Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1931

In an attempt to make up for his mistake of destroying the Crimson Needle, a version of Vahn ended up joining Android 21, Kisuke, Arryn, and Mikoto during their return to the R&D Division. There, he attempted to replicate both the structure and aura of the Crimson Needle using his effectively perfect memory. This allowed him to construct a rather faithful reproduction of the peculiar weapon, and, as a result, Android 21 and Kisuke were able to, at the very least, gather enough information to extrapolate and replicate its effects.

Had any of the people from the Workshop been present, they would have been 'extremely' envious of Vahn's ability to reproduce all manner of mystical phenomena from his own body. He could even transform into other people for the purpose of collecting samples, so, without exception, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was the most precious research specimen within the Records. This notion might have made him uncomfortable in the past, but, thanks to the efforts of Da Vinci, Android 21, and, to a much lesser extent, Mikoto, Vahn had learned to enjoy assisting in their research.

Using his left hand to prevent her tail from choking him, Vahn continued to rhythmically pound the rosy-hued flesh of Android 21 as she used the reinforced structure of her private room for support. This resulted in numerous tracks being formed from her fingernails, but, thanks to its self-repairing function, the room was able to maintain its integrity even if things ended up getting a little violent.

Though she was enjoying the sensation quite a bit, so much so that tiny sparks would periodically appear within her vision, Android 21 had never enjoyed being purely on the receiving end. Thus, as her body reddened, creating a stark contrast to her paling hair, an entirely different personality was awakened within her usually calm and intelligent mind. This was originally intended to represent her desire to battle powerful opponents, but, after transforming into it during her previous attempts to 'reward' Vahn, it was only ever a matter of time before her rising passions caused her to slip into the far more 'primal' personality.

While Vahn continued to send visible ripples through her body, a second Android 21 emerged from the exposed back of the original. This would have been a rather jarring sight for a less experienced man. Vahn, however, simply adopted a wolfish grin, his hands pinning hers to the wall as he sealed her lips with his own. At the same time, the structure of his body shifted to produce a second set of arms. These were used to firmly secure Android 21's shapely hips in place, and, though it created a fairly awkward sight to behold, it was safe to say that neither of them particularly cared about what others might consider normal...

Though he was pretty close to mastering the art of piloting multiple bodies at a time, Vahn was still 'very' aware of what his other self was doing. This placed him in a rather awkward situation, as, prior to the two's private liaison, he had agreed to have a few drinks with Madara. She was the only one who had refused the share her memories during the banquet, so, now that they were alone, the two of them had been watching the fairly uneventful fight while warming their bellies with an extremely potent sake.

As one of the few people whose intentions he couldn't clearly decipher, Vahn had come to feel a little uncomfortable whenever he was alone with Madara. This, combined with the fact she could be scarily perceptive, resulted in the atmosphere between them becoming extremely awkward in a very short period of time. This was largely the fault of Vahn, but, as the 'host', it ultimately fell to Madara to give him leeway to depart. If he attempted to depart beforehand, it would just make things even more awkward, so, with the former casually enjoying her sake with an amused smile on her face, Vahn was beginning to feel ensnared by his own observation of etiquette.

Rather than affording him any form of clemency, Madara took advantage of the fact that nothing was happening to remark, "Though we share an origin, I don't think I'll ever be able to understand you. Unless I'm mistaken, you don't view me as a potential partner. With that in mind, why is it you sometimes behave like an adolescent entering his crush's room for the first time? It's not like you're going to accidentally stumble over and land penis-first in my vagina."

Stupefied by Madara's words, Vahn's lips parted slightly, but, with his mental faculties slowing to a crawl, words momentarily escaped him. This caused an amused smile to develop across Madara's face, and, though she was mainly just joking around, Vahn was left even more speechless when she casually loosened the obi wrapped around her waist. This caused the collar of her yukata to loosen, and, though he had seen her naked a number of times, Vahn couldn't resist the instinctual urge to swallow at the partial reveal of Madara's admittedly ample bosom.

With her Sharingan activating of its own accord, it would have been difficult for Madara to argue that she wasn't feeling a little excited. She had spent decades as a female at this point, and, though it hadn't influenced her much in the beginning, there were times when she had experimented with the pleasures associated with the fairer sex. She wasn't quite at the point where she would willingly accept a male partner, but, thanks to her tolerance gradually waning, the influence of alcohol within her system was making her more daring than she otherwise would have been.

Feeling uncertain for the first time in a long while, Vahn wasn't quite sure how he should respond to Madara's clear 'provocation'. He couldn't deny the thought had crossed his mind, and, thanks to his relationship with Da Vinci, he was a lot more accepting of the situation than a normal person might have been. The problem was that Madara was clearly under the influence, and, though she was still capable of making rational decisions, Vahn never felt comfortable with exploiting the vulnerabilities of potential partners. Madara was also one of his preferred drinking partners, so, the moment they crossed that line, he would lose one of the few people he could traditionally relax around. He didn't exactly practice restraint when it came to tending to the needs of himself and his partners, so things were bound to exacerbate quickly the moment he set aside his inhibitions...

Noticing the considerable amount of apprehension in Vahn's gaze, Madara wasn't quite sure how to explain her current state of emotions. She didn't actually want him to do anything, but, seeing him hesitate to such an extent, a rather extreme feeling of disappointment washed over her as the beating of her heart gradually slowed. She hadn't even noticed it was beating quickly beforehand, so, without overthinking it, she instinctually placed her right hand over her heart before adopting a fairly pensive expression. This caused Vahn to blink in surprise, not because she had inadvertently exposed more of her breasts, but because he hadn't expected Madara, of all people, to have such a 'maidenly' reaction...

Feeling the usual sense of guilt wash over him, Vahn was tempted to ignore his apprehensions and just go with the flow, but, understanding Madara's character, she wouldn't take kindly to someone taking 'pity' on her. He had already missed the opportunity to take more decisive action, so, rather than make things worse by trying to backpedal, he ended up producing a party-sized bottle of sake and asking, "Can I pour you another drink...?"

Though she couldn't resist shaking her head, the smile returned to Madara's face as she extended her cup towards Vahn and replied, "I'll have you accompany me until the morning. The next time...I might not be so forgiving..."

Resisting the urge to ask the onyx-eyed woman to clarify the meaning contained within her words, Vahn dutifully refilled her cup while habitually adjusting the flow of time within the room. Had he done the same with Android 21, he might have been able to avoid this situation entirely, but, due to the former's exceptionally precise internal clock, she had a habit of griping whenever he tweaked the flow of time without her consent. She was the type that would reshuffle her schedule in real-time, so, if things didn't match up with her expectations, she would be in a foul mood until she had reorganized and personally accounted for everything. This came off as a little obsessive-compulsive, but, considering she was effectively a living supercomputer, it wasn't particularly surprising that she would take exception to anything that conflicted with data she had already accounted for.

Fortunately, this particular quirk disappeared entirely whenever she entered her far more excitable 'Majin' state, so, while he would ultimately be forced to listen to her complain about the destruction to her personal quarters, Vahn had become rather fond of her so-called rewards. In reality, she was usually the one getting off, but, as this was par for the course whenever he attended to his women, Vahn didn't particularly mind. Rather, he had come to enjoy pushing his partners to their limits and allowing them to experience even greater pleasure, so, whenever he was entangled with a woman who had very few inhibitions, he tended to enjoy himself quite a bit...

With Android 21 practically melting at his side, a feat made possible due to the amorphous nature of her body, Vahn decided to take a moment to organize his thoughts. He was currently in what his lovers referred to as an 'active' period, so, with a functionally infinite amount of time on his hands, a part of him was tempted to go on a marathon. His wanton manipulation of time meant that months might pass between his interactions with certain women, and, though this might only be a day from their perspective, Vahn couldn't help but miss spending with them.

Taking advantage of his increasingly exploited ability to connect his senses with those listed in his Unit Management, Vahn began to systematically organize the residents of the Emerald Grove based on their interests and availability. This caused him to recall the system that had been implemented during his time in Danmachi, and, though he had no intention of installing something similar, Vahn couldn't help but admire the foresight of the Goddesses who initially comprised his harem...

After wallowing in his nostalgia for a bit, Vahn's mood had considerably waned, but, having already made up his mind, he briefly shifted his attention to the group consisting of Jeanne, Mash, and their students. This originally comprised the trio of Elaine, Alphine, and Arusha, but, after witnessing the growth of the Arie siblings, Ha Yura had also ended up asking for assistance in becoming stronger. Life within the Little Garden afforded people ample opportunity to reflect upon their past decisions and hopes for the future, so, while she had yet to give up on her vengeance, associating with kind and powerful individuals had drastically changed her perception of right and wrong.

Though he couldn't imagine her refusing his offer, Vahn promptly moved Yura to the end of the list. He had yet to find any clues pertaining to her mother, but, considering Madara had encountered a Big Breeder that was unquestionably related to her brother, odds favored something happening to them both. This was something he had yet to reveal to the hopeful blunette, so, before he revealed the truth, it was impossible for him to consider the former idol a possible partner.

With this in mind, Vahn briefly shifted his attention to Elaine and Alphine, a rather troublesome duo that had been putting in an exceptional amount of effort into earning a place for themselves within the Little Garden. As for why he considered them troublesome, it was primarily due to the fact that Elaine qualified as what Vahn referred to as a 'completely delusional woman'. She worked hard, yes, but, much like Helen, the only reason she did so was because she had certain expectations for what would happen once she had proven herself. She viewed him as more of a means to an end than an actual partner, and, though she would undoubtedly remain loyal, her resilient disconnect with both reality and her emotions made it difficult to fully appreciate her beauty and efforts.

To her credit, Elaine had been seeking advice from others in an attempt to remedy these aspects of her character, so, while her very existence made him feel uncomfortable, Vahn didn't immediately preclude her from the list. She and Alphine had even gone as far as fusing with their Spirits in order to appeal to him with their furry ears and tail, so, after a brief consideration, Vahn ultimately placed them around the middle of the list. It was only a matter of time before he came to a head with the Leader of the Lo Po Bia Family, so, before then, it wouldn't hurt to strengthen their determination and strengthen their loyalty. He also had a number of misgivings regarding his inability to resolve things with Helen so this was a good opportunity to see how things might have been different had he taken a more proactive approach to reconciling her rather severe character flaws. Besides, Elaine and Alphine were both remarkably beautiful women so it would be a travesty if he simply neglected them...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'My, what an unexpected development (O w O)...','Make sure you're always drinking in moderation~','When Vahn is on the prowl, no one is safe...')