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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章節 2205: Return

Seeing how easily Usalia was able to deal with her opponent, a frown marred Mikoto's expression as she remarked, "The Little Garden must really hate her..."

Though Karyou was far from the level of Wu, she was still one of the Seven Great Sages. As strong as Usalia was, it was a little difficult to imagine her defeating someone of such renown in as little as two strikes.

Showing no change in expression, Fenrir, wearing uncharacteristically modest clothes that consisted of a fur-lined parka and dark blue leggings flatly replied, "That is none of our concern. If she is truly suffering, Master is bound to intervene. Our mission is to ascertain the owner of each planet before regrouping with the others."

Restraining a sigh, Mikoto gave Fenrir a glance out of the corner of her eye before shaking her head and choosing to remain silent. She wanted to argue that Vahn would want them to do their best to help others, but, understanding there was very little she could do to change the public's opinion of Karyou, Mikoto decided to follow Fenrir's example by placing her trust in Vahn...

"Fire is annoying, plip. I feel like my whole body has been roasted..."

After defeating Karyou with her Usagi Punch, Usalia took a moment to regenerate her outfit before returning to Fenrir and Mikoto. She actually didn't mind people seeing her naked, but, now that she was a mother, she intended to set a better example for her children.

Extending her paw, Fenrir casually generated a cooling aura around Usalia's body as she said, "We should leave. That woman doesn't strike me as the type to stay down for long..."

Feeling a pleasant chill surrounding her body, a grateful smile developed across Usalia's face as she said, "Thank you." before casting her gaze over the fiery planet below and adding, "Leaving is easier said than done, plip. I don't see any teleportation nexi..."

Emulating Usalia's actions, Fenrir's expression promptly morphed into a grimace. Karyou was unable to attack and defend her planet at the same time. With no use for the planetside teleportation nexi, she hadn't hesitated to set the entire surface on fire. This not only trapped the people who dared to invaded her planet; more importantly, it prevented them from using said nexi to reach her core...

Fearing that Fenrir might do something drastic, Mikoto placed a placating hand on her shoulder as she said, "Hey, no need to get upset. Did you forget that I'm here? Vahn isn't the only one familiar with the Laws of Space and Time. Before we departed, I made sure to memorize the coordinates of our homeworld. I might not be able to teleport us to worlds we haven't visited but I can easily take us home."

Though she didn't always get along with Mikoto, Fenrir breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the presently petite brunette's words. If they hadn't been able to return via conventional methods, she was prepared to dig and tear a path all the way to the core of the planet...

Just as Fenrir was prepared to tell Mikoto to transport them, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a cube-shaped barrier of light manifested around them. In the very next moment, a man with wild, dark-brown hair and pale golden eyes appeared outside the barrier, hand scratching the back of his head as he stated, "Sorry about this, ladies. I don't normally attack women but I couldn't help overhearing you mention you possessed the means to teleport off this rock. I'm gonna have to ask you to take me and my friend along..."

Reacting to the fashionably dressed man's words, the seemingly ordinary black cat lounging on his shoulders issued a lazy meow. As for Fenrir, a bluish-black aura manifested around her right paw as she swiped towards the barrier with her Severing Claws.

Seeing Fenrir attack his barrier, an ostensibly teasing smile developed across the dark-haired man's face. This didn't last long, however, as, the moment her attack met the anti-magical membrane, a frightful sound reminiscent of metal being torn apart could be heard echoing throughout the Little Garden. At the same time, almost as if his barrier had been made of tissue paper, Fenrir's blades of energy seamlessly cut through it.

"Gimme a break..."

Though he was more than a little surprised by Fenrir's ability to cut through his barrier, the look on the man's face appeared more disinterested than anything. In response to the attack, he drew what appeared to be a hunting knife from the holster at his waist. Golden runes lit up across its otherwise pitch-black surface, and, though it consumed significantly more mana than he anticipated, the man was able to cut through the four blades of energy with apparent ease.

Following her initial attack, Fenrir smashed through the remnants of the barrier, claws extended as she intended to slice the man to ribbons. Her claws were exponentially sharper than the blades she was capable of producing, so, without even considering whether or not the man could cut through her attack, she charged toward him with a fierce expression on her face.

Seemingly in an effort to protect its master, the black cat on the man's shoulder promptly jumped forward. In moments before Fenrir's attack struck, its form quickly transitioned to that of a dainty, 144cm tall girl with medium-length black hair, cat ears, and a tail. Her outfit vaguely resembled the style of an old school mobster, but, rather than focusing on her attire, Fenrir locked eyes with the resolute woman as she exclaimed, "Cat Scratch Fever...!"

Similar to how Fenrir was attacking with her claws, the petite cat girl lunched forward with a pair of prolonged, razor-sharp nails. The disparity between her and Fenrir was like Heaven and Earth, but, so long as she could inflict even a grazing injury on her opponent, the effects of her attack would take hold...

Noticing the resolution in the cat girl's eyes, Fenrir simultaneously activated her Queen of the Pack and Koku Shundo. She wasn't even remotely afraid, but, having been taught to never underestimate her opponents, she elected to play it safe by flickering behind the duo and surrounding them with the shadow wolves representing Altria, Atalanta, and Gareth.

Though she deadpanned the moment she was summoned, Altria managed to evade the claws of her opponent. At the same time, Atalanta and Gareth took advantage of their speed to snap at the man's ankles. This ultimately proved unsuccessful, but, the moment he stepped back to evade the duo, he found Fenrir waiting for him, teeth bared and surrounded by illusory projection resembling her giant wolf form.

"Shion is going to be piss-"

Unable to finish his statement, the dark-haired man found the upper half of his body 'erased' as the massive, illusory wolf closed its jaws around him. Part of never underestimating your opponents was going all out from the start. The man had dared to imprison her, so, while she would have normally left him frozen in a column of ice, Fenrir decided on a more decisive course of action.

Nobody sealed or restrained her without permission...

...

As her true identity was that of a familiar, the black-haired cat girl promptly vanished the moment her Master was defeated. Shortly after that, Mikoto, with a wry smile on her face, placed her hands on Fenrir's and Usalia's shoulders. The truth of the matter was that she could have easily teleported them away even with the barrier up, so, while she understood Fenrir's reasons for attacking, Mikoto couldn't help thinking he had gone overboard.

Instead of voicing her thoughts out loud, Mikoto made a mental note to discuss it with Vahn once the Gift Game had concluded. The only people Fenrir sincerely listened to were Vahn, Eva, and, to a lesser extent, Artoria. Her [Queen of the Pack] Innate hadn't helped. Instead, it had seeded in her an almost oppressive sense of duty and pride. Thus, unless you were her Master, one of his children, or one of her mentors, Fenrir didn't have time to deal with you.

In Fenrir's mind, time spent talking was time that could have been spent performing her duties or growing stronger...

"..."

As the coordinates recorded by Mikoto were set within the throne room rather than the adjacent antechamber, the trio was gobsmacked by the scene presented to them upon their arrival.

Vahn was seated upon his throne. This was completely normal. What surprised them was the fact that there were several ashen-skinned women present, many with equally incredulous expressions on their faces as they observed him caressing the head of an oversized, partially-clothed cat.

While the scene of Vahn petting something wasn't particularly abnormal, the state of the person he was petting left even Fenrir at a loss for words. She was one of the few people to experience the full effects of her Master's petting, so, seeing the feline figure lying limply atop his lap, an absurdly loud purring emanating through the hall, a hostile gleam flashed across her carmine eyes...

Noticing the trio's arrival, the amused grin on Vahn's face softened into a sincere and affectionate smile as he retracted his palm from Attutyaptish's furry, upturned belly and mused, "Fenrir, Mikoto, Usalia...welcome back..."

Asking the question on all three of their minds, Mikoto eyed the half-conscious figure drooling atop Vahn's lap as she inquired, "What's going on here? Who's the cat...?"

Poking said cat in the cheek, Vahn answered, "This is Attutyaptish, the Great King of Wisdom. He's a bit of a schemer, but, as you can see here, he's also quite cute once he lets his guard down. He kind of reminds me of a monochromatic version of the second and third generation of Companions..."

Retracting his finger from Attutyaptish's cheek, Vahn used Telekinesis to levitate him over to where the aforementioned's daughters were enjoying a light lunch. The 'educational' petting session had been going on for the better part of an hour and a half hours, so, rather than forcing them to stand around, he manifested a low-lying table and a few snacks for them to enjoy.

Though she was a little surprised, Shaanti, the Sage with a Gift related to photography, accepted her father's half-conscious body with a curious expression on her face. She was the only person with animalistic ears to not have her head patted, so, seeing her father with a silly yet contented look on his face, she couldn't help wondering what it was like to be on the receiving end of Vahn's caress...

Unfortunately, Vahn followed the turn-over by saying, "I suppose that about wraps up our little rendezvous. Feel free to stop by the Sage Dragon's Hearth once the Gift Game has concluded. So long as you're willing to pay the price, there is very little we can't provide."

Without waiting for the group's response, Vahn teleported them to the antechamber. He hadn't missed the ostensibly murderous glimmer in Fenrir's eye, so, as much as he enjoyed teasing the peculiar group of six-armed individuals, their value didn't equate to a single hair on his beloved companion's tail...

...

Coming to his senses nearly an hour later, Attutyaptish first observed his surroundings before setting his gaze on Eshavi and asking, "What happened? The last thing I remember..."

Recalling the feeling of comfort that had invaded his mind the moment Vahn began kneading the space between his eyes and ears, an imperceptible, dark-grey hue spread through Attutyaptish's cheeks. Were it not for his fur, the entire Little Garden would have been able to see him blushing.

Deciding he would rather review the recording rather than hearing his daughters recount what would invariably become his most embarrassing moment, Attutyaptish directed his gaze to the nearby teleportation nexus. He was originally planning to destroy them so that Vahn wouldn't be able to escape. Now, realizing Vahn had no intention of moving from his spot, he decided it would be best if they simply returned.

"We're leaving. By now, our fellow tribesmen and women should be placing the finishing touches on the ritual magic formation. I don't mind going out in a blaze of glory but I'd much rather assist in the destruction of whichever planet follows this one..."

Though it was too late to take back his previous decision, Attutyaptish was confident he could save some face by demonstrating his prowess against other Communities. Preventing his brothers from teasing him would be impossible but he could at least change how the general public viewed him...

With this in mind, Attutyaptish directed his daughters to stand atop the nearest platform before personally activating the teleportation array. This immediately brought them to the surface, but, instead of finding a planet-wide formation awaiting them, the group was stunned when one of the nearest Rakshasa asked them if something had gone wrong with the initial teleportation. After all, while several hours had passed since their first encounter with Vahn, a mere thirteen seconds had passed since their departure...

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Good mommies don't streak (U w U)...','Only Master is allowed to confine Fenrir...!','*deep breath*...Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh-')

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