Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As time passed outside the Projection, the World continued to develop or decline amidst the chaos. Many had formed small communities around the food distribution centers maintained by the Empire while an even larger number wandered the expanding wastelands, looting, pillaging, and much worse.With information pertaining to various thaumaturgical principles easily found on any previously networked device, some had committed all of their time to develop their new skills. Though they weren't nearly as powerful as actual Magi, the pressure of the 'Apocalypse' allowed a few unique exceptions to rise up. Some of these people considered the current state of affairs as a chance to realize their darkest wishes and desires, now supported by supernatural powers lacked by the vast majority.Much like the Magi that had proceeded them, those experiencing some degree of success with the listed spells used them to persecute those weaker than themselves. This strengthened the convictions of the religious communities that had arisen in the aftermath of Vahn's announcement so the two sides had been in constant strife with each other.One side believing themselves to be the children of God, fighting in the holy war mentioned in Revelations. The other believed they were very different kinds of chosen ones, those that had the ability to gain power and survive in this changing world. The boldest among them even believed they would gain enough power to topple the Emperor, seizing the world for themselves. This was one of the most dangerous side-effects of rampant change without human societies as, when a large power vacuum was created, people naturally fought to fill it...---Sitting in an icy cold room illuminated by pale-blue lights, a beautiful woman with peculiar black and white hair calmly sat along one of the two benches present within the chamber. Around her, a total of thirty nearly identical woman, each matching in facial expression and attire, were patiently awaiting her next series order as information of their current objectives danced in the periphery of their vision.Each of the women was wearing stylish yet functional white armor, trimmed with either silver or gold to denote a separation in rank. The only exception to this was their Commander, the woman the world had come to know as the Herald of the Emperor, Uesugi Kenshin. While she had done away with her previous outfit entirely, her armor was still distinctly oriental in design, albeit with a few western accents for the sake of unity. What truly separated her from everyone else was the fact her armor was predominately black in design, accented with gold and crimson to make her stand out amongst the otherwise uniform platoon of Homunculi.Even before Vahn had decided to move forward with his plans, Kenshin had been one of the few people operating away from Avalon on a daily basis. She had taken it upon herself to head one of the task forces charged with restoring order around the food production facilities, a task that kept her, and the battalion that served under her, extremely busy.This time around, Kenshin had received order to suppress two groups of enemies, one calling themselves the New World Order while the other was a supposedly a band of actual cannibals, people that relished in the flavor of human meat. Fortunately, though perhaps not, the latter was the result of mass hysteria and starvation manifesting into a Demonic entity that quickly infected the minds of those with weak wills. So long as she could track the host of the Demon, rooting out the problem was a simple matter...Once the information pertaining to their mission had finished flickering across her vision, Kenshin removed the specialized contacts designed by Da Vinci, placing them into a small container. They always bothered her so she opted to keep them stowed away, relying on information provided to her by her Squad Captains and their support Companions to make tactical decisions.The moment Kenshin put away her contacts, the eyes of every Homunculus in the staging room were focused on her. Though this was no different from before, they were no longer splitting their attention between the data stream and Kenshin so, for a brief moment, the atmosphere became a little heavy. This was something Kenshin was used to, however, so she didn't even bat an eye as she explained, "You're already aware of our Objectives. Squad 4 will be with me while Squads 7 and 8 will secure the food production facility and protect the citizens. Remember, buildings can be rebuilt easily so prioritize protecting the people as much as possible."Since they already knew the details of the mission, there were no questions amongst the highly capable force of Homunculi, something Kenshin was always grateful for. In truth, she mainly relied on her instincts during battle and, while some had referred to her as a tactical genius back in her era, there was a reason Nobunaga called her an 'idiot that only knew how to fight'.When the mission began, Kenshin would leave most of the decisions to her Squad Captains as, while she had trained them all to be skilled combatants, their generations of knowledge and experience made them far more capable tacticians. This was knowledge shared between them so they always worked together seamlessly, forming the greatest combat force Kenshin ever had the honor of leading. She had absolute trust in these women and, after their training together, each of the Homunculi gathered around her had the same trust in her...As this comforting thought crossed her mind, Kenshin couldn't help but produce a small smile in timing with the lights shifting from blue to red. Then, without having to say anything, she, along with everyone else, dawned helmets that vaguely resembled foxes. These were each equipped with Heads Up Displays that allowed them to view the battlefield from above, track the location of allies, and mark enemies. At the same time, it allowed them to communicate over long distances and, perhaps most importantly, see both mana and hidden magic formations.Ten seconds after the lights hand changed color, the entire staging area began to vibrate with a tremendous force. This caused even Kenshin to tense up as, from what she had heard from Da Vinci, there was a non-negligible chance the vessel they were in would be destroyed during each transfer. In truth, the chances of this happening were .0007% but, since there was always a chance something would go wrong, it was still considered 'non-negligible', at least in the minds of Vahn and Da Vinci. Since most soldiers were superstitious by nature, Kenshin couldn't help but worry that she would spontaneously die without having any chance to defend herself.Fortunately, after around thirty seconds had passed, the lights within the container turned green. A moment later, the far end of the room opened up, revealing an underground facility where a small team of operatives belonging to the Atlas Temple, accompanied by twice their number in Companions, was waiting for them. They had been the ones to establish the anchor point for the transfer and, with the forces of the Empire currently lacking, they were the division that worked alongside Chaldea to scout ahead and gather pertinent information.After exchanging quick salutes by lightly tapping the emblems over their chests, Kenshin and her Vice-Commander, a Homunculi named Nora, listened to the verbal report of the Artificial Human operative, a man named Xavier. He reported that the Demon had been present on the northern side of the city, hiding in a location with little conflict. It was obviously intending to corrupt other humans to bolster its number so, with a rough understanding of its location, Kenshin gave the order for Squad 4 to follow her while entrusting the secondary objectives to her two Captains.In total, including Kenshin herself, their forces consisted of 31 humanoids and 35 Companions so they had more than enough personnel to split between a few locations. After all, each Homunculi could be graded between a D and C-Rank Heroic Spirit while the Companions, borrowing from a shared pool of knowledge and a functionally limitless supply of magical power, were the ultimate support troops. They could use magical attacks strong enough to pierce barriers, heal lost limbs in a few seconds, and trace magical energy back to its source. This made them the primary force of the Empire, even if individual Heroic Spirits would be able to annihilate hundreds of them with relative ease.Using the HUD in her helmet, which was linked directly to the network of Companions, Kenshin reached their destination in less than three minutes. Even the slowest Homunculi in her forces was able to move at supersonic speeds so it rarely took more than a few minutes to initiate the first phase of their operations. Today didn't seem to be an exception and, after leading more than fifty missions over the last couple of weeks, Kenshin, Nora, and the other nine members of her Squad, immediately carried out their respective duties with machine-like precision.As the main combative force within the entire Platoon, Kenshin's duty involved tracking down the Demon's host and rooting out the source of the current conflict. Thus, once their relay point was secured, she left Nora in charge as her two Companions clung to her body. They were a unique duo of fox-like Companions that had been hand-made by Da Vinci, each with a monochromatic coat of black or white. Because of this, Kenshin had named them Hikari and Yami but, instead of what others would expect, it was the black one named Hikari while the white was called Yami.With the HUD allowing her to see the radial pulses emitted by her Companions, allowing them to scan the interior of buildings, it didn't take long for Kenshin to find a small group of people hiding in the basement of an abandoned hospital. It, like many other hospitals, had struggled to keep up with a never-ending number of in-patients. Then, as the fear, fervor, and greed of the people hit a critical level, mass rioting and looking had brought it low. As a result, most Emergency Medical Services had shut down in the so-called First World Countries as, without supplies and constant military protection, it was impossible to treat the number of victims requiring aid.Though others might flinch at the sight of rampant destruction visible throughout much of the world, Kenshin didn't bat an eye to her surroundings. She fully believed in the future Vahn wanted to create and, while his actions may have set events in motion, it was the people who had given in to their destructive whims that brought the world to ruin. There were literally hundreds of millions of people just waiting for an opportunity to break free from the constraints of the previous system so, when the opportunity presented itself, the monsters hidden within the depths of their hearts broke out. These people would have been even more troublesome after the emergence of Angra Mainyu so, while things were certainly bad, they were inarguably better than what was bound to happen if Vahn had chosen to delay his plans.With this conviction driving her forward, Kenshin passed through the hallways of the hospital like a phantom, her movement causing no sound whatsoever. She was able to achieve this with the use of her actual skill but, if she wanted to, the armor and mask provided to her had Abilities that allowed her to become completely invisible. Though most of her forces rarely made use of this functionality, it had come in handy during the times when they wanted to infiltrate crowds without drawing attention to themselves.By the time Kenshin came to a stop, she found herself standing outside the barricaded entrance of the hospital's reserve power station. There, she sensed eleven hostiles, her target, and a total of four signatures she temporarily assigned as victims. Since one was missing both of their legs, while the others were tied together by a series of chains, it was a relatively safe assumption to make...After pulling out a Wakizashi and Tanto, Japanese-style weapons with very short blades, Kenshin cut through the barricade in an instant, entering the room with phenomenal momentum. Most of the targets weren't even able to react to her entry, their expression barely showing the first signs of shock as she cut them down mercilessly. Then, without missing a beat, she pursued the only two targets that managed to react, the host of the Demon and a woman with icy-blue eyes that glowed in the low light of the room.Unfortunately for the duo, Kenshin wasn't the type of person that held back against her enemies so, before their feet even touched the ground a second time, she vanished amidst a tempest of blood and core, appearing right behind them. The Demon attempted to send bloody spikes erupting from its back but, just as the flesh began to expand, Kenshin had already vanished once again, this time appearing next to the catatonic woman strapped to a table. By the time the duo touched the ground, their bodies had separated into dozens of smaller chunks, each dissolving into a fine black mist that was quickly bottled up by the waiting Yami...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Everyone thinks they are the protagonist until they get a sword through the chest o3o...','Companions are OP','The might of an A-Rank Heroic Spirit')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though it wasn't impossible for her to kill Demons, one of Kenshin's mission objectives involved the capture of their target. Da Vinci was developing a method to detect the unique energy within Demonic entities, updating the Companions' systems to be able to emulate the function of Pure Eyes. She had originally tried to study Jeanne's and Galahad's eyes but, without removing them and performing a detailed analysis, this was an ultimately futile endeavor.Once Yami returned carrying the [Demon Sealing Jar], Kenshin placed it within a special satchel that used Imaginary Number Space to store objects without any time passing. It was still a work in progress but, with Interspatial Artifacts unable to store organic material, it was the best they could do until Da Vinci created a new prototype.To thank Yami for its hard work, Kenshin affectionately rubbed the obedient Companion's cheeks before turning to the woman strapped to the table. There, Hikari was using magic known as 'High Heal', derivative magic that had been developed after researching items Vahn had produced with his unique ability. It used a completely different logic than standard Magecraft but, while the cost was several times higher than normal healing, the effects far exceeding the capabilities of modern healing spells.In less than twenty seconds, the woman strapped to the table had both of her legs restored so, to show her gratitude, Kenshin mussed Hikari's fluffy fur while muttering, "It seems I am indebted to the two of you once again~."Though the majority of third generation Companions were capable of speech, most still opted to communicate using cute sounds. Thus, in response to Kenshin's words, Hikari rubbed its head against Kenshin's palm, a happy mewl escaping its lips. At the same time, Yami jumped up to her shoulder, rubbing its head against her cheek without minding the mask covering Kenshin's face.While this was occurring, the three conscious prisoners were staring at Kenshin with abject terror visible on their faces. Though they hoped the mask-wearing woman had come to save them, they, like many others, had come to fear the forces of the Empire. It didn't matter how many people they rescued as, from the perspective of the majority, the Empire was to blame for everything that was happening. Prior to Vahn's announcement, they had lived in ignorant bliss, wasting their lives away in the pursuit of personal gain at the expense of the planet so, no matter the kindness they were shown, most people hated the Empire to the core.Kenshin had become accustomed to people failing to express their gratitude so, after treating the woman on the table, she looked towards the three cowering women, stating, "You will be safer if you live closer to the food distribution centers. The Empire is slowly expanding its influence to all regions. Times are tough but, if you stay resolute, you will find peace and prosperity in due time."Hearing Kenshin's words, one of the women began to tremble in frustration and anger but, due to the fear she was experiencing, words completely escaped her. The Empire was known for striking down dissidence without hesitation so, despite a strong urge to lash out and lambast Kenshin for the crimes of her Emperor, the trio could only shed tears. As for Kenshin, she flicked her wrist in a casual manner but, from the perspective of the girls, she hadn't moved at all. When they finally realized what had happened, their bindings had been cut and, as if she had never been there in the first place, Kenshin had disappeared...---After returning to the relay point, Kenshin removed her mask to take a breath of fresh air before stating in a commanding tone, "Report." In response, Nora gave a curt salute before explaining, "Squads Seven and Eight had to deal with a riot instigated by religious dissidents. Some of the people complained about the quality and quantity of the rations they were given so Theralise ran a cursory scan of the crowd, using logic and reasoning to try and control the crowd. This resulted in a riot breaking out but, after apprehending those responsible for riling up the crowd, the rest calmed down quickly."Hearing Nora's report, Kenshin couldn't help but release a sigh as this was a common occurrence as of late. Since those living away from the food distribution centers were generally hardliners and small factions, they sent agents to gather food from the Empire-controlled facilities. As the Empire only gave people enough food to sustain themselves and their immediate family, using a series of detailed scans to keep track of distribution, the total amount they obtained wasn't nearly enough for all the rebels they intended to feed.As a result, forces in direct opposition to the Empire, as if the people they were targetting were beneath them, freely robbed others, often committing other heinous acts in order to support their personal agenda. This was additional evidence proving that the change introduced by Vahn was necessary as, with people defaulting to this type of behavior, it was a testament to just deep the corruption of society had become.Since she wasn't smart enough to consider the finer details, Kenshin could only do what she did best; defeat her foes and protect the people that required her help. With this in mind, she gave a curt nod to Nora before stating, "We will expose those with relations to external factions, denying them access to further supplies unless they are willing to adhere to Common Law. If they choose to ignore their own words, they will be cut off and exiled."Without questioning Kenshin's orders, Nora gave another salute while exclaiming, "Understood!" in a resolute. She, like nearly every Homunculus serving under Vahn, had come to admire him far more than something as base as an Emperor. To them, he was basically their Savior and God, an idea that became even more prominent after he obtained a Divinity. Though it was kept a 'secret' from him, a considerable number of Homunculi even gathered together to celebrate their God in a rather 'improper' manner, often after hard training sessions.With Kenshin's own Loyalty to Vahn being unquestionable, those that had trained under her had been influenced by her teachings and behavior. Thus, as their Egos developed, they had become rather zealous in their views, especially when seeing how those serving directly under Vahn, such as Gareth, improved. She had quickly reached a point where they couldn't defeat her without the combined effort of more than twenty Homunculi, a testament to how much she had grown since the start of their joint training...After regrouping with Squads 7 and 8, Kenshin stood atop the high wall surrounding the food production facility while Nora listened to the oral reports of the two Captains. There, she saw a veritable ocean of people gathered around, their numbers reaching close to two-million, more than half of which only lingered around for free supplies and food. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as that was the purpose of the facility, the number of dissidents intermixed among the general populace led to riots breaking out almost every day.Kenshin was reminded of the rampant slums that had been an issue during her era, lawless areas where the poor and downtrodden intermixed amongst criminals to take advantage of the various Lords governing the land. They were often a breeding bed of violent crime and, though she had done her best to provide jobs to those inhabiting them, a surprising number of people opted to just leech benefits while doing the least amount of work possible. This current gathering was no different as, without police to enforce order; theft, robbery, murder, extortion, and sexual assault were all too common...Since there were tens of thousands of people gathered in order to receive their weekly food and supplies, a considerable number of people noticed Kenshin atop the walls. Based on her armor, it was easy to deduce she was a high ranking officer within the Imperial forces so, from the moment she appeared, even those frustrated at the long lines became docile. Even without things like the internet to help spread information, most of the residents around food production facilities knew what each armor color represented so none of them wanted to caused trouble while Kenshin was around.Unfortunately, this wasn't an adequate method to maintain order as, if they kept someone with black armor present at all times, people would gradually become accustomed to their presence. In time, those with lingering thoughts of dissidence would feel emboldened and, after a series of petty crimes, they would eventually resort to something extreme just to spite the person watching over them. The only real solution was extreme violence but, as this was against the policies of the Empire, the best they could do is restore order when things got especially out of hand.Eventually, the community itself would rally behind influential figures in an effort to maintain order but, until people realize things weren't going to return to how they were, the current chaos would continue. According to Ark's estimates, the current transitory period, acceptance, would last for a total of three years. Once things reached that point, people would begin trying to rebuild society in accordance with the new order. This phase would take upwards of fifty years if left alone but, by building the Supercolonies and Sanctuary Cities, the Empire could reduce the time to around ten and twenty years depending on the damage caused by Angra Mainyu and other forces.Kenshin didn't have the best understanding of the Empire's plans but, in order to make sure their enemies weren't able to intervene, she hardened her heart to do whatever it took to ensure each phase was a success. Thus, much to the chagrin of the people who had gathered to receive their supplies, she activated a communication device that transmitted her voice throughout the entire slum-like settlement. From there, her forces went around forcibly marking those who had ties with external factions, warning them against causing trouble in the future.By marking those responsible for the interruption of service, the community itself would feel compelled to take action. Though this effectively turned the people against each other, it also promoted the idea that the Empire's property should be protected. After all, without a supply chain to provide goods and services, the only reliable method to obtain food, medicine, and other important goods was by relying on the Empire.Eventually, a clear divide would exist between those advocating for the benefits of the Empire and those in direct opposition to it. Since those who fell in line would receive greater benefits than those sewing discord, more people would develop the mentality that it was better to simply give in to the Empire's rule. After all, the Common Law would still apply to them so, at any given moment, a raid could occur on the settlement they were associated with, wiping them out in an instant...It had never been Vahn's intention to conquer the world but, in order to preserve as many lives as possible, he was compelled to do so. Though his means might be considered underhanded, they were the most effective method to shift the mentality of people without directly oppressing them. Since the only other alternative was to allow them to victimize each other, often at the expense of those that simply wanted to live a peaceful lifestyle, it was necessary to bring those seeking order together in order to repel those clinging to the past.With one side having unlimited military power, infinite energy, and inexhaustible supplies, it was only a matter of time before the Empire extinguished all other forces. Though some communities were bound to form outside of the Empire-controlled territories, they would still be bound by the Common Law so it didn't particularly matter how they chose to live. After all, Vahn believed that everyone should be able to live as they pleased, so long as it wasn't at the expense or detriment of those around them...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Da Vinci's influence is extreme','Zealots can be scary...','Imagine, a world where your actions have consequences. A normal person's dream, a wealthy cunt's nightmare')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With Solon submitting to him, Vahn only had two Objectives remaining until the completion of his World Power Quest. This included defeating seven more Dead Apostle Ancestors and the slaying or subordination of Mavis Maxwell, the Pontiff of the Holy Church.Though he could take care of them himself, Vahn had been convinced by Artoria to leave the defeat and capture of the Dead Apostle Ancestors to others. Thus, for the time being, Vahn's main concern, in regards to his ongoing Quest, was summoning Mavis. Since she had been teleported away prior to her original death, it could be deduced that she wasn't an evil existence.Fortunately, as it was a relatively simple matter to summon Mavis through the Throne of Heroes, Vahn actually had very little to do in regards to the World Power Quest. Though it was undoubtedly a cause for concern, he really needed to learn to entrust matters to his subordinates and retainers. If he continued handling everything himself, there would be no end to the burdens he would have to carry.With Da Vinci handling the preparations for the Supercolonies, Olga managing Chaldea, Artoria in charge of the Empire's affairs, and Solon administering the Clock Tower, Vahn actually had very little to do outside of his usual duties. Thus, for a time, he decided to focus on his training, spending time with his family, and tending to his lovers. He still made time to listen to reports and hold Court but, in the grand scheme of things, this only took a few hours out of his weekly schedule.Since a single week could be upwards of 1200 hours, at least from Vahn's perspective, it felt like a considerable amount of time passed between each session. Though this was primarily the result of his vassal's capabilities, as Gawain, Lancelot, and Bedivere actually worked very well with each other, Vahn still felt like he wasn't doing much as Emperor. Of course, whenever he expressed this to girls, they would generally sigh in exasperation before making very clear he did a considerable amount to ensure the Empire's prosperity...---It what felt like both the blink of an eye and an impossibly long period of time, fifteen days had passed in the outside. During this time, the Empire's forces had been providing aid all over the world while, around the locations where the Supercolonies would be built, hundreds of advanced Golems and other Automatons worked to flatten the land and protect the region. There were a number of small conflicts but, due to the vast disparity in the forces on both sides, the Empire rarely suffered anything more than slight injuries.During all of this, Vahn followed his usual schedule and, as a result of his diligence, he had been able to make a fair amount of progress on Scáthach's challenges. Though he was only on the fourth one, it was much easier than the previous three as, rather than focus on increasing his base Parameters, tempering his spirit, or refining his control; Vahn had been tasked with 'breathing life' into the once-desolate Training Orb. This involved him simply meditating in the center of a massive formation for hours on end, powering what Scáthach plainly referred to as a 'Terraforming Magic Circle'.Due to his past experience with Terra, Vahn had very little trouble converting his Source Energy into the constituent elements necessary to create life so, by the time Scáthach informed him the fourth challenge had been completed, a forest nearly 300km in diameter had appeared in the previously white void. He could have made it even bigger but, instead of focusing on the expansion, Vahn had a compulsion to simply allow the life to develop as it pleased. Though order could introduce beauty in all things, there was always something captivating about seeing what form nature took without any external influence...Since she would never tell him the purpose until after he had completed a challenge, Vahn waited until he was accompanying his Shishou through the forest to ask, "Was this challenge intended to increase my affinity with Life and Creation Laws?"Without sparing him a glance, Scátach shook her head before answering in her usual monotone, "It is difficult for others to stay in a place like this. Ciel has been struggling since that man left for Japan, so I decided to give you an easier task, one which would make you both happy. You should prepare yourself; the next challenge will be more difficult than the others combined."Hearing Scáthach explain the reason he had been given such a simple challenge, Vahn couldn't help but raise his brows slightly. After all, she basically admitted the reason was a result of her concern for Ciel, not to push him beyond his limits. Unfortunately, her latter words all but guaranteed he would be experiencing a considerable amount of suffering so he ultimately decided not to comment on the matter.After reaching their destination, a traditional Japanese house now surrounded by an expansive forest of lush greenery, Vahn saw Ciel hard at work doing squats while hefting a large obsidian rock on her shoulders. When she noticed their arrival, she finished her final squat before tossing the 5kkg stone statue on the ground and running over to issue a proper greeting.Though she would normally recover to her 'default' state in an instant, Ciel's current outfit, a skin-tight dark-blue bodysuit, had various seals to restrict her regeneration. As a result, a layer of sweat covered her body as the hair near her scalp was matted to her skin. Fortunately, as the bodysuit was provided to her by Scáthach, it didn't actually reveal any of the 'finer' details of Ciel's body, sparing Vahn from having to avert his eyes.Once Ciel finished her greeting, Scáthach gave her a small nod before emotionlessly stating, "If you continue as you have been, I will allow you to pursue that man in three years. This is slightly over five months in the outside so you needn't worry about anything major happening in that time. Focus on your training...the sooner you complete it, the sooner you will reunite with that man."When she first heard Scáthach mention three years, Ciel became visibly deflated but, upon being reminded of the time dilation within the Projection, she instantly became more fired up, pumping her fists as she exclaimed, "Righ! Leave it to me, Shishou...!"Without having to be told what she ought to do, Ciel returned to the large stone statue and, after taking a deep breath, she strained her body in order to heft it onto her shoulders. From there, she started her previous set from scratch while. Scáthach observed this for a short while before giving a small nod and giving Vahn a sidelong look.Sensing his Shishou eye him up, Vahn averted his eyes from Ciel, a smile on his face as he said, "I still have a few hours. If there is time, I would like to begin your next challenge, Shishou."Since he was her student within the Training Orb, Vahn had made a habit of lowering his head every time he requested something from her. She showed him similar courtesies outside so this was the least he could do for someone who had helped to qualitatively improve his capabilities. It wasn't an exaggeration to say she had saved him years of aimless experimentation as, without her guidance, Vahn would have undoubtedly strayed onto various paths before arriving at a correct answer.In response to Vahn's request, Scáthach placed her hand on his shoulder, changing the surroundings from a lush forest to a vast expanse of white stone. The only landmark feature was a circular pool of molten red liquid, reminiscent of both blood and superheated metal. Vahn didn't really need to ask what her intentions were as, in the next moment, Scáthach pushed him into the boiling pool while explaining in a cold voice, "This pool extends one-thousand meters below the surface. As you dive further down, the heat and pressure will increase exponentially. At the very bottom, you will find a fragment of a spear. Retrieve it using nothing but your physical body..."After making direct contact with the peculiar liquid, Vahn quickly realized what it was made of. As a result, he barely had time to process Scáthach's explanation as the pool, formed from a mixture of Destruction, Poison, and a myriad of other Elemental Energies dissolved his body like cotton candy in water. This wasn't enough to kill him but, for several minutes, Vahn's existence became pain as he endeavored to reform within the destructive pool. Throughout this entire process, Scáthach watched quietly from the side, waiting until he had reformed to give him a small nod and teleporting away.Seeing his demonic Shishou abandon him, Vahn let the upper half of his body rest against the side of the pool while doing his best to keep his lower body from dissolving into nothingness. He felt this training was to temper his ability to maintain his form despite whatever his enemies would throw at him so, while it would be a nightmare trying to reach the bottom, Vahn didn't complain. It was only a matter of time until he adapted to the pool and, with very few ways to train his [Rakshasa Body], this was actually a blessing in disguise.Scáthach had told him he was only allowed to use his physical body to complete the challenge but, while this might prevent him from using his [Magia Erebea] transformations, it would be impossible to deny that his [Rakshasa Body] was part of his actual physique. Unfortunately, his Zhuque form all but guaranteed even greater pain due to the impurities contained within the pool so, for now, Vahn transitioned into his Xuanwu form to temper its already insane defenses even further...---While his main body was struggling within the Training Orb, Vahn's secondary body was within one of the rooms adjacent to the Knight's Training Field and the primary Quest Board. Here, an isolated space had been created for one specific purpose: tempering the bodies of the children using his Source Energy.Originally, Vahn had only helped Mordred and Sakura to temper their bodies, as they had learned of the process while he was training Gareth. Now, however, he ended up helping all the children after it became very clear that Mordred and Sakura had received considerable benefits from his daily care.At first, Vahn had some inhibitions about the whole process, as he feared the girls would begin to imprint on him in a strange way but, after seeing Zoë and Astrid saddened by his refusal, he didn't have the heart to refuse them. After all, while they weren't his children, he had always tried to treat them as such. Since he would never refuse to help his actual children become stronger, Vahn didn't have the heart to refuse after seeing their puppy-like expressions.Fortunately, unlike how Mordred would sometimes misbehave, Mash, Zoë, and Astrid were all well-behaved girls. Though they would turn red up to their ears during the procedure, they had enough self-restraint to prevent things from becoming too awkward. Thus, after a while, the event became just another part of Vahn's peculiar schedule, one which earned him a fair amount of teasing from girls like Nobunaga and Aoko...Having just completed a tempering session, Vahn removed his palm from Sakura's exposed back, a red handprint marring her fair skin as a result of the prolonged contact. Then, leaving her to wear her clothing properly, Vahn wiped down his hand while casually remarking, "Before he gets cold feet, have Alex come inside, okay?"With her face still flushed from the half-hour treatment, Sakura nodded her head in understanding before wiping her face with a cold towel and heading outside. There, a line of girls were all waiting their turn while, idling near the edge of the Knight's Training Field, Alex periodically looked over with an apprehensive look on his face.Before Mash could head inside, Sakura quickly stopped her, explaining the situation before they both went over to secure a very disagreeable Alex. Unfortunately, due to the vast difference in their strength, the boy ended up being forcibly dragged into the room. This wasn't the first time he had thought to find out what the girls were doing to become so much stronger but, due to his pride, he had never been able to muster up the conviction to head inside. Now, the choice had been made for him and, though he would lament the mishandling of his pride, his strength would receive a marked increase over the following days...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'One day = one week, one week = 1.8 months','Scáthach is a bully','FBI-san, it is this person here..."')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1375: Maintaining Order