Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After Illya had regained her composure, Vahn sat together with her on a sofa as they talked about the future a bit. Though it was somewhat difficult to imagine reaching such extremes of strength, Illya was determined to become a powerhouse Magus in the future. With her body being almost entirely comprised of Magic Circuits, combined with the fact she could pull almost limitless mana from the planet, she already had a very strong starting point. Better still was the fact that she had the Sorcery Trait and Origin of ’Wish-Granting’, allowing her to cast spells without possessing the knowledge of the spell itself. At its most extremes, it allowed the user to skip the thaumaturgical process altogether and recreate miracles just through the use of magical energy.

The major downside to ’Wish-Granting’ was that it heavily depends on the mentality, imagination, and general comprehension of the user. While it effectively allowed Illya to use any kind of spell she had seen, or even cancel the spells of others, the resultant spells were often much weaker. As for countering spells, she would often have to see the same Magecraft several times in order to effectively negate it. Thus, if the opponent was skilled, they could overwhelm her by using various spells and forcing her to always be reactive. At the same time, if they were able to separate her from the ground, Illya would quickly lose the ability to fight as a result of her body’s monstrous mana consumption and poor efficiency.

Since she wanted to grow stronger, Vahn obviously wasn’t going to discourage her and, as he could think of a variety of methods to cover for her weaknesses, they spent a few hours talking about solutions. Though using powerful equipment would be the simplest solution, there was a drastic difference between power earned and power borrowed. If she wanted to increase her Soul Tier and become truly powerful, relying on equipment is something that should only be considered against enemies. For training, it was better to rely almost exclusively on your own capabilities, unless of course you intended to pursue Laws related to specific weapon types.

As Illya was an example of a ’Pure Mage’, at least according to Eva’s classifications, the most important thing she could do was focus on increasing her reserves and drawing out her potential in actual combat. Since she could already use any spell, albeit with limited efficacy, the best way for her to improve was to simply adapt to using those spells in combat. As her confidence grows, the spells in her arsenal would increase in power and, by furthering her comprehension of Laws, it was only a matter of time before Illya became a powerhouse. To that end, Vahn wanted to teach her in much the same way that Eva taught him, meaning he would focus on teaching her how to be extremely mobile while using barriers and artillery-class magic against her foes.

The biggest downside to this form of combat, at least in Illya’s case, was that she would actually be considerably weaker in the air, the dominion of most competent Magi. Though she could just focus on defensive Magecraft, becoming an existence similar to Terra, Vahn knew that Illya sought power to fight on foreign battlefields, not at home. It was comparably easier to focus on defense and, with several Magi already specializing in that category of Magecraft, Illya wanted the power to strike at her opponents. Thus, Vahn decided to help her increase her reserves while promising to help her come up with a method to pull mana from the atmosphere just as easily as she could from the ground.

Since ’distance’ itself was an illusion, at least when your comprehension of Laws reached certain extremes, he knew there should be nothing preventing Illya and Iris from using their greatest strength, even in the air. One method that came to mind was using a similar network to the one Da Vinci was already working on as it could already transmit Magical Energy while also allowing for near-instantaneous communication between the Companions and the Mother System. If that same technology could be adapted to transmit Magical Energy to a receiver, which would feed directly into a person’s body, it was technically possible to power them indefinitely.

Though this seemed like a fantastical concept, it was actually used by many of the more powerful Magus families and pretty much every Caster-Class Servant. The [Territory Creation] skill worked on the same principle while Bounded Fields could greatly increase the power of Magi that had certain lineages or knew how to tap into the Magical Energy contained within. Thus, fighting a Magi on their home turf was exponentially more difficult than drawing them out into the open as, in some instances, they were outright immortal unless you could sever their connection to the Bounded Field. Rin had even told him about the Caster from the Fifth Holy Grail War who, so long as she was not killed instantly, could even reverse time and effect causality to completely heal all forms of damage.

Vahn’s idea would essentially require them to turn the entire world into a Bounded Field which, while an extreme thought, wasn’t actually that difficult in practice. Though others would struggle with it, they already had a system like CHALDEAS that was linked with the World itself. He already had the benefit of purchasing an extensive amount of data related to CHALDEAS from the system shop so, even though it hadn’t been activated, Vahn knew it functioned the way it was purported to work. The system shop even included diagrams of upgrade modules, accounting for a little more than two hundred years of the Chaldea Security Organization’s greatest achievements.

Though there was no ’guarantee’ these upgrades could be implemented in a short period of time, Vahn had an extreme level of confidence in Da Vinci’s capabilities. It was actually after he shared this information with her that she came up with the idea of establishing a system to govern the entire world. Since they already had the means to observe the planet in the past, present, and future, everything from uprisings, natural disasters, and other troublesome events was well within their ability to predict. This, combined with the observation network of the Companions, would effectively mean they had no exploitable blind spots, so long as they avoided allowing anyone with malicious intentions into their ranks.

Vahn could already imagine how Da Vinci would respond when he told her about his idea of converting the entire world into a Bounded Field as, if they wanted to push it to even further extremes, there was no limit to how they could shape the world. It would even be possible for him to establish a system that functioned similarly to Danmachi or, as they seemed rather popular in some areas of the world, overlay a projection onto the World that made it function similar to a video game. If people could track their experience, level up, learn skills, and study magic, Vahn felt like they would be better prepared for when the Surface slowly merged together with the Reverse Side.

While she felt a lot of the things Vahn was saying were rather ’fantastical’, Illya fully believed he was capable of achieving it. After all, if she helped him establish the Heaven’s Feel ritual, there were theoretically no limits to how he chose to shape the world. As it was a ritual directly linked to the Root, the only real restriction behind its ability to grant wishes was dependent on the amount of mana contained within the Greater Grail. According to the data that had been gathered during previous Heaven’s Feel rituals, there was a minimum of one-quintillion units of Magical Energy produced during the activation of the Greater Grail. When this value was converted into pure destructive power, this equated to an explosive yield of around 250,000 petajoules, more than enough to punch a hole through a continental shelf and shatter an entire continent.

Destruction, however, was often the most inefficient use for Magical Energy as, with the Heaven’s Feel ritual able to link directly to the Root, it was possible to make the ’impossible’ into a reality. If you wanted to, rather than wishing for the planet to be destroyed, it was far more ’efficient’ to just wish all life on the Surface world ceased to exist. Though there would undoubtedly be some who were able to even survive this, especially if they had enough Od, it would still eliminate more than 99% of all life. Even less destructively, it was possible to wish that every human in the world would be made into a Spirit, effectively granting them limited immortality.

As for Vahn’s purposes, even if it wouldn’t affect some of the more powerful forces in the world, it was possible to change the perception of the global population in an instant, making the existence of Magecraft accepted without the transition period that would have otherwise been necessary. This was one of the primary reasons Illya had gone to reclaim her birthright as, though she knew it wouldn’t be easy, she believed in the future Vahn wanted to create. Though ’fate’ had a way of intervening in the easy execution of such plans, the fact he already had existences like Alaya on his side drastically increased the chances of success. He only needed to establish and execute the Heaven’s Feel ritual a single time to have already won all current and future battles...

With that in mind, Illya listened to Vahn speak rather passionately about the future, an affectionate smile on her face as a result of the fact she had a place of her own in his vision. Though he would tirelessly work to make everyone happy, she knew his highest priority would always be the people he cared about, herself included. He would support any goal they set for themselves, even if it was something ’crazy’ like becoming an existence beyond the Gods. There were fundamentally no limits to the future, so long as they worked alongside and supported each other. To that end, Illya wanted to support him as well, even going as far as giving Vahn her entire family’s heritage just to make things marginally easier for him...

Not caring the least about wealth and treasures, Illya was happy just being able to spend time at his side, snuggling up against him and feeling his warmth flowing through her body. Though she still felt incredibly anxious around him, such feelings were never at the forefront of her mind when they were together like this. Instead, since they were alone, Illya would begin to feel emboldened, at times eyeing his lips while other times she nuzzling against him, hugging his body as tightly as her arms allowed. Since Vahn would often reciprocate, embracing her body, rubbing her head, or even giving her a short peck on the lips, many of Illya’s happiest memories revolved around the time they spent together...

This time, as Vahn had started to drone on a bit, Illya felt even more emboldened than normal and, as the time they had been apart had weighed heavily on her heart, she decided to go a step further than normal. Knowing he would be working hard to help the Homunculi she had brought to the castle, Illya wanted to show her appreciation for his efforts while also rewarding herself for her own hard work. With that in mind, using the opportunity when Vahn had paused to gauge her reaction, Ilya swallowed hard before mimicking his own action of stroking her face before shifting to sit in his lap as she kissed him far more passionately than normal...

Though there were a number of things he still wanted to take care of, the time which Vahn had allocated for rest had passed in what seemed like a flash. In the past, he would often lament that pleasant experiences always seemed to fly by but, as hard work and dedication ensured there was always more happiness to be experienced, he no longer let it bother him. If anything, he was more worried about the others but, as they were mostly strong and independent women, who did not need his constant care, Vahn focused on doing his best.

Shortly after he had started the almost mechanical procedure of applying his Familia Crest and Ouroboros Seal, Vahn’s almost business-like smile softened naturally. This was due to the fact that, as the most recent Homunculi, a woman named Elizabeth, left the operation room, a small pitter-patter of steps preceded the entry of Sakura. She had an apologetic expression on her face, seemingly afraid she was interrupting, but Vahn’s smile caused her to relax considerably. Then, as he gestured to her to come over, Vahn asked in a gentle tone, "What brings you here, my little cherry blossom~?"

Having found a bit of courage, Sakura answered in a quiet murmur, "I wanted to help you..." Even though she barely understood what had been going on in the room, Sakura knew her Otou-sama had been hard at work. She knew he was essentially a Doctor and, though there wasn’t much she could do to help him, this didn’t prevent her from wanting to do something to ease his burdens. The thought of being a Nurse also excited her a bit as, though she had already started her Knight training, Sakura’s dream had always been to help take care of others. Since her Otou-sama was always supportive of her, she believed he wouldn’t turn her away if she showed how serious she was about helping him...

Seeing the resolute look in Sakura’s teal-colored eyes, Vahn inhaled lightly before ultimately meeting her expectations by saying, "You can be my assistant, but you’ll mainly just have to watch patiently, okay? As for what you can do to help, try making conversation with the Homunculi and, if possible, remember as many names as you can. They need our help to open their hearts and minds so always make sure to treat them with the same dignity and respect all living creatures deserve..." As he explained this, Vahn lightly stroked Sakura’s head, earning a happy ’Nn’ from her in response.

Though Sakura’s intrusion had been a small delay, as the next Homunculus had remained outside to avoid interfering in their conversation, it wasn’t long before Vahn had explained the situation to those waiting. After that, a short-haired Homunculi with a rather rare ponytail entered the room, a small glimmer of light contained in her ruby-red eyes. This usually indicated that she was one of the members training with Kenshin who, as a result of being rather enamored with guiding a new group of trainees, spent a great deal of her time watching over their progress and polishing her own skills.

Deciding to act normally, even though it was strangely unnerving to have his daughter present, Vahn stated in a calm and professional tone, "Sakura, take the patient’s gown and place it on the hook." Then, turning his gaze to meet the Homunculus, Vahn smiled before gesturing toward the operating and examination table, stating, "After handing over your gown, please sit on this table and we’ll begin immediately." As every Homunculus already knew what to expect at this point, due to them communicating amongst themselves, Vahn’s newest patient gave an understanding nod before removing the white gown that had been issued to all the waiting patients.

Though she often had to remove her top when she went to the Doctor to get a check-up and have her measurements taken, Sakura was a bit surprised when her Otou-sama had the rather beautiful Onee-chan take off her gown. When she saw the latter’s unblemished skin, complete with ample b.r.e.a.s.ts, a thin waist, and full h.i.p.s, she felt rather fl.u.s.tered and strangely self-conscious. This didn’t stop her from doing as she was told, however, as she quickly accepted the gown before placing it on the nearby hook. Then, with nothing else to do, she patiently watched her Otou-sama at work, listening to the questions he asked and paying close attention to how he attentively listened to the woman named Diana’s responses.

Even though this was her first time watching him, Sakura could tell that her Otou-sama was very good at guiding the conversation while also acting perfectly professional. Each of his words had a small effect on Diana, causing her to appear progressively happier as the operation continued. As for the application of the Familia Crest, something she had experienced herself, Sakura did her best to memorize the pattern, albeit with very limited success. Then, when her Otou-sama had Diana lay on her back, Sakura experienced another brief moment of perturbance. There was something about seeing a grown woman laying on her back, with her Otou-sama leaning over them, that troubled Sakura’s heart. Though she knew he had other wives and children, it made her feel a little sad seeing him with a woman other than her mother, even if he was just carrying out a treatment...

After Diana’s seal had been carved, Vahn thanked her for being patient before sending her on her way, a pleasant smile now adorning her face. Sakura had the wherewithal to grab Diana’s gown for her, earning a polite bow and an expression of gratitude from the mature beauty that caused her to fumble a bit with her own response. Then, in the moments before the next patient entered, Vahn stated in a gentle and guiding tone, "You did very well, Sakura. Thank you..." He had been able to tell she was uncomfortable but, as she still carried out her tasks, he felt inclined to praise her efforts.

Hearing her Otou-sama’s praise, even though she felt like she hadn’t done much, Sakura beamed in a way that only children could manage, causing Vahn’s own smile to soften. Following this, the next Homunculus entered into the room, prompting Sakura to take the initiative to say, "P-Please give me your gown and then take a seat on the table...!" This was met with a surprised blink by the new patient but, rather than voice her confusion, she simply complied.

Much like Diana, the new arrival had relatively large b.r.e.a.s.ts which, when revealed, caused Sakura to gawk for a brief moment before placing the gown she had collected on the nearby hook. Then, peeking over her shoulder to see if her Otou-sama was looking, Sakura cupped her own b.r.e.a.s.ts and mumbled, "Will mine get that big...?" Though she had said this very quietly, Vahn’s ears were extremely sensitive so he ended up overhearing her. As he had seen Sakura’s a.d.u.l.t form, Vahn knew she would actually have much larger b.r.e.a.s.ts than this woman named Selkie but, as he had no grounds for explaining this to her, Vahn pretended not to have heard the remark. Instead, he continued to work with an infallible mask of professionalism, continuing without rest, even after Sakura had dozed off at the side and was carried away by one of his patients to rest...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Global Bounded Field (O o O)~!’,’Nobunaga would totally convert the Greater Grail into a bomb >:D...’,’Sakura, working hard (UwU)...!’)