Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Chapter 2001: Resonance

After placing Hana's unconscious body into stasis within the Ninth Layer, Vahn emerged from the Little Garden feeling more than a little melancholic. This was far from an 'ideal' solution, but, until he could find a timeline where Hana could truly be with the one she yearned for, she would have to settle with a false reality provided by the Phantasmagoria. Fortunately, while it was indisputably still an illusion, the events transpiring within the Phantasmagoria were so realistic that literal eons could pass without any of the entities within being aware of the truth. There was even a chance that some would develop a true ego, but, at least for the time being, Vahn could rest assured that Hana would have ample opportunity to experience being loved...

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn looked around at the rather sizeable group of girls that had been accompanying him for the last three weeks. He could see trust reflected in each of their gazes, and, though they might not necessarily agree with the choices he made, they never doubted he was trying to do the right thing...

With his gaze lingering on each girl, Vahn's mood began to steadily improve until Yuri, having never enjoyed awkward silences, spontaneously teased, "If you're going to keep gawking like a lovestruck fool, you better be prepared to take responsibility. I can feel the base of my tail beginning to itch..."

Feeling the tensions immediately drain from his body, a lighthearted chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he waved his hand to produce a large portal. Then, adopting his characteristically relaxed smile, he replied, "Let's go home. I'm not really in the mood for anything too intense right now, but I can at least give everyone a massage..."

As the word massage left Vahn's lips, the bodies of Fenrir, Yuri, Lotte, Mikoto, and even Enne visibly shuddered as a healthy red hue colored their cheeks. This earned them a few curious looks from the members of the Eurasia Family, who, despite having spent the better part of three weeks with Vahn, had yet to experience the skills that had initially earned him the title of Godhand...

---

Though they were unaware of the 'suffering' of the Eurasia Family, knowing smiles spread across the faces of two inordinately beautiful women, one with raven-black hair and the other possessing peculiar dark-purple locks. These were none other than Madara and Yoruichi, and, though they had long-since developed True Egos of their own, they could still sense when Vahn was in a heightened state of emotion. This applied to every Template he had created, but, having honed their perception and intuition to the extreme, the two voluptuous beauties could even sense when Vahn was feeling muddle-headed.

With her smile gradually developing into a toothy grin, Yoruichi began to pop each of her knuckles as she remarked, "Whelp, looks like the bad guys on this Floor are fucked. Mind if Angri and I take point this time?"

Hearing her name, fluffy auburn ears poked out of Yoruichi's shadow as Angri, adorned in an outfit reminiscent of the one worn by Soi Fon in the Actualized World of Bleach, asked, "Are we going on a mission?" in a forced monotone that failed to conceal her excitement.

Pulling the olive-skinned Vanargandr onto her lap, an amused expression spread across Yoruichi's face as she tightly squeezed the struggling girl and answered, "That depends on whether or not a certain someone is going to stand in our way..."

With Yoruichi's directing her golden gaze towards her, Madara's smile gradually faded away as she crossed her arms and said, "I refuse. Izuna needs opportunities like this to measure the results of his training. Do you think your protege is more important than my younger brother...?"

Rolling her eyes in response to Madara's question, Yoruichi secured Angri with her left arm before holding out her right hand and drolling, "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, you bro-con. Let's just get this over with."

Though she was unamused by Yoruichi referring to her as a bro-con, Madara ultimately just snorted before closing her eyes, extending her own right hand, and saying, "Proceed."

Waiting until the final syllable had departed Madara's lips, bluish-white electricity began to radiate from Yoruichi's hand and forearm as she shouted, "Jan...ken...p-!"

Snapping her eyes open, Madara revealed that she had activated her Rinnesharigan at the very last moment, her eyes transition from a deep crimson to a peculiar purple set with concentric rings and nine tomoe spinning around an abyssal black pupil. This enhanced her perception to the point that time seemed to stop, but, having anticipated this, the electricity emanating from Yoruichi's fist had already suffused through the rest of her body, its color shifting to a vibrant golden hue that caused her right arm, cat-like ears, and tail to shimmer with brilliant light.

Noticing that Yoruichi's hand appeared to be throwing rock, paper, and scissors simultaneously, the pupil of Madara's right eye began to expand and contract in a mysterious rhythm as she attempted to draw the hateful cat woman into a powerful Genjutsu. Unfortunately, Yoruichi's Shunryū Kokubyō Senki, Flash God Black Cat Warrior Princess, made her virtually immune to illusions due to the sheer amount of Lightning Elemental Energy coursing through her mind and body. Thus, the moment she allowed the bronze-skinned beauty to transform, the majority of Madara's trump cards had already been sealed.

Refusing to be outdone by a 'simple' elemental transformation, an evil smile began to spread across Madara's face in painstakingly slow motion. This caused Yoruichi's own expression to sour, but, long before either's facial muscles could react to their shift in mentality, the world around them began to dissolve away as Madara's voice, emanating from the void itself, echoed, "Infinite Tsukuyomi..."

With her golden pupils immediately reflecting a crimson-hued version of Madara's Rinnesharingan, Yoruichi's mental processes completely ceased as the former countered her scissors with rock. This only lasted for a mere moment, but, with both of their speeds far exceeding the physical limitations of the world, it was more than enough for victory and defeat to be determined.

Blinking her eyes, the reflection of Madara's Rinnesharingan was no longer visible across Yoruichi's vibrant golden irises as she exclaimed, "You bitch! Did you seriously just use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to win a game of rock, paper, scissors!?"

Snorting in response to Yoruichi's words, Madara rose to her feet before countering, "You've quite the gall to accuse me of foul play when you're still in your transformed state. Don't be such a sore loser. It's unbecoming of you..."

Without waiting for Yoruichi's retort, Madara's vanished into a spatial tear that had instantaneously appeared behind her. This left the former gnashing her teeth, but, as this was far from the first time something like this had happened, she ultimately just exhaled a tired sigh before snaking her hands around the uncharacteristically demure Angri's body and teasing, "It looks like we're all alone...shall we continue where we last left off~?"

With a healthy shade of red coloring her cheeks, Angri ceased her struggles entirely, entrusting her body to the mischievous woman caressing her lower abdomen as she intoned a meek, "Nn..."

---

Though he wasn't oblivious to the fact his mood affected the behavior of his Templates, Vahn spent the better part of fifteen hours spoiling the girls currently accompanying him. He simply never got tired of experiencing the subtle differences between each of their reactions, so, even though he felt the usual discomfort when he was dealing with the more petite members of the Eurasia Family, that didn't stop him from giving each of them a 'very' thorough massage.

When everything was said and done, Vahn, with a relaxed smile on his face, was silently listening to the strangely comforting sound of more than a dozen girls peacefully slumbering around him as he absentmindedly stroked the heads of Fenrir and Mikoto. They, along with Blossom, were still awake, so, with little else to do, they perused the anime linked with his Actualized World of One Piece. This was yet another boon of his [Actualization] Innate, and, thanks to the power she had inherited from him, they were able to witness Nami's meteoric rise to prominence as an undisputed Empress of the Sea.

Though it was a little strange to see a character like Luffy relegated to a background role thanks to Nami solving most of the world's problems before they got out of hand Vahn couldn't help smiling whenever he saw flashbacks and scenes depicting her battles against legends such as Big Mom and Kaido. In the original story, Nami was simply the Navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates. She wasn't one of the 'big three', and, though she possessed a reasonable amount of combat potential, most of her opponents hardly qualified as legitimate threats. This was a stark contrast to the version of Nami he had created, a powerhouse that could even shatter Kaido's fist with a seemingly powerless punch...

Understanding that the events on screen were actually taking place in another world, Blossom, who had nestled herself between Vahn's legs, asked, "How is it that these 'anime' of yours can have such diverse styles yet exist in the same world? Though the residents of the Tower are certainly diverse in both physique and appearance, some of the people in this world called One Piece have strange and outright outlandish proportions..."

As this wasn't his first time being asked this particular question, Vahn's expression barely changed as he casually explained, "Though they might exist within the same metaversal structure, the Laws governing each world can manifest in a number of unique and interesting ways. Their appearances might seem strange when viewed from the outside, but, the moment you enter such a world, such incongruencies simply don't exist. Rather, without the ability to expand your perception beyond the restrictions of the Laws, you wouldn't even notice if your own appearance changed. We've taken to referring to this phenomenon as the 'Law of Normalcy', as, no matter how strange the world might appear from an outsider's perspective, it appears perfectly normal from within."

Surprised by the existence of such a peculiar 'Law', Blossom fell silent for several seconds before leaning back, willfully nudging Vahn's sleeping dragon with the back of her head as she asked, "As the creator of these 'Actualized Worlds', do you see things similarly to the people within or from the same perspective as an observer? I'm not really sure how you could be attracted to anyone within if things appear as they do on screen..."

Recalling his attraction to quite a number of 'fictional' characters in his youth, Vahn's smile became a little wry as he remarked, "I am able to view things both ways, but, even if that weren't the case, I would still be able to enjoy the beauty of the worlds in their original form. That is simply how I see the world, and, so long as they do not deviate down a sinister path, I would never besmirch another person for how they view and interact with the world around them. We each have our own unique perspective, and, no matter what anyone else says, everyone has the right to decide for themselves whether or not they enjoy something. In the end, we're all just looking for what makes us happy..."

Though she was a little surprised by the sudden lecture, a teasing smile gradually developed across Blossom's face as she noticed the traces of embarrassment in Vahn's countenance. He clearly had a guilty conscience about something he had done in the past, but, rather than attempting to pressure him into revealing the truth, she simply giggled impishly before rolling onto her side and snuggling against the inseam of his trousers. This left Vahn feeling at a loss for words, as, shortly after getting comfortable, a faint sound began to emanate from Blossom's nose as she promptly entered into his dreamscape to mingle with her daughters...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Eurasia Family...','I'm not sure if this was an extremely epic or profoundly petty exchange...','Mischievous little imp...')