Chapter 2317: Choose Your Own Path

Disregarding all the times he had stopped, reversed, or outright separated himself from the time axis to do perverted things, Vahn forced Ahura and Nadare to sit in seiza, his arms crossed as he warned, "Listen. I don't care what the two of you do in private. You can't be committing these kinds of acts in public."

As she was unable to rise from her seiza, Ahura glared up at Vahn as she asked, "And who are you to decide such things? Even if you had a hand in our creation, you're not our father."

Virtually incapable of being on the same page as her counterpart, Nadare immediately contradicted Ahura's statement, musing, "I don't mind calling you daddy." with narrowed eyes and a seductive grin.

Ignoring the off-handed remark, Vahn exhaled a sigh and said, "I don't need to be your father to remind you that actions have consequences..."

historical

Shaking his head, Vahn decided it would be counterproductive to try and lecture the two women, especially when their Creator had such a deeply rooted distrust for him. Ahura and Nadare were autonomous beings, but, similar to his Templates, they had effectively been 'programmed' to think and behave a certain way. If he really wanted to influence them, he would need to change Mitra's and, potentially, Yvonne's views...

Freeing the duo from their forced seiza, Vahn adopted a sad, ostensibly apologetic look as he muttered, "I owe the two of you an apology. As you said, it's not my place to tell you how to act. Just know that if you go out of your way to cause trouble for the people of the Little Garden, I have an obligation to stop you..."

Rising to her feet, Ahura took a moment to smooth out the creases of her dress and overcoat before replying, "Your concerns are unnecessary. Our duty as the Ultimate Black and White ended the moment we liberated our reality from the influence of Naraka. We accompanied the Great Sage and our Mistress out of a desire to confirm what lay 'beyond' the pinnacle with our own two eyes. I can't say for sure what actions we'll take in the future, but that was the entire point of our endeavors in the 'Masadaverse.' To be free to choose or own path."

As Nadara had yet to rise, Ahura stared down at her predestined rival and extended a hand, declaring, "In a world unbound by fate, there is no need for absolutes..."

Realizing that Ahura was effectively asking her to join hands, an amused chuckle emanated from Nadare's throat. However, as intriguing as the idea was, she wasn't fond of sharing power with others. She knew Ahura was the same, so even if they did join hands, they would spend most of their time trying to dominate one another. As enjoyable as that sounded, she would rather see and experience the Divine Realm before committing to anything.

Smacking away Ahura's hand, Nadare teased, "There is also no need to stick with the same group of people I've known for an eternity. I'll permit you to follow me if you'd like, but I intend to give walking my own path a try."

On that note, Nadare rose to her feet and began walking away, her hips swaying seductively as she passed Vahn and softly whispered, "See you around, Daddy."

Smiling wryly, Vahn made no attempt to correct or prevent Nadare from leaving. There was a good chance she would gain notoriety as a Demon Lord in the very near future, but, as she had yet to do anything wrong, it wasn't his place to stop her. He permitted the existence of other Demon Lords, so unless she crossed his bottom line, he would leave her to Mitra and Yvonne...

Waiting until Nadare had disappeared around a corner, Ahura shifted her gaze to Vahn, narrowing her silver and gold eyes as she remarked, "You're more irresponsible than I expected..."

Shaking his head, Vahn reiterated, "Unless they place themselves under my influence or go out of their way to oppress others, it isn't my place to tell people how to live their lives. Good and evil, creation and destruction, life and death...change is born from the existence of such contrasts. She may abhor what I represent, but that's one thing your Mistress and I can agree on..."

Turning to meet Ahura's gaze, Vahn asked, "What will you do? This might be your only chance to 'free' yourself from the influence of your Mistress and Yvonne. If you return to their side, you will likely sever under them for the rest of your days."

Crossing her arms, Ahura didn't need to consider her response as she replied, "I'll likely travel to the West. The Great Sage has told us quite a bit about the Little Garden, so I believe I can thrive in such a distorted, borderline dystopian environment. Who knows, I may even become the Number 1 Hero..."

As the Actualized World she originated from had developed technology to the point their spacecraft could destroy entire solar systems with a single bomb, Ahura was confident she could reach the pinnacle of the West Side on her own. The existence of Da Vinci made this nigh impossible, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn affirmed, "The West is probably the best option for someone with your character. However, you should know that I intend to conquer the entire Divine Realm within two years. I won't stop you from starting a Community and expanding your influence, but it would probably be better to wait a few years before attempting anything major."

Raising her brows, Ahura asked, "Is it okay for you to be telling me this? Even if you're confident in your strength, there's a chance I could oppose you by conspiring with others."

Shaking his head, Vahn left Ahura feeling moderately annoyed as he flatly replied, "Unlikely. The power and authority I possess make the Hegemons of your world seem tame in comparison. Even if you succeeded in rallying the entire Divine Realm against me, it wouldn't be enough. If I weren't still playing by the rules, I could take over right this instant."

Though his words sounded brazen and borderline braggadocious, Vahn knew, with absolute certainty, that the Big Three couldn't stop him if he decided to go all out. They might be able to destroy his body, expel him from the Divine Realm, or run away with their tails tucked between their legs, but it wouldn't matter. After analyzing various Authorities, including the Sun Authority lent to Amaterasu by Shiroyasha, he could prevent the destruction of the current Little Garden or create a brand new one. There was nothing anyone could do to stop him.

Appearing slightly pouty, Ahura grumpily inquired, "Then what's the point of setting out on my own? It sounds like I should just join you and enjoy a free ride to the top."

Shrugging his shoulders, Vahn replied, "You're free to join my Community or become an affiliate of my Empire, but it won't provide you access to the 'top.' I do feel a sense of obligation towards you, but there are thousands of people ahead of you in terms of my priorities. Besides..."

Manifesting Laev-tan with his right hand, Vahn brandished her proudly as he said, "I already have the best sword at my side..."

As she had intended to offer herself as Vahn's sword, her true from being the claymore she wielded, Ahura's expression darkened when he brought out Laev-tan. Back in the Masadaverse, she was regarded as the Ultimate Weapon of White, a Divine Sword that came into being at the very birth of the Universe. She was currently weakened due to no one really knowing about her, but she still viewed herself as the most powerful sword in all of Creation.

"You think that trinket can compare to me? I may be weakened now, but it's only a matter of time before I secure my position as the most powerful sword in the Divine Realm...you may not regret it any time soon, but there will come a time when my wielder ends up driving me through your body, annihilating your very soul..."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn just smiled as he said, "To that end, I wish you and your future wielder the best of luck. It won't be near enough, but do your best."

Furrowing her brows, Ahura adopted a remarkably affronted expression as she glared up at Vahn with balled fists. She wanted nothing more than to slap Vahn in his smug-looking face, but, understanding the futility of such action, she eventually turned around and stormed off, shouting, "You'll rue this day, Vahn Aldrnari Mason! Mark my words...!"

Shaking his head, Vahn shouldered Laev-tan and walked in the opposite direction of Ahura. It had been a while since he walked around with Laev-tan in her sword form, so he decided to finish his tour with her while Mitra, Yvonne, and Naraka finished their discussion. Yvonne knew he was privy to everything they were saying, but he could at least pretend to give them some privacy...

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"Ahura has also departed..."

Hearing Yvonne's words, the already grumpy expression on Mitra's face became even more so as she remarked, "Those ungrateful brats...I know I'm the one who said they could make their own decisions, but they could have at least said goodbye..."

Adopting a wry smile, Yvonne decided not to respond to Mitra's remark. Instead, she continued combing her fingers through the pink and red-haired warrior's hair until she asked, "What now? I retired from fighting when I handed over the Throne to you...without Ahura and Nadare, our ability to manage a large organization will be limited..."

Narrowing her eyes lovingly, Yvonne whispered, "You know I'm going to tell you the same thing I told you back then...do you enjoy hearing it so?"

Instead of responding to Yvonne's question, Mitra snuggled closer before staring up at her with an expectant look.

Moving her hand to caress the side of Mitra's face, Yvonne's expression and tone softened as she whispered, "Leave everything to me...your pain, your suffering, your dreams, your aspirations...I will bear them all. You've done enough..."

Rubbing her cheek against Yvonne's palm, Mitra closed her eyes with a contented smile on her face. There was a time when she attempted to bear the burden of 'everything' all on her lonesome. However, while she managed to do exactly that, the loneliness she was forced to endure was beyond anything she had imagined. She managed to become one with everything, but, in exchange, she felt detached from it all, even the very people she sacrificed herself to save...

At her absolute lowest point, Mitra seriously considered taking her own life and bringing an end to everything. It was at that moment that Yvonne, someone who served as a mentor to her prior to her ascension, appeared before her. It should have been impossible for anyone who wasn't chosen to reach the Throne, yet, as if such limitations meant absolutely nothing to her, Yvonne appeared to relieve her of her burdens and guide her toward a new, much brighter path...

Feeling a little emotional, Mitra whispered, "Tell me you love me..." in a soft, almost inaudible tone.

Adopting an even more affectionate smile, Yvonne whispered, "I love you..."

Opening her eyes ever so slightly, Mitra's red and blue irises glistened as she said, "Say it again..."

Moving her hand down Mitra's face, Yvonne raced her pampered lover's lips with her thumb as she repeated, "I love you..."

Reaching up, Mitra took hold of Yvonne's wrist and began suckling the tips of her fingers. If anyone in her previous life saw this, they would be beside themselves with confusion. She was known to be prideful to the point of arrogance, yet, whenever she was with Yvonne, she resembled the kitten her hairstyle made her out to be...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn when he hears Nadare call him daddy, "Hello darkness, my old friend..."','Ahura may as well be a butter knife before the might of Laev-tan...!','It seems Vahn isn't the only one who can turn proud, warrior women into pets...')