As time continued its eternal march forward, Vahn found himself in a great mood. Though Scáthach never let up during their training, the rest of his time within the Projection had put a perpetual smile on Vahn's face.
Vahn would check up on Nobunaga and Kamiya several times throughout the day, often to find that many of the castle's residents were doing the same. This included most of the pregnant women, the majority of which were all expecting their own deliveries within the next two weeks. Because of their own excitement, they spent a lot of time interacting with Kamiya and just idling around Nobunaga's room when they had nothing else going on.
It wasn't just his newborn son that Vahn spent time with during these moments as, due to their own intrigue towards their younger sibling, Mordred and Sakura spent much of their free time visiting the room to play with Kamiya. Since Mordred already had a close relationship with Nobunaga before, it wasn't too much of a surprise that she was quite taken with the young Kamiya. This was the same for Sakura but, rather than pestering Nobunaga and trying to monopolize her younger brother's time, she just enjoyed checking up on him before returning to her training and studies.
Sakura was even more determined than ever before to become someone strong enough to protect herself and the people she cared about. At the same time, she had also asked if she could apprentice under Vivian who, on top of her other capabilities, specializing in healing and purification. Though her first choices would have been Vahn, Merlin, and Scáthach, she was afraid the former wouldn't be able to make time for her. As for Merlin and Scáthach, Sakura felt the former was very weird while the latter wasn't someone she was allowed to train with until she reached a.d.u.l.thood.
When Vahn had first heard Sakura's request, and the reasons behind her decision, he had felt more than a little guilty. He didn't feel like he ignored Sakura but, perhaps due to the first seven years of her life, she had developed a fear of doing anything that might trouble him. Since Vahn hadn't even been in the Nasuverse at the time, it made him feel strangely bitter to bear this label. However, as he had already decided it was a burden he would bear willingly, especially after fundamentally changing Sakura's life, he promised to do better to alleviate her worries.
Though Vahn did take Sakura to discuss her apprenticeship with Vivian, he also made time in both of their schedules to train and teach her himself. He even extended the time by allocating a full hour to research and relaxation using the Space-Time Orb. This made the short four-hour time slot equate to nearly 23 hours, greatly increasing the amount of time they got to spend together.
When Sakura learned of the arrangement, she had been more than a little surprised and, while she was very happy, these emotions were accompanied by a fair amount of guilt. Early on, she had even tried to talk him out of the arrangement, mentioning she didn't want to trouble him and increase his already substantial burden. When Vahn heard this, he obviously refused, stating, "First and foremost, I am your father. I would not care about being an Emperor if not for my desire to make the world a better place for my own children. One of my greatest regrets is not being there for you, Sakura…let me be the father you needed, even if I'm a little late…"
After a very long heart-to-heart conversation, Sakura ultimately relented, albeit after crying for a very substantial amount of time. Then, to punctuate his statement further, Vahn took Sakura and Mordred to the conjuration circle Merlin had prepared, summoning 'Guardians' for the both of them. As could be expected, Mordred was very excited for the opportunity, declaring something along the lines of, 'I'm going to summon a Dragon as my Guardian!'. As for Sakura, she had become somewhat bashful after their long discussion, electing to let Mordred go first while she stood at the side holding Vahn's hand.
Contrary to her expectations, Mordred ended up contracting a massive white lion whose fur had a slightly translucent quality. It also had sky-blue eyes that possessed the light of intelligence while, at the end of its tail, a wispy blue flame danced about. According to Merlin, and confirmed by Alaya, this lion was a Divine Spirit known as Menhit's Kin, owing to their relationship to an Egyptian War Deity named Menhit, 'she who slaughters'. It was an enormous lioness that, at a glance, weighed more than a thousand kilograms and stood three meters tall with a body close to 4.5m in length.
Though Mordred was a little frustrated after failing to summon a Dragon, she calmed down quite a bit after the identity of the lioness was revealed. Since it was also a symbol of courage, while being much fluffier than a Dragon, Mordred eventually threw her arms around her new Guardian before rubbing her face against its soft white fur with a happy smile. As for the lioness itself, she released a very human-like sigh but, rather than do anything to stop Mordred's actions, it just laid down and allowed its new Master to do as she pleased.
After Mordred, Sakura was the next to make use of the ancient conjuration circle. She began to get nervous but, after training as a Knight for nearly a year at this point, Sakura overcame her inhibitions without much difficulty. Even when she cut a line across her palm, she didn't even flinch as the blood began dripping onto the inert magical circle. Then, after a brilliant display of light and amalgamating mana, what appeared to be a small deer came into existence. Unlike a normal deer, however, it had pale-blue fur, a white underbelly, and large, falcon-like wings. It also had tailfeathers and, while the front hooves were relatively normal, the back legs came to an end in falcon-like talons.
Without being asked, Merlin had a slightly surprised expression on his face as he explained, "This is quite the rare sight…my, my, I never thought our dear Princess would contract a Peryton, much less one from the primary Luna tribe…" Then, to clarify further, Merlin explained that Sakura's Guardian was a Greater Divine Spirit that could fly freely through all mediums, be it water, air, or even the vacuum of space. It could also move through all boundaries, meaning there were very little places it couldn't roam, so long as it never took the life of a human.
Following Merlin's finger, everyone could see that, rather than the expected shadow, the Peryton had what appeared to be a human child's shadow. This showed that it was both 'pure' and, though it was already obvious from its fawn-like features, still immature. He mentioned that it was a very rare Spirit and, though it had almost no combat potential, its presence alone could cause a desolate mountain range to be covered in trees and plants within a few years' time. It was also swifter than a Pegasus in a contest of speed, so he lavished Sakura with praise for managing to contract one.
Sakura was the type who didn't accept compliments easily so she was considerably embarrassed by Merlin's heavy praise. Fortunately, her Guardian already seemed attuned to her as it came to stand between her and Merlin before nuzzling against her in an affectionate manner so she would calm down. This instantly brought the smile back to Sakura's face and, after stroking the fawn's neck, she quickly learned it was extremely soft. Though it was also a bit cool to the touch, it was a comfortable temperature that would be very pleasant during the Spring and Summer seasons…
With the ritual completed, Vahn took Mordred and Sakura out to play with their new Guardians. Due to its size, Mordred could easily ride on the back of her lioness, albeit with some difficulty due to the lack of a harness and saddle. As for Sakura's Guardian, it was only 120cm tall, making it far too small to ride. It had a lot of growing left to due, despite the fact it was already more than three hundred years old. Fortunately, much like a Dryad, it would mature based on the energy and sustenance it was provided. Since Sakura had an almost overwhelming amount of Od, now reaching over 90,000, she had more than enough to spare.
The best part about contracting a spirit was the fact that, much like an actual Guardian, they could adopt a spirit form and rest within the bodies of their contracted Master. They would also become more attuned to each other over time, allowing the Master to grow much stronger while the Spirit, unable to evolve and grow through normal means, had the opportunity to reach greater heights. It was this reason that led Spirits to accept contracts in the first place as, while contracted, they were able to grow much faster than normal. They also couldn't die so long as their contract was active and, even if their Master ultimately passed away, they simply got to return to the Reverse Side of the World, much stronger than before.
The only major downside for the Spirits, other than having to follow the whims of a human, was that they could easily become corrupted if their Master was a wicked individual. It was for this reason that most Magi were unable to summon powerful Spirits as, while conducting the summoning ritual, their nature was exposed for all prospective summons to view. As a result, the success rate of summoning anything more than a Lesser Elemental Spirit was slim, at best.
Because of this, Magi had come up with temporary contracts to 'borrow' the power of Spirits, a far cry from the permanant contract established using Merlin's method. They also contracted Daemons who, despite having a name close to Demons, were fundamentally different existences. Their nature was not evil but, as wish-granting entities, the way their power was manifested often had disastrous consequences for the enemies of their contractors. This, however, wasn't really unique to Daemons as, with the errant nature of most Magi, even a Greater Elemental Spirit of Light could be corrupted by extended exposure to humanity.
Fortunately, Mordred and Sakura seemed to be evaluated highly by their respective Guardians who, despite knowing both girls could potentially live forever, still accepted the contract. Vahn suspected this was either due to the machinations of Merlin but, as it was a good thing for both girls, he didn't press the matter. In fact, he was almost tempted to make a contract of his own after petting the soft downy fur of Sakura's Peryton and the thick, plush, fur of Mordred's lioness. They also seemed quite fond of his petting but, before things developed too far, Fenrir actually made a surprise appearance, immediately nipping Vahn's wayward urge in the bud.
—
In the midst of Vahn's busy, albeit incredibly fulfilling, schedule, Alaya eventually informed him that, a little ahead of schedule, the trio of Rin/Ereshkigal/Ishtar had gone into labor. This had taken place only nine days after Nobunaga's delivery so the castle was quickly abuzz with excitement, building upon the yet-to-fade excitement from before. Even Nobunaga herself showed up to join everyone waiting outside the delivery room while, once again, Vahn had a small crowd while Sakura, paler than before, assisted him.
Rather than just one of them experiencing the delivery, Rin, Ereshkigal, and Ishtar were all sharing their body at the same time. Though Ishtar had 'retreated' a few times when things got especially painful, she would ultimately return a few seconds later with renewed conviction. As for Rin and Ereshkigal, they tolerated the complicated delivery from start to finish, suffering an extreme amount of exhaustion in the process. After all, birthing three children wasn't easy, even with Vahn making the process a lot smoother than it otherwise would have been.
Vahn had been exceptionally proud of the son Nobunaga had produced, even if he looked a little bit like a potato with thin black hair and ruby-red eyes. When the trio gave birth to their first daughter, however, Vahn, as well as everyone else bearing witness to the event, was quite surprised. The infant had a full head of short, dark-brown hair, while their features were akin to a perfectly carved doll. As for why everyone was surprised, however, it was due to the fact that, immediately after being born, the little girl opened her eyes, revealing maroon-red pupils that glimmered with intelligence. At the same time, a powerful aura began to permeate through the room, causing those of lesser Soul Tiers to feel a suppressive force.
Though they were still in intense pain, the trio on the delivery table looked at the newborn Vanir with loving eyes as a voice that sounded more like Isthar's than the other two stated, "My Isanna…" in a whimpering tone. This actually seemed to reach the newborn Vanir's ears, causing her to giggle like a bell as Vahn handed her over to a waiting Homunculus for cleaning. After this, the trio was allowed to hold the young Isanna for a few moments before, as if to remind them they were still waiting, a very powerful and painful contraction ran through the three's body.
A few minutes after Isanna's birth, a crowning head filled with golden hair made itself known before, moments later, another little girl managed to extricate herself from her mother's w.o.m.b. She had the exact same features as Isanna, albeit with golden-blond hair and, much to Vahn's surprise, a pair of pristine blue eyes. Like her older sister, an aura of Divinity seemed to spread through the area but, rather than a suppressive force, it was extremely gentle and warm.
As if sensing her little sister's presence, Isanna began to make a few sounds and, despite only being a few minutes old, she could already move her arms and legs enthusiastically. This caused everyone in the room to chuckle while, laying on the delivery table, the trio had a significant stream of tears pouring down their face as Ereshkigal's voice stated, "Please…let me hold her…please…my Naavi…"
Since it seemed cruel to keep Ereshkigal from her daughter, the attending nurse dutifully cleaned the newborn Vanir before quickly yet carefully handing her over. This caused Ereshkigal to cry even more as she locked eyes with her daughter, whimpering, "Thank you…thank you…" over and over. Much to everyone's surprise, the newborn Naavi placed her tiny hand on the trio's cheek before making a few baby noises, almost as if she were trying to actively calm her mother.
Fortunately, the remaining child seemed to be far more patient than his elder sisters so Ereshkigal was able to hold her daughter for an extended period of time. It took the combined efforts of Rin and Ishtar to calm her down before she was willing to part with the golden-haired Naavi. Then, after the latter was placed into the same bedding as Isanna, they immediately turned to face each other before giggling. It was obvious both were cognizant of their surroundings and, though they might not be able to understand everything that was going on, they were aware of themselves and each other.
While half the room was doting over the twins, Vahn was dutifully trying to coax out his son while the trio did their best to force him out. He seemed less willing than his sisters but, after a concerted effort over the course of a twenty-minute period, the tiny bundle of life was pulled kicking and screaming from the familiar warmth. Unlike Isanna and Naavi, he immediately began crying loudly, making it apparent he was a very healthy young boy. Since he wasn't a Vanir, he didn't share the same unnervingly beautiful features of his siblings but, after opening his slightly swollen eyes, Vahn got to see quite a surprising sight.
It was impossible to know what color hair his new son would have, as he only had very light downy hairs present at the moment, but his eyes were a heterochromatic combination of maroon-red and pristine blue. Though it wasn't nearly as obvious as the two before him, there was a glimmer of intelligence contained within those eyes that caused Vahn's smile to widen before he handed the screaming infant over to the nurse for his first bath. Then, Vahn continued tending to the trio as, after gathering Isanna and Naavi from their bedding, Rin, Ishtar, and Ereshkigal held their newborn children together for the first time.
While Vahn was dealing with the messy aftermath, he heard Rin lovingly call their son, "Daiki…" in a subdued tone. It roughly translated to 'Great Tree' and 'Noble Protector', so he wasn't too surprised by the choice. After all, Sakura was named after 'Cherry Blossoms' and 'Good Fortune', so it was a fitting name considering they were siblings. Though it didn't quite match up with Isanna and Naavi, that was primarily just a difference in origin between Rin and the two Goddesses.
After finishing up his duties, Vahn made sure to properly wash and sanitize his hands with magic before joining the group surrounding the trio of new mothers. They had cleared a spot for him so he could stand next to the extremely fatigued girls who, seeing his arrival, smiled lovingly at him while muttering, "Thank you…" This caused Vahn's smile to soften and, though he did his best to hold it back, there was a visible moisture building in his eyes. Then, his voice cracking, Vahn stroked the girls' hair gently as he echoed, "Thank you…" before blinking away a few tears…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fight on, Sakura…!','Poor Daiki was born last…','Simple words sometimes carry the most weight…')
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