Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After waiting for the members of Ala Rubra to move far beyond the boundaries of his domain, Vahn reversed the order of entropy to repair the damage done to the island. This caused illusory versions of Ala Rubra to appear, each an incomplete 'projection' that denoted the location and structure of the groups' magical energy at a given point in time. A person's cells were filled with magical energy, so, if they had used a ki shroud or a magical barrier at any point during the fight, he would be able to see this energy with the naked eye until it inevitably dispersed once the flow of time returned to normal.

With the island returned to its original state, Vahn exhaled a tired sigh as he began teleporting to various points within his domain. Albireo Imma had left a number of seed-like spatial anchors at several locations, and, despite being teleported around at complete random, he had been on the verge of completing a ritual-grade magic circle. To make matters worse, the core of the formation existed within the void, so, while its influence could be expunged by reversing the order of entropy, the structure persisted, removed from the standard axis of time.

Though it wasn't unexpected, Albireo Imma was unquestionably the most 'dangerous' member of Ala Rubra. Vahn even suspected he was an existence akin to a God, an artificial one whose powers had been sealed by means he was currently unable to identify. As for the other enigma within the group, Filius Zect, Vahn was about ninety percent certain that the man was similar to the artificial spirit he had destroyed during his time in Zephyria. The only difference was, while the previous man was around 80% Spirit and 20% Demon, Filius gave off a feeling similar to a pure-blooded Demon, one who had been modified to emulate a Great Spirit...

If not for Nagi's behavior and the general disregard demonstrated by at least two of his mentors, Vahn wouldn't have minded working alongside them. Each member of Ala Rubra had something he was interested in, but, if he was the only one making compromises, it was the same as lowering his head for the benefit of the group. They didn't really provide anything to him at the present, and, so long as Nagi continued to behave like an incorrigible brat, keeping him around the hideout was the same as inviting additional stress upon, not just for himself, but everyone.

With a complete lack of regard for others, Nagi behaved without even a semblance of a filter, and, though he undoubtedly had his reasons, there was nothing requiring others to tolerate his behavior at their own expense. This was especially true for any females on the island, as, based on the nature he had demonstrated thus far, the boy wouldn't hesitate to behave in a way that was tantamount to sexual harassment. He seemed to think it was okay to just say or do whatever he wanted, and, when it involved people stronger than him, Vahn could see the boy pestering both Fenrir and Asuna just to rile them up for a fight.

As he was currently, Nagi was simply toxic to be around, and, while Vahn was confident he could correct the youth's behavior, that wasn't the reason he had ventured into the Akamatsuverse. He was here to save Eva, and, though his nature compelled him to take action on behalf of the world, Vahn had been fully prepared to move on the moment the Vampiress' vengeance was completed. Now, he had even formed the determination to subsume the entire Magical World, so, while there was some merit in taking Nagi as his protege, empowering the youth served no real purpose.

Vahn could tell that Nagi was actually very similar to his past self, someone who was unsure of how to interact with others so they continually defaulted to 'extreme' behaviors. This wasn't necessarily a bad trait to have, especially if you were something similar to a shonen protagonist, but, more than power, Vahn knew what the boy truly needed was 'normalcy'. He would benefit more from living a simple life, one far removed from large scale conflicts and political turmoil. This wasn't to say that his power should be completely sealed, but, until he had established a stable baseline, it was better for everyone if he stayed away from the battlefield.

Though it was hard to be certain, Vahn suspected that the main reason Negi had been reared in a controlled environment was to make up for the qualities Nagi had lacked. The people manipulating both youths likely realized their mistakes with the first generation, so, before getting Negi involved in the conflict, they made sure he had a stable baseline to work from. This involved ensuring he had a relatively peaceful childhood, and, after experiencing a traumatic event, they put him in a situation where he was responsible for twenty-eight female students, allowing them to imprint on each other before separating them. It was these bonds that allowed them to overcome the adversities they had faced in the Magical World, and, though Negi ultimately failed to defeat Ialda, he came much closer than anyone else.

If Nagi had been 'necessary' to defeat the Mage of the Beginning, Vahn might have put more effort into 'fixing' the boy. However, as he had mentioned before, he wasn't interested in rearing children to fight planetary-level threats in his stead. He would much rather resolve things on his own, and, though he understood the importance of things like vengeance and destiny, placing such burdens on a child wasn't something a responsible adult should do.

Vahn saw nothing wrong with empowering the younger generation, as that was the responsibility of those who had come before. However, when you used said generation to fight on your behalf, you were literally going against the natural order of things. Preceding generations were meant to create a stable environment that guaranteed the greatest chance for success and prosperity, not wholly for themselves, but for their young. Failing to do this went against numerous biological principles, and, more often than not, societies that prioritized structure that benefitted the middle-aged and elderly quickly fell to corruption...

By the time he had finishing removing all of the 'seeds' planted by Albireo Imma, the sun had long descended over the horizon. If not for the version of himself he kept within the Little Garden, Vahn would have experienced a bit of a mental strain due to having five active vessels, two watching over Tempe and Lake Argyre, one protecting the Garden of Avalon, one cleaning up the battlefield, and, as stated previously, one version within the Little Garden to serve as an anchor for the rest.

With his cleanup finished, Vahn returned to the hideout to relax while the version of himself in the Little Garden slowly opened his eyes. He didn't keep his domain active within the garden, so, for a brief moment, a look of confusion reflected in Vahn's gaze as he found Euryale dozing off in his lap. This quickly turned into a loving smile, however, as, perhaps sensing his awakening, Euryale opened her eyes, twisting her neck a little more than was normal to stare up at him with her big amber eyes.

Before he even willed his body to move, Vahn found himself affectionately stroking his daughter's head, eliciting a contented hum from the adorable girl as she nestled closer to him.

Vahn had originally been worried that Stheno and Euryale would develop extremely quickly within the Little Garden, but, similar to Medusa and Fenrir, their physical appearance didn't really change with the passage of time. The development of the gorgons was largely dependent on how many times they had molted, and, unless they proactively 'wanted' to molt, there was nothing that could force them to do so. As a result, Medusa and Euryale hadn't really changed much, while, inversely, Stheno had grown even faster than Asuna...

Remembering the eldest of the two gorgon sisters, Vahn turned his attention to the cottage near the edge of the ring-like lake. He could normally find her inside studying magic or lazing about in the bathhouse next door, proactively accelerating her growth while warming her body. She, unlike Euryale, was just as cold-blooded as her mother, and, though she could easily use magic to regulate her core temperature, it seemed to be an 'instinct' for gorgons to siphon the warmth of others, soak their bodies under the sun, or relax in a hot bath...

Though he wasn't 'afraid' of his daughter, Vahn decided to put off meeting with her until he had the chance to properly relax. She had an Innate seductive quality, and, though she didn't act with any ill will or specific intent, Vahn wasn't entirely immune to her natural charms. This was exacerbated by the fact she now had the appearance of an inordinately beautiful woman in her mid-twenties, her secondary sexual characteristics having fully developed to a rather 'dangerous' extent.

As was the case with all gorgons, including the dragon-born Euryale, Stheno was extremely clingy, so, whenever Vahn spent time with her, it was impossible to keep her from sticking to him. This was fine when she was just a little girl, but, now that her breasts had grown to a surprising 90cm, having her constrict, rub against, and nuzzle against him was slightly troublesome. He wouldn't mind if she behaved innocently, but, as a result of her Innate, Stheno had a dreamy look in her eyes, constantly licked her lips in a seductive manner, and, though it didn't seem intentional, her hands and hair had a habit of 'wandering'.

Fortunately, Stheno didn't seem to have any actual licentious thoughts toward him, and, though it would be easy to mistake her affection as a physical attraction, the truth of the matter was that she simply felt most comfortable nestling against him for warmth. This had been the case even before she had the wherewithal to control her own actions, a trait shared by both Euryale and her mother.

Vahn didn't particularly mind skinship with his daughters, but, understanding it would become an issue if he didn't wean them at some point, he was gradually trying to reduce Stheno's clinginess. The problem was that, despite her rampant growth, she was still very young, and, with Euryale as her twin, she had a pretty good reason to continue clinging to him. He would eventually need to wean them both, but, until Euryale began showing signs of wanting to mature, Vahn's hands were effectively tied.

Shaking his head, Vahn continued to stroke the top of Euryale's as he asked, "Where are Fenrir and Asuna? Did they go somewhere to train?"

Though she still struggled with speaking and showing expressiveness, Euryale, largely thanks to her interactions with Asuna, had developed other ways to communicate. Vahn just needed to open his mind, and, as expected, a tiny and demure voice could be heard answering, ("Sister Fenrir was here a little while ago...I think she went to take a bath...I don't know where Asuna went...")

Hearing the last statement, Vahn instinctually furrowed his brows for a brief moment before asking the World Tree where Asuna had run off to. He knew she hadn't been in the best of moods after the encounter with Nagi, but, with a time dilation of 10:1 on the island, she had more than enough time to calm herself. Her 'disappearing' was certainly abnormal, and, when he heard where she was at, a deeply profound sigh escaped his lips as he caressed Euryale's head to reassure there was nothing wrong...

Located on the outermost regions of the Little Garden, a beautiful woman could be seen floating a few meters off the ground, her orange hair, which was normally kept in twin-tails, flowing gracefully behind her and cascading down her shoulders. There was a serene aura permeating from her body, and, though it wasn't noticeable unless you got very close, a gentle white aura could be seen rising from her body like a thin mist.

Though she knew Vahn would probably be a little upset with her, Asuna was tired of being treated like a child, so, taking advantage of the fact nobody had been around during the time of her entry, she used the State of Nothingness to hide her presence before sneaking off to the periphery. Since then, a total of 379 days had passed, and, though she had been extremely lonely, she persevered in the hopes that Vahn would acknowledge both her patience and growth. At the very least, she would only have to wait a few more months until her next birthday, removing the final obstacle that stood in her way...

As this thought crossed her mind, a subtle blush spread across Asuna's face, accompanied by a very prominent smile. Her long period of reflection had only strengthened her feelings, and, though she had come to understand how childish some of her previous actions had been, Asuna was confident that Vahn would forgive her selfishness. After all, everything she did was fueled by her desire to be just a 'little' bit closer to him. She knew it was almost impossible to convince him to have sex with her before he consummated his relationship with Eva, but, at the very least, she wanted the same level of intimacy as Arika and Theo...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A healthy partnership requires both sides to compromise','Vahn's troubles never end','A girl in love can be very scary (o _ o)...')