Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Waking from a dreamless slumber, Sala didn't even attempt to process where she was or who she was with. It was only once Sandora gently caressed her face and said, "Good morning..." that she blinked back to awareness, asking, "Is this real...?"

Nodding her head, Sandora softly replied, "Yes. And if my presence isn't enough to convince you, just place your hand on my abdomen...can you feel the life gestating within...?"

As Sandora had taken the initiative to guide Sala's hand to her abdomen, the latter just paused for a few moments before adopting a faint smile and saying, "It certainly feels real..."

Exhaling a soft chuckle, Sandora pulled Sala's face into her bosom, gently caressing her head as she softly cooed, "Take your time, Sala...I'll be here as long as it takes..."

"Mmm..."

Feeling Sandora's warmth flowing into her, Sala promptly succumbed to a bout of respite. She had been 'sleeping' for so long that it was difficult for her to stay awake and distinguish her dreams from reality. She wanted to believe that the person cradling her was her sister, but she had dreamed of Sandora so often that an actual reunion seemed too good to be true.

Sensing Sala's consciousness slip away, a forlorn smile marred Sandora's face as she gently called out, "Vahn..."

Manifesting less than a second after Sandora had called his name, Vahn had a similar look on his face as he replied, "You called...?"

Feeling better the moment Vahn appeared, Sandora's smile regained its vigor as she returned a slight nod and asked, "I know this was something Sala decided for herself but isn't there anything we can do for her? I don't mind watching over her for as long as it takes, but it doesn't feel like she's truly returned to us..."

Having already come up with numerous solutions, Vahn narrowed his eyes affectionately as he replied, "We can entrust her to the care of the Eurasia Family, or I can directly cordon off the parts of her ego imprinted with the knowledge of the Throne. However, neither of those options respects the sacrifices she made in the Masadaverse. I doubt she would complain, but she may lose her confidence if she isn't allowed to overcome this with her own strength..."

Seeing the smile fade from Sandora's face, Vahn's became slightly wry as he appended, "The best thing we can do for her is simply give her time. It may take days, months, or even hundreds of years, but she will eventually regain her senses. What you have to decide is if you want to wait patiently or have her 'awaken' immediately..."

With the ability to manipulate Time, Vahn could expedite Sala's recovery to a single moment. However, while it might seem that from an outsider's perspective, thousands of years could pass from the viewpoint of Sala. Thousands of years that may have been shortened to decades if she had someone she cared about looking after her.

Though she was tempted to simply allow Vahn to solve everything, a look of conviction formed across Sandora's face as she said, "I will wait...this is the path Sala has chosen; I will respect her decision."

After nodding his head in approval, Vahn waved his hand to produce a series of shimmering golden runes. He intended to respect Sandora's decision, but that didn't mean he couldn't make things a little easier for her.

Over the course of three seconds, Vahn weaved enough runes to fill a grimoire more than ten centimeters thick before sending them floating into Sandora's chest as he explained, "That enchantment will effectively place your body into stasis whenever you're near your sister. I know you want her to be present for our child's birth, so that will allow you to spend as much time as you want at her side without having to worry about going into labor..."

Unable to restrain herself, an amused chuckle emanated from Sandora's throat as she covered her mouth. She was wondering what Vahn was up to when he began weaving runes. In hindsight, she should have realized it was something along these lines.

While some women would dread the notion of being pregnant for literal decades, Sandora found it somewhat novel. She also knew Vahn could create an Avatara for her if she wanted to walk around unencumbered, so she eventually narrowed her eyes and replied, "How thoughtful of you..." in a beguiling tone.

Placing his hand over his heart, Vahn's expression became equally playful as he performed a gentlemanly curtsy and replied, "I aim to please."

Though her pupils briefly narrowed into slits, Sandora managed to calm herself and retort, "Speaking of which, are you truly content with letting those girls go? I know you're trying to avoid collecting 'every' beautiful woman you just so happen to encounter, but won't you feel responsible if they run rampant?"

Instead of trying to refute it, Vahn nodded his head and replied, "Without a doubt. However, unless I intend to suppress free will, that's something I have to be willing to accept. They're aware of the repercussions of taking things too far, so they have just as much a right as anyone else to decide the paths they walk."

"Mmm...well, so long as they don't cause trouble in the North, I have little else to say on the matter..."

As her words trailed off, Sandora looked down at her sister to find a faint smile on Sala's face. That was more than enough to bring an affectionate one to both hers and Vahn's, the latter remarking, "She's nearly as cute as you when you sleep..."

Exhaling another light chuckle, Sandora picked a few strands of hair from Sala's face as she softly replied, "You should go now...I know you're busy with matters in the South and East Sides. You don't need to force yourself to stay here on my behalf. Finish what you need to and then return to us. I will always be waiting..."

Though he was tempted to point out that he could handle his other affairs without leaving her side, Vahn ultimately nodded his head and replied, "I'll be back..." before fading away like an afterimage. Sandora just needed to call out to him before he would instantly return to her side. So, knowing she probably intended to manipulate the flow of time within the room, he decided to give the two sisters the privacy they required.

Seeing Vahn fade away, a pang of loneliness briefly pervaded Sandora's chest before she promptly suppressed it. Vahn had informed her about his self-imposed time constraint. Thus, while she wanted nothing more than to spend as much time as possible with him, Sandora also understood it would be better for everyone if she allowed Vahn to focus on matters that concerned all of creation, not just her.

With such thoughts on her mind, Sandora used her Authority as both a Host and Floor Master to accelerate the flow of time within the room by a factor of 8760. This ratio meant that an entire year would pass within the room for every hour that passed outside.

While most people couldn't fathom spending years confined to a single room, Sandora knew this wasn't even a fraction of the 'time' Sala must have endured within the Throne. Thus, while she understood it wouldn't be easy, Sandora was resolved for the long haul. Fortunately, Vahn had previously gifted her a display linked to his Actualized Worlds. She could use it to view events of the past, present, and future in anime format, so, after a moment of hesitation, Sandora navigated to the 'Masadaverse' and prepared to witness her sister's journey from beginning to end...

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Sensing subtle fluctuations in the space above the opposite couch, Mitra opened her eyes just in time to catch Vahn manifesting out of thin air. The cat-like smile that had adorned her face immediately withered into a pout, but before she could say anything, Yvonne interjected, softly muttering, "I see you have decided to respect Sala's decision..."

Though he nodded his head in affirmation, Vahn's expression turned melancholy as he explained, "I recently used my power to give a girl name Shion a 'second chance.' I don't regret my decision, but I have also come to realize that my actions at the time were more than a little extreme. You could say this is an opportunity to prove to myself that there are always alternative solutions to a problem..."

"Mmm...I have experienced something similar. During the start of Sala's journey through the Masadaverse, I did my best not to intervene. After she appealed to me for assistance, however, I ended up tampering with the fates of trillions in a vain attempt to 'fix' things. In the end, I realized that the only permanant solution was the one Mitra came up with during our first loop..."

Shifting her gaze to Naraka, currently resembling a young therianthrope with lilac hair, draconic eyes, and androgynous features, Yvonne added, "The only way people can be free from the influence of fate is if they are granted the same power and authority as the Gods. By disseminating the knowledge contained within the Throne to all of Creation, we managed to create a world where everyone was equal...a world where Hegemons and the Root were simply unnecessary..."

Returning her gaze to Vahn, Yvonne's expression became inordinately serious as she said, "That's what we hope to achieve here in the Little Garden. I understand it doesn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things, but the imperfection of the Gods is a cancer that has claimed countless lives. Since even you cannot attain perfection, I say it is our 'obligation' to ensure everyone has the same opportunities...that is the only way everyone can be free..."

Though he furrowed his brows, Vahn didn't attempt to argue with Yvonne. He possessed all of her memories, so he knew her 'solution' had a degree of merit. It was far from perfect, but when everyone possessed the same knowledge, power, and functionally infinite resources, there weren't a lot of reasons to fight. There was still conflict, but it didn't matter when both sides were immortal and drew from the same, perfectly partitioned power source.

After a considerable silence, Vahn replied, "Your path is yours to choose. My goal has always been the same. I will reach the pinnacle of Tier 6 and link the Records. If you wish to create a reality where everyone is 'equal,' I have no intention of stopping you. However, if you intend to depose me or get in the way of my objective..."

Shaking her head rapidly, beads of sweat appeared on Yvonne's brow as she replied, "I would never dream of intervening in the reunion between you and your family. I know you intend to isolate the Record of Danmachi once the merger has taken place, and we have absolutely no intention of interfering with that. We simply wish to create an Order of Creation where everyone can exist on equal terms. We have no desire to superimpose our will over Orders outside the one we establish..."

Since she understood how impossible it was to defeat Vahn, the thought of getting in his way had never once crossed Yvonne's mind. No amount of training could ever surpass the 'concepts' he represented, so the best way to achieve their objective was to let Vahn return home and leave him to his own devices. Then, so long as they didn't touch his bottom line, he would afford them the same luxury.

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn replied, "Then we have an accord. I will permit you to establish a new Order, but ascending to the pinnacle will depend on your efforts. Just know that others, potentially even my other Templates, will rise to oppose you. I have made it so that each of you can choose your own paths, so don't expect me to intervene or take sides."

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Yvonne replied, "That is more than enough. Our belief won't be shaken by any amount of opposition. So long as you don't get in our way, we'll eventually be able to reach our goal..."

Though he was half-tempted to create a Template specifically to oppose Yvonne, Vahn resisted the urge and simply nodded. The penultimate form of Creation didn't really matter to him as there were limitless Records and his Actualized Worlds were wholly unrelated to the current Order. He also didn't disagree with Yvonne's and Mitra's somewhat unique solution, so, as long as they didn't go crazy and try to spread their system through the linked Records, he didn't mind letting them do as they pleased.

Everyone had the right to choose their own paths...

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