Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With a reformed height of 190cm, azure blue scales intermixed with a pattern of gold, glowing runic tattoos covering his body, and majestic golden antlers protruding through his azure hair, Vahn stood within the quaking void as he overlooked the devastation below. His eyes were a vibrant golden color that radiated like the sun while his pupils had become like thin reptilian slits. Other than the peculiar golden wheel behind his back, the most striking feature he possessed currently was the azure lightning that coiled around his scales and danced between his body and the wheel. Wherever the arcs of 'lightning' spread, a black emptiness would be left within the void before space tried to repair itself.Vahn found himself in a strange state where he was suffused with intense rage while also feeling extremely calm, contemptuous thoughts welling up inside him as he looked down upon the world. He didn't know who the man was but, based on the variables available, Vahn had a strong suspicion about where he had come from. His golden eyes turned towards the North-West region of the continent, almost as if his gaze could pierce through time and space. In the next moment, Vahn found himself in an area with an oppressive aura suffused through the atmosphere as an expansive City stretched out below him. The buildings looked extremely ancient but, as if unaffected by the passage of time, had an 'immaculate' quality to them. There wasn't even a single sign of fauna, including a distinct lack of insect life that would typically be present in most environments...Upon blinking his eyes, Vahn found himself standing in the air above the battlefield once again, causing him to squint as a result of the mild confusion he felt. It was almost as if his 'intent' had been able to travel to where he wanted to view and, testing this theory, Vahn found himself looking down at the Elsos Ruins in the Dark Continent a moment later. This time, he 'moved' his body and found himself tearing through the void as, instead of just his intent being present above the Ruins, his body had formed as if there had been no distance separating him and Orario from the start. His energy reserves had taken a massive hit but were quickly replenishing as Vahn once again found his 'intent' above the battleground before tearing through space as if it were just a slightly resistive membrane...With most of his reserves sunk in the two spatial transfers, Vahn felt the 'contempt' that had invaded his mind slowly begin to fade away. He saw that Haruhime had recovered Ioke while Lefiya treated the unconscious goddess' injuries. Ais, along with most of the girls that had been observing the battle take place, had formed a defensive line to protect the City. Most of the citizens that had been content to simply watch had started evacuating very quickly with the assistance of the Alliance and the various Adventurers who had gathered. The festive atmosphere from before had completely vanished the moment the golden spear had descended, leaving a deep cross-shaped scar in the terrain while the surroundings had sunken inward after the massive explosion...Vahn estimated the strength of the person that had attacked him to be around the peak of Level 8 while the attack they had used was likely related to an Innate. It had been completely indefensible as, from the moment the spearman had locked onto his target, they would be weighed down by an incredible pressure that made even dodging impossible. Vahn wasn't even sure if he would be able to evade it in his Lightning Emperor form, as the attack had torn through him faster than his already ridiculous perception could process. From the moment he had sensed the attack, several kilometers away, to the time he had been run through, it was almost as if no time had passed at all...Because of this, and the fact that such individuals simply couldn't exist in secret, Vahn supposed that the man had belonged to the faction of Zeus and Hera. Other than Siegfried and Jeanne, Vahn had yet to meet anyone who was remotely close to the spearman in strength. He had to be some Hero from History who had fallen out of the limelight after events Vahn could only begin to speculate over. All he knew for certain, even though he was unaware of the reasons, it seemed like this group of people had become antagonistic towards him. This realization, combined with the wrath he had felt previously, caused Vahn to enter into his Azure Dragon form for the first time as thoughts of what might happen if he wasn't careful played themselves through his mind.The weakest person he had seen from the group had been Jeanne, even though Vahn also 'felt' that he wouldn't actually be able to beat her. Even she had been Level 8, meaning there was a very high probability that others in their organization were also around a similar degree of strength. If anyone in their group had Innates that would allow them to breach the Manor, it meant none of his family was safe if they were truly at odds with each other. Though Terra should be able to keep everyone safe, there was no way of knowing how an Innate could manifest. Understanding this, Vahn once again turned his eyes towards the North-West as rage and contempt began to permeate through every fiber of his being...As he was thinking of wreaking havoc at the ancient-looking city atop the mountain, Haruhime's voice entered Vahn's mind, asking, ("Vahn, what happened? What do you want us to do...?"). Vahn could hear the concern in her voice as it echoed within his mind, causing a bit of the rage he felt to diminish as he looked toward where the girls were gathered and sent a broad telepathic response, ("This is a group of enemies that you all aren't prepared to face. Not only are their Innates polished over hundreds of years, but the weakest in their group is over Level 8. Return to the Manor and protect our family. I don't think they will attack within the City, but there is a chance one of them may try to infiltrate the Manor...please, keep everyone safe.")Since they may try to insist on helping, Vahn averted his eyes when he was finished speaking, sending his intent thousands of kilometers in an instant before tearing through the void. The oppressive energy in the air made it feel like he was trying to swim through liquid metal that had been compressed under intense pressure. Vahn felt like, as he was tearing through the void, his body was also being torn apart in the process. However, with the immortality he possessed through his [Magia Erebea], Vahn was able to complete the transfer as the golden blood in his body defied gravity to return to him, sealing up his wounds almost instantly.Almost as soon as he broke through into this condensed space, Vahn knew he had been detected and, a few seconds after his arrival, several hundred armored warriors had ascended into the sky. Though he didn't feel much of anything at the moment, Vahn was mildly surprised to see that, of the nearly three-hundred warriors, each of them looked like ethereal beauties that practically 'screamed' the word Valkyrie in the back of his mind. Each wore ornate blue and black armor that was adorned with gold, the only exception being their white battledresses and the feathers in their visored helmets. They had dark-grey metallic wings and either wielded halberds or paired swords and kite shields, each glimmering with the resplendence of A and S-Rank items...Even though the entire group consisted of Level 5 warriors, with a few Level 6s and 7s mixed in, the only thing Vahn felt after his momentary surprise was absolute contempt. The closer they charged to him, the dimmer the world became until one of the Level 7s, a woman with pristine white hair and blue-grey eyes, was merely ten meters away from him. With this occurrence, Vahn felt like time had actually stopped completely, even though he could still see the lightning moving in slow motion across his azure-blue scales. It seemed that his Azure Dragon transformation not only gave him the ability to manipulate space, but it was heavily affecting his perception of time as well.From the perspective of reality, unobserved, both Time and Space, while being fundamental Laws that governed almost every record, didn't actually exist. There was no 'distance' between two points unless you had the means to measure it through the lens of your perception, given by the ego and interpreted by whatever instrument you used to view reality. If you were able to exist outside of records, where even Laws themselves didn't exist, you could view the inside and choose any point in Time and Space, regardless of the location or if it was in the past, present, or future. It was only when you were inside of the record, bound by its Laws, that the two concepts had any influence over you in a meaningful way...With the ability to move through and manipulate Space, which could not exist without Time, Vahn was secondarily able to have some degree of control over the later. Though he could not tear through time, as he could Space, just having the ability to change his perception of Time, and its relation to the Space around him, gave Vahn a degree of power that his own mind was having trouble keeping up with. If not for the strange state he found himself in, Vahn wasn't sure if he would be able to make sense of any of the phenomenon happening around him, even with all the Time in the world to do so...Though he would normally have to strain his muscles to move in this state, as his body simply couldn't keep up with his mind, Vahn was able to 'shrink' and 'tear' through space without Time seeming the affect him. Instead of straining himself, it felt like he was moving through a dense and fiery liquid as a black trail existed where his body had been previous. Vahn could even see 'light', or the Space around where his hand had been, slowly collapsing in on itself as the mana and light in the air flowed in to fill the 'nothingness' that had been left behind.During Vahn's 'simple' movement, where he had lifted his hand up in a seemingly casual manner, the leading Valkyrie hadn't even moved a single millimeter through the air as even her pupils were contracting at a ridiculously slow rate. It wasn't uncommon for powerful warriors to have a perception and mental acuity that far outstripped their physical capabilities so, even though the Valkyrie was seemingly frozen in time, her mind was slowly processing what was happening...Vahn felt like he had all the time in the world to contemplate his next choice of action thus, after what felt like several minutes of thinking, he had made his choice. None of these Valkyries had dark auras so Vahn didn't want to kill them, especially since there was a chance he had misunderstood the situation. If the forces under Hera and Zeus weren't already antagonistic towards him, slaying these two-hundred-seventy-one Valkyries would most-certainly ensure that they would be in the future. The ideal situation would be one where they were able to compromise and avoid a direct engagement as even Siegfried and the spearman he had killed previously didn't actually have black auras.Willing the energy coiling around his body to become contained within, Vahn watched as the lightning slowly embedded itself into his scales. When the energy was gone, he moved through Space without actually moving his body, pressing his hand 'gently' against the leading Valkyrie's head. For a brief moment, Vahn felt something similar to static arc between his hand and her helmet as it 'blinked' away a few meters behind her. The Valkyrie's hair was still in the same position, as if her helmet was still in place, as Vahn pressed his palm against her bare forehead this time. As if it was liquid slowly spreading through a cloth, Vahn watched as his own condensed Source Energy slowly turned his palm into a rainbow hue that spread into the Valkyrie's forehead, illuminating her fair skin as he gave her head a light caress.In the next instant, Vahn felt his percept shift before his body had torn through Space once again, placing him in front of the next Valkyrie, a Level 6 with deep-blue hair that was almost black. This process repeated two-hundred-and-seventy-one times, all in the time it took for the entire 'flock' of Valkyrie to move forward just a few centimeters. By the time Vahn had finished, allowing color to return to the world, the entire group of winged-warriors was falling limply through the sky, their consciousness robbed by his caress. Vahn supported their falling bodies by anchoring them using telekinesis through his domain. Though they would be fine, regardless of how far they fell, Vahn would feel guilty later if he let nearly three hundred women crash to the ground, especially when he could easily prevent it...With his 'stunt' complete, Vahn felt like every nerve in his body was on fire while his mind felt incredibly sluggish, even with his reserves steadily replenishing. His Mental Energy had drained a great deal and, if not for the fact he was meditating back at the Manor, having two bodies would probably cause him to break down like when he first used his avatar in the Sub-Space orb while his body returned to reality. When Vahn's perception of time had caused the world to slow to a crawl, this wasn't the same thing that his body was experiencing back at the Manor. This caused him to feel an intense mental strain and it was likely he wouldn't be able to perform such feats in sequence without his avatar breaking down entirely.Ignoring the feeling of his brain 'splitting' down the center, Vahn descended into the Ancient City, his target one of the few auras present within his domain, excluding the Valkyrie. The owner of the aura was a small boy, seemingly no older than ten years old, with white hair and heterochromatic eyes. One was light-grey in coloration, glowing with a subtle light, while the other was a pale-purple, a peculiar color, though not nearly as peculiar as its glowing counterpart. He was wearing a long-sleeved dress shirt, fasted together by ornate silver buttons, with a pair of brown shorts that were held by suspenders. The boy also had a beige flat cap, white socks, and a pair of brown loafers that gave him an appearance that contrasted with anyone Vahn had ever met previously.Without showing any fear whatsoever, the boy had an innocent looking smile on his face as his big eyes were locked on to Vahn. When they were within a comfortable speaking distance, the boy's smile grew marginally wider as he said, "That ability of yours is amazing, Vahn Mason. Quantum Tunneling and Inter-Temporal Acceleration are exceedingly rare, even amongst the monsters here in the City of Heroes~!" The boy seemed more excited by Vahn's display of taking down the Valkyrie than worried about his own safety. Even his aura was a sunny yellow with strands of blue and subtle greens that showed amicability and curiosity.Vahn felt like his momentum was heavily affected by the boy's nature but, understanding it could be an Innate, he didn't drop his guard as he asked, "Who are you? Where are Zeus and Hera...?" He also wanted to ask about the 'City of Heroes' but, considering existences like Siegfried and Jeanne likely resided here, it wasn't really that surprising. In response to his inquiries, the boy seemed to get even more excited as he raised his head proudly while placing his hand over his heart as he said, "My name is Paracelsus, the Medicine King! I'm also a [Philospher] tier Alchemist so if you need to treat an incurable disease, or want high-grade Elixirs, feel free to ask me and I'll give you a good deal~!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'If you are moving through Space, you are always moving through Time, even if you are displacing both (UwU)~!','Ougi, Serious Series, Serious Head Patting~!','There goes the momentum :infiniteKeks:')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With Paracelsus' rather light-hearted self-promotion, Vahn felt like his momentum was quickly being sapped away. He knew of the name Paracelsus from History, belonging to a prodigious Physician who existed a little over four-hundred years ago. While most people relied on potions and Magic to heal sickness and injury, Paracelsus had made startling advancements in the now almost extinct field of practical medicine and natural healing.Many of the 'rural remedies' used in villages, combined with the texts on first aid and emergency treatment, were all developed by him in the past. However, as a result of his unorthodox methods, and the enemies he had made amongst the [Mixing] and [Alchemist] community, Paracelsus had fallen into obscurity. His greatest achievement was coming up with a cure for a plague that had wrought havoc through nearly half the Continent, claiming millions of lives before he had publicized a relatively simple mixture that would keep the plague at bay while encouraging proper hygiene and waste disposal practices. When people learned that his methods actually worked, he became relatively famous in a very short period of time though, after that feat, History made no other mention of the man that had saved millions.One of the things that caught Vahn off guard was the fact that Paracelsus was supposed to have been an old man at the time he had become famous. Though there were undoubtedly more than a few methods to reverse aging, as Vahn had several at his disposal, it was still a little surprising. The fact that Paracelsus 'acted' childish was the biggest factor behind the incongruity Vahn was feeling, causing him to be unable to relax as he said, "I've read about your accomplishments. How are you still alive after all this time?" Then, remembering his purpose, Vahn's expression turned slightly icy as he asked, "Where are Zeus and Hera?"Still unperturbed by Vahn, Paracelsus tapped his chin as if he were in deep thought before muttering, "Ah, you must have had a disagreement with Cú Chulainn...did you kill him~?" At the end of his question, Paracelsus' light-grey eye began flickering with light as a runic structure, similar to clockwork, was visible for a brief moment. Vahn's own perception of time caused the world around to became a dull monochrome as the only two sources of color remained Paracelsus and himself. The boy had a curious expression on his face for a moment before his eyes widened in surprise, time returning to normal as he said, "It's like the axis of time has become fixed...did you...? No, such a thing shouldn't be possible..."In the next instant, Paracelsus was already halfway down a long corridor as he turned back to look at Vahn, saying, "You should follow along. There are a few things I'm curious about and I believe you will find the answers you seek at the heart of the city. Ah, you should be wary of Heracles as well, lest you want to put your immortality to the test. If you are going to fight, though, please do it within the Coliseum. I don't want you destroying my Atelier and I'm certain the others would be bothered if you began rampaging without consideration for the damage you'll cause to the surroundings..."Vahn's eyes had become sharp when Paracelsus 'teleported', as none of the information pertaining to the Historic figure hinted that he had such capabilities. It was obvious that the boy had some kind of Innate related to time, though it seemed like he was unable to move backward through time after Vahn had entered into the record. Because The Path was an existence that could only exist in one axis of time, meaning Vahn was also a singularity, the only way to move backward in time was to reverse the entire records time. Individuals would be unable to make the transition as it could lead to parallel or divergent timelines where a second version of The Path would exist. This was something Vahn had been aware of ever since the Divination, as all the events that had taken place ceased to exist in their entirety after he returned to the 'present'.Understanding that this peculiar boy calling himself Paracelsus probably wasn't an easy person to deal with, as he seemed lost in his own thoughts, Vahn decided it was best to ignore him for the time being. The fact he hadn't answered his questions, even though he should have been able to give him some insight, was a red flag from Vahn's perspective. Instead of 'following along', Vahn made sure the Valkyrie would be out of commission for a while before ascending into the sky once again. His eyes were immediately drawn to a man wearing red robes that matched the style worn in one of the western provinces of the Far East. He was sitting atop a building with a lapis lazuli dome and a golden spire, shouldering a red and gold staff as he waved towards Vahn's direction.Seeing yet another 'peculiar' individual, Vahn wasn't sure if his purpose for coming to the City of Heroes matched his previous speculation. Other than the Valkyries attacking, which wasn't 'wrong', considering they were likely the security of the City, Vahn hadn't met anyone trying to bar his passage. Even though he was outputting an immense amount of energy and pressure, the only two individuals he had seen thus far didn't seem bothered by it at all. If not for the fact that Paracelsus had mentioned the man named Cú Chulainn, who Vahn knew was a spear-wielding Hero that had vanished around 581 years ago, Vahn would have believed his assumption was groundless from the start...By the time Vahn had 'blinked' over to the man wearing a red robe, he had jumped up to his feet, an amiable smile on his face as he held up one hand and said, "Whoa there, friend, I'm not looking for a fight. Your type is a bad matchup for me, hahahaha..." Though he showed no hostility, the man still tightened his grip on the masterpiece of a staff that currently rested on his shoulder. It seemed to be made of wood but was a glossy red that rival beryl in sheen. The golden caps on the end had several layers of intricate runes that had been painstakingly embedded in super-fine print. From a glance, Vahn felt like it was a weapon that was completely beyond his ability to craft, as there was almost a 'divine' quality to it...Having his staff eyed by Vahn, the man gave a wry smile as he said, "Hey now, I didn't think you were the type to covert another person's possessions...give me a break, will ya...?" As he spoke, the Far Eastern man, having slightly bronzed skin, dark brown hair that was parted at the center, a topknot tied with red cloth, and a handsome face, acted as if he was trying to hide the staff behind his body. Since it was around 220cm long, while he was only 175cm tall, he wasn't doing a good job of it, giving off the impression that he was 'foolish' in nature. At the same time, however, there was a serious look in his eyes that made Vahn feel slightly alerted, almost as if he were about to step on the tail of a sleeping dragon if he actually did want to take the staff...Releasing a breath that caused the void to ripple slightly, Vahn asked plainly, "Where are Zeus and Hera? Do you know why Cú Chulainn attacked me...? Ah, and who are you...?" Since everyone he had met here seemed to be a Hero, Vahn fully expected this man to also have a name recorded in History. As expected, the man introduced himself proudly, exclaiming, "My name is Zhou Yu, though I doubt you've ever heard of me, hahahaha..." Toward the end of his introduction, Zhou Yu released a sigh since very few people, even in the Far East, would remember his name. Though he had been one of the people to popularize the use of the staff, to the point that many people studied the style he had developed, few remembered the name of the style's founder...Vahn was beginning to feel a little annoyed that the only questions he had answers to thus far were the identities of the people he was talking to. It was almost as if they refused to answer, or were unable to answer...since there was a chance the latter was true, Vahn decided to verify his conjecture by asking, once again, "Where are Zeus and Hera...?" Zhou Yu's response was to rub the back of his head before saying, "You should try heading to the heart of the city. The answers you seek should be found there...?" As if it were some kind of conversational habit, Zhou Yu started off speaking in a casual tone before sounding 'uncertain' at the end of his statement. Given that he should be over six-hundred years old, Vahn wouldn't be surprised if it was a 'quirk' that he had developed with the passage of time.In order to test what kind of questions these Heroes would be able to answer, Vahn asked, "How many Heroes reside within the City? What are their names...? Who is the strongest...? What is your purpose here...?" Zhou Yu gave a wry smile in response while rubbing the back of his head once again, only answering two of Vahn's questions, explaining, "The strongest in the City is undoubtedly Heracles. If you choose to fight against him, you'll need to prepare yourself quite a bit...that form of yours seems pretty strong, but it probably won't help you much against him. As for our purpose...I guess you could say we're like insurance...? If something occurs in the Mortal World that the other forces are unable to oppose, we'll step in to save the day before disappearing again...hmmm..."Hearing yet another Hero warn him about Heracles, a man recorded in History as the 'strongest', to the point that the descriptive for inordinately powerful individuals described them as having herculean strength. There were even Innates related to the name while legends of Heracles were so prominent within Mythos that it was hard to imagine just how powerful a record's version of the Hero would be. Since Zhou Yu, who Vahn estimated had strength around the mid-tier Level 8, was giving him such a warning, Vahn was certain that Heracles would be Level 9. Even Siegfried had only been at the peak of Level 8 while neither Zhou Yu or Paracelsus had issued warnings relating to the mighty Dragon Knight.Feeling a headache coming along, Vahn turned away from Zhou Yu, leaving the man showing an awkward smile as he resumed his seated position and began to drink from a wine gourd. Vahn felt the 'tension' between the two of them vanish in an instant, even though he knew the man would react almost instantly if he were to show any hostility. Much more so than the Valkyrie, these Heroes seemed both eccentric and powerful, with a fair amount of mystery accompanying them as well. Along the way to the 'heart' of the City of Heroes, Vahn detected several other powerful presences, many of which only showed him a momentary interest before returning to their own affairs. Vahn even saw a man sleeping at the base of a Sakura Tree, a bamboo hat veiling his eyes as he chewed on a thin needle-like chopstick. The moment Vahn's eyes passed over the man, it felt like there were several sharp blades in close proximity to his vitals, even though the only change in the man was his bamboo hat shifting almost imperceptibly...Though he still felt a permeating sense of 'contempt' towards everything around him, Vahn's logical mind told him that this place wasn't simple. Previously, his transformation into the Azure Dragon form had given him the confidence to fight against any number of enemies without having to worry. Now that he saw some of the unique individuals present within the City of Heroes, however, Vahn knew his victory, though inevitable, would be hard-won. Cú Chulainn had only fallen as quickly as he did because he had been overconfident while completely underestimating Vahn. As the latter had never shown the ability to tear through the void previously, the proud spearman only knew what little information Siegfried had provided. He had become a victim of his own hubris, one of the most common causes of death for Heroes in all records...The very center of the City, from what Vahn could discern, was a Coliseum that had a diameter spanning more than five kilometers. It looked like it could hold more than five hundred thousand people with room to spare. At the very center of the Coliseum, whose structure gave off a subtle glow in Vahn's [Eyes of Truth], there were four people present, one being a god. Vahn was a little surprised as, instead of Zeus and Hera, the god before him had the same presence as the elderly god who had disguised himself before Vahn in the past. Currently, he had onyx-black hair that seemed to shimmer slightly while his right eye was covered in an eyepatch, even though a phenomenal amount of energy pulsed from within...Standing with the spiky-haired god, there was a Valkyrian woman that possessed strength near the peak of Level 7 while the other two were people Vahn had already met, Siegfried and Jeanne. The latter had a somewhat pale complexion while Siegfried's eyes seemed to glimmer with anticipation. With Vahn being in his Azure Dragon form, the famous Dragon Knight could feel his blood boiling as the only thing keeping him from challenging Vahn was the vow he had made during their last encounter. As for the Valkyrie, she had a stoic expression but Vahn felt like there was a glimmer of hatred in her eyes, amplified by the furious red aura she possessed. With her stark blue eyes, glossy onyx-grey hair, and dark-grey angelic wings, she struck a heroic figure, even though her strength was lacking compared to the actual Heroes present.The moment Vahn touched down in the Coliseum, the god amongst their group showed a slightly mournful expression as he said, "So, another Hero has fallen...Brynhildr, go wake your sisters and prepare for Cú Chulainn's burial rites. Even if he erred this time around, he was still a Hero deserving of an honorable sendoff...is that acceptable for you, Vahn Mason...?" Since Vahn's golden eyes had flashed at the mention of Cú Chulainn's name, Odin decided to err on the side of caution, confirming with Vahn if it was okay to honor the spearman's death. With his understanding of Vahn, Odin didn't think he would be against the idea, even if the two had confronted each other...Vahn felt his own body tense slightly when he heard that Cú Chulainn would be given the rites of an honorable burial, even though he had sneak attacked with the intent to kill both Haruhime and Ioke. The man's attack had also claimed the lives of the nine Amazoness but, considering he had originally intended to kill them as well, Vahn could let that part slide. Even so, Vahn didn't feel as though the man truly deserved such honors, regardless of the actions he had taken in the distant past. The only thing that prevented him from refusing was his own 'reason', telling him that he should not harbor hatred and resentment toward the dead. Cú Chulainn no longer existed in this world, his soul having moved on to Heaven to enter into the cycle of reincarnation. Going out of his way to prevent others from celebrating his life was a grave injustice that could breed unnecessary hatred in the future...Withholding another sigh, Vahn closed his eyes for several seconds before nodding his head slightly, choosing the high road of the victor instead of holding onto a petty vendetta against an already deceased man. This caused the auras of the god, Siegfried, and Jeanne to improve slightly while even the Valkyrie, Brynhildr, seemed to restrain her rage. After Vahn nodded in affirmation, she bowed towards the god, her paradoxically deep yet soft voice sounding, "As you will, Allfather. We shall inscribe his name in the halls of Valhalla and recount his tale for three days and nights...!" With a nod from Odin, Brynhildr spread her wings and took to the sky, carrying her silver spear, sparkling like starlight, along with her...(A/N: No fifth chapter today.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Heroes are Weirdos','Vahn, "I am inevitable."','Those who harbor hatred for the dead give power to the memory, letting it consume them like an insidious poison that affects both the heart and mind')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With the fall of Sobek and Ares in such a short period of time, absolute chaos began to spread through the battlefield. Even with the Generals trying to keep order by cutting down those trying to flee, they were unable to stop their forces from dispersing rapidly. The punitive force had been mowing through their ranks with unstoppable momentum and now that their gods had fallen, everything they had believed in previously fell with them. After all, the Rakia Kingdom was just an extension of the Ares Familia, with the King of Rakia being the Captain of the Familia. With Ares dead, the Familia would cease to exist, meaning their very Kingdom would likely fall shortly after.Following Haruhime's original orders, the four platoons of the punitive force continued to give chase, completely routing the enemy forces that had outnumbered them one-thousand-to-one. With chaos now spreading through the entire battlefield, few even tried to fight back as everyone tried to be the quickest to flee. Many even abandoned their weapons and armor while others would attack their own allies to prevent them from escaping faster than they themselves. It was only in the center of the battlefield, where a group of ten people ignored the retreating tides as they looked towards Vahn, fear and inhibitions nowhere to be seen within their eyes.This group was entirely comprised of Amazoness women who were covered in red tribal markings while, at the very center of their small unit, Ioke stood with her massive battleax. Like the Amazoness surrounding her, she had a blood-crazed expression as she said, "You...strong..." in a cold monotone. With these two words leaving her lips, similar red markings to those that had been painted on the Amazoness' bodies began to appear on Ioke's pale skin. Vahn realized they had likely copied their markings after observing Ioke but he didn't have time to think about it since the latter had already moved toward him after kicking against the ground hard enough to cause corpses to lift into the air.Ioke's body tore through these corpses, turning them into a torrent of flesh and blood that followed along with her movement. Vahn was a little surprised by this but, at the most, Ioke's strength was only around the peak of Level 5 while her Amazoness troupe, each wielding massive weapons of their own, were only Level 3. He raised his hand while converging his domain in an instant, greatly increasing the pressure in the surroundings while the mana density in the air was so condensed that it had become both visible and tangible. All of this mana was under Vahn's control as well, allowing him to dictate its structure and manipulate it freely, this time converting it into pure Light Elemental energy.Though he didn't understand the principle behind it, Vahn felt that the Slaughter Laws around Ioke's body were 'cold' and 'dark', leading him to believe it was a form of negative energy. His [Yggdrasil's Champion] allowed him to use the vital energy granted by Yggy to greatly increase his ability to purify negative energies. As a result, the blood red shroud around Ioke dispersed as a red mist began erupting from her body, all while Vahn used his Xuanwu form to deflect her heavy battleax. Instead of 70kg, it was actually closer to 150kg, causing Vahn's bones to creak slightly as his feet fractured the ground below. Ioke's physical power had been much higher than he had expected, even though her speed hadn't been that impressive.As Ioke screamed and writhed about on the ground, bloody mist escaping her body with incredible momentum, Vahn used [Enkidu] to wrap her up while dispersing the Light Elemental energy that had caused his domain to become like a vibrant white sun. If not for his [Eyes of Truth] being unaffected, Vahn would have been blinded by his own attack, much like the nine Amazoness who hunched over on the ground, protecting their eyes with their hands. Their skin had turned tender from the high exposure to Light Elemental energy, but they would be fine after soaking in an Elixir bath for a short while. Vahn, however, couldn't exactly afford them the opportunity since they had some of the most vicious black auras he had ever seen...These nine Amazoness were women who had reveled in slaughter and murder for a long period of time, even though they weren't compelled by any kind of Divinity to do so. They happily butchered people for the thrill of it and, back in the Rakia Kingdom, they were notorious for murdering people in broad daylight without consequence. Vahn understood they were probably close to Ioke, likely her only Familia members, but having such 'toxic' existences would only make her life more difficult. For the time being, however, Vahn just put them into a deep comatose state since he didn't want Ioke's first experience with him and the Alliance, outside of combat, to be negative.Once the Amazoness had been dealt with, Vahn used telekinesis to levitate their bodies as he turned to the bound Ioke who, for the first time in her long existence, no longer felt the compulsion of her Divinity. She just stared blankly at Vahn, mouth slightly agape as both words and thoughts, at least for the moment, completely escaped her. Vahn felt a great deal of pity for an existence like Ioke and, knowing how much she had suffered in the past, his bad habit was acting up a bit. Without putting much thought into it, Vahn had found himself in front of Ioke, stroking her blood-red hair with a concerned look on his face as he said, "Hestia, Hephaestus, Artemis, and Demeter have been worried about you...nobody will use you as a weapon anymore, Ioke. It may take some time but there will be a lot of people who help you try and become happy in the future..."There was a great deal of confusion in Ioke's eyes as she looked up at Vahn, seeing the melancholy and empathy contained within his expression. This caused her brows to furrow as she asked, "You will...not bully...Ioke...?" Though she was nearly three-hundred million years old, Ioke very rarely spoke full sentences to people, often choosing to forgo conversations entirely. Her social skills had degraded a great deal, to the point that she sounded more like a child who was just learning how to speak for the first time. This made Vahn's heart feel like someone was twisting it as he nodded his head and said, "From now on, you will choose how you want to live. Though I can't just let you go around killing people, I will do my best to create an environment where you can be happy..."Ioke didn't need to kill people in order to pacify her Divinity so, as long as Vahn was able to provide an environment where she could cut loose whenever she wanted, that should be enough to allow her to live a relatively normal life. Since the underground network of tunnels was now connected with the Dungeon, Vahn could make a channel where monsters were able to spawn and proliferate. Though these would mostly be just Goblins and Kobolds, it shouldn't really matter from the perspective of Ioke's Divinity. So long as she was able to slaughter 'something', Ioke wouldn't have to worry about experiencing pain and suffering from trying to resist her Divinity's compulsion.Though she couldn't really imagine a world where she was 'happy', Ioke felt like Vahn wasn't trying to trick her by lying. Just the golde chains wrapping her body, which were strangely comfortable, combined with the warm energy flowing from his palm made her feel very relaxed and safe. Even if he was lying to her, Ioke felt it was better to be with someone that treated her kindly instead of someone that would bully her all the time. She had been severely scarred by Zeus in Heaven and, after coming to the Mortal World, she ended up being used as a weapon by Ares. The worst part was that, while Ares himself didn't do anything to her, he had allowed his men to do as they pleased, all while she was unable to kill them because of the vow she had made to not harm anyone in his Familia. There were many cruel people within the Ares Familia and, being able to do whatever they wanted to a goddess was a large boost to the ego of many in the upper echelons of the Familia...Vahn, unaware of the full extent of Ioke's suffering, continued to stroke her head gently until she had slowly lapsed into a deep slumber. Haruhime had already appeared at his side long ago, waiting for his orders since it would be easy for her to catch up with the retreating army. Vahn picked up Ioke's body in a bridal carry, feeling pained by how light she was in his arms. He turned to Haruhime, that same pain showing on his face as he said, "If they are just Level 1, give the punitive force the order to have those that surrender make a life-long vow to never commit criminal acts before letting them go. Those who are Level 2 and above, especially if they have the 'scent' of blood on them, make sure they are all killed. The Rakia Kingdom no longer exists...I will not let its legacy survive it..."The 'official' population of the Rakia Kingdom was around 600,000 citizens, not counting those in the lower rungs of society who were generally treated as slaves and laborers. Though there would be those amongst the 600,000 that are innocent, Vahn knew those that had risen through the ranks of society were just as corrupt as the Kingdom itself. Now that Ares had died, the worst amongst them would either try to seize power within the broken Kingdom while those with keen insight would start fleeing. They would lay their roots elsewhere, likely taking over a small village or township, if not outright migrating to other countries where their corruption would once again begin to spread. Vahn wanted to eliminate people like this, especially those that acted willingly as agents of the Empire, each like a cancerous cell that needed to be cut out in order to begin the recovery process...Haruhime gave an elegant bow, her usual smile nowhere to be seen as she understood this wasn't an easy decision for Vahn to make. In a way, most of the residents of Rakia Kingdom were 'victims' and, if given the opportunity to seek a better life for themselves, many would take the chance. Now, there would undoubtedly be innocents who would die as a result of the chaos that would permeate through the now defunct Kingdom. Each of these lives, even if Vahn didn't experience the deaths themselves, would weigh heavily on his heart. Understanding this, Haruhime shared Vahn's pain and, if possible, she wanted to take it unto herself so that he could have peace of mind...Even without seeing her aura, Vahn was sensitive to Haruhime's feelings because of their ever-growing bond with each other. His expression softened and, before she raised her head, Vahn had started to pet her glossy blonde hair as he said, "Soon, events like this will be a thing of the past. Don't worry, Haruhime...I will not break from something like this. With amazing women like you supporting me, I can bear the weight of Heaven itself if I need to..." The moment these words left his mouth, Vahn felt like each of his nerves was on fire as his instincts warned him of imminent danger.In an instant, the world lost almost all of its color as Vahn strained every muscle in his neck and torso to look skyward, all while 'pushing' Haruhime, Ioke, and the unconscious Amazoness away from him. Within this colorless world, there was a shining golden 'star' that had entered Vahn's perception, even though it had yet to enter into his domain. It felt like his body was being weighed down like a mountain that grew exponentially heavier with each passing moment. However, even though less than a thousandth of a second had passed in reality, even with Vahn's perception making it appear as if time itself had been brought to stop, the golden object had already pierced through his body before passing into the earth below...Vahn could feel the cells in his body being torn apart in slow motion as his senses were becoming obscure, almost as if he was no longer in his own body any longer. This resulted in time returning to normal as Haruhime, Ioke, and the Amazonesses were still caught in the large shockwave that had occurred after the golden object had pierced into the earth, traveling very near the speed of light. Haruhime and Ioke had been pushed away from the blastwave without any grievous injuries, but the unconscious Amazonesses, who were only Level 3, had been disintegrated by the strike. Vahn hadn't had enough time to try and protect them as the period between his instincts trigger and the attack hitting had been nigh-instantaneous.With the blastwave expanding outward, Vahn's body was also disintegrated alongside them but, long before the light had faded away, he had already regenerated. He then immediately launched himself into the sky with a vicious look in his eyes as sheer unadulterated rage had overtaken him for the time being. Though Haruhime would have been able to survive with the [Effigy of the Hero], that attack had been more than enough to sure-kill almost anything within its area of effect. The fact that this unknown enemy had struck forth with the intent to kill, not only himself, but Haruhime, Ioke, and the Amaonesses, had caused Vahn's rage to explode outward.Even without transforming into one of his [Magia Erebea] forms, Vahn had torn through the sky with enough force to create several shockwaves as a black trail followed behind him. He reached out with his hand, grasping towards a man with short black hair and a casual smile on his face. This same man held out his hand, causing a flash of brilliant golden light as an ornate spear, covering from tip to pommel in glowing runes, appeared. From Vahn's perspective, the world lost its color once again as the man kicked with enough physical force to fracture the void, leaping higher into the sky as he arched his back and prepared to strike down with his spear a second time.At the very same moment that the man's muscles contracted, fully prepared to throw his spear, Vahn had also torn through the void, shrinking the distance between him and the man in 'literally' no time. His claw found its way around the man's neck while he was still transitioning out of his wind-up motion, tearing through flesh and bone without any resistance. Vahn's other claw had pierced through the man's chest, completely crushing his heart and causing 'ripples' to spread from the contact point as, with time returning to normal, his neck and torso exploded into particles so fine that they seemed to vanish into the void. All that was left of the man was his still smiling face, his lower body, and a golden spear that was quickly losing its light...Vahn matched gazes with the man who finally seemed to realize his situation but was already too far gone to do anything to preserve his life. The light in his eyes faded away almost at the same instant that realization hit him, the smile on his face turning into an incredulous gap as his black eyes reflected an azure-blue light. There, within that reflection, the image of Vahn, shrouded in an azure radiance. Much of his body was covered in scales that emanated with azure blue and gold light as he stood like an indomitable tyrant while the very void around him was shattering from his presence. His eyes had become like blazing golden suns as golden antler-like horns protruded from the mane of electrified azure-blue hair framing his fierce visage. Behind his body, there was a golden bladed ring that seemed to vibrate with a frequency that caused space to retreat away from Vahn, almost as if the world itself feared his presence...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The End of Suffering...','Removing cancer from the source','The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it...all while the Azure Dragon watches silently from the void, its wrath waiting to be unleashed...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 911: Space and Time