Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After breakfast and another short discussion about how they would explain his existence, Vahn and Rin made their way toward a rendezvous point within the downtown district, the Shinto region, of Fuyuki. Unlike Miyama town, on the West side of the Mion River, Shinto was filled with tall and densely packed buildings the represented the rapid modernization of the land after it had been reclaimed in the early 1990's. With more than twenty-four years of development, the region had become a highly developed metropolitan area where the vast majority of people commuted to work. Everywhere you looked, there were colorful lights and signs that were made necessary by the tens-of-thousands of pedestrians that constantly flowed through the City streets like the blood in a person's body, breathing life into Fuyuki and its surrounding regions.While walking through the densely packed streets, Rin kept close to Vahn as she muttered, "I hate this place. It feels like a failed attempt to forcefully repress the past as an excuse to drive people towards an uncertain future..." As the Shinto region had been destroyed during the Fourth Holy Grail War, much of the buildings present had been hastily built over a short ten year period. The City Planners had rushed the job, leading to the current situation where the City now looked 'clumped' together after newer buildings rose up aside those that had been built previously. Now that twenty years had passed since the 'Fuyuki City Disaster', the area had been converted into a central hub where people congregated, completely ignorant to the fact they walked upon grounds that were stained with both the literal corpses of thousands of victims, all tainted by the world's evil...Since Fuyuki was Vahn's only real exposure to a modern City, he didn't really share Rin's opinion, even though he also found the way people lived in the present 'lacking'. The City itself seemed rather charming, with most of the buildings having similar design and layout that made them mesh together, even if they were placed haphazardly. Everywhere he looked, there always seemed to be something new and interesting, giving him the feeling that, even if he explored aimlessly, there would always be something new to find. This was somewhat different from how Orario had been constructed as, though there were some pretty fantastical places to visit, the vast majority of shops and restaurants were similar. Even the way business was conducted was fundamentally different, though Vahn had already seen several overlapping practices that he had considered exploiting in the future...As they got closer to their destination, Vahn noticed that Rin was now practically bumpings arms with him as she grew increasingly annoyed with the people who had been gawking at them. Since Rin was quite the beauty in her own right, she generally garnered a fair amount of attention wherever she went. Standing next to Vahn, however, the two looked like a pair of Idols making their way to a movie shooting, a scene completed by the fact they both wore high-end clothing while carrying themselves with a natural dignity normal citizens couldn't match. As a result, they had created a curious phenomenon where people's heads turned like a wave to catch sight of them, many rudely taking pictures and commenting about the 'celebrity pairing' that seemed to be trying to remain incognito.By the time Vahn and Rin stepped into the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel, the largest and most extravagant hotel within the Shinto district, they actually had a small group of people following after them from a distance. Fortunately, though Vahn didn't exactly agree with the rather high-profile arrangement, the entire Hotel had been reserved while a private security firm kept normal people out. This caused people to speculate that the Hotel had been booked for a movie shooting, causing a group of bored pedestrians to congregate outside as they blindly speculated on the matter. Seeing so many people, seemingly without anything better to do, caused Vahn to shake his head in admonishment once he and Rin passed through the magic formation at the front door...Rin, sharing many of the same sentiments, released a tired sigh as her shoulders slumped almost as soon as they were out of view. She then looked towards Vahn's face, almost as if she were appraising him, before saying, "You might want to consider adopting a form that doesn't stand out so much in the future. I didn't think about it much before, but it will be difficult for us to walk through the City together with your stupidly handsome face..." Though Vahn had altered his appearance to remain untraceable, he still defaulted into a form that was like eye-candy to the ladies of the modern era.Instead of humoring Rin's slightly accusatory statement, Vahn adopted a teasing smile before remarking, "I'll change when you stop wearing makeup and spending a half-hour on your hair before leaving the Manor..." This caused Rin to immediately adopt a pouting expression but, unlike how she would act when they were alone, she kept mum since there were others present. Vahn wanted to point out that this was another way she paid attention to how other people perceived her, as it was obvious her upbringing had accustomed her to 'expecting' attention. She didn't want to stand out but, so long as she was out and about in public, Rin acted prim and proper while going through all the necessary steps to appear like the high-class woman her heritage made her out to be...After riding the elevator to the penthouse suite located at the very top of the hotel, accessible only by having a special keycard, Vahn and Rin stepped out into a lavish foyer where someone Vahn had previously met awaited. Wearing the same muted grey and black clothing as their first encounter, the ashen-haired woman, named Gray, looked back at Vahn and Rin with her striking blue eyes. When she saw Vahn, Gray gave a small nod, as if to say she now genuinely believed his words about being Rin's companion. As for Rin, her face formed into a complex expression that was hard to read, causing Vahn to wonder if there were some tensions between her and Gray. Since the latter had almost no reaction to Rin's presence, other than hanging her head slightly, Vahn felt like it had less to do with her than Rin herself...With none of the posted security preventing their access, Vahn and Rin entered into the penthouse proper, finding three people seated around an expensive-looking table. In fact, everything in the room seemed ridiculously expensive, causing Vahn to shake his head slightly as, from amongst the group of seated individuals, one showed extreme shock while the other two had curious gazes. Rin seized the initiative while she still could, casually gesturing to Vahn with her thumb before saying, "This is the guy I told you about, Vahn Mason. I know it might be a little late to change our plans at this stage, but I think his support will be instrumental to the success of our mission."While the two men seemed to be treating Rin's words seriously, the drill-haired woman, Luviagelita, who Rin not-so-affectionately referred to as just 'Luvia', had already risen to her feet as she walked over with hastened steps. Rin curiously took a 'defensive' posture in front of Vahn before reminding, "Are you looking to taste another loss so soon after the last one...?" In response to this, Luvia gave a haughty 'hmph' before crossing her arms to accentuate her rather large breasts, saying, "I swear, Rin, you become more barbaric every time we see each other. Worry not, however, as my 'heart' is more than big enough to tolerate your childishness. Now, if you would allow me..."Rin interrupted Luvia's words by holding up her index finger, forming a small orb of water at the very tip as she muttered, "If you're that thirsty, I don't mind help you out, Lu-vi-a~." This behavior of Rin's caused Luvia to instinctually take a step back as, compared to their prior meeting, she was currently wearing a white blouse, accented by flowers, atop a long blue dress that extended to her calves. If she ended up getting wet, it could 'complicate' things, requiring her to alight to her room for a quick change of clothes to avoid embarrassment.Though he didn't mind the ongoing rivalry between Rin and Luvia, Vahn's expression remained calm and implacable as he sternly reminded, "Rin, do not forget our purpose. We are here to discuss our future cooperation, not pick a fight...besides..." As everyone in the room was listening closely to what he was saying, Vahn gave a polite nod before erecting a soundproof barrier and adding, "I don't think Fenrir would appreciate it if we kept her waiting back home by herself." These words were all it took to send a shiver up Rin's spine, followed by her crossing her arms in a huff and saying, "I know, I know! Jeez...try to see things from my perspective, would you...?"Rin said the last part of her sentence as a soliloquy so Vahn chose to 'pretend' he hadn't heard it as he 'waved' away the soundproof barrier. The casual nature of his actions had caught the attention of everyone in the room, causing the atmosphere to immediately become more serious. Deciding to take advantage of this, Vahn placed his hand atop his heart before giving a polite bow as he said, "Miss Luviagelita Edelfelt, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. As Rin had previously stated, my name is Vahn Mason. For the period of our cooperation, feel free to refer to me by name."Vahn's formal introduction had caused Luvia to use her gloved hand to touch her lower lip as she remarked, "My, such a gentleman. How ever did such a high-class man come across my dear friend, Rin...?" As soon as these words left Luvia's lips, Vahn slightly squinted his eyes as an overbearing pressure suddenly weighed down on everyone within the room. With the same smile he had used to introduce himself, Vahn 'casually' answered, "Miss Edelfelt, the words I had directed towards Rin were intended for your ears as well. Surely, someone as noble as you seem to be would not pollute the purpose of this meeting with her own personal affairs...?" As Vahn was more than accustomed to dealing with 'Noble' ladies, he had decided to make certain that Luvia knew he wasn't here to pander to her whims...Feeling the overbearingly powerful aura radiating off of Vahn's body, Luvia felt her entire body break out in a cold sweat as she barely managed a sheepish, "Yes...you are correct..." At the same time, the two men, who Vahn knew as Lord El-Melloi II and Flat Escardos, had adopted a pseudo-battle ready stance. From behind, Gray and several private security guards entered into the room, creating a tense atmosphere that was on the verge of 'breaking' at any moment. In response to this, Vahn continued to steadily increase the pressure he was emitting until it reached the point that the entire penthouse had started vibrating. The only reason anyone was even able to remain standing was due to the fact he wasn't targeting any of them directly, knowing full-well that the weaker security forces may not be able to survive the experience.It was at this point that Rin, seemingly unaffected by Vahn's aura, lightly elbowed him in the ribs before saying, "Cut it out. You're making everyone nervous." Then, as if it had never existed in the first place, the pressure completely disappeared in an instant. Vahn returned a small nod to Rin before smiling as he said, "It seems I got wrapped up in the moment and caused one of the very same issues I had wanted to avoid. Please forgive my lack of decorum...this world's customs are still foreign to me." Making sure to emphasize the last sentence a little more than his excuse, Vahn garnered a few confused expressions from everyone present before Lord El-Melloi II looked towards the security forces and commanded, "Return to your posts. Gray, you may stay."Waiting for everyone else to leave the room, Lord El-Melloi II then turned his gaze upon Rin, asking, "What is this about, Rin? You have some explaining to do..." Immediately following this statement, Flat, Lord El-Melloi II's rather handsome blond-haired-blue-eyed Magus Apprentice remarked, "I didn't think we'd have a BOSS-class ally in our party at this stage of the game. Things are really starting to look up, ahahaha~." This remark earned him a glare from Lord El-Melloi II, something that Flat just laughed off in good spirits before raising his hand and saying, "Hey there, my name is Flat Escardos. I'll be in your care and look forward to working with you, Vahn."Lord El-Melloi II just sighed at his protege's lack of tension before shaking his head and returning a polite bow of his own before saying, "Greetings, Vahn Mason. I am Lord El-Melloi the Second, a Fes-Class Lecturer within the Clock Tower. I pray my students do not cause you too much trouble in the coming days..." With his own introduction done, Lord El-Melloi II gestured towards Gray but, much to his surprise, she simply stated, "We have already met previously. Vahn is very powerful...I couldn't do anything at all." This statement alone caused Lord El-Melloi II, Flat, and Luvia all to express shock as they were all aware of how powerful Gray was. Though not quite at the level of a Heroic Spirit, the only thing she lacked to qualify for the title was a 'legend' of her own.Piggybacking off of Gray's words, Flat smiled even bigger than before as he said, "Nice. If Gray says you're strong, that makes you more of a Raid-BOSS. I'm starting to look forward this~!" Seemingly sharing this sentiment, Luvia nodded her head before looking at Vahn with an appraising gaze and remarking, "Rare as it may be, I can't help but agree with Flat. What we're trying to accomplish here won't be well-received by those who desire the Holy Grail for themselves. The more powerful allies we have, the better. To that end, I will be in your care, Vahn. Please take care of me..." Punctuating her sentence with a wink, Luvia then 'retreated' to the nearby sofa under the close scrutiny of Rin's piercing gaze.Following Luvia's example, everyone else took a seat around the table, leading to the situation where Vahn was flanked by the two beauties as Lord El-Melloi II and Flat sat opposite them. Gray took up a position standing behind the sofa, causing Vahn to wonder whether or not she was treated fairly by the group since she seemed a little 'too demure' for someone possessing the power she had at her disposal. Now wasn't the time to look into such things, however, as the purpose of this meeting was to discuss their future cooperation. To that end, Vahn preempted the obvious questions by plainly stating, "I will not keep it a secret. As we will be allies in the future, you should have at least a basic understanding of my capabilities. Though I will not go into too many details, it is enough for you to know that I have the power to rival a Pseudo-Divine Spirit. As for my identity, I will allow you to know that I originate from another world, one on a completely separate time axis than your own. How I came to reside in this world is unimportant, as the less you know regarding the truth, the better off everyone will be."Vahn and Rin had decided to 'nerf' his capabilities a fair amount as, if his true power were known, there was no guarantee that the situation wouldn't escalate faster than they could control. Even being compared to a Pseudo-Divine Spirit elevated him to a point most people couldn't even fathom, however, resulting in everyone else showing expressions of shock and disbelief. Gray was actually the first to speak, providing some unexpected support as she said, "That is how you were able to block Add with your bare hand...you possess an immortal body?" As it was nearly impossible to harm a Divine Spirit, regardless of how powerful an individual may be, Vahn's 'revelation' provided an answer to the matter that had been concerning Gray since their previous meeting.Using Gray's words to his advantage, Vahn gave a curt nod before adding, "My reason for helping you, as I'm certain you are curious, is because Rin helped me when I first fell into this world. In order to repay the debt I owe her, you can count on my support in completing the task you have set out to accomplish. Know that, while I harbor the desire to return to my world, I am already aware that the Greater Grail lacks the power to grant my wish. As the thought of people squabbling like children to have their wish granted displeases me, I am more than willing to ensure the Grail's destruction." To avoid any kind of misunderstandings, Vahn had decided to be forthright about his feelings regarding the Grail. Everything he said was very close to the truth so, even if they might suspect something, it was impossible to see through the story he had concocted with Rin beforehand.Hearing Vahn's words, Lord El-Melloi II gave an understanding nod before saying, "I won't deny that I have some misgivings about working alongside someone who purports to come from another world. However, as there are several historical accounts of similar incidents, I will choose to trust in Rin's judgment. Having someone with your power on our side will greatly increase our chances of successfully destroying the Grail. Though I am a bit later than the others, allow me to express my appreciation for your assistance. I look forward to working alongside you, Vahn Mason. Perhaps, once this incident is behind us, you will be more willing to divulge the finer details of your situation. Though I may not have means beyond even the power of the Greater Grail, I will do my best to help you return to your world after we complete our current mission."Of everything Vahn had said, the most obvious 'truth' mentioned, something everyone had picked up on, was that he wished to return home. Even though Vahn had become exceedingly proficient at masking his emotions, it was hard to hide the 'longing' contained within his eyes when he briefly mentioned 'home'. It was primarily because of this that Lord El-Melloi II chose to trust Vahn, even if he still had several concerns regarding what exactly could have happened to allow a Pseudo-Divine Spirit to be thrown into their world. After all, this meant Vahn's existence was near the same level as a True Ancestor, placing him very near the pinnacle of power according to his current understanding of the world...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn got that celebrity swagger','How big is your power level? 'Cause mine's pretty big...','Imagine if Vahn introduced himself as 'Type Omega' xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

For the rest of the day, Vahn sat across from Rin in her study while Fenrir laid across his lap and dozed off. At this point, Rin seemed to have given up commenting on the way Fenrir behaved and instead showed an envious glint in her eyes as she watched Vahn gently scratch around the base of Fenrir's ears. This would cause her to show a contented smile as she snuggled up even closer to him, inhaling in an audible fashion that caused Rin's face to show a light blush. As for Vahn, he had long since adapted to Fenrir's habits so he showed no discernible change in expression while guiding the conversation forward. In this manner, the day proceeded without incident before Vahn and Fenrir retired to their own room, leaving Rin to fall exasperatedly into her bed. Her body was still sore from the morning's exertions so she didn't even change into her sleepwear before retreating to the comfort of her blankets...While Rin faded into the abyss of unconsciousness, Vahn and Fenrir were both wide awake as they spent their time together in silence. The reasons Fenrir had been sleeping during the day was to conserve her energy as, even though he wasn't required to act immediately, there were a few things Vahn wanted to look into. His instincts, honed over years of associating with people who possessed a powerful fate, told him that there was more afoot than Rin was aware. If the Holy Grail War was only supposed to have seven total Masters, it didn't make sense for there to be as much activity as he had observed. Though it wasn't hard to believe that every competing Master had their own support group, the War was supposed to be a highly regulated event that disallowed external interference. Rin and her companions were obviously intending to break the rules but, as could be observed from the failure of the previous two Wars, she wasn't the only one with such intentions...Once Rin had fallen into a deep state of unconsciousness, Vahn tilted Fenrir's chin towards him before giving her a short peck on the lips. This caused her to immediately smile, though not nearly as much as when Vahn asked, "Shall we go hunting...?" As a being with affinities related to Water, Ice, and Yin, Fenrir's dominion was the veil of night, especially when there was a full moon. Though they lacked the latter, there were few who could ever hope to achieve Fenrir's proficiency when it came to tracking down 'prey'. Without any fear visible within her subtly glowing eyes, Fenrir used one of her nails, tracing ita long Vahn's chest as she answered, "With only two exceptions, there is nothing I would enjoy more...Master..."Knowing exactly what Fenrir was implying, Vahn released a light chuckle before letting his hand trace the line of her back. This caused her to exhale a hot sigh as, even with its reduced efficacy, Vahn's [Hands or Nirvana], combined with his comprehension of Petting Laws made even a simple caress something that penetrated into the very core of a person's body...After warming up their bodies a bit, Vahn and Fenrir dawned cloaks that had been purchased from the system shop for 500,000OP each. They allowed the wearer to move undetected within the shadows, increasing the efficacy of all stealth-related abilities by 300%. Though Vahn and Fenrir both lacked actual skills and abilities related to stealth at the moment, the former could match his presence to the surrounding Mana while the latter could use the same magic that allowed her to change form like an optical camouflage. Fenrir could bend the light around her body to become nothing more than a hazy blur that was nearly unnoticeable unless you looked directly at her. Though this would be useless in areas of heavy fog and rain, it was when the sky was clear of everything but the moon and a few stars...Like shadows, Vahn and Fenrir quickly moved through the surrounding suburban residences before reaching their first mark only five blocks from the Tohsaka Manor. Vahn had detected the Magus that was staying here lingering around Rin's house several times over the past couple of days. Since he hadn't tried to establish contact, it was almost guaranteed that the Magus within an enemy or a spy. Thus, after confirming the presence of two people within, Vahn moved undetected through the surrounding magic barrier as Fenrir kept watch outside. Upon entering the main bedroom of the rather homely residence, Vahn found a man a woman, both in their mid-twenties, sharing the same bed. He had already peered into the room previously so he wasn't at all surprised, quickly setting to his task of sorting through the Magus' personal effects.It didn't take long for Vahn to find a leatherbound folder that contained information on not only Rin, but the two companions she had met with at the Cafe. There were several other people mentioned, leading Vahn to believe they were either other potential Masters or co-conspirators in Rin's plan. Since there was also a log that showed Rin's movements over the last few days, including timestamps, Vahn's eyes immediately sharpened as he looked towards the sleeping couple. The man didn't have a powerful presence but his companion had a few dense threads of mana running through her internal circuits. Vahn didn't know if she was a prospective Master, or if she was simply the 'muscle' on the man's investigation team. None of the documents, other than their passports, gave Vahn any information about the two so it was hard to determine if they were enemies he ought to kill...Ultimately, Vahn decided to use a method he wasn't actually that fond of, causing him to release a muted sigh that didn't escape the thin membrane he created with his domain. Without wasting too much time, he appeared at the woman's side before pressing his index finger against her forehead. Though this might have awakened her in any other circumstances, Vahn's touch could go completely unnoticed if he chose. Without her ever knowing something was wrong, the woman fell into a deep abyss of unconsciousness that she wouldn't wake from with outside intervention or the passage of a full day. After this was completed, Vahn moved to the opposite side of the bed before placing two fingers at the center of the man's chest. He made no attempt to conceal his presence this time, causing the Magus' eyes to snap open, though not before he had already lost control over his motor functions...Vahn watched as the man activated his Magic Circuits and tried to force his body to move but, with Source Energy coursing through his nervous system, it was far beyond his means to resist. Even so, Vahn waited patiently for the man to cease his struggling before staring directly into his eyes and saying, "This is not a negotiation. You will tell me what I wish to know, or you will die. There are no other outcomes to this situation. Though you may not trust that I will release you after the fact, I can promise you that there are far worse things in life than a swift death..." Even without a sadistic nature, Vahn still had more than a few means at his disposal if he needed his enemies to talk. If the man failed to comply, the next step would involve putting him into a deep state of hypnosis that he may never fully recover from...Since the man couldn't talk at the moment, he used his eyes to look at this sleeping companion without uttering so much as a grunt. After seeing that she was sleeping peacefully, he seemed to calm down a bit before blinking his eyes in understanding. Vahn returned a small nod of his own before placing his index finger below the man's laryngeal prominence, slowly restoring his ability to speak. Once this task was completed, Vahn picked up the folder containing the man's investigation notes before asking, "What is your purpose here? Why are you investigating these people...?"Vahn noticed there was no information on himself within the man's records so he didn't ask about Rin and her associates directly. As for the man, he seemed to put deep consideration into his answer before saying, "I'm just a simple Private Investigator that was hired to collect information on any prominent Mages moving around the Miyama region. I can't give you any information about the identity of my client, though I know they have connections to the Holy Church..." As he had only gotten notice regarding the job through an anonymous source, the unfortunate private investigator could only pray that Vahn believed his words...With an 'approving' nod, Vahn looked between the man and his companion before asking, "And what is the identity of your companion? Are the two of you partners...?" This line of questioning caused the man's expression to turn desperate as he said, "Please, don't hurt my Ayoko...if you want to hurt me, I don't care, just please leave her out of this..."Seeing the sincerity in the man's eyes, Vahn squinted his eyes slightly, even as he internally released an exasperated sigh. Before allaying the man's concerns, he repeated, "I asked you her identity and the nature of your relationship. If your concern is genuine, you will answer my questions directly instead of wasting my time..." Using his domain to put some pressure on the man's mind, something that was 'very' easy with how weak most people in this world were, Vahn's words were like massive weights placed on the private investigator's heart. Fearing what would happen if he failed to comply, the man answered, "Her name is Ayoko Fujima...we have been partners for the last seven years..."Discerning not falsehood in the man's words, Vahn gave another small nod before pulling out a thin bar of gold and setting it on the bedside table. Without leaving any room for discussion, he stated, "Your paralysis will wear off in around an hour...I would encourage you to use this time to think about what you should do after you regain your mobility. A warzone is no place to take your lover..." With these parting words, Vahn vanished like a phantom from the man's room, leaving him in a cold sweat that seemed to soak through to his bones. Following Vahn's 'advice', not that he had any other choice, he spent the full hour contemplating his travel itinerary...---Throughout the rest of the night, Vahn visited several other 'marks', many of which were just investigators that had been hired to gather information. It didn't take much effort for him to realize that their presence was actually meant to serve as a distraction, drawing attention away from 'real' threats, but it was still better to have determined this early on. He was able to gain a fair amount of information about various person's of interest so Vahn didn't feel as if his time had been wasted in clearing out the surroundings. Though he ultimately only ended up eliminating one Magus that had obviously 'evil' intentions, based on the half-dozen human hearts he kept under his bedside, it was still a productive evening...By the time Rin had awoken for their morning training, her body aching even more than the previous day, Vahn and Fenrir were already waiting patiently within the backyard. When the latter dragged her aching body outside, Vahn smiled in a teasing fashion as he mused, "I was beginning to think you were going to sleep in until noon..." Knowing these were the same words she had used the day prior, Rin glared towards Vahn and said, "Bite me..." in a tired voice. This caused him to raise his brow as Fenrir, apparently deciding to get in on the exchange, opened her mouth to reveal much sharper than normal teeth. Rin inhaled audibly when she saw this, quickly adding, "It's just an expression...!"Vahn laughed out loud when he saw this interaction before lightly tapping Fenrir's back and saying, "Make sure she does her stretches properly. I'm going to warm up on the side to give you a bit of privacy." Though Rin would probably claim to not care if he stayed around, Vahn made a point of minding the matter so that their status as a proper Master and Disciple wouldn't become skewed. Even if the distance between them continued to shorten, Vahn wanted to establish a few clear boundaries early on so that Rin wouldn't get any strange ideas. Though he wasn't against the idea of a temporarily fling, depending on the circumstances, Vahn wasn't in the mindset of having any permanant relationships within this world...Though Rin frowned as she watched Vahn walk off to the other side of a shrub, she didn't say anything until Fenrir unceremoniously appeared behind her and slapped the insides of her thighs. Against her will, Rin found herself falling into a painful split that caused tears to build up in the corner of her eyes as she exclaimed, "You...!" Before Rin could say anything more, Fenrir began to push down on her shoulders as she said, "Quiet. Stretch." in a cold tone. With the difference in their power, Rin didn't actually have any choice but to comply as she quickly found her chest pressed into the cold stone below. Fenrir felt the 'resistance', causing her eyes to sharpen slightly as she began to push Rin with varying degrees of force to make her 'squash' into the ground. Rin, after their first session together, knew it was better to just get it over with so she grit her teeth, withholding further remarks...With Rin 'cooperating', it only took them around twenty minutes to complete all of the 'required' stretches that Vahn had assigned her. When she was finally liberated from Fenrir's paws, Rin's eyes seemed to have lost a bit of their light as she gasped for air, huge plumes of condensation accompanying each breath. She didn't get much time to recover, however, when Vahn suddenly appeared above her with an amused smile on his face. Rin instantly groaned upon seeing him before rolling onto her side and muttering, "I don't care anymore, do whatever you want..." Her body was sorer than anything she had ever experienced, even under the intense and borderline sadistic training she went through in her childhood...Even though he knew Rin was just 'pouting', Vahn nodded his head in response to her words before using telekinesis to lift her body. This caused her to freak out, as the sudden weightlessness was similar to the feeling of falling backward in a chair. Before she was even afforded the opportunity to complain, Vahn had already set out a wooden barrel that was filled with a steamy green liquid. Rin hadn't even processed what was happening before she suddenly found herself dropped into the warm liquid, causing the chill that had settled in her body to immediately fade. Instead, the sudden change in temperature made the lukewarm liquid feel as if it was scaldingly hot, causing Rin to practically jump out of the water, shouting, "What the hell are you doing!?"Without a single change in expression, Vahn casually answered, "Whatever I want. Fortunately for you, what I want is to help your body recover so you don't have to spend the rest of the day moving around like a grandma..." Though he couldn't buy potions for Rin's consumption, Vahn could exploit a bit of a loophole within the system by purchasing medicinal herbs and mixing concoctions himself. His alchemical knowledge had a few massive gaps, but this didn't stop him from acquiring a list of ingredients to make an herbal bath that would remove Rin's fatigue and help to 'refine' her body. It was similar to how he had trained himself after first entering the Record of Danmachi, a form of training he knew would have demonstrable benefits to the current Rin.Hearing Vahn's words, Rin noticed that the pain in her body had actually faded by a large amount, a surprising feat since she hadn't even been soaking for a full minute. Now that she was beginning to adapt to the 'heat', Rin noticed it was actually pretty comfortable compared to the frigid morning air...Just as Rin was working through the process of 'accepting' Vahn's rough treatment, Fenrir's face formed a frown as she pointed towards her and said, "Shameless..." in a tone colder than the surrounding air. At the same time, Rin noticed that Vahn was blankly staring towards a flock of birds flying through the sky, causing a dreadful feeling to rise up from her stomach. Looking down, Rin noticed that her relatively thin workout clothes, while not transparent, hadn't done their job. Since she was dropped into warm water before being exposed to the cold air one again, her nipples had become just as frigid as the surroundings. Rin quickly covered her chest before sinking into the water until it reached her nose. Like this, she began to blow bubbles while looking towards Vahn with blame and discontent...Seeing that Rin was covering herself, Vahn turned to face her with a smile before saying, "Today, you will stay inside this barrel until the water gains enough transparency that you can see your feet. It should only take a half-hour and, after you're done, your body will be full of energy for the rest of the day." Vahn didn't bother to explain the other benefits of the herbal bath as it wasn't his intention to teach her to be reliant on external items to increase her strength. If she believed the only purpose of the bath was to help remove her fatigue, that was more than enough for the time being. With that in mind, Vahn picked up the despondent Fenrir, immediately causing her mood to improve. Then, giving Rin one last glance, Vahn said, "Fenrir and I will use the shower before preparing breakfast. Remember, don't leave the water until you can see your feet...okay?"Rin's only response was to poke her tongue out before turning around in the barrel and facing away from them. Then, as if to escape the cold air, she submerged up to her nose and continued to blow bubbles in silent protest as Vahn and Fenrir went indoors. It wasn't until the sound of the backdoor closing reached her ears that Rin complained, "Idiot...jerk...asshole..." If others were to see her, it would have looked like a vengeful spirit muttering a malicious curse that would bring harm to whoever was unfortunate enough to suffer their ire...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Let the hunt begin...','Poor PI-san...','It seems that Rin's 'fate' is to get bullied...'https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1033: Meeting