Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With everyone else expected to arrive around 5 AM, Vahn awoke around 4 AM to find himself alone in his bed; a fragrant aroma and a still-present warmth attesting to the fact he hadn't been for very long. For a brief moment, he even buried his face into the blankets, earning a giggle from Sis within the deepest recesses of his mind.

Hearing the familiar laugh, Vahn quickly collected himself, rising to a seated position to stretch his body before muttering, "I never thought it would feel so liberating to awaken my Mind Innate...it's been ages since I just slept normally..."

Understanding his thoughts, Vahn got the impression Sis had nodded in affirmation before saying, (*This is an important step forward for you. Splitting yourself apart is certainly a very useful ability, but, unless you can fully separate from your other selves, it is an extreme weakness. Not only does it place a heavy burden on your mind, but it also prevents you from thoroughly appreciating each and every moment. Now you just need to overcome your aversion to dealing with the members of your harem using other versions of yourself. If you truly wish to attend them individually, you won't be able to do so while controlling each and every version of yourself simultaneously. Once you truly accept yourself as a being comprised of many, things will become a lot easier for you.*)

Though he understood the logic contained within Sis' words, Vahn knew it would take him a long time to accept such an arrangement. Even if they were himself, versions of him he had full control over and could share experiences with, the idea of another man sleeping with his women, even if it was himself, was uncomfortable. This was technically the case in his current situation, but, while it was certainly difficult to manage at times, Vahn felt obligated to be in control whenever he was with his women. If he just entrusted the task to another, it would be like using a more advanced version of the Shadow Clone Jutsu...

Even if he knew it was an inevitability, Vahn wanted to reach the point where he could split the axis of reality into multiple tangential realities. He would rather experience living alongside his lovers in their own individual axes of time rather than entrusting their care to another version of himself. This would result in him living out multiple eternities, but, so long as he created versions of himself that were unaware of the 'greater' passage of time, he could live countless lives without suffering any of the detriments that came along with living forever.

Shaking his head free of such existential thoughts, Vahn performed a few routine stretches, popping several joints throughout his body before reestablishing his link with Gandr, advising, ("You should hurry over. There is no way to know what you'll lose during the Naming process, so it's best to get a jump start on adapting to your new existence.")

Following a profoundly exasperated sigh, Gandr quickly replied, ("Though I'm excited to become 'real', I can't help but feel like this is going to be a real drag...not only do I lose my harem, I'm also going to lose Laev-tan...haaaa...if I can't enter the State of Nothingness, I might just lose my shit...")

Hearing his younger counterpart curse, Vahn's brows naturally creased, but, rather than call the boy out on it, he allowed him to be as expressive as he liked. After all, Gandr really was about to 'lose' a lot of things, many of which Vahn could never rationalize giving up. This was the truest testament to the fact that the boy had already deviated from him, however, as it was simply impossible for Vahn to part with the people he cared about.

Deciding to console the boy who was about to, quite literally, become his protege, Vahn adopted a gentle tone as he mentally remarked, ("This is an opportunity for you to experience the childhood I missed out on. You have already made a lot of friends, and, though your personality and nature are bound to be influenced by your Name, your 'identity' will remain intact. Enjoy your new life...for the both of us...")

Though he responded with another sigh, Vahn could 'feel' that Gandr had been properly motivated by his words. This was the benefit of being the 'Principal Axis of Consciousness', the highest form of authority within a system comprised entirely of different versions and extensions of himself. They all deferred to him as a matter of course, as, in the grand scheme of things, they were extensions of his will; each working towards the same goal without expressly being ordered to do so...

With Gandr arriving as ordered, both he and Vahn promptly entered into the Little Garden to carry out the Naming ceremony. It wasn't the ideal place, as Naming was often exceptionally destructive, but, without knowing for certain whether or not Gandr would be able to safely transition between the Realm and the outside, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Fortunately, Vahn still had the option of subsuming himself into the Realm before manifesting as his omnipotent self within the Little Garden. This allowed him to effectively create a 'Texture' within the Little Garden, isolating Gandr on a parallel sub-plane of existence where no amount of destruction would have any effect on the primary texture. Then, with Fenrir, Yoruichi, and Hinata all observing at a relatively safe distance; Vahn had Gandr kneel before him, placing his palm in between the boy's inordinately large and fluffy ears, voice rippling through the void as he said, "Henceforth, you shall be known as Gandr Erebus Mason, the Sage Dragon Emperor's Shadow..."

Similar to previous Naming ceremonies, a phenomenal amount of energy began to gather even before Vahn had finished bestowing Gandr's name. It quickly coalesced into a mass resembling a black hole, pure darkness that generated a phenomenal amount of gravity as threads of reddish-black lightning danced across its surface. It's pull was so great that it actually began to tear large chunks from the surroundings, ultimately creating a void that was several hundred meters wide.

When the dark sphere began to slowly retract into the shape of a person, Vahn's appeared without any injury, suspended freely within the void with his hand still atop Gandr's head. He was generally immune to the phenomenon that occurred during the naming process, but, even if he hadn't been, his omnipotent status allowed him to effectively 'ignore' damage. This allowed him to be the first to see Gandr's 'new' form, the only real differences being that he was currently naked and that his aura felt a lot more 'untamed' than before...

[Status]

Name: [Gandr Erebus Mason], Sobriquet: N/A

Age: 304 (Ageless)

Race: Vanargandr, Demigod

Position(s): Scout

Strength: D-Rank Regular

Toughness: E-Rank Regular

Intellect: C-Rank Regular

Agility: A-Rank Regular

Control: A-Rank Regular

Shinsu Resistance: N/A

Shinsu: [Quality: Ice, Darkness, Lightning, Sword], [Total: 41,600], [Bang: 9], [Myun: 208], [Soo: 208], [Tension: 100:1]

Soul Tier: 4 (Divine Soul)

Karma: (-)

Innate(s): [Insatiable Hunger(Non-Standard): (-)], [Sage Dragon Emperor's Shadow(Non-Standard): SSS], [Transcendental Sword Soul(Spirit): SS], [Lord of Shadows(Body): B]

Skill(s): [Shadow Guardian: SS], [Shadow Step: SS], [Shadow Clone Jutsu: S], [World of Darkness: A], [Chainbreaker: A], [Hands of Nirvana: SSS], [Swordsman(Divine): C], [Cooking(Master): E], [Unknown Mystic Arts: (-)], [Telekinesis(Regular):B], [Spatial Control(Regular): B], (Lighthouse Control(Regular): B], [Observering Control(Regular): B], [Reverse Flow Control(Regular): C], [Flow Control(Ranker): F], [Shundo: C], [Koku Shundo: D], [Shinsu Enhancement(Regular): B]

Though Vahn was a little surprised by how powerful Gandr was immediately after receiving a Name, it wasn't difficult to imagine why when he considered that the boy was templated from himself. He drew from the same knowledge, experiences, and, most importantly, he was created after Vahn had already reached Tier 4. This gave the boy comparable potential for growth, and, though his Innates had changed drastically, they were bound to compliment the abilities he was 'supposed' to possess.

Before Vahn could ask how the boy felt, Gandr placed his hand to his chest, a swirling black vortex appearing for a brief moment as he pulled out a pitch-black katana. Immediately after that, a tired sigh escaped his lips as he lightly swung the sword, producing hellish black flames similar to the Amaterasu from Naruto. This demonstrated that the sword, while a Zanpakuto, was not the Laev-tan he had previously been using.

Confirming his suspicions, Gandr held up the pitch-black katana, smiling wryly as he said, "Meet Abby-tan...Laev-tan's twin sister..."

Following Gandr's introduction, a strangely haughty hum resonated from the pitch-black blade, almost as if it was demanding attention. This caused Gandr's smile to turn even wrier, as, in the back of his mind, a very angry loli was spiritedly trying to convince him that she was better than her sister in every way...

Though his connection with Gandr was now closer to the one he shared with Fenrir, Vahn could still understand what the boy was thinking. As a result, he ended up extending his hand, roughly patting the boy's head as he said, "Hey, at least you don't have to develop a Zanpakuto Spirit from scratch, right?"

Replying with a tired sigh, Gandr promptly sheathed Abby-tan before explaining, "I no longer have access to The Path and its functions. Despite this, I feel...normal? It's hard to describe. The best way I can describe it is like...I feel like this has always been me? It's really strange..."

Since even Xiao Bai, Lady Xuan, Zhuque, and 'Grandpa' Qing were also unable to use The Path and its functions, despite being a literal part of him, Vahn wasn't too surprised that Gandr had lost the right to access it. After all, The Path had completely fused with his own Ego, so, while extensions of him might be able to make use of it, separate Egos had no way of sensing it, much less accessing its functions.

With that in mind, Vahn asked the next logical question, inquiring, "Are you able to use and sense Source Energy?"

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Gandr shook his head, explaining, "No. Though it feels similar, my instincts are telling me that my current energy is something else entirely. If I'm not wrong, it is closer to the energy contained within the items purchased from the shop. I guess that would make it Origin Energy? It's really hard to describe...want to try reestablishing a connection so that you can experience it directly...?"

As he was about to suggest something similar, Vahn nodded his head in response to Gandr before using the 'Unification' ability of [Universal Mind]. Immediately after that, he felt his connection with Gandr reestablished, but, unlike before, there was a very obvious feeling of 'disconnect', almost like there was some kind of obscuring membrane between them. This was likely Gandr's own Ego, and, unless he completely subsumed or destroyed it, Vahn wouldn't be able to exercise the same level of control over the boy as before.

Feeling an unbelievable power surge through him, Gandr's pupils shrank to the side of pinholes as he shouted, "What the hell!? Is this how other people feel whenever we influence them? It's like I'm a single drop being washed away in an endless ocean of power...it's overwhelming..."

As if to emphasize his point, blood began to flow from Gandr's nostrils, prompting Vahn to instantly sever the connection. In retrospect, he realized he should have returned to normal rather than allow Gandr to connect to his Realm self, but, as was often the case, hindsight was twenty-twenty.

With the feeling of unlimited power fading away, Gandr's ears drooped rather pathetically as he said, "Now I suddenly feel empty...almost like my life has lost meaning...man, if this is the way other people feel after experiencing Source Energy, it's no wonder they refuse to leave..."

Though he could understand what Gandr was trying to say, Vahn felt a little uncomfortable hearing him phrase it in such a manner. As a result, he quickly reverted to his outer self, extending his hand to stroke the boy's head as he said, "I'm going to re-establish the link. You previously connected to my Realm self so there is a good chance you were just overwhelmed by its omnipotence..."

Before Vahn could follow through with his intentions, Gandr shook his head, a serious look on his face as he rebutted, "No, that isn't right. I won't refuse if you want to try, but my instincts are telling me there won't be a difference. I'm pretty sure it was the presence of Source that made me feel like this. I can understand why people like Eva, Illya, and Alaya are so eager to lap up your blood...I can barely resist the urge to take a bite out of you myself..."

As if to demonstrate his point, Gandr opened his mouth to reveal several extremely sharp teeth. He had the same [Insatiable Hunger] as Fenrir, so, whenever he was 'hungry', his body would change to a form more suited for devouring things. This transformation could be seen with the naked eye, so, rather than exacerbate matters, Vahn decided against reestablishing the link until Gandr had better control over his new body.

Fortunately, there was another Vanargandr nearby who could answer his curiosity, so, after a brief moment of hesitation, Vahn turned to Fenrir, waving her over. This resulted in Yoruichi and Hinata also coming over, but, as there was no longer any danger, it didn't particularly matter...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sis with an Ego is like giving her a sledgehammer...','Chloe would be proud...','TFW you realize just how broken your previous self was...')