Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Unaware of the fact Archimedes had died, many of the Heroic Spirits he had summoned using the power of the Moon Cell continued to follow his previous order. They, unlike normal Heroic Spirits, weren't bound by a Master-Servant contract. Archimedes lacked the mana capacity to summon two, let alone fourteen, Heroic Spirits, so, he relied on the technology harvested from 'Berserker' and the Moon Cell's ability to produce Heroic Effigies, mannequin-like constructs that served as the physical anchor for fragmented Souls.

Despite being on the same side, the majority of the Heroic Spirits summoned by Archimedes would qualify as Anti-Heroes. This was a byproduct of using Altereactors as a catalyst to power the Heroic Effigies, but, as it also granted the summoned an increase to the damage they dealt against normal Heroic Spirits, it hadn't been an issue. Unfortunately, now that Archimedes was dead, it was only a matter of time before the entire group split apart due to their various personality flaws.

Though some were bound to venture forth on their own, others would band together based on their familiarity with each other. The best example of this could be observed within an isolated section of the Photonic Abyss, where, in a very short period of time, several large Japanese-style temples had come into existence. One of these temples was much larger than the others, but, with an endless sea of sakura petals flowing about gracefully, the entire region gave off a peaceful, yet terrifying, vibe.

Located a significant distance from the scenic temple environment, far enough that it was impossible to see one from the location of the other, an ornate, Chinese-style palace could be found, seemingly floating amidst pale-golden clouds. In actuality, it was set atop a monolithic mountain that appeared to jut straight up in defiance of natural laws. As for the golden clouds, which carried a very pleasant and mellow aroma, they were caused by a pristine golden waterfall. This peculiar water flowed from a single stream that connected to a small lake within the palace. Despite this, the lake never seemed to shrink, providing a constant volume of water to feed the adjoining stream.

While its appearance was similar to something you might find in a painting, what stood out the most wasn't the landscape, but the creatures that inhabited it. There were rainbow-hued koi fish with large pectoral fins swimming in the golden clouds, defying the laws of gravity as they mingled about in a small communal group. Above them, dominating the land, various different kinds of rabbits could be seen happily frolicking around or nibbling on emerald-green clover weed. Some of these even had fantastical features, such as tiny horns or fluffy wings. The one that stood out the most, however, was the massive white rabbit that lounged near the golden pool, its size easily eclipsing an elephant as it curled up into a ball, appearing much like a ball of pure white mochi as it peacefully slumbered.

Further distinguishing it from its kin, the giant white rabbit had a red lotus pattern on its head that, periodically, emitted ghostly red flames. Every now and then, a part of its body would also slough off, dropping to the ground before promptly turning into one of the hundreds of rabbits that came to reside within the strange palace. This was a very peculiar sight to behold, but, to the two women that sat peacefully at the side, enjoying tea, they paid the phenomenon no heed. It was only when one of the rabbits hopped over to their side that they even seemed to notice, extending their jade-like hands to pet the tiny creatures before sending them off the play...

For a moment, it seemed like nothing could destroy the peaceful atmosphere within the palace's courtyard, but, as if such things didn't matter in the slightest, Jason emerged from the nearby room, a dour expression on his face as he muttered, "I swear...one day, I'll make that bitch pay for daring to lay her hands on a King...!!"

Hearing the former's remark, the lilac-haired girl amongst the duo produced a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, while, seated across from her, the fair-skinned oriental beauty giggled mischievously as she mused, "You should not worry yourself over such matters, My Lord. Lady Musashi is similar to a barbarian with greater knowledge of the sword than the delicacy required of a woman. It will only tarnish your reputation if you associate with such people outside of military affairs."

Though he wouldn't pass on the opportunity to embarrass Musashi, Jason still managed a smile in response to Change'e's words. The way she spoke elevated his position while insulting Musashi, two of the things that mattered the most to him, at least for the time being. Thus, with a lazy swagger in his step, he made his way over, taking the seat next to the lilac-haired woman as he said, "I cannot deny the truth in your words, Fairy Chang'e. You always know what to say to cheer me up...you're a good woman, you know that...?"

Finding Jason's words amusing, Change'e covered her mouth with the sleeve of her robe, giggling in an elegant manner. This elevated her charm a great deal, causing Jason to swallow hard as he stared into her dark eyes, each glimmering like the night sky. Unfortunately, though Change'e seemed quite fond of him, she refused to lay with him unless he agreed to marry her, denouncing other women in the process.

Jason didn't mind the thought of being married to a heaven-defying beauty like Change'e, but, as it would be him marrying her, rather than the opposite, his status would be lower than hers. While this was to be expected, as Change'e was actually a Goddess, Jason found it impossible to lower himself to a woman, no matter their status. He was also rather fond of sleeping with the various beauties he encountered during his travels, so, while his urge to ravish the unblemished Goddess increased with each passing day, he ultimately satisfied his urges 'elsewhere'.

With that thought crossing his mind, Jason flexed his jaw a few times before releasing a frustrated sigh and saying, "Let me know if anything happens." Then, turning to the lilac-haired woman, whose eyes seemed to lack any semblance of life, he added, "You, come with me..." in a commanding tone.

---

After exchanging platitudes between themselves for a few minutes, Vahn ended up explaining the actual terms of his agreement with the 'Heroes Faction'. He explained the purpose of the Common Law, discussed the function of Companions, and, most importantly, learned more about their forces and the plans set in motion by Archimedes.

Though it was hard to call him 'evil', the methods employed by Archimedes, combined with the fact he was basically ushering in the destruction of humanity, weren't points in his favor. Thus, as part of their agreement, they had to reveal the location of each Bounded Field used by their forces. All of Archimedes' projects would be shelved, and, while research into weapons and such wasn't actually against the Common Law, the types that could be designed were limited.

Ultimately, Vahn didn't care what methods the Heroes used to try and defeat him, so long as it didn't involve innocent lives or cause irreparable damage to the environment. He wasn't going to just strap himself to a table and let them blast Anti-Divine lasers at him, but, so long as they informed him that they had prepared something, he wouldn't mind breaking it for them. The moment they violated the Common Law, however, these restrictions would no longer apply, and, though it may not end in their death, as accidents happen, there was a very good chance they would lose a limb or two...

Once everything had been discussed, Vahn nodded approvingly, stating, "In summary, your group is allowed to freely oppose the Empire. If you want to challenge me, you must submit a request and designate an approximate time and location. Communication between our forces will be handled by the Companions that will be assigned to your group, and, should any of your forces refuse to honor these terms, they will be held individually accountable. Is there anything else...?"

Surprisingly, the person to answer wasn't Shirou or Musashi, but, rather, the Berserker that had now been identified as 'Altria X Pendragon', a strange woman hailing from a Universe where, apparently, the vast majority of people and animals were Servants. She wasn't one of the Heroic Spirits that had been summoned by Archimedes, rather, much like Caenis, she had accompanied him in an effort to flee the pursuit of a 'troublesome assassin'.

Without beating around the bush, Altria stated, "If I do not intake enough calories, my body will shut down. I do not care about fighting. If you can provide me with Japanese sweets, I would rather avoid conflict."

Hearing Altria's words, Shirou and Musashi were awoken from their previous stupor, but, before they could say anything, Caenis' eyes snapped open as she shouted, "You traitorous wench! How can you betray your own allies for something like sweets!?"

Though she wasn't able to manifest her weapons, this didn't stop Caenis from throwing herself at Altria, seemingly intent on strangling the much smaller woman with her bare hands.

Unfortunately for her, Vahn had already seen this event play out, so, before she covered even half the distance to Altria, he appeared like a phantom to block her path. This caused Caenis to change her target to his face, her gauntleted right hand smashing into his cheek with a sound similar to metal colliding against metal.

At this point, Vahn could 'ignore' damage below A-Rank, so, while Caenis certainly packed a punch, he wasn't even pushed back a single millimeter by her blow. Then, before she could react, he palmed her exposed abdomen, causing her to heave a mouthful of fluids onto his chest as she took a few shaky steps back. This was due to the fact that, instead of letting the force radiate out like a normal strike, he contained all of it within her body, exploiting her invulnerability by letting the force echo around inside of her.

Due to having her diaphragm struck, Caenis found it difficult to release a battle cry, so, for several long seconds, she glared at Vahn as her body trembled with enough force to crack the marble floor. At the same time, Vahn stared back at her with a pointed expression, stating, "Nobody should have to fight if they don't want to. Your entire group fought on the premise of defeating me, yet, from the very beginning, you were just being exploited by Archimedes. You are free to continue fighting for what you believe in, Caenis, but you have no right to force others onto the same path."

Though he had a bit of empathy for the horse-like woman, knowing what she had suffered through in the past, Vahn also found her character rather grating. She was an unbelievably headstrong and proud woman, quick to both anger and violence. It wasn't difficult to imagine her doing something drastic just to spite him, so, among the group of would-be Heroes, her name was near the top of the list when it came to 'death-seeking'...

After recovering enough to breathe, Caenis glared back at Vahn, their gazes matching perfectly due to their shared height. This caused the tension in the room to gradually build, eventually reaching a climax as she venomously stated, "I hate men like you...people who think they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. This whole setup is just a farce to show off how powerful you are, isn't it? Does it make you happy, seeing us jump through hoops on command as you drive us further apart from each other!?"

Hearing Caenis' remark, Vahn inhaled through his nose, restraining a sigh as he slowly stated, "My gender has no relevance to the current situation. I am doing what I can to ensure that fewer lives are lost. Even before your groups' arrival, I took action to protect children around the world. When I set my plan in motion, I even used the power of the Holy Grail to protect the innocent, giving them new lives in worlds of their choosing. Though this distanced them from their families, those close to each other would end up in the same world, free from the chaos my actions have wrought..."

As Vahn's 'wish' wasn't exactly public knowledge, everyone, with the exception of Artoria and Altria, was surprised by the sudden revelation. Shirou even asked, "So the light that transports people...that is the result of a wish you made using the Holy Grail?"

Feeling the momentum shift in his favor, Vahn unhesitantly nodded in affirmation, adding, "I may be willing to be labeled as the enemy of humanity, but, before I am an Emperor, I am a father. Though I was remiss to separate families, I took measures to ensure that everyone transferred ended up their ideal world. There are a functionally infinite number of Earth, so, while they will undoubtedly face a few hardships, the vast majority of people sent away will lead peaceful and happy lives. Some even get the chance to live the lives of Heroes within the world's of their choosing, and, if they truly desire it, returning to this world isn't out of the question...in fact, I intend to use a future wish to that effect, at least once things settle down."

Hearing Vahn's response, various thoughts raced through Shirou's mind, not least of which was the fact he spoke about making wishes like it was nothing to him. Archimedes had already suspected he had access to the Throne of Heroes, but, based on these revelations, it seemed more accurate to say he had a version of the Greater Grail that could be used, likely with some kind of cool-down period...

Before Shirou could think of his own response, a dull, monotone, completely destroyed the tensions that had built up, resulting from Altria asking, "So, will you give me candy? I'm tired of eating potato chips and curry bread every day. If you give me sweets, I will even fight for you..?"

In response to Altria's words, Caenis seemed to regain her vigor, but, with Vahn blocking the way, she found it difficult to rush forward. She kept convincing herself that she wasn't afraid of him but the feeling he gave off was like facing a wall that pierced the Heavens. While not impossible to scale, she didn't even know where to start climbing as there wasn't a single sign of purchase to be found anywhere on the impossibly sheer surface...

After staring down Caenis, Vahn turned his eyes away from her, matching gazes with everyone in the room before settling on Altria and saying, "Since you are willing to fight, I believe it is best that you stay with your current allies, at least for the time being. If it's just sweets, I don't mind parting with a few to keep you sated. I have some experience dealing with women who have an insatiable appetite so I'm confident you'll be satisfied."

Following his words, Vahn tossed over one of Avalon's apples, a delicious fruit that was filled to the brim with mana and vitality. Though it was slightly tart, this created a perfect contrast to the apple's natural sweetness, elevating its taste even further.

Altria wasn't particularly fond of apples, but, as she generally ate anything handed to her, she didn't hesitate to take a small bite of the ruby-red fruit. To her surprise, it was much sweeter than a normal apple. More importantly, however, was the fact that the apple contained a startling amount of mana, almost like it was a low-grade mana crystal shaped to emulate an apple. This caused her to scarf it down in a series of tiny bites, devouring even the core while everyone just watched on in silence.

After finishing off the juicy apple, Altria used a small handkerchief to wipe her mouth, dabbing the edges of her lips before saying, "I will fight you. In exchange, you will provide me with more apples. If you don't...I will come and take them?"

Hearing Altria's words, Vahn allowed a smile to spread across his face, but, while she was certainly endearing, he knew what fate awaited them both if he allowed her to spontaneously join the Empire. Her appearance all but guaranteed she would become a member of the Inner Sanctum, so, for the time being, Vahn would rather she fight on the side of their enemies. At the very least, he wanted her to want to join the Empire of her own volition, not just because he lured her in with candy...

Since [Avalon Apple]s could be purchased from the system shop for only 8OP each, Vahn purchased a thousand of them before stowing them into a spatial ring for Altria's use. She already had a watch-like device that could create a pocket dimension, but, unlike the spatial ring, it couldn't preserve the freshness of goods for a long period of time.

What Vahn didn't expect was, immediately after handing over the spatial ring and explaining its use, Altria's amber eyes glowed slightly, revealing a hint of emotion. At the same time, a could hear a tell-tale notification within his mind, causing his smile to turn slightly awry as he pretended not to notice it. As a result, a different notification sounded within his mind, causing him to dull slightly as, against his will, Altria became listed as one of his Followers...

Deciding it was best to extricate himself from the current situation, Vahn turned his attention back to Caenis, stating, "If you have a problem, feel free to take it out on me until your heart's content. Don't go causing trouble in your own group, especially after throwing around baseless accusations." Then, turning to Musashi and Shirou, he added, "Now that Archimedes is out of the picture, I recognize the two of you as the leaders of the Heroes Faction. I will give you forty-eight hours to convince others to fight alongside you. After that, I will take matters into my own hands...now, go, allow me some peace of mind for a few hours..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Photonic Abyss is a magical place~','Jason is over here digging his grave even deeper...','Vahn can't catch a break...? This is why you don't feed stray animals...!')

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