Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With the matter of Sut-Typhon largely resolved, the only people Vahn had yet to be introduced to were Lovecraft and Alice’s ’twin’. When it came time for them to introduce themselves, however, the gaunt-faced man plainly stated, "I am but a man present in a century not his own. Many refer to me as Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Those who know me understand the folly of such labels..." As for Alice’s twin, she just lightly muttered, "Nursery Rhyme..." without further introduction.

Vahn was slightly surprised that even a Conceptual Entity had been summoned by Archimedes, but, based on Nursery Rhyme’s appearance, it was more likely that Alice had called upon her. As for why ’Betty’ shared the same form, albeit more ’organic’, Vahn assumed that had something to with both Lovecraft and Abigail.

Though others may be unaware of such things, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he had downloaded most of the recorded history of humanity into his mind. Thus, using the context clues available, it was possible to speculate that ’Betty’ was meant to be Abigail’s sister, another one of the victims associated with the infamous Salem Witch Trials. As for why she looked like Alice, that was something only those involved in her creation would be able to answer...

With all of the introductions out of the way, Vahn was the one to open the dialogue, stating, "Now that we’re all more familiar with each other, let us discuss what constitutes appropriate action and the autonomy that will be provided to your group. So long as your group adheres to the Common Law, the Empire will not directly intervene in your affairs. Even if you decide to build a country, we will recognize your sovereignty, once again, in accordance with the Common Law. You are free to make use of the land and its resources, claim territory, and even establish laws. Even then, you will be bound by the Common Law, meaning land cannot be owned, nor can resources be withheld from those who need them. If you require assistance from the Empire, obtaining supplies from the Supercolonies and distribution centers can be arranged..."

As Vahn spoke, he handed out documents to aid those who were struggling to keep up with what he was saying. Ultimately, the structure they decided on would be up to them, but, in the hopes of avoiding complications, Luvia had drafted a seventy-three-page stack of documents that detailed any and all actions they were authorized to take. These were similar to the forms given to anyone with the aspirations to establish a semi-permanant community or build a country, as, ultimately, it didn’t really matter to Vahn how humanity divided their living space. So long as they didn’t bring harm to the planet, he wouldn’t even care if a random, sapient, True Dragon claimed a mountain or two as their territory...

While many were still reading the first page of the documents, Vahn continued, adding, "Though you can choose another name, your group is currently recognized as the Heroes Faction. To that end, you are expected to act in accordance with such principles. So long as it is in the aid of the people you wish to protect, there are very few actions prohibited to you. Using any underhanded means to secure a better position for yourselves, however, will not be tolerated. This means, any attempt to encroach upon Imperial Territory, or, any attempts to exploit circumstantial loopholes within the Common Law, will not be tolerated. If you turn to page forty-seven, there is an outline mentioning the acquisition of resources within previously allocated lands. War has always been a foolish and barbaric practice, so, in lieu of this fact, most conflicts will be settled via competition using designated representatives..."

As they had realized the impossibility of completely ridding war from the world, Vahn and Da Vinci had come up with a system to serve as a stop-gap until a more-permanant solution was found. This included various contests, functionally similar to the Olympics, and, perhaps most importantly, virtual battles. Vahn had already developed the technology to allow students to fight freely back in the Record of Danmachi, so, with Da Vinci’s help, the system had been refined to the point of allowing world-shattering battles to be waged in a completely virtual environment.

Soon enough, the entire world would be connected using the Virtual World, so, in order to incite people to improve themselves, ranking tournaments and contests were necessary. This was one of the most important responsibilities of the Heroes Faction, as, once the world began to get back on track, people all over the globe would see their exploits as they fought against the champions selected by the Empire.

The way Vahn was orchestrating things, the current Heroes Faction would openly stand against the Empire, specifically opposing policies he enacted. He would pretend to acquiesce to some of their demands, artificially inflating their status and authority in the minds of their supporters. Thus, when the time came where people were beginning to delve into the Virtual World, Shirou and his cohorts would be paving the way, representing the ’free people’ against the Empire.

In the end, Vahn knew various countries would rise up, establishing themselves and creating their own champions. Even now, places like South Korea, China, and India were beginning to reach a point of stability, establishing small communities that, very loosely, adhered to the Common Law. Though they still had a very long way to go, the existence of ’superpowers’, ’magic’, and a myriad of other abilities, had inspired a number of people to move towards the future, rather than cling to the past.

Ultimately, while the Empire would reign as the most powerful force in the world, its true purpose was to simply regulate and guarantee the rights of all peoples, regardless of factors like race, age, and gender. Vahn didn’t care about ruling over the world, but, if he found another ruler wanting, he would not hesitate to eliminate them. Eventually, only those who adapted to the Common Law would be able to reach a position of authority as any egregious violations would invariably result in death...

After reading through much of the document, the benefit of super-human perception, Shirou had a complicated look on his face as he stated, "This document only lists appropriate actions that can be taken against the Empire. What about the rules of engagement regarding our attempts against your life...?"

Though Vahn had essentially designated Shirou as the de facto leader of the Heroes Faction, he couldn’t help but feel exasperated about how ’direct’ the man’s question had been. He couldn’t shake the feeling the man didn’t take him seriously, and, while Vahn didn’t generally care about formalities, hearing Shirou speak so casually about such a serious topic stirred his ire.

Despite his personal feelings on the matter, Vahn maintained a solemn and serious expression on his face as he answered, "There are no rules of engagement. You need only to inform me of the time and place. You can even set the terms yourself, so long as they are not skewed in such a way that prevents me from taking action. I’m not going to just sit in a spot you designate and let you try to seal me for hours on end, obviously...As for things like assassination, you are free to try and kill me at your leisure. If it affects the daily lives of my family and other innocents, however, know that you invite a fate worse than death upon yourself."

Understanding he had managed to annoy Vahn, Shirou’s smile became wry as he answered in an awkward tone, "I’ll keep that in mind...thanks..."

Hearing Shirou’s response, Vahn squinted his eyes slightly, adding, "Also, while my reputation is already in an irrecoverable state, you would do well to keep in mind things like respect and basic propriety. If you appear in public, attempting to smear or disrespect me, do not expect me to idly tolerate your foolishness. Unless you are stating objective facts, attempting to manipulate people by misconstruing information will be considered a violation of the Common Law."

Vahn knew better than most how information could be manipulated to take advantage of even large populations. People could be exceptionally intelligent, but, when you gathered them into large crowds and allowed ’information’ to spread freely, it was invariably misconstrued, twisted beyond recognition. This was often exploited by those in power to elevate their status and harm their opponents, twisting public opinion to serve selfish ends. He preferred transparency, so, the moment anyone tried pulling such a feat, Vahn would expose them completely, laying everything about the other party bare before ultimately deciding their fate...

Being glared at by Vahn was never pleasant, especially when he was releasing his aura. Shirou felt like he would eventually get used to the pressure, but, every time this thought crossed his mind, it actually seemed to increase. Thus, with the best smile he could manage under the circumstances, he said, "None of us here would ever resort to such underhanded means...we’ll keep your words in mind so that others don’t try..."

Though not completely satisfied by Shirou’s response, Vahn gave a curt nod before saying, "If there are no other questions, we’ll discuss the acquisition of new forces. Sakata Kintoki and Hou Yi have already been summoned as supplemental forces. They are both exceptionally powerful, but I can still summon four more Heroic Spirits. If you haven’t come up with your own list, I have come up with a few suggestions of my own."

As they hadn’t actually discussed the matter of their reinforcements yet, Shirou gave a small nod in response to Vahn’s statement, asking, "Who did you come up with? I am slightly curious."

Once again resisting the urge to retort Shirou’s casual remarks, Vahn lightly squinted his eyes before looking toward Brynhildr, startling her quite a bit. Though it was impossible to achieve, she seemed to be attempting to hide behind her spear, her amethyst eyes averted as tears began to build along their edges.

Due to his interest in Norse Mythology, Vahn had researched it quite a bit, both in the Record of Danmachi and within the Nasuverse. Thus, he was familiar with the demure Valkyrie’s rather tragic legend, primarily as a result of its parallels with Siegfried’s. As a result, Vahn couldn’t help feeling sorry for her, leading him to say, "I will summon Sigurd, the King of Warriors."

The moment Vahn’s words fell, Brynhildr practically leaped to her feet, tears streaming from her eyes as she exclaimed, "Can you really do such a thing!? Please, tell me it is so...!"

Despite the fact there was a large table separating them, Brynhildr managed to ’fly’ over it in an instant, grabbing Vahn’s hand with both of her own as she floated just a few centimeters away from his face. This was a rather awkward position to be in, but, as he had already seen it coming, he maintained a calm smile, answering, "I do not make a habit of lying. Regardless of who else is chosen, I intend to summon Sigurd to aid your cause."

Brynhildr felt like her heart was going to explode at the thought of being reunited with her lost love. Though she knew it would be impossible to resist the urge to try and kill him, she still loved him very deeply. Even if they were only together for a brief moment, she would be able to live in this world without regrets...

Vahn didn’t know what Brynhildr was thinking, but, as it was a little awkward to have her flittering about while hugging his hand into her rather voluminous chest, he politely stated, "Please, take a seat. We have three other candidates to discuss. If you want to reunite with your husband sooner, remain calm and be patient..."

Realizing she had been invading Vahn’s personal space, Brynhildr’s expression turned crimson as she embarrassedly retreated to her chair. This allowed Vahn to breathe a sigh of relief, ignoring the looks from the other Heroes as he looked toward Tomoe, earning her attention as he stated, "I cannot do so at this time, but I am also able to summon your-"

Before Vahn could finish, Tomoe shook her head, saying, "I am humbled by your consideration, Ten’nō-sama. However, I have already made peace with my loss. Though one of my life’s greatest regrets was not being at my husband’s side during his death, I lived for nearly sixty years after his passing. During that time, I even watched my own child grow old, start a family, and raise children of his own. I am content with the life I have lived. I will not besmirch their memory by forcing them to live a life I have decided upon."

Following her words, Tomoe bowed to the point her forehead was nearly touching the table. As for Vahn, he felt slightly awed by the respectable warrior. He was a little ashamed that he didn’t possess a similar level of maturity, elevating her to the status of a lesser-idol within his heart. It was a shame they would have to meet on the battlefield, but, when it came down to it, fighting against honorable and valiant opponents was one of life’s greatest pleasures...

Due to Tomoe’s words, most of the other Heroic Spirits seemed to lose interest in suggesting someone. This allowed Musashi to step in, nominating legendary figures such as Yagyū Munenori, Sasaki Kojirou, and Suzuka Gozen. Ironically, these were three of the candidates for her original identity, something Vahn found rather amusing. Despite this, he didn’t think it would be wise to summon someone as principled as Munenori, a man reputed to be rather judgmental, especially against ’westerners’.

After mentioning this, Musashi also agreed with him, commenting that Munenori was a bit of a ’hard ass’. As for Kojirou and Gozen, the former had actually appeared during a previous Holy Grail War, albeit as an Assassin. This was a chance for him to ’redeem’ his honor, this time being summoned as a Saber Class Servant instead of the rather ignoble Assassin Class. As for Gozen, Vahn mentioned the fact that she was an Yokai, but, seemingly unconcerned by this, Musashi just responded by saying, "Honestly, I just want to fight her. You don’t have to summon her if you are that worried."

Upon hearing Musashi’s rather careless remark, Vahn had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. He couldn’t deny that he was also somewhat interested in the outcome of the duel, forcibly stopping himself from perusing the Flow of Fate to find out how it ends. After all, Gozen was considered by Merlin and Scathach to be one of the greatest swordswomen to have ever lived, something Vahn couldn’t help but be interested in experiencing for himself...

With no other names put forth, Vahn was preparing to wrap things up when Altria, who had been ceaselessly devouring apples during the entire discussion, suddenly stated between bites, "You should summon...my other half...I want to beat her..."

Not expecting Altria to speak up, Vahn tilted his head slightly, asking, "Your other half? You mean, someone that shares your appearance...?"

Nodding her head, Altria explained, "I have an Altereactor Core. She has a Cosmo Reactor. Our signatures allow us to track each other through dimensions. She will eventually come looking for me. It will be funny to see her forced to fight on the same side...kukuku..."

As he couldn’t help but feel a little curious, Vahn peered into the current that had formed in the wake of Altria’s proposal. There, he saw a slightly older-looking version of Artoria looking more than a little frustrated as Altria snickered in the background. It was slightly amusing, but, knowing Artoria would probably be a little upset if he proactively summoned another version of herself...

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Vahn couldn’t help but smile as, earlier that same day, he had promised to give Artoria her gift. Once she obtained that, she wouldn’t be nearly as upset by the existence of similar people. Thus, rather than deny Altria her mischief, Vahn gave a slight nod, eliciting the second genuine smile he had seen on her otherwise emotionless face...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Shirou is digging himself a hole xD...’,’Tomoe is very respectable’,’Altria is surprisingly mischievous...?’)