After being 'folded' by Scáthach's fist, Vahn's legs felt like they were about to give out as, by attempting to stand upright, overwhelming nausea overtook him. If not for the fact he hadn't eaten anything recently, Vahn had no doubt he would have been forced to greet his lunch. Instead, he preferred forth stomach acid and spittle as he released a pained groan, even before Scáthach's next hit landed. This time, even with both arms crossed, Vahn failed to defend against the attack at all when Scáthach moved her hips with the litheness of a snake, changing the angle of her kick like a whip as it bypassed his guard and caught him in the side of the neck. Vahn felt the sickening sensation of her boot sinking into his flesh, breaking bones and rupturing arteries before the larger impact force sent him careening across the landscape...
It hadn't even taken five minutes before Vahn realized there was almost no resistance he could provide against Scáthach's attacks. She never even seemed to blink as she watched for even the most minute movements of his body, seeing through them immediately thereafter. He couldn't even fool her with a feint as, with her speed and strength, both of which were beyond his expectations, Vahn was simply too slow to keep up. The worst part of it all, serving as irrefutable proof of her absolute mastery of all skills and abilities, Scáthach had immediately shrouded herself in a red aura after he tried to match her pace with [Cantus Bellax]. Not only did she instantly copy the skill for her own use, but Scáthach's seemed much larger and more stable than his. Instead of matching his C-Rank version, Scáthach was using a form that was near mastery from the getgo...
Vahn felt he would never quite regret anything as much as trying to use an unmastered ability against Scáthach. There was few things comparable to the 'nothingness' that Vahn experienced whenever he would try to hit her with a 'surprise' attack using one of his skills. Not only would she evade it with ease, but the follow-up attack would undoubtedly be his own skill thrown back at him with far greater proficiency. Immediately following that, her beatdown would continue without a single break while, on occasion, she wouldn't even let him fall to the ground after starting a series of chained attacks that forced him to stay upright. The one time he had tried to complain about it, Scáthach had plainly answered, "You can still fight." before hitting him in the diaphragm hard enough to leave an indentation of her foot in his body...
Now, if not for his ability to keep track of time using the system interface, Vahn felt that he wouldn't be able to accurately measure how much time had passed. It felt like there had never been a time before Scáthach had started beating him and, with her mechanical movements and complete lack of expression, it felt like a time when he was free from her beating would never come. It wasn't until she led with her right foot, shattering his left kneecap before stepping in faster than Vahn's eyes could follow as she formed a 'knife' with her left hand and pierced his torso, right below his heart. To her credit, Scáthach had never dealt 'potentially fatal' damage to him, even knowing such attacks wouldn't actually kill him. Her reasoning for this was that, regardless of how unique his body was, he should never become accustomed to having his vitals struck. If an enemy happened to have a skill that could override his immortality, the only reward for his hubris would be death...
Unceremoniously pulling her hand free from his chest, Scáthach allowed Vahn to fall to the ground as she stared at her blood-covered hand. Then, sending shivers down his spine, she began to lick her palm and fingers clean before looking down and saying, "You are improving." After this, she rolled his body over so that he was facing towards the endless sky above before squatting down at his side. Vahn mustered what remained of his strength, accelerating his healing with [Magia Erebea] as his depleted reserves failed to support the action. This caused Scáthach to remark, "You have amazing willpower. Even though you are completely drained, you still fight...or is it fear...?"
As if to confirm her suspicions, Scáthach pushed down Vahn's shoulder before moving partway across his body and sitting on his stomach. This immediately caused a powerful pressure to radiate outward from Vahn's body as he gnashed his teeth before asking, "What are you doing...?" Before she answered, Scáthach cupped the sides of his face with both of her hands, answering, "You do not like to be in a submissive position. If you fear being dominated by others, you should improve more quickly. As your Teacher, I am inclined to help you overcome this fear..." Having removed her hands from Vahn's face, Scáthach traced her finger over one of the holes in Vahn's clothing, a place where she had pierced him in the past.
Vahn felt like he was on the verge of exploding, causing strength he didn't know he had to rise up as he struck aside Scáthach's hand before trying to headbutt her in the chin. In response to this, she simply leaned forward slightly and, instead of hitting her chin, Vahn's face found itself snuggly between her two large breasts, immediately followed by her hugging his head and saying, "It is not my intention to break you. I can't see it, the heights you can reach...use this power to overcome yourself. You are already very powerful but your mind is filled with hesitation and doubt. You must learn to move without thought, act without hesitation, and follow-through with conviction. The first step on the path to self-mastery is the mastery of the mind..."
After finishing her 'lecture', Scáthach released Vahn from her embrace before rising to her feet. There was a bit of blood staining her skintight bodysuit but, much like the blood Vahn had littered about the battlefield, it was already beginning to 'evaporate' into nothingness. Scáthach then turned to Fenrir who, from the time the battle had come to an end, had been taking deep breaths at the side to prevent herself from attacking. When Vahn had felt fear, frustration, and rage, Fenrir had felt each of them alongside him, amplified by her own emotions. As Scáthach could sense this unique bond they shared, she gave Fenrir a light nod before saying, "I will entrust him to you. Take care of him properly."
With these parting words, Scáthach closed her eyes before disappearing to conserve her magical power. She had wanted to replenish her reserves at the end of the battle but, seeing the state Vahn was in, she changed her mind. This wasn't because she lacked the resolve to take what she wanted, but because it seemed as if Vahn was experiencing an internal struggle, one which threatened to break him if she exacerbated it further. By allowing Fenrir to take care of him, his mind would regain its clarity and, by the time he had recovered his energy, Scáthach believed Vahn would already have become much stronger. The amount he had improved in just four hours was far beyond her most optimistic estimates, even though it was simply him familiarizing himself with his own body. She could tell, even without Vahn expressly explaining the situation, he had experience wielding even greater power. Right now, it was almost as if he was trying to learn how to use his own body, an intriguing thought that only added to his seemingly endless mysteries...
The moment Scáthach had vanished into thin air, Vahn felt all of his muscles relax as he sprawled himself out on the hard ground with a blank expression on his face. Towards the very end, Vahn had nearly used one of his Command Spells to order Scáthach to stop. He was pretty sure this was the only reason she decided not to have her way with him, causing Vahn to feel conflicting emotions of shame, fear, and relief. When Fenrir moved to sit next to his body, these emotions were amplified for a brief moment, only fading when she began to gently stroke his head. This single calming action caused his heart, which felt like it had been gripped by a vice, to completely relax. A warm sensation washed over him as Vahn managed to roll onto his side. Fenrir, understanding his intentions, snuggled up with her back against his chest, allowing them both to experience the comfort they had come to expect from each other...
---
At this point, nearly fourteen hours had passed within the Sub-Space Orb, giving Rin enough time to take a nap and eat two full meals. Watching Vahn fight against Scáthach had shaken her more than she expected, causing even delicious food to taste surprisingly bland. Any feelings of resentment she harbored towards Vahn regarding the severity of his training had disappeared within the first half and hour. Since he seemed like an unstoppable existence within her mind, Rin had been shocked into subdued silence as she watched him get thrashed like a ragdoll. The worst part of it was, when the beating first began, Rin felt like Vahn was finally getting his comeuppance. Now, she felt an extreme level of guilt as she watched him and Fenrir lay down together, not even bothering to use a bed for additional comfort...
Sitting near Rin, though not exactly with her, Astolfo and Nobunaga were actually in high spirits as the former happily poured drinks for the latter. Nobunaga found Astolfo's existence interesting as, unlike how she had worn men's clothing to fit in, Astolfo wore women's clothing to stand out. This actually made Nobunaga feel both envious and appreciative of Astolfo's existence, especially since the latter seemed weak to compliments. If not for the fact that she had set her sights on Vahn, Nobunaga felt it wouldn't have been beneath her to lay with Astolfo a few times. Though it would undoubtedly lose its novelty very quickly, it was still an interesting, albeit whimsical, notion...
After having adapted to the background noise of Vahn's beating, Astolfo had kicked it off with Nobunaga very quickly. He felt as if she were something along the lines of a kindred spirit, even if their reasons were a complete contrast to each other. She reminded him a lot of her former comrade, Roland who, after being rejected by the woman he had fallen in love with, threw off all his clothes in a mad fit before rampaging around town. He went from being one of the most well-liked and noble amongst the Paladins to a man who would unashamedly engage in 'plays' which, at the time, were highly scandalous. Before Astolfo had managed to restore Roland's sanity by obtaining a [Bottle of Reason] from the moon, he had actually lain with him several times, the incident which caused him to begin dressing as a woman in the first place. Though they didn't actually have sex, Roland's possessive nature and 'greediness' in the bedroom were memories that brought a smile to Astolfo's face whenever he saw his reflection in the mirror. The hair ornaments he was so fond of had been a gift from Roland during the time of his madness, something that had become the irresistible proof of their friendship after the fact...
With two 'very' different reasons for enjoying each others' company, Nobunaga and Astolfo both had ruddy faces as a result of their heavy drinking. Astolfo was even leaning against Nobunaga's shoulder, laughing effeminately as Nobunaga, perhaps due to muscle memory, had her arm around his shoulder as he groped Astolfo's non-existent chest. It was around the time that Astolfo released an audible moan that Rin, twin-tails flaring, jumped to her feet and shouted, "Can the two of you cut it out!? I can't even form a coherent thought with the two of you acting so...so shamelessly!"
Rin's interruption caused Astolfo to make a pouting expression as he brought both of his index fingers together, a powerful display of cuteness that even caused Rin to feel apologetic. As for Nobunaga, she just craned her head back to give Rin a deadpan stare before remarking, "How is it that a man had more feminine charm than an actual woman? You should take some lessons from that Goddess of Beauty hiding in your tits. She might be able to teach you a few things...fuuuu..." Since she wasn't even remotely intimidated by Rin, Nobunaga felt like getting even with her for the slap Ishtar had bestowed upon her previously.
Feeling Nobunaga's words like a hammer on her heart, Rin began to grind her teeth in frustration before deciding to just move to a different location herself. After throwing a few snacks onto her comforter, Rin rolled it into a ball and tied off the end before storming off to the other side of the 'crater' Vahn had dug. Nobunaga followed her with an incredulous look on her face while Astolfo, having sobered up a bit, issued an awkward laugh as he rubbed the back of his head. Rising to his feet, Astolfo patted imaginary dust off his skirt before saying, "I'm going to go patrol around the Manor to get some fresh air. It feels weird to be in here for too long, almost like the 'real' world is actually the fake..."
Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Nobunaga plainly stated, "Do whatever you want, brat. I'm going to stay in here and keep an eye on our would-be Master. When you finish up playing around, let's have another drink or two. There isn't much better to do while we wait for the Holy Grail War to start again." Since only fourteen of the one-hundred-twelve hours period Vahn had said they would stay in here had passed, Nobunaga was already beginning to feel bored. Though it was extremely useful to have the Sub-Space Orb to make their preparations, she wished there were more ways to pass the time than just eat snacks and drink sake alone. Astolfo had alleviated a bit of her boredom but, now that he would be going to patrol for a while, Nobunaga knew she would probably be stuck doing nothing for around two-to-three hours...
In response to Nobunaga's words, Astolfo just laughed in an easy-going manner before the casual wear he had been wearing, consisting of tight shorts and a thin blouse with ribbons, changed into his Paladin's attire. As Servants summoned to participate in the Holy Grail War, they were all given the intrinsic ability to manifest any clothes they could conceptualize with a simple thought. This had come as a great surprise to Astolfo during the hours immediately following his summoning as he had spent quite a few of them dressing himself up in front of a mirror.
With Astolfo vanishing from within the orb, Nobunaga laid on her side in a somewhat slovenly manner before unceremoniously scratching around her exposed navel. Following this, she gave a bored yawn before rolling onto her back and sprawling out in much the same way as Vahn had earlier. Then, though Servants couldn't experience 'true' sleep, Nobunaga decided to relax her mind and take a short nap to pass the time. She wondered if her 'dreams' might overlap with Vahn's again, allowing her to alleviate her boredom by observing what he had been up to in his previous world. It had been very entertaining to see the efforts he put into becoming strong, eventually reaching a point where few could match him...
Thinking of her thrashed Master, Nobunaga sighed through her nose before getting a somewhat mischevious idea. Since they were already in a relatively 'private' area, Nobunaga formed a mental image that caused her pajama's to change into a set of blood-red silk lingerie. Though the chances of Vahn doing anything to her while she was asleep were infinitely close to zero, Nobunaga felt like she would have pulled off a successful prank if he showed even a small reaction to her sleeping figure. This was enough to cause her to snicker a bit as darkness unlike normal unconsciousness slowly descended upon her mind. Towards the end, just as she began to lose awareness, Nobunaga saw the familiar image of a workshop as a boy tirelessly worked away with a look of absolute focus upon his face...
---
It took the better part of three hours, even with the increased mana density within the orb, but Vahn eventually replenished his reserves naturally. Neither he nor Fenrir had been sleeping while they lay together as their focus had been on 'experiencing' the comfort, not falling prey to it. Now that Vahn had recovered, he felt a lot better than before as he gently inhaled the fragrance of Fenrir's hair before saying, "That woman doesn't know the meaning of the word restraint..." To this, Fenrir nodded her head before complaining, "It is even worse than when I fought life and death battles with Tiona and Ais..." Since 'death' would normally lead to a quick recovery with an [Effigy of the Hero], it wasn't nearly as 'scary' as being beaten to the point that you want to quit but, so long as you have even a small amount of strength left, are unable to...
As 'odd' as it might seem, at least from the perspective of a normal person, Vahn couldn't help but agree with Fenrir's assessment. Even so, as he had spent the last three hours deeply considering things, Vahn lightly rubbed the inside of Fenrir's paws as he said, "But we can both become much stronger if we listen to her. Though it was impossible to notice while I was getting beaten, I feel like I've improved a lot in a short period of time. At this rate, I feel like I may even be able to reach my previous level of power in less than a year's time..." At the rate his reserves had been increasing, Vahn's initial estimates indicated he would take around three years to even stabilize his power. Now, it was actually hard to accurately determine how much he would grow as, compared to any of his previous training, Vahn felt significantly stronger after just one sparring session with Scáthach.
Once again, Fenrir nodded her head in agreement before saying, "It is painful...but not nearly as painful as the frustration I felt having to run away. I want to become much stronger so, no matter how much it hurts, I will keep standing back up. One day...one day I will surpass her..." Since she knew that the power she and her Master sought was something far beyond Scáthach, Fenrir felt that she would never be able to keep pace with him if she couldn't even beat a single woman. She could also tell that Scáthach's skill in close-quarters-combat was quickly refining her own techniques. This was due to the fact that, while Fenrir's fighting style was somewhat unorthodox, Scáthach was able to emulate the nearly perfected form of the style when she was beating her...
Having come to an accord, Vahn and Fenrir both tensed up a little before moving to a seated position. The reason why they would have such a reaction was, almost as if she had known they were prepared to begin anew, Scáthach had appeared like a phantom right next to them. Her crimson eyes had a slightly dull color, the result of her diminished reserves, but she still emitted pressure like an indomitable mountain as she looked down at them with her expressionless face. Then, like a Judge passing a sentence upon convicted criminals, Scáthach looked to Fenrir before saying, "I will have you fight against Astolfo. You need to fight against people that are only a bit stronger than you in order to stabilize your current progress. This will also allow you to familiarize yourself with the combat style of your allies so make sure you pay attention."
Fenrir's faced formed a frown but, having experienced the detriments to trying to argue with Scáthach, she reluctantly rose to her feet before running over to where Nobunaga and Astolfo had resumed their drinking. At the same time, Scáthach had turned her attention to Vahn, saying, "You need to replenish my magical power. Fenrir is only trying to master a single style so she can gain much from fighting similarly skilled opponents. Since you are greedy and want to master everything, I will be giving you the special attention you require. Until you reach the point where nothing can shake you, I will continue to break you down over and over again...prepare yourself."
Since Vahn hadn't stood up yet, Scáthach punctuated her words by suddenly materializing her [Gae Bolg] and striking towards his shoulder. At first, the spear bounced off an invisible membrane but, before Vahn was able to roll to the side and leap to his feet, Scathach had struck a second time with even greater force. It felt like the blade literally curved to match his trajectory, piercing Vahn in the shoulder regardless of his efforts. Following this, Scáthach twisted the spear while pulling it towards her, jerking his body forward at the same time as she kicked him in the stomach. This, once again, sent Vahn flying a great deal but, instead of chasing him directly, Scáthach had stopped in place before licking the edge of her spear with the same blank expression that was beginning to imprint itself deep within Vahn's psyche...
As if to explain her purpose, Scáthach stated, "You are not through with the first lesson, but I will begin teaching you the second starting now..." In the midst of saying this, Scáthach pulled out a second spear before vanishing like a phantom from view. Vahn felt two sources of incredible heat, one in his back and the other across his leg as Scáthach added, "Once you have mastered the mind, the next step is mastering the heart. You must reach a point beyond instincts, using your feelings to guide your actions without requiring excess thought. If you can maintain a clear mind and a serene heart, it won't matter what your enemies throw at you..." At the very end of her words, Scáthach actually skewered Vahn through the chest using a spear that had a rounded disk at the base of the blade. As a result, Vahn's heart was ripped from his chest, allowing him to see it still pulsating at the end of her spear...
Even though he had become accustomed to extreme levels of pain, there was always a powerful sense of incongruity whenever he saw scenes like this. Vahn wasn't afforded any time to contemplate how absolutely nightmarish his current situation was, however, as Scáthach unceremoniously pulled her spear free, taking his heart with it. Then, in a voice that caused Vahn to once again experience a profound 'nothingness', Scathach calmly stated, "You have a powerful heart..." before placing her lips over one of the valves and sucking the blood from within. It was at this moment, much like before, that Vahn felt his convictions slipping away as, even if he managed to last through Scáthach's training, would he even be the same person...?
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It turns out Scáthach's red eyes are actually...the Mangekyou Sharingan!?','Two abnormal Servants...','Dayum, Scáthach, you scary (O______O)...')
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Though it had not been long, less than five days, Vahn felt as if the last hundred hours or so could be directly compared to a several-year period. Currently, he was laying at the bottom of the now filled miniature-lake, enjoying the pressure of the water and the cool sensation against his skin. Almost as if he were meditating, his mind was in a state where the only 'thought' gracing his consciousness were the nigh-imperceptible sounds from the [Mantra of Eternity]. He did not move, not even to breathe, while his heart rate had slowed so considerably that it would have been more conducive to measure its rhythm in beats-per-hour than beats-per-minute...
In this state, where he simply existed, Vahn could feel every subtle vibration from the surroundings, including the gentle ebb and flow of the water, the distant echo of voices, the sound of water being displaced as people swam through it. If he chose to focus, in this state of borderline 'nothingness', Vahn could even perceive the heartbeats of others, a gentle yet consistent vibration that seemed to spread through his body like a healing wave. In a way, these vibrations were very similar to the [Manta of Eternity], as it would seem to not exist the moment you truly tried to focus on it. The only way to experience it was to let things go, freeing your mind from all other distractions so that you could simply be as one with the natural and gentle rhythm of the universe...
Even Vahn wasn't quite sure how long he had been laying at the bottom of the lake, at least not before his finger twitched slightly when the sound of water breaking echoed through the water. This brought his awareness back from the nothingness, causing Vahn's eyes to slowly open as the swift figure of Fenrir, wearing what appeared to be a traditional school swimsuit, appeared in his vision. For a brief moment after their gazes overlapped, neither Vahn nor Fenrir made any attempts to move as they simply 'understood' each other completely in a single instant. Vahn then proceeded to nod before rolling to position his feet under himself in order to gentle kick off from the lakebed and ascend to the surface.
Breaking through the surface of the water, Vahn suddenly felt the world was a lot warmer than before as he took in his first breath over the last six hours. It tasted crisp and refreshing, causing him to issue a natural and gentle smile as he extricated himself from the water, directing his gaze to the nearby Rin before his words got caught in his throat. Though this could have been misconstrued as shock, due to how Rin was wearing an intricate red bikini, it was the fact that someone Vahn hadn't expected to see was standing next to her. During the moment when he was laying at the bottom of the lake, Vahn had completely turned off his domain to cut himself off from outside distractions. Rin seemed mildly surprised by his confusion at first, as it always felt like Vahn 'knew' everything, but she quickly explained, "Gray came to pass information directly to prevent any information from leaking. Since you said this is essentially an isolated space, I thought it would be best to bring her inside so she could report directly..."
Vahn had already assumed much the same so he wasn't surprised by Rin's words in the least. What he really wanted to know was how Gray had the time to change into an off-black swimsuit. Deciding to let the matter lay, Vahn just gave Gray, who was still wearing her hooded cloak, a curt nod before saying, "Your swimsuit suits you well." Then, without missing a step, Vahn cast his glance over Rin's body in an 'obvious' manner before smiling as he said, "You look amazing, Rin." Since he had little doubt that Rin would have worn something more conservative at a beach or pool, Vahn knew that she had specifically worn a bikini to catch his attention. Though he wasn't quite at the level Scáthach wanted him to be at, not by a longshot, Vahn decided it was a lot easier to just say whatever was on his mind without worrying about the potential ramifications.
Rin's face turned slightly red while, somewhat unexpectedly, Gray pulled her hood down to cover her face before closing her mantle in an apparent attempt to hide her body. Vahn withheld comment about her peculiar actions as he had some idea as to the reason why she was acting bashfully. To make things easier for them both, Vahn changed from wearing nothing but a pair of tight swimwear, not all that dissimilar from a professional swimmer, into a set of casual clothing. He then gestured to the side, where a series of furniture was loosely arranged to accommodate anyone wanting to relax within the Orb's confines. In passing, Vahn spooked Rin a bit by snaking his hand around her waist and leading her along with him as if it were the most natural thing to do...
---
Gray, hugging a penguin-shaped pillow to hide the front of her body, was seated across from Vahn, Rin, and Fenrir as she explained, "Last night, a Magus hailing from China, named Wu Lim Shi, was eliminated from the Holy Grail War. His Servant was the Assassin-Class, a Heroic Spirit named Yan Qing. We are unsure of what happened with Assassin, but it is almost guaranteed that he has been contracted to the Master of the second Assassin-Class Servant, Hassan I Sabbah. Like you, some of the enemy Masters seem to be trying to expand their forces...there is a good chance alliances have already been made as well."
Hearing Gray's report, Vahn realized that the Grail War was becoming even more twisted and complex than ever before. Though it wasn't unheard of for Master's to take in additional Servants, it was counterintuitive to the completion of the Heaven's Feel ritual. At the same time, unless they had means he was unaware of, it was nearly impossible for other Master's to manifest more than a single Servant. They could certainly have more than one bound to them, but they were unable to establish an 'active' link with two manifested Servants without overburdening themselves. This was one of the mechanisms that Holy Grail used to ensure that situations like Vahn's, where he was hoarding multiple Servants, wouldn't provide an even more ridiculous advantage...
Without thinking too deeply into it, Vahn gave a curt nod before explaining, "We can deduce that these changes are either caused by the Einzbern's modifications to the ritual...or due to the current abnormalities within the Grail itself. Now that the trend has been established, there is a good chance this Grail War will become a competition to see which Master can consolidate the greatest number of Servants under their influence...even then, I imagine they will still have multiple Masters on their side. We will have to prepare to fight against teams and alliances in the future..."
Vahn knew that, unlike him, even if a Master could cheat the system by manifesting a second Servant, it wouldn't be easy. He could mitigate the negative influences without any effort at all, either due to the nature of his own body and mind or as a 'hidden benefit' provided due to his status as a 'Moderator'. Even when he had Nobunaga, Scáthach, and Astolfo all manifested at the same time, Vahn didn't feel even the smallest burden on his mind and body. To make matters even more advantageous for himself, Nobunaga, Astolfo, and, using her ability to make use of any skill, Scáthach; all three of them had the [Independent Action] skill. So long as they avoided combat, they would be able to stay manifested for well over a day without having to resupply, an affair that Vahn was becoming increasingly desensitized to...
In response to Vahn's words, Rin had a thoughtful expression on her face as she suggested, "Maybe it would be best to lay low and let the other Masters take each other out. There still hasn't been any sign of the Ruler-Class Servant appearing and, other than both Assassins, we don't really know the identities of the other Servants." Rin felt a strange incongruity in her own words as, going by common sense, the Assassin-Class Servants should have been the hardest to identify since they would rarely fight directly.
Shaking her head, Gray quickly corrected, "We know the identities of several other Servants now. It is one of the things I came to report..." These plainly stated words caused Rin to startle slightly, followed by her exclaiming, "Come on, Gray, that is the kind of thing you mention earlier...!" This outburst caused Gray to bury her face into the top of the penguin-shaped pillow, resulting in Rin becoming slightly fretful as she waved her hands and said, "Hey, I'm not blaming you or anything. I..." Before Rin could continue, Vahn placed his hand on her shoulder before lightly shaking his head to get her to quiet down.
With Rin falling silent, Vahn looked towards Gray before gently asking, "Gray, can you please tell us about the other Servants? It will be very helpful..." In response to these words, Gray peered back with her stark blue eyes before nodding her head and somewhat sheepishly explaining, "We have been able to confirm the identities of one of the Saber-Class Servants, the second Rider-Class Servant, and one of the Berserkers...also, based on the information you provided, there is a good chance that the Caster you encountered previously is someone the Mage's Association has an interest in..."
Though he was a little bothered by the fact that Gray hadn't actually named any of the Servants when she was speaking, Vahn remained patient and simply nodded his head in response. This seemed to get Gray to relax a little more as she sat a little straighter before explaining, "The Saber-Class is a Servant by the name of Lakshmibai, also known as the Jeanne d'Arc of India. She had fought against the Berserker we've identified, a troublesome Servant identified as Asterios, the Minotaur. From what we've been able to collect, it seemed that Lakshmibai was seriously injured in their battle before ultimately managing to escape. The last Servant, the Rider-Class, could prove even more troublesome...he is a Servant named Ozymandias, the man known as Ramesses II, or the God-King..."
As Gray was giving her explanation, Vahn was already sorting through the information on all the named Servants with the assistance of Sis. Lakshmibai seemed like she would probably join their side if he managed to encounter her Master, but the other two would undoubtedly prove troublesome. Asterios' legend already made him out to be a monstrously powerful figure so, with the [Mad Enhancement] of being a Berserker-Class, he would be difficult to deal with head-on. As for Ozymandias, it wouldn't really matter all that much if the man himself hadn't been that powerful in life. With titles like 'God-King', the Heroic Spirit manifested by the Grail would undoubtedly be on a level all his own.
While his subprocess mind was sifting through the legends to try and discern any exploitable weaknesses the three might have, Vahn kept his attention on Gray as he asked, "What can you tell us about the Caster we encountered? He doesn't seem like an evil individual, so I plan to try and recruit him to our side." Though they were quickly running out of ally slots, as they still needed to sacrifice six Servants in order to summon the Greater Grail, Vahn felt like the Caster that had bested Fenrir would be a powerful ally. At the same time, Vahn had already realized that things were developing in a similar way to his experience within Danmachi. It hadn't been his intention outright, by he quickly found himself surrounded by girls and, though Astolfo was 'technically' a male, Vahn felt he didn't serve the role of a stop-gap in the least...
In response to Vahn's question, Gray showed a rare smile before explaining, "If his appearance is as Rin previously described, that Caster-Class Servant should be a man by the name of Paracelsus Von Hoenheim. When he was alive, he was one of the most prominent Alchemist and Magecraft researchers in the entire world. Some even credit him as being the 'Father of Modern Alchemy', due to the vast knowledge he freely shared with everyone. Even the production of modern [Philosopher's Stone]s uses the formula he had provided, requiring no sacrifices in order to achieve a similar result to the original...!"
Vahn was a little surprised by Gray's enthusiasm as, other than when they fought, she seemed like a quiet and demure girl. Knowing that revealing his surprise would cause her to fall silent, Vahn kept a gentle smile on his face as he commented, "He sounds like an amazing person. Now I have even more of a reason to try and recruit him..." This sentiment seemed to be shared by Gray who, since the moment she began talking about Paracelsus, had an expression of adulation on her face. As for Rin, she had a completely blank expression at the moment as she looked between Vahn and Gray, internally asking herself, ("What the heck is going on here? I've never seen Gray talk so much before...")
For a few minutes straight, Gray continued to talk somewhat enthusiastically about all the accomplishments that Paracelsus had accumulated in life. As Vahn had already sorted through the man's information in his mind, her actions were more than a little redundant, but he decided it wouldn't hurt to humor her. By the end of her story, which made Paracelsus out to be a figure that even gods show bow before, Gray wasn't even using the penguin to hide anymore. Since she had a youthful figure, even while being in her late twenties, Vahn felt this was the 'best' way for her to be. Seeing a woman walk around in a solemn and demure state was a little saddening as, compared to almost anything else, nothing quite added to the natural beauty of the world quite like the sincere expression of happiness people were capable of showing. It was the kind of thing that people would fight tooth and nail to protect, regardless of the nightmares they might have to face...
Unfortunately, Gray's smile didn't last for too much longer as, much like the legend of other Heroes, Paracelsus didn't have a 'good end'. Because he had been publishing his research freely, both within the Magus, Church, and Civilian communities, he caused a lot of the 'traditionalists' who believed that Magecraft should be kept a secret to turn against him. Paracelsus seemed to genuinely believe that Magecraft, if freely propagated, would allow humanity to reach true prosperity. He ignored the warnings and threats, all the way until the very moment the Mage's Association sent its Executors to assassinate him. According to Gray, he offered no resistance to the very end, even saying to his murderers, "When all of you return to each of your homes, please be affectionate to your children. Even showing it to your neighbors' kids is fine. As the light that I sought, is in them..."
Vahn had to admit that he was a bit shaken by Gray's words as, if they were true, the people in power had essentially killed one of the kindest and most noble people he had ever heard of...all to protect their secrets and secure their own power. He even suspected that the only reason they allowed Paracelsus to live as long as he had was to benefit from his research for themselves. The order to kill him must have come from someone who had learned about a recent breakthrough that Paracelsus had made and, not wanting it to be 'freely shared' with other members of the Magus Community, ordered his murder before stealing the research for themselves...
Seeing Gray suddenly drop into low spirits, Vahn's own smile grew to compensate as he stated in a calm and serious tone, "I will make sure that Paracelsus is able to achieve his dream this time around. In this modern era, the Mage's Association and the Holy Church would be hard-pressed to suppress information spread through the internet. I can help Paracelsus establish a workshop in secret, using this Sub-Space Orb to keep his presence concealed from the rest of the world. Every breakthrough he makes, I will make sure it spreads to each end of the globe...though his dream may not be the most realistic, I can't help but want to believe that the path he saw was the correct one..."
As Vahn's most sincere desire, other than returned home, was to help people that were suffering, he found Paracelsus' ideals worthy of his envy. Unlike the path he had chosen, which seemed to be one filled with bloodshed and slaughter, Paracelsus had walked the path of a true pacifist. He seemed to sincerely believe in the goodness of mankind, even if it didn't exist in the present. By focusing his efforts on making the world a better place for the generations to follow, Paracelsus believed that the world would eventually become a place where everyone could be happy, much the same as Vahn himself believed. Though their means were nearly polar opposites of each other, as Vahn believed in merit, effort, and balance, their end desire wasn't all that dissimilar...
Though not nearly as vibrant as before, Gray returned a gratified smile in response to Vahn's claim before saying, "I will choose to believe you..." As these words left her lips, however, Gray seemed startled by herself as practically jumped to her feet before asking, "How do I leave this place...?" in a hurried tone. Vahn did his best to prevent his expression from changing in the slightest as he wrote the word in the air, doing his best not to focus on it. As a result, Gray, Fenrir, Rin, and even Nobunaga all vanished from within the Orb. This caused Vahn to instantly burst out laughing, even when all three returned a few seconds later with slightly reddened faces...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Man, Scáthach fucked Vahn's shit up xD...','Paracelsus is bae','Ha, got'em...!')
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