The Eternal Sanctum (Holy Knight Headquarters)

[Bloodedge]

For the foreseeable future, Yuuya would be learning about others' experiences reaching this new world. He didn't know how long it would be until the others appeared. Perhaps something would slow them down... or even speed them up. For example, Charlemagne and Sakura were once again at an impasse of understanding. Apparently, the best time for debauchery was just after waking up. Of course it was. What other ridiculous things would he hear moving forward? Time would tell. Whatever the case, Sakura could claim this was a matter of personal will all she wanted; that didn't mean his decision would suddenly feel right. "No, that doesn't work. The way it feels, it's like... oh! Imagine you've got the inspiration to create something. I imagine the feeling is the same as if you decided not to make anything at all. Does that make sense as a comparison?" he wondered. Still, Charlemagne had given neither firm positive nor firm negative response. Frankly, his true answer would be something between, based on his ever-conflicting desires. As for the matter of toothbrushing, he figured it was something foreign to Sakura. Since ascending, Charlemagne hadn't observed a need for such things either. "It is a hygiene thing. In my world, if you don't brush your teeth, your breath stinks. It was a bacterial thing then, so probably something about mana waste in this reality. You brush with a paste that smells nice, but the taste clashes with a lot of stuff you might have for breakfast."

Meanwhile, Yume was expressing the idea of being somehow related to Mugen. Strange though that was, Ailen couldn't be too surprised by the idea of Mugen being connected to the other world. He was, after all, a current product of the Void. "That does simplify things a bit, yes. Of course, all things can only be so simple when he is involved," he asserted. Something about this arrangement was compared to a certain novel genre, which they both seemed to take interest in. Though Ailen was ignorant to the details of this exchange, he did have something to say about it. "Steamy doctor visit? That sounds strange, but if it is acceptable, I suppose that's alright. And, yes, it is likely you both have multiple cores currently... even if the others are not yet active," the elf explained further. Now that the topic had shifted a bit, Ailen recalled what he'd been mulling over after waking. There was little chance to bring it up before, but now was as good a time as any. "So... what exactly is this 'butter' thing?"

[Apollymi]

As the pair outside continued to chat about the world and how one entered it, Sakura and Charles discussed matters of will and action. Charles even took to making one of his numerous examples to try and have the girl understand his stance on the workings of his body versus those of his mind. He compared how he felt now, to... having the inspiration to create, and then simply not doing it but retaining the feeling. Sakura gave herself a bit of time to process that as an example and she knew what it felt like to be inspired and she understood what it was like to choose not to make something, combining those two things was odd. "Hm, that sounds terrible. It is a working example I understand it..." she murmured but she was still rather inquisitively studying the lad. "But it sounds like self-torture," she explained. His words to her sounded like he was causing himself mental pain by not going along with what he spiritually or physically wanted for no discernable reason. He would cost him less time to seek relief in this case than it would for him to argue with himself about it and that made it more confusing to her as he seemed to be moving with a sense of urgency. Beyond this point, the lad did explain tooth brushing which was a matter of bacteria where he was from but he assumed was something mana related here... "It is probably more like a stagnation of mana which should be in constant flow. Food has its own mana so it going in and pure mana going in should be causing it to flow. It not flowing could potentially pose problems... even if humans don't understand it this way," she said though she was the short of being how didn't have those kinds of problems because her mana was perfectly regulated.

Mugen was a complicated existence with a complicated apprentice. The knowledge that Yume was somehow related to Mugen in a roundabout way did clear things up but also didn't, she expected this... "I could see that... Mugen-sama is quite complex~" she mused. Ah, but all of that paled in comparison to this man's random hearing of the girl's combined conversation. What was a steamy doctor visit? Well... Yume had that one covered too, much to Anais's dismay. "Oh? That is like a common trope in smutty novels. A set up for a hot older guy to end up with some young inexperienced girl. He asks a bunch of innocuous questions under the pretense of curiosity and it becomes a whole romantic entanglement~" she expressed of the general plots. "Though in your case, the curiosity is really honest so it's probably better~" Yume finished up. "Hai, definitely better..." Anais confirmed. "And I have at least three counting my active one by my own count, she probably has at least two... weird but not something to stress about when we have cool reveals to do later," Anais confirmed. Oh... but Ailen had a question, what was butter? Yume who'd been amused and beyond entertained by the general conversation managed to look a bit shocked. Anais seemed to be in stunned thought and nervous laughter would come... "Hehehe~ Butter? Really? Have you been thinking about that since tea time?" she asked looking directly at Anais and making the girl squirm with the intensity of her gaze. "You know... people don't really eat normal foods here so I am not really that surprised... I've actually not had it in anything or seen it myself since being here..." she confirmed only to begin the actual explanation. "It's a milk product, from like regular bovine creatures. Basically it is milk fat, separated from the liquid and kneaded into a semi-solid at room temperature, fairly low melting point. It can be spread on bread, eaten in rice... used as a fat for cooking meats... it's really good for flavors," she explained of butter.

[Bloodedge]

Once more, Charlemagne managed an analogy Sakura could understand. This time, however, she addressed the truth of it all in a form that was difficult to take head-on. Self-torture, she called that behavior. She wasn't wrong. It was torturous, and for a time, it was only the lesser of two evils. One evil had been all but removed as of the previous day, however. What was even holding him back now? Well... nothing, really. "Yeah, it sort of is. That's partly the point," he murmured. Naturally, his body had yet to stop giving its answer. Charlemagne himself was hardly even distracted enough by the talk of dental hygiene. "You know, five minutes ago, I thought you were about to just do something without asking. It was weird to see you not do that," he said after a few moments of silence, as if that somehow would have been the better alternative. Actually, that outcome would have made dealing with it all far easier.

While the discussion continued, Astolfo managed to begin opening Charlemagne's bedroom door ever so slowly. It had been some time since he heard any important noises, so he thought to sneak his way in and perhaps witness the afterglow. Luckily for him, the position of Sakura's body would keep Charlemagne from seeing... but he could see. Sakura was clothed, and it seemed Charlemagne at least had on trousers. Could they simply not wait? That was an interesting thought to have. Whatever the case, Astolfo crept his way deeper into the room, where he'd wait to see if there was actually anything sexual happening here or not.

All the while, Ailen's curiosities were being answered one after another. These two knew of a trope involving attractive, older men, and inexperienced girls. It sounded absolutely scandalous the way Yume put it, but it also sounded rather accurate to his situation with Anais. Alas, there was no pretense between them, bar a few flirty exchanges. Was that something worth exploring with greater purpose? He'd taken a moment to remove himself from both girls, rising up and holding a hand under his chin. "I see. In that case, should I assume enforcing the trope is something you desire as an act of play? I suppose that wouldn't be very farfetched, if so. I believe my mentor once exemplified such an attitude," the elf mused. Moving on, there was also an explanation given about butter. The thing in question was a product of milk, which made it an incredibly useful thing this world should always have. Upon hearing about it, Ailen could only be surprised that it wasn't a massive deal in this world. "Really?! That sounds incredible! We must have this produced; it would do so much for so many! Even as I consider it now, there is an entire archipelago connected to Munetsuchi which could desperately use the mana something like this 'butter' could provide! It could change the world as we know it."

[Apollymi]

Sakura's understanding of this mental and physical battle of Charles was according to the lad himself, accurate. He was torturing himself and it was apparently the point. How strange, she'd seen people submit themselves to the will of others rather easily, but never had she imagined a person would torture themselves simply by not making a decision. "Torture like that does not make sense to me, and does not seem like it is good for you. But I am not judging," she mentioned heartily. Still she was placed atop him and her senses were rather open so she was more than a little aware that someone else was in the room with them even if she'd not turned around to deal with the person in question. It was tangibly more important for her to understand Charles's moods so their conversation would continue. He claimed, that he'd expected her to do something without asking, that it was weird of her to wait... "I could have," she mentioned of just doing something. "But I did not ask ahead of time how you wished to wake and you seem to have established boundaries," she explained of their situation as she saw it. His hang-ups were obvious to her, even if she didn't fully understand them. She'd been quite frank and straightforward, but she was still mostly just trying to look out for him. "I would not want to commit to anything that would cause you more mental or emotional anguish... so I was willing to leave such decisions to you... If you'd prefer I make them, I can do that as well, though if there are lines you do not wish to have crossed you should state them," she explained. "It is also the case that you do not seem to wish an audience for such things, even if you would be alright with any actions I took..." she said carefully. "Honestly it is quite the challenging path but I won't fail to navigate it, once I understand all the variables," she told the lad. She gave him a reassuring rub to the top of his head leaning over him and shifting her body just a bit. She offered him nothing but acceptance, but he seemed to have a rather complex way of understanding their relationship, it demanded the development of skills which she didn't already have. It was interesting.

Meanwhile Anais was also being given a very thorough look at her own psyche through the books she once partook of, interestingly enough there was an open offer of such a thing being exemplified through their interactions as a form of play. Would she like that? 'Hell yes we'd like that! Do it! FUCKING DO IT!~' her internal voice practically screamed at her. In being something she was so obviously interested in, Yume could almost hear those communications clearly. "Hoh? That's surprisingly honest, given your body language. Still more excited inside than outside~" she mentioned. Anais was currently tapping her fingers together and red in the face but looking rather skittish. "I'm pretty sure I'd be interested in that Shishou," she murmured. And that was all she'd say about it, she was going to die of embarrassment one day, of this she was certain. "Are? That's such a cute reaction!" Yume mentioned only to be caught by the bits about butter. Anais had a good understanding of it, and anyone from their world would, butter was a staple. But according to Ailen, it would do wonders for a certain Archipelago. He claimed it would revolutionize the world. "Butter is delicious and given how mana works I even understand your excitement," she stated as he sat up. She finally did the same and so did Anais. "It isn't really that hard to make, though it'd need to be made by milk producing animals with high body fat content to be effective. We did it once as a camp craft... magical animals are a bit odd for it though. I suppose even though it's done in our world with simpler creatures it should translate," she mentioned of the process itself. She was glad she could help but it was a rather interesting potential problem.

[Bloodedge]

"No. No it doesn't," Charlemagne agreed. He definitely wasn't some sort of masochist, at least not in any way he understood. Maybe he was more like a person using a compass to traverse the moon? No, something about that thought sounded stupid; he didn't even know why an analogy appeared then. Either way, his earlier thoughts about Sakura's approach didn't seem off at all. As things sounded, Sakura would have easily begun something of her own accord. Charlemagne's first thought was about how wonderful an idea that would be. Alas, she did nothing because she had no directive from him? How strange. "That sounds more like a slave. Or... a maid," Charlemagne said with a sigh, ending with an averted gaze due to the mental imagery. There was a slight redness to his face, but he cleared his throat and carried on. "Ahem. Anyway. You can make your own decisions, you know? I already said I don't feel right saying no. It couldn't stress me out any more than what I do to myself already," he clarified. While Charlemagne was having his vision more obscured by the leaning of Sakura, Astolfo was hiding himself behind the latter's throne. This conversation was an interesting sort ─ one that, in Astolfo's mind, made Charlemagne the submissive-leaning sort he figured the lad would be eventually. What a shame; maybe another day would see the dog Charlemagne showed himself capable of being during those wars. Still, this was a worthwhile watch.

Anais's mana flow gave Ailen all the information he needed, and Yume was there to confirm his suspicions this time. "Hmm. In that case, I should warn that nourishment of the soul would be the healthiest approach to what your Party will soon undertake. In my 'professional' experience, being in the field does not allow for growth until the task at hand is complete. You should both keep in mind that preparation is key to situations like these," the elf spoke. Of course, there was also another thing that fueled the current agenda. 'Butter' was a little more complex than he imagined, requiring a specific form of creature's milk, based on Anais's claims. He did need to know more about that to make any headway. "It would also be infinitely helpful if one of you could offer me more information about this butter. I would like to see it produced in Munetsuchi. Surely that is something either of you can do."

[Apollymi]

Charles might have thought he wasn't a masochist, but it seemed to Sakura that he was at least an emotional sadist who directed most of his pain-causing antics inward. It was basically the same thing. Regardless, he seemed to think that her words about waiting for his decision made her like a slave, or a maid and such a confession came with a reddening of his face. She looked at him even as he tried to clear his throat and move past it, and smiled, the smile she used when she felt rather suddenly capable of taking advantage of the lad. He liked that idea did he? "You left me in charge of looking after you, such a term could apply, Char-kun~" the girl gently teased. She was more than a little aware of Astolfo moving around in this room, but at this point if Charles hadn't noticed it was beyond her conception of their friendship for her to make that part obvious. What was more, Charles claimed she could make her own decisions, "Saying no to one's soul shouldn't feel right, but you still don't really understand that part yet..." she murmured close to his face. "But fine, if it would upset you less to not have to make the decision... I'll do it for you~" she affirmed. Her own understanding of the world was much better than Charles as a higher tier being, she could easily make all the decisions that his human brain and free will wouldn't allow him to. These things would in fact, balance his soul and likely help his mind and body function better, whether he realized it or not. With Astolfo properly hidden behind her throne, she sat up straighter those dark clothes of hers beginning to turn into strips around her body as her flesh and active mana circuits were revealed. Those glowing red lines along her body had a very specific function and would entice the lad in truth. A single hand of hers shifted down his body in an effort to free his manhood and thus leave her in prime position to begin the act the lad desperately needed to undertake.

At the same time, Ailen seemed to be showing quite a bit of himself in a singular moment. The smile that crossed Yume's face at the elf's 'professional' opinion was likely demonic in nature. More so than that, the words made Anais blush and her heartrate shift immediately. "Hai, Shishou..." Anais managed. Just the same her soul was screaming. 'HOT! THIS IS HOT! Our, Shishou fits this role perfectly! And then, we can be what we want!~' Sinais mentioned. Anais supposed a slightly devious older man with a bit of authority was exactly the kind of person her inner devious self liked the idea of manipulating, in sexual situations. She could blame her reading list or many other things, but ultimately her own soul was making easily attainable demands and arguing against things that made her happy was not ideal. This whole thing was a bit taboo and that made it better, didn't it? "Hoh? I didn't know you had it in you, Ai-aniki... " mused Yume, that little bit of kink a tiny bit of darkness, and Yume could see herself enjoying Ailen's company. This man really made her friend's soul sing and that was a positive no matter what. "And I always knew you'd end up lost in the sauce~ I'm watching you, Mi-chan~" she teased the girl just a bit which did nothing to stop her. This was all fine, actually there were only a handful of people in any world that Anais could be this comfortable around and her invasive friend was one of them. "I have that information for you, Shishou~" Anais said leaning upwards and offering her lips to his without much hesitation.. Yume had no intention of giving the information that Ailen wanted mostly because she wanted to see her friend have such a moment, she'd come such a long way from the shy girl she'd been before who couldn't even give a small speech with people looking at her.

[Bloodedge]

The term could be applied, said Sakura. Which one? Well, the two weren't incredibly far apart when viewed objectively, bar the latter's pay and... the very interesting uniforms between them. "Eheh... yeah, I'm sure it could," he muttered abashedly. Sakura claimed it shouldn't feel right to disagree with the soul, which he frankly agreed with after the past few days. Still, his life would be very different if his soul had different desires recently. "I'll bet. It feels like it should feel wrong," he said. Of course, there was little else in his mind worth saying. Why? Well, Sakura's decision had become obvious. Her clothes were unraveled in a blink, and so was Charlemagne's sense as he stared endlessly into unguarded flesh. Sakura was already reaching for his manhood. Those trousers hardly stood a chance, nor would they be receiving any defensive assistance from Charlemagne, who was willing to let the lass do whatever she pleased.

Meanwhile, there were a couple of different reactions to Ailen's mannerisms. Anais seemed to take things an exceedingly positive way, while Yume appeared to draw the line at a form of intrigue. "You shouldn't be so surprised. When one marries a goddess, one eventually discovers a need to be more... flexible than most," he asserted. It was only natural to develop a certain quality of deviance in such a case. Ailen may not have been so open in his more perverse qualities than other Myouou, but that changed nothing about what lay underneath. Whatever the case, Anais offered the information he required about butter. It was without hesitation that he leaned forward to claim the knowledge directly from her lips. It was not often that Anais had knowledge to give, but she was quite forthcoming with it when there was. Good; this was meant to be very much a give-and-take relationship.

[Apollymi]

The maid versus slave debate was one which would leave Sakura questioning things, but perhaps the girls would have some better understanding of that sort of thing. No matter what, she'd make sure to look after the lad, it was her current chosen duty. "Hm, I'll look into if you want~" she mentioned. Having already moved into place while taking her clothes off, she decided to address the matters of soul which Charles seemed to be missing. "I was told that to starve the soul was to starve the self, and this includes not just nourishment in the magical sense but experience and desire," she explained as she raised herself. The way goddesses functioned was truly a thing of wonder, she was already fully able to accept him and after lining herself up would lower herself in a single, smooth motion. "So take all you need~" she offered herself once more. Ah, this enhancement to his manhood was quite delightful. Sex had been fine and fun before but now it was something beyond enjoyable. Her nether pulsed around him as she began to move, intent to take her first meal of the day. If Charles struggled to make the choices right for his soul, Sakura would do it for him and thus preserve him for the return of Angelica. Their audience was of little consequence to her as well, she liked watching and assumed she'd also enjoy being watched...

At the same time, Yume was finding herself developing a new hobby by the day. She watched the approach between Ailen and Anais with wide eyes. Girls often shared stories with each other, but it was very different to see, and know you would get to experience it one day. "Flexibility, huh? I find myself into so very different things in the last 24 hours..." she was teasing but watching intently. This was kind of hot. Anais had gently parted lips and Ailen had leaned into her. Their bodies were arranged in a way that she could see all of the coming contact. They were two fit, and lean individuals, but she found herself studying both of their forms. Maybe she did like a few girls? She felt strangely about Miwa and now she was feeling equally strange after spending the night snuggled next to Anais. Actually, there was a valid mana related explanation for this, human sexuality was so weird to consider, still she wasn't sure if she was ready to make a leap like that yet. But... she'd definitely watch.

At the same time, when Ailen's lips met Anais's she moved her tongue forward into his mouth. She needed to give him all the information she had in her mind about the production of butter. Doing so first would allow her to sink in and enjoy the moment. She could also feel Yume's eyes on her which had a strange effect. 'We could seduce her too!~' Sinais mentioned. It was such a strong and heartfelt thing that Yume felt it and knew that her friend had already gone quite native, or maybe... she'd always been that way. Yume was... flattered, her face blushing, "Eh? I feel like I wasn't supposed to hear that one. I didn't know you were gonna go Jinx on me, Mi-chan~" she murmured lost in thoughts and the sight. "Inside voice is inside for a reason, but now you know~" Anais mentioned breathlessly as she broke a rather intense tongue kiss with her mentor. "Anything need clarifying, Shishou?" she asked quickly before diving back in, this was mostly just because she'd tasted honey again and wanted more. 'Still, I suppose if I was going to try...' Well this was an evolving thought. If she had sex with the man version of her friend and the girl version she could probably figure out both her sexuality and her general preferences besides the obvious one she had for Mugen. It would also help her deal with her residual feelings and shyness surrounding Miwa, and... Anais was her friend and seemed to be a bit devious beneath the surface, they could definitely enjoy themselves. It'd be so taboo!~

[Bloodedge]

On the long list of things Charlemagne needed to know, Sakura's willingness to research slaves and maids was not present. He could have gone the rest of his life without hearing that, and he would know peace. Now, however, he'd be plagued randomly by mental images that could only be called dubious in nature. "Uh... right. Yeah, keep that in mind," he said. Why did he say that? He shouldn't have said it aloud. Oh well. Sakura went on to address starvation of the soul and self, though the chance of Charlemagne retaining the verbal message lowered in the same moment Sakura lowered her body into his lap. As always, his mind blanked with haste. This had suddenly gone from something he couldn't say no to, to the best decision he could have made consciously. There was hardly any thought involved in the movement of his hands, which landed on Sakura's hips and settled there. His hips seemed to be forcing their own movement beneath the lass, much to the observant Astolfo's surprise and satisfaction. Perhaps the dog was here after all? He'd stick around to find out.

Ailen's lesson would be coming along well in the same timeframe. When Anais's tongue entered his mouth, the influx of information had him visualizing the creation of butter. From simple milk with little else done, this golden, spreadable thing could be made. It all occurred during the swapping of saliva as Ailen's tongue swabbed against Anais's repeatedly. Being observed by Yume was of no consequence, naturally. In fact, it would not have mattered to Ailen if she got herself involved. Three connected mouths was nothing new, after all. Ah, but was there something in need of clarifying? Well... "I suppose once more for retention would be wise. It would be terrible to ruin the process due to misinformation," he said. Interestingly enough, Anais was moving toward his mouth again regardless. That would undoubtedly be welcomed with lip and tongue alike, while... something else occurred.

There were three knocks upon the door of this room. The likes of Ailen and Anais would not be able to hear it, as the knock did not truly exist. No hand would be found on the other side banging away, nor would there be a person at all. For Asakura Yume alone, a gentle knocking sounded.

[Apollymi]

Charles seemed to think her line of thinking was worth keeping. That was different... well, there was no reason to consider it much now. Whether the lad retained the things she said or not, didn't truly matter as she was now doing what she wished, starting off the morning the way all in creation who did so should, by correcting the flow of mana in her body and Charles. This was of course done through sex, but a morning spark of wisdom, triggering the brain after sleeping and all that was all technically great for everyone. Besides that, she found that Charles mind was confused, his emotional traits tormented, but his body... was honest. She found herself looking down at the lad as he met that smooth movement with the shifting of his hips. She'd look down at him that almost demonic smile crossing her face as she began the gentle rise and lower of her grasped hips. A gentle backward arch would leave the lad buried within her but experiencing various tightness throughout his shaft. All the while her own motions began moving her towards a casual morning orgasm.

At the same time, Yume was watching two nerds flirt and considering her options. While her liking and understanding of Miwa felt complex, her close female friend already had a thing for her and... her mentor was apparently open and slightly manipulatable. This could be an interesting experience regardless of what would happen. At the very least she could figure out the nature of a bit of girl on girl action. Besides that... there was quite a bit of nerd energy to their sexual endeavor. They truly fell into their roleplaying with little to no hesitation. Ailen even seemed to be a top tier enabler, giving the elafia a reason to continue prodding his mouth. 'This really is nerd romance novel hot! I didn't know I'd be interested in something like this...' At the same time, Anais was lavishing strokes of her tongue along Ailen's while her ever moving hands would find themselves tracing the roots of his blonde hair tugging gently. She might be a bit too into this, but there was nothing wrong with getting absorbed in a lesson. She'd make sure the process of butter making was super clear, in the initial parts of this exchange only to continue moving her tongue and lips against Ailen's. Whatever the case, she was far too absorbed to hear actual knocking, she definitely wasn't hearing the supernatural knocking.

Actually, that sound also went unnoticed by Yume for just a moment. In fact, it would be the second and third knocks which finally made Yume's eyes shift away from the pair. "Why would someone be knocking? I didn't sense anyone nearby..." she questioned. Ah, but still she wouldn't interrupt the pair, no instead blue flames had her donning her clothing and going to answer the door while leaving the pair to their lesson though not without a backward look which really made her consider ignoring it to join in.

[Bloodedge]

That smile returned. Every time Sakura wore it, it was akin to some murderous villain prepared to eviscerate an opponent. For some reason though, Charlemagne thought it was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. Was he actually some sort of degenerate? Well, that was probably the case by now, if not some time before. It didn't help that his body was currently doing whatever it wanted. He was almost unconsciously thrusting up against Sakura's undercarriage while her back arched to alter everything he felt during penetration. Oh, this wasn't going to last very long at all, he thought. What sort of issues would he encounter this time? Would it be another occurrence of early conclusion, only for his body to decide it wasn't done? In watching Sakura's expression change and seeing the movements of her body via periphery, he could only assume that eventuality. Ah, but there was so much they should be doing ─ he just didn't seem to care now that his body was active. Why could that be? Charlemagne could only wonder.

All the while, that knocking would not be heard by Anais, nor Ailen. It seemed they would not have registered it even if it were real. Ailen's tongue was met by Anais's, the latter's fingers entwined in the former's hair as his hand wrestled her neck gently from the rear. He clearly had no need of additional information regarding butter. Alas, it seemed they were both just... back to some casual exploration. One could easily assume Yume would soon join the fray, but she was heading toward the door while mentioning some sort of knock? He hadn't heard a thing, but that didn't matter either way.

As for the knock, Yume would soon discover that an open door would not lead to the hallway. Behind it would instead be an entire realm belonging to King Solomon, a grand and ethereal structure. Its architecture was a blend of intricate patterns and towering columns, adorned with symbols of power and mysticism. The temple radiated an otherworldly glow, with cascades of golden light cascading down its façade. Arcane sigils and symbols were etched into its surface, exuding an aura of ancient knowledge and arcane might. The interior was a labyrinth of grand chambers and hidden passages, each resonating with the echoes of Solomon's mastery over magic. Overall, this realm seemed to be a place where the convergence of magic and history intertwined in a mesmerizing spectacle... and high up a great orichalcum staircase was the man himself, awaiting the ascent of the girl he summoned.

[Apollymi]

Sakura was busy moving her hips and looking at Charles. By her own approximation he liked what he saw, the movements of his body implied he liked what he was feeling. Human emotions truly didn't make sense to her if the outcome of his boundaries was keeping him from something that made him happy. By her own approximation he definitely wasn't considered anything close to degenerate but perhaps he had different standards for his understanding. Whatever the case, she was happy to move the way she was, feeling a rather deep penetration and feeling gentle pulses that would push her body closer and closer towards bliss. Her own pacing was steady and she found herself easily matching the lad below her. Withdrawing as he did, and pushing forward at the same time, for maximum penetration which sent sensation tingling through her body. She found herself bracing a single hand against his chest as her angle changed once again and she leaned forward, she pressed her lips against his willingly aiming to invade his mouth with her tongue.

Ailen and Anais were both rather deeply involved in what they were doing. From butter to deviance, Anais had found herself taking advantage of the opening provided by her mentor to calmly explore. She knew her friend well enough to assume she would join, if she felt like it, and had the strangest feeling given her earlier response that she would feel like it. But soon enough she was claiming there was a knock at the door and no one else could hear it. 'Oh? I figured he'd be more... abrupt than that...' but figured no harm would come to the other girl. So, just the same she'd continue knowing that Kaguya wasn't the type to throw open a door with people already in it. That kiss Anais was engaged in, only became deeper as she though of the act of nourishing her soul, by... indulging in her mentor.

At the same time, Yume slipped the door open just a crack and stepped out making sure not to flash the people inside. And when she turned around she saw a ridiculously arcane looking space the likes of which she'd never seen before. "Sugoi! I've been a demon one day and I've been summoned... I wonder by who?~" she knew Mugen's room, she would have felt his energy and she doubted he would have cared about appearing in front of either Ailen or Anais at this point. So... who was this, assumably one of the other Myouou, still, she'd remain skeptical, openly gawking as she made her way up the stairs. "This place is amazing!~ So magical my skin is tingling~" she claimed. she always did enjoy a full mage, if nothing else, she and whoever was here could bond over that. As such the dark haired girl with her teal eyes ascended white steps approaching a seated male who was becoming clearer and clearer to her eyes by the moment. 'No way!' she mentally chimed.

[Bloodedge]

The moment Yume passed the threshold of that door, the path was sealed. She had entered a realm set within a very different time-space, becoming incapable of interacting with the outside world. At the top of that staircase she climbed was a male with flawless, tan skin, flowing wavy locks of white that featured a golden ethereal glow, and eyes a similar shimmering gold to what one might find within the Holy Grails' liquid. "Shinomiya Kaguya, or even... Asakura Yume. Welcome," spoke a voice that resonated throughout the dimension. Its tone was heaven, its cadence a choir of gentle spirits in a tranquil oasis. "Forgive my intrusion. I'm afraid your path is set, and you mustn't veer from it. Your friend would be fine, but I believe... in this timeline, you were soon to decide Ailen was worth experiencing."

With that said, the king of this realm rose from the throne. He stepped forward just once, not reaching the first step, but leaving enough space to be joined where he stood. "I did not call you to stop that decision. I called you to to offer my teachings, that you might make that decision without altering your path of enlightenment. The choice is still yours, however," he added. "I am Seidou Myouou: Solomon. Along the path of enlightenment, my alignment is Wood. If you wish to accept what Ailen offers, it is recommended by your path that my teachings are explored first. Oh, and don't fret over time. This realm is set apart from Alaya. You could spend years here, and lose only seconds there."

[Apollymi]

As she walked up the steps and took in the sights, Yume was greeted in a manner which made her stop moving for just a moment. Hearing wasn't even one of her better senses, but within this realm she was certain that voice was rubbing against her soul and making her loins ache. Why did anyone need a voice that smooth? And to go along with such a smooth voice, the man also had an amazing visage. He was literally something straight out of a manga series, and probably her favorite of such people. "I am pretty sure you can call me either of those things... or a pet name, I do like those~ I don't really mind," she managed though the rest of his sentence implied that he knew quite a bit about her previous thoughts. She shouldn't veer from her path and the choice was hers... that was nice. "Yeah... I am a bit prone to being impulsive and in fairness, my mind has gone a lot of weird places in the last 24 hours. This world is doing some interesting things to me," she admitted. Right just now for instance, she was glad to have been stopped because she was sure this man would be well worth entertaining regardless of what he taught.

Maybe she really was slutty? She had just been considering having sex with a female friend and her mentor just because it looked hot. And though she'd completely thrown herself into the idea of studying in this group and ingratiating herself into the harem lifestyle it seemed to be quite a treacherous path suddenly. Moreover she apparently didn't even need to worry about anything, taking this step first, through Solomon would allow her exploration and give her what she needed to proceed. Apparently she was even outside of time/space and didn't even have to worry about missing out on her morning thoughts. Her mouth opened in a tiny o as she expressed her surprise. People kept surprising her lately. "That's really nice of you, Solomon-sama, yoroshiku onegaishimasu!~" the girl offered taking the last step and finding herself staring at the man. She was glad she'd not gotten completely lost in his voice but she was sure she only translated the gist of that conversation. "Seidou Myouou... huh, I'm going to have to tell Miwa-sama that her taste is immaculate~" she said in an odd way that was a compliment as she stared into golden eyes. She could do this...

[Bloodedge]

When Solomon spoke, Yume halted her movements. That was nothing out of the ordinary. He knew the reason well, but would not bring unnecessary attention to it. According to Yume, he could address her by either name, or some pet name. "You do seem quite fond of those. Over time, you will accumulate quite a few. As for your impulsiveness, it is nothing to be concerned about. Be true to yourself. The Myouou will make sure your path remains true by staging interventions like this one," the male explained. These apprentices were free to decide new things for themselves whenever they wished, but without that conscious decision being at play, these interruptions would occur.

According to Yume, his actions were nice. Solomon could not agree to that notion, though he understood why the conclusion was reached. "Think nothing of it. I knew this moment would come. This is the allotted timeframe for our meeting, as it was always going to be," he said. There were many things that required his involvement, many of them having much to do with the Myouou apprentices. Yume would only be the first he met with so directly, though another had already received his invitation. "You have much ahead of you. The potential you hold is no less endless than your teacher, but you've yet to determine practical ability, correct? The ability to create a Living Artifact has already been discovered. Since that is the case, you are already on your way. I can teach you how to... hmm, let's see... in the most understandable terms I can manage, evolve any existing Mystic Codes. For clarity since you never observed that video game, Mystic Codes are the foundation of all matter ─ the lines that make up a soul, if you will. Your every form is comprised of many code lines, as is every tool and every blade of grass or speck of dirt, in various amounts. I hope that makes things clear enough without sounding too technological for you."