Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it didn’t strictly follow his training with his Shishou, Vahn was doing his best to help each of the children slowly break through their limits. As a result, part of his evening schedule, the part that had been dedicated to completing Scathach’s challenges, had now been dedicated to spending time with, and training, Mordred, Sakura, Zoe, Astrid, Gareth, Scathach, and, due to the circumstances of the former, Ciel.

Now that he was in charge of training, Vahn’s sessions often brought a lot of curious observers and a few temporary students, but, as he took his duties very seriously, most only lingered for a short while before wandering off to deal with other matters. They didn’t want to get in the way of children’s time with Vahn, and, though Ciel, Gareth, and even Scathach didn’t qualify as children, their circumstances made them exceptions.

Currently, Vahn was watching attentively as each of his students, their power restricted by a series of magical or physical seals, pulled statues depicting themselves in triumphant poses. These were much lighter than the variant he had used during his training, but, taking their age and current physical development into account, it would be unrealistic to expect them to pull upwards of 2,000,000kg as children.

Ultimately, it was the Parameters of each person that decided how much weight they were intended to pull, as, while it varied based on factors like Race, Skill, and Innates, each Parameter provided a quantifiable increase in attribute they modified. Thus, if two humans had 20D Strength, they would be able to lift and move the exact same amount of weight if all other factors were equal. If there was any difference at all, this could be attributed to their Skills, Innates, or pure, undiluted, Willpower...

With her Strength being the highest, at 39B+, Mordred’s statue, showing her posing with her sword planted in the ground and a confident smile on her face, was nearly twice as heavy as everyone else in her group. Despite this, she had a resolute grin as her muscles strained enough to be outlined in her form-fitting attire, showing off both her desire to become stronger and her athletic figure. She had pulled out several meters ahead of the rest of the pack, and, with the passage of time, each of the seals designed to weaken her became less effective.

The penultimate point of this kind of training wasn’t to help the children increase their Strength, but, ultimately, it taught them that limitations, both mental and physical, could be overcome. Mordred’s experience with the [Ouroborous Seal] gave her a fair amount of resistance to magical restraints, so, as could be expected, she was able to distinguish herself from her peers. Her only real competition was Scathach and Gareth, but, for a variety of reasons, it wasn’t actually fair to compare them.

Scathach actually needed to be sealed by an Artifact on the level of [Enkidu] just to be restrained like the rest, and, while her Parameters hadn’t increased much since her summoning, Gareth had an edge against everyone else since she had been apprenticed to him for a longer period of time. Her mind had basically been ’reprogrammed’ to ignore the existence of limits entirely, so, at times, she could even outshine Mordred when it wasn’t a direct contest of strength.

Fortunately, while the former Heroic Spirits certainly set themselves apart from the crowd, it wasn’t as if the other children were falling far behind. Sakura and Mash, in particular, had been breaking through their limits with each passing day, setting an example for the other children to follow. This was important, as, while it was inarguably better to break through your limits without having others to compare yourself to, having rivals made the process infinitely more enjoyable...

After pulling her statue the requisite 500m, Mordred wasted no time in abandoning her post, making a beeline directly toward Vahn. She still had several seals restricting her joint movement and magical energy, but, as if they meant nothing to her, she leaped through the air, covering nearly a hundred meters as she shouted, "Chichiue, I’m finished~!" in a happy tone of voice.

Vahn was already used to Mordred’s antics, but, as it would set dangerous precedence if he just let her do whatever she pleased, he extended his hand, locking her into place using his domain. Despite this, Mordred just snickered in her characteristic ’shishishi’ manner before creating a foothold in the air and attempting to cover the remaining distance. This had become something of a ’game’, not just between him and Mordred, but all of the children. If they were able to reach him directly, he would provide an ample reward, and, so long as it was ’tame’, he would even acquiesce to a single request.

Despite the promise of greater rewards, none of the children, including Mordred and Scathach, had been able to approach without his permission. Though they would be able to reach him pretty easily if their restraints were removed, Vahn had become increasingly proficient in controlling both Space and Time after his awakening. He had even made a startling amount of progress toward achieving a Divinity in both, reaching 93% in Space and 87% in Time after three weeks in the Projection, and, in preparation for what was to come, a few months within Azathoth’s dimension.

The only thing Vahn was mildly annoyed with was that his progress in Creation fluctuated between 98 and 99%, despite the fact he had even attempted to replicate the creation process of Jade, the tiny white lotus he had developed back in the Record of Danmachi. He could recall the process with absolute clarity, yet, in spite of spending a considerable amount of time attempting to create a new form of life, it didn’t give the same ’feeling’ as when he produced Jade...

Though Vahn’s mind had wandered slightly, Mordred was unable to penetrate within a meter of his body. It was almost like an invisible wall blocked her passage as, after getting this far, she could even press against empty Space, similar to someone pressing their face and body against a window. This continued for several minutes straight before she ultimately gave up, allowing the invisible force to repel her backward a few meters, a smile on her face as she mused, "I’ll be able to reach you one of these days, just you wait...!"

Hearing his tomboyish daughter’s remark, Vahn lightly chuckled before reversing the direction of energy within his domain, pulling her closer to him. He then planted his hand on her head, ruffling her golden hair as he retorted, "I have no doubt about that at all, Mordred. For now, however, I’ll be forging the path ahead...hahaha-oof...!"

Though he had ’seen’ it coming, Vahn still ended up getting the wind forced out of his lungs when Mordred suddenly gave him a tight bear hug, whispering, "Just don’t go somewhere I can’t reach..." in an uncharacteristically solemn tone. In response to this, he just silently hugged her head to his chest, stroking her hair in a calming gesture. He knew she was worried about the recent changes in his behavior, much like every resident within Avalon, but, as he had already decided not to run away anymore, Vahn wouldn’t be abandoning her, or anyone else, ever again.

Unfortunately, as his plan couldn’t be exposed to Akasha and her superiors, he was unable to convey things in a way that put the girls at ease. From their perspective, his rapid increase in power and the subtle shift in his behavior were red flags, but, when it came down to it, he hadn’t really changed all that much. Though he could now see the Flow of Fate and had a much better understanding of his influence on the world around him, it didn’t change the person he was, He was just behaving in a more responsible manner now, a stark contrast to the whimsy and worry he was known for in the past...

To ease Mordred’s concerns, Vahn allowed her to sit in his lap, leaning against her back as they watched everyone else finish up their training. She was the type that enjoyed physical contact and the feeling of security it brought, so, if he could serve as a shelter for her heart and spirit, Vahn didn’t mind playing the part he had been given. Mordred was working hard to reach godhood through her own efforts so she deserved a reward every now and then. Though this didn’t last too long, as it only took a few minutes for Scathach and Gareth to finish their sets, it was enough to keep her motivated for more strenuous training.

With Mordred vacating his lap, Vahn rose to his feet and, while it always filled him with a sense of incongruity, he dutifully pat both Gareth’s and Scathach’s heads after the two young women tried, and failed, to penetrate the solidified Space around him. Then, after removing the golden bindings that had been retraining Scathach’s power, Vahn watched as she and Mordred began their usual sparring session while Gareth happily sat at his side.

Though a considerable amount of time had passed, at least from his perspective, Vahn still felt it would take a long time before he was used to the new Scathach. The way she eagerly tried to fit in with the others, combined with the fact she was often smiling, were things he should be grateful for. Despite this, he was always filled with a sense of melancholy, and, understanding this was derived from his selfishness, an even stronger feeling of guilt.

Since there was little he could do to affect Scathach’s original decision, Vahn knew he should be doing everything in his power to make her current self happy. She worked really hard to listen to his commands, and, despite everyone behaving awkwardly around her, she did her best not to let it get to her. Though she would occasionally spend some time with Spenta, further strengthening the guilt in his heart, the current Scathach was doing her best to live her life to the fullest.

Vahn kept telling himself to move on, but, no matter how often he repeated the words, the feelings he had bottled up would sneak up on him every time he remembered his failure to save his Shishou. Even if she didn’t blame him, he couldn’t help but feel there was more he could have done. He also remembered the overwhelming aura of sadness present around her Memory Fragment and the fact he had readily turned his back on her. In hindsight, this had been a rather heartless thing to do, and, if he had the opportunity, Vahn would have liked to apologize to her...

While these thoughts plagued his mind, Vahn watched the sparring session between Mordred and Scathach with a casual smile on his face. It was obvious from the smiles on their faces that they both enjoyed the thrill of battle, and, though Mordred would grimace every time she was sent tumbling backward, she never gave up, bounding back with progressively greater force. As for Scathach, she had a look of excitement on her face, but, every now and then, she would look over, locking eyes with him a look that sought praise and approval.

Even if he wasn’t quite at the point where he truly meant it, Vahn would always smile and nod a little whenever their gazes crossed. This caused Scathach’s expression and aura to both brighten, but, with Mordred perfectly aware of what was going on, stirring her jealously slightly, the two would soon be locked in an intense battle, each trying to show off. Vahn didn’t entirely approve of this, but, so long as they showed proper sportsmanship after the fact, he didn’t mind if they got a little out of hand in their efforts to earn his praise. Both girls had unreasonably high expectations for him, in their own unique ways, so this was just another one of his responsibilities...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Breaking through the limit’,’Mental Bottleneck’,’The future comes, whether or not you are ready to accept it’)