Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After failing to complete Scáthach's challenge, even after nine hours had passed, Vahn, covered from head to toe in scarlet needles, released a tired sigh. After his training in the Well of Destruction, even direct damage to his Spiritual Body did little to phase him so, while it felt like he was being scorched from head to toe, he didn't so much as flinch while looking up at his Shishou. She was standing just above his head so he was able to see a rather tantalizing sight, made all the more enticing by how much effort he had put into trying to claim it...With the exception of girls like Fenrir, Scáthach could always tell what Vahn was thinking so, knowing he was having idle thoughts immediately after his training, she released a rare sigh before squatting down, her finger tracing a line across his cheek as she muttered, "At this rate, you'll complete all of my challenges well before ten years pass. How is it you're able to constantly surprise me yet, at times like this, I can't help but feel frustrated with your progress...?"Though Scáthach knew the answer to her own question, she was curious about Vahn's response. He had a penchant for saying different variations of the same words over and over again but, despite it annoying her quite a bit, she never truly got tired of hearing them.Vahn couldn't claim to truly understand his Shishou but, after more than three years, he chose to believe he had a decent understanding of her character. Thus, in response to her question, he gave a confident smile, grabbing her wrist with his hand as he answered, "I told you before, many times, in fact...no matter how impossible it might seem, I would make you fall in love with me~."Hearing Vahn's words, Scáthach made a show of rolling her eyes and, after pulling her hand free, she retorted by remarking, "Yet, here I stay, one of the few women who have yet to fall to your insatiable appetite...I wonder...just how long will you keep me waiting...?"Since this wasn't the first time they had a conversation like this, Vahn wasn't too taken aback by his Shishou's words. Instead, he forced the needles out of his body, moving to a seated position so that it was easier to talk before saying, "Even if I could claim you now, your heart would never be mine if I reneged on my vows. I'd rather have a lifetime at your side than squander everything for a few hours of passion."Find Vahn's words to her liking, Scáthach nodded her head in approval before adopting her usual cold and distant tone as she warned, "I'll force you to summon me as a Berserker or Avenger Class if you break your promise...keep that in mind, Master..."With seven Shishou's already pushing him far beyond his limits, Vahn paled slightly when he heard Scáthach's words. He could only hope she wasn't being serious but, knowing her as long as he had, Vahn knew better than to doubt her words. He could imagine her forcibly summoning a version of herself using the Greater Grail so, with a defeated look on his face, Vahn fell backward against the hard white stone and just stared at the endless abyss above for a few minutes...---Around the same time that Vahn was lamenting his Shishou's ever-increasing expectations for his growth, a little girl with ashen-white hair, expressionless blue eyes, and a perpetual smile on her doll-like leisurely strolled through the streets of what many would describe as a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With her frilly white dress and pure white stockings, she was like a singular ray of light in an otherwise dreary world.Unfortunately, with the collapse of 'polite' society, the world wasn't a safe place for a young girl to wander on her own. Though the majority of people gave the unnaturally pristine girl a wide berth, her delicate and frail appearance still caught the interest of various dark-hearted individuals. Some harbored licentious and deviant thoughts while others, having lost themselves to the darkness of the current world, merely wanted to capture her, locking the girl away like a dove in a cage.After Vahn's wish, crimes against children had become all but impossible and, with most 'innocents' being whisked away by 'God's Light', there were very few people that still attempted to target young children. This didn't mean there were none, however, as the distinct lack of a police force resulted in the vast majority of people giving in to their instincts and desires. Thus, despite knowing there was little hope in success, two brutish-looking men with haggard appearances followed closely behind the fair-skinned girl as she turned into an alleyway.What surprised the men was the fact that, rather than continue on her way or try to run, the girl had turned to wait for them, the smile on her face growing to almost unnatural proportions. This caused one of the men to place his hand on the shoulder of the other, muttering, "This doesn't feel right at all..."Though he had been about to suggest they retreat, both men couldn't help but gawk as the young girl they had intended to victimize lifted up the hem of her skirt. This caused the more deviant of the duo to adopt a vile grin as he shrugged off his friend's hand and said, "It's no wonder there is still a brat like this running around. The little bitch probably gets off on this type of shit...!"In response to the man's words, the little girl began to giggle playfully, inciting both men to throw what little inhibitions they had away. There was a 'loophole' to the strange phenomenon that had plagued their kind over the last few months as, if the other party was 'willing', they were able to do whatever they wanted, so long as it didn't turn to violence. Unfortunately for the duo, the moment the girl revealed the contents of her skirt, their fates had been sealed.Rather than childish or delicate undergarments, what came into view was an endless black abyss as, faster than either man could scream, black tendrils erupted from beneath the girl's skirt, enveloping their bodies and covering their mouths. Then, to their horror, the flesh touched by the tendrils began to slough away, turning to a fleshy liquid goop. To make matters even worse, the only thing either of them felt was a seeping chill pass through their bodies. There was no pain, no anguish, just a 'finite' chill that terrified them beyond madness.By the time a minute had passed, all that remained of the men were blackened bones and rotten flesh. Despite this, both men were still alive, their skeletal visages fixed in horror as their eyes, left untouched by the corruption, stared at the little girl with an imploring gaze. Instead of offering them a reprieve, however, she merely giggled, her lifeless blue eyes momentarily showing a sadistic glee as she explained, "You enjoy making others feel helpless to sate your own desires. This is because you are unable to empathize with their suffering. Now, I have given you the opportunity to reflect upon your past decisions. Enjoy an eternity feeling the helplessness you forced onto others~."Seemingly satisfied with her own words, the little girl gave an approving nod before turning away from the duo. Then, as if remembering something she had forgotten, the girl showed a surprised expression before remarking, "Ah! I forgot to ask what your names were! Don't worry, I promise to never forget you. You'll just have to be Mr. 43 and Mr. 44 from now on, ehehehe~."Hearing the girl's words, the two skeletal men fell into even greater despair, their bodies shivering due to their mental anguish and the perpetual cold that had gripped them...---Less than three minutes after the white-haired girl had disappeared, a gentlemanly man with ink-black hair and a mature beauty with long, raven-black hair, appeared in the alleyway. When they saw the now-familiar sight, the man issued a light hum as he walked from one end of the alleyway to the other, his cane making a rhythmic tapping sound the entire way. The two men on the ground didn't know what to make of the strange man who had appeared but, seeing the emblem of the Empire embroidered into his suit, they screamed within their minds, begging for death.Understanding the men's intentions, the ink-haired man, Sherlock, gave an apologetic smile before explaining, "My apologies, gentlemen, but I cannot offer you that which you seek. You needn't worry, however, as my companion here will ease your suffering."Hearing Sherlock's remark, the beautiful woman issued a sensual laugh that caused even the skeletal figures on the ground to feel a heat rising in their bodies. This was similar to stepping inside a warm building during a snowstorm so, for a brief moment, hope was ignited in the duo.Unfortunately, what the woman offered was not absolution or release. Instead, like a glutton who had found a delicious meal, she seductively licked her lips before making a biting motion. In the next moment, the light faded from both men's eyes as every memory from the moment of their birth had been devoured in an instant. This did nothing to liberate them from the chill piercing through their bodies but, without knowledge of anything else, they became empty husks without a single thought astray from the cold permeating their entire being.Seeing the increasingly-common sight, Sherlock took a longer than average drag of his ornate pipe before breathing out a pale mist and asking, "You ate everything, correct?"In response to Sherlock's question, the raven-haired woman answered with a seductive smile as she closed the distance between them, her waist swaying like a snake as she mused, "How could I ever defy my beloved Master~?"Without minding the woman pressing herself against his body, Sherlock continued to stare off into the distance with a ruminating gaze. At the same time, however, his right hand, now bereft of his usual cane, snaked around her thin waist. Even when she licked the nape of his neck and bared her teeth, he acted as if it was perfectly natural as, for the past month, this had become his norm.Following a mild prick, Sherlock was able to witness the final moments of the two men, finding the same white-haired girl that had been present during the previous incidents. This mildly frustrated him as, even with his brilliance, CHALDEAS, and several pseudo-omniscient beings, they had been unable to trace this peculiar white-haired girl. She didn't leave behind a single trace at all, almost as if she didn't exist outside the minds of her victims...Understanding this was a very real possibility, Sherlock absentmindedly smoked his pipe, wondering how he would catch a culprit that didn't actually exist. At the same time, his companion, Lilith, kept herself busy by lapping up his blood, her tongue dutifully cleaning even the smallest droplets of blood. If she got his collard dirty, Sherlock would 'punish' her by closing off his mind, a delicacy she had become particularly fond of ever since contracting with him.By the time Sherlock's neck had been cleaned, his would nowhere to be seen, two small horns had started to protrude from Lilith's scalp. She had trouble maintaining her disguise while excited so, at times like this, her Daemonic nature revealed itself. Fortunately, Sherlock had an aura that naturally deterred anyone from interfering with his investigations so, even if they would normally pass by the alleyway on their way to whatever it was they were doing, pedestrians would give the location a very wide berth.With Lilith finished with her meal, Sherlock released another cloud of smoke before saying, "We will return. At this point, I fear the best course of action is to request the assistance of the Emperor. Take these two and store them away with the rest. Once we discover a way to destroy their bodies, we will give them the death they sought in life."Hearing Sherlock's orders, Lilith waved her hand, lifting both men's bodies using her own form of Telekinesis. Then, like she had the previous victims, Lilith threw their bodies into Imaginary Number Space. There, they could be safely stored for thousands of years without a single second passing so, once a countermeasure against the 'immortal curse' had been found, they could either return to the alley, freeing the men trapped inside, or just leave them there for all eternity.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Vahn','(O_____O)...','Lilith has been tamed!? What an elementary question (o 3 o)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he usually divested his time between multiple groups of women, there were moments when Vahn enjoyed relaxing with just one girl at a time. Thus, while he was performing his usual rounds, he decided to surprise Lakshmibai, interrupting her training to see if she would accompany him. Since it was very rare for the girls to refuse his offer, Vahn soon found himself escorting the loveable olive-skinned beauty through the verdant orchards of Avalon.Vahn was quite fond of his homeland but, when he explored alongside one of his lovers, it always felt even more fantastical than normal. It was such a calm and serene place, especially inside of the Projection, so they could wander unobstructed for hours if they really wanted to.Unfortunately, despite having several times more than others, time was often a rare commodity for Vahn. Thus, rather than wander aimlessly, he brought Lakshmibai to a large clearing, a place used by the Dryads as a site for various rituals. Within the projection, however, it was just a place filled with a mass of comforting energy, filled with warmth and carrying the fragrance of flowers and honey.It wasn't her first time visiting the rather popular location but, feeling the familiar warmth wash over her exposed shoulders, the wind blowing gently through her hair, Lakshmibai hummed contentedly before resting her head against Vahn's shoulder and saying, "Thank you for taking me out today...it made me happy to see you show up unexpectedly..."Hearing Lakshmibai's words, Vahn wanted to comment about how hard she had been working these past few months but, knowing there were better ways to spend their time, he opted to remain silent, resting his cheek against the top of her head. He knew she wasn't really satisfied with her progress but, instead of complaining about it, Lakshmibai continued to push herself even further. There were days where she would be training upwards of 15-16 hours straight, only stopping when others came to check on her. Thus, rather than talk about training, Vahn just relished their time together, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and the scent of lemon that wafted from her hair...Unfortunately, as was too often the case when he was with Lakshmibai, Vahn sensed a spatial ripple in the Transfer Room, followed by the emergence of Sherlock. He had just gone to check on Tiamat so, if Sherlock was looking for him, which was almost always the case, Vahn would have to deal with him using this form. This would undoubtedly make Lakshmibai sad and, while she was always very understanding of such things, Vahn knew it ate away at her more than she would ever admit.Refusing to make Lakshmibai sad, Vahn preempted the Master Detective, telepathically stating, "I am indisposed of at the moment. Please confer with Da Vinci or Merlin unless it is a matter that requires my immediate attention." Then, without waiting for a response, he blocked external communications, telling Alaya to monitor the situation and to inform him if it was something important...Since she was always attentive to Vahn's subtleties, Lakshmibai hadn't missed the mild perturbance in her Master's eyes. She could easily guess something was amiss as, during their last three times alone together, something always came up. His not saying anything showed that he had elected to ignore whatever the trouble was and, while this made her happy, she ultimately nestled against his chest and said, "You are the Emperor...your duties should come before me. Please, don't worry about me, Master..."Opting to ignore Lakshmibai's selfless remark, Vahn wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling her close to his body as he stated, "I am a Father, a Master, and a Lover before I am an Emperor. You, of all people, should be aware of this. Don't tell me you've grown bold enough to push me away when I've already made the decision to stay...?"Having already dedicated her everything to Vahn, in more ways that one, Lakshmibai's expression became complicated when she heard his words. Then, compelled by his silence, she turned her pale-pink eyes up at him, a thin layer of moisture present as she replied, "I would never..." in a sheepish and demure tone.Hearing Lakshmibai's response, Vahn allowed a smile to replace his previously solemn expression. It had been a bit lacking in spirit but he could feel the sincerity contained within her words. Thus, in an effort to reward her loyalty, he traced his finger across the choker around her neck before lowering his head to steal her lips. This was generally enough to make her forget about everything else and, while there was a brief moment of palpable trepidation, it didn't take long for Lakshmibai to dutifully reciprocate his affections...---Having heard Vahn's words echo in his mind, Sherlock merely issued a thoughtful hum as he pulled out his pipe, this time without lighting it. He knew Vahn wasn't such a thoughtless individual so, after a few seconds of silent rumination, he plainly stated, "Alaya, I know you are listening. If you help me with this task, your Master will be free from interruptions and I will be able to carry out my assigned duty without being forced to dally. In exchange, I will tell you a method to get closer to your Master in the future...what say you?"Though she would normally never appear in front of another person, Vahn's order, combined with Sherlock's offer, compelled Alaya to manifest in her human form. Then, with a cold expression on her face, she stated, "I am unable to forge contracts in my current state. If you want my help, you must provide the information before I offer my assistance. I refuse to trust your words alone..."Sherlock had already anticipated Alaya's response so, without beating around the bush, he gave a small nod before explaining, "It's elementary, really. All you have to do is tell him directly what you would like him to do. Though there are limits to this, he will not refuse if you are sincere. If you do this for a long enough period of time, he will be more susceptible to listening to other requests so it is the fastest way for you to achieve your objectives. I'm certain you can verify this based on the data you have collected over the past three years."Without having to think about the feasibility of Sherlock's words, Alaya immediately shook her head, explaining, "As I am, it is impossible for me to make such direct requests. All past attempts to directly influence Vahn Mason have resulted in failure. Your advice has no merit-"Before Alaya could continue, Sherlock caused blue electricity to dance across her body as he lifted his hand, interrupting her to say, "What you have tried in the past has no relevance to the present. It isn't difficult to reason that your past attempts lacked sincerity. The next time you are alone with him, you need only express your desire to be treated well and, so long as you state this clearly, he will undoubtedly oblige. So long as you do not try and deceive him, Vahn is a rather simple fellow to get along with..."Hearing Sherlock's explanation, Alaya remained silent for several long seconds as lines of runes ran across her irises. When they finally faded away, she gave an approving nod before asking, "What is it you require? Know that I cannot take any action that violates the restrictions placed against me."With Alaya being far more agreeable than before, Sherlock allowed a small yet victorious smile to spread across his lips as he explained, "I am tracking an entity that seemingly does not exist in the physical world. I understand it takes an immense amount of power for you to view all subsequent timelines but, if it is just a singular timeline, I believe you will be able to manage. With that in mind, I would like you to view my future along the current time axis. Tell me, where is the location I am set to investigate in the pursuit of this mysterious entity?"Since Sherlock's request was, in fact, a relatively simple feat, Alaya briefly closed her eyes, her senses briefly focusing on the annoying Detective's future. Though even this wouldn't be truly accurate, as even the act of revealing the future would change it, Alaya didn't particularly care if the end result was different than what he desired. She had already received the information she required so, even if Sherlock ended up walking to his death, it mattered very little to her.After obtaining the requested information, Alaya plainly stated, "You will appear at coordinates: 41.38514° N, 2.17342° E to investigate five victims within an abandoned warehouse at 20:29:21:08, Coordinated Universal Time."Hearing Alaya's response, Sherlock pulled out an ornate pocket watch which, upon being opened, immediately calibrated to UTC+00:00. With this, he calculated he had approximately seventeen minutes to reach his destination so, after snapping the fob of his watch shut, he gave a polite bow to Alaya before immediately teleporting outside of Avalon. There, Lilith was obediently waiting for him, now having returned to her secretarial appearance after calming down. Then, without any hesitation, he repeated the coordinates given by Alaya, intent on pursuing the white-haired girls in the equally white dress...---With Sherlock departing Avalon, Alaya no longer bothered to manifest herself within the Transfer Room. Instead, back within Tiamat's Marble Phantasm, she turned her eyes up at Vahn, grabbing his wrist with her hands and interrupting his petting.As Alaya had never proactively stopped him from petting her, Vahn was slightly surprised by her actions, asking, "Did something happen?" in a concerned tone. At the same time, Tiamat cocked her head adorably to the side, the white crosses in her eyes becoming more prominent as if to say, 'Why are you interrupting?', even if her expression didn't change in the slightest.Though it didn't qualify as being 'alone' with him, Alaya knew this was one of the few chances she would get to actually put Sherlock's advice to the test. Since she had already received permission to move forward, she ignored Vahn's question, moving his hand from her head to her chest. Then, in a serious tone, she plainly stated, "I want you to do more...I don't like only getting my head pat and my cheeks played with. I would like you to do more..."Hearing Alaya's 'confession', Vahn couldn't help but momentarily blank as, from what he could tell, she was actually being sincere. This, however, didn't make a lot of sense to him as he couldn't even begin to fathom what had set her on this course of action. It was obviously related to Sherlock but, given Alaya's usual behavior, he never expected she would directly converse with, much less fall to the Master Detective's machinations.Still, just as Sherlock had stated, Vahn had very little resistance to women being straightforward and honest about their desires. His Divinity was one reason but, after coming to coexist with Alaya, to the point he didn't like being separated from her for long periods of time, it was hard to refuse such an earnest request. The soft feeling against his palm didn't make the decision any easier and, if not for the presence of Tiamat, he might have readily accepted...Just as Vahn was thinking about how to gently refuse Alaya's request, the latter held his wrist a little tighter and, for a brief moment, she had a fretful look in her eyes. This caused his words to get stuck in his throat. Instead, the next sound to come out of his mouth was a sigh of acquiescence since, for a very long time, he always knew things would eventually develop to this point. Alaya had become an ever-present fixture in his life so refusing her earnest appeal would cause him to feel awkward and, more than a little, guilty. Thus, despite knowing it wasn't the best course of action, he put a little bit of force into his right hand, his fingers moving skillfully as warm energy flowed from his palm and into her body...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lakshmibai is a good woman','Elementary, dear Alaya','The world in his left hand, the embodiment of humanity's will to survive in his right...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As part of his ninth challenge, Vahn had to dodge a series of needle-like projectiles, each around the size of a chopstick. While this alone wasn't that difficult, he had to do so for an entire hour, all while his arms were bound. To make things even more complicated, his feet were forcibly separated by a bar, forcing him to rely almost exclusively on [Shundo] and his footwork to evade the ever-increasing number of projectiles. If he was hit by a single one, his time would not only be reset but, as a result of their speed, he was all but guaranteed to be turned into a porcupine if he lost his balance even for a moment...Thus far, Vahn had been able to last upwards of forty minutes but, with the speed and number of projectiles gradually increasing, those final twenty minutes seemed insurmountable. Despite this, he could be found with his wrists tied behind his back, his feet shifting in complex patterns as his body bent and bowed like a willow in the wind, at least to those who could actually trace his movements.From the perspective of a 'normal' person, Vahn's upper body seemed to blur unnaturally, almost as if he were a graphical glitch in the real world. Since Scáthach was basically trying to have him break through quantifiable limits, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that his Agility would be reality-defying if he managed to complete her challenge.With the exception of his curiously low Luck Parameter, Vahn's Agility was the Parameter he stood to gain the most benefits from improving. Though he could easily achieve EX-Rank speed using [Magia Erebea]'s Emperor of Light form, that was an extremely costly transformation that, for the time being, couldn't be controlled. After all, he had to literally aim away from the planet in order to move at his maximum speed as, if he aimed elsewhere, the devastation caused by his movement could level an entire Country, on the low end.In his transformed state, Vahn's movement generated a force of 2.7 Terajoules of energy which, when modified by his Source Energy, equated to an explosive yield of 6.5 megatons of TNT, 27 Petajoules of energy. This gave his movements alone nearly half the force of the most powerful warhead that had ever been detonated by mankind, all condensed within a point the size of an average man. If he wasn't careful, puncturing a hole straight through the mantle of the planet wasn't an impossibility.Since his Emperor of Light wasn't a form to play around with, Vahn wanted to increase his base state to the point where, unless he was backed into a corner, he wouldn't need to transform at all. While he actually thought the transformations were pretty cool, there was a certain 'impact' that went with the image of a normal person doing the impossible. He wanted to reach the point where, even if he wanted to pluck the stars from the sky, it would only take extending his hand slightly. This may seem like an exaggeration but, with how strong those at Peak Tier 5 seemed, it was all but guaranteed he would eventually reach a point even beyond his imagination...For now, however, Vahn could only grunt in annoyance as a scarlet-red needle pierced his right calf. In the next moment, several dozen needles pierced various points of his body and, if not for the fact he used [Shundo] to completely escape the encirclement, thousands more would have followed suit.With one needle stabbing into his right eye socket, dislodging the glimmering orb within, Vahn had to turn his head away due to his mild embarrassment. Fortunately, he was able to dislodge it pretty quickly and, after a few seconds, the rest of the needles had been removed. At the same time, one of the three Scáthachs tormenting him appeared next to him, expression frostier than a tundra as she coldly stated, "You only lasted thirty-eight-minutes-and-twenty-two-seconds. This is your worst time in the last fifty-three attempts..."Understanding there was no point in making excuses, Vahn just answered with a small nod before saying, "I'll do better this time. Come, let's not waste time. I want to make our enemies regret giving me time to grow stronger..."Though she nodded in response, a neutral expression on her face, Scáthach sent chills through his body when she said, "If you don't surpass your personal best on the next attempt, I'll increase the size of the spreader-bar by three centimeters. If you don't want to be doing the splits by the end of this challenge, you'll focus your mind instead of wasting your breath..."---Though his training was 'extreme' compared to everyone else's, that didn't mean Vahn was the only person working hard to become stronger. Rather, even before the Temporal Anomaly a month prior, nearly every resident of the Ivory Castle spent several hours, every day, improving. With things like the Quest Board to keep them motivated, you could almost always find a handful of people within the Knight's Training Field, the Primary Training Orb, or traveling around Avalon to complete various Quest Objectives.Among the people training hardest, Fenrir was at the head of the pack with more than four-hundred Quests completed and seventeen million Variable Experience saved up. She had actually earned a lot more than this but most of it had been invested in her various Skills, Magic, and Magecraft. Her main reason for saving up now was to unlock the [Full-Body Transformation] Skill, something she had seen used by Hati to great effect.With [Full-Body Transformation], Fenrir would be able to tap into her heritage as a Vanargandr and, at least for a time, transform into an actual wolf. While this may not seem that impressive at first, the fact she could freely alter her size, increasing her offensive, defensive, and magical capabilities, was the main selling point.When going all out, Hati was able to exceed fifty-meters in height, her fur becoming nigh-imperious to both physical and magical attacks. Though she had to sacrifice some of her mobility, the ability to cause absolute devastation to her surroundings, overwhelming entire armies, more than made up for this.Truthfully, the main reason Fenrir wanted to unlock the Skill was due to the fact she had once seen her Master riding atop the giant Hati's head. Another time, she had shrunken down to the size of a wolf pup, happily dozing away in their Master's lap with a contented expression on her face. Though Fenrir could do the latter whenever she pleased, her pride as the Alpha Vanargandr didn't allow her to be less capable than her subordinate. This mentality caused the Skill to appear within her Skill Tree for a whopping 20,000,000VE so, in order to obtain it, Fenrir had been Questing in overdrive.Today, in order to complete one of her Quest Objectives, Fenrir was walking across the bottom of the sea, her lungs straining painfully as she hefted a heavy limestone block over her head, using a membrane of magical energy around her bottom paws to prevent them from sinking into several meters of muck. Around her, several Undine watched curiously, their presence both an annoyance and a small comfort as, even if an accident occurred, they would undoubtedly step in to assist.Fortunately, even if it made her feel like she would blackout at any moment, Fenrir couldn't actually drown. Even if she relented to the pressure and tried to take a breath, filling her lungs with briny seawater, she would only experience excruciating pain and frustration, never death. Her regeneration and energy reserves meant she could even survive in a vacuum without too much trouble so, even if the pressure reached upwards of a thousand times normal atmospheric levels, she could persist.Still, this didn't mean it was a pleasant experience in the slightest, but, in order to obtain the final three-million Variable Experience, she was determined to complete her Quest. She only needed to cover 1,000km with the stone before moving on to her final Objective: defeating a Sea Serpent or a Giant Squid in a contest of strength without using magic. This might prove difficult for others but, with her teeth and claws, Fenrir was completely confident in her ability to secure victory...---While Fenrir was making headway on her Quest, Mordred, who generally accompanied her when she wasn't at school, dangled her legs off the edge of the pier, fishing rod in hand. Since it was a humid and balmy Summer day, she elected to wear nothing but a black bikini top with flames, a matching set of bottoms, and a pair of denim shorts just so her Chichiue and Hahaue wouldn't complain too much. If not for the fact she didn't bother to button the front, giving her a somewhat slovenly look, she wouldn't have looked all that different from the models in the magazines she used to peruse.Next to Mordred, her Guardian, the massive white lioness, King, lazily lay at her side while, laying against her, a boy with tanned skin, raven-black hair, and ruby-red eyes, stared aimlessly toward the horizon. This was none other than Kamiya, Nobunaga's son and, by his own volition, Mordred's usual tag-along follower. He ever referred to her as Aneue so, at least until he became a proper man, she obliged by calling him Otouto and, at times, brat.Kamiya had never been the most patient boy but, knowing he would get knocked upside the head if he complained, he opted to remain quiet while periodically sneaking glances at his Aneue. Originally, he had tried to fish alongside her but, while much stronger than the average three-year-old, it only took getting pulled off the pier once, courtesy of a large tuna, for him to abstain from trying again.There was no way Kamiya could get away with stealing glances without her notice but, rather than stop him, Mordred just made a mental note of how many times he shifted around, pretending not to gawk. She didn't particularly mind his mild precociousness but, when he did something to annoy her later, she would let him have it for each glance he stole. It would be bad if he became too cheeky in the future but, if it could motivate him to secure more wins against Daiki, she didn't mind giving him a bit of sisterly love and encouragement.Mordred didn't think much of Kamiya's developing crush. Rather, because of how often Isanna and Naavi doted on Daiki, she would feel a little guilty if she didn't do the same, in moderation. Kamiya was a very hard-working boy and, due to having Nobunaga as a mother, he was often teased, albeit lovingly. This had turned him into a rather prideful boy who didn't speak all that much so, instead of being yet another person to pressure him, Mordred liked to think of herself as the ever-reliable big sister.With this in mind, Mordred remained relatively silent until she felt something take hold of her line. Then, with a smile on her face, she looked back at Kamiya, startling the boy and sending him into a small panic until she said, "Hey, come over here. There is something biting. Here, I'll help you reel it in this time, okay~?"Having followed Mordred for much of his life, Kamiya didn't really have the will to disobey the words of his Aneue, especially when she had that smile on her face. Thus, with a reddened face, he moved with a bit of trepidation in his steps before sitting in her lap. This caused his ears to turn red, made worse by the fact that Mordred forced the rod into his hands, her voice tickling his ear as she walked him through the process of reeling in the fish. Though it was a real trial, in various ways, Kamiya had learned to enjoy fishing by the time he managed to reel in the palm-size carp...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scáthach is getting tired of hearing excuses xD...','Fenrir is always working hard...!','Irredeemable...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1383: Curse