Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn helped both Tiona and Ais recover their strength before cleaning up the interior of the cave and preparing to head back to the City. At this point, it was in the middle of the afternoon, and they still had more than enough time to return to the City before the gates closed. Though they still made a quick pace on their way back, the trio took time to enjoy the scenery along the way. Vahn found the two girls to look even more beautiful than they had been previously, and even he felt like there was an extra firmness in his own stride.

Whenever they found something interesting, they would stop and rest for a bit, and Vahn got to experience a new sensation that made his heart aflutter with all kinds of emotions. When he had sat on a large rock overlooking the scenery looking down on Orario in the distance, both girls flanked him and leaned against his shoulders. Being sandwiched between the two women he had just recently had s.e.x with, Vahn felt like he could suddenly overcome anything the future might hold.

After getting side-tracked several times after that, they finally arrived at the gates of the City just as the sky was beginning to grow slightly darker. Vahn escorted the two all the way to their Familia, and even though he never expected them to keep things a secret, Vahn was surprised when both Tiona and Ais gave him a kiss within the reception area of the Twilight Manor. Everyone in the area started at the display in mock horror while some guys even had mortified expressions on their face.

Tiona had been very passionate when she kissed him, and Vahn almost felt like she was trying to make sure everyone in the area was aware of their relationship. She left no room for questions as she continued the kiss him deeply for nearly an entire minute as people gawked at the sight. When she finally pulled away and gave him a happy smile as she practically 'danced' away, Vahn was almost overwhelmed by the urge to chase after her.

Before he was able to make the decision himself, against any expectations the crowd may have had after watching Tiona, Ais stepped forward and gave him a hug. She didn't immediately kiss him, but looked around the area a bit and stared at the onlookers. After letting her gaze wander around the room for a moment, Ais leaned forward and gave Vahn a deep kiss. It wasn't as 'passionate' as Tiona's, but it was still a mind-numbing experience for Vahn.

However, while Vahn was enjoying the situation, everyone else seemed to be blown away by what was transpiring. They couldn't believe that the 'untouchable princess' that everyone had failed to court was suddenly kissing a boy in public. Not to mention, just prior to this, he had even kissed another one of the highly sought after members of the Familia. They felt a grave injustice and, without his intentions on his part, Vahn suddenly made a few enemies within the Loki Familia.

The moment Ais pulled away, some of them were preparing to approach Vahn for a 'talk', but in the brief moment, since the kiss had ended, Ais did something completely unexpected. After she pulled away slightly and saw Vahn's 'silly' look, she leaned her head forward and licked him on the mouth before separating from his body. Not only Vahn, but everyone in the area froze after experiencing the incongruous sight.

The reception area, which had more than twenty people, was now utterly silent as Ais began walking away from Vahn. Seemingly aware of the atmosphere, just before she disappeared through a set of doors, Ais turned around and made eye contact with Vahn. Due to the silence of the room, her words sounded like an explosion in the minds of everyone present as she said, "It was very pleasant...we should do it again soon." With those words, Ais blushed a bit before disappearing through the double-doors.

A few seconds after her figure vanished, Vahn suddenly felt a powerful animosity coming from his surroundings and he could see the auras of several people darken as they looked toward him. Though he was somewhat embarrassed by the previous situation, Vahn refused to back down after seeing the looks on their faces. Furrowing his brows and forming a fierce expression on his face, Vahn expanded his domain to compass the entire area as he scanned his eyes across each person with a dark aura.

Seeing the boy they were about to 'question' suddenly turn toward them with fierce expressions. The men that fell into his sights felt a cold sweat on their backs as his 'evil' green eyes scanned their bodies. After passing over every person present, Vahn spoke in a low and firm tone that sounded throughout the entire area, "If you think you have what it takes, come at me whenever you want. But, even if you defeat me, it doesn't mean you'll ever have a chance with the two of them. Prepare yourselves for pain if you choose to do something foolish."

Though there were several powerful people in the Loki Familia, it didn't mean everyone was powerful. Most of the people present were only around level 2 while only a few were level 3. Feeling the pressure of his domain, none of them could keep eye contact for more than a few seconds when he stared them down. Vahn, seeing them look away, could understand why they had never been able to move the hearts of Tiona or Ais. It made him feel a bit more prideful about his own actions, and he turned away from the slack-jawed crowd with a confident expression on his face. It wasn't until he had long exited the room that the pressure from his domain finally released the people he had locked on to.

One slightly older adventurer, probably in his mid-twenties, asked in a trembling voice, "W-who the hell was that kid...?" As one of the higher leveled adventurers in the area, the man, who was nearing level 4, had been one of the people intending to teach Vahn a lesson. Though he was much older than them both, he had tried courting Tiona and Ais in the past. Seeing a kid accomplish something he was unable, he didn't make any efforts in hiding his resentment for the boy. This caused Vahn to focus his attention on the man for a long period of time, and any thoughts he had of opposing Vahn were completely suppressed. He felt like, if he tried to get in the way of the green-eyed demon, he would never have the opportunity to reach Level 4.

Shortly after the event ended, rumors started spreading around in the Loki Familia with an insuppressible force. The fact Tiona and Ais made no efforts to conceal the facts, allowed people to substantiate the information they received, so it quickly began to spread outside the walls of the Twilight Manor before disseminating throughout the rest of the City. Before the sun had even set, the rumor had reached all the major social hubs in the City, and everyone began looking into the origins of the green-eyed kid that had 'stolen' two of the most sought-after prizes of many peoples dreams. They quickly learned who he was, and the fact the boy was the 'Vulcan' that had become famous only recently made many people that harbored ill intent for him previously begin discussing in a fervent manner how they would deal with the 'greedy wanna-be heroic child'.

Fortunately, the rumors weren't only heard by those with bad intentions, as many people that had grown fond of Vahn began singing high praises of him. The 'heroic feat' he had accomplished became a new legend for the young 'Vulcan', and many men even toasted his 'achievements' while speaking fervently about their own heated youths. The rumors even reached some of the newer Familia that had yet to settle properly within the City, and a black-haired eastern God suddenly felt a renewed desire to meet the supposed 'hero' he had heard so much about.

---

Vahn, completely unaware of the chaotic wave he had caused in the City, made his way back to his home before stopping at Tsubaki's to check up on Lili and Naaza. The moment he stepped through the threshold of the door, Vahn was surprised to find that Tsubaki wasn't present in the reception area. Following his intuition, he made his way toward the dining area where he assumed they would be present. His guess ended up being correct, but instead of the three girls he expected, there was five present.

Tsubaki, Lili, and Naaza were all sitting around the table, and they looked toward Vahn as he entered with various different expressions. The two other women noticed his entrance and turned their heads to look in his direction. Vahn could see the more mature red-haired woman look at him with a bit of grievance and blame in her expression. The smaller of the two red-haired figures seemed to have a mischevious look on her face and started to laugh the moment she noticed Vahn's arrival.

Indeed, the two unexpected guests were both Hephaestus and Loki. Vahn had an uncomfortable feeling in his heart when he saw the 'sad' look of Hephaestus. However, seeing the 'playful' look of Loki actually made him feel a little ticked off so he couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing here Loki?" Loki didn't seem to be offended by his 'rude' words as she just continued to laugh before patting the area next to her. "Come on, Vahn~! We were just talking about you; what perfect timing!"

Seeing how unphased she was, Vahn felt a bit of fear welling up in his heart as he looked at the expressions of everyone present. Tsubaki, unlike her normal self, seemed to be a bit 'annoyed' at the moment, while both Lili and Naaza had faces of worry mixed with a hint of frustration. Hephaestus had the most 'grim' and 'tired' expression of everyone at the table as she released a sigh and said, "Vahn, go ahead and sit down. There are some matters we need to discuss."

Though Vahn had several questions, he realized that everything was happening was likely related to his actions earlier in the day. He had sworn to face the consequences, so without hesitation, he occupied the spot in between Loki and Hephaestus. Before he was able to get comfortable, Loki, against his expectations, leaned against Vahn and took a deep whiff of his body. As if confirming something, she began to laugh in her characteristic mischevious manner, "Hehehehe, you have a much more manly smell now. But, it can't hide the fragrance of the two women that is coming from your body. So, how was it Vahn? Did you enjoy having s.e.x with two girls at the same time~?"

Vahn was a little surprised by the question, but he didn't have any reason to keep it a secret; however, before he was able to answer, Loki covered her mouth and laughed even more. Vahn felt like she looked a little bit like a fox as she stared at Hephaestus and said, "Your darling Hephaestus sure seemed to enjoy it~"

Hearing Loki's words, Vahn's mind blanked and he didn't understand what she was trying to say. He couldn't process why she would say that Hephaestus had enjoyed when he was having s.e.x with Tiona and Ais. He wasn't the only one confused, as both Lili and Naaza, who were previously shocked when they heard Loki saw he slept with two women, looked at Hephaestus with strange expressions. Tsubaki seemed the least surprised, but there was still a bit of a twitch in her mouth as she stared 'helplessly' toward Hephaestus who had covered her face at Loki's accusation.

Vahn immediately understood there was more to the situation than he was aware of, and seeing the ashamed and bashful look of Hephaestus, he was overwhelmed by a mixture of guilt marred with a bit of curiosity. Almost as if she had understood his interest, Loki started stroking the area above his heart as she asked, "Is this where the 'eternal flame' fragment is? How very curious~" After testing his heartbeat with her palm, Loki continued to stroke Vahn's chest and he began to feel very uncomfortable.

Seeing her 'intimate' actions, three different voices shouted out at the same time, "Loki!","Don't touch Vahn!","You..." The voices belonged to Hephaestus, Lili, and Naaza who were now glaring at Loki with hatred and dissatisfaction. Loki pretended to be afraid as she held her arms in a defensive posture, "Waaah-! I just wanted to play like everyone else, don't be so greedy~. He already has, what, five women? What is one more~?"

Hephaestus swatted away the hands that Loki had begun to reach out toward Vahn's body, and then she pulled him halfway into her lap. Vahn was very surprised by the sudden action, and now he found himself in a very awkward position as Hephaestus cradled his face in her b.r.e.a.s.ts while she glared at Loki and said, "Vahn is my child and the person I have placed my hopes in. Even if he sleeps with a bunch of other women, I'll never hand him over to people like you!"

Everyone seemed to be mildly surprised by Hephaestus's claim, but they weren't too shocked. Tsubaki, Naaza, and Lili, were all very aware of the relationship between Vahn and Hephaestus. Naaza and Lili especially knew that, without a doubt, the two would end up together in the future and, if they wanted to be at Vahn's side, it would have to be while sharing him with her. The only person who didn't seem remotely affected by Hephaestus's outburst was Loki.

Seeing the defensive posture Hephaestus had taken to protect Vahn from her clutches, Loki's smile grew a bit wider until her face slowly melted into a neutral and then serious expression. She had already formulated her plan, and everything was going well after she managed to exploit Hephaestus earlier. When the usually cool and stoic goddess was suddenly overcome by the pleasure Vahn was experiencing, Loki was able to take control of the negotiations before finally ending up here and waiting for Vahn.

It seemed like everyone present was wrapped up nice and neatly in the palm of her hands, and it made Loki feel greatly pleased by the situation. She could even feel a tingling sensation in her stomach and a moist feeling invading her shorts as her personal euphoria continued to rise. With her 'serious' look, she opened her mouth and said in a very casual manner, "I look forward to our 'negotiations'."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Loki's Plot','Hephaestus Exposed','The Legend of Vulcan')