Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it was already later than they would normally eat dinner, Vahn found a rather disgruntled Rin laying listlessly with her head against the dining room table. She had eaten a light lunch but, due to her increased activity over the last week or so, Rin's appetite had increased greatly. Now, she was grumbling nearly as much as her stomach as she complained, "Gnnuuu...if he doesn't show up soon, I swear I'll take a bite out of him instead...fuuu...." Unaware of the fact Vahn had just entered the room, Rin was partaking in one of the little soliloquy's she was known for. Vahn felt like this was another expression of her 'fate' or 'luck', as the fact she murmured such a thing now seemed rather 'conveniently' timed...Deciding to play along, Vahn approached Rin in complete silence before pulling a slice of her favorite cheesecake from his Inventory sliding it in front of her face. Suddenly having something enter the periphery of her vision, Rin startled like a frightened rabbit as she jumped up from her chair, nearly headbutting Vahn's chin in the process. Vahn easily evaded the 'surprise' attack before placing his hands on Rin's shoulder to keep her from falling backward as he softly whispered, "It's okay, Rin...it's just me..." This caused her to immediately release a heavy sigh before leaning back against his chest and complaining, "Now isn't really the best time to try and spook me..." in a monotone voice.Knowing she was right, Vahn felt apologetic but, understanding she would recover faster if he gave her a few small pushes, he responded by kissing the top of her head wrapping his arms around her body. This caused Rin's face to form a frown as her cheeks quickly began shifted from her usual fair complexion into a deep, ruddy, color. Since she had fallen silent, Vahn started to gently rock her body in his arms while asking, "Are you okay...?" in an even softer tone than before.Staying silent for several seconds longer, Rin finally responded by overlapping his hands with her own as she somberly stated, "I would be dead if not for you...thank you, Vahn..." As shaken as she was from her experience, Rin was surprised that she seemed to care more about his state of mind than her own. Since she had been the one to insist on their plan, knowing full well Vahn didn't want them exposed to danger, Rin felt extremely apologetic but had no way of expressing it. Fortunately, while Vahn had been busy throughout the day, she had a lot of time to talk with Ereshkigal and Ishtar to get her thoughts in order. This was why she chose to thank Vahn as soon as possible, hoping it would prevent him from blaming himself too much for what had happened...As she had expected, Vahn did indeed feel a little relieved when he heard the gentleness contained within Rin's expression of gratitude. He knew she hadn't recovered from the near-death experience, especially since the 'culprit' was now lingering around the Manor, but it was a testament to Rin's steadfastness that she was already walking towards the road to recovery. This caused Vahn to hug her a little more firmly before slowly releasing her body as he said, "Come, let's get you something to eat. There is no rush to head out...I'll cook you up something nutritious while you work away at this cheesecake..." With that said, Vahn rubbed Rin's shoulder one last time before making his way to the kitchen to prepare something fresh. Even though he could just purchase a meal from the system shop, he knew Rin would appreciate it a lot more if he prepared it manually...---Following Vahn with her eyes until he had vanished into the kitchen, Rin then proceeded to slouch like a deflating balloon as she absentmindedly muttered, "He is impossible to keep up with...I don't even know what kind of relationship we have right now..." Since she had known the resolute and serious Vahn a lot longer than this 'gentle' side to him, Rin felt like she was steadily sinking into a swamp of her own emotions. Not only did he come to her side, albeit a little slowly, when she 'needed' him the most, but he had now even saved her life. With how he treated her like something fragile, which wasn't wrong compared to him, Rin felt simultaneously blessed and frustrated at the same time. Though the 'swamp' she found herself in was warm and surprisingly comfortable, she was afraid that, at any given moment, she might sink into it and suffocate completely...Managing to sit upright in her chair, Rin picked up her fork before staring blankly at the perfectly crafted cheesecake Vahn had set out for her. This immediately caused her stomach to release a loud grumble, announcing its presence to the world as it 'demanded' satiation. Rin's cheeks became red as she forked up a small piece of fluffy white pastry and placed it in her mouth. She was nearly overtaken by the urge to squeal in satisfaction but managed to keep it contained by pinching the outside of her thigh. Even if she had a full stomach, Rin always had 'extra' room for the sweets prepared by Vahn...After releasing a small sigh, Rin looked down at her own stomach before muttering, "You traitor...if you don't fix your attitude, what am I going to do if Vahn actually leaves in the future...?" Though she had been the one to invite Vahn to become her 'chef', Rin hadn't expected a day would come when just the thought of eating food prepared by someone else caused her to grimace. She had eaten a small cup of plain rice earlier, one of the few things she could prepare without burning, and it had tasted so bland that she barely managed to keep it down. By the time she was done eating, she was actually even hungrier than before...Just as she was having her existential food crisis, Rin felt another hand on her shoulder that caused her body to jolt for the second time tonight. Instead of Vahn, Rin was able to immediately identify the 'intruder' based on the white glove adorning the hand. With her expression souring, Rin was about to complain before Nobunaga preempted her by teasing, "Aww, is the princess disappointed that the Knight she had been expecting is busy elsewhere? You're going to break my heart..." Before Nobunaga had finished her words, Rin had swatted her hand away before following up by saying, "I'm really not in the mood to deal with you right now..."Hearing Rin's words, Nobunaga rolled her eyes before taking the seat next to her and saying, "You're not as bad as Vahn, but you have a lot of baggage, don't ya? If you really want to follow him, that idiot wouldn't be able to stop you. The only thing you have to worry about is what you want to 'pack' before you chase after him. If you want my advice..." At this point, Nobunaga was leaning forward so much that she was well within Rin's personal space as she added, "You shouldn't waste time packing at all. I'm sure you've sensed it as well, right? The longer you wait, the further down on his list of priorities you'll become...that brat, I don't even think he knows how to love just one woman..."Though she wanted to rebuff Nobunaga, Rin found herself unable to offer any resistance as she averted her eyes to the side, struggle clearly visible within. This seemed to amuse Nobunaga as an 'evil' smile spread across her lips as she moved her hand to grab Rin's chin before saying, "You have the gall to destroy the Grail with this kind of conviction? You and your little friends play at being resolute and prepared but you can't even bear the burden of your own emotions, much less the pressure of the numerous enemies you will make if your plan succeeds. Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter..."Letting her fingers trace across Rin's chin as she pulled them away, Nobunaga's expression became absolutely serious as she said, "Unless he meets an early end, I can't imagine what kind of monster would be able to slow that man down. I want to see what he is capable of with my own eyes so don't blame me for taking the lead if you continue to remain indecisive. Now that you broke down his defenses, I'm confident in my chances...consider this a declaration of war, Rin Tohsaka. Let this Demon King show you the meaning of an 'aggressive offensive'..."Without being afforded the opportunity to respond, Rin was left gawking as Nobunaga vanished into motes of light. As lascivious as Nobunaga seemed, Rin never pegged her as a 'rival' she needed to concern herself with. She was pretty sure the former even liked women but, now that she had been declared war upon, Rin realized that Nobunaga was far more 'open-minded' than she had realized. Now, instead of just having to worry about Fenrir, she had an evil and charismatic tyrant to contend with. Since Scáthach also seemed like a ticking time bomb, Rin suddenly felt a lot more pressure than before...Realizing her own thought process, Rin's eyes widened in shock as, without even noticing it beforehand, it seemed that she already treated Fenrir as her rival. Though she knew it wasn't possible to get between her and Vahn, Rin had been subconsciously thinking about how she could garner more of Vahn's attention. Just as Nobunaga implied, it would depend on her decisiveness whether or not she was placed highly within Vahn's expanding list of 'priorities'. If she managed to earn his affections early on, Vahn's sense of pride and responsibility would guarantee that he showed her more affection than other girls...inversely, if she allowed his attention to wander, Rin was 'positive' Vahn's attention would be captured by others.At the moment her anxiety reached its peak, Rin's eyes lost their light as her consciousness was 'pulled' into a small black and white room that was perfectly divided down the center. Sitting on a small golden altar, affixed with thick red cushions, Ishtar was leaning on her side as she mused, "It seems you have forgotten about us in your chaotic state of mind...did you forget what Divinities this Goddess possessed? The boy may not have realized it himself, but we can sense the feelings he directs towards you. More than carnal desires, there is genuine affection and love contained within. You need only trust in your own feelings and the rest will take care of itself. As for 'other' things, that is something we can help you with, right, Eres~?"Unlike Ishtar, seated upon her lavish throne, Ereshkigal was sitting in the corner on her side of the room as she pieced together bones to form a make-shift human doll. There was a dreary and dark atmosphere surrounding her but, strangely, the figure of Ereshkigal seemed to blend in perfectly with this scene, almost as if to prove that there was 'beauty', even within death. When she heard her sister's words, Ereshkigal held up the bone-doll in her hands before softly stating, "I want to stay here a bit longer...this is my first time seeing the surface world..." Then, stroking the doll's head, which had a few patches of dark brown hair, Ereshkigal smiled as she added, "We will help...to separate with our kin...I do not desire this..."Though Rin was more than a little weirded out by Ereshkigal's behavior, Ishtar showed a radiant smile as she stated, "Well, that settles it then. We're also rather fond of Vahn so let's do our best to keep his focus on us for as long as possible. With the three of us working together, this Goddess refuses to believe we can't keep him grounded for at least a few centuries. So long as we reside within your body, you need not worry about age and illness...now go, knowing you carry with you the blessing of the Goddess of Love..."As if she was rising to the surface of a deep pool, Rin's consciousness was returned without even ten seconds passing in reality. She had 'missed' her opportunity to even argue against Ishtar as the latter simply left no room for a counter-argument. Now, as if her decision had been made for her, Rin placed her forehead against the table and released a frustrated whine. This coincided with Vahn stepping into the dining room, carrying with him an aroma so fragrant it could only be described as heavenly. Rin was briefly tempted to 'ignore' him but, as soon as the aroma tickled her nose, an even louder rumble than any of the previous once escaped her stomach...---After spending quite a while trying to pacify Rin, Vahn found himself standing at the highest building within Fuyuki City, the Center Building. Vahn questioned why it was given such a name, as it was located four kilometers away from the actual center of the city, the Fuyuki Bridge spanning the Mion River. As this ultimately didn't matter, Vahn set the matter aside for later consideration as he tapped his finger against the railing that prevented normal citizens from accidentally falling to their deaths. It had been an uneventful night thus far as, after a chaotic first evening, many of the participating Masters were likely focused on gathering information. The majority should know that this particular Holy Grail War was different than those that had taken place previously so none of them were extending their necks out, fearing they would be among the first to be eliminated...Further than his domain could extend, Vahn saw a flash of light in the distance that, even with the various lights polluting the city, stood out. A few seconds later, a 'ripple' of mana reached the periphery of his domain, allowing Vahn to determine the approximate distance and the strength of the attack based on its fallout. He immediately determined that the enemies were weaker than Scathach, causing Vahn to lift a small radio to his mouth, saying, "Battle in area C-7. Unknown number of combatants. Threat level: Minor..." It wasn't exactly code, but Rin had come up with the idea of using radios that had been tuned to carry signals, even with the interference of the city-wide formation. They could only transmit messages directly, meaning buildings could still block the signal, but everyone had taken posts on some of the tallest buildings to make sure the signal would get through.Shortly after he sent his message, Rin's voice came through from the other end, saying, "Make sure you say 'Ove' at the end of transmissions...over..." This caused Vahn to roll his eyes before jumping from the building and landing almost silently on the ground twenty stories below. While dashing down the freeway at a casual 600km/h, Vahn brought the radio back to his mouth, saying, "I'm going to engage. Stand by for Orioles...over..." Though it wasn't particularly hard to infer what he meant, assuming any Magus even bothered to try and intercept their transmissions, Vahn was sticking with their agreed-upon jargon.Without waiting for Rin's return message, Vahn established a connection with Scáthach, saying, ("I will entrust Rin and Fenrir to you. If they get into a fight, I'll leave it up to your judgment whether or not you need to intervene.") Then, establishing a connection with Nobunaga, Vahn's tone became stern as he said, ("If you get a shot, feel free to eliminate the enemy Masters. Don't expose your position trying to support me...") Vahn had the distinct feeling that Nobunaga was trying to make him feel 'indebted' to her so, while he also trusted her judgment, he felt compelled to tell her not to intervene. His urge to vent on a strong opponent had only grown stronger over the last few hours so Vahn didn't want to complicate things by having to chase down enemies that discovered her location. Once a Servant engaged in active combat, they couldn't revert back to their Spirit form for a full hour so Nobunaga would be forced to run away if the enemy was powerful...With their connection still established, Vahn could imagine Nobunaga snorting through her nose before she answered, ("Yes, moooom...don't worry, your little Nobu-chan will be a good girl.") As soon as she said this, Vahn felt their connection was severed from her end. Shaking his head, Vahn kicked against the ground, spontaneously doubling his speed to just under the speed of sound. It was around this time that Rin's message came to him, albeit a little broken up as she said, "Ma...sure no...to...nderestimate...enemies." Since she had seen how 'riled' up Vahn was prior to heading out, he wasn't too surprised that she was worried about him...Though Vahn didn't know the precise location of his enemy, it didn't matter all that much once he managed to get near their battlefield. There were sonic booms and explosions resonating off the concrete superstructure of the surrounding buildings while, on the very edge of his domain, Vahn sensed three presences. Two were much larger and, based on the speed at which they were moving around, it was easy to determine who were the Servants and who was the Master. It bothered him that there was only one Master present but, after thinking about it for a brief moment, Vahn realized that one of the Servants may be the Assasin-Class. The most likely scenario was that the latter had tried to eliminate one of the Masters before they were intercepted by the Servant...Coming to a stop a few blocks away from the conflict, Vahn found himself at a crossroads as he had to decide whether or not to confront the Servants or take the more 'direct' route of eliminating the Master. If he did the latter, it might be possible to recruit a third Servant, further strengthening their side in preparation for future battles. This was the most prudent course of action, as it also reduced the chances of his hubris coming back to bite them if he failed to take down the enemy Servants before their Master could either support them or escape the battlefield...Raking a deep breath, Vahn's eyes flashed with a subtle blue light as he muttered, "I'm not suited to skulking around in the shadows...an Emperor should stand tall for the entire world to bear witness to..." Even if he wasn't an Emperor within this world, Vahn still held the title and identity of the man who had led to the formation of the Alliance and the unification of all Eden under the banner of his Empire. Though his arrogance had been 'shattered' by the existence of a force he could not oppose, Vahn knew it ran counter to his nature to hide from his enemies. If he started fearing conflict, it would be much harder for him to grow stronger in the face of any future setbacks...With this conviction in mind, Vahn removed the [Cloak of Shadows] he had been wearing before donning armor similar in form and function to his Imperial Regalia. Since they had yet to make their appearance thus far, Vahn decided he would throw the Holy Grail War into even greater chaos as, instead of a Master, he intended to reveal himself as a rogue 'Ruler'. In the blink of an eye, Vahn's hair shifted as if it were blown by the wind before fixing itself into position. Instead of growing loose and wild around his face, it now spiked backward like a lion's mane as his eyes blazed like blue flames in the night. Then, while channeling [Enkidu] into his domain to cause a golden radiance to spread through the surroundings, Vahn tore through the void and entered the fray...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Traitorous Stomach','Nobunaga's Battle Strategy!?','The Emperor Takes To The Battlefield')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With the dawn of a new day, the Holy Grail War entered into a temporary 'cease-fire' of sorts, giving any Masters and Servants who had struggled the previous night a momentary reprieve. Though it was not impossible for conflict to take place during the day, the chances were slim as, unless they were supremely confident in their ability to secure the Grail, few would risk becoming the target of Executors from the Holy Church and Mage's Association. Conversely, if you actually had enough power that you needn't fear these two forces, there was no real need for you to even obtain the Grail. Once you reached the pinnacle of the world, having wishes that could only be granted within the limit of the 'World' itself lost its meaning.Deciding to use his day as productively as possible, Vahn had ultimately extricated himself from the tense atmosphere created by Scáthach's 'direct' nature. She was currently conserving her energy be lingering about in her Spirit form while Fenrir, having been triggered by Scáthach's actions, could be found practicing her [Shundo] ceaselessly within the garden. As for Nobunaga, Vahn wasn't quite sure where she had run off to but, considering her personality, Vahn imagined she was interacting with the people of the modern era to pass the time. He wasn't entirely sure why, but Vahn could imagine Nobunaga walking around town with a girl on each arm, even though she herself was a woman...In order to gain as much additional time as possible, Vahn was currently within the basement setting up a formation that was likely to blow Rin's mind when she saw it. Not only did it use runes that even Vahn didn't know the origin of, as he just wrote them out second-naturedly, but the basic principles that made the formation function were fundamentally different than modern Magecraft. Though the formation's basic purpose was to gather Elemental Energy, this was a completely different concept to formations that would indiscriminately draw in Mana. After all, even in the complete absence of Mana, Elemental Energy could be drawn from the very void itself, a process that modern Magi would interpret as 'True Magic'.By the time he had finished his task, the entire basement was covered in several layers of complex runes while, located on the floor and ceiling, two 'simple' squares formed the only gaps within the formation. This was the concept of using a 'ward', the core of Eva's Magic System, to serve as a 'gate' that would consolidate each of the four basic elements at each corner before converting them, albeit inefficiently, into the far more complex structure of the Space and Time elements. Vahn didn't have Terra's dominion to rely on anymore and, as he couldn't be around to maintain the formation at all times, he needed to have a constant supply of more complex energies to power the Sub-Space orb...Vahn, now having completed the formation, began preparing the materials that would be necessary to produce a Sub-Space. Before he could even begin forming the orb, however, a ripple of magical energy caught his attention as Scáthach appeared with her characteristically expressionless face. As a Heroic Spirit whose skill in Magecraft was nearly the equal of her skill as a warrior, Scáthach found the structure of Vahn's magic circle, which even her [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] lacked details about, particularly interesting. As for Vahn, he had taken in a sharper-than-normal breath before relaxing as it seemed Scáthach was more interested in the formation than focused on him...Though he was tempted to explain the logic behind the magic circle, Vahn could see that Scáthach was determined to figure it out on her own. Deciding to continue with the production of the Sub-Space Orb, Vahn did his best to ignore her presence as she walked around the room, tracing her fingers over various spots within the formation. Fortunately, as was often the case, Vahn found himself immersed in his work after mentally 'blocking' Scáthach's movements from his perception. He wasn't unaware of her location, as he passively regarding everything within his domain, but Vahn was able to increase his focus to an extreme level as he began channeling his Source Energy into the Sub-Space Orb to form its inner world...As much as she had been interested in the formation, Scáthach immediately turned her attention to Vahn when she detected the 'unique' fluctuations of his mana. Every time she sensed it, Scáthach found herself profoundly confused as, no matter what she tried to make of it, her mind and senses seemed unable to comprehend its structure. In a way, Vahn's mana felt similar to Divine Energy but, as this was something she was easily able to discern, the fact that there was 'uncertainty' within her assessment caused Scáthach to observe Vahn even closer. Without him seeming to pay any attention to her, Scáthach had approached close enough that her breasts were nearly touching his back as she peered into the developing Sub-Space Orb with her crimson eyes glimmering with a mystical light.In his state of intense focus, Vahn concentration was mildly affected by the fact that beads of sweat had started to consolidate on his brow and nose before dripping onto the rainbow-hued surface of the otherwise clear-as-crystal sphere. Just as he was preparing to wipe his brow to eliminate the distraction, Vahn's mind blanked a bit when a towel entered the periphery of his vision before almost imperceptibly wiping the pooling sweat. The action was so swift and deft that Vahn's actual vision hadn't been obscured in the slightest, even as the towel gently removed the drop of sweat that had been about to fall from his nose. Ultimately, however, Vahn focus ended up being destroyed completely as he couldn't help but turn his attention to the source of the towel, Scáthach...Surprisingly, instead of apologizing for breaking his focus, Scáthach took on a slightly stern tone as she said, "Stay focused. Do not let outside distractions prevent you from completing what you set out to do." Though they hadn't started training yet, Scáthach was already acting in the capacity of a Teacher who had just found her student slacking off. Vahn, however, wasn't quick to abide by her words as he frowned slightly before saying, "I'm too conscious of your presence at the moment. You might be right about it being a fault all my own, but I need you to leave so I can finish working in peace."In response to his words, Scáthach squinted her eyes slightly before asking, "Is this your true desire?" To this, Vahn once again shook his head before turning his attention to the Sub-Space Orb and saying, "Wants, needs, desires, these are things that people can't really escape. That doesn't mean I need to be a slave to them, though...leave me, Scáthach, I have made my decision." Vahn was the most aware of how 'tempted' he was around Scáthach and, while he knew a time would come where he gave in to such urges, he had no intentions of doing so in the present. If he just gave in to every urge as it appeared, Vahn felt he would be no better than an animal. From the very moment he gave up his 'dignity' in exchange for a fleeting moment of pleasure, Vahn knew he would have stepped onto a path different than the one he intended to walk...Sensing the conviction in Vahn's words and actions, Scáthach gave an approving nod before vanishing into thin air. This didn't stop her words from reaching him, however, as she stated, ("So long as you are honest with yourself, I will not deny there is value in your way of doing things. Even if I am to become your Teacher, the path you ultimately walk is something only you can decide. Take care, my Master...") With these fleeting words, Scáthach's presence disappeared from the basement like nothing more than a stray thought. Though Vahn committed her words to memory, finding a fragment of wisdom contained within, he wasted no time before immediately returning to his work on the Sub-Space Orb...---As a result of his tireless efforts, Vahn had managed to complete his work on the Sub-Space Orb with two hours to spare before dusk descended upon them. He had been aware of the small events occurring within the Manor, including the awakening of Rin and Scáthach's refusal to allow her to enter the basement, but they hadn't distracted him from completing his task. The only thing that remained was providing it without enough energy to 'jump start' the activation of the Orb. Under normal circumstances, it would take a few days for the formation to take effect but, as the Holy Grail War could be over by then, Vahn didn't have time to spare. In fact, the whole reason he had spent the day developing the Orb was specifically due to his lack of time...Purchasing around 43,000,000 OP worth of supplies, Vahn placed what appeared to be several crystalline pillars throughout the basement. Each had a different color, red representing fire, blue representing water, green representing wind, and yellow representing earth. These pillars alone cost 10,000,000 OP each but, so long as they were not damaged, they would provide a constant trickle of their respective Elemental Energies into the formation. Though the formation could eventually sustain itself using the Elemental Energy drawn from the void, Vahn was artificially accelerating the process to avoid having to wait around. It was for this purpose that he spent the remaining three-million OP to purchase consumables to help replenish his Source Energy reserves. Even more than the Elemental Energy itself, the more important part of the activation process was ensuring the 'Laws' programmed into the Orb were stable...With less difficulty than he had expected, Vahn ultimately ended up releasing a heavy sigh of relief as he looked down at the now crystal clear Sub-Space Orb. If you looked closely, it was possible to see a flat white plane that represented the floor as, unlike the Sub-Space Orb designed for constant use back in the Hearth Manor, Vahn's only intention for this particular orb was for training purposes. Though he would still install a bathroom and a large bath, as these were always a 'necessity', the rest of the space within the orb was left completely blank. The only thing that broke up the seemingly endless expanse of white were large concentric rings, each interspaced with a 10km distance between each other, that designated the 'compression' ratio of Space. Vahn had designed it with no upper limit so, theoretically, it was possible to move away from the center of the Sub-Space Orb until you reached a point where Space became 'solid'...As his current comprehension didn't allow him to fully understand what this phenomenon would be like, Vahn decided he would just have to experience it directly when he got strong enough. The important thing was that he now had a Sub-Space Orb with a dilation ratio of 7:1, a marked improvement from the 6:1 ratio he had managed in his previous world. Fortunately, though his power had been reduced significantly, his understanding of the Laws had only improved with the passage of time. Though he had to adapt his mindset to the 'logic' of the Record he inhabited, that was only in-so-far as he was unable to comprehend 'why' he couldn't ignore those rules completely...Without him noticing when she had arrived, Vahn felt like his subprocess nearly jumped out of his body when Scáthach suddenly asked, "What is this sphere?" Since she had detected that Vahn was no longer focused on his work, Scáthach had wasted no time in appearing at his side once again. As the [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] was supposed to provide her with all knowledge, she couldn't help feeling intrigued at things she had no knowledge of, as they simply shouldn't exist. Though she could recount a time before she knew 'everything', down to the microsecond, Scáthach had lost her motivation to care about such things long ago. What she observed of Vahn, however, stirred the small part of her humanity that had never completely faded away, the intrinsic desire to 'know' what lays beneath the surface, what made something 'tick'...Shaking his head in mild exasperation, Vahn placed his hand on the Sub-Space Orb before plainly stating, "Do as I do..." before vanishing immediately thereafter. Scáthach tilted her head slightly upon seeing this, her expression otherwise unchanged as she placed her palm on the orb and vanished in much the same manner. As there were few things beyond her perception, Scáthach was surprised by her failure to understand how she had been transported. The concepts of Space and Time were very familiar to her but, even as a resident of the Shadow Lands, a dimension that previously existed outside the standard axis of time, the Sub-Space Orb's structure eluded her.Though it was almost impossible to tell, given that her expression remained unchanged, Vahn could feel that Scáthach was drawing a 'blank' as to how she should react. Using this as an opportunity to lead the conversation in a controllable direction, Vahn explained, "Within this space, time flows seven times faster than on the outside. As to how it works...well, just consider that a secret of mine that I'm not at liberty to disclose. From now on, we will use this place as our training ground so we're not limited by the constraints of space and time. In order to leave, you need only focus on or say the word 'Totum'..."The moment the 'keyword' left his lips, Vahn vanished from the Sub-Space Orb in a flash of light that was gone in an instant. Scáthach, upon hearing the word and processing its meaning, also ended up being ejected soon thereafter. Before she could even process her reaction to the event, Scáthach was already back within the basement while Vahn looked towards her with what she saw as a 'teasing' smile on his face. This caused realization to flash across her eyes as she began to better understand the nature of her new student. As someone who aspired to master all things, even though she had long felt the task itself mundane and pointless, Scáthach's thought process began to shift slightly to better facilitate her future interactions with Vahn.Unaware that he had effectively executed a line of programming within Scáthach's computer-like thought process, Vahn turned his attention towards the 'ceiling' as he said, "I imagine Rin isn't all that happy to have been denied access to her own basement and workshop. If I don't make her the cheesecake I had promised her, she'll probably never let me hear the end of it..." With that said, Vahn began to make his way towards the stairs before ultimately finding his advanced halted as Scáthach placed her hand on his shoulder and said, "Before that, I must ask that you help me replenish my reserves. Though I do not mind others witnessing the process, I imagine it will make things difficult for you if others observe."Hearing Scáthach's words, Vahn internally sighed as his sub-process mind almost immediately imagined more 'intimate' acts than she was even implying at the moment. Setting these thoughts aside, Vahn once more cut open his finger, this time saying, "I don't mind if you drain my blood...just don't be weird about it..." Even if he was the one that was actually being 'weird' about the act, Vahn felt that Scáthach's behavior wasn't exactly helping the situation any. She had nearly taken his finger in her mouth again, extending her dainty red tongue in what he felt was an overly seductive manner, so Vahn had spoken without even thinking about the words themselves.Scáthach just gave an 'understanding' nod in response before closing her eyes and placing her lips around the very tip of his finger. Though the suction force was still very powerful, she wasn't creating additional suction with her tongue this time so it felt significantly less intimate. She also avoided staring back at him with her crimson-red eyes, choosing to keep them closed for the few minutes necessary to completely recover her mana. Upon finishing, she very casually pulled her lips away before giving a small nod and vanishing into particles of mana. This was her way of conveying that she intended to preserve her energy as, with the coming of night, the second day of the Holy Grail War was already upon them...Vahn found himself looking forward to a hard fight in the evening as, though it hadn't even been two days since he had sex, there was a lot of tension in his body. Seeing Fenrir and Rin exposed to danger had impacted him quite a bit so, with the combination of Scáthach's presence and the focus required to produce a Sub-Space Orb, Vahn needed the means to vent. As having sex would only exacerbate the issue, unless he went 'all-out', Vahn wanted to fight against a strong enemy to alleviate his building urges. Since Scáthach ended up being far more powerful than expected, he was hoping a capable enemy would appear as, unlike the previous night, he had no intentions of simply hiding in the back. That plan had nearly gotten Fenrir and Rin both seriously injured, with the latter nearly dying, so Vahn had thrown such roundabout methods to the wind...With that in mind, Vahn gave one last look at the Sub-Space Orb before placing his palm on a seemingly inconspicuous spot on the wall. This caused all of the runes making of the larger formation to dim slightly as, instead of being clear, the Sub-Space Orb began to radiate a rainbow hue as a thick fog obscured its insides. Vahn wasn't just going to leave such an advanced piece of 'Magecraft' laying around for anyone to have access to. Though the Tohsaka Manor seemed relatively secure, Vahn didn't believe for a moment that there weren't more than a few enemies capable of breaking in while they were away.As the Sub-Space Orb itself was even more advanced than the concept of a Reality Marble, Vahn knew it would cause all of the 'ancient monsters' leading the three factions to take action. Now, even if they did gain access to the basement, the only thing touching the orb would accomplish was having nearly all of your mana drained in an instant. Any attempt to force your way inside, or steal the Orb itself, would cause the surrounding formation to reverse the flow of mana, effectively destroying the entire Tohsaka Manor along with the Orb and the surrounding formation. Though Rin would probably go on a tirade as a result, Vahn was confident he would be able to pacify her with a bit of magical knowledge and a few placating gestures...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Focus...','BEGONE THOT...!','Scáthach is like an advanced AI...be careful, Vahn!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1048: Prelude