Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the introduction of so many new Heroic Spirits, things had gotten relatively hectic within the Empire. Though nothing too serious had transpired, there were obvious issues with existences such as Azathoth and Leviathan.Semiramis had been in the process of collecting materials to create her Hanging Gardens after finally realizing she wasn't going to be able to get her way. This immediately ceased after the second round of summoning, however. She had seen Leviathan with her own eyes and, much like everyone else in Avalon, it had been quite the sight to behold. After this, she complained about her Noble Phantasm no longer mattering until Vahn personally showed up to explain that he had virtually no control over Levithan. He couldn't just use the colossal creature like a mount and, rather than be its Master, it felt more like the giant whale-like monster was just here to test him.This excuse had allayed Semiramis' concerns but, after he easily drank the poisoned tea she offered him, she still holed herself up inside her room for a few days. He had given her permission to try and poison him to her leisure, something Semiramis had scoffed at in the beginning. Now, however, she was quickly beginning to realize his past claim about poison immunity wasn't just his boasting...Outside of Leviathan and Azathoth, the rest of his second batch of summons had been relatively well behaved. This included Hati who, much to Vahn's surprise, ended up looking not all that dissimilar to Fenrir. The biggest difference was that Hati had navy-blue fur extending up to her biceps and thighs and, instead of being petite and adorable like Fenrir, she was far more physically mature.Hati didn't actually have a tail but, as if to emulate one, she had extremely long and wild hair that cascaded down her back like rapids. Around three-quarters of the way down, there was a banded piece of silk that forced the unkempt hair into a faux-tail around her lower back. Her ears were also a lot smaller than Fenrir's and, rather than cute, they were sharp and angular like an actual wolf's.The most curious aspect of Hati was that she wore a tattered cloth outfit that was bounded in silvery chains. She also had an antagonistic relationship with another one of his summons, Sol, as there had been a time when Hati's meaning for existence was chasing after the rather unfortunate woman...Contrary to Vahn's expectations, Sol ended up being the female of the celestial twins. He had made the false assumption that Sol, meaning 'Sun', would be male while Mani, meaning 'Moon', would be the female of the pair. When a rather muscular woman with curly golden hair, sky-blue eyes, a set of full plate armor, and a massive shield appeared, he had been more than a little surprised.Fortunately, while Hati seemed to hate Sol a great deal, her target had always been Muni while the task of devouring Sol had been the ultimate goal of Skoll. Hati was also surprisingly obedient from the very beginning so, with Sol not particularly caring about the transformed Vanargandr, the two were able to, at the very least, tolerate each other...While Hati and Soli weren't a particular issue, they were still more troublesome than the final two summons Vahn had made. They were none other than Boudica, the vengeful queen of the Iceni peoples, and Spenta Mainyu, the ultimate trump card against Angra Mainyu.Boudica was a remarkably beautiful woman with long red hair that seemed to dance slightly, even without any wind present to billow it. She was attired in blood-red ceremonial garb that was covered in finely engraved leather plates. What stood out the most, however, were the two skulls she wore on her shoulders and, though they seemed to be extremely lethal, her sword and shield were both battered, chipped, and covered in blood. Even her cape, which seemed to originally be made from a kind of pure white cloth, had become stained and marred with the blood of countless people...As an Avenger Class Servant, the version of Boudica that had been summoned was the one who had led a rebellion against Rome between 60-61 ACE. She had done so after the death of her husband, King Prasutagus who, in good faith, left joint management of their Kingdom to his two daughters and the then Roman Emperor, Nero.Rather than accept King Prasutagus' display of loyalty towards the Roman Empire, several greedy statesmen who had made the Iceni territory their home took advantage of the situation. They broke into the castle, flogged Boudica, and raped her two daughters until they ultimately gave up the right to rule. After they made a public statement to this effect, the two young women were put to death while Boudica could only lament until she was finally released by servants loyal to her family.After escaping confinement, Boudica slaughtered almost every male Roman within her territory. The men responsible for the defiling and deaths of her daughters were publically castrated and, though her rebellion only lasted for a single year, she became famous for nearly leading the Roman Empire to ruin. Her forces had conquered three cities in a short period of time, laying low nearly 100,000 Roman and Roman sympathizers, many of which were killed using tortuous means.Despite the atrocities she committed, Boudica was considered by many to be a folk hero. Her tale was one of tragedy where she, for no better reason than the greed of man, was forced to experience the worst things that could happen to a woman. Thus, while she did many terrible things, they were arguably better than the actions propagated by the Roman Empire at the time. After all, war crimes were extremely common, especially against women and children...Contrary to her status as an Avenger, Boudica was actually a very polite and respectful woman once she understood the situation. Her aquamarine eyes did not reflect that glow of madness and, as the Roman Empire had fallen nearly 1500 years ago, her only enemies were those who committed vile acts against children and those who exploited others for personal gain.After changing into attire more suitable for a Queen, Boudica became even more beautiful than the blood-stained version of herself. Though she earned a few lamenting gazes from some of the girls living in the castle due to her bust size being close to an F-Cup, combined with her height of 174cm, there weren't any issues. Rather, as one of the first Queens of Ancient Britannia, Boudica was quite fond of Avalon and, as could be expected, Artoria.Boudica was extremely respectful to Artoria at first but, after a few days had passed, it became very apparent that there was more within her gaze than simple admiration. Rather, Boudica looked upon Artoria with similar eyes to Iris when interacting with Illya. This made Artoria a bit fretful as she didn't really know how to deal with someone essentially treating her, not as a child, but like their flesh and blood daughter. Her only true parental figure growing up was Merlin so Artoria ended up having no resistances to Boudica who, after questioning, openly admitted that Artoria reminded her of the two daughters she had lost.After a great deal of awkward tension, the relationship between the two women eventually reached the point that Boudica would quietly watch over Artoria and offer her advice. Vahn had even walked in on Boudica giving Artoria a lap pillow once, earning a playful shushing gesture from her as Gray stood off to the side with a helpless expression. She, despite having a near-identical appearance to Artoria, had somehow escaped Boudica's maternal instincts, not that she had been that desperate for affection after the way her own mother had treated her...While Vahn was curious about how things would develop between Boudica and Artoria, his main focus had, for various reasons, been elsewhere. He had resumed his training and, now that Okita and Jeanne had joined his semi-permanant entourage, Vahn had also been helping train them alongside Gareth. He also needed to spend time with his children and, whenever his women were in the mood, tend to their needs. This, combined with the time he spent checking on Azathoth and meditating on top of Leviathan, ensured that, even with the Projection, Vahn was very busy.Fortunately, the girls themselves seemed to be very aware of this so, unless he riled them up, days could pass without any of them proactively seeking him out. Even Circe had realized this was the case so, whenever Vahn was feeling particularly stressed out, he could visit the menagerie and get pampered by her, Medusa, Gareth, and, to a much lesser extent, Medea. The latter was extremely kind-hearted so, while she had been troubled at first, it didn't take long before Medea took over the role of preparing tea and making sweets for everyone within the menagerie.Still, of all the people in the castle, Vahn found the most comfort alongside his ever-faithful Fenrir. She knew better than anyone else when he was stressed out so, if she wasn't busy with other things, the lovable Vanargandr would simply appear to comfort him.It was during these moments that Vahn allowed himself to just 'shut off' as, even during the evenings, he didn't really have the time to sleep. This was something that weighed heavily on Artoria's heart and mind but, as Vahn promised things would become easier when the negotiations with the Mage's Association were finished, she allowed him to push himself.Fortunately, even without the care and concern of so many people, Vahn was in high spirits. While he did get stressed out at times, he was living an extremely fulfilling life where each moment was filled to the brim with love, intrigue, and many other positive emotions. His mental fatigue was the result of using the summoning system and, to a lesser extent, his time spent inside of Azathoth's Universe. It was a chaotic place that allowed him to comprehend many new things and, while it could be very taxing on the mind, Vahn knew it would make him a better ruler when he had his own...---While Fenrir was certainly the best at comforting Vahn, another person had been contending for the title, even without doing anything. This was none other than Spenta Mainyu who, by virtue of their existence alone, made everyone around them feel a sense of comfort and security. They didn't even need to be nearby as their influence was tied to the Bounded Field they inhabited, not proximity or association. Vahn had even tested this by taking Spenta out into the real world, stunning almost all of the world's powerhouses simultaneously as her influence was, quite literally, global.Since he didn't want to cause too much of a commotion, Vahn only spent a short period of time outside of Avalon before taking Spenta back inside. While some would argue that it was better to let Spenta stay outside, as the world was made a better place just by virtue of their existence, Vahn was fully aware of how desperate some people would be in their efforts to monopolize or outright kill her. After all, rather than just let Spenta exist, people would want to proactively use her ability and, if allowed, Vahn knew that there would be people who want to study her without consideration for the young girl's opinion.Despite having an unbelievable amount of power, Spenta Mainyu took on the form of a young girl with pure white hair, amber eyes, bronzed skin, and an emaciated appearance. When Vahn had first summoned her, she was even wearing a tattered linen cloth as her only piece of clothing. This ended up being a sac for storing grains that had been modified into a makeshift dress, giving the little girl an impoverished and pitiable appearance.In spite of her appearance, however, Spenta had a perpetual smile on her face while her amber eyes shone with the light of hope. This caused people to feel a natural sense of awe and, in the case of many, Vahn included, they even felt a strong urge to be 'better'. There was something about seeing a small child who, despite appearing as though they hadn't eaten in weeks, hadn't lost hope in the world. Rather, their existence itself inspired hope and, before Vahn could make a move, the little girl had already been whisked away by Artoria and the others for safekeeping.Now, a stark contrast to when she was first summoned, Spenta looked much healthier but, despite her apparent age, she didn't really play around like other children ought to. Instead, she spent most of her time seeking out those that she knew needed her presence and, though she apparently lacked the means to speak, Spenta was able to get others to open up to her. This had started with the other children, such as Juliet and Zoë who, after spending a few days with Spenta, ended up pouring their hearts out about their pasts.For reasons he wasn't entirely unaware of, Vahn became the bed for Zoë's tears as he comforted the young girl who had suppressed her trauma. She had cried for several hours but, after the fact, gave one of the most sincere smiles Vahn had ever seen. In the days that followed, she stopped acting out as often and, despite having a penchant for harmless pranks, she had become notably happier. She even began putting a lot more effort into her training, this time seeking strength to protect others, not just herself...---None were spared in Spenta's efforts to make everyone happy, something Vahn actually envied a bit since she didn't have to really do anything. Still, he never blamed her for this and, like everyone else in the castle, enjoyed having her around. Just being in the same room as her made you feel nostalgic and comfortable so, when he was cuddling up with Fenrir, Spenta would sometimes appear just to sit at the side with a smile on her face. She now wore a pristine white dress that matched her hair in color while, at the center of her chest, a blue runic mark would gently pulse in a natural and calming rhythm.Vahn had inspected the wing-like rune in the past but, no matter how hard he tried to focus on it, he couldn't actually 'remember' what the rune looked like. Even Da Vinci had failed to photograph the rune and, after a brief session of trying to analyze it with Ark, she ultimately shelved the matter until her equipment had been upgraded a few times. It was obvious that the rune on Spenta's body was something near Tier 5, even if the person in question seemed to have less physical power than an actual human child.Despite her frailty, Spenta had the ability to purify anything with her blood, something that made Vahn feel a deep kinship with the mute Conceptual Entity. Da Vinci had wanted to take samples but, as Vahn felt she was too young for such things, he had told her to hold off on it until Spenta could make such decisions on her own. Even if Da Vinci's intentions were pure, Vahn himself felt more than a little uncomfortable with arbitrarily deciding how Spenta's pale-blue, phosphorescent, blood was used.After that small incident, Spenta seemed to become rather fond of him so, when she wasn't busy with helping other people, she would often come seeking him out. Though he was usually busy with his own things, she would happily spend the time with Gareth, Okita, and Jeanne, the latter of which had become quite taken with the pale-haired girl. As a result, it wasn't uncommon for Vahn to finish his training, only to find Spenta sitting in Jeanne's lap as Okita and Gareth played cards at the side.Though he had come to expect it, Vahn couldn't help but smile each time he saw Spenta getting along with everyone. Her presence alone would make the Empire a much happier place and, so long as they were careful, there was a good chance her influence could reach the entire world. This would undoubtedly bring a few troubles their way but, now that he could summon several Heroic Spirits at a time, there weren't many forces in the world that could even hope to contest them...While not entirely accurate, as the sample size was too small, Da Vinci had been coming up with a system to analyze and evaluate the strength of others. She used the Familia Crest as a basis for her own system and, after several generations of tweaking, it could now roughly determine how strong everyone was compared to everyone else. Though this didn't necessarily mean one person would win over another, it still gave a rough estimate of power that allowed people to be categorized and ranked.Da Vinci's system, much like how Status was displayed, showed people on a rating between E and S-Rank. There was also a U-Rank but this was reserved for existences that couldn't be evaluated based on the current system's capabilities. At present, the only people that fit this designation were, to no one's surprise, Artoria in her Avalon state, Scáthach in her Godslayer state, Merlin in his default state, and Vahn himself.Vahn's power to be measured in an instant but, despite its best efforts, Ark was unable to calculate the upper limits of his potential as the result of an experiment could vary drastically, even with the exact same output. This was due to the fact that, while he may not be a conceptual entity, Vahn had the intrinsic ability to essentially be weaker or stronger based on his desires. When he was focused on gaining and going all out, his power would reach immeasurable levels, even with the same basic output.What it ultimately came down to was Da Vinci's and, by proxy, Ark's inability to comprehend and define the existence of Laws. Thus, the stronger a person's understanding of Laws, the harder it was for Da Vinci's system to analyze and evaluate their strength. She had been making progress with the help of people like Lakshmibai, Kenshin, and Vahn but, with Goddesses like Ishtar, Ereshkigal, and Sol refusing to be 'experimented' on, her progress was slower than she'd like.It was in an effort to gather more data that Da Vinci approached Artoria with a proposition, preying off the latter's not-so-secret battle lust. She intended to stage an exhibition tournament that would allow everyone to familiarize themselves with each others' power. This would allow everyone to vent a bit of their pent-up stress and, if there were any grievances about the current hierarchy, it served the dual purpose of making clear where everyone stood.Though she wasn't convinced at first, it didn't take long before Artoria got wrapped up in Da Vinci's momentum. She had already challenged just about everyone, with most turning down her offer, so it was an opportunity for her to complete her quest and get to know her people better. Some wouldn't appreciate being made to participate in such an event but, if they came up with adequate prizes for earnest participation, it shouldn't be hard to convince them. Thus, with one woman's desire for battle and another's desire for knowledge, the first official Imperial Tournament of Power was planned to take place.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bodacious Boudica','Protec the Spenta','Artoria got played xD...')(A/N: The original chapter included part 1 of the tournament but, after I opened up my MacBook this morning, I realized that the chapter I wrote only had 700 words instead of the original 3500. I'm not sure what happened so I decided to just flesh out and introduce characters this time around. I'll be releasing the tournament chapters in 2-3 parts so, based on the comments section, I'll either do them all at once or release them as I finish writing. This will be the last set of interludes before the official start of the next volume.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Ever since the first time he held Court, Vahn had made a habit of convening everyone at least once a week, real-time. This gave everyone nearly a month and a half of recess within the Projection so it hadn't really caused any disputes thus far.During normal circumstances, Vahn would just listen to Gawain's reports before having everyone share any pertinent issues. When that was said and done with, he would make a personal address to bring the session to an end. Following this, a banquet would be held to discuss things of less import to the Empire where everyone, Gawain included, would participate. This was intended to be a social gathering of sorts, bringing together everyone in spite of their divergent schedules.This time around, Vahn thought the most important matter on the dossier was discussing the ritual and deployment of Semiramis' 'Hanging Gardens of Babylon' but, before the discussion proceeded to the next phase, Artoria interrupted the session with a matter of her own.As Empress, Artoria had more than enough leeway to make public requests so, after a brief moment of surprise, Vahn smiled affectionately before giving her permission to enter the well and address the Court. He could tell she was a little excited so, rather than confer with her in private, he was just as interested as everyone else to hear what she intended to discuss.After getting permission, Artoria had a fervent smile on her face as she gave a polite bow and stated, "Your Majesty. If it does not displease you, I would request that you play host in a tournament, one officially sanctioned by the Empire. The Empire currently stands on the brink of a mass expansion so, before things become even more chaotic, I believe it would be prudent to glean an understanding of everyone's capabilities."Vahn wasn't actually all that surprised by Artoria's request as he knew she and Da Vinci had been cooking up something behind the scenes. Still, he couldn't help but smile thoughtfully in response to her question. He gave her leniency to raise her head before tapping on the armrest of his Throne for several seconds in serious contemplation. She didn't really need to make any further arguments as, when it came down to it, the decision was ultimately his to make.Though his mind was mulling over the event's details, Vahn's eye had passed over everyone in the room. He even activated his View Affection for a brief moment to ascertain whether or not their reaction was dictated by genuine surprise, frustration, annoyance, or perturbance.As could be expected, a number of people present weren't at all enthused by Artoria's proposition, despite it being an inherent truth that it was better to understand each others' capabilities. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was also curious about how strong everyone was but, as there was always a chance 'something' could go wrong, Vahn never thought to hold such an event himself. He would have to work with Da Vinci, Merlin, and Vivian to produce failsafes and, in order to make sure the greatest amount of participation, he would need to provide ample rewards...Not once did Vahn consider not hosting the tournament as, until now, Artoria had never really made any public requests like this. Since he was curious about the results, he felt this was an opportunity to give her the face she deserved as his Empress. It was obvious that Da Vinci had talked her into the event but, as this was leverage that could be used to have the hermetic Magus participate in a public spectacle, Vahn was more tempted than usual.It didn't take long for Vahn to work out the details before ultimately nodding his head and stating, "We cannot deny our own interest in this event. Though exceptions can be made, We will decree that all capable combatants participate in the coming tournament. If necessary, We will create a division between Knights and Magi. To compensate everyone for the trouble, a plethora of rewards will be prepared just for proactive participation. As for the final victor...hmmm...We will grant them a single request. So long as it is within my power and does not violate the ideology of the Empire, there is no limit to what you may request."While it may sound like a false promise coming from anyone else, there were few doubts among the standing members of the Court when it came to the veracity of Vahn's claim. There was very little he couldn't promise to someone as, when it came down to it, even concepts like Space, Time, Life, and Death were inconsequential to the Empire. He could even provide Heroic Spirits with physical vessels that far exceeded the limits of their original bodies, effectively granting wings to a group of tigers.There were mixed responses to Vahn's statement but, when they heard that there would be a divide between Knights and Magi, even people like Olga looked slightly contemplative. She knew there was no chance of victory but, after receiving a [Pactio] from Vahn in the past, Olga had always wondered how she would fare against a 'true' Magus with the Caster designation. It was said that even Lorelei couldn't match against a competent Caster from the Age of Gods so, with her newfound power, and the promise of a reward for simple participation, Olga was feeling a little competitive.After gauging everyone's response, Vahn quickly gave Artoria leave to return to her position before Mordred pounced out of her own. He wasn't at all surprised that she wanted to participate so, while she had already broken through much of the seal on her own, it seemed like the time to remove it was steadily approaching. She would want to train at her maximum potential as, even if there was a children's division, it wouldn't really be fair to pit Mordred against anyone else.Once Artoria returned to her position, the rest of the proceedings went according to expectation. It wasn't until the following banquet that they began to iron out the details, headed by a reluctant Da Vinci. Since it was originally her idea, Vahn wasn't going to let her just sit on the sidelines and collect data as, more so than most, he was very interested in how powerful she was. She had the longest list of EX-Rank Skills and abilities, combined with some of the highest parameters among everyone that currently resided within the castle, himself included.With Da Vinci's participation, it was decided that there would indeed be two divisions in the coming tournament. There was a proposed third division but, as Vahn felt the children were too young to be a part of such an event, especially with the stakes involved, he made an arbitrary requirement that required you to be at least fourteen years old to participate. The only exception to this was Mordred but, as she had been an active Knight of the Round Table, there wasn't any controversy regarding her participation in the adult's league.When it came down to it, Artoria, Gray, Mordred, Gareth, Gawain, Galahad, Siegfried, Fenrir, Okita, Jeanne, Kenshin, Lakshmibai, Boudica, Hati, Heracles, and Scáthach would be participating in the Knight's League. As for Karna and Astolfo, the former had fallen off the radar while touring India while the latter was in the middle of a movie shoot back in Alaska. It was possible to summon them both but, considering this would likely become a common event in the future, Vahn excluded the battle junkie Demigod this time around.The second division, the Magus' League, was considerably smaller in size when compared to the Knight's Division. It was also the 'easier' of the two on participants, at least when you excluded the existence of Ishtar and, once again, Scáthach. Her participation in both events was to essentially serve as a bottleneck of sorts, preventing anyone from actually winning unless they could overcome one of the strongest existences within the Empire.Participating in the Magus' League were Da Vinci, Ishtar, Nobunaga, Scáthach, Semiramis, Medusa, Rin, Luvia, Olga, Iris, and, despite her diminutive appearance, Medea. As for why Nobunaga and Ishtar were included in the running; this was due to the fact that both fought at a range and, without going all out, it would be virtually impossible for them to beat anyone in the Knight's League. Since the tournament did not allow the use of any active Noble Phantasms, they would be at a distinct disadvantage. They both used their own magical power to fuel their ammunition as well so, at least for this first tournament, they were both within the Magus category.While it may seem unfair for Rin, Luvia, and Olga to participate in a tournament that included literal Gods and legends from the ancient past, Vahn wasn't too worried about them. He had granted all of the modern girls a [Pactio] in order to protect them and keep in contact so, while they would still fall short of a Heroic Spirit, they wouldn't be eliminated outright. He was actually more concerned about Medusa and Medea, despite the fact that the latter may very well sweep everyone in the bracket, the sole exceptions being Scáthach and, for a variety of reasons, Ishtar...---With everything decided, Vahn gave everyone two weeks, projection-time, to make preparations for the event. He would have liked to give them more time but, as negotiations with the Association were scheduled to take place around the same time, there wasn't much of a choice. Nearly seven months had passed since the duel between Artoria and Lorelei so it was nearing time for the daily lives of everyone to transition from the Projection and into the real world.It was no secret that Vahn was looking forward to things both speeding up and slowing down as the primary stress factor in his life was having 'too much' time. If they stayed inside the Projection the entire time, he would be over two-hundred years old when Angra Mainyu made its appearance. Even his children would be in their forties and sixties so, while it was a viable choice as far as training was concerned, Vahn felt it was very unhealthy to be so detached from the rest of the world.At this point, both Mordred and Sakura were already ten years old, despite little more than four months passing since the time they entered the Projection. If they ended up staying inside for the entire year, they would be seventeen and sixteen respectively. They would be well over the age where it was easier to socialize with one's peers as, after High School and University, there were few opportunities to network effectively without borrowing from another person's connections.Vahn had a decent grasp of children's psychology but it was the guidance of Luvia, Rin, and, of all people, Iris, that made him decide to send the girls to school. Though they didn't mind their children getting a basic education within the castle, as it was actually very common for 'nobles' to educate their children internally, it was still important to send them out into the 'real' world to socialize. This was the only way for their perspective to expand beyond the confines of their own home and, while it may leave them with a few emotional scars, this was how people matured.Ultimately, Vahn intended to allow anyone below the age of fourteen to live inside the Projection, so long as they were accompanied by a parental figure. This was the opposite of how he did things in the Record of Danmachi but, as Vahn wanted his children to be able to protect themselves, he felt it was necessary for them to mature at an accelerated rate. He was slowly beginning to realize that age didn't matter all that much, especially in the grand scheme of eternity, so setting them on their path sooner was better than putting it off in a vain attempt to pamper and protect them.When it came down to it, everyone associated with Vahn had some limited form of immortality as, if they were not prepared for death, old age meant very little. Even if Vahn didn't take action, Merlin, Medea, Scáthach, or any reasonably powerful Magus for that matter, had the ability to extend a person's lifespan indefinitely. Scáthach could outright reverse a person's age and, if the right steps were taken, she could do so without diminishing their actual power. Thus, while it was important to protect the children while they were young, to prevent them from developing any dangerous quirks, Vahn was beginning to accept the fact that fourteen years was a very short period of time when they might live for thousands...Still, with fourteen being the age of adulthood back in Danmachi, Vahn decided to use that as his basis for maturity. While some of the so-called developed countries advocated the age of consent at eighteen years old, those same countries completely ignored the fact that children below that age experimented with each other. It wasn't considered exploitative if children took advantage of those in the same age range, despite the fact that, as a result of their experimental mentalities, they were inarguably more prone to exploiting each other than the average adult.Contrary to what was considered 'normal', Vahn felt that it was very important to educate children in sexual matters at an early age. He felt that demonizing it and treating it as some kind of taboo only invited the very crimes people sought to prevent as, for various reasons, people were drawn to such topics as the 'forbidden' was an irresistible temptation to the malleable mind. Thus, rather than send them down the path of deviancy, Vahn felt it was healthier to openly discuss such matters, even if it was extremely awkward to do so at times.Fortunately, rather than have to give these talks personally, Vahn could leave such matters to the women of the household. While he would not shy away from answering any questions related to the topic, this was wholly dependent on the intentions of whoever was asking. So long as they had taken the time to rationalize their concerns, he didn't mind clearing things up for them. After all, while it may not be necessary at higher Soul Tiers, sex and reproduction were the most intrinsic parts of any biological lifeforms. It wasn't something they should have to figure out on their own just because a few adults decided they were too young to be given a proper explanation...---With how busy Vahn's schedule was, two weeks passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. He had been given leniency by Scáthach to help others prepare so, after unsealing Mordred's power, albeit with her electing to keep the 'tattoo', Vahn helped her prepare. She wasn't the weakest participant in the Knight's League, a role that undoubtedly belonged to Gareth, but Vahn had the liberty to show a bit of favoritism when it came to his daughter having to fight against people several times her own age.Mordred had really grown a lot since the time of her summoning so Vahn was very interested to see how she performed in the upcoming tournament. Though it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he was interested in how everyone would perform, there were obviously a few people at the top of his list. After all, Mordred was his adopted daughter and, though he had only been training her for a little over half a year, Gareth was one of his official disciples. The latter had been training in secret over the last two weeks so he was interested to see how much she had progressed during the time she had been away from his side.Vahn had to admit that it was strange not to have Gareth following him around but, as Okita had become a permanant fixture accompanying him, it wasn't too bad. As for why she didn't train like the rest, Okita claimed that her strength was currently fixed and, as nobody knew her fighting style just yet, any training would only expose her weaknesses. This wasn't really something that could be argued so, when he wasn't training with Mordred and tending to his other duties, Vahn enjoyed the companionship of the quiet beauty. She had learned to make tea and, though it was rather bad, he appreciated the effort she put into improving.On the eve of the tournament's opening ceremony, Vahn was helping set up powerful barriers and defensive arrays around a 10km wide area that had been constructed within the Training Orb. This size was the bare minimum for fights between Heroic Spirits as, even without their Noble Phantasms, they could cover such distances with their bodies and spells in an instant.Rather than use a flat stage, various structures had been erected within the 10km square plot as open terrain was actually a monstrous advantage for certain people. The structures were meant to be used by those that had the ability to conceal themselves while, in other cases, they could be used as cover when evading rapid-fire attacks and abilities. Those like Fenrir would even be able to vault around the uneven terrain with considerable ease but, as this didn't really provide her a significant advantage against the average Heroic Spirit, it wasn't considered unfair.To balance things even further, the majority of equipment had been standardized so that people like Artoria and Siegfried weren't able to just overwhelm others with their inactive Noble Phantasms. As for people like Scáthach, who could easily produce an unlimited amount of weapons, even without her Noble Phantasm, she had been restricted to using traditional [Gradiation Air] Magecraft since it would honestly be unfair otherwise.Scáthach could elevate even simple iron swords to B-Rank Noble Phantasm so, with the equipment provided by the Dwarves being around the same grade, it was the best compromise they could make with the prolific Grandmaster. She was actually expected to sweep both brackets as, without their Noble Phantasms, it was virtually impossible for anyone to get a distinct advantage against her. Still, this didn't deter any of the competitors as Vahn had promised that, at the very least, they would be given a custom A-Rank piece of equipment just for participating.While this may not seem all that great in the grand scheme of things, especially with the nigh-infinite wealth of the Empire, it was still a considerable prize when you considered the piece of equipment could be virtually anything. If someone wanted, they could even have an A-Rank spatula produced while, in the example of people like Semiramis, she could be given a goblet that produced an infinite amount of high-quality wine. There were no real limits so, even if he was asked for an A-Rank pillow, Vahn was more than able to meet the demand.Thus, with the preparations completed, the opening day of the Imperial Tournament of Power was set to commence...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Karna is going to be salty xD','Sex is important! It may very well be one of the most important things xD!','Who will seize the victory!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

High above the skies of Avalon, above even the dominion of the Sylph, Vahn was seated in silent contemplation. He would normally have a number of people at his side but, at this moment, he was enjoying the frigid atmosphere, despite the fact there wasn't even enough oxygen to take a single breath...Vahn wasn't alone in his rumination. Rather, he had come up to this height, more than seven kilometers above Avalon, because it was only here that the most recent addition to his Empire could maintain itself.Below Vahn, serving as a vast platform upon which he sat, was a massive whale-like creature with pure white skin. It had a body that was more than 30km in length, coiled around like a snake as large feathered wings protruded out from where its flippers would normally be. There were eight such wings adorning the length of its body while, where its tail would be, a thick mat of golden fur crested the tip like a lion's tail.Though the creature was distinctly serpentine, Vahn still felt it was more accurate to describe it as a whale due to the fact its head was structured like a massive sperm whale. The only observable difference was that it completely lacked eyes while, inlaid into its pure white skin, a series of gold runic bands coiled all over its surface. This, however, wasn't even the most awe-inspiring aspect of this whale-like creature as, within its massive maw, a runic blade that was more than 6km in length was fixed between its teeth.This phenomenal creature was none other than Leviathan, the Watcher Class Servant that Vahn had summoned. As for the blade within its mouth, it was an EX-Rank Noble Phantasm known as [Spear of Final Judgment]. Vahn wasn't quite sure what qualified it as a spear, as it looked like a singular giant blade, but he wasn't really in a position to question it. All he knew was that, if the conditions were met, Leviathan could use the [Spear of Final Judgment] to, quite literally, destroy the planet.Fortunately, while its power was beyond measure, there were a lot of restrictions on Leviathan and, even with his Command Spells, Vahn couldn't order it to do anything. According to Alaya, it could only use its full power at a 'designated time', regardless of any efforts to try and force it into obedience. The only reason he was even able to summon it was due to its Watcher designation, a unique Servant class that only a select few entities could be summoned as.The purpose of a Watcher, as its name suggested, was simply to observe and inform. At the same time, it served as a catalyst for the growth of its Master, guiding them various trials in an attempt to make their ultimate dream a reality. If their Master could not survive these assigned trials, the Watcher would then absorb them into their own shadow, becoming a part of the Watcher while their existence itself was erased from the time axis.All of this had come as quite a surprise to Vahn, especially when he learned that Leviathan already had seven 'Shadows' absorbed within its body. When he first learned of their existence, Vahn had been tempted to help them but, as they weren't even transcribed on the Throne of Heroes, there wasn't anything he could do.Leviathan wasn't actually an evil existence by any means. It could only be summoned under very strict conditions and, while the consequences for failure were extreme, anyone that had survived its trials had become a legend without equal. It could apparently even guide a normal human to become an existence on the level of a Heroic Spirit in a very short period of time as, inside of the Leviathan, a massive Labyrinth existed as a form of Bounded Field.Leviathan's Labyrinth almost invalidated the need for the Clock Tower entirely as the inside of the seemingly infinite compound was filled with monsters. Some of these monsters were even strong enough to rival weaker Heroic Spirits in strength, affording a remarkable amount of experience if you were able to come out ahead. Unfortunately, only Vahn was qualified to enter the Labyrinth as it was meant to be a crucible to refine his strength, not the strength of others.Vahn was able to bypass the restriction of Leviathan's Labyrinth with his Unit Management but, the moment he teleported someone inside, they would immediately be ejected. Even Scáthach had been forcibly expelled, despite her attempts to lock the space around her. After this series of events, Vahn had actually been trapped inside Leviathan's Labyrinth until he completed a trial but, as his power was already at a level beyond most Heroic Spirits, it hadn't taken him long to come out unscathed.Now, Vahn just allowed Leviathan to float above Avalon at an altitude it was comfortable with. It had the ability to sense everything that was going on below it, its basic senses stretching out for well over a hundred kilometers in each direction. The most incredible part of this ability was that even people like Merlin could not escape the observation of Watcher and, while he was in direct contact with it, Vahn could share its senses.While he was lost in rumination, Vahn felt a ripple in the fabric of Space-Time around him and, without even having to look, he asked, "Ikaros...is there something?"By the time Vahn's words had finished, a handsome youth with sharp golden eyes and dark red hair had manifested. He was attired in ancient Grecian garb that was adorned with flaxen white feathers comprised of wax. On his back, two mechanical wings, also adorned with wax feathers, had degraded to the point that much of their structure had taken on a skeletal visage. There were perpetual burn marks on his back and shoulders and, though he was nowhere near water, Ikaros had a permanant layer of moisture covering his skin and hair.In response to Vahn's words, Ikaros placed his left hand on his hip in an annoyed manner as he complained, "That vile woman wanted me to ask if you were available for tea."Hearing Ikaros' words, Vahn turned his head to look back at the man, saying in a polite tone, "Tell Amelia that I'll be returning to the surface soon. She is more than welcome to join everyone when it is meal time, just like the rest of you..."Ikaros just shook his head in response before retorting, "None of us are here to try and buddy up with your people. I'll tell her you refused. If you want to convey anything more complicated, do it yourself."After stating his piece, Ikaros' body began to ripple before he dissipated into space like ink dissolving into water. It was a peculiar way to move through space that Vahn couldn't really wrap his head around. In fact, there were a lot of mysteries related to Levithan so, when he had nothing else going on, Vahn liked to sit on top of the colossal creature while meditating. As a result, his domain could now stretch upwards of 8km in every direction, a marked increase compared to the 5km he had been stuck at just a month prior.While the range of his domain was nowhere near his perception when he tapped into the limited omnipotence of his Divinity, Vahn felt more like a God while seated upon Leviathan than when he spread his perception over the entire planet. After all, even if he wasn't completely aware of each and every particulate of mana within his perception, Vahn could 'recall' each of them if he wanted to. His mind recorded everything perfectly so, even if he overlooked something at first, Vahn was able to view scenes from his own memory as if he was looking back in time without restriction.Due to this quirk, Vahn had developed a habit of extending his domain, even if he wasn't paying attention to what was taking place within it. Even from his current perch atop Leviathan, he was able to sense almost everything taking place within the Ivory Castle, bringing a smile to his face whenever someone noticed him paying attention. This was usually Fenrir but, after a while, some of his children had started to pick up on the fact that he was looking down on them from above.For a brief moment, Vahn was tempted to stop by and play with Isanna and Naavi, who now had the physical appearance of five-year-olds, but he decided against it after seeing them having a staring contest over who got to carry Daiki. Fortunately, Ishtar now had a body of her own so she could easily rein in Isanna while Ereshkigal would hold back Naavi. As for Daiki, he was a bit of a mama's boy and, though he didn't like to be away from his sisters, he was always happy to be held by Rin.Vahn couldn't help but smile at the scene playing out but, as he already had other plans from earlier, he decided to get them out of the way before playing around.After a few more minutes of idle observation, Vahn vanished from the surface of Leviathan in a small burst of blue magical light. Immediately after his departure, the impossibly large creature, as if it was nothing more than an illusion, began to fade away until its figure had completely vanished from the world. Even if someone flew through the area where it had been previously, they would pass through unobstructed.When Vahn reappeared, he was located on a small island to the north of Avalon, a landmass less than a single acre in size. A month ago, this had just been a rocky outcrop within the sea but, after his second round of summons, an altar had been constructed to house what could be considered Vahn's most powerful, yet potentially disastrous, ally.This small island was a prohibited area to everyone except for Vahn himself as, while the entity inside wasn't malicious at all, its presence alone had caused a number of issues. After all, it was one of the so-called Outer Gods, beings that hailed from an entirely alien Universe. They were existences that embodied some form of infinity and, by merely being around them, people, even Heroic Spirits, would begin to hallucinate and go mad.Vahn was completely immune to the influence of his troublesome ally so he made a habit of trying to visit, even though they didn't seem to mind their isolation. Still, as it was his selfish decision to bring them into the world, Vahn felt a certain sense of responsibility towards those he summoned. He didn't care if the true form of Foreigner was some eldritch horror as, in its base form, it looked like nothing more than a young and emaciated boy.After lightly tapping on the altar, Vahn watched as the stone structure opened into a staircase that led deep into the seafloor. If others were present, they would have seen the simple stone steps as the maw of some monstrous creature and, if they were not able to escape from this illusion, there was a chance it would actually devour them. Since this wasn't something the entity inside had any control over, Vahn withheld judgment as, if you were able to resist the encroaching madness, it was actually very easy to communicate with them.Much like his descent into the Welsh Dragon's chamber, it took nearly a half-hour to reach the bottom of the spiraling stairs as the interior was an isolated Bounded Field that disallowed the manipulation of space and time. It was completely impossible to teleport as the Laws inside simply did not allow such a concept to even exist. This was made possible by the abilities of the entity slumbering within as, much like ORT, it had a unique form of 'alien logic' that governed reality itself.After reaching the bottom of the spiraling stairs, Vahn entered into a room that was almost completely empty. The only thing inside was a single bed and, though there were no actual light sources, rays of pure white light seemed to cascade down upon the bed, highlighting the figure laying atop the pillow-laden surface.Vahn smiled upon seeing the slumbering figure, a pale-skinned youth with frail features and pure gold hair. This was, however, only how the figure appeared to him as, from the perspective of others, he appeared to be a mass of twisted flesh. Even Artoria had an extreme reaction to his presence and, if not for Vahn's intervention, there was a good chance she might have even tried to strike down the relatively defenseless entity. When he later saw what the figure looked like from Artoria's perspective, Vahn had been at a loss as they was simply no comparison between the terrible monster and the slumbering youth before him...Without hesitating in the slightest, Vahn made his way over the side of the bed before asking in a low tone, "How are you feeling today, Azathoth...?"In response to his question, the sleeping figure did not move in the slightest but, as if they were fully awake, a cheerful voice answered, "I am doing well. Thank you for coming to visit me again."Though the true identity of the sleeping figure before him was the titular Rip Van Winkle, from the fairy tale of the same name, he was also the manifestation of the Outer God of Dreams, Azathoth, the Lord of the Outer Gods. He had the ability to manifest an entire Universe of his own and, by waking, that Universe, Azathoth himself, and all things within it, would be destroyed. He was the lynchpin of his own reality and, by spending time with Azathoth, Vahn was hoping to make some breakthroughs in the creation of his own Reality Marble.After pulling out a chair to sit down, Vahn proceeded to pull out a book from his Inventory. It was a children's story about a princess trapped in a tall tower that reached beyond the clouds. Here, she waited for the day of her liberation but, up until the end of her life, the prince charming she had sought never appeared. At the very end of the story, she threw herself from the tower in a final attempt to take control over her own life but, after passing through the clouds below, she landed back in her own bed as a young woman once again.Azathoth was fond of tragic stories that embodied aspects such as helplessness so, while it was a little unnerving, Vahn made a habit of reading to the slumbering Outer God during his visits. They weren't the worst books he had ever read and, as Azathoth had helped him out a few times, it was the least he could do.When Vahn finished with the story, the slumbering Azathoth produced a small smile before his voice echoed in the surroundings, saying, "Thank you for reading to me. Did you want to see my world today as well...?"Vahn just gave a small nod in response to Azathoth's question. In the next moment, he felt like he had been pulled through an invisible membrane and, though the immediate surroundings had not changed, he knew the world outside the chamber was now completely different from the Avalon he knew. Even Alaya was not able to venture here as she was tied to the planet Earth and could not venture beyond its Planetary Bounded Field. As for Azathoth's Bounded Field, it was on the level of an entire Universe, filled with countless planetary bodies and innumerable stars.While it was impossible to teleport freely back in the previous world, Azathoth had given Vahn the ability to move around freely in his own personal Universe. This wasn't an exaggeration either as, just by wanting to go somewhere, Vahn would instantly appear in said location. He was trying to grasp the concept behind how this was possible but, even after spending several weeks at a time inside Azathoth's universe, Vahn had been unable to make sense of it.The Laws at play weren't all that different from what he was familiar with but, as the restrictions were based on a completely different kind of logic, it was almost incomprehensible. One good example of how strange the Laws inside Azathoths' Universe could be seen in the way that fire flowed like water while the water itself twisted and flowed in a helical pattern, unbounded by the conventional Laws of Gravity.Within Azathoth's Universe, even Life and Death were transient things as Vahn had found a species of creatures that lived and died as part of an infinite cycle of rebirth, never increasing or decreasing their numbers. They were honestly a little terrifying as Vahn had seen one of the fox-like creatures cannibalize another of its kind. Afterward, the latter burst forth from the former's stomach during its rebirth, repeating the process a few times until they realized the futility of their actions...Vahn knew that staying inside might even have adverse effects on him so, after idling for a few days, he pulled out a golden key from thin air. The moment the key manifested, a lock hole had appeared within the void itself and, after Vahn inserted the key, he found himself back in the real world without any time having passed. Since Azathoth had made his Universe according to Vahn's request, it was completely separate from the axis of Space and Time, meaning Vahn could stay inside for a million years without a single second passing in the outside world. Compared to his own Sub-Space and Space-Time Orbs, it was like the difference between a grain of sand and an entire desert...After thanking Azathoth for the experience, Vahn left the sealed chamber once again before making his way back to the surface. He always needed something, or someone, to ground himself after exploring Azathoth's Universe so, while there were better choices, Vahn decided to visit Illya before going to spend time with his children.At this point, Illya had fully fused with Cath Palug so, a little more than two months ago, Illya had submerged herself into a tank similar to the one's Da Vinci used in the production of her vessels. She was trying to artificially accelerate her growth but, due to the influence of Cath Palug, it was a very slow and arduous process.Though Illya was unconscious, Vahn knew it meant a lot to her that he visited as, while she was in this state, her mind was still active. He could ask Merlin to act as an intermediary to allow them to spend time together but, as Illya wasn't too fond of the flowery Magus, Vahn usually just stood with his hand against the reinforced crystalline container for the better part of an hour. Though this actually made Illya more than a little embarrassed, as she was completely naked inside the container, she never really complained directly to him...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Who needs a Hanging Gardens when you have a 30km long whale? RIP Semiramis','Azathoth is creepy af xD...','Illya is working hard in her own way...')(A/N: For those that were curious, the seven people inside Leviathan are: Ahab, Ikaros, Asclepius, Honjo, Orpheus, Amelia(Yes, Amelia Earhart), and Pelleas(one of the prospective Knights of the Round Table))https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1271: Interlude: Past, Present, and Future