Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Expecting it to take several weeks, if not months, Vahn was more than a little surprised when Shiroyasha arrived at the Sage Dragon's Hearth less than forty-eight hours after his encounter with Kurma. She also had Indra with her, so Vahn didn't need to ask in order to understand why they were there.

After being guided to one of the many meeting rooms Vahn had set up, Indra wore a forced smile as he remarked, "Your actions the other day have caused quite a stir in the Inner Gates."

Nodding her head in affirmation, Shiroyasha added, "He's right. Because of what's at stake, there's even a push to have you 'sealed' away to use as a power source for the Little Garden. Those fools never learn."

Raising his brows, Vahn asked, "A power source? And who, exactly, came up with that idea...?"

Understanding why Vahn would ask such a question, Shiroyasha adopted a serious expression as she replied, "There were quite a few that readily agreed with her, but the person who proposed it is a Poet-turned-Divine Spirit known as Truth. Considering you've 'conquered' her pet, Leviathan, you should know exactly who I'm referring to."

Contrasting the severity on Shiroyasha's face, Vahn exhaled a tired sigh. He knew a few Gods had it out for him, but knowing they were pushing to have him turned into a battery left him feeling exasperated. It reminded him of the scientists that had experimented on him, and while he had long grown past that moment in his life, Vahn couldn't help feeling upset by the sheer lack of 'humanity' that prompted such judgments.

Shaking his head, Vahn muttered, "Whatever...they want to make me into a battery? They're welcome to try..."

Sensing the aura around Vahn changing, goosebumps spread across the bodies of Shiroyasha and Indra. He wasn't actually discharging anything, but they could sense pure 'potential' condensing within his body, almost like an entire macrocosm was about to be birthed into existence.

Demonstrating this wasn't far off, Vahn condensed the rainbow-hued crystal from before, manifesting it in the palm of his right hand as he said, "I imagine the two of you, Laplace, and the beings currently trying to spy on us would like to know the origin of this crystal, yes?"

As the closest person to Vahn, at least within the room, Shiroyasha took it upon herself to nod, replying, "Indeed. Though I already have a few ideas about its origin, it would be nice to know for certain."

With Indra nodding to indicate he would also like to know the truth, Vahn adopted a faint smile before abruptly crushing the crystal in his palm. An extraordinary surge of energy attempted to erupt from within, but he was able to contain the destruction to a softball-sized sphere as he revealed, "Laplace was fairly accurate when she designated me as the Demon Lord of Excess and Stagnation. After all, unlike the majority of Gods, who must sacrifice something in order to create objects such as this, I can create as many as I please..."

Repurposing the energy contained within the sphere, Vahn condensed it into a crystal, holding it up for Shiroyasha and Indra to see before waving his hand like a magician fanning a deck of cards. As he did so, dozens of identical crystals manifested into existence, each containing within them enough energy to support the current Little Garden for tens of thousands of years.

Amused by the expressions of disbelief on Shiroyasha's and Indra's faces, Vahn manipulated a few crystals to float toward them as he explained, "As Shiroyasha has surmised, I am essentially a source for all forms of energy, Creation included. Even if I were to produce a trillion of these crystals, my aggregate energy wouldn't decrease in the slightest."

With a crystal in each hand, a somber look appeared on Indra's face, his voice low and audibly shaky as he inquired, "So it's true then...you really are the 'New Dawn,' the Origin of Creation itself...?"

Instead of answering Indra's question directly, Vahn just smiled and let the bronze-skinned God derive his own conclusions. He knew Source was something that transcended even the concept of Origin, but there was no need to try and explain that right now. All Records existed within Tiers 1-7, so the existence of Tiers 8 and 9, also known as Concept and Origin, were a moot point of discussion.

Feeling unnerved by Vahn's smile, Indra resisted the urge to ask if he could keep the crystals in hand. Instead, he set them down as gently as possible before swallowing the knot in his throat and asking, "Are you still willing to go through with the Gift Game? With your power, I'm not entirely sure why you would bother..."

Raising his brows, Vahn found himself retorting, "Why do you? Better yet, why does anyone...?"

Before Indra could ask what Vahn was talking about, the latter adopted a severe expression and added, "Since my actions apparently haven't made it clear enough, I'm someone who cherishes life. Could I leave behind the current Little Garden and create my own? I already have. However, while I could focus wholly on my creations, it isn't within my nature to turn a blind eye to those in need. I might not go out of my way to search for them, but the moment my path overlapped with the people of this reality, I became obligated to at least try and help. That's just the type of person I am, the God I choose to be."

As Vahn had offered them a Reality Axis, regardless of the outcome of the Gift Game, Indra didn't doubt his words in the slightest. Instead, after a moment of pause, he bent his body forward and lowered his head as a sign of respect, saying, "Thank you..." with as much sincerity as he could manage. Only the future was privy to its secrets, but he believed that the Little Garden would be in safe hands with someone like Vahn at the helm.

Seeing Vahn's brows twitch when Indra bowed his head, a soft chuckle emanated from Shiroyasha's throat. She was significantly less surprised by Vahn's 'revelations' as they had already had numerous conversations regarding the nature of his existence. It was one of the reasons she had chosen him as her lover, so, after laughing quite a bit at Indra's expense, she whipped out her fan, covering the lower half of her face as she said, "As fascinating as this discussion has become, it's not the reason for our visit. Pull yourself together, Indra."

"Right..."

Raising his head, Indra forced a smile and scratched the back of his head. As he did so, Shiroyasha took the initiative to say, "I'm sure you've already looked into it, but, just in case, allow me to clarify that Truth's proposal to have you stake your freedom was summarily shot down by two of the 'Big Three.' As for the actual rules and restrictions of the Gift Game...well, take a look..."

<Gift Game: Rite of the Emperor - Pandemonium>

[Win Condition]

1: Be the last one standing.

[Hidden Conditions]

1: ????

2: ????

[Rules]

1: Every Community between Gates 10-9,999,999 are Participants.

2: Each Community must designate a single Player as its Representative.

3: Representatives of Communities with a 1-3-Digit Designation can only participate as an Avatara.

4: Representative will engage in a Battle Royale to determine the victor.

[Restrictions]

1: All Authorities are prohibited.

2: Gifts and Abilities that allow a Representative to duplicate, clone, or copy themselves are prohibited.

3: Gifts and Abilities that result in True Death, the destruction of the Soul, or permanant injury are prohibited.

4: Players designated as Representatives cannot be the Leaders of their respective Communities, past or present.

[Rewards]

1: Gate #999

2: The right to move freely between the Inner and Outer Gates.

3: The right to interface with the Central Network.

4: The right to challenge Fulcrum, Gatekeeper of the Little Garden.

[Penalty]

1: Any Community that willfully violates the Rules and Restrictions set forth above forfeits all Gates and Gifts in their possession.

2: Representatives that willfully manipulate others to violate the Rules will have their existence erased.

[Time Limit]

None

Though he was tempted to whistle while reading the Rewards, the Rules and Restrictions left Vahn with a frown. He could easily create a Template to act as his Representative, but the fact remained that he had essentially been barred from participating.

"I know I said I would agree to just about any conditions, but preventing me from participating? Is this supposed to be a joke...?"

Smiling wryly, Indra was about to explain their reason but lost the chance when Shiroyasha plainly stated, "You're the one that mandated the Rules and Restrictions be fair. Allowing you to participate, regardless of whether or not the odds are stacked against you, leaves no chance of victory for other participants. It's as simple as that."

Unable to refute Shiroyasha's words, Vahn found himself at a loss for how to respond. After all, the reason he left the conditions for them to decide was because he had supreme confidence in his ability to come out on top. In other words, just as Shiroyasha suggested, there was no chance of him losing so long as he was the one to compete.

Adopting a wry smile of his own, Vahn muttered, "I shot myself in the foot on this one, didn't I...?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Shiroyasha replied, "It's not really that big a deal. So long as you don't violate the Rules and Restrictions, there aren't any significant downsides to losing. At this point, the 'powers that be' are pretty wary of doing anything overt to offend you."

Since there was merit to what Shiroyasha was saying, Vahn gave a curt nod, countless thoughts racing across his mind as he inquired, "When is the game scheduled to take place?"

Answering in Shiroyasha's stead, Indra explained, "There was a push to have the game initiate the moment you read the Geass Roll, but we were able to arrange a twenty-four-hour preparation period. Once we conclude this meeting, similar Geass Rolls will appear throughout the Little Garden. As for the venue where the Gift Game will take place, we will be utilizing the remnants of the original Little Garden as a battleground..."

Raising his brows, Vahn asked, "The original? Wasn't it destroyed due to the Demon Dragon God's actions...?"

Nodding his head, Indra replied, "Indeed. However, thanks to the efforts of an old friend of mine, a version of it still exists in the present. It might be just a memory, but it's as real as any other Gameboard."

With Loi-chan revealing the identity of Indra's 'old friend,' Canaria, Vahn instantly understood how the original Little Garden could still exist. The mysterious woman was able to use her Authority as Host Master and one of the most influential Poets to orchestrate a unique Gift Game known as 'Reflection.' She could force people to relieve their past or extend a single moment into thousands of years. These Reflections were similar in nature to the Divination Scroll gift to Vahn by Ouranos, so, for the duration of the Gift Game, they were 'actuality' for the target.

"I see...it seems, even after everything I've done, Canaria's influence can still be felt..."

Surprised by Vahn's words, Indra looked to Shiroyasha and asked, "You told him about Canaria? What else does he know...?"

Rolling her eyes, Shiroyasha lazily retorted, "What doesn't he know? I'm not familiar with the specifics, but Vahn has an association with Identity itself. So long as it is known or recorded, he can know just about anything. Given your presumption of his standing as the 'New Dawn,' is that really a surprise...?"

Though he opened his mouth to respond, Indra found himself at a loss for words. He understood what Shiroyasha was getting at, but the realization that Vahn was even more 'broken' than he already suspected was difficult to rationalize...

...

..

.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Truth about to get a backhand...','All's fair in love and war...except when Vahn is involved xD...','I can imagine Indra going into retirement after all of this is over...')