Chapter 2132: Release
Though she did her best, Sarina was only able to rank seventh within her bracket. As for Usalia, her opponent attempted to play it safe by adopting a defensive stance, but, much like Ona Lanka, she was sent flying with a single attack from the overpowered bunny who, after displaying her mature form, quickly became a crowd favorite.
Fortunately, while Sarina was a little upset to learn people weren"t even paying attention to her, she bounced back pretty quickly after seeing the private recording Vahn had made. It primarily focused on her facial expression and the more harrowing moments in the race, but, every now and then, the point of view would s.h.i.+ft to her b.u.t.t bouncing against the saddle in the same ultra-high definition as the other fanservice shots.
Seeing ripples spread from her bottom to her thighs, Sarina couldn"t help blus.h.i.+ng redder than a tomato. At the same time, however, she was beyond happy to know Vahn had been paying such close attention to her. When they returned to the Sage Dragon"s Hearth, she even changed into a pair of short-short with the very obvious intention of showing off her immaculately sculpted b.u.t.t...
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"And that"s what happened today. Are you sure you don"t want to come with us tomorrow...?"
A stark contrast to the scenes that were taking place elsewhere in the estate, the version of Vahn that was attending to Nono had his head resting in her lap as she used a long cotton swab to clean his already clean ears. When asked if she wanted to come with them to view the finals, she simply returned an amused smile and asked, "Would you like me to come with you...?"
Though he continued lying against her lap with his eyes closed, a wry smile developed across Vahn"s face as he answered, "I want you to do what you want..."
"I see...for now, I want you to turn over..."
Restraining a light chuckle, Vahn rolled over so that his face was facing Nono"s lower abdomen. This would be a compromising position under normal circ.u.mstances, but, due to the sand-colored dress she almost always wore, the only thing he could see was thick, vanilla-biege fabric. If he strained his senses, he would have been able to smell her particular aroma. Instead, he just relaxed in silence as she used a secondary swab to clean his other ear...
"Finished...if you"d like, you can raise your head now..."
"Mmm..."
Returning a light hum, Vahn decided to stay put for a while as he enjoyed the feeling of Nono"s soft thighs through the fabric of her dress. This prompted the auburn-haired beauty to gently caress his head, an affectionate and slightly amused smile on her face as she softly mused, "Or you can stay as long as you"d like...I"m not going anywhere..."
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"There is a good chance we"ll be having Demon Lords among our clientele in the future. I doubt anything will happen but you"ll need to stay alert."
Located at the heart of the ever-expanding complex that existed beneath the Sage Dragon"s Hearth was a ma.s.sive cube that served as the central nexus of Vahn"s Templated amalgamation between a House Spirit and an Artificial Intelligence known as Will.
Will"s true name was Will of the Emperor, and, as it"s name implied, it was able to expand a domain throughout the Sage Dragon"s Hearth. More impressively, it had inherited Vahn"s wisdom, and, as a result, possessed the requisite knowledge to upgrade and enhance the Sage Dragon"s Hearth based on the wants and needs of its inhabitants.
"I understand. If anyone attempts to cause trouble, I will strip them of their power and deposit them in a stasis chamber."
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn retracted his hand from the platform that allowed him to pump a functionally infinite amount of Source Energy into Will"s reserves. This wasn"t really necessary, but, when it came to protecting his family, friends, and loved ones, Vahn didn"t cut corners...
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While Vahn was busy enjoying life and taking measures to protect his family, a certain blond-haired youth was bored out of his mind.
"I came to the Divine Realm to experience a challenge and have some fun. How in the h.e.l.l did I get stuck babysitting a bunch of brats...?"
Despite his protests, the blond-haired youth had a relaxed smile on his face as he finished counting to one-hundred within his mind. Then, after rising to his feet and dusting himself off, he shook his head in mock exasperation before bellowing, "I hope everyone found a good spot because here I come...!"
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Watching Izayoi play hide and seek with the children from her vantage point atop the Fortress-like Manor of the No Names, a tired sigh escaped Asuka"s lips. This prompted Yo, who, more often than not, could be found at her side to say, "We can go and join them if you"d like. I"m sure the children would be happy to play with you, Asuka."
Crossing her arms, Asuka issued a soft harumph before turning her head away from the scene and saying, "I"m far too old to be playing such childish games. Besides, my dress is bound to get dirty if I attempt to conceal myself within the forest. This is the only decent pair of clothing the No Names have been able to provide. I don"t want to ruin it..."
With her tone becoming progressively softer the more she spoke, a light blush developed across Asuka"s face as she noticed her adorable jackal-like Companion staring up at her with what could best be described as a deadpan expression on its face. So long as it was around, she couldn"t use the excuse of her dress getting damaged as it could easily transform into any outfit she could think of...
Coughing lightly into her hand, Asuka turned around to find Yo hugging Calico Cat in her usual onesie. The only difference was, instead of dark-blue fur that glistened with an icy l.u.s.ter, she now had a distinct calico pattern that made her resemble a mix between a cat and a wolf.
"You really do enjoy wearing that onesie, don"t you? Aren"t you afraid people will think of you as a child...?"
Tilting her head to the side, Yo"s inordinately large ears adorably followed her movement as she replied, "I just turned fourteen when we first arrived in the Divine Realm. I don"t consider myself a child but I don"t have enough experience to call myself an adult. Besides, my father used to tell me the most important thing is that I stay true to myself and live the life I want. If I changed who I was just to please others, I don"t think I would ever be truly happy..."
Since Yo was usually a very taciturn girl, Asuka found herself at a loss for words in the face of her well thought-out argument. She also knew about Yo"s past sickness and her history with her father, so, after a moment of silence, Asuka ultimately nodded her head in approval, stating, "Well said, Yo. It seems I still have a lot of maturing to do."
Though it caused Asuka"s smile to crack, Yo nodded her head without hesitation, saying, "Indeed. Let"s work hard together, okay...?"
Resisting the urge to pounce on the socially inept brunette, Asuka shook her head, a wry smile developing across her face as she returned her attention to the game of hide and seek below. As for Yo, she just stared at the girl"s back for a few moments before pulling out the brush Fenrir had gifted her during their previous encounter. It wasn"t nearly as pleasant as when Vahn did it but she had become rather fond of brus.h.i.+ng her tail and ears. Based on the way he purred, Calico Cat also seemed to enjoy it quite a bit...
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Using the crystal ball Vahn had given him to monitor the territory, Jin was also observing the game of hide and seek. Instead of smiling, however, the teal-haired youth had a listless look on his face as he muttered, "It seems my time as Leader is coming to an end. Izayoi is stronger, smarter, and much more confident than I am. The children also seem to enjoy spending time with him...haaaaaaaa..."
Exhaling an exasperated sigh that didn"t suit an eleven-year-old, Jin allowed the crystal ball to go dark by removing his hands from its surface. Then, with a wry smile on his face, he looked to the left where Lily was observing him with her hands neatly folded across her lap and a perpetual smile on her face.
"You really shouldn"t be so hard on yourself, Jin. Everyone knows how hard you worked before and after Vahn"s arrival. You"ve also become much stronger these last couple of months so I don"t really understand why you feel the need to compare yourself to others. If you continue to study hard and make an effort, I"m sure you"ll be just as strong as Izayoi when you"re all grown up."
Though he knew she was trying to comfort him, Jin"s smile became even wrier when Lily reminded him that he was, in fact, still a child. This didn"t used to be a sore spot, but, ever since he had seen the changes in Sarina and Nono, the notion that he could always ask Vahn for help was constantly lingering within the back of his mind. He would need to be away from his Community for six years, but, so long as he worked hard, he would come back far more powerful than before.
Seeing through Jin"s thoughts, the smile on Lily"s face became significantly less prominent as she softly added, "Jin...didn"t we promise to support each other until we became proper adults. I won"t stop you if you want to go but I"ll be sad if we"re apart for six years..."
With a conflicted look on his face, Jin averted his eyes from Lily"s, hands balled into fists as tears began to build in the corner of his eyes. He knew she was right, but, at the same time, he felt like everything he had worked for was slowly being taken away from him. Vahn had opened his eyes to a degree of power he never could have imagined, and, after observing Izayoi using the crystal ball, Jin knew the blond-haired youth worked a lot harder than him. The former had read through more than a thousand different books since his arrival, and, when everyone else was fast asleep, he was hard at work training his body and patrolling the territory.
While Jin respected Izayoi immensely for these traits, it was maddening to know there were people with tremendous talent who were also harder workers than him. He had pushed himself beyond his limits on numerous occasions, but, without the support of several others, it would take him decades to reach Izayoi"s current level. Even then, Izayoi would be so far beyond him that he may as well be an infant...
Unable to control his swelling emotions, Jin"s body began to tremble until a flash of light caught his attention. Before he could investigate its source, however, a pair of arms wrapped around his head, forcing his face into a rather ample bosom. Then, a mature yet recognizable tone reached his ears as Lily, now resembling a young woman in her late teens or early twenties, gently caressed his head and said, "Shhhhh...it"s going to be okay...just let it all out..."
Though he felt an inexpeclicably painful swelling in his chest, Jin ultimately returned Lily"s embrace while using her breast to m.u.f.fle his cries. They were soft and warm, and, though he could no longer remember the face of his mother, a sense of nostalgia and longing invaded his mind as three years" worth of angst and frustration flowed from his body and into Lily"s bosom...
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(A/N: Alternate t.i.tles: "Slow motion b.u.t.t jiggle o_o...","Yo knows what she"s about xD...","It is said that a woman"s b.r.e.a.s.t.s have an endless capacity for tears...")