Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

It was early in the morning on March 15th, 2015. Vahn was being fitted into a set of ceremonial armor by Gray and Gareth. Though he could have equipped it with his Equipment function, it was something of a sacred duty for the most loyal servants of a Ruler to help them adorn their battle raiment. Since it meant a lot to them, Vahn decided not to be selfish as, while it took much longer, the solemn and intimate atmosphere actually sharpened his concentration a great deal.

Most armor, at least when worn by Vahn, was more decoration than anything else. His battle raiment was no different but, as it looked 'badass' according to Nobunaga and Mordred, Vahn felt compelled to wear it. Presentation was very important for an Emperor and, by showing up in full raiment, it was the same as letting the Barthomeloi family know his intentions. If they insisted on pushing him, they needed to be prepared for the consequences of their actions.

Compared to his normal attire, Vahn was wearing a padded black tunic with golden adornments and a pair of sleek black trousers. His raiment itself consisted of full-plate armor, formed from pure white metal that shone with divine light. This included greaves and gauntlets while, adding to the overall regal nature of the attire, he also wore a white knight's mantle that was colored royal blue on the interior. It was tied together at the front by thick golden cords while, around the collar, a thick fur plumage was present to increase the dignified appearance of the raiment.

The most important aspect of his battle raiment, at least in Vahn's opinion, was that it was a close match for Artoria's own. Rather than wear her old battle dress, which was more-so beautiful than intimidating, she had adorned pristine white armor forged from the same metal as his. There were accents of blue and gold to increase its aesthetic appeal while, to complement his dragon motif, Artoria had the visage of a royal blue phoenix plastered on her b.r.e.a.s.tplate.

When standing side-by-side, Vahn and Artoria truly looked like an Emperor and Empress, especially with the crowns that had been designed by Da Vinci and forged by Vahn and Aeterna. His took on a form similar to golden vines that wrapped around his head, complete with two circular gaps where his horns would be able to grow in his Qinglong form. Since he didn't like gaudy designs, Vahn had chosen a very minimalist design that complimented Artoria's quite a bit. Her's took on the form of a golden plate that covered the forehead and followed the shape of the brows in a gentle arc. There were two tiny horns near the temples that poked out, obviously intended to emulate his own horns, albeit much smaller.

Vahn found it rather amusing that he had based his battle raiment off of Artoria's armor, only for her to latter want newly designed armor that matched his. She paid attention to the small details and, if he were being honest, Vahn found it adorable. Though it was completely unnecessary, she even wore asked Luvia to teach her how to apply makeup so that she could accent her eyes with a bit of green and red. This gave her a 'slightly' more mature appearance and, with her raiment having the motif of a phoenix, it fit remarkably well with her silver eyes and regal disposition...

The first time Vahn saw Artoria in her raiment, he was actually inspired quite a bit so, while it would have been better to request Da Vinci, he ended up creating a painting on the spot. He had a special item called a [Magical Canvas] that could form the image inside of a person's mind so, with his nigh-perfect imaging, the final product was almost photo-realistic. This made it seem less like a piece of art but, with Artoria's ephemeral beauty and regal disposition, it could easily serve as a centerpiece in an art collection.

Artoria had been embarrassed by the impromptu painting, not because it existed, but because Vahn had placed it above the mantlepiece of the dining hall's hearth. This caused a lot of the other women to tease her when they took meals together but, as it was something Vahn had made for her, Artoria couldn't ask him to take it down. She could only tolerate its presence, even though she felt like Vahn had made her far more beautiful than she thought herself to be. This was the main reason why she was embarrassed as, with the painting being created from Vahn's mind, it served as a representation of how he saw her.

Despite being one of the most beautiful women he knew, Artoria had, for reasons he would never truly understand, a complex about her figure. She genuinely believed she had boyish features and a rough body due to her harsh training as a youth. It didn't matter how much other people praised her beauty as, from Artoria's perspective, she was a woman that lacked charm. The most ridiculous and contrary part to this belief of hers was, despite having nearly identical features, Artoria had actually complimented Gray's beauty on several occasions.

Fortunately, Artoria had made a lot of progress over the last two years so, while she hadn't exactly gotten over her complex, it no longer bothered her all that much. All that really mattered to her at this point was being loved by Vahn, managing the affairs of the Empire, being a good mother, and serving as a proper example for other young women. Since her eye color had changed, she knew it was only a matter of time before her body changed as well so, rather than beat herself up, Artoria had gotten much better at living in the moment while looking toward the future.

It was with this frame of mind that Artoria craned her neck to stare up at Vahn's face, a confident glint in her eyes as she stated, "I'm ready." Since there was a 31cm height difference between them, Artoria's petite figure was far more prominent than it would usually be. Despite this, she gave off the impression that she was his equal in every sense of the word.

Vahn resisted his almost instinctual urge to rub Artoria's cheek before giving a curt nod and smiling in turn. After that, with a fully armored Kenshin, Lakshmibai, Gawain, Galahad, and Gareth following close behind, Vahn activated the transfer portal. Gray was also accompanying them but, due to her combat style, she opted to wear her cloaked mantle rather than dawn heavy and restrictive armor. As for the rest of his entourage, Vahn had Merlin and Scáthach following at the back while, right behind him and Artoria, Fenrir, wearing a modified bodysuit and a cloaked mantle of her own, kept pace with them.

This time around, the group exited from the center of Stonehenge as, after this event came to an end, it wouldn't really matter if the location of the Empire was known. Just knowing it was in a sub-texture of the world would deter the vast majority of people. Destroying one of the three Monarchal families also served as a powerful deterrent of its own, especially since the Barthomeloi family was considered the strongest in the entire world. Though several groups would begin to scheme and machinate, none of that would matter since Vahn only ever negotiated on his own terms, often with a complete disregard for material benefits...

The moment his group passed through the massive transfer gate, Vahn wasn't at all surprised to sense spatial fluctuations in the immediate surroundings. His sensitivity to the unique energy had skyrocketed over the last few months so, even before he had appeared, Vahn was already looking toward where Zelretch's body would emerge from the void. This seemed to surprise the elderly Mage quite a bit but, rather than express shock, he smiled with the look of a hardened veteran as he eyed Vahn's group.

Before anything else was said, Zelretch initiated the conversation by stroking his beard and musing, "So that's how it is...I had been wondering where your Empire was hidden away. It seems like you will have little trouble rivaling the major factions within the Association with a sub-texture of your own..."

As he spoke, Zelretch's pupils would expand and contract slightly based on the person reflected in his gaze. When he saw Merlin, Vahn had noticed his brows twitch almost imperceptibly but, when he eyed Fenrir and Scáthach, a brief flash of uncertainty crossed his vision. He didn't seem surprised by the presence of Gawain and Galahad, likely having observed them in the past, but it was apparent, at least to Vahn, that he had a small amount of fear towards Fenrir and Scáthach. It was very likely that he was unable to see through them at all, especially with the latter being completely separate from the time axis.

In response to Zelretch's remark, Vahn returned a smile before cautioning, "There will come a time when you will be allowed entry into the Empire so you would do well to temper your curiosity. If you try to enter into my dominion without permission...the Second Magic will not be able to protect you. Please, keep this in mind, Wizard Marshall..."

Now that Zelretch knew where one of the gates to Avalon was located, it wouldn't take him much effort at all to gain entry. This, however, would not go unnoticed as, despite his mastery over Space and Time, Alaya, Vivian, and Merlin would all be able to track him. Unlike other sub-textures and Bounded Fields, Alaya's powers weren't restricted at all within Avalon. The moment Zelretch, or any other 'curious' Magi tried to enter, she would immediately alert him. Since this was indisputably an act of aggression or, at the very least, subterfuge, Vahn would make them pay dearly for invading his home.

Zelretch had always felt a 'danger' lingering around Vahn's body so, while he might ignore the same words from the majority of other people, regardless of their power, he gave an understanding nod this time around. He also knew how capable Merlin, despite never having fought, so Zelretch had no intention of antagonizing the Empire unless he felt they were a threat to the world. Even then, he had already decided to gamble on Vahn as, no matter how strong he was, there was no way he could bring people like Merlin to his side unless he genuinely wanted to make the world a better place.

As that thought crossed his mind, Zelretch decided to clear something up by asking, "Forgive my brashness, Your Majesty, but there was a matter I wanted to discuss with you..." Since it would be beneficial to ingratiate himself to the Empire, Zelretch decided to adopt a more formal approach as, while Vahn didn't seem to mind it, he was already earning a few pointed glares from the Knights at his back.

Understanding Zelretch's intentions, Vahn smiled slightly before giving a small nod and saying, "Tell us, Wizard Marshall, what is it you wish to discuss? You don't intend to ask for leniency on behalf of the Bathomeloi family, do you...?"

To Vahn's surprise, Zelretch actually snorted through his nose, almost as if he was offended by the notion of being accused of association with the Barthomeloi family. When he answered, however, his expression had become more respectful as he shook his head and clarified, "I will not intervene in the private affairs of the Empire and the Barthomeloi family. What stirs my curiosity is, as far as I am aware, a completely unrelated matter. It pertains to the sharp decrease in the number of abhorrent crimes taking place in the world...specifically those related to children. I wonder if Your Majesty has any knowledge of this...?"

Even without Olivia providing them with constant updates, Da Vinci had already adapted her system to compile data directly from the internet. She used it to keep track of world new and, after a long discussion with Luvia, had even been using Ark to compile data on market trends. Thus, while he did not keep up to date on most matters in the outside world, Vahn had a good idea of what Zelretch was talking about. After all, it was a matter directly related to a decision he had made.

Without beating around the bush, Vahn raised his head slightly before stating in a firm tone, "We are intimately familiar with this topic. Now tell us, is there a particular reason why this subject is of such import to you, Wizard Marshall?"

Zelretch immediately shook his head upon hearing Vahn's question. Then, in a sincere yet solemn tone, he plainly stated, "Whatever your reasons were, I can only commend your benevolence. Only a true despot would fault you for taking action to protect children. My, or, more specifically, the Mage Association's concern is that the Holy Church has been taking credit for the act. They claim it to be some act of Providence....haaaa..."

Vahn was tempted to laugh at Zelretch's expense as, in many ways, it wasn't an inaccurate account of events. After all, Vahn was indisputably a God now and, as a result of a decision he had made, it was easy to misconstrue the change to be some form of divine protection. Since Alaya was even the God worshipped by the Holy Church, they had struck at the truth of the matter, even if their reasons were wholly misguided.

Now wasn't the best time to discuss his newfound Divinity, especially considering the form it took, so Vahn decided to keep it to himself. Instead, he gave an understanding nod before saying, "It is not all that far from the truth. Once the Empire has gone public, you'll learn that there are a number of Gods in our midst. The Holy Church is likely scheming something but, regardless of their intent, it is only a matter of time before the truth comes forward. Soon enough, the Holy Church will either fall to the Empire or fall in line with it..."

Hearing the confidence in Vahn's words, Zelretch couldn't help but grip his cane a little tighter as, rather than pretentious bravado, the comparably young Emperor before him seemed absolutely sure of his claims. With Merlin smiling at the back, Zelretch felt as if his skin had become clammy as, in the back of his mind, he resolved himself to convincing Solon to stop antagonizing Vahn. His old friend was determined to find a method to defeat Vahn, regardless of whether or not the latter was an actual threat to the world. They were the type that couldn't rest unless they had come up with a method to deal with all threats but, no matter how he looked at it, Zelretch couldn't think of a way for Solon to defeat this particular opponent.

Since it was getting closer to the time of the duel, Vahn decided to bring this conversation to an end, saying, "While it is always a pleasure to converse with you, our presence is required elsewhere. If it is not your intent to guide us to our destination, please, make way." Vahn had decided to give Zelretch the opportunity to further ingratiate himself as, from the very beginning, his impression of the man had always been relatively positive.

Zelretch didn't misunderstand Vahn's intentions so, with what could only be described as a wolfish, battle-hungry, grin, he tapped his cane on the ground. Behind his back, the void began to tremble as a massive spatial gate was created. Reflected on its surface was what appeared to be a massive arena comprised of durable white stone. It was impossible to know its dimensions from the gate alone but, with his ability to perceive the space on the other side, Vahn felt the arena should be around 500m in diameter.

Vahn felt this was extremely small but, considering it was the Mage's Association they were talking about, he didn't doubt they had the means to host a duel between Artoria and Barthomeloi. They could always just petition Zelretch to expand the space within exponentially, making the 500m closer to 500km if he so chose.

Though it could be a trap, Vahn didn't hesitate at all to walk forward, leading his entourage directly through the spatial gate with a confident look on his face. Zelretch wasn't foolish enough to try and collapse the surrounding space on them so, regardless of what awaited them on the other side, Vahn was not afraid.

After passing through the portal, the first thing Vahn noticed were the thousands of people in the stands while, at the very center of the arena, located around 200m above the ground, a monstrous crystal was present. It created large projections in the air, allowing people to get a clear view of what was taking place in the arena, regardless of where they were seated. Currently, dominating the large projection, Vahn could see his own confident visage, complete with a casual smile and sharp eyes...

The moment Vahn appeared, the arena became alive with sound as, while they were anticipating the duel, nobody had expected his entourage to appear in the middle of the arena. It was customary for a senior Magi to introduce the parties participating in a duel so the sudden appearance of a large group of people was quite the surprise.

Vahn had drawn a lot of focus at first but, as his entourage followed closely behind, the gazes of nearly everyone in the arena turned toward the group of inexplicably beautiful women. This wasn't outside of Vahn's expectations but, with his new Divinity, he couldn't help but feel more than a little annoyed. There was a big difference between knowing others were pining after your women and being able to 'feel' the intentions directly. Thus, to remind them of whose women they were eyeing, Vahn released a phenomenal aura that descended upon the entire crowd like the sky falling upon their heads. After this, the frenzy of the crowd was immediately replaced by an oppressive silence...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Heavenly Dragon and Divine Phoenix (UwU)...','RIP Solon','The Emperor has appeared')

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