Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Ever since the arrival of the man known as the Sage Dragon Emperor, attendance at the Coliseum had declined. Though it was gradually recovering, the loss of personnel and the rumors regarding the Dark Evangel were enough to keep most people indoors. Others had already been stockpiling supplies in preparation for the coming war, so, for the first time in years, attendance had decreased to fewer than 50,000 people.

Fortunately for the weary Coliseum staff, on tenterhooks after nearly half their staff had either died or disappeared, things took a sudden and unexpected turn when the Sealing Corps, accompanied by a squadron of Imperial Guards, appeared. This would normally be a disastrous event, as it would tank their profits even further, but, much to their surprise, the two groups had arrived with the sole purpose of reinforcing the Coliseum's defenses. This was a much-needed stimulus, allowing them to recover some of the losses they had sustained after Vahn destroyed half their barrier.

What the Coliseum personnel didn't expect was that immediately after the repairs were finished, an Imperial Decree was issued. This was both a blessing and a curse, as, immediately following the announcement, Coliseum attendance bounced back like never before. If not for the Imperial Guard anticipating a riot, they would have been completely overrun by the sheer volume of people trying to witness the historic moment with their own two eyes: the battle between the Eternal Champion, Jack Raken, and the Sage Dragon Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason.

Despite the impromptu nature of the event, more than three-hundred-thousand people had been crammed into the Coliseum stands. Everyone was gathered to witness the moment their Champion fought against the man whose name had recently started to circulate throughout the Capital. They knew it would be a climactic battle for the ages, and, with the presence of the Imperial Guard, it was obvious the Imperial Family was closely observing this affair as well. This further excited the citizens who had been fretting over the coming war, giving them a much-needed distraction from the worry that kept them awake late at night...

Even without being directly informed of his coming matchup, Vahn was well aware of the Empire's machinations. He didn't particularly mind, however, as he had been looking forward to facing one of the Record's strongest fighters, someone who would undoubtedly push the limits of his current capabilities.

While waiting for the 'big reveal', Vahn idled about his room, enjoying the uncommonly affectionate Medusa's care. She was normally very clingy, and, if not for his physique, most of his bones would have been pulverized as a result of her fervor. Now, however, she had turned relatively docile, using her hair to gently caress his body as she pepped his neck and shoulders with kisses. It seemed to be a very 'possessive' display of affection, but, for reasons Vahn could only speculate, it made his heart feel even more excited for the coming battle...

With less than an hour until the match was officially scheduled to begin, Vahn could sense someone approaching his room. Rather than a member of the Coliseum staff, however, it was a Hellasian man with a lean body, handsome features, and, most notably, venomous, disdain-filled eyes. He gave off the impression of someone that 'needed' to be elevated above others, the type of man who would not hesitate to order the execution of any who offended him.

Even if he was blind, deaf, and dumb, Vahn would have been able to guess this man was the Second Prince of the Hellas Empire, Kacper Bashireia Herasu De Vesuperisujimia. As for why he was showing up now, Vahn didn't even have to guess the reason. He clearly wanted to rile him up in the hopes of killing or crippling Rakan, the man who had become the greatest thorn in his side...

Without even bothering to knock, the entourage of the Second Prince opened the doors to Vahn's room, their expression fixed into perpetually alert scowls. One, a rather beautiful Hellasian woman, even stepped out in front of the rest, a hateful glare on her face as she exclaimed, "You are in the presence of His Imperial Highness! Get up and bow your heads!"

Rather than comply, Vahn just stared at the woman as if she had completely lost her mind, sitting on the bed bare-chest as Medusa massaged him from behind. This caused her to clench her teeth in fury, but, before she could lash out, 'genial' laughter could be heard from behind before a soft and charismatic voice stated, "Stand down, Ruta. We have come here to express our goodwill, not seek trouble..."

Before the voice had finished speaking, a handsome man appeared from between the large crowd of guards, his expression fixed in a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. As for the woman named Ruta, she quickly stepped off to the side, lowering her head at a steep angle as she said, "My most sincere apologies, Your Imperial Highness!"

As if he were truly magnanimous, the Second Prince issued a light-hearted chuckle before giving his permission to raise her head. Then, turning his attention back to Vahn, his gaze very briefly flickered to Medusa before seemingly losing interest as he said, "Tales of-"

Having no interest in the Second Prince's machinations, Vahn plainly stated, "You have five seconds to remove yourself from my sight. If you haven't fixed that snake-like nature of yours by the time of our next meeting, you will be spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair."

Hearing Vahn's words, the guards surrounding the Second Prince seemed ready to lay down their lives at a moment's notice. The Second Prince, however, saw the countdown Vahn had been doing with his fingers, a cold sweat spreading out across his body. He knew that, even if Vahn was only half as strong as Rakan, it was more than enough to crush his entourage. As a result, he held up his hand even before his mind could fully process his options, stating, "Fall back! We did not come here to fight!"

Without waiting for his entourage to comply, Kacper turned around on his heels and departed the room. There was a lot he wanted to say, but, seeing Vahn's countdown nearing completion, his fight or flight response had directed him toward the latter. His plans wouldn't amount to much if he was dead, so, rather than provoke a man bold enough to call himself an Emperor with an actual Empire, he began thinking about how he should punish his men for 'kicking' the proverbial hornet's nest...

Rather than immediately follow after their Master, a few members of the Second Prince's entourage decided not to heed Vahn's warning. They stared in disdain with hands near their swords, practically daring him to take action. This was rather amusing, as, with the exception of the Ruta and the rather cold-looking woman who stuck close to the Second Prince, the strongest in the group had a BP of around 200.

The moment Vahn's hand closed, denoting his countdown had completed, Medusa's hair formed a silver-white snake for each member foolish enough to ignore his warning. Then, before the Second Prince could order them to stop dallying, all eight people were turned to statues as beams of light impacted their bodies. Their armaments did absolutely nothing to protect them, leaving them stuck in a perpetual state of drawing their swords with taunting expressions on their faces...

Seeing nearly half his entourage turned to stone, Kacper felt unbridled rage swelling up inside of him, both as a result of Medusa's actions and the foolishness of his own men. He internally vowed to have his revenge, but, knowing there was a vast disparity between himself and Vahn, he wasted no time in shouting, "We're leaving!"

This time, none of the Second Prince's entourage dared dally, quickly falling into place around him as he sped away from the scene. With the exception of the cold-faced woman, none of them dared to even spare their former companions a second glance, fearing what fate would await them if they looked back for even a moment...

After watching the Second Prince's party retreat, Vahn briefly cast his gaze upon the statues that now littered the entrance of his room. Medusa hadn't killed them, but, if they were left in that state for too long, death was all but assured. This was a strange quirk of Petrification, and, at least in the Akamatsuverse, it was possible for some types to preserve their victims for decades. There had even been instances of Adventurers being returned to life after spending more than a hundred years as a stone statue within the various ruins that dotted Mundus Magicus...

Shaking his head, Vahn decided not to worry about the fate of the thug-like individuals, turning to Medusa with a smile on his face. Her eyes were still glimmering with ferocity, but, seeing him turn around, she quickly reverted back to normal, returning a smile as she unhesitantly asked, "Why did you allow that man to leave? Would the world not be a better place without such disrespectful and arrogant people...?"

Rather than refute Medusa's claim, Vahn nodded his head, stating, "Indeed...unfortunately, unless I intend to expand my Empire into this world, arbitrarily eliminating Aristocrats will cause too many problems. The Second Prince might be an arrogant fool, but he is also the rallying point for much of the Empire's corruption. If he were killed, those supporting him would branch out and spread their corruption to others. Unless he does something the people disdain, such as attempting a coup, it is not as simple as simply eliminating him..."

Though he would not have hesitated to kill the Second Prince if the latter had ignored his warning, Vahn was the type that was compelled to take responsibility for his actions. If he one day decided to purge the Nobility, he would have little choice but to take over the Hellas Empire. It would be better to simply cripple the Second Prince and slowly eliminate the underground factions that caused the most discourse within the Empire, allowing the more 'righteous' criminal organizations to flourish in their stead.

Remembering why he disdained politics, Vahn shook his head in exasperation before saying, "This is not our battlefield...our fight will take place on a much grander stage than a single Empire. Though I might lend a hand, the fate of the Hellas Empire can only be changed by the people and those they have placed their trust in..."

Unless he completely eliminated the Nobles and began hand-picking representatives to govern, it would be very difficult to seize complete control over the Hellas Empire. The next best option was to either marry or support one of the candidates for the Throne, but, with no interest in playing the game of politics, Vahn would rather just become an existence that instills fear in the hearts of every disreputable Noble family. If he became strong enough, he could even act as a natural deterrent for war, becoming a literal God that meted out divine retribution to any country whose ambitions grew beyond their borders...

Nodding his head in approval of his own thoughts, Vahn rose from the bed, allowing Medusa to help him dress. There was less than half an hour until his scheduled match but he could already feel Jack's aura surging like a tidal wave. The man's aura shone almost as brightly as a star, and, though there was a small amount of black near the very core, Vahn knew this was largely due to the [Magia Erebea]. The fact Jack was able to completely suppress this corruptive influence spoke highly of his character, and, if he had to make a guess, Vahn would be willing to bet the man had an Innate that was directly related to Willpower.

Willpower and Intent seemed to be two of the most powerful forces within the Records, so, more often than not, anyone with strong Willpower was a force to be reckoned with. They had the fastest growth rates, and, under the right conditions, could even comprehend the Laws in a relatively short period of time. As a result, Vahn could feel the blood in his veins surging with excitement as every cell in his body seemed to writhe about in anticipation. His own Willpower was nothing to scoff at, so, regardless of the fight's outcome, he was guaranteed to experience a monstrous increase in his own strength...

With this in mind, Vahn gave Medusa one last kiss before leaping off from the veranda, drawing a lot of attention to himself as he crashed like a meteor into the Arena below. There, already waiting for him, a mountain of a man was already waiting for him, his body largely concealed by an ornate mantle as he stood with a massive greatsword planted in the ground before him. He gave off a very solemn impression with his head slightly lowered, his eyes concealed by the shadow of his bangs and the red bandana firmly tied around his forehead.

Seeing Jack from just a few hundred meters away, Vahn couldn't help but be impressed by the man. His aura was even more impressive than Heracles', giving the impression of a summitless mountain rather than a man. Vahn could even sense his power gradually increasing, tempered by the fervor of hundreds-of-thousands of people shouting his name. It was almost like he was a God, the shouts of his adoring fans giving him greater strength as a palpable aura of Fate permeated from his body...

Though every fiber of his being was compelling him to take the initiative to attack, Rakan's had full mastery over his emotions. He might pretend to be airheaded at times, but, were he to be given an actual IQ test, he would score somewhere in the 200 range. His true nature was hyperrational, and, though his thirst for battle was genuine, each of his fights had 'purpose'. He did not enjoy bullying the weak, nor did he harbor vendettas against those who were stronger than him. All that mattered to him was pushing forward, becoming an example for all those who would follow behind him...

Raising his head, Rakan's golden eyes glimmered with an intense light as he stared at his opponent for the first time. He could feel the natural aura that lingered around Vahn, making it impossible to determine the man's actual strength. The closest thing he could approximate it to was looking at a storm brewing on the horizon while at sea. Though it seemed distant, almost untouchable, even the most experience Sea Captain would feel an existential dread when they saw the clouds sweeping in their direction...

Having experienced his fair share of natural disasters, an eager smile spread across Rakan's face as he muttered, "I've always wanted to try diverting a hurricane..." while drawing his greatsword from the Arena floor...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Match of the Century','With Great Power comes Great Responsibility','A man with purpose will never find his courage lacking')