Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With each of the unsupported steps having small gaps between them, Vahn felt mildly perturbed to be ascending them, even though there was no danger he would fall. In fact, based on the apparent distance to the ground, he had been much higher up than this peculiar platform though, according to Zelretch's earlier words, it was very possible he would fall 'forever' if he lacked the means to fly and transfer through space. Fortunately, there weren't too many stairs leading to the temple-like structure at the end, fixed atop a ziggurat comprised of red stones that were neatly arranged in a terraced compound with successively receding stories. Due to there being no subterranean levels, it looked vaguely formed the shape of a lozenge, like two pyramids glued together at their bases with their tops cut off to allow the temple to sit flush at the top...

Vahn had already sensed it from the start, at least roughly, but the interior of the large structure was largely hollow, the only thing breaking up the empty space being floating platforms, each containing specimens of flora or fauna that were very likely preserved since the Age of Gods. He assumed these were either rare creatures and materials that had been harvested from the lower levels of the Spirit Tomb and, much like how Da Vinci kept things preserved, they were each suspended in stasis fields, some sealed away with powerful runic Magecraft. It was actually quite the awe-inspiring sight, as the inside of the temple appeared similar to an expansive garden, but this sentiment faded quickly when Vahn noticed some of the specimens were humanoid in structure.

As he had made no attempts to hide his dissatisfaction, Zelretch lightly tapped his cane against the ground, muttering, "Stay your anger, Sage Emperor. Many of these specimens are the last of their kind and, if not for their preservation here, they would have already lost their lives. They are locked in temporal isolation, their minds living an endless and peaceful dream, each willingly agreeing to become a source of Mystery in exchange for the pleasant dreams that define their existence. When the world is capable of sustaining them once again, I can assure you that they will be freed from this place without fail..."

Hearing Zelretch's words, Vahn felt more at ease but, at the same time, he didn't fully trust the claim that they had accepted this kind of life willingly. Though his impression of Zelretch was improving, this did nothing to place him on more amicable terms with the figure slowly appearing from the void through a door comprised entirely of light. They radiated an aura of death and, while this was not an indicator of them being an evil person, Vahn wasn't fond of the way the rather petite and youthful individual was looking at him. It wasn't the first time he had seen someone with peculiar eyes but, being stared at by these shimmering blue eyes which seemed to radiate a pink light from around the pupil caused his skin to crawl...

The figure, who Vahn assumed to be the Association Director, was attired in oversized white robes, their entire body covered in various treasures. Instead of appearing gaudy, however, they emanated a cold and detached aura while, flowing around their body, Vahn was very aware of the presence of Divinity. Identifying what this Divinity was related to was beyond him, unfortunately, as one of the treasures adorning the Director's body made it virtually impossible to discern anything accurately. It wasn't to the degree of Da Vinci but, even with all of his experience as a physician, Vahn couldn't even determine their gender, if they even had one...

While Vahn was evaluating them, Solon was doing much the same, albeit with far greater hostility and, though they would never admit it, a bit of fear. The Mystic Eyes they possessed were known as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and, though they were not infallible, they allowed the user to see the 'Death of an Existence' in the form of lines. If these lines were cut through, a feat that could be managed with a dull knife or a long fingernail, even indestructible and immortal existences could be killed. The lines offered absolutely no resistance against attacks and, once cut, the target would simply break down into their constituent particles, overwriting all regenerative effects and ensuring they would experience 'true' death...

Under normal circ.u.mstances, all existences had, at the very least, two lines of death. This included inanimate objects and, if the user was skilled enough, even the air around them. The lines viewed were entirely dependent on the user of the Mystic Eyes and, even for someone as powerful as Zelretch, Solon was able to see a line running across his heart and another imperceptibly thin line running across his scalp. The thickness of these lines determined how difficult they were to cut as, if there was one a hair's width, you would need a blade thinner than that to be able to cut it through.

Unless he was forcibly sealed and prevented from moving, it was virtually impossible to kill Zelretch without being unbelievably faster than a man who could distort space and time. Even then, it wasn't 'impossible' and, with even sacred relics having lines of death, Solon had never expected to be met face to face with someone who had none. Even if Vahn was wearing thick armor that obscured his body, Solon would still be able to perceive the lines of death covering his body as, regardless of the efforts made, death was not something that could be hidden from.

Try as you might to escape it, even by becoming 'immortal', it would eventually claim all life within the Root, man, spirit, and God. Vahn, however, had no lines of death whatsoever, causing Solon's scalp to tingle as, with the ability to sense the threat level of an opponent based on the size of their aura, Vahn seemed relatively weak. Though his aura was a resplendent rainbow color, even more so than the sky-covering aura of Zelretch, it was like a candle burning within an inferno. It was a rather unbelievable sight as even the young woman next to him, whom Solon knew to be 'King Arthur', had an incomparably vast aura compared to the anomalous man standing before him...

With the tensions rising in a distinctly different way than his staredown with Zelretch, Vahn's face was slowly forming into a frown as his domain continued to expand outward. This didn't affect the Association Director, at least in a manner that could be seen from their expression, while Zelretch just shook his head at this side before trying to mediate, saying, "I believe your words were that you can here to clear up misunderstanding in order to avoid unnecessary conflict? If you're going to fight, I would suggest the two of you move outside and make use of the surrounding space. I doubt either of you wants to destroy this place over some petty squabbling...hmm?"

Zelretch's words caused the Association Director's brows to twitch slightly and, tearing their eyes from Vahn for the first time, the petite figure looked at the tall, aged, man, saying in a cold tone that sounded sharp and feminine, "You old bastard...I swear, rather than an enemy, I'm more likely to be done in by your incessant meddling than anything else. Why did you bring the Sage Emperor to this place? Even if you determined he wasn't a threat, this isn't a place just anyone can come and go as they please...!" Sounding someone like a child throwing a tantrum, the Association Director's eyes became progressively sharper as they glared holes into Zelretch's face. To his credit, though there were subtle fluctuations in the energy radiating from his body, Zelretch had a whimsical smile on his face, appearing somewhat like an old man who had gone senile...

Vahn quickly realized that, as mortals who had risen up to an extreme level of power, Zelretch and the Association Director were very 'peculiar' individuals. This caused his own smile to twitch at the edges as, with the phenomenal presence of the two old monsters, combined with their borderline comical interaction, he didn't know quite how to feel. Fortunately, Zelretch waved his hand in a dismissive manner, stating in his deep and aged voice, "Don't throw a fit, Solon. Besides, if Vahn had turned out to be a threat, it would have been better to fight him within this space together, rather than destroy the entire Clock Tower." As he said these words, Zelretch's aura became somewhat oppressive for a brief moment, his l.u.s.t for battle surfacing once again before he quickly reined it in.

Hearing Zelretch's explanation, Solon seemed to 'understand' something, gaining a somewhat battle-hungry expression as they looked toward Vahn, eerie eyes blazing with mystical light. They suddenly felt like a loaded spring, causing Vahn's instincts to flare up as Artoria immediately changed into a battle-ready state, complete with her blue dress, silvery armor, and a drawn Excalibur. This caused Solon's aura to flare outwards but, instead of attacking, they asked in the same cold tone as before, "For what purpose have you come here, Sage Emperor? I do not imagine you have any intention of joining the Mage's Association, correct...?' As people like Zelretch and Vahn were not the types to be bound to an organization, Solon wouldn't have believed him if he had said otherwise.

Not cowing from the oppressive aura in the least, Vahn's own began to grow increasingly more powerful as he stated, "I have come to make my stance very clear. Though I do not agree with the way in which you have managed this world, I have no intention of entering open conflict with the Mage's Association. I will be forming my own faction and doing everything in my power to prepare for the emergence of Angra Mainyu. For the benefit of both our organizations, I would suggest you have your people leave my allies be and stop pursuing me as a target. Even if I try to avoid conflict, you would learn very quickly that I am not against fighting if it means protecting the things I care about..."

While listening to Vahn speak, Solon's face turned increasingly dour and, by the end, they began to nod their head with visible frustration, answering, "Good! Very good! An Emperor indeed! Now, how about we see if you actually have the power to back up your boldness!?" With that said, the ring on Solon's left pinky flashed briefly and, in seemingly no time at all, Vahn found himself standing in the middle of the air. The temple he had been in previously had a loud explosion resonate from within, following by a brilliant bluish-white light that Vahn knew to be Artoria's Excalibur. This caused his brain to buzz with fury and, having already prepared for a potential battle, Vahn uttered in a cold tone, "Alaya..."

Though it might be impossible to get her to act against his enemies outright, Vahn had long since discovered a way to 'exploit' Alaya's presence. As she was constantly storing Magical Energy that he could have her use on his behalf, there was nothing preventing her from feeding it back into him. She was not allowed to arbitrarily increase his power but, if it was just acting as a 'battery' of sorts, there was nothing preventing her from obeying his command. Thus, while allowing his domain the fade away, Vahn transformed into his Qinglong form while allowing [Laplace's Key] to take effect...

---

After seeing Vahn disappear, Artoria immediately struck forward with Excalibur, understanding that the opportunity for a civil dialogue had quickly broken down. Though she did not use all of her power, as activating Excalibur required charging up a phenomenal amount of magical energy, she was still able to release a small burst of Holy energy by combining Excalibur's inherent effects with her [Mana Burst]. This created a large explosion and, though she was also somewhat hesitant about damaging the surrounding 'garden', such things would not interfere with the completion of her duties. Thus, trusting Vahn would return shortly, Artoria struck at Solon, causing them to extend their palm, erecting a gem-like barrier that deflected her attack back at her...

With the door they had entered through only a few meters behind her, Artoria followed her instincts, jumping back with as much power as her legs could manage while holding Excalibur level with the ground and sending another wave of energy to contend against the first one. This was what caused the large explosion Vahn had seen and, using the shockwave of the two energy blasts, Artoria was able to propel herself outside. Though she would be at a disadvantage in an open space, especially against a Magus, Artoria knew it wouldn't be long before Vahn arrived, likely in an enraged state. It was her desire to avoid seeing him blame himself for the temple's destruction that caused her to abandon what little advantage the terrain would have provided for her...

While Artoria was still mid-leap, Solon had already teleported outside of the temple, their robes rippling as the magical energy around their body flared up. From their back, wings of light that were reminiscent of angel wings formed while, after bringing their palms together, several golden ripples spread throughout the area, forming hundreds of magic circles in an instant as they uttered, "Wrath of the Sky God..." in an ancient tongue. Immediately following this, beams of light rained down on Artoria, many breaking through her [Magic Resistance] outright as she used [Mana Burst] to protect her body, dodging to the best of her ability. Since they were attacks moving at the speed of light, however, Artoria's efforts were in vain, at least until a figure appeared in front of Solon, azure wings spread out like a massive canopy as a thunderous shockwave tore through the void, shattering space like a mirror...

Though Solon had tried to defend themselves by extending their right hand toward Vahn's attack, their attempt was denied as an azure tail, moving like lightning, entered their periphery, 'through' Vahn's own wing, stabbing into their abdomen. In the next instant, Vahn's overlapped fists came down upon their head like a righteous hammer strike, sending Solon crashing into the void which, instead of being open-air, was like colliding against an immovable object after Vahn condensed the surrounding space. For a brief moment, Solon felt genuine terror as, with the [Ring of Divine Sight], they should be able to predict the future by a few seconds when in battle. Vahn, however, seemed immune to this effect and, as they were never a close combat specialist, Solon used on their trump cards in self-preservation.

Vahn was essentially a passenger in his own body right now but, seeing Solon place their hands around their chest, causing the large disc-like amulet they were wearing to shimmer with gold and green light, he felt a subtle hint of danger, even in his apathetic state. Then, even though his body used another technique he had never even thought of before, compressing the space between himself and Solon to negate distance, he only managed to punch a seemingly unbreakable barrier before a phenomenal amount of energy, distinctly different from mana, flowed outward from the amulet. Immediately following this, an area of several kilometers around Solon suddenly became filled with sodden branches covered in green runes that emanated a powerful and vibrant life force...

With even his mind able to sense the danger, there was no way Vahn's body, under the influence of [Laplace's Key], was going to stick around. As thick vines moved with lightning speed to try and entangle him, Vahn had already disappeared from the area, teleporting several tens of kilometers above a massive tree that now grew in mid-air. Even now, it wasn't done growing as, with the roots extending into the void itself, a massive canopy began to spread, complete with emerald-colored leaves that reminded him a lot of Yggdrasil. Though they lacked the rainbow hue of his surrogate daughter's, they were like pristine gemstones that reflected the light, causing strange flowers to begin blooming from the void itself, radiating a small aura of space elemental energy...

Though Vahn was observing these things from a third-person perspective, completely lacking the ability to think about them too deeply, his body had been crackling with azure lightning for quite a while. He could feel his energy tanking rapidly, though slower than Alaya could refill it, as his body once again performed an action he had never even though of previously. Vahn had no idea how he was even able to manage it but, using the 'Oblivion' skill of his [Eyes of Truth], he was creating an elemental star, not comprised of any of the 'primary' elements, but Time. Then, while the star was still forming, he was channeling his Space elemental lightning into the growing sphere, causing a black orb to form that was almost indistinguishable to the spheres produced by his [Yi] arrows...

The singularity produced by the [Yi] arrow was often quite small, around the size of a marble, even though the event horizon could affect several hundred meters around it. Seeing the basketball-sized black sphere-forming before him, Vahn was so terrified by the potential of his own attack that he was slowly breaking free of [Laplace's Key]. As the power would basically compound exponentially as the sphere increased in diameter, he couldn't even imagine the devastation that would be caused if he released this attack. The fact that his body had determined this was 'necessary' not only indicated the power possessed by Solon but that his body, under the influence of [Laplace's Key], was willing to go to extremes without properly considering the consequences at all.

From within the canopy of the massive tree, which even now continued to grow larger, Solon was looking up at the black mass in Vahn's hands with glazed eyes. The fact that Vahn's aura was still the same size, even though he was capable of using a seemingly infinite amount of Magical Power, was something that made no sense to them. It seemed to indicate that, much like Zelretch, he was able to pull power from another source yet, instead of pulling it from the surroundings, or through a link he had established with other timelines, Vahn's energy seemed to come from within. Though Solon had only wanted to test Vahn's power at first, they were very quickly coming to regret their actions as, after using one of their trump cards, they really didn't want to use more...

Just as that thought crossed their mind, a ripple in space appeared next to Solon as Zelretch stepped out of the void next to them. He had a serious expression on his face, looking up at Vahn as he said, "This is gone too far, old friend. Unless you intend to fight until the end, I think it best we lay matters to rest..." While speaking, Zelretch lifted up his cane, the rainbow-colored gemstone radiating a resplendent light while, at the very center, a black void began to expand. The true form of the gem on his staff was that of a micro-universe which he had both formed and compressed by using the Second Magic to its extremes. He had slowly been storing up energy within the gemstone in order to battle against the 'Spider' in a hundred year's time, completely unaware of the fact that one of his greatest enemies was currently viewing him through Vahn's eyes...

With a tired sigh, Solon held up the [Seal of Yggdrasil] before slitting their own wrist and allowing blood to spread across its shimmering golden surface. Then, as if flowing in reverse, their blood began to defy gravity while the massive tree surrounding them began to slowly recede. At the same time, Zelretch extended his cane toward the sky, sending a thin black beam to meet the descending sphere of darkness that Vahn had failed to rein in. When the two collided, the sphere disappeared completely while, in the distance, a black sun began to expand on the horizon but, instead of casting light upon the world, it sucked it in with seemingly unstoppable fervor. Fortunately, even though it only seemed a few hundred kilometers away, the distance was actually closer to several hundred thousand. In this place, you could move at the speed of light and only travel a few kilometers an hour unless you knew the 'trick' to navigating the folded and functionaly infinite space within.

Seeing the phenomenal damage output by Vahn's attack, Zelretch took in a deep breath through his nose as, now more than ever, it seemed like the former had come from the 'outside'. The attacks he used, even though his own Magical Energy seemed weak, were able to contend against True Magic in power. When his power matured further, Zelretch imagined there would be nothing that could stand against him, a terrifying yet potentially relieving thought as, with his ability to peer into other timelines, Zelretch had seen far too many instances of humanity being wiped out by one threat or another. If Vahn could be made an ally, which shouldn't be that difficult given his presumed nature, there was a chance all future threats could be mitigated almost entirely.

Though he would never abandon his self-assigned duty, Zelretch had long grown weary of being one of the few protectors of the multiverse. All of his attempts to train proteges often ended with his students being crippled or outright losing their minds. As a result, he had slowly been losing all hope that a 'successor' to his position would appear, allowing his weary bones to rest for a few hundred years. Now, seeing Vahn emanating a majestic and unfathomable aura, a smile spread across his aged and wrinkled face as Zelretch felt his search for a potential successor nearing its end...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Staring Intensifies*','Solon is surprisingly hot-headed...?','The secret behind Zelretch's smile...')

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