Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

True to her word, Artoria didn't hold anything back. Once she heard Alexander's words of challenge, she used [Mana Burst] to close the distance in an instant. This caused Alexander's smile to grow a bit wider but, despite his attempts to deflect her strike; he ended up being sent crashing into the far wall in an instant.

When it came to raw speed and power, Artoria was several orders of magnitude superior to the current Alexander. He could only compete with her Luck but, while this would give him a slight advantage against other opponents, it was virtually useless against others with high luck. This was the primary downside to being summoned as a Lily Class as, in exchange for increased potential, your parameters were considerably lower than your 'true' self.

Despite this, Alexander erupted from his hole, lightning flickering across his body as he mused, "It's been a while since I've used this skill. Farewell, my good looks...[Zeus Thunder]...!"

The moment Alexander shouted out, his height and muscle mass noticeably increased and, much to Vahn's chagrin, he suddenly seemed to age by several years in an instant. He went from a youth of around fifteen to a young man in his late teens, his body rippling with refined muscles. At the same time, however, his eyes seemed to grow further apart as his nose became larger and more rigid...

Now, faster and stronger than before, Alexander bolted toward Artoria using raw speed and power to propel himself forward. His sword now seemed somewhat small in his hands, turning into more of a shortsword or a long dagger due to the spontaneous increase in size...

In response to Alexander's charge, Artoria stepped forward with her foot, shifting her hips slightly as she side-stepped and began to sweep her sword in a batting motion. Using the flat of her blade, she smashed into the side of Alexander's shoulder. Due to her use of [Mana Burst], flesh and bone alike buckled under the blow, twisting Alexander's frame around the blade before sending him skipping across the ground to crash into a golden pillar.

Despite having his left shoulder shattered beyond recognition, Alexander rose to his feet without any visible discomfort. Then, seeing his useless left arm, his brows raised slightly as he mused, "I see now where your confidence came from. I want to battle the others so I'm afraid I'll have to throw in the towel this time around. I look forward to our next battle, Empress Artoria."

Hearing Alexander surrender, Artoria dropped her own stance, stating in a calm yet firm tone, "A day will come when we're able to fight on equal footing. I will await that moment in earnest."

Though Alexander might never be able to defeat Artoria in a real battle, that didn't mean he couldn't become stronger and faster than her. Artoria had seen how powerful he was as an adult so she knew it was only a matter of time before she was forced to use her trump cards to secure victory. If he had been the same person she met in the past, she would be forced to use Avalon from the beginning...

Since he didn't hear any falsehoods in her words, Alexander sheathed his sword with a smile on his face without further comment. Respect was one of the most important things between rulers so, with Artoria giving him a bit of respect; he would return the favor by holding back his usual blithe tongue.

---

As Alexander and Artoria returned to the Imperial Viewing Area, Vahn rose to his feet to congratulate the latter. Then, turning to Alexander, he had to force himself to keep a straight face as he asked, "Is that effect permanant...?"

Hearing Vahn's question, Alexander released a hearty laugh as he only just now remembered one of the reasons for his summoning. It would certainly be difficult to lead the youth if he spontaneously became a middle-aged man after using his [Zeus Thunder] a few times.

Fortunately, so long as he didn't use it several times in a row, the effects were temporary. After a few hours had passed, his [Divinity] would slowly reduce in Rank while his [Rose-Cheeked Adonis] Skill would eventually revert back to normal. The latter Skill was responsible for his youthful appearance and, so long as he didn't overuse [Zeus Thunder], he would maintain his appearance indefinitely.

Knowing these things, Alexander waved away Vahn's concerns, a cheeky grin on his face as he said, "Hey now, don't judge people only looks alone. Even if I looked like an old man, it's not like my age would change, right? Hahahahahaha~"

Since he could tell Alexander was just messing with him, Vahn largely ignored his remark. Instead, he placed his hand on Alexander's shattered shoulder, channeling Source Energy into the injured area. If he wanted to, it was possible to heal Alexander using actual techniques but, due to his nature as a Heroic Spirit; Alexander would make a full recovery with a bit of excess mana. As a result, his wound quickly mended itself and, after a few seconds had passed; he had recovered completely.

After opening and closing his hand a few times, Alexander gave a curt nod to Vahn before saying, "I don't like to owe favors. Even then, I'm not the type that avoids expressing my gratitude. Thanks for healing my arm. Don't think I'll go easy on you during out battle, though."

Hearing Alexander's remark, it was Vahn's turn to laugh. He actually preferred if people behaved like Alexander as it was a breath of fresh air compared to how most people acted around him. With the exception of Astolfo, most of his other male companions acted slightly distant due to the constant observation of his status. Even Siegfried was guilty of this so, having someone be straight with him was a welcome change...

---

With everyone else having fought a battle, only Ozymandias and Altera, the True Name of Attila, were left to contend against each other. The former didn't seem to particularly care about the battle but, with his own pride at stake, he wasn't going to hold anything back. As for Altera, she hadn't so much as spoken a single word unless it was absolutely necessary. She just observed everything in absolute silence, her wine-red eyes calmly analyzing everything around her; much like a machine.

Seeing Altera's emotionless' gaze caused even Ozymandias to feel as if he wasn't facing off against a human opponent. Rather, she inspired the same instinctual reaction people would have when facing a natural disaster, something they had no hope of opposing. This made him treat her seriously from the very beginning, something he would almost never do with any other opponent...

In recognition of the fact that Altera was a dangerous existence, Ozymandias was the one to start the match, taking to the sky as he chanted, "I shall give you a reward, lightless one. Look on my works, ye Mighty, and bow down! Give in to my infinite brilliance; The sun descends here! 'Ramesseum Tentyris: The Shining Great Temple Complex'...!!"

Though it was usually impossible for two Reality Marbles to occupy the same space, Nero's theater was closer in nature to High-Thaumaturgy; one that rivaled True Magic. Her's projected on top of the current texture while, in most other cases, the Reality Marble was similar to the manifestation of a person's internal world. Thus, from the perspective of outsiders, a black sphere spread through the area to envelop Ozymandias and Altera; it's interior a seemingly infinite space in spite of the sphere's diameter being only 50m across.

Vahn wasn't really surprised that Ozymandias activated his EX-Ranked Noble Phantasm from the very beginning as, based on Scáthach's evaluation of Altera, there was almost no way to defeat her. Since this came from Scáthach herself, Vahn didn't doubt Altera was a truly monstrous opponent as this assessment included both forms of Scáthach. Anyone that could fight on par and even defeat his monstrous Shishou was a true monster themselves...

Fortunately, while it would generally be impossible to enter a Reality Marble from the outside, Vahn had several methods to achieve this feat; the easiest being to ask Arcueid for assistance. She was the absolute ruler of the space they currently inhabited so, after a few seconds of just staring at a black sphere, Vahn and the rest were transported inside. What they then witnessed was a scene generally reserved for an Apocalypse...

The flow of time within a Reality Marble was often very different from the outside world so, despite only a few seconds having passed, the inside appeared to have suffered the onslaught of an entire army. There were hundreds of buildings, altars, and temples in ruins as Altera, moving through the area with the momentum of a hurricane, dodge the constant assault of a fleet of golden ships, more than a dozen Sphinxes, and a seemingly infinite torrent of green tendrils lashed out at her from every angle...

Vahn was actually a little taken aback to see how devastatingly powerful Altera's onslaught was. Her basic movements alone were enough to tear through the durable body of a Sphinx, a creature that could rival a B-Rank Heroic Spirit. When she actually attacked, her tri-colored blade of light would generate a wave of flames that swept through the area, destroying everything within 50 meters so completely that they turned to dust...

Ozymandias' only advantage seemed to be his ability to fly beyond Altera's basic attack range but, after a few seconds of slaughtering everything around her, it became clear even this wasn't truly an advantage. Altera's sword absorbed the mana from the surroundings, spinning with greater intensity with each passing moment. When a gap opened in the enemy's encirclement, she would point her sword toward one of Ozymandias' ships; the tri-colored beam extending at the speed of light to completely annihilate one of the resplendent golden vessels...

Seeing this display, Alexander broke the stunned silence of everyone present, his tone carrying a bit of discomfort as he wryly mused, "It seems there is always a higher mountain...hahaha..."

Since they were used to battling against Scáthach, Vahn and Artoria were a little better off than Nero and Alexander. Even they were a little taken aback, however, as Altera clearly didn't know how to hold back in the slightest. Vahn would need to reevaluate his decision to deploy her as her power seemed more likely to destroy the Supercolony than keep it safe. He couldn't help but wonder if this was the reason for her [Civilization Erosion: EX] Skill...

Following Alexander's comment, Nero was the next to break the silence but, unlike the intense looks possessed by everyone else, she had her usual smile as she remarked, "I believe the purpose of this contest may become twisted at this rate. Umu, without rules and restrictions, the chance of killing one's own allies increases exponentially. That one seems to lack mercy. I would advise that you call her back, Master, lest our fellow Emperor loses his life."

Vahn could feel the Laws of Destruction in the 'flames' produced by Altera so he had no doubts about the veracity of Nero's words. Ozymandias himself seemed to be aware of the danger posed by Altera as, every time she moved to destroy one of his ships, he would teleport far away in an instant. This was the reason so many buildings had been destroyed as, without putting something between himself and Altera, she would cut him down without any hesitation whatsoever.

To prevent a tragedy from occurring, Vahn took Nero's advice, activating his Command Spells for only the second time, shouting, "Altera, pull back. Cease attacking Ozymandias this instant!"

Though there was a fair amount of distance between them, Altera immediately reacted to Vahn's command. She stopped destroying everything in her surroundings and instead turned toward him, kicking off against the ground with tremendous force. It took less time than a blink for her to cover the fourteen-kilometer distance separating them, her face lacking any discernible emotion as she plainly asked, "Is there something you require of me, Master? My opponent has yet to be defeated."

Hearing Altera's words, Vahn got the distinct impression she fully intended to destroy Ozymandias, rather than 'defeat' him. He couldn't help but shake his head slightly as he habitually reached out his hand, stroking the top of Altera's head as he explained, "This battle is over. It seems I was careless in deciding how these battles would take place..."

Altera showed no visible reaction to having her head pat but, in response to her Master's words, she simply answered, "I see." before falling silent once again. This reminded Vahn a lot of how Scáthach and Okita had reacted to his actions in the past; making it very clear she had a fundamental lack of understanding regarding social etiquette. She was like a machine created expressly to carry out her directive; nothing more, nothing less...

Knowing Vahn well at this point, Artoria couldn't help but release a subdued sigh as she recognized the characteristic glint in his eyes. It almost felt like his recent vow meant nothing but, despite this, she didn't really blame him. Vahn's nature compelled him to care for others, oftentimes more than he cared for himself. If he found encountered someone in need of his help, he oftentimes went out of his way to help them; especially if their lives had been plagued by tragedy.

If she wanted to prevent Altera from getting caught up in Vahn's usual momentum, Artoria would need to find something to occupy the emotionless woman. It was obvious she needed meaningful interaction with others to become a more complete person so, before things got out of hand, she had to take matters into her own...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Zeus the kind of cuck that 'blesses' his children with power in exchange for their good looks','Poor Ozymandias xD...','Waifu-mode...ACTIVATE...!')

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