Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Reading through the Norns' Geass Roll, a faint smile gradually developed across Vahn's face. There were a total of nine Trials, and while some of them seemed troublesome, he could imagine several not even activating against him.
Putting his theory to the test, Vahn waved away the scroll before making his way over to an oval-shaped mirror that had manifested on the nearby wall. It was supposed to show an image of his younger self so they could confront one another about how his hopes and dreams had changed over time. Instead, it reflected his present self against a backdrop of hazy pink mist.
After several moments of nothing happening, a spatial distortion occurred to Vahn's left as Ur&eth;r appeared to say, "You need to open your mind so my power can take effect. You'll never become Master of the Past by refusing to face it..."
Maintaining a relaxed smile, Vahn retorted, "Nowhere in the Geass Roll did it state I must allow myself to be influenced by your powers. I looked into the mirror, and nothing happened. That's on you."
Furrowing her brows, Ur&eth;r poutily remarked, "That's not very sporting of you..." before pausing for a moment and asking, "What are you afraid of? Is the past something even the legendary Sage Dragon Emperor fears to confront?"
Rolling his eyes, Vahn returned his gaze to the mirror. However, instead of the image within changing, the world around him began to distort as Ur&eth;r nervously inquired, "What are you doing...?"
Without breaking eye contact with himself, Vahn explained, "I am a being that carries his past with him wherever he goes. I do not fear it. Rather, I have embraced it long ago..."
Turning around, Vahn ignored Ur&eth;r as he made his way over to the side of a limbless boy staring listlessly up at the ceiling. When he did, the youth stared back at him with familiar aquamarine eyes, asking, "Who are you?" in a confused but unafraid tone.
Instead of answering his past self's question, Vahn asked one of his own, specifically, "Tell me...what is your wish?"
Since the illusion was a fragmented manifestation of himself, Vahn was genuinely curious about its response. Unsurprisingly, the youth hesitated for a moment before answering, "I want to be free..." with a considerable amount of longing in his voice.
Nodding his head in approval, Vahn was about to release his past self from his bindings when the latter surprised him by adding, "But I also want to help people..."
Retracting his hand, Vahn emitted a curious, "Oh...?" before asking, "And which, in your opinion, is more important? Helping people or being free?"
Too weak to shake his head, the limbless youth stared blankly for a few moments before answering, "I don't know...I just feel like I'm supposed to help people..."
"I see...but what if you could only choose one of the two? Freedom often means behaving selfishly, prioritizing your personal wants and needs over the interests of others. Helping people generally requires a sacrifice...and when you give even a little bit of yourself to someone, others will come to expect comparable treatment. In the end, you may even find yourself in a situation where you have nothing left to give..."
Staring at the emaciated figure of his past self, Vahn's words resonated with himself as much as they did the young boy strapped to the operation table. If not for the existence of The Path, he would have run out of things to give long ago...
Closing his eyes, the much younger version of Vahn appeared to be contemplating his future counterpart's words before answering, "Then I would choose to help people...I've already given so much...maybe if I give the rest, I can be free in my next life...?"
Hearing his younger self's response, Vahn found himself at a genuine loss for words. He knew Dr. Keenly had instilled in him a bit of a hero complex, but it was still jarring to hear such a young child talking about sacrificing themselves for the chance to be happy in their next life...
Suppressing a sigh, a melancholic smile developed across Vahn's face as he rustled his younger self's hair and said, "You're a good kid. See you on the other side."
Though he was confused by the stranger's words and behavior, the young Vahn returned a weak smile in response to having his hair ruffled. He felt a sense of familiarity towards the tall and robust figure, but before he could inquire about Vahn's identity, the illusion forming him dissipated, returning to memory.
Shifting his attention to Ur&eth;r, Vahn asked, "Satisfied?" with a borderline deadpan on his face.
Though she was tempted to refuse and say that Vahn couldn't just create his own illusions to overcome, Ur&eth;r was silenced when the door leading to the ensuing Trial suddenly opened. This implied that the Central Network recognized his accomplishment, so she had no choice but to answer, "It would appear you have succeeded with my First Trial. I don't like how you did it, but I can't argue if the Central Network recognizes the result. When you're ready, proceed through that door."
Feeling a little miffed, Ur&eth;r followed her words by disappearing along with her mirror. She had the feeling that Vahn had tampered with it, so she was going to inspect it while he was undergoing the Trials of her two sisters...
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Making his way into the next room, Vahn discovered a vaguely humanoid golem that appeared to be constructed from a rainbow-hued metal similar to Bismuth. When he entered, the golem quickly took his shape, mirroring his movements as Ver&eth;andi's voice explained, "In order to advance to the next Trial, you must first overcome your present self. Good luck."
Raising his brows, Vahn mused, "A Doppelganger...?" as the metallic figure gradually solidified into a copy of himself. Then, seemingly in response to his question, the figure raised its brows and repeated, "A Doppelganger?" in the same tone of voice.
Though he was tempted to fool around and see if the Doppelganger could keep up with him, Vahn manifested Enkidu and sent it charging toward his would-be clone at unimaginable speeds. The Doppelganger attempted to employ an Enkidu of its own, but even the Laws that governed Gift Games couldn't emulate an SSS-Rank Gift.
With all of its powers sealed, the Doppelganger gradually melted into an amorphous blob of rainbow-hued liquid as Vahn made his way over to the next door, musing, "Open sesame." as Ver&eth;andi's intent radiated a feeling of solemnity. She couldn't help feeling as though Vahn's behavior was in defiance of the 'spirit' of their Trials.
Under normal circumstances, challengers attempting to pass through the Second Trial would find themselves in a difficult position, forced to reflect on their actions. The enchantments on the golem transferred any damage it sustained to the attacker, so the best way forward was to make peace with oneself and recognize that violence was not always the solution to a problem.
Unfortunately for Ver&eth;andi, the Central Network acknowledged Vahn's method and allowed him to pass into the next room. All she could do was pray her younger sister was able to delay him as she worked on his next challenge...
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Having witnessed Vahn's general disregard for the previous Trials, Skuld elected to manifest before him, expressing, "You should treat this more seriously. How can you expect to become the Master of Fate if you can't even pretend to care?"
Though he knew Skuld's question wasn't a part of the Trial, Vahn decided to humor her, answering, "The simple fact of the matter is that I'm already a 'Master of Fate.' Me undergoing these Trials is a formality to prevent the Nine Realms from destabilizing. If I wanted to, nothing could prevent me from liberating the Valkyries and setting them on a new path. I don't need others' permission or acknowledgment to do what I think is right."
Taken aback by Vahn's words, Skuld found herself at a momentary loss for her own. Every other person that had attempted their Trials did so in the pursuit of wisdom or power. She could also see the outcome before their Trials even started, so she didn't know how to interact with someone whose future was beyond her sight.
Adopting a faint smile, Vahn said, "Relax. Even though it's not necessary, I intend to complete each of your Trials. I've already decided to liberate the Valkyries from their fates, so I might as well do the same for you and your sisters while I'm here."
Surprised by Vahn's words, Skuld blinked her amethyst eyes several times before asking, "You intend to liberate us? With our power, you could easily become the ruler of the Nine Realms. You could-"
Waving his hand as if he was lazily swatting away a fly, Vahn adopted an impeccable deadpan as he said, "Pass. I'm already capable of creating metaversal structures that exceed the Nine Realms in scope. I don't need someone else's power to rule."
"..."
Sensing no falsehoods in Vahn's words, Skuld, for the first time in her long existence, felt as though her actions were pointless. When she and her sisters first learned that Vahn was the one that supplied the cure for their mother, they decided they would allow him to experience their Trials even though he was an outsider. If he were successful, they would reward him with all of their power and, in turn, their hearts.
Though many, including Odin himself, had attempted to court them, the Norns had remained chaste since they first awoke beneath the canopy of the World Tree. Their power would be transferred to the one that claimed their maidenhood, so they had patiently awaited the day when someone unbound by fate would appear. In that regard, Vahn was the first and, as far as they knew, the only one with such power. If he refused them, Skuld didn't know what they would do...
Surprising the six-winged giantess quite a bit, Vahn answered, "Whatever you want. That's the beauty of being free to choose your own destiny. As for Ur&eth;arbrunnr, you don't have to concern yourself with that. I have a few people in mind who would happily tend to the World Tree in your stead."
"..."
As compelling as Vahn's words were, Skuld couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable knowing he could ascertain her thoughts. She had a habit of peering into the minds and futures of others, but that was a part of her duty as one of the Norns. Knowing there was someone that could peek into her mind was unnerving...
Smiling wryly, Vahn explained, "I'm not reading your thoughts. I can, but I generally tend to avoid employing such invasive methods. What I'm doing is reading your emotions and using context clues to piece together a very general overview of what I assume you're thinking."
"I see..."
Not really feeling better after Vahn's explanation, Skuld briefly averted her eyes from his, her mind clouded with wayward thoughts. There was still a chance that Vahn would fail their Trials, but it didn't seem very likely. Now that she knew her 'freedom' was on the line, Skuld couldn't help feeling a strange sense of...discomfort. She had never considered what she would do if given a choice to act freely...
Sensing Skuld's uncertainty, Vahn's smile became even wrier as he said, "If it's that big a deal, you're more than welcome to come and stay at the Sage Dragon's Hearth. Besides, it's not like I'm outright refusing you and your sisters; I just want you to have a genuine choice in the matter. There should be more to a relationship than a sense of duty or obligation."
Feeling Vahn's sincerity, the apprehensions forming in Skuld's mind faded away as a rare smile developed across her face. Knowing the future was a heavy burden, so she typically appeared rather sickly due to her pale skin and the esoteric quality of her garments. She seldom had anything to look forward to, so Vahn's words were a breath of fresh in a formerly stagnant world...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A moment of reflection...','Trying to emulate a singularity xD...','Vahn is a strong, independent Creation Deity...!')

Following his conversation with Skuld, Vahn entered a type of maze known as a Trojaborg Labyrinth.
Unlike typical mazes, Trojaborg Labyrinths only had a single path with no dead ends. As he made his way through, panels would rise behind him to prevent him from turning back, presumably representing the passage of time and the general inability for people to turn back on the road of life.
Contributing to this speculation, Vahn eventually found himself within a room whose environment spontaneously changed into the aftermath of a great battle. There were hundreds of corpses littering the ground, but it was possible to make out subdued sobbing and other signs of life if you listened closely.
"Hmmm..."
Though he could see a rather conspicuous gate located a few hundred meters away, Vahn took a moment to ponder the purpose of his current setting. At the same time, his domain captured everyone and everything within range of his senses, instantaneously informing him of the number of survivors and their respective conditions.
Presumably in an attempt to break his concentration, Vahn's attention was drawn to a relatively young boy with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a missing arm that called out to him, "Please...help me..." in a strained tone.
"Sure, why not?"
Raising his right hand towards the sky, Vahn surprised the skulking Skuld by creating a complex magic circle that easily covered the entirety of the battlefield. Then, with a simple snap of Vahn's fingers, everyone in need of treatment, including a few that had recently passed, found themselves without injury.
While it would have been understandable if they needed time to process what had just happened, there was no stillness following Vahn's actions. Rather, upon discovering they could move about freely, a few of the more bloodthirsty individuals picked up stray hammers and axes in an attempt to strike down their recently recovered foes.
Adding insult to injury, the boy that had asked Vahn for help picked up a spear and attempted to impale him through the stomach, shouting, "Die, Sorceror...!"
Rolling his eyes, Vahn began making his way towards the gate at the far end of the battlefield as several individuals joined the youth in trying to kill him. In response, Vahn made his body immaterial, completely ignoring their frenzied attacks as they seemingly competed for the glory of taking his head.
After passing through the gate, Vahn, once again, found himself within the Trojaborg Labyrinth. When he looked back, the battlefield had vanished, replaced by a smooth stone wall and a mural depicting a man raising his hand toward the sky and raising the dead.
"Neat."
While others may have fallen into a moment of reflection after passing through the battlefield, Vahn left Skuld feeling at a loss as he resumed his journey without a fuss. In his mind, there was nothing to be learned as he was well-acquainted with the selfishness of those who lived in the pursuit of glory. At the same time, his healing of people was an expression of his personal form of selfishness. He wasn't going to brood because someone used his gift to spite him or commit atrocities. That was their decision, not his.
Making his way through the maze, Vahn inevitably came across several other settings that required him to make choices that would have weighed heavily on the consciousness of others. There was even a situation where he had to choose between saving two children, his decision to save one invariably resulting in the death of the other.
Completely ignoring the premise, Vahn teleported both children to his side before ruffling their hair and telling them to be more careful in the future. Later, he was given the option of saving a group of hunters being assailed by a massive wolf. The wolf turned out to be a mother trying to secure food for her pups, so coming to the aid of the hunters, at least under normal circumstances, would have resulted in the deaths of several innocent lives.
Doing things at his own pace, Vahn prevented the mother wolf's attack with some headpats before smacking some sense into the hunters that wanted to kill her in retaliation. He then provided more than enough food for both groups to go their separate ways before relocating the mother and her pups someplace where they would be able to live without human intervention, at least for a while.
In the end, Vahn had to clear a total of eleven stages, one for each circuit of the Trojaborg Labyrinth. Awaiting him at his destination was a massive stone wall depicting the decisions he had made along the way, each laid out in a fresco. Skuld was also there, appearing somewhat unenthusiastic as she said, "Much like this mural, the decisions we make in life are set in stone. It might be possible to take a chisel to it, but there is no changing what has come to pass, only what is to come..."
Gesturing towards an ancient-looking hammer and chisel located beneath the mural, Skuld added, "Beyond the limitations of time, knowledge of the past, present, and future are one and the same. With the proper tools, it is possible to change all three. However, the only thing that truly changes is oneself. Attempt to change the past in the present, and the only thing you end up accomplishing is writing a new future..."
Having long been aware of such fundamental truths, Vahn simply nodded his head in response to Skuld's words. When she saw her words had very little effect on him, a subdued sigh escaped her throat as she lowered her hand and remarked, "I thought as much. You truly are a unique existence. Most people spend their entire lives searching for meaning along the path they walk. It is exceptionally rare, even among the Gods, for an individual to be content walking the path itself..."
Resisting the urge to point out he was the manifestation of The Path itself, Vahn maintained a smile as he replied, "Compliment me any further, and I may float away due to my ego overinflating."
Rolling her eyes, Skuld began to slowly dematerialize as she said, "When you reach the end of your journey, the best way forward is to carve a new path..."
"Mmm...I see..."
Though she could be trying to be mysterious, Vahn decided to interpret Skuld's words literally by blasting a hole through the mural depicting his journey through the maze. When he did, he could have sworn he heard the sound of someone tripping, but Vahn just ignored it as he made his way into the nebulous black void that awaited him on the other side of the newly created door...
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Shortly after entering the darkness, Vahn found himself stepping out into what appeared to be an underground cavern. The walls were covered in bioluminescent algae that made it resemble the evening sky, but the thing that immediately caught Vahn's attention was the stunning beauty waiting for him near a spring filled with a hazy, rainbow-hued liquid.
Knowing what the sisters originally had in mind once he completed their challenges, Vahn decided to tease the ephemeral, pink and blue-haired giantess by asking, "Oh? Are we going to take a bath?"
Snorting through her nose, the mesmerizing beauty, Ur&eth;r, explained, "This is one of the many mouths of Ur&eth;arbrunnr, the Well of Fate. To proceed to the next Trial, you must find your way through this passage without losing yourself in its flow. Be warned, as even the most stalwart of spirits can be shattered-why are you taking your clothes off?"
Seeing everything but Vahn's underpants spontaneously melt away, Ur&eth;r couldn't prevent her eyes from roaming even as she took a step back and prepared to apparate away. Both she and Ver&eth;andi had been listening in when he spoke with Skuld, but she didn't trust that Vahn wouldn't try to force himself on her if the opportunity presented itself. Most Gods weren't exactly gentlemen...
Resisting the temptation to point out that Ur&eth;r's feathery outfit was even scantier than his own, Vahn calmly replied, "If I'm going to pass through the spring that contains the memories of everyone's pasts, I may as well experience it directly."
Recalling how Solon had once been swept up by the Ur&eth;arbrunnr, Vahn had always wondered what it would be like to subsume himself into the collective memories of everyone that had ever lived within a designated Realm. Most people would be terrified by such a thing, fearing they would be consumed and lose themselves, but Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before he had to subsume all of Creation into himself. He couldn't be intimidated by the collective experiences of a few trillion people.
Seeing no signs of fear or hesitation in Vahn's actions, Ur&eth;r couldn't help thinking he was looking down on their Trials. At the same time, however, a fluttery feeling filled her bosom as she considered the possibility that he really could clear them with ease...
Noticing the dazed giantess's gaze as he walked past, Vahn sent Ur&eth;r a wink before stepping into the rainbow-hued liquid without a moment of hesitation. Nothing happened when it was just his body, but the moment his head sank beneath the surface, he could feel countless fragments of Ego attempting to invade his body.
("Oh...this is going to be easier than I thought...")
Similar to when Gustang attempted to invade his mind and analyze the structure and composition of his Ego, Vahn didn't even have to resist as his body and mind naturally purged the invasive influence. Then, as if to prevent further intrusion, a pulse of energy surged out from the very core of his Ego, purifying the surrounding waters of their rainbow hue.
Though he was a little disappointed, Vahn swam through the underwater tunnels with the finesse of a god-tier penguin until his senses detected an air pocket. When he surfaced, he found Ver&eth;andi staring down at him with an almost offended look on her face as she asked, "Just what are you...?"
Rising from the water like a balloon, Vahn casually replied, "Those close to me call me Vahn. Pretty much everyone else calls me the Sage Dragon Emperor. Nice to meet you?"
Furrowing her brows, Ver&eth;andi gripped the staff in her hands as she said, "I've never heard of a Dragon that can exorcise Souls by simply swimming through them..."
While drying himself off and donning a fresh outfit, Vahn tried to correct Ver&eth;andi's misunderstanding, explaining, "The waters of the Ur&eth;arbrunnr are not comprised of Souls, but the fragments of countless people's Egos. It is a collection of memories and intentions that refuse to merge, so they form a stream of consciousness that attempts to latch onto anything more 'whole' than itself."
Landing on the ground, Vahn ignored the suspicion in Ver&eth;andi's gaze as he looked around asked, "So? Where's my next Trial? I'm not exactly in a rush, but there are a lot of people waiting for my return."
"Hmph..."
Tapping the spear-like end of her staff against the ground, Ver&eth;andi produced what appeared to be several additional Doppelgangers. This time, however, they did not take Vahn's form. Instead, two took on the forms of Sis and Fenrir while the others began changing into people the Central Network undoubtedly recognized as precious to him.
If it were just his lovers, Vahn wouldn't have minded too much as he knew the Doppelgangers weren't 'real.' It was when a few began taking on the form of his children that the casual smile faded from his face, replaced by a grim expression as he looked towards Ver&eth;andi and warned, "This goes beyond playing with fire..."
Though she would have ordinarily scoffed at such a threat, Ver&eth;andi's eyes widened as she found herself unable to move under Vahn's stare. It was like a hand had grasped around her entire body, threatening to crush her into paste the moment she said or did anything out of line...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn does things at his own pace...','Oof...','Even the Central Network is sweating...')

After a brief discussion with Odin regarding the future of their respective Communities, Vahn retired to the room where Sis and Fenrir were waiting for him. Muninn, Vor, and the rest of the Valkyries were also present, but Vahn promptly dismissed them as he was rarely in the mood the mingle with 'outsiders' after a moderately serious discussion.
When everyone else was gone, Vahn effectively isolated the room they were staying in from the rest of reality before transforming into a younger version of himself. Ever since Sis had confided in him the fact she wished to be his mother, there were times when Vahn allowed her to pamper him at her leisure.
With Fenrir's transformed body serving as their backrest, Vahn allowed Sis to comb her fingers through his hair, her voice soft and melodic as she whispered, "You worked hard today..."
Though he felt like he hadn't made that much of an effort, Vahn intoned a lazy, "Nn..." rather than refuting Sis's words. At his current level, the only times he felt like he exerted himself was during the creation process of a Companion or Zanpakuto. Everything else was almost too easy...
Aware of Vahn's thoughts, Sis took a moment to deliberate before asking, "What do you want to do now? Nothing is forcing us to stay the night in Asgard. If you want, we can immediately head South or return to the Sage Dragon's Hearth."
As tempting as the thought was, Vahn didn't hesitate to shake his head and say, "We'll wrap things up with Mount Olympus and the Draco Grief Alliance before heading back. I'm the reason everyone else is working so hard, so I need to at least set the stage before indulging myself..."
Instead of trying to convince him otherwise, Sis supplied an affirming, "Nn." of her own while continuing to caress Vahn's head.
As it stood, the forces of the Aldrnari Empire were more than enough to conquer the Little Garden. If Vahn asked it of her, Sis was relatively sure she could secure the Rank 1 position unaided. The only reason she didn't was because Vahn 'needed' to seize it for himself.
Due to the influences of Chloe, Hephaestus, Tsubaki, and several others, Vahn had the mentality that power and status had to be acquired through one's efforts. The Path allowed him to reach heights even the Gods could not imagine, but he was determined to comprehend the 'truth' on his own. It was one of his best and most discordant traits...
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After a relatively short rest, which was actually several hours outside, Vahn, Sis, and Fenrir emerged from their room to find Vor and a buxom, white-haired Valkyrie named R&oacute;ta waiting out in the hall. They had stuck around since the previous night to readily attend to any requests he or the girls may have at a moment's notice.
While Vor wore her usual, flower-bottomed waistcoat and skin-tight battle suit, R&oacute;ta was a stark contrast to most of her sisters as she wore a multi-layered gown and a fur-lined coat that gave the impression she operated in frigid climates. The only thing that contradicted this impression was the rather large 'boob window' that exhibited her ample bosom.
Though the two of them shared the rank of Lieutenant within the White Raven Community, it was Vor who stepped forward to explain, "We have been tasked with attending you during your stay. If it pleases-"
Before Vor could finish her prepared speech, Vahn shook his head and said, "We won't be staying much longer. I've already reached a provisional agreement with Odin, and the World Tree has made a full recovery. Unless there is something that requires my attention, there are matters for me to attend elsewhere."
Despite appearing to put his foot down, Vahn was concurrently speaking with Loi-chan to ascertain whether or not Vor or the rest had something to request of him. To his surprise, there was actually quite a lot...
Stopping time for himself, Sis, Fenrir, and Vor, Vahn exhaled a sigh before meeting the stoic Valkyrie's golden gaze and wryly remarking, "I suppose I should have seen this coming..."
Though it was stored within the depths of Vor's supercomputer-like mind, Loi-chan had no trouble accessing her deepest secrets.
After spending a considerable amount of time with Vahn, especially near the beginning of her stay in the East, Vor had gradually developed a more independent mentality. She had started to seriously consider whether or not there were other paths for Valkyries to walk, so her plan was to have Vahn visit the Great Hall of Valhalla so that he could see how the average Valkyrie was treated.
It wasn't pretty.
Hanging her head, Vor revealed a mixture of vulnerability and shame as she said, "I have no lost sight of my duty...however, there should be more to a Valkyrie's life than serving others. Many Valkyries are little more than outlets for the Einherjar's sexual desires, dedicating their entire lives to a group of people who only care for themselves and their skewed views of honor."
Though he was tempted to interrupt Vor halfway through her explanation, Vahn allowed her to continue to the end. The moment Loi-chan revealed the 'truth,' he didn't need further convincing. In fact, he had already been aware of the Valkyries' rather miserable existence for quite some time. It just hadn't been one of his priorities.
With Vor beginning to express herself, the way in which Vahn viewed their relationship changed on a fundamental level. Before, he regarded her in a similar light as Muninn, someone he periodically slept with but had limited affection for. Now, she had managed to elevate herself to an equal status as Lenneth; not quite a lover but exceedingly close.
Despite having already made up his mind, Vahn asked, "And what would you have me do? I can discuss the matter with Odin, but it would take a considerable amount of time to bring about lasting change. In the worst case scenario, future generations of Valkyrie will simply have their sense of self removed..."
Having explored worlds where artificial beings had managed to become self-aware, Vahn knew how resistant people were to the idea of service-oriented beings turning against them. It very rarely ended well.
Fortunately, though it was the same answer Vahn had reached, Vor had already thought of a solution, explaining, "There are entities that care for the World Tree and govern the destiny of all beings that inhabit the Nine Realms. Since you were able to heal the World Tree, they are obligated to repay you. With their power, they should be able to change the fates of all past, present, and future Valkyries."
Though her words were tantamount to treason, Vor maintained a resolute expression as she revealed her plan. Before meeting Vahn, she had never questioned her father's wisdom. Now, she couldn't help feeling as though he had been misguided. The average Valkyrie was vastly superior to the average Einherjar, so why were the latter elevated to the status of Heroes while she and her sisters were bound to a life of servitude? It just didn't make sense.
What Vor failed to account for was the amount of time and resources that went into the creation of a single Valkyrie. Most Communities, even those backed by powerful Creation Deities, had a finite number of resources at their disposal. The production of Gods required the allocation of Divinity and the splitting of a Creation Deity's Divine Spark, while the formation of Realms was even more taxing. In that regard, it was significantly easier to elevate hundreds of qualified mortals to the status of Einherjar than it was to produce even a single Valkyrie.
Rather than revealing the truth, Vahn just nodded in response to Vor's proposal, stating, "Very well. I'll convene with Odin to inform him of my decision and then meet with the Norns. I don't want to destabilize the Nine Realms completely."
Understanding that Vahn wasn't the type to renege on his promises, Vor felt as though she had just unloaded a tremendous burden. Ever since she first began having thoughts of liberating her sisters, she had been worried that Vahn would refuse or, even worse, expose her treachery. Everything she knew about him contrasted this sentiment, but it was difficult to trust even herself after she had started to question her very existence.
Placing her hand over her chest, Vor muttered the most sincere, "Thank you." just about any Valkyrie had ever given. At the same time, she told herself that if Vahn requested it of her, she would tear out her own heart at his behest. Instead, he approached her with an affectionate smile on his face and said, "Don't mention it." before gently caressing her head...
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After promising Odin S and A-Rank Gifts for each Valkyrie that was to be liberated, Vahn found himself at the base of a truly awe-inspiring ash tree.
Though he knew Yggdrasil would be massive, standing at the base of a tree whose canopy rivaled the diameter of a small star was still a sight to behold. If not for the three beauties standing across from him, Vahn may have lost himself in the nebulous ocean of stars that glistened amongst Yddragsil's boughs.
As giantesses born from the Yggdrasil, the Norns were nearly as stunning as the World Tree itself. The eldest, representing the future, was Ur&eth;r, a breathtakingly attractive giantess with pink hair that turned a luminous shade of blue as it cascaded down a voluptuous body veiled in little more than feathers.
Not losing out to her elder sister, Ver&eth;andi, the middle Norn representing the present, possessed extraordinary features that included lavender hair, golden eyes, long legs, six black wings, and a phenomenal bust. She was also the tallest of the three, standing roughly thirty meters tall compared to Ur&eth;r's twenty-eight and their youngest sister's, Skuld's, twenty-five.
As the youngest of the Norns, though they were actually formed around the same time, Skuld had the most youthful figure and features. She was the Norn representing the future, so people would get the feeling she still had room to grow even though she was already a phantasmal beauty with fair skin, purple hair, lilac eyes, and six angelic wings.
With Vahn having grown to exceed even their height, Ver&eth;andi, serving as the representative of the group, stared up at him as she stated, "What you ask for is not something we can supply with ease. Unlike mortals, the fate of the Valkyries has been written in stone since their inception. Changing the fate of an individual is a simple matter, but rewriting the fates of every Valkyrie will require a tremendous amount of sacrifice..."
As even Odin had been forced to stab and hang himself from the boughs of the World Tree in exchange for the Norn's assistance, Vahn wasn't even remotely surprised by Ver&eth;andi's words. Instead, his expression remained calm and serene as the surface of a frozen lake as he answered, "I have already made my decision. Tell me what you require, and I will provide it."
After exchanging glances with her sisters, Ver&eth;andi gazed back at Vahn as she explained, "To become the Master of the Past, Present, and Future, you must complete each of our trials. Be warned, however, as none before you have been able to complete even a single one."
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn responded with a terse, "Let's get on with it." At his current level, it didn't really matter what kind of trials the Norns had prepared. Even the Central Network couldn't bind him, so their magic could only affect him so long as he allowed it.
Though she felt as though Vahn was looking down on them, Ver&eth;andi was well acquainted with the vainglory of the Gods. She also knew that, unlike the vast majority of Gods that had attempted their trials, Vahn had reason to be confident. After all, he was the first person they had been unable to see through.
"Very well then. Allow us to bear witness to the power of the Sage Dragon Emperor. Show us you have what it takes to be the Master of Fate."
Punctuating her words, Ver&eth;andi tapped her spear-like staff against the ground to produce several watery ripples. Shortly thereafter, Vahn found himself alone in the middle of a dark chamber with a very ancient-looking Geass Roll unfurling in front of him...
...
..
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Enviable...','People fear being made obsolete...','As if Vahn needs confirmation...')

Chapter 2302: Trial Start