Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following the rather eventful dinner, Vahn returned to his room with Medusa following close behind. She was in a rather dour mood so he would need to cheer her up a bit before retiring for the evening. Tonight was one of the last nights they would be ’alone’ together, so, despite having a lot of things on his mind, he decided to pamper her quite a bit while Asuna and Arika spent the rest of the evening talking with their mothers.

Truth be told, Vahn wasn’t even remotely surprised things had developed in this manner, as, from the moment he decided to ’save’ Ostia, his fate had already been tied to the doomed Kingdom. This was even before he knew what kind of people the Ostian Royal Family were, so, after meeting and living alongside them, it was impossible for him to ignore their future plight. Asuna’s powerful fate was just one factor, and, even if he decided not to accept her as a ’disciple’, Vahn knew their fates would constantly align so long as he remained active in the world.

In the end, regardless of the decisions he made, Vahn knew his influence on the world would not be small. Even if he didn’t play an active role in politics, the mere act of supporting certain people or factions all but guaranteed their meteoric rise. As his reputation grew, so too did their status and prestige for simply ’knowing’ him. They could basically use his name as a weapon, and, depending on the circumstances, he may very well enact a ’purge’ if they had made adequate preparations.

Though it was somewhat ’irresponsible’ of him, one of Vahn’s goals in the Akamatsuverse was to see how much he could shape the world through reputation and influencing others. He would still fight against the Mage of the Beginning and Cosmo Entelecheia, but, when it came to the world at large, his primary involvement would be through carefully chosen figures. He wanted to see if it was possible to basically become something akin to the Guardian God of the world, ensuring peace and prosperity merely by existing.

Vahn had already accepted that he couldn’t ’fix’ everything and, though it was possible, expanding his Empire through the myriad Records would only cause problems for himself and those he cared about most. Therefore, to remain true to his ideals, he had come up with the idea of living the life of a Vagrant Hero, who, through his actions, became a deterrent force that inspired both hope and fear. This would slowly shape the world in accordance with his vision, and, after a generation or two, society would begin to implement changes that took his will into consideration, even without him having to take further action...

After an exhaustive session of ’mating’, lasting a little over twelve hours, Vahn was reclining with Medusa laying languidly against his chest. She had a glazed look in her eyes, but, in spite of this, she had no trouble conversing as she absentmindedly listened to the beating of his heart. This had allowed them to talk about everything that had happened and everything that would happen in the near future.

At this point, Vahn had an adequate amount of energy to summon Fenrir, but, out of consideration for Medusa, he had delayed it. He had discussed this with Fenrir herself back in his Realm, but, now that he had taken on two new ’disciples’, delaying her summoning would only cause problems. She could provide things for Arika and Asuna that he, as someone who might as well be their surrogate father, never could. These were things that Medusa simply couldn’t be bothered with, so, in order to avoid future troubles, Vahn would need his loveable Vanargandr’s assistance.

Medusa was well aware of the fact that she had become an ’inconvenience’ to her Master, so, after seeing him ’instinctually’ move to prevent Asuna from storming off, she ultimately chose to discard her selfishness. She would have liked to keep him to herself for a while longer, but, in the end, she was happiest when he was living without restraints and dominating others. Her most sincere desire was to see him rise to the absolute pinnacle, even if she wasn’t entirely sure why. It was almost like an instinct that refused to allow anyone stronger than him, one that made even the thought of him being suppressed by another uncomfortable...

Feeling the perturbation in Medusa’s heart, Vahn lightly pinched her nose, smiling as he said, "You don’t have to worry so much. No matter what happens to me, I will always bounce back with even greater power. If anything, I wish you would worry more about yourself, especially now. You aren’t weak, but your nature prevents you from becoming as powerful as you could be. Now that you are expecting, I have a strong urge to just create a safe place for you within my Realm so you will never have to experience danger..."

Hearing her Master’s concerns, Medusa just snuggled a little closer to him as she said, "It makes me happy when you worry about me. Even if I enjoy peace and quiet, I wouldn’t want to be isolated just to remain safe. I feel that Master will grow much faster if my power is weaker, so, until you stand at the pinnacle, I want to remain one of your motivations. I can be happy letting Fenrir chase after you because I know, no matter how much time passes, you will never abandon me. You are the Master I have chosen to follow, the most important half of my existence. Just being at your side is enough to make me happier than most."

Not expecting such ’profound’ words from Medusa, Vahn felt a moderate amount of surprise as a feeling of warmth spread through his heart. He hadn’t actually considered that Medusa remained weak just to encourage him to grow stronger. Though it sounded a little ridiculous to hear, similar to a well-thought up excuse of someone profoundly lazy, he could sense the sincerity in her tone. Her final few words were just the icing on the cake, making her seem even more adorable than she had been moments prior...

Sensing her Master’s thoughts, Medusa giggled mischievously before using her long tongue to lick at his exposed nipple. She liked being spoiled by her Master quite a bit, so, sensing he was in the mood to pamper her, Medusa wasn’t going to miss out on the opportunity. There were only a few hours until it was time to set out, and, before that, her archrival would be summoned. Though it was a little petty of her, she decided to make sure Fenrir didn’t have the opportunity to ’enjoy’ her reunion with their Master, choosing, instead, to make the most of it herself...

With less than half an hour remaining until he was supposed to set out, Vahn sat with Fenrir’s core in his hand, channeling a phenomenal amount of Source Energy into it. She had been able to reach Tier 3 after absorbing the Heart of Olympus and training for several decades, so, while she might lose out to the strongest combatants within the Empire, she was directly comparable to an S-Rank Heroic Spirit. Under the right conditions, she could even kill and devour Tier 5 beings, so, compared to Medusa, who might even struggle against Arika, Fenrir was already an existence who could move freely within the Magical World...

[Status]

Name: [Fenrir Mason]

Age: 103

Race: Vanargandr, True Dragon(sealed)

Offense: 1337

Defense: 592

Mobility: 1740

Base Power: 3669

Soul Tier: 3 (Lord Soul)

Karma: (-)

Skills: [Insatiable Hunger(Innate):(-)], [Heaven Devouring Wolf(Innate): SS], [Queen of the Pack(Innate):B], [Lunar Cry: SS], [Freezing Roar: SS], [Chainbreaker: A], [Huntress: SSS], [Severing Claws: SSS], [Archmage:B], [Apex Predator:SS], [Activation Key:SSS]

Magic: [Cantus Bellax:SSS], [Mellodia Bellax:SSS], [Vis Maxima:A], [Shundo:SSS], [Koku Shundo:S], Facies Pallium:SS], [Sagitta Magica:SSS], [Crystallitatio Tellustris:SS], [Reflexio:SSS], [Hroovitnir:SS], [Nivis Casus:B], [Kosmike Katastrophe:D], [Aeterna Glacies:SS], [Nihil:(-)]

[Queen of the Pack]

Rank: Innate(B)*Innate Skills cannot be identified. Attempts to do so will result in a backlash*

Active: Greatly bolsters the capabilities of all pack members based on morale.

Passive: Provides a moderate status increase depending on the recognition of pack members.

[Apex Predator]

Rank: SS

Use: Denotes an existence near the absolute pinnacle of a food chain. Wielders of this skill are able to inspire fear in others, regardless of perceived and literal differences in power. Against magical creatures, causes a suppressive debuff that reduces offensive and defensive capabilities depending on their nature. If the difference between the user and the target is extreme, there is a small chance to completely paralyze or even kill the target.

[Aeterna Glacies]

Rank: SS

Use: Chantless magic that rapidly reduces the temperature of foes within five-hundred meters of the user. Can greatly reduce the mobility of affected individuals and cause frostbite after prolonged exposure.

Chant: (-)

[Nihil]

Rank: (-)

Use: An ’Ultimate Grade’ spell that infuses both Darkness and Ice Elemental Energy to create a field of Eternal Ice that has the ability to absorb Magical Energy. Rapidly drains the magical energy of the target, reducing their body temperature to a state nearing absolute zero.

Chant: "Abyssal Darkness, consume all! Reduce my enemies to nothingness within a realm of Eternal Ice! Only death awaits those who would oppose the Queen of the Frozen Abyss! *Nihil*~!"

Seeing Fenrir’s Status, Vahn couldn’t help shake his head, a wry smile on his face as he wondered why his Base Power was so low. He was improving steadily, giving him 1592 BP after just five weeks of acclimatization, but it was still lower than he would like. In fact, even Asuna and Arika had higher BP than him, despite the fact they would have no real advantages in a fight.

When it came down to it, Vahn’s BP wasn’t an accurate representation of his strength due to the fact it didn’t account for a person’s reserves, aptitude, and control. If it did, his BP likely wouldn’t even be quantifiable as his Source Energy provided an absolute advantage against all foes. He had even been able to fight Jack, whose BP had hovered between 6000~8000, despite the fact his own was less than a quarter before awakening Laev-tan...

Sensing the core in his hands becoming active, Vahn set aside his concerns about his actual power, smiling excitedly as a familiar figure formed into existence. Fenrir had really come a long way since the time he had named her, evolving to become a wild beauty who stood at 162cm tall. Her figure was no longer that of an emaciated teen who appeared perpetually on the verge of starvation. She now had a lean and taut physique, her body maturing a considerable amount, and, instead of skin and bones, she had an almost flawless balance of fat and muscle. The only thing that hadn’t grown much were her breasts, but, compared to her past self, B-Cups were a massive improvement...

As she had manifested without clothes, Vahn was able to appreciate the natural beauty of Fenrir’s athletic figure. She had become a breathtaking beauty, but, while some things changed, others had remained the same. She still had large ears atop her head, wild yet silky smooth hair, and, though it had become less prominent, she still has fur covering her forearms, calves, hands, and feet. He had grown rather fond of her paws, claws, and squishy pink paw-pads, so, despite having evolved quite a bit, Fenrir had retained them...

Immediately after manifesting, Fenrir peeled open her scarlet-red eyes, her irises contracting from the light before quickly dilating due to excitement. Then, showing off one of her more prominent traits, her long and impeccably smooth tail flickered behind her as she leaped forward, tackling him to the ground and nuzzling against him as she said, "Master~!"

Feeling the smooth yet prickly sensation of Fenrir’s fur, Vahn allowed a natural laugh to escape his lips as he affectionately nuzzled the Vanargandr who hadn’t lost an ounce of her adorableness. She had matured quite a bit, but, when they were alone together, she was still his cute, affectionate, and most reliable companion. The ferocity and cunning she displayed during combat and competitive hunts were nowhere to be seen. Instead, she was like a spoiled young lady whose healing aura still brought him an unparalleled amount of relief...

Nearly causing him to be ’late’, Vahn spent the remainder of his time prior to the departure getting Fenrir up to speed while they cuddled together. She was already well aware of everything that had been going on since his arrival in the Akamatsuverse, but, as this was her first time manifesting in a new Record, it just felt right to enjoy each others’ warmth, even for a short while.

Unfortunately, as he didn’t want to set a bad example for his new students, Vahn couldn’t dally for too long, so, after a rather long kiss, he helped Fenrir pick out an outfit before heading to where he was scheduled to meet his two disciples and their mothers. They had already been waiting for over half an hour, but, as he had already told them when he would be arriving, Vahn didn’t feel too guilty about showing up with less than three minutes remaining.

Seeing someone new accompanying Vahn, the four members of the Ostian Royal Family showed a visible amount of intrigue in their eyes. They were all very curious by nature, so, understanding the question within all of their minds, Vahn smiled as he explained, "Though Medusa does not lose out in importance, this is my most faithful companion, the Queen of the Frozen Abyss, Fenrir. She will be accompanying us throughout our journey, and, when I am unable to attend you, she will be both your guardian and mentor."

Following her Master’s introduction, Fenrir gave a courteous bow before adopting a slight smile and adding, "Though there is little my Master cannot do, there are some things that are best left to members of the same sex. When I am not assisting in your training, I will be teaching you some of the most important things you’ll need to know in order to stand near the top. In a way, I will be like your big sister, so, if there is ever anything you are concerned about, I will always be there to listen and lend a hand~!"

Though Fenrir radiated a very different kind of atmosphere than Vahn, her aura was actually nearly identical to his. This was something every member of the Ostian Royal Family could sense, so, rather than question her origin, they automatically assumed she was a type of summoned Spirit, a unique kind that had been produced from Vahn’s body. After all, neither Medusa or Fenrir matched any of the races that existed in Mundus Magicus, and, despite their very apparent differences, the odds of two entities having the same aura were virtually impossible, even amongst twins...

Understanding that Fenrir had been summoned to address some of their daughters’ more ’delicate’ needs, Ana and Vesperina adopted understanding looks as they returned a polite bow. Then, with a slight smile on her face, Ana said, "It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of Vahn’s most faithful companion. It is a shame we lack the time to become better acquainted. When time allows, I hope you will accept my invitation to tea. Until then, please take care of my daughter and niece. They are very important to me."

Hearing Ana’s words, Fenrir’s ears perked up slightly, smiling radiantly as she happily chimed, "I will be looking forward to that day. As for your children’s safety, you need not worry. We will not coddle them, but, so long as Master and I draw breath, I can personally guarantee their safety. Trust in your own judgment. You would not have allowed your daughters to follow him if you didn’t believe in his strength. Even if the Heavens themselves fall, I can assure you that Master would be able to support them~!"

Not expecting Fenrir to suddenly begin praising him, Vahn’s smile became wry under the amused gazes of the near-identical women. If not for his advanced age, he might have even blushed a little when Ana followed up by saying, "My, how reliable. It seems your Master’s greatness is unmatched in all the realms~."

As if she was the one being praised Fenrir puffed out her chest in pride as she unabashedly replied, "Of course! Master is the greatest~!" in an excited tone.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’All according to cake...’,’Da Queen has arrived...!’,’Fenrir whenever someone praises her Master: "Are...are you some kind of genius (O,...,O)~!?"’)