Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Hearing Wukong's rather ridiculous claims, Vahn slowed descended until his feet touched the ground. Immediately afterward, a large eruption of golden light radiated from his body, causing the surrounding array to fracture completely. Each of the runic symbols maintaining its structure went dark, and, by the time the light cleared away, he could be seen standing in his humanoid dragon form as he dully stated, "The battle began the moment you attacked us. Ready yourself, Wukong..."

Immediately after his words fell, Vahn's body vanished from view before suddenly emerging from a spatial tear to the left of Wukong. She attempted to sweep her [Ruyi Jingu Bang] towards his rib cage, but, as the scarlet-gold staff made contact with Vahn's body, it passed through completely harmlessly. In the next moment, Wukong felt a phenomenal impact from behind, causing her to arch backward as Vahn's tail smashed into the small of her back.

For reasons Vahn's even Vahn wasn't entirely sure of, sweeping opponents with his tail always seemed to cause 'critical' damage. He could feel more than half of Wukong's thoracic and lumbar bones shatter under the force of the impact, momentarily crippling her lower body and causing the exposed skin to turn brackish-purple due to internal hemorrhaging. She even coughed up a heavy volume of blood, but, as if it was only a minor inconvenience, Wukong used her staff to lift her body, extending its length to vault through the air as a massive amount of steam erupted from her wounds.

With Wukong leaping through the air, an expectant look flashed across Vahn's eyes as a golden light began to spread through his domain. Dozens of acceleration gates began to appear in the surrounding Space, and, though it had a significantly different impact, the various blades, spears, and other weapons caused the nearby Shirou's eyes to widen as he retorted, "You've obtained the [Gate of Babylon]!?"

Obviously ignoring Shirou's distraction, Vahn began to release projectiles towards Wukong, each traveling upwards of Mach 10. Most of these were unable to penetrate through the invulnerability provided by the [Golden Chainmail Vest], but, even if they dealt no actual damage, they were still able to knock her around a bit. Her invulnerability didn't 'negate' damage in the same was as his own immunity. Rather, it simply made her very, very, hard.

Though her [Cloud Walking Shoes] allowed her to freely move through the air as if it was solid ground, Wukong's actual Agility was only B-Rank. This made evading Vahn's attacks difficult, as, due to the nature of his domain, he was able to easily launch attacks from her blindspots. Even standing her ground was impossible, as, the moment she became stationary, simultaneous blows would strike from various angles.

Getting frustrated due to the constant barrage, combined with her diminishing reserves, Wukong adopted a rather vicious scowl as she shouted, "You liza-"

Interrupting Wukong's outburst, Vahn appeared like a phantom directly in front of her, a serious look on his face as he stated, "We are the Sage Dragon Emperor. Checkmate."

Before Wukong's mind could fully even process his words, Vahn's palm came to rest against her exposed abdomen. This seemed to be a relatively powerless attack, but, as he had compressed all of his momenta into the blow, manipulating it to wreak havoc within her body rather than allowing it to dissipate naturally. As a result, most of Wukong's internal organs had been ruptured, a heavy volume of blood erupting from her seven orifices as she immediately lost consciousness.

Now that he was no longer in his complete transformation, Vahn was reminded of just how small Wukong's body was. Though she had a fit and shapely figure, her actual height was only 145cm, making her even shorter than petite women like Circe. This actually made her taller than she was 'supposed' to be, as the original Wukong was only around 122cm, but, compared to her weight, her height was rather negligible.

Despite her diminutive size, Wukong was close to 180kg, so, with [Ruyi Jingu Bang] still gripped tightly in her right hand, Vahn had to heft nearly 8200kg just to support her body. Fortunately, even if she was ten times heavier, Vahn would be able to easily support her with a single hand. Instead, as there was a very real chance she would awaken to bite or bash him, he elected to use his telekinesis, dangling her unconscious body as he returned to the center of the arena.

After confirming that most of Wukong's injuries were rapidly healing, Vahn turned his attention to Shirou and Hou Yi, asking, "Now that your array is broken, what are your intentions?"

Hearing Vahn's question, Hou Yi released a tired-sounding sigh before answering, "I had hoped to avoid causing too much damage to the surroundings. It would seem our plan been for naught, but, before we surrender the fight, we would invite Your Imperial Majesty to one final challenge."

Without having to think about it for too long, Vahn nodded his head, curious about what kind of back up plan they had concocted. The Heroes Faction had grown considerably over the past six months, so, while powerhouses like Wukong were certainly troublesome, there were at least three 'people' who greatly exceeded the Monkey King's prowess in battle. At the very least, he was still expecting Musashi to make an appearance, as, given her nature, she couldn't pass on a chance to do battle against a strong opponent.

As he had a decent understanding of Vahn's character, Hou Yi knew he would be disappointed if they called him out without providing an actual challenge. Thus, while their original objective had already been achieved, striking fear into the hearts of the Xiantian Elders, he pulled out his ornate wooden bow and said, "We had planned for eight contestants to do battle. Is His Imperial Majesty willing to continue...?"

Seeing Hou Yi pull out his bow, Vahn's expression became more serious, his eyes shifting back to their blazing gold color. Though Hou Yi wasn't all that fast and powerful, his skill with the bow was comparable to Musashi's with the sword. He didn't even have to move during a battle, his arrows defying all rhyme and reason as they suppressed his opponents with oppressive might. Vahn had even asked the man for a few lessons, as, compared to the skills he had once prided himself in, he was practically a novice compared to Hou Yi...

Realizing Hou Yi was still waiting for his response, Vahn briefly shifted his attention to Wukong before ultimately nodding his head and saying, "We accept. This time, you should all come at once. Show me the might of your Heroes Faction."

As he spoke, Vahn pulled out one of Da Vinci's upgraded Virtual Reality Marbles, one specifically designed to withstand several blows from an EX-Rank Noble Phantasm. It would eventually break down if the interior Space became unstable, but, compared to fighting in the open and severely damaging both the environment and the surrounding infrastructure, it was infinitely better.

Seeing the familiar orb in Vahn's hand, Hou Yi couldn't help but smile wryly. Though it would have negated the effectiveness of their trap, it would have saved them a lot of future troubles if he had used it sooner. Now, once the shock and awe wore off, the various Xiantian Elders and Patriarchs would undoubtedly throw a fit about the destroyed arena. It was an artifact that had been passed through the generations for millennia, so, even if they wanted to repair it, doing so would take a considerable amount of time and effort...

Acquiescing to Vahn's demand, Hou Yi gave a curt nod towards Shirou, who, after releasing an exasperated sigh, attempted to retrieve the unconscious Wukong. This brought an amused smile to Vahn's face, as, despite his best efforts, Shirou could only pick up Wukong herself, not the [Ruyi Jingu Bang]. Since she wouldn't release it, this led to him having to strain his body by overtaxing it with [Reinforcement] Magecraft just to move her.

Due to the relative awkwardness of the situation, some of the Xiantian Elders had made a partial recovery, reveling in the struggle of the Japanese Hero. As for Wukong, they didn't hold her in the same regard as Hou Yi, as, due to their bias and Wukong's actual legend, they didn't consider her a Hero. Rather, she was considered to be a menace even in the Nine Heavens, earning the ire of many Gods, including the Jade Emperor and Empress.

To prevent unnecessary remarks, Hou Yi gave the gathered Elders a pointed look, causing them to remain silent as they endeavored to regain their lost composure. They had been shaken by the display of power they had witnessed, but, despite appearing cowardly mere moments prior, they quickly fixed their robes, adopting proud looks as they began to silently discuss the previous two battles.

With his enhanced hearing, Vahn could hear the man referring to him as the 'reincarnation' of the Yellow Emperor. One even went as far as to suggest they officially join hands with the Empire, not out of consideration for what it stood for, but what they believed it represented. After all, if Vahn was the reincarnation of their greatest Ancestor, they could pander to their own egos by claiming his rule represented Chinese dominion over the entire planet.

Shaking his head in contempt, Vahn made a mental note to completely shatter the Great Spiritual Gathering Array, rather than simply alter it. He hadn't really interacted with the Elders, but, based on the fact most had dark grey, slightly stagnant, auras, they weren't good people. While not evil, their rule had undoubtedly caused great suffering to the people they were meant to protect, likely for no better reason than to consolidate their own power. They were similar to the Nobles he had purged from the Mage's Association, so, once everything was settled, he would send someone to 'audit' them...

While making arrangements for a second 'purge', Vahn's senses detected a relatively powerful Space fluctuation. Turning his head, he saw four familiar figures had appeared, including Shirou, who, after dropping off Wukong, returned looking somewhat worse for wear. He only had C-Rank Strength, so it had been a considerable challenge to carry the unconscious Monkey King, leaving him relatively fatigued despite only a few minutes of exertion.

Fortunately, as Vahn suggested an open brawl, he would have plenty of time to recover as, with the inclusion of Hou Yi and Musashi, they had more than enough people to keep him at bay...

Though it was a little petty, Vahn found Shirou's state rather amusing, causing the edges of his lips to curl up almost imperceptibly. While he didn't exactly hate the man, Vahn's appreciation for him had waned considerably over the last few months. There were several reasons for this, but, more so anything else, it was the man's attempt to 'save' Sakura and Illya that irked him the most...

After the changes to Artoria, Shirou got it into his head that the Empire had the means to forcibly change and 'brainwash' people. While this wasn't exactly false, especially with people like Merlin present, being accused of manipulating people was never pleasant. Shirou not only resented him for erasing Sakura's memories, but, learning she had become his 'daughter', he even went as far as to accuse Vahn of 'grooming' her to his liking.

Needless to say, Shirou's actions had caused a fair amount of drama, forcing him into a difficult situation where he turned most of the original Shirou's friends against him. Rin had been one of the most affected, but, when it ultimately came down to it, Artoria's and Illya's reactions had been the most extreme. After all, while the Heroic Spirit possessed many of the same memories as the original Shirou, they were not the same person. Having a 'pretender' try to interfere in their lives, spewing platitudes as if he knew what was best, had quickly turned what sentiments remained into borderline resentment...

In a way, Shirou's existence was rather tragic, but, considering this was the direct result of his selfishness, Vahn had no condolences for the man. Rather, if not for the intervention of Artoria, he would have killed Shirou for daring to interfere in the affairs of his family. After all, he was the one to actually abandon Sakura, so, rather than throw around blame, Shirou should have apologized with his head to the ground for his past failure. He had been so blinded by his self-righteousness that he left a young girl to suffer for decades due to his negligence...

Feeling his emotions begin to rise, Vahn forcibly restrained himself, maintaining a smile on his face as he alternated his gaze between the other three Heroes. This included the always sensual-looking Raikou, an even more muscular Kintoki, and, most notably, Chang'e herself. The inclusion of the latter was actually a pleasant surprise, as, since the beginning, she had never actually made an appearance on the battlefield. He knew she had an exceptionally powerful Reality Marble, but, as for its form and function, Vahn was completely in the dark.

Seeing Vahn pass his gaze over them, Raikou released a sensual laugh, covering her mouth with her left hand while holding Kintoki's arm with her right. As for Chang'e, she performed a polite bow, being the first to break the silence by saying, "It has been too long, Your Imperial Majesty. It seems my husband and I will be in your care today. While it may be forward of me, I hope you will show appropriate mercy during the coming conflict."

Adopting an appreciative smile, Vahn nodded his head in affirmation to Chang'e's request. She had always been very polite and respectful, so, compared to Heroes like Wukong, Vahn had far more appreciation for her and her husband. Once all of this was over, he would probably even join them for tea, albeit only for a short while.

Following Chang'e's polite greetings, Kintoki was the next to speak, raising his right hand and simply stating, "Yo. Looking pretty golden. Nice." in a roguish tone. This earned another giggle from Raikou, who, immediately afterward, stated, "Now, now, Kintoki-kun, you know better than to speak that way to Ten'nō-sama. Does Mama need to punish you~?"

Hearing Raikou's words, Kintoki paled slightly, but, before things could get out of hand, Vahn came to his aid, saying, "Do not mind it, Lady Raikou. We are well aware of Kintoki's nature at this point. He meant no disrespect in his words, so there is no need to reprimand him at this time."

As if she was troubled by Vahn's words, Raikou cupped her cheek with a small pout, seemingly contemplating what to do. In the end, however, she gave an understanding nod, answering, "If Ten'nō-sama says it is okay, I will forgive you. When we return, I'll have to discipline you properly, however..."

Though he was generally an overbearing and easy-going person, Kintoki was unable to oppose Raikou's 'teachings'. She was, in many ways, the most important person in his life, so, while her behavior caused him a fair amount of stress, it was easier than dealing with her tears. He hated to see her tears more than anything else in the world, so, if it would make her happy, he didn't mind playing the part that had been assigned to him...

As this thought crossed his mind, Kintoki gave another small nod before muttering in a voice that was meant for only Raikou, "Yes, Mama..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*THWACK*','Shirou royally fucked up...','Does this count as filial piety?')