Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

"Nono! Get away from that bastard...!"

Apparently having failed to learn his lesson, Justinian, Leader of the Silver Adonis, shouted with such rage and indignation in his voice that it nearly cracked.

Nono, hearing his outburst, immediately turned towards Vahn, face buried into his sleeve as she clung to his yukata with her right hand. This caused the silver-haired man to become even more incensed, but, before he could shout a second time, Dorothea adopted a harsh tone and said, "I didn't bring you here to insult people and throw a tantrum. Be quiet."

Though he looked like he had swallowed a bug, Justinian fell silent when he saw Dorothea shift the oversized sword on her shoulder.

While this interaction was going on, Vahn maintained an unperturbed expression on his face as he listened to Loi-chain reveal the reason behind the man's anger. He had apparently been more than a little fond of Nono's adult self. This factored into why he had elected to summon her from among the functionally infinite number of Heroes present within the Lower Realms. He intended to turn her into his future bride, so, seeing her next to another man, it was no wonder he was upset.

Snorting through his nose, Vahn's expression became discernible cold as he handed the rickshaw coolie a rather handsome tip. Then, with Nono effectively hiding behind him, he passed his icy gaze over the predominately hostile group before setting his sights on Dorothea and asking, "What's this about? Is Twice Twilight in the business of backing ruffians and scoundrels? I would be more than a little disappointed if that was the case..."

Furrowing her brows ever so slightly, Dorothea shook her head and explained, "No. It's nothing like that. We do our best to be fair and impartial. This is ultimately just an extension of our investigation into yesterday's matter."

Nodding his head, Vahn gestured for Dorothea to continue as he shifted his gaze to Justinian. This caused the purple-haired beauty to release a tired sight, but, despite her frustrations, she went on to add, "According to the members of Silver Adonis, their reason for attacking you was because you had kidnapped a member of their Community. I believe the young lady behind you is the person in question...?"

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn's expression morphed into a deadpan as he asked, "Does it look like I have kidnapped her? Even a fool would be able to see that I'm protecting her..."

Though she didn't appreciate the fact that Vahn was basically insinuating she was a fool, Dorothea maintained an ostensibly unperturbed expression as she replied, "Yes, that much is clear. However, as there are clearly some personal grievances between both sides, it would serve the public order if you either set aside your differences or settled things with a Gift Game. I have been sent here to act as an impartial Host. If both sides agree, we will settle this using the means ordained by the Gods."

"Oh? And what are the terms you came up with? If it wasn't obvious at this point, Nono is now a member of my Community. Specifically, she is our Adjutant. Even if Silver Adonis offered the lives of every single one of their members as collateral, their combined value wouldn't even reach a fraction of Nono's. In other words, they have absolutely nothing to offer if I win. Why should I participate in a Gift Game with them?"

"You son of a bi-"

Before Justinian could finish his ill-conceived words, Vahn made a pointing gesture towards the ground, saying, "Lower your head and keep quiet." in a commanding tone. This caused the silver-haired man to faceplant into the ground, his eyes turning bloodshot as he found himself unable to raise his head so much as a single centimeter.

Stepping in between Vahn and Justinian, Dorothea's expression showed her unwillingness as she said, "This isn't how we do things in the Little Garden. You can't just resort to violence to solve all of your problems. Please reconsider before this matter grows even further out of proportion..."

Upon closer inspection, Vahn noticed that the massive sword on Dorothea's shoulder was actually another syringe. Unlike the needleless one she was carrying yesterday, however, it had a 20cm long golden needle dripping a fiery red liquid that had crystallized into the structure of her sword. As she stepped out in front of him, the liquid within the syringe began to glisten with an intense light, and, though she was clearly holding back, the surrounding temperature began to skyrocket.

With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, Vahn plainly stated, "It's a little counterintuitive to say you condemn violence when you clearly have no problems resorting to it yourself. Is this really the hill you wish to fight upon? Defending a group of individuals that target and attack children from a samaritan that stepped in to prevent a tragedy? You didn't show up when Nono was being chased through the streets with bloodied feet. Instead, you appear to protect the people who spent the last seven months tormenting her. You've quite the twisted sense of justice, don't ya...?"

Clenching her teeth, Dorothea wanted to say something in her defense, but, from an objective point of view, everything Vahn said hit the nail on the head. She was literally preparing to confront him in order to protect a group of individuals that were, very clearly, in the wrong. There were also no laws prohibiting people from leaving one Community and joining another, so, after a moment of tense silence, she ultimately chose to retract her blade, her outfit changing to resemble the one she wore the previous day as she lowered her head and said, "I don't wish to fight you. I just want to preserve the peace. The members of Silver Adonis might be absolute scum, but they are still residents of the Little Garden. Please try and settle things in accordance with our laws..."

Not expecting Dorothea to suddenly bow her head, a pleading undertone to her voice, Vahn felt as though all the wind had been taken out of his sails. Sincerity had been one of his most prominent weaknesses even as far back as his time in Danmachi. Thus, understanding that Dorothea was just doing what she believed was best, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Fine. State your terms. So long as the conditions aren't too ridiculous, I don't mind teaching these buffoons a more official lesson..."

Punctuating his words, Vahn snapped his fingers, removing the invisible force pressing Justinian's head to the ground. This cause the man to leap to his feet, but, rather than attacking, he just glared venomously as Dorothea went on to explain, "Very well. Both sides will issue their own terms while I, acting as an impartial Host, will determine which Game shall be played. Don't worry. I will make sure it is as fair and balanced as possible."

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Justinian pointed towards Nono, his expression absolutely livid as he stated, "I want you to return Nono. My Community invested thirteen years' worth of resources into summoning her. You have no right to poach her out from under us...!"

Snorting a second time, Vahn crossed his arms as he asked, "And you're telling me you had a right to kidnap a 9-year-old girl from her homeworld? Ridiculous. If you want her that badly, feel free to wager your banner and territory. I already mentioned it previously, but the combined value of your entire Community can't measure up to a single strand of her hair on her head. I also have no use for your Gifts, so, unless you're willing to wager your territory, get out of my face."

"You...!"

Holding up her hand, Dorothea effectively silenced Justinian before turning to Vahn and saying, "I don't mean to take sides, but the Central Network will never recognize the value of a single person as equivalent to a Community's banner and territory. While it is praiseworthy to place such value in your compatriots, others would be able to make similar claims by stating that something as simple as a stone carries comparable value...Unless you have something to offer that is of equal value to what you are requesting, please reconsider your terms..."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn manifested what appeared to be a thick stack of tarot cards. This caused everyone in the surroundings, not just Dorothea and the members of Silver Adonis, to immediately tense up.

"I will wager an additional 100 C-Rank Gift Cards against your Community's Flag and Territory. Also, now that you have triggered my ire, know that I will immediately declare war on you the moment you refuse. You forced me to participate in this little charade. You will see it through to the end or face consequences you can't even begin to imagine."

Though his golden pupils reflected a greedy light the moment he saw the stack of Gift Cards, any desire Justinian had to challenge Vahn had dissipated greatly. Even Floor Masters only possessed a few hundred Gifts yet the person in front of him was able to casually proffer forth an entire deck full of them. This implied that Vahn had an incomprehensible backing, and, were it not for the threat he had tacked on to the end of his statement, Justinian might have voluntarily lowered his head to the ground.

Demonstrating just as much shock as everyone else, Dorothea swallowed hard before asking, "Can I inspect them? Even if they are C-Rank Gifts, it would be a problem if they were all the same thing..."

Since it was possible to seal the branches of Water Trees into Gift Cards, effectively converting them into portable water sources, Dorothea needed to check in order to make sure Vahn wasn't trying to pull the wool over their eyes. The casualness in which he handed them over made it pretty clear this wasn't the case, but, as she had already promised to be an impartial Host, Dorothea went through each of the Gift Cards in turn, her eyes widening as she found a few B and A-Rank Cards mixed in.

"Umm...Vahn...sama? Some of these cards are B and A-Rank..."

Waving his hand in a gesture of dismissal, Vahn stated, "It doesn't really matter. They decided to prick at this Dragon's Reverse Scale. Now they will pay the price."

Punctuating his words, Vahn allowed horns to grow from his head like a crown as golden wings and a thick tail protruded from his upper and lower back. This caused the more opportunistic individuals who were watching from the sidelines to immediately mind their own business. As for the members of Silver Adonis, Justinian's expression paled as more than half of the group he brought along with him attempted to retract their affiliation with his Community.

Since they had already come this far, Vahn's pupils retracted to form thin slits as he said, "It's far too late for that. You had your chance when I entrusted you to the Twice Twilight Community. Now, you come requesting a member of my family as a prize. Did you really think I would let you walk away a second time...?"

Though he was doing his best to restrain his aura, even Vahn was surprised by how oppressive it was becoming. This was the first time he had transformed into a dragon since his awakening, and, based on what he was currently seeing, it was a hell of a lot stronger than usual.

Fortunately, just as it seemed like the surroundings buildings might collapse, a somewhat childish voice echoed through the streets, saying, "This is getting a little out of hand. How about we all just calm down and take a niiiiiiice long breath~?"

Immediately following the words, a girl appearing even younger than Sarina and Nono manifested out of thin air with a mischievous yet serious expression on her face. This caused the few remaining people nearby to immediately disperse, as, despite being a recluse, there were very few people who didn't know what the Eastern Floor Master looked like. She was, after all, the most infamous lolita in the entire Divine Realm...

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