for the evening. In hindsight, he realized that he could have probably convinced Gray to allow him to treat her body at a later date but, considering there was a good chance she would refuse out of embarrassment, he didn't regret taking the opportunity in the present.
Having flipped Gray over onto her stomach, Vahn lightly muttered, "Sorry about this..." as he placed his fingers at the base of her neck and spine. This was undoubtedly the most awkward part of the entire process but, knowing it was necessary to restore the connection between Gray's mind and body, Vahn performed the 'Convergence of Heaven and Earth' without any real hesitation. As a result, Gray's stark blue eyes snapped open as her back arched, Vahn's hand the only thing keeping her from thrashing about. At the same time, she released a surprisingly high pitched moan as a great deal of confusion and fear flashed across her eyes, persisting even as Vahn eased the tensions from her body by pressing into various pressure points on her back...
---
After calming Gray down, something that had been made much easier after providing her a mantle and a change of clothes, Vahn explained the situation, leaving out no details, before asking, "How do you feel...?" In response to this, Gray, who had been somewhat absentmindedly listening to Vahn explain her treatment, blinked into focus before staring at her hands and answering, "I feel...a lot better...but different...it is a very comfortable feeling, but it doesn't feel like 'me' any longer..." As she had lived her entire life with the mild discomfort that had always persisted within her body, Gray felt a strange sense of congruity now that it had disappeared. It was almost like trying on a pair of brand new clothes for the first time, ones that fit your entire body...
Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn then explained, "It may take some getting used to, but you will be a lot more powerful in the future. I know this may not have been what you wanted, but I couldn't just ignore such irregularities in the body of a person I consider a friend. Even if we haven't known each other all that long, I can tell you are a kind-hearted person. Though you may find being around me somewhat difficult in the future, try to remember that I conducted myself professionally."
Though Gray's body and responses had been carved into his mind for perpetuity, Vahn had enough confidence that his mind wouldn't wander too often...
Though she nodded her head in response, Gray still pulled at the fabric of her mantle as she hid her furiously blushing face. Even if he hadn't said anything about it directly, Gray felt an extreme level of embarrassment knowing that Vahn had seen her in such a state. Regardless of whether or not it was supposed to be an intimate act, the fact he had been operating on her naked body for more than seven hours wasn't something she could simply ignore. This was only exacerbated when she thought about the method he had used to bring her back to consciousness, causing Gray's face to become so red that she began to feel dizzy.
Seeing how Gray was reacting, Vahn was glad he didn't mention the fact that he had transfused nearly 3.5 liters of his own blood into her body, effectively replacing the large majority of her own. If she knew the blood flowing through her body was almost entirely his, Vahn imagined that Gray would have already passed out long ago. Thus, just as he kept the information about her newfound 'fertility' to himself, at least for the time being, Vahn chose to withhold the truth of the matter. When Gray had calmed down and gotten comfortable with the changes in her body, he would broach the subject on an 'as-needed' basis. He imagined that, by the time she had her first menstrual cycle, Gray would probably reach out to him in order to better understand the changes in her body...
Setting aside the matter until the future, Vahn gave a placating and gentle smile as he explained, "I'm certain everyone would like to see that you've recovered. Scáthach had to keep them at bay when you shouted earlier..." As these words left his mouth, Vahn slightly regretted them as Grey instantly pulled down the hood of her mantle while releasing a shrill whine of embarrassment. The memory of her loud and uninhibited moan was the most embarrassing part of the entire situation, something Vahn should have considered before speaking. Now, when people asked her why she 'shouted' so loudly in the future, Gray didn't know how she would respond without immediately becoming red in the face.
In hindsight, Vahn realized that he should have put up a barrier to prevent sounds from traveling outside of the operation room but, as he had already been rather exhausted at the time, it wasn't entirely his fault. The state of Gray's body had shaken him a bit so, even if he had made a few errors in judgment, Vahn didn't regret the course of action he had taken. Even if she blamed and resented him for what he had done, Vahn was content knowing she would be healthy for the rest of her long life. She had an incredible amount of vitality present within her body, especially after he repaired her mana circuits, so it wouldn't be surprising if Gray lived for a few hundred years without further intervention...
After Gray had calmed down enough to face others, Vahn escorted her out of the ICU where Scáthach was still guarding the entrance like an immovable statue. The moment they appeared, everyone's eyes immediately focused on Gray, seeing that she appeared to have already recovered. As it usually took a few days to make a full recovery, it was obvious that Vahn's methods had been beyond the means of most medical treatments and Magecraft. When they saw her hang her face, a poor attempt to hide the blush staining her cheeks, a lot of the gazes turned to Vahn. Some of these gazes were especially sharp, including the one belonging younger of the two Doctors who had been waiting outside since being ejected from the operation room earlier.
Fortunately, before the man could make a scene, Doctor McKenneth gave an appreciative nod towards Vahn, saying, "Regrowing a limb and restoring a body to perfect health in only a few hours. I'll admit your earlier bravado wasn't without merit. Good work." With that said, Doctor McKenneth pulled aside his young protege, whispering in a voice that others weren't intended to hear, "That hot-headed nature of yours will lead to a tragedy one day. If you cannot remain calm at all times, you do not deserve to be a Doctor..." These words seemed to impact the young Doctor named Thomas, causing him to show a remorseful expression as he answered, "Sorry, Doctor...I will be better..." This elicited a nod from Doctor McKenneth as he firmly struck his protege's shoulder, answering, "You're right. I wouldn't have wasted my time teaching you if I lacked faith in your abilities..."
With that said, the two walked off without causing a larger scene as the eyes of everyone present briefly followed their exit. Gray even seemed a little apologetic but, without commenting on the matter, she remained silent until Lord El-Melloi II, now with bags under his eyes, asked, "How are you feeling, Gray?" Though he could see that she appeared to be okay, that didn't remove the worry he had towards this apprentice of his. She had been at his side for nearly twelve years at this point and, as he had been protecting her from the Mage's Association all that time, anything concerning her weighed heavily on his heart and mind.
Hearing the concern in Lord El-Melloi II's voice, Gray hung her head even lower as she sheepishly answered, "I am okay...Vahn even helped me fix some of the other issues in my body...I'm stronger now than ever before..." These words came as a surprise to almost everyone present, though the largest reaction came from Rin as she immediately began pouting with a hint of blame in her eyes. Remembering Gray's 'scream', combined with the fact that Vahn had only recently empowered Nobunaga, Rin's mind immediately jumped to a logical, albeit incredibly incorrect, conclusion. The fact that Gray was actively avoiding eye contact with people, combined with how Scáthach had blocked entry into the ICU only seemed to confirm her suspicions...
As Rin wasn't the only one to jump to conclusions, Flat managed to deal critical damage to Gray's psyche by suddenly asking, "What kind of treatment did he use? I get that it's supposed to be a secret, but that shout a few minutes ago..." Instead of affording Gray the chance to answer, Lord El-Melloi II immediately glared at Flat before plainly stating, "We will not discuss such sensitive matters any further. I trust that Vahn had enough professionalism to avoid doing anything uncouth during the operation..." Though he said this, Vahn got the distinct impression that Lord El-Melloi II didn't mean what he was saying, not in the least. Since he hadn't 'really' done anything wrong, Vahn's own expression hardened as he answered, "You can be absolutely certain the reality is far different than any assumptions that have been made."
With a heavy pressure accompanying Vahn's words, Lord El-Melloi II was forced to take a step back while, at the side, Rin suddenly felt apologetic. She could tell from Vahn's reaction that he didn't do anything to Gray, at least to the extent she had assumed. At the same time, Scáthach seemed intent to take Vahn's side as she plainly explained, "I observed the process from start to finish. Vahn was professional throughout the entire operation. He even went out of his way to help fix some of the deeply rooted issues in Gray's body. Do not make assumptions that will only complicate matters further, especially when you do not understand the truth of the matter."
Though not nearly as 'heavy' as the pressure that had emanated from Vahn, Scáthach's seemed to cut through people like a sharp knife. Thus, much to the relief of Gray, the matter of her 'scream' was laid to rest as Lord El-Melloi II and Flat both expressed their sincere gratitude, though not before apologizing in a formal manner. Afterward, Vahn explained the basics of what he had done without going into too many details, followed by a short discussion about anything that had happened while he was operating. As could be expected, there were several hundred more disappearances within the City while, during the evening, a large-scale battle had been fought near the outskirts of the Einzbern Forest. Though details were sparse, the fact nearly a third of the forest had been set aflame, regardless of the powerful formations present within, showed that the battle had been extremely intense...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Thomas','*Casually Restructures Body*','Poor Gray. More tragic than Jiren...xD')
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章節 1068: Release
After hearing about the large-scale battle in the Einzbern Forest, it was obvious that the Holy Grail War was beginning to enter its final phase. Though it wasn't impossible for other Masters to have been involved, it was more than likely that the conflict had been between the Einzbern and Matou family. Any solo Masters remaining in the War were far more likely to target the Tohsaka or Matou family residences than they were to seek trouble with the Einzbers, especially at this stage. Since Paracelsus and his Master were still in hiding, the likely culprits were either Sakura or the unnamed Master-Servant pairings of the final Caster and Archer-Class Servants. Setting fire to the forest would indicate that a Caster had been involved but it was impossible to be sure with what they knew thus far...
With the discussion quickly reaching a dead end, the only thing that could reasonably be discussed were potential countermeasures against the shadow that had attacked Gray. Since he had been the one to break down the function of the malignancy, Vahn took the lead in the conversation by explaining, "Though I cannot say for absolutely certain that my conjecture is correct, it shouldn't be that far removed from the truth. The shadows that Gray described seem to be a type of curse that has the properties of 'reversing' the inherent properties of mana. This simple change is enough to interfere with the structure of constituent particles at the subatomic level. When these bonds break down, the majority of the energy contained within the atoms bleeds back into the void while a small fraction of the converted mana is used to propagate the cycle anew."
Though others might have some difficulty comprehending what Vahn was talking about, Lord El-Melloi II had one of the strongest foundations in conceptual and theoretical Magecraft amongst the Clock Tower's Lecturers. Immediately following Vahn's explanation, he asked, "Were you able to infer that it was a curse do to its 'self-preservation' component? Also, if it truly affects matter at the sub-atomic level, why does it only target organic material...?" To this, Vahn shook his head before adding, "It doesn't just target inorganic materials. If that were the case, Gray's Mystic Codex wouldn't have been damaged so severely. I would argue that there is a lingering intent contained within the curse that makes it specifically target anything that the 'shadow' had wanted to destroy. As for why it affects others by proximity, this is most likely a means to discourage outside interference to ensure that the target is ultimately devoured by the curse..."
Hearing Vahn mention Add, Gray's mood immediately reached rock bottom, drawing a lot of attention to herself as she forlornly asked, "Is there anything that can be done for Add? He has been a Mystic Code passed through my family for tens of generations...he is also my first and oldest friend..." Remembering the state that Add had been in after trying to protect her, Gray's face formed a deep frown as a thin mist quickly spread across her stark blue eyes. Unfortunately, as the method to produce each Mystic Code was usually a closely guarded, if not outright forgotten, secret, the only response Gray received from most people present were apologetic looks.
Just as Gray seemed on the verge of tears, Vahn raised his hand before casually remarking, "I can fix him. Even if my method doesn't work, I'm certain that Scáthach would know the method used to produce Add. I may not look like it, but my skill as a Blacksmith would be able to humble most purported Masters." As someone who had been a [Master Smith] within the Record of Danmachi, combined with the fact that he had the guidance of Hephaestus herself, Vahn was confident that he could repair Add. This was assuming that a simple [Whetstone] wasn't able to repair him in an instant...
As if she hadn't quite heard him correctly, Gray's expression turned into one of confusion as a small glimmer of hope reflected in the depths of her eyes. Lord El-Melloi II also seemed more than a little skeptical but, after Vahn made good on his promise to heal Gray, he knew better than to discount the increasingly mysterious man's capabilities. He was quickly beginning to regret having failed to get Rin to reveal the information pertaining to Vahn and his true identity. Though he knew that Vahn compared himself to a Pseudo-Divine Spirit, apparently hailing from another world, that was near the limit of what Lord El-Melloi II knew about him...
Knowing he was being doubted, Vahn rolled his eyes before looking directly at Gray and repeating, "I can repair Add for you. All I need is Add himself and a room where I can enjoy some privacy." Since he stated it very clearly this time, Gray's eyes began to water even more than before as she used the sleeves of her jacket to hide her face. Though he hadn't even helped yet, she stammered in a sobbing voice, "Uuuee...thank you...", punctuating her words with a sniffle. This made Vahn feel a little awkward as it suddenly felt like there were far more expectations on him based on the looks everyone was giving him...
---
Without much of a delay, it wasn't long before Vahn found himself in one of the hotel's rooms with Rin, Gray, and Fenrir present. The others were also in the room but, to avoid any trouble, they remained as Spirits and simply observed the process from somewhere in the room. Since there weren't really any preparations to be made, Gray handed over the malformed Add with a pleading look in her eyes as she said, "Please, Vahn...if you can help Add, I will owe you-" Before she could finish her words, Vahn released a sigh before 'flicking' Gray's head. At the same time, he snatched Add out of her hands and said, "I've seen this trend before...your gratitude is enough for me, Gray. We're friends, after all..."
Since it seemed like Gray was going down a foreseeable 'route', a concept Vahn had come to comprehend after some anime-style games caught his eye, Vahn wanted to nip it in the bud from the start. He was getting a little tired of women thinking they 'owed' him something or needed to 'repay' some kind of arbitrary debt. This almost always led to romantic tensions developing as, even without using the View Affection function of The Path, Vahn still had a habit of empathizing with girls. If it got to the point that Gray started talking about her past, Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before things developed even further between them. It almost felt that, if they weren't already taken, a lot of women were predisposed to fall in love with him...
Ignoring the slightly pouting expression on Gray's face, Vahn pulled out a plain-looking [Whetstone] before scraping it across Add's surface three times. Even with the first stroke, it was easy to see that a lot of the damage done to Add's body had simply vanished. Since [Whetstone]s even worked on S-Ranked equipment and artifacts in the Record of Danmachi, Vahn wasn't that surprised that it was just as effective on Add. Though it seemed to possess a spirit, Add's personality was just an artificial construct and, no matter how complex its structure, it was still just a piece of equipment. As a result, by the time Vahn had performed the third stroke, Add flashed a mystical white light before it had been restored completely.
With everyone looking at him as if he had done the most ridiculous thing in the entire world, Vahn just cracked a smile before unceremoniously tossing Add over to Gray. Though he had repaired it, the artificial personality was still in 'self-preservation' mode and would need to be awakened by Gray herself. She seemed to understand this as well so, even while feeling rather incredulous at the moment, Gray held add between her palms before muttering in a surprisingly cold monotone, "Gray. Rave. Crave. Deprave. Grave me. Grave for you. Awaken. Mystic Codex. Add." With each word she spoke, Add began to glow with an increasingly intense golden light before the dark holes where its eyes were located suddenly 'opened' as it answered, "Pseudo-Personality Awakened. Performing structural analysis. Confirmed restoration of damaged internals. Reboot Confirmed. Good morning, Gray."
Hearing the familiar voice of Add, Gray looked like she was on the verge of tears once again, at least until Vahn commented, "You're more of a crybaby than I would have taken you for..." This caused her face to turn beet red before she turned around completely to avoid eye contact with anyone in the room. At the same time, apparently unwilling to overlook the fact that Vahn had just restored a Mystic Code with a rock, Rin asked, "What on earth was that stone? How did you repair something as complex as a Mystic Code with something that looks like it could be found in a riverbed..." To this, Vahn shrugged his shoulders and answered, "It is an item simply referred to as a [Whetstone]. I don't completely understand its properties myself...it just works that way."
Rin's expression only became even more incredulous when she heard Vahn's words, a feeling he actually shared since there were actually a number of items he had obtained through the system that didn't make much sense. The most obvious examples were the [Whetstone]s and the [Effigy of the Hero], both things that were relatively inexpensive regardless of how they seemed to operate on Laws that even Gods in the Record of Danmachi couldn't understand. Vahn sometimes felt like The Path had included them in his early drops so that he would have a crutch to rely on during the most difficult periods of his life. After all, being able to heal most wounds with a [Senzu Bean], using [Whetstone]s to repair practically any weapon, and having a life-saving item like the [Effigy of the Hero] gave him a huge edge in pretty much every Record...
---
After promising to let Rin research the [Whetstone] at a later date, the atmosphere had started to shift to a point where it was becoming awkward just staying around. It wasn't as if Lord El-Melloi II and Flat didn't welcome them, but it was obvious that the former's suspicions of Vahn were steadily increasing while the latter kept pestering him about all kinds of questions, even after Vahn had refused to comment several times. As for Gray, she had become unnecessarily bashful and, though she didn't say much, just the fact she was 'lingering' was causing Vahn some discomfort. This wasn't due to Gray herself, however, but more so due to the fact that Rin's mood had been on the decline since early in the morning.
Ultimately, Vahn promised to meet up with Gray latter, even though she stated she would stop by the Tohsaka Manor of her own accord when there was new information. After that, the group finally began their return to the Manor with Rin burying half her face in her scarf, remaining silent almost the entire return trip. Since she had shrugged off his attempt to hold her hand, Vahn was left trailing slightly behind her while Fenrir happily walked alongside him. She was already accustomed to how her Master seemed to draw people towards him and, even if it was more than a little frustrating at times, she wasn't going to beat herself up over it when the opportunity to have his affection for herself appeared.
As the distance to the Tohsaka Manor began to shorten, Rin finally released a sigh before turning back to face Vahn, asking, "Do you like Gray...?" In response to this, Vahn released a tired sigh of his own before answering, "Rin, you aren't a foolish woman. Even if you tried to pretend ignorance, I don't believe for a moment that you aren't aware of the type of person I am. My only intentions were to help Gray...how she feels about things is something almost entirely centered around her perspective of events. At the same time, however, I can't deny that I have an inherent weakness when it comes to women who express their affections for me..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Rin's brows furrowed a bit before commenting to herself, "I guess I fall into that category as well..." Though she was fully aware of the fact that Vahn initially only reciprocated her feelings due to the circumstances, Rin still felt as if her pride had been wounded a bit. At times like this, she wished that she could simply follow the advice of Ishtar and Scáthach, knowing full-well that she would never be able to keep Vahn to herself. With that in mind, Rin somewhat hesitantly walked to Vahn's side before linking her hand with his, a pouting expression still visible on her face throughout the whole process. She honestly blamed herself for falling for yet another guy that seemed to draw the attention of almost every woman around him, even if he was an 'idiot'...
Though he didn't really know what to make of Rin's behavior, Vahn rubbed her hand with his thumb before leading both her and Fenrir the rest of the way to the Manor. What followed was another period of intensive training within the Sub-Space Orb as Rin kept herself distracted with her studies. Vahn made good on his promise to give her a [Whestone], something Rin would have to make sense of on her own since not even Scáthach could see through what made it function. As for Nobunaga, Astolfo, and Lakshmibai, the first two continued to lounge about lackadaisically while the latter, in much the same way as Gray, would periodically linger around Vahn when he wasn't training. Vahn used this as an opportunity to learn more about her past, even though he knew she had developed the expectation that, at any moment, he might broach the subject of bolstering her magical power...
After what had happened with Gray, combined with the large-scale battle that had occurred within the Einzbern Forest, it now seemed like a 'foolish' idea not to follow through on the act. The thing that bothered Vahn was the fact that he still disliked when people 'expected' him to act in such a way, even if their reasons for making such conclusions were founded according to contextual evidence. What made matters even worse was how Scáthach, at the end of each training session, had been pinning him to the ground as if she were trying to rile him up even further. Vahn knew he was nearing a breaking pont of sorts and, as even Sis counseled him against creating undue stress for himself, Vahn felt as if all of his inhibitions were slipping away...
For these reasons, during the period where Vahn was supposed to be resting in preparation for the resumption of the Holy Grail War, he eventually 'snapped'. Lakshmibai had shown up to talk once again and, though he humored her for around half an hour, Vahn was essentially in a 'hyperaware' state as she sat next to him. He could smell the fragrance wafting from her body, a curious mixture of honey, butter, and saffron. When she noticed his gaze, Lakshmibai fell silent before simply staring back at him with her pale-pink eyes. This impromptu staring contest caused the tensions in the room to steadily increase and, before Vahn even realized what had happened, he already had Lakshmibai on her back...
With her right arm pinned above her head, Lakshmibai had a slight frown on her face as she complained, "Please don't be so rough...my heart is already prepared, but I'm still apprehensive. I have only ever lain with one other man before..." Vahn didn't really need to ask who Lakshmibai was referring to as, even without them having discussed her past previously, he had an almost complete biography of her life memorized within his mind. He knew she had married a man named Raja Gangadhar Newalkar before giving birth to a son shortly thereafter. Unfortunately, due to the damage she had sustained during the delivery, Lakshmibai had been left unable to bear additional children. Then, as if to capitalize on her tragedy, her newborn son had died after only four months, the cause being a fever gained after a servant had left the window open during a particularly cold evening...
Having calmed down a considerable amount after hearing Lakshmibai's words, Vahn's expression turned gentle as he said, "You need not worry...this is one of the things I have supreme confidence in. I won't make things difficult for you..." Though he had every intention of giving Lakshmibai a similar experience as Nobunaga, meaning she might not even be the same person by the time he was done, that didn't mean he needed to treat her roughly. Him pushing her down was the result of the fact she almost seemed to be 'challenging' him to take action with how she stared back at him. Since she had been lingering around him with this very outcome in mind, Vahn had temporarily let his rationale slip under the focus of her pale-pink irises...
Nodding her head in understanding, Lakshmibai seemed to relax considerably as the white military-style garb dissolved from her body. When Vahn saw what she was wearing underneath, his mind genuinely blanked as, even though he already felt Lakshmibai was an incredibly beautiful woman, her appearance in lingerie dealt more damage than her Noble Phantasm. Not only did she have an almost perfect figure, at least as far as balance and appeal was concerned, but the lingerie she had chosen was a similar sandy-white color to her hair, accented with black-lace embroidery that had a flower-motif design. This created a truly perfect contrast with her healthy brown skin, causing Vahn to enter into a daze as he noticed her panties were anything but 'saintly'. The front barely concealed Lakshmibai's secret garden and, though he hadn't seen the back with his own eyes, Vahn was certain the panties she had decided upon were a thong...
Though it wasn't that obvious, Lakshmibai had started to blush under Vahn's 'intense' gaze, causing her to instinctually cover her shapely breasts with her hands. Then, though he had probably said the same words 'too' often, Vahn couldn't prevent himself from uttering, "Beautiful..." in a sincere tone of voice. This caused the blush on Lakshmibai's face to become more prominent as, for the first time, she seemed to show genuine reluctance by looking away and commenting, "You need not use such flowery words to ease my burdens...I have already prepared myself..." In response to this, Vahn lightly shook his head as he began to trace his palm across Lakshmibai's soft and supple skin. Then, in a voice that left no room for argumentation, Vahn affirmed, "Even if the feeling does not currently exist between us, I would never lay with a woman who I'm unwilling to cultivate genuine affections for..."
Hearing the serious undertones contained within Vahn's words, Lakshmibai showed an awkward smile before sheepishly claiming, "That would be troubling..." This caused Vahn to lightly chuckle as thin strands of energy began to flow from his fingers into Lakshmibai's body. He was only using his understanding of Petting Laws as he gently caressed her rapidly warming body. It didn't take long at all for Lakshmibai to close her eyes, seemingly refusing to stare back at him as her breathing rapidly accelerated. Then, at the same time as a contented sigh escaped her lips, Vahn internally remarked, ("If it is always going to be like this, I'm not going to keep holding myself back...by the time I'm done, the reason you seek me out won't just be for mana...") As that thought formed in his mind, Vahn traced his fingers under the band of Lakshmibai's bra, freeing the two voluminous mountains, each peaked with pale pink protrusions, from their restraints...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I can fix it...','Poor Rin xD...','RIP Lakshmibai. She ded.')
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