Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With red-horned tendrils erupting from various parts of his body, Jahad lay at the bottom of an abyssal pit with a contemplative and slightly incredulous look on his face. He had come into this fight with the intent of going all out for the first time in millennia. It wasn't an exaggeration to say he had even been looking forward to it, as, for the first time since he had become King, someone with the power to oppose him had finally appeared.Until this very moment, Jahad had expected things to be relatively close between him and Vahn. He knew the latter possessed tremendous might but it shouldn't be to the point he was invincible. The universe had a way of balancing things out, so, even if Vahn's power was beyond comprehension, it had to have some kind of weakness. So long as he discovered what it was, Jahad was confident that he could, at the very least, force an internecine outcome.It wasn't like he had come into the fight without any information whatsoever. Rather, thanks to the seals worn by his daughters, combined with the Opera he had appropriated from the Tperie Family, Jahad been watching Vahn during all the key moments of his climb up the Tower. He had observed every major battle Vahn had taken part in, and, more importantly, documented each of the actions that led to the former's growth. It was fair to say that his information regarding Vahn was the most comprehensive within the entire Tower, but, as if none of that mattered at all, Jahad found himself seriously considering whether or not he could harm a single hair on the former's head..."Kyeukyeukyeukyeukyeuk! This is what you get for not listening to me when I offered to grant you even greater power! Luckily for you, it's not too late! So long as you accept my power, there will no longer be anything in this Tower that can stand in our way! Sage Dragon Emperor? Ureko Mazino? Phantaminum? They will either kneel or die...!"Without waiting for Jahad's consent, the demon sealed within his body, Pride, attempted to extend his tendrils into the former's mind. This caused the eye-like chains on Jahad's forehead to glow with a vibrant, bloody, light. As for the man himself, his expression had hardened into a severe glower as he plainly stated, "What a farce. You're simply a pawn of the Workshop. Had I never listened to your temptations, my friends and I might have already conquered the Tower by now. Because of you, I let my heart become corrupted and ended up driving away everyone I ever cared about. If you think I'll spend the last moments of my life clinging to someone else's power, you've severely misjudged me. I am Jahad! Before becoming known as the King of the Tower, I was first called King of Adventurers! I have never needed your power...!"Though he could not completely inhibit the encroachment of Pride, Jahad punctuated his statement by ripping away the tendrils sticking out of his right arm. Then, with a majestic golden aura erupting from his body, he ascended towards the sky with such extreme speed that he practically teleported."Vahn Aldrnari Mason! Consider this my last request! This next attack is the most powerful attack in my original arsenal! Grant me the privilege of measuring the distance between your most powerful attack and my own...!"Following these words, Jahad extended his left hand to form a claw. Immediately thereafter, a series of cracks appeared at the center of his palm, almost as if something was trying to break free."It's been a long time old friend...let's go out with a bang...""Jahad Style Transcendent Skill - Gae Bolg...!"......In the brief interval between Jahad's request and the moment his attack was released, a conflicted look had appeared on Vahn's face. Much less Jahad, the Tower itself might not be able to withstand his strongest attack. Thus, while he wanted to honor the man's last request, the simple truth of the matter was that the situation didn't merit such a response..."Well, it's not like he'll be able to tell the difference between this and my strongest attack..."Having made his decision, Vahn, once again, manifested Laev-tan. Then, as time began its slow yet gradual crawl forward, he held her in a manner reminiscent of a sword prayer and whispered, "The path of the sword has no endings, only new beginnings. Every moment flows into the next, and, no matter how far you walk, the road only grows longer. Fortunately, it is not a path walked alone. No. It is an opportunity to grow closer with the companions we encounter along the way. Wouldn't you agree, my precious little Laev-tan?"Throughout the chant-like payer, the fiery cracks covering Laev-tan's length had increased in size and intensity. It appeared as though she would explode into countless fragments at any moment, yet, in spite of this, an exceptionally excited, ("Nn!") resonated from within the fiery blade.Feeling Laev-tan's excitement spread throughout his body, a smile developed across Vahn's face as he promptly pointed her tip towards his chest and shouted, "Even the all-consuming flames cannot burn without limit! Destruction and Creation are two sides of the same coin! The time has come! Set alight the divine forge! Awaken! Nidavellir...!"Without a single moment's hesitation, Vahn thrust Laev-tan's blade into the very center of his being. At the exact same moment, the cracks adorning her length spontaneously exploded, mystical white light reminiscent of starlight emerging from within. Said light formed a cacoon around Vahn's body, but, if you were to look closely, it was possible to make out her blade retracting into his chest and back before the light enveloping them formed into a crystallized egg.From the perspective of Jahad, a blindingly white light had emitted from Vahn's the moment he shouted the name of his own attack. Rather than focusing on this, however, he channeled every ounce of his energy into the golden spear protruding from his palm. At a glance, it looked like the golden needle he had been famous for since a time long before his ascent up the Tower. In reality, much like the lightning bolt that had been sealed within Eduan's arm, it was a legendary weapon that had been recovered from a mysterious island back on his homeworld. According to scholars, it could even lay low the Gods, and, so long as it recognized the user, it was capable of producing an attack that simply couldn't be blocked, avoided, or mitigated. (A/N: Scathach would like to know your location...)It was the existence of Gae Bolg that gave Jahad the confidence to force an internecine outcome. It was his ultimate trump card, and, during his battle against the King of Killer Whales, Levithan, it was instrumental in allowing him to defeat the beast with power comparable to a Guardian...Placing even his faith in the attack, Jahad observed with rapt attention as the spear turned into a flash of golden lightning that instantaneously branched into countless faster-than-light beams of energy. Several of these impacted the egg-like shell surrounding Vahn, but, instead of piercing the relatively thin-looking membrane, every single beam immediately reflected away from the surface. This wasn't enough to dissipate them, but, the moment he saw the highly penetrative beams simply bounce off of Vahn's protective barrier, the color drained away from Jahad's face.Fortunately, he wasn't afforded the time to even consider giving in to despair, as, shortly after the first beams of light struck, a crack appeared on the 'egg'. From the perspective of Jahad, said crack slowly expanded from its starting point, but, in reality, less than a picosecond had transpired by the time Vahn erupted from the egg and stabbed him in the chest. As for the movements leading up to this development, Jahad hadn't been able to perceive them in the slightest."You're the first person to witness this technique in an actual combat situation. Satisfied...?"Though he had managed to process Vahn's words, Jahad was more distracted by the fact that the beams of light produced by his Gae Bold had arced back in an attempt to pierce the former from behind. The moment they came into contact with the angelic white wings that now protruded from his back, however, they simply shattered like glass without so much as singing so much as a single one of his feathers.Despite offering a casual smile, Vahn didn't wait for Jahad to recover from his stunned silence. The red tendrils in and around his body had started to gain ground as a result of his distracted mind, so, before the King could become little more than a puppet, he appended, "You'll have to be..."Punctuating this statement, the feather-like scales covering Vahn's forearm and fusing his right hand together with his silver-white sword began to turn crimson red. At the same time, originating from the point where his sword had pierced Jahad's chest, a strange distortion occurred as Jahad, the tentacles protruding from his body, and even the fate attached to him began to dissolve away.Borrowing a page from the residents of the Tower, Vahn's expression became inordinately serious as he exclaimed, "Sage Dragon Emperor's Secret Technique - Fate Severing...!"The moment Vahn's words fell, the crimson red tentacles protruding from Jahad's body became little more than a red mist before promptly disappearing into thin air. A similar phenomenon was occurring to the rest of his body, but, thanks to a thin veil of Source Energy, he was able to persist long enough to smile and reply, "The distance was much further than I expected. It's a shame we didn't meet sooner. I would have liked to...experience...an adventure...with you..."Though his smile had persisted until the very end, a tremendous amount of regret could be seen in Jahad's eyes as his body and spirit dissipated into the void. Not even his Ego had been spared from Vahn's attack, so, despite possessing tremendous willpower and an extraordinary amount of Karma, his next life would be a fresh start. As for Vahn, his Karma suddenly increased by several billion, but, in spite of this, his Status continued to display nothing but question marks for the actual value."I wonder if this means I'm no longer influenced by things like fate and karma..."Shaking his head, a wry smile developed across Vahn's face as he realized this was, at best, wishful thinking. He might not possess a fate of his own, but, so long as there were beings more powerful than himself, Karma would continue to be an influence in his life. There was even a chance one of the Deities within the Divine Realm would send something to 'test' him the moment he leaves the Tower, so, until he reached Tier 7, it was best to respect Karma and her influence on the Record.Having formed that resolution, Vahn shifted his attention to the silvery-white sword protruding from his hand, musing, "I wonder if this is how the original Ichigo felt like when he activated the Final Getsuga Tensho? The power of Shukai...even I can't help feeling this is a little excessive..."Though it didn't appear in every iteration of Bleach, Shukai, meaning Mastered Release, was the third and final transformation a Zanpakuto and its user could achieve. It was the state where the user and their Zanpakuto fused to become a singular entity, and, as a result, they had received a shared name. This was even updated in his status, so, for the time being, Vahn was no longer Vahn Aldrnari Mason. Instead, he had become Nidavellir, a name originating from the Dwarven Realm of Norse Mythology.Nidavellir was the place where countless legendary weapons had been forged. Laev-tan's desire to allow him to wield multiple weapons, combined with his skills as a Divine Smith, had culminated in a form that embodied one of the most legendary homes of craftsman across all Records. It allowed him to create powerful weapons and defensive armaments with a mere thought, but, as powerful as this was, the thing that terrified Vahn the most was how his domain had spread to encompass the entirety of the 134th Floor's Middle Tower...a region roughly the size of North and South America combined...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Plagiarism...!','That's one way to save OP...','I can't even imagine how happy Laev-tan is right now (&gt;,...,&lt;)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he was tempted to return home and just relax, Vahn could sense that Laev-tan wished to stay in the Shukai state for a while longer. He also wanted to give Fenrir a chance to absorb some of the energy from the ongoing storm, so, taking advantage of his domain's extended range, Vahn guided as much of the energy as he could towards her location.Ever since Pram had attained Tier 4, Fenrir had been feeling increased pressure to breakthrough herself. Consuming the energy of the 134th Floor wouldn't really help with this, but, so long as her opponent lacked a comprehensive understanding of the Laws, she could easily battle against Gods with limited or constrained Authority.When everything was said and done, a wry smile had developed across Vahn's face as he caressed Fenrir's somewhat bulbous belly. She could consume billions of calories without putting on a single gram of weight, but, when it came to consuming tremendous volumes of energy, it took her body a while to process it. During those moments, the energy in her body would disperse into her fur, and, as a result, she would glow a different color depending on the purity, element, and composition of the energy she had absorbed.At the present moment, Fenrir's fur had become a fiery white with a hint of gold. This was the result of a tremendous amount of Yang Elemental Energy, one of the few types Fenrir genuinely struggled with processing. Thus, while he could have used the magic circle on her body, Vahn decided to help her digest by caressing her belly and uttering a few teasing remarks..."I know I've been wanting you to put on weight ever since we were living in the Hearth Manor, but this is a little ridiculous..."As she was lying on her back, Fenrir twisted her entire body, emulating a head-tilt as she released a canine-esque whine. She was perfectly capable of speaking in her wolf transformation, but, knowing how weak he was to her puppy-like appearance, she didn't hesitate to full advantage of her species' inherent cuteness."You clever little minx..."Punctuating his words, Vahn fell face-first into Fenrir's belly, disappearing into her inordinately thick underfur. It was still possible to see him if you were standing nearby or behind, but, from any other point of view, he had basically vanished into the tall grass that was Fenrir's exceptionally warm belly fur, nuzzling and tickling without mercy.........Since it would take her a while to process an entire Floor's worth of energy, Vahn helped Fenrir to compress it into a semi-solid mass reminiscent of a monster core. This would allow her to absorb it at her leisure, and, so long as it persisted within her body, she wouldn't have to worry about feeling hungry.Though she had effectively gained full control over her hunger pangs and urges, Fenrir's [Insatiable Hunger] wasn't considered an 'unrestricted' Innate without reason. It had no Grade to speak of, so, if her emotional state became even slightly chaotic, her hunger would return with a vengeance. The only actual change between now and her more youthful counterpart was that she could ignore and outright suppress the hunger using sheer force of will.If she were willing, Vahn could have Fenrir ingest a crystalized version of him, and, much like how he had once powered Scathach, she would benefit from the excess energy that naturally radiated from his body. The only reason he didn't do this was that Fenrir, in adherence with his teachings, wanted to master herself and her Innates without assistance. She had taken every lesson he ever taught her to heart, and, while it sometimes concerned him, Fenrir's heartfelt desire to remain a 'good girl' was one of the things that gave Vahn strength...As that thought crossed his mind, an affectionate smile developed across Vahn's face as he stared down at the inordinately beautiful woman curled up in his arms. She had come a long way from the emaciated young woman who made him apprehensive at the mere thought of starting an intimate relationship. Now, even if she were to stand next to a Goddess such as Ishtar, she wouldn't lose out in charm. This might be conjecture based on pure bias, but, when it came to love, even Gods could be blind...Undoubtedly sensing his thoughts, Fenrir opened her eyes to reveal glacial-blue irises that starkly contracted her usual crimson reds. Then, with an uncharacteristically cheeky smile on her face, she teased, "No matter how much you love me, I'll always love you more~""Ahahahahaha..."Amused by the rather bold proclamation, Vahn allowed a light-hearted laugh to emanate from his throat before hugging the lovable girl a little tighter and saying, "Challenge accepted..."---Several days after the 'climactic' battle between Vahn and Jahad, the seal preventing access to the 134th Floor naturally faded away. Shortly thereafter, members of the 1st Army Corps, commanded by Adori Jahad, ventured into the scene. When they first saw the devastation wrought by the battle, shock and awe overwhelmed even the strongest of Rankers within the group.Everything the group had come to associate with the Empire's eternal reign had been erased. It wasn't just buildings like the Imperial Palace either. Even natural landmarks and monuments had been wiped from existence. They would later come to learn that the elevation of the entire Floor had descended by more than 3km in some places.When the common residents of the Tower heard about these things, the most common reaction among them was utter disbelief. They didn't doubt that the fight between Jahad had shaken the very foundation of the 134th Floor, but it was impossible for them to imagine everything above a 3km depth simply being erased. It was a level of destruction beyond human comprehension, and, even with images showing the devastation first-hand, their minds simply refused to process it as anything more than fantasy.No group was affected more by this sentiment than the loyalists of the Jahad Empire. In their mind, it was simply impossible that their King could be defeated. The absence of a body caused the more desperate among them to claim he was still alive, recovering, or even trapped by Vahn. This led to a substantial group of people demanding that the Imperial Army conduct rescue operations, but, due to the measures Jahad had taken place prior to his death, they were unable to gain any momentum.It was a secret to most but Jahad had been meeting with his most trusted Ministers and Advisors in the months leading up to his demise. He had also reached out to each of his former comrades, not just the Leaders of the Ten Great Families, but all of the people who had accompanied them during their ascent up the Tower. This had caught many of them by surprise, as, ever since the Great War, a considerable number of Jahad's former allies had gone into hiding. The fact he could contact them showed that he had been keeping tabs on them for thousands of years, so, while a handful refused to even hear him out, others seriously considered their former friend's words.Though a transcript of the discussion wouldn't become public until several years later, the contents included, first and foremost, an apology. While he hadn't regretted his decision to become King, it would be an understatement to claim that Jahad hadn't felt remorse over the events leading up to, and following, The Great War. He had originally wanted to create a utopian Kingdom where he and his friends could rule together. He had never imagined things would develop to the point where he would need to order the execution of people who had served alongside him for thousands of years.Simply put, Jahad's only regret was that he hadn't been able to share his wealth and power with the people he cared about. This was the true reason he had never started a family, as, prior to The Great War, he had genuinely considered his friends to be his family. When they betrayed him, he felt such an overwhelming sense of shame that he even formed a contract with Headon to prevent him from producing a genuine heir. It wasn't that his blood was too powerful to be passed down to others. If that were the case, the Princess of Jahad would have never existed. No. The truth of the matter was that he had cursed himself to remain alone, a solitary King bearing a burden he had hoped to share with others.While these revelations only served to incense the majority of people who felt betrayed by Jahad, a handful felt genuine empathy and remorse. After all, they had originally followed Jahad, not out of respect for his overwhelming power, but his character. His charisma had been so infectious that he had been able to convert countless enemies, people who had once wanted nothing more than to see his head on a pike, into allies. Even the Leader of the Arie Family, Arie Hon, was no exception to this, as, prior to his ten consecutive defeats, he and Jahad had been mortal enemies.Recalling the man Jahad was, not the King he had come to be, several legendary figures made the decision to come out of hiding. A few of them harbored thoughts of revenge against the Ten Great Families. As for the rest, they had chosen to either honor Jahad's request or, in response to the final part of his message...'The way forward should have never been closed. It is the right of every resident within the Tower to aim for its summit. On the eve of my death, the way forward will be open. For many of you, it might be too late to say this, but, for those with the resolve to face the future with their heads held high, I pray that you find glory, prosperity, and excitement in the adventure to come. Go forth and witness a world I could only imagine in my dreams...' -Excerpt from 'A Prideful King's Confession'.---Understanding that things would only become increasingly complex if he were to appear too soon, Vahn decided to wait until some semblance of peace and stability had been restored. He knew that people like Tu Perie Tperie, Ha Yurin, and even Adori Jahad were attempting to contact him, but, for the time being, Vahn was content with letting speculation regarding his own fate run rampant.The conclusion Vahn had reached after his most recent awakening was that, despite his apparent disregard, he had placed too much emphasis on the Tower and its affairs. When he first started out, he had every intention of just going with the flow and orchestrating a situation where the peoples of the Tower could solve their own problems. He wanted to empower people like Baam, Khun, and other members of Team Wolf Pack so that they could eventually overcome the existing system and introduce change in a gradual, more natural, manner.With Baam's inordinately powerful fate, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that he would eventually come out on top. There was no way of knowing what kind of person he would become, but, after observing the developments within his Actualized Worlds, Vahn could certain that he would remain a force for 'good' until the very end. The [Child of Destiny] Innate might apply to heroes and villains in equal measure, but, so long as someone like Jahad bore the antagonistic variant, Baam was fated to develop in a manner that either reflected or foiled the former King's.Explained simply, Vahn didn't actually have to interfere with the 'stories' he found himself a part of. He could sit still, literally doing nothing, and, at least from the perspective of the 'world', he would still be the single most important existence in the entire Record. He was a variable that allowed for dynamic change in a world that, prior to his arrival, had a fixed past, present, and future. Thus, while he was free to take any action he so desires, there was nothing necessitating he be the one to solve everything. Rather, so long as he communicated his intentions with the world, it would readily make changes at his behest..."It looks like Headon is going to be receiving an early present..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There is always time for *mofu* *mofu* (UwU)...','Picture billions of surprised Pikachu faces...(O o O)...','Immeasurable power and authority...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

"Jahad Style Secret Technique - Billion Fold Universe - Great Trichiliocosm...!"Though the celestial bodies he had produced previously were great in number, it was nothing compared to the amount of quality-infused Baangs that manifested in response to Jahad's call. It was like the entire Floor had filled with an infinite number of black holes, stars, planets, asteroids, and gaseous mist. At the center of it all, encircled by nine golden rings, each delineating the orbit of planets, was none other than Jahad.While his heavily outfitted appearance hadn't changed all that much, Jahad's hair was now glowing with resplendent golden light. Complex runes had appeared on the left side of his face, and, though his left still shone with a brilliant golden hue, his right eye had turned crimson as the eye-like tattoo covering it began to writhe about like a chain being pulled along a path.With what could best be described as an excited grin on his face, Jahad raised his right hand and stated, "All the world revolves around me..."As if responding to his words, the countless celestial bodies began to orbit around him, slowly at first but quickly building speed. Far stranger was the fact that even the terrain of the Floor began to follow suit, seemingly pulled along by the nigh-infinite gravitational forces acting upon it.Like a scene out of a disaster film, the entirety of the 134th Floor was reduced to rubble as even the largest mountains turned into little more than loose debris. Were it not for the fact Vahn had shown mercy by teleporting them to safety, most of the people overlooked during the previous evacuation would have been in danger of losing their lives.Still, Vahn had to give credit to Jahad for the cinematic nature of the attack. He had even managed to influence the massive wall of watery Shinsu stalled under his previous command. Because of this, the ten or so kilometer region encompassing them now resembled the eye of a truly awe-inspiring typhoon, one capable of rending stars and planets from the sky.Seemingly unfished with his theatrics, Jahad lowered his right before raising his left hand and bringing his thumb and middle fingers together. Then, in a voice that caused the void around them to tremble, he uttered a surprisingly familiar line, "I am become death, destroyer of worlds..."*Snap*As the sound of the snap seemed to echo across space and time, each of the fast-moving celestial bodies produced by Jahad suddenly exploded. A phenomenal amount of energy was released from their interior, and, due to the rotation provoked by Jahad's previous statement, the entirety of the 134th Floor became a sea of destructive energy and light. Within this seemingly endless torrent, the black holes he had produced began to steadily increase in size, greedily consuming everything that came near.........Understanding the energy would never dissipate of its own accord, Vahn raised Laev-tan as if she were a lighter being held in front of an aerosol can. As his power flowed into her, brackish flames erupted along her length. Immediately thereafter, the chaotic energy swirling around him caught fire, as, despite being comprised of a truly tremendous amount of Yin, Yang, and other Elemental Energies, there was, implicitly, nothing Laev-tan's flames couldn't burn.Similar to setting a piece of steel wool aflame, Laev-tan's spread quickly. The speed and rotation of the energy actually worked in his favor, as, shortly after he held Laev-tan aloft, a 'ring-like' void had formed within the tempest. This gave Vahn a bit of breathing room, an amused smile appearing on his face as he muttered, "This kind of reminds me of woodworking...or perhaps pottery...?"Likening the phenomenon to what might happen if he held a chisel to a piece of rapidly spinning wood, Vahn was briefly tempted to see if he could 'shape' the energy around Jahad into a specific form. This would be showing off a little too much, however, so, after a moment of consideration, he relaxed his stance, eyes closed as he thought, "Maybe I should demonstrate my own Trichiliocosm? I bet Suzuka would be happy if she learned I used her technique to defeat a 'boss'..."Recalling the somewhat brash yet easily teased Kitsune, a smile developed across Vahn's face as he made a mental note to visit his Realm. It had been a while, and, now that he had found a solution to the problem of inadvertently limiting his loved ones' freedom, it was probably time to start merging his Realm with the Little Garden. Keeping them separate served no real purpose at this point, and, while they were technically safer within his Realm, Vahn wanted his children to be able to play, grow up, and even venture into different worlds together.As that thought crossed his mind, the world around Vahn slowed to a crawl as the edge of Laev-tan's blade began releasing a thin white light. If you were to magnify this light with an extremely powerful microscope, you would find a veritable universe of stars, planets, and even life contained within. If you somehow possessed the ability to enter within, you could even be able to witness the birth and inevitable destruction of countless parallel worlds, all of space and time compressed into a single moment."Enter the infinite...Trichiliocosm...!"......Though he didn't expect Vahn to actually succumb to his attack, Jahad's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as every single instinct he possessed screamed at him to evade. Unfortunately, before his brain could even begin to process these signals, a paper-thin ripple instantaneously passed through his body. His senses had failed to perceive this, and, as a result, he ended up teleporting away from the lower half of his body and everything beneath his right elbow.Discerning the state of his body immediately after his nigh-instantaneous spatial transference, an incredulous look replaced Jahad's previous glee as he whispered, "What just happened? How did his attack ignore my curse...?""The simple answer is: easily. A more involved explanation would require you to have an advanced understanding of the Laws. Unfortunately, I have better things to do so I'm afraid you'll have to be content with the former."Looking behind him, Jahad was surprised to discover that Vahn was less than five meters away from him. Since he hadn't been able to sense any spatial ripples, this implied that the latter had reached this location even before him. For this to be possible, Vahn's spatial transference would either need to exceed the speed of thought or, far more likely, he possessed the ability to peer into the future..."I expected you to draw this out a little longer...did you lose interest?"Shaking his head, Vahn spread his arms as if to gesture to the ongoing storm encircling them as he answered, "You escalated things a bit faster than I anticipated. I was originally intending to counter all of your techniques before ripping that little parasite out of your body and sending you on your way. This life has nothing meaningful left for you to accomplish. You let yourself stray too far from the path your younger self originally set upon. It's time for you to move on and start over."Having regained his apathetic appearance, Jahad muttered, "I see..." in a somber tone before raising his severed right arm and adding, "Then show me. Allow me to witness the power I failed to achieve even after all these years. Show me what it means to live freely, unbound by fate...!"Punctuating his words, crimson tendrils reminiscent of ribbed horn spears erupted from the stump of Jahad's right arm. Their speed was far beyond the reaction speed of most High Rankers, greatly exceeding the speed of light as they covered hundreds of kilometers in what most would quantify as an instant."Not bad for a borrowed power..."Though Jahad's tendrils had failed to push him back, the small puncture holes in the shield Vahn was wielding demonstrated the attack was nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, this would ultimately accelerate Jahad's defeat as the Zanpakuto Spirit residing within the rather futuristic-looking shield, Hyaku-chan, groaned, ("Papa...it hurts...")Hearing the demure and pain-filled voice, the smile on Vahn's face immediately vanished as he whispered, "Sorry...I'll be sure to make it up to you when we return home..."("Nn...okay...")As if motivated by his words, winged formed from pure energy radiated from Hyaku-chan's sides, instantaneously severing the tendrils. Then, activating her special ability, a complex magical circle resembling a cross manifested across her surface as Vahn shouted, "Divine Retribution...!"Since Jahad had previously reflected an attack back at him, Vahn decided to return the favor using one of his three shield-inspired Zanpakuto. The other two, Aegis and Svalinn, were better suited for mitigating damage, but, when it came to pure destructive power, Hyaku-chan even exceeded many of his offense-oriented Zanpakuto...Unable to resist the cross-shaped beam of light, Jahad's tendrils shattered like broken glass as the half-transformed man was sent spiraling into the ongoing energy storm. He had been attempting to fuse with the artificial demon sealed within his body. This would have made it marginally more difficult to purify his Ego after death, so, rather than allowing the metamorphosis to complete, Vahn figured he might as well save himself a bit of trouble by nipping the problem in the bud."This energy storm is starting to get on my nerves...hmmm..."Though he was keeping a watchful eye on Jahad to make sure the man didn't attempt anything too troublesome, Vahn had more than enough room to consider his options. Thus, after returning Laev-tan and Hyaku-chan, he opened his Unit Management and summoned a very startled yet pleasantly surprised Fenrir.Habitually petting the lovable Vanargandr's ears, Vahn explained, "I want you to try and absorb the energy rampaging on this Floor. Everyone has already been evacuated so feel free to go all out. I'll deal with Jahad."Squinting her eyes from both pleasure and glee, Fenrir could hardly contain her excitement as she replied, "Understood! Leave it to me...!"Amused by her vigor, Vahn gave Fenrir's bottom an affectionate smack, spurring her transformation into a massive wolf. This caused her cheeks to flush red, but, thanks to the layer of fur covering her entire body, it was indiscernible to the naked eye.Though the smack might have resembled a playful love tap, those with enhanced perception would have been able to witness a complex magical formation appearing the moment Vahn's palm sent a ripple through Fenrir's soft and incredibly pliant bottom. What made this formation unique was the fact that it was actually comprised entirely of Source Energy.While this might sound completely ludicrous considering Source Energy couldn't exist outside his body, Vahn's recent change in mentality had caused him to experiment with a number of ways to get around. Thus, drawing inspiration from the phenomenon he had witnessed during Yuri's battle against Han, Vahn came up with an outlandish yet surprisingly simple solution to the problem of keeping the people fighting alongside him safe: he would simply become a magic circle.As an entity that could literally exist without a physical or spiritual vessel, completely transcending the definition limiting creatures bound to the Axis of Reality, there were no limits to the forms Vahn could take. He could exist as a part of the void itself, and, even when he was emulating a physical form, the truth of the matter was that each of the trillions of cells comprising his body was, on the most fundamental level, the byproduct of Source Energy emulating actual cells.In essence, Vahn was a Conceptual Entity comprised entirely of pure energy. Magical formations were similar in this regard, so, while it was certainly an abstract way to manifest, there was nothing preventing him from materializing as a magic formation or even a single molecule within a person's body. This was all that was necessary for him to channel every ounce of the truly limitless energy at his disposal, and, as long as he maintained the connection, Vahn could both empower and protect the people around him without limit. There was no longer anything that could take away the people he loved...not even death...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Things just went from 0 to infinity real fast...','Vahn be like, "You call that a Trichiliocosm?"','The Legendary SSS-Rank Special Ability: Love Tap of Protection')(A/N: For those wondering where the chapters are. It's not that I'm not writing. I was just doing a mass release of NOICE in order to get it into the rankings xD. I'm really enjoying that story and it is helping me get back into the groove of writing 3+ chapters a day. In other words, even if it appears I'm writing less, I'm actually improving on my word count with each passing day :P.)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2025: An Incomprehensible Distance