EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 262: Restraint

[January 30th TST/September 22nd DBT]

With three hours remaining until the next four-month cycle in the Tower, Vahn was enjoying a moment of serene introspection—using an oil rag to polish Laev-tan as he watched Lastia braid Lupheria's hair, supervised by Dizzy.

[Have you decided what you want to do over these next four months...?] asked Laev-tan, her voice echoing within Vahn's ears like a clear auditory hallucination rather than inside his head like telepathy.

'First and foremost, I have my obligations as a consultant for the Dragon's Pavilion...' answered Vahn, his expression reflective as he appended, 'After that, I'll presumably resume searching for the next Trial or the entrance to the Corridor's next floor. Unless you want to tell me where it is...'

[I would tell you if I believed you were ready for it, but you're not] stated Laev-tan, her tone leaving no room for doubt as she added [You need to awaken your Body and Spirit Innates—at the very least. But the latter will be difficult within this sandbox you've created for yourself.]

'For my Body, I assume I just need to subject myself to harsh conditions or particularly grueling training...' concluded Vahn. 'As for my Spirit...would it require something like a near-death experience? I already meditate on a near-daily basis...'

[If there were a surefire way to awaken Innates, you'd have a bunch of absurdly powerful beings running around] stated Laev-tan, expanding [The most important factor is your state of mind when facing trials and overcoming various difficulties—like how the main character in a shonen Manga unlocks a hereditary power that has always dwelled within during a time of crisis. Your issue is that you've created a set of circumstances where even if you face off against foes narratively stronger than you, you can simply fling them into another universe or toss them into a black hole at your leisure. It's practically impossible for you to encounter a crisis you can't overcome using your authority as the creator of Invirtua.]

'Well, I can't exactly orchestrate a crisis...' argued Vahn, causing him to get the distinct impression Laev-tan was narrowing her eyes before she caught him off guard, stating [It doesn't have to be now, but you need to learn to let go—like how you plan to let the first ten people who clear the 50th Floor rule the Tower. Invirtua can never grow beyond or surprise you if you keep viewing it as an outsider.]

'Mmmn...it's definitely too early for that...' maintained Vahn. 'But, I agree with your reasoning. Once my children are born and have the opportunity to spread their wings, I will gradually weaken my hold over Invirtua. But the others are working too hard to make the Dragon's Pavilion a reality for me to step away from my position as Dragon God...' freewёbn૦νeɭ.com

Interrupting Vahn's and Laev-tan's discussion, Lupheria made her way over, looking adorably bashful as she pressed the tips of her tiny fingers together, hung her face, and asked, "Chichiue...how does my hair look...?" while sneaking a peek at him with upturned eyes.

"It looks great. Lastia did an excellent job," affirmed Vahn, his expression melting into a fatherly smile as he extended his left hand to gently caress Lupheria's head, taking care not to untidy it.

"Humu~!" hummed Lastia, puffing out her chest and crossing her arms with a smug, triumphant smile as she asserted, "Of course, Lastia did an excellent job! Lastia is the best at following instructions, and Dizzy-chan is great at giving them!"

"Right, right, our Lastia is truly a capable young lady~" affirmed Vahn, his voice low and full of whimsy as he habitually dug his fingers into the base of Lupheria's fluffy lupine ears after she perched herself atop a grumbling Laev-tan, positioned horizontally across his thighs. This, of course, made Lastia jealous, so Vahn invariably found himself having to coax and cuddle both girls while Dizzy observed them with a wistful smile—leaving him no choice but to invite her over as well...

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[Day 1]

As was always the case when a new Tower cycle commenced, Vahn kicked things off with an all-you-can-eat buffet to boost the morale of returning Ascendees, save them some Tower Coins, and provide them a chance to network and reform Parties. Hosting the event at the Abyssal Maw's seaside resort also incentivized people to don their swimsuits and hit the beach, so he was in the midst of appreciating the view when a new contact request appeared before him.

[Amaha Masane is requesting to be added to your Contacts]

'Amaha Masane...' Vahn repeated internally, Masane's profile appearing in his mind, courtesy of Sis. He had carefully reviewed the list of prospective Ascendees, so while he wasn't particularly familiar with Masane's world of origin, listed as Witchblade: E-4295, her profile, background, and recently updated Status were permanently registered in his memory.

'Possessed by a sentient weapon, suffering from amnesia, and raising a daughter that isn't hers—all while navigating a dystopian society plagued by corporate corruption and governmental overreach...that's one hell of a setting...' noted Vahn, a slight frown marring his face before he accepted Masane's request without deliberation. She clearly needed help, and even if Masane's daughter weren't her own, he could never turn a blind eye to a mother in need. Not after losing his own...

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After quickly apprising Grayfia and Venelana of the situation, Vahn left the venue for the buffet and teleported to the Tower's 0th Floor, appearing in the corridor lined with entrances to Ascendee quarters. The battle royale to determine preliminary rankings was still ongoing, with Rukia, Byakuya, and, most notably, Kenpachi partaking, but he set aside his curiosity and focused on the task before him—extending his right index finger to press the buzzer to Masane's room.

Though there was nearly a minute delay, Vahn was eventually greeted by the brow-raising view of a weary-looking, visibly perspiring brunette with short hair, comparably thick eyebrows, clear, almond-shaped brown eyes, and a physique that could humble even the average Devil.

"Are you Vahn...?" asked the beauty, Masane, panting heavily as she only opened her sliding, white-metal door enough to peek out or perhaps slip an arm through.

"I am..." affirmed Vahn, offering a slow, unhurried nod before adopting a congenial smile as he placed his right hand over his heart and said, "And you're Amaha Masane. It's a sincere pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"..."

Instead of responding to Vahn's greeting, Masane stared at him with a rather intense look for several seconds, her labored breathing and the aroma leaking into the corridor causing his ears to burn and his body to warm as he didn't need the ability to detect pheromones to deduce she was in a state of extreme arousal—her unblinking gaze boring into him as if she were moments away from pouncing and possibly taking a bite out of him.

"Pardon me..." said Vahn, extending his right hand faster than a relatively ordinary human like Masane could perceive. In fact, by the time her brain processed what he had said, his hand was already on her head, tousling her somewhat dry and flaky hair.

"Oh? That feels nice..." hummed Masane, narrowing her eyes and smiling contentedly like a cat rather than withdrawing from Vahn's hand. S-Rank Petting worked equally well on humans as it did on animals, so before she knew it, the heat in Masane's body had settled, replaced by a comfortable warmth.

"Alright, that should do it," said Vahn, appending, "Sorry for touching you without permission," while retracting his hand. Due to how pleasant it felt, Masane instinctively tried to follow it, nearly resulting in her smacking the sides of her face against the door and its frame before Vahn stopped her from leaning further forward with his Domain.

Feeling as though she had walked face-first into a warm and gelatinous pillow, Masane opened her eyes with an innocently confused and curious expression, sizing Vahn up for several seconds before asking, "What did you do to me...?"

"You seemed to be having difficulties, so I took the initiative to suppress the energy encroaching and influencing your mind..." explained Vahn, his expression and tone calm as he shifted his gaze to Masane's right wrist. He couldn't see it directly with the door in the way, but he didn't need to with his Domain seeping into the room, giving him complete awareness of everything within like countless tiny cameras linked to his senses. Thanks to that and his brief contact with Masane's body, he knew the core of the sapient weapon possessing her was located there. However, its influence had infringed her entire body, integrating with her musculoskeletal system as some kind of amorphous, organic metal.

"Yeah, I don't know what came over me..." sighed Masane, touching her chest and rubbing the spot above her very voluminous left breast as she unabashedly admitted, "After appearing suddenly in the middle of a field, I blacked out and then awoke really aroused. If you didn't suddenly touch my head and break me out of it, I might have pulled you into my room and attacked you..."

"I suddenly regret my actions immensely..." quipped Vahn, adopting a wry grin for emphasis. In truth, he found Masane's body, barely contained in a light, chartreuse long-sleeve shirt with a low scoop neckline that exposed her navel, a black tank top bra, and purplish bellbottom jeans that hugged his hips and thighs, exceedingly appealing. However, just as he had once refused to lay a hand on Fubuki and Cana while they were drunk, he could never take advantage of someone who was forced into a state of arousal by anything other than his own deliberate efforts.

"Mmn...you're surprisingly nice for someone called the Dragon God...and you're really handsome..." remarked Masane, crossing her arms and sizing Vahn up with an unpretentiously appreciative look. Her circumstances had brought her into the crosshairs of more unscrupulous men than she could count, so she could generally tell based on the look in their eyes if a man was looking to take advantage of her. In Vahn's case, his eyes were clear, almost mesmirizing as they stared directly at her without a trace of ill will or opportunitic intent.

Though his experienced an almost overwhelming compulsion to run with Masane's remarks and flirt with her, Vahn suppressed it and reminded, "I believe you had something important you wanted to discuss? Particularly concerning your daughter?"

"Oh, that's right!" exclaimed Masane, going from wide-eyed astonishment to a serious, desperate expression as she opened her door the rest of the way and pulled Vahn, grasping the fabric of his yukata rather forcefully as she pleaded, "Please, you have to help Rihoko! She was taken from me by the NSWF's Child Welfare Agency! I know I might not be the best or most reliable person to look after her, but she's my daughter! I promised her we would always be together! I'll give—"

"I will help you," declared Vahn, his expression and tone firm as he cut off Masane's manic appeal by grasping her arms and staring intently into her eyes as he asserted, "And you don't have to repay or promise me anything in return. Because something like a mother's love for their children should never be taken advantage of..."

Realizing that he might be being too forceful, Vahn released his hold on the stunned Masane's arms, his expression softening as he exhaled fainly from his nose, gestured to the nearby bed, and suggested, "Now, sit or lie down and take a moment to collect yourself while I prepare something for you to eat. Time flows much faster here in the Tower, so four months here is only eight hours back in your world. As for your daughter..."

With Sis confirming that Rihoko had been secured, safe and sound, Vahn's smile grew as he confidently asserted, "You will be reunited with her very shortly. You have my word."

Exhibiting her somewhat stunted mental development, the result of only having five years of memories, Masane frown deeply, causing her chin to srunch as tears swelled within her eyes. Then, leaving Vahn momentarily taken aback, she pounced on and squeezed him tightly, bawling her heart out while sobbingly and profusely thanking him. Fortunately, he recovered quickly, his expression softening even further as he caressed and patted the buxom but child-like woman's back and reassured her that everything would be okay. In fact, he would guarnatee it...

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