EPIC: Path of Demons and Dragons-Chapter 260: Admission

"You know, I used to like high places..." revealed Bonney, seated across from Vahn as they rode the first floor's Ferris wheel, her head against the window as she stared out over the floor below, her purple eyes reflecting the lights and images of the increasingly bustling streets and attractions.

"What changed your mind...?" asked Vahn, his expression a relaxed smile and his tone measured, unhurried, an implicit reminder that Bonney could share as much or as little as she pleased.

"It was the fact the Celestial Dragons lived atop the Red Line..." revealed Bonney, her brows furrowing as she explained, "Before, I liked high places because it made everything—all the problems people faced—feel tiny and inconsequential. When I later realized that was probably exactly how the Celestial Dragons felt, it made me sick to my stomach..."

"I see..." muttered Vahn, joining Bonney in resting his head against the window's interior, the faint glow of his aquamarine eyes shimmering as he contended, "But you're not a Celestial Dragon, Bonney. Your perspective and feelings are unique to you, and while we might empathize with others, we're each living our own lives. You don't have to feel guilty because your thoughts might match someone you've never met—because the emotions that led you to feel as you do are your own..."

"Obviously..." droned Bonney, a faint pout marring her face as the interior of the Ferris wheel compartment fell silent. The tragic truth of the matter was that Bonney was a Celestial Dragon, with her father being from one of the most affluent families in Mariejois, so she couldn't help comparing herself to her exceedingly inbred cousins and the extraordinary atrocities they committed despite being abandoned by her original family as a child and raised in a completely different environment.

"The Celestial Dragons..." started Bonney, keeping her head against the window's glass but shifting her gaze to Vahn as she asked, "You can do something about them, can't you? Everyone's talking about how strong the Dragon's Pavilion is after your win against the Imperial Court Guard Squads, and I saw the replay...with power like that, you could launch an attack on Mariejois, free all the slaves, and put every Celestial Dragon to death in one fell swoop..."

"It's possible..." confirmed Vahn, nodding.

"Then why don't you...!?" exclaimed Bonney, causing the compartment to shake as she bounced in her seat and glared at Vahn with indignation and a hint of betrayal in her teary eyes.

"There are many reasons..." responded Vahn, his voice level as he slowly shook his head, met Bonney's gaze, and calmly appended, "But the most important one is that the World Government isn't our adversary to pursue justice against, Bonney. That is the right of those, like you, who have been harmed by their actions..."

"So, because it's someone else's problem, you get to sit here, enjoying life and luxury in your palace while countless people can't even choose how they live or die...?" asked Bonney, her voice low and the muscles in her jaw tensing as she ground her molars and clenched her hands into white-knuckled fists.

Shaking his head, Vahn raised his hands to show he had no intention of fighting as he calmly appended, "You and your father wouldn't be here if we were doing nothing, Bonney. It's just that we have rules that we must abide and your world isn't the only one we're involved with. We may have the means, but we don't have the manpower or the right to destroy every malicious or despotic organization across innumerable worlds. That's why you and others like you were invited to become Ascendees—so you could become powerful enough to decide the fate of your world yourselves..."

Following Vahn's calm explanation, the tension within the compartment simmered but didn't escalate. Then, as if someone had cut the power to an electric burner, it began to cool down as Bonney scooted back in her seat, drew her feet up in a very unladylike manner, and crossed her arms, exuding defiance as she responded, "Well...when you explain it that way, I guess it makes sense...in a dumb, super convoluted kind of way..."

"Yes, I often think I could—that I should be doing more..." affirmed Vahn, lowering his hands as he confided, "But a transdimensional organization like the Dragon's Pavilion needs strict rules and guidelines, or else chaos would unfurl. Exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis, like when I rescued your father and those being kept alongside him, but that degree of intervention typically mandates an equivalent price be paid in advance. But when I looked in on your father and saw how he was being treated, I had to intervene. That's the kind of person I am, Bonney...I understand I can't save everyone, but I never turn a blind eye to injustices occurring in front of me..."

"Hmmm..."

Since she wasn't sure how to respond to Vahn's words, Bonney stared at him with crossed arms for several seconds, jolting her legs agitatedly until the tension in her brows lessened. She still maintained a frown, but there was considerably less bite behind her words as she exhaled a weary sigh, lowered her gaze, and softly muttered, "In other words, I need to become strong enough to crush the Celestial Dragons myself..."

"You should always seek to become stronger..." affirmed Vahn, his tone softening and a smile adorning his face as he added, "But defeating the Celestial Dragons and overthrowing the World Government are not your burdens to bear, Bonney. Not alone, at least."

"Are you talking about the Revolutionary Army...?" asked Bonney, raising her gaze to meet Vahn's.

"They're one of many groups pursuing that end," confirmed Vahn. "But I am personally hedging my bets on the Straw Hat Pirates. Their Captain is a bit of an airhead, but when push comes to shove, he hits back for those who can't."

"Seriously? The rubber guy...?" asked Bonney, scoffing in disbelief as she pointed out, "Their crew is like nine people, and from what I hear, all their male members are perverts, idiots, or both."

"People are more complex and layered than the version of themselves they present to others, Bonney," stated Vahn, his expression softening further as he explained, "Just as you have a past that guides your words and actions, the Straw Hats have histories that propel them forward and allow them to achieve otherwise impossible feats."

"If you say so..." muttered Bonney, rolling her eyes before returning her gaze to the scene outside her window. The ride had ended a while ago, so they were only a few stops from being asked to get off or stick around for another five revolutions.

Noticing Bonney's restlessness, Vahn pointed at his face and joked, "If you still feel like hitting me, there are plenty of training rooms available. I've been told I have a remarkably punchable face."

"Really? By who...?" asked Bonney, looking at Vahn and frowning as she held up her right fist and growled, "Maybe those people need to receive a punch of their own."

"Coincidentally, the person in question receives much more than simple punches on a near-daily basis," responded Vahn, somewhat taken aback by Bonney's offense. Though, if he considered that she regarded him as her man, it made sense that she was a little protective of him—even if he plunge into a star and emerge unscathed.

Realizing that Vahn was joking, Bonney scrunched her nose and flashed her teeth before deliberately reaching into the front of her shirt to scratch her right breast as she stated, "Speaking all serious like this has made me hungry. Let's hit up a few more restaurants, and then I'll beat you as much as you want."

"Sounds like a plan..." responded Vahn, nodding affirmatively and resisting the urge to comment on Bonney's boorish behavior, as it would likely have the opposite of the desired effect. Instead, he casually extended his right hand to her with a calm smile, causing her to look between it and his face with a bewildered expression before presenting her left hand, averting her eyes, and grousing, "If you wanted to hold hands, you should have let me sit next to you..."

"Maybe next time," hummed Vahn, surprising Bonney by teleporting them to his private table at a restaurant owned by Kiba and operated by several Totsuki Culinary Arts Academy alumni. The dishes they served lacked the oomph of full courses prepared using ingredients from the world of Toriko, but the atmosphere was elegant and refined, compelling even the usually boisterous Bonney to be on her best behavior as a bespectacled man with messy, coral-colored hair, amber-gold eyes, and sharp features arrived to take their order...

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[January 27th TST/September 19th DBT]

With the next Tower cycle fast approaching, Vahn was reviewing the list of prospective Ascendees while awaiting the arrival of Kukaku and Rukia, having just been appointed to the positions of Captain and Lieutenant of the newly formed 14th Division that morning. There were no guarantees that everyone who received an invitation to the Tower would accept it, so there were more than a thousand candidates to review, organized by the likelihood of them approaching him and the Dragon's Pavilion for their aid or the result of their ambition.

kacha

Without bothering to knock physically, Kukaku entered Vahn's study and casually chimed, "Knock, knock. We've arrived~" in her characteristically brash but pleasantly husky tone.

Rising to his feet, the smile on Vahn's face broadened appreciatively when he saw Kukaku looking surprisingly presentable in her Captain's haori and Shihakusho. On the other hand, Rukia looked adorable, her glossy, raven-black hair having been cut short and a wooden badge denoting her status as a Lieutenant adorning her left sleeve as she did her best not to appear nervous.

"Welcome, Shiba-taichou, Kuchiki-fukutaichou. Please, come in and make yourselves comfortable," said Vahn, casually storing the sofa he had been sitting on in his inventory before gesturing to the space between him and the faintly crackling hearth, producing a low-lying table and cushions for the three of them to sit on.

"Shiba-taichou? Seriously?" asked Kukaku, snorting. She was tempted to point out it hadn't even been two days since she and Vahn last made love like he was actively attempting to breed her, but since Rukia wasn't in the know regarding such matters, she bit the interior of her lip and restrained herself.

"I certainly don't mind dismissing with formalities if the two of you don't," responded Vahn, his gaze shifting to Rukia, causing her to visibly tense as she muttered, "I...I don't mind if Vahn-sama doesn't..." while averting her eyes in a rather suspicious manner. As for the reason why, Kukaku quickly made it apparent after plopping down on the cushion that would be to his right when sitting.

"Did you hear we were making the 14th an all-female Division...?" asked Kukaku.

"I was made aware of the possibility..." confirmed Vahn, taking his seat after Rukia positioned herself in a near-perfect seiza, her back as straight as a rod and her hands gripped into fists above her knees.

"Well, it's no longer a possibility but reality..." stated Kukaku, her emerald-green eyes focused on Vahn's practiced tea preparations as she revealed, "More to the point, all of our members will be joining the Maid Battalion so the Dragon's Pavilion doesn't charge us an arm and a leg to be stationed here. We've already got seventy-three candidates lined up, so make some time over the next two to three days."

"Mmn...alright, then..." responded Vahn. Kukaku wasn't saying anything surprising, so he just nodded along, trusting everything was developing according to Venelana's, Rias's, Sona's, and Ravel's plan. What came next, however, caused his brows to rise to their limits.

"And if Vahn-sama permits...I would like to nominate myself for the status and position of a First-Grade Maid..." appended Rukia, visibly trembling as a faint, initially imperceptible blush tinted her cheeks.

Recovering from his brief stupor, Vahn tilted his head slightly and asked, "You're aware of what that entails, aren't you...?"

Swallowing hard, Rukia nodded and asserted, "This...while it's true that I consulted with my family and elder brother first, it's a decision I've made by and for myself. I wish to grow stronger and, more importantly, serve as a bridge between the Dragon's Pavilion and the Soul Society, not just the Seireitei. Please consider my nomination..."

Though she attempted to punctuate her words by bowing her head, Vahn prevented Rukia's supplication by gesturing with his left hand, preventing her from doing more than leaning forward using his Domain. Then, without the need for even a moment's deliberation, he smiled and stated, "There's nothing for me to consider—you're in. Rather, I would need to be a fool to deny you..."

Not expecting Vahn's immediate approval, Rukia stared at him for several seconds, her expression unchanging but her face becoming progressively red. Then, for the briefest of moments, a thin trickle of blood leaked from her left nostril as her imagination raced with possibilities and reasons for Vahn's swift acceptance...

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