Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the school day nearing its end, Vahn was helping Eva choose outfits while she made subtle adjustments to her physical appearance in front of a standing mirror. She was wearing little more than lacy black lingerie, and, after more than two hours in front of the mirror, she had become a rather striking beauty.

Vahn had tried to convince Eva to remain in her base form, but, despite his efforts to convince her, she insisted on wearing a disguise. She pointed out that, while it might not bother him, it bothered her to be seen as a child by others. She had already agreed to help him train the girls in preparation for the coming battles, so, until her physical body matured adequately, Eva was determined to keep up appearances when teaching them.

Though Vahn wanted to convince her otherwise, Eva won the argument by plainly stating she didn’t want to be associated with someone who others believed had a preference for children. It made her happy knowing he appreciated her true form, but, knowing others would view their relationship in a different light, Eva wanted to preserve both their reputations. Thus, unless he was willing to stay in the diorama with her for a few months, allowing her to quickly mature, she would need a form that allowed her to walk around in the outside world.

Truth be told, Vahn was more than willing to spend a few years living alongside Eva in the diorama, but, due to the drastic difference in the flow of time, it would make it a lot harder to protect Asuna. The only way he could guarantee her safety was to allow her to stay in the diorama as well, but, as this was the trigger for ’everyone’ staying inside for a few months, he was apprehensive about it.

Asuna, Arika, and Theo were already spending between 240~300 hours within the diorama with each passing day, so, unless they quit using it altogether, they would age ten years for every year that passed in the outside world. On Earth, this would equate to around nineteen years, so, if they just idled in Ariadne for a few more months, Asuna might very well start looking like a young lady in a very short period of time. As for Theo and Arika, they were already in the midst of blooming into world-class beauties, and, if he spent such a long period of time with them, Vahn knew ’something’ was bound to happen...

In the end, Vahn agreed with Eva’s decision, so, when he wasn’t helping to ’test’ the modifications she had made, he was helping choose her outfits. She was able to manifest clothes on her own, but, as magically created garments were ’exceptionally’ rare, it would stand out if she wore them around people who were sensitive to such things. They were also extremely susceptible to disarming magic, so, with the option of wearing high-quality clothes provided by Vahn, many of which would cause a stir within the magical community, her choice was simple.

By the time Eva was satisfied with her appearance, nearly five hours had passed. Her final form was that of a beautiful woman with stylish golden hair, a mature figure, and, after trying on more than a hundred outfits, she ended up choosing an outfit that made her look similar to a secretary. This was infinitely better than her original outfit, giving her an appearance similar to a dominatrix, but it was still a little surprising to see her settle on something so simple.

Doing away with her usual gothic-style garments, Eva decided upon a simple white blouse, a black pencil skirt, a thin white belt, black pantyhose, and a pair of black heels. These might look plain on other people, but, due to the alterations she had made to her body, Eva was strikingly beautiful. She also hadn’t changed her style of lingerie, so, if you looked closely, it was possible to see the outline of her black bra beneath the white blouse. This, combined with her ’sleepy’ expression, casual smile, and striking blue eyes, gave Eva what could only be described as a sultry appearance, causing Vahn to audible swallow when she looked towards him and lightly combed through her fringe bangs...

After experiencing a momentary lapse in mental acuity, clarity returned to Vahn’s gaze as he smiled appreciatively and said, "Remarkable. Though I feel inclined to mention I prefer the ’real’ you, I can’t help but admire the effort you put into your appearance. It really is breathtaking, Eva...unbelievably so...."

Though she lazily rolled her eyes at Vahn’s comment about preferring her true form, Eva’s offered an even more sultry smile as she played with her bangs and mused, "Just this once, I’ll allow you to do whatever you want to me...show me your appreciation through your actions..."

Seeing Eva’s hand move towards the top button of her blouse, Vahn felt the urge to tug as his own while resisting the urge to swallow. The stability of her aura and the look in her eyes indicated how serious she was, so, for a brief moment, he nearly discarded all propriety and inhibitions. Instead, he made his way over to her side, staring directly into her icy blue eyes as he extended his hand and tenderly caressed her head. Her Memory Fragment had once confided in him that, more than any other display of affection, she enjoyed having her head pat, so, despite earning a momentary glare, Vahn continued to stroke her head with an affectionate smile on his face...

After a few seconds had passed, Eva’s angry facade slowly melted away as she muttered, "You are a real idiot..."

Despite her words, Eva stepped a little closer to him, gently wrapping her arms around his body as she nestled her face into the nook of his neck. She planted a single light kiss on the exposed skin before nuzzling against him for a few moments as he continued to stroke and caress her head and hair...

Completing her outfit, Eva wore a stylish trenchcoat that did little to conceal the impressive figure hidden beneath. She also carried herself with confidence and dignity, cowing anyone who tried to make eye contact with her as she walked alongside Vahn. Since the latter was so popular, she drew a considerable amount of attention from both staff and students, a fact she seemed to enjoy quite a bit considering the amused smile on her face as she loosely linked her arm with his.

Though Vahn wasn’t particularly fond of standing out in such a manner, he didn’t bother to correct Eva’s behavior. Rather, if anyone were to ask what their relationship was, he would unhesitantly say they were lovers. This was proven when their path was blocked by a group of thirteen well-dressed young ladies, each rather fervent members of his fan club.

Earning himself a pointed nail to the side, Vahn shamelessly introduced Eva as his fiancee, a rather silly smile on his face as he said as he explained, "This is Katherine, my fiancee. There is a chance she will become an Advisor in the future, so make sure you get along properly~."

Hearing Vahn introduce the mystery woman as his fiancee, the group of girls showed incredulous expressions on their faces. Some even glared toward Eva as if she had taken something precious from them, their fervor enough to even cow the outwardly confident ice queen. Fortunately, before her facade was seen through by the group of young girls, Vahn adopted a serious expression as he asked, "Is this how we treat other people? I had thought you were all kind and hardworking young ladies, but it seems I was mistaken..."

Emphasizing his disappointment, Vahn went ahead and addressed each of the young girls by name, a disheartened and slightly pained look on his face that caused each of them to lower their heads in shame. People quickly broke down when you singled them out within a group, and, due to the fact he had always treated them well, they felt exceptionally guilty for behaving selfishly. As a result, all thirteen girls quickly apologized, and, as a show of gratitude, Vahn adopted his usual smile before giving each of the girls a light head pat and a few cookies to share amongst themselves.

After passing the blockade, Vahn guided Eva for a few meters before she pointedly stated, "I don’t remember agreeing to marry you..."

Hearing the slightly chilly remark, Vahn just smiled as he softly answered, "You underestimate just how important you are to me, Eva. Unless you fall in love with someone else, I will continue to do everything in my power to convince you to marry me. Even then, I will support your happiness to the best of my ability...consider it my selfishness, but I’m completely serious..."

Without minding the fact there were a considerable number of eyes focused on them, Vahn caused Eva’s eyes to widen completely as he stole a quick kiss from her lips. This earned them a few girlish squeals from the surrounding, while, at the entrance to various classrooms, a few of the Professors were eyeing Eva with a deadpan stare. They could all see the blush she was trying to conceal on her face; envy and longing appearing in their expressions as they wondered what was so special about her to be chosen by Vahn...

Resisting the urge to bury Vahn into the floor, Eva hung her head in silence for a few seconds as she did her best to ignore their surroundings. She was normally very confident while assuming an adult form, but, ever since her vampiric nature had been sealed away, her split personalities had gradually started to fuse together. Though it would probably take years for them to reconcile completely, the current Eva felt extremely bashful despite the fact most of their audience was children younger than ten years of age. (A/N: Eva goes by Earth time.)

Though he might have to suffer a bit later on, Vahn was proud to have Eva at his side. He knew the only reason she cared about the opinions of the young students was that some of them were pretty close to her ’apparent’ age. This was also the primary reason she had wanted a disguise, as, if they saw her walking with him in her true form, some of the students might get strange ideas. After all, if Vahn was seen with someone around their own age, there was a non-negligible chance they would mistake their own chances. As for the teachers, they might assume he was an actual lolicon, ruining the reputation he had built after exposing the trafficking ring run by the former Arch-Dean...

Now that he thought about it, Vahn realized that Eva’s foresight was greater than his own. He was a little too confident that things would go his way, as, for the last couple of decades, that had always been the case. He even had a massive karmic boon to ensure things would go smoothly, so, unless he did something extreme, the odds of anything going wrong were slim. Still, this didn’t mean that everything would always go his way, so, prior to reaching Asuna’s classroom, he lightly squeezed Eva’s hand and muttered, "Sorry...I’m just a little too happy right now...please don’t be too mad at me..."

Hearing Vahn’s words, Eva released an audible sigh, her shoulders slouching briefly before she lifted her head and quickly regained her composure. His words actually resonated quite deeply within her heart, but, as everything was happening so quickly, she still felt a bit of trepidation. She had actually decided to stay at his side for the foreseeable future, but, until they had spent more time together, she simply couldn’t vocalize the truth. Instead, she adopted a slightly accusatory look in her eyes as she muttered, "I know you didn’t mean to upset me...you’re just an idiot...don’t worry, I’m beginning to get used to it..."

Understanding Eva’s words amounted to forgiveness, Vahn’s mood quickly recovered, the edges of his smile curling up as she squeezed his hand in turn. There was still a light blush on her face, and, though she was looking away from him, Vahn was still able to sense it. This made him feel greatly vindicated, but, having learned his lesson, he decided not to push his luck by pointing out the red coloration at the tips of her ears...

Though she would normally spend an hour or so playing with her friends after class, Asuna could currently be seen dangling her feet from one of the benches that were interspaced throughout the Academy. Since she wasn’t interacting with anyone, she had defaulted to her neutral expression, a listless look in her eyes as she absentmindedly observed a few students riding brooms of various different shapes and sizes.

Asuna had always been a very curious and introspective girl, so, whenever she saw something new, she couldn’t help but wonder how it worked. She would also contemplate on the nature of things, wondering what drove people to make certain decisions and institute certain policies. Thus, with a blank look on her face, she couldn’t help but wonder what the Grandmaster was thinking when she made the age for wearing skirts the same age that students were allowed to fly on brooms...

While others might not have the visual acuity to see clearly, Asuna was able to discern the pattern and make of every pair of panties that flashed overhead. Most were rather plain, but, every now and then, a pair of very ’adult’ panties would flash across her vision. She couldn’t help but wonder what compelled some students to wear such risque undergarments at a young age. They were obviously trying to appear more mature than they actually were, but, while Asuna could empathize with this mentality, she didn’t understand why they would focus more on appearance rather than improving their comprehension and fixing their behavior...

Thinking about girls who didn’t quite act their age, Asuna recalled the changes that had occurred in her cousin and Theo. They slept in the same bed so she had noticed the change in Arika’s choice of sleepwear from the very beginning, understanding it was a paradoxically direct yet roundabout way to appeal to Vahn. As for Theo, she was even more direct, often forgoing everything but her panties when she got the chance to sleep next to Vahn...

After seeing the changes in Arika and Theo, Asuna began wondering whether or not panties held some kind of secret that had simply escaped her. She had even asked Fenrir for advice, but, rather than give her a pair of ’adult’ panties, she had been given a simple pair with a tiny paw print on the front. She later showed these to Vahn, and, matching what Fenrir had said, he complimented her on how cute they were. Even now, the memory of his smile made her heart palpitate irregularly, so, for the last couple of days, Asuna had been ruminating over the mystery of panties, wondering whether or not it was better to be cute or mature...

Before her senses had detected the abnormality, Asuna noticed the clump of hair that Vahn referred to as an ahoge twitch. This caused a smile to spread across her lips, and, after spreading her senses through the area, she instantly pinpointed Vahn’s location. Immediately after she saw him, however, a tiny frown spread across her face as she saw the woman clinging to his arm. It was only for a brief moment, however, as she quickly recalled everything Vahn had told her about Eva’s tragic existence.

Hopping off of the bench, Asuna approached Vahn and the presumed Eva, giving the former a firm hug before turning to the latter, extending her hand as she said, "My name is Asuna. Vahn has told me a lot about you. I hope we can be friends."

Seeing the young girl masterfully shift through emotional states, Eva was slightly taken aback, but, as Vahn had already told her a lot about Asuna, she quickly accepted the latter’s outstretched hand, offering a smile of her own as she said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Asuna. Vahn praises you often during our talks so I’ve been looking forward to meeting you. I’m not sure about becoming friends, but I will do my best to answer your questions during training. I taught Vahn and Fenrir everything they know about Magic, so I’m quite confident in being able to guide you as well..."

Though she took note of Eva’s noncommital remark about becoming friends, Asuna didn’t take it to heart. Instead, she offered an even bigger smile than before, squinting her eyes happily as she said, "I’m looking forward to it~!" in an excited tone.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’The dangers of a diorama...’,’Eva’s already falling hard xD...’,’Asuna has the makings of a great Scholar...’)