Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn was curious about the Control Programs decision to call upon a philosopher to serve as its next Security Administrator, but, as it had very little to do with him, he simply introduced himself to the rather dour-looking woman before parting ways a few minutes later. He had other matters to attend and there would be plenty of time to familiarize himself with both her and the Moon Cell in the near future.Since Ayn refused to offer him any information regarding the locations of the Heroes, Vahn ended up having the Control Program just drop him off back in his original location. It was easier to think when you were surrounded by a familiar setting, and, though it wasn't the real Ivory Castle, having an appearance closer to the 'original', Vahn didn't mind borrowing Artoria's wooden Throne for a bit.Once it was just the two of them, something he could confirm using a combination of his instincts and senses, Vahn had Artoria take a seat at his armrest before asking, "What do you think, Artoria? We can either meet with the Heroes and negotiate with them individually or summon our people in order to shore up the defenses of this digitalized Ivory Castle. We also have the option of just ignoring them, at least until the poke out their heads and cause trouble..."Due to the nature of the Moon Cell, Vahn was no longer able to use the String of Fate that tied him and Musashi together, at least for the time being. He would need to contact Alaya and have her reactivate the ability, as, after being transferred inside the Virtual Reality Marble, the previous string had vanished. It undoubtedly still worked, but, at least for the moment, he didn't even know where to begin searching.Since it was a very serious matter, Artoria fell into deep thought for several minutes before she ultimately answered, "Though it is always best to end things without a conflict...I fear the morale of our people will diminish if their preparations were for naught. Even if it is only to secure this place for a short period of time, I believe it is best if we give them a stage to perform on. Those women fear being made useless more than they fear death...we should respect their resolution and desire to serve."Finding Artoria's point agreeable, Vahn ended up nodding his head before closing his eyes and focusing on his Unit Management function. He had already confirmed with the Control Program that summoning outsiders wouldn't initiate the procedure of establishing contact with the Root, an event that required an adequate number of willing participants to trigger. Since they would be arriving within the Moon Cell for an entirely different purpose, there was little chance of anything going wrong, something he had confirmed by viewing various currents.Just as Vahn was about to initiate a mass transfer, a singular, obscure, current caught his attention. As a result, he opened his eyes, turning his head towards a stained glass mural that lined the high walls of the Throne Room. At the same time, Artoria followed his gaze, her eyes sharpening as she manifested her [Excalibur] and shouted, "Show yourself!" due to her [Instinct] triggering.In response to Artoria's outburst, space seemed to contract within an area, almost like individual molecules were being pulled from nothingness to form the outline of a person. This only took a few milliseconds, but, from Vahn's point of view, he had been able to witness the entire event in slow motion. He found the technique rather interesting due to the fact that, prior to knowing the man was going to attack, the would-be assassin didn't even seem to exist...After fully manifesting, a rather tall man, standing at 187cm, wearing black trousers, black shoes, and a black hoodie dropped down from his perch. When he lifted his face, silver eyes with a very subtle tinge of gold came into view, peering through the gap between black fabrics. Despite this, Artoria's [Excalibur] dropped slightly, followed by her asking, "Shirou...?" in an uncertain tone.With his cover blown, Shirou ended up removing his hood and pulling down his face mask, a wry smile on his face as he said, "I guess hiding my identity doesn't work when you've already met the past and future versions of myself, huh?"Despite the fact she recognized the man standing before her, Artoria didn't completely lower her sword. Instead, she furrowed her brows deeply, stating, "You shouldn't be here...how is it possible for you to manifest a second time after becoming a Counter Guardian? You aren't the same man I knew...it is impossible..."Rather than refute her words, Shirou nodded his head in affirmation, explaining, "Though I have the same memories, I am not the same Shirou Emiya you knew. It would be more accurate to say I am how the Moon Cell remembers me, a pale imitation of a foolish man's dreams of becoming a Hero. Even then...its good to see you...Artoria..."Hearing Shirou's words, Artoria's shoulders trembled lightly, but, from start to finish, her sword had continued to point toward him. This was noted by both Shirou, and, of course, Vahn, the latter of which slowly rose to his feet before placing his hand on Artoria's shoulder. It was only after this that she lowered her sword, understanding that Vahn had taken control of the situation in order to ease her burden.Seeing Artoria shrink behind Vahn, Shirou took a deep breath through his nose, his eyes shining in the low light of the Throne Room as he turned his gaze upon the Emperor who had thrown the world into chaos.Truth be told, Shirou didn't actually disagree with Vahn's views, only the methods he had used to bring them to fruition. Thus, if the circumstances had been different, there is a good chance they would have been on the same side, not opposing each other. Unfortunately, the die had already been cast, and, though he had a fair number of inhibitions about the current situation, Shirou was not the type to let his emotions interfere with his mission. That was an aspect of his character that had died in his youth, a time before he understood the true nature of the world and became the modern era's most infamous assassin.Understanding what Shirou intended, Vahn squinted his eyes slightly, cautioning, "I am not a foe you can defeat...if possible, I'd like to avoid fighting, at least for the time being. That isn't even the reason you came here, is it? You wanted to determine the truth behind my words and discuss the terms of our future engagements..."Though Vahn's words struck at the heart of the matter, Shirou proffered forth a wry smile, his mana beginning to surge as he said, "You're right...that is the reason I came here. However, I also have a bit of a grudge to settle. I trust you aren't petty enough to hold others accountable for my actions so I'm afraid I can't really hold myself back...hahaha-"In the middle of his laughter, Shirou leaped backward, kicking up a plume of magical energy in a similar manner to [Mana Burst] as he pulled out two pistols, one black, and the other white. As he pulled their triggers, runes glowed along the length of the barrels while, inside the chamber, pale blue energy created a swirling vortex that discharged the rounds within at a speed several times faster than even the most advanced, modern, firearms.After training with Scáthach, who had harassed him with countless projectiles, Vahn developed the ability to identify various curses and effects through intuition alone. At times, he had less than a microsecond to respond, so, while the projectiles fired from Shirou's pistols were quite fast, they moved a negligible speed from his perspective. Though it wasn't quite an accurate depiction of the situation, Vahn even felt like he could slowly reach out, grabbing the engraved bullet out of the air like an inert pebble without any effort whatsoever...Ultimately, Vahn did extend his hand outward, but, instead of grabbing the bullets, he created two small tears in the fabric of space, seemingly absorbing them. In actuality, however, he had created an exit point behind Shirou, taking advantage of the fact he was still mid-leap to hit the man's left shoulder and right calf, fully aware that it wouldn't deal much damage to him.Feeling the impact of his own bullets against his body, Shirou's eyes widened slightly as, from his perspective, Vahn had countered him without any discernible effort. Unfortunately, by the time his mind had processed this thought, the man in question had disappeared from view, followed by a much stronger impact that sent him sliding along the hard marble floor before slamming into the adjoining wall.Without giving Shirou any time to recover, Vahn appeared at his side, coinciding exactly with the moment he impacted the wall. He used this as an opportunity to kick the defenseless man again, this time sending him crashing through the wall as he remarked, "If you try to activate your Noble Phantasm, I will cut off both of your arms."Hearing Vahn's remark, Shirou's mind began to race, as, after the second kick, that was the main thought running through his mind. This caused him to raise his head, staring at Vahn with shaken yet resolute eyes as he asked, "You can see the future?" while forcibly accelerating the healing of his body.As it wouldn't matter if Shirou was injured or fighting at full capacity, Vahn didn't mind the man's attempt to heal his wounds. Instead, he maintained a calm and composed demeanor as he shook his head and answered, "Some may refer to it in such a manner, but, the true nature of my ability is to read the Flow of Fate. I don't simply see the future, Shirou Emiya...no, I see something much more concrete...the present, and the many paths available to us all..."Following Vahn's statement, he reached out his right hand, grabbing at the void just as Shirou's body began to disperse. Then, before the latter could react, he slammed the man into the dense white stone with enough force to kick up a cloud of debris more than 10m high. This left Shirou, who had attempted to sneak attack him, completely unconscious as blood dripped from most of his orifices.If he were being honest, Vahn didn't really like Shirou all that much, but, knowing he had great sentimental value to many people, killing him outright seemed wrong. While it may not be the 'real' Shirou Emiya, Vahn knew he could provide the girls some degree of closure due to the fact he possessed the same memories. He could also sense a 'very' potent Flow of Fate around the man, and, despite the fact Shirou had been trying to assassinate him, his aura was a pale blue, indicating he had no malicious feelings, only the purpose he believed in...---Though they were still several kilometers away, Musashi and co could feel the fluctuations of a battle taking place within the Ivory Castle. This caused the former to release a tired sigh while Caenis, ever-thirsty for battle, shouted, "We should charge in! That man might be an idiot but he is still our ally! We can't just stand and here and do nothing...!!"Musashi didn't completely disagree with Caenis' sentiments, but, knowing Shirou and having a decent understanding of Vahn, she felt it would be foolish to intervene. The latter wasn't likely to kill Shirou outright so it would only make matters worse if they were to throw themselves into the fray. Thus, rather than respond to Caenis' outburst, she turned to Berserker, who, despite only a few minutes passing since Shirou's departure, was now surrounded by empty plastic wrappers as she ceaselessly devoured some kind of curry bread.Noticing Musashi's gaze, Berserker blinked her amber-eyes in surprise before turning away and saying, "You can't have any..." in a threatening tone. This caused Musashi to release another sigh, followed by her asking, "Is Shirou okay? He should have contacted you, right...?"Before answering Musashi's question, Berserker finished the rest of her curry bread, large pieces vanishing with each of her tiny bites. Only after the final crumbs had vanished did she finally nod her head, explaining, "He said to leave it to him...do not interfere..."Hearing Berserker's response, Caenis hissed through her teeth, hefting her spear and shield as she shouted, "Fuck that! I'll go in there and drag that dumbass out by his ass hairs if I have to!"Not expecting such a remark from Caenis, Musashi was temporarily at a loss for words, silence the former took as acquiescence. As a result, Caenis kicked off the ground with enough force to cover nearly the entire distance between their perch and the Ivory Castle in an instant. This caused the veritable wall of automatons to immediately react, each working together to form a defensive line as four of the shadowy figures moved to intercept...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You ain't sneaky','An absolute difference in power...','Shirou's cheeks just clenched...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though the Moon Cell was capable of generating Attack Programs with similar Parameters to Heroic Spirits, it couldn't copy their Skills and Noble Phantasms. Thus, while the shadowy figures radiated a powerful aura, it didn't take long for Caenis to overwhelm the four sent to block her. She could easily read their mechanical movements, using her long glaive-like spear to shatter the crystalline material that formed their bodies.Eventually, perhaps realizing normal forces couldn't do anything to stop the intruder, the other eight shadowy figures moved to intercept. Around the same time, two figures appeared atop the bulwark of the castle, observing the ongoing battle with varying thoughts racing through their minds.Vahn, seeing the large army that had formed, was beginning to feel that the Photonic Abyss was full of potential. As for Artoria, she was still a little distracted after earlier events, but, seeing Caenis, most of her hesitation faded away, followed by her asking, "Should I capture her?" while gripping Excalibur in hand.Hearing Artoria's question, Vahn ultimately shook his head, saying, "We'll call the others so they can put their training to the test. Besides, I can tell you have other things on your mind. This time, allow me to be the one to say, 'Don't push yourself so much'. Now that Archimedes is gone, there are few enemies we genuinely need to worry about, so, for the time being, focusing on matters of the heart and mind is the best route forward..."As he spoke, Vahn gently caressed the top of Artoria's head, his fingers passing over her drooping ahoge a few times, trying and failing to get it to perk up. She was obviously in a depressive mood, and, after his experiences with Scáthach, it wasn't difficult to empathize with her. He knew that, even if the man he had beaten wasn't the 'real' Shirou Emiya, many people would want to talk with him. It was a way of achieving some kind of closure, as, in the case of people like Rin, Luvia, and Illya, he still held some significance within their hearts...Just as Vahn was about to suggest they head back inside to call the others, he felt the characteristic ripple of a Reality Marble being released. This brought his attention back to the battlefield, where, a stark contrast to the previous virtual space, a massive ocean had spread out toward the horizon. The sky overhead was now filled with black thunderclouds, while, in the distance, Caenis could be seen standing atop a craggy rock that jutted out of this vast ocean like a sword.Though Caenis wore 'very' revealing armor, at the best of times, Vahn stood with his mouth slightly agape as he saw her current appearance. Her body was almost completely exposed, revealing green, fish-like, scales covering her arms, legs, and shoulders. What stood out the most, however, so long as you ignored her exposed breasts, was that her hair had changed to a deep, sea-green, reminding Vahn of Tiamat, albeit only slightly...From atop her rocky perch, Caenis lifted a large golden trident, pointing it directly toward Vahn as she shouted, "So, you've finally revealed yourself, Sage Dragon Emperor! Bear witness to my Divine Authority. Feel the wrath of all the world's oceans as your-"Vahn was actually curious about the power behind Caenis' attack, but, before she was able to release it, the space behind her rippled, revealing Musashi. Then, using one of her sheaths, she smacked the rambling Caenis with enough force to cause a shockwave as she shouted, "Weren't you supposed to be trying to save Shirou!? How do you plan to accomplish that if you flood the entire castle!?"In response to Musashi's words, Caenis simply fell to the ground, the whites of her eyes indicating she had been knocked unconscious. At the same time, her Realty Marble fragmented, followed by the sound of glass shattering as the vast, seemingly endless, expanse of ocean vanished. This also restored Caenis to her previous appearance, albeit with a certain 'water-logged' quality...After exhaling an annoyed sigh, Musashi shouldered her katana while staring up at Vahn and Artoria in the distance. Then, with an awkward smile on her face, she waved at them before asking in a voice that covered the several kilometers between them without any difficulty, "If it isn't much trouble, can you return that hot-headed idiot to us? I'd also like to talk about what you said the last time..."Since Shirou and Caenis had both attacked, Musashi felt a palpable amount of embarrassment when asking for their release. To her surprise, however, Vahn just nodded his head, answering, "Sure. Come inside and grab him. Afterward, there are a few things I wish to discuss."Musashi wasn't the only one surprised by Vahn's words as, at his side, Artoria showed a complicated expression as she asked, "Are you really just going to let him go...?". To this, Vahn simply nodded his head, explaining, "He has a pure, bluish-white, aura. Though his killing intent is the real deal, there is no real animosity in that man's heart. He acts out of duty, and, while that makes him very dangerous, it also makes him susceptible to being reasoned with. So long as he only points his blade toward me, I don't really care how many times he tries to kill me."Hearing Vahn's remark, Artoria released a heavy sigh, but, atop her head, the tiny bundle of hair that expressed her true feelings perked up slightly. Though she didn't completely agree with how Vahn did things, she always found it strangely endearing how he allowed people to oppose him. The vast majority of rulers would kill any opposition, regardless of the nature and character of the ones trying to kill them. Vahn, however, readily spared everyone, so long as the opposite party never went out of their way to harm others with malicious intent...---A few minutes after his 'negotiations' with Musashi, Vahn had finished summoning the vast majority of the Imperial Militia, having them replace the largely destroyed Attack Programs. Fortunately, the programs in question seemed to obey his orders without hesitation, returning to the Photonic Abyss without any hesitation. This made things easier on Gawain, Lancelot, and Kenshin as, with another military present, morale and order could both be negatively influenced.With more people present, the Ivory Castle had quickly grown to its actual size, and, though it would likely take a few weeks, even Avalon had started to take shape around it. This was intriguing to both Vahn and Da Vinci, but, with four relatively powerful enemies waiting for his arrival, he left the latter to research the phenomenon while he visited the holding-cell-turned-medical-ward where Shirou was being kept.Despite his injuries being relatively severe, it hadn't taken long for Shirou to regain consciousness. As a result, he had been talking with Artoria about the actual goals of the Empire, all while Musashi and the unnamed Berserker listened in. As for Caenis, she was still unconscious, occupying the bed next to Shirou's with her wrists bound with golden bracelets that allowed her freedom of movement, but prevented the summoning of her weapons.Musashi had informed them of Caenis' aversion to being bound, something Vahn could empathize with, so, rather than tie her up to prevent her from causing trouble, he decided to compromise. This was often the first step towards future cooperation and understanding, so, while he still held a small grudge against the horse-like woman, Vahn elected to bury the past and look toward the future.Upon entering the room, Vahn became the focal point of everyone's gazes, followed by Artoria rising to her feet and politely greeting him. This caused Musashi to appear rather nervous while, but, as if the only thing that mattered to her were the snacks in her hand, the unnamed Berserker just spared him a momentary glance before returning to her meal. Artoria had tried to ask about her name, but, after being told 'Berserker' several times, she ultimately decided to just ignore her.In an effort to ease the tensions in the room, Vahn gestured to prevent Musashi from standing, a smile on his face as he said, "That is unnecessary. You aren't one of my people and I'm not fond of pretenses. If a time comes when you genuinely respect me, feel free to lower your head. Until then, we are more enemies and acquaintances than anything else..."Hearing Vahn's statement, Musashi issued a dry laugh, not sure of how to respond to such words. As for Shirou, however, he immediately opened his mouth to ask, "Your statement about allowing us to oppose you, so long as we don't target others...is it really true?"Though he would have preferred to make some light conversation first, Vahn didn't mind getting to the heart of the matter. Thus, after a casual nod, he explained, "I accepted the fact that others would see me as a villain long before I took action. Society is structured in a way that resists changes in the status quo, so, even if I tried to behave like a Saint, many would still vilify me. The foundation of the world had been built on corruption so I was left with no choice but to tear it out by the roots..."As was often the case when he spoke such words, Vahn's aura began to gradually increase, radiating outward like the warm, yet destructive, rays of Sol. This caused Musashi to lightly tap against the hilt of her katana while, still in his bed, wrapped in bandages, Shirou squinted before saying, "From what I have been able to ascertain...all of this was set in motion after someone tried to assassin...ate..."Before Shirou could complete his statement, the aura around Vahn had spontaneously increased, his eyes shifting from aquamarine to a pale-gold in an instant. This was enough to clarify things, causing Shirou to fall silent for a brief moment as he averted his eyes. Artoria had been trying to explain how Vahn wasn't a bad person, and, while it couldn't be denied that his actions had resulted in the deaths of millions, if not billions, the driving force behind Vahn's actions was something most people would be able to empathize with...Despite feeling as though he would do something similar in Vahn's case, Shirou still couldn't accept the fact that the former's actions had led to so much death and destruction. Thus, while he was able to empathize with him, he eventually mustered up the resolve to stare into Vahn's golden eyes, his own blazing with a silvery-white light as he said, "It is too late to undo what has been done...but the world deserves a chance at freedom. Your rule might result in a future with fewer crimes and less corruption, but it will be at the cost of what makes humanity envied by the other races...the freedom to choose how we live our lives..."Hearing Shirou's remark, Vahn wanted to comment about how naive and foolish it was, but, in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't exactly wrong. The only problem was, much like most humans, the young Hero prioritized his own race, elevating it to a 'special' status where it was the center of pretty much everything. This was often the difference between a Heroic Spirit and those who went on to become Divine Spirits, as, more often than not, Heroic Spirits were 'extremely' biased toward their original species.Understanding there was little point in trying to convince Shirou with words, Vahn just shrugged in a dismissive manner, saying, "You are free to oppose me. If you'd like, you can even build a resistance or structure a society around your ideals. So long as they follow the Common Law, I don't really care how people choose to live. You are free to believe what you will; it has absolutely nothing to do with me. I will continue to do what I believe is right, not just for humanity, but every sapient species, and, most importantly, the planet itself...good luck trying to oppose me with your fragile and misguided convictions, Shirou Emiya...you'll need it..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Behold, the power of my Nobl-','Vahn be like, "Come at me, breh"','Both sides of a conflict have their Heroes. History determines how they are remembered')(A/N: I am fine, just got a mild case of food poisoning after eating some Chinese food. My city is also in Quarantine now so things are getting a little hectic around here. Make sure you're drinking plenty of liquids and taking care of yourselves.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

With the death of Archimedes, one of Vahn's most significant troubles had been eliminated from the equation. Though there was a fair chance some of the other Heroic Spirits could continue to oppose him, this wasn't particularly concerning, as, like all people, they would be forced to comply with the Common Law if they wanted to avoid destruction. This wasn't up for debate, so Vahn still expected conflict between his, and the Hero's, forces.Unfortunately, after discussing matters with the Control Program of the Moon Cell, Vahn learned that he couldn't use it to observe and spy on others. He also didn't have access to the data that had been compiled over the last 4.6 billion years, unless, of course, he earned the right to peer into the past after winning the Moon Cell's version of the Holy Grail War.Though it was a tempting thought, Vahn wasn't particularly interested in the idea of holding the tournament-style event, as, based on the information provided by the Control Program, nearly every participant would end up losing their lives. There were ways around this, but it was still an event that, at the most fundamental level, was designed to sacrifice hundreds of people in the hopes of storing their 'souls' within the Moon Cell's memory banks. It used these fragmented Egos to produce what many would refer to as NPCs, non-player characters, which were just Artificial Intelligences used to establish a standalone virtual society.In essence, the Moon Cell took advantage of the fact that humanity often reached it when civilization was on the decline. Then, by luring them in with the promise of wishes, it would fulfill the desires of a single person in exchange for the 'souls' of hundreds. This, in turn, allowed it to continue observing humanity for all eternity, as, even if all biological life was extinguished, it could monitor them within a controlled, virtual environment.While he was privy to this information, Vahn quickly came to discover that there was very little he could do, even as the Chief Administrator. His only real power, outside of initiating the Holy Grail War, was teleporting within the Photonic Abyss. Yet, this was also limited as the Moon Cell had restrictions that guaranteed the privacy of anyone accessing the system. Archimedes could use it to 'spy' on people, but this primarily the result of his designation as the Security Administrator. This had allowed him to flag specific individuals as threats to the Moon Cell operation, gathering information on potential risks and removing them.Fortunately, with the exceptions of entities like Musashi and Caenis, everyone that had been pulled into the Moon Cell's Photonic Abyss had effectively been trapped inside. This meant, even if he just returned home and ignored them, the Heroic Spirits summoned by Archimedes would be confined inside the Moon Cell for all eternity. Their only means of escape, at least without the aid of Musashi, was to participate in, and win, the Moon Cell Holy Grail War.From this revelation, Vahn could deduce that Archimedes had intended, over time, to either summon 128 Heroic Spirits, or, based on his use of automatons, create Artificial Humans to serve as sacrificial pawns. There was even a chance that he had intended to use the Empire's forces to trigger the event, as, so long as there was an adequate number of participants, the preliminary phase could be initiated...Needless to say, Vahn was greatly relieved by Archimedes' death, despite the fact the Moon Cell, having now been activated, was 'compelled' to initiate the procedure to access the Root. If it was left to its own devices, it would slowly create 'Master Candidates' using the data it had compiled, setting the stage for future troubles if ignored. Thus, he would need to closely monitor the Moon Cell, doing his best to limit the number of people inside so that the faux Holy Grail War cannot be initiated and exploited by third parties.Fortunately, so long as he left a single powerful 'guardian' inside, they should be able to win any unexpected Holy Grail Wars without much effort. After all, the Master Candidates each received a compatible Servant, so, with two Heroic Spirits fighting side-by-side, the chance of anyone being able to defeat them was slim. He could also use his Chief Administrator position to access the 'Far Side' of the Moon, an Imaginary Number Space that was used to quarantine the still-living Velber: 02.Vahn wasn't in a particular rush to meet with the infamous White Titan, as, in most of the visions he had peered into, they end up fighting. From these same visions, he learned that she, basically, just wanted to be left alone, biding her time until the return of the Umbral Star. Since this was an event that was scheduled to take place around the year 3030, Vahn had more than a thousand years to prepare, ample time to form countermeasures against virtually any threat...---Before heading off to confront the group of would-be Heroes, Vahn decided to wait around for the selection of a new Security Administrator. He was given access to the list of available candidates, so, while it wasn't his decision to make, he could still give his input on the matter. He would have to work alongside the new Security Administrator, potentially for hundreds of years, so it would make things a lot easier if he could convince the Control Program to select someone amicable.After perusing the file for a considerable amount of time, finding names like Sherlock and Da Vinci both listed, Vahn ended up asking, "I noticed this list doesn't contain any Gods or Demigods...is there a reason for this?"In response to his question, the purple automaton, using the same synthetic voice as before, stated, "Answering inquiry. The beings known as 'Gods' inherit their authority from their Parent Star or have it bestowed unto them by the Planetary System they inhabit. The Moon Cell is capable of emulating this phenomenon. However, due to potential conflicts of interest, Gods and Demigods are excluded from the standard selection criteria. Many have strong ties to specific beliefs and ideals, making their existence a danger to the Moon Cell's operations."Vahn was tempted to nominate this Record's version of Hestia, but, knowing how troublesome the Greek and Roman Gods were, giving them an excuse to interfere with the Moon Cell didn't seem like the best course of action. Thus, he ultimately decided to leave the decision to the Control Program, albeit after reading the Flow of Fate and determining there wouldn't be any issues. As a result, the Control Program ended up selecting a Russian-American Philosopher named Ayn Rand, the woman who had laid the foundation for the philosophy of Objectivism.---Without knowing of Archimedes' death, Musashi, accompanied by Shirou, Berserker, and Caenis. The latter had a unique Skill known as [Pursuit of Vengeance: A], so, as long as she recognized someone as her enemy, she could track them virtually anywhere, even crossing Time and Space. In the distant past, approximately four thousand years in the future of a divergent world, Caenis had used this Skill to track down and ultimately kill Poseidon, stealing his Divine Authority in the process.It was the slaying of Poseidon, relying on the help of many others, that ultimately elevated her to the status of a Divine Spirit. Since then, Caenis had made it her mission to hunt down and slaughter any men who believed they could use their status and authority to have their way with women. No matter how much time had passed, she had never forgotten the shame of that fateful day, using it as fuel to propel her through the vast ocean of eternity without losing her way.With Caenis leading the way, it didn't take long for the group to reach a half-formed Ivory Castle, which, as a result of Vahn's departure, had started to fragment at the edges. Despite this, several thousand Attack Programs were waiting in the vicinity, protecting the region with zeal befitting of actual Knights. They had even formed rows and columns, emulated the formations expected of a real army. There were even twelve powerful figures seated atop horses, interspaced among the army of automatons like actual commanders preparing for war.Seeing the sight with crystal clarity, despite being several dozen kilometers away, Shirou explained, "I don't like this...there are twelve shadows at the back, each giving off dangerous auras. Based on our knowledge of the Empire, I assume these shadows are meant to represent the Knights of the Round Table...how irksome..."Musashi's eyesight wasn't as developed as Shirou's, but, even without his [Clairvoyance:C], she was able to sense the power contained by the twelve figures. This stirred up her desire to battle, but, at the same time, her intuition told her there was something wrong about this situation. Vahn wasn't the type to hide away while others fought his battles. He had even personally come to attack the Moon Cell, so it made no sense for him to be hiding away inside his castle while strange automatons fought on his behalf.Never doubting her instinct, Musashi turned to Caenis, asking, "Are you certain Vahn is inside? This doesn't feel right..."Hearing Musashi's question, Caenis gave her a pointed stare, but, knowing the former was generally right about such things, she didn't immediately lash out. Instead, she focused her senses for several minutes before saying, "I'm not sure...that bastard is different from normal people. It always feels like there are multiple versions of him spread out. I can still sense his presence in this area...almost like it is the castle itself...?"Musashi frowned slightly in response to Caenis' words, but, seemingly having thought of something, Shirou followed by adding, "This place functions similarly to a Realy Marble...in other words, this is a part of the Emperor. He must have used this castle to lure us out...maybe he already knew of Caenis' Skill before releasing you. Our safest option is to have me scout the interior while the three of you stay posted outside. Try to establish contact with the others while I'm gone..."Without waiting for a response from the three girls, Shirou pulled up his hoodie before lifting the scarf around his neck to reveal that it was a baklava, concealing all but his eyes. Then, in an instant, his figure seemed to dissolve into the surroundings, his presence vanishing shortly thereafter.As this wasn't the first time Shirou had gone on a dangerous solo mission, Musashi just released an exasperated sigh before muttering, "That guy is always so eager to place himself in danger..."Hearing Musashi's comment, Caenis snorted through her nose in response, adding, "He just wants to show off. All men are a bunch of idiots who only think with their lower body, not their brains. Even if he pretends to be a nice guy on the surface, his true nature is no different from that golden bastard."Since Caenis rarely passed on an opportunity to lambast the very existence of men, Musashi rolled her eyes in response to the horse-like woman's retort. It was impossible to reason with her, leading to Jason referring to her, not-so-affectionately, as an obstinate donkey. This, of course, resulted in him getting thrashed pretty severely, but, considering most of the women in their group had beaten him up, that was par for the course.With the exception of his personal dolls and the ever-annoying Chang'e, most of the Heroes actually disdained Jason quite a bit. He was a coward that hid behind others, yet, despite his weakness, he touted himself as some great Captain, destined to lead others. His Noble Phantasm was one of the most powerful in their entire group, but due to the conditions required to trigger it, he was all but useless in a short engagement...Thinking of Jason, Musashi couldn't shake the feeling that he would suffer a rather tragic fate in the near future. It was easy to imagine him saying something to offend Vahn, and, given what she knew of the latter, he wouldn't be very tolerant towards the infamous Captain of the Argonauts. To this end, she could only hope that Jason wasn't the first of their group that Vahn encountered. Fortunately, he had A+ Luck, making Brynhildr, the Valkyrian woman who couldn't even walk a few hundred meters without tripping over her own feet, the most likely target...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Moon Cell is like a baby version of the Root System','Caenis is quite the feminist...*cough*','Someone with the same Luck rating as Lakshmibai!?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1437: Irksome