Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Arika managing to bar her mother from the room, Vahn was able to enjoy a relatively relaxing evening in the former's bed-chamber. As for Asuna, she decided to spend the rest of the night with her mother. This allowed him and Arika to enjoy some alone time, but, undoubtedly as a result of her promise with Theo, the golden-haired beauty elected to wear a proper nightgown for the first time in quite a while.

Vahn was somewhat infamous for pushing his lovers to their natural limits, but, regardless of how much time came to pass, he would never force them into a compromising position. He knew Arika would give in pretty quickly if he was more insistent, so, rather than test her resolution; he spent the entire evening just hugging her tightly from behind. This allowed Arika to gradually unwind, and, though it took much longer than usual, she eventually managed to fall asleep in his arms...

---

Due to how early they had slept the previous evening, there were still several hours until sunrise at the time of Vahn brushing Arika's hair and helping her prepare for the day. They would be parting shortly after breakfast, and, though it took minimal effort for them to reunite, their next meeting was bound to be in a few weeks. She would be spending a lot of time away from Ostia, and, though he had offered to accompany her in his transformed state, she had surprisingly refused because she didn't want to rely on him in the execution of her duties.

Even if he didn't do anything, Vahn's presence implied, not that he 'might' do something, but that he 'would' take action when presented with a scenario he didn't agree with. This wasn't inherently a bad thing, but, from a political perspective, it was akin to carrying around a nuclear warhead set to explode at a moment's notice. Arika wanted to settle things using her own power, so, while it would have set her heart at ease to have him accompany her, such complacency wasn't necessarily a good thing when mediating between warring nations.

Though he didn't disagree with her, Vahn wasn't oblivious of the peculiar flow of fate that had been lingering around, not just Arika, but virtually everyone he had encountered as of late. Even Eva had not been spared, and, ever since his arrival within Ostia, an almost tangible flow had been present around both Ana and Vesperina. This was unquestionably the result of Asuna's drastic influence on fate, but, while it was somewhat concerning, it all-but-guaranteed the safety of everyone under its influence.

Vahn actually encouraged his women to be more independent, so, while it wasn't easy for him, he had no intention of interfering in the decisions of Theo, Arika, and even Eva. They all had the means to protect themselves, and, though they had their pride to uphold, he knew they would not hesitate to call upon him if they encountered a serious threat. Thus, rather than insist that she allow him to accompany her, Vahn just returned an affectionate smile as he loosely braided her hair and said, "I believed in you even before our engagement. Now, I am absolutely certain you will be able to reach your goals..."

Hearing Vahn's remark, a small but lovely smile spread across Arika's face as she stared back at him through the mirror and muttered, "My husband is a Dragon God of Time, Space, and Creation...this will be a simple matter to attend. Then, when everything is said and done, I will have you reward me plentily..."

Though she had a serious glimmer in her eyes, Vahn noticed a considerable amount of expectation within Arika's Blue-Green irises. This caused an itchy feeling in his heart, as, despite being far more reserved than someone like Theo, Arika didn't particularly lack boldness. Rather, drawing even more comparisons between her an Ais, she was inordinately curious and highly receptive. She was already the type of woman that wanted to try new things, so, once they finally crossed that line, it was easy to imagine Arika 'blossoming' in the bedroom...

Imagining the taciturn beauty in her experimental phase, Vahn couldn't help but swallow slightly, an action that was noticed by the woman in question. Her smile curled up a little more than usual, and, for a brief moment, an amorous light flashed across her eyes as she teasingly affirmed, "I'm looking forward to it..."

---

With her excitement reaching palpable levels, Theo found it impossible to get even a wink of sleep the night before her battle against Jack. She had eventually noticed the less-than-subtle changes to her body, but, feeling as though they granted her even greater power, Theo didn't particularly mind them. Rather, she felt the mysterious runes actually accentuated her beauty, and, though she wasn't able to interpret their meaning, Theo noticed they would glow like flames whenever she channeled her magical power through her body.

While admiring the glowing runes covering her naked body, Theo sensed the presence of a group of people approaching her room. She quickly shimmied into the mesh her Master had gifted her, completely concealing the flaming runes, and, with a simple touch of a gemstone, a unique combat outfit manifested to cover her body. The outfit consisted of a black sports-bra, a matching martial arts hakama, thin leather bracers, and footwraps similar in style to the type used by kickboxers.

Even prior to emulating her Master, Theo had always been fond of the color black, so, with the exception of the golden trim and sash, her entire outfit was black. She felt it complimented her skin tone quite a bit, and, based on the reaction of her Master, he was in agreement. Now, she had the appearance of a skilled martial artist, and, though the outfit left her abdomen, back, and shoulders completely exposed, Theo wasn't even remotely ashamed to display the body she had sculpted for both her and her Master's sake...

Ignoring the preliminary knocking on her door, Theo struck a few poses in the mirror, admiring her own form with an admittedly silly smile on her face. One of her only regrets over the four years was that she hadn't matured nearly as much as she would have liked. She knew her age was the primary reason for the inhibitions her Master had shown her, and, though he had largely gotten over them, it seeded a desire in her heart to become a mature beauty.

Undoubtedly as a result of the Tri-Force of Power, Theo noticed that she had experienced a bit of a growth spurt during the tumultuous hours when she had been denied sleep. She had grown from around 155cm to 161cm in a single evening, and, though they weren't that big, it seemed like her breasts had become even more shapely than before. She still had a fair amount of growth ahead of her, but, compared to her previous appearance, she had matured substantially. Her only moderate concern was that her ears had become slightly longer, and, though it wasn't particularly rare among the Hellasians, she noticed the fur covering them had become slightly denser than normal...

While she was pinching the tufts of fur growing from the very ends of her ears, Theo heard a much louder knock on the door. This actually startled her a bit, as, for a brief moment, she had completely forgotten the people waiting outside to escort her. She had been too busy thinking about how her Master would react to the changes to her body, but, knowing him, he would be satisfied so long as she was happy. This thought caused Theo's ears to waggle happily, but, with yet another knock on her door, her mood did a complete one-eighty as she shundo'd next to the door and flung it open with a bit more force than was absolutely necessary...

---

Similar to when Vahn had battled against Jack, the Coliseum was filled beyond its natural capacity. It was exceptionally rare to see a member of the Imperial Family battle in the arena, much less one as young as Theo, so, despite most people saving up in preparation for the war, even the more miserly individuals ended up forking over their Drachma in order to try and secure a seat. There were some rumors circulating about the exhibition being a ploy to arbitrarily inflate the perceived power of the Imperial Family, but, regardless of the actual circumstances, bouts that involved Jack were always a sight to behold.

Fortunately, though it had placed a heavy strain on the organizers, the event was scheduled to take place pretty early in the morning. This was a blessing for those who had been waiting ever since the previous day's announcement. They had been packed into the stands like sardines, and, though this was par for the course during major events, finding an opportunity to rest or relieve yourself was all but impossible. The moment you vacated your spot, someone would unhesitantly fill it in, so, after securing a place for themselves, most people refused to even make room for the few people trying to leave.

To prevent tensions from boiling over and potentially causing a riot, the Emperor, who had decided to attend the event alongside his eldest son and daughter, gave permission to proceed earlier than was originally scheduled. The Coliseum was already packed beyond capacity, so, with Theo and Jack waiting in the wings, he felt it was appropriate to begin sooner, rather than later. It also helped that he was just as eager as the rest of the crowd to see Theo's performance, so, after a quick broadcast to inform everyone of the change, met with uproarious applause, things were finally set to begin...

---

Though she was a little surprised by the sudden change in schedule, causing her to pause mid-warmup, Theo wasn't even remotely disappointed. Instead, she lightly pushed against the ground, transitioning from the tips of her fingers to her feet, smiling radiantly at the Coliseum staff sent to inform her of the changes. This brought a light blush to the person in question, as, despite being a female, Theo's presence was infectious to the point of being indiscriminate. This was another small benefit of possessing the Tri-Force of Power, as, rather than a raw increase in power, it provided the user with 'True Power'.

Depending on the person you asked, the answer would change, but, in essence, the highest form of power was always Authority. As a result, the wielder of the Tri-Force of Power emanated what could best be described as a 'tyrannical yet reliable' aura. It allowed them to inspire allies and terrify foes, and, so long as they possessed an adequate amount of ambition, its wielder would gradually rise to prominence, regardless of the political climate. This was the main reason Vahn had given Theo the Tri-Force of Power, as, compared to Arika and Asuna, she would benefit the most from its use as she slowly cemented her position within the Empire.

Due to the presence emanated by Theo, the Coliseum personnel remained statuesque even after the former had departed the waiting room. Her face had become beet red, and, though she had never harbored an inclination towards the fairer sex, she noticed her heart was racing as a number of rather 'untoward' thoughts raced across her mind. This filled her with conflict, but, more than anything else, a desire to see Theo emerge victoriously had been seeded within her heart...

---

Unaware of the influence she had on other people, Theo waited for the announcer to introduce her before entering into the arena. The crowd practically exploded in response to her emergence, and, though there were a few uncomfortable gazes mixed into the bunch, Theo could feel her blood boil in excitement as the respect and adulation of the crowd washed over her. She had always dreamed of standing in the arena someday, but, never in her wildest fantasies did she imagine that her first opponent would be none other than the person regarded as the 'strongest'.

Seeing Jack standing on the opposite side of the arena, his figure cloaked in a ceremonial purple cape that draped all the way to the ground, Theo could hardly contain herself. This was obviously noted by the man in question, but, while he was just as eager to begin, a look of surprise flashed across his eyes as he noticed the subtle changes occurring to her body. He could feel her power surging outward, and, though it seemed like she was still in control, Jack got the impression she was on the verge of going berserk at a moment's notice.

Having watched Theo grow up since she was a toddler, an uncharacteristic frown appeared on Jack's face as he muttered, "Not good...it seems like that damned lizard gave her something she wasn't ready to control..."

As this thought crossed his mind, Jack briefly considered canceling the match, but, knowing the crowd might literally erupt if he tried, his next thought was to end the fight as quickly as possible. He didn't know what kind of power Theo was using but his gut told him things would become a lot more troublesome if he didn't end it quickly. This was bound to cause some dissatisfaction among the crowd, but, as there were far more important things in life than popularity, he was willing to put his reputation on the line to protect his little sis...

With his mind made up, Jack's expression became uncharacteristically serious as tiny bands of gold electricity began to surge across his body. The ceremonial cape covering his muscular body ended up disintegrating in an instant, and, immediately following the announcer's declaration, his figure completely vanished from view. In the very next instant, three explosions sounded out in the arena, one from Jack's starting point, another from Theo's, and the final resulting from a collision with the barrier protecting the crowd from harm...

Stupefying both the onlookers and the person in question, Jack's body was the one sent flying, as, at her starting point, Theo stood squat with a gauntleted fist extended. A web of cracks had spread nearly twenty meters from where her feet had embedded into the ground, but, other than sinking slightly, she hadn't moved from her initial position. This surprised even Theo quite a bit, but, rather than demonstrate any kind of complacency, she released a loud battle cry as she charged to meet the uninjured Jack head-on...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Oh my...','Theo is quite feisty~','Bruh O_O...')

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