Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Once everyone had returned from their baths, Vahn introduced Baihu and Xuanwu to the girls, explaining their origins and briefly mentioning Zhuque and Qinglong. He would eventually manifest all four of the Divine Beasts, so, before any blame could be assigned, Vahn went on a tangent trying to explain Innates and the myriad ways in which they could manifest. This left the girls with all kinds of questions, but, promising to explain more about the nature of Innates in the future, Vahn guided the conversation back on track once everyone had filled their bellies.

As even Asuna knew quite a bit about future events at this point, Vahn didn't beat around the bush when giving his opinion on using Theo's diorama. He had slowly strengthened it by reinforcing the interior space and introducing thousands of Elemental Spirits inside, so, in many ways, it was one of their most powerful assets. It had become a highly resilient world where they could rapidly increase their power in a comparably short period of time. This would allow them to be adequately prepared for all future battles, but, in exchange, they would slowly burn away their youth.

Originally, Vahn had been intending to deal with most of Cosmos Entelecheia himself, but, now that things had reached this point, he knew Arika, Theo, and even Asuna would want to fight. They knew the roles they were originally intended to play, but, rather than shy away and leave their fates in the hands of others, they had been proactively working to change them. Arika was determined to make the world a better place, and, though she was still somewhat bratty and tomboyish, Theo had been spending as much time studying as she had been pushing her limits. As for Asuna, she had a rather scary amount of talent, and, though Vahn was certain he would always have the edge, it wasn't too difficult to imagine her reaching a point where she could contend directly against him...

By the end of the discussion, it was decided that they would remain in Ariadne until the end of the current school year. This was a period approximating 139 days, and, if 'exploited' fully, it equated to around five years in Mundus Magicus or nine years in Mundus Ventus. By then, there was a chance that even Asuna would have become a world-class powerhouse, as, in the original timeline, Negi had been around the same age when he helped to save the world. As for why they had decided to wait, this was largely due to the fact that Theo likely wouldn't be able to accompany them on their journey.

Due to her status as the 'Princess' of Vespertatia, Arika could travel virtually unobstructed within the Magical World. Theo, however, was the Crown Princess of the Hellas Empire, one of the two primary factions responsible for perpetuating the coming conflict. Though history lay the blame on Cosmo Entelecheia, they wouldn't have been able to trigger a war if the Empire and the Confederacy hadn't been making preparations for the last forty years. In the end, they just used Cosmo Entelecheia as a convenient excuse to justify their warmongering, and, if not for the actions of Ala Rubra, the Great Magic War would have likely continued for years.

Since it would only cause problems if she traveled abroad, Theo was intending to either remain in Ariadne or return to the Capital. If she was confident in her strength, she wanted to try and root out some of the corruption that had encroached upon her homeland, and, if possible, prevent the onset of war. She didn't want to see her people dying as the result of some scheme, so, even if she had to make herself a target, Theo was willing to oppose the warmongering faction directly. She might not have much political power, but, as the future Empress, she was already popular with the people. She could rapidly expand her influence with a few achievements under her belt, and, with the support of Vrixho, Jack, and her father, she already had a sturdy foundation for her platform...

---

As there wasn't much sense in discussing matters for the far future, as everything was subject to change, the last topic of conversation regarded the daily schedule and general living arrangements. To everyone's surprise, Eva decided not to introduce too many changes, stating, "The damage has already been done." She did, however, warn that it was a privilege that could be taken away if she believed Arika and Theo were slacking off. To that end, she would be taking charge of their training in the near future, as, despite Vahn's power and comprehension, his sensibilities made him ill-suited to training girls who were targetting him.

Since Eva had been the one to teach Vahn and Fenrir, not just Magic, but the use of internal energy, neither Arika nor Theo opposed having her become their teacher. Rather, they seemed determined to show her how 'serious' they were, so, when prompted, they readily agreed. As for Baihu, who had nearly dozed off several times during the discussion, he would also be learning from Eva while also serving as a sparring partner and secondary teacher for everyone, Vahn included.

Though Eva would likely win in a serious fight, Xiao Bai's understanding of martial arts and internal energy was leaps and bounds ahead of hers. It might take him a while to reconcile the differences between internal energy manipulation and the Akamatsuverse's concepts of Ki, but, once he figured it out, he would be a true nightmare for Mage purists. He was already a Grandmaster in more than a dozen different martial arts, and, when it came to his own 'Heavenly White Tiger' form, the feats he was capable of outright defied logic.

With the combination of Eva's and Xiao Bai's teachings, anyone would be able to reach the pinnacle if they were willing to put in the effort. Since they also had virtually unrestricted access to resources, it was only a matter of time before Arika and Theo became world-class powerhouses. As for Asuna, she would primarily learn from Vahn, as, unlike Arika and Theo, she had already become his official apprentice.

Asuna had a remarkable talent for swordsmanship, reinforcement magic, and ki manipulation. What ultimately led to her becoming his apprentice, however, was the fact that she couldn't properly use magic outside of her body. She could emulate virtually any spell she had seen, but, as a result of her unique constitution, it became increasingly difficult for her to externalize her magical power due to the Innate magic canceling ability she seemed to possess. This effect had only grown stronger with the passage of time, so, by the time she reached maturity, there was a fair chance that Asuna might not be able to use external magic at all.

Recognizing this wasn't exactly a bad thing, as Asuna would become a literal nightmare for even the most powerful Mage, Vahn began teaching her swordsmanship directly. He also helped Arika and Theo polish their skills, but, as they had other things they specialized in, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for them to reach the stage of Grandmaster swordsmanship. Instead, they would reach the pinnacle of their own paths, Arika becoming an Archmage, and, if she continued refining her skills, Theo would undoubtedly become a Grandmaster Martial Artist.

Ultimately, it was very difficult to reach the pinnacle of any given path, so, unless you focused on one, you might find yourself unable to master any. This was a mistake Vahn had made himself, and, if not for the guidance of Scathach and Musashi, combined with his forging of the Asauchi, the path towards Grandmaster might have remained closed to him. Instead, he focused his mind on a single path for nearly forty years, and, as a result, reached a stage where he could directly contend against the 'greatest' swordsman who had ever lived.

Vahn didn't want Arika and Theo to make the same mistakes as he had, so, rather than make them his official apprentices, he had helped them along their own paths. He still intended to forge them Asauchis of their own, but, as the base state could even be a simple brick, this wouldn't shoehorn them into the path of swordsmanship. Rather, he was intending to make Arika a bladed staff, and, though it would take an excruciating amount of effort, Vahn intended to forge Theo a simple pair of gauntlets.

Though he could save time by forging her some trench knives or knuckledusters, Theo's style made heavy use of grapples and throws. Vahn wanted their Asauchi's to further complement their fighting style, so, rather than inhibit Theo's ability to grab things, he intended to enhance it. The feelings of the wielder greatly influenced the form and personality of the Zanpakuto Spirit so Vahn wanted her to genuinely appreciate the gauntlets he had forged her, not feel inconvenienced by them.

If everything went as planned, everyone within his group would be equipped with a Zanpakuto. This would greatly amplify their capabilities, and, due to having nothing to do with Magic, it would allow them to continue fighting even if they entered an area where Magic was restricted. This made them far more versatile than Pactio Artifacts, though, when the time came, Vahn intended to make use of both.

Due to the nature of a Pactio, Vahn wanted the girls to properly establish their foundation before proposing the unique contract, as, unlike a Zanpakuto, it relied more on his reserves than their own power. He didn't want them to become reliant on borrowed power, as, not only would this restrict their growth, but, the moment the connection was severed, they would basically become crippled without the Artifact they had come to rely upon. This could lead to several worst-case scenarios and bad ends, so, rather than have them become reliant on a borrowed power, Vahn wanted to help the girls establish a stable foundation that allowed them to pursue any paths that interested them...

---

By the time the discussion had come to an end, it was already past the time when everyone would normally rest in preparation for the next day's training. Xiao Bai and Asuna had already passed out, so, in accordance with the arrangements that had been made, Vahn carried the sleeping princess to the room she would share with Fenrir and himself. As for Arika and Theo, they benefitted quite a bit from Eva's arrangements, as, unlike before, they would be sharing a bed with just Vahn. This meant they could both sleep beside him, and, without having to worry about Asuna, they were free to take even bolder action in the future.

Eva had already warned the two not to get any 'strange' ideas before they completed their training, but, knowing where the real problem lay, she told Vahn not to do anything 'stupid' before retiring to her own room with another. As for Xiao Bai and Fairy Xuan, the former reverted to his cub form in order to sleep in the same bed as Vahn, Fenrir, and Asuna. The latter, however, hastily departed the diorama, eager to get a jump start on the important mission her Master had assigned her. She could travel several times the speed of sound within her watery sub-dimension so it wouldn't even take her an hour to reach Megalomesembria. Then, using her unique set of skills, she would quickly cement her place as an information broker before slowly expanding her influence throughout the entire Confederacy.

Vahn had a lot of trust in each of the Divine Beasts, so, even if Fairy Xuan used a few underhanded methods, he knew she would never do anything that would touch his bottom line. Rather, he could easily imagine her freeing a bunch of slaves, and, as a result, he would likely gain quite a number of followers. They were nearly as fervent as Fenrir when it came to their loyalty towards him, so, even if he tried to rein them in, they would preach their dogma as if it was perfectly natural...

---

After retiring to a room with Eva, the latter released an exasperated sigh almost immediately after the soundproofing barriers had been erected. Then, with a slightly troubled expression on her face, she looked toward him and asked, "There are a lot of things you can't tell me, aren't there...?"

Understanding what she was alluded to, Vahn nodded his head, explaining, "Trust me when I say I'm not trying to keep secrets from you, Eva. There are just some truths that cannot be explained unless certain conditions have been met. I can't even explain these conditions or the consequences, as, the moment I do, terrible things will begin to happen..."

Seeing the conflict in Vahn's eyes, Eva just shook her head, stating, "You're too big of an idiot to try and deceive the people you care about. I know you will eventually tell me everything, but, until that time comes, I want to know everything else. You said more than a hundred years have passed since you parted ways with my Memory Fragment. Since you've already seen my memories, it is only fair that I get to see yours...I want to see what you experienced to become the man you are today..."

Before Eva had finished speaking, her body began to rapidly shrink, her clothes becoming loose as her mature figure gave way to a petite and delicate frame. In the end, the only thing she was left wearing was an oversized dress shirt, as, even with her belt, the pencil skirt she had been wearing slipped to the ground. This gave her a rather 'dangerous' appearance, but, as Vahn had already grown fond of every version of Eva, he just smiled in appreciation before making his way over to her side...

---

While his main body was snuggling up with Eva on a comfortable sofa, the version of Vahn that was left at the mercy of Arika and Theo currently had a wry smile on his face. Arike had taken a page out of Theo's book, and, other than a pair of black lace panties, she was completely naked. She had also taken things a few steps further than normal, choosing to lay as close to him as humanly possible, her face only a few centimeters away from his own as she used his shoulder as a pillow...

Though Arika's expression had become a mask of neutrality, she couldn't hide the flush that had slowly crept down from her face, tinging her blossoming body with a sensuous red glow. To further exacerbate matters, she had started to heat up noticeably, and, despite the room being rather cool, a thin layer of sweat had spread across her body. She wasn't overtly trying to seduce him, but, after the previous encounter with Eva, she was pushing herself a bit further than her rational mind would normally allow...

A stark contrast to Arika, Theo was behaving as if everything was perfectly natural, and, based on her appearance, 'natural' was the best way to describe the current situation. She had only ever worn panties in the past, so, with only one 'logical' development remaining, she completely discarded the tiny fabric, curling up next to him as naked as the day she was born. Despite this, she showed none of the 'discomfort' visible in Arika's countenance, a satisfied smile on her face as she lay next to him and unashamedly nestled her leg between his. She was actually the cause behind Arika's decision to discard her usual top, as, the moment they entered the room, Theo rapidly undressed before, quite literally, jumping into the bed...

Now, with an impassioned girl on his right and a 'naturalist' on his left, Vahn could only do his best to remain calm as he shifted his focus to other things. Fortunately, Arika was gradually able to calm down after around two hours had passed, her body temperature returning to normal as most of her biological processes slowed to a crawl. She actually became rather cool to the touch, and, though it was a little strange to have someone cling to you 'unmovingly', Vahn was able to relax knowing she would be out of it for at least five hours...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Diorama supremacy','You get a Zanpakuto! You get a Zanpakuto! Everyone gets a Zanpakuto~!','Eva basically threw a lump of meat to a group of hungry lionesses...')

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