Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-2200

Seeing the peculiar group gathering on the surface of his planet, a curious, somewhat appreciative light reflected in Vahn's eyes.

Undoubtedly as a result of the time he spent Tiona, Tione, Aisha, and even Kali, Vahn had always possessed a particular fondness for naturalistic, tribal groups. The way the Rakshasa Tribe dressed made it readily apparent they weren't a particularly advanced species. Many even wore loincloths, bone charms, and feathered accessories, so, even without prying into their minds, Vahn could easily imagine the peculiar group of people living in the mountains or surviving in forests inhospitable to other creatures. ——

"Now, the real question is…how should I deal with this…?"

Though he had expected one or more groups to send someone to test the waters, Vahn hadn't anticipated that Indra, of all people, would mobilize one of his most powerful forces on the very first day of the competition. It was almost like Indra was legitimately trying to prevent the Sage Dragon's Hearth from promoting…

Resisting the urge to acquire the answer from Loi-chan, Vahn rhythmically tapped the armrest of his throne. Kusu, Vados, and Marcarita should be more than capable of dealing with any invaders. They were exponentially more powerful than Chronoa, and, so long as the enemy didn't possess any Gifts exceeding S-Rank, the odds of them landing a decisive blow against the trio of Angels was slim.

The tricky thing about the present situation, other than the unknown capabilities of their attackers, was that Ahirani gave off a similar impression as Tiamat, Alaya, and Gaia. Her aura was as grey and lifeless as the color of her skin. There were hints of emotion contained within, but, the moment they appeared, she would promptly suppress them in favor of acting like a machine.

Simply put, Ahirani was exceptionally depressed and doing everything in her power not to show it.

Though she was literally, not technically his enemy, Vahn had never been the type to simply ignore people who were experiencing emotional turmoil. Thus, while it would be a relatively simple matter to repel or eliminate the Rakshasa Tribe from the competition, actually finding the motivation to do so was a bit difficult.

"Vados…"

Appearing out of thin air the moment Vahn uttered her name, Vados, an inordinately tall woman with pastel blue skin, white hair fastened into a high ponytail, amethyst eyes, and long, elf-like ears inquired, "How may I be of service?"

After briefly admiring the 214cm tall beauty, Vahn waved his hand to produce a three-dimensional projection of Ahirani, explaining, "This is Ahirani, Queen-Mother of the Rakshasa Tribe. I want you to find out why she is gathering her children en masse for an attack. I also want you to inform her that, even during a Gift Game, the Sage Dragon's Hearth is always willing to render assistance to those in need…"

Offering a polite and courteous bow, Vados replied, "Very well." before tapping her staff on empty air and promptly disappearing. She knew Vahn could easily find out everything he wanted to know without her help, but, much as he had done in the Actualized World of Dragon Ball, he preferred to, at the very least, make an effort to obtain the answers using more 'conventional' methods…

…

…

.

Appearing in the air before Ahirani, Vados was compelled to evade the attacks of the two nebulous, ghost-like creatures, who, sensing a threat, immediately transformed into two massive, three-eyed members of the Rakshasa Tribe. Their attacks were remarkably swift, yet, in spite of this, Vados was able to maintain a relaxed smile as she focused her attention on Ahirani, narrowly evading each of the duo's strikes as she said, "My Lord, the Great Sage Dragon Emperor, has sent me to inquire as to the reason you have gathered your children. He has also tasked me with relaying the fact that the Sage Dragon's Hearth is always willing to provide assistance to those in need."

Raising one of her enormous left hands, Ahirani called off the gigantic duo before telepathically answering, "Lord Indra has tasked my people with eliminating the Sage Dragon's Hearth from the competition. As for your statement regarding the Sage Dragon's Hearth's willingness to provide aid…the Rakshasa Tribe has no need for the pity of others…"

Punctuating her words, Ahirani swept one of her massive right hands towards Vados, almost as if she were trying to swat away a fly. Instead, the inordinately large and ashen appendage ended up striking an invisible barrier as Vados raised her staff and replied, "I see." in a curt, undisturbed tone of voice. Immediately thereafter, she gracefully dodged backward as an eerie black beam of light, courtesy of Attutyaptish, pierced through the area where her head had been.

As Vahn had not tasked her with wiping out the army, Vados simply evaded the growing number of attacks directed towards her. This caused Ahirani's gaze to gradually intensify, as, even when six of the Eight Great Kings attempted to surround her, Vados managed to fend off their attacks without losing her smile. It was kind of infuriating.

Telepathically commanding her children to move out of the way, Ahirani brought all six of her palms together in a manner resembling a flower. This was immediately noticed by Vados, who, for the first time since the start of the fight, adopted a marginally more serious expression as Ahirani unleashed a beam of inky-black energy more than thirty meters in diameter.

Sensing the danger contained within the eerily silent energy, Vados tapped her staff on empty air to produce a massive, ring-shaped portal. Her instincts told her the energy contained within Ahirani's attack was far more dangerous than that of her children, so, rather than simply evading and letting it strike the planet, Vados decided to seal it within the void between space. This ended up being the correct decision as the source of Ahirani's power was Grudges. Anyone struck by her abilities would suffer the effects of a debilitating curse that forced them to endure the same helplessness she had experienced during the war against the Demon God. Without an indomitable, unyielding will, they would invariably be crushed by the weight of the responsibility she bore.

Seeing how easily Vados dealt with her attack, a scowl marred Ahirani's expression as she spread her arms to produce a series of black cubes precisely three meters in diameter. Said cubes then broke down into a series of nine, 1x1 meter cubes. This process repeated twice more, the second split producing 729 cubes while the third produced a startling 387,420,489 dice-sized cubes that promptly erupted outward before tracing angular trajectories towards Vados.

Though she was somewhat surprised by the rain-like volley unleashed by her opponent, Vados simply teleported right in front of Ahirani's face. The attack had been directed away from her body, so, while the angular beams of energy appeared to cover every possible escape route, there was a tremendous safe zone surrounding the 108m tall giantess.

Waving her hand right in front of the scowling giantess's nose, Vados said, "My duty here has been fulfilled. Have a wonderful day."

Without waiting for Ahirani's response, Vados promptly returned to the throne room in order to report the failure of her mission to Vahn. She knew he was well aware of how things had turned out, but, just as she had been willing to go through the motions in order to help him obtain information, Vados quite enjoyed reporting to him directly.

Roleplaying was fun.

…

…

.

After thrashing the invading members of the Araki Community, Wu stood with her foot on the back of Johnathan's head as she informed him, "You know, if you had lowered your head and begged for clemency from the very beginning, I would have allowed you to pass. Instead, you attempted to use me as a stepping stone for your revenge. Though I can understand your reasons, I don't appreciate people trying to walk over me."

Punctuating her words, Wu forced the half-conscious Johnathan's face further into the ground. She hadn't wanted to embarrass him like this, but, as one of the most prideful individuals in the entirety of the Divine Realm, she couldn't simply let him go after he had attacked her people and attempted to force her aside. Her reputation simply didn't allow it…

Now understanding the futility of trying to convince Wu with words, Johnathan remained absolutely silent even as unfathomable indignation swelled within the back of his mind. Encountering Wu near the start of the Gift Game was very near the worst-case scenario. After all, even if they had lowered their heads and pleaded to get past her, they would have lost the support of the spectators. People may empathize with their plight, but, as it ultimately had nothing to do with them, the vast majority of spectators simply wanted to see some action.

Refusing to provide the entertainment they had gathered to witness was one of the fastest ways to lose the support of the public…

Balling his hands into fists, Johnathan used every ounce of willpower he had remaining to suppress the urge to curse Wu's very existence. Offending her even further would mean his elimination from the Gift Game. While he didn't really care which Gate his Community occupied, elimination meant losing the chance to save his beloved. Every day they were apart caused him to feel a tremendous sense of guilt. If he couldn't even reach her side after weeks of planning, he would never be able to forgive himself…

Fortunately, while she could be unbelievably obstinate, Wu wasn't a truly malicious individual. The time she spent with Vahn had also influenced her quite a bit, so, after confirming that Johnathan had well and truly surrendered, she retracted her foot from his head and asked, "What did you say that sh*thead's name was? Yamamoto Kazuya…?"

Without raising his face from the dirt, Johnathan nodded his head. In response, Wu offered a nod of her own before crossing her arms and saying, "I understand. Since you're too weak to do anything on your own, this Great Me has decided to lend you a hand. In exchange, I expect the members of your Community to erect a golden statue in my honor. Never let them forget who decided to help you in your time of need."

Though he was seized by the urge to smash his head further into the ground, Johnathan ultimately nodded in response to Wu's words. At this point, his only hope of opposing the Akuma Community was relying on the power and support of people more powerful than himself. He had already lost all the momentum his cause should have generated, so, while a part of him wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into Wu's ankles, his desire to save his beloved compelled him to submit.

Nodding her head in approval, Wu grabbed Johnathan's collar before flinging him towards one of the monkey-like demons keeping watch over his downed companions. The only person she had eliminated was a man with the ability to stack damage and loop time, so, with a bit of rest and an ample amount of medical treatment, the Araki Community should be back in fighting shape in a few hours. One of their members even possessed an ability that restored objects and people to a previous condition, so, once he recovered, the group of inordinately burly men should be ready to charge head-first into the Akuma Community.

While she was willing to lend Johnathan's Community a hand, Wu wasn't going to charge into the Akuma Community's territory on her own. She may be absolutely confident in her martial prowess and durability, but, against a group famous for their cheat-like abilities, she would rather have a few meat shields to test the waters. There were a surprising number of abilities that could render power and durability completely meaningless. Thus, while the Araki Community was recovering, Wu began sending out scouting parties to locate the planets belonging to Vahn and the Akuma Community…

…

…

.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn's most powerful Innate: [Good Guy:(-)]','I'm surprised Vados didn't hit Ahirani with that "Ara Ara…"','When the wall blocking your path hits back…')