Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

The longer Vahn and Artoria followed the path set for them, the more the scenery seemed to change around them. At first, there were only floating lanterns, but, after a few minutes passed, will-o’wisps, known as hitodama in Japan, could be seen manifesting in and out of existence through the breaks in between trees. Their appearance was accompanied by the sounds of bells or the echoing laughter of children, two relatively innocent sounds that inspired trepidation when heard under the veil of night.

Though she wasn’t actually afraid, Artoria clung a little bit closer to Vahn, finding herself enjoying the moment more than expected. It had become a little chilly in the surroundings, but, at Vahn’s side, a gentle warmth permeated from his body, keeping the cold at bay. This encouraged her to rest her head against his shoulder, his casual and calm demeanor allowing her to drop her guard, albeit just a little.

Eventually, Vahn and Artoria came to a crossroads, a split in the path that was marked by what appeared to be a dog-headed monk statue. It held prayer beads in its left hand, pointing to the left path with its right. The curious part was, even with his domain, Vahn’s perception was blocked the moment he reached the crossroads, causing him to lightly muse, "It seems they’re taking the theme of Yokai to the extreme..."

Hearing Vahn’s utterance, Artoria stared at him in confusion, imploring him to add, "Yokai are a type of Spirit that exists in the ’in-between’ spaces, exploiting the gaps in human perception to exist ’beneath’ human society. They can exist alongside humans without drawing attention, only standing out when you lose your path or are led astray. Due to modernization, the vast majority of Yokai are extinct so I had been thinking about offering those that remain Sanctuary..."

Though many Yokai were dangerous existences, they were relatively harmless if you knew how to behave around them. There were some obvious exceptions but the majority of Yokai were more mischievous than harmful. They generally fed off things like fear, bemusement, intoxication, and pleasure, meaning they rarely ever killed their ’victims’. Unfortunately, like other Spirits, they were prone to human corruption, so, depending on the circumstances, it was possible for a Yokai to be led astray, becoming horrifying monsters as a result.

Using his ability to read the Flow of Fate, Vahn could glean some insight into his opponents by observing their appearance and abilities. This didn’t directly reveal their identities, but, when it came to certain historical figures, you only need a few clues to ascertain the True Name. While this required a comprehensive understanding of various legends, Vahn’s mind functioned similarly to a library, housing a wealth of information that he, and, more importantly, Sis, could access at their leisure.

After taking a sneak peek at what was to come, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly before resuming a neutral expression as he explained, "The way this is set up, either path would lead us to the exit of this territory. Since the world of Yokai exists between the boundaries of reality, the gateway can only be found within the mind...feel like getting lost with me?"

Though she was curious about the reason behind Vahn’s momentary frown, Artoria decided not to ask, instead, answering, "I’ve told you before, have I not? I will follow you anywhere, no matter where we end up."

Hearing Artoria’s response, Vahn’s expression became tinged with affection, followed by her face becoming red as he leaned down to give her a kiss. She wanted to retort that this was neither the time nor the place, but, due to her past experiences with Vahn, her body reacted on instinct, lips parting slightly as her eyes closed.

When trespassing the domain of Yokai, feelings of companionship could keep you from being led astray by their various tricks. Feelings of love were infinitely more powerful, however, allowing you to break free from powerful illusions and even counter the effects of some Yokai. He knew this was necessary to prevent Artoria from getting befuddled once they were inside, as, even if they didn’t have malicious intentions, Yokai simply couldn’t help but act as their nature dictates.

By the time Vahn’s lips parted from Artoria’s, their surroundings had changed once again, this time to a well-lit district of traditional Japanese houses. The streets were lined with orange and red paper lanterns, but, most notably, a number of strangely shaped creatures, each attired in yukatas, kimonos, or other traditional Japanese grabs, could be seen walking around, seemingly without noticing the armor-clad duo in the center of the street.

Artoria immediately became alert once she noticed the various ’monsters’ in the surroundings, but, before she could do anything regretful, Vahn turned her gaze back to him, whispering, "The majority of these Yokai are just Programs created by the Moon Cell. They are like Artificial Yokai, each programmed to perform a very specific sequence of events. Unless you interact with them, they will continue to carry out their programming without taking notice of your existence."

Hearing Vahn’s explanation, Artoria nodded her head in understanding before taking in their surroundings once again, this time with a curious, yet cautious, glint in her eyes. She saw many street vendors in the area, giving the street a similar vibe to a Japanese festival, but, instead of normal food, there were things like live octopus tentacles, eyeballs, and bat wings lining the stalls. She even saw a Yokai that was shaped like a giant eyeball wearing samurai armor, eating a bowl of ramen that tired to proactively squirm away from its chopsticks...

Before Artoria could begin asking questions, Vahn pulled out a few sticks of dango, a Japanese sweet made from mochiko, the dumpling form of mochi. She had a petite figure, but, in spite of this, Artoria was actually quite the glutton. Since her first exposure to modern cuisine had been Japanese food, she had become rather fond of rice-based dishes and Japanese sweets. He knew her appetite would be stirred by the presence of food, so, before she gave in to her curiosity and tried to purchase something from the stall, he provided something to temporarily satiate her.

After Artoria thanked him and began snacking on the multi-colored dango, Vahn explained, "If you are ever offered ’free’ food within a Yokai society, always refuse. The taste might be out of this world, but, depending on the nature of the Yokai, you could end up transforming into an animal, forgetting you were ever human. They have a fondness for gold and barter, however, so you’ll be fine as long as you pay in advance."

Hearing Vahn’s words, Artoria swallowed a mouthful of dango, her expression paling slightly as she made a mental note not to stray far from Vahn’s side. He seemed to understand the nature of the world they had wandered into, so, while it was tempting to follow the sound of festivities and the aroma of fragrant food, she focused her mind, remembering the reason they had come here in the first place...

While it not exactly necessary, Vahn and Artoria ended up changing into clothing that was more suitable to their surroundings. He had always been rather fond of Japanese-style clothing, and, as Artoria was exceptionally beautiful in a kimono, Vahn was enjoying himself quite a bit. He liked to observe non-human cultures, finding their way of life far more interesting and ’honest’ than the vast majority of human societies. There was something calming about seeing a myriad of unique creatures interacting peacefully, as, in human society, people seemed to squabble over even the most arbitrary differences...

Though the Yokai around him weren’t real, Vahn knew they were programmed to emulate their original counterparts, thus, while he was in a bit of a hurry, he still enjoyed observing them for a short while. He was immune to the perception-altering effects of the district, so, while it could be dangerous for others to wander around, he could do so with impunity. Artoria was slightly more susceptible to the effects of the Reality Marble, but, so long as she was at his side, there was little chance of anything adverse happening...

Eventually, Vahn and Artoria found themselves near a large wooden bridge spanning a ghostly green river. It was structured like a traditional Japanese bridge, possessing a graceful arc, a red coat of paint, and ornate handrails that appeared similar to elongated Torii gates. There were a large number of Yokai crossing the bridge, but, upon reaching the opposite shore, they would stall for a brief moment before turning away, their programming seemingly preventing them from traveling any further.

Before crossing the bridge, Vahn lightly tapped Artoria’s arm, saying, "Don’t look into the water. If you stare too long, your position will be reversed. Even if you can’t drown, being pulled under by a Kappa isn’t a pleasant experience..."

As this was just one of many warnings Vahn had given her, Artoria nodded her head before tightly gripping his arm in response. At the same time, she couldn’t help feeling a little embarrassed, as, unless he had ’seen’ something, Vahn wouldn’t have bothered to warn her. This implied that each time he cautioned her about something, it was because a ’future’ version of herself had fallen into that very same trap, despite her increased caution. While this wasn’t guaranteed, the fact she had been thinking about looking into the water moments prior indicated this was the truth...

With Artoria sticking closely to him, Vahn led her across the bridge, a casual smile on his face as he looked forward with an unwavering gaze. Other than a disciplined monk, he doubted anyone would be able to trespass the territory of a Yokai with as much impunity as he could. This allowed him to relax his mind, even if he was also focused on perusing the Flow of Fate to prevent Artoria from doing anything remiss...

Even before crossing the bridge, Vahn and Artoria could see a large ryokan, blocking the stone pathway that led deeper into the mountain. There were also several shrines located beyond, but, to reach them, you would have to either pass through, over, or around the traditional Japanese Inn.

After staring at the somewhat cartoonish sign depicting sparrows and phrases such as ’Welcome to the Enma-tei!’ and ’Weary travelers stay for free!", Vahn lightly chuckled before pulling Artoria inside. He knew Shirou’s group could be found within, so, after crossing over the threshold of the ryokan, he looked towards a fat sparrow that looked more like a toy than an actual bird, saying, "I have come to meet with the Proprietress. Please inform her of my arrival."

As he spoke, Vahn extended his hand, producing a golden Ryō, one of the various currencies used in Japan during the Japanese Rennaissance, the period known as the ’golden age’ for the Japanese Yokai.

Without answering, the fat sparrow extended its beak, taking the Ryō before fluttering off in a very unnatural manner. This caused Artoria to stare aghast in the creature’s direction, as, prior to Vahn paying it, she couldn’t even sense the peculiar Yokai. Previously, it had given off the impression of a lifeless doll, reinforcing the fact she was in a mysterious land where common sense didn’t seem to apply.

While waiting for the proprietress arrival, Vahn and Artoria stood within the genkan, a region with smooth stone tiles that was slightly lower than the wooden section representing the housing area of the ryokan. There, several pairs of slippers could be found, encouraging guests to remove their outside shoes so they could walk around without scuffing the floor.

Traditionally, there would always be staff waiting to greet guests as first impressions, reception, and courteous service were the selling points of most ryokans. Had he arrived a little earlier, Vahn would have been able to enjoy this kind of hospitality, but, knowing this was part of the trap that ensnared guests, he led Artoria around for a bit before arriving. Now, they would receive Gomen-Nasai service, a form of apology that prevented the ryokan’s staff from trying to deceive them.

Shortly after the sparrow yokai’s departure, a pitter-patter of footsteps could be heard, followed by a child-like girl bursting into the foyer with an expression of duress on her face. Then, without stopping, she leaped through the air, performing the motion for a dogeza before sliding across the wooden floor, stopping right in front of them as she exclaimed, "Please, forgive this lowly one for failing to greet you properly! My Enma-tei prides itself on courteous service so I vow to make it up to you, no matter your demands! Allow Benienma to show you the spirit expected of an Enma-tei!!!"

Since he had already seen this scene play out before, Vahn just lightly nodded his head, while, at his side, Artoria had an incredulous look on her face. This was to be expected as, despite the fact Benienma was a rather famous Yokai, her appearance was was that of a young girl around 10-12 years old. Seeing such a person perform a mid-air dogeza was quite a surprise, but, due to how casual Vahn was reacting, she forced herself to adopt a similar expression...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’You find yourself at a crossroads...what path do you take?’,’Artoria is too innocent to interact with Yokai xD...’,’Vahn is bullying Benienma-chan (ಠ_ಠ)...’)