Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Fenrir eliminating virtually every group that appeared within her range, Vahn was beginning to think Hime wouldn't even get a chance to act. Fortunately, it wasn't long before spiritual versions of the people she had eliminated began to rain down from the sky, seemingly unrestricted by the rules prohibiting flight above a certain height as they attempted to assault the fortress."So these are the Einherjar? They seem stronger now than when they were previously eliminated..."Though it was just an observation of his, Hime mistook Vahn's remark as confusion, explaining, "It is most likely a type of blessing. The word Einherjar translates to "army of one". They are meant to be mythical warriors who have distinguished themselves on the battlefield. Upon death, the Valkyries of Sigrun would descend from Valhalla to escort them to Odin's Longhall. There, they would feast upon the meat of the resurrecting-"Placing his finger on Hime's mouth, Vahn adopted an amused smile as he said, "I know. There is a reason Fenrir is named as such. I'm intimately familiar with the legends and lore related to Norse and Icelandic mythology..."Freezing in response to Vahn's words, the tips of Hime's ears became red as the former issued an amused chuckle and wrapped his hand around her waist. Then, before she could recover, he moved his hand closer to her bottom, gently caressing it as he said, "You should lend a hand. Fenrir might have unlimited mana while we're together but her most powerful attacks would break the rules of the game. Besides, I want everyone in the Little Garden to know that I have a remarkably beautiful Water Goddess on my side..."Though a part of her wanted to stay seated next to him, Hime nodded in response to Vahn's words before rising from her seat and spontaneously transforming into a massive white serpent. This was actually her true form so it was more cost-efficient to maintain than her humanoid transformation. She also knew the people in charge of broadcasting the game wouldn't hesitate to take liberties with the viewing angles, so, while she had no problem showing off, she didn't want people staring at her with their lascivious gazes. She was a Goddess, after all. She could literally sense when people were having such thoughts about her...Taking advantage of the functionally infinite supply of ice and water produced by Fenrir, a massive vortex appeared around Hime as she ascended towards the sky. Anyone that got close to her was instantaneously shredded to pieces, and, thanks to the excess Ice Elemental Energy saturating the atmosphere after Fenrir's attacks, the sky above the fortress became a veritable ocean that froze anything that attempted to pass through it."Mmm...she's strong. With training, she could be even stronger..."Nodding in response to Fenrir's remark, Vahn continued to stroke her unbelievably soft and pliant fur as his senses briefly linked with Siegfried and Scathatch. He doubted they would have any real trouble dealing with the Einherjar but it never hurt to check.........After cutting down dozens of foes, Scathach had managed to single-handedly secure one of the altars located on the Northern side of the mountain. Under normal circumstances, this would have resulted in multiple people teaming up to attack her. Instead, her surroundings had become eerily silent as even the Einherjar had given up attacking her after experiencing the excruciating pain of having Gae Bolg pierce their bodies.With nothing better to do, Scathach was sitting atop Sigurn's Altar with a listless expression on her face. It wasn't that she was particularly bored. The enemies had just failed to couldn't excite her. She was used to battles against beings that exceeded the Gods and even defied common sense. Normal opponents were remarkably mundane no matter how great their numbers.While staring up at the mountain, Scathach's eyes widened ever so slightly as she sensed a familiar presence overlapping with her own. It took a tremendous amount of effort to prevent herself from smiling, but, thanks to her exhaustive training in mastering every single faculty of her body, she was able to play it off as if she hadn't noticed Vahn's presence.Demonstrating an acting ability that would earn the approval of her original self, Scathach exhaled a melancholic sigh as she laid across Sigrun's Altar and muttered, "Master..." in a longing, ostensibly anguished tone. She even placed her hand over her heart, its steady rhythm becoming increasingly unstable as her serotonin and dopamine levels dropped.Though it was impossible to discern from her physiological reaction, Scathach couldn't help feeling amused when the senses that had overlapped with her own suddenly radiated a concerned, slightly apologetic vibe. At the same time, she could feel a sudden and spontaneous longing from Vahn, an indicator that he was thinking about all the times they had spent together, and, most importantly, apart.Taking advantage of the vulnerabilities in Vahn's mental state, Scathach moved her hand from atop her heart to her breast. A warmth that didn't belong to her immediately suffused through her body, and, though there was a chance she was being spied upon, Scathach didn't particularly care as her free hand crept towards the darker purple fabric covering her lower body. Humans were covetous by nature and there was little you could do to prevent the Gods from spying on you. Thus, the only gaze she really cared about was Vahn's. She also knew that he could feel everything she was feeling right now, so, without any hesitation whatsoever, she began to unabashedly caress herself through the fabric of her clothes........."...""Master...?"Sensing her Master's arousal, Fenrir sneakily took a big whiff of his aroma before turning her head up and calling out to him.Offering a wry smile in response, Vahn grabbed the sides of Fenrir's face, shamelessly squishing and massaging her cheeks as he said, "We may need to speed things up a bit..."Understanding the implication within her Master's words, a familiar longing spread through Fenrir's abdominal region as she hopped from his lap and said, "Leave it to me!" in an excited tone of voice. Then, stunning everyone spectating the scene within the ice fortress, Fenrir began shaking her body like a wolf that had just submerged from a river. This caused her already fluffy coat to become even fluffier, but, more importantly, several nebulous wolf pups began spreading through the area until a rather sizeable pack had formed.Though the pups appeared similar at a glance, closer observation would reveal that the runes and patterns on their bodies were distinctly different. Some had patterns reminiscent of scales, wings, and other racial markers. Others had complex magical formations that glistened like icy blue light or destructive flames against a backdrop of black fur.As ridiculous as it sounded, each of these wolf pups represented one of the people in Fenrir's pack. The one with angelic markings on its back originated from Jeanne while the version producing fiery red flames actually drew power from Mordred. She had grown into her own woman, but, much like her respect towards her Mother, Mordred had never lost her appreciation for Fenrir. She was, after all, her first girl crush..."Go. Bring victory to our Master."Since the nebulous clones were effectively amalgamations of energy, they lacked the sapience to converse with words. Instead, they howled in unison before spontaneously turning into shadowy puddles that moved along the ground and passed through cracks with startling speed. The only exception was a pup with amber eyes and pale gold markings that formed the shape similar to a sword near its bottom.Ignoring Fenrir's adorably pouty expression, the disobedient pup mozied on over to Vahn before rubbing its body against his leg and jumping into his lap like a cat. This caused Fenrir to bare her teeth as she muttered, "Altria..." in an overtly threatening tone.Looking over at Fenrir, the pup based on Altria adopted a slightly taunting expression as it plopped down and made itself comfortable on Vahn's lap. It had inherited its original's mischievous and lazy personality, so, unless the situation was serious, it had no intention of exerting itself. It would much rather just laze about in Vahn's lap and receive his pampering. Just like the real Altria...Though she was tempted to bite the disobedient pup, Fenrir's anger faded in an instant when Vahn placed his hand on Altria's head and said, "Don't fight. The others will be able to handle things. For now, let's just relax until the Bifrost is active. There are still a few hidden objectives that have yet to reveal themselves. No sense in getting worked up before the climax."Ignoring the smug look on the clone's face, Fenrir returned to Vahn's lap before snuggling next to the annoying pup and making herself comfortable. The only thing she really cared about was her Master's opinion, so, understanding that she could always deal with the real Altria later, Fenrir didn't mind cuddling up next to the traitor if it meant she could receive additional headpats.........A stark contrast to the situation on Scathach's side, Siegfried was beginning to feel pressured as dozens of Einherjar persistently raided his position. This had nothing to do with a lack of strength on his part. Rather, the moment he reached the Altar, Siegfried discovered that another Community had already claimed it. More importantly, they were barely holding on as they desperately resisted a siege.Though the Community was technically his enemy, Siegfried was unable to simply ignore people in need. He also refused to raise his sword against the innocent, so, until he could ascertain what kind of people they were, he intended to help them. After all, there were a total of eight altars. Even if he gave one up, there were five others he could claim.With such thoughts guiding his actions, Siegfried released a three-hundred-meter wide blade of energy towards the group of Einherjar descending from the sky. This was far less effective than if he had targetted the ground, but, as an Anti-Army ability that could erase small islands from the map, he didn't want to get the people he was protecting or the altar caught up in the aftermath.Taking advantage of the momentary lull, Siegfried exhaled an ostensibly fatigued sigh as he casually blocked the sword of a young man with fox-like ears and clothing reminiscent of a ninja. The runic circle behind him denoted him as an Einherjar, but, rather than deal a fatal blow, Siegfried parried the young man's blade to the side before chopping the back of his neck. This added to the pile of unconscious individuals encircling his body, people he had chosen to spare due to their relatively young ages or overall weakness...Looking around, Siegfried confirmed there were no other enemies nearby before turning toward the purple-haired woman that had attempted to guard his back but was too stunned to actually do anything. Her slack-jawed expression caused his to own soften considerably, and, as a result of his handsome appearance, a rather potent blush developed across the woman's face as she averted her eyes and muttered, "Thank you for helping us...we wouldn't have been able to defend this place without you..."Shaking his head, Siegfried adopted a kind smile as he said, "I didn't do much. I'm sure that, even without my assistance, you and your friends would have been able to manage. I can sense great power dwelling within you. If you released it fully, even an army of Einherjar might not be able to match you."Though she believed Siegfried was just being polite, the purple-haired beauty couldn't suppress a smile as she said, "Thank you very much. My name is Dorothea, by the way. If it isn't too much to ask, I would be honored to hear the name of my savior. Who knows, maybe our Communities can work together in the future?"Returning a polite smile of his own, Siegfried's aquamarine eyes shifted towards the other members of Dorothea's party before answering, "Siegfried...my name is Siegfried..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Hime is adorable...','Scathach is too bold (O////O)...','A very mischievous little pup...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

"Master, my pack has taken over three of the Altars."Though it had only been a few minutes since Fenrir sent out her pack of puppies, Vahn wasn't surprised to hear they had already completed their objective. Even the weakest among them was stronger than the average 6-Digit Community member. They also had nothing to do with any of Fenrir's actual Gifts, so, even if someone tried to cry foul, it wouldn't take long to prove their innocence."Good girl."Running his hand along the side and bottom of her neck, Vahn compelled Fenrir to roll over so he could give her belly a vigorous rub. As this was happening, a horn could be heard in the distance, its sound carrying across the game board as a rainbow-hued pillar of light impacted each of the Altars."Oh. I half-expected something like Jörmungandr to show up..."Since this made his job a lot easier, Vahn created a double to teleport near the base of the Altar Fenrir's fortress had settled over. The rainbow-hued pillar had penetrated through the icy mass as if it didn't exist. This would have terrified most people, but, knowing he could just make another version of himself, Vahn immediately stepped into the beam.After a sensation akin to having his body broken down molecule by molecule, Vahn found himself reassembled in a large stone arena. There was a large runic symbol that had burned itself into the ground beneath his feet, but, rather than pay attention to that, he raised his brows toward the rather fierce-looking redhead standing at the opposite side of the arena, asking, "Is it just you...?"Furrowing her brows in response to Vahn's words, Ragna brandished her twin battleaxes, the runes across its surface emitting a fiery blue light as she explained, "The arena of Himinbjörg is a sacred place. Only two people can enter. Only one can leave. You will have to occupy this place until the end of the Gift Game if you wish to declare yourself the victor."As Ragna spoke, an updated Geass Roll appeared out of thin air. Now, instead of three hidden conditions, there were only two. The third row of question marks had updated to reflect what Ragna had said."Well, that simplifies things..."Raising his hand as he spoke, Vahn left Ragna frozen, the pupils of her eyes contracted as he caught the lightning bolt that attempted to strike him. If he had tanked it, she wouldn't have been that surprised. Instead, his touch had caused it to turn into a physical tendril of energy as he said, "You can have this back."Though she could deflect natural lightning, Ragna was barely able to tense her body before the bolt wielded by Vahn struck her like a whip. In the very next moment, she felt as though her body had passed through multiple membranes. In actuality, these were a series of stone pillars and a thick wall...With Ragna's body breaking down into bluish-white light, Vahn shifted his attention to the structure of the arena. It was approximately 500m in diameter with a series of ten, thirty, and fifty-meter walls forming three concentric circles. The circle he had presently found himself in was host to nine large pillars, each connected via a large engraving resembling a tree."Marvelous..."As a Blacksmith and an Artisan, Vahn was someone who could appreciate interesting designs and themes. It was obvious that someone had put a lot of effort into developing this particular Game Board. If he didn't know that everything would be reset the moment the game came to an end, he might even be reluctant to destroy it........."Greetings, friend. My name is Thanus Nyx, Leader of Twice Twilight. I owe you my sincerest gratitude. Without your help, we would have already been eliminated from the competition."Though he could sense of overwhelmingly dark aura emanating from the glowing-eyed man, Siegfried had learned from Vahn that he should never judge a book by its cover. Thus, without any discernible hesitation on his face, he accepted the former's handshake, stating, "It's not a big deal. I was just passing through and decided to lend a hand of my own volition. There are no debts between us."Smiling in response to Siegfried's words, Thanus gave the former's hand a firm shake before retracting his hand and asking, "What will you do now? I can't imagine you cooperating with us until the end of the Gift Game. Shouldn't you be helping your own Community?"Answering in Siegfried's stead, Dorothea, the same woman Vahn had encountered prior to his affiliation with Thousand Eyes, revealed, "He said he doesn't belong to a Community. He is the conjured spirit of another Player."Blinking in surprise, Thanus gave Siegfried another once-over as he remarked, "Amazing. Your Master must be a remarkable individual to summon someone as powerful as you. From what I can tell, you're no different from any other Player..."Returning a kind smile, Siegfried withheld any remarks related to Vahn. He had no intention of parting with any information related to his best friend and benefactor. Instead, he just nodded his head and said, "I should be going. I wish you and your Community the best of luck for the remainder of the game."Without waiting for Thanus' reply, Siegfried directed a second nod towards Dorothea before spreading his wings and taking to the sky. This caused the smile on Thanus' face to turn wry, but, understanding he wasn't a match for the silver-haired warrior, he ultimately just shook his head before looking back at Dorothea and musing, "You're as popular as ever."Blushing in response to her Leader's words, Dorothea adopted a slightly pouty expression as she rebutted, "Mooou! I told you to stop teasing me! B-Besides, the person I really like-"Before Dorothea could finish her impromptu confession, one of the Einherjar that had been knocked unconscious by Siegfried suddenly charged toward her. Unfortunately for him, he was only able to get about three steps before a bluish-black shadow resembling a demonic ant emerged from the ground, bifurcating him in an instant.........With five of the eight Altars under the control of his forces, Vahn wasn't surprised by the lack of people arriving to challenge him. Each individual member of Fenrir's pack could wipe out an average 6-Digit Community on their own, so, even if numerous Communities teamed up, there was very little they could do to shift the tide in their favor.Fortunately, the Gift Game seemed to have accounted for this particular scenario as another horn could be heard echoing throughout the Game Board after an hour had passed. Since he had another version of himself idling about at the base of the mountain, Vahn was able to see a massive blizzard forming along the edges of the playing field."So that's how they intend to force the Players inward. The playing area shrinks over time..."As soon as those words left his mouth, Vahn was unsurprised to see a Geass Roll manifest in front of him. Whenever Players discovered one of the hidden objectives, the rolls had a habit of updating for all participants. What he didn't expect was the actual description present on the scroll..."We have to protect the Altars from a Frost Giant invasion? That's sneaky..."With a clause dictating that everyone would be eliminated if more than half of Sigrun's Altars were destroyed, Leviathan's Tail would have been able to guarantee their victory against most other Communities. The rules of the game not only forced a Community to divide their forces to conquer multiple Altars but they would also need to send their strongest members through the Bifrost in order to ensure victory. In other words, only their weaker members would remain to defend against the Frost Giants' assault, and, due to the restrictions placed on summoning, someone like Jin would have been helpless to do anything.Unfortunately for the members of Leviathan's Tail, Vahn had no such limitations. Siegfried and Scathach weren't even considered summoned creatures, and, even if they had been, the rules of the game didn't designate that a Player couldn't use multiple Gifts to summon. It only said that Gifts related to summoning were limited to a total of three summons. Nowhere did it say you could only use a single Gift related to summoning.After briefly considering whether or not he should summon the entirety of Avalon's forces in order to deter future challengers, Vahn ultimately shook his head before patting the two pups in his lap and saying, "My turn."Though the pup representing Altria seemed unwilling to part with him, she ended up having little choice when Fenrir, appearing as a much larger wolf, picked her up by the scruff of her neck. This allowed Vahn to rise to his feet, his bones creaking and popping as the clothes on his body gradually disappeared. This created quite the sight for female viewers to behold. As for the men...well...Thanks to his numerous Divinities, Vahn was vaguely aware of how others, especially large groups of people, perceived him. Fortunately, he wasn't inexperienced with this phenomenon so he was largely able to ignore it as he appeared outside the frozen fortress. Then, under the shocked gazes of virtually everyone spectating the Gift Game, his body increased in size as an azure light erupted from his body.With the intent of increasing his familiarity with [Rakshasa Body], Vahn decided to transform into a proper Azure Dragon for the first time in quite a while. Instead of the humanoid version, however, he went with the full dragon transformation. By the time the light faded away, he had grown to more than 300m in length, his body resembling that of an eastern dragon, complete with a serpentine body, golden scales, large horns, whiskers, and an azure mane that crackled with electricity.Ignoring the ravenous look he was receiving from Hime, Vahn opened his maw to release a roar that, for a brief moment, created absolutely no sound. At the same time, the image most people were viewing appearing to freeze. It was like everything had suddenly come to a stop, and, were it not for the ambient sounds around them, some may have even believed they had been frozen in time.As a feeling of incongruency welled in the hearts and minds of the average spectator, a scene unlike anything they had experienced appeared before them. The image seemed to glitch for a brief moment as a majestic roar emanated from the screen, seemingly echoing throughout the entirety of the East Side. At the same time, incomprehensible devastation was reflected in the image they had been watching as thick bands of azure lightning tore through the blizzard that had been encroaching upon the Game Board.........Seeing the form of Vahn reflected on a floating jade tablet, a man with remarkable features, long white hair, sword-like eyebrows, and sky-blue pupils couldn't help raising his brows as he remarked, "What a curious fellow. I wonder if he has any relation to Meng Zhang?"Answering the inordinately handsome man's inquiry was a woman whose beauty could only be described as heavenly. She also had long white hair, but, instead of radiant, sky-blue eyes, hers were a shade of opaque pink that seemed to draw in anyone that stared into them. As for her response, she simply replied, "Perhaps."Returning a curt nod in response to his wife's remark, the inordinately handsome man pulled out a jade slip with his right hand, shattering it as he said, "Wang. Fetch Meng Zhang. There is a matter I wish to discuss with him."Shortly after the man had spoken, a remarkably reverential voice, seemingly emitting from the void, answer, "As you will, Your Imperial Majesty..."......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Is it just you...?','That is a pretty sneaky clause...','Vahn takes showing off to another level...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and everything in between~! Welcome to the inaugural high-profile Gift Game hosted by the Leviathan's Tail Community~! Today is an especially-"Hearing the announcer begin their opening address, Vahn rose from his position alongside Fenrir and Shirayukihime, stating, "It's showtime." before proceeding to stretch his arms and pop his back.Vahn wasn't particularly well known for his patience when a person's freedom was at stake so he had been feeling increasingly itchy as the Gift Game drew closer. Now that it was about to begin, the only thing preventing him from releasing his aura was the knowledge that it would trouble both Shiroyasha and the residents of the Little Garden.Fortunately, the opening ceremony was more for the spectators than the participants. As a result, it wasn't long before a massive teleportation array appeared in the square where the contestants had been asked together. Moments after that, they found themselves transported to a vast stretch of icy terrain surrounded by snow-covered forests and dominated by a colossal mountain that pierced the clouds.Raising his brows, Vahn was about to try and teleport directly to the top when a massive Geass Roll appeared out of thin air, its text glittering like golden runes."Oh? They really shot themselves in the foot on this one..."------------------------------------------------&lt;Feast of the Einherjar&gt;[Win Condition]Access the Bifrost, ascend Himinbjörg, and gain the recognition of Heimdallr.[Hidden Conditions]1: ?????2: ?????3: ?????[Rules]1: Players attempting to access the Bifrost need to occupy at least half of the Sigrun's 8 Altars.2: Defeated Players will be escorted to the Halls of Valhalla by Sigrun's Valkyries.3: Defeated Players will continue to spawn as Einherjar until the end of the game.4: Einherjar are charged with protecting the mountain and preventing enemies from invading.5: Einherjar that have defeated at least 10 other Players will be given the opportunity to respawn at their original location.6: Only one person can earn the recognition of Heimdallr.[Restrictions]1: Flight above 1000m is restricted.2: Teleportation beyond 500m is restricted.3: Gifts that summon Familiars, Constructs, Djinn, and other Non-Player entities are limited to a total of three summons.4: Gifts that override Immortality or cause Permadeath are strictly prohibited.5: Gifts that allow Players to overwrite or invalidate rules are strictly prohibited.6: Duels between Players cannot be interrupted by other Players.[Time Limit]000:000:09:59:43------------------------------------------------Amused by the nordic theme, a smile developed across Vahn's face as a massive, largely cosmetic magic circle appeared beneath his feet. Immediately thereafter, an inordinately tall and muscular man appeared, his chest glistening with a glowing green pattern that vaguely resembled a dragon. At his side was a remarkably beautiful woman wearing a skin-tight bodysuit, her purple hair waving gracefully despite the harsh wind as she cast her scarlet gaze over their surroundings."Yo, Siegfried, Scathach. Welcome to the party."Smiling wryly in response to Vahn's words, Siegfried replied, "I never expected you to summon me like this. It's been a while since I had a spiritual form..."Showing considerably less perturbation than the silver-haired warrior, Scathach adopted a far more sincere smile as she said, "It's good to see you, Master. How might I be of assistance...?"Since the Geass Roll had already vanished, Vahn quickly explained the situation to the two Heroic Spirits. When Siegfried learned he had been summoned because he fit the theme of the game, the smile on his face became even wrier. Despite this, he was actually looking forward to helping out as he had always wanted to repay Vahn for his benevolence. He had literally lost count of the number of things he was thankful for. Thus, even if Vahn ordered him to draw his blade and assault the sun, he would do so without fear or hesitation."To surmise, I need the two of you to take over and hold two of Sigrun's Altars. You can strike down your opponents but make sure you don't use any anti-immortal or anti-divine weapons. Someone's freedom is on the line and I don't want to be disqualified."Nodding his head in affirmation, Siegfried manifested his Balmung before giving it a few practice swings. It had literally been decades since he last participated in anything more than a spar. As for Scathach, she had mastered her body to such an extent that she could control the flow of blood in her veins. Thus, the moment Vahn finished speaking, she answered, "I will not fail." before using a variant of Shundo that left behind a crimson glow."She certainly seems spirited..."Chuckling in response to Siegfried's statement, Vahn mused, "I've tried getting her to mellow out but she still takes everything seriously. Don't let it bother you."Shouldering his Balmung, Siegfried returned a nod as the symbol on his chest began to release a vibrant green light. At the same time, a rather thick tail covering in black scales erupted from his lower back as two relatively small yet draconic-looking wings sprouted at its sides. This was a half-manifestation of his Armor of Fafnir, an ability that had essentially made him invulnerable back in the Nasuverse."A thousand meters, right?"Seeing Vahn nod, Siegfried returned one of his own before flapping his wings and taking to the sky like a silvery-green meteor. This left the former alone with Fenrir and a very confused-looking Hime. Siegfried's sword had caused her body to tense up, but, compared to the horrifying aura emanating from Scathach, even the anti-dragon sword in the former's hand seemed tame.Noticing the befuddled beauty's state, Vahn extended his hand to gently caress Hime's head as he said, "They're two of my closest friends and companions. You'll never have to worry about fighting them..."Feeling the calming energy spreading through her body, Hime exhaled a breath she hadn't even realized she was holding."Did you say their names were Siegfried and Scathach? I have heard rumors of similarly named individuals. I believe Siegfried is called the Dragon Knight while Scathach is known throughout the Little Garden as The Witch of Dun Scaith. The latter is particularly famous since many of the people she has trained ended up becoming heroic figures whose names resounded throughout the Divine Realm..."Since it would have been infinitely more surprising to learn that Scathach didn't exist in the Divine Realm, Vahn simply nodded his head in response to Hime's explanation. At the same time, he found himself wondering if there were parallels between the Divine Realm and the Nasuverse. They might not be directly related to each other, but, considering the number of remarkably beautiful women he had already encountered, he wouldn't be surprised to learn that certain heroic figures had been converted to heaven-sent beauties due to the machinations of a few Poets...Shaking that thought from his mind, Vahn retracted his hand from Hime's head before saying, "For now, we'll stick together. I can easily take over and occupy each of the altars on my own so this is a good opportunity for the two of you to show off. The enemy was gracious enough to provide us an icy terrain. Might as well make use of it."Though Hime seemed hesitant to proceed without an actual plan, Fenrir happily stepped forward, a tremendous volume of magical energy erupted from her body as she freely manipulated the water, ice, and snow in the environment. It took her less than thirty seconds to create a literal fortress of ice and snow that stunned both spectators and casters alike as it began a slow and gradual advance towards the nearest Altar. She had even included an icy throne for Vahn to sit in before curling up in his lap and focusing all her attention on piloting the fortress........."Are you freaking kidding me...?"Sitting within an observatory decorated with a twenty-meter tall statue of a golden god holding a double-bladed sword, Sigurd couldn't help but stare in disbelief as he saw the massive fortress of ice and snow float across the battlefield. It was basically a Game Board within a Game Board, and, to make matters even worse, laser-like beams of ice-elemental energy would bombard anyone that got within a few kilometers of the monstrous behemoth."Such a ridiculous mastery over ice and snow...it's almost like he knew what kind of Game Board we would be using in advance..."Responding to her brother's incredulity, Gyda's voice was cold as she focused her crimson eyes on the image of Vahn lounging atop his icy throne. His bronzed skin, dark hair, stylish clothes, and glowing green cut quite the figure against the frozen backdrop. He was almost like a God-King, all-powerful and utterly unconcerned by the efforts and machinations of his would-be opponents.Though he noticed the look on his little sister's face, Sigurd convinced himself it was nothing as he waved his hand and changed the image to reflect Scathach. If his affections weren't fully invested in his two sisters, he might have found her unreasonably attractive. Demons, including those with high ranks and titles, generally only had a single thing they obsessed over. For Sigurd, this obsession was his two sisters. They were the reason he had given up his humanity, so, other than intrigue, he felt nothing towards the phenomenal beauty cutting through an entire Community without even batting an eye."Do you think you can take her...?"Seeing the same image as her brother, Gyda only hesitated for a brief moment before shaking her head and saying, "Impossible. I've never seen anyone with movements that sharp and I'm positive she is still holding back. Even if Ragna and I were to team up against her, I doubt we would be able to win."Having reached a similar conclusion, an excited smile developed across Sigurd's face as he mused, "In other words, we're completely fucked! Gyahahahahahahahaha~!"While most people would feel dejected or annoyed when they encountered a setback, Sigurd was the type that became exponentially more excited as the odds were stacked against him. It was this trait of his that had allowed him to sway the hearts of his two sisters, as, no matter what, he never gave up.With horns protruding from his head and red markings spreading over his face and hands, Sigurd looked Gyda straight in the eyes as he asked, "Will you stand with me? It's been a long time since we fought together..."Meeting her brother's gaze, Gyda's expression remained unreadable for several seconds until she invariably released a sigh and complained, "Do you really need to ask? I've already violated one of the greatest taboos of our people. I'm not going to get cold feet this late in the game..."Smiling wide enough to display his unnaturally angular teeth, Sigurd appeared even more excited than before as he pumped his fist and exclaimed, "Alright! We might be up against a completely ridiculous foe, but that doesn't mean we can't go out with a bang! Let's make this a battle the Little Garden will be talking about for generations! Gyahahahahahahaha~!"Nodding her head in response, Gyda did her best to return a smile of her own even as she watched her brother's body contract to the point he began to appear emaciated. She hated seeing him like this as he couldn't even be called a shadow of his former self. People in the East might find this kind of appearance attractive, but, back where she was from, men were valued based on their manliness and physique. She used to enjoy being forced down by her brother as his tree-like arms had always made her feel safe and secure. Now, his arms were even thinner than hers, and, whenever he was in his fully transformed state, he barely weighed more than nine stones...(A/N: 58kgs/130lbs)Unaware of his sister's thoughts, Sigurd pulled out a massive battleax that made the pair wielded by Ragna appear cute and dainty. His physique might have diminished ever since he became a demon, but, compared to his past self, he was actually several times stronger."Vahn Aldrnari Mason, huh? Our battle will be legendary...!"......(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Imagine summoning an ice-themed Game Board when your opponent has a Water God and The Queen of the Frozen Abyss on their side...','Fenrir knows how to show off and pander to her Master at the same time~','Oof. Can I get an F in the chat for Sigurd...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 2086: Steady Progress