"[It is that way... I think.]" Mereana points down below through the translucent membrane that substitutes for windows on the Chaos Carrier.

Yes, that's what I called it. I simply couldn't come up with anything else and just went with that in the end.

"[What do you mean, you think?]" My avatar turns to the red-haired woman and raises an eyebrow. She looks away in embarrassment and returns to stare down at the landscape below - standing a good distance away from the membrane that the entire front end of the gondola's wall consists of.

I can understand that she has a fear of flying and doesn't trust the glass-like wall since it's something unheard of on this continent. In actuality, it's pretty durable since I used the same stuff found in the lenses of eyes for this. Well, I wouldn't guarantee it holding up if Korenga were to lean on it, or Tokomaha were to try and poke her spear at it. Though if either of them did those things, I'd just open a hole under the former's feet and drop her, and bind the latter for some punishment. After all, I told them not to mess around with anything in here, since it's my first time doing this and it could all come apart, if I'm not careful.

"[I have never traveled at such a height before.]" Mereana is shaking in her boots while staring down at the landscape, trying and orientate herself. For a human without night vision, it's doubly difficult, so I'll grant her some leeway. For now I'll continue following the road she pointed out at the very beginning, instead of trying to make her find the most direct path towards the capital of Kairaki.

"[It's alright, we'll start searching in earnest tomorrow. Get some rest for tonight.]" It's most likely past midnight, judging by the fact that the Black God has fallen asleep not too long ago.

"[Thank you.]" With these words, she leaves the bridge and goes to her own quarters.

Tahiri is actually on top of me; not the avatar, but the airship. She told me that because it was warm on the balloon, she preferred to stay there. I can vaguely feel her tiny weight so I know that she's still around, though I wonder why she has any weight at all considering she seems to be made of clouds.

Tokomaha has actually gone to sleep earlier, even though she's a goddess who doesn't need it. She said that creating so many clones has completely exhausted her and that she needed the rest badly. I had wanted to do something with her tonight as well, but since she did fight valiantly, I'll respect her wish.

Uten and Saten are flying on their own outside, saying that they wanted to go for some hunting so that they could gain a lot of mass and learn to do the things I'm showing off one after another. They're such sweet children, looking up to their mother as a role model. I told them to be careful and remain not too far away from me, so that they could take shelter on the Chaos Carrier - mostly so that I can feel their presences with my Chaos senses, though.

I really need to work on my naming sense...

In either case, with everybody else accounted for, that leaves Awhina whom I haven't heard anything from ever since I took off and she found a room for herself.

Tonight, I'll finally make things clear. While I won't show my real face - so far, aside from those in the demon castle, only Senka and Aurelia have seen it - I will talk to her about this unspoken thing between us two. After all, we seem to have something that goes beyond friendship, and we can't keep on skirting around it forever. Being cooped up here together might be the best opportunity to make this move.

Still, I do need to divert some of my attention to steering this airship, and while I've gained the ability to effectively multitask beyond a human's level, it may seem rude that I'm doing other things while talking to her about such an important topic. I have no driver's license, but I assume that's how people who drive and talk to the front-seat passenger do it - though I only know how that goes from movies.

I knock on Awhina's cabin door. It's a strange feeling to knock on a part of my own body to gain access to a partitioned-off space - also within my own body. Especially since I'm somewhat keeping tabs on everyone inside their rooms to make sure there's nothing going wrong. It's not to the extent of creating an eye and actually watching, but my Chaos senses are focused on everyone more than they are on my general surroundings.

"[Hm? Come in?]" I hear a questioning voice from inside and remember that there were no doors other than those used for the entrances to houses in the Aoranam and Ototawa villages, and that there is no custom to knock when inside the house.

Pushing open the door, I find Awhina sitting up from the organic bed I created in every cabin. It's basically a shallow bubble containing air, covered in the soft and fluffy fur of one of the small animals I hunted when I first came to this continent. Aside from the bed, there's only a table and a fixed chair, as well as a round window to look outside from. This is only a temporary abode anyway.

"[Oh, it's you, Chaos.]" Her expression brightens when she sees me. "[This bed is really soft. What's it made of?]"

"[I don't know the name of the animal, but it's part of my body.]" I step into the room and close the door behind me. "[Just like the rest of this airship.]"

"[That's really incredible. Your body is a mystery.]" Looking around at the smooth walls that could just as well have been an artificial polymer created in an industrial process, even though I simply shaped dragon bones into that form, Awhina speaks with a hint of wonder in her voice.

I don't reply right away and our eyes meet in the twilight of the room.

It's quiet aside from the sounds coming from the periodic bursts of fire heating the air inside the massive balloon carrying the gondola, but they are muffled through the ceiling and only make for a background murmur. It's been a long time since we've been alone like this. While we were still in Aoranam village, it was already a pretty rare occurrence. When Uten and Saten were back at their home village, Rangi and Ruiha would be out from time to time, so that Awhina and I could laze about at home after my daily bouts with Tahiri.

I spent around a year with her and we never got to the point of furthering our relationship beyond that of cohabiting friends.

... do I really want that to change? It's strange for me to ask myself this after what I've so unhesitatingly done with Kamii and Hestia, but somehow I'm not so sure about my feelings for Awhina. She's fun to hang out with, her sense for adventure and amazement at everything new is a breath of fresh air for me, and her personality is very similar to mine. She's quite the tomboy as well and doesn't seem interested in a relationship with the other gender - though that may be due to her young age and an eagerness to experiment.

"[What do you think of me?]" I finally get myself to ask.

"[Hm, what do you mean?]" Tilting her head, she counters with a question of her own.

I sit down on the bed next to her and the first thing I notice is how soft and fluffy it feels. Damn, if only I could rest my entire body on something like that... No wait, I need to concentrate on the issue at hand. How am I going to explain to her what I mean when I ask her thoughts about me. I know that her people regard relationships more openly than I'm used to. Well, all people in this world kind of do, but they do even more so.

"[How do you feel about me... about us?]" This wording should make it more clear and leaves no room for doubts.

Awhina stares at me blankly for a moment, before she averts her gaze with an uneasy expression on her face. That's not the kind of reaction I expected from her, after seeing how laid back she normally is. She never had any troubles speaking her mind before, so why does it seem so difficult now?

"[... I really like you, Chaos.]" Finally, her hazel green eyes seek mine again, and I see something within them that gives me a bad feeling about what comes next. "[But... we can't be together forever.]"

I saw that coming, though I'll need you to elaborate.

"[You're a god, but I'm born of a human. Our time will never flow the same way.]" Showing a sad smile, I see that she has put quite some thought into it; I never considered it from that side of things. After all, I was a human in my previous life and ever since being reincarnated into this world, I've only ever lived from moment to moment. The far future was never really on my mind, since the immediate present always required my full attention.

A Crawling Chaos is most likely biologically immortal. As an amorphous blob that doesn't have any perceivable structure - including cells and organs - I'm impervious to diseases and the effects of aging. I won't die as long as I'm not murdered, or until I run out of food after having consumed all life on the planet. I don't know why Tahiri and the other gods are so long-lived, but I feel that there's something beyond biology at work there. So as a half-god, for all intents and purposes, Awhina should be able to achieve that kind of long lifespan somehow, too.

"[I don't care. It's the now that matters.]" I respond and motion to put a hand on her cheek, but for the first time, she shirks away from my touch. I stare at her dumbfounded, but she lifts both her hands and places them on my shoulders.

"[I know, Chaos. I feel the same way.]" Her bittersweet smile breaks my heart. I feel like she is purposefully distancing herself from me so that I won't be too sad when the time of our lives separate. Then she continues. "[But let us remain as we are. We will be friends as long as I live.]"

... she just friendzoned me, huh?

But for some reason, I feel relieved. Maybe that was the answer I was looking for after all. I enjoy being with her, but I don't actually feel like going further than friendly skinship just yet. It's not like my libido has waned recently, since I do feel the attraction towards Tokomaha and pulled her aside only last night. And I would do it tonight as well, if she hadn't said she needed rest.

My relationship with Awhina is more similar to the one I have with Tahiri in that regard, I suppose. I do appreciate her beauty and feel attracted to her, but after spending so long with her and fighting to the death every day, an inseparable bond has blossomed between us. I think that trying to go for more might taint this thing we have.

"[I understand.]" I lift Awhina's hands off my shoulders and stand up from the bed. Her expression shows worry, thinking that maybe I'd break off our friendship because of this. Walking away a few steps and turning around, I look into her eyes. "[This is for the best.]"

I have to admit, there's a hint of regret within me. Maybe it's my libido speaking, wanting to test out being with a girl who's that much taller than me. But the overwhelming majority of my mind is at peace with this decision. And there's still time. There are many years to come, in which we will inevitably change our outlooks on life, and then we might sit together like this again and reconsider things.

With that said, I'll still want some skinship for now.

"[But that doesn't mean I won't want to cuddle with you.]" I rush forward and tackle Awhina down onto the bed.

"[Wha?!]" Since I did it so quickly, she can't react in time and is pushed down easily. I bury my face between her breasts and hug her to me tightly. She sighs in resignation and returns the gesture, stroking my hair quietly. "[You're a real handful, you know that?]"

Ah-ah, I've been rejected.

Awhina went to sleep soon after and I left quietly. Floating inside the airship with my avatar connected to an umbilical cord on its back, I move through the central corridor from which the half a dozen rooms I created branch off.

My target is Tokomaha.

I know she said she needed sleep, but I'll go and check on her to see how she's doing anyway. After all, she was the one who looked the most tired out of everyone after that monumental battle against Roamukao. Maybe I can give her a massage and help her relax - or maybe do some more.

Coming to a stop before her door, I motion to knock even though I feel like I don't really need to do that in her case. But before I can decide whether to respect her privacy or suddenly enter without warning, I hear a voice from the other side.

Hm? Is she talking to herself or a clone of hers? I put my ear against the door, even though I could just create one on the inside of the room to make eavesdropping much easier.

"[... haaah... Chaos... mhhh...]" Her heated voice makes it very clear what she's doing in there and I almost do a spit take. She excused herself for tonight by saying she was tired, just so she could masturbate while thinking about me?

I create an eye in the corner of the room's ceiling and peek inside. There, I see Tokomaha's petite naked figure grinding her crotch against the table corner. Considering the furniture other than the beds are made from dragon bone as well, she's basically riding my bone. Her leaf hair is rustling as shivers run down her spine from the pleasure, but I'm sure it's far from comparable to what I've done with her. That's pretty clear judging by her longing voice, as she calls out my name.

Since her back is turned away from the door, I phase through it with my avatar and move over to sit on the bed silently, to watch her from a front-row seat.

Beads of sweat form on Tokomaha's chocolate-colored skin and roll over the white tribal markings that cover her body. Her very long hair hangs down her sides as she leans over the table, causing her small but supple buttocks to be revealed, as they sway rhythmically with her grinding motions. With one hand supporting herself, her other slides up her body and finds her small breasts, before beginning to massage them. All the while, she moans quietly as if trying to suppress her voice, interspersed with repeating my name over and over.

Alright, I'm getting horny myself and I feel like watching isn't enough anymore.

But before I can stand up and surprise her from behind, she plops down on the chair. Huh, did she climax and is resting now? It didn't seem like she did.

"[... not enough...]" She whispers begrudgingly and places both her legs on the table, spreading them wide to slide both her hands between them. Then she begins to move them and her sweet breath escapes her parted lips. I can't see very well, but from the sound she produces, it's clear that she's gushing wet. In fact, it seems to overflow from the chair and drip onto the floor below.

Ok, that does it.

I form shackles around her ankles resting on the table while moving up behind her. The moment she notices that something is off, I form tentacles with which I bind her arms to the chair and reach around to her front. My hand comes into contact with her completely soaked crotch and immediately find her entrance.

"[Wh-wha?! Chaos?! How did you-uhhh~]" Her shocked voice and expression instantly melt away when I insert two fingers and tap the roof of her lower mouth. "Nnnhhh!"

"[Why didn't you tell me you wanted to do it?]" I stop my fingers and look at her face from close up. She turns away quickly, her cheeks completely flushed from pleasure and embarrassment.

"[I-I didn't.]" She mutters with a defiant attitude despite the fact that she's overflowing from having two fingers inserted. That just makes me want to tease her.

Pulling away, I step around the chair and sit down on the table in front of her. Staring at me with a dumbfounded expression, she struggles against her restraints before realizing the futility. A hint of desperation enters her eyes when it begins to dawn on her that I won't continue if she doesn't properly say that she wants me to do it.

I look down at her and a devious smile plays across my lips. Her desperation grows at the sight and she begins to struggle again. So high up in the air, she has no materials to create any clones with, and even if she did, I would break her concentration like I did the first time we met, causing them to scatter again. In other words, she's completely at my mercy.

From the chair I create many tentacles that surround her from all sides. A large one covered in pimples emerges from between her legs, slides up her slit and comes to a stop. Her eyes widen, but I can see a hint of anticipation based on the fact that she doesn't struggle. Is she actually looking forward to me going all-out now?

But I don't. I direct all the tentacles to barely brush across her body, while the big one's shaft slides up and down her crotch, making sure not to do it too quickly or in a manner that could be too stimulating. Since Tokomaha wears her emotions on her face most of the time, I can easily tell when it's beginning to feel good. At this point it's quite easy for me to judge when she will near climax, so I know how to continue from here on out.

Undulating the tentacles while sitting on the table and looking down on her, I watch as her craving grows more and more intense.

"[I-I can't... take it anymore! Give it... to me now!]" Tokomaha's willpower finally breaks after I continuously denied her from orgasming for a pretty long time. Whenever she neared climax, I would slow down or even stop completely, to let her cool down again. After more than a dozen times, it seems she can't keep acting strong anymore.

"[What is it that you want me to give you? I won't know if you don't say it.]" Now, for the finishing touches. She should become more honest with herself already. Then she'll be able to have a lot more fun with me.

"[... uhhh...]" Biting her lower lip and looking away for a moment, she seems to be contemplating her options. I doubt there are any others than saying it straight, so to facilitate that I give her a little push. Placing the tip of the big tentacle between her legs on her entrance but not moving it any further, I wait for her response. "[Please put your... y... your thick rod to my... my treasure hole... and j... j... jam it in!]"

Please jam it in...

Jam it in...

Jam it in...

- Chaos broke -