Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 1506 - Awkward Tensions

With a feeling of incongruity similar to awakening from a very realistic daydream, Vahn awoke to find that he was no longer alone. His vision was partially obstructed by a pair of large, vulpine, ears, and, if the feeling in his lower body was anything to go by, the culprit could only be Tamamo. She had to have delayed her dive into the Virtual World, taking advantage of his complacent state to invade his pod...

After enjoying the feeling of the two soft mounds pressed against his chest, Vahn inserted his hands beneath Tamamo's short skirt, grabbing her fleshy butt. She, like others from her time period, elected to go without underwear, so, from the moment he had awoken, Vahn could feel an alarming amount of moisture pervading through the fabric of his trousers. It was as if he had spilled a cup of hot tea in his lap, soaking through to the seat below...

Before saying anything, Vahn enjoyed the strawberry fragrance of Tamamo's hair before asking in a soft tone, "What are you planning...? The others are going to notice..."

No longer pretending to be unconscious, Tamamo raised her face so that she could stare directly at her Master, answering, "I want them to notice...it makes me feel envious when you pamper others. I can ignore it if they are your lovers, but it makes my heart ache when you ignore me to play with my friends..."

Deciding not to point out that Tamamo had largely ignored him when he first arrived, Vahn, instead, gave an understanding nod before planting a simple kiss on Tamamo's lips. At this point, the others had already awoken from their own pods, but, as if he hadn't noticed their stares, Vahn continued to coax Tamamo until she returned to her usual, bubbly, self. She enjoyed displaying her affection more than most, so, while it also made her feel a considerable amount of embarrassment, Tamamo's body had gradually heated up due to the presence of an 'audience'.

Though Tomoe had the good sense to avert her eyes, a very slight blush coloring her cheeks, Altria and X continued to stare attentively. The former didn't really have much of a reaction, simply looking at the scene in silence. X, however, had both hands covering her beet-red face, observing the scene by peeking through the gaps between her fingers. She was pretty weak against any over displays of affection, earning her the attention of Altria, who, seeing X peek through her fingers, commented in a dull monotone, "Pervert..."

Like a cat that just had its tail stepped on, X's body flinched a considerable amount as she glared at Altria and shouted, "I'm not a pervert! You're the pervert...you...you dumb cat...!"

Rather than retort X's accusation, Altria just nodded her head slightly before retrieving a small bag of baked apple chips from her pocket dimension. Then, like someone enjoying a feature-length movie, she began to unabashedly munch on her snacks while watching the scene with visible curiosity in her amber eyes.

Seeing Altria 'ignore' her, X's faced formed an adorable pout as she puffed out her cheeks and balled her hands into fists. A very small amount of moisture began to build in the corner of her eyes, and, if not for the fact she already owed the Empire a considerable 'debt', she would have tried to settle the score with her Arch-Nemesis.

Deciding to ignore Altria, X issued a light 'hmph' before briefly turning her attention back to the duo 'snuggling' within the egg-shaped pod. This caused her ears to redden slightly, followed by a feeling similar to her Cosmo Reactor beginning to overload. It was a scary yet exciting feeling that made the ahoge on her head squirm about through the brim of her cap.

When he had first seen X's ahoge, Vahn had been tempted to pull it out, as, against any reasonable explanation, the defiant tuft of hair was seemingly able to protrude through 'anything' she wore on her head. It didn't matter if she was wearing a cap, a helmet, or even a wig, X's rather sizeable ahoge would poke through, seemingly sprouting from the material itself. This had confounded by him and Da Vinci, but, whenever they tried to press her for answers, X became extremely bashful, refusing to even talk about it, much less allow it to be researched.

Feeling as though her reactor was about to go critical, X tore her eyes away from the scene. It was only then that she noticed Tomoe already playing another game, this time using a handheld console that had been quite popular before The Fall. What made this scene peculiar, however, was the fact she was sitting in the beanbag chair brought out by Vahn, using her breasts to support a cup as she absentmindedly drank from it using a straw.

Seeing the rather incredulous sight, X began to wonder if she was the weird one since she usually enjoyed spending time with these weirdos. This caused her eyes to gravitated towards the futon she normally used for sleeping purposes, a messy area that was encircled by a mountain of plates, a wall of empty soda cans, and an ocean of empty candy wrappers. In fact, her area was the messiest part of the entire room, something she hadn't really noticed until just now.

With her face turning even redder than before, X began to clean up the area around her futon in a slight panic. This caught the attention of Altria and Tomoe, the former adopting a sly smile while the latter, after realizing what X was doing, paused her game and decided to help out. She primarily just wanted something to distract her from the muffled moans that periodically echoed throughout the relatively cramped room. They made it hard to focus on her game, and, while she could have simply left the room, doing so, somehow, felt even more awkward.

The moment Tomoe moved to help X, Altria's eyes briefly flashed before she made her way over to the pod containing Vahn and Tamamo. This, obviously, caught their attention, briefly stopping the moderately licentious act as both stared at the deadpan girl with confusion. Then, adding to their incredulity, she squatted down so that her eyes were nearly level with Tamamo's butt, saying, "Don't mind me. I am just curious."

Following her words, as if it was perfectly normal, Altria lifted up the back of Tamamo's skirt, her face briefly forming a frown as she remarked, "Oh...you aren't having sex?"

Though Tamamo didn't mind having an audience, Altria's actions made it feel as though her heart was going to burst. Her tails moved to obstruct the view of her delicates, and, though she had a lot to say about the taciturn woman's behavior, her immediate response was to bury her face into her Master's chest. If her ears weren't covered in fur, they would have become completely red due to the overwhelming amount of embarrassment she was feeling.

Not entirely sure what she had done wrong, as Vahn and Tamamo didn't seem to mind the fac other people were present, Altria showed an expression of mild confusion. She had become rather fond of Tamamo, so, while such things never mattered to her in the past, it made her feel slightly anxious to see the vulpine woman hiding her face...

Realizing what was going on, Vahn sent a wave of calming energy into Tamamo's body, hugging her tightly for a few seconds before whispering, "If you're going to blame someone, blame me. Look, she is worried about you. She thinks you are going to start hating her..."

Hearing her Master's virtually inaudible words, Tamamo's ear twitched a few times before she slowly turned her head to see Altria's expression. Her own was still a dangerous shade of red, but, feeling a small amount of concern, she wanted to see the usually emotionless woman's response.

If she were being honest, Altria's expression left a lot to be desired, but, after cohabitating for more than a year, Tamamo was well acquainted with the woman's neutral mask. She could see a very small amount of fear in Altria's eyes, and, though it was almost difficult to discern, her brows were lightly furrowed in an expression of consternation.

Seeing her long-time roommate show a rare emotional response, Tamamo felt like a heavy sigh was released from the depths of her heart. It was hard to stay mad at someone who didn't even seem to understand what they had done wrong. She was also the one who set events in motion, so, while she didn't feel much better, Tamamo decided not to blame her. Instead, she let her tail light bat Altria in the face, causing her to blink a couple of times in confusion...

---

Located on the opposite side of the Yokai District, another version of Vahn was staring blankly into the distance, earning a playful, "Are you thinking about another woman~?" from the purple-haired Oni a short distance away. This earned him a pointed look from the predominately yellow figure that separated them, but, as if he was immune to her glower, Vahn ignored Ibaraki and answered, "That is one way to put it..."

Dissatisfied by his response, Ibaraki lifted her blood-red hand, flexing it with enough force to cause the veins to protrude as she complained, "This is why I don't like you! Even though you already have Shuten, you ignore her for other women! You're even worse than an Oni...!"

Seeing the furious expression of the Banana Oni, Vahn exhaled somewhat exasperatedly through his nose, causing the veins near Ibaraki's temples to throb as the eye within the center of her forehead began to glow with a fiery light. It looked like she was about to explode at any moment, but, before she could so much as utter a single curse, Vahn silenced her by spontaneously patting her head and saying, "Stay quiet. Shuten has been inviting me here for a long time. Are you going to chase me out after I finally decided to pay a visit...?"

Ibaraki was glaring up at Vahn's hand as if she wanted to bite his wrist with her sharpened teeth, but, hearing his words, she quickly calmed down. This was for the best, as, from 'behind' her, Shuten had been smiling a little 'too large', her eyes nearly squinted shut as the temperature around her rapidly decrease. It wasn't just her, either, as, from beneath the kotatsu they were all seated around, a light ruffling could be heard as Kiyohime's head poked out from beneath the cloth, her dragon-like eyes glimmering with murderous intent.

Realizing she had nearly triggered two of the only people she feared, Ibaraki's pale complexion had become ghostly white. She didn't even complain about Vahn patting her head, deciding it was best to follow his instructions and just 'stay quiet'.

Seeing Ibaraki become obedient, even if it was only temporary, Vahn smiled at Kiyohime, causing her bloodlust to dissipate in an instant as she returned one of her own. Then, as if she was suddenly very embarrassed, she retreated back under the kotatsu. She had actually been 'hiding' there since earlier, so, now that her Master had discovered her presence, Kiyohime no longer just passively observed his legs and feet from a safe distance...

Though he felt a slight moisture envelop his big toe, Vahn largely ignored it. He had already grown accustomed to her rather 'peculiar' behavior, and, since it was much better than having to deal with her sneaking around the castle, he didn't mind giving her a few liberties. He even formed a contract with her in the past, restraining her 'yandere' urges by allowing her to stay within the Menagerie for a few days out of the month. She got along surprisingly well with Circe and Medusa, so, while she was still a little unhinged, Kiyohime had made considerable progress over the past few months...

With Kiyohime's antics 'reminding' him of the reason behind his visit, Vahn turned his attention back to Shuten, who, understanding what was happening beneath the kotatsu, smiled with a devilish look in her eyes. This, too, was something Vahn had become accustomed to, so, rather than show any real discomfort, he stated, "I won't go into the details, but a little more than seven months have passed since our last meeting. I had a lot of time to think, and, after discussing the matter with almost every member of the Inner Sanctum, I have come to you with a proposal."

Hearing Vahn's remark about seven months, Shuten nearly frowned, but, due to his tone, she was able to maintain her smile. Rather, she actually had to prevent her smile from becoming even larger, exposing her growing excitement.

Meeting Shuten's expectations, Vahn stated, "We came up with a schedule to ensure everyone was able to release their tensions and enjoy some time off. Originally, you weren't going to be included, but, after thinking about it...I decided it was probably for the best if I spent more time with you. The main purpose of this excursion is to increase your rapport with others, but, so long as you make an effort, I will do my best to make sure you leave satisfied..."

By the time he finished explaining things, Shuten's purple eyes had started to glow like lanterns. The smell of alcohol and fruit had become so thick that Ibaraki nearly faceplanted in the table, her face a dark shade of red as drool escaped from her fang-filled mouth. Even Kiyohime wasn't unaffected, as, despite emanating the fragrance from her pores, the most 'potent' aroma originated from between Shuten's milky-white, subtly purple, thighs.

Further increasing Shuten's excitement, Vahn explained, "For now, Nobunaga, Kenshin, Aoko, Ibaraki, and Kiyohime will be joining us. In the future, you will have to learn to get along with others...if you can't, well, I don't really need to tell you how things will go..."

As if the terms didn't matter in the slightest, Shuten zeroed in on the fact she would be able to stay with Vahn for an extended period of time. She could feel her body yearning up form the inside, his 'promise' about making sure she was satisfied still buzzing in her ears. Even the tips of her horns had started to turn a few shades redder, and, if not for Ibaraki's obstruction, she would have pounced on him the moment she heard his words.

Though he had given up his Sex Divinity, Vahn could feel the desire radiating off Shuten's body. If he turned on his View Affection, he had little doubt that her aura would be writhing across his body in a possessive, greedy, fashion. Her fragrance alone had become potent enough to be palpable, a thin layer of moisture spreading across every surface of the room, skin and clothes included. It made his eyes burn slightly, but, due to his constitution, Vahn was largely immune to the more serious effects of her aroma.

Feeling that things were reaching a dangerous point, Vahn manipulated the air within his domain, forcing fresh air into the room as he said, "This is one of the things you'll need to work on...for now, let's end things here. I'm busy watching over the children tonight so I can't stay here for too long. I'll come to receive you after three-to-five days, Standard Projection Time."

Shuten felt an almost irresistible urge to prevent Vahn from leaving, but, understanding now was the time to be on her best behavior, she forcibly restrained herself, seductively biting the knuckle of her index finger with enough force to draw blood. Then, after adopting a predatory look that could even give the original Fenrir a run for her money, Shuten lightly muttered, "Understood..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'X is a Pervert...' -Altria, 2017','Kiyohime, the Guardian of the Kotatsu','Shuten is scary o_o...')

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