Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though there was a cloud of dust and debris obscuring the figure that had leaped into the arena, everyone present was still able to see the man who had descended. With his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn could see a man who stood nearly 200cm tall, possessing fiery red hair that flared backward like a lion's mane. He was wearing the pelt of a red and gold lion tied around his waist, fastened like a belt around his cingulum, a type of dragon-leather belt that was plated with a gold alloy. His calves were covered in fascia comprised of the same material while a pair of open-toed harnessed sandals adorned his feet. This left his upper body bare, displaying clearly defined muscles that, under Vahn's gaze, glistened with a pale golden light. Even someone like Ottar, while being slightly taller than the man before him, would be hard-pressed to match the god-like musculature of the man before him...As if the cloud of dust he himself had created was becoming annoying, the man spontaneously flexed his muscles, causing a shockwave to pulse out from his body as the sound of a thunderclap resonated through the arena. The cloud of dust was dissipated in an instant as the man's stark blue eyes locked on to Vahn, his chin raising slightly as a sneer spread across his face, asking, "So, you killed that whelp Cú Chulainn? Very interesting, hahahahahaha~!" Even as he spoke, there was a great deal of scorn in the man's blazing irises as he began systematically popping his joints and stretching his body. All the while this was going on, Vahn maintained eye-contact, even though his instincts were screaming at him to look away.Before things had developed any further, Jeanne had moved to the front of Vahn with her kite shield raised and sword drawn, her expression pale as she said, "Heracles, if you intend to attack my Liege after he issued a fair challenge, disregarding honor and chivalry, I will be forced to intervene...!" After hearing Vahn mentioned he needed time to recuperate his mental energies, Jeanne was prepared to buy him as much time as possible. Heracles wasn't the type to wait around for the other side to start the fight as, even with his arrogance, he treated every battle seriously. Even now, though his face was filled with contempt, Heracles was making sure his body was properly warmed up before his attack would begin. The moment he was ready, it wouldn't matter if Vahn had prepared himself or not, the battle would have already begun...Heracles' response to Jeanne, while popping his neck, was to begin laughing boisterously before exclaiming in an excited voice, "Very well then! I've always been curious about the limit of your durability, Jeanne. I wonder just how long it will take to 'break' you...? Hahahahaha~!" Almost as soon as his laughter had ended, Heracles leaned forward slightly before his figure had become nothing more than a blur. In the next instant, his fist had slammed into Jeanne's kite shield, causing a golden radiance to erupt outward as she stood her ground without budging in the slightest. It was only after the attack had landed that the shockwave caused by Heracles lunge had erupted outward, causing the stone structure of the arena to emanate a pale glow as powerful formations activated to prevent collateral damage.Seeing his attack stopped, Heracles smiled so widely that each of his pearly white teeth was on full display. Though Jeanne had stopped his attack, there was now the indentation of a fist in her shield as Heracles, still contacting the supposedly indestructible metal, twisted his hips while his muscles expanded noticeably. This time, Jeanne's feet were lifted from the ground by Heracles' pushing motion as her body began to spin in the direction he had twisted his wrist. With five sequential shockwaves spreading outward from her body's acceleration, Jeanne immediately collided with the arena's walls. The glow covering the stone became even more intense as it pulsed outward from the point of contact, preventing the structure from being broken while Jeanne's body smashed heavily against it.Even though the hit contained a monstrous amount of power, enough to distort Jeanne's armor and shatter her kite shield, she was ultimately unscathed as she dropped down to the ground and kicked against the reinforced floor. Moving even faster than when Heracles had attacked her, Jeanne had nigh-instantaneously appeared before Heracles, appearing much smaller than the mountainous man. Regardless of the sheer difference in their size and strength, Jeanne's expression was completely stoic as she thrust her beautiful white blade towards Heracles' throat. Instead of evading, Heracles just raised his chin slightly, exposing his throat completely as Jeanne's blade scraped against his flesh, creating a rain of sparks as it slid across with nothing but a small red line to show for it...Undaunted, Jeanne had shifted her weight in an instant, twisting her body in a lithe and flexible display as she swept her sword in a swift and beautiful arc on the exact same point. This time, Heracles' eyes twitched almost imperceptibly as he leaned his head back instead of trying to take the attack directly. The very tip of Jeanne's blade made contact with the previous mark she had made, cutting into Heracles' flesh and causing fresh blood to trickle from the wound. It had a slight gold hue to it that grew more prominent before, an instant later, the flow had reversed and the wound had been completely healed.Jeanne had already moved well outside of Heracles' attack range, anticipating his counter-attack, but the Demigod just stood there rubbing his neck with a smile on his face. His eyes never left Jeanne as she was moving about, even though her speed was quite a bit faster than his own. The smile on his face became one of moderate intrigue as he said, "You are probably the only woman who could ever cause me to bleed...well done, Jeanne." It was only at this point that Heracles turned his attention away from Jeanne, showing clear disregard that ran counter to his words. Now, his focus was on Vahn as he asked, "How much time do you need to be able to fight at your fullest...?"Vahn had been busy making arrangements back at the Manor, trusting that Jeanne would be able to hold out against Heracles, at least for a short while. His focus had never waned, however, intending to step in at the moment Jeanne was in a dangerous situation. Now that Heracles had ceased his attack, he was more than a little surprised, though not nearly as much as Jeanne and Odin. The latter had appeared on the viewing platform above at some point, wearing golden armor and wielding a three-pronged golden spear. He knew full-well, much like Jeanne, that this type of behavior was out of character for Heracles, causing him to feel more than a little suspicious as he asked, "What are you intending, Heracles...?"Hearing Odin address him, Heracles turned his eyes to meet the onyx-haired god, clear disdain on his face as he answered, "I heard from my father about everything Vahn has accomplished, even laying gods low with utter disregard. When I joined Legend, the three of you promised that I would be able to achieve godhood after training seriously. Now, after nine hundred and fifty years, there aren't even any opponents for me to face. According to that old man, Vahn had developed several ways to help even weaklings rise up and become strong in a short period of time..."Now, Heracles turned his gaze back to Vahn yet continued speaking to Odin, saying, "I'm beginning to grow tired with how things are done around here. I spend days training without any break yet, no matter how much time passes, I cannot break through the threshold of mortality. Since the three of you have failed to keep your promise, all while allowing this 'boy' to do as he pleases, I'm not going to keep playing nice. I know you must have made an agreement to allow Helen, my most precious treasure, to leave this ghost city and live in the lower world. The fact you are pandering to this brat, ignoring the very people who had supported this farce from the beginning, is...infuriating. I will not let what should have been mine from the start fall into the hands of an outsider...!"Because he had been the first-born Demigod that Zeus had sired, Heracles had always been under his father's influence since birth. He had tirelessly trained every single day, all so that he could fight against the progressively stronger monsters that dominated the surface. The entire time, Zeus had been promising that, so long as he kept working hard to be a 'True Hero', never wavering from the path, it would be possible for him to rise to godhood one day. Zeus had even promised that, once he managed to ascend beyond mortality, his blood ties with Helen would no longer be an issue. For nearly eight hundred years, Heracles had protected this precious half-sister of his, all in the hopes that she would one day belong to him while still being pure. He had even avoided relationships with 'lesser' women entirely yet, now that Vahn was beginning to rise up, Heracles knew that Odin would try and push Helen to his side, all so that Legend, this stagnant organization, might grow further...Taking in a deep breath through his nose, Heracles squinted his blazing blue eyes as he asked, "Tell me Vahn...if you defeat me, what do you intend to do? How does being the 'strongest' Hero, even though you are not part of Legend, benefit you...?" As he had been paying close attention to each of Heracles' reactions, Vahn had seen the man's aura wave chaotically for a brief moment. Presently, it was a stable golden coloration while, at the very heart of the sun-like shroud, there was a fiery and wrathful red that was waiting to be unleashed. Even so, Vahn clearly stated, "I will allow Jeanne and Helen to both live freely, instead of being trapped like birds in a cage. If you truly care about your sister, you wouldn't-"In an instant, the gold in Heracles' aura had shifted into a raging and wrathful blood-red color as his blue eyes began emitting a flame-like haze. Now, he turned his attention to Odin, asking, "So, you were willing to let this boy try and kill me, promising my sister to him in exchange...!?" There was an almost 'crazed' look in Heracles' eyes as he glared at Odin, almost as if he was sincerely trying to kill the latter with nothing more than his gaze. In response, Odin's Divine Power flared up as his aura, unlike how it had been suppressed by Vahn's, completely overwhelmed Heracles'.After forcing Heracles to half-kneel under the pressure, Odin's cold voice rang out, saying, "Do not pretend your nature hasn't been a factor in all of this. Even though you have trained hard, your focus had never been completely on reaching godhood. Your unhealthy desire for that sister of yours has clouded your mind and caused you to deviate from the path, just as her presence here has affected the entire City! You may not know it, but I can recount every Hero that has fallen because of your pettiness and arrogance, Heracles, Murderer of Heroes...!"Contrary to expectations, Heracles' expression turned into a cruel sneer that was a mix between glee and something far 'darker'. Suddenly, the sound of metal breaking spread throughout the arena as fragments of blue and gold chains, formed by the World's Laws had erupted from Heracles' body. In the next instant, his figure had vanished, followed by a sound so thunderous that it was as if an entire mountain range had collapsed. Vahn had barely been able to process what was happening and, if not for his perception of time causing the world to slow to a crawl, he would have completely missed the moment when Heracles' fist, carrying insurmountable might, caused the very fabric of space to shatter as it collided with Odin's chest.Without the time to activate his Arcanum at all, Odin's body had been turned into particulates of golden blood that dispersed into the wind before fading away completely. The entire upper section of the Coliseum, where the gods would look down upon the Heroes, had now vanished from the world. Even the wispy white clouds that had been prominent in the sky above had been split in twine, a massive cleft that was still forcing them apart from several thousand meters away. This image cast a backdrop on Heracles, now blazing with a pale gold aura as his hair danced about, now possessing a golden shimmer instead of the red mane of hair that had been present previously...Leaving his back to Vahn and Jeanne, Heracles stared down at his own fist, muttering, "The time of the gods in this world has come to an end. Your method, and the path taken by the only man who had ever been able to rival me, have been correct from the start. I should have known that the gods were full of nothing but hot air...even when they had first descended into 'our' world, they have made nothing but false promises. The purport to give us their 'blessing', exploiting their children for their own selfish reasons, claiming it would help us grow strong. What a farce..."Heracles' vows had been in existence long before Legend had been established as an organization and, with Odin's words having 'betrayed' the terms of their agreement, Heracles had been able to break free from the constraints holding him back. When he fought against Gilgamesh hundreds of years prior, the latter had told him that the gods were the 'shackles' of the world, fearful of the power mortals could wield if they remained 'free'. Even before the gods had descended, mortals had survived for thousands of years, long before even the Spirits had been sent to aid them. Ever since people had become reliant on the power granted to them by others, individual strength became less important while 'cooperation' became the norm. As a result, civilizations began to prosper but, at the same time, the power wielded by individuals had stagnated a great deal, a far cry from that which had been wielding by the Primordial Species, Progenitus...Gilgamesh had claimed that the gods, fearing the potential of mortals, had been trying to weaken them since the very beginning, introducing Spirits into the world to limit their potential. If not for the existence of Great Spirits, introducing things like Magic into the world, the surface would have been dominated by the Progenitus species by now. Instead, there were dozens of different races and, as a result of their various differences, they had been fighting amongst themselves since before recorded history. Back then, Heracles thought these words were simply ridiculous but, now that he had been training hard for more than 950 years, restraining himself while his father traveled around the world and acted as he pleased, the man known as the Strongest had become fed up...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Insurmountable Might vs. Unbreakable Defense','Breaking free from the gods' restraints...','You either die a Hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the Villain...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With a golden aura that made the sun pale in comparison, Heracles turned to face Vahn, his previously excited and battle-hungry expression now a visage of pure contempt. Once again he asked, "How long do you need to recover completely...?" From his perspective, it was obvious that Vahn wasn't capable of outputting one-hundred percent of his power. Now that he had decided to follow this path, Heracles wanted to test himself against the herald of the current age. He was fully confident in his own victory but, in order to 'know' for certain he was truly the strongest, Heracles wanted to defeat Vahn when the latter had fought his hardest. Afterward, the surface world would come to know his name once again, ushering in an era where mortals would take back their world, ejecting the errant gods who had interfered in their affairs for far too long...At this point, the 'confidence' Vahn had possessed previously, knowing that he would eventually obtain victory, had been replaced by pure conviction. Without the restraint of his vows, Heracles would be free to wreak havoc as much as he wanted. Though most gods would be able to kill him with their Arcanum, this would depend on them actually being able to hit him. The power and speed that Heracles had displayed wasn't something that most gods, at least in their sealed state, would even be able to respond to. Just as Haruhime had been able to evade Sobek's Arcanum, Heracles would be able to avoid suffering a disadvantage. At the same time, he had the ability to regenerate quickly so, unless it was a direct hit, the chance of him actually being killed was slim. Now, the battle between them had much higher stakes and, given Heracles' current behavior, Vahn didn't imagine the outcome would be pleasant should he fail...In response to Heracles' inquiry, Vahn's cold voice sounded out, "I would need around an hour to recover completely..." Though his energy reserves were holding fast, Vahn's mental energy drained extremely quickly every time he mustered the power of his Azure Dragon form. It was almost to the point that the form was more of a liability than an advantaged and, if not for the fact that Vahn would 'need' the enhanced perception provided by the transformation, he would have returned to normal. He also suspected that Heracles' Innate would counter his [Magia Erebea], making the best options for the coming battle his Zhuque and Azure Dragon transformations...Heracles gave a small nod after hearing Vahn's words before turning his gaze to the side, training it on Jeanne as a thoughtful glimmer flashed across his eyes. After staring at her for a few seconds, Heracles looked to his surroundings, casting his fiery blue eyes across each of the Heroes present within the City before looking toward where Helen was located. For a brief moment, he felt like his battle with Vahn was meaningless and, with nothing being able to stop him, he could simply go and steal away Helen before fleeing. The thought of 'running away', however, caused Heracles' to frown before popping his neck and saying, "I will give you a half hour to recover..."Once again, Heracles looked towards Jeanne before saying, "According to Jeanne, there should be a few powerful people at your home, including a True Dragon. You should ask for their help as, once our battle has completed, I will end up fighting them regardless. Now is your only chance to band together before I break you..." As he mentioned Orario, Heracles glanced towards the Southeast with a vicious look in his eyes. Orario had stood as the veritable center of the world for nearly a thousand years and, with hundreds of gods residing within its walls, it was the first place Heracles intended to destroy. When he was done there, he would then go around bringing ruin to every Kingdom and Country, forcing the world to 'reset' into a natural state once again. He would also destroy Babel Tower, opening the Dungeon to the surface world so that people would no longer live complacent lives that pacified their species for the benefit of the gods...Knowing he needed every second available to him, Vahn sat down on the spot and immediately fell into deep meditation while Jeanne once against placed herself between him and Heracles. The latter gave her a momentary glance before turning his attention towards where Helene was once again, saying, "If the circumstances had been different, you would have made a fine woman, Jeanne. I know Helen would be saddened by your death so, after your 'Liege' falls, I will spare your life. Even if you cannot bless our union, I'm certain Helen's burdens would be eased by your presence..." If not for his unwavering love for Helen, Heracles would have considered making Jeanne his woman. He didn't want to be like his father, having many lovers and tossing them aside, so his pride would not allow him to have affections for anyone other than his first love.Jeanne didn't dignify Heracles' words with a response as, if the person she had sworn to protect died before her, she would have failed as a Knight. She would die with Vahn and, regardless of Heracles' intentions, Jeanne knew that Helen would likely follow soon after. The latter had spent her entire life sought after by others with an extreme amount of possessiveness, with Heracles just being another in a long line. If it came down to it, Helen would take her own life in order to prevent her 'secret' from being exposed, refusing to allow someone like Heracles to benefit from her special power. This was something Helen had confided to Jeanne a long time ago and they were both determined to take the secret to their deaths, if necessary...Unaware that the path he had set himself upon would only end in tragedy, Heracles sat atop the now inert stone structure, watching Vahn below as the minutes counted down. He wondered how many of the Heroes had already noticed his defection and how they would react once the truth was known. From the standpoint of Legend, he had undoubtedly become a 'threat' to the surface world, meaning he would likely have to fight against all of them. The only way around this would be to truly convince them that the vows they had taken were based on false premises or, easier yet, killing Zeus and Hera. They shouldn't know what had happened here and, unless Odin had some means to relay the message to them in a short period of time, there was a chance he would be able to kill them both before they were any wiser regarding the situation.After precisely thirty minutes had passed, without any words exchanged between them, Heracles leaped from his spot with fierce momentum as he barreled towards Jeanne and Vahn. Without any sign of fear and trepidation, Jeanne stood her ground, leaning in with her shoulder to try and intercept Heracles' charge. The latter reached out with his hand, intending to grab Jeanne's collar and toss her aside so he could get to Vahn at her back. He wasn't afraid that Jeanne would be able to deal any serious injuries to him and, true to his word, Heracles intended to spare her for his sister's sake.Against the expectation of both Heroic figures, their intentions were disregarded entirely as Heracles found his path obstructed by a series of resplendent golden chains. At the same time, Vahn's figure tore through the void, appearing behind him as if no time had passed at all, azure lightning covering his entire body. This time it was Vahn's turn to be surprised, however, as Heracles tensed up every muscle in his body, causing him to somehow stop in mid hair as a powerful shockwave resonated outward. He used this opportunity to twist his body, kicking towards Vahn in complete defiance of physics as the latter's perception of the world caused it to lose its light almost entirely.Vahn felt every muscle in his body straining to keep up with the impossible movements he was trying to make and, if not for his ability to tear through Space and Time, it would have truly been an impossible feat. The fact remained that Vahn did indeed have this ability, allowing him to will a link of [Enkidu] to appear from his palm while converging his domain to the absolute limit in hopes of stopping Heracles' attack. As this was occurring, the golden aura around Heracles was slowly building as, even with Vahn's perception of time making the world appear as if it were in a standstill, the mighty Demigod seemed to be accelerating...From Jeanne's perspective, she saw a flash of golden light that was accompanied by a powerful shockwave that tore at the clothing and equipment of her body as she was sent careening away with enough force to smash through the Coliseum's walls, continuing onward for nearly a full kilometer before coming to a stop. Wearing nothing but a tattered dark-blue battledress, a single silver gauntlet, and her silvery greaves, Jeanne climbed to her feet using her bent sword as a support. Even after carving a large swath in the reinforced stone, Jeanne didn't have a single scratch on her body as she quickly made her way back to the Coliseum to see what was going on.Back within the Coliseum, Heracles was caught in the air with his left arm and right leg bound in golden chains while Vahn's entire upper body had completely disappeared. His legs were rooted to the spot while particulates of golden blood were trying to reform before invisible energy tore them apart once again. Even [Enkidu] was trembling slightly, each small movement causing more of the invisible energy to spread out as Heracles gnashed his teeth and tried to break free. Ultimately, he grabbed his own shoulder, ripping away his left arm entirely before twisting his body around and slicing through his own leg. The two abandoned limbs were left bound in the air as Heracles pivoted off his remaining leg before smashing down in a hammer strike.As Heracles' fist descended downward, it was if a powerful gravitational field had formed around his hand, warping Space around it as it smashed towards Vahn's remaining lower body. Even before the blow landed, Vahn's abdomen and legs began to twist and distort under the pressure and, without ever coming into full contact, the wind pressure alone had caused Vahn's remnants to dissipate before the shockwave accompanying the blow transferred into the ground below. A pulse of energy passed through the floor of the arena, causing a 'wave' more than five meters tall to spread outward as the ground below began to sink rapidly before exploding with such phenomenal force that the heavily reinforced foundation of the Coliseum collapsed completely.Jeanne hadn't been able to reenter the Coliseum before a veritable tidal wave of dust and debris spread outward, smashing into her body and causing the remnants of her outfit to disintegrate. Beneath her battledress, however, there were garments that seemed to be made of pure light, protecting Jeanne's dignity as she stood her ground against the blastwave. The moment it had spread out completely, however, Jeanne felt her body pulled forward as the atmosphere imploded with oxygen returning to the void that had been created. Jeanne quickly caught herself and, by the time she was standing once again, there was a pure white dress covering her body that was slowly forming into a more complex design as she pressed forward once again...When the dust had cleared, Heracles found himself in a cavernous pit, looking up into the air where his arm and leg were still restrained. He inspected his wounds, seeing that his blood had formed a protective membrane that was almost gelatinous in nature. Normally, even dismemberment would only be a temporary obstacle in his battles so he had never seen how his body would treat wounds that couldn't be healed. It was a very peculiar feeling and, for the first time in a while, Heracles found no enjoyment from his battle. This wasn't the first time he had been injured but the chains wielded by Vahn were completely outside his expectation, especially since they hadn't dissipated even after he destroyed the latter's body completely.Rolling forward, Heracles came to stand on his sole remaining leg before leaping upward more than a hundred meters without any difficulty. Having only two limbs was very troublesome, but it wasn't enough to remove his battle capabilities. Currently, he wanted to inspect the chains further before trying to extricate his limbs so they could be reattached. If any of the more troublesome Heroes showed up and tried to fight him in his current state, it could potentially prove inconvenient...As if to spite him, Jeanne showed up at this moment and, without any hesitation, leaped through the air as a blade of light formed in her hands. Heracles frowned while punching out, causing a ripple in the void that spread out and passed through Jeanne's body. His rare skill allowed him to transfer his power into any medium, regardless of if it was solid, liquid, gas, or outright intangible. This was how he was able to strike down people with rare abilities that should be a natural counter to his strength, as his attacks simply couldn't be resisted. Jeanne wasn't an exception to this as her momentum had been brought to an instantaneous stop before she was once again sent flying away, this time high towards the sky since Heracles was getting annoyed with her persistence...After sending Jeanne off, Heracles released a snort through his nose before his blazing blue eyes snapped to the left, causing him to turn his head as an arrow appeared out of thin air and smashed into his face. Heracles released a loud bellow as he tore himself away from the powerful gravitational force that had erupted from the arrow, only to find that several more had impacted him from other angles. Even with the intense gravity, however, Heracles was able to struggle free, smashing a few of the gravitational singularities with his own clenched fist as he pivoted around, looking for any sign of the attacker. Part of the flesh on his face had been torn away at this point, revealing an empty eye socket where the eye had been completely pulled free...Standing two kilometers in the air, completely concealing his presence, Vahn was staring forward with his [Khryselakatos] drawn. He was no longer allowing his intent to emanate from his body and instead used his Azure Dragon form to transfer his intent to the Space around Heracles. From their battle, Vahn had realized that Heracles had the ability to 'read' and react to any attack that was directed at him, so long as the intent of the person was focused on him. He was able to trace this intent instinctually, counterattacking with indefensible might. Vahn had been able to determine this from when he willed his [Enkidu] to bind Heracles, even as the latter's attack completely destroyed his upper body and scattered his intent.Now, so long as he didn't direct his intent directly toward Heracles, the Demigod was unable to detect him, allowing Vahn to nock another round of [Yi] arrows before releasing another barrage. His intent was completely separate from his body, appearing 'randomly' around Heracles as each arrow drew a path towards the errant Demigod's blindspots. The fact that he was still able to dodge caused Vahn's heart to shake slightly, especially when Heracles began punching towards where the attacks were emanating from, destroying the arrows before they could land. His body was even beginning to regenerate, albeit slowly, as the energy from his Innate was slowly expunging the ambient Source Energy permeating through his wounds...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This is what exposure to Zeus does to people...','You can do it Jeanne, fighto~!','The Strongest is not so easily overcome...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Jeanne stood on Vahn's left with her chin raised slightly and a 'serious' expression on her face. Right now, Vahn was still in an 'alert' state so, as his Knight, Jeanne was prepared to protect him at a moments notice. She even locked eyes with Siegfried who, even while doing his best to act casual, kept flexing his hands to keep calm. His instincts made it impossible for him to relax while Vahn was in his Azure Dragon state, causing the two companion Heroes to end up in a staring contest with each other as Odin laughed at the side, clearly amused by the sudden change.Taking the opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, Odin controlled his laughter, making eye contact with Vahn as he said, "Truth be told, there is another in our ranks that would benefit from alighting to Orario and enjoying the company of your Manor's residents. Unfortunately, I fear you do not have the ability to claim her, immortal or otherwise..." As Odin was speaking, Vahn felt Jeanne's aura fluctuate slightly, even though her bearing made her appear completely unflustered. Thus, even though he knew he was being 'baited' by Odin, Vahn still furrowed his brows, saying, "Explain..."No longer showing a complacent expression, Odin's face became stern and serious as he said, "I'm certain you will come to learn of each resident in the City of Heroes in time. The three you 'need' to be aware of, however, are Heracles, Musashi, and Helen. Even with your immortality, Heracles' might is something beyond even the Laws of the world. As for Musashi, he is a man you should avoid at all costs, as his mastery of swordsmanship has reached unfathomable depths. Lastly, Helen, the woman fated to be the most beautiful...any words used to describe her would be a severe underestimation of her beauty, putting even goddesses to shame..."As Odin listed off the names, Vahn was able to pull up information relating to each, including Helen and Musashi. The former was said to be so beautiful that Kingdoms would wage war, brothers would fight to the death, and women would hang their heads in shame upon witnessing her. As for the latter, he was a famous Samurai that had pioneered the Niten-Ichi-Ryu style, meaning 'Heavenly School of Two Swords'. He was rumored to have been so skilled that, over the sixty-year period of his life, he had won more than ten-thousand duels and destroyed the dojo of almost every single rival school in the entire Far East. Legend stated that he had died when several thousand vengeful students had surrounded the mountain where Musashi resided, burning poisonous herbs for two weeks to smoke out the entire region. Though the feat had cost them their own lives, this was how the tale of Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest Samurai in the Far East came to an end...supposedly.Though he knew he was taking the bait even harder, Vahn frowned as he said, "I'm guessing most of the Heroes within Legend would try to stop me...I can't imagine Zeus would let the most beautiful woman in the world go, either. Honestly, I'm surprised that...well..." Vahn nearly commented on the fact that Jeanne was a virgin but realized it was incredibly inappropriate to do so. He wasn't even sure how a 'Human' had been able to live for over three-hundred years but, considering the strength of her Soul and the Level she had obtained, it wasn't that difficult to believe. Even a 'normal' human, once reaching Tier 4, would become biologically immortal while their Soul would also be able to persist long after their body was destroyed. It would take shattering their ego and stripping away the Divinity it had obtained just to force them back into the cycle of reincarnation...Even without Vahn finishing his words, Odin cracked a knowing smile that made his face seem exceptionally 'punchable'. Fortunately, his smile didn't last for too long before he returned to a serious expression and said, "Zeus is admittedly a pain in the ass when it comes to a lot of things, but the bigger issue, as you pointed out, are the other Heroes. Amongst them, it is Heracles who would take the greatest offense to Helen leaving as, even though they are siblings, his love for her would never allow him to accept another man taking her. In fact, Heracles is one of the reasons why the City of Heroes is decidedly lacking in population as, either through their challenge of his title as the strongest, or their pursuit of Helen, many Heroes have died at his hands...immortals included."Odin placed a heavy emphasis on the last few words as, much like Helen was 'impossible to harm', there had been other Heroes with traits that made them unkillable. Rare skills that made a person immortal almost always led them to become complacent, arrogant, and hubristic. Without any exceptions among them, including those that had 'intangible' natures, they all died after a very short fight against Heracles. Even Vali, one of the greatest Heroes that had ever resided in the City, an immortal who possessed the ability to halve the strength of an opponent, adding it to himself, was ultimately taken down by Heracles after seven hours. Their battle had resulted in hundreds of kilometers of landmass on the northern side of the Continent to sink into the sea, creating a massive lagoon which now had a completely unique ecosystem from the energies that had soaked into the underwater terrain...Hearing the serious undertones of Odin's warning, Vahn suspected that Heracles must have had an Innate that either allowed him to prevent regeneration or directly enabled him to kill 'immortals'. Though he doubted Heracles would be able to overwhelm his [Magia Erebea] immortality, as he fundamentally lacked the ability to destroy the Source Energy comprising his body, it didn't mean he wouldn't take the warning seriously. Even if the sub-atomic particles making up his body were indestructible, it didn't mean he would be able to outright ignore Heracles' Innate and reform his body. There was a high chance his avatar would be destroyed completely while his main body would potentially take several hours to reform. So long as he was able to keep his ego within the record, Vahn would eventually be able to regenerate from 'nothing' if it was necessary...Throughout the conversation, Vahn had noticed Jeanne's aura fluctuate several times, causing him to restrain a sigh as he asked, "Is she in any danger here...?" To this, Odin shook his head and stated, "Of all the members of Legend, she is likely to be in the least amount of danger, at least physically. I've heard the rumors regarding you Vahn...I'm certain you can understand the pain of loneliness. For nearly eight hundred years, she has been the source of many tragedies but, amongst them all, she has been the one to suffer the most. With what you know of the world now, what do you imagine the life of a woman that can inarguably be considered the most beautiful must have been like...?Even for a normal beauty, regardless of age or race, they would be a 'prize' sought after by many men, too often against their will. With the legends regarding Helen, who likely had an indirect body count in the millions, Vahn could only imagine how difficult life must have been. Since her beauty was likely related to an Innate, most people wouldn't have had any form of resistance against her at all. This meant her only outcome, besides becoming a caged bird that was locked away from the rest of the world, was death or an even greater tragedy. The fact that she had lived this long would have meant that, had she been less 'fortunate', lacking an overprotective brother like Heracles, Helen would have experienced suffering that could have lasted centuries...Vahn's face had formed into a slight grimace as he contemplated the depths of loneliness that would have lasted nearly eight-hundred years. He had a fair amount of experience with the emotion himself but, compared to Helen, who likely had few people to rely on, his life had been blessed with numerous people to support his actions. If not for the fact he had experienced several goddesses' [Hearts Desire]s, each feeling loneliness even Helen wouldn't be able to comprehend, Vahn wasn't sure if he would be able to truly empathize with what she had gone through. If possible, he would like to help her but, considering the 'trouble' that would come with such an action, Vahn wasn't sure if the benefits would even come close to the detriments...When this thought crossed his mind, Vahn's eyes widened slightly as his first conversation with Loki resurfaced in his mind. Back then, he had lashed out against her for considering a person's 'worth' and how many benefits could be gained from a situation. Now, he was rationalizing 'abandoning' someone that could use his help, all because he was afraid it 'wouldn't be worth it'. He was currently trying to create a world where everyone could be happy, all while 'allowing' someone that had lived a tragic life to continue suffering, fully aware that it was going on. In a way, he was acting 'afraid' of Heracles and the troubles that Helen might bring, choosing to let her remain in isolation as a result of his cowardice...Now, Vahn's blood felt like it was beginning to boil as azure lightning began to crackle and arc along his scales, all while Odin watched with intrigue in his singular eye. Siegfried, however, appeared as if his body was itching as he scrunched his shoulders and said, "I have to get out of here. Next time you stop by, let's have a drink or something, Vahn." With these parting words, Siegfried took to the sky, hardly able to resist transforming himself after seeing Vahn's power amplifying by the second. Even Jeanne appeared to be slightly uncomfortable by the field of energy radiating off Vahn's body, though she stood her ground without shying away from his side.Even though Vahn hadn't said he was going to fight against Heracles, Odin had a small smile on his face as he said, "Heracles is exceptionally arrogant, but he has a lot of reason to be. He also has the qualities of a 'True Hero', even though there have been a number of Heroes who have fallen to him. If the world was in danger, he is the strongest weapon on the side of the Mortal World and, for more than eight hundred years, he had defended this world from several threats that could have caused life on the surface world to become a part of History. He is also one of the only people in the whole of the Mortal World who could fight against the Golden Emperor, Gilgamesh, ruler of the Golden Empire in the west. If you try to battle against him, there are only two outcomes..."Odin had actually harbored a bit of a grudge towards Heracles for a long time as many of the Heroes he had brought into the City had been killed by the 'Strongest' Hero. If not for Heracles' existence, pacifying the remaining Heroes and giving Zeus greater authority, there was a chance that this splendorous City could have been filled with the descendants of Heroes. It was the existence of Helen that made most of the male Heroes simply 'not care' about other females and, with Heracles protecting her, it had ensured that not a single child had ever been born in the City he had spent an excessive amount of resources building. In a way, all of the brood of Zeus were a pox that had infected the City of Heroes like a curse, to the point that he had sired the Valkyrie just to try and stimulate the production of Heroes. Instead, they became the playthings of Zeus and, though many were nearing their one-thousandth birthday, none of his daughters had given birth to a single child. It was a very vexing and frustrating situation, both for the Valkyries and for Odin himself...If Vahn knew how Odin had treated his daughters, even though they themselves 'accepted' the role they had been given, the two wouldn't have been able to negotiate to this point. For the time being, however, the only thing Vahn was thinking about was how he would be able to defeat Heracles. Even with Odin saying there were 'only two' outcomes, Vahn knew there was only one inevitable outcome. Odin didn't know the limits of his immortality and, so long as Heracles was unable to attack Orario, his loss was guaranteed. Even if Vahn was struck down multiple times, he would eventually emerge victorious in their confrontation, assuming Heracles didn't lose his rationality and lash out at others. Vahn suspected his Innate might even allow him to break through Terra's barrier but, if things came down to it, the odds of Hestia or Artemis stepping in were extremely high...Deciding he would need to confer with everyone back at the Manor, Vahn opened his eyes and matched gazes with Odin as he said, "If Heracles is as you've described, I imagine he has been wanting to fight me as well...since our battle is inevitable, I'd rather get it out of the way sooner, rather than later. Tell me, Odin, is there any chance of Heracles losing his mind and trying to attack Orario...?"Seeing that Vahn wasn't worried at all, Odin felt an urge to sigh, thinking that Vahn was 'too young' and inexperienced. From his perspective, Vahn was another person that was too confident in their immortality, even though he also hoped that the young Hero would emerge victoriously. To answer Vahn's question, he shook his head casually and explained, "Unless someone has been labeled as an active threat to the world, the members of Legend have all taken comprehensive vows that would disallow them to take such actions. There are a few loopholes that can be exploited, but nothing that would allow Heracles to charge into Orario and attack the Hearth Manor, if that is what you're worried about. Besides, there are a few 'monsters' within that residence that even someone like Heracles wouldn't be able to oppose..."Though it was very subtle, Odin's aura 'trembled' slightly as his expression became solemn. Even though he was not from the Northern Pantheon, Odin had visited Hestia's Divine Hearth in the past and, witnessing the unfathomable strength contained within the diminutive goddess, he had never directly antagonized the Olympians since then. He knew that those gods who 'didn't act', such as Ouranos and their own Pantheon's Ymir, were the most dangerous. Hestia was one of the few existences he wasn't able to see through, possessing what felt like an 'infinite' amount of Divine Power, something only the four Primordial Gods remaining in Heaven could match...Upon seeing Odin's reaction, Vahn was slightly surprised and relieved at the same time as, without the ability to attack the Manor, Heracles wasn't a major threat. This was potentially an opportunity for him to temper himself against an enemy that was far more powerful and, by the end of things, Vahn was certain his own strength would have increased. Currently, he was only at the early stages of Level 7 while Heracles was presumably around the peak of Level 9.Being a Demigod that had lived for hundreds of years, polishing his Innates as he tried to reach Tier 4, Vahn assumed that Heracles must have had one or two Innates at the SS-Rank, or higher. This would become one of the most important battles he would fight within the record of Danmachi as, at least until the balancing component of Karma kicked in, there shouldn't be anyone near Heracles in strength. Though the Golden Emperor, Gilgamesh, could potentially pose a threat, especially since he wasn't restricted from attacking the Manor, Vahn doubted the man even knew what was occurring in Eden...Confident that his chances of victory were infinitely close to 100%, even if it required more than one attempt, Vahn steadied himself as he said, "I'm certain your organization has the means to regulate and officiate duels. I need around an hour to recover my mental energies but, once I am at my peak, I want to challenge Heracles for the title of 'Strongest'...!" The moment Vahn finished speaking, it felt like a predator had locked on to him as his instincts caused the already molten blood in his body to boil. Turning away from Odin, matching the direction both he and Jeanne were looking, Vahn sensed a pair of eyes looking 'through' him, even though the owner of the gaze was nowhere in sight. It felt like he had been completely locked onto like a hare beneath the gaze of a lion as, moments later, a figure descended from the sky with enough force that the ground rippled outward in defiance of physics before rupturing with a massive explosion...(A/N: There are two options for how things will develop from here. I can place emphasis on the fight and the members of Legend for a short while or I can make the fight resolve relatively quickly so we can move on to other plot advancements. Regardless, things within the City of Heroes will continue for another couple of chapters so, even though this is a big cliff, I will be cutting today's chapters short so I can release the full fight all at once tomorrow. When the daily reset happens, there will be 2-3 chapters released at the same time while another 2 should follow that. I have already cleared up my schedule for the day so there will be no interruptions in the action sequence.)(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I wonder how Musashi and Mikoto would react if they met...','Hestia is secretly the final boss!?','Vahn seems to have developed a new Innate, [Flagmaster:SSS]')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 916: Dawn (1/3)