Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After checking in and spending time with each of his children, much of Vahn's hostility towards Amaterasu had mellowed. He still planned to teach her a lesson, but, so long as she apologized, he would spare her too much indignation.

At the end of the day, Vahn wasn't a very cruel or malicious person. Amaterasu's only real crime was the fact that she had disregarded the existence of his children. As there were people who genuinely wished them harm, people who Vahn ignored due to their powerlessness, holding a grudge against her served very little purpose.

Fortunately for Amaterasu, dealing with Kotoamatsukami wasn't even phase two of Vahn's current plan. That involved becoming, or, at the very least, gaining control over the Northern Floor Master. He was actually planning to use the festival to announce the existence of the Aldrnari Empire, so, in the grand scheme of things, dealing with Amaterasu wasn't even a tertiary matter.

Though some might criticize him for a lack of vigilance, the simple truth of the matter was that Vahn didn't fear anyone, or, more accurately, anything outside the 1-3-Digit Gates. If he did, his plan wouldn't include the possibility of going to war against the 'entire' Little Garden.

Having given it quite a bit of thought during his stay in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, Vahn had already decided upon the theme of his Last Embryo, the name of the most infamous Gift Game and the designation he would invariably be given once it had concluded.

While the other Gods had to expend a bit of their essence in order to create things, Vahn was able to, quite literally, bypass this requirement. He could create without any upper limit, so, taking into consideration his other abilities, Vahn decided to become the Last Embryo personifying Excess and Change.

With the exception of Empathy and Compassion, Excess and Change were the most prominent traits that remained once Vahn broke down and evaluated his character. They best explained his behavior, and, more importantly, represented the traits even his loved ones associated with him.

By installing himself as the Last Embryo of Excess and Change, Vahn was laying the groundwork to subsume the entirety of the Divine Realm. This was the penultimate step required to advance to a Tier 7 being, so, for the sake of reuniting with his family and making the Little Garden a safer place, Vahn was willing to crush any and all who stood in his way…

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"Since her existence as the Lost and Forgotten would fade if she was remembered by many people, I decided to borrow a bit of inspiration from that Launch lass to create this! Behold! The Antithesis Locket~! "

Dangling an ornate, amethyst-infused silver locket in her hand, the only thing preventing Da Vinci's nose from extending was the fact it would have marred her beauty. She took great pride in each of her creations, so, even though the Antithesis Locket was relatively straightforward in its design and function, Da Vinci couldn't help beaming as she showed it off in front of Vahn.

Accepting the proferred locket, Vahn turned it over in his hand a few times in order to inspect the internal structure and craftsmanship. He also took a moment to deconstruct the enchantment Da Vinci had placed on it. The magical formation was like a multi-dimensional labyrinth, but, as one of the people Da Vinci had authorized to peek inside, Vahn was able to inspect the entire thing in less time than it would have taken most people to blink.

"As impressive as it is terrifying…"

Though failsafes made up more than 90% of the locket's structure, the notion of an accessory that could invert the nature of a Conceptual Entity was terrifying. In the hands of someone like Hanako, it was relatively safe. If it was weaponized, it would instantly throw the entire Order of Creation out of balance. After all, unless they had a countermeasure against it, Da Vinci could gift lesser versions of the Locket to her enemies and they would promptly transition from greedy and licentious people to fair, almost saint-like individuals…

Seeing through Vahn's thoughts as if they were her own, Da Vinci poked out her ruby-red tongue before snatching back the pendant and saying, "You're looking down on me. If I required trinkets such as this to deal with my enemies, I wouldn't be worthy of standing at your side until the end of existence. The only reason this locket exists is to aid Hanako. Nothing more, nothing less."

On that note, Da Vinci handed the locket over to Hanako, who, as per usual, just stood off to the side and observed. She was so used to being ignored, that, unless they were actively looking at or talking to her, she simply assumed she had been forgotten.

Donning the oversized silver locket, Hanako marveled at the purple heart adorning its center before holding it over her heart. This was the Activation Key that Da Vinci had prepared. She found it to be a lot more 'thematically relevant' than a simple sneeze…

Nearly as soon as Hanako willed the change to happen, her hair transitioned from a neutral brown to a silvery, pristine white. At the same time, her previously forgettable features became flawless to the point that, even with Da Vinci standing near, Vahn had to admit she was a remarkably beautiful, ostensibly unforgettable young lady.

Opening her previously brown eyes, Hanako revealed a pair of aquamarine irises that glistened like multi-faceted gemstones. This caused a wry yet appreciative smile to develop across Vahn's face, as, even without asking Loi-chan for clarification, it wasn't difficult to grasp Hanako's reason for settling on olive skin and aquamarine eyes…

("Looks like we've got ourselves an adorable little daughter…")

Hearing Da Vinci's enchanting voice echoing within his mind, a soft chuckle emanated from Vahn's throat as he took a knee to match Hanako's inquisitive gaze. The Antithesis Locket wasn't designed to influence her mind directly, but, when the very nature of your being changed, there were bound to be some side effects.

"How are you feeling…?"

Though she readily met Vahn's gaze, Hanako didn't immediately answer his question. The truth was, she didn't really feel all that different. She still had the exact same thoughts and memories. The only thing that had changed was her…awareness? It was hard to put into words. All she knew for certain was that she was fully aware of herself, and, to a lesser extent, the awareness of others…

"I don't know how to describe it…I feel like myself, but, at the same time, I feel like someone else…?"

Nodding her head, Da Vinci manifested a display that only she could see, analyzing Hanako's body as she explained, "In this state, you no longer represent the Lost and Forgotten. Instead, while you are still a Demon Lord, your nature is that of the Found and Remembered. Similar to your previous self, your form would change based on the perception of the people who perceive you most clearly. At the present moment, you resemble what you might have looked like had you been born as one of Vahn's children."

Manifesting a circular mirror, Da Vinci allowed Hanako a better look at her current form. At the same time, she monitored the structure of the Demoness's body to see how it would change in relation to her observation.

Unsurprisingly, the structure of Hanako's body became significantly more stable the moment she saw her reflection in the mirror. The only thing that changed was the color of her hair, as, despite finding the silvery-white color beautiful, she had always associated herself with having brown hair.

Smiling radiantly in response to the change, Da Vinci made a few notes in Hanako's profile as she explained, "There are a few things you'll need to keep in mind when using the Antithesis Locket. It has a remarkably powerful enchantment that serves as a contract with the Central Network. You are able to stay in this form as long as you like, but, the moment you revert back to the Demon Lord of the Lost and Forgotten, you will be obliged to stay in that form for an equivalent amount of time. In other words, an hour in this form mandates an hour in that form…"

"Fortunately, as you've already spent a tremendous amount of time as the Demon Lord of the Lost and Forgotten, you have a rather substantial stockpile saved up. Even if you stay in this form for the next 200,000 years, there shouldn't be any major issues. At the very least, we'll have come up with a few other solutions before then."

Hearing Da Vinci's explanation, Hanako almost couldn't believe her ears. She wasn't entirely sure how old she was, but, prior to entering the Sage Dragon's Hearth, she would be happy if people remembered her for more than a few hours, days, or weeks at a time. Now, as the Demon Lord of the Found and Remembered, it would be impossible for people to forget her unless she willfully changed back…

Feeling a sourness in her nose that hadn't appeared in quite some time, Hanako gripped the fabric of her hoodie with enough force to turn her knuckles white. She felt like she had just received the most precious gift in the entire world, but, before she could even express her gratitude, she felt as though she had received something far more important as Vahn wrapped her arms around her and said, "It's okay to cry…" in the most gentle and fatherly tone she had ever heard.

Unable to suppress herself, emotions Hanako didn't even know she had surged through her mental defenses like an unstoppable deluge. Since her powers as the Lost and Forgotten had also affected her perception of self, it had never even occurred to her that she might be remembered and cared for by others. She had suffered so much that it couldn't even be put into words, yet, no matter how bad things got, she had never once questioned the reason for her existence. It was only at this exact moment that Hanako realized there was so much more to life than the suffering she had been born into. Thus, the moment she received Vahn's permission to cry, that is exactly what she did…not just for herself, but for the countless people who had been lost and forgotten throughout history…

It was a very long cry…

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Observing the scene of Vahn comforting and coaxing Hanako, an indescribable longing could be seen in Shiroyasha's eyes. The locket that Da Vinci had created was yet another balance-breaking creation, yet, as if it was a simple trinket, it had been entrusted to a little girl that few people even knew existed.

Though she could understand why Vahn had taken action to help Hanako, Shiroyasha couldn't help lamenting his lack of foresight. It wouldn't be a problem if she remained in the confines of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, but, the moment Hanako ventured outside, everyone who gazed upon her would be unable to forget about her. This may not sound like a terrible thing at first, but, in a realm where popularity was one of the most important measures for Authority, Hanako now had the potential to become one of the most powerful beings in the Divine Realm.

Exhaling a sigh, Shiroyasha attempted to console herself with the notion that Hanako wouldn't be concerned with such matters. Now that she had found a family, she wasn't likely to leave the Sage Dragon's Hearth unless Vahn or Da Vinci specifically asked her to. Thus, rather than becoming one of the most powerful beings in the Divine Realm, it was infinitely more likely that she would develop into something like a Poet. There was even a chance that Vahn had planned for this, but, unless he had been gaming her this entire time, Shiroyasha heavily doubted it.

Da Vinci, on the other hand…such developments were right up her alley…

"I really don't want to meet with that woman…"

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(A/N: My friend thought he would 'surprise' me by stopping by yesterday morning and dragging me over to visit my family. I hadn't really gone home ever since my mom's funeral so he was a little worried that I had been ghosting them. Sorry for the lack of releases yesterday. I can't promise I'll make up for them but things should be relatively normal now that I'm back.)