Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

AAfter teasing the two Japanese beauties for several hours, one version of Vahn remained behind to take care of Nobunaga while the other, after helping her recover, ventured into his personal Training Orb with Musashi.

As could be expected, Musashi expressed a keen interest in the Asauchi, so, despite a strong desire to just sleep for the rest of the day, her curiosity compelled her to follow after him. She was eager to see for herself what the mysterious, slightly intimidating, katana was capable of.

With her face still somewhat red, Musashi performed a few simple exercises, allowing Vahn to enjoy quite the view until she drew her katana and asked, "So, how are we going about this? Did you want to fight it out or what?"

Shaking his head, Vahn explained, "This Asauchi might have no limits, but it is still young. With your level of skill, there is a non-negligible chance you might even be able to cut through it. I don't want to leave it with any trauma, so, for the time being, I just want your opinion on its basic qualities."

Letting her katana rest on her shoulder, Musashi issued a light 'hmm' before nodding her head and saying, "I guess that makes sense. It is a little strange that a sword needs to mature, but I can't deny there is something special about that beautiful blade of yours. I can feel my blood boiling just seeing it up close like this..."

As someone with an extremely close kinship with her own blades, Musashi's sensitivity to the 'spirits' contained within was second to none. She treated her own katana as if they were her precious family members, often spending several hours just polishing each of them. Vahn even suspected that, if she was given an Asauchi, Musashi might awaken a Zanpakutou in weeks, rather than years.

Under the mesmeric focus of Musashi, Vahn spent a little more than an hour just demonstrating all of the Asauchi's basic capabilities. This caused Musashi to become increasingly excited, and, by the end of the demonstration, he got the impression that the only thing preventing her from pouncing on him was the fact she was still fatigued from before.

Musashi knew Vahn was a bit of a showoff, but, after seeing the Asauchi in action, she felt he had every right to be. Though his skills were extremely lackluster, the blade itself more than made up for its Master's inadequacies. It was a masterpiece far removed from the realm of normalcy, and, though it might not compare against her greatest blade, the [Myoujingiri Muramasa], she got the impression it wouldn't be long before her most cherished possession paled in comparison to his beautiful blade.

Unable to resist, Musashi approached until her face was just a few centimeters away from the highly polished Asauchi, a greedy look in her eyes as she stated, "I want one. You have to forge me one. I won't forgive you if you refuse."

Seeing how eager Musashi was, Vahn couldn't help but laugh as he watched her gaze become stern in response to him sheathing the Asauchi. For a brief moment, he even imagined her trying to steal the blade from his hands, but, rather than use a 'direct' method, a mischievous smile spread across her face as she began to pull at the front of her kimono, saying, "Come on...we can work something out, can't we~?"

Rolling his eyes, Vahn resisted bopping Musashi on the top of her head, plainly stating, "I intend to forge several Asauchi in the future. For now, I need to observe the progress and development of the original. When the time comes, you'll have the chance to wield one of your own. Before that, you'll have to make peace with your current blades. It would be extremely detrimental to the development of an Asauchi if their wielder used other weapons. If you want to obtain a weapon that will be able to match your limitless potential, you'll have to be willing to part with your current katanas."

Though she wasn't too surprised by Vahn's words, as he had already explained the basic nature of an Asauchi, Musashi's excitement quickly diminished when she realized the truth behind his words. Even then, however, she was willing to accept an Asauchi, albeit only after 'retiring' her current blades. The path towards the peak required both resolution and sacrifice, so, while it felt like a piece of her heart had been buried with each of them, this wasn't the first time Musashi had to exchange her blades for something more suited to her strength.

After forming the proper resolution, Musashi's expression became especially serious as she said, "I'll be relying on you when the time comes..."

Even without her going into greater detail, Vahn understood the implication behind Musashi's words. The only way she could part with her blades is if they had 'died', so, after his Zanpakutou Spirit had been awoken, he would need to shatter them in battle. This would be the best method to leave her without any regrets, as, if they were shattered by a more powerful sword, her katanas would be able to rest in peace knowing they had fought against a worthy foe.

---

With the afternoon Raid quickly approaching, Vahn was making his final preparations for the coming conflict. To this end, he made a quick trip to New Thymyscira, finding it had changed quite a bit since his last visit only three weeks prior. There was now a large Coliseum near the center of the city, while, in the port, several Grecian longships could be seen, each 'manned' by crews of nearly one-hundred females. It was a rather strange sight to behold, as, due to Hippolyta's insistence on traditional wear, it looked like they were filming a movie set in Ancient Greece.

Looking around, Vahn could see tens of thousands of women wearing chiton, peplos, sandals, and shawls. For undergarments, the majority wrapped their chest in a garment known as a strophion, but, every now and then, you would see small groups that went completely topless. It would have been a sight to behold if not for the fact the majority of them looked relatively average, their appearances marred even further due to how some carried themselves around with an unnatural 'arrogance'...

Shaking his head, Vahn flew over to the Coliseum, unsurprised to find Hippolyta in the middle of the arena with a few young girls. They were being pitted against a bull-like monster that was covered in various wounds, each member dressed in roughly the same manner as Hippolyta herself. From this, it was easy to determine the girls were being trained as Amazoness warriors, but, unlike the relatively unforgiving practices he had observed in Danmachi, Hippolyta fought alongside them, seeming to build rapport while also preventing them from sustaining any serious injuries.

Since the trainees outnumbered the bull seven-to-one, they were able to use spears to harass it from all sides, hitting its blind spots every time it tried to attack. As a result, the bull eventually succumbed to blood loss, falling to the ground and kicking up a small plume of dust in the process. This elicited squeals of excitement and crude war cries from the young girls, while, in the viewing stands, several thousand women between the ages of twenty and thirty-five loudly cheered for them.

Deciding it was best not to make a big scene, Vahn released a small amount of his aura, drawing the attention of Hippolyta but leaving others none-the-wiser.

Seeing Vahn sitting lackadaisically atop the Coliseum's walls, Hippolyta's face formed into an almost indiscernible scowl. She also didn't want to make a scene, as, after losing against Vahn five times, she lacked the pride to face him while her people were watching. The majority of her citizens had been irreversibly corrupted by their former societies, so, until she could rear a generation of true Amazons, any setbacks could lead to a rapid collapse of their nascent society.

Just as Hippolyta was thinking about the best course of action, she was slightly surprised to see Vahn simply 'vanish' into thin air. Moments later, however, she heard a voice right next to her ear, causing her body to tense without anyone's notice. Afterward, she felt both relief and frustration, comforted by the fact Vahn decided not to make a scene but annoyed by his ability to whisper directly into her.

After forcing the crowd to disperse, much to the annoyance of the more haughty women, typically belonging to the 'older generation', Hippolyta quickly made her way over to her private residence, a rather homely abode considering her status as Queen. She believed that gaudiness and excess led to complacency and waste. The only things that should adorn an abode were trophies obtained during battle and conquest. Everything else should go towards the infrastructure, strengthening the nation rather than lining the pockets of fat politicians and opportunists...

Finding Vahn standing in front of the only real decoration in her house, a statue of her patron god and father, Ares, Hippolyta couldn't help but frown as she muttered, "You really have no sense of shame, do you? Entering a woman's house without their permission..."

As if he had only just noticed her presence, Vahn turned around with a look of confusion on his face, brows raised as he asked, "Does it really bother you so? You don't even have any servants or guards to protect your residence."

Snorting through her nose, Hippolyta crossed her arms, stating, "My possessions belong, in equal measure, to my people. Now, speak, why have you come here...?"

Though Vahn had never expected Hippolyta to suddenly begin respecting him, he couldn't help but deadpan in response to her words. By 'right', he could have claimed Hippolyta as his prize after their first battle, but, not wanting to deal with a misandrist, he would rather remain enemies with her than invite her bigotry into the Empire. He tolerated the existence of New Themyscira, but, based on how things were going, this might very well change in the near future.

Hippolyta might put on a bold front, but Vahn knew tensions in New Themyscira were growing with each passing day. There were a number of women who bastardized the concept of Amazons, using it as a means to try and suppress men. If not for the presence of the Companions, some of the children might have even been brutalized, or worse, by the more extreme members of the growing faction.

It was somewhat laughable, but, due to their past experiences with men, a number of women quickly got out of hand when the social dynamic had been reversed. They made no attempt to differentiate themselves from the men who had wronged them. Instead, they used their past trauma as a means to justify horrible acts and behave however they pleased, hiding behind the banner of Hippolyta and claiming themselves as Amazons despite having never earned the title.

If not for Hippolyta's and Aife's efforts to quell the growing community of bigots, sentencing some to death due to violations of the Common Law, he would have already removed the sovereign status of New Themyscira...

As if she could sense Vahn's thoughts, Hippolyta became noticeably pale, her peach-colored skin gaining a somewhat sickly color as her confidence seemed to evaporate. Despite this, she managed to avoid backing down, her expression perpetually fixed into a courageous visage as she glared back at him with her scarlet-red eyes.

It was hard to say whether Hippolyta was fearless or foolish, but, considering she was only seventeen years old, Vahn refused to let her behavior leave a deep impression on him. Once she matured, most of the dissidence within her budding nation would be dealt with, so, rather than let it bother him, he just rolled his eyes before saying, "I won't go into any details, but I'll be having a showdown against the Olympians later this afternoon. I wanted to inform you and Caenis beforehand. There is nothing you can do to stop it, but you have the right to know."

Hearing Vahn's unexpected statement, Hippolyta looked at him like she was viewing a drunkard, her expression turning incredulous as she asked, "What are you talking about? Did you hit your head...?"

Rather than answer her question, Vahn looked around the area, asking, "Where are Caenis and Aife? I don't sense them anywhere within the City."

Though she was annoyed by Vahn's deflection, Hippolyta didn't comment on it, glaring at him for a few seconds before answering, "They are searching for Amazoness candidates and informing others of the existence of New Themyscira. You have undoubtedly noticed it, but the people in this region leave a lot to be desired. There was even a group who tried to denounce the existence of my father, causing disruptions outside of the city with their ministrations. I've started to lose hope in the people of this region, so we decided to recruit some fresh blood from more distant territories..."

Even before Hippolyta had finished her explanation, Vahn had already confirmed Caenis' and Aife's locations using his search function. He could see that Aife was wandering around Nothern Europe while Caenis had actually made her way over to South America.

After verifying Hippolyta's statement, Vahn gave a light hum before closing his Map and saying, "I have finished what I came to do. Is there anything you wanted to discuss before I depart? I noticed an increase in the number of luxury goods in your recent supply requests. Mind explaining why your city needs two-thousand kilograms of gold? Even if the Empire's resources are infinite, that doesn't mean we'll just hand them out without consideration for what they'll be used for. If you're going to continue increasing your demands, you'll need to allow more Companions in the city."

Not expecting Vahn to suddenly shift the conversation to the subject of supplies, Hippolyta clicked her tongue. She had the impression he was messing with her, as, with his information network, there was no way Vahn wasn't aware of why the needed gold and other precious minerals. This was one of the reasons she still disdained him, as, despite having such an extreme amount of power, he liked to play word games and dance around matters at the expense of others.

Crossing her arms, Hippolyta plainly stated, "A lot of it will go into the production of golems and the formation of more powerful defenses. I doubt you will fork over anything more precious, so we need gold to use as a catalyst for Aife's magic. Some will be used to produce weapons and armor, used to rear the budding generation of Amazons. You know better than anyone how chaotic this world has become. Without suitable weapons and armor, my people cannot battle against an ever-increasing monster population."

Emulating Hippolyta, Vahn also crossed his arms, his expression returning to a deadpan as he asked, "So, the Empire has the burden of equipping and protecting your people? Aife's Noble Phantasm is more than suited to the task of dealing with most enemies. We also have thousands of automatons providing security around large population centers. Tell me, Queen of the Amazons, why should the Empire proactively equip a foreign nation with weapons when we're already protecting your borders for you...?"

Angered by Vahn's words, Hippolyta smashed one of the pillars of her own home, shouting, "Don't give me that crap! A civilian population that can't even protect itself is a liability! Are you intending to cripple other nations just to keep them under the Empire's thumb!? We're already following those ridiculous laws of yours! What more do you want from us!?"

Without changing his expression in the slightest, Vahn plainly stated, "Tolerance. I am aware of the effort you have made to improve conditions, but your methods are simply outdated. You have seen for yourself how previously established societies have completely ruined their people. Even now, in the wake of The Fall, the number of people making a concerted effort to increase their strength is less than three percent of the global population. Everyone wants free handouts, no matter whether it is housing, food, or entertainment. Even within the nascent Supercolonies, this is a serious issue that will take several generations to remove completely. Your policies will only serve to inflate the egos and greed of people who want to reap the reward of other people's efforts. Tell me, what will you do when more than ninety percent of your population is resistant to fully adopting the culture you are so proud of? Will you drive them away? Will you kill them?"

Hearing Vahn's increasingly harsh words, Hippolyta's expression morphed into one of sheer vexation and frustration. She was well aware of the truth behind his words, but, unless she was willing to take a step back and compromise on her own beliefs, there was nothing she could do about each of the issues he pointed out. All she could do was personally rear a young generation of Amazons, hoping they were able to bring about the change she wanted to see in her people. She believed that, once others saw what females were truly capable of, the dissidents within her society would slowly begin to change for the better...

Seeing a light layer of moisture spread across Hippolyta's eyes, Vahn repressed a sigh as he closed his eyes and forcibly calmed down. He had already said enough to force her to reflect, so, instead of pushing her even further into a corner, he stated, "We will send the supplies at the beginning of next month. This time around, I will not force you to accept more Companions. However, I expect you to seriously consider whether or not this society of yours can sustain itself. Your culture always relied on war and plunder to reduce its numbers and accumulate resources. This isn't an option in the present day, so, without handouts from the Empire, can you truly survive? Would you be able to rear the next generation of Amazons with pride, lambasting the existence of men despite relying on the grace of an Emperor just to keep your people fed and armed?"

With each of Vahn's statements like heavy blows, Hippolyta began to feel somewhat lightheaded. It felt like everything believed in was being questioned, and, unless she was willing to refuse all future shipments of supplies, there was no way she could refute his words. Without the Empire, it would be impossible to sustain the growing population of New Themyscira. Some women even migrated over a thousand kilometers just to seek refuge in her city, many without actually contributing anything...