Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As an 'Imperial Suite', Vahn's usual room at the Enma-tei had a large pavilion attached to it. This was an area where he could enjoy the fresh evening air and admire the perpetually full, abnormally large, moon above. He found the sight rather mesmerizing, possessing a calming quality that encouraged people to reflect on their actions...

While Vahn was enjoying the gentle caress of the night air, Nobunaga and Shuten were both passed out in the room, nary a single piece of cloth between them. This was largely the result of their own efforts, but, as was often the case, Vahn ended up getting pulled along by the momentum of the two drunkards. Fortunately, no matter how insistent they were, he had a policy to avoid making any kind of rash decisions when alcohol was involved, even if he couldn't get drunk.

Once Shuten became emboldened, Vahn ended up silencing both her and Nobunaga, albeit after a very long period of sonorous laughter, soul-trembling moans, and hours of heavy panting. He had used his [Hands of Nirvana] to great effect, leaving the two women flushed from head to toe as their bodies overlapped atop the disheveled futon. There were various bottles of sake in the surroundings, so, at a glance, it looked like the two had simply drunken themselves into oblivion. When they finally awoke, however, they were little doubt they would remember everything that had happened to them the previous night...

Remembering how things had played out, Vahn couldn't help shaking his head slightly, muttering, "I still get pulled along too easily by the momentum of others...I wonder if this can be attributed to the peaceful times I've been experiencing as of late...?"

In response to his inaudible musings, Sis went out of her way to answer, (*You certainly do get more 'whimsical' whenever things slow down. The root cause, however, stems from the fact you are, on the most fundamental level, an empath. Were this not the case, you wouldn't have been troubled by the situation with Mordred and Alexa. If you put your foot down, they would certainly be hurt. With the pass of time, however, they would eventually recover, finding a new path for themselves, aided by your unwavering love as a parent.*)

Not expecting Sis to suddenly comment about Mordred and Alexa, Vahn couldn't help but frown. He hadn't actually done anything with Alexa, as she was off in another Record entirely, but it was true he had been thinking about her on occasion. Rather, he had been thinking about Danmachi a lot during this inordinately long period of peace, wondering if he was doing right by his original family by living happily in the present.

Vahn knew all of his original women would undoubtedly want him to take his time, enjoying himself in the process of obtaining power. They would want him to be happy, not some mindless machine that only knew how to seek strength. Still, that didn't mean he was free from guilt, especially during long periods of peace. His life was so fulfilling right now that, at times, he would even feel inclined to ignore his training in lieu of spending more time with his children...

After running his hand through his hair, Vahn released a profoundly deep sigh, producing a large volume of steamy vapor as he internally remarked, ("I'll try and put my foot down more often in the future...still, I don't regret my choices. Mordred works harder than almost anyone...I've always had a soft spot for earnest women. It was my selfishness that made things unnecessarily complicated...")

Rather than refute Vahn's words, Sis issued a soft 'Nn' before saying, (*That is, indeed, the case. Even if your actions were the result of peculiar circumstances, you were still a little too hasty. Don't get me wrong, Vahn. I'm not actually blaming you for your decisions. Rather, I'm more trouble by the fact you allow them to weigh upon your mind. I don't want to see you regress into a depressive state of mind, making mistakes you could have otherwise avoided...*)

Hearing Sis's words, Vahn lightly nodded his head, remembering the mistakes he had made toward the end of his time in the Record of Danmachi. He had even squandered a considerable amount of Karma due to his mental state at the time, wasting nearly 150 years of effort in an instant. That was one of the biggest mistakes he had made, as, according to Sis, even evading Akasha's notice would have been a simple feat with that much Karma...

The higher Tier the Record, the more comprehensively powerful the forces governing it should be. If he wasn't careful, just entering a Record would draw a lot of attention to himself, directing the focus of every powerful entity towards him. He was actually very lucky that something like the Root System existed, as, depending on the circumstances, any reasonably powerful entity would be able to kill or imprison him, at least for a time.

Entering into more powerful Records 'safely' would require an inordinately large amount of Karma, so, while he was tempted to just 'pick up' Eva in the future, Vahn knew he would probably be stuck there for a short while. He would need to defeat the Mage of the Beginning and bring about some kind of lasting change in the world, such as curing diseases or proliferating magical knowledge to the masses. This was the only way to guarantee their safety in future Records, as, even if he could keep everyone safely locked away inside his Soul, manifesting them in the 'real' world would expose them to danger...

Though he could build and expand his Empire in each Record he visited, Vahn's experiences over the last few 'years' had shown the futility of such actions. It would be better to transport his Empire with him between each Record, allowing it to expand and grow internally, rather than arbitrarily imposing his will onto others. He would, of course, take a stand against anything he felt was morally incorrect, but, rather than build his Empire from scratch, claiming territory and shaping the world to match his vision, Vahn felt it would be far more liberating to act freely, much like a vagrant, wandering, Hero...

Imagining wandering around like an 'Adventurer', Vahn couldn't help but smile as he shook his head and made his way back inside. It was easy to imagine the kind of life you wanted to live, but, when it came down to it, he knew his nature could never overlook things like corruption and the suppression of races. He would likely destroy the nobility of most Records he visited, liberating the people and, if not outright changing the system to reflect his ideals, he would, at the very least, invite them to stay in his own internalized Universe...

The instant Vahn stepped inside his room, finding Nobunaga and Shuten still sprawled out on the futon, his senses alerted him to the arrival of a 'guest'. Immediately afterward, a loud crashing could be heard from the direction of the pavilion, followed by a shrill, somewhat panicked voice shouting, "Shuten! Shuten! I've come to save you...!!"

Following the outburst, another crashing sound could be heard as Ibaraki broke through the wall, her expression showing concern and frustration as she sniffed at the air like a bloodhound. Then, seeing Vahn staring at her with a deadpan expression on her face, she hoped backward, pointing her finger accusingly as she shouted, "It's you! Smelly Dragon...!"

Mimicking Ibaraki's actions, Vahn pretended to be just as shocked, pointing towards the petite Yokai as he shouted, "Banana-oni...!"

Hearing the nickname that had been assigned to her, Ibaraki seemed to take critical damage, falling a few steps backward as her already pale complexion turned ghostly. If not for the fact Shuten had been the one to assign her the nickname, she would have immediately pounced upon Vahn with the intent to kill. Instead, her eyes swam around in their sockets as she didn't know whether she should be happy or sad to be addressed as such...

While Ibaraki was struggling with her thoughts, Vahn adopted a casual stance with his arms crossed, asking, "What are you thinking, Ibaraki? Even if you're worried about Shuten, how do you think she and Benienma are going to react when they see the damage you've caused to the ryokan? This is the third time you've charged in like this...are you incapable of learning your lesson?"

As if she only just now realized where she was, a cold sweat could be seen spreading across Ibaraki's body as she muttered, "An Oni...isn't afraid...of such things..."

Even before Ibaraki's words had finished, a swift pitter-patter of footsteps could be heard echoing through the corridors, causing her expression to pale even further as she contemplated running away. Before she could even try, however, Vahn appeared behind her like a phantom, grabbing the back of her obi and lifting her up like a kitten as he said, "You'll only make things worse by trying to run..."

Though she was tempted to lash out and attack Vahn, Ibaraki was bound by a contract that made it impossible for her to attack him. Thus, she could only flail her arms and legs powerlessly, shouting in a stressed voice, "Unhand me, you Smelly Dragon...! I am a proud Oni of Mt. Ooe! I will not stand for this indignation...!!"

Rather than obey Ibaraki's demands, Vahn tucked her under his arm, ignoring her attempts to break free as he opened the partition connecting his suite to the rest of the ryokan. There, with her sword tucked behind her back as if her tiny body could keep it concealed, Benienma had a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she said, "Forgive me, Ten'nō-sama, I noticed...a disturbance..."

Before she finished her words, Benienma noticed Ibaraki tucked under Vahn's arm, now pretending to be knocked unconscious as she lay limp in his embrace. This did little to convince the glowering sparrow, however, as Benienma unhesitantly used the sheath of her katana to smack Ibaraki's butt, eliciting a pained scream from the banana-colored Oni. Then, as if she had been the one wronged, she began to flail her arms and legs, shouting, "Turn me around you smelly dragon! I won't just...!"

Interrupting Ibaraki's shouting, Benienma smacked her backside a second time, exclaiming harshly, "You be quiet! You're going to interrupt the guests...!"

Though Benienma was much weaker than her, Ibaraki was unable to muster up any defense against the former's attacks. She knew Shuten would only get more upset with her, so, rather than continue to lash out, she clenched her teeth, holding back tears as she tightly gripped her blood-red hands into fists.

Seeing Ibaraki 'calm down', Vahn allowed her to stand on her own, ignoring her crocodile tears as she rubbed her butt. The truth of the matter was that her Endurance was high enough to be graded as A+, so, while Benienma certainly smacked her with considerable force, it wasn't enough to do any real damage to her. Rather, Ibaraki had a tendency to try and get out of trouble by acting pitiable, a behavior that often got her teased by the far more domineering Shuten.

Benienma was fully aware of Ibaraki's usual tactics, however, so her expression remained stern as she said, "I will have you pay me back with your body-dechi. I will have you clean all of the baths using a bucket and cloth. If you refuse, I will ban Shuten from visiting for a month-dechi."

Though she wouldn't have cared if she was the one 'banned' from the Enma-tei, Ibaraki knew Shuten would be very upset if she was disallowed entry. Thus, with an expression comparable to someone that had just swallowed a bug, Ibaraki begrudgingly answered, "It's just a bit of cleaning...what's the big deal? Do you think an Oni can't clean baths? I'll clean them all with a bang, just you wait...!"

Hearing the 'zeal' contained in Ibaraki's words, Benienma gave an approving nod, her smile returning as she said, "That's the spirit-dechi~! With that kind of motivation, you should be able to finish them all in around one-hundred hours. Let's go. I'll have Akaname-san help you out with cleaning the first one-dechi~!"

Upon hearing the words 'one-hundred hours', Ibaraki's expression paled, as, after giving her word, she couldn't retract it. This was the same reason she couldn't resist against Vahn, as, while he hadn't done anything to rein her in, Shuten had comprehensively ensnared her in a trap. If Vahn wanted to, he could even peel her flesh and eat it like jerky, and, due to the nature of her contract, she would be forced to serve it to him on a silver platter. Of course, Vahn would never do anything like this, but, no matter how 'nice' he was to her, Ibaraki hated him for the fact Shuten would quickly abandon her to spend more time with him...

Feeling as though Vahn was to blame for every bad thing in her life, Ibaraki glared at him with actual tears in her eyes, an incredibly frustrated expression on her face as she shouted, "You Smelly Dragon bastard! Stupid, pervert, Lolic-."

Before Ibaraki could continue shouting, Benienma smacked the top of her head with a large wooden spoon, stating, "That is no way to speak to Ten'nō-sama! If you keep making trouble for our guests, I will have you mopping the entire floor on your hands and feet-dechi...!"

Though Vahn was her most important guest, he was also the man most of them recognized as their Master. Thus, Benienma couldn't tolerate Ibaraki's thoughtless words, her expression forming a pout as she brandished a wooden spoon like a sword. Then, bowing steeply towards the silently observing Vahn, she began to apologize, only for the former to raise her up, saying, "Don't mind it, Beni. Ibaraki is just worried about Shuten. She'll calm down once the latter wakes up and returns home."

With her Master saying as much, Benienma just nodded her head in understanding before giving the banana-colored Oni a pointed look out of the corner of her eye. This caused Ibaraki to audibly click her tongue, averting her eyes and refusing to make eye contact with anyone. Then, without looking up at Vahn, she said, "If you bully Shuten, I will eat you...smelly dragon..."

Without waiting for a response, Ibaraki quickly departed the room, bolting down the corridor with a frustrated expression on her face. As for Benienma, she took a few steps backward to prevent Vahn from stopping her, bowing several times before giving chase. This left Vahn standing in the threshold of the door, arms still crossed as he watched the two child-like girls run through the impossibly long corridor. Then, staring over his shoulder, he looked at the figure standing further inside, saying, "You should be more honest with Ibaraki. If you keep sneaking out or tying her up, she will only get more stressed out..."

Shrugging her shoulders as if it had nothing to do with her, Shuten made her way over to Vahn's side, now wearing her loose-purple kimono. She had been intending to step in and deal with Ibaraki herself, but, seeing how easily Vahn and Benienma dealt with the situation, it didn't seem necessary.

Despite Shuten's apparent disregard, Vahn knew she actually cared deeply about Ibaraki. She rarely showed it around others, but, when they were alone together, Vahn knew she fawned over her much younger counterpart. He had even seen multiple timelines where Shuten transformed into a literal monster, almost exclusively as a result of something happening to her surrogate daughter...

After reaching Vahn's side, Shuten wasted little time in invading his personal space, using her foot to close the sliding partition as she said, "I wouldn't have to sneak out if you would visit us more often. If you're worried about Ibaraki, come and stay with us for a few days. If you treat her well, I'm certain she will grow on you, ufufufu~."

Hearing Shuten's usual proposition, Vahn released a tired sigh, extending his hand to rube the top of her head as he said, "We both know it isn't that simple. If I came to visit, she would begin to lash out even more. She doesn't like when you pay attention to other people. This is why I keep telling you to push her to make more friends. Other than Spenta and her little posse of Companions, who else can be considered Ibaraki's friend?"

Shrugging a second time, Shuten attempted to lean against Vahn's body, a thoughtful look in her eyes as she answered, "I've tried, you know? She keeps going on and on about how an Oni doesn't need friends. I think she feels threatened by the others. She rarely even leaves the Yokai District. The only time she even plays with Spenta is when I take her with me to visit Nobunaga-sama."

As he was well aware of everything Shuten was telling him, Vahn just shook his head, releasing yet another sigh before muttering, "Maybe I should send Spenta to stay with the two of you during the upcoming Spring Celebration..."

Though it sounded like he was asking for Shuten's opinion, Vahn was closely monitoring the Flow of Fate, attempting to peer into the future to determine whether or not Spenta's presence would be a positive influence on the rambunctious Oni. Unfortunately, the opposite seemed to be true, as, for a brief moment, he saw Ibaraki cackling happily as she tried to force Spenta to down a large basin of sake...

Clearing that thought from his mind, Vahn then considered whether or not he should just train and discipline Ibaraki directly. He knew this would result in her turning even more rebellious, but, so long as he kept at it, she should eventually mellow out. The biggest problem with this, however, was that Shuten would persistently intervene, drawing out the process considerably. The only way to prevent this was to personally deal with Shuten, but, as there was really only one way to turn her docile, that was easier said than done...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sis be like, "I don't care what you do, just be happy while doing it.','Benienma vs. the Banana Oni?','Other People: "You can't just sex away all your problems!", Vahn: "Are you sure about that? There are no limits o_o...!"')

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