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42.62% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1003: Overcome

Chapter 1003: Overcome

True to her words, Jeanne was able to systematically eliminate every Hypergoblin that entered within her range with relative ease. As a result of her unstoppable advance, there were a few among the green-skinned variety who abandoned their colony and escaped into various side tunnels. Many who tried to flee were attacked by their own companions but, after a certain point, the tide of retreating Hypergoblins vastly exceeded those that remained to fight on. Among this group, all surviving red-skinned Hypergoblins remained while, after the battle had gone on for nearly twenty minutes, their Chieftain had also taken to the battlefield. It had yet to enter the fray directly, spending most of its efforts tossing large stones to execute deserters, but it was easy to see that the large Hypergoblin was losing its patience.

By the time a half-hour had passed, Jeanne had directly entered the encampment after lightly leaping over the tall wall and cutting down what remained of the forward defenders. It was at this point that the Chieftain finally took action against her, lifting up a stone that was around 20cm, the tattoos on its body already emblazoned with a fervent red light. Almost in the exact instant that Jeanne's feet touched down on its soil, it loosed the stone towards her with enough speed to cause a literal tear in the ground after forming a massive sonic boom in its wake. Jeanne's eyes reflected the image of the stone as she dutifully lifted her shield in an attempt to deflect the momentum away from her body. Her attempts proved fruitful, causing the stone to bounce off her shield before annihilating the wall behind her, but she wasn't able to deflect the entirety of its momentum as a result of the stone's slight spin.

Though she was forced off balance momentarily, Jeanne caught herself almost immediately by planting her foot on the ground and using her toeas a pivot to spin around several times. At the end of her rather elegant movement, which would have surprised most professional dancers, Jeanne once again adopted her battle stance with natural grace. In response to this, the Hypergoblin Chieftain released a wrath-filled battlecry as the tattoos on its body more than doubled in intensity. The two surviving red-skinned Hypergoblins, the last of their lot, joined the cry alongside their Chieftain as they began to madly pepper Jeanne's location with sections of the Dungeon flooring.

Without suffering a second direct blow, Jeanne was able to easily mitigate these attacks by staying relatively low to the ground and allowing the stones the graze off her shield. Impressively, though her kite shield had a high ranked [Durandal] property, there were small pockmarks appearing along its previously unblemished surface. This showed that, even after deflecting the stones, the force they carried couldn't be looked down on. If not for her ridiculously high defensive capabilities, just the secondary shockwaves might have been enough to bruise Jeanne's organs. Fortunately, though she still had to shrug off the forces passing into her body through her shield, Jeanne hardly even flinched in response as she continued her advance undaunted.

Seeing that their attacks had little effect, the Chieftain stopped tossing stones as it lifted up a massive tree-sized club that looked like a gnarled piece of wood, even as it shone with a metallic sheen. It leaped forward, closing the 300m distance between itself and Jeanne in a single motion as it attempted to sweep her away with a flanking blow. Her blue eyes, peeking over the side of her shield, squinted slightly as she performed an instep to evade the heaviest part of the club before striking upwards with her sword. As a result of their size disparity, the Hypergoblin Chieftain completely missed its mark while, with the same dauntless momentum as her advance, Jeanne's sword moved forward like a beam of light as it severed the tendons in the monster's wrist.

Even with its nigh-instantaneous regeneration, the momentum of its own swing caused the Chieftain to release its grip on the massive club. As a result, several unfortunate green-skinned Hypergoblins were turned into a meaty pulp by the wayward weapon while their Chieftain had its blazing red eyes fully focused on the petite figure of Jeanne. It was at this point that the latter activated her SS-Rank [Shield Slam], converting her monstrous resistances into raw physical power as she struck against the Chieftain's abdomen.

A sound reminiscent of metal striking against metal rang through the area as the much larger Chieftain was forced back with even greater velocity than one of the thrown stones. It smashed through the rudimentary buildings of the encampment before coming to a stop nearly a kilometer away from its starting point. Instead of pursuing the Chieftain, which had easily survived the blow, Jeanne turned her attention to the two surviving red-skinned Hypergoblins as, true to her word, she intended to give Fenrir the opportunity to finish it off.

Seeing their Chieftain sent flying, the surviving Hypergoblins all paused simultaneously as, for a brief moment, a silent lull had settled on the battlefield. Due to the stun that accompanied Jeanne's [Shield Slam], the Chieftain didn't climb out of the rubble quickly so, even though they had held out until now, the few remaining green-skinned Hypergoblins all began fleeing in mass. Even the two red-skinned brutes had turned statuesque but, seeing their lesser kin fleeing, the tattoos on their body flared up as they began slaughtering any who were foolish enough to get close. Curiously, their path of destruction took them in the same direction as the larger tide of green-skinned Hypergoblins instead of towards the waiting Jeanne...

Witnessing the behavior of the shameless brutes, Jeanne's face formed a small frown as she activated her SS-Rank [Chasing Strike]. Though her own Agility allowed her to easily catch up with most enemies, this technique allowed her to even contend against Heroes that were known for their swift nature. As a result, Jeanne moved so quickly that a pseudo-solid afterimage, persisting nearly an entire second, was left in her wake. By the time it had faded away, Jeanne was already pulling her sword free from one of the Hypergoblin's backs before leaping towards the second one like a top loosed from its string. Her swipe cleaved through both of its muscular arms and torso, causing it to drop to the ground in four separate pieces before she deftly pierced the location of its monster core. This finally brought an end to the red-skinned tribe residing within the encampment and, with nothing left to keep them in line, almost every green-skinned Hypergoblin left began running for its life.

Around the same time that the mass retreat had started, a pile of rubble in the distance exploded with a large red plume of the same red aura that clung to the bodies of the red-skinned Hypergoblins. This was the same location where the Chieftain had been buried previously so Jeanne wasn't surprised in the least while, even with their leader returning, the fleeing Hypergoblins responded by running away even faster. Replacing them on the battlefield was a figure cloaked in a midnight blue aura that radiated icy white light on the ends as it appeared next to Jeanne like a phantom. As she had already 'sensed' her arrival with the [Voice of the World], Jeanne dropped her battle-ready stance before looking towards the newly arrived Fenrir with a gentle look in her eyes.

Allowing a smile to spread across her slightly tired face, Jeanne sheathed her sword within the slot of her kite shield before saying, "I'll leave the rest to you...haahaa..." As a result of fighting to meet her promised deadline, Jeanne was more tired than normal as, even without having sustained any actual injuries, it had been a long time since she went 'all-out' against enemies. There was a reason why her [Child of Light] was only D-Rank as, even though her Magic parameter was quite high, Jeanne was unable to use mana efficiently. Much of her 'talent' in the magical arts was a direct result of Helen's assistance so it wasn't easy for her to maintain her holy shroud for over half an hour.

In response to Jeanne's words, Fenrir gave a curt nod as her voice raspily intoned, "You should return to Master..." Though she could temper her emotions easily enough outside of combat, Fenrir's glowing red eyes showed that she was a little too eager to enter into the fray. Jeanne could only smile wryly at this as, instead of returning to Vahn's side, she moved to a nearby wall to observe the battle directly. If things got out of hand, she would step in to protect Fenrir, even if it meant the latter would hold a grudge against her for months to come. With what she knew of her Lord's disposition, the odds of Fenrir being in actual danger were slim but, having sworn to protect everything her Lord held dear, Jeanne couldn't be a simple bystander.

Following Jeanne's movements with her eyes, Fenrir adopted a small frown on her face before kicking against the ground and meeting the charge of the much larger Chieftain. It had paused after seeing a second enemy appear but, now that Jeanne had moved off to the side, it's fear had been tempered as it set its sights on the much weaker target that had replaced her. Though its instincts caused its skin to crawl in response to the glimmering red eyes of Fenrir, a primal desire to crush the existence of Fenrir welled up within the heart of the Chieftain. All monsters fought for supremacy over each other so, even though it could sense that Fenrir was a higher-tiered existence, it refused to back down as, if it was able to devour her core, its strength would increase exponentially...

Just as she was about to collide with the Chieftain, Fenrir curled her body up into a ball before kicking outward with both feet. She had created a foothold in the air right in front of the Hypergoblins charge, instantly changing the direction of her charge as its large body slammed into the area where they would have previously met. As if it were punching into paste, the Hypergoblin Chieftain's arm sunk into the hard bedrock of the Dungeon as a ripple spread out from the point of contact. In the next instant, an explosion rang through the area at the same time that Fenrir reappeared, claws glimmering with a subtle silver glow.

In most circumstances, catching an enemy by surprise would have brought a swift end to the fight but, in a manner similar to the first Hypergoblin the party had encountered, a second explosion began to spread outwards from the Hypergoblin Chieftain's body. Fenrir was in the middle of her attack as the powerful Flame Elemental energy pulse collided with her body, carrying with it the peculiar electrical energy that naturally emanated from the aura of every red-skinned Hypergoblin. As a result, she was flung backward like a ragdoll before spinning through the air several times and kicking off another foothold she had created. By the time Fenrir appeared again, there were burns over each exposed area of her flesh which, considering she didn't like to wear much clothing in combat, meant her entire abdomen, arms, neck, legs, and face were burned.

With an even fiercer glint in her eyes than before, Fenrir entered right into the Hypergoblin Chieftain's range before unhinging her jaw and biting down on its neck in a single vicious movement. This caused a massive hole to appear before an almost solid stream of blood began to squirt out from the severed arteries, dousing Fenrir's badly burned body and exacerbating her already serious injuries. The blood of a normal red-skinned Hypergoblin carried a great deal of Flame Elemental energy whenever they were using their unique skill so, with the Chieftain already in an enraged state, its blood at away like an acid wherever it touched the equally enraged Vangargandr...

Though he had promised not to intervene, both of Vahn's hands had formed fists as he watched the battle with cold eyes. He managed to prevent himself from stepping, knowing that the [Effigy of the Hero] would protect her, but several regrets ran through Vahn's mind as he watched Fenrir fight against a marginally stronger foe. At the very top of the list were the concessions he had made in the design of Fenrir's combat attire as, if she had been fully covered, she wouldn't have suffered an injury at the very beginning of the fight. Though this was primarily the result of the peculiar energy contained within the Chieftain's 'pulse', seemingly able to ignore the magical aura protecting Fenrir's body, Vahn couldn't help but tightly clench his teeth as he watched their brutal fight continue to play out before him...

Even in her enraged state, Fenrir didn't completely forgo thinking how to best her opponent as she began to dance around it using her superior speed to look for an opening. This was to buy her body time to regenerate as she sent spears of ice crashing into the Chieftain's body to slow it down. Fortunately, even though it had a natural Fire Elemental Affinity, her attacks were still having an effect thanks to the presence of Source Energy contained within. As a result, the Chieftain's speed was being drained by each successive spear of ice as parts of its red flesh began to turn dark from frostbite. It's only means to counteract Fenrir's barrage was to adopt a defensive posture while periodically releasing pulses of electrical flames from its body. Unfortunately for the Chieftain, Fenrir wasn't foolish enough to get caught a second time. Using [Shundo], she was able to move outside of the pulse's range in an instant before hitting the Chieftain with a large-scale magic attack. She had noticed that its resilience was weakened after using the pulse, taking advantage of the opportunity to deal lasting damage to spite the Chieftain's attempt to harm her.

Realizing it was at a disadvantage, the Chieftain covered its head with both arms before charging into a nearby building to break Fenrir's line of sight. When she saw this, Fenrir snorted through her nose but, instead of pursuing directly, she instead created a foothold in the air before spreading both paws wide. The aura around her body increased in intensity as a series of magical circles began to form a few centimeters away from her fleshy paw pads. Though she wasn't nearly as prolific as Terra, Fenrir shared the same elemental affinities as Eva so, while her magical power was lacking, she wasn't incapable of using the more powerful spells taught by her 'second' Master.

With a strangely prideful expression on her face, Fenrir shouted, "Master, give me strength~!" at the top of her lungs. This caused the magic circles around her to nearly double in size before she converged them together and began chanting, "Come, Spirits of Ice and Darkness! Bring Eternal Darkness to those who flee the Snowstorm! Nivis Tempestas Obscurans~!"

Even before Fenrir's chant had finished, the surrounding temperature had started to rapidly decrease as the already low-lit Dungeon became progressively darker. The moment the final syllable left her lips, a tempestuous wind began to converge upon the building where the Chieftain had fled. It didn't take long at all for this wind to turn into a literal tornado of ice but, unlike a regular Ice Elemental spell, there were threads of pure black contained within the frosty white of the tornado. As Fenrir also had Affinities with Darkness and Yin Elemental energy, she could infuse it into her attacks, greatly increasing the potency of ice magic as a result.

By the time Fenrir's attack had come to an end, the building containing the Chieftain had been reduced to nothingness as peculiar black ice spread out for several hundred meters from the impact point. As for Fenrir herself, she was slowly descending from the sky while taking deep breaths, desperately fighting against unconsciousness after overtaxing her reserves. Fortunately, she had a habit of carrying around magic cores and high-quality potions within her pouch so Fenrir was able to crunch down a few cores to avoid collapsing. She didn't know whether or not the Chieftain had actually been killed by her attack so, until its death could be confirmed, Fenrir remained on full-alert for any sign of movement.

Without having to wait long, Vahn appeared in the area with a concerned look in his eyes and a proud smile on his face. With his presence, Fenrir knew she had won the fight so she allowed her wobbling legs to give out, trusting that her Master would catch her. She hadn't even fallen three centimeters before a pair of warm arms embraced her body and a large palm found its way to the back of her head. With her Master's fingers running through her hair, Fenrir allowed herself to fall asleep with a small smile on her quickly healing face. She had already been regenerating quickly so, after eating a few magic cores, her appearance had almost returned to normal by the time her Master had shown up to retrieve her. It was a secret that would be locked away deep within her heart that she had actually drawn out the fight a bit for that express purpose...

Holding Fenrir's small figure in his arms, Vahn released a sigh of relief after seeing that she had no serious injuries. Other than overtaxing her mana-circuits, which would heal by the time she awoke, most of Fenrir's other injuries had vanished as a result of her body's ability to always revert back to its default state. Though this had been a big 'problem' in the past, before Lili had bestowed her [Cinder*Ella] upon her, it was at times like this that Vahn was grateful for nature of Fenrir's body. Thus, while cradling her body within his arms, Vahn descended next to Jeanne and Helen before uttering in a gentle tone, "Let's find a place to rest. Jeanne, I'll have you cook this time..."

With her A-Rank [Cooking] Development Ability, Jeanne was more than capable of taking up the task so she happily returned a smile before saying, "Leave it to me, my Lord. I'll make something nutritious that will help Lady Fenrir recover even faster...!" As her food literally carried several benefits, the least of which could temporarily boost the parameters of whoever ate it, Jeanne had full confidence that she could make good on her promise. Being fully aware of this, Vahn gave a nod in response before turning his attention towards the 'ground zero' of Fenrir's last attack. There were small fragments of blackened ice that would likely persist for several months, each containing small chunks of what used to be the Level 8 Chieftain...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Indomitable Jeanne','Master, give me strength~!','Ain't no kill quite like over-kill~!')

(A/N: I think I figured out why I'm waking up two hours later than normal. It's because I was on the west coast, which means that my body is waking up at the time it 'expects', around 5am, even though it is 7am CST xD. Once my bio-rhythm returns to normal, there shouldn't be any more delays ^_^...)

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE


Chapter 1004: Changing Tides

Though Vahn had never expected that conquering the Dungeon would be a simple feat, he had grossly underestimated the time it would take to complete. By the time the group had reached the 84th Floor, a complex maze that was more than 500km in diameter, the expedition had already been going on for an entire week. It was getting to the point that each Floor took up the better part of a full day and, though he could bore through forcefully in the upper Floors, everything after the 78th had been protected by a strange membrane. The only way to proceed was by using the established pathways which, more often than not, were heavily guarded by large encampments of increasingly powerful monsters.

After descending into the 84th Floor, the mana density had increased to the point that the fog comprised of pure mana extended past their knees. This decreased visibility greatly, making the Floor one of the more difficult to traverse as the ground was full of holes that hid the small insectoid creatures that called it home. Unlike the 81st through 83rd Floors, where each individual monster was marginally powerful, the residents of the 84th through 88th Floors seemed to be the type to rely on numbers to overwhelm their enemies. Their exoskeletons also seemed to be comprised of whatever materials they had devoured within the Dungeon's structure as, even after slaying large groups of the insectoid monsters, their carapaces would remain behind in death. These were almost entirely comprised of rare minerals like Mithril, Adamantine, and, in the case of the wasp-like creatures that would spew viscous acid toward the party, Orichalcum.

With each individual insect being around the size of a washbasin, often traveling in groups of several hundred, this meant Vahn's reserves of the relatively rare resources was rapidly increasing while his OP reserves were growing far faster than he had ever expected. Each of the strange metallic insects would net nearly a hundred OP each, even without converting their drop items, so Vahn had been averaging an awe-inspiring 6.65 million OP every hour spent on the Floor. Since he was the one killing most of the insects, as Fenrir's and Jeanne's combat styles weren't suited to the task, Vahn was practically giddy with anticipation as he watched his reserves steadily climb. By his estimate, knowing that the creatures would persist until the 88th Floor, he would be able to earn an additional 470-500 million OP by the time they reached the 89th Floor's entrance...

Seeing how excited Vahn was to 'harvest' the materials dropped by the insects, Fenrir and Jeanne wasn't in a hurry to progress while Helen, still giving the silent treatment, simply followed along under the protection of the two girls. She had started talking to Jeanne again, at least when they made camp, so Vahn was hopeful that she would recover enough by the time they reached the 99th Floor to avoid having to enact his plan. At this point, he already had a decent understanding of the necessary process, the result of having all of Ein's notes memorized, but Vahn really wanted to avoid having to rely on such drastic means. If Helen managed to bear having her world collapse, Vahn believed she would be stronger for it after a few years of therapy and the guidance of people who cared about her...

---

Though he had been busy in the Dungeon, much of Vahn's focus was on matters back on the surface world. He hadn't exactly been able to make good on his promise to produce the One-Eyed Black Dragon's head but, in an attempt to allay public concerns, Vahn had purchased a massive magic core from his Inventory to proffer forth as 'proof' of its subjugation. Though Ouranos was aware of the truth of the matter, he wasn't the type that would get involved with such things so the general consensus was that Vahn had indeed slain the One-Eyed Black Dragon. As a result, the people had been celebrating for the last three days as the information quickly spread throughout the continent like wildfire.

Around the same time the news had reached the Southern Sands, awing the various tribes residing near The Plains region of the continent, Asfi had arrived in her homeland, the Maritime Kingdom, Aetheopia. Compared to the past, where the people often had smiles on their faces as they went about their business as fishermen and traders, there was an obvious melancholy throughout the various port Cities as they mourned the death of their King, all while preparing for War. Though he had only been imprisoned at first, Asfi's father had quickly succumbed to the cold of the Palace's deepest and darkest Dungeon. This was a place many referred to as the Watery Abyss as, anyone confined there would find themselves partially submerged in chilled saltwater that constantly sapped their strength and exacerbated any injuries they had sustained...

With eight Valkyrie's accompanying her, Asfi flew over the heads of her people with the aid of her modified [Talaria] and a full loadout of S-Ranked equipment. Her presence drew the attention of thousands but, amongst them, only a few seemed to realize the identity of the aqua-haired maiden that stood out, even amongst the eight otherworldly Valkyrie. Though her appearance hadn't changed much since coming to reside within the Hearth Manor, Asfi still benefitted greatly from Vahn's 'care'. Though several years had passed within the Sub-Space orb at this point, she actually looked younger than before, her skin glistening with a healthy glow as her sharp and intelligent cyan-blue eyes reflected the image of her former home in their depths...

Seeing what her home had become, Asfi's resolve had been redoubled as she slightly increased her flying speed in order to expedite the restoration process. With the Palace walls quickly increasing in size, several arrows began to tear through the sky as, regardless of anything else, the Aetheiopian Kingdom had already declared open hostility against the Empire. Since the Valkyries were not only recognized as Vahn's messengers, but the executors of his will, the Palace guards immediately opened fire once they were in range. This didn't end well for them, however, as even the Captain of the Royal Guard was only Level 3 while the weakest Valkyrie present was near the peak of Level 7. They immediately moved to counterattack the guards, tearing through the sky with a fierce momentum before harvesting the lives of any guards foolish enough to stand their ground...

With dull eyes, Asfi landed in the courtyard of her former home as death wails sounded from the surrounding walls. Six of the Valkyrie had started slaughtering anyone that didn't immediately surrender while Byrnhildr and Bruna remained at Asfi's side, assuring her safety. Though she had managed to reach Level 5 during her stay at the Manor, a Level that should have allowed her free reign almost anywhere outside of Orario, Asfi was still considered 'weak' from the perspective of the Valkyrie. Since their Master had entrusted her safety to them, Asfi had no say in the measures they took to guarantee no harm befell her. During the journey to the Aetheopian Kingdom, Asfi had to tolerate the presence of at least one Valkyrie, even during the moments when she bathed or required 'relief'.

Having grown accustomed to the presence of Brynhildr and Bruna, Asfi moved forward without paying them much attention as she entered through the same large coral doors that she had passed through thousands of times in the past. There were several guards stationed inside of the Palace but, fully aware of the slaughter occurring outside, combined with their knowledge of Asfi's identity, many chose to stand down and bow instead of barring her passage. Only those that had been twisted by the Queen's corruption made any attempt to prevent Asfi's advance but, much like all those who had come before, they were mercilessly cut down by Bruna's halberd. Their armor, regardless of its make and thickness, provided them absolutely no defense against the insurmountable might of the resolute Valkyrie.

In this manner, Asfi quickly found her way into the already abandoned throne room before activating a mechanism that caused a false wall to collapse inward. She had never expected her Mother to stand her ground so, after seeing the tell-tale signs that the hidden passage had already been used once, Asfi quickly gave pursuit. It was likely that, from the moment she received the report, Cassiopeia had already fled the Palace in an attempt to preserve her life. She had always been a vain, petty, scheming, and, most importantly, a cowardly woman. Instead of dirtying her own hands, Cassiopeia was the type that relied on others to carry out her will, usually after 'convincing' them with her body...

After following the hidden passage to its end, Asfi came out into a private sanctum that contained a deep pool of crystal clear water and a channel connecting to the sea. There would normally be a stealthy cutter docked within the channel but, after her speedy escape, Cassiopeia had already taken the vessel out to sea. In most cases, this would have guaranteed her safety but, with the ability to fly, Asfi quickly followed the channel out to sea before ascending into the air with Brynhildr and Bruna flanking her. There had a been a metal gate intended to prevent pursuit but, even without Bruna cutting a path, Asfi had used a blood-red potion that instantly corroded the bars to grant them passage.

Upon reaching open water, it didn't take long to spot the cutter's off-blue sails that seemed to blend into the seawater below. Asfi adjusted her pose before doing a nose-dive towards the ship, a fierce glint in her eyes as she acrobatically flipped over at the last moment before gently touching down on the boat's surface. Two robust-looking guards immediately charged at her but, without having to raise her own hand, Asfi continued forward while Brynhildr and Bruna descended upon them like the wrath of God, mercilessly piercing their bodies into the deck. Their blood quickly pooled across the painted surface of the cutter, creating a stark contrast against the backdrop of the sea as Asfi walked unhesitantly towards a cloaked figure trying to blend in with the ship's supplies.

Realizing she had been discovered, the cloaked figure tossed aside her garment, revealing a shapely body that seemed to ignore the passage of time. This was achieved with several extremely potent Elixirs and constant care as, regardless of the fact that she was in her fifties, Queen Cassiopeia couldn't tolerate having her appearance degrade with age. Now that she had been exposed, she stood with her head held high and a venomous look in her eyes as she spat, "You unfilial brat...not only did you betray your country, fleeing to that vile City, but you have the audacity to return after bedding that pretender!? What, are you going to kill your own Mother before offering your homeland as a sacrifice to that fools ambitions!?

Having already closed the distance between them, Asfi responded to Cassiopeia's words with a swift backhanded slap. This caused the frail Queen to spin around with the momentum before falling to the deck, hard. An expression of disbelief appeared on her face as she brought her shaky hand up to her swollen cheek, tears welling up in her reddened eyes. As for Asfi, she had a frosty expression that could even turn magma to ice as she stared down at her Mother and stated, "You would accuse me of the same vicious acts as you, completely ignoring your own depravity. How sickening..." Though her Mother's accusations weren't entirely false, as Asfi had indeed made herself a bargaining chip for her own revenge, hearing it directly felt like having someone spit into her open mouth...

Resolving to never be like her Mother, regardless of accusations that may be thrown her way, Asfi shook her head in exasperation before pulling out a relatively plain-looking dagger. Seeing this, Cassiopeia's open mouth immediately snapped shut as she held up both hands in a gesture of surrender. Her eyes were darting around in their sockets as she thought about a means to get out of this situation but, unwilling to stand idle, Asfi never afforded her the opportunity. Using the dagger, Asfi cut through her Mother's wrists before unceremoniously slicing the blade across her neck. Curiously, if the casual observer were there to witness the event, they would have noticed that there were no visible injuries on the Queen's body as she slumped onto the deck of the cutter.

Placing the dagger into her own personal storage bracelet, Asfi then bent down to check her Mother's pulse before turning the latter's head to face her. Cassiopeia's eyes were twitching slightly as she attempted to direct them toward her daughter but the shock of having the connection between her brain and body severed had forced her into a catatonic state. The dagger Asfi had used was not intended to cause physical damage but, much like Vahn's [Mercy], it could directly sever the mana circuitry in a person's body. Asfi made sure that she didn't completely sever the connection, as this would have caused her Mother's death, as she intended to imprison her in the same Watery Abyss that her Father had been forced to suffer...

After tying of Cassiopeia's body, Asfi stowed her within the cutter's cabin before helming the boat and sailing it back towards the Palace's secret passage. She didn't make it very far, however, before the sea began to rapidly swell up in front of the cutter. Brynhildr immediately pressed a black gemstone embedded into her gauntlet as she and Bruna moved to protect Asfi. The nose of the cutter began to be pushed up by the swelling water before large tentacles began to emerge, breaking the water's tension and revealing a monstrous black creature. More noticeably, however, was the barechested man sitting on the creatures head as he tapped a glowing golden trident with his fingers. Aquamarine hair, as if he hadn't just exited the sea, fell into natural and wild curls around a handsome face as deep-blue eyes, set in an expression of contempt, reflected the image of the two Valkyries and their charge...

With a deep baritone voice, the man ran his index finger along his trident as he stated, "All who have earned the ire of the sea are destined to be devoured by its fury...tell me, child, what have you done with my concu...bine...?" Though he had started off with an intimidating fervor, the man allowed his words to trail as he passed his gaze over Brynhildr, Bruna, and Asfi in succession. He had already seen the previous two on several occasions in the past, as he was closely affiliated with Zeus and Odin, but Asfi's appearance caught his eye. He could vaguely remember the young girl that was slated to become his pet's plaything in the past but, now that she had matured, a slight regret had welled up inside of his heart as he suddenly felt it wasteful to simply kill her.

Before he could issue another word, Brynhildr had stepped forward to protect Asfi as she broke convention and stated, "Lord Poseidon, this is a personal matter between mortals. As a god, you have no grounds to intervene in the affairs of any mortal Kingdom you do no directly preside over." Having followed her Father, Odin, for more than eight-hundred years, Brynhildr was intimately familiar with the vows gods had to take before descending into the mortal world. Though they could certainly build up Kingdoms, or even rule over vast Empires, Gods were prevented from using their power to intervene in the affairs of other Kingdoms directly, especially if there were no gods presiding over said Kingdom.

Hearing Brynhildr's words, Poseidon's face formed a deep frown before he stood atop his pet, Cetus, a cruel glimmer in his eyes as he asked, "You think yourself to be in a position where you can provide counsel to me...? Did you Father not educate you properly, you snot-nosed brat!?" With each word spoken by Poseidon, storm clouds began to gather as the sea became increasingly more tumultuous. Though Brynhildr's words were true, and he couldn't intervene directly, there was an infinite number of loopholes that could be exploited to get his way. Chief amongst them was to allow his pet to act freely, loosening the restraints that kept it bound to him and allowing Cetus to lay waste to entire islands if necessary.

Just as Poseidon was preparing to teach Brynhildr a lesson, his eyes snapped wide as he inclined his head back in response to a spatial fluctuation that had appeared right next to him. By instinct, Poseidon began to stir up his Arcanum in response but, before he was able to even release a fraction of his power, golden chains emerged from the void before tightly binding his body. Cetus, which had been towering over the cutter beneath his feet, began to sink into the sea as the surrounding water became suffused with a red hue. By the time Poseidon processed what was happening, a ceremonial dagger that shone with the same light as his trident passed through his neck. His head was sent twirling through the air as his deep blue eyes reflected the image of Vahn and, more importantly, Kali...

Knowing that Poseidon hadn't lost consciousness just yet, Kali licked the golden blood from her dagger with a vicious light in her eyes as she mocked, "Aren't you a bit old to get riled up over the words of a mortal? Though, I suppose the 'sea' is known to be temperamental...? Kukukuku~." With her words finished, Kali dematerialized the dagger in her hands just as Poseidon's body began to break down into particles of light. Vahn quickly stowed the 'corpse' into his Inventory, as there was always a chance it could be useful in creating another divine-grade avatar in the future. The one he had produced with Artemis' body had been a 'fluke' but, now that he knew it was possible, Vahn had been intending to experiment with Apollo's body when he got a chance...

Carrying Kali down to the ship, Vahn looked at the kneeling Brynhildr and Bruna before saying, "Rise. The two of you have done well..." In response, the two Valkyrie showed prideful expressions before obediently rising to their feet and saluting, Brynhildr remarking, "We are unworthy of such kind words, Your Majesty. If not for the treasures you had bestowed unto us, we would have been powerless in the face of a God such as Poseidon..."

With the best poker face he could manage, Vahn gave a curt nod in response to Brynhildr's words before giving up trying to set Kali down onto the ship. She was snickering in his arms while adamantly refusing to let go of his neck. With her small size, she could easily dangle without her feet touching the ground so Vahn just accepted the awkwardness of the situation as he turned his eyes to Asfi and asked, "Do you want me to accompany you...?" She had been standing with a blank expression of her own ever since he had arrived so Vahn was a little worried about her.

Hearing Vahn's words, Asfi allowed a small smile to spread across her lips before shaking her head and saying, "No, I will handle the rest. This is my homeland...it is up to me to restore it to its former glory. Please rest assured that, one day, the Aetheiopian Kingdom will become one of the Empire's staunchest allies...!" Though it was more appropriate to call them a vassal state, Vahn had left the decision up to Asfi in regards to when her Kingdom would officially join the Empire. For the time being, the Alliance would be sending people over to help them rebuild while Asfi worked to consolidate power as the Kingdom's new Queen. Officially, she was considered his consort so, regardless of how long the transition took, the Aetheiopian Kingdom was already his by virtue of their relationship...

Though he would have normally parted with her after a long embrace, Vahn knew it would be impossible while Kali was clinging to his neck. This realization made him realize that Kali was behaving this way intentionally but, as she had been acting this way ever since he told her about the existence of Maya, Vahn had already gotten used to it. She was determined to get an 'advantage' over this mysterious twin of hers so, while the rest of the City had been celebrating, Kali had been lingering around the Manor and bothering Vahn whenever she knew she could get away with it. Now that she had even helped him strike down a god, giving him the means to avoid having any naysayers in Heaven call him out, Kali was intending to capitalize on the opportunity as much as possible...

With his presence no longer required, Vahn transformed into his Qinglong form once again before carrying Kali with him back to a transfer point he had set up at the distant Iron Hills Sanctuary. In order to avoid 'triggering' Terra and Alexa, Vahn had decided to avoid using his Qingling form near the City, thus resulting in him using Yggy's personal network to get around on occasion. Upon arriving within the verdant garden that now existed where atop what remained of the Mother Mountain, Vahn saw Yggy wearing a white floral dress as she tended to a small grove of golden peaches. Though she was more than aware of his presence, she pretended to be ignorant since Kali was still firmly clinging to his neck...

This time, Vahn allowed a wry smile to appear on his lips as he 'gently' pinched Kali's side and asked, "What do I have to do to get you to let go...?" Though he already had several ideas regarding what she would ask, Vahn allowed Kali some leeway to make her demands. He wanted to see how far she would push her luck but, knowing full-well that she still wasn't 'that' close with Vahn, Kali surprised him by saying, "For now, let's just take a nap together...we still have a few hours before dinner time, right...?" Even though it wasn't even in the top ten things she 'wanted' to do with Vahn, Kali knew better than to push him too hard as she rested her head against his chest and began listening to his heartbeat.

As this was a simple enough request, Vahn acquiesced to Kali's 'demand' before carrying her in a proper bridal hold and asking, "How long has it been since I gave you a massage? I fear my techniques have been getting rusty as of late..." Since she had 'willingly' compromised, Vahn decided to give Kali one of the actual rewards. There was even a chance that things could develop along an axis that she would undoubtedly 'benefit' greatly from so, without any hesitation, Kali began to snicker before licking around Vahn's neck. She made sure that her actions couldn't be seen by Yggy as she whispered, "Very well...if you want me to make sure your skills haven't rusted, you'll have to give me a full course this time around...ufufufu~."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn has already learned to lie, just like a good politician...','It's hard to tell if Asfi, or the Valkyrie, are more ruthless o_o...','Kali is learning to pull Vahn's strings well...meanwhile, Yggy being a 'good' daughter and ignoring her Father's philandering xD...')

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