Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn leisurely made his way back to the encampment in an awkward manner because he had Lili clinging to his back like a koala as Fenrir stood on top of his feet with both of her paws overlapped with his. As he was able to use [Shundo] as long as one of his feet was on the ground, Vahn could still cover a fair amount of distance, though it took a little more focus than normal. Fenrir had convinced him that she wanted to experience what it was like to move forward using the skill and, as she didn't really get to hold hands with other people, she had grown strangely attached to the moment. Her ears were bobbing up and down in an adorable manner and Lili also seemed to be enjoying herself on his back so Vahn didn't let it bother him...Though they weren't remotely what you could consider 'friends', Fenrir and Lili had at least learned to compromise and tolerate each other's presence because they realized they could 'work together' to both enjoy some benefits. Vahn acted in a somewhat uncharacteristic manner on their behalf and he even seemed to greatly enjoy the experience so they had set aside their differences to make the most of the situation. From Vahn's perspective, the two girls looked like a family, though he could tell there was a fair amount of tension between them, so he pampered them both since they were quite adorable.When they had exited the 51st floor, it was around noon and, as a result of the somewhat abnormal mode of transportation, it actually took Vahn almost as long as it would have taken for him to sprint, assuming he moved at his maximum speed, to reach the encampment. It only took a few minutes, but Vahn was surprised by the 'inefficient' method since he was using a spatial movement skill. He had never realized how much his posture and freedom of movement affected the skill and, with Fenrir standing on his feet, it took him several seconds longer to link the two points before completely the 'jump'. This was an important discovery because Vahn had been thinking of ways to improve his [Shundo] even further as it had been stuck at B-Rank for a long time, even though he used it very often.As they had already eaten lunch, Vahn took the girls straight to the tent under the curious gazes of several onlookers who saw Vahn's and Lili's appearance. They could tell it was still the two Adventurers they had grown fond of over the last two weeks, but it was very confusing to see them have somewhat 'animalistic' traits. At this point, everyone in the expedition knew that Fenrir was a 'tamed' monster, but this actually made them more fond of her as it was very rare to see a truly humanoid monster, much less one that was as cute as she was. As long as they didn't 'antagonize' Vahn, they knew she wouldn't really pay them any mind at all and simply behaved 'adorably' in an attempt to appeal to her 'tamer', Vahn. Though it wasn't what he was most well known for, it was common knowledge that Vahn was inarguably the greatest tamer within the City as the Ganesha Familia actually publically proclaimed it as such.Within the tent, the only girls present were Haruhime and Mikoto, who had both been enjoying tea while it was very apparent Mikoto herself had already prepared for the coming departure. Haruhime had shown an elegant smile by habit, but tilted her head to the side with intrigue displayed on her face as she remarked, "Those outfits suit the two of you very well..." She actually wanted to ask why they were all the 'same', but Haruhime had deduced the reason after a brief bout of confusion. Vahn had likely done something to bring the two closer together as it was very apparent that Fenrir was less 'hostile' toward Lili now. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like the change extended to her as Fenrir showed a slight scowl and said, "Smelly Harume..." under her breath, but easily audible to everyone present.Vahn rubbed Lili's head and said, "You should take a long rest, Lili, I know you didn't get good sleep last night. You worked very hard today, and I'll see you this evening..." Against the expectations of almost everyone present, Lili nodded her head and actually yawned before saying, "Okay..." and dragging her tired body to the sleeping area. As Vahn had already noticed, she was actually extremely tired but it was primarily a result of mental exhaustion, as her stamina was completely topped off while her mana was pooling around in her body at maximum capacity. That eight-hour 'hunt' had been one of the most taxing experiences of her life and she had let her tensions get the best of her since it was also a very fun experience. She was even nearing the point where she could increase her level soon, so Lili wanted to rest in order to make time pass faster.After watching Lili's back disappear behind the room flap, Vahn walked over and sat down after setting a cushion for himself. Fenrir plopped down in his lap as if it was the only acceptable seat she could take but hung her head while tucking in her knees to create a small form since she didn't want to be in Vahn's way. She also didn't want to look at Haruhime as the eyes she looked at Vahn with were very 'frustrating' for Fenrir. Though she would never admit it, Fenrir saw Haruhime as her rival because they had a lot of parallels and were both extremely loyal to Vahn. There was also the fact that, though she didn't remember much about the Divination, she knew that Haruhime had 'won' out against her and had grown into a very powerful entity that served Vahn much better than she had...Vahn wrapped his arms loosely around the bundled up Fenrir as he looked to Haruhime and Mikoto and said, "Well, I can tell you have already made your preparations, Mikoto, but I wanted to talk to you about a few things and also update your Status Board before we leave." Though she already sat ramrod straight, Mikoto's figure tensed up slightly as she inexplicably tried to make herself appear taller and more stoic. After reaching her maximum height, Mikoto bowed her head in a somewhat subservient manner exclaimed, "I understand!" before straightening her back once again.Vahn experienced a small mental pause because he really wanted to remind her that he could see her aura flickering about and she didn't need to act so tense all the time. However, he knew a 'warrior' like Mikoto placed a lot of value on their honor and pride so he didn't mind it and said, "Though the quality of your katana isn't bad, I think it's about time you upgraded to something more 'long term' so you can begin adapting your combat style to fight more powerful enemies." Mikoto still used a katana named [Shinonome] that was only a C-Rank weapon. For a Level 2 in a small Familia, it had actually been a very suitable weapon for her. Now, however, Mikoto would almost always be fighting enemies much stronger than she was and her own potential had evolved after having a flame seed implanted in her chest. As her katana wouldn't be able to cut through the hide of a Black Rhinos, Vahn wanted her to take the opportunity to adapt to a new weapon.For a brief moment, Mikoto showed a somewhat conflicted expression before she grabbed her katana and presented to Vahn with her palms placed upward in a 'relinquishing' gesture. She was the type of girl that was somewhat bound by her culture and tradition, at least for the time being, so Vahn reached out and accepted the katana by grabbing the center of it in an 'accepting' gesture. Though her aura belied her discomfort, Mikoto pulled her hands away without hesitation as Vahn inspected the blade. It was made of Nosteel, a relatively low-class material that was commonly used in beginner and intermediate weapons, but it's make was nothing short of marvelous. Even though it wasn't a powerful weapon, it was obvious a lot of love had gone into its creation and it had been something Mikoto carried at her side for more than half her life.Vahn passed his thumb along the side of the blade, something that was generally considered impolite, but he was also a [Master Smith] and enjoyed some liberties when it came to such things. After he was done, he sheathed it once again before making eye contact with Mikoto and saying, "I will keep this katana for the time being, but I will return it to you one day much stronger. I know that it is believed in the Far East that a named sword can carry a soul, and I can see the care you put into maintaining this blade over the years. I will give it a 'burial ceremony' later before using its constituent materials to forge you an heirloom sword in the future..." Hearing Vahn's words, Mikoto's aura stabilized a great deal and an inexpressible sense of relief passed through her body. Though she still sat upright, her shoulders relaxed slightly as if a heavy burden had been relinquished from them.After putting the katana, no, [Shinonome], into his inventory for safe keeping, Vahn smiled at Mikoto and said, "I had originally intended to give you a sword similar to Haruhime's, but I think your combat style is a bit different than her's. While her's is akin to an elegant dance, your's has always been one that borders on the level of 'faith' and shows a heavy emphasis on discipline. You've made admirable progress in trying to make your movements more fluid in recent months...I want to give you a weapon that enhances your current capabilities, but will also allow you to continue pursuing the way of the sword you wish to follow..."As Vahn spoke, he was also filtering through the gacha system once again because he truly believed that The Path helped him out a bit when he made pulls with 'conviction'. He didn't truly want to gamble, he simply wanted to let Mikoto's 'fate' intermingle a little with The Path in the hopes that it would help make her own 'path' easier to tread. The final weapons used by the girls would be ones personally forged by him and named through the Akashic tome, so this moment was a true test to see what hand fate would deal them. Unlike the 'Magical' and 'Beautiful' traits he had assigned for Haruhime's katana, Vahn selected 'Refined' and 'Balanced' since it seemed suitable for the situation.The large wooden wheel, adorned with somewhat worn looking gold, began to spin around in his mind once again as orb began to emerge from the hole in the center. The very first one to appear was a muted grey that made Vahn's eye subtly twitch but the very next one was a pale red, a color Vahn had yet to see before. Immediately following it, there was an even richer red which Vahn could deduce to be of a higher quality than the previous one. The next few were all white without any variations until a somewhat reminiscent blue light appeared on the 'bonus' pull. Vahn's memory could easily recall significant events and he recognized that it was the same color as Haruhime's [Sakura Blossom]. After seeing that the bright red katana was only C-Rank, Vahn immediately dismissed the other and opened the blue orb which contained a katana that had a black sheath with a stark blue cord and a pattern like cresting waves embellishing the side. The handle looked relatively plain, but the braid was a deep navy blue instead of a traditional black or white...-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[Mizuryū-no-Mai] (A/N: Essentially 'dance of the water dragon' or 'water dragon's dance')Rank: A (Magic)Slots: 0P.Atk: 900+90M.Atk: 300Abilities: Four Phases(A), Drink(A), Impeccable Edge(B), Piercing(B)A simple katana that belies the awesome power contained within its blade. Forged by a skilled blacksmith that had fallen in love with an enshrined river goddess who possessed the true form of a dragon. Inspired by the elegance of her dance, the blacksmith created this sword as the embodiment of his feelings for the love that could never be. Allows the user to store fluids within the blade to nourish it while also enabling them to exercise control over the four phases of water: liquid, solid, gas, and essence.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Vahn was very surprised by the P.Atk of the weapon since it was bordering on S-Rank, though the M.Atk left something to be desired. However, it was the abilities and description of the [Mizuryū-no-Mai] that truly caught his attention as any 'control' type ability was incredibly powerful if used correctly. The fact that it was also related to water, especially while Mikoto was trying to make her style more 'fluid', also served to make Vahn feel vindicated about his somewhat presumptuous inference about The Path and its influence on 'fate'. Now his belief in his deduction was even more pronounced and he began contemplating if he should give all of the girls 'suitable' items by relying on the gacha system. Until he could forge them unique items suitable to their characteristics, it would be a good temporary measure to take. After all, more than half of his pool of OP could be credited to the efforts of the girls within the Manor...Though it seemed like a fair amount of time had passed, it had actually been less than a minute in the real world before Vahn smiled and pulled the [Mizuryū-no-Mai] out of his inventory and performed the same 'relinquishing' gesture as Mikoto. Even though she couldn't understand it herself, Mikoto felt a strange affinity with the katana Vahn had 'created' for her. She reached out and gingerly grasped the katana in an 'accepting' gesture before pulling it close and stroking her hand across the black sheath. From the moment she took it into her grasp, Mikoto felt like it was perfectly balanced in her hands and the length of the blade was an ideal 90cm while the handle was slightly longer at 28cm. She actually preferred using a 'loose' grip these days so the added length would allow her more freedom in her handling capabilities in the future.Vahn and Haruhime both watched Mikoto in silence as the swordswoman partially unsheathed the blade and marveled at flawless Hamon, the wavy pattern that adorned the length of the blade. Mikoto was seemingly unaware of it, at least for the time being, but Vahn noticed that a subtle ripple emanated from the blade when it was unsheathed and he could see that the water elemental energies in the air had become more active. He squinted his eyes slightly and watched Mikoto observe her own reflection against the surface before unsheathing it entirely and holding it up to check the edge. She appeared to have fallen into her own little world, something both he and Haruhime respected, so they waited patiently for her to familiarize herself with the weapon.Mikoto eventually sheathed the katana once again and closed her eyes in an effort to hide her own embarrassment at having behaved in an uncouth manner. After collecting herself, she opened her slightly glimmering black eyes and asked, "May I be allowed to know its name...?" Vahn smiled in response and explained, "It is known as [Mizuryū-no-Mai] and it can be considered a first-class weapon with quality almost comparable to a 'masterpiece'..." The quality of goods within the Danmachi record actually used a 'grading' system instead of the 'rank' system that Vahn made use of. The grades were Low, Intermediate, High, Third-Class, Second-Class, First-Class, and, if it was a quality weapon made by a [Master Smith], Master-Class, though most people simply called them masterpieces. Above these were Grandmaster, God, and even Artifact, but such items weren't actually in common circulation in the mortal world.After letting his words settle in for a short moment, Vahn continued, "You'll find that its physical attack power is quite high and that its cutting edge carries the 'Impeccable' ability. Alongside that, it also contains the 'Piercing' ability as well as two other 'rare' abilities, 'Drink', and 'Four Phases'. The 'Drink' allows you to store liquids within the blade, though I'm sure of the limitations, while the 'Four Phases' actually lets you control the different phases of water, including liquid, solid, gas, and essence. Simply put, it let you control water, ice, steam, and the pure elemental essence of water. I can probably demonstrate its use for you, but it may be more meaningful if you discern its capabilities for yourself..." For a warrior from the Far East, their weapons were equivalent to 'companions' for them and it was considered 'rude' to show you had a better understanding of their companion than the swordsman themselves...Mikoto understood that Vahn was showing consideration for her pride as a warrior so she bowed her head low and said, "Thank you, Vahn, I will show you that I am capable of wielding this katana through my own efforts..." Toward the end of her sentence, Mikoto let her words trail as she raised her head to make eye contact with Vahn and said, "However...I would appreciate your guidance as my Lord and Master in the future..." Even if he didn't demonstrate it himself, Vahn could guide Mikoto from the side and give her pointers without blemishing her pride. The most important thing of all though was the fact that she had addressed him as both 'Lord' and 'Master'.Unless Vahn refused her, she was essentially placing herself as both his vassal and apprentice. She already recognized him as her Lord, but the only person she had truly treated as her Master had been Takemikazuchi. This was a big step forward for the reserved Mikoto so Vahn bowed his head slightly to affirm the address and ease her heart and mind. The moment he did so, Mikoto's affection had increased from 95 up to 99 and she seemed especially happy since there was an almost indiscernible change in her expression as her lips curled up slightly at the edges. Other than the times when she had reunited with Haruhime and discovered they had an onsen in the house, Vahn had never really seen Mikoto smile. Seeing how happy she was, he couldn't help but show his own happiness, which seemed to be contagious, as both he and Haruhime displayed large smiles...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Smelly Harume...','That is quite the sword O____O','Subtle signs, drastic changes...')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

The happy atmosphere shared by the three, with Fenrir as a silent observer, didn't last for long however as Mikoto seemed to recall what else was 'necessary' before they departed. She had been thinking about heading out to train with her new katana, but the practical training against monsters was inarguably more important since she could hone her battle awareness at the same time. Though she still had inhibitions about it, Mikoto had already made her resolve in the past to serve Vahn as his blade and, if he one day decided to push their relationship forward, she had already prepared her heart after discussing the matter with Haruhime several times...Vahn had noticed the slightly chaotic fluctuations in Mikoto's aura as the smile disappeared from her face and, although it wasn't that noticeable, how she had started to take slightly deeper breaths through her nose. Seemingly finding her resolve, Mikoto's eyes became somewhat serious as she moved her hand up and unfastened the clasp holding her shoulder guard in place. Then, Mikotoko loosened her own kimono with somewhat rigid movements before revealing her breasts, which were wrapped tightly with a cloth sarashi, similar to Tsubaki. Her breathing had become slightly more labored as she reached up to loosen the sarashi before her head drooped a bit and she decided to turn around instead. It almost appeared as if she was going to set aside her shame as a show of conviction, but she hesitated at the end after imagining how her behavior might be misconstrued by others as her 'tempting' Vahn.Fenrir had already moved out of his lap so that he would be able to move easier so Vahn kneeled behind Mikoto before pricking his finger and tracing a line of blood down the curve of her back. The Hestia Familia crest came into existence and Vahn began scanning his eyes over the values present. Since she was one of the girls that generally went to Hestia for her Status update, this was the first time Vahn was seeing Mikoto's progress since before they departed for their excursion in the past. Though she had made fair progress, Vahn could understand why she was feeling a bit of pressure as the majority of girls within the Familia had overtaken her in a short period of time. Even Haruhime, the girl she had sworn to protect from future harm was now much stronger than her and the few spars they had always resulted in the disciplined swordswoman's loss...(A/N: I went back and checked only to realize I never posed Mikoto's updated status in the past so I'll do so now...)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------[[STATUS]]Name: Yamato MikotoRace: HumanLV. 2(+)POW: 634+I75-&gt;E490END: 628+I70-&gt;E488DEX: 740+H132-&gt;C613AGI: 722+H119-&gt;E404MAG: 531+I50-&gt;D517Skill: [Yatanokurogarasu:C-&gt;B], [Prometheus's Blessing:A]Magic: [Futsunomitama:B], [Apocalypse: Innate(sealed)]Development Skill: [Abnormal Resistance:C], [Swordsman:(sealed)]----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Though her foundation was very 'balanced', Mikoto had increased her level far too quickly because she had been desperate to become stronger to save Haruhime. After they entered the City, Takemikazuchi had the fortune of establishing a connection with Hephaestus while also learning of the existence of the 'heroic' Vahn so he had his children focus on growing stronger instead of simply searching the unknown City. He wasn't aware of this, but the current Mikoto was far stronger than her future self had been by a fair amount. However, when compared to the growth of some of the other girls around her, she couldn't help but feel very weak and often spent several hours a day honing her skills in the pursuit of greater strength.While Mikoto was fixing her clothing, Vahn held his hand to his chin while in deep thought about methods he could employ to help her become stronger. She was certain to experience parameter development when they hunted on the 51st floor, but Mikoto was the type that placed greater value in her swordsmanship and actual skill than her base parameters. Since she didn't actually have any skills or abilities that modified her parameters any, Vahn understood why she would have such an emphasis since she didn't have anything else to rely on previously. Now she had the [Mizuryū-no-Mai], her strength would likely increase greatly but Vahn wanted to help her have something she could personally rely on, other than her equipment.If Mikoto was truly going to treat him as her Master, Vahn wasn't going to overlook her training in a passive manner anymore and wanted to help push her along the path she chose for herself. Other than making her do some training to develop [Featherfoot], Vahn wanted her to have an attack skill or something else that could bolster her strength in a pinch. Every powerful Adventurer he had seen all had some way to enhance her parameters while the only benefit Mikoto had was the support of Haruhime on occasion. Relying on other people for such things could have adverse effects, however, since you might become over-reliant on their buffs and never develop any of your own...Vahn ultimately decided that he actually wasn't capable of teaching Mikoto and there wasn't much he could do other than offer her advice and guidance on her own path. She also had the guidance of capable swordswomen like Ais and Tsubaki, so Vahn changed his approach about things and instead decided to make use of The Path to assist him. Though it would put his daily expenditures over 600k OP, Vahn unhesitantly used the gacha again, this time looking for sword techniques and manuals that could help Mikoto increase her own comprehension. It could also benefit his own growth in the future if he decided to pursue sword techniques so there was no major downside to it at all, especially considering his own [Swordsman] was A-Rank.Against his expectations, the first orb that was spat out by the wooden wheel was a deep Indigo in color that had a powerful light shining within its core. Vahn had started to speculate that the colors were either based on the color spectrum or the progression of chakras within the body so Indigo should be much higher quality than even the blue orbs that had contained the two girls' katanas. If his assumption was correct, the grades should range between Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet, with the highest rarity being a combination of them all creating a resplendent rainbow such as when he obtained [Magia Erebea] and [Mantra of Eternity] in the past. However, Vahn also knew that the color should be based on his current Soul Tier so something that was rainbow when he was Tier 2 might be as low as Red in the far future.Other than the first Indigo orb, there were two red orbs while the rest were white in coloration with the only exception being the 'bonus' pull which had come out as a dull grey that made Vahn's eye twitch. He had felt like the bonus pull had a higher chance of being a 'win' so it was a little unexpected to see a dud as the final item. Harboring a hope that it was a 'unique' shade of black instead of an actual dull grey, Vahn cracked it open and the only thing that popped out was a piece of paper showing three images. The first image was them standing still while the second showed them raising their sword only for the third image to be the exact same as the first. It showed the most basic form of a slash and Vahn knew his delusion had been shattered as he fed it back into the shop for a whopping 0 OP.Without wasting any more time, even though so little had passed that Mikoto was still wrapping her sarashi around her breasts, Vahn cracked open the Indigo orb to reveal a somewhat worn looking silk scroll with ornamental carved bamboo at the ends in the style of the Far East. Vahn couldn't discern anything from its appearance so he threw it into his inventory to read the description and saw the name and rank of the scroll before his brows raised. After checking in the system shop, Vahn saw that it was actually worth 3,000,000OP and any worries he had about 'wasting' his OP had completely flown out the window.-------------------------------------------------------------------------[Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll](A/N: Or as many people would know it: Scroll of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū)Rank: S (Heritage)Use: A manual detailing an ancient kenjutsu style from the Sengoku Jidai, developed to allow a single samurai to defeat numerous foes single-handedly, created by Hiko Seijūrō I.-------------------------------------------------------------------------After scanning the surprisingly lengthy contents with his mind, Vahn pulled out the scroll and held onto it with a serious expression on his face as he waited for Mikoto to finish dressing. When she noticed his look, her countenance also because serious because the atmosphere in the room had become somewhat tense a short while earlier. After she resumed her seat, Vahn held up the scroll as if it were an especially fragile artifact and said, "This scroll contains a powerful sword heritage that could allow you to one day become the greatest swordswoman in the world. I will entrust it to you for safekeeping Mikoto, in the hopes that you will master its contents and one day proliferate the techniques through your own disciples one day..."Mikoto was a little confused by Vahn's claims, as they were very bold and it seemed very difficult to believe, but she reached out and the accepted the scroll regardless while deciding to believe in his words. At the very least, she knew the contents of the scroll would allow her to become much stronger so Mikoto treated the matter seriously, especially considering that it was Vahn's first official bestowment since becoming her Master. Even if he gave her a scroll that caused her to gain proficiency in doing a task like laundry, she would study it seriously simply because of the value she placed in her own pride and the principles she lived by. Vahn wasn't the type to mislead people in such a way, however, but Mikoto had no way of knowing that the scroll she had just received would one day become one of the most coveted items within the entire mortal world...---There obviously wasn't time for Mikoto to practice the [Flying Heavenly Sword Scroll] right now, so led her and Fenrir to another different entrance to the 51st floor. Mikoto hadn't been too fond of the idea of riding Vahn's back or having him carry her, so they ended up running to a nearby entrance instead of taking advantage of his [Shundo] as a convenient mode of transportation. Vahn didn't actually mind running along because he was still a Vanargandr and there was something 'exciting' about feeling the wind pass through his fur and the large ears atop his head. Other than his hyper-sensitive senses, the thing that Vahn had the most trouble adapting to were the two large ears he had obtained as a Vanargandr. They were around 15cm long and it was very weird for him to feel them moving about atop his head.One of the reasons it was strange is because Vahn wasn't normally able to 'move' his ears about in most of his forms yet, as a Vanargandr, they were capable of rotating around 30 degrees, almost like a rabbit, whenever he picked up on sounds. There was also the fact that, whenever he tried to relax and stop focusing on the various sounds around him, the ears would flop down unless he stood with a proper posture or willed them to stand tall. He started to realize why Fenrir, after obtaining her new body, would often flop her ears about in an adorable manner. Vahn felt she had been trying to get used to the much larger ears and he wondered if he would have to do the same in the future since the form was actually very convenient for fighting.After making their way down to the 51st-floor entrance, Vahn explained to Mikoto all the things she would have to be aware of. She was only Level 2 and didn't have a 'cheat-like' combat Innate to enhance her capabilities like Haruhime and Lili. She would also be using a new weapon so she needed to exercise caution while doing her best to avoid taking blows from the powerful Level 4 Black Rhinos. Fortunately, she had the benefit of years of training and her skills had been polished to a much greater extent than many of the other girls. Her agility should allow her to dodge the Black Rhinos with relative ease, and the 90cm long blade would be able to cut through the hide of the monsters without any major difficulties. As long as she didn't lose her focus, things shouldn't become a problem. With her passive ability to sense monsters she has slain before, the moment she kills a single Black Rhinos and Deformis Spider things would get a lot safer for her.Hearing Vahn's cautionary words, Mikoto listened with a serious expression on her face before responding, "I understand." in a firm tone the moment he finished. Vahn nodded his head with a smile before turning to Fenrir and gesturing to her to lead the way. They wouldn't be 'hunting' like they had during the first half of the day, but she didn't seem to mind it too much at all. Fenrir knew that Mikoto was 'weak' so it was important to make sure they took things slowly so accidents wouldn't happen. When they finally approached the first group of monsters, Fenrir looked at Mikoto and said, "Mikoto will stay back and fight the enemies Fenrir lets through. Vahn will watch over you, but make sure you do your best if you want to become stronger."Mikoto nodded without showing before unsheathing her new katana and preparing for the coming battle. Fenrir gave her one last glance before charging into the corridor and triggering the spawn of the Black Rhinos. She felt much faster now and had already killed nearly six-hundred Black Rhinos on her own so she unhesitantly charged at the supposedly strong monsters before passing her claws through them effortlessly. Her [Severing Claws] allowed her to cut as deep as 30cm if she tried hard and each of the 'blades' carried the same unstoppable momentum of her normal claws. Fenrir didn't bother making sure they were dead, instead focusing on disabling them and controlling their movements since she still needed to let Mikoto fight. As a result, one of the first enemies she had attacked, which had large gashes in its thigh, had recovered a bit and charged toward Mikoto with significantly reduced speed.Seeing the enemy approach her, Mikoto's expression turned even more serious and she even pursed her lips slightly as she leaned forward slightly and shifted her weight to the right while kicking off with her left foot. In the same evasive motion she used to dodge the Black Rhinos' charge, Mikoto slashed horizontally with [Mizuryū-no-Mai] and sliced through the side of the monster before using her right foot as a pivot to twist around and follow its back for the next strike. Because she hadn't done anything to stop its momentum, the Black Rhinos had continued forward and slid across the ground for several meters, still alive. Mikoto chased after it before piercing her katana into its back and pulling it out in an arc that left a 130cm gash in it's back. Mikoto was surprised with how little 'feedback' she felt from her own actions because the sword was much sharper than she had expected.After finding her footing, Mikoto targetted another nearby Black Rhino before dashing forward. Its momentous charge was much faster than her own, but Mikoto was able to easily change direction while the monster was forced to carry forward as a result of its own inertia and its propensity for mindlessly charging forward. Before it was able to slow down and change direction, Mikoto had stepped in behind it and traced her sword in a horizontal slash across the back of the Black Rhinos that nearly bisected its entire body. Once again, there was almost no feedback from the slash and Mikoto felt like she was passing her black through water instead of a monster known for its durability. As a follow-up to her attack, Mikoto pierced forward with her katana once again, but this time she didn't put much strength into the movement. Her sword passed through the back of Black Rhinos like she was inserting it into a block of tofu before it turned into dust when she struck its magic core.Mikoto was somewhat conflicted with how 'easy' it was to kill the enemies because it almost felt like she was relying more on the katana in her hands than her own strength. However, as long as she used any weapon at all, she was inarguably relying on it to defeat her enemies. Thus, though it caused her a bit of discomfort, Mikoto looked at the unblemished blade with a somewhat affectionate look and resolved herself to become worthy of wielding it in the future. This katana would one day become an extension of her own body and a trusted companion that she placed her fate in during the heat of battle. Having a strong companion was always better than having a weak one so Mikoto promised that she would become strong enough so as not to hold the katana itself back...---(A/N: Some people might be confused why a technique from a Tier 2 world could be S-Rank in a Tier 1-4 world so I will explain. It is simply because the technique, if used by people with superhuman parameters like those in Danmachi, would be pushed even further beyond the almost ridiculous levels seen in Rurouni Kenshin.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Mikoko is a good girl','The birth of a legend','Doki Doki Sword Desu?')If you'd like to support me as a writer so I can write even more stories in the future, please follow the ******* link below (O,...,O)~! Stay beautiful &lt;3. Since it was requested, I also added a Paypal link if that is preferable~!)https://www.*******.com/user?u=14397149paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 474: Four Phases