Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-2056

"Okay then, enough playing around. Why don't the two of you take a seat? There are a few things I need to explain and I'm certain Black Rabbit has a lot to say as well."

Surprised by Shiroyasha's words, Black Rabbit exclaimed, "Wah? Was this all just a joke!? Shi-ro-ya-sha-sa-ma...!?"

Pulling out a fan from nowhere, Shiroyasha used it to cover the lower half of her face as she said, "I already said it before, didn't I? I wasn't joking. We just have more important things to discuss. Now, sit down and be a good little Black Rabbit. And you. How long are you going to keep me waiting? I want snacks. Chop chop."

Though he stared at the petite Demoness with a half-lidded expression, Vahn ultimately pulled out a few trays of snacks and a tea set before sitting down and asking, "So? What's this all about? If you wanted me to help out your friend, why turn me loose in the first place?"

Instead of answering Vahn's question, Shiroyasha sampled a few of the snacks he set out, a happy smile on her face as she nibbled away at cookies like a chipmunk. It wasn't until Black Rabbit took a seat next to him that she stated, "It's complicated. The simple explanation is that, unlike you, I am a truly neutral party. My abilities allow me to know everything that is taking place in the Little Garden, including the movements of my would-be enemies. Unfortunately, unless the person I am talking to can pay the appropriate price, I cannot reveal what I know. In other words, there are a lot of things I want to tell you. However, unless you purchase the information, I'm forced to continue acting as an observer. It's quite stressful, you know~?"

Despite the lackadaisical nature of her words, Shiroyasha couldn't prevent her aura from flaring up as she mentioned how stressful her position was. This went unnoticed by Black Rabbit, but, thanks to his extrasensory perception, Vahn could tell she was genuinely frustrated.

"That doesn't really explain your behavior. Were you trying to test my character or something? If I'm not mistaken, you've been keeping tabs on me for quite some time. You should-"

Interrupting before Vahn could finish, Shiroyasha stated, "I'm glad you brought that up. I find it odd that you appeared in the Tower right around the time that the No Names lost their banner. Tell me, just what are you? How did you even know about the Divine Realm when all information pertaining to its existence is highly restricted? You shouldn't even be able to perceive our existence, much less emulate the beings that exist here."

Pausing for a brief moment, Vahn quickly organized his thoughts before asking, "Is this an exchange of information? Similar to yourself, there are restrictions placed on the knowledge and information I can reveal to others. In fact, the protections around my soul are so powerful that even the strongest beings in existence would self-destruct if they attempted to pry into my mind."

Squinting her eyes, Shiroyasha mused, "Oh? And what, pray tell, do you know about the strongest beings in existence? And yes, you can consider this an information exchange."

Returning a smile of his own, Vahn waved his hand to produce magical holograms of the most powerful and influential beings in the Divine Realm. His research hadn't been that comprehensive, but he knew enough not to embarrass himself.

Noticing the mild shock in Shiroyasha's golden gaze, Vahn's smile became somewhat teasing as he went on to explain, "I'm afraid there isn't any information you could offer that would qualify you to learn the true nature of my existence. The simplest explanation is that I am related to the origin, or, more specifically, the identity of all things..."

Though he had never been comfortable with transforming into females, Vahn punctuated his words by transforming into the adult version of Shiroyasha before quickly cycling through several people she was intimately familiar with. This caused Black Rabbit to do a double, triple, and quadruple take, but, as the focus of his demonstration, Shiroyasha's expression became uncharacteristically serious as she asked, "Are you telling me your Origin is Identity itself...?"

Shaking his head, Vahn returned to his original appearance before explaining, "No. I wasn't beating around the bush when I said I was 'related' to identity. However, it is merely a part of my existence. In truth, I'm still trying to learn about myself. All I know with any reasonable degree of certainty is this exact moment. I'm sure you've already reached this conclusion yourself, but my existence is a singularity within Space, Time, and Fate. I can interact with the Past and Future, but, when it comes down to it, I am a being that only exists within the Present."

Having spent quite a bit of time searching for other versions of Vahn, Shiroyasha didn't doubt his words in the slightest. Even the timeline he existed in flowed at a similar rate to the Divine Realm, almost as if his existence had somehow linked the Tower to the Little Garden...

Realizing she had stopped eating, Shiroyasha picked up a sunflower-shaped cookie, biting the edge as she pointed out, "If you are what you claim to be, shouldn't you already know what I summoned you? I imagine that's why you appeared when you did, right? I mean, that can't all be a coincidence. You clearly had something in mind when you drew my attention."

Adopting a serious expression of his own, Vahn shook his head, stating, "As I said previously, I don't know the future. I only learned of your existence when I was familiarizing myself with my abilities. At that time, the only thing I cared about was earning the attention of a being in the Divine Realm. You just seemed like the best candidate due to your nature. As for the answer to your question. Well, it's simple. Even if I am capable of knowing everything, I simply don't like having all the answers. LIfe is a hell of a lot more interesting when there are surprises."

As someone who was burdened by her own omniscience, Shiroyasha couldn't help but agree with Vahn's sentiment. One of the reasons she had given up her power as a Demon God was because it was simply too easy to do whatever she wanted. Life had become boring, and, no matter how much she pushed herself, she couldn't overcome the ancient monsters standing at the pinnacle of power in the Little Garden. The top nine positions had only changed twice since the literal dawn of time, so she eventually just got tired of trying.

Feeling that she had a bit in common with the man seated across from her, the smile returned to Shiroyasha's face as she mused, "Well, I can't say I disagree with you. Having too much power is a pain in the ass, but it's nothing compared to possessing too much knowledge."

Nodding his head in affirmation, Vahn was about to say something when Black Rabbit chimed in, hand raised sheepishly as if she were a student interrupting a lecture to say, "Ummm...why does it feel like I'm out of my depths here? I'm so confused..."

Amused by Black Rabbit's behavior, a light chuckle escaped Vahn's throat as Shiroyasha snickered like an imp. This caused the aforementioned rabbit to pale as she suddenly had the impression she was trapped in a room with two monstrously powerful entities that could do whatever they wanted without consequence.

Guiding the conversation back to the original subject, Shiroyasha covered the lower half of her face with her fan before explaining, "Well, the simplest answer is that I brought you here as insurance. A threat to creation itself is bound to appear at some point in the near future. We've already prepared a countermeasure against it, but it never hurts to be safe. You're also pretty interesting so I thought it would be fun to have you around. As for why I'm trying to pair you with Black Rabbit, well, I don't think that requires further explanation. It's only a matter of time before you sink your teeth into her so I figured I might as well play matchmaker. Truth be told, I've wanted to push down Black Rabbit myself for quite some time. Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to reciprocate my feelings..."

Adopting an expression of mock melancholy, Shiroyasha wiped away a non-existent tear from her eye before taking a sip from her tea and adding, "There are still around seven months remaining until the third generation group of Problem Children appears. I'm not going to ask you to support them, but I would appreciate it if you gave them your guidance. As for the matter of Black Rabbit's Community, that's between the two of you. My position prevents me from intervening. If you want more information about her circumstances, you'll have to ask her."

Seemingly finished with what she had to say, Shiroyasha manifested a remote from out of thin air before turning on her rather dated-looking television. Then, as if the two of them were empty air, she pulled the tray of snacks over before lying down on her side and supporting her head with her hand. She truly couldn't interfere with matters related to another person's Community except under specific circumstances, so, even if she could listen in, she couldn't provide any feedback.

Since Shiroyasha had been seated directly across from him, Vahn could have looked up her skirt if he really wanted to. In fact, he was pretty sure she was inviting him to do just that. Instead, he just shook his head before looking towards the befuddled Black Rabbit and asking, "Is there someplace else we can talk? It might not matters since Shiroyasha can listen in on everything we're saying, but it would certainly be less awkward..."

Responding with an awkward laugh, Black Rabbit pushed down the front of her skirt as she stood up and answered, "Follow me. There are plenty of spare rooms in the Thousand Eyes estate. I even have my own if-"

Realizing the implications of inviting a man to her room, Black Rabbit quickly covered her mouth before the words could escape. Shiroyasha's words had been a bit of an exaggeration, but it wasn't inaccurate to say that Moon Rabbits were very 'excitable. Her pink hair color was an attestation to that fact, and, though she would never say it out loud, Vahn was easily one of the most handsome men she had ever met. If he could truly transform into a member of her race, she really might not be able to hold back...

Restraining the urge to pat Black Rabbit's head, Vahn was the first to exit the room after exchanging casual waves with Shiroyasha. There was no reason to rush things, and, if what Shiroyasha said was true, it really was just a matter of time before he bit into Black Rabbit. She possessed an aroma that could only be described as a fresh breeze through a verdant forest. For reasons he suspected to be related to his early days in Danmachi, this aroma tickled his heart and mind in a way that made him just want to be near her. For now, however, he would help to resolve some of her problems so that he wouldn't have to feel guilty about what they might do in the future...

Following Vahn's departure with her ruby-red eyes, Black Rabbit's ears and tail twitched in a not-so-subtle manner. Moon Rabbits were the servants of the Gods, and, despite his aura being sealed, she was vaguely aware of the Divinities he possessed. This included his Moon Divinity, and, though she tried to ignore it, his Life, Nature, and Sex Divinities hadn't escaped her notice...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Black Rabbit is such an easy target for bullying xD...','Vahn is broken af...','The beginning of a beautiful friendship (O w O)...')