Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1025

After following Rin to her destination, Vahn was relieved to see that she seemed to be meeting up with people she knew, not enemies. Though the woman who entered the Cafe seemed to be on bad terms with Rin, it was easy to see that there was no 'real' animosity between them based on the fact that neither was trying to seriously harm the other party. This left Vahn laying on the opposite roof as he stared up towards the sky and considered if he was a little 'too' overprotective. When Rin had nearly found him out, he barely managed to use [Shundo] to move outside of her perception radius just to avoid detection. Now that it was apparent she was just meeting up with other Magi, Vahn felt a little silly for having followed her all this way...

With nothing better to do at the moment, Vahn began organizing his Inventory and sifting through items within the shop. He still had a surplus of OP and, after being separated from Fenrir for more than a month, it was beginning to weigh heavily on his heart. Though he didn't particularly crave the touch of another person, Vahn often felt lonely during his sleepless nights spent meditating. It felt like he was missing a part of himself and, instead of slowly adapting to her absence, the feeling had only gotten stronger with time. Since there were 'literally' an infinite number of items within the shop, Vahn knew that there were undoubtedly an infinite number of solutions as well. Though he was of the mindset that it was necessary to preserve his OP, there was no sense in having it if he wasn't using it when he 'needed' it...

While sifting through his Inventory, Vahn came across a few of the items he had received from his daily Premium Gacha. Though the majority were only Red and Orange quality items, he had gotten a Green drop a few days prior that had some potential. It was a consumable item that took on the form of a small silver bell, curiously named [Keltzy]. Though Vahn had never met a 'real' Demon before, this tiny bell had the apparent ability to temporarily pacify any Demon that hears its chime. Since there were actual Demons and Daemons recorded in some of the texts he had read, some possessing ridiculous levels of power, Vahn had held onto it. As for the other trinkets and baubles he had obtain, Vahn mostly cannibalized them for OP or gifted them to Rin to aid in her research. The only exceptions were any consumable items that could heal wounds, provide temporary buffs, or provide other useful abilities...

After organizing his Inventory, Vahn began to seriously consider whether or not he should purchase something akin to a choker that would be able to supplement Fenrir's energy requirements. Though he was currently unable to make something that would be able to 'satiate' her voracious appetite, that didn't mean the system lacked solutions. All he needed to do was look for an item that had a similar name as another item that matched his criteria. Since the system shop had access to items from all Records, Vahn could find a choker that increased mana regeneration for 1,000OP before searching for the 'same' item at a much higher price point. He didn't believe that a choker that cost 1,000,000,000OP wouldn't be able to provide Fenrir with the energy she needed, at least passively...

As the thought of being reunited with Fenrir wasn't something that could actually be quantified by any expenditure of OP, Vahn ultimately decided to purchase the choker. He would test its efficacy himself before summoning Fenrir to his side once again. The sooner she began adapting to the world, the easier it would be to move around in the future without drawing too much attention to themselves. His own understanding of the world had reached the point that Vahn was confident in being able to get her up to speed in a few week's time. Since it was likely that the Holy Grail War was right around the corner, it would be better for her to familiarize herself with the City sooner, rather than later...

Seeing his three billion OP suddenly drop to two billion caused Vahn's heart to flutter as a slightly giddy sensation welled up from his stomach. There was no going back at this point so Vahn looked at the choker's description within his Inventory before pulling it out and inspecting it directly. He had picked a choker with the exact same name as a much cheaper version, hoping that it would have the same relatively simple design. What he instead got was a beautiful black choker that had, when reflecting the light, seemed to glow with a subtly divine ambiance. There were accents of gold-embroidered into the surface which, even at a glance, Vahn could tell was some kind of golden composite that was similar in quality to the 'Divine Gold' that was used in the creation of Artifacts within the Record of Danmachi. Strangely, though they were undoubtedly metallic, the embroidery had the same basic shape and function of finely woven string...

[Spirit Choker]

Rank: S

P.Def: 0

M.Def: 410

Abilities: Indestructible(Divine), Mana Funneling(S), Binding(A), Auto-Sizing(C)

Active: Overcharge

A choker whose simplicity belies the masterful quality of its make. Made with the hide of an Atmos and threads woven from a Sky Whale's whiskers, this choker drastically increases the user's mana regeneration. When activated, this effect can be tripled for a short period of time at the cost of negating the passive generation for twenty-four hours.

Restriction: Destroyed upon removal.

With a profound sigh, Vahn placed this [Spirit Choker] back into his Inventory as, even in his hands, it had been sucking in the surrounding Mana at an admittedly startling rate. Though this was a good sign, the restriction placed on the choker meant he wouldn't be able to try it for himself. He would have to give it directly to Fenrir after summoning her and hope that it was enough to at least supplement her energy enough that she wouldn't need to constantly consume his bodily fluids. Though Vahn didn't have much of an aversion towards giving Fenrir his blood, and 'other' fluids, it wasn't practical when she was acting alone or in combat. Even if the chances of them acting independently were pretty slim, Vahn wanted to have all his bases covered since he never knew what was going to happen...

As if driven by some kind of divine providence, Vahn's instincts caused his body to move before his mind had even fully processed what was going on. His reaction was just in time to avoid a massive sasumata, a weapon with a y-shaped blade that was used for capturing people. The weapon's wielder was a petite woman with grey hair and striking blue eyes, adorned in a fur-collared mantle that extended to her calves. There were silverly runes embroidered in the fabric that made it difficult to discern her movements when looking directly at her, something Vahn quickly learned as her weapon suddenly changed form into a long polearm with a mace-like tip. Now that he had calmed down, however, Vahn's expression hardened a bit as he caught the tip of the polearm with his palm and asked, "Why are you attacking me...?"

Instead of answering, the grey-haired woman attempted to pull her polearm free but, failing to liberate it from Vahn's vice-like grip, elected to change its shape once again. Even before the transformation had finished, however, Vahn had already stepped into the woman's range before planting his hand atop her head. Her eyes widened in shock but, even with the apparent reduction in the skill's capabilities, Vahn already sent a wave of energy through her body with his [Hands of Nirvana]. Since there had been a distinct lack of killing intent in her attacks, he decided it was best to get answers so he had settled on paralyzing her instead of using more 'forceful' means.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, the woman fell towards the ground but, before she could faceplant against the surface of the roof, Vahn grabbed the back of her mantle before setting her down more gently. It was at this moment that the shapechanging weapon, which had fallen to the side, changed into a far more lethal-looking glaive, complete with several eerie-looking eyes. As the blade pierced towards his neck, Vahn swatted it aside with the back of his hand, sending it spiraling through the air before sticking into the far side of the roof. He noticed it was quickly trying to extricate itself to begin attacking again so Vahn pulled out a dagger of his own before kneeling next to the paralyzed woman...

Watching the shape-changing weapon immediately stop its attempts at freeing itself, Vahn lightly shook his head before saying, "Relax, I'm not going to harm her. I just wanted to know why she attacked me in the first place..." Though he already had a few guesses, Vahn wanted to confirm the intentions of his would-be attacker before deciding what to do next. Unfortunately, just as he had feared, she eventually recovered enough faculties to answer, "You...were...spying...on...Master..." This was enough for Vahn to ascertain that she was either a companion of the drill-haired woman or the stylish middle-aged man. Since she didn't seem like the type of company the former would keep, Vahn assumed she was acquainted with the man who was currently conversing with Rin...

Believing his deductions were correct, Vahn changed his line of questioning, though not before clarifying, "First of all, I wasn't spying on their meeting. I'm a friend of Rin's and came here to make sure she was safe. You're lucky I'm not an actual enemy or this could have ended a lot worse for you...now, tell me, how were you able to sense me...?" As he had been concealing his presence the entire time he was following Rin, Vahn was curious how the strange woman had been able to detect him. Even more than that, however, he wanted to know how she had managed to avoid his own detection as, before she attacked, he hadn't sensed her at all. The chances she would reveal her own secret was rather slim, however, so Vahn settled on asking how his own position was exposed.

Realizing that Vahn wasn't an 'enemy', the woman visibly relaxed while her weapon changed forms into a surprisingly small cube and floated over to her side. Vahn helped her sit up before she finally answered, "Mana...spike...I could sense it...like the sky was falling..." Even before she finished her broken sentence, Vahn felt a strong urge to smack his own forehead. It was obvious that she was referring to the [Spirit Choker], meaning he had yet another thing to worry about even if it turned out to be enough to satisfy Fenrir's requirements. If it was constantly sucking away the Mana in the environment, any Magus within the vicinity would be drawn to the unnatural phenomenon. Since even beginner Magi were able to sense the flow of Mana in the environment, Fenrir would never be able to stealthily move about after equipping the [Spirit Choker]...

Noticing that the woman was blankly staring at him, Vahn managed a wry smile before saying, "My name is Vahn Mason, by the way. May I ask what your name is? If I'm not wrong, you must be the companion of that man with the long hair, correct...?" Though she had relaxed a bit previously, Vahn's questions caused the woman's eyes to sharpen as she replied, "If you are a friend of Rin Tohsaka, you should know her closest associates. Did you lie...?" As she asked this question, the woman discreetly moved her hand to the small cube, causing an almost imperceptible 'shift' in the Mana flowing around them.

Vahn's brows perked up slightly as he saw the mana contained within the building begin to react to the woman's mana. She seemed to have an ability that allowed her to shape the environment, at least a little bit. Now wasn't the type to observe and analyze the Magecraft of other people, however, so Vahn held up his hand before sternly reminding, "We both know how this will end if you try and attack me again. To answer your question, I only became affiliated with Rin around a month ago. Even though we're friends, that doesn't mean I'll learn everything about her in such a short period of time. Stop jumping to conclusions; you're being troublesome to the normal citizens..."

Even though there was some kind of invisible 'aura' keeping people from wandering towards them, Vahn knew that the owner of the shop was going to be distraught when they found several holes in the roof. Even if his insurance covered it, just explaining it to the authorities was going to be a major hassle for them. Since Vahn didn't like inconveniencing others over simple misunderstandings, his tone was a lot firmer than normal. He placed the girl in her thirties, even though she had the appearance of a woman barely in her twenties, so she should know better than to act without consideration for others...

Surprisingly, almost as soon as Vahn reprimanded her, the gray-haired woman blushed furiously before bowing her head and muttering, "I'm sorry..." in a voice that barely reached his ears. Then, even more surprisingly, the tiny cube in her hands suddenly said, "Please don't lay on the blame on her. Gray was only trying to protect her Master. It is my fault for damaging the roof..." Following this, even though it was still in cube-form, the tiny 'thing' bobbed forward in a somewhat comedic attempt at a bow. Vahn felt like all the tension in the air disappeared with this display, causing him to release a tired sigh before saying, "Don't mind it too much..."

Following this exchange, Vahn watched as the woman named Gray used a form of Magecraft that was similar to Earth Elemental Manipulation. This quickly patched up the hole in the roof before she used small stones, each engraved with a series of runes, to repair the remainder of the damage. With the repairs completed, she turned back to Vahn and bowed in an apologetic fashion, saying, "I'm sorry for attacking you all of a sudden. If the opportunity presents itself, I will make sure to repay this debt..." With these words still lingering in the air, Gray quickly placed the small cube into a small cage before jumping off the roof without waiting for Vahn's response. This didn't stop him from trying his luck, though, causing Vahn to remark, "You can pay me back by making sure Rin doesn't know about me following her. I'd like to avoid having her lecture me if I can avoid it..."

This caused Gray to stop in place after landing on the ground, followed by her slowly turning with a confused expression on her face. Even though she didn't seem to understand the meaning behind his words, Gray eventually nodded her head before saying, "I will keep it a secret..." Then, just as she was about to turn around again, Gray added, "I will have to investigate you though...just in case you are an enemy..." With those final words, she dashed towards a nearby alleyway before disappearing from sight moments later. Vahn continued to follow her with his perception, still curious about how she had evaded his detection, but he never got an answer as she simply boarded a car parked a few blocks away and began looking something up on a laptop. There was another man situated in the driver's seat but, deciding not to pry any further, Vahn began his return trip to the Tohsaka Manor.

Though it had taken Rin nearly an hour to reach her destination by foot and train, Vahn's return trip only took him seven minutes. If there weren't any obstacles, he could easily reach speeds exceeding 900km/h. This was a far-cry of his speed in the Record of Danmachi but, seeing how 'slow' the world around him seemed to move, Vahn felt like a veritable speed demon. When he passed the train, crammed full of people, Vahn couldn't help but feel that the technological advancements of this world had caused its people to stagnate. Though it might not be as 'easy' to gain power in this world, at least compared to Danmachi, it certainly wasn't impossible. Seeing such a vast number of people walking about, the majority of which lacked any distinguishable qualities, Vahn felt that the people in charge of this world had failed its inhabitants...

After reaching the Tohsaka Manor, Vahn slipped past the proximity barrier undetected before returning to his previous location, the small courtyard situated behind the Manor. Once there, Vahn sat in a meditative pose as he considered whether or not he should go through with summoning Fenrir. Unlike what she had experienced within his Inventory, Vahn was almost certain that she didn't experience anything similar to the passage of time within his Unit Management's storage. If he did choose to summon her, it would be nearly impossible to avoid dragging her into the upcoming battles with him. Though she should be significantly stronger than most existences within this world, even after losing her Falna, Vahn couldn't help but worry about her.

For more than two hours, Vahn seriously considered his decision before ultimately deciding that he had kept Fenrir waiting long enough. She displayed an unshakable conviction when choosing to follow him into future worlds so, regardless of the dangers they would face, Vahn knew Fenrir would have no regrets. If things got bad, he could always summon her to his side during an emergency and, if they got even worse, she could return to the safety of his Unit Management's storage. The transfer was practically instant, even from his perspective, so the odds of an enemy being able to deal fatal damage in that short period of time were negligible. With her current Loyalty, he could return her to the system a total of twenty-nine times without even having to worry about the expenditure...

With his decision made, Vahn began to feel even giddier than he had earlier as he navigated to his Unit Management and selected Fenrir's name. Unlike all the greyed out names, which included his subordinates like Terra and Fafnir, Fenrir's and Medusa's were the only ones that were highlighted. Vahn mentally selected the option to 'activate' Fenrir, resulting in the 'giddy' feeling welling up inside him to burst forward like an explosion. He even suspected that it was Fenrir's own excitement transfering over to him as, at the very moment she 'popped' into existence, she instantly tackled him to the ground. It almost felt like an eternity since the last time he had experienced intimacy with a woman so Vahn was a little surprised when Fenrir's tongue deftly found its way inside his mouth like a homing spell...

Nearly twenty minutes later, Fenrir finally 'released' him from her grasp, her face a deep shade of red as she mewled, "Master..." Vahn was also a bit caught up in the momentum of the moment so, even though Rin would probably rage at him later, he pulled Fenrir's naked body, courtesy of the fact that clothing and equipment weren't stored with her, into his arms. Using Rin's own security barriers to his advantage, Vahn released tensions he hadn't even noticed he had been bearing onto her body, though not before giving her the [Spirit Choker]. At least in this fashion, he could get a clear understanding of how much 'effort' he would need to put into Fenrir's upkeep...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Path always has a way...!','Sneaky sneaky...','For Science (UwU)!!!')