Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the body of the massive Guardian dissipating into a pale blue mist, the only thing standing between Vahn's group and the man known as White was a single sealed door.Under normal circumstances, only those with the 'key' would be able to gain access to the sealed chamber. It was protected by a series of electric locks and a number of powerful curses, several of which were lethal to anyone attempting to probe the interior.Unfortunately, while there were a number of powerful spells and enchantments within the Tower, their complexity was elementary compared to the magical system that existed within the Nasu and Akamatsuverses. It would have only taken a few minutes for Eva or Illya to thoroughly remove the seals protecting the door, but, with a 'cheat' like Vahn present, they could just as easily 'force' their way through. After all, he was 'immune' to curses, and, even if there were lethal traps installed, they were ultimately ineffective against a being who could re-manifest from complete destruction with a simple thought.Without minding the malicious spells and enchantments whatsoever, Vahn covered the entire vault-like door with a black ooze formed from his own body. Then, by channeling the Law of Destruction through his own body, combining it with the Source Energy that comprised each individual cell, he began to eat through the seemingly indestructible door at a startling rate. In the end, it only took a little more than thirty seconds before the sound of a childish voice could be heard inquiring, "What the hell...?"With the black ooze having worked its way around the perimeter of the door, Vahn jerked the entire thing free from its hinges before tossing the porous slab of corroded metal to the side. This allowed him to see a youthful figure seated atop a throne. At a glance, the figure appeared no older than ten to twelve years old, and, from facial features alone, it would be very difficult to determine their gender. They also possessed long white hair that extended to their ankles, silvery-white eyes that reflected a palpable sword intent, and a delicate complexion that complimented their androgynous features quite a bit.After briefly scanning the figure, Vahn shifted his gaze between the four-pointed silver crown atop their head and the strange claymore-like sword resting on the youth's shoulder. The former had a 'very' powerful enchantment fused into it, and, though the blade of the latter was relatively plain, it possessed an inordinately long handle and a cross-guard that looked like a saw-tooth blade. There was also a silvery breastplate covering their chest, it's front-facing plate possessing a similar rune to the crown listing lazily atop their head...Feeling unnerved by the mysterious man's gaze, the white-haired youth's face formed into a frown as they asked, "Who the hell are you people? Are you with the Jahad Empire?"Ignoring the youth's questions, Vahn shifted his attention to the Law of Identity, now appearing as an exact copy of the white-haired swordsman. In response, she nodded her head, saying, "His name is Hoaqin. He is the primary component of the being known as White. There should be four others: Vicente, Anna, David, and Albelda. They are his siblings. He tricked them into becoming 'one' with him in order to surpass their father, Arie Hon. They were forced to separate so he is currently a lot weaker than his Slayer counterpart."Continuing to ignore the questioning of the increasingly annoyed Hoaqin, Vahn nodded toward the Law of Identity before looking towards Asuna and saying, "You're up. Don't hold back."Nodding her head in understanding, Asuna, having already donned her modern-looking combat attire, stepped forward with Ko in her hand. This caused Hoaqin's pupils to shrink, and, though she had yet to attack, he could already feel an extreme threat radiating from the former. As a result, he unhesitantly swung his massive claymore as if it had absolutely no weight, shouting, "You accursed dogs of Jahad...!" as a cage of sword beams began to appear from the void.Though he had already seen a number of examples of Arie Swordsmanship, Vahn had to admit that Hoaqin was leagues bove someone like Serra. The only observable flaw in his technique was that it burned the energy contained within his Ego, stolen from countless others, as a fuel source. To make matters even worse, he seemed incapable of not using this energy, so, as Asuna continued to dance between his sword beams with remarkable speed and grace, he was steadily exhausting himself...For a fleeting moment, it seemed like Asuna was going to close the distance between herself and Hoaqin without needing to rely on her more anomalous characteristics. She was 'much' faster than Hoaqin, and, though their ages were incomparable to each other, Asuna had a substantial amount of experience fighting against completely incomprehensible foes. This allowed her to see through all of his attacks, but, just as she was about to step in and stab him in the chest, Hoaqin proved why you should never underestimate someone who burned 'souls' as a fuel source.Refusing to accept the reality that he was being outclassed by a swordsman unrelated to the Arie Family, Hoaqin's silver eyes blazed with a malicious light as he exclaimed, "Do you have any idea who you're dealing with, you brat!?"Following his exclamation, Hoaqin's body seemed to become shrouded in ghostly white flames as the sword in his hands briefly changed into a sword formed entirely from the concentrated 'power of souls'. In essence, it was almost like he had activated Bankai, his power increasing by a factor of ten as he countered Asuna's attack with near-perfect timing. This caused her pupils to shrink, but, rather than attempt to flee, she actually stepped further inward, a resolute light flashing across her eyes as she stabbed Ko into Hoaqin's body before attempting to phase through him with the State of Nothingness.Unfortunately, the ghostly flames shrouding Hoaqin's body effectively turned him into a pseudo-spiritual entity. This made it impossible to phase through him as the State of Nothingness was, on its most fundamental level, maintained by a person's mental and spiritual energies. If they actually became one with the concept of Nothingness, they would cease to exist, so, for the duration of its activation, the State of Nothingness effectively placed them into an immaterial, spirit, form.Unable to phase through his body, Asuna crashed into Hoaqin with a force akin to that of a freight train. This caused most of the bones in the youth's chest to shatter upon impact, but, at the same time, the flames shrouding his body quickly spread to Asuna's, seemingly intent on burning and subsequently subsuming her. What he never could have anticipated was that Asuna's soul was a lot more powerful than his, so, while she wasn't completely immune to the effects, it was like trying to evaporate an ocean by igniting its surface.Though she was unaccustomed to taking damage, Asuna didn't even wince as she quickly reacted to the situation by retracting Ko and slicing off Hoaqin's sword arm. Then, with a pivot, she kicked his already broken body in the diaphragm, sending him flying into the far wall and coughing up a large volume of pitch-black blood. This same blood stained his pure white garb to create a rather eerie contrast as he fell to his knees, eyes burning with a malicious light as he uttered, "You filthy cowards...sending Rankers into a place like the Hell Train..."With hazy white flames still burning on parts of her body, Asuna frowned in response to Hoaqin's words as she answered, "We're not Rankers. Besides, what ground do you have to stand on when you literally killed more than a billion innocent people for the sake of a ritual? Seriously, grow the hell up and stop blaming others for repercussions you brought upon yourself."Without responding to Asuna's comment, Hoaqin attempted to draw several runes using his own blackened blood. This was concealed by the inordinately long sleeves of his white robes, but, as could be expected, Asuna had easily seen through his actions. As a result, she activated Ko's ability, cutting through the air and severing Hoaqin's body from above his left shoulder to just below his rib cage. This also cut directly through his heart, but, as an entity who had abandoned its physical body long ago, Hoaqin wasn't instantly killed by the commonly fatal blow.Unfortunately, while he did possess a surprising degree of mastery in the domain of Spirit Magic, Hoaqin was currently facing off against five Archmages. Vahn could even directly interfere with the casting of all magic within his domain, so, despite Hoaqin's attempts to use the remnants of his life force to forcibly devour the 'souls' of everyone present, his actions were ultimately futile. It was only after several seconds of smiling viciously that he seemed to realize this was this case, his expression morphing into one of utter disbelief as the light gradually faded from his eyes...As he had burned the energy within his own Ego during his last desperate attempt at a comeback, Hoaqin had effectively exorcised his own spirit prior to his death. Under normal circumstances, this would have meant he was completely erased, beyond the hope of even Vahn's resurrection, but, as part of the ritual to become one with his siblings, Hoaqin had effectively superimposed part of his Ego onto theirs. Thus, in a manner reminiscent of Orochimaru taking over people's bodies, he could still be revived so long as even a single person possessed a fragment of his Ego.Sighing in exasperation, Vahn flashed over to Asuna's side in an instant, waving away the persistent white flames with the ease of extinguishing a candle before pulling her into his embrace and saying, "You really know how to worry me..."Feeling a paradoxically warm yet cooling energy diffusing throughout her body, a contented smile quickly replaced the expressionless visage Asuna adopted whenever she was in combat. Then, after returning his embrace with her own, she relaxed her head against his chest before musing, "We can say the same...I feel like my heart is going to burst every time I see you fight against a powerful foe. If it would help you become more self-aware, I wouldn't mind burning for a few days longer..."Taken aback by Asuna's teasing remark, Vahn found himself at a momentary loss, mouth hanging open for several seconds as he failed to find his words. This allowed Asuna the opportunity to perk up, standing on the tips of her toes in order to seal his lips with her own. Then, with a girlish giggle arising from her throat, she tightened her hold on him before separating their lips to remark, "Your bewildered expression is always so cute..."Though he was tempted to give the impish woman a light 'punishment', doing so in the presence of a corpse would be rather tasteless. Instead, Vahn just adopted an amused smile as he held her head to his chest, gently caressing her silky hair as he finished healing her body. Afterward, they gathered the constituent parts of Hoaqin together before burning his remains as part of a perfunctory funeral rite.Hoaqin might have become an irredeemable monster over the course of his life, but, regardless of the weight of their sins, bearing resentment toward the dead was like consuming a lethal poison in the hopes of killing someone who had already passed. There was absolutely no sense in this, and, more often than not, such sentiments became the seeds of hatred that caused people to gradually become monsters themselves. Thus, while some might believe that Hoaqin deserved to suffer for each individual person he harmed, Vahn had no interest in such things.Though he was not without flaw, Vahn did not kill in order to pacify the victims, nor did he fight as a champion of the bereaved. Instead, he killed his foes almost entirely to satisfy his own sense of self-righteousness, and, most importantly, allow them a chance to start fresh in their next reincarnation.Nobody deserved to suffer, and, more often than not, those that perpetuated the greatest amount of suffering did so because their circumstances had forced them into a corner. This didn't redeem them, not by a long shot, but it also didn't justify having them experience even greater suffering. If that logic was applied to each and every situation, the amount of suffering in the world would only ever increase. This would invariably lead to the destruction of everything, so, regardless of how he felt about someone in life, Vahn would still pray for them in death...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Om nom nom...!','Asuna be like, "I'm fast as fuck, White boi...!"','Hatred is a very personal thing. If you find yourself hating 'something' or a group of 'someones', that isn't true hate. You are just a patsy to someone else's agenda or a bigot. You don't have to be a part of the solution, but don't be a contributor to the problems that plague our society. If we want Full Dive VR and genetically engineered catgirls, we must first build a society of mutual understanding...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the restoration of White being their primary objective aboard the Hell Express, Vahn wasn't surprised to find the Conductor, representing FUG, waiting for them outside of Hoaqin's chamber. He had actually expected the man to take action immediately after the seal was first removed, but, as they hadn't actually broken any rules, doing so would result in his authority being stripped away, and, in some cases, instantaneous termination.Gesturing for the girls to stand down, Vahn preempted the onset of combat by stating, "So long as we don't attack, he has no grounds to directly intervene with us. Even an Advanced Ranker working under a Slayer of FUG isn't bold enough to violate the Laws of the Tower within an area designated for Regulars. Isn't that right, Mr. 'Death Eyes' Pedro...?"Glowing in response to Vahn's taunting tone, Pedro, appearing as a Hispanic man with light brown skin, a thin frame, short brown hair, and mechanical red eyes, began releasing a deathly aura as he asked, "Do you have any idea who it is you're offending? This operation was authorized by the Elder Council and my Master, the Great Slayer Karaka. Are you trying to start a war?"Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn took a few steps forward, ignoring the aura released by the incensed man as he said, "Something like White shouldn't be allowed to exist within the Tower. Any organization that sides with such a creature has some major underlying issues they need to resolve before they go around telling others what is right and wrong. The means always matter. If you can justify becoming a monster that feeds off the innocent in order to fight against your foes, you have lost the right to tread the moral high ground. Now, return to your Conductor station, report to your Master, and stay the hell out of our way. The next time you appear like this, don't blame me for the consequences you will have wrought upon yourself."Though he wanted nothing more than to silence Vahn for his 'impudence', Pedro had been given strict orders not to fight against him. If the rumors were to be believed, Vahn was already powerful enough to defeat High Rankers despite the fact he was just a D-Rank Regular. This level of growth had only ever been observed in Ureko, who, during her climb, critically injured two Slayers and even killed one of FUG's Elders. They had tried to control her just like any other Irregular who entered the Tower, but, as could be expected, she wasn't the type of creature that could be placed under thumb by a group of people who sat around for thousands of years without making any progress towards their goals.With his eyes releasing a mechanical whirring sound, Pedro continued to glare at Vahn for several seconds before shifting his gaze towards the women at his back. He was powerless to do anything against the anomalous women, but, as someone who had failed on the Floor of Tests, Ryun had no right to board the Hell Express. Many within FUG even considered her a traitor, so, with a malicious smile spreading across his face, Pedro was preparing to teach Vahn a lesson.Understanding the man's intentions before they had even fully formed within his mind, Vahn's smile had faded before Pedro could utter so much as a single syllable. At the same time, an eerie stillness permeated the entire room as even the most minute particles of Shinsu disappeared from within his domain. This caused Pedro's body to instantly seize up in pain, and, most importantly, it effectively robbed him of the powers he would have normally had access to as a pseudo-Administrator aboard the Hell Express.Though he could never be completely emotionless, Vahn managed to appear cold and detached as he walked progressively closer to the choking man and asked, "Do you enjoy using your power to prey on the weak and defenseless? Do you believe you are qualified to teach other people a lesson? Did you even think about the price FUG would have to pay for your petulance?"Without waiting for the man to respond, Vahn grabbed him by the throat, lifting the writhing figure from the ground as he added, "No! People like you never take that kind of thing into consideration! You are so possessed by the power given to you that you never even consider the repercussions of your actions! You accuse Jahad and the Ten Great Families of being corrupt Tyrants, yet, without so much as batting an eye, you willfully torment others using powers you have no right to possess! I'm sick and tired of your hypocritical bullshit...!"To punctuate his words, Vahn smashed Pedro head-first into the ground, denting the durable metal platings that furnished much of the Hell Express' interior. This wasn't enough to kill the man, but, as a matter of course, it was enough to place him into a 'very' deep coma while destroying both of his mechanical eyes. Immediately after that, Shinsu came surging into the room like a deluge, washing over everyone present like a cool breeze that allowed them to breathe a little easier.Tossing the unconscious man into an abandoned section of the Ninth Layer, Vahn exhaled a slightly exhausted sigh before turning around, eyes fixating on Ryun as he stated, "It seems FUG is in need of some restructuring..."Realizing Pedro had tried to use her to hurt Vahn, Ryun's ears drooped somewhat pathetically as she nodded her head with an irresolute "Nn...". There were actually a number of people she cared about within FUG, and, though she knew the organization attracted despots of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds, she still believed in their overall mission. Fortunately, it didn't seem like Vahn had any intention of destroying the organization, so, as long as they stopped antagonizing him, they should be able to cooperate.In the hopes of smoothing things over, Ryun averted her eyes as she said, "After we're finished with the Hell Train and the Floor of Death, there is a place I'd like to take you..."Shifting his gaze towards the Law of Identity for a brief moment, Vahn paused for several seconds before nodding his head and saying, "Very well. I will meet with the Elder of the Red Witch Tribe and afford FUG one last opportunity to compromise. So long as they are willing to stop interfering with my plans, I have no reason to seek out and annihilate them."Breathing a sigh of relief, Ryun returned her gaze to Vahn, a gleam of reverence flashing across her ruby-red eyes as she said, "Thank you..." in an emotion-filled tone. To this, Vahn could do little but exhale a sigh of his own before 'manifesting' right in front of the red-haired woman to pull her into his embrace and caress her somewhat unkempt hair. This caused her to nestle closer to him as if by instinct, while, at the side, Fenrir, and the rest of the girls, just shook their heads helplessly...---After more than a week of forcibly tunneling through an increasingly dense array of machinery and cogs, Mordred was forced to a stop as the last of her claws fractured against a golden gear. It was only at that moment that the pain radiating from her hands seemed to reach her mind, the result of a seemingly endless rush of adrenaline finally wearing off.Resisting the onset of tears by defaulting to a breathing technique, Mordred's figure rapidly shrunk until she appeared as a young child of approximately eight years old. Her physical form was directly related to the amount of physical, mental, and spiritual energy remaining in her reserves. It was for this reason that she, alongside her mother and every other True Dragon created by Vahn, appeared as a slightly younger version of herself.Mordred's physique might be powerful, but her mind and spirit were still in the process of healing after the taxing experience of migrating from the Realm. Thus, despite a seemingly endless amount of energy coursing through her body, her mind felt sluggish as a deep pain permeated through the entirety of her body. She had pushed herself far beyond her limits, and, though she didn't regret it in the slightest, she had little choice but the suffer the consequences of her actions.Feeling a sudden urge to call out to her father, Mordred curled up on the ground, clutching her knees as she continued to regulate her breathing. This was the second greatest pain she had ever experienced, but, unlike before, she didn't have anyone around to help ease her suffering. Instead, she had to tide through it alone, the pain steadily increasing despite her best efforts to keep it at bay. For a moment, she even considered just letting it all out in order to ease her burden, but, just as that thought crossed her mind, a husky yet sonorous voice suddenly asked, "Have you given up? Is this your limit...?"Sniffling to fight back her tears, Mordred tilted her head to see what could best be described as a massive lioness staring down at her. Its size was even greater than her dragon transformation, but, what stood out most of all, were its glistening golden fur, the ornate golden plates covering much of its body, and six pairs of massive wings, each seemingly belonging to a different kind of creature, forming a canopy over the surroundings.With eyes that resembled oceans of stars, the massive lioness brought her nose to within a meter of Mordred's body as it grumbled, "Absolutely pathetic...this is what you get for denying your true self and choosing to become a useless lizard. Tell me, was it worth it? Violating your own body and soul in order to pander to an infantile Emperor who assembles women like a child drawing pretty stones from a stream?"Though she was still a little confused by what was happening, clarity returned to Mordred's mind as she realized what the peculiar lioness was implying. This caused the pain in her body to fade away in an instant, replaced by a seething rage as she bared her teeth and riposted, "You can go choke on a fucking hairball and die for all I care! Do you think I'm just going to lay here and listen to you insult my Chichiue!? If you're a part of me, shut the fuck up and give me access to my power! Who the hell do you think you are, acting all haughty despite sitting around on your ass and hiding away in my soul!?"Squinting its eyes in response to Mordred's outburst, anyone observing the lioness might assume it had an inviolably majestic disposition, one far above petty squabbles. This illusion only persisted for a very brief moment, however, as it quickly reared back like a cat preparing to pounce as it shouted, "You cheeky little brat! Did your brain also become a lizard!? I came here to help you, and this is the thanks I get!?"Raising her middle fingers towards the 'majestic' lioness, Mordred's body began to rapidly age as she rebutted, "Fuck you! When did I ask for your help, you shitty cat!? I didn't see your pussy ass appear when I was trying to break through my limits! You think you can just appear at my lowest point and try and entice me with power that is already supposed to be mine? How about you just cough it up and stop nagging me you lazy ass tabby cat!?"Though it didn't attempt to attack, the lioness began to frustratedly stamp the ground with its front paws as it bellowed, "Oooooooh! Don't make me eat you, you blonde bimbo! Killing us both would be a lot better than watching you continue whori-"Before the lioness could finish her statement, leathery wings covered in vermillion scales erupted from Mordred's back as she leaped towards the titanic figure without an ounce of fear. This seemed to catch the lioness by surprise, her mouth still partly open as Mordred's fist impacted the bottom of her jaw, slamming it shut. In the next moment, Mordred's body spontaneously erupted in size, her figure becoming wholly draconic as she began to wrangle the lioness, all while shouting, "You think you can threaten me with my own power!? Just watch as this lizard teaches you a lesson, you goddamn pussycat...!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn don't play with it involves his loved ones...','Dig A Tunnel Dig Dig A Tunnel. Dig A Tunnel Dig Dig A Tunnel. Dig A Tunnel Dig Dig A Tunnel. Quick, Before The Lioness Come~!','You gon' learn today...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After an extended stay within the Emerald Grove, courtesy of his ability to control the flow of time within, Vahn, accompanied by Fenrir, Ryun, Illya, Eva, Asuna, Artoria, Gray, and Karin, reemerged within the confines of their room aboard the Hell Express. With the exception of Karin, who was primarily around to accompany Eva, the other seven, accounting for Mordred, had officially become the main members of 'Team Aldrnari'.Though he could easily clear most Special Tests and events on his own, there was quite a number that required a full party just to register. He had originally intended to have people like Arusha and Arryn fill in during these moments. Now, he was spoiled for choice, and, even if the members of his current party decided to take a break, he still had Musashi, Kenshin, Altera, Okita, and several others who were more than willing to journey alongside him.Comforted by the thought of traveling alongside his family and loved ones, Vahn was all smiles as he turned toward his entourage of beautiful women and said, "Though there are still three months until we reach the Name Hunt Station, I would rather resolve this matter as soon as possible. Ryun, you will lead the way using the ring provided by the God of Guardians. The rest of us will focus on eliminating any enemies who appear along the way. Any questions?"Raising her hand without hesitation, a fiery glint appeared within Asuna's heterochromatic eyes as she asked, "When we encounter this White person, can I be the one to fight against them? I mean, they were defeated by a bunch of Regulars in the past. I'm pretty confident I can wipe the floor with them."Though he had originally intended to deal with White himself, Vahn didn't see any harm in allowing Asuna to face him. His current parameters were still listed as a bunch of [Errors] so it was difficult to know exactly how strong he had become. It was like he had broken the system used to quantify the power of people within the Tower. There was even a chance that, much like an actual Axis User, the common residents of the Tower, High Rankers included, wouldn't even be able to touch him...Resisting the urge to shake his head and sigh in exasperation, Vahn maintained a casual smile as he answered, "Sure. I don't see any problems with that. Just make sure you don't underestimate them. While it is true they were defeated by a group of Regulars, it isn't difficult to imagine their fall being the result of hubris. Objectively speaking, they are a sword prodigy who has lived for thousands of years. During that time, they defeated innumerable opponents and harvested the lives of billions of people. They might be significantly weaker in the present, but you should never underestimate the depravity and craftiness of those who consume 'souls' to enhance their strength...even if it is a short battle, you should treat them as a threat from start to finish."Happy to have the opportunity to face off against a potentially powerful foe, Asuna's face bloomed into an excited smile as she nodded her head and said, "Leave it to me! I'll cut apart that bastard's techniques and then beat them until their face looks like a pig...!"Though she was significantly weaker than her peak self, Vahn could easily imagine Asuna defeating opponents far more powerful than she was. She still had a Mitigation-type Innate that provided her an effective immunity against long-ranged attacks, and, while her [Child of Destiny] had faded away the moment she departed her Record of origin, her [Beloved Disciple of the Sage Dragon Emperor] seemed to provide her a number of benefits. She was also Tier 5, so, unless she encountered a High Ranker, she should be able to defeat most foes before they even understood what was happening...---With the combination of the ring provided by the God of Guardians and Ryun's guidance, choosing a path that would lead to the location of White was a simple matter. Unfortunately, they still had to spend a total of ten days clearing rooms and passing a very specific number of sections in order to reach their destination. The routes aboard the Hell Express were constantly changing depending on the pace of the people clearing them, so, in order to ensure their path intersected with White, they had little choice but to pace themselves accordingly.Fortunately, while there weren't any particularly dangerous or interesting foes to face, it was still an opportunity for the girls to practice their teamwork and improve their individual combat skills. This left Vahn with very little to do, but, much like a spectator enjoying a game of women's volleyball, he wasn't particularly bored. Rather, now that the girls each possessed adorably animalistic or draconic features, it was quite the sight to behold. Illya, in particular, looked especially adorable as she tried to emulate Fenrir's combat style, her ears and tail flopping around as she did her best to fight like a wild animal...In the end, Vahn's duties during the ten-day period primarily revolved around complimenting the girls, pampering those who sought his affection, and preparing meals to keep their bellies full. They actually had a lot of free time on their hands due to the lax difficulty of the individual chambers so there was also a fair amount of waiting around, cuddling, and, despite the intermittent appearance of Shinheuh, they also found ample time to lounge about and watch anime.Ever since the awakening of his [Actualization] Innate, Vahn's intrigue in animated movies and other related media had increased exponentially. After all, he could literally enter into the world by simply placing his hand against the screen, dropping himself into the story, and influencing the outcome at his leisure. This made the viewing experience far more exciting, not just because he could jump into the worlds whenever he wanted, but because he could see a representation of himself in a myriad of different art and animation styles.One of the more intriguing aspects of [Actualization] was how the fictional world would appear just as real as any other the moment he entered into it. This allowed him to personally witness what the characters would look like in 'reality', and, inversely, it allowed him the opportunity to view himself as a 'character'. The best part about this was that he could 'tweak' how realistic the worlds seemed when he entered them, effectively allowing himself to experience the anime version of the world or a realistic representation that could then be linked to the ever-growing population or worlds within his Internal Reality.Vahn found the notion of appearing as a character within an anime very novel, and, though he was infinitely more attached to his women in 'reality', he could still greatly appreciate the aesthetics of certain female characters. It sometimes made him feel like he was witnessing the Avatars of other people in the Virtual World, but, unlike the latter, everything felt infinitely more realistic within the fictional worlds he had [Actualized] into reality. He also enjoyed experiencing 'cartoon physics', and, though it had earned him a fair amount of teasing from some of the girls, he was quite fond of the toon versions of himself.Thus far, Vahn's two favorite worlds to enter were based on an anime known as 'Pokemon Universe' and a video game series known as the Star Ocean Anthology. The former allowed him to experience the wider world of Pokemon, viewing the creatures in their natural environment, and observing how various cultures interacted with them. He could even take his own Pokemon along with him, as, due to the nature of his Templates being extensions of himself, they could freely enter any world so long as he summoned them using his Unit Management. This had allowed Arceus to make considerable progress in the formation of her own world, and, most importantly, it allowed his other Pokemon to experience roaming freely in a world filled with their own kind.At the present moment, many of Vahn's Templates were actually exploring worlds based on their Record of Origin. This included Nami, who, benefitting from her experiences in the Imperial Fleet, combined with the fact she was a Tier 4, managed to flip her personalized version of One Piece on its head. She had even learned how to use all three types of Haki, but, more so than anything else, it was her ability to manipulate the weather and cast water-elemental magic that provided her a nigh-absolute advantage in the oceanic world.Vahn was actually a little envious of his own Templates for having the free time to explore various worlds, but, knowing he could literally spend years within one before a single second passed in the outside, he couldn't actually complain. He just had other things to focus on, and, while he was often tempted to idle about in certain worlds for months on end, his desire to reunite with his family kept him largely rooted to 'reality'. He would have a functionally infinite amount of time to explore other worlds once he linked the Records, so, while he couldn't completely resist the urge, he rarely spent more than a few days within a fictional world before returning.The only real exceptions to this rule were the worlds based on the Pokemon Universe and the Star Ocean Anthology. The former was due to his love of the world and his desire to allow his Pokemon to roam freely. The latter, however, was entirely due to the existence of the Ethereal Queen, a being he was bound to face once he reached the pinnacle of Tier 6. She was an existence that represented the pinnacle, and, though he was the 'creator' of her world, Vahn had been soundly defeated during each of their engagements.Though they had only fought a total of three times, Vahn had been completely overwhelmed by the inordinately beautiful Ethereal Queen mere moments after their battle began. She possessed speed and power on a level he couldn't even begin to comprehend, and, unless he used his [Actualization] to basically cheat, Vahn couldn't imagine defeating her at his current level. Her power was basically identical to his own, but, due to the concepts she represented, it felt like there was an unbridgeable gulf separating them. Thus, as part of his training, he would periodically appear before the Ethereal Queen; much to the amusement of the angelic beauty, who, similar to Tsubaki, had a penchant for reminding him of the number of times he had failed...---With ten days passing in what felt like the blink of an eye, Vahn and Co found themselves in a large chamber inhabited by a mountainous man with a bald head and a colossal figure covered in various tattoos. Even while he was lying down, he towered over everyone present, the distance between his chest and back roughly the same size as a two-story building. As for his actual height, he was about half the size of the God of Guardians, roughly twenty-five to thirty-meters from the top of his bald head to the soles of his massive feet.Seeing the massive figure from the entrance of the chamber, Eva couldn't help but retort, "Are all the Guardians going to be this gigantic? Seriously, don't they understand that increased size just makes them a bigger target...?"Chuckling in response to the blonde bombshell's middling complaint, Vahn went on to explain, "It probably has the ability to compress its body into a much smaller form. The spatial laws within the Tower are surprisingly advanced for a dimensional plane that seems to be capped at the pinnacle of Tier 4. Yuri even possesses a Needle that can compress to a mere two meters despite its true form being more than three kilometers in length."Rolling her eyes in response to Vahn's words, Eva's heels clicked against the metal plates covering the floor as she took several steps forward. This caused the colossal figure sleeping on the ground to rouse from its rest, grumbling unintelligently as it's piercing grey eyes locked onto the person who had interrupted its slumber. In response, Eva's expression morphed into a taunting sneer as she raised her hand and mused, "Let's see if this technique has any actual value in combat...Shinsu Black Hole Sphere...!"Though the giant Guardian attempted to raise its body before Eva could finish her 'incantation', it's large size made its movements exceptionally slow. As a result, it was unable to evade the spherical vortex that appeared right in front of its head. This particular Baang was formed from the elements of Ice, Darkness, and Space, so, while it was a beautiful sight to behold, its capacity for destruction would leave most people feeling horrified. As for the Guardian, the upper half of its body was eaten away by the expanding sphere in a matter of seconds, it's movements ceasing almost immediately thereafter as the temperature in the room quickly dropped to more than a hundred degrees below zero...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'White is so fucked xD...','Vahn scoping out future waifus...','Eva don't play...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1864: Burn