Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Eva and Baihu taking charge of Arika's and Theo's training, Vahn had a lot more free time than before. Asuna was still a little too young to do any arduous training, so, when they weren't working on her foundation, he spent his time teaching her how to focus her mind and relax. She had quickly mastered the basics of a meditation technique known as the [Observation of Heaven and Earth], so, while she sat in her adorable little gi with a sword across her lap, Vahn focused on strengthening his bond with Laev-tan.

It had only been a little over six years since he awakened his Zanpakuto, but, due to how close they were, Vahn was certain he would be able to obtain his Bankai with a little more effort. The only real requirement was being able to manifest your Zanpakuto Spirit in the real world, and, thanks to the experience he had accumulated in his Realm, he already had a head start on most people. Laev-tan was also quite eager to manifest in the 'real' world, so, with the two of them working together, Vahn was confident the adorable little dragonling would be running around in the near future...

Without actually breaking her meditative state, Asuna opened her green eye, sneaking a peek the rather incredible sight across from her. Despite having no presence at all, to the point she couldn't sense him with her eyes closed, Asuna could see a projection of a relatively adorable dragon laying with its head next to him. She knew it wasn't just an illusion, either, as, every now and then, it would peel open one of its softball-sized aquamarine eyes to stare back at her. Then, with a calm smile on his face, Vahn would say, "Focus and relax..." in a soothing tone of voice.

This time around, Asuna noticed that the dragon seemed to be sleeping, so, while maintaining her meditative state, she passed the hour absentmindedly staring at Vahn's face. She liked to see how long she could go before he noticed she was staring, concealing her intent so flawlessly that even Vahn's attuned senses couldn't detect her gaze. He had been teaching her how to sense the intent of others, but, even more importantly, he had also been teaching her how to conceal her intent by maintaining a calm and serene state of mind. If she formed no thoughts, people could not predict her actions, and, once her skills had reached a certain level, she would naturally transition into the state of 'Nothingness'.

Asuna couldn't help but feel that Vahn's swordsmanship had reached a point beyond even the most powerful Ancient Magic. It was also one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, as, when he got 'serious', Asuna felt as if Vahn became one with 'everything'. His form, while casual, gave off the impression that there was 'nothing' he couldn't cut. Rather, she felt as if the flash of light across his blade contained the entire Universe, its edge the dividing line between the concepts of creation and destruction. She had even seen him perform ridiculous feats like cutting off his own arm, but, rather than bleed, the blood in his veins continued to flow unobstructed, seemingly leaping through space and time without realizing it had been cut...

Without the ability to form thoughts, Asuna didn't realize the eyes of the dragon had opened until she saw the smile on Vahn's face. Instead of telling her to continue, however, he slowly opened his eyes, their color transitioning from a resplendent gold to a gentle greenish-blue as he asked, "Shall we grab some lunch?"

As if responding for her, Asuna's stomach released an adorable growl that caused a subtle blush to spread across her cheeks as her thoughts returned. She hadn't noticed it while meditating, but, now that Vahn had mentioned it, Asuna realized she was extremely hungry. Thus, after attempting to rub away the blush on her cheeks, she nodded her head and answered, "I want something sweet..."

Knowing Asuna would pout if he pointed out how adorable her actions were, Vahn just nodded his head before sheathing Laev-tan and saying, "I'll let you have a slice of cake after you finish eating a proper meal. Come, I'll make you some chicken, rice, and sweet potatoes."

Hearing Vahn's words, Asuna scrunched up her nose slightly, plainly stating, "I don't like the texture of sweet potatoes. They make my stomach feel weird..."

Remembering the expression on Asuna's face the last time he made sweet potatoes, Vahn knew she wasn't just being picky. Thus, after a brief moment of consideration, he said, "I'll make some sweet-deviled eggs then. I recall you enjoying them quite a bit."

Even before Vahn had finished speaking, a smile had spread across Asuna's face as she hopped to her feet and exclaimed, "Yes! I love them~." in a happy tone of voice. Then, after tying her Asauchi to her back, she quickly ran over, grabbing Vahn's hand and pulling him towards the kitchen...

Immediately after Vahn left the 'meditation chamber', a rather adorable doll with mint green hair and eyes followed his retreat with her eyes. She had mannequin-like limbs with visible ball-joints, two large ears that served as sensors, and was attired in a dark-blue dress with a white mantle and light green tie. Overall, she had the appearance of a maid, but, with two bat-like wings and a lifeless expression in her eyes, she also gave off the impression of a 'Killer Doll', something straight out of a horror movie.

Following Vahn's departure, the doll leaned backward, her body sinking into its own shadow before reappearing several kilometers away. Then, earning herself a light punch from the woman who was supposed to be her Master, she raised her hand and plainly stated, "Your boy toy has just started on lunch. If you hurry, you might be able to cook alongside him, Mistress."

With a deadpan expression on her face, Eva glared at the tiny doll, saying, "I thought I told you to stop saying things like that, Chachazero..."

As she couldn't feel pain at all, Chachazero just allowed her head to remain tilted from Eva's punch, a deadpan expression of her own as she retorted, "Why are you upset, Mistress? I wonder who was the one chugging coffee this morning after staying up all night playing around...?"

With a visible tick mark on her head, Eva threatened, "Don't make me reverse the position of your arms and legs you damn walnut head..."

Undaunted by her Master's threats, Chachazero puffed out her non-existent chest, stating, "I'm not afraid of you, Mistress. I'll just get Vahn to fix me and then have him scold you for being a bully. Do you dare~?"

Though she now had a glowing expression on her face, Eva decided to ignore the troublesome doll as she turned her attention to her two 'students'. Theo was currently doing upside-down push-ups while supporting a massive boulder with her feet. As for Arika, she had a grimace on her face as she attempted to emulate the kata performed by Xiao Bai. The boyish tiger was impossibly flexible, and, though his movements weren't impossible to emulate, Arika generally carried herself in an elegant and 'rigid' manner. She lacked the inherent flexibility of Theo, so, over the last few months, she had been struggling to increase her body's natural range of motion.

Seeing the two girls struggling, Eva couldn't help but smile in a slightly sadistic manner, causing the lime-haired Chachazero to pointedly mention, "Mistress, your evil is starting to leak. Are you feeling constipated? Maybe you can get Vahn to rub your belly if you dress up like a puppy?"

Grabbing the top of Chachazero's head in a vice-like grip, Eva pivoted like a major league baseball pitcher as she tossed the brusque doll with enough force to create multiple shockwaves...

After seeing Chachazero turn into a sparkling light that disappeared in the distance, Eva released a small snort before teleporting next to Theo and saying, "Wrap it up, brat. It's almost time for lunch so go wash up."

Earning a disapproving snort from Eva, Theo tensed up when the former appeared next to her. As a result, the boulder she had been balancing on her feet fragmented into multiple pieces as a result of her energy going out of control. She ended up buried under a small pile of rubble, an awkward laugh escaping her mouth as she extricated herself, uninjured, from the remains.

With her arms crossed, Eva warned, "The point of your training is to allow you to focus and remain calm at all times. If you don't perform better in the afternoon, you'll lose bathing privileges for the rest of the week."

Understanding that Eva's threat was more of a promise than anything else, Theo quickly ceased her laughter, answering, "Right. I'll try harder."

Though she still had her arms crossed, Eva gave an approving nod after seeing the resolute light in Theo's eyes. She knew the young Hellasian wasn't actually slacking off, but, without a small push every now and then, she would gradually grow complacent. Training could be extremely boring and monotonous at times so it was important to remind yourself why you were going through so much trouble.

Feelings like love and affection could be powerful motivators, so, whenever Arika and Theo started to lose focus, Eva would threaten to remove their 'Vahn privileges'. Since she also balanced this out by giving Vahn permission to pamper them, it kept the duo working hard. They still had a long way to go before they reached the pinnacle, and, with her own strength gradually increasing with each passing day, Eva was slowly increasing the bar so that they might even surpass her past self...

Without sparing Theo any additional words, Eva appeared before Arika the moment the latter had thrown a punch. Unlike Theo, she wasn't even remotely surprised by the sudden appearance of her would-be Master. Instead, her eyes become sharper as she rotated the energy into her body, subtly shifting her weight so that all of how power was contained in the relatively simple-looking strike.

Noticing the subtle shift, a smile spread across Eva's face as she performed a counter-motion with her wrist, catching Arika's fist in her palm and causing a twisting 'ripple' to run through the latter's arm. This caused Arika to grimace in pain, but, as this wasn't the first time she and Eva had this kind of interaction, she was able to guide the energy in a less-destructive fashion through her body. As a result, a large shockwave erupted from her shoulder, but, other than a light bruise, she managed to avoid any serious injuries.

Nodding her head in approval, Eva stroked her chin, saying, "Seems like you're making a little bit of progress. It's a shame most of your opponents won't appear right in front of you. This afternoon, I'll show you a few yoga poses that are pretty popular back on Mundus Ventus. If you think Xiao Bai is flexible, you'll cry yourself to sleep after seeing Vahn sit on his own head~."

Imagining a decapitated Vahn sitting on his head, a small grimace appeared on Arika's face as she wiped away her sweat and said, "I'm working on it...I can already hold a side-split without straining my joints and tendons..."

Crossing her arms, Eva retorted, "A lot of girls can do a side-split without any practice whatsoever. I bet Asuna could even arch her body enough to put her feet on her head. You have a long way to go before you can be proud of your accomplishments."

Hearing Eva's remark, Xiao Bai seemed to become excited, asking, "Like this!?" as he created a near-perfect circle by arching his back and leg. This was even more advanced than what Eva had in mind, as, rather than lying on his stomach, he balanced himself perfectly on one leg.

Seeing Xiao Bai's display, Eva was at a momentary loss for words before ultimately nodding her head and saying, "Very impressive. I would expect nothing less from one of the Four Divine Beasts created by Vahn..."

Always happy to be praised, Xiao Bai's smile become even more pronounced as he began to laugh in a light-hearted manner. As for Arika, she had paled slightly after imagining how painful it would be to stretch your body in such a manner. At the same time, she also imagined Asuna easily pulling it off, as, when it came to her younger cousin, it was easier to imagine her doing something difficult than finding something she couldn't do...

Though she cared for Asuna dearly, Arika always felt slightly envious of her younger cousin, not just because of her talent, but because she got to spend the most time with Vahn. If she and Asuna had been the same age, Arika knew she wouldn't have been able to compete with her. Fortunately, even if things weren't progressing as quickly as she would have liked, she still had an absolute advantage over Asuna due to the difference in their age. Though it might be a little petty, Arika was absolutely determined to experience a number of things before her younger cousin matured enough to steal the limelight...

Feeling determination spreading through her body like a tiny flame, a look of conviction appeared in Arika's eyes as she said, "I'll be able to do something like that in the future. I won't give up until I am limber enough to rival a circus performer."

Resisting the urge to call Arika a clown, Eva just gave a small nod before saying, "Vahn has already started preparing lunch. Go wash and get changed. Theo was slacking off a bit so I'm giving you the first block this afternoon. Make sure you use your time properly."

Hearing Eva's words, a natural smile spread across Arika's face as her pupils dilated slightly. Eva had come up with a system to allow them to spend some alone time with Vahn. Though the purpose of this time together was to allow Vahn to refine the energy in their bodies, Arika, Theo, and even Eva had become 'very' fond of the process.

Though it generally involved Vahn placing his palm against their exposed abdomens, things would sometimes escalate to the point of a full-body massage. It was difficult to describe how pleasant his massages were, but, after the fact, you would feel as though all the tensions in your body had been released. This made it easier to manipulate both Ki and Magical Power, so, in the days that followed a massage, their training would become incomparably smooth...

Since it had been a few days since her last massage, Arika knew there was a good chance that Vahn would offer his services. This caused her body to heat up slightly, and, though she tried not to smile too much, Arika couldn't hide her excitement as she alighted toward the bath, determined to give her body a detailed cleaning...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Is this Ultra Instinct!?','RIP Chachazero...','The legacy of the Godhand xD...')