Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1466

After a quick round of introductions, Vahn finally learned the identities of each member of Heroic Spirit making up the Heroes Faction. This included a silver-haired beauty with a unique hairstyle that gave her silvery locks the appearance of wings. She was attired in a sleeveless black battledress that was sparsely covered by an ornate purple armor. The length of her skirt allowed a large portion of her milky-white thighs to be seen, but, while she was certainly a sight to behold, the ornate armor covering much of her arms and legs made it clear she wasn’t to be trifled with.

What stood out the most, other than the mystical amethyst-colored spear she hugged like she was afraid to lose it, was the woman’s demure countenance. She radiated a rather terrifying aura of the Divine, but, in contrast to this, she had a troubled expression on her flawless face, her purple eyes glimmering on the verge of tears. She also kept looking between him and Shirou, averting her eyes whenever anyone looked back at her...

When Vahn learned the woman was named Brynhildr, one of Odin’s Valkyrian daughters, he couldn’t help feeling surprised. She was so different from the Brynhildr he knew that comparing anything but their beauty would be impossible. ’His’ Brynhildr was a proud and dutiful woman, her bearing perfect except for the moments when he would tease her. As for this Brynhildr, Vahn had the impression she would break into tears the moment anyone said a single mean thing to her...

Though the introduction of Brynhildr had come as quite a shock, Vahn’s expression didn’t reveal his true thoughts, allowing the next Heroic Spirit, a white-haired beauty with ruby-red eyes, to introduce herself as Tomoe Gozen. She wore a short-skirted white kimono with red accents, bound together by an obi with a hexagonal pattern embroidered into the surface. To conceal her lower half, she wore a pair of hakama-like trousers, colored with a matte purple that was trimmed with white. This was the reverse of the pattern of her sleeves, colored white with a similar matte purple pattern towards her red-gloved hands.

To complete her outfit, Tomoe wore pure white tabi, bound by red-banded clogs that had a slight heel to them. As her only piece of armor, she wore a segmented pauldron on her right shoulder, formed from four pieces of red plating, accented with gold. This gave off the impression she was either a specialized swordswoman or an archer, especially with how she tied her silky white hair up into a high ponytail, tied in place by a red looped ribbon.

Overall, Vahn found Tomoe to be one of the most stylish Japanese women warriors he had ever seen, but, more important than that, he was compelled to ask, "Are you not an Oni?" in a curious tone.

Though Tomoe looked like a top-class Japanese beauty, albeit with white hair and red eyes, the fact she had slit-like pupils and a slightly demonic aura gave away her true nature. Despite this, her aura fluctuated slightly, revealing surprise her expression didn’t show as she replied, "I cannot answer that question." in a soft, relaxed, tone.

Despite Tomoe’s response, Vahn wasn’t deterred, explaining, "I intend to support the establishment of a Yokai District within Avalon. As an Oni, you are welcome to join them. I will not forbid you from fighting alongside the Heroes, but, many humans won’t be able to accept you once they learn what you are. You may be able to conceal it now, but will you be able to do so once you begin battling...?"

Hearing Vahn’s words, Tomoe’s expression showed a small amount of conflict, a thoughtful glimmer passing across her ruby-like eyes. As Vahn mentioned, she was born as a Half-Oni, the byproduct of a man-eating demon and an unfortunate human mother. Though she had lived much of her life as a human, doing her best to conceal her true nature, she was ultimately forced to hide away, becoming a Buddhist nun, fearing the persecution of her children. Humans had been an intolerant species since time immemorial, so, if they learned her true identity, there was bound to be tension and conflict...

After several long seconds of silence, Tomoe ultimately reestablished eye contact with Vahn, calmly stating, "I dislike conflict. I prefer to live amongst nature, far from the struggles of men. However, my pride as a warrior does not allow me to abandon a fight. So long as my companions possess the will to oppose the Empire, I will stand with them. Should a day come when peace returns to this world, I will consider your offer..."

Following her statement, Tomoe gave a polite bow, lowering her head respectfully before returning to a neutral position and falling silent. This earned her an appreciative nod from Vahn, who, finding her character to be respectable, looked toward Shirou, stating, "I’ll leave it to you. If I find out Tomoe is being mistreated by the people she is trying to help, don’t blame me for a lack of kindness..."

Having Vahn ’glare’ at him, Shirou felt a strong urge to smile wryly, but, knowing the former seemed to have some enmity with him, he maintained a serious expression as he said, "Don’t worry. Even if we build our own society, we will ensure they follow Common Law. I won’t accept things like racism and intolerance when we’re supposed to be unified against a common enemy..."

Despite being the common enemy Shirou was referencing, Vahn nodded his head in approval before turning his attention to the child-like entity seated next to the gaunt-faced H. P. Lovecraft. She had delicate features, including fair white skin, creamy beige hair, and soft blue eyes, but, in spite of her apparent innocence, she radiated the most terrifying aura within the group. As for her attire, she was wearing a long-sleeved, pleated, one-piece dress. It had an inky purple color and was trimmed by a pattern of butterflies along the hem. Several dozen tiny bows adorned her neck and hair, many with the same inky-purple color as her dress, but, to create a slight contrast, she also had a few orange ones mixed in. To complete her outfit, she had on a type of undergarment that was popular in the colonial and victorian era, known as pantaloons, or, in some circles, ’pumpkin pants’.

Seeing Vahn look toward her, the frail young girl immediately returned a smile, displaying two rows of angular teeth that distorted her otherwise innocent expression. Then, holding up a patchwork bear that had an inordinate amount of arms and legs, she happily explained, "Hello! I’m Abigail, Abigail Williams." while using her concealed hands, hidden within the sleeves of her dress, to force the bear to wave.

Since he had always had a soft spot for children, Vahn wasn’t perturbed by Abigail’s sharp teeth and borderline nightmarish aura. He returned a kind smile in response to her greeting, saying, "You are a very polite young lady, Abigail. My name is Vahn, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. It is a pleasure to meet you."

As most people weren’t very nice to her, Abigail was pleasantly surprised by Vahn’s kind words, her expression beaming as she exclaimed, "It is nice to meet you, Vahn~!" in a happy tone.

Despite Abigail’s relatively innocent appearance, everyone except H. P. Lovecraft and the doll-like Heroic Spirit sitting next to her seemed unnerved by the exuberance she displayed. Though some were less affected, such as Shirou and Musashi, everyone else became tenser the more excited the young Abigail seemed to become. This was due to the fact that, as Abigail’s excitement increased, so too did the invisible aura of dread surrounding her body...

Though Vahn had considered removing Abigail and Alice from the Heroes Faction, he knew it would devastate the two seemingly-young girls. This would only exacerbate matters, so, rather than try and force her, Vahn maintained a gentle smile as he asked, "If it isn’t too much trouble, can you introduce me to your friend?"

Excited by Vahn’s words, Abigail held up her ’bear’, but, before she could say anything, the former lightly shook his head, clarifying, "Your ’other’ friend..."

In an instant, most of Abigail’s excitement seemed to fade away, her expression becoming a perfect mask of neutrality as she answered in a dull tone, "Are you certain...?"

Before Vahn could nod his head, Shirou was the one to say, "Your Majesty...I don’t think it’s a good idea to bring out Abigail’s ’friend’ with so many people around..."

Though he understood Shirou’s concerns, Vahn plainly stated, "Abigail is one of your comrades. The more you fear her, the more influence the entity within has over your mind. Don’t get wrapped up in thoughts of negativity. So long as you treat her like an actual companion, rather than ostracizing her, she poses no threat. See how easily Lovecraft and Alice’s sister are able to tolerate her presence? All of you should just treat her as the innocent child she is, rather than blaming her for the thing that is inside her."

Without waiting for anyone to respond to his rebuke, Vahn smiled toward the expressionless Abigail, stating, "Please, I’d like to meet your friend."

Hearing Vahn’s words, Abigail’s previously blue eyes transitioned into a pale-red that was timed with a hue of purple. Then, reaching between her neatly parted bangs, she removed the two bandages forming an x-shape on her forehead...

As if some mighty seal had been broken, a phenomenal aura radiated outward, originating from a keyhole-shaped ’void’ located at the center of Abigail’s forehead. Looking into this void would be enough to cause those with weak wills to lose their minds, but, having dealt with Azathoth for a long period of time, Vahn was entirely unaffected as he established eye-contact with the eldritch entity housed within the young girl’s body...

Before things could get out of hand, Vahn released calming energy through his domain, mitigating the effects of the entity’s influence as he mused, "So, you must be Sut-Typhon, the Outer God known as the ’All-in-One, One-in-All’..."

In response to Vahn’s words, the glowing purple eye concealed within the keyhole on Abigail’s head began to release a ghostly purple flame, its aura increasing exponentially, seemingly with the intent to overpower the calming energy released by the former. This caused Vahn to deadpan as he stated in a pointed tone, "Azathoth will not be pleased with your behavior..."

Though its aura didn’t immediately disappear, Sut-Typhon began to gradually retract its horrifying energy as a deep, resonating, voice echoed, "We do not fear Azathoth...he is powerless, so long as he continues to sleep..."

Despite its words, Sut-Typhon continued to retract its aura, the ghostly flame within the key turning mellow as it added, "You are an anomalous existence that is immune to our influence...tell us, what is your intention, forcing our host to reveal our existence...?"

Smiling in response to Sut-Typhon’s question, Vahn plainly stated, "Transparency. You are not one of the Heroic Spirits summoned by Archimedes. You accompanied him from the future, not to protect the world, but to destroy it...isn’t that right?"

Hearing Vahn’s words, nearly everyone at the circular table became tense, while, inside of the small keyhole, the purple eye squinted slightly as it answered, "We do not care for such things. All things will ultimately fall prey to the perpetual flow of time. Our existence merely serves as the key, opening the gates to other worlds. We did make a contract with the man known as Archimedes, but, now that he is dead, we have no obligation to carry out our end of the bargain. For now, we will observe this world and protect our host from harm..."

Vahn knew that, to an Outer God, lying was completely meaningless, as, even if they don’t possess a physical manifestation, they were boundless entities unaffected by the flow of time. Though they had an alarming influence on the world around them, causing people to go mad simply by existing, they never took proactive action unless it was to fulfill a contract.

In order to prevent a future catastrophe, Vahn nodded in understanding to the eldrich entities words before saying, "You know the influence your existence has on the world around your host. To prevent any future complications, you will need to form a contract. If you are unwilling, I will severe you from your host, sealing you away in Azathoth’s dimension..."

Hearing Vahn’s words, the eye within the keyhole began to burn brightly, but, as Sut-Typhon could also sense the truth contained within the former’s statement, it didn’t actually try to attack. Though they were all timeless beings, every Outer God had an instinctual fear of Azathoth, as, in contrast to the concept of eternity they represented, the latter could bring a finite end to everything. Azathoth was the one contradiction to their existence, representing a singular absolute that compelled other Outer Gods to never oppose it.

After several tense moments, Sut-Typhon eventually asked, "What are the terms of your contract? So long as the compensation is adequate, we will abide by your terms..."

Shaking his head, Vahn explained, "Though I will list out the terms and conditions, your contract will be bound to Abigail herself. In exchange for sealing your power completely, allowing her to decide when and how it is used, you will be given an annual supply of this..."

While speaking, Vahn pulled out a tiny, rainbow-hued gemstone. It’s beauty, however, wasn’t what stood out the most, rather, it was the phenomenal amount of pure vital energy radiating from within. This was a delicacy Outer Gods were especially fond of, compelling them to form binding contracts in exchange for human sacrifices. If not for their particular fondness for this energy, humans would have no hopes of even earning their notice, much less their ’assistance’.

Sensing the phenomenal amount of vital energy contained within the crystal, enough to equate to several thousand human lives, Sut-Typhon’s eye shone greedily within the keyhole. It didn’t matter to them how Vahn had acquired the crystal, but, as it was far more enticing than similar offers it had received, Sut-Typhon wasted no time in answering, "We agree to your terms. So long as our host’s life is not in danger, we will allow her to use our power as she wills it. If you renege on your end of the bargain, however, our curse will spread throughout your Empire, sowing chaos and discord for a thousand years..."

As Sut-Typhon would have no way of carrying out its threat, Vahn was very tempted to roll his eyes in response. Even if the eldritch entity could release such a powerful curse, he had multiple ways to be rid of it, including sealing away Sut-Typhon itself. Such threats only applied to those much weaker than itself, and, with several Tier 5 entities at his side, any one of them would be able to remove the Outer God from existence.

Before tossing over the gemstone, Vahn gave a curt nod, adding, "For the sake of convenience, I will provide ten of these gemstones as an advance payment. This will cover the terms of the contract for ten years, increasing by one year for each gemstone provided. Do you accept?"

Considering they would be lucky to get a few hundred sacrifices during the completion of a single contract, Sut-Typhon found Vahn’s offer irresistible. They were basically receiving the vital energy of ten-thousand people just to ’do nothing’. Thus, even though it didn’t possess a mouth to smile, Sut-Typhon used Abigail’s face to form a vicious grin as it said, "We agree to your terms."

Hearing Sut-Typhon’s response, Vahn used his telekinesis to pass over ten rainbow-hued gemstones, each a crystallization of his blood. He knew just how much power was contained within his blood, so, rather than offer up sacrifices to the eldrich God, this was the easiest way to deal with them. it also carried the ’intent’ of purification, so, with the passage of time, Vahn was certain the mysterious God would eventually begin to change. Most importantly, however, it guaranteed that Abigail would be able to live a relatively peaceful life, so long as she didn’t develop a character that proactively used Sut-Typhon’s power to cause harm...

After receiving the gemstones, Sut-Typhon wasted no time, forcing all ten through the keyhole in Abigail’s head. This caused a loud crunching sound to echo through the room, but, after several long seconds of chewing, much of its aura faded away. Then, in a much softer tone than before, it uttered, "We have received the payment. From now on, we will slumber within our host’s body. Farewell, Vahn Aldrnari Mason..."

Following its words, Sut-Typhon’s eye began to close, turning the interior of the keyhole into an inky black void. At the same time, Abigail’s eyes transitioned back to their original blue, confusion visible on her face as she tilted her head to the side and asked, "Hmm? Sutty went to sleep? How strange..."

When Sut-Typhon was in control over her body, Abigail’s consciousness was sealed away. This was how she was able to maintain her childish innocence, despite the fact she had an impossibly ancient eldritch God sealed within her head. While she might be immune to the aura of madness that Sut-Typhon had released, seeing nightmarish scenes of people slaughtering each other would have left a pretty deep impression on a child’s mind...

To alleviate her concerns, Vahn offered a gentle smile as he explained, "Sutty was worried you would be unable to make other friends, so, for the time being, it has decided to slumber. If you focus really hard, you should still be able to use its power. For now, you should just try to make friends with all of the big brothers and sisters in the Heroes Faction."

Hearing Vahn’s words, Abigail showed an innocent, excited, smile as she asked, "Can Abby really be friends with everyone!?"

Rather than answer Abigail’s question directly, Vahn looked around at the Heroes gathered around the table, encouraging them to speak. Though some of them still had awkward looks on their faces, they had witnessed the establishment of the contract with Sut-Typhon. Thus, with Abigail no longer emanating a terrifying aura, it was hard to unfairly distance themselves from her, causing Shirou to be the first to say, "Of course. Abby is a good girl. As Heroes, we’re more than happy to be friends with you."

Shirou’s emphasis on the word ’Hero’ basically put everyone seated around the table on the spot. If they were to mistreat a young child that had never done anything wrong, referring to themselves as True Heroes would be rather difficult. Thus, with Sut-Typhon sealed away, nearly everyone seated at the table expressed an interest in being Abigail’s friend, causing the girl to fidget about excitedly in her chair, a wide smile on her face...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Tomoe’s design is, honestly, one of the best’,’Vahn is over here bullying Sut-Typhon xD...’,’Abby deserves a thousand friends, at the very least...!’)

(A/N: For clarity, this is the list of the Heroes Faction members: Musashi, Caenis, Tamamo, Abigail, Altria, Raikou and Alice accompanied Archimedes from the future. Those summoned by Archimedes include: Shirou(Assassin), Shuten-douji(Assassin), Ibaraki-douji(Berserker), Kiyohime(Berserker), Chu Culainn(Lancer), Brynhildr(Lancer), Aife(Rider), Hippolyta(Rider), Nursery Rhyme(Caster), Lovecraft (Caster), Benienma(Saber), Jason(Saber), Tomoe Gozen(Archer), and Chang’e(Archer).)