Change is Inevitable

"Are you serious?"

Though she nodded her head in response to Vahn's question, Shiroyasha adopted a slight pout as she asked, "What reason could I possibly have to lie to you? I entrusted one of my Sun Authorities to that foxy maid of yours. If that isn't enough evidence to prove I'm all-in, why, I don't know what else to say..."

Taking advantage of the fact she was lounging with her head in his lap, Vahn poked Shiroyasha's inflated cheeks as he remarked, "You know I wasn't calling into question your loyalty. I just find it difficult to believe that Kotoamatsukami would muster their forces without greater provocation..."

As he had spent the past week coming up with methods to bait Kotoamatsukami into action, Vahn couldn't help feeling something was amiss when Shiroyasha suddenly informed him that his efforts were unnecessary. Kotoamtsukami had seized the initiative by nominating several of their lesser 4-Digit Communities to participate in the Sage Dragon's Hearth's promotional Gift Game. At the same time, they began spreading rumors that the Sage Dragon's Hearth was attempting to purchase a 4-Digit Gate rather than earning it through their own strength and merits.

Those unfamiliar with how the Divine Realm worked might misconstrue Kotoamatsukami's actions as petty. While this was certainly the case, there were a number of convincing, perfectly reasonable justifications to pursue such a course of action.

Just as Caulifla and Kale had learned, reputation and status were of paramount importance outside the 1-3-Digit Gates. If you could convince the general public that your enemy was weak and relied on underhanded methods to achieve victory, their power would, quite literally, be reduced. This was a common tactic employed by Communities at every level. After all, if you could weaken your foes while simultaneously strengthening your allies, why wouldn't you?

The reason Vahn was confused was that such tactics were typically reserved for Communities that were at war with one another. Manipulating the public was a double-edged sword. People didn't like being fooled, so, if your opponent possessed the means to prove their innocence or sway the public in their favor, spreading rumors could have the exact opposite effect. This was how a group such as the Buddhist Faction was able to rise to prominence, as, even if their opponents attempted to slander them, the vast majority of people would simply assume they were lying.

With rumors regarding Mikoto's and Fenrir's strength quickly circulating throughout the East Side, it wasn't too surprising that someone would either attempt to quash or downplay them. Such was par for the course when a new Community was building strength.

The difference between this situation and the norm was that the members of Kotoamatsukami were being very public about their accusations. From the perspective of the common people, this made it seem as though they were on the side of righteousness. This would give them a substantial amount of leverage moving forward, as, even if their clearly sacrificial Community lost in the upcoming Gift Game, they could orchestrate a scenario that made the Sage Dragon's Hearth appear guilty.

"What a farce..."

Snickering in response to Vahn's words, Shiroyasha rolled onto her side before curling up in a fetal position and muttering, "That's just the way things are. Why do you think the powers that be allow so many 'normal' people to reside in the Divine Realm? If strength was the only qualifier for power and authority, all of creation would just be a never-ended cycle of war. Systems such as this need to be in place so that those who are clever and opportunistic have the opportunity to claw their way to the top..."

Though his hand habitually moved to scratch near the base of Shiroyasha's obsidian-black horns, Vahn found himself at a loss for words as a wave of realization washed over him. He had actually been intending to expel the vast majority of people from the Divine Realm via transmigration. The notion that those with power were given a choice while those without were forced to submit and obey had never sat well with him.

By allowing people to transmigrate into worlds of their choosing, Vahn was hoping to make it up to the trillions who had been forced to suffer as a result of games they had no hand in. Now, however, he was-

"Are you this impressionable every time you return from one of your Actualized Worlds...?"

Blinking back to awareness, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he looked down to meet Shiroyasha's cat-like eyes, answering, "It's a little ironic, isn't it? I have all the time in the world to think yet still end up making decisions based on spur of the moment shifts in perspective..."

"Mmm...I wouldn't say it's ironic. Many of the Primordial Gods refused to change even after the destruction of the original Little Garden. It's one of the reasons Poets were created. Without them, existence would have been erased long ago as the only driving forces of change were the demons representing war, disaster, and chaos..."

With a reminiscent look in her eyes and a melancholic smile on her face, Shiroyasha used the tip of her inordinately sharp nail to casually cut a line down Vahn's pant leg. This caused the latter's brow to twitch, but, instead of interrupting the mischievous demoness's reverie, he tenderly combed his fingers through her silvery-white, indescribably silky hair...

Understanding that Vahn wouldn't complain even if she took a bite out of his calf, the smile on Shiroyasha's face became slightly predatory as she traced her tongue along the skin her 'careless' actions had exposed. She hadn't been particularly fond of blood in the past, but, ever since getting to know Vahn, suckling the remarkably sweet extract from his body had become one of her favorite pastimes...

Realizing where things were head, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face. Before she bit into him, however, Shiroyasha continued from where she left off, explaining, "The ability to change our mind and adapt to external stimuli is a relatively recent addition to the repertoire of Gods. Before, even the most powerful among us were little more than slaves to our Divinities. We had very little freedom, only purpose..."

Rising to a seated position, Shiroyasha positioned herself in Vahn's lap, willfully guiding his hands to her stomach before adding, "It was the creation of Gifts that allowed a few of us to break free from the chains that had bound us since time immemorial. As for the rest, they went on to form the very foundation atop which the current Little Garden was established..."

Leaning her head back, Shiroyasha's dagger-like horns poked Vahn in the chest as she met his gaze, concluding her tangential explanation by stating, "Change is inevitable. Those who cannot or refuse to change are fated to become the stepping stones of others. Your impressionability may result in a number of...disadvantageous situations in the future. Even then, you should never doubt yourself. It is our ability to make mistakes and learn from them that allows us to grow. If you were perfect from the start, nothing would ever change..."

As a being that had existed since before the dawn of time, Shiroyasha was something of an expert when it came to the subject at hand. It wasn't all that long ago that she had descended to the Little Garden. Almost immediately thereafter, she made a number of poor decisions, experienced what it was like to be exploited, and even had her very existence profaned beyond repair.

In spite of all the hardships she had been forced to endure, Shiroyasha had never once thought to go back and change things. Sure, there were a number of events that haunted her to this very day, but, prior to those happenings, all she had was the experiences of others.

Shiroyasha had witnessed the formation and decay of countless cosmological structures, the birth of creation, and, within it, the lives of a functionally infinite number of creatures. In spite of this, if anyone were to ask her which she would prefer, Shiroyasha would choose even the memories from the very worst day of her life over every experience she had accumulated watching others...

With that in mind, Shiroyasha's kimono gradually dispersed into a pale, lavender-colored mist. She may be content with choosing her worst memories, but, as there was currently no one forcing her to make such decisions, she would rather focus on creating new, happier ones. The time she spent with Vahn was among the most memorable, so, while she may have suppressed the urge to follow the current 'trend', that wasn't going to stop her from having as much fun as she desired...

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Armed with the knowledge of Kotoamatsukami's scheme, Vahn informed the leaders of each of his affiliate Communities before taking a back seat on the issue. This may seem negligible on his part, but, in actuality, he just wanted to give everyone else the chance to act. They needed a platform to build their legend upon, and, as contrived as it might seem, ignoring such rumors would ultimately work in their favor once people realized they were completely unaffected.

If Vahn really wanted to, he could actually grant the people 'beneath' him a portion of his Authority via his Familia Crest or something as simple as an emblem on their armor. Instead, the only benefit he granted them was complete immunity to the formative effects of a Poet. In other words, even if a famous Poet attempted to alter that nature of their existence, the System Templates he had granted each of them would intervene. Then, once it became known that they were immune to the effects of a Poet, their legend and identities would quickly take shape as 'only the strongest' were impervious to the influence of a Poet.

Simply put, letting the girls do whatever they wanted was the best way to ensure they were able to develop or seize Fragments of Origin for themselves. If he took proactive action, they would always be seen as beneath him. While there was nothing intrinsically wrong with this, Vahn had never once viewed his wives and lovers in such a manner. They may not be his equals in power or status but he would continue to regard them as such until the sentiment was firmly planted in the minds of every single person in existence.

To this end, Vahn passed his days by lounging about, spending time with the people visiting the Sage Dragon's Hearth, and watching over his kids. Xysteria got along remarkably well with Usalia and her kittens, and, ever since they were given the opportunity to venture outside, many of Vahn's children were eager to try creating Communities of their own.

Though he did place quite a number of restrictions on them, Vahn didn't have any issues with his children wanting to venture out on their own. The only caveats were that they would need to stay in groups of three, and, for the most part, rely on themselves to ascend through the ranks of the Little Garden. They would have access to the Quest Board, but, unless they were in danger of being taken advantage of by a far more powerful organization, Vahn had no intention of stepping in to resolve problems they had created for themselves.

In actuality, Vahn wouldn't hesitate to step in if his children, specifically his daughters, were truly in danger. However, if it was something as base as their lives being on the line, he didn't mind letting them experience a minor trauma or two if it was the result of their own actions. Their actual bodies were safely stowed away within his personalized Little Garden, so, unless they encountered a being capable of detecting and destroying the ostensibly indestructible System Templates, death simply meant returning and having to 'reincarnate' into a new vessel.

As for the fate of anyone who tried to exploit or take advantage of his children...death would be a reprieve...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'What is this, High School...?','System Templates are busted...','Vahn isn't a helicopter papa. He's the weapons platform watching from high orbit xD...')

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