Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Hearing Tiona's proclamation, Vahn was incredibly confused by the sudden situation. He could see her aura was almost trying to wrap itself around him, and it made him feel a tingling sensation in his temples. Looking into her eyes, he could see she was very expectant and waiting for his answer, but Vahn didn't know what to say. He had never considered having children, and he didn't even understand the process very well.While Vahn was flustering about with Tiona clinging to him, the rest of the Loki Familia had made their way over. Finn was very impressed with Vahn's fight and wanted to know what kind of skill he had used at the very end. He wasn't the only one either, as Riveria had a curious glint in her eye as she wanted to see through all of Vahn's secrets. Tione was also very impressed but seeing her sister acting in this manner made her somewhat uncomfortable.Tione reached forward and snatched Tiona off of Vahn's body. The moment Tiona was pulled away from Vahn, both amazons stared with wide eyes at the sight before them. Tiona's eyes were sparkling while even Tione couldn't prevent a mild blush from surfacing on her face. Vahn, finally being freed from Tiona's grasp, climbed to his feet and released a restrained sigh. After doing so, he noticed a strange reaction from all the Loki Familia members and followed their line of sight.As Vahn had once against transformed into the vermillion-bird, all of the clothing and equipment he had been wearing was incinerated. He now stood naked before the entire Loki Familia group which consisted of Finn, who was giving him an awkward look, Tione and Tiona who both had mild blushes, Ais who had a somewhat surprised look, Gareth, who seemed rather impressed, Riveria, who had a subtle and somewhat incredulous look, and Bete, who looked like he was almost in shock. Wrapping up the party, there was Lefiya whose face looked beet red as she flustered about behind Ais. (A/N: That friggin sentence~!)While they were staring at him, Vahn was also looking between them, almost entirely unfazed by the situation. Finn felt his brow begin to twitch as the atmosphere continued to become increasingly awkward. Seeing how the members of his Familia wer acting, and the fact that it had been several seconds where everyone just gawked, Finn decided to put an end to the situation. Taking a cloak from Lefiya, Finn walked forward and handed it to Vahn."You can use this to cover yourself..." Finn felt rather awkward handing clothing to the unfazed Vahn. He couldn't understand what kind of person would use a skill that burned their own clothing. Vahn accepted the cloak, and without hesitation, wore it like normal. Seeing his action, Finn nearly fell over. "THE BOTTOM! COVER THE BOTTOM!"---After realizing the fact his nakedness was the source of the awkward atmosphere, Vahn frowned before wrapping the cloak around his waist. The moment he did so, he noticed everyone had strange reactions, though most of the group seemed relieved. One notable reaction came from Tiona, who seemed somewhat disappointed. She was currently being held off to the side by her sister, who was trying to prevent the situation from getting worse. The most interesting reaction though came from Bete, who seemed like he was struggling with something internally.Now that Vahn was 'clothed', Finn sighed before trying to ease tensions. "That was an amazing fight, especially at the end. I've never seen such a powerful technique before. I heard you were only Level 2, but that type of power is generally only seen in high-level magics from Level 3-4." Finn was very interested and almost wanted to inspect the Status Board on Vahn's back. The fact he was currently shirtless only made the desire more prominent.Before Vahn answered, Riveria also spoke. "That wasn't magic, but something I've never even seen before. It was closer to 'controlling' the elements instead of just making use of them. A physical body shouldn't be able to withstand that type of change." Even more than Finn, Riveria really wanted to know what allowed Vahn do something she considered impossible. She had lived for 99 years and was considered the most prominent mage in the City. Seeing something completely outside her understanding was a first for her.Hearing them ask so many questions annoyed Vahn a bit. From his experience and the information he obtained, it was considered improper to question other adventurers regarding their secrets. The fact he was being asked by two of the highest ranked adventurers in the entire City made him feel frustrated. It was like they considered themselves above common sense and expected him to answer just because they were asking politely.Though Finn and Riveria noticed his discomfort, they were still very curious and hoped he would answer. From the side, Gareth harumphed before stepping in and handing Vahn a red cloak to wrap around his back. Looking towards his companions, Gareth said in a firm manner. "Don't pressure the kid. Aren't you two supposed to be adults? Since when were the Captain and Vice-Captain of the Loki Familia lacking in etiquette?"Hearing Gareth's words, Finn released an awkward laugh while rubbing the back of his head. Riveria closed her eyes and bowed slightly toward Vahn. "Forgive me, Vahn, I was simply curious. If you don't wish to discuss the information, I will not force you." Vahn nodded in response, but he didn't say anything about accepting her apology. He could tell that, even now, the two still wanted to find out his secrets. Though they didn't have a malicious aura, they were both an off-yellow with a sickly purple on the edges.While the atmosphere was still very awkward, Ais had walked forward and stood in front of Vahn. "I want to fight you again." The moment she spoke, the entire Loki Familia seemed to be affected. Finn, Riveria, and Gareth all had helpless expressions. Lefiya seemed to be somewhat angry at Vahn, while Tiona on the side just shouted out, "Ehhh? No, Ais, Vahn is mine~! I want to fight him too!" While flailing about, Tiona managed to release herself from Tione and grabbed Vahn's arm.Tiona had an almost hostile look as she stared at Ais, but Ais just frowned slightly before saying, "We can both fight. I will wait." After her curt response, she stood to the side and Tiona made a triumphant 'guts' pose. Opening up some distance between the dumbfounded Vahn, she took a relaxed stance with both palms facing toward him.Vahn just stood there like he couldn't make sense of the situation when, very suddenly, Tione fiercely smacked the top of Tiona's head with her fist. "You dumb monkey girl! Does he look like he is in any condition to fight!?" While rubbing the bump on her head, Tiona looked towards Vahn who was only garbed in two cloaks. Remembering that he was nude previously, her eyes were drawn to the crack in the bottom cloth before another fist hit her head.---After things had settled down, Vahn agreed to fight Tiona, Ais, and then Tione when he got back to the surface. Bete also wanted to fight, but all three of the girls refused saying he was unable to restrain himself and it would be counterproductive. Once they had made the agreement, Vahn moved over to collect his spoils. The Goliath crystal had been massive, and when Vahn broke it, it had shattered into thousands of small fragments. Some of them had burned up, but Vahn was able to recover 1,018 pieces which were all worth 150OP each. In a single battle, he had earned an additional 152,700 OP, so he was in a great mood.Seeing the massive pile of crystals disappear, both Finn and Riveria were able to understand Vahn had 'storage magic'. As they had previously caused tensions, they didn't say anything, but, Finn very much wanted to ask why Vahn didn't have a change of clothes. And, if Vahn did have spares, why he didn't wear them immediately after the battle ended. Fortunately for their curiosity, they didn't have to ask since someone else had done so."Ehhhh? How did all the magic core shards disappear!?" Tiona was inspecting the area with a befuddled look. Since Vahn had used it right in front of everyone, he decided it wasn't worth 'lying' about it so he explained that he had 'storage magic'. Hearing his response, Tiona was smiling but also had a confused expression on her face. "Do you not have any spare clothing?" Though she didn't mind much, it was still strange to her how Vahn had been standing completely unfazed, especially after she had tackled him previously.Vahn nodded his head and took out some of his spare clothing. All of his equipment had burned up, except for his weapons, but he still had a few pairs of casual clothes. While he was getting dressed, he noticed Finn's, Bete's, and Lefiya's auras began to fluctuate. Unable to contain himself any longer, Bete shouted out, "THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU WEAR ANY CLOTHING, YOU BASTARD!? DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WANT TO SEE YOU NAKED!?"His shout seemed to echo the sentiments of most of the group, but Vahn just frowned and responded. "I would have eventually; I didn't make you look." Vahn's words seemed to have set Bete off as he jumped toward him and tried to deliver a kick. Vahn was much slower than Bete, and tried to take a defensive stance, but it proved to be unnecessary. Before Bete had gotten anywhere near him, Ais and Tiona had both intercepted the attack. Ais smashed the sheath of her sword into Bete's armguards while Tiona launched a kick of her own into his stomach.Bete, though he didn't take much damage, held his stomach as he looked incredulously at his two 'companions'. "What the fuck are you two doing!? Are you trying to fight me over some nudist brat!?" In response, Ais spoke quite a bit more words than normal. There was even the undertone of anger in her voice as she said, "He is right. Nobody made you look, and he had just finished a fight when Tiona ambushed him." Hearing the words 'ambush', Tiona faltered a bit before responding herself, "Y-yeah, it was my fault. You can't blame Vahn just because you have wandering eyes!"Seeing the two berate him while defending Vahn, Bete scratched his head with both hands in a demonstration of frustration. "I am much stronger than him! Why are you taking his side in this!? Don't tell me you two actually LIKE him, HUH!?" Bete stared directly into the two girls faces as he shouted the last word.Without any hesitation, Tiona shouted out while triumphantly throwing her fist in the air. "Of course! Vahn is the person I've chosen to sire my children! There is no way I don't like him!" She said the words with a big smile on her face as she glomped the startled Vahn. She just dangled off his neck and laughed in a childish manner. Ais, who was also being stared at by Bete, looked between Vahn and Bete a few times before giving her own response. "He is better than you. You are just older."Hearing both girls refute him, Bete released a loud yell before smashing his leg into the dungeon wall. His kick left huge cracks as he put his hands into his pockets and started walking toward the stairs. "Fuck this shit! I'll be in Riviria when you assholes finish playing around." Without waiting for anyone's response, Bete continued walking away without turning back.The whole time this play was going on, Vahn just stood idle with a blank expression. Even with Tiona leaning herself against his body, he was too distracted by the information he had read in his system.//'Tiona Hiryute' Has Reached Maximum Affection////Quest Completed: [The Hearts Desire:C-SS]//Completion Grade: BRewards:10,000OP, 1x [Hearts Desire: 'Tione Hiryute']Grade Rewards: Skill [Fist Strike:B] obtained.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Tiona's Decisiveness','Bete feels 'inferior'','Airhead','Hearts Doki Doki for Various Reasons')

After seeing the system notification, Vahn was in a daze. The only other 'person' he had achieved maximum affection with was Hephaestus, and that was after knowing her for a long time. He didn't understand how Tiona was so affectionate toward him, and when he turned toward her and saw her beaming smile Vahn didn't know what to feel. His mind felt 'tingly' and it felt like there was a pressure, other than Tiona, on his chest.Finn saw the 'discomfort' Vahn was in, so he tried to rein back Tiona. "Tiona, that kind of thing can wait for later. We should return back to Riviria for now." Finn motioned for everyone to head out, but Tiona hadn't let go of Vahn. She continued to cling to him for a few moments longer before asking, "Will you come with us Vahn?"Hearing her question, Vahn was somewhat indecisive. He had to return back to Rivira himself, but it felt awkward to be dragged along with their group. After thinking things through, Vahn furrowed his brows a bit before he looked at the lively girl that had yet to release him. Seeing that her smile didn't fade in the slightest as she waited for his answer, Vahn finally gave up before sighing. "Sure..."Tiona was very happy with his response and started walking with him toward the exit. Finn and the rest of the party were already near the stairs, but Ais and Lefiya had stayed behind a bit in the corridor for Tiona to catch up. Seeing that Vahn had come along, she gave a small nod before walking alongside them to join the rest of the group. Lefiya followed behind everyone, and Vahn could feel a discomforting 'glare' on the back of his head.---The entire time they were going down the stairs, Tiona kept barraging Vahn with questions. She asked about his home, when he came to City, what kinds of food he liked to eat. Anything she could think of to ask, as long as it related to Vahn, she wanted to know the answer. Vahn answered most of the questions, though he felt helpless since Tiona was still clinging to him even while she bounced around.Ais also asked a few curt questions about how Vahn was able to grow so much in the last week, and about if his Level had increased at all since their last meeting. When she asked, Riveria's ears twitched a bit, while Finn also slowed his pace by a small amount. Neither looked toward the direction, but they were listening in on the conversation. Vahn was paying attention though, so he only gave short responses that didn't reveal any important information.He did mention, however, that his 'magic' that allowed him to transform his body had undergone a change after his narrow escape with the Juggernaut. Vahn knew it was possible for magic to develop and evolve under tense and stressful situations, so he found it an appropriate time to mention the encounter. As the Loki Familia was one of the strongest in the City, they may even be able to subjugate it, saving countless lives in the process.Hearing Vahn mention surviving against a Juggernaut, Tiona started issuing a laugh like she was lost in her own little world. Though it was subtle, Vahn could feel her grip on him tighten by a small amount. The rest of the Familia, especially the senior members Finn, Riveria, and Gareth all had very serious expressions on their faces. They believed that it's somewhat justified Vahn's explosive growth and his unique skill, but they were also shocked that a Juggernaut was currently on the 13th floor. They had been in the dungeon for a few days, and they hadn't heard anything about its appearance at all.The entire group stopped walking as Finn looked back and asked, "You're sure the thing you encountered on the 13th floor was a Juggernaut? It could have been some kind of Variant creature." If what Vahn said was true, they needed to inform the guild to either cordon off the floor or arrange an emergency subjugation team. They would also need to investigate the cause and find out what had happened for such a powerful monster to appear on the middle floors.Vahn described his encounter with a bit of embellishment, including its features and how he had narrowly escaped by leaping through a hole to the 14th floor. For some reason, as he recounted the last part of his escape, Vahn felt a bit ashamed of his weakness. He was especially aware of the girl that was still holding on to his arm, though he didn't know why her presence concerned him so much."I'm glad." While Vahn was having a mild internal struggle, he heard a gentle voice ring in his ear from the right. Looking up, he could see Ais looking at him with her characteristic blank expression. Seeing she had got his attention, she continued, "You can become much stronger. One day you will win." Ais said the words without any hesitation and it made Vahn feel a bit more confident."Hahaha, that's right! Every hero has setbacks, but they always turn things around in the end! If it was anyone else, they would have died you know~!?" Tiona seemed to agree with what Ais said, and in a similar but much more excitable manner, she tried to encourage Vahn. They weren't the only two either, as every present member of the Loki Familia gave him words of encouragement. Even Lefiya, who Vahn felt disliked him, gave him a few kind words in a quiet voice.---Eventually, the group had exited the stairs and Vahn noticed it was still dark on the 18th floor. After checking his system time, he realized it was only shortly before 2 AM, which meant the Goliath had spawned much sooner than expected. It was fortunate the Loki Familia had arrived, or he may have been in a situation where he was awoken by the Goliath's arrival. Even if he had summoned Fafnir immediately, he would have still been drained for the resulting fight.Tiona had been paying attention to Vahn, so she asked what he was thinking about. Vahn looked toward the 'sky' before showing a somewhat complacent smile. "I was thinking that I was very lucky everyone showed up. I think things wouldn't have gone as smoothly without you all nearby." As Tiona hugged his arm even tighter, everyone else either smiled or laughed a bit after hearing Vahn's answer.As the group made their way further into the 18th floor, Vahn noticed they were deviating away from the settlement. After asking, Finn had told him they were currently on an expedition to the 30th floor and had a group too large to fit in the small settlement. Though they had a small manor that could house about twenty people, it wasn't nearly enough for their current eighty man expedition. Because of their numbers, they had been forced to set up camp away from the settlement to prevent tensions between the 18th-floor residents.After nearly an hour on foot, it was slightly after 3 AM when the group arrived outside a relatively large campsite. There were more than 30 tents spaced around in a large clearing next to a forest. A river ran alongside the camp and disappeared further into the trees after turning a bend more than 50m away.Once they had arrived, Finn addressed the party and dismissed everyone for the time being. He still needed to make a report to Riviria and get in contact with the Guild regarding the Juggernaut, so there was a chance he would have to place the expedition on hold. Out of consideration for the situation, Finn informed Vahn that the seven red tents in the western section of the camp belonged to the Hephaestus Familia. If he wanted to, Vahn could rest there and even join them on their expedition if he was interested.After Finn mention going into the deeper floors of the dungeon, Vahn was somewhat excited. He was already nearing the halfway completion point of his quest, and killing monsters deeper in the dungeon with, the support of an S-Rank Familia, was the best possible solution for completing the quest quickly. He gladly accepted the invitation, as it would also allow him to move without having to worry about the Osiris Familia pestering him. Even if they wanted to interfere, there wasn't much they could do when the Loki and Hephaestus Familia(s) were involved on an expedition.Looking toward the tents, Vahn said goodbye to everyone and tried to make his way over. However, the moment he stepped forward, his body was jerked slightly by Tiona who had still been holding his arm since the 17th floor. Tiona firmly held his body as she looked toward the rest of the group. "I want a spare tent. I will stay with Vahn."Finn started laughing in a 'fed-up' manner as he slowly made his way toward Rivira with Gareth. Riveria was left to watch over Ais, while the rest of the girls gave Tiona an incredulous look. Tione stepped forward and shouted, "What are you thinking Tiona!? Do you believe I'd let you get a head start on me? I haven't even been able to sleep with the Captain yet and you want to run off with Vahn!?" From the distance, Finn, who was still in earshot, nearly fell over. This time, it was Gareth's turn to laugh as he patted the blond-haired pallum boy on the back."I don't care about your troubles~ I said I wanted to have Vahn's children and that is my problem, not yours!" As Tiona spoke, she started dragging Vahn away and he began to panic. He tried to free himself from her grip, but there was a huge disparity in their two strengths. Unable to free himself on his own, Vahn tried talking his way out of the matter. "Wait, Tiona, I'll stay with the Hephaestus Familia. I don't want to have children or anything like that, there is still a lot of things I need to do!"Tiona looked at him with a thoughtful expression and seemed to contemplate his words for a while. After coming to some kind of decision, she smiled widely and said, "It's fine~! I'll take care of them on my own or drop them off at Telskyura. It won't interfere with your matters~" The moment she finished her words, she continued dragging Vahn who was now in a cold sweat.Vahn knew of children, sex, and even other things, but he was lacking fundamental knowledge of the process behind their conception. Vahn thought only married people had children, and he wasn't prepared to marry anyone just yet. Fortunately, he was saved by a shining golden goddess as Ais stepped in and grabbed Tiona's hand which was dragging Vahn.Tiona, who had been grabbed, looked toward Ais with a somewhat hostile expression. "Ais? Why are you getting in my way?" Ais stared blankly after being asked the question before looking between Tiona's grim face and Vahn's anxious expression. Her eyes eventually settled on Tiona as she said plainly, "He doesn't like it."After hearing the words, Tiona frowned and stared towards Vahn. Her grim expression slowly turned into a sad one as she saw how uncomfortable she was making Vahn. After a few seconds, she loosened her grip and lowered her head. "Do you hate me now?" Tiona felt very guilty for having forced Vahn against his will. In the worst case scenario, she was afraid her actions might have pushed him away.Vahn looked at her dejected state and felt like it didn't suit her at all. Everything he could remember about Tiona was her happy and bubbly personality, but now, because of his fear and inhibitions, the once cheerful girl looked broken-hearted. After giving a thankful nod to Ais, Vahn walked forward and patted Tiona on the head. He gently ruffled her hair until she turned up her head to look at him.Seeing her face, Vahn tried smiling in what he imagined to be the most gentle manner he could manage. "I would never hate you Tiona. It makes me sad to see you act so down. I like it more when you smile." As he continued his words, Tiona's face became brighter and brighter before she eventually leaped forward and hugged him. She lifted him and spun around with his helpless body while bouncing in jubilation."Aaaaaah, if you say stuff like that it makes it even harder to let you go!" Tiona was so excited that she didn't realize she had been using her massive strength and was slowly squeezing the air out of Vahn's lungs. He didn't know if he should laugh or cry after being picked up like a sandbag and spun about in a carefree manner. As he slowly began to pass out, Vahn's mind wandered to his status, as he had developed the habit of checking them before 'sleeping'.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[[Stats]]Name: [Vahn Mason]Age: 14Race: Human, *sealed*Parameter: [Danmachi: 1-4]-Level:2(+)(2)-Power:1001+(B778)-&gt;(S905)-Endurance:1108+(SS1025)-&gt;(SSS1113)-Dexterity:887+(B750)-&gt;(S920)-Agility:940+(A828)-&gt;(SS1019)-Magic:1611+(SSS1198)-&gt;(SSS1548)Total:5547+(4579)-&gt;(5505)( (A/N: Now THIS is some gainz!)Soul Tier 2 (Hero Soul)[Karma]: 1,473[OP]: 411,259[Valis]: 171,630-------------------------------------------------------------------------(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Not so Gentle After-all','Death by Snu Snu?','Tiona's Determination','Planned Parenthood')

After a bit of discussion, the majority of the Loki Familia had retreated to the far side of the room near the stairs. Since the Goliath would attack everything in the area, they had to maintain a certain distance to avoid trying its attention. One person, however, had stayed in the area and was currently having a lively conversation with Vahn."So~You think you will be able to beat it? I don't mind helping you out, you know?" Tiona was sitting close to Vahn while dangling her feet. The small golden anklets made pleasant rings as she hummed the words. Vahn found her aura to be very comfortable as it was gentle like the sun with a tinge of pink.Shaking his head, Vahn showed a firm conviction on his face as he responded, "I want to try on my own. I feel like I would regret it if I gave up without making an effort. If anything, I almost wish your Familia wasn't in the area, since it gives me confidence that I'll be able to retreat if things go south." Towards the end of his sentence, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh. It wasn't a lie, as the presence of the Loki Familia did ease his mind a great deal.Tiona laughed a bit as she leaned back, laying against the floor of the dungeon with her hands behind her back. She stared toward Vahn with an innocent and pleased expression. "I believe you can do it, even if we weren't here. I'm happy to be around to see you create a miracle~!" Tiona could tell that, though Vahn had grown much stronger recently, he was still a bit far from the point of being able to fight the Goliath alone. But, it was that same growth that gave her confidence he would succeed regardless. It had been less than a week since their spar, but she felt as if his strength had more than doubled in that time. In a way, it was already nothing short of a miracle.Hearing someone speak so confidently about him, especially someone much stronger than he was, Vahn found his own confidence increase. He closed his eyes and focused his mind to recover the energy he had consumed summoning Fafnir. From his right, he could hear Tiona mildly humming a soft tune as she ceased trying to converse with him. Now, though Vahn couldn't see her, Tiona had become content just staring at the serious Vahn with an expectant look on her face.---Forty minutes later, cracks began to appear on the 'Wall of Grief'. Everyone in the area noticed it, and Tiona rose from her spot next to Vahn and quickly retreated to the door. As she left, she turned toward Vahn and shouted, "Good luck Vahn~! Beat it up good!!" Vahn, who had also started to rise with a serious look, nearly fell over after hearing her complacent and excited remark. Shaking his head and laughing a bit, Vahn started to release his domain and transformed into his Báihǔ form.While Vahn was transforming, all the members of the Loki Familia showed somewhat surprised expressions on their faces. Tiona had sparkles in her eyes while Ais had a serious expression on her face. Riveria looks toward Gareth, who nodded in response before she turned to Finn. "He has grown much stronger since we met him last week. His aura and that transformation, everything about him had increased to an incredible extent."As Riveria spoke, Finn showed an intrigued smile as Lefiya, Ais, and Tiona all seemed to agree with Riveria's assessment. The only person who didn't seem impressed was Bete, who was brooding off to the side as he watched the change in Vahn's form. He could also see Vahn's strength increasing by a surprising amount, but he wasn't impressed so he loudly snorted through his nose to dismiss the atmosphere. Tione and Tiona both looked at him with annoyed expressions while Ais's brow twitched slightly.Vahn wasn't paying attention to the Loki Familia; His vision was completely focused on the expanding crack. He watched as it slowly increased in size as small shards of the nearly indestructible material began flaking off of the wall. Curious, Vahn scooped up a bit into his inventory to be analyzed by the system later.After doing so, he got into a low form and began tensing his body. The white and black hairs on his body began to stand as his hair slightly danced from the energy emanating from his body. His aquamarine eyes were entirely focused on the crack as his pupils shrank to the size of a pinhole. Vahn began to release slow and steady breaths as the ground beneath his claws slowly started melting from the flame elements building up in his body.The aura of his domain, which used to take on a golden hue, was now an intermixture of gold and vermillion colors. From the side, members of the Loki Familia actually began to feel a sense of danger coming from Vahn as the intensity of the aura increased and the room temperature began to rise. Riveria, as the most sensitive to magic, actually had a shocked expression on her face. She waved her hand and noticed that the flame elements couldn't be condensed by her. It was like everything in the surrounding 78m had been completely dominated and was now only listening to Vahn's command.Finally, the cracks on the 'Wall of Grief' had reached a critical state as a massive 7m tall grey giant burst forth from the depths. Vahn immediately accelerated and greeted the roaring figure with a powerful double-palmed strike directly to its chest. The momentum that the Goliath had burst forth with from the wall actually paused for a moment as a shockwave slowly spread through its chest before dispersing.Vahn experienced the entire event in slow motion and frowned after seeing his full power attack dissipate so quickly. From his memory, Vahn thought the Goliath should be weak against shockwaves, but his attack didn't seem to cause it any serious damage. Before it was able to react, Vahn kicked off of its chest to open up a distance between the raging figure.The Goliath, who had briefly paused after Vahn's preemptive strike, roared loudly as it tried to smash Vahn to a pulp. It began mindlessly chasing after his figure and caused huge cracks to appear in the hard bedrock of the room. Vahn continued to dodge about whilst evading the devastating blows as he looked for an opportunity to strike. Fortunately, with the agility increase from his Báihǔ form, Vahn was easily able to deal with the speed of the Goliath.Unable to hit the nimble Vahn, the Goliath stretched its body to the maximum its height allowed while raising both hands high above its head. Vahn saw the act and his instincts began sending danger signals to the back of his mind. The moment the Goliath reached its maximum extension, like a blur, it fiercely smashed toward the floor of the dungeon.Vahn bent his body into a bow before the attack landed and launched himself upward with his full strength. His body shot like a bullet, but he wasn't able to completely escape the massive shockwave created by the Goliath's attack. The dungeon floor cracked and seemed to sink several inches as large rocks and shrapnel exploded out from the surface. Vahn felt a wave of energy pass through his body as a sweet taste rose from the back of his throat.Slightly stunned by the impact, Vahn was helpless as a palm swept through the dense cloud of rubble and smashed into his body. With a velocity far greater than he had launched himself with, Vahn spun through the air before colliding heavily with the dungeon wall. He left an impact crater more than 5m wide as he felt like all the bones in his body fractured.Seeing Vahn's body sent flying, Tiona and Ais almost leaped into action but were stopped by Riveria and Finn. Riveria looked toward the two who seemed to be very flustered by the situation. "He is still alive, and look...he hasn't given up." Riveria could still feel the elements converging in the air and knew Vahn still possessed the will to continue. Ais look toward the crater with a serious expression while Tiona had a mixture of concern and anticipation on her face.Vahn, who had been sent flying, had begun to rapidly change. His body was no longer in his Báihǔ form, and he had now transitioned into his turtle form. The wounds on his body were healing, but he accelerated the process by consuming one of his remaining senzu beans. Looking toward the Goliath, Vahn could feel a powerful anger welling within his chest as he dislodged himself from the wall.The moment he landed on the ground, Vahn felt a peculiar sensation from his body. Though his mind was rapidly spinning, he couldn't will his body to move with the same intensity as he was able to in his Báihǔ form. It seemed as if the turtle form greatly increased his endurance and regeneration, but it didn't provide any enhancements toward his agility. As Vahn had become accustomed to fighting in the Báihǔ form recently, he was unable to adapt quickly as the Goliath rapidly approached his position.With a powerful roar, the Goliath advanced toward Vahn and twisted its body. As the movement reached its waist, Vahn could see a powerful kick rapidly approaching from his left. Gritting his teeth, Vahn crossed his arms and prepared to receive the blow. The tattoos on his body seemed to react to his motion as they began to glow with a green light.At the moment of contact, when Vahn had expected to be sent flying, he was instead dragged back slightly before coming to a stop. The foot of the Goliath had impacted his arms, but instead of the shockwave traveling through Vahn's body, it instead bubbled outwards and dispersed into the atmosphere. Vahn was still carried a bit by the momentum, but he received almost no damage from the fierce blow.Vahn began to laugh loudly as he launched himself toward the torso of the Goliath. His speed may have been reduced, but he was still capable of moving relatively quickly. At the moment the Goliath had tried to recover its balance, Vahn launched into its chest and punched forward with his black scale-covered fist. During the motion, the black scales and tattoo seemed to light up with that same green glow, but instead of dispersing the shockwave, it now converged it to a point as Vahn's punch blasted a large hole through the Goliath's chest.The blood in Vahn's body began to boil after seeing the sight. It turns out, his turtle form didn't simply increase his defense. Much like how the Báihǔ form enhanced his senses and flexibility, the turtle form also had other uses. When he focused his energy on defense, it was able to disperse shockwaves away from his body, while, during his attacks, it did the exact opposite and prevented the shockwaves from being dispersed!After suffering the fierce blow from Vahn, the Goliath fell backward and tried to stop its momentum with its hands. It looked toward the figure that had injured it so severely as it opened its mouth and spat out a compressed shockwave. Vahn was a bit surprised by the sudden super-sonic attack but managed to deflect the energy while only being lifted slightly from the ground. While he was in the air, the Goliath spat out another blast, and Vahn tried to receive it in the same manner.Unexpectedly, the green energy didn't activate, and Vahn found himself launched backward by the blow. Though he was able to resist it with his enhanced endurance, Vahn still suffered a heavy amount of damage and couldn't prevent himself from coughing out a mouthful of blood. He didn't know why the green energy didn't activate and tried focusing his energy into his hands as if he was going to attack. Once again, the tattoos and scaled began to glow, but after two seconds the energy dissipated. After it faded, Vahn realized he couldn't converge it anymore and realized it must have a cooldown.While he was slightly distracted, the Goliath hadn't been waiting around. Though only a few seconds had passed, the hole in its chest had already begun to close up as it charged toward Vahn with heavy steps. Vahn took evasive actions but was very frustrated with how slow his body felt in the turtle form. Though he managed to evade a few blows, he didn't prevent the Goliath from being able to eventually grab his body.The Goliath roared loudly after it had grasped Vahn, and used its other hand to begin trying to squeeze the life out of the small figure. Vahn grits his teeth while channeling his energy to resist the attack, but he could feel his bones slowly being ground down. From the side, he could see the Loki Familia beginning to take action, but Vahn called out. "STOP! I can handle this!"Hearing his shout, everyone stopped and had various different expressions on their face. Seeing the situation Vahn was in, even Tiona had lost her confidence in his victory. From the side, Bete began laughing in a cynical manner. "Hahahaha, look at this! That stupid kid is going to get himself killed for his own pride!" Tiona, hearing Bete's snide remark looked toward him and shouted, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Bete flinched slightly at the loud outburst as his rage began to build due to his embarrassment at being startled. He was about to try and teach Tiona a lesson when a sudden heat completely enveloped the entire group.Moments after Vahn had called out to stop them, the damaged he had accumulated reached a critical point. Crimson cracks had started to spread on his body as a powerful burning sensation came from the 'eternal flame' beating in his chest. It seemed to have grown to twice its normal size as it danced about excitedly in his heart. The blood in Vahn's body felt like it had turned to magma, but instead of being painful it was incredibly comfortable.From within the cracks on his skin, wisps of flames began to sprout which quickly turned into small vermillion colored feathers. The tattoos on Vahn's body receded as crimson hue began to glow beneath his flesh. His hair, which had been an onyx black with a green sheen, had now turned a vibrant red with vermillion accents. His aquamarine eyes now looked like fire as energy surged through them.The Goliath, who had been gripping Vahn's body began to roar out in anguish as he released the boy from his grasp. The flesh of its hands had completely charred black with a crimson ember spreading through the palms. The bones within the hands had become visible as they too were slowly eaten away by the flames. Before it had time to recover, Vahn exploded with a fierce energy as he launched himself for the third time at the Goliath's chest.Unlike his turtle form, which had slowed his movements by a large amount, Vahn had now recovered some of the agility he had possessed in his Báihǔ form. He wasn't nearly as fast, but it was still much easier to move when compared to his turtle form. Within a blink, Vahn had reached the Goliath and struck forward with both hands.Unlike his previous attacks, this time Vahn's hands passed almost effortlessly through the flesh of the Goliath. There was almost no resistance at all as the flesh around the impact site seemed to dissolve into black ash as a powerful burning smell permeated the air. Vahn continued forward with his momentum until he was almost entirely submerged within the Goliath's body. His hands made contact with the large crystal within and it too began to shatter after contacting the immense heat.Vahn felt a powerful force wrap his body as the crystal broke into small particles. The Goliath, which had been rapidly burning around him, immediately turned to dust the moment the core was destroyed. Without the Goliath as support, Vahn began falling toward the ground which began to melt the moment he made contact. From the side, he could see the majority of the Loki Familia cheering for him as a brown blur entered his vision.In a panic, Vahn immediately dispersed the heat as quickly as he could as a figure tackled his body and dragged him out of the molten pool. He was dragged nearly 5m through the air before sliding along the ground with a second body attached to him. Looking down, he could see Tiona sticking closely to his chest with an almost feverish expression on her face. The two made eye contact and Tiona smiled widely before saying..."I want to have your baby!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Burn, flame of my soul, PSYCHO BURGUNDY!','Three Stages of Triumph','Deus Ex Zhuque','Grey Goliath becomes Black Ash Goliath')

Chapter 92: Proclamation