章節 2203: Entanglement : Futility

Seeing an Angel Attendant's Staff appear in Eshavi's hand, a hint of surprise appeared on the faces of Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita. They had heard about Gifts and abilities that could copy, borrow, or outright steal the abilities of others, but, having never experienced such a thing in their remarkably long existences, the trio of Angels couldn't help feeling marginally surprised.

Amused by the trio's reaction, Eshavi attempted to activate the Angel Attendant's Staff only for a synthetic voice to respond, "Unauthorized Access."

"I beg your pardon...?"

Without responding to the ashen-skinned woman's words, the staff in her hand promptly vanished into thin air. This left her far more surprised than the trio of Angels until Vahn, with a wry, somewhat apologetic expression on his face explained, "Sorry, but, so long as I don't approve of it, no one has the right to borrow or steal the identities of my friends, family, or lovers. I might not have interfered if they knew what they were getting themselves into and you challenged them to a fair competition. Thinking you can get away with something like this right in front of me is simply foolish..."

Clicking her tongue, Eshavi dismissed the eerie black and white grimoire before raising her chin and adopting an accusatory expression as she stated, "How shameless. Even if they were unaware of my ability, they still gave their names willingly. You can't seriously expect-!?"

Performing a flicking gesture with his right middle finger, Vahn sent Eshavi stumbling back a few steps as he said, "Don't put words into my mouth. If it were any other type of Gift, I wouldn't care in the slightest. Your fault is thinking you could steal, even temporarily, the identities of people I care about. If this weren't a Gift Game, I would have crushed you on the spot."

Surprised by the pain radiating from her forehead, Eshavi rubbed the area with one of her gloved right hands to check if she was bleeding. Confirming this wasn't the case, she directed a remarkably indignant look towards Vahn, stating, "There were no rules against it..." through gritted teeth.

Unperturbed by the woman's venomous look, Vahn raised his left brow, an expression of mock incredulity spreading across his face as he rebutted, "Are you going to make an actual point? It's not as though I prevented you from using your ability; I simply negated it after the fact. If the only thing you're going to do is complain, I suggest making way for your sister. I'm not particularly fond of the overly prideful and petulant."

Gritting her teeth hard enough to cause black blood to appear near the base of her gums, Eshavi held her glasses in place as she lowered her head slightly and said, "I challenge you, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, to a battle of wits..."

Rolling his eyes, Vahn lazily leaned his head against the knuckles of his right hand as he said, "Yeah, sure, whatever. Just know that I reserve the right to annul the competition if you attempt to exploit, break, or bend the rules..."

Snorting through her nose, Eshavi surprised Vahn quite a bit by manifesting what appeared to be an ancient-looking, remarkably ornate chessboard. It was comprised almost entirely of opal-hued stone. As for the pieces, both were carved from pure white ivory but one side had been stained an eerie, blood-red color. They were also themed to resemble members of the Rakshasa Tribe, the only exception being large, mammoth-like creatures with multiple horns and tusks.

Speaking before Eshavi could begin explaining the rules, Vahn asked, "Chaturanga?" in a pleasantly surprised tone.

Blinking in surprise, Eshavi's expression appeared to brighten ever so slightly as she asked, "Oh? Are you familiar with Chaturanga? Most people mistakenly believe this to be a simple chessboard."

Returning a smile of his own, Vahn mused, "I'm familiar with many things. Now, out with it. Even if you're supremely confident in your intellect, I doubt you would challenge me to a simple game of Chaturanga. What are the rules, and, more importantly, the stakes?"

Pushing up her glasses, Eshavi adopted a confident grin as she explained, "The rules are identical to a standard game of Chaturanga. The only difference is, every time you lose one of your Padati, one of your appendages will be rendered useless. If all your Padati are claimed, you lose the game. After all, a Raja without any subjects is no King. As for the stakes...well, that's for you to decide..."

"Hmm..."

Though he knew Eshavi wasn't revealing everything, Vahn wasn't too worried. He had implemented quite a number of measures against foul play. More importantly, he has reserved the right to annul the competition if she attempted to swindle him, so, after a moment of considering, he nodded his head and said, "Very well. If you win, I will allow you to make a request of me once the promotional Gift Game has come to an end. As you have nothing I desire, I will forgo my right to a prize on the condition each turn lasts no longer than fifteen seconds. As fond as I am of board games, I have no intention of being trapped in one for all eternity just because you refuse to make a move..."

Covering her mouth to stifle a laugh, a playful light flashed across Eshavi's eyes. It hadn't been her intention to stall out the game indefinitely, but, if Vahn proved to be ahead by a large margin, there was a very good chance she would do exactly that. At the very least, she could have leveraged each of her turns against him.

"I understand and accept your conditions. Now then, would you prefer to play as white or red...?"

As it ultimately didn't matter, Vahn answered, "Red." before shifting his attention to the Geass Roll that had manifested next to him. At the same time, Eshavi sat in a seiza-like position before hastily moving one of her Padati, the Chaturanga equivalent of a Pawn, forward. This earned her an eye roll from Vahn as she was, very clearly, trying to pressure him. Unfortunately for her, he was able to read the remarkably complex Geass Roll in less time than it would have taken an atomic clock to record a single moment.

Shaking his head in mock exasperation, Vahn mused, "Nice try..." before motioning with his right hand to manipulate one of his own Padati. Eshavi had made herself comfortable more than twenty meters away from his throne, so, unless he got up and walked over, his only options were to move the pieces at a distance.

Seizing the initiative, a sly smile developed across Eshavi's face as she stated, "You just violated one of the rules. Pieces must be moved via hand or foot. Using Gifts or other means to manipulate them will result in the aforementioned piece being eliminated."

Showing very little care for Eshavi's statement, Vahn issued a yawn before waving the hand he used to manipulate the piece, asking, "What does this look like to you? I'll give you a hint. It rhymes with band."

Confused by Vahn's words, Eshavi's thought process momentarily stalled. She wanted to point out that, while he may have used his hand to activate whatever Gift he used, it was still relying upon a Gift. He needed to touch the piece directly or he was violating the rules.

The only thing that prevented Eshavi from saying this out loud was the fact that the pieces were designed to vanish the moment they were eliminated. This included eliminations as a result of rule violations, so, seeing the piece resting comfortably in its place, Eshavi could only conclude that the Central Network didn't recognize Vahn's actions as cheating. She simply had no idea how he pulled it off...

In an effort to save face, Eshavi chose to remain silent as she moved one of her elephant-like Gaja, the Chaturanga equivalent of a Knight, two spaces diagonally.

Unlike normal Chaturanga, where Padati were readily sacrificed to protect higher-value pieces, this particular variant completely reversed the usual dynamic. Losing a Padati meant losing one of your limbs, so, while she had plenty of limbs to spare, Eshavi elected to play it safe by eliminating a few of Vahn's as quickly as possible.

Amused by Eshavi's abrupt seriousness, a teasing smile developed across Vahn's face as he reached through space-time to move one of his own pieces forward. The Law of Perception was remarkably convenient at times like this, as, even if an object was tens of millions of kilometers away, he could still interact with it so long as it was within the domain of her perception and authority.

Seeing Vahn move his Raja, the Chaturanga equivalent of a King, into the space previously occupied by his Padati, a gloomy expression developed across Eshavi's face. She now understood the trap he had set for her when he decided to forgo a prize of his own.

"You never had any intention of winning..."

Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn maintained a relaxed smile as he replied, "Winning isn't everything. I also have a habit of honoring any requests that don't touch my bottom line, so, even if you came to me of your own accord, I would have helped you. Now then, I believe it's your...turn...?"

Without waiting for Vahn to finish speaking, Eshavi knocked over her own Raja, a surprisingly pouty expression on her face as she said, "Screw you." in a scathing tone. She loathed being looked down upon, so, believing Vahn was either pitying or making a fool of her, she decided she wasn't going to play his game. Instead, she kicked off the ground with explosive force, the muscles in her six arms swelling ever so slightly as she launched herself towards the 'infuriatingly relaxed' man.

Raising his hand to prevent Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita from intervening, Vahn maintained the same casual expression on his face even as Eshavi began raining meteoric punches on the invisible barrier separating them. He had already allocated the ashen-skinned woman seventeen minutes and forty-five seconds of his time. How she chose to spend that was up to her.

Though she wasn't much of a warrior in her default state, Eshavi still felt an unbridled sense of frustration seeing her attacks stop just a few centimeters away from Vahn's face and body. The barrier he had erected wasn't a physical membrane, so, rather than the feeling of striking a solid object, she felt as though her attacks were simply falling short. It didn't matter how much power she mustered in her blows. Everything she threw at him, even magical attacks, simply stopped the moment it seemed like they were about to make contact.

The most frustrating thing about the present situation was that she was literally able to step on Vahn's throne, but, the moment she tried to stomp his groin or thighs, the same invisible barrier prevented her from doing so. She was even able to sit atop his lap, heavily breathing with virtually zero distance between them. However, the moment she attempted to crush him with her thighs or wrap her hands around his neck, absolutely nothing worked. It was like, even when she was seated atop his lap, there was an infinite distance separating them...

Realizing the futility of her actions, Eshavi ultimately slumped her head and shoulders, her glasses having long since dislodged themselves from her face as she muttered, "I hate you..."

Shaking his head, Vahn simply leaned against the backrest of his throne before saying, "No, you don't. You are indignant as a result of the transgressions you believed I have committed against you. In reality, the only thing I did was prohibit you from borrowing the identities of people I care about. Other than that, I've tolerated pretty much everything you've done. Saying you hate me is just an excuse to protect your pride..."

Gritting her teeth, Eshavi made one last effort to punch Vahn in the face. To her surprise, he actually allowed her to do so, as, unlike her previous attacks, there was little to no power contained within the strike.

Feeling as though she had been seen through for the first time in hundreds of years, an indignant feeling swelled within Eshavi's chest as she powerlessly headbutted Vahn's and muttered, "I really, really hate you..."

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nice try...','Loki would be wheezing...','Mada Kirai...')

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章節 2204: Stalling for Time

"As much as I enjoy the company of beautiful women, I believe it's about time you return to your group. Your father doesn't seem to approve of our particular seating arrangement..."

Once the time he had allotted her transpired, Vahn felt compelled to have Eshavi alight from his lap. He didn't actually mind attractive women making themselves comfortable on his lap, but, with Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita standing nearby, there were better ways he could be spending his time.

Raising her head from Vahn's chest, Eshavi stared blankly into his eyes for several seconds before remarking, "You're surprisingly cruel...you have, by your own admission, a beautiful woman seated atop your lap. You also know I'm upset yet you want me to alight so quickly? And here I thought-"

Surprising both Eshavi and the crowd of spectators viewing the scene with diminishing interest, Vahn used the index fingers of both hands to press her faint yet still visible nipples. The teasing smile on her face immediately faded away. In its place, a cold deadpan reminiscent of a serial killer took hold as she asked, "What do you think you're doing?"

With confusion marring his expression, Vahn continued to lightly poke Eshavi's breasts as he tilted his head to the side and asked, "What do you mean? I thought now was the time when people got to do whatever they wanted. I asked you to move. You elected to stay. This is the result."

Punctuating his words, Vahn activated his Hands of Nirvana before spreading threads of Source Energy through Eshavi's breasts. Her back immediately straightened, and, though she did her best to cover her mouth with two of her six hands, a sonorous echo sounded through the vast, largely empty throne room.

As Rakshasa didn't feel sensations in the same way as other races, Eshavi was so startled that she practically sprang away from Vahn's lap. When she landed, a dark grey blush could be seen on her face, as, despite her quick reaction, a spiderweb pattern only visible to Vahn could be seen pulsing within her breasts.

"Oh? And here I thought you were fully committed to stalling for time. Shame."

"You...you ba-"

Before Eshavi could finish speaking, a massive red x slammed into her face with enough force to give her whiplash. Vahn had never been fond of being labeled as a bastard. Not because he was upset by his lack of a father but because it was a brash insult that carelessly implicated his mother.

"You have lost your right to speak until the end of this competition..."

Opening her mouth, the only sound emanating from Eshavi's throat was an exact replica of the moan she had previously attempted to stifle. Her hands immediately darted to her mouth, but, despite her best efforts, an echo lingered within the hall as she glared at Vahn as if he were her mortal enemy.

Rolling his eyes, Vahn directed his gaze to the last of the sisters present, asking, "So? How do you intend to stall for time? Judging by your hat, I'm assuming you possess a Gift related to cooking?"

Though she would have preferred it if Vahn continued to torment her sister, Vahida, the Sage of Wisdom representing Gluttony, adopted what could best be described as a carnivorous smile as she brought a finger to her lips and mused, "My, how perceptive. More specifically, my Gift is related to flavor enhancement. Even if it was something as plain and simple as rice, my Gift has the capacity to make it taste like Heaven..."

With Vahida placing extra emphasis on the word Heaven, Vahn had to take a deep breath just to suppress the urge to ask if she was an idiot. Rather than a black and white apron, she may as well be wearing a signboard that said, "My food kills people."

Fortunately, poison was something Vahn didn't even need to take precautions against, so, after mentally shaking his head, he adopted his characteristically casual smile and remarked, "Sounds interesting. Though I doubt they can compare with my personal chefs, I'm interested to see what you can come up with."

Frowning at the insinuation there were better chefs than her, Vahida was half-tempted to challenge Vahn to a Gift Game. Instead, she removed the inordinately large saucepan from her head, taunting, "You really know how to get a girl's blood boiling, don't you...?"

As he always enjoyed a bit of playful banter, Vahn's smile became marginally more sincere as he offered a playful wink and replied, "In quite a number of ways."

Though she felt an almost overwhelming urge to snort, Vahida maintained a predatory smile as she flipped the saucer in her hands. The action seemed rather careless at first, but, by the time the dish had flipped completely, enough curry to feed more than twenty people had appeared within.

"I hear the 'appetites' of dragons are near insatiable. Please accept this paltry offering as an apology for today's events..."

With three of her sisters having made themselves comfortable atop his lap, Vahida didn't hesitate to approach Vahn directly. She even extended her tongue towards Kusu, a teasing smile appearing on her shoulder nearly grazed the unsmiling Angel.

Approaching close enough that she could have easily turned and made herself comfortable, Vahida took a knee before extending the large saucer toward Vahn. To the surprise of absolutely no one, he accepted the dish before placing it to his lips without question. This was an incredibly daring action, but, after seeing Vahn's performance during each of his Gift Games, daring was probably one of the tamer words that could be used to describe him...

Swallowing several large mouthfuls of the surprisingly spicy, chicken-based curry, Vahn pretended not to notice the foreign energy attempting to invade his body. To his surprise, said energy actually possessed a remarkably familiar structure. There were so few differences, in fact, that it didn't even take him a full second to completely analyze it...

To the astonishment of billions, Vahida included, Vahn's figure began to change from a muscular and handsome man with tanned skin to a stout, black-skinned pig. Genuine surprise colored the ashen-skinned woman's face, as, even in her wildest dreams, she had never imagined her ability would take effect so...seamlessly...

Looking around, Vahida's suspicions grew when she found Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita staring at her with tranquil expressions on their faces. Even her father seemed equal parts confused and nervous, so, instead of assuming she had succeeded, Vahida observed the chubby black pig for several tense moments before attempting to pick it up.

"Huff...what the hell...?"

Though she was able to get her hands around it without any trouble, no amount of effort allowed Vahida to lift 'Vahn' from his throne. He wasn't simply heavy; Vahida got the impression that, no matter how many people combined their efforts, they would never be able to move the adorably plump pig from its position. If not for the fact she could stretch his ears and pinch his cheeks, she might have assumed he was completely immovable.

Feeling something was amiss, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes developed across Vahida's face as she asked, "You're messing with me, aren't you...?"

Adopting a toothy, eerily human smile, the black pig promptly replied, "I would argue that I was humoring you. By the way, while your food was surprisingly flavorful, the overall quality places it around a six. You're a little too reliant on your Gift. Here, try this."

While maintaining his pig form, Vahn used cleaning magic on Vahida's hat before filling it with a portion of curry prepared by Rindo. When Vahida saw, or, more specifically, smelt it, the glower on her face promptly turned to curiosity, as, even from more than twenty meters away, everyone in the hall got the impression the dish was indescribably delicious.

As the worst that could happen was her elimination from the promotional Gift Game, Vahida didn't hesitate to manifest a small bowl of rice and a large spoon. She really wanted to ascertain whether or not Vahn was just talking out of his ass, so, after scooping up a spoonful of curry, she dipped it into her rice before placing it into her mouth.

To the shock of many, an 'explosion' of golden light erupted from Vahida's body the moment she placed the spoonful of curry into her mouth. Stranger still, the accessories in her hair and even the clothes on her body promptly burst away, but, thanks to the Law of Modesty, the brilliant golden light exuding from her body made it impossible to make out anything but her silhouette.

While everyone else was marveling at the scene playing before them, Vahida felt as though her soul had departed her body. In spite of this, she felt an indescribable feeling of calm as she stood, naked as the day she was born, at the base of a petrified bodhi tree. A warm breeze caressed her skin, but, rather than paying any attention to herself, Vahida was captivated by a literal ocean of stars gently flowing in and out over a sea of glistening black sand...

Just as Vahida was tempted to throw herself into said ocean, a feeling of loss washed over her mind and body as she found herself standing in front of a smiling black pig.

Seeing the 'smug' expression on Vahn's face, Vahida was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to smack him in the head using her saucepan. Instead, she exhaled a sigh before setting the now-barren pan aside and bringing all six of her hands together in a gesture resembling prayer. Every adult member of the Rakshasa Tribe had been given the opportunity to experience a lesser form of Enlightenment, so, even if the experience was quite a bit different, Vahida knew she had just received a tremendous gift from Vahn.

Raising one of his trotters before Vahida could thank him, Vahn's voice emanated seriousness as he said, "You can thank me later. For now, you may want to fix your clothing..."

Confused by Vahn's words, Vahida promptly directed her attention to her presently naked body. A grey hue immediately spread through her cheeks, but, instead of behaving bashfully, she returned her attention to Vahn and remarked, "You're a lewd little piggy, aren't you...?"

With hands to spare, Vahida was able to cover her breasts, front, and back without difficulty. Then, as if their encounter had come to an end, she returned to the side of her sisters and father without further dialogue.

Shrugging his virtually non-existent shoulders, Vahn directed his attention to Attutyaptish before asking, "Are we done here, or do you intend to give the duo waiting outside an opportunity? The little one with all the concealed weapons gives off a very pettable vibe."

Shifting his attention from Vahida, Attutyaptish met Vahn's gaze, a hesitant look on his face as he asked, "What is your obsession with petting? There must be a reason for it."

Though he didn't reveal the details, Vahn took advantage of the opportunity Attutyaptish had provided by manifesting his [Fragment of Origin: Godhand]. A swell of energy suddenly spread through his body, but, as he was already accustomed to the feeling of being empowered through beliefs, he managed to appear unshaken as he returned to his true form and answered, "Though I prefer being called the God of Infinite Possibilities, I'm also a God of Petting. Why? You curious...?"

Swallowing the knot the had suddenly appeared in his throat, Attutyaptish reminded himself that his mission took precedence over everything else. He could call in his other daughters, but, fearing they would complicate matters, he steeled himself before answering, "Indeed...after observing the changes in my daughters' behavior, I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little curious about your ability. Even now, despite her association with the Sin of Lust, Prurmubhi is behaving as docile as a kitten. You clearly did something to influence her..."

Unamused by her father's revelation, Prurmubhi, the vulpine woman that had enjoyed more than half an hour of Vahn's headpats, adopted a pouty expression as she asked, "Did you really have to go out of your way to reveal that in front of billions of people...?"

Meeting his daughter's gaze, Attutyaptish unhesitantly replied, "Yes. The more people associate you and your sisters with the Seven Deadly Sins, the more potent your respective abilities. You were the one who fought your sisters for the right to become the Sin of Lust. If you're dissatisfied, feel free to trade places with Hantemu."

Though she was accustomed to being chastised, Prurmubhi resented the fact her father had gone out of his way to do so during a highly publicized Gift Game. For a brief moment, the urge to lash out of him swelled in the back of her mind, but, before she could muster the conviction, a soothing voice entered her ears, stating, "Don't worry. I'll be sure to teach him a lesson on your behalf..."

Shifting her attention to Vahn, a look of confusion marred Prurmubhi's face. Thanks to an illusion, however, Attutyaptish was wholly unaware of this. As a result, he did his best to appear calm and composed as he floated over to Vahn and stated, "Don't expect me to straddle your lap..." before taking a seat on his right thigh.

Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn decided not to dignify Attutyaptish's words with a verbal response. Instead, he removed the feathery headdress from the remarkably furry man's head to reveal messy white hair. Then, without holding anything back, he nestled his hand between the man's large, cat-like ears and got to work...

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Should have brought some Echo Herbs...','This is what it's like to chew Five gum...','Bruh, he ded...')

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