章節 2317: Choose Your Own Path

Disregarding all the times he had stopped, reversed, or outright separated himself from the time axis to do perverted things, Vahn forced Ahura and Nadare to sit in seiza, his arms crossed as he warned, "Listen. I don't care what the two of you do in private. You can't be committing these kinds of acts in public."

As she was unable to rise from her seiza, Ahura glared up at Vahn as she asked, "And who are you to decide such things? Even if you had a hand in our creation, you're not our father."

Virtually incapable of being on the same page as her counterpart, Nadare immediately contradicted Ahura's statement, musing, "I don't mind calling you daddy." with narrowed eyes and a seductive grin.

Ignoring the off-handed remark, Vahn exhaled a sigh and said, "I don't need to be your father to remind you that actions have consequences..."

Shaking his head, Vahn decided it would be counterproductive to try and lecture the two women, especially when their Creator had such a deeply rooted distrust for him. Ahura and Nadare were autonomous beings, but, similar to his Templates, they had effectively been 'programmed' to think and behave a certain way. If he really wanted to influence them, he would need to change Mitra's and, potentially, Yvonne's views...

Freeing the duo from their forced seiza, Vahn adopted a sad, ostensibly apologetic look as he muttered, "I owe the two of you an apology. As you said, it's not my place to tell you how to act. Just know that if you go out of your way to cause trouble for the people of the Little Garden, I have an obligation to stop you..."

Rising to her feet, Ahura took a moment to smooth out the creases of her dress and overcoat before replying, "Your concerns are unnecessary. Our duty as the Ultimate Black and White ended the moment we liberated our reality from the influence of Naraka. We accompanied the Great Sage and our Mistress out of a desire to confirm what lay 'beyond' the pinnacle with our own two eyes. I can't say for sure what actions we'll take in the future, but that was the entire point of our endeavors in the 'Masadaverse.' To be free to choose or own path."

As Nadara had yet to rise, Ahura stared down at her predestined rival and extended a hand, declaring, "In a world unbound by fate, there is no need for absolutes..."

Realizing that Ahura was effectively asking her to join hands, an amused chuckle emanated from Nadare's throat. However, as intriguing as the idea was, she wasn't fond of sharing power with others. She knew Ahura was the same, so even if they did join hands, they would spend most of their time trying to dominate one another. As enjoyable as that sounded, she would rather see and experience the Divine Realm before committing to anything.

Smacking away Ahura's hand, Nadare teased, "There is also no need to stick with the same group of people I've known for an eternity. I'll permit you to follow me if you'd like, but I intend to give walking my own path a try."

On that note, Nadare rose to her feet and began walking away, her hips swaying seductively as she passed Vahn and softly whispered, "See you around, Daddy."

Smiling wryly, Vahn made no attempt to correct or prevent Nadare from leaving. There was a good chance she would gain notoriety as a Demon Lord in the very near future, but, as she had yet to do anything wrong, it wasn't his place to stop her. He permitted the existence of other Demon Lords, so unless she crossed his bottom line, he would leave her to Mitra and Yvonne...

Waiting until Nadare had disappeared around a corner, Ahura shifted her gaze to Vahn, narrowing her silver and gold eyes as she remarked, "You're more irresponsible than I expected..."

Shaking his head, Vahn reiterated, "Unless they place themselves under my influence or go out of their way to oppress others, it isn't my place to tell people how to live their lives. Good and evil, creation and destruction, life and death...change is born from the existence of such contrasts. She may abhor what I represent, but that's one thing your Mistress and I can agree on..."

Turning to meet Ahura's gaze, Vahn asked, "What will you do? This might be your only chance to 'free' yourself from the influence of your Mistress and Yvonne. If you return to their side, you will likely sever under them for the rest of your days."

Crossing her arms, Ahura didn't need to consider her response as she replied, "I'll likely travel to the West. The Great Sage has told us quite a bit about the Little Garden, so I believe I can thrive in such a distorted, borderline dystopian environment. Who knows, I may even become the Number 1 Hero..."

As the Actualized World she originated from had developed technology to the point their spacecraft could destroy entire solar systems with a single bomb, Ahura was confident she could reach the pinnacle of the West Side on her own. The existence of Da Vinci made this nigh impossible, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn affirmed, "The West is probably the best option for someone with your character. However, you should know that I intend to conquer the entire Divine Realm within two years. I won't stop you from starting a Community and expanding your influence, but it would probably be better to wait a few years before attempting anything major."

Raising her brows, Ahura asked, "Is it okay for you to be telling me this? Even if you're confident in your strength, there's a chance I could oppose you by conspiring with others."

Shaking his head, Vahn left Ahura feeling moderately annoyed as he flatly replied, "Unlikely. The power and authority I possess make the Hegemons of your world seem tame in comparison. Even if you succeeded in rallying the entire Divine Realm against me, it wouldn't be enough. If I weren't still playing by the rules, I could take over right this instant."

Though his words sounded brazen and borderline braggadocious, Vahn knew, with absolute certainty, that the Big Three couldn't stop him if he decided to go all out. They might be able to destroy his body, expel him from the Divine Realm, or run away with their tails tucked between their legs, but it wouldn't matter. After analyzing various Authorities, including the Sun Authority lent to Amaterasu by Shiroyasha, he could prevent the destruction of the current Little Garden or create a brand new one. There was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

Appearing slightly pouty, Ahura grumpily inquired, "Then what's the point of setting out on my own? It sounds like I should just join you and enjoy a free ride to the top."

Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn replied, "You're free to join my Community or become an affiliate of my Empire, but it won't provide you access to the 'top.' I do feel a sense of obligation towards you, but there are thousands of people ahead of you in terms of my priorities. Besides..."

Manifesting Laev-tan with his right hand, Vahn brandished her proudly as he said, "I already have the best sword at my side..."

As she had intended to offer herself as Vahn's sword, her true from being the claymore she wielded, Ahura's expression darkened when he brought out Laev-tan. Back in the Masadaverse, she was regarded as the Ultimate Weapon of White, a Divine Sword that came into being at the very birth of the Universe. She was currently weakened due to no one really knowing about her, but she still viewed herself as the most powerful sword in all of Creation.

"You think that trinket can compare to me? I may be weakened now, but it's only a matter of time before I secure my position as the most powerful sword in the Divine Realm...you may not regret it any time soon, but there will come a time when my wielder ends up driving me through your body, annihilating your very soul..."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn just smiled as he said, "To that end, I wish you and your future wielder the best of luck. It won't be near enough, but do your best."

Furrowing her brows, Ahura adopted a remarkably affronted expression as she glared up at Vahn with balled fists. She wanted nothing more than to slap Vahn in his smug-looking face, but, understanding the futility of such action, she eventually turned around and stormed off, shouting, "You'll rue this day, Vahn Aldrnari Mason! Mark my words...!"

Shaking his head, Vahn shouldered Laev-tan and walked in the opposite direction of Ahura. It had been a while since he walked around with Laev-tan in her sword form, so he decided to finish his tour with her while Mitra, Yvonne, and Naraka finished their discussion. Yvonne knew he was privy to everything they were saying, but he could at least pretend to give them some privacy...

...

"Ahura has also departed..."

Hearing Yvonne's words, the already grumpy expression on Mitra's face became even more so as she remarked, "Those ungrateful brats...I know I'm the one who said they could make their own decisions, but they could have at least said goodbye..."

Adopting a wry smile, Yvonne decided not to respond to Mitra's remark. Instead, she continued combing her fingers through the pink and red-haired warrior's hair until she asked, "What now? I retired from fighting when I handed over the Throne to you...without Ahura and Nadare, our ability to manage a large organization will be limited..."

Narrowing her eyes lovingly, Yvonne whispered, "You know I'm going to tell you the same thing I told you back then...do you enjoy hearing it so?"

Instead of responding to Yvonne's question, Mitra snuggled closer before staring up at her with an expectant look.

Moving her hand to caress the side of Mitra's face, Yvonne's expression and tone softened as she whispered, "Leave everything to me...your pain, your suffering, your dreams, your aspirations...I will bear them all. You've done enough..."

Rubbing her cheek against Yvonne's palm, Mitra closed her eyes with a contented smile on her face. There was a time when she attempted to bear the burden of 'everything' all on her lonesome. However, while she managed to do exactly that, the loneliness she was forced to endure was beyond anything she had imagined. She managed to become one with everything, but, in exchange, she felt detached from it all, even the very people she sacrificed herself to save...

At her absolute lowest point, Mitra seriously considered taking her own life and bringing an end to everything. It was at that moment that Yvonne, someone who served as a mentor to her prior to her ascension, appeared before her. It should have been impossible for anyone who wasn't chosen to reach the Throne, yet, as if such limitations meant absolutely nothing to her, Yvonne appeared to relieve her of her burdens and guide her toward a new, much brighter path...

Feeling a little emotional, Mitra whispered, "Tell me you love me..." in a soft, almost inaudible tone.

Adopting an even more affectionate smile, Yvonne whispered, "I love you..."

Opening her eyes ever so slightly, Mitra's red and blue irises glistened as she said, "Say it again..."

Moving her hand down Mitra's face, Yvonne raced her pampered lover's lips with her thumb as she repeated, "I love you..."

Reaching up, Mitra took hold of Yvonne's wrist and began suckling the tips of her fingers. If anyone in her previous life saw this, they would be beside themselves with confusion. She was known to be prideful to the point of arrogance, yet, whenever she was with Yvonne, she resembled the kitten her hairstyle made her out to be...

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn when he hears Nadare call him daddy, "Hello darkness, my old friend..."','Ahura may as well be a butter knife before the might of Laev-tan...!','It seems Vahn isn't the only one who can turn proud, warrior women into pets...')

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章節 2318: Accord

Waking from a dreamless slumber, Sala didn't even attempt to process where she was or who she was with. It was only once Sandora gently caressed her face and said, "Good morning..." that she blinked back to awareness, asking, "Is this real...?"

Nodding her head, Sandora softly replied, "Yes. And if my presence isn't enough to convince you, just place your hand on my abdomen...can you feel the life gestating within...?"

As Sandora had taken the initiative to guide Sala's hand to her abdomen, the latter just paused for a few moments before adopting a faint smile and saying, "It certainly feels real..."

Exhaling a soft chuckle, Sandora pulled Sala's face into her bosom, gently caressing her head as she softly cooed, "Take your time, Sala...I'll be here as long as it takes..."

"Mmm..."

Feeling Sandora's warmth flowing into her, Sala promptly succumbed to a bout of respite. She had been 'sleeping' for so long that it was difficult for her to stay awake and distinguish her dreams from reality. She wanted to believe that the person cradling her was her sister, but she had dreamed of Sandora so often that an actual reunion seemed too good to be true.

Sensing Sala's consciousness slip away, a forlorn smile marred Sandora's face as she gently called out, "Vahn..."

Manifesting less than a second after Sandora had called his name, Vahn had a similar look on his face as he replied, "You called...?"

Feeling better the moment Vahn appeared, Sandora's smile regained its vigor as she returned a slight nod and asked, "I know this was something Sala decided for herself but isn't there anything we can do for her? I don't mind watching over her for as long as it takes, but it doesn't feel like she's truly returned to us..."

Having already come up with numerous solutions, Vahn narrowed his eyes affectionately as he replied, "We can entrust her to the care of the Eurasia Family, or I can directly cordon off the parts of her ego imprinted with the knowledge of the Throne. However, neither of those options respects the sacrifices she made in the Masadaverse. I doubt she would complain, but she may lose her confidence if she isn't allowed to overcome this with her own strength..."

Seeing the smile fade from Sandora's face, Vahn's became slightly wry as he appended, "The best thing we can do for her is simply give her time. It may take days, months, or even hundreds of years, but she will eventually regain her senses. What you have to decide is if you want to wait patiently or have her 'awaken' immediately..."

With the ability to manipulate Time, Vahn could expedite Sala's recovery to a single moment. However, while it might seem that from an outsider's perspective, thousands of years could pass from the viewpoint of Sala. Thousands of years that may have been shortened to decades if she had someone she cared about looking after her.

Though she was tempted to simply allow Vahn to solve everything, a look of conviction formed across Sandora's face as she said, "I will wait...this is the path Sala has chosen; I will respect her decision."

After nodding his head in approval, Vahn waved his hand to produce a series of shimmering golden runes. He intended to respect Sandora's decision, but that didn't mean he couldn't make things a little easier for her.

Over the course of three seconds, Vahn weaved enough runes to fill a grimoire more than ten centimeters thick before sending them floating into Sandora's chest as he explained, "That enchantment will effectively place your body into stasis whenever you're near your sister. I know you want her to be present for our child's birth, so that will allow you to spend as much time as you want at her side without having to worry about going into labor..."

Unable to restrain herself, an amused chuckle emanated from Sandora's throat as she covered her mouth. She was wondering what Vahn was up to when he began weaving runes. In hindsight, she should have realized it was something along these lines.

While some women would dread the notion of being pregnant for literal decades, Sandora found it somewhat novel. She also knew Vahn could create an Avatara for her if she wanted to walk around unencumbered, so she eventually narrowed her eyes and replied, "How thoughtful of you..." in a beguiling tone.

Placing his hand over his heart, Vahn's expression became equally playful as he performed a gentlemanly curtsy and replied, "I aim to please."

Though her pupils briefly narrowed into slits, Sandora managed to calm herself and retort, "Speaking of which, are you truly content with letting those girls go? I know you're trying to avoid collecting 'every' beautiful woman you just so happen to encounter, but won't you feel responsible if they run rampant?"

Instead of trying to refute it, Vahn nodded his head and replied, "Without a doubt. However, unless I intend to suppress free will, that's something I have to be willing to accept. They're aware of the repercussions of taking things too far, so they have just as much a right as anyone else to decide the paths they walk."

"Mmm...well, so long as they don't cause trouble in the North, I have little else to say on the matter..."

As her words trailed off, Sandora looked down at her sister to find a faint smile on Sala's face. That was more than enough to bring an affectionate one to both hers and Vahn's, the latter remarking, "She's nearly as cute as you when you sleep..."

Exhaling another light chuckle, Sandora picked a few strands of hair from Sala's face as she softly replied, "You should go now...I know you're busy with matters in the South and East Sides. You don't need to force yourself to stay here on my behalf. Finish what you need to and then return to us. I will always be waiting..."

Though he was tempted to point out that he could handle his other affairs without leaving her side, Vahn ultimately nodded his head and replied, "I'll be back..." before fading away like an afterimage. Sandora just needed to call out to him before he would instantly return to her side. So, knowing she probably intended to manipulate the flow of time within the room, he decided to give the two sisters the privacy they required.

Seeing Vahn fade away, a pang of loneliness briefly pervaded Sandora's chest before she promptly suppressed it. Vahn had informed her about his self-imposed time constraint. Thus, while she wanted nothing more than to spend as much time as possible with him, Sandora also understood it would be better for everyone if she allowed Vahn to focus on matters that concerned all of creation, not just her.

With such thoughts on her mind, Sandora used her Authority as both a Host and Floor Master to accelerate the flow of time within the room by a factor of 8760. This ratio meant that an entire year would pass within the room for every hour that passed outside.

While most people couldn't fathom spending years confined to a single room, Sandora knew this wasn't even a fraction of the 'time' Sala must have endured within the Throne. Thus, while she understood it wouldn't be easy, Sandora was resolved for the long haul. Fortunately, Vahn had previously gifted her a display linked to his Actualized Worlds. She could use it to view events of the past, present, and future in anime format, so, after a moment of hesitation, Sandora navigated to the 'Masadaverse' and prepared to witness her sister's journey from beginning to end...

...

Sensing subtle fluctuations in the space above the opposite couch, Mitra opened her eyes just in time to catch Vahn manifesting out of thin air. The cat-like smile that had adorned her face immediately withered into a pout, but before she could say anything, Yvonne interjected, softly muttering, "I see you have decided to respect Sala's decision..."

Though he nodded his head in affirmation, Vahn's expression turned melancholy as he explained, "I recently used my power to give a girl name Shion a 'second chance.' I don't regret my decision, but I have also come to realize that my actions at the time were more than a little extreme. You could say this is an opportunity to prove to myself that there are always alternative solutions to a problem..."

"Mmm...I have experienced something similar. During the start of Sala's journey through the Masadaverse, I did my best not to intervene. After she appealed to me for assistance, however, I ended up tampering with the fates of trillions in a vain attempt to 'fix' things. In the end, I realized that the only permanant solution was the one Mitra came up with during our first loop..."

Shifting her gaze to Naraka, currently resembling a young therianthrope with lilac hair, draconic eyes, and androgynous features, Yvonne added, "The only way people can be free from the influence of fate is if they are granted the same power and authority as the Gods. By disseminating the knowledge contained within the Throne to all of Creation, we managed to create a world where everyone was equal...a world where Hegemons and the Root were simply unnecessary..."

Returning her gaze to Vahn, Yvonne's expression became inordinately serious as she said, "That's what we hope to achieve here in the Little Garden. I understand it doesn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but the imperfection of the Gods is a cancer that has claimed countless lives. Since even you cannot attain perfection, I say it is our 'obligation' to ensure everyone has the same opportunities...that is the only way everyone can be free..."

Though he furrowed his brows, Vahn didn't attempt to argue with Yvonne. He possessed all of her memories, so he knew her 'solution' had a degree of merit. It was far from perfect, but when everyone possessed the same knowledge, power, and functionally infinite resources, there weren't a lot of reasons to fight. There was still conflict, but it didn't matter when both sides were immortal and drew from the same, perfectly partitioned power source.

After a considerable silence, Vahn replied, "Your path is yours to choose. My goal has always been the same. I will reach the pinnacle of Tier 6 and link the Records. If you wish to create a reality where everyone is 'equal,' I have no intention of stopping you. However, if you intend to depose me or get in the way of my objective..."

Shaking her head rapidly, beads of sweat appeared on Yvonne's brow as she replied, "I would never dream of intervening in the reunion between you and your family. I know you intend to isolate the Record of Danmachi once the merger has taken place, and we have absolutely no intention of interfering with that. We simply wish to create an Order of Creation where everyone can exist on equal terms. We have no desire to superimpose our will over Orders outside the one we establish..."

Since she understood how impossible it was to defeat Vahn, the thought of getting in his way had never once crossed Yvonne's mind. No amount of training could ever surpass the 'concepts' he represented, so the best way to achieve their objective was to let Vahn return home and leave him to his own devices. Then, so long as they didn't touch his bottom line, he would afford them the same luxury.

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn replied, "Then we have an accord. I will permit you to establish a new Order, but ascending to the pinnacle will depend on your efforts. Just know that others, potentially even my other Templates, will rise to oppose you. I have made it so that each of you can choose your own paths, so don't expect me to intervene or take sides."

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Yvonne replied, "That is more than enough. Our belief won't be shaken by any amount of opposition. So long as you don't get in our way, we'll eventually be able to reach our goal..."

Though he was half-tempted to create a Template specifically to oppose Yvonne, Vahn resisted the urge and simply nodded. The penultimate form of Creation didn't really matter to him as there were limitless Records and his Actualized Worlds were wholly unrelated to the current Order. He also didn't disagree with Yvonne's and Mitra's somewhat unique solution, so, as long as they didn't go crazy and try to spread their system through the linked Records, he didn't mind letting them do as they pleased.

Everyone had the right to choose their own paths...

...