Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn's penultimate goal within the Nasuverse was to be able to absorb the planet, or, at the very least, Avalon, into his Soul. He had spent a considerable amount of time in this endeavor, studying the Realms of Arcueid, Illya, Aoko, Tiamat, Azathoth, and, most recently, Artoria.Since the flow of time within a Realm, referred to as a Marble Phantasm in the Nasuverse, could be completely severed from the Time Axis, Vahn had a functionally infinite amount of time to perform his research. As a result, he had already spent years researching the phenomenon further, increasing his age by nearly a decade in the last six months. This brought him infinitely closer to his goal, and, though it often felt like he was still at the starting line, Vahn's understanding of his 'true nature' had allowed him to reach a level of power beyond his past self's comprehension.The Path was an existence that exceeded the Tier System in its entirety. It was something beyond even 'concept' itself, serving ad the foundation that allowed for such things to exist. There were no limits to The Path's capabilities, it's only restrictions being the comprehension of the user and their willingness to 'discard' everything, becoming something 'more'.If he sincerely desired it, discarding all other thoughts, Vahn would be able to reach a pinnacle of power that even the most powerful beings within the Records were unable to comprehend. The only thing that held him back was his 'humanity', his desire for freedom, and, most importantly, his family. These were things he would never give up, and, while it would undoubtedly let him become stronger in a short period of time, Vahn believed this was a 'dead-end' path. After all, what was the point of power when your very reason for obtaining it was lost in the process?As these thoughts crossed his mind, Vahn opened, not his eyes, but his 'awareness' of everything. It was similar to the omniscience he had experienced during his battle against Heracles, a state that, at the time, was so overwhelming that it threatened to sever his connection to the Record. Now, Vahn had reached a point where, unless he willed it so, the only thing that could eject him from a Record was the Quest function, as, even if they tried their hardest, Akasha and her Superior would never be able to 'erase' his existence. This was power only he, as The Path itself, possessed...Though he no longer had a body to speak from, Vahn's voice seemed to echo through the nebulous 'cosmos' that had come into existence as a result of his [Regula Mundi], stating, "Conscience is not the result of chance. It is not born from the creation of the Universe, rather, the Universe only exists in response to the conscience desire to 'be'. So long as the possibility of existence remains, there are no limits to the ways in which it can be expressed. Eternity is merely the framework. Reality is merely the byproduct...now, 'Awaken'."One of the most powerful forms of 'Magic' was 'Authority', the ability to manifest your intent, and, at times, shape reality to your expectations. So long as you had a strong enough Willpower, controlling life and fate itself wasn't beyond the realm of possibility. Rather, even when he began to awaken his powers back in Danmachi, Vahn had experienced this power first hand. He had been able to order those with weaker wills to simply 'vanish', turning them to dust and effectively erasing them with, not with the word itself, but with the intent contained within...Following Vahn's command, particulates seemed to gather from within the void, quickly coalescing into the shape of five naked bodies. This hadn't exactly been his intention, so, immediately after they were given form, Vahn found himself stating, "There is no shame in the form of existence. It is in the pursuit of individuality that we seek to hide, concealing the beauty of creation behind facades, both real and abstract. Free will is the burden placed upon sapient life, laying the foundation of all paths, past, present, and future. To protect that which you hold dear, the right to 'Conceal' has been given."Before any of the Heroes could even begin to understand what was happening, their bodies became shrouded in garments that appeared to be woven from the fabric of the Cosmos. The only exception to this was Kintoko, who, perhaps as a result of his 'confidence', remained almost completely naked. The only thing covered were his eyes, concealed behind sunglasses that were formed from the same material as everyone else's clothes.As they had manifested next to each other, Raikou seemed to lose interest in their peculiar situation, staring at Kintoki with an appraising look before smiling as she said, "Kintoki-kun...it seems we need to have a long discussion once we return..."Even before Raikou had finished her words, clothes manifested to cover Kintoki's body. At the same time, he rubbed the back of his head, saying in an awkward tone, "Don't blame me for this, Ma. Even I know better than to walk around completely naked..."Seeing the interaction between the two, everyone else was in a slight stupor, unable to understand the situation they were in. They seemed to be floating in outer space, but, despite an apparent lack of atmosphere, they were able to breathe with relative ease. Chang'e and Hou Yi even felt like they had returned to the Heavenly Jade Realm. There was such an extreme amount of Heavenly Energy, also known as Divine Energy, that their Divinity seemed to be gradually increasing in purity.As if sensing their thoughts, a majestic voice that seemed to emanate from 'everywhere' stated, "The various Heavens are Realms given shape by the Intention of powerful beings. This is not Heaven. It is a Realm of Possibility, a blank slate by which Infinite Potentials can be realized. Here, the influence of the Laws has no meaning. Even Space, Time, and Fate did not exist before they were observed. Here, Expectation and Intent reign supreme, fueled by Willpower and empowered by the Soul..."Following his explanation, Vahn willed himself into existence, further stunning everyone present by appearing as a being that dwarfed even planets. His skin no longer possessed the nebulous quality from before. Instead, his upper body was left bare, gentle golden light radiating a calm and peaceful aura that seemed to stretch outward without limit. As for his lower body, it was veiled by the fabric of Space, sewn together by runic constellations and patterned with distant Nebulas. Atop his head, a nine-pointed symbol formed of golden light appeared like a halo, while, behind his back, a dharmic wheel, formed from pale-gold and covered in countless runes, appeared to slowly revolve.Seeing Vahn's appearance, even Shirou couldn't shake the feeling he was standing before an all-powerful God. There was a greater disparity between the current Vahn and all of them combined than the disparity that would exist between a normal human and a single ant. The human would be able to kill the ant with ease, but, depending on the circumstances, the ant could still sting or bite before its death. Even if they combined all of their powers, however, they would be unable to cause even a small amount of damage to the current Vahn, as, despite appearing right before them, they would need to travel more than five-hundred-thousand kilometers just to reach him...While everyone was still stunned, Vahn explained, "This entire space exists within me. What you see before you is nothing more than an Avatar, a physical manifestation of my Will. All things, including Time and Space, are relative. In truth, I can only maintain this ability for three seconds in reality. Yet, due to the relative nature of all things, an eternity could pass within this place before my energy runs out. If I so desired, it would be possible to seal you within this place for Eternity. Unfortunately, that would require that I stay within, as, much like reality itself, it must be observed to maintain its form..."Hearing Vahn's explanation, Hou Yi decided to speak out, asking in a hesitant tone, "Is this place truly another Universe? Have you reached the level of the Primordial Creation...?"As deception was 'meaningless' in this state, Vahn shook his head in response to Hou Yi's question, answering, "Not yet." in a decisive tone.Though it wasn't wrong to say he was capable of creating a nascent Universe, his understanding of the Laws was severely lacking. He would not be able to create life from scratch, and, unless he closely observed those within, they could cease to exist at any given moment. To make matters even worse, there was a chance that any reasonably powerful entity sealed within would simply be able to escape, endangering the entire 'Universe' by targetting his body back in the 'real' world.Ultimately, unless he could reach Tier 5, Vahn was limited to 'emulating' their capabilities. Actual Tier 5s were able to maintain their Realms without any actual effort. Rather, it was a natural part of their existence, and, while it was possible for others to influence the form of their Realm, destroying it was virtually impossible. As for his, it was closer in form and function to a Reality Marble, albeit infinitely more powerful...Rather than feel any kind of 'relief' at the fact that Vahn wasn't yet at the level of Primordial Creation, Hou Yi was shaken by the confidence contained in his voice when stating 'Not yet'. Vahn seemed to possess no doubts that he would eventually reach that point, and, after witnessing this incident, both Hou Yi and Chang'e believed this was the case. This meant, at some point in the future, Vahn would even exceed the Jade Emperor and reach the level of 'Tao', rivaling the Three Pure Ones to become a manifestation of the myriad paths in which people take in life.As he was aware of all things within his domain, Vahn could sense Hou Yi's thoughts, finding them to be rather interesting. After all, he was, quite literally, The Path. His existence already transcended the Three Pure Ones mentioned in Taoist Philosophy and Mythos. Once his Soul Tier advanced, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he could become the Creator of his own Universe. By the time he neared the peak of Tier 5, even creating a Multiversal System wasn't beyond the realm of possibility.Comforted by the thought he was slowly beginning to comprehend the path he was walking, Vahn adopted a smile as he said, "Trying to comprehend the nature of my being would require being near the same level. I am not bound by the pinnacles in which you can imagine, as, much like this space itself, I represent infinite possibilities...not just for myself, but for all things. There are no limitations, only the restrictions placed upon us by Fate, Karma, and ourselves..."Toward the end of his words, Vahn manifested a small star in his hand, smiling 'benevolently' as he sent it hurling toward the unsuspecting group. This caused them to panic quite a bit, but, with the exception of Chang'e and Hou Yi, the others weren't able to freely move in an environment without gravity. As a result, the [Elemental Star], traveling nearly a third the speed of light, enveloped Raikou, Kintoki, and Shirou. Then, before Chang'e and Hou Yi could retreat to a safe distance, the star began to expand, growing from 30,000km to nearly 3,000,000km in diameter in an instant, enveloping them before they could even embrace each other one final time...Though it wouldn't have been impossible for them to resist, only Innate abilities and those that had been cultivated through a concerted effort could be used within Vahn's [Regula Mundi]. Things such as Divinity had no effect as, within the nascent Universe, the Laws themselves had yet to be defined. The majority of Gods couldn't even use their Divinity beyond the boundaries of the Global Bounded Field, so, here, in a place where Gaia and Alaya simply didn't exist, they would have to rely on their own powers, not those granted to them.Content with the results of his 'experiment', Vahn gave a curt nod, internally stating, ("It seems even power and authority are a matter of perspective...at this rate, my plans will be complete long before Akasha and her Superiors begin to suspect anything...")In response to his musing, Sis gave an amused chuckle before adopting a slightly serious voice and stating, (*You still need to be careful. They may be none-the-wiser within the Virtual World, but, who knows what will happen if you attempt to meddle with reality? There are several Tier 5 entities that are bound to Gaia. You need to earn her cooperation if you want to avoid any future troubles.*)As his thoughts coincided with Sis', Vahn was well aware of what he had to do in order to ensure his plan was a success. Fortunately, the wish he had made nearly two-months prior had set the stage, so, after taking care of a few loose strings, he was ready to carry out his plan. The most important part was increasing his own power, but, with the assistance of Artoria and the rest, he had a functionally infinite amount of time to cover that particular issue.With his thoughts organized, Vahn's smile began to slowly fade away as he looked around at the nascent universe is had created. It was vast and infinite in scope, but, while it was possible to find a myriad and planets and stars, it was completely barren of life. Since he could sense 'everything', it was a rather disheartening realization that allowed him to understand why Gods were so eager to create life.Shaking his head, Vahn cleared away any sentiments he had for his creation, his golden irises taking on a pitch-black, abyssal, coloration as he extended his arms and declared, "Interim Mundi...Return to Oblivion..."The moment Vahn's 'words' fell, it was almost like an analog television had been shut off, causing all of reality to simply 'blink' out of existence. The only thing that remained was a single, infinitesimally small, point of light, but, without anything there to observe its existence, it, too, slowly faded from existence...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Is this Heaven's Will...!?','The biggest of bois...','All things originate from and return to Oblivion...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

As the flow of time between his internalized Universe and 'reality' were completely separate from each other, not even a single second had passed since Vahn forcibly pulled everyone inside. Even the light he had produced had yet to fade, and, though it quickly collapsed, his Void Emperor form was still active.Due to the Mental and Spiritual strain they had experienced, each member of the Heroes Faction was brought to their knees. As for the Xiantian Elders, they had completely lost consciousness, their Willpower to weak to even manifest within the [Regula Mundi]. Though they would eventually make a full recovery, the weakest among them would probably spend the next few days in a coma.Fortunately, despite feeling like his 'everything' was going to break apart, Vahn was able to remain standing. This might have been his first time forcibly pulling others inside, but it wasn't the first time he had activated [Regula Mundi]. It had been his main focus over the last few years, and, in the hope of mastering it, he even restricted the development of his Creation, Time, and Space Divinities.Though it would allow him to complete one of his Zenith Quests, affording him a ridiculous amount of OP and plentiful rewards, Vahn had learned the importance of patience. There were still numerous Optional Objectives as part of the Quest, but, more importantly, he had no intention of 'borrowing' a Divinity from the Root System. His current Divinity was intrinsically tied to the planet, so, while it still functioned properly within the Moon Cell, the omniscience and power it provided were useless when he ventured further outward.Like other Gods, Vahn 'borrowed' the Divine Authority that had been granted to him. Though it was still his power, it would be taken away the moment he exited the Nasuverse. There was no actual way to prevent this, but, if he could comprehend a 'higher-tiered' Divinity, one linked directly to Sol, or, ideally, the Root System itself, the amount of insight he would gain was incomparable. After all, there was a big difference between obtaining omniscience tied to a planet and omniscience tied to a solar system. If he could achieve the later, there was a very real chance he could create a solar system of his own, preventing some of the problems he was bound to face in the not-so-distant future...Content with how things had gone, Vahn couldn't help but smile as he spread revitalizing energy through his domain. At the same time, he deactivated the [Virtual Reality Marble], find his body had become a pincushion for various shadowy kunai and shuriken. This nearly caused him to burst out laughing, especially when he saw the 'realization' in Danzō's eyes. She immediately tried to create a distance from him, but, due to having been in the middle of an attack, Vahn was able to reach out, grabbing her wrist as he mused, "I was wondering where you were..."Since Danzō hadn't appeared within [Regula Mundi], Vahn was able to indirectly discover one of the few weaknesses of the [Virtual Reality Marble]. It might be able to create a near-perfect projection of reality, but, if the target existed in an intangible Spiritual form, it seemed they were unaffected by its activation. As a result, Danzō had been free to attempt his assassination, taking advantage of the fact his body was largely defenseless while he, and everyone else, had their conscience pulled inside.Without saying anything, Danzō activated a mechanism in her forearm, discarding the hand that had been grasped by Vahn. Then, from her forearm itself, flames nearing 4,000 degrees Celsius shot out, encompassing much of Vahn's upper body and allowing her to create some distance between them. Unfortunately, despite performing several acrobatic maneuvers, Danzō felt her body gripped by an oppressive force the moment she came to a stop, almost as if an invisible hand and enveloped her entire body beneath the neck.When the flames and smoke faded away, Vahn could be seen with his hand outstretched, a wry smile on his face. He was using the unnamed spell, Mage Hand, a spell Eva had taught him prior to the far more advanced Telekinesis. It was an Apprentice-Level spell, but, in the hands of a Magister, it could be extremely effective in sealing an opponent's movement. Since Danzō only had D-Rank Endurance and Strength, combined with an inherent weakness to Magic, there was little more she could do than spit a black needle that had been concealed within her mouth.Catching the needled between his fore and middle fingers, Vahn lightly chuckled before stating, "You are one of the most determined members of the Heroes Faction. The battle is already over, however, so you can stop attacking."Hearing Vahn's words, Danzō immediately ceased trying to resist, her rigid body becoming similar to a marionette that had its strings cut. The reason for this was, unlike many of the other Heroic Spirits that had been summoned to aid the Heroes Faction, Danzō was still under his command. He had a limited number of [Seal of Binding] at his disposal, so, while it was possible to obtain more through the updated System Shop, it was easier to simply summon Heroic Spirits that would dutifully follow orders. This was also why he couldn't easily abandon the thought of analyzing Danzō's body, as, if he really wanted to, she would allow him to do so without any real resistance...Discarding idle thoughts, Vahn turned his attention to Hou Yi and Chang'e, his expression turning slightly apologetic once he saw the trepidation visible in their eyes. They had been given a glimpse at his true power, so, even if he made an earnest effort to remain their friend, there would always be a small amount of fear present in the back of their minds. After all, to them, he was an existence that was already on the level of the Jade Emperor, a being that they simply couldn't afford to offend.Seeing the look on Vahn's face, Hou Yi returned an apologetic one of his own as he helped support Chang'e. The latter had a similar expression, but, due to her kind nature, she was able to manage a smile as she said, "I shall carve this day into my heart. To bear witness Your Imperial Majesty's power with my own eyes...this little one lacks the words to properly express her gratitude..."Despite being unable to stand on her own, Chang'e attempted a polite bow, but, before she could do so, a gentle force pushed against her, preventing her unnecessary actions. At the same time, Vahn stated in a soft yet firm tone, "I appreciate the sentiment, but such formalities are unnecessary. While it may prove difficult, I would rather things remain the same as before. It would sadden me if the two of you were to suddenly act like strangers."Hearing Vahn's words, Chang'e nodded her head in understanding before honestly admitting, "It will take some time..." while lowering her head politely. This action was mimicked by Hou Yi, but, by the time he raised his face, much of the previous discomfort had vanished. After all, he and his wife both owed Vahn an unpayable debt, so, while it would be difficult to behave normally around him, it was an effort they were more than willing to make...Seeing Hou Yi's expression, Vahn felt some of his tensions fade away, replaced by a feeling of relief as he turned his attention towards the others. Raikou and Kintoki didn't seem all that affected by the experience, but, perhaps due to their 'enmity' with each other, Shirou had a distant look in his eyes. He was the closest thing to an actual human within the Heroes Faction, and, considering how recent his 'legend' was, it wasn't all that surprising for him to be at a loss after experiencing something far beyond mortal comprehension.Under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn't particularly care about Shirou's mentality, but, fearing the man might genuinely break, he went out of his way to ask, "Is this the limit you have decided for yourself?"Hearing Vahn's question, a bit of light returned to Shirou's eyes as he furrowed his brows and asked, "What are you talking about?"Without losing his patience, Vahn gave a small nod before answering, "The words I spoke were not an arbitrary declaration. So long as you endeavor to seek greater understanding, there are no limits to a person's growth. Even those elderly men above have the resolution to seek immortality, despite being 'normal humans'. If you convince yourself there is no hope, that becomes your reality. Time is always moving forward, Shirou Emiya...it will not wait for you..."Shirou was taken aback by Vahn's words, but, before he could say anything, the latter already turned his attention away, seemingly to emphasize a point. This caused Shirou to feel bitter, and, for a brief moment, he was tempted to lash out against Vahn's 'arrogance'. From Shirou's perspective, he was a man who had been given everything from the start. His power also increased at an exponential rate, making a mockery of the effort others put in...In the end, the only thing that kept Shirou from lashing out was the fact he was well acquainted with the 'unfairness' of the world. His original self had spent decades fighting against this unfairness, but, in the end, it was his own 'unfair' power that had allowed him to do so. He had even borrowed the power and influence of others to act with impunity, causing trouble for the people he should have cared about the most. As a result, he ended up losing everything, even the life he had dedicated to the salvation of others.Remembering the hostility displayed by Artori, Rin, Illya, and even Luvia, Shirou couldn't help but release a tired sigh. They had accused him of being selfish and egotistical, and, after mulling over the facts, he had to agree with them. He had always done whatever he thought was 'best', often ignoring the advice of people that only had his concerns in mind. This had always been the case, even during the Holy Grail War, where, even after losing his life and being saved by Rin, he continually did things at his own pace, forcing others into difficult positions...While Shirou was having an existential crisis, Vahn was helping everyone else recover using various alchemical concoctions that had been produced by Paracelsus. Many of these used [Avalon Apple]s as an ingredient, so, rather than the bitter taste of medicine, they were mildly sweet and refreshingly tart.Once everyone had recovered enough to move around without any issues, Vahn gestured toward the fallen Xiantian Elders before saying, "It will probably cause you some hassle, but I'm going to destroy the array around the Forbidden City. I'll also be sending Kenshin to conduct an audit of the various settlements that have been popping up as of late. I don't care what reasoning they use, they do not have the right to arbitrarily siphon the mana of others. Even in the information that has been provided to the public, there are plenty of less destructive arrays present. I'll give them two weeks to replace the arrays that currently exist. Future offenses will require punitive measures to be taken..."As he had already warned the Xiantian Elders of the possibility, Hou Yi gave an understanding nod as he said, "The Heroes Faction will take care of it. After today, I can't imagine any of the major families in China opposing your decree. They are a prideful bunch, but, more than anything else, they seek to preserve the lives of themselves and their families. You were able to easily destroy an array that was supposed to be capable of restraining even Gods. Even if that wasn't entirely true, it was something they believed to be true. Now, for fear of losing the power they had consolidated over generations, I imagine they will do everything in their power to appease you."Vahn was well aware of everything Hou Yi was saying, but, as it really didn't matter all that much, he gave a dismissive shrug before saying, "I'll entrust the matter to you. It was never my intention to try and rule the world so I have little interest in such politics."After witnessing Vahn's power, Hou Yi wasn't even remotely surprised by the former's words. Though he had always said something similar, there was a big difference between the platitudes spewed by a simple God and a Primordial Deity. Vahn would be unable to increase his strength so drastically if he didn't fully believe in the things he said and did, so, compared to before, his words carried infinitely more weight. Rather, it was pure egotism for humans to believe Vahn regarded them highly enough to even want to rule them...As this thought crossed his mind, Hou Yi couldn't help but look at the unassuming and cordial man before him. At a glance, he didn't really seem like an Emperor, much less a God. Instead, he seemed like an idealistic young man who simply wanted to live peacefully. Despite this, he was an entity that transcended everything, a being without any limits to its growth. This was, honestly, a little terrifying, but, knowing the next Primordial Deity was a kind-hearted man, Hou Yi couldn't help but feel a small amount of relief...the Heavens knew how tyrannical some Gods could be...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Patience is a virtue','Danzō is very determined xD...','Vahn be like, "Rule the world? I'd rather just mofu mofu and go on a picnic..." *realization hits him* "Actually, I think I'll do both. Clean this up for me, will ya?"')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With Raikou, Kintoki, Chang'e, Shirou, and Hou Yi present, the Heroes Faction was only missing one contender. Traditionally, this would be Musashi, but, due to the nature of her 'nothingness', it was all but impossible to detect her before she appeared.Fortunately, while Musashi might be undetectable through normal means, Vahn had seen her appear within the Flow of Fate. He wasn't exactly sure when she would arrive, but, even if someone else was to take her place during the event, he was confident she would make an appearance near the end...In an effort to 'trigger' the event, Vahn turned his attention from the new arrivals, directing his gaze to Hou Yi as he asked, "Where is your final contender? We have already decided to wrap things up quickly, so it would be in all of our best interests to proceed to the main event."Though Vahn's words sounded overbearing, none present doubted the fact he could back up his bravado with results. Thus, rather than show any offense, Hou Yi nodded in understanding, saying, "Had things gone as intended, Lady Musashi would have appeared towards the end, fighting Your Imperial Majesty in your weakened state. We cannot truly fathom Your Imperial Majesty's power, so, as remiss as I am to say, we must rely on underhanded means just to balance the playing field..."Towards the end of his words, Hou Yi offered an apologetic bow, holding the position for several seconds before raising his head and adding, "In lieu of recent developments, I fear we must rely on another to take her place. As for who...I'm certain Your Imperial Majesty has already foreseen it..."As he had, indeed, been taking a peek into the near-future, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation to Hou Yi's claim. There was only one other Heroic Spirit present, and, though she was nowhere to be seen, Vahn knew Danzō was lingering within the void. She might be an Artificial Human but, due to her nature as a Heroic Spirit, she could freely transition between her Spiritual and Physical forms. As a result, she could freely conceal herself within the void, taking advantage of her A-Rank [Presence Concealment] to evade his senses.Deciding it would be more interesting to allow her to surprise him, Vahn stopped sneaking peeks at the future, smiling as he asked, "Shall we begin?"Without waiting for a response, Vahn activated the [Virtual Reality Marble], creating a projection that perfectly matched even the location of rubble within the real world. If you were to venture above the surface, you would even find the Forbidden City, replicated down the most minute details. You would have to travel nearly 100km from the center of the [Virtual Reality Marble] to find any discrepancies. Beyond that point, the world became a vast and empty wasteland. Eventually, it even became a white plane, extending outward for approximately three light-years before the orb was no longer able to properly 'render' the virtual space.As there were no other major preparations necessary, Vahn raised his hand towards the ceiling, a mass of swirling energy appearing in his palm as he said, "Let's open things up. It's a little stuffy in here."Immediately following Vahn's words, black light could be seen spreading within the mass of energy in his hand, an indicator that a singularity had been formed. This caused Hou Yi to draw his bow, but, despite releasing an arrow that seemed to 'teleport' through the void, it wasn't enough to deter the destructive energy gathered within Vahn's palm.Using the forearm of his left hand in a vain attempt to deflect Hou Yi's arrow, Vahn grimaced slightly before saying, "It's too late. Witness the power we have been cultivating since our ascension. Since it seems you called me here to demonstrate my power, it would be rude of us to hold back!"Ignoring the fact he was quickly turning into a pincushion, Vahn condensed the Space around him to prevent others from attacking as he shouted, "Fixate! Seize! Load magic, 'Void Emperor'!"Following Vahn's echoing shout, a vibrant white light seemed to cut through everything, temporarily blinding anyone looking directly at him. Then, accompanied by what sounded like a distant vibration, one which caused people's instincts to scream in protest, the light seemed to rapidly 'retract', rather than fade away. By the time visibility had returned, the eerie vibration had increased exponentially in intensity, to the point of resonating within the hearts and minds of everyone bearing witness to the maddening event before them...Where Vahn had previously stood, an amorphous blob of what appeared to be 'pure void' could be seen attempting to form a human shape. It seemed to be struggling greatly to accomplish this, but, despite the rather awkward movements, it caused catastrophic damage to the surrounding Space. It was like a living spatial tear, representing a gravitational singularity that, against common sense, was slowly gaining physical form...Despite the cracks spreading through the area, causing reddish-black lightning to tear through the surrounding arena, Hou Yi leaped high into the sky, shouting, "We must stop him before he finishes his transformation! That is not a power that should exist in this world...!"Immediately after shouting, Hou Hi began to charge a phenomenal amount of energy into a single arrow, his muscles straining with enough force to spontaneously 'annihilate' his tunic. This left his muscular body exposed, allowing those with enhanced perception to see a dragon pattern lighting up across his body. It quickly coiled around his torso before making its way along his left arm and flowing into the ornate wooden bow, causing vibrant golden light to spread across its surface as the drawn arrow began to distort the already chaotic Space.While Hou Yi was preparing his Noble Phantasm, the other members of the Heroes Faction hadn't been sitting idle. Shirou had attempted to overwrite the surrounding Space by releasing his Reality Marble, but, before he could even finish his incantation, blood spurted from his arms, the result of his muscles rupturing due to a backlash. Fortunately, Chang'e was there to heal him, mending his wounds while Kintoki used his physical body to try and shield them.Entrusting Shirou to Chang'e and Kintoki, Raikou had followed the example of Hou Yi, leaping into the air. Instead of charging her attack from a distance, however, she propelled herself directly toward the expanding singularity, a fearless look reflected in her dark-purple eyes as she incanted, "A strong foe stands before us. Come forth, Divine Messenger of the Ox-Head King. Become a manifestation of my memories, the echo of my beloved allies. Together, we will strike at the heart of our fated enemy, purging sin from this world! Ox-King Storm Call - The Inescapable Net of Heaven! Burn my foe until not even ashes remain...!"Though her incantation contained several verses, Raikou was able to complete it before she neared the spatial anomaly that had appeared. In response to her call, vibrant purple lighting tore through the area, culminating into four identical copies of Raikou, the only exception being their individual weapons. Each wielded a weapon representative of the Four Heavenly Kings, being a naginata, bow, ax, and zanmato, respectively...While her doppelgangers unleashed powerful attacks against the anomalous blob, Raikou began to build up even more purple lightning, this time infusing it directly into her katana. The blade turned a vibrant purple that was hard to look at, its force strong enough to rupture Space and Time as she unleashed it towards the mass presumed to be Vahn. As a result, a veritable 'pillar' of anti-demonic purple lightning, more than ten meters in diameter, smashed into the nebulous void, forcing it to lose its form but ultimately proving ineffective at destroying it.Though it might have seemed like her attack simply wasn't strong enough, Raikou had felt more than ninety percent of its power 'siphoned' away in an instant. This was even more troublesome, as, from what they had gathered, Vahn should be relatively weak against elements such as Lightning. If even her Ox-King Storm Call was unable to affect him, despite being able to seal away entities such as Shuten and Ibaraki with ease, they were in for a tough battle...Just as this thought crossed her mind, Raikou felt her body forcibly pulled away back, two muscular arms hugging her body mere moments before she was sucked into the rapidly growing gravitational well. When she turned her head, she saw Kintoki with an awkward smile on his face, his sunglasses no longer present as they had been sucked in by the expanding gravity. This allowed Raikou to see the concern in his eyes, causing her heart to melt as they were both pulled to safety by a tether that had been produced by Shirou.With Raikou cleared from the blast area, Hou Yi wasted no time in finishing his own incantation, his voice sounding unnaturally calm as he stated, "Vestige of Divine Authority. Remnants of the God of Archery. Strike down those whose pride has victimized the innocent. I offer all that I am in the name of peace. Behold the arrow that darkened the Eight Blessed Suns. Solar Devastation...!"During Hou Yi's chant, a phenomenal amount of energy had torn through the surroundings, ripping apart much of the arena and obliterating it. If not for Chang'e's Jade Rabbit protecting the Xiantian Elders, they would have been destroyed by the ambient energy. Fortunately, their lives were briefly extended, allowing them to witness one of their greatest Ancestors perform a feat immortalized in legend...Without paying any attention to his surroundings, Hou Yi became one, not with his bow, but the arrow he had fired. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, his perception of his surroundings fading to the point only he and Vahn existed. He could feel himself tear through the condensed Space as if it was a thin vapor, the tumultuous energy having no effect on him as he approached a state infinitely close to enlightenment...After what felt like an inordinately long period of time, Hou Yi felt 'himself' pierce into the nebulous void, his perception nearly being snuffed out in the process. Before this could happen, however, he felt his mind expand, extending far beyond Vahn and the Forbidden City. For a brief moment, it felt like he had become one with the Universe itself, but, just as quickly as it came, this sensation faded into obscurity, replaced by what appeared to be a Sun, albeit only 30m in diameter.As stars weren't exactly things that could be stared at, nearly everyone present was forced to either avert their eyes or shield them. It wasn't until the nascent star began to shift into an iridescent black that they were finally able to see a phenomenon similar to a solar eclipse. It was pitch black in the center, but, along the periphery, vibrant white light could be seen cascading in wisps. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the star simply 'collapsed', shrinking to the size of a marble before blinking out of existence in an instant...Though they weren't foolish enough to believe Vahn was dead, as his 'real' body was still outside of the [Virtual Reality Marble], nearly everyone present was surprised to see his nebulous form vanish. It was completely beyond their expectations, Vahn's 'confidence' still fresh on their minds. Though he had a propensity for showing off, he almost always had the means to back it up, often in ways they couldn't even comprehend prior to witnessing them...As if to meet this expectation, an impossibly small black 'dot' appeared in the area where Vahn had been standing previously. By the time anyone even noticed it was there, a ghostly voice could be heard echoing through the surroundings, sounding slightly amused as it said, "The Void is eternal. It cannot be destroyed. Even when the Universes fades to nothingness, the Void will remain, patiently awaiting the formation of a new Universe and the endless possibilities represented within. Witness one of the few absolute truths..."Following the soul-shaking voice, the tiny black 'dot' quickly expanded, growing to the size of an adult male. Though it lacked the fine details, such as individual fingers, toes, and facial features, everyone present knew the anomalous figure was Vahn. Instead of being pitch-black, however, he now appeared to be formed from the fabric of the Universe itself, swirling galaxies and countless stars visible 'within' his body.Witnessing the scene, even the members of the Heroes Faction were stunned to silence. Even Hou Yi and Chang'e felt like they were gazing into Eternity itself, a vast and unfathomable power that simply transcended everything else. They couldn't even sense Vahn, only an existential dread that promised absolute destruction if they attempted to oppose it. After all, even if you were a True Immortal, able to survive for billions of years without expiration, you would still expire an infinite number of years before Eternity came to pass...Without speaking further, Vahn extended his 'hands' outward, breaking those with stronger wills free from their stupor. Ultimately, it didn't matter what they tried to do, however, as, from the perspective of Vahn, they had stopped moving completely. You would need to be Tier 5, able to exist outside the Time Axis, to have any hope of confronting his current form. Thus, before lightning could even begin to flicker across Raikou's body, light capable of causing existential dread began to emerge from the center of his being as he muttered, "Regula Mundi...Birth of the Universe..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn low-key wanting to spend time with Musashi...','What kind of boss fight starts at the final phase!?','O____________________O')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1486: Intent