Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though the massive pillar of rainbow-hued light made it pretty obvious someone had arrived, Vahn didn't immediately move from his position. Instead, he continued to recline backward with his eyes closed, asking, "Are you sure you want to do this now? We still have more than eight hours until the end of the game. Do you think you'll be able to accomplish something as an Einherjar?"

Slamming his ax into the ground with enough force to send fiery cracks outward for tens of meters, Sigurd answered, "I've never been good at thinking ahead. All I care about at this moment is seeing how I compare to a member of the Strongest Species. I know I'm not your match. However, I would be honored if you would grant me the privilege of a duel."

Rolling to a seated position, a relaxed smile spread across Vahn's face as he noted, "You're pretty straightforward for a Demon. Tell me, what compelled you to give up your humanity? Was it power you sought or something more...?"

Adopting a smile of his own, Sigurd's lime green eyes glistened with a passionate light as he asked, "Would you believe me if I said I did it for love?"

Blinking in surprise, Vahn's smile became more genuine as he rose to his feet, dusted himself off, and said, "I would."

Punctuating his words, Vahn flashed forward at a swift yet controlled pace. He had quite a bit of time to kill, and, due to the rules of the Gift Game, there was a considerable amount of merit to delaying Sigurd's defeat. Thus, even if he was ultimately just messing around for a few hours, he didn't mind humoring the redheaded demon's request.

With the pupils of his eyes contracting to form slits, Sigurd attempted to evade Vahn's punch by tilting his head to the side. His efforts were actually successful, but, rather than follow through and create an opening, Vahn was somehow able to arrest his momentum in an instant. Thus, before he could even think to counter with a sweep of his ax, Sigurd experienced the world spinning violently as he was tossed to the side with a casual toss from Vahn.

Like a shell fired by a cannonball, Sigurd smashed through the wall of the arena as if it was made from wet paper. This wouldn't have been enough to deal any real damage to him, but, much to his surprise, he hadn't sustained even minor injuries. It was like there was an invisible force protecting his body...

Shaking wayward thoughts from his mind, a violent red aura exploded from Sigurd's body as he emerged from the rubble with a loud warcry. At the same time, the runic symbols designating him as a berserker began to glow, his muscles expanding ever so slightly as a result.

"Hmmm..."

Dodging Sigurd's attempts to swipe at him with his extended nails, a thoughtful glimmer appeared in Vahn's eyes as he grabbed the collar of the man's kimono, pivoted in mid-air, and sent him flying into the opposite wall.

"There is merit to using a berserker skill, but, against an opponent like me, control is infinitely more important than raw power. I have battled against foes whose punches could initiate the collapse of a star. You would struggle to level a large building at your current level. Sacrificing your sensibilities for even greater strength is pointless."

Emerging from the rubble a second time, Sigurd's expression became severe as he asked, "Are you trying to embarrass me? I expected someone as powerful as you to possess at least a modicum of honor..."

Shaking his head, Vahn plainly answered, "I'm not trying to ridicule you. If anything, I'm providing you a bit of guidance while I have nothing better to do. As for your request for a duel...you simply aren't qualified."

Hearing Vahn's words, Sigurd's pupils contracted to their smallest size as he exclaimed, "You dare!? Even if you're a Strongest Species, you have no right to look down on the pride of a warrior...!"

Adopting a deadpan expression on his face, Vahn retorted, "It has nothing to do with looking down on anyone. I was simply making an objective statement. You may have infinite potential, but, at your current level, there isn't much of a difference between you and an ant on the ground. If I didn't hold back, there is a very real chance that I would squash you by complete accident..."

"You bastaaaaaaaaard...!"

With his muscles contracting even more than usual, Sigurd entered his third and most powerful form as he charged Vahn with the intent to prove him wrong. From the perspective of the average spectator, he was like a red blur tearing through the air in a single instant. From the perspective of Vahn, however, Sigurd was moving so slowly that it seemed like hours would pass before the man actually reached him.

Resisting the sudden urge to yawn, Vahn's body rose from the ground without actually requiring him to take a step. Controlling his orientation in space and time was as simple as breathing at this point. Thus, at least from his perspective, the world appeared to be moving around him rather than him moving through it.

Though Sigurd's eyes began to move ever so slightly the moment Vahn appeared at his side, there was nothing he could do as the latter 'gently' swat his hand. This caused a remarkably slow ripple to spread along his arms and through the rest of his body as a pressure wave expanded like a bubble from the point of contact.

If he wanted to, Vahn could let Sigurd topple head over heel with this action alone, his momentum more than enough to send him crashing into the far wall. Instead, he closely observed the ripple in the man's body before lightly tapping a few other spots around his ribs, back, and shoulders. As he moved, time seemed to stagnate even further, and, after a while, Sigurd had basically frozen in mid-air as Vahn floated around his body and continued to slightly adjust his orientation.

("Speed really is king at times like this...")

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn allowed time to return to normal from his perspective. This caused Sigurd's body to spontaneously contract to a fetal position, his forward moment completely arrested as black blood erupted from his ears, eyes, mouth, and nose. Then, like a puppet with its strings cut, he collapsed to the ground with a look of utter disbelief on his face.

"I-Impossible..."

Grabbing the man by his collar, Vahn casually flung Sigurd into one of the pillars as he said, "That is for those at the pinnacle of power to decide. As someone who borrows his power from others, you have no right to make such determinations."

With a wave of his hand, Vahn sent a surge of holy energy into Sigurd's body, forcefully healing his wounds despite his current incompatibility with light-based energies. To his credit, Sigurd was able to restrain the urge to cry out in pain and anguish. Instead, his eyes became completely bloodshot as he did his best to stand despite a hazy black mist rising from his body like smoke from a pyre.

"Not bad..."

Since he hadn't moved much from Sigurd's original position, Vahn grabbed the man's ax by the handle before tossing it towards him with a casual fling. Then, with a smile on his face, he mused, "You have eight hours to prove me wrong. Let's see what you've got..."

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"So? What do you think? Will he be a threat to our plans~?"

Frowning in response to the hooded woman's playful words, a young boy with pure white hair and golden eyes answered, "I should be able to defeat him with my Trump Card. However, without more information, it is impossible to be certain. Have you learned anything about his origins...?"

Much to the young boy's chagrin, the hooded woman giggled in a manner that seemed to echo from every direction at once before answering, "All we've been able to ascertain thus far is that he has some association with Shiroyasha-sama. As for their actual relationship, we haven't been able to uncover anything. The wards around his workshop and residence make the inside function similarly to an isolated dimension. Without entering the interior, it's impossible to gather more information."

"This doesn't make any sense! How is it possible for the Eastern Floor Master to interfere with us to such an extent? She was perfectly content with sitting on the sidelines when we were crushing the No Names. What could have changed since then?"

Rather than the white-haired youth, the person responsible for the outburst was a young girl with medium-length black hair with part of her bangs tied fastened into a brain by a bright red ribbon. Based on her sleeveless outfit and the multiple belts of knives around her body, she was something along the lines of a Thief or an Assassin. Instead of appearing as a ruthless killer, however, her large amber eyes and slightly rounded face made her appear indistinguishable from a pure and innocent young lady.

"Rin...what did I tell you about shouting in my ear?"

Covering her mouth with both hands, the young girl adopted an extremely apologetic expression as she exclaimed, "Ah! Sorry, Highness! I didn't mean to shout...!"

Without a single change in his expression, the youth referred to as Highness exhaled a tired sigh as he said, "Even if you're covering your mouth, it doesn't change the fact you're still shouting..."

Blushing like the young girl she appeared to be, a layer of moisture developed across Rin's eyes as she meekly replied, "Sorry...I'm just so frustrated. We worked so hard to come up with this plan only for it to be ruined by some stray dragon. It's not fair..."

Though his expression didn't change, Highness extended his hand to caress Rin's head as he stated, "It's fine. Plans fail. So long as we keep trying, it is only a matter of time before we achieve our goal. If you let setbacks like this affect you, you'll be even more likely to make mistakes in the future. That is when you'll have truly failed."

Smiling in response to Highness's kind words and actions, Rin was beginning to feel better until the hooded woman at the side issued her characteristically creepy giggle, remarking, "My, isn't this just precious~?"

"Aura..."

Not wanting to deal with a crying Rin, Highness sent a glare towards the hooded woman that only succeeded in getting her to giggle a second time. Fortunately, this particular laughter also denoted her departure, so, after a few seconds of eerie laughter, silence pervaded the dark chamber where he and Rin were viewing the Gift Game hosted by Leviathan's Tail.

Shaking his head, Highness shifted his attention back to the game with a golden light emanating from his eyes. He could see Vahn move whenever the latter used his superspeed, so, while others were unaware of what he was doing, Highness's expression became serious as he muttered, "Is he trying to destroy the Gift of Demonification using raw power...?"

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Though he noticed he had been forced back to his second stage transformation, Sigurd never gave up trying to land a blow of Vahn. He didn't care if he lost. So long as he could land a single blow on the former's smug face, he would be satisfied with any outcome.

Maintaining said smile, Vahn grabbed the blade of Sigurd's ax with his bare hand, musing, "Put your back into it." before pushing the incensed man away with a gentle shove. This caused Sigurd to grit his teeth in frustration, but, rather than being baited into another careless attack, he did his best to measure the distance between them properly as he swung around his ax in an increasingly smooth trajectory. He was previously one of the most talented members of his generation, and, despite his youthful appearance, he was more than 1600 years old. Thus, even if his attacks were nowhere near hitting Vahn, he was getting closer and closer as time passed...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The power of love~','You are unworthy','Plotting in the shadows','Baby steps')