Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though Vahn didn't particularly care about Nagi's choice of vernacular, the fact he was making the same mistake as the last time gave him a strong urge to roll his eyes. As for Asuna, she seemed to take considerable offense to the boy's words, her expression morphing into an unamused scowl as she took a half-step forward.

Without waiting for the dust to settle, Asuna's body disappeared before her foot could even hit the ground. She didn't even leave behind an afterimage, and, though there was a tremendous amount of lightning elemental energy beginning to surge from within the debris, she didn't seem to mind it at all as her figure appeared right in front of Nagi. Since she had entered the State of Nothingness, her movement had no real effect on the environment, so, rather than dispersing the cloud of debris, she seemed to blend into it as her fist came into contact with Nagi's face.

Unable to sense Asuna's presence in the slightest, Nagi's eyes widened when a gloved fist suddenly entered his perception. He had less than a millisecond to react, but, with his lighting infused ki, this was generally enough to evade most attacks. He even had one of his magical barriers linked directly to his autonomic nervous system, so, even if someone tried to surprise attack him, his body would react instinctually to both repel and evade the sneak attack.

Unfortunately for the youth, magical barriers had absolutely no effect against Asuna's attacks, so, the moment his mind became aware of her fist, he actually locked up for a very brief moment. This was more than enough time for her fist to connect, as, unless he was going all out from the start, it would be difficult for the current Nagi even to process Asuna's speed, much less keep up with her.

Without any suspense, Asuna's fist struck Nagi's face hard enough to create a phenomenon similar to the stagnation of time. It was possible to see the shockwave passing through the softer regions of flesh, rippling under the intense force of the impact. For a brief moment, it even seemed like his left eyeball was going to 'pop' out of the socket, but, before it was able to, Vahn detected the same 'threads' that Nagi had started to use towards the previous encounter...

Propelled by Asuna's fist, Nagi ended up being launched like a projectile from a railgun, his body spinning rapidly to create a pressure wave that parted the sea's surface. It was a surprisingly brutal blow, but, considering she could have ended the fight by cutting him apart with Ko, it could be said that Asuna had actually gone easy on him. Of course, Nagi being the stereotypical protagonist in a world rife with 'lucky pervert' moments and shonen-levels of power scaling, he managed to recover once his body began skidding across the water, a battle-hungry smile appearing on his face despite the fact his right eye and cheek were horribly swollen.

Rather than give chase, Asuna just continued to glower at the boy, a resonant hum emanating from Ko as she prepared to counter whatever he threw at her. She was keenly aware of the fact she was a lot stronger than him, so, while she had a strong urge to beat him, she didn't want to be accused of 'bullying' the weak. After all, Nagi was 'just a child', and, though he was actually older than she was, Asuna already regarded herself as an adult, even if Vahn didn't feel the same way...

Feeling the dangerous aura radiating off the somewhat familiar woman, Nagi didn't rush to attack like he normally would. Instead, he focused on recovering the function of his left eye, deciding to buy time by adopting a teasing smile as he transmitted his voice the several hundred meters that separated them, musing, "Wow, you're really something. I've never seen a woman as strong as you are. Tell me, are you the big sister of that chibi I fought last time? If she's going to grow up to be as hot as you, I might need to apologize for my behavior the last time we fought~."

Hearing Nagi's words, Asuna completely lost interest in the fight, snorting before turning away as she said, "You are weak. Your only advantage is that we don't want to kill you. If you had any self-respect or decency, you would stop behaving like a child throwing a tantrum and focus on things that actually matter. I'm tired of your impertinent behavior and the petulance you have continued to display since our first meeting. If you aren't going to take this seriously, leave this place and stop wasting everyone's time..."

Seeing the orange-haired woman turn away from him, Nagi's brow began to twitch as the smile on his face showed a mix of irritation and frivolousness. He wasn't used to people just abandoning the fight part-way through, as, more often than not, people would continue to throw themselves at him until he had either beaten them down or evaded their pursuit.

Though part of him was tempted to attack the woman, confident she would react and continue the battle, he felt this would only prove her point. This put him in a rather difficult situation as he really wanted to continue fighting, but, despite his propensity for mischief, he didn't want to be regarded as a child. This was especially true when the other party was a beautiful woman who also happened to be more powerful than him. There very few people who could even trade blows with him, so, to encounter a strong woman, Nagi couldn't help but feel excited at the prospect of being able to go all out against a beauty...

Unfortunately for the youth, the beauty in question disappeared into thin air after approaching his arch-nemesis, the Sage Dragon Emperor. This caused the vein in Nagi's temple to pulsate slightly, and, after using a variation of shundo to close the distance, he didn't hesitate to ask, "Where did she run off to? We were just starting to have a bit of fun."

Seeing the red-headed youth, body still crackling with lightning elemental energy, Vahn just shook his head, his voice carrying a cautious undertone as he said, "That is none of your concern. Now, tell me-"

Without waiting for Vahn to continue, Nagi clicked his tongue before placing his hands behind his head in a casual manner and asking, "What? Don't tell me she is your woman? Aren't you like super old or something? Man, what a waste..."

Though he wasn't amused in the slightest, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes spread across Vahn's face as Asuna's previous words echoed within his mind. As she had pointed out, there was no real need to tolerate Nagi's behavior. He wasn't absolutely necessary for the protection of this world, and, though he likely had some tragic backstory and a reason for his behavior, that didn't mean others were required to coddle and pander to him.

Just as Vahn was thinking about sealing the boy's power and forcing him to live a 'normal' life in the countryside somewhere, a spatial tear appeared nearby, peeling open like the page of a book. From within, a man with emotionless purple eyes and matching hair, an expressionless youth with silvery-white hair, and a bespectacled man with Japanese features appeared. These were none other Nagi's three 'mentors', the remaining members of Ala Rubra, Albireo Imma, Filius Zect, and Eishun Konoe, respectively.

Turning his attention away from the disrespectful youth, Vahn adopted a casual smile that matched the look on Albireo Imma's face as he asserted, "You seem to have wasted that last three weeks. Tell me, what sense is there in empowering this brat further? He can't even responsibly wield his current power, yet you keep helping him to grow stronger...completely irresponsible..."

Nagi very visibly took offense to Vahn's words, but before he could say anything, he was silenced by his Master, saying, "There is some truth to your words. However, Nagi is still young, and, despite his sharp tongue and somewhat abrasive character, he is still a good kid. You shouldn't let his words affect you so easily."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes or release a sigh, Vahn just stared back at the trio before shaking his head slightly and asking, "Tell me, why have you come here? Though it is easy for me to assume, I want to hear your intentions directly. After these last two encounters, I'm beginning to reconsider whether or not your group is even worth my time..."

Seemingly amused by Vahn's words, Albireo Imma covered his mouth with his sleeve, chuckling for several seconds before musing, "I never expected a God of Time to make such humorous remarks..."

Raising a brow in response to the smiling man, Vahn couldn't help but adopt an expression similar to how one would look at a complete fool. Then, with a slightly incredulous tone, he asked, "Do you think yourself impressive for being able to deduce something so obvious? My status as a God isn't exactly a secret, so, unless you intend to get to the point and actually answer my questions, please leave."

Preempting the response of his three mentors, Nagi zeroed in on the fact Vahn had proclaimed himself as a God, asking, "So you really are a God? It's no wonder you have such a bullshit ability like reversing time. Well, don't let-"

Faster than Nagi could respond, Vahn appeared right in front of the youth with his hand extended toward his face. At the same time, Albireo Imma actually performed a completely soundless spatial movement, attempting to catch Vahn's hand by the wrist with a casual smile on his face. Before he could, however, the man found himself several kilometers away in an instant, forcibly transported in spite of his considerable master over Space, Time, and Gravity.

Without anyone to stop him, Vahn's palm impacted Nagi's forehead with a loud 'pa' sound. There was nothing like a shockwave, but, without any flare or suspense, the boy collapsed like a sack of potatoes, faceplanting into the sand with his mouth open and eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Though his first instinct was to wipe his hands like someone who had just completed a satisfying piece of work, Vahn's satisfaction was delayed by a very angry swordsman swinging an inordinately long wooden sword towards his arm. Vahn could actually feel the sword intent wrapped around the blade before it had even made contact with his skin, severing his exceptionally durable and resilient body with considerable ease despite being made of white wood.

Vahn was actually very interested in the Shinmei-Ryu techniques, but, sensing the man was wholly committed to cutting off his arm, despite the fact he had only knocked Nagi out, his expression was less than enthused. He preemptively separated his body along the blade's path, repairing the tissue in its wake almost instantaneously. This created the illusion that the blade had passed through his body without any resistance, stunning the bespectacled swordsman quite a bit when the hand of the arm he had 'cut off' slapped him across the face with enough force to send him crashing into the surrounding treeline.

With Albireo Imma occupied by being forcibly teleported every time he tried to use any kind of spatial movement, Vahn turned his attention to the last remaining member of Ala Rubra. His mood had diminished considerably by this point, so, rather than ask a third time, he firmly stated, "You are no longer welcome here. You have mistaken my tolerance as a license to act with complete and utter disregard for propriety. It's no wonder your group relies on weaponizing children to fight their battles...you are a grossly incompetent bunch..."

Without showing any signs that he had taken offense to Vahn's words, Filius just remained silent for a few seconds before asking, "How badly do we lose?"

Though he was momentarily confused by the question, Vahn quickly understood what the youthful-looking pseudo-spirit was asking. This annoyed him quite a bit, but, rather than forgo an answer, he adopted a serious expression as he answered, "Bad enough that it takes more than a hundred years, countless sacrifices, and the military might of the entire solar system to clean up after you..."

Hearing Vahn's answer, Filius' expression became notably solemn as he turned his eyes downward in deep thought. Then, after remaining silent for nearly a full minute, he raised his head and asked, "What are your chances?"

Resisting the urge to snort through his nose, Vahn maintained his grave expression as he very firmly stated, "I do not leave the fate of the world to chance..."

Though he was slightly surprised by Vahn's response, Filius was able to conceal his emotions behind a carefully constructed mask. He was actually very relieved by Vahn's words, but, knowing the future was never set in stone, he didn't allow himself to feel complacent. He would continue to do his best to defeat Cosmo Entelecheia on his own terms, and, though Vahn probably wouldn't agree with his methods, he intended to continue training Nagi until the latter had become the Hero he had always aspired to be...(A/N: It is Nagi's dream to be a Hero, not Filius' dream to turn him into one.)

With a small smile spreading across his face, Filius gave a polite nod towards Vahn before saying, "I suppose we should be leaving then. I would have liked to talk more, but, seeing as how you already have your own plans, perhaps it is best we act independently of each other. It's a shame, really...part of me was hoping to test the limits of my strength against your own..."

Feeling the tensions in the atmosphere rapidly draining away, Vahn's own began to wane slightly as he just shrugged his shoulders and replied, "Teach this brat some restraint and I might be willing to put up with such requests. I had actually prepared a number of things to help this brat progress in a healthier manner, but, after seeing how he behaves, I've lost interest. He thinks too highly of himself and the three of you have only reinforced his behavior instead of correcting it. I'm not here to play the part of yet another babysitter for this brat, so, unless you can correct his attitude, I want nothing to do with any of you."

Taking note of the fact that Vahn didn't say he was completely unwilling to help them out, the smile on Filius' face became more prominent. He could tell that Vahn was sincere when he mentioned the preparations he had made to help Nagi, so, after a moment of deliberation, Filius reasoned it might be time to expose his young protege to some of the darker elements of the world. He had originally intended to use the war as a means to help Nagi mature, but, now that peace talks were already on the table, they would need to find an alternative method to give the youth a reality check.

With various thoughts running through his head, Filius gave Vahn another polite nod before picking up the unconscious Nagi and retrieving the battered body of Eishun. Then, after Albireo was finally able to teleport back to the beach, they quickly departed the secretive island to discuss their future plans...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'One puuuuuuuuuuuuuuunch','If you step to the Emperor, expect to get put in your place','Vahn be like, "Bruh, you guys weren't even close..."')