Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though his increased size made him a much easier target for skilled foes, Vahn was actually quite fond of his Huánglóng transformation. It always made him feel like an untouchable God, and, while he certainly wasn't immune to damage, the vast majority of attacks couldn't even reach him, much less cause him injury. Thus, in order to make the most of the moment, he did something none in the room expected, laying down on his stomach, crossing his forelimbs, and rhythmically tapping his tail with enough force to cause powerful reverberations through the pillar-like arena.

As he had never faced off against Vahn's complete transformation, Sigurd showed a brief hint of surprise in his generally placid expression. Consuming the [Heart of Fafnir] had sealed away the vast majority of his emotions, turning him into a cold, intelligent, and fearless warrior due to his unique Skill, [Crystallized Wisdom]. It granted him such a boon that, if intelligence had been one of the quantifiable Parameters in the Nasuverse, Sigurd's would be very near the peak of what humans, even those descended from Gods, could reach. He wasn't an outlier like Da Vinci and Gozen, but, when it came to decision-making, there was a reason why people called him the King of Warriors...

Seeing Vahn adopt a 'passive' stance, Sigurd's [Helm of Fafnir] activated, shrouding his face with an angular and stylish helmet. It, combined with his bodysuit, actually allowed him to survive in virtually any environment, even the vacuum of space. In the past, he had even used it to invade the Mountain where Byrnhildr had been sealed, passing through magically flames cast by none other than Odin, all to save the tragic Valkyrian woman. This wasn't out of love, but, upon seeing her beauty for himself, even the emotionless King of Warriors had been smitten.

With no other battle preparations, Sigurd hefted his greatsword, the legendary [Gram]. It was one of the most potent 'Dragon Slaying' Noble Phantasms, capable of even smiting immortal with a curse that rent most defenses useless. It even looked pretty cool, at least in Vahn's opinion, possessing two blades formed of ruby-red crystalline metal, completely devoid of anything like a guard, as, against the kind of foes Sigurd faced, such ornamentations were simply inefficient...

Though his Agility was only B-Rank, Sigurd's Parameters were capable of doubling whenever he was facing off against Dragons. He also had a version of [Primordial Rune], given the subclassification of 'Warrior' as he could only use them for enhancing his physique and power. His futuristic armor had these runes engraved into their surface, allowing him to freely regulate their activation with nothing more than a thought.

After appearing a few meters away from Vahn's location, Sigurd's body slammed into what appeared to be an invisible wall. His charge actually carried enough force to cause cracks to appear within the void itself, but, with his A+ Rank Endurance, he was entirely unharmed as he quickly recovered, two blazing blue runes on his gauntlets as he struck a vertical blow with [Gram], a wall of ghostly flames erupting into existence as a result.

Unfortunately, no matter how many boons he had against Dragons, Sigurd would be hard-pressed to overcome Vahn's mastery of Space and Time. Though it looked like he was just allowing Sigurd to attack freely, he was actually condensing Space to the point it had become a near-indestructible solid. Unless the opponent also had the power to rend Space, approaching within ten meters of his body was all but impossible.

Seeing his wall of flames crash into the same invisible force, Sigurd seemed to 'pause' for a very brief moment. In the next, however, his [Gram] shifted from ruby-red to a sapphire-blue, runes flaring to life across its entire length.

With his mastery of [Primordial Rune]s, Vahn was able to understand Sigurd's intentions, but, rather than take any countermeasures, he squinted his eyes in intrigue.

Not leaving Vahn in suspense, Sigurd drove his sword forward, piercing into the invisible membrane with tremendous force. This caused large spatial cracks to develop, but, despite spreading for several tens of meters, the tip of his blade only pierced thirty centimeters into the compressed Space.

Undaunted, the runes in Sigurd's sword began blazing with intense and violent energy, but, instead of exploding outward, it began to condense, forming a physical blade. This was the state of [Gram] when it was fully active, requiring that his opponent be a high-ranking Dragon just to take effect. As a result, the rank of his Noble Phantasm was elevated from A to A++ Rank in an instant, reaching very near the point of the unquantifiable EX-Rank.

As if refusing to bow down to a Dragon, [Gram] began to produce a shrill metallic sound as its blade began to slowly increase in length, piercing through the spatial membrane. The previous cracks even began to erupt with blue flames, seemingly produced from the void itself. It was a dazzling sight to behold, but, no matter how impressive an attack appeared, it took more than flare to overcome Time and Space...

In exchange for extending his blade's length nearly three meters into the spatial member, Sigurd had destabilized the surrounding Space, specifically near him. As a result, the beautiful blue flames were actually the result of a backlash, the chaotic energies threatening to tear him apart. Spatial fractures were able to completely ignore conventional defenses, so, while his Endurance and armor were both exceptional, pieces of the latter had begun to flake away after cracking violently under the pressure.

Vahn was actually impressed with Sigurd's resolute display, as he seemed completely unwilling to back down. However, the last thing he needed was a crazed Valkyrie hunting him down, crying tears of blood as she attempted to avenge her lover. Thus, rather than lay idle as Sigurd tore his body to pieces, Vahn's slowly lifted his body to a seated position, squatting on his disproportionately small hind legs as he puffed out his chest.

Following a brilliant glimmering of gold, Vahn spread apart his wings to their full length, seemingly in an instant. As a result, a powerful pulse of energy erupted with him as the epicenter, crashing into Sigurd and launching him like a cannonball several hundred meters. More surprisingly, at least to the Xiantian Elders atop the viewing platform, the arena itself began to crack as sections of the ancient array began to fade.

Seeing the incomprehensible display of might, those left standing could no longer resist falling to their feet, their pride shattered in the face of their 'greatest' Ancestor. One man even started crying, behaving as if he was a child trapped in a nightmare instead of a six-hundred-year-old man who had seen the rise and fall of entire Dynasties. This would have normally earned him reproachful remarks from his kinsmen, but, seeing the power displayed by the 'Yellow Dragon Emperor', they were at a complete loss for words...

Vahn hadn't actually been intending to destroy the array so early, but, rather than shrink back and reduce his momentum, he felt more emboldened by the destruction. This was one of the downsides to his Huánglóng transformation, even if it was also one of his greatest strengths. The pride of a True Dragon wasn't something that could be discarded easily, and, much like the Divinity of a God, giving in to its influence brought an incredible amount of power.

Abiding by his instincts, Vahn began to slowly ascend into the air, his wings spread wide as his rather lithe figure came into view. He took on the form of a western dragon, but, instead of having a figure suited to walking on all-fours, he maintained a vaguely humanoid physique. He actually thought the slender and muscular form complimented his resplendent golden wings quite a bit. Others seemed to agree with this sentiment, as, every time he came to his full height, Vahn could see awe, fear, and reverence in the countenance of all who viewed him...

Spreading his arms to the side, further increasing the pressure within the arena, Vahn plainly asked, "Are you satisfied...?" while looking between Sigurd and the 'audience'.

Hearing Vahn's address, the Xiantian Elders dared not answer, each bowing low as if preparing to kowtow at a moment's notice. As for Sigurd, he pulled himself free of the far wall, several parts of his armor now missing. He didn't hesitate to jump back into the arena, the blade of his sword growing to nearly ten meters in length as he confidently stated, "I am unconvinced."

Following his rather bold claim, runes glowed along Sigurd's greaves, greatly enhancing his Agility and allowing him to bound through the air as if it was solid ground. The upper-half of his helmet had been shattered in the previous collision so it was possible to see the expression in his icy-blue eyes, completely bereft of fear. It was actually rather admirable, but, despite thinking this, Vahn did not hesitate to use his tail to flick the man out of the sky, mid-step.

Despite his size, Vahn suffered no reduction in speed whatsoever. Rather, due to his attunement with Space and Time, his relative speed was even faster than his base form. As for his perception, it had been enhanced to the point that, the faster his opponent was, the slower they seemed to move. He was nearing the point where he could even isolate himself from the Time Axis, so, while not on the level of a Spiritron Supercomputer, capable of computing trillions of processes simultaneously, he wasn't far off...

This time, when Sigurd emerged from his personalized hole, his left arm had been shattered beyond recognition. He also suffered tremendous internal injuries, but, as if it was someone else's problem, he still managed to lift [Gram] with his right hand, stating, "I am unconvinced..." in an unperturbed tone.

Vahn didn't know whether to laugh or cry at Sigurd's obstinance, but, fortunately, he didn't have to talk the man down as Shirou, appearing out of thin air, prevented the machine-like man's charge. He had his arms spread wide, a severe expression on his face as he shouted, "Sigurd, think of Brynhildr! If you die here, you know what she would do!"

As if he had only remembered Brynhildr, realization seemed to flicker across Sigurd's eyes. He then gave a curt nod, shouldering his weapon as he answered, "I understand. Sorry."

With no other words necessary, Sigurd turned away from Shirou, leaping up to one of the eight large viewing platforms that encircled the arena. There was a teleportation ward that had been set up in the area, allowing them to move between the Forbidden City and their 'Headquarters'. This not only allowed them to 'surprise' Vahn, preventing him from knowing who he was going to be facing, but it also allowed them to quickly retreat to mend their wounds.

Seeing the taciturn man run off, Shirou released a tired sigh before turning his attention towards the twelve-meter tall golden Dragon. If you included his tail, Vahn's overall length exceeding twenty-two meters. His thirty-five-meter wingspan made him seem even more majestic and intimidating, almost like a small star that had taken the shape of a dragon. It was almost impossible to even look at him, not simply due to his brilliance, but the fact that his existence seemed to suppress everything else in the vicinity...

As Shirou had appeared next to his previous opponent, Vahn was staring down at the white-haired man with a neutral expression on his face. It was actually pretty difficult to be expressive when he was in a dragon state, as even a smile looked like he was baring his fangs, but everyone seemed to somehow understand what he was thinking. Thus, rather than show confusion, Shirou smiled wryly, stating, "I am not your next opponent..."

Hearing Shirou's words, Vahn was tempted to snort, but, as he had already grown used to the man's behavior, he decided to simply land on the arena, stating, "Time is a precious commodity, one which is highly sought after, even by those with immense power. We have agreed to face your champions, but that does not mean we will be kept waiting. Make haste, Shirou Emiya."

Following his words, Vahn stretched his wings and neck before furling the former and laying back down on the arena floor. He needed to conserve his energy, and, though he could transform back whenever he pleased, the 'restrictions' of the arena seemed to be trying to force him to remain in his Huánglóng form. This is what made him assume they were trying to stall things out, as, if he lacked the ability to break through the array, it was very possible their plan would have been a success.

Though he knew Vahn would, despite his words, continue waiting patiently, Shirou also knew it was important to at least give the overbearing Dragon some face. Fortunately, it seemed like he had left Artoria behind, as, when they were together, both were even more overbearing than normal. During their last encounter, Artoria, alone, had severely injured more than half their forces over a perceived slight. It had been a rather disheartening experience, so, while he was slightly saddened to see Vahn alone, Shirou was also grateful that the aptly named 'Dragon God Empress' was not present...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'TFW you go Plus Ultra and the enemy doesn't even have to move...','*Casual tail smack*','Shirou and Vahn have a lot of enmity between each other xD...')

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