With the unconscious Hugo floating behind him, Sherlock made his way over to where Lilith had crash-landed after her battle against Betty. There, he found a 30m wide crater, fortunately away from any heavy population centers. Lilith had enough wherewithal to aim away from pedestrians so, while the battle had done a fair amount of damage to the surroundings, it was infinitely better than what would have happened if they fought on the ground.
Seeing Lilith carrying a battered and unconscious Betty with her tail, using it to choke the seemingly young girl, Sherlock showed a rare frown but, instead of rebuking her, he asked, "Is that necessary?"
Without a moment's hesitation, Lilith immediately nodded her head, explaining, "That thing inside of her needs to be sealed away. Even if her unconscious state, it would still be able to take control of her body. If I let go of her or gave her any leeway to move freely, I imagine she will run away before we are able to get our answers."
Understanding Lilith's concerns, as Betty lacked an actual corporeal form, Sherlock just nodded his head before stating, "Wrap your tail around her body, rather than her neck. Restricting her arms is certainly better than walking around dangling her by the neck..."
Though she didn't completely agree with his assessment, as it was far safer to have the option to crush Betty's neck at a moment's notice, Lilith never refused the orders of her Master. Thus, with a number flick of her tail, she tossed Betty's unconscious body before catching it, this time around the body instead of the neck. To make sure she wouldn't wake any time soon, however, she put in a little more force than was absolutely necessary, causing a quiet cracking sound while forcing the air out of Betty's lungs.
Sherlock lightly shook his head upon seeing Lilith's actions but, despite his own misgivings on the matter, he wouldn't intervene. He had already underestimated Betty once, so, until he knew what it was that had been sealed inside her body, he couldn't afford to show her much leniency. She was a very serious threat and, if his speculation proved truth, she only existed when people were actively perceiving her. If she was able to escape, capturing her a second time would prove inordinately more difficult...
What Sherlock couldn't understand, at least for now, was why Betty had been allowed to freely roam, seemingly without purpose. Her words implied her association with the group that had appeared the previous month but, as they had yet to directly appear, it didn't make sense for them to let a childish girl wander around freely. The only rational explanation was that she was intended as nothing more than a distraction but, with the way Betty's ability manifested, this didn't seem likely. This meant they were either trying to get a feel for the Empire's ability to monitor the planet or, in the most troubling of cases, Betty was meant to serve as bait to draw them out...
Seeing as how nobody had appeared, even after the battle had completed, Sherlock reasoned that her allies were either late or, despite his instincts telling him this wasn't the case, they really were just trying to get a feel for the Empire's observation network. Assuming this was the truth, it implied that, despite coming from the future, their enemies were unaware of Chaldea. At the same time, however, this entire plot could just be a means to get one of their people inside an Imperial facility as, if at any point they stopped observing Betty, there was a very good chance she would escape...
Since there was no way of knowing to whole truth through mere speculation, Sherlock needed to gain more information. Betty herself could be a treasure trove but, with that darkness inside of her, it wasn't exactly safe to try and probe her mind. Thus, taking advantage of his unique Skills, Sherlock pulled out a pocket journal and began writing his hypothesis within. He could instinctually determine whether or not his speculation was accurate from writing it down but, as he enjoyed mental puzzles, it was rarely his go-to method.
Though it spoiled the game quite a bit, Sherlock discovered that all of his guesses were accurate, at least to an extent. This implied his enemy severely lacked information but, considering the fact they had hidden away for more than a month, this wasn't exactly news. What bothered him was the fact that Betty was meant to be used as bait but, despite several minutes having passed, neither he nor Lilith had sensed anyone.
Pulling out his pocket watch, Sherlock checked the time, finding it close to 21:00UTC. If they didn't show up before then, he would be forced to escort Betty to one of their extraction sites to come up with a method to monitor and contain her. Da Vinci would undoubtedly come up with a solution in the near future but, until such a time, it was his responsibility to prevent her from wandering freely...
With time passing uneventfully, Sherlock snapped his watch shut before saying, "We'll take these two to one of the Atlas Temple's facilities. Can you teleport with her in tow? It would be unfortunate if she was able to escape the moment we try to move her."
Hearing her Master's question, Lilith issued her characteristic giggle before unabashedly claiming, "Worry not, my Master. This girl's power isn't directly related to Space. I don't quite understand it but, so long as she is bound by my tail, her powers are effectively sealed~."
With Lilith's assurance, Sherlock waited for another three minutes before giving her permission to teleport them. Though it was somewhat disappointing that their other enemies hadn't revealed themselves, it at least provided him with more information. After all, if Betty was intended to be used as bait, yet her allies failed to appear, this meant they were either incompetent or, after seeing Lilith's powers, decided against intervening.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Sherlock noticed something that caused his expression to turn dour in an instant. The moment Lilith initiated her teleport, Betty's figure vanished in the blink of an eye. In the next moment, they were outside one of the Atlas Temple's sites, bereft of the young girl they had put so much effort into capturing...
---
From within a dark, dreary, and unnaturally moist room, a man with a long face, dour expression, and pitch-black eyes sat hunched over a writing desk. The shadows in the room seemed to coil about in an unnatural way and, despite being in the middle of a forest, the room rocked about, much like the cabin of a ship. There was a heavy odor of salt on the air and, from the roof, murky water droplets persistently dripped onto the barnacle and moss-ridden floor.
At the moment of Betty's disappearance, the man's pen, an ornate instrument carved from a strange black bone, came to a stop. Immediately after, the once-dark room became a perfectly normal, well-lit and cozy, cabin. Rather than a single gas lantern to light the entire room, there was a fire crackling in the nearby fireplace and, if not for the persistent odor of salt and fish, it would be impossible to associate this rather homely dwelling with the desolate scene moments prior.
Despite the change in his surroundings, the long-faced man's expression hadn't changed in the slightest, his eyes seemingly staring at something in the distance, far beyond what normal people could perceive. It was almost as if his expression had been frozen in time as, even after rising to his feet and staring directly at the fireplace, he never blinked. Instead, the flames flickered in his eyes for several minutes before he picked up the book he had been writing in, a strange leather-bound book with blackened hide stitched together on both covers.
Unlike a normal book, the one in the man's hands was covered in various runes and, despite how the surfaces seemed smooth at a glance, closer inspection revealed an intricate pattern that seemed to writhe about unnaturally. The longer you stared at it, the more it would seem to move about and, if you listened closely, even the sounds of breathing could be heard emanating from within...
Hugging the book to his chest as if he were afraid to lose it, the man walked to the closed door of his cabin. Once there, he just stared blankly for several seconds as previously invisible runes slowly came into view, each flickering with orange light, much like a flame. This phenomenon eventually expanded to cover the entire room, revealing tens of thousands of seals that had been put in place throughout the relatively small cabin.
Once the orange light faded away, the sound of several locks being removed could be heard on the other side of the door which, unlike normal rooms, locked from the outside. It was only after fifteen locks had been removed that the door finally opened, revealing a white-haired girl in a pure white dress. At a glance, this girl looked exactly like the Betty that had been captured by Lilith but, rather than ghostly blue eyes, she had pale-red irises that seemed to absorb, rather than reflect, light.
Though his expression somehow looked even dourer, as a result, the long-faced man smiled at the young girl before reaching out his hand to pat her head. At the same time, a shaggy-haired man, nearly hidden behind a mountain of books and documents, peered over to ask in a lazy tone, "How did it go? Were you able to lure out anyone interesting?"
Hearing the question directed toward him, the long-faced man looked directly at the shaggy-haired man, his black eyes somehow becoming even darker as he solemnly stated, "Sherlock Holmes and a demonic woman named Lilith. The latter was able to defeat the darkness...she is a true monster..."
As if he had fully expected such a response, the shaggy-haired man just gave a lazy nod before turning back to his own work and saying, "Take it easy for a couple of days. We'll let them stress out trying to figure out what happened. If that man is truly Sherlock Holmes, he won't be able to let this matter lay. Once things settle down, we'll draw him into a more comprehensive trap..."
Since he had been writing almost non-stop for the past five days, the long-faced gave a solemn nod in response before reaching out his hand to the white-haired girl, asking, "Will you read me another story...something pleasant?"
Though her expression didn't change in the slightest, the doll-like girl readily grabbed the man's hand with her own, answering in a soft and delicate tone, "Of course. You have worked hard. It would make me happy to read for you."
Hearing the white-haired girl's reply, the long-faced man released a sigh of relief. Though he hadn't expected her to refuse, it was comforting how quickly she agreed to his request. Her stories were like a ray of sunshine, brightening his dreary existence. Until he was once again forced to delve back into the dark abyss, he wanted to experience her light for as long as possible. It gave him something to hold onto when the darkness threatened to claim what little remained of his sanity so, despite being the elder between them, the man allowed himself to be pulled along by the girl. He was like an old and weary seafaring vessel being guided through a port by a tiny, yet steadfast, tugboat...
(A/N: This will probably be the only chapter today. My housemate brought the sickness into our apartment once again.)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
With nothing to distract him, Vahn ended up spending several hours at Lakshmibai's side, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the forest clearing. Though they kissed and cuddled a fair amount, their time together was mainly spent feeding each other delicious morsels of food and just talking. Vahn always enjoyed moments like this as, while it was certainly enjoyable to have sex all the time, even he would begin to feel something was wrong if that was the only way he spent time with his women.
Fortunately, while Lakshmibai had become a very 'open' woman, one who enjoyed sex a little bit too much, she fundamentally lacked the ability to take the lead. She always allowed him to take the lead so, unless he told her to do something, there was little chance of things spiraling out of control like when he was with Nobunaga or someone like Ishtar. These two, in particular, were rather notorious for leading things toward sex but, considering one was a prideful conqueror, while the other was a literal Goddess of Sex, this wasn't all that unexpected.
Things like that made moments like this all the more important so, while it was somewhat tainted by his petting parade with Alaya and Tiamat, Vahn enjoyed just lounging about. There was something soul-cleansing about being able to use a beautiful woman's plump thighs as a cushion while having her hand-feed him grapes. Better yet, however, was when their roles were reversed as, in stark to his calm and relaxed demeanor, Lakshmibai became extremely bashful when doted upon...
If not for Alaya's ill-timed request, Vahn would have been able to enjoy this peaceful moment to the fullest. Though he would be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying what was happening on both ends, it was also extremely awkward due to his past inhibitions and the presence of Tiamat. The latter lacked an Ego of her own but that did little to stop her from emulating Alaya. She also had the instincts of a Primordial Goddess of Creation so, from the moment his petting devolved beyond a simple display of affection, the white crosses in her eyes gained a pink color.
Now, Vahn had to deal with a bound woman affectionately rubbing against him while Alaya, a stark contrast to how she would react to similar touches in the past, straddled his right leg while releasing heated gasps. It was honestly a little perturbing as, even when he went all out previously, she would show virtually no reaction whatsoever. This implied she was allowing herself to be influenced by his touches and, while it was certainly interesting, Vahn couldn't help but feel fretful as the blue-skinned beauty rubbed her lower body along his thigh. Though she still lacked a sexual organ, there was still a palpable warmth, a characteristic squishiness, and, against all logic, gradually increasing moisture.
Truthfully, Vahn was very interested in the peculiarities of Alaya's body but, as her behavior was far removed from how she normally acted, he found it difficult to take advantage of the situation. Part of him still had considerable inhibitions toward her and, knowing how 'potent' her affection was, he restrained his growing urges for fear of how she would behave in the future. Based on how far she was taking things after his earlier acquiescence, it was clear that Alaya would need clear direction in the future or she might even become worse than Hestia had been at the onset of their relationship...
Just as Vahn was thinking about how best to restrain Alaya's overbearing affection in the future, the woman in question surprised him by suddenly resting her head against his chest, her body trembling madly as a phenomenal amount of liquid covered his leg. He didn't have to ask to understand what had happened but, seeing Alaya's pale-blue body become slightly translucent, Vahn couldn't help but ask, "Are you okay...?" in a concerned tone.
Before Alaya could answer his question, Vahn found himself at a complete loss for words as, while Alaya continued to lean against him, Tiamat's eyes brightened considerably. At the same time, her water-like hair coiled around his leg and Alaya's lower body, intermixing with the fluids produced by the latter. Her hair was cool and pleasant to the touch but, knowing Tiamat was basically absorbing Alaya's bodily fluids, all while licking his neck with her impossibly long tongue, he didn't really know how to feel about the current situation...
Lending to Vahn's incredulity even further, Tiamat didn't seem completely satisfied with what she had obtained from Alaya so, after clearing the evidence, her hair began to coil around the latter's thighs. This was enough to apparently return Alaya to her senses as, with a glare reminiscent of how one would view their mortal enemy, she looked toward Tiamat and firmly stated, "Stop."
Like someone who had received a severe shock, Tiamat immediately 'bounced' away from Vahn's body, flying back several tens of meters in an instant. The white crosses in her eyes had turned red in an instant and, rather than flowing gently from her scalp, her hair now rolled chaotically like the sea during a storm. Then, much to Vahn's surprise, Tiamat freed her right arm from its constraints, her hand forming into a vicious claw covered in black scales as she bared her shark-like teeth at Alaya...
As interesting as a battle between two Tier 5 entities would be, Vahn knew Tiamat fundamentally lacked the ability to hold back. Thus, before things could get out of hand, he repeated Alaya's words, stating, "Stop." in a commanding tone. This caused the red-hue to Tiamat's eyes to fade away in an instant, her hair regaining its usual calm state. She even returned her hand to its previous position, despite the chains no longer binding it in place, seemingly incapable of realizing she had broken free in the first place.
With Tiamat temporarily pacified, Vahn released a sigh of relief before habitually placing his hand on Alaya's head and saying, "You should calm down as well. You know better than most that Tiamat has no control over her actions. Come, unless you want things to revert to how they were, you should try and make up with her..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Alaya, for the first time in her long existence, wanted to scream. She wanted to point out that Tiamat was just an empty shell, incapable of emotions and fundamentally unable to even comprehend what an apology was. However, after observing Vahn for more than three years, she knew these types of arguments were completely useless against him. She also couldn't ignore his orders so, while it made her feel more frustrated than she even thought possible, Alaya floated over to Tiamat and obediently apologized...
Vahn was actually aware of Alaya's frustration but, as this was a chance for both of them to grow, he pushed her to make amends. Though it could backfire on him in the near future, Vahn was confident in his ability to pacify Alaya, even if she somehow became vengeful. He just needed to treat her well in the future as, with her becoming increasingly more honest with her emotion, it was only a matter of time before their relationship became something more genuine. He had seen her develop from an emotionless being to an adorable woman with a propensity to pouting so, if he put a serious effort into guiding her, it wouldn't be that difficult to stabilize her mentality.
With this in mind, Vahn surprised Alaya considerably by placing a simple kiss on her forehead after she returned to his side. Then, while guiding her over to Tiamat with his hand on her hip, he smiled affectionately and said, "Thanks. I know it isn't easy for you." This was enough to cause Alaya's face to transition from pouting to confusion and introspection. He could lines of data-like runes flickering across her irises, evidence that she was either communicating with Akasha or putting a lot of effort into processing something...
While Alaya was distracted with her own thoughts, Vahn unabashedly grabbed Tiamat's right hand, pulling it away from her neck. This caused her to tilt her head to the side, her mouth parting slightly as an 'Owaaa...' escaped her lips. She then began to wiggle around her fingers with a smile on her face, seemingly just now realizing her hand was freed from its shackles.
Seeing Tiamat's innocent reaction, Vahn couldn't help but smile before asking, "Can you free your other limbs now? Go ahead and give it a try..."
In the past, Tiamat's chains had proven impossible for even Okita's [Purgatory Sword] to break so it was quite a surprise when he saw how 'easily' she pulled her hand free. He had tried to have her do so in the past but, after struggling for several hours, the ancient golden chains hadn't budged in the slightest. This meant that Tiamat was growing progressing stronger with time and, while this wasn't exactly a surprise, Vahn was hopeful she would develop an Ego in the near future.
As she was compelled to follow the orders she had been given, Tiamat wasted no time in trying to break free from her restraints. Since most of the chains binding her right hand had also bound her left, it didn't take much effort for her to liberate both hands. Her legs, however, proved far more difficult and, even after generating enough power to cause the void to tremble around her, they remained unmoved.
Since the bindings of Tiamat's legs were far more comprehensive than the ones on her arms, Vahn wasn't surprised she was unable to break them. Thus, before she could destroy the surrounding space with her raw power alone, he placed his hand on her head, softly ordering, "That is enough. You did well, Tiamat."
Hearing Vahn's words, Tiamat immediately stopped exerting her power and, in response to having her head caressed, a happy smile spread across her face. She might not realize emotions in the same way as others but, with her instincts still intact, Tiamat was still capable of understanding things like happiness. This was one of the reasons why Vahn couldn't give up on beings like her, Skoll, and even Alaya as, in the grand scheme of things, patience, understanding, and a basic appreciation for life were all that was needed to nurture a nascent Ego...
One of the things Vahn would never understand is how many people, for no clear reason, looked down upon others. This wasn't just unique to humans, either, as all sapient species seemed to have this trait. Even more nonsensical was the fact that, if they lacked a group to oppress, they turned against their own race, creating social and class divides in order to elevate the few over the many.
In truth, Vahn knew it was the influence of Karma and various Laws that led to this phenomenon but, as the people committing these atrocities rarely took this into account, it seemed senseless. Knowing he would have to contend against these forces for the rest of eternity, Vahn couldn't help feeling just a little helpless. Though this wasn't enough to deter him from the path he had chosen, as there was simply too much at stake, it was evidence of the fact he still had a long way to go, both as a God of Creation and Destruction...
Eventually, a time would come where Vahn became one of the things he hated the most, a passive entity that allowed evil to exist as a matter of course. He knew, the more he intervened, the harder it would be to secure his own happiness. Thus, at some point in the distant future, he would ultimately have to remove himself from the equation, becoming the lynchpin of a reality where atrocities may very well be committed in his name.
In the past, Vahn had never even considered this but, as his power and responsibilities continued to increase, he began to understand the perspective of Gods and higher-tiered entities. He was slowly beginning to understand the futility of taking proactive action as, with such vast disparities in power, the matters of mortals became increasingly more mundane and insignificant. Though it would likely take him thousands of years to reach the point where he stopped caring completely, Vahn resolved to never turn a blind eye to senseless oppression. Even if he had to become a literal God of Order, it was one of the things he would never compromise on...
(A/N: I am still very sick. Pray for me xD...)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh