Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Dunscaith Castle being less than eight-hundred kilometers from Avalon, it was a distance even an Einzbern Homunculi could cover in less than an hour. Thus, while it was an enjoyable and scenic flight, Vahn reached his destination in just under twenty minutes.Even prior to the event people now called 'The Fall', the Isle of Skye had only ever had around 10,000 inhabitants. It, like much of Scotland, had been relatively untouched by the times due to the efforts of both 'conservationists' and, as could be expected, the many Magus families that could trace their lineage back to the Age of Gods. As a result, it was a beautiful land filled with verdant plains, strange rock formations, and a host of peculiar forests, many rumored to be enchanted by Fae and Spirits.Now, with few exceptions, most of Skye's inhabitants had migrated east, seeking refuge near larger population centers. Though some remained behind, unable or unwilling to abandon their ancestral homeland, the island now appeared devoid of human life. This included the nearby crofting village of Tokavaig, a popular tourist destination. During his short flight, Vahn had only detected a total of seven people still inhabiting the village, most of which seemed to belong to the same family.Since this was a personal matter, Vahn really didn't want to get others involved so, while it was more than a little disorienting for the unsuspecting family, he had Alaya teleport them to safety. Once his battle with Scáthach came to an end, he would compensate them for their troubles, even if it meant having to build them a new house with his own two hands.Though it was called a castle, Vahn was surprised to find that Dunscaith was only about 25m across. It seemed less like a fortress than a stone-forged beach house as, while isolated and in a defensible position, about 12m above the surrounding sea, it would have had no means to resupply during a siege. There was only a single drawbridge connecting it to the mainland but, considering this was a gap of only seven meters, it seemed pointless for keeping anything but 'normal' people out.Vahn had known that, other than her immediate family and students, Scáthach had chosen to live isolated from the rest of the world. Even then, he had expected something grander than a simple walled castle with nothing more than a small complex, a 10m tall tower, and what appeared to be a stable incapable of housing more than three horses. Though it did radiate a certain majesty, as was the case with all castles, Vahn couldn't help but feel it was a very 'lonely' sight to behold.Seemingly sharing this sentiment, Arcueid squeezed his hand with her own, worry visible in her eyes as she said, "Be careful..." in a somber tone. In response, Vahn ran his fingers slowly through her hair and, after planting a kiss on the top of her head, he replied, "I shouldn't keep her waiting any longer. Take care of everything else for me, will you...?"Though she could do little to hide her concern, Arcueid managed a supportive smile as she placed her hand overtop Vahn's and intoned a simple, 'Un...' in response. She was beginning to get a very bad feeling about everything so, while she didn't say it out loud, Arcueid was resolved to step in if things got too dangerous. She believed in Vahn but Scáthach was famous for killing Gods, Divine Spirits, and various immortal creatures. There were no true absolutes in the world so, while it seemed impossible to kill Vahn, there was always a small chance 'something' would happen...Vahn could see through Arcueid's intentions but, knowing there wasn't much he could do to stop her from worrying, he opted to remain silent and just enjoy their final moment together. He could already feel the aura from within the castle beginning to build, however, so he opted not to remain idle for too long. Thus, after sending Arcueid off with a smile on his face, Vahn turned to the rather demure castle and made his way inside the only building on the relatively small outcrop.Upon opening the doors to the castle's keep, Vahn found himself face to face with Scáthach who, at the end of an 8m long path, could be found sitting on a rune-covered throne, forged from the same crystalline metal as her weapons. She was even wearing a deep purple gown, not all that dissimilar to the one her Caster counterpart often wore. The only real difference was the fact that this version of the dress still had metallic pauldrons, trimmed with black feathers, while, seated above her ruby-red eyes, a crown reminiscent of black thorns, set with a blood-red gemstone, could be seen...Though she emanated a regal and inviolable aura, Scáthach was actually just sitting casually on her throne, supporting her head with her right hand, one leg crossed over the other as she lazily gazed at Vahn and muttered, "You don't seem all that impressed by my home...did you expect something grand like the Ivory Castle?"Not expecting the first thing out of Scáthach's mouth to pertain to her castle, Vahn found himself at a momentary loss for words. Then, forcing him to swallow any kind of excuse he might have come up with, Scáthach raised her hand, her momentum exploding out in an instant. As a result, Vahn was pushed back a few meters, enough to be sent flying from the keep if not for his surroundings having changed in a startling manner.A stark contrast to the rather homely throne room from before, Vahn now found himself in a vast chamber that was more than a hundred meters deep and thirty across. At the same time, his senses showed that the outside had changed into a veritable fortress, the previous tower now exceeding a hundred meters in height while the cliff upon which the castle was set increased to more than five hundred...Without needing to ask, Scáthach righted her position on her throne as she explained, "You, of all people, should know better than to base everything off first impressions...Welcome, Vahn Aldrnari Mason...to the Land of Shadows...my home."Though he had already sensed something was off, it was only after Scáthach's words that Vahn was able to realize what was 'different' about her. This caused his eyes to widen considerably, earning a rare smile from her as she nodded her head and stated, "It is as you suspect. Thanks to your efforts in summoning so many of my counterparts, I had little trouble performing the ritual to connect the Land of Shadows to the Surface World. What you see before you is no Spiritual Form...did you really think I would be content fighting against you with the limits of the Throne?"Hearing Scáthach's words, Vahn couldn't help but feel a tumultuous stirring inside his heart as, even now, he could still feel his connection with all seven versions of her. He couldn't understand how the 'real' her could coexist with the Heroic Spirit versions of herself but, considering who it was sitting across from him, Vahn didn't doubt her words. He honestly shouldn't have even been surprised as, even alone, Scáthach was capable of incomprehensible feats. With six of herself working in concert with each other, there were very few limits to what she could accomplish...Seeing Vahn quickly recover his composure, Scáthach gave a small nod and, though she wasn't particularly known for her exposition, explained, "You should know...I'm not like the other women you have surrounded yourself with. There are no great tragedies in my past and, while I did lose my father at a young age, that was normal during my lifetime. Rather, from your perspective, I should be considered an enemy...my past is not a secret to you...you know what I have done..."Though she was idolized as a great hero and an even greater teacher, the true history of Scáthach was a much darker tale. Much like how Cú's own story included events such as him killing his best friend, murdering hundreds, and even committing filicide; Scáthach's was marred with tragedies she had set in motion. She treated her children with such disregard that, even if they were brutally raped or killed, she wouldn't intervene or mourn them. While this might have been driven by her lack of emotions and the corruption of her [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground], it wasn't an exaggeration to say that, rather than a Hero, Scáthach had been one of the most wicked villains of the entire Ulster Cycle...Despite everything she had done, however, Vahn genuinely believed that Scáthach wasn't a terrible person. Her actions had been the result of her 'knowing' when, where, and how people were going to die. Though she could have tried to fight against fate, preventing tragedies and becoming a far greater Hero than recorded in history, this was all but impossible to accomplish. Even Merlin couldn't fight against fate as, by taking proactive measures to set certain events in motion, you became the very lynchpin of your reality. This was the same reason Zelretch rarely intervened in events and, for much the same reasons as Scáthach, showed disregard for virtually everyone around him...In essence, had she not 'known everything', Scáthach would have likely walked a very different path than the one she had been set upon for the last twenty-two-hundred-years. Though there was a very good chance she would have become a true villain, that was simply the nature of most Heroes at the end of the Age of Gods. During her era, people with power were expected to act as they pleased as, even if they were spoken about poorly, fame gave people actual power. Most Heroes had committed a few atrocities during their rise but, when it came down to it, they still distinguished themselves as Heroes by setting themselves against greater threats to the people...Had he entered the Nasuverse around the time of Scáthach's reign, it was all but guaranteed that they would have been enemies. In fact, Scáthach may very well have been his greatest enemy as, with how she treated her people, students, and even family, he wouldn't have been able to forgive her. Now, however, she was just a lonely woman who had suffered for several millennia in solitude, burdened with a power she had never desired. She had already paid a heavier price than most could even fathom and, while her training had been harsh, Scáthach had been one of his strongest pillars of support since entering the Nasuverse.With more than three years worth of experience dealing with his monstrous Shishou, Vahn knew she wasn't a bad person. Though she couldn't exactly be called good, she shared a lot of similarities with various Goddesses and, with her [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] serving as a powerful curse, this wasn't all that surprising. Thus, rather than treat her as a human, Vahn looked at Scáthach in the same way he would view a Goddess of Death and Slaughter. Yes, she had done many terrible things but, looking back on his own past, especially the past few months, Vahn knew he couldn't really be considered a paragon of virtue.With all of this in mind, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head in response to Scáthach's claim about being different from his other women. This caused her to give him a curious look but, before she was able to inquire, he preempted her by stating, "The past doesn't matter in the slightest. The woman I have come to know over the last three years is someone that I, and everyone else in the Empire, can rely on. You have helped to shape me into the man I am today and, while you may resent me for it, I know I have left an impression on you as well...you are not the cold woman your Innates have forced everyone, even yourself, to believe..."Hearing Vahn's words, Scáthach issued a rare laugh, her deep voice sending shivers along his spine as she rose to her feet and stated, "You are right...feel proud, my foolish little disciple. In all my life, you are but one of three who have left an impression on my heart. Now, I will make you accept the responsibility your careless actions have wrought. Show me how far your greed and ambition can take you..."With her words trailing, Scáthach's calm and complacent demeanor instantly faded away and, before Vahn was able to answer in kind, he found himself on the receiving end of a cross-shaped red spear, it's surface glistening with runes as it attempted to pierce his heart...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The calm before the storm','Heroes are immortalized by those who survive them','An insatiable desire, a crimson spear...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he ended up crashing through the front doors of the castle's keep, Vahn had managed to block Scáthach's preliminary attack with his transformed palm. He had reached the point where he could activate his [Rakshasa Body] without even having to think about it, allowing him to transition between offense and defense in an instant.As Scáthach had disappeared from her previous location after throwing the spear, Vahn twisted his head to the side while grabbing the spear with his right hand, seizing control over it as he swiped in a wide arc to the right. He found his attack blocked by a short spear in Scáthach's own right hand as a second grazed past the artery in his neck. She as able to immediately change the trajectory of the attack with minimal effort but, by transforming only the right half of his body into his Zhuque form, Vahn was able to create an eruption of vermillion flames that accelerated him outside of the attack's trajectory, burning Scáthach's dress in the progress.Without even flinching, Scáthach tore through his vermillion flames with incredible momentum, a series of five spears dancing around her, seemingly of their own volition. They even instantly moved to pierce the Elemental Stars he had sent out to deter her pursuit, a vain effort to buy enough time to better ascertain his surroundings.Vahn knew that the Land of Shadows couldn't be a simple place and, as it's Queen, Scáthach was undoubtedly able to make use of various abilities related to it. If he ignored their surroundings and just focused on her, it was all but guaranteed to come back to bite him. After all, this was a land of the dead, a place where Ghosts and several types of Spirits freely roamed. Since one of the main aspects of her legend included escorting warriors into her domain, Vahn needed to move the fight away from any foreboding buildings or structures.Though she was able to see through Vahn's intentions without much difficulty, Scáthach had always found it exceptionally difficult to keep him pinned down. She could easily overwhelm him whenever they traded blows but, due to the nature of Vahn's body and the manifestation of his power, it was all but impossible to keep him in one spot without dealing critical damage to his mind and spirit.In an effort to keep him grounded, Scáthach extended her hand forward, sending her spears cutting through the air before piercing into the void behind him. This caused a large red pentagram to form and, in the next moment, Vahn found himself barreling towards the blackened wasteland below. It was as if he had been impacted by a gravitational 'hammer' and, like a nail, his penultimate fate saw him penetrate deep into the ground below.Understanding it would take a lot more to inflict any kind of meaningful damage to Vahn, Scáthach extended her hand to the sky, forming a massive spear that was more than 20m in length. Its tip was shaped like a vicious drillbit and, as if to capitalize on this peculiarity, it began to spin at high speeds, the energy radiating from its surface enough to distort the space around it. Then, with the sweep of her hand, the spear shot forward like a ray of violent red light, impacting the area where Vahn had been buried.For a brief moment after impact, there was an eerie silence that pervaded the entirety of the Land of Shadows. Then, like the light of first dawn, a hemisphere of pulsing red energy began to expand outward like a bubble. It was able to keep its surface tension by the energy rapidly swirling but, upon expanding to more than 300m in size, it erupted outward with extreme violence, tearing through the land and destroying a large section of her castle in an instant.Scáthach had never particularly cared about her estate so, after having decided to put her all into this battle, she would lay ruin to the entire Lad of Shadows if necessary. Vahn wanted to lay claim to her and, as this ran counter to her original death-seeking intentions, he would need to force her into submission. This was the only way to keep her at his side and, if he wasn't able to make good on his promise, Scáthach fully intended to keep him at her's instead...Never doubting that Vahn could survive the cataclysmic blow she had sent his way, Scáthach began to perform a rhythmic dance in mid-air, red energy swirling around her like a vortex. In response to her actions, space within the Land of Shadows began to distort and, from within the void above her, a massive tear appeared. From within, a blood-red meteor that seemed to writhe and pulse began to emerge, red lightning dancing across its surface as a soul-shaking shriek began to echo through the surroundings.Though she had escorted countless warriors to the Land of Shadows, Scáthach had also exiled all of the malicious and wicked individuals who lived their life without honor. She forcefully sealed them in an isolated section of the Land of Shadows, creating an amalgamation of flesh and malignant energy that was several tens of kilometers in diameter, screaming for release...When the smoke from Scáthach's cataclysmic attack finally faded, a Dragonoid entity that stood more than three meters tall could be seen hovering a few centimeters above the epicenter of a massive crater. Even Vahn's usually handsome visage had faded away, replaced by a vicious and judgmental expression, even if those weren't his actual emotions. To further lend to his monstrous appearance, he had done away with his wings, sprouting four additional limbs in their place, each set with a flaming sword that radiated so much heat that, even two kilometers away, amidst fierce and bone-chilling winds, Scáthach could feel it.With a rare smile on her face, Scáthach's dance came to an end, her scarlet tongue briefly tracing her lips as the malignant mass of flesh above her sprouted hundred of thousands of toothed mouths. In the next moment, with the consistency of heavy rain, beams of negative energy rained down upon the Land of Shadows, each beam corroding an area of several meters on contact.Before any of the 'rain' could reach him, Vahn's maw opened wide, revealing two rows of angular teeth. This caused an invisible bubble to surround him, deflecting away the beams of malignant red energy before expanding outward with phenomenal speed. Though Scáthach had tried to move beyond the effective range of the attack, she was surprised to find that even instantaneous action had proven too slow as, before she could even process what had happened, a mighty roar seemed to erupt from inside her mind as she was sent flying into the amalgamation of flesh above.Though Vahn's 'Dragon's Roar' was one of his most powerful attacks, especially in his transformed state, it was only the precursor to his actual attack. Immediately following the unstoppable pulse of energy, several layered acceleration gates appeared before his open maw which, from within, could be seen glowing with intense azure light. At the same time, his scales grew more vibrant while the three-pronged horns on his head began to curve slightly, a complex runic pattern expanding across their surface.Without realizing it himself, Vahn's Qīnglóng transformation had become slightly different than what he had grown accustomed to. It was likely related to his emotional state but, rather than a coating of azure scales, more than half of his body now glistened with resplendent gold. Even the lightning that danced across his body began to emulate this change but, with his focus entirely on Scáthach, Vahn hadn't noticed it at all.With his Dragon's Breath building up to a critical level, Vahn released it into the acceleration gates, each forcibly kept stable by a mass of Source Energy. As a result, his already devastating attack was elevated far beyond its normal destructive capacity, accelerating far beyond the speed of light. This caused the same pulse he had experienced in the past but, having anticipated it this time, an aura of pure Source Energy veiled his body, protecting himself and his cherished [Lævateinn]s.Though his breath was usually concentrated into a beam, the peculiarity of accelerating an attack beyond the speed of light caused it to radiate out in all directions, seemingly without limit. Even Vahn was taken aback by this as, immediately following his attack, 'everything' within view began to dissolve away into what Da Vinci referred to as Subatomic Ash. It was the completely spent state of magical energy and, with nothing to keep it stable, it broke apart until it was smaller than even a preon before ultimately becoming so small it couldn't be detected by even the most powerful of instruments.For several seconds after the release of his attack, Vahn's surroundings became nothing but a cloud of ash, swirling about in the massive void he had created. It was like being trapped in a vacuum and, for reasons he couldn't ascertain, even the surrounding atmosphere was unable to collapse in to fill the 300km void he had created. It wasn't until the cloud of absolute darkness finally faded away that the atmosphere finally tried to stabilize, collapsing in on itself with phenomenal destructive force as a result of the pressure differential.At the time, Vahn couldn't even fathom how much damage his attack had done but, from where he was hovering, even the closest surface seemed a vast distance away. It reminded him a lot of when he would float high above the planet and, though he had never thought to try, Vahn had the distinct impression he might even be able to destroy a planet at his current level. Though there were quite a number of Noble Phantasms that qualified as Anti-World Noble Phantasms, it had never occurred to him that he would reach anywhere near that level in his current state...Though he experienced a strange feeling of existential dread, Vahn was even more put off by the feeling of 'pride' that welled up inside him. Part of him wanted to roar out triumphantly but, as this wasn't the first time he had transformed into his Qīnglóng form, he managed to keep it restrained. Instead, he flew upwards toward the massive tear in the sky above, the only thing that had survived his amplified Dragon's Breath. As for the amalgamation of flesh within, it was now nowhere to be seen, much like Scáthach herself.Even if his attack was twice as strong, Vahn wouldn't have believed it if anyone told him his attack had been enough to actually kill his Shishou. Thus, despite her apparent absence, he remained as vigilant as his current state would allow, his [Lævateinn]s at the ready, crying out for a chance to do battle.What unnerved Vahn was that, even after several minutes had passed, Scáthach was nowhere to be seen. He could only watch in silence as the tear in space began to mend itself, appearing much like a blot of misty ink that slowly shrank until vanishing into nothingness. It was only after this that Vahn began to feel nervous as, knowing his Shishou, there was no way she would just remain idle for more than ten minutes.Beginning to feel a little panicky, Vahn stowed away his morose [Lævateinn]s and began scouring the area using his domain. He flew from one end of the massive crater to the next, searching for any signs of Scáthach, all while using [Enkidu] to forcibly reveal anything that might be hidden away in the void. There was always a chance that she was trying to lull him into a complacent state so, even after several hours had passed, Vahn hadn't dropped his guard as he continued his search for the woman he couldn't even rationalize killing...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '... .... .','.. ...','.- .-.. .. ...- .')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn couldn't be certain his handling of Mordred's situation was the best but, considering how fervently she threw herself into training, it was better than letting her spiral in negativity. Though it did cause some awkward tensions between them, especially when he was doing things like helping baptize her body in Source Energy, it wasn't that different from normal. Rather, Mordred seemed a lot happier than before so, while things would eventually come to a head in the future, Vahn decided not to worry about it too much.Fortunately, or perhaps not, he had far more pressing matters to attend as every version of Scáthach, sans the child-like form she used to attend the Clock Tower, had vanished. She had traversed back to her homeland and, though only a few days had passed in the real world, a massive stone castle now stood along the banks of Loch Eishort. This was the location of Dunscaith Castle, the place that had served as Scáthach's home prior to her disappearance into the Shadow Lands.Like all Heroic Spirits, Scáthach would be most powerful at the location where her legend had begun, so, when they next met, Vahn had little doubt she would be far stronger than he was used to. If the final challenge really was a battle to the death, the Isle of Skye, and even Scotland itself, may not be able to withstand their clash. Fortunately, he had Arcueid on his side as, even if he tried to use one of Da Vinci's modified [Space-Time Orbs], there were no guarantees it could withstand the strain of their all-out attacks.The only real preparations Vahn needed to make were mental as, after training under Scáthach for years, part of him 'expected' to lose. Though he wasn't lacking in confidence, there were times when Scáthach forced him onto the defensive and, despite his efforts to reverse the momentum, she was almost always able to overwhelm him. The only way around this was to remove his mental blocks as, if he truly went all out, even he didn't know the full extent of his power. All he really knew was that, if it came down to it, even Aoko and Arcueid, two Tier 5 being, might not be able to last more than a few hours against him...To prepare himself for the climactic battle, Vahn left Artoria and Gawain to deal with most official matters while Luvia and Bedivere worked together to arrange the upcoming ball. Though he kept to his normal schedule for a few days, Projection Time, he spent nearly three full days doing little more than meditating atop Leviathan. As a result, his mind slowly became completely devoid of thought as his existence itself seemed to blend into the surroundings. The only thing going through his mind was the subtle sounds of the [Mantra of Eternity], its words just as imperceptible to him as the day he had first obtained it.Even Sis didn't know how powerful the [Mantra of Eternity] was but, at the very least, it was graded as SSS-Rank, even within the Nasuverse. This indicated that, from the perspective of The Path, it was an existence at the very peak of Tier 5, likely even Tier 6. The fact he had obtained it 'randomly' in the past, when he most desired strength, indicated it was The Path's answer. If he focused on trying to master the [Mantra of Eternity], it was all but guaranteed he would reach the ridiculous amount of strength he needed. With that being the case, Vahn could even rationalize, as scary as it might be, there was even a chance it could be Tier 7.All Vahn really knew about the [Mantra of Eternity] was, when used, it made him feel 'greater' than his usual self. It was almost like he was expanding, becoming something far more than the person he currently was. If he gave himself to that feeling, Vahn had no doubt he would obtain something far beyond anything he currently possessed but, in exchange, there was a chance he would lose that which was more precious to him. Thus, for the time being, the [Mantra of Eternity] served as a means to rejuvenate his Spirit, rapidly replenish his Source Energy, and calm his mind.When Vahn finally opened his eyes, the 'bubble' that had formed in the atmosphere, creating a void nearly ten kilometers across, slowly dispersed. Vahn then sloughed off the layer of ice that covered his entire body, blinking a few times to remove the flakes sticking to his eyelashes. Then, before he went down to inform the others he would be departing, he lightly caressed the top of Leviathan's head, saying, "Thanks for the assist."In response to his words, Vahn felt a ripple pass through his shadow and, in the next moment, a soft voice answered, "You need not thank me...your growth is my reward. I look forward to seeing how far your efforts will take you."Hearing Leviathan's supportive words, Vahn issued a light chuckle before taking a few phantom-like steps and leaping off the side of the 30km long whale-like serpent that made its home high above the clouds. He could just teleport down but, after a long session of meditation, Vahn always had the desire to 'experience' the world. It was hard to describe just how comfortable he felt at times like this and, though it wouldn't last long, Vahn enjoyed the sense of 'oneness' with the world around him.By controlling his descent, Vahn was able to land soundlessly atop the ivory-white walls of his castle and, for a brief moment, he enjoyed simply gazing out over the peaceful island that was his home. It would take some effort but, one day, he would ensure everyone had the opportunity to experience this same kind of peace. Even if Karma and other factors ensured there was always conflict within the world, he would still make it a place where those who sought it, could find peace.With a natural smile spreading across his face, Vahn gave one last look at his surroundings before expanding his domain. As a result, his peaceful state was replaced with a phenomenal amount of information, to the point that Vahn was even aware of individual blades of grass, the composition of the dirt, and every insect crawling around inside of it. Despite this, it was a very different feeling than the 'oneness' he experienced during meditation as, rather than being just a part of something bigger than himself, he was now the 'center' of everything within the bounds of his domain.Sensing Artoria alongside Gray, Nero, and Rin, Vahn teleported just outside the room the occupied and, after lightly knocking, made his way inside. As per usual, Artoria, Gray, and Nero all rose to their feet but, having always been more casual regarding matters of propriety, Rin remained sitting with a cup of tea in her hands. Vahn didn't particularly mind this but, based on the wry smiles on Artoria's and Gray's faces, combined with Nero's 'curious' expression, he expected it wouldn't be long before the latter also dismissed with propriety.Though it would be nice to stay and chat for a while, Vahn didn't move from the threshold of the door as he plainly stated, "I will be going." in a calm tone. He didn't need to explain where, exactly, he would be going as, prior to his meditation, he had already discussed the matter, at length, with most of the girls. Thus, in response to his statement, Artoria released an almost inaudible sigh before adopting a supportive smile and saying, "Go. I will take care of the Empire while you are away. We will all be awaiting your triumphant return..."Vahn had already been smiling but, hearing Artoria's words, he couldn't help but reveal how happy her support made him, his smile widening until his eyes squinted slightly. Though she may not hold the central position in his heart, Artoria had been one of his life's greatest blessings. Just like in the Record of Danmachi, things would have been a lot different if he didn't have competent, powerful, and tolerant women at his side. With the exception of Fenrir, she had become the person he relied on the most in the Nasuverse and, knowing she would continue to support him far into the future, he nearly teared up on the spot.Seeing Vahn's unexpected reaction, all four girls were more than a little taken aback as, while he wasn't exactly lacking in expressiveness, it was rare to see Vahn appear 'vulnerable'. Since she had been the catalyst for his reaction, Artoria's supportive smile melted into a far more affectionate one as she glided over to his side and wrapped her arms around him. Their size difference made hugging while standing a little awkward but, much like how it would during combat, her body had moved on its own...---After finally parting ways with his infinitely compassionate Empress, Vahn could feel his momentum begin to surge up in anticipation for what was to come. His calm was slowly leaking away and, after a much longer embrace than was necessary, it felt like his Spirit had been supercharged with positive emotions.By the time he reached the garden, where Arcueid was tending to the flowers alongside a group of adorable Companions, Vahn had regained his usual, confident, smile. This caused Arcueid to greet him with one of her own and, after lightly patting each of the helpful Companions, she rose to her feet and quickly alighted to his side. Since his presence at this time could only mean one thing, she gingerly placed her palm over his chest, asking, "Is it time?"In response to her question, Vahn took her hand into his own, nodding his head as he answered, "I'll be counting on you."Hearing the 'magical words', Arcueid's smile became even more vibrant as she tip-toed and planted a delicate kiss on his lips in response. Then, her sapphire-blue eyes putting to shame even the most beautiful gemstones, she happily replied, "You can always count on me~", before giggling and stealing another kiss as her reward.If it wouldn't undo all the preparations he had made, Vahn would have whisked Arcueid away to give her a 'real' reward. She always behaved in a way that made him want to relax and spend more time with her but, with Scáthach already waiting a few days for his arrival, Vahn felt a strong compulsion to seek her out. He didn't want to be seen as a coward in the eyes of his Shishou and, knowing she would be able to ascertain what he had invested his prep time on, Vahn elected to remain focused.Fortunately, though she could be quite 'greedy' at times, Arcueid already knew Vahn's intentions so she didn't do anything to rile him up further. She had learned quite a bit from her sisters in the Inner Sanctum so, if she really wanted to, it wouldn't be that difficult to egg him on. The main lesson she had learned, however, was to do her best to support Vahn as, when it really came down to it, there was little he wouldn't do to support them. Thus, even if her body always felt like it was on fire when they were together, she settled by just nestling into his embrace for a few moments, knowing there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to spend time with him for a few days.When Arcueid was finally done 'recharging', Vahn kissed the top of her head before pulling her along as he said, "We'll fly to the Isle of Skye. I want to feel the cold wind against my face and body before facing off against my Shishou. There is always a chance something unexpected will occur so make sure you stay on your toes, okay...?"Though she nodded her head in understanding, Arcueid wasted no time in clinging to Vahn's arm with a wide smile on her face. Flying through the sky was one of the things she enjoyed most so, to have Vahn to herself for even a few minutes longer, she was more than happy to accompany him...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eternity echoes throughout all of time and space...','Endless Blessings : Infinite Tolerance','Prelude to the climax...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1399: Perspective