Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it was customary to evaluate a new Gladiator's strength before arranging a match for them, Vahn's previous act of wreaking havoc had invalidated the need for such measures. He was actually quite hated among the staff of the Coliseum, so, while others would start off by facing off against a few magical creatures, his first opponent was a relatively famous Gladiator, someone who had been able to win 83 of their Hundred-Series matches.When Vahn first heard about his opponent, he resisted the urge to roll his eyes, ignoring the hateful looks he was receiving from the organizers as he prepared for the coming fight. It ultimately didn't matter how they tried to scheme against him; in the end, he was just here to familiarize himself with the restrictions of the Akamatsuverse. Something that forced him to discard propriety was bound to happen, as, with the popularity of the Coliseum, various Aristocrats and Nobles would be observing his matches.While waiting for his own match to begin, Vahn absentmindedly observed the other contenders that mulled around the waiting room. There were a total of twenty-three people of various races, ages, and genders. Most wore relatively simple clothing, consisting of matted trousers and tattered tunics. Only those who had proven themselves in the Arena were given the chance to obtain better quality clothing and equipment, forcing new Gladiators to fight with their bodies.Like the rest of the Gladiators, Vahn was wearing relatively plain clothes, but, a stark contrast to even the most well-equipped among them, his clothes were pristine and unblemished. This drew the eyes of nearly every person in the room, earning him a few hateful looks from the more prideful veterans in the group. Even then, they didn't try to make trouble, as, for reasons few people would be able to understand, Vahn gave off a natural and intimidating aura. If they could actually see why this was, it undoubtedly would have caused a few of them to laugh...Ever since he had arrived in the Akamatsuverse, Vahn seemed to have become a veritable magnet for Elemental Spirits. At the present moment, there were more than a hundred lingering around him, and, despite his constant efforts to remove them, a new batch would quickly replace those climbing on his body. He didn't really have the heart to 'scare' them away, so, with the most casual demeanor he could manage, Vahn simply pretended they didn't exist...When it finally came time for his match to begin, Vahn didn't even bother to remove the Elementals for his body when he rose to his feet. This caused some of them to release high pitched sounds, but, rather than fall 'normally', they would float to the ground like fallen leaves before bouncing after him with the larger group. It almost felt like he had become a mother duck, unable to shake off a literal hoard of multi-colored ducklings...---As the matches in the Coliseum were the most entertaining pastimes for most residents of the Hellas Empire, a lot of effort went into organizing the event and hyping up the crowd. There were hundreds of official brokers to handle bets, monstrously powerful barriers to protect the crowd, and, though they were exorbitantly expensive, large monitors that allowed those in the 'nosebleed' seats to see what was going on below.In an effort to hype up the crowd and keep people interested, special announcers and referees had also been prepared. In the past, these roles had been filled by famous Gladiators, but, due to a small shift in social dynamics, the most popular fight casters were beautiful women. Their voices carried a lot better over acoustics, and, with many casters competing for popularity, it had become normal to see a few of the bolder beauties show off a fair amount of skin.Aiming for the number one caster position, Urszula Padi Glowacka wasn't shy when it came to riling up the crowd. She was a rather petite Hellas woman with the same characteristic bronze skin, blonde hair, curved horns, and fur-covered ears as other Hellasian women. What allowed her to 'shine' were her tight leather shorts, the form-fitting top that hugged her voluminous chest, and the ornamental devil wings and tail that made her look like a succubus. She was also provided a harness that allowed her to fly around the Arena as she excitedly commented on the events taking place inside. This had made her rather popular among the fans, much to the chagrin of her competition.Hearing the explanation from the producers, Urszula began to hype the crowd up by performing a few acrobatic maneuvers as she exclaimed, "The next match is sure to be a special treat! Not only are we going to witness the debut of a new Gladiator, but his opponent is none other than the Blade of Darkness' Bane, Zeigrein Lesiak~! And...what's this!? I'm being told the new Gladiator is responsible for the tragic events of yesterday afternoon! Will we be witnessing another bloodbath, or will the Blade of Darkness' Bane enact justice on behalf of the tragic men and women who lost their lives in yesterday's attack!?"Though killing your opponent was supposed to be against the rules, a number of lives were lost in the Coliseum each day. There were no great penalities for 'accidentally' killing your opponent, so, at times, the organizers used stronger Gladiators to kill or cripple people that had offended them. This was generally frowned upon, causing an uproar whenever the truth was exposed, but few people did anything to try and change the broken system. All most citizens cared about was watching a bloody match and making money, allowing them to overlook such injustices entirely.Normally, a Fight Caster would never directly draw attention to the fact a match was one-sided, as it hurt the gambling odds, but the producers had made an exception this time around. They wanted to rile up the crowd and get them to hate Vahn. Not only had he killed Coliseum personnel, but he was also a 'vile human', an indiscriminate killer who had butchered more than fifty Demihumans without remorse. Rumors were already circulating about the previous incident, so they had spun it in a way that made their people the victims by turning it into a racial issue. They didn't even allow Urszula to mention his name, simply mentioning his crimes in an effort to make him seem more like a monster.When the crowd saw what appeared to be a human male in his late twenties enter into the Arena, they immediately erupted. Though it was against the rules, some people unhesitantly threw their concession items, causing a shower of partially eaten food to phase through the Arena's barrier. It wasn't impossible to create a barrier that blocked physical attacks, but most magical barriers were just that, barriers that blocked magic attacks. This allowed the closer audience members to try and pelt Vahn with food, but, without getting anywhere near him, everything thrown simply deviated to the sides...Vahn wasn't surprised by the amount of hatred directed toward him, but, seeing Elementals readily block the things thrown at him, he couldn't help but smile slightly. This, of course, earned him even more booing and jeering, but, as he had never particularly cared about the opinions of people who were swayed by the machinations of others, he ignored them. Instead, he focused on the other side of the Arena, observing the entrance of his opponent.Standing at 193cm tall, Ziegrein was a mountain of a man with dark skin, spiky black hair, two large canine ears, and a bushy tail that was covered in as many scars as his bare chest. He was a member of one of the various Beastman tribes, specifically the Black Wolf tribe indigenous to the forests of Elysium, the Continent to the West. Though they were typically on the smaller side, there were a few larger members of the tribe that were designated as Alphas due to their vastly superior speed and strength.Seeing the rather feral-looking man, Vahn looked towards his left ear, noticing more than half of the fluffy protrusion was missing. It always reminded him of the incident with Milan whenever he saw a damaged ear or tail, so he had to restrain a sigh as he looked towards the massive cleaver-like sword on the man's back, asking, "You don't think that is a bit excessive...?"Hearing his opponent speak, Ziegrien's eyes sharpened like daggers as he flashed his sharp canines and said, "It's perfect for slaying beasts and monsters..."Shaking his head, Vahn ignored the cheering Ziegrien's words had caused, holding out his hand with a wry smile on his face as he said, "Paw..."With his hair standing on end, Ziegrien didn't wait for the signal to begin, flexing his powerful legs to propel himself the 100m distance between him and Vahn in an instant. The sword on his back, which was more of a slab of jagged metal than anything else, created a tearing sound as it flashed through the air with surprising swiftness. Despite this, Vahn likened the attack to one performed by a weaker Einzbern Homunculi, meaning he was only around twenty times stronger than a normal human.Since it felt like he had literal seconds to block the attack, Vahn didn't immediately catch Ziegrien's blade out of the air. He noticed the Elementals got upset the moment the man unsheathed his blade and tried to attack, his killing intent riling them up quite a bit. As a result, without him needing to do anything at all, some of the Elementals fused together before blasting the unsuspecting swordsman with a barrage of fire, wind, and water elemental energy.Vahn knew his [True Friend of the Elements] would come in handy, but he never expected it would cause the Elements to proactively defend him. This gave him the idea of traveling to the nine sacred regions that were governed by Greater Elemental Spirits. For Mages and Knights specializing in one or two elements, they would make a pilgrimage to these locations in the hopes of learning from the true masters of said element. They were already on his list, but, seeing how readily the usually docile Elementals attacked Ziegrien, there could be a lot of merit to visiting them sooner...As his opponent hadn't so much as moved a single centimeter, Ziegrien couldn't help but retreat a few meters, starting at Vahn like he was an actual monster. Most Magi needed staves or special rings to be able to cast Magic, and, even then, they required the use of incantations, chants, or activation keys. Seeing someone use Magic without the use of a catalyst or a chant was unheard of, unless, of course, you were an Elementalist.Believing his opponent was hiding somehow hiding his contracted Spirits, Ziegrien released a bright blue magical aura from his body, a type of natural reinforcement magic that functioned similarly to [Mellodia Bellax]. It allowed him to greatly increase his speed, and, so long as his reserves held out, he would be able to resist weaker Magic attacks.Seeing his opponent release an aura, Vahn's eyes flickered with a golden light as he used his [Eyes of Truth] to determine just how strong Ziegrein had become. He could see the man's internal energy surging like a fire that had gasoline thrown onto it. This made him much stronger than before, but, due to his weak foundation, there was no way he could keep it up for more than a few minutes.Shaking his head, Vahn lifted his right hand, revealing a katana nobody had noticed him pulling out. He adopted a relatively casual stance, but, the moment he did so, Ziegrein literally jumped back like he was evading a lethal attack. His evasion was so swift that he nearly impacted the physical wall of the Arena, his eyes widening as his pupils rapidly expanded and contracted.Vahn was quite surprised by Ziegrein's reaction, causing him to issue a light hum before asking, "Is it the benefit of your enhanced instincts? I'm surprised someone at your level can sense the difference in our skill...it's no wonder you have lived until now."Though it looked like his opponent had countless openings, Ziegrein's instincts were screaming at him to run away. His fight or flight response was issuing a resounding call for flight, quickly quelling any thoughts he had of fighting back. Instead, he pressed his back flat against the wall, ignoring the protests of the crowd as he asked, "What...what are you...?"With his excitement almost completely drained, Vahn dropped his stance completely, looking toward the booing crowd as he answered, "I am Vahn Aldrnari Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor. You need not worry about forgetting it...from today onward, you'll be hearing it often..."Before Ziegrein could ask what Vahn was talking about, the latter pointed his katana toward the sky, silencing the entire crowd as he said, "Set alight the all-consuming flame, Laevateinn...!"From the moment Vahn released his Shikai, a heavy pressure spread nearly 10km in every direction from his position. His domain had more than doubled in size, its volume increasing by around ten times what it had been previously. As for his Base Power, it increased from 1,018 to 7,490, showing that power did, indeed, plateau. A Shikai was supposed to increase its user's power by around ten times, meaning he should have been at 10,180. Since the volume of his domain had increased, the only reasonable answer was that Base Power plateaued at certain points, something he would need to learn more about as he familiarized himself with the world...Now that he had everyone's undivided attention, Vahn let Laev-tan rest on his shoulder, smiling in a way that didn't quite reach his eyes as he stated in a voice that echoed from all of the monitors, "My purpose here is to seek absolution for my past actions, not perform for your entertainment. It is your own prerogative if you wish to observe my battles, but, if you deign to intervene in the future, do not blame me for taking matters into my own hands. You came here to witness battles and make money, not act like a mob of petulant children. This is the only warning I will afford you...do not forget it..."Though his words were enough to cow most people, Vahn wanted to deter those who believed they could do whatever they wanted just because they were in a crowd. He would mete out punishment to the organizers for rabblerousing, but, for now, his goal was to teach a lesson to the masses. Thus, with a strike most people couldn't even perceive, he brandished Laev-tan in a smooth arc. From the perspective of others, he went from standing confidently to having already completed his attack, a peculiar sight that almost made it seem as though the world had glitched.By the time their mental faculties began to catch up with them, the crowd could only stare in horror as a visible crack appeared on the barrier meant to protect them. Most had never even heard of such a phenomenon occurring, but, much like a fish tank that had been compromised, the crack spread in a jarring manner, accompanied by a soul-shaking sound. Then, like fragmented glass, the part of the barrier that had been closed to Vahn simply shattered into pieces...Ignoring the ache in his arm, Vahn gave a small nod of approval to himself before turning his gaze to Ziegrein and saying, "You are free to go. In the future, come see me about that left ear of yours. I can help you heal it. I can sense that you are a good person, so consider it my apology for breaking your winning streak."As if only just then remembering why he was in the Arena, a small amount of Ziegrein's willpower came back. His reason ultimately won out, however, causing him to nod his head in understanding as he picked up his previously discarded weapon and said, "I'll keep that in mind..." before quickly departing the Arena.After watching Ziegrein retreat, Vahn returned Laev-tan to her sealed state before looking up at the fight caster who, at this point, had fallen into the viewing stands. Her immediate reaction was to try and hide behind other members of the audience, but, realizing her intentions, everyone nearby had immediately moved away from her. This left her alone in a small void that had been opened in the previously packed audience, tears building up in corner of her eyes as she accepted her fate...Ignoring the urge to laugh, Vahn adopted a casual smile as he asked, "Are you going to announce my victory...?"Hearing the terrifying man's words, Urszula felt her body tense up, but, when her mind actually processed them, she opened her eyes, tilting her head to the side as she muttered a somewhat adorable, "Yes...?"Vahn felt this Fight Caster was a bit on the ditzy type, causing his smile to turn more sincere as he gave a small nod, stating, "Proceed. I don't want to hold up the other matches."As if given newfound purpose, energy returned to Urszula's body as she flittered up into the air, her voice a little higher than normal as she exclaimed, "A-And the victory goes to our newest Gladiator, the Sage Dragon Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason! Let's all give him a round of applause...!?"Despite the attempted fervor in Urszula's voice, most of the crowd was still recovering from having their bodies and minds pressured by Vahn's aura. He had held back considerably, as he might have accidentally killed someone otherwise, but they were still slow to recover. Those closest to the exits had come to their senses a little faster than most, but, due to their uncooperative limbs, they hadn't been able to flee very far.Without waiting for anything like applause, Vahn gave an approving nod towards Urszula before turning around and departing the Arena. It wasn't until he had completely vanished that the majority of people began returning to their senses, but, even then, they weren't quite sure what, exactly, had happened. It almost felt like a nightmare, one that left behind a partially shattered barrier that, even now, continued to crackle...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Elementals: "It's a race to the top...!" *scales Vahn like a mountain*','The curse of 'perfect' memory (o_o)...','Vahn isn't laying low very well xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Knocking out two civil officials would normally earn him additional sentencing, but, considering the Commander of the Imperial Guard had placed his hand upon his sword, Vahn had ample justification to act. It was also a simple truth that, instead of treating him like a dignitary, which required proper usage of his title, they were still looking down on him. This didn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but, if someone looked down on him, Vahn wouldn't hesitate to return the favor...With his arms bound in magical shackles, Vahn allowed himself to be escorted to a docking station on the west side of the Palace. Here, hundreds of fish-like airships, literally known as Airfish, could be seen lined up within maintenance hangars. These were crafts generally used by the Imperial Guard to respond to threats outside the city, but they were also used to simply move from the Palace to other areas of the Capital. Airfish were one of the most common forms of long-distance transport in the entire Magical World, with larger vessels even being known as Air Whales.Seeing the unique crafts up close, Vahn imagined Da Vinci and Sophia would both appreciate their structure quite a bit. It was interesting to see so many different types of Airfish, some modeled like sharks and minnows while others, for reasons he could only speculate on, even had the appearance of clownfish and tuna. This lent a certain novelty to the Airfish, and, under the right conditions, the presence of a large number of Airfish could make the sky seem like a vast ocean...Since the Imperial Palace towered over the rest of Alpheus like a veritable mountain, the easiest way to depart the massive structure was by using an Airfish. There were physical gates and passages you could pass through, but, as that would take literally hours, it was rare to see anyone but members of the Imperial Guard wandering about the base of the Imperial Palace. This was, of course, by design, allowing the members of the Imperial Family and the upper echelons of the Nobility to basically live a separate existence from the plebian masses.Vahn didn't disagree with the principle of distancing yourself from those you ruled over, but, as the line of thinking of most 'Nobles' was to elevate themselves above others, he found mountain-sized Imperial Palace excessive. If you intended to directly rule someone, you should live among them and try to understand their needs. Lowering your subjects just so you could elevate yourself further only resulted in the development of negative sentiments and the propagation of corruption. This allowed criminal organizations to run rampant behind the scenes, sowing the seeds for future rebellions and the forceful change of power.Were it not for the existence of Vrixho Nagasha limiting the line of succession to a single heir, there is a chance the Hellas Empire would have fallen long ago. Any nation that relied on slavery and the existence of public distractions to ensure order had already undermined their foundation. It was for this reason, that, during the Great Magic War, nearly every member of the Imperial Family was wiped out. The only surviving members were the Emperor himself and the Third Imperial Princess, the latter surviving only as a result of the actions of Ala Rubra.Repressing a sigh, Vahn looked out over the admittedly beautiful Capital City, noticing everything was surprisingly well maintained. Though there were a few examples of high technology, most used magical energy as a power source. Littering was also treated as a rather serious offense, and, if you were found piling up waste or disposing of things improperly, you would quickly find yourself in a prison cell or serving time as a Gladiator.Due to the prevalence of Spirits, every nation placed a heavy emphasis on ensuring the environment was properly cared for. Upsetting the Spirits could, quite literally, lead to the death of a nation, as, in the most extreme cases, annoyed Earth Elementals would simply move to a more pleasant area. This would result in widespread famine, as, without a proper balance in the Elemental Spirits, producing staple foods was impossible. The land would quickly become a wasteland, encouraging even more Spirits to simply leave the area in search of better prospects.If he were being honest, Vahn found this type of system rather endearing as he hated the idea of destroying the environment for things like profit. Here, unless you made a contract and came to an agreement with the local Spirits, mining was virtually impossible. While it was a simple matter to try and collect small amounts of ore, setting up a large-scale operation would literally result in massive earthquakes and cave-ins. The Spirits did not tolerate arbitrary destruction of the environment, and, based on the number of ruins present throughout Mundus Magicus, it was obvious some countries had learned this the hard way...---After around twenty minutes of flight time, the result of strict limitations on the speed Airfish could travel in residential areas, Vahn saw a massive Coliseum that was nearly 800m in diameter, roughly four times the size of the famous Roman Coliseum. It also had magical defenses that rivaled those present within the Imperial Palace, with the Arena itself having exceptionally powerful barriers. Vahn even felt as though his most powerful attack might not be able to penetrate these barriers, at least in his base state.Generally speaking, Airfish were only allowed to land in designated areas known as Fishports, but, as a vessel belonging to the Imperial Guards, the one carrying Vahn was able to land near a specialized docking station that was reserved from the exact purpose of turning over prisoners. There were even different processing areas depending on the severity of a person's crimes, the most notable of which including stripping people bare of their possessions and placing slave collars around their necks...Vahn hadn't expected it to be a pretty sight, but, seeing children wearing little more than rags as they were forced through the processing line and issued shackles and a collar wasn't pleasant. The systematic nature of the entire process left a bad taste in his mouth, starting with the newly arrived 'Gladiators' being stripped down completely naked. They were then doused in cold water for several seconds before being forced to stand in a long queue, bodies shivering as they awaited their turn to receive new garments...Any excitement Vahn had about the Magical World quickly evaporated when he saw such scenes. He knew many of the children were orphans who sought to become Gladiators in order to improve their living conditions. They were much like the Supporters in the Record of Danmachi, innocents who had been forced into their situations as a result of events outside of their control. Now, due to the failure of the ruling class, they had to put their lives on the line just to avoid starvation...With his smile nowhere to be seen, Vahn began emanating a terrifying aura that caused everyone in his immediate surroundings to tense up. There were few things he hated more than seeing children exploited by the very society meant to protect them, especially when the Imperial Palace was filled to the brim with artifacts that displayed their vast wealth. It almost felt like they were more focused on simply displaying their wealth to other members of high society than actually using it to ensure the prosperity of their people...Feeling someone tug at the chains connected to his shackles, Vahn's instinctually jerked his arms in response, sending the foolhardy member of the Imperial Guard flying several meters. This caused the other members of the Imperial Guard to draw their weapons as Jagoda, sensing things had gone south, attempted to defuse the situation by shouting, "Stay your arms! You do not have the order to attack...!"While Jagoda was attempting to get control of the situation, Vahn broke free from his shackles in an instant, his body vanishing like a phantom. Before anyone sensed his new location, a crashing sound could be heard echoing through the area, following by a pained groan. When they turned towards the direction of the sound, they could see a rather fat man wearing an outfit formed from the hide of various animals. He had a pig-like face, an eye patch covering his left eye, and a large whip that was visibly stained with blood still clutched in his hands.Recognizing the man as one of the Coliseum's Quartermasters, a position given to those meant to assign quarters, rations, and clothes to new arrivals, Jagoda quickly realized the reason for Vahn's actions. She turned her eyes towards the group of provisional Gladiators, a group that would need to train for a few years before officially fighting in the Coliseum. There, a young Cat Beastman could be seen curled up on the ground, a rather vicious whip mark along her exposed flank. She had tried to refuse to have a collar placed around her neck, resulting in the Quartermaster punishing her for stepping out of line...Before Jagoda had fully processed the situation, the Quartermaster embedded into the wall became completely limp, the bloodied whip falling from his hands. Around the same time, another crashing sound resonated through the area, this time the result of a sadist-looking Dragonfolk being thrown with enough force that he crashed through one of the large holding cells, his body separating into several distinct pieces due to the reinforced cell bars.As could be expected, things quickly became chaotic once two people were killed in roughly the time it took to take a single deep breath. Those that didn't truly want to become Gladiators felt emboldened enough to make a break for it while those who felt they didn't have a choice just curled into balls, hands covering their heads to show they were resisting. They didn't know what was going on, but, after experiencing numerous hardships, they lacked the will to fight against the Enforcers of the Coliseum.Like an unstoppable tempest, Vahn's figure could be seen appearing and disappearing around the processing area. Those who were notorious for their mistreatment of slaves were met with gruesome ends while those who were simply doing their job only suffered light injuries. It was like watching a one-sided slaughter, as, due to the ferocity and swiftness of Vahn's attacks, many of the workers had yet to even realize what was happening. Some even tried to appeal to the group of Imperial Guards nearby, but, fearing things would only get further out of hand, Jagoda ordered her men to capture the escaping prisoners without interfering in the onslaught. This ultimately resulted in her own men being spared Vahn's fury, albeit at the cost of the Imperial Guard's prestige...---After effectively killing or crippling more than half of the Coliseum personnel tasked with handling incoming Gladiators, Vahn appeared in front of Jagoda with a deadpan expression on his face. This caused her body to tense up, but, remembering the displays of power he had shown, she managed to avoid drawing her weapon, muttering, "Regardless of the circumstances, this incident amounts to a case of mass murder..."Shaking his head, Vahn rebuffed Jagoda's statement, saying, "This was justice. Do not pin the failings of your system on me, Madame Magistrate. I am well aware of your penal code, specifically the areas that define the treatment of slaves and Gladitorial potentiates. I need not tell you this is a disgusting violation of your own Empire's own laws, yet, based on how casually the Coliseum's personnel went about their business, even in the presence of Imperial Guards, it is clear this is the 'norm'. You expect me to obey your laws when you only selectively enforce them? Preposterous."Vahn had fully intended to just go with the flow, but, after seeing a grown man smiling sadistically as he whipped a literal child, he completely lost interest in laying low. Those who allowed him to act in such a way shouldered the same sin, so, from his perspective, the Imperial Guard had no ground to stand on. The only thing that prevented him from rampaging further was the fact that, despite their gross incompetence, most members of the Imperial Guard had lighter auras. Jagoda's, in particular, had been a muted blue with bands of gold, indicating she was a calm, rational, and fairly righteous individual...Understanding the truth contained within Vahn's words, Jagoda could only clench her right fist as she made a mental note to punish Deputy Magistrate charged with ensuring the Coliseum properly followed Imperial Law. She would also need to talk with the Imperial Guards tasked with maintaining order around the Coliseum, as, much like Vahn had pointed out, the behavior of the Quartermaster was entirely out of line. The problem was, even if that were the case, Vahn had no right to impose his form of justice onto them. His actions violated both the Spirit and Letter of the Law, accruing nearly a hundred felony offenses in less than five minutes...Ignoring the venomous look Jagoda was giving him, Vahn passed his gaze over the Imperial Guards as he added, "If you are unwilling to fulfill your obligation, do not blame me for taking matters into my own hands. If you wish to label me as a criminal, feel free to do so. I have never cared about the opinion of hypocrites who only mete out justice when it is convenient. Now, this is the last chance I will be affording you...if you continue showing me such disgusting sights, you only have yourselves to blame for the outcome..."Causing a few members of the Imperial Guard to take a step back, Vahn extended his hands so that new bindings could be put into place. He had already stated he was willing to accept punishment for the laws he had violated, but, during his first meet with Jagoda, he also promised that he would only take action when his bottom line was touched. This remained the case, so, unless they tried to force even more crimes onto him, ignoring the fact he was taking action as a result of their negligence, he still intended to serve time in the Coliseum.Seeing Vahn's outstretched hands, Jagoda resisted the urge to remark how pointless it was to bind him when he just kept breaking them. Instead, she snatched a pair of shackles from one of the shell-shocked Imperial Guards, clasping them around Vahn's wrists before personally escorting him to the area reserved for processing prisoners with high social status. It actually wasn't that uncommon for public officials to end up serving time in the Coliseum, so, for a variety of reasons, their processing and treatment was exponentially better than normal Slaves and Gladiators.At this point, Jagoda just wanted to be rid of Vahn, leaving him for someone else to deal with. She felt like he was a calamity that had befallen the Empire, but, much like Jack, it didn't seem like there was anything they could do about him. She would need to further discuss this with the Emperor and other public officials as her instincts told her this wasn't even the tip of the iceberg when it came to the trouble Vahn would bring them...---While Vahn was causing headaches in the Hellas Empire, four figures had only recently arrived in one of the eleven Gateports that connected Mundus Magicus to Mundus Ventus, the Old World. Among them, a youth with somewhat spiky and untamed red hair could be seen looking around, his muted brown eyes glimmering with excitement. Behind him, a bespectacled man with raven black hair that was styled back in a way to make him appear more youthful, couldn't help but release a sigh as he said, "Nagi, I thought I told you not to go running around...you're behaving like a country bumpkin entering a large city for the first time..."Hearing the older man's complaint, the youth, Nagi Springfield, just laughed in a carefree manner before saying, "Come on, Mr. Konoe, give me a break! This is my first time in the Magical World! THE Magical World! How could I not be excited!? I can't wait to meet powerful opponents and explore all kinds of hidden regions! I also want to try riding, no, taming a Dragon...!"Unable to keep up with Nagi's fervor, Mr. Konoe, full name Eishun Konoe, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe away his sweat, issuing a dry laugh in response. As for his other two companions, the one with delicate features and pale purple hair just smiled as he softly stated, "Go easy on him, Eishun. To Nagi, this is a mystical land that had filled his dreams for years. Allow the boy to spread his wings."Following up with what the purple-haired man said, the youngest-looking of the four, appearing even younger than the twelve-year-old Nagi, added, "Sanders is right. Besides, if you try and keep that birdbrain restrained, he'll just peck at you until you let him go. This is an opportunity for him to grow much stronger, so don't get in his way. I only allowed you to come on this trip because of that old man of yours. If you interfere in my student's growth, I'll deport you back to the Old World."Turning his head to the fair-skinned youth with spikey white hair and amber eyes, Eishun adopted a slight frown on his face as he said, "Hey, he is my student as well. Don't try and steal credit for all of Nagi's progress. Besides, where do you get off calling other people old? Aren't you like six-hundred years old or something...?"Hearing Eishun's remark, the youth, appearing no older than ten, just waved his hand in a dismissive manner, remarking, "Don't you know? Youth is all about spirit! Even if I were ten times older, I'd still be young at heart! Besides, if we're talking about-"Before the youth could finish, the purple-haired man, true name Albireo Imma, squinted his eyes as a rather dangerous smile replaced his previously 'harmless' expression. Then, in an icy tone, he mused, "Oh? Don't mind me, 'Young Master' Zect. Please, do go on~."Despite being the 'strongest' in the group, the youth, known as Filius Zect, elected not to finish his statement, issuing a wry laugh before running over to his disciple's side. He had fought against Al a few times in the past, and, though he had 'won' each of their bouts, he hadn't so much as caused the purple-haired monster to sweat. Their battles always ended up with Al simply 'giving up', seeming none the worse for wear while all his opponents were left struggling for air. He was a true monster, and, even after trying to ascertain Al's true identity, Zect had only discovered an unfathomably deep mystery that seemed to trace back to the very origins of Magic itself...Seeing Zect run off to engage in mischief with their shared disciple, a smile spread across Al's face as he mused, "Muuuu...and I was really curious, as well. Tell me, Eishun, do you have any idea what Zect was trying to say~?"Hearing Al address him, Eishun noticed the amount of sweat on his brow increase exponentially as he released a dry laugh and answered, "I have absolutely no idea...hahaha..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Spirits don't mess around','The Hellas Empire is so fucked xD...','The greatest mystery in the entire Akamatsuverse is the true identity of Colonel Sanders o_o...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1535: Disparity : Undercurrents