Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As Lili stared at the unconscious Vahn, she couldn't help but clean the blood from around his face."Eeeeeh!? Isn't he way too handsome?" She was shocked when she finally saw his face. Her heart, which had just recently calmed down, began to beat loudly in her chest.With a flustered expression and a mild blush, she stared closely into the face of the sleeping boy...After a while, she looked around to confirm there was nobody in the area before mocking herself for her caution. Trying to calm herself, she began to focus on the boy once again. She reached out her hand ...and started poking him in the cheek. "Ehehehe~ Such a cute sleeping face."While this was happening, the seemingly unconscious Vahn couldn't help but sweat internally. Although his body had been put into a 'dormant' state by the effigy, he was still aware of everything going on around him. He could feel the softness of the thighs on the back of his head and the muttering of the girl as she gently poked his cheek while laughing.Vahn remembered how Bell had saved her in the original plot, and how she began to follow him around after the event. He began to worry she would become attached to him in the same way, but tried putting the issue to the back of his mind temporarily.There was no way he could have ignored her suffering as it had happened right in front of him. He didn't regret saving her, nor how he had almost died due to the intermixing of the two opposing energies within his body. His only regret was the fact she had to suffer for so long in the first place. While he was running around training, interacting with people, and enjoying good food...she was still under the oppressive influence of her supposed comrades from the same Familia...Though, this situation wasn't all bad. This incident proved that his strength was growing rapidly, and he was beginning to possess the strength that would allow him to alter the fate of those around him. If they had met sooner, he would still have tried to save her, but the outcome may have been vastly different. It was fortunate that the scumbags were all only level 1, and weren't very proficient in combat due to their lifestyle choices. Vahn knew his future opponents would be far more powerful, proficient, and experienced in combat, planning, and tactics.At this time Lili had begun to stroke his head while mumbling under her breath. Vahn's instincts told him it would be very dangerous to listen to what she was saying since he was supposed to be unconscious right now. To distract himself, he began reviewing the changes in his status as a result of the fight and his previous exploration of the dungeon.==========================================================Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameters: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:1[+](0)-Power: S909 -&gt; SS1001-Endurance: B740 -&gt; SS1108-Dexterity: A833 -&gt; A887-Agility: A889 -&gt; S940-Magic: SSS1493 -&gt; SSS1611-Total: 4864 -&gt; 5547Soul Strength: Tier 2 (Hero Soul)Karma: 721 -&gt; 749==========================================================He now had raw stats nearing the peak strength of a Level 2 while his Magic and Endurance had grown to monstrous values. It turns out the collision of the forces within his body had helped to temper his endurance. Most surprising of all though was that his [Pain Tolerance: S] had evolved into a new innate skill called [Rakshasa Body].[Rakshasa Body]Rank: Innate, (H) *Innate skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash.*[Passive]: Provides a moderate increase to pain resistance. Allows the body to disperse internal forces. Promotes natural recovery rate.[Active]: Increases power and endurance based on damage received. Heavy stamina consumption.This became Vahn's second innate skill, and would probably become one of his trump cards in the future. He looked forward to being able to test its effects, but the active component of the skill worried him a bit...Vahn continued going through his status and had begun to grow bored, so he made casual conversation with Sis. She was sulking a bit since Vahn had gone into a 'rage' state where he once again became unresponsive, but she forgave him since it was brought about by his resolve to save someone.(*So what are you going to do with her?*) She asked, more mechanically than usual.Vahn thought before 'shaking' his head. ("I'm not sure Sis. The only thing I thought about was saving her. What she does from now on is up to her.")(*Oh? Is that really the case?*)Vahn was confused by the questioning tone. 'Was she still angry with him for earlier?'(*Now that you've saved her, you have to take responsibility for your actions. If you don't take care of her she'll just end up in a similar situation in the future. That is unless you plan to wipe out the Soma Familia and every other disreputable adventurer in the entire City?*)That was one of the things Vahn was worried about as well. Lili was still young, probably between 12-13 years old. She had no parents to care for her, and the Soma Familia was full of scumbags and scoundrels that only cared about making money to satiate their addiction. The biggest factor...was that she was weak. Even if she wanted to become independent, she was unable to do so because of her lack of talent. That's why she was so easily exploited by mere level 1 adventurers.The only options seemed to require that he either: take care of her and protect her or, help her become strong enough to protect herself. He knew she wanted to become stronger, but lacked both the confidence and the aptitude to do so.("Sis, can I purchase items from the shop to help increase her strength?") Vahn was curious, as the thought of using his system to empower others hadn't really crossed his mind before.(*It is impossible Vahn. Unless you were able to alter the structure of their body, they wouldn't be able to use the items within the System. The only reason you're able to do so is that The Path' had integrated with your soul and took part in the construction of your current body. The energy contained within your body is 'source' energy, while the inhabitants of this world use 'mana'. There is a fundamental difference between the structure of your body and the body of those born within the 'records'.*)("Wait, does that mean [Senzu Beans] don't work on people in this world? And what about equipment?") After finding out about the differences in his body, he asked about the pressing matters in his mind. Was it possible that if he had given the [Senzu Bean] to Lili she would have experienced the same thing he had gone through!? The thought brought a chill to his mind.(*That is correct, but it's not as bad as you're imagining. Since the essence contained within the bean is fundamentally different from this worlds 'mana', their body would simply filter it out and disperse it into the atmosphere. The same 'Laws' that keep the mana contained within their body would expel any foreign energy. As for equipment, any clothes or armor you purchase is automatically sized to fit your body. If you wanted to give equipment to others, you would have to unlock the 'Gift' function after triggering its quest.*)Vahn relaxed as he listened to the first part of her words, before growing increasingly interested in the second half. He was relieved that his potential slip-up wouldn't have endangered Lili's life, and was curious about how to trigger the 'Gift' function Sis had mentioned.After asking, Sis informed him that she couldn't disclose any information about triggering the system's functions. He would have to rely on his own efforts to discover their requirements....After the three-hour imposed dormancy, Vahn finally 'awakened'. Lili, who was currently smiling as she enjoyed playing with his [Plague Mask] noticed his gaze and began to blush fiercely.Vahn tried to lift his head from her lap, but she panicked and held his head down before speaking in a flustered tone. "Y-y-you shouldn't be moving so-so-suddenly. You just woke up after all!" She had been caught up in playing around with his 'unconscious' body and hadn't yet prepared herself to interact with him normally."I'm fine. I was just knocked unconscious as a side-effect of the item that had healed my wounds. My body is in perfect health." Though he found her actions amusing, it was very uncomfortable being held down by his head and neck. He could easily free himself if he wanted, but he didn't want to startle the girl before they had a proper conversation.Lili reluctantly released his head before hiding her face. As Vahn checked his body, she would give him curious glances from time to time.He looked around at the blood and gore surrounding them, and then gazed towards the shy girl who seemed to be completely oblivious to the corpses and stench surrounding them. Vahn himself was overcome by the foul smelling odor and ended up vomiting due to the induced nausea.Lili gave an incredulous glance at the still retching Vahn, ("He is acting as if he has never seen a dead body before. Why was he able to kill them in such a ruthless manner if he can't even keep calm seeing the result? Could it be...")"Excuse me Vahn...sama. Could it be you've never killed anyone before?" (A/N: Let me know if using honorifics is odd. I can remove them if people don't like it.)Vahn wiped the drool from his mouth and gave her an awkward smile before shaking his head.Seeing his response, Lili was overcome with powerful emotions. ("It's his first time killing someone, and he did it to save me!?")She began to panic, thinking her weakness had caused the handsome and innocent boy to turn into a murderer. She even began to regret that he had saved her in the first place after seeing how much pain and trouble he had to go through...Suddenly, a thought hit her. Though she knew his name, she hadn't even told him hers' yet. She was still being influenced by her fear and hate for adventurers, and even though the boy had saved her life she hadn't even told him her name even as he was 'dying'. The second wave of guilt hit her at the realization, and she began to cry, unable to look into the face of the boy she had wronged so irrevocably.As she sits, crying at her own realization, a warm hand is placed on her head. She holds back her tears and looks upwards at the boy who stares at her with a gentle smile. Feeling his kindness, the guilt in her heart becomes palpable, threatening to devour her from the inside. She tries to speak out, but can't seem to form the words. She wants to apologize but doesn't know how...Vahn smiles gently while patting the small girls head. She really is much smaller than he remembered from the manga. When standing, she is probably only around 105-110cm, so when she is sitting on the ground like this she looks like a crying child. He can see loss and guilt in her eyes and knows that she probably blames herself for everything that happened.As he tries to comfort her, he begins to recall all the experiences he had on his date with Chloe. Every word and action seemed to be trying to help him break down the walls he had built around his heart. She didn't try to bear his burden or take advantage of his weakness. Instead, she allowed him to expose himself before her without judging him for his cowardice. Finally, she helped guide him on a path that would allow him to overcome his past and even gave him a goal to work towards...Remembering all this, he looked down at the crying Lili and saw an image of himself, weak and afraid. It had been such a short period of time, but he was already able to become much stronger...and Vahn decided he would give her the same opportunity. He couldn't live to protect her, but he could help guide her along a path that would enable her to break free of her fears and inhibitions."Do you wish to become stronger?" He gently whispered the words causing Lili's body to startle.She looked towards him with her tear stained face...and nodded. She didn't want to be weak. She didn't want others to suffer like the old couple that had helped her. She wanted to become strong enough to stand on her own two feet without having people sacrifice themselves to save her. She wanted to be like the boy in front of her...Vahn stood up from his kneeling position and extended his hand towards the crying Lili. (A/N: Lili is quite smol so Vahn had to kneel to pat her~)"I am Vahn Mason. If you can trust me, I can help you find your way to the path you seek."Staring at the face of the boy, she couldn't help but imagine that the radiance of the cave had increased by several folds. After a brief hesitation...she grasped the outstretched hand."I'm Liliruca Arde. Please show me the way...Master Vahn."...[View Affection: Liliruca Arde] [Affection: 88[Trust], Intrigue:61[Curious](A/N: She uses Master at the end instead of Sama, because it's more personal. She sees Vahn as someone that can help her get stronger, instead of just as the boy who saved her.)

Vahn ran towards the entrance of the dungeon as fast as he could. Behind him, Lili continued desperately chasing as she became short of breath...A few hours before...After agreeing to train Lili, they began getting to know each other better. She told him about her past, how her parents mistreated her and forced her to work as soon as she was capable of performing manual labor. She detailed the suffering she experienced after they both died in the dungeon.Though she tried becoming an adventurer herself, she was unable to make any progress into the dungeon since she was just a child. Whenever she tried to team up with others in the familia, they would force her to perform all the menial chores like looting magic cores and carrying the luggage. Eventually, it escalated to full-on exploitation, as they started taking away her earnings for their own use. Fearing for her life, she ended up fleeing the familia and became a street orphan.Eventually, a kind elderly couple picked her up, and for a time she was happy. They bought her nice clothes and treated her well for the first time in her life, and she did her best to help out in the shop and earn their praise.Unfortunately, the group that had been taking her money ended up tracking her down. As punishment for her escape, they trashed the shop of the elderly couple before leaving a devastated Lili behind. The old couple that had been so kind to her before now looked at her with eyes of blame and scorn.That night, she cried in an alleyway as she hid from the rain. Several days later, the same men that had forced her to a corner offered her a job. She would have to act as their supporter when they entered the dungeon, and in exchange, they would give her 1% of the earnings. If she refused, they would make sure that anyone who showed her kindness would meet the same fate as the couple.Swallowing her tears, she accepted their offer...and that is when her true hell began. The men would often keep what little she earned while giving various reasons, often citing her incompetence as an excuse. The leader of the group even came up with the idea of forcing her to pay a 'protection fee' for keeping her from harm in the dungeon. Because of this, there were times when she would go days without eating until she collapsed from hunger. They would then give her rotten vegetables and stale bread while she tried to recover her strength.After that things got even worse. Whenever the men got bored, they would force her to perform embarrassing acts like walking on all fours and barking like a dog while begging for food. As she continued to age, some of them even tried forcing her to engage in sexual acts, and when she resisted they beat her until she was unable to move. When they were done, they poured defective recovery potions onto her wounds and dropped her body into an alleyway to survive the night.Following that event, she stopped talking, and even when they tried forcing her to act like an animal she just stood there until they got frustrated and beat her. She learned not to resist, as it only brought them a sadistic glee and extended the duration of the beating. All she could think about was preserving her dignity and saving enough money to buy her freedom and escape the familia for good...Other than working for her tormentors, she started working as a 'Support-for-Hire' for newbie adventurers. She would find targets that had yet to become accustomed to the dungeon and lure them into a situation of false-security before stealing their valuables. Though she did her best to ensure they would be able to escape, things didn't always go as planned.One of the young adventurers she had tricked ended up believing she hadn't abandoned him and continued fighting instead of running away. Lili watched in horror as he inevitably succumbed to the assault, and for the first time, she saw someone die. She was unable to sleep for more than a week after that, as flashbacks of watching the boy be ripped limb-from-limb replayed itself endlessly in her mind.Seeing the state she was in, the people that had been exploiting her increased their efforts in tormenting her. They refused to let her stay inside if she was unwilling to work, and even emptied waste bins onto her while forcing her to stay in the trash pile with her 'real family'......Vahn listened in silence as Lili continued her story. It was far worse than anything shown in the manga, and he genuinely wondered how she was able to survive for so long. At least he had a mother who loved him, even though he wasn't able to meet her until his death...but Lili, her parents treated her as a tool to make their lives easier. While he got to experience the kindness of Klyscha and obtain 'The Path', Lili had to continue living in a world surrounded by people that tormented and exploited her. When he heard the part where she was almost raped, he nearly shattered the bones in his hand after hitting the dungeon wall.He had experienced a tragic fate far beyond the comprehension of others, but no matter how bad the experiments got the researchers always took care of his body and tended to his basic needs. Vahn had never truly experienced the darkness and depravity that exists within 'civilized' society.After she was finished telling her story, Lili looked towards Vahn to gauge his expression. It was the first time in her life she had spoken so much about herself, and she felt like if she saw disgust or disbelief on his face..she would fall to a place she would never be able to return from.She wasn't looking for pity or understanding, she just wanted to expose everything to the boy who had gone so far to help her. And what she saw brought the first real smile she had shown since her happy days back in the flower shop. She didn't see any pity in his eyes, nor things like contempt or disgust. Instead, there was a righteous flame burning within. She could see that he was imagining all the things in her past and that if he could, he would change it and save her from that fate.The darkness that had been building in the back of her mind began to dissipate, so she did the only thing she could think of to convey her feelings. She smiled.Vahn, noticing the change, reached out his hand...wiping away the tears that had begun to mar her smiling face.---After that, they continued to talk, this time about the future. Vahn told her his intention of becoming she strongest adventurer, which brought a smile to her face.Lili began to ask him various questions about his life, likes, and dislikes. She wanted to know where he came from, what kinds of foods he enjoyed, things that he hated...and even asked about his preference in women.Vahn answered each question to the best of his ability while trying to skim over areas that would reveal the existence of the system. He told her that he lived in the Western Forests with his grandpa before coming to Orario after he passed away. For food, he said he liked pretty much anything he has eaten after arriving in the City. As for dislikes...he hated people that exploited others for their own benefit.When she heard him mention that, Lili smiled and nuzzled against him. Feeling her touch, Vahn smiled and gently patted her head.When he got to the part about his preference in women, Lili began listening closely with a fierce glint in her eyes. "I'm not too sure. I haven't really met anyone I don't like so far..."Hearing him, she couldn't help but respond, "Eeehh? That isn't a real answer Vahn-sama!" She began to pout, thinking he was just beating around the bush.Vahn really didn't know what to say to make her understand. He felt it would be awkward to say he liked girls like Chloe, because it wasn't really anything about her appearance that drew him to her. After he got over his apprehension with how she used to look at him, he just began to enjoy her company...Lili changed the topic after seeing the serious expression on his face, "By the way Vahn-sama. What familia are you in?" Given his strength, she assumed he was probably a core member in a B rank familia."Ah, I'm not in a familia yet. I just arrived in the City six..days....ago." Vahn trailed off the last part of his sentence and began to release a cold sweat. Lili noticed his expression and wanted to ask, but Vahn grabbed her hand and started running up the stairs at a fast pace."Vahn-saaaaamaaa- What's going ooooon!?" Unable to keep pace, she half ran, half allowed-herself-to-be-dragged up the stairs.Vahn noticed she was struggling and released her arm while slowing his pace a bit. "I just remembered that my temporary identification slip expires today! I also need to renew my room at the Inn I'm staying at before the day ends!" Vahn checked the time within the system as he ran. It was already 6:29 PM and the gate closed at 9:00 PM. Though he wouldn't get in any trouble unless he was caught, he didn't want to walk around the City illegally and cause unnecessary trouble."Wait, Vahn-sama! I can't leave behind my pack!" Though it didn't have much, it still contained all of her possessions. Lili didn't want to leave it behind to be lost in the dungeon.Vahn stopped before returning to the rest area and picking up the pack. Lili tried to take it from him, but he just stored the entire thing into his inventory. She stared at him with a slack-jawed expression while he 'revealed' the existence of his storage magic. Without further explaining he started running upstairs, leaving a dumbfounded Lili behind."Then what use do I have..." Knowing Vahn had such a convenient magic, she wouldn't be able to use the excuse of following him as Supporter easily in the future. She began trying to think of ways to spend more time with him, before hearing a shout from further up the path."Lili, are you coming!?" Vahn was confused since Lili hadn't been following him. He ended up stopping and shouting to get her attention.She startled before shouting back, "A-ah, yes Vahn-sama! I'm coming, don't leave me behind!"(A/N: Don't ask me why I had to add "don't leave me behind" to the end of that sentence.)---Return to the present...The two continued to run before stopping at the corridor to the first floor. Vahn removed the backpack from his inventory before returning it to Lili's possession. Seeing her gasping for air, he let her catch her breath and handed over his [Decanter of Replenishment].Lili stared at the mouth of the canteen for a few moments before taking a few large gulps of water. She attempted to drain it dry but was surprised after finding the amount never seemed to decrease. Her excuse to continue the 'indirect kiss' flew out the window as she dejectedly returned the canteen.Vahn also took a drink since he was rather thirsty and noticed a crimson blush appear on Lili's face. He looked at her curiously before putting away the canteen. "What's wrong Lili?"She simply turned her head away before picking up her backpack and headed towards the entrance. Vahn followed after her until they finally arrived on the first floor of Babel. At the entrance Lili made Vahn promise to meet her the following morning before saying she had to take care of a few things.Vahn stared at the retreating figure of the small girl bearing a burden far greater than her size. He hoped he would be able to allow her to walk freely along her own path in the future...(*Vahn, are you forgetting something?*) Sis interrupted his momentary reverie with an exasperated tone.Vahn looked at the nearby clock and saw it was nearly 7:00 PM and began running towards the direction of the Guild.

With the pressure they were experiencing and seeing the boy draw his sword, all three men immediately reacted. The short, stout man closest to Lili lifted her body and put a knife to her throat as the other two began maneuvering to flank Vahn's sides.Seeing the man use Lili's body as a shield, any remaining restraint in his body completely vanished. A state of mind similar to when he had awakened on the second floor set in as he dashed towards the smallest man to his left.Vahn approached with a terrifying momentum, causing the man to panic as he shouted towards his companions. He took up his sword and tried to thrust it towards Vahn to break the charge.From Vahn's perspective, the shout was muted in his ears and the movement of the sword seemed to trace its path in a slow motion due to the vast difference in their stats. Using his gauntleted left hand, he altered the vector of the blade and directed it into the ground.Having his blow suddenly change direction, the small man was knocked off balance as he stared in absolute shock at the shadow of the approaching blade. Instead of a thought, the last thing that passed through his mind before embracing death was the blade of Vahn's sword.The other two men looked on in horror as the hooded assailant turned their companions head into meat paste with the sheer force of the wind generated by the deadly thrust. They felt their legs begin to tremble at the ruthlessness of the figure before them. The stout man tightened his grip on Lili's neck before shouting out."You motherf@cker! You killed Todd!" He saw the figure turn towards him and he subconsciously tried using the small body in his grip to create a wall between him and the monster."M-move another step and the b!tch is dead! Dead, you hear me you b@stard!?" As if to solidify his threat, he squeezed until the girl began to gurgle and twitch.Vahn couldn't seem to hear anything the man was saying, but as soon as the first syllable issued from Lili's throat he sprung into action and bisected the man that had been maneuvering into his blind spot.The man was completely unprepared for the blow and stared at the 30cm gap that had separated his torso from his legs. Even though Vahn had cut cleanly through him, in a manner similar to what he had seen happen to his friends head, the trailing winds tore through the severed area like a meat grinder. He couldn't even scream as he stared at the legs that had yet to fall to the ground. Almost as if echoing the sounds of the young girl held hostage, he began to gurgle before finally choking on his own blood and organs.Screaming at the sight of his second companions death, the man squeezed Lili's neck like a vice causing her windpipe to collapse. He attempted to use the dagger and jam it into her ribs with the intent of robbing her life.*THOOOM* *SHHNK*A muffled sound tore through the air. The stout man who had backed up against the wall while holding Lili hostage stared in horror at the left arm which previously held the dagger. In its place, there was the sheen of an evil black blade embedded into the wall beneath where his shoulder previously connected to his arm. Before he was able to regain his senses, an irresistable force surrounded his neck.Vahn lifted the 155cm raccoon-eared man using his right hand as he shattered the man's remaining wrist with his left, freeing Lili in the process. Seeing the small girl fall to the ground unmoving, Vahn put more pressure into his grip until he could feel the outline of the man's spine in his palm. At this point, the man's face had bloated beyond recognition as the pressure caused his eyes to free themselves from their sockets.*SNAP*Even though the man had long-since died, Vahn completed snapping his neck. When he released the bloated creature, the head dangled loosely like a sack as the body collapse to the ground twitching.The moment the body hit the ground, Vahn felt a powerful migraine overcome him as his clarity returned. He grits his teeth before turning towards the young girl who lay helplessly on the ground gurgling for air. She had already begun to froth at the mouth as light pink bubbles were endlessly generated in her attempts to draw air.As he cradles her body, she stared at him with her single tear-filled eye. Vahn's heart wrenches in pain as his brain starts churning rapidly to come up with methods to save her. As her throat had collapsed, he couldn't feed her a [Senzu Bean] and none of the potions he possessed would be able to remedy the injury quick enough to prevent her from asphyxiating. There was no time to look through the system and find a solution.Vahn did the only thing he could think of. He took a [Senzu Bean] and placed it into his mouth, chewing it into a paste. He gently caressed Lili's face as if to reassure her...and activated his [Wound Transfer: B] for the first time as he swallowed the bean paste.Steam began to emit from all the wounds on Lili's body as she was rapidly healed. The resultant steam entered through the pores of Vahn's skin and the wounds that had previously been on her body began to appear on his.He grits his teeth until his gums start bleeding as the pain begins to wrack his body. The now fully recovered Lili stares in shock as the boy that just saved her begins to writhe on the ground in a state worse than she was in previously. She didn't know what had happened but understood the boy had somehow transferred all of her wounds to his body and was now on the verge of death.She screamed and tried to help, but no matter what she did the wounds only seemed to get worse.Vahn felt his body tearing apart. Though he had consumed a [Senzu Bean] to counteract the damage absorbed by the transfer, the two mystical forces seemed to battle within his body. One was trying to heal his wounds while the other continued with unrestrained vigor trying to generate them. As a result, the two forces were wreaking havoc in his body and causing his flesh and bones to shatter in their wake.He could feel warm tears dripping onto his face, and stared through bloodied eyes at the young girl crying over his body. Due to his [Pain Tolerance: S] Vahn was able to maintain his clarity through the pain. He lifted his hand to try and console the girl but stopped after seeing it's bloodied state.Seeing his attempt and hesitation on his face, the girl grabbed the outstretched hand and placed it to her face as she tried to stifle her tears. The blood from his hand marred her otherwise flawless face, and Vahn couldn't help feeling a little guilty as he smiled at her.Suppressing her tears, Lili tried speaking to the boy that had sacrificed himself to save her. "I don't even know your name. *sniff* Please don't die, please, please...." She kept repeating the word over and over, mixed between her sobs and snot.Vahn shook his head before withdrawing his identity slip from the inventory. Seeing the name of her would-be hero, she managed to speak out a few more words. "Thank you Vahn..."Hearing her words brought a smile to his face as he laid back and felt the strength leaving his body. He couldn't help but recall part of the words Chloe had spoken before they parted ways. "For now, focus on discovering where you want to go in your life. When you figure that out and become strong enough to share the burden of others...if your feelings remain unchanged, you can try asking me out again... Though I can't promise I'll accept when the time comes~nya"The smile on his face increased as he began to lose consciousness.//[Effigy of the Hero: S] Activated//Vahn felt a powerful energy fill his body and he opened his eyes to meet the gobsmacked expression of Lili. One woundless boy covered in blood, and one disheveled young girl both stared incredulously at each other.For the first time in both of his lives, Vahn began laughing without inhibition. Lili stared at him like he had lost his mind, unsure of what happened to bring about the current situation.After a while, she tried asking the boy named Vahn what was going on, only to see him collapse powerlessly onto the ground and fall unconscious. She flusteredly checked to make sure he was still breathing before releasing a relieved sigh."What kind of crazy person did I get involved with..." She shook her head before resting to boys head on her lap, waiting for him to wake up.

Chapter 32: Growth : Disciple