Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While some might have considered it a possibility, there were very few people within the stands who thought they would be seeing the death of the 'Queen' today. Though few had the chance to witness exactly how powerful Lorelei was, they knew she was a great deal stronger than any of her contemporaries. This included Magi in preceding generations and all those who had come after, making her indisputably the strongest orthodox Magus in the world. Though many would point out that Aoko was stronger than Lorelei, even more would point out that it was unfair to compare a Magi a Magician.

Regardless of whether or not Lorelei was truly the strongest, she had been treated as such for well over a decade so, seeing her fall here, the entire crowd had fallen silent. They had been riled up during the actual duel but, seeing it come to such a swift and decisive end, nobody knew what to say. All they really knew was that 'King Arthur' was the victor and, no matter how fair the duel had been, the Barthomeloi family would not let this matter lay.

Almost immediately following the incineration of Lorelei's body, the VIP viewing platform erupted in a shower of debris as a figure clad in a phenomenal amount of magical power barreled toward the field like a meteor. At that same instant, several other figures seemed to apparate out of thin air, including the man everyone had directed their ire towards previously, the Sage Emperor, Vahn Mason.

Despite Vahn's intent to deal with whom he assumed to be Lord Barthomeloi, someone else had, somewhat surprisingly, beaten him to the punch. He had arrived at Artoria's side in an instant but, with an equivalent amount of momentum, another meteorite had risen to match the one from the VIP viewing platform.

As the referee of the duel, Aoko Aozaki had been a little shaken to see Lorelei suffer such a defeat but, the moment she sensed mana from outside the arena gathering, she immediately moved to intercept. She used her unique style, Unlimited Rotation, to create two helical magic circles near her forearms while, floating at her back, several complex magic circles that looked like blooming lotuses spread out behind her like wings.

Lord Barthomeloi knew he would not be able to come out ahead if he decided to make trouble within the heart of the Clock Tower but, if he took no action after watching his granddaughter die, his family would lose even more face. This also gave him a chance to recover Kaladanda before it could be brought into contention and stolen away by others. He also just really wanted to try out the power of the Fifth Magician under the pretense of his rage having blinded him.

Moments before Lord Barthomeloi and Aoko collided, the former seemed to command all of the mana in the surroundings to crash towards the latter like a destructive tide. Unfortunately for him, the flowers at Aoko's back simply shone brighter in response as the helical magic circles around her forearms channeled the mana at such a high density that it became solid, much like a crystal.

Seeing that Aoko had inconceivable control over the surrounding mana, despite taking no action to try and reign it in, Lord Barthomeloi could only curse the ridiculousness of True Magic as his hands formed a seal. Aoko furrowed her brows when she saw this as, more than anything else, she hated all of the derivative forms of rune Magecraft. As a result, she stopped trying to hold her attack back, forming the crystalline magical energy into two deadly-looking stakes as she drove them towards Lord Barthomeloi's chest.

Without any direct contact between them, a massive [Primordial Rune] emerged between Lord Barthomeloi and Aoko. Vahn recognized it as a variation of the Algiz Rune, providing incredible protection, especially against magical attacks. He knew the Clock Tower actually taught classes on [Primordial Rune]s so he wasn't too surprised to see Lord Barthomeloi make use of them. What did surprise him, however, was that Aoko's attack largely ignored the fact it had been blocked as, after contacting the rune, the crystallized magical energy erupted towards Lord Barthomeloi's body, forming a massive explosion that propelled him away much faster than he had approached.

From his side, Artoria was watching attentively so, after seeing the attack, she muttered, "That woman is very strong...."

Vahn nodded in approval of Artoria's statement, ignoring the fact that she gripped the hilt of her sword, almost as if she were considering joining the fight. Since she had a penchant for trying to challenge people she believed were strong, Vahn lightly placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her calm as he lightly stated, "Now is not the time..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Artoria felt a little embarrassed but, as there were thousands of people in the crowd, she maintained a dignified and unfl.u.s.tered appearance. Her intuition told her that she would be able to fight against Aoko in the near future so, until this matter with the Barthomeloi family was brought to an end, she would fulfill her duty.

---

Despite having been knocked back by Aoko's attack, Lord Barthomeloi extricated himself from a pile of rubble, showing no signs of having suffered an injury. Instead, his posture was perfect and, though his expression was dour, he casually dusted off his suit while saying in a cold tone, "This is not a matter that concerns the Aozaki family. The duel is over. Your task here is complete. If you try to intervene in the personal affairs of the Barthomeloi family, do not blame me for interfering with your family's affairs in the future..."

Aoko just snorted in response to Lord Barthomeloi's words before crossing her arms and stating in a chiding tone, "To thing the prestigious Lord Barthomeloi is so petty that he cannot accept the outcome of an honorable duel. Everyone here knows you just want to recover your little staff but, after what your family tried to pull in order to obtain more benefits for themselves, I believe it is only fair that you give up something in return. Don't you~?"

Even before Aoko had finished speaking, Lord Barthomeloi's expression had already turned even darker. He was not afforded the opportunity to make a rebuttal, however, as something outside of his expectations took place.

After knowing what the staff was capable of, Vahn used his Telekinesis to pull it toward him and, before anyone could say anything, he began to bend and distort the Space while channeling his Source Energy in a destructive manner. This caused the blackened branch of a staff to fracture and splinter before a pulse of black energy radiated out from within. Since he had expected this, Vahn had created a membrane of Source Energy that was surrounded by several links of [Enkidu] to form a sphere. As a result, the energy was completely contained before ultimately dissipating into the spatial cracks he had formed.

Though he was incensed beyond belief, Lord Barthomeloi remained externally calm as he stated in a deep and icy tone, "You kill my granddaughter and then destroy one of my family's heirlooms in front of thousands of witnesses? This is the Mage's Association, not someplace where you can gallant about at your leisure! Everyone here has witnessed the collusion between the Empire and the Aozaki family. You used underhanded means to..."

In the middle of his diatribe, Lord Barthomeloi's eyes opened wide as his sclera were tainted with encroaching red tendrils. His entire body felt like it was on fire as he used what remained of his strength to look down. There, sticking out of his chest, a blood-red spear that was covered in a dense assortment of runes had torn through his heart with its jagged barbs. He could feel several tendrils of energy tearing through his body, causing him to cough up black blood as he fell to his knees.

Before Lord Barthomeloi could breathe his last, an armored figure appeared before him and, against his will, he was forced to turn his head up to see Vahn looking down at him. There were several artifacts on his body that he wanted to activate but, despite his best efforts, the painful tendrils kept him immobile as a powerful pressure began to restrain his body from all directions. Then, in a voice the resonated throughout the entire arena, Vahn stated in an even icier tone, "The time for political games has passed. You lost the right to make your case the moment you began using underhanded means to get your way. It is too late for regrets...in your next life, try not to be an incorrigible piece of shit, okay?"

Vahn made sure to say the last line in a voice only Lord Barthomeloi could hear as, with his status as Emperor, it wouldn't be appropriate for him to use such language. Then, with the man staring at him with eyes full of hatred, Vahn manifested a sword that was very similar in appearance to [Excalibur] before using it to cut off Lord Barthomeloi's head. After that, he looked up and gave a curt nod to Scáthach while ignoring the turmoil of the crowd.

Scáthach issued a rare smile in response before ripples began to appear in the void around her. After that, she once again vanished from view, leaving Vahn to deal with the aftermath of Lord Barthomeloi's death. Fortunately, anyone that was genuinely a threat had already retreated when they noticed things going south so, while there were a lot of people lambasting and slandering him, he didn't particularly care.

Shortly after Scáthach's departure, another ripple appeared, this time producing three people, including one very upset green-haired Magus. They weren't wearing their blindfold this time so Vahn could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up as Solon stated, "You really know how to cause trouble...every time you come into my home, you make a mess. Are you seriously trying to start a war...?"

Hearing Solon's words, Vahn shook his head before releasing an exasperated sigh and saying, "We both know it isn't the Empire who started this war. My intention was to end it before it grew out of proportion. From this moment forward, the Barthomeloi family will no longer exist. They have acted with impunity for too long so it is high time that they were removed from power. As for this fool...this Mage's Association can do whatever they want with him. The Empire has no interest in the resources of the Barthomeloi family. Let these hyenas eat up as much as they can. I'll leave the Magic Crest of the former Lord Barthomeloi to the Association for safekeeping."

Though there was a lot Solon wanted to say, hearing Vahn mention turning over one of the most powerful Magic Crests to the Association caused any words they had to get stuck in their throat. If the Barthomeloi family lost their Magic Crest, there was virtually no way for them to recover. Since it was clear that Vahn was intending to uproot them completely, Solon decided it was best to take a step back and try to run damage control.

Gritting their teeth, Solon waved their hand to store away Lord Barthomeloi's body in a pocket dimension. This caused a stir in the stands, which had gone quiet after the appearance of the Association Director. However, due to an artifact on Solon's body, those that harbored ill intent were immediately brought to their knees as they began to vomit before collapsing. Solon just snorted in response to these people before floating into the air so that the entire arena was able to see them.

After rising to about 100m in height, Solon's voice resonated through the silent arena, sounding simultaneously fair yet deep, "This duel was a personal matter between the Aldrnari Empire and the Barthomeloi family. It had nothing to do with the Mage's Association, despite the attempts of a few fools to make it appear as such. The duel between Lorelei and Empress Pendragon was fair and just. There was no collusion. There was no outside interference. The former Lord Barthomeloi had no grounds to enter the arena after the match had already ended. It is customary for the arms and property of a defeated party to be turned over to the victor in such situations so there is no fault on the part of the Empire for destroying an artifact that was, by right, their own. The death of Lord Barthomeloi is, by their own prior admission, a personal affair. It has nothing to do with the Mage's Association. If anyone is found trying to use the resources of the Association to inflate this matter even further, they will be dealt with by the Enforcement Division. Now, return to your own duties. This matter should have never been made public from the start. Most of you should still be in class, not idling about here..."

Though Solon's statement was very long-winded, it made one thing very clear: the Association would not be siding with the Barthomeloi family. Now that they had lost their Head and Magic Crest, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the Barthmeloi family didn't even exist any longer. It was possible that Lorelei's father or another member of the family would try and demand that the Crest be turned over but, as this was like trying to ask a river to flow backward, it was just a waste of time. At best, they would be able to keep the title of Lord but, without a Magic Crest, this would be more of a curse than a boon.

While the crowd was quickly filing out, as nobody wanted to be caught dawdling after such an announcement had been made, Solon had returned to the ground. They had an exceptionally annoyed expression on their face but, before they could lambast Vahn further, a voice they really didn't want to hear asked, "What the heck? Aren't you a lot smaller than the last time I saw you?"

Solon turned their head toward the voice, their Mystic Eyes of Death Perception coming into focus and sending a shiver along Aoko's spine. She visibly shuddered before saying in annoyance, "You should really cover those things. Besides, you shouldn't really be upset. You look cute like this."

Hearing the word they hated more than anything else, Solon's face formed a deep frown. It only turned dourer when three different laughs reached their ears. Though they didn't need to turn their heads to see who was laughing at them, Solon passed their gaze over Merlin, Zelretch, and Vahn, bringing each of them to silence in the process.

If not for a large number of people still present in the stands, Solon would not have been able to resist lashing out at them. It took every bit of self-control they possessed to avoid attack the trio, especially Vahn and Merlin. As for Aoko, Solon was a little more tolerant of her as, despite a fair amount of mistreatment by the Association, she had still helped out on several occasions. They were the type that tried to repay debts so, while Aoko's mark infuriated them, Solon knew she did not mean them as an insult.

After flexing their hands a few times, Solon managed to calm down enough to look up at Zelretch and say, "I need your help in dealing with this. Losing one of the Three Monarchal Lords may very well destabilize the entire Clock Tower..." Then, in a very quiet voice, Solon muttered, "Please..."

Though he could not travel back in time due to Vahn's presence, Zelretch could still see parallel and tangential timelines. If he used his power to the fullest, he could prevent any serious issues from arising. The only thing that could interfere with this was Vahn so, after smiling toward Solon, Zelretch turned his attention to the Sage Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, please entrust this task to me. I believe it will make things smoother for the Empire if you allow the Association to resolve this matter without further conflict. If you benefit too much from the fall of the Barthomeloi family, there will be a much stronger pushback. I'm certain you have your own plans so, at least for the time being, allow us an amount of leniency."

Since he didn't really care about the ill-gotten wealth of the Barthomeloi family at all, Vahn gave a curt nod before saying, "We will allow it. We know this matter has inconvenienced the Association a great deal. As recompense, feel free to do what you will with the Barthomeloi family and anyone associated with it. Just know that, if they try to cause trouble and establish themselves once again, the Empire will not just sit idle. From this moment onward, the Barthomeloi family does not exist."

Zelretch merely smiled in response to Vahn's words but, among the group that had gathered, one person didn't exactly take kindly to the arrangement. Aoko had crossed her arms, garnering a few looks from Vahn's entourage as she stated, "You shouldn't be so heavy-handed. The Barthomeloi family might be headed by a bunch of assholes, but not everyone is bad. Even that stuck-up bitch wasn't really a bad pers-"

Before Aoko could continue any further, Vahn had looked toward her as if she were an idiot as he said very plainly, "Even in the short time I have known her, Lorelei has ruined the lives of a number of people for no other reason than her familial pride and personal arrogance. She has murdered hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Even worse, she wanted to turn one of my companions, one of the people I care about, into nothing more than breeding stock. Don't bullshit with me. I do my best to be a tolerant person but, if you expect me to let tyrannical despots act however they please, you are an idiot."

Just like Solon had a few words that really grated on them, Aoko had a few of her own. This was not the first time she had been called an idiot or foolish but, each and every time she heard it, a little something snapped inside of her. She couldn't really refute Vahn's words as, in the past, the Noble Faction had also tried to put a Sealing Designation on her. There were very few people that knew how messed up the Association could be but, as there were still good people in their ranks, Aoko tried not to be brash. Thus, while she knew Vahn wasn't exactly wrong, she still moved like a blur as she attempted to give him a good punch to the face.

At the same time that Aoko moved to strike Vahn, Artoria, Gawain, Kenshin, and Lakshmibai also moved to intercept her. Her instincts told her that she had really messed up this time and, though she hadn't put any real power into her punch, she now had to pump out a ton to repel the sudden attacks of Vahn's entourage. As a result, a large explosion erupted in the arena that garnered the attention of everyone who remained.

When the chaotic mana and smoke cleared away, those who remained bore witness to the sight of Aoko, the Fifth Magician, being suppressed by four different people. This included Artoria, who, as a result of the duel, the already knew possessed a monstrous amount of power. It wasn't unexpected that a Magician would be able to fend off the attacks of several people but, as they were wondering how things were going to play out, a fifth person entered the fray...

Though she lived by the creed that you should never regret your choices in life, this didn't mean that Aoko was unable to berate her own foolishness. Since Vahn was an Emperor, it was obvious that she couldn't just punch him whenever she wanted. Despite being surrounded by his people, she had carelessly tried to attack him and, as a result, found herself in quite the pickle. To make matters even worse, just as she was about to try and diffuse the situation, her instincts caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end as another figure appeared right behind her. She could feel something soft touch her neck before five exceptionally sharp nails pricked her skin, followed by an icy voice stating, "If you try to attack Master again, Fenrir will kill you..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Battle Junkie Artoria xD...','Are we sure this is the Lancer Class Scáthach and not the Assassin Class Servant?','You dun' f.u.c.k.i.e.d up now (o,...,o)~!')

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