Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1761

Though he should have expected it, Vahn found himself unable to answer Nami's question. This was a situation he had never even anticipated, so, for several seconds, he just stared back at the woman with a blank look on his face.

Fortunately, now that she could do more than just speak within his mind, Sis promptly came to his aid, stating, "Don't put so much pressure on him. A True Name isn't necessary unless you intend to leave the Realm. Vahn still needs to assign True Names to Phae and Gandr, so be patient until your time has come. Besides, other than Hinata, neither of you really 'need' a True Name. Even that isn't entirely necessary, however, as Vahn could always purchase a Byakugan for her through the system shop."

Similar to how Vahn was influenced, Nami, Yoruichi, and Hinata all listened patiently while Sis was speaking. They were still extensions of the former, so, while their nascent Egos allowed them to give off the impression of 'real' people, they were still just 'Templates'.

Understanding what Sis was trying to convey, Nami released an exasperated sigh before remarking, "I guess you're right. I'm more interested in exploring and mapping Gaia's Textures than venturing out into that hell hole of a Tower. Unless it's absolutely necessary, I would rather avoid combat and just focus on honing my navigation skills. Though, now that I say that, it could be pretty interesting to become a Guide..."

Piggybacking off Nami's words, Yoruichi decided to make her own intentions known, smiling with a battle-hungry expression as she said, "I want to go outside. There's no way I'm going to miss out on the opportunity to thrash some corrupt assholes. You can just throw me into the Little Garden until the cooldown of Akasha wears off. I'm already looking forward to beating those brats into shape!"

Since they were extensions of Vahn, similar to Fenrir and Medusa, there was nothing preventing the trio from manifesting outside his Realm. They even had all of his Innates and abilities while the link was still active, so, despite her disdain for combat, even Nami would be a powerhouse the moment she entered the Tower. As for Hinata, Vahn was quite surprised to see her ball her hands into fists, a determined expression on her face as she said, "I will also fight...!"

Imagining Hinata using a modified form of the Gentle Fist to manipulate the flow of Shinsu within the Tower like a swirling vortex, an amused smile naturally made its way to his face. This caused the girl in question to immediately avert her eyes, covering her face with both hands as the tips of her ears turned a vibrant shade of crimson...

Ruining Vahn's good moon in an instant, Nami clicked her tongue at the side, arms crossed as she muttered, "Lolicon..." in an accusatory tone. This resulted in Hinata's face turning even redder, but, thanks to her constitution, it was pretty much impossible for her to faint. As for Yoruichi, she began cackling like a hyena, seemingly finding the label extremely hilarious.

Before things could get further out of hand, Sis drew everyone's attention by clapping her hands hard enough to generate a shockwave. Her expression was enough to instantaneously cow both Nami and Yoruichi, the former, in particular, feeling extremely nervous as Sis stared at her with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. Then, with a tone that left no room for argument, she said, "Even if you are an extension of Vahn, I won't allow you to badmouth him. He works too hard to have such accusations forced upon him. Besides, regardless of appearances, you all share the same age. Now, shall we move this conversation along? If we're going to keep idling about, I would rather Vahn use this time to relax, not generate undue stress."

Though Sis' tone was a little harsh, none of the people present could really argue with her. After all, her words hit the nail on the head, and, if they really wanted to, each of the three girls could change their appearance, apparent age, and even gender. Even their race could be changed with a thought, and, no matter how much time passed, they would never truly age. This applied to Phae, Gandr, and even Sis, so, while it was undeniable that Hinata currently looked 'very young', physical appearance was the least important factor when discussing Ageless beings with an infinite capacity for change.

Feeling unnerved by Sis' gaze, Nami quickly adopted an apologetic expression as she remarked, "It was just a joke! I'm sorry, okay!? Stop staring at me with that creepy smile...!"

Amused by Nami's words, Sis squinted her eyes slightly, giggling in a surprisingly terrifying manner before musing, "Please be more thoughtful from now on. I'm not fond of people who say rude and abrasive things about my little brother. There are enough foul-mouthed and wicked people in these worlds. I don't want to hear such remarks from the people who should understand him best..."

Noticing the dangerous light in Sis' eyes, Nami couldn't help but swallow the knot building in her throat. Fortunately, Vahn promptly came to her aid, stepping between them with a wry smile on his face as he said, "Please don't fight..."

Shifting her attention to Vahn, Sis' expression immediately softened into an affectionate smile as she said, "I understand. I know she wasn't trying to be hurtful; it just upsets me to hear people say such thoughtless things. Don't worry, I am only being strict because she is a part of you. With that in mind, please prepare yourself for a lot of lecturing when you make mistakes in the future. I won't manifest very often, but, when I do, I'll make sure to pamper and lecture you until you're satisfied."

Seemingly finished with what she had to say, Sis placed her hand against Vahn's chest, punctuating her words with a radiant smile as she vanished into motes of bluish-green light. Moments later, her voice could be heard echoing within his mind, saying, (*I am happiest being a part of you. Though I will manifest when you need me to, please never forget that simple truth. My sincerest desire, even after obtaining my own Ego, is remaining your reliable big sister until the end of all time. No matter what other things might change, that is the one thing I pray remains eternal...*)

Feeling a comfortable warmth spread through his body, almost like Sis was embracing him, Vahn couldn't help but nod his head, smiling as he answered, ("Of course. We already promised to stay together forever. Though my track record isn't perfect, I'm not the type that would go back on a promise once given. I'm just glad we were able to meet like this...you're very beautiful, you know that?")

Amused by Vahn's words, Sis' laughter could be echoing within his mind, followed by her voice taking on a teasing undertone as she remarked, (*Don't go falling for your own sister. There is no relationship more intimate than the one we currently possess. Though I'm not unwilling, I would rather pamper you than tarnish our relationship with carnal desires. Besides, I experience everything you experience...including the more 'passionate' moments of your life...ufufufufu~*)

Though he already knew Sis shared his senses, as she was literally a part of him, Vahn couldn't help but blush in response to her words. He suddenly had the mental image of Sis embracing him from behind whenever he was making love to one of his women, a mischievous smile on her face as she whispered encouraging words into his ear...

After spending a few days taking care of Nami's living arrangements and explaining the situation to his ever-expanding group of lovers, Vahn finally departed his Realm. To his relief, the transition was already a lot easier thanks to the strengthening of his Soul, and, though it was a little disconcerting to have only one perspective active, a smile spread across his face the moment his connection with Phae and Gandr was reestablished.

As could be expected, the duo was more than a little confused by what had happened, but, even without needing to explain things, they were instantly brought up to speed due to the connection itself. This caused Phae's laughter to echo within his mind, but, perhaps understanding what was to come, Gandr couldn't help but complain, ("I don't know how I feel about building my own harem...I kind of want to just settle down with one woman...")

Amused by his youthful counterpart's lamentations, Vahn placed his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling as he remarked, ("It was only ever a matter of time before your Ego separated from my own. This will prevent things from becoming even more complicated in the future...besides, you don't actually have to build a harem. Even if you've inherited my empathetic nature, you can always put your foot down or outright refuse a relationship...")

Without delaying for a single moment, Gandr immediately replied, ("That's a load of crap, and you know it! How am I supposed to say no when a girl comes crying to me when even you can't!? You didn't give me that kind of character, you damn Master...!")

Though he was a little surprised by Gandr's outburst, Vahn was actually a little relieved to hear the boy being so expressive. It showed that his Ego had grown and developed quite a bit following the awakening of [Universal Mind]. Unfortunately, without introducing a catalyst for change, he couldn't overwrite Gandr's nature to make him less 'vulnerable' against women. As a result, he could only try to pacify the youth, reminding, ("Well, you can always have Fenrir intervene. She will probably treat you differently once you receive a proper name, but you are still her little brother.")

Hearing Vahn's reminder, Gandr's mind immediately blanked, silence dominating their telepathic network until he remarked, ("It's going to take a lot of getting used to...not seeing everyone as my lover. Damn...I suddenly feel like a massive hole just opened up in my chest...")

Understanding what Gandr was trying to convey, Vahn's mood also became a little somber, but, as there was no way he would 'share' his Harem with others, the only consolation he could offer was saying, ("No matter what, they are still your family. Besides, we never relied on things like sex to feel close to the people we loved. If you are that eager for a physical connection, I'm certain Endorsi or Yuri would be willing...")

Speaking the words Vahn wasn't willing to say, Phae quickly added, ("You should make sure to take care of Anak as well. That girl still hasn't been able to open her heart to others. I'm not going to tell you to push her down, but I think she will be happier if you treat her as a woman. She seems to be oblivious to it, but everyone else is able to see that she seeks your acknowledgment. Remaining as rivals are fine for now, but don't ignore the fact she is a young woman...we all want to be treated as if we're dainty flowers by the people we care about...")

Much like Gandr, Phae's Ego had also blossomed quite a bit following the awakening of [Universal Mind], so, even more than before, she was prone to giving helpful and motherly advice. Even her tone through telepathy gave off the impression of someone who truly cared about the people she was speaking about.

Since Phae was originally meant to have an ambiguous relationship with him, Phae wasn't entirely sure how he should treat her following their separation. Fortunately, they could each understand the others' intents while the connection was maintained, so, almost immediately after this thought crossed his mind, Phae dropped a bombshell on both of them, stating, ("If anything, I'm going to be a lesbian. The thought of having a man gouge out my insides makes me feel queasy, so, while I am a little curious about the relationships between men and women, it will be quite some time before I am willing to consider such things.")

Though she had developed her own Ego, Phae was different from Nami, Hinata, and Yoruichi. They all made use of templates pertaining to their original characters. Her's, however, was fundamentally just Vahn putting on an act. Though the aspects he wanted to cultivate were currently embodied by her Ego, she shared his aversion towards having sex with a man. Even having sex with a woman was pretty scary, but, as she already had a bit of experience in that regard, it was a lot easier to accept than falling in love with a man; Vahn included.

Understanding Phae's train of thought, Vahn didn't question her decision in the slightest. Rather, as much as he appreciated Phae's carefully crafted beauty, he had never considered her as a potential love interest. If anything, she was like a sister to him, one whose beauty he could readily appreciate without developing the desire to sample. He could also benefit from some female companionship that didn't revolve around sex or love, so, with a contented smile on his face, Vahn replied, ("Good luck....") before following it up by saying, ("We'll deal with the naming tomorrow. For now, I'll cut the connection so that you can adapt to your new Egos. Get some rest.")

With both Phae and Gandr answering in the affirmative, Vahn quickly severed the connection, his perception shifting so that he viewed the world through a single perspective. It was a very strange yet calming sensation, one he had forgotten after spending hundreds of years controlling multiple bodies at a time. This caused the smile on his face to become more prominent, his consciousness slowly fading away as a buxom cat girl appeared next to him, tightly hugging his body as he slept...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sis don't play (O,...,O)...!','RIP Gandr','After nearly three hundred years...Vahn has finally learned how to sleep peacefully...')