Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After a brief discussion with Odin regarding the future of their respective Communities, Vahn retired to the room where Sis and Fenrir were waiting for him. Muninn, Vor, and the rest of the Valkyries were also present, but Vahn promptly dismissed them as he was rarely in the mood the mingle with 'outsiders' after a moderately serious discussion.

When everyone else was gone, Vahn effectively isolated the room they were staying in from the rest of reality before transforming into a younger version of himself. Ever since Sis had confided in him the fact she wished to be his mother, there were times when Vahn allowed her to pamper him at her leisure.

With Fenrir's transformed body serving as their backrest, Vahn allowed Sis to comb her fingers through his hair, her voice soft and melodic as she whispered, "You worked hard today..."

Though he felt like he hadn't made that much of an effort, Vahn intoned a lazy, "Nn..." rather than refuting Sis's words. At his current level, the only times he felt like he exerted himself was during the creation process of a Companion or Zanpakuto. Everything else was almost too easy...

Aware of Vahn's thoughts, Sis took a moment to deliberate before asking, "What do you want to do now? Nothing is forcing us to stay the night in Asgard. If you want, we can immediately head South or return to the Sage Dragon's Hearth."

As tempting as the thought was, Vahn didn't hesitate to shake his head and say, "We'll wrap things up with Mount Olympus and the Draco Grief Alliance before heading back. I'm the reason everyone else is working so hard, so I need to at least set the stage before indulging myself..."

Instead of trying to convince him otherwise, Sis supplied an affirming, "Nn." of her own while continuing to caress Vahn's head.

As it stood, the forces of the Aldrnari Empire were more than enough to conquer the Little Garden. If Vahn asked it of her, Sis was relatively sure she could secure the Rank 1 position unaided. The only reason she didn't was because Vahn 'needed' to seize it for himself.

Due to the influences of Chloe, Hephaestus, Tsubaki, and several others, Vahn had the mentality that power and status had to be acquired through one's efforts. The Path allowed him to reach heights even the Gods could not imagine, but he was determined to comprehend the 'truth' on his own. It was one of his best and most discordant traits...

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After a relatively short rest, which was actually several hours outside, Vahn, Sis, and Fenrir emerged from their room to find Vor and a buxom, white-haired Valkyrie named Róta waiting out in the hall. They had stuck around since the previous night to readily attend to any requests he or the girls may have at a moment's notice.

While Vor wore her usual, flower-bottomed waistcoat and skin-tight battle suit, Róta was a stark contrast to most of her sisters as she wore a multi-layered gown and a fur-lined coat that gave the impression she operated in frigid climates. The only thing that contradicted this impression was the rather large 'boob window' that exhibited her ample bosom.

Though the two of them shared the rank of Lieutenant within the White Raven Community, it was Vor who stepped forward to explain, "We have been tasked with attending you during your stay. If it pleases-"

Before Vor could finish her prepared speech, Vahn shook his head and said, "We won't be staying much longer. I've already reached a provisional agreement with Odin, and the World Tree has made a full recovery. Unless there is something that requires my attention, there are matters for me to attend elsewhere."

Despite appearing to put his foot down, Vahn was concurrently speaking with Loi-chan to ascertain whether or not Vor or the rest had something to request of him. To his surprise, there was actually quite a lot...

Stopping time for himself, Sis, Fenrir, and Vor, Vahn exhaled a sigh before meeting the stoic Valkyrie's golden gaze and wryly remarking, "I suppose I should have seen this coming..."

Though it was stored within the depths of Vor's supercomputer-like mind, Loi-chan had no trouble accessing her deepest secrets.

After spending a considerable amount of time with Vahn, especially near the beginning of her stay in the East, Vor had gradually developed a more independent mentality. She had started to seriously consider whether or not there were other paths for Valkyries to walk, so her plan was to have Vahn visit the Great Hall of Valhalla so that he could see how the average Valkyrie was treated.

It wasn't pretty.

Hanging her head, Vor revealed a mixture of vulnerability and shame as she said, "I have no lost sight of my duty...however, there should be more to a Valkyrie's life than serving others. Many Valkyries are little more than outlets for the Einherjar's sexual desires, dedicating their entire lives to a group of people who only care for themselves and their skewed views of honor."

Though he was tempted to interrupt Vor halfway through her explanation, Vahn allowed her to continue to the end. The moment Loi-chan revealed the 'truth,' he didn't need further convincing. In fact, he had already been aware of the Valkyries' rather miserable existence for quite some time. It just hadn't been one of his priorities.

With Vor beginning to express herself, the way in which Vahn viewed their relationship changed on a fundamental level. Before, he regarded her in a similar light as Muninn, someone he periodically slept with but had limited affection for. Now, she had managed to elevate herself to an equal status as Lenneth; not quite a lover but exceedingly close.

Despite having already made up his mind, Vahn asked, "And what would you have me do? I can discuss the matter with Odin, but it would take a considerable amount of time to bring about lasting change. In the worst case scenario, future generations of Valkyrie will simply have their sense of self removed..."

Having explored worlds where artificial beings had managed to become self-aware, Vahn knew how resistant people were to the idea of service-oriented beings turning against them. It very rarely ended well.

Fortunately, though it was the same answer Vahn had reached, Vor had already thought of a solution, explaining, "There are entities that care for the World Tree and govern the destiny of all beings that inhabit the Nine Realms. Since you were able to heal the World Tree, they are obligated to repay you. With their power, they should be able to change the fates of all past, present, and future Valkyries."

Though her words were tantamount to treason, Vor maintained a resolute expression as she revealed her plan. Before meeting Vahn, she had never questioned her father's wisdom. Now, she couldn't help feeling as though he had been misguided. The average Valkyrie was vastly superior to the average Einherjar, so why were the latter elevated to the status of Heroes while she and her sisters were bound to a life of servitude? It just didn't make sense.

What Vor failed to account for was the amount of time and resources that went into the creation of a single Valkyrie. Most Communities, even those backed by powerful Creation Deities, had a finite number of resources at their disposal. The production of Gods required the allocation of Divinity and the splitting of a Creation Deity's Divine Spark, while the formation of Realms was even more taxing. In that regard, it was significantly easier to elevate hundreds of qualified mortals to the status of Einherjar than it was to produce even a single Valkyrie.

Rather than revealing the truth, Vahn just nodded in response to Vor's proposal, stating, "Very well. I'll convene with Odin to inform him of my decision and then meet with the Norns. I don't want to destabilize the Nine Realms completely."

Understanding that Vahn wasn't the type to renege on his promises, Vor felt as though she had just unloaded a tremendous burden. Ever since she first began having thoughts of liberating her sisters, she had been worried that Vahn would refuse or, even worse, expose her treachery. Everything she knew about him contrasted this sentiment, but it was difficult to trust even herself after she had started to question her very existence.

Placing her hand over her chest, Vor muttered the most sincere, "Thank you." just about any Valkyrie had ever given. At the same time, she told herself that if Vahn requested it of her, she would tear out her own heart at his behest. Instead, he approached her with an affectionate smile on his face and said, "Don't mention it." before gently caressing her head...

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After promising Odin S and A-Rank Gifts for each Valkyrie that was to be liberated, Vahn found himself at the base of a truly awe-inspiring ash tree.

Though he knew Yggdrasil would be massive, standing at the base of a tree whose canopy rivaled the diameter of a small star was still a sight to behold. If not for the three beauties standing across from him, Vahn may have lost himself in the nebulous ocean of stars that glistened amongst Yggdrasil's boughs.

As giantesses born from the Yggdrasil, the Norns were nearly as stunning as the World Tree itself. The eldest, representing the past, was Urðr, a breathtakingly attractive giantess with pink hair that turned a luminous shade of blue as it cascaded down a voluptuous body veiled in little more than feathers.

Not losing out to her elder sister, Verðandi, the middle Norn representing the present, possessed extraordinary features that included lavender hair, golden eyes, long legs, six black wings, and a phenomenal bust. She was also the tallest of the three, standing roughly thirty meters tall compared to Urðr's twenty-eight and their youngest sister's, Skuld's, twenty-five.

As the youngest of the Norns, though they were actually formed around the same time, Skuld had the most youthful figure and features. She was the Norn representing the future, so people would get the feeling she still had room to grow even though she was already a phantasmal beauty with fair skin, purple hair, lilac eyes, and six angelic wings.

With Vahn having grown to exceed even their height, Verðandi, serving as the representative of the group, stared up at him as she stated, "What you ask for is not something we can supply with ease. Unlike mortals, the fate of the Valkyries has been written in stone since their inception. Changing the fate of an individual is a simple matter, but rewriting the fates of every Valkyrie will require a tremendous amount of sacrifice..."

As even Odin had been forced to stab and hang himself from the boughs of the World Tree in exchange for the Norn's assistance, Vahn wasn't even remotely surprised by Verðandi's words. Instead, his expression remained calm and serene as the surface of a frozen lake as he answered, "I have already made my decision. Tell me what you require, and I will provide it."

After exchanging glances with her sisters, Verðandi gazed back at Vahn as she explained, "To become the Master of the Past, Present, and Future, you must complete each of our trials. Be warned, however, as before you have been able to complete even a single one."

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Vahn responded with a terse, "Let's get on with it." At his current level, it didn't really matter what kind of trials the Norns had prepared. Even the Central Network couldn't bind him, so their magic could only affect him so long as he allowed it.

Though she felt as though Vahn was looking down on them, Verðandi was well acquainted with the vainglory of the Gods. She also knew that, unlike the vast majority of Gods that had attempted their trials, Vahn had reason to be confident. After all, he was the first person they had been unable to see through.

"Very well then. Allow us to bear witness to the power of the Sage Dragon Emperor. Show us you have what it takes to be the Master of Fate."

Punctuating her words, Verðandi tapped her spear-like staff against the ground to produce several watery ripples. Shortly thereafter, Vahn found himself alone in the middle of a dark chamber with a very ancient-looking Geass Roll unfurling in front of him...

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Enviable...','People fear being made obsolete...','As if Vahn needs confirmation....')