Chapter 1178: Trepdiation
With each of the unsupported steps having small gaps between them, Vahn felt mildly perturbed to be ascending them, even though there was no danger he would fall. In fact, based on the apparent distance to the ground, he had been much higher up than this peculiar platform though, according to Zelretch's earlier words, it was very possible he would fall 'forever' if he lacked the means to fly and transfer through space. Fortunately, there weren't too many stairs leading to the temple-like structure at the end, fixed atop a ziggurat comprised of red stones that were neatly arranged in a terraced compound with successively receding stories. Due to there being no subterranean levels, it looked vaguely formed the shape of a lozenge, like two pyramids glued together at their bases with their tops cut off to allow the temple to sit flush at the top...
Vahn had already sensed it from the start, at least roughly, but the interior of the large structure was largely hollow, the only thing breaking up the empty space being floating platforms, each containing specimens of flora or fauna that were very likely preserved since the Age of Gods. He assumed these were either rare creatures and materials that had been harvested from the lower levels of the Spirit Tomb and, much like how Da Vinci kept things preserved, they were each suspended in stasis fields, some sealed away with powerful runic Magecraft. It was actually quite the awe-inspiring sight, as the inside of the temple appeared similar to an expansive garden, but this sentiment faded quickly when Vahn noticed some of the specimens were humanoid in structure.
As he had made no attempts to hide his dissatisfaction, Zelretch lightly tapped his cane against the ground, muttering, "Stay your anger, Sage Emperor. Many of these specimens are the last of their kind and, if not for their preservation here, they would have already lost their lives. They are locked in temporal isolation, their minds living an endless and peaceful dream, each willingly agreeing to become a source of Mystery in exchange for the pleasant dreams that define their existence. When the world is capable of sustaining them once again, I can assure you that they will be freed from this place without fail..."
Hearing Zelretch's words, Vahn felt more at ease but, at the same time, he didn't fully trust the claim that they had accepted this kind of life willingly. Though his impression of Zelretch was improving, this did nothing to place him on more amicable terms with the figure slowly appearing from the void through a door comprised entirely of light. They radiated an aura of death and, while this was not an indicator of them being an evil person, Vahn wasn't fond of the way the rather petite and youthful individual was looking at him. It wasn't the first time he had seen someone with peculiar eyes but, being stared at by these shimmering blue eyes which seemed to radiate a pink light from around the pupil caused his skin to crawl...
The figure, who Vahn assumed to be the Association Director, was attired in oversized white robes, their entire body covered in various treasures. Instead of appearing gaudy, however, they emanated a cold and detached aura while, flowing around their body, Vahn was very aware of the presence of Divinity. Identifying what this Divinity was related to was beyond him, unfortunately, as one of the treasures adorning the Director's body made it virtually impossible to discern anything accurately. It wasn't to the degree of Da Vinci but, even with all of his experience as a physician, Vahn couldn't even determine their gender, if they even had one...
While Vahn was evaluating them, Solon was doing much the same, albeit with far greater hostility and, though they would never admit it, a bit of fear. The Mystic Eyes they possessed were known as the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception and, though they were not infallible, they allowed the user to see the 'Death of an Existence' in the form of lines. If these lines were cut through, a feat that could be managed with a dull knife or a long fingernail, even indestructible and immortal existences could be killed. The lines offered absolutely no resistance against attacks and, once cut, the target would simply break down into their constituent particles, overwriting all regenerative effects and ensuring they would experience 'true' death...
Under normal circumstances, all existences had, at the very least, two lines of death. This included inanimate objects and, if the user was skilled enough, even the air around them. The lines viewed were entirely dependent on the user of the Mystic Eyes and, even for someone as powerful as Zelretch, Solon was able to see a line running across his heart and another imperceptibly thin line running across his scalp. The thickness of these lines determined how difficult they were to cut as, if there was one a hair's width, you would need a blade thinner than that to be able to cut it through.
Unless he was forcibly sealed and prevented from moving, it was virtually impossible to kill Zelretch without being unbelievably faster than a man who could distort space and time. Even then, it wasn't 'impossible' and, with even sacred relics having lines of death, Solon had never expected to be met face to face with someone who had none. Even if Vahn was wearing thick armor that obscured his body, Solon would still be able to perceive the lines of death covering his body as, regardless of the efforts made, death was not something that could be hidden from.
Try as you might to escape it, even by becoming 'immortal', it would eventually claim all life within the Root, man, spirit, and God. Vahn, however, had no lines of death whatsoever, causing Solon's scalp to tingle as, with the ability to sense the threat level of an opponent based on the size of their aura, Vahn seemed relatively weak. Though his aura was a resplendent rainbow color, even more so than the sky-covering aura of Zelretch, it was like a candle burning within an inferno. It was a rather unbelievable sight as even the young woman next to him, whom Solon knew to be 'King Arthur', had an incomparably vast aura compared to the anomalous man standing before him...
With the tensions rising in a distinctly different way than his staredown with Zelretch, Vahn's face was slowly forming into a frown as his domain continued to expand outward. This didn't affect the Association Director, at least in a manner that could be seen from their expression, while Zelretch just shook his head at this side before trying to mediate, saying, "I believe your words were that you can here to clear up misunderstanding in order to avoid unnecessary conflict? If you're going to fight, I would suggest the two of you move outside and make use of the surrounding space. I doubt either of you wants to destroy this place over some petty squabbling...hmm?"
Zelretch's words caused the Association Director's brows to twitch slightly and, tearing their eyes from Vahn for the first time, the petite figure looked at the tall, aged, man, saying in a cold tone that sounded sharp and feminine, "You old bastard...I swear, rather than an enemy, I'm more likely to be done in by your incessant meddling than anything else. Why did you bring the Sage Emperor to this place? Even if you determined he wasn't a threat, this isn't a place just anyone can come and go as they please...!" Sounding someone like a child throwing a tantrum, the Association Director's eyes became progressively sharper as they glared holes into Zelretch's face. To his credit, though there were subtle fluctuations in the energy radiating from his body, Zelretch had a whimsical smile on his face, appearing somewhat like an old man who had gone senile...
Vahn quickly realized that, as mortals who had risen up to an extreme level of power, Zelretch and the Association Director were very 'peculiar' individuals. This caused his own smile to twitch at the edges as, with the phenomenal presence of the two old monsters, combined with their borderline comical interaction, he didn't know quite how to feel. Fortunately, Zelretch waved his hand in a dismissive manner, stating in his deep and aged voice, "Don't throw a fit, Solon. Besides, if Vahn had turned out to be a threat, it would have been better to fight him within this space together, rather than destroy the entire Clock Tower." As he said these words, Zelretch's aura became somewhat oppressive for a brief moment, his lust for battle surfacing once again before he quickly reined it in.
Hearing Zelretch's explanation, Solon seemed to 'understand' something, gaining a somewhat battle-hungry expression as they looked toward Vahn, eerie eyes blazing with mystical light. They suddenly felt like a loaded spring, causing Vahn's instincts to flare up as Artoria immediately changed into a battle-ready state, complete with her blue dress, silvery armor, and a drawn Excalibur. This caused Solon's aura to flare outwards but, instead of attacking, they asked in the same cold tone as before, "For what purpose have you come here, Sage Emperor? I do not imagine you have any intention of joining the Mage's Association, correct...?' As people like Zelretch and Vahn were not the types to be bound to an organization, Solon wouldn't have believed him if he had said otherwise.
Not cowing from the oppressive aura in the least, Vahn's own began to grow increasingly more powerful as he stated, "I have come to make my stance very clear. Though I do not agree with the way in which you have managed this world, I have no intention of entering open conflict with the Mage's Association. I will be forming my own faction and doing everything in my power to prepare for the emergence of Angra Mainyu. For the benefit of both our organizations, I would suggest you have your people leave my allies be and stop pursuing me as a target. Even if I try to avoid conflict, you would learn very quickly that I am not against fighting if it means protecting the things I care about..."
While listening to Vahn speak, Solon's face turned increasingly dour and, by the end, they began to nod their head with visible frustration, answering, "Good! Very good! An Emperor indeed! Now, how about we see if you actually have the power to back up your boldness!?" With that said, the ring on Solon's left pinky flashed briefly and, in seemingly no time at all, Vahn found himself standing in the middle of the air. The temple he had been in previously had a loud explosion resonate from within, following by a brilliant bluish-white light that Vahn knew to be Artoria's Excalibur. This caused his brain to buzz with fury and, having already prepared for a potential battle, Vahn uttered in a cold tone, "Alaya..."
Though it might be impossible to get her to act against his enemies outright, Vahn had long since discovered a way to 'exploit' Alaya's presence. As she was constantly storing Magical Energy that he could have her use on his behalf, there was nothing preventing her from feeding it back into him. She was not allowed to arbitrarily increase his power but, if it was just acting as a 'battery' of sorts, there was nothing preventing her from obeying his command. Thus, while allowing his domain the fade away, Vahn transformed into his Qinglong form while allowing [Laplace's Key] to take effect...
---
After seeing Vahn disappear, Artoria immediately struck forward with Excalibur, understanding that the opportunity for a civil dialogue had quickly broken down. Though she did not use all of her power, as activating Excalibur required charging up a phenomenal amount of magical energy, she was still able to release a small burst of Holy energy by combining Excalibur's inherent effects with her [Mana Burst]. This created a large explosion and, though she was also somewhat hesitant about damaging the surrounding 'garden', such things would not interfere with the completion of her duties. Thus, trusting Vahn would return shortly, Artoria struck at Solon, causing them to extend their palm, erecting a gem-like barrier that deflected her attack back at her...
With the door they had entered through only a few meters behind her, Artoria followed her instincts, jumping back with as much power as her legs could manage while holding Excalibur level with the ground and sending another wave of energy to contend against the first one. This was what caused the large explosion Vahn had seen and, using the shockwave of the two energy blasts, Artoria was able to propel herself outside. Though she would be at a disadvantage in an open space, especially against a Magus, Artoria knew it wouldn't be long before Vahn arrived, likely in an enraged state. It was her desire to avoid seeing him blame himself for the temple's destruction that caused her to abandon what little advantage the terrain would have provided for her...
While Artoria was still mid-leap, Solon had already teleported outside of the temple, their robes rippling as the magical energy around their body flared up. From their back, wings of light that were reminiscent of angel wings formed while, after bringing their palms together, several golden ripples spread throughout the area, forming hundreds of magic circles in an instant as they uttered, "Wrath of the Sky God..." in an ancient tongue. Immediately following this, beams of light rained down on Artoria, many breaking through her [Magic Resistance] outright as she used [Mana Burst] to protect her body, dodging to the best of her ability. Since they were attacks moving at the speed of light, however, Artoria's efforts were in vain, at least until a figure appeared in front of Solon, azure wings spread out like a massive canopy as a thunderous shockwave tore through the void, shattering space like a mirror...
Though Solon had tried to defend themselves by extending their right hand toward Vahn's attack, their attempt was denied as an azure tail, moving like lightning, entered their periphery, 'through' Vahn's own wing, stabbing into their abdomen. In the next instant, Vahn's overlapped fists came down upon their head like a righteous hammer strike, sending Solon crashing into the void which, instead of being open-air, was like colliding against an immovable object after Vahn condensed the surrounding space. For a brief moment, Solon felt genuine terror as, with the [Ring of Divine Sight], they should be able to predict the future by a few seconds when in battle. Vahn, however, seemed immune to this effect and, as they were never a close combat specialist, Solon used on their trump cards in self-preservation.
Vahn was essentially a passenger in his own body right now but, seeing Solon place their hands around their chest, causing the large disc-like amulet they were wearing to shimmer with gold and green light, he felt a subtle hint of danger, even in his apathetic state. Then, even though his body used another technique he had never even thought of before, compressing the space between himself and Solon to negate distance, he only managed to punch a seemingly unbreakable barrier before a phenomenal amount of energy, distinctly different from mana, flowed outward from the amulet. Immediately following this, an area of several kilometers around Solon suddenly became filled with sodden branches covered in green runes that emanated a powerful and vibrant life force...
With even his mind able to sense the danger, there was no way Vahn's body, under the influence of [Laplace's Key], was going to stick around. As thick vines moved with lightning speed to try and entangle him, Vahn had already disappeared from the area, teleporting several tens of kilometers above a massive tree that now grew in mid-air. Even now, it wasn't done growing as, with the roots extending into the void itself, a massive canopy began to spread, complete with emerald-colored leaves that reminded him a lot of Yggdrasil. Though they lacked the rainbow hue of his surrogate daughter's, they were like pristine gemstones that reflected the light, causing strange flowers to begin blooming from the void itself, radiating a small aura of space elemental energy...
Though Vahn was observing these things from a third-person perspective, completely lacking the ability to think about them too deeply, his body had been crackling with azure lightning for quite a while. He could feel his energy tanking rapidly, though slower than Alaya could refill it, as his body once again performed an action he had never even though of previously. Vahn had no idea how he was even able to manage it but, using the 'Oblivion' skill of his [Eyes of Truth], he was creating an elemental star, not comprised of any of the 'primary' elements, but Time. Then, while the star was still forming, he was channeling his Space elemental lightning into the growing sphere, causing a black orb to form that was almost indistinguishable to the spheres produced by his [Yi] arrows...
The singularity produced by the [Yi] arrow was often quite small, around the size of a marble, even though the event horizon could affect several hundred meters around it. Seeing the basketball-sized black sphere-forming before him, Vahn was so terrified by the potential of his own attack that he was slowly breaking free of [Laplace's Key]. As the power would basically compound exponentially as the sphere increased in diameter, he couldn't even imagine the devastation that would be caused if he released this attack. The fact that his body had determined this was 'necessary' not only indicated the power possessed by Solon but that his body, under the influence of [Laplace's Key], was willing to go to extremes without properly considering the consequences at all.
From within the canopy of the massive tree, which even now continued to grow larger, Solon was looking up at the black mass in Vahn's hands with glazed eyes. The fact that Vahn's aura was still the same size, even though he was capable of using a seemingly infinite amount of Magical Power, was something that made no sense to them. It seemed to indicate that, much like Zelretch, he was able to pull power from another source yet, instead of pulling it from the surroundings, or through a link he had established with other timelines, Vahn's energy seemed to come from within. Though Solon had only wanted to test Vahn's power at first, they were very quickly coming to regret their actions as, after using one of their trump cards, they really didn't want to use more...
Just as that thought crossed their mind, a ripple in space appeared next to Solon as Zelretch stepped out of the void next to them. He had a serious expression on his face, looking up at Vahn as he said, "This is gone too far, old friend. Unless you intend to fight until the end, I think it best we lay matters to rest..." While speaking, Zelretch lifted up his cane, the rainbow-colored gemstone radiating a resplendent light while, at the very center, a black void began to expand. The true form of the gem on his staff was that of a micro-universe which he had both formed and compressed by using the Second Magic to its extremes. He had slowly been storing up energy within the gemstone in order to battle against the 'Spider' in a hundred year's time, completely unaware of the fact that one of his greatest enemies was currently viewing him through Vahn's eyes...
With a tired sigh, Solon held up the [Seal of Yggdrasil] before slitting their own wrist and allowing blood to spread across its shimmering golden surface. Then, as if flowing in reverse, their blood began to defy gravity while the massive tree surrounding them began to slowly recede. At the same time, Zelretch extended his cane toward the sky, sending a thin black beam to meet the descending sphere of darkness that Vahn had failed to rein in. When the two collided, the sphere disappeared completely while, in the distance, a black sun began to expand on the horizon but, instead of casting light upon the world, it sucked it in with seemingly unstoppable fervor. Fortunately, even though it only seemed a few hundred kilometers away, the distance was actually closer to several hundred thousand. In this place, you could move at the speed of light and only travel a few kilometers an hour unless you knew the 'trick' to navigating the folded and functionaly infinite space within.
Seeing the phenomenal damage output by Vahn's attack, Zelretch took in a deep breath through his nose as, now more than ever, it seemed like the former had come from the 'outside'. The attacks he used, even though his own Magical Energy seemed weak, were able to contend against True Magic in power. When his power matured further, Zelretch imagined there would be nothing that could stand against him, a terrifying yet potentially relieving thought as, with his ability to peer into other timelines, Zelretch had seen far too many instances of humanity being wiped out by one threat or another. If Vahn could be made an ally, which shouldn't be that difficult given his presumed nature, there was a chance all future threats could be mitigated almost entirely.
Though he would never abandon his self-assigned duty, Zelretch had long grown weary of being one of the few protectors of the multiverse. All of his attempts to train proteges often ended with his students being crippled or outright losing their minds. As a result, he had slowly been losing all hope that a 'successor' to his position would appear, allowing his weary bones to rest for a few hundred years. Now, seeing Vahn emanating a majestic and unfathomable aura, a smile spread across his aged and wrinkled face as Zelretch felt his search for a potential successor nearing its end...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: '*Staring Intensifies*','Solon is surprisingly hot-headed...?','The secret behind Zelretch's smile...')
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Chapter 1179: Concessions
After wresting back control of his body, though not before sending the [Space-Time Elemental Star] flying, Vahn released a sigh of relief when he saw a gateway of some sort open to consume what very likely may have been his most powerful attack. As it erupted in the distance, he shifted next to Artoria, supporting her slightly battered body as she stared resolutely towards the slowly receding tree nearby. It was clear she had been intending to release her Noble Phantasms to its limits as, instead of the characteristic bluish-white glow that often accompanied her attacks, small particulates of golden light had started to radiate from Excalibur's surface.
Seeing Vahn appear next to her, Artoria produced a tired and apologetic smile, remarking, "I need to learn how to fly..." Though it almost sounded rather comical to heart her say something like that in this instance, Vahn understood that she was very serious. With that in mind, he gave an understanding nod and, even if Artoria's disposition didn't really allow her to fly that easily, he knew a number of ways in which she could achieve the feat. If nothing else, he could always just forge her a pair of greaves that would allow her to create footholds in the air, at least until she was able to use [Shundo] and [Koku Shundo] on her own...
As the void-bound tree slowly dissipated back into nothingness, Zelretch and Solon could both be seen floating in the air, albeit using very different methods. The former was able to fold space, making it into a solid platform that he could freely manipulate without even having to move. As for the latter, they had angelic wings of light protruding from their back while, on their wrists and ankles, he could sense they used golden rings to stabilize themselves. Fortunately, other than staring back, neither made any attempt to press the attack and, as his instincts were no longer sounding alarm bells in his mind, Vahn assumed they had reached a temporary ceasefire of sorts.
While thinking about whether or not to press the attack himself, it became apparent that Zelretch intended to mediate the affair, shaking his head, his aged voice echoing, "This has certainly been educational. Mutual respect is possible only when both sides understand the capabilities of the other. Now that your squabble has reached an interlude, I would suggest setting the matter aside and returning to a more diplomatic method of resolving your differences..."
Though Solon didn't seem to like the way Zelretch had phrased his words, they ultimately gave an affirmative nod before stating in a voice that lacked sincerity, "I apologize for my behavior, Sage Emperor. It has been several centuries since anyone had the audacity to threaten me directly so I had become incensed as a result. Now, I understand you are not simply a blustering fool..." It was apparent that Solon wanted to go on but, after receiving a sharp gaze from Zelretch, their words began to trail towards the end as they lowered themselves to the platform. After stepping on the ground a sharp pain ran through their abdomen, the location where Vahn had stabbed through their body with his tail, but this only caused their brows to twitch before they recovered their composure.
Vahn hadn't appreciated Solon's words in the slightest but, as it was true he had provoked the rather petulant Magus, he decided to just ignore the biting remarks. When he saw the latter wince in pain after stepping onto the platform, this was the only real vindication he needed as, at least for the time being, he had no intention of exposing all his cards before the two powerful Magi. It was very possible that he could defeat Solon, especially since the latter seemed to rely largely on powerful artifacts, but it would be next to impossible to egg out anything but a pyrrhic victory against Zelretch.
Unless he locked the space around them completely, preventing even his own use of [Shundo], there was virtually nothing he could do against the wielded of the Second Magic. As this wouldn't do much to prevent Zelretch from accessing his infinite reserves of Magical Energy, Vahn would rather not face him until he was nearing the peak of Tier 4, or had stepped into the realm of Tier 5. Even then, he would need a much better understanding of Space and Time Laws if he wanted to avoid being toyed with or completely overwhelmed after cutting off his own means of escape...
Misunderstanding Vahn's silence as him being rather level-headed, Zelretch gave an approving nod before turning his attention to Artoria for a brief moment. He could tell she wasn't seriously injured or, despite his best attempts to calm the situation, it was very likely Vahn wouldn't have been very agreeable. Still, the fact that Artoria was able to essentially tank an attack that could easily wipe out a small island was rather surprising to him.
He wondered if she had been able to recover Avalon, implying that Vahn had either come to an accord with the Einzbern family or had already 'dealt' with them. Since he had seen the interaction between Vahn and Goldolf Musik, it was easy to assume both conclusions. If not for the fact that Vahn was present, he would have looked into the matter directly but, feeling that such action could alert the Sage Emperor and cause a misunderstanding, Zelretch held off his curiosity for the moment...
Now that things were beginning to calm down, it was Solon who decided to advanced things along, stating in their characteristically cold voice, "For the time being, the standing policy of the Mage's Association will be neutrality with the potential for future cooperation. So long as you do not cause unnecessary troubles to the Association, I will not interfere with your affairs. However, even if you do not follow the policies laid out by the Association, we will be forced to act if your actions threaten our interests and the ongoing ceasefire with the Holy Church. Until this matter with Angra Mainyu has been settled, you would do well to avoid causing too much trouble..."
Hearing Solon's words, essentially parroting and twisting his own, Vahn had a less than amused expression on his face as he remarked, "It is not my policy to seek unnecessary conflicts. However, that does not mean I will shy away from them. If the Mage's Association and its affiliated families cause trouble, do not blame me for taking the necessary actions to protect myself and the people in my charge. With the errant practices and deeply rooted corruption of the current system, do not pretend the blame is mine when the Arisotractic families and other factions find trouble with me."
Even before Vahn had finished speaking, Solon's gaze had become icier than before, their voice shaking a bit as they venomously stated, "You may very well be an Emperor, but that does not give you the liberty to say whatever you please...without the Mage's Association-" Before they were able to continue further, Vahn held up his hand, causing Solon's aura to spread outward rather violently when he stated, "Just remember where the accountability lays when the time comes. Don't expect me to play nice when others are proactively trying to harm me and those I have chosen to protect. If you want to be their patsy and act as the champion of corruption, that is your prerogative. Mine is to do everything I can to make the world a better place without making excuses..."
Before another fight could break out, Zelretch suddenly began laughing uninhibitedly, drawing the attention of everyone present as he mused, "You two mix as well as oil and water. Let's stop these petty attempts to offend each other and move on to more interesting matters, shall we? I'm certain everyone here has better things to do than argue over platitudes and philosophies." With that said, Zelretch gave a sidelong gaze at Solon, earning a scornful look from the latter before they ultimately looked back at Vahn and stated, "I have rarely interfered with matters outside of the Clock Tower. So long as you do not cause any damage to the properties belonging to the Mage's Association, I do not care about your squabbles with the other families..."
Though he couldn't simply accept Solon's words at face value, Vahn gave an understanding nod before answering, "That is all I can ask for. I have no desire for wanton destruction so, as long as the Mage's Association is not actively engaged in practices I do not approve of, I have no reason to seek trouble with them..." Even if he knew his words could exacerbate things further, Vahn had already decided the be transparent when it came to things like this. He hated things like human experimentation and the like so, if there was ever to be direct cooperation between him and the Mage's Association in the future, they would need to make concessions from the start.
Understanding the meaning behind Vahn's words, Solon felt like they were going to have an aneurysm as they looked toward Zelretch with eyes that said, 'are you hearing this?'. This was met with a wry smile as, knowing full-well what Vahn purported to be, Zelretch understood the Mage's Association may very well accede to his demands in the future. With the imminent emergence of Angra Mainyu, things would only become increasingly chaotic and, if the Aristocratic faction had their way, the larger Magus community would be the ones to suffer for it. This would become the catalyst for a Civil War within the Mage's Association, something that had been cooking for nearly seventy years, ever since the end of World War II and the rapid modernization that followed...
Once again playing the role of mediator, Zelretch had a tired smile on his face as he explained, "Vahn, though you certainly have ground to question the policies of the Mage's Association, you are in essence blaming the corruption of Aristocratic families on people who were never directly involved with them. The policies of the Association have always been in the interest of ensuring that Thaumaturgical practices and Magecraft are passed down to the next generation. It does not exist for the purpose of regulating the political affairs of affiliated families and the entire Magus community. If my friend here was to try and force their personal views on the various Lords that have established themselves within the Association, it would have long torn itself apart, resulting in the persecution of Magi by the Holy Church and the rapid decline of the Magus community..."
Hearing Zelretch's explanation, even though it sounded like he was shifting the blame, Vahn decided not to press the matter too much. With what he had learned from Rin and Luvia, it had been apparent from the start that the biggest source of corruption within the Mage's Association was, as could be expected, the various Aristocratic families. Though the Aristocratic faction was the most vocal, every Faculty was controlled by someone with the title of Lord, meaning they also hailed from an Aristocratic line. This included the leaders of the Democratic and Neutral factions which, at their very core, were extensions of the three more powerful 'Monarchal' families, the Barthomeloi, Trambelio, and Valualeta families.
If not for the backing of the other two most powerful families, the Aristocratic faction would have obviously squashed the Democratic and Neutral factions in their inception. Instead, they all just played a political game amongst themselves, using lesser Aristocratic families and commoners as pawns to maintain the status quo while loosely adhering to the policies set out by the Association to avoid having to be held truly accountable for their actions. After all, without the umbrella of the Mage's Association, most Magi would be hunted down by the Holy Church who, if they could get away with it, would completely bury Magecraft in the annals of history, obscuring the existence of Mystery and purporting that their version of history, bastardized from various cultures, was the singular truth.
Deciding it was best not to lay the blame entirely upon Solon, as it seemed like the latter more or less isolated themselves from the world, Vahn just shook his head, saying, "I may have said too much. Know that I will do what I can to change things without harming the interests of the Mage's Association. Though there will undoubtedly be conflict between myself and your affiliates, what I offer as compensation should more than reimburse any potential damages. As for the matter of Angra Mainyu, that is something we will have to discuss in greater detail later. I already have my own plans for dealing with his emergence..."
With Vahn taking a step back, much of Solon's excess frustrations faded away, almost to the point of causing them to sigh in relief. Instead, their expression became less dour as they also decided to take a step back, stating, "I also owe you an apology, as it was my decision that originally led to this confrontation. So long as you are not trying to active attack and weaken the Association, I will continue to observe and monitor things from a neutral standpoint. I have already given a warning to potential dissidents so, if they still seek trouble with you, that is their own prerogative, not the stance of the Association. How you deal with them is between you, so long as the battle does not involve the Clock Tower and the Spirit Tomb...now, you should be leaving this place soon. That golden-haired brat is going to cause a riot if you don't make an appearance..."
Seemingly finished with this discussion, Solon turned away from Vahn and Artoria, flapping their wings of light as they quickly alighted to the temple. This left Zelretch with a wry smile on his face, covering for his friend as he explained, "Solon distanced themselves from politics nearly twenty-six-hundred years ago. Since then, their main focus has always been protecting the interests of the Mage's Association and trying to prevent Mystery from fading away as a result of the Holy Church's machinations. They aren't the best at socializing...do not let it bother you too much..."
Understanding there was likely more to the story, Vahn gave a curt nod in response to Zelretch's words before making his way back to the elevator platform with Artoria. He wasn't that surprised when Zelretch didn't follow after them as, with how he had been urging the conversation forward, it was clear that Solon was more injured than they were letting on. The peculiar Magus was able to keep it concealed well but, as the person who had caused their injuries, Vahn knew it would they would take some time to recover fully. With the potent combination of Source Energy and Space elemental energy, it didn't matter how good your regeneration was, at least until you could purge them from your system completely...
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As he had expected, Solon had indeed brought a prompt end to the conversation as it became increasingly apparent that they could not recover using normal methods. Now, even though they were annoyed when Zelretch appeared behind them, Solon continued the arduous process of removing their various artifacts. At the same time, they complained, "I can't believe you brought a monster like that into my garden...that man has the blood of a Dragon even more potent than the heart of that woman..." Even now, Solon could vividly remember the cold eyes possessed by Vahn during their short exchange. It was almost like looking into their own eyes in a mirror, seeing the lines of death covering their own body and feeling the fragility of their life...
While continuing to observe Solon with an unwavering gaze, something that was beginning to increasingly annoy his old friend, Zelretch explained, "There is a good chance that man may have come from the Outside. Though it can be defined by several Thaumaturgical principles, even the basic movement skills he uses are close to True Magic. I believe it would be wise to come to an accord with him in the future, forming an official alliance instead of allowing things to continue in this tense manner..." Even if Vahn didn't currently possess the power to threaten him, Zelretch felt that his potential was beyond comprehension. If he could be trained properly, it would only take a few decades for Vahn to reach a point where, with a few exceptions, there would be nothing left to rival him within this world...
Hearing Zelretch's words, Solon was slightly shaken as, if Vahn truly had come from the Outside, he was an existence they lacked the means to even comprehend. This would explain why he had no lines of death anywhere on his body, even though he didn't seem 'invulnerable' in the least. It was very likely that he possessed multiple bodies, or existed as something closer to a Divine Spirit than a being of flesh and blood. These, however, were just assumptions as, if he had truly come from the Outside, there was no way of knowing if their 'logic' even applied to him.
Feeling a powerful migraine coming, Solon released a heavy sigh while placing the [Seal of Yggdrasil] around the neck of a mannequin. Then, pulling their robe over their head, allowing their long green hair to get caught in the fabric for a short moment, Solon's fair white skin came into view. Their entire body, with the exception of their hands and feet, was covered in a series of intricate red runes that had been carved into their flesh like a full-body tattoo. Even their small and pert butt was covered in runes, causing Zelretch to smile in amusement until his eyes passed over the rather vicious wound that ran clear through Solon's body. Though Solon would even be able to regenerate from having their head or heart crushed, the wound left by Vahn's tail was still present and, periodically, small flashes of azure lightning would dance across the seared flesh...
Though they had been about to lambast Zelretch for staring at their backside, Solon ultimately huffed when the old man began looking at the wound piercing their body. Seeing the concern in his face always annoyed them so, in their characteristically icy tone, Solon muttered, "I don't need you to worry about me, you old bastard..." With that said, Solon's body expanded slightly before quickly losing its complexion moments later. Everything, including the hole left by Vahn, became covered in a greyish-brown substance, similar to unfired clay. In mere seconds, Solon's body had become almost indistinguishable from a statue which, a few seconds later, began to crack and fracture.
As this wasn't the first time he had seen this process, Zelretch had a rather plain reaction but, as he found it amusing to tease Solon after the fact, he liked to stick around until the end. Thus, in an effort to speed up the process, Zelretch tapped his cane against the ground, causing a ripple to spread through the surrounding space. The fracturing 'statue' became extremely brittle when the ripple passed through it, causing the majority of the fragments to break away while a few smaller pieces clung to the slightly moist and reddened skin of Solon. Now, though they hadn't been all that tall, to begin with, Solon looked even younger and, with their body having yet to 'harden' properly, they glared toward Zelretch as an invisible force prevented them from crashing into the floor.
Without minding the ire in Solon's eyes, Zelretch continued to smile in a slightly amused manner as he asked, "How long will you take to recover?" This caused Solon to sigh in exasperation as they shifted to a seated position and answered, "That wound was more serious than I expected. I will need to consume various treasures to accelerate my growth again...will you help me?" Even though asking for help was the thing Solon hated to do most of all, Zelretch was one of the few people they trusted as, without his intervention, they would have died like most others who had failed to reach the Reverse Side of the World during the Great Migration...
With his lips curling up at the sides, something that caused Solon's brows to twitch, Zelretch gave a curt nod and answered, "Of course. So long as you continue to pursue your ideals, I will never break my promise..." As these words left his lips, Zelretch pulled out a small golden link, tossing it through the air for Solon to catch. Since they had yet to regain full motor control, the link ended up hitting them on the forehead, causing Solon to flinch before adopting a pouting expression that caused Zelretch to smile even wider. Then, after picking up the link with their rather dainty fingers, Solon placed it near a small gap in the complex formation covering their body, absorbing the piece of pale gold into the area where their heart was located.
Though their size didn't change by much, this caused their hair, which had previously been reduced to less than a centimeter in length, to quickly grow until it reached the small of their back. At the same time, a lot of their strength came back so, rather than sit on the cold ground, Solon rose to their feet, glaring at Zelretch one last time before shimmying back into their robe, feelings of frustration in their heart due to their skin always being tender in their larval state...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Artoria wants to fly xD...','Vahn and Solon are both kind of petty','Who would have thought that the guy that can peek into infinite timelines in a voyeur...?')
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