EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 245: Balance

"Is this real...?" asked Kuma, a mountain of a man with sunkissed skin, a strong and angular jaw, long and curly black hair, a barrel-chested build, and somewhat short, skinny legs compared to his 689cm body. He was one of the last surviving members of a race of mixed-blood giants known as Buccaneers, so while his proportions were somewhat strange, he was a veritable palace of steel-like muscle, barely contained by a giant-sized hospital gown as he gazed at the palms of his hands with disbelief.

"Your adoptive daughter, Bonney, came to me to solicit my assistance in your rescue, but after peeking at your situation, I couldn't turn a blind eye to either of your plights," explained Vahn, his expression relaxed and tone neutral as he stood before the seated Buccaneer after restoring the man's original, organic form and recovering his memories from the paw bubble Kuma himself had prepared before the procedure that deprived him of his free will.

"Bonney—is she here...?" asked Kuma, his soft, baritone voice catching and his oversized body trembling. Countless questions swirled within his mind like a chaotic tempest, but none mattered more than confirming his daughter was safe and sound.

Nodding, Vahn revealed, "She's currently rolling about in a private lounge and grousing to herself. Once we're finished here, I will send you over to surprise her. Her views of me and the organization I represent are a little skewed, but once you've caught up, she should be able to apprise you of the situation."

"Just who are you...?" asked Kuma, eager to see his daughter again but feeling he had to know the identity of the man who hadn't simply rescued him from a nightmare but presumably kept Bonney safe. At the very least, she trusted the man and his means enough to request his aid. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Ah, my name is Vahn Mason," answered Vahn, adopting his best smile as he appended, "Though, I'm also known by two pertinent titles, the Dragon God of Intertwining Fates and, in your world, the Blasphemous Wings. It's a genuine pleasure to make the acquaintance of such a kind-hearted man and father. Though her life hasn't been easy, Bonney is lucky to have such a devoted guardian..."

Though Vahn's response birthed even more questions in his mind, Kuma's priorities returned to his daughter at her mention. Thus, after accepting a comfortable change of perfectly tailored clothes from Vahn, obtained via his System Shop, he raced to Bonney's side for a heartfelt reunion, scored by relieved wailing and an abundance of tears...

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[January 15th TST/September 7th DBT]

After giving them space the previous evening and subsequent morning, Vahn invited Bonney and Kuma to join him for a sumptuous luncheon with food prepared utilizing ingredients from the Black Tower and food-centric worlds such as Toriko.

"This is insane! I've never had food this good before!" exclaimed Bonney, sporting a radiant smile with her cheeks resembling those of a chipmunk hoarding acorns. There were faint bags under her eyes, but compared to the previous afternoon, she was bursting with enthusiasm and practically radiating happiness like the sun's warm rays.

"I never imagined that food more delectable and nutritious than the meat of a Sea King could exist..." remarked Kuma, sporting a relaxed smile as he used a sword and pitchfork-sized fork and knife to carefully slice a nearly ten-centimeter-thick piece of steak harvested from a dragon-like beast with a Capture Level of 4290. Compared to his adoptive daughter, his manners were impeccable, creating a distinctive gap with his appearance, but that was to be expected from someone who once ruled as King of a Kingdom called Sorbet.

Before Vahn could reveal the origin of the ingredients like a connoisseur, Bonney caught both him and Kuma off guard by saying, "Anyways, since I said I would become your woman if you helped save my father, you're my man from today onward. I don't care if you accept it or not. That's how it's going to be."

Exhaling a faint, scoffing chuckle, Vahn surprised Bonney by conceding, "If that's what you've decided, I'm not going to kick you to the curb. But until you've aged up and matured mentally and emotionally, don't expect anything more intimate than a headpat. If you can't live with that, search for someone your own age to accumulate experience."

"Seriously?" asked Bonney, looking offended as she adopted an annoyed frown and remarked, "Do you have any idea how many guys flirt with and try to make me theirs back in my world? And stop treating me like a child. How many other kids do you know with a bounty of 270,000,000 Berries? Age isn't the only thing that determines how mature someone is."

"A fact I am all too aware of..." sighed Vahn, closing his eyes and exhaling in moderate exasperation before opening them to meet Bonney's resolute, challenging gaze, his expression and tone serious as he appended, "But it is important to maintain balance—both across worlds and within oneself. I understand you've been through more than most, and I respect your fiery disposition and resilience. But the ability to endure hardship and Captain a pirate ship doesn't make one emotionally mature..."

Shaking his head, Vahn patiently added, "The simple fact of the matter is that you're missing out on key experiences needed to counterbalance the pain and suffering you've endured. You still have time and the opportunity to simply enjoy life as the daughter of a kind and caring father. There's no need to rush things as you have been. Once you no longer need to rely on that form, I'll be here, supporting you from behind and cheering for you to find the happiness you deserve..."

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Though he was initially shaken by Bonney mentioning that she had agreed to become Vahn's woman in exchange for his assistance, Kuma breathed a faint but tremendous sigh of relief when he realized it was just her being her usual willful self and not something she had been roped into. The fact Vahn didn't shoot her down completely concerned him, but since he knew better than most how headstrong and uncompromising his daughter could be—a trait she inherited from her mother—he elected to remain silent and observe how things played out.

Following a lengthy silence, where she glared at Vahn while continuing to stuff her face, Bonney standoffishly remarked, "You're really committed to this whole good guy act...it's not natural..."

Shrugging, Vahn reminded, "Well, I am the leader of a transdimensional organization and a Dragon God. Comparing me to the average man is an insult to me and a disservice to them."

"Huh...I guess that makes sense..." conceded Bonney, quickly adding, "In a dumb, stupidly pretentious kind of way..." while lowering her purple eyes thoughtfully to the vast array of food before her. She was irritated that the first guy she was prepared to give a chance all but rejected her, but at the same time, she felt relieved. As a seasoned pirate Captain, she was aware of the kinds of things men and women got up to in private, but if she were being totally honest, the thought of actually doing them made her tremble from her core with anxiety...

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Following their luncheon, Vahn gave Bonney and Kuma black metallic cards that effectively gave them free rein of the first three floors of the palace, allowing them to use its facilities, eat wherever they pleased, and even secure a massive luxury penthouse at his expense. Kuma wanted to inquire about the specifics of the Dragon's Pavilion and the Tower, but as there were now plenty of people specializing in answering those types of questions, he arranged for the man to speak with one of the caseworkers assigned to address matters in the world of One Piece.

"We meet again..." hummed Vahn, rising to his feet as Miu appeared from a pair of double doors that materialized out of thin air in the customizable room that had been prepared for her following her promotion. At first, she was wearing her usual glossy purple leotard and vanilla-hued, cat's paw-print apron, but as she strode into the room with wide, glistening eyes and an expectant smile, she used her System's Equip Function to immediately change into an exceedingly skimpy Maid outfit, her hands forming a heart where her womb was located as she narrowed her eyes and expressed, "I thought I would have to wait until at least this Friday for an opportunity to meet with Goshujin-sama again...to think you would call me directly...were you not satisfied cumming inside me twelve times~?"

"Not when I could have shot it out a hundred times..." responded Vahn, gliding his hands along Miu's waist as she stepped into his embrace and precluded the rest of his response with a deep, tongue-entangling kiss. She had been in a daze, her thoughts constantly wandering throughout the day, so when Vahn messaged her asking if she wanted to come over, spend some time together, and possibly watch a movie, she could barely restrain herself from rushing over early.

"Someone eager..." teased Vahn, licking his lips and staring down at Miu with a smoldering look when she settled onto her heels, the nearly thirty-centimeter difference in their heights placing her face level with his chest.

"And who's fault is that...?" asked Miu, her face lightly flushed and breath already tinged with heat as she contended, "Sex with you felt even better than I had been led to believe. I had to change pads multiple times today because I couldn't stop thinking about you pinning me down and etching pleasure into the deepest part of my body..."

"I like eager..." Vahn appended, hefting Miu up by her remarkably round and paradoxically firm yet soft bottom as he materialized a second pair of arms on his thighs—courtesy of the Hana Hana no Mi. Miu readily jumped up and wrapped her legs around him, assuming they would spend at least a few minutes making out, but she wasn't at all bothered when he slid her panties aside with his second set of hands and lubricated himself with her abundant fluids. Rather, it made her even more excited.

"You might be a bit of a nympho..." Vahn pointed out, causing Miu's blush to deepen as she lowered her face, looked up at him with upturned eyes, and softly countered, "You're the one who made me like this...you have to take responsibility..."

"For the rest of your life..." affirmed Vahn, his voice especially deep and resonating as he raised Miu's butt, guided his glans to her notably pulsing entrance and lowered her against his intrusion. A gasping, jaw-quivering moan emanated from her lips, but he cut it short with a kiss, his and Miu's tongues dancing within their mouths like a pair of martial artists executing a highly choreographed martial demonstration. Miu was an extraordinarily quick learner with near-perfect control over her body, so while she was a little lacking in terms of vital and spiritual essence, Vahn couldn't help but admire the rate at which she adapted and improved at sex...

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[January 16th TST/September 8th DBT]

"Hey...I know I'm ultimately just a Maid...and that this might be really selfish...but do you...you know...love me...?" asked Miu, snuggled up to, half-clinging to Vahn's hot, perfectly sculpted body after spending the evening together, amounting to nearly seventeen hours thanks to time within the room flowing faster.

"Without a doubt..." responded Vahn, absent even a hint of hesitation as he gave Miu's bottom a light smack and added, "And you'll never be just a Maid. You are Furinji Miu, an exceptional young woman who any man, God or otherwise, would be lucky to have at their side...the fact you've chosen to stay at mine...I can't help loving and wanting to make love to you out of sheer gratitude..."

Since expressing his love wasn't the same as saying it, Vahn punctuated such flowery words by gently cupping Miu's chin, guiding her to raise her face and meet his gaze as he plainly stated, "I love you, Furinji Miu...and I will do whatever it takes to convince you of that fact..."

"You've made that abundantly clear..." retorted Miu, her glazed, sapphire-blue eyes glistening with a fresh layer of moisture before she closed them and muttered, "Now stop talking and kiss me..."

"With pleasure..." hummed Vahn, similarly closing his eyes as he and Miu shared a chaste, lingering kiss...

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