Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1487

As the flow of time between his internalized Universe and 'reality' were completely separate from each other, not even a single second had passed since Vahn forcibly pulled everyone inside. Even the light he had produced had yet to fade, and, though it quickly collapsed, his Void Emperor form was still active.

Due to the Mental and Spiritual strain they had experienced, each member of the Heroes Faction was brought to their knees. As for the Xiantian Elders, they had completely lost consciousness, their Willpower to weak to even manifest within the [Regula Mundi]. Though they would eventually make a full recovery, the weakest among them would probably spend the next few days in a coma.

Fortunately, despite feeling like his 'everything' was going to break apart, Vahn was able to remain standing. This might have been his first time forcibly pulling others inside, but it wasn't the first time he had activated [Regula Mundi]. It had been his main focus over the last few years, and, in the hope of mastering it, he even restricted the development of his Creation, Time, and Space Divinities.

Though it would allow him to complete one of his Zenith Quests, affording him a ridiculous amount of OP and plentiful rewards, Vahn had learned the importance of patience. There were still numerous Optional Objectives as part of the Quest, but, more importantly, he had no intention of 'borrowing' a Divinity from the Root System. His current Divinity was intrinsically tied to the planet, so, while it still functioned properly within the Moon Cell, the omniscience and power it provided were useless when he ventured further outward.

Like other Gods, Vahn 'borrowed' the Divine Authority that had been granted to him. Though it was still his power, it would be taken away the moment he exited the Nasuverse. There was no actual way to prevent this, but, if he could comprehend a 'higher-tiered' Divinity, one linked directly to Sol, or, ideally, the Root System itself, the amount of insight he would gain was incomparable. After all, there was a big difference between obtaining omniscience tied to a planet and omniscience tied to a solar system. If he could achieve the later, there was a very real chance he could create a solar system of his own, preventing some of the problems he was bound to face in the not-so-distant future...

Content with how things had gone, Vahn couldn't help but smile as he spread revitalizing energy through his domain. At the same time, he deactivated the [Virtual Reality Marble], find his body had become a pincushion for various shadowy kunai and shuriken. This nearly caused him to burst out laughing, especially when he saw the 'realization' in Danzō's eyes. She immediately tried to create a distance from him, but, due to having been in the middle of an attack, Vahn was able to reach out, grabbing her wrist as he mused, "I was wondering where you were..."

Since Danzō hadn't appeared within [Regula Mundi], Vahn was able to indirectly discover one of the few weaknesses of the [Virtual Reality Marble]. It might be able to create a near-perfect projection of reality, but, if the target existed in an intangible Spiritual form, it seemed they were unaffected by its activation. As a result, Danzō had been free to attempt his assassination, taking advantage of the fact his body was largely defenseless while he, and everyone else, had their conscience pulled inside.

Without saying anything, Danzō activated a mechanism in her forearm, discarding the hand that had been grasped by Vahn. Then, from her forearm itself, flames nearing 4,000 degrees Celsius shot out, encompassing much of Vahn's upper body and allowing her to create some distance between them. Unfortunately, despite performing several acrobatic maneuvers, Danzō felt her body gripped by an oppressive force the moment she came to a stop, almost as if an invisible hand and enveloped her entire body beneath the neck.

When the flames and smoke faded away, Vahn could be seen with his hand outstretched, a wry smile on his face. He was using the unnamed spell, Mage Hand, a spell Eva had taught him prior to the far more advanced Telekinesis. It was an Apprentice-Level spell, but, in the hands of a Magister, it could be extremely effective in sealing an opponent's movement. Since Danzō only had D-Rank Endurance and Strength, combined with an inherent weakness to Magic, there was little more she could do than spit a black needle that had been concealed within her mouth.

Catching the needled between his fore and middle fingers, Vahn lightly chuckled before stating, "You are one of the most determined members of the Heroes Faction. The battle is already over, however, so you can stop attacking."

Hearing Vahn's words, Danzō immediately ceased trying to resist, her rigid body becoming similar to a marionette that had its strings cut. The reason for this was, unlike many of the other Heroic Spirits that had been summoned to aid the Heroes Faction, Danzō was still under his command. He had a limited number of [Seal of Binding] at his disposal, so, while it was possible to obtain more through the updated System Shop, it was easier to simply summon Heroic Spirits that would dutifully follow orders. This was also why he couldn't easily abandon the thought of analyzing Danzō's body, as, if he really wanted to, she would allow him to do so without any real resistance...

Discarding idle thoughts, Vahn turned his attention to Hou Yi and Chang'e, his expression turning slightly apologetic once he saw the trepidation visible in their eyes. They had been given a glimpse at his true power, so, even if he made an earnest effort to remain their friend, there would always be a small amount of fear present in the back of their minds. After all, to them, he was an existence that was already on the level of the Jade Emperor, a being that they simply couldn't afford to offend.

Seeing the look on Vahn's face, Hou Yi returned an apologetic one of his own as he helped support Chang'e. The latter had a similar expression, but, due to her kind nature, she was able to manage a smile as she said, "I shall carve this day into my heart. To bear witness Your Imperial Majesty's power with my own eyes...this little one lacks the words to properly express her gratitude..."

Despite being unable to stand on her own, Chang'e attempted a polite bow, but, before she could do so, a gentle force pushed against her, preventing her unnecessary actions. At the same time, Vahn stated in a soft yet firm tone, "I appreciate the sentiment, but such formalities are unnecessary. While it may prove difficult, I would rather things remain the same as before. It would sadden me if the two of you were to suddenly act like strangers."

Hearing Vahn's words, Chang'e nodded her head in understanding before honestly admitting, "It will take some time..." while lowering her head politely. This action was mimicked by Hou Yi, but, by the time he raised his face, much of the previous discomfort had vanished. After all, he and his wife both owed Vahn an unpayable debt, so, while it would be difficult to behave normally around him, it was an effort they were more than willing to make...

Seeing Hou Yi's expression, Vahn felt some of his tensions fade away, replaced by a feeling of relief as he turned his attention towards the others. Raikou and Kintoki didn't seem all that affected by the experience, but, perhaps due to their 'enmity' with each other, Shirou had a distant look in his eyes. He was the closest thing to an actual human within the Heroes Faction, and, considering how recent his 'legend' was, it wasn't all that surprising for him to be at a loss after experiencing something far beyond mortal comprehension.

Under normal circumstances, Vahn wouldn't particularly care about Shirou's mentality, but, fearing the man might genuinely break, he went out of his way to ask, "Is this the limit you have decided for yourself?"

Hearing Vahn's question, a bit of light returned to Shirou's eyes as he furrowed his brows and asked, "What are you talking about?"

Without losing his patience, Vahn gave a small nod before answering, "The words I spoke were not an arbitrary declaration. So long as you endeavor to seek greater understanding, there are no limits to a person's growth. Even those elderly men above have the resolution to seek immortality, despite being 'normal humans'. If you convince yourself there is no hope, that becomes your reality. Time is always moving forward, Shirou Emiya...it will not wait for you..."

Shirou was taken aback by Vahn's words, but, before he could say anything, the latter already turned his attention away, seemingly to emphasize a point. This caused Shirou to feel bitter, and, for a brief moment, he was tempted to lash out against Vahn's 'arrogance'. From Shirou's perspective, he was a man who had been given everything from the start. His power also increased at an exponential rate, making a mockery of the effort others put in...

In the end, the only thing that kept Shirou from lashing out was the fact he was well acquainted with the 'unfairness' of the world. His original self had spent decades fighting against this unfairness, but, in the end, it was his own 'unfair' power that had allowed him to do so. He had even borrowed the power and influence of others to act with impunity, causing trouble for the people he should have cared about the most. As a result, he ended up losing everything, even the life he had dedicated to the salvation of others.

Remembering the hostility displayed by Artori, Rin, Illya, and even Luvia, Shirou couldn't help but release a tired sigh. They had accused him of being selfish and egotistical, and, after mulling over the facts, he had to agree with them. He had always done whatever he thought was 'best', often ignoring the advice of people that only had his concerns in mind. This had always been the case, even during the Holy Grail War, where, even after losing his life and being saved by Rin, he continually did things at his own pace, forcing others into difficult positions...

While Shirou was having an existential crisis, Vahn was helping everyone else recover using various alchemical concoctions that had been produced by Paracelsus. Many of these used [Avalon Apple]s as an ingredient, so, rather than the bitter taste of medicine, they were mildly sweet and refreshingly tart.

Once everyone had recovered enough to move around without any issues, Vahn gestured toward the fallen Xiantian Elders before saying, "It will probably cause you some hassle, but I'm going to destroy the array around the Forbidden City. I'll also be sending Kenshin to conduct an audit of the various settlements that have been popping up as of late. I don't care what reasoning they use, they do not have the right to arbitrarily siphon the mana of others. Even in the information that has been provided to the public, there are plenty of less destructive arrays present. I'll give them two weeks to replace the arrays that currently exist. Future offenses will require punitive measures to be taken..."

As he had already warned the Xiantian Elders of the possibility, Hou Yi gave an understanding nod as he said, "The Heroes Faction will take care of it. After today, I can't imagine any of the major families in China opposing your decree. They are a prideful bunch, but, more than anything else, they seek to preserve the lives of themselves and their families. You were able to easily destroy an array that was supposed to be capable of restraining even Gods. Even if that wasn't entirely true, it was something they believed to be true. Now, for fear of losing the power they had consolidated over generations, I imagine they will do everything in their power to appease you."

Vahn was well aware of everything Hou Yi was saying, but, as it really didn't matter all that much, he gave a dismissive shrug before saying, "I'll entrust the matter to you. It was never my intention to try and rule the world so I have little interest in such politics."

After witnessing Vahn's power, Hou Yi wasn't even remotely surprised by the former's words. Though he had always said something similar, there was a big difference between the platitudes spewed by a simple God and a Primordial Deity. Vahn would be unable to increase his strength so drastically if he didn't fully believe in the things he said and did, so, compared to before, his words carried infinitely more weight. Rather, it was pure egotism for humans to believe Vahn regarded them highly enough to even want to rule them...

As this thought crossed his mind, Hou Yi couldn't help but look at the unassuming and cordial man before him. At a glance, he didn't really seem like an Emperor, much less a God. Instead, he seemed like an idealistic young man who simply wanted to live peacefully. Despite this, he was an entity that transcended everything, a being without any limits to its growth. This was, honestly, a little terrifying, but, knowing the next Primordial Deity was a kind-hearted man, Hou Yi couldn't help but feel a small amount of relief...the Heavens knew how tyrannical some Gods could be...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Patience is a virtue','Danzō is very determined xD...','Vahn be like, "Rule the world? I'd rather just mofu mofu and go on a picnic..." *realization hits him* "Actually, I think I'll do both. Clean this up for me, will ya?"')