Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After a rather emotional embrace, followed by a few words shared between themselves in private, Ozymandias turned to Vahn with a serious expression as he said, "You are a man of your word. I'll remember this favor and endeavor to show it through my actions. So long as it does not tarnish my dignity as a King, I will dutifully serve your Empire, my Master..."

Though Ozymandias' expression of submission only involved him slightly lowering his head, Vahn knew even this was a considerable compromise for the prideful King. This brought a smile to face, especially when Nefertari, following her husband's example, bowed at a steep angle as she stated, "I may not have any value in battle but I will do my best to be of service..."

Seeing the opportunity to ingratiate Ozymandias to himself even further, Vahn gestured for them both to raise their heads as he plainly stated, "You will come to learn of my nature in the near future. For now, know that I have no intention of ruling over anyone. Rather, my conquest is to ensure that all peoples, be they God, Spirit, Human, and even beast can live happily. Your duty, Ozymandias, is to ensure that the bastion housing all of these entities is kept safe from internal and external threats. It is not to rule over others, as all Administrative tasks will be handled by systems implemented by the Empire. To that effect, so long as you do not take advantage of others, you and Nefertari will be able to live your lives in peace. With that in mind, you need not consider how to serve the Empire, Queen Nefertari; rather, tending to your husband and focusing on your shared happiness are your only duties."

Hearing Vahn's words, the Egyptian-duo were at a loss; made apparent by Nefertari's shock and the wavering aura of Ozymandias. The latter was the one to break the silence, this time bowing ever-so-slightly more than before as he stated, "I will take your words to heart, my Master. This vision you have of the future...I will do my best to make it a reality. I would like to see what form a world where everyone can be happy takes."

Following her husband's example, Nefertari crossed her hands over her lap, a smile that could only be described as 'lovely' adorning her face as she said, "If those are my only duties, rest assured that I will carry them out to the best of my ability. A world where everyone can be happy...it sounds truly wonderful..."

With the pair in high spirits, Vahn's were raised quite a bit. Reining in Ozymandias all but guaranteed that the African Supercolony would thrive. The man's Noble Phantasm was one of the more powerful Vahn had personally experienced and, with it, Ozymandias wouldn't even need an army. So long as he had enough magical energy, his Reality Marble could protect the entirety of the Supercolony and, using it, he could produce a nigh-infinite supply of B and A-Rank Phantasmal Species. Each of these were a match for Heroic Spirits of the same grade so, with Maxwell's support, Ozymandias would quickly become one of the most powerful assets to the Empire...

It was with building excitement that Vahn, after having the married couple stand off to the side, activated the Summoning System once again. The summoning of Nefertari had been unplanned but, as she was surprisingly weak, both in Parameters and overall Tier, the strain on his mental energy was almost negligible. He would still be able to summon all of his intended targets but it was a small relief to know that his brain wasn't going to feel like it had melted just from summoning a relatively normal human girl...

Without delaying the matter any further, Vahn decided to go ahead and get Lancelot's summoning out of the way. He was, admittedly, a little curious about the capabilities of the so-called strongest Knight of the Round Table. Artoria admitted that, in pure skill, even she wouldn't be able to rival the legendary Knight of the Lake as his [Eternal Arms Mastery] and the curiously named [A Knight Does Not Die With Empty Hands] made him a monstrous combatant. With these two Skills, he was able to instantly master any weapon he picked up; converting even something as simple as a fishing rod or a plain stone into D-Rank Noble Phantasms.

While these two Skills were the bread-and-butter of what made Lancelot terrifying, they were only the tip of the iceberg compared to his overall capabilities. If not for his legacy of betraying Artoria and losing himself to madness, two things that bothered Vahn more than he would openly admit, he would have been one of the first Heroic Spirits summoned by the Empire...

After confirming his selection, Vahn watched with a mask of calm as a surprisingly tall man, standing at 191cm, coalesced into existence. He had dark-purple hair that extended past his shoulders; parted so that it framed a rather handsome, yet solemn, face. As he had been summoned as a Saber Class Heroic Spirit, he was adorned with heavy, plated, full-armor. In his hands, what Vahn assumed to be the legendary [Arondight], a massive greatsword that was vaguely reminiscent of [Excalibur] could be seen glowing with holy light as a result of its Faerie Enchantments...

As a Heroic Spirit, Lancelot knew of Vahn's identity but, seeing the familiar faces of Bedivere and, most importantly, Artoria, his handsome face morphed into one of pain and visible regret. He may not be the 'real' Lancelot but, with his Legend emphasizing his betrayal to the point it was one of the things he was most known for, the stalwart-looking Knight couldn't help but be wracked with grief.

Seeing how much Lancelot was struggling, Vahn felt a rising desire to release a sigh. He couldn't agree with the path Lancelot had walked but, more so than almost anything else, Vahn believed that people could change. This Lancelot may have the memories of his past self but, on a fundamental level, he had done no wrong. Rather, this was the most idyllic form of an opportunity he could ever hope for at redemption so, without beating around the bush, Vahn stated, "Before anything else, I will tell you directly, Sir Lancelot, that this is your opportunity to prove your loyalty to the world. The past has no relevance to the present moment...the only things that matter are the decisions you will make going forward. Consider this a second chance at life, one where you can assume an entirely new identity, if that is what you desire..."

Hearing his Master's words, Lancelot raised his head to make eye-contact with the man who had summoned him. The situation made it clear who was in charge and, based on the fact his King was wearing a gown, certain conclusions could be reached. This made his words carry a certain weight but, even recognizing Vahn as his Master couldn't overwrite the loyalty and guilt he felt toward his former King.

Fortunately, just as Lancelot began to struggle, it was Artoria who stated in an authoritative yet calm tone, "Sir Lancelot, raise your head and face your Emperor with the dignity expected of a Knight. This is not the past, nor will things ever return to how they were. Now, we must move forward to create a better world, not just a meager Kingdom. Your power will allow hundreds-of-millions to live in peace. Do not let the burdens of your past prevent you from making a better future, one for yourself and all the people who believe in you!"

Causing Vahn's smile to turn awry, Lancelot seemed far more affected by Artoria's words than his own. In fact, he almost immediately dropped to a knee, tears building in his eyes as he exclaimed, "I will not fail you! I swear it, on everything I am...everything I aspired to be...!"

Though Lancelot was presenting his sword to him, Vahn was certain that the Knight in question had been speaking to Artoria as he made his pledge. Despite this, he accepted [Arondight], finding its weight to be rather pleasant but, determined to make his [Lævateinn] a sword of even higher quality, Vahn didn't mull over the sword's make for very long. Instead, he used it to tap both of Lancelot's shoulders, effectively Knighting the man, this time as a Knight of the Emperor, not the Round Table...

With Artoria, Merlin, and Bedivere helping catch Lancelot up to current events, Vahn took a moment to rest before ultimately activating the Throne once again. He only had Iskandar and Nero remaining so, after tweaking a few settings, Vahn confirmed the summoning of Iskandar, recognized through the Throne of Heroes as Alexander while in his Lily form. What appeared before him was a spirited-looking youth with short vermillion hair that was tied into a neat braid. He stood at only 151cm tall but, despite his rather thin frame, power and vitality seemed to radiate off the youth as he, with a smile on his face and fire in his ruby-red eyes, stared back at Vahn.

Seeing the boy dressed in ceremonial battle attire, complete with a sleeveless top, battle skirt, ornate sandals, and a red battledress adorned with gold, Vahn was tempted to nod in appreciation. He was quite taken with Alexander's attire and, though some aspects were a little strange to behold, such as the small tufts of fur adorning the bands of gold around his arms; he managed to pull it off due to his boyish looks, derived from a perfect blend between handsomeness and beauty.

Seemingly without even a fraction of fear or hesitation, Alexander was the first to break the moment of silence, smiling radiantly as he said, "I never thought a day would come where I was met with such a curious turn of events. To think I would have the opportunity to begin my journey anew...ah, this is the beauty of life, is it not? Ahahahaha~"

Hearing the zest within Alexander's tone, Vahn's smile increased marginally but, in much the same way as Nobunaga, it didn't seem his young protege was entirely content with the current status quo. Rather, partway through his laugh, he suddenly lunged towards Vahn with an ornate Macedonian shortsword in hand, clearly aiming for a lethal blow in spite of the youthful and easygoing smile on his face.

Though it wouldn't have made much of a difference, being in the Welsh Dragon's Chamber made it all but impossible to use one's full power. As a result, Alexander was surprised to find that his sword, without Vahn even needing to block it, rebounded on contact. Instead of piercing the latter's neck, his own hand began to bleed slightly, almost as if he had struck against a completely indestructible object.

With Alexander only having C-Rank Strength, his basic attacks had no hope of piercing Vahn's base resistances. This was something he was well aware of so, even when Alexander lunged toward him, he allowed the blade's tip to impact powerlessly against his throat. Then, as the youth took a few steps back, clearly expecting a counterattack, Vahn rubbed the impacted area, musing, "Not bad at all. It would seem the tales of your prodigious talent weren't exaggerated...unfortunately, my own exceed even that. Now, I trust you are satisfied...?"

Still without a single sign of fear in his gaze, Alexander's boyish laugh sounded in response to Vahn's question. He wiped the blood from his palm against the side of his waistcloth, not minding the stain in the slightest as he answered, "Well, it seems you aren't completely helpless. I thought you might have summoned me like this because you were afraid of my adult self. I guess I'll have to obey your orders and determine for myself whether or not you deserve to be my Master. Now, tell me, what is it you called me here for? Judging by those beauties standing in the back, I'm guessing it wasn't for my boyish good looks and tender body...right?"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ha! Gottem...!','So many crybabies in the Knights of the Round Table...','An Emperor always goes at their own pace...')