Though he wasn't in the best of moods, Vahn had managed to calm down well enough by the time Juuzou collapsed to his knees, a thick layer of sweat covering his body as he labored for breath. The Trichiliocosm was a technique that required Vahn to sacrifice his Divinity just to execute, so, while he would eventually make a full recovery, it was impossible to say Juuzou had emerged unscathed. His mind was simply unable to process everything that had happened, and, though he wasn't broken, it wasn't an exaggeration to say his spirit had been severely strained by the 'truth' he had witnessed within the blade's edge.
After giving the man enough time to catch his breath, Vahn rose to his feet, sheathing Laev-tan in her sheath before extending his hand and saying, "Even that is not the pinnacle. The path you walk is one that is, by design, without limits. There is nothing wrong with having confidence in your skill, but, the moment you start harboring the notion, 'I am the strongest', you have already cut off your path to the peak. In the end, what matters most is not how you see yourself, but the indelible 'truth' contained within each and every stroke of your blade…"
Hearing Vahn's words, Juuzou stared up at him with sightless golden eyes, his sight having yet to recover fully from the burden placed upon his mind, body, and spirit. Despite this, he felt as though he was seeing clearly for the first time, and, after several seconds of silence, he ultimately reached out his hand, accepting Vahn's as he firmly stated, "One day, I will surpass you…I will find the truth contained within the blade…and then I will slice it…"
With those final few words, Juuzou completely lost consciousness, collapsing against Vahn, who, after hearing the man's words, had a wry smile on his face. He wanted to comment that there was no actual meaning in comparing yourself to others, as, in the end, the true path lay in overcoming yourself and mastering the Laws. Setting others as your goal might give you a clear objective, but, if that became the thing that drove you, overcoming them would not bring you fulfillment. You would either find something else to overcome or, like the countless wayward souls who had tread a similar path, you would feel completely empty…
Shaking his head, Vahn manifested the Little Garden in his left hand before transporting Juuzou into the interior. Then, with one final loose end to tie up, he teleported to the location of Nagi's training orb, entering inside by placing his palm on the surface.
—
Though he sensed a presence enter the living room, Nagi didn't move from his position on the sofa, his eyes focused on the ceiling above as he continued lying down. He did, however, acknowledge Vahn's existence by listlessly waving in his general direction as he said, "I put a lot of thought into it and decided to go to school. I realized I don't really have any friends my age, and, though I'm a lot stronger than the teachers, I still rely on a pocket journal to remember incantations. I want to work on my foundation and try the whole socializing thing…who knows, maybe I'll find a girl or two in the process…"
Before responding to the youth, Vahn pulled out a single-person recliner, relaxing against the thick leather coated cushions before pulling out a cup of hot cocoa and saying, "Yeah, you'll be just fine in that regard. Just remember, if you want to try and build a harem, the most important thing is to be honest and forthright. Only vile and wicked men play around with the hearts of young girls, so, if you seriously intend to love them, don't hide things. I'm not exactly the best person to give advice, but I've managed to develop a harem with more than a hundred beauties…I imagine that counts for something…"
Hearing Vahn's remark, Nagi bolted to a seated position, an incredulous yet excited look on his face as he asked, "Are you serious!? Jeez, man, you're one greedy ass dragon! Hell, even I think any more than three is pushing it…how do you even manage?"
Ignoring Nagi's abrasive remark, Vahn just reiterated his point, stating, "Honesty, tireless effort, and a particular set of skills I have spent nearly two-hundred years polishing…"
Though he got the impression Vahn wasn't lying to him, Nagi could still found it difficult to believe the words coming out of the man's mouth. While the thought of a hundred beauties was more than a little tempting, trying to manage such numbers seemed ridiculous. He had personally experienced the wrath of several women, and, though he wasn't particularly afraid of them, he knew they could be scary when they wanted to be…
Noticing the look on Nagi's face, Vahn just lightly chuckled before pulling the lever at the side of his recliner and saying, "I've already made arrangements for you to become a student in Ariadne. When you arrive, you will be able to freely choose the academy you wish to attend. I won't tell you to stay out of trouble, but, at the very least, start considering how your actions impact the lives of others. It is fine to be a little selfish and make mistakes. Just make sure you learn from them, and, though you should never go out of your way to ingratiate yourself to others, never be afraid to lower your head to those deserving of your respect…there are some kind people living in Ariadne. I have asked a few to look after you so try not to cause them too much trouble…"
Even if he was about to completely stop the time within the Record, that didn't mean his words would have any less relevance once the Akamatsuverse became a part of his own. Vahn didn't know how he would change over the coming years so it was better to get things like this out of the way before he departed. From Nagi's perspective, there would be an unbroken passage of time, so, even if he ultimately forgot about the current conversation, Vahn knew it would still be fresh in the boy's mind…
—
With most of the loose ends tied up, Vahn slowly opened his eyes within the Little Garden to find none other than Eva leaning against him. She was peacefully dozing off at his side, while, a little bit away from him, Karin could be seen leaning against the trunk of the World Tree in a similar manner. Unlike Eva, however, she had a notable pout on her face even whilst asleep, a rather amusing sight that caused Vahn to issue a habitual chuckle.
Hearing the light laughter, Eva quickly stirred awake, stretching her body and releasing an adorable yawn before staring directly at Vahn and stating, "Don't be upset. You would have regretted it more if nothing at all had happened. This will give you even more of a reason to return in the future. Chin up, eyes forward, and back straight. We're all relying on you to guide us so don't let something like this set you back."
Surprised by the frankness of Eva's words, Vahn wasn't able to reply to her statement until several seconds had elapsed. Then, with a slightly melancholic smile on his face, he remarked, "You really do see through everything, don't you…?"
Without any hesitation at all, Eva lazily shook her head before leaning against Vahn's shoulder and lightly replying, "Only when it comes to you…you kind of make it easy…"
Taking advantage of their current positions, Vahn wrapped his left arm around Eva's body, holding her in a half embrace as he stared off towards the waterfront cottage. He was curious about what other things she might have seen through, but, after thinking about it for a short while, he realized it didn't matter all that much. The fact she supported him was more than enough, so, with nothing else to do, he decided to sprawl atop the soft grass and enjoy a midday nap alongside his bride-to-be…
—
With a three week grace period to aid in their development, Eva and Arika had benefitted quite a bit from the Little Garden's effects. Eva, in particular, had been in the midst of puberty, so, with the Laws of Progress and a very specific diet supporting her growth, she blossomed like a flower in the Spring.
Though her form wasn't identical to the adult transformation she had commonly used, Eva had still developed into a buxom beauty in a surprisingly short period of time. Her breasts, which had been struggling around a B-Cup, had ballooned towards the upper threshold of a D-Cup. As for the rest of her body, it had also developed in an 'amazing' direction, her height increasing to 181cm while her three were a respectable 85, 59, and 86cm. She honestly looked like a gravure model, and, with her eyes sharpening due to age, anyone unfortunate enough to earn her ire would feel as though a layer of ice had spread through their body.
A stark contrast to the cold and intellectual beauty that Eva had become, Arika's features actually seemed to soften with 'age'. Her hair grew well past her waist, and, though she still had difficulties expressing her emotions, it had become normal to see her with a delicate smile on her face. As for her body, it hadn't actually developed all that much, her height stagnating at 164cm, and, though it was a treat to look at, her figure was more athletic and refined than anything resembling a buxom beauty. In the end, her three sizes only reached 77, 58, and 81cm, the last trait standing out quite a bit due to her toned butt and impeccably soft thighs…
Arika had been a little disappointed in the development of her bust, but, considering her mother and aunt were around the same size, it wasn't exactly surprising. Rather, Asuna was the anomalous one amongst the members of the Ostian Royal Family, her features creating a stark contrast to the rest of her kin. Still, Vahn managed to successfully pacify Arika's worries by 'confiding' in her that he always had a preference for athletic women with toned butts. This was already widely believed, so, rather than continue denying it, Vahn concluded he should just embrace the label if it made things easier for people like Arika.
Though she didn't expressly state anything, it was pretty clear by Arika's behavior that she felt a lot better after hearing Vahn's words. She stopped wearing the formal dresses she had habitually worn in the outside world, exchanging them for form-fitting white pants that, admittedly, suited her very well. As for the rest of her outfit, she wore a shoulderless top that accented her athletic figure, and, as was often the case, she completed the outfit with a white mantle and white riding boots. She had a preference for white clothing, and, though it caused her to stand out within a crowd, her ethereal beauty was the thing most people remembered.
Vahn felt truly blessed to bear witness to Eva's and Arika's rapid change from inordinately beautiful young women to truly breathtaking beauties in their very prime. They could easily rival goddess in both appearance and presence, so, with the day of his wedding fast approaching, it was rare to find him without a massive grin on his face. The only time his smile would fade in the slightest was when he interacted with Theo, not because she was lacking in attraction, far from it, but because of how intense her passions had become…
With the Tri-Force of Power fused with her body, Theo's raw power and evolutionary potential made her something of an outlier. She had developed exponentially compared to everyone else, her body changing to become something far greater than even the most extraordinary Hellasians. In fact, she was no longer even a Hellasian, embracing her draconic heritage and letting 'nature' take its course without losing her sense of self.
Though she was still changing with each passing day, Theo had already reached 177cm in height, her body comparable to Eva's in basic form but drastically different in others. Her ears had grown longer, resembling those of a High Elf, and, while they were still covered in silky white fur, it had become a lot thicker than before. This wasn't just limited to the backs of her ears, either, as, rather than a reptilian dragon, Theo seemed to be following a distinctly mammalian route…
While much of her body was still the same tantalizing brown it had always been, it was clear that Theo had been influenced greatly by her association with Fenrir. The same white fur covering her ears had grown along her forearms, the backs of her hands, calves, and the top of her feet. As for her palms and soles, they were left largely the same, but, much like the rest of her body, it wasn't as if they experienced no changes at all. Rather, the flesh had become springy and smooth, providing a substantial increase to grip strength while giving them a velvet-like texture…
Topping off her transformation, Theo's horns had actually change the direction of their curve, no longer pointing towards her brow and, instead, curving upward. This was important, as, not only did her bones strengthen considerably, but her spine had developed additional cushioning to allow her to freely impact a target with her head, piercing even Adamantine with her horns. To make this kind of attack even easier, her tail functioned as a perfect counterbalance; drastically lowering her center of gravity when she was charging, a posture that also served to reduce drag and conserve as much forward momentum as possible…
Fortunately, at least for the time being, this was the extent of Theo's transformation, the only other noteworthy changes being her actual proportions. Her three sizes were functionally identical to Eva, but, whenever she wanted them to, her butt and thighs inflated by around 5%. This might not seem like much on paper, but, when her already toned butt went from 86cm to slightly over 90cm, it was, needless to say, 'very' noticeable. When you considered that her muscles were also flexible, springy, and situationally malleable, Theo had, for lack of a better descriptor, become a 'monster' in a very short period of time…a very soft, fluffy, and 'aggressive' monster…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Juuzou would get along with Zoro…if they could ever find each other','Eva is pretty bae at times…','Vahn's hidden Innate: [Draconic Magnetism: SSS]')
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