EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 235: Plea

[Day 1]

"Nnnngh~! I feel so refreshed...!" exclaimed Yamato, following a nasally, arms-raised stretch.

"Mmn...happy I could help..." hummed Vahn, lying beside the inordinately large woman in his nearly three-meter-tall, notably muscular form. To his right, a naked Robin caressed his chest with a mature smile adorning her face before she took the initiative to kiss him when he met her gaze.

"Help...? Robin and I are lucky you didn't split us in two..." grumbled Nami, sporting a half-lidded but notably flushed expression as she lay to Robin's right, staring at the ceiling with her right hand atop her abdomen. She had spent the past month devoted to her training and research, so while she had secretly been looking forward to reuniting with Vahn, she was shaken by her ability to accommodate him even in his current form.

"Really? I honestly didn't notice much of a difference..." hummed Robin, resting her head against Vahn's shoulder, her narrowed eyes focusing on his battle-ready member. It was certainly ample, but as far as she could tell, it hadn't grown to match his muscular form. If anything, his physique had grown to match it.

"Truthfully, I'm impressed," chimed Yamato, sporting her usual broad and friendly smile as she eyed Robin and Nami, appending, "Though, from the few portraits I've seen, Lady Touki was also significantly smaller than her husband, Lord Odzen. Perhaps the women in our world are more adaptive than others?"

"That does appear to be the case," confirmed Robin, revealing, "This isn't too well-known, but the parameters we see reflected in our Statuses use humans as a baseline for comparison. And I don't mean humans from our world, but across all realities. That suggests that, on average, the humans from our world are ten times more adaptive—to borrow your expression..."

"I mean...it makes sense..." muttered Nami, absentmindedly tracing her right middle finger around her navel as she contended, "From what I've been able to gather, our planet, Bluestar, is considerably larger than the majority of habitable worlds despite possessing the gravitational pull of a much smaller planetoid. Then there's the Grand Line, Calm Belt, Red Line, and extreme changes in our weather due to deep-oceanic currents and significant disparities in the density of our atmosphere...if we weren't able to adapt, we'd have become extinct long ago..."

"I knew our world was amazing, but it sounds increasingly fascinating the more I learn about it...!" exclaimed Yamato, her orange eyes glistening like stars as she clenched and shook her fists excitedly.

"Then, once you've concluded your tenure as Wano's Guardian Deity, you should explore it," suggested Vahn, adding, "You could also join the Straw Hats when they reach Wano in a few years. Then you can tread the same path as Oden and witness the dawn of a new era and the advent of a new Pirate King."

"That sounds wonderful...!" bellowed Yamato, briefly raising her hands above her head before abruptly freezing, lowering them, and adopting a wry smile as she awkwardly scratched her right cheek and revealed, "But I was actually planning to join up with the Whitebeard Pirates once Wano had stabilized. I made a promise with their Second-Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace..."

"That's a shame..." remarked Robin, sporting a remarkably motherly smile as she appended, "It would be nice to have another woman join the crew, and your strength would prove invaluable..."

"Gnuuuu..."

Hearing Robin's words, Yamato held up clenched fists to her mouth and produced a suppressed, conflicted groan. She had previously recognized Robin and Nami as her sworn sisters, so if they needed her strength, she felt compelled to provide it. At the same time, however, she believed that a Samurai's word was more important than their life. She couldn't just not honor the promise she had made with Ace...

"Come here..." said Vahn, his voice low as he gestured to Yamato with his left hand. Upon seeing this, Yamato immediately knew what he intended, an embarrassed flush tinting her face as she moved closer and bowed her head, allowing him to caress it as he said, "The thing about the future is that it's constantly shifting based. Don't feel you need to make decisions about the rest of your life in the present. As long as you're following your heart and adhering to your sense of morality and justice, it doesn't matter where you end up. You will forever add to and improve the lives of those around you..."

"Mmn...I understand..." responded Yamato, slipping her hands between her thighs and rubbing them together agitatedly as she turned her eyes up at Vahn, adding, "As long as I get to return to your side, I can continue moving forward without fear or uncertainty..."

"Saying such a cute thing...someone deserves a reward..." hummed Vahn, his gaze gaining a hint of a smolder. Yamato's subsequently embarrassed flush sealed her fate, so while Nami eventually departed the bed to brush her teeth and prepare for her day, attended to by Robin, he enveloped the adorable Oni with his body, her sharp nails digging deeply into his back as he made slow, deliberate love to her for much of the morning...

...

..

.

[Day 5]

"I know I haven't repaid what I owe, but I didn't know who else to turn to..." expressed Subaru, head hanging low and his hands forming fists atop his knees. His physique had improved considerably since his and Vahn's previous meeting, the result of regularly pushing himself beyond his mental and physical limits, but as a previously ordinary human, he was still far from the strength required to overcome his world's trials smoothly.

"Did something happen...?" asked Vahn, his brows lightly furrowed and his tone measured.

"I'm just not strong enough..." muttered Subaru, clenching his hands even tighter, causing his shoulders to tremble. At the same time, Sis spared him the need for a detailed explanation, approving Vahn of how he had died sixteen times between the previous and current Tower cycle, the result of his grim determination to get things right.

'I guess sixteen additional months isn't enough time for a once ordinary human to catch up with fantasy-world residents who have devoted their entire lives to training...' concluded Vahn, leaning onto the knuckles of his right hand and exhaling from his nose. The Subaru despairing before him should have had it easy compared to his canon counterpart, but since he had the means and opportunity to increase his strength, he tried harder to fix things directly—resulting in even more death loops...

"It's against the policy of the Dragon's Pavilion to accept requests from Ascendees with existing debts..." stated Vahn, causing Subaru to tense before he smiled and appended, "But I'm an exceptionally self-serving individual, and it would leave a bad taste in my mouth if I simply sent you away without at least pointing you in the right direction..."

"Then..." started Subaru, raising his gaze to meet Vahn's, revealing faint moisture coating his eyes and prominent bags beneath them.

"First, tell me what you need," stated Vahn, clarifying, "No offense, but if you possessed natural talent, you wouldn't be struggling as much as you appear to be. Thus, the best way to achieve the results you desire in the shortest amount of time is to hyperfocus on a specific thing, be it Magic, Martial Arts, Swordsmanship, or the unique Skills you've developed as an Ascendee."

---------------------------------------------

Name: Natsuki Subaru

Title: One Who Endures

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

Race: Human

Age: 20 Height: 175cm Weight: 79.3kg B/W/H: 90/76/88

Origin: Lugunica[RE-0537]

[Parameters]

Power Level: 43(F-Rank)

Strength: F

Dexterity: F

Constitution: E+

Intelligence: C

Wisdom: D+

Charisma: C+

Luck: E

[Skills]

[Champion of Envy(-)], [Authority of Obsession(S)], [Perseverance(B)], [Pain Tolerance(D)], [Intuition(D)], [Martial Arts(E)], [Swordsmanship(E)], [Acting(E)]

---------------------------------------------

'Oh? He's actually considerably stronger than he was during our last meeting...' noted Vahn, recalling that Subaru's original Power Level was a meager but higher-than-average eight. Unfortunately, only possessing E-Rank Martial Arts and Swordsmanship after four Tower cycles was a sign that Subaru wasn't particularly talented.

Unaware that Vahn was perusing his Status, Subaru's expression firmed as he asserted, "I just want to be able to protect the people and things I care about. If you know a method to help me achieve that, I will follow it without question."

'With B-Rank Perseverance and D-Rank Pain Tolerance, he definitely has the guts needed to endure strenuous training...' determined Vahn, holding Subaru's gaze. His first thought was to have him train with the Masters of Ryozanpaku, but while it wasn't pleasant, what Subaru truly required was the means to put down powerful foes and monsters for good. That wasn't something practitioners of Katsujinken(Life-Saving Fist) could teach...

(*Considering the amount of negative or cursed energy produced by Subaru-kun's Return by Death and the Witch of Envy's obsession, a suitable mentor for him could be Satoru Gojo from the world of Jujutsu Kaisen*) contended Sis, compelling Vahn to repeat, 'Jujutsu Kaisen...?' in confusion. The name was familiar to him, as he had once requested the aid of Minato to seal a cursed spirit named Sukuna, who was gradually possessing an Ascendee called Itadori Yuji, but he had never heard of a Satoru Gojo.

With Sis supplying him with the relevant information, Vahn couldn't help but raise his brows slightly as the image of a remarkably handsome man with snow-white hair and jarringly gem-like blue eyes materialized in his memories, his demeanor that of a bored but friendly God among mortals. More significantly, he was Yuji's mentor and had aided others in roughly similar situations as Subaru's, suggesting he was well-suited to the task of helping the latter gain considerable power in a short period.

"For now, you should return and rest..." said Vahn, the memories of Gojo's actions still playing in his mind as he stated, "I will introduce you to a man who should be able to teach you to control and even suppress your power so it doesn't draw unwarranted suspicion. I'm certain he will agree to train you, but if he doesn't, I have a growing list in mind. The training they have you undergo may be harsh, but you can rest assured...as long as you have the will to keep moving forward, I will personally see to it that you receive the support your convictions merit."

Hearing Vahn's promise, Subaru inhaled deeply through his nose, a broad smile developing across his weary face. He had come to Vahn prepared to exchange his very soul for power, but the latter was effectively offering to help him for free. Thus, even though he really didn't want to, the moisture in his eyes eventually overflowed, leading to him laughing awkwardly and trying to make excuses before ultimately breaking down from equal parts relief and anguish...

...

..

.

"Oh, wow...I honestly had my doubts, but seeing you in person...you're definitely not an ordinary existence..." remarked a tall, notably lean, and athletic man with spiky, almost ethereal-white hair and icy blue eyes that resembled the shimmering surface of a bioluminescent reflecting pool in dim lightning—presently focused on Vahn. His attire consisted of a dark blue, nearly black zip-up jacket with a high, broad collar, matching pants, and glossy black dress shoes, but hidden beneath it were numerous seals and a few concealed weapons specialized for sealing self-titled Gods.

Sensing something akin to bloodlust but less hostile, Vahn, still seated in his comfortable, high-backed chair, raised his right brow and questioned, "Want to have a go at me...?"

"The thought crossed my mind," affirmed the man, Satoru Gojo, nodding. Back in his world, he was widely regarded as the most powerful Jujutsu Sorcerer, possibly the most powerful in history. On the day he was born, the world's need to maintain balance elevated the strength of Curses and Cursed Energy across the board to compensate, so now that he was face to face with a being presumably beyond the standards of strength he was accustomed to, Gojo couldn't help wanting to see how he measured up to another world's God. Fortunately for him, Vahn was more than willing—he was eager to face him.

"Then let's take this outside..." said Vahn, his aquamarine eyes appearing just as luminous as Gojo's as he rose to his feet, mirroring the man's smile and sense of surety, certain of his victory...

...

..

.