While his other selves were occupied elsewhere, another Vahn kept his promise to spend the day at a refurbished Ryozanpaku with Miu and their daughter, Kiyomi.
"Hiyaaaa~!"
Although she was only sixteen months old, Kiyomi, possessing the same blonde hair and blue eyes as her mother, possessed strength exceeding the average adult. This, combined with the fact that she was only 73.5cm tall, allowed her to flip nearly two meters high and three meters distant to land a flying kick against her Great Grandfather's, Hayato's, guard.
"Very good, Kiyomi-chan. Once you've grown a bit older, you'll no doubt be able to send an old man like me flying in one blow~" hummed Hayato, sporting a toothy smile as he continued to dodge and block Kiyomi's swift and agile attacks.
"Soon..." muttered Shigure, her expression and tone flat, but her amethyst purple eyes glistening with expectation as she lay like a cat across Vahn's lap, her right hand caressing her lower abdomen.
"And I'm certain that he or she will be just as incredible as their mother," hummed Vahn, sporting a relaxed smile as he gently caressed Shigure's neck and the underside of her chin. At that moment, Miu returned with a tray of steaming hot tea, prompting the smile on his face to widen as she presented him a cup and remarked, "It's not as good as what the Sisters serve, but I did my best."
"I haven't even tasted it yet, but I can tell from the fragrance alone it will taste great," stated Vahn, bringing the cup to his nose, closing his eyes, and enjoying the tea's fragrant aroma before taking a slow, methodical sip to savor its flavor.
"Oh, please. You'd say that even if I prepared you a cup of boiling water~" chimed Miu, unable to prevent a radiant smile from adorning her face as she presented a cup to Shigure, obligating the latter to sit up and accept it.
"That's the beauty of food and drink prepared with love," countered Vahn, his deep voice and relaxed smolder causing Miu's cheeks to flush lightly as he met her gaze with a sidelong stare and asserted, "The stronger the love, the better they taste..."
"If that's true, then Miu must love you a great deal," remarked Shigure, her icy, nearly deadpan delivery causing Miu's face to almost turn beet red as she suppressed the urge to offer a raised retort.
Shattering the awkward but heartwarming tension, a high-pitched, child-like voice called out, "Mommy! Come and play with me and Grampa!" as Kiyomi scampered over and endeavored to leap into Miu's hastily spread arms. Instead, her tiny figure slowed to a crawl as it sailed through Vahn's Domain, causing her eyes to widen before she began excitedly flailing her arms and legs, exclaiming, "Ooooh! Papa is using his magic...!" with star-filled eyes.
"Do you mind if I play with you as well?" asked Vahn, rising to his feet ahead of Miu and Shigure to pluck Kiyomi out of the air, prompting her expression to brighten like the sun cresting the horizon as she excitedly replied, "Of course! Kiyomi loves playing with Papa the most~!"
Feeling his heart melt and his eyes gain a faint layer of moisture, Vahn's usual mask of calm shattered as he began fervently rubbing his cheek against Kiyomi's while tickling the sides of her body, causing her to laugh and cry out happily before landing a surprisingly heavy kick to the center of his chest. His defenses had absolutely no effect against his children, so even though Kiyomi only had power comparable to a well-trained adult, Vahn felt the force of her blow spread through his chest like a shockwave as she escaped his hold and floated weightlessly through his Domain. He had effectively turned the room into a zero-gravity playground, so after a quick touch of his chest, he grinned and chased after the giggling toddler with the intention of tickling and cuddling her into submission...
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With Kiyomi napping after a morning of training, playing to her heart's content, and a big lunch, Vahn split himself into two to accompany Miu and Shigure while his other self sat with Hayato on the dojo's side porch and sipped warm plum sake.
"I believe this goes without saying, but you are welcome here anytime..." stated Hayato, modeling one of his characteristically grandfatherly smiles as he remarked, "I imagine that you're trying to be considerate of Kenichi and that your responsibilities as Dragon God take precedence, but Kiyomi, Miu, and Shigure would benefit from having you around more often."
"Mmn...I don't feel that I've been particularly neglectful toward them, but I can definitely visit more often..." affirmed Vahn, gazing up at the slightly overcast sky with a thoughtful smile. It was ultimately Miu's decision to have their daughter reside at Ryozanpaku until it was time for her to enroll in the Academy, but he saw no need to point that out. Instead, he allowed a brief silence to hang between him and Hayato before asking, "Has there been any news regarding Yami or the Kuremisago Clan?"
"Not since you teleported their leaders to the same location and gave them a demonstration of your power..." answered Hayato, combing the fingers of his right hand through his long and lustrous golden beard as he remarked, "I can't imagine they have given up on their goals, but learning that there are Gods and that they could be detained at a moment's notice have made them more discreet. If nothing else, they have all but ceased operating in Japan completely..."
"That was a wise decision on their part," affirmed Vahn, the air around him and Hayato tensing as he casually remarked, "I am not fond of killing, but I am willing to make exceptions for those who target my family, knowingly or otherwise..."
"Yes...while my personal views are different, I can understand the desire to protect one's family and punish those who would willfully cause them harm..." conceded Hayato. Ordinarily, he would contend that one should never purposefully or vengefully take the life of one's opponent, lest they succumb to the same darkness. But as the person seated next to him was a God, he didn't feel he was in a position to lecture Vahn on the concepts of forgiveness and compassion.
"Well, just let me know if they do anything too audacious..." said Vahn, rising to his feet and taking a moment to cup his neck with his right hand and pop it. He didn't mind sharing drinks with Hayato, but he felt things were becoming a little too tense. Thus, after raising his left hand to the sky and compelling the clouds to disperse, he added, "Though, with the power you currently possess, you should be able to handle most threats yourself."
"Your words honor me," responded Hayato, rising to his feet, cupping his hands, and offering Vahn a courteous bow despite the latter's insistence that it wasn't necessary. Vahn offered a curt nod in response. Then, as he often did when removing himself from a situation, his body dissolved into golden flower petals that spread throughout the area, causing flowers and plants to sprout wherever they landed...
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Around the same time that one of his two counterparts was departing from Ryozanpaku, another Vahn was relaxing in a messy, Japanese-style bedroom that smelled of incense and women. At his side, a naked Rangiku was snuggled up to him with a pensive, unfocused look, compelling him to softly remark, "Here's your daily reminder that if you need to talk, I'm here to listen..."
"And this is me once again reminding you that I'm fine..." sighed Rangiku, regaining a bit of her focus to plant a kiss on Vahn's right pectoral before returning her head to his shoulder, closing her eyes, and stating, "I'm just feeling somewhat...emotionally depleted. These past few years have been busier than the previous two hundred combined..."
Though he knew it wasn't her busy schedule that had Rangiku staring off into space with growing frequency, Vahn was content with waiting for her to reveal the truth herself—being that she was pregnant. And as he hadn't used Peerless Adonis to ensure it, it was a completely organic occurrence made possible only because she desired to bear him a child. That was the part he imagined Rangiku was struggling with, as, deep down, there was a part of her that couldn't stop loving Gin or accept moving on while he was imprisoned...
"Should I ask Kukaku to give you some time off...?" asked Vahn, planting a kiss atop Rangiku's crown before noting, "If she refuses, we could always make use of a Training Room to enjoy a nice, long vacation..."
Hearing Vahn mention entering a Training Room, Rangiku's icy blue eyes regained their focus as she seriously considered his proposition and her response. She knew Vahn well enough to understand that if she answered affirmatively, he would readily accompany her for years. It was one of the things that made it nearly impossible not to fall for him, as, despite having dozens of women at his side and thousands more in his service, he never hesitated to make time for those who needed him...
"We should invite at least Rukia, Isane, and Kiyone..." answered Rangiku, closing her eyes and relaxing the tension in her body. Vahn was too much for her to handle alone, so while she felt like a long vacation was precisely what she needed to come to terms with her current situation, she needed at least a few sacrificial lambs to prevent him from doting upon, pandering to, and making love to her 24/7...
"Sounds like a fun time..." responded Vahn, planting another kiss on top of Rangiku's crown before immediately contacting Venelana to apprise her of the situation and arrange an evening meeting with the executive members of his harem. They ultimately had no problem with him spending a year or two attending to Rangiku's mental and emotional wellness, so while it was ultimately his decision to make, they readily endorsed him. Unfortunately, when he later asked if Tsunade would accompany him, the buxom blonde gave him a flush-faced punch that sent him crashing through a wall, since she knew that accepting would almost assuredly result in her giving birth to their current child and then getting pregnant again the moment she let her guard down...
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[May 3rd DxD/December 25th DBT]
Though it was a tradition for Gobbowlers to fast the evening before an important match, Vahn had everyone gathered in the inn's dining room, unhesitantly shoveling their faces with his stat-boosting breakfast less than an hour before their match.
"Shouldn't we be leaving soon? We'd become the laughing stock of the entire city if we arrived late and had to forfeit the match..." noted Amalia, modeling a scant white and orange cheerleading outfit and consuming her breakfast with considerably less abandon than virtually everyone else at the table.
"If that happens, we can just set sail and bid farewell to this city and the barbaric sport of Gobbowl in their entirety..." argued Eva, earning herself several withering glares from the elder at the table and Percedal, who, in response to her remark, slammed the table with his hands, stood up, and blurted, "Playing Gobbowl requires great valor and courage! You shouldn't look down on it!"
"Let's not get riled up..." said Vahn, his voice calm but his eyes glinting as he narrowed them at Percedal's. He felt that the Iop had been becoming increasingly brazen and hostile toward Amalia and Eva, in particular, as he spent time with the group. He could understand that Percedal was feeling vexed by his inability to score even one goal against him during their daily training sessions, but if the fiery-haired Iop believed he could take out his frustration on Amalia and Eva, he wouldn't stay silent.
Instead of backing down at Vahn's words, Percedal held his gaze with a resolute, battle-ready expression, asserting, "She's in the wrong here, and you know it! If you keep enabling her and Amalia, they're only going to get worse!"
"Excuse me?" interjected Amalia, her brows creasing and her hair flaring slightly as she stood up and exacerbated the situation, declaring, "You're just jealous that Vahn is taller, stronger, and more handsome than you! But he's a God, and you're just an Iop-brained idiot! Get over it!"
"Ooooof! That's gotta hurt..." chimed Rubilax, Percedal's cursed, Shushu-possessed sword. This, unsurprisingly, only made things worse. So, even though he had a match in less than an hour, Percedal gnashed his teeth, unsheathed his sword, and pointed it in Vahn's direction, exclaiming, "That does it! You and I are going to duel, right here, right now, Vahn! And when I win, you're going to return to where you came from and stop interfering with our journey!"
"Come on, Dally...there's no need to get so worked up, is there? Everyone here is our friend or ally..." reminded Yugo, looking anxious as he felt that things were headed in a direction that saw Percedal separating from their party. Meanwhile, Vahn's expression appeared tranquil as he set down the pot and ladle he was carrying before flatly answering, "Very well. As Yugo pointed out, I am not your enemy. But if you're challenging me seriously, I will neither refuse nor attempt to talk you out of it..."
Punctuating his statement, Vahn teleported the dining table and everyone seated around it to a spacious clearing several kilometers away. The ease with which he did so shocked everyone but Percedal. All the latter cared about at that moment was smashing the flat side of his sword into what he interpreted as Vahn's smug and stupid face, so with his skin turning a darker shade of brown, he unleashed a loud battle cry and leaped across the table without regard for the food atop it nor the people seated around it...
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