Though he would ordinarily be on the move, single-mindedly transitioning between one familiar, carefully planned moment to the next in his effort to defeat the false God of Creation, Orsted, Dragon God, and one of the few surviving members of his species, found himself gazing pensively out over a frost-laden tundra from atop a mountain path.
'Ever since I got that strange invitation, the world has begun to change in ways I can no longer predict...' noted Orsted, his golden, vertically-slitted sanpaku eyes narrowing as a frigid breeze disturbed his silvery-white hair but failed to pierce his body. He had repeated the two-hundred-year loop he was trapped within more than a hundred times. With his near-perfect recollection, he knew precisely how things were to play out depending on his actions. Yet, for the first time since his earliest loops, he found himself unsure which path to take, whom to nurture, or who he had to eliminate to increase the odds of completing his near-impossible labor...
"It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful nature can be..." remarked a voice Orsted had never heard, prompting the Dragon God to spin around with such speed that he appeared to phase through his own body. In the same motion, he extended his right hand toward the neck of the man who had spoken, prompting Vahn to raise his brow as the man's hand clenched decisively.
"I understand why you would attack and be suspicious of someone who appeared behind you, but going for the kill from the get-go seems a little excessive..." remarked Vahn, Orsted's fingers phasing through his body as he was appearing before the man as a non-physical projection.
After passing through Vahn's body and hearing his words, Orsted paused for a moment before looking back at him, his white, black-furred coat and cape billowing as he got straight to the point, asking, "Are you responsible for that invitation I received?"
"In a sense," affirmed Vahn, nodding. Then, turning to face the glowering man, he extended his right hand, smiled, and revealed, "My name is Vahn Mason. In the reality I originate, I'm known as the Dragon God of Infinite Possibilities. You may not believe this now, but I am not your enemy. And depending on the outcome of this conversation, I could very well become your greatest ally."
"And how do I know you're not one of Hitogami's Apostles...?" questioned Orsted, glancing at Vahn's hand with eyes that seemed like they could cut through stone or freeze lava.
"Because if I were, this situation would be beyond recovery as he would be just as aware of the fact you're looping through time," answered Vahn, causing Orsted's golden eyes to slowly widen at the significance of what he had just said. Hitogami's unawareness of his time loop was one of the very few advantages Orsted had against the errant God. Thus, if he truly were one of Hitogami's Apostles, the cat was out of the bag, and all of his efforts had been for nothing.
"Sorry. I can imagine how jarring it is for you to hear that. But now that we're on the same page, you should be more willing to hear and believe what I have to say," stated Vahn, rescinding his handshake as it became clear to him that Orsted had no intention of accepting it.
"What is it you want from me?" asked Orsted, his golden eyes blazing with barely contained fury.
"I am here to inform you that, if you're willing to work with us, this will be your final loop," stated Vahn, his expression turning serious as he clarified, "I find the being who calls himself Hitogami utterly abhorrent. But as this isn't my world, it isn't my place to remove and install someone else in his stead. And since you've been seeking to defeat him for 47,318 years, you deserve to be the one to strip him of his power and Authority."
"47,318 years..." repeated Orsted, his body appearing to lose some of its tension as he gazed down at the palm of his left hand and slowly formed it into a fist. He had stopped keeping track after his one-hundredth loop, but he knew in the deepest recesses of his subconscious that the number Vahn had produced was correct.
"You've been through an ordeal that would have broken nearly any other," stated Vahn, his countenance softening as he closed his eyes, bowed his head, and revealed, "Truth be told, it is within my capabilities to create a version of this reality that has never known Hitogami's influence. But that wouldn't change what has happened here..."
Raising his head and opening his eyes, Vahn met Orsted's gaze with the look of an executioner as he asserted, "Hitogami must be held to account for his crimes. And since the task has long been entrusted to you, I would see you carry out his sentence..."
Though his words were a little redundant, Vahn wanted to make it clear to Orsted that he wouldn't allow Hitogami to escape justice. Very few across the entirety of Invirtua deserved to live a free and unfettered life as much as the man positioned before him. But until he had seen his labor through, he knew Orsted would not be able to rest.
"Tell me what I must do," responded Orsted, his golden eyes filled with a conviction that hadn't waned since his first loop. His mind had dulled, and his memories had become a kaleidoscope of the same scenes playing out over and over with little variation, but his convictions burned brightly with the fury and indignation of the innumerable who had perished as a result of Hitogami's machinations and the twisted, sadistic sense of glee he got from championing people only to betray their trust and deprive them of all they held dear with his precognitive abilities...
Shaking his head, Vahn's expression softened slightly, a smile gracing his face as he stated, "I have no intention of depriving you of your agency in this matter. Hitogami will fall to you in the manner you most see fit. What I come to offer you is knowledge, resources to empower those you choose to accompany you to your final battle, and the means to recover the Mana you expend to evade Hitogami's detection. When and how you defeat him, and what form the world takes in the wake of his downfall, are matters for you and the inhabitants of this world to decide."
"I see..." muttered Orsted, closing his eyes and lowering his head slightly as he deliberated Vahn's words. He knew better than to trust the words of a being whose power and origins were unknown to him—particularly one who referred to himself as a Dragon God in a presumed attempt to elicit a feeling of kinship. However, even after 47,318 years and hundreds of tries, he felt no closer to defeating Hitogami. There was a non-zero chance that Hitogami had somehow discovered the existence of his reincarnation loop and dispatched Vahn to uncover the secrets behind it. But when he gazed into the latter's eyes, he didn't discover deception contained within. What he saw was the clear-eyed certitude of a being devoid of fear or the need to be deceitful...
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[July 27th DxD/March 20th DBT]
Though his plan for deposing Hitogami principally involved letting Orsted do as he pleased, Vahn cemented the errant God's fate by interfering with his ability to enter people's dreams. He could still peer into the future and observe people. But that would soon become a source of constant dread, as he could do nothing but watch as Orsted prepared a team to invade his realm and defeat him.
"What if he chooses to commit suicide out of spite...?" asked Zenith, post coitus and post Vahn's explanation. She had all but severed her ties to her original setting and the family she left behind, but since Vahn had brought it up and detailed his plans to her, she felt compelled to ask questions and contribute to the conversation.
Shaking his head, Vahn explained, "There's a failsafe built into the system he's co-opted. He can kill himself, but he would first need to relinquish the Creator God's power and Authority. That's why he resists to the end, even in your original timeline."
"Mmn...I see..." muttered Zenith, closing her eyes and rubbing her temple against Vahn's chest. She still found it strange that her world was based on a light novel turned into a manga and anime, but that didn't make it any less real or change that Vahn had breathed life into her and all who called her setting home. For that, she would serve him faithfully for as long as he permitted.
Seeing that Zenith had no intention of asking about her family or relatives, Vahn's smile gained a hint of wryness. She originally intended to circulate his name and religion throughout her world in overt defiance of her former faith, but ever since learning that she was pregnant with his child, she had shifted her focus to serving him, spreading his message to the inhabitants of Termina, and raising her son, Rudeus...
schliiiiiiip
Raising her head from Vahn's crotch, the second woman Vahn was with, a buxom beauty with amethyst-purple eyes, brown hair fixed in a loose bun, and a sexy, bunny-themed maid outfit, partially rose to her feet and said, "Pardon me..." before turning around to present her round and inviting butt to him, adorned with a fluffy white rabbit's tail. In response, Vahn casually slid aside the fabric covering her pussy, allowing the fluids it was failing to contain properly to leak out in thick strands as she guided his glans to her entrance with her left hand.
"Lilia. Do you have any questions or anything you would like to add about what we just discussed...?" asked Vahn. Lilia's initial response was a long, low groan as she seated herself against him. Then, while twisting her hips in a circular arc that drew him deeper inside her, she glanced back at him with rosy cheeks and her bangs matted to her face, expressing, "The only thoughts in my mind are how best to serve my Master..."
"Alright, then...just keep in mind that I prefer my Maids being able to think and act for themselves..." stated Vahn, slouching a bit so that Lilia had an easier time smacking her ass against him and devouring his cock with her pussy. The usually bespectacled brunette had briefly fallen into a state of depression when she learned that Paul had chosen to regress, but after a lengthy discussion with Zenith, she ended up applying for the position of a First-Grade Maid. Vahn reluctantly had to refuse her, as she didn't have anything she wanted to accomplish by becoming a First-Grade Maid. But when she appeared in the bath on the ninth floor as Zenith's attendant, he permitted her to stay, believing she would benefit from the company. The rest, as they say, was history...
"Then...if Master would permit me to make a personal request..." started Lilia, sitting as flush against Vahn as her body allowed before twisting her hips and expressing, "I would like to train and become one of the agents serving the Pavilion's interests in my world. Master is surely aware of this, but I used to be a swordswoman of passing skill..."
"Is there anything you, specifically, would like to achieve by becoming one of our agents...?" asked Vahn, placing his right hand on the small of Lilia's back and thumbing her artificial rabbit tail. He didn't mind helping her become stronger. However, if her goal were simply to be useful, she would likely benefit more from therapy.
"I wish to ruin the nobles responsible for the closure of my family's dojo and me becoming a servant in the Silver Palace..." panted Lilia, prompting Zenith to place her right hand on Vahn's chest and look up at him in silent support. She knew well the kinds of atrocities that Lilia had been made to endure in the service of the Asura Kingdom. Thus, while she would prefer if the buxom brunette found purpose in serving Vahn, she couldn't blame her for desiring revenge. Fortunately for Lilia, Vahn operated according to a similar set of principles. So while the mock bunny bounced aggressively atop his cock as if to convince him, he began making preparations to have her train with Xenovia, Erza, and the Kunoichi living in the commune...
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