Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though they were one of the Confederation's most powerful war assets, especially against foreign mages and Airfish, the Demon-God Soldiers were wholly unprepared to engage a Grandmaster Ki User and Swordsman. It didn't matter how big or durable they were, as, even at the Master level, it was possible for many swordsmen to cut through concepts such as 'Immortality' and 'Invincibility'.As a Grandmaster who had comprehended the duality of Infinity and Nothingness, Vahn's skill had reached a transcendental level even before his entry into the Akamatsuverse. It didn't matter what his actual Base Power was, as, unless they embodied a greater concept or possessed some abstract Innate, there was 'nothing' he couldn't cut through.Reacting to the Demon-God Soldier's attempt to grab him, Vahn simply contracted his wing, cutting it forward to 'slap' the colossal creature's fist aside. It had an absurd amount of forward momentum due to its size, but, as if time has been frozen, the 100m tall entity came to a complete stop as Vahn swung his Laev-tan in an unnaturally slow motion from its hip to shoulder.Though the phenomenon occurred almost instantaneously after the slash, anyone with heightened senses would have witnessed the Demon-God Soldier remaining stationary for 'several seconds' as Vahn casually stepped around it. It was only when he bent forward in preparation for his next target that a glowing red line spread across the former's body. Then, as its body began to slough into two distinct pieces, both halves began to corrode away under the influence of brackish-red flames.Without sparing the first Demon-God Soldier a glance, Vahn took what appeared to be a single step forward, his body flickering as he appeared directly beneath his target, his sword already raised in a striking motion. Then, similar to his previous attack, the claymore-like Laev-tan fell forward in a perfectly natural motion, almost as if it was being propelled by gravity alone.As they were far more advanced than their white counterparts, the second Demon-God Soldier did its best to try and defend against the sudden attack. It actually tried to catch the 33m long blade in between its massive palms, but, long before it brought its hands together, Vahn's sword was already pointing towards the ground. As a result, the colossal creature effectively gave itself a simple round of applause, accelerating the manifestation of the cutting line that perfectly bifurcated its body.Rather than move on to his next target, Vahn closed his wings with enough force to crack the icy surface of the lake as tempestuous wings sent the massive creature tumbling backward. It hadn't actually died from his first blow, so, before he finished it off, Vahn wanted to see what else it was capable of.Though its body had been cut in half, the wound had been so precise that the regeneration of the black Demon-God Soldier allowed it to remain whole. It wasn't able to absorb Vahn's Sword Laws into its body, but, much to the latter's surprise, it was able to absorb Laev-tan's flames. As a result, it was able to gradually repel the energy preventing it from healing completely, gradually mending its injuries as it attempted to climb to its feet.Before the black Demon-God Soldier could get ahead of itself, Vahn pointed Laev-tan toward its body as he muttered, "Well, I should have expected as much from the Black of Venus..."Following Vahn's utterance, the flames that were being gradually consumed by the black Demon-God Soldier intensified with explosive force. It quickly spread through the colossus' body, burning the artificial magic circuits that allowed it to maintain its form.Though it had an affinity with absorbing energy derived from the Laws of Destruction, Laev-tan's flames were far more than simply 'Flames of Destruction'. They were infused with Source Energy, and, under Vahn's direction, they were even able to tear through Space, much less the body of a magical construct.After a few seconds had passed, the black Demon-God Soldier looked like a massive chunk of chared brimstone. There were fiery cracks covering its body, and, due to the drastic difference in temperature, it didn't take long for it to begin fragmenting into smaller chunks.Nodding his head in approval, Vahn turned his attention to the remaining Demon-God Soldiers, a smile on his face as he released one of them from the bindings of Enkidu, saying, "Come. I'd hate to leave any doubts in the minds of the fools who created you."Now freed from its bindings, the third Demon-God Soldier charged towards Vahn with just as much zeal as its predecessors. It was capable of very basic thought, but, without the ability to receive new orders, the only thing going through its mind was 'buying time', 'killing', or 'capturing' its target. As a result, it made no attempt to gauge Vahn's strength or try to free its companions. Instead, it used reinforcement magic to amply its speed and strength, fearlessly charging forward with its large eye recording and analyzing as much as it could about its opponent.Seeing the Demon-God Soldier use a variant of Cantus Bellax, the smile on Vahn's draconic visage became more prominent as he embedded the massive Lave-tan into the frozen lake. He wanted to completely shatter the hopes of any 'normal' people targetting him, so, rather than end the fight in an instant by cutting down all six Demon-God Soldiers in a single strike, he was drawing things out and putting on a show.Similar to his previous displays with Laev-tan, Vahn seemed to casually extend his hand without any care or concern. The fist of the Demon-God Soldier covered nearly his entire upper body, and, with a mass approximating thirteen-million-kilograms and a speed nearing Mach one, even something as simple as punch carried a force exceeding sixteen-billion Newtons. This was the equivalent force of four tons of high explosives being detonated on a point of contact, but, as such calculations had no relevance at all, Vahn simply caught the Demon-God Soldier's fist with his palm. There was none of the usual shockwaves that accompanied such an exchange. Instead, it was almost as if the force of the punch had been negated in its entirety...Feeling a little more overpowered than usual, Vahn had to fight hard to prevent a goofy smile from spreading across his face. There was nothing quite like the feeling of shattering the expectations of your enemies, fools who went to great lengths to exercise their power for malicious ends. It would have been even better if he used his own power to do so, but, as there simply wasn't time to reach such a level, Vahn didn't mind exploiting the [Runed Halo] to deter unnecessary bloodshed.Channeling his Source-infused Ki through his palm, Vahn sent a spear-like pulse of energy into the arm of the Demon-God Solder. It was able to travel without any perceptible obstructions, climbing up the monstrosity's arm before exploding near its shoulder. It's entire arm ended up being blown off as a result, and, as could be expected, the explosion was more than sufficient to knock it off balance.Without giving the Demon-God Soldier a chance to recover, Vahn's spread his wings to their full length as he drew both of his fists toward his waist. Then, preempting a series of massive shock waves, his fists seemed to multiply as his arms turned into a golden blur. At the same time, large indentations appeared across the body of the Demon-God Soldier before massive chunks of its body began to tear away from the force of the shockwaves.With nearly a hundred ki-infused strikes impacting the Demon-God Soldier before the shockwaves from the previous strikes could fully radiate, its body ended up being shredded to ribbons once the forces began to overlap with each other. By the time Vahn retracted his fists, returning to a neutral position, the only thing indicating there was ever a Demon-God Soldier present were the intact feet that had been spared his onslaught. Even then, they ended up being sent sliding several hundred meters from the site of their original owner, milky white blood staining the ice in their wake.Satisfied by his display of power, Vahn gave himself a curt nod before turning his attention to the final three Demon-God Soldiers. There were still two black variants remaining, so, after loosening Enkidu, Vahn extended his hand, forming a claw, towards the off-balance entity. He wanted to see how resistant it was to abilities derived wholly from mental power, completely lacking an elemental affinity. Thus, despite feeling as though someone had lodged an ax into the back of his head, Vahn ignored the pain as he slowly formed a fist.Though it attempted to resist using its raw physical might, it only took a few seconds before the black Demon-God Soldier appeared to be contracting its body. An invisible force was acting across its entire body, and, after several seconds more, a thunderous cracking sound could be heard as the durable material comprising its body gradually succumbed to the growing pressure. Following that, murky black blood began to erupt from cracks appearing across the surface of its body, and, after a full minute had passed, its substantial one-hundred-meter tall frame had been compressed into an egg shape barely eclipsing twenty.Restraining the urge to release an exhausted sigh, Vahn placed the Demon-God Soldier's corpse into his Inventory before raising his hand toward the sky and opening it once again. At a glance, it appeared as though he was just standing there with his hand up, but, if you shifted your focus to a point in Space seventeen kilometers above, you would find several 'acceleration gates' manifesting as the body of the Demon-God Solder was brought out of his Inventory.Like a hammer of judgment, Vahn dropped his hand toward the final white Demon-God Soldier as the corpse of its predecessor crashed into it with meteoric force. This caused the surface of the lake to fracture for tens of kilometers, and, due to its proximity, the black Demon-God Solider suffered a substantial amount of damage from the resultant shockwave. Enkidu kept it bound in place, so, with no means to bleed off the force of the explosion, its body ended up being pulped as the large eye glowing in its helmet-like head shattered into tiny pieces.Waiting until the dust and debris had cleared away, Vahn took Laev-tan into his hands, raising her tip toward the sky. This action alone caused a massive rift to appear in the storm clouds overhead, but, compared to the sequelae of his actual attack, this was negligible. It was a strike that carried his comprehension of Infinity and Nothingness, two contrary forces, which, like the ground before him, were perfectly divided by an incomprehensibly fine line.Though it wasn't perception-based like Asuna's Zanpakuto ability, Vahn was able to draw a perfect and inviolable line between the forces of the Hellas Empire and Megalomesembria. Unless someone exceptionally powerful destroyed it, this 'line' would remain indefinitely, visible even from hundreds of kilometers away. Anyone foolish enough to try and cross it would be bisected in an instant, much like the final Demon-God Solider...Staring at his own handiwork, even Vahn felt a little unnerved by the eerie black line that seemed to follow the movements of his eyes. It was incredibly thin, no thicker than a simple string, but, even if he looked towards the distant clouds or turned his attention to the lakebed, it was always visible. At the same time, like an invisible glass pane had been erected, the clouds above were unable to form together into a singular whole. Though the individual molecules were still able to pass through the region, anything bigger than a string's thickness, even a cloud, would be perpetually sliced through by the thin black line.Putting his own theory to the test, Vahn swallowed hard before extending his claw and attempting to bypass the region. There was actually a brief moment where 'nothing' happened, but, after a few seconds had passed, Vahn wasn't surprised by a sudden pain as the tip of his claw was sliced into a number of thin slices. All he felt prior to the pain was a strange vibration, and, even though he was supposed to be immune to damage thanks to the [Runed Halo], it seemed that his capabilities with the sword exceeded the SS-Rank when fusing the two dualistic concepts into one.Satisfied by the result of his efforts, Vahn turned his attention to Gaia's Light, negating its effects so that he could actually fly. His wings didn't give him actual flight capabilities, and, though he could largely ignore the effects of Gaia's Light, doing so in his dragon form was difficult. He didn't possess an ability related to increasing his size, so, despite his effective damage output increase, Vahn could only grow to a point that he was physically able to manipulate. Forty meters was pretty close to his absolute limit in a bipedal form, so, after demonstrating his abilities and swinging around Laev-tan, his body was on the verge of breaking down completely.Fortunately, from the perspective of the Hellas Empire and Megalomesembrian Confederation, he had suffered absolutely no damage in his battle against the Demon-God Soldiers. Rather, it seemed like he was messing around and putting on a show to demonstrate his power. His theatrics all but confirmed this, so, even after returning to his human form, thus confirming his identity, neither side had any intention of trying to re-engage him. His message had been received loud and clear, so, at least for the time being, an impromptu ceasefire agreement had been mandated by both sides...With his job done, Vahn communicated his intent to the nascent elementals that had congregated in the skies above Argyre. He wanted the lake to remain frozen so the Empire and Confederation could send people to investigate the area without having to take a boat or fly an Airfish over. The black line was visible from both shores, so, before trying to escalate the conflict further, they were bound to send someone over. Once they realized what the line represented, his intentions would have been made loud and clear, so, rather than stick around, the three versions of himself that had been prepared for the engagement simply vanished into thin air...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A forty-meter tall Grandmaster swordsman...','MUDA MUDA MUDA...!','Cross the line. I dare you. I double-dare you!','Flexin' ain't easy')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Without caring about the response of the Hellas Empire and Megalomesembrian Confederation, Vahn focused his efforts on investigating the regions flooded during the brief confrontation against the Leviathan.Fortunately, due to the existence of the Leviathan itself, there were very few cities located anywhere near a large body of water. The only real exceptions were places like Al Jamila and Sirenum, regions where the native population could survive in both the sea and on land. Their coasts were also lined with massive sea walls that reached upwards of 100m, well above the threshold of the Leviathan's average tsunamis.Other than some environmental damage, which would quickly recover due to the presence of both elemental and magical energy, there were no disastrous consequences of Fenrir's 'minor' gaffe. The only nearby population centers were the agricultural nation of Eos and a number of frontier military outposts owned and operated by the Megalomesembrian Confederation. These facilities, as could be expected, were surrounded by excessively high walls, so, regardless of whether or not the flood reached them, they would be largely unaffected.---After several hours of search-and-rescue, saving various animals and a few magical beasts that had been affected by the flooding, Vahn, accompanied by Fenrir and Asuna, made camp in the valley of a small mountain located a few hundred kilometers North of Lake Argyre. This region often served as a secondary battleground between the two superpowers, so, with their 'preferred' battleground now impassable, they had little choice but to change venue if they wanted to continue the conflict.Though there was a considerable Hellas presence in the region, the valley occupied by Vahn and his entourage was sparsely populated by ancient ruins. Such areas were often the breeding ground for powerful monsters, and, for reasons Archaeologists and Scholars had yet to understand, a variety of malicious magical traps, many specifically targeted people, could be found in such ruins. Disarming these traps was ultimately futile, as, after a few hours had passed, new traps would spring up, many far more dangerous than those which preceded them.While dungeoneering or delving into ruins, the most common approach was to simply map out as many traps as possible without triggering them. Traps wouldn't just randomly move around, so, if they had yet to be triggered, identifying the locations and triggering mechanisms of a trap would allow for 'relatively' safe passage through an area.With the ability to instantaneously map out everything within his perception, it took very little effort for Vahn's party to trespass the ruins. It took them less than half an hour to reach the most isolated region of the ruins, a vast underground chamber that was actually guarded by a large baboon-like creature with a snake-headed tail.Though it had a breath attack that allowed it to turn anything it touched into stone, the ten-meter tall monstrosity was ultimately defeated by Asuna in an instant. She had been excitedly leading the way up until then, and, after defeating the 'boss-like' entity, she happily pried open an ornate stone chest that had appeared in a hidden room following after the monkey's defeat. This also ended up being a trap, but, with her ability to negate external magic completely, Asuna ended up destroying the magical formation without even noticing its existence...---Taking advantage of the empty chamber formerly occupied by the giant baboon, Vahn pulled out a homely-looking cottage from his Inventory and began fixing dinner while Fenrir and Asuna washed up and changed clothes. He was mentally exhausted from his earlier escapades, but, after watching Asuna happily conquer the game-like dungeon, much of his usual vigor had returned. Cooking also helped a lot, as, not only was it something he genuinely enjoyed, it had always been a therapeutic way for him to simply cut loose and relax.Though it might seem somewhat contrary considering his penultimate goal, Vahn wasn't actually all that fond of conflict. He certainly enjoyed friendly competition and battling strong opponents, but, as such things were often predicated by exacerbating circumstances, it generally left a bitter taste in his mouth. There simply weren't enough opponents he could go all out against, and, more often than not, those that could actually compete with him were vile and despicable existences he simply couldn't enjoy battling.Shaking his head, Vahn finished decorating his dishes by cutting a few sausages and apple slices into the shape of cute octopi and pointy-eared rabbits. He always found it rather amusing to see the conflict in Asuna's eyes whenever she was forced to choose between eating what he had made or letting them go to waste. It might be a little 'mean' of him, but, even after the passage of more than two-hundred-years, Vahn simply couldn't help but enjoy teasing people. It was a core part of his character, and, though he sometimes got out of hand, most incidents quickly turned into fond memories that he could reminisce with the people he cared about...---After enjoying a rather lively meal, Vahn was seated on a large sofa with Fenrir and Asuna nestled on his right and left, respectively. The latter had already changed into her pajamas, but, rather than pay it any mind, Vahn just enjoyed their company as they watched a rather cinematic representation of the incident above Lake Argyre. Seeing it from the outside helped to put things into perspective, and, most importantly, allowed them to understand how others might view the event.Ever the astute young lady, Asuna didn't hesitate to offer her own opinion on things, saying, "I like the idea of drawing a visible line between the two sides but I feel like it will have more of an impact on the creatures living in the lake and anything trying to fly over than the two superpowers. Unless it could also block magical energy, they could continue to bombard each other from a distance and just use the 'Warp' spell to transport their fleet across. It will certainly make things more difficult for them, but I can't see it ending the war..."Well aware of the points she was making, Vahn didn't try to refute any of Asuna's claims. Instead, he just issued an approving nod before explaining, "Even if we prevent them from openly fighting, they will still find ways to undermine and sabotage each other. Stopping the war won't actually bring the fighting to an end, so, until we can draw out Cosmo Entelecheia, I intend to draw as much attention as possible to myself. This will allow Theo, Arika, and Eva greater freedom of movement, and, if fate allows, it will also draw the members of Ala Rubra directly to us."Hearing mention of Ala Rubra, Asuna scrunched up her nose slightly before remarking, "I don't like those people. Though I've never met them, everything I have read seems to imply that man, Albireo Imma, is the mastermind behind numerous troublesome events. Even if he did what he thought was necessary to defeat the Mage of the Beginning, the methods we use are equally as important as the outcome we desire. The moment we cease caring about the particulars, we become no better than the enemies we want to defeat."Having learned a similar lesson the hard way, Vahn issued another approving nod in response to Asuna's statement. There was no such thing as a finite outcome, and, even after you achieved your goal, there was always something more to follow. The compromises you made along the way would invariably lead to a karmic deficit, and, as a result, many Heroes often found their lives wrought with tragedy in the wake of their triumphs.Unless an incident occurred to drastically decrease your power, victory against any established 'evil' would subsequently lead to an extreme imbalance in power. As a result, 'something' would need to fill the power vacuum created, and, though this could sometimes take thousands of years, the end result was always the tragic end of the Hero. There were even situations where the former Hero of a Record became the very threat a future protagonist would have to confront, as, over time, humanity and karmic deficits could even lead Saints down a very dark route.Having nearly strayed down such a path twice, both in the Nasuverse and Danmachi, Vahn knew better than most how quickly power could lead people astray. It was one of the reasons he desired stronger opponents, as, without something 'above' him, it was inevitable that a threat would come from 'below'. This would remain the case until he reached Tier 7, as, by then, there would simply be no opponents that could ever pose a threat to him. Rather, at that level, all conflict would become completely irrelevant...Envisioning the peak he was aiming for, Vahn felt a peculiar feeling of 'emptiness' in his heart for a very brief moment. Memories of all the people he had met along the way, including his family and lovers, quickly replaced any inhibitions he had about the future. This was the path he had decided upon, and, though it might seem like life would lose all meaning once he achieved such a degree of power, it wasn't as if power was the thing that gave his life meaning. His greatest desire had always been to live freely, not without restraint, but in a way that allowed him to be proud of the path he had walked and the bonds he forged in the process...---Back within the 'observation room' that allowed them to observe Vahn's actions, all one-hundred of Sis's avatars released a sigh of relief when they saw their troublesome little brother pull Fenrir and Asuna a little closer. They could feel his tensions gradually fade away, and, in their place, feelings of affection, positivity, hope, and a fair amount of ambition quickly replaced any feelings of negativity, at least for the time being.Though he had an almost ridiculous amount of power at his disposal, Vahn had always had a fragile heart. His mind was actually very stable, largely thanks to her presence, but, due to the existence of his most powerful Innate, currently sealed by The Path, there were moments when his raw emotions transcended even his [Will of the Emperor]'s ability to cope with.One of Sis' primary responsibilities, even if it seemed contrary, was actually delaying the awakening of Vahn's 'primary' Innate, as, depending on the circumstances, it could easily lead him far from any and all paths. She couldn't actually 'stop' it from awakening, as it was simply inevitable, but, until he had obtained the happiness he sought, she would sooner sacrifice herself than allow him to endure the burden of the truth...After lightly patting their rather voluminous chests to calm down, several versions of Sis rose from their seats in order to conduct some 'routine maintenance'. Vahn was clearly reaching a point where his own power was becoming a burden to him, so, before he experienced an existential crisis or did anything drastic, they would filter through his memories in order to 'purge' the emotions contained within. This would cause Vahn to feel a sense of indifference when he recalled these memories, but, in the grand scheme of things, people simply weren't designed to recall feelings of negativity with 'perfect' clarity.Even a normal person could be consumed by negative thoughts, so, with the ability to recall even the individual particles of sand on a beach, one of Vahn's greatest strengths was also his principal weakness. When he was happy, he was 'very' happy, and, as a result, everyone around him would experience a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment. This was because he literally translated his feelings through his domain, and, while it wasn't intentional, these emotions greatly affected those around him.Vahn had yet to realize it himself but he actually 'radiated' his happiness and positivity like a flame giving off heat. He could quantifiably increase the happiness of others, but, in exchange, he actually drained his own happiness as if it was a finite resource. At the same time, further exacerbating the problem, he proactively absorbed the negative energy radiated by others, overdrafting his mental and spiritual energies in the process. This was one of the reasons his Karma increase so quickly, as, rather than simply helping people, he qualitatively improved their lives by altering their fates and setting them down a path that would invariably ensure their happiness...Depending on how much of his empathy they had stirred, Vahn would place a disproportionately large 'seed' of happiness within a person's body. This was generally enough to ensure they would live a relatively free and happy life, but, by remaining near Vahn and receiving his care, attention, and the nourishment of his Source Energy, this seed would inevitably blossom. By then, you would become a source for his happiness, and, depending on the circumstances, there was a chance you would become a part of something far greater than any individual...Unfortunately, as Vahn's concerns and empathy spread beyond his immediate surroundings, the amount of happiness he spread greatly eclipsed his intake. If he tried helping too many people in a short period of time, he would gradually fall into a depressive state that exponentially increased the chances of him doing something regrettable. This could quickly result in a negative feedback loop, so, whenever Vahn was on the verge of a meltdown, Sis did her best to filter out as much negativity as possible, stopping short just when it seemed like her actions would directly affect his personality.Though it was certainly troublesome, everyone needed a bit of negativity and sadness in order to maintain a state of mental wellness. If they were unable to recall tragic events without feeling even a small amount of sadness or remorse, they would gradually feel more detached and apathetic. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing if you were a loner with a keen sense of purpose, but, when you were the lynchpin of both a Realm and an Empire, apathy became the catalyst for countless tragedies...In the grand scheme of things, balance was equally as important in ensuring the stability of reality as it was in preserving the stability of the mind. Too much of any emotion, including things like love and happiness, could lead to dependence. This left you susceptible to breaking down when things weren't going your way. More terrifyingly, you might even lose your ability to find happiness in the things that once brought you the greatest joy, desperately seeking means to fill the void that had been created in your heart...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Map Function is secretly the MC','Shokugeki no Sage Dragon Emperor','The secret of the *sealed* remains concealed...but for how long...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though they were more than a thousand kilometers away, neither Asuna nor Fenrir was surprised by the fact they could vaguely sense the draconic version of Vahn's aura. It was like the whole world was responding to his presence, and, if not for the massive storm front that had spread across the sky, they would have even been able to see an aurora-like phenomenon in the upper atmosphere as a phenomenal amount of elemental energy rushed to his location...Seeing the two girls staring toward the horizon with anticipatory gazes, Vahn cracked a wry smile as he said, "The Leviathan will be here shortly. I'll leave it to you to decide whether or not you will fight together or separately."Hearing her Master's words, Fenrir turned her attention to Asuna, scarlet-eyes glittering as she met the gaze of the petite parka-wearing girl. Then, seemingly on the same wavelength, both extended their hands to reveal scissors. This caused Fenrir's ears to twitch slightly, but, rather than display any demonstrative disappointment, she just said, "I'll leave the front to you. If it looks like you are going to have trouble, I'll support with area-of-effect magic."With a smile spreading across her face, Asuna nodded her head, pulling out her pitch-black tanto as she said, "Just leave it to me! I won't let it get by so easily~!"Replying with a curt nod of her own, Fenrir used shundo to create a bit of distance between herself and Asuna before adopting a pouncing pose similar to a cat preparing to pounce as she said, "Bind, Gleipnir...!"Following Fenrir's utterance, icy blue flames erupted across her body before quickly fading to reveal a cloaked mantle that seemed to be formed from a massive, midnight-blue, wolf pelt. At the same, silvery-white chains manifested around her wrists and ankles before pulling together Fenrir's front paws and linking them together with a large, moon-shaped, lock. A similar lock had also appeared on her left ankle but, perhaps understanding the folly of fully binding its master's movements, the chains coiling around Fenrir's ankles were left to coil freely.With a rather dour but focused look on her face, Fenrir lifted her body to a standing position, front paws dangling helplessly as the cloak draped across her shoulders cascaded to conceal most of her upper body. This gave her a wild and untamed appearance, and, even with the bindings restraining her front paws, any enemy unfortunate enough to fall under the fiery Vanargandr's glowering gaze would feel as though they were a tiny mouse trapped in the corner by a giant, hungry, wolf...Though she had felt Fenrir's aura several times in the past, Asuna couldn't help but grip the hilt of her own Zankpakuto a little tighter. She had complete trust in the wolfish-woman, but, regardless of how confident she was, her rational mind feared the power sleeping within Fenrir's body. It was one of the few things her Magic Cancel had absolutely no effect against, and, even if she used the State of Nothingness, Fenrir's Severing Laws compelled her to dodge time and again...After performing a little shimmy to shake away the chill settling across her body, Asuna entrusted her back to the glowering Vanargandr. All the tensions in her body began to rapidly fade away, and, after around ten seconds, a feeling of absolute calm had descended upon her mind as her presence began to rapidly fade away. By the time she opened her eyes, any semblance of fear or trepidation had faded away, her heterochromatic eyes reflecting a calm yet confident glimmer...---Though it had no idea what was waiting for it, the Leviathan felt as though it had crashed head-first into a wall when it felt a sudden, oppressive, and murderous aura. Its instincts told it that death was waiting ahead, but, with no path of retreat, its only option was to either advance or attempt to hide inland. This would greatly decrease its offensive and defensive capabilities, but, due to its small size, less than three meters in length, it could easily hide in a small pond or seek refuge in a well.While measuring its options, the Leviathan poked its head out of the water to get a better grasp of its surroundings. It could see the massive storm front it had created gradually spreading overhead, but, rather than the torrential downpour that generally followed in its wake, the elemental energy in the air was unnaturally calm. This caused a shiver to run down its spine as it resolved to, at the very least, never to return to Lake Argyre.Without flooding to aid in carving a path inland, the Leviathan resolved itself to break through the enemy waiting ahead. It gave off an indescribably murderous aura, but, after just escaping an even more terrifying foe, it was confident in its ability to flee. Thus, after several minutes of mustering its own courage, the Leviathan began to slither through the water, slowly at first but quickly ramping up to supersonic speeds as it sliced through the water faster than any torpedo...---Borrowing awareness from her Master, Fenrir was able to sense the Leviathan the moment it entered into his domain. A wispy, bluish-black, aura began to rise from her body, and, without the slightest embarrassment, she did not hesitate to exclaim, "Master, give me strength!" before chanting, "Lord of the Frozen Temple. Release your icy breath! Nivis Casus!"Before Fenrir had finished her chant, an icy blue magic circle had spread from her feet as several smaller magic circles manifested out of thin air. The larger circle was the structure of the spell itself while the smaller ones allowed her to make minute adjustments to the output in real-time. This was the surest sign that someone was an Archmage, as, without an extraordinary amount of experience, the only practical way to adjust the output of a spell was to use less magical power.With the spell primed, Fenrir leaped high into the sky, paws extended towards the nearby river that separated the Continents of Tempe Terra and Noachis. Immediately afterward, several plumes of ice and snow, many reaching hundreds of meters in height, exploded beneath the surface of the water. Then, like an avalanche cascading down a mountain, several million tons of ice and snow formed a terrifying white wave that spread across the surface of the river, freezing everything in its wake.Though it almost seemed like Fenrir would be able to freeze the entire river, the phenomenal power of mother nature could never be underestimated. The river might not be flowing too quickly but it's current carried more than enough force to nearly shatter the icy blockade before flooding into the surrounding area...Quickly realizing her mistake, Fenrir's ears drooped as she leaped into the air, a subtle shade of red coloring her cheeks as she created a pillar of ice to escape the mounting flood. She didn't have the face to look directly at her Master or Asuna, but, through their shared connection, she was able to feel something similar to nostalgia as her Master mused, "This really takes me back to our walks in the Western Forest..."Hearing her Master's words, Fenrir recalled his attempts to stop the flow of a river using his water elemental manipulation. He was able to stop it for a brief moment, but, immediately thereafter, he would be sent crashing backward before being swept up in the powerful current.Though it did little to erase her embarrassment, Fenrir felt a little better knowing her Master had made similar mistakes in the past. Her ears instantly perked back up, and, though it was very slight, her tail began to gently sway from side-to-side as an even greater volume of magical energy began to swirl around her...Seeing Fenrir growing excited, Vahn and Asuna displayed near-identical expressions, both smiling with equal parts affection and wryness. Fortunately, Fenrir didn't seem to notice this, as, following the massive flooding, an even greater volume of water surged forward as a glowing blue silhouette attempted to bypass them. Before it could, however, Asuna's expression visibly sharpened as she cut down and said, "Kami-no-Setsudan!(Divine Severance)"Consuming nearly half of Asuna's reserves, a biblical gulf appeared within the surging tide, literally dividing it toward the horizon. It was a rather nonsensical display, but, having seen Asuna create a gulf across the surface of Phobos, Vahn wasn't surprised. The Leviathan, however, had a very human expression on its face as it stared wide-eyed at the girl that had nearly bifurcated it.Trusting its instincts, the Leviathan had attempted to evade the moment it sensed Asuna's sword rise. As a result, it managed to get away with the loss of a fin and the tip of its tail. These were injuries it would normally be able to heal easily, but, surprising it even further, a steady trickle of glowing blue blood continued to flow from the wounds as it attempted to flee.In response to the Leviathan's blood, the surrounding waters began to surge rapidly as several large dragon heads, formed entirely of water, erupted from the surface like a hydra. Each was capable of firing a large column of highly pressurized water from their mouths, but, long before they were able to, invisible blades passed through their necks, severing their heads in an instant. At the same time, cutting off the Leviathan's path of escape, two silvery chains sliced through the water, aided by the presence of Severing Laws.Though it was able to coil back in an instant to evade the lethal chains, the Leviathan was awestruck to learn that the water surrounding its body had been frozen solid in an instant. This wouldn't be a problem under normal circumstances, but, rather than normal ice, a potent sealing effect had been infused into brackish waters. To further exacerbate matters, the chains it had barely evaded seemed to be wholly unaffected by this sealing property, moving freely to wrap around its body and cutting through its flesh with considerable ease.The Leviathan wanted to cry out in rage and indignation, but, as soon as that thought crossed its mind, it felt 'something' pass through its body. All pain immediately faded away, and, before it even realized what had happened, a sense of finality had spread through its mind as darkness claimed its vision...---Though he hadn't actually expected it to give them any trouble, Vahn was surprised by how quickly Fenrir and Asuna had been able to overwhelm the Leviathan. It was one of the legendary 'Beasts of Calamity' that had tormented the Magical World since its formation. Despite this, it was completely helpless in front of the combined duo, almost as if it was just a normal magical creature.Restraining a sigh, Vahn adopted an approving smile as Asuna and Fenrir turned their attention to him, clearly seeking validation and praise. In response, his smile became more sincere as he mused, "As expected. The two of you have worked hard and it really shows. As your Master, I can't help but feel extremely proud. Come, let me reward you."Almost immediately after his words had fallen, a smiling Asuna appeared in front of Vahn using a nearly seamless shundo. She was even faster than Fenrir when it came to covering short distances, and, when it came to receiving rewards for her hard work, Asuna had never been shy.Seeing the twin-tailed Princess beat her to the punch, a deadpan expression spread across Fenrir's face as she yanked the silvery chains coiled around her paws. As a result, the corpse of the Leviathan was pulled free from the block of ice she had created, landing heavily despite its diminutive size...While cupping Asuna's face and lightly massaging her scalp with the tips of his fingers, Vahn briefly turned his attention to Fenrir as she dismissed her Zanpakuto and transformed into a massive wolf with a dense coat of midnight blue fur and a fluffy white underbelly. Then, without any hesitation at all, she picked up the Leviathan's remains with her teeth, tossing it into the air before catching it with her mouth and devouring the entire thing in less than ten seconds.Though the Leviathan was much weaker than her, possessing a BP of around 3700, Fenrir was still able to benefit greatly from consuming its body. A mystical blue light glistened across her fur for a brief moment, and, though it was only a marginal increase, she felt as though her internal reserves had grown alongside her understanding of Water Elemental Energy.Putting her new power to the test, Fenrir stamped her massive paw atop the icy pillar, generating a subtle pulse that spread through the surrounding floodwaters. In response, their ferocity decreased noticeably, and, though she wasn't able to stop them, she felt as though it wouldn't take too much effort to guide the flow back to the river...Sensing the strange pulse of energy, Asuna turned her head to face Fenrir, a curious light flickering across her green-blue eyes. Unfortunately, this cost her the rest of her reward, as, equally interested in Fenrir's power, Vahn ruffled Asuna's hair one last time before walking past her and approaching the large wolf who continued stamping the ground with her paws...Seeing Vahn walking away, Asuna felt a brief moment of confusion before puffing out her cheeks in a slight pout. She was tempted to point out that she deserved a much greater reward for defeating a literal Calamity-Class threat. However, this seemed a little petty, so, rather than make a scene, she decided to simply shundo next to Vahn, seamlessly linking her hand with his and walking alongside him the rest of the way...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '(O w O)...','I kind of feel bad for the Leviathan xD...','*Stamping Intensifies*')(A/N: As a general reminder: Fenrir is able to devour virtually anything, but, with the additional perk of her Heaven Devouring Wolf Innate, she benefits greatly from consuming things she already has a decent comprehension of. She isn't able to acquire the abilities of the things she eats, but, if she ate enough of the same monster, her comprehension would gradually reach the point where she could emulate them without much difficulty. Remember, Fenrir has always been 'very' good at mimicry~!)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1632: Drawing the Line