Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1205

Between completing Quests, helping others complete Quests, and making preparations for his future course of action, Vahn spent more than half his time training with Scáthach and researching with Da Vinci. With Da Vinci making startling progress on her own, she was the most suitable advisor within the castle when it came to 'exploiting' the Quest Board. Though this didn't directly benefit Vahn, just having a catalog of potential Skills and their acquisition requirements was extremely useful.

While that may have been the case, however, Vahn was making far greater progress under the tutelage of Scáthach. Compared to their previous sessions, where he worked to master his body and comprehend combat through more 'direct' means, she was very patient when it came to teaching him her techniques and Skills she believed would be useful for him. Since everything she taught him seemed to directly increase his power, making future training sessions more fruitful, Vahn had been enjoying their time together. She was still the same cold and detached person as normal but, having someone patiently walking you through the process of comprehension without passing judgment on you, so long as you worked hard, was a powerful motivator...

To that end, Vahn found himself in a rather awkward situation where Scáthach was standing behind him, close enough that their bodies were almost perfectly overlapped. Though he could learn most techniques simply through observation, Scáthach had basically had him relinquish control over his body to her, offering no resistance at all as she sent her own energy through his body. Since her Soul Tier was more refined than his, it was possible for Scáthach to channel her energy into his body in a non-destructive manner, so long as he didn't resist. This was similar to how he would use Nirvana Rebirth against others, albeit a far more 'troubling' experience as he was on the receiving end...

With her voice tickling his ear, Scáthach continued to channel her energy through his chest and arms, stating in calm and guiding tone, "Your attempt to convert the power of Laws into physical form is a worthwhile endeavor. The mistake it trying to immediately reach that point before you have even laid a foundation. You already have the ability to project physical objects using Magical Energy, so the next step is fusing the power of Law into your creations. By combining [Reinforce], [Enchant], [Primordial Rune], and [Gradiation Air], infused with the power of Law, you can create armaments similar to my [Gáe Bolg Alternative]..."

As she spoke, Scáthach sent her energy along Vahn's Magic Circuits, shaping the energy in his palm to project a red sphere. Unlike how she would pull them out instantly for herself, Scáthach slowed the process considerably, showing how the spear first took form before she infused other Skills to further strengthen it. It was this versatile nature that allowed her [Gáe Bolg Alternative] to take on virtually any form as, so long as you knew how to project the basic shape, everything else was just modifying it to meet your needs. If you understood the prerequisite Laws, you could theoretically make a weapon that could counter against anything, irrespective of the situation you found yourself in.

After the spear had fully formed, Scáthach allowed it to dissipate but, rather than release Vahn from her grasp, she continued to hold him close as she firmly stated, "Do it." Then, under her extremely close observation, Vahn elicited a rare smile from Scáthach's face as, even though it was his first time manifesting her technique, he had what amounted to near-perfect control over his internal energy. It had always baffled her how he was unable to exercise this same control externally but, as this wasn't much of a restriction, she had learned to work around it. In the future, she would help him overcome this weakness of his as, compared to all of her prior students, Vahn had the greatest potential while also being the most receptive. Though he was very prideful at times, he would set that aside almost entirely when he was learning from others, putting in an earnest effort without complaining in any meaningful way...

Unlike Scáthach, Vahn formed a greatsword that looked similar in structure to his [Laevateinn], albeit comprised of a composite material that looked like a combination of blood-red quartz and metal. As he had copied Scáthach's method almost exactly, only changing the form of the projection, his blade was covered in a series of five circular runes while the handle was covered in a latticework of runic indentations. Though he had almost no comprehension of the Laws used in its structure beforehand, Vahn knew this sword existed for the sole purpose of 'Slaughter'. Wounds it inflicted would not heal and, if he learned the paired Skill, it would be possible for him to emulate the active effect of [Gáe Bolg Alternative], being that it could pierce the heart through the manipulation of causality.

With Vahn having successfully formed a weapon, even though it had taken him nearly ten minutes, Scáthach released his body before making an almost exact replica in an instant. Then, without any hesitation at all, she swung her sword toward him while stating, "The form of a weapon might have some use, but the function is infinitely more important. I will teach you to believe in the projections you produce, to the point that they will be able to rival Noble Phantasms..." Just as the spears she produced were stronger than her other weapons, Scáthach knew that familiarity with a weapon would enhance the performance of Vahn's projections. Thus, in order to make him put in more effort in the future, she intended to shatter his pride a bit in the present...

As he was always in a battle-ready state around Scáthach, even when she had pressed herself against him, Vahn managed to put parry her 'surprise' attack without much trouble. However, though he did not lose focus on the fight, it was almost impossible for him to continue focusing on the [Laevateinn] projection he had formed. Because of this, the moment Scáthach's blade collided against his, Vahn's shattered like glass, sending pieces of shrapnel into his body while the tip of her blade cleaved seven centimeters into his torso as he jumped back. Though such wounds were far from being fatal to him, Vahn could feel the malicious energy contained within the blade coursing through his body, piercing through his flesh like thorny vines as it attempted to fulfill its purpose of Slaughter.

Though the pain he experienced was beyond the tolerance of most people, Vahn's expression didn't even change as, even with half his blade shattered, he continued to focus on the battle. Since it was formed after his [Laevateinn], Vahn tried to channel his experience with the actual blade, causing the damaged half to form into a blade of flames that caused Scáthach's brows to rise. Unfortunately, his efforts weren't enough to give her any meaningful pause as, not fearing the flames in the slightest, she used his own [Shundo], stepping into his range and kicking hard into his diaphragm. Then, even though he was being propelled backward like a bullet, Scáthach's follow-up attack was even faster, allowing her to shatter the blade a second time as she followed him closer than a shadow...

In this manner, Scáthach had him create several different weapons which, without exception, she would unceremoniously shatter with a seemingly 'better' version. Vahn, however, knew that the weapons produced by the crimson-eyed beauty were exactly the same as his. The reason she was able to break his was wholly based on their difference in skill, combined with the fact hers were absolutely stable. Still, creating weapons in live combat drastically reduced the amount of time it would take to form a projection so, after more than eighteen hours of training, Vahn had reached the point that he could form the 'image' of the projection in his mind and, while fighting with his current weapon, muster up the energy to produce a replacement shortly after the previous one was broken...

While Vahn was busy 'training' with Scáthach, a legendary showdown had been occurring within the Training Orb located within the Knight's Training Field. The participants of said battle were Artoria and, after making preparations and discussing the matter several days prior, Heracles. This battle was important for a variety of reasons as, not only could she cement her image in the eyes of their most powerful allies, but she could also make progress on her own Quest. Though Heracles had refused the battle at first, he had eventually returned a few days later to accept, albeit with a few conditions.

Since they were supposed to battle seriously, Heracles had been worried that he would accidentally kill Artoria, even though he didn't look down on her in the slightest. If this happened, he convinced himself that there was no way that Vahn would make good on his promise. However, after thinking on the matter for a few days, Heracles began to see the merits in battling against Artoria and, as he actually disliked sitting around doing nothing, he ultimately accepted her challenge. As for the terms, she was required to keep an [Effigy of the Hero] on her person and, despite the outcome, she had to vow not to hold a grudge against him and his family...

Being a paragon of chivalry, Artoria would obviously never target the kin of her opponent, even if they had genuinely been enemies. Thus, after making the necessary preparations, Artoria, standing at 154cm, found herself standing across from Heracles, towering over her at 253cm. Using just a single hand, he would be able to grab nearly her entire waist yet, from the perspective of their small group of observers, Artoria's momentum didn't lose out in the slightest.

Though this event had been kept from Vahn, both due to Artoria's concerns that he would worry and Heracles' that he would intervene, it was still attended by Fenrir, Mordred, Sakura, Neko, and Momo. It had also drawn the attention of Kenshin and her students, causing them to line up along the top of her dojo, observing the show from a distance. Sometimes, watching powerful warriors battle was the key to accelerating your growth as, without an observable goal, it was easy to suffer setbacks and reach a bottleneck. As she was also curious how her own strength would match up against foes like Artoria and Heracles, Kenshin simply couldn't miss out on witnessing what could have been a historical moment if it took place on an actual battlefield...

Without a referee, the start of the battle would begin when a single side took the initiative thus, knowing her Parameters and battle experience were considerably lower than Heracles', Artoria knew she needed to pressure him to avoid being forced into a corner. She had the benefits of her [Instinct] and her high luck but, while these would give her a small edge, they weren't things a Hero such as Heracles would be unable to overcome. He was a master with all kinds of weapons and, even though he was currently using a serrated cleaver-like blade, which was even longer than she was tall, Artoria knew it didn't even amount to a feather in the eyes of the man said to be the living embodiment of strength...

Using her [Mana Burst] to compensate for her lower Agility, Artoria's leap caused spiderweb cracks in the hard white stone as, with a speed that could even outshine [Shundo] in responsiveness, she immediately closed the gap between them. This didn't fluster Heracles in the least, however, causing him to wave his cleaver with such speed that a black shadow was left in its wake, almost as if he were cutting through the void itself. These two movements caused powerful shockwaves to spread out from both Heracles and Artoria before their blades even intersected yet, despite the cleave of the former seeming unstoppable, the diminutive King of Knights was able to receive and deflect it with ease.

With the tip of his blade colliding with the ground, a massive eruption of energy spread through the terrain, creating a fissure that was several tens of meters in length. At the same time, with a flexibility that could embarrass a gymnast, Heracles twisted his waist like a bow, exploiting Artoria's parrying motion to kick at her exposed side. Due to their height difference, however, Artoria bent at the knees while stepping forward without hesitation, allowing the air pressure from the blow to pass over her without flinching as she sliced upward towards Heracles' inner thigh. This action left a blue trail in the wake of her swing which, after fading, revealed a massive gash in Heracles' leg that almost took the entire limb off.

Showing no sign that his injuries had any effect on him, Heracles allowed the hit the land while continuing his spinning motion. His kick failed to find purchase but, with his body twisting with enough force to create a miniature vortex, Heracles managed to sweep his fist towards Artoria, backhanding the flat of her blade and causing it to smash into her body before she was sent flying like a loose artillery shell. By the time his injured leg returned to the ground, the wound had healed completely and, leaning forward slightly, it was Heracles' turn to seize the initiative. Though their actions were similar, Heracles flexed his legs and, instead of using a Skill like [Mana Burst] to propel himself, he used raw power to kick against the supposedly durable stone below.

From their observation post more than a kilometer away, surrounded by a powerful barrier, Sakura nearly lost her footing as, when Heracles kicked against the ground, a ripple passed through the terrain that reached all the way to their location. Since she had grown up in Japan, she was familiar with earthquakes, causing her to pale slightly as it was difficult to imagine how someone could have enough power to essentially rival a natural disaster. As for Mordred, she had an excited expression on her face as she prevented Sakura from tumbling, her eyes not wavering in the slightest as she muttered, "You can do it, Hahauie..."

Though Artoria's left arm had been shattered by Heracles' kick, despite the fact she had tried to resist it with [Mana Burst], the fact she had recovered [Avalon] previously gave her regeneration that could easily outstrip the legendary Grecian Hero. She also had an extreme level of pain tolerance, to the point that her expression remained sharp and focused as she brandished her sword overhead. To meet Heracles' charge, helical blue energy began to shape around her blade and, though it was far from her full power, Artoria shouted, "Excalibur~!!!" before swiping down so quickly that the path of her blade couldn't be followed in the slightest.

With her impeccable timing, Heracles' eyes had widened slightly as, like a meteor passing harmlessly outside the atmosphere of the Earth, he flew over Artoria's position with a cleave running from his right shoulder down to his right thigh. Then, like a ragdoll, he crashed into the ground, exacerbating his wound considerably as he bounced and slid more than a hundred meters. From the perspective of those who had never fought against him, they would have mistaken Heracles as a dead man but, as she had the 'privilege' of fighting him in the Fifth Holy Grail War, Artoria knew better. Thus, as steam began to pour from his body, which had heated up to look like red-hot steel, Artoria held her sword high, channeling a phenomenal amount of Magical Energy...

Though he had never personally experienced the Twelve Labors, the legend was so intrinsically tied to Heracles that any manifestation of a Heroic Spirit, despite the Class he was summoned as, would have access to the Noble Phantasm known as [God Hand]. This was a hidden passive that, much like Da Vinci's [Uomo Universale], was a manifestation of a concept. While hers allowed her to analyze and strike the weakness of an opponent, his manifested in the form of an undying body that could negate any attack of B-Rank or lower. At the same time, even if he was struck, or even killed, by an attack of a higher rating, he would enter a completely indestructible state as his body regenerated. After this process was completed, he would be immune to the attack that had killed him, barring a few exceptions such as Anti-Divine and Holy Armaments.

Just as he had completed Twelve Labors, at least in his legend, Heracles had a total of twelve lives, maintained by monstrous regeneration and phenomenal physical might. The most terrifying part of this ability, however, was the fact that he could actually regenerate lost lives. This meant that, even if you managed to kill him eleven times, he would eventually recover to twelve if given enough time. With someone like Illya has his Master, providing him with functionally unlimited mana, this stock of lives could be replenished in as little as eighteen days. The only 'real' weakness to the ability, which Artoria herself was already made aware, was the fact that each stock had a certain damage threshold that, if you exceeded, could eat into other lives. If the attack was strong enough, it could even rob all of his lives simultaneously, completely negating the effect in its entirety...

As he had the memories of his former battles against Artoria, albeit from Illya's perspective, Heracles knew what she had in mind with the massive pillar of light that seemed to stretch into the Heavens. What she was unaware of, however, was the fact that, with the restrictions of [Mad Enhancement] removed, his primary Noble Phantasm could be used. Previously, he had been too mindless to fully manifest its might but, with his clarity now restored, Heracles was completely undaunted by the attack that could easily wipe out more than half his stock of lives.

Holding his massive cleaver-like blade out in front, Heracles hardened his expression as he took in a deep breath before shouting in a voice loud enough to cause a sonic boom, "Nine Lives: Shooting the Hundred Heads...!!!" The moment these words left his lips, it seemed as if the world had slowed to a crawl from his perspective as his golden eyes began to radiate with Divine Light. Then, ignoring the fact that Artoria's sword was descending in slow motion, Heracles launched himself forward with such speed and intensity that reality didn't even seem to register the action. By the time he was in front of Artoria, the area he had been standing had only then started to ripple from the force of his movement.

Using a strike that usually held the property of 'exterminating the opponent no matter how many times they can resurrect', Heracles cleaved his blade toward Artoria's neck. He had no intention of overwriting the effect of the [Effigy of the Hero] so, as long as it worked as intended, she would be able to revive without issue. Since this was an attack that manifested so quickly that it appeared to be nine simultaneous strikes, Artoria had only moved her blade a few centimeters by the time he closed the hundred-meter gap and swung toward her neck. Just as his blade began to pierce into her flesh, however, Heracles learned what it meant to be protected by fate as a pule of Magical Energy radiated from her body faster than his nigh-instantaneous attack...

Though he had cut a millimeter or so into her flesh, Heracles suddenly felt like he had struck against an immovable object, causing a massive shockwave to spread from the point of impact. Despite this force being enough to create a wave of air pressure that could topple buildings, Artoria didn't budge in the slightest as Heracles was forced to look on in awe as her sword cleaved down, bisecting him from head to groin. As [Avalon] had an automatic defense function, and 'literally' placed Artoria's body on the Reverse Side of the World, even as she manifested in reality, even the most powerful attacks had absolutely no effect on her. While she could influence the world around at will, everyone else was left completely helpless in the wake of an existence they could never hope to reach...

Rather than lament his defeat, Heracles allowed the tumultuous energy to flow through his body, rending his flesh with its purifying light as a total of seven of his lives were eliminated in a single strike. Though it was nearly impossible to discern to anyone who wasn't intimately familiar with him, there was a small smile on his face. He had rarely ever met an opponent who could even keep pace with him and, though he had no intention of endeavoring to one day defeat Artoria, Heracles was happy to have met someone that could be considered his better. Since he had a fair number of abilities that would cause his enemies to cough up blood in envy, he wasn't the type to blame his failure on the fact that his opponent had more 'cheats' than him...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scáthach's carrot and stick approach','A must-see event for the ages','Justice for Heracles xD...!')

(A/N: For those that are confused, you can think of the activated Avalon as working similar to the Kamui used by Obito, albeit without making her immaterial (which never made any sense at all). Her 'real' body gets transferred to True Avalon, on the Reverse Side of the World, while only a projection remains in reality. Thus, without being able to effect True Avalon, which is unreachable even with True Magic, you are virtually unable to cause harm to her. It is really one of the most broken Noble Phantasms as, when active, even [Ea], a Noble Phantasm that returns the world to its Origin, has no effect on her.)