Chapter 2238 Casual Amusement

Taking advantage of his ability to project realistic illusions over reality, Vahn was watching events unfold throughout the Game Board whilst relaxing with the back of his head against Nobu's butt. She had a habit of lying on her stomach so she wouldn't choke when she passed out drunk. As a result, Vahn was able to reduce his size, nestle between her thighs, and rest his head against her remarkably soft and pillowy bottom. (A/N: He brought out a bed.)

With Amaterasu suffering a crushing defeat and Shion basically giving up the notion of victory, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the Sage Dragon's Hearth had the exclusive right to determine which Community ended up in which Gate. This was generally the case during the latter stages of a promotional Gift Game, but, more often than not, the Community Hosting the game would end up occupying the highest-numbered Gate. The number of times a burgeoning Community had caused such an upset, securing the top position for themselves, could be counted on a single hand.

Since it would cause problems if Wu's personal Community ended up with a lower-digit Gate than the entirety of Communities in the Heavenly Domain, Vahn was intending to give her the position formerly occupied by the Onigashima Community. The 1002nd Gate would be serving as the seat of power for the Aldrnari Empire while the 1009th Gate, previously belonging to the Kotoamatsukami, would invariably fall into the hands of Indra's Trāyastriṃśa.

Though he was unaware of their past relationship, Vahn had learned quite a bit about Indra from both Shiroyasha and Black Rabbit. He had a considerable amount of respect for the altruistic God, but, as the 1002nd Gate was necessary for his future plans, Vahn had no choice but to seize it for himself.

Given how Indra hadn't attempted to oppose him following the Rakshasa Tribe's retreat, Vahn had come to the conclusion that their invasion had been a test. Indra was renowned for investing in people he believed were capable of making the Little Garden a better place. The Aldrnari Empire was bound to stir things up, but, once he had dealt with the Demon God, Vahn expected most of the Little Garden's inhabitants to side with him.

"Hmmm...?"

Sensing that someone was praying to him, Vahn promptly shifted his intent to their location. There, he found Musashi rubbing her hands together as if she were offering up a prayer at a shrine. What surprised him more was the fact that Musashi wasn't alone...

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Located in the middle of a forest clearing, two distinctly Japanese women could be seen sitting next to a brook. The first was a mature woman with raven black hair, eyes that resembling a perpetually shifting painting, and healthy brown skin. As for the second, she greatly resembled the woman that was seated across from. The primary differences between them were that the first woman appeared to be in her late twenties while it was more accurate to refer to the latter as a young lady.

She also had cat ears and a tail.

"Musashi-dono...have you lost your mind? Even if there are no cameras focused on you, it's only a matter of time before someone reviews the recordings and finds you praying to a foreign God. Are you trying to incur the wrath of Amaterasu-sama...?"

Rolling her ever-shifting eyes, Musashi retorted, "That pink-haired vixen reveres the God of Infinite Possibilities. He may not be my God, but, through her, we share a connection. If Amaterasu-sama is petty enough to hold a grudge over something like this, she only has herself to blame when people jump ship."

Shifting her attention away from the young cat girl, Musashi completed the ritual before smiling as a veritable banquet appeared before her. She was a little annoyed that a second wooden table had appeared in front of her uninvited guest, Hanzo. When she noticed the latter was served an omelet shaped like a fish, however, a massive grin developed across Musashi's face. There was even a little flag of Japan sticking out of it.

Though her expression morphed into a hateful glower, the aroma rising from the omelet caused Hanzo's stomach to growl. Her nose was exceptionally sensitive so she could detect traces of soy sauce and bonito flakes on the inside. The rice served on the side was also emanating a magical, somewhat mesmerizing golden glow. Just staring at it gave the impression it was some kind of precious treasure, so, after observing Musashi dig into her dishes without incident, she eventually pulled out her personalized pair of chopsticks to give it a taste.

As the omelet made its way to Hanzo's lips, Musashi cast a mischievous glance towards the petite cat girl. She had fallen for the same trick previously so she was eager to see someone else 'suffer' the same fate.

Failing to notice Musashi's gaze, Hanzo placed the glistening golden rice into her mouth only to find her mind and tastebuds exploding. Not literally, of course, but it felt like a physical impact had struck her mind like a gong. A pleasant vibration spread through her body, and, for a brief moment, the only thought in Hanzo's mind was the flavor and mouthfeel of the rice. Everything else seemed completely meaningless...

Coming back to her senses, Hanzo was about to comment on the quality of the rice when her body suddenly froze. She took notice of the fact that Musashi was trying desperately to stop herself from laughing, but, far more important than the hateful woman seated across from her was the fact that she was now in her underwear.

"..."

Unable to contain herself any longer, Musashi burst out laughing with enough vigor that she could barely sit upright. The look of stupefaction on Hanzo's face was something she would never forget. When they returned home, she was immediately purchasing a recording of the Gift Game in order to immortalize this moment for eternity.

Though Musashi was much, much stronger than her, Hanzo didn't hesitate to throw a pitch-black kunai towards the laughing woman's throat. Musashi could have easily intercepted it, but, before it could cover the short distance between them, the kunai simply disappeared. In its place, a double-sided piece of paper telling them it was improper to fight during a meal could be seen hovering in the air. It also told them their food would be taken away if the message was ignored, so, following a moment of silence, both Musashi and Hanzo returned to their respective meals...

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Preserving the image of Hanzo's stupefied expression in one of his personalized memory archives, an amused smile developed across Vahn's face as he repositioned himself between Nobu's pillowy butt cheeks and closed his eyes. Now that he had administered the first installment of Amaterasu's punishment, he no longer held any enmity towards the Six-Dragons Alliance. Many of the women in the organization were incredibly interesting. Hanzo, in particular, possessed a number of interesting abilities. Her ears and tail also resonated with something deep inside of him. Were it not for the fact he was trying to cut back on the expansion of his harem, he may have been tempted to try and pet her until she purred...

(*I wonder what Fenrir would think if she learned you were more of a cat than a dog person~?*)

Restraining a chuckle, Vahn linked his hands over his stomach before stating, ("She already behaves more like a cat than a dog. Besides, when it comes to texture and feel, Fenrir's fur and tail are easily among the top three across all realities. Even then, I would probably choose to snuggle her over the other two...")

Though Vahn's words caused his mind to wander to a certain sheep girl, his mood didn't diminish in the slightest. He missed Preasia dearly, but, based on his current rate of progress, it would only be a few years before they reunited. She probably wouldn't be the first person he sought out, but, once the opportunity present itself, he planned to cuddle up with her and enjoy a nice, long nap.

While such thoughts made it seem as though Preasia was the softest girl he had ever encountered, that title actually belonged to Xysteria. The little ball of malleable fluff was so soft and fragrant that the easiest way to describe the texture of her fur was comparing it to Arachne silk and the warmth of a fire in the dead of winter. When her countless duplicates cuddled up and surrounded him, Vahn would sometimes feel as though he was floating weightlessly in an ocean of ethereal fur.

Thinking of Xysteria, Vahn decided he would pay the 'triplets' a visit once the celebration following the Gift Game had ended. He had been visiting them with increasing frequency as of late, but, as a God of Time, he had as much as he needed in any given moment. Even if he decided to watch over them for a million years, it wouldn't interfere with any of his ongoing plans. If he made a 'snapshot' of the present state of his Ego, he could even return to his present state of mind without losing any of his focus.

Since he was already going to spend a few years watching over Shion to make sure things went smoothly for her, Vahn decided he may as well link her Actualized World to the same metaversal structure as Gaia. That way, he could watch over Shion while spending time with the three sisters and his children. The end result was ultimately the same, but, having spent a considerable amount of time with Da Vinci, Vahn had developed the habit of at least trying to be efficient.

"Seriously...?"

Sensing yet another prayer directed towards him, Vahn, once again, found his intent shifting to Musashi and Hanzo. To his surprise, the former was actually petitioning him for a set of underwear on behalf of Hanzo. They had apparently gotten into a discussion regarding undergarments, and, as a result, Musashi ended up flaunting the Aegis Vahn had previously gifted her. Hanzo hadn't been all that interested in the beginning, but, upon discovering that the undergarments were comparable to A-Rank Gifts, she quickly changed her tune.

Hearing Musashi's request, a mischievous smile developed across Vahn's face. He knew that Hanzo would eventually return to her more mature form, but, if he was being honest, she was a lot cuter in her present state. Thus, while the Aegis he provided was form-fitting and resizeable to virtually any body type, their outer appearance resembled the type of panties worn by young children. He even included a little shuriken print on the front where the face of a cartoon bear or cat would typically be located.

As could be expected, Musashi immediately broke into another bout of laughter. As for Hanzo, she just stared at the pair of pure white panties and accompanying training with a deadpan expression on her face. At first, Vahn thought she was going to refuse them, but, after nearly two minutes had passed, Hanzo suddenly stood up and unfastened the cord keeping her hakama-like trousers fixed in place. This prompted Vahn to shift his perception back to the throne room, but, in the back of his mind, he couldn't help being amused at the notion that a legendary ninja was going to be running around in the Divine Realm in a pair of indestructible kiddie underwear...

(*Was that supposed to be a pun...?*)

Confused by Sis's words, Vahn's brows twitched ever so slightly as he attempted to comprehend their meaning. Thanks to his accelerated rate of thinking, it only took a few picoseconds, but, from his perspective, nearly a full minute had passed by the time Vahn realized Sis was drawing upon the fact that Hanzo was a cat girl. Since her current form was a bit on the younger that, that meant she was basically a kitty running around in kiddie panties. Had he imprinted a cat face on them, Hanzo would have been a kitty running around in kitty kiddie panties...

("Have I ever told you you're a genius...?")

(*53,488 times, to be precise.*)

("You're also a braggart...")

(*Well, I am an extension of you...*)

("...")

(*Onee-chan laughter sounds*)

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Reminds me of one of those Zhongli mousepads...','I'm wheezing xD...','Sis is a very punny woman (U w U)...')