Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it hadn't been his original intention, none of the Inner Sanctum's residents were surprised when Vahn expressed his desire to restructure Olympus. Rather, they seemed to have anticipated it, Da Vinci even going so far as to prepare an administrative system to help govern in his stead. There had never been a doubt in her mind that his busy-body nature wouldn't come into play. Thus, with a vested interest in the technology of Olympus, she had prepared numerous measures to ensure order and stability returned to the devastated region.In the end, Vahn became the new ruler of Mount Olympus, even if it was in name and title alone. The actual governance was left to the system designed by Da Vinci, leaving the Gods acting as little more than guarantors. This left Goddesses like Athena relatively bitter, but, after losing against every main combatant within the Empire, Vahn included, she stopped causing trouble. As for Hestia and Hecate, the former turned out to be more eccentric than expected while the latter, after a reunion with Circe and Medea, became surprisingly agreeable. She still pestered him like an In-Law, but it was nothing compared to the expectations he had built up after their first meeting...With Olympus serving as the prime example, Vahn's intentions shifted from arbitrarily killing Gods to negotiating with them. He was already well aware of the fact that most Gods weren't actually evil, so, with the exception of Gods who were known to mistreat other races, Vahn wasn't unwilling to reach a compromise. Most Gods would give way to a higher authority, and, with Gaia, Alaya, Tiamat, and Amaterasu on his side, it didn't take much to 'convince' them to either obey or stay within their own Textures.Regardless of whether or not they chose to obey the Common Law or remain in their own Textures, Vahn forced every God to sign a binding contract, not with him, but with Gaia. Their Divine Authority was 'borrowed' from her, so, if they ever went against the terms they had agreed upon, their powers would be stripped from them. As for the few Solar Deities that remained, they were either freed from their prison, subsumed by Amaterasu, or sealed away with the Textures they had become fond of...When everything was said and done, more than three years had passed on the Surface, equating to more than twenty within the Projection. A lot had changed in this period of time, including most of Vahn's children growing into teens that spent most of their time outside the Projection. The only real exception to this was Sophia, as, after attending school for a single day, she completely lost interest in even trying to associate with her 'peers'. As a result, she had grown into a beautiful young woman who could give Da Vinci, Isanna, and Naavi a run for their money.In this same time period, a number of changes in the interpersonal relationships between the Inner Sanctum's residents had occurred. The most noteworthy change was brought about by the maturity and subsequent 'graduation' of the Designer Babies. Vahn had even officially knighted Sakura, Mash, Astrid, and Zoe once they graduated from the Clock Tower and passed their Knight Selection Trial. As for Alex, he decided to follow in Siegfried's footsteps, becoming a wanderer who helped everyone he came across. This resulted in him gradually becoming the youngest member of the Designer Babies, allowing even Juliet, a proud Maid of the Inner Sanctum, to surpass him.As could be expected, the Knighting of Sakura and Mash had some rather immediate consequences. This included accepting Mash's feelings, and, after several hours of tense silence, granting Galahad permission to marry Sakura. With this, the former happily became a permanent member of the Inner Sanctum whilst Sakura, as if to drive a stake into Vahn's bleeding heart, ended up getting pregnant less than two months after her honeymoon.Though he was well over two-hundred years old at the time, Vahn felt more nervous about being a grandfather than being a father. There was something about seeing his daughter going through the stages of pregnancy that worried him to no end. As a result, he took his frustrations out on Galahad, forcing the reserved Knight to tolerate his grievances until Sakura intervened, lecturing him quite a bit in the process. After that, Vahn could only complain to Rin, who, unlike him, seemed to take the matter in stride...Despite his misgivings, Vahn dutifully delivered his grandson once Sakura was ready to give birth. It was a relatively awkward affair, but, with Sakura herself asking that he perform the procedure, it was impossible for him to refuse. Afterward, though he never actually hated Galahad, Vahn suddenly felt like the man had become a part of his family. Seeing him on the verge of tears as he and Sakura held their firstborn son made it impossible to have any hard feelings toward him. Rather, if it came down to it, Vahn had no doubt in his mind that Galahad would sacrifice everything to protect his daughter, making him more than worthy as both a husband and father...Following the birth of his grandson, Ren Aldrnari Mason, meaning 'lotus', only Artoria remained with child. This concerned many of the Inner Sanctum's residents, but, knowing it wasn't even considered 'long' from the perspective of a True Dragon, Vahn wasn't too worried. The only thing preventing the little hatchling from being born was the fact that Artoria enjoyed being pregnant. She felt no need to force the matter, either, so, whenever someone brought it up, she would simply laugh it off.Using his ability to read the Flow of Fate, Vahn knew that Artoria's pregnancy, on average, would last around one-hundred years. He could, of course, speed up the process considerably, but, after seeing Artoria lying lazily on the sofa, affectionately stroking her belly, any desire he had to force the matter had evaporated. Instead, he would often join her, gently embracing her from behind as the lay lazily on the sofa for hours at a time...---With a stern expression on his face, Vahn stared back at the woman, who, at this point, had become a carbon-copy of his Shishou. The only difference was, instead of wearing a purple bodysuit, she was attired in the regulation armor of the Imperial Knights. This always created a sense of incongruity in Vahn's heart, but, in spite of this, he wielded the yet-unnamed Asauchi in his hand, adopting a loose stance as he muttered, "Your move..."Without any visible hesitation, Scáthach's body became a blur of white, gold, and dark purple as she turned into a veritable tempest. Her spear, colored in a characteristic blood-red, created vibrant trails of light that cut off all paths of retreat. Some of the trails even altered causality, bending cause and effect to ensure the attack couldn't be dodged.Seeing the torrent of blows targetting each of his vital points, Vahn's pupils transitioned from their usual aquamarine to a vibrant gold for a brief moment. Time seemed to stagnate in response to this change, allowing him to see the always-interesting sight of Scáthach, her body twisted in multiple forms that were all melded together into a singular whole. Though she only wielded a single spear, her movements split into seven unique trajectories, each as real as the others...After admiring Scáthach's ever-impressive display of skill, Vahn's body began to move without him needing to direct it. In the time it took for his fist to make contact with her abdomen, he could have counted to more than a hundred, but, in actuality, not even a millisecond had passed. It was like the world had been frozen around him, allowing only his painfully slow movements to proceed without pause...Immediately after his fist made contact, Vahn felt as if time had sped up thousands of times in an instant. Most of Scáthach's attacks spontaneously ceased to exist, leaving only a single trail to swipe harmlessly next to his face as the woman in question was sent flying like a cannonball. This wasn't even remotely enough to take her out of the fight, however, leaving the hair on Vahn's neck tingling as a spatial tear appeared right behind him.With a quick twist of his head, Vahn managed to evade the sudden sneak attack, the edge of the spear nearly cresting the tip of his nose. At the exact same moment, Scáthach created a foothold in mid-air, using [Koku Shundo] to immediately close the distance as her previous spear erupted in an explosion of scarlet energy. She ignored the shockwave that impacted her body, attempting to plant her own palm against her Master's chest, but, like a mantis catching a cicada, Vahn's hand instantly moved to grasp her wrist.Once the fiery plume of energy faded away, Vahn was revealed to have an amused smile on his face. His hair was forced to the side in a rather comical fashion, but, as if it remembered the shape it was supposed to be in, it quickly fixed itself as he said, "You never cease to amaze me. Tell me, how have your matches with Mordred been going...?"After staring at where her Master was holding her wrist, a very light flush colored Scáthach's cheeks as she answered, "She has improved a lot, but I'm still leading with 2473 victories and zero losses..."Hearing Scáthach's answer, Vahn felt like he could hear Mordred crying out for justice in the back of his mind. He knew they had a bit of a one-sided rivalry between them, but, with Scáthach improving at a monstrous rate, it was very difficult to surpass her. Even without the [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground], she subconsciously remembered all of her skills and abilities. The only thing that prevented her from winning against him was the vast, almost insurmountable, difference in Parameters.Releasing Scáthach's wrist from his grasp, Vahn nearly chuckled when he saw her how disheartened her expression became. She had become rather fond of him over the years, and, though there was always a bit of distance between them, Vahn appreciated her quite a bit. At this point, the only thing preventing them from moving forward with their relationship was the inhibitions he had developed after the death of her 'original'. Even then, it would only take her expressing her intentions for him to finally relent...Though she was unaware of her Master's thoughts, Scáthach seemed to be building up her courage as she absentmindedly stared at his lips. She had received a lot of advice lately, but, knowing of the trouble her original self had caused, she was afraid he would ultimately refuse her. After that, there would be no way to heal their relationship, so, despite the assurance of others, she was afraid to give voice to her feelings...Due to the 'support' of others within the Inner Sanctum, Vahn and Scáthach often found themselves alone together during normal training hours. He had also been lectured quite a bit about pressuring the heart of a maiden, so, after seeing Scáthach gradually lower her eyes, Vahn released an internal sigh before asking, "How do you feel about me, Scáthach? And no, I don't mean as your Lord and Master...tell me truthfully how you feel..."To give her a little courage, Vahn gingerly traced his finger along Scáthach's chin, compelling her to look up at him as their faces became marginally closer together. This caused her eyes to gradually widen, and, after swallowing audibly, she answered, "I don't...know...all I know is that my heart hurts when we are apart...I want to be at your side...I want to be wanted..."While not exactly the words he was looking for, Vahn internally remarked ("Close enough...") as he slowly closed the remaining distance between their lips. It probably wasn't fair to think she actually knew what love was, as, even after thousands of years, her original wasn't able to figure it out. All she really knew was an instinctual desire to break free from the loneliness locked away deep within her subconscious. This was something he could grant her, so, without further ado, he decided to teach her what love was using his own methods...After a long, passionate, and surprisingly tame kiss, Vahn separated his lips from Scáthach, who, from the very beginning, had practically frozen in place as she instinctually reciprocated his kiss. He could tell she was forcibly restraining her own desires, allowing him to do everything in spite of the fact her body 'wanted' to respond more fervently.Understanding his responsibility, Vahn eyed the Asauchi in his right hand before splitting his body in two. This caused Scáthach's eyes to open even wider than before, her face turning completely scarlet as wayward thoughts began racing through her mind.Seeing his former Master-turned-Apprentice's reaction, Vahn struggled to restrain his laughter as he lightly pat himself on the shoulder and exited the training orb. He still had numerous uncertainties regarding the Asauchi, especially with nearly thirty-seven years passing, so Vahn was unwilling to let it separate from his 'main' body. As a result, he could only leave himself to deal with Scáthach, taking the Asauchi to play elsewhere...---After finding a place atop one of the Ivory Castle's Wizard Towers, Vahn gazed out over Avalon with a contented smile on his face. It was still the same peaceful and pristine land as before, but, with the passage of time, the overall population had eclipsed ten million. If you looked towards the direction of the port, it was now possible to find tens-of-thousands of aesthetically pleasing buildings, many combining the sensibilities of Japanese architecture with more futuristic designs.With his domain now stretching more than eighteen kilometers, Vahn could 'see' the myriad peoples of Avalon going about their daily lives with smiles on their faces. Humans weren't even the dominant population so it was possible to see Companions, Fae, and even Yokai walking around. They all lived in relative harmony with each other, rarely requiring direct intervention. Even then, it was usually just to settle a drunken dispute after a few colleagues had too much to drink.At this point, the first three phases of Vahn's plan were nearing, or at, completion. The only thing he was waiting for was the construction of the Supercolonies, but, with steadily rising support and rapid technological advancements, it wouldn't be long before they were completed. He had even used the Holy Grail created by Illya to deal with some growing issues, primarily things like disease and famine, so things were going exceptionally well, all things considered...With his smile gradually increasing, Vahn turned to the Asauchi laying across his lap, musing, "Now, if only I could get you to wake up...seriously, how long are you going to keep sleeping? Am I doing something wrong...?"Originally, six years was supposed to be the average for awakening a Zanpakutou Spirit, but, due to his usage of Marble Phantasms and Spirit Time Orbs, Vahn's age was nearing 250 years old. Now, it felt like a literal lifetime had passed since he forged the Asauchi, but, other than the occasional hum, it showed no signs of awakening. It was a truly troublesome matter, especially with a certain sakura-haired sword otaku constantly pestering him about forging another...In response to Vahn's musings, the Asauchi released a pleasant hum, which, in his ears, sounded like it was saying, "Don't rush me. I'll wake up when I'm good and ready!".Shaking his head, Vahn issued a dry laugh before pulling out an oil rag and meticulously polishing the Asauchi's blade. This caused it to release a steady and persistent hum, seemingly satisfied by the fact he was spoiling it.Though he would never vocalize it, Vahn was pretty sure his Zanpakutou had already awoken, but, as it was very spoiled, it pretended to remain asleep. He had no way to confirm this, however, so, rather than make a big deal out of it, he patiently awaited the day when its voice resonated in his ears. This process could probably be sped up if he faced a powerful opponent, but, with few enemies posing a legitimate threat to him, this was largely just speculation...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Galahad xD...','I feel a great disturbance...almost as if thousands of voices cried out, demanding justice...','TFW you spoil your Zanpakutou to the point it refuses to wake up...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

(A/N: Voting is finally enabled. The problem was apparently related to the fact Zoe's name uses a special character, even though it has been that way for months. Let's show the ranking we're not playing around &gt;:D!!)As time continued its perpetual march forward, Vahn's time was split between research, helping to babysit Ren, and, every now and then, going on small Adventures. There were quite a number of Textures with everything from floating islands to rivers that flowed and spiraled through the air. These were mystical lands filled with Phantasmal Species and all manner of unique races that had diverged from humanity millennia ago. This added a sense of wonderment that couldn't be found in something like the Virtual World, so, after dealing with the various 'rulers' of these Textures, the amount of traffic between them and the Surface world was gradually increasing.Previously, there were a number of powerful entities that had eagerly sought to return to the Surface. Even if they had massive Realm-like Textures to rule over, they didn't like that they were basically imprisoned on the Reverse Side. Thus, in an effort to convince the more apprehensive Gods and Goddesses, Vahn had allowed many of them to explore the Surface world for a short period of time. He also promised to create pathways between the Surface and the Reverse Side, removing the need for a chaotic merger between the myriad Textures.It would take a considerable amount of time to create a comprehensive network, but, so long as you had access to the transportation nexus, it was possible to traverse more than three-hundred different Textures. This number was gradually increasing at a rate of one gate every 2-3 days, so, by the end of the year, an additional 120 Textures would have been added, effectively converting Gaia into a pocket universe.Knowing how amazing Gaia was, Vahn would still get a little upset when he heard reports about a community violating the Common Law by trying to dump their waste into rivers or oceans. There were still a number of people who didn't think the Empire would enforce the more 'inconvenient' aspects of the Common Law, so, despite countless instances of people being punished, others, as if it was some inherent instinct, would readily pollute the environment.Fortunately, even with millions of people committing minor offenses, it was nothing compared to the amount of waste produced in the 'Modern Era'. Now, things like industrial factories no longer existed. Chemical and Nuclear plants had been effectively 'erased', and, with most vehicles being banned, the volume of emissions had decreased to a negligible amount. These factors, combined with the fact that Gaia had been receiving an ample amount of 'nourishment', all but guaranteed she would live on into perpetuity...---With a characteristically casual smile on his face, Vahn was enjoying the gentle rays of the sun as he absentmindedly observed a pleasant scene.A few meters away from his position, playing in the shallows of a pristine blue lake, Gaia, Spenta, Tiamat, and another white-haired beauty were all happily playing together. If former members of the Holy Church were to witness this scene, they would be unable to hide the shock on their face, not just because of the white-haired woman's identity, but because she was wearing a pure white one-piece swimsuit while happily playing with others...As if reacting to some unspoken cue, the young girl who had been sitting at his side, possessing similar features to the much older white-haired woman, mused, "You never cease to amaze me...I never would have thought that child would be able to find happiness. To see her happily playing with others... it's almost enough to make me think you had no ulterior motives..."Hearing the voice of the young girl, Aura, Vahn turned to meet her seemingly blind eyes, smiling as he said, "Everything people do for others is done with ulterior motives. Even if it is just to make someone else happy, there is always an underlying reason driving us to act. It doesn't matter what my original intentions were...Mavis is much happier apprenticing under Vivian than she ever was as the Supreme Pontiff of the Holy Church."Rather than refute Vahn's statement, Aura gave a small nod before returning a smile of her own and saying, "I suppose that is all that really matters. I have yet to see you try and exploit her gifts, so there isn't much I can say on the matter. I only hope that things can remain like this for a very long time...peace is often too fleeting..."Vahn was well aware of how quickly things could transition from peace to absolute chaos, so he couldn't help but nod in response to Aura's words. At the same time, however, he was gingerly poking Alaya's feline abdomen, earning a stink eye from her before she rolled over to protect her belly. This allowed him free access to her back, so, without any hesitation, Vahn began to caress her soft fur while staring at the invisible screen within his mind...-----------------------------------------------------------------[Quest: World Power]Rank: SSSCompletion Grade: SSObjective(s): Defeat a total of ten Dead Apostle Ancestors designated by the Holy Church:(13/10), Slay or subordinate Solon Yggdrasil, Director of the Mage's Association(1/1), Slay or subordinate Mavis Maxwell, Pontiff of the Holy Church(1/1), Slay or subordinate any weilder of True Magic:(1/1)Optional Objective(s): Purify the Crimson Moon Curse from Arcueid Brunestud:(1/1), Destroy the Enforcement Division of the Mage's Association:(8/8), Destroy the Burial Agency of the Holy Church:(5/8), Slay or subordinate one of the three Monarchal Lords associated with the Mage's Association:(1/1)Reward(s): 8,000,000,000OP, 1x[Heaven's Mandate], 1x[Seal of Heaven], 1x[Imperial Regalia], 1x[Crimson Moon Tiara], 3x[Anti-Origin Dagger], 1x[Sword of the Lord][Heaven's Mandate]Rank: UniqueUse: Upon activation, allows the user to make a contract with the current Ruler or Guardian of the world. If they are successful, all life within a specified dominion will become aware of their status as the designated Ruler of the World, granting them nigh-absolute Authority within the dominion they have been assigned.Restriction: Vahn Aldrnari Mason[Seal of Heaven]Rank: UniqueUse: Allows for a singular decree to be acknowledged by the World. This decree will become an absolute law within the dominion assigned to the user. Violation of said decree will result in the offender being punished by the World.Restriction: Heaven's Mandate must be in effect.[Imperial Regalia]Rank: UniqueUse: Allows the transfer of Authority granted by [Heaven's Mandate]. The wielder of this dagger is recognized as the designated Ruler of the World.Restriction(s): Heaven's Mandate must be in effect. This item can only be transferred willingly.[Crimson Moon Tiara]Rank: SSP.Def: 0M.Def: 2300Abilities: Blessing of the Crimson Moon(SS), Mind Enhancement(S), Mind Resistance(S), Indestructible(S)A beautiful silver tiara rumored to be cast from the light of the full moon. Greatly increases the wearer's mental clarity while providing an equal increase in mental resistances. When worn by its rightful owner, it increases all parameters by an amount corresponding to phases of the moon. It is most powerful on the night of the Full Moon, temporarily doubling the wearer's parameters for a brief period of time.Restriction(s): Arcueid Brunestud, Anyone with Yin-Elemental Affinity[Anti-Origin Dagger]Rank: UniqueUse: So long as the user knows the Origin of the target, this weapon has a high chance of causing instant death.[Sword of the Lord]Rank: UniqueUse: A ceremonial item used in succession rituals. After being soaked in a person's blood, the blade of this sword will glow with a mystical blue light. This effect can be triggered by all direct descendants, making it a viable method to determine familial ties during succession disputes.-----------------------------------------------------------------With Phase Four looming on the horizon, Vahn had been forced to decide whether or not he wanted to complete certain Quests. He obviously didn't care much about the one assigned to him by Akasha, but, when it came to Quests like [World Power], the benefits were too good to simply ignore. Unique items such as [Heaven's Mandate] were phenomenal unlocks, and, with a constantly fluctuating pool of OP, it was always better to have more.Though it would be difficult to achieve, Vahn wanted to stockpile around twenty-billion OP before leaving the Nasuverse. This could be achieved instantly if he completed his Main Quest: [Genesis Path: Dawn of Creation], but, as it felt like a waste to obtain a Divinity just as he was preparing to leave a Record, Vahn decided against it. He also wanted to try and complete each of the Optional Objectives, so, for the time being, he really only had [Gaia's Champion] and [Ruler of a Thousand Realms] for substantial OP gain.Since [Gaia's Champion] would be completed the moment he exited the Record, the only Quest Vahn could focus on was [Ruler of a Thousand Realms]. Even this didn't require him to do much, however, as the Main Objective was simply establishing a transportation network between the Surface World and the myriad Textures on the Reverse Side. It was only a matter of time until he completed it, rewarding him a substantial, yet deceptively small, 1,000,000,000OP. With [Gaia's Champion], this would only bring him to around fifteen-billion, so, if he wanted to meet his goal, Vahn still needed to earn five-billion Origin Points prior to his departure...Truthfully, five-billion OP wasn't actually that much in the grand scheme of things. He passively earned nearly a billion OP every year, so, if he decided to live frugally, Vahn would be able to stockpile plenty. He also had the option of simply grinding out a few Quests, allowing him to spend time with his children while exploring various worlds. There were no limits to the number of options available to him, leaving Vahn spoiled for choice.The only thing that dishearted him was the fact that, with the passage of time and the introduction of things like the Virtual World, Vahn had grown weary of Quests. While they were immeasurably useful, allowing him to grow exponentially stronger in the pursuit of his objectives, Vahn felt like they removed a bit of his individuality. He didn't like the feeling of acting according to Objectives as it almost made him feel like a machine.Shaking his head, Vahn decided to stop worrying about things he had full control over. He wasn't forced to accept Quests, and, if he really wanted to, he could completely ignore them. There was no sense in complaining about extra benefits, so, rather than create an issue out of nothing, Vahn decided to do something more productive...Ignoring the curious gaze from Aura, Vahn cradled Alaya in his arms as he rose to his feet. At the same time, he unequipped most of his clothing, leaving only a pair of shorts. This was enough to alert Alaya, her violet eyes 'glaring' at him accusingly as he returned a mischievous smile and lept through the air, shouting, "Cannonball~!" before splashing into the refreshingly cold water...---While one version of himself was off 'bullying' Alaya, Vahn's main body was seated on his Throne, patiently listening to reports about the various affairs of the Empire. This was the most boring part of his day, and, though he had gotten used to it, Vahn still felt it was somewhat tedious. If not for the fact there were more than a hundred people present, each following decorum to perfection, he might not be able to resist slouching while listening to Gawain drone on for more than half an hour. Fortunately, towards the end of his report, Gawain wrapped things up by saying, "We have received a missive from Admiral Drake. Her fleet encountered an ambush from a foreign Empire in the Blue Sky Texture. There were no casualties on our side, but Princess Mordred crashed her ship into one of the enemy airships..."As Vahn had just been thinking about joining Mordred and Nobunaga on their excursion into the Blue Sky Texture, he was pleasantly surprised to hear Gawain mention them. This brought a small smile to his face as he muttered, "That doesn't surprise me...Mordred has always been the type to fight her battles using more 'direct' methods..."Hearing their Emperor's words, the assembly, now consisting of a large number of Gods, Spirits, and Fae, dutifully laughed in response. They all knew how 'spirited' Mordred could be and this wasn't the first time reports of her exploits had reached the assembly.Since it was a good opportunity, Vahn gestured for silence before asking, "So, did Admiral Drake request for reinforcements? If so, I may intervene personally..."Shaking his head, Gawain adopted a slightly wry smile as he explained, "I'm afraid the second part of the missive includes a request that Your Imperial Majesty 'not' intervene. Admiral Drake, Vice-Amidral Nobunaga, and Princess Modred have expressed an interest in handling this matter themselves..."If not for the audience, Vahn felt as though he would have deflated like a balloon immediately after hearing Gawain's words. This was another reason why he harbored the desire to just travel freely in future Records, as, in the Nasuverse, his movements had become restricted. If he wanted to force the matter, he could do pretty much whatever he wanted, but, due to their desire to grow strong and support the Empire, he had to give everyone else a chance to spread their wings...Restraining a sigh, Vahn gave a curt nod before dismissing Gawain and asking, "Are there any other matters that require our attention? If not, we will move to the next phase of proceedings..."---While Vahn was tied down by his responsibilities as an Emperor, Nobunaga was at the helm of a massive airship that was more than three-hundred meters in length. It was a beautiful craft that borrowed various Japanese aesthetics in its design, including a tiered bridge that looked like a five-story Pagoda. As for the rest of the ship, the hull was predominately black while the railings and support structures were painted a rich crimson hue. The only other dominant color was gold, but this was primarily used to adorn the massive cannons that lined the port and starboard sides of the ship.Though it defied conventional laws of physics, Nobunaga's ship, the 'Sixth Heaven', was able to glide through the air with surprising grace. It required neither sails nor thrusters to keep it alight. Instead, it used an advanced system of gravitational anchors and graviton tethers to allow it to maneuver just as easily in the atmosphere as it could outside of it.Currently, Nobunaga had split off from the main fleet, taking advantage of the Sixth Heaven's size to draw the attention of their enemy, the Melchiore Empire. They were a rather tyrannical bunch that had conquered hundreds of floating islands within the Blue Sky Texture. This made them one of the most powerful forces in the unique Texture, as, unlike others, it lacked a pantheon of Gods to maintain order. Instead, it had a few powerful Divine and Elemental Spirits that were commonly worshipped as local deities. Some of these qualified as Tier 4 entities, but, due to a lack of Divine Authority, they were little more than pseudo-immortal beings with limited mastery over various Laws.After cresting around a mountain that was more than 8km tall and 23km wide, a vicious smile spread across Nobunaga's face as she pulled out a small gemstone and shouted, "Battle stations, on the double! I don't want to see a single person lazing about! If I find out anyone was slacking off, I'll plant a bullet so far up your colon you'll be tasting iron for the next six months...!"Following the rather crude command, hundreds of crew members, each wearing matching uniforms and accompanied by Companions, began their battle stations. There were a number of anti-air cannons and defensive batteries on the deck of the Sixth Heaven, so, even if they weren't operating one of the 128 main cannons, everyone had something to do. The only exception to this was the specialized boarding crew, the only group wearing armor amongst the entire crew.Leading the boarding crew, wearing a rather futuristic red mechanical suit that was designed to look like a sleek dragon, was none other than Mordred. After crashing her ship into one of the enemy vessels, both ships ended up 'sinking' into the endless abyss of clouds below. Fortunately, their uniforms were equipped with tracking beacons that allowed the crew to be teleported in the event of an emergency. She had been able to relocate her entire crew to the nearby Golden Hind before personally piloting her relatively small ship into the belly of her enemy. Since then, she had her Captain's license temporarily revoked, but, as it was infinitely more fun to lead the boarding party, Mordred didn't particularly mind...With the Sixth Heaven rapidly approaching a small fleet of enemy vessels, Mordred donned her helmet, completing her draconic look as she activated her comms and shouted, "Let's show these bastards who the skies really belong to! Onwards! For the glory of the Empire...!!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Heaven's Mandate OP','Vahn is beginning to develop Saitama syndrome','I kind of feel bad for the people who have to follow Mordred xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1523: Waves