Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After idling in the air for several minutes without any new gates forming, confirming his suspicion that Karin effectively acted as a waypoint for whatever entity was observing her, Vahn gradually eased out of his Cherubic-Dragon transformation. It was a very powerful form, but, perhaps as a result of using Karin's body as a template, he actually needed to focus just to prevent his body from transforming into that of a female.Vahn didn't particularly mind transforming into a woman for short periods of time, but, as his self-image was that of a reliable father, an emperor, and a man, he always felt uncomfortable in a woman's body. It also reminded him of the time he was essentially pushed down by Tiona, the experiments he conducted with Da Vinci, and, most notably, the thirteen-weeks he spent trying to familiarize himself with Yin Elemental Energy.For one reason or another, likely pertaining to the Laws, everything from natural affinity, race, and gender determined the efficacy of certain types of energy. Men were naturally better and shaping and controlling Yang Elemental Energy, and, though they were able to eventually master it, women had a far easier time mastering Yin Elemental Energy. There were various ways around this, but, in the end, it was always better to work alongside the Laws rather than work against them. Thus, in an effort to familiarize himself with various Laws, Vahn had changed his form from everything to a tiny pixie to a hill-sized dragon.With Karin's body as a template, it was only a matter of time until Vahn incorporated the unique structure of a Cherubim into a vessel that perfectly suited his personal use. This was nothing new, however, as, even as far back as the Record of Danmachi, Vahn had been experimenting with the form and function of his own body. He had originally used Riveria as a template to emulate a High Elf, and, though it was awkward in the beginning, he had even found a way to change his form into that of a male Amazoness. There were very few limits to his ability to manipulate his form, the only real restrictions being his inhibitions and his understanding of the race he was trying to emulate.---After assuming a far more comfortable form, Vahn decided to sit atop the island's estate as he waited for some kind of response from Heaven. He didn't actually know to what extent they were able to influence the physical plane, but, considering there were entities like Demon Gods, Vampire Nobles, and various other malicious creatures acting with impunity, he doubted their influence was able to reach beyond their established territories. They likely used Karin's body as a beacon of sorts, so, now that she was no longer in the Magical World, there was a chance they had lost the ability to directly influence Mundus Magicus.With more than an hour passing without incident, Vahn felt like his speculation hit the proverbial nail on the head. This was actually a little disappointing, but, as he had already decided to depart the Akamatsuverse, he didn't let it bother him. Instead, he pulled out two tarot-like cards from his Inventory, each showing distinctly different women with diverse shades of golden hair.Staring at the first card, a wry smile spread across Vahn's face as it depicted Theo in a rather risque outfit with several muscular arms hovering around what appeared to be a dharmic wheel. She had a massive grin on her face, and, though it was just a card, Vahn felt like he could feel her enthusiasm and her desire for battle radiating from the image. As for the latter card, it showed an inordinately beautiful woman with long golden hair reaching the small of her back, her expression appearing a little cold at first, but, if you looked closely, an undisguised warmth was visible within in her peculiar heterochromatic eyes...After staring into Arika's gem-like eyes for several seconds, Vahn brought her card to his forehead, closing his eyes as he attempted to established a telepathic link. It took her less than three seconds to accept his 'call', her voice sounding equal parts excited, confused, and worried as she asked, ("Is there something wrong? I never expected you to contact me during the day...")Though Vahn could simply teleport to the Empire and meet with both of the girls, doing so would be a greater hassle than summoning to his side with the Pactio. Before that, however, he wanted to give them a heads up, so, in response to Arika's question, he plainly stated, ("There is something I needed to discuss with both you and Theo in person. A few things have changed in the past couple of days. How quickly can you make preparations so I can teleport you-")Without affording him the time to finish his telepathic message, Arika answered, ("We can be ready in three minutes.") in a curt tone. This caught Vahn a little off-guard, but, considering who he was speaking to, it wasn't too surprising that she would immediately make time for him. This brought a natural smile to his face, and, after sending her an affirmative, he quickly teleported to the Palace of the Sun in order to include Anarchia and Vesperina in the discussion...---Immediately after her telepathic conversation with Vahn, Arika turned toward the bronze-skinned woman curled up at her side. Then, after several seconds of staring at the line of drool leaking from the woman's mouth, she raised her hand to give the scantily-clad woman a rather firm smack on her largely exposed rear-end. Rather than cry out in confusion, however, the woman immediately closed her mouth, a sonorous moan escaping her throat as she lazily opened her eyes.Resisting the urge to sigh in exasperation, Arika decided to get directly to the point, stating, "Vahn has called for us. It seems to be an urgent matter so you should prepare yourself accordingly."Hearing her kindred sister's words, Theo immediately sat up on the bed, her developing breasts bouncing spiritedly for a brief moment as she exclaimed, "Yosh! I hope those bastards hiding in the shadows have finally poked their heads out! I'm itching for a fight...!"As they had just finished training less than an hour ago, Arika couldn't help but roll her eyes ever so slightly as she explained, "If it was the enemy, Vahn would have come directly to us. It seems like he has something important to discuss so we will likely emerge within the Palace of the Sun. Though I have already told them about you...I would rather you avoid wearing anything inappropriate before my mother and aunt. It's not that I'm against your choice in garb, but, for a variety of reasons, it is best you adorn something more formal..."Imagining her mother walking around the palace in a skimpy dress or a modified wedding gown, a notable shiver passed through Arika's body. She knew her mother's character well, and, though she was a nigh-flawless Queen when it came to the execution of her duties, her insatiable curiosity and her penchant for trying new things had become increasingly problematic. The presence of Vahn had only exacerbated this, and, if not for Asuna and herself, Arika was certain that her mother would not have held back at all during her treatment.Remembering all of the 'advice' her mother had given her, Arika was unable to prevent a sigh from escaping her lips as she began to fix her hair and clothes. Fortunately, they were currently within a sub-space created by Qinglong, so, while she had told Vahn they would be ready in three minutes, they actually had closer to thirty before he summoned them. This gave her plenty of time to fix her appearance, a habit she had put increasingly more effort into even before her feelings for Vahn had fully blossomed...---With three minutes having elapsed, Vahn smiled at the two pajama-clad women seated across from him as he said, "I'll be summoning Arika and Theo now. I can also summon Asuna, but, for the sake of convenience, I might just take everyone to where she is located..."Without asking any questions, Anarchia and Vesperina just nodded in understanding before taking simultaneous sips of the hot cocoa he had prepared for them. This caused the smile on Vahn's face to twitch slightly, but, without commenting on their easy-going attitudes, he held up the two Pactio cards and exclaimed, "I Summon Forth, Attendants of Vahn, Arika Anarchia Entheofushia and Theodora Bashireia Herasu De Vesuperisujimia...!!"Following the incantation, two complex magical circles appeared on the ground as Anarchia, with a teasing smile on her face, mused, "Hear that, Vesperina? It seems my daughter, the future Queen of Vespertatia, has become the Sage Dragon Emperor's attendant. How scandalous~."Hearing the remark and subsequent laughter, Vahn's smile became even more strained, but, seeing Arika and Theo appear, he was able to recover almost instantaneously. His expression softened into an affectionate smile, but, before he was able to utter so much a single syllable, the latter of the two zeroed in on him, her eyes turning into predatory slits for as she pounced on him with the force of a freight train.Fortunately, Vahn was already accustomed to Theo's antics, so, before she was able to send them crashing through the palace walls, he created a spatial lock just to arrest her momentum. Then, with a mix of amusement and affection appearing on his face, he wrapped his arms around the excitable woman, the middle and ring fingers of his right hand pressing into the nerves above the base of her tail as he mused in a slightly commanding tone, "Behave yourself..."The moment she heard Vahn's words, all the power seemed to drain from Theo's body in an instant as she slumped against him. The only part of her that was still lively was her tail, but, due to Vahn's preemptive measures, it was only able to lightly waggle and twitch as she nestled her face into his chest, her voice hot and heavy as she mewled, "Master..."Hearing the familiar form of address, the smile on Vahn's face became more prominent as his hold on Theo's body became more firm. Before he could reward her obedience with a kiss, however, the mood was completely destroyed when Anarchia audibly muttered, "Oh my...this was not what I had in mind when the Sage Dragon Emperor requested our presence. I had originally thought we were underdressed for the occasion...now it's starting to seem like the opposite is true..."With her hearing becoming even more sensitive as of late, Theo didn't miss a single word that had escaped Anarchia's mouth. This caused her to feel more than a little embarrassed, but, even if they had tried to forcibly tear her away, she wasn't going to part from her Master so easily. Instead, she just buried her face in his chest, a thin membrane developing within her ears to block most external sounds as her olfactory receptors began to multiply, drastically increasing her sense of smell.Due to their close proximity, Vahn was even more aware of the changes occurring in Theo's body than she herself. This fascinated him greatly, but, knowing he would have plenty of time to observe her within the Little Garden, he temporarily suppressed his intrigue. Instead, he continued to hold Theo in his embrace, and, after offering an apologetic smile toward Arika, he went on to explain as many details regarding his intentions as possible. He explained it as placing the entire universe into stasis, and, after explaining his reasons for leaving and promising them he would finally be able to reveal the truth, he managed to convince, not just Arika and Theo, but Anarchia and Vesperina to accompany him...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn conducts a lot of experiments with Da Vinci (OwO)...','Anarchia never misses an opportunity~','The power of evolution combined with the Law of Progress o_o...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though it didn't quite prove his claims, Vahn followed his explanation by inviting the Arika, Theo, Anarchia, and Vesperina into the Little Garden. Then, in order to effectively halt the flow of time in the outside world, he focused his mind and descended into his Realm once again.Seeing the miniature realm filled with numerous World Trees, the four new arrivals were, needless to say, awed beyond words. They could also feel the truly phenomenal amount of energy contained within the very air, it's concentration seemingly thousands of times more potent despite causing no strain on their bodies. Theo, in particular, felt like all of her pores were opening to, quite literally, aid in her absorption of the energy; effectively creating a feeling similar to infinite power was coursing through her body like a powerful river.Just as the quartet was beginning to adapt to their new surroundings, Vahn decided to drop in and say hi. His aura, alone, was enough to make Theo doubt her power even existed, as, despite feeling as though she had suddenly become unfathomably strong, her rapidly developing instincts told her there was absolutely nothing she could do to the man before her. This notion might have terrified others, but, having already dedicated her 'everything' to her Master, Theo surprised Vahn quite a bit by spontaneously developing heart-shaped pupils as she, once again, pounced on him...---In an effort to completely erase the few remaining doubts in everyone's mind, Vahn had four of himself preparing a feast since their previous discussion. He knew how much they all enjoyed his food, so, while it was a little 'underhanded', he wanted to finalize their decision with a promise of similar meals every day. To this end, he not only made everyone's favorites, but, taking advantage of the awesome power he wielded within the Realm, Vahn condensed his literal intent into the food, not to manipulate them persay, but to ensure they understood his feelings.Though everyone had a markedly different reaction, the plan ended up going a lot smoother than Vahn expected. Eva was even brought to tears the moment she bit into the strawberry shortcake he had baked for her, memories of the past descending upon her like rain. Instead of feeling alone and scared, however, there was a warm presence that never left her side, shielding her from the rain and preventing her from taking even a single step towards the darkness just beyond her periphery.While considerably less dramatic, everyone else at the table was having a similar experience as Eva. Anarchia and Vesperina were reminded of all the mischief they had gotten up to in their childhood, but, most notably, their hearts were warmed by the mere sight of radiant smiles on their daughters' faces. As for the daughters in question, Arika's face had become beet red, illusory steam rising from her crown as she momentarily refused to make eye contact with anyone. Asuna, however, made no such attempt to hide her emotions, a radiant smile visible on her slightly flushed face as she stared at Vahn with glittering, impassioned, eyes.Following Asuna's example, Theo had a very similar expression on her face, albeit for very different reasons. Asuna was imagining a rather tame scene where she curled up in his lap, sharing the same throne with an expression that matched the one she was currently presenting. As for Theo, the first image that came to her mind was being strapped to an x-shaped table, her wrists and ankles bound as several versions of her Master licked and 'tormented' her body.Seeing Theo descend into a giggling fit, Vahn began to wonder if he had gone a little too far, but, as she was the only real outlier, he decided it wasn't that bad. Even Jinbei seemed to savor each and every bite of his meal with a reminiscent smile on his face, while, seated next to Eva, Karin took very small bites of specially prepared sweet and spicy bread. Unlike everyone else, she was basically just recalling the last few days, each more fulfilling than the previous three-hundred-years combined...In the end, the only person who didn't experience something blissful or pleasant from eating the carefully prepared meal was Fenrir. As for the reason why, it came down to the simple fact of the matter that she was always happiest in the present, seated at her Master's side with a contented smile on her face. She found the reactions of everyone else more enjoyable than the flavor of the food, as, in her mind, her Master's success was her greatest source of happiness...---With the feast inevitably coming to an end, everyone felt a little bittersweet, but, even after several hours had passed, it was possible to find most of them with a contented smile on their faces. There was something truly magical about being able to experience tender moments while enjoying some of the best-tasting food they could even imagine. Many were even able to recall memories they had once forgotten, so, despite feeling a little empty inside, it was a pleasant melancholy that reminded them of their childhoods and simpler times. Jinbei, in particular, just found a nice place to lay down at the edge of the island, a relaxed smile visible on his face as he decided to nap for a few months...Without paying any particular mind to the whimsy of the self-proclaimed Vagrant Hermit, Vahn had gathered everyone together in the dojo to discuss their actions going forward. He had already used the vessel he kept nearby to recover, not just the Garden of Avalon, but the entirety of Demios. This was bound to cause quite a stir within the astrological community, but, considering few people had even seen Deimos due to its small size, it wouldn't really be missed.With the Garden of Avalon secured, the only loose ends remaining in the Akamatsuverse were the people those present were insistent on bringing along. He had explained to them that it could take several thousand years before they are able to return to their world, so, while time would certainly be stopped, it would ease the burden of separation to have people they cared about to come along for the ride.Surprisingly, Eva seemed to have abandoned the idea of bringing along the immortal children she had previously wanted to help. She was a pretty rational person, so, knowing time would be halted while she was away, she ultimately decided to save them in the far future. By then, she would have more than enough power to defeat her foes, and, though she didn't vocalize her thoughts, she was still feeling a little guilty about being selfish while Vahn was still desperately seeking the strength to return home.Since it took a lot of effort to look after other people, Eva came to the conclusion it would be better for her to adapt to the current situation rather than making it more complicated. After all, she had a literal eternity to prepare a suitable environment for all the people she wanted to save. Until then, it was best she focus on the things that truly matter: the happiness she had found for herself, getting along with the people she already viewed as family, and the fact her fiance seemed determined to eat her up in the very near future...Though he wasn't reading her mind, Vahn could guess what Eva was thinking, as, the moment they began discussing living arrangements, her face became noticeably redder. After all, this topic was a segue into another very important discussion: wedding arrangement and family planning.Marriage seemed to be a lot more important in the Akamatsuverse than the previous Records Vahn had visited, so, without any room for debate, he was compelled to marry Eva, Arika, Theo, and even Asuna in the very near future. Anarchia even made a comment about throwing her own name into the pool for consideration, but, after realizing even her daughter was considering it, she promptly retracted her statement as a joke. She was honestly just happy that her daughter had been given a chance to find her happiness, and, though she certainly wouldn't mind having a 'taste' of Vahn, she knew it would be best for her to seek companionship elsewhere.With Anarchia's 'joke' out of the way, it was ultimately decided that each of the weddings, starting with Eva's, would take place over a three-day period approximately three weeks from the time of the discussion. This would give Vahn enough time to wrap up any loose ends in the outside world, and, though the weddings themselves would seem a little rushed, the honeymoon period was set to take place in the middle rings. There, the time dilation was close to 500x, so, with each of the three weddings taking place on different days, they would have upwards of fifty-days for the honeymoon period.Fortunately, though it was discussed in great detail, there was no risk of anyone getting pregnant unless they were absolutely certain they wanted to have a baby. This upset Anarchia and Vesperina a little bit, as they were very eager to meet their grandchildren, but, after hearing about the effects of the Little Garden in greater detail, they were willing to wait. Seeing an infant grow into an adult over the course of 2-3 years was a rather jarring experience, so, for the time being, Vahn suggested they wait patiently until they could enter the Realm proper.In the end, the only person who even considered having a child any time soon was, surprisingly, Theo. In her culture, it was pretty common for members of the Nobility to have multiple children, and, though she understood there was no real need to produce an 'heir', it was like an instinct for all of her people. She was similar to an Amazoness in that regard, and, due to descending from a warring species, Theo wouldn't be able to rest peacefully until she had produced at least a handful of strong children.Remembering she had literally asked him to impregnate her in the past, Vahn's initial shock faded rather quickly, and, much as he had promised in the past, he assured her that their children would be exceptionally powerful. This wasn't a false promise either, as, unless her desires changed, it was all but guaranteed that his children with Theo would be little battle maniacs. There was even a high probability that a few would inherit the evolutionary capabilities Theo had developed as a result of her fusion with the Tri-Force of Power. After all, the intent of the parents had a substantial influence on the children he produced, so, after experiencing such power, Theo would want their children to possess something similar.Fortunately, though it caused him quite a few headaches, Vahn already had a substantial amount of experience when it came to dealing with destructive infants with infinite potential for evolution. His daughter with Tiamat, Xysteria, seemed to represent the concepts of Chaos and Evolution. The only desire Tiamat had for her daughter was that she would be able to live however she pleased, and, no matter what form she took, she would always be loved. Vahn's own desire was that his children had no limits to their growth, so, in the end, Xysteria was born as an exceptionally adorable little dragon whelp that could produce seemingly infinite versions of herself, each with different traits...Though she had numerous visitors, Xysteria spent most of her time playing within a Realm that had been specifically created for her. She was a rather 'simple' girl with an insatiable curiosity, and, even if he wanted to, keeping her restrained was virtually impossible. Thus, to protect both Xysteria, and the very fabric of reality, Xysteria needed to be isolated in her own little world. There, more than a thousand different versions of herself happily explored the ever-changing region, each serving as an extension of the 'original' Xysteria, an adorable little toddler with earthen-brown skin, four arms, multiple tails, large furry ears, multiple horns, and fur so soft it could even compete with Fenrir and Preasia.Vahn did his best never to compare his children, but, as a result of his and Tiamat's desires during her pregnancy, Xysteria was inarguably his most adorable child. This wasn't just his opinion either, as, whenever people visited Xysteria's realm, it was impossible to avoid cuddling with her original body. Rather, even if you didn't want to, Xysteria would seek you out, and, after she inevitably got her hands on you, you simply had no choice but to cuddle her for, at least, a few hours. Her fur was immaculate, her body was squishy, and, though she was the furthest thing from a human in Vahn's ever-growing family tree, all of her characteristics screamed, 'I am adorable, love me'.Though it was a little dangerous to allow Xysteria's extensions to interact with others, as they were the manifestation of her curiosity, even children could interact with her original self without fear. As for why it was necessary to place her within her own Realm, it was because she had no control over when and where another version of herself would manifest out of thin air. She also had virtually no control over the traits they possessed, and, while they followed her will similar to a hive mind, a few of Xysteria's extensions had traits that posed a threat to others just by virtue of their existence.The most notable of Xysteria's extensions had the ability to produce spores that infected virtually all other forms of organic life, the only exception being her other extensions. Anything infected would have all the nutrients in their body consumed to produce massive mushrooms, many of which were larger than houses. By the time a week had passed, more than a million square-kilometers had been converted into one massive mushroom colony, and, if not for the effect spontaneously dying out, it likely would have spread to cover the entire Realm-like texture.Once Silva finished her Terra-Genesis, Xysteria was slated to become the first living organism on her surface. This was something Silva herself desired, likely due to Gaia's desire that her daughter get along with all of her siblings, so, whenever Xysteria was in a stable period, Vahn would take her over for a playdate. The two got along exceptionally well, and, though Xysteria still had the mental state of a three-year-old, even after several decades had passed, Silva didn't seem to mind babying her adorable little sister in the slightest...---With most of the important discussions out of the way, Vahn helped everyone get situated in their respective residences. The system shop had literal mansions available for purchase, and, since each of his inventory slots was a 1000x1000 meter cube, he had long-since developed a habit of storing numerous convenient structures inside. If he made adequate preparations, it was even possible to store an entire plot of land inside his Inventory, the only requirement being that the materials were all purchased from the system shop.When everything was said and done, Anarchia, Vesperina, Arika, Asuna, and even Theo all moved into a large mansion located within the second ring. They also had a small cottage on the main island and a training area on the third ring, the latter of which had already existed due to Vahn creating similar structures on each of the seventy rings. As for their insistence on having their main residence in the second ring, it was apparently to reduce the amount of time they had to wait before being able to eat his food again...With Theo choosing to live amongst the members of the Ostian Royal Family, seemingly quite serious about seeing Arika and Asuna as her sisters, Vahn's job was finished. He had constructed the residence for Eva and Karin days prior, and, though it was little more than a small cottage with only five bedrooms, Eva argued that it was 'intimate'. She seemed to have grown weary of extravagance, so, with the Little Garden suffused with a perpetual calming aura, Eva decided she would rather live in a small, peaceful, residence...the type of place you could, very easily, start a family.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn just Shokugeki-no-Souma'd them','Family planning is important','For those who are curious, Xysteria looks functionally identical to the character Faputa from Made in Abyss')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Opening his eyes, Vahn found himself surrounded by a familiar cumulonimbus, a taunting smile spreading across his face as he said, "Even if you go all-out, you won't be able to defeat me. If you don't want to endanger the sanctity of the Heavens, stop meddling in this world and abide by your own rules. Don't make-"Interrupting his warning, thick bands of golden lightning began targeting Vahn from virtually every direction. Their speed was much greater than normal lightning, so, even though his reaction speed would normally allow him to evade such attacks, nearly every band impacted his body directly. As a result, his body began to char from the inside, his flesh and organs carbonizing as his eyes glowed red-hot before subsequently melting away like liquid metal.Though not entirely unexpected, Vahn realized he had underestimated the so-called 'God's Divine Judgment'. His body had virtually no resistance against the 'Sacred Holy Lightning' created by a Tier 5 being, as, by design, it was meant to have no actual counter. The only way to even remotely resist it was to be comprised entirely of Holy Energy, but, even if he used Magia Erebea to assume such a form, the nature of the technique itself would ensure he took even greater damage.Fortunately, thanks to Karin, Vahn had a template within his mind that he could use even without the Magia Erebea. As a result, his body began to rapidly regenerate, his skin turning inordinately fair as his hair gained a silky-black sheen. Most notably, two sets of angelic wings sprung from his back, but, not satisfied with a half-measure, Vahn pushed his transformation a step further. Golden scales began to sprout across his body, and, though the form naturally resisted the changes he was forcing upon it, a set of draconic wings spread from his back as a very convenient halo manifested above his crown.Since 'damage' was likely too broad in this case, Vahn commanded the [Runed Halo] to protect him from purification. The thing that made Holy Elemental Energy so powerful wasn't its ability to deal damage to a target, rather, as a result of its nature, it wasn't capable of causing harm. What made it so powerful was the fact that it could expunge all impurities from a target, and, though this had the appearance of causing 'catastrophic' damage to said target, the thing that ultimately brought about their end was their 'lack of purity'.Though Vahn's Source Energy should allow him to resist such effects entirely, the fact he emulated the human body and adopted a physical form worked against him. The form, name, race, and even the fate of entities within the Records determined how the Laws affected them. This was especially true in Records governed by Magic, and, if you could somehow bind a God into the form of a much weaker creature, the most popular being humans or animals associated with them, they could even be killed by mortal men and women.Vahn was largely immune to the concept of 'true death' due to the indestructibility of his Ego and the inviolability of Source Energy. Though he would need to act before the Source Energy turned into other types of energy, he was effectively able to revive a countless number of times. The only limiting factor was his own intent, so, unless they could somehow break his spirit and force him to simply 'give up', he would keep coming back stronger, faster, and more resolute.Emphasizing this characteristic, a phenomenal aura radiated from Vahn's body, forcibly dissipating the billowing cloud coverage as a twenty-meter long spear of holy lightning appeared in his right hand. This wasn't condensed from his own energy, however, but the energies within the cloud. He was able to exercise control over all forms of energy within his own domain, and, though it would be difficult to perform such a feat if the entity guiding the energy was present, the fact they were an entire Realm away gave him the home-field advantage.With an uncharacteristically vicious smile on his face, Vahn continued to collect golden lightning into his spear as the surrounding bands impacted powerlessly against his body. Then, with his three pairs of wings spread wide, his aura multiplied as he extended his left hand and shouted, "Set alight the all-consuming flame, Laevateinn...!!"Like an explosion had been set off within their midst, the billowy white clouds swirling around Vahn were torn apart by an invisible shockwave. Then, before they could even hope to reform, he arched backward an irregular amount before contracting his body, throwing the fifty-meter long spear of lightning that had been gathering in his right hand. Its momentum was so extraordinary that, for a brief moment, it appeared as though an indivisible golden line had appeared between Vahn and an empty point several hundred meters away. Then, without a single sound emanating, the line simply vanished into thin air as the clouds began to disperse into particulates of white light...---An unquantifiable distance from the mortal world, separated by no less than eight dimensional planes, a seemingly endless ocean of clouds could be seen floating aimlessly through a pale-golden sky. At the very center of this expanse, a majestic structure formed from the most immaculate white marble and an extraordinary amount of gold stood proud and inviolable. It gave off the impression of the most majestic palace in existence, it's size alone eclipsing the combined surface area of both Mundus Vetus and Mundus Magicus.Located at the center of this cosmologically central palace, what appeared to be a mass of wings surrounded an indescribably vibrant source of light. These wings belonged to peculiar creatures without any discernible bodies, their only aspects being three pairs of resplendent golden wings that were attached to the visage of a lion, an ox, a human, and an eagle. They dutifully veiled the vibrant light contained within, but, every now and then, a small break would appear in the area covered by their wings, it's vibrance so great it illuminated the entirety of the endless expanse of Heaven.In total, there were six of the peculiar four-headed creatures, each radiating an aura so phenomenal that the average mortal's mind would simply collapse in its presence. Those unfortunate enough to lay their eyes directly upon the creatures would immediately turn to ash, and, should they somehow infringe upon the territory protected by the strange entities, they would experience a fate far worse than death. The floor, which seemed to be woven from the night sky, was actually another entity on par with the six creatures, and, though it could not kill people, it had the ability to seal them within a realm of eternal darkness; an inescapable plane where you would be forced to experience your worst nightmares for all eternity...Floating above this membrane representing the concept of eternity, an ever-changing number of beings reminiscent of giant flaming wheels could be seen slowly orbiting the six-winged entities in the center. Their surfaces were covered in countless eyes, each superimposed onto the outside of the rings, which, despite appearing to be made from gold, possessed a uniquely organic nature that allowed the eyes to periodically open and close. It was a rather eerie sight, but, should you ever find yourself in a situation to behold their form, you wouldn't even have time to blink before you found yourself viewing your entire life from an outsider's perspective as your body was slowly consumed by holy fire...Above even the wheel-like entities and the peculiar four-headed creatures, three entities, each possessing six wings formed from the elements, could be seen holding hands. Each was garbed in resplendent armor forged from glistening white plates and pale gold that seemed to radiate literal flames. Their heads were cloaked by hooded mantles, the interior of which obscured their features with a darkness that could even rival the abyss. Above their heads, three crown-liked halos formed from blue, green, and red energy matched the color of the eyes that burned like living flames within their hoods. These were the entities known as Rubrum, Caeruleum, and Viridis, the three Seraphim who ruled over the Heavens and governed the position of all celestial bodies within the cosmos.Due to humanity's inability to conceptualize the existence of an all-powerful God, the Throne of God had remained unoccupied ever since the inception of the Nine Heavens. Though the influence of God was still present within all the Realms, they had no physical form or will outside the structure of the Heavens themselves. Despite this, their influence was currently the greatest in the entirety of the Akamatsuverse, so, even in the absence of a true God, its influence could be felt throughout the entirety of the verse.In actuality, the closest thing to a True God was the Root of Creation itself, and, though it had a will of its own, entities within the verse were entirely unaware of its existence. They simply saw the Root of Creation as the 'Will of the Heavens', an abstract concept that allowed deities to wield the closest thing to absolute power within the verse.Without a God to rule, the governance of the Heavens was left in the hands of the three Seraphim, each possessing a fragment representing an aspect of the Holy Trinity, each bound by the Will of a God they had never met. The oldest among these was Caeruleum, representing the Father-Mother and the Spirit. The second oldest was Viridis, representing the Holy Ghost and the manifestation of Sapience, the Mind. As for the youngest, they were known as Rubrum, the greatest of the three and representing Man, the living Body, and the possibilities of the future.Due to the nature of belief, it was possible for even ancient history to be retroactively shaped by powerful entities in the present. Thus, despite having only come into existence several thousand years ago, the age of the Nine Heaven and the Seraphim eclipsed even the birth of the Universe. They had memories dating back billions of years, and, as their power grew, the beliefs that gave them form would superimpose themselves onto reality, altering history to reflect the 'truth' they represented.Since the formation of the Nine Heavens, the only entity that had ever trespassed the Throne of God was the manifestation of Rubrum in the mortal world. He had once discarded his power and authority to walk amongst the men and women he represented, living amongst them in the hopes of guiding them onto the correct path. In the end, he realized that humanity was beyond salvation, but, given their infinite potential, there was always hope for the future. Thus, in order to buy them as much time as they needed, he ended up sacrificing his mortal coil in order to absolve them of their sins and create a path by which the devout and the innocent could find salvation.Though he was forced to suffer great humiliation and anguish, Rubrum ended up becoming even more powerful as a result of his Martyrdom. His sacrifice also allowed the physical plane to become more stable, and, though there were still wayward sheep that meandered far from the path he had set for them, he never blamed them. He loved each and every human that had ever existed, and, if he had any regrets at all, it was that he had loved a particular human more than he ought to.Originally, there were seven Cherubim protecting the Throne of God, their combined wings more than enough to prevent the light from escaping. Due to his selfishness, however, Rubrum had asked one of the faithful creatures to become the vessel for a mortal woman, the person he had burdened with the sin of betraying him. It broke his heart when the woman killed herself, so, at the expense of a large portion of his power, he allowed her to seek the repentance she sought while also providing her with the opportunity to witness the future they had created with her own eyes.Unfortunately, due to the burden of having her soul transplanted into the body of a Cherubim, the woman ended up losing most of her memories. The only things she remembered clearly was her act of betrayal and her apparent failure to take her own life. From then on, he could do little more than watch over her in solemn vigil as she traveled the world in search of forgiveness, something she had already received before his original sacrifice.Had the woman kept along her original path, Rubrum was fully prepared to ask for her forgiveness, but, due to her unique form of amnesia, he could only suffer in silence as she deviated further from the path she had chosen for herself. In the end, she even imprinted onto one of the very beings she, as both a Saintess and a Cherubim, was meant to destroy. To make matters exponentially worse, she even made a vow to forever follow and support the vile creature, a promise she could never renege on due to her Cherubic nature.If not for the vile creature's persistence when it came to killing other vile and evil creatures, Rubrum might have been tempted to use what remained of his power to completely annihilate the creature. He could hardly bear to see the one person he had cherished more than any other be led astray by a creature of darkness, but, after watching her suffer through depression for nearly fifteen-hundred years, he was happy just to see her smiling again. Though he did make it impossible for her to form any other contracts, this was intended as a failsafe to prevent the power of the Cherubim from truly falling into the hands of the forces of darkness.Unfortunately, as if the Will of the Heavens was out to spite him, the protection he bestowed upon the woman only exacerbated her misunderstanding that she was cursed. Her faith gradually began to wane, and, though she recognized the existence of God as an absolute, her belief shifted toward the vile apostle of darkness. She even began to harbor obscene and lustful thoughts for the woman, a desire that only grew stronger after their long separation.Had things ended there, Rubrum would have still been able to accept the situation, wholeheartedly believing that the woman would find her way back to the path after the vile apostle inevitably met her end. It might take a few thousand years, but, compared to the billions she was capable of living, it was just a drop in the proverbial bucket. She would eventually outgrow her inclinations, and, due to the ever-strengthening power of belief, it was only a matter of time until she became one of the central pillars that supported their faith. At least, that was how things were 'supposed' to go...Seemingly out of nowhere, an anomalous existence known as the Sage Dragon Emperor emerged within one of the few places outside the dominion of Heaven. This greatly alarmed all three of the Seraphim, but, after witnessing his efforts to restore balance and purge corruption, they gradually came to see his existence as a positive influence on the world. He had even taken it upon himself to protect the Key of Twilight, one of the few entities they had absolutely no power over due to its intrinsic connection to the Root of Creation.Unfortunately, even the Sage Dragon Emperor fell to the trappings of the detestable entity known as the Dark Evangel. This caused Rubrum to feel the closest thing to anger that he was capable of expressing, but, due to God's Will preventing direct interference with the mortal world, there was very little he could do. Any action that went against God's Will required him to sacrifice a piece of himself, and, though his power and authority were still above both Caeruleum and Viridis, the gap had been steadily closing.Rubrum's connection to 'Man' made it difficult for him to accept any but the one true God above him, so, regardless of his growing desire to burn the hateful woman to ash, he continued to silently observe the situation from his position within the Heavens. It wasn't until the Sage Dragon Emperor began discussing methods to remove the 'curse' that Rubrum felt compelled to act. The thought of losing the one person he had harbored true affection for filled him with a sense of indignation that simply couldn't be put into words. This was exacerbated by the fact that the Sage Dragon Emperor seemed to be directly taunting him, so, against the counsel of his contemporaries, he mustered as much power as he could manifest within Mundus Magicus, determined to at least teach the Sage Dragon Emperor a hard lesson.Seeing the arrogant dragon charred to the point of becoming a carbonized skeleton, Rubrum was unable to prevent a small smile from spreading across his non-existent mouth. He had never taken pleasure in the suffering of others, but, after the dragon had so thoughtlessly antagonized them, he felt it was only right that the anomalous creature suffers Divine Retribution...With this thought prevailing in his mind, Rubrum was unable to even process what was happening when Vahn began to suddenly change into an amalgamation of a Cherubim and a True Dragon. It wasn't something that should even be remotely possible, so, for several pivotal moments, the only thing he could do was observe the situation. Then, just as his mind began to process what he was witnessing, a brilliant flash of golden light appeared within the sanctified chamber, erupting into a cataclysmic explosion of holy energy...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'This isn't even my final form...','Rubrum has a very peculiar way of expressing his love...','C-C-C-C-Counter')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1679: Compulsion