Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

The duel between Lorelei and Artoria had been scheduled for noon so, after idling in the waiting area for around half an hour, it was nearing time for the battle to begin. At this point, the only thing they were really waiting for was the arrival of Solon or, in this case, Aoko Aozaki. Without someone to officiate the event, it could not proceed so, while waiting for her arrival, Vahn passed the time by talking with Zelretch while Artoria was tended to by Gray and Gareth.It wasn't until a few minutes before the duel was scheduled to begin that Vahn's perception picked up on an aura that he couldn't make sense of. It felt simultaneously ancient and cold yet, at the same time, gave off a very youthful and sunny vibe. He was a little surprised by the contrary nature of the aura but, as it was something he could look into at a later date, he decided not to mind it. Instead, he looked toward Zelretch and, understanding his intent, the old man gave a curt nod before lightly tapping his cane against the ground. In the next moment, his figure had vanished from the waiting room, leaving behind a few ripples in Space-Time.With Zelretch's departure, Vahn rose to his feet and approached Artoria to help her stand. She had been in a meditative state in preparation for the coming battle so, when she opened her eyes, Vahn was able to see a silver glow flickering across her irises. It was quite the sight to behold and, if not for the fact he was afraid her focus was be affected, he wouldn't have been able to resist giving her a kiss or two.Artoria seemed to understand his intent as, for a brief moment, the focus in her eyes faded away as she looked up at him with a smile. Vahn habitually returned her smile and, though his gauntleted hands might not be the most comfortable, he cupped her cheek before resting his forehead against hers. They stayed like this for more than a minute before Vahn pulled away and stated in a confident tone, "Your actions today will usher in a new Era for this world. I believe in you, Artoria..."After inhaling audibly through her nose, Artoria's smile became more radiant as she placed her hand against his breastplate and whispered, "Believe in us...I do not carry this burden alone. Ever since our first meeting, we have walked this path together."With her words finished, Artoria gave one last smile before turning away with a far more serious expression on her face. She gave off the impression of someone who had lived an entire lifetime on the battlefield, a stark contrast to the loving woman that had been present moments prior. Vahn had a thoughtful look on his face as he watched her retreating figure but, throughout the sequence of events, his smile had never faded.Though it shouldn't be necessary, Vahn sent a mental command to Scáthach, telling her to follow along with Artoria to prevent any kind of subterfuge. If the enemy decided to pull something at the last moment, he didn't mind going to war against the entire Association.Before anyone realized it, Scáthach's figure had vanished from the periphery of the room as Vahn turned to address his companions with a smile. He primarily directed his gaze towards Gray, Fenrir, and Gareth as he calmly stated, "Regardless of the outcome of this battle, we stand together. While it may be difficult to uphold in the future, everyone within the Empire is an important member of my family. I will not tolerate others machinating against my loved ones so, if the Association seeks War, we must be prepared."In response to Vahn's words, Gawain, Galahad, and Gareth all gave proper Knight's salutes while Kenshin and Lakshmibai just smiled back at him. As for Fenrir and Gray, the former had the same resolute expression as always while Gray, understanding the meaning behind her Master's words, couldn't help but smile, even as her eyes developed a layer of moisture. Then, so as not to embarrass herself, she wiped away the budding tears before adopting a resolute expression of her own...---While Vahn was giving his motivational speech, Zelretch had a ragged expression as a woman with red hair and lapis-lazuli eyes stared back at him with a confident smile on her face. Though she was only 165cm tall, her expression made it appear as if she were looking down on the 185cm tall elderly man. With her peculiar choice of garb, her mature appearance was present for the world to see and, if Vahn were present, he would have placed her three sizes at 90/56/88, giving her a figure that the majority of women would envy.Similar to Nobunaga, Aoko liked to wear casual clothes that gave her a more 'wild' and unrestrained appearance. Today, she was wearing a pair of blue jean shorts that were frayed at the ends, almost as if they had been cut from a pair of pants. She had a sleeveless white that accented her rather large breasts while, around her a neck, an ornate metallic choker with a blue gemstone was present. What stood out the most, other than her inordinately beautiful appearance, were the complex runes that had been engraved on her exposed arms like tattoos. She also had a black glover on her right hand that ran up the length of her elbow while, completely her outfit, she had on a pair of black, military-style boots.As if playing the part her clothes had presented, Aoko was basically grinning at Zelretch as she said, "Long time no see, Jewel Bastard. Have you broken any more students since the last time we met?"Zelretch snorted in response to Aoko's taunting words, stating in an aged tone, "I find myself lacking the time to dedicate to rearing another student. I'm certain you have been rather busy yourself...tell me, Ms. Aozaki, has the nature of your Magic changed in the last five months...?"Knowing what Zelretch was getting at, Aoko's expression turned more serious as she stated, "There have indeed been some changes. I'm assuming that man is the cause...?" At this point, most of the major players around the world knew of Vahn's existence so, as the Head of the Aozaki family, one of the most prominent Magus lineages in the modern era, she was obviously aware of him as well.Without beating around the bush at all, Zelretch stated in a solemn tone, "That man comes from the Outside..."This time, Aoko's eyes widened in genuine shock was, better than most, she knew exactly what he was talking about when mentioning the Outside. Her Magic gave her direct access to the Root and, if she wanted to, it was possible for her to come into contact with it whenever she wanted. If she didn't have so many things anchoring her to the world, she would have given in to the ever-present urge to find out what was on the other side.After collecting herself, Aoko adopted her usual confident expression as she mused, "It seems I'm going to have to meet with this so-called Emperor. If he is really from the Outside, he should be able to answer a few questions of mine."Zelretch gave a curt nod and, remembering Vahn's words, explained, "That man is undoubtedly an Emperor. You should not go out of your way to antagonize him. As for a meeting, that is something that can be arranged. The Sage Emperor has extended an invitation to you. If you have no other pressing matters to attend, there will be an important discussion taking place in the next couple of days. The Director and myself will also be present and, as it has been quite some time, I would ask that you consider the matter seriously, Ms. Aozaki."Crossing her arms, an action that caused her breasts to stand out even more, Aoko answered in a non-committal tone, "We'll see. I've heard some pretty shady rumors about that man, including that he is already in cahoots with the Director. I'd rather not be trapped in a room with three of you old monsters at the same time."Though he knew it was dangerous to do so, Zelretch couldn't help but laugh in response to Aoko's words. He wasn't sure what kind of rumors she had heard but, considering the propaganda spread by the Noble Faction, they were undoubtedly slanderous. Aoko obviously knew better than to treat the rumors of the Association seriously, as she had been a victim of them herself in the past, but that didn't mean she ignored them completely. Until she met with Vahn and got a feel for his character, it would be very difficult to convince her to meet on any terms but her own.At this point, the scheduled time for the duel had already come and gone but, being two of only five Mages/Magicians, Aoko and Zelretch had the freedom to arrive at their leisure. Since it was their first meeting in a few years, they decided to make polite conversation for a bit while slowly making their way over to the arena. Along the way, anyone who saw them was considerably shaken, causing them to head in the complete opposite direction.As a result of the duo's leisurely pace, the entire arena was aware of Aoko's presence by the time she had finally arrived. This included Lord Barthomeloi who, already feeling bothered by the presence of the 'unknown' Magus at Vahn's side, nearly called off the duel on the spot. No matter how confident he was in his own family's power, he wasn't foolish enough to believe he could take on two wielders of True Magic at the same time. Aoko, in particular, was the one opponent he would rather not face as, despite very little being known about the Fifth Magic, it was considered second only to the First.Despite wanting to call everything off, Lord Barthomeloi looked toward Lorelei before saying in a cold tone, "Do not hold back. Do not try and show off. End this battle as quickly as you can."Without arguing at all, Lorelei nodded her head in understanding before answering in a courteous tone, "Yes, my Lord." After this, she gave a polite bow before turning away to make her way down to the arena. Along the way, she looked at everyone present in the room like an Executioner eyeing a group of death row inmates. Though there was no shame in lowering her head to her grandfather, they had seen her be struck. Thus, as far as Lorelei was concerned, they were all living on borrowed time.After making her way down one of the private corridors that provided access to the VIP viewing room, Lorelei slowed the pace of her steps until she came to a complete stop. Then, no longer able to restrain her frustration, she punched the adjacent wall with enough forced to shatter the surface and cause the magic crystals serving as light sources to fracture.Though her conditioning made it impossible for her to even contemplate baring her fangs towards her grandfather, the fact that Aoko had appeared incensed Lorelei to no end. While she was called the 'Queen', having no peers that can be directly compared to her, it was an indisputable fact that Aoko was stronger than her. When the latter was around, calling Lorelei the Queen of Mages was less of a compliment than it was a mockery. Because of this, Lorelei had always hated Aoko as, while the latter existed, she would always be the second most powerful female Magus...---When Aoko appeared within the arena, the crowd went wild in much the same way as when Vahn's party first arrived. This caused Aoko to roll her eyes but, as she took considerable pride in her figure and lived by the creed: 'regret nothing', she didn't really care how they reacted. So long as none of them were foolish enough to make brash remarks and catcall her, she didn't mind if they eyed her like a group hungry wolves stumbling across a wayward lamb.After being handed a microphone that looked like a magic crystal on the end of a metal pipe, as the Mage's Association was pretty strict about not using advanced technology, Aoko struck a dauntless pose before shouting, "Hey, everyone! I hope you're all excited about today! It isn't every day that you get to witness a battle between the 'Queen of Mages' and a Legendary Heroic Spirit~!"Though it wasn't discernible to everyone, the more perceptive members in the crowd heard the extra emphasis Aoko placed on Lorelei's title. In truth, Aoko didn't really put Lorelei in her eyes but, as the latter had caused her a fair amount of trouble in the past, she also had no love for her. Since she had yet to meet with Vahn, Aoko was automatically inclined to root for Artoria. Lorelei's comeuppance was long overdue and, if not for the trouble it would cause her family, Aoko would have taught the 'Blue-Blooded Bitch' a lesson a long time ago.After waiting for the crowd to settle down a bit, Aoko had a big grin on her face as she exclaimed, "I don't normally do things like this but I decided to do the Director a favor by hosting today's duel. Before that, there is something I want to make very clear to all you bastards scheming in the stands. No matter how you try to spin things, I've already been informed of the terms for the duel since the arrangements were made. This duel is to address a perceived grievance between the Barthomeloi family and the Empire. There were no wagers made that require any person or artifacts to change hands. You can shove your schemes up your asses, okay~?"In response to Aoko's words, several people from the Noble Faction began to shout while, elsewhere in the stands, everyone else had an 'as expected' reaction. Though they could not speak out about it, every commoner student knew the methods used by the Noble Faction. They controlled the spread of information, both inside and outside of the Clock Tower. In most situations, they would never take the group's words at face value but, as they also lacked the power to oppose the machinations of the established powers, they could only lower their heads in silent acceptance of their fate.Aoko wasn't worried about offending the Noble Faction as, with her family's territory being located in Japan, there weren't many amongst them who would even try to scheme against her. If they had the courage to do so, they would also need the conviction to confront the Fifth Magic, something only the Three Monarchal families could reasonably manage. Now that they had been petitioning her family for support in the upcoming battle against Angra Mainyu, Aoko felt like taking a stance against them since she knew there was nothing they could do but grit their teeth and bear it, just like the commoners they looked down upon.Ignoring the outcries of the Noble Faction, Aoko pulled a small pocket watch out of her short's back pocket before checking the time. She showed an expression of mock surprise before exclaiming into the microphone, "Oh, wow! We're actually super behind schedule, aren't we~!? Well, without further ado, let's get this show on the road! Let's see..."Since Artoria was the party being challenged, it was proper to introduce her first before introducing her opponent. Aoko had been given a small script that showed various talking points, including one that told her to introduce Lorelei first. This was obviously another scheme by the Noble Faction as it made Artoria seem like the challenger going by the usual order of events.After understanding the bias behind the duel's organization, Aoko crushed the piece of paper before exclaiming, "Representing the mysterious Aldrnari Empire is none other than the Legendary King of Knights, now Empress of the Aldrnari Empire, Artoria Pendragon~!"Lorelei had been preparing to make her entrance so, hearing Aoko's outburst, her faced turned dark in an instant. The only thing keeping her calm at this point is the assurance that, when all of this was over, her family would have cemented its image as the most powerful of the Three Monarchs. With this in mind, she began to open and close her fists to remain calm, waiting for Aoko to introduce her so she could bring this farce to an end.When she heard her name called, Artoria rose from her kneeling position in the wing before making her entrance onto the battlefield. Her arrival caused a stir to pass through the crowd and, while some seemed to have forgotten Vahn's earlier words, the majority of people present were simply in awe of her dignified aura. They had all heard that 'King Arthur' was going to be one of the contenders in the duel but, while the rumors about her being a female had already circulated, this was the first time it the truth really resonated with most people.After reaching her designated area in the field, Artoria raised her right arm and, much to the surprise of the crowd, began to gather a phenomenal amount of mana. Though she could summon it without the fanfare, Artoria knew it was important to put on airs when presenting oneself to the public. Thus, with an inviolably noble disposition, she pulled [Excalibur] out of thin air. When it appeared, silence had descended upon the crowd while some, especially those hailing from the British Isles, had a very strong urge to kneel. After all, while Artoria may be a beautiful woman and an Empress, she was also the 'Once and Future King of England'...Artoria continued holding [Excalibur] high for several seconds, allowing its holy light to wash over the crowd. When the light began to die down, she brandished the blade in a flourish before setting the tip against the ground, both hands resting on the pommel. Though she was very petite, she suddenly seemed like an immovable mountain in the eyes of everyone present, Nobles included.Despite being the Fifth Magician, even Aoko could only stare at Artoria with awe clearly visible on her face. This caused her to momentarily blank until Artoria turned her silvery eyes towards her and gave a small nod. As if she had been given leniency, Aoko came back to her senses before coughing awkwardly to ease her embarrassment. Then, causing an oppressive and wrath-filled aura to spread through the arena, she brought the microphone up to her mouth before stating in a dismissive tone, "Lorelei, stop wasting time and get out here. You were the one to challenge Her Majesty so why are you dawdling...?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Believe in us...','The Fifth Magician's Eccentricities','RIP Lorelei's brain. That aneurysm xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though she felt angrier in this one moment than any other preceding it, Lorelei adopted a calm and cold visage as she made her way to the area designated for her. Unlike her usual outfit, Lorelei had replaced her white petticoat with a sleeveless tactical combat vest. It might not look like much, but the thin plating would be able to dissipate the shockwave of a howitzer at point-blank range so it would provide her, at the very least, a basic level of protection against Artoria's physical might.While her battle attire had surprised a number of people, the more perceptive members of the crowd eyed the series of batons strapped in a holster behind Lorelei's back. Though her usual weapon looked like a riding-whip, it was actually a very powerful catalyst that allowed her to cast various spells without compiling the formula. As for the batons at her back, they were all superior quality magical scepters that had simply been disguised to appear more practical.Completely Lorelei's outfit, she had her usual metallic gauntlet but, as she had discarded her long-sleeved petticoat, her bare arms were visible for all to see. Though it wasn't noticeable due to usual baggy clothing, Lorelei had soft yet pronounced muscles while, on her right forearm, the same one she wore her gauntlet on, a complex series of runes were engraved into her skin. They formed what appeared to be a solid blue saber with a complex tribal pattern but, if inspected closer, they would have been able to see thousands of runes forming a faux-magic crest that allowed instantaneous use of most intermediate level spells.While some Magi had made a name for themselves by studying various complex forms of Magecraft, it was the creed of the Bathomeloi family to strive for a 'perfect foundation'. As a result, Lorelei had no special traits, nor did she possess any unique forms of thaumaturgy. Instead, she became known as one of the greatest modern Magi by using orthodox Magecraft to a level nearing perfection. This allowed her to fire off several successive spells in sequence, each equating to a B-Rank spell, by the time most Magi had been able to complete a single one of their own.After assuming her position, Lorelei held up her right hand, covered by a [Holy Mithril Gauntlet] that had the ability to interfere with the flow of magical power. Against another Magi, this gauntlet was their worst nightmare but, even against someone who relied on physical enhancement like Artoria, it would still be useful. This was due to the fact that, while it interrupted the control of her enemy's magical power, Lorelei's control allowed her to freely maneuver her own. Her mana carried the Wind Element by default so she could cut apart most enemies with a simple palm strike...Even when the surrounding mana began to stir due to Lorelei's presence, Artoria remained entirely unflustered as she patiently waited for the battle to begin. There were no words required between them as the time for dialogue had long-since come to an end. Now, decisive action was required and, no matter what schemes her enemy had come up with, Artoria would cut them down, without exception...Aoko was starting to get a little excited while watching Artoria and Lorelei stare down each other. Before she could begin the battle, however, the surrounding space suddenly began to expand at a rate visible to the eye. Though the dimensions of the arena hadn't changed in the slightest, the area that served as the battleground had compounded several times. Without the crystal projection, the vast majority of attendees wouldn't even be able to see the contenders at this point as, from their perspective, it suddenly seemed like Artoria and Lorelei were distant figures on the horizon.Though Aoko felt uncomfortable to be in an area influenced by Zelretch, she did her best to bear with it since she knew it was necessary. However, once the space had stabilized, she wasted no time at all to raise the microphone and exclaim, "Alright! Give it your best! Go, go, go~!" before floating into the sky under the influence of her own magical power.The moment Aoko signaled the start of the battle, Artoria had already kicked against the ground with enough force to cause a massive eruption in her wake. As for Lorelei, the faux-magic crest on her arm immediately activated, creating a helical magic circle around her arm that caused Aoko to frown. This was obviously copied from her own combat style but, as it wasn't uncommon for Magi to adapt the techniques of others, she kept mum and simply enjoyed refereeing the fight.Artoria was slightly surprised when her [Mana Burst] dissipated when nearing Lorelei but, as she had kept her momentum, it didn't matter to her that much. She unhesitantly swung her sword in a wide sweep that was impossible for all but the most powerful individuals to follow. This was met by the silvery palm of Lorelei who, rather than contend against the power behind the blade, attempted to divert its path. At the same time, the helical magic circle around her forearm formed a total of seven small balls of magical energy which, after reaching critical mass, shot forward like white lasers as they attempted to skewer Artoria's body.Though she could have evaded them, Artoria's [Instinct] didn't trigger and, as she felt the beams of light weren't dangerous, she just continued her forward charge by leaning into Lorelei's chest with her shoulder. The latter grit her teeth in annoyance when she saw her attack simply break against Artoria's body without doing any discernible damage. Then, much to the surprise of everyone in the stands, Lorelei did the most inexplicable thing as, rather than try to evade the charge, she jerked her head forward in a clear attempt to headbutt Artoria.Having already committed to her attack, Artoria clenched her own teeth a Lorelei's head, reinforced to the extreme, slammed into her own. She felt a small concussive force but, with the regeneration, it didn't affect her combat capabilities in the least. Thus, undaunted, her shoulder slammed hard into Lorelei's chest at the same time that their heads made contact. It felt like she was trying to shoulder tackle a boulder but, despite this, Lorelei was sent flying backward with enough force to break the sound barrier.Ignoring the dent that now existed on her breastplate, Lorelei flipped through the air before using a combination of spells to stabilize herself while firing off a series of ten [Gandr] simultaneously. Two of these were far more powerful than the others, halting Artoria's charge as she deftly cut through them with [Excalibur]. After this, she was forced to weave from side-to-side rapidly as, after the first two were blocked, all of Lorelei's attacks were at the same level. She was like a rapid-fire machine gun that required Artoria, for a brief moment, to stand her ground in an effort to deflect several hundred reddish-black lasers.As most opponents would either use a barrier or just evade her attacks, Lorelei was a little shaken to see Artoria cut down the vast majority of her spells. She couldn't even trace the trajectory of Artoria's sword, causing her to instinctually activate one of her trump cards. Her hazel-brown eyes suddenly became blood-red as her pupils became the size of pinholes. At that same moment, Artoria stopped mid-swing, leaving her defenseless against the barrage of [Gandr] still suppressing her.The moment the first hits began to land, Lorelei flicked her riding-whip, resulting in a purple magic circle forming in mid-air. It quickly grew in size until it was nearly 3m in diameter before the circle began to spin rapidly as lightning danced across its surface. Then, while firing dozens of [Gandr] per second, causing a reddish-black cloud of chaotic magical energy to appear in the area where Artoria had been standing, Lorelei released a far more powerful attack.Moving around a tenth the speed of light, a purple band of lightning danced through the air as it struck down upon Artoria's location in what appeared to be an instant. A loud thunderclap spread through the area as, moments later, the ground itself erupted as an area of several hundred meters began to dance with arcs of purple lightning. Lorelei had continued channeling her spell, causing the lightning to continually build up until, after finally reaching a critical level, it formed a massive pillar of lightning that arced up into the sky and slammed into the barrier above.Lorelei breathed a tired sight but, rather than lower her guard, she continued to open up distance between herself and Artoria as she pulled out two of the batons from her sling. This was the correct choice as, immediately following the purple pillar of lightning, a pale-blue tempest broke it apart as Artoria, seemingly uninjured, swung her sword down as she shouted, "Exxxxcaaaaalibur~!"By pure instinct, Lorelei crossed the batons in her hand to form a crossguard. Runes covered their entire length and, after she channeled her mana into them, a massive magical bulwark emerged to protect her. It looked like a squarish red wall formed of magical energy but, at the very center of the complex arrangement of runes, what could only be described as a demon's face was present. As the holy energy from Artoria's attack struck the bulwark, the demon opened its mouth wide, seemingly intent on devouring the attack in its entirety.With advanced knowledge of Artoria's capabilities, Lorelei had obviously made preparations for dealing with her most famous attacks. The barrier she had formed was the result of an artifact known as [Asmodeus' Vengeance], and Anti-Divine artifact that could absorb holy energy and spew it back at the attacker. As a result, Artoria's attack was indeed devoured by the barrier but, before it could spit it back out, Lorelei noticed cracks spreading across the surface.Never doubting her instincts, Lorelei immediately created a secondary barrier around her body while using a short-range [Space Transfer] spell. From her new vantage, she watched as one of her trump cards erupted in a cloud of vibrant blue energy, pure incredulity filling her mind. What Lorelei could never have expected was, after being 'refined' by Vahn for several hours each day, Artoria's energy was far more powerful than her calculations could have accounted for. Even the weakest activation of her [Excalibur] could reach A-Rank at this point, making it a terrifyingly powerful Noble Phantasm that she could freely spam with impunity.As if this was her intent, Artoria had appeared near Lorelei's new location in an instant. This was an even bigger surprise for Lorelei as, from what they were able to gather, Artoria should only be able to use a simple form of wind magic to obscure her sword. She should not be capable of anything remotely resembling [Space Transfer] as, even among the most powerful members of the Mage's Association, there was only a handful who could pull it off. Artoria was a 'Knight' not a Magus, so it was rather ridiculous, at least in Lorelei's mind, that she was able to perform the advanced spell with such ease.Despite her shock, Lorelei used her own [Space Transfer] to vanish from the area, just as Artoria's [Excalibur] tried to give her a haircut. Since Artoria wasn't that proficient with [Shundo] just yet, she had a bit of trouble following other people. Still, with her A-Rank [Instinct], she would able to intuit Lorelei's location. She twisted her body mid-air, causing the energy from her [Exclibur] to change direction and flow around her body like a tempest while she was the eye of the storm.Lorelei felt that everything Artoria was doing had been developed specifically to surprise her. She wasn't looking down on the former King of Knights at all but, with how little time had passed since her summoning, it didn't make sense for her battle data to have changed so drastically. As she used her barrier to resist the wave of holy energy that washed over her, she correctly assumed that the Empire had a Bounded Field where time flowed at a different rate compared to reality. This was the only way Artoria could have changed in such a short period of time, even if she had been given a physical body.With much of [Excalibur]'s force dissipated by the conversation into an area of effect ability, Lorelei was a little worse for wear, but ultimately undamaged by the attack. It propelled her back faster than a supersonic jet but, rather than resist, Lorelei just guided her path through the air while using the force to open up distance between herself and Artoria. While she was one of the most proficient users of [Enhancement] Magecraft, she wasn't going to try and fight against Artoria up close after seeing the speed in which she deflected her [Gandr] barrage.Feeling that things were going south for her, Lorelei decided she would have to bear the brunt of her grandfather's ire by using one of the final cards he had prepared for her. She could not risk losing the battle so, even if she had to spend some time in that hellish dungeon, Lorelei convinced herself it would be worth it to see the shock and anguish on the Sage Emperor's face. Thus, before another wave of holy energy was sent her way, Lorelei struck her own chest with her [Holy Mithril Gauntlet]. Hard.To the shock and confusion of everyone present, they watched as Lorelei coughed up a large volume of blood. Within the VIP viewing room, however, Lord Bathomeloi's brows twitched slightly as, even with his level of composure, he couldn't help but lament at his grandaughter's foolishness. Though it would certainly guarantee her victory, revealing that particular artifact was going to cause him a lot of headaches...Without caring about what Lorelei was up to, Artoria had once again closed the distance between them at hypersonic speeds. She was intending to end the battle before Lorelei could finish whatever she was planning so, raising her sword high with both hands, she formed a massive pillar of holy energy as she exclaimed, "Eeeeexcalibur~!"Due to her self-inflicted injury, Lorelei was unable to evade Artoria's attack but, rather than show any fear, her mouth formed a bloody smile. Then, from where she had been cradling it beneath her body, she pulled out a black staff that looked like a piece of twining wood. At the very end, several warped skulls were present, the eye sockets each burning with a malicious red light. Her own eyes turned a similar blood-red color, stopping Artoria mid-swing as she venomously spat, "Yama's Invitation. Staff of Death, Kaladanda~!"The moment Lorelei finished uttering the name of her artifact, a pule of black energy radiated out at a speed that would be impossible to avoid without instantaneous teleportation. For those that knew the identity of the staff, they inhaled sharply while some cursed the Barthomeloi family for cheating.While weapons and artifacts were not prohibited, using an item that could instantly kill an opponent was considered extremely ignoble. The Kaladanda was the staff possessed by the Ruler of Hell, God Yama, and had the ability to kill anything, regardless of their blessing and boons. It wasn't something a mortal should be able to use so it was obvious that Lorelei would have to pay a grievous price for bringing it out. This made her action seem even more despicable in the eyes of many as, while death was one of the expected outcomes in a duel, aiming for a pyrrhic and dishonorable victory from the start was the act of a coward.Lorelei didn't care about the animosity directed toward her and, even though she had to use up the majority of her lifespan just to activate Kaladanda, she didn't regret it. The prestige of her family was more important than anything else and, given enough time, their honor could be recovered. Even if she was made a martyr, another would rise to lead her family in the future. She was just the latest in a long line and, if her grandfather was feeling magnanimous, she might even be given a new body to replace this now irreparably damaged one.Unfortunately, just as she had fallen to her knees to catch her breath, Lorelei felt a cold sensation at her neck that caused her brain to simply shut down. Her mind simply refused to process what it was seeing, despite the edge of a blade clearly visible in the corner of her vision. To make matters worse, she was aware of the figure standing in front of her, a stark contrast to the corpse she had expected to fall to the ground. Previously, she had thought that Artoria had simply died on her feet or, an end truly befitting of a King, but the reality seemed to be something completely incomprehensible...What Lorelei, and most people, were unaware of was that Kaladanda, while considered one of the most powerful weapons in the world, had certain requirements to function properly. In this situation, the most important prerequisite was that the target in question was someone that had a 'fate' that resulted in their death. In almost every other situation, Kaladanda would have been able to kill the target, irrespective of whether or not they were a God or a mortal. In Artoria's case, however, her fate did not account for her death as, with her existence itself serving as an anchor of the World, she was immune to all but the highest tiered concepts of Death.Though Artoria had intended to cut down Lorelei, she recognized the woman's conviction, even if they were the result of malicious intent. While others may consider her cowardly, very few would use such extreme methods, sacrificing everything for victory. This earned Lorelei her respect so, before ending the battle, Artoria stated in a solemn tone, "You have lost, Barthomeloi Lorelei...yield or die..."At this point, Lorelei's brain had barely started to process the reality presented before her. Thus, with dull eyes, she looked up to meet Artoria's gaze. A small glimmer returned to her dull eyes as, rather than hatred, Lorelei was in awe of the sight of Artoria looking down on her. She did not see reproach or judgment in the Empress' eyes, only respect and a bit of admiration. Since there seemed to be a holy aura surrounding Artoria's figure, Lorelei felt a little bitter. She wasn't bitter at Artoria, however, but upset at herself for having failed in the duty she had accepted. Thus, without any hesitation at all, she smiled slightly before closing her eyes and saying, "I will never yield..." as a tear escaped from her tired eyelids.Artoria gave a solemn nod in response to Lorelei's conviction before retracting swiping her sword in a single, swift, motion. Thus, in front of the eyes of several thousand Magi, the Queen of Mages lost her life to the Empress of Knights. Even more surprising was the fact that, rather than leave Lorelei's body lying lifelessly on the ground, Artoria channeled a phenomenal amount of magical power. It formed into something resembling holy flames in her left hand before placing her palm against the former Queen's back, incinerating her in an instant. She would not allow Lorelei's body to be used as materials for some twisted experiments so, while Artoria didn't agree with her methods, she gave her fallen opponent the honor of a swift release and a well-deserved rest...(A/N: I wrote these three chapters back-to-back over the course of nine hours. I hope you enjoy them xD. I know this seems like a cliff, especially with Lord Barthomeloi present, but I don't have the willpower to keep going without a bit of rest.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

For the better part of a minute, there was almost no sound within the area as those with lesser wills had to fight just to keep their consciousness. It wasn't until Vahn had passed his eyes over the entire crowd in turn that the pressure began to ease up. At that same moment, he spoke in a solemn voice that resonated through the entire arena, reaching everyone's ears despite the distance, "We are the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. We are not a tyrant but, if you covet what is ours, do not blame us for protecting it."In the past, Vahn wouldn't have cared about a few people gawking at his lovers but, now that he had obtained a Divinity related to Sex, it was almost like they were actively catcalling. Since he would not let such grievances slide if he were to hear them, Vahn lacked the magnanimity to tolerate the errant thoughts of the Magi in the crowd. After all, there were many amongst their number who had used things like Hypnosis, Charm, and lesser forms of mind control to act with impunity. He could sense the malicious intent radiating from some people, the largest majority of which belonged to what he assumed to be the Noble Faction.Fortunately for the crowd, Zelretch had been close at hand so, after he approached with a wry smile, Vahn gave the crowd some leniency as he turned to the elderly Mage and asked, "We trust this is not the reception the Association had in mind for us, yes? Take us to where we need to be so we can get this farce out of the way."Zelretch issued a dry laugh in response to Vahn's words as he slightly regretted bringing the group directly to the arena. He had wanted to give them the chance to make a grand entrance since they cut quite the figure as a group of powerful individuals. Now, Vahn had caused the atmosphere in the arena to become incredibly tense, no doubt earning him the ire of nearly everyone in the crowd.During the month leading up to the duel, the Barthomeloi family, and the Noble Faction in general, had been campaigning to demonize Vahn and his Empire quite a bit. They spun the facts to present him as a cruel and uncaring individual who wielded his power with impunity and acted however he pleased. This display would undoubtedly fuel the fires of propaganda further, despite it being clear to many that Vahn was overprotective and borderline possessive, not someone who would give up his allies for something like a wager.Vahn didn't care much for pretenses, especially if they required him to simply ignore the faults of wicked individuals. He understood that his actions would have earned him several enemies within the Association but, as this made it easier to identify those with truly malicious intent, he didn't mind borrowing a page out of the Edelfelt's book. His cooperation with the Association was predicated on their willingness to accept the reforms he intended to bring. He would not pander to the Magi that could not accept the changes he would bring so, even if he upset the majority of people belonging to the Association, Vahn showed no remorse...By the time Zelretch had escorted Vahn's group to their designated waiting area, many in the crowd had already started speaking in hushed tones. As for those belonging to the Noble Faction, who had borne the brunt of Vahn's aura, they were spewing venom and vitriol as they criticized the 'so-called' Emperor's actions. Some even sent their Servants, other students, to spread the word about what had happened so that everyone else could be informed of the 'truth' of Vahn's tyranny.Among those who had witnessed Vahn's display, there was a sealed viewing platform that only those with the highest status among the Noble Faction could make use of. From here, they could view the various duels and events that took place in the arena in extreme comfort. The interior was filled with high-end furniture while the structure of the platform itself was reinforced using materials that could only be found within the various Spiritual Lands. Even if a stray A-Rank attack struck the platform, it would suffer minimal damage while those within wouldn't even feel the smallest of shockwaves.Despite these protections, several people seated within the viewing platform had dour expressions as, much like the rest of the Noble Faction, they had borne the brunt of Vahn's pressure. At the front of the group, a tall man and a relatively petite woman, each having hazelnut-brown hair, emanated an aura that caused the interior of the room to tremble slightly.While some had felt weak at the knees after experiencing Vahn's pressure, these two stood ramrod straight, hands behind their backs as they raised their heads in a dignified and prideful display. The shorter of the two, despite her diminutive size, gave off the impression of a stable mountain. As for her counterpart, his presence was vast and unfathomable, causing those that met him to feel as though they were looking up at the sky above, awed by the boundless expanse.Without changing his posture in the slightest, the man spoke in a deep and stern tone as he stated, "That man is not simple...his aura feels closer to the Divine Energy than mana. You have made quite the enemy for our family, Lorelei."If others were to address her by name, Lorelei would harshly rebuke or outright punish them but, this time around, she lowered her head slightly and stated in a solemn tone, "Forgive me, my Lord." She did not try to make any excuses for her actions as, regardless of her haughty and cruel nature, Lorelei was nothing but a little girl when comparing herself to the 'middle-aged' man standing to her right.Despite the fact that Lorelei was lowering her head to him, something that shocked everyone else present to the core, the man continued to stand tall without any discernible reaction. It wasn't until several seconds had passed that he stated, "It matters not. Be they God, Divine Spirit, or Magi, our family will emerge victoriously. Recent events have given us the opportunity to show the world why we are considered the most prestigious Magus family. Failure will not be tolerated."Still having her head lowered from before, Lorelei answered in a calm and collected tone, without a single sign of lacking confidence, "King or Empress, I will not lose to some relic of the past. My only concern is that you will find the proceedings droll and boring, my Lord."This time, there was a slight change in the middle-aged man's, Lord Bathomeloi's, expression. Then, without any hesitation, nor caring for the presence of others, he struck Lorelei across the face with the back of his right hand. A loud smack resonated through the room, bringing an eerie silence with it, much like standing within a graveyard in the middle of the night.Despite having been struck across the face hard enough to leave a trickle of blood running from her nose, Lorelei's expression was as placid and calm. She made no effort to redress any grievances she might be feeling. Instead, she fixed her posture before lowering her head slightly once again. Even if someone were to try and view her thoughts using Advanced Magecraft, they would find her mind to be in a serene and unperturbed state.After staring at his granddaughter for several tense seconds, Lord Barthomeloi turned his eyes back to the front as he stated, "As a Barthomeloi, you do not lack the prestige to look down upon others. That woman, however, is not someone you can afford to look down on. Her bloodline is something even our family cannot compare to. You will fight her to the best of your abilities from the start. I did not come here to watch a show. I came here to prevent those two old monsters from doing anything to interfere with our family's matters."Though this was his first time seeing Vahn directly, Lord Barthomeloi could already sense there was something 'inexplicable' about the man. Even with his eyes, he was unable to see through the depths of Vahn's power. He could tell that Vahn was weaker than he was but with the entourage he brought along, even Lord Barthomeloi couldn't act with impunity. He had never met Merlin but, after trying to see through the flowery Magus' depths, Lord Barthomeloi actually felt a backlash and, for a brief moment, he was certain the white-haired man had even smiled toward him.As one of the most powerful existences on the Surface, Lord Barthomeloi's mind was like a fortress. The vast majority of Magi, regardless of how powerful they were, would not be able to breach his mental defenses but, as if they didn't exist at all, he was certain the man at the back of Vahn's group had peered into his mind. This made him feel threatened for the first time in more than two-hundred years thus, after hearing Lorelei's remark, he couldn't help but remind her to treat this matter with the severity it was due.---At the same time that Lord Bathomeloi was thinking of him, Merlin was rubbing his with the back of his sleeve after surprising the entire room with a loud sneeze. This reminded everyone that he was still present, including Zelretch. When the old man realized he had been ignoring Merlin this entire time, he was slightly taken aback before hardening his expression. The only way he would have been able to overlook Merlin's presence, especially after seeing him earlier, was if the flowery Magus was proactively obscuring his perception.With a look of mock-embarrassment on his face, Merlin produced a wry smile as he stated in an airy tone, "Oh, pardon me. Spring allergies. Please, continue." This remark caused Artoria to sigh deeply while Vahn and Zelretch stared back at him with incredulous looks. There was no way someone that was literally known as the 'Magus of Flowers' would be affected by something like pollen. They were located in one of the most secure places within the entire Association, far beyond the means for any stray pollen to reach...Deciding not to bother with Merlin, Vahn shook his head before turning to Zelretch and asking, "Is Solon not going to preside over this duel? I believe a 'senior' Magus needs to be present to ensure the duel's conditions are not breached. With Lorelei's status, the only person who can preside over this match should be Solon, correct?"Instead of Zelretch answering, it was Merlin who issued a light chuckle before musing, "Little Solon is indisposed of at the moment. Don't worry, as someone rather special will be presiding over today's duel. I'm actually a little excited. Today is a day of many reunions~"Even without Merlin going into greater detail, it was easy to intuit that he was already meeting with Solon in private. This caused Zelretch to grip his cane a little tighter as realization dawned on him as to why he had been unable to sense Merlin for the past few minutes. The Magus before him was just another illusion, albeit one that was almost indiscernible from an actual person. He was aware of the fact that Merlin had been imprisoned on the Reverse Side of the World so, seeing him able to freely move about despite being severely restricted, Zelretch couldn't help but feel like he was in the same room as a monster.Merlin just laughed in response to the way Zelretch was looking at him. Then, with a playful wave of his hand, he began to fade away from the room without asking for permission to leave. He and Vahn had already discussed the meeting with Solon and, if not for their prior agreement, Merlin would not have revealed himself so early. There were far more dangerous existences in the world than anything the Mage's Association could throw at them so. Once it was known that he was present, there were a number of troublesome individuals who would immediately come seeking him...Zelretch wanted to follow after Merlin but, with Vahn's temperament, he felt the need to be present to avoid any troublesome developments. With this in mind, he could only release a tired sigh as, for a brief moment, his age showed far more than it usually did. He kept calm by reminding himself that Merlin, despite his eccentricities, was not a dangerous person. Though Solon would probably have to 'suffer' for a bit, they wouldn't be too affected by the relatively short meeting.In an effort to distract himself, Zelretch's eyes suddenly turned into a kaleidoscope of thousands of images as he was very curious about who would be arriving. This caught everyone's attention while Vahn, having witnessed something similar in the past, couldn't help but smile slightly. Zelretch's use of the Second Magic reminded him a lot of Ina's ability to view the future, albeit far more advanced. This was further proof that the most powerful abilities, regardless of their complexity, usually had an Innate that had similar functionality.After a surprisingly short period of time, Zelretch's eyes returned to normal and, replacing the dour expression on his face, he now had a wolfish grin before spontaneously laughing. Then, adding to the incredulity of the situation, Zelretch suddenly stopped laughing before adopting a very serious expression as he explained, "It seems three Mages will be gathering here today. Please, Your Majesty, do not offend the person coming to preside over the match. She can be a very hotheaded individual and I fear the Association will not be able to survive a conflict between the two of you..."Vahn looked at Zelretch like he was senile but, after processing his words, he answered, "We do not seek unnecessary conflict. Unless that woman antagonizes us, there is no reason for concern..." Even before he had finished his words, Vahn could see a dejected glimmer in Zelretch's eyes as he shook his head. There was a smile present on his face and, after a few tense moments, he just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well, it's been a while since I had to go all out. Don't worry. I'm not planning on fighting against you. If I don't interfere, all of London might end up being destroyed in the process."At this point, Vahn was getting annoyed by how Zelretch was obviously beating around the bush. At the same time, however, he was somewhat curious about what kind of opponent would require the elderly Magus to go all out. Based on Zelretch's words, it was obvious that the person he was talking about was a wielder of True Magic. After all, the only people that were allowed to call themselves by the title of 'Mage' were those who had either reached the Root, or inherited the Magic from their ancestors."Surprising Zelretch quite a bit, Vahn adopted a smile on his face as he mused, "Aoko Aozaki, the Fifth Magician..." with a fair amount of intrigue. Alaya had taken it upon herself to inform him of who was on the way, even without him asking for the information.Zelretch grimaced like someone who had their fun ruined but, rather than ask how Vahn obtained the information, he gave a curt nod before stating, "Indeed. It isn't an exaggeration to say that she is the most capable Magician in terms of destructive capabilities. Though she is still a little wet behind the ears, even I don't have the confidence in being about to outlast one of her tantrums. She is a good and honest lass, despite being a little temperamental..."While Zelretch was giving his explanation, Alaya, seated snuggly on Vahn's shoulder, gave her own accounting of Aoko's character, stating, "That woman is irresponsible. Though her actions are a necessity in guaranteeing the current cycle comes to an end, her use of the Fifth Magic will cause the inevitable destruction of the Universe. If she uses it haphazardly, even Type: Mercury will not be able to defeat her. I would advise you to exercise caution, Master..."Hearing Alaya's words, Vahn felt his scalp tingle as he couldn't even fathom how strong ORT was yet, according to his perpetual companion, she could even defeat an existence he had little, if any, hope of defeating. This was a jarring discovery as, while he knew the Administrative Functions were all very powerful, he hadn't expected such an information bomb at this point in time. He was actually a little annoyed as, until now, despite having discussed potential dangers several times, Aoko's name hadn't even been brought up.The 'original' Aoko was actually one of his targets but, for the past two years or so, Vahn hadn't even thought about the Quest that had been assigned to him by Akasha. Now that he knew she had such an extreme amount of power, he suddenly felt the need to increase his own. At the same time, Vahn couldn't deny that he was actually interested in seeing just how strong such a person could be. Since Merlin and Alaya hadn't warned him about her, she likely wasn't a 'threat', despite having more than enough power to oppose them.Recognizing the look in Vahn's eyes, Zelretch shook his head in exasperation as he said, "If you want to fight her, please do it elsewhere. I would hope that, as an Emperor, you have the wherewithal to avoid causing unnecessary collateral damage. I can help you arrange a battle if you'd like. Just don't do it here." The battle between Artoria and Lorelei was already pushing the limits of what the arena could withstand so, if two people capable of wielding True Magic began to fight, it was only a matter of time before everything was destroyed.Despite Vahn having never stated it outright, Zelretch considered him a wielder of True Magic and, now that rumors had been circulating, others saw him in the same light. He imagined this was the primary reason behind Aoko's visit as, even after the revelation of Angra Mainyu's emergence, she hadn't particularly cared. She wasn't too fond of the current Association, despite the Aozaki family being one of its core affiliates.Hearing Zelretch's words, Vahn dismissively waved his hand before saying, "Today is the opportunity for our Empress to display her prowess. I will only intervene if the Barthomeloi family tries anything shady. If Aoko is as you describe, I doubt we will come to blows. Rather, after this matter is settled, I would prefer to meet with her directly. I'm certain she would want to be present for the discussions so please inform Solon of her attendance. If she chooses to abstain, however, leave her be. It is only a matter of time before we sit down for a discussion as, with her power, I imagine she will have her own conditions to present to the Empire...hahahaha~"Zelretch could only shake his head with a wry smile after hearing Vahn's words. He could only hope that Aoko was in a good mood as, with her nature, she was the most likely person to start the fight. As for Vahn's remark about Aoko's conditions, Zelretch was genuinely afraid that she would actually ally herself with the Empire in the future. If that were the case, the Empire would become the most powerful force in the entire world overnight. After all, while the Fifth Magic had various uses, the one it was most famous for was being able to draw out a person's future potential in the present...With this in mind, Zelretch's gaze briefly flickered over Fenrir as, while she was one of the weakest in the procession, her potential terrified him. If she were to meet with Aoko on amicable terms, it was impossible to know exactly powerful she would become...(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Smack*','RIP Solon','The Fifth Magician is a little scary...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1258: Setting the Stage