Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

(A/N: I'm going to go ahead and give a warning in advance for anyone with weak sensitivities. This chapter is important for laying down the foundation for future events, but there are no major detriments to skipping it. You'll probably be a little confused later on, but I know for a fact that a fair number of people will be upset after reading this chapter. After all, I was more than a little uncomfortable writing it but, as I originally intended for this arc to be on the darker side, I can't keep limiting the direction of the story by worrying about whether or not what I'm writing is going to upset someone...once again, sorry in advance...)

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While Vahn was having a unique crisis, there was one person going through something significantly worse as, far to the west of the city, a young aristocratic-looking man watched with an incredulous expression as his Command Spells lost their color. Though this didn't eliminate him from the Holy Grail War, as there was a chance he could obtain a new Servant, that would require that he survive the night. With that intention in mind, the man tried his best to remain calm as he walked through what appeared to be an old, western-style, castle. It had a total of four floors, excluding the observatory, attic, and the underground levels he had never been allowed access to. The floors were all adorned with thick red carpets while, located at almost every observable point of the castle, rare and precious works of art decorated the interior...

This man, with neatly combed blond hair, stark blue eyes, and features that appeared to have been sculpted by a master craftsman, was a young noble from an Aristocratic Family of Magus hailing from Russia. Amongst his peers, there were few that could compete against him as a result of his inherited magic crest and inordinately high talent. As a result, Lyasin Karl Afanasievich had favored his chances of obtaining the Holy Grail. After learning about the event at a dinner party more than two years prior, he had put most of his efforts into preparing for the opportunity to have his wish granted. Even his Grandfather, the current Patriarch of the Afanasievich family, had been supportive of his efforts...

Lyasin could still remember the exact moment when everything came crashing down around him. In order to 'gurantee' his protection, his Grandfather had reached out to an old acquaintance who, by virtue of a cooperative alliance formed during the Second World War, was owed a favor by the Einzbern family. Lyasin had been more than a little ecstatic to have the opportunity to cooperate with one of the major families hosting the event as, even if he ultimately failed to obtain the Grail, having an in with such a reputable family was already a great boon. Unfortunately, from the moment he arrived at the Einzbern Castle, Lyasin learned they didn't even put him in their eyes. If not for their pride, preventing them from staying indebted to others, Lyasin had the distinct impression he would have been killed to use as material for their alchemical experiments...

This all started when Lyasin met the current Head of the Einzbern family, an intimidating Magus named Jubstacheit von Einzbern, colloquially known within the Magus Community as 'Old Man Acht'. Lyasin could tell at a glance that the man wasn't normal, almost as if he was a being that transcended humanity and disdained having to associate with 'lesser' creatures. In exchange for their 'protection', Lyasin had to forfeit two of his Command Seals and subject himself to a magical contract that, if reneged on, would result in his heart exploding in his chest. After the betrayal of their last representing Master, they were not fond of simply 'trusting' others to their word...

Now that Lyasin had lost his Servant, something he still couldn't wrap his head around, his instincts told him that his presence within the Einzbern Castle was now an 'inconvenience. Their contract had specifically stipulated the terms to hold only as long as he used his Servant to aid their interests. With Ozymandias having been defeated, Jubstacheit would undoubtedly hold him in even higher contempt than before. Depending on the circ.u.mstances, he may even determine that it was more 'efficient' to steal his final Command Spell before disposing of him entirely. The man seemed closer to a computer than a genuine human being, especially with those cold and lightless eyes...

As Lyasin descended to the first floor, he found his path blocked by two nearly identical maids, each possessing white maid garb that was similar in style to a nun's habit. They both had emotionless red eyes that, as if possessing no will, contained not even the smallest semblance of the vibrancy expected of living humans. Though some might consider them beautiful, with their perfect, doll-like faces, Lyasin couldn't help but feel they were disgusting abominations. Even without having to be told, he knew both of these maids were undoubtedly Homunculi created by the Einzbern family.

With a blank expression and cold tone, the woman on the right asked, "Master Afanasievich, might I inquire as to where you intend to go at this hour? The Castle has been locked down for the evening to prevent enemy attacked. If you wander outside now, your safety cannot be guaranteed." Though she said these words, seemingly without any intent contained within, Lyasin felt as if she weren't cautioning him, but threatening him. She seemed to be implying that, if he tried to leave without their permission, they wouldn't hesitate to kill him...

Just as Lyasin was considering his odds of victory against the two homunculi, another man entered into the room at the critical moment, asking in an even colder voice than the two maids, "What is going on here...?" The speaker was a man that stood an above-average 195cm tall, possessing a figure that emphasized an extreme level of discipline when it came to managing his physique. He was built like an Olympic Athlete and, though he was now well into his thirties, age showed no signs of catching up to him any time soon. He also had short hair, cut in a neat and tight fade that looked almost meticulously groomed without a single stray hair. This made him stand out a great deal, even though his eyes always seemed to be obscured by a pair of expensive sunglasses that were literally enchanted to make it harder for people to describe him, even when looking directly at his face...

Though this man, the 'Mage-Killer' known as Alex Everdale, drew an imposing figure, it was in fact the rather petite figure behind him that drew attention. As gratified as he was that Alex had shown up at this moment, as they had gotten along well during their previous interactions, Lyasin couldn't help casting a glance towards his Servant, a Saber-Class with a slender physique, fair skin, and green eyes. She had a natural elegance about her while, rather than normal hair, it would be more accurate to describe each individual strand as having a quality similar to silk that had been set upon a bed of golden dust. Though her petite figure made her appear younger than most of the women Lyasin favored, he couldn't help but be drawn to this inordinately beautiful young woman...

Lamenting the fact he hadn't been the one to summon Saber, as he wouldn't have minded using his final Command Spell to compel her obedience, Lyasin smiled toward Alex as he explained, "I was actually coming to look for you, Alex. My prospects in this War are rather dire so it was my intention to give you my final Command Spell before returning to my homeland. As I am expected to be the next Head of my family, it is time I start treating my responsibilities with the attention they deserve." Believing there was a fair chance he could pull Alex to his side, at least long enough for him to leave, Lyasin decided to barter his final Command Spell in exchange for his safety.

Surprising Lyasin a great deal, Alex burst into a hearty laugh, arms akimbo as he guffawed at the top of his voice. Before he could process what was happening, the color of Lyasin's face drained away when Alex suddenly stopped laughing and said, "Saber, bring me his arm." In the next moment, the woman he had been developing tender affections for had already appeared like a tempest as she unceremoniously cut of his arm. Lyasin felt a searing pain as he tightly clutched the new stump and tried to stymy the flow of blood, shouting, "Why are you doing this!? I was going to give you-"

Before he was able to finish his words, Lyasin felt a hard impact in his chest as his words were drowned out by the thunderous clap of Alex's pistol. Lyasin fell to the ground with a face full of confusion as the blood quickly drained from his body. Then, as if taking pity on him, Alex showed a crude smile as he explained, "You idiot...did you think my nickname, 'Mage-Killer', was just a joke? I can't stand you blue-blood types who look down on everyone. Though you weren't nearly as bad as some of the assholes I've come across, don't think I'm unaware of the shit your family is up to..." Then, letting the 'apologetic' expression melt away from his face, Alex smiled tauntingly as he added, "Besides, you think I haven't seen the way you look at my girl? Every time you eyed my Servant, I wanted to pluck your eyes out and shove them up your ass...hahahahahaha-!"

With that said, Alexa wrapped his hand around the thin waist of the youthful-looking Servant who, much like the maids of the Einzbern family, had completely blank eyes. Though he had already known about it, Lyasin's face formed into a deep scowl as he fell face-first into a pool of his own blood. With a powerful resentment, multiplied by his feelings of envy, Lyasin attempted to draw a magic circle using his blood. In response to this, Alexa laughed snidely before tapping the backside of his Servant and saying, "I guess he'd probably want to reverse roles but, why don't you send our friend off by sticking your 'sword' deep inside his guts, babe...?"

Without so much as a single word, the Saber-Class servant used her invisible blade to stab it into the lower back of Lyasin, right where his intestines were located. This put an end to his attempt at forming a magic circle as his body began to twitch in response to the sudden impalement. To make matters even worse, Alex began laughing as he shouted, "That's great! Now go ahead and stir him up nice and good, ahahahahaha-!" Seeing people like Lyasin bleeding out as his body was in its final death throes was one of the main reasons that Alex had become a Mage-Killer. There was nothing even comparable to the rush he would get seeing some 'high-born' Magus writhing about on the floor, his 'blue-blood' the same red as everyone else's...

When Lyasin's body finally ceased its movements, Alex walked over to give him a quick nudge with his foot to make sure he had finally kicked the bucket. After confirming he was indeed dead, Alex looked at the two maids, neither of which had moved throughout the entire event, saying, "Take this flesh bag to the old man and see if he might actually be of use this time around. If an enemy shows up, I'll be in my room if its something that the big f.u.c.ker can't take care of. Don't bother me if it isn't anything important, got it...?" With that said, Alex didn't even wait for the two to respond as he turned to his Servant and saw her dim green eyes staring back at him. For a brief moment, Alex felt a small tinge of fear that he quickly dismissed with an aggressive snort.

Walking over until he was staring down at her, an easy feat considering 41cm difference in their height, Alex roughly grabbed Saber's face with his right hand, digging his fingers and thumb into her cheeks as he asked, "Do you still look down on me, you bitch? We'll see how long that pride of yours lasts when I have you begging for my mana..." With that said, Alex moved his hand down to grab a small chain that was tied to a black leather choker around his Servant's neck. Yanking it in a rough manner, he then dragged her off with an enraged expression on his face as, without uttering a word, the two maids began to move the corpse of Lyasin in order to clean up the blood staining the carpet...

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With Vahn out of commission, Scáthach explained the situation to Astolfo and Nobunaga before they all moved to a more secure area to wait for his recovery. Though it might have been better to return to the Tohsaka Manor, Scáthach was trying to be, at least a little, considerate of Vahn's feelings. At the same time, if their movements were being monitored around the Manor, it would potentially lead to disastrous consequences if they returned so early in the evening. It wasn't difficult to deduce that something had gone wrong if they all suddenly returned together. Thus, after refusing to let Nobunaga 'play' with Vahn's gemstone, Scáthach had her provide overwatch near the Manor while Astolfo would be the first to return after a few hours had passed.

Ultimately, Scáthach found herself alone as she sat by a creekbed located around 30km north of Fuyuki City, well outside the standard battlefield of the Holy Grail War. With nothing better to do, she was laying against the cool grass while flipping Vahn's gemstone around in her fingers. It was an inordinately beautiful gemstone which was growing increasingly more radiant with the passage of time. At first, its glow had barely been enough to read by but, now that a few hours had passed, it had a radiance that cut through the night like a powerful LED light. Though others might have to squint their eyes to behold it directly, Scáthach seemed to be an exception to this as she observed each change in the gemstone with intrigue.

Though she wasn't sure if Vahn could hear her, due to his lack of the required organs, Scáthach flipped his gemstone so that the flat side was facing her as she said, "You are the foundation that others stand on in order to achieve feats far greater than they otherwise would have been able to accomplish. There is nothing wrong with desiring a good fight...but that is not the reason why you fight, correct? Your nature is to protect others, not seek out battle for glory and entertainment. When you get lost in the moment and act out of character, you create exploitable gaps that any competent enemy would be able to exploit..."

Shaking her head in mild admonishment, Scáthach brought Vahn's gem closer to her face before saying, "This time, I will keep your punishment light. However, our training will be even more intense from now on. I would not be able to raise my head up as a Teacher ever again if you were to fall at the very start of your journey. That one would never forgive me either..." Even though Fenrir was currently much weaker than she was, Scáthach could feel the girl's desire to surpass her. It wasn't a simple dream, either, more like an 'inevitability' within the mind of the petite Vanargandr. Scáthach didn't know where she drew such confidence but, one day in the far future, instincts told her that the currently weak Fenrir would eventually surpass her...

As it had been a very long time since she 'looked forward' toward an uncertain future, Scáthach felt as if the small kindling in her heart was being fed by a gentle breeze, providing it with the oxygen it needed to avoid extinguishing completely. From the moment she had obtained the knowledge of the abyss, 'courtesy' of her [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground], Scáthach felt as if all her emotions and drive had died. Though she had pursued her path without any hesitation prior to that moment, the 'awareness' of knowing everything had caused her to stop moving forward at that exact point in time. Everything she had been aspiring towards seemed inconsequential in the face of 'infinite' knowledge, causing her to wander aimlessly until, before she even realized it, her existence had already become separated from the world...

Thinking about the many 'new' things she was experiencing with Vahn, something that, logically, shouldn't even be possible, Scáthach found the glimmer of his gemstone almost imperceptibly more appealing. With every passing moment, it felt as if she were getting ever-so-slightly closer to her dream of finally bringing her eternal life to an end. She had no doubts that, so long as he lived, Vahn would eventually be able to make good on his promise. To express her gratitude and experience just a few more 'new' things, Scáthach had made it her final task to teach him everything she knew. This was something she had decided even before he asked so, hearing Vahn bring it up himself, she had felt genuine excitement for the first time in eons...

Letting a hot sigh escape her lips, Scáthach then brought Vahn's gemstone to rest against them before, causing the person within to fl.u.s.ter, slowly moving it from her lips to her chin. This was only the beginning of the journey, however, as Scáthach seemed to enter into an absentminded state as she traced the sharpest edge of the gemstone along the fabric of her bodysuit. She could feel a ticklish sensation and, even though her expression didn't change throughout, there was a bit of warmth flowing into her body wherever the gemstone touched. This was due to the unbelievably potent life energy that, as if it couldn't be contained by the gemstone, bled into the surroundings. For a brief moment, Scáthach was even tempted to put the gemstone into her mouth but, fearing she might accidentally swallow it, she elected to continue Vahn's 'punishment' in a less dangerous manner...

(A/N: No alternate titles this time. Just a reminder that there is a 'reason' to this madness, one which has nothing to do with trying to get my reader base to hate me. If you made it this far, I hope you do not hold it against me too much for the direction I took things. Just know that the indignation and anger you might be feeling are emotions I myself share. Ultimately, however, this novel is supposed to be practice so, if I begin restricting myself here, I would be no better than Vahn making one of his 'resolute' promises to himself x_x...)

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