Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Due to the fact they needed to clear a veritable horde of Attack Programs along the way, it took a little more than two hours before Musashi, Caenis, and Altria caught up to Shirou’s location. By then, the surroundings had changed even more than before, shifting from a dirt path floated in mid-air to a forest that now spread through the area.

More surprising, at least for Shirou, was the fact that a small cottage had manifested around him, its interior filled with various different weapons he had been fond of using in his lifetime. It was like one of the safehouses he would frequent in between missions, a place where he could relax and lay low when things got particularly hectic.

Seeing peculiar dwelling up close, Musashi couldn’t help asking, "Did you make this or did the Moon Cell make it for you...?"

Since he had been given a lot of time to think about the specifics, Shirou quickly assembled his rifle, answering, "The Moon Cell seems to respond to the subconscious desires of its inhabitants, creating a territory in which they can relax. I imagine the terrain is determined by the most powerful person in a given area. I can’t be certain, though, as I met with Benienma earlier...she seems to have built the Enma-tei she had been talking about in the past."

Though she had already assumed the Japanese-style region was the domain of Raikou’s group, the mention of Benienma caused Musashi to frown slightly as she asked, "Did something happen...?"

Understanding Musashi’s concerns, Shirou issued a dry laugh, answering, "I ended up accepting an invitation to spend the night. When the time comes, I may have to trouble you..."

Hearing Shirou’s response, Musashi released a tired sigh, rubbing her forehead in an exasperated manner before saying, "Sure, but you’ll have to buy the drinks. Don’t think I’ll let you off easy if any trouble arises, though. Dealing with a few Oni is one thing, but that Raikou woman is in a league of her own when it comes to troublesome opponents."

Remembering her first encounter with Raikou, a shiver ran through Musashi’s body. This wasn’t due to the fact that Raikou was powerful, however, but as a result of her nature. The woman gave off the impression of an intelligent and rational person, but, the moment you ’triggered’ her true nature, she was like a demon. The fact she could keep other troublesome figures in line without any issue was a testament to how scary she could actually be. It wasn’t for no reason she had become known as one of the most famous figures in Japanese folklore...

Seeing Musashi’s reaction, Shirou felt guilty, as, if he had been more cautious, refusing Benienma’s invitation wouldn’t have been that difficult. This was always the case when dealing with Yokai, but, due to the impression given off by the petite sparrow, it was hard to remain on guard around her. She wasn’t actually a bad person, possessing a kind and caring nature, but that didn’t exactly make her any less dangerous.

Deciding to shelve the matter until later, Shirou allowed his rifle to disperse into particles of mana before pulling out a modified SMG and saying, "We should find Jason as soon as possible. I’m also worried about Alice but she should be fine with Lovecraft and Abigail watching over her..."

Though Abigail was, potentially, the most dangerous person in their entire group, her power was kept in check as a result of Lovecraft’s influence. She was rather fond of the gaunt-faced man, and, though she spent most of her time cooped up in her own room, Abigail also got along well with Alice. The latter was largely immune to her influence, so, whenever Lovecraft had been busy with his writing, Alice would often keep Abigail company.

Understanding that time was of the essence, Musashi nodded her head in agreement before turning to Caenis and saying, "We’ll leave choosing the path to you. I get that you like to destroy things, but try and leave the monsters to us. The sooner we track down Jason and pass information to everyone else, the sooner we’ll be able to do our own thing."

Caenis didn’t like being used as a bloodhound, but, knowing there was a fair amount of truth behind Musashi’s words, she just snorted before hefting her spear and shield. Then, without sparing them a second glance, she picked one of the split paths that had formed, bolting off at a pace even Heroic Spirits would struggle to keep. This caused Musashi and Shirou to exchange wry smiles, but, as even Altria had already taken off running, they didn’t have time to just stand around idling.

While Shirou and Co were fast approaching, the man in question, Jason, was sitting with a sneer on his face as a rougish-look individual with windswept golden hair sat over a basin filled with rainbow-hued liquid. He appeared to be in his late twenties, and, though very sparse, a divine aura radiated off the young man as his eyes rolled back into his head, the result of inhaling the strange chemicals within the basin.

After several minutes of inhaling the suspect liquid, the man turned to Jason, his voice reminiscent of someone talking in their sleep as he stated, "Impossible...can’t see...the future is uncertain..."

As this wasn’t the first time he had heard something similar, Jason erupted from his throne, shouting, "You’re absolutely useless...!!" in a high-pitched voice.

In response to Jason’s remark, the handsome man just offered a polite smile, his eyes rolling forward to reveal sky-blue irises as he smoothly answered, "I suppose I’ll be returning then. Since I’m useless, don’t bother calling me for a while~."

With those parting words, the man vanished into motes of bluish-white light, leaving Jason glaring with clenched fists as he attempted to restrain himself. He knew no good would come from trying to force Idmon to come back, as, unlike most Noble Phantasms, he didn’t have complete control over his. The entities inside, while not their true selves, expressed the same personalities they had in life, so, if he managed to piss them off, his Noble Phantasm drastically weakened.

Fortunately, he had Change’e there to remind him, "Lord Jason, please, remember what Archimedes said. The future is being affected by the existence of the Sage Dragon Emperor. Unless his influence can be removed, attempting to predict the future is all but impossible."

Hearing Change’e’s words, Jason was able to forcibly calm himself down, even if his frustration had only increased. He hated not knowing what the future held, even if most prophecies ended up being vague, at best. It was still better to know, as, when it came down to encountering powerful foes, any amount of information was better than going in blind.

After taking a few deep breaths, Jason exhaled a long sigh before offering a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he said, "Thank you, Faerie Change’e. Your words have helped to calm my spirit..." Then, without waiting for her response, he looked toward the duo that had been playing dice at the side, saying, "Castor, Pollux, lend me your ear. I require your aid..."

Instead of responding to Jason, Pollux, identifiable by the fact he rarely wore anything to cover his upper body, flipped a cup containing six dice, glaring at his brother, who, in response, stated, "I’ll go with odds..." in a venomous tone. Then, still ignoring Jason, Pollux removed the cup, revealing dice with a value of twenty-seven. This caused Castor to grimace, his teeth clenched tightly as Pollux unceremoniously punched him, sending his half-brother twin tumbling a few meters as he loudly guffawed.

Seeing the duo ignore him, Jason continued to stare in silence, his face appearing grimmer with each passing second. Then, just as his blood pressure reached a critical level, Pollux looked over at him, a crooked smile on his face as he rubbed the stubble along his jaw and asked, "What do we get out of it, eh? You know we don’t like fightin’ your battler for you, Capt’n. Gotta learn to be a real man one of these days."

Unlike Jason, who had delicate and handsome features, Pollux, a son of Zeus, was rather ugly. He stood at startling 228cm tall, with a build that could only be described as ’heroic’. He was a veritable wall of muscle who spent most of his life out at sea, wrestling serpents, giant squids, and various other sea creatures. It was for this reason that he and his brother Castor, whom he had shared his Immortality with, became the patron saints of ancient sailors, representing St. Elmo’s fire and the Constellation of Gemini.

Jason was no stranger to Pollux’s barbaric nature, so, while it incensed him to have his masculinity questioned, he forced a smile and said, "That horse bitch, Caenis, might be coming for my life. If she turns out to be our enemy, I don’t care what the two of you do with her. I’m really not asking you for much, only that you confirm whether or not that group of mongrels is trying to kill me."

Hearing Jason’s words, Pollux’s face formed into a frown while, at the side, Castor rose to his feet and asked, "Caenus? Isn’t that the name of Coronus’ father? Are you trying to pick a fight with us, Captain?"

Feeling killing intent radiating off the duo, Jason paled slightly as he shook his head and explained, "No, no, you have it all wrong! The Caenis I’m talking about is a female! She is a bit muscular for my tastes, but she is the same woman that Poseidon had taken a liking to in the past! You’re free to go and confirm it for yourself if you don’t believe me...!"

Before Castor and Pollux could respond, a wispy green projectile whizzed by Jason’s head, bloodying his ear as a cold feminine voice stated, "I will go...you despicable scoundrels can stay here and keep each other company. To think, people actually consider you to be Heroes...pathetic."

Though Pollux found Jason’s expression amusing, he took exception to the woman’s words, his face darkening as he shouted, "Shut your mouth, Atalanta! I had enough of your crap back when we were alive! You don’t have Artemis here to protect you any longer so don’t tempt me, brat! You might not have any charm, but I’ll still make you a woman if you keep pushing your luck...!!"

Hearing Pollux’s remark, Atalanta, appearing almost identical to the Heroic Spirit summoned by Astrid, showed a resolute expression as she readied her bow. Green energy began to swirl around her in response to the lightning that flickered across Pollux’s right arm, but, before a fight could break out between them, a deep voice echoed through the chamber, silencing everyone with a simple, "Enough..."

Following the booming voice, a muscular man one full size larger than Castor and Pollux stepped into the room. His skin was a deep bronze color, appearing much like tempered iron, and, though his facial features were even more horrifying than the twins, his aura inspired fear and respect, even in other Demigods. As a result, Pollux took a step back, and, though she continued putting on a strong front, even Atalanta lowered her bow, clicking her tongue as if she had been looking forward to a fight.

Seeing the appearance of the mountain-like man, Jason’s expression visibly brightened, but, before he could say anything, the man glared at him, stating, "You are still the same coward..." Then, turning to Pollux, he added, "Your licentious ways are what got you and your brother killed. You pointed out that Artemis is no longer here to look after Atalanta, but how many times did Zeus have to save you when you dug yourself into trouble? If you’re not going to help, return to the abyss and stay put. If you continue behaving like villains, I will crush all three of you..."

A stark contrast to the bravado they had wielded toward Jason and Atalanta, Castor and Pollux could do little more than grind their teeth in response to the man’s harsh rebuke. They were well aware of the fate that would befall them if they chose to make the man their enemy, so, while his words were enough to make their blood boil, Pollux, with a grim expression on his face, ultimately replied, "There is no need for that...we were just joking around, isn’t that right, Atalanta?"

Instead of responding to Pollux’s words, Atalanta leaped down from her perch alighting from the room with a simple, "I’m going..." as she passed the bronze-skinned man. This earned her a slight nod from the massive man who then, as if blocking the passage, crossed his arms, alternating his gaze between Jason, Castor, and Pollux. This was enough to exponentially increase the tensions in the room, even after Jason tried to laugh things off, saying, "Geez, Heracles, is this any way to treat your own allies? We’re all friends here, right? I mean, the three are you are practically family so there is no reason for such hostilities, haha...ha...ha..."

After glaring Jason into silence, Heracles snorted aggressively through his nose, superseding the former’s commands, stating, "If you are going to stay outside, prepare for battle. Worry about the rewards once you’ve accomplished something. If that fool ends up dying, you’ll also disappear. Keep that in mind before you do something stupid..."

With his words finished, Heracles stopped glaring at the trio, turning his eyes upon Change’e who, from the start, had been standing silently at the side with a smile on her face. She noticed his gaze and offered an elegant wave in response. To this, Heracles gave a courteous nod before promptly turning, his instincts telling him not to get involved with the unassuming woman. She gave off the same feeling as Goddesses like Athena and Hera, so, while he was always respectful to the Gods, he would rather not get involved with them a second time...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Don’t mess with Yokai’,’Greek Heroes aren’t very Heroic...’,’Heracles laying down the law’)