Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the winners from the first round determined in a little under two hours, there was still plenty of time to continue with the Tournament. Thus, after a few words of encouragement to both the victors and defeated, Vahn took up the second box to draw names.Fortunately, when he had been giving his short speech, Artoria, sans Mordred, ended up returning to the Training Orb. Vahn wanted to ask her if anything had happened but, seeing how calm she was, it was safe to assume the matter didn't require his attention.As if compelled by her powerful fate, Artoria's name ended up being drawn first, this time pitting her against Gawain. This ended up being a rather lackluster development as, due to his chivalrous nature and unwavering loyalty, Gawain outright refused to raise his blade against Artoria, even in a contest. In fact, during the lead up to the Tournament, he had opposed the participation of any member of the Imperial Family as it could seed dissent if anyone developed the rationality it was okay to point their sword at those in power.If Gawain had his way, Artoria would have been at Vahn's side while Mordred sat obediently at the side like the Princess she was supposed to be. However, as the decision was ultimately left to Vahn's discretion, everyone that wanted to participate in the Tournament was given leeway to do so. While he would take Gawain's opinion into consideration regarding public functions in the future, now was not the time for such concerns.With the forfeit of Gawain, the actual first round of the second set of matches included Jeanne and Okita. This pit two users of the Counter Force against each other and, as could be expected, their battle was quite the sight to behold...Just as she had done so during her duel against Fenrir, Okita started off the battle by assuming her iaido stance as she waited for Jeanne's reaction. With the latter's [Revelation] at the A-Rank, she only had to set defeating Okita as her goal in order to determine the best course of action. Curiously, this didn't go exactly as planned as, from the moment she activated the Skill, Jeanne quickly realized that there was no path to victory. The only way forward was to pave her own path but, rather than show any signs of concern, she instead charged ahead without any hesitation.To her credit, Jeanne was very fast and, compared to most Heroic Spirits, her parameters were almost ridiculously high. She also had EX-Rank [Magic Resistance] and, while Okita was able to circumvent this with her understanding of Sword Laws, some of her attacks lost their efficacy whenever Jeanne used her spear to deflect them.Still, while it seemed both had a nigh-infinite amount of stamina, the machine-like precision of Okita, combined with her advanced understanding of Laws, allowed her to whittle way at Jeanne. The latter had incredible Endurance, reaching the middle of the A-Rank, but the human body could only take so much punishment. Though Jeanne never showed any signs that she was in pain until the very end, her body had undergone something that would have broken all but the most steadfast and resolute individuals.Vahn had already realized this from before the Tournament even began but, without their Noble Phantasms, the amalgamations of their legend, most Heroic Spirits didn't wield incomprehensible strength. They were certainly strong, yes, but the majority of their power seemed to be condensed into their Noble Phantasms themselves and, while some of their Innates were a little 'extreme', he was beginning to suspect that the Throne was not able to replicate them properly.Though he did not regret summoning some as Heroic Spirits, Vahn knew that the 'originals' would almost always be more powerful, especially with the boost provided by the Throne. He would need to take this into consideration in the future as, while it was a good failsafe to keep unvetted people as Heroic Spirits, there was a fair chance they would have something 'unexpected' within their Status.Realizing this was one of the reasons why Da Vinci had proposed the idea of summoning one of every Class, alongside other justifications, Vahn shelved the matter for later discussion as he pulled two more names from the box. This time, Gray and Hati were given the honors and, as a result of her past battle being won by default, the mature Vanargandr seemed to have something to prove.Unfortunately for her, Gray may not be invulnerable like Siegfried but, as an entity nearing the level of a True Vampire, there was only so much Hati could do against her. Still, after shredding Gray a few times with her claws, making little progress, Hati eventually lost her cool and ended up grabbing the left ankle of her opponent as the former attempted to dodge. As a result, Hati slammed Gray around a few times, rather violently, before tossing her toward the edge of the arena.Contrary to Hati's expectations, Gray managed to recover mid-air and, while not at the same level as people like Artoria and Mordred, she could still use [Mana Burst]. This allowed her to stay inside the battlefield but, as a result, Hati ended up reminding everyone present why her name literally meant 'Hate'. Her previously golden eyes became dark red and, at the expense of her prepared armor, she began to quickly increase in size as her body transformed into a 10m tall wolf with spiky black fur that seemed to burn with similarly colored flames.Before things could get out of hand, Vahn spoke in a plain tone that resonated through the entire battlefield, "Hati...sit..."As if she had been struck by lightning, Hati's eyes regained their moonlight hue as she immediately plopped her hindquarters down onto the ground. Confusion seemed to flash across her expression for a brief moment before she turned her head back to find her Master staring at her. This caused her ears to droop and, still in her wolf form, Hati lay down before covering her snout and eyes with her paws, seemingly with the thought, 'if I can't see him, he can't see me'.With Hati breaking the rules of the Tournament, Gray was given her second win. It was beginning to seem like her A++ Rank Luck wasn't just for show as, without argument, she was undoubtedly the weakest contender. As for Hati, she was in the upper half but, due to her own Luck being D- Rank, it seemed like she was always pitted against people she had no method to defeat. Still, as punishment for breaking the rules, Vahn had her lay down at the base of his viewing platform until he could give her a stern talking-to later on.After the battle between Gray and Hati, the only two contestants remaining in the second set of bouts were Kenshin and Scáthach. However, as Kenshin couldn't even gain an edge with the use of her Noble Phantasm, there wasn't much she could do against the monstrous 'Purple Demon'. She lasted much longer than Gareth, largely due to the vast gulf in their experience and skill level, but it only took a handful of exchanges before Kenshin was pierced in the shoulder and right thigh by two of Scáthach's spears.In a battle between True Masters, victory or defeat could be decided in an instant. Kenshin's Innates made her a difficult opponent for most people to face but, just as it seemed like one of her famous 'slips' had given her an advantage against Scáthach, the latter's spears moved along the new path with laser focus. Rather than evade the attack her trip should have allowed her to avoid, Kenshin had skewered herself and, as a result, the battle was quickly brought to an end.The second set of matches took less than twenty minutes in total and, with only four contestants remaining, the were officially in the semi-finals. Vahn was a little surprised by the fact that Gray was in the running but, with Artoria, Okita, and Scáthach as her opponents, she had finally reached the furthest point her Luck could take her. This didn't mean she would just surrender but, as if fate was intent on showing her the futility of such actions, her opponent ended up being none other than Scáthach herself.In truth, all of Gray's potential opponents had the perfect counter to her regenerative ability but, in Scáthach's case, she literally had 'infinite' options to choose from. It only took a few seconds from the start of the battle to the finish as, with their speed being reminiscent of a snail and a falcon, a single attack was all it took before Gray was hunched over with a spear pinning her to the ground.The majority of viewers didn't have a lot of love for how Scáthach fought but, as it was the result of a vast difference in skill, they couldn't really say anything of merit against her. Since the participants were all aware of why she had been given the title of Grandmaster, this was the expected outcome, not an upset. Rather, if Scáthach ended up losing a battle, they would be hard-pressed to believe that she hadn't thrown the match.With the battle between Gray and Scáthach ending shortly after it had begun, the next match was between Artoria and Okita. This was slated to be one of the most climactic battles of the entire event but, much to everyone's surprise, Vahn included, Okita's prowess seemed greatly diminished against Artoria. It could be due to the protection of her fate, or her S-Rank [Instinct], but Artoria seemed to be able to read the untraceable trajectory of Okita's katana from the very beginning of the battle.Fortunately, with her [Furthest Earth] and her most versatile ability, [Boundlessness], Okita was able to deflect and evade all of Artoria's own attacks. Even with [Mana Burst], Artoria's blows would just dissipate and, while her Holy Elemental Affinity was a powerful boon against most other people, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that Okita was the 'embodiment of light'. Her [Boundlessness] gave her the ability to essentially become light and, if her katana wasn't sealed, it was the catalyst that allowed her to use her ultimate Noble Phantasm.The only thing that kept the battle going at this rate was the fact that Okita knew the significance of Artoria and, due to the rules of the Tournament, she was forbidden to kill. While her attempt to kill would likely backfire due the Artoria's fate, the fact she was holding herself back made the battle last for nearly three hours. After all, even without using the active component of [Avalon], Artoria was able to benefit from the regeneration it provided. This, combined with her infinite mana and intense focus, meant the two could continue battling indefinitely under ideal circumstances.Unfortunately, without [Excalibur] and [Avalon], Artoria was not the unstoppable monster that she could be. She eventually attempted a complex maneuver using [Shundo] to evade and, while it had worked several times prior, Okita had baited her into it this time around. The moment Artoria was 'mid-step', meaning she had yet to transfer between her anchor points, Okita did something that stunned the entire crowd.In an incomprehensible display of skill, Okita had reached Artoria's destination faster than her, just after the spatial coordinates had essentially been 'confirmed' by [Shundo]'s activation. She placed her sheathed katana in the area Artoria's body was going to occupy and, as a result, the latter ended up with a 15cm 'dent' in her armor that ran through to the middle of her midsection.This was one of the penultimate dangers of using [Shundo] as, once the coordinates were confirmed, which could only be done when there were 'no obstacles', the movement could no longer be stopped. By placing an obstacle in the area that had been previously cleared, something that should be 'impossible', Okita was able to violate one of the fundamental failsafes built into [Shundo], ending the battle in one of the most jarring manners imaginable.As could be expected, Artoria's [Avalon] immediately took effect to preserve her life as, while it would usually take having her head destroyed in a single blow, having most of her organs turned to pulp wasn't something that could usually be walked away from. Fortunately, so long as she was not separated from [Avalon], there were few ways to kill Artoria and, as an extra precaution, each person participating in the tournament had an [Effigy of the Hero] embedded directly into their equipment.After a brief exchange between the two woman warriors on the battlefield, who had nigh-identical features, Artoria ended up leaving the battlefield while Okita remained. She was given the chance for a recess but, while the battle had gone on for an extended period of time, there were no observable signs of fatigue in her expression. Rather, as a being reminiscent of a Counter Guardian, Okita had a nigh-inexhaustible amount of mana at her disposal. She even had the [Persistence] Skill at A-Rank, an ability that essentially made her stronger and faster as the battle was drawn out.With Artoria taking her place at his side, Vahn announced the commencement of the final battle between Scáthach, the favorite of the entire competition, and Okita, the dark horse. Everyone knew she was powerful but, as she had been pit against almost every other favorite to win, it was still a bit of a surprise to see her facing off against Scáthach in the finals.Unfortunately, what nobody could have expected was for Scáthach and Okita to simply stare at each other for several minutes without moving. This confused and annoyed many of the Spirits but, as the combatants understood what was going on, they became increasingly tense. This was especially true for Vahn as he had seen Scáthach behave this way on several occasions, typically when he was using his [Laplace's Key].While Scáthach had nigh-unstoppable momentum, she almost always reacted to her opponent when battling against them. This was the most efficient way for her to fight as, if she overextended herself, there was a non-negligible chance she would make a mistake. It was much easier to exploit the small gaps in the movement and techniques of her opponents as, in the vast majority of instances, she was more skilled than them at their own style of combat.Much like Scáthach, Okita's entire combat style was reactive for almost the exact same reasons. She was the type that used pure skill to counter her opponent's techniques and, while her own offensive might was equally unstoppable, it was her ability to act faster than her opponent that gave her the ultimate edge in a battle. Thus, as a result of their similar methods, neither woman moved even a macrometer as they continued staring at each other in a ready stance, both waiting for the smallest of movements that could be exploited.It was in situations like this where Scáthach's experience came into play as, while Okita was a true monster in regards to combat, she didn't really exist prior to her summoning. She had the combat experience of her original but, as she had never gone through any of the training herself, there was a persistent gap in her psyche itself. After all, everyone had something that drove them forward but, as she often stated, the only meaning behind Okita's existence was to be useful to her Master.Rather than charge at Okita, Scáthach began to move toward the edge of the battlefield, still facing her opponent with an expressionless mask. This caused Okita's finger to twitch slightly but, as she had no way of knowing what Scáthach was up to, she remained standing in her position. What she didn't expect was, at the very same instant that she decided to stay put, the match had already been decided.While Scáthach may actually lose out in speed against Okita, as the latter could move beyond the bounds of Time and Space itself, it was inarguable that the former had greater mastery over both. This wasn't the main reason behind her victory, however, as Okita was simply unaware of what her opponent was capable of due to having no interest in other people. Thus, when Scáthach pulled out what looked like a massive cannon, Okita immediately activated her [Boundlessness] but, just as she was going to use [Furthest Earth], a series of spears pierced through her body.For only the second time since her summoning, Okita showed a genuine expression on her face, this time shock. She slowly turned her head to her back to find another Scáthach standing right behind her. To further cement the hopelessness of her situation, there were five other Scáthach forming an encirclement around her, each appearing from the void like phantoms.These weren't simple illusions either as, long before her other self was summoned, Scáthach already had the ability to clone herself. In fact, regardless of how much her opponent struggled, it was nearly impossible for them to win as, even if they managed to force her out of the battlefield, her extra body would just dissipate while an infinite number of herself occupied the surrounding void, completely undetectable and intangible.Vahn had tried to level the playing field by having Scáthach turn over his gemstone core but, even without a nigh-infinite supply of energy, she had two weeks to prepare beforehand so, while others had been training, she produced ninety-nine versions of herself, each just as lethal as the original. It took a lot of effort to maintain them but, as the majority were just slumbering away in the void, she didn't experience any major reduction in combat proficiency.Fortunately, while Okita's injuries seemed extreme, especially with her C-Rank Endurance, Scáthach had made a point to not hit any of her vitals. Instead, she targetted the joints and major muscle groups, effectively crippling Okita on the spot. Since the latter was akin to a Counter Guardian that had never existed, Scáthach's [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] provided her no information on her opponent. This was the safest way for her to end the battle so, before Okita could surprise her, she wasted no time in pointing a blade at her throat and saying, "This is my victory..." in her usual calm and cold tone of voice...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hati, bad...!','Artoria without cheats versus a living cheat xD...','Scáthach is even worse than Batman...don't give this woman prep time (x _ x)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With Scáthach securing first place in the Tournament, things moved on to the challenge phase of the event but, with the absence of Mordred, the only person to issue a challenge was Gawain. This was a bit of a surprise as Vahn had expected several people to challenge Gray. However, while it was true that the latter had made it to the semi-finals, it didn't seem like anyone had the desire to display that they were stronger than her.As could be expected, Gawain had issued his challenge towards Okita as the latter's attack against Artoria had left quite the impression. Though he didn't have any true animosity toward her, he was honor-bound to at least take a stand.Unfortunately, even with his [Numeral of the Saint] still active, Gawain quickly learned that it wasn't a fluke that brought Okita victory. Her skill with the sword had reached a realm that only Kenshin and Scáthach had any hope of reaching. Though Gawain's orthodox techniques were very near the limit of what was achievable, Okita's had simply blown through such limits entirely. All he could do was persist for as long as possible before ultimately losing consciousness while still standing, greatsword in hand.Gawain's display had earned him uproarious applause but, despite the efforts of her opponent, Okita showed no change in expression. Instead, she just vanished from the battlefield before appearing at her Master's side. This earned her a wry smile from Vahn but, as there was still an entire League left, he didn't have much time to discuss the importance of socializing with her. It was a little unfortunate that the only person to defeat her was Scáthach as, if she had lost to someone else, Vahn would have been able to task Okita with observing and learning more about others.As most Spirits didn't really need things like sleep, the audience wasn't even remotely tired, despite the fact nearly seven hours had passed. Rather, after watching Gawain push himself to try and land a single hit on Okita, they were even more riled up than before. This wasn't too surprising, however, as the matches between Scáthach and others were more than a little anti-climactic.Fortunately, while Scáthach would be participating in the Magus' League, the battles between Magi were always flashy. While the Knight's League was full of explosive displays of speed and power, it often came down to a difference in skill and technique. This wasn't necessarily the case for battles between Magi as, if they fought cleverly, it was possible to achieve victory against much stronger opponents. The only exceptions to this would be during the bouts between Scáthach and, as a result of her former status as 'Queen of Heaven', Ishtar.As fate would have it, Ishtar ended up being one of the first contestants drawn from the box. This all but guaranteed the battle would be flashy as, with her nature, Ishtar was the type that liked to show off. If her opponent was smart, they could use this against her but, this time around, that would be a very difficult feat to achieve...Olga couldn't help lament her misfortune as she assumed her place upon the now devastated arena. She was actually regretting her past decision to even participate in the event as, after seeing some of the battles play out, it was very apparent she had underestimated the power of Heroic Spirits. Now, as if to spite her past bravado, her opponent ended up being a literal Goddess...Ishtar was already floating upon her massive bow with an amused smile on her face as Olga, much like the rabbit Vahn often compared her to, stood on shaky legs in the distance. Though she would have considerable trouble with Scáthach, Ishtar was confident in being able to defeat virtually every other contestant. Since fate had whimsically placed her against one of the weakest opponents, she figured it would liven things up if she made the battle into a spectacle. She intended to let Olga use up all of her power before securing the victory, both as a way to test the mortal woman's limits and show the insurmountable power she wielded after receiving a vessel from her lover.While the use of Noble Phantasms was limited, there were no such restrictions on [Pactio] so, even before the battle had begun, Olga struck an unnecessary pose as she shouted, "Adeat~!" As a result, there was a momentary flash of light before the pale-haired Magus appeared, now attired in a dense assortment of robes. The only exposed part of her body was her face and, as a quirk of how [Pactio] often worked, a 'window' of sorts that displayed her cleavage. This wasn't the most notable aspect of the [Pactio], however, as Olga had a massive orrery in her left hand.Orreries were mechanical models of the Solar System and, as a result of her Thaumaturgy, Olga's was an extremely complex version that showed the actual positions of the planets. At the very center, a very realistic looking sun was depicted, complete with tiny solar flares arcing from the surface.Ishtar was slightly surprised by Olga's Artifact but, as it didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, she just hopped off her bow before moving it into a ready position. With this, Vahn had shot his pistol toward the Heavens and, as a result, Ishtar's body outright vanished from her spot. At the same time, her own dominion began to spread through the battlefield, giving her full control over the surrounding Space as Olga began chanting a three verse magic spell.As Olga chanted, a very peculiar magic circle appeared beneath her feet. It looked like an overhead depiction of the orrery in her hand, complete with secondary magic circles that represented each planet. Her own position was that of the sun and, while she couldn't use her Artifact's full power. it was still a sight to behold as, by the time her chant had completed, Olga's surroundings began to look like actual Space. She had created the illusions of planetary bodies but, as if to spite her, Ishtar appeared standing atop the illusory Venus with a smile on her face.Olga was pushing herself far beyond her limits, to the point that blood had started to trickle from her nose as she shouted, "Heliocentric Annihilation~!"From Olga's palm, a massive eight-sided magic circle appeared before a massive pillar of Star Elemental magical energy poured from the center. It took on the shape of a solar flare and, much to the audience's surprise, the protective barrier around the arena began to ripple slightly. This was only the prelude to the actual devastation Olga's attack would cause, however, as her solar flare tore through the area where Ishtar had been standing, annihilating the false Venus in the process.Unfortunately for Olga, Ishtar was able to freely transition through the void and, while others may not have noticed it, those with high perception could see Olga's unique domain being suppressed as far more powerful energy encroached upon it from the periphery. Since she had put her all into the attack, Olga could only rely on the trickle of mana provided to her by Vahn but, due to the rules of the Tournament, this wasn't even remotely enough to keep her going.As Olga's domain continued to shrink, Ishtar appeared out from behind Mars, giggling amusedly as she looked at her opponent's ragged yet determined visage. Since using her bow was the same as using her Noble Phantasm, Ishtar wasn't able to simply shoot Olga. Instead, she sat on her bow like a swing with her legs crossed. The surrounding void began to ripple and bend, gaining a crystalline structure before finally taking on the form of a massive hexagonal gemstone behind her body. This was a technique that Ishtar had actually inherited from her mixed memories with Rin but, rather than have to produce gemstones and imbue them with her mana, Ishtar could simply create them at her leisure.With the same smile on her face, Ishtar brought her index finger to her lip as she teasingly stated, "I can't wait to see you make that power your own in the future. For now, I'll have to ask you to give up the match before things get out of hand~"As Ishtar spoke, the gemstone behind her began forming an extremely complex magic circle using various runes and a few characters of Divine Words. This caused a feeling of combined dread and awe to pass over the crowd while, as the target of Ishtar's building attack, Olga fell to her knees with wide eyes. Fortunately, Ishtar hadn't suppressed her completely so, while she couldn't stay standing, Olga was able to mutter, "I...I surrender..." in a subdued tone.Ishtar smiled radiantly in response to Olga's words but, instead of dissipating her attack, she angled the face of the gemstone toward the sky before releasing the stored up energy. This caused a pillar of light to pierce through the sky with enough force to rip through the surrounding space. It was a terrifying display of power that caused Vahn to released a tired sigh since he knew Ishtar was just showing off. Her attack could have easily wiped out a city so, if she had actually fired it toward Olga, they would have had to intervene since even an [Effigy of the Hero] might not be able to save her.Olga ended up being retrieved from the battlefield by Lakshmibai and Fenrir as, even after Ishtar had withdrawn her domain, the poor Magus was not able to stand. In fact, if anyone were to look closely, they would be able to see that Olga had actually wet herself due to the overwhelming dread she had experienced trying to contest the power of a Goddess. Fortunately, Fenrir and Lakshmibai were able to have Olga leave the Training Orb directly and, as Ishtar hadn't drawn any attention to it. the secret was well kept.Vahn made a mental note to comfort Olga and have a stern talking-to with Ishtar after the event had concluded. It almost felt like the latter was bullying the former but, given her status as a God Queen, Ishtar couldn't simply take a step back and allow herself to lose face. Even though Vahn's use of the [Page of the Akashic Tome] had fundamentally changed her nature, she still had an extreme amount of pride. She was also slightly hostile toward other women, especially if she felt they were not worthy of his care and affection...With the field cleared, Vahn drew out the next two names after Merlin had finished making repairs to the massive hole that now existed in the dome-like magical barrier. Fortunately, they shouldn't have to worry about such things this time around as, by some string of fate, Rin and Luvia ended up being the next contestants. This caused Rin to release a profound sigh while Luvia, amused by the turn of events, crossed her arms as she raised the back of her hand toward her mouth and laughed in her characteristic, 'Ohohohohoho~' manner.Like Olga, both Rin and Luvia had [Pactio] of their own so, after shouting, 'Adeat~!', they were both wrapped in magical light before reappearing in their raiments. Rin's took on the appearance of an orthodox Magus, complete with an ornate robe that had several gemstones adorning it. As for her Artifact, it took on the form of a sword-like staff that was made out of rainbow-hued crystals. When she was serious, Rin was able to use her Artifact to produce beams of magical energy that allowed her to cut through anything under B-Rank...While Rin looked relatively normal, Olga's raiment was anything but as, rather than attire befitting a Magus, she appeared in a complicated outfit that gave her the appearance of a professional wrestler. It was a very form-fitting raiment that showed off a considerable amount of skin while, to exacerbate matters even further, her Artifact itself was a mask that covered the front half of her face, leaving just enough space int he back for her drill-like hair to cascade down her back. As for its usage, Luvia was able to multiple her parameters for a short period of time at the expense of magical energy. This was a very straightforward Artifact that suited her well but, every time Vahn saw it, he had to take a deep breath to relax his nerves...As the two had actually fought each other in their [Pactio] forms several times, the battle was just a repeat of their usual spars. This generally involved Rin taking evasive action as she tried to bait Luvia into magical mines that Rin could place around the battlefield just by placing gemstones. These were strong enough to destroy armored vehicles but, as if she was a living weapon, Luvia would charge in without any hesitation as she attempted to get her hands on Rin. If she managed to do so, it was all but guaranteed she would be the final victor as, even with [Reinforcement] Magecraft, Luvia's power was already monstrous, even without her Artifact.Fortunately, while she no longer had two Goddesses sharing her body, Rin had benefitted greatly from the extended exposure to Divine Energy. She hadn't reached Tier 4 herself but, compared to a normal human being, she was far stronger than normal. Her Od had surpassed Luvia's a long time ago and, while her parameters were much lower than the golden-haired beauty, Rin was able to use a D-Rank [Shundo] while Luvia had been stuck at E-Rank for a long time. She didn't have a talent for the Space Element while Rin had benefitted from having Ishtar's guidance for more than two years.While Luvia was able to bait Rin into losing her cool in most situations, she couldn't use her words to goad her easily when there was a crowd watching. Thus, with Rin having far greater mobility, it only took around ten minutes before Luvia took an especially bad hit to her side, sending her tumbling across the battlefield like a rock skipping across water. This wasn't enough to defeat her, as her own Innate passively protected her body, but Rin had kited her toward the edge of the arena. Thus, while Luvia had more wins than Rin overall, she ended up losing the Tournament match.Seeing how the battle had played out, followed by how Rin had helped Luvia up, the crowd was in high spirits as they loudly applauded the two girls. Vahn also had a smile on his face, even though he knew this loss was going to make Luvia butt heads with Rin a lot in the coming days. He needed to prepare himself as, while not all that often, the two sometimes came to him in order to 'compete' in a way where neither had an advantage over the other...Following the cat and mouse game between Rin and Luvia, the next match included Iris and one of the favorites to potentially win the entire event, Medea. Unfortunately, while Medea was actually far more powerful than Iris, the young Magus didn't have the heart to harm others. She was intending to forfeit from the very start but, rather than upset the crowd, Iris managed to convince her to put on a performance of sorts. Thus, instead of a battle, the crowd was able to witness a display of pure magical power and finesse, one that showed why Medea was considered Circe's greatest student.Iris had been able to make a 30m tall golem formed from gold, a sight to behold, but Circe had been able to one-up her by summoning a titanic golem formed from the white stone of the battlefield. It was a startling 100m in height and, much to Vahn's lament, and the amusement of many, it looked like a massive Grecian statue that used him as a reference. This meant the statue was predominately naked and, while there was a leaf-like motif covering the front, his eyes dulled when he heard Circe comment at the side, "That leaf is too small...silly girl..."With it being very apparent which of them had the greater skill, Iris ended up being the one to give up the match, despite Medea's insistence that she continues forward. Unfortunately for her, this had no effect on Iris and, using her motherly disposition, it didn't take long for the white-haired woman to convince Medea to continue in her stead. This resulted in Medea reluctantly agreeing to do her best, earning her a long hug from Iris in return.Though it wasn't nearly as flashy as the previous battles, the audience applauded the familial display with vigor. Vahn also appreciated the scene and, if not for the fact Medea had left the massive statue on the battlefield, he would have been very happy with how things had turned out. Now, until it was destroyed by someone, there would be a giant version of himself towering in the center of the arena. While he wasn't exactly shy, Vahn became increasingly despondent when future contenders made an earnest effort to avoid damaging the embarrassing work of art...Following the match between Iris and Medea, the next duo to take to the field was Nobunaga and, much to her chagrin, Scáthach. This resulted in Nobunaga outright forfeiting the match in a not-so-content manner, complete with a few very vocal curses. Vahn knew he would be getting an earful from her later but, as Scáthach's participation had already been decided on two weeks prior, there wasn't really anything he could do about the situation. While it did indeed feel a little unfair, the same argument could be made in regards to anyone that had a demonstrable amount of power compared to the rest of the contestants.With Nobunaga's forfeiture, Medusa and Semiramis were the final pair to take to the battlefield. This gave Da Vinci a pass through the first set of matches as there was an uneven number of participants in the Magus' League. It was apparent that her Luck parameter wasn't just for show and, if he wasn't wrong, Vahn expected she would be placed against Medea in the next set of matches. If she gave up in the match against Scáthach, there was a chance Da Vinci could pass through all the way to the finals without ever actually battling...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Olga xD...','Intertwined fate','Nobunaga calls bullshit')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though it was clear that Heracles didn't look down on Kenshin, Vahn couldn't help but feel that the prodigious Demigod wasn't going all out.While Kenshin certainly had the skill advantage, Heracles himself had mastered nearly all forms of combat. His Agility itself wasn't that much lower than Kenshin's and, while he couldn't use things like [Shundo], he should more than be able to make up for it with his natural mobility. It almost felt like he had given up the fight after realizing he wouldn't be able to easily catch Kenshin but, considering who he was thinking about, this didn't really seem that likely.Vahn made a mental note to have a chat with Heracles the next time they went out drinking but, as there was still a tournament ongoing, he waiting for the field to be cleared before pulling two more names from the box. Seeing who had been drawn, he wasn't even surprised anymore. Rather, he felt a little apologetic as he did his best to avoid frowning as he, instead, announced, "The fourth battle is set to begin! Okita and Fenrir, please enter the arena!"Much like Kenshin, Fenrir appeared on the battlefield using [Shundo] but, instead of a rather sloppy C-Rank version, her's was very near the pinnacle of A-Rank. While her raw capabilities were a far cry from Kenshin's, she had a distinct advantage when it came to learning Magecraft and Magic. Due to this reason, Vahn suspected that Fenrir would join the Magus' League, where she had a good chance of making it to the semifinals. Instead, she joined the Knight's League as, according to her, the path she followed was that of a Magic Knight, not a Magus.Unfortunately, while Okita may be an Alter Ego, her base Class was still Saber so, as per usual, she had the [Magic Resistance] Class Skill. This made her immune to most of Fenrir's base attacks but, as Okita could not unsheath her katana, the battle should be interesting. As for why she was able to use her katana at all, this was due to the fact that Okita, for indeterminate reasons, simply could not use any other weapons. Even a simple kitchen knife was beyond her and, while she could store her sword away in much the same way as Artoria, she had a habit of carrying it around in its physical form. The only time it had ever left her hand was when she allowed him to hold it, leading to a peculiar event that was still fresh in his mind...Rather than reminisce, Vahn raised his pistol for the fourth time and, without further ado, shot the now expected projectile into the sky. This time, nobody in the crowd bothered to mind it at all as they were afraid of missing even a single instant of the upcoming battle.The moment the explosion of mana occurred, Okita bent forward slightly with her right foot forward. Though she could not draw it, she had her right hand hovering over the handle of her katana with an expression of extreme focus. Vahn wasn't unaware of Okita's capabilities as, shortly after summoning her, he was able to experience first hand how powerful she was. She was, for lack of a better way to describe her, terrifyingly powerful.As one of the people present during the duel between her Master and Okita, Fenrir wasn't unaware of how powerful her opponent was. Rather, she chose to join the Knight's League because there was a higher chance of being matched against powerful individuals, many of which were, like her, loyal to their shared Master. Fenrir was determined to be the strongest person at her Master's side so, while it was almost impossible for her to egg out a victory, she would not be deterred in the slightest.With Okita taking her stance, Fenrir began to move swiftly through the battlefield using [Shundo] and [Koku Shundo] in sequence. Much of the battlefield had been destroyed at this point but she could easily create footholds in the air, making it very difficult to determine where she would end up.After reaching the effective, or instantaneous range for magic usage, Fenrir formed two complex magic circles around her paws. The structure of said circles was far more complex than any modern Magecraft and, with her understanding of Water, Ice, and Yin Elemental Laws, Fenrir could form a semi-permanant magic circle using raw elemental energy.In much the same way as Aoko, Fenrir began to rapid-fire hypersonic ice-elemental [Sagitta Magica] at Okita. These bolts of magical energy were enough to freeze organic matter through on contact as, while their temperature didn't necessarily reach absolute zero, the ice element had the capability to 'encroach' upon a target's mana, slowing their movements and making it harder to muster their own internal reserves.Okita made no attempt to dodge Fenrir's attacks. Rather, the moment they came her way, a powerful tempest surrounding her body as her right arm seemed to outright disappear. Her expression didn't change in the slightest as she began to cut down and destroy every single bolt of magical energy. To exacerbate matters even further, at least for Fenrir, the energy contained within the spells seemed to be completely destroyed.It was common for a spell to disperse, leaving ambient mana behind that could be used to enhance more complex spells. In a battle between two 'real' Mages, using Eva's standard, victory was almost always decided by how well each combatant could make use of, not just their own magical energy, but the energy expended by their opponent. This was one of the reasons why Vahn was so terrifying when it came to a magical duel as, with his domain, it was almost impossible for a similarly skilled opponent to command the mana surrounding him.Seeing that Okita was even able to destroy mana, despite not having drawn her katana, Vahn tensed up a bit in his seat. He never liked seeing any of his companions injured but, when it came to Fenrir, a tender spot in his heart always ached even before she suffered a setback. Though he tried to hold back his rising tensions, so as not to distract Fenrir, Vahn simply couldn't help himself. Since Fenrir would have an adverse reaction if he tried to weaken the connection between them, he could only hope things didn't end on a negative note.Seemingly unaffected by his anxieties, Fenrir continued to dodge around at high speeds. Since her initial attacks hadn't born fruit, she began to target the surrounding terrain instead. This caused the ground to quickly ice over while, in the impacted areas, plumes of icy spikes, almost like lotuses, had started to 'bloom' on the battlefield. As a result, the surrounding temperature steadily decreased yet, in spite of this, a 'dome' of sorts had surrounded Okita. The icy mist forming in the surrounding was unable to penetrate through this invisible membrane while any magical energy that came into direct contact was simply dissipated into nothingness.Vahn was reminded of Fafnir's Innate upon seeing this phenomenon but, rather than immunity, he knew this was just Okita's [Magic Resistance] at work. Still, it was quite the sight to behold as, even in the face of increasingly powerful attacks, she didn't flinch in the slightest as her pale silver eyes never lost their focus.Okita didn't seem to have any trouble following Fenrir's speed and, every time the latter was about to try and attack, the former would immediately react by twitching her right hand. As a result, Fenrir would immediately take evasive actions as, with her enhanced instincts, she could tell that the battle would end the moment she tried to break the current equilibrium. The bubble around Okita seemed to be an inviolable space and, while it wasn't that large at most time, it would suddenly increase a great deal whenever she placed her hand on her katana.With her other attempts failing, Fenrir gave up trying to attack at short range and instead began to vault into the sky using several footholds. Okita followed her ascent with her eyes and, realizing what Fenrir was about to attempt, she finally took action.Just as Fenrir reached the apex of her climb and shouted, "Master, give me strength~!", a ripple in the void appeared at her back. In the next instant, before she could react at all, a sheathed blade tore through space itself, striking her with a tremendous force and dissipating the large magic circle that had just formed. Fenrir could feel an extremely painful sensation in her lower back, despite the fact her unique nerve structure made her numb to even intense pain.As Fenrir was falling to the ground like a blue meteor, the result of her [Cantus Bellax] aura, Okita's figure faded from the ground like a phantom. At the same time, her actual body appeared in the air just behind where Fenrir had been standing, a cold and emotionless expression on her face. She had used one of her unique Skills, [Furthest Earth], which even made [Shundo] and [Koku Shundo] look like child's play as far as movement techniques were concerned. It allowed her to, very briefly, step outside of the axis of Space and Time, traversing through sub-dimensional space to reach her target in, quite literally, an instant.While Okita's attack hadn't been enough to completely take her out of commission, Fenrir quickly noticed that she had lost all feeling in her legs as she attempted to right herself before slamming into the ground. Fortunately, while she was moving rather quickly, her Strength and Endurance were more than enough to mitigate any damage. Rather, it was the loss of her mobility that troubled her as, while it was very painful to even try to move, Fenrir felt like she could keep going.Just as Fenrir was about to try and execute [Shundo] using her forward paws, another spatial ripple appeared at her side. By the times her ears had perked up in response, a black sheath was resting against her neck as Okita stated in a monotone voice, "This is my victory."Hearing the cold words, Fenrir felt a heavy feeling in her stomach as her hair began to stand on end in a feral manner. Still, she didn't completely lose control and, to avoid causing a scene, she forced herself to stay calm as she looked up at Okita and plainly stated, "I will become much stronger. Until then, you must protect our Master."As a result of her heightened state of emotions, a stark contrast to her calm demeanor, Fenrir's back had already healed up. This brought powerful hunger along with it but, as it was nothing compared to the hunger she had experienced in the past, it barely affected her mentality. Still, Okita was a little surprised to see Fenrir stand on her own, despite her expression being a perfect mask of neutrality.For several tense moments, the two 'expressionless' girls stared directly at each other until Okita gave a small nod and answered, "There was never any doubt. I am as much a part of Master as my katana is a part of me. I will become his sword to strike down foes and, if necessary, use my body as a shield to protect him. Until one more capable than myself appears, this is my duty...my purpose."Hearing Okita's response, Fenrir gave a curt nod before vanishing from her spot using [Shundo]. She would never accept anyone being in a higher position than her in the hierarchy beneath her Master but, until she had the strength to change things, there was nothing she could do to usurp Okita from her position as the strongest. While this wasn't necessarily the truth, Fenrir didn't count people like Artoria and Scáthach as, while they were important to her Master, they were not his subordinates...Vahn breathed a sigh of relief after seeing things end relatively peacefully. He suddenly felt fatigued but, as there were still several more battles lined up, he wasted no time in drawing two new names after the field had been cleared. This time around, he ended up drawing Gawain and Boudica but, due to Gawain's [Numeral of the Saint], granting him a three-fold increase in strength between the hours of 0900-1200 and 1500-1800, the battle ended shortly after it had begun.Boudica was, by no means, weak. However, due to the fact that she was not originally a warrior, her skill could not compare to someone that had trained their entire life to serve as a perfect proxy for Artoria as King. Since Boudica's unique Skills primarily related to her vengeance, she was stuck using simple swordplay against someone both older and significantly more experienced than her. With the boost to his parameters, Gawain would even be able to compete against people like Kenshin for a short period of time so, without any suspense, he ended up disarming Boudica before pointing his sword at her exposed neck.Following the battle between Boudica and Gawain, Gray and Lakshmibai took to the field. This was a rather surprising matchup as, with her E+ Rank Luck, Vahn had expected the latter to be matched against someone like Scáthach. Gray was one of the easier opponents to be matched against but, as a being infinitely close to a True Vampire, it was only a matter of time until she emerged victoriously.While Lakshmibai hadn't exactly slacked off in her training, she had to deal with conflicting energies in her body that made it difficult for her to progress. This was the result of her Divinity, tied to the Goddess of Misfortune, Alakshmi, and the fact that her power as a false-saint allowed her to draw from the Counter Force. This had led to situations where Lakshmibai's energy would run rampant and, in one instance, she had nearly lost an arm after trying to channel the energy into a beam of raw magical power.Fortunately, even the loss of a limb didn't mean much in the Empire so, while it had been a painful experience for her, she made a full recovery after only a few hours. After that, she always made sure to prepare healing items before training and, in order to avoid a tragedy, always trained alongside others. She was determined to turn her misfortune into a blessing or, at the very least, learn how to weaponize it against other people. After all, while a God may embody their Divinity, they were also able to express it through the World itself by projecting it onto others.As a result of her training, the audience got to see the rather peculiar sight of Gray wielding a giant scythe against Lakshmibai using a simple saber. During one of their collisions, the saber shattered under the force of the blow but, while this may have been a detriment in most situations, the shards actually impaled into Gray's neck and shoulder. If not for her nigh-instantaneous regeneration, she might have had to withdraw from the fight as the shard that had pierced her neck severed the artery cleanly.Unfortunately for Lakshmibai, the only way to really defeat Gray was to restrict her healing factor or throw her from the arena. If she had made use of her superior speed to try and draw the battle out to the edge of the battlefield, there was a chance she would have emerged victoriously. However, due to her nature, Lakshmibai wasn't the type to retreat so, despite only having half a saber, she never backed down. It was actually rather commendable but, with one party having infinite stamina, it was only a matter of time before Lakshmibai ended up with a scythe's blade at her throat, bringing the battle to its conclusion.Vahn was more than a little surprised by the outcome as, while Gray was indeed powerful, she wasn't quite at the level of a Heroic Spirit without using Add. Her defeating Lakshmibai was actually outside of his expectations. It ultimately came down to the fact that, despite her best efforts, Lakshmibai was still plagued by relatively bad luck while Gray, after undergoing the ritual to become his subordinate, had reached 50A in her own Luck parameter.Regardless of how things had ended, Vahn was proud of both women and, while Lakshmibai was a little disappointed in her own performance, he knew a few effective methods to cheer her up. It was starting to seem as if this tournament was a segue for a lot of discussions and small events as, even with the other rewards prepared, Vahn intended to express his satisfaction with everyone personally once the event had completed. He wanted to talk with each and every contestant and, with a better understanding of their current power, discuss the future with them.With this in mind, Vahn promptly moved on to the next battle, drawing out Siegfried's and Hati's names, automatically pairing Jeanne off with Galahad as a result. This ended up being very relevant as, with his [Armor of Fafnir], which was considered a passive Noble Phantasm, there wasn't much that Hati could do against Siegfried. As a result, he actually ended up surrendering the battle after a few exchanges due to the fact that it was simply unfair for Hati to have been matched against him.In truth, Hati's own Noble Phantasm, [Star Eater] would have allowed her to overcome Siegfried's [Armor of Fafnir] but, as this was an active ability that turned her into a massive wolf, it was not allowed under the current tournament regulations. This showed a few flaws in the current system but, as they never expected it to be perfect from the very beginning, it was something they could work on for future iterations of the event.After the rather awkward battle between the stoic Dragon Knight and an exceptionally mature Vanargandr, the final battle of the first round began. This, however, was another rather awkward matchup as, due to his principles, Galahad only brought a shield into battle. He was able to easily fend off most of Jeanne's attacks but, due to her ties to the Counter Force, there was only ever one outcome of their battle.Jeanne had an advanced form of [Instinct] known as [Revelation] that allowed her to always pursue the most optimum path to secure victory. It essentially allowed her to see a few seconds into the future so, while the battle actually lasted longer than all the previous matches combined, Jeanne eventually managed to stab Galahad in the left thigh with her banner-like spear. Even this wasn't enough to take Galahad out of the fight but, with only one good leg, it wasn't long before he began to suffer other small injuries that ultimately resulted in his loss. Considering he had never actually attacked directly, however, this was a foregone conclusion from the start.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir will never give up...!','Gawain is essentially Escanor!?','Like trying to crack open an unripe coconut...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1275: Interlude: Tournament of Power (3/3)