Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Undaunted by Madara's Susanoo, Siddhartha rose into the air, a massive, thousand-armed bodhisattva appearing behind him as he stated, "This is not a place you should be intervening..."
Seeing the form Siddhartha's aura had taken, Madara couldn't help grinning as she retorted, "How amusing. I wonder if it's the fate of those with my identity to confront opponents with powers related to Buddhism? I suppose that makes you my Hashirama."
Unaware of what Madara was referring to, Siddhartha closed his eyes and calmly stated, "I am one, one is all..." as he made a sweeping gesture with his right hand.
Accompanying Siddhartha's gesture, the golden bodhisattva behind him slapped Madara's dragon-themed Susanoo with force comparable to the birth of a star. However, instead of exploding outward and devastating the surroundings, the energy of the blow was absorbed by Madara's Susanoo, rippling across its surface before fading completely.
While others would have commented on the 'impossibility' of such a feat, Siddhartha's expression remained unchanged, remarking, "Interesting..." in a sonorous monotone. At the same time, he formed a series of seals with his remaining hands, intending to seal Madara away instead of trying to face her directly.
"You think you're the only one who uses hand seals!?" shouted Madara, an excited grin spreading across her face as both she and her Susanoo wove together a complex series of hand seals.
Instead of verbally responding to Madara's outburst, Siddhartha opened his eyes to reveal blazing golden pupils. The moment he did so, it was like a pair of twin suns had peeked over the horizon, enveloping the battlefield in luminous golden light.
Though she should have been impervious to most forms of attack in her present state, Madara's vision went black as the eyes within her sockets were immediately reduced to ash. Golden light also filled her mind, similar to a genjutsu, but she ignored the damage to her mind, body, and spirit to say, "Let's see you remain expressionless after this..."
Clapping her hands together, Madara produced a series of black, rune-covered pillars that rained from the heavens like obsidian lasers. None struck Siddhartha directly, but their presence caused a tyrannical aura to pervade the battlefield, making it feel as though the encompassing space had completely solidified.
Initially confused, Siddhartha raised his left brow ever-so-slightly, asking, "Were you hoping to seal me, of all people...?"
As her eyes rapidly regenerated, the smile on Madara's face became even more vicious than usual as she replied, "Just thought I'd even the playing field a bit..."
Performing a half-ram seal with her right hand, Madara shouted, "Katsu!" in a booming voice, activating the runic formation formed by the pillars. The moment she did so, the Susanoo surrounding her and the bodhisattva behind Siddhartha abruptly vanished, followed by both plummeting out of the sky.
"...!?"
Feeling as though his connection with all of creation had been severed, a rare look of panic developed across Siddhartha's face as he attempted to right himself and prevent his descent. Fortunately, while his link with the outside had been severed, he could still draw power from his own version of an Internalized Realm, something he hadn't been forced to do since the moment he attained enlightenment.
Just as Siddhartha was able to gain his footing, Madara appeared right in front of him, her grin threatening to tear at the muscles of her face as she shouted, "Now we're dancing to the same tune, you bastard...!"
Punctuating her words, Madara slammed her right fist into Siddhartha's left cheek, intending to send him flying. Instead, a sound similar to a gong being struck echoed through the area as a metallic, rune-covered golden hue spread across Siddhartha's face and body. It was visually similar to the armor that covered the limbs of high-ranking members of the Asura Tribe, but the luster of the plating and sophistication of the runes were in a league of their own.
Before Madara could fully process the changes in Siddhartha's body, the latter grasped her wrist and bicep with two of his left hands. At the same time, he used all three of his right hands, including the one sealing Adam, to strike her abdomen, ribs, and chest.
While Siddhartha's blows dealt no visible damage to her body, Madara could feel her meridians exploding as a destructive golden light spread through her body and invaded her dantian-like core. Siddhartha was clearly attempting to cripple her, but the moment his energy reached her core, Madara's personalized Companion, a ten-tailed Dragon known as Juryuu, released a mighty roar, shattering the invasive energy like glass.
Feeling Juryuu's roar permeate his body and echo throughout his mind, a grimace covered Siddhartha's face as he remarked, "I see...it wasn't you who destroyed my Buddhist Palm, but this monstrosity..."
Forming seals with two of his right hands, Siddhartha attempted to press them to Madara's abdomen but was prevented from doing so as the latter promptly abandoned her arm to create some distance.
Clicking her tongue, Madara took a moment to regenerate her lost limb as she questioned, "Has anyone ever told you that you're a real pain in the ass...?"
Regaining his earlier smile, Siddhartha answered, "Among other things..." in a calm voice. Then, taking advantage of the brief lull, he remarked, "I've never seen this sealing formation before. You must have been preparing it for quite some time..."
Snorting through her nose, Madara retorted, "Someone thinks too highly of themselves. These 'preparations' are just something I came up with on the fly. If you sincerely think we've been conspiring to overthrow the Buddhist Faction, you're not nearly as 'enlightened' as you'd have others believe."
"Hmmm..."
Sensing no falsehoods from Madara's words, Siddhartha nearly second-guessed himself for the first time in millennia. Instead, he cupped two of his hands together, stating, "This place exists outside the influence of the Central Network and its protections. If you insist on continuing this fight, I cannot guarantee your safe return to the Little Garden..."
Matching Siddhartha's expectations, Madara began laughing the moment he finished speaking. Before he could mete out her punishment, however, Kurma appeared between them, arms spread as she exclaimed, "Enough! Now is neither the time nor the place for such disputes...!"
"You're that-"
Before Madara could finish speaking, Kurma spun around to face her, the look on her face especially sour as she asserted, "I don't know what that creator of yours is thinking, but I can say with relative certainty he didn't task you with interfering in our plans! Why are you so insistent on causing trouble when neither of us is your enemy!?"
Crossing her arms, Madara smugly retorted, "Causing trouble? Me? Have you forgotten which of us attacked first? I simply came here in search of that woman with blue hair. It was your side that decided to interfere and deny me my chance at redemption."
Frowning deeply, Kurma's aura began to surge as she said, "That woman is not a Player. She is a weapon, a vessel created by the Ormus Society to destabilize the current Order and implement a new one. The two of us are on a mission to prevent-"
Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Madara said, "Skip..." before re-crossing her arms and stating, "I don't care about that woman's origins, your objectives, or the machinations of the Ormus Society. The future of the current Order has already been decided, so all that remains is for us to play our parts. I am a warrior. Fighting is ingrained into the very core of my being..."
Manifesting her gunbai, Madara pointed it through Kurma, aiming it at Siddhartha's face as she added, "That man decided to oppose me. Our fight shall continue until one or both of us has been defeated...!"
"You...!"
Feeling unbridled frustration, the golden, antler-like horns protruding from Kurma's head began to increase in size as white scales began manifesting around her eyes. Her irritation had been compounding since her failure to locate the Ethereal Queen, the surprise attack of Lahmu, and the sudden appearance of Azi Dahaka. She was elated when Sidd managed to defeat both Adam and Eve in short order, but she didn't even have time to praise him for a job well down before Madara appeared out of nowhere to throw a wrench into their plans...
Though most considered her a fairly passive existence, Kurma was still a Pure-Blooded Dragon. She was also the daughter of Vishnu and one of the foremost Goddesses of the Earth. Thus, once her patience exceeded its limits, she became a literal force of nature.
Unable to contain her frustration any longer, Kurma released a powerful roar, propelling Madara and Siddhartha backward with tremendous force. Immediately afterward, Kurma charged toward Madara, her eyes blazing with a fierce amethyst hue as she peppered the latter's body with a series of imperceptible punches.
"You want to fight!? You refuse to talk things out like a rational person!? Then taste my wrath, you infuriating piece of-"
Interrupting Kurma's furious outburst, Madara's body abruptly became imperceptible, allowing the petite dragoness to phase through her. Kurma promptly spun around, slicing at Madara's figure with a sword formed of radiant golden energy, but the latter was nowhere to be seen.
"Over here..."
Spinning in the direction of the voice, Kurma attempted to slice through Madara but found her sword stopped by the latter's palm, now covered in black and white scales.
"You're not the only dragon present," mused Madara. However, before she could say anything further, Siddhartha appeared behind her, adding, "She also isn't fighting alone..."
Punctuating his words, Siddhartha smacked the top of Madara's head, sending her crashing into one of the rune-covered pillars littering the ground. The pillars were designed to be indestructible, but the force of Madara crashing into it caused the material to buckle before splintering like a flower in bloom.
Though she ordinarily fought alone, Kurma didn't bother to rebuke Siddhartha for his involvement. Instead, she inhaled so deeply that her upper body appeared to inflate like a balloon. Then, once she reached her limits, she lurched forward and unleashed a destructive beam that carried with it the sound of a dragon's roar, erasing the fractured pillar and drilling deep into the foundation below.
While waiting for Kurma's breath to finish, Siddhartha began preparing one of his more complex seals. He had already acclimated to Madara's sealing formation, so he was nearly at full power when he pressed down with his hand, generating a massive golden palm that stretched more than ten kilometers from the tip of its middle finger to its base.
Emerging from the golden void created by Kurma's breath, Madara, nearly naked and covered in black scales, exclaimed, "Now you're speaking my language...!" as she met the massive golden palm head-on. She was still pushed down by it, but the speed of the palm slowed noticeably as the battle-enthralled Uchiha released a powerful roar that resonated with the remaining pillars.
Feeling his connection to the 'outside' becoming unstable, Siddhartha's expression darkened as he stated, "We may not be able to leave this one alive..."
Having calmed down a bit, Kurma's brows creased as she revealed, "It's not well known, but this one is a creation of the Sage Dragon Emperor. It won't be easy, but we should avoid killing her at all costs..."
Exhaling a sigh, Siddhartha began preparing a second seal as he replied, "How troublesome..."
Nodding her head in agreement, Kurma began preparing a seal of her own. At the same time, she began drafting a long list of complaints in the back of her mind. Once the Pandemonium Gift Game concluded, she was going to have a 'very' long conversation with both Vahn and Shiroyasha...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Siddhashirama...','Madara has no chill...','Kurma? More like Karen...')

Though Kurma had tried to destroy her before joining the fight against Madara, Eve's durability and regenerative capabilities proved too difficult to overcome without the power of Authority. Kurma was able to destroy her limbs, head, and much of her body, but the core serving as her heart and matter production factory remained undamaged no matter how much force or energy was applied to them.
With the fight between Madara and Siddhartha quickly getting out of hand, Kurma placed a series of seals on Eve's core, trapping it within a sub-dimensional pocket. She believed they would endure until the fight with Madara concluded, but shortly after she left the seals unattended, cracks began to form in the surrounding space-time. Soon after that, a delicate-looking fist broke through, followed by Eve, her body covered in a series of cracks that rapidly mended themselves under the influence of the crystalline nanites comprising much of her form.
Looking around the battlefield, Eve briefly took stock of the situation before teleporting to relative safety. Her CPU, Oracle 2, had determined that the success rate of saving Adam was less than 0.074%, so the most rational course of action was to proceed with her prime directive. So long as she could locate and absorb the power of the Ouroboros Cycle, she could rescue Adam and fulfill the desires of the Ormus Society in a single go.
Spurred forward by her conviction, it wasn't long before Eve found herself near the mountainous corpse of the Demon Lord of Gluttony. It had been for some time, but the moment Eve neared it, the fiery eyes of Gluttony lit up, followed by a raspy, strangely wet-sounding voice saying, "Despicable wench...you think you can steal what's mine?"
Like a zombie responding to the warmth of the living, Gluttony lunged forward with its monstrous, muscular, and half-rotten limb. A toothy maw on the palm of its hand opened up, but Eve managed to evade before she could be swallowed whole, appearing behind Gluttony with a series of six futuristic cannons framing her like the wings of an angel.
Taking aim at the back of Gluttony's head, Eve released a salvo of divine energy in the form of six powerful lasers. As a Demon Lord representing one of the cardinal sins, Gluttony should have been ripped apart by such pure and refined energy. Instead, the folds on the back of its head parted to reveal another toothy maw, the interior of which undulated and swirled like a vortex as it devoured the beams without issue.
As her processors kicked into overdrive, Eve ceased her attack and flew high into the sky. The Gluttony before her was effectively a marionette for the original's fractured Ego, severely limiting its movements. It was using the corpse of the Ouroboros Cycle as a fuel source, but it could barely tap into 2% of her dormant power. Any more than that, and it risked exploding from the inside.
Realizing that Gluttony was attempting to absorb her power to resurrect itself, Eve dematerialized her energy-based weapons and summoned an excessively large sword in their place. The ivory blade was easily more than a hundred meters in length, but it still paled in comparison to the size of Gluttony, barely exceeding the length of its shortest talon.
Undaunted by the colossal Demon Lord's size, Eve descended toward it like an orbital laser, slicing open Gluttony's palm and leaving a large scar down the center of its forearm. The name of the sword was 'God-Slaying Stigmata,' and it was endowed with the power to aggravate wounds and inflict immense suffering on its victims. Eve was planning to wear Gluttony down by rending its body with unmendable injuries, but she soon realized that wasn't going to happen as the gash on the massive Demon's forearm opened to reveal yet another maw.
Forcing Eve to retreat, hundreds of tentacle-like appendages erupted from Gluttony's forearm, their tips resembling the mouths of lampreys. Eve had no trouble cutting them down like rows of fleshy wheat, but the severed ends regenerated instantly while the detached tips attempted to swarm and surround her.
Though most would have tried to break free from the encirclement, Eve viewed it as an opportunity to exhaust Gluttony's energy. The tip of her sword had surpassed causality, so even if there were tens of billions of leech-like tentacles, they wouldn't be able to overwhelm her. The more there were, the brighter Eve's surroundings became as the trajectory of her sword gradually occupied every possible vector.
Realizing Eve's intentions, Gluttony clicked its innumerable tongues and retracted its tentacles. It may have been able to devour Laws in its prime, but its current form could barely be called a shadow of its former self. The actual Gluttony had long since resurrected in the second Little Garden, so the deceased Gluttony's existence was fading with each passing moment.
In an effort to shift the fight in its favor, Gluttony's primary maw, the one adorning its stomach, began to open, its torso contorting grotesquely as a suction powerful enough to swallow light and distort the fabric of space-time emanated from within. Even the sphere of light formed from the afterimages of Eve's sword began to distort, compelling her to cease her flurry and retreat to a safe distance.
While attempting to analyze Gluttony's actions, various data points and error messages appeared in Eve's vision. Even with some of the most advanced analytical abilities in the current Order, she couldn't make sense of the former Demon Lord's actions. After all, if he could revive himself by drawing in additional corpses or devouring the energy of the ruined Little Garden, he would have done so without external prompting.
With Eve's attention primarily focused on Gluttony, her awareness of her surroundings was severely diminished. In spite of this, her body moved on its own as a predominately white figure attempted to ambush her, its powerful claws passing through the area where her head had been less than an attosecond prior.
Manifesting one of her many cannon-like armaments, Eve discharged a laser-like blast at point-blank range. She intended to either erase or send her assailant crashing into the ground but only succeeded in forcing them back a few meters before the beam from her cannon was fractured like a fragile glass column.
Realizing who her assailant was, Eve's chest opened like a six-petalled flower, unleashing the same energy beam that had 'erased' Madara a few hours prior. Said beam enveloped her assailant in its entirety, but even after several seconds had transpired, Eve could still sense their presence. Even more concerning, she could tell it was adapting, gradually becoming immune to her penultimate attack.
Before her assailant could finish its adaptation, Eve ceased her attack and attempted to escape. The surrounding space had solidified, but her attack had created a gap she could use to teleport to safety. At least, that's what Eve intended before a &nbsp;white hand emerged from her waning energy blast, grabbing her throat and preventing her teleportation.
"Where do you think you're going, bitch!?" exclaimed the left-most head of Eve's assailant, none other than the main body of Azi Dahaka.
"Hmmm, I recognize this one." said the right-most head. "Isn't she the shadow of Lilith? The doll that madman created to pacify another of his creations?"
Tilting his head slightly to the side, the centermost head gazed deep into Eve's eyes as it replied, "No. They're similar, but this one is even more of a doll than the original. Her structure is far more durable, but she's 'empty' on the inside."
Using his free hand, Azi abruptly ripped off Eve's right arm, interrupting her attempts to summon Stigmata. When it began to regenerate, he used his shadowy wings to disrupt it, the abyssal black material burning Eve's synthetic flesh like a powerful acid as the central head commented, "This one is different from the others we've encountered so far. She didn't come here from the 'outside.'"
Understanding what the central head was trying to convey, the right head issued a curious, "Hooooooo~?" before hypothesizing, "Then she must be a remnant from the war. We must have overlooked her since she isn't truly alive."
"Who the hell cares?" asked the left-most head. "The bastard that made her is the same nutjob that wanted to steal our Master's power to create a ceaseless Order. We should kill and devour her here and now."
Though he didn't usually agree with the left head, the right head nodded in approval, speculating, "Since she's from this side, we should be able to devour her without issue. That mysterious energy that keeps stealing our prey shouldn't have any influence in this region."
Seemingly ignoring its counterparts, the central head looked past Eve, its lifeless red eyes focused on the distant Gluttony. It was very faint, but he could sense a familiar energy coursing through the colossal Demon Lord's body.
With their senses being linked, it wasn't long before the other two heads followed their central counterpart's gaze. For the briefest of moments, a look of longing appeared in the gazes of the central and right heads. The left head felt the same way, but instead of succumbing to reminiscence, it screamed, "That pig bastard! Just who the fuck does he think he is...!?"
Temporarily seizing control of their shared body, the left head flung Eve into a nearby mountain before charging toward Gluttony with crimson tears staining its bone-white skin. The central head quickly wrested back control, but instead of changing course, he shaped his wings into a pitch-black spear, diving straight into Gluttony's stomach.
Despite the disparity in their size and weight, Gluttony's enormous body was propelled backward by the aftershock of Azi's charge. Black blood and bile erupted from the many mouths covering its body, but instead of fretting over its injuries, a deep, earth-shaking cackle began to emanate from the very core of Gluttony's being.
Spreading his arms wide, Gluttony bellowed, "I knew that bastard would come running if I began using his Master's energy! I can't believe he flew straight into my stomach! Gahahahahahaha~!"
Though he had no way of breaking down Azi's body and converting him to energy, Gluttony was confident he could siphon the former's power just as he did the Ouroboros Cycle. With enough time, he could even-
Before Gluttony could finish his thoughts, shadowy tendrils erupted from his body, slicing him to ribbons mid-cackle. His body didn't immediately fall to pieces, but black steam began to rise from the cuts as a terrifying energy began to surge from his core.
As his many eyes widened, Gluttony muttered, "Impossible..." in a tone of disbelief. Unfortunately, reality, or, more accurately, Azi didn't care for his opinion. Even before Gluttony had finished his final utterance, the colossal Demon Lord began to inflate. Moments later, his body burst, rent asunder by a powerful black shockwave that tore apart the foundation of the Little Garden as if it were loose sand.
Hovering in the air where Gluttony once stood, Azi's wings, which had temporarily taken the form of a dark star, retracted to their original shape. The space around him was in disarray, but the white-skinned Dragon God didn't mind it as the gazes of all three of his heads were focused on the white-haired woman in their arms. Her appearance was such that even Gods would be given pause when observing her, but her half-lidded eyes revealed the same lifeless orbs as Azi, crimson red without a single shred of emotion.
Seeing the woman that had occupied his thoughts since his inception, an eerily human smile developed across the central Azi's face. Then, without a moment of hesitation, he raised his former Master's body over his head and ripped her in half, bathing in her abyssal black blood...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eve be sneaky...','Gluttony is a sin for a reason...','A moment's reprieve, tarnished by absolute evil...')

After his encounter with Death, Izayoi took a moment to rest before heading deeper into the Inner Gated territories. He didn't know for sure, but his intuition was telling him that the closer he got to the center of the former Little Garden, the easier it would be to locate World Dragon Kurma. If not, well, at least he would encounter some strong opponents along the way.
With such thoughts in mind, Izayoi passed through an invisible membrane that put him in the center of a vast, seemingly endless forest. Looking up, he discovered that the sky was completely obscured by the canopy of an incomprehensibly vast tree that resembled an ever-shifting cosmos from below.
Whistling in admiration, Izayoi remarked, "That's one big ass tree. Looks like I just entered the former territory of the Norse Faction. Either that or their predecessors..."
Desiring a better vantage point, Izayoi flew into the sky, the pupils of his eyes briefly contracting as he became aware of the corpses of dozens, if not hundreds, of mountain-sized giants. One, in particular, towered over the others, its hollow eye sockets resembling massive voids within which entire moons could sit.
Though he had witnessed colossal creatures in the past, the sun-sized Vahn being a good example, this was the closest Izayoi had ever been to one. He was fairly confident in his strength but seeing the planet-sized corpse, even from a distance, gave him the impression he was still a small and insignificant being in the grand scale of the cosmos.
Interrupting Izayoi's thought, Seiunn remarked, "Behold, the corpse of Aurgelmir, the First of All and Father of the Giants. That must make this space Ginnungagap, the Graveyard of the Void."
Blinking in surprise, Izayoi parroted, "Aurgelmir?" before asking, "Isn't that the original name of Ymir...?"
Nodding his ethereal, whale-like head, Seiunn replied, "Indeed. In Norse Cosmology, Aurgelmir was born of the dew formed when the ever-ice of Niflheim met with the all-consuming flames of Muspelheim. According to some accounts, his flesh, bones, and sinew are the foundation atop which six of the Nine Realms were built."
Scratching the back of his head, Izayoi remarked, "That's interesting and all, but what am I supposed to do with such information? We need to get out of here and find that World Dragon chick."
Exhaling an echoey sigh, Seiunn responded, "From what I can tell, this space functions similarly to a Game Board. If you want to leave, there is an objective you must fulfill. If I had to guess, this situation is similar to the 'inheritance tests' commonly experienced in Cultivation worlds and novels."
Blinking in surprise, Izayoi asked, "Seriously? You mean to tell me I got dragged into this place to be tested for a power I don't give a rat's ass about acquiring...?"
Shrugging his non-existent shoulders, Seiunn answered, "Based on what I've been able to extrapolate, that appears to be the case. If you want to file a complaint, I suggest you take it up with that enormous corpse over there. I sure as hell didn't drag you into here."
Adopting a deadpan expression, Izayoi retorted, "But you 'should' be able to get us out. Isn't breaking out of spatial locks and prisons supposed to be your specialty?"
"..."
Instead of answering Izayoi's question, Seiunn raised its gaze to the massive canopy blotting out the sky overhead. His Creator had always had a particular 'affinity' with the Norse Cosmology, even as far back as the Record of Danmachi. Thus, while it was possible for him to liberate Izayoi from the Ginnungagap, his curiosity compelled him to at least try to obtain the inheritance contained within.
Exhaling a sigh of his own, Izayoi muttered, "What a pain..." before taking off toward the corpse of Aurgelmir. Even without Seiunn responding, Izayoi had a pretty good idea of what was going through the whale-like Companion's mind. Thus, while he was eager to track down World Dragon Kurma and have her divulge her relationship with his adoptive mother, he didn't mind taking a detour to satiate his friend's curiosity...
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"Is it over?" asked Kurma, her amethyst-purple eyes narrowing as she stared at Siddhartha's right hand.
Nodding in affirmation, Sidd stated, "Though I am weakened without my Power of Authority, Buddhist Sealing Techniques are the most powerful in the current Order. So long as my hand remains closed, Adam has no hope of escaping."
Furrowing her brows, Kurma remarked, "I am well acquainted with the power of Buddhist Sealing Techniques. That's why I'm suspicious. Even if he is blinded by the Truth, why would someone like Adam attempt to fight us directly? Even the leader of his Community is a 3-Digit, Chieftain-Class Deity. How could he hope to contend against Avataras representing single and two-digit Communities? It doesn't make any sense."
Prompted by Kurma's words, Sidd looked skyward, narrowing his golden eyes to focus on the massive construct orbiting hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. It resembled an array of angelic wings from a distance, but as he focused on the epicenter of the construct, Siddhartha became aware of the blue-haired automaton controlling it.
Adopting a faint smile, Siddhartha calmly mused, "It appears we've been lured into a trap."
Following Sidd's gaze, the draconic pupils of Kurma's eyes shrank as she also became aware of Eve's presence. Unlike Sidd, however, she was fully aware of Eve's capabilities, shouting, "We need to dodge...!" with a hint of panic in her tone.
Seemingly disregarding Kurma's words, Siddhartha raised one of his free left hands, musing, "Immovable Golden Buddha..." just as Eve unleashed a beam of purging light comparable to a solar flare. Said beam appeared to blot out the heavens themselves, but the moment it encountered Sidd's comparably small shield of golden light, it was as though it had struck an immovable object. The ruined cityscape surrounding him and Kurma was reduced to sub-atomic ash, but everything within Sidd's spherical barrier was untouched by Eve's orbital bombardment.
Forming a series of seals with his free hands, Siddhartha wove together a series of golden runes into a mantra-like passage before gently pushing it forward, declaring, "Karmic Inversion..." in a deep, resonating tone. The moment his words fell, the beam of light impacting his shield appeared to freeze, becoming a solid column of light whose particles began moving in reverse. Moments later, the light retreated into the sky, followed by the previously destroyed cityscape reconstituting itself as Siddhartha calmly stated, "The way is not in the sky but within our hearts. What we believe, reality becomes..."
Using one of his right hands, Siddhartha made a vertical slicing gesture with his index and middle fingers. As his fingers reached the lowest point of their arc, Eve's landed face-first into the ground, transported hundreds of thousands of kilometers in an instant but suffering no damage from the descent.
Gazing down at the prostrate automaton, a rare hint of disdain appeared in Siddhartha's gaze as he muttered, "Your existence is a mockery of the living..."
Though the Buddhist Faction purported the notion that 'existence was suffering,' they also believed that life and, most importantly, freedom of choice was sacred. Those who sought to escape the natural cycle via mechanical means or the transplantation of the soul were regarded as worse than demons, so while most would consider Eve to be among the most beautiful constructs in all of Creation, Siddhartha viewed her as less than an insect.
Bringing his hands together to form the Uttarabodhi Mudra Seal, Sidd was prepared to eradicate every trace of Even when a deep yet feminine voice emanated from behind him, declaring, "That's my prey. I suggest you and your little dragon friend depart before I make you my next targets."
Following the declaration, Madara emerged from thin air wearing ghostly blue armor in place of her usual crimson ensemble. She had been waiting patiently for a chance to attack Eve, so there was no way she would allow someone else to steal her glory.
Before Siddhartha could order Madara to identify herself, Kurma's brows furrowed as she said, "You're Uchiha Madara, one of the highest-ranking Villains in the West. Is the Ormus Society your enemy as well...?"
Meeting Kurma's gaze, Madara plainly stated, "I have no true enemies. I simply seek to battle powerful foes. If you eliminate that woman before I've had the chance to redeem myself, I'll have no choice but to target the two of you in her stead."
Creasing her brows even further, Kurma was tempted to point out she was aware of Madara's relationship with Vahn and the Aldrnari Empire. Instead, she pointedly inquired, "Is this the will of your Master, or are you acting independently?"
Crossing her arms, Madara firmly declared, "I am my own Master. Now, leave this place before you lose the opportunity to depart of your own accord."
Before Kurma could respond to Madara's provocation, Siddhartha made a pushing gesture with one of his left hands, muttering, "Sacred Palm of the Buddha..." in his characteristically resonant tone. As he did so, an illusory golden palm slammed into Madara like a runaway train, rapidly increasing in size and speed as it pushed her back and through several buildings.
Seeing Siddhartha send Madara flying, an indescribable sense of panic swelled within Kurma's chest. Things hadn't been going as planned since the beginning of the Pandemonium Gift Game, but it wasn't until this very moment that she felt that their actions were futile.
As if to confirm Kurma's suspicions, the luminous golden palm produced by Siddhartha abruptly shattered, followed by the appearance of a moon-sized, dragon-themed Susanoo covered in runes...
Situated in a jewel on the dragon's head, Madara had a battle-crazed grin on her face as she shouted, "You've done it now, you bastards! I'll take on all three of you at once...!"
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Confirming Seiunn's hypothesis, a deep, resonating voice entered Izayoi's mind the moment he entered the cavernous void that was Aurgelmir's left eye, stating, "Welcome, mighty warrior. We sense within you a powerful resolve that defies the 'reason' of this world. Overcome our Trials, and we shall help you draw out your latent potential to its fullest..."
Though he didn't really expect an answer, Izayoi called out, "And what if I don't want to undergo your trials? I'm the type that likes to shatter my limits with my own strength. I don't need hand-holding from some ancient giant to draw out my full potential."
Matching Izayoi's expectations, there was no response from the booming voice that had echoed within his mind. Instead, a blue, vortex-like portal opened up in front of him, the center gradually clearing to reveal an army of Elven warriors standing in formation on the opposite side. Only then did the voice explain, "Your First Trial is to aid the armies of Elfheim. Claim the heads of the D&ouml;kk&aacute;lfar's nine Generals if you wish to advance further. Fail, and you will suffer the same fate as the rest of Elfheim's citizens..."
Without waiting for Izayoi's response, a powerful suction force began to emanate from the vortex-like portal. He could have resisted with very little effort, but as his goal for participating in the Pandemonium Gift Game was to promote and spread the name of his Community throughout the Little Garden, Izayoi just sighed internally and allowed himself to be drawn inside. He might have no use for it, but obtaining the legacy of a Progenitor-Class Deity was bound to increase the status and reputation of the No-Names by a great deal...
...
..
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The downside of being a protagonist is that fate 'will' find a way to fuck you over...','Madara's switch has been thoroughly flipped...','I can just imagine the entire Norse Faction with deadpan looks on their faces as Izayoi claims and then just gives away one of their most legendary inheritances...')

Chapter 2347: Obstinance