Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1612

With permission from Asha, Vahn escorted Arika back to the Custos Rosea so that she could bring it closer to the base of Yggdrillia. Then, over the course of three days, they transplanted nearly three-hundred thousand trees into the Diorama before Vahn burned down the rest of the forest. This had drawn the attention of numerous third parties, but, after chasing away a few 'envoys', the move was completed without any major incidents.

When everything was said and done, Vahn helped tether Asha to the World Tree he planted within the aptly named 'Garden of Avalon'. This resulted in the death of her True Body, and, as a result, the tree at the center of Elfenhof rapidly decayed. Fortunately, so long as she had enough energy, Asha would have very little difficulty creating a new body for herself. This was due to the fact that Ancient Dragons were basically just an evolved form of Great Spirit, a unique variant that was directly linked with Mundus Magicus itself.

So long as the Magical World existed, the Four Sacred Dragons would continue to be reborn from the ambient energy within the planet itself. They would retain all their memories, and, as an added perk of being the world's protectors, they would gain resistance to whatever had killed them. The only thing that prevented this from being exploited was the fact that it would generally take around a hundred years for their body to reform anew.

Now that she had been transplanted into the World Tree, effectively becoming its Guardian Spirit, Asha was no longer tethered to Mundus Magicus. This was bound to cause a magical imbalance in the outside, but, as the effects could be mitigated completely by the existence of Elementals, Vahn had decades to correct the imbalance. Besides, it wasn't like anyone could really complain when a place like Megalomesembria had been allowed to wreak havoc on the environment with impunity for nearly two-thousand years...

Abiding by his original promise, Vahn wrapped up the transplantation of the Elves by engraving his Familia Crest onto Asha's back. She had been rather eager to receive it, so, almost immediately after the final tree had been moved into the Diorama, she wasted no time in petitioning him to engrave it upon her body. Her zeal had been annoying both Eva and Arika, so, before things could become even more awkward, Vahn decided to just get the ritual over and done with.

Vahn had already carved his crest upon the backs of Arika, Theo, and Asuna, but, due to the runic symbols carved into Asha's body, it took a lot longer than normal. She had a complex engraving of the original Yggdrasil carved onto her back so it took several hours for him to restructure it in a way that allowed her to continue using her druidic and plant-based abilities. Symbology was one of the most important aspects to using nature-related magic and spells, so, while they weren't completely necessary, Asha's power would decrease exponentially without the runes covering her body.

Fortunately, though he might not be able to call himself a Grandmaster, Vahn had yet to meet a single person more adept than himself when it came to laying formations and modifying the core structure of runes. He had the ability to 'interpret' the meaning of runes on an instinctual level, so, while he might be limited by his Soul Tier at times, his comprehension allowed him to modify the existing structure of runes without much trouble. This would generally be considered impossible under normal circumstances, but, much like how a street artist could twist words and letters into a more artistic form, Vahn was able to perform modifications without altering the original meaning of the runes.

After nearly five hours, Vahn had reshaped the glowing white runes on Asha's back to make a shape similar to a wreath. Then, within the gap formed from healthy brown skin, he engraved a marginally smaller version of his Familia Crest. This allowed him to discern Asha's parameters, skills, and magic, but, as such things had lost their meaning with the passage of time, Vahn only briefly scanned them before saying, "It's done. Put on some clothes."

Hearing Vahn's words, Asha slowly peeled open her eyes before lazily raising her body and issuing an admittedly adorable yawn. The process had taken much longer than expected. It was also very comfortable, so, after the first half-hour had passed, she gradually began to doze off. She had been a little worried about offending Vahn, but, as she never sensed any anger or frustration from him, it was safe to say he didn't particularly mind if she slept on the comfortable table he had prepared.

While rubbing away the moisture from her eyes, Asha peered over at Vahn with one eye, asking, "Is that an order? I don't particularly like wearing clothes. I feel closer to nature when I'm naked."

As Asha was 'very' similar to Terra, sans draconic features, Vahn was well aware of her preference for being naked. This was exacerbated by the fact that nakedness didn't seem to be that big a deal in the Akamatsuverse, but, as it would set a bad example if she was always naked, Vahn adopted a wry smile as he said, "I won't force you, but, when you are around other people, I would appreciate it if you wear clothes. Did you not like the dress I gifted you...?"

Hearing Vahn's final remark, Asha awoke with a start, both hands waving from side to side as she hastily answered, "No! It's great! I love it!"

Remembering the unique dress that Vahn had given her, a flowery garment that literally changed forms with the seasons, Asha suddenly felt extremely guilty. She actually liked the dress quite a bit, but, as she had lived the majority of her life without clothes, it felt weird to suddenly start wearing them...

Though he wasn't proactively trying to tease her, Vahn found all of Asha's reactions rather amusing. She was an inordinately adorable woman, and, with pointed ears and healthy brown skin, she had a unique charm compared to other Elves. Unfortunately, as he could be rather obstinate after making up his mind, Vahn had already developed a fair amount of resistance to her charms. The fact he had Eva watching over him like a hawk also prevented him from misbehaving more than he should...

With a light chuckle, Vahn resisted the urge to pet Asha's head as he said, "I'm glad. Now, run along and get changed. The banquet has already started and I'm sure your children will feel more at ease after you arrive. My other self is already there so you don't have to worry about whether or not I will be in attendance."

As he had already answered her question, Asha's words got stuck in her throat as her expression morphed into one of demure embarrassment. Then, after casting a quick glance toward Eva, she quickly alighted from the small chamber, three pairs of pixie-like wings sprouting from her back as she ascended towards the massive World Tree towering in the distance.

Immediately following Asha's departure, Eva released an exasperated sigh before remarking, "You really have a way with women, don't you? Is this really how all-female dragons behave around you? That last look of her's was like a puppy that had been beaten and abandoned by its mother...haaa..."

With a helpless smile on his face, Vahn lightly shrugged his shoulders before answering, "I'm pretty sure it has more to do with the purity of my energy than anything else. I've temporarily sealed my draconic aura so that shouldn't be the reason. Rather, I've always been rather popular with Spirits, especially those related to nature. Being a God of Creation doesn't exactly help...hahaha..."

Remembering that Vahn was, indeed, a God of Creation, Eva couldn't help but roll her eyes as she made her way over to his side. She knew Asha's behavior wasn't actually his fault, as he had been taking proactive measures to avoid exacerbating the situation, so, rather than blame him, he linked her arms around his neck and said, "Even if you did the right thing, this incident is going to draw a lot of negative attention. The Elves have always been a valuable commodity in Mundus Magicus so there is no way those old snakes will just let their precious resource be taken from them."

As if a switch had been flipped within his mind, Vahn began releasing a subtle yet oppressive aura from his body as he wrapped his hands around Eva's waist and answered, "Let them come. So long as I have something to protect, my power is infinite. I have been pretty lenient thus far, but, if they think I'll just stand by as they slander my name and conspire against me, I will be forced to remind them of their mortality..."

Hearing the conviction in Vahn's voice, Eva could feel a heat gradually spreading through her body. She still had a bit of a sadistic side, so, whenever she heard him talk about punishing the same fools who had made her life a living hell, she couldn't help but get a little excited. The fact they would be parting relatively soon also filled her with more trepidation than she had anticipated, and, if not for the promise they had made, she wasn't sure she could be able to restrain herself.

Further complicating matters, Vahn began to gently massage the area just above Eva's butt. She could feel the heat in her body increase, and, as she hadn't done anything to stop him, he slowly snaked his hands down until he was directly massaging both her cheeks. He put enough force into his hands to lift her body from the ground, and, as was often the case in recent days, it wasn't long before they were passionately entangled atop the nearby massage table...

With the Custos Rosea having long departed in its stealth mode, several ships from surrounding countries had started to comb the desolated land that was once Elfenhof. The majority of these ships belonged to the nearby countries of Moeris and Antigone, but, as could be expected, there were a number of military vessels belonging to both the Hellas Empire and Megalomesembrian Confederacy nearby. The Elves had always been an important asset to them, so, with reports saying the country had spontaneously erupted into flames, they couldn't ignore it.

What Vahn couldn't have anticipated was that among the fleet of whale-like vessels belonging to Megalomesembria a much smaller Airfish could be seen flitting about without any consideration for standard military protocol. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about this Airfish, as it was a relatively standard model, but, standing atop its outer hull, a youth with two shades of dark red hair could be seen lackadaisically holding a wooden staff whose end roughly resembled a lightning bolt.

Behind the youth, an even younger-looking youth with white hair, silvery eyes, and perpetual blush marks on his face had an amused smile on his face as he answered his protege's previous question, explaining, "Contrary to the reports, it doesn't seem as though a battle took place here. Though the forest was certainly set aflame, there is no notable damage to the terrain. The interior forest is also completely missing, so, rather than a battle, it seems like someone actually dug up the entire forest and moved it elsewhere..."

Hearing his Master's explanation, the red-haired youth nodded his head, an expectant smile on his face as she said, "Well, regardless of what really happened, I still want to track them down. There's no way I can ignore a chance to fight against something like an Ancient Dragon. I can already feel my blood boiling in expectation!"

Understanding his protege's character well, the white-haired youth issued an amused laugh before pulling out an ornate telescopic device. It was an extremely valuable Artifact known as the Hermes' Looking Glass, and, if used properly, it had the ability to track a target by allowing its user to view a vision of past events. Though a skilled opponent could evade its scope, trying to hide the removal of an entire forest would be a difficult feat, to say the least.

By adjusting the focus of the telescopic lens, the white-haired youth was able to catch a glimpse of Arika, Asuna, Eva, and Fenrir transporting trees into a large crystalline diorama. The presence of Eva startled him quite a bit, but, curiously, no matter where he looked, he could not find a single trace of the man known as the Sage Dragon Emperor. It was almost like he didn't exist, but, if you looked closely, it was possible to discern the after-effects of someone very powerful using various skills and abilities...

After forwarding and rewinding time numerous times, the man closed the telescopic lens and said, "They headed South. Based on their departure vector, I would assume they are headed for either Vairocana or Al Jamila. There are Great Spirits in both locations so it is likely they will appear in both destinations at some point. If I were them, I would probably head to Vairocana first. Though, given the actions of the Sage Dragon Emperor thus far, I don't imagine he will try to lay low...how curious. I can't help but wonder about the origins of this mysterious Ancient Dragon..."

Nodding his head in agreement, the red-haired youth pointed his staff towards the South, an eager smile on his face as he said, "Then what are we waiting for!? Let's give chase! They can't have gone that far in just a few hours! I can't wait to see the strength of an Ancient Dragon for myself!"

Understanding the futility of trying to dissuade his young protege, the white-haired youth issued a small nod before also turning his gaze toward the South and muttering, "It seems fate has diverged ever since your arrival...I truly hope you aren't our enemy, Vahn Aldrnari Mason..."

After seeing his Master nod, the red-haired youth was no longer paying any attention to what the former was saying. Instead, he popped open a small hatch that led to the interior of the Airfish, an excited smile on his face as he yelled at a distinctly Japanese-looking man, exclaiming, "Ala Rubra is going rogue! Tell that quintuple-horned bastard that he can shove his regulations up his ass! We're going dragon hunting...!"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Scholars hate him!','Seems like Eva has replaced her thirst for blood with a new kind...','Vahn be like, "Hold my Realm...I'm 'bout to end this man's whole career..."')